Hey Guys,

First and foremost sincere apologies for not having these chapters up sooner. It has been a very busy week and I hope you all survived the extra day.

I'm sure you're all waiting to see what happens between Andy and Jay. What I can say is that the next two chapters will shed a lot of light on things however we will not know for sure until next week.

Mdexter2010 again I thank you for your reviews and thank you for the compliments you give me each week they truly humble me as a writer. I also thank you for putting the start of an idea into my head that I will not elaborate on now but you will see what I mean next week.

As always I will give shout-outs and responses in the next chapter, but for now let's see what's happening in the dining-hall!...

Chapter Eighteen – Even more of an Idiot.

"Lauren?!" Andy glared at his friend.

"Don't look at me," she replied. "All food was meant to be delivered by Chef Ramon!"

"Ok, well thank you all for a lovely evening," Andy started.

"A, please!" Jay whined.

But Andy ignored him. It was one thing learning about the two of them, another having to see Rick and then dealing with this dinner and show without saying anything. But having the two in the same room at the same time, that was not going to happen.

"Rein could I see you in the foyer please?" he asked and with that he pushed his chair back, kissed Carmita and walked out of the room.

Rein had no idea what to do, but Lauren just nodded to her to follow. Now it was on her to defuse whatever she could of this situation. Though how, she had no idea.

"Am I missing something?" Carmita whispered across the table to Jay.

"Ah, yeah, something kind of big," he admitted.

"Rick! What are you doing?!" Lauren asked, now standing deciding to deal with the situation head on.

"Ramon wanted to have a smoke so I offered to bring the desert in, I had no idea it was for you guys," he admitted.

"Gee thanks," Carmita replied, now getting off her seat and making her way to the foyer.

"Carmita!" Lauren whined. "Please stay, we haven't even had desert yet."

"Something tells me the show is over," she replied and she walked steadily out of the room leaving Lauren with the two guys.

"Ok," she started. "If the oxford dictionary had a picture below the word awkward it would be of us in this very moment." She laughed lightly having no idea what to do.

"It's ok Lauren, go." Jay said. "Thanks again, I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Andy I've gone home."

As much as she wanted to intervene and stop Jay from leaving, given the chance she now wanted nothing more than to go.

"Ok boys, but play nice yeah?" she asked.

"It's ok," Jay replied. "I just want to talk to Rick for a moment."

Rick who had been standing there the whole time with the deserts in his hands now placed them on the table and took a seat. Lauren could think of a million things better for these two to do then to talk right now, but thinking better of suggesting it, she picked herself up and made to walk to the door.

"Welcome back Jay, I'm sorry it couldn't have gone better for you," she added closing the dividing doors behind her.

Once the two were alone Jay started into Rick right away. Thank goodness Lauren had shut the dividing doors.

"Remember how I told you that I was an idiot?" he started.

"Well, yeah," Rick replied. "It's sort of hard to forget."

"Well, I didn't tell Andy what happened and so now I'm even more of an idiot! Urgh!" he took a breath stressing over the situation. "We're so screwed."

"Yeah, I figured. Andy saw me earlier and ah, let's just say the look on his face? It sort of screamed darkened villain."

"Rick?" Jay asked his head in his hands.

"Yeah."

"What are you still doing here? Weren't you meant to have gone by now?"

Rick inhaled slowly. Jay was right. He was meant to have left ages ago. But that night with Jay had changed things for him and despite Jay confessing his love for Andy, Rick had in fact began developing feelings for him. To say these words however would land everyone in more hell then they already were, so he simply took a breath.

"My flight was cancelled and I didn't know what to do. Then I heard you guys were coming back tonight and figured I'd say hi to Andy before I left." He lied.

"What about John?" Jay asked.

"John? He left the night before if you can believe it."

Jay's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah, he called me not long after you left the room and told me his girlfriend had shown up to surprise him and they took a flight home together."

"Girlfriend?" Jay asked. "So you guys weren't…"

"Oh NO, no, no!" Rick waved his hands at the blonde. "John's straight and so… was I until…"

"Wait! You're kidding me! I was your first!" Jay asked getting more and more frustrated by the mess as time went on.

"Well, yeah." Rick replied. "I actually have a girlfriend at home also and…"

But that was all Jay needed to hear. Dropping his napkin, he got up off the chair.

"Goodbye Rick," he said as he walked towards the exit doors. "Go home…and don't come back."

And with that he ripped open the dividing doors and stormed out.

"*"

Meanwhile Andy was upstairs. Way upstairs. He had asked Rein to come out purely so that he could book a room. Regardless of what had happened from here he was done for the night. He wanted to sleep and sleep, without Jay. Rein had understood and aside from a quick objection had handed Andy the keys to room 510 the Praeses Locus, otherwise known as the President's suite and didn't even charge him for the night.

"I'll let Jay know," she said, handing him the keys.

"Yes, please do. But don't tell him what room I'm in. If he needs me, he'll call. But if he's smart he'll get the message and just go home."

Just as Andy was making his way to the lift Carmita came out of the dining area and upon seeing Andy strode right over to him quite purposefully. As much as she looked like she was on a mission as she approached, the moment she got to his side she acted as though nothing had happened.

"So, where are we going?" she asked as casually as someone asking an opinion on a sweater.

It was funny. Had anyone else asked him that question he would have replied with a distinction between him and the other person. But for some reason the idea of Carmita following him, didn't phase him. After all Andy had seen Carmita at her worst.

2 Years ago Carmita was offered the chance of a lifetime. The chance to sign to one of the most successful music labels in the industry. The only catch was that she needed to fake being in a relationship with her boss, who himself was a music star and had recently been seen kissing another guy.

Rather than just come out, his manager at the time had advised he adopt a fake relationship and when he chose Carmita he told her that his manager would set her up with an album and concert by year's end. Carmita had naturally agreed, but unfortunately her fake-boyfriend was shot weeks later and with no contract signed once again Carmita was tossed to the side.

Other than being quite upset about his death as they were not only in a fake relationship, but friends also, Carmita went as Aunt Deb would say 'off the deep end'. Andy had been the one she called the most and he even took a trip up to see her in Beverly Hills. The whole scene was not pretty, but when things got better Carmita had informed him that she would owe him one. It seemed she would now be paying back her debt.

As the lift opened the pair stepped inside and Andy pressed the number 6 button.

"Ooooh 6! Do we have a good view?" Carmita asked, vainly checking out her hair in the reflective mirror and moving it to a better position.

"Suite Presidente," Andy replied nowhere near as excitedly as he would have had he come here under normal circumstances.

"Presidente?! Oooh la-lah!"

The lift opened with its usual ding and the pair stepped out. Unlike the rooms on level 2, the Praeses Locus had a rich and classy feel about it and also unlike level 2, when you stepped off onto level 6 there was this feeling of stepping directly into an apartment. There were not entrance doors, it seemed, the lift was the only way in or out.

"Doesn't really come with a lot of security," Carmita said. "Anyone who drinks too much could just press 6 and be here invading your space!"

"No Carmita," Andy replied. "I swiped this card, it's a security access card," he finished showing her a white card the same size and feel of a credit card but completely blank.

Carmita accepted that and at once started looking around.

"Listen, I'm off to bed. Feel free to stay, but I'm exhausted and need to sleep," Andy said.

"I can stay?" Carmita asked, clearly excited about the prospect.

"Yes, but please keep it down I'm going to try and get some shut-eye before work in a couple of hours."

Carmita simply nodded.

"You sleep well ok? I'm here for you Andy, just call out if you need me ok?"

"Thanks Carmita," Andy replied. "I'm just grateful I have such a good friend like you."

Andy blew a kiss to Carmita and then turned on his heel and walked towards the main bedroom. There were 3 in the suite that Andy knew of, so he knew Carmita would be ok. But for now, finally, he could get some sleep.

"*"

Downstairs in the lobby, Jay was talking to Lauren and Rein.

Rein had filled him in on all of what Andy had said and Jay had decided it would be better not to call him, but to leave Andy some time to cool down first.

"Listen Jay," Lauren began. "If you and Andy want today off, I mean, I fully understand."

"Honestly Lauren, it'd be a great help for me. I won't answer for Andy obviously but for me, I'll take it thanks."

"Sure," she replied. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Andy thanked Lauren for the offer and then looked at Rein, who was clearly on the verge of tears.

"Hey…Heyyyy," he dragged out soothingly. "It's going to be okay."

He wrapped his arms around the girl as she slowly and silently wept.

"H-How do you k-know?" she asked timidly. "Everything was finally going so well between you two. How do you know it'll all work out?"

"Because no matter what, we both care about you so much. The both of you," he said looking also at Lauren.

"Regardless of what happens here and hopefully it works out for us. We will still be here for you guys!" he reassured them.

"But w-what if Andy kicks you out?" Rein asked.

Lauren looked at Rein shocked that she would ask such a question. Sure it was a good point, but did she really need to ask that now?

"Then I'm still not going anywhere," Jay replied. "As long as I have work here, I'm not leaving no matter what ok?"

Rein nodded and Lauren calmly spoke to Jay.

"Hey kid, we better get going if you want to sleep before the sun rises," she choked, trying hard not to cry herself.

"Ok, let's go," Jay said.

And giving Rein another hug, he walked away with Lauren partly wishing that Rein could have come with him and stayed the night.

Once in the car Jay apologized to his new friend.

"Lauren, I'm so sorry."

"For what kid?" she asked her eyes on the road.

"This whole mess, Rein is right, if I just hadn't slept with him…"

"Oh, kid!" she interrupted. "If I only had a nickel. The amount of times I said that after my big fight with my parents. Remember when I told you about how I got pregnant with Rein at 16?"

"Yeah and your parents wanted you to be a catholic girl?" Jay asked recalling the night at the moonlight-freeze.

"Proper upstanding young lady but yeah I guess catholic is close enough," she mused. "Anyway my point is sometimes life throws you a curve ball and it sucks kid, I get it. But all you can do is make the best of it."

"I know…" Jay sighed.

"Good," said Lauren now arriving at the house. "So tomorrow you will come to the hotel with 2 large caramel latte's and I will give you a copy of the access card for Andy's room and you will sort this out right?"

Jay smiled; he hoped it would be as simple as that.

"Sounds like a plan," Jay said getting out of the car.

He shut the door and leaned on the open window.

"Hey, why are you being so nice to me anyway?" he asked. "I still remember that look you gave me when you found out about…this…stuff."

"Good," Lauren replied. "In short, you didn't technically cheat, you just had you're priorities askew. But I'm warning you Jay, I love you like the son I never had, but you cheat on him or break his heart in any way… you and the Dètendez-Vouz…done! Capisce?"

"Capisce," Jay moaned and started walking towards the house.

"Hey Jay!" Lauren called out and he turned around. "But till then, love you like a son, kid!"

Jay smiled, as much as he could.

"Me too," he said and turned to open the door.

Despite the issue that now faced him, when Jay closed the door he took a moment and realized just how much he loved this area. It was certainly Newer then Pittsburg and indeed a Haven comparatively. When he had gone back to Pittsburg to help Andy at the trial, nothing felt the same. It was like Pittsburg was an old friend that though familiar, was no longer home. He hoped things would work out with Andy, but he knew the moment the words came out of his mouth that they were true. Provided he had a job, he would never leave New Haven and no matter what happened with him and Andy, he would do everything in his power to hang on to the friendships he had formed with Lauren and Rein.

I just hope Rick takes the next flight home. He couldn't help but think to himself.

Yes, provided Rick left everything would be okay eventually. But he knew he had a tough road ahead. Andy was not likely to just give-in so easily. Maybe if Jay had slept with a complete stranger someone that Andy didn't even know.

Or better yet, his mind yelled maybe if you hadn't slept with anyone!

Jay took of his clothes and slipped into Andy's bed. He may be back in the state now and even better only a block away, but for all Jay knew Andy might as well have been back in Pittsburg. There was no one to blame for this but himself. If he had only been honest and dealt with the situation then Andy would be lying here next to him. But as Jay looked out at the stars in the night sky from the bedroom window all he wanted was his boyfriend and all he could think to himself was that he had lost the only thing he had ever truly wanted.

"*"

Ah yes, that moment of regret when Jay realizes just how much he may have lost.

I hope you all liked the chapter; clearly Andy is not taking this news well at all. I wonder what you all think. Do you think Andy should just let it go and forgive Jay or do you think he should break it off with him?

Oh, on another note I have a question about uploading my chapters. As you know I was a day late this time and a date late 2 weeks ago and I'm wondering something. Both times I had the first of the two chapters done (so in this case 18 was done) but the second one (in this case 19) was not complete. If I get into this situation again (I hope I don't but if I do) would you prefer for me to at least upload the first chapter Monday night and then the second one as soon as it's done? Or keep it how it is and wait to upload until both are done. I am more than happy either way, just let me know.

Ok, so now that Andy and Jay are finally in bed, it's time to see what happens the following day! Click on over to chapter 19 and see…