Summer breezes are

Warm and damp from recent rain.

Wet grass under foot.

Ema finished her poem and laid down the notebook that she had taken to writing in. Brushing her damp, sticky hair out of her eyes, she knew that, if anything, her poem was an understatement. It had so far been the hottest July on record, and the recent drought hadn't helped at all. Recent rain, she mused. I wish. As for the breezes, they hadn't had a breeze since May, let alone a cool one.

She stood up and took two steps to the other side of the room to turn up the AC. Sighing in relief as the cold air passed over her face, she turned again and flopped onto her bed.

The bedding had been reduced to a set of cotton sheets, in respect of the unbelievably hot temperatures, though it hadn't helped much. Ema had woken up every night for the past four months in a cold sweat, although, she didn't know if this was because of the heat, or just some nightmare that she couldn't remember. Either way, waking up at two am every morning was beginning to have an effect on her usually happy personality. She stood up, as continuous inactivity was making her even more warm.

She looked into the small mirror hanging on the wall. Her shoulder-length auburn hair was ugly and matted with sweat, and her icy blue eyes stared back at her, almost curiously, as though asking her, Woah, who are you and what have you done with Ema? She smiled as the thought entered her mind. Sitting back down in her desk chair, she rubbed her small, slightly pointed ears, as she always did when she was deep in thought......

I was adopted, I know that. Mom told me that years ago.....But then , who are my real parents? And why did they give me away? Didn't they want me? Well, obviously, or I'd still be living with them, wouldn't I? Or maybe.....or maybe it was like Romeo and Juliet, that they weren't supposed to see each other, and when I was born, they had to cover it up! Or maybe, my mother died after I was born, and my dad, mad with grief, killed himself! Or maybe Mom died and he couldn't stand to look at me, because I reminded him too much of Mom! Or even the other way around! Or maybe-

Ema's thoughts were cut short by someone shaking her by the shoulder. Her adopted mother stood in front of her, tapping her toe impatiently, as if she had been trying to wake Ema from her trance for quite a while."Ema! Didn't you hear me? I said that dinner's ready! Don't you want to eat?" Ema suddenly had a strange urge to laugh. Either she was going delirious from the heat, or her mom looked slightly comical when she was angry or annoyed. Her mother, seeing to tell that something was ammusing her, turned an even darker shade of red. "This isn't funny, young lady! I don't appreciate being ignored!"Ema stifflled her laughter and, attempting to keep a straight face, and failing, replied, "Sorry, Mom. I was thinking about my writing." At that, her mother's expression softned slightly. She took a high regard of her adopted daughter's talent for writing, and thought that her stories and poems were true works of art."Alright, Ema. I'm sorry that I snapped at try to pay more attention to what people are saying from now on, alright?"Ema grinned, and said, "Okay, Mom. I'll try." And with that, she walked down the stairs to dinner, still grinning, although, she was not particularly looking forward to another meal of dry pasta and, maybe, a limp salad.

Major Holly Short was, at that particular moment, not enjoying her job very much. Paperwork, paperwork, PAPERWORK! ARRG! I can't believe that I actually agreed to that stupid promotion."That Stupid Promotion" had taken place almost fifteen years to the day. A lot had happened within those fifteen years that had give Holly any reason to be any more friendly than she was today.

She heard a noise behind her chair, and, without thinking, spun around and punched the intruder squarely between the eyes. She was feeling quite proud of herself, and was about to start yelling at them for not knocking before entering her office, when she noticed who it was that she had just was Trouble."Geez, Holly. Do you think that you could refrain from punching everyone who walks in the door?" Trouble muttered, gingerly rubbing the large, egg-sized lump that was developing on his 's face had flushed a deep shade of crimson. She jumped off her chair and knelt beside Trouble. She pressed her fingers to the lump and whispered , "Heal," as softly as she could. The lump vanished instantly, but, to her dismay, her embarrassment remained. "Oh my God, Trouble, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"Trouble laughed. "Well, I'm conscious, so that's good!" Holly stood and helped him up."So...Why are you here? Or did you just come to say hello?" Holly asked, trying to smile, but her exhaustion won over, and she laid her forehead against his put his arm around her shoulder. "Nope. Foaly sent me to get you. He said that he found a pretty strange human..." His voice seemed to get softer as her said those words. Holly groaned. If someone found out....No. That would be impossible. Wouldn't it?And those same words seemed to echo around her mind as Trouble led her towards the OPS Center.

Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it?Wouldn't it?

A/N okay, first chapter, and I think that I don't really like this whole editing thing. God, I hate my computer. Please, no flames, but critique is welcome.