Into Your Icy Blues

After being home for a week, the siblings finally decided to pay their parents a visit.

"You're finally home!"

"Um, yeah," came her brother's response as he rubbed his neck a bit nervously. Their mother would have a fit if she knew how long they had been home.

"Well, come in, it's cold. Dinner will be done in a bit," she opened the door wider and waved the two into the house. As they made their way into the den, someone made their way down the stairs.

"Jade! Robert!"

"Hi daddy," she beamed, rushing over to him and wrapping her arms around him before pecking his cheek. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby girl." When they had stepped away from each other, he turned to her brother. "Too old for hugs, are we?" Grinning, Bob quickly made his way over.

"Course not, dad," came his response as he gave his father a quick hug. Jade watched happily. Her brother was always so happy when they got home. She knew he missed Chicago when they were touring, whether he would admit it or not.

After a few hours of eating and questions about how the tour had gone and 'did you get any time for sight seeing?' the siblings managed to convince their mother that they had to get heading home.

When they arrived back at their apartment and were removing coats and hat and scarves, Bob turned to his younger sister.

"She seemed awfully interested in Frank," he commented, handing his jacket on the coat rack.

"Maybe because someone mentioned that Jamia had thrown a few fits and that she was engaged to him and a few of the arguments might have involved me?" Jade scowled. "Think that had something to do with it?"

"Oh." Jade almost squealed in delight when she saw a small blush make its way across her brother's cheeks. After pinching them mockingly and cooing a bit, she took off for her room and locked the door, keeping it that way for the rest of night. She didn't need any midnight attacks from him when he was annoyed.

After showering and surfing the internet for a while, she plugged her iPod into its speakers and climbed under her covers happily, falling asleep almost instantly. Early the next morning, however, she would be unhappily awakened by a dream of a certain rhythm guitarist.

Later that morning she would take another shower, this one lasting much longer as she sat on the floor of the shower for nearly half an hour, remaining there even after the water began running cold.

"Get out of my head, Iero," she muttered, scrubbing at her hair angrily.

"Jade," a voice squealed as she walked into the building that housed the photography studio she worked in. Even after they got back home, her brother had insisted that she take another few days off, and today she was finally returning to work. A moment later, she was thrown to the ground by something, or someone, rather, crashing into her.

"Hullo Jamesy," she grinned up at the lanky boy. "How're you?"

"You're back," he beamed, rolling off of her and helping her up after he clamored to his feet.

"Bob made me take a few days off after we got in Monday morning."

"Boo at him," James shook his head. "Little bugger was hiding you from me," he pouted.

"Sorry kid," she chuckled, wrapping an arm around him. "But I'm here now, yeah?"

"I suppose," came his response. "We missed you," he continued as the two arrived at the front room of the studio, which was actually an upscale condo located on the first story of a rather large complex in a hip part of town. She had no idea how much it had cost and quite frankly, she had no intentions of asking. They made their way to the back, where several other people greeted them. Among them were Sarah and Callie who did hair and makeup, Cara, who along with James, was in charge of clothes, and Kevin, the other main photographer of the studio.

After being greeted by her coworkers, she found herself sitting down next to Kevin.

"Who do we have coming in today, Kev?"

"Just some models," he responded. "That one agency has been sending a lot of them lately, after that first shoot. They seem pretty happy that we supply to makeup artists and whatnot. All they have to do is drag over a heap of clothes," he laughed. He spoke the truth. The studio got a lot of its business merely because of the workers that came with the package.

"Hopefully we won't have any teenagers this time," Jade murmured, hopping up and making her way over to the small kitchen that they had left in the condo. Reaching it, she smiled, finding a pot of coffee already brewed. Half an hour later, a group of eight girls arrived, most of them being in their mid-teens.

Six hours later, the last giggling girl made her way out of the studio. The team collapsed in various places around the room, exhausted from trying to work with the uncooperative teens all day. Yawning, Jade pulled herself up from the couch she had collapsed on.

"I'm going to get heading home, guys," she announced. A few goodbyes came from around the room, and James appeared from somewhere else in the studio.

"Can I get a ride, girly? I took a cab this morning."

"Sure thing. You ready to go?" After she received a yes from her friend, the two headed out to the parking garage where Jade had parked that morning. As the two got into the car, her phone buzzed in her back pocket. She pulled it out and flipped it open curiously when it showed a text from an unknown number.

Hey, it's Gerard. Your brother gave me your number at the airport, in case you were wondering. Me and the rest of the guys (FRANK) were wondering if you and Bobert were planning to come out to Jersey sometime during the holidays. The guys (MOSTLY FRANK) send their love. And Ray says to tell you that if you don't come, he'll fly over there and drag you onto a plane. :)

"Frank?" she heard James' teasing voice as he read the message from next to her.

"Don't start," she warned, typing a quick response. "He's engaged."

I'm not sure. I'll talk to Bob when I get home. My friend James sends his love (MOSTLY TO FRANK).

"Do you like his fiancé?" James continued as she stuffed the phone back in her pocket.

"Not really," Jade shrugged. "She doesn't like me, either, though. So it's all good."

"Hm." he replied. He looked deep in thought, which worried Jade. Biting her lip slightly, she started her car up and headed towards her friends apartment complex.

"I'm home," Jade called, pushing open the front door of the apartment she shared with her brother.

"Kitchen!" When she reached the kitchen, Bob sat at the table eating a bowl of cereal typing away on his laptop.

"Gerard wants us to go out to Jersey sometime during the holidays," she told him bluntly as she set her phone, iPod, and keys down on the counter. He looked confused.

"And you know this... how?"

"Apparently someone gave him my cell number," she said pointedly.

"Wonder who that could've been?" he grinned as he shut his laptop.

"I wonder...” she drawled, sitting down opposite of him.

"So... uh... did he say when?" Jade rolled her eyes at the rapid change of subject.

"Nah, just sometimes during the holidays," she shrugged, getting out of her seat again to dig through the fridge. "We. Have. No. Food."

"You want to go out for dinner? My treat."

"Off we go," she replied, grabbing her phone and keys on her way out the front door.