When Eileen had first mentioned "shopping", Kairo didn't really know what to expect; after all, she didn't have a whole lot of time to do so back at the place she was forced to call home, in the human world. She did know, however, that Amelia did this "shopping" frequently, often telling Kairo to provide an excuse for her when her mother asked where she'd gone.

But after going shopping with these two mammals, it made shopping seem like the most hectic and overrated task in the world.

In the midst of trying on numerous garish outfits, Kairo couldn't help but wonder how the heck Amelia could do this for hours on end, nonstop, trying on scratchy skinny jeans and quirky, gaudy accessories that brought unwanted attention to herself. But while these girls stated that the time flew by so fast, it seemed like an eternity to Kairo. She made sure to only pick the apparel that didn't reveal her untreated wounds, which were growing worse by the minute. Countless times she nearly blacked out as the fatigue and hunger started to worsen, but managed to squeeze into the tiny clothes that Eileen stated "fit her personality". She didn't quite agree with the look, but they ended up buying a ton of tight clothing nonetheless.

It wasn't long until Eileen suggested that they should leave because the mall was getting crowded.

"Come on, Margaret, I really think we should go. Besides, I think we have plenty of stuff for Kairo to wear."

"I agree," Kairo said, her hoarse voice barely audible.

Margaret readjusted her purse that was slung over her shoulder before replying with a snotty tone. "Good for Kairo. Look, I just want to get one more thing," she snarled the same excuse that she said ten minutes before. Eileen sighed and looked back at Kairo, who was struggling to keep up with the countless shopping bags in her hand.

"Well…" Eileen started, a sly look appearing on her face as she thought. "Kairo looks pretty tired. How about she and I head on back to the park while you finish up, okay?"

Margaret sighed.

"I think she can wait for a little longer."

"You said that nearly ten minutes ago Margaret!" Eileen whimpered.

Finally, the annoyed red robin sighed. "Whatever. Just go on ahead. I'll meet you back at the coffee shop when I'm done, I guess."

Eileen nodded. "Right. Let's go, Kairo, I'll walk with you back to the house!" Kairo shrugged and followed as the mole headed towards the checkout stand.

Margaret peered over her shoulder, her focus immediately on the hybrid. She couldn't help but, after making sure they were out of hearing range, sneer in her direction.

Margaret hated this new girl with a burning passion, one that couldn't be extinguished for all the shopping time in the world. She saw the way that Mordecai looked at her in the coffee shop before she even stepped out of behind the counter. It was a look that Margaret was used to from him when she was around the blue jay. She did wonder, however, if the cat-girl noticed that Mordecai looked at her so longingly, helplessly locked in a trance that couldn't be described by anyone but the one wearing such expression. She hoped that she hadn't, though.

As much as she knew she shouldn't, Margaret was willing to use this to her advantage.

Sigh. Stand. Pace. Sit. Sigh. Stand. Pace. Sit.

This was pretty much what Benson did during the long hours that Kairo was shopping at the mall. He occupied the living room, straining his thoughts to the extent at which his dome began to ache. One question had rattled on the inside of his dome ever since the yeti departed: What did Skips' words mean? Surely they meant something important, considering the fact that, well, they were coming from the wisest being in the park, possibly in the entire city. But what the heck did it mean?

Chosen? It made it sound like a video game, or some fairy tale novel. How in the world had Skips known about the way he felt for Kairo? Was it that obvious? Do the others in the park now as well? While this seemed like a stupid question, since the yeti could possibly know everything there is to know in the universe, it didn't make the least bit of sense to the gumball machine. All of what had happened in the past week made him want to curl up on the couch and fall asleep, never having to wake up again. As he paced, he disregarded the clutches that he was supposed to be using and propped them up on the side of the couch. He didn't want to have to walk around with them, much less have to take disgusting medication to relieve the pain on his foot. He would endure it.

All in all, he hated it.

He hated the slyness in Skips' voice when he said those words only hours ago. He hated being told that he had to wear human clothing whenever Mr. Maellard came just because of some accident that occurred during a godforsaken rainstorm. He hated being told that he was chosen.

And, as strange as it seemed, he hated not knowing where Kairo was.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Benson felt his gumballs rattle noisily inside of his dome as he bolted towards it without hesitation. He felt something inside of him relax as he swung open the front door to see Eileen and Kairo standing before him.

"Hi Benson!" Eileen said happily with the soothing calm voice that Rigby stated was "the most annoying sound in the world". The both of them clutched dozens of shopping bags, some hanging from their shoulders and wrists filled to the brim with clothing and shoes and tacky fittings.

"Hey girls." Benson said calmly, trying his best to conceal the relief in his voice as he stepped aside and gestured for the both of them to come in. He could see her relief as Kairo set the bags on the plush couch and stretched slowly. "Maaan, I'm tiiiiired." she yawned. Eileen laughed as Kairo allowed herself to fall face first into the couch cushions and lay there until she was comfortable. The mole turned her attention back to the gumball machine.

"Benson, do you know if Rigby's here?"

Rigby's employer couldn't help but smile down at the Rigby-obsessed mole before responding.

"Yeah, he's up in the attic. Maybe he could use some help." Eileen's smirk widened as Benson pointed up the stairs, gesturing for her to go, and she took off running.

Now Benson was left alone in the room with the girl who came out of the television screen.

An odd and uncomfortable quietness barricaded the two, Kairo perched oddly on the couch and the machine leaning against the wall with a peculiar look spread across his face.

"Soo…" Benson said, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"How did you like going shopping?"

Kairo flipped over and faced him, her chin resting on the top of the couch. "Well, it was fine. I mean, you know…"

Benson saw the detest in Kairo's eyes.

"…You didn't really like it, did you?"

Kairo looked up at him with wide eyes. "No. No I did not. But…" she said, turning around and burrowing through one of her countless shopping bags before yanking out a music disc.

"Check it, dude! I got so many different music tracks!" she looked into her bag and shuffled through it once more. "And a CD player, 'cuz I'm too lazy to fuss with the radio station and signal crap," Benson chuckled at her comment, and she shot him a quirky smirk before going on. "And best of all…"

Kairo yanked out a handful sketchpads. "BAM! Look, man, I think I got six of 'em!" She flew off of the couch and ran to Benson. "See, I got an extra large one, one that I can use charcoal on, a special watercolor one, and-"

An unexpected wave of drowsiness and pain washed over Kairo, and her vision went blurry, Benson's concerned face blurring beyond recognition. She saw his lips move, saying her name most likely, but he was no longer audible; a shrill, high-pitched ringing made her head throb. "And…and…" she muttered unconsciously, noting how she couldn't hear her own voice, and saw that the world was tipping. She didn't realize that she'd passed out until she came to and felt a set of arms holding onto her waist. The high-pitched ringing was slowly fading away, and she heard a familiar voice calling out her name worriedly.

"Kairo! Kairo, come on, are you okay? What's wrong?" blinking the blurriness from her eyes, she saw the gumball machine's features become clearer.

"Whaa-?" she started, taking her hand and rubbing her aching forehead. "It's alright dude," she reassured him half-heartedly. "Just…a dizzy spell and a bad headache."

But she knew all too well that it wasn't necessarily the headache that throbbed painfully.

Benson slowly and cautiously helped her stand back up, taking her small hand in his before she let out an exhausted sigh and allowed herself to collapse against him. Not expecting this, he didn't do anything as she rested her head on his shoulder and clenched her eyes shut, tears threatening to seep through. It was too late though, for they already began to spill out and run down her warm cheeks, not visible to whom she considered her only friend. Careful as to not scare her, knowing how jumpy she could be, he hesitantly raised his hands and rubbed the small of her back.

"H-hey," he began, embracing her in an unexpected hug. "Are you okay?"

Kairo allowed the tears to spill freely now, but there appeared to be no more. "Yeah…" she barely whispered, the evidence of her crying clear in her cracking voice.

Benson didn't know what to say. "…I don't believe you…" he said. "Are you sick?"

"No,"

"…Tired?"

"No,"

"When did you say was the last time you ate?"

"…can't remember all that much…"

Kairo opened her eyes and realized that Benson was not only holding her up, but also hugging her. Holding her. Something nobody bothered to do in years. The lump in her throat intensified, and the pain from her head, and her wounds, and her depression, all seemed to go numb. She itched to cling onto him, to hold him as he was doing to her, to never have to release him. The very idea of being loved, held, even looked at the way he did to her, made everything hurt less. It was comforting in a way that Kairo couldn't describe. She still didn't know what to do - hug him or pull away, so she merely let her arms dangle at her sides with Benson's arms around her. Bliss.

When Kairo turned her head to the doorway, she was not only questioning how long they've been "hugging", but also how long the bulky yeti had been standing there watching them do it. As she caught his eye, a mix of delight and wonder gleaming through them, he skipped into the room.

"Is Kairo okay? I heard Benson from all the way upstairs." he started before fully emerging into the room. Benson released her and flipped around. "What? Oh, um…she fainted."

Skips glanced in Kairo's direction, and for some reason, Kairo felt as if he wasn't wondering about her condition, but how she reacted to being hugged. After a few seconds, Skips turned back to Benson, a casual tone of voice escaping his lips.

"Don't worry; it's common for people who travel through the Portal to have dizzy spells as well as other side affects." Skips put on a sly grin. "And boss, I don't think that the doc gave you crutches so that you can leave them laying around." Benson bit the bottom of his lip angrily as the yeti's smile widened. "Yeah, yeah…" he replied, rolling his eyes.

"And as for you," he said, looking at the hybrid intently. "You're feeling a little queasy, I take it?"

Kairo's stomach churned. Her face flushed red. "Um…sorta?"

Skips chuckled. "Get some food in you, it'll make you feel better. But before you do, I need to-"

Before Skips could finish his sentence, Rigby could be heard tumbling down the stairs with a loud shriek. Kairo shuddered.

"Get away from me!" Rigby shouted as he picked himself up off the ground and faced the mole coming down the stairs along with the blue jay. Mordecai groaned. "Come on, Rigby, grow up! She's ordering us pizza for Pete's sake. The least you could do is show a little respect!" With that, Mordecai turned to Kairo and wave his feathered hand. "H-Hi Kairo," he put his hands together oddly and faced his boss.

"Hehe…heyy, Benson…." he said nervously, using a tone that was often used before explaining how they messed something up yet again.

"What is it?" He said sternly.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing big, it's just…Eileen was going to order some pizza, since we're all hungry and we haven't done the shopping yet and all, so is it okay if, you know…we buy some pizza?"

Benson sighed, and out of the corner of his eye, saw that Kairo leaned herself up against the wall, her face pale as High Five Ghosts' and dark bags under her eyes. Gradually she looked sick.

"Benson?" Mordecai asked. Benson snapped his attention back to the employee that was taller than him. "Ugh, fine, just…if you're ordering, then make sure there's enough for everyone, alright?"

"Gotcha." Mordecai responded instantly, the shy mole handing him her small phone.

"Kairo," Skips said, catching Kairo's attention again. He nodded his head toward the front door, gesturing that they both step outside. "I have to talk to you for a sec," he said, heading toward the door and opening it for her. Kairo glanced back over her shoulder nervously, seeing an occupied blue jay and mole, a raccoon making obnoxious faces at her, and the face that she couldn't get enough of.

The face that read clearly that he worried for her. Benson nodded and smiled with reassurance; he knew Skips, and he was probably going to talk to her about the Portals or something along those lines. Kairo felt much more relaxed after he smiled at her, and she shot on of her odd grins back to him. She turned back around and dizzily stumbled our the front door, not knowing what to expect anymore.

Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for a late update and such a short chapter. Just in case there's an confusion, only Mordecai and Rigby are the ones actually listening to Maellard's instruction (of course Muscle Man and the others who normally wear clothing are too lol) I won't be uploading as often. I'll try to update chapters to all of my fan fictions every Sunday (I have a Teen Titans fanfic called "The Dark" and another regular show fanfic called "Falling For Nothing"). Thank you for those who have reviewed, and if you haven't, I'd appreciate it if you left some feedback. Thanks! : )