~October 2, 2002~

"You think you could have left just a little bit more stuff to pack in your bags?" Joe questioned as he eyed the pile of stuff yet to be put into bags.

Katie and Beth had packed up their apartment, donating various things, and keeping many others.  Beth and Joe had gone through both of their apartments, deciding on what pieces of furniture from each of them that they would move with them to Florida.  They were moving in together, they didn't need double furniture.  And Katie was going to be saying with AJ, at least for the time being, so she didn't need any of the furniture.

"We're going to be without a lot of stuff for at least a full week, I needed to make sure I had everything essential," Katie reasoned.

"And two curling irons are essential?"

Katie rolled her eyes, looking up at Joe, "I'm not explaining this to you.  Make yourself useful, or beat it."

Joe raised his eyebrows, "Wow, maybe I could pull that stick out of your ass for you?"

Katie dropped the clothes she'd been trying to fold and pack.  She took a few deep and calming breaths, even though they didn't really calm her, and turned to Joe again.

"You try finding out your abusive ex-boyfriend is getting off with a smack on the hand, finding out your very best friend is moving cross country, deciding to move cross country with her and her boyfriend, and then deciding to move in with your boyfriend whom you've been seeing for less than a month and who also happens to be a famous pop star...when that all happens to you, over the course of one damn week, and you try being calm and cheery!"

She turned back around to her bag and started shoving things into it angrily.

"What's all the yelling?" Beth walked into the room.  She watched Katie and then glared at Joe.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Go make sure the boxes are all ready to go in the morning or something," Beth shoo-ed him out of the room, "Katie, hon, relax."

"Relax?  Right.  That's going to happen.  You try-"

"I know, I know.  Easier said than done.  Your life has been completely turned upside down in the last few months.  I thought you wanted this though?"

"I do...I just...I'm scared.  What if I get out there and realize that Alex and I aren't going to work?"

"Oh Katie," Beth pulled her into a hug, "You can never know for sure.  You just have to take one day at a time.  I'll be right there, in the same city."

Katie nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Are we okay then?" Beth asked.

"Yeah.  We're good."

"Good, cause you, my dear friend, have a lot of packing left to do," Beth eyed the pile of stuff on what used to be Katie's bed.

The movers would be at the apartment the next morning to pack up the boxes and select pieces of furniture going on the move.  Things like Katie's bedroom furniture, Beth's bed, and the kitchen table would be taken apart and donated.

"Do you really need all of that in your bag?"

Katie stopped to examine the pile, "I guess I could pack some of it for the moving truck."

***

"Katie, let's go!" Joe yelled.

He and Beth had already packed their bags into the car that was taking them to the airport.  The movers had come and cleared the place out, Katie was just having trouble leaving her little apartment behind.  This was her home, it had been since she and Beth turned 18 and graduated high school.  It was going to be weird not driving down the same streets, parking in that tiny parking spot just downstairs, and walking up the stairs to their apartment anymore.

It would be good though.  She was going to be closer to AJ, and closer to her new group of friends.  All the guys lived pretty close by, which meant that Kristin and Leighanne would be close, too.  Her small circle of friends, consisting of mostly Beth, Joe and Ben, would lose one, but gain seven more.

Katie also reminded herself of Dane.  He wouldn't know where she was, wouldn't be able to harass her any more.  She could put that part of her life behind her, and move on to the next part, with AJ.

Slowly Katie dragged her bags out of her room.  Joe took them and the girls stood in their empty living room.  They wrapped their arms around each other, each knowing that the other was thinking of the happy memories they'd shared in this apartment.

"Off to make new memories," Beth smiled.  Katie nodded and the two girls walked out of the front door of their apartment for the last time.

"Good bye old life, make room for a new start."

***

"Hello?" AJ answered.  He didn't recognize the number that showed up on the caller ID, but he answered in anyways.

"Hey sexy, whatcha doin?"

"Katie?"

"Of course it's Katie!  Where are you?"

"Home.  Where are you?  Shouldn't you be on a plane right now?"

"No.  I'm actually standing at the end of what I believe to be your driveway," AJ could hear the smile in her voice.

He went to the front window, pulling back the curtain, and spotted Katie standing there next to a car.

"What are you doing here?" AJ ran to the door and flung it open.

When Katie saw the door open she ran up the driveway to him, "We caught an earlier flight.  I wanted to surprise you!"

AJ dropped the cordless phone onto a table just inside the door and caught Katie in his arms.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and the two kissed.

Beth and Joe walked up the driveway, Beth smiling at the reunited couple.  Katie heard their footsteps and reluctantly let AJ go.

"Sorry, forgot you two were there," she giggled.

AJ let the three into his house, "How was the flight?"

"It was great," Joe answered.

"Long," Katie and Beth both replied then laughed.

AJ helped Joe with the bags, setting them in the foyer, before giving the new guests a tour of the house.  He took them around, showing the living room and kitchen, then up to the bedrooms.

"The guest rooms are all set to go, take your pick," AJ offered.

"Thanks for inviting us to stay, man.  It's nice not to have to worry about a hotel right now," Joe said.

"Not a problem.  It's not like I don't have the room.  You're welcome until you find a place of your own."

"We can be roommates for a little longer," Beth grinned.

Katie wasn't paying much attention, she was too happy to be with AJ again.

"I don't have much in the way of food.  I was going to do that before I came to get you all from the airport, but you showed up early!" AJ led them back to the kitchen.

"We can go grocery shopping tomorrow," Katie suggested.

"If you guys are hungry...we can order in, go out...you're choice."

They decided that ordering in would be best for them.  It would be nice to settle in, relax, rest from the long flight.  Pizza was ordered and the story-telling began.

Joe and Beth had been dating forever.  Katie, Beth and Joe had known each other since high school, so he knew the girls.  He'd been there for all of their crazy girl antics.

Much to AJ's amusement and Katie and Beth's embarrassment, Joe relayed a number of stories about the girls.

"I can not picture you skinny dipping!" AJ laughed, looking at Katie.  Joe had just started a story about Beth and Katie, amongst others, skinny dipping in the lake near a friend's house.

"I was nineteen...and a little bit drunk..." Katie trailed off and then laughed at herself.

"No, you haven't heard the best part!" Joe was laughing.

Beth hid her face behind her hands.  Joe was going to pay for this later.

"One of the guys got out and ended up taking everyone's clothes and ran back to the house."

"Oh god, it was so embarrassing!" Beth cried.

"One of the neighbors heard us...she was this little old lady.  She came out to see what all the noise was about," Katie continued.

"She was so mad!  She just kept yelling at us.  It was so horrible," Beth laughed.

They all traded stories and laughed into the night.  They all got comfortable with each other, learning about each other.

Hearing about Katie's crazy days made AJ wish for the girl that Katie was before Dane came along to come back out.  She looked so happy telling all these stories, re-living the fun she and Beth had.  That wasn't her anymore.  She didn't take the chances of getting caught skinny dipping anymore.  She didn't let herself go and be free.

He loved the Katie she was now, but he couldn't help but wonder if she wouldn't be happier if the old Katie came back out a little.  It would be fun to be crazy together sometimes.

The stories eventually ended and the group fell into a comfortable and tired silence.  AJ and Joe dragged big bags up the stairs to guest rooms while the girls grabbed the smaller ones.

Katie stopped at AJ's room, putting her bag in there and helped them bring Beth and Joe's bags to the room they would be using.  After they said good night, Katie followed AJ back to his room.

"So you're staying with me then?" AJ asked, a hint of a grin showing.

Katie nodded, "I miss falling asleep next to you.  It makes me feel safe."

Katie changed into her pajamas and curled up in AJ's bed.  A girl could get used to this...