Chapter Three:

Arrival

I woke up to the steady breathing of Lance. I knew I was awake, but I refused to open my eyes. I wanted to stay in the warm cocoon that was the bed for as long as possible.

I felt Lance shift slightly, and realized that it wasn't just the bed that I'd made a cocoon out of. I slowly peeled my eyes open, and stared, horror-struck, at Lance's chest.

My arms were wrapped around him, as his were me. I think I almost screamed, but managed to suppress it and take my arms back for myself. Then I very quickly (but very subtly) got out of his arms. The bastard looked so peaceful, too.

I kept my distance from him like the had the plague and went into the bathroom. Surprisingly, it looked like I'd had a good night's sleep.

What did that bastard slip into my root beer…? I wondered.

I was making eggs when Lance finally got up. There was a kitchen in the hotel room, which was pretty convenient. I was trying my best to forget how I'd woken up when Lance wrapped his arms around my shoulders and rested his head on top of mine.

"Eggs, huh?" he said. "My favourite. I didn't know you could cook!"

"Release me, or you'll learn what a hot frying pan to the face feels like," I said, almost growling.

Lance laughed and let go of me. "You were cuddly last night."

"Do you know how perverted that sounds?" I asked, frowning. "I doubt it was me. You probably took advantage of me while I was sleeping, you jerk."

"I didn't!" Lance said, putting his hands up in defence. "I fell asleep and woke up once last night, and you were hugging me!"

"You're a damn liar!" I snapped, my face turning a little red. "Now sit down or I'll hit you with these eggs!"

When we were finally back on the road, Lance and I weren't talking. Or, rather, I wasn't talking to Lance. He would occasionally look at me, smile, and then look back at the road. And each time my face would get a little redder, but if it was because I was embarrassed or just pissed off, I didn't know.

We reached Wadena in record time, and cruised slowly down Main Street as we examined where we needed to go next.

"So, explain to me how you knew what town she was in, in what province, in what country, but you don't know the street?"

I shrugged. "Maybe Kessler or my mom brought me here once before. As for the rest… Well, I kinda have my memory back."

"That's good news!" Lance exclaimed.

"Yeah…" But most of them I'd rather not have, I thought bitterly as I remembered the pain I'd gone through. I suddenly saw a water tower that heavily resembled a golf ball. "Not far now."

Lance nodded and kept driving. When we went over the train tracks, we turned right down a quaint street, with people out mowing their lawns and visiting. When we reached a blue duplex, Lance turned left.

"Okay, it should be on the left, and it'll be an old brown house," I told him.

Lance squinted. "There? At the end?"

"Must be," I replied. "But I don't remember the houses on its left… They must be new or somethin'."

Lance pulled into the driveway. The house had a swing set in the back, with a large garden, a garage that was most likely used for quads, and a medium-sized deck.

"Well, here we are," Lance said, getting out of the car.

I nodded and followed him out, suddenly finding breathing very difficult. Lance led the way up the steps, and we just stood outside the door for a moment before Lance put a hand on my shoulder.

"Look, you might as well ring the doorbell," he said. "We came all this way. Even if she's moved, we have to make sure."

I nodded. "But the thing is, it'll seem a bit awkward."

"How?" he asked.

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe somewhere in the, 'I'm-the-kid-you-had-for-a-science-experiment-and-now-needs-your-help-in-defeating-a-much-more-evil-version-of-myself-and-I-don't-mean-it-in-a-spiritual-way' department."

"Good point." Lance took a breath and squeezed my hand, which I just realized that I'd been holding. "Well, no time to be awkward like the present."

I nodded again and released Lance's hand, then pushed the doorbell in. A few seconds of waiting, and an all-too-familiar person opened it.

"Kayce," she greeted a little dryly.

"Dana," I replied with the same tone.

Well, this just got a little more interesting…