Jerry twisted his hands in his lap, trying not to seem too nervous, to attract attention. Jimmy was searching inside his rucksack and pulling out clothes, toiletries and tools, minding his own business. Unaware of the turmoil taking place just three feet away from him. Because as much as he tried not to think about it, to turn a blind eye, Jerry had seen it.

Seen the look of disapproval on Tina's face, the way her suspicious eyes had moved from Kyle to Jessie just to stop on poor, innocent Kay. And now the two girls were in the same room, sharing it for twelve whole hours. What if Tina said something? What if she shed doubt on something that was innocent? What if she got between Kyle and Kay?

"What are you so nervous about?" Jimmy asked, snapping Jerry out of it.

"Who me?" He let out a laugh that sounded nervous even to him.

"No, I'm talking to the chair behind you."

Jerry bit his lip, trying to come up with an answer, wondering if he should even try to lie about it. Was it worth lying?

"Is it about Tina and her evil gaze of destruction?"

"Hey! She does not have an evil gaze of destruction." Except she kind of did. And Jimmy had noticed. Which meant that Kyle, who was a lot more perceptive, had noticed too, and that Kay and Jessie might have noticed and that this was going to turn into a big, steaming pile of...

"Bullshit," Jimmy mumbled. "I think you should do something about it."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, genius, talk to her."

"But that would upset her."

Jimmy faceplamed so hard, he must have left a bruise. Fortunately, there was a knock on the door before he could say anything and Jerry couldn't be happier with the interruption. Though when he opened the door and found a worried Jessie on the other side, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Hi," Jessie said, her voice much too small. "Can I come in?"

"Of course. What kind of question is that?" Jerry moved out of the way and Jessie stepped inside and straight into Jimmy's arms.

Even if it was PDA, Jerry was glad the murderous twin from before had turned tender and careful. The way he held Jessie had nothing inappropriate in it. It did send a pang to Jerry's stomach, but it wasn't awkwardness or discomfort. It was jealousy mostly, but also happiness because Jimmy never looked more at peace than when he was with Jessie. And the warmth in her eyes, the way her delicate hands held on to him made Jerry positive she loved him just the same.

A strange longing overwhelmed him as Jimmy and Jessie spent a moment looking at each other. It was just a stolen second, just what might seem like a fleeting look, but he could see past it. See how it held a question, both of them making sure the other was alright. He saw how they both untensed when they confirmed they were okay, that whatever the reason for worry, they could walk away from it, need it be, and be just as happy because it didn't touch them. Jerry didn't get that part, because it did.

Once they turned to face him, the spell was broken a little, but Jerry could somehow see past that. Kyle had been right. Just like Kay lit up like the sun when she was with Kyle, Jimmy and Jessie had their own perpetual glow when together.

"Jerry, you should talk to Tina," Jessie said and Jerry suddenly wished she and Jimmy would start making starry eyes at each other again and leave him alone.

But he also knew he had to do it. He sighed deeply and sat on the only chair by the door. "I know. Jimmy pointed it out, too. But I'm at a loss where to start."

"How about with 'your dislike for Jessie shouldn't make you want to screw with Kyle and Kay'?"

Jerry cringed, because that was his biggest worry. He could handle Tina's jealousy and he was sure Jessie could too, but Kyle and Kay had no idea about the other problem. And the last thing he wanted was for Tina to throw dirt on Kyle and Jessie's friendship and plant any tiny seed of doubt in Kay's mind.

"What the hell is her problem with this anyway?" Jimmy asked. "I mean I sort of get her not wanting you and Jessie to spend time together, but this has nothing to do with her."

Jerry just wanted the ground to swallow him up right there. Because he couldn't answer. Maybe his twin wasn't all rainbows and butterflies either and could get suspicious as well from this one stupid thing, and then there would be two relationships ruined.

"Tina obviously thinks I'm some sort of deviant out after both you and Kyle," Jessie deadpanned. "So this arrangement played right into her twisted little fantasy."

Jerry shut his eyes, waiting for the explosion, for Jimmy to start cursing and maybe throw some furniture around. When all stayed silent, he cracked and eye open. Jimmy just stood there, a look of supreme disbelief on his face. Then he dropped on the bed and sunk his head in his hands.

"I like Tina," he mumbled into his hands. "I think she's really nice and everything, but this has to stop, Jerry. Talk to her before she says something to Kay."

Jerry let out such and obvious sigh of relief, it was embarrassing, but he'd expected Jimmy to get murderous at this point. The fact that he didn't said a lot.

"I wish I could do this without hurting anyone. But there's no way I'm letting her or anyone else get between Kyle and Kay. I'm desperate enough to give them a break." He sort of regretted letting that slip out, but it was true. He was so desperate to have them stay happily together, he considered not chaperoning them anymore, as much as it grated him.

"We can help you," Jessie said unexpectedly.

Jerry raised his eyebrows. "How?"

"I'll pretend to be Tina and Jimmy can be you, and we'll just start up your conversation for you." She sat on the bed next to Jimmy.

"That could work," Jimmy said, an amused smile on his face.

Jerry's stomach twisted into knots. It was silly since they were only sitting next to each other and were doing their best to help him, but he still felt very uneasy seeing them both on the same bed.

They turned to each other, Jimmy rubbing the back of his head, looking incredibly tense and stiff, his general air of warmth and strength all but gone. Jerry straightened in his seat. Was that what he looked like? It wasn't very flattering.

Nor was the hesitancy and awkwardness in his voice when he said, "Aaah, hi Tina."

"Hello, Jerry," Jessie said, her tone serious and cold. Did Tina actually sound like that when talking to him. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"Fine, go right ahead and talk to me."

Jerry stared at the two, unable to believe how well they imitated him and Tina. He wasn't surprised that Jimmy could pretend so easily, but Jessie was amazing.

"It's just that I don't know how to start. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, or to offend you..."

"Offend me? How could you offend me?" Jessie asked, feigning perfect surprise.

Jimmy paused for a second. "I actually want to talk to you about Kyle and Kay."

"Kyle and Kay?"

"Yes. I saw how you looked at Kyle and Jessie when they agreed on sharing a room and I don't want you to say anything to Kay that might cause her to..."

"Here you are defending Jessica yet again! I'm sick of it!" Jessie burst out, throwing her hands in the air. "You can't see through her mask!"

Jerry raised his eyebrows. Jessie was impressive. She sounded as though she really didn't like herself.

"This isn't about Jessie, okay? It's about you understanding you have absolutely no reason to act the way you are acting. Kyle loves Kay like crazy and I... I wish you would understand that you have absolutely no reason to be jealous." Jimmy was slipping out of character, but Jessie pushed on.

"I'm not jealous," she interjected.

"Tina, let's be honest here. Yes, you are. But you shouldn't be, because for me... It's all you, no one else. I wish you could see that."

Jerry frowned at them. Jimmy had relaxed completely, all traces of play-pretend gone. There was no Jerry and Tina anymore. It was him and Jessie.

She seemed to notice the change in him, because she loosened up, too, no longer resembling stiff Tina.

"You have no idea how I feel when you're around me," Jimmy said quietly, "how safe and happy I am. It's always been you and it will always be you."

"I love it when you say things like that to me," Jessie whispered.

"I love you, every small part of you that comes together to create perfection," Jimmy whispered back, leaning over her.

Overkill!

"Hotstuff..." Jessie breathed.

Jerry knew what would happen before it did, but he still failed to stand from the chair before Jimmy kissed Jessie and rolled on top of her. It looked so uncomfortable seeing them in what was obviously supposed to be an intimate moment.

"Okay you two, I get the point," he said tentatively. "You can stop now." For a moment he felt the need to wave his arms around as if scaring off chicken.

Fortunately, there was no need. At the sound of his voice, they pulled apart and returned to sitting position, keeping a respectable distance between them.

"Do that, and I guarantee success," Jimmy said with what looked very much like a pure evil grin.

"Yes, alright, thank you for the lesson, but if I'm going to talk to Tina, I want the two of you out of this room at once." He wasn't even kidding. They needed to cool down.

"Come on, Jerry, how about giving us a break?" Jessie said with a grin that much resembled Jimmy's.

"I said I was giving Kyle and Kay a break, not the two of you. Now get out of here, you rascals." Jerry used his best amused voice, but he was far from it.

First of all, because he really meant it. He was sick of everyone making fun of him and cavorting like it was perfectly normal to ignore all dangers and give in to teenage hormones. Why couldn't they see how inappropriate it was? How it distracted them from actually surviving this debacle?

Then came the second part. A pain in his chest which was unfamiliar and felt a lot like longing and regret though there was reason for neither. But as he watched Jimmy and Jessie going down the stairs hand in hand, he wondered if there maybe was.

Unlike Jimmy and Jessie, unlike Kyle and Kay, he and Tina didn't have pet names for each other. Even Sam and Christine, who were by far the most reasonable couple, had their little inner jokes and phrases. He had nothing. And even if he was happy with it at first, ever since they'd met at the airport in Rome and he'd found so much comfort in her... After that moment, he'd thought things would change. They hadn't, and he was surprised to find himself disappointed.

Sure, he and Tina still talked about everything and enjoyed the time they spent together, but she still acted awkward around him, with none of the familiarity the other girls showed towards his brothers. Hell, even Jessie was warmer towards him than Tina, which now he realized could be an issue.

He stopped in front of the door to Tina and Kay's room, his heart stuck in his throat. What was he going to say now? He didn't want to hurt TIna, not now when she was so worried about Christine and so afraid she might get hurt.

The conversation Jimmy and Jessie had role-played for him spun inside his mind, and he suddenly wished the real conversation between him and Tina would turn out just like that. Either way, for the sake of Kyle and Kay and everyone's sanity, he had to do this.

So he lifted his hand and knocked. It took Kay only a few seconds to open the door.

"Hi, Jerry. Come in." She stepped aside, one of those radiant smiles on her face and he found himself analyzing the level of warmth in it.

He snapped out of it, and focused on her instead. "Nice pajama." It slipped out, but how could he not notice the light blue ansamble filled with bunnies. It was maybe strange, but he'd been very aware that Kay was older than him from the moment he saw her and it earned her some strange form of respect. But now, she looked so young and cute.

"Thanks," she said with a giggle. "Tina will be right out. I assume you're here to talk to her."

He nodded. "I hope that you won't mind if at some point I will take her out for a bit."

"By all means, take her wherever you want." The words had Kay breaking into silent laughter for some reason.

"Don't take it the wrong way, the subject is just delicate and I believe it would be best to discuss it alone..." Jerry's words died in his throat.

Tina had stepped out of the bathroom, drying her long brown hair on a white towel. He'd never seen her with her hair down and it was longer than he expected. He'd also never seen her wearing something as revealing as the silver silk nightgown that stopped midway up her thighs. The spaghetti straps and lace trim of the plunging neckline didn't help either. Who was this person?

She froze when she saw him, her eyes widening as if it embarrassed her to be seen like this. He had no idea why. She was gorgeous. The towel slipped between her fingers and landed with a thump on the rug. He crouched to pick it up, his eyes still glued to her, to the frightened expression on her face. Why? Was he frightening in any way? He couldn't even remember why he was there.

The click of the closing door had him jumping back to his feet. Kay had let herself out discreetly and it reminded him that he had work to do.

❄❄❄

Greetings, peeps. Apparently there is going to be a part three because this hilarious chapter turned out huge. Nevermind. I warned everyone that this book is very very very very long, so enjoy.

I'm curious how you feel about the drama. And Jimmy and Jessie. Jimmy and Jessie definitely need more screen time so they're finally getting it. Also... Jerry. Do you think he'll do it or get lost on the way and everything will go down in dramatic flames?

Don't be shy. Share your thoughts! leave me a vote and comment. Sacrifice a goat.