Lilly was walking into her office three days later, when she heard someone calling her name.

"Lilly! Lilly!"

Confused, Lilly slowly turned her head. She was greeted with the sight of the troubled man whom she hadn't expected to see for a few more hours.

"Uh, hi," Lilly said carefully. She cleared her throat and twirled a piece of her hair nervously.

"You have to help me," Joe pleaded.

Lilly motioned for him to follow her through the lobby and into her office. She flipped the light on in her room and walked inside. "We have an appointment at 12:00. I have to see two people before then. The office isn't even open yet. It's only 7:30," Lilly said.

"I know. I know. Which is why I came early. I figured you might have a half hour to talk to me before your first appointment at eight," Joe replied hopefully.

Lilly nodded. "Alright. Sit down," she told him, as she took her coat off.

Joe sat down in the chair in front of Lilly and waited for her to sit, too. Lilly straightened up a few piles on her desk and looked up. "So what's the problem?"

Joe looked down. "Uh. I got a call from this guy last night."

Lilly raised an eyebrow. "A drug dealer?" she inquired knowingly.

"How'd you know that?" Joe wondered in amazement.

Lilly smiled. "Psychic," she joked. "Anyway, continue."

"Well, he said he had some..."

"Drugs," Lilly clarified.

"Yeah. For me. And I said no. But..." he trailed off again.

"But you wanted to say yes."

He nodded.

Lilly sighed. "Well this is good."

"It's good that I wanted to buy heroin from him?" Joe asked, disbelieving.

Lilly chuckled. "No. It's good that you were able to say no. And it's good that you came here right away. That shows me something."

"What does it show you?" Joe questioned.

Lilly gestured towards the wall, where a cluster of photographs were. "You see the pictures up there?" she asked. There were about twenty of them.

Joe nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, those are the people that I've helped successfully over the last fourteen months since I've been working here. I'd like for you to be up there, too. And recognizing that you had to say no, but wanted to say yes, and coming in here immediately, was the right thing to do to help you in the direction of getting on that wall. I want to help you, and you really want to be helped. I can see that. Congratulations on the progress. I can already see your smiling face on that wall," Lilly said with a glowing smile.

"Really?"

"Really. Now, tell me a little bit about the rest of your day yesterday..."

--

"Miss Stewart! Miss Stewart! Over here!"

Miley turned her head and glanced in the general direction of all of the noise. She instantly regretted forgetting her sunglasses that morning. She was blinded by the flash of the cameras, and her ears were ringing with the sounds of the anxious paparazzi, who were crowded around her. Miley sighed. Ever since she had revealed her secret three years ago, everything was so different. She couldn't go anywhere, or do anything, without everyone following her all the time. At least she had her cool friends and her amazing fiance, Nick Lucas. She was on her way to meet Nick at the moment.

Miley carefully maneuvered her way across the sidewalk, before she reached the restaurant. She pulled open the door and stepped inside, with a final wave to the paparazzi. She immediately saw her fiance, sitting in the corner, wearing a hat and sunglasses. She giggled as she saw two little girls run up and ask for his autograph. After the girls walked away, Miley walked over and slid into the booth across from him. "Hey. Guess you're little disguise didn't work," she pointed out.

Nick smiled and shook his head. "It wasn't a disguise," he replied, pulling off the hat and sunglasses. "I just didn't want to cause a frenzy in here. You know how Francis gets when everybody goes crazy over us," he stated.

Miley laughed. "Yeah, I know," she said, as she removed her jacket. "I can't believe how cool it is outside today. It was so warm yesterday."

"Well, it's the beginning of November. Of course it's going to be a little chilly out," Nick responded. Miley nodded in agreement.

"What'll it be today, Lucases?" a sixty year old woman asked, as she approached Nick and Miley.

Miley giggled. "Hey, we're not married yet. Not any time soon if this one doesn't start helping me plan soon," Miley informed the woman, Francis.

Nick shot Miley a look, while Francis waited patiently for their order.

Miley smiled. "I'll have a chocolate milk and pancakes, please," she said happily. She handed the menu to Francis.

"Okay. And what about you, Mr. Won't Help Plan Wedding?" Francis asked with a smirk.

Miley giggled softly. She received another dirty look. "I'll have, uh, water. And uh, eggs," Nick said.

"Coming right up," Francis said with a tight smile. She yanked the menu out of Nick's hand and walked away, stomping her large feet as she went.

Miley snickered. She tried to avoid Nick's gaze for a few moments. Nick reached over and took Miley's hand, willing her to look up at him. "What was that about? I'd appreciate if you wouldn't go spreading to the whole world what's going on with our wedding plans," Nick said, fuming.

Miley took her hand back. "But...it's only Francis," she stammered. "We love Francis."

"Yes, I know we love Francis. But anyone in here could listen to our conversation and make it into a whole big thing," Nick pointed out.

Miley thought that over for a moment. "I guess you're right," she said quietly.

"I am," Nick said with a goofy smile.

Miley shook her head. Francis walked over and set their drinks down on the table. "The food will be out in twenty," she informed them, as usual. Then, she stomped away again.

Miley looked up at Nick sadly. "I want to plan our wedding. Why won't you let me start? We've been engaged for nearly a year. I want to get married."

Nick nodded. "I do, too. Believe me, I do," he replied, with equal sadness in his voice.

"Then why can't we pick a day and start planning?" Miley wanted to know. She took his hand again.

"Because," he replied, looking down. Miley could see the pain Nick was in, so she waited quietly for him to speak again. When he spoke, his voice came out barely above a pained whisper. "I don't want to have the wedding... until...until everything is better with Joe."

Miley hesitated, not knowing what to say. She knew how much it hurt Nick. He had barely spoken to his brother in the last year and a half. Whenever they spoke, at the occasional event or holiday, they spoke. But not very much, and not very nicely. They were always getting into arguments about everything. Everything.

Nick carefully sipped his water. Miley twirled the straw around in her chocolate milk. "Okay...we won't do anything with the wedding until things are better with you guys...but it's been, like, two years. When are things going to get better?" she said softly.

Nick shrugged. "I don't know," he replied sadly.

Miley nodded. "Well, maybe it's time you made an effort to get back on track with him," she suggested.

Nick looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe."