"May I ask why you decided we should go out this morning?" Jeremy inquired as the three drove back to the house.

"Like I said before, we haven't done anything just the three of us in a while and I know you're both getting tired of eating the same thing everyday," Cady replied.

"Is that all?" questioned Connor.

"Yah, that's all."

"Okay."

"What else would it be?"

"Wanting to get away from the others for a little while?" Jeremy suggested.

"We go through this every time, Cad, it's all right to want some time away from them," Connor said.

"I know, it's just I feel guilty," Cady replied. "All six of you have given up so much for what started out as my goal, I should be grateful."

"It's not ungrateful to want some time alone, something you can't really get," Jeremy said.

"So you choose the next best thing, two people who won't bother you until after you've gotten your time," Connor added.

"You guys are more than that and you know it," Cady countered. "Thanks though."

"Don't think anything of it," Jeremy replied.

The three made their way into the house through the kitchen. Britney was standing at the sink cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. Cady caught her eye, gesturing at Connor and Jeremy. Britney nodded slightly and said hello.

"The guys are in the living room watching baseball if you'd like to join them, Connor and Jeremy," Britney said. "Beers in the fridge."

"Beer in the house, what's this?" Connor joked.

"I figured we're all of age, no reason to keep it out in the garage."

"Works for me," Jeremy shrugged, grabbing Connor and himself both a beer. "Are you gonna join us, ladies?"

"Who's playin?" Cady asked.

"Yankees vs. the Mets."

"I'm there," Cady replied. "Give me a moment."

"Okay," they agreed exiting the kitchen.

"You don't like baseball?" Cady questioned when they were alone.

"It's all right, but I was hoping to watch some old school soaps, but none of my favorites are on," Britney replied. "Stupid, I know."

"No, it's not! I wanna see like the first episode of Days of Our Lives but it doesn't start until next November."

"You like Days?"

Cady nodded. "It's the only one I watch."

"I watch it and Passions and occasionally some of the others."

Cady made a face. "Passions? Gag me."

"It's cheese, I know, but it follows Days and I just got hooked on it."

"That's cool," Cady nodded. "Tomorrow we'll kick the guys out after lunch and find us some soaps."

"JC'll wanna stay, but otherwise sounds like a plan."

"Great," Cady smiled. "How'd things go?"

"JC's in heaven, but Tony's in a pissy mood. He'll get over it soon enough."

"I hope so. Thad's a pretty easygoing guy, it'll be hard to explain why he's suddenly changed."

"Lets go watch some baseball, huh?" Britney said changing the subject.

Cady nodded and the two joined the guys in the living room.

"Hi," JC said coming up to Cady in the kitchen when she was cleaning up from dinner.

"Hello."

"We haven't officially met, I'm JC Chasez," he introduced.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Cady Adams."

"I remember, you were the girl at Challenge For The Children who had Cady Lynn Andrews' necklace."

"Yah, that was me."

"Lance said you've been here the second longest."

"I've been here a little over two weeks."

"This is your house?"

"For now. My dad's moving next year when I go to college."

"Will you miss it?"

"I'll see it enough," she replied. "We're in talks with Shortcuts to turn it into a museum."

"That'd be cool. The guys and I will have to come see it when it's open."

"Cool."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cady apologized when she walked into the garage where Tony was sitting. "I didn't realize anyone was out here."

"I needed to get out of there," Tony replied.

"I know the feeling," Cady said. "I'll go to the park so that you can have your space."

"JC said you live here in our present," Tony spoke as Cady turned to leave.

"Yah, this is my home."

"Then you're comfortable here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know where you are and everything, right?"

"For the most part."

"So you feel comfortable?"

"I guess...?"

"So you have that."

"You've got people you've known for years."

"So?"

"So don't push them away or this time is gonna be a lot harder?"

"How could it get any harder?"

"Believe me, it can. I know the area, but these last couple of weeks Lance, Justin, and Britney have had each other, so they can pretend they've just gone on vacation. For me it's like everyone I know has left town and I'm here all by myself. It can be very lonely here if you don't have anyone from your real life."

"You four seem to be getting along all right though."

"We've gotten into a routine. It'll change now because there are five of you, four of you who've known each other for eight years or more. I've only been around them for two weeks, things will change."

"I'm an outsider to them all except JC, so don't feel too left out."

Cady was tempted to ask why, but decided against it. "Well if you want, I can show you around town so that you'll be better at it than of the others."

"Yeh?"

Cady nodded. "I'm learning some great new shortcuts and I know all about Independence in the present and I'm getting pretty good at remembering who lives where."

"Really?"

"I've been sending a lot of time with Jerrid Thompsen in the last couple of weeks and he loves having someone to tell about it."

"You know the real Shortcuts?"

"I know Jerrid the best because he still lives here. The others I've just met in passing when they came back last year for a reunion of sorts."

"Do you think they'll come check out your house or whatever if you go through with the museum thing?"

"Jerrid said yesterday that when he told Thad, Jordan, Connor, and Jeremy about it, they all loved the idea of coming, cause we'd have like the opening the day of the twentieth anniversary."

"That'd be a great event. What about James though?" Tony questioned.

"Jerrid and James don't talk much anymore, because James blames Jerrid for Cady Lynn and Beatrice's deaths," Cady answered.

"Because he asked her to allow him to date men?"

"Excuse me?"

"That's what I heard the fight was about. Jerrid like met his-- the guy he's with now, a couple of nights before at a club he went to with Thad and Jordan and asked Beatrice to allow him to date this man. Beatrice, being the prim and proper gal she was freaked out because her husband wanted her to allow him to cheat on her. Cady Lynn heard them arguing and came to see what was wrong and Beatrice told her. Cady Lynn, being Cady Lynn, tried to get into the middle of it which caused her and James to start fighting."

"Where'd you hear that?"

"James is married to Marc Worden's mother. We were on the club together and we're still pretty cool. I was hanging out with him and James' daughters one night and like the youngest one was talking about it," Tony explained.

"Oh.. I've never asked Jerrid what they were all fighting about," Cady replied. "I figured it wasn't any of my business and if he wanted me to know, he'd tell me."

"That's cool," Tony said. "Most people try to pry in celebrities' business."

"I respect Jerrid Thompsen too much to do that."

"You're a good person then."

"Thank you."

"Tony?" the pair heard JC call from outside the garage.

"That's my cue that I'm being missed, I suppose," Tony sighed, getting up. "I will mention to Marc about the museum, if I remember when I'm awake."

"Thank you," Cady replied, following him out of the garage.

"There you two are," JC said when he spotted them. "The others side you go off by yourself occasionally, Cady, but it's dark out and everything so I was worried. And Tony here has no clue where he's at so he'd be all lost."

"Well thank you for worrying," Cady smiled.

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