Daddy - Don't stay out too long Thalia. You've got a flight to catch remember?

I sighed. My dad's text was yet another reminder of the flight looming in my very near future.

It was becoming more and more difficult to convince myself that leaving wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

TR - Yes daddy. I won't be out much longer, I promise. :)

We drove in silence.

As the sun dipped behind the high-rises and palm tree shadows shifted beneath darkening skies, I internally vowed to commit my final sunset to memory--I wanted to draw upon at least an imaginary heat when I touched down again in the snow.

I'd heard that D.C. had received just over eight inches the night before. That was at least a forty-degree difference in temperature.

I was going to go back there and freeze.

"Thal?"

Xander stared at me, his face tinted red against the sun.

"Yeah?"

"What're you thinking about?" His lip twitched with humor, "You're over there frowning."

"Really?" I definitely hadn't noticed.

"Yes."

"Oh."

He tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed now. "What's wrong?"

I shrugged, switching lanes as I anticipated my exit. "Nothing's wrong," I replied honestly. "I was just thinking about school, really."

Xander's brow creased. "Gross."

"Yeah," I nodded, coughing out a short laugh. "I told you it wasn't anything special."

"Hey," he grinned, "that doesn't make it any less important, right?"

"I guess," I turned to face him. "I was thinking about the weather."

He laughed, "Oh, Thalia..."

"What?" I exclaimed. "It's freezing back there! I'm going to die when I get back."

"Thal," Xander began, "everywhere else in the world, it's winter. You sound like such a typical, spoiled California girl."

"Please," I rolled my eyes. "I bet you're going to go back there and be just as cold as I am."

"If you're cold I'll come over, y'know," he chuckled, eyebrow dancing flirtatiously, "and keep you warm."

"Uh huh, right."

"It's true."

"Thanks, Xander. I completely believe that.

"You should."

"Oh, I do" I grunted. "Completely."

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"Bait to which I shall not rise."

"I'm only a phone call away..."

"Even still," I replied, "I'm not even going to get my hopes up. I know once we go back it'll be like we never met. I know I won't see you."

"Hey--" He faltered. "What the hell? You will. Our school's are like, fucking 15 minutes away, Thal."

"So?" I shrugged, "Xander, it's the spring semester."

"So?"

"So, it's baseball season," I rolled my eyes to the sunroof. "Between baseball and classes...don't pretend like you won't be super busy. It's a wonder if I'll see you at all."

"Thalia, I won't be busy if you need me."

A very unladylike grunt vibrated against my throat. "Right," I flickered my eyes toward him. "That's not what Roman said, and quite frankly, I feel more inclined to believe him."

Xander scowled. "What'd he say? What were you--You guys were talking about me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," I chuckled. "Not everything's about you, okay?"

"Then, what--"

"We were talking about us and baseball came up," I continued. "Happy?"

He leaned against my window, situating his body so that he was staring directly at me. "You were," he began, arms folded across his body, "you were talking about you? Like, you as in the two of you, like, together?"

I nodded. "I guess you could say that."

Through my peripheral vision, I could see that he was still sitting against the window, arms crossed.

"That's not an answer, Thal."

I let my response mix with a breath of hot air. "I know," I replied, because I did. I also knew that had he given me that reply, I'd have pried for more; prodded for more information until he finally caved and gave in.

I, however, didn't feel like discussing the "us" that was Roman and I, at least not then. Not there when Xander's brown eyes were dark and inquisitive beneath the setting sun.

But, luckily, he didn't push the conversation any further, and I exited the highway for the street, the outside sounds of laughter and lapping waves filling the car as I turned into the parking lot of my destination.

"Welcome," I said, grateful for the change in conversation as my tires touched the edges of sand, "to my favorite place in the world."

Xander took in the new surrounding. "The beach?"

I nodded. Just a few miles down the coast was the Santa Monica Pier, where Roman had brought me for our date. "The beach."

I unbuckled my seat belt and watched the sun dip beneath the horizon.

"Guess what?"

He hummed softly, watching me as I watched streetlights come on overhead and children carry newspaper towards pits, their parents prepping their bonfires.

I turned to Xander and lifted an eyebrow. "It's night time."

"Observant," he snickered. "Gold star for Thalia."

I shrugged. "Thought you'd like to know."

"Right," he nodded. "Because I couldn't tell for myself. What would I do without you?"

At that, he didn't give me a chance to answer.

Instead, he twisted around in his seat, unbuckling and grabbing for the car handle.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he threw open the door. "Where are you going?"

He laughed into the night air, leaning down so that his head was back inside the car.

"Do you mean to tell me that we drove all the way out to your favorite place in the world, on the day before we both go back to school, just so you could sit in the car?"

"Umm..." I scratched my head, because I definitely hadn't thought about all that.

I peered up at him, "No?"

"Good," he replied, and as I threw open my door, he closed his own, crossing in front of the hood so that he stood at my side.

With his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, he grinned at me, top teeth on his bottom lip as he stood before me, watching me with amusement as I threw on my crewneck and closed the door.

"What?" I asked, because he looked like he was on the verge of laughter.

He simply shrugged.

"What, Xander?" I repeated, because at this rate, there had to have been something in my teeth, or my hair looked a mess. There could be no other possible explanation...at least, not that I could think of.

"Xander, wha--aaahh!"

And he shut me up, reaching out to grab my hand and drag me onto the beach. I fumbled for the key, locking my car as Xander broke into a jog, leading me towards the tide.

"Chill, Thal?" He laughed as our feet sunk in the sand. "This is your favorite place, remember?"

And he let go of my hand to loosen the strings of his Docs, kicking them off first before his socks were being stuffed into one boot, and then the other.

As he was rolling up the cuffs of his jeans I bent down, slowly to pull off my left Ugg, and then my right one.

"Xander," I began, as he watched me expectantly.

My socks were off, now.

"Hmm?"

I choked on a laugh. "That water's probably freezing, you know."

"So?" He asked, and he took two long strides towards me.

"Xander, it's cold."

"Yeah, Thal," he snorted, "it's night time, remember?"

"You're such a smart ass."

"But I'm your smart ass," he replied, and he put one hand on my shoulder, the other on my cheek before he bent at the waist -- a lot like his goodbye after bringing over the picture book -- staring me in the eyes.

I don't think I blinked, and I sure as hell don't think I breathed.

Instead, I panicked, and as my heart thudded against my chest and I let out another "Xander," in a voice so soft I barely recognized it, I'm sure he could tell the effect he was having on me.

His eyebrow arched mockingly. "Thal?"

Yep, he could definitely tell. At this rate, he could probably hear the beat of my heart over the waves.

My eyes searched his, and although it was too dark to make out his freckles, I knew they were there; I knew they were creased around his eyes and nose as he stood there, practically laughing at me, because he knew that I knew that he knew how to make my heart race erratically and my hands start sweating so much that I had to wipe them off on my jeans.

He'd done that since the first day I'd met him. Since that day he'd become determined to find me a car, the day my brother dropped me off in the garage, the day my life became inexplicably connected with his own.

In ways, he was right. I'd probably never tell him, but he was my smart ass. He was my Xander.

He was definitely my best friend.

"I..." But, I didn't know how to say all of that. At least, I didn't know how to do it without sounding like a complete and utter baby.

And Xander only smirked.

Then, he straightened.

Then, with the hand cupping my face, he patted me on the cheek.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, as he jogged away from me, laughing.

"Tag," he called. "You're it."

I rubbed my cheek. "Xander, you idiot!"

He chuckled, holding out his arms as he backpedalled away. "Come on, Thalia," he began, "I saw you out there yesterday. I was like a proud dad watching you in the outfield. You can at least run."

So I took off after him.

He let out a girlish squeal and headed towards the waves.

Now naturally, as the cold air whipped my hair around and I started laughing, -- laughing at Xander as he threw off his hood, and waded deeper, knees high as he evaded every one of my attempts to tag him -- I ran after him. I ran after him until my jeans had been soaked to my thighs and I could smell the salt in my hair. I ran after him until finally, I pushed him in the chest with both hands and watched as he threw his head back and let out a full on, Marco level, my-sides-are-splitting type laugh. His eyes closed and his body shook as he grabbed both of my wrists and I could feel his heartbeat beneath my palms.

Honestly, it was like I'd never seen him this happy.

"You're it," I replied breathlessly, and I yanked my hands from his grip and sprinted in the opposite direction.

If I was fast, Xander was way faster.

Like, it was unfair.

I started screaming, probably scaring the nearby families at least a little because I could hear his footsteps splashing in the tide as they became louder and louder and I knew I was screwed even before I felt his big hands around my waist.

"Tag," he laughed against my hair, before he wrapped one arm around my side and hooked the other beneath my knees.

"Oh god. Oh, no -- Xander!"

"Thalia!" He mimicked, not breaking a stride as he headed into the tide.

"No," I whined. "I'm already wet!"

He winked. "Exactly. What's a little more water?"

~*~

"I think I'm finally starting to dry off," I stated, rubbing my arms as Xander and I sat side by side on the sand.

I shot him a pointed look. "No thanks to you."

"You're welcome," he replied, "for starting the most epic game of tag you've ever played."

"You mean for forcing me into a game of tag? Okay."

His eyes were bright in the moonlight. "Again," he nodded, "you're welcome."

I chuckled, bumping him lightly with my shoulder. "There's really no winning with you, is there?"

"It's about time you figured that out," he grinned. "Took you long enough."

I stared at the rising tide.

This vacation, this winter break, was definitely far from being 'long enough.'

"Four weeks."

I watched his brow furrow in my peripheral vision. "Hmm?"

"It's been four weeks," I replied. "Four weeks since I got home, four weeks since I met you and the guys..."

"Four weeks since you attempted to singlehandedly change everyone's life."

At that, I snorted. "Attempted might be the operative word there."

"Thal," he scooted closer to me in the sand, "you got Marco and David to hang out in the same location for longer than five minutes, and if you hadn't made some type of effort, I would have never gotten them to come to the garage for me to show you your car."

I stared again at the rising water. "Yeah..."

"Nikita kind of actually talks to me," he said cheerily. "Well, kind of...you know, I doubt she wants to kill me anymore and that's a plus."

At that, I laughed.

"And I actually know Jamie and Eliza now," he continued. "I know them, the guys know them and they know us," he paused, "and we're all actually kind of friends. I mean, her family throws that Christmas party every year and this is the first time I've ever received an invitation."

I gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"I mean," he forged on, "I know you want everyone to hold hands and turn the other cheek and sing about world peace--" I laughed again at that, "But," he grinned, "you said it yourself. It's only been four weeks. You're human too, Thal. Honestly, the fact that you even tried--"

"I just want you guys to be happy."

Xander slid closer to me, throwing his arm around my shoulders so he could rest his cheek atop my head. "I know you do, Thal," he replied. "That's why," he paused, "that's why we love you."

"Thanks. Thank you, seriously."

"Thal?"

I shifted beneath him to look into his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Seriously, if you need me I'm there. Like, I don't want you to think that you won't see me when we go back to school 'cause you will. I promise, you will, and you can come by and see some of our home games and I can come visit you and--"

"Xander?"

"Thalia."

"I believe you, Xander."

He lifted his arm from around my neck and pushed himself away. "Then, why--?"

I felt the cold air against my skin in the immediate absence of his warmth.

"Because that's why Roman and I aren't," I waved my hands around, "anything."

"But," he turned away, pulling up his hood, "I thought you guys were--"

"Nope," I replied. "Whatever you thought, let me be first to tell you that it's...it's just, it's nope. We're just friends."

I remembered that afternoon I'd left Leigh's. After she and April had guilt-tripped me into defining my relationship, I'd gone over to his house.

"Well," Roman had asked, "what do you want to do?"

"What I don't want, is for the distance to ruin our relationship," I paused, "despite it being like, a month in the making."

Roman laughed. "Then we'll take it slow, okay? I don't want to accidentally fuck anything up, either."

I let out a deep breath I hadn't realized that I was holding. "Really?"

Roman chuckled, leaning towards me.

He placed a small kiss on my lips.

"Really," he said, and he kissed me again.

I'd gone over and we'd talked and we essentially came to the mutual realization that between his schedule and the distance...it would be better for us to wait. It'd be better to pick everything up during summer.

"So, I guess we're kind of dating?" I told Xander. "But not. At least, not now."

"So, you're a single Thalia?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

At that, I laughed. "I am. I am a very single Thalia."

"Good."

"Good?" I sputtered. "You're sure about that?"

"Wait, okay, c'mon," he chuckled, pulling me close again. "You know, silver linings and all that..."

"Uh huh," I said, voice muffled against his arm. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"That's what I'm here for," he replied.

Then, he wrapped the other arm around me, pulling me into his chest. "Thalia?"

I inhaled sharply. "Xander?"

"Promise to call me, okay? I know," he paused, "I know you and Roman won't be like, close distance wise, but we will, right? Please don't forget that, okay? I," he paused again, and the waves filled my ears amidst his silence. "I still want to see you. I still want to hang out."

I paused.

"Xander?"

"Yeah, Thal?"

I played with his jacket zipper. "Really?"

He froze against me. "Really, what?"

"Really, you still want to hang out?"

His chest shook, his chuckles sounding deeper with my face pressed against him. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I dunno," I shrugged. "I just..."

"You just what?"

"You know you're one of my best friends, right?"

I felt him tense again. "Thal, I--"

"And," I continued, before he could finish, "like, I wonder all the time if, if for some reason I went to Westchester with you, would you or the guys have even known who I was?"

"Yes."

I laughed aloud because that answer came far too quickly. "You say that like it's a fact."

"I would have seen you one day and you would have thought I was the freak because I'd have probably asked around and harassed you until I knew who you were."

I snorted. "Yeah right."

"I'm serious!" He exclaimed, as he tilted his head so that he could see my face. "I'm so serious."

"I don't know," I paused. "I mean, I was that artsy, hard-working overachiever. We wouldn't have exactly run in the same circles."

"So?" He shrugged. "I'm telling you, if I saw you I'd have wanted to know who you were, Thal. It's not a question, and once you knew me you'd have known the guys, and once you met them they'd have all wanted to get in your pants..."

I punched him. "Shut up."

"That's not a question, either."

To that I rolled my eyes.

"It's the truth, Thal. And you would have met Nikita through Peter, and Jamie and Eliza through both of them. I swear," he nodded, "life's like, well, it's funny like that. We'd have all come together someway or another."

I let that idea settle in my mind. Life was funny like that.

Maybe he was right. Maybe it was just fate.

"Okay," I nodded against him.

"Okay, what?"

"Okay to not forgettingabout you completely when we go back," I teased. There was no way for me to do that anyway. "Okay I guess I'll call."

He grinned again. "Good. You can expect me at a lot of GW parties. I know how hard you guys try to make them as fun as Georgetown's."

"You're funny," I grinned, eyes growing heavy between the near lullabies of the waves and Xander's heartbeat. "Poorly misguided, but very funny."

"You love it," he squeezed me gently. "Now, c'mon," he continued, unwrapping his arms from around me to rise from the sand.

He held out his hands and helped me up. "It's time for you to get home."

I yawned into my sleeve. "I guess."

"C'mon," he coaxed, grabbing his boots with one hand as he still held onto mine with the other. And he rubbed soothing circles across my knuckles as he led me towards my dad's car. "It's time for Thalia to go to bed."

I chuckled. "I guess."

He laughed again as we trudged through the sand.

"Thanks, though," I said, bumping into him. "Thanks for accompanying me on my joyride."

His eyes shone even in the darkness. "I had fun," he nodded.

"I got wet."

He bit his lip, halting his smile.

"But, I also had fun," I grinned. "I'm glad I--I'm glad we got to do this, y'know?" I giggled softly. "Y'know, before we have to settle for snowball fights and mittens and hot chocolate."

"I can't wait," he replied. "Thalia Rose in the snow? I'm takin' pictures and sending them to everybody."

I groaned. "Great. You've already got me counting down the days until summer."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Summer means more joyrides."

"Exactly," I grinned. "Summer definitely means more joyrides."

"Well, maybe," he sucked in a breath, "maybe next time, you, like, you might be able to get me to ride shotgun in the Beetle."

-~*~-

Yay for Thalia.

Yay for Xander.

Yay for everyone.

Yay because guys it's ridiculous there are two more chapters.

Craziness.

Actually wow what am I going to do once this story is over???

Comment and vote and all that wonderful stuff. #LastDayInLA