Yo yo, and welcome to another spiffy update. –facefaults- Blech, I think I'm getting some kind of throat disease. It's bad when it hurts when you swallow, right? X.x Oh whyyyy now, when I have a horse show on Sunday? Grrr.

Okay, enough about me...heh heh. This chapter...well, I don't know really how to explain the first half, except that it may be a little suggestive so...beware. :-X

Hmmm...random thought, but I haven't seen Pokemaniac Hanni around here in FOREVER...or Silvie for awhile. Hrmm...-holds out lemon drops and Darrell as bait- Heh heh. The things I do for my lost reviewers. –wink wink-

And now, onto...

Chapter Thirty-Eight

My eyelashes had to be stitched together---or hot glued, or something. That was the only logical explanation of why it hurt so badly to attempt to open my eyes.

"Lindsey?"

Oi. What a familiar scene. When I actually unstitched my lashes apart, I was probably going to see boring white walls with Ivy, Steve, Mom, and Dad looking down at me. Then I would wonder where the heck Darrell was and if he really was the loser Steve thought he was.

"Lindsey?"

Wait a sec...that wasn't Steve's voice at all. My eyes flew open, and to my shock, I saw Darrell staring down at me. I realized another minute later that I wasn't in a hospital at all, but in my room, laying on my bed and still soaked to the core.

"Da...Darrell?" I whispered.

He tucked a swatch of sopping hair behind my ear. "Yeah."

"What are you doing here? What happened? What---" I quickly sat up, ignoring how sore I was. "What am I doing here? Where are—" I gasped. "Where are Steve and Mom?!"

As soon as I shut my mouth, I realized Darrell was trying not to smile. Not that he ever does. Smile, I mean.

"Calm down," he said. "Your mother and Mochiles are at a nearby hospital, I believe."

"Then why I am at home?"

Darrell paused, as if he didn't really want to answer the question, but I knew he'd known me long enough that I wouldn't just let him off the hook. I painfully raised an eyebrow, waiting for his response.

"Darrell...I'll sit here all day and wait for you to answer if I have to."

He sighed and leaned his face on his clenched hand, staring so hard into my eyes I thought I was going to melt.

"So...?"

"It's like this," he started. "I have no idea how or why, but I was suddenly walking around near where you crashed. It's strange...I can't seem to remember anything about the last few days." He rubbed his temples with his free hand.

"Anyway, I then heard the actual impact and saw you, Mochiles, and your mother. Several townspeople were there, but I got you out of there before any of them saw you, and---"

"You LEFT Mom and Steve there?!" I cried, resisting the urge to smack him. Like I had the energy to even lift my hand anyway.

"Technically, but mere seconds later people were helping them, so don't worry," he assured me. "I brought you back here, and you've been asleep for the past two hours."

"Wait a sec..." I interrupted. "Dad would be at the hospital, right? Where do they think I am?"

I raised my eyebrows in total shock as I saw Darrell look—well, I couldn't find a better word—embarrassed. I was flabagastered---dark, neutral, quiet Darrell was actually EMBARRASSED?!

If I ever decided to talk to him again after yelling at him about last night, I was sooo going to have a field day with that.

"I, well, pretended to be a medical assistant and simply told your father I was bringing you home, and he had no objections. Luckily he was too busy being worried about your mother and Mochiles to remember who I was."

I was torn between laughing my head off or feeling absolutely heart-warmed. Before I could do either, I found myself suddenly saying, "What, is this an apology for last night?"

Darrell blinked. "Last night? What do you mean?"

I blinked back, remembering he had just said he, for whatever reason, couldn't remember the past few days. D'oh.

I slowly touched my cheek, actually wishing the bruise was there so I could have proof that that did really happen, but I guess it was too late for that.

"Never mind," I finally said, slowly laying back on my mountain of pillows. I glanced around my room to fill up time, and noticed Kitsune for the first time, sitting on the windowsill looking out the window Steve usually comes through. It was still raining.

"Kit?" I mumbled. "How'd you get out of your Pokeball?"

"I found the Pokeball near the crash," Darrell explained. "To my surprise, Kitsune was in there. Don't you usually have him out of the Pokeball?"

"Yeah but..." I paused, contemplating whether or not to tell Darrell about the Den, and decided not to for now. "I, um, wanted to bring him to school. My classmates just remembered him as an Eevee."

I was really starting to become an accomplished liar.

"What about my backpack?!" I suddenly gasped. "Where's that at?"

Darrell gave me a funny look, probably wondering why I was so worried about something like my backpack, but he didn't know that blue book and Chris Tamer's journal was in there.

"I would imagine it was taken out of the car," he shrugged. "But don't worry about it."

I relaxed again. Steve probably had it. Yeah, let's just say that.

"Essspeon!" Kit suddenly cried out, Teleporting out of my room. I sat up a little again, wondering what the heck had spooked him.

"Kit?" I called. The only reply I received was a huge clap of thunder. I shivered, wondering if Joker had just gone into his stall by himself.

"Kitsune probably sensed that coming," Darrell said. "Is he afraid of this type of weather?"

I shrugged. "He's never had this kind of reaction to it---then again, it's not like we have storms like this all the time." I looked towards the window again, only now realizing how dark it was.

"Well," Darrell suddenly said. "I should go. It would not be good for either of us if your mother found me here." He stood up and took a step towards the door, but before I could stop myself, I grabbed onto the sleeve of his trench coat.

"Don't go," I whispered. "S...stay with me tonight."

He turned towards me. "Lindsey..."

"Please."

He hesitated, but then sat down on the bed next me, winding a hand through my hair. I titled my head up and he leaned forward, our lips meeting again. I threw my arms around his neck, suddenly acknowledging how much I had really missed him---nothing from the past mattered; all that did was the two of us, here together. He leaned forward some more, pressing us both into the bed.

'Darrell...why is it so easy to throw myself away when it comes to you?'

He broke the kiss and murmured my name into my hair, and I shivered feeling his lips on my neck.

'I haven't even known you that long...and for whatever reason, Mom and Steve don't trust you. Well, I know why Steve doesn't like you, but Mom's reason is totally unknown to me...are you hiding something?'

I laughed a little to myself as I realized we could both hide in the shadows if we wanted, since we were both wearing black. For some odd reason, that amused me, but I quickly got rid of any thoughts of laughing as Darrell's mouth found mine again.

'Darrell...I can't believe your sudden change in heart. If you can forget about last night, then I can too...and let's just make this night ours.'

"Ours."

I was woken up the next morning by a pounding on my door. My eyes fluttered open as I tried to remember where I was...

I shot up, remembering last night. I took some strands of hair and chewed on the ends in nervousness. Come to think of it, where was Darrell anyway?

"Lindseeeey!" a voice called from the other side of my door. I grinned as I realized it was Steve---he was okay! I got out of bed and threw on some denim shorts and a brown tank top before opening the door.

"Hey!" I greeted. "So it looks like you survived."

"Just barely," he teased, clutching at a rather large bandage on his arm. "This and a sprained ankle! I'm amazed I'm alive today!"

I laughed and opened the door wider so he could come in. "That must've sucked then, hobbling up the stairs on that ankle."

He shrugged as he sat an a huge, poofy blue chair, propping his ankle up on the ottoman. "Better hopping up the stairs then risk breaking it climbing up through the window."

"Yeah, I guess." I paused. "Is Mom still in the hospital?"

Steve nodded. "But only because she insisted---as far as I know, she's fine except for a few bruises and stuff."

I sighed with relief. "That's good. I was getting kind of worried."

Steve frowned. "So...a doctor took you back here? How come?"

I felt my face heat with embarrassment and nervousness. "Umm...because I was fine...you know, why waste the nurse and doctor's time if someone's okay?"

He narrowed his eyes. "But we crashed into a tree! Even if you are fine, you shouldn't just go immediately back home." He frowned some more and began to study me, which made me really nervous.

"Hey, have you talked to Ivy at---"

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" he interrupted, sitting up a little.

I let out a fake, nervous laugh. "Now why would I hide something from you?"

"Lindsey," he sighed. "I know you better than anyone. You don't have to lie to me, dude."

"I'm not a dude."

"Excuse me---dudet."

"Yeah, whatever." I started to make for my phone. "So Ivy's probably heard about the accident—have you talked to her yet?"

Steve sighed, finally realizing he wasn't getting any information out of me. "No, but I know she was at the hospital, so she knows we're okay."

"Oh...good." I unconsciously played with the chain around my neck, only now realizing it was bright and sunny outside like last night had never happened. I groaned, telling myself not to mess with myself.

"Hey, the rain stopped," I grinned. "Wanna come and see if Joker survived the night?"

"Anytime," he teased, hoisting himself up.

I sighed, scooping up the muck that had collected in Jo's stall during the night. Apparently that little Ponyta of mine was smarter than he let on---he had actually realized that massive amounts of rain wasn't good for him and unlatched his stall door by himself and sought shelter.

"You couldn't have crapped this all out in the pasture though," I moaned, steadying the wheelbarrow I was using. Joker, who was eating hay out of a hay net on the other side of the stall door, just looked up at me and then continued to munch his hay.

Steve, of course, had offered to help me muck out the stall, but I wouldn't let him because of his ankle. After insisting a zillion times I could do it myself---geez, I've been around Ponyta poop all my life---he had limped over to the fence and was sitting on it, talking to me as I worked.

"So Mom's supposed to come back today, right?" I asked.

"Yeah," Steve smiled. "Thank god we were all wearing our seatbelts---especially her. She would've gotten hurt the most if we weren't."

"That's good. I'm glad we're all okay."

"For the most part," he winked, sticking out his puffy ankle.

"Yeah, yeah."

"You know, I wonder---"

Steve's sudden stop made me come out of the stall and see why he hadn't finished his sentence. I found him half gawking and half glaring at something. I followed his glance, and to my shock, saw Darrell standing on the other side of the fence.

Almost like a replay from that moment in Hoenn—-only Ivy was there that time---Darrell leaped over the fence like it was nothing. I walked up to him, my mouth hanging in the most undignified way.

"Hey," he greeted in that deep voice of his.

"H-hi," I stammered, trying to ignore my heart that was suddenly pounding a million miles an hour.

"Feeling any better?"

My face immediately grew hot, and I was sure it was bright red. It was such an innocent remark, and yet my stupid mind that was waaay down in the gutter thought of it as something else. Well, considering last night, it was no wonder.

"Uh..." I managed to choke out. Yeah, real smooth Lindsey. "Yeah. I'm doing good."

"Good." Darrell looked up and slightly raised an eyebrow. Even though I knew what was behind me, I spun around anyway to see Steve hobbling on his good foot looking like he wanted to punch the lights out of Darrell.

"You-you-you have the nerve to come back here after—" He was cut off when he stumbled over something nonexistent. "YAAAAAAAH!!!" I rolled my eyes and dashed towards him.

"For heaven's sake, Steve," I muttered, helping him regain his balance. "Stay off your ankle. No need for you to run around acting like you know how to throw a punch."

Steve gritted his teeth. "Oh yeah, throwing punches is your job," he said with another glare at Darrell before he let me put him back on the fence.

"Make like Iggy and stay," I commanded before spinning on my heel back to Darrell. "Heh, sorry about that...Steve hurt his ankle in the accident. Oh yeah, and Mom's supposed to be coming back from the---"

"Lindsey," Darrell interrupted quietly, holding my face in his hands, which surprised me---I couldn't believe he dared to be all romantic and stuff in front of Steve. Then again, as far as I knew, he had no idea how Steve felt about me.

"Lindsey," he repeated. "I know this is quite...sudden...but I have to leave this town for quite some time."

My mouth fell open again. "WHAAAT?!"

Darrell's natural frown grew deeper. "I'm afraid I can't tell you when I'll be back, or where I am headed...but I'll find you again once I am finished there. All right?"

I sighed. "Why can't you tell me?"

He frowned some more. "Do not worry about it, please," he replied before leaning in and nearly knocking me off my feet with a kiss that clearly stated, 'My Woman. Stay Away.'

Even though that kiss made my whole body tingle, I couldn't help feeling a little made about the possessiveness that came with it---I'm a human, not some thing damnit!

When we broke apart, I could practically hear Steve preparing mental lectures at me, but for once I didn't care. I looked up at Darrell, hoping my Growlithe-like pleading eyes could convince him not to go wherever he was going.

Unfortunately, it didn't work. Darrell simply let go of my face and pulled down the sleeves of his trench coat, despite the scorching sun. "I will see you when I return," was his goodbye.

For now...

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" A cry rang out to the whole barn, startling me out of my dreamy stare. I realized it was just Steve letting off some steam.

I walked back into Jo's stall, rolling my eyes. "Go ahead and lecture me now—oh wait, let me tune you out first." I imitated putting on a pair of headphones. "Okay, start now."

"Lindseeeey..." he growled. "You still trust him after everything that's happened? Even after he hit you?! Last time I checked, people don't smack the person they love so hard it leaves a mark."

I heaved a sigh. Okay, so Steve knew I had lied about that...maybe I wasn't as good a liar as I thought. But still, he didn't have to blow it out of proportion. Yeah, it was weird that Darrell had hit me, but now that I thought of it, he hadn't really seemed like himself. But was that really any excuse for the way he made me feel afterwards? Not really.

"Maybe so," I answered, scooping the last of the muck into the wheelbarrow, "But...I don't know! Something's telling me not to stay away." I wheeled the full barrow over to the manure pile and dumped it and walked back over to the fence. "I can't explain it," I added, standing next to Steve, but staring straight ahead. "It's just...something I can't help feeling."

"What, you're the only one who's been in that situation?" he murmured.

I looked over at him, a little stunned. He was staring at me with that same light in his eyes I had seen the moment he kissed me, and I fought the urge to look away. Aw crap, was now the moment we were going to have our big heart-to-heart about it?

"Lindsey—" he started, only to be cut off by the back door slamming. I looked back, and saw Mom walking a little unsteadily with her left arm in a sling, but otherwise looking fine.

"Mom!" I cried, leaping over the fence, eternally grateful she had chosen now to come into the yard.

"Mom!" I echoed, running up to her. "You're okay!"

"Yeah, I'm in one piece," she smiled grimly, rubbing her left arm. "I fractured this wrist though," she sighed. "It's going to be in the sling for three weeks! THREE WEEKS!"

"Uh...is that really so bad?"

"YES! I have a big show coming up in a month---small fences, but important nonetheless...ever since Hades died, I've been working on Blaze, and this'll be Blaze's first big show..."

I tuned Mom out as she began to go on and on about Divine Blaze, one of her show Rapidashes---Blaze was pretty ordinary to me, but once Mom starting babbling about him, she wouldn't shut up.

"I'm sure your wrist with be fine by then," I interrupted comfortingly. I cast a look back at Steve, who made a gesture that meant he was going to go home now. I nodded slightly, and looked back at my own house. "...But right now I got some, uh, homework to do." I frowned. "Speaking of which, did you happen to get my backpack? It was in the car..."

Mom frowned back. "No...I was able to get some possessions out of the car after I was released from the hospital, but I didn't see it in there...maybe it got lost? Or…I guess maybe that doctor who brought you home took it with him."

"I haven't seen it," I admitted, growing nervous. My eyes widened as realization came to me. "Uhmm...never mind. I'm sure it's around somewhere." I started to make for the house.

"All right," Mom called after me. "Did you muck out Joker's stall?"

"YES, MOM!"

As soon as I was safe back up in my room, I paced, wondering where the heck my backpack could've gone---Chris Tamer's journal, as well as that blue book, were in there! Not that it mattered if anyone found the blue one---as far as I knew, I was the only one that could read it. But—

"AHHH!" I cried out, pulling my hair. "My favorite Maybe-Line eyeliner was in there!" I groaned and flopped down face first on my bed.

"Hmmm...Mom said she checked the car when she got out of the hospital..." I muttered into the blankets. I thought back to another thing she had said---' Or…I guess maybe that doctor who brought you home took it with him.'

I lifted my head up and gasped. Was that it? But...why? What would he want with an old journal, a battered blue book, and some charcoal eyeliner?

Why would Darrell want any of that?

WOAH that's...deep. Hrm, internal conflict going on in our lovely main character. Interesting indeed...-cough-

Reviewer replies! Yay!

Opaltiger – That's right, updating is gooooood. –wink- With updates you get...REVIEWS! –cough-

Hakura – Don't stop thinking, thinking's gooooood. –wink wink- And yeah, let's just say that...hey wait, I'm the author, I should know these things. O.o But of course I don't pay attention to details like that. –falls over-

Robin Ryan – RainbowSerenity hopes that Katie has fun at Band Camp and remembers to update and review what she gets back. :-X

Karania Avalon -- -runs off to continue- ;D

Adriel – See, look at meeee updaaaaating! Even though I feel like crap! That's the kind of kick-ass fic-writer I am! –cough- ;D

None – Whoever you may be...-falls over- No money for you for not leaving a name. :P

Rose – Ooo, nothing like free manga. ;D Better than what's been happening to our heros! Eep! I bet Kitsune will save them all...after all, he hides in the shadows more than Darrell...o.O

Harunohi -- ?.?

Saisaishi – Well Joker is quite the...-odd- Pokemon. Heh heh. I just thought he was so weird that he had to like the rain. And it's the weird dark dude that saves them. FREAKY! –facefaults-
Heh, my favorite part is when the 'bugs' crawl under you at the end. –squeaks-

GAAAH I must hang out with my sister now.... But what will get me through this –horrible- event?

Reviewers: We know, we know...-run off to 'Submit Review'

YAY!