A/N: Sssssssssssssssssssssssssso. Okay.

First thing: I graduated! As of December last year (2015) I have an associates degree in general studies. Again, nothing big, but I'm the first female of the past two generations to attend and subsequently graduate from college. So I'm pretty proud of myself ;P

Second: Since I'm not attending school again for a while, I'll have more time to write, BUT, they also have me working five days a week at my job, so updates will continue to be infrequent. But they will happen, I just don't have a set schedule! I'm about two or three chapters ahead at this time, so I'll try to post whenever I've got two or so chapters written so I don't fall too far behind. Again. As I have every time. Oy.

Either way, you didn't come here to read about my life, you came for a story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line. Kudos to Satoshi Tajiri completely.

"Dawn!"

"Oh my gosh, are you guys okay?"

"Girls, calm down."

"Get her inside."

Voices floated softly around Dawn, calling to her from the corners of her conscious. They were so distant, but she could just barely hear them. Was that . . . her mom? She could vaguely discern them all, but there was one voice that sounded so . . . familiar . . .

Wait.

What was happening?

It was dark when she managed to pry her eyes open. With the heel of her hand she rubbed at her face. The air felt cool wherever she was, enveloping her entirely. Except for her hand. It almost felt like it was being bathed in . . . warmth. Was she imagining things?

When she pulled her hand closer to inspect it she found that the warmth disappeared, leaving behind a different feeling. One of familiarity. Wait a minute . . .

With a rush of realization, she sat up and sent the covers flying. They folded haphazardly toward the foot of the bed, almost slipping to the floor. Light that shone through her open curtains blinded her. Crying out in surprise, she pawed for the blanket again, shielding her eyes with it as she fell back against her pillows.

Sun spots swam in her vision. She tried to blink them away as she tried to get an idea of her surroundings.

She was . . . home?

The familiarity of her bedroom almost hurt, the light streaming in through the window bouncing off of the walls. As she laid there trying to stare at nothing, she tried to pick out certain memories from the previous day. Most of her time outside was a blur, but there were small snippets that teased at the edge of her thoughts. When she tried to force them to the front a subtle pain bloomed behind her eyes. Squeezing both shut, she pressed the heels of her hands to them, flinching when something rough scratched at her cheek.

"Ow," she muttered. Tugging the blanket away so she could see, she was able to notice shallow scrapes that had already scabbed were spattered across her palm. Dark red marks led from the joint of her thumb to her wrist. Did she fall recently?

Oh, that's right.

Slowly, everything started to come back to her: her unfinished battle with Paul; the dinosaur crashing into the field; Topaz and Tobasu double teaming it and both whose locations were unknown; their journey to return home. Feelings of loss stabbed at her chest as she bit at her cheek and tried to not cry.

Sniffing, she slapped her cheeks to snap herself out of it. A sharp pain jolted through her head as a result, though, and she groaned in regret. "Such a bad idea," she groaned. Pressing a hand to her temple, she used her headboard for support as she sat up. Ignoring the painful sunlight in her eyes, she carefully rolled off the bed.

For some reason she felt disgusting, like a layer of sand covered her skin in a gritty coat. It made her feel itchy and uncomfortable. But then she remembered how caked in dirt and soot she'd been for most of the morning and early afternoon. Even though her skin was now clear of anything nasty, it still felt like she was covered with it. Since she was clean she assumed she'd either taken a shower half-awake, or her mother had helped her wash her face, arms, and hair. There was dirt still under her nails, so she assumed it was the latter.

I feel like a Tepig after a mudbath. For some reason, even though she was apparently 95% dirt-free, it felt as if she were still coated head to toe in ash and muck. Even with a different set of clothes the sensation of just plain gross kept itching at her arms and legs.

"Maybe I should just go take a shower," she muttered.

Gathering clean clothes in her arms she trudged down the hallway to the bathroom. Her footsteps were silent on the carpet, helping to ease her mind. It felt nice after walking through leaves and utter ick for a few hours.

Hot, humid air misted around her as she turned on the water, helping to clear her mind. Inhaling deeply, she pulled the shower curtain closed so she wouldn't get sprayed by the stream of water spurting from the shower head. Laying her clean clothes by the sink, she pulled what she was pretty sure was her mom's shirt over her head. It was too big on her slim frame, hanging slightly off one shoulder as she'd walked down the hall. Tossing it by the door, she made a mental note to grab it before walking out. Stripping off the rest, she stepped into the tub.

"Ow! Ow" Stumbling backward, her feet slipped against the tub floor as she almost slammed into the cold tile wall.

The shower valve had been turned much too far to the left, sending boiling hot water streaming from the shower head. Being as careful as possible, she slowly edged around the spray until she could could reach the knob and adjust the temperature. It immediately cooled enough to where it didn't burn her skin when she tested it with a hand.

Sighing, she stepped into the spray, letting the water douse her hair and shoulders. Thankfully, with it lukewarm now, it didn't make her want to jump out screaming. Pushing her sopping hair out of her face, she closed her eyes and listened to the sound of water falling as she let her mind wander.

Time had lost all meaning to Dawn. It felt like they'd been sprinting for hours through the forest. Sitting silently on the Sawsbuck's back, she held onto Paul tightly. Neither of them seemed to be in a talkative mood at the moment, so she was perfectly fine with staying quiet. Her cheek pressed against his back as they rode around seemingly endless trees and logs that were in their way. Small wild Pokemon cleared a path for them wherever they went, as if they didn't want to interrupt the majestic animal's mighty gallop.

With how smooth the Sawsbuck was running, it was almost as if she were being gently rocked back and forth, like in a hammock. It was making her feel drowsy even though she'd had a good night's rest. Thankfully, her knee had finally stopped throbbing, feeling slowly coming back to her feet since she wasn't holding on for dear life with her knees this time. Paul's back felt strong against the side of her face, but not uncomfortable enough to keep her eyes from sliding shut and slowly drifting.

No sooner had she closed her eyes, a burst of sunlight flashed across her face. It startled her to the point that she almost fell sideways off the mighty deer. With quick reflexes, Paul managed to reach behind him and grab her arm. His grip was tight on her upper arm as he pulled her back into a sitting position. The Sawsbuck slowed to a walk when it hit ankle high grass, having sensed Dawn teetering.

Walking a few more feet from the treeline, it came to a halt. Before them was about twenty yards of grass, then houses. The stretch of green swayed in the wind as Dawn realized that they were on the wooded edge of town behind her cul-de-sac. They were maybe ten yards from her backyard, her back porch visible in the distance. It was a sight she wished to never forget.

Kneeling down easily, the Sawsbuck let them off, signalling that it was going no further. Both teenagers climbed off its back slowly. With her legs half-asleep from the ride, Dawn wobbled a little when her feet touched the ground. She almost stumbled into Paul, but managed to catch herself before she actually fell against him. He braced her for a few moments, his hands on her upper arms. Silently thanking him, she carefully stepped closer to the Pokemon as it stood to its full height once more. Edging a hand forward she touched the side of its face, thanking it for helping them.

Chuffing at her, it moved its head to press its nose to her palm. She giggled at how cold and wet it was—it felt just like she'd expected it to be. Pressing her cheek against the side of its mighty jawline, she murmured, "I owe you one."

Standing silently before her, it peered into the trees behind them. It was almost as if it were patiently waiting for something to show itself and walk out into the open. Both teenagers were quiet, feeling the tension that rolled off of the Sawsbuck. But when there was nothing but the sound of the wind in their ears, it dipped its head in farewell, turning to walk back into the trees.

Dawn and Paul stared after it as it left, its tail swishing behind it as it disappeared into the shadows among the brush and tree limbs. A heavy silence stretched between them as neither could find anything to say.

Well, one of them had to try. "So," she started. "I guess this means that we're home." Exhaustion caked her words, causing them to be heavy and difficult to enunciate. She tried for a smile, but it faltered, turning into more of a grimace.

Peering down at her, he noted how she wobbled on her feet as she tried to stay upright. She was bobbing to the side slightly, her balance uncertain. Every time she leaned too far to one side she'd correct herself, slap her face lightly with both hands, and take multiple deep breaths to try and steady herself. This happened a couple time before she ultimately lost her internal battle against her exhaustion, the need for rest conquering as she tipped too far to catch herself. So Paul did it for her.

Making a swift step to the side, he reached out with both arms and caught her. Landing against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from finally falling on her face at his feet. She slouched against him, mumbling an apology as her head lolled to side and she blanked out.

The steam that clouded around her head wasn't the only thing making her cheeks feel hot. Cupping her hands together, water pooled in her palms, and she waited a moment before splashing it on her face.

Yup, still kinda hot. For a moment she regretted doing it, but decided to just let it go and completely submerged her head under the running water. The stream of falling drops massaged the back of her head as she stared at the tub floor, her hair hanging around her face in blue tendrils.

Moments of Paul carrying her inside kept flashing across her eyelids whenever she blinked. They distracted her as she watched the water around her feet slither toward the drain. She remembered that she'd been constantly in between consciousness as he'd carried her, the soft swaying motion lulling her back and forth. One arm had been beneath her knees, the other holding her closely to him. Goosebumps ran down her arms, the ghost of his touch lingering on her skin even as she reached to grab the shampoo and wash her hair and any further daydreams.

Lathering, rinsing, and repeating as fast as possible, she kicked the water off with her foot and grabbed the towel hanging next to the shower wall. Wrapping it around her, she grabbed her discarded clothes and made her way out of the bathroom and down to her room. She ran her hands through her hair as she walked, deftly tying it back with a hair band she'd found by the sink so it wouldn't sit around her neck. She hated the way it stuck to her skin and soaked the back of her shirts. So uncomfortable.

The door latch gave a quiet click when she kicked it shut behind her. Dressing in silence, she let her memories create her own personal background noise as she moved things out of her way. Stuff seemed to litter most of her floor: piles of shirts with hangers still in their necks, a shoe without its partner sticking halfway out from underneath the bed, pillows she'd thrown in a rush to get up. She could only assume some of these things that had been pulled out of drawers and her closet were done by Piplup, mostly because the Penguin Pokemon was prone for digging in her belongings to search for something only he seemed to know about.

As she dressed, her mind wandered to other things. While pulling on a shirt she'd noticed that her mattress was starting to sag near the foot end. Testing it with her hand she discovered that nearly half of the cushion material was almost caved in. It was the space where Tobasu had been sleeping since she'd been letting it out of its ball at night—

A heavy sigh pushed its way from her abdomen. This happened every time she thought about her Flygon. A wave of depression would drown any other feeling she'd had only moments before, leaving her with an oppressive sadness. It was starting to eat at her, sending her stomach into painful flops. Maybe some food would help appease the beast.

With it being Sunday she didn't have to worry about school at least. Muttering to herself as she made her way downstairs, she idly wondered what time it was.

"Must've slept through most of the day." Scratching her head as she passed by the dining table, she ran a hand along the end of the kitchen bar as her target came into sight: the fridge. "Wonder if Mom made anything this morning, I'm starving."

Luck was on her side for once. Johanna had put together a small, quick meal for her. After the turn yesterday had taken, though, she probably needed something more to drown her sorrows in. Scrounging elbow-deep into the fridge, she cheered when she found some cake wrapped in cellophane on the back of the top shelf. Score! Her sweet tooth was demanding immediate sustenance.

"I like to eat, eat, eat, cake and . . . hm, I'm not even sure what this is." Her song was left incomplete as she took her hearty find to the table. Before she dug in, she noticed Glammy laying in a shaft of light cast through the window beside Dawn. Her kittens were gathered around her, mewling because the light was so bright. Dawn watched silently as she shifted so they were in her shadow. Such a sweet mom, she thought as she unwrapped the cake.

It didn't take Dawn very long to devour her snack. Setting the dishes in the sink when she was done, she made sure to check on the cats before grabbing her keys from by the door. She didn't remember hanging them on their hook, so maybe Johanna had put them there after she'd gotten home. Never before had the blunette been able to consecutively hang them up every time she came home from school, so it only made sense that her mother had been the one to do it.

With a last glance behind her, she left Piplup and Gabite—wherever they were—behind as she walked out front. She had some thinking to do.

"Dawn, what were you thinking after what happened last time? You were in a field that had been on fire for Arceus' sake."

The blunette could do nothing but sit there and dozily listen to her irate mother. She was so exhausted, so emotionally spent, she didn't even care that she was being chewed out. Johanna was never this angry, only during times when Dawn had done something stupid or dangerous. Guess this was a little bit of both.

"I'm sorry, Mom," she mumbled, barely coherent.

Johanna took a deep breath and held it. She was obviously angry and agitated with her daughter, but at the same time was glad that she was safe. Exhaling, she ran a hand over her hair before turning to Dawn's friends. They'd all gathered at the Hikari household in hopes of seeing Dawn emerge from the forest. For hours they had waited with the blunette's mother, worrying over the girl as she'd wandered through the trees with Paul and the Sawsbuck.

Glancing over each worried face, Johanna's eyes landed on the boy. He was leaning against the edge of the breakfast bar, his arms crossed in obvious agitation. The floor seemed to be the most fascinating thing to him at the moment, for he wouldn't look anybody in the eye. Though for a brief moment she thought she caught his eyes dart to Dawn, then back to the hardwood.

"Girls, I'd like to have a word with the two of them, please." Johanna left no room for debate, putting enough force on the last word so they'd know not to disagree. May seemed like she wanted to say something, even taking a small step forward and raising her hand, but Misty reached out and caught her shoulder. The older girl shook her head, turning and leading May and Leaf out the front door. It shut softly behind them.

Sighing, Johanna looked back to her daughter. Dawn sat on the couch, her eyes staring almost blankly in the direction her friends had just gone. There was a sadness to her gaze that was barely detectable. Barry didn't show, Johanna realized, feeling momentary maternal pity for her. But she pushed that aside, striding across the floor to sit next to the young girl. She motioned for Paul to come closer. Reluctant at first, he finally stepped forward.

"Now, the first thing I want you two kids to know is that I'm glad you're both safe," she started. "I'm not mad, but I'm disappointed in you. You both knew that it was a risk to go into that forest where dragons have their nests. It may not be mating season anymore but . . ."

She continued on, but it was like Combees buzzing in Dawn's ears. She was so tired she could barely keep her head up. Rubbing her eyes, she jumped when she realized that she was still wearing Paul's jacket when the sleeve brushed her face. Confused, she stared at it. Why was she wearing Paul's jacket? Didn't he have it back in . . . oh yeah. He'd lent it to her when it had started raining earlier.

Drifting off for a moment, she snapped back to attention when Johanna demanded whether or not she was listening. Dawn mumbled a reply, but it was lost when she fell against her mother's side, her cheek resting on the woman's shoulder. Sighing, Johanna shifted so her arm was around Dawn. "I guess she was more tired than what I'd thought," she said to herself. I can't carry her upstairs myself, she realized.

Before she could think of ideas, a hand appeared in her line of vision, then an arm, taking her own's place around Dawn's shoulders. Leaning forward, Paul lifted her from the couch easily as if she were a rag doll. "I've got her," he muttered. Turning on his heel he headed toward the stairs to carry her to her room.

Stuttering slightly, Johanna called after him, "Paul!" He glanced over his shoulder at her, waiting. His damp hair hung in his eyes, obscuring them from her view. She wavered, waving it off. "Nothing, never mind. Just . . ." He blinked at her, but she just shook her head. Shrugging, he continued upstairs.

Leaning into the couch cushions, Johanna sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. Oh well, she thought.

The shade cast by the trees above kept the forest floor nice and cool. It was still silent from yesterday, the small wild Pokemon hidden in their homes in the trees and underground. With a rustle of leaves, Dawn made her hiding place wider and less prickly. Carving a sitting area out of the dirt with her fingers, she patted it down nice and flat before settling in. Brushing her hair behind her ear with the heel of her hand, she pulled her legs close to her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

Most of what she'd forgotten from the day before had slowly flooded her mind, overtaking her in the form of indistinguishable words and a blurry shadow as she was put to bed. Since she hadn't seen her mom yet she couldn't ask her about it, but she didn't let it worry her.

Turning her thoughts in another direction, she peered through her bangs up at the forest canopy. It was a nice day out for once, so she was able to clearly see where there was still a gaping hole that Topaz had crashed through. Small bits of foliage had barely begun to bud, giving ragged edges to the hole. Bright light filtered through the leaves, warm on her face as she watched dirt and dust motes dance above in her own personal spotlight.

This feels very . . . lonely, she mused as she leaned back on her hands. In such an isolated spot she seemed cut off from everything else, all of society as a whole, which she guessed was the point of coming into the woods at all. She needed some space from people, to be by herself. Her friends were probably still worried about her, but for the moment she thought nothing of herself: she had some recollections to work through.

When they'd stumbled over the threshold into the living room Dawn's mother had phoned the Rangers. They said they would take a report from her, but only if Johanna were around since she was a minor. The blunette used her isolation to think of just what to tell them later after her mother got off work. She couldn't take the afternoon off to meet them sooner, so they'd agreed to drop by after she got home. Thing was, Dawn didn't even know what time it was.

Probably should have thought this out better. Sighing internally she sat up. The thought of skipping their meeting passed fleetingly through her mind, but she decided it was against her better judgement to follow through with it. With a situation as big as hers it probably wouldn't be a good idea to stiff the Rangers. But she also couldn't ignore the fact that they might ban entrance into the forest for an extended period of time until they caught that dinosaur . . . thing.

Just remembering the monster left a bitter taste in her mouth and lit an angry fire in her veins. Her first priority was to retrieve her friends and shelter them in the safety of her home, her second to find and demolish that massive beast. Her current team didn't have the strength to win against it, but she knew once she had Tobasu and Topaz back that they'd be able to close that gap instantly. It was just a matter of time.

Using the anger to her advantage she jumped to her feet with new found energy. It coursed through her like adrenaline, pushing her forward. It was time she did something for herself.

.

.

.

Turns out a run around the neighborhood was just what the doctor ordered. The sound of her shoes slapping against the pavement, her breathing jagged as she pushed the rest of the block toward her house, the blood pumping in her ears just telling her to go go go. Maybe she should do this more often.

Whizzing past house after house, she slowed as she reached the Shinjis'. Jogging in place, she glanced at the house front. The lawn looked better than it had in months, pastel-colored flowers lining the inside of the fence line; she hoped they didn't die in the incoming cold season. Did Reggie paint the shutters? They were a bright blue, stark in contrast to the gray siding. Wow, he'd even painted the door to match. This man was on it.

Movement in the window caught her attention. A flash of red came into view, pulling her eyes to it. With the glare of the sun on the glass it was hard to determine just who it was, but she could vaguely make out a male shape. Standing straight with his arms in front of him; a red vest resting on his shoulders; black shorts disappearing below the windowpane—a Ranger. His partner leaned into view as she bent toward him to say something. With their backs to them she was blocked from view, but it still unnerved her. Before the female Ranger caught sight of Dawn snooping on the front walk, the blunette decided to hightail it out of there and raced the rest of the way home.

"Thank you for your time and cooperation." The Rangers nodded their heads in farewell at the Hikaris as they filed out the door.

Waving after them, Johanna shut the door softly before leaning against it. Inhaling deeply she said, "That felt like an interrogation more than anything."

Dawn laughed from where she lounged on the couch. As soon as she'd realized they were done with formalities she'd kicked her feet up beside her and lain on her side. It felt so much more comfortable than the rigid sitting position she'd had while the Rangers had interro—er, questioned her about yesterday's events. It was the same duo she'd seen through Paul's window earlier. They hadn't looked much older than her, but then again Ranger school allowed students to attend at an earlier age than the police academy.

The entire time Dawn had been explaining her situation her mother had been sitting silently next to her, listening to her daughter stutter and ramble at certain times. She'd been her rock when Dawn had choked up when she'd reached the part about her dragons fighting the dinosaur, holding her hand as she'd wiped her eyes to clear her vision. The Rangers had quietly respected her emotional slip, the female handing her a tissue. With a thanks and some deep breaths she was able to pick back up where she'd stopped.

It was a long and slow process as she relayed everything she could remember, but thankfully it was over for the moment. Before leaving they'd said that they would report back with more information as they came across it. Then they'd gone and left the two to their own thoughts.

"Well, at least it's over for now. Do you think they'll ban people from the forest?"

Johanna came to sit by her daughter. She didn't look stern or aggravated like she had the day before, but the girl could still see fine lines around her mother's eyes. "I'll be honest with you," she started. Reaching over she brushed Dawn's hair out of her face before continuing. "I don't really know just what they plan on doing concerning the woods. It is a dangerous place, so they might."

Sighing, Dawn rested her face against the back cushion. It was soft under her cheek, the undercoat of the lining rough beneath it. The couch creaked as she readjusted her sitting position. "I hope not. I really need to get back in there and—"

Her mother interrupted her. "You most certainly will not return to that forest until they deem it safe. Dawn, do you realize how much danger you and Paul were in yesterday? You could have died."

"But Mom—"

"No. I try to let you have as much freedom as I can because I trust you, but I do not want you to go past the tree line until they find that thing that attacked you all. Do you understand me?"

Begrudgingly she answered, "Yes, ma'am."

Later, upstairs in her room, Dawn deliberated over her situation. Staring at the ceiling above her, she traced patterns she found with her eyes as she thought.

Johanna wanted Dawn to stay away from the forest and its inhabitants, but she just had to find her friends. Her mother knew school would keep her busy during the day, but once it let out in the afternoon it was no holds barred. There was nobody to supervise her while her mom was on the clock at her second job. Dawn thought this little loophole would give her the chance to slip out and run off for a few hours, but Johanna had a plan.

Every afternoon until further notice, once Dawn returned home after school she was to report to the Shinjis' home down the street. Every hour on the hour until her mother got out of work, Dawn was to call Johanna at work and have both Dawn and Reggie talk to her to affirm that she was indeed in their presence and not cavorting somewhere in the trees. Cavorting, like some princess in a fairy tale with her talking animal friends. Jeez.

It kinda hurt that Johanna would doubt Dawn, but at the same time she knew her impulsiveness probably would have gotten her into trouble at some point in the near future.

This entire situation was so frustrating that Dawn rubbed at her face, growling at herself. Just what could she do? It was agonizing just thinking about how useless she felt at the moment.

Sitting up, she grabbed her pillow, and in a fit of rage she grunted as she shucked it across the room. It hit her closet door with a satisfying thump before flopping to the floor. A jacket that had been hanging on a hook on the back of the door swung wildly, threatening to fall. Dawn stared at, her eyes following every pivot as it moved from side to side until it was finally motionless.

Seems like fate has a plan for me.

Sighing, Dawn slid her feet to the floor. Grabbing the hanger she straightened it on the hook with careful fingers. Running one hand down the sleeve, she thumbed the fabric at the wrist. It felt rough with wear, some of the threads frayed. Letting her mind wander, she remembered every time she saw Paul wear this jacket, how he rarely seemed to go anywhere without it in the few weeks she'd known him. How she'd begun to notice him from the corners of her eyes in the hall.

Clicking her teeth she moved away from the jacket. Reaching around to open the door it hung on, she grabbed a hoodie of her own, and pulled it over head roughly. She tugged her hair out from under the collar, pulled it into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck, and kicked the door shut as she made her way dutifully across the room. She grabbed her shoes and pulled them on sans socks; she was in too much of a hurry to worry about them.

Her phone was the last thing she grabbed before she snatched the hanging jacket off its hanger. It was easy since it was only half zipped. Folding it across her arm as she left her room, she took the stairs as fast as she could without tripping and breaking her neck. She was pretty sure her quota for bad luck had been met for the weekend, but it never hurt to try and be careful.

Johanna sat at the dining table with a cup of tea. She looked up when she heard Dawn descending the stairs, her eyes following her as she made her way through the living room to the front door. "Where are you going?" she inquired, lifting her cup for a sip.

"Down the street," she called over her shoulder as she grabbed her keys from their hook.

"Don't be out too late," Dawn heard as she was closing the front door behind her. Piplup and Gabite were in the front yard, sitting and munching on some Poffins that her mother had apparently freshly baked for them. They were so fresh she could still see the steam rising from them.

"You guys be good while I'm gone," she told them as she walked by. They looked up at her solemnly, giving her curt replies before going back to their snacks. Poor things are still shaken up, she thought sadly.

For a moment she stood there. It felt as if her feet had suddenly been weighed down, keeping her planted where she stood. She was starting to wonder whether she should just stay home after all. Negative thoughts began to plague her, causing her to chew at her lower lip and thumb nail.

Quit being such a ninny! With a deep breath she forced her feet to lift from the sidewalk, making them move in tandem. If she was going to be stuck being babysat for an indiscernible amount of time, she figured she might as well dive headfirst into the belly of the beast and get the hard part out of the way.

So in an attempt to keep her breathing even and her thoughts sane, she kept her eyes forward as she made her way to her destination: the Shinjis'.

A/N: Uuuuuuuur. Things started getting weird for me when I started getting ahead, I'm not sure why. Guess it's the whole writing and rewriting. Oh well.

Either way, here you go! Hope it was at least worth the wait ^^;

I appreciate any comments/concerns/critiques towards my story, so please, let me know how I'm doing and if I need to work on anything.

Ciao.