"So what did they say?" Gerard asked we sat on the steps leading up to my apartment. I was on break and still fidgeting with my dress hem, like I had been since I first dawned the outfit my first day of work. I was exhausted and I was nervous.

"You mean the ones who don't hate me for leaving?" I asked as ashed my cigarette into the can kept back there so we could smoke.

"Yeah. Those," Gerard said as he absent mindedly picked fuzz of my black leggings while ashing his own.

I had asked Reta if I could wear them under my uniform since it had become cold out with the arrival of Fall. She had said knock yourself out but you won't need them. And now sitting during my break between the lunch and dinner rushes I found out she was right. The diner was kept a nice warm welcoming temperature and we ran around so much that I didn't have a second of down time to get cold.

"They'll be here on Friday sometime. I gave them my cell phone number again and gave them directions here to the diner since they didn't know when they'd pull into Jersey," I said before taking a drag.

"Okay," Gerard said as he sat back against the step behind him.

"You know when this all blows up in my face I have only you to blame for it all," I said as I shot him a look out of the corner of my eye.

"I don't think it will blow up in your face. And if it does, knock on wood it doesn't, I fully accept the consequences," Gerard said as he made an act of knocking on the wood steps.

"Oh it will. You don't know what I was like back in college, what my friends were like. If you did then you wouldn't have forced me to invite them out here. I left Gerard, I left. It's not something one goes back from," I said as I looked down at my lap and sighed silently.

He really didn't have a clue, not one. Sure he saw how I was when he first met me, but then I was only a short time out on my trek across the country in search of myself. I was dirty, worn out and tired and just grateful for the kindness Reta bestowed upon me. My old friends weren't like them, like the guys, not one bit. I was the most laid back of the lot with being a Chemistry and Political Science major. Sighing I stuck my used cigarette butt into the ashtray can and stood, needing to go back to work.

"Well you know you'll have me, the guys and Sharon backing you one hundred percent. Hell I'm sure if you only opened your mouth and asked you'd have K.C., Sheels and Star right beside you as well. You have more friends than you think Jay Bird, people who think of you as family. Speaking of which," Gerard said as he shot me a stern look as we made to walk back through the kitchen back into the diner.

"Don't even try Gerard. They cut me off when I ran away, there is no communication there," I said sadly.

My family while not the greatest was something I missed. Not so much because they weren't here but because they had basically disinherited me when I had left with not so much more than a sticky note to my roommates. They didn't return any of the first few phone calls I had tried to make to them while out on the road, I had no idea what they did with the postcards I had sent. It's one thing to move away from your parents, but regardless of your relationship with them, or lack there of, not having a mom or dad to call in your life hurt. But I sucked it up, I had a new life that I wouldn't trade for all the tea in China.

"We'll always be here for you," Gerard whispered as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I hadn't realized I had paused while I had pondered life.

I smiled at him and continued on into the diner to continue my shift. Gerard parted ways and went around to the front of the counter and sat back down at his spot with his mug of coffee. He had come in after being at the art museum for the day, another one of his nobody knows where I am excursions, and he hadn't left yet. That had been during the middle of lunch.

I picked up my order pad and went to go see if there was plates that needed to be brought to tables for Reta. I lifted my head when I heard the door chime the entrance of bodies and smiled. A group of black clad boys walked in, not my boys, but others. I smiled at them as they took up one of the booths across from the counter. I tucked my pad into my apron and grabbed four glasses of water along with four menus. I walked over and placed each of the items down in front of one of the guys.

"So is there anything I can get you to drink while you look over the menu?" I asked as I took out my order pad and pen, flipping it open to a new receipt paper.

"Three coffees and an orange juice," one of the guys said as he looked up at me with a smile.

"Sure thing, decaf or regular?," I asked happily as I smiled back at him.

"Regular," the same guy said, a smile still on his face.

"Alright, be back in a minute," I replied.

He had bright green eyes and natural dirty blonde hair with highly unnatural black undertones that went to about his shoulders in a choppy cut. I smiled once again after I saw his Guns n Roses shirt and turned to get their drinks. Up at the counter as I grabbed an OJ and a pot of coffee I saw Gerard glaring at the guys at the table, the one who had talked to me in particular.

"Down boy, down," I teased as I gathered my items and went to leave behind the counter.

Gerard just rolled his eyes at me and turned back to his coffee but I saw him look over his shoulder at the table as I walked over.

"OJ is for?" I asked as I looked around the table.

The one who seemed to be the shortest, with neon blue shaggy hair raised his hand from the left corner.

"Here ya go, and coffee for the rest," I said as I placed down the glass in front of the blue haired boy and then filled the mugs the other guys had turned over for coffee.

"Do you guys know what you want yet or do you need another minute?" I asked as I rested the coffee pot on the edge of the table incase they were ready.

"I know what I want. You guys?" the only one who had talked so far asked.

A collective yeah was said around the table.

"All right let's start with you Mr. OJ," I said pointing to the guy with the OJ.

"I'll have the number three with sourdough," he said with a big toothy grin.

"Got it. And you Mr. No Sugar?" I asked the guy across from the blue haired boy with the OJ as I hadn't seen him put any sugar into his coffee before he sipped it.

"The number two with an english muffin," he said with a similar giant grin.

"How do you want your eggs?" I asked as I took down the orders.

"Scrambled," he said as he made to sip his coffee.

"Okay. And you Mr. Cream and Sugar?" I asked the guy in the same booth as the one who had just ordered.

"Burger and fries ma'am," he said, again with a grin similar to his friends.

"Okay. And last but not least what can I get you Mr. GNR?" I asked as I turned to the guy with the shockingly green eyes.

"I'll get the Southwest with extra green peppers," he said with a soft smile that made his eyes light up as he folded his menu and held it out for me.

"Alright I'll be back with your orders when they're ready. Give me a shout if you need anything else," I said as I took the menus from each of the guys.

The guy with the amazing green eyes handed his over but made it so his fingers brushed against mine a bit longer than would have been normal. I smiled at him and turned back around to go put my orders in to Ernie.

"Orders Ernie," I called into the kitchen as I hung up my orders on the spinner.

"Thanks Jay," Ernie called out.

I turned to go about seeing to anything else that needed to be done behind the counter.

"He was totally hitting on you," Gerard said softly over the top of his coffee.

I shot my head up and looked over at him, he wasn't looking at me but into his coffee, though I figured he felt me staring at him since he lifted his head. I gave him the so what look.

"And your point is what?" I asked as I separating some of the utensils behind the counter.

"I just don't like it," Gerard said, not breaking our eye contact but for a second at the end before dropping his eyes into his coffee again.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Well I kinda liked it, it was nice. Made me a bit flustered. Sometimes I forget I'm really girl with all the hanging out I do with you manly men," I teased as I sidled up to Gerard and leaned across the counter towards him on my elbows.

Gerard lifted his head and shot me a funny look.

"Besides, it's not like I'm dating anyone so what's the matter in a little harmless flirting?" I asked as I got up from leaning and started to wipe down the counter.

"The harm is in the fact that he could potentially sweep you off your feet, turning into the silent stable boy you're waiting for and I'd never see you again. We'd never see you again," Gerard protested.

"Gerard you're just being silly," I said before tossing my wet rag into one of the sinks.

Gerard was silent for a moment or two while I went about tiding, waiting for my orders that should be up any minute since Sam had started cooking with Ernie in the kitchen along with washing dishes.

"Besides he's too pretty," Gerard said, a little too venomously than I figured was necessary.

"Gerard!" I said sternly staring at him.

"Orders up Jay," Sam called out through the small window.

"Thanks Sam," I called back without taking my eyes off of Gerard who hadn't bothered to look up at me.

Scoffing I turned and grabbed my orders, balancing them on my arms as I left behind the counter and headed towards the table of tight clothing clad boys. Smiling I deposited their orders in front of the correct person.

"And ketchup just in case," I said as I placed a bottle of ketchup upside down on the end of their table.

"Anything else?" I asked as the guys unrolled their utensils and placed napkins in their laps.

"Uh yeah. Where'd you get your hair done? It's absolutely amazing," the guy with the green eyes asked.

"Star did it," I said proudly.

The people I called friends were just ever so talented.

"Wow. It's beautiful and so are you. Just thought I'd let you know," the green eyed guy said with a smile as I felt the toe of his red converse hit the toe of my white.

"Thanks. I," I started to reply but stopped when I felt arms wrap around my shoulders from behind.

"Sorry for being so moody and female. I had no right," Gerard said into the back of my neck where he had buried his face.

I lifted a hand up and patted one of his arms that encircled my shoulders.

"I believe you. I also believe your timing," I said as I rolled my eyes, no longer feeling myself angry with him.

I finally remembered that I was standing in front of a table of customers, one of which whom had been hitting on me ever so nicely.

"Sorry," I apologized sheepishly.

"No problem. I should say sorry, I didn't know you had a boyfriend," the green eyed boy said as he looked a little sheepish at me.

"Boyfriend? Oh Gerard? Shit he's dating a friend of mine, he's not my boyfriend. Just my moody, over protective, ding-a-ling of a best friend," I said as I felt Gerard stir and place his head beside mine, his chin resting on my shoulder.

"Hey," he said curtly to the guys sitting at the table.

"Hey," they all seemed to answer back as one.

I could literally feel the tension in the air. And here I thought Gerard had apologized.

"Don't you have a band practice to go prance around at?" I asked teasingly.

"Oh fuck. I'll call you later and we'll see you tomorrow for breakfast. Give me a call if you hear any news from your out of state friends," Gerard said as he kissed the side of my skull roughly and then dashed out of the diner, his animosity towards my customers temporarily forgotten.

"Ah yeah, sorry bout that. Holler if you need anything," I said and turned quickly back towards the counter.

The way the green eyed guys eyes had lit up at the mention of how Gerard and I weren't dating and how his foot had come back out to press next to mine had caused a blush to creep up into my face. So not what I wanted, nor needed, them seeing.
-xXx-
"He did what?" I asked as I laughed out loud as I leaned over the counter, disbelieving what I was hearing.

"He totally exploded chocolate milk all over the place," Mikey said happily.

"Out his nose!" Frankie added excitedly.

I laughed out loud along with the other guys up at the counter, all of the guys minus Ray who was looking at Frankie like he was going to eat him for breakfast instead of the food in front of him.

"Oh my god, that's hysterical," I added as I laughed at the story of Ray's excursion into milk nose spraying.

"You should have seen his face when it happened," Gerard added and then proceeded to give his interpretation of Ray's face.

That got me, and everyone else, laughing again. Laughing so hard in fact that I didn't hear the door chime the entrance of more customers. It was in the middle of the breakfast rush and the guys had showed up early like always and ordered breakfast and kept me company.

"And then Frankie made to lick it up off the table," Bob added laughingly, miming licking the counter top.

I couldn't help but laugh harder at the mental image in my head. I found myself dropping my head into my folded arms on the counter.

"Jayden?" I heard voices ask.

I shot my head up as my laughter died at the familiarity of the voices and looked over the shoulders of the guys to the group of people standing uncomfortably behind them. My face paled and the guys must have seen it for all except for Frankie stopped laughing and turned to look as well.

"Who died?" Frankie asked as he calmed down his laughter when he realized he was the only one still laughing.

Bob must have elbowed him in the ribs for he stopped laughing and turned to look at the people we were all now staring at.

"Guys these are my friends from back home," I said as I felt a lump form in my stomach and raise to my throat.

Notes

Dun dunn freaking DUNNNNN!!!
This end here is the intro into one of my favorite chapters that is up next.

Hope you enjoyed moody overprotective possesive Gerard!
I know I did!