Wow, I'm kind of eager aren't I? You already get another chapter. Lucky people. Fair warning: this is extremely slow. I have a clear ending for this story and a whole saga of events that will unfold, but I am figuring out how to get there – which is kind of a challenge. Wow – that's writing, isn't it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy these little chapters before we get to the good stuff.

Ok, proceed x

By the time Jess came out of her room, the apartment was quiet and the sun was streaming through the few windows.

"Guys?"

Suddenly, she was caught off guard by an overwhelming embrace from none other than Schmidt.

"Long distance. Can work," he whispered as he tightened the hug.

"Subtle Schmidt. Insanely, subtle," Winston said from the couch.

"Douchebag jar," Nick called over his shoulder from the kitchen.

Schmidt tried to reverse the hug with an effort that was extremely over compensating.

Jess, recovering from the unnecessary greeting she had been subject to, retaliated, "I'm fine, guys. Really! I'm great. I had time to think it over –"

Schmidt looked Jess up and down, observing that she was still in her robe and she looked more frazzled than ever.

"Not enough time for a fashion choice though –"

Nick whacked Schmidt over the back of the head in response to his superficial comment.

He felt like he needed to say something after their confrontation earlier that morning.

"Jess. We're here for ya. We always have been, okay? This whole thing with Ryan, it's going to blow over and he'll be back in no time. Cause he'll realize he can't live without you," Nick said maybe too confidently.

Winston raised an eyebrow, alluding to Nick that his approach might have been too affectionate.

"How poetic Nicholas," Schmidt said.

Jess still had remained silent, and starting fiddling with her robe.

Winston decided to break the awkward exchange.

"Schmidt and I have to – uh – we have to go have relations."

Nick saw an opportunity for comedy and couldn't let it pass. "I always knew you too would end up together. Congrats, buddy."

This managed to earn a giggle from Jess, which resulted in a smile in her direction from Nick.

Schmidt, not catching on, replied, "Winston, is there something you need to come clean about? We are living in very open and liberal times right now. Yes, the great Mitt Romney is not at the helm so you are very lucky to be able to express this thing you are feeling. Go ahead, man."

Winston stood up from the couch in frustration. "I meant relations with the opposite sex - other people."

Schmidt said, "Speak for yourself brother, I'm doing just fine. Ask Cecelia."

With this, Winston grabbed Schmidt's arm and dragged him down the hall.

"I'm creating – a diversion – so Nick and Jess – can TALK," Winston hissed through gritted teeth.

Nick and Jess watched them leave until they were left alone.

Nick was the first one to speak, "Wow. What a – uh – exit."

Jess nodded, "Extremely suave. Flawlessly conducted really."

Suddenly they both found words to say at the same time.

"Abou-," Jess started.

"So this mor-," Nick attempted.

Nick walked towards Jess. "Ladies first, right?"

Jess exclaimed, "Nick, what I said about living here with you and the guys….I didn't mean that I would rather live with Ryan. And I know, I know that's what it sounded like, but you know that this is home for me."

Nick nodded and cleared his throat, "Great. Great. Well, by the way, what I said about Ryan not being able to live without you – I was role-playing Ryan. You know, like that's what he would say if he realized that."

Nick shifted into a poor, cockney British accent, "Good day, Jessica, I bloody can't live without you. Like fish and chips and the gov'na. Well, that's that. Cheerios!"

Jess laughed, "Cheerio, you mean."

Nick nodded confidently, "Yeah, like the cereal, I'm not stupid. Plural or singular it's the same difference!"

Jess decided to let him believe the origin of the British expression.

"I just wanted to clarify that you didn't think it was – it was me, saying that."

Jess shook her head. "Why would I think that, Miller? We're friends, remember? Like the friends we were before we had that mind-blowingly awesome sex!"

Nick raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mind-blowingly awesome, uh? Wow, I should have that put in an ad. Vote Nick Miller, for mind-blowingly –"

Jess cut him off, "Okay, calm down. The benefits are no longer in effect."

They both laughed.

"See, look at that. You're not even thinking about Ryan!" Nick said.

Jess's face immediately sunk and so did Nick's expression as a result.

Unexpectedly, she managed to resurrect her smile. She couldn't let Nick think that he was at fault again for bringing her down, not when he had been trying so hard to cheer her up. She surrendered to his undeniable efforts.

"Yeah, I'm not."

Nick felt a sense of victory that he was told to suppress; yet he couldn't.

Sorry if I'm relying heavily on dialogue right now as opposed to action, I promise I will get there soon. Also…I'm not sure if I will be writing Coach into this story, I don't know if I actually feel like writing him in – sorry! Besides that, please leave a review and tell me if you hate everything or if you can't live without more – that was an exaggeration but you get my point.

Thanks