I lay down on the couch at Kanaya's house. I can hear her and Gamzee talking about something, but I can't make it out clearly. Out the corner of my eye, I see Gamzee peek his head out from the kitchen. When I turn to look, he pulls his head back in. Whatever these two are conspiring, I don't like it already. Quietly, I crawl on the floor towards them. Their whispers grow louder. Suddenly they stop, just as I get to the threshold. Gamzee comes out of the kitchen searching for me. He scans the room, "Karkat?"

"Down here,"

He looks down and laughs at me and helps me off of the ground. "C'mon,"

"Where are we going? We just got here, like, fifteen minutes ago."

"It's a surprise, Karbro," He usher's me to the door, with Kanaya right on his heels.

"That's what I fear," We go outside in the early morning light. The sky tinted blood orange, coloring the homes in the neighborhood.

Kanaya pulls out a pair of car keys, unlocking Rose's car. A violet 1978 Vos-Wagan Bug. They shove me into the back of car, " I'm sorry if it's quite congested, but it's the best that we can do for now."

"You won't be back there for too long," Gamzee assures me while buckling his seat belt. "Just relax, Karbro. Take a nap or something."

"Yes, you should try to rest. You know how irritable you become if you don't get enough sleep."

"I'm 23," I growl, finger-combing my messy hair out of my eyes. "I stopped taking naps in the back of the car for awhile now."

"When you were 16," Kanaya starts the car and pulls out into the street.

I groan, and slide back into my seat. The sun starts to rise, slightly heating up the atmosphere. I close my eyes, and the vision of that text flashes in my eyes. Was that the reason Sollux kidnapped me? Has he

really turned that crazy that he wants me dead? He use to love me, at least I think he did, he can't hate me that much. I clench my fist, remembering how he had me chained in his house. Even if he didn't kidnap me because of someone else, he fucking kidnapped me. Who does that?! I cover my eyes; I never thought I would end up with a crazy Ex. We hit a pot hole, causing me to almost fall off the seat. "Hey!"

"Sorry," Kanaya chuckles "I didn't see it at first."

"Whatever, are we almost there?" I look out the window to see that we're on the outskirts of town. Where most of the farms and ranches are. "It's like I'm being kidnapped all over again."

"Don't remind me," Gamzee gnarls, cursing something under his breath "He better hope he that he never motherfucking cross my path again."

"It's inevitable that you all will meet again," She turns the car down a dusty, dirt road. "But, for now, it's best if the both of you keep a very, very low profile."

"Putting us in the middle of nowhere is a great start, Kanaya." We make it back to a paved street, heading North.

"I'm surprise you haven't recognize this place by now," She laughs.

I glance out to the empty plains with scattered ranch houses. An old horse stable, leans on it's side, looking as if it could fall at any moment. We past a general store, with an old Sheep dog on it's steps. The familiar surroundings make my eyes widen in disbelief. "You have to be kidding me."

"It's only for a little while,"

"I don't even get a say in this?" I try to look at them, but Kanaya and Gamzee have their eyes glued to the road ahead. "You have to be fucking kidding me."

"You act like it's the end of the world," She chides me.

"Calm down, Karbro," Gamzee turns in his seat to me. "Just think of it like a vacation."

I laugh sarcastically. "A vacation? A vacation would be somewhere at a beach. A vacation would consist of relaxation. A vacation would be getting away from my family. Not spending an undetermined amount of time with them. God, I can just hear Dad's voice now. "

"Think of it positively," He shrugs.

"You think of it positively," I snide.

He looks towards Kanaya for support, but she shrugs. "You'll figure out something. Otherwise, he'll be like that until the both of you leave."

We pull in front of our childhood home, earning a whistle from Gamzee. It's pretty big, with a late Renissance era style. It was built by my grandfather forty-five years ago. Before they had the term 'McMansion' but that didn't prevent him from building one. It's no wonder why I never saw them. We all get out of the car, making our way to the front door. "So, did anyone tell them what happened with Sollux?"

"They no nothing about your trouble. I told them you can't remember what happened."

I wish I could forget about it. We walk up the stairway, and Gamzee knocks on the door. We wait a few minutes before the great, redwood door swings open. "Kanaya! Karkat! I didn't expect you to be here so soon!" Kankri, unfortunately, answer's the door and drags us into a hug. "Porrim was just getting your old room ready, Karkat."

"Great," I mumble "Thanks, Dad."

"Ah, ah, ah! Remember! Call me Kankri!" He let's go of us and turns to Gamzee, a flash of disdain comes across his face, but quickly disappears. "Oh, Gamzee, I almost forgot about you," He motions us inside. "I was preparing your room, personally."

"Thank you Mr. Vantas," I don't think he noticed my father's look, but if he did he doesn't let on.

He leads us into the main hall, and offers everyone a seat. Gamzee and I flop down on an old couch, but Kanaya stay's standing. "I would love to stay longer, but I must return Rose's car."

"It's fine, my dear, just be sure to come back soon. Porrim and I are throwing that party sometime in the near future, and I don't wish for you to miss it, Kanaya."

She makes her way back towards the door, waving goodbye. "I'll be sure to be there!"

When she is out of sight, the elder Vantas turns back to us. "Now, you two,"

"We didn't disappear," I grumble.

"Since you are our guest, I want you to enjoy your stay here. I also want you to be safe and in a non- pernicious environment. Therefore I have to enforce-"

"Kankri!" I send out a silent pray as my mother comes charging into the room. "Have you seen Karkat's blankets!?"

He sighs, turning to his wife "What?"

"His blankets, you know. The one's with the crabs on it."

Gamzee, who's been dead silent, begins to snicker. Making me land a blow to his ribs with my elbow.

"It's probably in storage. We did move a lot of things of his there."

"We're going to have to get them!" Her jade heels click on the tile, turning towards her purse. "I refuse to let my baby sleep without his favorite blankets. Especially with all this trauma he's been going through. He needs something to comfort him."

"Yes, but," My father tries to argue, making my Porrim glare hard at him. "I'll grab my coat."

"Good," She turns towards the both of us, her pearl white teeth shinning at us. She strokes my hair just like she did when I was a child. "We will be right back, sweetheart. Until then, I bought you some snacks."

"Alright, thanks Mom," I plaster on a smile. She nods her head, then makes her way to the front door. "Come, Kankri."

"Yes, here I come." He looks at the both of us one last time before charging to the car.

The front door slams close, signaling that they're out of the house. Gamzee starts laughing ridiculously hard. "Just shut the hell up."

"You're just mad because you don't have your crab blanket." He still snickers. I let him laugh, and face away from him. When he finally stops laughing and realize that I've grown quite, he wraps his arm around my torso. "You know I'm just messing with you, Karkat." I continue to give him the silent treatment. He tugs me closer, placing his other arm around me. "I know you don't want to be here right now. But, it's not a permanent stay. We're only going to stay here for awhile until everything dies down. I give it a week tops. Till then, let's try to relax," He begins to nibble on my neck, causing me to waver a little. "Can you do that for me, Karkat?"

Suddenly the front door slams close again. Gamzee flinches, and pretends that he was stretching just as Kankri comes into the room. "I left the storage keys. We where almost there before I realized I left them in the drawer." I watch him as he ducks into a small sitting room and comes back out shaking the keys. "There we are. We'll be right back, so don't move. I still want to address the house rules when I get back."

"Sure thing, Mr. Vantas."

"Bye, Kankri." The front door closes again, and I hear the car pull out of the driveway.

Gamzee pulls me into his lap, leaving little pecks on my Adam's apple. "Now where was I?"

"Telling me to relax," I place my hands on his shoulders, moving them to his jawline. "For like the third time today."

"Well, are you going to?" He comes in close to me face, kissing me tenderly.

"I don't know, maybe," Without warning, he drops me gently on the sofa. His indigo eyes flashing down at me.

"I guess I'm just going to have to up and help you then,"

He nips my earlobe playfully. Making me chew on my upper lip. "Gamzee, cut it out. I don't know when my parents will be back, and the last thing I want to hear is Kankri lecturing me."

His only answer is to drag his to the nape of my neck, and pressing his lips to mine. I cave in, letting my lips work against his. I can sense his smug feeling as his tongue wriggle with mine. My hand finds it's way into his hair, getting entangled into his messy locks. Subconsciously, I drag my hips upward into his. In doing so, Gamzee pulls my legs apart, slipping in between them. I breathe in a small breath of pleasure when he grinds against my jeans.

"We're back!" Porrim's voice rings out, while her heels click against the wood towards the both of us. I shove Gamzee back a little two hard, making him fall to the ground; just as my mother comes into view. "And not only did we find your blanket, we found one of your old stuffed animals!" She holds up my childhood relics in triumph.

"That's great mom," I pant out. "Thanks."

Gamzee crawls back up to his seat, making her eyebrow raise in curiosity. "Is everything alright? You sound out of breath."

"We're fine," I try to slow my breathing, and clear my throat. "Just playing around."

"Really, Karkat, aren't you a little old for that?" Kankri scolds me before he can even come into the room.

I sigh loudly looking up towards the ceiling. "Aren't you a little young to be this much of a buzz kill, Kankri?"

I earn a chuckle from my mom and Gamzee. "Oh, leave him alone Kankri. No one wants to hear your nagging," My mother tells him "Come on, Karkat. You probably want to go lie down."

I nod my head, getting up from my spot on the couch. "Yes, I am a little tired. I'll just go and relax lunch."

"I can show Gamzee his room," Kankri grabs his shoulder.

Gamzee gives me a small smile, "I'm too wound up to take a nap," He gives me a wink "I think I'll just go for a walk."

"We'll finish up later," I promise him "I was having to much fun."

A/N: Hey, hey, guess what? Guess what day it is? Unless you have a time machine, it is not Hump Day. But it is the one year anniversary for this story! Some that means some of you have been reading this story for 364 and 1/2 days. Amazing! I applaud you all for sticking with it. Honestly, I thought I would have lost followers from not updating. Instead I started slowing gaining you all. Also, this is not the chapter I planned on updating, so if your aren't preoccupied throughout the day, I suggest you stick around. I have At least two I plan on adding. I want to get to thirty chapters today, but least be honest. I'm lazy. As well as the site overloading.