A/N: there was some confusion on this point according to some of the reviews, so I will try to clear it up. I was going to try to incorporate as much of what has happened in the show as I see it as I could while making it believable. One thing I thought I could get away with is bringing Tyler back from the other school he went to, as I wanted him in this story. So that is where he went. And now he is back. So with little further ado, on with the story. I promise there is some action this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Nikki and maybe the plot. Anything you recognize, I don't own. Please stop suing me!

Ch. 6: Childhood Friends

"Nicola Vatrini, I can't say this is a totally unpleasant surprise," Tyler spoke as he sauntered down the hall.

"For the five hundred thousandth time, the name is Nikki, Jessup. And I wish I could say the same thing about seeing you," she spat.

"Now, now, Nick, is that anyway to greet a childhood friend?" Tyler asked.

"It is when you haven't spoken to the person in five years and found them oddly shallow, far too materialistic, and rather self centered in the first place," Nikki replied.

"Oh, right. How could I forget. How is your family?" he changed gears.

"My parents are fine, Mike started college, Nico is at school in New York still, Anna and Bella are in Junior High now and Frankie is a proud fifth grader. How are your parents?" she asked.

"Both carrying on well. Neither worse for wear," Tyler responded.

"Good then. Well, it's been wonderful catching up, but I really must run, so give your parents my best, and if you see me in the halls, well, just pretend you don't, ok?" Nikki spoke sarcastically, turning on her heel and walking down the hall, the bewildered science club following her.

"What the hell was that?" Lucas asked, stopping them as soon as they were out of earshot.

"My dad is a contractor. He redid Tyler's dad's loft a few years back. We hung out a lot back then. He pissed me off then, he pisses me off now, but he asked how my family was to be polite and so I wouldn't kick his ass again for not minding his own business, so I answered, reciprocated, and ended the conversation. I always thought he was a jerk, I think he finally cottoned on. Aren't we late?" she asked, pushing past Lucas.

"Yeah, we are," Lucas sighed, realizing that he would get nothing more from her. "Wait, kick his ass again? When did you kick Tyler's ass?" Lucas asked.

"Which time?" Nikki replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Um, are you serious? Never mind, I don't think I want to know. If I tell you that you are starting to scare me, will you take it the wrong way?" he questioned.

"I'm only starting to scare you?" Nikki joked.

"So, how was your first week here?," Josie asked a week later when they were all hanging out in the girls room. Josie was sitting on her bed with Vaughn's arms wrapped around her and they were playing a game of cards. Corrine and Marshall were sitting holding hands and leaning up against the wall on Corrine's bed reading books. Nikki was sitting on her bed, and Lucas was sitting backwards in one of the desk chairs, and leaning back against the desk, both reading magazines.

"Good, except for the facts that Madison can't take the hint that I don't want to be a cheerleader and that everywhere I turn there is Tyler," Nikki replied absently.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think that even Madison is so thick headed that she won't figure it out soon. And what did Tyler do exactly to make you dislike him so?" Corrine asked.

"Let's just say he betrayed my trust a few too many times," Nikki stated secretively. "Are you sure you don't want to share the bed with me, Skywalker? You can't be comfortable with the desk digging into your back like that," Nikki noted.

"Yeah, sure, that would be great, my back is starting to fall asleep," Lucas agreed, getting up from the chair.

"I'm guessing you finally settled on a nickname for Lucas, Nickname Queen?" Corrine asked.

"Not really, I'm still torn between Jean Luc Picard and Luke Skywalker, I think I might just switch off," Nikki said.

"Ah, the age old question, Star Wars or Star Trek. How on earth do you choose, Spot?" Marshall asked.

"I don't know, Jack, I may never know, but they both fit, so I'm going with them," Nikki replied.

"So, what grade did you guys get on your history reports, guys?" Vaughn asked suddenly.

"Corrine and I got an A," Marshall replied, looking over the top of his copy of The Bourne Supremacy.

"A minus," Josie replied.

"What did you and Kubiak get?" Lucas asked.

"C plus," Vaughn answered.

"Bet that is the first C plus Stu has gotten since first grade," Corrine joked.

"Yeah, that is what he said," Vaughn laughed.

"Hey Spot, did you ever get caught up on your reading for English?" Marshall asked.

"Yeah, Jacky-Boy, I did. Thanks though," Nikki replied distractedly.

"Nicks, are you telling us the truth?" Lucas asked.

"Maybe," Nikki spoke innocently.

"Nikki, you had all weekend, why didn't you finish? And more importantly, why aren't you reading now, if you aren't finished?" Lucas scolded.

"But I'm taking a quiz to find out what color my aura is. Fine Dad," Nikki joked, drawing out the word dad. "Hey, Jack, could you toss me the book by the foot of the bed over there?" she asked Marshall, motioning int the general direction of Corrine's bed.

"What book?" Marshall asked, looking around on the ground.

"It should be right there," Nikki replied, getting up to look herself. Seeing that it wasn't there, she said, "I must have left it down stair somewhere, I'll be right back."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Lucas offered.

"No thanks, but if I'm not back in a half hour, send a search party," she joked.

Once she was out of the room, Lucas put down his magazine and asked, "So, when are we going to tell her about the black hole?"

"So when are you going to stop asking? We are going to tell her when we have to, or when we all completely trust her, which ever comes first," Josie replied.

"Well, if she sees the black hole and has no idea what it is, she could get hurt, it is only a matter of time, she is running in our circle, and we have no idea where Tyler went, but odds are he went to the future, and he had his chameleon powers back then, and we have no idea if he still has them, and the farther along we get, the more likely it becomes that he will show up, and the last thing we need is for Nikki to run into two Tylers, and freak out. The longer we wait, the harder it is going to be to explain, and then there is the hurt and the incomprehension as far as why we would lie to her, and we don't need that, we have enough to worry about trying to figure out the whole Tyler situation, especially now that he is back, and all I'm saying is she knows Tyler, maybe she can help us out getting into his head," Lucas wound down.

"All your saying? Lucas you said a lot there, but I can tell you one thing, you have it bad Mr. Skywalker," Corrine noted.

"No, I don't," Lucas denied. When they all looked at him pointedly, he amended, "Ok, I like Nikki, but that is not why I want to tell her. I don't like lying to her, and I think she can handle the truth."

"You think she can handle the truth, or you want her to be able to handle the truth?" Vaughn asked.

"Don't you patronize me like that, she is our friend, we have shared meals with her, we have taken class with her, and the only thing she has ever lied about to you is whether she was caught up on her homework. And she can tell when we are lying to her. The longer we don't tell her, the harder it will be to explain," Lucas expressed vehemently.

"Then we will cross that hurdle when we get to it, but for now, we have to take every day in stride, and hope she doesn't find out," Josie replied.

"Hope who doesn't find out what?" Nikki asked, coming back in the room.

"That you don't find out that Lucas likes you," Josie joked.

"Aww, Lukey, you have a crush?" Nikki asked.

"Yeah, he has it bad," Vaughn joked.

"Ok, guys, leave Lucas alone," Corrine chided.

"Hey, did you find your book?" Marshall asked.

"Yeah, it's right here," she responded, holding up the book and starting to read.

"Good," Marshall said.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Josie asked Vaughn.

"Well, I thought that we could watch a movie in my room," Vaughn answered.

"Sounds great," Josie agreed.

"Alright then, let's go," Vaughn said, picking up the cards and helping Josie up.

"I'll be back before curfew," Josie promised.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Corrine called.

"We should go to, we have to study for that thing in my room," Marshall spoke.

"What thing- oh, that thing, yes, don't wait up, Nikki," Corrine called.

"Very smooth, Marshall," Lucas called.

"Yeah, don't ravage the poor guy, Spot," Marshall called to Nikki.

"Oh, you know me, Marshall," Nikki teased.

"What did you just call him?" Lucas asked.

"I called him Marshall, isn't that his name, Lucas?" Nikki replied.

"Yeah, it is, it's just... never mind," Lucas answered, a chill running up his spine as he realized that the person he was talking to was not Nikki and praying that they didn't realize yet that he knew.

Then another thought passed through his mind that made his blood run cold. If that is not Nikki, then where was she?

A/N: there it is, I don't want to jinx anything by saying my muse is back, so I won't. Next chapter, we find out what happened to the real Nikki. Most of you can probably guess who this Nikki is, but humor me, please. Read and review and I promise I will do my best to get a really good next chapter up soon. Luv, Kat