A/N: So...I'm sorry to say that this is the end. This story could have gone many directions but I'm not in a situation where I'm capable of putting my full attention on this story. So, I thought this was an appropriate ending to their already tumultuous relationship. I hope you've liked this story. And thank you for those constant reviewers! This was just as much for you as it was for me.

Thanks to my beta SilverMoon Gypsy. She was an awesome beta and gave me some of the best insights.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Ch. 16: The Difference Between Need and Want

A couple of weeks later, Lex was already back in LA while Deja worked and studied. She called him everyday though. Not that the little guy understood much of what she said, but she tried.

That particular Friday, Deja's greeting to the little tyke was a crooned "Hey baby." Although she was trying to write an essay on microbots for Medulla due that coming Monday, Deja was much more focused on her call than on her lap top.

She listened to the kid gab nonsense while stringing a few words together. Then, Lex would burst into giggles and she heard him clapping his little hands. She smiled.

If only she could be having that much fun.

She then heard Mrs. Reyes taking the phone back. "Deja? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here" she replied.

"Well, I know you have work soon, right? It is four."

Deja looked to the clock. Mrs. Reyes was right. She had to start walking to the Paper Lantern in five minutes.

"Yeah." This Friday she had the early dinner shift.

"All right, well, get to work missy. We'll always be here. Work and school won't though."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Just get going."

"Yeah, fine. Just let me say bye to Lex."

And five minutes later, Deja walked down the stairs of the apartment complex. Her headphones firmly on her head, she bobbed her head up and down. As she approached the gated door of the complex, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Surprised, Deja whirled around.

And there was Warren.

She turned back around and continued to unlock the door.

It was obvious Warren was trying to talk to her but she purposely turned her iPod up. Finally, Warren yanked at her headphones.

"Hey! What's your problem!?" Deja exclaimed.

He shrugged. "You weren't listening."

"Well, that's because I didn't want to."

"C'mon Deja. Just listen for a second."

She stayed silent.

And so did he. Not on purpose though. He honestly did want to say something, but he hadn't planned on seeing Deja as he came home from his latest shift.

"Well..." she asked.

Then, he thought of a valid question. "Do you need a ride?"

She gave him a weird look. "I'm only going to the Paper Lantern. It's just right here."

Well, there went that plan.

Deja saw the uncertain expression on his face and said, "I guess a ride would be fine. I'll have enough walking to do at the restaurant anyways."

Warren, being the entity he was, would not smile. That didn't mean though that he was excited as hell. And for what reason? Driving his ex-almost-girlfriend to her work only a few blocks away?

To him it was so worth it.

So, he nodded to show his pleasure.

Walking back the direction he came from, Warren entered the garage of the complex with Deja trailing a few steps behind him.

Now, Deja was not unaffected this entire time. When Warren had touched her shoulder, she knew those hands. But her stomach had suddenly filled with butterflies.

How else was she to cover this sudden internal chaos if not by turning away?

And how else to get rid of those embarrassing butterflies other than by ignoring the very cause of them?

And how was a girl to react when her familiar and soothing music was torn away from her, especially by said causer of internal chaos?

And when she had said that she didn't want to listen...well it was quite the opposite. Hearing his voice was nice. Its deep roll reminded her of better times. It sounded like the manliness that could keep her safe. That voice that could ward off any of those haunting nightmares she still got sometimes.

That's why she let him continue.

And to think, that a few seconds ago, she was mere seconds away from rejecting an offer from him.

Sure, it wasn't the greatest offering out there, especially since he had worked so hard to get her attention. But it was still something.

It was more than those mere glances they had given each other when passing by. She was only a floor away from him in the apartment so it was inevitable that they see each other. But never had they confronted each other.

And now, Warren was taking her to the Paper Lantern. And on his bike!

God, could this guy get any better?

"Here" Warren grunted, presenting her with a helmet.

Putting away her headphones which were still hanging around her neck, she took it from him and placed it over her head.

He put one on himself and straddled the bike. He jerked his head as if to ask, "Are you getting on?"

Deja placed both straps of her backpack over her shoulders and pulled the straps a little tighter. Then, she grabbed onto his shoulders and swung on leg over.

Warren stiffened when she grabbed his shoulders but Deja was too busy baking sure she got her whole body over the bike. Finally, when she was straddling the bike just behind him, he reached behind him and grabbed her hands. Pulling them around his waist, he made sure her hold was tight enough.

In the process, Deja felt her hands and arms turn into jello, only for their solidity to return when he jerked them a little in a gesture of telling her to tighten her grip.

Also, when he had brought her arms around him, Deja had slid forward so that her thighs touched his legs and derrière, and her torso leant on his back.

This made those butterflies strengthen their onslaught in her stomach. And Warren, well, to him, this just felt right. He felt like the protecter. The way she clung to him and was pressed against him. Although, he knew that was mostly his doing, he just couldn't help but manipulate the situation.

Revving the bike, he backed out of the garage and then took off.

Deja didn't yell of scream, but Warren felt her dig her helmet into his back before she could look up again.

Warren decided to take a detour, veering to the right instead of the left towards the Paper Lantern.

At a stop light Deja asked, "What are you doing? You know where the Paper Lantern is!"

He shrugged. Honestly, he just wanted more time.

When she didn't hear an answer, Deja told him "Well, if I get there let, you'll have to explain to Ms. Wu why I'm late."

He nodded. Too bad for Deja that she couldn't see inside his helmet where Warren couldn't help but smile a little.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!

Finally, Warren came to a stop at the back entrance of the Paper Lantern.

Deja had already decided during the detour that she would hand Warren the helmet, say her good-bye, in clipped tones, and walk away.

That was it. Deja had convinced herself that although she was the girl in this situation, that didn't mean she had to be the girly one when it came to saying goodbye.

She'd seen enough movies where the girl looked rejected but at that last moment, the guy came to his senses. But, those were the movies with the gorgeous stars. Those were for her dreams, for her illusions. She was over being delusional.

So, she did just that.

Pulling the helmet off her head, she handed it to Warren.

He accepted it as she shook her hair out.

Although she didn't know it in her attempts to act nonchalant, he was watching her, judging the consequences of his next words.

She looked up after making a pony tail.

"So...thanks for the ride." Her nervousness was given away though when she shouldered her backpack.

He nodded again.

"Great response" she thought.

She let a sigh out unknowingly and then turned to walk away. "So much for the sappy scene I was hoping for. As if it would ever happen, especially with Warren and I" she thought as she walked away. "All we've ever been is an almost, an if...who said we would ever be a for sure?"

Then, somewhere out of her thought process, someone called her name.

She whirled around.

Repeating himself when he saw her questioning look, Warren asked, "Do you need a ride home?"

Without thinking, Deja said, "No."

Warren's expression didn't change but he did turn towards the bike to turn the ignition on.

Deja took a small step forward, almost encouraging herself. "But I want one."

His head jerked towards her.

Deja slightly ducked her head as her hand came up to push her hair back in a nervous gesture.

"Sure" was his one-word response, as if he would be doing her a favor.

But her head shot up and her pulse spiked all the same. "I get off at ten."

He nodded. Then, he put his helmet on and revved the engine.

As she walked to the back door of the restaurant, she heard him rev the engine one more time, a completely unnecessary but totally thrilling one more time.

She looked back at him and saw him smirk behind the tint of the helmet.

As she walked into the Paper Lantern, not caring that she was a minute late for her shift, Deja couldn't help but be a girl. There weren't anymore butterflies: only periodic shivers of excitement that only expressed a fraction of her need for ten o'clock to come sooner.

Maybe she was better than only starring as the beautiful girl in her dreams.

Maybe she was meant for the movies.

Maybe she and Warren were a "for sure."