Yay for a new Jumper. :) Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, you guys are amazing. Hope you like this new one. I promise some actual action will be happening soon.

I expected the next day to be filled with awkward silences or shameless ridicule. I got neither.

Griffin seemed either completely unaware of what had happened last night, or completely indifferent about it. It was business as usual for us, today being a jumping lesson on throwing people off my trail. He made the usual snide comments, slightly rude to the point of frustration, but that wasn't anything quite different.

Had he forgotten? He was speaking relatively coherently last night, so he wasn't that drunk. He was probably ignoring it for my sake. Okay, I take that back; it was probably for his own sake, since he obviously cares much more about himself than other people.

I shook my head. I never did well when I was thinking too much about something, so I tried to ignore my thoughts for now.

We had been practicing for half an hour when I decided I needed a break.

"I'm going to get some water," I told Griffin, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"Fine," he said, wiping his face as well as we walked into the shade.

The desert wasn't a fun place to be when the sun was directly overhead. I was surprised I hadn't fainted yet. I dug through my backpack for my water bottle and sprayed some on my face before taking a sip. I saw Griffin disappear for a few moments before returning with his own.

My skin was on fire. It was one of those times where even breathing was uncomfortable. There wasn't a part of me that wasn't smoldering as I prayed for wind in the stagnant air.

So, hot and knowing that I looked ultimately hideous, I decided that my self-consciousness would not win in this situation- I was taking my shirt off. I had on a tank top underneath, and quite frankly, the prospect of being even just one degree cooler was tantalizing.

I didn't wait to see if Griffin was watching, I just peeled off my white T-shirt and threw it into my bag while I turned back to the area we had been practicing in.

"You just love stripping for me lately," Griffin commented with a smirk.

Dammit. He did remember.

I felt my cheeks grow seemingly warm and did my best to maintain a tough expression.

"Oh, shove it," I said, rolling my eyes, "It's a hundred degrees out here."

"And last night?" he asked, raised eyebrow.

"Shut up," I growled.

I wasn't used to this. I was supposed to be the annoying one to soften the meanness of Griffin. He wasn't supposed to tease me. It didn't work that way. And I really didn't like it.

"Where's your towel now?" he asked.

"Seriously, Griffin. I can kick your ass." I said, trying to sound threatening but probably not succeeding.

"I'm sure you could, Barbie," he said, still with that stupid smirk.

"Ella. Say it with me- El-la," I spat, not really angry at the nickname, but more just angry that he was completely calm about this while I was near the point of combusting.

He laughed. I couldn't believe it. He was laughing at me. What was this? Maybe the drunkness from last night was spilling over or something, but I definitely felt like I was having a Twilight Zone moment.

"Seriously, you weigh what, fifty pounds wet? You couldn't break one of my fingers," he said cockily.

And since I'm crazy, and sometimes act on impulse without thinking how stupid I will look, I did something pretty...dumb.

I tackled him.

Surprised, he actually fell from my blow. We both hit the sand and Griffin's expression was priceless as he looked up at me through half-lidded eyes. When confusion turned to anger, I knew I'd made a mistake.

In moments, I was on my back with Griffin holding me down with his arms, smirking.

"You should not have done that," he said, breath hitting my face.

I scoffed and didn't hesitate to hit him where the sun don't shine. He groaned loudly, collapsing beside me and clutching himself.

"And you should not have done that," I smiled.

"Holy fu...you stupid arg...oh my go...low blow," he finally said, teeth clenched.

I smiled and began to rise to my feet before he was pulling my hand and forcing me back down.

"Truce?" I asked nervously, seeing the angry gleam in his eye.

I knew Griffin wasn't one to pass up revenge, or an act of violence, but I hoped he would agree.

"Fine," he growled.

I smiled and knew that acting like it never happened would be the only way to get Griffin to soften up.

"So what's new?" I asked cheerily.

"Are you bipolar? Or just crazy?"

"I like to think that I'm...special," I offered.

"That's not the word I'd use," Griffin muttered.

I hit him lightly and he scowled at me again. Whoops...someone is still mad.

"Hey..." he suddenly said, eyes on my shoulder.

I followed his gaze and craned my neck to see what he was looking at. It was a bruise- the one from the Paladin I had fought in the graveyard.

"Where did you get that? From me?" he asked with mingled curiosity.

"Oh, no..." I trailed off.

"What, did you get mugged or something?" Griffin asked.

"No, it was...a Paladin," I told him, "If you think this is bad, wait to see how he looks," I joked uneasily.

Griffin didn't laugh but instead looked back at the bruise, which was turning a lovely shade of purple.

"How come you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't know I was supposed to," I shrugged.

"So I'm training you to fight Paladins, and you didn't think you were supposed to tell me when you fought one. That makes sense," Griffin said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

I repositioned myself next to him, hugging my knees to my torso and avoiding his eyes.

"Well I sucked big time," I mumbled.

"Well you're alive, so you must not have sucked that much," he justified.

"Yeah but I ran away," I muttered, "I didn't stay around to fight. I was too afraid."

"It was your first fight. And we're not done training. When I'm done with you, you'll be a fighting machine," Griffin assured me.

It must be the sun getting to his head. The true Griffin would not be sympathetic, or reassuring. I don't know what's happening. And since I wasn't one for very serious moments, I got my way out.

"A fighting machine?" I teased.

"And this is why I'm mean to you," he said, rolling his eyes and standing up.

"Aw, Griffin, don't storm off!" I yelled with a smile.

"You're an pain in the ass!" he called back.

"But I love you baby!"

"Oh shut the hell up!"

"I'm all alone!"

"This is me leaving," he said finally, disappearing from sight.

I couldn't help but smile, knowing that even though his moods were constantly fluctuating, I think Griffin maybe, even if just a little, had started to get used to me.