I went to bed at nine last night…I couldn't stay up long enough to write another chapter…I painted ALL day yesterday. Then I left everyone and came home to sleep! Ugh….and even though I'm feeling really sick…I'm still going to try to write.

Krzynkooky: I have decided to write more about Carmen and Jack…happy? Lol! I don't know how much I will write…because I'm having a Carmen and Tibby block….but she was going to be in the next chapter anyways! Thanks for reviewing….movie comes out in 9 days!

When Lena's plane touched down in the D.C. airport, Carmen had been waiting for an hour. Of course she had been early, but Lena had said it was important…she had to be there. Lena walked out to luggage claim and immediately saw Carmen. Carmen was standing next to a taller male, but left his side to run over to Lena and jump on her. "Lenny! I'm so happy that you decided to come home!" Lena dropped her bag and wrapped her arms around Carmen. "Whos's that guy?" Carmen turned around and blushed. Jakc had come to stand behind the two. Carmen grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. "This would be Jack." "Oh!" Lena gasped. "Jack!" Carmen lightly hit her friend on the head. "Yeah, lets get your stuff and go home. You staying with me?" Lena nodded her head and picked up her bags. "If you have enough room." Carmen put her arm across Lena's shoulders. "Lenny…there's always room for you guys. I would never make you stay at home by yourself."

The three were on the highway again, with Carmen behind the wheel. Lena was in the passenger seat. She turned to face Carmen. "Lydia came a week early. I guess the doctor's called her and told her that he could be discharged, or something." Carmen pulled off the freeway and onto the ramp that led to Bethesda. "You did tell him that you were leaving, right?" Lena didn't say anything. Carmen had to hand it too her friend today. She was really racking up the stupid friend points. "Lenny! You didn't tell your boyfriend that you were leaving the country?" Still Lena didn't say anything. The three rode in silence the rest of the way home. The only sound heard was the radio.

Lena felt good to be back at home. Well she wasn't exactly in her own home, but Carmen's was her next one. When they got back, Stephen was sitting on the couch. He had apparently just gotten back from New York City. "Tibby just left…she and Brian are going to do something." Carmen took off her shoes and sat down on the couch leaving a space for Jack. He came to sit down. Lena took the chair. "I'm glad to see that you are still here. Now I won't be alone." She said it without enthusiasm and leaned back into the chair. She let herself keep falling and then she eventually fell out. She landed with a thud. Carmen got up to help her. "I think that you need to go lay down." She helped her friend up and led her down the hallway. When they were in the room, Carmen shut the door. Lena threw herself on the bed and started crying. "I'm really confused Carmen!" Carmen came over and put her arms around her friend. "What are you confused about?" Lena was trying to breathe. "He….he called me…bitter…and then Lydia showed up…and I realized that I have never met her! Paul…and I have been dating for a year…I've never met her! Why?" Carmen soothed Lena by rubbing her back. She knew that was the only way Lena would respond. "Lena, there are more complicated things going on…but who called you bitter?" "Kostos." Carmen stopped rocking her friend and pushed Lena's face up so that she could see her eyes. "Lenny…you are not bitter. He just ruined you. But you can be fixed. What am I here for?" Lena smiled a little bit and sat up. "Thanks Carmen…I'll be ready to talk more later on. Are you…doing…something tonight with Jack?" She asked between breathes. Carmen looked at her clock. "I didn't want to leave you here." Lena laid down on the bed and pulled the covers over her. "Go. I don't want you to have to lounge around here just because I had a breakdown…please go. Stephen will be here." Carmen leaned down and kissed her friend on the forehead. "Ok…there's food in the fridge. And I have my cell phone."

Carmen walked out into the living room and sat back down in between Jack and Stephen. "She's just having a rough time…she refuses to let us stay here and fester though." She said toward Jack. Jack smiled and leaned in to kiss Carmen. "You have really nice friends." Jack got up and grabbed his car keys out of his pocket, and walked out the door. Carmen winked at him and told him that she would be out in a second. She turned to Stephen now. "I think she would feel safer if you were here. That's why I brought her here…I knew you would be back tonight." Stephen hugged Carmen and pushed her off the couch. "Don't worry. I didn't have any plans for the night. She'll be fine. I'll call you later." Carmen's smile got wider. "Thank you Stephen…thank you."

Two hours later, Carmen and Jack were sitting in his apartment. Jack was questioning the whole Lena thing. He usually wasn't so nosy, but he had never seen anyone so…depressed. "What started it all?" He asked her while she was popping a bag op popcorn. She came to stand behind him on the couch. "Kostos started it." She heard the buzzer go off and she grabbed the bag. Walking back into the living room area she placed it on the table next to the bowl. "When she was sixteen her parents sent her and Effie off to Greece to spend the summer with her family…you know the whole story behind the pants and everything. Lena fell in love with this guy…and when summer came to an end they stayed in contact with each other. Then the next summer, Kostos came to the states to stay with a friend of his family's…he and Lena fell in love again. But when he went back to Greece she never heard from him again. Then Lena went back to Greece because her grandfather died. That's when it all went downhill. Kostos had gotten this girl pregnant. It was all Lena could do to breathe. I remember when she came back…" Jack wiped away a tear that was falling from Carmen's eye. Carmen sniffled. "I'm sorry…it's just that I can remember so well the day that she came back. I decided to take her out…that's when she met Paul. And Paul has been nothing but good to her. They are perfect for each other. The two don't need anything to say to each other. They would never have to worry about an awkward silence. But then you know that Kostos kidnapped her, and he shot Paul. Now Lena is upset because she had never met Lydia…Paul's mom. She's just confused." Jack couldn't help but feel sorry for Lena. "He got a girl pregnant?" "Yeah," Carmen said, "But the baby never came and she left…then this summer he tried to get Lena back." "That's where the kidnapping came in?" "Yep." Carmen answered.

While Carmen and Jack had been talking, Lena had woken up in Carmen's apartment. She grabbed Carmen's quilt off of her bed and wrapped it around her. Making her way down the hall way, she ran into the wall. Stephen heard the thud. He put his book down and got up and ran over to her. "Come on Lena…I'll get you some water." He sat her down on the couch and walked into the kitchen. He brought her back a bottle of water and handed it to her. "How are you feeling?" Lena laughed in a hysterical way. "I feel like crap!" Stephen could tell that she wasn't right in the head…at the moment. "Are you sure you don't want Carmen?" Lena shook her head. "No…I'm fine. I'm not bitter." Stephen looked at Lena. "Lena…I didn't say you were…" "No," Lena butted in, "But I know when you are thinking it." "Lena," He started again, but was stopped by her again. "Where does he get off calling me bitter?" Lena threw her hands up in the air and stuck her head under the blanket. Stephen had to control the laughter. "Lena, you are really frightening me! Could you come out please?" He felt like he was talking to a three year old. "Do you want to talk? I promise to listen." It obviously seemed to be working. Lena slowly brought her face out from underneath the blanket.

Carmen didn't know how long she should stay at Jack's. She kept looking at the clock. It was only nine o'clock. Lena would still be asleep, and if she did wake up earlier, then Stephen would be there. Lena was safe…not sane…but safe. She looked over at Jack. "You want to go play putt-putt?" "Why?" He asked. Carmen put her head on his shoulder. "Because…I just want to get away from this. Putt-putt takes my mind off of everything…plus I know that I can beat you." She said impishly.

I don't know about this whole chapter...like i said i'm not feeling too well.