Thank you DoctorMerlinFan for the review! I totally appreciate it. Whoever says you can't be woken up by a kiss has never risen to the smooches of a cold, wet dog tongue. Anyways hope you enjoy this chapter.

Joey had indeed earned the impression Maria had on him. While he could not lift a 100 pound dumbbell, he was quick and he had fast reflexes. Dalia had decided to start off with a friendly race and he lapped her once and almost a second time as they ran the perimeter of the training room. The races they had after weren't so 'friendly.' He'd beaten Dalia every single time. Luckily for her, while he was a blue streak when it came to athletic actions, he was a terrible aim. His weapon of choice was always the pepper gun and so he was awful at long-ranged attacks.

"A'right, fine! I admit defeat!" He finally shouted out, collapsing to the ground. Dalia smirked and set down the gun she had chosen. Victory, finally. She'd beaten him, 28/30 - 8/30.

She sighed and plopped down next to him. "I'm going to take a nice, long, hot shower tonight. My limbs ache all over."

Silently agreeing, Joey stretched his arms above his head and tried to crack his neck. When he failed in doing so, he decided to speak up. "We should probably head back then. Unless you'd like me to outrun ya' once more."

"No, thank you!"

Dalia decided the team wouldn't be so bad. Her partner was growing on her. He was annoying most of the time and he talked way too much, but she could already feel her closed walls being broken down.

She groaned as she stood up, wiping sweat from her brow. "Forget taking that shower later tonight, I need one now."

"Me too, I'll come with you."

Joey suddenly blushed deep red and stammered, "I- I mean, I'm gonna' take one too. In MY room. I didn't mean-"

Laughing, Dalia cut him off. "It's okay. I understood what you meant."

Rubbing the back of his head, he prayed her boyfriend wasn't the overly-jealous type, and got up to follow her back.

-

Joey was laying, stomach down on her floor, flipping through her storybook. She couldn't help but smile at his expressions . They had both taken showers- in their contemporary rooms- and met up again in Dalia's room, waiting to be paged again.

"How come yer' so facinated by these stories?" He asked, picking up the heavy book and turning it sideways.

"They kept me company, I guess. I never really fit in with my classmates at school, so fairy tales were an escapism for me."

-
flashback

She was kept away from civilization. Kept cooped up in a little hut in the woods, with only her ill-tempered mother as company. Her name was Finola and the only person who would ever visit her was a dwarf who was mute. He'd bring them a sack of corn once a month and out of kindness, she'd make him a little cake.

"HEY!"

Finola didn't know it and neither did the dwarf, but both of them were under a spell.

"DAAALA!"

But Dalia knew it because she was the reader.

"HEY GEEK!"

Brutally ripped from the fantasy, she came to that realization as she finally looked up and noticed why her fantasy had been sucked right out from under her.

Her classmate stood in front of her, chubby little fists curled up and on her hips- Trying to imitate an authority figure. She made a sour face at the little Dalia, sitting on the concrete steps of their schoolyard.

"Why are you doing homework, Dala?"

"It's not homework! I'm reading about a princess and dwarf!"

The little girl wrinkled her nose.

"You mean a princess and a knight! Dwarfs are ugly and can't be with princesses!"

"The dwarf turns into a knight! I don't think they're ugly! This dwarf gave his eyeballs to a fairy to save the princess so he could be marry her!"

She had begun to talk so encouragingly, afraid that this girl would leave with the wrong impression of her story and dwarfs in general, she just couldn't stop rambling, trying to prove her point.

"That's gross! If he has no eyeballs then it proves he's an ugly dwarf, so there!"

"No, but-!"

Her classmate ran away from her. It had hurt at the time because Dalia was a little girl. She felt like something was wrong with her. She wished she had the power of nature, she'd shroud herself with vines and branches, making them grow all around her. The kids in her elementary school may not want to play hide and seek with her, so it'd be pointless to want it for that reason.. but at least she could hide herself when they started to bother her.

-
"Dalia, we've told you before.. No reading at the dinner table."

Dalia- now in her early teens- bashfully tucked the book away under the table.

Her mother sighed and spooned out more peas onto her own plate.

"Really. You need to grow up. Those stories are for children." Dalias sister said, sticking her nose up.

"I have to agree with Summer, there." Their dad said.

It wasn't fair. He was reading the newspaper at the table right now! And just last night Summer brought her calculus textbook to read over supper. She even made a mess of the tablecloth because she wasn't paying attention to where the direction of her spoon was headed. It resulted in a tomato stain on the white linen. Did she get punished for it? Noo. Her parents had laughed over it, telling her she would never be a multi-tasker.

-
"And they ruled wisely, together in their kingdom for many years after."

Not a single congratulatory clap was heard. Not one sign of appreciation.

"Very nice, Harrington. But next time, do your book report on a non-fictional book."

The classroom erupted with giggles and Dalia bowed her head in embarrassment. She wished someone would stand up for her. She has spoken back many, many times to defend herself but the majority always ruled her out and she began to keep it in.

Joey made a face at her as he watched her fade in and out of time. He waited patiently for her to come back to the current moment and as soon as her eyes began to blink rapidly at the recovery from her memories, he blurted, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. I have Bruce now. And Maria was always kind to me while I was employed here." Dalia reached over and tried to ruffle Joeys short hair. "And you're alright, I guess."

"Alright? Oh, I'm better than alright." He retorted hotly.

They chucked at each other and continued to wait on.

No Bruce this chapter. :( But guess who we're meeting next chapter? Two certain Norse Gods and a playboy philanthropist ring some bells?

*By the way, Dwarves are ugly? You have obviously not seen The Hobbit! Kili and Thorin, man. Whooo-eee!*