Chapter 3:

"Oh, my head.", Irma moaned as she slowly sat up in the bed she was in along with a yawn. "Where am I?"

"Irma!", she heard familiar voice cry before a set of arms wrapped around her.

"Hay Lin?", Irma questioned as she pulled away from her friend. "Is that you?"

Irma then looked into the face of her best friend who had tears flowing. Irma quickly wrapped her arms around her as her own tears flowed.

"Oh, Hay Lin!", Irma cried as she hugged Hay Lin. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Irma.", Hay Lin said as she returned the hug.

"Oh, so Hay Lin was the only person you miss!", came another familiar voice. "And I thought we all were friends."

Irma then reach out and pulled Cornelia into the hug.

"I miss you too, Corny.", Irma said as some more tears ran down her face.

"Same here, Irma.", Cornelia said as she returned the hug. "And don't call me Corny."

Hearing that made Irma laugh. She then felt two more sets of arms wrap around her, knowing that it was Will and Taranee.

"Welcome back, Irma.", Taranee cried.

"Thanks, T.", Irma said.

"It wasn't the same without you.", Will cried.

"It wasn't the same without you guys around either.", Irma said as they pulled away from each other.

Irma then got a good look at the girls and noticed something.

"Wait a minute!", Irma said as she looked the girls up and down. "You all are still teenagers!"

"Well, duh!", Hay Lin said with a grin. "Oh, that's right! You don't know!"

"Don't know what?", Irma questioned. "And what's wrong with my voice?"

Irma then looked down at her hands. She then looked down at her body.

"What happened to my body?", Irma shrieked.

"Calm down, Irma.", Will said. "We can explain everything."

"Please do!", Irma said getting a bit scared.

"Well, you see...", Taranee began to explain.

And so, the girls explained everything to Irma about how for every year that past on the alternate Earth she and Angelo were on, was equal to one week on their reality. Irma had only one thing to say at first.

"Whoa!", she said. "So as far as my parents know, I've been gone for two months?"

"Yep.", Hay Lin said. "They took the whole Guardian thing pretty well."

"It's the whole you being missing that worried them.", Cornelia replied.

"And having your Drop around didn't make it any better.", Hay Lin replied

"Speaking of which.", Will said as she turned around and waved her hand in a "Come here" motion.

Irma looked to see her Astral Drop walk up to her.

"Well, this should be fun.", Irma said as she grabbed the hands of the Drop and began to absorb the Drop into herself.

When she was done, she saw and knew all that her Astral Drop has done in the last two months.

"Hey!", Irma said with a surprised look. "I've been getting good grades! Cool!"

"Well, your Drop has had a lot of free time on her hands.", Taranee said.

"But what about, Angelo?", Irma questioned. "My drop has no memeroies of being with him."

"Well, we couldn't make a Astral Drop of Angelo.", Will said. "So, Uncle John just told the school that he was out of the country for a while."

"And in a way, he wasn't lying.", Hay Lin said.

"Makes sense.", Irma said. "Where is Angelo anyway?"

"Right next to you.", Cornelia said as she pointed the another bed which Angelo was sleeping in. "From what the Oracle told us, you, Angelo, and Pastor James were out cold when you came to Kandrakar, falling through the fold you made to get back here."

"That was a fun time doing too.", Irma said in a dull voice. "But now we're back! So, where is Pastor James anyway?"

"He's talking with Angelo's grandparents.", Will replied.

"So, how did my parents take me and Angelo being married?", Irma questioned.

"Well, your mom fainted.", Taranee said with a grin.

"Figures.", Irma said as she looked over at the bed Angelo was in. "Can you guys do me a favor?"

"What is it?", Will asked.

"Can you guys bring Angelo's bed closer?", Irma asked.

"Yeah, sure. After all, a wife must be with her husband." Cornelia joked. as she used her telekinesis to bring the two beds together. "There you go."

"Thanks.", Irma said as she gently touched the side of Angelo's face making him stir a little.

"Five more minutes, baby.", Angelo said as he stirred a bit more.

"Watch this.", Irma said with a smirk as she leaned down to Angelo's ear. "I was about to ask if you wanted to join me in the shower. But seeing as you want some more sleep, I'll be taking my shower alone."

"I'm up!", Angelo said as he sat up. "I'm up! I'm up!"

Angelo them let out a yawn while his vision became more focused. Once it did, he was face to face with a smiling Will.

"W-Will?", Angelo questioned not believing who he was looking at.

"Hello!", Will said smiling before Angelo pulled her into a hug.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you!", Angelo said as he hugged Will.

"Oh, I think I do!", Will said as she returned the hug.

Angelo then saw Taranee, Hay Lin, and Cornelia and reached out and pulled them into the hug, one at a time.

"We missed you too, Angelo!", Hay Lin said.

"But you're squeezing us!", Taranee said.

"So let us go!", Cornelia said.

"I haven't seen you four for eight years!", Angelo said. "You'll take this hug and like it!"

The girls couldn't help but laugh a little at all of this. Once the hug ended, Angelo looked at each of the girls, and like Irma, noticed that something was wrong.

"Wait a minute!", Angelo said. "You guys are teenagers!"

Angelo then looked down at himself.

"What the heck?", he said as he looked at his arms. "Where did all the muscle go? Where's Irma?"

Angelo then felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Irma as her teenage self.

"You too?", questioned Angelo in shock. "Somebody please tell me what's going on!"

So, they explained to him what had happen.

"So, as far as everyone in school knows, I've only been gone for two months?", Angelo asked.

"You got it.", Hay Lin said.

"We can still go to the Junior Prom this year!", Angelo said making Irma smile.

"You do know it's three weeks away.", Cornelia said.

"Yeah.", Irma said. "I already bought my dress for it."

"And I ordered my tux before we went to that world and ran into Crimson.", Angelo said. "So, we're all set."

"Smart move.", Taranee said.

"Thank you.", Angelo said. "So, how did our families take me and Irma getting married.?"

"My mom fainted.", Irma said with a grin.

"I figured someone would." Angelo said.

"So, how was the wedding?", Cornelia asked.

"We can talk about that later.", Irma said.

"Besides, we do plan on having another one on our five year anniversary.", Angelo said.

"But right now, I guess we go home.", Irma said as she and Angelo looked at each other smiling.

"Irma!"

Irma looked up to see her parents rushing towards her. The girls quickly got out of the way, giving them room. Next was Angelo's Uncle John and grandparents who rushed to the other side of the bed Angelo was on. Both of them got loving hugs from their loved ones who were more than happy to have them back.

"Eight years, huh?", Joe asked his grandson. "They must of been some interesting years!"

"You can say that again.", Angelo said with a small smile.

"You guys aren't mad about me keeping the whole "Guardian thing" from you?", Irma asked her parents. "Are you?"

"To be honest, Irma, we were upset that you kept something like this from us.", Anna said.

Irma then lowered her head fearing that they would want her to stop being a Guardian.

"But,...", Tom said making Irma to raise her head looking hopeful. "... after your friends told and showed us all the things you've done with them, I guess you were meant to do all this."

"So, I can still be a Guardian?", Irma asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Even though I don't like it,... yes.", Anna said. "I could say no and you'd still go and do it."

"True.", Irma said with a smile before hugging her parents. "I missed you guys so much."

"We missed you too, Irma.", Tom said as he and Anna returned the hug.

"It just wasn't right without you around.", Anna said.

"That's the second time I heard that.", Irma said with a grin as they pulled away from each other.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to head home.", Angelo said as he pulled the covers back from his bed.

"Hold it!", Irma said as she grabbed Angelo's hand and pulled him back down onto the bed and close to her.

"Whoa!", Angelo yelled as she fell back onto the bed. "What was that for?"

"We still have to talk about something.", Irma said.

"What is it?", Hay Lin asked.

"Sorry guys.", Irma said. "But this is kind of a private matter. Sort of."

"What do you mean?", Will asked.

'I mean about me and Angelo being married.', Irma said to them telepathically.

'Ooooooooh.', the four of them said as they headed for the door.

"We'll leave you all alone to talk.", Taranee said before closing the door behind them.

"So, what do you thinks going to happen?", Cornelia questioned as they headed for the Main Hall of the Fortress of Infinite.

"No idea.", Will said. "I'm still amazed about it all."

"But can you believe it?", Hay Lin questioned with a bright smile on her face. "Irma and Angelo! Married!"

"I still find it hard to believe.", Cornelia said. "But those rings they're wearing, tell it all."

"I wonder what they're going to do.", Will said as they walked into the Main Hall.

"Well, from what I picked up before we left the room, they plan on living together.", Taranee said .

"Well, they are married.", Hay Lin said. "Maybe we can help decorate!"

"Let's just wait an see what happens guys.", Will said as they sat on the benches that were there. "Causes let's face it. That's a lot of stuff for Irma's parents to take in."

"Good point.", Taranee said as they sat there and waited for whatever was going to happen.

Back with the Vanders and Lairs...

"So, here's the thing, guys.", Angelo said getting the attention of the adults. "We know you've met Pastor James. And he told you all that me and Irma are... well... married."

"Yeah, he told us.", John said. "It's hard to believe. But he showed us the picture of you two together."

"And you looked so much like your father, at that age.", Kadma said with a smile.

"We even have the licence!", Irma said. "Where's our bag?"

"You mean this?", John said as he reached down a pulled up a duffel bag.

"That's it.", Angelo said as he took the bag and opened it. "Here it is."

Angelo them pulled out an yellow envelope and opened it. He then pulled out a slip of paper and showed it to the adults.

"Pastor James had a bunch of these before he got sucked through the Red Fold, in Heatherfield Park.", Irma replied.

Once Anna and Tom got a look at the paper, the one thing that caught their attention were the names on it.

"Angelo and Irma Vanders.", Anna read as she looked at the marriage licence.

"It's real and everything, mom.", Irma said. "And the wedding was wonderful. I wish you guys were there."

"And the last four years have been great!", Angelo said. "We did a lot in the time we were there."

"Such as?", John asked.

"Well, a year before we got married, we started a delivery business.", Irma said.

"Really?", Tom questioned.

"Yep!", Irma said. "The first few months were a bit tough. But once we got the run of things, business was good!"

"We made a lot of money with that business.", Angelo said. "But we had to give it to a friend. It was a nice little business."

"Well, I'm impressed.", Tom said. "I only wish that I was able to walk my little girl down the aisle."

"Well, you may still get the chance.", Irma said.

"What do you mean?", Tom asked.

"This year will be our fifth year anniversary.", Angelo explained. "And we plan to renew our vows. Plus, we planned on doing this if we ever got back to our Earth. "So, I'm asking you, man to man, Mr. Lair. Will you allow me to marry your daughter again?"

Tom looked from Angelo to Irma and saw that they were holding hands and looking at him, hoping he'd say yes. He then saw that they really loved each other.

"All I have to say is, when is the wedding?", Tom said with a smile as he shook Angelo's hand making Irma smile brightly.

"Oh, thank you, Daddy!", Irma cried as she hugged her father.

Irma then saw that her mom wasn't smiling or anything. Seeing this scared her a little.

"Mom?", Irma said to her mother. "You okay?"

Anna slowly looked up and at her daughter. Irma then saw her mother's eyes water up. Irma then grabbed her mother and pulled her into a hug to comfort her.

"You're not going to lose me, mom.", Irma said as she held on to her mother. "I'll just be living somewhere else. We'll still be in Heatherfield. We still have school to go to."

"How did you know what I was thinking?", Anna questioned.

"Well, I may look seventeen, but I'm really twenty-five.", Irma said. "Plus, I'm married. A girl learns to pick up on some things."

"Oh, yeah.", Angelo said. "We've matured big time. We had to in order to live on our own."

"You have a point there.", Joe said.

"I'm happy for you two. Really I am.", Anna said. "It's just that, for me, you two have been gone for just two months. Not eight years. But I guess it can't be helped. My little girl is all grown up."

"See it like this, Mom.", Irma said as she held her mother's hand. "Now you have a son that won't give you a headache."

They both shared a good laugh before hugging again.

"Okay.", Irma said as she and her mom pulled away from each other. "Now we can go home."

As they got out of the bed and put the boots they had on, Angelo and Irma both held onto their pants holding them up. The others were looking at them oddly.

"What?", Angelo questioned. "These are the clothes we wore when we came through the fold back here."

"Back when we were older.", Irma added as they left the room. "I'm just glad the boots can be fastened tighter."

"The sooner you get home, the sooner you can change.", John said as they walked down the halls of Kandrakar.

"Thank goodness.", Angelo said. "Oh! Do you still plan on doing what you said you were going to do?"

"Plan on doing what?", Anna asked.

"Telling Chris about all of this.", Irma replied. "That way he doesn't get to freaked about me and Angelo being married and all."

"Makes sense.", Tom replied as they entered the Main Hall, where the girls were waiting with Halinor and Pastor James.

The girls looked at Angelo and Irma hoping things were alright. They then saw them smile at them. Irma then said four words that, in a way, said everything.

"Let's go home, guys."

A/N: Well, Things are working out for Angelo and Irma so far. They're married and their families are okay with it. Now all that's left is for Irma to tell Chris about it all. How will he react to it all? And what about Crimson? Where is he and what is he up to? And when will he strike? Find out in the next few chapters.

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