Much thanks to Keen, for all the support, even though you h8 me and I'm evil. Thanks for unknowingly (and then knowingly) inspiring me to finish this chapter. Aren'cha glad I got you into fanfics? Here you go. Thanks for the cookie. Hope you weren't too spoiled. lol

Symbol key:

"These" = people talking. ~This~ = an inaudible thought. ***These*** = new scene location or my description of a setting. *This* = something emphatically or expressively stated.

This chapter takes place about 1 week after chapter 3.

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Penny, come in here.

Yeah?

Shut the door.

All right.

~She's apprehensive.~ You afraid to be alone with me?

What?

To be honest... I'm afraid to be alone with you.

Jake... did you take something? Maybe forget to read the label?

No, I'm serious.

Jake, what-

***He looks at her strangely.***

What? Why would you be afraid-

Because I might do this.

***Was this fire? Nothing else could be this blistering. No. Having Jake Silver's tongue in her mouth would have to set all sorts of records. He slides it around. He knows what he's doing. He somehow knows what could make her scream. Just from a kiss. The physical was familiar. She's felt his tongue before. He's grazed her lips before. But when he makes her moan like this... this she's never known. No. Only in her dreams. This he's never done. Not even in his dr--***

***Jake's eyes open in complete fear.***

***He looks to see if his sudden jolt has woken Dylan.*** ~Good.~

"Jake, what are you doing?"

~Uh...~ "Nothing, Penn, go back to sleep. Dylan. Nothing, Dylan."

***She closes her eyes. What? Was she supposed to catch that at 3 in the morning?***

***Penny storms into Jake's office.*** "Jake, every-- What are you doing?"

***He's been asleep on some sort of book.***

"Nothing."

"What is that? Your diary?"

"It's not a diary. It's a journal."

"Yeah, so how long have you been keeping a diary?"

***He looks at her annoyed but with slight amusement.***

~She has knack for that.~ "It's a journal."

"Whatever. Um, everyone's waiting for you to start the meeting."

"I know. I'll be right there."

***She steps in further and closes the door.*** "Okay, what?"

"What?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"Jake, I'm not going to ask again."

"Let's get out of here."

***He places his journal in his desk. And they step out of his office.***

"Good news, everyone. Ratings have gone up. But we have to keep them up for another week. And if that works out, we'll be on probation for about six months. Then we'll be in the clear. So keep up the good work."

***His melancholy tone goes unnoticed by mostly everyone. Penny and Dylan are the only people who pick it up.***

***Everyone stands up. Jake retreats to his office.***

***Penny stands to follow him, but Dylan's already there. The door closes. Gavin come up behind Penny.***

"Still stings, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"That he chose her."

"I'm just worried about him."

"Why? Shouldn't you want him dead?"

"Do you want Dylan dead?"

"Sometimes. No. Of course not. I'm over her."

"Right."

"I am. I took your advice. I'm moving forward."

"That's good."

"But I still hate it."

"What?"

"Seeing that. The door closing. The little looks between them. Knowing they'll be going home together."

***She looks at the door.***

"At least you never fought for him. I made a fool of myself and I still lost."

***She looks at the door again, as if she's realized something."

"Penny, I really don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Stay friendly with him."

"I'm over all of it. It's done."

"Yeah. And hey, it might *really* be done in a week. I've got my agent looking for-"

"We're not getting canceled."

"Of course we are. Why don't you just accept that and start looking for a job? One that you'll actually do, of course."

"Because Jake said things are going well."

"And you believe that?"

***Penny shrugs.***

***Dylan leaves Jake alone in his office.***

***Penny doesn't knock. She simply walks in.***

"Jake?"

***He's fallen asleep with his head on his desk.***

"HEY, SLEEPING BEAUTY?!"

***That gets him up.***

"Why are you so tired, anyway?"

"I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Wild night with Dylan, huh?"

~She really thinks that.~ "No! No, that wasn't it."

"Dude, relax."

"What did *you* do last night?"

"I slept."

"Oh... with who?"

~Did he just say something witty?~ "Did you just say something almost clever?"

"Yeah. You must be rubbing on me. Rubbing *off* on-You-"

"Jake, I get it. Don't lose your cool points on account of a Freudian slip."

"You believe in all that?"

"What?"

"Freud. Slips of the tongue. The unconscious affecting things the conscious part of you might do."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Maybe? That's not an answer."

"Jake, come one. I can't answer that."

"Why not?"

"Because. If I say I believe in it... than what am I saying? Do you?"

***He moves a little closer to her.***

"I don't know."

***Frank pops into the office.***

"I do! Absolutely. Yes, I've had me some of those experiences."

***They both look at him.***

"Like the other night, I had this dream that I had this wild a-"

"Frank! If you say it out loud, it won't come true."

"I thought those were wishes."

***Jake comes to her defense.***

"No, no. Same thing."

"Right. Right, thanks."

***Penny smiles.*** "No problem."

***He walks away, looking relieved.***

"That was good, Penn."

"He's really not a guy whose head I wanna get into."

"Is there a guy whose you do?"

"No. Men are idots."

"Right."

"I should get back to work. And you should get back to sleep."

***He looks a little freaked by her suggestion. Sleep was the last thing he should do right now. Much too dangerous.***

***She walks out of his office.***

***He goes to open his desk drawer. Dylan walks in.***

"Jake?"

"Hey, Dylan."

"Frank said you were talking about Freud."

"Uh, yeah."

"With Frank? Why?"

"With Penny, actually."

"What were you talking about?"

"Just whether or not we believed in his ideas."

"I do."

"What?"

"I believe in it. Freudian slips. The subconscious affecting you. It makes perfect sense."

"You do?"

"Yeah. Definitely. You don't?"

"I do. I guess. Are you sure?"

"People have hidden desires. They have to have a place to exist."

"But, don't you think that's wrong?"

"No. Why, do you have some secret life going on in your head, you don't want me knowing about?"

"No."

***A few hours later.***

***Jake opens his desk drawer.***

"Penny?!"

"You bellowed?"

"Where is it?"

"What?"

"My d-my journal."

"How would I know?" ~He thinks I took it..~

"Penny, you're the only one who knew where it was... Or that it even existed."

"What would I need to steal 'memoirs of a dork' for? To sell it on the black market? 'Cause you know, I heard there just isn't that big of a demand anymore. "

"Penny, just give it back."

"I didn't take it."

"Fine."

"I didn't." ~Seriously, dude. you're not that interesting.~

"I said, fine."

"So, mean it."

***Dylan walks in holding something in her hands. A somber look on her face.***