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"What have we here?" Batty's voice sounded in his ears. Pips groaned. The floor was a lot harder than he remembered. He could barely feel his arm, and his fingers were stiff. He sat up, noticing Crysta was still asleep, a smile on her face. He blinked away the blurriness until he could clearly see Batty's face in the window.

"Wazgoinon?" Pips slurred a little.

"I asked you first," Batty said. Pips looked around him.

"I stayed the night. Is that so out of the ordinary?" he asked Batty.

"Ummm, yes it is," Batty replied. "As of two days ago she couldn't stand you. When did that change?"

"I don't really know," Pips answered truthfully. "She started remembering some things. I think it's cos Lily left to be honest."

"Hmm yes. That was tragic. That girl is going to regret that decision the rest of her life," Batty lamented.

"I don't judge," Pips replied. Batty raised a brow at him.

"So, are you going to do the same thing?" Batty asked. Pips was confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've seen you with the other girl. What's going on there?"

"Wha-nothing," Pips said quickly. Batty gave him a level stare. "No, seriously. Nothing."

"I don't believe you. I care very much about these girls, you know. If you break her heart..."

"I won't," Pips cut him off. "Come on, you know me better than that."

"Are you the least bit conflicted? In any way?" Batty wanted to know. Pips hesitated. Was he? Batty didn't like his silence at all. Crysta stirred.

"Can you, uh, go now?" Pips asked him, looking pointedly at Crysta. Batty got the hint, but he gave him one last glare all the same. Pips sat down beside her as she opened her eyes.

"Hey," he said cautiously. He was worried she would have forgotten asking him to stay with her last night.

"Hi," she replied, smiling sleepily. "How's your back?"

"It was worth it," he grinned, covering the grimace his face was trying to make from the stabbing pains he was suddenly experiencing. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have in a long time," she admitted. "Thank you for staying."

"Anytime," he replied. "However, I should sneak out. Don't want to confuse everyone."

"I'll see you in a bit then," she said. She watched him leave. She decided they should probably have a conversation later about what didn't happen between them. Then she sighed. It was time to face her family.

In the forest...

"Easy does it," Rose said, guiding Sandy over roots and rocks. "Almost there."

"I can't wait to see her," Sandy said, grinning. "She's going to be so shocked."

"Yes, it'll be the best reunion ever," Rose agreed somewhat sarcastically. Sandy missed that part. She was going to miss this guy when he was gone. The company had been nice. They approached the Ash home carefully and slowly. Sandy had made progress, but it was still a challenge at times. Rose snagged a rogue beetle. Sandy hopped on, and together they made their way up to the front door.

Crysta's home...

It had been a very quiet morning. Father hadn't said anything. Mother said very little. Only Zeke was oblivious to the goings on. He was gurgling and waving his arms at Fern. Crysta still felt a twinge of jealously towards her sister and her baby, and she still didn't know why. When the knock came, she was so relieved to answer it and get away from the tension. She opened it to find Sandy standing there alone. Rose had refused to stay. She knew Crysta would be confused by her presence. That and she wasn't ready for the wrath of Fern once she found out Rose hadn't told anyone Sandy was alive.

"Hey," he said, smiling. "Remember me?" She did. She thought she was seeing a ghost. Despite everything with her memory, it was explained to her that Sandy had died, and she had somehow felt she knew this information from somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where. She clutched the door.

"F-Fern!" Crysta called, stuttering. "FERN!"

"What? I'm right here. I'm not deaf..." Fern replied, coming around the corner. She froze.

"Hey beautiful," Sandy said. Fern let out a half cry half scream. She threw herself into his arms.

"Oh, oh, oh!" she cried. "Where have you been? Sandy, I missed you so much. I thought you were dead! We all thought you were dead!"

"I know, I know," he said, hugging her tightly. "But I'm not. I was really hurt, but Rose fixed me up. She didn't let me die. I would have been here sooner, but I couldn't walk or talk. I still can't fly. I was under constant surveillance to make sure I was going to be okay."

"Rose knew this whole time?" Fern said angrily. "She knew and didn't tell me?! I don't believe this. Where is she?!"

"She left. Look, she didn't want to get anyone's hopes up," Sandy explained. "She wanted to make sure I was going to live."

"I don't care. She should have told me," Fern said, furious now. That's when Mother came with Zeke in her arms. Her face immediately softened. She would deal with Rose later.

"Who's this little guy?" Sandy asked. He looked at Crysta. "Did you two finally...?"

"Ahhhh, no," Mother cut him off. Crysta looked at her curiously. Sandy was feeling very confused.

"Crysta had her memory wiped and didn't know who Pips was. Still doesn't really. Don't talk about their relationship, don't bring up the babies, don't say anything," Fern whispered urgently into his ear. He was still confused, but he nodded in agreement.

"So," he said. "Who is he then?" Fern beamed.

"He's ours," she told him. Sandy was stunned.

"Ours," he repeated. "As in, you and me. Our baby. You...I...we made this?" He stared at Zeke in shock and disbelief.

"Yes!" she exclaimed excitedly. "His name is Zeke." Mother had handed him over to her already. "Do you want to hold him?" Sandy's face went from shock to soft. He didn't have to say anything. He just reached for his baby boy. Zeke cooed at him, looking up into his face.

"I can't believe this," Sandy said. "But when did...?"

"That time when..." Fern started. Mother coughed, interrupting her. Fern went red in the face.

"Nevermind," she finished. "I'll explain later. Come on, let's go." She led Sandy into the house. She noticed how slowly he was going, and she felt horribly sad that she hadn't been there to help him come this far. Crysta was left standing with her mother wondering what the hell was going on that she wasn't being told. She turned to face Mother, but she had already hustled away. Mother did not want to be put in that position just yet. Shaking her head, Crysta decided to go get Pips. She tore off quickly, as if Sandy might disappear if she wasn't fast enough.

Pips' home...

He was still thinking about her, how she looked when they almost kissed. He was wondering if he shouldn't give up on her completely. Things were beginning to look hopeful, like she was either remembering him or starting to have feelings for him without remembering him fully.

"Pips!" her voice called, almost like he conjured her. He went to meet her, wondering if she was coming to talk about last night or the fact he was late for class again, which he wasn't. He was sure of it. Was he? He was thinking hard. How high was the sun?

"Pips," she said again, a little more urgently.

"It's not time yet," he said, pointing. "It's not high enough. You can't say I'm late."

"No, no," Crysta said, grabbing his hand. "Come on!"

"Where are we going?" he called, letting her lead him.

"You'll see," she replied. He followed her back to her home. She let him go in first. He thought he was seeing a ghost too. Never in his dreams did he think he'd ever see his best friend again. Sandy was sitting at the table holding Zeke. He looked up when Pips came in.

"Brother!" he called, using the term they sometimes used for each other. "Long time no see."

"What the...how did...?" Pips was spluttering nonsense. He looked to Crysta for clarification. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yes!" she laughed, pushing him forward. Sandy passed Zeke back to Fern and stood up shakily. Pips grasped him into a bear hug.

"Where the hell you been man?" he asked, shaking his shoulder slightly.

"Surviving," he answered. "Rose saved me."

"She did?" Pips asked.

"Yes. She had the animals take me to her place. She's been healing me and helping me learn to talk and walk again. I can't fly still, but we're working on it. I said I needed to be home, so she agreed."

"But she never told me..." Pips started, confused.

"She didn't want anyone to know in case I didn't make it. Why keep the hopes up you know? I'm here now. Where's Wil?" Sandy looked around. "And Lily?"

"Do not say that name in this house," Father growled. Sandy jumped a little.

"H-hello sir," he stammered.

"Hello, son," Father said a little more softly. "Good to see you again. And before you ask, yes, you have my approval. Kind of late for it though, don't you think?"

"He was going to ask once things settled down," Fern explained. "I told you this."

"I'm just teasing him," Father smiled. "It's good to have a family as a whole."

"Thank you sir," Sandy said. To Pips he asked again, "Where's Wil?"

"Wil is not in a good place right now," Pips told him. "Better give him a bit."

"All right, but I want to see him," Sandy said.

"You will," Pips reassured him.

Later...

"So Lily left with Zak? Just like that?" Sandy asked Fern, astonished. "How could she do that?"

"I don't know," Fern replied, shaking her head. "It has devastated our parents. Well, you saw."

"Yea. I thought he was going to pummel me to be honest," Sandy said. Fern laughed a little.

"Naw. He just comes across as gruff and tough, but he's a softie," she smiled. She watched Sandy with Zeke. She was very glad he was so happy to have a child.

"I would have been here, you know," he told her. "When you were having this baby."

"No, you wouldn't have. Trust me," Fern laughed. "I don't think there was a man in a two mile radius when I was giving birth."

"That's cos they're not as tough as I am," Sandy said, grinning. He was glad he had made the choice to come home. He just wished he had done it sooner.

In the city...

Lily was in awe of everything. When they hit traffic, she grabbed the door handle, feeling afraid. Zak had laughed at her. She still wasn't used to being in a moving thing this big, and seeing others doing it all at once was making her anxiety hit the roof.

"It's all right," Zak reassured her. "Everyone knows how to drive."

"Do they?" she asked. "Do they really? So there's never been any deaths in these things?"

"Well," Zak said, feeling stumped. He didn't want to scare her any more than she already was. "There are accidents of course. Nobody is perfect. You know yourself that sometimes mistakes are made."

"So we could die in this thing?" she asked, horrified.

"It's the chance you take every time, but you could die from a lot of things. Come on, Lily, you have to know that. At least there's no snakes or birds going to kill us from the sky here," Zak laughed, trying to ease the tension.

"That doesn't help, Zak," she replied, glaring at him. "Are we almost there?"

"Yes," he answered. "Here we are." They pulled into his driveway. Lily examined the house before them.

"You live in that?" she asked, surprised.

"Yup," he said proudly. "My dad built it himself."

"Wow," she said to herself. Zak opened his door and got out. She tried to do the same, but she was caught on something.

"Uh, Zak," she called. "Little help?" He laughed, coming around to help her.

"You press this," he said, unclipping her seat belt.

"Ohh," she said, examining it. "I get it now." There was so much she had to learn. Zak took her hand and led her inside. It was fairly dark.

"Mum gets headaches a lot," Zak whispered. "So I try to keep it dark in here for her." Lily nodded. She felt nervous meeting this woman for some reason.

"Where's your father?" she asked.

"He...he left a couple of years ago," Zak told her. "He couldn't handle her progressing illness."

"Oh," was all she could say. They were upstairs now.

"Mum?" Zak called softly, opening her door. "Hey, mum? You awake?" Lily saw someone stir on the bed.

"That you Zak?" his mother called.

"Yes. I have someone I'd like you to meet," Zak said, going in and bringing Lily with him. His mother struggled to sit up. She peered at Lily curiously.

"Hello," she said. Her voice sounded very tired.

"Hi," Lily replied. She looked at Zak for further instruction.

"This is Lily, Mum," Zak said. "She's going to help you."

"Oh, Zak," she said. "Not another doctor. It's not going to change anything. Just accept that."

"She's not a doctor," Zak argued. "And I'm not giving up until we've tried everything." His mother gave an exasperated sigh.

"She a friend of yours then?" she asked. Lily shifted uncomfortably. What was Zak going to tell her?

"A very good friend," Zak replied, smiling at Lily. She wondered why he didn't say girlfriend.

"Hmm," his mother said. "Well, just do your thing and try not to get into trouble." She looked pointedly at Zak for this comment.

"We won't," he said, raising his hands up. "Come on, I'll show you where you'll be staying," he said, pulling Lily away. She looked back to see his mother staring after her. She wondered if she could tell she didn't fit in here. She wondered how she was supposed to heal this woman who had already given up.

Comments, critiques, questions, etc. You know the drill ;) I'll try to write again soon, but next month is a biggie for me (gettin' hitched!), so I will have limited time. Don't give up on me!