Authors Note:

Thank you so much for being so patient about the sequel to my first story. Of course I realize that it probably wasn't patience, just a lack of interest...but that's beside the point! Anyway, this first chapter is just an introduction to the story, and a quick fun "welcome back" chapter, thus the title.

Chapter 1 "Welcome Back"

"Tag, you're it!" Spongebob touched Patrick's arm, and then switched directions and ran.

Patrick laughed, and Spongebob could hear his friend's heavy footfalls trailing behind him. Spongebob ducked behind a rock.

Patrick paused, and looked around. "Spongebob?" he called. Spongebob giggled quietly, and moved further behind the rock.

"Spongebob, where are you?" Patrick sounded worried.

Spongebob climbed up on top of the rock, and laughed. "Up here, buddy!" he shouted, jumping down and running.

"I've got you now, Spongebob!" Patrick shouted, running the wrong way.

"Wait Pat, over here!" Spongebob said, smiling.

Patrick laughed his sweet, dopey laugh. "Catch me if you can!" he said.

"Wait Pat, you're supposed to tag me!" Spongebob started following after his pink friend.

Patrick just laughed, and, still running, turned his head to face his spongy companion. "You've gotta run faster, Spongebob!"

Spongebob let out a gleeful "Wait, Pat! You're supposed to--" he was cut off when he tripped over a rock, falling face-flat into the lush green grass. "Patrick!" Spongebob called, noticing that he couldn't catch sight of his friend anywhere. He got up and dusted himself off, and then called again. "Patrick?" Where could he have disappeared to? Spongebob walked underneath an arch of lavender colored coral, searching the seascape with curious eyes.

"Gotcha!" with a shocking realization, the startled sponge glanced up to see his friend clinging to the underside of the arch, staring down at him and grinning.

He fell down and landed on top of Spongebob, crushing him to the ground under his immense weight.

"Spongebob?" the clumsy starfish glanced around, not realizing that he was sitting on his playmate. "Aw darn, he got away again!" he said, to no one in particular.

"Hmph hmm mm!" Spongebob tried to say.

"Huh? What was that?" Patrick nervously questioned his empty surroundings.

"Hmp hmm mm!" came another vein attempt of Spongebob's to speak.

"What?"

Spongebob managed to pull himself party out from underneath his large acquaintance. "I said, you're on me!" Spongebob puffed, barely able to breath under Patrick's massive body weight.

"Oh, there you are Spongebob!" Patrick stood up, as Spongebob took a huge breath, his lungs recovering from those few oxygen-deprived moments. "I was starting to worry about you!" Patrick said, helping his scrawny friend up off of the ground.

"Yeah, me too," Spongebob muttered. He sight and contented sigh, a look of laid-back peace on his face. "Come on pal, it's getting dark. Let's skedaddle outta here," he said, an uncertain smile trying to creep across his face as more jellyfish than usual began to emerge from their cozy hives.

"Yeah, okay." Patrick agreed, wearing his usual sweet dumb smile.

Okay, short chapter, yes, I know, and I apologize. It's just that I loved this scene so much (I wrote it before I really had any story plan) that I had to leave it in here. So this was pretty much just a great big "HELLO" before I get on with the story. In the next chapter, I'm going to bring an extremely original character in. I think you'll like it...but then again, you might not...

Enjoy! Once again, feedback is always appreciated (and will definitely encourage more frequent updates)

-Meg