"How about this?" Britney suggested, pulling a pink sun dress off the rack.

"No," Cady replied, grabbing something else. "Here."

"I'm not wearing that," Britney shook her head. "You try this."

"Um, how about you both choose something for yourself?" Lance proposed.

"Because she doesn't know how Beatrice dresses," Cady answered. "I will pick something for myself when I've finished with her."

"Why are you being so anal about all of this?" Britney questioned.

"Because we are living other peoples' lives. Our decisions affect their futures."

"This is all a dream, Cady," Justin replied. "Nothing we do affects the real Cady Lynn and The Shortcuts."

"What if it does? What if I let Britney change Beatrice's image and it throws everything off?! These people had a significant influence on my life. They had a part, as does every band, group, and artist, in shaping the music scene, therefore they have impacted your lives as well."

"What if that's why we're here?" Britney questioned.

"This isn't Quantum Leap," Justin exclaimed.

"I'm being serious here! What is we're here to help change something? What if by doing something so simple as giving Beatrice wardrobe a little makeover could like save Cady Lynn and Beatrice from dying?"

"What if it puts all of them in the car?" Cady questioned. "What if it moves that event up to even before the band gets out of Independence?"

"Saves them, does it?"

"And changes my life."

"What it's for the better?"

"What if it's for the worst?"

"Can we change the subject?" Lance cut in. "How about if we let Britney buy something she likes and see how it changes the future?"

"What show do we have next week?" Cady inquired.

"Erin Weston's Sweet Sixteen."

"The Weston party didn't do much for the band, it led to more bookings, but I suppose as long as she doesn't go too far with the outfit, it couldn't hurt.."

"Great," Britney grinned. "This is gonna be so much fun!!"

"Tons," Cady rolled her eyes.

"Y'all got an amazing downtown," Britney continued. "You don't see too many things like this anymore."

"No, you don't," Lance agreed.

"We've gotta go somewhere where I can find this facial stuff my makeup artist told me about. Where would I find something like that?"

"I guess the drugstore across the street," Cady shrugged. "I haven't been in it for years but I imagine they might sell what you're looking for."

"Great! We'll have to go there," Britney grinned. "This must be great shopping."

"I don't shop here. I never think about it when I've got money to spend."

"Oh. Well I guess that would increase the chances of having something the same as someone else."

"Yah, it does," Cady agreed.

-

"It's been two weeks since I woke up here," Britney stated, looking at the calendar on the kitchen wall. "Do you suppose we're it?"

"It's possible," Cady replied. "Beatrice, Jerrid, James, and Cady Lynn were central in the ending of the band."

"They were?" Justin said.

Cady nodded. "Cady Lynn and Beatrice were in different car than the others because Beatrice and Jerrid got into an argument. Then Cady Lynn and James started arguing because Cady Lynn got in the middle of Jerrid and Bea's fight and James was trying to keep her out of it."

"You really know a lot all about all of this," Lance commented.

"I use part of my free time to look up information about the band to make sure we keep pretty close to actual history."

"Are we ever going to leave this town?" Britney questioned.

Cady glanced at the calendar. "We've got a showcase in New York City next month."

"That's great!! I haven't been there in a while," Britney exclaimed. "It'll be nice to go into the city after being in Kentwood and here for the last couple of weeks. Maybe we can go to Neiman Marcus, that'd really spice up Beatrice's wardrobe!"

"We don't have money for that," Lance replied.

"Yes we do," Cady said, suddenly excited about shopping with Britney, whom she was sure would know the best shops and she had come to realize that Britney had a great eye for fashion when it came to the less revealing clothes of the decade.

"Where? I've gone over the records James kept and we've got enough money to get to New York City, stay in a semi-nice hotel, and eat in at most one nice restaurant."

"The Andrews' will give us money."

"What makes you so sure?" Lance asked.

"Jerrid told me about their first trip to NYC yesterday when we went to lunch," Cady answered. "He said that the girls' parents were so proud of them getting invited to perform in the showcase that they gave them some spending money and money to buy nice outfits for everyone to wear."

"We're going shopping," Britney grinned. "If you want to go with me, that is."

"Of course! I've never been there so it'll be good to go explore with someone seasoned," Cady replied.

"Are we going to eat anytime today?" Justin asked, changing the subject.

"You and Brit go see if anyone else is a wake and I'll help Cady make breakfast," Lance suggested.

Justin and Britney agreed and exited the room.

"You suppose everyone's getting tired of pancakes and waffles?" Cady questioned. "I'm learning to make different stuff, but most breakfast foods make me sick and my gravy isn't ready for humans to eat yet. I can't stand the smell of scram--"

"You ate lunch with Jerrid again?" Lance interrupted her chatter.

"I have several times since that first time," Cady answered. "Why?"

Lance shrugged. "It just seems odd you two spending so much time together now."

"He's lonely," Cady replied. "I'm someone he can share stories of his life with who wasn't involved, but knows enough that he doesn't have to go into great details about people and places from here."

"You are involved though," Lance said.

"My family is, but I'm a few decades too young to be involved even with everything we're doing here. I was around the real Jerrid for a day and we barely interacted."

"You're still involved," Lance insisted. "You're the one who insisted from the beginning everything we do influences their lives."

"So?"

"Maybe Jerrid Thompsen somehow senses your connection with the real Cady Lynn."

"Maybe he just likes having someone to share the band with since it's pretty clear none of his band mates want to share it with him."

"Um, y'all," Britney cleared her throat, coming into the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"It appears as though that JC has decided to join our party," she answered. "Justin's in there with him, but he's really freaking out. Justin wants your help, Lance."

Lance nodded. "You help Cady finish breakfast, please."

"Can do," Britney replied.

"What's wrong with him?" Cady questioned when they were alone.

"He's just scared," Britney answered. "JC is real jittery when he wakes up and doesn't know where he is. He'll be fine once they explain things to him."

"He'll believe it?"

"JC believes in like everything," Britney answered. "He'll think it's cool, especially when he realizes he's Jordan Chase. He idolizes the guy."

"Okay," Cady nodded.

"You excited to meet JC?" Britney said, glancing at Cady from the corner of her eye.

"Maybe a little."

"Liar! Lance told me about your rant when Justin showed up. You want JC here," Britney teased.

"So? He's very talented."

"And a real hottie," Britney prodded.

"He's attractive," Cady shrugged.

"He's more than attractive. If things had been different, I would've been all about him," Britney exclaimed.

"He wasn't your chosen one though," Cady replied. "He wasn't the other golden child of pop."

"Ugh, don't call me that," Britney groaned.

"Face it, that's what you are. You and Justin both."

"We were, but not anymore."

"You're still the golden couple of the pop world. Nick and Jessica don't have the right stuff. Nick and Willa didn't have it."

Britney looked around the kitchen. "It doesn't really matter how perfect everyone else thinks we are for each other if Justin doesn't believe it too."

"If you and Justin are supposed to be together, you will be. Just give Justin time to be a rich, single, twenty-something. Let him figure it out for himself and if it isn't what he decides he wants, move on. Or move on anyway. There's no sense hanging around waiting for Justin to pull his head out of his ass. You really are better than that."

"Thank you," Britney smiled.

"So you've never been to NYC, huh?" she said, changing the subject.

"I've been up north a couple of times, but we didn't make it to New York either time."

"Oh, you'll love it! There's so much to see," Britney exclaimed. "I can ask around for all the hot spots during this time, if you'd like."

"That'd be awesome," Cady smiled. "Breakfast is ready, should we wake the others or wait until Justin and Lance get JC calmed down?"

"Wake the others. JC'll be a while, he's probably making Justin and Lance tell him everything that's happened so far."

Cady nodded and excused herself from the room to wake the three remaining men. She passed Jordan's room on her way to wake Thad. She was tempted to peek in when she noticed the door wasn't fully shut, but changed her mind, pulling it shut when she heard Lance say something.

"Thad, it's time to wake up," she said, walking up to the bed and shaking him slightly. "Breakfast is ready. It's pancakes, again, big surprise, I know. I'm a better songwriter than a cook though, so you'll just have to deal with it."

"It's too early."

"You have no right to complain, I've been up for two hours," Cady replied. "It's after ten, anyhow."

"Wake me at three."

"I don't think so," Cady said, pulling the covers off the bed.

"Holy shit!!! You're not Thad!" she gasped, covering her mouth when she found a very not Thad Long laying on the bed.

"Who are you?!" exclaimed the man, Tony Lucca.

"Damn it," Cady muttered. "I'm Cady. Hold on. Beatrice, I need you in Thad's room."

"What's going on?!" Tony asked.

"Beatrice-- Britney will be here in a moment and she'll explain everything," Cady said, calling for 'Beatrice' again.

"Britney?"

"Spears."

"What's she doing here?!"

"She'll explain," Cady said. "Maybe we should go into the next room. Lance and Justin can help Britney explain while they finish with JC."

"Lance, Justin, JC, they're all here?"

"Right next door," Cady nodded, sighing in relief when Britney entered the room. "Thank god, you're here!"

"What's going on?" Britney questioned.

"We've got another one," Cady answered, moving aside so that Britney could see Tony.

"Britney? Is it really you?" Tony asked, crawling to the end of the bed.

"Yah, it's me, Tony," Britney nodded.

"What's going on?!"

"Why don't you two go into Jordan's room with the others and I'll take Connor and Jeremy with me out to breakfast," Cady suggested.

"That's probably a good idea," Britney agreed, stepping back into the hallway.

"You too," Cady told Tony when he didn't move.

"Um, give us about two hours, maybe?" Britney said. "Can you handle that?"

"I think so," Cady nodded. "Connor and Jeremy in the kitchen?"

"Yah," Britney answered.

"Okay, good luck," Cady said exiting the hallway, hollering for Connor and Jeremy while Britney and Tony went into Jordan's bedroom.

"What's up, Cady?" Jeremy questioned, coming out of the kitchen.

"You, me, and Connor are going out to breakfast," Cady replied, glad to see that the two were already dressed.

"But there's food right here--" Connor said.

"We're gonna eat something that isn't pancakes for a change," Cady stopped him. "You know you wanna go to Eggberts with me, my treat even."

"What about the others?" Connor questioned following Cady out of the house.

"They can eat here," she answered. "We haven't gone out for breakfast, just the three of us in a long time. It'll be nice."

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