Ariadne kept going through her papers, checking phrases with her black pen while trying to see what else had to be done during the day. She had spent half the flight to Virginia that way -- worried to the core.

AJ let his backpack fall unceremoniously on the floor. He looked around. The place was a lot bigger than Ariadne had let them know. The house looked actually huge. She had made sure the five of them had enough space for the next two weeks.

AJ sighed. Somehow, it reminded him of their beginning, when they used to leave at each other's personal space and when him, Brian and Kevin were sharing an apartment.

Ariadne turned around and looked at the five of them. "Your bags are still in the van. You better get them out. Remember that it's going to be just the five of you for the next two weeks. I let everyone go for the time being -- even the bodyguards."

"Why?"

Black eyes stared at a bewildered Kevin. "Well," she started slowly, "you still have to learn everything and we didn't want you having to pretend you remember everything. We just thought it'd be best."

Kevin nodded, turned around and continued looking at the house, walking over to the dinning room as Ariadne spoke to them. He didn't care about looking at her, or even listening what she was saying. That wasn't what he wanted to do. What he actually wanted to do was explore the huge house he would be staying at for the next two weeks. And so, he took off running towards the staircase standing by the side of the living room.

"Kevin!" Ariadne yelled after him. Surprisingly, she did more out instinct that anything else. "Kevin, don't--"

"I just wanna look around!" Ariadne heard him say just before he turned around in the hallway.

She sighed and looked at Brian, who was looking at the corner where Kevin had been only seconds before up in the second floor.

"He--"

Brian shrugged, hurrying himself to calm her down. "He's probably just excited about being in a new place. After all, the only house he's seen so far it's the hospital and the hotel room." He turned around, looked at her and shrugged again. "I don't know."

Ariadne sighed again, her peripheral vision catching Nick looking up the stairs for a split of a second, and then passed her page on her board. "Sure, just make sure he doesn't do too much. The doctor said to take it easy."

Brian grinned. "Sure," the mom part in that sentence was totally implied.

She smiled back. "Alright. Besides the five bedrooms, there's a full library, and entertainment room, the kitchen already stocked and the garage." She checked one of her pages, remembering what she wanted to tell them. "Oh, Claudia's arriving tomorrow afternoon. You can arrange your meetings with her, but from what I was able to talk with her, mornings would be best."

"Claudia always had a thing for mornings."

Turning around to look at AJ as he carried in two of his suitcases, he continued. "She kept saying that the voice has more trouble adjusting in the mornings, so it was better. Just one of her things."

"Sure, no problem. Then it'd be best for you to practice with Fatima on the afternoons. She said she'll--"

"I'm gonna go upstairs to check up on Kevin."

Ariadne, once again, was interrupted. Her eyes darted to the walking form of Nick going upstairs. She nodded to herself. "Sure. Anyway, she'll be here early in the evening." She looked at her papers, going one by one. "I think that's all." She closed her small agenda-like board. No one had ever guessed where she had gotten that piece of... equipment. "I'm leaving."

Brian nodded just as Howie gave her a small smile while he started getting his bags in. "Thanks Ariadne, really."

She only nodded. "I'm gonna leave the van here." She had been smart enough to come in a different car, knowing she'd have to leave alone. "You have my number. You know you can call me at anytime." She'd be there if the guys needed her, but right now, they needed to find themselves -- along with each other. They had to be friends again -- a group. And for that, she wasn't neeeded.

"Take care."

She nodded again, took a quick look at the guys, and then turned around on her sneakers. Neither of the guys heard when the door closed after her.

*****

Nick opened completely the slightly ajar door, staring at the standing form inside. He didn't say anything as Kevin let his eyes absorb everything. The older man walked over to the window, resting his forehead against the windowsill.

"I want this room."

Nick blinked, not having noticed Kevin had realized he was there. He nodded. "Sure."

Kevin nodded as well. He had checked out the five rooms the house held, and this was the one he had loved the most. It wasn't like there was much difference in between them, but this one... this one had a window over viewing the back yard. The grass had recently been cut, trees along the side. Green all over. He liked this room the best.

He turned around, an innocent smile on his lips. "The place it's beautiful."

Nick agreed. "Yeah, Ariadne sure has good taste when it comes down to houses."

"She chose it? Why?"

Nick wasn't sure what he should answer. He wasn't even sure what Kevin meant by it. "She... she does that kind of thing. That's her work."

Kevin nodded, not really understanding.

"You like it here?"

"Oh, yeah." Kevin walked over to the bed, letting himself fall unceremoniously on it, grinning as he looked at the whiteness of the ceiling. It was a rather high ceiling. "It's great. The place it's very beautiful."

Kevin raised his head to look at the blond when a comfortable silence had fallen upon the room. "Can I go out to the yard later?"

Nick bit back his frown. "Yeah, I don't think there'd be a problem." This was Kevin asking for permission. He shouldn't be surprise. Things had changed considerably, after all.

He fell back. "I wanna see what's outside. The back yard seems to be big."

"It probably is," Nick said. "Ariadne said she wanted to get a place with forest around or something. To keep it private."

Kevin nodded, still looking at the ceiling. He lifted his head again, looking at Nick. "My bags. I forgot my bags. There are still outside."

"Don't worry, I'll get them for you."

Kevin shook his head. "I should do it. Ariadne said we should get our own bags. I should do it."

Nick stared at the man lying on the bed with his head lifted enough so Nick could see him. Kevin wanted to do what Ariadne had said. "Sure." He paused, his eyes still fixed with Kevin's green ones. "We better go down. I gotta get my bags too."

Kevin nodded as he jumped off the bed. He walked over to the door, Nick behind him.

When they reached the first floor, the other three were already in the dinning room, their bags along the floor.

"I don't know you guys," Howie started, "but I'm hungry." They hadn't had breakfast yet and the so-called breakfast they served on the plane had been a joke. "I'll see what I can get." He said, making his way over to the kitchen.

"I'm taking my bags upstairs." AJ said, picking up only three of the many he had brought. "I'm picking a room guys. I'm sure they are all the same."

Brian shrugged. "I don't care about the rooms anyway."

"Not the second one on the right," Kevin called out, his eyes going over to AJ. "That one is mine."

AJ looked at Kevin for a second before nodding. "Sure. No prob." He wanted to add something; he wanted to ask, but looking at Kevin, his green eyes showing... nothing, telling AJ that there was nothing behind them but the last five days, he stayed quiet. There was nothing to talk about. There was nothing to say.

"I gotta go for my bags," Kevin said as he turned around and walked over to the door and Nick didn't know if he was talking with himself or actually telling them.

"I'm with you."

Nick followed Kevin outside, the van neatly parked. They opened the sliding door, getting three bags each. They could see some suitcases still inside. It was to be expected; after all, each one of them had brought something like six or seven pieces of luggage.

Nick watched Kevin pick the bags up, sliding one of his small backpacks up his arm. This was such a familiar picture, but then again so different... Nick shook his head. He picked up another suitcase and forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

*****

Wide-open green eyes stared at the white ceiling. There were some barely visible lines and dots there and, with furrowed brow, Kevin tried to see if there was a pattern in them.

Breakfast had been finished about half an hour ago and each one of the guys had decided to go their separate ways. As far as Kevin knew, AJ and Howie had gone somewhere in the house. Kevin heard something about pool, but wasn't sure what that was. Brian and Nick had taken off somewhere totally different. He didn't understand where exactly, but it had something to do with N and a number. Kevin had been thinking about asking about that, however, he decided that staying quiet was probably the best way to go.

Kevin hadn't minded at all, even though he had been invited to go along with both pairs. He just wanted to stay in his room for a while. There were so many things he hadn't seen or thought about yet. And it was rather obvious there was a lot to think about.

Lifting his body from the bed and sitting down on it, Kevin looked around the room with his brow still furrowed.

His bags, as Nick had instructed, were placed besides the dresser. He knew he still had to unpack, but thought that maybe later would be better. He wasn't in the mood to do that just yet.

Just besides the dresser was a TV on top of a wooden construction. He hadn't turned it on yet. He'd probably watch it later.

His eyes moved over to the window. He still had to go outside. He was planning on doing that later today. He just wanted to see the forest and touch the many things his eyes could see.

Turning his head around, his eyes found the fallen cap he had almost forgotten. In his excitement at finding this stunning room, he had let his cap fall down to the bed and hadn't noticed. He picked it up, looking at it.

Brian, his cousin, had given it to him. It was a blue cap with a check like in darker blue thread. Brian had told him that, until his hair grew a little bit, he should wear it whenever anyone but the guys is around. Kevin had only looked funny at him and nodded.

Kevin, even now, didn't really understand why he had to use this cap, but had agreed. Maybe he'll ask Brian the reason behind that. And, since had promised, since they left the hotel, he had been wearing.

Throwing it on the bed again, Kevin turned around, his eyes and mind still curious about the room.

The door leading to the bathroom was slightly ajar. Kevin knew that that door let to the bathroom because he had already checked. It was a nice bathroom. Nicer than the one had back in the hospital. There were soft and white towels and the shower was big.

On the other side of the room was a closet waiting to be filled. Maybe later.

Kevin opened his arms wide and let himself fall down on the bed. He liked doing that. He still didn't know why. Maybe he just liked it.

He closed his eyes, thinking.

He tried to remember everything he could think about.

One of his first memories was the nice doctor who had attended him and the guys around his bed. It wasn't until now that he actually remembered the guys standing around his bed. They had told him they had been waiting for him to wake up, but he hadn't really remembered any of this. Now he did.

What else?

The room. The cold and white hospital room.

Kevin shuddered unconsciously.

He decided right there and then that he didn't like hospitals.

The pictures Brian had showed him still rang in Kevin's mind. They were very pretty. Maybe Brian would agree on showing them to Kevin again. He would have to ask him later, though.

This morning had been his first plane ride and it wasn't as bad as one would think. It wasn't that much fun either, but it was plain nice. The guys had been playing cards and had asked Kevin to join them. Kevin had declined for two big reasons. One, he really didn't know how to play and didn't want to ask them. Maybe later on he could learn, but he didn't want to ask them to teach them. And two, the blueness of the sky had been really interesting to watch. He had actually enjoyed watching the clouds going by and wondering if there was a way he could touch them.

And now the house -- which was beautiful. There still were lots of things for him to see in the house, but he knew he had two weeks to see them all.

Kevin frowned slightly. Now that he thought about it, there still were lots of things for him to do. Yeah, lots of things indeed.

Relaxing in the bed, Kevin let out a long sigh.