OMCHEESE, MUM SAID THE WEIRDEST THING. I'LL TELL YOU AT THE BOTTOM.

Departure

It wasn't often you get the feeling of it being 'quiet, too quiet' in Perfection. It was rarely ever 'quiet' enough. But, for a week, absolutely nothing happened. No kidnappings, no bombings, nothing. The only thing that reminded the town's residents that anything had happened was Ben and the two dragons that mostly stayed out of sight.

Larry shook his head at how weird it was. Hopefully, Burt and Ben would get back soon and explain the lack of activity.

"Hey," Tyler came up beside him. "So, think of a name for the little missy?"

"Well, since she's part dragon and part eagle, that would make her an eagon," Larry said, as if he put serious thought into it.

Tyler rolled his eyes, "I meant a name name Larry, not a species name. I kinda like Spotlight. If fits, the way the sunlight sort of is attracted to her scales sometimes."

"That's cool too," Larry said with a shrug. "Hey! Shadow and Spotlight- has a ring to it."

"Yyyyep."

Nancy leaned over to Jodi as they watched the two. "Notice how the writers are attempting to keep the readers' attention before they wrap up the plot," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know," Jodi murmured back. "And out of the smallest little things too."

"Hey, Burt 'n' Ben are back!" Tyler said.

Larry stood up, heading out the door as the two men pulled up in the Power Wagon.

"Did you find anything?" Jodi asked.

Burt shook his head, exiting the truck. "Negative. The lab is completely empty. There isn't even any tire marks to suggest anyone came or went."

"So first the guys in the canyon, and now the guys in the lab," Tyler shook his head. "Where did they all go?"

Ben shrugged. "Where ever they are, I don't think they'll come back. 'Least, not for you anyway..."

"What do you mean, Ben?" Larry asked.

Ben didn't answer.

"Ben?" Jodi stared at him nervously.

"He's leavin'," Tyler said quietly.

Larry looked from Tyler to Ben, a bit wide eyed. "What? Why?" he asked, surprised.

Ben sighed. "I don't have a choice, Larry. Think about it; I've worked in that lab for awhile, I know a lot of their plans and creations; things that would get them in huge trouble if the government found out. They'll be after me. And my family too," he smiled slightly. "That's one thing I didn't lie about; I do have a daughter, and a wife. Of course I haven't seen them in nearly a year, but they'll still be in danger. I'll have to protect them somehow."

"Oh," Larry said, looking down sadly.

"Where are you going to go?" Burt asked.

Ben shrugged. "No idea. Probably travel around for awhile, see if they ever give up," he smiled weakly. "I know my daughter's always wanted to go the Disney World."

"Are you going to leave right away?" Larry asked.

Ben nodded. "I don't want to be away from my family any longer than I have to be."

Burt nodded, understanding. "Is there anything you need before you leave?" he offered.

"Like a vehicle?" Tyler added dryly.

Ben laughed, "Yeah, I'll probably need one of those, 'least 'til I get home."

Burt thought for a moment. "Tyler, have you been able to get that car Jack left behind running?"

"No, not yet," Tyler replied. "I still need a few parts for the engine but I can't afford them."

"Oh, I can help with that," Ben said quickly. "Being a mad scientist *does* have its good points."

"I'll give you guys a hand," Burt offered.

Tyler nodded and they headed off towards the garage. Jodi sighed and turned to the others.

"You know, even though he was workin' for those creeps and all, I'm gonna miss him."

"Yeah," Larry said, "He saved Burt an Tyler- all of us. He's gunna be like... another Cletus; hiding from those people for doing the right thing."

"At least he'll have his family with him," Jodi commented. "Although it might be more of a curse than a blessing..."

"How?" Larry asked.

"Because he'll not only have to look out for himself but also them," Jodi explained. "Not to mention how they'll feel having to be uprooted from their home and run all the time."

Larry frowned slightly as they began walking back towards the store. "Maybe they will give up looking for him, and could change his name and stuff," he said, though sounding doubtful.

"Maybe. But it probably won't be for a good long while. Remember Cletus has spent 30 years in that other valley and they're probably still looking for him."

Larry suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Oh, geeeeeeez. Those people who kidnapped Burt. They had been heading for Cletus' valley. We haven't thought much of it..." his eyes grew wide, "We haven't seen him since. They could have gotten him!"

"What?" Jodi stared at him in shock for a moment before rushing back outside towards her truck.

Larry hurried after her. "Where are you going?"

"To see if Cletus is still there, what else?" Jodi snapped. "Come on!"

"There is a bright side to this," Larry said to her as he got in the passenger side.

"What?" Jodi asked as she raced down the road. She wasn't anywhere near as good as Tyler, but when you lived with an ex-NASCAR racer you picked up a few things.

"We get to go on our first adventure together," he said, giving her a slightly goofy smile.

Jodi just stared at him out of the corner of her eye. "You are so strange, Larry," she said, shaking her head although she couldn't help the small smile that escaped.

"It's one of the things you love about me," the sci-fi fan teased.

"Whatever," Jodi rolled her eyes.

It took them about 30 minutes to get to Cletus' little house under the hill. Jodi pulled up in front and jumped out, looking around anxiously.

"Cletus!"

Larry jumped out of the truck. He ran up to the worn shack, knocking loudly on the door. When there was no answer, he pushed it open.

The place was in shambles, as if there had been a struggle of some kind followed by a search. Clothes, newspapers, some of Nancy's figurines she had given Cletus; it was strewn on the ground like a tornado had passed through.

Larry bit his bottom lip, looking at Jodi. "This is bad."

Jodi stared at the room before turning away and pulling out her radio. "...Burt? Tyler?...Y-you there?"

"You got me Jodi, what's the problem? Over," Burt's voice came though the walkie-talkie.

"You know how the kidnappers where headed towards Cletus' valley when they took you?"

"Yes..." Burt said apprehensively.

"We'll...Larry and I are at his house...w-we think they might've taken him."

"What?" Burt growled. There was a pause. "You two get back to town," he ordered.

Jodi nodded and headed towards the truck. "Come on Larry."

Larry got back in the truck and Jodi started back towards town.

The others were standing on the porch of the store when they returned, minus Ben and Tyler who had left to get the car parts.

As soon as they arrived, the fanatic was quick to jump out of the truck. "Burt! It was bad- you could tell they tore the place apart."

"Looked like they might have been searching for something too," Jodi added, joining them on the porch.

Burt shook his head, looking sad and almost a bit guilty. "There isn't anything we can do now."

"You think they'll kill him?" Jodi asked fearfully.

"I think if they've been looking for him this long, they have a reason they need him," Burt said.

Jodi looked off towards the horizon at the end of the valley with a sad sigh. "Well, for his sake, I hope your right."

Yeah, so I got to this, and was like, "I love how Cletus really isn't in this entire story and then BOOM! He disappears! And everyone's like, "OMCHEESE, HE'S NOT IN HIS LITTLE HOUSE UNDER THE HILL, THE SCIENTSITS THE SCIENTISTS TOOK HIM!"" (yes, I really did stumble on the word "scientists".)

And mum just suddenly had a revelation: "HE'S A BAGGINS! HE LIVES UNDER THE HILL! HE'S A BAGGINS!" andohmygodIcannotstoplaughingnow.

Oh yeah. Next story is You Will Be Missed.