Nick sat with his back pressed against the hard concrete of his bedroom wall, sipping his beer slowly. He could heard the muffled voices of Jess and Cece on the other side of the door and the occasional thud or bang of a box being dropped or moved. He rested his elbows on his bent knees and dropped his head forlornly to rest on his biceps. His brain almost ached from trying to process that this was really happening, she was really leaving. He couldn't bring himself to watch her go so he had holed himself away in his bedroom for the entire day, occasionally walking to the window to see the guys loading boxes into Jess' car.

When she had walked through the door three years ago his life had changed forever and now the same thing was about to happen again as she walked out. He couldn't bare the thought of not seeing her every day, the very idea sent him into a blind panic but it was what they had agreed and they seemed to be following through with it. The only thing worse than not seeing her every day was seeing her with another guy. They both knew that in light of recent events neither of them could handle seeing the other with someone else, so they were stuck. They couldn't be together but they couldn't untangle themselves from each other either.

If they couldn't move on emotionally they would do it physically and try and give themselves a head start, even if it was the coward's way out. And Nick was being a coward, he knew it as he hid away from her in his bedroom, but their relationship couldn't take any more damage, it was too fragile. Locking himself away seemed like the safest solution. So there he stayed for the next two hours listening to the love of his life prepare to leave him.

"Have you seen him at all today?" Cece asked although she knew the answer it was written all over Jess' face.

Jess simply shook her head without even looking up to meet Cece's eyes. Jess had been quiet and sullen all day and it was always so unsettling for Cece to see her like that, it knocked everything off kilter and Cece was never completely sure how to fix it, they were way beyond the realm of cookies and wine now. Cece folded Jess' sweaters blindly never taking her eyes off her best friend who looked like she was about to break at any moment.

Jess folded her clothes slowly, her hands working on auto pilot as she stared off into space, occasionally glancing at Nick's bedroom door through hers which she had purposefully left open in case he showed his face. Cece saw Jess' phone silently light up for the fifth time that day and she watched as once again Jess ignored it, throwing it a casual glance before she returned to her packing. Jess hadn't opened up much about her night with James and Cece hadn't pushed her on it, she figured it was best for them both to deal with one emotional obstacle at a time and Cece knew that emotional obstacles didn't come much bigger than the one Jess was facing today.

Cece had been there through Sam, Russell, Paul and worst of all Spencer, she had helped Jess to pick up the pieces but as Cece watched her friend helplessly, something suddenly dawned on her. With all those other guys it had never really been a case of helping Jess to pick up the pieces because she had never really fallen apart, not really. She had been unstable sure, rocky even, but never broken. Not like she was now. Nick was the one for Jess and she had lost him.

Cece dropped the shirt she was holding and walked over to Jess without saying a word and threw her arms around her, hugging her tight. Instantly she felt Jess start to shake and knew she was helping to release something that Jess had been holding on to all day like a chain around her neck. Cece squeezed her tight for what felt like the longest time until she felt Jess start to relax and the sound of her crying subsided. Cece took a step back and moved her hands from Jess' back to gently hold the tops of both her arms, she bent her knees a little to accommodate Jess' small stature and meet her eyes.

"Jess you know I'm here for you don't you?"

Jess sniffed and wiped under her eyes "I know."

"You're gonna be ok."

"I'm just so tired off crying Cece."

"I know sweetie but we'll get you through this I promise."

Jess curled her mouth in the smallest, weakest smile she could muster and allowed her best friend to pull her in for another much needed hug.

Nick stood by his window leaning his head against the wall watching Coach and Winston argue over which way Jess' mirror should be slotted into the car. In his head he found it funny but his body wouldn't let him express any kind of humour. Not today. Even from where he was standing he could make out items of Jess' belongings poking out the back of the car, pictures that had once hung on his wall, a quilt cover that had once lay on his bed, all the things that made Jess who she was. The girl he loved.

Nick rubbed at his chest trying in vain to ease the pain which had settled there but he instantly felt his heart start to thump hard in his chest as he heard a soft tapping at his bedroom door. Spinning round quickly he desperately tried to prepare himself to meet bangs, glasses and a little,flowery dress but it was a shirt and dress pants filled with a rather concerned looking Schmidt. Nick resumed his former stance by the window without saying a word.

"What are you doing in here Nick?"

"Don't start Schmidt."

Schmidt took a few more tentative steps towards Nick trying to find the balance between expressing his annoyance and his concern. "I mean you do know she's leaving right? You are aware?"

Nick swung back around to face Schmidt more than a little peeved. "Jeez you don't say Schmidt."

Taking on board Nick's sarcastic tone Schmidt pushed again to get some sense out of his friend. "Again I ask, what are you doing in here? Come on man you don't want to leave things like this with her."

"We've said everything there is to say Schmidt."

"Wrong. You haven't said goodbye."

Nick turned his back on Schmidt as the words hit him hard in the chest. He didn't want to say goodbye to her.

Jess pulled the zipper from one side of the bag to the other and stood upright with her hands resting resolutely on her hips. Cece did the same and they both stopped to look at each other.

"Look Cece let's just call it a day, I'll come get the rest of my stuff later. I don't want to draw this out any more."

Cece nodded. "Ok. You ready?"

Jess pushed her glasses up her nose to cover her watery eyes and she shook her head. Cece picked up Jess' bag and strode over to her, throwing her arm around her shoulder, as physical support as much as anything else, and encouraged her out of the bedroom. As Jess walked into the hall she could see Coach, Schmidt and Winston lined up waiting for her, their hands clasped in front of them and their heads hanging down and her heart broke looking at them. She had never seen them look so sad and the thought that she wouldn't be there to comfort them afterwards was hard to swallow.

"Here let us take those." Coach stepped forward to take the bag out of Jess' hand, Winston taking the other from Cece before they trudged into the hallway to take them down to the car.

Cece turned back to Jess and rested her hand on her shoulder. "I'll go down and check we have everything we need ok?"

Jess nodded feebly and squeezed Cece's hand before she disappeared into the hallway after Coach and Winston leaving Jess and Schmidt alone. They look at each other with so much to say and yet nothing to say at the same time.

"Is he ok?"

Schmidt who had been uncharacteristically quiet all morning simply shook his head without offering much else. Jess lowered her head in disappointment and turned back to Nick's closed door. She walked towards it slowly and stopped outside it for a few moments unsure of her next move. She raised her hand to knock but instead she unfurled her fingers and rested her palm flat against the door unaware of him standing on the other side, his forehead pressed against the hard wood. She stood like that for a few moments trying to absorb the gravity of what was happening, then she slid her hand gently down the door to drop back by her side before turning back to Schmidt who looked as upset as she did. Schmidt walked towards her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Let's go huh?"

"Yeah."

Hearing the front door close Nick rotated his head on the door until he was standing with his back to it. As his legs gave way he slid down the door to the floor, resting his head in his hands. Banging his head back against the door hard he looked at his hands which were shaking uncontrollably, his breathing was rapid and uneven in spite of the fact he wasn't moving. He swallowed hard and constant trying to rid himself of the burning lump in his throat but it remained, it felt like it was getting bigger and spreading down to his chest, then his stomach. It was then he realised he was panicking.

He pressed his hands flat on the floor and pushed himself up to his feet as fast as he could. He ran to his window, his thighs banging off his desk as he failed to stop in time. He could see them congregating around Jess' car, talking and hugging. As he watched Coach hold open the car door for her, Nick could feel his heart trying to beat out of his chest, his hands were gripping so hard to the windowsill his knuckles had turned white. What the hell was he doing? Schmidt was right, he couldn't leave it like this.

Before Nick's brain even had time to switch into gear his feet were carrying him out the front door. He pressed the button of the elevator furiously. "Come on, come on!...damn it!". Smacking his hand hard against the closed elevator doors he gave up and span on his heels heading for the stairs. He ran down faster than his feet could carry him almost stumbling over every few steps. He had never run so fast in his life and his lungs were burning and heaving from the activity.

Reaching the bottom he punched through the door and fled outside, when his feet hit the pavement it was then he realised he had no shoes on but still he kept on running. As he rounded the corner she came into sight.

"Jess!"

She hand one foot in the car, her hand resting on the door but she stopped as she heard him call her name, her eyes went wide as she saw him standing in his sweat pants, shoe-less in the middle of the road. She froze, a little in shock. Still catching his breath and swallowing hard he closed the gap between them even more.

"Jess wait. Please wait!"

She started to walk towards him to meet him half way, her heart pounding. As he neared her he didn't seem to slow down, his face desperate but full of intent. Before she could say anything he pulled her into his arms, a sharp breath escaping her lungs as their bodies collided in a tight embrace. He wrapped an arm tight around her waist, the other threading up into her hair. Without question, her arms found their way around his neck and she clung on to him so tightly she thought she might never let go. After what felt like an eternity they reluctantly pulled apart, his hands rested on her hips as long as they could and her hands trailed down his face, tenderly stroking his cheeks like he was the most precious thing in the world. Resting their foreheads together they silently said their goodbyes.

Jess took a step back and smoothed her hands down his arms to clasp his hands in hers. They looked at each other for the longest time but there was no anger, no tears, no sense of foreboding. Instead there was something there that they couldn't identify, it didn't have a name, it was a strange feeling that made them look at each other with the same questioning faces. They both smiled at each in a way they hadn't in a long time, with so much behind those smiles they couldn't even begin to explain.

Releasing his hands she let him go and walked to her car. Keeping his distance he stayed on the pavement and watched her close the door and buckle up her seatbelt. Her face was obscured by the bright sunlight reflecting on the car windows but even still he could see her smile and her eyes sparkling at him. For the first time since they had broken up, he knew they were going to be ok.