I was already well finished with my work by the time Elliot came into the office the next day.

"Morning, Gerard," he said not looking up at me. Opening his mouth to begin briefing me on his plans for me that day.

I already knew what my plans were for the day, though. "Can I have Sierra over for dinner?"

Elliot looked at me with a confused look on his face. "I guess so. I'll tell Caroline to expect another."

I could have left it at that but his response left my brain and mouth buzzing with a question that ended up blabbering out from reflex, "Can I ask you a personal kind of question, Elliot?"

"Sure," Elliot said taking off his jacket and putting it on the hook in the corner.

"Why does Caroline stay with you?" I asked. I had been wondering this from our first introduction but I didn't say anything.

Elliot stopped and blinked for a second as if that wasn't the question he was expecting at all. "Um…" he stammered. "It's not easy to talk about."

I waited for him. I could see he was weighing his thoughts.

"Caroline just found out she was pregnant."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said because I didn't know what to say.

"Yeah, me too. You see her boyfriend was a jerk wannabe DJ in the city and put her out for it. It was either me or our parents, but we have yet to tell them anything about it other than Caroline is 'visiting' me."

"Are you gonna tell them?" I asked.

"I'm not going to tell them," Elliot grabbed a file from the top of his desk and opened it absentmindedly. "She will tell them when she's ready. I have faith in her."

"Is it hard to lie to them?" I asked again. Feeling our stories slightly collide in certain parts.

Elliot looked up at me. His eyes full of a disgustingly honest thought. "It's always hard lying to someone you love if you think it will keep them sane," he sighed hard. "But it has to be done."

I nodded, though I wasn't sure if we were still talking about his parents. "Well, I'll see you back at home."

"Mmhm," Elliot hummed without looking at me.

Shaking off my lingering curiosities about Caroline, I focused on seeing Sierra. The idea of this made me happy. Although I had seen Sierra a little in the meetings, I never spoke with her since she found my journals. She had been watching me cautiously, waiting for me to say something or anything to her, but for some reason I was too pressured to do it. I wanted to do it on my own terms, I guess.

I made my way over to the mall and found her walking towards her car in the nick of time. "Hey," I shouted through my window towards her.

She looked up confused through her crazy aviator glasses. She recognized me though and ran for my window with a bewildered smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to hang out, I guess," I said with a shrug. "It's been a little while."

"Okay," she smiled. "where to?"

"Park?" I asked.

"I'll meet you there," she turned back towards her car.

I followed her station wagon there. I parked next to her and we walked to our usual patch of lawn by the playground. She sat down and I followed, sitting across from her.

"How's school?" I asked.

She shrugged, "Done for the summer. I am supposed to travel to Florida and stay with my family for awhile but I don't think I will till after the case. I finally have a reason other than school to live in this crazy town."

I slightly smiled at that. Happy my discomfort could bring that feeling. "You didn't have to help, Sierra."

"I wanted to," she said. "You're my friend. Mikey is my friend. I want you two to be happy."

I felt my smile drop. "But… what do you mean?"

Sierra looked up at me, "You don't think I know? You don't think he told me?"

I held my breath, "Backtrack, please. I'm lost."

She began picking at the grass in front of her. "Well the whole story is that I called him. After I found the journals in your room. I told him about what I had read. He was very very worried. He said something about how funny you were acting and that that school had made you different. I didn't know what he meant but he contacted Elliot about it. He found out Elliot already knew and was getting ideas for a case. He met with me and Mikey about it and we told him about what we had read and how we needed to do something about this. He agreed to make a few calls."

I sat silent, waiting for her to continue.

"After the meeting, Mikey talked to me in the parking lot. He told me the only reason he cared so much was cause he really loved you. I said I understood but he shook his head. He told me that he was the reason that you ever went to Reynard's. He said it was his fault. He told me what happened that night."

I sighed shakily.

"I asked him if he still felt the same way about you. He said something really interesting. He said, 'I never could have imagined that someone could love someone else this much.'"

I felt myself holding my breath again.

"And I knew that he would do anything for you and that was all I needed to prove to myself that what you guys had was exactly what love was supposed to be. And I've never doubted your love because of that."

I licked my lips. "Sierra." I sighed again. "You have to swear not to tell anyone."

"Gerard," Sierra rolled her eyes. "You think your brother didn't already brief me on that."

"I mean not even Elliot. No one. You are the only one other than us who knows," I looked at her seriously.

"You have my word. I will take it to my grave." She laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked.

"I don't know. You and your brother both don't trust anyone," she shrugged her shoulders and split the piece of grass she was playing with.

"Well, don't take it to heart. We've been through some stuff," I thought back a little too quick.

"I know that, Gerard. It's just… I think this case is gonna be a little more in-depth than you wanna think about," she looked at me.

"Why is everyone trying to tell me this?" I asked.

"Cause it's true!" Sierra said. "I know you are trying to avoid remembering everything but they are gonna get down and dirty in that courtroom. I think you should start trying to remember somethings you may have pushed back. Or at least, practice talking about them."

I shook my head.

She rolled her eyes again. "K. Fine. Good talk." She laid down against the grass and starred up into the sky.

"Thanks, Sierra." I said. "I know you're right. It's just… hard."

"I understand… a little. And you're welcome."