Elcten8.81, That's an interesting idea! We'll see what happens ;) Samtastic, Time to find out the truth behind Mirage! Hope you enjoy :)

Thirteen

"Hi…Hi Mom," Kyler said, approaching slowly. She was still clutching Dash's hand, too scared to let him go. "I know it's been a long time since we've spoken but… I don't know, Mom, I guess, I'm just a little scared… I miss you so much, and I wish I'd come to see you sooner. I feel so guilty… I never meant for this to happen to us. And… I wish I could say that it was my idea to come here, but it was really Dash's. He talked me into it. I didn't even know you were here. Oh… You remember Dash Parr, right? He's Mr. Incredible's son. Him and I… We've gotten kind of close over the past couple of weeks. It's a… interesting relationship we have." She looked at Dash and they both laughed.

"You've got a wonderful daughter here," Dash said, squeezing Kyler's hand. "I'm sure you're very proud of her. She's incredibly smart, determined, and ever so beautiful. And, I just want to let you know, that she's in good hands. Even if she's being stubborn and is sure she doesn't need any help, I'll always be there for her. I care about her a lot, and I want to help her in any way I can. I promise you that I will always protect her."

Kyler wiped her misty eyes and smiled. "I'm really lucky to have a friend like him. I've put him through a lot, and for some reason, he is still by my side. I don't know what I would do without him. But anyway, Mom, I'm glad I got this chance to come and speak with you. It means a lot, and I really hope I can do this again. No… I will do this again. I promise I will come and see you more often. I miss you so much… I really do. It was so hard when you left. I wish I could have done something to make you stay. But I'm going to make up for lost time. I love you… Mom…"

Kyler couldn't hold back her tears any longer and she choked on a sob. "Mommy!" She let go of Dash's hand and dropped to her knees. She tightly gripped the bouquet of flowers she had been holding, crushing the stems and nearly snapping them in half. Her chest was tight and painful, her body convulsing with sobs. She could barely see through her teary vision, but she crawled forward a few inches and pressed her hand against the cold stone in front of her. She traced the name engraved into the stone with her index finger.

Mirage Pine

"Mommy…"

1971-2011

"Mom… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry! I miss you so much and I'll never forget you! I'll make you proud I swear!" She was becoming hysterical and Dash was scared for her, but he left her alone and let her cry against her mother's headstone. "Mom…" she gasped for breath and she slowly began to relax again. "Mommy… I love you…" she whispered before she planted a soft kiss on the cold stone. She then placed the flowers before the tombstone and turned to Dash. Dash helped her to her feet and then brought her against his chest. He held her tightly as the last of her tears fell. When she was finished, she grasped Dash's hand and gave him a watery smile. "Thank you for all of this," she said in a soft voice. "It…It means so much to me. I really needed it."

"I know…" Dash replied, smiling back at her and soothingly rubbing her back. "And you know, this was really hard, but talking with your father… That's going to be harder. I just want you to be prepared for that."

"I know…" Kyler replied with a shaky breath. "And I think I'm ready for it. It has to be done, just like this had to be done."

Dash nodded. "We'll get back on the plane whenever you're ready."

Kyler inhaled deeply then said, "Alright. I think I'm ready. Let's go."

Dash reached for her hand and was pleasantly surprised when she allowed him to grasp it. He gave it a gentle squeeze and then led the way onto the plane. When they were both situated, Dash gave the pilot the signal to take off. Once they were in the air, Kyler let her head rest on Dash's chest. Dash put his arm around her and let out a content sigh.

Kyler no longer cared about acting cold towards Dash any longer. He had been too kind to deserve such treatment. And besides, she had missed the affection between the two of them. She hadn't realized how special Dash had been to her until she had lost him. She almost couldn't believe that she had put him and his family through such trauma. But she also couldn't forget what she had done to them, and she knew that she was going to live with that guilt for the rest of her life. She knew that she didn't deserve Dash's friendship and compassion, but she was grateful for it.

"Kyler?" Dash said in a soft voice, as if he were checking to see if she were awake or not.

"Hm?" she responded, looking up at him. She could see a bit of stubble beginning to appear on his chin and jaw, which made her smile. For as long as she had known Dash, he stayed clean shaven because he believed that facial hair would ruin his appearance. She had always secretly wished that he would grow a mustache, or small beard because she was curious about what he would look like with facial hair.

"I… I hope you're not upset with me for making you do this…" he said, a hint of guilt in his voice.

Kyler turned so that she was looking Dash in the eyes. "Now, why would you think that I would be upset with you?" she asked, truly concerned. Had she not come off as appreciative?

"I don't know," Dash replied with a small one shoulder shrug. "I know that it's a lot to take in and it's probably a bit stressful for you. And, I don't want you to feel like you are being forced to do something that is going to make you uncomfortable. I mean, you handled going to your mother's grave quite well, in my opinion, but that doesn't mean that you are hurting and resenting me on the inside."

Kyler sighed. "Of course I'm hurting, Dash," she said. "I haven't seen my mother for years. All this time, I thought she was just living alone somewhere, unable to live with me because I reminded her so much of my dad. And then, all of a sudden, I find out that she's dead. Not even that, but she committed suicide because she was so distraught over losing my dad. I can't think of the right words to explain how much it hurt to find out about that. However, I'm glad that you did tell me, because otherwise, I never would have been able to have any kind of closure with her. And I'm thankful for you taking me to see her and my dad. I know that this is going to hard, but once I see him, it can only get easier, right?"

"Right," Dash said with a proud smile on his face.

"I really can't thank you enough for all of this," Kyler said. "It means the world to me."

"You're welcome, Kyler," Dash said. He reached out and placed his hand on Kyler's cheek, stoking her soft skin with his thumb.

Kyler's heart began to pound faster as she stared into his eyes, waiting for him to lean closer and kiss her. She recognized his motions. He had done this many times when they had been dating.

Dash would be lying if he said he didn't want to kiss her. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to get too attached to her again. He just wanted to help her through this little step in her life, and then let her continue on without him. Of course, he was going to uphold his promise and be there for her if she ever needed him, but he wasn't going to force his way into her life. It was obvious that she liked being alone, for the most part, and she could take care of herself. Besides, could he really stay close to her without hurting his family again?

When Dash's hand dropped away from her face, her heart dropped too. She couldn't understand why he was shying away from her. She suddenly felt like a teenager out on her first date. She was worried that her breath smelled, or that she had read too much into his actions. And she couldn't bear the disappointment that was filling her. But, before she could turn away from him, he placed his hand on her back and pushed her closer to him. Kyler hesitantly placed her head back on his chest and decided to just be content with that for the time being.

I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!

Mew Painappuru