Hm… final chapter, this one… told ya it'd be short, though…

"I'm home!" she shouted, putting her messenger bag at the foot of the stairs. She led him into the room where her mother was busily shifting the furniture.

"Hey, pumpkin," her mother said. She turned back to the table, but then snapped her head up, having seen a boy standing with her daughter. "Ann, who-"

"Oh, sorry," the 15-year-old brunette named Ann said. "This is Holden. I met him at school. He's new here."

"Hello, Holden," the mother said, smiling at him.

"Hey, Mrs. Diffy," he returned.

"Is Dad home yet?" Ann asked. Her mother was about to answer, when Ann's father walked in the front door.

"Oh…" he mumbled, walking in, "I was at the clinic so long today… I had to deal with a year-old baby… and when I came out, that same baby I treated… he brought in a kid of his own who had the flu…"

"Dad's a diagnostician," Ann explained to Holden. "He has to work in the clinic sometimes…"

Ann's father looked at Holden. "And you are…"

"Holden Perry, Mr. Diffy," Holden responded.

"Mr. Diffy is my father. I'm Phil," Ann's dad responded.

"Okay, well… we'll be in my room doin' homework."

"For what class?" asked Phil.

"History. Nothing you'd know about," Ann said. Phil and Keely smiled at each other, as Holden followed Ann upstairs.

"Did you see that?" Keely asked.

"What?"

"They're getting along so well already… even though they just met… isn't that sweet?"

"They just met?" Phil asked, surprised. "I thought I'd just never seen him with her before… where's our other little Princess?" he queried, taking a seat on the couch.

"She's over at Seth and Tia's place," Keely replied.

"Boy… that Holden is so well-mannered… does that remind you of someone when they were younger?"

"The well-mannered-ness? No…"

"Ouch," he said, putting a hand to his chest. She shook her head. "So… how was your day?"

"Good," Keely replied, taking a seat next to him. "Not nearly as long as your day…"

"I swear to you, these patients are killing me…" Phil said, resting his head on her lap. "Can a person actually die from overexposure to annoying people?"

"Poor Phil," Keely muttered, looking down at him.

"Poor Phil…" he muttered.

"Is there nothing Mrs. Phil Diffy can do for him?" Keely asked, sticking out her bottom lip.

"Hey, I like the sound of that-- 'Phil Diffy'…" he said, stifling a yawn.

"You're making me sleepy, Phil…" she muttered. Phil raised his eyebrows, and let her lie down next to him… it wasn't a small couch…

Later, Ann came down the stairs and shouted, "I'm going to walk Holden home!"

Phil fell off the couch, and Keely hastily sat up. "Alright," Phil called from the floor.

"Now she's walking him home!" Keely squealed.

"She's being nice… he's new here…"

"Hey… I was nice to the new kid… and look where it got me…"

"Good point," Phil murmured. "I am amazing…"

"Though… I am the only reason you survived in school, you know…"

"You're right. There's no way I could've gotten by in school. Nothing could've helped me survive…"

"I get the point, Phil," she said, cutting him off. "So… just get some sleep before I have to ask Mary to send someone to knock you unconscious."

Phil laughed. "Anything for you, mademoiselle," he said, drowsily…

Hm… really didn't know how to end this thing… but I hope that this ending was good enough… Kinda getting some weird ideas in my head… we'll see what becomes of them…

Anyway... just review, si vous plait...