A/N: Okay, glad to have chapter ten up and ready to go. And I'm also glad to hear from you again, El Dorado. Really! Thank you for your kind comments, I must admit they really do encourage me to write further! Please, keep them coming! Hope you like this chapter…

Chapter 10: Torn between Love and Memories

Virginia

"I found you! I've finally found you, Daddy!"

I could see my father walking on ahead of me…walking into the darkness.

"….Please, wait! I can't keep up with you!"

I tried to call out to him, but no matter how fast I ran to him…..I could never reach him.

I lost my balanced and I tripped. The last thing I can remember is watching my father being swallowed by the darkness.

"Daddy!"

"Ermph! Ugh… huh---?!" I woke up and saw a familiar face in my view.

"Milady, I do believe she has awoken." Todd Dukakis called out.

The Schroedingers….!? What are they doing here, I wonder?

"Good!" A familiar voice responded.

Coming into view was Maya Schroedinger, my archrival. I felt the pit of my stomach feeling uneasy, since the last encounter I remember was her telling me to go home and stop pretending to be a Drifter.

"You okay?" She said sympathetically.

"Y-yes?!" I stammered, shocked to see that she was actually worried about me.

"That's good…. You blacked out after getting that beating from that iron golem thingamajig. And I'll tell you, that fussy robbed woman had no liking to all of you either…"

"Huh? …Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I remember now! We were at that Leyline Observatory place and we ran into them!" I shrieked.

"Bingo." Maya said, nodding her head.

I found the other half to the photo…and apparently Jet had memories of that place…He knew Daddy too…

As I was remembering all of this, Maya broke me from my thoughts by sayin', "Well then, if you're done resting, I guess you should go home… Obviously you're not Drifter material." She said, returning to her snobbish attitude.

"W-what?! But I've just barely started! What gives you the right to say that to me?!" I snapped at her. I've had it up to here with this 'wannabe Drifter' topic; I get enough of that from Jet and I don't need it from her either!

"What do you mean? If you continue on like this, then you're gonna eventually fall into something you can't get out of on your own. Once you pass that barrier, then I guarantee you there's no turning back. I'm only giving you some great advice here; 'Leave. Now. Before it's too late to turn back.'"

"I absolutely refuse to! I have a reason to continue on!" I explained, trying to get my point across.

"Really? Is that the reason why you act so brashly? Is it really worth it? Is it really worth risking the lives of your comrades for your selfish needs?! My goodness, you really are an amateur! You nearly lost your life today---and yet you still push on with ignorance! Just give up already and---"

"I'm willing to risk my life to see my father again! I will die trying to find him again! And there's nothing anybody, or you, can say to change my mind!" I burst out, impatient of trying to convince her to see my reason.

She didn't say anything for awhile, but tossed her golden hair behind her. Then in a firm, almost threatening tone, she responded, "Well, in that case… If you ever come across our path again, I swear I will hold no regrets of pummeling you to this dry, withered dirt, where you belong… You best remember that, rookie." With one last smirk, she turned and walked out into the lifeless wasteland with her comrades, out of our view.

That was yesterday…

As we continued to walk on south, my head continued to ramble over the things I've encounter that twisted my emotions. The things Maya said to me; finding out Jet had memories of the Leyline Observatory and knows of Daddy… And finding the other part of the photo I've kept… I know I will find him…somewhere, someday… But the nerve of that Maya! She acts as if she knows everything there is to know about being a Drifter! Sometimes she makes my blood boil. I think she can be very insensitive at times… But I can't just put aside of what she said… Maybe I really need to reconsider my goals here…

Yet I can't give up now… I've finally have a lead on Daddy now. At first I thought I should just get on with my life, thinking he was dead and move on, but something inside of me ignited. When I first found out he might be alive, I went in over my head. I was determined to find him and I'll show that Maya Schroedinger I'm no amateur as well!

Then my mind wandered over to Jet. He knew my father… He even said that Daddy was sort of like his old man… Could that be true?! Is he really my half-brother?! It would be a nightmare to believe that I was actually related to that jerk!

There's just no way!

Everything happened so fast… Too many surprises one could possibly not take, happening to them all at once!

As if that wasn't enough, we were going south to Humphrey's Peak. Yes, this was it….. The time has finally come to confront Clive's wife and daughter… I don't know why, but that got me nervous… All it meant was more disappointment for me… To think I'll be meeting the woman, whose husband I've been having a secret crush on. That certainly strikes a terror in me! I wonder what she would be like? Well, judging from Clive's decision making skills and sharp eyes… I'll bet she's a knock out; an absolutely kind and stunning woman. Clive always had a knack of picking out the best choices, so I wouldn't doubt he did the same for choosin' the woman he'd be spending the rest of his life with… Just thinking of that twisted a knot in my stomach.

"We're nearly there now. Just a couple of ways." Clive said, with some happiness in his tone.

Terrific…

Gallows

As Clive informed us that we were gettin' closer to his home, I got excited. Man, I sure was hungry! Maybe I'll finally get a decent meal here, after eatin' the garbage they called food at the taverns we passed by. Heh, I'll admit that I was pretty anxious to meet Clive's family though. I just hope his wife knows how to cook some real good food!

But you know? I couldn't just shake off the thought of the Guardians… The state we found the Guardian Stare Roe back at Glimmering Emblem wasn't good at all… Luckily for us, it still had enough juice to give us its Medium. We just gotta save 'em….one Guardian at the time! Come hell or high water, we're gonna stop the Prophets' dirty little plans! Whatever they may be… The only thing that's gonna get in our way is that big metal thingy, what was it? Oh yeah, I think Melody called it Asgard or whatever. And then there was Jet's case too, I thought he said he had no memories? But then, how did he know his way around the Leyline Observatory? Hmm… Something was a little fishy there…

"Here we are."

I looked up and saw our destination.

"This is Humphrey's Peak? Oh…um, it sure is pretty." Virginia said.

"Oh yeah, sure is! Pretty nice place you got here Clive, but hey it's kinda hard to imagine that you have an actual home; you're always travelin' all the time and fighten' the bad guys." I joked.

"Well I happen to be a bounty hunter after all, offering my servitude means I'll have to wander elsewhere to take care of business. Not to mention, I'm still studying the cause of Filgaia's decay. Yet, it can be very tiresome at times, when I just want to spend time with my family." Clive said, almost disappointedly.

"Well heck buddy, what are you waitin' for?! You've been alone long enough already! They're only a few strides away, so what's keeping' you? Ha, I'll bet your kid and your lady is anxiously awaiting for you too!" I gleefully encouraged him.

"You're right. It has been some time since I've come home, I think it would be a good idea to train around here for awhile. In time, we should be qualified enough to challenge the Prophets again. That means I'll get to spend some time with my family as well. What do you say to that Jet?" Clive smiled at Jet's direction, who was pretty much quiet since we left the Leyline Observatory.

"Oh, er…yeah whatever." He said in his sulky attitude.

"'Yeah whatever'? Shall I take that as a yes then, my leader?" Clive said teasingly.

"Sure, sure! Do whatever you want! Just don't call me that, okay? Let's just get one thing straight between us, sniper. I'm willing to help you out here with beefin' up the team, but until then I'm only part-time leader here, got it? Just half. In other words, you're still the leader, you hear? I'm just like you said I was, 'I'm your assistant'." He harshly yelled.

"Yup! Clive's the coach and Jet's the assistant coach!" I kid.

Clive gave a soft chuckle, and Jet frowned sourly. And Virginia…well, she's been awfully quiet too… She just stared forward into the town. I guess she's been doin' a lotta thinkin' of the stuff she's been through. Her mind was elsewhere and I don't blame her. I'd be pretty speechless too, if I found out that my old man was still livin'.

"Allow me to introduce my wife and daughter." Clive said merrily, as we continued to walk.

However, as Virginia and Jet continued further, Clive blocked my path with his arm. I looked at him surprisingly and he gave me one seriously scary look.

"Now Gallows, we're all aware of what your impression of women is. And I must inform you of something." He said in a brusque tone.

I nodded my head, sorta feelin' threaten by his words.

"My wife is OFF limits. So don't you even dare try to advance into anything that I find inappropriate." He warned, gettin' his point across.

"W-w-what---?! Heh, heh, I-I don't know what you're talkin' about buddy! I mean, come on! M-m-making a move on my best friend's wife?! That's messed up! Are you crazy?! I would never betray you! Come on, you know me better than that!" I stuttered, completely shocked at his statement.

"For your sake, you better hope I do. You try anything odd, and I'll swear to make you my next target practice." He responded coldly.

Whoa, who knew Clive was so territorial with his woman?!

Heh, heh, guess I gotta watch what I'm doin' when he's around!

We finally reached Clive's house and entered. The place appeared to have nobody in it, until I saw some tiny figure reading a book.

"Catherine? Kaitlyn? I'm home." Clive called out.

"Daddy!" the tiny girl squealed, she dropped the book she was readin' as she ran up to Clive.

Clive picked up the kid and she gave a delightful giggle, happy to be reunited with her father. She hugged him with affection. Clive looked really happy too, laughing merrily now that he was with his family again. The little girl had to be about six or seven years old. Ha, and she sure was adorable alright! I must admit, the scene was very touching and cute. I cooed a soft "awww" inside my mind. I've never seen Clive so happy before either, so I was pretty glad to see him like this for the first time. Heck I won't lie neither, this joyful reunion really touched my heart!

I looked over at my comrades to see if they were feelin' the same way. Sure enough, I could see Virginia was touched just as much as I was. But I couldn't help sense there was some sadness in there too. Golly, I'm bettin' she must really be missin' her father right about now too. Jet on the other hand, stood there lookin' rather impressed and dumbfounded that Clive actually had a kid.

Just then, the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on appeared. "Oh?! What a surprise! I didn't expect for you to be back so suddenly, dear!" The woman exclaimed. She had a very soft and gentle voice that could melt just about any ruffian's heart away. She gave one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. My whole body froze instantly.

Holy Frickin' Crap….!

"I didn't mean to surprise you Catherine, but my comrades and I decided to stop here and refresh."

"Well in any case, welcome home! We've been missing you terribly!" The angel walked over to her husband and gave a soft kiss on his cheek and embraced him warmly.

Clive, you damn lucky son of a bitch!

"Please, allow me to introduce you to my friends." Clive said. But I didn't wait for him to introduce me.

Without even thinking', I rushed up to the charmin' beauty (knockin' Virginia outta the way absent-mindedly) and grasped her soft, angelic hand and shook it eagerly. "The name's Gallows Carradine, ma'am! I'm an up and comin' priest, you know! So if there's anything you need, just ask me! I can be your bodyguard, magic-user, or anything you want me to be ma'am! I'll stand by your side twenty-four hours and seven days a week if I have ta! It's my duty to protect beautiful women, such as yourself."

I musta shook her hand too vigorously, because I was yankin' her all over the place. She laughed nervously as she tried to retrieve her arm back before I could brake it off, "O-oh! Well, it's a pleasure to meet you too Mr. Gallows---"

"No, no, ma'am! Just call me Gallows! And trust me, the pleasure is all mine I'll assure you! That's right, just call me for anything and I'll be sure to---"

"That's quite enough, Gallows." Clive warned.

"U-um! H-howdy! I-I'm Virginia Maxwell, and this loser standing beside me is named Jet Enduro." Virginia said nervously, placing a firm hand on Jet (who had his jaw dropped in amazement of Clive's wife, too). "Clive's been teachin' us so much about everything, we're very glad, not to mention lucky, to have him as a valuable team member!"

The woman smile tenderly, "Hello, my name is Catherine, and this is our daughter Kaitlyn." The little girl waved compassionately at us, "Please, make yourselves at home and I'll prepare dinner for everyone shortly."

"OH YEAH! Awesome!" I howled, finally relieved I'll get something in my belly after our tough journey from the Leyline Observatory.

"Yes, well we'll be training outside of town in the meantime. We must build our strength after all." Clive said, looking hopefully towards Jet, who suddenly had a grumpy look on his face. More hell for him to handle, I guess.

Catherine's heartwarmin' smile faded and she appeared worried all of a sudden.

"Now, now, we'll be alright. I'll be sure to be careful, haven't I've always been? So there's no need to worry." Clive smiled reassuringly to his wife.

"Oh, well… I suppose… Just be sure watch yourselves, all of you." She said, still unsure of Clive's promise.

"No need to worry, ma'am! I'll take good care of your husband for ya!" I said gleefully, punching Clive softly in the arm, apparently too hard as he nearly lost his balance.

She smiled again. "Thank you, Mr.-- Ah! I mean, Gallows." she said, with her soft lyrical voice that made me woozy inside.

Jet

As we were in combat mode outside of town, I still felt awkward after that Leyline Observatory incident. I still couldn't believe myself; I had memories! How can that be? Am I supposed to have memories? Was I supposed to? This isn't right, I couldn't recall any point in my life outta the blue like that, until just then when I first stepped into that observatory. I was so confused with myself… I wanted anyone to tell me what the hell was wrong with me. Despite that, I've been secretly feelin' good since Virginia promised me that she'll help me find my memories back in Little Twister. She sorta somewhat cares for me I guess and I was glad for that. But I still felt unsure of myself.

Even more weird was knowin' Werner turned out to be Virginia's old man… Now that's a shell-shocker! After learnin' that little piece of information (and witnessin' Virginia nearly havin' a heart-attack thinking' her dad was screwin' around with other women), I wasn't up to sticking with the group anymore. I didn't need this… Learning of Filgaia's history? No thanks, that shit ain't for me. I'm just a wanderin' Drifter who's only in it for profit. I ain't no damn researcher or scientist like Clive was… That's why I thought of bailing out that night… Until I ran into that damn Werner again… I thought he would know why I didn't have any memories, but the damn man wouldn't tell me. I know he has some kind of idea why. And like Virginia, I was determined to trail him down and demand him what he knows of me. With no choice, I had to stick around, to my displeasure. Damn him!

"Gallows! What the hell do you think this is? Some cheap little practice session?! We ain't hittin' bottles anymore! Quit screwin' around and hit the damn thing!" I yelled, getting some sense into him after he missed four shots at the massive monster.

"Virginia?! Come on! Put a little more force into those cheap little bullets of yours! Try Gatling instead of shootin' one at a time!" Virginia was definitely the quickest, but I ain't lying, those tiny ARMs of hers ain't helpin' us much.

"Nice job, Clive! Good Critical Hit! But try being a little faster! You're as slow as Gallows's wit!"

"What was that, you little twerp!? Look's who's tryin' to act all badass with his little machine gun and everythin'! Come on then, have at it! You think you can take me on?!"

"Do somethin'!" I challenged Gallows.

"That's it, you said it!" I saw Gallows charging at me. And okay, not that I was chicken shit or whatever, but I knew Gallows could really give me a real beatin' if he wanted to. I stood no chance against him when it came to sizes. So I ran, apparently for my life.

"Oh, shit!" I dropped my Airget--lahm and started runnin' as fast as I could. The giant Baskar couldn't keep up with me however.

"Come back here you little punk, and face me like the little bitch you claim to be!"

After runnin' around in circles like idiots, Clive decided to restore order himself, "That's enough! Gallows, don't you even dare to--- Jet!! Put your weapon down and don't you even try to fire at him!"

*******

The purple sunset swallowed the previous pink color, then faded into a darker blue. We, well actually I, decided to end practice then. Since Gallows wouldn't shut his yap about his stomach growlin'. It was pretty late, so it was probably a good idea to head on back (heh, my stomach was growlin' too).

As much as I hate to admit it, I liked the bounty hunter's family. The wife knows how to cook, her looks are more than average than I expected, and has a great personality to boot. Yes, I even liked the kid too. As much as I hated children, this little kid was okay. She was pretty cute at the things she does and the things she says. I couldn't help but feeling fond of her, but like hell I was ever gonna admit it out loud. So the sniper's been doin' pretty good for himself. He has great family. Hell, he's a very lucky guy.

My question is however; if he has it all, then why does he do the things he does? Why would he leave his ideal family behind and be riskin' his own skin by savin' others he doesn't even know? He should be stayin' home with his family and protectin' them instead! He would risk it all just for the sake of others and to find the lost history of Filgaia, which I find pretty worthless if you asked me. For a highly educated man, he's pretty stupid. But that's his problem, I guess. I'll never understand Clive! No matter how hard I try to! This guy is an enigma alright.

But anyways, I just hope Virginia could see how satisfied he is with his own family and just lay off him! Maybe after seein' his family today, Virginia will finally get some sense into that thick skull of hers.

Virginia

It was worse than I realized… Ten times as worse.

Clive had a wonderful family. Little Kaitlyn was so cute and adorable just as I imagine. I couldn't help but shed a small tear the way she lit up as she rushed over to Clive. At that same moment, I couldn't help but see myself in that little girl, running up to my Daddy. Experiencing the same joy as my father returned home from traveling out in the wasteland.

And then there was his wife. She wasn't anything like I would be expecting; she was far more than that. She was perfect and she was absolutely gorgeous. I instantly felt inferior when I was around this woman. How could I compete with that? How would I ever compare to her? I knew I had to watch my actions with Clive, especially when she was around. I felt uneasy thinking of taking her husband away from this kind, gentle woman. But it didn't matter… There was no way I was ever gonna catch Clive's interest in that way. Even if I did, it would be absolutely wrong to be messing around with a married man. Virginia Maxwell is not that sort of woman! But he was happy… There shouldn't be any reason why he would be interested in other women. Besides, he was a lot older than me. But what would Aunt Shalte and Uncle Tesla think? What would mom say if she was still alive?! Never mind, it will never happen… They were meant for each other and I just got to live with that. I've got to get over this silly little crush and push on! Why? Why did this had to happen to me?! And why did it have to be on him?!

"Man, that was sure some good eatin'!" Gallows exclaimed after dinner. "Ha, my friend! I must say that you do have a pretty good eye when it comes to women. Seriously! Your wife is very outgoing, sublimely beautiful, and she knows how to cook some real good food too! What more can a man ask for?! Shucks, you are the luckiest man in Filgaia!"

Clive laughed at Gallows's comment, "Why, thank you. I do believe that I am rather fortunate to have married a righteous woman myself."

"I'll say! Well, guess I should hit the hay. I'm pretty tired. Guess I wasted all my energy trying to catch that worthless squirt."

"Yeah, instead you should have been using that energy trying to actually be helpful in battle today." Jet responded coldly.

*******

Gallows went to sleep and Jet was outside, wanting to be alone I guess. I spend some time with Kaitlyn, which I did enjoyed. She apparently was interested of the Drifter life, so she asked me a bunch of questions of my journey so far. I gladly replied and told her all sorts of stories of what I heard of and what I've witness so far. Surprisingly she was interested in all the things I had to say and listened patiently. I must have been talking for awhile because Catherine came into the room and informed me.

"My, look at the time! I'm sorry Virginia, but Kaitlyn needs to go to bed now. You girls can talk again tomorrow." Catherine said politely.

"Okay mommy. Good night Virginia!" Kaitlyn ran up to me to give me a hug. I smiled, she really was the sweetest thing.

Just then Clive came in. "I'll put her to bed, Catherine. Don't worry yourself." he volunteered. He spotted me then smiled, then feeling myself turning red like a tomato, I quickly looked away.

"Oh, alright then, dear. I suppose I'll wash the dishes then."

Clive picked up Kaitlyn and went to the other room. Kaitlyn gave a quick wave to me and I waved back. Just then, I was alone with Catherine. That's when I started to get nervous. "Err-- Would you like me to help you Catherine?" I said, feeling it would be polite since she cooked for us.

She smiled at me, "You don't need to do that Virginia, you're a guest here. Please don't trouble yourself about it." she said softly.

"But--! It's the least I could do. You cooked for us and everything! Please allow me to help." I assured her.

"Well okay then, thank you very much." She said warmly.

So I decided to help her wash dishes, even though I felt nervous around her. But I came to learn that there was nothing to be afraid of as we had a friendly conversation together. She was a very intelligent woman, just like her husband. And she like to read too. Suddenly, all my fears of her disappeared and I've grown to really like this calm woman. All the friends I've made so far were nothing but boys, unless if you consider Maya (But I really don't consider her as a friend), so it was really nice to have a girl on girl chat. Just us girls.

"Anyways Catherine, you're very lucky to have Clive as a husband." I admitted. "I mean, it's not likely to come across an intelligent gentleman, such as himself."

"Thank you for saying that, Virginia. But I must admit myself, I'm rather envious of you." Catherine said calmly.

Huh?! A woman like that? Jealous of me?! What's there to be jealous of?

I became confused of what she said. There isn't any reason for a woman to be jealous of me… "What do you mean?" I asked stupidly.

"Well, you're a Drifter. And not just an ordinary Drifter, but a female Drifter. You know how rare that is? Most people don't think its right, but I believe it's rather brave of them." she said, handing me a dish to dry.

Catherine's words surprised me. "Well, uh, a lot of girls are Drifters you know. I know a girl who happens to be a Drifter as well." I said, wiping the dish dry.

"Is that so? I've hardly know any. Well in these parts of the region, it's very uncommon… They actually find it rather offensive and un-ladylike. Oh---! Don't get the wrong idea Virginia dear, I'm not saying you aren't. But some perceive it that way. Most believe that Drifters are only ruffians who have no heart." Catherine said sadly.

"I don't think so…" I disagreed.

"I don't believe so either. My husband is a Drifter and he's anything but. And I don't see how you, Gallows, and Jet are either." Catherine said sincerely.

Well… Maybe Jet is sort of…

"My point is, I'm envious of you because as a woman, you can travel to anywhere you please… You get to experience the unknown wasteland and enjoy every minute of it. You don't know how very fortunate you are, Virginia."

"Well, its not all good. There's nothing special out in the wasteland, its just boring." I said, assuring her that she wasn't missing anything.

"Really? Then if you don't mind me asking, why did you become a Drifter?" She asked cautiously, as if she wasn't trying to offend me.

"To tell you the truth, I want to find my father, who's been missing for a real long time. I know that there's a possibility that he may be…dead, but I've got a strong feeling he's out there somewhere. I know, it sounds stupid."

"No, no. I don't think so. I think its rather brave of you dear, and very caring. But I'm sorry to hear that your father has been missing. I'm glad to hear that you still have hope for him however. Some say that women shouldn't be Drifters, but I strongly disagree. Women should have just as much right to do what they please."

"….Did you ever wanted to be a Drifter, Catherine?" I questioned.

"Me? Oh goodness, no… Not really. Well, maybe when I was just a little girl, but my father would never allow that. Besides, I was too weak and too inexperienced."

Gee… That sounds awfully familiar…

"But yes, you have a lot of knowledge and strength and you know what it means to be a true Drifter."

I gave a nervous laugh. "Uh, yeah! Sure do!" I lied.

Clive

***Later that night***

My mind continued to race over the rejuvenation data we've witnessed back at the Leyline Observatory. I've never encountered such phenomenal information, and then there was the golem Asgard too. A machine that was capable of correlating current situations with past data to calculate the best course of action in battle. There was no way such a technology could function like that in this day and age…and the evolution of the planet that the prophets mentioned… and the missing torn photo with the scientists… This all led me back to the history of Filgaia. As a former archeologist, I could not just put that aside! I spent hours in my study, reading book after book covering Filgaia's past history. I was sure to find more clues in my research materials.

Just then, I heard a soft knock on the door. Catherine entered, looking rather shocked to see the state I was in. "Are you still up? Do you know what time it is, honey? Everyone's gone to sleep already." She said worriedly.

"Yes, but Catherine, you don't realize what I've encountered thus far. All the information I've gathered… I'm one step closer to solving---"

She looked around my study; books were piled in stacks all around the room, including my desk. Then she sighed disappointedly, "You know I don't like it when you get like this… You get so absorbed into your research that you forget to eat, not to mention sleep sometimes…"

"I promise, I won't over do it this time Catherine." I assured her with a smile, as I placed my arm over her small waist.

She leaned her head on my chest and responded, with doubt, "You said that last time." She caught me.

"Well, err…this time I mean it. I'll only be awake for a little while longer." I said, not sounding sure of myself.

"For how long?" She challenged me.

"I….well, I--"

"See? You don't seem too sure of yourself." She caught my bluff again as she laughed softly.

I rested my cheek against her hair, "Well, then I suppose I'll stay awake as long as you want me to." I whispered.

"Good. Then come to bed already."

"Now?! But I've just stared my research." I protested gently.

She looked around the stack of books surrounding us again. Then she smiled at me, "It doesn't appear to be that way, does it?"

I was at a loss of words, for she was the only person I could never persuade. No matter how smooth and collective I could be. She was just as stubborn as her father was.

She laughed at my hesitation, then she carefully took off my glasses. "Your eyes are bloodshot. Did you know that? You are getting tired…" She teased.

It was true, my eyes were sore from all the reading I have done. Fatigue overwhelmed me.

"But…. I'm so happy you've come home again. I've missed you so much." She whispered warmly, "And since you are home, you should be resting. it's a break, so you need to be enjoying yourself. And here you are, overworking yourself till you can barely keep your eyes open."

"I---" I tried to argue.

"No, I understand." She returned my glasses to its rightful place and gave a soft kiss on my cheek, "I know how devoted you are to your research, and I'll always support you. But just don't stay up too late again, okay?" She said tenderly.

"Okay." I agreed. She smiled at me then left, gently closing the door to my study.

I returned to my book, but then stopped, after considering what Catherine said. I should be resting myself as she said. This is a break from all the issues I've encounter after all… I mustn't let this go to my head all at once. I should be resting my wings, as should Jet and Virginia as well. Jet; whose mind must be in utter disarrangement after recalling memories he never knew he had. And Virginia; I'm sure this confrontment with my family has been a lot for her. But maybe now she'll realize this and continue to fly forward, just as a Drifter should. Feeling the weariness overtaking me, I decided to quit for tonight and followed after Catherine. Yes, she was right; I should be enjoying myself while I'm here…

A/N: Yes, Jet was torn between memories and Virginia was torn between love. You all probably got that, but just incase you didn't…now you know. As little as Catherine and Kaitlyn was involved in the game, I'll be sure to try to get them involved within the story as much as possible.