A/N: GUESS WHO IT IS! I AM BACK BABY WOOOOOOOO! I meant for this to go up on Tuesday but then um. Things went batshit. But I'm here! Also, WHY. IS. WRITING. SO. HARD. Especially when you're depressed, anxious, and probably have undiagnosed ADHD! But it's fine, because I love it so so much, it's just so so draining. Things are happening! Ik this is just an author's note but it's just gonna be a life update too because I haven't updated since like, October? Anyways, I applied to this fancy, advanced, exclusive STEM school! It's a public school, there's no tutition (thank god) but there is a rigorous application process and I'm getting my letter to find out if I got in this week! Very scared. How are you guys? Anyways, please read and review! Thank you for waiting so long!


There's an old voice in my head
That's holding me back
Well, tell her that I miss our little talks

Soon it will all be over, and buried with our past
We used to play outside when we were young
And full of life and full of love

-Little Talks, Of Monsters and Men

"Ugh! Nothing! I've got shit on this jerkwad," Penelope yelled in frustration. She had been trying to find more information on Cyrus so that they could track him down, but so far, she couldn't find even a breadcrumb.

"No speeding tickets, no utility bills, no last place of residence, NOTHING! It's like the guy just vanished off the face of the earth," she huffed.

"Baby girl, take a break. We'll get him, don't worry," Morgan said, rubbing her shoulders gently.

"Where is he?! He has to be somewhere, and he's probably not far since he left like, 20 minutes ago! He's probably still in the state!"

"You need to stand up and walk away before I watch you smash your computer," Morgan said as he pulled her to her feet.

She sighed. "You're right. It should be EASIER than this, though. For god's sake, I'm on a GOVERNMENT WATCHLIST! I should be able to find something on this asshole."

"Beautiful, remember your resources are also limited. You're on your laptop, not in a government computer room, and you don't have access to government databases. You're doing great."

"Oh, what would I do without my chocolate thunder?" She giggled.

"The real question is what would I do without you, baby girl."

"That's true, I am an amazing, fabulous goddess that you'd probably perish without."

Derek chuckled. "Come on, let's go get you a cup of coffee."


Tara still looked like she was ready to murder someone. Kate had noticed (obviously) and had been trying all day to get her to calm down, or at the very least, get her to unclench her jaw.

"Babe, you look hot when you clench your jaw like that, but you're gonna give yourself a tension headache. And we still have a few hours of our shift left, and you'll be miserable if you give yourself a migraine."

Tara sighed deeply. "You're right. I'm just… angry. We all are, obviously, I'm just feeling pissed off more than I thought I would."

Tara dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her eyes.

"You're not alone. But you need to unclench your jaw, and let your shoulders go slack for once instead of having them constantly tense."

"You're right. God, I need to step out of this stupid store."

"Come on. Let's go on a walk. You need a break." Tara didn't protest as Kate grabbed her hand and dragged her out the door.

The air was crisp and fresh, a welcome change from the warm store. Of course they loved the store, it was their second home, but some change is always needed. Plus, the shop already runs on the hot side, and the two of them were working behind a coffee shop counter where it was even warmer.

"We're just going around the block so that you can take a breather, ok? You need it."

The two walked through their small mountain town, hands intertwined. They often forgot with the pressure of school, work, social life, how beautiful their town was. They were surrounded by snow-capped peaks and lush ever-green forests, with a beautiful river running straight through.

The little cottages and homes lined the roads, giving it the picturesque 'quaint mountain town' vibe that made it so special.

"How do you think Emily's doing?" Kate asked her.

"Probably still a bit shaken up, but I'm sure she'll be fine. I mean, I know I haven't really been here long, neither of us have, but I think she'll be ok."

"I hope so. Honestly? I'm not surprised. This town, as lovely as it is, has some dark secrets."

"Funny how that works, huh? The most beautiful things can hide the most darkness."

"That's poetic," Kate said with a smile. "Anyways, we should probably start heading back. We've been gone for a while."

"Yeah… it's so nice out here though. I never notice it because I'm always doing something for school, or the store, or something like that. I never get out."

"We're busy kids. We're juggling a full time student career with a job that's the only thing helping us pay for uni, and we also both have side gigs too because college is so fucking expensive. It's understandable that we don't have a ton of time for sightseeing around town."

Tara sighed. "I guess. I still feel bad though. Tourists travel from all over to see this place, and I live here and I barely acknowledge it."

"I'll tell you what, I'll start dragging you outside whenever we get a chance. We'll get more exercise and fresh air, ok?"

"Yeah. Ok."

Kate stood up on her top toes and pulled Tara down to give her a quick kiss. "Let's go make people some coffee."

A/N: god I've been MIA for so long! I'm so sorry! I'm going to bring this story off hiatus but I can't promise that I'll get back onto my one-chapter-a-week schedule. I'm going to try tho! Life's very hectic and I haven't had much time for writing. Chapters are also probably going to be shorter? This one is only like, 1,000 words and I'm normally about 2,500 words each, sorry! But I'm back! I love you all :))