Nico Yazawa couldn't focus. Or Nico wouldn't focus. Or memories of a stubborn redhead kept Nico's brain is whirring like an overheated laptop mode, blocking any progress at finding sources to cite for her paper. Flipping through international fashion, lifestyle and entertainment magazines, all Nico could come up with was how great Maki would look in those designer outfits, those layouts, far hotter than the super hot supermodels draped all over the pages. Why couldn't Nico focus on anything else. Nico's willpower was adamantine. If she didn't want to visualize Maki in...no, that wasn't helping. Of course, Nozomi wanted to use Maki as a model. Had the orgy started yet in Wisconsin?

Nico groaned, muttering about stupidly stubborn redheads, glancing up to see other students staring at her. She didn't want their attention. Was Nico broken? A quick shoving away gesture and most returned to their own research. She should be rehearsing or on stage somewhere getting applause. Or singing karaoke and maxing out her score. Instead, the great Nico Ni was wasting time in a library. What was wrong with Nico's life? Where had it taken a wrong turn? It needed to be fixed. Nico needed to be in Wisconsin where the eye of Nico's current stress storm was probably doing stupidly sexy things with an axe or bubble bath or…Nico shoved away from the table, tossed the magazines near the student librarian, and headed out the door for the downtown bus. She had a car to borrow.

Although the Nishikino family owned the camp, Umi Sonoda had taken over organizing the wood chopping.

"Please take a seat." Umi stood at the center of a circle of logs and camp chairs, where a fire would be blazing later, melting through the modest layer of snow.

Honoka Kousaka, once everyone else had chosen a seat, raced around with sheets of paper in each hand.

"Take both."

Maki read them. One was a breakdown of the parts of an axe and suggestions for proper grip and stance; the other was instructions for how to split wood properly and safely.

Rin giggled.

Umi glared at Rin.

"If proper attention is not being paid, there will be a quiz."

Honoka groaned.

"So seriooous." Rin stuck out her tongue, "Rin'll be taking pictures. Where's my safety sheet?"

Umi frowned. She had been caught not being completely prepared. She strode quickly to where Rin sat, took one of Rin's pages, turned it over, used a Sharpie to draw a stick figure with an axe, viewed from above, and then drew a circle around it. "Always stay outside the swing circle of the axe."

"Oh, okay." Rin hadn't expected a real answer.

Umi pivoted, "Same goes for you, Nozomi. Do not get distracted by your subjects."

"I'd never put Nozomi in danger." Eli declared.

"You will not be the only axe wielder."

Nozomi moved to the center spot, bumping Umi, who scuttled away, obviously uncomfortable.

"Thank you for that practical guide, Umi. Now, to important matters. I will now be suggesting and demonstrating poses." Nozomi fluttered her eyelashes, "Eli and I practiced them last night."

"NOZOMI!

The Yazawa home seemed quiet. Nico's siblings must be out. That was good. This would go faster without questions. Nico found her mother sitting a chair, reading a magazine, with random television on in the background. Silence would be too much of a change from daily life. Mrs. Yazawa enjoyed the rare moments she had alone but it didn't seem like home without some bustle. And there was her eldest, agitated. Mrs. Yazawa put aside the magazine and clicked off the television.

Nico didn't even bother with any kind of greeting, "Mama, I need the car."

"Hello, Nico. Welcome home. Why do you need the car?"

"Nico needs to go to Wisconsin."

"Where you friends are having the photoshoot you missed because your paper is late."

How did Mama know? Nico wondered, then realized, "Cocoro told you. And it's not late yet. NIco got an extension."

"Why do you suddenly need to go?"

"Nico just suddenly has a free evening. No rehearsal. No one on campus to talk to."

Mrs. Yazawa got a mischievous glint, "So you're going to spend it with your mama."

"Uh…Mama, I didn't mean…Nico loves you…but..."

"I'll stop teasing you if you tell me what's really going on"

"Fine. Nico will tell you. It's simple. Maki and Nico were talking and Maki said some stuff I don't understand so I need to go talk to her."

"What did you say?"

"Keep your shirt on around Nozomi."

"Are Nozomi and Maki…"

"No, Mama, no." Nico shuddered. "Nozomi has Eli. She's just…" Nico didn't want to say pervy, Or handsy. Nico did not want to be thinking about a pervy or handsy Nozomi, ""Nozomi can't help it, she doesn't think, she just grabs things."

Mrs. Yazawa raised an eyebrow. "Everyone's a consenting adult, right?"

"It's not like that, Mama. Nozomi's camera's doing the grabbing."

"And you think Maki won't be able to express her boundaries."

"She says she doesn't care, it won't bother her, but Nico knows it will."

"Are you two dating?"

Nico wanted to slam her face into something.

"It's complicated."

"Did you ask her to be your girlfriend?"

"No, Mama."

"Then it's not really complicated."

"That's not the problem. Nozomi is the problem. Nico is being chivalrous. Nico is being caring." It was almost a shout. "Maki doesn't understand how…:

"Sit down, Nico."

Nico recognized the tone of a parental wall. "Yes, mama."

"You can't make boundaries or decisions for other people."

"But Maki's being naive. And Nozomi's gonna take advantage of it."

"You can't know what Maki's thinking, Nico. Do you respect her?"

"Of course."

"Then actually trust her to do what she wants."

"I do. I really do." Nico bounced back up, "I don't trust Nozomi."

"Nico, what's really going on?"

"It's the truth, Mama. Nico is just being a good…friend."

"But you want to be more."

Nico slumped back down. "Yes."

"You think Maki will say no if you ask her…"

"I don't know, Mama. I don't even know what to ask. There've been dates, we've been having fun, Nico is cute and charming but then Maki says "even if…"

Nico's mother had never seen her daughter look so…unsure.

"Maki isn't like me or anyone I've ever met."

"That's good, right?" That's why you like her?"

Nico flushed. "Yeah. Sometimes when she looks at Nico, her eyes get so soft and she's pretty and sharp and smart and sexy and she glows, Mama, and Nico can't look anywhere else and..." Nico stopped, her eyes closed, Maki vivid in her memory.

Nico's mom stared at her daughter for long moments, then reached out to pull her in for a hug, "It really is complicated, isn't it."

Nico kept her eyes closed, enjoying the solidity of her biggest fan. But that wouldn't solve the Maki puzzle. As soon as her mom released her, Nico leaned forward, elbows on knees, head on hands,

"Nico's tired. Every day's packed, Waa Mu's been great, and Maki's like opening night every night, exciting and energizing and more than everything Nico wants. But what if she doesn't ever…" Nico didn't really want to take the metaphor to any of the places it could go. She stumbled to a finish, "ever want a ticket to see the show."

Mrs. Yazawa pushed her daughter's hair back, "You won't know if you don't talk to her."

"Nico's scared. Everything could change."

Mrs. Yazawa laughed, a wry acknowledgement that there were truths her daughter was currently ignoring, "I bet everything already has. Right now, we're talking about a girl, not your latest role or how many agents will contact you after Waa Mu or how many hours of singing practice you put in today. That's new."

"Maki helps with singing. She's so good at the piano." Nico smiled, "Maki helps with everything, sometimes before Nico can ask."

"I'm glad, Nico. You should have people who help you. I've always worried you'd never let anyone get close enough."

Softly. "Nico didn't mean to."

"That's when it happens. That's when everything changes. Feelings sneak in."

"Oh." Subdued Nico was unnatural. But this wasn't anything her mother could fix for her. Or wanted to. This was Nico's crossroads.

Nico's mom pulled her back into a hug, "Take the car. Talk to Maki."

"Thanks, Mama."

"Don't forget to listen too."

"Nico listens all the time. Nico has rabbit ears," Nico raised her hands above her head and flicked them back and forth.

"Cute ones too."

Nico giggled.

"Now go see if you're a out of town preview show or a five star Broadway opening night."

"Audiences always love Nico." Nico grinned at her mother. "Maki will too."

"That's the Nico I raised."

A/N: As we know, it's not a real lonelypond jam if you don't get at least one more chapter than planned ; )