Hey there,

Quogan fans! Welcome back, it's Thursday! And we're on time again! FINALLLY! Okay admittedly it's LATE Thursday, may be reaching some of you on Friday! But it's STILL time to party! And time for our weekly dose of Quogan. I have been preparing other posts alongside this one. So it's a little short, but such an important part of the story. I'm going with it! You'll see what I mean! Here we go!

Standard disclaimers Apply! - I don't own Zoey 101, Zoey 102, Nickelodeon, MTV, or any of the other trademarked things mentioned. I am merely borrowing all of these things for my own twisted amusement and plots. Most will be returned unharmed.

Special thanks to the few of you who have placed this story on you favorite list or story alert list. Also thank you so much to the few of you who have placed me on your author's alert or favorite author's lists. It's high praise and I hope I'm doing it justice.

Special thanks to my reviewers from the last chapter: {my friend} Guest Nina (This week has been better, thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. Writing thankfully was my saving grace throughout all of these recent hardships and challenges. It's that thing that helps me most to remain sane… well, mostly. LoL! YAY! I'm so thrilled that the last chapter was a good fitting reunion! And yes, Logan's part in the births was so fun to write. As well as how he's fitting into such a animal-friendly place. THANK YOU so much for giving me so much peace of mind after posting. It's gonna be interesting when everything flips and Quinn's the guest. I'm a little nervous for her too, I have to admit. Even though it's my story. I don't feel like it's me shaping the events as they unfold. It feels like each week I sit down with them and they tell me what happes. I'm just taking dictation. But I know it's all gonna work out. ANd I have been drafting that here and there a little. It'll be here before we know it. And I'm so thrilled the spice is nice, and the softer moments are bringing it too! Thank you so much for your support, your friendship and your kindness! Hope this is reaching you as you unwind at the end of your day! Hope you're having a GREAT week. Take Care and Much Love!), and AwkwardGurl05 (No worries, yes, I have run into that same problem on this site. Where you've gotta make it count because they won't let review a chapter more than once. That is true, and Quogan are relationship goals in the support department. I wish Zoey had been more supportive too. I really feel like it makes more sense too. WHen you consider what she herself went through with trying to date Chase long distance, it not working. Trying to date James, it not working. Then jump to her now dating Chase Finally after so much jumping around. It doesn't just make sense because Quinn's one of her best friends, but after so much strife I see Zoey being more protective and working on herself a little. To improve the things she needs to work on. I'm so glad to hear that you're excited for how I'm gonna fix the whole Hawaii thing. Because it is something I'm excited about at the same time as nervous. The movie [though I love most of] kind of left Hawaii this BIG mess. The kind of mess that we fanfic writers hear the Call to fix. And while this is a Quogan story… I really can't wait to dip into all of that too. You make me feel so much better moving forward on that. Yes! I'm glad too that Zoey didn't stop Quinn from trying to get Mark back. It shows that not only can the smartest people act crazy when they THINK they're in love. But ALSO how amazing it can be when REAL love shows up and the RIGHT person tells her what she needed to hear{when Logan helps out AFTER she's realized it's truely over! Ahhg! I love it!} Yes! I was on the edge of my seat when she left too. ANd also HOW weird it was for him that they weren't talking the next day too! I was flipping out about that too. It was so strange to him, to not be getting any feedback or anything from her. SO CUTE! And YES! I love whenever we got to see Logan show some of that big heart he has too. It really didn't happen enough! Thank you so much for saying what you did about writing from their perspectives too. It isn't always easy, but I believe their gonna tell it way better than anyone else. So I put in that extra time, effort and buckets of FEELS along the way. I try really hard everytime, to make it feel like we're perched infront of our tvs. Watching the series again too, because that it the ULTIMATE fanfic experience. When you feel taken back to those days! It means so much that you enjoy it and are proud of me! That really does mean the world to me! And I try to give all characters some spotlight. But Quinn and Logan MOST of all! Yeah, it was totally weird that Zoey was trying to be like a reality star villain in her own movie. It was like someone has spent a little too much time in that life and world. But she was a little better by the end… sorta. Again, gotta fix it! Yes! Logan's kinda creating a mini shrine to Quinn in his grandparents back yard. Much less creepy than Helgas in Hey Arnold, LOVED that growing up. Helga's was mad creepy, all of them. But like you said her heart was in the right place in the end. All of your reviews, letters, PMs ALWAYS brighten my day and I'm answering your letters as soon as I get this posted. We both always have so much to say! It was a pleasure getting to celebrate your birthday through a story… and it's not over, I am gonna post on that one again soon too. I'm so thrilled that I could give you something to look forward to. And THRILLED you liked it! Thank you for understanding when I had to miss a couple of posts. I'm still beating myself up about it and this post is going up LATE Thursday… But thanks so much for understanding! I can't even tell you how I appreciate that. Chapter 7 was a trip, I'm so Tickled that you enjoyed the cuddles and snuggles at the beginnning. As well as the births of the new crias. Yes, I'm a major Scooby fan, so had a little too much fun with those references [and can't remember if I mentioned it before but I played Velma last Halloween! Wink wink!] I feel the same, I think Quinn and Logan would be awesome parents. I hope I GET to write that story one day too. Eventually! I have so many plans and hope I can accomplish them all! They do have those skills on LOCK! And Early! It should be explored! Yes, Quinn was looking and YES! He did it to get a reaction out of her. I FULLY believe that! And he wasn't good at hiding it! More cuddles on the way! And yes, he would snuggle her always if he could! Hope this is reaching you with plenty of sunshine! Hope you're having a GREAT week! Take Care and Much Love!)

Enjoy!

"How We Spent Our Summer Vacay!"

Chapter 8 - He Said, She Said

(Logan's Perspective)

I still can't believe I'm finally out! For the whole summer now! And I'm finally back where Quinn is. I can't get over that.

I even had beginnings of a nightmare once, while I was sleeping. But it didn't get a chance to get really bad, before Quinn was waking me up and hugging me so tight. I forgot all about what I'd been seeing before. Making me realize none of what I had just seen was real… but she was.

She'd even rubbed my back and stroked the back of my head till I was falling asleep again. Something only my grandparents and dad have ever done for me before this. And as far as I can tell, that's how we slept the rest of the night.

This morning when I woke up for real, the first thing I noticed was sea green ceilings and walls of her room. But the next thing was her all curled up into my side. No glasses, no heart monitors or IVs. And I didn't want to move, she was so beautiful. She was sound asleep. I just held her for a little while.

Nothing… no trip, no place in the world could possibly beat this one. Not for me…

But then an alarm started going off on her phone, a little while later. Her hand came up to stop it even though she didn't move any other part of her body at all. And she forgot again that I'm here. Because when I'd had to move and I'd stretched. She'd felt me underneath her. She'd laughed out my name, and said. "I forgot again, and thought I was dreaming."

"Nope, that part was all real." I reminded before I'd asked her. "How are you?" As it looked like it had hurt her to move and I was automatically trying to take her hands and help her..

She explained, " I must have rolled over in my sleep and spent most of the night on top of my worst injuries. Cause I'm feeling them right now."

What I had seen of them had been terrible when they'd happened. Later she was ALL bandages everywhere. So I'd asked. "Can I see them?"

And she'd sat up sticking her glasses over her eyes first. Then saying "Sure," after a stretch of her own. "But fair warning they're pretty ugly."

"Nope! Don't wanna hear that." I told her. "You're beautiful and a few scrapes, burns, and new marks aren't gonna change my mind about that. Now let me see how things are healing since I saw it last."

She'd shot me this very unsure face, but did as I asked. She was sitting up and I was still laying flat on my back. She flipped up the back of her shirt to show me the places still healing on her back. I had to help her move it around and let me see it all.

She'd gotten most of these when she'd almost been put completely through her lab wall. We'd found her sort of hanging on it from it by her clothes. I'd still been seeing it over and over again in my nightmares.

It was a relief seeing her bruises had all started to yellow already. Like they do right before they disappear. To see that while the cuts and burns were all still very red, pretty fresh looking, and aggravated. And all of her stitches were gone now. ALL of it was trying to heal and when she was pointing them all out to me and saying which ones hurt or were the ugliest. I couldn't help it I just sat up, put my arms around her from behind. My fists pressed to her stomach and kissed her bared back. And thanked her for letting me see it. Because it really did make me feel better.

While I was hugging her and her shirt was still flipped up. She asked, kinda shakily… "Do you wanna see the ones on the front too? Or from the surgery?"

I didn't hesitate, "Yes… BUT!" I'd answered her so fast I had to make it clear. "Only what you're comfortable showing me, and ONLY if you want to." I know some injuries had happened where her lab coat had flapped open. That had knicked or burned one of her breasts a little too. The girls had been talking about how painful it must have been. I knew I wasn't gonna see those.

"It's okay, I think… it could be helping me letting you see them too… because I've been staring at them and using mirrors to see them all and… and… I don't think it's been very good for my mental progress."

"Not with all that ugly talk." I had to agree.

"It's the only way I can describe it." She'd reasoned.

"Well, I'll tell you what, let's see if I can find some better words. While we're at this." I tried to make it sound more fun. While she thinks she's showing me her historically superfical boyfriend the ugliest parts of her right now. She's even seen a lot of my step moms and almost moms. The half that make up the silcon valley. I had the odds stacked SO against me right now and I needed her to KNOW that none of this had chaged a thing for me… it was so important.

But leave it to Quinn to tease back, "Really? You;ve got other words coming to mind besides that one? You don't think as my boyfriend that you'll be the least bit biased?"

"Oh no! As your boyfriend I'm TOTALLY biased. But I'm pretty certain that's what you need to hear right now." I'd let her know while I was still holding her tight. Needing her to smile and lighten up a little though I added, "Or we could just stick with letting me see this much and letting me spend the rest of our wake up time kissing every one of these boo-boos better."

She'd laughed, "You can't just go kissing all over my back."

"The hell I can't," I'd said so sure, before I fixed it. "Unless you reallly don't like me kissing you there."

But she did it, she'd started the fire by saying, "No, I pretty much like you doing that just about anywhere-"

"Yeah?" I said, so happily. I'd heard that myself.

She's was talking turning to face me and see my face."Yeah, pretty much, so far - Oh no! What have I done?"

"We'll see," I'd played it cool. "But first I wanna see what's going on, on your other side." I'd told her and she turned to face me better.

First she lifted the bottom of her shirt slightly to show me on her flat stomach. Where the surgery had happened, and those cuts did look far more straight and cleaner cut. Then all of the others I'd seen. She was still taping them up too, even though the stitches were gone. Because she was that worried about them still popping open. She just felt more comfortable covering them a little longer. And when I put my arms around her again, and my hands could feel the small of her back, that curve…all of her back around those marks felt knotted and tense. Even to my hands. Either she's in a lot more pain than she's letting on or she's catering that much more to these wounds.

Then she'd pulled the shirt back down and widened her neckline to show me the places on her upper arms, shoulders, collar bones, and neck. Where there was a light peppering of fading burns and cuts hidden. By her clothes if not her hair. I did steal a glimpse as she'd been adjusting the scooped neckline around, some of the burns she wasn't showing me too. I wished I could see them too but I understood how those had to remain private… for now anyway. And I ended up wishing for about the MILLIONTH time that we'd been more intimate before the fire. So I could see everything and there wouldn't be any of this mystery… Well, there were plenty of other reasons too. But those were the ones sticking out the most at the moment.

But I had seen a lot of her worst ones. She wasn't mummified with wrappings as much anymore. But I still felt like I needed to be so careful when I hugged her. Because she's come a long ways, but she's still got a ways to go. I kissed the marks on her shoulder, cause it was closest when I hugged her. And I told her, "I'd seriously kiss them all if that wouldn't be too weird."

And she'd hugged me again tighter, saying. "I know you would, but I'm okay, really. Thanks to you… and Vince."

I ended up just making out with her and by the end of it we were both laying flat again somehow and STILL kissing. While I was saying every word I could think of that she was. UGLY wasn't ONE of them!

Needless to say, it was an even heavier makeout session following that. And I still wonder where it could have gone. If it hadn't been interrupted by Quinn's aunt Marion. Calling to remind us we did have things to do today. She would be heading to her Zoo soon and we were supposed to be going with her.

So we'd lied and said we were both ready walk out the door. When really we both needed get dressed. So we'd both raced getting ready in a hurry. When I stepped out of the spare room I was supposed to be staying in. Quinn was halfway down the stairs insisting on walking the rest of the way. She was slightly faster than yesterday, but she was rushing like crazy too. Claiming breakfast would be grabbed on the way.

I had been thinking just me and Quinn were tagging along. But it turns out Marion was shuttling a bunch of the farm's workers to train them in African animal upkeep. When she and Irvine leave for their honeymoon (In Africa), all of the animal care will be left up to the workers until they come back in two weeks. So it was important for ALL of them to know what they were doing. AND for the animals to adapt to all of these new faces.

So we were sitting side by side in a van packed with people. All eating McDonald's breakfasts on the ride. Even that had been fun with Quinn because She kept stealing bites from mine and I kept stealing bites of hers. She kept telling me to "Wait on coffee though. The stuff at the zoo was way better than the stuff served at that McDonalds."

Not all of them, just this one location in particular.

So I'd taken her advice and was SO glad I did. One of the other workers had order the coffee to show me what Quinn meant and it looked like Tar. You couldn't stir it!

The first stop in the zoo was the cafe, the zoo hadn't even opened to the public yet. But the baristas would make us whatever we wanted. While they were prepping for open hours. Then the coolest part of this day (besides where I'd woke up) kicked off. Helping with ALL the different animals throughout the Zoo. I had to admit, most zoos I've been to were sadder and dirtier than this one. Marion and ALL the workers did not let this place be like that.

Even though they're closing down the place, where all of these animals Marion cares for live. Even though it is gonna get torn down and redesigned for other animals. That place was spotless to a shininess. And all of the animals were older, sure. But none of them were sad or boring. Quinn wouldn't admit it but she lit up the most for those animals who were all moving to the farm soon.

The hippos she'd even gotten them winking at her and splashing the workers. We both got to help give the rhinos baths and the elephants too. One elephant named Sally got all excited when it saw Quinn coming her way. When Quinn called to her and waved that elephant waved back with her trunk. And squirted Quinn and me more than once with her trunk too. When it was her turn to get cleaned up. I had no idea elephants could be that playful, but Quinn reminded me. "That's why I advised wearing a swimsuit. They're like this EVERY time."

She also explained these elephants hadn't always been in zoos. They had been circus performers born into that life. So they were used to entertaining and LOVED spotlights as much Lola. The Male elephant named "Morty," even managed to STEAL the hose and spray everyone. When his trunk wasn't effective enough. It was all a blast!

Even with all of that fun and even though I shouldn't have had time to daydream. I did keep kinda doing that whenever Quinn wasn't around or whenever I got in the hang of things. The whole day felt like a blur until we were back in Quinn's house again. At the end of the day, we'd both needed to shower up after elephants spraying us back. That one with the hose had gotten everyone. But even as wet and cold as Quinn had to be… she STILL looked like a knock out. How can she think any part of her was even CLOSE to being ugly? We sat closer to each other during the ride home for warmth.

When we could have gone back to the farm and had dinner with everyone. I'd opted for some alone time of our own. Ordering take-out to arrive at a set time when we'd split up. Plus, we'd both promised to meet up digitally with our friends for a group chat(s). Strictly all girls meeting in one and all the guys meeting up in another. Because SOME of these people (not me or Quinn… I hope) needed to vent about stuff and wanted to do this someplace safe. So I'd set up my laptop downstairs in the spare room, that's supposed to be mine. Even if this was the first time I'd used it for anything besides hiding things from Quinn or changing. Quinn was having hers in her room upstairs. We didn't need a floor between us. I thought I had nothing to hide.

But just when the guys DID get started I was so glad that whole story divided us. If she'd heard some of the things said… I don't even wanna know what would have happened.

I was SOOOOOO glad I'd thought ahead enough to call Chase. Before the chat time, and made him remind Zoey to remind ALL the girls not to SPOIL any of the surprises I'm still hiding too. Brooks promised she'd keep those things confidential AND keep the other girls in check for me too… She'd remind them before she'd sent the invite to let Quinn into the group chat. I really hope she can.

It would really suck if Lola were to go mouthing off. Just because she's mad at her mom or Vince, her neighbor, or whoever she met today. And RUIN all my well-laid plans. You know? It wouldn't be the first time that had happened or the last. So I'd just made sure. But Chase and Zoey's voices had both sounded kinda weird over that WHOLE phone call. So when Michael was done complaining about how rough his road trip started out. How much worse it had gotten when Michael had run into one of his former crushes. When Vince was done complaining about Lola's slutty neighbor trying to jump his bones ALL the TIME! Like creepy, always watching him from the bushes and between the blinds 'Lifetime' movie channel original kinda of creepy. EVEN showing up underwater in Lola's pool late at night, when Vince was supposed to be meeting Lola. She even dressed like Lola and styled her hair the same…Just EEW! Too creepy! Too MUCH! They do need to get outta there!

I did finally get to ask Chase, "What up with all that weirdness when I called?"

Chase had said… trying to be cryptic, "Weirdness? What Weirdness?"

But the other guys backed me up. James added, "How about the strange tone both you and Zoey had in your voice? The other day with me, too? Was it like that?"

Before I could even agree with him, Michael said. "Or the ca-razy way you too couldn't seem to catch your breath the other day, too? When you were both talking to me?"

Chase shrugged visibly rattled, "We'd both been running."

"Running from what?" we all asked together.

And he said, "Not runnning from anything, just you know running for sport, around my block. Zoey's very athletic."

I pointed out, "But you're not!"

"I AM… sometimes…" Chase insisted.

Michael asked, "Oh? That explains the breathlessness and sweat. But then why weren't either of you outside?"

"You know…" Chase shrugged again, looking cornered. All of us guys were wearing the same expressions on our faces. Cause we ALL knew what he wasn't saying. So finally Chase came clean. "Oh! ALRIGHT! You caught me… you ALL did interrupt moments… powerful ones… happening between Zo and me? Romantic ones! HAPPY!"

Vince asked, "Now, was that so hard?"

"YES!" Chase said.

While Mark asked (I'd forgotten he was here), "How romantic are we talking about exactly?"

"I'm not gonna kiss and tell!" Chase said, even if he basically just did. And Zoey's his steady girlfriend now, who's gonna care?

James told him, "What do you think the girls are doing right now in their conversation? Why else were we not permitted to the party?"

We all said it with him, "Because we're who they're talking about."

Vince said, "Yes, so doesn't that give us sort of a free pass to a little helpful transparency here? Knowing the girls are doing that right now?"

We all sort of grumbled our opinions, but we were all kind of agreeing with him. Before Chase said, "Since Zoey and I started dating and planning out this summer. We hadn't really gotten to be alone together. Till now, and… I don't know… I already feel like I'm losing control with her. Everytime we get to be together… you know?"

I said before I could stop myself, "I know how you feel."

Then all the guys said, "REALLY? YOU & QUINN?"

"Shut up!" I defended. While they were all 'whoo'ing and cat calling. "QUIET! YA - IDOITS!"

They all quit but were still grinning at me. "I just mean Quinn and I were always hiding things for so long. And staying across campus from each other. Now their's just a staircase between us-"

Vince asked, "This is the first you've been in what's supposed to be your room, isn't it? Cause I doubt that staircase STAYED between you."

"I only GOT here YESTERDAY, ya JERKS!" I reminded them, This was Monday and they'd gotten to be with their girls since dismissal on FRIDAY! Lucky b stards! I'd had to WAIT! For this! Impatiently for WEEKS! And my girl was snatched away early for her summer. My short fuse had been sparked!

James said in his zen master of the world tone, "How relieved are you to finally be with her again?"

"Relieved doesn't even cut it, man." I did have to say. As I sat a little more comfortably on the bed. My laptop was sitting on.

"So she's healing and feeling better?" Vince asked with a worried edge in his tone too. Both of us had been especially worried since we'd seen her at her worst. The others ahd all missed that part thankfully. Even if they hadn't missed my complete fall-apart moment.

I told him, "Yeah, she's still having some pain and struggling with speed or stairs. But she's not covered in wrapped bandages. She's getting a little better everyday, like she's been saying." I had to fight thinking about the marks she'd been showing me this morning. Or when we'd been practicing walking through the parts of the Zoo where Marion and Irvine's wedding would be taking place. She'd walked it adorably eight times, trying to gain speed. But the more tired she got the slower she started to get. And I'd ended up walking with her and even showing her wedding march timing. I could march that in my sleep. Just from the practice my Dad had given me, with all of his personal weddings as well as the weddings that had happened in his films or series.

"Earth to LOGAN!" Michael interrupted my daydream.

"What! What?" I'd freaked.

"Were you here for anything I just said?" Michael asked all huffy and puffy.

"I was here, I just wasn't listening," I confirmed and he repeated.

"The bottom line of my current epiphany is that women all have different ideas. Of when they want their romantic relationships to get intimate. And mostly ALL men have the same one!"

"Whoa!" I felt blindsided. How in the world did we get there? I wasn't listening for a minute and Michael's gonna say something like that?

He explained with no small amount of frustration. "Do you know that my little Lisa in a lady who expects absolutely no intimacy like that! Till she's MARRIED? MARRIED!"

And no, I didn't know this about Lisa. But me and ALL of Michael's friends agreed. It made since, James even reasoned, "She's very strong in her born-again Christian faith Michael. All those girls are like that… mostly."

"Maybe! But I know not ALL of them are and this is a NEW millennium, for goodness sake! Do any of your girlfriends expect the same thing?"

Mark spoke first shocking everyone, "Stacey wants to wait till she's at least engaged first. That's pretty close to what Lisa's saying?"

Michael asked before I could, "You haven't even started dating her yet and you guys talked about this?"

Mark made me sick as he explained, "Of course, we did. It's important to know! Quinn did too, when we were dating."

Easy stomach! Don't think about it! You'll punch you laptop screen.

But Vince HAD to ask! "Did she feel the same as Stacey?"

"Nope," Mark explained while I tried to not flip my screen closed. But Mark talked on, "Quinn said we'd cross that bridge when we got to it… And we never got to it."

I'd held it back for as long as I could. "BECAUSE!" I'd snapped. "She could barely get you to hold her hand OR kiss her! She felt BAD asking you for it! And she SHOULDN'T - HAVE - to - ASK! Not the person who was her BOYFRIEND for OVER 2 YEARS!" It was well known, nothing new, but it felt GOOD to screech at him… even remotely. It would have been better if I'd gotten to scream it into his bored face… again. This subject was new, but the fact that Mark had NEVER treated Quinn right was old news.

And all of the guys, even Mark were smiling at me. Mark agreed annoyingly, "You're right! She shouldn't and I doubt she ever has to ask you." (I didn't WANT him to AGREE!) It's moments like these that make me question… Why are we friends with him… remind me?

"NO! She DOESN'T!" I confirmed.

But then the guys cornered me, when James had asked me, "Did Quinn tell you the same thing? When you guys talked about this?"

I lied and said, "Of course she did!" Because I didn't want them to know we hadn't really talked about it… not the way they have, with their girls… They couldn't know that!

Michael recapped, "SEE! All the girls have different answers! It's like they got a glance at the cheat sheet and made sure none of them gave the same answer once! Let's see if I've got this right, now? Lisa wants to wait till she's married. Stace wants to wait till she's engaged-"

"At least," Mark added for Stacey's benefit.

Michael said, "Quinn said… whatever Quinn said-"

Mark again (the PRICK) corrected him, "That she'll cross that bridge when she gets to it...That's what she told me, anyway. And we just never got to it but Logan might." Seriously I would hit him if he lived closer! I'm gonna hit him the next time I see him! I really don't like Mark knowing something about her that I DON'T! Something this personal JUST… I'm REALLY not feeling THAT! At ALL!

Michael went on, "Zoey wants a chance to date a little first and not jump the gun. We all KNOW Lola and Vince aren't waiting. They were doing that within their first few DAYS together. I STILL can't figure out HOW! Living on campus, that was possible! But we all know that! Lola told us before you were even in the group, Vince."

Vince said, "Yep, and I know I wasn't her first. But I'm gonna be the last, that's all that matters to me."

James chimed in, "Lydia was with her first boyfriend and he hurt her so badly. In EVERY way…She's scared now. That's all I know and I'm NOT gonna push the subject… She'll talk to me when SHE'S ready and I can wait..."

Vince finished for him, "However impatiently."

James said, "No, really! My goal is to first prove to her I'm nothing like her first boyfriend. That's my whole goal this summer and I'm really not worried about anything else…"

I (Logan) had to say, "Good for you!"

And even though there had been a whole lot more talked about. That was what I'd been still thinking about when I'd ventured upstairs. I could hear Quinn signing off with the girls as I came up the stairs. I knocked and let her know, "Dinner's here."

"It is?" She asked, "I was just about to come ask you what you wanted to do."

"I was ordering it and setting a time for delivery in the car ride home." I grinned picking her up and just walked with her. She'd fought me on it for minute. But she gave us we were coming down the stairs and kissed me instead.

She let me know, "I suspect even though our conversations were the seperate. That their content was all the same."

"Me too," I'd said as we we'd crossed the last few steps and I showed her what I'd set up. Dinner and a movie with our alpaca family all huddled together in their corner of the living room. A place Otis and Maybelline seemed to know all too well. Stretched out together facing the screen and chewing away on their dinner. And the baby girls were up and exploring. Good thing our dinner was up high and sealed with lids or they would have probably been trying to get to it. After spending all day at the zoo, Quinn seemed tickled to see the crias, and spend some time with all of them. She'd even gotten down in the floor with them first before she came over to see what I'd ordered on the sly.

She'd asked, "What am I gonna do with you?"

"What?" I'd smiled as she came back to me flirted.

"You somehow arranged all this in total secret, even when the rest of the day was so nuts?"

"Today was fun, but you know it wasn't the craziest day we've ever had." I'd shrugged, putting my arms around her and we just held onto each other for a second.

She'd agreed, "No, not the craziest… not by half."

Otis loudly squawked at us and Quinn told him. "Okay, okay! Hold your horses." And she'd turned on the tv for him. It was like she knew exactly what he'd said, because that was exactly what he'd wanted. He settled right back down and was really watching it too.

She tugged me over tot he couch and I was still smiling so big. She'd asked me, "What?"

"Otis watches tv? Like he really watches it?" I had to ask.

"Oh yeah, he loves it… but don't put it on disney channel… he hates that." She'd advised.

"Seriously?" I'd asked as I got comfortable and so did she.

"Watch this," she whispered. As she turn the channel to disney and immediately both grown alpacas were rioting and pleading with us to turn the channels. I was laughing so hard, Otis was even trying to take the remote away from Quinn so she couldn't do that again. Hilariously!

The rest of dinner was peaceful and the family settled together so well in their corner. That Quinn decided to let them sleep in their little corner for the night. And I carried her back up stairs. She'd hymphed at me and said, "I would tell you I need to practice taking more stairs before Friday… but you're still gonna insist on carrying em aren't you?"

"Yep!" I let her know, before shrugging, "There may or may not be another surprise waiting on the bed for you, up here too."

"More surprises?" She'd asked. "Dinner wasn't the only one?"

"Nope, and there's gonna be a whole bunch more tomorrow." I'd hinted, she had no idea I had a whole cria shower planned. I just told her it would 'all be happening after we helped out at the farm.' When really, it was gonna be first thing tomorrow in the barn. We were keeping her out of it tonight for a reason. Thank goodness she hadn't picked up on it. Even when I got our alpaca fam to join us.

But that was all tomorrow and this was happening right now. When I put her down on her bed. There was her yearbook waitign for her on top of her homesick blanket. She gasped and picked it up to flip through the pages. "My yearbook! You got it! I thought I wasn't gonna see this till Hawaii?"

"Yeah, Zoey and Lola let me hand it off to you instead. I think everyone signed it too." I'd told her, and then I'd gotten to cozy up with her as we were both looking through ours and reading what our friends had written. Quinn even got misty-eyed at some of the messages from people.

I'd already spent ages looking it over with all of our friends and on my own too. But sitting there looking it over with her, it felt all new somehow. Like I hadn't spent all of that time memorizing or reading it. Like I didn't already know how many times me and all of my friends appeared. I'd been patient somehow through all of it till she reached the very backa nd got to the personal yearbook printouts I give all my friends. Who are all used to keeping them in the backs of their PCA yearbooks. All the years we've been friends.

But Quinn's printout book, selections of pictures, memories… all of it really was different from EVERYONE elses. I'd called it the girlfriend edition and STARTED it strong. With a pages citing the end of her relationship with Mark, the beginning of our relationship, the WHOLE secret keeping run to Prom and beyond. Pictures of some of the hiding places we met in the most. All the hiding things that went on, All of the firsts pictures were dated and cited too… It was all there and she'd been IMPRESSED. Even saying, "When you kept assuring me I would get copies of everything. I wondered just how you were gonna pull that off. I had no idea there would be a whole 'girlfriend edition' this year."

"Do you like it?" I asked, just to be sure.

"I love it, baby!" She'd said hugging me and giving me a kiss too.

That did make me feel better but I let her know. I'd written in the back too. And I'd left the room real quick saying I had to get something to drink outta the fridge down stairs. Because I wanted to give her a minute to read without the pressure of me sitting right there watching her.

I usually never write in the back pages of the actual yearbooks. Not for any of my BEST friends anyway. I always write a note like that in the back pages of my printouts. And even though Quinn and I have both up our love letter game while we've had to be apart. The message I'd written in the back of the this years printout. Wasn't just another love note or kiss we'd missed. It was a 'thank you' for all of the years of being my friend. But an even BIGGER thanks for making me a better person. That ulitimtely led to us dating, and gettign way closer.

I didn't know how long she would need to read it, but I took my time even checking on the animals resting down stairs. Before I could wonder if she'd finished. Quinn showed up all teary-eyed and hugging me. At first I thought something was wrong, but she'd loved it so much. Everything I'd said. That it'd made her cry, Maybelline went 'baa' at us. To quiet down, and I'd chuckled the whole way back up the stairs. Quinn would not let me carry her, she inisisted on walking so Maybelline 'baa' again. Like 'Quit arging and just go' at us.

Gosh, am I starting to understand them too?

Quinn and me both hissed whispered goodnights and walked back up stairs slowly and quietly.

When we got upstairs she said, "Can I keep your yearbook with me for a little bit so I can ad my own messages?"

"Sure," I'd agreed, but before I let her have it. I did make her promise me, "But you have to ignore some of the messages girls left in there. Some of them just wanted to stir up trouble and can't accept I'm taken. Plain and simple."

"That's fair," She agreed before we curled up together in bed, and tried to gear more towards sleep. It wasn't as easy as last night where we'd both been dying we were both so exhausted. Tonight, we were both more awake and… I think both of us were a little more handsy too.

It wasn't all me, it really wasn't.

And I wanted to keep talking so I wouldn't be tempted to kiss her… All night long. Because that was what I would end up doing if I wasn't very careful. So somehow I'd brought up what Michael had been complaining about. "Where you girls talking about what Michael realized?"

"Yes!" Quinn confirmed, "That all of us girls have different ideas about when to be intimate and all of you boys seem to have the exact same answer. YES! That was a major topic of discussion amongst us girls too."

"Is it really all true?" I had to ask.

And Quinn had said, "Well, yes and no, because… I realized that as all of the girls had seemed to have had this discussion with their boyfriends… I have yet to have had it with you. How in the world did you save face during this red button topic, because I know you didn't admit we hadn't talked about it."

"You're right, I didn't." I'd said and Quinn could hear the edge in my voice.

She'd guessed, "Oh boy! Mark spoke up and said what I'd told him, didn't he? When he'd asked me about that subject."

"Yep," I'd said, and she'd just hugged me.

Saying, "Sorry, baby! We should have talked about it before now."

"That would have been a good idea, but how could we know that would come up like it did?" I'd asked, and she'd agreed.

"We couldn't, none of my mindreading devices have shown any sort of real progress...yet." She had to amend at the end. God, she's incredible. She's ALWAYS inventing and perfecting things.

Then she'd looked up at me all cuteness and asked. "What did Mark even say I'd said? I can't even remember what it'd been, besides it wasn't a concern at the time. When holding my hand was an act of Congress."

"That you'd cross that bridge when you got to it." I'd repeat and her nose curled.

"Oh that doesn't even sound like me!" She'd said voicing what I had been thinking this WHOLE time!

"I know, you probably said something way smarter than that and he could even remember. SO he made up his own version of what he'd heard." I knew that sounded too simple and ick! But I did let her know, "He added that he'd never gotten that far with you… but he kept asking if you'd told me the same thing and I'd just said 'yes.' Because… that was better than admitting to those jerks that we HADN'T talked about it… I mean we have… but we haven't too."

"You played it smart," She complimented.

I had to say it, "I HATED him saying that, and knowing something about you that I didn't… even if he didn't even know that very good either."

"That's the thing, I was with him for more than two years. And you already know me better than he EVER did." She had to say and make me feel better. She went on, "You're not pushing, demanding, or talking any of this to death. And some of our male friends are, the only reason I believe Mark ever asked me, was to see what I would say."

"He didn't love you, why was it important?" I had to ask, but as soon as the words left my mouth I knew exactly why and I was WAY more pissed. It was because even if he didn't love Quinn, he wondered how far she'd let him go. AHH! GROSS!

And Quinn was right with me, she'd seen the shift in my anger. And grabbed me tight before I could have a full freak out. She was holding on to me so tightly I couldn't move or see her face. It was too tightly pressed against my shoulder. As she reasoned. "You know why. I can tell by how angry you're getting, that you figured it out too. The same way I did, after we broke up. But the important thing to remember is nothing like that ever had a chance of happening. Not before you and not before I was really in love with someone… And that wasn't the case with him so please. Don't get mad, don't let it bother you for another minute. Because it's thanks to you, that I now know the difference… okay?"

How could I stay mad, when she says something like that. I just put my arms around her again and said. "Okay… but does that mean we might cross that road or bridge or whatever? Not that I'm in a hurry or nothing and I'm still not pressuring you or anything… just-"

But she'd whispered while she was close, "We've almost crossed a few times since you got here."

And I let out the biggest breath. "Okay! That's what I thought too. Just checking… is that okay? Since you do love me and we're are finding some time alone here and there?"

"Yeah," She'd agreed. "I'm not saying it'll happen now or anything. Or any other time specifically. I think what I've realized is I don't want it to be planned or set up like that. I just want it to happen when it feels right to both of us. Whenever that might be…" Then she whispered, "It is my first time… and I want it to be with you."

"Mine too," I had to admit to her. And she finally let me see her face again. To let me see how shocked she was.

"Really?" She'd asked.

"Yeah! How are you so shocked, I told you it was a lot of first dates mostly before you. Nothing serious, sex is WAY serious. Don't you think?"

"Well, yes! Of course! I guess, I was just more prepared for it to not be your first time too. Given your ways of making me forget things when we're just making out and how it's almost happened a FEW times. Since you got here, you know what you're doing, ya know? Not to mention you're so hot, popular and an athlete! You were quite the casanova before we got together. But… I'm so glad it's your first time too." She'd kissed me and even said the minute we stopped, "You don't know how glad!"

"I can guess," I had to put out there. Suddenly remembering Mark and his 'did Quinn tell you the same thing' and I let her know. "You just made me forget how pissed I am that Mark said ANY of that crap about crossing things with you! You know what you're doing a little bit too ya mad genius!"

"Not as good as you apparently." She said wiping down her fogged glasses. "You remembered immediately. When I loosened my grip on you just now."

"All that tells you is you can't let go." I teased and she'd laughed.

"Oh! That's it, huh? Next time I'll just have to tie you down better." She'd flirted, and I'd trapped her against her doorframe.

"Thought you said it isn't happening tonight? Now you're talking about tying me up?" And we both were laughing.

"You KNOW that's not what I meant!" She'd flipped.

"But it's what you said." I'd still teased her to the end.

It may not be tonight, but she wasn't totally against the idea. That was my take away from this whole thing. And whatever the hell road or bridge Mark kept trying to make her cross. Quinn hadn't whispered to him that she wanted him to be her first. I know she hadn't. So it was these happy facts I wrapped us in as well as her blanket and we called it a night.

Maybe not tonight... but sometime soon... I couldn't stop smiling.

That's All Folks!

Well, for this chapter anyways! But don't worry, I will be posting again next Thursday and hopefully posting on my Halloween fics somewhere in between. Hopefully, that's all good news! Please write in if you can, I would love to hear from you. Hope you're having a GREAT week! Take Care and Much Love!

~DarcyBeDippy85