AN: Hi! I apologise for this chapter. It's very filler-y but sets some stuff up for later on the story. Thanks for all the reviews of the previous chapter! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year! :D

20th December. Oh joy.

Elliot walks about the living room, seemingly searching for something. "Okay, so I have an hour and a half to get passports, plane tickets, and make sure both bags are ready." She shakes her head. "I'm not freaking out. Even though I haven't packed half my suitcase, upon realising the other day that some of my clothes don't fit comfortably any more and having to rush out last and buy some baggier tops and sweaters so my parents don't click immediately that I'm pregnant and spending all last night at the Laundromat washing and drying everything before spending more time ironing everything…." She trails off.

"Elliot," I tentatively ask. "Are you alright?"

She strenuously nods. "I am not freaking out."

"Okay then," I reply. She is freaking out a bit. And even though I've asked it a million times over the last couple of days, I'll ask it again. "Elliot, would you like a hand with anything?"

"No, JD, I really do not want your help," she snaps.

Exactly the response I was expecting. Hormones must suck.

Alyssa walks out of her room a second or two later. "Okay. That's me going to school."

"I thought you weren't going in today?" I say.

"I wasn't supposed to be. But it's the Christmas concert today and Kate's singing a solo and is completely terrified. I'm sneaking in for moral support."

"Okay, before you go," Elliot interrupts suddenly, "have you completely packed your suitcase?"

Alyssa nods. "Yes."

"Have you sorted your plane bag?"

"Yes."

"Do you have your passport?"

"No."

Uh-oh.

Elliot's eyebrows lower. "You don't have your passport?"

"I don't," Alyssa shakes her head.

"Why not?"

I hope to god that is a good answer. Otherwise Elliot is going to completely flip out.

"Because I gave it to you yesterday when you were freaking out because you couldn't find the plane tickets."

"That's right," Elliot nods. "So remember, we're picking you up at ten sharp, okay? And we're going straight to the airport, so you need to be out of school at ten."

"Yes, I will absolutely be out of school by ten," Alyssa laughs. "But can I please go now? Otherwise I won't get to school until ten."

Elliot points towards the door. "Go."

"Thank you." Alyssa hurries out the apartment, while Elliot continues pacing about the room.

"Elliot, are you sure you don't want me to help?" I question again. "There's a lot to do and not much time to do it."

And then the phone rings. That's helpful.

"If you want to help, get the phone."

Obeying my orders, I answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Bambi! How's it going? Is Elliot there?"

"She's here, but she's kinda busy."

"Oh, okay. I can call her cell later if that's better?"

"Hold on a second. I'll see if she's up for talking." I walk through to the bedroom where Elliot is, putting things into her suitcase. "Hey. It's Carla. You wanna talk?"

"Yeah," Elliot nods. "Could you please make sure everything is in that bag?"

"Sure."

"Thank you." Elliot takes the phone from me, and almost instantly begins talking as she leaves the room. "Hey Carla…"

Wow. For someone who was freaking out about something to do, Elliot looks fairly organised. Okay, so she does have most of her suitcase to pack, but everything is in neat plies pretty much ready to be placed straight in the suitcase. Although…. I think I'll leave the suitcase packing to Elliot. Or at least leave it until Elliot returns to makes sure I'm packing everything right. Elliot likes to have her suitcase packed in a certain order, and the mood she's in right now, she'd probably knock the head off my shoulders for getting it wrong. So I'll leave that. Elliot said she wanted her flight bag didn't she? So that would be… plane tickets… check… passports… check… Elliot's iPod and make-up… check and check. Okay, so now it's a case of trying to fit it all in the bag.

I guess I could put the passport in one of the smaller front zips. How do girls keep track of everything they keep in their bags? Hmm. There's already something in this zip. I take the thing out, and look at it. Oh. It's a copy of the ultrasound picture.

"Carla just called to wish me good luck, apparently," Elliot says as she walks back into the room and approached

"That was nice of her. Hey, you didn't tell me you kept an ultrasound picture in your bag."

"Oh, yeah," Elliot smiles. "I think it's my good luck charm. Let's hope it works this week, huh?"

School is so much fun on the last day of term. At least, St Catherine's High School is. It is my first end of term day here. At my old school, we had end of term stuff, but it was mostly contained within regular classes. We had school Mass and carol concert, of course, but nothing to this extent. The first concert is supposed to end about ten. The second starting about half past. Why are there two concerts, I hear you ask. Well, it's quite simple. Our main hall isn't quite big enough to fit the whole school in safely (apparently one year they had people sitting on the auditorium stairs and everything), so the teachers decided to have the concert in two sittings: the first for younger pupils and the second for seniors.

I'm not even supposed to be here today. So why am I? Kate is singing a solo, and all week she's been absolutely terrified. Really stressed out about it. Even at three AM, she was texting me, panicking about it. It was fine. I've got a six-ish hour flight ahead of me; I'll catch up on sleep then. I promised her I'd come in this morning for moral support, but I've had to come in for the junior showing. I've been snuck into the lighting box to watch. I guess it's lucky for me that my boyfriend helps to operate the lights on school.

Jeez, that's still sounding weird in my head. Calling Michael my boyfriend. It's just short of two weeks we've been going out now, and if I haven't been at his, he's been at mine. Or at school. Or in the lighting box.

Right now, the brass group has started playing. Kate should be on next according to the programme. She's the finale.

"So what time is your flight?" Michael asks.

"About one, I think. Then it's a whole week with my wacky family."

"Lucky you," Michael sarcastically jokes. "Who's all going to your grandparents for Christmas?"

"I honestly don't know. Well, aunt Elliot and me obviously. And I think my uncle Barry is going. Don't know about anybody else though."

"What about… what about your dad?" He hesitantly asks.

"I don't know," I quietly answer. "Hopefully not. He hasn't even been in touch for a few weeks. No letter, random photos, nothing."

Michael just looks at me, waiting for me to elaborate, I think.

"That's fine though. Good, even. I don't want to hear from him; I don't want him to send me sentimental crap. He can rot in hell for all I care. And my mother. I don't know which of them is worse. Mom, because she's made no contact, or my dad because he abandons me with my aunt and then tries to act as if he cares."

"I don't know either," Michael quietly replies.

"But anyway, enough about them."

There is applause coming from the hall, which I assume means the brass group have finished playing, which would also mean that Kate is on next. I stand from my seat and walk over to stand and look out of the lighting box window. Now, one of the music teachers is walking on to the stage and approaching the microphone.

"Well, we have now reached the end of our Christmas concert," he says. "We hope you've enjoyed all the performances. I'd now like to invite our own Katherine Findlay on to the stage to sing All I Want For Christmas Is You. Merry Christmas."

"She's gonna be pissed," I quietly say as Kate is walking on to the stage. "She hates being called Katherine."

As Kate steps up to the mic, she looks nervous. When she glances up at the lighting box, I give the thumbs-up sign. The music starts and she seems to relax just a little. By the time she's at the end of the song, you wouldn't have thought she was nervous at all. The audience applauds.

"Why, again, was Kate texting you at 3AM?" Michael asks, as the house lights go up.

"She was nervous."

"Why?"

"I have absolutely no idea," I reply. "We should go ask her."

Michael and I walk down lighting box stairs and into the busy hall. There's no real order to the way people are leaving. It's not like a normal assembly exit where everybody leaves in a regimented fashion, class by class. It's more like a non-violent, non-scary free for all. I like it.

"Can you see Kate anywhere?"

Michael shakes his head in reply. "Oh, heads up."

"Alyssa Reid." That would be my registration teacher. How fun. "Why didn't you register this morning?"

"I'm not actually supposed to be here," I reply. "Yeah, I'm supposed to be at home preparing for a whole week of hell and self-loathing at my grandparents' house in Connecticut."

My registration teacher raises a confused eyebrow, while Michael is trying (not very well, I might add) to stifle laughter.

"Right," the teacher says, with a tone that sounds as if she's debating the seriousness of my answer. "Well, Merry Christmas, then."

"Merry Christmas to you too," I say.

As soon as she's out of earshot, Michael crumbles into a fit of laughter. "Her face was priceless."

"Whose face?" Kate asks, just as she steps beside us.

"Mrs Lamont's," I answer. "Anyway, what was that you were saying to me yesterday. Something about how you were gonna be awful and you were gonna forget your word, mess up and run off stage in a flood of tears?"

Kate rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Was it really okay?"

"Okay?" Michael repeats. "Shut up."

"Yeah, you were awesome." I add. "Seriously. I am totally jealous."

"Don't be jealous," Michael says. "You're just better at other stuff."

"Yeah, like making people's ears bleed when you sing and stuff," Kate adds, smirking jokingly.

Jaw drop. "What. A. Bitch."

"I could not miss that opportunity," Kate jests.

I shake my head and glance down at my watch. "Crap. It 9.55 already? I have to go. "Okay, can you do me one favour while I'm away? Please keep money on your cell? If I have any chance of being sane when I get home, I am going to have to be texting the two of you like, all the time."

"Sure," Kate laughs.

"Okay, now I really need to go!" I hug Kate. "Merry Christmas, hon."

"You too."

"Hey, I'll walk you out," Michael says.

"Thanks. See you later," I say to Kate, as we walk out of the assembly hall. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I'd much rather stay at school than go where I'm going."

"I'd rather you were here too," Michael replies. "But that, of course, is for purely selfish reasons."

I laugh. "Of course it is. But at least I'll be back in a week. Although, that still seems like a long time with my family and their wackiness."

"Will you be able to get away from them at any point?"

"Hopefully," I answer. "I might catch up with some people from my old school."

"That'll be fun."

"Yeah." We're at the front door of the school now. "Well, this is it. I gotta go now. This sucks."

"It really does," Michael responds. "Remember to call me when you're getting on the plane?"

"For the millionth time, yes" I say, jokingly rolling my eyes at the same time.

Nothing is said after that. A hug and a kiss seems to do all the talking. The moment, however is short-lived, thanks to some jackass who decided it's still funny to yell 'get a room.' And that is why God gave humans the middle finger: so we could flip people like that off.

"Well," I sigh, "I'll see you in a week."

"See you in a week," Michael repeats.

Right now, Elliot and Alyssa are checking in for their flight, while I wait closer to the door for them to return. Sort of reminds me of the last time I was in this airport when we were saying goodbye to Elliot's parents when they visited. That was only a couple of months ago, yet it feels like much longer. A lot has changed since then. A whole lot has changed.

I am brought out of my ponderings by the sound of Elliot and Alyssa in hysterical laughter, as they walk up from the check-in desk.

"What's so funny?" I curiously ask.

"The guy that checked us in," Elliot snorts, "was the same guy that my mom flirted with endlessly last time she was here."

Alyssa shakes her head. "It was so difficult to keep a straight face."

"You can say that again," Elliot laughs.

Alyssa overdramatically shrugs and opens her mouth as if she's about to speak.

"Don't say it again," Elliot interrupts.

"Fair enough."

"I guess we should probably be heading through to the departure lounges," Elliot says. "I'm getting pretty hungry, and there is some good food through there."

"Trust you to think about the food," I joke.

"Well, you know, I eat a lot of it these days and celery sticks just don't seem to cut it any more," Elliot replies.

"I'm just going over there to buy a magazine for the plane, okay?" Alyssa says, before walking towards the shop that is just a few feet away.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for a week then," Elliot quietly says.

"I guess so," I reply. "So you ready for your parents?"

"As I'm ever gonna be," Elliot answers. "You know, I'm really going to miss you this week."

"I'm gonna miss you too." Then I kiss her.

A second later, somebody says "Get a room."

Elliot and I glance around to notice Alyssa standing beside us, leafing through her magazine.

"It was nothing personal," she says. "I just wanted to find out where the hilarity was."

"Did you find it?" Elliot asks.

"Nope."

"I guess we should go then," Elliot says, lifting up her plane bag. "I'll see you in a week."

"See you in a week," I repeat, just as Elliot and Alyssa begin to walk away towards the escalator.

Just as they step off the escalator on to the next floor, my cell phone rings in my pocket. I take it out, and glance at the incoming number.

"Hello? Yes, this is Dr Dorian. Yes, I would be able to make it. Okay, thank you. I'll be there in about an hour."

You know what I really hate about airports? Delays. They're everywhere. Those pesky little words on the screen that tell you you're stuck here for a while longer.

"How the hell can we be delayed an hour already?" Aunt Elliot asks. "We're not even supposed to take off for another two hours."

"Airports suck," I respond. "But at least the food was good."

"Yeah. Wanna get a seat?"

I nod.

The departure lounge is quite busy, but not uncomfortably so. There are quite a few delays though, so I imagine that will change later. One of the flights to the Caribbean I saw was delayed eight hours. I'd be so pissed if I were on that flight. Thank god I'm not. And now that I've thought that I've probably jinxed it and we will end up delayed eight hours. Damn.

My aunt and I take seats that are quite close to our departure gate. This area isn't too busy yet. Other people that are on the flights have probably had the good sense to find other things to do before making their way to the gate.

"I'm gonna call JD," my aunt says. "Tell him we're already delayed."

While my aunt is calling, I find my own cell phone from my bag and text Kate and Michael, basically telling them the same thing.

"That's weird," Elliot semi-musingly says. "He's not answering his phone. Never mind. He's probably with a patient; I'll call later."

My cell then beeps, thanks to an incoming message from Michael. That sucks. Hope you're not delayed any more. Call me when you're getting on the plane x.

"Remind me to call Michael when we're getting on the plane," I quietly say. "If we ever actually get on the plane," I mutter.

"Sure," my aunt replies. "Oh, remind me when we go back that Carla owes me twenty bucks."

"Carla owes you twenty bucks?" I enquiringly ask.

"Yeah. We, um… had a wager going on when you and Michael were gonna hook up."

I shake my head. "You realise how wrong that was, right?"

My aunt laughs. "Sorry."

"I guess it's fair though," I continue. "Kate and I had the same bet going on with you and JD."

"Fair enough," Elliot replies. "So are you happy?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I'm glad. He's a good kid. But I think there's a certain talk I'm supposed to have with you now."

I lower my eyebrows. "If it's the talk I'm thinking of, are you really the best example?"

"Shut up," Aunt Elliot laughs. "And if anything, I am a good example of why you should listen to the talk."

"Yeah, okay," I reply. "Just to clarify, what is your escape plan for when Granddad hits the roof when you tell him you're pregnant?"

"Uh, to run."

"Wow, you're screwed."

Aunt Elliot shakes her head. "I know, it's a rubbish plan, but it's the best I can come up with. You know, I've been thinking about it, and he can't really say anything. JD and I aren't married, but we might as well be in every way other than actually having a wedding, even if we aren't actually ready for that. And yeah, okay, so we've broken up a few times in the past, and we've both done stuff to really hurt each other. I mean, we've done some awful things to each other. But it's been different this time, right from the start. Right from the beginning, I think we both knew things were different this time."

"Wow," I quietly mutter, mostly because I have nothing else to say.

Before anything else is said, there is a tannoy announcement regarding our flight.

"American Airlines regrets to inform all passengers that this flight is now delayed two hours. Departure time is now 1500 hours. We apologise for the inconvenience caused."

"I knew that was going to happen," I complain, rolling my eyes.

My aunt sighs. "Yeah, me too."

Okay, so now thanks to my meeting, along with dropping Elliot and Alyssa off at the airport, I'm two hours late for work. But nobody will have noticed, right?

"Hey dude," Turk says when he sees me. "You're two hours late! You realise Kelso is going to be on the warpath."

"Yeah, well he can just suck it."

"So where were you?" Turk questions.

"I," pause, "just sold the half-acre."

Turk lowers his eyebrows. "You sold the half-acre. Why?"

"It was just time," I answer. "I need the money from it to help with other things."

"Like what?"

"Just… other things."

So, after a four-hour delay, six-hour flight and a really unpleasant taxi ride, I have finally arrived at my grandparents' house. My aunt Elliot and I are standing at the front door, waiting for someone to answer.

Then my granddad opens the door. And let the torture commence!

"Hello. You two are a bit late, aren't you? Everyone's here already," He says, as he lifts our bags into the hall.

"Our flight got delayed," My aunt answers. "For four hours."

With no further comment, I walk into my grandparent's living room, which is surprisingly busy. There's Grandma, Uncle Barry, Uncle Bradley, Uncle Billy and…

Oh, my god, is that my dad?