With a groan, David set down his books on the table. Robert was already, pencil working furiously. He looked up at his roommate quickly, and kept working.

"G'morning," David said groggily. Robert smiled slightly, and moved his papers so that David could sit down next to him.

"Had a good sleep?" asked Robert, his gaze intent. David nodded, and then shook his head.

"No. Couldn't fall asleep."

"Ah. Gotcha." Robert continued to work, and David ran a hand through his unmanageable hair. In vain, he picked up a pencil and fingered it, running his hands along the tip. Sighing, he rubbed his eye. Robert looked up.

"You okay dude?" he asked.

"I can manage," David replied, opening up a book. Robert shook his head sadly and furrowed his brow in thought.

"No, you can't," Robert muttered, thinking to himself. David looked up.

"Pardon?"

Robert folded his hands on the table. "Dave, you – you are so miserable," Robert sighed, "when I think about it… I don't know… I feel as if it was my fault. Lizzie is such a wonderful person, and you two deserve each other. I'm sorry – I really am."

David's head shot up, staring at Robert in disbelief. "What? How do you know Lizzie?"

Robert looked nervous, but quickly recovered himself. He held up a slip of paper.

"I understand that you don't have enough cash to see her. Listen, these are plane tickets to Hillridge – I hope you will go. The plane leaves tomorrow…"

David again gaped at the man sitting across from him. "Wait… how do you know where I live?"

"I already bought the tickets, didn't I?" Robert replied, grinning slightly. David's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"That's a lot of money…"

Robert laughed. "My parents are sort of, well, wealthy. They like to give me money. It gives them a sense of control over me."

With amusement, Robert watched as David's face went from polite confusion to pure joy. David smiled broadly at Robert and wrung his hand tightly.

"Thanks so much Rob… I-I don't know what to say!" said David happily. He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm speechless!"

Robert smiled and handed him the printed tickets. "Got these from the Internet. Everything comes from the Internet nowadays." David laughed, still dazed with happiness. He stared at the tickets and grinned.

"You're too much."

Robert shrugged. "It's the best I can do to repay you." David opened his mouth in protest, but Robert held up a hand. "Let's get this work done."

David began to work again, his heart filled with excitement and jubilation. Every once in a while, he would glance at Robert, trying to understand why his roommate would do this for him. It didn't make much sense, he knew, but he was incredibly thankful.

"Okay… here we are!" Robert said, pulling into the airport parking lot. The two men got out of the car, pulling out David's bags and dropping them on the concrete ground. David beamed and hailed a large blue and black bus.

"I mean," he began again, "it's okay if I take a break from my education for a while…" He ended, nodding as if to reassure himself. Robert laughed and clapped him on the back.

"It's fine."

David and Robert climbed into the bus, helped along by a squat man with a toupee. He heaved David's bags onto a shelf, and waddled back to the driver's seat. David and Robert sat down at the back of the bus. David was looking out of the window, hands clasped on his lap. Suddenly, as the bus started, they lurched forward; Robert clutched the seat handle.

They drove to the airport terminal in silence. But, when they got there, they followed the signs to 14B. When they arrived, calm and composed, they sat down at two of the many navy seats.

For a while, David slumped in his chair, amusing himself by chewing a piece of gum. He was about to chew and swallow another, when a small girl walked up to him. Her parents, seemingly, were reading magazines and involved in the mayhem of trying to get her brother to stop crying.

The girl sat down below David and ###### her head, staring at him with piercing hazel eyes. David looked up, and smiled at her. She grinned, showing off a gap in her teeth. She wiped her nose, still beaming.

"Who are you?" she asked. David smiled wider, recognizing the innocence of a curious child.

"I'm David," he informed her. The girl giggled.

"I like your name," she said, looking back at her parents, "my name is Beth. He," she pointed back to the now screaming child, "is Adam."

David nodded. "Thanks for telling me."

To his surprise, the girl sat there, watching him. To his dismay and delight at the same time, she began to talk.

"Mommy and Daddy and me and Adam don't live here," she said, getting up on her knees and staring at David, "we live…" she pondered for a second; "in Wash – ing - ton." She grinned proudly, as if she had said something both amazing and important. David acknowledged this by smiling, and she puffed up in delight.

"I'm five years old, and I have crayons… see?" The girl pulled out a box from her small backpack lying on the ground, and held up a blue crayon. David grinned as she gave it to him. Her brother was beginning to cry and scream at the same time, and Beth covered her ears with two small, delicate hands.  She scrunched up her face, and David laughed heartily, enjoying the loving attention, even though it was just by a child.

"Elizabeth! Come help Mommy with Adam!"

Beth glanced at her mother, and gave a surprised David another look.

"I don't like my name. It's too long. Beth is good," she said, gesturing back at her mother. David tried to smile, but he was caught up in extreme emotion even just by hearing her name. His heart clenched, and he took a deep breath, willing himself not to burst into tears. Suddenly, he felt the little girl's hand on his arm.

"What's wrong?" she asked, ignoring the desperate cries of her mother. Her large hazel eyes searched his. David had a sudden feeling to confide in this little girl. She wouldn't care, would she? David just couldn't place it; why was he stalling? Why couldn't he just tell her what was on his mind?

Because she's a living replica of Lizzie, that's why…

He smiled and placed a hand on the top of her head. Her soft golden hair reminded him so much of the girl he loved, and he closed his eyes, sighing painfully.

"You should help your mommy now," he whispered, leaning foreword so she could hear his plea. Beth smiled brightly and hugged him quickly, picking up her small backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She skipped back to her waiting family, talking a mile a minute. David heaved a small sigh and smiled. Robert gave him a glance, but kept on reading his newspaper, pouring over the trivial stories with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

When it was finally time for David to board the plane, he heaved himself off of the chair and gathered his belongings; they were scattered across the empty seats, and he picked them up with some help from Robert, who promptly dropped his newspaper on his seat. From 14A, Beth waved frantically, while her parents watched her in bemusement, craning their heads to stare in his direction. David smiled and gave her a little wave.

Then, David turned to Robert. He beamed and gave him a hug, which Robert returned. David wiped his eyes, shaking in anxiety and excitement.

"Well, I guess this is it," David said, clasping Robert's hand and shaking it. Robert nodded.

"You've been good Dave, you've been good. It's been great having you…" he smiled and laughed, looking past David at the line slowly moving into the airplane. "Go get her, dude!"

David laughed, and took a deep breath, smiling brightly. "I don't know what to say. You've been such a great friend, and I hope I can repay you one day." Robert grinned.

"Just seeing you and Lizzie together would make my day," he replied. David smiled, grabbed his suitcase, and turned to go. He walked a few steps and stopped, looking back at his roommate and fellow friend.

"Hey Rob?"

"Yeah, Dave?"

"Call me Gordo."

Robert smiled, and nodded. "Call me Ronnie."

*hahahaha* the truth is out! ^_^ yeah!

Oh yeah, review… and…. Nimrondel (I hope I spelled your name right) – thanks for the review, and the songs are called "I Will Always Return", and "Sound the Bugle" by Bryan Adams. Thanx again! ^_^

Oh, and everybody else! I LUV YA! ^_^

Plz review! Thanks a bunch – next chappie up asap!

Tic-Tac  ^_~