(A/N: yes I am still very much alive. Sorry to have taken so long with this update. You can thank Rebelgirl (aka: big sis) for once again kicking me in the butt ^.^')

"Come on, Kate!" Rhythmi shouted at her friend from across the street.

Kate sighed. This was her only day off this week Rhyrhmi was making her spend it dress shopping. Kate liked getting the chance to spend some time with her best friend, she just wasn't a big fan of going from store to store looking for clothes. Kate ran across the street to join Rhythmi at the small cafe on the corner.

Rhythmi had already set down her bags and was talking to a waiter by the time Kaye joined her.

The two friends sat there for at least an hour. Rhythmi continued going on about how great they would both look in their dresses. Kate, meanwhile, was quietly sipping her drink and only half listening to her friend. Ever since her encounter with Ice just a few days ago, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was constantly watching her.

"Earth to Kate!" Rhythmi's shouting snapped Kate back to reality. "You've been trying to drink from an empty glass for the past two minutes."

Kate look down and found that her cup was in fact empty. Apparently, she had been wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed. "Sorry," Kate said a little embarrassed.

"You alright?" Rhythmi asked her friend, "you seem kind of out of it lately."

"I'm fine," Kate assured her, but Rhythmi didn't look like she was buying it. Kate then went on to ask if she could wonder around on her own for while. Rhythmi reluctantly agreed and left Kate to pay the bill.

Kate wondered aimlessly around the city until Umbreon, who refused to leave the ranger alone even though she had released him, guided her attention to a Froslass that was staring at her from across the street.

Umbreon bound after the Froslass and Kate gave chase to him. When Kate finally caught up, Umbreon was sitting in front of a fountain, getting his ear scratched by the same person he had attacked just a few days ago.

"There are somethings that I will never understand," Kate said mostly to herself.
"And what would that be exactly?" Ice asked in a calm voice and without lifting his gaze from the dark type.

"Well let's see," Kate started, "three days ago you two were, literally, at each other's throats, and now you're acting as though you've been friends for years. Am I missing something here?!"

A smirk appeared across Ice's face. "You underestimate my ability to win over pokemon," Ice said and showed the ranger the pokeblock case that was in his hand. He took out one of the small candies and held it out for Umbreon, who promptly devoured the small, blue cube.

Kate shook her head in disbelief. "Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me everything?" She asked skeptically.

"Because I'm not," Ice told her flat out. Ice stood up and met Kate's questioning gaze. "But then again, are you really all that surprised?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Kate demanded. She had to resist the urge to back off as Ice got closer to her.

"It means," Ice started. His face was now just a few inches from Kate's. "you are going to have to trust my judgment on this one."

Kate let out a laugh that caught Ice slightly off hard, and pushed him just hard enough to make him stumble back a few steps.

"What was that for?" Ice asked, still trying to regain his composure. He hadn't expected Kate to like the idea right away, but he hadn't expected her to completely reject it either.

Kate tried to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke. "You have a long way to go before I'll trust you."

Umbreon stood between the two people and continuously shifted his gaze from one to the other, wonder whose side he's supposed to be on.

Ice straightened himself up and looked directly at Kate. "Well, I'm willing to try," he told her and took a step forward.

Now it was Kate's turn to be taken aback. She was so used to Ice being her enemy that the idea of him wanting to gain her trust seemed so unbelievable.

Kate took several steps back from Ice and accidentally tripped herself on the edge of the fountain.

Moving quickly, Ice grabbed Kate's wrist and pulled her close to him. "You have got to be more careful."

Kate looked up to see that Ice's face, normally stone cold and expressionless, had a look of genuine concern on it.

"There you are, Kate!" Rhythmi ran up to Kate, and gave her friend a questioning look when she saw her with Ice. "What are you doing?"

"N-nothing!" Kate said quickly and pushed away from Ice. Her face was bright red.

"Okay." Rhythmi did not sound convinced but did not push the matter any further.

"Well come one. It's getting late and we need to get to get back." Rhythmi started dragging Kate across the square to the path that led toward the Ranger Union headquarters.

Once the girls were gone, Ice knelt down next to Umbreon. "Would you continue to keep an eye on her for me?" Umbreon nodded and dashed off after the ranger.

"Murkrow!" Ice looked up to see the feathered dark type staring down at him from a light post. He rose to his feet and the pokemon flew down to rest in his extended forearm.

"No rest for the wicked, I see," Ice stated as he scratched the Murkrow just below its beak. "Now, we're is your trainer?"

"You don't use your eyes, do you, Ice?" Ice turned to see a girl about his age sitting on the edge of the fountain. He had reddish-brown hair and bright green eyes. She wore a blue jean jacket over a grey hoodie and black pants.

"Sandra," Ice said as the girl rose to his feet and produced a pokeball from her pocket.

"Murkrow, return." A red beam shot from the front of the ball, and as quickly as the blackbird had shown up, it was gone. Sandra then returned her attention to Ice. "Now Ice, you never told me that you were such close friends with a top ranger."

"I'm not." This wasn't entirely a lie on Ice's part.

"That's not what I saw," Sandra teased and sat back down.

Ice raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean what your bird saw?"

"Same difference." Sandra was examining her fingernails, very quickly losing interest in the conversation.

Ice took in a deep breath before he spoke again. "Why don't we talk about why you're really here."

Sandra perked up. "So you have thought about my offer."

"Yes."

"And?"

"I'm in."