A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers and alerters! Hope you enjoy the next chapter! RER!

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Previously on Moving Forward: Unsure of what else to do, Calvin got the phone number and steeled himself to call Susie Derkins's California home.

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"Hello?" a mature female voice spoke on the other end of the line.

Susie? Calvin thought. "Uh, yes, hello. Is Susie Derkins available?"

There was a brief pause. "No, sir, I'm afraid Susan is not at home right now. In fact, she doesn't live here." Susan? Calvin mused to himself. Interesting. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Oh, this is Calvin. Look, I know this is awfully forward and unexpected, but… um…" Hobbes was poking him. "Quit it," he hissed at him. "She doesn't live there." Turning his voice back to the phone, he said, "I'm sorry, I got interrupted. Listen, I don't even know if you would remember me. I lived in your old neighborhood before you moved to California? I played with Susie, I mean, Susan sometimes when we were younger."

"I'm sorry, I don't recall…" he could sense that the woman was close to hanging up on him.

"Please, wait! Please don't hang up on me, I just want a chance to help you remember. I was short, with blond spiky hair, carried around…" he glanced at Hobbes. "Well, had a tiger. Please, try to remember."

"I… I'm sorry… But why do you want me to know so badly?" Her voice was mildly amused.

"Because… Well, actually I don't really know." An idea popped into his head, and he spoke without thinking into the phone. "Would you mind giving me an address I can reach? Not e-mail, please. A mailing address."

What? Hobbes was looking at him strangely, obviously confused. Calvin was confused himself. What had just happened? He had asked for Susie's address? What was he planning on doing? Mailing her?

"Oh… well, I suppose that wouldn't hurt…" the woman said hesitantly. Calvin heard papers starting to shuffle in the background. "One second." Suddenly, her voice turned accusing. "Now, if I find out that you are mindlessly stalking my daughter, you will have all the forces of the law against you, do you hear me? I will have the police, the federal agents, and the whole world looking for you. And no soliciting, either. I will not stand for it." Calvin could hear her quiet Hmph! Over the telephone. He chuckled lightly.

"Oh, don't worry about that Mrs. Derkins. I wouldn't do that to her. Or to you," he added as an afterthought.

After a couple more accusing remarks and some"you-better-nots", Susie's—well,Susan's, if you're insistent—mom gave Calvin the mailing address. Thanking her profusely for reasons he could not fathom, Calvin hung up.

Calvin stared at the floor after hanging up. What had he just done? Why had he done it?

"I say you go through with writing to her." Calvin turned to look at Hobbes, who had on a lilting grin. "Like she said, it wouldn't hurt, would it?" Hobbes walked off, dug through Calvin's backpack, and came back with a sheet of paper. "Here," he said, handing it to Calvin.

"What am I supposed to write? I don't even know what to say, or what I should tell her, or…"

Hobbes interrupted him. "You only have one piece of paper. There's no obligation to write an essay to her. Just… write."

The tiger was giving me quite a case. He wanted me to find the Derkins dame, the one of my youth. Apparently she was in the far reaches of California, and he wanted business.

Would I give it to him? I'd planned to find where she was a leave it in the dust, but the intrigue of the case had drawn me in. It was a case for a private eye.

My name is Bullet. Tracer Bullet. What the civilians call me, that's their business. I'm a private eye, a detective, if you will.

I paced through my office, unsure of what to do, how to begin. Questions bombarded my brain. Why was she in California? Was she involved in some sinister plot? Why had she run?

I had a hunch that once I'd asked, I'd be in too deep to get out.

"…Alright. I'll do it," Calvin finally said. Hobbes grinned. Calvin settled himself on the couch with the paper and a pencil.

Dear Susie,

He paused, and glanced over at Hobbes. Hobbes gestured with his hands, urging him to go on.

I don't know why I'm doing this. Do you remember me? It's Calvin. Pre-California Calvin, the one in your old neighborhood. Spiky blond hair, never-did-his-homework Calvin. Calvin, the best friend of Hobbes.

I just wanted to write to see how you were. So… how are you?

Calvin (and Hobbes)

Calvin set down his pencil. "Let's go out," he said, leaving the letter on the table. He'd attend to that later. "I need some air." He picked up his backpack, and put Hobbes into it. After looking around once, he stepped out the door, only to be knocked over by a young man his age, who seemed to be in a hurry.

"Hey! Watch it!" Calvin said as he landed on the floor. He got up slowly, and looked accusingly up at person who knocked him over.

The other young man looked sheepish. "Sorry… I'm kind of in a hurry. I'll make it up to you later!" he said, and ran off.

"Woah, what happened?" Hobbes poked his head out of the backpack.

"Aw, nothing, some person just knocked me over. Okay, let's really go now. Hopefully I can get out of the main door without getting into some other predicament."

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A/N: Sorry if it's a bit short… Not ecstatic about this chapter, but I guess it's decent. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and please review!