A/N: I am sooooo sorry for the long wait, guys! I have been really busy, and had hardly any time to write. I hope this chapter makes up for it! Also, my dad has a friend coming to stay for a week, so I might not be posting everyday, like I have tried to. It might be two or three days in between postings. Just a heads up. Please review!

Chapter 39: Liz

I had honestly forgotten what it was like to relax. Spending the day at the lake help me more than I had thought it would. Just being with the others without the need to keep secrets… It felt better than I wanted it to. Almost good enough for me to want to share. Almost.

Just then, I felt a hand on my back, pushing me forward and causing me lose my balance and fall. "You're it!" I heard Zephyr scream in a childish voice through the water. When Zephyr acted like this, he was nice to be around, not a burden or hassle. Actually, I never really minded Zephyr, just the threat that he posed to me.

After I rose back to the surface, I noticed everyone grouped together at the other end of the lake. I grew an evil grin, dove under the water, and swam towards them. Sadly, the water was clearer than it had been before, so they saw the attack coming. I arrived where they had been, but they had cleared out before I could do anything. Well, there went that plan.

Chloe was the closest to me, so I decided to make her my next target. While this was Chloe's natural element, I might have just been able to surprise her. I made as if I was swimming towards Emma, but turned around quickly. Luckily, Chloe was no longer watching me, so I was able to sneak up on her.

I was about to tap her on the shoulder when I got a better idea. I leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "You're it," causing her to jump about three feet in the air. And I mean literally. Three feet above the water. That's how well my plan worked.

And that's pretty much how the rest of the day went. We played tag until it was time for lunch, which we hadn't brought. Lucky for us, there was a bush of strawberries that wasn't too far away. After we had all eaten our full, we basked in the sun for an hour or two. We were all exhausted from playing in the water, or, at least I was. But, seeing as we all lay there in silence, I was pretty sure they were, too.

After we had all recovered, we started to walk back to camp. We took it slow, talking and joking with each other as we went. It was nice being able to talk to the others with out anyone looking to me for leadership. Since I was the first runaway, I had been nominated unofficial leader, which I hated.

We had made it back to the clearing when it suddenly started to get cold. Like really cold. That's when I felt the first snowflake.

"We've been found!" I said to no one in particular. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Nathanial had found us.

Well maybe not exactly, but we were as good as found. There was no way we could stay hidden in the storm he was about to create. This time, there wasn't a cave for us to hide in. We were gone.

Danny grabbed my hand, trying to pull me somewhere. I wouldn't let him. It was time that I stood my ground to Nathanial and fought him, not just run.

"We have to go!" Danny yelled at me. "Now!" I could see the fear on his face, but I didn't respond to him. I just shook my head and let go of his hand. "Liz! Come on!" He was terrified, and he had a right to be. The snow was now a blizzard, Nathanial's specialty, as he was a controller of water.

"No!" I said to him, trying to keep my voice level and firm. "I'm not running any more. You guys leave. I'll hold him off." I wasn't trying to sound brave, or like a good leader, or anything. I just wanted them gone when Nathanial got here. When he, inevitably, defeated me.

"I'm not leaving you!" Danny said, reaching for my hand again. I pulled away, tears forming in my eyes. This would probably be the last time I saw him.

"Hide in the woods, before he gets here. I'm the one he wants, not you, not the others. Me. I'll take care of him, just get out of here while you can," I said, turning away from him. He pulled me into a hug, refusing to let me go. I let him hug me, not wanting this moment to end. Not wanting to leave him. Not wanting to leave the others. But I had to, or they would be fugitives forever. And it would be my fault.

Then I felt Danny's lips on mine. It was a hungry kiss, like he knew he might not be able to do it again. I kissed him back, willing the moment to last forever. But I knew that it couldn't.

I pulled away, tears spilling from my eyes. "Stay in the woods until he's gone," I said, pushing him away. "I'll see you then." I tried to smile at him, but I knew that it looked fake. I watched him try to protest, but then think better of it. There was no way to argue with me.

After a minute of waiting, slowly becoming more and more afraid, I saw him. Flying over the clearing, looking for us in the storm that only he could see through. I was suddenly filled with anger, more than I had felt in a long time. To make sure that he didn't miss me, I sent a fireball his way, aimed straight for his gut. I think I hit him, as he started falling at an alarming rate.

He hit the ground with a loud grunt. I attempted to kick him while he was down, but decided against it. I was better than that, and I needed to act like it. I let him get up, but kept my fist ready at his throat. Any sudden movements, and he would have a fistful of fire.

It wasn't what he said next that surprised me it was how he said it. Like he wasn't about to die a fiery death. "Well, Katherine, it's nice to see you again."