Author's Note: Good day and Happy New Year' Eve to all! We are finally at the end of the fourth and final installment of a series of Big Time Rush shorts. Thank you again to all that stuck around and to those that may have just discovered these stories. I am happy yet slightly saddened that I have finally finished this series especially before the end of the year. But I do look forward to what I get to share in the new year! I will be releasing some one shots centered around my OCs in the Big Time Rush universe as well as some other stories I'm looking to finish up as well so be on the lookout for them! Anyways, sorry for my rushness, but I am finished now ha-ha! As usual, I hope that this update is enjoyed and don't forget to review! =)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to 'Big Time Rush' whatsoever, just the story/OC I came up with.

Chapter 5

Early Sunday afternoon, James and Chloe were situated in a taxi cab heading back to the Palm Woods. James was a nonstop chatter box, taking full advantage of their time together to learn every possible thing he could about Miss Chloe Michelle Martin, the latter of which who giggled from time at his line of questioning.

They jumped from topic to topic. First with her experiences in high school to being a young college goer. Then he asked about life in the country and eventually turned back around to the subject of her family. She sighed but opened up nonetheless to whatever he asked and even grinned at some questions.

"So, is Charlie as lesbian?" James asked out of the blue. Chloe coughed roughly and gaped at him. "What? She gives off that kinda vibe," he stated as a matter of fact.

"Well, I'm not at liberty to disclose-" she began.

"And you just answered my question," James interrupted with a laugh.

Chloe groaned, "please keep this quiet James…my parents don't even know…"

"I'm sure they'll find out eventually if Gallows plans to stick around," he replied. Chloe's eyes widened which made James laugh hysterically. She groaned again as they pulled onto the side of the curb.

"That'll be $38.50," the driver stated. James quickly handed over a pair of twenties telling him to keep the changes as they exited the cab.

Bags in hand, Chloe and James crossed the patio area, still chatting about various topics. But something didn't set right, especially with Chloe. Firstly, it was a nice bright sunny 90 degree day and the entire pool area was deserted. Secondly, the lobby, much like the pool area was empty. No kids. No adults. Not even grouchy Mr. Bitters was present at the front desk. And thirdly, both areas looked like a tornado went through it.

Before Chloe could protest her unease, a sound that can only be described as a shrill battle cry, Chloe was thrust behind the desk by an antsy James. He brought finger to his lips, both teens peeked over the desk to spy an unusual sight. Three older gentlemen were firing off what appeared to be giant marshmallows at a small group of younger children. As they ran for cover, Jo and Camille, both decked out in war gear, pelted the older adults with paint filled water balloons.

Sinking back down, Chloe looked at James in confusion while said male was visibly stressing out. Suddenly, James grabbed her shoulders, his eyes wide as saucers. "Chloe, what day is it?"

"Uhm, the first, why?" James swore in response. "James, what's going on?" Chloe asked frantic as James scoped his surroundings.

"Think about it Chloe! What month is it?" He hissed and Chloe paused to think. Realization dawned on her face as she stared at James, her jaw slack.

"It's April 1st…" she whispered.

"Bingo! It's also our 2nd Annual Palm Woods Prank War." He whispered. "And by the looks of it, the adults have joined in,"

"I thought you were kidding about this! The Prank War is a thing?!" She exclaimed and James whipped his head to face her.

"We don't kid about our Prank Wars," he said in a deadly serious tone. If Chloe wasn't so confused and freaked out about the situation, she would've noted how sexy James was when he was in his stern protective mode. Shaking her head of such thoughts did she notice that James was slowly rising to his feet.

"Ok Mister Pensive, what are we gonna do?" Chloe asked.

"We just need to make it to the elevator then we can hide in your room till this all blows over, but we got to move quick." He stated as he looked deep into Chloe's green eyes. "It's just us right now, ok? Trust nobody, you hear?" Chloe was lost in his heated hazel gaze and just nodded. She picked a hell of a time to get lovestruck.

Grabbing her hand, James pulled her up and moved around corners to the elevators. All was clear and they took full advantage as James repeatedly pressed the up arrow for the elevator. With a ding, the metal doors slid opened to reveal emptiness. Relief flooded the pair as they entered, but it was short lived when another shrill scream pierced the air.

Rushing forward, Jo and Camille along with a few others sped towards the opened doors. They had water balloons ready and a sling shot aimed right in their direction. Chloe and James screamed loudly as he pressed button after button while various water balloons fired. A few splattered against the wall behind them before the doors closed.

Chloe blinked rapidly as she and James breathed heavily after their little scream fest. "Are you…sure…we can…make it?" She asked in between gulps of air.

"I…think…so…" he sighed, watching the floor numbers blink. "Just one more flight and we're in the clear…" James finished as they both struggled to catch their breaths. Chloe was hunched over and took an extra moment before speaking up again.

"Ok James, this prank war thing…how long does it normally last?" Chloe questioned.

'Uhm…it's around two now so another couple hours maybe?" James responded a bit unsure of himself. "Usually it's to the death…" Chloe groaned at this. "Or till the last one standing!"

"How is that any better?" Chloe whined. James shrugged in response and slid next to her.

"Well, this means a longer day together…" he stated with a wink. Chloe rolled her eyes, but leaned into him, her adrenaline rush gone. The elevator stopped a few moments later and the doors opened with a ding. Hesitantly, James stepped out and scoped the hallway before signaling Chloe forward.

Feeling safe for first time since they returned, both teens sped walked to her apartment door, and James immediately attempted to pry open the locked door. Huffing, he turned to look down at a strangely calmed Chloe who stood still, not showing the same enthusiasm he was at that moment.

"Uhm, Chloe? Aren't you going to unlock the door?" He asked Chloe, earning him a sigh from the latter.

"James, for that, I would need a key. A key that I left in my purse."

"Okay…?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and faced him head on, "James. Where is my purse?"

"You had it with you when we got here and…oh fuck," he sighed, realizing that they ditched their bags when they first got there."

"Ding ding my dear!" Chloe exclaimed as she slapped her hands at her sides. "Now what?" Snapping his head upwards, James held up a finger then rushed off. "James!" Chloe called out, but he was already gone. "Fiddlesticks…" she huffed. His room was down the hall. Maybe he had a spare key? 'Should I go after him?' She asked herself. Before she could decide, a whistle cut though the air.

Turning away from the door, Chloe was now faced with a new obstacle; one in the form of a tweenage girl with bow and what appeared to be large plunger arrows. Even at barely four feet, this girl was very intimidating, especially with Chloe being unarmed. The girl was smirking widely and had black stripes along her cheeks. Chloe could not recall meeting this girl, but at the same time, she looked familiar to Chloe.

"Uhm, hi?" Chloe asked nervously as she raised her arms, palms up in a defensive stance. "I'm Chloe! Have we met?"

"We haven't met directly," she replied simply, weapon still raised, "I'm Katie, Kendall's sister." Ah, so that's why she looked so familiar. "I apologize for the circumstances of our first meeting, but this is war after all." She stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Wait! It doesn't have to be! I didn't even know there was war! Is there any way you can spare me?" Chloe pleaded. "Grant some mercy perhaps?" Katie snickered at her plea which wasn't the least bit reassuring.

"Seriously? Kendall must not have told you much about me!" She laughed. Chloe sighed, preparing herself for the hit. I mean, it was only a rubber plunger which probably didn't hurt much, but still.

Chloe dropped her arms, "fine, get it over with please,"

Katie pulled back the string of her bow, taking aim, "Gladly!" Letting go, Chloe clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the hit. A hit that never came. A whoosh of air past in front of her followed by the sound of suctioning and finally a loud thud. Slowly, Chloe opened her eyes to see James on the ground with the plunger sticking from his head.

Chloe's mouth fell open at the sight as did Katie's. Leaping up, James winked before facing Katie. In his hands was a giant confetti rifle aimed directly at her. With a loud pop, James pulled a lever that unleashed a big ball of colorful paper strips all over her figure some of which that flew back towards where James and Chloe stood.

"Ugh! You suck James Diamond!" Katie yelled as she stomped her feet. Spinning on her heels, she ran out of the hallway. Once alone, Chloe pulled James into a hug, careful to avoid the plunger sticking from his head.

"My hero," Chloe giggled as she lightly pecked James' cheek making him blush. "So, you left me to get that?" Chloe stated, gesturing to the confetti launcher.

"Actually, I left to get a spare key, but this was just calling to me instead," James replied with a grin. Shaking her head, Chloe smiled as she began removing the plunger. With a sickening pop, the makeshift arrow was gone leaving behind a red circle shaped ring on his forehead; but to Chloe, he never looked better.

Mama Knight, Kendall and Katie's mother was crowned Queen of Pranks that year and afterwards, they held a big celebration in her honor. The once cleared out patio was now packed with people from children to teens to adults. Some were unscathed, others were heavily marked by enemy pranks, but they mingled nonetheless.

Chloe was currently hanging with the guys as they each went over their various prank arts. James kept her at his side the whole time and not once did the guys question it. Secretly, they were all happy with the pair and that they got together. James was becoming less of an ass and Chloe was coming out of her shell; it was a win-win in their eyes.

At one point, James stepped away to refill their drinks, and on his return back did things begin to go south. Lucy was in his line of sight and when she spotted him, she made a bee line straight for him. James panicked and even contemplated jumping into the pool to get away from her. It wasn't that he was avoiding her, he just hadn't spoken to her since their last gathering, and she didn't know about the Dak situation as well as her and Chloe becoming an item. Ok, maybe he was dodging her just a bit.

"James!" Lucy squealed, bringing her arms around James, and pecking his lips. He didn't reciprocate, but Lucy was too oblivious to notice. "Where have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages! I thought we were working something out…" she winked as she pulled him close.

Tensing up, James attempted to push her off, "Lucy, uhm, well…" he stammered.

"Why are you so tense? Aren't you happy to see me?" She grinned. "Cause I'm very happy to see you," she purred making James cringe.

Sighing, James grabbed her arms, pinning them to her side. "Ok, look Lucy. Somethings have happened since the last get together-" he began only to get interrupted.

"That reminds me! What happened with Dak and Chloe?" She asked suddenly and ever the oblivious, she didn't notice James stiffen, and his jaw flex. "He keeps calling me and talking about how Chloe hasn't seen him since their last date nor will she return his calls,"

"Is that all he told you?" James nearly growled. Lucy nodded and James had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. Unbeknownst to them, Chloe spied the exchange and was slowly walking over, happy that Lucy was present.

"Yeah! I mean, what the Hell? We went through all the trouble to set them up and she leaves him out to dry! What's up with that?" Lucy exclaimed.

Chloe was a foot away from them now, unnoticed by the two, but she stopped movement when she heard Lucy's statement. Her stomach clenched; Lucy and James set them up? Did James know he was that type of guy? Was this all just a big joke? Chloe's mind went wild as she waited for James' response hoping against hope that he would deny everything or at least come to her defense.

"Lucy! I know we had something and it was fun. The idea that you came up with was the perfect idea at the time, but-" James began, but stopped at the sound of a gasp from behind them.

"What?! You both set me up with him?! With Dak?!" Chloe yelled. James' heart plummented to his stomach at the sight of Chloe. Her eyes reflected only betrayal back at them and tears were pooling fast in those dark green orbs. "How could you…" she whispered more so to James.

He shook his head fast, "No! Please no, it's not what you think-" his apologies were cut off by Chloe's palm coming to contact with his cheek.

The smacking sound reverberated through the crowd, ceasing all other party sounds. All eyes were on them. Not a person spoke nor did the music continue to play. Kendall, Logan, and Carlos were surprised by Chloe's action; she mentioned how she never hit another person…this was very serious. And it only got worse; Chloe was full on crying now as she faced a shocked Lucy that rushed near to James…who was a bit close to the pool's edge.

"Oh my gosh Chloe, what the Hell is wrong with you?" She exclaimed.

"And you! I thought we were friends! Then you helped!" Chloe screamed. The crowd paused as Chloe raised her arms, thinking a second slap was coming, but instead, she grabbed Lucy, and pushed her into the pool.

Chloe's hands were fisting at her sides and she was shaking. On one hand, Chloe was angry and proud of herself for her actions. But on the other hand, Chloe was scared by them. Looking at Lucy struggling to exit the pool and the red print on James' face frightened her. With one fleeting final look, Chloe did what she should've done after her first day on the job: run away.

For the first time in Chloe's life, she had quit at something. She sent an official resignation letter to both Gustavo and Kelly announcing her immediate termination, citing personal interests as her reason. She truly couldn't hack it anymore. In less than twenty four hours, Chloe was hopping on the first flight back to Montana. Her mother and sister will be so happy to see her fail. But her dad, she wasn't ready to face him…

Even though neither Gustavo or Kelly responded to her resignation, Chloe proceeded to pack all the while everyone around her was working against her decision. Gustavo and Kelly refused to accept her removal so they stalled. When the guys caught wind, they each took turns blowing up her phone each disgruntled by their calls going straight to voicemail.

"Argh! James, you better fix this or else none of us may ever see her again!" Kendall yelled, rounding on his bandmate who was silent.

"Yeah. Chloe is the best damn assistant we ever had!" Logan chimed in.

"Well, next to Kelly…" Carlos stated.

"Carlos!" Logan and Kendall yelled making Carlos throw up his hands in response.

"Anyways, the point is that you're the one that needs to fix this. Kelly told us that she quit and is planning on returning to Montana! She isn't responding to any of us so you really need to step in. What are you going to do hmmm?" Kendall huffed, each of them staring down at James.

He remained silent, eyes trained at the window, looking at something none of the others could see. James hadn't spoken a word since Chloe smacked him hard on his face. It was like that slap paralyzed him and he couldn't speak or feel. He was hurting bad and felt extremely guilty over the situation.

After pulling Lucy from the pool did the Dak situation get explained fully. Soaked from head to toe, she appeared more surprised than when Chloe shoved her into the pool. Then for the second time that day, James was slapped. And she said the same thing that the guys were saying now: fix this or she'll be gone forever.

Then a lightbulb when off in James' brain and all but leapt up from the couch. He ran around like a chicken with its head cut off as he bounced from room to room. He freshened up within five minutes which was a first and tore apart the rooms until he found the megaphone. Unsure, the rest of Big Time Rush looked on in confusion.

"I've got a plan! Just make sure to that Chloe is outside in fifteen minutes, but don't let her leave!" He exclaimed as he exited the apartment.

"Well, this can't be good…" they each mumbled. Carlos then threw on his helmet, tapping it few times before they each shuffled out of the apartment.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the hall, Lucy stood outside of Chloe's room, unaware of her part in James' plan. Guilt was tearing apart her insides and felt that she should make amends before Chloe left. Lucy paced back and forth in front of her door for a good ten minutes before the door opened. Chloe walked backwards with her bags in her arms. Rotating on the spot, Chloe jumped at the sight of Lucy.

"Hi," she greeted sheepishly.

"Hello…" Chloe replied just as quietly as she walked past Lucy to the elevator. Lucy followed behind wordlessly and the silence continued till they reached the lobby.

Knowing that Chloe wasn't gonna speak again, Lucy grabbed her arm to stop her. Chloe stiffened at her touch, but didn't move away. "The guys told me what happened. I am so sorry for how you were treated, I honestly didn't know he was that type of guy. And he never told me why you never called back…I wish I talked to you first…"

Chloe managed a small smile at her declaration and thought to extend the branch back to Lucy. "I'm sorry I pushed you in the pool. That's not something I normally do and I'm still disgusted by my behavior,"

Lucy chuckled, "I would've done the same if I was in your position, especially since there was something going between you and James which I do apologize for as well…"

Chloe brushed her off, "it's fine, I should've known we wouldn't work out…" she stated with a shrug.

Lucy rolled her eyes before smacking the side of Chloe's arm, making her squeal. "Never say never my dear, I saw the way he looked at you when you stormed off that night; he truly cares about you, ya know?

"Besides…" Lucy paused, a dark look crossing her features, "I've probably done worse it came to fighting over a boy," she stated as she shook her head. "Anyways, I'm sure I can't stop you from leaving, no matter how much I want you to stay…so, I just wanted to make amends,"

"Me too, thanks for being bigger than me," she smiled again and moved to hug Lucy. Well, that was one less weight lifted from Chloe's chest. Deep down, she couldn't hold any anger towards her. Aside from the guys, she considered Lucy her first real friend. And she didn't want to lose Lucy.

"Now…" Lucy sniffled, "did you at least goodbye to the guys?"

"Uh…" Chloe replied, not meeting her gaze as she shuffled out onto the patio, not paying attention to the group of people crowding about.

"Chloe! Really?!" Lucy exclaimed making the other female wince. "I understand not saying bye to James but…" Lucy trailed off, her gaze on the rooftop. Puzzled, Chloe followed her line of sight then let out gasp. On top of the roof with a large megaphone in his hand was none other than James Diamond.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" They said together.

"Oh good, you're here," a voice said behind them. Chloe turned to see the rest of the Big Time Rush band walking towards her. After exchanging a few hugs and a few scolding's directed to Chloe did they look up at James in wonderment.

"So, this was his plan…" Logan stated to nobody in particular.

"Plan?! What plan?! What on Earth is going on? He's not jumping, is he?!" Chloe asked worriedly, suddenly no longer angry with James especially after Lucy's prior confession. Looking at the guys, they each shrugged. Making a split second decision, Chloe dropped her bags, and ran back inside to head up to the roof.

While she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, James scanned the crowd for said girl. He hoped that she was out there and was listening. James dug deep within himself to find inspiration for his words to his love…to Chloe. And he prayed to whatever deity available that she was out there hearing his words.

"Hello everyone! My name is James Diamond!" He called out earning screams and whistles from the crowd below. "A lot of you know me, a lot of you know of me. I am a rock star, pretty boy, dashing bad boy womanizer. I have been called good things and even more bad things.

"I have even been told that I am incapable of loving another person besides myself! But today, I am to inform each and every one of you that has changed! You see, a few months ago, a girl by the name of Chloe Martin," James began only to get interrupted by intense cheers.

James grinned at this, "Yes! Many of you were fortunate to meet her. Chloe is very talented! Smart, innocent, sweet, caring…and very beautiful! But also very shy and naïve! But once I got to know her, I saw her vulnerable side, her true side. And then, that was it! I was officially hooked!

"I fell in love everyone! Me, James Diamond, am in love!" James screamed loudly earning even more cheers. He then lowered the megaphone for a moment, suddenly sad. "But I screwed it up. I may have lost her forever and I didn't even get to tell her how I felt…"

"Good thing I didn't leave huh," Chloe said softly. Dropping the megaphone, causing it to whine in protest, James turned to see the very person he desperately wanted at that moment. Chloe stood timidly, her hands knitted at her back. Taking giant strides, James now stood before her, itching to touch her.

"Did you hear…" James whispered, his voice betraying his feelings.

"Every word."

"And?"

Chloe smiled and slowly raised her arms to circle around James, "and I feel exactly the same for you…"

A huge megawatt smile stretched across James' face as he pulled Chloe into his body and his lips met hers in a passionate kiss.

Seeing the display below, the crowd of various Palm Woods' guests erupted in the loudest of cheers and hoots. But neither James or Chloe heard any of it. They were at peace in each others arms, not a care in the world as they kissed to their hearts content, separate halves now finally whole.