Thanks for sticking with this story, guys. Your reviews, favorites, follows, PMs, and even just reads really help to keep me going. It doesn't go unnoticed. I read every review and try to reply to every PM, and I take note of whoever helps me with this, helpful criticism or encouraging praise. Thank you.

Chapter 12: Homewards

No way I'm trying toon speed again. I'm gonna cut myself and lose half my blood next time! I guess I'll head back to the lot again… don't want Yakko worrying. Jeez, when he worries it's like having the wrath of all the helicopter parents in Cincinnati weighing down on your shoulders. Yeah, not a nice image.

Esme shrugged it off, but felt a sharp pain in her elbow in the process. Argh… and I've gone all this time without something like this. It was inevitable. Soon enough Esme knew she'd end up more reckless than before; a human trying to be a toon. She could feel how warm her elbows were. A small internal bleed, nothing big, nothing big, nothing big….

You're fine, Esme. You're not going to die. You've had all your injections at the correct time, right? And once you get back to the lot you'll have them again. It's the tenth, isn't it? You'll be fine, you haven't started a bleed at all before…

Argh! Stupid toonspeed, stupid joints, stupid injections, stupid toons, stupid humans…

Esme limped along quickly now, seeing the water tower and tall black gate ahead. A thin trickle of blood made its way down her knees, and she silently cursed herself for trying to be like the Warners. You're human, idiot!

Gunner walked slower to match the teen's hobbling pace. He licked her knee quickly, to which Esme frowned.

"Interesting taste you've got there… it's like, what, one already? Are you hungry? I'm hungry… well, we'll see if the kids from loon lagoon approve of what I've done, and then maybe we can eat."

When Esme slipped unnoticed into the studio, she caught sight of that mime again. This time he was picked imaginary flowers from a ditch half-full of oil. At noticing Esme, however, he stopped and waved at her.

Esme waved back, but cringed when he motioned toward the small red stain forming on the knee part of jeans and looked back at her with a quizzical expression on his face. Esme shrugged in response, then waved goodbye and walked on, trying hard not to limp.

Esme was about ten steps away when she flinched at the sound of a crashing anvil. She didn't even bother looking behind her to see who had caused it to fall on the mime.

"Hiya, Esme!" The three toons jumped over and in front of Esme, wearing huge smiles on their white faces. "Didja miss us?"

"No."

"Alright, now that we're all introduced again," Yakko interrupted, eyeing the teen, "where might you have been, Esme?"

"Nowhere."

"Really? No one goes nowhere and gets blood on their knees."

Esme cringed. He noticed already? What kind of perceptive monster…?

"I'm fine, mind you. I'll go to the hideaway and take care of it-"

Suddenly all three clamped their hands over Esme's mouth and dragged her into the shadow of a studio building.

"Why are we…?"

"Shhhhh!"

Just then a blue-clad cop ran past the building, net in hand, completely oblivious to the snickering siblings (and a very exasperated Esme and dog).

"Also, you're supposed to keep quiet about the 'behind the wall' shtick! You know how we've been trying to make it seem like you're staying with us, or you'll be booted out of here first chance."

"I know. But what's so bad about leaving this place? Away from you guys is definitely a plus." But Esme knew she was lying the second the words escaped her lips. She knew she was only trying to convince herself she wasn't already attached. But the teen was her priority, and she would happily leave the kids the second she was given the chance to go back home. She just had to convince herself, first.

The Warners frowned at Esme as they stepped out into the sunlight. "We'll let you… clean up." Yakko said, eyeing Esme's half-swollen elbow and bloody knee suspiciously. "But then you are not to leave our side, okay?"

Esme rolled her eyes and growled under her breath as she walked off towards her hideaway. "Come on, Gunner." She called, but the black-red dog stared longingly at Wakko and Dot.

Esme stood, steaming and frustrated. "Fine, then. Stay with them for a bit." Just ensures I'll go back to them to get him… what kind of sick trick is that dog pulling?

Esme stomped back to the hideaway. I'll just give myself the injection and wipe myself off, and then I'll go back to get Gunner… and the Warners will just drag me along everywhere else.

As Esme slipped herself into the hideaway, she was certain of two things.

She couldn't live this way forever, and, more importantly, she needed a way to get back to 2013.

If the teen wasn't coming to her, she'd go to him.

Whatever it took to get away.

AN: I'm not giving up on this story. Believe me, I'll get the entire thing on here even if it takes as long as a BBC Sherlock season to come out! But don't expect chapter-a-week updates anymore. I'll try, really, but chapter-a-month may be more common now. My ideas are all still there. I've planned from here to the very end. But I just can't write them in character anymore.

Is there anyone there that can help me? Anyone?

The next chapter is halfway written, so expect it to come within the next two or three weeks. It's from a bit of a... different perspective. It takes place before Esme's bedroom scene in Lost... or should I say... in 2312 before the bedroom?

Thank you all so much for everything!