Hey guys, I gotta make this quick, my Mom is due home any minute and she just about banned me from the computer unless I start reading something she brought me from the library ages ago.

DISCLAIMER: W.I.T.C.H.

Twenty-Five. Another Second in Command

Two Hours Later:

"Are you guys sure?"

"Positive. I got it from Knickerbocker herself. She just… burst in, bawling her eyes out, saying she wanted to go home."

"Do you think she's okay?"

"What do you think happened?"

"Is it Guardian stuff or did everything just…?"

All the same thoughts occupied all four girls' minds, laced and sated with worry over their fearless leader. Taranee had been running an errand for the teacher in the office when she'd "accidentally overheard" Knickerbocker's thoughts as she called Ms. Collins about Will. The redhead herself was there, she could sense her even if everything electrical hadn't been going insane in the entire room, but she'd been blocking out all transmissions.

The girls had been conversing non-stop since then, even though each request towards Will had been met with a brick wall. Ms. Collins had come sometimes within the class period and picked her up.

"Something happened in the hall," Taranee thought to the others.

Cornelia agreed. "Yeah, I mean, Will was mondo-stressed before, but she wasn't anywhere near a total breakdown, right?"

"Right!" Irma replied. "But what happened in there? It's not like there's cameras straight through the school. And even if there were, we're missing our Queen of Electronics."

"I'm really worried about her, guys," Hay Lin put in. "Remember what happened last time Matt got kidnapped? And this time Nigel and, and…"

"Hay Lin, calm down," Cornelia told her gently. "We'll get the boys back. I'm positive of it."

Taranee sighed and mentally stepped back from the conversation. She slouched backwards in her chair, looking up to the ceiling, waiting for the Advanced Biology class to begin. Though she was a year younger than most of the students there, excepting Martin, she'd been put in the fast science track at a young age and was able to take a junior-level course in sophomore year.

Worried didn't begin to cover what she was feeling for Will. Full-blown concern, apprehension, anxiety and trepidation were closer. All five were closer to each other than any teenage girl could ever be to four other teenage girls, but Will was Taranee's best friend, and she knew the feeling was mutual. They'd been caught in the same boat from the beginning, newcomers to a strange school that felt important enough to be called an 'Institute' in Freshman year.

Taranee also knew, though she hated to admit it, that she was probably considered Will's second-in-command. There shouldn't have to be a second-in-command, not for Guardians and especially not for a group of friends. Without the redheaded figurehead, a few more of the responsibilities fell on her shoulders than Irma, Cornelia, or Hay Lin's. Keeping Irma and Cornelia from tearing into each other was one.

But the reason she was considered second-in-command was because she knew Will best, and because of that, she knew the burdens of leadership and what to do with them, if not to the extent that the Quintessence Guardian did.

She knew her. So what could've made Will break down like she did? Magical princes, snake, spider, slug, and just plain ugly monsters, traitorous ex-Guardians, and even boyfriend-possessing demons of malice had failed to break her, so what could've?

Taranee gently bit the inside of her cheek—a bad habit no one had ever noticed before—in thought. It could've been Guardian stuff, but with everything going on lately, it could've also been Heart of Earth business. She couldn't forget that Will was still a teenage girl, however, so everything could've just piled up… but she doubted that particular case. Will was stronger than that.

"Mind if I take this seat?"

Taranee mindlessly waved to the person asking for the desk to her right. No one sat there, not anymore, since Nigel went missing. A stab of pain went through her heart at the mere thought of her fire-haired boyfriend, but she pushed it to the back of her mind to cry over later. Will had never cried in front of the girls and neither would she, not in the entire time she holds this very temporary position.

It had to be temporary. It had to be.

"I like your braid," the person to her right said as Ms. Thompson stepped into the classroom. "The beads are cool."

Taranee blinked in surprise. Rarely did she hear a compliment on her hair—most people did double-takes at the admittedly original style, but few times did they mention the beads.

She cupped the small wooden, red and brown beads in her hand. "Um, thanks…"

Taranee turned and felt all the blood from her face drain outwards.

Shiny white teeth showed between a pair of thin lips she remembered kissing after school last Friday. Bright green eyes twinkled in happiness and… something else, seated directly on her own eyes and not moving an inch. Extremely red hair that rivaled even Will's locks fell into those brilliant emerald pools, brushed away with a hand she remembered caressing her cheek.

"…N-N-N-Nigel?" Taranee asked in an extremely high voice. Shock gripped her very core, turning her limbs and joints numb. Her mouth was hanging on useless tendons and ligaments, her shoulders had slumped and her eyes were enormous behind her glasses.

Nigel burst into a grin a thousand times more radiant than she'd ever seen. It was as if the Sun had sent a flare Earth's way and exploded into a bright shining of pure light and joy and life, except all of that celestial power was contained inside one formerly-missing bassist.

"You have me at a disadvantage. What's your name?" he asked in that musical voice of his…

Wait.

Taranee's train of thought halted so quickly it derailed, barrel-rolling crazily and ending up on its side. He doesn't know my name? Her fingers and toes turned cold, despite the warm atmosphere of the math classroom. He doesn't know my name. He doesn't know my name!

He doesn't know who I am.

"T-Taranee," she replied quietly. She mentally gave herself a kick as her mind started running gears so quickly Irma would say she smelled smoke. Nigel was back, but he couldn't remember her, which meant he either got knocked over the head over the weekend or something else, more magical had happened to him.

Collapsing in shock or breaking down and kissing him would not end well with an amnesiac, not matter how much she loved him.

She cleared her throat, years of lying automatically taking over. "Sorry, I'm Taranee," she explained, holding out her hand. "Taranee Cook. You're Nigel Ashcroft, right?"

Nigel nodded. "Yep! It's nice to meet you, Taranee. I have to ask, though, how you knew my name?"

Taranee grinned slightly too widely, running through scenarios. "Uh, the Battle of the Bands!" she offered. They'd made out just afterwards, so maybe this could help him remember something. "You were the bassist in Wreck 55. Awesome song."

Nigel's brow furrowed slightly and Taranee could see confusion deep within his bottle green eyes. Quickly, though, it disappeared, replaced by the same cheerful, still gaze from before.

"Yeah, that was me," he admitted. "Wasn't my song, though." Nigel turned in his chair. Taranee did too and got an enormous shock.

Sitting directly behind her was an all-too-familiar ebony-haired, cerulean-eyed teenage boy who'd been tapping a notebook mindlessly before Nigel had turned towards him. He looked up at Nigel and smiled warmly, then curiously at Taranee.

"This is my friend Matt," Nigel told her. "Matt, this is my new friend Taranee. He's the one who wrote 'Will to Love'."

"Great," Taranee replied, holding a grin on her face, even though a part of her wanted to pummel the Regent sitting in front of her. Why hadn't he come to us the moment he was in Heatherfield? I am going to charbroil his little guitar playing… "They're awesome songs."

Matt smiled sheepishly, turning a bright red color. Taranee resisted the urge to glare at him.

"It'd be better if I had someone to sing it for," he admitted, still blushing.

What?

Nigel rolled his eyes. "You'll have to forgive him," he told her dryly. "Matt's a little lovesick today. He got tackled by some crazy chick in the middle of the hall three minutes ago."

"She's not crazy!" Taranee and Matt both protested. They traded surprised looks. "I-I mean…" A similar spark of confusion appeared in Matt's eyes as had been in Nigel's, sending fear straight through Taranee's body. "I don't think she's crazy… she just mistook me for someone else."

Nigel snorted. "She yelled your name, dude."

"Ahem." All three teenagers turned and saw Ms. Thompson sending pointed glares at them. "If I may begin class now?" she asked sardonically, earning giggles from the other students.

Nigel and Matt turned bright red, but Taranee's face stayed blank as she turned back to the board and at the very least pretended to pay attention to what the teacher was saying.

"Guys? I think I know what happened…"

Just to warn you, it might be a while until I update again. Not 'two years' a while, but maybe a day or two.

But I will keep my promise. When Tibki swears she keeps her word, and I WILL FINISH THIS STORY!

~Tibki