A/N: Okay. So here's number two. Hope you enjoyed the last one and hope you enjoy this one.

There was now a routine that he followed every day and night. During the afternoon, he did what he had to, but in the morning he followed his routine and he did at night too. Alex wasn't too fond of his routine but oh well. It wasn't Alex's life.

You see, Jack liked to torture himself. Not at all in a physical way, but more of a mental, emotional one.

Every morning he woke up and looked at his night stand. What was on it? Pictures. Pictures of Lindsey. Pictures of them together. Pictures of the past. Pictures that reminded him of all he'd lost…

He'd get up and get dressed with the doll Angel gave him, the one with Lindsey's face on it, staring at him from a top his dresser. On his wrist the bracelet she'd made him all those years ago remained. And he wondered everyday if she thought about him. If she ever wondered about him? Did she care anymore? Did she watch T.V just to see him? No, his heart told him no. But he couldn't help but feel a small string of hope that one-day, one-day even if she never forgave him, he'd be able to see her face to face again, to at least know that she was happy.

He ate a bowl of her favorite cereal for breakfast every morning, Cheerios. And he prayed before he ate. He prayed for Lindsey everyday. He prayed that he would never forget her, and that he wouldn't find anyone else, because he didn't deserve them. But after he'd lost her, he'd let God take over. He figured, this mess of a life was bigger than him, and that if anyone could sort it out, it was God.

When the band was home at least that was his morning routine. When they were on tour things were spontaneous. The way his whole life had been at one point in time, but now he didn't want it to be that way. He didn't want to risk hurting anyone or himself anymore.

Now don't get me wrong, Jack was in no way shape or form a boring person now, it was just, he was more careful, more cautious. Jack still cracked jokes and he still talked in third person at times and he still had fun with his friends and fans, in fact Jack was happier now in most aspects of his life since he just let go and let God.

He had a better relationship with his parents, and he just didn't have to worry about a lot of things now because he knew someone had them handled.

The only thing that could make him happier or complete his life was that one person. That one person whom he knew he could never get back, so it was hopeless, but that was okay.

Jack hadn't really changed at all in five years. He no longer had blonde streaks in his hair, but it was still the same length. He was still immensely tall, the only thing that had changed really was that he wasn't a little stick figure anymore, he was leaner now. Jack always had free time now it seemed, so he figured what better thing to do than get in shape? Or at least try. Jack worked out, but a lot of his hard work was canceled out by his addiction to junk food. He probably owed Alex at least thirty dollars from always borrowing a dollar for McDonalds. So it was like a never-ending cycle. He'd work out, but then he'd eat junk, and go work it off the next day.

"Jack-y boy!" Alex yelled into the phone, "Get your butt over to my house!" Jack flinched not expecting it to be so loud.

"Alright, alright take a chill pill Alex. I've got to put on my shoes."

"Like your oversized feet could fit into shoes." Jack heard Angel say in the background.

"Hey, Alex, Jack doesn't think you're wife is very nice!" Jack hoped Angel heard.

Alex and Angel had gotten married a year ago. That had been Jack's one hope to see Lindsey again. He figured that Alex and Angel were still two of her best friends, so she'd be there right? Wrong. Jack was the best man; of course she wouldn't be there. Angel had asked her to be a bridesmaid, but apparently the date was on her grandparent's fiftieth anniversary so she couldn't go.

She'd apologized over and over again to Angel, but all she had done was reassure her that it was okay. Jack had heard her talking to Angel, because Angel always put the phone on speaker, and Jack almost cried. Her voice had changed. She'd gotten more mature and she sounded almost like an adult, but she had the childlike sweetness in her voice still. Jack hoped she would never loose that.

The rest of the band was fine though. Ryan and Sam were happier than anyone that Jack had ever seen. Especially now that Sam was expecting triplets. It had been very unexpected, and her stomach looked inhumanly huge.

Zack was now dating the girl of his dreams. She was perfect for him and Jack expected that they'd be married by the end of the year.

Jack was happy for his band mates, honestly he was. He was glad that none of them would have to go through what he went through because it sucked and now he expected to be alone for the rest of his life, even though he could probably get a girl very easily; he didn't just want any girl. He wanted Lindsey.

He drove his shiny new car to Alex's house and parked in his driveway obnoxiously. The house was cozy, it wasn't all that huge, but it was totally decked out. Everything was high-tech and Angel's art hung all around the walls.

The door was open so Jack walked in and spoke loudly, "Oh wow, what a lovely house this is! And the door is open! I think I will walk in and raid the kitchen!" he laughed quietly to himself and tip toed to the kitchen, but he found Angel standing in the kitchen doorway, an apron around her tiny waist and a spatula in hand.

"Wow, Angel? Are you actually cooking? No wonder it smells so bad."

She scowled at him and Alex came up from behind her, "Let's play nice now children."

Jack laughed and Angel whacked him with the spatula before skipping away and taking off the apron. That read, BEWARE OF WHAT I COOK

It suited her. Angel couldn't cook for anything unless it was a bowl of Ramen or cup noodles, but eating, eating on the other hand was a different story. Meaning she and Alex had eat offs and she won most of the time. She was a monster in childlike but yet adult form.

The three of them ate, watched movies and talked for along time, until it was late. They were celebrating their new album. It was coming out and into stores in two weeks. Alex, who had written almost all the songs on their first two albums, got a break. Jack had written seven out of the thirteen songs on the CD. Most of them you could probably guess were about Lindsey. But it had take Jack along time to get to the stage he was at right now. To be so okay with life and just truly laugh again.

The album was titled, These Long Years, and everyone agreed that would be a good name, all for a different reason. For Alex it was that he worked so hard to get so far. For Ryan it was dealing with whatever life through at him. For Zack it was the search for the love of his life. It had taken him twenty-six years to find him. And for Jack, for Jack it was dealing with life without Lindsey.

"So." Jack said, "How is she?" he asked after a long moment of silence.

Alex didn't want him to know that she had become so adult like. He wanted his best friend to keep the love of his life in his head the way he remembered her. A playful, fun, witty, girl. Even though her recent words played through his head over and over again. They'd been so harsh. We're not all rock stars Alex, we can't all stay seventeen forever. She'd quoted one of the songs on their very first CD. He had written that. We can't all stay seventeen forever. Lindsey probably didn't realize that the whole band had matured up a bit. She and Angel still talked on the phone almost every day and Alex talked to her at least once a week. But he hadn't talked to her since she'd said that. Zack and Ryan kept in touch with her through e-mail. But she didn't talk to Jack. It wasn't because she wouldn't most likely. It was probably because if she was going to talk to him, he needed to say something first. But Lindsey never asked about him when they were on the phone and if he ever came up, Lindsey was silent for a very long time afterwards.

"I don't know." Alex said, I haven't talked to her in a while. So Jack turned his attention to Angel.

"She's good." Angel said. She had to do this, Alex wouldn't do it to his best friend but someone had to tell him, after all it'd been two and a half years they kept it secret from him. It was about time he knew.

"Kevin's kid just turned four."

"Oh, that's cool." Jack said.

"And," Angel began. "She's got a boyfriend."

Jack's heart stopped. Alex looked at her incredulously. They'd spent two years trying to hide that fact from Jack and now she just goes and blabs it out?

"Oh." Jack said forcing a smile. He wanted Lindsey to happy, he really did. And with how pretty Lindsey is he probably should have expected that. He shouldn't be so hurt. He shouldn't be so surprised. In fact this was everything he deserved.

"So," he said, "how long have they been together?" he asked.

Alex looked at Angel and hoped that she wouldn't tell him how long they'd really been together. That would kill him.

"Two and a half years." Angel said. Alex dropped his jaw. She'd told him. "Angel!"

"What Alex! Someone had to tell him, it's cruel to keep him in the dark!"

"Yeah, but I mean all at once?"

"What was I supposed to do, we've been hiding it for two years now!"

"It's okay." Jack said. "It's okay."

The couple stared at him as he stood. "I think I'm going to go now. But thank you Angel. I needed to know. As long as she's happy. That's all I needed."

She knew knowing was going to hurt him. She knew it was, but she also knew that he would rather know than be left in the dark. As mean as they were to each other, Jack was one of Angel's best friends and she thought that maybe, maybe that since he knew now, he'd tried to find someone else. But she knew the real answer to that. He wouldn't.

Jack drove home trying to decide whether or not he should veer off the road and crash or just go home. He decided go home would be better.

As he got home and kicked off his shoes and headed up stairs to his room. From there he changed into his PJ's and he got ready for bed. He brushed his teeth, and washed his face and went to his room. But instead of climbing into bed he stared at his dresser. Next to the doll, was a small black box. And inside the box was the ring he'd planned to give her when she turned eighteen. It shone brightly; it hadn't been worn in a really long time.

"As long as you're happy." He said and left the box open. He stared at her picture for a long moment and his finger swept across it, and then he climbed into bed and shut his light. "As long as you're happy."