Author's Note: This could be the last chapter for a little while, so, hope you enjoy it....

When Mush got down the fire escape and onto the street, Laina was dancing around idiotically in the middle of the square.

When he got to her, she looked over at him and smiled widely. She laughed harder than ever when Mush began to chase her around the statue of Horace Greeley.

After their third lap around the statue, Mush changed directions and ran up to her head-on. She saw him coming though, and jumped into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck, released him, and started running up the street. She ran the whole way to the harbor, and jumped in. She began swirling around as if water was a soul ingredient of happiness, and she'd been deprived for far too long.

Mush laughed at her quizzically, but when she waved him in, he jumped. They played a game of "splash" for a while, but the mood was altered when Mush grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. After a moment of gazing into each others eyes, Laina pressed her soaked body against his, and as she moved in for a soft kiss, Mush placed two on her lips and said, "Well, this ain't very lady-like."

Laina laughed and buried her face in his neck. "You ain't exactly being a proper gentleman either, so complainin' mista." Mush replied by putting on a look of fake shock.

"Well then, I'll have to make some changes," and he began to swim away. Getting frustrated, Laina dove into the water and swam smoothly under him, her chest softly grazing the shallow water's murky floor.

When she popped up a few feet in front of him, he smiled at her soaked face. He moved up to her, pulling her long hair over her shoulder. He was taller than her, so his feet were flat on the ground, while she had to stand on her toes to keep her head above the water.

Knowing this, she wrapped her legs around his waist again, pulling him closer. She rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her self around his soaked body. He held her around her back, keeping her as close as possible.

"Now that's the way my lady should act," he said, earning a slap on the shoulder.

"Excuse me? Your lady?" she was now sitting up, looking him in the face. Her hands were on his shoulders, legs still around his waist. "You're my goil as long as I have a say in it. If it were up to me, you'd never leave my side." This was said with so much depth and longing that Laina couldnt help but melt.

She brought a hand up to her heart and said with sarcasm, "Aw, how swett," brings hand back to his shoulder "but if I'm your goil, then that makes you my guy, and my guy's gotta act a sertain way," she finished, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, really. Well then, how should your guy be like?"

Laina thought for a moment. Since she'd never actually had a "guy" before, she honestly had no clue as to how one should act.

"Well, if i told you, what fun would that be?"

Mush smiled at her, and took her wet face in his hands, kissing her softly. Laina did a mock faint and fell backwards into the water. Since her legs were still around his waist, she was lying just below the surface of the water. As she went down, Mush moved his hands from her back to her hips. At this, Laina pulled her lower body closer to him, winning a small moan from his throat.

He reached under the water, pulling her up by the shoulder blades. She rolled herself up, bringing her head up last, pressing herself up against him. When she was completely out of the water she resumed her previous position of being wrapped entirly around him. "Come on," he said, begining to walk back to the docks. Laina simply nodded and held on tighter as they descended to shallow water.

When they were out of the water, Mush carried Laina all the way to the docks before letting her down. It was still raining slightly, and they were both completely drenched. When Laina's feet met the ground, Mush instantly wrapped his arms around her waist. She brought her hands up to the sides of his neck, and smiled up at him.

"How do you fell?" she asked, still smiling slightly.

"Great," Mush replied in question, as if not understanding why he felt so good.

"It's the rain," Laina continued, escaping his grasp and begining to edge closer to the water again,"and the water. Ever since i was little rain always made me feel better. Like the rain was washing away all of my problems, giving me a fresh start."

But suddenly she fell quiet, her face falling, and becoming sad. Seeing this, Mush took her face in his hands and asked, "What's wrong?" a sincere look of concern in his eyes.

Truthfully, it was because she'd startred to think about her past. Remembering her painful past in combination to the night before was too much for her heart at once.

"What's wrong," he repeated, only now it was said with a tone of finality. Laina sighed, and said, "I don't like to think about my past."

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How was that? This is seriously the last for a little while, only because i have to get all the ideas for this story i have on paper into order. Let me know if you like it, and if you dont, flame, just let me know youre out there.