Note From Teh Writer: Oh noes! The final countdown is nearing and I'm getting sad about it. But not to fear. A new story is in the wing AND the reads and review should cheer me up. :]

Chapter 19: Promise

[P]

It took fifteen minutes to clean and bandage up her arm. She refused to go to a doctor, even though Griffin got to the point of begging.

Penny was sitting on a stool in the area where Griffin kept his supplies. He was putting the extra bandages and gauze away. Lightly touching the bandage on her right arm, she flinched. It only hurt a little. Compared to my other pains, this is nothing. She didn't want to think about that though. She pushed it to the back of her mind as Griffin returned to her. He was rubbing the back of his neck, obviously thinking about something. "What?" Penny asked him.

"Huh?" he blinked at her, almost lost. "Oh, uh. Just...nothing." An awkwardly cheerful grin spread across his face. "Actually," he said. "I was thinking about how much of a fight you put up back there. You did good. For a rookie, that is," he coughed. Penny thought about it. I didn't do half bad as a matter of fact. She nodded and tried to smile, but failed. "What brought all that on though? I mean, you sorta leaped before you looked."

Turning and looking at him, she saw the look of astonishment on his face. That's a new look for him... "My parents." She looked at the ground. "They never let me jump. They both thought it was a burden and it would only lead to trouble. That's why I had to do it secretly. When you called me a rebel..." her voice trailed off. She bit down on her lip to stop the hot tears she felt in her eyes. "...it made me remember the last time I saw them. Four years ago." She sighed. "And now they're gone."

She didn't hear Griffin speak or, let alone, breathe. Penny looked over at him. He was sitting next to her, holding his head in his hands and staring at the ground. "Griff?" she put her hand on his shoulder. He sat up when she touched him and looked at her with those eyes, full of agony, just like back in the restaurant. He started to laugh. Is he going crazy?

"We're both so alone," he said without laughing. That signature smirk appeared on his face. "Kind of."

Penny was confused. "What?"

Griffin told her the story of what happened when he was nine. How the Paladins killed his parents. How he swore revenge on them. "I promised I would kill that man."

"How will you know when it's him?" Penny asked. What she got as an answer was like a character description.

"Black man. White hair. Evil and merciless with a harsh tone," Griffin answered. "And his name's Roland."

Penny leaned on Griffin's shoulder. "I promise I'll help you get revenge," she whispered in his ear. She kissed his cheek and stood up. She was getting tired. Penny walked over to her small duffel bag and rooted through, looking for something.

Griffin jumped and mumbled something about nine years and chasing somebody. She was about to ask him what he said, but by the time she turned around, he was in bed asleep. She followed suit and laid down, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

He was yelling. She couldn't help but hear. She ran towards the sound, through crowds of people and into a building. It was dark and she couldn't see, but she continued to follow his scream. She came to a door with the number 18. When she opened it, Zack was tied up to a chair in the middle of the room. He was screaming. Screaming for her to help him. She moved to help him as Roland came out from the darkness behind him and slit his throat. Then, nothing...

Penny's eyes opened. She was in bed, with Griffin's arm around her waist. She moved his arm and slid out of bed. She wrote a note, left it on her now vacant pillow, and kissed Griffin gently on the lips.

"I love you..." she whispered as she jumped.