Paz's wonderful abode.

::Meredith unlocks the door to the fantastic apartment for Pazzie and waits.::

(God I hope he likes it.)

::Stepping out of Julie and Andrea's door, Paz likes that his place is located next door. He smiles at Meredith, biting his lip as he arrives at the door.::

"Let's have a look see!"

::Paz steps in ahead of everyone else, taking a pause as he enters to survey the room.::

(Nice.)

::A smiles spreads across his face, making it evident that he really does quite like what he sees so far. It's not a huge place, but is rather just the right size. Manageable for one. Now, he ventures further into the apartment, making his way to the window to catch the view.::

"This place is good."

::Andrea, Julie and Sera follow.::

"Paz."

::Andy smiles.::

"Just be out there."

::She goes out to the hallway.::

::Pursing her lips, Sera hovers just outside the doorway. She eyes Meredith for a bit before glancing around some more.::

(This place really is nice...)

::Julie narrows her eyes and follows Andrea.::

"Way better than your place!"

::But then he realises that Andrea and Julie left. He notes that Andrea did indeed seem odd for a moment before she decided to stay out in the hallway... But doesn't know what to make of it.::

"Everything alright out there?"

::He moves toward the door and peeks into the hallway.::

::Meredith raises her eyebrows and bites her tongue.::

"You know when you get that feeling you really don't wanna be involved in whatever's going on out there?"

::She approaches Sera and encapsulates her in her arms.::

"Hmm. This feels good."

::She kisses her, quick and light, on the nose.::

::Sera grins softly, wrinkling her nose slightly. She briefly glances in the direction of the hallway before moving her eyes back to the gorgeous blond in front of her.::

"Yeah... I really don't want to know what's going on out there. And... this does feel good."

::Her smile widening, she kisses Meredith softly on the lips.::

::Seriously! Lesbian kisses! Everywhere! Whenever Paz enters a place, there are ladies kissing! But yeah, anyway. Paz comes back with Andrea in arm and Chloe not far behind. He smiles at Meredith and Sera, giving them a small nod.::

"Sorry about that. Thank you so much Merdeith. It's perfect. I love it."

::He looks back at the girls he's let into his apartment, worried about what's going to unfold.::

"I'm not trying to be rude, but something's just happened, but I'll catch up with you later, yeah? Penthouse, right?"

::He smiles, to show that he really isn't being rude or dismissive, and the stressed looks on both Andrea and Chloe's faces should tell a whole part of the story.::

::Chloe stands near the door, giving Andrea loads of personal space, trying to not be tense. She gives a friendly, sheepish smile to the two woman embracing in the room, then averts her gaze to her hands.::

(Stop acting twelve! Get your mind in order, you fucking wimp.)

::Meredith looks confused but is also embarrassed she was making out with Sera in someone else's house. She nods, flushed, and leads Sera out to the hallway. The door closes gently behind them.::

::Andrea rolls her head back over her shoulders, stretching it and trying to relax. She's wondering how to breathe, as she seems to have forgotten. Finally, she remembers and looks quietly at Paz. Playing with her fingers, she sighs and grimaces.::

"Paz, would you... maybe Chloe and I will go somewhere else. I think we need to speak in private."

(Or not at all. I'd prefer the not at all.)

::But she really, really wants to see Chloe. She can't help it. It's been so long and so much has happened and yet she never forgot her. Not once, even after what happened on the moon.::

"Hey, sure. I'll get out of your way."

::Paz smiles, grabbing his keys.::

"I'll be at the school if you need me, probably."

::Moving to the door, he lightly nods his head at the two girls, silently preying that they can sort through some stuff.::

"I'll see you later."

::And off he goes, into the hallway.::

::Chloe follows Paz out with her eyes, wishing she could follow. She doesn't much want to deal with this either. After a few moments, she turns to Andrea.::

(She looks... good.)

"I..."

(Must complete sentence...)

::She takes a steadying breath.::

"I don't expect anything of you. I've been gone for two years and never contacted you. I ran when I didn't know how to deal. I think I left because I wanted to move on, start over. I wanted to throw away and forget my confusion... It was too much to deal with."

::She looks down at her hands, vaguely recalling before the accident. She shudders delicately, a bird shaking her feathers of long lost memories.::

"I escaped and left you with all the shit. I'm so sorry, Andrea."

::She looks up, her eyes edged with guilt and pain.::

::Andrea's running her tongue over her back teeth, her fists by her sides. She was angry and upset and sad and happy and everything under the sun and moon. She still doesn't know how she feels. But after Chloe has spoken, one emotion is the dominant one. Guilt.::

"..."

::She's too emotional to speak. The thickness of her throat is preventing her. If she talks she'll choke and cry and be pathetic.::

::Chloe searches Andrea's face for a few moments, then has to look away to keep from loosing what composure she has.::

(How can I make her speak? What is she thinking? She looks like she could hit me.)

"I need you to talk to me. I'm not angry with you, and I expect you to be upset with me. I don't want to make excuses for my actions... or inactions. I was a fool to leave."

::She hazards another glance at her lost love.::

"Please speak..."

"I can't!"

::The words come out in a sob. Andrea's turned away now, covering her hot, wet eyes with a hand. The other she places against the wall, forearm touching the smooth paper, and leans her forehead into the crook of her elbow.::

(Oh God oh God oh God help me.)

::Chloe gapes for a second and then takes a step forward, her voice smoothing, although she's unsure how to comfort Andrea... or if she should.::

"Then what are we doing here?"

::She tries to speak for Andrea somehow, get her started. Her voice is... helpful, not accusatory in the least.::

"I know you're with Julie. I'm not surprised. And I haven't really been..."

(A loner? Yeah, you have...)

"I mean... I'm okay."

(Well, this is going miserably...)

"It's not that, Chloe!"

::Andrea turns around, now ready to spill.::

"I mean, sure, you couldn't have picked a worse day to show up what with it being her fucking birthday and all and I've been planning a surprise for her and now I don't know anything anymore but... but... but fuck! Why the fuck didn't you reply to my letters? WHY DID YOU LET ME THINK YOU WERE DEAD!? WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME!?!"

::Chloe steps back, instantly drawing back into herself, a wall thrown up in defense. She raises her voice tears pricking her own eyes.::

"Like I fucking knew it was her birthday! Like there was any fucking way for your letters to reach someone who didn't have a home!"

::She closes her eyes, her voice lowered considerably. She stands, tense and trying to compose herself again for a moment. She returns her gaze to Andrea's, her voice quieter.::

"I didn't want to deal with this world anymore! I told myself you were done with me, that you didn't need me, that I'd just make more fucking drama. I told myself you were better off without me. I was replaced and then I was broken and a charity chase. I felt worthless, Andrea."

::Andrea shuts up, red-faced and with messed-up hair.::

"... you didn't get my letters?"

::...::

"No."

"But I did them magically. I mean, they like flew and stuff. I- I really- I don't know why they couldn't have come."

::The revelation changes everything. Chloe wasn't ignoring Andy. She didn't even know she was trying to contact her.::

::Chloe chuckles darkly.::

"I was flying, too. A lot. I was never in one place for more than a month. And even then, I was only sleeping at said place."

::She steps closer again, curiosity brightening her eyes.::

"What did you write?"

::Andrea stiffens and her hands move to meet each other in front of her hips. She plays with her fingers, looking down at them shyly. This is a personal issue. She wrote so much in those letters, more once she'd started to fear the worst for Chloe.::

"I don't know... stuff... just... nothing excitin'..."

::She looks sad and her cheeks are flushed pink, giving her away somewhat.::

::Chloe easily shifts into her scolding face, one that Andrea has basically seen from everyone she knows.::

"Andrea... Please talk to me."

::She moves closer to Ands , tired of standing. She hesitates, then walks past her to sit on the couch, just placing herself on the arm of it, too tense to fully sit.::

"What did you write?"

::Andrea remains where she is but leans against the wall, folding her arms across her chest. She stares ruefully at the floor, subdued. Finally, she replies.::

"That I loved you. And I was scared. And I was sorry."

::Some of the tension is Chloe's body is released, her posture softens.::

"Oh."

::Andrea continues staring at that one spot on the floor.::

"Never mind though."

::Slight stabbing pain, no worries.::

"Okay."

(Why does that hurt? It's been 2 years.)

::Chloe visibly hardens again. Jesus, with the emotions all... not hidden.::

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

::Andrea takes Chloe's question to be posed disrespectfully and the look on her face is severe.::

"No. I'm not the one that's been purposefully keeping you in the dark, letting you think I was dead, all this other fucking... fuc- you want to know what's been happening?"

::She pushes away from the wall and stalks towards Chloe.::

"Do you? Fine!"

::She casts a spell to bring the letters she wrote to Chloe to them.::

"To solve these stupid pointless matters
Bring to me all Chloe's letters."

[An embarrassingly large amount of letters land at Chloe's feet.]

"Oh, and fuck you."

::Andrea storms out into the hallway.::

::Chloe flinches at Andrea's last words and stares at the empty doorway for almost a full minute and disbelief.::

(Okay. It's okay. It's not like you didn't expect this. Move on now, Chlo.)

::She painfully squats to retrieve her letters, trying to stack them into a neat pile... but there are so many that they keep on falling back to the floor. She presses them against her chest as not to drop them, holding onto them for dear life.

She stands awkwardly, her fingers splayed over the battered letters, keeping them from falling, and heads cautiously into the Hallway.::

::Chloe knocks, the door being all locked and stuff. She knocks again, cusses, then gives up. She leaves.::

[Paz appears all sleepy in bed.]

::Quinn gently knocks on Paz's door. He collects the broken vase - which isn't exactly ruined, just two large pieces that needed to be reattached somehow - and knocks on the door again - a little harder this time.::

::A noise at the door wakes Paz from his deep slumber. At first, he's confused. How long has he been asleep? He drags himself off the bed, and staggers toward the door, regaining some human aspects as he does so.::

(How did I get here? What happened to Santa?)

::He swings the door open to find an unfamiliar face.::

(Well now, he's pretty.)

"Hello?"

::Quinn had been just about to walk away, when the door suddenly swings open to reveal a sleepy eyed, disheveled haired man slightly younger than Quinn himself.::

"Hello."

::He feels slightly guilty about waking Paz from his afternoon nap. Quinn smiles slightly, brushing his dark bangs out of his eyes.::

"Sorry if I woke you. I, er... my name is Quinn and I just moved in next door. You see, I broke this vase and was wondering..."

::Quinn breaks off, suddenly feeling very foolish. Sure, meeting a new neighbor had sounded like a good idea. But Paz's boyish handsomeness had thrown the photographer off guard.::