I am SOOOOO sorry for the long break inbetween the last chapter and this one. I just wasnt into it but here is a new one! Hopefully it will momentarily satisfy that Troop hunger. REVIEW PLEASE!

Shock was all that Jake could feel. He was numb and all that he could do with his body was grip Hayley tightly. He doesn't know how but he can feel her shaking…or was that him?

"Jake! Jake, its okay." Hayley consoles him. Jake continues to feel his body shake though.

"I…I couldn't stop him. Felix got shot because of me." Jake wants to cry but he has to be strong; for Felix and Hayley.

"Jake, there was nothing that you or I could have done. We need to go to the hospital to support Felix." Hayley tries to tell herself that as well as Jake. She knows that she should be bawling right now but the reality hasn't kicked in. It's a funny feeling not to know what you are feeling or anything in your body. Hayley looks towards Jake and sees him nod. She puts her arm around them and they walk towards Mr. Stockly's car.

At the Hospital. . .

Jake blankly stumbles into the hospital waiting room. The sound of his shuffling feet fills the thick bleak silence. He sits down, deadened, onto a chair. Hayley is right there beside him and sits down next to him. Jake barely moves his eyes to look at her. Jake puts his hand on his face and lightly grazes his fingers across his face as if checking to see if he still has some feeling in his body.

Hayley looks around at the dull sickening white walls that surround her. She hates hospitals. They are so depressing and full of the feeling of death. She glances worriedly at Jake. She feels a tugging of sadness as she thinks about what he must be feeling. Right now no emotions are registering for her… she has been told that this must be a defense mechanism to cope with things. When her dad had a heart attack people asked her why she hadn't cried yet her mom would shoo them away so she didn't have to answer. It was after she knew that he was okay that she cried for hours. She felt like if she cried then it would be too real and too powerful. So she just feels frozen inside but her body still moves.

Haley snaps in front of Jake, hoping that maybe he would be snapped out of his trance but nothing happens. He doesn't even blink. Nothing may be able to get him out of this. Hayley sadly thinks. Just then her attention is called to the swinging doors thrown open and Ashleigh bursting through them. Great. The ditsy patrol and her ignorant posy are here. Hayley gives Ashleigh daggers through her eyes as Ashleigh makes her way over to Jake.

"Jake? Jake are you okay? I heard what happened to Felix. I am so sorry." Ashleigh kneels in front of Jake and clasps his face in her delicate hands. Jake feels her hands on his face and he looks up towards her. His murky eyes can barely show his true blue eyes.

"I-I can't believe it. One minute I was standing in the gym and the next-" Jake can't complete the sentence because his eyes swell up with tears. No, not in front of Hayley or Ashleigh. Jake tries to toughen himself up. He looks up to the ceiling to try to get the tears back into his eyes but they have already escaped. He sees from the corner of his eyes that Ashleigh is reaching up to wipe his tears away. He doesn't want to but he lets her wipe them away. Jake also feels Hayley's hand grip his. Since when has he had such good friends surrounding him like this?

Jake looks back at Ashleigh and smiles through his tears at her. He sees her eyes wander to his hand intertwined with Hayley's. He notices that she slightly growls and scowls at Hayley. That isn't okay.

"Hey, it's okay." Jake pulls Ashleigh's attention to his face again but the damage is already done. He can see the gears begin to turn within her brain.

"Why is it okay? I don't want to be that clingy girlfriend who gets jealous easily but at this point what other conclusion can I come to?" Ashleigh asks him honestly. Sometimes Ashleigh and her smartness are scary. "Let go of her hand, Jake."

"Uhhh…maybe I should go." Hayley begins to try to get up but Jake stops her. He tugs her back down so that she is sitting again. Jake nods to her before looking determined at Ashleigh.

"She's my friend and she should be able to hold my hand since both of us were there. You don't know what it is like to see a friend shot. We need each other." Jake looks at Ashleigh and sees her eyes widen. "Shit! Ashleigh I didn't mean it like that."

Ashleigh stands up from where she is and doesn't look at Jake. "Well it looks like you know who you need more." She begins to walk away but Jake stands up and captures his hand. He shakes both of his hands, calling attention to the fact that Hayley's hand is in one and Ashleigh's in another.

"I need both of you guys. Hayley is my friend and we shared something today that I hope you will never be experience and I can't help that. I need you too… just in a different way so please . . . please stay with me." Jake tightens his grip around Ashleigh's hand.

Ashleigh looks at her hand intertwined with Jake's then at Jake. She hesitates as she sees the sadness in his eyes. She is about to say something but then she sees Hayley shuffle in her seat. That causes her attention to fly to the hands woven together. Her heart hurts as she thinks about what she has to do to Jake. She looks back at him and unclasps her hand from Jake's.

"I-I can't do it. Every time I would see Hayley I would become angry and jealous; I told myself that if I'd ever be like that again than I would end it. . . so here I am." Ashleigh starts to tear up.

"Please don't do this. I really need you now. Don't leave me please." Jake pleads with Ashleigh. He knows he sounds whipped and corny but it's how he feels. His heart breaks with the sight of Ashleigh running out the doors with tears in her eyes. He feels his jaw go slack and drop. He just got dumped in the emergency room just because he was holding hands with Hayley. Hayley! Jake's head whips around so that he faces her. For a second he swears that she was smiling but it rapidly goes away.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that." He apologizes to her and puts his head down in defeat. Hayley is shocked. Not quite to the feeling when she saw Felix but almost. Jake apologizing! What has gone with this world; Felix getting shot, Ashleigh dumping Jake and Jake apologizing about it.

"Why are you apologizing to me? I am sorry that I had to give you my hand. I think it was my fault that Ashleigh broke up with you."

Jake looks up and gives her a look of fierce grit. It surprised her again. "No. All of my girlfriends should be okay with our special relationship. If she couldn't handle it than that is her fault."

"Look's like she missed out on a great guy." Hayley smiles and nudges Jake. He smiles and gives a cocky look at her. Suddenly her senses are called to the fact that they are fairly close to each other. She can feel her hairs standing on end as his minty breath reaches her cheek. She sees his eyes go from her eyes to her lips then back again. Hayley promises that she can hear her heart pounding.

The moment feels like slow motion to Jake as he carefully leans into Hayley. He sees her eyes flicker to his lips. He can't help but smile. She wants it too. He closes his eyes and waits for the amazing feeling of her lips on his.

Right as Hayley starts to lean that inch and a half to close the gap, Mr. Stockly comes in and she immediately jerks away and pushes Jake away. They were this close. . .

Cliff hanger huh? I do that alot. :] It might be a little longer than you might want for the next one but hang in there.