AN: Yay, I finally got this done! It took me three days, but this chapter is finished! First off, thank you to everyone who reviewed. They encourage me to continue this story and usually make me write faster. This chapter mainly took so long because I was working out the remainder of the plot. Yay! There's quite a bit of angst and some brotherly fluff, mostly Donnie/Leo, in the first part just because I love brotherly fluff! You finally get to see what was going on in the real world whilst Mikey was in Oz. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

The TMNT of Oz

I should probably start by saying that this place was seriously giving me the creeps. Three days ago, I had been working hard on a new invention in my lab and had just come out for a cup of coffee when I noticed my youngest brother dozing on the couch. The credits to The Wizard of Oz were playing, so I had just assumed he had dozed off during the middle of it.

Oh, how wrong I was. It wasn't until an hour or so later that I would learn the ugly truth. Leo had barged into my lab, wild-eyed and frantic with worry, hollering at me that something was wrong with Mikey. Naturally, I leapt up in an instant, grabbed my medical bag on my way out, and followed Leo to where Mikey was still dozing on the couch with Raph leaning over him, desperately shaking him.

"We've tried everything!" Leo exclaimed breathlessly, taking my arm and dragging me the rest of the way. "He just won't wake up!"

"Mike, ya shell-fer-brains!" Raph exclaimed, slapping our brother across the cheek. "Wake up already! MIKEY!"

I motioned at Leo, and he immediately understood. He grabbed Raph around the waist and hauled him off Mikey, dragging him away and attempting to quiet his cries of protests as I hurried forward and knelt beside my brother.

"Lemme go, Leo!" Raph had cried, fighting against my eldest brother. I was thankful that Leo was so strong, because I knew I wouldn't be able to restrain Raph if I had been forced to.

"Raph," Leo had said quietly as I shakily opened my bag and pulled out my stethoscope. "Donnie's got this. You know that. He'll figure out what to do."

I scowled at that. Donnie to the rescue again! Donnie's smart! Donnie can do anything! Nothing's impossible for Donnie!

Coming from anyone else, I might have been able to tolerate it, but, from Leo, the most rational person I knew (not that I know a lot of people), it bothered me. He should know better. Knowledge is power, but it isn't invincible. I do know a lot, but I'm not omniscient. I don't know everything, and I can't do everything. Heck, Leo fits that description better than I do!

I was angry and I snapped, sharper than I had meant to. "This is very delicate work, so would you please be quiet!"

I could feel Leo's eyes on the back of my neck as I continued my examination. Mikey's heartbeat was strong, his pulse was normal, and his breathing was fine. As far as I could tell, nothing was wrong with him. I was fighting back a growing panic. Mikey did have a tendency to sleep like a rock, but this was downright ridiculous.

I stood up robotically and turned to face my other two brothers. Leo had since released Raph, who stood stone still, staring at Mikey with a vacant expression. Leo was watching me, probably waiting for me to give my diagnosis and tell them that I had a miracle cure I could—

My sarcastic thoughts had ground to a halt as Leo stepped forward and pulled me to him. My body shuddered and I rested my forehead against Leo's shoulder, my shoulders shaking. "Where's sensei?" I asked after a few minutes when I had been able to regain control of myself.

I was expecting Leo to pull away, but he only held me tighter, pressing me to his plastron. "Don't you remember, Don? Sensei has been in the astral plane since yesterday. He went there to seek council from Master Yoshi."

"Oh," I murmured, my voice no doubt muffled against my brother. Neither of my brothers said anything as Leo continued to hold me.

"Ya can't tell what's wrong wit' 'im." It was a statement, not a question. I lifted my head from Leo's shoulder to stare blankly at Raph. "I couldn' find anythin' wrong wit' 'im eider. He jus' won' wake up."

I nodded, leaning forward to lay my head on Leo's shoulder. "His heart rate's fine. His pulse is normal, and his breathing's steady. I would suspect a coma, but he doesn't appear to have been through any physical trauma." I sighed. "It just doesn't make any sense." I shrugged, whining in pleasure when Leo nuzzled the top of my head with his beak.

"I was 'fraid of that," Raph muttered darkly. He strode forward and put out a hand to awkwardly pat my carapace. "I s'okay, Don. It ain't yer fault we can't do nuttin'." I was thankful that he'd avoided saying you.

Leo sighed, leaning down to lay his head on top of mine. "Perhaps sensei will be able to figure out what's wrong with him when he returns from the astral plane."

TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT

Leo was indeed correct. Sensei did know what was wrong with Mike. That night, sensei emerged from his bedroom, a peaceful look on his face. He froze when he saw us. Raph was sitting on the couch, holding Mikey on his lap and looking about as lost as I'd ever seen him. Leo was sitting in the armchair, holding his head up by his propped arm, glancing up when sensei walked in. "Konbanwa, sensei." He said quietly, Raph and I mimicking him almost inaudibly.

I was sitting at Leo's feet, leaning against his legs with my head resting on his knee. I did sit up when I greeted my sensei, but immediately returned to my previous position. That day had been one of the longest of my life. I was a scientist. We scientists do not enjoy being in the dark. We like to know why things are the way they are. And I didn't know why Mikey wouldn't wake up. And that was killing me on the inside.

Sensei must have sensed our despair and quickly deduced that something was dreadfully wrong. "My sons," he spoke, hurrying over to us. "What has happened?" When he saw how tenderly Raph was holding Mikey, he must have realized what had happened. "What is wrong with Michelangelo?"

I made a small sound and climbed up onto Leo's lap without replying. I'm sure he was surprised, but he said nothing as I settled myself in his arms. Sensei watched me, his desperation growing. "Leonardo?"

Leo sighed and drew me tighter to his plastron. "We don't know, sensei. He just won't—wake up." I hid my face against Leo's plastron as I heard sensei turn, his cane tapping the floor as he no doubt walked over to where Raph sat with Mikey.

The silence stretched out a long time as my sensei searched within my youngest brother's mind. Nine hours. My little brother had been basically comatose for nine hours. It was enough to drive anyone over the edge.

Except, I had always been closest to Mikey. Don't get me wrong; I love Leo and Raph too. It's just that I've always had a special connection to Mikey. I guess because, back when sensei was deciding what our birth order would be, he had decided that Mikey and I were the youngest.

I guess that's why it was so hard for me. In fact, the only one who didn't appear to be falling apart emotionally was Leo; but, both Raph and I knew that was just because he was being strong for us. Leo was probably just as torn up about it as we were, if not more. Knowing him, he had probably found some way to place the blame on himself and was currently beating himself up on the inside.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Sensei's eyes snapped open after several minutes of searching through Mikey's mind, and I was shocked at how unreadable they were. I sat up on Leo's lap and watched him. "Master Splinter?"

Sensei turned towards me, his whiskers twitching. "This is not good," he spoke quietly, probably hoping that we would not hear him.

Let me tell you; that did not make me feel better. "Sensei?" Leo asked, tightening his hold on me.

Sensei sighed and stood from his kneeled position, moving to sit next to Raph on the couch. "Your brother's mind appears to have left his body."

The silence that stretched after that pronouncement was worse than any other I'd ever experienced. I sat dumbfounded, my hands visibly shaking as I twisted them together in my lap. Raph's gaze was vacant as he cradled Mikey in his arms. I couldn't see Leo's face, but I had felt him stiffen beneath me, and knew he was not pleased either.

Sensei sighed once more, his whiskers drooping. "Your brother's mind has not disappeared, my sons. It is just no longer in his body." He cocked his head and reached up to finger his whiskers. "Your brother may be trapped in a world between reality and fantasy. We may be his only chance at returning to us."

I slumped against Leo, my entire world spiraling downward at my sensei's words. I knew that by "we" he must mean "me." Unless sensei can make contact with him through meditation, the responsibility of finding and bringing back Mikey would fall to me.

It would be my fault if my little brother never came back to us.

I whined and pressed my face into Leo's neck, beginning to shake uncontrollably at the reality of it all. I didn't even know where to start! It wasn't as if Mikey had just been pulled into another dimension. By all means of science, his mind was just floating around between the real and the unreal, possibly never to return. How would I deal with the guilt when I knew I would inevitably fail to recover my little brother's lost consciousness?

Leo had clearly sensed my distress and wrapped me in his arms, beginning to rock me back and forth. He said nothing, but I could feel how worried he was. But, not about Mikey, about me.

What was wrong with me? My little brother was floating out in the middle of space somewhere, and I was having an emotional breakdown? I couldn't afford this! I needed to be focused! I needed to be completely unbiased! I couldn't—

But yet, I didn't want to leave my eldest brother's comforting embrace. Even though the scientist in me was screaming to get off my butt and start searching for Mikey, the little brother in me didn't want to be alone. The little brother in me wanted to be held.

After some time, I felt a furry hand on my head and lifted my face from Leo's neck to peer up at my sensei. Splinter was smiling down at me, his eyes looking as lost and grieved as I felt. "My son," he soothed, beginning to stroke my head as Leo continued to rock me. "Peace, my son. You are not alone. We will find your brother." He reached down to nuzzle the top of my head with his snout and I closed my eyes, soaking in the rare display of affection. "Together."

My eyes snapped open and I smiled for the first time in nine hours. "Hai, sensei." I sat for a minute more before slowly turning to gaze at Mikey.

I had been avoiding watching the lifeless body. As far as I was concerned, Mikey might as well be dead, he was so still. Raph locked gazes with me, his own burning with pent-up emotion while mine asked a silent question. After a moment of our intense staring contest, Raph nodded, stood up with Mikey's body, and carried him to my lab.

I glanced down at Leo as I stood up. He knew my question without my even having to ask it as he stood as well and took my arm, leading me to my lab. "We'll find him, Donnie." He said quietly. "You don't have to do it alone."

I felt my eyes brimming with unshed tears at his words. He wasn't expecting me to find Mikey. My brothers and father were there for me. They would help me find my little brother.

And find him I would. Even if it was the last thing I would ever do.

TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT

The next two days, Leo, Raph, Sensei, and I practically lived in my lab. Leo didn't train, Raph didn't go topside, and Sensei did not meditate. All of our efforts were focused on finding Mikey.

I was using April's Uncle Augie's dimensional transporter in the hopes that it might help me. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting it to help me with exactly, but I thought it might give me some clues as to where Mikey was.

It was about halfway through day two when Raph found something disturbing. He had left to get a cup of coffee (the four of us had been living on it) when not even two minutes later he barreled back inside, cradling something small and furry. "HEY, GUYS!"

I had been sitting at a table fiddling with the artifact, Leo had been researching the internet for anything on in-between-worlds worlds, and Sensei had been watching over Mikey, but we all leapt up and ran to Raph when he barged in. I stopped short when I recognized the animal in Raph's arms. "Is that—?"

Raph nodded, holding out the unconscious cat for me to take. "Found 'er behind the chair. Scared the livin' daylights outta ma."

Sensei stepped forward and reached out to touch the cat. His eyes snapped open after a moment, shining with something akin to hope. "This cat may just be your brother's salvation."

The three of us turned as one to stare at our sensei. Leo was the first to speak. "Master Splinter?"

Sensei closed his eyes, fondling Klunk. "Yes. The cat's mind has bridged a gap between this world and the world where Michelangelo must be." We all drew in a sharp breath. "Donatello—?"

"On it, sensei!" I exclaimed, hurrying over to my computer. "Bring her over here! I may be able to trace her signal and pinpoint Mikey's exact location!"

I didn't even register who handed me the cat as I hooked her up to my computer and ran a full body scan. There it was. Don't ask me how, but my computer could pick up a thin wisp that connected the part of Klunk's mind that was here with us and the part that must be with Mikey. My fingers flew over the keyboard as I typed in some command codes.

By using Klunk as a bridge, I was able to get a glimpse into the world where Mikey must be. It was dark, and it looked like a forest. I could see two figures sitting by the light of the fire, and I thought one might be Mikey.

My brothers and father crowded around me as my mind attempted to think of how I could communicate with Mikey . . .

My thoughts trailed off as I caught a glimpse of the face of one of the figures in the firelight. It was me. As confused as I was, I saw the opportunity and I took it. Typing in a few command codes, I was able to use a computer virus to hack into my doppelganger, waiting for the body to fall into my control.

The world was almost virtual. With a click of a few keys, I could manipulate it, and this was no different. My hands shook with excitement as I felt my mind meld with my doppelganger's body.

I woke up to find Mikey staring at me and, even though I wanted to throw my arms around him and never let go, I had to tell him of the danger he was in.

Sensei had since expressed his worry that the longer the absence between Mikey's mind and his body lasted, the harder it would be for him to return. The news was grim, but I had suspected as much.

I wasn't happy when Mikey's voice started cracking. I didn't know why he was upset, but I didn't care as I held him in my arms. I can't even express how good it felt. I couldn't feel anything since I was only using my doppelganger as a gateway and wasn't actually in the world, but I could tell Mikey could.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but I could feel my connection to this world starting to break. I immediately panicked, hollering last minute instructions at Mikey as my doppelganger weeded out my virus and sent me packing back into my own body.

I sat up with a start to find I was lying on a metal cot in the infirmary with both of my brothers leaning over me. Raph hollered over his shoulder that I was awake as I sat up, blinking in confusion. Suddenly, I was enveloped with strong arms as Leo drew me to him and crushed me in a bear hug. "Good grief, Don!" He wheezed. "You were out for three hours! We thought we'd lost you too!"

"Shouldn'ta let him do it," Raph muttered as he leaned over the cot to touch me, possibly to make sure that I was really there. "Shoulda gone mahself."

I took a shuddering breath and managed to squeak out. "Leo, can't—breath."

"Right, sorry," he apologized as he released me and I gulped in oxygen. Leo immediately went into what me, Raph, and Mikey liked to call "Mommy Leo" mode. Not that we'd ever say that to him. He'd use us as his personal punching bags. Not a nice thought. "Are you hurt? What happened? Where did you go? Did you see Mikey? Is he okay? Are you okay? Why—?"

"Leonardo," the quiet voice of our sensei stopped my brother's tirade of questions in its tracks. "Your brother is very confused right now. He needs to rest."

"'m fine, sensei," I began to say when suddenly I was seized with a pounding headache, and I cried out in pain. I felt hands on me but could only heave in gasps of air as I heard somebody calling my name. My vision began to blacken and I swayed on the table.

I felt myself slipping through a void before strong arms caught me and scooped me up, the owner calling my name. I shook my head and groaned as I lost consciousness, feeling my mind slipping away from my body and into the darkness surrounding me.

When my eyes opened again, I was in the forest of Mikey's world once more with Mikey once again staring at me. "Mikey? Is that you?"

When I said that, his face broke into a grin and he tackled me with a hug, crying, "Donnie!"

And you know the rest of the story. Now, my little brother is once again lost to me, but, this time, there're no big brothers or father to help me rescue him. Only two beings who, as my doppelganger did with me, appear to be Leo and Raph, but who also didn't appear to care about what happens to Mikey.

I didn't like entrusting my brother, particularly this brother, to either of them, but Mikey had fallen prey to what this Leo called the Sleeping Poppies, and he was unconscious.

Again.

Except, this time, it just might be permanent.

I whimpered as I trailed about ten yards behind the Leo and Raph of this world, Leo carrying Mikey in his arms. We had reached the end of the poppy field hours ago and had begun the hazardous climb over the rocky hillside that bordered it. This Leo had assured me that our destination was just on the other side, but I didn't particularly trust him.

Mikey had told me about this Leo and about how he had almost slit this Raph's throat without a moment's hesitation. He may look like my eldest brother, but they were nothing alike. Although Leo was ruthless and fear-inspiring in battle, off the battlefield, my other two brothers and I saw a side of him that nobody else saw.

We saw the loving and caring brother side. We saw the side of him that made him more than our leader, even more than our eldest brother. He was our protector and our caregiver. Sensei might have been our father, dealing with the discipline and such, but Leo had always been the one who would calm our irrational fears, comfort us when we were sad or hurt, and just be there for us when we needed him.

I'm not sure this Leo was capable of such emotions. His countenance was hard and he had built up a solid wall that was impenetrable to all others around him. He was brusque and impatient. He'd yelled at me more than once for what he considered a slow pace.

And then there was this world's Raph. I didn't know quite what to make of him. He rarely spoke and, when he did, it was usually just one or two sentences. His walls were even thicker than Leo's, but his heart was not as hard.

Don't ask me how I know. I just do. Perhaps it's from years of practice of having to learn to read my Raph's moods and what he's really feeling. I could tell that this world's Raph buried a lot of emotion deep within himself, afraid to let it out.

Just like my Raph.

The only major difference was that my Raph would have been worried sick about Mikey, even if he wouldn't have shown it. Just as he had back in the real world where Mikey was first lost to us, he would have never left his side, acting as his shield and protector while our brother lay vulnerable.

If I didn't need them to help me bring back my brother, I would have ditched them a long time ago.

And you know what the worst part was?

They knew it too.

TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT

I was having a much harder time climbing the sheer rock face than Leo and Raph, probably due to the fact that my straw-filled arms and hands just could not grip the hard surface that well. I was about five yards underneath them, panting and puffing from the exertion. Being a scarecrow, you'd think I wouldn't feel such physical strain as this, but I was surprised by just how sensitive and almost human-like my body was.

Something told me that there was more to my doppelganger than first met the eye. "Hey, Scarecrow!" I jerked up at hearing that Brooklyn accent hollered down at me. Don't ask me why Raph had a Brooklyn accent when clearly this wasn't New York. I'd decided to just accept it and move on.

"Ya doin' a'right down there?" Raph continued. He was grasping a particularly sharp rock with one hand, both of his booted feet braced against another as he turned around and called down to me.

"Just peachy!" I hollered back, annoyed at how breathy my voice was. Leo glanced over the shoulder that Mikey was not draped over, probably attempting to read my face for any insincerity. I'm not sure why he bothered; he was farther ahead of me than Raph and I doubted he could make out my features.

"You sound winded, Scarecrow," Leo commented, cocking his head in amusement. "Would you, perhaps, care for some assistance?"

I had to seriously think about that, casting a glance at the far too still Mikey. It scared me just how still he was. Although he was breathing and his heartbeat was there, although faint, he didn't twitch, moan, or groan as he would have if he were simply deeply asleep. It was as he had been whilst I had been in the real world.

Mikey needed help. Now. And I was holding them up. "That would be much appreciated!" I finally relented. I don't know how my doppelganger had managed as a scarecrow. It was a pain in the shell.

Raph descended at lightning speed, clearly practiced at climbing sheer rocky cliffsides, reaching me within minutes. Without a word, he wrapped one arm around my waist, lifting me effortlessly and draping me over his shoulder. I grunted in discomfort as he quickly ascended the cliffside once more until he was mere feet underneath Leo. "Ready, Tin Man?"

Leo growled in response, climbing even more adeptly than Raph, which was quite an accomplishment. Apparently, they were just as athletic in this world as in mine. Wonderful. At least they were on my side.

For the moment.

The climb went much faster without their having to stop every two minutes to wait for me to catch up, and we reached the peak of the rocky outcropping. They swung over without a word, descending the other side much more slowly than they had ascended the opposite side. I suppose descending was more dangerous than ascending. You couldn't see where you were going as clearly.

Nevertheless, they reached the bottom in record time, and Raph dumped me on the ground without a word. I grunted, annoyed that my straw-filled body could actually feel the pain, but happy at the same time. It made me feel more normal, I guess.

Leo lifted and set Mikey down much more gently, crouching briefly to examine him for injuries. For a megalomaniac, he was surprisingly gentle with my brother.

Miracles do happen.

He sighed, running his hand down his face. "He is running out of time."

I jerked up at that. "What do you mean?" I immediately began to panic. What did he mean by that? There was a time limit? What happened when Mikey ran out of time? Did I even want to know?"

Leo glanced back at me, an unreadable expression on his face. "His condition is steadily worsening." My breath hitched at that. "We must not tarry."

I struggled to my feet, barely registering it when Leo suddenly tensed in my peripheral vision. Raph looked at him in confusion for a moment before he tensed as well and rested his hand against the hilt of his short sword. I watched both of them in bewilderment before I sensed it to0.

Something was approaching. Fast.

The moment I perceived this, the sky was filled with dark shapes that descended rapidly. I blinked when I could make them out well enough to be able to identify them.

Wonderful. Flying monkeys. Weren't they the bad guys in The Wizard of Oz? Didn't they work for somebody or something?

"The Witch has sent them," Leo breathed almost inaudibly without even turning to look at me and Raph. "Do either of you have anything of value?"

Raph shook his head as I cautiously felt my pockets before shaking my head as well. Unless this Witch person considered straw valuable, I was broke.

"We must flee," Leo continued, slowly reaching down and gathering Mikey into his arms. "At my signal, Lion's Mane, you grab Scarecrow and we make a run for the bridge. Once we are across, they will be unable to pass through the force field to continue their pursuit."

Raph nodded wordlessly, reaching down to grasp my waist. I glanced from one to the other, watching the monkeys' steady descent in our direction. I didn't know what they wanted, but I sure wasn't going to stick around to find out.

"Now!" Leo hissed, scooping up Mikey and tossing him over his shoulder in one fluid movement before leaping to his feet and sprinting toward a faint object in the distance that must be the bridge.

In the next moment, I was flying through the air, my breath leaving me as I hit Raph's shoulder stomach first. Soon, we were dashing after Leo, although much more slowly. What a great time to figure out Raph isn't the best runner.

I glanced up and realized that the monkeys were almost on top of us now. I squeaked when a dozen or more suddenly descended on us, their weight driving Raph to the ground.

The next few moments were a blur. I heard metal against leather as Raph drew his sword and frantically tried to fend off the human-sized monkeys. I felt claws ripping through my fabric covering, plunging into the straw beneath. I screamed in pain as they began to tear me apart.

It felt like hours, but was probably only a few seconds, before I heard the swish of two more swords and the monkeys ceased their assault, taking off in a different direction, their hooting and jabbering loud enough to shake the earth. I coughed, my body shaking as I felt hands on me.

"HELP SCARECROW!" I heard Leo holler at Raph. "I WILL PROTECT MICHELANGELO!" And then he was off.

That's when I began to panic. He had left Mikey to help us? WAS HE INSANE?! He was helpless!

I couldn't speak for the pain I was in as I felt Raph beginning to stuff the straw back inside of me. I groaned when I felt him wrapping a thick cloth around my middle to cover up the large tear in my stomach and keep my straw innards from just falling back out.

Several minutes later, I became aware enough to realize Raph was holding me in his arms as Leo was slowly walking back towards us. He was badly scratched and a trickle of blood ran the length of his body. He had a nasty cut running from the top of his head and down the length of his neck, disappearing where his armor began. It was still intact, proving it was quite durable. His hands shook as he fell on his knees before us. "I failed," he choked out. "There were too many. I-I- couldn't-h-hold them o-off."

My blood chilled as I realized what his words meant. "NO!" I screamed in agony, fighting against Raph, who promptly set me down. "HE'S NOT GONE!" I continued, all rational thought fleeing with my helpless brother. "You're lying!" I could feel the salty tears running down my cheeks. I might have been confused if I hadn't been so distraught.

Leo watched me for a moment before crawling towards me, his arms visibly shaking from the exertion. "You are not Scarecrow, are you?" His eyes penetrated mine as he slowly nodded. "He has done what is forbidden."

"Wha'?" Raph asked, bending down so that he was at our level.

Leo looked at him pointedly. "He drew Donatello from the real world," his jaw tightened, his eyes suddenly hard. "He has sealed his own fate."

"What are you talking about?!" I cried, my eyes too blurry for me to even be able to make out Leo's shape before me.

"There is nothing we can do for Michelangelo," Leo continued as if I had not spoken. "We must continue to my father."

"What?" I asked, shocked by what he had just said. "We can't just leave him! WE HAVE TO HELP HIM!"

Leo shook his head at me. "Your brother has been taken to the Witch. All who enter her domain do not return. His fate has been sealed as well."

I could only stare at Leo. The real Leo would have stopped at nothing to get Mikey back, regardless of the danger. This thing in front of me was not my brother. He was an imposter who cared nothing for me or my brother.

I began to cry bitterly, knowing I was far too weak to rescue Mikey on my own. If only my real brothers were here. They would know what to do. Leo always knew what to do, and Raph would stop at nothing to get our little brother back as well.

I needed them.

"Perhaps I can help," a voice behind me said.

I whirled around, stumbling backwards in shock at seeing just who the speaker was.

It was me.

The other me.

"But first," he continued, "I must explain something to you."

"What?" I asked, in too much shock to do much else.

"I must tell you of the true nature of Oz," he frowned. "And just really the amount of danger you and your brother are in."

His frown deepened. "I must tell you who, and what, I really am."

I watched him for a moment before slowly nodding. "I'm listening."

AN: Yay, another cliffhanger! Hm, I hate cliffhangers, but can't resist writing them. Thanks to all who read and don't forget to leave a review! This story's probably about halfway done, but I've said that before. I already have the next chapter pretty much planned out, I just need to write it first. Also, for anybody who's wondering, konbanwa means "good evening" and hai is an affirmation that you have heard what the speaker said (it can mean either "yes" or "no"; yay, Google!) in Japanese. P.S. Anybody out there who is also reading my other story, The Birth Order Effect, I have no idea when I will next update. I've kinda hit a road block in the story. Not exactly writer's block, but frustrating still the same.