This is just a note for later, but because I don't feel like going through the whole thing with the council being like, Hurp Hurp. Why'd you go there. Now we're all gonna die. I've decided Jim didn't go to the Darklands on purpose. If you're unsatisfied…

Too bad.

Claire paced her room. She did it so often by now in the same place that the carpet was matted down there. She couldn't really help it though. Her friend was in a place unknown by like everyone and she couldn't do squat about it. Almost every night she would pace. Each time her pacing would only stop if either she threw herself into her bed in an overload of emotions, or her mom or dad came in to wake her up for school. This night was no different.

She flopped onto her bed in tears and glanced at her clock. A groan escaped from her as she noticed it was barely ten minutes before her parents usually woke her up. She grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom to shower.

As Claire stood in the steamy room under the hot water the only thing she could think of was Jim. He hasn't bathed in so long. He probably hasn't even seen water in days. Jim…

Claire turned the water off and dried herself off with a towel but her face refused to stay dry. She threw her clothes on and sat on the floor trying to calm herself. Blinky and AAAARRRG had helped her compile I number of mental exercises a few weeks ago to help with her state of mind. She tried several of them and eventually calmed down enough to finish getting ready for school. She went to her kitchen and tried her best not to think of Jim smiling goofily while making food. She quickly got what she needed and was about to go outside when she heard something from the living room.

She whirled around ready to scold Not-Enrique but only saw her father. The whirling around made her lightheaded and she had to catch herself from falling.

"Claire!" Her father exclaimed, jumping up from the couch.

"What's going on? Claire are you alright?!" Her mother came down the stairs.

"Yes Mama, I'm okay."

"No Claire, you're not okay, and you're not going to school today." Her father said, concerned.

"Your Father is right. Your health is deteriorating from your lack of sleep. Whatever's bothering you… *sigh* you don't need to tell us if you don't want to, but you need to learn how to think about it when you're not supposed to be doing other things."

"Like sleeping."

"Okay, I'll work on that."

"Good, for now, go back to your room and sleep. I'll check on you before I leave for my meeting."

"Okay, Mama." Claire lazily dropped her things by the stairs as she stifled a yawn.

When she got upstairs she checked around for Not-Enrique and found him in her room eating her fathers socks. "Okay, three things. One, stop eating my dad's socks, I'll find you some later. Two, what are you doing in my room eating my dad's socks. Three, change from that form and go back to your room. Mama will be up here soon and I don't want her freaking out and giving us any problems."

"Oh, there's a bit of a problem with that last one missy. You see, for a changeling to change, their human counterpart has to be on a separate plane of existence. The fact that I don't seem able to change to look like Enrique, makes me think he's in this plane of existence. As in, he's not in the darklands anymore."

"Wa...wait. Are you serious? Like, serious serious?"

"For once kid, yeah, I'm serious."

Claire sat on her bed in quiet amazement. She heard footsteps on the stairs and forced Not-Enrique under her bed. Claire dove into her bed just in time to hear a light knock sound on her door. (What even is grammar)

"Claire?"

"Hmm?" Claire responded in fake lethargy.

"Your father just got a call from Uncle Vinny asking for him to meet him in Phoenix. It sounded urgent so your father is getting ready to go as we speak. I'm taking him to the airport. You'll have to watch your brother for a few days because I also got a call. I'll be in Seattle for about a week."

"Okay Mama."

"I'm sorry we have to do this to you sweety. But it's all so last minute. Don't you dare play hooky while we're gone!" Mrs. Nunez momentarily raged. That Lake boy seemed to play more than enough hooky for a whole school population.

"Yes Mama." Claire rolled her eyes.

Her seething anger cooled as she kissed her daughters forehead. "Goodbye Claire bear."

"Goodbye Mama." Claire waited until she heard the car drive away to breathe at all.

"So what're you gonna do?"

"That's a stupid question." Claire stretched. "And it's we. We are going to find my real baby brother. And hopefully get to Jim in the process."

"Alright Sis. But I better get some real nice socks outta this!"