Shirley Chong: Thanks for the review. Remember, looks can be deceiving. Keep that in mind as you read this chapter. :)

Cmar: Welcome back! As I said to Shirley, remember, looks can be deceiving – on either of their parts. :)

Sierra: Hi! I was surprised to hear from you, but I was glad to, of course! You nearly cried your eyes out? Aw… Maybe I will tell you the same, in this chapter as you are reading, remember, looks can be deceiving.

A/N: Enjoy! I've been so busy these past few months with school. Up 'til 12 or later on hw, I am! Thankfully, there's Thanksgiving break. This is a short update, I'm afraid. I plan to have a longer chapter around Christmas break or so.

What's Wrong?

"Alex," Jen began, glancing nervously at her friends and her thumbs in her pockets, "would you like some food? It's your favorite."

"Yes, please," Alex replied, and Jen walked to the kitchen area, relieved that he had at least retained some semblance of manners.

"Here you are!" she replied as cheerfully as possible. It was hard.

Alex's gaze followed Jen as she walked over to Katie, and Katie put her arm around Jen's shoulders comfortingly and began to talk softly to her.

Jen eyed Alex. "I don't know what to do, Katie. I don't know. He's so different, not the Alex I promised myself to; it's like it's someone else inside Alex's body. I dare not ask him what's wrong, for he'll bite my head off. I understand the cold shoulder, but this? This is insanity, taking his anger too far. I'm almost to the point where I feel like reporting his actions to Captain Logan for questioning."

"Jen, I think you should. It might be the best thing for him, though he might hate you all the more for it until he realizes –"

"And if he doesn't?" Jen asked loudly. She put her finger to her mouth. "Excuse me, a moment," she said as Alex looked up at her. Katie and Jen left the room. "What if I lose him for it Katie? What if he always – what if he always looks at me like that? What if I never see him smile lovingly at me, and he never gazes into my eyes? What if all our dreams truly never happen? And for what?! My selfishness. I thought I loved Wesley Collins, but really he was just a replacement in my mind for what Alex was when I had last seen him before we left for 2001. I see that now, but then it all seemed so real, and I was caught up in the moment. I love Wes dearly, as a friend, but Alex I love too much to bear that ice cold look he gives me every time I even glance at him or say my name. I hate it! I hate the man he has changed into since I broke the engagement!" Jen gasped and leaned against the wall for support, her body trembling as she sobbed.

"Jen," Katie said quietly, embracing her friend, and being careful not to crush her. "Jennifer, it'll work out. It takes time, girl. It takes time. It's not your fault that he's acting the way he is. He's acting like a child who didn't get what he wants for Christmas. He is being selfish, and until he sees that, you two can't have a relationship. You know that in your heart of hearts, don't you?"

Jen nodded and stood up as Lucas and Trip entered the room. "Jen," Lucas beckoned, "Alex wants to talk to you."

"Ok," Jen replied and began to walk to the living room, Katie following.

"Alone," Lucas said, putting his arm across the doorway to block Katie from exiting.

"But –"

"It's alright," Jen said, though she was not so sure herself.

"Alex, you wanted to talk to me?" Jen asked upon entering the dark room.

"Yes, have a seat."

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked, hiding the fear she now possessed from him. She took a seat in the chair next to Alex.

"Us," Alex answered simply.

"What about 'us'?"

"If we have a future."

"Well, do we?"

"I was hoping you knew that," Alex retorted coldly.

"I don't know…"

"Then, who does?"

Jen shifted her gaze from the mundane expression on Alex's face to the wall. "Can you stand to look at me? Can you? Without thinking of me like a treacherous creature?"

Alex looked at Jen silently for a few minutes, and Jen shifted nervously under the scrutiny. "I can try. Maybe –" Alex's voice was soft. "Maybe time will heal. Can we be friends?"

"Oh, Alex!" Jen exclaimed, letting out the hurt she had held inside, all the fear of losing him completely. "I've been –" Jen cleared her throat, and rid her voice of the excitement. How eager that made her sound. "I've been hoping you would ask, but how can we be friends if you can't get past what I did?"

"Jennifer, I'll try, but it's not easy. I was so happy when you returned. You had my heart, but then you ripped it from me."

"Alex," Jen began softly. "Alex, just remember this. I was caught up in the moment. I-I thought –"

"Jen, you don't need to explain yourself."

"Please, let me." Jen paused, waiting Alex's protest, but he remained silent. "I thought that I loved Wes, and I did, but only as a friend. What I mistook as love was simply a love for what I had known you to be, a love for an image, not for who Wes was. I realize that now, but I didn't – not then." Jen shook her head. "It was selfish of me to do that to you, with you being who I was going back to take revenge for. I was so saddened by your death, so angry at Ransik! I thought I wasn't going to be able to live, and Wes came, and he looked like you. I hated him for it at first, but then I began to love him for it. He eased my pain at a time when I was depressed. Somehow, somehow I fell for him. I don't know why, and I don't know how either exactly. All I need to know before I even consider friendship is: do you think you will be able to forgive me for hurting you? Will you let me back in? Or are you completely blocked out to the world like you're prone to be?" Jen was standing now, pacing, and she turned to look into his eyes. "Can you?"

"I think I can, Jennifer." Alex stood and took her in his arms to hold her. Jen rested her head on his shoulder.

"Are you sure, Alex?" she asked again, quieter this time.

"Yes," Alex said. "It's all I've wanted since you broke the engagement." He stroked her shoulder. It felt so good to him to hold her in his arms again.

Jen pulled away. "Hey, we're supposed to be just friends right now, aren't we?" she asked with a nervous giggle.

"We don't have to be," Alex resolved, his old desires returning.

"For now, let's just be. I don't want things to move too fast. I want to earn your respect and trust again – not leap into marriage or engagement again and then find out later that you've decided you can never forgive me. Then, it's just based on desire." It was hard for Jen to say this, for she too wanted things right away back to where they had been. However, she could not help but have fear that he would never forgive her and that he would break her heart to spite her.

"Alright, Jennifer. We'll be friends – for now." He embraced her one last time before sitting down on the couch and pretended to watch the television, but his every thought was on Jen and what she had done and whether he could ever truly forgive her.

A/N: Please review. Thank you for reading!