So I hope everybody enjoyed chapter 1. I realize that the first chapter didn't have a Jay part, I intend to fix that in this chapter, lol. In this chapter, we'll see the school's reaction to Devon's death, and, as promised, the kids get their Monsters back, or, in the case of Nick and Elijah, get their new ones. I intend for this chapter to be a tiny bit shorter than chapter 1, just so I can post sooner, and so y'all don't have to wait too long for it. Also, yes, we'll finally meet the mysterious Lucinda. Anyway, enjoy!! I own nothing of course, except any original characters you meet. Everything else belongs to Nick Kroll and/or Netflix. Lucky them.

Chapter 2

Jay's POV:

The whole school buzzed with the news of Devon's death. As Jay passed the hallways he noticed students huddled in crowds by lockers, whispering in hushed voices, some crying softly.

Seeing his fellow students mourning Devon, he couldn't help but wonder if they would feel the same way if HE had died instead. Jay was widely known as the school weirdo, the freak, the outcast. A pervert, a creep, a sex-crazed maniac. Usually to know a Bilzerian was to hate them, and Jay was no exception: his dad, Guy, was a money-hungry attorney, involved in pretty much every shady deal that went down in town. His brothers were well-known criminals in their own right: shoplifting, graffiti, arson, carjacking. And while Jay was only 13, he had his own share of criminal activities: voyeurism, disturbing the peace, public urination AND masturbation, underage drinking, driving without a license...

Basically the entire Bilzerian family was known and hated. The only friends Jay had were Nick, Jessi and Andrew, and even THEY only hung out with Jay as a last resort. Until just barely a week ago Jay had been happy. He had had Matthew, who he had gone to great lengths to please: private snogging time in Jay's pants car (which had been destroyed after the last make-out session), introducing him to his family (which hadn't gone well), and even attempting to clean up his image and behavior, become a better person, become, well, like Matthew.

But it hadn't worked. Last week, Matthew had unceremoniously broken up with him, with no explanation.

Just then one of the TV's on the wall in the hallway blared on, and Matthew himself appeared onscreen, with one of his regular broadcasts. But today he had something special to say.

"Matthew here with a special dedication. We are all shocked and saddened by the passing of Devon. I didn't know him too well, but I share your loss, your grief. Let us all take a moment of silence, a moment from schoolwork, to remember Devon. A guy who made us laugh, helped us up when we were down, stood up for us, stood by us, taught us to love ourselves and be true to ourselves. It seems like only yesterday we saw him at our school sleepover, or attended his wedding in our friends backyard. Let us all hang out heads in silence for just a moment. "

All the students in the hall except Jay bowed their heads, and he heard a few of them praying softly. But Jay kept his eyes on the screen, on the young man who had broken HIS heart, left HIM feeling HE was dead, at times WISHING he was. 'I have no one now', he thought. 'I have to talk to him. I just KNOW I can make this right.' If there was one thing Jay, as a Bilzerian knew, grieving people were the horniest. His dad had boned plenty of grieving widows at funerals. Perhaps, if he tried to woo Matthew now, when he was sad...

Jay waited by the door to Matthews studio room, and when Matthew ended his broadcast and opened the door, Jay instantly rounded on him.

"Matthew!!" They hadn't spoken since their breakup, and Matthew looked honestly surprised to see Jay standing in front of him now, speaking to him.

"Matthew, look, I understand why you felt like you had to break up with me, you felt like you were changing me. But Matthew, babe, I WANTED to change!! I mean, I want to leave the Bilzerian name behind. I want to be Jay MACDELL. I mean, your brothers and sister are way nicer than mine, they probably wouldn't mess with my magic stuff, like glue my cards together with jizz, or stick my wands in the toilet, or..."

Matthew held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, Jay. Hold on, what are you doing?!! Look, I like you, I still DO, but it's like I said, we can't be together."

Jay yelled in aggravation. Several students turned to look at him. "But why NOT, just give me. ONE. GOOD. REASON!!!!"

Matthew sighed. "Ok, you want the truth? It's because,even if you tried to change, Jay, eventually you'd relapse. Remember our date night at your house, with the pillow thing? Try as you might, even when you started using a brush or a can opener- that's how it's pronounced, by the way - I could still see the old Jay in there. The truth is you'll ALWAYS be you. A wolf will always be a wolf, and if he tries to swim with the swans, eventually he'll drown. And I can't stand by and watch you drown, especially when I'm struggling to stay afloat myself. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to get to class, and after school I have to go buy a gift for my sister's birthday party tomorrow. Now goodbye."

Without a further word or look at Jay, Matthew turned and walked away. For several minutes Jay stood in the hall, as the rest of the students walked off to class. Soon he stood all alone in the empty hall, wishing the ground would swallow him up. Suddenly he remembered what Matthew had said about the pillows: Brad and Suzette.

'Perhaps when I get home, if I apologize, they'll come back to me. Or perhaps I can magic them back. I must have them back, I know THEY won't hurt me, like the rest of the world.'

Devin's POV:

When Devin had first heard the news about Devon, she had felt like she hadn't heard right, there must have been some mistake. Perhaps an April Fool's joke, despite it only being mid-March. She had tried calling Devon before school but had gotten no answer, but surely that didn't mean anything.

'He probably forgot to charge his phone before bed again', she thought. 'He'll show up at school and explain.'

When he didn't show up she'd tried calling his phone several more times, thinking maybe he'd overslept or missed the bus. Surely if he had, his uncle or aunt, who he lived with, would bring him.

When the counselor had announced the news, she immediately called his uncle's number, thinking for sure it was a mistake. 'Its not true, it's not true', she had thought.

She heard the phone ring once, twice. On the third ring Devon's uncle picked up. "Hello?"

"Yes. Hello. This is Devin, Devon's wi-friend. I just heard at school that he... that he's... it's, it's not true. Is it?"

She heard silence on the other end for a moment. A LONG moment, it felt like forever. Finally she heard the man say, "It was early this morning. He was taken to the hospital last night. Doctors think it was the arthritis treatments. It hindered his immune system. Wasn't the first time in our family. My grandpa, he had the same problem. We try to treat the arthritis early on, but eventually it gets you."

Devin felt as if she was literally sinking into the bleacher seat she sat on. Everything seemed to vanish around her: the gymnasium room appeared to shrink, close in on her, the other kids sitting next to her vanished, the lights seemed to be going out...

The counselor and Devon's uncle on the phone both continued talking, but she didn't hear, couldn't focus on anything. She realized she hadn't taken a breath in minutes, and finally let it out. Everything snapped back into focus as the counselor finished his speech.

"I must insist everyone go to class. I know this is hard, but we must carry on our day as we normally would. We will have a memorial for Devon later today or tomorrow. Students can of course leave flowers or gifts by his locker. "

As the counselor walked off, the students on the bleacher started to rise, almost all of them whispering to each other, some crying. But Devin sat there, her shock rooting her to the spot. She might have sat there forever had not the loud, masculine voice of Lola Skumpy snapped her out of it.

"Like, Earth to Devin!! Are you there?", she asked, waving her hand in front of her face for good measure.

Devin turned to face her. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here. I'm sorry, I gotta ..." Without finishing she rose from the bleacher seat and ran out of the gym, ignoring Lola as she continued yelling. When she entered the hall, she saw students crowded around lockers, all talking in hushed voices. She saw some of them turn to look at her.

'Of course they're looking at me', she thought. 'The widow'. WIDOW. The word echoed in her mind. Such an ugly word. Such an ugly, miserable, frightening, LONELY word.

The screens in the hall flickered on and Matthew appeared and started talking about Devon, asking for a moment of silence to honor him, but Devin barely heard a word.

'Gone, gone. He's gone. He's gone and left me alone. I've known him since kindergarten. He was the only one who truly understood me. Now I have nothing...'

She looked around the hall again, at the students huddled in groups, whispering, some saying prayers for Devon, some with their heads down crying.

'They wouldn't do that if it was me', she thought. ' And why WOULD they? I wouldn't deserve their pity. I don't deserve it NOW. I didn't deserve HIM.'

Unable to bear it any longer, Devin turned around and ran towards the front door of the school. Miss Benitez saw Devin rush past and yelled at her, "Miss Leseven, where are you going??! Devin!! Get back here!!!" But Devin ignored her and pushed open the door and bolted out, out into the cold, overcast morning air.

Without looking back she continued running, the cold air stinging her tear-streaked face. Her house wasn't far from school. She kept running, never once looking back, not even looking left or right as she ran through the streets. A car could fucking hit her, for all she cared.

After about ten minutes she finally reached her neighborhood, and her house popped into view.

It was fancy-looking enough from the outside: Two-story, windows in every room on every floor, a wraparound porch overlooking a garden, which also held a gazebo.

When Devin stepped through the door, first thing she did was head upstairs to her sister's room to check on her. Her school was out that day. Some teacher conference or something. She knocked as softly as she could, then opened the door a crack. "Jamie?", she whispered. "Jamie, you awake?".

Her sister rolled in bed and gave a small groan, but didn't respond.

Devin sighed. Jamie was only 7, six years younger than Devin herself, but carried more sadness and stress than anybody that age should. Devin tried to carry the burden for both of them, to care for the two of them as best she could since dad died, and since mom spent most of her time in alcohol and pill-induced oblivion, but there was only so much Devin could do.

Devin turned and made her way to the bathroom, passing her mom's door on the way. Closed and locked, as usual. 'Shes probably going to sleep all day, again.'

Reaching the bathroom, she closed and locked the door, and stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. She realized that her skin was paler than usual, probably a combination of the cold weather, and her still-lingering shock. Her eyeliner had been disturbed by her tears, and had run down her cheeks, making it look like her eyes were bleeding black ink.

'Hes gone, he's dead. Devon is dead. Both men in my life are gone now. First dad. Now Devon. I have nobody now. Except Jamie, but she's only 7. I'm the one who has to care for HER. Because mom won't. Nobody will take care of ME. I'm on my own.'

She stood there, hands on the bathroom counter, her body shaking with quiet sobs, her grip on the counter edge tightening till her knuckles turned white. Finally she straightened, and, stripping off her clothes, she turned on the shower as warm as it could get without burning her skin off, and stepped in.

As long as she could remember, a hot shower had always helped her think.

And needed to think she did: she realized she had nobody to turn to now, nobody to help. Well, not true, she had Lola, but the girl was dumber than a box of rocks. She didn't have the depth to understand, not in the way an adult would. There was only one adult in Devin's life, and she'd been living in a daily drunken stupor since dad died.

In a way, Devin's lonely predicament was HER fault. She was kind of... well, kind of a BITCH. Ask anybody: Jessi. Gina. Missy. Ali. Lola. Devin made it her daily mission to make the lives of the other girls at Bridgeton miserable. But WHY? In all honesty, Devin didn't fully know WHY she felt such anger, such HATE for other girls. It wasn't THEIR fault she no longer had a dad. Not THEIR fault her mom was a mean, neglectful drunk who left it up to her 13 year old daughter to look after her other, 7 year old daughter, to look after her, cook for her, keep her out of trouble. NONE of it was THEIR fault. So why did she feel the need to terrorize the other girls?

And not just THEM: she realized she'd been horrible to Devon. Yelled at him. Used him. Was totally ungrateful for everything he did for her. She'd taken him for granted all those years, ever since they'd entered middle school. As kindergarteners, her, Devon, and Lola had been inseparable, always been the best of friends. But of course once you enter middle school and get in with the "cool kids", you start to lose sight of the more important things, like TRUE friendship, or loyalty. Her and Lola had certainly done that. Let the popularity go to their head.

But NOT Devon. Despite being seen as one of the best-looking guys, he'd always been a loyal friend to everyone, even the other guys. He was a team player, a true "bro", the guy who helped a teammate up if they fell down, even if they were on a rival team. The guy who made you laugh when you were sad, who put others before himself.

She used to ADMIRE that about him, when they were little. 'Where did I change? When did I become such a terrible friend, to him? To Lola?'

And then the "marriage". Of course they'd only married partly for popularity. And of course it wasn't a REAL marriage, just a middle school faux marriage, with a kid minister, in this case Lars. And a few months later Devon had filed for "divorce". Rumors were he'd left her because she wouldn't give him a hand job. Well of COURSE NOT, they were CHILDREN!!! But not just that, and not just because Devin was a horrible "wife", and a bitch, and a phony, and a brat, and all those other things people had said. But the real reason why the faux-marriage hadn't worked, COULDN'T work, is because, in all honesty, Devin wasn't attracted to Devon. Not in THAT way. All those kisses, all that hand-holding and other public displays of affection, it was all for show. And the worst part is, Devon knew, or at least suspected. Whenever they hadn't been glued to the hip at school, they had scarcely hung out after school, except the occasional "date" to keep up appearances. Devon had had his friends, his guy friends, like Charles Lu and the other boys on the basketball team. Him and Devin had seldom talked outside of school.

Last December they had "re-married", again mostly for popularity, but also because Devin, in secret, had BEGGED Devon to do it, because she HAD to appear like a normal girl, a happy girl, a popular girl with a boyfriend-husband. If Devin couldn't keep up that appearance, couldn't maintain that facade, people might know, or at least might suspect, what she really was, WHO she was TRULY into. Yet part of her felt people suspected the truth anyway. She was pretty sure that at least some people whispered behind her back: "There goes the school hunk Devon with his bitch girlfriend-wife Devin, the closeted lesbian. "

Because that's what she was. Lesbian. But she was too afraid, too mortified, to come out. Not because she was afraid she'd lose her popularity: the school had many out LGBT kids, like Matthew, and the pansexual girl Ali (who Devin had kissed at her wedding, which Devin had to admit, she enjoyed, her lips were so soft), not to mention the wild child, Jay. No, Devin's reasons for going deep into the closet by child-marrying Devon were much deeper and personal than that. It had to do with something that happened after Dad died, something that Devin didn't like to think about, something that also had to do with her resentment of her female classmates...

Devin realized she'd been in the shower for about ten minutes, sitting under the showerhead, the water running down her nude body as she thought. 'Id better get out before the water turns cold', she thought.

But first she finally let the tears flow freely as she finally embraced her loss, her tears mixing with the hot water as they left her tear ducts and headed down the drain. As she cried she finally decided that she HAD to tell someone the truth. ANYONE. She couldn't hold in this secret any longer. 'Tomorrow at school, I've gotta tell someone what I am, WHO I really am. ' If Jay Bilzerian of all people could come out, she could. At least to one person.

Finally she stood up and turned off the shower. Grabbing her towel she dried off. As she did she saw the razor sitting on the sink. Probably her mom's razor she used to shave her legs. As Devin looked at it now, she felt almost transfixed, like a moth to a lightbulb, a deer in headlights. It was like it was calling to her, whispering her name. It looked almost inviting, friendly. She needed a friend...

She heard a soft knock on the door. "Devin?" It was Jamie. Finally awake. "I'll be right out, Jamie. Hang on." Hurriedly she finished drying off and pulled her clothes back on. Hanging up her towel she opened the door to see her little sister standing in the doorway.

"Hey Jamie, what's up?" Devin tried to smile, but her face muscles seemed frozen.

"I'm hungry", Jamie said. Devin looked closer at her sister, and saw her eyes had dark circles under them. Her hair was a mess from sleeping, and her pajamas had several holes. 'The poor girl ', Devin thought miserably.

"Me too. Let's go to the kitchen, I'll make us some sandwiches." Putting a hand on the little girls shoulder, Devin led the way down the stairs to the kitchen.

She gestured to a chair by the kitchen table. "Sit down, I'll make the sandwiches. Won't take long. " As she took out the bread and lunch meats, Devin couldn't help but wonder what people at school would think if they could see her now: hair wet, eyes bloodshot from crying, making lunch for her little sister. The only one who probably wouldn't tease her was Lola. Devin realized Lola had it as bad, perhaps WORSE, than she did. No, perhaps a bit better: Lola's mom was hardly ever home. Devin's was almost ALWAYS home, just hardly ever conscious. But Lola was an only child. At least Devin had the luxury of a sibling.

After she finished with the sandwiches Devin filled a couple glasses with water and ice. Grabbing the plates and glasses she led the way to the living room, and the sisters sat on the couch.

As they ate, Devin looked around the living room. It was a mess: the carpet was stained and dusty, clothes and toys littered the floor, and on the table sat a collection of half-empty bottles of alcohol, and some pill bottles. Her mom's stuff. With a pang she realized that her mom and Jay's mother were the same: neglectful, selfish alcoholics who let their children care for themselves because they spent most of their time unconscious. She realized she'd judged Jay harshly for his way of living, trying to get Lola to dump him. She'd been looking out for Lola, but realized now that she and Jay were more alike than she'd realized at the time. 'I always open my big mouth without thinking.'

Devin saw Jamie eying the bottles as she ate. She shook her head. " Don't, Jamie. That stuff is too strong. Tell you what: if you eat all your food, we'll have some Cotton Candy Brandy. Sound good?"

Jamie smiled. "Ok Devin. I love Cotton Candy Brandy!!"

Devin laughed, but more of a rueful laugh. While no kid as young as Jamie should be drinking, it was another thing that came with the territory of being a Leseven. In this case, because her mom had been drinking while PREGNANT with Jamie. In fact, instead of breastfeeding, Jeanette, aka Mom, had simply opted to give Jamie store-bought milk in a bottle. When it ran low, she'd mix it with rum or scotch. Cue Jamie, a 7 year old with a craving for alcohol. Devin remembered, at her wedding to Devon, Jamie, who'd served as flower girl, had had too much Cotton Candy Brandy, and had puked all over her dress at karaoke. Jay had been kind enough, after the service, to offer a complimentary case of Cotton Candy Brandy to the sisters. 'I really have to apologize to him', she realized.

The girls finished their sandwiches, and Devin reached into the entertainment center cabinet and pulled out a half-full bottle of Cotton Candy Brandy, and poured them both a bit. Devin swallowed hers in one gulp, wincing as her eyes watered. Her nose stung, the way it does when breathing in chlorine in a pool. The stuff was strong, but sweet as berry pie.

Next to her, Jamie coughed as she downed her half. She kept coughing, and Devin patted her on the back. "You ok?", she asked.

Jamie smiled. "I'm fine." Devin laughed. "It sure has a kick to it, huh?" She poured them both a bit more. Looking at the bottle of tequila on the table, Devin turned to her sister. "Hey, did you know you can make diamonds out of tequila?"

Jamie laughed. "What?! No way!!!"

Devin laughed. "Yes way!! I don't know how exactly, but in science class they told us how diamonds are made, naturally, with like coal. But they mentioned other ways they can be made, including tequila. I guess anything can be made into something beautiful. Sand is made into glass. Oysters make pearls. And coal becomes diamonds. Look at you: you were once a crying, bald baby, now YOU'RE a beautiful diamond, too. " Devin poked Jamie playfully on the nose. The two girls laughed.

Devin grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. As the girls sat there scrolling through the channels, Devin thought she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a flash of purple. She looked to her side, saw nothing but Jamie, who she saw was nodding off again. But she could have sworn she saw something. And it might have been her imagination, but as she gathered the empty plates and glasses, and carried them to the kitchen, she thought she could hear, in the back of her mind, a low purring sound, and a voice whispering her name: "Devin...Devin..."

Nick's POV:

When Nick heard the news about Devon, he couldn't believe it. He'd never lost a friend before. The only funeral Nick had ever been to was Andrew's grandfather's funeral, and he'd only met the old man once. He never thought that somebody his age could die so young. He always believed it was impossible, that Nick and all his friends would live to be in their hundreds. Death seemed like a far-off thing.

He spent the rest of the day remembering Devon: playing basketball at school, sometimes on the same team, sometimes opposite. Going to the school sleepover. Attending his bachelor party. Being best man at his wedding. He never imagined that one day he'd just be GONE.

He wanted to give his condolences to Devin, but during Matthew's broadcast, she'd bolted out the front door and never came back. He decided he'd talk to her tomorrow when/if she came back. Devin and Devon, aka "the Devins" had always had a rocky relationship, but Nick could tell deep down they cared for each other.

When school finally let out he said goodbye to his friends, and finally set out on his mission: delivering the letter to the enigmatic "Harrison Pettigrew". Nick looked at the address again. It was indeed very close to his school: only several blocks away.

As he started walking, he heard an unfamiliar voice behind him: "Ah, Nick Birch. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. "

Nick turned to see a Hormone Monster he'd never met before: middle-aged, with wavy brown hair and black glasses, he wore an open yellow vest, exposing his hairy chest, and both a white pearl necklace and blue scarf hung from his neck. He smiled a gap-toothed grin at Nick as he spoke again. "Pleasure indeed. I am Simon Sex. I am taking over as your new Hormone Monster. Walter himself referred me for the job. "

Nick was surprised but pleased. He missed Walter, even though the Lovebug had caused quite a bit of trouble. He'd had to leave after their adventure the previous winter, as Nick currently had no love interest. Although, what with all the family drama these past couple months Nick had had no time for new crushes.

"Oh, Walter, yeah. How is he?"

"Quite well, but quite busy now, as you can imagine, with all the downsizing going on, of which your previous Monster, Rick, was an example. Although if I may say, Rick wouldn't know his dick from a rusty doorknob. That's why I'm here: I'm here to make sure you do puberty RIGHT. Connie had you on sort of the right path, but it takes a man to TEACH a man. But most of all, dear boy, you need love. It takes love to get and, more importantly, GIVE love. "

Nick laughed nervously. "Um well, Walter was teaching me about love, but then he got all Hatewormy, and then we had that whole Dr PlainTalk thing, and that avalanche in the mountain, not to mention I got dragged into the Monster World, and fucking Nick Kroll, and..."

"Whoa whoa, hold your wild horses. Walk with me. Look, love takes many forms. Lovebugs are one, just ONE, of the many forms. Hate is simply an unrequited, or perhaps, unrealized, form of love. It could even mean you loved the wrong person. Whatever Rick taught you, forget all that shit. Simon Sex knows best. Simon says: you need to love yourself, before you love another. Do one good thing a day, and love may come your way. What are you doing/have done today?"

Nick kept walking as he replied: "Well right now I have to deliver a letter for my grandfather. He's being sent to a retirement home and wants to have somebody to write to. "

Simon smiled. "Yes. Family is important, and one of the most important types of love one can have. If I may ask though, your school wasn't giving off good love vibes today. While I waited for you, it's like I was drowning in a sea of melancholy. What's wrong with your little schoolmates?"

"Oh, that. ", Nick replied. "One of the kids died today. Devon. Devon Young. He was married", Nick air quoted with his fingers "to Devin Leseven. "

Simon steepled his fingers under his chin as he thought. "Devon... Devon. Oh, wait, was this Devon fellow the one who broke your nose at the boy's night out party last year, where you kids trashed that abandoned shack?"

Nick stopped walking and turned to face Simon, totally shocked. "Wait, you were THERE??!!"

Simon nodded. "Maury invited me as a special guest. I even met your perverted friend Andrew. If I may say, he's a fine fellow, but a bit too horny for his own good. I don't want you to end up like that. That's why Walter recommended me."

Nick started walking again. "If you've wanted to help me all this time, why didn't the Department just SEND you?"

Simon frowned. "I'm afraid I've been out of the game for a while now, until just recently. You're my first human client in about ten years. Lately they've had me giving courses to amateur Monsters, or ones who lack the proper discipline. Like your former Monster, Tyler, who, by the way, was recently placed with the father of your friend Jessi. It's a very recent tactic: place a team of Monsters with both parents of a newborn: a Lovebug, a Hormone Monster, a Logic Rock, and if need be an Ambition Gremlin, and those Monsters guide them through the complications of a new child, like stress and postpartum depression. It was a rousing success recently with a woman named Becca and her husband Barry. Oh, is this the place?"

They had stopped in front of a house, a bit bigger than the rest, but also a bit more run down, with peeling paint, and a dying lawn. The front door looked like it had been kicked repeatedly, or hit with a baseball bat. It reminded him a bit of Jay's house. Maybe this was a bad idea...

Nick swallowed. No, he'd promised Seamus. Besides, he was a big boy. Big-dick Boy. He could do this.

Nick and Simon approached the house and stood on the doorstep. Nervously Nick knocked on the door as he pulled the letter out of his backpack.

A voice yelled out as the speaker approached the door. "We told you kids we don't want any damn cookies or candies!! How many times do I have to..."

The door opened to reveal a woman of middle years with red hair, graying in parts, and dark brown eyes. She wore a plaid shirt, and black jeans which were torn in several places, and both them and the shirt had many stains. Behind her Nick could hear the sound of yelling and laughing, and heard something shatter. The woman turned to yell at the source of the commotion before turning to scowl at Nick again.

"What do you want, kid? I don't have all goddamn day. Are you lost? You looking for directions to the playground?"

"Um hello,", Nick said nervously. "Actually, no. I was sent to bring this letter", he held it out "to this house. Is Mr Harrison Pettigrew home?"

The woman grabbed the letter from Nick and looked at it suspiciously, carefully, as if thinking it would transform into a snake and attack.

"Dad? Why would somebody write to my pop?" She looked closer at the writing on the front. "Hold on. Seamus McGregor? I've heard that name." She looked at the letter for several more seconds before turning and yelling. "Dad!!! DAD!!!!!"

From inside the house, over the yelling of the yet unforseen children, came an older male voice. "What?!! What is it Shaundra?!!"

Shaundra yelled back. "Do you know a Mr Seamus Mcgregor?"

The voice yelled back. "Seamus??! I haven't heard from that son of a bitch in years!!! Why the devil you mention him for?"

The woman shouted back. "This little boy showed up, and gave me a letter, says it's from Seamus. " Nick winced at being called "little boy", but listened as the old man in the living room shouted back.

"Really? Well bring it here, lass, and bring the boy with you. Come on then."

Shaundra gestured to Nick. "Come on then, kid. Come directly, let's not wait for the grass to grow."

Nick looked to his side to make sure Simon was still there, and felt relieved when he saw him. Even though he knew Simon could only be seen by those he chose to show himself to, and he obviously hadn't shown himself to the gruff woman, he still felt better knowing he was there with him. Nervously he stepped into the house.

Nick followed the woman into the living room, which he saw was as unkempt as the lawn, with children's toys and clothes on the floor, and the couches and armchairs had holes and gouges, leaking stuffing and feathers , and Nick was sure he stepped in something sticky as he stepped into the room.

Shaundra approached an armchair in the center of the room, which was turned to face the TV, so Nick couldn't yet see the occupant, but she held out the letter, and an aged yet meaty hand reached out to take it.

"Dad, this kid here brought the letter. Come here, little boy." She gestured to Nick. Nervously he approached her side, and finally saw the old man in the chair.

He was around the same age as Seamus, maybe a few years younger, but whereas Seamus now had all white hair and looked rather frail, Harrison still had what was supposedly his natural hair color: dark red, almost the color of dried blood, with only a few streaks of white. He had brown eyes, matching his daughters. He had large arms, his muscles showing clearly even though his long-sleeved vest. His hands, in which he held the letter, were like baseball mits. Nick could easily see how a man like this would have been an assistant coach.

Harrison opened the letter and quickly read it. His face displayed no emotion as he read, but as he looked up and finally faced Nick, Nick thought he caught a flicker of a smile.

"So, I take it you are the grandson of Seamus then, me boy?"

Nick smiled, trying not to appear as nervous as he felt in this strange house with strange, noisy people. "Um, yes. My name is Nick. Nick Birch. Seamus is my grandfather, but my dad, Elliott, changed the family name when he married my mom. I only met Seamus several months ago, when I found out about our family history. Between you and me, I can see why my dad wanted his side of the family kept secret. "

Harrison laughed. "Aye, yes. Yes I understand. Me and Seamus go way back. After your dad ran away, me and Seamus tried to keep our nipple-twisting gym open, but without our top star, aka your dad, attendance started to drop. We just couldn't find new recruits like we used to. Eventually I just got tired. I wanted to move on. I met Catherine and fell in love, started a family. Had children. Then grandchildren, as you can tell by the noise."

As if on cue, two boys, obviously twins, with matching hairstyles and almost matching clothes, of about four or five years old, ran into the room, fighting over a stuffed bear, having a tug-of-war. "Mine!!" "No, sod off, mine!!!"

Shaundra marched back into the room. Snatching the bear, she grabbed each boy by one arm and marched them across the room. "What did I tell you guys?!! BATH!!! Bath, then get your sorry behinds ready for dinner!! NOW!!!"

The two boys wrestled out of their mothers grip and ran up the stairs. Their mother followed, still yelling.

Harrison laughed, seeing Nick's bewildered expression. " Aye, yes, Shaundra is me oldest child. She's just been in a bit of a financial predicament since her divorce, and moved in here with her daughter and two sons until the dust settles. You live with your parents then? Got any siblings? "

Nick nodded. "Yes, a brother and sister, both older. If I may ask, Mr Pettigrew, what was that letter about?"

Harrison laughed again. "Ah, curious young chap, are you? Well, apparently your grandpa wants to continue nipple-twisting, and will attempt to start a new charter at the retirement home. He knows lots of retired soldiers and cops and other tough old geezers reside there, and will attempt to recruit them. Says he'll be fine with some of the younger workers too, if they're interested. Asked me to swing by sometime, in case I want to assist again. I guess I might. I'll have Shaundra drive me down there later this week, once he's settled in. Hang on, I'll write a letter back. Give it to one of yer parents, and have them bring it to him next time they visit. Hold on. Just walk around, it'll take a few minutes. " Harrison got up and walked away to find the writing materials. Nick took his advice and walked around the room, noticing for the first time the pictures on the wall.

In one of them, there was a younger Harrison, with another man Nick recognized as a younger Seamus, standing in what must have been their old gym. In another stood Harrison, with a young, beautiful woman who looked a lot like Shaundra. This must have been Catherine, he realized. Among these photos were photos of Shaundra and his other children, as well as pictures of the old country, from his days back in Scotland. Nick wondered if his dad had ever visited Scotland, to learn about his roots, but decided not to ask: he knew his past was a touchy subject.

Nick turned from the pictures on the wall, and found himself face to face with a girl his age, perhaps a year younger. She looked like Shaundra, but way prettier, with the same red hair, brown eyes, a small nose, and a light dusting of freckles on her face. She wore a yellow shirt and red shorts that matched her hair, and a gold pendant on her neck. When she saw Nick, she smiled, then looked at the floor shyly. This, Nick realized, must be Shaundra's daughter that Harrison mentioned.

"Um, hello. " Nick said. "I'm, uh, a grandson of Seamus, your, uh, grandfather's friend. My name is Nick. What's yours?"

She looked up and smiled again. "Lucinda. I'm Lucinda. Lucinda Pettigrew. Teacher's call me Lucinda P, cause there's a couple other Lucinda's at my school. "

"Oh. What school do you go to? I've never seen you at Bridgeton. "

"I go to Darlington Pierce. It's on the other side of town. But school is currently out, it has a different schedule than the other schools. "

Nick was surprised. Darlington Pierce was a fancy all-girls school. Nick knew of it because Jessi had briefly gone to it when her and her mother had moved to the posh uptown part of New York.

Lucinda scowled. "Oh I get it. So you don't think a girl who lives in a place like THIS", she gestured to the messy living room "can afford to go to a fancy school like Darlington?"

Nick held up his hands. "Whoa, no no, it's not that, not that at all. I just, um, well, I have a friend who went there, and she said the teachers were kinda mean, and it was a bit intimidating, and I, well..." Nick trailed off, not sure what to say next, but the girl burst out laughing.

"It's fine, I was just messing with you. No, see, my grandmother was one of the two founders. There was Clarisse Darlington, and Catherine Pierce. Catherine was my grandma. They named it after their last names, like the Hogwarts houses are named after the founders, you know? After high school, my grandma and her best friend Clarisse felt the schools weren't teaching young ladies like themselves the 'proper' way, and so, legend has it they got hold of a bunch of money-no one knows how, some say they robbed a bank, others say they did some jobs for the local organized crime, but anyway, they got the money and started a private all-girls school, without boys to distract the girls. It goes all the way up to high school, by the way. So anyway, Pierce was my grandma's last name before she met grandpa. Since I'm her granddaughter, and she helped start it they reduced my tuition. We used to live close to it, when my parents were together, but after mom left dad, we've had to move in with grandpa, me and my two little brothers."

Nick listened while Lucinda told the story, but only heard a bit, because he was too focused on HER. There was something about her. Not only was she very beautiful, but he was also captivated by how mysterious she was. He couldn't believe, all this time, she'd lived so close to his school but he'd never seen her. Not wanting to seem like he'd not been paying attention, he said, "Wow, um, that's cool. My friend who went there last year, her name is Jessi. Jessi Glaser. Did you know her?"

Lucinda shook her head. "I must not have been in the same class. I'll have to ask my friend Greer, maybe she met her. But to tell you the truth, Nick, I've always wanted to go to a REGULAR middle school, like yours. Go to normal class, wear regular school clothes instead of a hideous school uniform.It's all so ridiculous, and coordinated. I want to hang out with normal kids, like the ones at your school, but my mom insists that Darlington is what's 'best' '" she air quoted" for a girl like me. "

Nick laughed. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call the kids at my school NORMAL", he said, thinking of Jay, "but I do understand, a place like Darlington sounds no fun. Jessi said it was torture."

"Oh my God, it is, Nick. It totally is. You are so lucky. And pretty soon school will start again, and I'll be back in that ugly, uncomfortable blazer, sitting in a class full of other uniformed zombies. Woe is me!!"

They both laughed, and Nick again felt drawn to the mysterious Lucinda. They talked a few more minutes, about school and their friends, until Harrison finally came back into the room and handed Nick an envelope.

"Here, give this to your dad, have him bring it to Seamus next time he visits him. It's just a letter from me telling him I'll pop in for a visit once he's settled in. Tell your dad hi from me. I'm sure he doesn't remember me, but tell him Harrison says hi. See you, Nick. "

He walked off to the kitchen, leaving Nick and Lucinda alone again. Nick looked at his phone, checking the time.

"I, um, better get home. My mom's probably going to wonder where I am."

Lucinda laughed. "Yeah, mom's, huh? Hey, what's your number? Maybe I can text you later."

Nick felt his heart flutter. "Um, yeah, sure. Hold on."

The two exchanged numbers real quick, and after promising to text each other later that night, Nick headed to the front door. Stepping outside, Nick saw Shaundra on the porch, smoking a cigarette, having come outside after putting her sons in the bath. Seeing her smoking, Nick was reminded of how his own mother had started smoking after Seamus had briefly corrupted his dad.

Shaundra nodded. "See you, kid. Take care."

Nick nodded back. "Um, thanks. You too. " As he started walking, Simon reappeared alongside him.

"Wow, Nick. Who in the WORLD was that little fox in there?!! What a mysterious young vixen!! AND you got her digits!!! Nick, you sly dog!!!"

Nick laughed nervously. "Easy there, Simon. I only just met her."

Simon laughed. "But Nick, you're positively GLOWING. Tell me: what did you feel when you met her? What did it make you feel when she smiled at you? When she laughed with you?"

Nick thought. He realized that the last time he'd felt that way was when he and Jessi had worked together on Missy's affinity group project, when their hands had touched. Of course, the Jessi thing hadn't worked out, but Nick now realized that meeting Lucinda had filled something up in the crater the Jessi debacle had blown in his heart.

"I think you're right, Simon. I HAVE to see Lucinda again. I'll text her tonight of course, but we can make plans to meet up again."

"That's the spirit, Nick!! I'll give Walter a call. I'm sure he'll be happy to be your Lovebug again, to help guide you through the jungles of love with Lucinda. He's a bit swamped with other clients, but I just KNOW he'll make time for you, he said himself you were one of his best clients."

Nick smiled. "That's great. I'll be very happy to see Walter again. Now, as my Hormone Monster, what do you say we go home, and I can... milk that naughty jungle snake of mine? Meeting Lucinda filled him with lots of poison."

Simon laughed. "Nick my boy, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

Lucinda's POV:

Lucinda watched from the living room window as Nick left, and felt like her heart was leaving with the mysterious boy. She wanted to text him right away, but didn't want to seem creepy by texting immediately after getting his number. Truthfully Lucinda had never had a boyfriend before, or been on a date, and this was honestly her first time feeling like this. She honestly didn't know what her next move should be. Luckily, there was ONE being who knew, and she appeared at Lucinda's shoulder as she watched Nick.

"Oh, Lucinda!! Who WAS that boy?! Is he the one, Lucinda? Is he the one we've been waiting for?", Emmy, Lucinda's Lovebug, asked. Like all Lovebugs, Emmy had yellow skin and brightly colored wings. In her case, a mix of pink, orange, and red, like butterfly wings. Lucinda liked Emmy's wings, she thought they were very pretty. At that moment, her wings appeared to be glowing.

Emmy gasped. "Oh my God, you DO like that boy!!", she exclaimed. Emmy was so happy: for the past few months, Emmy had been stuck at Lucinda's house, watching as her family bickered and squabbled. When she had been assigned as Lucinda's Lovebug, she had assumed the girl had already found a love interest, or at least a crush, but had found out that the girl not only had no love interest, but went to an all-girls school with no boys, meaning she had next to no chance of meeting a boy. She had, of course, pleasured herself (Emmy had unfortunately caught her in the act on one occasion), but other than that, had very little knowledge of anything sexual. 'What on EARTH does that school teach these poor girls?', Emmy wondered.

It wasn't uncommon for a Lovebug to be given a client BEFORE said client had their first crush, but the department preferred clients who had at least experienced their first kiss. Unfortunately Emmy wasn't the most professional bug in the business, as she had the habit of coming to work hungover, and occasionally sleeping at her cubicle, as well as doing accurate, if mean-spirited, impressions of coworkers. Also she had recently had a VERY embarrassing incident at the International Creature Convention, turning into her Hateworm form and vomiting all over the room and her co-workers. To be entirely honest it hadn't been ALL her fault, as she'd found out her friend Rochelle had hooked up with Emmy's ex-boyfriend Dante, and had been trying to keep it secret, despite the fact that Emmy had seen them kissing. While her and Rochelle had recently made up, and tried to move past it, Emmy couldn't help but feel the department had assigned her this case just to get her out of the office. She couldn't really blame them.

But now, it looked like there was hope. "Do you really like this boy, Lucinda dear?"

Lucinda thought for a moment. She thought of Nick's smile, his laugh, his awkward yet smooth confidence, and how he was strangely connected to her family through their grandfathers. It felt like... well, it felt like fate. It HAD to be!!

"Oh I DO, Emmy!! I do!!! And I have to see him again. I've decided: I want to go to Bridgeton. I HATE Darlington!!! I want to go to a normal school. I decided, I'm going to show up at his school and surprise him!!"

Emmy squealed. "Omg, that is SO romantic!!! He'll be so happy to see you, so surprised, he'll faint into your arms!!!"

The two of them, girl and Lovebug, jumped up and down in excitement. But this only lasted a moment, as one major issue, one major snag, occured to Emmy.

"But, Lucinda, how will you convince your mom to let you switch schools? Granted, Nick's school is closer, but your mom is dead-set on you continuing at Darlington. What can you say to get her to let you go to Bridgeton?"

Lucinda frowned as she thought. Emmy had a point. She HAD to see Nick, HAD to get out of depressing, boring Darlington. But how? How, indeed...

Missy's POV:

When Missy heard the news about Devon, she was shocked and saddened. Devon had been such a nice guy. She remembered sneaking away from the school trip to the 9/11 Memorial with him to visit her cousins, who were in town for a party. Devon and her cousins had taught her to embrace her African American culture, and be proud of her roots. She had truly thought she was falling for him, and had even thrown aside Nathan Fillion (well, his poster anyway) in favor of him. But then, last December he and Devin had re-married. Missy had been crushed, and had lost hope, until she met Elijah.

Even though Elijah made her happy, at times she couldn't help but wonder what it might have been like if Devon had chosen Missy instead of Devin. She was sure Devon wouldn't have criticized her for her Rice Purity Test score, or made her feel shameful for masturbating. Although in his defense, he'd eventually accepted Missy for who she was.

Still, Missy found herself thinking about Devon all day, and could barely focus on her schoolwork. When she saw Elijah at lunch, she'd elected to sit with her jazz club friends instead, not wanting Elijah to see her sad over another boy. She was sure he'd understand, but she just wasn't ready to get into it with anybody yet.

But when school let out she finally decided to talk to Elijah, just to say goodbye and promise to call later.

"Um, hi Missy. What's up? So, sad news about that kid Devon, huh? I didn't know him well, but that sucks. I'll pray for him and his family tonight. "

Missy tried to smile, but could only manage half a smile. "Wow, that's sweet Elijah. I'm sure he'd like that. "

Elijah smiled. "So, hey, we still on for the movies Friday night?"

Missy had totally forgot about their plans, in all her sadness over Devon, and Mona disappearing and everything. Not wanting him to know that she hurriedly replied. "Oh, yeah, sure. My mom and dad are coming to pick me up soon, I'll remind them, see if they can still drive us. Anyway, I'll call you later, and..."

Elijah cut across excitedly. "Oh yeah, before you go, I want to introduce you to my new Hormone Monster. Tyrese, this is my girlfriend, Missy. "

A big, black-furred Monster appeared beside Elijah. He was slightly heavyset, with a large belly, but had large, muscular arms, with many tattoos, including words like "Love", Hate", and what looked like a penis, as well as what looked like a name, crossed out, on his hairy chest. His eyes were dark grey, and he had a goatee. He had several earrings in each ear, and his horn had been painted gold. He looked more like a rapper or music agent than a Hormone Monster. Missy squinted at the crossed-out name on his chest, and gasped.

"Wait, does that say 'Mona?!' " she cried.

Elijah and the big Monster both laughed. "Yeah, that's the funniest thing!" Elijah said. "Turns out, Tyrese and your Monstress were boyfriend and girlfriend at one time. "

"Actually, we were ENGAGED", Tyrese said. "But then, um, well, you know. Things happen."

Elijah laughed. "Come on, Tyrese. Tell the truth.", he said. He turned to Missy. "He cheated on her. Big time. Got too frisky with something called a Talent Siren. Sounds kinda like a mermaid or something."

Tyrese scoffed. "Ok, first of all, that's not the whole story. That's not entirely how it went down. Second, a mermaid and siren are totally different. Well, I mean, both have tails like fish, but are a bit different. You'll see once you both start developing skills and find something you like. Also", he looked around a bit nervously. "Mona isn't HERE, by any chance, is she?"

Missy shook her head. "No, she hasn't come back yet. Look, I gotta go, my parents will be here soon. I'll call you later, Elijah. " Missy hurried away before Elijah could respond. She needed to get away, get home. She needed to release her sadness and anxiety somehow. Since she knew Elijah wasn't the "kiss and make it better " type, she figured she could at least rely on Nathan Fillion to help. And Mona, when/if she showed up.

Running outside, she ran into Jessi. She saw Jessi looked miserable too.

"Oh hi Missy. What's up? Are your parents coming? I need to walk home cause my mom has to work late. "

"Oh. Do you want me to ask my parents to give you a ride?"

Jessi shook her head. "No, I can walk. I need time to think. "

"About Devon? Everybody is talking about it. I heard Devin ran out of school and never came back all day. "

Jessi nodded. "That's crazy. He was our age. We've known him like, forever. Makes you think, any one of us could be next. Sometimes I wonder if my new sister might steal away the years I have left, and I'll turn old and crumble into dust, and she'll grow up and live the life I would have had. "

Missy laughed in spite of her sadness. "Wow, Jessi that's dark. And crazy, like something Nathan Fillion would star in. Speaking of which I gotta go, that's my parents. See you Jessi!!", she said, as her parents car pulled up.

Opening the door she jumped in the back. "Hello there, Firefly", her dad, Cyrus, said. His usual greeting. Her mother, Monica, smiled from the passenger seat. "Something wrong, sweetie?", she asked.

Missy shook her head. She decided not to mention Devon. She didn't want her parents sympathy: part of being a burgeoning young woman is handling your grief on your own. "No, nothing, mom. Just a long day."

As her dad started driving, Missy felt something beside her. She turned around and was shocked to see Mona there. "Mona!! You're back!!!", Missy gasped. "Where were you?!!"

"Sorry Missy. All of us had to attend a performance review before we were released back to our clients. Luckily for me, and by extension you, I have a perfect record. What's up with YOU?", she asked, seeing Missy's forlorn expression.

"Oh Mona, it's terrible!!", Missy said, trying to speak as low as possible, so her parents wouldn't hear. Although they were a bit distracted anyway, humming along to the Steely Sudan song on the radio. "Devon, he... he... he's DEAD!!!"

Mona gasped. "WHAT???!!!!!" She screamed.

"Mona, shhh!!!" Missy cried, even though she knew her parents couldn't hear Mona. "Yes, he died this morning. Everybody in school is talking about it. Oh Mona, I don't know what to do. I mean, I like Elijah, but Devon, he's... he was special.", she said, thinking again about their trip to her cousin's party.

Mona grabbed Missy and pulled her close. It was a rare gesture of affection from the usual volatile Monstress. "Oh Missy, there, there. Oh this is crazy: your former crush dies, my colleagues get arrested, now my cheating ex-fiance is the Monster of your NEW boyfriend. What is this world coming to??!"

Missy felt the tears roll down her eyes. "It's ALL wrong Mona!! He was such a nice person, such a GOOD person. I need somebody to talk to. I think I'll call Quinta when I get home." Quinta was her cousin, one of the two cousins Devon had met when they'd snuck away during the 9/11 trip. Quinta had also been the one who had helped Missy untangle her braids, giving her her new signature hairstyle. Missy knew Mona really liked her.

Mona smiled. "Yes, call Quinta. She rocks, she'll help make it all right. Also, invite her and Lena over sometime to meet Elijah. "

Missy smiled back. "Yes, that would be nice. " Losing Devon was a terrible gut-punch, but with Quinta and Lena, and Elijah, and a bit of Nathan when she got home, she just might be able to put this day behind her. For today at least.

Jessi's POV:

As Jessi walked home, she thought about the crazy turns things had taken lately: her parents working overtime, her dad wanting to move, now Devon dying. Sure, she hadn't known him too well, but somebody her age dying was a shocker. As she had said to Missy, it was a reminder of her own mortality. Jessi had to remind herself not to give into her anxiety as she thought this: the last thing she needed was that pesky Anxiety Mosquito to show her pointy face again. But she still couldn't keep those troubling thoughts at bay, even when Connie suddenly appeared when Jessi was halfway home. Connie hurriedly explained that she'd been held up by a mandatory performance review that all the Monsters had to take, but that luckily she'd come back with an almost-perfect record.

"But now I'm back, pumpkin, and best of all, I left Montel with Maury for the evening. After a hard first day at school, I figured Montel could use some time with daddy, so it's just us girls tonight!!", Connie finished eagerly. Then, seeing Jessi's expression, she asked, "Jessi bear, what's wrong?"

Jessi told Connie about Devon, and how the whole school was now in the throes of depression. Connie listened thoughtfully. She knew this was no good, as Connie knew about Jessi's struggles with depression and anxiety. Now her client would be in a MINEFIELD of depression.

"I don't know what to do, Connie. What to SAY to people to make them feel better. I wanted to say something back there, to Missy, because I knew she liked Devon, but I just couldn't find the right words. I fucking SUCK at this. I mean, I've never lost anybody before. I mean, by death."

Connie nodded. "It's hard, kiddo. I know how it feels. Death is a hard thing to deal with, even in the Monster World. Us Monsters lose both clients and family members all the time. It's part of the cycle of life. And it never gets any easier. "

Jessi nodded. She'd never thought about how Monsters dealt with loss, if they had counseling in their world. She was about to ask, when she heard something behind her. Before she could turn around, she felt somebody grab her from behind and pull her against them. Jessi cried out as a pair of hands pulled themselves over her eyes. As everything went dark, a somehow familiar voice shouted in her ear. "GOTCHA!!"

Jessi wrestled out of her attacker's grip and spun around to face them. Her eyes went wide with shock.

"YOU!!!", she gasped.

End of chapter 2.

Wow, looks like I broke my promise, this chapter was LONGER than the first. My bad, lol. I PROMISE, next chapter WILL be shorter than the first two. Scout's honor.

Now, regarding this chapter. First, one of the most important parts of this chapter was trying to show Devin in a different light: since she has a major character arc in this story, I felt like it was absolutely crucial that I show right off the bat that she does indeed have a tender side, in showing that she cares for her sister. That was absolutely important, showing she indeed has redeeming qualities. Next chapter we'll see her develop more, after she performs a surprising heroic act, which I won't spoil here.

Second, in showing how all of the characters react to Devon's passing, while it was important to show that they indeed care, and of course are deeply saddened, I felt that overall, their current issues (ie Nick delivering the letter), had to take the front seat for the moment, as these things are just as crucial to the story as his death is. I didn't mean for any of them to seem insensitive, ie Jay going after Matthew after his announcement: I simply need to bring to light what their main arc will be in the story. Like, Jay's quest is to find a love that won't hurt him. Devin's quest is her redemption, and accepting her sexuality, Nick and Lucinda's main quest is trying to find a way to meet each other, and so on.

Speaking of Lucinda, did my description of her sound familiar? Perhaps you guys should rewatch the show, see if you can spot somebody matching her description: her hair and clothes, I described it all in great detail, just to see if any eagle-eyed fans could see if she sounded familiar.

Also, as you saw in Devin's part I mentioned it was mid-March: that's how I figure it: the end of season 5 and season 1 of Human Resources take place through December and early January, and season 6 takes place the rest of January and through February, so now we're in mid-March. If y'all remember, Jessi's birthday is April 16th, so she'll be having a birthday in this story, and so will some of the others, as I imagine the course of this story will take place over an entire year.

As for those wondering why Andrew didn't have a part in this chapter, truth is I kinda got so distracted with all these other POVs, I kind of forgot, but now I realize it's for the best: Andrew is a bit of a complex character. How would HE react to Devon's death? Start panicking, thinking he's next? Go home and mourn him by jerking off? I dunno, but don't worry: he'll have an arc in this story too.

Anyway, next chapter, Jessi will meet her mysterious assailant, and we will also have a Gina part, and also more of Nick and Lucinda. And as promised, it WILL be shorter!!

As always, feel free to comment or even message me. Always happy to talk to a fellow Mouther!!!