Katy rubbed her arms to ward off the morning chill as she watched the movers pack the Chasez's belongings into the moving van. "You're going to catch a cold."

Katy turned and looked at her mother, "You catch colds from germs, not from being cold."

"How are you holding up?"
 

"I'm fine; I knew this was going to happen." Katy said, turning back to watch the men haul the couch into the back of the van.

“Just because you knew it was happening doesn't make it any easier."

Katy shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself again. Karen and Pam had spent the better part of the previous night crying. The two women had been friends since high school, been roommates in college, were married within a month of each other and their eldest children shared the same birthday. Their connection was much like the one Katy and Josh shared.

"Why don't I get you a sweater?"

"I don't think a sweater is going to help much mom." Katy said sadly. 

"Is Josh coming by before they leave?"

Katy shook her head, "I told him not to bother."

"Why not?"

"We said our goodbyes last night, having to say them again would be too hard." Katy said, wiping a hand at the tear that slipped down her cheek, "Besides, I'm going out there in two weeks."

Pam sighed and hugged her daughter, "It's okay to be upset Katy. You two have been together everyday since you were babies."

"I'm fine."

Pam kissed the back of her head and stepped away, "You know where I'll be if you need to let it out."

Katy swallowed thickly and nodded, turning her attention to the Chasez family who were loading their suitcases into Katy's families van, having taken their cars down to Florida the week earlier. She watched sadly as her mother crossed the lawn and hugged Karen, the two women crying once more. Even their fathers looked at each other sadly, grasping hands before hugging each other tightly.

"Hey."

Katy's eyes snapped away from the scene as Josh's voice interrupted her thoughts. "What are you doing over here?"

"What do you think I'm doing over here?" Josh snapped back, "I came to say good-bye."

"We said it last night." Katy said, backing away as Josh approached her front porch.

"I want to say it again, and I'm sure so does the rest of my family."

"Josh, we've been through this." Katy sighed, "Look, I'll be seeing you in two weeks."

Josh shook his head and sighed, "Fine, I'll see you then."

Katy watched as Josh started to cross the lawn, returning to where his family and her parents stood. The sudden pang of loneliness hit her so hard that it took her breath away and almost brought her to her knees.

"Josh!" She cried out as she jumped off the porch to run to him.

She watched him turn and she threw herself against him, feeling his muscles tighten as he braced himself. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as her legs wrapped around his waist. She sobbed into his neck as he allowed her to wrap herself around him and she could feel the wetness of his tears in her shoulder.

"I don't want to go." Josh whispered, "I don't want to leave you here."

"Two weeks." She whispered back, "Thirteen days, twenty-two hours and fifty-six minutes."

"Been counting?"

Katy nodded and sniffled, turning her head to rest on his shoulder, "Ever since I woke up."

"Me too." Josh admitted, letting Katy's legs drop to the ground, "Come on, let's go say goodbye to everyone."

"And this is where mom likes to believe that you're going to be sleeping." Josh said, showing her into the guest room.

“What's the deal this time?"

"Make a big show of going into the room to go to sleep and make sure the bed is rumpled in the morning." Josh laughed, "Are you excited to come with me to the studio?"

"Am I allowed to bring a sign with me?"

Josh giggled and pulled her into his room, "Not a chance in hell. Mom's already hidden all writing tools and paper on you."

"What a party pooper."

"So did you watch my first couple of shows?"

"Yeah, and can I say that you will be forever in my heart if you introduce me to Tony Lucca."

Josh's eyes narrowed on her, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"The boy is so..."

"If you say dreamy, I'm not taking you with me."

"Talented." Katy replied with a smirk.

Josh rolled his eyes, "Yes I'll introduce you to Tony."

"Excellent."

"As long as you behave."

"How dare you insinuate that I'd be anything but lady like!" Katy gasped, pressing a hand to her heart.

"I can't believe you did that with a straight face."

"Me either." She giggled.

"So have you managed to convince your parents to just let you move out here?"

"Dad no, mom kinda." Katy laughed, "She said we'd save money on the phone bill and with how many flights we've already booked for me to come out."

"It's not like you couldn't just live here."
 

“Are you nuts, we'd kill each other." Katy said.
 

"Are you two ready to go?" Karen asked, entering the room and interrupting their conversation.

"Already?" Katy asked, "I thought you didn't start filming until after five."

"Yeah, but I want to show you around the studio." Josh said.

"Give me two seconds to change." Katy said, walking from the room.
 

She stopped out in the hallway as a sudden pain hit her in the side, making her double over and gasp in pain. "Are you okay sweetie?"

Katy looked up at Karen, staring into her concerned eyes, "Yeah I'm fine, just a sudden cramp."

Karen's hand smoothed back her hair so that she could feel her forehead, "You don't feel warm, must just be nerves, your mom was the same way."

"I'm sure that's all it is." Katy nodded.

"Well go get changed, Josh is excited to introduce you to everyone."

~ * ~

"JC!"

Katy's eyebrow arched as they stopped for whoever was screaming behind them, "JC?"

"There was already a Josh so I needed a stage name." Josh shrugged.

They turned and a young girl with long curly hair rushed towards them, throwing her arms around Josh's neck making Katy's eyes narrow. "Hey Keri!"

"You're here pretty early."

Josh nodded and stepped back to where Katy stood, "Showing my best friend around. Katy this is Keri."

Katy stuck out her hand and forced a smile on her face, "Nice to meet you Keri."

"Oh my gosh, I've heard so much about you!" Keri said as the girls shook hands, "JC talks about you all the time."

"Good stuff, I swear." Josh laughed.

"Good to hear." Katy muttered.

"Well I'll let you get back to your tour; Tony was looking for you about a song idea." Keri told them, hugging Josh once more.

"Thanks Keri!"

"She seems nice." Katy forced out.

"Keri?" Josh asked, "Yeah she's awesome, she started like a week before I did."

"Yeah, I've seen her on the show."

Katy could feel his eyes on her as she moved down the hallway, "Okay, what's up?"

"Nothing." Katy snapped.

"Don't give me that." Josh said, struggling to keep up her pace.

"It's nothing, drop it."

"Are you jealous?"

Katy scoffed, "You so wish JC."

She could see Josh getting ready for an argument when someone else called his name. Katy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I heard a rumour that you brought the hell cat with you!" The male voice called.

Katy turned to tell whoever the voice belonged to off, freezing as Tony Lucca approached her.

"Hey Tony, yeah, I brought Katy along today." Josh muttered, shooting her a glare of his own.

"How's it going?" Tony said, sticking his hand out, "JC's told me a ton of stuff about you. I almost feel like I'm meeting a celebrity!"

Katy's cheeks turned pink as she took his hand. "I take it he's told you the bad along with the good."

"He's raved about you, but from some of the stories he's told me I figured you probably have a spit fire attitude as my gran would say."

Katy giggled as Josh rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Small demonic tendencies man."

Katy rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side, "You have to be nice to me."

"Says who?"

”Says me, and your mom." Katy told him, "I'm supposed to tell her if you start acting like an ass."

"I hardly doubt my mother said that."

"Okay fine, she said 'jerk', but I think 'ass' works so much better."

Tony laughed and grabbed Katy's hand, "Oh man, you're going to fit in great here, come on I'll show you where we film and you can watch rehearsals!"

"I was getting there." Josh snapped as he followed behind them, "And why does she need to fit in, she's not a cast member."

"Is he always this pouty when someone takes you away from him?"

"Always, you should have seen him in third grade gym class and I got paired with another boy during the dance unit."

"Alright, you and I are eating dinner together and you're telling me all his embarrassing stories." Tony laughed.

"You got yourself a deal."

~ * ~

"So why has my son been pouting for two days?" Karen asked as Katy returned with the butter she had sent her to get.

"He's still pouting?"

"Better believe it kiddo." Karen sighed as she added some cereal to the grocery cart. "What happened?"

"He's mad because I hung out with Tony." Katy muttered.

"For how long?"

"Most of the day." Katy shrugged, "I don't get what the big deal is, he was running around with Keri all damn day."

Karen laughed as they continued shopping, "You two are so funny."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katy pouted.

"I don't think the two of you realize just how possessive you are of one another." Karen told her, "Neither one of you can stand to see the other with someone else nor it doesn't matter on what level. You seem to be fine if the other person is the same gender, but the minute a girl comes around Josh or a boy around you, the two of you become the moodiest, unhappiest teenagers."

"We do not."

"Deny it all you want Katy." Karen said as they headed for the check outs, "There's a reason why your mother and I joke that you two are going to be married one day."

"Because you're both crazy." Katy muttered.

”No, because you two love each other too much to be happy with anyone else." Karen told her.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Aunty, but I'm holding out for Brad Pitt."

Karen laughed, "You and me both kiddo, you and me both."