"Joe's stuff is kind of…gone…well most of it…" Nick said a bit shakily as he entered the kitchen, his mother looked at him then looked at Mr. Jonas, and both began to slowly go back to what they were doing. Paul was reading the newspaper, and Denise was cooking French toast.

"Wait…French toast…organic milk…sliced mango's with sprinkles of sugar, who died!" Nick demanded, hoping nothing was the matter and he was just overreacting.

"No one died." Kevin mumbled almost coldly. Nick looked over the table, furrowing his brow at his eldest brother in confusion.

"Okay, then why is everyone so quiet, and why is there 'someone died' breakfast food on the table, and why…is Joe's stuff all pretty much gone?"

"Joe took a leave of absence…" Paul said calmly, still looking over the paper.

"He moved out, gone, how is that for an explanation, he's abandoned us!" Kevin stood abruptly from the table and left the kitchen.

"He's gone?" Nick sulked in his chair and began to just eat food.

"Don't worry, dear, he promised to visit often." Denise smiled reassuringly, now feeling somewhat guilty for allowing her son to move out.

--

"Hello?" Joe rubbed his eyes as he answered his cell phone off his new apartment side table.

"Joe…"

"Nichole?"

"It's Kevin…"

"What about him…"

"He…uh…kind of…left."

"Where?"

"To find you…"

"Good luck." Joe sighed bitterly.

"Right, why do I bother with you anymore?" She hung up the phone leaving Joe to his own thoughts as he tried to lie back down and fall back asleep.

--two days later--

The front door sounded as someone rang the bell, Nick got up from the couch to answer it and almost fainted when he saw his brother.

"Joe!" He gasped, Joe felt a bit awkward.

"Hey…Nick-o…" He was winded as Nick jumped onto Joe in a tight embrace.

"Joe, Kevin was looking for you, and I was worried you would never come back…"

Joe furrowed his brow, what did he mean never come back? I moved two days ago…"Uh, I'm sorry kiddo, I didn't mean to…"

"Well, you are back do that's good." Nick smiled as he dragged Joe inside and sat him down on the couch next to him. "So, video games?"

"Sure…"

They played for a good hour or so, when the front door opened, revealing Kevin and Frankie.

"JOE!" Frankie yelled happily. This drug both boys on the couch out of their state of game mode and just in time too. Frankie jumped on the couch and began to scurry to hug Joe who was looking away from Kevin's emotionless gaze.

"Joey I missed you, where'd you go, did you get abducted my aliens?" Frankie rushed and Joe let out a small chuckle at the little boys sense of imagination to situations such as Joe moving.

"Yeah, don't worry though, the extra terrestrials keep me well fed and stuff." Joe grinned.

"COOL!" Frankie's bug eyes cause everyone to smile slightly. "I WANNA MEET THEN! CAN I CAN I?"

"Maybe someday." Joe laughed, ruffling his hair as Kevin moved past the couch and upstairs.

"Hey Frankster, why don't you go help yourself to the mango's in the fridge?" Nick said as he watched Kevin walk away, Frankie frowned but then left anyway leaving Nick to give Joe a sympathetic look.

"So…you moved out…"Nick said after a moment. Joe didn't say anything, his eys locked on a random spot on the floor. "Joe, did we do something wrong?"

"No…no Nick, you guys did nothing wrong, I just needed to get a personal space…" He trailed off with a sigh.

"Kevin misses you, we all do."

"I've been gone two days…"

"And it sucks…you arn;t dropping the band are you?" Nick began, Joe shook his head.

"No, of course not, I love this band…"

"So…um…can we see your place sometime?"

"Yeah…its not that far from here, only like four miles…" Joe smiled slightly, his eyes looking distant.

"Joe, what's wrong…really."

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me Joeseph." Nick sighed.

"It's nothing I can talk about…"

"You need to at least apologize to Kevin…he's been missing you…and he's been depressed." Nick frowned.

"He has?" Joe looked up, his heart sinking a bit. He didn't mean to cause Kevin grief at all.

"Yeah…but I think you need to at least let him know it's not his fault you moved out." Nick said slowly, as if choosing his words. Joe furrowed his brow, honestly? He couldn't tell Kevin that…he would be lying.

"I can't do that."

"Why the hell not?" Nick gave Joe an angry look.

Joe hung his head. "Nick…"

"Hey, Nick, I'm going bowling…" Kevin said as he entered the living room again, and then disappeared from the house. Joe's eyes lingered at the front door as Kevin has addressed Nick and not himself…this was not going well.