Encore

Sean sat in Media Immersions and signed onto his d-mail account when he noticed he had a new message. He rolled his eyes and clicked the mouse cursor over the link and opened up his inbox.

To: whocares
From: NOlabels
Subject: home is where the heart is


Sean
I'm coming home
Love,
Ellie

p.s. I'm going to need you more than ever, Verity killed herself

Sean stared at the screen for a good moment and then began to type a response.

To: NOlabels
From: whocares
Subject: RE: home is where the heart is

El
Always here when you need me
Love,
Sean

And that was all he typed. Sean was never a man of many words, but the simplicity said it all. That he cared, and would be a shoulder and anything less or more than she needed and that he would always care. And then he suddenly was bombarded with an instant message. He looked around the room. Obviously wasn't someone in his class:

BaddaBoom: did El send you a message?

Sean stared at the screen and began t type.

whocares: yea, she told me what happened
BaddaBoom: about Verity?
whocares: no fa---

Sean paused and backspaced a few letters.

whocares: no Marco, she told me about the toothfairy
whocares: yes she told me
whocares: she's coming home
BaddaBoom: when?
whocares: iunno, she didn't tell me
BaddaBoom: urgh…
whocares: dude, i'm in Simpson's class, really should be paying attention

"That's right Mr Cameron."

Sean turned around and saw Mr.Simpson standing over him, he leaned down, "I'm glad Ellie's coming home, but please pay attention in my class," he whispered and stood back up and straight and continued with the lecture.

whocares: speak of the devil…
BaddaBoom: sorry

Sean turned his attention back the front of the class where he found Mr. Simpson rambling on in his lecture. Sean struggled to stay awake, but the only thing that seemed to keep his eyes from closing was the screen in front of him.

Iridehard: hey babii

Sean sighed.

whocares: hi Amy
Iridehard: wat r u doin' 2nite?
whocares: I have plans
Iridehard: w/ Jay n Lex?
whocares: no
Iridehard: oh…well do u wanna do sumthing this weekend?
whocares: iunno
Iridehard: u sure? I can think of tons of things I wanna do 2 ---

Sean closed out the box with a groan. Emma leaned over in her seat, "what was that about?" Emma asked. Sean looked over the blonde and sighed heavily.

"Amy…" he said unhappily.

Emma chuckled, "doesn't seem to take hints well does she?"

Sean laughed a bit, "I guess not," he said, "what are you doing this weekend?"

"probably babysitting Jack, but if I'm lucky I'm sure I can get out of it, why?"

" Ellie's coming home, I don't know when, but I'm thinking of throwing her a party at my place, I could use some.."

" help?" she asked.

Sean nodded, blushing a bit, "yea, Tracker will probably want to see her, too, so…"

"do you think she'll mind me being there?"

Sean shrugged, "she shouldn't, I mean, what would it matter, you're my friend and I'm inviting you." Emma smiled. Sean turned away and looked back at his computer screen.

Iridehard: u
Iridehard: I wanna hook back up wit u
Iridehard: sean I miss us
Iridehard: sean?
Iridehard: sean r u there?
Iridehard: SEAN!
Iridehard: w/e
Iridehard: bye
Iridehard: k back
Iridehard: Sean?
Iridehard: look, I wanna say sorry 4 all the shit lately
Iridehard: I really care ab u
Iridehard: I think we should get back 2gether
Iridehard: Sean?
Iridehard: w/e

Sean groaned, and slammed his head down on the table. Amy was driving him nuts. She was cool when they first started hanging out. Gave him all her attention, compared to Emma's coldness before they broke up it was great having someone who gave herself right to him. Emma was always prude and frigid. He remembered seeing Ashley and Craig the same way. But at least Emma would let him touch her. Amy? She would get frustrated if he DIDN'T and then slowly she began moving on to other guys, it wasn't like they were exclusive or anything. Actually they weren't much of anything at all. Amy was just in it for … Well it's Amy, she's always in it for the sex. Granted if you were ever sexually frustrated Amy was there to make it better.

Sean laughed to himself for a moment.

"Something funny you'd like to share with the class, Sean?" Mr.Simpson asked.

"No sir," Sean answered.

"Great, then would you like to explain the tag used when uploading a picture to a site using HTML?"

Sean rolled his eyes and walked up to the white board and wrote out the tag while explaining it to the class. This was obviously going to be a long day, and he couldn't wait to get home. He couldn't wait for Ellie to come home. He could only hope that she wanted to be with him when she did.

-X-

Tracker walked into the shack of a house he rented and threw his bag on the floor and loosened his tie. He hated the nine to five job. He hated wearing a tie. But it brought in the money, and it put food on the table, and it was stability that he and Sean both needed. He walked into the kitchen as he rolled up the sleeves to his elbows and washed his hands in the sink before opening the fridge and pulling out a Tupperware container and opened it. He took a whiff, immediately making a sour face before tossing it aside into the garbage. He walked over to the phone and dialed the number he knew by heart, "Hey, yea it's me Track…large, extra cheese, peppers, mushrooms, onions…yea, two liter bottle of coke, thanks man," and hung up before walking over to the couch and collapsing on top of his little brother.

"Hey, what where you put that fat ass of yours," Sean called out tiredly from beneath Tracker. Tracker laughed, and eased himself onto the other half of the couch and reached around between the seat cushions for the remote. Sean handed over the remote and immediately placed his head on the arm of the couch and closed his eyes as Tracker flipped on the television. "Ellie's coming home."

Tracker turned to his brother, wondering to himself if it was a good thing or a bad thing. He sighed for a moment and turned back to the television screen, "when?"

"this weekend, we're throwing a party…" he adjusted himself on the couch.

"does she know?" Tracker asked, "better yet, does her mother know?"

" I don't think her mother cares," Sean answered in a half-assed tone. Tracker rolled his eyes, though he didn't care much for the way Ellie's mother treated her, or treated herself, he had no room to judge, especially with parents like his and Sean's. "So what's for dinner?"

Sean sat up and stretched, kicking his legs out and resting them on the coffee table. Tracker rolled his eyes and laughed, "Josh's pizza, extra cheese, peppers, mushrooms, onions." Sean smirked as he tried hard to open his eyes, " no sausage or pepperoni?"

"Man I'm sorry about that, last time," Tracker apologized.

"It's okay man, you could have gotten chicken"

"You know when most people go vegetarian it's all meat," Tracker argued.

"Well last time I checked Aunt Fran and Uncle Tom only slaughter cows…"

Tracker rolled his eyes, "so you're sympathizing with just the steer, are we?"

Sean glared, "chickens are stupid anyways."

Tracker snorted and turned his attention back to the television, and watched as Caitlin Ryan's face danced across the screen, "I'm reporting to you live outside the psychiatric wing of Oakland General Hospital. Part of the psychiatric rehabilitation program entitles Oakland to work in a symbiosis relationship with Lake View Hospital. But after an tragic incident at Lake View, Oakland General is starting to refer patients to Riverdale Psychiatric Hospital, and various other units across the city. This is causing a great over population within each of these facilities. Lake View isn't closed however, and is in the middle of undergoing a law suit after the tragic death of one of it's patients. Lake View is a highly revered facility that encourages patients to express themselves and gives patients a wide variety of freedoms. Lake View has had a high success rate but is also one of the most expensive mental rehab clinics in the area. The possibly closure of such a facility can affect those with mental health issues and the surrounding hospitals with similar relationships with psychiatric facilities. This has been Caitlin Ryan, signing off from Oakland General." Tracker turned to his brother.

"Isn't that where Ellie's at?' he asked.

Sean nodded, "Verity, her roommate committed suicide, her doctor's want to send her home because of it…"

Tracker hung his head, "how is she?"

Sean adjusted his position on the couch, "she d-mailed me at school, she said she needs me more than ever."

"and what do you plan on doing?"

"anything I can…" Sean focused on the television, " I mean what else am I supposed to do?"

"there isn't anything else really," Tracker answered, "You know Ellie has to get over this on her own, but all the support she can get will make it easier for her."

" yea…I know"

Sean sat up straight as the door shook with the pounding of a knock.

"pizza's here," Tracker said standing up and digging around in his pockets for some cash to pay the delivery guy.

-X-

Ellie stood in the corner next to Jerzy. Orion's going away party seemed like such a drab with all the recent events going on. Granted Ellie was happy she was going home in a matter of a few days, but how could she enjoy a party when she should be at a wake. Jerzy wasn't in much better shape, the law suit was going through the courts in a matter of a few months, and with the lack of funding now being pushed into the hospital he was being moved to Riverdale Clinic. He wasn't happy. He sulked in the corner most of the evening, Ellie clinging to him like a life raft.

"Hi milady" Orion said, "mind if I steal thee away for a moment or so?"

Ellie looked at Jerzy who nodded, letting her know that he'd be fine in her absence. Ellie walked with Orion away from the party, that wasn't much of a party to begin with, towards the music room. "So…" Ellie said as she shuffled her feet, and swinging her arms towards the drum kit and picked up a pair of sticks.

"So…" Orion repeated stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Ellie began a slow beat with the bass pedal. It was low and soft, almost nervous, just like she was at that moment, not quite sure if she wanted to hear what Orion wanted to propose or not. She tapped one of the sticks against the snare and rapped a few times against the skin of the drum. "what…did you…want…?" Ellie said, as if using the beat she was creating to put rhythm into her speech.

" I'm leaving tomorrow, and you're going home soon after, and I was hoping…" Orion was getting distracted by the drum beat, "can you not play please?" he asked. Ellie shook her head. As retaliation Orion plugged in with a guitar and began playing chords. " What's going to happen to us?" he cried out over the sound of the guitar melting with the drum beat.

" I dunno," Ellie said sweetly as she picked up a pace, " I just…want to be… taken care of."

" I can do that," Orion said softly, and then belted out, "Please let me be the one to do that."

Ellie looked up, " I just want…You can't be the one…" and began humming the tune that Orion was playing on the guitar.

" Why can't I be the one?" he sang out.

"Because I can't love you" she sang back, it sounded horrible, Ellie knew she was never much of a singer, " I can't love you the way you want me to."

Orion strummed another chord, " can't you try?"

" why are you doing this?" she sang out, "why are you being…so selfish"

Orion nearly threw down the guitar and the room resounded the sound of feedback, "Selfish?" he asked angrily, " you think I'm doing this for myself?"

Ellie stopped playing, " you can't respect me enough to give up, you're going to hurt me more if you keep doing this."

"doing what?" he asked, "loving you? Being your friend, being there for you?"

" I don't want you to love me."

"Well too bad, " he said, "because I do, and I know you think you're going to get hurt, but you hurt me everytime you turn me down."

" I love Sean."

" and where the hell is he Ellie?" Orion said, raising his voice, " he came to visit you once, god, I'd be here everyday if you were my girl."

" you don't know him, you have no right to judge him like that"

"you keep saying that, we've danced around this subject too many times that it's going to explode to a point where one of us will be proven wrong."

Orion and Ellie were dangerously close when Ellie stood up and pushed Orion back. He stumbled, "I don't care if I end up being wrong, I know what I feel now, and I'm not in love with you."

"No but you have no problem kissing me."

Ellie turned away. Orion stepped up behind her and gently rubbed her arms, "this is a mistake, all of it."

"you're supposed to learn from mistakes, so you don't repeat them," Orion stated nuzzling her hair before spinning her around, "if this was a mistake it wouldn't keep happening."

Ellie bit her lip and swallowed as she looked up into his eyes, she reached up and gently pulled the dark rimmed glasses off his face before smashing her lips against his. Ellie mentally cursed herself. It was purely physical attraction and it was a mistake, no matter what Orion said. Ellie pulled away, " I hate myself," she said before walking out the door of the music room and back to the party.

Orion was left standing alone in the room, "but we make such beautiful music together, milady" he said to the empty room.

-X-

Ellie stood as far away from the group of people hugging Orion goodbye as she could. She was putting distance between the two of them, because knew it was just going to cause more problems than fix them. Max slunk up behind her and gently massaged her shoulders, his fingers pushing through the fingerless gloves he wore as they blended in with the black of her long sleeved shirt. "You okay?" he asked, Ellie turned her head, she glared, her eyes obviously a blend of puff and tears, a sign that'd she'd been crying.

"I hate him" Ellie said before burying her head in his shoulder, not crying, but not caring to look as Orion walked through the doors, his grandfather leading him out with a loving hand on his shoulder.

"You don't him," Max said, noticing how she was forcing herself not to watch has Orion walked through the doors.

"Right now I do." Ellie turned and began to walk towards her room. Just as she turned out of the lobby Orion came rushing back inside and raced towards the redhead. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, immediately pressing his lips to hers. She melted into him as the whoops and whistles of the their friends surrounded them. Tears stung her eyes as she pushed him away and slapped him across the face before trying to rush off, he grabbed her arm again and pulled her close, holding her tightly as he whispered in her ear, "call me when you get home, let me know you're okay," he said and slipped a thick envelop into her hand before kissing her on the cheek and walking back to the opening doors. Max rushed to her side as she turned towards her room once again, and began to silently wipe the tears from her eyes before they could fall. She sat down on her bed and leaned against Max who crawled onto the bed with her. She slowly opened the envelope, and out fell the sketches, out fell a letter, and out fell a page from his journal, a page he'd written about her…

I met this girl today.
She has red hair

Ellie laughed as she read it.

She wants to make movies
And she is very neat and tidy
She makes me like it here, she makes me want to get better.

Ellie smiled, she looked over the sketches and smiled, and then read the letter. She bit her lip and sided…

Dear Ellie,

I'm sorry…I'm sorry for all the hell I've put you through these past few weeks. I'm sorry for caring about you, when you cared for someone else. I'm sorry for continuing to try when you gave up. I'm sorry in general for anything I may have done with out knowing I'd done anything wrong. You're amazing, I hope you know that; because I don't know anyone that would continue to study hard like you did, or continue to do projects for a job you're not at, all while trying to overcome your own inner demons that only you could possibly know about and understand.

I want to thank you for being my friend.
I want to thank you for being beautiful enough to look at.
I want to thank you for letting me draw you.
I want to thank you for blushing.
I want to thank you for being you.
I want to thank you for not pushing me so far away that I couldn't come back to you.
I want to thank you for giving me the time of day.


I don't know anyone else like you, milady. You're one of a kind and someone I'll never forget. Don't hate me for caring about you. Please don't hate me for kissing you, and dear Ellie, please don't hate me for wanting you the way I do, because any man, woman, and child who doesn't, and says they couldn't and can't love you is a fool.

Please don't leave me behind…I know you'll never love me like you love Sean. I know that I pale in comparison to someone who already has/has had your heart. I am just a spec of dust in the wind, while Sean is a rose in your hand, who despite the thorns that make you bleed you hold on tighter. I'd give nothing more than to be the glove upon the hand that touches your cheek, but I'll have to settle for the hand your reach for when you need a kind word from a friend. Please call me when you arrive safely up on your doorstep milady, so that I know you're safe. I'll be your knight in shining armor from far away.

Always,

Orion

Ellie was still biting her lip when she finished the letter, only this time she tasted blood as her lips parted, and she licked them. She'd bit her lip. She sucked gently until her lips stopped bleeding and sighed. "he's gone," she said simply. Max nodded as he smiled at the sketches that laid spread upon the bed.

Jerzy knocked on the door, "hey El-belle" he said walking in, "you okay?"

Ellie smiled, "I'm fine…I think I'm gunna start packing though…"

The boys smiled and each offered her a hand so that she could rise to stand on her bed. She jumped down and began to pull her things off the walls, and clothes from her dresser. If she wanted to, she could start counting down her departure in hours…thirty-six hours and she'd be in a car. Thirty-eight hours and she'd be home. Thirty-eight hours and twenty minutes she'd be with Sean.

-X-

"Okay, so everyone knows the plan?" Sean asked. He looked around his and Tracker's shack of an apartment. All familiar faces, though he wasn't completely happy with the guest list, he, Ashley, and Marco had compiled.

"Jimmy wants to come," Ashley said making a list, "so that means Hazel too."

Sean groaned, though, him and Jimmy had gotten along fairly well since the Saturday detention they'd all spent together, but not enough that he could handle more than three hours of Saturday detention with the boy. "he cares about Ellie, too…"Ashley backlashed to his groan.

"Dylan…"Marco piped up, "and Paige, which means Spinner is coming."

"well Jay's coming with Alex and Towerz."

Marco rolled his eyes, "homophobes…"

Sean rolled his eyes, "look, they're just as much friends with Ellie as you two are."

"Fine," Marco said.

"So who do we have on the list?" Sean asked.

"Us, Jimmy, Hazel, Paige, Spinner, Dylan, Jay, Alex, Towerz, Emma, Mark, Craig…" Ashley rambled off.

"don't' forget Manny," Marco said, "they're back together…"

"Don't remind me," Ashley said.

"Well don't worry, I'm sure Craig won't come near those golden fists of yours," Sean joked.

Ashley laughed, "Manny," she said disdainfully," Tracker, anyone else?"

"Orion…"Marco said quietly.

"who?" Ashley asked.

"Orion, Ellie said he was leaving in a few days, that means he could be out in time for her party."

"I dunno how to reach him," Ashley said.

"I do…Max gave me his email, I can ask him." Marco answered.

It was then that they noticed Sean's plain face and quietness at the idea of invited Orion to the party. "Are you okay with that Sean?"

" with what?" he responded.

" look, Sean's not okay with it, let's just drop that…" Ashley said.

" No…no, it's fine, he can come if he wants." Sean said blandly.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late." Emma said walking into the Dot and sliding into the booth.

Everyone smiled, "I'm fine with it," Sean repeated.

"So what do I get to work on?" Emma asked.

"Well I've got music," Ash said as she slid the invitation list to Marco.

"And I guess I'm handling sending out the e-vites to everyone," Marco answered.

"I'm handling the decorations and making sure there's enough room."

"so…that leaves?...food?" Emma asked, " I mean if no one else wants it."

"yea, that's fine," Sean said, not really paying attention. His mind was stewing in the idea of seeing Orion again. At that point all he heard from everyone else was: "blah blah blah"

"hey Sean, what does Ellie like to eat?" Emma asked.

"Huh?" his attention perked up at the sound of his name, "Ellie, she does eat right?"

" she likes guacamole dip, I can make it…but um, just go party food with everything Em, we'll grill up some burgers and barbeque some chicken or something…"

" should I get some veggie burgers and tofu dogs or something?"

Sean laughed, "sure, Em, but don't over do it, not everyone likes their vegetables as much as you."

Sean's eyes looked around the room, in the corner stood Orion, looking distinctly out of place but found a niche with Ashley and Marco, who stood with Mark and Dylan. Paige, Spinner, Jimmy, and Hazel all congregated in the middle, Tracker was out front watching over the grilling food, while Emma, Manny, and Craig stood in the corner opposite that of where Ashley stood. Jay, Towerz, and Alex all lingered near Sean. "When I get back with Ellie...are we like yelling surprise? Or …what?" Sean asked.

"I …er…dunno, I mean what do you tell to someone who's just got out of a mental clinic?" Ashley asked.

"how about…SURPRISE?" Ellie shouted, walking through the door.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys. I've been working my ass off with school, and especially with trying to find the time to work on this. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'll try to get more up ASAP, I promise! Also, I'm trying move it along, but not too fast, I hope you guys don't mind...