A/N—Hello again. I wasn't sure I should post this chapter since I've barely written anything this week, but I'm trying to get on a more regular schedule so this one's going up. I'm glad you guys are still enjoying the story. :) Here's hoping everyone is safe and mentally well. It feels like every time things start to calm down, something new pops up and it's so stressful, right? I'm grateful to have fic (both to read and write) as an escape. Thanks for reading!

Logan was about to start the dishwasher when James hailed him from behind. "Wait, I brought down some bowls from Mom's room. Is there space for them?"

"Just enough." Logan reached back for the dishes. He rinsed them while James opened the dishwasher. "So I was thinking."

"God help us all," James quipped.

"Shut up, you're going to like this idea," Logan chuckled. He passed James a bowl. "You haven't been here much for dinner over the past few months, right?"

"No, not really. I was a few days last week."

"But you will be now."

"We will be, yes." James shifted dishes to fit the last bowl in.

"I noticed your mom orders out a lot. I don't know if that's because of the cancer, or—"

"Mom's never been great in the kitchen. Even before all this, she worked late a lot and when I was home I'd just order something."

Logan took a moment to turn on the dishwasher, having been taught how to run one by Sylvia, and then spun to face James—who was entirely too close. Logan's breath caught before he slid away. "I was thinking I could help with that. Maybe a few days a week I can cook dinner. It would give you some time to spend alone with your mom, and save money. I don't know what your financial situation is like, but—"

"You know, one thing we've never had to worry about is money. Not once Mom started working, anyway. But I know all this medical shit can't be cheap. I really have no idea where we stand at this point."

"That's something you two need to discuss. It would help to know what you'll be left with once she passes. But there's time for that. So how about tomorrow after school we go grocery shopping? I can plan some meals tonight for the week, and then we'll make it a habit to stock up over the weekend."

James studied him with a cocked head. "Do you actually like to cook?"

"I do," Logan shrugged. He'd had food delivered most nights after a long day at the university, but since arriving in the past had come to enjoy time in the kitchen. "Would your mom be okay with that?"

"Who cares if she's not? I've had your soup. That's good enough for me. Can we have that tomorrow night? Wait, will you still have time to help me study if you're cooking every night?"

"Not every night," Logan corrected. "Because you're right, we have a lot to do. Maybe three nights a week? Four?"

"Okay, cool. Yeah, we'll hire a car to take us to the store after school tomorrow. And you can get the soup going while I work on that essay I'm dreading."

"You'll do fine," Logan smiled. "I'll help you." He held out a hand to James to lead him out of the kitchen. "Do you need to talk? I know that whole conversation was rough."

"Dude, you know what I really want right now? Can we just watch some TV or a movie?"

"Yeah. Are you sure, though? If you ever need to talk, I'm—"

"Logan, haven't I talked enough in the past forty-eight hours? Let me just stop thinking for five seconds."

Logan thought that was fair. "Okay. We'll watch whatever you want. Even 'South Park' if you need to laugh."

"Nah, I'm good with 'Star Trek.'"

They both stopped walking at the sight of the prosthetic breast laying on the dining room table. "I uh...I wasn't sure what to do with that," Logan admitted. "Should we take it up to her?"

"I'm not touching that," James stated. "That thing freaks me out."

"Yeah, it's..." Logan laughed in agreement. "Let's just leave it."

For the rest of the evening, neither mentioned Brooke, cancer, or schoolwork. They used the time to decompress and lose themselves in fiction, and Logan thought that if every night ended this way, his life would be a success.

At home Logan was greeted by Papi, who was sprawled out in the living room chair watching television. Next he stopped in the kitchen to catch up with Sylvia. He shared that things were progressing well between James and Brooke, and that they were finally talking openly and working together to face the coming months. He also asked her to send him a link to the recipe for the mac and cheese James had enjoyed, and then they said goodnight. Logan sensed there was something else she wanted to discuss, but perhaps seeing that he was exhausted, she let him go. He didn't argue.

Carlos was in the shower, but when he entered the room to find Logan unpacking books from his backpack, he gasped. "Logan! Oh my god, I thought you'd never get home!"

Logan smirked while watching Carlos drop his dirty clothes on the floor. "You know, we do have a hamper in the closet. Would you like me to introduce you?"

"Dude, who cares about that? I have important things to tell you!" Carlos hopped onto his bed, the mattress straining against his ebullience. "Wait, first is James okay? Is Brooke? Everything's okay?"

"Everything's okay," Logan assured him. "They did a lot of talking tonight. We're going to help her with things around the house and taking her to doctor appointments. Your mom said she and Jennifer are going to offer help, too, so between all of us Brooke will be fine. Well...in a manner of speaking."

"Yeah. I wish we could make it go away."

"Me, too." Not wanting to dwell on that, Logan asked, "So what's the big news? Did you kiss Kendall again?"

"I did! We snuck a kiss before he left today. But that's not the big news!"

Desperately wishing for a shower, Logan ignored the desire because Carlos needed to talk. He settled back against his headboard. "Go for it."

"I have a boyfriend!"

One of Logan's brows lifted. "Officially this time?"

"Officially! Kendall wasn't lying about wanting to come clean. As soon as Mom got home from work and started dinner, he made me tell her. Actually, I chickened out. He had to tell her. And he was scared, too, but Logan, you should've heard him! He sounded so grown up. He was like 'I know this might be difficult to understand, but I care about your son and I want to be honest with you instead of hiding it.' He told her he was thinking about staying here just to be with me. For me!"

"Yeah, he mentioned that earlier, if I recall," Logan grinned. Carlos still couldn't believe he was worth that. "How did your mom react?" Before Carlos could say it, he amended that to, "Mom. Our mom."

"She was mostly shocked. Maybe because Kendall just said it like that, no wimping out. But she came over to the table and sat down with us, and asked Kendall if he was sure about staying. Because I mean, he's giving up a lot, you know?"

"I do know," Logan nodded.

"And we did look into all that stuff like you said. You're right, there are programs. And did you know they have scholarships for weird things, too? Not just getting good grades, but like...even being left-handed. Too bad I'm not. But still! You know what we learned? There's a community college an hour away with a hockey team. We didn't even know that's a thing! They have a two-year program where we can be on the team and go to that school and still be recruited into a minor league team. Kendall says it will be really hard to be accepted on the team since our season's done and the coaches can't come watch us play, but he's gonna talk to Coach and see if he can pull some strings for us. Maybe send them video or something. If there's a way, Kendall will find it. So we can stay together!"

"That's really great, Carlos. I'm so proud of you guys for actually figuring this out. So your...so Mom was okay with everything?"

"Dude, she was actually happy. I never expected that, I thought Mom would be upset that I want to be with a guy."

"I told you she would accept you."

"Yeah, but accepting is one thing. She seemed relieved. Like she was hoping for something like this. She said to tell her how she can help. Kendall said we'll have to get our licenses so we can drive to the college every day, and she said Papi will teach us. Papi's really good at driving."

"How did he react to the news about you and Kendall?"

Carlos didn't gush with this answer. "He seemed okay. Not happy like Mom, but not mad either. Mom said to let her tell him, and after dinner I went downstairs to watch TV. He came down and talked to me, and it was weird. Like he didn't know what to say. I know he was cool about you so I thought we'd be great. It was just...weird. But he did tell me he loves me and he knows Kendall's a good guy, and if I ever need to talk to him, I can. This is so crazy, not only does Kendall know how I feel, but my parents do, too! And Kendall likes me! I can't believe my life! Ever since you came here, things have been crazy but I'm so happy!"

Ever since you came here...

An uneasy feeling worked its way up Logan's chest. Ever since you came here. His mission had been to observe. To ensure. To guide, if need be, if James veered off path. It had never been to adjust or change the course of things. It had never been to influence.

What have you done, Logan? How much of the future have you changed already just by opening your mouth? Just by being in this home?

"And then Kendall called me and told me he talked to his mom about everything. He said she was okay with it but he couldn't talk long. So we'll talk more tomorrow at school. But Mama Knight knows we're together now! I officially have a boyfriend!"

"Congratulations, Carlos. I really am happy for you. And jealous because you have a boyfriend and I can't touch James."

"It's so dumb, dude. You guys should just be together."

And cause more changes with my presence? No thank you. "We're fine with it."

"No you're not, you just said you're jealous."

Logan didn't want to talk about it anymore; it depressed him. "What about Katie? Did he tell her?"

"No, but he texted me that she overheard him and his mom talking. So she knows. She said I'm a better choice than the girls who were at the games, so she's on my side. I'm already like a brother to her anyway."

"Yeah." His mood rapidly shifting toward a dark cloud, Logan knew it was time to leave Carlos with his happiness before jealousy and fear that he'd messed up caused him to be rude. "I'm happy for you guys. Really. But I'm also tired so I'm gonna take my shower now."

"Okay. We'll talk more in the morning. I'm gonna text Kendall to say goodnight now. Because, you know. He's my boyfriend and all."

Logan remembered how he'd felt the previous evening doing the same thing to James. He'd been floating then, just happy to know James felt the same way. That had to be enough.

"Night, bro!" Carlos called out as Logan was heading toward the bathroom with his pajamas. "Sweet dreams!"

"Yeah, you too."

Time to shake off the melancholy. A hot shower would do the trick, and maybe he'd have a goodnight text waiting for him after. It was the little things.

He did have a text waiting, and it was from James. It was not, however, the rainbows-and-hearts goodnight message he was hoping for.

"Kendall's been texting me. He told his mom about Carlos and I don't think it went well. He didn't want to talk about it, just said she and Katie know and he'll tell me more tomorrow. But he said your parents were fine with it."

Well, that didn't mesh with Carlos' version of how it all went down. Kendall was probably trying to spare Carlos' feelings. "Yeah, Carlos said Sylvia was happy and Papi's okay with it. Did he tell you about the hockey program at the junior college?"

"No way! They have one?"

"I guess so. We'll discuss it tomorrow. For now, I just want to sleep. It's been a long day."

"No kidding. I just checked on Mom, she's sleeping."

"Good. You do the same. I love you."

"Every time you say that, I smile. Just so you know."

"Then I'll say it again. I love you. Goodnight."

"I love you, too. So this is what being friends with you is like, huh?"

Logan sighed. James was right, friends didn't usually profess undying love before bed. But because Logan's time with James was limited, he didn't want to miss out on this while he had it. He wasn't telling James anything that wasn't already known. "Just making sure you know. Night."

"Night."

The little red heart James sent along with that twisted Logan's heart into a flutter. He smiled every time he heard it, too.

Rather than return to the bedroom after his shower, Logan slipped downstairs to the basement. Kendall may not want to discuss the situation, but he still needed to talk about it. Logan had learned since coming here that he had a way with words, and if anyone could get Kendall talking, maybe it would be him.

Kendall answered on the second ring, his voice hushed. "Logan?"

"Can you talk?"

"Give me a second."

Logan waited, making himself comfortable in the plush recliner he was coming to love.

"Sorry, I had to get out to the backyard. I'm supposed to be asleep."

"Should I let you go?"

"No, it's fine. I can't sleep anyway. How did it go with Brooke tonight?"

"It went well, actually. We'll discuss it tomorrow. I didn't call to talk about James or Brooke."

Kendall hesitated before asking, "Is it Carlos? Is something wrong?"

"No, Carlos is happier than I've ever seen him. He really loves you, you know."

"Yeah." Warmth threaded through Kendall's voice as he added, "He's so excited about all of this."

"And are you? Is this really what you want, Kendall?"

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Anger was seeping in. "Yes, I want to stay with Carlos. Yes, he's worth giving up the scholarships and full rides for."

"I wasn't doubting that."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Because James said your mom didn't take the news very well. Carlos said the opposite. I'm wondering if you're having second thoughts and are afraid to tell Carlos."

"No, Logan," Kendall sighed. "There are no second thoughts. This is what I want more than anything. I'll still get my hockey career and I'll have Carlos with me. I don't mind waiting a few years for that."

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

Logan waited while Kendall worked up to it. "It's Mom."

"Is she mad about everything?"

"Not so much about Carlos. Though that really shocked her. She said she never suspected anything like that. Just thought I was too wrapped up in hockey to care about girls."

"She just didn't realize part of the fun of hockey was Carlos."

"Something like that. She wasn't mad that I'm gay or anything. She said she wants me to be happy."

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't think I'll be happy staying here. She's pissed that I'm willing to walk away from all of it, the offers to get on a university team now. She says that she understands how much I care about Carlos, but I can't let him hold me back. And she thought it was all Carlos' idea. I told her it was mine, that I was the one who didn't want to go and that we figured out a way for us to do the whole thing together. That just pissed her off more. She kept saying I worked so hard to get these opportunities and now I'm throwing them all away. No matter what I said, she just kept getting mad and treating me like I'm a dumb kid who doesn't know what he's doing with his life."

And that would lead her to resentment of Carlos. Logan could already see it. He sighed, wondering if there was a fix to this. "I guess I can understand her attitude to a degree. She just wants the best for you. It had to be a shock."

"I know it was, but she went from saying she wants me to be happy to yelling at me that I'm ruining my life by doing that. I know I'm giving up a lot. But look at what I'm gaining. I'd be miserable without Carlos. Always worried about him, and he'd make new friends and find someone else to love. I can't live with that, Logan. I can't stand the thought of losing him."

"Did you explain it that way to your mom?" Logan asked gently. "With those words?"

"No. She didn't really give me a chance to. She just kept yelling."

Logan wouldn't have guessed Jennifer to be a yeller, but he supposed if she was fearful enough for her son's future, it made sense. "I think you need to. Don't just tell her 'This is what I'm doing and this is how it's going to be.' Is that how you went about it?"

"I don't know, maybe. When she started getting mad, I got defensive and yelled, too. Mom and I both have tempers, so..."

"Maybe try telling her what you just told me. About how miserable you'd be without him, and all the other stuff. Explain to her why you're so determined to stay. Why Carlos is worth all of that."

"She won't care."

"If she truly wants you to be happy, she will. That's all she wants, Kendall. She thinks you're giving up future happiness for something that won't be worth it in the long run. Make her understand that she's wrong. But do it...nicely. Without all the yelling."

Kendall let out a deep exhale. "I'm not sure I'm capable of that."

"You are. I know you are. Was Katie really okay with everything or did you just tell Carlos that?"

"No, Katie's great. She loves Carlos and said it doesn't bother her that I'm into guys. Apparently she's been dreading me finding a girlfriend and moving, so...this works on both levels."

"I'm glad she's on your side."

"Please don't tell Carlos any of this. He already feels bad about keeping me here, and I don't want to make him feel worse about it."

"I won't, but he might pick up on it if your mom starts treating him differently."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. Hang on." Kendall was back in a few seconds. "Hey, Logan? Mom wants to talk to me. I gotta go."

"Does she seem mad?"

"Right now, no. She just looks tired. I'm so not in the mood for another fight."

"Don't fight with her, Kendall. If she starts to yell, keep calm. Tell her what you told me."

"Wish me luck. And uh...thanks for calling. You're actually a pretty handy friend to have around, you know?"

"Well, I've got that going for me at least," he chuckled. "I'm heading to bed now but call if you need me."

"Thanks, bud. So um...I'm coming, Mom!"

"Kendall. No yelling."

"She's already getting annoyed. Ugh. But really quick, Carlos is happy?"

"He was literally bouncing on the bed. He's very happy."

"Okay. That's all that matters. If he's happy, I'm happy. And hockey makes us both happy, so if we do that together, we're good. I'm not backing down."

"All right. Good luck."

"Thanks. See you in the morning."

Logan sat in the recliner for a while after the call, just letting his thoughts roam free. So much was changing for all three of his new friends; he'd come at a crucial time in their lives, when major decisions had to be made. And for better or worse, he'd influenced those decisions.

Roger? If I screwed up, I'm sorry. I just want them all to be happy. You didn't warn me I'd actually care about these people.

That was because it hadn't been part of the plan, other than James. Too late now. He'd set things into motion.

Logan woke to a text from Kendall stating that they'd both been more calm during the second discussion and while Jennifer still didn't agree that he was making the right choice, she would support his decision and help them make it happen. Apparently she'd just needed time to get used to the idea. And, she'd admitted, she was happy that Kendall would be near rather than across the country.

Crisis averted. Now Logan could go back to focusing on James.

And for the next two months, that's exactly what Logan did. They settled into a daily routine: walking to school with Carlos and Kendall, going to classes and eating lunch with their friends. Once a week the group stopped at Good Eats after school so that Logan could treat whoever had won the weekend study group competition. Otherwise they'd part ways from the other two and spend each afternoon at James' house working on whatever school assignments needed to be done. For the first few weeks they set aside some time to study cancer and the treatments available, and once James had that down Logan introduced him to microbiology so that he could understand exactly what was happening inside the cancer cells; that was a little tougher for James to comprehend, but Logan refused to give up.

Some nights Logan would cook dinner for them and Brooke, others they ordered out. What never changed was their nightly meals as a family, where all three of them enjoyed just spending time together and laughing. Logan and James would clean up after the meal, and then they'd cuddle up to watch a movie or television until it was time for Logan to leave.

Amidst all of that there were doctor appointments and driving lessons (which usually happened early Saturday morning before Brooke was too tired), there was the weekly study session with Carlos and Kendall, and there were Friday night outings when they could talk Brooke into it. As Saturday was a free day, Logan insisted that they do something fun outside the house because they'd learned that too much time alone together without a focus made temptation more difficult to resist; there were a lot of almost-kisses that one or both of them would stop just in time, and a day didn't pass without them catching each other staring as if just wishing they could cross that line. Sometimes Logan thought he was being silly to put them through the torture, that it would be easier to give in; then he'd remember how it felt to kiss James, how much his body craved to know James', and realize his original fear was still a danger: if they allowed themselves to, they'd lose themselves in each other and let the important things fall by the wayside. It was a risk he couldn't afford to take.

So instead, they'd spend Saturdays hanging out with Carlos and Kendall. A day at the mall, a trip to the movies, lunch at the pizza place. One time (after Logan felt comfortable driving and had purchased a used car for himself with money he claimed to be from his parents) they even made a day trip to an amusement park. Logan found it even harder to resist James there, because it felt like a romantic place. It didn't help that Carlos and Kendall kissed every chance they got. But James behaved, most likely because they were in public, and didn't even try to hold Logan's hand. It was Logan who had to constantly remind himself they were just friends.

Sundays were for the study sessions and grocery shopping, as well as the huge family dinner that Brooke made tradition at her home. Because they no longer had hockey games to bring them together weekly, the Garcias, the Knights, and the Diamonds gathered Sunday at Brooke's invitation for an evening of food and laughter. Jennifer and Sylvia insisted on potluck style so that Brooke wasn't spending too much money on meals, but they did allow her to order in her contribution since she hated to cook (and didn't always have the energy). Having learned more about Brooke's condition, James once voiced a fear that having too many people around her was a bad idea due to her compromised immune system, but Brooke shut him up with the reminder that "I won't be here forever, James. Let me enjoy the time I do have left with the people who love me."

James dropped it after that.

As for school, James' grades improved slowly at first and then faster once he threw himself into the actual learning of the subjects. Katie had been right about him—when he actually tried, he did just fine because a lot of it was memorization. Logan was learning that James didn't forget things, as long as he actually cared to remember them. His need to graduate, along with the desire to make Logan and his mother proud, forced him to care. He still struggled with assignments that weren't straight "read and memorize" exercises (writing essays and the like) because James wasn't exactly an idea person, a fact that became more obvious with time and that Logan continued to avoid thinking about.

Logan had expected James to fight him on the advice that he shift his focus from the acting career for the time being, but James understood that the only way to reach his goal in that area was to graduate. There were no auditions, no photo shoots, no attempts to get his name out there. School and the study of cancer took up most of his attention. He didn't even post on social media all that much, which Logan was grateful for because that way it took longer for James to notice that someone kept hacking into his accounts and deleting them.

It took Logan three nights of research about the different platforms, as well as covert attempts at guessing James' password, before he was successful. Luckily for him, James used the same password for everything. He'd sign into James' accounts on his own phone and then delete them. James would eventually figure it out and recreate them, but he'd lose content and followers each time and get pissed off all over again the next time it happened. His immediate suspicion was Mandy, who had signed into his accounts before when they were dating so that she could post on his pages. James decided she was bitter about the break-up. Logan let him think that and prayed James would never confront her. James' comment about that was "I won't give her the satisfaction. She's just doing it to get my attention, so fuck her. I'll worry about it more after graduation, when I really need this stuff."

In person, Mandy kept her distance from James. His fear that she'd ruin his reputation by calling attention to the fact that he was hanging out with Logan seemed to be unfounded. Logan thought that strange until Carlos shared some gossip he'd heard one day. Over lunch, he informed them that he was glad he never dated Denise.

Always on alert for anything regarding Denise, as Logan still feared she might be from the future, he asked, "Why? Besides the obvious reason that you're happier with Kendall, I mean."

After a glance at James, Carlos said, "I found out that she and Mandy got into a fight. Someone said they saw her and James together at his birthday party, so Mandy thinks that's why James broke up with her. Because he wanted Denise instead and she was using them to get close to James. Mandy blames Denise for everything."

Logan's stomach jolted. Someone had seen them? Had they seen the kisses between him and James as well?

James set down the burrito he was eating, not missing the accusatory tone from Carlos.

"Is it true?" Carlos asked him. "Were you after her?"

"No," James answered honestly. "I broke up with Mandy because I was going to leave. It had nothing to do with Denise."

"What about the rest? Was Denise into you? Did something happen?"

"Carlos, what does it matter? You don't even like Denise anymore. You're with Kendall now."

Kendall knew James well enough to see through his attempt at diversion. He frowned and said, "Something did happen. Did you go for Carlos' girl? Would you really do that to him?"

"You guys, she's not Carlos' girl!" James spluttered. "Yeah, he was into her, but..."

"And that should be enough," Kendall stated. "What the hell, James?"

"Okay, hold on," Logan interrupted, seeing that this was going to escalate. "I know the whole story, I was there. James was extremely upset that night, and he'd been drinking. He wasn't in his right mind." A slight exaggeration, as James hadn't been too far gone on alcohol, but as far as they knew he'd been sloshed. "Denise came onto him. She was the one who initiated that. I saw her kiss him and I stopped it, then she took off. That's when James and I started talking, it was after I sent her away. Nothing happened."

Carlos absorbed the explanation. "You didn't want her?" he asked James.

"No, Carlos, I swear! I barely even remember her kissing me. She came to me and offered to talk, she thought I might be upset after the whole Mandy thing. Then she kept wanting to get me drunk and away from the party. I was just...not myself. I'm sorry. Nothing really happened. It was shitty of me to let her kiss me, but I wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted to forget everything. I'm sorry, bro, I really am. But you're better off without her, because any girl who pretends to like you just to get to your friend...that's bullshit."

Logan let the slight touch of guilt those words brought on settle and then pass; he'd befriended Carlos and Kendall to save humanity. Surely that excused his manipulation? Besides, nothing was pretend anymore. He truly loved these guys like family now.

Carlos nodded. "Okay. It's not so much that I care about Denise. She was nice and all, or at least I thought. But you're right, I'm way happier with Kendall. I was just hurt that you would do that to me."

"I know, and I'm sorry. You know I'd never hurt you intentionally."

"Yeah, I do." Carlos reached around to smack James' arm with affection. "We're cool, bro."

Logan's mind went back to Denise. "Has she tried to talk to you again, James? Since the party?"

"Denise? No. She's probably embarrassed by how she acted that night. I know I am."

Logan asked, "Do you guys know who she hangs out with now? I'm assuming it's not Mandy or Mindy."

They all shrugged. Kendall mentioned that he'd seen her near the band room a few times in passing.

"Oh yeah, she plays the flute I think," Carlos offered. "So probably the band geeks."

But she'd backed off from James, and that was what mattered. James wasn't close to anyone who played in the school band, so that wouldn't get her anywhere with him. Logan breathed a little easier at the growing certainty that Denise was just a normal high school girl who was taken in by James' looks and popularity. Not that Logan could blame her for wanting to be close to James.

He'd been on constant lookout since the Denise fiasco for any behavior from her or anyone else that might be an attempt to get near James, but the truth was that James' world was smaller now than it had been upon Logan's arrival. James spent practically all of his waking moments with Logan (outside of the classes they didn't share, which could still be a danger zone but there had been no hint of anyone befriending him), and together they only interacted with Kendall, Carlos, and their families. He knew better than to relax his vigilance regarding an enemy, but the more time that passed without incident, the more he wondered if Roger had been wrong about the other side sending someone to stop James.