Ok, so here's a rather nice Jamber oneshot I cooked up out of boredom. It was basically inspired by four things: 1) My humanities class on migration 2) my history class on world war II 3) Tomorrow When the War Began and 4) Ms. Swify's song,' Safe and Sound' (throw in a bit of the hunger games, the yellow wallpaper, and Nanny McPhee as well and badabing, badaboom, you have yourself a great chapter or what I think is great)

Title: Safe and Sound

Pairing: Jerome and Amber, slight Amara if you squint (had to at least keep a bit of my promise), also Amoppy, implied Fabina (only because it's Amber)

Prominent OCs: Beatrice Sidebottom and Doda

Words: 8,345

Rating: T for minor swearing as disturbing themes

~0o0o0o0~

She didn't remember much from when the bombs came. But she did remember the screams, the untamable fear, and running. She sat frozen in her chair, not knowing what to do, wanting to scream, but finding that nothing was coming out. Fear had its grip tight around her throat. All the sounds besides the piercing screams seemed washed out. The gritty realization of what was happening had not settled in. Then she was being lifted from the chair, forcibly being dragged away by two strong arms. At the time, she hadn't known who it was, but was thankful for their help. If they hadn't saved he, she would hardly have made it to the house.

Hoards of students scrambled around the school grounds, running like mad dogs towards their houses, screaming bloody murder. Some of the more hysterical students had opted for the neighboring woods, thinking that it would be safer. She ran in a group of her housemates, running towards the impossibly far target that was their house. Still, she couldn't scream. Everything was a blur, and nothing seemed to piece together. She could only think, why?

Then she remembered being at the house and everyone piling into the cellar, and into the secret room. At the time, she almost thought of saying,' That's not going to help us!' It hadn't mattered that Mick and Mara hadn't known about the mystery, and honestly, they didn't care at that moment. Most of them sat down, the only exception being Victor who was pacing the room. It had been getting on her nerves, but she didn't dare say anything of it. Mara sat next to her, shaking with tears, her knees pulled to her chest. Her sisterly instincts toke over and she found myself wrapping her arms around her, rocking her back and forth.

"It'll be ok Mara," she soothed, stroking her hair," I won't let you go, I promise."

I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, I'll never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, Don't leave me here alone
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

She knew Mara had always been deathly afraid by the very prospect of war, death, and explosions. She remembered that Mara was against a lot of dystopian novels because of that. It plagued her nightmares almost every night when she was her roommate. Every night she would wake up screaming, proclaiming there had been bombs and she had seen all of them had been trapped under rubble, but she couldn't get them out, no matter how hard she tried.

Such destruction everywhere, and they had no idea why. She felt so useless, so mad, and grieved.

The room was dark, only lit by one candle. She could barely make out the faces of her many other dejected housemates. Nina sobbed quietly on his shoulder. Mick sat solitary, looking at his feet, muttering something to himself. She could only make out,' … This isn't happening.' Patricia sat with Alfie, huddled, as he tried to comfort her. She was probably taking this the worst, almost in hysterics, crying about how her family could be dead and she was just doing nothing. Alfie took over and hugged her, whispering into her ear. Whatever he had said worked because her cries seemed to become quieter.

There was the urge to go outside and look out the window, one that she was desperately trying to quell. She had no idea why, but I needed confirmation. Now she knew she was just in denial, because she had refused to accept that this was happening, just like Mick. She tried letting Mara go, but she clung on.

"Please don't leave, please!" So she stayed with her. After a few hours, or what seemed like it, the explosions died down. Victor had managed to grab his portable radio, something that looked like it was from the forties, into the cellar, and managed to get it working. They sat there expectantly, waiting for the news that would tell us that it would be safe to leave.

'… For now, only certain areas have been hit, but none the less, they have been hit hard. We've just received news that the explosions over most of Liverpool have stopped. We advise precaution when leaving any safe areas. The authorities are trying their best to work this all out…' Hearing that just made her yearning to go outside larger.

"Everyone stay here, I will go outside, Trudy, make sure they do not move," Victor pointed his finger at her with such a stern expression on his face that she almost thought the vein on his forehead would pop. She guessed she couldn't blame him. She would be equally stressed as well. For a second, she wondered if he might have lost anyone in the bombs. She thought, he might have a whole family we don't know about. That made her feel something for him, and suddenly, she had forgotten about the mystery. He might not have been so evil at all.

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

When he left the room was totally quiet. Everyone was waiting. Waiting for anything, she guessed. The waiting was making her antsy. So she ran. The bookshelf was still open making it relatively easy to make an easy escape. Their calls that followed didn't matter. As she got to the top of the stairs, she could see what damage there already was. Almost the whole living room was gone, burnt to ashes, still smoldering. She continued upstairs and threw the door open. Her area wasn't too bad but there was wreckage on the whole of Nina's side. Sort of scared at the stability of the floor, she padded lightly to the half broken window.

The school stood before, a wide, expansive wasteland. The school building looked almost totally destroyed, a stub of what it used to be. Vaguely, she could hear, screaming coming from different buildings. There was a whole house was destroyed, but most of them were fine, only scathed or with chunks taken out of them. As she looked further, she could see a body, or the remains of what used to be a body. There were craters everywhere, breakouts of fire, and smoke. It was everywhere, the air tasted of it: metallic and sticky. A familiar tune broke out underneath her. She looked and saw Nina's music box still in one piece, playing a melancholic melody. She remembered then that the tune it was playing from her childhood. Her nurse-mary used to sing it to her when her parents were out on business trips. A photo frame fell on my floor, shattering, and she jumped from fright. She strolled over and picked it up only to drop it once more as if it had burned her.

It was of her family, one of the only pictures taken when they were all happy. They could be dead. Everyone, her brother, her little sister, her parents, they were most likely dead. All gone. She felt numb, frozen. Goosebumps trailed her skin. And she started to cry for them, cry for the possibility that they could be gone. She had always taken them for granted with her little woes about credit card bills and shoes. If she had known… she wouldn't have just treated them like nuisances. She sank to the floor, weeping harder heI ever had before when someone came in.

She assumed it was Victor coming to scold her for leaving the room, but said person lifted her up and wrapped their arms around her. Jerome stood there, stoic, letting her cry. Like Alfie had done for Patricia, he stroked her hair and told her it was ok, but she kept on babbling about my parents. She found it strange behavior for Jerome, being so caring. She only ever saw him as the sly womanizer. Seeing him like this was a change. Her eyes kept on drifting to the broken fragments of the window, still hoping that if she looked again, she wouldn't see death. He seemed to notice this and made sure she couldn't look out the window.

Don't you dare look out your window darling
Everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold onto this lullaby
Even when the music's gone

"Amber, we have to go back downstairs, it's not safe." He said this gently, stroking her cheek, but she could sense the urgency in his voice.

"But… I-I can't… It's just so…" Sobs skewed her voice. She hated being seen like this, so vulnerable and weak. The lullaby kept on playing as they hugged there for a moment, swaying slightly to the music, until the music box gave out.

"Amber," he placed both his hands on her cheeks and looked me in the eyes, and with such sincerity, he kissed her. The war seemed to fade from her vision as she focused on him. Jerome. The one boy in this moment was all that mattered. Here she was safe. With Jerome, she was safe. She began to chant it in her mind, hoping that with that reassurance, she would be able to stay strong. When he broke the kiss, she tried to open her eyes, but Jerome insisted she needed to keep them shut.

"Why?" She whined. She didn't need to look like an idiot walking down the stairs.

But he pleaded with her, "Amber, trust me, just please. I need you to trust me on this one." Of course, she opened them, and the sky was turning red. She meant it, it was red. Blood red. Just the sight of it nearly turned her mad. Fear clamped her body to the spot as she started hyper-ventilating. It was worse than it had ever been. Blood. She closed my eyes and she could still see it. It was like a poison, slipping into her body. Blood everywhere. She envisioned bits of people, sprawled out on streets, blood and flesh everywhere.

"Amber, close your eyes!" Forcibly, he placed his hand over her eyes, making her close her eyes. Death, everywhere in a matter of seconds. "Come on Amber, it'll be alright... We better get downstairs before the sun goes down. Don't want to be exposed like this." Walking down the steps, she still had her eyes closed, being lead by Jerome, whose grip was starting to crush her hand.

The screams that had plagued her before dwindled as she finally got a grip on herself. The mere comfort of the fact that someone actually cared about her in this time helped her keep quiet. They walked down the stairs, one at a time, slowly, but she could tell that Jerome was urging her to go faster, away from danger. Quickly, she smelt the familiar smell of the room that she had frequented, and the loss of Jerome's hands around her own.

When she opened her eyes, she got herself a well-earned lecture from Trudy. "What would have happened if there were more bombs? You would have been killed, that's what! We're just lucky Jerome bolted after you! Who's know what could've happened if he hadn't!" At this, Amber's heaved with sobs. They didn't know what she'd seen. Trudy, still motherly and loving, pulled her into a lasting hug. The others stared, mostly in shock, as broke down. Nobody ever saw Amber Millington break down. Yes, she had previously, but a lot of those times, it hadn't been this bad, unlike now, where she was bawling, thrashing. The image of the blood was still fresh on her mind.

Trudy, as motherly as she was, didn't know what to do. Her training had never included how to calm a traumatized student. "I'll take her," Jerome told Trudy, pulling the girl into yet another hug. She seemed to calm down at this, but still cried. This perplexed the others.

They sat against the wall, her now tiny body caught in his arms. She shook with tears, showing no signs of stopping. Even Mara, who had been hurt the most, now sat with Mick, unmoving. Victor, who returned just after they did, didn't even bother in lecturing them. He obviously was in shock as well. Soon, most of the room was asleep. Amber found it hard to sleep with the sound of their breathing the only sound she could hear.

She wasn't sure if Jerome was still awake, but she felt comforted by the constant rise and fall of his chest, and soon, she too, fell asleep in his arms.

~0o0o0o0~

Their bodies were packed together as they waited for Mr. Sweet, or anyone really to make an announcement. For the meantime, they had received little clean up, the only evidence of this being that the grounds were devoid of the many dead bodies.

They stood in rows, none of them daring to speak. It was as if all the joy had been sucked out of the air. As they waited, Amber's stomach threatened to heave its contents onto the ground. How could no one be freaking out? Was it only her that could smell of rotten bodies? The tangy, pungent, ashy smell that was creeping its way over the crowd? Or was that just her and her over-imaginative mind?

Mr. Sweet, looking slightly shaken up, took to the makeshift podium and started to speak. "Students and teachers. We have no direct news of the attack. We have no idea who has been attacking our country, but we have been issued some pressing matters that are here to be addressed. By law, all of you are now IDPs. Currently, homes are being prepared for in the country side to house all of you to be safe. I cannot guarantee that you will all be together but I can guarantee that all of this is being done for you safety. Any siblings have been put together," Amber noticed Jerome let out a big breath, a small burden off his shoulders," Now, all of you are going to be divided into groups. As I read your names, come up to the front. Jerome Clarke," she saw him wince slightly at his name," Poppy Clarke..." Amber felt the slightest bit happier that the two were together.

" ... Amber Millington." She froze at the sound of her name. Never did she think that any of this would happen so soon. She wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her friends, she wouldn't be allowed to see them off and give half-hearted encouragement. After being pushed by a rather beefy girl from the grade above, she made her way up to the group.

The group was a miss-match of all different houses. She knew all of their names: Beatrice, George, Mark, Zoe, Will, Jerome and Poppy. It didn't seem like such a bad mix. Except for Beatrice, she was on pretty good terms with most of them.

Rather awkwardly, she stood between the two people she was closest to and trudged off. She briefly met Nina's eyes, which were red, puffy, and brimmed with more tears that threatened to spill. Was it bad that she felt numb? Their walk along the damp ground lasted what seemed like an eternity before they finally arrived at the jeeps that would take them away.

They were open-backed with a small gate casing them in. They were protected from the rain by a thin, tin roof. Their windows were flaps of plastic that were fluttering in the gentle breeze. It wasn't particularly inviting, considering what she was used to, but now was definitely not the time to complain. "Get in!" A man barked, his head held high with importance. He was actually sneering at them. She had a sudden urge to stick out her tongue and argue, but when she looked at him once more, she decided against it. They were all pretty crammed into the truck, their tiny bags (they were allowed to bring a small backpack, only allowed to brings clothes. This had upset Amber temporarily) sat on their feet, weighing them down. The contents of her bag were what she considered the most important. Normally, she would never give up her pride and wear casual, sloppy clothes, but somehow, the events that happened had convinced her otherwise. There were five, neatly packed outfits in there, and she wore the sixth, consisting of a long sleeved t-shirt, a knit cardigan and jacket, with sweats (yes, Amber had resided to sweats) and a pair of ugg boots, which, thankfully, were lined with fur.

When the car took off, she found herself worrying for the others. Where would they be sorted? What of Nina and Mara? They wouldn't be able to take care of themselves. Secretly, she prayed Fabina would last through the distance. After all, it was her pride and glory, that couple. She sat on the edge, Jerome squishing onto her. The closeness felt uncomfortable, especially seeing as the gate that was keeping them in seemed unstable and rusted.

Ever since the previous night, she felt somewhat strange around him. What do you say to a boy who pretty much saved your life? Thanks? And the kiss - did he really like her like that? While she mulled this over, conversation started to bubble up from the other kids. It was all melancholic, most of them talking about how they were worried about their parents. Soon, they moved on, talking about how this was all like World War II. The term, IDP, was now who she was. She would be remembered as nothing more than a nameless IDP.

"So where do you think we'll be staying?" Beatrice asked out of the blue. A lot of them shrugged or mumbled responses, not wanting to get involved in whatever she was planning to do. Beatrice, or Bea to her possy, was known as the snide clubber. She cared nothing for Amber who despite being her friend previously, had refused to sneak out and party. Now, they were nothing more than distant acquaintances. "What do you think Ms. Millington?" Ice dripped from her words, and she was sure that she was staring at her.

"I don't-" Amber tried to say, before being cut off by Beatrice once more.

"I think I already know. Nothing's gonna be good enough for poor old Amber. Guess what, Ms. Millington. There won't be any daddy to call to when you want new shoes." Everybody's jaw's dropped as they waited for Amber to come up with a retort. The stress of the whole situation had led most of them to the point where they were craving something, anything, to get their minds off of their current predicament.

She opened her mouth only to shut it again, still trying to think. Beatrice snort derisively," Just a little longer guys, you know how long it takes for blondes to figure things out."

"Hey Beatrice," Jerome started, a small smirk playing at his lips," who're you to talk about her lack of parents. It's not like you have any left either." That shut her up for the meantime, and Amber, seemingly pleased with Jerome, whispered a quick apology.

He leaned down a bit and whispered in her ear," You're welcome, Millington." Surprised by the contact, she flushed pink.

"Oh God. A love fest? What are you two, starstruck lovers? The prankster and the princess? When did you two even become boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Well, you don't have one of those either Beatrice, so why're you talking about it?" The rest of the car ride was relatively boring. Unlike all the highly romanticized movies, they did not board a train, but simply took the jeep all the way there. For a few hours, they were hungry. When they finally did get their morsels of food, it was a packet of plain crackers per person and a bottle of water. Amber rationed out her water, sipping occasionally. She didn't know how long the car ride would be. Alternatively, Jerome finished his once he received the bottle. Now whenever he was thirsty, he pestered her until she finally let him have a sip.

Sleep seemed impossible, the bumpy road being the main variable in that. It seemed every time she was going to nod off, the road hit a pothole of a speed bump. Everyone else found no real problem. She remained awake and tried to take in the scenery. It was a bland and very blurred, and even when she tried to remember it, she couldn't

Soon, their bumpy road thinned, and their house came into view. It was relatively large to be considered a house. A more proper term would be a mansion. It was a classic red-brick house that looked like it was weathered somewhat from age. Ivy and moss climbed up the walls, clawing their way towards the top, narrowly dodging windows. It was three stories high, not including the attic, and possible cellar. From what it looked like, there was a sprawling field in the back that looked like it never ended. As they pulled up to the house, the others roused from their sleep, some of them grumpier than others.

Then she saw her. She stood in the doorway, ladle at her hip, fuming. She was a stout lady, though she looked stronger than an elephant. Her hair was a puffy mess of red curls, some parts fading into a silvery white. An aprom wrapped around her, the vertical red stripes on them matching her hair in color. And boy, did she look absolutely livid. "What in the name of hell is this?" She shouted, poiting at the driver, who, she imagined, was struggling to find words.

"We're sorry ma'am, but its orders," He managed to stutter out.

"Well where am I s'posed to put em? I'm struggling as it is, all my rooms are filled! I can't just take in eight more kids!" The man in front obviously squirmed.

"Like I said ma'am, they're order…" He paused for a second before adding," I'm sorry." She offered him a glare before barking at them to get out of the car. They walked inside the house to find that it looked like it was decaying from the inside out. The flowery yellow wallpaper curled off of the walls, revealed the mouldy walls behind it. The banister on the stairs was broken in places; one stair was completely broken, replaced with a piece of driftwood that, similarly to the walls, had sprouted a thick coat of green and black mould. She shuddered at the thought of where the rest of the mould could be. They were led into what was presumably the dining room and offered bowls of cabbage soup. Two smaller kids worked at the stove, chatting animatedly between themselves. It may not have been amazing like any of Trudy's meals, but all of them were too famished to care. None of them were offered seconds, and none of them wanted seconds. It had a tangy aftertaste that was hardly pleasant.

The lady, who still hadn't introduced herself, announced," Alright, follow me, we need to get your mattresses. Thank God I kept them…" She grumbled the last bit to herself. Soon, they found out that grabbing a mattress was a bigger job then they expected. It was a dog eat dog competition, first come, first serve. The nicer ones were near the back, and Amber, relying on her nimble feet, ran straight at the nicest looking one. So did Beatrice. The two started pull the mattress away from each other, swearing all the while.

"All right you two, enough is enough. You," She pointed at Beatrice," Take the mattress and leave. No buts, young lady. Take the last one over there," She jerked her thumb in the direction of an older looking mattress that looked worn and on the brink of splitting apart. As she left, Beatrice shot Amber a sly smile. I won, it said. She dragged the mattress down the stairs (this took her a while, for it was heavier than she expected) and managed to snag a spot in the study room, which was where they were staying. It reminded her of a grade sleepover she had, except now the situation was permanent.

"Everyone, may I have your attention." The group turned to her, not daring to talk. It was obvious she had intimidated all of them. "My name is Doda," Giggles exploded from all areas of the room," But you may only refer to me as ma'am, alright? Your situation right now is… unfavourable, to say the least, but let me just say I apologize for your current living conditions. Before you go off exploring, there are a few things I must address.

"Number one: there will be absolutely no sexual displays in my house, especially in front of the young ones. I expect you to be role models. If I am aware of this, you will lose any privileges that you have earned, which brings me to my next point.

"Number two: We work on the point system here. Do enough chores and you earn points. Earn points and you earn extra goods, such as extra blankets, extra pillows, books, more food. Has everyone brought your warmest clothes?" Everyone mumbled a unanimous yes," It won't be enough, trust me. This is why we have the point system; we give you something to strive towards. Number Three: Breakfast, for the older people, which I'm assuming is mostly you, will be served at six am sharp, no exceptions. Any person late will have to wait till the next batch of kids. This will teach you all a good lesson in punctuality, something, it seems, kids these days lack.

"Number Four: Any kid who wants to leave the house has to leave with a buddy. No buddy, no leaving. And, you are only permitted to stay within the boundaries of the perimeter. This includes the barn, the dock, and the guest house. If, by any chance, you use this privilege to run away, you will have to accept that I will not allow you back in this house and you will have to accept your imminent death, understood? Mm?" Satisfied with their collective yes that sounded a lot like a groan, she finished.

"Finally, Number Five: In the event that the house ever is in danger of the bombs, there are two cellar doors. One is located inside, and one out. The one outside is locked for now but the one inside is unlocked. In this case, if you are outside, there is a key underneath the blue stone that is on the right side of it. If you are outside when this occurs and you cannot get inside, you will know what to do. This is, of course, highly unlikely, but precautions are always necessary. Now, may I get a yes ma'am?"

They grumbled a weak response. Dissatisfied, she roared," Do I get a yes ma'am?"

"Yes ma'am!" Afterwards, they spent most of their time getting settled in. Most of them started talking and unpacking their stuff, whereas she decided that she wanted sleep. Since the night had fallen somewhat quickly, she encouraged them to get some sleep unless they wanted to miss breakfast. None of them complained and she turned off the light. Once Doda was out of sight, Amber whipped out her phone, wanting to see if she could call the others.

"No signal, of course," she sighed after putting it away. With nothing to do and no one to talk to, she eventually felt herself drift into a dream… turned nightmare.

Blood. Tears. Screaming. Sweat.

She pumped her limbs with all her might. Where to? She couldn't fathom. Anywhere away from the bombs was good enough.

Limbs. Guts. Gore. Stench.

The air smelled of rotting limbs, and it seemed the farther she went, the more disentangled bodies lay in her path.

Friends. Dead. Gone.

All of her friends lay in pieces in front of her, no expression on their face, barely distinguishable due to the amount of blood covering their features and matting their hair.

Light. Comfort. Alive

Up ahead stood a figure, looming ominously on the horizon. The light bouncing off of him disguised him from view. She felt a strong pull to go up to him, to stay safe in his arms. As she approached, she saw that it was Jerome, and ran for him, wanting to feel the sense of safety she often felt in his arms.

Dust. Disappear. Luring.

When she reached out to touch him, he faded into a swirl of white, bouncing along with the wind into another spot. And she felt the familiar tug, and ran once again, only for him to run.

Enemy. Deceiver. Tricked.

Finally reaching him, she saw that it was not in fact Jerome, but a stranger, strung together by pieces of different bodies.

Horror. Fright. Death.

She gasped in horror but he had already caught her in his grip. Then, an all too familiar whizzing noise descended upon them, and fell, leaving her too, mutilated.

She woke up covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Not knowing if it had been ten minutes or four hours, she checked her phone. 11:28 p.m. Her dream had startled her beyond belief, so much so that in this bed, even with friends surrounding her, she felt vulnerable; like that man in her dream was stalking her, standing outside the window and looking it. The thought was unnerving in the least.

Seeing that no one had woken up due to her fright, she walked up the stairs, careful to avoid the trip step, and up to the attic. The attic was very similar to the one at Anubis. It was cluttered with every kind of junk imaginable, whether it be old trunks or books without names. There was even a portrait of a woman that was similar to Sarah's picture. There was also a long, slender window that streamed in the pale moonlight into the room.

How it reminded her of Sibuna in their prime. Just her, Nina, and Fabian. It sounded bad, but that was when they worked best: Just the three of them. Being separated from them was horrible. They were some of her closest friends, and now, they could be dead and or suffering. She wondered if they were thinking about her as well. Maybe they aren't. Maybe they forgot about you. Sitting right next to the window, she saw the country-side with its raw beauty and sighed.

"Amber?" The voice stirred her out of her reverie, but she recognized it instantly.

"Jerome?" She asked, hoping she was right. It was nice being with Jerome. He seemed to have softened up towards her ever since the bombs. Whether that was a thing to be grateful for, she had no idea. He walked towards her, looking quite tired. He had an innocent air to him while he was tired that made him so adorable. She half-expected him to be carrying a teddy as well.

"What're doing up?" He quizzed, sitting down next to her. She shrugged her shoulders. Should she tell him about the dream? No, surely it would scare him. Especially being that he technically turned into an evil psychopath at the end.

"Nightmare," she muttered sleepily, drawing her knees to her chest, rubbing them vigorously. Doda was right when she said that the house would become cold. It seemed like everywhere, there was a draft blowing, or some leak.

He nodded and looked out the window," How do you think the other Anubis students are going."

"I don't know. I mean, they might've been split up. We might be the only ones to stick together. And you have Poppy so that's good."

"More like a drag." Amber punched him lightly in the arm, laughing.

"Come on, she's not that bad. I mean, she can be a bit too much like you sometimes," Amber grimaced," but she is a good girl at heart and super nice. Why wouldn't you want a person like that with you?"

"I don't know. I guess, at least, with her, I can keep a look out on her, protect her." They stayed silent for a minute before he asked," What was your nightmare about?"

"What do you think?" She drawled, almost sarcastically. Wasn't it obvious from the previous events? How clear did she have to be? It seemed she needn't be clear enough, because, as if remembering something huge, realization washed across his face.

"Well, I'm sorry that I can't just climb into your subconscious and see what's going on in there." He waggled his fingers in front of her face and she swatted them away, a small smile appearing on her lips. She could always count on the joker to cheer her up.

"You know you wish you could." She teased, hitting his arm lightly. Careful, she told herself, you're flirting. It was dangerous, she realized, to pair up the two most naturally people in the house. That was like putting two time bombs near each other. Sooner or later, one of them would explode.

"Excuse me?" He asked in mock shock, clutching his heart, his eyes betraying this.

"Then you'd have more information on me." It was true. Amber, he realized, was the hardest to get information on mostly because she cleaned up for herself and kept her lips sealed. She wasn't the one to spill a secret

"You're probably right, but anyway, what was it about?" He probed, still trying to get her to tell him.

"I… I was in a field and I saw all the people of Anubis dead, and then… I died as well." That was the gist of it, of course.

"Something tells me that's not the whole story." Why did he have to be so perfecptive?

"It isn't." She admitted.

"Come on, tell me." He urged, now really wanting to hear the story.

"Jerome, I don't want to." She said this as calmly as she could, trying to keep her voice level.

"Amber, you can tell me." And that just did it for her.

"But maybe I don't want to! Can't you just leave it be! I… I don't want to remember. It's not pleasant. Just drop it!" She snapped, ignoring the fact that people sleeping beneath them might've woken up at her outburst.

After a few minutes, he said he was sorry, and got up to leave. "No, Jerome… I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have done that. Come on, we better get back to bed before Ma'am finds us." Doda almost did, as they turned the corner, they saw her light down the hall, but successfully, they hid in the bathroom. It wasn't that big, only housing a toilet, and so the two were squished up together, making them both blush furiously. She could feel his breath tickling her neck, and his hands which were awkwardly placed around her. With the lights dimmed, none of them noticed the others red cheeks.

When she had passed, they slipped out and tip toed down the stairs. Amber felt that she missed the closeness they had in the bathroom, but didn't speak anything of it, knowing that she would go on a tangent if she were allowed to. If only she had a girl to talk to. Not Poppy, but Nina or Mara. Someone that could genuinely be excited for her. The thoughts of the two sparked up sadness and she tried to forget.

When they finally got back to the room, they were relieved to see that she wasn't there, patrolling like they expected and so, with an awkward goodbye, they parted ways and went to their respective beds. This time though, there was no nightmare, for she was too tired for that. Instead, she experienced the sensation of sweet slumber.

~0o0o0o0~

Amber finally got to the front of the line, leaving her and Doda. Doda, she found, was so kind once you got to know her. Her wrought-iron type disclipine had only been in their interests, but, with a few of the more engaging kids, she managed to become somewhat of a caring aunt, one that gossips and giggles with you.

"So," Doda said, putting her breakfast on a plate," What's this I hear about you and Mr. Clarke over there?" She pointed her ladle menacingly at Amber, but the humor in her eyes didn't fade.

"Have we become the talk of the house already?" Amber joked.

Doda made a face before saying," Well, are ye'?" Amber rolled her eyes. Her and Jerome? Sure, there had been that one-off kiss. That, she knew, had happened to calm her down. It had acted as a distraction.

"No, we're just friends. We were in the same house back then. He was always joking around, playing tricks on me. I remember one time, before prom, he replaced my dress that I had ordered with a dolls dress. I almost slapped him when I found out he did it. We're not in any way romantic. He just thinks I'm a dumb blonde." She rolled her eyes at the statement, but she couldn't help feeling a twang of pain at dumb blonde.

"Well," she said matter-o-factly," It doesn't look like that from where I'm standing. Now eat your breakfast with the others, you wouldn't want to keep him waiting, would ye'?" Shooting Doda a pseudo-angry glare, she walked over to their usual table. He, it seemed, had invested in more rations, because just as she sat down, he walked off, going to get more.

"Morning Poppy!" She trilled. Poppy looked at her and smiled. Over the past few weeks, they had become close friends. She would never be a replacement for Nina, but she was getting close to it. The two, she found, had a lot in common, and wasted a lot of their time catching up on the house gossip and what not.

"What were you and Doda talking about?" Poppy queried, shoving another mouthful of oatmeal into her mouth. Amber found this slightly disgusted, but decided to hold her tongue.

"Oh, nothing. She was just asking me about some stupid rumour about me and Jerome. It was nothing." She waved it off as if it didn't matter, but silently, she was scared that what Doda had said was true.

"You know, you two do give people the wrong impression when you're all buddy-buddy and hugging and everything. I was just wondering, are you two…?"

Amber shook her head relentlessly, messing her hair up," Oh God no. That would be… weird. I mean, it would be like dating… Ew… No offence." Poppy rolled her eyes, obviously not convinced, but said nothing more on the subject, not wanting to push Amber.

Jerome sauntered back, another bowl of oatmeal in hand, and plopped down beside Amber. She suddenly realised that all that they had been saying had a ring of truth to it. They did sit too close and they did invest a little too much in their physical contact.

"Morning," He chimed, starting on his bowl immediately. Amber looked at him with envy, still rather hungry herself. She wasn't the best at getting chores done, and because of that, hadn't managed to climb to the top of the privilege spectrum. He, on the other hand, was excellent at achieving what he wanted to.

He noticed her staring at the bowl and shoved it too her. "Have some. Do you really think I want more of this?" It was true. The oatmeal was rather watery and plain, but in such a way it was tolerable. Grabbing her spoon, she took a huge spoonful and swallowed, her stomach churning from hunger all the while.

"Thanks," she said whilst wiping her mouth with her hand. He chuckled slightly and said you're welcome. Amber scanned the room lazily. All the kids had obviously broken into different cliques. There were to quieter kids who had devoted all their points into the books, and there were the loud kids, who were always looking for a way to pick a fight. At this table, Beatrice sat, the head of the gang. As she had been here, she had risen through the ranks to become extra popular.

And for what? The kids practically worshipped the ground she walked on but they had no idea who she really was. When they saw her in the hall, she was constantly in the middle of a group of different kids who were listening to every little thing she said.

It sickened Amber. No one even objected to it. "Thinking about Beatrice?"

Amber nodded. "I heard that she's been telling the kids that she's a hero of sorts. Said she saved two people in the bombs," Poppy said.

"I bet she just shoved everyone out of the way so that she could be safe. I mean, what is she trying to advertise? 'Hi, I'm Beatrice, and I'm, like, a humanitarian and a life saver,'" Jerome put on an American accent and pretended to flip his hair, causing all three of them to laugh. Beatrice, as it seems, noticed, and with her little gang, walked over to them.

A smirk was plastered on her lips as it always was when she saw the three, when she asked," What's so funny?"

"Why do you need to know?" Jerome replied, a similar smirk on his lips.

"I know trouble when I see it. You three better watch it."

"Or what? You'll get your little minions to talk us to death? I thought you were much better than that, Ms. Sidebottom." Even her little possy erupted into snickers at her last name. It was Beatrice's kryptonite.

She shot all of them a glare, telling them to calm down, before staring back at the three of them," This. Isn't. Over." She said this through gritted teeth, before storming off. Some of her more faithful companions trailed after her, trying to calm her down, while the others lingered.

"You think we should worry about her?" Amber asked out of the blue. Jerome and Poppy shared a look, before she replied," I wouldn't count on it."

~0o0o0o0~

Amber sat on the dock, staring up at the overcast sky. Ever since they had arrived, she felt pressed in, caged up. Yes, she tolerated a lot of the other kids that were at the house, but sometimes, it just felt nice to be able to spend some time on her own without anyone trying to talk to her.

The dock, which she found was a refuge, was hers. None of the other kids dared to go here. This was because before you could actually sit on the dock, you had to pass through a throng of trees that were near impossible to pass through. Even then, if any kid found their way here, they would probably leave, seeing the dock in its current state. Most of the wood on it was a hub for lichen and moss, and looked as if it would collapse under the slightest touch.

When she had first come here, she almost thought she would fall, but after many more times having come here, she managed to figure out what spots were weak. So, she sat, just thinking, not about her parents or the rest of her friends, but of Jerome. Why did it have to be Jerome of all people? He could be so annoying. The worst thing was that he knew he could be annoying, but still continued being so.

But then, as if he wanted to fuck up all her visions of him, he decides to be the nicest, most caring person ever. Couldn't he just stay at one end of the spectrum? That would just make everything easier for her. This was her safe haven from him, essentially. It just helped to be alone for a while and be able to consider her feelings for him. It didn't help, though, when he would practically blur the line between prankster and lover.

The cool air felt nice on her face, and although she was covered up, a lot of it seeped into her. Having been here for a few weeks, she'd grown used to more extreme cold, something that she had struggled with back at Anubis. The lake spread out in front of her, its black water lapping at gently. It was like a tamed beast, still in hibernation. This thought scared her somewhat, but she brushed it off, trying to focus on the perfection of this moment.

"Amber?" A voice so instinctive, called. She groaned slightly, before turning back and staring at him. It was a marvel that he had even managed to find his way through the trees to quickly, not to mention quietly. When she first came here, it took her and hour to find her way through the trees, and even then, she didn't know how she had done it.

Today, he looked relatively normal, but there was something fearful in his eyes, something that she couldn't put her finger on. "Come on," she called, waiting for him to try and navigate his way across the dock. This was a source of amusement for her, seeing as he jumped at every squeak and groan that the dock made. The small feat took him minutes to accomplish, and by the time he had managed to get over to her, she was laughing manically. Seeing this, he laughed as well, and soon, the two were laughing for no particular reason.

"So," she giggled," what're you doing out here?"

He replied," Doda was wondering where you were and sent me to find you. She said that if I didn't, that she would take away all my privileges." She could tell though, that he wasn't telling the whole truth, but tried to shrug it off and concentrate on the swirls that the water was making.

"What made you try here?" Only few people knew about her love for water. Was Jerome one of those people? Maybe he knew more about her than he let on. This was highly unlikely, and as swiftly as she had the thought, she brushed it off. Plus, that would be somewhat stalker-like.

"The water." She stated, simply.

"The water? You, Amber Millington, like the water? What, doesn't that, like, mess up your hair? Wouldn't want to get that blonde mop of yours messed up," He reached a hand over and before she could slap his hand away, he ruffled her hair, making it fly all over her face.

"Jerome! And just after I had worked on this all morning!" She screeched, not meaning it though. As fast as she could, she felt around, trying to fix the part in her hair. He was amused by this, and thought she looked pretty doing so.

"You and what hairdryer?" He asked dubiously. She shot him a glare before finally fixing the part.

The two shared a moment of silent, staring at each other, and Amber soon realized that this was too intimate for her own comfort. In his eyes, she could still see that fear, that strange look, as if he were analysing her. "What?" She asked out of the blue.

"Nothing, it's just… you have pretty eyes." He admitted somewhat shyly. Her stomach seemed to twist into knots at this. There was electricity that burst out on her skin. It was not a pleasant feeling, to say the least. But… was it attraction? Infatuation? Love? No, it couldn't be possible. They had only been here a few weeks. That was not possible. They were friends. Friends only.

All those times they had. She wanted to deny it, mostly because she knew it would be betraying Alfie. That was a weak excuse, seeing as they never really even dated. And Mara. There was mutual attraction between those two, attraction that had never fully been acknowledged. He would never love her as much as he did Mara. She knew that.

Was that why she was so nervous? Had he been so heartless as to get over Mara after he had devoted so much time to her? That was what she was supposed to think, right? "You… you think my eyes are pretty?" She quivered. With any other guy, this would have been adorably cute, seeing them stutter. But with Jerome? It honestly scared the hell out of her.

"Yeah, is that ok Ms. Millington?" He joked, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. The touch felt like a shock. She knew that she had shook slightly at this, but hoped that he didn't notice. Now, he was not talking, but staring into her eyes. They were inches apart now, and her breathing grew louder and louder, her heart thumping madly in her chest. And how she wanted to kiss him, to feel those soft lips on hers once more.

Jerome, taking the initiative, leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. The feeling was absolutely euphoric. She no longer felt the biting cold that surrounded them as the warmth of his lips was all she needed. His hands were on her cheeks, desperate, if not, frantic to hold her closer. His tongue glided into their mouth, and quickly their simple kiss turned into an all-out tongue war.

And then he actually moaned into the kiss. Amber found the feeling delightful, knowing that she could reduce him to this state. Eventually, their kiss ended and the two sat there, in each other's arms, both breathing hard. And she realized that here, she was safe. With Jerome, she was safe.

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

Just close your eyes
You'll be alright
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound...

~0o0o0o0~

Oh. My. God. That was the single longest piece of writing I have ever written. I really don't know what is wrong with me. I do not have a life. No, I do not. I wish I could, I really just do not know where to buy them.

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Jamber111 (if she reads this), Pufflehuff, and keshalover for their love of Jamber!

Next up is Jabian for those people that actually support the couple.

Anyway, goodnight! I am bordering on hallucinations… I am serious

Sincerely,

-kels

P.S Bonus Questions:

What would be an ideal Het Huis Anubis Crossover?

What couples could pull off a teenage pregnancy?

Do you think that a lot of the fanfiction with disorders are well-written or not? (So, with like cutting, purging, anorexia, depression, etc.)