A/N: Finally, chapter two is up! I actually quite like this chapter... I hope you do too! R&R please!

~KHC~

Lierah stayed close to her brother's side as they made their way to Oni's house. It was only short, a walking-distance away. "When you were taken," Lierah was careful not to say, "kidnapped", because that hadn't apparently happened. "Oni came to me. She was so shaken up and worried about you." Lierah looked down at the ground and frowned. "I felt so bad for her, because we felt the same way, and there was nothing I could do to comfort her."

Lea bit inside his cheek. How much had he missed? He, at the beginning, hadn't realized how much he had hurt Lierah, and Oni at the same time. "At least I'm home now." He said cheerfully. "And Oni will be getting the best surprise of her life, got it memorized?"

Lierah laughed. "Yeah." She stopped at a large circular courtyard. She hesitated for only a second before leading Lea down the track leading west. "This way." They passed a cluster of apartment houses, until they came to a door at the end of the long line of accommodations. "Number 22. This is the place." Lierah smirked, and knocked hard on the large cherry-wood door. "If you want it to be a surprise, hide in those bushes there. Well, go on!" Lierah motioned urgently with her hands.

From inside, a voice called, "Coming!" Oni's pattering footsteps came to a sudden halt. "Oh, Lierah, hi." She unlatched the lock from the door and opened it. It swung open to a young girl of about twenty or twenty-one, barely a year older than Lierah herself. She was a little shorter than Lierah, at five-six. She had black hair in a bob, that obviously hadn't been done at all today, but Lierah thought it was prettier that way. It was styled in pretty layers and it fell over the right side of her face in bangs that didn't quite cover her eyes. Her eyes were the most gorgeous color of blue; it was like the rolling oceans of a tropical paradise.

Oni was dressed in a pair of pajamas. They were fuzzy long pants checkered red and white like a traditional picnic blanket. Dotted over the checks, were sock monkey heads. They fit her in a casual way. Her top was just a simple white tee shirt with a black zip-up jacket hastily pulled over it.

Oni was trying to concentrate on two things at once. One leg was blocking the doorway, and the other was holding her weight. Behind her leg barricade, a very excited black lab was whining with eagerness. "Lierah, what brings you here—Gypsy, sit!—on a Sunday?" The black lab whined one last time, and plopped her rump on the polished floor. Her tail thumped on the ground with tremendous force.

Lierah reached out to pet the dog's head and then straightened up to talk to Oni. "Oh, there's just someone I'd like you to meet…"

Oni laughed a little. "A new friend?"

"Not… Exactly. More like an old friend whose come out of the shadows…" Lierah answered, eyeing her friend carefully, examining her face.

Oni's eyes expanded as she inhaled sharply. Lierah could almost see the gears turning in Oni's head.

For fun, Lea rustled the bushes he was crouching in a few times. This caused Gypsy to practically onto all fours and Oni yelped, quickly covering her mouth afterwards.

"Oh, stop playing and come on out!" Lierah called.

With difficulty, Lea pulled himself from his squatting position and carefully examined the look on Oni's face. In the span of milliseconds, her expression changed from horror, to surprise, then settling on affection. How much her face had changed… It had grown much more mature and undeniably more beautiful.

Lea pulled himself up onto the raised porch. "You've changed, On." He smirked playfully.

"I've changed? Look at you!" this threw Oni into a fit of laughter. "Lea, I never thought I'd see you again! Your family and I tried taking your case to court, but they closed it after a month! Oh!" she jumped into Lea's open arms. Gypsy leapt onto Lea as well, her forelegs resting on his hip. She panted openly, and banged her tail against the stiff railing.

When Lea and Oni separated from their embrace, Lea took Oni's hand in his and she offered him to step inside her apartment.

Once they were in the Oni's living quarters, she sat Lierah on a single couch and Lea on a double. Gypsy jumped up next to Lea and drooled all over his jeans. He didn't seem to mind as he pet the dog's head affectionately. From the kitchen, Oni was calling to them. "Lea, do you want anything to eat? Drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"I'm fine, On." Lea laughed. "Though I could go for a water."

"Okay. Lierah, do you want anything?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

"I'm fine too, Oni. We just want to talk!" Lierah laughed a little.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Oni pattered over, shooing Gypsy from her seat, and she scurried around the side of the couch and sat down next to Lea.

"So… What have I missed?" Lea asked after he took a mouthful of water.

Thoughts raced through Lierah's mind. She exchanged looks with Oni that seemed to say, Where do I begin? "Umm… you might want to get comfy. This'll take a while…"

I hope you liked it! I just love how I'm ending these chapters... keeping you on the edge of your chair. :)

~KHC~