Okay, I had this more than halfway done before the start of the weekend. I was worked on it like a fiend just now, so I can go ahead and post it to make up for the lack of weekend update. It's shorter and lacking quite a bit of action (it has more action of another kind... ;)

Anyways, despite this being my shortest chapter. It is a definite transitional chapter. The next one should be pretty interesting... at least, I think it is...

Well, see you at the bottom! Have fun!

Stretching his thin legs out from the porch, Van leaned back on his tan palms while the sun shined through the swaying trees. He took a deep breath, smiling quietly to himself. It'd been almost a month since his boat accident, but he still appreciated a good deep inhale and exhale of air. He knew he'd never take oxygen for granted again for the rest of his life.

The mahogany-eyed boy let the sun warm his entire body. It'd been chilly for the past several days. His mom had said it was always slightly cold in the mountain. Today is the day dad wants to leave. He felt his hearts sink a bit. He didn't want him go.

His father had made the announcement several nights ago just as they'd sat down with their canned pork and beans. Van had looked from his mother to his father and back again. The girl's mouth had dropped open and she stared at his father in frozen disbelief. Slowly, the lights around the kitchen began to grow brighter.

"You're going away?" She whispered through vibrant green eyes. A strange humming noise came from the ancient floor lamp several feet away from her. The black-haired boy instantly reached out and grabbed her hand under the table. He pushed down the urge to wince at her sparking touch. She gave a startled jump at his unexpected gesture and glanced at him. Taking a deep breath, he nodded at her to do the same. She breathed slowly and the energy current lessened considerably. The lamp behind her quieted down.

Releasing her hand, he gave her a quick smile.

"I have to go." His father continued as if nothing had happened. He had a strange unreadable expression in his eyes as he glanced at Van. "I need to figure out what to do about the Energist. The fossil isn't working the way it used to ever since the antimatter went into Hitomi. I want to know why. I feel like once I know the origins of this thing, I can get more answers. It'll be extremely dangerous, so I can't take you with me. I'm going to protect you three by any means necessary, and that means I can't bring you into enemy territory. Varie will take care of you. We have already been discussing different places you all could go to be safe."

"We are hiding here just fine." Van said narrowing his eyes. "Why do you have to go away to research it? This place is perfect."

"I've studied it here as best I can, but I need certain tools and equipment to test my hypothesis." Goau explained.

"I'm sorry, Van, I know you love this place." his mother piped up. "We have to leave the cabin. Jajuka said the winter campers are coming and we are taking up space. Besides, we need to find a place for you to go to school safely. Your father and I decided to try to give you as normal a life as possible."

"While dad runs off to do experiments?"

"Your father is leaving for our protection. The killers will be after the Energist. Hitomi can hopefully stay a secret from them while they are looking for him."

"So, you're going to keep the killers away from us by risking your own life for experiments?" the boy asked with incredulity. "That is just stupid. Forget about the Energist, dad. If that's what the killers want then just give it to them. Then we can all be together. We can be a family and then Folken can come home."

Varie visibly cringed. "It's not that simple, Van."

"Why can't it be simple?"

The mother gave an exasperated glanced at the dark-headed man beside her. "We can't just give it up. Its power saved Hitomi's life. And through her, you. You owe your life to the Energist."

"But-"

Fanel's dark eyes grew stern. "The Energist is my greatest discovery, son. Many special people died because the killers wanted a piece of it. I refuse to hand it off like some worthless object."

"I don't want you to go either," the little girl said quietly staring imploringly at the man.

He sighed, braced his elbows on the table, and rubbed his eyes with his hands. "I've thought through this entire situation, kids. I don't want to leave anyone, but I have to. I'm the only one left who stands in the way of the killers getting the Energist. They'll eventually find me if I stay in one place too long. They found us when we were in the park, remember Hitomi?" He turned to the little girl and she nodded solemnly. "Your father and I only scratched the surface of what the Energist really is. The way it replenished its own radiation… the way it's antimatter was completely stabilized in our atmosphere. The Energist is probably from a different universe altogether. To give up something as momentous as this… I can't do that. Not if this thing can save the modern world. Not if the possibility of discovering a brand new universe is in our grasp. There has to be a reason the Energist is here. And for that I have to keep going. For Kanzaki's sake and for mine as well."

The black-haired boy shook his head. "This is still stupid."

"I'm leaving to help Hiomi, son. I have no idea what the Energist has done to her. It's why she has such a 'shocking' personality, after all." The man grinned at his joke. The little girl giggled quietly while Varie rolled her eyes.

"So, what happens to Hitomi, then?" the black-haired boy asked confused.

"She's staying with you and Varie, of course. She's been through enough adventures with me for now." The older man shot her a smile.

"I want to go with you, Mr. Fanel." She whispered to her plate. "You can figure out what is wrong with me, right? I want to know, too."

"I'm sorry, honey," Varie shook her head. "You need to go to school like Van."

Van smirked. "She'll blow up the electronics at school, mom."

"She'll have to learn to control it. From what I saw just now, she's already getting the hang of it." Goau answered smirking just like his son. The boy blushed a bit. "Hitomi, you need Van's help if you want to stop causing problems with your energy. You can practice with him. He'll be able to help you decipher emotions from power."

"How do I do that?" she asked.

Varie frowned thoughtfully and shot Fanel a secret smile. "You might try telling jokes and laughing while holding Van's hand. He can help you figure out how to tell your power apart from your emotions. He'll let you know if your power is surging or not. That'd probably be less traumatizing than using pain and fear."

"That's a good idea, mom." The boy nodded.

Her green eyes still on the table, she shook her head. "I don't want to practice with him."

Van's forehead instantly furrowed with hurt and anger. Confusion and irritation was written all over his face. He turned away from the girl to glare at the floor. Varie and Goau noticed his sour expression and exchanged another furtive look.

"Why don't you want to practice with him, Hitomi?" Varie asked the girl sweetly.

"I don't want to hurt him. He twitches every time I get angry or scared. It must hurt him when he touches me like that. He shouldn't hurt himself just to help me."

"I don't mind." Van immediately said. He zipped his brightened mahogany eyes back on her face. He blushed as both his parents smiled at him. "That is… if it's to help you not make an idiot of yourself at school." He added quickly.

The girl blinked at him. "But doesn't it hurt when I shock you?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Van," his mother tried to frown at him, but she couldn't help the smile forming on her face. "You know it doesn't hurt." Turning to the girl, she said, "Hitomi, I've told you before. Your power only hurts electronics. It's more of a surprise than anything else."

"A surprise…" she whispered to herself.

"Blowing up electronics at school would be really funny though." The boy chuckled and Varie frowned at him for real. He cleared his throat, "But yeah, it would cause problems. That's why you should practice controlling it with me."

"Good, I'm glad that's settled." Goau announced, picking up his fork. Scooping some beans on top, he smiled. "Let's eat!"

Van shook the memory out of his mind. His father was leaving them soon. The black-haired boy felt a pang of sadness hit him. He regretted his first thoughts about his father. Having his dad in the house made his mom start smiling again. Some nights before bedtime, Van saw his parents whispering together, leaning close to each other. What his father said at the table that night – protecting them by any means necessary– was close to what a superhero would have said. Maybe he really was one and he didn't know it. And through him, Van would be one, too.

"Van?" a small voice sounded his name from behind him. Hitomi opened the screen door. "What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking," he answered vaguely not looking at her. He kept his eyes to the swaying trees in front of him.

"Thinking about what?"

"I'm making up a poem."

"Another one?" he heard the happy smile in her voice. "Can I listen to it?"

"It's not done yet."

"So, when it's done I can hear it?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because it's so scary, you'll blow up the house." He laughed to himself.

"You're still a meanie," she murmured to him. He heard her open the screen door to leave.

"You want to practice some more?" He asked quickly, turning around to finally look at her. She was wearing her old bunny dress. The first outfit he'd seen her in.

She blinked at him. Slowly a wide smile crinkled her green eyes.

"Okay!"

Goau shifted his pack off his good shoulder and dropped it onto the front seat of the car with a soft thud. Turning around, he smiled sadly at the two children waiting side by side behind him.

"I said I'll be back."

"You also said it would take years, too." Van murmured under his breath with a scowl. The boy clenched his fists at his side. The little girl beside him noticed his tense body and gave Goau a concerned look. The black-haired man narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. She's so perceptive for a kid.

The man sighed and motioned to Van. "I want to talk to you alone for a bit, son. Excuse us, Hitomi."

She nodded her head with a smile and backed away slowly from them to give the two males space. Goau knelt on the grass so he was eye level with Van. Placing his hands on the boy's shoulders, he squeezed them affectionately. "I'm leaving your mom and Hitomi in your care. Your mom is going to need your help more than ever now. And Hitomi, she's a precious girl, son. You have to look after them both for me."

"I-I…" Van stuttered and swallowed.

"I'm letting you know, Van. When I come back, I'm coming to take Hitomi with me. She's tied to the Energist in ways that are even beyond my understanding."

"You're taking her?"

"I am planning on it. I feel like she's the key to all of this. I just don't know how."

"Okay," the boy answered. "I understand why you need to go and why you will later take Hitomi with you, but I have one question."

"What's that?"

"Why can't you take me with you when you come to get her? I can be useful! When I'm older I can learn how to protect you and her from the killers! I'll be brave just like Folken!"

Goau's eyes tightened at the mention of his first son's name. He swallowed, "You need to just be yourself, Van. Don't push yourself to be anything but what I see in front of me right here. That should be plenty to keep your mother and Hitomi in tow." He smiled. "When I come back, I need you to stay and take care of your mother. She'll depend on you to keep her safe."

"I guess..." the boy conceded. "Just so you know," he placed his small hands on his father's shoulders so that they mirrored each other. "I'll protect them with my life while you're gone."

"That's what I want to hear." Goau's smile grew wider. "You have grown so much since I last saw you, Van. You've become even braver than Folken could ever be. Don't ever let anyone convince you otherwise."

He pulled his son into a hug and heard the boy whisper to himself, "Braver than Folken..."

The car's wheels bumped ungracefully on the dirt road, but it didn't help to cover the strained silence that remained stagnant in the vehicle. The dark-haired man glanced quietly at the woman driving. She had a tense look on her face, which he was sure was reflected on his own face. This month he'd spent with her had been one of the best in his life. All of her quirky habits kept coming back to him. The way she brushed her hair over her shoulder when she got nervous or deep in thought or the way her eyes lit up when an idea hit her. Even the way she slept, her eyelids fluttering softly with dreams.

More often than not, he'd resisted the urge to hold her hand. Even worse was the temptation to kiss her soundly and never let her go. But the days for that were over. She'd helped him get better in a friendly way, with not an ounce of romantic inclination…

Except that first night when she'd held his hand.

But ever since then, they'd spent the remaining weeks politely discussing their plans, fears, and goals for this new discovery. She was more insightful than he was. She would have been a really good ally during the seven years he'd spent studying the stone. Varie, with one glance at the weakly pulsing Energist, figured out that the bright pink hue it once glowed with was gone. The light it produced now was grayer tone; more lifeless than before. Yet Hitomi's cheeks were a constant shade of rosy hue. She seemed to glimmer with a sweet pink blush.

Trust a woman to realize the lack of pink. Goau thought smiling.

He found himself wondering more and more if she'd wait for him to return. He'd have to leave her after he came back. He was just coming to get Hitomi once he learned more about the origins of the Energist.

He couldn't ask her to not see anyone. She was still young enough to have more children. Still beautiful to attract any man she wanted.

Goau sighed and folded his arms across his chest. He was smart enough to admit he was jealous. He didn't want her to find anyone else. He wanted her to always wait for him. But that was the worst thing he could ever ask her to do. That was just as bad as ignoring her during his years of research.

But just like the past, his research once again came first in his life. He had to put aside his entire family for it. He wondered if he'd ever learn his lesson.

No amount of answers is worth your family.

"We are getting close to the edge of the camp. Are you sure you want to continue from here?" Varie asked quietly. "I could drive you to the nearest gas station. That way you could bum a ride or something."

Goau shook his head, his dark hair brushing on his forehead. "No, no, this is fine. It's better if I don't go anywhere public anyways. I'll try to keep them off my tail as much as I can."

"Right," she murmured.

There was silence between them again as the air tensed with awkwardness. Minutes slipped by like seconds. Finally, the woman neared the end of the dirt road and a more paved street slowly came into view in front of them. She stopped the car just on the edge of the new road and put it in park to idle. Goau glanced at her and saw her eyes staring at the wheel with an unreadable expression.

"I'm very grateful for everything you've done for me, Var. You didn't have to take care of me, but you did. And Hitomi. You didn't even bat an eye when I asked you to take care of her. Thank you."

A small smile slowly spread on her lips. "She's a sweet, smart child. I already love her. Never mind the fact she saved Van's life. How could I say no to her? And you showed up here all scratched and burned. Only someone without a soul could have turned you away. Your back is a lot better now."

"Still sore, but yeah. It'll scar."

"I know."

Another silence fell, this one even more awkward than before. The man swallowed thickly and released a small sigh. He slowly removed his seatbelt with an audible click and heard it whip loudly back into its holder by his head. The sound almost made him wince.

"Well, I guess I better be off. This is goodbye for now." He didn't move to grab his bags. He didn't want to go.

"I know. It's only for a while, right?" She answered simply still keeping her eyes on the wheel.

"That's right."

"And then you'll be back."

"Once I know more."

"And then you'll be gone after that and I'll probably never see you again."

"Varie…"

"No, Goau, no. I'm okay," a small tear slipped out from the corner of her right eye. She brushed the wetness with an impatient hand and laughed shakily. "I know this is what you have to do. I know that."

"It still doesn't make it easy, Var. Knowing this is something I must do… and wanting…"

He said the word without thinking. He was just following her thought process. He glanced sideways at her and she turned her eyes on his face. Carelessly tossing his nervousness aside, Goau leaned and brushed the tears that had started to streak down her smooth cheeks. With his other hand, he gently pushed back the long hairs from her neck. He watched her breath catch as he framed her face in his hands.

"Goodbye, my love." He whispered to her. She blinked more tears.

Gently caressing her neck with his fingers, he let her go and moved to grab his bags.

Opening that door was one of the hardest things he'd ever done in his life. He felt more than heard her sobs. They resounded in his mind as well.

He shut the door and shouldered his pack. Swallowing down his grief, he took one step away from the car… then another… then another…

His thoughts were full of wants; of what-ifs never explored. He was so distracted he never heard the car door open behind him. He felt the petite hand grab his arm to turn him around until it was too late.

A small, strong arm wrapped around his neck, forcing his face down. Soft, urgent lips pressed firmly against his. He saw the wind blowing long strands of hair. Letting his bag fall to the ground, he grabbed the woman in front of him and returned the kiss. It was a tearful one, mixed with longing and wishes. It spoke of partings and of wanting more.

He kissed her cheeks, her neck, and the soft part behind her ear before traveling back to her parted lips. She gasped under his hands. He wanted her. He had always wanted her. He will always want her.

"I love you." He felt her mouth forming the words against his. "I'll wait for you."

He was panting. He was deliriously intoxicated. He couldn't leave her. He couldn't get his hands to stop pulling her closer and closer.

Closing his dark eyes, he clenched his fists and slowly let go of her. She unwrapped her arms from around his neck and shoulders. They stared at each other, both pairs of eyes wanting so much more than the other can give.

"Come back to me." She whispered.

"I will." His voice broke a bit on the words.

With a crunch of gravel under his shoe, Goau reached down, picked up his dropped bag, and began walking away.

Every step made her crying harder to hear…

…until he couldn't hear it at all…

I had a really hard time with this last scene in particular.

I didn't know for a while how I wanted their relationship to be. At the beginning of the story, she's totally not wanting him in their lives, and then in less than two months, she loves him. I guess it could happen. But as I started writing it more and more, I realized that this is how it should be. Both in my story - and probably how I'd respond as a woman - would be exactly like Varie (Yes, yes, I'd jump a guy. So what?) Besides, I have lacked in the romance scenes. I needed a pick-me-up.

Expect the next one sometime this week. It'll have more characters you are familiar with! I'll really happy with how it's turning out so far! :) Also, same as before, you liked the chapter, hated it, want to verbally pelt fruit - go for it. I'll welcome the fruit. I forgot lunch at work today.

Hope you guys had a glorious weekend! See ya next chapter!

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