Finding happiness

by Shwar

This isn't my book. All charecters (ecepy Penny, Lauren, Tommy, Mark, and Mal) belong to the author. It's my first fan fiction so please comment!

Finding Happiness

Chapter 1

Lina had just finished delivering messages to another city. It was early spring, so this was her first trip this year. She had long forgotten the name of the city she had gone too. She was lost in thought. It had been three years ever since she and Doon had shared that look. She dropped some letters she was delivering and one had gotten torn. She went to Doon and they had decoded it together. He had said,

"Haven't we done this before?"

She laughed, and then they shared a look. It was there but left as quickly as it came. It wasn't a normal look; it was a look that meant something. She wasn't sure what but Mrs. Murdo was positive that it was a look of love. Lina laughed and said,

"Doon wouldn't love me like that."

"You never know." Mrs. Murdo replied

Mrs. Murdo was right. She didn't know. One good thing came out of that day. She found out that she liked Doon more than a friend. Doon. Each time she heard or thought of his name her body would get all tingly. He was about an inch taller than her. She smiled. Then she thought about the adventure that resulted in her and Doon finding the diamonds. This was what happened when she and Doon had gone on an adventure resulting in them finding the diamonds. It was because of this adventure that they now had electricity. Over time, she and Doon found books that showed how to get electricity without using the diamonds. They now had light bulbs, and indoor bathrooms because of these books. Lina was particularly excited because she found a book on how to make a TV. Not even in the city of ember, did they have that. Lina was almost positive that no one knew what that was. Lina knew what a TV was supposed to do, thanks to the book. It made talking pictures. Poppy; her little sister; learnt in history class at her school that there were things called movies. No one knew where it would appear. It all remained a mystery. Until now… The book explained everything. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she realized she had gone to far south from her city. She smiled again. She knew the way home; it would just be a lot longer to get there.

Chapter 2

"When's Lina coming back?" Doon asked Mrs. Murdo. Lina was supposed to come back a few days ago.

"You know Lina. She probably got delayed at a stop." Mrs. Murdo said.

"What if she's hurt?" Doon asked

"Doon… she'll be fine," replied Mrs. Murdo with a sigh.

"I know.. I'm sorry." apologized Doon.

"You're just worried about her," Mrs. Murdo said, "No need to apologize."

Doon smiled and replied "Just let me know when she comes back please."

"I will, don't worry." said Mrs. Murdo gently. Then she closed the door, and Doon went back to his home. He had long ago moved out of the pioneer hotel, and he lived in a small house. His father lived right next door. However, he wasn't thinking about that. He was thinking about Lina. Whenever she left, he always worried about her. He didn't know why, because Doon knew for sure that she was capable of going out on her own. Doon always felt something around Lina. It was like he was floating. 3 years ago, they had this look. His father said it was a look of love. Doon opened his mouth to protest then closed it. His father was right. He was in love with her.

"Lina doesn't feel the same way about me." Doon had said finally.

"I wouldn't be to sure, son." Doon's father replied. Doon was so absorbed in thought, that he didn't notice Edward walking briskly toward him.

"Doon!" Edward exclaimed.

"Yes?" Doon said, when all of a sudden his mind was brought back to reality.

"I found a book…. Would you like to check it out?"

"Why not?" Doon grumbled. As they walked to the library, Edward asked,

"So, how is it going with Lina?"

"She's fine." Doon said.

"Boy, that's not what I meant." Edward said roughly.

"Oh..." Doon said immediately turning red.

"It's so obvious you like her… I'm surprised she hasn't found out yet." Edward said and then laughed.

"Let's see this new book." Doon said immediately trying to change the subject.

"Ok... no need to get so jumpy." said Edward teasingly.

"Well, I want to see it." Said Doon as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Ah…. Here it is." said Edward.

"Thank you... What is it?" asked Doon.

"It's a History Book…. you know, what happened before the-"

"Ok, let me take a look," interrupted Doon. Edward left, and Doon looked through the book. It had names of holidays like Christmas, Easter, etc. Then it had a note. Someone from the olden times wrote it. It said:

Dear Diary,

Bob proposed to me today! I've been waiting for this day! He took me to the place where we had our first kiss. He replicated our first date, and then at they very end he got down and one knee, showed me a diamond ring, and asked, "Will you marry me?" I said yes, and he slipped the ring on my finger. Then we kissed. I am so overjoyed! I kept a picture of the ring in this book as well. The wedding planning will be stressful! Wish me luck!

Sara

This was interesting to Doon. That's how they asked a woman to be their wife? Doon didn't really care for the rest of her diary. He knew what diaries were. They were books in which people wrote what happened to them day after day. However, he was so absorbed in the note, that he didn't know Tim coming behind him. Tim was previously known as Scawgo. However, everyone referred to him as Tim. He had helped Doon escape, and came with Washton's family. They all stayed, but none of them except for Yorick were good friends with Lina and Doon. Yorick had a fever, so no one was allowed to go meet him yet. Yorick's siblings got married, and they didn't keep in touch. Washton and his wife lived in another house. Yorick over the time became friends with Lina, Doon, Lizzie, and Tim. Tim had been dating Lina's best friend Lizzie for 5 years now. Tim enjoyed her company, and he loved her.

"What do you have here?" Tim asked

"Huh?" said Doon, startled.

"Well, I see you're reading something."

"Oh... it's just this note. It's something stupid." Doon said.

"You're red, Doon." Tim said, trying not to smile

"It's just this note on how a man asked a woman to marry her, ok? Can we leave it?" Doon said defensively.

"Let me see." Tim begged.

"Why? It's not as if… wait..." Doon said.

"Um… yeah…." Tim replied

"That's awesome!" Doon exclaimed

"I also want it to be a surprise, so if you could not shout, that would be great!" said Tim in a harsh tone.

"Sorry…." Doon replied.

"Can I have the note?" Tim asked.

"Give me 2 days." Doon said.

"Why?" asked Tim

"Then I can give you what this note is talking about, and then I'll give you the note."

"Fine. 2 Days. No more." Tim said firmly.

"I know," said Doon, "Can I tell Lina?"
Tim smirked then said, "Yes, just make sure she doesn't tell Lizzie."

"I know. Why did you just smirk?"

"You're in love with Lina." Tim replied.

"Is it that obvious?" Doon asked

" Yes. I'm surprised she hasn't come to know yet," Tim said, "I can also tell that she likes you too."

"No, she would never think of me like that." Doon said, as he turned red.

"You're red again… Whenever we talk about Lina you become a different person. Also, yes she does like you. Do you never notice how excited she gets when she sees you, or how she turns a little red when you guys are together?" Tim asked.

"She's my best friend." Doon replied

"Believe what you must, but she loves you" Tim said as he was leaving then he stopped, turned around and said "2 days. That's it."

Doon, sat down, and flipped through the book. He then saw a picture. He automatically knew it was what the note was talking about. He didn't know how he just knew why. It was a ring and on that ring was a diamond. He took a diamond from the library storeroom. It was only used in trade anyway, since they found out how to use electricity without the diamonds. He took a diamond and tried cutting it. No luck. He thought. Then he took another diamond and tried cutting it with that. It worked! He breathed a sigh of relief. He got to work. He took a ring that he got from a roamer. He was glad he had it now. The diamond was already shining so he worked on trying to put the diamond on the indentation of the ring. It was the place where there was some more of that ring sticking up. It was just the right size for the diamond. He took some super glue from his pocket. His dad had 2 bottles, and for Doon's 18th birthday his father gave him a bottle. They had gotten it from their shop they used to have back in Ember. He applied a little bit on the diamond and put it on the ring. He held it there for 5 minutes. When he tested to see whether it would work, it stuck. He smiled and walked home. He put it on the shelf. As soon as he placed it well hidden, he heard a knock on the door. He opened it. It was Poppy; Lina's little sister. She was 11 years old now.

"Doon!" Poppy exclaimed.

"Hi Poppy! Back from School already?" Doon asked as he picked her up, and put her on his shoulders.

Poppy giggled, and said "Doon, put me down, I need to tell you something."

Doon put her down gently, and asked, "What do you need to tell me?"

"Mrs. Murdo sent me," Poppy said and then she shouted "LINA'S HOME!"

Doon took her hand and ran. He slowed down when he knew he was getting close to her house. Poppy was laughing, she then said,

"You love my sister don't you?" Poppy asked.

Doon smiled, and said "Yes. Now, act like I didn't just tell you I love Lina."

"Fine. Let's go see her." Poppy said still smiling.

Chapter 3

Lina had just arrived home. Mrs. Murdo made Lina sit down, and then she asked Poppy to go get Doon. Lina's face lit up, and Mrs. Murdo laughed.

"You love him, don't you?" she asked

"I definitely," Lina was about to refuse but then said, "love him." Just then, Doon came rushing into her house with Poppy.

"Doon!" Lina yelled at hugged him. She could feel the blush rising on her cheeks but she kept it down. When she pulled back, she saw Doon was a little surprised.

"I've missed you, Doon." Lina said

"Me too. I have so much to tell you." Doon replied.

"Let's go then." Lina said as she grabbed the thick book. They both left and sat under their favorite apple tree. Lina picked an apple and started munching on it.

"Shall I go first?" Lina asked.

"Sure." Doon said. Lina told him about all her adventures. She told him how she found the book, and that she had to trade 3 diamonds for it. The book said something about how to build a TV, and how it's used.

"May I see this book?" Doon asked. Lina nodded and he took a look at the book. There were diagrams and pictures. The first few pages talked about what a TV was, and a little bit on movies and TV shows. Doon was so fascinated by this, but he managed to give the book back to Lina.

"That seems nearly impossible." Doon said after a while

"I know! That's exactly what I thought." Lina replied

"Making pictures move and talk… I heard about that once… I'm not sure where…" Doon said quietly

"Poppy must have told you. She was learning about that in school." Lina explained.

"That's right! I can't believe I forgot!" Doon said

"That's ok Doon, we all forget." Lina replied.

"She said something about a… um… starts with an L." Doon said.

"Hmm… I'm not sure…. The first word was Lap." Lina said thoughtfully.

"LAPTOP!" Doon shouted

Lina jumped back startled. "OHMYGOD!" Lina shouted really loud.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to shout." Doon said.

"It's ok… I probably would be doing the same thing too." Lina replied gently. Doon smiled then said,

"So a laptop is a device that lets you go on the Internet." Doon said.

"I think so..." Lina said. Doon all of sudden became quiet. They looked out and saw the river. It was a perfect shade of light blue. "This could be a painting." Lina muttered. It was so quiet; even she could barely here herself. Doon didn't seem to hear her. All of a sudden, she remembered Doon had things to tell her to.

"What did you need to tell me?" Lina asked.

"I think I need to show you." Doon said as he got up. Lina followed him to the library. He showed her the note and the books. For some reason she blushed while reading the note.

"Interesting." She said as they were walking back to the apple tree.

"That's what I thought." Doon said.

"That's so adorable! When did you find it?"

"This morning." Doon replied

"Wow! Looks like I'm not the only person who made a discovery!" Lina exclaimed.

"It's not THAT big of a discovery." Doon mumbled quietly.

"Doon… it's huge! This is going to change everything… well, when everyone knows." Lina said.

"I guess you're right…" Doon said.

"I don't know where to begin to tell people." Lina said.

"I need to tell you something else too." Doon said all of a sudden.

"Tell me." Lina replied nicely.

"Tim wants to ask Lizzie to marry her." Doon said quickly.

"What?" Lina said as she spit out the bit in her mouth. She immediately turned red and said, "Sorry."

"It's ok," Doon said as he laughed.

"So… when is he going to ask her?" Lina asked.

"In 2 days." Doon said.

"Why?" Lina asked

Doon took the ring out of his pocket and said, "I'm going to give this to him to use."

"That's so generous of you Doon!" Lina exclaimed.

Doon turned red. "T-Thanks," he managed to stammer. Lina got up and said, "It's getting late… Mrs. Murdo and Poppy will worry. So will Dr. Hester, and though Torren tries to act like he doesn't care he does." Lina said.

"Of course he cares. Everyone cares about you Lina. They'd be stupid not too." Doon said. Lina blushed and nodded. Then she walked home with Doon.

"It was so nice to see you, Doon." Lina said

"You too Lina." Doon said. He seemed to hesitate then he quickly reached for her hand and squeezed it. Then, Doon ran home. Lina went home with a warm feeling inside. It probably meant nothing. He just squeezed my hand. It's not like he just asked me to marry him Lina thought. Lina smiled. The thought of Doon getting down one knee asking her to marry him made her giddy with excitement it's not happened yet she thought. Poppy came up behind her and tapped her on the back. Lina turned around swiftly, startled.

"How was your date with Doon?" Poppy asked.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't a date." Lina sighed

"He likes you." Poppy said.

"He would never like me like that Poppy." Lina said. Poppy smiled and ran upstairs to sleep. Lina all of a sudden became aware of how tired she was and trudged upstairs to go to sleep as well.

Chapter 4

Doon came back feeling warm and light. He couldn't believe he had the courage to do that. It was just squeezing her hand he thought. However, for Doon that was an accomplishment.

"Had fun with Lina?" said Doon's dad. Doon snapped back to reality.

"You almost scared me." Doon replied.

"What happened?" Doon's father asked.

"I squeezed her hand." Doon said.

"That's it? Doon you are 21! You are not 14 anymore…." Doon's father exclaimed.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in your house?" Doon asked.

"I left something… I had to go get it… but we're not talking about me," said Doon's father.

"I know… I know… I'm sorry." said Doon.

"Don't apologize to me! It's not my love life." said Doon's father. Doon heard a knock on the door. It was Tim.

"I'm going to leave," said Doon's father. Tim gave a polite smile as Doon's father left.

"Hey" said Doon.

"Hi, so... how'd it go?" asked Tim.

"What?" asked Doon confused.

"With Lina. Did you kiss her?" asked Tim.

"um…. no. But I did squeeze her hand for a second." replied Doon.

"That's it? Wow! That's um….." said Tim.

"I know….. it's just that I know she doesn't feel the way I feel." Doon said.

"I don't know how many times we all have to tell you Doon. She loves you." Tim said and then sighed.

"How's Lizzie?" asked Doon quickly trying to change the subject.

"I'm not going to wait for the note. I'm asking her tonight." Tim replied.

"I think I can give you the note and object today," said Doon quickly.

"She's getting restless Doon. I can tell." Tim said.

"I know… one second." Doon replied. Doon went into the room and took the engagement ring from his shelf. He then grabbed the note. He gave Tim the note and the ring. Once Tim was finished with the note, he looked up. A look of awe was on his face.

"You were going to make me wait two days for this?" Tim said jokingly.

"Yes. Patience is very important." Doon said jokingly.

"Thanks. This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me." Tim replied.

"Go. Propose." Doon said sternly.

"I want you and Lina to come." Tim replied.

"Why?" Doon asked suspiciously.

"When you propose to Lina, she'll know what to do." Tim said.

"She's tired tonight." Doon replied quickly.

"Which is why I will ask her to marry me tomorrow." Tim replied.

"There's no getting out of this, right?" Doon replied helplessly.

"Nope." Tim replied.

"Fine. What time?" Doon said. Tim shrugged, and walked out the door.

"I don't know. I'll come get you both." Tim called out.

"Are you nervous? Is that why you are asking us to come?" Doon called.

"Yeah. I am." Tim said. Then he walked out of the door. Doon walked over to his Dad's house.

"So?" said his Dad. Doon jumped.

"Wasn't expecting that." Doon said.

"Did he talk to you?" Doon's father said ignoring his son's comment.

"Yeah. Basically I have to watch him propose to Lizzie with Lina." Doon said.

"Excellent. Planning on telling her about your feelings?" Doon's father asked.

"No. She'll think I'm weird. I'll loose her as a best friend." Doon replied.

"She definitely won't be your best friend, but she will be you girlfriend." Doon's father replied.

"Dad… I don't know how many times I have to tell you-"

"She loves you. It's obvious. Can no one convince you?" Doon's father asked.

"Right." Doon said doubtfully.

"It's true." Doon's father insisted.

"Why does everyone say that? Tim, you, and a lot of other people thinks Lina has feelings for me. That's not true. She would never feel that way about me. If she did, she would have told me!" Doon exclaimed.

"Son, she's shy." Doon's father said patiently.

"She's Lina. Lina is never shy. She is one of the bravest people I know. She would tell me if she did have feelings for me." Doon said.

"She may be one of the brave. However, this may be different for her. She hides feelings. Not so well, but well enough for you." Doon's father replied.

"Look, she doesn't feel the same way." Doon said.

"You sound like a little boy losing a fight with his parents. Constantly stating your point." Doon's father said and then laughed.

"I know she doesn't feel that way." Doon said.

"But she does." Doon's father said.

"It's late." Doon said.

"I know. I'm going to sleep. I suggest you do that too. Think about what I said." Doon's father replied.

"Good night." Doon said to his father.

"Good night, son." Doon's father said to him. Doon turned away and walked to his house. All of a sudden, he became really tired. Doon trudged upstairs to sleep.

Chapter 5

"Lina! Breakfast is ready!" called Mrs. Murdo.

"Coming!" Lina called back. She jumped out of bed. A lot of people thought it was strange that she was still living with everyone, but she had no reason to move out of the house. She walked downstairs and had some breakfast, which were beans. Once she finished there was a knock on the door. It was Doon. Mrs. Murdo smiled, and Lina walked up to him.

"Hi." Lina said to Doon.

"Um… Hi." Doon said to Lina.

"What's wrong?" Lina asked

"I'm nervous to tell you this…. It may be awkward." Doon said. Lina's heart jumped. Did Doon actually have feelings for her?

"Yes?" Lina asked weekly.

"I'll give you two some privacy." Mrs. Murdo said then left.

"So..." Lina said quietly.

"Um… Tim asked whether we could see him propose to Lizzie. To make sure he's doing it right." Doon replied.

"Oh..." Lina said, upset.

"Coming?" Doon asked.

"Yeah." Lina replied sadly. Doon didn't say anything. She went with him. They met Tim by their favorite apple tree.

"You guys are adorable together." Tim said when he saw them.

"We're not together." Lina and Doon said at the same time.

"Yet." Tim said.

"Where's Lizzie?" Lina asked.

"She's coming. I was planning on asking her here if you don't mind." Tim said.

"Sure." Doon said. Lina nodded smiling.

"It's practice for Doon for when he asks you." Tim replied.

"Stop." Doon said, red.

"Please stop." Lina replied red as well. Just then Lizzie came. She gave Tim a hug, and Tim kissed her on the cheek.

"Well… how romantic. We're leaving." Doon said then looked at Tim.

"I need to talk to Lina." Lizzie said.

"Why don't you two stay and talk." Lina said to Doon and Tim. She walked away with Lizzie.

"Yes?" Lina asked.

"I don't know what to do Lina." Lizzie said.

"What's wrong?" Lina asked.

"We have been dating for 5 years now. He hasn't asked me to be his wife yet!." Lizzie said.

"Let him take his time." Lina said trying not to smile.

"I know… but I keep getting restless." Lizzie said.

"I know it's hard... but you have to be patient." Lina said.

"Ok. I'll try. How's Doon?" Lizzie asked.

"He's fine I guess." Lina said.

"You two are so obvious!" Lizzie told Lina.

"Trust me… he will NEVER feel the same way I feel about him." Lina said.

"You've said that a million times before… yet everyone who lives here knows that you two have feeling for each other." Lizzie said.

"Tim and Doon are probably waiting for us." Lina said.

"They can wait some more." Lizzie said.

"Why do you think he likes me?" Lina said.

"He gets flustered whenever you guys talk about something romantic. He blushes when you hug him." Lizzie said.

"That doesn't mean anything." Lina said sadly.

"What do you mean? Of course it means something! That means he likes you. No other guy would do that if they didn't like you. How can you not tell?" Lizzie asked.

"Because it doesn't mean anything." Lina insisted.

"It does. I promise you. One day you will realize." Lizzie said.

"Let's go back." Lina said.

"Well you're getting jumpy. I guess we can. I am still disappointed he hasn't asked me yet." Lizzie said upset.

"You need to be patient." Lina said.

"I know…. It's hard. Doon still likes you by the way." Lizzie said.

"He doesn't, but there is one thing…" Lina said.

"What?" Lizzie said.

"He squeezed my hand." Lina said.

"That's childish. We are not 14 anymore. I need to talk to Tim about this." Lizzie said; mumbling to herself.

"Sorry.. what?" Lina asked.

"Nothing…" Lizzie said quickly.

"You will not tell Tim about this." Lina said.

"Of course I will… he's my boyfriend… I tell him everything." Lizzie said.

"Well... not about me… keep this from him." Lina said firmly.

"Why?" Lizzie asked.

"He'll tell Doon. Things will get awkward… He's my best friend. I don't want that getting spoilt because I have a little crush on him." Lina said.

"Little? Not little… You blush each time we talk about him. That's not called little, Lina. You know that. This is real. For you. And for him too. You're just afraid to see it." Lizzie said.

"I'M NOT AFRAID!" Lina yelled. Her eyes bubbled up with angry tears.

"You are afraid. You're afraid that if you guys date…. Things won't work out. You will go your separate ways, and will never be friends again. Things will get awkward between you two. You will never be able to forgive yourself." Lizzie said.

"STOP! JUST STOP! PLEASE!" Lina yelled.

"No! Admit it! Then I will stop." Lizzie insisted.

"HE DOESN'T LIKE ME!" Lina yelled.

"If he did." Lizzie said calmly.

"YES! THAT WOULD BE MY FEAR!" Lina said. Then she broke down crying. It was strange. She was never so emotional.

"It'll work out you know. People can tell. I wasn't right with Tick… everyone knew that. Yet, everyone knows Tim and I are right together." Lizzie said.

"Ok… ok… I'm sorry…. I didn't mean to get so mad. He still doesn't like me that way though." Lina said wiping the tears away.

"Time will tell." Lizzie told her.

"Do I look like I've been crying?" Lina asked.

"Nope." Lizzie said.

"Let's go." Lina said. They walked back to the apple tree. There she saw Tim and Doon talking.

"We're back!" Lizzie exclaimed.

"About time. How long does it take?" Tim said getting up.

"We were just leaving." Doon said.

"One second Doon. You need to take credit for what you showed me." Tim said.

"What did he show you?" Lizzie asked.

"This note." Tim said as he handed her the note. Lizzie read it and smiled.

"That's adorable… Why are you showing me this?" Lizzie asked confused. Tim got down on one knee and opened up the ring.

"I love you Lizzie. Will you be my wife?" Tim asked.

"Yes!" Lizzie smiled. Tim slipped the ring on her finger. Lizzie smiled and kissed him. Lina looked at Doon, and saw Doon looking at her. They had the look again. It lasted a lot longer than the look at 18. Even then it left too quickly. Doon walked over to Lina.

"Let's give them some privacy." Doon whispered to Lina.

"Thanks." Tim said to Doon.

"Anytime." Doon said. Lina and Doon walked away from the apple tree. Lina was still dazed from the look. She didn't say anything. She just walked away from the apple tree with Doon next to her.

Chapter 6

Lina and Doon stayed silent for the rest of the walk. When they reached Lina's house Doon said,

"Bye. Great seeing you."

"You too." Lina said. Once Lina disappeared into her house Doon made his way back to his house. He stopped and then knocked on his father's door.

"Doon!" his father exclaimed.

"Dad. I need to talk to you." Doon said quickly.

"Sure. Come in." his father said. Doon and his father sat on the kitchen table.

"Yes?" Doon's father asked.

"Well… today Tim proposed to Lizzie." Doon said.

"Really? Tell them I said congratulations." Doon's father said.

"I will. Then, afterward I looked at Lina." Doon said. Then he paused.

"Ok. That's normal." Doon's father said patiently.

"We had the look again." Doon said.

"The look of love?" Doon's father asked.

"It's the same look we had three years ago… but she still doesn't feel the same way about me." Doon said.

"It's the look of love… about time." Doon's father said.

"Lina does not love me." Doon said.

"I'm tired of telling you she does. Time will only tell." Doon's father said.

"She doesn't." Doon insisted.

"What are you so afraid of?" Doon's father asked.

"I'm going home." Doon said quickly.

"No. You are not. You need to get this out." Doon's father insisted.

"Nothing." Doon replied.

"If Lina liked you, what would you be afraid of?" Doon's father asked.

"Nothing." Doon repeated again.

"What would it be?" Doon's father asked.

"Nothing. I told you." Doon said.

"WHAT IS IT?" Doon's father shouted. Doon was taken aback. His father rarely ever yelled.

"Nothing." Doon replied.

"You would be afraid of things not working out. You will go your separate ways, and will never be friends again. Things will get awkward between you two. You will never be able to forgive yourself." Doon's father said.

"I would be afraid of that… if she liked me." Doon relented.

"Time will tell." Doon's father said warily.

"I should go…" Doon said.

"No. Talk to me. If you don't want to talk to me about Lina, tell me something else." Doon's father said.

"Fine. Tim proposed to Lizzie." Doon said.

"With a ring?" Doon's dad asked.

"Yeah… How did you know?" Doon asked.

"When the City of ember had all the supplies we needed... they had a collection of diamond rings. Men would buy them and propose to their girlfriends. That's how we did it until we ran out of diamond rings. That happened when I was 16." Doon's father said.

"Why did you never tell me?" Doon asked.

"I didn't know we would get out of the city of ember. I didn't want to make you sad. Then when we came out… it slipped my mind." Doon's father responded.

"How did you know that's how Tim proposed?" Doon asked.

"When I was at your house I was looking around. I saw the ring, and I was confused. I thought that you had gotten it from a trade. I meant to tell you but I forgot." Doon father said.

"Well… I knew about that… I made that ring." Doon said.

"You did? How?" Doon's father asked.

"I took a ring I had gotten from a roamer. Then I took the diamonds we used to use for light and cut them with one another. It fit in the indentation of the ring." Doon said.

"You did that? Wow! I'm proud of you, son." Doon's father said. Doon smiled.

"Well… I better go." Doon said.

"Yeah… it's getting late. Bring Lina in next time. It's been a while since I've seen her." Doon's father said.

"Dad." Doon said.

"What? I'm just telling you to invite her over." Doon's father said.

"Ok…." Doon said.

"See you tomorrow... I hope." Doon's father said.

"Bye Dad." Doon said. Doon walked into his house. He sat down and thought about what happened during the day. We had the look again. Doon thought. Doon pushed that thought away. He was about to go to sleep when he heard a frantic knock on the door. He got up and opened the door. Lina was there with her eyes full of tears.

"What happened?" Doon asked.

"Poppy. She didn't know what it was." Lina said sniffling.

"Calm down. Just breathe. Why don't you some in?" Doon asked. Lina nodded and walked in.

"So what happened?" Don asked.

"Poppy. She found something she wanted from a roamer. She traded the books I found. The ones about the T.V. and Laptop. She traded it for a necklace. She didn't know what the books were. The roamer was a woman."

"Can I see her?" Doon asked. Lina nodded. They walked to her house. Poppy was on the bed she shared with Lina. Doon tapped her on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry…. I didn't know." Poppy said.

"It's ok. There is a question I have though. Do you know where the roamer was going?" Doon asked.

"Somewhere close to where you and Lina found the diamonds. She mentioned that sometime when I traded the book with her." Poppy said.

"That's all we needed to know." Doon said. Doon then looked at Lina and motioned for her to walk outside. Just as they were about to go outside, Doon bumped into Torren. Torren was 15 years old now. He didn't talk back as much as he did before. Torren was quite good-looking now.

"Hi Doon. What are you doing here?" Torren asked.

"To go see Poppy." Doon said.

"What about Lina? Though I see you guys need to talk about something important." Torren said.

"Yes. I do." Doon said.

"If you guys are planning to go on an adventure, I want to come." Torren said.

"Um…" Doon said.

"What?" Torren asked. He was irritated.

"I'm sorry. We can't." Doon said.

"Fine. Bye." Torren said.

"Sorry. I will make it up to you." Doon said.

"Ok." Torren said and then left. Doon opened the door. He and Lina stepped outside.

"I have a plan." Doon said.

"Ok." Lina said.

"Tomorrow. Early we need to leave. There we can go and catch up with the roamer. I will bring 3 diamonds to trade it with. I will also bring some food and the generator we used the time we found the diamonds." Doon said.

"Seems like a good plan. We can go on my horse. Better than going on foot right?" Lina said.

"Yes. That's a good idea. We'll go on your horse." Doon said.

'"Where will we meet?" Lina asked.

"In front of my house." Doon said.

"Fine. We'll meet at dawn." Lina said.

"Then get a goods night rest. We'll leave tomorrow." Doon said. He waited until Lina went back into her house. Then he walked back to his house. He went upstairs and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

Chapter 7

Lina woke up at when the sun was just rising. No! I'm late! Lina thought. She quickly got dressed. She then quietly went out the room. She found some paper and a pencil. She wrote a note. It said:

Gone with Doon to collect some thing. Be back soon. Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine.

-Lina

Lina then left and met Doon at his house. He was waiting outside. Lina was on her horse.

"Let's go." Lina said.

"Ok." Doon said as he mounted the horse. He put his arms around her waste. Lina felt all warm inside. She pushed a blush down. Then she rode the house out of the town. After a few hours Lina and Doon sat down and ate lunch that Doon had packed.

"Is this how it is like each time you go on your horse?" Doon asked.

"You've gone with me before." Lina said.

"Yeah, but that was so long ago." Doon replied.

"Three years is not that long." Lina said.

"Enough to forget how it is like." Doon said.

"How is it?" Lina asked.

"I love it. I would like to come with you more often… if that's ok with you." Doon said.

"It would be my pleasure." Lina said.

"So… about this book. What was so special about it?" Doon asked.

"I don't know. It just seemed interesting." Lina said.

"Yes… but it's from the world before the city of ember was there. We know there was a reason why we were forced to go under ground. Do you think this may have been a reason?" Doon asked.

"It could be a possibility… which is why I looked for a notebook or diary that talked about the pros and cons about it. The town said that there was a diary about it but no one knows where it is now." Lina said.

"We need to find it then." Doon said.

"I know. We first need to find the book then." Lina said.

"I'm not disagreeing." Doon said.

They then mounted the horse and rode for a couple more hours. When the sun was setting Doon said that it was time to stop. They put up a fence for Fleet, and then sat down.

"I know we are a few hours behind the roamer, but we know where we need to go. It won't do us any good if we're tired when we see her…" Doon said.

"You got the gender correct." Lina said smiling.

"Of course I did." Doon said.

"How did you know?" Lina asked.

"I guessed." Doon said.

"I was thinking…" Lina said.

"Yes?" Doon asked.

"Well after we find the book we need to go hunting for the diary." Lina said.

"So?" Doon asked.

"Well… How long will that take?" Lina asked.

"I don't know. Why?" Doon asked.

"I left a note telling Mrs. Murdo that I'll be home soon." Lina said.

"Mrs. Murdo knows that means a couple months." Doon said. Lina smiled.

"I know. Sorry. I'm just getting paranoid." Lina said.

"It's okay." Doon said.

"Doon?" Lina asked.

"Yes?" Doon replied.

"Have you ever wondered what happened to all those people who stayed in the city of ember?" Lina asked.

"The ones that stayed in there? I don't know." Doon said.

"Have you ever thought that maybe some of them survived?" Lina asked.

"They were submerged in darkness." Doon said.

"The town where I visited…. There were blind people. That means they couldn't see. They were surviving just fine. They were submerged in total darkness, and they could survive." Lina said.

"Lina, they had people who could see help them." Doon said.

"I know. I was just thinking." Lina said.

"I'm not going to deny that maybe that there is a possibility. Maybe some of them somehow survived." Doon said.

"Do you think we should go search the city of ember?" Lina asked.

"Lina, if they need to find a way out they will. We did. I don't think we should go risk our lives for the slightest possibility that some of them may be alive." Doon said.

"You're right. I was stupid to think of that." Lina said.

"It's not stupid. You were just trying to help the people that could possibly be in the city of ember. I think that chances are slim that they are still alive." Doon said.

"Why?" Lina asked.

"Well, do you remember when Washton, Kanza, Minny, Yorick kidnapped me?" Doon asked.

"How could I forget? I was really worried about you then." Lina said.

"Well… when I was there I ran away… as you know… and I think I would have seen at least one person if some of them were still alive. " Doon said.

"You're right." Lina said.

"I'll tell you what. If somehow we get a clue that some people from the city of ember is still alive then we will go look." Doon said.

"That seems like a good plan." Lina said. Everything was quiet then. Lina turned to look at Doon, and saw Doon was staring at her. She leaned in and he leaned in as well. Their lips were about to touch when they both to seem they noticed what they were doing and stopped.

"Well…. We better sleep." Lina said knowing that she was blushing.

"Y-yes. S-S-Sleep. W-we need to go to sleep." Doon stammered. Doon was red in the face as well. Lina lay down against a tree far away from Doon. What was that? Did we really almost kiss? It seems like we did Lina thought. She smiled and fell asleep with warm feelings.

Chapter 8

Doon was the first to wake up. Did we almost really kiss last night? Doon thought. Last night felt like a dream. He walked over to Lina. He was about to wake her up and then decided not too. He left and walked around the premises.

"Sorry Dad… I won't be seeing you today." Doon whispered. He walked around for a while and then packed some things in his bag. He went back and saw Lina who just woke up.

"Ready?" Doon asked.

"Yes." Lina said. They mounted the horse, and Doon put his arms around her waste again. A warm feeling coursed through him. He felt the same thing yesterday. He smiled. Then he stopped smiling. Things are going to get awkward. Doon thought. However one good thing did come out of last night. He opened his mind up to the possibility that Lina like him. Maybe what everyone was telling him was true. Doon still had his doubts, but he did realize that now there could be a possibility.

"Doon?" Lina asked.

"Yeah?" Doon asked.

"So you think we could stop for lunch? We didn't eat breakfast." Lina said.

"Didn't we just leave?" Doon asked.

"I think you're tired. Did you sleep at all last night? We've been riding for a couple hours now. Fleet needs to eat, and this place has grass, so do you think we could stop now?" Lina said.

"Ok." Doon said. Then he cringed. Why are things so awkward? Doon though. They stopped and ate silently.

"Stop." Doon said firmly.

"What?" Lina asked.

"We need to talk about what happened yesterday." Doon said.

"W-What is t-there to t-talk about?" Lina stammered.

"We need to talk about it. I can't have it be this awkward the whole entire trip." Doon said.

"Fine." Lina said.

"What should we do?" Doon asked.

"I don't know." Lina said.

"I don't know either." Doon said. They sat in silence. Lina wiped her face, and turned to him.

"Let's pretend last night never happened." Lina said. Doon felt like his heart shattered in two different pieces.

"If that's what you want." Doon said quietly.

"What else should we do?" Lina asked.

"Nothing. You were right. We should pretend like nothing happened." Doon said.

"Fine. We should probably go on Fleet now." Lina said quickly.

"We made it a lot more quickly than I though we would." Doon said.

"Yes, but that's because we know how to get there. It's also quicker with the horse." Lina said.

"Good point." Doon said.

"Yeah, but we still will need to find the roamer." Lina replied.

"Well then, we better get on Fleet." Doon said. Lina nodded. They mounted Fleet again and rode until the sun started setting. Lina and Doon then un-mounted Fleet and put up a fence again.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess." Lina said.

"Stop." Doon said.

"Stop what?" Lina said; irritated.

"Stop apologizing. This was not your fault." Doon said.

"I'm the one he dragged you into all of this." Lina said.

"I'm the one who chose to come. If I didn't want to come, do you think I would have?" Doon asked.

"I guess not." Lina said.

"So don't apologize about something that's not your fault." Doon said.

"Ok…Ok." Lina said.

"So, Let's talk about something else." Doon said.

"What do you want to talk about?" Lina asked.

"How about our greatest fears." Doon asked.

"Wolves." Lina said. Doon laughed.

"Yeah, they are pretty scary.. you know when we were 13 I almost got eaten by one." Doon said.

"But you didn't because I saved you." Lina said.

"You did, didn't you?" Doon said jokingly.

"Yes. I did." Lina said.

"Ok... but real talk... what are you really afraid of?" asked Doon.

"I can't tell you." Lina said. Lina then turned red.

"Why?" Doon asked.

"It's stupid." Lina said.

"We all have stupid fears. By the way, you're red. What is this fear? I need to know." Doon said. Lina breathed in and out.

"I like someone. I'm scared that he doesn't like me back. If he does though, I'm scared that it wouldn't work out." Lina said. Doon was silent.

"I told you it was stupid." Lina said.

"It's not stupid. I actually have the same fear." Doon said.

"Really? Or are you just saying this to make me feel better?" Lina asked.

"No, I'm serious." Doon said.

"So.. who do you like?" Lina asked. Doon forced a blush down.

"You tell me who you like first." Doon said.

"I asked you first." Lina said turning a little red.

"I-I can't tell you." Doon said.

"Neither can I." Lina said.

"Well then… I guess we should sleep." Doon said. Then he cringed. Whenever something awkward came up at night he suggested going to sleep. Pathetic. He thought.

"Yeah… we have a big day ahead of us." Lina said. She walked to the other side of the fence and fell asleep. Doon lied awake for a while. Is it possible that she likes me? She didn't tell me, and normally she tells me everything. He pushed all these thoughts away and told himself he needed to sleep. It's a big day tomorrow Doon thought. He closed his eyes, and the world became black.

Chapter 9

Lina was the first person to wake up that morning. She got up and made sure Fleet was fine. Then she went back and sat down. She looked at the sky as the sun was appearing. After all that time she had been out of the City of Ember, the sight of the sun rising and setting still amazed her.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" said Doon. Lina jumped. She was so amazed she didn't notice him waking up and sitting down next to her.

"Yes. The sight of it still amazes me." Lina said.

"Me too. We pretty much grew up in the City of Ember. Sometimes I miss it. Am I crazy?" Doon asked.

"No. I miss it too. However, if we didn't come out we would be submerged in darkness." Lina said.

"We wouldn't know about the sun rising and setting either." Doon said.

"True." Lina said. They sat down just looking at the sun until it was too bright to see.

"Let's go." Doon said. They mounted the horse Lina started to think about the night before. Is it possible he likes me? He tells me everything. I didn't tell him whom I like anyway. Lina pushed those thoughts away. They rushed away on the horse. This time it was different. This time Lina wasn't focusing on a blur of things around her. She thought. What if there are actually still people of ember still in there. Would they want to even come out? How would they even survive in the dark?

"Lina." Doon said bringing Lina back to reality.

"What?" Lina asked.

"Just watch where you're going." Doon said.

"Sorry." Lina said.

"Just checking." Doon said.

"I know where I'm going. Ok?" Lina said irritated. Then she winced. That was just rude. She thought.

"Ok… Ok…. Jeez just trying to help." Doon said defensively.

"Sorry… I know you were trying to help… I shouldn't have said that in that tone." Lina said.

"Are you apologizing? For what you said? Are you okay? You're not sick are you?" Doon said jokingly.

"Shut up." Lina said jokingly as well.

"I'm just saying… that doesn't seem like you." Doon said.

"People change." Lina said.

"I hope you don't change." Doon said.

"I won't." Lina said smiling to herself.

"Good." Doon said. She felt like he was smiling too. They rode the rest of the time in silence. It was weird. It felt like even though she and Doon were not talking they were still together. She felt like that a lot. They would both be silent just sitting next to each other and she still felt the same way she felt when they were talking. When they got off the horse they did not see any roamer.

"She's probably late." Lina said.

"Yeah." Doon agreed.

"I would never want you to change either." Lina said.

"I won't." Doon said.

"So what do you want to do since it's not night?" Doon asked.

"I don't know." Lina said.

"Well… Let's split some lunch and think about it while we're eating." Doon said.

"Ok." Lina said. They sat down and ate. Lina looked up at the sky. She had to shield her eyes, but whatever she saw was beautiful. The clouds had some type of shape.

"That looks like a rabbit." Doon said.

"That looks like a fox." Lina said.

"A fox? No. It looks like a wolf." Doon said.

"I see a fox." Lina said.

"Ok. What about that cloud?" Doon said pointing at a fluffy one.

"That looks like a horse." Lina said.

"We agree about something." Doon said. Lina laughed. She felt a tingly feeling down her spine. She normally felt that way when she was around Doon. They spent a couple hours looking at clouds until they dozed off. When Lina woke up the sun was setting.

"Doon." Lina whispered shaking him awake.

"Hmmm?" Doon asked.

"Sun is setting." Lina said.

"What?" Doon asked getting up.

"I think we dozed off." Lina said.

"Well.. I had a nice nap. Doon said.

"What if we missed the roamer?" Lina asked with her voice full of worry.

"Do you see any tracks?" Doon asked.

"No." Lina said.

"Then the roamer hasn't come yet. Here, let's watch the sunset." Doon said.

"Okay." Lina said. In silence, they watched the sunset in silence.

"I miss my Dad." Doon said out of the blue.

"I know. I miss Poppy, Mrs. Murdo, Dr. Hester, and Torren." Lina said.

"Sorry. That was random." Doon said.

"You had to get it out. I would have said that sooner or later." Lina said.

"In this case, it's later." Doon said. Lina laughed. Then they both went quiet until the sun disappeared. When the stars came up, and they both were getting sleepy Doon asked,

"Can we make a deal?"

"Depends. What's the deal?" Lina asked.

"If you don't change, I won't change." Doon said. Lina smiled.

"Deal." She said. Then they both fell asleep peacefully.

Chapter 10

Doon stayed awake all night thinking about Lina. He didn't realize the time go by until the sun started to rise.

"Lina." Doon said.

"Hmm?" Lina asked.

"Sun is rising." Doon said.

"Thanks for waking me up." Lina said sitting up.

"I didn't think you would want to miss it." Doon said. Lina smiled and stayed silent. She is so beautiful. Doon thought. When the sun got too bright to see they just sat there for a while in silence.

"I'm tired of waiting for the roamer." Lina said.

"I am too." Doon said.

"What should we do?" Lina asked.

"Let's split up." Doon said.

"What if she comes here?" Lina asked.

"How about you stay here and I go look. I'll come back for lunch and then we can switch."

"Ok." Lina said. Doon left. As he walked he saw a blur of green. He saw a spider. Doon had seen plenty of those ever since he left the city of ember. However, this was different. It looked big. He heard about some spiders being poisonous out here, so he didn't touch it, but he made a mental picture of it and made sure he would draw it later. He was lost in thought when all of a sudden he heard a rustle in the trees.

"Who's there?" Doon shouted. There was no reply.

"I'm not joking… come show me who you are." Doon said sternly. There was no reply or movement. Doon went inside the bushes only to see a girl crouching there. Her clothes were all caked with mud. Her hair was stringy and oily. There was blood in her face and legs. She looked like she had been crying. Doon's heart melted. He crouched down, and the little girl looked at him with big fearful eyes.

"Please… get away from me." The girl said with tears running down her face.

"Who are you?" Doon asked.

"Please… get away from me." The girl repeated again.

"Are you all right?" Doon asked.

"Please… Don't hurt me." The girl said in tears.

"I won't hurt you… it's ok." Doon said soothingly. It took the girl around an hour just to calm down. Then she just stared at Doon with fearful eyes.

"You promise you won't hurt me?" the girl asked after a while.

"I promise." Doon said taking her hand. Doon helped her up and then made her sit underneath a tree.

"My name is Doon. What's your name?" Doon asked.

"L-Lauren." The girl said.

"That's a nice name. How old are you?" Doon asked nicely.

"I-I'm 14." Lauren said.

"I know someone from my village that is 14." Doon said.

"Cool." Lauren said without much emotion.

"Where are your parents?" Doon asked.

"They are in my village." Lauren said.

"Why don't you show me where your village is?" Doon asked.

"No. Please.. I can't go back to my parents." Lauren said.

"Why not?" Doon asked.

"I-I just can't." Lauren said. Then she burst into tears.

"I'm taking you back to your village if you don't tell me where it is." Doon said sternly.

"You don't know where it is." Lauren said.

"I WILL FIND OUT!" Doon shouted, irritated.

"Please.. don't yell." Lauren said with tears in her eyes.

"Fine." Doon said evenly, trying hard not to shout. Anger hurts everyone. Doon thought. He smiled. His father told him that when he was in the City of Ember.

"You need to tell me why." Doon said sternly.

"M-My parents don't care about me." Lauren said.

"Of course they do." Doon said.

"THEY DON'T!" Lauren shouted.

"Why do you think that?" Doon asked.

"They did this to me." Lauren said.

"Did what to you?" Doon said. She was really irritating him.

"This!" Lauren said pointing at the blood on her face and legs.

"What?" Doon asked hoping he heard wrong.

"They beat me up." Lauren said.

"Why?" Doon asked.

"I don't know!" Lauren exclaimed.

"When did they beat you?" Doon said wincing. He could never imagine parents beating their own children.

"After I broke a diamond." Lauren said.

"A diamond?" Doon asked.

"I-I didn't know! I'm sorry!" Lauren said crying.

"I'm not mad." Doon said.

"The diamonds created electricity." Lauren said.

"Oh! Those diamonds!" Doon said.

"Y-You're not mad?" Lauren asked.

"No. Why would I be?" Doon asked.

"They bring electricity." Lauren said.

"My partner and I found those diamonds." Doon said.

"Really?" Lauren asked.

"Yes." Doon said.

"Y-You won't take me back to my parents will you?" Lauren said crying again.

"No… I won't." Doon said.

"Good. I'm really scared… this isn't the first time my parents have beaten me. They beat me for no reason sometimes." Lauren said sadly.

"Well… you're safe now." Doon said.

"Thank you… I really appreciate it." Lauren said. Doon smiled. This would be a surprise to Lina.

"Come on. I bet you're hungry. My partner and I have lunch." Doon said helping her up.

"It's ok… I just need to hide here." Lauren said.

"No. You're coming with us… and you're going to be perfectly safe." Doon said. He took Lauren's hand and led her too where Lina would be waiting.

Chapter 11

Doon came back early. She was momentarily confused but then she noticed he was acting strangely.

"What's wrong?" Lina asked.

"Lauren. You can come out now." Doon said nervously. A girl who looked around Torren's age came out from behind Doon. She looked like she had been lost for a month or two, but Lina's heart melted as soon as she saw her.

"Come here." Lina said as she reached for her hand.

"Don't hurt me." Lauren said.

"Why would I hurt you?" Lina asked confused.

"It's ok Lauren.. she's my partner." Doon interjected. Lauren nodded and followed Lina. Lina grabbed some food out of the bag and then went to talk to Doon.

"Ok… what happened?" Lina asked.

"She's had abusive parents… and so she ran away." Doon said.

"Care to elaborate?" Lina asked. Doon nodded, and told her everything.

"So…. It took me a long time to comfort her." Doon finished.

"Well… I'm glad she's safe now." Lina said. Then she smiled. Lina walked toward Lauren.

"I won't hurt you Lauren." Lina said sweetly.

"P-Promise?" Lauren asked

"Promise." Lina said.

"Thanks for everything." Lauren said.

"You're welcome. I only wish there was a way to get you to our village." Lina said.

"I don't think I'm ready to go back to a village." Lauren said with tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry… the people in out village are very kind." Lina said soothingly.

"That's what people say about my parents…" Lauren spat out bitterly.

"I'm sorry about that… but we promise you that you'll be safe in our village." Lina said.

"Who's we?" Lauren asked.

"Me and Doon." Lina said.

"Ok." Lauren said smiling.

"What?" Lina asked.

"It's none of my business but do you like Doon?" Lauren asked quietly.

"Well yes but-" Lina began to say.

"He likes you too.. it's pretty obvious." Lauren said. Lina smiled.

"You'll fit in with the people in my village just fine." Lina said jokingly.

"What makes you so sure?" Lauren asked defensively.

"Well… everyone I know tells me that Doon likes me back… I seem to be the only person who knows the truth." Lina said.

"Or… you could listen to everyone else you know." Lauren said smiling.

"Maybe…. Look at you already joking…" Lina said.

"I tend to get comfortable around people pretty quickly once I know they won't harm me." Lauren said.

"Does this mean you trust us?" Lina asked.

"I don't know… do you want it to mean that?" Lauren asked.

"Yes." Lina confirmed.

"Then… yes.. it does mean I trust you." Lauren confirmed.

"Good…. You must be tired." Lina said.

"Not really… I ran away.. but I did sleep." Lauren said.

"Ok. The you can help us." Lina said.

"With what?" Lauren asked.

"We're looking for a roamer. She was supposed to come here yesterday. Lina said.

"A roamer… got it… I will let you know if I find her." Lauren said.

"Thanks." Lina said. Lauren smiled. Then she opened her mouth and closed it.

"What is it?" Lina asked.

"Promise I can trust you?" Lauren asked.

"Yes." Lina said.

"My sister… she ran away with me." Lauren said.

"What?" Lina asked.

"Her name is Penny. She's 18. We were hiding behind the bush when we saw Doon. I told her to go behind another one and wait for me there until I came to get her. I was about to go to another bush when Doon found me." Lauren spilled.

"Fine… Fine.. I will go look for her. You can stay with Doon." Lina said.

"I'm sorry." Lauren said.

"Sorry… you know that word doesn't fix everything." Lina snapped. She wanted to take it back as soon as she said those words.

"I-I didn't mean that." Lina said.

"You meant it. I needed to hear it." Lauren said bitterly.

"It's ok. I'm glad you told us." Lina said. Lina went back to Doon. He was playing with the grass when Lina walked up to him and said,

"I need you too watch Lauren for some time."

"Why?" Doon asked.

"I have to find her sister she didn't tell you about." Lina said in an irritated tone.

"She has a sister?" Doon asked in a surprised tone.

"Well... that's what she told me." Lina said.

"So let me look." Doon said.

"No. She is more comfortable with you. I'll go look for her sister while you take care of her." Lina said.

"Fine." Doon said. He left and Lina went to go look for Lauren's sister.

"Penny? We're here to help." Lina shouted out hopelessly. Lina went to look for her until the sun set. Lina then lost all hope of ever finding Penny. Just as Lina was about to give up hope of finding Penny she heard rustling in the bushes. She looked in and found a girl who was about 18 hiding there. However she caught a glimpse of a couple more people running out from the bushes.

"Are you Penny?" Lina asked. Penny was silent. She looked scared.

"W-Who are you?" the girl said.

"I'm your friend. I just need to know your name." Lina said nicely.

"I-I'm Penny." Penny said.

"Your sister is with us." Lina said.

"My sister?" Penny asked.

"Yeah… Lauren." Lina said.

"She's not- I don't have a sister." Penny said.

"Then why did Lauren tell me that?" Lina asked.

"We're good friends… we both have parents the beat us up… we treat each other like we are sisters." Penny said.

"That's great… but why would she lie to us?" Lina asked,

"I don't know." Penny said.

"You seem a lot more comfortable with people than Lauren." Lina said.

"Well… I can tell when people will hurt me or not." Penny said smiling.

"We need to get back." Lina said smiling as well. She took Penny's hand and was leading her back when she heard some crunching of leaves. When Lina turned around she saw someone dive into the bushes.

"What is it with everyone and bushes?" Lina muttered to herself. She sighed and motioned for Penny to follow her. When she looked into the bushes she saw three very familiar people. The first person was girl who Lina knew very well. Lina was not able to keep the look of surprise of her face.

"Poppy?" Lina asked.

Chapter 12

"Torren?" Lina asked. Poppy, Torren, and Kenny turned around and looked into Lina's eyes.

"Lina!" Poppy exclaimed giving her a hug. Lina stood there stiff.

"Why did you come here?" Lina asked.

"Torren wanted too… we all wanted to come… so we borrowed a car with oxen." Poppy said.

"Borrowed?" Lina asked.

"Well without really asking… but we're going to return it!" Poppy exclaimed when she noticed her sister's look.

"You stole it!" Lina exclaimed.

"We're going to give it back!" Torren exclaimed.

"You won't have a choice." Lina said.

"What do you mean?" Poppy asked.

"You're going to give it back by yourselves and tell the owner what you did." Lina said.

"We'll get in trouble!" Torren and Poppy shouted. Lina's attention turned to Kenny. He was staring at someone. Lina turned around and noticed he was staring at Penny. Penny was staring back at him.

"Kenny." Lina said waving her hand in front of his eyes.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"Did you hear what I said?" Lina asked.

"Yes." Kenny said. Poppy and Torren started laughing.

"What?" Lina asked.

"It's the look." Poppy said and then looked at Lina.

"Nope. No. We're not going to do this right now. You're in big trouble." Lina said.

"You're not my mom." Poppy said. Then she realized what she said. "I didn't mean… I'm sorry." Poppy said trying to cover it.

"No… you're right I'm not your mom… but I'm still extremely mad at you." Lina said with tears in her eyes.

'I'm sorry." Poppy said.

"We're going back now." Lina said firmly.

She took hold of Poppy and Torren's arms. Then she looked back and said to Penny and Kenny,

"I trust that you two will follow us."

"Yeah…" Kenny said.

"Not fair." Torren said.

"What?" Lina asked.

"Well, Kenny is flirting with a girl he likes, and were being dragged like we're going to be trouble." Torren said.

"All of you are in trouble." Lina said.

"Right…" Torren said.

"Doon's there as well… so you'll be in trouble from two people." Lina said.

"Has this 'adventure' been romantic?" Torren asked.

"No," Lina said, "and frankly I don't recommend you talking to me about this right now." Lina said in an angry tone.

"Whatever." Torren said.

"Torren." Poppy warned.

"What?" Torren asked.

"Just stop." Poppy said. There was silence. It was tranquil to Lina, but Lina knew that Poppy, and Torren was scared. Kenny was just talking away to Penny who was smiling. Lina smiled. He likes her she thought. Then she snapped out of her daze. She still kept silent. She wanted everyone to think about what they did. However, she knew that only Poppy and Torren were thinking about what they did.

"So… how did you get the car with oxen?" Lina asked.

"Well… we sort of took at night when everyone was sleeping." Torren said nervously.

"What?" Lina asked.

"We'll give it back." Poppy said. Lina didn't say anything.

"Where is it?" Lina asked.

"Around where you are." Poppy said.

"What?" Lina asked.

"Well…we parked a 3 hours distance away from you guys. We were walking when we saw you… so we hid in the forest." Poppy said.

"Well we found you." Lina said without emotion.

"Please don't be that mad." Poppy said.

"You're asking for me not to be mad? Not to be mad at the fact you stole a car and followed us here even though you know it's dangerous?" Lina asked angrily.

"You came here." Torren said.

"I've done this before. I'm a messenger… and Doon has come with me before." Lina snapped. Torren fell silent.

"I'm sorry." Torren said. Lina sighed. She became silent again, and then said,

"You know… I'm only mad because I care about you guys." Lina said quietly.

"We care about you too." Poppy and Torren said. Then they gave Lina a big hug. Lina was startled but hugged them back.

"You're still in trouble." Lina said. Poppy and Torren groaned.

"What about Kenny?" Poppy said.

"He's in trouble too." Lina said.

"Well... it doesn't seem like it." Torren muttered.

"Kenny!" Lina said.

"What?" Kenny asked.

"Are you listening to me?" Lina asked.

"Yeah." Kenny said.

"I don't think so. Poppy can you walk next to Penny? Kenny, come here." Lina said.

"Why?" Kenny asked.

"Because I said so. And you're in trouble; so no flirting." Lina said.

"I-I wasn't flirting." Kenny said turning red.

"Right." Lina said. Poppy and Kenny switched places.

"Better." Torren muttered. Lina smiled. They walked in silence for the rest of the time until they saw a very surprised Doon.

Chapter 13

Doon was just trying to talk to Lauren when Lina left.

He asked her where she came from and where her village, but she mostly just nodded or didn't answer. Doon didn't know when, but eventually he just gave up. He was pacing back and forth when she said,

"I don't want to talk about my past… I want it to start over. Is that possible?"

"Sure." Doon said. That was that. How long is Lina taking Doon thought. He paced back and forth some more until Lina came back. Lina came when the sun was setting. He saw four people behind Lina. It was Poppy, Torren, Kenny, and a girl who was probably Penny. Kenny looked a little embarrassed, but Doon didn't really care about that. He was just angry. He didn't understand why they came. Kenny looked worried. Poppy and Torren looked terrified. Lina looked like she had already yelled at him, but he knew they were not finished being yelled at.

"What were you thinking?" Doon asked through his teeth.

"W-We were not really thinking…" Poppy said nervously.

"No… you were not. Penny, go to your sister." Doon said.

"She's not-" Penny began to say.

"Not now." Lina said leading her to Lauren. Doon looked at Lina confused.

"Later." Lina said. Doon nodded.

"Care to explain?" Doon asked to Poppy, Torren and Kenny.

"You get to have all the fun!" Torren said.

"Don't act like you used too when we first came from the City of Ember." Doon snapped.

"It's true though! You get to have all the fun!" Poppy complained.

"Do you all feel that way?" Lina asked.

"Yes." Poppy and Torren said.

"What about you Kenny?" Lina asked.

"Honestly, I just came to help them… I wouldn't have come if I knew what this was what it was leading too." Kenny said defensively.

"Is this true?" Doon asked.

"Yeah." Poppy and Torren said, ashamed.

"Kenny you can leave." Doon said. Kenny left. He introduced himself to Lauren and then grabbed Penny's hand. Doon had to fight down a smile because he knew Kenny liked Penny.

"They think we have all the fun…" Lina said. She looked at Doon and knew exactly what they were going to do.

"I will let you 'have all the fun' if you can do all the work." Doon said. Lina smiled.

"Yes. And if you all have to go back to the City of Sparks. You'll be taking Lauren and Penny with you too." Lina said.

"So if we do all the work for this evening, we can stay?" Torren asked.

"Not only today. Tomorrow too." Doon said.

"Deal." Torren said.

"You'll loose." Poppy taunted.

"We'll see." Lina said.

"Fine." Poppy said. The she turned around to walk away with Torren.

"Wait… aren't you forgetting something?" Doon asked.

"What?" Poppy said.

"Fire Poppy. How else are we going to keep warm?" Lina asked.

"B-But I may burn myself." Poppy said.

"Well you should have thought about that." Doon said.

"I've never seen you two talk like that." Poppy said smiling.

"Like what?" Lina asked.

"Like you guys are the parents." Poppy said. Then she went away with Torren to find wood. Lina and Doon just stood there awkwardly.

"Um…" Lina said.

"I'll check on the three who aren't being punished." Doon said.

"Ok." Lina said. Doon turned away and then turned back.

"What did Penny mean?" Doon asked.

"Right… Well Penny and Lauren are just good friends." Lina said.

"Oh… Ok." Doon said.

"What? Doesn't that surprise you?" Lina asked.

"Not really… think about it… Lauren wants the only person she trusts to be with her. She thinks the only way we will look for that person is if she says that she is her sister. So, it doesn't surprise me." Doon said. Then he left. Poppy came dragging some wood. She was struggling, so she said,

"Lina? Mind helping?"

"If you agree to go back." Lina said.

"Why?" Poppy asked.

"You'll be doing this and a lot more everyday. Are you sure you are up to it?" Lina asked.

"I can do it." Poppy said defensively.

"Fine. Torren is older than you, so let him handle the fire." Lina said. Then she walked away. Lina felt really bad. Her sister was struggling, and she wasn't helping. This is teaching her a lesson Lina told herself. Then she went to go check on everyone else. When she came she saw Penny smiling. Doon was talking to Kenny and Lauren.

"What happened?" Lina asked.

"There are two things." Penny said.

"Ok." Lina said.

"Well the first thing is that I can tell that you and Doon both have feelings for each other." Penny said.

"Right…" Lina said doubtfully.

"He does." Penny insisted.

"The second thing?" Lina asked.

"I think I have a crush on Kenny." Penny said.

"I know." Lina said.

"Really?" Penny asked.

"It's obvious." Lina said. Penny was bout to say something when Poppy shouted,

"We got the fire going!" Doon turned around and smiled. Then he motioned for everyone to follow him and they went to enjoy a nice meal by the fire.

Chapter 14

Lina was the second person to wake up. Poppy was the first. She was attending the fire. She was smiling like she was winning; however Lina knew Poppy was overwhelmed. Lina and Doon both woke Poppy and Torren up to tend to the fire.

"How'd you sleep?" Lina asked.

"Fine." Poppy said. Then she turned around.

"Are you mad at me?" Lina asked.

"No." Poppy said. Then she walked away. Lina sighed, and followed Poppy.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Lina asked.

"If you don't want us here, why don't you just tell us?" Poppy asked.

"Who said I didn't want you guys here?" Lina asked.

"We have to do all the work." Poppy said.

"Look, we have to show you that this is not all fun. It's not at all like what you're being told it is. It's a lot of work. We want to make sure you know this. I need you to go back because these trips can take a long time. You will all miss school, and I don't want that to happen." Lina said.

"I know. I just thought that you would be happy to see us." Poppy said.

"I am. I don't want to be, but I am. However, Mrs. Murdo would be really worried. I want you to grow up normally." Lina said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't really think about anything. I was just so excited, and everything." Poppy said.

"If you want you can stay. I'll talk to Doon." Lina said. Poppy smiled. Then she said,

"No. I want to go back. You can't tell him though. I want him to think that he has won." Poppy said.

"He has won. Poppy, Doon loves you like a sister too. I hope you realize that. He cares a lot about you." Lina said.

"He likes you." Poppy said.

"Not this again. You are in no position to argue this right now." Lina said.

"Will you tell him?" Poppy asked.

"No. You leave the way you want too." Lina said.

"I'm taking everyone as well." Poppy said.

"I know." Lina said. Then she took Poppy's hand and walked back to where everyone else was. Doon, Kenny, and Torren were awake. Penny and Lauren were just waking up.

"I'm going to work." Poppy said. Lina looked at her confused, but then she understood.

"That's what you're supposed to be doing. You need to put out the fire now." Lina said. Then she left to talk to Doon.

"Sleep well?" Doon asked.

"Yeah… just woke up early." Lina said.

"You always wake up early." Doon said smiling.

"Talked to Poppy." Lina said.

"Really?" Doon asked.

"She didn't say anything, but it seems like she is already tired of the work." Lina said.

"Already? She didn't even do a quarter of it. Oh well. It's the same with Torren." Doon said.

"I'm tired." Poppy and Torren whined.

"This was the deal." Doon said. Poppy and Torren looked at each other, and Torren said,

"Deal is off."

"So…" Doon said.

"You win. We're leaving." Torren said. He then looked at Lauren in a flirty way. She smiled and blushed. Lina rolled her eyes.

"I told you. However, before we go find the car with the Oxen, how about breakfast?" Doon said. They ate quietly. Then out of the blue Doon said,

"I know we've been very hard on everyone. I just wanted everyone to know that I care about all of you. Even Penny and Lauren. Now, Poppy and Torren I know how you feel, but you do admit that this isn't as much fun as you thought right? I really just needed all of you to know this." Doon said.

"I go by what Doon said." Lina said quietly. Everyone just stood there and then Poppy ran up and gave Doon a hug. Then came Torren, Kenny, Penny, Lauren, and Lina. It became a group hug. Everyone finally let go, and Doon regained his composure.

"We need to go. First though, I need to talk to Lina." Doon said. Lina followed him.

"Did you notice anything between Kenny and Penny?" Doon said smiling.

"Yeah… Penny told me she had a little crush on Kenny. I also noticed something between Lauren and Torren" Lina said blushing a little.

"Kenny told me he liked Penny too. Yeah, I noticed Lauren and Torren too." Doon said somewhat loudly.

"Shhh… Don't want them to know we're talking about them." Lina said laughing.

"Why not? We should help them!" Doon exclaimed.

"I think we should let them figure it out on their own." Lina said.

"Good point." Doon said.

"Is that all?" Lina asked.

"Yes." Doon said. Lina and Doon walked back too everyone.

"Ready?" Lina and Doon asked.

"Yeah." Everyone else responded.

"Let's go. Poppy, lead the way." Doon said.

"Follow me." Poppy said. They walked for a long time. It was almost 3 hours until they reached where the car with the oxen was parked. Kenny and Penny would have to take Fleet, since there was not much room. Fleet would follow the car. The Oxen looked well fed, so Lina gave Poppy some food, and said,

"Get home safely. Tell Mrs. Murdo I'll try to be back soon."

"I will. Don't worry about us." Poppy said.

"Yeah! We'll be fine." Kenny yelled. Poppy leaned in and whispered in Lina's ear,

"You and Doon are getting a lot closer." Before Lina could say anything Penny shouted,

"Everyone ready?"

"Yes." Everyone in the car said.

"Bye Lina and Doon!" Lauren shouted. Then the Oxen got up and took everyone in the car back to the City of Sparks. Fleet followed. Lina and Doon, alone again walked back to where they originally were for the past few days. However, when they got back they saw a thin roamer who was a female arrive. Lina and Doon hid behind a tree. The roamer looked for everyone and then rushed into the City of Ember with a lit-up Diamond in her hand.

Chapter 15

Doon was shocked. Was that the roamer Lina was talking about?

"Why did she just go in there?" Lina asked.

"I don't know." Doon said.

"Well… we have the generator… We can go in the cave and see why." Lina said. Doon nodded, and went to go and get his bag.

"Wait. Before we go in there, shouldn't we think first?" Doon asked when he came back.

"Think about what?" Lina asked.

"Why did she go in there?" Doon asked.

"I don't know… but she looks like the roamer Poppy described." Lina said.

"How did she describe her?" Doon asked.

"Poppy told me she was thin, and she was a girl." Lina said.

"That's not exactly a good description." Doon said.

"I know… but she may be the person. Even if she's not, don't you think there is a reason she went down in the cave?" Lina asked.

"What do you mean?" Doon asked.

"She went down in the City of Ember for a reason. What if there are still people down there? People who somehow are living in the dark?" Lina asked.

"Look…. If there is we need to go look…. And if there isn't then we know the answer." Doon said.

"It just seems so unreal." Lina said.

"We need to go." Doon said. Lina nodded and followed Doon inside the cave. Doon cranked the generator. It wasn't that much light but it was enough for them to see where they were going. It was a long way to the City of Ember, but they knew where they were going.

"I don't think there are people still living in the City of Ember." Doon said.

"Why not?" Lina asked.

"Well… when Washton, Kanza, Minny, Yorick kidnapped me and decided to keep me in the City of Ember, I escaped." Doon said.

"I knew you escaped." Lina said.

"Right… anyway I cut the generator. That made me sad because we spent a lot of time there. Anyway, the generator was in the pipeworks, so I had to run there. I didn't see any living people there." Doon said.

"Look. I know the chances are slim, but maybe they were hiding in one of the houses." Lina said.

"That's highly unlikely." Doon said.

"Then maybe you weren't really paying attention… I mean you did want to escape… you weren't exactly looking to explore." Lina said.

"That's true… I just don't want you to be upset if there is no one left." Doon said.

"If there are people left I want to help, but if they are not, it would be like what we thought before." Lina said. Doon nodded. They were quiet for a while. That was until they reached the place they used to call the unknown regions.

"Remember this?" Doon asked.

"Yes." Lina said.

"Not from the stories we heard from the City of Ember. I'm talking about when we went around 8 years ago." Doon said.

"You mean when we found the diamonds? Yes, I do remember." Lina said.

"I thought I was the only one." Doon said smiling.

"Well, you're not." Lina said. Doon walked with Lina talking for a while. Then they reached the bridge.

"Oh no." Lina said turning a little green.

"Just don't think about that." Doon said putting his hand on Lina's back.

"I-I can't… People died waiting for someone to save them." Lina said.

"I know, but we can't save them now." Doon said. Hearing this Lina started to cry.

"I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was that they died trying to find a way out of the City of Ember. We did what they couldn't. I know they would want us to go and finish what we needed too." Doon said. Lina nodded.

"I'm sorry…" Lina said.

"No need to be." Doon said. Then he wrapped his arms around Lina. Lina seemed surprised at first, but then returned the hug. Even though they were in a middle of a dangerous adventure, they hugged for a long time. Lina dug her face in his shoulder. Doon let go first even though he didn't want to.

"We can go through this." Doon said. Lina smiled and nodded.

"Do you want to go first, or should I?" Lina asked.

"I can." Doon said. Lina nodded. Doon went over the bridge quickly. He winced. People did die waiting for us. Doon pushed that thought away. You can't think like this… not now. Once he finished crossing the bridge he called for Lina to go. Lina walked quickly, and then stopped half way.

"Come on! You can do this." Doon shouted.

"I-I know." Lina said.

"You're half way there." Doon encouraged. Lina seemed to get a sudden burst of courage. She quickly walked off the bridge.

"You did it!" Doon said giving her a hug. They were hugging for a while, and Doon was thinking about kissing her, when all of a sudden someone pulled them apart.

"What's going on?" Doon asked.

"You've entered the City of Ember." Someone with a deep voice said.

"I thought everyone had left the City of Ember." Lina said.

"We got left behind. Anyone who comes here will not go back." The man with the deep voice said.

Chapter 16

Lina was paralyzed with fear. Last time someone was in the City of Ember, Doon was kidnapped. She had gotten out to warn everyone. Doon escaped before she had the chance, but Lina didn't know what they would do since now they were both trapped.

"What do you mean?" Lina heard herself say.

"We mean that you are going to have to stay with us until you die." The man with the deep voice said.

"You can't do that!" Lina said in a panicked voice.

"Of course I can! I am the leader. You can call me Mike." The man with the deep voice said. Lina fell silent.

"Okay…. Mike, there must be a misunderstanding…" Doon said.

"Mike? There was no Mike in the city of ember!" Lina shouted.

"That's not my real name." Mike snapped.

"Mike, or whoever you are," Doon interjected, "There must be a mistake."

"No mistake. You came here, you stay here." Mike said.

"We lived in the City of Ember." Doon said.

"So, you two lived here?" Mike asked.

"Yes!" Lina and Doon exclaimed at the same time.

"Well then, you should know this place well." Mike said.

"Look, if you let us go…. We will leave, and go get help." Doon said.

"Help? No… We want to stay here. This is our home. It turns out you can get adjusted quickly in the dark. Lucky you." Mike said sarcastically.

"Look, we're Doon and Lina." Lina said impatiently.

"The two who found a way out of the City of Ember?" Mike asked.

"Yes! If you don't want anyone to know, we won't tell anyone." Lina exclaimed.

"Well, we don't trust you." Mike said.

"Please just let us go." Doon said.

"You pleading won't get you anywhere. You're staying, and that's it." Mark snapped.

"You won't reconsider?" Lina asked.

"No!" Mark snapped.

"How do you live here?" Doon asked.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"There is no more running water." Doon said.

"That was a problem, but there were a couple houses that still had a lot of water stored in the sinks and bathtubs. Our roamer gets all supplies, such as more water as well." Mike said.

"That can't have been enough!" Lina exclaimed.

"We created a limit. There are not that many of us left." Mike said.

"What do you mean?" Lina asked.

"There are 10 of us left. The rest left or died." Mark said.

"You're forcing us to stay for 10 people!" Lina exclaimed.

"Yes. You will do well to learn not to shout." Mike said. Lina fell silent. Doon could feel his anger bubbling up inside him, but he kept it down. His father had always said that anger does no good. He was working on it, but sometimes he just couldn't keep it in. It took all he had to keep his anger inside him.

"One day all the water will run out, and you will have to come out." Doon said.

"Yes, we can help you all leave." Lina said.

"No. We all will worry about this when we have too, but for right now, all of us will stay here. Right now, our roamer is ok with getting us water and food when we need it. We'll wait until she quits." Mike said.

"No." Doon said evenly.

"What did you say?" Mike asked.

"No. I will not stay here, and neither will Lina." Doon said.

"What makes you so sure that you can make that decision?" Mike asked. Doon opened his mouth to say something, but then Lina interjected in, and said,

"We don't know." Mike smiled, and then all of a sudden he seemed to remember something.

"Lina, and Doon?" Mike asked.

"Yes?" Doon asked.

"You two are the people who found the way out, right?" Mike said.

"No." Lina lied.

"Don't lie!" Mike snapped.

"We're not!" Lina exclaimed, lying again.

"I know who you are. The great Lina and Doon who found the way out of the Ember. Lina, you found out about the Mayor. You guys found candles to light the way out of the Ember, when everything was running out, and then sent a letter to Mrs. Murdo telling her what to do. Then everything got frantic, and mostly everyone got out… except for us and the people who died." Mike said.

"I-I-" Lina began to say.

"QUIET!" Mike bellowed. Lina fell silent. Doon, who no linger could keep all the anger inside of him yelled,

"NO! WE WILL TALK IF WE WANT TO! WE WILL LEAVE IF WE WANT TO. YOU CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT THAT! TAKE US WHEREVER YOU WANT, BUT WE WILL FIND A WAY OUT, AND WE WILL LEAVE, WITH WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO COME. SO I SUGGEST YOU STOP WASTING OUR TIME, AND LET US GO!

"Doon. Calm down." Lina said.

"I suggest you listen to your girlfriend." Mike said calmly. Doon fell silent.

"Good, now that we all understand each other, I suggest you all keep quiet." Mike said. Then he snapped his fingers, and 4 people that were not there came and tied Doon's hands together with a rope. He could tell that they were doing the same thing to Lina.

"Now, take them away." Mike said as he turned around to walk. Lina, and Doon walked away with the 4 people behind them, and Mike in front of them.

Chapter 17

Lina and Doon walked in silence. There was nothing to say. They just listened to Mike occasionally give orders to his 4 men. Lina wasn't paying attention to what was happening around her. She did this a lot, but this time she wasn't daydreaming about how much she loved Doon. She was thinking about how to escape. She couldn't think of anything, so she just walked miserably. She couldn't see anything, because everything was pitch black. She walked on for what might not have been that long, but seemed like eternity. All of sudden she snapped out of he mind. She looked around and saw a blazing fire coming out from behind a house. She felt Doon stiffen, and she thought Oh Doon… I'm so sorry. This is exactly how it was like when you were kidnapped 8 years ago.

"Calm Down. We will not throw you in the fire… yet." Mike said. Then he snapped his fingers and Lina and Doon were pushed inside the house.

"Now. Let me introduce you to everyone." Mike said.

"Look, let us go you idiot." Lina snapped.

"Not a chance. Either you meet everyone, and be happy, or just stay with your boyfriend, and don't talk to everyone else." Mike said. Lina ignored the fact that Mike just called Doon her boyfriend, and just said,

"I don't want to meet anyone." Then Lina crossed her arms.

"Fine." Mike said evenly. Then he snapped, and the people with Mike left the room.

"Why did everyone just leave?" Doon asked.

"Well, you don't want to meet anyone, and I'm not going to stop everyone from going even if you are the famous Lina and Doon. You will stay here, and meals will be delivered to you 3 times a day. I will be in here frequently, so don't even try to think of an escape." Mike said.

"Fine." Lina said evenly.

"Wow. You've got some nerve." Mike said in a mock surprising tone.

"Shut up." Doon snapped.

"No. I'll have you know that I'm in charge here. Not you. So, if you want to get along here, then you should know that." Mike said furiously.

"We don't want to get along here!" Lina and Doon shouted at the same time.

"Oh, boohoo. You'll learn. So don't try begging to get out of here. You guys are just wasting your time." Mike said. He turned to leave again, when Doon said,

"Wait. Can you show us around the house?" Doon asked.

"Why?" Mike asked.

"Well, if we change our minds-" Doon began to say, then Mike interrupted, and said,

"If you change your mind, then let me know." Mike said. Then he turned away and slammed a door closed. Lina let out a breath she wasn't holding, and just sat there. She didn't know how long it had been, but after some time Doon said,

"We need an escape plan."

"Thanks for the obvious." Lina snapped.

"Just saying." Doon said, and then fell silent.

"I'm sorry. I know how bad it was when you got kidnapped 8 years ago. I can't help thinking how it is for you right now." Lina said.

"It's pretty bad. I just wish you weren't here." Doon said.

"Why?" Lina asked offended.

"Oh! It's not you. I just would feel better to know you were safe." Doon said.

"Right." Lina said.

"I mean it. You could have gone back the City of Sparks. Notified them. It would have been better." Doon said.

"Well, sorry, but we are both here." Lina said.

"Lina." Doon said. Then he fell silent. He took her hand and then took a deep breath.

"I'm happy you are here, I really am. It's just that I would want you safe more than anything." Doon said. Lina smiled and put her head on his shoulder. She realized what she was doing, but decided to just not think about it. Doon hesitantly put his arm around her. Tingles ran across her shoulders and spread slowly through her body.

"Doon, I lo-" Lina began to say. A slamming door interrupted her.

"Well, Well… if it's not the famous Lina and Doon." Mike said sarcastically. Lina slowly raised her head, and looked into what must have been Mike's cold eyes.

"I thought you said you would leave us alone." Lina snapped.

"Well you thought wrong. Sorry to interrupt the moment. Seems like you two were having a very important discussion." Mike said, not sounding sorry at all.

"What do you want?" Doon asked angrily.

"I'm just checking on you to make sure you haven't escaped." Mike said.

"Thought you said there was no way out." Lina said.

"There isn't. Just double-checking." Mike said nervously.

"Well… doesn't sound like it." Lina muttered,

"Don't even think of any ideas." Mike said. This time however, Mike sound less demanding, and more nervous. He cleared his throat, and said,

"I'll come back in an hour." The door slammed shut, and Doon let out a breath.

"That's it." Doon muttered.

"We need to think of a plan." Lina said.

"You're right." Doon said. They were silent for what seemed like the longest time. Then Doon said,

"I thought of one."

"Do tell." Lina said.

"What if we say we want to meet everyone? In the middle of the night we could quietly sneak out. Then we'll have to run. No doubt they'll know once we step put of the house." Doon said.

"That's- and amazing idea!" Lina exclaimed in a loud whisper.

"The only thing is that we won't have any light." Doon said.

"Yes, but we have to manage." Lina said.

"It's our plan then?" Doon asked.

"Yes." Lina said. Then she smiled.

Chapter 18

"Doon. It's time." Lina said. It had been a really long time since they first came. Doon knew it had been at least a couple of months. Might have even been early fall up in the world above. He missed his father terribly. He surprisingly also missed Tim, and Kenny. He wondered for a moment what was happening between Kenny and Penny. Kenny seemed to be flirting with her. According to him, Torren and Lauren had something too. He didn't spend so much time dwelling on that thought though. There was much more important things to think about. When they first decided to go out and meet everyone, they found out that they needed to gain their trust. They were put in a room, where 2 people stood outside their door to make sure they didn't try to escape. It had taken a long time before Mike finally said it was fine, and there were able to sleep outside next to the fire. They all slept in a circle around the fire, and after a while, Mike had decided to trust them. Doon had gone to sleep with high hopes the night before, when Lina had told him it was time to leave. He really believed they could do it. He got up and said,

"I'm awake."

"Are you ready?" Lina asked.

"As much as I can be." Doon said. Lina took a deep breath. Doon knew she was preparing herself for the run. He knew she had experience in running, but also knew it would be pitch black when they were running. He closed his eyes too, and tried to envision where they would go. It was easier for him, since he had done this 8 years ago, but for Lina it was her first time. For sometime, they needed to remember where they would go.

"Let's go." Lina said. Doon got up, and started walking away from the fire. It took Mike almost two minutes to wake up, and see Lina and Doon walking away.

"THEY ARE ESCAPING!" Mike said. Everyone suddenly got up. The four men who had brought Lina and Doon slowly got up and rubbed their eyes.

"GET UP YOU IDIOTS!" Mike yelled.

"Yes boss." The four men said in unison. They slowly stood up, and looked at their boss. They didn't seem to notice Lina and Doon slowly backing away until they knew they would have to run.

"LINA! DOON! THEY ARE ESCAPING!" Mike bellowed. The four men looked stricken, and annoyed they'd been woken up in the middle of the night. Nevertheless, they got up and started to run. They were fast. Lina and Doon had gotten to where they needed to be, and ran as fast as they could. They were next to each other, and they had reached the bridge. Doon ran first, and made it all the way across. He then lit up the generator. When he looked back he saw Lina still at the back of the bridge. Doon thought, LINA! YOU IDIOT! RUN! He saw Lina take a big breath and run. She had made it half away across when 1 man got ahold of her. He nodded at the other 3, and the other 3 rushed back to let there boss know, or too go back to sleep. Doon, without even thinking, ran to help Lina. He ran up just in time to see the man bang Lina's head into the edge of the bridge. Hard. When he looked at Lina's face, the side of her forehead had been busted up. It was purple-blue, and blood was coming out of it. He froze in place, and felt tingling rage coarse through his veins. Lina looked like she was loosing consciousness, but she had a hold on the man's arm. She dug her nails into them hard. Blood was dripping from his arm. Doon ran up to the man, and took hold of them man's other arm. He twisted it as hard as he could, and the man's face was a look of agony. He then pushed the man against the bridge, and the man toppled over and fell in the abyss. Lina looked at Doon in complete shock. There was a crunch. That ensured that he fell over. Doon; now that his anger had left; felt nothing but guilt.

"Doon?" Lina asked. It looked as if she was fighting consciousness. There were no mistaking tears in her face.

"Are you okay?" Doon asked, worried.

"I-I-I'm fine." Lina said taking a step back. Then she winced. It looked very painful stepping back. She had a serious concussion at the best, and a small head injury at the worst.

"Is something wrong?" Doon asked. His voice cracked.

"No. I can't believe you did that for me." Lina said. Then she collapsed into his arms. Doon slowly made his way out of the cave. He slowly took the bandages he brought with him from the backpack and wrapped it around her head. Then he just sat next to Lina while she slept. Slowly, his anger and worry about Lina builded up until Lina woke up.

"My head doesn't hurt much anymore. I think I can move." Lina said standing up and sitting down. She seemed fine.

"Lina." Doon said. His voice seemed relieved, but also angry. Lina looked at Doon, and said

"Yeah, we should probably do this now." Doon to angry to say anything immediately started.

"WHY WEREN'T YOU CAREFULL?" he yelled.

"I don't know… I was trying to be…" Lina said softly.

"YOU COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY HIM!" Doon yelled.

"I'm sorry." Lina said with tears in her eyes.

"SORRY DOES NOT CUT IT!" Doon yelled. Lina snapped. She stopped crying and yelled,

"I TRIED! I GOT HAD ONE SLIP-UP!"

"THAT ONE SLIP UP COULD HAVE TAKEN YOU AWAY!" Doon yelled.

"WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE?" Lina yelled.

"BECAUSE I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU!" Doon yelled. Then he stopped talking realizing what he just has said. He stood there silently for a while, waiting for an answer. Lina seemed to be silent, as if she didn't know what to say. Please Lina, Doon thought, I know you are in love with me. At least I think you are. He just stood there waiting. Then he turned red, and stormed off. Lina just sat there with her mouth open.

Chapter 19

Lina just sat there with her mouth wide open. Thoughts were running through her mind. Did he really just say I love you? I almost told him that when we were trapped in the cave. Everyone else was correct. I was so stubborn not listening to them. How could I not tell? Lina sighed, and looked around. The leaves were different colors indicating it was early fall. Why did I not say anything? Lina thought furiously. She knew that she still loved him, because when he shouted out that he loved her, she felt as if she was floating with joy. Nothing around her existed except her and Doon, and she wanted to just stand up and kiss him. However, she didn't do anything. Am I really that surprised? Lina asked herself. She remembered one conversation she had with Torren. It was the first time she ever even considered liking Doon. It had been one of the winter days, when she had to stay in the City if Sparks. She had gone over to Doon's house. Doon still lived with his father at the time, since they were 15 at the time. She had come home, and was telling Torren what had happened. She had said,

"Then we decided to go out of the city, and explore the outskirts. It was fun, and we're back safely. Thank god, or Mrs. Murdo would have killed us both."

"Yeah?" Torren asked smiling. He was 9 and lost his bottom 2 teeth. His first two teeth had already grown in.

"Yes. Then I had to go home." Lina said sadly. Then she smiled and said, "Good thing too. I'm here with you." Her relationship with Torren was really strong, and she was starting to think of him as a younger brother, along with Poppy as her younger sister. Poppy was 4 years old at the time and knew how to talk and read. She was about to start school in a year.

"Lina." Poppy had said and curled in her lap. Soon she was fast asleep.

"I think you like Doon." Torren said.

"Torren, you're 9 years old. How could you possibly know, or think that?" Lina had said. She picked Poppy up, and put her on the sleeping bag that was supposed to be Torrens. Torrens older brother hadn't come back for a long time, but Torren had been taking it better than she thought he did. Torren hated being talked too like a kid.

"Lina, it's obvious." Torren said.

"What's obvious?" Dr. Hester asked. She seemed to be fond of helping Mrs. Murdo take care of them now.

"That Lina likes Doon." Torren said.

"Oh, yes. I'm afraid that's so. However, we all knew that would happen." Dr. Hester said.

"Knew what would happen?" Mrs. Murdo asked.

"Oh, that Lina would like Doon." Dr. Hester explained.

"Wasn't it obvious? Doon likes her too you know." Mrs. Murdo said. Everyone else nodded. Lina who had been silent finally spoke up, and said,

"We're 15. I seriously doubt I'm going to feel that way for a long time."

"Ah…. The age excuse. Honey, 15 is when everyone starts to like someone. Actually 14 is." Dr. Hester said.

"I don't like him… not in that way. He doesn't like me that way anyway." Lina said.

"That'll get old." Mrs. Murdo said.

"What will?" Lina asked.

"You saying Doon doesn't feel the same away about you." Mrs. Murdo said.

"Yeah, it's already old." Torren interjected.

"Ok, Torren," Mrs. Murdo said picking Poppy up, "Time to go to sleep. You have school tomorrow."

"That's not fair!" Torren protested.

"Aw… we'll fill you in. I promise." Mrs. Murdo said. Then she quietly pointed at the sleeping bag, and Torren curled up and went to sleep. Mrs. Murdo went upstairs to tuck Poppy in.

"Honey. What's wrong?" Mrs. Hester whispered.

"I'm confused." Lina said.

"And you will be. For a long time. It'll all work out though." Dr. Hester said. For a long time Lina didn't understand Dr. Hester's words. She did now. Then she went back to reality. Lina started playing with the leaves on the ground for so long. It seemed to be early fall. When she finally stopped she saw a faint silhouette of Doon coming back. It was close to nightfall. She sat up straight immediately. Doon walked toward her and quietly said,

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Lina said quietly. Blood started seeping through her bandage.

"You should probably change that." Doon said pointing at her bandage. Lina laughed weakly.

"Okay." Lina said. She got a new one out and was about to untie her old one when Doon stopped her and said,

"Allow me." Lina gave him the bandage and he untied the old one. He then tied the new bandage around her head. Once he finished putting it on, he lifted his hand from her head. Then a stray piece of hair fell across her face, and he tucked it behind her ear.

"You're so beautiful." Doon said. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Lina felt something expand from her head too her toes. She felt warm, and a tingling feeling went from her head slowly to her toes. She knew that they would need to find a way to go back home, but for right now nothing mattered except for the fact that she was kissing Doon. She dreamed about this so much, but it coming true was so much better. Doon broke away first.

"Sorry. Got caught up -" Doon began to say. Lina interrupted him with another kiss. It was long and deep. They only broke it off to breathe.

"I love you too." Lina said. They kissed once more for a long time. When they broke off she said,

"I wish we told each other this before." Doon smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. He held her tightly in his arms, and said,

"Me too." He held her in his arms as they drifted off to sleep together.

Chapter 20

Doon was the first one to wake up in the morning. He had his hands around Lina. He stayed in the position. He didn't feel like taking his arms of her anytime soon. I hope last night really did happen. I wouldn't be able to bear it if it didn't Doon thought. Eventually, Lina woke up with smiling. Doon looked at her with a questioning look. Lina nodded, and he kissed her lightly.

"Doon." Lina murmured against his lips. Doon looked back far enough to look at her face.

"Doon." Lina said again. She looked serious.

"Yes?" Doon asked. He knew what she was going to say of course. She was going to say they needed to find a way home.

"We need to find a way home." Lina said.

"I know." Doon sighed. Lina smiled. There was nothing she could say. She was right. His father, and everyone must be extremely worried for him and Lina.

"We're going to have to walk, right?" Doon asked getting up. Then he helped Lina up as well.

"Unless we get lucky along the way." Lina said.

"Yeah, we could use some luck. Other than the fact…" Doon said. Lina nodded and kissed him on the cheek.

"We need to find a way home." Lina said again.

"I know." Doon said.

"I'm not done. If we don't get home, we will end up starving, or worse we could end up getting killed by an animal or person." Lina said.

"I'm guessing I need to get used to these lectures." Doon joked. Lina pushed him away lightly.

"Doon Harrow you'll be getting a lot more of these." Lina said jokingly as well. They walked in silence. They needed to save their energy for the long walk for a long time. They stopped to eat lunch, which they devoured. Then they went back to walking. It gave Doon some time to think though. Everyone was right. Why was I so stubborn? I'm glad we're together. It's been a long time since I liked her. She is really amazing. Doon smiled while thinking.

"What are you thinking about?" Lina asked gently nudging Doon.

"You." Doon said.

"Me? What about me?" Lina asked.

"That you're the most amazing person I have ever met." Doon said.

"You don't mean that." Lina said shyly.

"I do," Doon paused then said, "Lina Mayfleet. I love you. I have waited so long to say this out loud to you. I have always loved you. I found out the way I felt about you when we were 15. I know I have always loved you." Doon said.

"Doon Harrow." Lina said. Then she kissed him. Slow and deep. Doon felt the way he always felt whenever they kissed. A slow warm feeling coursed through him. Tingles ran down his spine. His lips parted as he cupped her face, and the kiss deepened. Lina broke it off and put her forehead on his.

"I love you Doon Harrow." Lina said. Then she drew back, smiling. She then reached for his hand and entwined it with his.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to you saying that." Lina said.

"Me too." Doon said, squeezing her hand tighter.

"I'm so worried Doon." Lina said.

"What are you worried about?" Doon asked.

"Mrs. Murdo. Dr. Hester. Torren. Poppy, Kenny. Penny. Lauren. Your dad." Lina said.

"I know. I am too." Doon said.

"Did they even get back alright?" Lina asked.

"I'm sure they did." Doon said.

"I'm sure too. But how sure can we really be? I mean, I was sure that no one was left in the City of Ember. I was sure that I wouldn't be hurt, but I am." Lina said pointing to her bandage.

"Lina. I wish we could be sure of everything. But we can't. I am sure, though that everyone got back safely. That much I can be sure of." Doon said. Lina smiled, but he could tell she was still worried. However, he couldn't say anything.

"Lina, where are we going?" Doon asked.

"Back home." Lina replied.

"That's a long way. We really need to get lucky." Doon said.

"I know. But we might as well prepare ourselves-" Lina began. Then she stopped talking. She held her hand out to tell Doon not to say anything. Then she pointed to the bushes. Doon nodded saying that he understood. She ran and jumped into the bushes, forgetting about her injury. She groaned, and Doon winced. He hid in the bushes next to her and checked her injury. He untied her bandage saw that the blood had stopped coming, but there was still a big purple bruise. He whispered to her,

"Be careful next time. We need to let the injury air out." Lina nodded saying she understood. Then she winced, as if the impact hurt her. She seemed fine afterwards.

"Guess it's just weird to be out of the bandages." Lina said looking at Doon's concerned face. She reached for his hand and said,

"I'm fine." Doon smiled saying that he understood.

Then she looked out to see what was happening. Doon did the same. Slowly a roamer came into view. It was a woman, and she didn't look like the one who entered the city of ember. She had two wagons and they were both connected. 4 Oxen were pulling it. He looked at Lina, and Lina nodded. They stepped out of the bushes, and Lina said in a sweet melodic voice,

"Excuse me? I was just wondering where the City of Sparks is.

"The City of Sparks? That's where I am going. I'm Mal by the way." Mal said.

"Mal. You are going to the City of Sparks?" Lina asked.

"Yes. That's what I just said. It's my last stop. I'm almost out of things. Afterwards, I'm going back to my city." Mal said sadly, then she stopped talking.

"Where did you come from?" Mal asked suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" Lina asked.

"You weren't there before. You guys popped out of nowhere." Mal said.

"Oh," Lina said hesitating. Then she said, "We were hiding.. We wanted to make sure we weren't in any type of danger."

"Wow. Smart girl. That must be your boyfriend." Mal said.

"Yes. He is." Lina said smiling.

"Recent eh?" Mal asked.

"Yeah." Lina said.

"Well, yes I'm going to the City of Sparks." Mal said, changing the subject.

"Any chance we could come with you to the City of Sparks?" Lina asked. Mal looked at her weirdly, then said,

"It would cost a lot."

"I-" Lina began to say. Then Doon interjected, and said,

"I have 2 diamonds."

"It'll do. However, you both will have to sleep in that wagon. I sleep in the other one." Mal said pointing. Then she sighed, and smiled. Doon could tell she was trying to help as much as she could. He knew she normally wouldn't accept only 2 diamonds, no matter how precious they were.

"That's ok. Thank you so much." Lina said.

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and go in that wagon. It'll be where you are for a few months." Mal said.

Lina nodded, and went in the wagon that was for her and Doon.

"You will eat outside with me." Mal called out. Lina nodded saying she understood, and went inside the wagon with Doon.

Chapter 21

"Lina." Lina heard a voice say. They had been traveling with Mal for a while. It had been a couple months, and it had gone from early fall to late winter. She hoped everyone else was fine. She had never been from home for so long. She left early spring, and would be coming back early spring as well. Everyone would be so worried, and she was so ready to go home. They were about a month away from going back to the City of Sparks. Her injury had healed pretty much now. There was a small bump, but it didn't hurt that much anymore.

"Lina?" Doon said. She smiled and got up. She had dozed off while he was playing with her hair.

"Yes?" Lina asked. He poked her side.

"You're my girlfriend." Doon said. Lina felt tingly. She didn't know how long she had waited for him to say that. After her accepting that he was her boyfriend, he started calling her his girlfriend. She didn't mind. She actually enjoyed it. She kissed him softly.

"I know." Lina said with her forehead on his. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Then he leaned in, and started kissing her deeply. Her lips parted, and the kiss deepened. For that moment, she forgot about everyone and everything that was happening. It was just her kissing Doon. She could have stayed forever that way.

"Ahem," a voice said. Lina and Doon turned around to say Mal right behind them. She looked slightly amused, and then said,

"Um… sorry to interrupt."

"It's ok." Lina said in a quiet tone indicating she was embarrassed. Doon laughed softly behind her.

"It's fine." Doon said in a more clear voice.

"Well, we had to stop for our meal. However, you can eat in the wagon if you want." Mal said,

"It's ok. We'll eat outside." Lina said in a clearer tone. They got up, and got out of the wagon. She liked Mal. She seemed really young. Mal seemed like she really needed a friend, but tried not to impose herself on them. Her eyes lit up when Lina said they'd eat outside. They sat down on the grass while the oxen got to rest. While they were eating, Mal started talking. She took a deep breath and said,

"I'm basically a roamer, because no one needs me in my village. My parents died when I was two years old, and I was living with my aunt. My aunt died when I was thirteen, so I was on my own. My parents had me, and my aunt didn't want any more kids. She always used to say I was her priority. She loved me. My uncle did too. He wasn't home much. I try to remember my parents, but I can't. I mean I was so young. Once my aunt died, my uncle stopped talking to anyone. When I was fifteen, he finally died. He uttered his first words in a long time. Unfortunately, they were also his last ones. He said was that he loved me, and I would do well in this place. I stayed for my boyfriend. I was convinced I loved him, and he told me he loved me too. I know we were only fifteen, but I really did believe him, and I still believe he loved me. Then one day I woke up and he left with his family. The town said he cried. He wanted to stay with me, but his family would not let him. I never believed the people. He had a way with everyone. It was so much pain. Knowing he was gone, and I would never see him again. Since then, my hometown feels so empty without them. I packed up everything I possibly could, and became a roamer. I have been a roamer for 9 years. I can't go back again. Ever. It's too painful. I'm running out of things, and I don't know what to do." Then she sighed.

"I-I'm so sorry." Lina said. Mal started crying softly.

"Yeah, well it's the circle of life I guess." Mal said bitterly.

"But to go through all that at such a young age…" Lina said. Then without warning gave Mal a hug.

"Mal." Doon said, who had been silent the whole time.

"Yes?" Mal said.

"You need a place to stay. Permanently." Doon said.

"I-I don't have anywhere to stay." Mal said, confused. Tears welled up in Mal's eyes, but she refused to let the tears roll down her face.

"You do. The City of Sparks. We will make sure you will stay there. You will have a permanent home." Doon said. Mal's eyes showed gratitude. Lina was looking at Doon with wonder.

"I-I don't know what to say." Mal said.

"You say yes." Lina said.

"Yes." Mal said quickly.

"So how long to the City of Sparks?" Doon asked.

"A month. I have enough food and water for us until then." Mal said.

"Lina, We would have been gone a year." Doon said.

"I know. I am in so much trouble." Lina said.

"You're like 21 right?" Mal asked.

"Yeah." Lina said.

"How do you get in trouble at that age?" Mal asked. Lina smiled.

"You get in trouble, because no matter how old you are, your family loves you. Like you, my parents died when I was young. I stayed with my grandma until I was twelve, when she died. Then I stayed with Mrs. Murdo in the City of Ember. It was this underground city. When Doon and I found the way out we were so amazed. We had never seen the sun, or a wolf. It was amazing and weird. Well, we found the City of Sparks, and have been staying there. Doon lives in his house, while I live in Dr. Hester's and Torren's house with Mrs. Murdo and Poppy; my sister." Lina said.

"Oh. Well, that's exciting! Thanks for letting me stay in the City of Sparks," Mal said getting up, then she said "We should get going." Lina nodded and got up. She and Doon sat in the wagon they had been in for a while.

"I meant to ask you about that." Doon said once they were sitting comfortably in the wagon.

"Ask me about what?" Lina asked.

"The living arrangements. I was hoping you would want to move in with me." Doon said. Lina wanted to say yes. Instead she said,

"Poppy."

"I thought about that. She can live with us. Mal can live with Mrs. Murdo and everyone." Doon said. Lina took a deep breath, and said,

"Yes. I would love that." Doon smiled and kissed her deeply.

"You're moving in then?" Doon asked.

"Yes." Lina said smiling.

Chapter 22

Doon woke with his hands in Lina's hair, and her head on his lap. She looked so calm when sleeping. Half her hair covered her face and the other half was so vulnerable. He slowly brushed his fingers through her, or tried too. Her hair was so tangled, that his hand ended up getting stuck in her hair. Slowly he got his hand out of her hair, and when then he saw that her eyes were open. She looked amused. He poked her side and said,

"What's so funny?"

"The fact that you thought I was sleeping. I woke up as soon as your hands touched my hair." Lina said.

"Yeah, whatever." Doon said gently tickling her neck. Lina started to laugh, and when he stopped, she stopped laughing.

"Lina, are you keeping a secret from me?" Doon asked.

"No." Lina said a little quickly. Doon traced his fingers across her cheekbones, past her lips, and toward the back of her neck. He felt her take a sharp breath.

"Got it." Doon said, and started tickling her softly on her neck. She laughed and turned away, as if she could keep away from him. Doon then slowly raised his hands from her neck, and started to tickle he stomach. Lina couldn't control herself,

"Stop. OHMYGOSH stop." Lina said between laughs.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't hear anything through the laughs." Doon said, continuing to tickle her. Lina took hold of his wrists, and gently took his hands off of her. Then she turned around and said,

"I told you to stop." Lina, however, didn't look serious so he started tickling her again.

"I am not stopping until you admit you are ticklish." Doon said.

'I-I'm not." Lina said laughing.

"Well, guess I won't stop then." Doon said laughing with her.

"Ok.. Ok… Yes, I am ticklish." Lina said. Doon stopped, and Lina caught her breath. Doon came close, and kissed her quickly and lightly. They were quiet for a while. The wagon was moving, so Mal would come get them for their meals. Lina and Doon were silent for a while. If we broke up- I don't think I could handle it he thought. He looked at her and told himself, Yup. I would die if we ever broke up. They were silent for a while, then Doon finally said,

"What's your fears?"

"My fears?" asked Lina.

"Yes." Doon said.

"W-well…" Lina said hesitantly.

"It's just me Lina." Doon said.

"I-I know." Lina said.

"You can tell me anything, Lina." Doon said.

"I know." Lina said relaxing a little bit.

"So what are they?" Doon asked. Lina took a breath ,and then said,

"The bridge in the City of Ember, Mark, Getting Kidnapped by Mark and his evil henchmen, Mrs. Murdo not accepting me anymore."

"His evil henchman?" Doon asked.

"Yes." Lina said smiling a bit.

"I need to tell you something." Doon said.

""Yes?" Lina asked.

"Mark, and his evil henchmen can't come and get us. They are in the city of ember." Doon said. Then his voice cracked. He looked down. Guilt that he had been trying to hide bubbled up. He had killed that person. Even if the person didn't die right away, he would die eventually. Doon was barely aware of the tears running down his face. When he realized he was crying he wiped his eyes furiously.

"Doon. Look at me." Lina said grabbing hold of his arm. Doon turned to look at her.

"You did not mean to kill him. I know you didn't. You were just trying to help me. Without your help, I would have been dragged back to that place." Lina said.

"I know. That's what scary. I am glad I did it. Lina- I can't loose you." Doon said. Lina put her head on Doon's shoulder.

"You won't I promise." Lina said. They were silent for a while. Then Lina said,

"You never told me about your fears."

"My fears?" Doon asked.

"Yes, I told you mine." Lina said.

"Ok. Let's see. I'm scared of getting kidnapped for the 3rd time, and I am scared that my Dad will disown me, even though I know that could never happen." Doon said.

"I-I'm scared of one more thing." Lina said.

"What is it?" Doon asked.

"It-It's stupid." Lina said.

"Lina, no fears are stupid." Doon said.

"I'm scared of loosing you. Not just in death, but if we break up for some reason, that things would get awkward between us, and I don't want that to happen." Lina said. Doon was silent.

"I told you it was stupid." Lina said.

"It's not stupid. I-I have the same fear." Doon said.

"We need to make sure that doesn't happen." Lina said.

"It won't. I promise. Even if we do break up, I will make sure we still stay best friends." Doon said.

"Good." Lina said.

"We are not going to break up though. Lina, if we do, I-I don't know what I'd do." Doon said.

"I don't either. It's just easier now that I know we will always be close." Lina said. Then she stretched her leg out. Something fell on the wagon floor. There were 2 books. Lina grabbed the books, and looked in it.

"Doon." Lina said.

"Yes?" Doon asked.

"This-This is the book we came looking for. The other, I think is a diary." Lina said. Doon got up, and looked at the book. Lina was right.

"I guess we did find what we went looking for." Doon said. Lina smiled, and said,

"I guess so."

Chapter 22

Lina was amazed. She had nearly forgotten about the book. She and Doon read it until Mal came to tell them to come eat lunch. Once they sat down, Lina asked,

"Mal?"

"Yes?" Mal asked.

"Where did you get this book?" Lina asked.

"Oh. That. Well I ran into another roamer. That roamer gave me these two books, saying I would need them more then she did. I never really found a reason to use them. They looked like it had a lot of information. Why?" Mal asked.

"Well, these were mine. My sister traded it not knowing what it was, and so we left our city to go look for it. We thought it was gone." Lina said.

"Well, you can keep it. The diary too. I looked at those two books, the diary has something to do with that book." Mal said.

"Thank you." Lina said.

"I should be the one thanking you. I finally will have a place to settle down. It'll be nice." Mal said smiling.

"Well, it is our pleasure." Doon said.

"Wait. Lina, and Doon. I have something to give to you." Mal said.

"Yes?" Doon asked.

"The diamonds you gave to me. I want you to take them back." Mal said taking them out. She handed it to them.

"Mal. You don't have too." Lina said.

"I know I don't have too. I want too. I can't thank you enough for letting me stay in your city." Mal said.

"Mal. Keep them. I am positive you can stay with us, but we don't make the decision. Mary does. Yet, she let these people who kidnapped me 9 years ago stay, and since you have nowhere to go I'm sure you can stay. However, we don't make the decision." Doon said.

"If I get to stay, I will feel extremely guilty taking something else from you. Please, take it." Mal said. Lina hesitantly took the diamonds. She put in back in the bag, and then got up.

"Thank you." Lina said.

"No, thank you." Mal said smiling. Lina smiled, and got up.

"I'm so sorry. I wish we could stay and talk some more, but we need to get home. I'm sure you want to go there as well. You'll love it." Lina said.

"Yes. I'm sure I will. We should get going." Mal said. They got up, and Lina and Doon went back to their wagon.

"Doon. I'm tired of just sitting in the wagon. I need to do something." Lina said.

"Lina, It's only for another day." Doon said. It had been four weeks since Lina had said she and Poppy would move in with him. Mal had announced the day before that they'd be there in 2 days. Doon and Lina had turned 22 long ago.

"I know. We have been gone for a year." Lina said.

"Yes, but I'm glad we were." Doon said.

"Why?" Lina asked.

"Because you became my girlfriend." Doon said. Lina smiled,

"Yes. I did." Lina said smiling. Doon kissed her on the forehead.

"Lina?" Doon asked after a while.

"Yes?" Lina asked?

"Are you scared? I mean coming back, and seeing everyone after a year?" Doon asked.

"Yes. I'm horrified actually. Worried what might have changed. Hoping Yorick is better-of course he is. Adjusting to the fact that we have been gone for one year. I wonder how Casper did this all the time." Lina said.

"Lina, we are not Casper. When Casper comes back, he stays for around a day. He hasn't been back for five years. Last I heard, was that he got married, and moved to a different city. He lost connection with Torren. He wanted to start a completely new life. It's ok for him. But we are not Casper. I can tell you that much." Doon said seriously.

"I know; by the way… I think I'm the one who has to get used to the lectures." Lina said poking his arm.

"Lina Mayfleet. There are a lot more of those coming your way." Doon said reflecting back on that conversation so long ago.

"It'll be one of the many sacrifices I'll make for you." Lina said jokingly. Doon pulled her close and gave her a long, deep kiss. When he pulled back he took hold of her hand, and said,

"You know, Tim and my Dad used to talk about how obvious it was that we liked each other. I would always wave off their conversation, but secretly I was hoping he was right. He was, and I'm so happy for that."

"Doon, Lizzie said the same exact thing. She would always start of a conversation with 'How's Doon?' I'd say you were fine, and she would go into a detail about how we are hopelessly in love with each other. Mrs. Murdo wanted to ask me a lot, but she decided he would be mature about it." Lina said. Doon laughed, then said,

"Sounds like Mrs. Murdo."

"I know. It's funny. When I think of my mom, Mrs. Murdo is the first face that appears. Then it quickly vanish and my real mom, or grandma would take that place." Lina said.

"Lina, Mrs. Murdo has been like a mom to you for nine years. No one forced her too, she just cared about you. It's okay to embrace her as your mother." Doon said.

"Yes, but my Grandma and real parents-" Lina began to say. Then Doon interrupted, and said,

"Would be glad you found such a great woman to take care of you and Poppy. Poppy is not calling Mrs. Murdo mom for your sake. Once you start, I'm sure she will too."

"Ok, Mrs. Murdo is officially my mom." Lina said. There was silence, until she realized she had picked up the diary.

"Should we- read it?" Lina asked.

"Yes, it would be a good thing to know what we are getting into." Doon said. Lina smiled and opened the diary.

Chapter 23

Dear Diary,

I swear. TV's are ruining our lives! I found an article. Here is what it said word for word. It says:

Sometimes it seems as though everything that's enjoyable in life is bad for your health, and television is no exception. It isn't terrible scripts, bad acting or excruciating reality TV programs that are shaving years off our lives; it's what we do, or rather don't do, when we're zoning out in front of the box. For most us, watching television means sprawling on the couch for extended periods. And extended inactivity is known to increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancers and premature death.

Physical activity researcher from Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute Dr. Brigid Lynch says one reason sedentary behavior has such a significant impact on your health is because you expend less energy when you're sitting or lying down than when you're on your feet, just standing or walking around.

"Over hours of the day, days of the week and weeks of the year that is all going to add up and contribute to weight gain and a shift in how much energy you are expending," she says.

But there's also evidence that when our muscles are idle, it slows down the release of enzymes that help to control the level of fats and sugars in your blood.

"When you are sitting down, particularly if you're sitting on the couch and really reclining, you're not actually engaging those [skeletal] muscle groups [in your core, legs and spine]. They are all relaxed.

"And we know that skeletal muscle plays a really important role in metabolic function. So even though you aren't running or using weights, those skeletal muscles play a really important role in glucose regulation and helping to regulate the lipid levels in our blood."

Something else?

But a recent study from Spain suggests that there might be something else happening when we watch TV. The researchers found people who watched more than three hours of television a day had double the risk of premature death when compared to those who watched less than one hour per day. But when they looked at other sedentary behaviors – driving a car and using a computer – they didn't find the same links with early death. They say more research is needed to help figure out whether there are links between computer use or driving and death rate.

But why might TV be linked with premature death when other types of sedentary or inactive behavior aren't? Lynch says it might just be that TV watching is more easily measured, giving clearer and therefore more reliable results.

"When we're doing studies and we're asking people to actually recall how long they are spending doing these types of sedentary behaviors – people are pretty good at remembering the amount of time they watch TV for."

But it's also possible some of the behaviors that go hand in hand with watching telly might be contributing to its unhealthy effects, Lynch says.

You don't get off the couch: When you watch TV it's possible you may not stand up for several hours, and research shows even standing up for a minute or two every 20 minutes helps your body regulate important substances such as glucose, fuel for all the body's cells, and the hormone insulin, which enables cells to access and use glucose. "It's fairly unlikely you are going to be sitting at your desk looking at email for several hours without popping up to go and do something else."

TV's affect on food choices: "We know people tend to snack when they are watching TV in the evening, and usually their snack of choice is not particularly healthy. So it's a bit hard to disentangle." There's also the possibility that when you're watching TV, you are being exposed to advertising of unhealthy food choices. If this ends up influencing what you buy and eat, it adds to the poor health effects of TV watching.

TV may be linked with social isolation: "We know there are a lot of health benefits to having that social interaction and maybe missing out on that, and spending a lot of time in front of the TV is taking that social interaction away from people and that's also contributing to their poor health outcomes." It's also the case that TV watching may be a result of social isolation, with people turning to the box because they have no social interactions to distract them.

While you don't need to give up TV, the Spanish researchers (and other experts) say you should limit the amount of time you spend watching TV to less than one to two hours a day. And when you are watching try to:

Get up and move around every now and again, rather than remain entirely motionless. Consider standing for short periods of watching or do a standing chore like ironing for some of the time.

Put your remote control away so you are forced to get up to use manual controls.

Don't make your favorite TV show an excuse to eat junk food.

As for those excruciating reality TV shows? Health experts warn you watch them at your own risk...

( . ). That's the thing though, TV is interesting, and I am addicted to it, but it's not good. It rules our lives. If someday TV's are gone, I would not want it to come back. That wouldn't be likely though, the way everyone is. But still. It would be better for everyone. I have a very unpopular opinion, but that's because other people are scared of admitting that they are actually addicts to the Television. I realty need help. Bye for now.

Lola

Chapter 24

Lina and Doon were silent. Doon was amazed, and disappointed. How could someone be that addicted to something? He didn't do anything. Just stared at the whole journal entry. The girl; even though that must have been a lot of writing; had written what the whole article said word by word. He was happy she did it, because it said a lot. He wasn't so excited about the book with all the diagrams anymore. He was silent for a long time. The diary seemed to be the center of both Lina and his attention. They reread it multiple times to make sure they read the diary completely. It must have been a couple hours, because Mal had called them for dinner. They all ate in silence. No one said anything. Mal opened her mouth a couple times, but closed it again. She did not want to pressure them into talking. After a while Mal cleared her throat, and said,

"You guys probably read that diary."

"How did you know?" Lina asked after a while.

"I read the diary as well. I was as shocked as you were. I didn't talk at all, but being alone, I didn't really need to try not to talk. It was on my mind for a while as well. I hope you don't mind." Mal said.

"How did you learn how to read?" Doon asked.

"My parents knew. They taught my aunt and uncle. My uncle taught me how to read. When my uncle died, I couldn't say anything. I packed up a couple of books, and became a roamer. Reading saved my life." Mal said sadly.

"I have to get rid of these books," Lina said. She got up, and left. When she finally returned she sat next to the fire. Mal got up and said,

"I should probably go. You guys have five minutes."

"Thank you Mal." Lina said.

"Do the right thing, and get rid of them," Mal said firmly. Then she left.

"Lina. I know how excited you were about this book. If you want, I could burn it." Doon said cautiously.

"No. I'm going to do this. I found it. I get to burn it." Lina said fiercely.

"Ok. You burn it. We have to be quick. We have 5 minutes." Doon said cautiously. Lina did not reply. She took the books, and hurled them into the fire. They watched as the book with the diagrams, and the girl's diary slowly burned away. They walked back to the wagon slowly. They told Mal they were going back, and, then they were silent. They sat back down in the wagon, and Doon kept replaying the scene in his head.

"Lina?" Doon asked after a while.

"Doon, I just need everyone to be quiet for a while." Lina said quietly. Doon stayed silent. It was an uncomfortable silence, but it was silence all the same. After a while Lina said,

"What were you going to say?"

"I just wanted to know whether you were ok." Doon said.

"I'm fine. Just a little upset. I mean we went on this trip on this trip in order to find that book I found. We were away from home for one year. I just feel like this trip was a waste, except for the fact that we got together. But, I still think that we would have gotten together without the trip one day. I mean, we got everyone worried. I saw Poppy around 8 months ago. I can't even think about how worried Mrs. Murdo; I mean mom; Poppy, Torren, Yorick, Lizzie, Tim, your dad, Dr. Hester, Lauren, Penny, and many more people must be. I- I hope they are ok." Lina said sadly.

"Lina, they are all fine. D-Did you just say Yorick's name?" Doon asked. Lina had never liked Yorick. She said it was foolish that Doon was friends with a guy who helped with the kidnapping. Doon had argued that Yorick had no choice. Eventually Lina relented, and acted friendly around him. Doon thought she was actually starting to like Yorick as a friend, but didn't know for sure- until now.

"Yes, I tried, but I can't hate him anymore. I'm glad we're all friends. He was smart enough to not really communicate with his parents that much. He hasn't shunned them, but doesn't really listen to them either." Lina said smiling a bit.

"Anyways, I am positive they are all fine. They are worrying, but we are going back tomorrow." Doon said.

"But with what? We went to get something, and ended up burning it. What will we say? What will we say when they ask us?" Lina asked.

"We will say that we went to find something. We thought it was worth something, but it wasn't. Lina, we will tell them the truth. We did something thinking it would help, but it wouldn't have helped, so we burned the books. That's it. We can't lie to them. We need to tell them the truth. That much we owe everyone." Doon said tenderly. Lina smiled and said,

"Look at you trying to make me feel better. I could get used to that you know. Hopefully you want have to do that very often." Lina said smiling.

"It would be my pleasure." Doon said giving her a deep kiss. He felt Lina relax. Lina broke off the kiss.

"I love you, you know." Lina said quietly.

"I know. I love you too." Doon said. With that he kissed her again. After a while Lina said,

"Doon, I-I'm not worried anymore."

"Good, because one of us can't be." Doon said jokingly. Lina gently pushed him and smiled. For a long time they just talked. They talked about everything they held back. How much they loved each other, when they found out, how much their friends and families kept on telling them that they were in love with each other. They would always end up laughing.

"I officially feel like this is my exercise for the day." Lina said in between laughs.

"That's not good. Considering us, we shouldn't be sitting anytime of the day." Doon replied.

"You're right. However, I don't think that is possible for anyone, including us." Lina said.

"You know what? I agree." Doon said yawning. Then he lay down. Lina did the same, and soon she was asleep. Doon fell asleep a couple minutes later, knowing that they would be returning to the City of Sparks soon.

Chapter 25

Lina could barely think. Mal had told them that they were going to reach the City of Sparks that day. Lina would no longer be stuck in a wagon, being forced to wait. She could jump with joy, but didn't knowing that if she did she would hit her head. Lina shuddered. She didn't want anymore head injuries. Lina had to force herself to be still, since she could not pace around the floor. It was tempting. She was barely listening to what Doon said.

"Excited?" Doon asked, obviously giving up the conversation.

"Yes! I'm so jumpy. I can barely keep calm. How are you so calm?" Lina asked quickly. Doon laughed, and said,

"Unlike you, I can keep my calm. Even when I'm really excited."

"Well, unfortunately you can't keep your cool when you're mad." Lina said jokingly.

"Yes, but thanks to that, we can finally tell each other we love each other without fearing what the other person thinks." Doon said seriously.

"It was a good thing. I did not mean it as an insult." Lina said. Then she launched into explanation about how excited she was going to back to her mom, her sister, Dr. Hester, Torren, and everyone else.

"Lauren and Torren. They had something. Don't even get me stared on Penny and Kenny." Lina said quickly.

"I know. Lina, I know." Doon said slowly and calmly.

"Poppy. She had a mini-boyfriend. Well not a boyfriend, but a really close friend who is a boy. His name is Tommy. Crap. I was not supposed to tell anyone." Lina said suddenly remembering.

"It's just me." Doon said.

"I know. That's who I wasn't supposed to tell." Lina said laughing.

"Why not?" Doon asking pretending to be extremely offended. Lina laughed at his attempt to act.

"Because… You would act like that over-protective dad." Lina said.

"Well, not yet. But I agree, eventually I would." Doon said laughing.

"That's what I said! Poppy made me promise not to tell. I didn't even think about it until now." Lina said seriously. The wagon stopped.

"Why did it stop? Was something wrong?" Lina asked in a worried tone.

"Nothing wrong. Unlike you though, we all need to eat." Mal said laughing a bit.

"Are you not happy?" Lina asked.

"Of course I am. I might finally have a home." Mal said smiling.

"Then, why-? Lina began but never finished her sentence.

"Because, we need to eat. Might as well eat quickly so we can reach quickly." Mal said, interrupting Lina. Doon just stood there looking amused. Lina quickly sat down and finished her lunch. Once she was done, she took a deep breath. The question she had been wanting to ask Mal for a long time. She asked,

"Can you tell me about your boyfriend?" Mal coughed, and Doon said,

"If it's too personal you don't need to answer." He shot Lina look as if too say Why did you just ask that? What's wrong with you? Lina looked down, ashamed.

"No… No. I was hoping you would ask that. Just, it's a little hard to talk about. Where to start… let's see. We were 14. We had been friends for a long time. Ever since we were five. When we were fourteen we were just talking, and the sun was setting. My aunt and uncle were strict, but they adored him. I was allowed to stay with him until nine. He had to get home, so he was just walking me home. Outside my door, the wind blew hair onto my face. He tucked it behind my ear and it was just a moment. We kissed, and then we were dating until he left. That's all really." Mal said. When she was done she looked down sadly, but Lina noticed her eyes spark whenever she talked about him.

"It sounds like you really do love him… still." Lina said softly.

"That's because I do." Mal said. Tears formed in her eyes. She refused to let them down.

"Thank you for asking. I think I would have exploded if you didn't." Mal said. She meant it. Lina could tell, and so could Doon.

"We should go." Mal said getting up, and waling away. Lina knew what Mal would do. As soon as Mal would turn around she would let the tears fall. Lina and Doon went back to the wagon in silence.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Doon shouted as soon as they settled in the wagon.

"YOU HEARD HER. SHE WANTED US TO ASK!" Lina shouted.

"THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU GO AROUND ASKING EVERYONE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST!" Doon shouted. Lina said,

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I did anything wrong." Then she sat down, and stopped talking. After a while Doon came up to her.

"You know how much I hate apologizing. However, I am sorry. Lina. You were just curious. I am glad you asked, because I might have myself. I think I was just angry that you beat me too it." Doon said touching Lina's face. Lina didn't resist.

"I forgive you." Lina said. Then she hugged Doon. They were about to kiss when Mal came and said,

"We have reached... I think." Lina looked out, and saw what was so familiar. Every time she left she would make Fleet go downhill, and on the way back she would have to make Fleet go uphill. In silence, the three walked up the hill. Once they made it to the top, Mal started to run. Not caring who saw her. Lina was about to follow when Doon took hold of her arm.

"We forgot something." Doon said.

"What?" Lina asked confused. Doon kissed her. Deeply. When he broke off he said,

"The make-up kiss." Lina kissed him again. Deeply. For a long time. Forgetting how excited she was too go back home.

"That-was amazing." Lina said and took hold of his hand. Together they ran down hill to their home.

Chapter 26

Since it was in the middle of the day, everyone was working. Doon could see as they all looked up to see him, Lina, and Mal. Mal stayed beside them, and a couple people went to notify Mary and everyone else.

"Lina? Lina!" Doon heard Lizzie say. Lizzie came running as much as she could. However, now Lizzie looked really different.

"Lizzie!" Lina exclaimed.

"I know." Lizzie said smiling.

"You're pregnant!" Lina said.

"I know. I know. I wanted you too be the first to know. You didn't come back for a long time though. I have been pregnant for about 8 months.

"One more month left." Tim said giving her a small kiss on the lips. Lizzie's eyes were full of love.

"Doon! Lizzie!" Yorick yelled.

"Yorick! You're better!" Lina yelled running to give him a hug. Then she stopped halfway, and went back to Doon. Yorick didn't seem to notice her. Instead, he was staring directly at Mal. Mal's eyes were tearing up.

"M-Mal?" Yorick asked.

"Yorick?" Mal asked. Yorick walked up to her slowly.

"I-Is it you?" Yorick asked with his voice full of wonder. It was like no one was there. Doon knew that if he tried, he would not be able to get Yorick's attention.

"It's me." Mal said evenly. There was silence when Mal asked,

"Why'd you leave?"

"I didn't want too. Trust me. I loved you. I still love you." Yorick replied.

"How could I trust you? You left. Did you do anything? People kept on telling me that you cried for me, but you always had people say what you wanted to. Everyone but your parents." Mal said.

"Well then, I can tell you he did. He cried for you. He demanded he stays, or that you come. We literally had to drag him with us." Yorick's father, Washton said. He had made his way to the front of the villagers. Mal and Yorick had just realized that people were still crowding them, and for once she didn't seem to be pressured.

"Yorick?" Mal asked quietly.

"I told you. I loved you. I still do." Yorick said. Then slowly he lifted her face up and kissed her. Slowly and deeply. Mal looked happier than she had for a long time. The villagers started to clap, and Yorick's father was smiling with pride. No words were needed. Mal clearly loved Yorick still. Once Mal and Yorick broke off, Mal still whispered,

"I love you." Washton said,

"Biggest mistake I made was separating you both. I hope you both can forgive me." Mal smiled, and said,

"I already have." Washton said nothing. Yoricks's sisters were next to their dad with their husbands and kids. Washton's wife was there, and she was crying. She was about to say something when Mary came through with Ben and Wilmer. They had a questionable look on their face, but everyone knew they were watching what was going on.

"Lina and Doon, please come with us. Everyone else please stay for a while." Mary said finally. Doon looked back at Mal trying to tell her not too worry. Mal smiled. Once Lina and Doon were far enough from the villagers Mary said one word. She said,

"Explain." As Lina and Doon told her about everything from going to look for a book (though they didn't say what it was for) to watching a roamer go in the City of Ember, to them following her, to getting kidnapped by Mark, and spending a couple months there. Then they told her about finding Mal (They added that they got together which made Mary's eyes light up for a second), and how Mal pretty much took them back for free. They told them Mal's story, and her previous romance with Yorick. How Mal after nine years finally found Yorick, and how sad it would be if they got separated. They told her how much Mal needed a home, and it would be wonderful if she could stay with them. Mary held a hand up, and Lina and Doon stopped talking.

"We'll come get you when we make our decision." Mary said finally. Lina and Doon nodded. Doon knew it was the best thing they could do. They were walking back when Mary called them.

"She should know she is a person of Sparks now. She will have to follow our rules. However, we'd love to have her here. She stays if she can find a place to live." Mary said.

"Thank you." Doon said. Lina smiled with tears in her eyes.

"It's our pleasure." Mary said.

"We have much more important things to tend too." Ben said. Ben was getting closer to Torren, but not as much as Torren would have wanted. Torren didn't seem to mind anymore, but it bothered him in the beginning. Lina and Doon ran as quickly as they could. Just before they got to Mal, Tim came in the way.

"Doon. I am sorry. I told everyone about the rings." Tim said apologetically.

"Tim. It's fine. We were gone a year." Doon said quickly. Tim nodded, surprised that Doon forgave him so quickly. Doon shrugged and Lina said,

"Please. We need to tell Mal." Doon nodded and Tim stepped aside. They went to Mal, but stopped halfway. The villagers had all decided it was time to go back to work, and Ma; was sitting with Yorick. She was laughing, and was looking so happy. She was holding Yorick's hand, and was waiting for Lina and Doon to come back. Doon and Lina continued, and Lina exclaimed,

"Mal! You can stay!"

"Really?" Mal asked.

"Yes, we just need to find you a place to live." Doon said.

"That shouldn't be necessary. She will live with me." Yorick said. The look on Mal's face was delighted, but surprised. It was only Lina, and Doon there, so Mal gave him a deep kiss and said,

"I would love to." They hadn't talked about this before. Doon smiled, and said

"Welcome to the City of Sparks Mal."

Chapter 27

"Lina!" Lizzie yelled. Lina was walking with Doon. They were talking about them. Lina was smiling, and then Lizzie called. Lina sighed, smiled, and said jokingly,

"Be back in a month." Doon laughed. Lina ran to Lizzie. Lizzie was pregnant, so Lina didn't want Lizzie to run. When she caught up with Lizzie, Lizzie smiled.

"Before you say anything," Lina began. Lizzie interrupted her with a hug.

"I'm glad you're safe. You haven't gone to see Mrs. Murdo have you?" Lizzie said.

"I was going too, right after Doon finished talking." Lina said.

"You know I can't help it. How's it going between you two?" Lizzie asked.

"Oh you know. I found out he loved me during his adventure, and we have been dating ever since." Lina said smiling. Lizzie screamed. Lina saw Doon walking closer. He obviously heard the scream. Once he caught up with Lina he asked,

"Told her?"

"What do you think?" Lina asked laughing.

"It was about time." Lizzie said.

"Yeah, you were right Lizzie." Doon said.

"Doon, the whole village was right. Lina, go see Mrs. Murdo. Doon, you are going to finally make this announcement." Lizzie said quickly.

"Announcement? I don't think-" Doon began to say, but Lizzie was already dragging him along. Lina laughed, and called out,

"Good luck!" Then, Lina walked back to Dr. Hester's house. When she entered, Poppy was talking to Mrs. Murdo.

"Then, Tommy asked me whether we could be friends again, and I said yes." Poppy said.

"That's wonderful Poppy." Mrs. Murdo replied. Poppy was about to say something, but then spotted Lina.

"Lina!" yelled Poppy, and gave her a hug. Mrs. Murdo turned around and said,

"About time. I must say, a year. That's the longest you have been out. I am doubting whether I should let you go out anymore." Mrs. Murdo said.

"Mom, please." Lina said. Those two words were enough to bring tears to Mrs. Murdo.

"M-Mom?" Mrs. Murdo asked.

"Yes. Mom. Mom, Let me explain." Lina said. She did. She explained from the beginning to when Poppy showed up to getting together with Doon to saying that she and Poppy will be moving in with him, to meeting Mal, to her showing up now. Mrs. Murdo listened patiently and when she was done Mrs. Murdo said,

"You guys come anytime." Lina had tears in her eyes. She was really going to miss living here. She nodded and gave Mrs. Murdo a hug.

"I'm sorry for worrying you so much." Lina said.

"Lina. I'm never going to stop worrying about you. You, Poppy, and Torren are like my children. You have grown up, and Poppy needs you right now. Poppy told me what you did, and I though that was very responsible." Mrs. Murdo said. Just then, Dr. Hester entered the room with Torren and Lauren.

"Lina. Back after a year." Dr. Hester said.

"Yes. But I'm back! I'll visit." Lina said.

"Visit?" Torren asked. He was happy that Lina was back, but he refused to move. Mrs. Murdo filled everything in. Lina stood here adding things that were missed.

"About time." Torren said. Dr. Hester laughed and nodded. Lauren stood there. Last time Lina saw Lauren, Lauren was covered in dirt. Now Lauren was clean, she looked beautiful. She had a shirt and shorts on. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She looked happy to be there. Since Penny was eighteen, she lived with Lauren in her own house. After a while, Lina asked to leave. She walked out of the house to go see Lizzie and Doon.

"Lina!" Doon called. Lina turned around and walked to him.

"I was just coming to see you. Anything wrong?" Lina asked.

"No. Not really." Doon said. Lina smiled, and they walked to their favorite apple tree. Once they reached there, they looked up at the tree. There they saw Penny and Kenny sitting on a branch. Kenny was kissing Penny.

"Wow! That was fast!" Doon yelled. Kenny turned around, and saw Doon. He helped Penny down the tree, and then came down.

"Well we are not you." Kenny said. Penny smiled, and said,

"Heard you got together."

"How?" Lina asked.

"We are good at eavesdropping." Kenny said. Penny shook her head and said,

"We were walking and saw you with Mary. We overheard."

"Penny!" Kenny yelled. Penny laughed and kissed him lightly on the lips. That shut Kenny up. Lina smiled.

"We should go." Penny said. They walked away holding hands.

"Lina, There is something I want to ask you." Doon said. Lina nodded.

"You and Poppy are moving in with me. Right?" Doon asked.

"Yes. I just told Mom, Dr. Hester, and Torren." Lina said.

"That's wonderful. Lina, because I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's why I'm asking you," Doon said as he knelt down on one knee, "Lina, will you marry me?" Lina, didn't need to give it a second's thought.

"Yes." Lina said, and as Doon kissed her, she knew that the part of her traveling was done. She found what she needed. With that, she needed to stay. She was in love, and for right now, that's all she needed.

Epilogue

15 years later.

"Mom!" Rose yelled. Lina walked out to her daughter.

"Yes?"

"When are we going to go?" Rose asked. Rose was the youngest of three. She has just turned two. The oldest one was twelve years old.

"We leave now." Lina said. She didn't want to be late. It was her sisters wedding.

"What about aunt Lizzie?" Tom asked. He was eight years old.

"We're meeting her there." Lina said.

"We better get going." Doon said coming out with Katie, their oldest daughter.

"Ok. Let's go." Lina said sighing. In the City of Sparks people would go in their formal clothes. For woman they were dresses, and for men it was a clean white shirt with pants. They all stood, and the bride would come. They would stand, and Mary would marry them. Once they both said "Yes," they would both kiss. Poppy was getting married to Tommy. She had moved out two years ago, and lived with Tommy. When he finally asked her to marry him, she said yes. Lina, Doon, and their three kids walked up. Once they saw Lizzie's four kids they ran to go play with them. Lizzie was talking to Tim. Torren was with his wife, Lauren. Lauren was pregnant with her second child, and the first was with Lizzie's and Lina's children. Torren stole a soft kiss on the lips with his wife, and Lauren smiled. Then she kissed him again, more deeply. They had gotten married 4 years ago. Just before the Poppy's ceremony started, Kenny showed up with his wife, Penny. Mal and Yorick were walking with them. Penny had three kids. Mal was pregnant with her fourth. Mal's husband, Yorick was as proud as they could be. Doon and Lina started talking to all of them, and then the ceremony started. Poppy walked out in a beautiful dress that Lina had made for her.

"She looks beautiful." Mrs. Murdo whispered. She was standing next to Lina, and was talking to Doon's father. Dr. Hester was standing there laughing with a couple villagers. Life was good in the City of Sparks. Once the ceremony started, everyone fell silent. Mary talked about how their two paths crossed, and that they fell in love. She asked whether they loved each other, and they both said yes. When Tommy and Poppy kissed, the villagers clapped. Poppy laughed and curtsied, while Tommy bowed. After a while, mostly everyone left. Lizzie had taken all the kids to her house, and then came back. Poppy and Tommy were talking to Lina and Doon. Lizzie had returned, and was talking to Mal and Yorick. Lauren and Torren were talking to Kenny and Penny. Eventually they started to talk as a group.

"Congratulations Poppy." Kenny said. Poppy smiled.

"The stressful part is over. Now that we're married there will be no more weddings." Poppy said. Everyone laughed remembering how stressful it was to plan their wedding.

"Lina, it has been fifteen years since you came back. Don't you miss traveling?" Lizzie asked.

"Sometimes I do. However, that part of my life is over. Now, this part is my priority. One day, when all my kids have grown up, maybe I will start again, but right now I am happy where I am." Lina said.

"I never thought you would say that." Kenny said.

"Say what?" Lina asked.

"Say that you're done with traveling." Torren said finishing Kenny's thought.

"Yeah, You used to love that!" Yorick exclaimed.

"Yorick, that part is over." Mal said.

"Yeah, but you really did love the traveling." Poppy said.

"Ok everyone. Lina isn't traveling anymore. This was Poppy's wedding. It should be about her." Penny said.

"Oh, Please." Poppy said grabbing Tommy's hand.

"No need to talk about us." Tommy said.

"You know what? Penny's right." Lauren said. Poppy smiled, and went into detail about the wedding planning. Everyone listened patiently, and then Doon finally said,

"The planning paid off. The wedding was wonderful."

"Thank you." Tommy said.

"Excuse me, I think he was talking to me." Poppy said.

"Yes, but honey, guess who had to deal with you stressing every second of the day? Me." Tommy said. Poppy slightly pushed Tommy. Tommy laughed and kissed her deeply. In front of everyone. No one minded though. Everyone started talking and laughing again. After a while, Mal said,

"It's getting late. We should all go."

"Ah yes, the wedding night." Kenny said looking at Poppy. Poppy turned red, and everyone left laughing. All the kids decided to stay at Lizzie's house. Lizzie was fine.

"You guys need a break. We'll take care of them." Lizzie said. Lina smiled, and thanked her.

"We'll keep them tomorrow!" Doon called back. Lina walked in silence with Doon. When they got home Lina said,

"We're finally alone."

"I know. I mean I love those kids, but I need a break sometimes." Doon said. Lina smiled, and Doon kissed her.

"I love you." Doon said.

"I love you too." Lina said. After a while, Lina and Doon would have to go get their kids, but for right now they were alone.

"Poppy got married." Doon said.

"I know. It just seems so different." Lina said.

"She's in love. Just like we are. Just like all of us are." Doon said.

"I'm glad that we finally broke down the walls and told each other what we felt." Lina said referencing back to their first fight. They had a lot more, but it always ended in a make-up hug and kiss.

"You ok?" Doon asked.

"I'm more than ok. I'm happy. Life is perfect." Doon kissed her deeply. Lina knew it. She hand found happiness. For right now, that was all she needed.

The end