Tom stood at the entrance to the Lane household poised to knock. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, but he wanted to get this thing with Trent out of the way. Maybe it was in his imagination he had reasoned with himself, but all of these 'little' things had wormed their way into his subconscious and now he found himself standing there wanting to confront someone that Daria- his girlfriend, considered a friend.

Also, he's never actually done anything- nothing outright anyway.

"Hey Tom," Jane looked at her ex slightly confused, "Daria's not here."

"I know…"

Maybe its better that it's Jane….

"Can we talk?"

Jane moved to allow Tom entry.

Camping….

"How much further Jake?" Helen's voice was beginning to lose some of the enthusiasm from when they had started.

"Just up ahead is where we'll make our camp." Jake answered confidently.

Daria and Quinn trailed their parents listening to their interaction and both silently marveled at how relaxed their father was out here. They soon arrived at a clearing and began setting up their tents.

"Need some help girls?" Jake's voice came from behind them. The duo turned from where they were setting the stakes in the ground and looked up at their father.

"Sure dad," Quinn answered quickly.

"Uh- yeah," Daria agreed after glancing and seeing the successful tent that he had pitched for him and their mother.

Jake worked quickly and proficiently putting the rest of the tent together in a matter of moments.

"Thanks dad," both girls said in unison.

Well that wasn't creepy…..cue the Twilight Zone music.

"Is anyone up for a nature walk?" Jake asked hopefully.

"Sure Jakey," Helen felt bad for her slight crankiness earlier.

"No thanks."

"Nope, I'm tired."

"Romantic walk for two it is." Jake said to his girls before looking at his wife with adoring eyes.

"You two stay here. We'll be back and hopefully with some fresh berries and nuts." Helen's voice held the same warmth as her husbands. The two girls looked at their mother.

I don't plan on moving until it's time to go home.

…and let this heat do even more damage to my hair? Not likely mom. You and dad go ahead and have your little nostalgia from way back when.

Look at them, my babies. This outing will do us all a world of good.

Ah, the women in my life. All of them strong willed and unique in their own ways…

They watched their parents leave. Daria settled back on top of her sleeping bag, while Quinn pulled out her traveling three fold mirror and began to study her face. It was a full five minutes before she decided that her face was just fine and decided to have a conversation with her sister.

"So what do you plan to do about your situation?"

Daria didn't bother opening her eyes. Maybe she could fool her into thinking that she was sleeping.

"I know you're not asleep, so come on. It's just us here."

Daria opened one eye and found Quinn was studying her. This made Daria sit up immediately. What the heck was Quinn angling at anyway?

"What situation are you talking about?"

Oh, come on Daria…

"You know, you and Tom…and Trent….."

Daria was truly taken by surprise at this information.

"I wasn't aware that there was a situation."

My, gosh either she's one hell of an actress or she really doesn't know…

"Okay first let's make an agreement. You excel in the books or whatever- you know school stuff and I know a thing or two about men."

Daria gave a slow nod to this.

"Trent's into you."

"He's-"

Quinn gave a dismissive wave.

"I know, you think he's a friend."

"He is a friend." Daria spoke through clenched teeth.

"See how you got just then," Quinn used her index finger to gesture to Daria's entire demeanor going on the defensive. "You're a little too protective there don't you think?"

"Shut up Quinn." Daria snapped.

Quinn sighed an looked at her sister.

I'm trying to help here…

"I'm not the enemy Daria. I thought we could have a conversation. I could help with this."

"There's nothing to help with."

Daria stared straight ahead. Quinn looked at her sister with sad eyes.

"Just for this weekend can't we be like real sisters?" Quinn didn't plead. It was a simple request and it touched Daria.

"What happens when we leave?"

"Anything said goes to our respective vaults."

"Deal."

This will certainly make mom and dad happy.

Quinn waited a beat.

"I wasn't trying to be nosey about Trent and Tom before- well, maybe a little, but not in a bad way." She had wrinkled her nose slightly at something that whizzed by.

"You've got it wrong though. Trent helped me with Tom."

"He's Jane's brother and he helped you get with Jane's boyfriend that cheated on her with you?"

Daria shot an angry glare. Quinn held up both hands in 'I surrender' pose.

"I'm just trying to show you a perspective that you might not have seen.

Daria shut up and stretched her legs before her.

"I saw you two that night when mom and dad were out. You guys were in the kitchen. You ate together and talked. You looked…happy." Quinn finished quietly still studying her silent sister.

"Trent and I…Tom is my boyfriend. I almost tanked my friendship with Jane over the guy." Daria thought for a while. "Do you think that I would do something like that over someone that didn't mean something to me? Jane is my best friend."

"I didn't say that you didn't care for Tom. I said that Trent is into you."

"He's just a really nice guy."

"Okay."

Have it your way sis.

I wouldn't risk my friendship with Jane if I didn't care for Tom. Tom is a good boyfriend too.

"I like really Jamie."

"What?" Daria was confused by the drop in Quinn's voice and subsequent admission.

"I know something about you and now you know something about me."

Daria held on to the information and turned it over in her mind. She knew that Quinn kept Jeffy, Joey and Jamie around as back up dates, but she had also heard Sandy telling Quinn that they weren't good enough for 'real' boyfriend material. Daria could never understand why Quinn would take Sandy's word for it when Sandy was clearly jealous of Quinn.

"Thanks." Daria appreciated Quinn leveling the playing field so to speak.

"You think mom and dad are okay out there?"

"I'm sure they're fine." Daria looked off in the direction that their parents had walked off in. "If they're not back in an hour, we'll go find them."

Quinn took out a magazine and began to read. Daria took out a dog eared book and began to read. Neither had any idea that with their auburn and red heads bowed they were practically mirror images of each other.

Lane household…

That's Tom's car. I thought Daria was out of town with her folks. Must have misheard; I'll just get my shower in and crash. I don't want any part of that scene. I'm surprised that Janey would. Oh, well…

"…and Missy just sat there." Tom was finishing up a story that was apparently very funny according to Jane's laughter, as far as Trent could tell.

Couldn't have been that funny, Daria isn't laughing…..

Trent went on in and as inconspicuously as possible and hurried to grab a shower. It had been a long day of working with Axle, then rehearsing, and then restocking at the local mart. He was tired, but he liked it. It was a satisfying kind of tired from doing things that he felt would put him one step closer to being and doing what he wanted to do.

What did Jesse call it? Oh, yeah making moves. Now that could be a song. Making moves-

One foot in front of the other-

-making moves

Til we get where we are going

-making moves

No distance is too far

-making moves

Long as I got my ole guitar

Then there could be an awesome guitar solo.

Trent finished toweling off and threw on a tee shirt and pajama bottoms to sleep in before leaving the bathroom still enthralled in the possibilities of the new song in his head. He wanted to get it down before he forgot it. He had all but made it to his room when he heard two distinct voices. It was Jane and Tom.

"Thanks for everything Jane."

"No problem Tom."

"It was…fun hanging out with you."

"Me, too."

Trent didn't like this at all. Tom had caused enough problems for Jane and there was nothing out of the way in what they said, it was more of what wasn't said. There was some sort of 'implied' interaction between them. Trent trusted Jane implicitly, but the wounds were still fresh from the fiasco in the whole Jane, Tom, and Daria triangle and he feared no one would come out okay if history repeated itself.

Hell, maybe I'm reading too much into this. Janey wouldn't make the same mistake with this guy….but what was he doing here anyway?

Trent made his way on to his room and all thoughts of the new song had fled his mind for the evening.