There was a heaviness in the air, a weighted feeling that James couldn't shake. The initial numbing shock of having his best friend suddenly leave town had worn off, leaving him with the knifelike pain of having a part of his soul torn away. He found himself looking forward to the dull ache that was sure to follow, knowing there wouldn't be respite from the pain until Tristan came back. Whenever that would be.

James had, needless to say, been completely taken by surprise when he'd dropped by after the video shoot to find his friend packing his bags. He knew there was no stopping him; the sheer determination with which had been tossing things into suitcases was proof enough of that. He hadn't been very clear on the details, just that he had to get away before there was nothing left of him.

All that James had now was this hollow solitude.

Emily: "James? Is that you?"

Emily's voice startled him out of his thoughts. He hadn't seen nor spoken to her since Halloween- he could hardly bring himself to get out of bed, let alone try to answer the numerous questions people were sure to ask.

James: "Yeah punkin, it's me."

Emily: "I hardly recognized you! Where've you been all week?"
James: "Home."
Emily: "Are you guys avoiding me or something? I think I've left you and Tristan a couple hundred messages and neither of you have called me back."
James: "No… I'm sorry, I just…"

He could almost feel the questions trying to fight their way out of Emily's head. Much to his relief, she just sat across from him in silence. The late-night sounds of the diner seemed to grow in volume, as if trying to make up for the quiet between them. Finally, James drew a deep breath and summoned the courage to speak.

James: "Tristan's gone, Emily."
Emily: "Gone? What do you mean 'gone'?"
James: "Gone as in he left town."

Emily: "When? Where'd he go?"

Her earlier smile faltered, replaced by the increasingly familiar look of strain and repressed unease. Though her voice was outwardly calm, James could tell she was fighting something back.

James: "He left the night of the video shoot. As far as where..."

James passed Emily the post card he'd received just that afternoon, only a few words written out in Tristan's florid handwriting. Emily gave the front of the card a cursory glance before turning it over, studying the words on the opposite side for a few seconds longer than it should have taken her.

Emily: "Crystal Mountain? Sounds nice! Did he say when he'd be coming back?"

James stared blankly at the coffee cup in front of him, its contents long since cooled to room temperature.

James: "No."
Emily: "I wish he'd told me he was going on vacation. I'd have liked to have at least been able to say goodbye. I mean, I guess he probably thought I was mad at him-"

James: "Emily… he didn't exactly go on holiday."
Emily: "What do you mean? He is coming back, isn't he?"

Emily was suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. She hadn't been too concerned by the news at first- people leave town for various reasons all the time. However, there was something in James' body language that sent a chill down her spine- a hopelessness that was unexpected and jarring. She felt rising tension in her own neck and shoulders and shifted uncomfortably in the booth.

James: "Probably eventually."
Emily: "What does that mean?"
James: "All I know is that the last time he left like this, I didn't see him for nearly thirty years."

Emily's face went ashen, and for a moment she thought she might be sick. She was struggling to push the emotions down, to work past them- it wasn't right for her to feel this way. She reached across the table and took James' hand in her own, trying to be reassuring and feeling like a total failure.

Emily: "I'm so sorry, James."
James: "Oh punkin, it's not your fault."
Emily: "I know what it's like to be separated from a part of yourself. I went nearly three years without seeing or speaking to Mary. I know it's not quite the same as thirty, but…"

James looked up in time to see a single tear trace its way down Emily's cheek before she quickly wiped it away. He wondered who she was crying for, but didn't dare to ask.

James: "Three years can still feel like a lifetime, sugarplum."
Emily: "It was rough."
James: "Wh-"

Emily shook her head, stopping James before he had a chance to start. It was the last thing she wanted to talk about under the glaring lights of the all-night diner.

Emily: "Not now, James, not here. Tonight isn't about me anyway- it's about you. Did you tell anyone else he's gone? Does Markus know?"

James: "Yeah, I told Markus a few days ago and Andy when he called on Tuesday. I'm actually surprised he didn't tell you, to be honest."

Emily felt a stinging hurt, she herself surprised that Andy hadn't brought it up at all. She took a shuddering breath and pushed on, trying not to dwell on something that seemed so trivial.

Emily: "Maybe he figured I already knew or something."
James: "Could be."

Emily: "Are you going to be all right?"
James: "I'll live."
Emily: "Hey, I'm not doing anything the rest of the night. Why don't we go back to your place and watch some of those Godzilla movies you have?"
James: "You're too sweet, Emmikins. Did you want to eat something first? I mean, you came to a diner after all."

Emily: "I'm fine, as long as you have ice cream at your house anyway."
James: "We'll pick some up on the way. Did you drive?"
Emily: "Nope, I walked. Mary dragged me to some stupid karate class tonight and I came here after, figured I could just call a cab to go home."
James: "I'm glad to hear you're taking that class. I worry about you, especially with all the recent 'excitement' we've had. And I don't…"

James trailed off, his mind replaying the vague warning he'd gotten from Tristan about Mary's boyfriend- "Not to be trusted." He hadn't thought to ask why he couldn't be trusted, it was one of the last things he'd said before leaving and James had been in full-on panic mode at the time.

Emily: "You don't…?"
James: "Nothing, never mind."

He tried to give Emily a reassuring smile, all the while wondering how she felt about Mary's love interest. Perhaps they could talk about it after they left the diner.

James: "I'm going to go pull the car around- why don't you meet me out front in a few minutes. You can pay for my coffee."

James: "I'm giving you the money."
Emily: "Damn straight."

James: "Oh, excuse me... I didn't see you there."
Ian: "Yeah whatever…"

James: "Rude much?"