Hi guys! So, I'm totally pumped for the last week of school next week, but my man is graduating high school tonight and I'm like happy and sad at the same time and augh the feels.

But anyway, sorry to bother you with my RL issues. (:

Thank you SO MUCH to Loki's Lover for my very first review on this fanfic! You're fabulous! Also thank you to StarOfTheSeaaa for a review on my Sherlock one-shot!

On to the fic. Enjoy (:

Chapter 02

My alarm clock rings. I turn over in bed, slapping the snooze button. I sit up, groaning, and force myself off the bed. I walk sleepily over to my desk and sit down in the chair, staring at my laptop. I promised myself last night that I'd do it when I woke up today, but I'm not so sure now.

Tony had left me with the instructions to send him a video blog, talking to him like I normally would, whenever I missed him. He said he'll receive all the videos when he gets back from the mission he's on.

If he ever does get back.

It's been three days since I've last seen him and we've said our goodbyes. This is the first time I've considered sending him a video. I've been mad at him, even though I shouldn't be.

I open the laptop and click open the webcam. I take a deep breath before pressing record.

"Good morning! It's me, Izzy. It's been a few days since you've left, and I've been hanging around the house. The summer just isn't the same without you," I manage to say all of this before my voice becomes thick in my throat and tears well in my eyes. I clear my throat and wipe my face with both hands. I will not let him see me cry again. I sniffle slightly and flash a fake smile at the camera.

"I'm just glad to be talking to you," I say, my voice still thick, "I'll see you soon. Love you."

I stop the recorder and sigh, sitting back in the chair and closing my eyes. I almost drift back to sleep. Then my alarm clock rings again. I sit up suddenly, my eyes shooting wide open. I get up to permanently turn off the alarm I usually used to wake up for another day of high school. Well, now there'll be no more of that. I'm a senior. Well, I was. Graduation was a week ago. I leave for college after Christmas, most likely the last Christmas I'll spend with my dad for a long time. I'm taking my college courses in Paris, so I'll be moving there and leaving all of this behind me. A new life, I guess I should say. Lord knows we can afford it. That's one area in which my dad actually pays attention to me: money. He always makes sure I have enough. Lately, I can't decide whether that's a good or a bad thing.

I walk downstairs to fix myself a cup of coffee, but then realize we're out. Great. I go back upstairs, throw on some shorts and a cute tank-top that brings out the color in my bright green eyes, and head out the door. I decide to just go to the coffee shop down the street. I can pick up more coffee on my regular Sunday grocery run later.

I walk into Starbucks, order my usual, and wait for my order. As I'm waiting, I notice two guys, a young man and an older man, on the far side of the room with weird, light blue, bloodshot eyes. They're both giving me very obvious, very suspicious states. I try to ignore them. Probably just a couple of druggies with bad contacts. I take my order and leave, making a point not to look at them.

I'm not even three steps out the door when I bump right into a wall, spilling my coffee everywhere and almost falling. No, that can't be right. The last time I checked, there was not a wall here. I curse under my breath at the coffee staining my tank-top and look up at what I hit. Or rather, who I hit.

A tall, lean, black-haired man stands in front of me. I stand awkwardly.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," I apologize as nicely as I can make my voice sound with coffee all over me.

"Oh, it's quite alright. Humans make countless mistakes," he dismisses me and then walks into the Starbucks.

What the heck was that supposed to mean?

"Weirdo," I say under my breath and decide to give up on the coffee for today. I won't be going anywhere anyway. There's still about half the coffee left, so I can drink that and be done with it. As I walk back home, I can't help but play the scene outside of that Starbucks over and over in my head.

Over the next week, I keep seeing the tall, pale man with the midnight-black hair all over town. I think a couple times that it's almost like he's following me, but I shake the thought away. After all, I'm probably being paranoid. But after a while, I start asking people about him, and no one else has seen him much around town. It seems to me that I see him everywhere.

Right now, I'm walking down the sidewalk, going back home. I hear a honk behind me, and turn to see what is almost an accident between two taxis. And the guy. He's behind me. I don't know what comes over me, but I turn and walk toward him.

"Hey, you," I say, a bit more forcefully than I mean to. My temper's flaring again. This won't be pretty.

He almost looks startled at my audacity. His eyes focus on my face. He's a good foot and a half taller than me. Good thing I can scream if he tries to abduct me or anything.

Once I have his attention, I start to speak again.

"Have you been following me?"

He ponders this for a moment.

"It's a yes or no question," I say just as impatiently as I do sarcastically.

"Yes, I suppose I have been," he says simply. He has an English accent that I thought I caught the last time I'd heard him speak but I wasn't sure of until now.

Well, then. I wasn't expecting that kind of answer at all.

"Why?" I practically throw the word at him as hard as I can.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he says, giving me a look of dominance. What, does he think I'm stupid?

"Try me," I say.

"Why don't we talk somewhere more private? I can't very well explain my situation on the streets where unwanted ears are among us," he says quietly.

There's no way I'm taking him to my house. I have to think of something else.

"How about the park? No one's there this time of day," I say.

He nods his approval, and starts walking the opposite direction of the park.

"Um, the park's this way," I say, and he turns.

"Right," he mumbles, and I laugh to myself as we walk to the park together. It feels so weird to be walking beside the man who's been practically stalking me for weeks, but hey, like I said, at least I've got a good set of lungs on me.

Isabelle with all her sass... I love her. Thanks for reading!