For disclaimer, please see chapter one.

Although the drive back to London was long, it was highly uneventful. The first thing she did was meet with Yvonne, who was ecstatic that she had returned a week early. They made arrangements for her to start on Monday as it was already Friday. It gave Helen enough time to unpack and get settled back into the flat with Nikki.

The next thing Helen did was call Claire and let her know that she was back early. She wanted to make sure that the girls were getting together tonight. She asked Claire to see if she could get it moved to hers and Nikki's flat. Helen also asked that Claire not mention this call. She wanted to surprise everyone, and she thought this would be the way to do it.

Next, Helen called the flat on the guise that it was Nikki's turn to receive the update phone call. She was very happy that Nikki wasn't home, making it easier for her to sneak in. Grabbing her suitcase out of her car, she made her way into the apartment, dialing Nikki's cell phone along the way.

"Wade."

"Are you always so formal when you answer your phone, Nikki?" Helen asked while laughing.

"Helen, what are you up to?"

"Nothing much. Just giving my over protective friends their daily update." She responded, laughing at her friend's sudden change in demeanor.

"You know it's because we love you," and I'm in love with you. Nikki thought.

"Yeah I know," if only it was the way I wanted. "So what are you girls up to tonight?" Helen asked, feigning ignorance.

"We were going to meet at the club, but I just got a call from Claire asking if we could stay in instead. I called Trisha and Caroline and we all decided to meet at our flat cause it is the biggest. You really need to come home soon. Fridays don't seem as much fun without you there."

Helen laughed. "I won't be gone that much longer, Nikki. I'm supposed to be home next week," she replied, wording her response carefully so that she wouldn't technically be lying.

"Yeah, I know. We should do some kind of welcome home party for you."

"That sounds like fun," Helen told her. "Listen I have to go. I forgot to call home yesterday and I am sure my mum is sick with worry, but I will talk to you soon, ok?"

"Yeah, bye Helen."

"Bye, Nikki," Helen smiled to herself. This was going to be a fun evening.

Nikki walked into the flat with Claire and supplies for the evening just after six. They were expecting the other two any minute.

"Nikki, do you need a hand with that?" Claire asked as the doorbell rang.

"I've got this if you could get the door,"

"No problem." Claire opened the door to reveal a smiling Trisha and Caroline. Nikki returned shortly after with everyone's regular drink. After greeting each other they all took their normal spots around the living room.

"So, who got the call from Helen today?" Trisha asked, knowing that it had to be either Nikki or Claire.

"I did," Nikki responded. "She is really looking forward to coming home next week."

"Good. That girl has been gone for far too long. Friday nights seem kind of tame without her competing in our competitions." Caroline responded, not noticing a familiar figure silently entering the room, but earning a chuckle out of everyone.

"Well if I would have known that I would be that missed, I would have cut my trip shorter." Helen said wryly. All of her friends, except Claire, looked up, completely shocked to see her there.

"Helen!" "Oh my God!" "What are you doing here?" Nikki, Caroline, and Trisha all exclaimed at the same time. Helen and Claire just laughed at their actions.

"Wait, why aren't you surprised to her, Claire?" Trisha asked.

"I, uh, actually called her when I got out of my meeting with Yvonne and asked her to get you all here so I could surprise you guys. Did it work?" Helen smirked.

"Yes," they all said at the same time.

"Ok, well I am here now. Do you want your presents now or tomorrow after we are all sober again?" Helen asked. She looked at their expressions which all said what do you think? "Now it is then." Helen left the room for a moment and returned shortly after with four small bundles and a book. Everyone got relatively the same thing with at least one personal gift, whether it be a hat or a t-shirt that reminded her of her friends. She looked at Nikki and handed her the book. "Nikki, I remember you telling me that you were looking for something new to read. I picked this up on my stay in Madrid. I think you will like it."

Nikki took the book and looked at the title. Sophie's World. "Thanks, Helen. This looks really interesting."

"Now that we have that out of the way, can we please start this welcome home party?" Claire asked.

With an affirmative from everyone, they sat down ready to have a good time and listen to in depth stories of Helen's travels.

Hours later found Helen exhausted from travel, heading for bed. Claire was passed out on the couch. Trisha and Caroline had left early because they were needed at the club. Which left Nikki on her own to clean up some before she went to sleep. After making sure that everything was at least put away, she made her way done the hall to her room, but paused momentarily when she noticed that Helen's door was partially open.

Nikki looked in on the sleeping Helen. She reveled in this time she had. It was one of the only times she could gaze at her friend without having to mask the love and longing in her eyes.

"I want to let you in on a secret. I'm not who you think I am. In fact my disguise is so thin I'm surprised you haven't seen right through me. I'm the girl of your dreams masquerading as your best friend. Sometimes I want to rip off this facade, but I can't because you'll get scared and run away. So I decided it's better to live with a lie than expose my true feelings.

"My dad once told me there are two types of girls: the ones you grow out of, and the ones you grow into. I really hope I'm the latter. I may not be the one you love today, but I'll let you go now, hoping that one day you'll come back to me because I know you're worth the wait." Nikki had unknowingly voiced these thoughts out loud, but quiet enough to where she wouldn't rouse Helen. She turned and went back to her room and went back to sleep. What she also failed to realize was that Claire was awake and had heard the whole thing from the couch.

Recalling a conversation she had had with Helen years ago, Claire smiled to herself and started to think of a way to get her friends to admit their feelings for each other. She also knew exactly who to ask for help.

A/N: the mini speech given by nikki was originally in smallville and is the property of the WB. I thought it fit perfectly here, and couldn't come up with anything better on my own so I borrowed. Hope no one minds.