Disclaimer: I don't own the 10th Kingdom even though I wish I did (sorry about never writing a disclaimer before, I only just noticed I never put one in)


Linda walked with Chris through the lobby of the apartment building and was not even two feet from the door when a painfully familiar voice called out to her. She froze, turning slowly on her heels to see a boy her own age waving like an idiot, a stupid smile plastered on his face, while rushing to her from the mail slots.

"Hello Tom," she ground out through gritted teeth, attempting and failing miserably at putting on a polite smile, when he stopped in front of her and Chris.

"I haven't seen you in a while! Not since the last day of school." he said in a rush, grinning like a fool at her, his brown hair falling into his dark eyes. He completely ignored Chris who stood confused and indignant at not having been noticed by the strange boy before him.

"Ya…I've been…uhh…busy," she muttered, thinking mentally of all that had happened while she had been away deciding that "busy" wasn't quite the best word to explain it all.

"What's up with your eyes by the way. Color contacts or something?"

'I'm surprised he noticed.' she thought wryly. 'He's usually about as observant as a doorknob.' "Ya… exactly, I thought…I was going for a new look. By the way," she said gesturing to Chris, "this is my… umm…cousin, Chris." She said in an attempt to change the subject as fast as possible so that he wouldn't notice her other "new looks". Of course it didn't help much when Chris decided he needed to introduce himself in the most regal (and foolish sounding) manner possible. Linda reached up to pull a black hat which she had decided to wear further down to hide her face. A small nearly inaudible growl escaping from her throat. She felt the pressure of the damned headache coming back. Tom gave her a strange glance. "He's not from around here," she muttered as an excuse, her mind fervently wishing she could simple vanish into the air.

Tom nodded, taking the excuse fully. "It's nice to meet you Chris. Where you from?"

Before Chris could even dare to answer Linda jumped in, afraid that he would say something stupid. "Isn't there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes, of course! I was wondering if you would want to go to the movies with me later." His eyes shining with hope.

Linda groaned inwardly. The boy had had a crush on her since they were in elementary school and asked her out whenever he was given the chance. "Sorry Tom but I'm busy," Tom opened his mouth to suggest another time but Linda pressed on, "and I will be all week. Maybe some other time. We better be going now. It was nice seeing you again."

A dejected look crossed his features for the brief moment as he nodded in understanding before his foolish looking smile resurfaced. "We'll go some other time when your free. See ya, Linda. Oh, and it was nice to meet you Chris." He waved and rushed back to the elevator.

Linda closed her eyes tightly. Her (now becoming ever constant) headache was back in full force and she hadn't even left the building. She turned on her heels to leave, eyes still press firmly shut, only to collide with a solid wall. At first she thought it was the door she had run smack into until as she growled at it rubbing her sore head before she realized "the door" was growling back.


Virginia was a wreck. She had been a wreck since her daughter vanished and now she couldn't even find her husband or father. It felt as if everyone she had loved decided to abandon her and it hurt. She moved through one of the many halls of the White Castle (that sounds funny…luckily no one in this story is named Harold or Kumar for anyone who gets that! ) only to find a fervently pacing King Wendell, clutching a piece of parchment firmly in his hand. "Wendell?" she called out in a tentative tone.

His head jerked up to look into Virginia's blue eyes, stopping his movements abruptly. "Virginia, I'm glad you're here." He paused and looked down at the paper in his hand before look back up to Virginia. "It seems our original guess for culprit of kidnapping your daughter was…wrong, This…this letter here is from Queen Riding Hood stating the disappearance of her own son, Christopher Riding Hood. She in the believe that whoever kidnapped Linda must have gone after Christopher as well."

Before Wendell knew it, Virginia had snatched the letter from him reading the delicate red script that covered the paper. Her eyes scanned the paper confirming what the King had said. "Have you told Wolf?"

"No, I'm afraid no one can find where he is at the moment." Virginia nodded gravely and turned away, a pensive look in her eyes. Wendell stood their, lost in his own thoughts as well when a soft humming reached the pairs ears. At first Virginia turned her head about looking for the source of the sound in puzzlement before she looked at her hand to stare at the singing ring. (Not that this is important or anything but I hate the singing ring! It's so annoying!)

"It seems as if the pieces are at play, and by the full moon a new ruler will be displayed!" The ring chimed out in mirth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Virginia practically pleaded the small ring to explain though it didn't answer.

Wendell sighed. The ring never told things in a straight and easy to understand manner when hinting at things to come. The only time that anyone understood the lyrics was after the event had occurred but by then everyone had forgot what the ring had said. But the short song troubled him as he thought it over. The full moon was coming quickly and they were running out of time.


Wolf wandered through Central Park aimlessly, lost deep within his own thoughts. He was surprised when he looked about him to find that his wandering feet had led him to his apartment building. He looked up at the building where he had first met Tony all those years ago when he had given the older man the magic dragon dung bean. He took a deep breath pushing the memories that were beginning to well up in his mind away and moved up the steps at a brisk pace.

He jerked at the door that led to the lobby only to have a small figure crash into him hard. He snarled in annoyance. He really didn't want to bother with anyone, particularly the strange people of New York. He had never been able to get completely use to the way things happened in the city.

"Cripes, watch where your going!" He snapped irritably while glancing down at the figure who had bumped into him. A black hat sat atop the teens head and she had long brown hair. She looked up at him, her features suddenly became visible as golden eyes looked up into his own dark ones.

"Dad?…"

"Linda!" Wolf quickly embraced his daughter in a tight hug. He couldn't believe this as various emotions of relief and joy rushed through him. "I'm so glad I found you! Why are you here though?"

Linda was just as pleases to see her father. Though she would never openly admit it, she had missed her father sorely. "I'm glad to see you too. As for what happened it's a rather long story." She shot Chris a sideways glance.

"We should go tell your mother. She's was devastated when you were kidnapped. We all were…" He trailed off looking again at Linda.

Linda nodded slowly. The two stood in silence for a moment before Chris moved a bit. Linda had nearly forgotten that he was their. "Oh, and this is Chris. He's been…ah…helping me out. He's from the kingdoms."

Wolf looked in Chris's direction as if noticing him for the first time. The two exchanged greetings briefly before Wolf's attention went back to Linda. "We should be going back now. There is quite a lot to be talked about and everyone will want to see you. Plus it's nearly lunch time!" He quickly turned and bounded out the door.

Linda chuckled to herself. Her father never would change. "Come on Chris," and the two left back for Central Park.


Authors Notes:

I am so sorry for taking so long to update. Hopefully this chapter isn't too bad. I blame it on writers block, my computer crashing, and summer homework! (honor classes like to suck up free time with impossibly long assignments ) School also started up so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next. More importantly though, I would like to thank everyone who has been reading this story and a special thanks to everyone who has left a review! Thank you so much!!! Please leave a review because I love to hear your comments.