PART II. "Everything Will Be Alright."

"I believe in you and me. I'm coming to find you if it takes me all night...
Wrong until you make it right."

— Brandon Flowers.

Kurama.

A dreamless sleep, more so of an encompassing blackness accompanied by a sense of faux-unconsciousness.

Sleep was heavy yet fleeting, and always reoccurring. Moments faded in darkness, thoughts drifted in and out, time wasn't real… all created a strange perception of reality. In those brief moments of consciousness, a cursory thought would pass—whether I actually slept—before I returned to the ease of rest.

And in that strange distorted reality, I paid no attention to the familiar voice I heard plenty of times in my dreams… and more so in my conscious life.

"Shit!"

I stirred on the cot as a dull sound came to my ears next, half-conscious and paying no real attention to her voice. Instead, in my delusional state, I could imagine the choice of obscenities in order as they came next.

"Shit, shit, shit, goddammit, shit!"

With silence following after, sleep reclaimed my body and the darkness was prevalent once more. It was ephemeral, and heavy lids opened again briefly to adjust to the darkness. I closed them again, determined to receive some rest before our trek to Mushiyori.

"Sign of struggle in the big room… electricity somehow turned on… but no other clues."

The cogs in my mind reeled, trying to piece everything together. The voice, the words, clicked instantly. They were not simulated by my subconscious.

"The house isn't destroyed… so maybe they left calmly? Maybe they won…"

My eyes opened quickly as I sat upright in the cot, waking instantly. Soft footsteps trailed down the hallway outside the small room.

I could not believe how obstinate she was.

I reached for my uniform slacks and hastily put them on before heading for the door. The footsteps paused as I opened the door slowly, quietly, as to not catch her attention. I peered down the hall, seeing her small frame outlined subtly in the dark distance.

She looked around the dusty hallway. "Then the question now is… where did they go?"

My palm flew to my face as I heaved a sigh. How on Earth did she find us…?

My sigh caught her attention, and she repressed a squeal as she jumped around to see me. A fading look of relief, and then a tense expression of distrust graced her dark features. I returned her stare with one of patience, waiting for her to react.

"Turn on a light," she said warily, parting her legs, ready to run. "You're hiding your face…"

I paused, confused…

I told her we didn't know what we were up against.

"This lighting is the only available concealer I have at the moment." I hoped she would notice my diction.

She didn't loosen her stance, but began rolling up papers she held to put in her purse.

"Oh? And what would you possibly need to conceal?"

If I didn't answer then this would take longer to end…

With an exhausted sigh, I replied. "These Dooney and Bourke bags under my eyes."

She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to budge.

"So what's happened?" she asked, looking around the dirty, dark hallway. "You look tired at worst. Where's the scary threat that kidnapped Yu? Speaking of, where's the idiot?"

"What the hell are you doing here?!" His tired voice rang from down the dusty, dark hallway.

She turned on her heels to look for her friend. Yusuke, bearing a more than exasperated expression, stood outside the room he stacked claim on earlier, hunched over. He felt no shame walking around in his undershirt and boxers—though I couldn't blame him. Being woken after the mentally exhausting trial Genkai put us through, and the news we were then dealt, was not settling well with me either.

With a sigh of relief, she ran to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled herself upon him for a tight hug. He stumbled backwards briefly before settling himself with her weight. He was hesitant to hug back and was noticeably irked.

"How did you get here?!" he snapped, more confused than relieved to see her care.

"I told him I had the prints!" she replied, pulled her face away from him. "Nobody wanted to listen to me!"

"You… what…?"

"The prints for this place. The house plans."

"What on earth is all the commotion?" Botan yawned, appearing from behind her door. "It's not dawn yet!"

After rubbing out the sand from her eyes, she took in the sight of Aiko—though she was far from surprised. She shrugged and turned to head back into her room.

"I knew she'd find her way here somehow…"

"Is anyone going to tell me what the hell happened?" she asked as she let her feet return to the ground. "You all look pretty comfy. Having a fucking girl's night? You all cozy up at the fireplace and tell dirty junior high secrets?"

"I will tell you what's happened," I replied, pressing my index finger to my temple and massaging. "And I'll take you home as I tell you."

"No—no. Tell me here."

I inched towards her, hands displayed so she could see I meant no harm. "Let everyone get back to sleep. I'll tell you in my room."

"Don't touch me," she threatened, inching away with each step I took toward her and pointing accusingly at my hands. "Don't slip powder up my nose—don't do anything."

I paused instantly, locking gazes with her.

"Kurama." Botan's voice carried quietly from her room. "There was a reason I didn't argue about her going with us when Yusuke fought Goki."

Aiko straightened herself, glaring harshly at me. "Do not underestimate me."

"She always finds a way to stick her nose where it doesn't belong," Botan concluded. "Haven't you guys learned yet?"

I inhaled heavily, working the machinery in my head to find a way to leave her in this city.

"How long have you been in the house?" Yusuke asked.

She shrugged, angry eyes yet to leave me. "Maybe a half hour. And I'm not leaving yet."

"Geez…" Yusuke grumbled, shaking his head.

"Fine, I understand." I kept my intonation level, calm. "I'll explain everything, but we should really do this in the room I'm in so to not wake everyone else."

"Everyone else?" She glanced to the other doors in the curving hallway. "Who else is here? Kuwabara, right?"

"I'll tell you in the room."

She eyed me for a while before turning to Yusuke. "You okay, though?"

"I was until I was woken up," he replied, ruffling his hair out of its gelled style.

"Fucking crybaby. No 'wow I'm so glad you care about me, Aiko'?" She rolled her eyes as he cocked his head to the side in disbelief.

"You dragged yourself into danger again and you're madder about how I'm not thanking you for it?" He cocked his head forward, squinting. "You hit your head on your way in or something?"

She waved at him dismissively as she walked to me. "Whatever. Go back to bed then. Rude."

"I know it's a long shot but try to talk some sense into her, Kurama," Yusuke said to me as he stayed put in the middle of the hallway.

Sadly, I couldn't even make a silent promise to Yusuke that I would be able to get rid of her. If I wanted to tell her what was truly happening, even if I did find a way to leave her in the city, she would find a way to Mushiyori. Ideally, it would have been better to tell her everything after we returned from Mushiyori, but here she was.

He leaned his shoulder against the door's threshold, watching Aiko and I retreat into the room I slept in.

I could risk lying, breaking the trust between us when she found out the truth, but I couldn't do that. If the worst case scenario came and the portal opened, I would need her to take our families and get as far away as possible.

She would spend more time complaining to me about how I lied than actually conjuring a plan to get herself to safety. I also did not want that to be the last thing she thought of me if I were to perish in battle.

I would have to tell her the truth and find a way to leave her here. She would be mad at me, though the anger would disappear over time—just in time for her to concentrate on evacuating our families.

Once we entered the room, she walked past me to stand directly in front of the open, curtain-less window to see the lit street below.

As I made my way to the cot that I assumed had been left by squatters that stayed here at one point, I eyed her silhouette, watching her tension disperse throughout the room. I sat at the cot and she glanced over her shoulder to see me as it squeaked with my weight.

"You might want to sit down," I said, and she eyed me suspiciously.

"Promise me you'll tell me what's happened."

"I will. I have to."

She sat on the cot, stiff, at arm's length from me in fear of me drugging her to get rid of her.

"I won't do anything to you," I said quietly. "I promise."

After a few seconds, her shoulders relaxed and the tension disappeared. She did not close the distance between us. Instead, she looked at me, watching and waiting, and I set aside the issue at hand.

I gathered the information in my head to present everything quickly and neatly. My hands found themselves entwined with each other, fingers lacing through and through as I rested my arms on my knees.

"Yusuke was kidnapped by Genkai," I started.

"His spiritual mentor." She nodded.

"It was a ploy to show us what's been happening the past few weeks." When she didn't respond, I continued. "There's a large rift in the barrier, and it's affected some people, given them strange powers. We think it's because the tunnel being created is larger than the ones that form naturally. It's being produced by someone, created."

"That's where the bugs are coming in from..." she mumbled to herself. She leaned towards me, putting her face in my view and letting the fruity-sweet smell of ginger and mango on her breath carry out with her words. "So border patrol should be on it like ants on candy, right…?"

"They have a general location of where it is." I returned her stare. "But they can't do anything about it since they don't know who's creating it. The only way to stop a tunnel of that magnitude is to kill its creator."

She sat up straight, hands clasping together.

"I guess… I guess it's really serious if you're taking the time to explain it to me, isn't it?"

I nodded, and she spoke in one heavy exhale.

"How serious?"

"Reikai classifies youkai's and psychic's strengths in a grading system. E-class is considered the lowest, the ones who can seep through the barriers on their own, like the insects you saw. Then D, C, B, A, and, the strongest, S."

"S-class," she mumbled, voice becoming hollow. "They'll be able to come through, won't they? Them and everyone else…"

I nodded again. "Yusuke fought a B-class youkai in the final match of the Dark Tournament. The entire stadium was destroyed in their fight. Yusuke almost lost his life."

I glanced to her, watching her shut her eyes and control her trembling jaw. She opened her eyes and inhaled before turning to me.

"And what are you all doing about this? Why are you involved and not the glorious Special Defense Force?"

"I'm assuming Enma—the King of Reikai—doesn't want the Defense Force on human ground. If anyone catches wind they're searching for the creator, then there's a possibility the creator may speed up the process, open the portal instantly."

She sneered. "Why would they waste their time opening it however slowly they are now, then? If they could do just open it whenever, why not just say 'fuck it' and let it loose?"

"Some people enjoy the anticipation."

"Sick people…"

"I'm sure Enma still deployed them and are using us as a public display—a distraction to the enemy. If we make all the moves, put the enemy's attention on us, the SDF will just have to sit back and wait until we lead them to the creator."

She sniffed and straightened her posture, remaining silent.

"Do you have any leads?" she asked.

"No, that's what we're doing this morning. We'll be searching for clues in Mushiyori."

"How long until the tunnel opens?"

"It's currently predicted at… a few weeks."

She turned to me, not breaking the posture she was forcing. "What do we do when it opens?"

"If the worst case scenario happens, and I'm incapacitated, you will take our families and get as far away from Mushiyori as possible. Preferably to the States if possible."

Her lips curved into a frown, brows furrowing "And you?"

"Don't worry about me."

Timidly, she crossed one leg over the other and stared at the wall across from us. In silence we sat, watching the dust filter around in the air in the room, floating around the square of moonlight from the window.

These rooms, as the mansion bore many, were left untouched, and dust, animals, and insects roamed in their home freely until tonight when they hid at the first sign of life. Even now, the faint sound of nibbling and scurrying could be heard inside the thin walls and underneath the creaking floors.

Dust covered the floors, scarce furniture, and walls in a paste. Despite its tattered state, it looked natural, as if the architect dreamed it to be this way from the beginning.

Her fingers snaked between my hands and I released my own to guide her palm over mine. She gripped it tight, her entire arm shaking. I paused… before clasping my hand around hers. Her fingers interlaced with mine, and warmth as hot as the color of her nails radiated from her palm and fingertips.

After a few moments of silence, staring down at our hands, she spoke.

"So they put Yu in charge?"

I nodded and she let out a dry, curt laugh. "We're fucked."

"I need you to stay here," I said. "I need you to stay here and plan an escape."

She shook her head. "No, I need to see how bad it is. I need to see for myself so I know what to do…"

"There's a possibility we may run into the creator, and if that happens it may need to be taken care of there."

"I don't care. I can run, I can hide," she whispered, leaning towards me as if to keep Yusuke from hearing. "I know I'm no use in a fight, but I need to see this. I need to assess this and know just how far I'm going to have to run—whether I can tell a lie to our parents or if I'm going to have to tell the truth to get them to leave."

There was still a way to get her out of this trip. Arguing would only be pointless and time-consuming.

"Alright," I said with a nod. "I do need to stop by my house before we leave to Mushiyori."

She rose a skeptical eyebrow at me.

"Don't even think about trying anything funny," she warned, snatching her hand from mine and letting the cold air sting my palm just as quickly. "If Botan gets to go then I do too—that's why she's still here, isn't she?"

"Yes but—"

"If she can go, so can I."

"You're implying she's useless, which she is not. We need her to—"

"I am not. I'm saying—"

"Be careful, Aiko." Botan's tired voice carried through the wood behind us. "The walls are very thin, you know."

Aiko shut her lips, pursed them thinly, and stared at me accusingly.

"We're leaving, Botan," I spoke to the blue haired girl on the other side of the wall as I stared at the brunette in front of me. "We'll meet at the train station when the lines open."

"Roger that," she replied with a yawn.

Aiko stood first, and after gathering my belongings, we headed out of the house. She led the way to the front door, and upon stepping outside, we gratefully welcomed the clear, cool air after spending just a few seconds passing through the heated, tropical jungle I created in the foyer.

I figured I had eased her tension about my threat earlier, but it seemed to mean nothing now that she knew being left was still a possibility.

She stayed just steps behind me at arm's-length for the duration of our walk. After a long while, the street lights flickered off as the sun began to rise in the distance. And then, as the sunrise shaded the clouds and street with a pink hue, she stopped.

"You haven't talked to your mom during all of this, have you?" she asked.

"I haven't." I stopped to look back at her.

"I'm your alibi then." She gestured to me before digging in her purse. "Come here."

When she pulled out a thick, black marker and looked at the back of her hand, I made my way towards her.

"Give me your hand," she said, looking at the back of her own. "Your left."

Holding my hand out, she took it gingerly and let her eyes dart back and forth between the back of my hand and hers—which had a fading, red stamp.

"If she's awake or sees us and asks where you were, at least it backs us up." She uncapped the marker and held her hand next to mine for a reference.

She ran the marker over my hand slowly, beginning the drawing upside-down. The kanji would be a bother to replicate upside-down.

"I apologize." My words caught her attention as she closed the circle.

She looked up at me with tired eyes, lifting the marker from my hand. "For?"

"The threat," I replied. "It was empty, to be honest. Though I understand why you're wary."

"Promise you won't force me to stay behind then."

"I would never resort to physically stopping you."

She eyed me for a moment before closing the distance between us. Her back turned to me as she leaned against my arm to keep steady, her body just inches from mine. Holding my hand to keep it still, she drew the kanji from the stamp inside the circle... and I could smell her faint, lingering scent of cucumber melon.

The wet ink dragged around my hand in the design, and in just seconds of careful drawing, it was recreated. She then darkened her own stamp.

We blew on our ink, letting it set, before continuing down the empty neighborhood street.

As we approached my house, we kept silent, as if my mother could hear us from the second story. The key seemed to click loudly as the door unlocked, and we stepped inside quietly. I hung my uniform jacket on the coat rack as Aiko began taking off her shoes.

"Take a seat," I whispered as I slipped my shoes off. "I'll be down soon."

I had to hurry and leave. She wasn't dense.

As I stepped up the stairs, I carefully watched her from my peripheral vision to see her seated on the couch in the living room. With light feet, I quickly made it in my room without disturbing my mother. Closing the door behind me, I picked out casual clothing that would be practical enough to accommodate me if we ran into trouble. The last thing I needed was the enemy to see me in my school uniform.

Just as I pulled the white shirt over my head, a loud, hollow crash echoed throughout the home. Glass.

Actions registered as it echoed throughout the quiet house. As I stood there, shirt slowly settling over my torso and my mothers footsteps quickly racing down the hallway, I couldn't even feel anger towards her.

I was almost proud.

"Shuichi?" My mother's worried voice carried through the woodwork before she opened my bedroom door to see me slipping on a pair of jeans.

I couldn't repress the smile I wore. "Yes, Mother."

"Is… is someone else here with you?"

I reached in the closet, grabbing the first jacket without much thought. "Yes, Aiko's downstairs."

"Oh," she sighed in relief, hand placed over her heart. "Thank goodness, I thought someone broke in."

"Shiori." Aiko's voice then came next, quieter, from down the hall. "I'm so sorry…"

"Dear, are you alright? What happened?" My mother stepped back into the hall to see the girl.

I tucked my shirt in my jeans quickly to finish changing.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry. I was just reaching for a glass and it slipped and—god, there's glass everywhere. I'm so sorry. I woke you too…"

And the Japan Academy Prize goes to—

"Don't worry about it, dear, I'm just glad you're alright. But I do need to talk to you—you and Shuichi both."

"Yes, Mother," I said, exiting my room as I put on my jacket.

"I'll explain—it's all my fault. Everything," Aiko said hastily. She stuck her hand out, showing Mother the stamp. "We went to karaoke last-minute and I dragged him with us. It's really all my fault. We got so caught up in everything. It was such a party it slipped our minds."

She paused and took Aiko's hand to see the stamp, and then adjusted her view to see mine at my side. She looked between the two of us for a moment before settling her gaze on Aiko.

"Oh…" She almost seemed shocked.

I didn't blame her surprise, as I never spent time with classmates off campus.

"I'm sorry, Mother," I said, dragging her attention to me. "I should have been more responsible."

She crossed her arms over her chest, ruffling her blue nightgown. She inhaled, eyeing the two of us skeptically.

"And I'm guessing you're going out again?" She nodded to our casual attire. "After being out all night?"

She eyed Aiko then, who quickly came with a response.

"Shiori," she spoke with a small smile. "Your son is top in his class. I wanted to celebrate with him."

"You didn't tell me you placed first," she said, a small smile cracking through.

"He's too modest," Aiko replied, repressing an eye roll. "I'm really sorry about everything, Shiori. I just wanted him to have some fun since he worked so hard the entire year."

She sighed, shaking her head. "And where are you two planning to go now?"

"Mushiyori…" she said hesitantly with a small cringe.

Mother's brows furrowed. "Why there?"

Aiko hesitated briefly, letting me cut in.

"The new Pocky store just opened about a week ago," I said before glancing to Aiko. "Pocky-mania?"

The girl nodded, pulling out a sort of half-truth. "Yeah! My friend's dad owns the company and suggested we drop by sometime."

"It's about five stories tall and goes underground as well. It's both a factory and a sort of shop in one."

She tapped her foot against the floor, staring me down with a small smirk. "And what about your club activities today?"

"He can miss one, can't he?" Aiko grinned ear to ear, rocking her body innocently, childishly. "One Saturday morning not looking at bryophytes and pterophytes slides won't hurt him, right?"

Mother kept her smile on, eyeing me up and down before hanging her head with a defeated sigh. "I guess not."

Aiko smiled triumphantly, nodding to herself proudly, and my mother quickly raised her head and brought along a reprimanding finger.

"But this will not become routine, Shuichi! It's important for you to have fun, but your studies always take priority!"

I smiled. "Of course."

"And what time do you two expect to be back?" she said before looking around the walls for the clock. I could hear the disbelief in her voice."At five in the morning again?"

"We should be back before nighttime." Aiko shrugged.

"Definitely before nightfall."

My mother rubbed the back of her neck with a tired sigh. "Then go on, you two. Go have fun. Savor it while you can."

I nodded to her, leaning in briefly to peck her cheek, knowing this could be the last time I see her. She rubbed my back and patted my arm, squeezing it gently it before I pulled away to walk down the hallway.

I eyed Aiko briefly, but she stayed put in front of my mother.

"I'm really sorry about the glass, though." Aiko's voice hushed dramatically. "I'll pay for it, just tell me the amount."

"What was it? A cup?" My mother couldn't help but cock an eyebrow, despite her voice sounding less than surprised. "Don't worry about it, dear. Really."

The brunette gave in and nodded. "I really am sorry. I'll clean it before we leave."

"Go on, I'll take care of it. Don't worry," my mother replied, resting her hands on the girl's shoulders in comfort. "It's fine, Aiko. Accidents happen."

The brunette nodded again before saying goodbye and turning to me. As we left the house, she moved the subject to me because it wasn't an accident.

"How much will it cost?"

"It's one cup, Aiko. It's not even a set."

"It was still something I broke," she mumbled as we made our way down the street.

"Not coming will make up for it."

"No. God, you're useless," she sighed, and then shrugged. "I'll just check how much the cups at the mall are or something."

We continued our walk to the train station, and I figured there was no use in fighting it anymore. Even if I were to take advantage of my speed, she'd still end up in Mushiyori through spite and determination. At this point, I figured I was best off letting her in the enemy's territory by my side instead of roaming alone and getting into trouble.

The streets began to wake, with people and cars humming and revving by with ease in the early morning chill. The smell of gasoline, nicotine, and flavored, ground coffee filled the air around us, coming to life again as it had rested and staled throughout the quiet, lonely night.

We passed by a payphone on the flourishing street, and she grabbed my jacket sleeve, tugging me to stop. I turned to find her other hand in her purse.

"I would tell you to go ahead because one of these phone calls is going to be very degrading but I know you'll just head off without me," she said, pulling out some coins. "I need to call before he calls the cops or something, so bear with me."

I leaned against the payphone as she dialed the first number. It went to voice-mail and she left a quick, informal yet reassuring message that she was alive. It was the second phone call that I expected to be unbearable, and just as she addressed herself, a wave of pity washed over me.

Her father's voice snapped through the receiver, crystal clear. She pulled the phone away from her ear. "Are you stupid enough to think you can make off easy after avoiding me and asking your mom to go out last night?"

"I know… But, look, I'm at Shuichi's and we're just going to stay here and study." She put the phone back to her face, shaking her head and mouthing "thank god we don't have caller ID."

"You're stupider than I thought if you think I'm going to let your ass stay out after last night," he snapped.

After the news, which she reluctantly relayed to her parents, that she didn't place above fifty, her father became irate. All the tuition put into Meiou and the cram school that helped place the scores to get in the prestigious high school, and she still couldn't make it past the fifty mark.

She understood his anger and harbored it, accepted it.

"No fucking wonder you placed below fifty, you're a fucking idiot," he said. "Get your ass home. Now."

"But Dad, he placed first in the class… I need him to help me."

"He can help you at home then."

"His mother's sick and he'd rather not leave her alone all day." She looked up to me with a plea for forgiveness for using that card.

"Don't be a fucking burden on them then," he said. "Get your ass home. Now. You can study here."

She curled the phone cord around her finger, her body fidgeting.

"I need his help if I'm going to pass any of the exams…" she whispered. "I couldn't do it on my own last time… I need help. Please let me stay with him today."

"Bull fucking shit," he groaned. "You needed help after winter break and yet you still went out and did your own thing. I thought I could trust you to learn how to manage your studies and social life. Obviously you can't. You're coming home and you won't see daylight until you're twenty-one."

"I tried really hard!" she snapped, eyes reddening as tears pooled in her eyes. "I tried really fucking hard after winter break! Obviously if I can't do it on my own then I need help—why would you deny me help when I need it?"

"You don't want help, Aiko. I'm not fucking stupid. You want to stay out. You know who gets to stay out? Do fun things? People who make something of themselves, and you're not one of those people."

The back of her hand found its way under her nose, hiding her frown as she sniffed.

And though I knew this was my last chance to make her stay, I too was partial to her.

I held my hand out and gestured gently, to which she looked up at me, curious. I gestured again and she removed the phone from her ear and slowly placed it in my waiting palm.

"Hello, Mr. Hojo." I tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder as I leaned against the payphone still.

His voice changed immediately, restrained and formal. "Hello… Minamino."

I stared down at the girl as I spoke, watching her features soften in surprise. "I understand your concern for Aiko running around town with her classmates, but I can assure you we'd be at my house, studying."

I could hear the tongue in cheek tone. "I don't want to put that on you and your mother if she's sick. You should be focusing on her, not my delinquent."

"My mother finds Aiko a delight to have around, Mr. Hojo. Besides, if I'm here taking care of the house, letting my mother get as much rest as possible, then having Aiko here wouldn't be a problem. It would be nice company."

We locked gazes for seconds more as her father paused, knowing this could ruin our routine if we failed to follow through with any compromises.

"I want her home for dinner tonight."

I smiled. "Certainly."

"I hope she learns something from you and is able to raise her scores. It'd be a shame to not see you around after her next exam."

"I'm positive she will raise them," I replied. "She got a head start this week in her studies. She mentioned how confident she felt about a few quizzes we already took."

"I'll see her at dinner then."

"Goodbye, Mr. Hojo," I said as I handed the phone to her.

"Dad?" she asked as she put the phone to her ear. "…Dad?"

She waited for a response, only to be greeted by the dial tone seconds later. She hung up and gently wiped away the angry tears threatening to fall and ruin her day old make-up.

A motorcycle revved at the stoplight, blaring loudly before taking off down the street as the light changed to a bright, vivid green. And with the drastic noise fading down the street, the silence between us grew louder. She stared out into the street, crossing her arms over her chest as she mimicked my stance against the payphone.

The light turned red again, accumulating cars on the road next to us, all humming softly.

"Will you help me?" she asked, eyes watching the stalled cars. "With classes, when this is over…"

I nodded softly, and she swallowed a lump in her throat as she stood up straight. I followed suit as she stepped up to me.

"Thanks," she said somberly, waiting for me to lead the way.

"Don't mention it," I replied.

We said nothing more to each other as we carried on.