I just had to update this story again; I love it! It always makes me smile and I am always surprised by what comes from my mind... Hehe. With the help of a few friends, too, that is! Thanks, chibbyconffetiqueen, for this suggestion. I loved it! Here we are with the sunburn chapter, so aptly named:

The Sunburn Chapter

"Well, this much is clear," I said sarcastically, scrubbing the walls of the kitchen to remove the soot and fire extinguisher powder, "We need to get them out of the house!"

"But what are we going to do? We couldn't very well take them to the movies or out to eat or out shopping or anything," Alicia said, rinsing her rag in the sink.

"Obviously. But they just can't be cooped up inside. They have to go out and do something besides destroy my house!"

Tasslehoff muttered an apology from where he sat on the table, Tanis holding him by the shoulder to keep him from 'helping' clean up the mess. I half heartedly smiled as I kept myself from losing control and strangling him as Alicia snorted.

"Sorry doesn't bring the curtains back, does it?" Alicia asked, pointing to the scorched fabric that lay in a wet heap in the sink.

"No, but, it does help when-"

"No, Tasslehoff," Tanis said, seeing the look on our faces as Alicia and I continued scrubbing the counter and walls. He had been there for the accident with the toaster and flaming topknot and had seen it all happen. I had not, which was probably a good thing, because, after putting out the fire, I would have wrung his little kender neck. There was just no way to contain that creature.

According to Alicia, Tasslehoff had been working the toaster just as I had showed him, leaning over to see the toast turn golden brown before it popped up and he could butter it. As he was leaning over, his topknot had flipped over his nose and landed in a bread slot. As the bread toasted, so did Tasslehoff's hair. Eventually, it caught fire and the kender ran around the kitchen, Tika and Goldmoon throwing him in the sink as Alicia sprayed him down with the fire extinguisher.

The kender, cold and still covered in white stuff, the end of his topknot scorched black, was wrapped in a towel, Tanis keeping an eye on him.

I had asked for my kitchen not to be on fire when I came back.

Not happening, said fate.

Maybe I was a witch, maybe Raistlin was right. I surely didn't call the characters there, but maybe there was a way I could help them get back to Krynn. I knew for sure it wasn't happening by simply wishing them there, because Tas would have been gone by then, but there must-

My thoughts were interrupted by Jessica, who was calling from the living room, "Is it safe to bring the dishes in yet?"

"No, put them on a stack and leave them somewhere they won't fall over. Let the dogs lick whatever is left. At this point, I can't afford dog food: I need new curtains."

"Good deal," Keira answered, and I soon heard the jingle of collars as the dogs were licking up food Caramon couldn't get to on time.

I wiped my hands on the dish towel and placed in on the now clean counter.

"Alicia, I'm going to go and find Kim and see what we could do outside that wouldn't destroy anything, okay?"

"No problem; I think we're done here," Alicia said, throwing her towel over her shoulder and stepping back to admire the kitchen. "Well, everything but the curtains. But, I can make new curtains."

"You don't have to, 'Lisha; I'll just go and find some new ones."

"But I want to. Have a sewing machine and some fabric?"

"Yes and yes, but I'm not sure if the fabric would be like the old curtains."

"Leave that to me."

"Agreed."

I shuffled off to the bedrooms, stopping at the door of where Dalamar was staying, Kimmie probably by his side, watching cartoons or something weird like that. I didn't want to burst in on anything, so I listened closely.

"I don't think it would work, shalafi..."

"You wouldn't question that which would bring you home, would you, apprentice?"

"No, shalafi, no, but the Tower Of-"

"I do not wish to hear your moaning, Dalamar. It's for the weak!"

"The silver trees of my elven forest is my true home and I wish for Anna to see it."

"The wench is not coming with us!"

"Anna is not a wench, shalafi."

"She is in here with you nearly every time I pass by. Do you have a harem in the works? Would you prefer to add the witch, or the red head? Or perhaps the girl that carries the stick around with her everywhere she goes?"

"Anna is not a harem girl, she is-"

"I'm not going to listen to this, Dalamar! When love leaves you blind, you'll come crawling to me and I'm not going to help you!"

I could have walked away any time before that, but I didn't, showing my actual stupidity. I was thrilled for Kibbie, she actually had something of a boyfriend, someone who loved her, but I wasn't thrilled for myself when Raist whipped the door open and crashed into me. My nose hit his sharp shoulder and started to bleed. The burning warmth surrounded me and I couldn't move, my face hurt. I blinked through my tears of pain and saw the hourglass eyes looking at me, cold and glassy.

"Sorry," I muttered, pinching my nose. "I dibit no you were in dere."

"Save your apologies for someone who might care," Raistlin snarled, whispering a magical word. I felt the flow of blood stop and I could breath again; thankful for this act of strange kindness on behalf of someone who thought I was a witch, I looked up-

To find him gone.

The strange warmth was gone, leaving me cold, and the blood still left on my face and hands was starting to become sticky. Finding the bathroom occupied, I stumbled to the kitchen and washed myself in the sink, wiping away the blood. I never knew I had an audience until I was drying my face with a spare kitchen towel, blinking several times. Tanis, Tasslehoff, Keira, and Alicia were watching me. I smiled half heartedly, raising my eyebrows.

"Was it that scary wizard?" asked Jessica, nearly dropping the glasses she was carrying.

I nodded quickly, trying to talk, but realized I couldn't. I was moving my mouth, but no words would come out. I tried again, but, finding myself as scared and horrified as the others were, I pounded my fist on the counter, forgetting until the last moment that it was made of granite. I took that opportunity to say every swear word I knew about, and a few I didn't know about, no one able to hear what I was saying. Jess, placing the glasses on the table, covered Alicia's ears, Alicia watching me open mouthed, then deciding that covering her eyes might be the better course of action. Alicia, who had taught me most of the words, started to laugh. Then she put on her warrior face.

"Raistlin does not mean to be-" Tanis began, but Alicia was ignoring him.

"I'm going to go and beat him into the ground. First he hit you and then he took your voice? That. Is. It!"

Alicia snatched Jessica's color guard pole from her and stormed off for my sister's bedroom, ready to do battle. Jessica and I ran after her, Tanis leaving Tasslehoff sitting on the table by himself as he followed us.

"I don't think this is the best-"

"Quiet, guy-I-don't-know," Alicia snapped.

"I want my color guard pole back!"

"Stop whining, Keira!" Alicia snarled.

I tried to speak but, of course nothing came out. Alicia, stopping in front of the door, looked at me, her mouth open to reprimand me for disagreeing with her, but tilted her head before realizing I still couldn't talk and that was the whole point of confronting the mage. I put my hands on my hips and tapped my foot, waiting, face set.

"Um, Chelsea, stop it, whatever you were going to say... or trying to say right now..." Alicia said, grabbing the door handle and whipping the door open.

"Okay, you creep, give Chelsea her voice back!" Alicia shouted, getting in Raistlin's face. The golden skin mage curled his lips in a sneer.

"Only after the witch promises not to divulge what she heard."

"I heard nothing," I tried to say, but no sound came out and I just blushed, furious and embarrassed at the same time.

"Chelsea, were you eavesdropping?" asked Jessica, mouth widening in a surprised smile. I shook my head no and then slowly shook my head yes.

"I didn't mean to," I tried to say. "I was going to find Kim and then he opened the door and my nose hit his shoulder."

Of course, I received the same look and I closed my mouth, sighing.

"I will give the witch-"

"Stop calling her that!" said Tanis, Alicia, and Jessica together.

"I will give the lady her voice back only if she promises to help us get back to Krynn," Raistlin said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, duh," Jessica said. "We only have about ten more days to get rid of you guys before her parents come home and we have to leave. You'll be gone in ten days, she swears."

I glared at Jessica for putting words in my mouth but, at that point, it was a good thing to have someone speak for me.

"Fine, fine," the mage said, waving his hand and murmuring a spell. I smiled as Alicia sighed.

"Good, now that we have that taken care of, I can stop Alicia from killing you for the bloody nose."

We all went back the kitchen, coffee in mind. It was halfway through the morning and we were already exhausted. Alicia and Jess gasped as I let out the cry equivalent to a wounded dog.

"My kitchen," I moaned, "My kitchen..."

"The coffee, the coffee," Alicia followed, getting on her knees.

"Awhahahhh," lamented Kim.

We all turned to look at Kim, who asked, "What are we groaning about?"

Tasslehoff sat on the table, covered in coffee grounds in addition to fire extinguisher powder and water, enjoying a hot cup of coffee, a grin on his face and a maniacal grin in his eye.

"Our sanity, our sanity," started Jessica, collapsing to the floor alongside the rest of us.

The rest of that day, we were all outside. Laurana, Tika, and Goldmoon enjoyed horseback riding, taking the three horses we had in the pasture around the yard. Tanis and Caramon took the all terrain vehicle out for a spin around the property, and Flint and Riverwind went to the pond at the edge of the yard to catch fish, even though I told them over and over again they wouldn't catch anything, the coy fish simply swimming around, bored with the whole experience of being teased with corn on a dull hook. Kim went for a long walk with Dalamar, who still wore his long black robes, the two of them walking in the sunlight until they were out of sight around a clump of trees. Sturm was keeping Tasslehoff busy by watching him play an animated game of "Bop It," the kender so hyped up on caffeine that he had already surpassed my sister's original score of 279.

Alicia, Keira, and I lay on my deck on towels and blankets, relaxing as best we could. Jess had already dropped off to sleep in a tank and pajama pants and Alicia was sewing new curtains, her eyes closing occasionally. I let the summer sunlight warm my skin as I, too, fell asleep, happy for a few moments to myself.

Little did we know that sunblock would have been a good idea.

Hehe, there you are! There was really nothing in this chapter about sunburn until the end, so sorry if this title was a little confusing. I just liked it so much! Please tell me what you think and leave me a message/review; thanks!