Thanks for all the reviews I've gotten. I was hopeing for more...but I just wanted to post this chapter. I was really happy with how this chapter came out that I just HAD to post it ASAP.

Summary: (Partially AU) Jessica Mastriani - the well-known Lightning Girl - is waiting. Waiting for her savior - her knight in shining armor you could say. She isn't known for her patience, but for this one thing, she'll have to wait. Wait patiently.

Disclaimer: I wish I could say that I owned the 1-800 characters, but, sadly, I do not. Meg Cabot does.

Waiting Patiently

Chapter 12

Jess's POV

I was beyond mad when I realized that Kevin had not done what I had told him to — lift the lawsuit.

Then again, it was probably his mom that went through with it without his permission. I never really liked that lady anyway.

I saw Rob at his kitchen table when I came down the stairs. He was with Gary and his mom, who was rubbing his back consolingly. But what did he need consolation for? And what was that paper in his hand that he was looking at with disgust?

Rob looked up and saw me. He smiled, but not with his eyes. Something was up.

"Uh," I said, realizing the tension in the air, "what's on that paper?" Okay, so I was being nosy. It wasn't really any of my business. But I just wanted to know what had made Rob upset. That's all.

He handed it to me without hesitation. "You have a right to know," he said.

A right to know what?

I glanced down at the paper and blanched. It was the court date. The court date that was set mainly because of me.

"Oh, God," I said, handing him back the paper.

I was going to murder Kevin. That's how mad I was then.

However, I tried not to let my fury show too much. I did not want Rob to have to worry. Not that he would worry about me getting angry or anything.

"I'll be there," I said before I realized what came out of my mouth.

Rob looked surprised. "Jess, you don't ha—–"

"Yes, I do," I interrupted him. "This is my fault anyway. If I can't stop it from happening, the least I can do is be there for you."

He still looked adamant. He got up from the table and came over to me, setting his big, tendon-y hands on my shoulders. He peered down at me curiously, saying, "I don't want you to have to see that. I've been to court before and its not the most flattering place to be."

I don't care! I wanted to scream at him. However, I highly doubt that would make him like me more. If anything, he would get scared and kick me out of his house.

Well, more or less.

I sighed, the feeling of his hands on my shoulders slightly distracting my thoughts. "But...you don't deserve this," was what I ended up saying.

He let loose a smile. "It doesn't matter. It's happening and I have to go."

I looked into his eyes. All I saw when I looked in them was care, despair, and...love. He cared for me. He did not want me to go because he didn't want me to see what it was like.

He was trying to protect me.

The thing is, though, I did not want to be protected.

"Rob," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "I said I'm going. I don't care what you have to say about it."

He took his hands off my shoulders and let them fall to his side. "You really are stubborn, you know that?" he said in a joking tone.

Only he could make a joke out of this.

However, I played along. I put on a smile and said, "That's what I've been told."

I noticed his mom and Just-Call-Me-Gary were engrossed in their own conversation. They had hardly been paying attention to us.

He steered me into the living room. As we both sat down on the couch, he flipped the TV on. Only...well, I didn't really think we would be watching television. Maybe it was a distraction or something, to make his mom think we were really just watching TV instead of...

Well, I don't know what.

He turned the volume down a bit. "So," he said conversationally. "Have a nice sleep?"

I felt a blush creep onto my face. "Um," I said, completely aware that I was making the situation worse than it really was. "Yeah."

Not the best answer in the world, but Rob seemed satisfied by it. "Good," he said.

With ESP aside, I knew what he was thinking. Not like I could read minds or anything anyway, but still. The point was, I knew what he was thinking about.

It was not about the court date —which turned out to be this Saturday (today was Sunday). It was not about anything remotely close to that.

It was, in fact, about me.

Okay, that sounds bad. Well, maybe he was thinking about me in that way, but that's not what I was talking about.

I knew he was thinking about what happened last night. What with the Feds and all. That must have been mind-whirling for him, especially since I never mentioned once that I had a job — besides working at my dad's restaurant — or that said job involved the FBI.

So that's why I felt I should bring it up. You know, explain what it was about.

But, you know, not here.

It didn't really feel right, discussing that with him, while his mom and future step-dad were in the other room.

I turned to look at him, but he was staring aimlessly at a spot on the wall.

Um...okay.

"Rob," I said.

I must have startled him, because he jumped slightly. Well, not jumped, but he definitely looked surprised. "What?" he said finally.

"Uh, you wanna...I dunno, go somewhere?" I finally got out. I don't really know why it was that hard to put it into a question, but what was I gonna say? You wanna get outta here? That just made it sound like I wanted to get out of his house, and fast.

He knitted his brows together for a moment, slightly confused. Then he seemed to recover from it, since he got up off the couch, pulling me with him, and said, "Sure."

And at that moment, I was fully aware that I was still in my clothes from last night. Dress and all.

I must have looked uncomfortable in my clothes or something, since Rob went, "I'll drop you off at your house so you can shower and stuff. Then you can call me when you're ready. Sound good?"

I nodded, following him out the front door. His mom had given us a questioning look — since we had walked through the kitchen to get to the front door - but he just told her he was dropping me off, to which she just shrugged.

- § -

I was surprised, when I got home, to find that no one was there. The door was open for me and everything, but no one was there.

Huh. Guess they went to pick up Aunt Rose or something. I knew she was due for a visit.

Unfortunately.

But just in case, I called my mom's cell phone. She told me that they were, in face, picking up Aunt Rose at the train station all the way across town. They would be back, she told me, in about an hour.

All the more reason to get out of here.

So I took my shower, remembering to wash my hair with conditioner this time, since, you know, I rarely wash my hair. There really is no point. I'm not one of those people whose hair gets greasy after, like, a day without a shower. I can go a week without one and it looks like I took one that morning.

Hey, whatever floats your boat.

But anyway, I got out of the shower and went to my pile of clothes — my mom comes up and dumps my clean clothes on my floor, telling me to put them away, but it never happens — and picked out a pair of jeans and a nice V-neck. Nothing like what I was wearing last night though. I mean, I know I have got stuff on top, but that dress my mom picked out for me? Yeah, it revealed a little too much.

Not that Rob seemed to mind though.

After I threw my ensemble on, I took the liberty of going into my mom's bathroom and taking some mascara out of her make-up bag, since I do not really own any myself. I never felt the need to wear any — until now.

So I applied it — and some lip gloss that was also in there — and went back into my room to call Rob. But, I realized as I glanced out my window, that wouldn't be an easy feat. Not calling him, but actually going out with him without being followed, since, well...

There was a white van parked across the street.

This did not startle me. I knew it was bound to happen soon, anyway. Even if it was the day after I quit. They were just trying to piss me off, like my brothers used to do to me when we were younger.

Except they were not FBI agents, like Jill, Allan, and Krantz were.

I sighed resignedly, wondering what I had ever done to deserve this.

That's when I had an idea. A crazy one, but it might work. I mean, if the Feds wanted me back that bad, they might go for it.

I picked the phone off its cradle on my night stand. I dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Wilkins," I said, after she picked up after the second ring. "Is Rob there?"

"Hi, sweetie. Yes, he is. I'll get him for you." I heard her muffle yell of, "Rob, phone!"

A moment later, Rob's sweet came on over the phone. "You ready?" he asked.

I was, in fact, ready. But not for what he thought. I hated doing this, but it was for his — and my — own good.

"Actually, Rob," I said in my sweetest voice. "I'm afraid I can't go. My mom just informed me that I have to stay here. You see, my Great Aunt Rose is over and I have to be here, because I'm supposedly her favorite."

But if Rob was disappointed, he didn't let on. "Hmm," was what he said. "I can see where she's coming from." I undoubtedly blushed at that. Good thing he couldn't see it. "Well, okay. See you later then."

"Yeah, all right. I'll call you later when I can do something."

I could feel his smile over the phone. "I'll be waiting."

"Bye," I said, and waited for his final word — which was also 'bye' — before hanging up.

I looked out the window again and shook my head. This had better work, I thought.

I wrote a note for my parents and hung it up on the refrigerator, saying that I was out and they could call me if they needed me.

After that was done, I turned the knob on the front door, opened it, and walked out into the cool November air. Thinking quickly, I grabbed a jacket from the coat closet and walked outside again.

Then I walked across the street and opened the side of the white van, hopping in.

"Jill, Allan, what a wonderful surprise," I said. Seeing their shocked faces, I said, "I have a proposition for you."

Allan quirked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

I continued. "I'll come back, only on one condition..."

A/N: Can I pleeeeeaaaase have more reviews than the last chapter? I really want more. I know I sound selfish, but it would make me update faster...