Thanks Dark Flygon Naxi, Tsukarete, heartofdarkness, grammaguy, and WereDragon EX for the reviews of the first three chapters!
Chapter IV: Of Ancient Clues…
All other Pokémon fell silent as Leo thought he heard wrong as his heart started pounding, until she faced him.
"I'm staying with you, by my mate and Chip with his father."
"We're not going back?" Chip asked from her arms with a much surprised expression.
Behind her, Christina was staring wide-eyed. "But…I thought you just wanted to…"
Lonny moved to stand in front of her. "Now that I can speak in human… I was thinking of staying here before we came. But since I was changed, I made the decision. If there's a chance I can be changed back, it's here."
Even fifteen feet away, Leo could see Christina beginning to tear up. He very nearly couldn't believe what Lonny was doing, feeling both happiness that she had decided to stay, and sadness for the blonde-haired woman who had been her nearly life-time friend.
"Surely back on Earth, we can find some way…" Christina said in a pleading tone.
"There's also Chip," Lonny continued. "He should have his father around, and it wouldn't be fair to Leo either to keep them apart. I know many Pokémon don't require parents around, but maybe being around humans so much has rubbed off on me." She smiled, getting Christina to do likewise if weakly. "I want him to have his dad, and I want him too."
Behind both of them at the threshold of the portal, Ticonamo was watching silently, mouth slightly open and seemingly not sure what to do.
"I…uh, see." Christina was now tearing badly as was Lonny. "We…we've been together for…so many…years…"
Lonny nodded. "You aren't just my trainer, but my best friend and I love you. I'm…sorry I wasn't able to tell you before now. I…just didn't know…what…I was going to do…"
Christina dropped her bag and embraced Lonny as she let Chip jump down, openly weeping. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you; I've always had you with me since I was little!"
They hugged for several moments until the crying subsided at least a little and Ticonamo walked back over. Picking up Christina's bag, "Um, we have to go Christina," he said somberly. "They can't safely keep the portal open much longer."
"Promise you'll come back as soon as you can," Lonny finally said after releasing her former trainer.
Christina seemingly wanted to say something as she backed up, but only managed a nod. Then as Ticonamo placed a hand on her shoulder to help her through the portal, she turned her head, "I will come back. That's a promise!"
"Lonny, take good care of yourself and Chip…and Leo, both of them," Ticonamo said before he and Christina faded into the grayish event horizon, the portal itself fading and closing only seconds later.
Nobody moved for a moment, the only sound being the light, cool wind rustling nearby trees and building cloth, and the distant surf from the beach below the distant cliff.
Lonny finally turned around, sniffling. Her face, being a lighter blue and green than when she was a swampert, showed some slight redness along with the wetness of tears.
Chip was the first to speak though. Looking up from the ground, "Will they come back?"
"Of course they will," Lonny answered quickly, somewhat higher pitched than even her now human normal voice. "Just don't know when, honey." Then putting on a smile, she turned to Leo: "Well, you're stuck with us now, mate!" And she laughed, as did many of the surrounding Pokémon.
"I think we need another bed…she and Chip are going to live with us, right?" Blaze asked, his red face still in shock and tail unmoving. "I mean, being your mate and…"
"I'd recommend separate sleeping areas for us," Grovyle chimed in, more to the infernape.
Leo could feel his face burning as he looked around at everyone…everyone watching him…some smirking. Lonny seemed to be waiting for a response from him too. "Well, I guess I better show you where we live, then." He took her small human hand in his own larger swampert one in prep for leading her to where he, Blaze and Grovyle lived in the side of Sharpedo Bluff.
His human self and Sally stopped them, though. "Leo, bring her by later," Sally said. "We need to get her more clothes than just what she's wearing."
Leo nodded acknowledgment, though noticed Lonny looking down at herself, cocking her head slightly.
"Do I need more? I mean, I'm not going back…" Lonny ran a finger along the edge of the neck opening of her white dress and tugged, as if trying to take the weight off.
"Yes, you do," Sally insisted.
"Definitely," Leo added. There would be way too many questions to answer to too many Pokémon about why humans looked the way they did!
"I dunno, I thought she's cute without clothes," some Pokémon said somewhere. It was followed closely by a soft smack.
"Well…this is going to be different," Blaze remarked as they passed the last building of town on the way to the bluff. Despite the wind blowing his mane around somewhat, it still puffed some.
"You told me you go on a lot of missions," Lonny said. "Like rescuing Pokémon and finding things. I want to go with you on those. I want to be useful!"
Blaze and Grovyle glanced at him, both suddenly acting uncomfortable.
"Me too!" Chip cried behind them.
He sighed. So the first task was going to be explaining to her why such an idea was bad, it seemed. Of course, that was probably only the start. He already could see all kinds of uncomfortable situations ahead…
It was growing overcast when they got back to the house; rain wasn't far off. It was even smelling like rain with the growing humidity. Leo Hanson got to preparing some early dinner (they had meat, thanks to Ticonamo), while Sally tried to pick out some additional clothes for Lonny, although she wasn't sure if she could really spare anything more. Also thanks to Ticonamo's timely delivery of some supplies, his mate at least had a few extra other items she could give the former swampert.
Including some strictly feminine items.
"You know, if she's truly human now, she's going to need some of these," she proclaimed, holding up one such item from the bundle she'd gathered together…
…just as Kangason came in unannounced from the back yard.
Since Kangason was apparently still around, they had the little green kangaroo-like Pokémon stay for some food. It was the least they could do for all the gardening help he continued to provide. Although he'd been hoping his counterpart would show up with Blaze, Lonny and Grovyle in time for the meal, Kangason left as it started getting dark, leaving him and Sally alone.
It was at times like this that he both like being alone with his wife, and yet missed the companionship of Grovyle.
He set about starting a fire in the stone fireplace as the first few raindrops hit the canvass roof, and just finished when there were knocks at the door.
"It's starting to rain," were his counterpart's first words on entering after Sally let everyone in. Soon they were all around the smoldering fire, save for Lonny and Sally, the latter taking the former into the bedroom and shutting the door.
The former swampert was about to get an education, Leo thought uncomfortably. There were a few things Sally said she needed to tell her in addition to just giving her a few things, and he pretty much guessed what they were going to be considering some of the items. Only thing that concerned him, was that it might be too soon. Sally expressed the same concern, but the sooner Lonny was told, the lower the chance she might be surprised by her new body.
"How is she settling?" he asked while poking at the fire to get it to burn better. Some of the wood apparently was still green, and drips from the rain, falling down the chimney around the rain diverter, wasn't going to help either.
"She likes the view," his counterpart answered, both Blaze and Grovyle chiming in with something in their own language. "And she wants a softer bed."
Leo laughed. "Well you know, we humans aren't quite as tough as you Pokémon." Which elicited a squawk from Grovyle.
"He says he wouldn't mind a softer one too. Don't suppose you have a spare mattress, do you?"
In moving one of the logs, the fire nearly went out. He fought for a few seconds to prevent that before answering. "Sorry, fresh out." After struggling for several more seconds, Blaze finally jumped up and after using one of his purple hands to gently push him to the side, unleashed a small flamethrower. The fire instantly was raging.
"Uh, thanks, Blaze," while hastily backing up from the suddenly intense heat.
"Infern ra."
Of course the infernape settled right next to it, not minding the heat nearly as much. Even his hair could handle high heat without singeing, Leo thought enviously.
"I stick that where?" Lonny's voice could be heard almost shouting.
Leo glanced with the four Pokémon toward the closed bedroom door. After clearing his throat, "Um, otherwise, do you think she'll be fine? Granted, it's only been little over a day."
Blaze shrugged, Grovyle stayed his usual non-committal self despite stroking a wrist leaf blade that showed he was thinking, Chip merely stared back, and his counterpart visibly sagged before settling on his stomach. "She'll be adjusting for a while," he sighed. "Even after I lost my memories, it felt like I was adjusting for a while after being changed. I hope it's easier for her."
"So do I," Leo replied. Though he pretty much doubted it was going to be, given the events already.
For a few moments, they fell silent as the fire crackled and the occasional low voice came through the door, partly drowned out by the fire and the light rain hitting the tent-like roof. In fact, he almost didn't hear the two knocks, but each of the Pokémon obviously heard it since they all perked up.
"Are you expecting anyone else?" his counterpart asked, forehead slightly furrowed around his purple head fins.
"No," Leo answered, equally curious as to who would be calling given the rain and the hour. Once in the entryway, he opened the door…on Wigglytuff. Behind him stood a…clefable! He instantly was trying to think back and remember the one he saw in town the other day, deciding it had to be the same one given he'd never seen any other clefable before then…before remembering his manners and stepping aside. "Wigglytuff, uh, come in."
The pink Guildmaster replied in unintelligible Poke speech though it clearly a greeting, stepping in with the clefable likewise saying something as it followed. For the first time, he got a decent look at the plain brown satchel it was carrying, which looked of leather and well-worn with plenty of scuffs.
"Guildmaster?" he heard his counterpart say as they rounded the wall in front of him and into the living room…before some slight gasps when the clefable became visible to them. It left him instantly wondering if they knew this clefable as they all launched into conversation, starting with obvious introductions by Wigglytuff as he pointed to each of them in turn.
"This is Chalesti," Wigglytuff said in starting the intros, and introduced all of them in turn. "She's the clefable I think you've been wondering about."
Leo instantly wanted to ask a load of questions as his fins tingled with anticipation at getting some answers, but Chalesti turned around, looking up and down, like searching for something. "No blue human?" she asked, facing Wigglytuff.
At that moment the bedroom door opened and two red-faced humans came walking out, one with light-blue and white skin.
Chalesti stared, wide-eyed, as did Lonny and Sally in return.
"More guests?" Sally finally asked, glancing between the Leos and the clefable.
"Then…it's true," Chalesti said, before laughing excitedly. "It was exactly true!"
"What was?" Leo asked, hoping she was referring to Lonny transformation. Indeed, he couldn't find out how she made her prediction fast enough! But more importantly, if she had any clues about reversing Lonny's change.
"Chalesti, please explain what you do to everyone, and Leo, please translate for the humans," Wigglytuff said, finding himself a place on one of the cut log chairs behind everyone else.
Leo translated, but first wanted to say something. "There's something I should tell you first," facing his human self, Sally and Lonny. "The night before Lonny and Christina arrived, Kangaskhan told us a clefable visited her, asking about a blue human. Of course we had no idea what she was talking about, but when Lonny showed up as…a blue human, Wigglytuff started a search for the clefable. I'm sorry I didn't say anything about it, but other than what I just told you, we didn't know anything else."
Lonny looked slightly angry, but she settled next to him anyway on the rug-covered floor, as did Sally by his other self.
"Don't keep stuff like that from us," his human self scolded.
"Sorry, but what good would it have done? Besides, we were busy enough with other things." Well, it was true!
His human self grimaced.
"I didn't mean to cause any trouble," Chalesti started, putting herself more into the circle around the fire, which was now the only source of light inside being completely dark outside. Then setting her rather large satchel on the floor, "I'm a researcher; I go on expeditions to acquire knowledge and conduct research of interesting locations, which often has me going to far-away places. Recently I was given an old document by a clefable college of mine. Apparently it had been buried in our archives for some time and only just rediscovered. Since he didn't have time for it, I was assigned to research it."
"Sounds like there's a Pokémon University on this planet," Sally remarked.
"That'd be something to see," the human Leo added.
"It's a Guild for researchers," Chalesti answered. "As humans, it would be an honor to have you visit, but it is a long journey; it took me a month crossing the sea."
"Maybe I should consider having such a thing for my Guild," Wigglytuff mused from the rear.
Chalesti paused before getting back to the subject at hand. "The document I was given appeared to be a map, one of this continent, and seemed to indicate something at a particular location…along with something else I didn't understand at the time. I've spent the last several weeks searching for whatever it was, but I couldn't even find the landmarks. Then a couple weeks ago while staying in a small village, I heard a rumor about actual living humans being on this planet. Finally, that 'something else' the map depicted suddenly made some sense. So I came here to look for you." Facing Leo: "On arrival, I also learned about your explorer team, and it was then I became certain my coming here was the correct action."
Leo glanced at everyone else, as everyone else did likewise. "I don't understand."
"Maybe it's best if I show you."
The wind sounded like it was gusting outside, the canvass roof rippling some overhead as Chalesti opened the flap of her leather satchel to pull out a large, short tube of wood. Moving closer to the fire, she carefully pulled out of it what looked like some rolled parchment before bending over and uncoiling the obviously aged, rough paper.
Along with himself, everyone stood up to get a closer look.
It was as the clefable described: a rough outline of the continent was drawn, along with several terrain features in the correct places, including mountains, rivers, forests and the smaller desert in the southeast. A simple "X" seemed to mark a location in that desert, with a line drawn from it to a square containing a more-detailed blow-up of the area.
That wasn't what got his attention though.
He leaned right over his other self as the human put his hand near the square to flatten the paper more. Under the slightly flickering light of the fire, the clefable's interest then became clear, that being a depiction of six hand-drawn and colored figures spaced equally around the square on two sides: a swampert, an infernape, a grovyle…and three humans. One of the humans was colored blue…
"Huh?" Blaze said with a sharp intake of breath. "Ha ha…that's…us?"
"But…that's not possible," Grovyle remarked with narrowed eyes in the dim light.
"Chalesti, how old is this map?" Leo heard his human self ask as he rubbed the paper, making it crinkle.
The clefable answered and Leo translated after some hesitation, since he couldn't believe it himself: "It's believed to be at least five thousand years old. Maybe more."
Dead silence as Chalesti looked between the map and Lonny several times. "I hadn't known before, but those lines drawn on the head are small fins. Just like yours."
Lonny's mouth hung open as she felt up to the remnants of her former large purple fins.
Leo stood, allowing his other self to at least straighten up some. Sticking to human speech: "What does this mean? Obviously we weren't around five thousand years ago! And Dialga isn't around anymore to make such a thing happen either."
"Dialga?" Chalesti exclaimed, backing up a step.
"Yes, we knew him. Long story."
"It would take Dialga; Celebi can't do that kind of a time jump," Grovyle remarked. "Except in a whole lot of small steps, which would be impractical."
"Well…" First looking down at the map, Chalesti then glanced around at everyone: "I don't know what it means, but I think it obvious you're connected to whatever this map says is there. From the age of this map, it's been there for a long time too. I deduce you can help me find it." Again, she looked between the map and all of them. Finally with clear certainty in her tone: "The likeness is unmistakable."
"Indeed it is!" Wigglytuff said, sliding off his chair. "I think you should go on this expedition. It sounds like an exciting mystery to solve! Indeed worthy of the best explorers, and you six…seem to have a personal connection to it as well. Lucky you!"
No doubt, mystery described it perfectly. Leo wasn't so sure about lucky, though. Then from Chalesti's manner, he got the sense there was more yet. She didn't disappoint.
"The map isn't the only thing," the clefable continued and reached once again into her satchel, this time she pulling out what appeared to be a large, hand-sized gem.
"What's that?" Blaze asked, leaning in for a closer look.
"It was found with the map, and matches this drawing." Using one of her three fingers, she pointed to the map and one of the figures.
In seeing the drawing of everyone, Leo realized he hadn't really noticed the seventh figure above the square, that being of a striking similarity to the shape of the crystal in the clefable's hand. He assumed it had been merely decorative…
Chalesti handed the object to Blaze, allowing him and Leo a good look. As the infernape turned it over in his purple hands, Leo could see it had fourteen flat sides and was absolutely clear, like either of glass, diamond or quartz, except for the center where it had a silvery, almost metallic translucent core that seemed nearly spherical.
"What is that in the middle?" Leo asked as everyone else crowded in for their own close look in the firelight.
"Don't know that either," Chalesti answered. "But since it's drawn on the map and was found with it…"
Wigglytuff had come over, getting his (obviously) second look at it. "Another mystery to solve. Lucky you again!"
Leo knew Lonny wasn't happy. Apparently she wasn't too pleased he hadn't told her what he heard about the clefable the night before she arrived, even though it wouldn't had changed anything. Then during the night, she first tried laying on her stomach like all swamperts sleep. Apparently that wasn't all that comfortable for humans, so she switched to her back, which was a rather new experience for her. But the slight raised part on her lower spine that used to be her rear fin seemed to cause discomfort when she laid on it. More straw underneath helped some, but she switched back to her stomach before ultimately ending up on her side. She also didn't like wearing the clothes, being confining and all, but without them she was too cold.
By early morning she was tired and shivering on her side under the one small blanket his human self and Sally had let her keep (not that they really had any to spare). At least she finally found some sleep, though continued to shift periodically.
Being a swampert, he didn't produce all that much in the way of body heat (at least near human body temperatures), though that didn't stop her from trying to snuggle up to him. Chip certainly was trying to help on the other side of her, tucking himself by her neck (and under the blanket).
With the first signs of dawn, he finally sighed and got up (since Lonny's tossing and turning meant he couldn't get much sleep either). Fortunately both her and Chip stayed blissfully asleep as he carefully moved around them, Blaze and Grovyle on the way out and up, with his most immediate need being some relief.
As usual, the high cliff provided a beautiful view of the surrounding ocean as the sky continued to lighten opposite it, the clouds from the last night now cleared off, and after taking care of business, he lingered to watch, enjoy the smells of dawn, and think. A lot sure happened the last couple days. Lonny's transformation would have been shocking enough, but then to learn it may had been predicted five thousand years ago…
The obvious course of action was to mount an expedition to see just what it was that old map Chalesti had was indicating. After all, the map all but had their names on it…as well as the apparent prediction of Lonny becoming almost human! Of course one thought he had was the map was a fake, but Wigglytuff seemed to vouch for its age though, and the Guildmaster was one Pokémon he would even trust his life to. And the Clefable did ask about a blue human the day before it became a reality.
So if they were to go on an expedition, then normally only he, Blaze and Grovyle would go. Yet, the three humans were depicted too…
"Watching the sunrise?" asked a familiar infernape's voice.
Leo nodded without turning around. "Just thinking about everything."
"It's been a crazy last few days," Blaze replied.
After waiting while his closest friend apparently took care of his own business somewhere, he glanced over as the infernape returned to stand beside him. "I guess we have an expedition in front of us."
Blaze nodded, settling down on his hunches as infernapes normally did. "I'm really curious what's there. It's been a while since there'd been anyplace worth exploring; this would be great if it's something ancient. You know how I like exploring such places."
Indeed, he knew his partner very well in that regard, and even his mane was puffing in excitement. "Keep in mind that Chalesti said she couldn't find anything there."
"That 'x' was in the same part of the continent as Concealed Ruins, so maybe this is concealed too," the infernape pointed out. "I also can't help but think it's something very important, too."
Which was true and plausible too. If not obvious on the latter point.
"But…" Blaze faced him, face wrinkled up in confusion, "how could our existence be predicted so long ago?"
"Maybe Dialga?" Leo offered. It seemed the only possible explanation. "He can see the future you know."
"I thought he said he wasn't able to see details like that. He certainly didn't predict what would happen to him and Palkia on Earth last year. But if he did have that map made back then, that means he knew about us for a very long time. How come he never said anything?"
Leo shrugged. There were probably a number of reasons to Dialga, but he wasn't Dialga. "Maybe…he didn't want to change the timeline? If we knew something about the future, we might change how we would otherwise behave, thereby changing the future. Again."
"I still don't think it was him." Blaze replied after a moment and a good scratch through his long red and yellow mane. "It just…I don't know, doesn't feel like his style. Unless he was very different back then."
"Then who else would have known that long ago?" Leo stared at his partner, who finally shrugged himself.
"If only he were still around…" the infernape mumbled, lowering his head as his mane lost all puffiness before someone else came up from their dwelling, her light blue, finned head popping up before the rest of her tightly grey blanket-wrapped body revealed itself.
Lonny stood looking around for a moment, blinking in the direct morning sunlight with a certain desperation about her. Then irritably: "Is there a bathroom around here, or do you just go anywhere?"
Leo waved toward the bushes and trees that covered a good share of the cliff, stretching toward Treasure Town much further down. "Anywhere further away. Be sure to bury it if that's what it is…"
Lonny didn't wait for him to finish before she was off toward the nearest bushes.
Blaze gave him a stare and he pretty much knew what the question was before they headed back underneath. It was the same question he was asking himself just before his partner joined him on top of the bluff. And the answer, it seemed, was Lonny would have to go with them, along with Sally and his human self.
Which of course meant a large degree of risk.
With some resignation, he dunked his head into the small water-filled rock basin that formed from a small spring leaking from the cliff face, as he did every morning. Since Lonny was human now, that probably meant she lacked her Pokémon abilities. Although they hadn't actually tested that yet…
A face joined his underwater, startling him. Looking ahead, he found Lonny's face staring back at him. But after a few seconds, her eyes widened and in another moment, she was jerking her had back out.
"They don't work!" she screamed, holding her hands on the slightly raised green patches on her cheeks. "And it's cold!"
Just as he gained Pokémon abilities when he was changed into a Pokémon, it could be assumed she lost hers on changing into a human.
"Ahh!" Slamming her fists on the rim of the basin in frustration, she only ended up grimacing in obvious pain. Then whipping around, she stormed back upside…only after nearly tripping on the first step.
Both Blaze and Grovyle looked on with concerned expressions.
"Mom?" Chip asked and started to follow before Leo stopped him.
Nope, she wasn't happy. It simply was going to take a while for her to get used to life as a human. Perhaps starting on a long expedition immediately wasn't the best thing for her, thinking as he started up after her to try and calm her down.
Leo Hanson finished stuffing the backpack with spare clothes, containers of food, the collapsible shovel, and other camping essentials they brought from Earth. He could feel his excitement (and caution) growing, now that the time to leave was nearly at hand.
The fact that they would go and investigate the location the clefable's map indicated had been a given. What hadn't been was who all was going to go. His swampert counterpart made it known months before he didn't want either him or Sally going on any missions, simply because the world outside Treasure Town was too dangerous for humans. Any creature lacking a Pokémon's ability to wield attacks (and to heal quickly), would risk serious injury or death given the number of wild Pokémon lurking about who wouldn't think twice about attacking whoever crossed their paths. The same was apparently going to apply to Lonny as well, since she was now (mostly) human.
Maybe the swampert was being overprotective, but Leo choose to listen to himself, even though one of the reasons he and Sally came to the Poke world was to do some exploring.
But the information Chalesti presented five nights ago changed all that. Since all six of them were apparently depicted on the map, that suggested all six of them might be needed for something. As a result, he and Sally were finishing packing.
One who wasn't depicted on the map was Chip; both his counterpart and Lonny agreed he should be left at the daycare in town, where he would be safe under the chasney's care. Since Wigglytuff (or any of the Guild) wasn't depicted either, he was staying behind, obstinately to figure out some new expedition for the Guild since he became excited by what they were doing.
"Are we ready?" Sally asked, popping her head in the bedroom doorway, her long red-hair draping straight down over her shoulders.
Leo first smiled at his beauty of a wife, then looked at the freshly stuffed backpacks, one for each of them with a sleeping bag strapped to the bottom of each. "I think so. Sleeping bags, three changes of clothes, soap and other toiletries, towels, a couple of pans for cooking, shovel, rope, our solar recharging flashlights, basic food for a week, and I assume we'll gather some on the way out and back for whatever more we need. Oh, and several canteens."
Sally smiled back. "Well, hopefully that swampert of ours remembered that since Lonny is now human, she's going to require a few more things to be packed. Do you think she'll have a backpack?"
He shrugged. "I'm sure Leo will have something for her. Too bad we don't have a spare." He could just see the former swampert having to carry a large knapsack over her shoulder, rather than something like the nice form-fitting backpacks they had from Earth.
Helping Sally into her pack, she did the same for him and together, they left under the warm and sunny morning sky, heading for the meeting point just outside Treasure Town. With a last glance back, he turned the corner on the well-worn dirt path and their house fell out of sight behind a row of trees. He sure hoped Kangason would be able to take care of everything on his own; he got the odd sensation it would be a while before they returned. He also hoped that if a portal was opened from Earth, that the automated response he left on the solar-charged radio explained things enough.
"I'm so excited I can't stand it," Sally commented as they arrived at the meeting point.
Leo wrapped an arm around his beautiful, thirty-two old wife, also noticing the scent she apparently put on that morning, something she rarely did due the small supply she had brought from Earth. "Same here. Finally we get to do some exploring!"
"I sure hope Lonny's doing better, though."
He mentally grimaced. According to his counterpart, his mate had been a handful. "Well, she did like those pants and shirt we made for her yesterday." Out of course, green cloth, that being the only cloth that could be had on short notice. At least it would fit her better than anything Sally had, since Lonny was just a little bigger. Just so it didn't irritate her skin; that would be the last thing she needed, from his counterpart's account!
"Think your counterpart, Blaze and Grovyle can manage to keep three humans safe out there?" Sally asked, more seriously.
"I sure hope so," he replied, feeling the twinge of his own fear racketing up a little and his heart quickened it's pace. Partly nullified as Sally leaned against him and wrapped an arm around him. Then: "I'm sure they'll manage it, though."