Author's Note: First I want to say thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far. Secondly, I know I'm about to lose some readers but this is NOT a Tommy/Kim fic. I will NEVER write them as a couple because there are far too many fics about them out there already and plenty of people who keep writing for them. Besides, I don't want to get in the middle of that whole did she or didn't she send the letter debate. That being said, this isn't going to be a Kat/Tommy fic either though most of the stories I write will be about them. I just decided to try something different with this story so if there are any Tommy fans out there who are tired of the whole Kim or Kat debate maybe you'll appreciate this story.

Tommy woke up to the sound of his phone ringing and yawned as he turned over to turn on the light before grabbing the phone to answer it.

"Hello?" he said in a groggily tone.

"Do you know what time it is?" a voice asked him from the other end.

"Haley?" he said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"Tommy you were supposed to be here an hour ago, do you want to blow our whole presentation," she said slightly annoyed.

"Oh no, Haley I'll be right there, I totally forgot," he said sitting up and throwing the covers on the floor.

"You have twenty minutes, don't make me regret choosing you as my partner," Haley said as she hung up the phone.

"Late again, huh," his roommate Ben commented as Tommy rushed to get dressed. "I still don't understand how you managed to get into the grad program, knowing you; you'd probably forget to send in the admission forms."

"That's why I had Haley send them for me," Tommy said with a grin as he continued to rush.

Minutes later, Tommy was in his jeep and headed for the college campus. He pulled into the parking lot of the Science building and grabbed his backpack and ran down the sidewalk.

"Hey!" a voice screamed as Tommy ran into her and knocking them both to the ground.

"Sorry, I didn't see you," Tommy said as he got up.

"Maybe you should try watching where you're going," she said as he extended his hand to help her up.

"Again I'm sorry but I'm running late," Tommy said and was immediately struck by her beauty. She had long raven colored hair that came just past her shoulders and brown eyes like his own and matched his height perfectly.

"No harm done, I guess, unless you count the fact that all of my things are now scattered all over the ground," she said as she began to pick them up.

"Normally, I would be a gentleman and help you but like I said I'm late enough as it is," Tommy replied as he started to walk away.

"Don't worry about it, I'm a big girl, I'm sure I can handle it," she called after him.

"It's about time you got here, your five minutes late," Haley remarked as Tommy entered the classroom and sat down next to her.

"It wasn't for a lack of trying, I almost killed some poor girl outside, I couldn't even stay and help her pick up her things," Tommy told her.

"You did at least apologize didn't you?" Haley asked him.

"Of course, I'm not that big of a jerk, she was beautiful and I didn't even stay long enough get her name," Tommy told her.

"Tommy's got a crush," Haley teased. Tommy was about the reply but stopped as their professor stood in front of them.

"Haley, now that Mr. Oliver had decided to grace us with his presence, are you ready to make your presentation," their professor said interrupting the conversation.

"Yes, sir," Haley told him.

"Ok, so you have to admit, despite my oversleeping and almost ruining things, we did a pretty awesome job in there," Tommy said a few hours later as he walked with Haley to the parking lot.

"I was pleasantly surprised, you were more prepared than I thought you would be," Haley told him.

"Oh come on Haley, I'm not that same undergraduate student who came to you for tutoring, I have grown up just a little," Tommy joked.

"Well excuse me, I forgot you were this hot shot grad student, forgive me if I don't bow down to your excellence," Haley said mocking him.

"So what do you say we go for a bite to eat and celebrate?" Tommy asked her.

"Sorry I can't, my new roommate is moving in today and I want to be there to greet her," Haley told him.

"I didn't know you were getting a new roommate," he remarked.

"Well I wasn't supposed to be but she's a transfer student and since Amy left I have an extra room and I can't afford the rent by myself," Haley explained.

"Ok, well I guess I'll see you later," Tommy said as he headed for his car.

The next morning, Tommy woke up a few hours early and decided to stop in the campus coffee shop before heading to his classes. He got in line and saw something familiar about the person standing in front to him. Why do I feel like I know her?

"Her order's on me," Tommy spoke up as he handed his debit card to the cashier. "It's the least I can do," he said recognizing her as the girl he'd knocked over the day before.

"Oh right, you're the guy who tackled me yesterday," she said turning around.

"Yeah, I still feel really bad about that," he told her.

"Well then make it up to me, order some coffee and then join me," she said walking off to a nearby table. Tommy watched her walk away in disbelief at their chance meeting.

"Thanks, for letting me join you," Tommy said as he sat down across from her.

"The place is packed, you'd never get a table otherwise, besides I didn't want end up sharing a table with some stranger," she said laughing at her last statement.

"I guess we haven't really been properly introduced," Tommy said joining her laughter.

"I'm Nicole Hunter but you can call me Nikki," she said reaching out her hand.

"Thomas Oliver also known as Tommy," he said as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, are you a student here," she replied.

"Yeah, a grad student studying paleontology," he told her.

"Same here, only I'm not studying paleontology, I'm in the graduate program for Business and Mathematics," she explained.

"Double major, that sounds like quite a heavy load," Tommy commented.

"It's really not that bad, either way I'll have tons of prospects for jobs once I'm done," she replied.

"I got an offer to go on some digs after I graduated but a bigger company said they'd hire me if I got my masters so that's what I'm doing," Tommy told her.

"Oh no, I forgot I've got an appointment to get to, looks like I'm the one who's going to be running out this time," she said as she got up and quickly gathered her things.

"Well, it was really nice to meet you Nikki maybe we'll see each other again sometime," Tommy told her.

"Maybe we will, it was nice meeting you Thomas," she said as she left. At least I got her name this time. Tommy thought as he watched her leave.