Title: With A Little Help
Author: SLynn
Rating: T
Pairings: Logan/Camille and Kendall/Jo
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I don't really own these characters, I only imagine I do.

Summary: Summer begins with aweek in Vegas that doesn't turn out as planned, but they'll all have to make the best of it. Takes place two months after 'And So It Goes'.

Notes: Sorry for keeping anyone still reading this waiting. Thank you readers, reviewers, everyone! I'm hoping to begin posting more often with this one and to be finished soon and on to the next. Thanks, Tripp3235 for the help! Happy Halloween, and enjoy!

Chapter 10

Logan kept his promise to Kelly and after she talked with James, he had apologized. James did as well and they reached a temporary understanding that they would try harder to get along, or in the very least, not go out of their way to antagonize one another. James was as eager as Logan was to drop the whole thing and get back to normal, which was all Kelly could ask for. After a very quick breakfast they all headed into the studio and ended up having a great rehearsal. As promised, the day was long and included a conference call with Gustavo who sounded pleased by their progress, but by the end of it everyone was exhausted when they got back to the rooms.

Despite their exhaustion, Kendall decided to go hang out with Jo in her room, with her mom present, which Kelly confirmed first before approving. Stephanie came over to hang out with James, Carlos and Logan, and the four of them quickly decided to head over to the Excalibur which had a massive arcade room where they could hang out until curfew. Because of their earlier fight, James had gone out of his way to make sure Logan felt invited and Logan, realizing no one was going to let up about the amount of work he'd taken on, decided it was for the best if he just went along.

"Just be back..." Kelly started to say, but the guys all beat her to the punch.

"By ten," they chorused. "We know."

The night was still warm but it was a short walk. James and Logan did their best to follow behind Carlos and Stephanie, but Carlos kept slowing down and looking back like he couldn't understand what was taking them so long. Once there they mostly stuck together in a group, but the place was packed with kids their own age, so it wasn't always possible.

James immediately started talking to a couple of girls who were giggly past the point of endurance in Logan's opinion, but he stuck by his side, keeping to the agreement he'd reached with him earlier and more than willing to give Carlos as much alone time as possible with Stephanie. It mostly seemed to be working, because Stephanie was certainly flirting with Carlos. It was pretty clear now that she did like him. The problem was getting Carlos to realize it.

Carlos, whose habit of dependence kept drawing him over to wherever James and Logan wandered off to, kept following them for most of the night. Finally James, on the pretext of getting everyone something to drink, took Carlos with him, leaving Logan alone with Stephanie.

"Dude," James said as soon as they were out of earshot, "you've got to stop."

"What?" Carlos asked, looking around him as if James might be talking to someone else entirely.

"Don't you see that Stephanie wants to be alone with you?"

Carlos stopped looking around him and instead fixed James with a disbelieving look.

"Logan and I are trying to give you some space, but it's really hard to do if you keep dragging her back over to us."

"Are you... why?"

"Why?" James asked, unable to keep himself from smiling just a little bit. "Because she likes you."

"What? You can't know that?"

"She's been flirting with you all night."

"No, she hasn't."

"You know," James said, shaking his head slowly, "you're almost as thick as Logan is about this sort of thing. And I only say almost because at least Stephanie is subtle about it, so there's your excuse. Camille had to practically hit Logan over the head..."

"Okay, forget Logan and Camille for a minute," Carlos interrupted, beginning to look a little panic-stricken.

"I wish," James murmured.

"What do I do?" Carlos asked, missing James's comment completely.

"Do?"

"Yes, James," Carlos said, his voice sharp. "Do. What do I do?"

"Just hang out with her."

"That's it?"

"That's it," James repeated. "She already likes you. Just see where it goes."

"I can do that."

"Of course you can," James said reassuringly, patting him on the back before they returned with drinks in hand.

Everyone smiled awkwardly at one another for a minute before James turned and pointed off at nothing and said, "Hey, Logan. Look at that. Let's go."

"Smooth," Logan muttered under his breath at they made there retreat.

"I can't do everything," James said in return.

Carlos smiled at Stephanie who was now blushing, having more or less figured out what was going on.

"So," Carlos said, "do you want to play some games?"

"Yeah," Stephanie said with a smile, still a little embarrassed but trying to put it behind her.

Gradually the tension between them eased as they talked about movies and sports. Stephanie told him all about growing up in Florida and Carlos explained the beauty of snow days in Minnesota. After about an hour James and Logan returned briefly to say that they were headed back to the hotel and, without even being prompted to, Carlos suggested to Stephanie that they stay a little longer by themselves. She'd happily agreed and it wasn't until a quarter to ten that they decided to leave.

"I didn't know you were so good at basketball."

"Well," Stephanie said with a smile, "my dad is a huge sports fan and he'd probably wanted a boy, but he got me so he made the most of it. I actually played on my varsity team in high school, but film is what I really want to do."

"That's cool. Oh, and thanks again," he said, holding up the stuffed animal she'd won him at the arcade. "It's cute."

"You're welcome," Stephanie said with a laugh. "Consider it an early birthday present."

Carlos smiled and thanked her again, blushing as their hands brushed together as they walked side by side. After the third time their knuckles just grazed one another's, Carlos took the initiative and took hold of her hand in his.

They walked all the way up to the room she was staying at with Jo and her mother like that, not even dropping hands in the elevator, but both a little too self conscious about it to look at each other too much. They'd kept up the small talk, but it was stilted and tense, but in a good way. Carlos was worried his hand was sweating, but when he tried to adjust it, to make certain, Stephanie shifted her hand within his and interlocked their fingers.

"This is me," Stephanie said as they stopped in front of the door and faced one another. "Thanks, I had fun."

"Me, too," Carlos agreed, not willing to quite let go of Stephanie's hand just yet. It was too nice. So instead he took hold of the tips of her fingers and absentmindedly pulling her closer as he did so. "Thanks again for the gift."

"You've got to name him, you know," Stephanie said, clearly joking as she looked first at the stuffed animal and then their hands, smiling brighter than before.

"You name your stuffed animals?" Carlos asked, laughing.

"Not really," Stephanie admitted. "Well, not since I was very little."

They both laughed again and Carlos could not think of another thing to say as his mind went inexplicably blank.

"I should probably get inside," Stephanie finally said, motioning towards the door with a flick of her head.

"Yeah, me too," Carlos said. "Well, no. Not me too. I meant, I should probably get back to my room. I don't need to go... Um..."

"You're cute," Stephanie said with a smile.

"When I'm babbling like an idiot or..."

"All the time," Stephanie finished for him with a nod.

"Thank you," Carlos said, blushing deeply. "You're... um, so... this party tomorrow night. You're going?"

"Yes."

"And I'm going," Carlos continued, finding himself steadily leaning forward as he spoke.

"I've heard," Stephanie said, taking a half a step in his direction as his hand slid out of hers and up towards her elbow.

"So, maybe we could go together?"

"I'd like that a lot," Stephanie answered, tilting her head up towards his as they were now only a few inches apart.

"Me, too," Carlos said, taking in a short breath and shutting his eyes as moved to close the distance between their mouths, ending in a kiss.

"Oh," came Kendall's voice, sounding more amused than sorry as he opened the door and found them there, pulling away and blushing. "Um... hi."

"Goodnight, Carlos," Stephanie said, ducking past Kendall and into the room without looking back.

"Goodnight," Carlos called after her just before the door shut.

"I'm sorry," Kendall said with a laugh as he turned with Carlos towards the elevators. "I didn't know you'd be, you know, making out in the hallway."

"We weren't," Carlos said defensively. "It was just... it was... and I didn't know, either."

"Relax," Kendall said, knocking him on the shoulder.

Carlos shrugged him off, but despite being embarrassed, he was also rather pleased. He did like Stephanie, the bonus being she really seemed to like him back.

Kendall didn't pry, but the entire way back to the room he kept smiling at Carlos in a goofy way as if he couldn't wait to tell James and Logan.

"It's about time," Kelly said, making a show of checking her watch, but with a smile on her face. "I was beginning to worry."

"We're ten minutes late," Kendall said dismissively.

"And?"

"And what?" Carlos said, immediately feeling and looking guilty.

Kelly raised her eyebrow at him, but Kendall covered quickly.

"We're sorry," Kendall said, putting on his best smile.

"Okay," Kelly returned, still looking at Carlos a little funny as he shifted nervously on the couch.

"Real quick, guys," Kelly called so that Logan looked up from his laptop and James paused his game. "Tomorrow is our rehearsal at the venue. And then..."

"The party," James finished with a smile.

"Tomorrow night," Kelly said, shutting her eyes briefly and giving him a little nod. "I can not stress this enough, but, you have to be on your very best behavior. Not only because this party is being held in a place where under normal circumstances none of you would be allowed into, but because a lot of important people will be there. And reporters."

"We'll behave," Kendall said, it was becoming his mantra. "Kelly, honestly. We know already."

"Yes," she agreed, "but... okay, the reporters. These are not the kind you are used to and, I'm kind of counting on the fact that Big Time Rush isn't big time yet, that you'll go relatively unnoticed, but..."

"But what?" Logan asked, looking concerned.

"Reporters that go to these kinds of events aren't there to interview you," she said, sitting down again in the arm chair. "They're there to get gossip. They'll want to make you look bad."

"Not all..." James started to say, but Kelly just shook her head at him slowly.

"Dirt sells," she said simply. "So, please, don't give them any material. I'm not saying this to ruin your night," Kelly said, looking from James to Kendall. "Or to make you nervous," she said, looking from Logan to Carlos. "I just want you to be aware of it and to be cautious. Got it?"

"Got it," they repeated after her.

"Good," she said, getting back to her feet. "Goodnight, guys."

"Goodnight," they all called after her.

As soon as the door shut on Kelly, all of the guys turned and looked at Carlos expectantly.

"What?" he asked, trying purposefully to misunderstand their sudden attention.

"What happened with Stephanie?" James asked.

Carlos started to say 'nothing' but the fact that Kendall still had that stupid smirk on his face made lying impossible.

"We've kind of made a date for this party," Carlos admitted under the intense scrutiny.

"And?" Logan asked, shutting his laptop and joining the rest of them in the living room section of the suite.

"You too?" Carlos asked, looking at Logan as if he'd at least expected him not to be half as nosey as the others were.

"Yeah," Logan said as if he should have expected it. "I got hell for weeks from you three about Camille. It's payback time. Now, spill."

"It's really nothing," Carlos said. "We had a lot of fun. We talked and might have kissed a little."

"Did you at least take off the helmet first?" James asked with mock sincerity.

"Shut up," Carlos said, taking it off now and throwing it at him.

James laughed as he caught it.

"Hey," Logan said, laughing along with them, "if she kissed him with it on, that's like half the battle. He's golden now."

"Kendall?" Carlos said, turning to him as a last resort to make Logan and James stop teasing him.

"I think Logan has a point."

"I'm going to bed," Carlos said, snatching the helmet out of James hands as he headed off towards their shared room.

"Come on," James called after him. "Don't be like that. You know we're only kidding."

James got up and followed after him, leaving Kendall and Logan behind. They exchanged one look at each other and tried to keep from busting out laughing before getting up and going after Carlos as well.

"We won't laugh," James promised, rearranging his face more convincingly than the other two were able to. "Promise. Right?"

"Right," Kendall and Logan said at once.

"Just, tell me one thing," James said as Carlos glared at him with annoyance from where he sat on his bed.

"What?"

"Do you like her?" James asked.

"Yeah," Carlos said. "I do."

"Then I'm really happy for you," James said sincerely.

"But?" Carlos asked, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Nothing," James answered. "That's it."

"Really?" Carlos asked, looking pointedly at Logan and Kendall, who had thankfully sobered enough to look persuasive.

"We're not making fun of you," Logan said evenly, earning a disbelieving look from everyone.

"Okay," Kendall admitted. "We are making fun of you, but only because that's what we do. That's what we all do. It's expected. But really, I'm happy for you. It's great. Stephanie's cool."

"Even if her taste is suspect," James cracked, before looking at Carlos and shrugging. "Sorry. That's the last one, I swear."

"Don't mind, James," Kendall said. "He's jealous because he can't find a girlfriend. Still."

"I don't want a girlfriend," James countered, "but if I did, I could find one."

"Sure you could," Kendall said with a smirk that said otherwise.