As promised a Shepard Chapter, please don't get on my about length. I seriously can't write about kids for shite, but in her next chapter it should be easier.

April 9th, 2166. Nine years after the first contact war

Jane sat in the kitchen counting to twenty, she had volunteered to be the one to seek her friends. She loved finding her friends, and she always did. Never once, had they found a hiding place that she couldn't find. In fact, she was considered the master at this game.

She took a deep breath, "Ready or not! Here I come!" she announced. She opened her eyes, and removed her hands from her face. Her emerald eyes scanning her surroundings. When she focused she could see the subtle foot prints that were left by everyone. She followed the ones that led to the living room. There were quite a few hiding spots in here, but there was only one of her friends.

Jane walked around the perimeter of the room, trying to figure out which hiding spot they picked. She knew that her friend would have tried to be creative. She stood next to the fireplace, and scrutinized the brick structure. She heard a small sneeze come from the inside. She smiled and ducked her head in. Inside of the chimney, her friend Adriana was propping herself up.

"You do know you have sensitive allergies right?" Jane asked when she started coming down.

"That's why I thought you wouldn't look here Jane," Her voice was soft, and matched her sky blue eyes. Jane loved that about her friend, she also loved that she had been the only other child to be at the orphanage as long as her.

"Should we find the others, or let them wait?"

"I don't think we should let your perfect record go without a fight Jane."

"Read my mind sister." Jane ran back into the kitchen, and through the other exit. This door lead outside, and into the snow. "Damn it, we should have brought our jackets."

"This is why I wear my sweater around my waist," Adriana said, taking off the sweater, and putting it on.

"Little punk," Jane said through chattering teeth. She took a deep breath, and focused. The footprints in the snow were more obvious to her, and it branched off into two directions. Jane followed the one to the left. The path ended at an old birch tree.

Right away, Jane knew who was hiding here, but that didn't mean that she knew where he was. Belnire was a tricky brat, and he knew how to hide just about anywhere. She looked at Adriana, "Belnire hid around here..."

Adriana in returned sighed, "Why can't he pick an easier hiding place?" she crossed her arms and smirked, "Looks like you'll have to climb."

"I hate you." Jane started climbing the tree, grabbing onto any protrusion. It was something that Belnire taught her. She was a good climber, but that blond-haired punk was like a damned monkey. She finally reached the top, and looked around her. She saw an impression in the snow, and more footprints. "That sneaky punk!" She cursed under her breath. She jumped down, and followed the next set of tracks.

She heard Adriana come up behind her, "So, he wasn't up there?"

"He'd be down here if he were," Jane replied. She started moving faster, but the tracks met up with the other set. She groaned and kicked the wall. She sa a subtle rise in some snow, "No..." she moved over to the snow and brushed it off, under was Belnire, "You sneaky, little, snot-nosed..."

"If only I didn't need to breathe," Belnire chuckled. He was shivering from the cold.

Jane sighed and picked him up, "You are either really stupid, which I'm more or less with agreement, or you are dedicated to winning."

"The latter," Belnire sneezed, and started walking towards the back of the orphanage.

Jane shook her head and remembered that there was one more she was supposed to find, "Where is Daniel?"

"He went to get food from that new place that just opened up," Belnire announced, before turning the corner.

"That sneaky cheater..." Jane shook her head, "Let's get something to drink Adriana."

"Sure thing," She walked next to Jane as they followed Belnire's path inside.