Hello, people! I'm sorry to say this is the last chapter of Needing Them. *sadness* But I seriously have no idea why I should continue. I mean, Jack's been found, and we know he's recovering, so… yeah. No need to worry though! There are plenty of fics in the making! A few things that you peoples should know:

I went through and changed 'Anderson' to 'Brewer.'

Cory Monteith passed away on July 13th (MY 13th BIRTHDAY! WHYYYY!), about two weeks ago. He was most known for his role as Finn Hudson on Glee. He died of a lethal overdose of heroin and alcohol. Even though I've only ever seen two episodes of Glee (the first one and the one where Blaine goes to McKinley) I do know that he was loved by many and will be missed by many. My condolences to his friends and family.

And finally, I want to thank everyone that reviewed this fic (guest reviewers in italics):

Alyssa

Anonymous person

AnAross3000

Annabeth Brady

andy

Blueskyz1o1

Crazily Kickin

dancemomsmariah

DISNEY

DJ Double T

dragongirl2011

Frozenstar03

Guest

Hgirl loves you

inkling13

KarateGirl77

Kickforeva

Kickin' It 4eva

Kickinit

Kickinittomboy48

KImjaCKKICK

Learn to Love-13

NoneOfYourBuisness 0000

Pazific

peacecookies

Randomgirl111111

sad-beautiful-tragic

Sapphire

Sky- XD

SkylarXP

Spot an Appaloosa

swagmasterlol

SwiftStar1

TeddyBear98

Teran34

TheWildRosie

Wipe your eyes

XP bloop

^/v/^ Thanks to all you guys! It means a lot. I know there are people that didn't review too, and I wish you did review so I would know you're there, but thanks to you people, too.

Disclaimer: Rawr! No! I'm kidding, I love you peoples! ^=v=^ (I'm a kitty!)

Kim's POV

I sigh as I place my elbow on the desk, resting my cheek on my hand. I'm in my last class of the day, Art, with Eddie. This is my favorite class normally, but I can't stop thinking about Jack. He left for a doctor's appointment in Chemistry last period. I can't help but worry, even though I know he should be perfectly fine.

"Kim?"

Eddie's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I look over at him, briefly glancing down at what he made with his clay; it's a very elaborate doughnut, and he's rolling little pieces for the sprinkles right now. It's another free day today, and we have leftover clay from the Indian masks that we made a few days ago. Ms. Wisson let us do whatever we want with the extra, as long as it isn't anything inappropriate or dangerous.

"Hmm?"

"Are you still worried about Jack?" he asks.

I laugh a little nervously. "What makes you say that?"

"Well… you made your clay into his face."

I blink and look down, dropping the plastic carving tool (1) in my hand in shock. A half-finished bust of Jack's face with a frown on it stares blankly at nothing. It actually looks pretty good, and the fact that I was hardly even paying attention to it makes it even more astonishing.

"Huh. That's weird," I say, gently picking it up and examining it. It doesn't have any eyes, but the hair looks convincing, though, what with the thinner-than-a-needle lines showing the detail and following the rise and fall of his soft locks. I've also already gotten his two little mole/freckle things and his not-quite-finished eyebrows are furrowed, showing the beginnings of what looked like a scared or concerned expression.

"Weird? Dude, you just did that without paying attention to it."

I sigh, grabbing a rolling pin and smashing the little bust with one, well-aimed swing. Eddie frowns.

"What'd ya do that for?"

"To convince myself that Jack is fine. And, that thing was a little creepy."

He chuckles and goes back to rolling sprinkles for his doughnut. I stare at the lump of clay on the table in front of my, pondering what to make.

Later…

"Is that for Jack?" Ms. Wisson asks softly as I put my clay piece into the firing oven. I pause, smiling lightly at the 'broken' heart with a band-aid depicted covering a crack.

"Yeah, I guess," I reply.

"He's going to be fine, you know," she says. I look up at her. Jack isn't in any of her classes, but she knows him from the times that his Creative Writing class let out early and he had come and waited for me here. "He's a strong-willed boy."

I smile, standing up from my couched position next to the oven. "I know, I'm just… worried."

She chuckles. "He's going to a doctor's appointment, child. What could possibly happen?"

I feel a little ridiculous now that I think about it. "Hnn… Oh, you're right. I'm just fretting over nothing. I bet he's fine."

"That's the spirit! Now just keep up that pretty smile and we'll be ok."

I walk out of the room a few minutes later feeling a bit lighter on my feet.

Jack's POV

Friday, April 18th, 3:32 P.M.

'Yeah, so I went to a doctor's appointment today about my apparent 'PTSD' and he said I should be fine as long as I'm able to express myself in this thing so… yay?

'I hope Kim comes over today. I mean, I know she has a family, too, but whenever's she's around I feel like… like I'm on top of the world. Like I can do anything. Like I can beat anything.

'Huh. It's actually kind of weird. I love her so much. And yet, I don't think I can completely trust her yet. I know I should be able to, because she's my best friend, but… I dunno. I hate Greg for doing this to me. He deserves worse than jail.

'I can't help but think that some of the things that he said were true; am I really worthless? I mean, I don't think there's any way to really tell if anyone actually cares about me… ugh. This negativity is really messing with my head. It's making me tired…'

I put the leather book and pen on the table next to my bed. I move backwards and lean against the headboard, with one leg drawn up to me and the other stretched out, lounging in my favorite position.

I stare blankly at the wall in front of me, letting my thoughts wander.

'It's over… right?'

I frown. That's what I thought last time. And now look.

Well, both brothers are in jail, right?

Unless there's some psychotic cousin that I don't know about?…

…

I think Kim should be out of school by now. I grab my phone and glance at the time; 4:09. She should be on the bus by now.

I think about what she could be doing; maybe working on her homework, or chatting with Kiara. I picture her laughing at something my twin said, her grinning face lighting up the whole bus.

I smile at the image my brain conjured up. If I could keep this picture in my head forever, I think I'd be perfectly content.

I look down at the time again; 4:19. I blink in surprise just as the nineteen changes into a twenty. I just spent ten minutes smiling at a mental picture. Ok…

I scowl at the thought that anyone could take that away from me, take Kim away from me. If anyone dare harm a hair on her beautiful blond head I will personally rip them limb from limb. I smirk at the little cartoon in my head of me ripping Ty's arm off and beating him over the head with it.

Oh, yeah, that would be satisfying.

I stretch both my legs out and lie down, with my gaze flicking over my dad's guitar as I rest my head on the pillow. I blink and fix my gaze on it. It's leaning against the wall, having been there since the police returned it to me (The one I won at the carnival is on a stand on the other side of my room.). I haven't bothered to put it back into its special place in the back of my closet yet. The last time I remember picking it up is…

I frown. Bad memory. Think about something pleasant.

Kim.

That puts the smile back on my face as I get up and go grab the musical instrument. I sit back down on my bed and place the guitar on my leg, tuning it a bit before strumming a few chords. Mom is asleep, so I can play on my own without worrying how I sound for a while…

My stomach chooses that moment to rumble loudly, reminding me that I haven't eaten at all today, due to the fact that I had skipped breakfast and have not yet eaten lunch. I roll my eyes and put my guitar on my bed, stroking the neck fondly before exiting my room and going downstairs.

'I haven't made pizza in a while,' I muse, before frowning. 'But that might take a while…'

I go through the different possibilities of what I could make in my head, before finally settling on a simple salad. After preparing it and grabbing a fork, I start to go upstairs again, before I remember that I can't play a guitar and eat at the same time. So, I walk over to the couch and sit down on it.

I look around for the remote and, not seeing anywhere, get up and turn on the TV by hand. I've already sat down and gotten comfortable again before I realize that it's on Disney Channel. Feeling too lazy to get up and look for the remote or change the channel by hand, I choose to just watch whatever is on; right now, it's a promo for a new Shake It Up! episode.

"On an all new Shake It Up!—"

I stab a fork into my salad, bringing the forkful up to my mouth.

"— CeCe messes up big time—"

I chew on the vegetables softly, looking up at the TV again.

"— and Rocky dances into a mess of her own—"

I choke on the leaves in my mouth as a guy that just happens to look EXACTLY like me makes a deal with Rocky, something about dancing.

Eddie's mom makes him watch Shake It Up! sometimes just in case he decides to go into dancing ("Which I NEVER will," he claims), so he could maybe "pick up some of their moves." He mentioned something about a guy named Logan that looks kinda like me.

'Kinda' is an understatement.

I manage to swallow the salad in my mouth, but that only results in the coughs wracking my body to become even more violent. I think I hear the faint sound of a door opening and closing, but I'm not really sure. A few seconds later, I feel a weight on the couch next to me, and something being pressed to my lips. I take the glass cup gratefully and gulp down the cool water.

"Thanks," I gasp after I finish the water. I take a deep breath.

"You're welcome," Kiara replies, amusement obvious her voice.

"You ok?" I hear Kim's voice ask from my other side.

I look at her and smile. "Yeah, I just saw something that… surprised me."

"Why do I feel like it was the promo for the new Shake It Up! episode?" Kiara quips. I glare at her as I notice that she had grabbed another fork from the kitchen and is now eating my salad.

"Because of your annoying Kiara senses," I respond, grabbing my bowl of salad back from her and rolling my eyes at her faux sadness. "Oh, quit your pouting, it was mine anyway."

"New Shake It Up! episode?" Kim deadpanns, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Rocky apparently teaches this guy to dance in exchange for him trying to get along with CeCe," I answer, glancing nervously at the TV. The screen innocently displays the happy characters of Gravity Falls. "I think he was the Logan guy that Eddie told me about…"

"Here," Kiara says, handing her tablet to Kim. Not sure when she got it out, but I'm not really surprised because of her status as a 'techie.'

"Holy crap!" Kim exclaims, her eyes widening. She looks up at me, then back at the tablet, then back at me again. "You two look exactly the same! Well, the hair is a bit different, but still!"

"I know…" I agree, staring at the picture for a little while longer. "Really weird."

"They say everyone has a double," Kiara murmurs, reaching over with her fork and spearing two leaves onto the tines. I frown at her but I don't pull away.

"Apparently mine is an actor," I say, finding that strangely ironic for some reason I can't explain.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, with the TV buzzing in the background but no one paying attention to it.

"I'm bored!" Kiara suddenly announces. She stands up abruptly and, taking advantage of our surprise, swipes my salad and runs towards the stairs with it.

"Wha— Hey!" I sputter indignantly, but she's already halfway up the stairs. I sigh in defeat when I hear the door to her bedroom slam shut.

"It took me a good five minutes to make that salad," I grumble.

Kim laughs. "Get over it and make another one, ya big baby."

I sigh and follow her advice, heading towards the kitchen to make myself another salad. "You want one?"

She shrugs. "Sure."

Ten minutes later, Kim and I are both heading upstairs with bowl of salad. Kim kicks open the door to my bedroom, and I realize too late that I left my guitar on my bed.

"Were you playing your guitar before?" she asks curiously, walking over to it and lightly running her fingers over the body. I feel a strange surge of possessiveness well up within me as she touches it, but I smother it before I can snap at her.

"It's…" I trail off, hesitating. "It's my dad's."

She looks up at me, seeming a bit guilty. She thought it was mine because she caught me playing one day when she came over; I was alone in the house and I left the door unlocked, and she came into my room without me noticing. "Oh, I… I'm sorry."

I put on a smile and walk over to my bed, sitting down on it next to the guitar and beckoning for her to sit next to me. She does.

We sit there in silence for a while, eating our salads. I lose myself in my thoughts, getting brought back to reality by the tapping of my fork against the bottom of the plastic bowl. I look down and frown when I see it's empty.

Kim laughs. "I was wondering when you'd notice."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, because it would have been so hard to tell me."

"It was fun to watch you." She gazes right at me with her beautiful eyes, and for a split second I'm convinced that she's trying and succeeding to read my thoughts.

I break eye contact, feeling slightly put off as I put my fork in my bowl and place the bowl on the ground.

"Will you play it?" she suddenly blurts. My head snaps up as I look at her, and she covers her hand with her mouth. The charm bracelet that I got her clinks gently at the sudden movement.

"I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to," she rambles, displaying her nervousness through speech. "It was stupid and insensitive of me to ask you that, I shouldn't have even said anything—"

"Okay," I interrupt quietly.

She stops. "What?"

"Okay… I'll play for you."

"No, no, no, you don't have to—"

"I want to."

She stares at me with wide eyes. "Jack…"

I lift the guitar and place it on my lap, closing my eyes and letting years of memories from me playing with my dad wash over me; the first time I held a guitar… him laughing as he comes home and catches me trying to practice on his… he and I playing together…

I take a deep breath and let it out through my mouth, and start playing. I stare down at my hands playing the guitar to avoid looking at her face. I know she won't recognize the song, because Dad wrote it for Mom in college. Sadly, I don't think that Kiara would either.

'Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it,
I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
Now I'm trying to get back…'

I can't help think the lyrics along in my head, but I will not under any circumstances sing it aloud; heck, the last time I even played this song was the day before Dad had to leave to go fight. I don't even know why I'm playing it for Kim right now. But I am. So…

'Before the cool done run out I'll be giving it my bestest,
And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention.
I reckon it's again my turn,
To win some or learn some.'

The only people that have ever heard my singing are Kiara and Mom. 'And Greg,' a little nagging voice at the back of my head says. 'You know, from when he snuck up behind you…'

I hear myself play a wrong note, but I don't try to recover. The memory of Greg's leering face taunts me; "They don't care about you anyway!…"

"Jack?"

I blink, turning my head towards her. My brain registers Kim's hand on my arm, and I take comfort in her touch.

"Hey, I told you that you didn't have to do this. If you only feel comfortable playing in front of your family, I totally get that."

I shake my head. "No, I just… had sort of a flashback. I'm fine."

"A flashback." She raises an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

"No."

She rolls her eyes. "Hmm, I wonder why I don't believe you."

I chuckle and start playing again. She bites her lip, but doesn't stop me. I pass the part I messed up at and smile at her, as if to say 'See? I'm perfectly fine!'

'Well, open up your mind and see like me.
Open up your plans and damn you're free.
Look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love.

Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing.
We're just one big family.
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, loved,'

At some point, she had removed her hand from my arm, and I had gone back to staring at my hands as they move over the strings.

'So I won't hesitate no more, no more.
It cannot wait, I'm sure.
There's no need to complicate, our time is short.
This is our fate, I'm yours.

D-d-do do you, but do you, d-d-do,
But do you want to come on?
Scooch on over closer dear,
And I will nibble your ear.

Woah, woah'

I remember when I was younger, and Dad used to play this song for Mom all the time. He'd sing (even though he doesn't really have the best singing voice) as well, sometimes changing up the lyrics a little bit to make it funnier or sillier.

'I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror,
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer.
But my breath fogged up the glass,
And so I drew a new face and I laughed.

I guess what I be saying is there ain't no better reason,
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons,
It's what we aim to do, our name is our virtue.

But I won't hesitate no more,
No more, it cannot wait,
I'm yours.'

Maybe I haven't played this song because I'm afraid that Mom would overhear and get emotional. I hate seeing her cry, especially if I'm the cause of it. She was crying the day she came and met me at the station; I'll never forget that. At the time I was terrified of everyone around me, so she didn't expect me to flinch away from her touch, which made it even worse.

'Come on and open up your mind and see like me.
Open up your plans and damn you're free.
Look into your heart and you'll find that,
The sky is yours.'

As of this moment, I resolve not to let the thought of Greg (or even Ty) bother me anymore. If I let it freak me out, then he wins. I can't let that happen. For my sake. For my family's sake. For my friends' sake.

For Kim's sake.

'So please don't, please don't, please don't,
There's no need to complicate,
'Cause our time is short.'

Our time is short. Life doesn't last forever. I have to enjoy it while it lasts. And that means letting everyone back in. I mean, I know it seems like I've been recovering, but really I think I've mentally been holding them all at arm's length. But not anymore.

'This is, this is, this is our fate.
I'm yours…'

"That was amazing," Kim whispers as I strum the final chords. I look up at her and smile softly, about to reply when I hear a sniffle.

My head turns to the doorway to see my mom standing there, with one hand over her mouth, the other resting against the doorframe, and tears silently streaming down her face. My smile fades as I put the guitar off to the side and stand up.

"Mom?" I ask, worried. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. I thought it was okay since she was asleep but she obviously isn't asleep since she's standing in the doorway. I cross the room in quick strides. "Mom, I'm so sorry, I—"

"My darling little black belt!" she exclaims, hugging me to her. The usual flicker of annoyance at the nickname doesn't even appear in my surprise at the sudden gesture. She puts a hand on the back of my head, combing her fingers through my hair.

"I miss your father, too, we all miss him. I know you don't really like to talk about your feelings or anything like that but I'm here if you need someone to talk to, alright?" She pulls away from me and puts one hand on my shoulder and the other on my cheek, stroking it with her thumb and smiling sadly at me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," I respond, still worried.

She beams. "No, no, it's just… I never thought I'd hear that song again…"

"I never played it 'cuz I thought it'd make you upset."

"No, you can play it all you want! I'll even sing with you if you want me to!"

"Um… okay?"

She hugs me again, and she must have noticed Kim behind me at that moment because she releases me and stares at her. "Oh! Kim!… "

I turn around and see Kim laugh nervously. "Hello, Mrs. Brewer."

"I didn't realize you were here…" I imagine how awkward the past couple of minutes must have been for Kim, what with her sitting there not able to make a respectful exit (which is what she most likely would have done) due to the fact that Mom and I were standing in the doorway. "I'll leave you two alone now."

She leaves the room, and, if I didn't know any better, I would swear she just smirked.

"So…" I run a hand through my hair in mild nervousness. As Milton would say: awkward…

"Yeah…" Kim says in response. After a moment of hesitation, I slowly walk over to the bed and sit down next to her, mindful of my dad's guitar.

"I… Yeah, um…" I have no idea what to say, staring down at my hands as I fiddle with my fingers. "That was sort of a personal song…"

"Then why did you play it? I bet you know a ton of songs, and yet you chose that one."

"I dunno…" I look up at her, smiling shyly. "You're really special to me, Kim. And even though we're… actually, I don't even know what we are right now."

I gently grab her hands in mine, my voice lowering to a whisper. "Even though we're in a weird place right now, maybe it's a sign or something… from my dad…" I finally make eye contact with her, noticing that she had leaned closer. "Like he whispered in my ear… to fully trust you…"

"You didn't trust me?" she asks quietly, sounding hurt.

"I didn't completely trust anyone," I confess. I let our foreheads rest against each other, and my lips ghost over hers as I speak. "But that changes—"

"Now," she interrupts gently, pushing her lips against mine. The kiss is short and sweet, and has us both smiling when we part.

I have no idea where my mild trust issue came from. I mean, it's not like I ever trusted Ty or Greg in the first place. Kiara problem with trust has a much better reason behind it, but me? Nope. I have no clue. But I'm gonna work on it, and I know everyone that I hold dear to me is going to help with that.

I'm always going to need them anyways.

(1) I have no idea what those are called.

Yay! Crappy ending to an awesome story! Woo! There are more things coming, don't you worry! I love you guys!

Except for Volk. -.- I just respect our presence. Oh, did I leave your name out in the list earlier? Sorry.

Until next time,

~BP