"You awake in there?" Howie called through the door as he banged on it.  There was silence for a few minutes before he banged again to make sure.

"We're awake!" AJ called back.  He refused to get up yet though.

Katie was curled up against him, her eyes slowly opening as she woke up.  Their limbs were tangled together, Katie's hair fanned out on the pillow and on AJ.

"Radio interview in an hour!" Howie reminded AJ, "Be in the lobby in forty five minutes!"

AJ groaned.  He knew that he had to get up and get dressed, he was just too comfortable to do so.  He lay with Katie a few more minutes, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her bare arm.  Finally Katie rolled over and let out a yawn as she stretched.  Sitting up in the bed, she looked over at AJ.

"You're okay with hanging with the girls this morning while we do this interview?" he asked as he got up to find a clean pair of jeans.

"Of course!" Katie watched him move around the room half naked, "It'll be nice to get to know them better...especially if I am going to be hanging out with them more."

"So they didn't scare you off?" AJ laughed as he pulled on a pair of jeans.

Katie shook her head and her face changed.  A sadness has crept into her eyes and her smile was a little forced.  AJ fastened his pants before going to sit with her on the bed.

"Whatsa matter babe?" he wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't want to go home this afternoon.  I...I want to stay with you."

"I know, and I would love to keep you.  But...you know you have to go home.  I'm not staying here anyways.  We've got a crazy schedule for the next few weeks.  You wouldn't have any fun if you stayed with me."

Katie nodded, "I know.  I was just dreaming.  They'll fire me at work if I miss much more.  And I won't be able to pay my bills pretty soon."

"I'm all yours this afternoon after the interview.  We'll spend the whole afternoon together before you have to be at the airport.  And after that...we'll be back together before you know it."

Katie nodded again, still a bit sad, but she was feeling much better now.  She was more reassured that this was for real.

After a few minutes of letting him hold her, the two got up and started getting ready.  Much to everyone else's surprise, AJ and Katie were the first into the lobby.  Both just wanted the interview to be over so they could spend their last little time together before Katie went back home to California.

Kristin and Leighanne had accompanied their respective husbands to the lobby as well.  The girls were going to have a nice and relaxing breakfast with some much needed get to know you conversation and girl talk.

The three girls had opted for the restaurant in the lobby of the hotel instead of venturing out in the cold New York winter.  They quickly got a table and sat down.  After ordering breakfast they got right down to business.

"You and Alex are so darn cute," Leighanne gushed.

Katie blushed, "He's absolutely amazing.  I don't know what I'd have done without him.  He saved my life."

"What do you mean?" Kristin cocked her head slightly to the side as she attempted to figure out what Katie meant.  She and Leighanne wanted to know what was going on, they were worried for their new friend, but at the same time they didn't want to push the subject.

"My last boyfriend..." Katie began.

Kristin and Leighanne sat silently, waiting for Katie to continue.

"His name was Dane.  He was pretty much the reason that my friend Beth set up the whole meeting with Alex."

"Carter's cousin Beth?" Leighanne wanted to elaborate.

"Yeah.  She's my best friend and room mate."

"So...?" Kristin tried to get back to the subject at hand, unsure how to word the question she wanted to ask.

"Dane.  Like I said, he was my last boyfriend," Katie stalled as she tried to figure out what exactly to share with them, "Did Alex tell you why he stayed in California for the whole week they guys were on vacation?"

"He said that a friend was in trouble...they'd just gotten out of the hospital and he was staying to make sure they were okay..." Leighanne offered, "That was you?"

Katie nodded, "He'd just met me.  He's the only guy that's really cared about me.  I mean...I have guy friends, but they're all...safe."

"Safe?" Leighanne asked.

"Yeah.  Joe is Beth's boyfriend.  And Ben...he's gay.  It's not the same kind of relationship with them."

"So he...Dane, I mean...he hurt you?" Kristin asked the question she and Leighanne both wanted to ask.  It was the only logical jump from Katie telling them there was a Dane to her being in the hospital and AJ saving her life.

Katie slowly nodded again.  Kristin and Leighanne weren't really sure what to say.  There's not really anything someone can say to make that kind of thing any better.  They each took one of Katie's hands in theirs, silently letting their new friend know that she was really okay now.

Katie shared a select few details about what had happened, mostly in the end when AJ involved himself.

"He helped me summon the strength to get away from Dane.  I guess I kind of fell in love with him in the process."

"You're definitely a keeper," Kristin smiled, "You're not much like AJ's girlfriends."

Katie looked at her puzzled.

"You definitely bring out the Alex in him," Leighanne assured her, "We like that."

***

"Where are my shoes?" Katie cried.  She was trying to pack her things up before she missed her flight.  She'd neglected packing earlier, AJ having had convinced her that making out was a much better use of their afternoon.  Well, not convince.  That's not the right word.  He'd really just had to mention it and Katie dropped what was in her hands.  She was almost wishing she hadn't abandoned packing.  Almost.

"Have you checked under the bed?" AJ asked from the bed.  The same exact place he'd been the entire afternoon as she necked with Katie.  He was watching her scramble around the room, a goofy grin on his face.  Sure they were late, but he was enjoying watching her run around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

"Gee thanks for the help.  Are you having fun over there doing nothing?" Katie half laughed-half groaned as she got onto the floor to check under the bed.

"I'm not doing nothing.  I'm watching you."

Katie shook her head, laughing, "Aren't you supposed to be packing, too?"

"I will.  After I drop you off.  We're not leaving until later tonight."

"Well then do you think you could help me?  Instead of just watching me?  I will not be at all happy with you if I miss my flight...even if I don't really want to go," she added as an afterthought.

"I'm all yours.  What do you want me to do?"

Katie paused and grinned.  What she really wanted to tell him was to hop back on that bed and kiss her some more.  She shook the thought from her head and sighed, "Just make sure I got all my stuff out of the bathroom..."

AJ strolled into the bathroom and emerged empty-handed a few minutes later.

Katie took one last look around the messy hotel room and zipped her bag.  He took both of her bags and led her out of the room and down the hall.  They rode down to the lobby in silence.  The entire drive to the airport, AJ held her hand.

He hadn't worn any sort of disguise or hat-surprisingly-so Katie had insisted he just drop her off without coming in to see her off.  Reluctantly he'd agreed it was for the best.  If he were to be recognized in the airport Katie would definitely miss her flight.

"Call me the second you get home.  I'll be looking for a voicemail when I get off of my flight."

"Promise," Katie gave him a watery smile.  She'd just taken a big step in her life and their relationship and she already had to leave him.  That conversation they'd had about long distance relationships was getting put to the test.

"And you call me if you need me.  I don't care what time it is.  If it's three in the morning and you can't sleep..." AJ softly demanded.

Katie nodded, "I miss you already."

"We'll be back together before you know it."

Katie softly kissed him before stepping away.

"Oh," he called out to her and Katie turned, "I love you, too."

This time the smile spread across her face.  She knew that he'd heard her the night before.