Wheee! Here I am! ^_^ Yeah, I didn't update Friday because this site was down when I was going to, and I was too busy all weekend...GETTING CONTACTS! –runs around like crazy- It's awesome. People with perfect vision wouldn't really know what I'm talking about, but it really amazing (to me at least) to be seeing the world from behind frames, and suddenly be able to see without them! And to think, I thought I was only getting them for my riding lessons ~_^

-cough- Anyway...here is chapter! This was kind of a tough one to write...but I had to write it. –sighs- Ehhh, I'll quit my 'Author's Notes' and let you read this thing!

~Chapter Thirty-Three~

"Okay..." Steve started, leaning against one of the paddock fences outside. Mom had came into my room right before I hid that book and commanded me to muck out Joker's stall and give him his feed. So Steve, Ivy, and I went outside and were talking near that paddock fence.

"How do we even know that Den even exists?" Steve continued.

I narrowed my eyes at the grass. "Because that book said so, and it would be a good excuse to explain everything that's been happening lately."

"So the real question is, how are we going to get there?" Ivy asked, staring at the sky. "We can't exactly go, 'Hey, we need a ride to Ecruteak to look for this freaky little Den place or whatnot' to our parents."

I sighed and finally dragged myself to a pitchfork to prepare the task of mucking out Jo's stall. "We'll think of something."

"You mean Ivy will think of something," Steve smirked, jutting a thumb at her. "She's the smart one."

Ivy snorted, but then cleared her throat. "Well, actually..."

I threw the pitchfork down and bounded over to her. "You have a plan! Oh the great oh-so-smart Ivy has a plan!" I cried happily.

She gave me a funny look, but then smoothed down her skirt. "It's simple---tomorrow after school, we go over to the town's main buses by the Pokemon Center instead of on the school bus home. There's bound to be one that goes to Ecruteak."

"And if there isn't?" Steve asked nervously.

"If that, we just walk to my house and I'll beg one of my parents to give you a ride back." Ivy grinned at her plan.

Her lovely, amazing, super plan! "IVY!" I squealed, flinging my arms around her. "You think of everything!"

"Not everything," Steve interrupted.

"Shut up," I smiled. "She did! It's the perfect plan!"

"Yeah, except for the fact that we have nothing to tell our parental units..."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "I thought that was obvious...jeez, just tell them you're staying for some kind of club or something."

"But tomorrow's Lindsey's first day back," Steve protested. "Who goes to 'some kind of club' meeting when it's their first day back from Hoenn?"

I frowned at him. Okay, so he had a point, but he didn't need to sound so nasty about it.

"I've got it!" Ivy snapped her fingers. "We'll tell Lindsey's parents we're having an after-school surprise 'welcome back' party. They'll just think that we're keeping you for that!"

"BRILLIANT!" I cried, flinging my arms around her again.

"So remember Steve," Ivy said once she detached me from her. "Don't get on the bus back here tomorrow."

"Yes madam fortress mommy," he muttered.

~*~

I was grateful when it was finally night. All I wanted to do was fall into bed and slip into a deep sleep, but old habits told me to go see Darrell.

"Noooo," I murmured, slipping some shoes on and opening my window. "Beeeeed," I mumbled, climbing down the side of the house. I just couldn't win.

Not only was I exhausted, physically and emotionally, but I couldn't shake this weird feeling growing in my stomach. I wanted to turn back...Darrell really creeped me out today, but I couldn't stop walking towards him...

He was sitting on the ground in the clearing when I found him, staring at the ground like he was mad at it. He didn't seem to notice my appearance until I knelt down next to him and poked his arm.

He jumped about a mile. "Oh, hi Lindsey," he said in his monotone voice.

I frowned. Darrell was not a jumpy sort of person. I don't think I've ever seen him startled in any way in all the time that I've known him.

I stood up, wanting to get straight to the point. "Darrell, what did you mean earlier...when you called me a Dragon Tamer?"

He stood up so fast, I thought his trench coat was going to fly off. "You mean you don't know?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at a point behind me.

"No!" I cried. "I don't know anything anymore! Everything and everyone's confusing me…and I don't need you to join in!"

His hands, which were in his pockets, slowly came out to fold. "I don't want you to know if you don't already," he muttered.

"Well you know I'm going to find out anyway!" I yelled. "So why not just tell me? And why the hell were you trying to capture Dragonair? It murdered a Pokemon that was really special to me, you think it would deserve more than---"

I was interrupted when a loud smack filled the forest. Darrell's hand met my cheek so fast and with such force that I had no time to give any reaction.

His slap hurt me so bad because for one thing, he was wearing these huge Gothic-y sliver rings on practically every finger and they're sharp. But it wasn't just the rings...his strength seemed inhuman.

I stood and stared at him in shock before slowly bringing a hand to my cheek. I felt a little blood, probably from his rings, and it stung like crazy. A sudden breeze suddenly flowed against my skin, somehow stinging it even more.

Neither of us spoke for a few seconds. I was still in shock---no, he didn't just hit me. Darrell didn't just do what I think he did. This was Darrell! Why would he...

"Dar..." I whispered. "Why...?"

He balled his hands into fists, and I stepped back, afraid he might, well, use them. "Lindsey, don't give in to anything," he warned in a low, deep voice. "Sure you may like your cute little Dragons now, but they're going to take you." He looked up, his long, dark bangs hiding his eyes. "And I can't have that."

Once again, he was confusing me to no end. "Dar..." I choked again, still too shocked and in pain to utter anything else. Without giving another thought to what he had just said, I spun around and ran for home, still pressing my hand to my burning cheek.

~*~

I didn't even bother climbing up to my window once I reached my house---I just opened the back door and ran upstairs to my bathroom, not caring if my parents heard me. Which of course, they didn't.

I turned on the light and faced a mirror, but I couldn't bring myself to look at my reflection. It would be as if actually seeing the damage would make what had happened more real.

After a few minutes of heaving deep breaths, I slowly brought my face up to stare at the mirror. My eyes widened in horror---several cuts crisscrossed my cheek, and I could already see a purple bruise forming.

I cleaned up the cuts, but there was obviously nothing I could do about the bruise. I lightly pushed my palm to it and trudged to my room, falling into bed without changing into pajamas. Kitsune, who I didn't even realized was on my bed, crept up to me and lay down next to my head, as if to comfort me.

I couldn't make a sound, even when tears started pouring from my eyes.

~*~

I woke up the next morning with a burning pain on the side of my face. Not remembering last night, I groggily got out of bed, feeling grungy and wondering why I was sleeping in my clothes, and shuffled to my bathroom. I looked up in a mirror and gasped.

Thin scars were lined over a dark bruise, the skin around it still red, if that was even possible. All at once, I remembered last night.

"Darrell," I sobbed. What was I doing, crying over a guy that had slapped me? Who was I, crying over any guy? Hell, who was I, crying at all? I am Lindsey Tamer. Fear me and my singing voice of doom. Kitsune's gonna eat you. Feel the wrath of Joker's neigh.

But this wasn't just any guy. I had been so sure, almost convinced that he loved me the way I loved him. All those kisses, the way he held me, the fact that my heart didn't slow down when I was around him.

What had changed so much that he would go and pull a stunt like this? Was it because I tried to stop him from capturing Dragonair after encouraging him to get a Dragon Pokemon, or something deeper? Did that 'Dragon Tamer' crack have anything to do with it?

Dizzy and lost in my thoughts, I forced myself to look at the damage. I washed my face, but that didn't help. I tried to cover the bruise with makeup, but that just made it look worse. I washed the gunk off and sighed, pulling my hair in front of my face the hide it.

"Steve's going to blow a gasket," I muttered, going back to my room to get dressed. Well of course Steve was going to get pissed. I would just have to make sure he didn't see my cheek, is all. After I dressed, I brushed my hair straight in front of my face, and even used some hair gel to make sure it stayed there.

I was about to grab my backpack to go---I was about to be late, which was fine with me since I wouldn't have to face Mom and Dad with my bruise if I was late---when my phone rang. I sighed and picked it up, wondering who would think to call me so early.

"Hello?"

"Lindsey? It's Ivy."

"Why are you calling so early?" I huffed.

"I just thought of something," she hurriedly said, sounding as if she was also running late. "Kitsune's trained to a Pokeball, right?"

"Yeah..." I trailed off, casting a glance at my Espeon, who was stretching on the floor.

"Can you bring him to school with you?"

"Why?"

"Well, if we get lost looking for this Den or whatever today, Kitsune can Teleport to town and lead people to where we are. Like that time in Hoenn..." she added, referring to when I had fallen into a coma.

"Yeah. Okay," I agreed. "That reminds me. I'm bringing that book too."

"Okay. See ya later."

"Bye," I said, slowly replacing the phone in its cradle. That Den. Suddenly, it seemed so unimportant...

I grabbed the book from where I had hidden it last night, and Kitsune's Pokeball from a dresser drawer. I hadn't needed to use it for years since Kit wasn't one to constantly stay in a Pokeball, but he could deal with it.

"Okay Kit," I said, holding up the Pokeball. "You're coming with us today."

"Essspeon!" he cried happily, sitting perfectly still while the red light captured him and sucked him into the ball. I shrunk it and stuffed it in my jeans pocket, the Pokeball clinking against the metal of my cross belt.

"Here goes," I whispered, walking as fast as I could downstairs and past my parents, barely even acknowledging them, though I think I did yell at them that I was staying after school. Luckily, when I got out the door, the bus was just pulling up. I saw Steve look back from the stop and smile at me. I quickly readjusted my hair and caught up with him.

We sat in our usual seats, with me in front of him, as if I had never left. After all that had happened, Hoenn seemed like another lifetime. Which, I guess in a way, it was.

"I bet everyone will be really surprised to see you back," Steve said, interrupting my thoughts.

I smiled slightly. "Yeah. Do they know about what happened in Hoenn? When you guys stayed there for three weeks...?"

I saw Steve shrug out of the corner of my eye. "I dunno. If anyone knows, Ivy probably told them. But I doubt she did."

I sighed without even realizing it, and Steve came forward to rest his hands on the back of my seat. "Hey, something wrong?" He paused and looked down. "Is it about yesterday? What...what happened before Hades..."

I blinked, realizing he was talking about when he kissed me. Oh man, how did I forget about that? I sighed again. My brain was just so jumbled at the moment.

"Steve, no," I said, slowly turning around to face him and making sure my hair didn't move from in front of my face. "It's not that. Well...I don't know. I kinda have a lot on my mind right now."

'Tell him now, Tamer,' I thought. 'Just pull your hair back and tell him. What's he going to do about it?'

"Care to share?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to start sharing, but I realized that I just couldn't do it...at least not now. I barely even understood myself at the moment.

"Nah...but...thanks," I suddenly said. Before I could stop myself, I gently put one of my hands on his.

"F-f-for what?" he stuttered, and I wanted to laugh at him suddenly getting so flustered.

I smiled instead. "For being my friend. For being there for me. You're really the best friend anyone can have."

"Yeah, well, I try," he mumbled happily.

The cheesewagon clattered on towards school, and I realized that today was going to be incredibly long. I was getting more excited about searching for this so-called Den---and see if it actually existed.

~*~*~

Aww. It's just so adorable –hurls- ~_^ What, hurling at my own fic? O_O

Anyway...

REVIEWS! I love you all ^_^ Seriously, every time I get a review, I want to hug the person who gave it. Or give them a cookie. You guys make me so happy! ^_^

Karania~ YAY FOR CONTACTS! ;D

Silvie~ Ooo...I've been chucking out chapters I'm thinking you won't like lately –hides- SQUEEEE! Squee kicks ass! –cough- Steve HAS to mess up the Lindsey/Darrellness. That's just the sorta person he is! Luckily Ivy has enough sense to stay out of the way...then again, she IS based on me. ~_^

Zero_Chan~ Well, luckily they won't have to hitchhike. Unless all of the buses I'm sticking in there break down because that killer Dragonair destroyed them all. But that would be kind of redundant o_O;;;...LURK! GET OFF OF MY PLOT! We already have an Espeon here! ;P

Saisaishi~ Well, at least you've read the others ^_^;; I'm glad you love them all! And I hope you'll love this one too ~_^

Rose~ Man I'm getting lazy with all these nicknames...anyway...I can picture Steve holding his breath going all the way to the bottom of the lake –sniggers- But I have a PLAN!...-cough- Which you will have to wait and see ^.~

Robin Ryan~ -does some more of freaky happy dance- Yay! Chapter was awesome! ^_^ Yes, this is going to be a loooooong fic. _ Ah, well. I'm hoping it'll be good. Let's just say it's going to end up way different than the other two ;D Anyway...yes, unless the site's down, I'm going to update Friday, but if you want to go to the dance, don't stay home just because of that! Once the chapter's uploaded, it's not going anywhere ~_^

Opaltiger~ Here is update! ^_^ Wow, I'm using that face a lot. –cough- Anyway, what's WITH these Dragonairs lately? They used to be so nice and...peaceful. –chomp- X_X

Readers: You're very odd, RainbowSerenity.

RainbowSerenity: Bwahahahahaha...@_@

Readers: -run-

RainbowSerenity: WAIT! Leave a review before you run!

Readers: Oh yes...-leave a review-

^_^