Courtney's POV

Me and BEN finally stumbled into town around eight at night. I don't know when I've ever been more relived to see a town. If you've been walking since nine in the morning – for eleven hours – with no food, and no sources of water (unless you count ponds on the side of the road drinkable, which I don't) you'd be surprised how relived you can feel at the prospect of being able to eat and drink something.

Me and BEN hurried into the first restaurant we saw – I was thanking God that anyone was still open this time of night – and I ordered for us. BEN was still silent. He had been silent the entire time we had been walking. I had been too, glancing at him occasionally. He seemed very uneasy, even uncomfortable. Like a young child in trouble with his parents. He had glanced cautiously over at me once to see me studying him, and had hurriedly turned away. He hadn't met my eyes after that.

I tried to stay calm when ordering, and managed to somehow sit still while waiting for the food. I didn't want to act like a person who had just walked for eleven hours, because I'm sure my house being broken into had made its way into the news. If they had questioned Jake, he may have said something about me, and how I was missing. If I was missing, they were bound to mention it, maybe even put up a picture of me. If I acted like a kid who had just walked a long way, a starving kid, they may put the pieces together.

That would go over like a ton of bricks.

I could tell BEN was hungry too, but he was silent. I was already perplexed by his behavior, and starting to become rather concerned about him.

They finally brought our food. Both of us ate quickly. And silently, but that was to be expected while eating.

When we were done, I slung the backpack, which had been under the table, onto my shoulders, and walked up to the counter to pay–I was so glad I had thought to bring money – and started out with a silent BEN into the darkening summer night.

I wasn't exactly familiar with the town, but I had been here often enough to know that there was a hotel a few blocks away. I figured I would rather sleep there then the streets, so that's where I started toward.

BEN's persistent silence and hanging head bothered me. He wouldn't say a word, wouldn't look up from the ground.

He observed the carpet as I checked into the hotel room. Now, I had enough money with me to last us quite a while – that is, if I wasn't careless with it. This place was by no means fancy – we had passed the game room on the way in, and it consisted of a table with checkers on it and a three-legged ping-pong table- but it wasn't skeevy, either. Me and Danny had stayed here once after a tree crashed into the roof of the house until the house was repaired. While it wasn't exactly a vacation, it wasn't unpleasant. The security of the hotel was valid – no druggies or anything.

Now, the plainness of the hotel meant that the rooms weren't expensive, but like I said, I couldn't be careless. And, after looking at the prices, I figured paying twice as much for a double room as opposed to a single room was careless. That may seem like a stupid move on my part- here's a dangerous, powerful entity who's been stalking me, and I decide to get a room with just one bed-but I really didn't want to burn through the money any faster than I had too. Plus, if figured if he insisted on the bed, I could sleep on the floor.

Somehow, I figured that was unlikely. From the way he had been acting, I figured he wouldn't ask for, much less insist anything. From the meek, quiet was he was acting, I figured he would do pretty much anything I told him too, even sleep in the bathtub or hallway. Not that I would tell him to do either of those.

I got the room key as BEN stared at the plain, but clean, carpet. We walked up the stairs, went into the room, and got ready for bed. BEN brushed his teeth while I changed – he would only move at my instruction - then vice versa.

Surprisingly enough, we had a decent T.V. in our room. The game room didn't even have one, but I figured while T.V.'s may be entertaining, they didn't really classify as games.

When we were both in pajama's – I smiled at BEN in Danny's grey , knee-length and somewhat baggy shorts and too-big white t-shirt – and otherwise ready for bed, I sat on the bed cross-legged. BEN glanced at me, not meeting my eyes, unsure of what he should do now.

"Come sit with me." I prompted.

He deliberated for several moments before shaking his head.

"BEN," I said pleadingly, hopping off the bed and walking over to him. I put my hands on both his shoulders and looked into his lowered face. "What's wrong?"

"I…I'm sorry."

I stared at him, hidden under his mask of hanging blond hair. "For what?"

"For…hurting you. Terrorizing you in that last nightmare."

I blinked, realizing he was referring to the one absent from my memory.

"BEN, don't worry about that. I don't even remember that one."

His head flew up, eyes finally meeting mine, wide with surprise. "What?"

"I don't remember that one." I repeated.

He looked relived for a second, before his miserable look returned once more. "But I still pushed you into the nightmare. I'm sorry."

"BEN, I don't blame you for that. I had put a lot there for you to think about, and it's natural you would be overwhelmed, and that you would react." I kept out the part that he probably only reacted so violently because of his unstable mental state. I didn't know his current mental state, and I figured it would be best not to provoke anything.

Blue eyes stared intently into mine. "Does…does this mean you don't hate me?" He asked quietly and intensely.

"No, I don't hate you, BEN."

I saw the surprise and relief on his face right before he pulled me into a hug.

I stood soundlessly, the voice surprised right out of me. I don't know what I would have said if I had been able to talk, anyways.

"I was so worried…I thought I had lost the only person who cared even a little about me, by being such an asshat…"

His voice broke, and he hugged me tightly for a moment.

I wrapped my own arms around him, comforting the emotional and upset entity currently embracing me. I rested the side of my face against said entity's white t-shirt covered chest, partly to avoid awkwardly staring at his chest, and partly to add to the comfort factor.

After about a minute of holding an embrace, I asked, "If you thought I hated you, why did you think I brought you with me?"

"I…I don't really know." He said.

"Is that why you've been acting so strangely all day?" I questioned.

"…Yeah." He responded.

We were quiet for about another minute, just standing there. Finally, he released his embrace, and I did too, stepping away.

"Will you sit with me now?" I asked.

"…Okay."

He still sounded hesitant. He knew now that I didn't hate him, but he probably still felt bad. I had tried to make it pretty apparent by my words and actions that I not only didn't hate him, but had no hard feelings against him either, and I hoped he realized it. I didn't really want to just come out and say so at the risk of making things awkward and uncomfortable. I didn't even hold his actions before his complete breakdown against him – all the times he had "played" with me – because I knew he wasn't exactly sane then, either. He had been half-crazed that entire time. I could only hope his guilt would subside with time, as I showed him more and more that I held nothing against him.

I sat on the bed, BEN sitting on the edge, away from me. I patted the space next to me, and after a moment, he crawled across the bedspread to the spot I had indicated. I didn't want him to still feel like he needed to keep his distance from me.

I decided to turn on the T.V. The screen lit up to show the nightly news.

"On tonight, a house was broken into this morning." The announcer reported. A picture of my house came up on the screen.

"A front window had been broken, and a young man was found inside the house, pouring gasoline across the walls and floors. He was apprehended by officers, and as he had matches on him, it is suspected he was planning on committing arson. "

"So far, the young man has been taken into police custody, and is reported as being uncooperative with police questioning, apparently exercising his fifth amendment right. It is unknown where the owners of the house are. Anyone with any information is urged to call the police. Up next, after the break…"

I clicked off the T.V.

I was surprised, and relived, beyond words.

Jake was gone now.

I suddenly threw my arms around BEN, sobbing against his shoulder. He tensed up for a moment, but then wrapped his own arms around me, comforting me as I cried.

We stayed that way for a very long time.

Catz: Aww...aren't they adorable?

Skittles, this one took a long time, and unfortunately, so will the ones coming, since school's back in session. *growls* I will, however, try to update at least every weekend.

Thanks for being patient, my beautiful Skittles! I haven't gotten a single flame, o no update lately type of review, and I truly appreciate it.

Hope you enjoyed this overdue chapter, Skittles, and as always, review! ;)