Jennifer's Pov;
Josh, Liam, and I huddle together, crying. It's really over this time. We're never going to film another hunger games movie together again. The realization hurts, but it's a happy thought. We've finally finished the series we've been working on for so long. It's the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new one. The tears are tears of joy and pain, laughter and heartache. We've put our heart and souls into these movies and into each other and it's all coming to an end. The wrap party goes smoothly, people everywhere are crying, laughing, and partying. There's cake, booze, and snacks at every turn. There's cast and crew all over the place, some friends and family too. Woody and I hug more times than I can count. Liam too. We have a good night together, all of us, but there's also a sadness in the air. After tonight nothing will ever be the same. We can never go back to what we had, but we'll have the memories and the friendship for life. I can't imagine a better direction for my life to go, can't imagine what it would've been like without them in it and without this series tying us together. Thankfully, I don't have to imagine it. I was blessed with this job and with all these people I've grown to love as my co-workers and friends. I now know what true love feels like, because of them. I've felt accomplishment and pride on a scale I never knew possible. I have fame, fortune, and the most perfect friends a person could ask for, and I owe it all to this series we've come together to recreate on the big screen. Woody is like a second father to me, Liam is like a brother, Willow a sister... These people are my family now and I know no matter where we go after this, we'll never stop being family. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them, and I know there's nothing they wouldn't do for me. We will always be a part of each others lives, maybe not in the same way we have, but we'll always be there for each other. That's the one thing that will never change. I wish the best for all of them, and I'm certain many of our careers will only get better from here. We've grown up together, we've learned from each other, we're all becoming better people together. The night grows darker and Liam, Josh, Woody, and I stay at the wrap party long after most of the others have left. We're under no obligation to leave, we have no where else we need to be, but in each others arms. We hug and cry and laugh. Woody is the first of four to leave. Then Liam. Josh and I are left alone. "I think maybe I should go too." Josh starts to leave, but I grab his arm to stop him. There's something I have to tell him first, something he has to know. I've been putting it off all night, holding it in all these years, too afraid to voice it. He's been there for me through everything, he's been my best friend, the best friend anyone could ask for. Even when he had a crush on me the first year and I turned him down, completely ignoring his obvious feelings for me so I could chase after someone else instead. Even when he got a steady girlfriend of his own and I dated a couple different men. Our feelings for each other stayed inside. We kept our relationship platonic, a perfect friendship, a form of pure love and respect that could not be duplicated. We are a unique match, one that can not be broken. We belong together as more than friends, I know we do and I hope he feels it too. "Wait." I hold his arm steady and he turns to look at me. "There's something I need to tell you before we go our separate ways tonight." I blurt and he stands still, waiting. "Well, what is it?" He asks, not seeming to catch on to my urgency. "Ugh, fuck... I just wanted-no needed, to tell you that I love you." I confess, my heart pounding in my chest. "Love you too, Jen." He says, calm and casual as always. He's not understanding. Of all the times I've told him I love him this time I mean it most. I mean it in the deepest way possible. "No." I shake my head, frustrated by his lack of understanding. Why can't he just read my mind on this? He does it with ease on other things all the time, sometimes without even trying. So, why is this so hard to get across? "I mean I really do love you." I say, this time in a more serious tone, more sure than even seconds before. I look into his eyes, but he still doesn't seem to get it. I can see the wheels turning in his head, but he's not fully grasping the meaning behind my words. "I mean I LOVE you. I LOVE you, love you." I say, louder, more confident. His jaw drops and I see that he's getting it now. "Oh...Oh! You LOVE love me. You're in love with me." I nod, and his face lights up. "I love you too, more than anything. I really do." I can see his eyes are sincere, filled with love and devotion. He's surprised by this, I can tell he didn't ever think I would love him back, but I do. I absolutely do, no doubt in my mind. He's the one and he's always been. I don't know how I missed it all this time. "Yes. I'm in love with you, Josh. I really am." He looks as if he can't believe this is real. "Real." I say, and I can see he understands. "Real." He repeats and then he kisses me, our first real kiss it seems, one of many to come.
