I swear I'm almost done with this story!! The way I have it planned, there will only be... four, at the most, five new chapters left. But what a ride it's been!!

And I'm glad you guys responded positively to what I had happen in the last chapter. I wasn't quite sure, and I thought I took it slowly enough, but I wasn't sure.

Oh yes, and a few things to address:

1. NO! Amber and Shelley are not getting together in this story. It's the furthest thing from what's going to happen. I just like Shelley, and I think she's probably the biggest bitch of the council girls, so she served my needs well for the last chapter.

2. I'm sorry, I know I use italics a lot, but it's because I read my stories outloud, and wherever I stress a word, I put it in italics. I've tried not to do it so much in this chapter, so I hope some of you find it less distracting.

Anyway, I think that's it. This is like the longest author's note ever. Just wanted to clear those things up.

Amber couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. She couldn't stop thinking about the way his lips had tasted; the way they had felt against her own. It was infuriating; the fact that he had said nothing to her about it. She had rested against him for what seemed like hours, until she was sure he had fallen asleep, but she couldn't even begin to think about sleep. Her mind was racing with thoughts; why hadn't he said anything? He hadn't even attempted to make any sort of contact with her save the way he had slipped his arm around her waist somewhat protectively afterwards. She let him hold her that way for hours, though she was completely sure he had fallen asleep beside her.

"Okay. Goodnight, then." She whispered the words finally, rolling away from him and into her pillows. Her face was burning with shame and humiliation at the prospect of ruining the one thing in her life that had been perfect. And although he was only inches from her, and she could feel the warmth of his body, she couldn't sleep that night. It was the first night she'd laid awake in Corny's bed. There was a strange knot in her stomach that she wasn't completely sure she'd ever had before; it was the fear of rejection.

"Do you think you'll come to the dance next Saturday?" Tracy asked her the next day as she, Link, and Amber made their way home from school. Tracy and Link held hands casually, and Amber followed just a step behind them, feeling somewhat left out.

"Oh, I don't know. I hadn't thought about it." She honestly hadn't. She felt so much older; so far removed from everyone in her school that she often forgot she was just a student like the rest of them. It had been months since she'd considered herself one of them; she just went through the daily motions of school, but never stopped to think what she was actually doing there.

"You should come," Link encouraged her, "It will be fun."

She swallowed hard, kept her eyes focused straight ahead. Fun? Fun because she didn't have anyone to dance with, or because Shelley had surely already spread the news of their confrontation to the rest of the school, and now they would all have a chance to laugh at and mock her in a similar manner? No, thank you.

"I don't know," she answered unsurely, determined not to commit herself in any way. "I'll just have to see, I guess. Corny might have plans for us that evening, anyway." She felt somewhat stupid saying the words; as if she and Corny were a couple and he made dinner plans for them without asking her. She blushed slightly, but neither Tracy nor Link seemed to notice.

"Okay," Tracy answered coolly, "Well, I hope you decide to come." They stopped in front of Corny's house, and the three of them stopped to look at each other.

"Thank you for walking me home," she said the words softly, and started to turn, to go up the stairs. She wanted to tell them so badly about the kiss, to ask them to come in and ask Corny exactly what the hell he was thinking so that she wouldn't be forced to do it herself, but knew she couldn't. This was just another one of those secrets that she couldn't tell anyone.

She climbed the stairs of the house and used her key to get in. After placing her books on a side table by the door, she proceeded to make her way through the house, her eyes stopping on Corny in the living room. He sat on the couch; his eyes were studying the paper, but she knew they weren't actually seeing it. He looked deep in concentration, and she swallowed hard. This was it. He was going to break her heart, just like everyone else always did. He was going to tell her to gather her shit and go, and that was going to put an end to the perfect fairy-tale of a life she had packed herself into. Her legs trembled as she moved toward him, her eyes watching him fearfully.

"Hi," she said the word softly, and he looked up from the paper, his face serious. "How are you?"

He forced a tight smile at her, his hands placing the paper on the coffee table.

"Hey. I'm okay. How was school?"

"Fine," she answered, looking away from him, her face flushing. She was biting her tongue now. She needed to know what he was thinking; what he was planning, or if he was disgusted by her suddenly. She began to study her fingernails, leaning against a chair.

"Listen, I-"

"Amber, we need to-"

They both began to speak at the same time, and she looked up foolishly. Her face was hot, her heart was pounding. He was getting ready to say those damning words: we need to talk. That was never good.

"You first," she smiled softly at him. What she had to say could wait because, truthfully, she had no idea what to say. And though she had a feeling his words were going to hurt, she needed to hear them before she committed another foolish act.

He smiled softly at her, and patted the cushion on the couch beside him.

"Come here." His words were soft, and his eyes were kind, albeit full of worry, and she let herself move toward him slowly, her knees bending until she sat beside him. He reached out and took her hands, and her eyes met his. "I…wasn't going to say anything, because I wasn't completely sure you even wanted to know, but…I think you need to." His eyebrows furrowed, and she began to chew on the inside of her lip. She hung her head suddenly. What was it? Was he dating someone? Was this 'arrangement' between them, simply that, and nothing more? She felt the tears burning her eyes before he even spoke, and she couldn't bring herself to look at him as she prepared for the worst.

"Amber," he held her reassuringly, his thumbs stroking the back of her hands. She prepared herself for the fatal blow, her stomach churning. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, and she finally let her tear-filled eyes meet his. She hadn't meant to cry, of course, but simply knowing what was awaiting her made her want to sob. He met her eyes. "Sweetheart, listen to me. It's your mother. She's in the hospital."

That was not what she had been expecting, needless to say. Her mouth slipped open, her eyes darkening.

"What?" She gasped the word, "Why…how?" She caught herself quickly; she knew why. "How?" She repeated herself, still watching him, "What happened? How do you know?"

She could feel herself beginning to tremble, and attempted to steady herself. He held her hands tighter, his eyes still watching her. She could feel herself beginning to break, and commanded herself to stay strong.

"The new station manager told me today," he said the words gently, watching her uncertainly. "I didn't…I couldn't decide whether or not to tell you. You've been, you know, doing so well. I didn't want to be the one to bring you back to…that world."

She watched him, her jaw trembling.

"This is what happens," she found herself saying quietly, "when I start to forget about it. When I start to try and be 'normal' again, this is what happens." She had been so caught up in worrying about that damn kiss; about her stupid feelings for Corny that she had started to forget the real reason she was here; to heal.

She pulled out of his grasp quickly, hurrying to grab her purse and keys. He watched her, his eyes full of concern and fear.

"Where are you going?"

She spun on her heels to look at him, her eyes brimming with tears.

"To see her, Corny! She's my mother, I have to go!" She could barely find her voice now.

"Then I'm coming with you," he stood, and started to pull on his suit jacket.

"No." Her voice was firm, her gaze steady. Her tongue wet her lips, and she frowned suddenly, moving closer to him. "I appreciate it, but I need to do this alone." She left before he had time to protest.

When she returned home an hour and a half later, Corny was waiting for her. She met his eyes as she entered the living room, and he watched her guardedly.

"How is she?" The tone of his voice told Amber that he knew it was a stupid question, but one that fell from his lips instinctively. She sighed, swallowed the lump in her throat, and glared up at him.

"Not very good, Corny." A stupid question deserved a stupid answer. She couldn't stop seeing her face; black and blue, swollen in places that Amber had never realized could swell. It was far worse than any markings he'd ever left on her. She closed her eyes, trying to push the images from her mind. It was painful to see her mother that way; one eye swollen shut, the other bloody. It wasn't Velma. It couldn't have been. Velma would never have let that happen to herself; she knew how to protect herself. That woman lying in that hospital bed was a broken shell of the woman Velma Von Tussle had been. Her mother hadn't been exactly happy to see her. From the moment Amber had entered the hospital room, Velma had sat stoically, listening to Amber speak. It was heartbreaking, to see what little strength her mother had left using it against her. She had tried to make small-talk, and had eventually broken into tears again in front of her. Velma had said only enough to make Amber aware of what had happened, and exactly how she had gotten so hurt.

"What…happened?" She could tell he already knew the answer, and he moved closer to her. He sat next to her, their knees almost touching, and she looked up at him.

"She tried to fight back." The words were simple, but they said everything necessary.

"Is she going to be all right?" He asked after a long pause. Amber clenched her jaw.

"Well, she doesn't have any permanent brain damage if that's what you mean. She'll be in the hospital for another few days." Her gaze was locked on him, and she suddenly hated herself for being so cold with him. It wasn't that she wanted to be. The pain was just too fresh; she hadn't even begun to digest the sight of the strongest woman she'd ever known reduced to nothing more than a broken, disgusting mess. The same mess that Amber herself was, only worse. And though Corny didn't know it yet, Amber had begun to formulate a plan in her head. A plan that terrified her; made her want to throw up and cry at the same time.

She hated herself for not thinking of it before, and suddenly she knew. She was going to make Chip pay for this; for her, for Velma, and whoever the fuck else he might have hurt. Amber was going to get her revenge.

The next few days went by in a whirlwind, and Amber had yet to mention anything about her plan to Corny, or anyone else. She didn't see the necessity until she figured out exactly what she was going to do, because until then, it would be too easy for her to be dissuaded, talked out of it. Once she set her mind on exactly what needed to be done, however, there was no way to sway her decision.

She had been working late every night, and taking longer to drive home so that she had more time to think about what she needed to do. By the time she crawled into Corny's bed, he was always asleep, and for that, she was somewhat grateful. Although it was now four days after that fateful kiss, he hadn't mentioned it to her. He pretended that it had never happened, and she couldn't decide whether to be offended or hurt by his seeming lack of interest in her, and it. Her mind had been so full of plans, swimming with ideas that she pretended not to notice, or care. But, that was just pretending. Deep inside, a part of her did care, and felt neglected by him for the first time in a long time.

On the night that Amber had made her decision; the night that she suddenly knew exactly how to make Chip pay for what he had done, she went to bed early. Corny was the one working late for a change, and she had crawled into his bed without him, pulling the sheets around her as she closed her eyes, letting her mind swim. Yes, she was so certain now; she knew what needed to be done. She also knew that she couldn't do it alone, and that she would need the help of Corny, at least. She was positive that Link would be on board with her, though she still hadn't told him the entire truth about what had happened with her and Chip, and made it a priority to do so at the next appropriate time.

She laid still in the darkness for a long time, and heard Corny come home sometime later. She pretended to be asleep, but listened as the water rushed through the shower. She was still awake when he slid into bed beside her, and though she tried not to notice, she could smell him. His soap, his shampoo, just him. It made her toes curl unconsciously, and she bit the inside of her lip, determined to make him believe that she was asleep.

He didn't move for a moment, and then shifted, and she knew he was turning to look at her. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, and suddenly, she felt his fingers in her palm, his dull fingernails lightly scratching her skin. He worked his hand around hers, and she clenched her teeth, her eyes still shut. She felt him move closer to her, his voice low as he spoke.

"You're almost as good at pretending to be asleep as I am," his voice was barely a whisper, and though she tried to fight it, she felt her eyelids flittering open to look at him. He smiled at her, then pulled on her hand, encouraging her to move closer to him. She hesitated for a moment, and then, somewhat reluctantly let herself move, into the space between his arm and chest. The arm that he held her with tightened around her waist, albeit somewhat tentatively. He cleared his throat, and she closed her eyes. Now it was going to happen; he was going to tell her that he was secretly married, or engaged. He was going to break her heart into a million pieces.

"I'm sorry," she professed softly, her lips trembling, "I shouldn't have-well, you know. I just shouldn't have. I wasn't thinking, or something." It wasn't true. She had thought about it; long and hard, and had decided that kissing Corny was the only thing that had made sense at that time. But still, it was easier to pretend that she had acted impulsively.

"I-" he began to speak, and she heard him swallow, "Amber, don't apologize." His cheek was against the top of her head, and he stroked her hip through her thin pajamas. She swallowed hard. "I would have kissed you first, but…I didn't know if you were ready, or, interested. I didn't know…I had no idea how to respond." He sounded so unsure of himself that it made her turn her face to look up at his.

"It's been so long since I've actually wanted to kiss someone," she admitted to him softly, curling her fingers against his chest, "I just didn't know what to do."

He held her close to him, his lips brushing lightly against her forehead.

"Well," his voice was soft and comforting, "If you ever do decide that you want to kiss me again, I'm right here waiting, Amber."

She felt herself smiling, and curled into his embrace. That was exactly what she had been hoping to hear.