The guys were surprised at Jack's honesty that morning in the kitchen, and even more surprised to learn he hadn't been driven by the desire to wake her memory.

"Jus' tired of coverin' everythin' up, I guess," he muttered.

The guys exchanged glances, and they knew he wanted to drop it…but something hung over Jack, something that hadn't been there last night.

"Everything ok?" David asked from his bed, seeing Jack's face in the bathroom mirror as he got ready for work.

Jack didn't answer right away...he didn't know how to.

"We were followed last night...by the club," Jack said without looking up, his voice emotionless. "An' this mornin' she told me she's deliberately working to bring these assholes down, so much so that it's a part of her school work too...but that's not why it's crazy."

Jack's jaw tightened and he lowered his head, his hands tense on the vanity.

"It's crazy because she thinks she can win."

David looked to the door, seeing Mush and Race leaning in. They glanced at each other, and David dropped his gaze, worried they'd see right through him...

He thought for a moment, his stomach churning. "Jack -"

"She's unbelievable," Jack said, caught between admiration and annoyance. "...but even angels end up in the gutter."

David's head snapped up, meeting his friend's cold gaze in the foggy mirror.

"No good deed, right?" Jack asked darkly.

David swallowed, and thought better of adding to Jack's plate...He knew Jack and Tiffany had a good night together, heard the guys in the kitchen talking about her. And they tried everything they could to lift Jack's spirits, but his thoughts were far away.

"C'mon," Jack said, ignoring their jibes. "Let's get ta work, fellas."

Tuesday and Wednesday passed in a gray blur as the weather darkened and grew colder, and the guys tried to be there for Jack, even if it was just watching TV together, going for a pint at the pub, working out in the basement. He didn't talk about Tiffany much, and they could see the wheels turning in his brain…no doubt focusing on the blaring similarities of Tiffany and Ira, wondering if their fates would be the same.

The guys knew he'd come out of it, but they knew how he was: brooding until he decided to do something about it.

But his face changed when he looked at his phone and saw a text from her...against his will, whatever she sent made him grin a little.

The guys grinned at each other too...and took their chance to distract him with a rewatch of The Princess Bride. It was even better the second time as the guys crowded up on the couches and floor in front of the TV as rain fell outside.

"'eh, it was alright," Snoddy teased.

"Don't be a Humperdink," Bumlets said as he threw a pillow at him.

A pillow fight broke out, and Racetrack stood up on the couch, armed as they laughed and jumped around, "THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY!"

They loved it, Jack texted Tiffany, smirking at his phone as the guys roared with laughter and movie lines.

I knew they would, she said back with a smiley face.

They want to know what's next.

Space Balls.

Jack laughed out loud and the guys wanted in on the fun - another movie night for Monday.

The girls want in. Rendezvous at the Pub?

Perfect.

Thursday Steve surprised the guys by cutting their hours for the same pay - he only needed them four days a week until their next project, and the studios would be done by the end of November right on schedule.

The guys were howling with excitement as they loaded up the work truck: three day weekends until December.

"'s great, huh Jack?" Mush asked, his breath fogging in front of him.

Daylight was fading quickly, and gray clouds gathered above as the wind kicked up. The guys reached for their work hoodies, the sweat from their labor drying too quickly on their backs.

Jack was pensive for a moment before meeting Mush's gaze, grinning a little. "More time for workin' out, huh?"

Mush gave him an understanding grin; what's the point in more time off if ya couldn't spend it with your girl?

At that moment, Mush saw a movement from the front of the dance building - Honey's hair bouncing as she ran towards him, smiling big and beautifully.

She slammed into him and he lifted her feet off the ground, loving the sound of her laughter in his ear and the weight of her against his chest as he spun her. He saw the guys' grinning face, blurry in his peripheral.

"I'm sorry - have we met?" he asked, breathless as he set her back on her feet.

She bit her smile back as she punched his arm, the guys laughing and talking all at once:

"'s up, Honey?"

"What's doin'?"

"Where ya been?"

She met Jack's eyes and he tilted his head in greeting. She grinned at him, a knowing passing between them; Jack was sure Honey was the friend who knew everything, the one Tiffany opened up to, the one she trusted most in this world. He could hear it in the way Tiffany said her name, despite it being her 'stage name'. And he could see it in the way Honey watched her friend, protective and ready.

Much like the way Kid Blink used to look at him...

"She's been buried under her books!" Kiki's voice came from behind Honey - she and Jade were walking down the sidewalk with duffle bags, smiling and giggling. "Crawled out this morning after her fifth all-nighter."

"Crazy," Jade said with a laugh, shaking her head.

"But, I did ace out of my finals," Honey added, winking at Mush. "I'm free from school work 'til next semester."

"Oh yeah?" Mush said huskily, their bodies moving closer together in response. "Jus' so happens I've got three day weekends 'til December…"

Racetrack, Bumlets, Snoddy and Specs rolled their eyes and shook their heads, looking forward to giving Mush hell later.

"What are you ladies up to now?" Snoddy asked.

"Off to paradise," Jade said casually, her smile dark and sarcastic.

The guys laughed a little nervously, kicking their feet and nodding knowingly, murmuring condolences.

"Yeah, we figured," Racetrack said.

"We do have a little bit of time," Kiki coaxed as she checked her watch. "Coffee?"

The guys agreed at once, and Jade's smile changed, her face playful as she turned her green eyes to Jack, piercing him on the spot.

"You have been distracting our girl," she said as she stepped toward him, her finger grazing his chest as she smiled wickedly at him. "Big time."

"She's not the only one distracted," Racetrack muttered to Kiki.

Jack dropped his head, smirking to himself as they chuckled together, his cheeks warming.

"Why don't ya go find her?" Honey suggested, noting the way his eyes darted around… "She's in the locker room downstairs."

"Yeah...take your time," Specs said encouragingly, nudging Jack with his elbow.

"We'll get ya a cuppa joe," Snoddy added.

"Alright already," Jack gave them a dark look and they laughed. Mush playfully kicked the ground behind Jack as he left them in the parking lot.

"She ok?" Mush asked Honey after a moment, the others lost in quick conversation.

He could see she was weighing her words: "I'm not sure. She hasn't be sleeping, I hear her at night...But I know the distraction of Jack isn't a bad thing for her."

She met his eyes again, her fingers touching his hand, and her soft smile grew. Mush was taken by her hazel eyes, perfect and bright as she looked at him. His fingers moved with hers.

"I missed you," she said.

He leaned toward her and she met his mouth, her beautiful lips smiling against his.

Jack had never been to the lower level of the Dance Hall; he followed the signs on the walls to the women's showers...he heard water on tile, heard someone humming. He leaned against the wall opposite the locker room and took out his phone.

Boo.

He sent the text and waited… he heard the shower turn off, muffled sounds...then he heard footsteps on the other side of the door.

He looked up, and whatever will power he'd had left his body the moment he saw her standing there - water dripped down her long hair to the black shower shoes on her feet as she clutched a towel around her, smiling at him from the open doorway.

"'Boo' back." Her warm voice echoed

Her eyes were tired. But when she smiled it was like watching her spirits lift...his did too.

She curled her finger at him, her eyes glinting sneakily.

"No way," he said with a hard laugh.

Giggling, she left the doorway and took his hand, pulling him into the steamy locker room.

He followed her to the showers, a long row of purple shower curtains hazy in the steam, and he looked around expectantly. But once he realized they were the only ones, his eyes washed over her instead as water dripped from her long hair onto his wrist. Her hair clung to her like she had just walked out of the sea, and she smelled warm and soft like vanilla and amber...

He saw her duffle bag on a stool next to one of the showers, and she dipped behind the curtain, pulling him with her. His heartbeat picked up double time when she turned to him, her hands bringing his face to hers as her towel dropped to the floor.

Against his desire, his hands stayed at his sides, fully aware how dirty he was. And frozen by the shock of her being completely naked, her hands pulling at him.

"I'll get dust all over ya," he said against her sweet lips, his voice rough as she pressed against him, water from her warm skin seeping through his shirt.

She pulled back a little, looking at him in the dimness of the shower. She swiftly lifted his shirt over his head and dropped it outside the curtain. The way she looked at him made him feel warm, despite the chills rising on his bare chest in the wake of her hands roaming over him. His eyes roamed over her too.

"Good thing we're in a shower then…" she said, her eyes glinting under her lashes.

She took his mouth again and he was powerless against her, his hands molding to her slick wet body as she pressed against him, and he couldn't hold her tight enough.

He felt the toned muscles of her back, reveling in the feel of her skin against his, and her head fell back as he kissed her jaw, her neck. He could feel through the grip of her fingers that she missed him, and it only encouraged him more, forgetting where they were...the sound of dripping faucets echoing around them.

Their bodies picked up where they'd left off in his bed, and she moaned as his mouth caressed her. He kept his eyes closed, afraid he'd lose all consciousness if he saw all of her, but his mouth remembered... Her breathing quickened as he held her and his hand roamed down her slick waist -

A noise - a buzzing pattern - broke through their reverie and they froze, staring at each other as they tried to catch their breath.

Jack's hand was just below her hip, grazing the back of her thigh. She moved against him, wrapping her leg around his hip, and he took her mouth roughly - only too happy to follow her lead and ignore the phone, to keep her here... His hand cradled her head as he pinned her against the tiled wall, tilting her up to his mouth. She melted against him, making a noise that turned off his brain.

She pulled at him hungrily and he suckled her neck, his tongue leaving a trail over her clean skin as he dropped between her breasts, down to her stomach, his hands on her hips -

The vibrating pattern sounded again and he looked up at her, practically unhinged by the sight of her breasts and her face longing for him to continue, her fingers tangled in his hair.

He stood, his hands wrapping around her ribcage and his thumbs grazing underneath her breasts. She bowed her back to him, and the sound of her breath hitching drove him mad -

But he closed his eyes and swallowed, his jaw clenching as he fought through his desire to his better judgement; while he wanted her here with him, the thought of the club taking more of her freedom away made his blood run cold.

"I don't wanna keep ya," he said low, unable to meet her gaze. "I know ya...hafta go."

Her fingers tightened on his hips for a moment and he looked up, seeing the indecision in her tired, worried eyes.

He moved his hand to the side of her face. "Ya know you're welcome over anytime...right?" he said, his voice low.

He didn't know why he said it, but he wanted her to know...and she bit her lip in consideration for a moment before she looked away, her mind running away with everything that could go wrong.

"But, what if -"

"I don't care," he said.

She looked back to him and smiled a little, her cheeks blushing.

He knelt down for her towel, keeping his eyes away from her...he stood and saw her cheeks were on fire, and he smiled wide as he put the towel around her, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

"Weird ta see you blush like that."

"Why?" she asked teasingly. "...because of the work I do?"

He pushed a strand of wet hair from her face… "No...because of who you are."

Her eyes read his intently, waiting.

His throat tightened unexpectedly, his fingers grazing her cheek.

The phone vibrated again and her expression changed quickly as they were brought back to reality once more - he'd seen that angry look before, and he was reminded of her...

He dropped his hand. "I'll wait outside for ya," he murmured.

He grabbed his shirt and left the locker room, hearing a slam echoing off the tiles behind him.

Same here, doll face, he thought dejectedly.


Later that night, at Medda's…

"Oh, Jack... I don't know if I can."

Jack watched Medda stir the big pot of chili on the stove, her red brows furrowed over her eyes. Kid Blink the cat jumped up on the counter, and she scooped him up in her arms, her hand petting his ears as she thought about Jack's invitation...

"I don't know how I'd be able to hold myself together - I can barely watch her dance videos without falling apart like a baby."

"An' how often ya do that?" Jack asked, casting his voice low as the guys behind them watched YouTube videos on Medda's TV, lounging and laughing on the couches. Spot joined them near midnight, and dinner was still cooking. They didn't care - Medda's felt like home.

But Medda shot Jack a look as the cat jumped down from her arms. She turned her back to him to butter the bread loaf.

"I think ya need to meet her," Jack pressed, leaning on the counter to look at her face. He pushed his hair back, and got a wiff of Tiffany's soap, still lingering on his shirt... "I think...you'll be surprised at how easy it is, ta be around her."

Medda sniffed, "I don't know."

"I can bring her to the theatre...take her to a show."

"A date," she said suddenly and definitively.

Jack paused, surprised. Medda turned to him, her eyes glinting with new found purpose...he knew that look.

"A real date," she declared. "And that's when you introduce me to her."

"Sounds like a great birthday present," Mush said as he came up behind Jack grinning.

Medda's eyes widened, "Who's birthday? Not yours, Jack -"

"Tiffany's," Mush said easily, ignoring Jack's glare. "She'll be twenty-two."

Medda gasped quietly, thinking for a moment..."So young...almost the same age..."

"We know," Jack and Mush said together.

"Then it's settled...I'll give you my producer seats to whatever show she wants."

"Wow," Mush said with a big grin, nudging Jack. Jack nudged him back harder, laughing as Race pushed Mush back to Jack.

They helped Medda dish out the chili into bowls, topping them with cheese and the toasted bread, when the doorbell buzzed. Medda went to the com on the wall, and David's voice rasped.

"Davey!" they exclaimed when the elevator doors opened. David's bag was taken from him and replaced with a bowl of chili and a beer. He smiled at them, his shoulders relaxing.

The boys stayed late, laughing at Medda's stories from the theatre and the swanky places she got to go in the city, the city gossip. They called Kat on the phone - she was busy studying for finals - and they left for home around three in the morning, the city still wide awake.

"Hey, Jack," David began, his hands tense on the wheel as they drove back to Brooklyn. "I need to...talk with you."

Jack's head turned slowly, and he regarded David's face for a long moment, seeing him swallow, his eyes nervous...Mush and Racetrack were preoccupied with a song on Mush's phone, laughing like happy idiots in the backseat.

"Alright, Dave," Jack said carefully, his eyes narrowing.

Mush's phone started to ring.

"'s nothing bad," David said quickly. "Well, kinda -"

"Spit it out, Dave," Jack said.

David sighed...why did he have to bring it up now -

"What?" Mush asked loudly, calling everyone's attention. "Slow down, man -"

Jack turned in his seat and saw Mush's concerned expression, and he recognized the fast talking muffled voice on the other end: Boots.

"Where are you now?" Mush asked urgently...then another voice spoke.

"Honey, what's going on? Are you alright -?"

The hair on Jack's neck stood up: Honey sounded terrified.

"We're almost there," Mush hung up and his face was dark and serious. "Step on it Dave - Boots just picked up Honey and Tiffany."