Hey to all of my faithful reviewers! (And to anyone who reads but doesn't review, too!) Thanks for the reviews. I'm so sorry it's been so long, but high school SUCKS!!! And I'm really obsessed with this one guy, which tends to give me writer's block. Tell him to ask me out, and I'll update sooner! LOL. (I've had a really hard time writing this chapter!)

Please forgive me--and review!

BloodSoakedTiger: Okay, okay, you don't sound like my mom now.

GhostMagic19: Sorry. See above explanation!

Silverwolf92: Thanks!

Sparklingt87: Thanks. I'm trying really hard!

::Shuts up::

Chapter Eight:

We got to Rob's mother's farm at nearly midnight. As fast as we rode, it had taken us over six hours to reach Indiana. Well, Rob and I went to the farm--I think his friends went home to do the whole Santa Claus thing.

Or to celebrate, if you know what I mean.

"Rob," I said. It was all I was capable of saying. Yeah, he saved me from those psychos, but he didn't seem very happy about it. Or seeing me.

And even less happy about discussing it.

"Rob. How did you know? About where I was, I mean." I was truly eager to know this information...

...But Rob, however, seemed apt to completely avoid the subject. He was all like, "Mastriani, I don't really feel like talking about it right now. Why don't we talk in the morning?" Then he put fresh sheets on his bed for me to sleep on, and went downstairs to sleep on the couch.

Why me? Why do I have to get a boyfriend who is hot but terribly uncommunicative? Why? It took him forever to admit he likes me and now that we're officially going out, he acts completely disgusted by me?

What does he think--that I enjoyed being trapped in a disgusting apartment with two guys I didn't even know? If that's what he thought, he so had another think coming. For one thing, they were pigs. And for another, my heart fully belonged to him, whether he liked it or not.

So there you go.

And it's not like we weren't official. My parents--whether they liked it or not--knew about our relationship.

So what was his deal, I wondered.

But I didn't wonder about it too long, because I was so exhausted, I went to sleep after about ten minutes of pondering.

And I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder and whispering my name.

It was Rob.

"Jess. Breakfast," he said, then he added, "We'll talk about it after we eat."

He knew me so well.

I dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen, where Rob's mom had prepared more than enough food for breakfast.

"Hello, Jess. It's nice to see you here on such a lovely morning," she said, dropping a spoonful of grits into my bowl.

After we'd finished helping Mrs. Wilkins clear off the table, Rob pulled me out onto the porch.

"Listen, Jess, about last night...well...I'm sorry," he said. "But you have no idea what it's been like these past few weeks. No one knew where you were."

"But what about Mrs. Pierce and Malcolm? Couldn't they have found me?" I asked.

"No. Mrs. Pierce, it turns out, can only tell what a person is doing at any given point in time. She also has flashes of events in the future." Lucky her, I thought as Rob paused to take a breath. "Malcolm can only find objects." Why me? Why do I have to be the freak who finds missing children. You know, I might not have minded knowing the lottery numbers or where the TV remote it.

But some missing kid whose step dad is going to try and pound the crap out of me? Not so much.

"And that is why," Rob continued, "the feds wanted you to come and work with them. You're the only one they've met with your specific ability. And the fact that it's getting stronger..."

I got what he meant. He meant that I was the only person capable of the job.

Which I'd thought was kind of weird, but it made me see that I might have been wrong all along. Maybe I should have cooperated with the agents in the first place.

But they hadn't exactly been so great with me, either, only I now understood why.

"So...How did you know where I was?" I asked.

"I have friends at the police station who were willing to check something out for me, that's all."

God! He wouldn't spill!

"What did you have them check out?" Can you really blame me?

"I had a dream about where you were. I think you sent it to me, because I'd never had anything like that happen before. In my dream, you told me that Jac and Craig Gardner drove a white van and lived in Chicago. The thought just kept bugging me, and so I had a friend check it out." He paused. Again. "But I'm glad I did."

Then he kissed me.