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Slow dancin' on the boulevard in the quiet moments while the city's still dark.
Sleep-walking through the summer rain and the tired spaces you could hear her name.
When she was warm and tender and you held her arms around you, there was nothing but her love and affection.
She was crazy for you, now she's part of something that you've lost.

And for all you know this could be the differance but sweet what you need. And what you want to be..
Hey, what you want to be..

Out swimming in her diamond dress, making small circles move across the surface. Standing watching from the steady shore, feeling wide open and waiting for something warm and tender now she's moving further from you.
There was nothing that would make it easy on you.
Every step you take reminds you that she's walking home.

And for all you know this could be the differance but sweet what you need. And what you want to be..
Hey, what you want to be..

Every word you never said echoes down your empty hallway, and everything that was your world just came down.
Day breaking on the boulevard feel the sun warming up your second-hand heart.
Lights swimming right across your face and you think maybe someday, yeah maybe someday...

----- All You Know - Matchbox Twenty -----

"And that's all?"
A feminine hand pushed the steaming cup of cocoa towards Henry, and he took it slowly, then nodded and looked towards the couch where his younger sister laid in a jumble of blankets, fast asleep.
"It dosen't matter to me what my mother does to me... but leaving Suzy out there--" his voice trailed off, and for the first time in awhile, Rika's eyes softened as she looked towards the little girl also.
"You're real close to her, aren't you?" she switched her focus to Henry, and sipped her own cocoa, half-listening to the two adults of the house discussing the current situation in the kitchen.
"Of course." he placed the cup on the small coffee table the two sat at, and twisted his face into a state of confusion. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"Growing up in my house, I guess." Rika shrugged and took another long sip of her cocoa, figuring that would end the conversation, but she did know Henry, and Henry would press on until he was satisfied.
Much to her surprise though, his attention diverted back to Suzy and stayed there, and she had to admit that in the light of the fire in the fireplace, he looked much older, almost as if he was a father looking at his child, instead of an older brother.
He looked back towards her, then smirked just a bit at her surprised stare. "What?"
"Nothing.." she said quickly, snapping her eyes down to the table and taking another sip.
Henry shrugged almost as if he wasn't interested anyways, and yet again his eyes fell upon his little sister who sighed deeply in her sleep, and drew her stuffed animal closer to her chest.
His eyes narrowed suddenly, and Rika realised he was deep in thought, and cut herself off from making the pointless comment that had suddenly popped into her head.
"I bet this was all my father's fault--"
Rika's head shot up and she looked startled at the rage echoing through Henry's voice.
"-- Yeah, it was his fault we're stuck here, bothering you."
Rika shook her head slowly. "You're no bother to me, really.." she adjusted the blanket that was draped over her shoulders, then looked back up at him. "This house is too quiet anyways, it was about time someone my age came over for a night or two."
It was Henry's turn to be alarmed. Was Rika trying to... comfort him? And was that really a smile creeping across her face?
"I don't know why you all are so scared of me."
Yes, that was a smile. For the first time in ages, she smiled at him warmly, and he actually felt a bit more relaxed than he had been in a long while. That must've been what Jeri had been talking about when she was trying to explain Rika's smile to the rest of the tamers that just sat there looking at her like she was half out of her mind at the thought of anything but a scowl coming from that girl.
"It's funny when you think about it." she ran the tip of her finger around the rim of her cup, watching it.
"Maybe if you smiled a bit more around everyone else--"
A sudden scowl took over her face and she snapped her head up. "Well if people would take the time to get to know me, maybe I would!!"
Henry chuckled under his breath. "People judge others based on first appearance, and I have to say, first time I saw you I was scared out of my mind that you might kill me."
A burst of red went through Rika's cheeks. "I uh--"
Henry chuckled again, and Rika smiled slightly in return. It was relieving to see that Henry was feeling better now, and wasn't sulking around like he had been when they first got back.
Rika's mother walked into the room and smiled at the two. "Alright, it's past midnight, both of you to bed." she turned to Henry. "I placed a mat in Rika's room, you'll have to stay there until we can figure out something better."
Henry stood quickly with a puzzled look across his face. "Figure out something better-- you mean we're not going home tomorrow?"
"I'm afraid not." Rika's mother's violet eyes grew sorrowful. "I called your mother, you'll be staying with us until further notice, but as for right now it looks as if you'll be staying with us for a week or two."
"A week?!" Henry exclaimed, and would've started fuming on if Rika's hand hadn't set itself there on his shoulder, and pushed him forward a bit towards the hallway leading towards her room.
"Com'on.." she said quietly. ".. we'll talk about it there."
Henry growled slightly, something he rarely did, and walked on where she led him.
"Goodnight Mom." Rika called back as they made their way half-way down the hall.
There was no responce, just the sound of the two women trying to figure out what to do with the small girl on the couch.
With one last push, Henry stumbled into the room, and Rika shut the sliding door behind them, leaning against it almost as if something had been chasing them.
"What's gotten into you?" Henry asked confused, seeing the extra mat laid out a yard or two from Rika's and slumping down onto it.
Rika sighed, and pulled down the ponytail she had thrown her hair into as soon as they had returned home, something Henry had expected from the girl who was still too afraid to show them any feminine side of her.
She sat down on her mat, and sighed once more, looking over at Henry who had just laid back on the mat with his arms behind his head, raising an eyebrow at her. "Well?"
"I've got no clue what's wrong with me, alright?" she snapped suddenly, and stood up once more to dig her pajamas out of the drawers of her dresser.
Henry jumped with her sudden snap, and sat up, almost following her example and sliding the deep-green sweater off his arms, setting it to the side and waiting for her to emerge from behind the bi-folded screen she darted behind while he was busy.
In a few moments, she walked out from behind it, throwing the clothes she had been wearing earlier in the hamper beside the dresser, and brushing down the light blue silk pajamas she had slid into. Her eyes fell on Henry and she raised one eyebrow. "Aren't you going to be cold?"
"Maybe... depends on how close I am to you." he joked, and at first her face grew surprised and stunned all at once, until he laughed at her, and she scowled and rubbed the back of her neck.
"Very funny." she said quietly, sinking to her knees on the mat beside him. "But I'm serious, Henry."
Henry laid back down, except this time pulling the thick comforter over his chest, and placing his arms behind his head again.
Rika hesitated a moment and laid down also, looking towards him. "You sure you don't know why you're here?"
Henry stared up at the ceiling and thought about her question for a moment, he looked back over at her. "Yeah, I'm sure."
Both were silent for many a minute, until Rika's mind came up with one last question.
"You are comfortable here, right?"
No answer.
"Henr--" she looked over at him again, and blinked twice. He was still in the position he had been a few minutes before, but his face was blank and his eyes were closed.
She smirked and sat up, pulling his arms gently from behind his head and placing them at his sides and pulling the blanket up just below the tops of his shoulders so he wouldn't freeze in the crisp cold air of the winter night.
"Goodnight, Henry." she whispered, and sank back down into her own bed, and soon fell fast asleep.

Rika's eyes fluttered open at the sound of the sliding door creaking open slowly, and she looked around a bit. It was still dark, and by the way the moon was hitting the door, it was still really late at night also. She groaned and rolled over, expecting to find Henry's bed empty and him trying to sneak out for some reason or another, but she came face to face with the peacefully sleeping boy, and she sat up a bit quicker than she had expected to, wondering who the person entering her room was.
The burst of cold air from the door opening cut itself off when the door was closed, and soon the figure shuffled towards her, dragging a stuffed bunny rabbit behind her, and soft sobs were heard.
Her heartbeat softened and she couldn't help but smile slightly, thinking of how scared she had been for a few moments.
"Suzy." she whispered. "What's wrong?"
The light readjusted and Rika could clearly see the small girl, who was rubbing her eyes half-way from sleepiness, half-way from crying.
"I had a bad dweam..." she sniffed, and took a few more steps towards Rika.
Rika blinked a few times, then before she knew what she was even doing, pulled the small girl into her arms and draped the blanket around them, rocking her gently.
Rika was surprised by her own actions, but Suzy didn't even seemed phased by it, curling up into her chest and sniffing a few more times as if she had done this many a time before.
Maybe her mother was right, maybe she was at that age where her maternal instincts would kick in and she'd want to be a mother or sister to everything she saw. This was definatly proof of that.
She decided she might as well give in, and she started singing softly as to not awaken Henry, but put Suzy to sleep instead. But as the small girl's weight turned into dead-weight and her breathing slowed into that of a deep sleep, Henry's eyes creeped open, and he looked up slightly at Rika, but she didn't see him because her eyes were closed with her chin on his sister's head, rocking back and forth gently, still singing the words to some song he hadn't heard before.
He laid there in a silent awe of her, and didn't dare stir for fear that like a deer, would be startled away at the slightest movement he made.
One of his bigger fears had been conquered, if Suzy would take to this new 'family' they were to be a part of for the next few weeks. She had definately taken to Rika, because it wasn't everyone Suzy would curl up against and let love all over her like that.
Maybe this would work out--- maybe.
He'd have to see for himself.