DISCLAIMER: I am borrowing the amazing characters from New Girl.

SPOILERS: S2x15, S2x17

AUTHORS'S NOTE: Thank you for the kindness and encouragement. A bit of resolution is coming up, and the story's end is not far in sight!

To cheer Jess up, Cece took Jess to the craft store where Jess spent an hour and a half looking over the different colored balls of yarn, knitting needle extenders, and ribbons she would need for the new hat she was making. Cece helped Jess by offering feedback on various color combinations of yarn and ribbon. After settling on a ball of teal yarn and deep purple ribbons ("I'll make a peacock hat!," exclaimed Jess), Jess and Cece purchased their items and left the store.

Next, Cece and Jess went to the lotion store.

"Cece, what do you think about this one? I think this one is brown sugar pomengranate, but I can't decide if I like this one more than the vanilla one I usually buy." Jess rubbed a bit of lotion on a tester, waved the tester in the air in front of her nose, and sniffed the air.

"Mmm?" asked Cece distractedly.

Jess looked over at Cece and saw that she was texting. "Oh, I'm sorry, I can give you some privacy," Jess took her tester and lotion and started moving to the other side of the room.

"What? Oh, no, Jess, I'm sorry, I just got distracted. Sure, let me smell that one?" asked Cece. Jess moved closer to Cece and let her sniff the tester. "Hmm. I like that one. It's different. But, I don't know—the vanilla one smells homey, and it makes me think of you. You could get both maybe? Aren't they 3 for $15? Then I could get one too."

"Sure, Cece!" beamed Jess. Cece smiled, and went back to texting.

"Cece?" asked Jess. Jess placed the tester in the waste bin and placed two lotions, vanilla and brown sugar pomengranate, in her shopping basket.

"Yeah, Jess?" asked Cece. She looked up curiously from her phone.

"Thanks for today. You're a good friend." Jess smiled.

"Any time, Jess. Any time," Cece smiled back at her. Cece went back to texting.

Jess and Cece spent the rest of the afternoon together. Finally, afternoon turned to evening, and at 5:30pm, Cece said to Jess, "Well, girl, I should probably start heading back. I promised Nadia and the girls I'd go out with them to this new club. If you'd like, I can swing by your place and drop you off?"

"That's great, Cece. Thanks!" replied Jess. Jess and Cece got into Cece's car and rode in companionable silence to the loft.

As Cece pulled into the visitor parking spot outside the loft, Jess sighed. "I suppose I have to tell Nick sometime, right? Just have the courage and dive right in."

Cece and Jess got out of the car. "Well, it's lucky then that you, Jess Day, have buckets of courage." As they walked into the building and rode up the elevator to the fourth flour, Cece gave a small, secret smile, and looked at Jess out of the corner of her eye. "Besides, something tells me that you and Nick will work things out."

Jess looked at Cece with gratitude but saw the secret smile that Cece was giving her. "Thanks, Ceec . . . wait a minute. I know that smile. Cece Parekh, are you hiding something from me? Why are you giving me that smile? What do you know that I don't know?"

"Jess, you know I love you, and I only did it for your own good." The elevator dinged, and the doors opened onto the fourth floor. "Now do me a favor. Give your hair a good, model, shimmy-shake, and take a bit of this lotion and put it on here . . . and here. Great. Now use my lip gloss . . . " Cece mumbled as she tended to Jess' ablutions.

"Cece! What are you doing? Why are you doing this? What is going on!" exclaimed Jess.

"Okay, you're set. Now remember, be brave, and speak from your heart," Cece coached as they approached the door to 4D. Jess gave her a dubious, but excited look, unlocked the door, and stepped into the loft.

"Oh. My. God." gawked Jess.

"Well, Winston, I think that's our cue. Nick, man, have a good night. Jess, no matter what, we love you. Right, Winston?" asked Schmidt. Schmidt gathered his wallet and keys and walked toward the door.

"Nick, I love you. Don't screw this up. And Jess, I hope you have a good night," said Winston. On their way out the door, Winston and Schmidt both gave Jess a hug and greeted Cece.

"Boys, this looks great!" beamed Cece.

"Thanks for helping out, Cece. We couldn't have done it without you," replied Winston.

"Cece! Way to keep our girl, Jess, out of the loft, and way to bring her back just in time. As a reward, let me show you my new Spring 2013 bowtie," bragged Schmidt as he.

"Enough with the bowties!" laughed an exasperated Cece as the three left the apartment. "Schmidt, you can only come to the club with us if you do not wear that bowtie. And Winston, I hope you'll be able to come with us as well?"

"Daisy and I have dinner plans, but thanks. Maybe we'll come afterwards, if that's all right?" asked Winston.

The door shut softly behind them and left in the loft were Nick and Jess.