Hehehe, sorry for the hold-up...I've been kinda busy, helping my mom care for my bro and sis "like a grown-up girl should," as my mom said...hehehe, nice oxymoron, mom...

Oh yea, and I noticed that I've been spelling "Maridian" wrong.It's actually supposed to be "Meridian". Hehehe...

Daybreaker355

The girls were worried-Irma and Hay Lin were biting their nails off while Taranee and Cornelia were twisting the ends of their skirts violently-but Caleb was frantic.

Caleb was pacing. 5 steps to the right, turn around, 5 steps to the left, turn around, 5 steps to the right, turn around, 5 steps to the left, turn around...and it kept going. Every once in a while Caleb would look up and around, hoping for a portal to appear carrying a certain red-headed girl, but none ever came. He sighed and went back to pacing, more frantic than ever.

Finally, he gave up. Announcing he would be upstairs, he trudged up the stairs and sat in a chair, gazing out the window at nothing in particular. He suddenly felt a small hand on his shoulder. He jumped before realizing it was Hay Lin. Hay Lin had a sympathetic look on her Asian face. "She'll be all right," she reassured him. Caleb smiled weakly.

Suddenly, he sat up. "How long have you known about Will's crush on me?" he asked.

Hay Lin looked startled at his sudden outburst, then relaxed and smiled. "Oh, I don't know...for sometime, I guess...a few weeks?"

Caleb nodded. "She must trust you a lot."

Hay Lin looked up. "How? Why?"

"Well, she's trusting you with a big secret, and I can tell that she likes your reassurance..."

Hay Lin smiled. "Thanks."

The two sat in a comfortable silence.

Caleb stood up. "That's it. We have to go after her. She can't be all right, fighting Phobos for 3 hours."

Hay Lin nodded. "Let's go," she said. She went to the staircase. Then, she took a deep breath. "GUYS! WE'RE GOING TO THE EMERGENCY PORTAL AT THE DUMPSTER PLACE! DO YOU ALL WANT TO COME?"

A faint chorus of "Yes" answered her call.

Hay Lin nodded at Caleb.

Moments later,the crew was out the door and running to the portal in the deserted area. They went through, one by one. As usual, they got out at the moat of the castle.

Caleb led the way to the door, then allowed himself to be picked up by Hay Lin and flew across the moat. As soon as they got there, Caleb listened intently for any sounds of fighting.

Nothing.

He listened closer.

Still nothing.

Eyes wide, he bolted into the halls and blindly ran to the room where Will and Phobos were fighting.

No one was there and a deathly silence reigned over the room.

Suddenly, Phobos stepped out the shadows. "Greetings, Guardians. I was expecting you all for some time," he slurred maliciously.

Immediately Hay Lin through another one of her minor yet powerful tornados at Phobos. "Where is Will!" she cried.

Caleb placed a hand on her shoudler as Phobos struggled to stand back up. "You distract him; I'll try to find Will," he whispered. Hay Lin nodded, then told the others. They nodded solemnly and attacked the still-recovering Phobos.

As a cloud of dust began to form, Caleb slipped unnoticed even by Hay Lin into the halls and began to search for a room likely to be holding Will. He ran along blindly, reading the words on the doors. 'Hang in there, Will, I'm coming...'

Finally, he found the dungeon and burst through.

He looked around frantically.

Bingo!

He saw a clump of red and green lying in a corner covered in chains. Caleb ran over and through some chains off.

Inside was Will.

Caleb shook her gently. Will began to wake. She stretched her arms and squirmed, yawning into her hand.

Caleb smiled softly. She looked so innocent, so sweet...so beautiful...

Caleb snapped back to reality as Will's eyes came into focus and rested on him. "Caleb?"

Caleb leaned down and hugged the red-head gently. "Yea, it's me."

Will hugged him back.

Caleb suddenly remembered. "Oh yea, and I have something to tell you," he whispered in her ear. Will squirmed at the feel of his breath on her neck. "Hmm?"

"I love you too."

Will gasped, her body tense. Caleb hugged her closer to his chest. "Hay Lin told me," he continued. Will's eyes flashed. Caleb saw this and hurried on. "Don't be angry; I'm glad she did." Will relaxed.

Then Caleb did something that surprised Will a lot.

He kissed her.

The two stayed in that position for sometime, then Will untangled herself from Caleb's arms. "Come on, we should go help the others fight Phobos," she said, blushing the same shade of red as her fiery hair. Caleb smiled and helped her up. "How did you know that the others were here?" he asked. Will shrugged. "I don't know...I guessed..." she staggered and fell over some chains but Caleb caught her in time. "Still a little weak?" he teased. Will rolled her red eyes, smiling.

When Will was able to run, the two ran out the door, side by side, to the fighting scene.

They were welcomed by a flying Hay Lin.

Hay Lin jumped back up. "Oh! Sorry," she said sheepishly.

When she saw Will and the look in her eyes, Hay Lin grimaced.

"Will, I hope you aren't mad that I told Caleb your secret..." Will shook her head and smiled. "Actually, I'm kind of glad you did." Then she added in a lower voice, "As long as the others don't know..." Hay Lin shook her head. "They don't." Will smiled. "Good. Thanks," she said.

Hay Lin just smiled.

A/N: Was it good? Sorry if it was kinda short...