A/N: Well this story is finally back! Sorry to all fans of the story that it's been so long but I got really involved in The Girl From The Paper Lantern and schoolwork so I didn't have time to keep two stories going!

Also, I wrote myself into another hole with the ending of the previous chapter but hopefully I'm out of it now!

Final thing – I know the time scale has got majorly screwed up but I'm going to start anew with the beginning of the Spring semester i.e. January some time.

It was the beginning of the new semester and to Warren all the things that happened over the past month seemed like a dream almost. The ceremony, Raven's awakening and the moment he and Layla had shared…

Warren was sitting in a corner of the cafeteria with his new friends. Will had his arm around Layla, they were still dating. Warren watched her with him, her eyes sparkling as she laughed, her hair moving as she did. That moment they had shared…would there ever be anything more to it?

'So I heard they're finally getting Raven out of here,' Will commented.

'Yeah?' Warren asked, raising his head from the stuff on his plate that was supposed to count as food. 'When?'

'Today I think. My dad heard from someone that now she's better there's no reason to keep her here.'

'What's going to happen to her?' asked Layla. In spite of everything, she didn't want Raven to be hurt. She'd been one of their classmates; it wouldn't be right to harm her.

'Something like minimum security prison somewhere with counselling to find out why she sold us all out to get on her uncle's side,' Will replied.

'Good,' said Warren.

They all looked at him, the surprise evident on their faces.

'What?' asked Will, 'I thought you two had worked this all out now. That's what you said.'

'I know, and we have, but she still deserves to be punished for what she did and someone definitely needs to find out what's going on in her mind that made her want to do it in the first place.'

'I guess,' Will said, shrugging his shoulders, 'if that's what you think man then that's fine.'

'Well it is so let's just drop it yeah?' he muttered.

Truth be told he did feel like that. If people didn't learn right from wrong when they were young then who knows what would happen to them when they got older. He knew his dad had pulled a hell of a lot of stunts when he was young, each getting more dangerous than the last. But no one had ever gotten hurt…not like what had happened when Raven pulled her trick. So he guessed he was grateful that Raven was getting the chance to become someone good as opposed to ending up like his dad.

The bell sounded for the end of lunch and reluctantly the cafeteria emptied as everyone went to their lockers before class. On their way out Warren caught Layla by the arm and pulled her to one side.

'Layla,' he started, 'where do we stand? I see you with Will and I don't know what to think.'

'Warren, please, don't do this now, not here,' she said, pushing his arm of hers.

'Well when Layla? Tell me and I'll be there cos I got to sort this out.'

Seeing that Will was walking towards them she whispered hurriedly, 'Paper Lantern at 8,' before returning to her boyfriend and away from the dangerous boy who had rescued her.

He gazed after her until someone crashed into him as they ran down the hallway. Warren spun round, grabbed the person by the collar and smashed him into the lockers next to him.

'Watch where you're going,' he growled before banging the guy back into the lockers and walking off, a faint smoke rising off his jacket. He was still Warren Peace after all, even if he had made some friends, and he had a reputation to maintain.

As he ambled down the hallway, already late for class, he noticed out the corner of his eye a helicopter landing and Raven being escorted on between two burly guys in black suits. He noticed she wore the same power dampening gear he'd seen on his dad the last time he'd visited him, seven years ago.

He stared as she was bundled on and saw her twist her head for a last glance at the school she would never return to. He felt sad for her but knew that the right thing was happening, she had to learn her lesson, even if she didn't want to.

'Daydreaming are we Mr. Peace?' asked Principal Powers from behind him.

He turned to face her, 'No, just watching Raven leaving,' he replied.

'Well you're late for class so I suggest you get going,' she added kindly. She realised what effect that day had had on Warren and knew he was a changed person. He'd still be bad but underneath it all, deep down, he was a good person. His father hadn't won.

The rest of the day drifted past in a haze for Warren. Seeing Layla after the vacation made him remember how he'd felt during that moment and although it made him nervous that he might act on it now, he knew that it was something he had to do.

Warren rolled into the Paper Lantern at quarter to eight. He hadn't been able to stay at home any longer, nerves were getting the better of him and this was an unsettling feeling. Warren Peace didn't get nervous. He'd always been so in control of the situations he found himself in but this one was different. He sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant and waited for Layla.

When she walked through the door his heart started beating quicker. She saw him sitting in the corner, hiding as usual and smiled at him as she walked over. He stood up as she approached and pulled her chair out for her. Whatever else people might say about him, he did have good manners.

'So,' he said. Suddenly the situation was awkward, neither of them wanting to instigate conversation or bring up the thing they'd met to talk about. But Layla plucked up the courage.

'Warren,' she said, taking his hand in her two small ones. 'You know I like you, don't you? And that thing at the ceremony, there was heat I know, I felt it too, how could I not? But I think that's all there'll ever be, I'm sorry,' she whispered.

He took his hand from hers and laid both of his in his lap, slightly stunned.

'So, nothing Layla?' he demanded. 'Are you telling me what happened that night, what you felt, meant nothing?'

'No, not nothing Warren,' she replied, almost pleading, the sorrow evident in her voice.

'This heat that you talked about, do you get that with Stronghold?' he spat.

'It's different with Will. I've known him forever and he cares about me and I like him, I really do Warren. I just…I don't see us lasting.'

'So you're giving up on what could be for safe, reliable Captain America? You don't want to chance that on something with someone not so PC? Sure, everyone likes me now but as soon as my dad does something else, everyone will turn on me again. I'm not stupid Layla, I know how this works. I thought you weren't interested in labels,' he said bitterly.

'I'm not, you know that Warren. It's just complicated. There's more to this than just a simple choice. It's not just you vs. Will. It's everything that goes with it. How do you think all the guys would deal with it? Everyone would side with Will and I'd be the bitch jumping from one potential great superhero to the next.'

'Labels again Layla! And now you're interested in your image? How people look at you? Layla, of all people, I thought you'd be the last person to worry about that. I never thought you were that self-centred.'

She gasped, as though she'd been slapped. Her eyes filled with tears and she ran out of the restaurant. Warren thought about going after her but then didn't and slumped in his chair, emotions surging through his body as he switched between anger and sadness. She'd never speak to him again. And he was pretty certain nobody else from that group would either. He banged his hand on the table in frustration, leaving a scorch mark where his fist had made contact with the wood.

Warren was lying awake in bed that night when he heard a rattling noise. He looked around cautiously and listened hard. He heard it again, coming from his window. He pulled open the drapes and looked out. Like something from the movies, Layla was standing in his back yard throwing gravel at his window. He lifted the sash and stuck his head out.

'Layla?' he whispered.

'Yes. I hope I didn't wake you,' she replied.

'No, it's fine. Stay there, I'll be right down.'

He pulled on a jacket and boots and hurried down to the garden trying desperately not to wake his mom.

'What are you doing here?' he asked once they were sat on the bench under the giant oak tree in his yard.

'I couldn't leave everything like we did earlier. I know this is your big chance to start life anew as it were and I don't want to be the reason you end up by yourself again. So I didn't tell anyone what happened at the Paper Lantern because I still want all of us to be friends. I don't want to stop you having a high school experience like everyone else.'

In the moonlight, Warren smiled. This was so typically Layla. She was willing to forgive all the terrible stuff he'd said to her so he could have a second chance at Sky High to have friends and his 'high school experience' as she'd put it.

'Layla, I'm sorry about what happened earlier and I am so relieved that you didn't tell Will. Otherwise I'm guessing I'd have been dropped on the top of Everest or thrown into it by now. He's a good guy and I'm sorry I said all that stuff about him.'

'It's ok,' she said softly. 'You were hurt and were taking it out on me. I know you didn't mean it. Anyway, it's really late, I should probably get home, school night and all,' she said smiling.

'Are you gonna be alright to get home? I can walk you if you want.'

'I made it here, I think I can make it back. Anyway, my mom's out front in the car. I told her I had to get here and she drove me.'

'Wow, your mom's pretty cool. And she doesn't want to dismember me or anything?' he asked, slightly worried.

'No, she's fine with it, once I'd explained it all. She knows you're a good guy at heart.'

They'd reached the front gate now. As she was getting in the car Layla turned and smiled at Warren.

'I guess I'll see you at school then.'

'I guess so.'

Ok, so maybe the situation isn't perfect, Warren thought as he made his way back up to his room and dropped his boots and jacket back on the floor, but it's something at least. So maybe we won't date but at least we'll be friends. And thanks to her, I'll keep the friends I somehow got. And Kayla was wrong about Sky High. It isn't shit; in fact, it's pretty good. I'm not gonna turn into my dad anytime soon, I don't think Principal Powers would let me and maybe, despite everything, I'll have a shot at having the 'high school experience'. It won't be like everyone else's but I'll have great friends and maybe that's what it's all about. Finding your way through life with your friends by your side to guide you on your way. God knows I'll need them!

A/N: Well it's finally the end of the first fic I started. I hope you liked reading it and please review to let me know what you thought!