A/N: Hey everyone back again! So this chapter is shorter than the other ones and will probably the second shortest chapter in the whole story. I just recently got a new computer so if you don't see updates for awhile that could play into it.

For those of you that may be reading 'In the Arms of the Angel' know that that story is not done! I know I'm taking forever to update it and I will again I promise. I've been thinking hard about the story and I think I may have an actual plot going on for that story so I may write a few chapters and see if it flows before putting anything on about it!

So sorry about the shortness of the chapter but expect your favorite character in the next chappie ;)

Enjoy!

Amy slowly roused herself from her fitful sleep. Her mind was still slow and groggy from the emotional upheaval of the other night and her body felt stiff and slightly sore. She sighed in contentment as she felt something warm on her that could have passed for a warm blanket had she been covered with something. Peeling her eyes open, she looked out and saw the sun shining down on her body from the open window across the room.

Sighing Amy looked out at the clear sky as the sun was making its steady progress up in the sky. She had a slight headache and was afraid to make any sudden movements so that she didn't aggravate it even worse.

Slowly but surely her mind caught up to everything that had happened to her the previous night. She didn't even have the strength to react as the memories flooded her again. Seeing Gabe and Jazz again after over a year had made her feel…what exactly? Anger, happiness, sorrow….hope? She was over the top confused and only time and some long over due healing would help her get back on her feet fully.

Hesitantly Amy rose from the couch and swung her feet off to land on the slightly cold floor. Biting her lip at the chill, she leaned down and grabbed a pair of fuzzy slippers that she kept and slipped them on.

Sighing in gratitude, she reached over and turned on the TV with the remote still sitting idly on the coffee table. As the news came on Amy looked at it for a time then changed the channel. Putting on a cartoon network, she smiled idly and walked over to her small kitchen.

Placing the kettle on the stove, she turned it on and grabbed some items to make tea. Leaving it on the counter she turned around and walked towards her bedroom door. Standing outside of it, she looked at the closed wooden door. Reaching her hand up she grabbed the doorknob and gently twisted it. Hearing the click of the door signaling that it was open, she pushed it open and entered her room.

Sunlight was streaming in through the closed blinds but Amy paid no heed to that as she walked over to her closet. Grabbing a pair of thick, wooly pajamas, she pulled them on even though it was practically the middle of summer. Throwing her clothes into a pile heaped in the corner she turned back around to her small bed and walked around to the left hand side of it. Crouching down she rooted around at the bottom and finally pulled out the same small wooden box that she had put under there again just the other day.

Gently running her fingers over it, she grasped the necklace key around her neck, swinging it off; she placed the key in the lock and turned until it clicked open. Amy paused then and closed her eyes taking a deep breath.

'Here goes nothing,' Amy thought to herself as she lifted the lid of the box.

The contents still sat in the same places that she remembered. The red journal sat on top of all of her documents and Amy picked up it up gently lowering it onto the floor beside her. Rummaging around she pulled out old newspaper clippings from her parents murder until she came to the one from Crawford Hall.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes then slowly opened them. The newspaper clipping of that day still lay in her chest, having not been touched in just over a year. Steadily she lifted the paper; her hand was shaking as her eyes perused it.

Frowning Amy read through the clipping again and again her fierce frown becoming more and more pronounced as she tried to deny herself what she was seeing.

'What is this?' Amy thought to herself in shock.

The clipping was dated for that day but it was talking about something very irrelevant. It was no longer broadcasting Gabe's death but instead talking about the year-end exams coming up, some of the new staffing changes, and activities taking place on the university grounds.

Amy started to see red as everything started to slowly make sense to her. Grabbing the paper, she shredded it into tiny little pieces and stared at them fuming mad as they drifted to the ground.

A whistling was screeching in her ear and for a second she thought that it was just her own anger overwhelming her. Suddenly, Amy jolted in shock as she realized that the whistling was the teakettle from the kitchen!

Her eyes opening wide she sprung to her feet and ran to the kitchen. The kettle was whistling shrilly on the stove as steam poured out from the top of it. Running over Amy quickly took it off the stove and poured some hot water into her cup. Adding a teabag into the mixture and some sugar, she allowed it to stew for a while.

Before she could pick it up a brusque knock sounded from the doorway. Turning with a frown Amy walked over to the door.

'I wonder who that could be,' she thought to herself as she peaked through the small peephole.

Her eyes popped for what felt like the fifth time just that past hour as she quickly opened the door. Swinging it open with enough force to put a hole through the wall she stared in shock at the man standing on her doorstep.

Lance gazed back at her silently as he grinned slightly. He looked the same as he always did. His hair was slightly shaggier though and more curly. It was black like a raven's wing and she figured in the direct sunlight that it would shine a dark blue.

Amy slowly grinned at him and pounced into his arms. Lance let out a rush of air of surprise as he grabbed Amy.

Amy quickly wound her legs tightly around him and grabbed him in a stranglehold as she squeezed him tightly. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she swallowed them down and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Lance carried her gently inside as he quietly closed the door and locked it again. Patting her back, he soothed her and gently settled on the couch. Whispering soothing words into her ear he comforted her until her shivering slowly subsided and her eyes had cooled off from the hotness of the early tears that threatened to fall down her face.

Slowly she sat up in Lance's lap and looked down at him. He really did the look the same as when she had last seen him. Suddenly all the memories over the last year came rushing back to her and she frowned as she extricated herself off his lap and went to grab her tea already cooling on the counter.

Lance did not say anything as he quietly watched her walk away from him, not even saying anything when he witnessed the frown that had marred her features.

Slowly Amy made her way back to the couch and placed the tea gently on a coaster as she stirred it gently once. Sitting back in the couch, she studied him for a minute as she watched him squirm under her powerful gaze.

"Why?" Amy managed to croak out.

Lance shifted his eyes to look up at her and she saw them cloud with sadness and worry. Sighing he clasped his hands in front of him as he sat forward slightly and looked down at the floor. Running his hand through his hair, he began to explain to her.

"Amy before you judge any of us please just listen to what I have to say," Lance said pleadingly, "I understand if this explanation isn't good enough for you just try to stick with me until the end at least, alright?"

Amy paused and studied him again. Finally, she nodded her head slowly and gestured for him to continue as she picked up her tea and began to sip from it again.

"We never wanted to do that to you Amy believe me. Gabe though was insistent that we must when it came to these two particular hunters. I don't know why he wanted to get them away from this whole situation so desperately, that's a matter that you would have to ask him about, but he convinced me and Jazz that the only way of keeping you safe was to completely drop all communication with you and let you believe he was dead. It tore all of us up; Jazz was never quite the same when all of this came to pass and Gabe seemed deader on the inside as well, I have never seen him so lifeless. Usually he's always up beat but I think abandoning you that day killed a little piece of him. Jazz couldn't take it anymore and disguised herself as a cat so that she could watch you herself from time to time, but I think it backfired. It made her more recluse and short tempered than I've ever seen her," Lance hung his head at this and paused.

Amy frowned as she took a quite sip of her tea and began to think in the momentary pause in the story.

'Did they really miss me that much?' Amy thought to herself.

Sure, she knew that she had missed them terribly but it took a different kind of person that would do something like this it seemed to her. They not only made her believe that Gabe had died and basically thrust her into the world with no support group, but they had also spied on her as she went on. They saw how much that she had been suffering from all of this and yet neither of them thought that maybe enough was enough. One of the worse things they could have done was take the decision right out of her hands. They had automatically had chosen what was right for her and not allow her any say in it. If anything made, her still steaming angry it was that, the fact that she had no control of her own destiny and choices.

"I can only imagine that you were told it was in your best interests Amy and really for that time it was," Lance began again, "but it did not have to go on as long as it did and I am so sorry for all that you have went through this last year. We had no reason doing all that to you, whether it was to protect you or not, that should not have all happened. I know you have been really hurt, Jazz has told me, and I am so sorry that I didn't step in sooner. Believe me Gabe and Jazz are really distraught still even after last night; I think it made it worse actually. It was like ripping a band aid off a still bleeding wound…doesn't work too well."

Amy listened to the cartoons in the background as she digested everything that Lance had said to her. Sure, it made sense and all but this was still not a straight and easy decision. They were her best friends, she would never meet people like them again, but they had still hurt her deeply.

Her dreams the previous night were troubled and her sleep was very sporadic and draining. Sighing Amy pinched the bridge of her nose and looked at Lance. Lance kept his eyes downcast as he waited for her to say something.

Leaning forward Amy put her tea down again and crossed her arms protectively in front of her chest to ward off the shivers that kept springing across her arms.

"Look Lance last night was very…draining," she finally said after she decided on the word, "I had been going for just over a year thinking you were all gone for good. Then Gabe pops out literally out of no where, a cat transforms and starts talking and it's Jazz, and then you knock on my door like the gentleman you always were."

Lance looked up at this and gave a sheepish smile but otherwise kept quiet.

Amy continued on, "But this is a lot for me to adjust to overnight. I basically built my life around you all disappearing and never returning and you all showing up at once kinda put my brain on meltdown I think. I need time to process all of this and accept everything," Amy murmured quietly, "I also get that you guys did what you thought was best, but I have to say that that gave you no reason or anyone's permission to just decide in my best interests without me. That was insulting and just down right degrading. I may be young but I'm not young enough that I can't make important decisions and if you can argue that soundly then please go on."

Amy paused now and gave Lance an opportunity to say something but he just shook his head and gestured for her to continue.

Amy took a deep breath and continued, "You all need to show me more respect and not baby me anymore. I know you are all infinitely older than I am, but one thing I have learned in my short life so far is that sometimes age does not bring wisdom. I've met plenty of rude people of all ages and many were old, you have to trust me that I'm wise enough at my age that I can make decisions concerning me. I will talk to you all about my decisions if we can all get back to that point but I need to know what is going on when it comes to me or something that may affect me," Amy pronounced to him as she placed a hand on her chest.

Lance nodded his head, "I am so sorry Amy, we all are, but the others aren't here right now."

Amy nodded at this, "I know. Last night I almost attacked them both Lance; I was so enraged and so upset….hurt too. I kept thinking in my head that these people were my friends! How could they have watched me suffer for a whole year? Now I can kinda understand but it doesn't make me like it and forgiveness will only come in time and at it's own pace. Maybe one day I can forgive you all but you have to prove that I can trust you all again, and that when the going gets tough you guys don't take the easy way out. Were strong, but we have to stick together in order for this to work."

Lance nodded his head and sighed wearily, "Well Aim I'll leave you to relax today alone if you want."

Getting up he was about to leave but Amy frowned and grabbed his arm. He looked back down at her in confusion.

"No," Amy said quietly as she squeezed his arm gently but firmly, "stay and let's watch a movie. We haven't done that in a while."

Lance studied her quietly for a few seconds then slowly a smile brightened his face and he sat down again on the couch as Amy went over to a small stack of DVD's on the corner by her TV.

Choosing one, she slotted it into the DVD player, walked over to Lance, and curled up beside him. Lance comfortably wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she laid her head on his strong chest.

She could feel his muscles rippling as he took in each and every breath and his heart beat steadily.

"What are we watching?" Lance quietly asked her.

Amy smirked to herself as the opening scene came on. Seeing the TV Lance groaned lowly as he threw his head back and smacked against the wall behind him. Amy giggled good-naturedly and smacked him lightly over the stomach, which made him start laughing.

"Oh don't go there Lance! You and I both know that you have a real soft spot for chick flicks!" Amy scolded him playfully.

Lance groaned and started to fake cry, "It's not this soft!"

Amy rolled her eyes and snorted at him, "Quiet!" she hissed at him, "It's starting!"

Lance huffed, "Oh joy," he intoned sarcastically.

Amy just ignored him and began to watch the movie as the 'Time Traveler's Wife' began to play.

Eventually Lance had even quieted down as he became engrossed in the movie. Amy began to feel her eyes close midway through it and become heavy with sleep. Her body was pleasantly warm, as she still lay curled up next to Lance. She could tell from his breathing as well that Lance was starting to doze.

Amy smiled gently as she burrowed her head into his strong chest and felt his hand lightly stroke the top of her head. This was the happiest that she had been all year so far and she wasn't to keen on giving it all up.

Slowly but surely the two of them fell asleep, snuggled up closely together as the movie continued to play towards the otherwise empty room.

A/N: Like I said shorter but I hope it was still enjoyable! Thanks for all the reviews guys on this one I really do love them all :)