Sorry that I have been awhile in updating this! I worked on finishing chapter 5 this morning, so I am still thinking about this project!

Thanks to those who read and special thanks to all who reviewed - Suzy Q1068, Fashionista-girl, DS2010, Fan (ha ha! Don't you sound evil?!), and a special welcome to Guest. I'm so glad that you are joining this fandom! :D :D :D :D :D I think that it is one that has SO much potential to grow!

Virtual hugs to you all! Enjoy!

...

Bull had felt badly. Yesterday he had yelled at Cable. Nothing new there, but this time it seemed like she truly did not deserve it. At the first of their conversation he had thought that she sounded guilty - but apparently she was not sneaking off and had instead been feeling badly about not getting in to work. He had misjudged her and he was hopeful that he could make it up to her and start today off a little better.

...

BRING! BRING! BEEP-BEEP! BRING!

"Cable! Shut off your alarm!" one of her friends groaned, rolling over on the roll-away that had been jammed into the tiny, cheap hotel room that five of the girls were sharing - although the hotel only knew of three of them.

"That's not my alarm. I'm getting a call."

"Well, answer!"

"Once I find my phone, I will!"

She finally found the noisy electronic and pulled it out of the side of her bag.

Dr. Bull again?! I'll have to think of another excuse now.

"Everyone, quiet! I have to lie!"

"Sure. Have fun," one of the girls mumbled before falling back to sleep.

"Hi," Cable answered.

"Hello, Cable."

"Oh, Dr. Bull! I did not expect to hear from you this early in the morning."

"It's 9:30. You're already supposed to have been to a class by this point on a normal school day."

Oh, yes ... he helped me choose my courses.

"I already went to that one. I'm just in a study room until my next class at 11:00."

"Really? You sounded so sick yesterday that I thought that you'd still be in bed today."

Rats! I did not think this through correctly!

"Um ... no. Nope. Feeling better. It must have been a twenty-four-hour cold. I woke up feeling great and just have to catch up on all my studying that I missed doing yesterday. I know that you need me to work, but could I come in late? There's a history study group with some of my friends in it and they are going over all the study questions. They think that it'll last for three or four hours, but if I stay for at least an hour ..."

"No. If you are able to study with others, then go ahead and stay. Things will be fine here. We don't have any real need for you to be here today. When you finish studying, go rest. You don't want to have a relapse with your cold."

"No, sir. Thanks," Cable replied, lying as smoothly as she could. "See you soon."

That was too easy!

...

It was 3:00. Bull was looking out his office window, pondering and worrying. Some sneaking suspicions had been bothering him all day and it was time to confront them.

He was fighting back his negativity. Sure, people could be sick one day and better the next (although he had never heard of a twenty-four-hour cold). Study groups with friends could be enjoyable. Study rooms could have poor reception and sound like someone was snoring in the background.

But he knew Cable's background.

She enjoyed skipping classes.

She loved having fun with friends outside of study groups.

She had lied to many people - including him when they first met.

She was a rule-breaker, as he had realized afresh just four weeks previously when they had their first major issues with her following rules.

But he did not want her to think that he did not trust her. This whole mentorship stuff with her was new to both of them and he did not want to mess it up by jumping to conclusions - but ignoring his concerns was not helping.

Pizza!

No study group could say no to pizza and he was concerned that if Cable had truly been sick that she would be overdoing it today and working too hard.

"I'll just order some pizza and deliver it to the campus myself. I'll be able to set my mind at ease that she's actually there where she's supposed to be, doing what she's supposed to do.

And if she's not?

I'm not even going to consider that right now.

BUT if she isn't ...!

...

"What study group?" Cable's studious roommate snorted as she looked up from her pile of books. "When does Cable ever go to a non-mandatory study group?" She froze at the look on his face. "Aside from when you get her to sign up with one?" she stumbled, clearly trying to cover for her absent friend. "Oh, I guess that she must be in the ones that ... I don't know about."

"But not today," he stated bluntly, setting down the pile of pizzas on the end of Cable's desk. There were wrappers and figurines and old school papers and several broken pencils - but no laptop, Cable's prized possession. And obviously, no Cable.

That kid ...!

"So where is she, Mei?" he asked the girl who was apparently enthralled by her biology notes - or trying to avoid making eye contact while delivering the bad news.

"Sorry to have to tell you this, Dr. Bull, but Cable took off two days ago."

"Two ... days?"

She took off on the night that I sent her back?!

"Yes. There was a video game convention that she said that she just could not miss."

What did I expect?! I sent her off when we were both frustrated. I knew that she was in a bad mood and instead of taking another ten minutes to actually discuss it rather than preach it at her, I sent her back to campus with my driver. I didn't even walk her down to make sure that we parted without animosity. And then I was foolish enough to fall for her trick of sounding sick. She did exactly what she wanted to do in the first place but left me thinking that she was doing what I had asked of her. Well played, Cable, well played. But this particular game is just changing levels - and you're not going to like this next one.

"Thanks for the help, Mei," he said wearily. He patted the pile of pizza boxes that she was covertly eyeing hungrily. "Now, would you know any students who actually are studying who would like a free pizza party break?"

Unsurprisingly, her eyes went wide and she nodded eagerly. Relieved of the cardboard boxes filled with Italian delights, Dr. Bull strode back to his car while making a phone call.

"Danny, I need the address of a certain video game conference ... I mean, convention ..."

...

So, what do you think is going to happen next