Well, obviously I haven't died. I've just been stressing about homework. (ACT's on Saturday, what a way to spend the first day of spring break.) Anyway, I'm back now. However, you might not get another chapter for awhile because I lost the notebook with all the ideas in it. Whoever stole it better give it back to me dammit! I need it. (Such a nice way to get reviews, swearing at you and all)

Chapter Ten

"Will you come visit us?" Lindsey asked Caitie.

"You know we will." Assured Jamie. Tyler and Lindsey were moving into their new apartment. Tyler was surprised by how much Lindsey had taken to Jamie, Caitie, and Val. Normally Lindsey was incredibly shy. Now she was begging people she'd known for just a few weeks to come and visit her.

"When are you getting all your stuff?" Asked Val. When Tyler had left England, he'd shipped all of his stuff into storage ahead of time and only brought a few bags to Kingsport.

"Tomorrow. I had a few pieces of furniture shipped there yesterday so Lindsey and I wouldn't have to sleep on the floor."

"You need any help moving stuff tomorrow?" Offered Jamie.

"Sure. Why not? No one can say I ever pass up free help."

"Who said anything about free?" He protested.

* * *

"Any more boxes left in the car?" Asked Val, eyeing the wall that they had stacked all of the boxes against. About an hour earlier Lindsey decided that the boxes would have been the perfect place to build a fort so Caitie decided that it was time for them to go to the park.

"Don't worry about it, I'll go and get the last two." Said Tyler. "And could one of you guys order a pizza? We're in apartment 516. My cell phone's on the counter by the microwave!" Called Tyler as he headed towards the stairwell.

He picked up the two boxes that were left in his trunk and locked it. He had no idea if it was safe to leave his car unlocked yet. Dropping the boxes in front of the elevator doors, he was surprised to see an out of order sign over the elevator buttons. He cursed and kicked the door because that was the mature thing to do.

"I'd get used to that. The elevator hardly ever works. Moving in?" Asked a feminine voice from behind him. He was embarrassed that she'd seen him lose his temper.

"It worked an hour ago." Explained Tyler.

"The stairs are safer. I'm Melissa Harper and you never answered my question."

"Yeah, I'm moving in. Apartment 516."

"I'm right across the hall from you. 515. And I still need to know your name."

"Tyler. Tyler Connell."

* * *

"I know that's your class. Professor Lawfield knows that. I thought about turning down the job because of that. But we can't ignore the fact that the extra money would be nice. I barely make enough working at the hospital. Professor Lawfield and I talked it over and I just can't give you special privileges." Replied Hank.

"You mean sleeping with the TA won't get me an A?" Asked Brooke with a coy smile.

"Sorry. But we might be able to work on some extra credit." Flirted Hank, kissing her.

* * *

"You ready for school today?" Tyler asked Lindsey.

"Will you come with me?" She asked, sounding scared.

"You don't need me there. You're a big girl, you're in kindergarten now."

"Please?" Asked Lindsey.

"For a few minutes." Agreed Tyler. He wondered if all daughters could get their fathers to do what they wanted.

* * *

"Here's your room." Said Tyler. "And your teacher is Mrs. Wallace." When they entered the room there was a handful of kids in a corner of the room with boxes of different toys. Tyler bent down to help Lindsey take off the sweatshirt that Tyler had forced her to wear because it was cool out.

"Tyler? What are you doing here?"

"Melissa?" He was just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. But what surprised him most was that he was happy to see her.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here." She admitted.

"I could say the same thing."

"I'm working here for a few weeks. I'm the student teacher."

"Can I go play with them?" Lindsey asked, pointing to the handful of kids that were in the corner.

"First we need to find your desk. Then you can." Said Melissa. "What's your name?"

"Lindsey Connell." She answered quietly.

"Come on." Melissa said, leading them to where her desk was. As soon as Lindsey saw Tyler put her sweatshirt on her chair she took off to play with everyone else.

"Bye Daddy."

"You're her father?" Melissa was surprised at that. She didn't think he was old enough to have a daughter in school, be she figured he could just look young for his age. And Lindsey obviously had a mother. Melissa figured they were together. She'd only had a few conversations with him, but she didn't think he was the type of guy who would have a baby when he wasn't married. She was surprised that she was disappointed at the mere thought of him being married.

* * *

"Hank, I'm going to go and pick up a few groceries." Said Brooke, grabbing her wallet. "Anything specific you want?"

"Junk food, and a few frozen pizzas." Answered Hank. "Are you sure you don't want to go tomorrow?"

"I'm hungry now and we have nothing." Explained Brooke.

"Then let me come with you. I don't like the idea of you going out at night alone."

"I'll be fine. The store isn't far. Stop being so overprotective. What could possibly happen?"

* * *

"Hello, Mrs. Jenks? I'm not sure if you remember me. My name's Ashley." She said over the phone, voice dripping with over exaggerated sweetness.

"Ashley Conway?" Asked Mrs. Jenks suspiciously. She remembered Tyler mentioning something about a crazy psycho.

"No, I'm not." She replied, lying through her teeth, adding just the right amount of disdain to convince Mrs. Connell she was telling the truth. Grateful once again that she'd chosen to be a theater major. "I'm a friend of Tyler's. And when he moved he left some of his stuff at my house and I lost the piece of paper that his new address and phone number were written on. I was wondering if you could tell me where I could ship his stuff to." Explained Ashley.

"Sure." Agreed Mrs. Jenks. She rattled off his address and hung up.

"Ashley, you're brilliant." She said to herself, she'd gotten Tyler's new address and she was positive she could get him back if she tried hard enough.

* * *

"Damn him." Cursed Brooke under her breath. The comment Hank made about him not liking her out at night alone had made her semi paranoid. She had no idea what possessed her to walk. 'Get a grip.' She mentally ordered herself. 'You're just being paranoid. There's no one following you.' But she couldn't stop herself from glancing over her shoulder to calm her nerves. 'See, no one's there.' But she still couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her.

That was when she heard the footsteps behind her. She spun around to see who or what was behind her and came face to face with a gun.

Hey, just because I left, doesn't mean I lost my love of a well placed bad cliffhanger. Please review. To any new readers, if you want to be e-mailed when I update, let me know in a review please.

If anyone needs a beta reader, please e-mail me.

I posted an original story on fiction press if anyone wants to check it out. Also, please check out really great fiction site.

Upcoming stories:

This Time Around- I'm trying a bunch of new stuff with this. Tyler's cousin gets into a car accident and it causes flashbacks for more than one of our favorite characters. I'm also in desperate need of guys names. Give me suggestions in a review or e-mail them to me.

Bittersweet Reunion- One night, years ago, their lives were plunged into grief and sadness. Not everything is as it should be as they reunite, years later, on Christmas Eve, but they put their differences aside for the one person who's been the constant thread in their lives, the one person who lost and gained the most that night. The one person who has the most to be resentful about, the one person who's forgiven, but not forgotten. The one person, who's just about to lose the best thing to come of that night, and that's the only thing that can pull them back together. (Lets see me try and fit that whole description on ff.net. I might have this is a fanfiction, or as an original.)

First, Special- It's my Dark Angel/In a Heartbeat crossover. Not that many people read the first chapter, and I realize that that fact that you're not familiar with Dark Angel might have thrown you off a little, but I explain the concept of the show in the first chapter. Please, just check it out. If you don't like it after the first chapter or two (Not yet posted) then stop reading, just give it a chance.

I've got a bunch of other stuff that hadn't seen the light of day yet, and I'm hopping to rewrite a bunch of it into readable crap.

My new posting thing is that I'm going to finish the story I'm working on before I post any of it so I can avoid the delays like this one. ONBB will be the exception to that.

If you want me to check out something you've written, let me know.

Don't forget about me while I disappear for about another school quarter. (If you can skip junior year, do it!)

--MM