Ugh I am so sorry that I haven't posted a chapter in forever. Please forgive meh. I have been busy, but that is no excuse. But you will be happy to know that I have done some major planning and I will be able to write faster because my writer's block is gone! So that's good right?

Anyways, read and review!

Bones...

Wake up already!

Paige slowly opened her eyes. The heavy, drug-ladened sleep didn't seem to want to release her from its' grasp. With half-opened eyes, she looked around at the strange surroundings. She was lying in a very stiff bed with polished side rails. A large silver emblem, two horns intersecting into a cross, gazed at her from it's spot on the wall. She recognized it quickly. It was the symbol of the Monstropolis Hospital. The hospital, she thought as thoughts and memories came flying back to her. Axel...her mask. Paige closed her golden eyes. Her mask was gone, her only reminder that she was a Jordan, a true Jordan. Tears rolled down her maroon cheeks as her hands patted the area of hair where her mask usually resided. She saw it again, in her mind's eye, gripped in Axel's hand with blood dripping from the bleak sockets, the eyes of Axel burning in her mind. She had seen such malice in his eyes, it terrified her and sickened her all the same. The thought brought shivers to her weakened form. He wasn't gone. He was out there, probably trying to find a spot to put her beloved mask. The more she thought about it, the more nauseated she became.

Further inspection of her body made her cry out. Her arm was wrapped in white bandages as well as her leg and she held a hand to her mouth, holding back sobs. Warm tears dribbled over her hand and onto the sheets of her bed.

"Well, there goes karate club..." She murmured, clearly disappointed.

The sound of the door opening reverted her attention away from her broken body. A slug with blue hair and bright brown eyes, magnified by glasses, smiled kindly at her before shutting the door behind her. With a click of her pen and the scratching on paper, she began, "hi, honey, how do you feel?"

Paige swallowed and tried, slowly at first, to adjust herself in her uncomfortable bed. "...how...how did I get here?"

The slug woman sent her a sympathetic glance before returning to her clipboard. "You honestly don't remember?" She adjusted her glasses on her orange face and pursed her lips. "Amnesia...check."

"What happened? How did I end up at the hospital?" Question upon question raced through her mind, but her nurse didn't seem to share her concern nor curiosity.

"Let me explain, sweetie," she smiled softly, lowering her clipboard and placing herself on the edge of her bed. "Last night, you were attacked and left for dead, we believe. One of your classmates found you and ran you here. I have never seen someone look so terrified in my entire life, and I work at a hospital! He rushed you here, and let me tell you, he was pretty banged up to. We asked who had done this to you and him, but he refused to answer anything until you woke up, but he passed out right there. You're a very lucky girl to have such a monster go to your school."

"Who?"

She smiled softly, pointing to her chest. "A boy with that sweat shirt."

Paige glanced down at her clothes and felt the material of her newly acquired clothing with wide eyes. It was red, and too large for her form, but comfy nonetheless. The aroma wafting from it was a mixture of peppermint and salt, but it was calming. She traced the golden fabric that made up the initials on the sweater and smiled, whispering the owner's name. "Johnny..."

"Yes, he did say that was his name before passing out," the nurse clucked, picking her clipboard back up and making her way towards the door. "You should stay in bed for a while, sweetie. But-"

The door slammed open and both females stared wide eyed at the new guest in the room. A hood covered most of their face, but a flash of white was easily seen and the bulge on their head was recognizable to anyone. The nurse stared at the guest like a fish out of water and her clipboard clattered to the ground. The stranger walked into the room, glancing at the nurse and then to Paige, smiling.

"You..." Paige murmured.

"Hi, Paige," the monster smiled, removing the hood and revealing their identity.

"...Dad..?"

When Johnny woke up in bandages and a paper dress, he was less then pleased.

Upon realizing he is hand cuffed to the rails of a bed, he is livid.

All he did was run Paige all the way from Campus, and instead of getting the praise he wanted, he is trapped in a stiff bed.

Being nice is hard, Johnny thought to himself.

He gently brushed the white cloth wrapped around his form and poked at the wounds, hissing as he did. The Fear Tech dummies had been tougher then he had thought and had certainly done a number on him. "If those idiots take me out of the Scare games, I swear..!"

"You'll be alright, Mr. Worthington."

Johnny blinked and, carefully, sat up and stared at the only other person occupying his room. His eyes widened at the sight of the Dean calmly drinking coffee in the corner and hold a file underneath her arm. "Dean Hardscrabble...what?"

She smirked lightly. "Good to see you are alright, Mr. Worthington, you gave us quite the scare there. But your quick thinking probably saved both you and Miss. Jordan, so I must congratulate you."

"She's okay right?" Johnny asked, trying not to sound too excited.

Her smirk widened as if she knew what he was attempting to cover. "Yes, we have some of the finest doctors here, she is in good hands. As are you. I must say, what you did was extraordinarily stupid, brave and, again, stupid. You were outnumbered against those monsters and, yet, you still fought them. Why?"

He frowned, how was he supposed to answer that? That it was instinct? Or that he honestly wanted to protect the silly little sophomore? "Because...I couldn't just let them...kill her?"

"You think that they would have gone that far, Dean Hardscrabble?"

She shrugged, "perhaps, but then again, they were just your age. And the only thing, Mr. Rodriquez, was after was Miss. Jordan's infamous mask."

He nodded. With a sigh, his Dean walked towards the door, her steps echoing in the small room, and the file was placed gently onto the table against his bed. Johnny eyed the file before glancing back up at the winged woman. "Are you...?"

"Yes," she answered quickly, "read it if you wish too. And, I believe Mr. Rios will stop by soon and bring you your homework. I hope to see you back in class soon."

The door closed silently behind her and Johnny was glad she exercised the art of silence in a hopsital. He leaned forward, pain shooting through him, and with a hiss, he grasped the yellow folder. Yanking it back to his large form before flipping it open.

"John John" Worthington Case.

"What are you doing here?" Paige demanded, careful how she spoke. For years, she had practiced what she would say to her father if she ever saw him again, but being before the man she hated yet loved, no hatred came.

"Heard what happened in the newspaper, and I thought I would see how...how you were doing." He confessed.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Since when have you ever cared?"

Her words hit a nerve she could tell by the pain that struck his face and his face paling. "Paige, I-"

"Since when have you ever given a darn about me?! Huh?! You left me, you left me and you left mom and you left Alex," she hollered, her voice straining with effort and breaking in between new sobs. "You-you didn't leave a note or an excuse or anything. You-you just left- like a coward! Mom was so lost...so unsure without you. And what was she supposed to tell Alex?"

"Listen to me, Paige, I want to tell you but-" he began.

"I was extremely disappointed in you! I hated you! I had so many things planned, so many things I wanted you to see me do. But you left, and I curse you for that. I will never forgive you, dad! For betraying me, mom, Alex and for leaving us! Why...why...why didn't you take me with you, Dad? You know...you know I would have gone anywhere for you. I-"

He quickly moved to her and wrapped his arms around her, grasping her as if she would vanish into thin air. "Oh, Paige, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt your or Alex or Margret. I'm sorry things changed, I wanted to say so many things to you as well. I wanted to tell you why I left, but I couldn't. Things got out of hand too quickly, my girl. I wanted to contact you and tell you what I wanted to tell you."

"Well you can tell me now, can't you?" She whispered into his ear, torn between sounding infuriated and pitiful.

He tensed, his hold tightening around her. "No."

Instantly, her eyes widened and she pushed him away with what little strength in her one arm. "What? No, no, no. You have to tell me, dad. You have to explain what's going on."

"Honey, I want to tell you everything. Trust me. But I will be putting you in danger and Johnny Worthington."

She raised an eyebrow. "Johnny? I don't understand."

"It's not really about him as much as it is about his father." He replied, nervously rubbing the small stubble on his chin. "His father, John John, is..."

"...in the human world?!"

Johnny could barely believe the words that came from his mouth. It seemed like a nightmare, one that he wouldn't ever wake up from. His father in the human world? How? When? He couldn't believe the rest of the file, either. His father being an extremist against humans, the awful words that he spewed from his mouth about the Jordan family and the parades of anti human protestors. But at the same time, some of things written in the file weren't as surprising; the word 'trash' and 'scum' were words he often heard his dad say around anyone not in their 'class.'

In one of the papers, another one about the Jordans, mainly Paige.

It surprises me that our government allowed two of the main characters in the organization that says humans and us monsters are not so different from one another. I heard that one of the children, a young girl, resembles her father in looks. But perhaps, she might also grow up to be a human enthusiast and find ways to embarrass her ancestors and lineage. Although she seems to excel in her studies at school, elementary school I might add, I wonder if she will enter a class one day called Human Studies where professors will try to convince students of the filthy lies that her parents spit out.

He snorted to himself and scrunched his nose in disgust. Johnny always considered the relationship he had with his father to be difficult, the two usually clashing and arguing about things when he was young. But he did, without a doubt, respect the monster everyone expected him to become one day. From what little he had gathered from personal experience, the news and books, his father was well-mannered, respectful, clever, and, intelligent. But, months before his disappearance, he had become bitter, anti-social, crazy and obsessed with Manny Jordan's words. Obsessed as in he-hated-it-and-wanted-him-dead.

"Unbelievable...what a coincidence that he's a human lover and the word 'man' is in his name," Johnny muttered silently.

"What?!"

Johnny looked up from the white papers and up to his closed door with curious eyes. It was Paige; he could tell by the clear annoyance and feminine squeakiness. And she didn't sound happy, but neither was he. Maybe she had found out something equally shocking about her missing father.

"Out! Out! You-you jag!"

Yep, Paige for sure.

What if she's in trouble, a small part of his brain asked.

Why should I give a care? It's not like I care, he replied back to it, hoping it would shut up.

You're a liar. You got into a fight to save her, if she was in trouble you would be there before that dumb boy Logan.

"Ugh, shut up! I hate just hearing-why am I talking to myself?!"

Johnny grumbled angrily and rose to his feet, adjusting his hospital clothes. He stumbled to his door, grabbing anything that would help him make his way to the door without falling like an idiot, and opened the door. With a click of the door, he was outside and turned the corner to the room that was written on the file from Dean Hardscrabble. Nurses eyed him carefully, their eyes screaming if you fall and get hurt, I'm going to hurt you.

He got to the door and reached for the door, but it was opened before he could do it himself. Johnny blinked as he stared into sharp green eyes underneath a black hoodie and leaned forward to see the face of the stranger.

"Excuse me, sir." He huffed.

"What were you doing in there...umm, sir?" Johnny replied.

His green eyes darted to the exit and he coughed. "Um, I really have to go. Goodbye."

Before Johnny could protest, the stranger shoved past him at lightning speed and raced to the door, not bothering to be as polite as he was before. Johnny reached a hand out for the monster, but he disappeared behind the door without a sound.

"Well, maybe if he knew who I was he would have at least apologized before shoving me aside. Honestly," Johnny scoffed as he grabbed the handle of the door, "it seems now days that no one knows who I am, even these nurses."

With a flick of his wrist the door opened and he was looking at the bandaged form of Paige Jordan, eyes red with old tears. It took him a moment to realize who he was looking at for he wasn't used to seeing her without her signature mask. The hair that was usually covered looked awkward in it's flattened state, almost like it didn't belong there without the mask. She looked strangely human, the only thing differing was her skin, eyes, clawed fingers and three toed feet.

Her maroon face lit up upon seeing him. "Johnny..."

"Hey there, Bones."

"Don't think you can call me that anymore," she sighed, her bright features dimming when he mentioned her nickname.

He shrugged. "Heck if I care. I'm still calling you Bones, so deal with it."

Paige allowed herself a smirk before gesturing for him to enter her room and shut the door behind him. He walked into the slightly larger room and stared at the many devices jutting out from her skin, it made him nervous. "Johnny, I-"

"Save it, Bones," he interrupted, putting his hand up to silence her, "I don't want to hear any of that 'I was wrong about you' garbage. This isn't a chick flick."

"Oh, no, of course not," she snorted, pointing at his attire, "I just wanted to say I like your dress."

"It's not a dress!"

After Johnny had been forced back to his room by the nurses, Paige found herself alone in the room with her thoughts. Many times a nurse came in, the same slug woman, gave her some drugs to make the pain go away, and she would sleep. And whenever she awoke, she would see more and more gifts pilling up at the end of her bed; from flowers to chocolate to cards with confessions of love. All of which, didn't make here feel like so much of an outcast.

She had visitors while she was awake, some she was close to like Javier or a worried Mikey. And others who just wanted an excuse to skip a class because Dean Hardscrabble had given many Scaring students permission to see how she was doing. She graciously accepted Mikey's scolding and homework that needed completing, or Javier's story time and scrap book of photos he had collected of Clara McGarden. Even if the last one creeped her out, a smile was always present on her face.

Paige stared at the presents, smiling softly and humming a light tune as she did.

"May I come in?"

Paige, not looking up from her gifts, called back. "Yeah."

Shoes clapped against the tile of her room and the door slammed shut, causing her to look up at her guest. Paige gapped at the new guest and stumbled over her words as she did.

"Naomi..?"

The three eyed girl waved nervously, avoiding her stare. "Hi, Paige. How are you...feeling?"

"Uh, fine. Are you okay?" Paige replied.

"I'm great, Paige. I'm more worried about the gir-"

Paige crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, what are you doing?"

"I guess I knew you would say that," Naomi confessed, pulling a chair out to sit beside Paige's bed and clasped her arms. "I heard about what happened and I...I guess I thought about what would happen if I never got to apologize to you about all the things I had done. I thought...I thought if you had died, that all those horrible things I did to you...would weigh on me forever. So, I'm here to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything!"

Paige put an hand on the girl's forehead. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Naomi smiled. "Yes, yes, I am. But, I hope that, after everything I have done, that you can still be my friend. And if you can't I understand, but I just wanted to say that." She patted the girl on her arm, stood and made her way to the door, carrying her head proudly.

"What are you talking about?" Paige laughed, stopping the girl. "Of course we can, but if you don't mind me asking, why did you act like that to me? I mean I get the whole I'm the new kid thing, but..."

"It's because of Johnny."

"What about the eggplant?"

She chuckled, staring at Paige like she was insane. "Do...do you not see it?"

"See what?" Paige asked.

"See...nevermind, you'll get it one day...friend." Naomi grinned.

One week later...

Johnny settled into his seat in the seats of the Scaring 101 classroom, boredom etched onto his face. Beside him, Chet was babbling about how much he missed his 'hero' and how he much he wanted to visit him in the hospital, all the time. Javier, on the other hand, was solemn and stared at his many hands in his lap, having not said a word since Johnny had arrived. But Johnny knew the only reason he was so quiet was because of Paige.

Said girl was sitting across the aisle, crutches upright against her chair and leg propped up on the seat in front of her. Their previous bet on who had the better freshmen was back on and her hostility switch had been flipped back on. She didn't greet him and didn't say a word to him when she entered the room, proving that him saving her life was just a one time thing and that she was over it. The only thing reminding him of how he had saved her was the scent on his pullover, vanilla frosting, that didn't come out no matter how many times he tried to wash it out. It was intoxicating to the point he felt dizzy when he breathed it in. He was almost tempted to trash the thing, but the thought of Axel coming across the thing and taking it because it smelled like her disgusted him.

Not as much as Logan with his arm thrown over Paige's shoulder though. The smug pig had been like a love sick puppy when she returned, constantly following her and not leaving her side for even a moment. Naomi, who viewed the girl with new found respect, deemed it 'adorable' while he and Javier settled on it be 'disgusting.' As did Chet, but Johnny saw him sighing at the sight of Logan catching Paige when she almost fell. But the chatter of his fellow students annoyed him more then they did.

They're so cute together.

Oh my gosh, he's such an amazing boyfriend. She's so lucky.

I've never seen any two monsters so perfect together.

They're so going in the year book as couple of the year right?!"

"So stupid..." Johnny muttered as he glared hatefully at the pair.

Chet nodded fiercely. "Of course, Logan and Paige are so clingy together. Can't they get a room?"

Beside the crab, Reggie nudged him and scowled. "Shut your mouth, Chet, can't-"

"All of you shut up!" Johnny shushed and crossed his arms across his vanilla sweatshirt and looked down at the freshmen in the simulator. "Bones will be Bones. Logan will be Logan. And Bones and Logan will be Bones and Logan. So just stop talking about it and watch for our freshmen, okay?"

None of them responded and the silence was comforting to him, even if he wasn't sure why he snapped. Javier glanced at him, clearly knowing what Johnny wasn't admitting to himself. The sound of books clattering onto the ground interrupted his thoughts and the seniors stared at the bottom of the room. It was Sulley and Mike, growling and baring their teeth at one another. A glance in Paige's direction said she was also watching the commotion at the bottom of the steps as did Logan.

Fall over, fall over, Johnny thought to himself silently.

"Mikey!" Paige shouted to the bottom.

The monster ignored her and continued to argue with the much larger monster. "Mikey, stop! Look out-"

Suddenly, Sulley knocked into the pillar that served as a platform for Dean Hardscrabble's scare record and it fell to the ground. The room went quiet and, finally, Javier stared at the scene and adjusted in his seat. "This doesn't look good, amigo." He whispered.

"I know that! The Dean is right there, what if...he gets kicked out?"

Before Johnny could retort, the canister shot into the air and flew around the room, a shrill scream echoing off the walls of the room. Logan covered Paige with his body from the oncoming canister and it flew towards the ROR's at full speed.

"Ahh!" Johnny screeched, ducking in his spot as he watched the can continue by him.

It continued it's flight until it lost power and came to a halt on the stone floor of the classroom, where every students gasped as it shattered on the floor within seconds of falling.

"He's so screwed..." Chip chuckled, shaking his head.

"I'm so sorry." Mikey whispered.

"It was an accident," Sulley added quickly, his voice not as pompous as usual.

Dean Hardscrabble stared at her can and picked it up with dainty fingers, managing to look bored and uninterested. "No matter. Accidents happen. The goods news is that no one got hurt."

Johnny allowed himself to feel pity for the green monster, because he had heard that tone before. It was the tone Paige used when they had spoken to each other in the hospital; the voice someone uses when they are breaking inside and trying to appear strong.

"I can't watch!" Chet cried.

Chip sighed. "It doesn't matter. We all know what's going to happen. Sullivan and Wazowski are going to get kicked out of the program."

So who won the bet?

Paige wondered how she was supposed to answer that question.

She watched, unable to help, as Mikey was kicked aside by her Dean.

It didn't make sense; she had been there for his lessons and he was more capable then half the monsters in the room. He wanted it so badly, she could see it in his eyes when he studied. But her fears were confirmed. He might have been smart, but he wasn't scary, not like her or Logan or Sulley. Mikey was short and, in a way, comical. She silently scolded herself for thinking like that about her friend but the part of her mind told her she couldn't deny the truth.

The green monster was still standing at the foothold of the simulator, still staring at the spot where the can had fallen. The other students moved around him and continued their examinations, but he didn't move from his spot.

"I have to go down there," Paige whispered to Logan.

He shook his head. "Paige there is way too many stairs! I remember you told me; I must avoid the stairs!"

"Then carry me," she pleaded, grabbing the cloth of his sleeve, "but, he needs me. He needs my help, he's worked so hard for this and, now, it's all gone. I need to be there for him, he needs my support, Logan."

He nodded and stood up, then with one swift motion, he lifted her into into his arms. Paige gasped at the sudden change of height as she was gently taken down the stairs by Logan Freeman and eyed jealously by the many single girls in the room. Even Johnny's eyes burned into her head and she shifted uncomfortably in Logan's arms.

"Everyone is looking at us..."she whispered.

"Let them, since when do you care?" Logan responded teasingly, eliciting a smile from the maroon skinned girl.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Paige easily removed herself from the embrace of the taller monster and limped her way towards her friend. She placed a comforting hand on his head and sighed.

"I'm so sorry..."She whispered.

He turned slowly, his single eye watering and his hands tightening into fists. "Where...were you when I needed you?"

"In the hospital-"

"Before that," he spat. "I know you finished your project earlier, Molly told me, but you...you hung out with Worthington, didn't you?"

"No-well...yes, but-"

He stepped away from her, growling. "Some friend you are! I thought you wanted to help me, but you were just laughing at me, weren't you?"

"No! Honest!"

"You know what, Paige? You have to choose between him and your other friends, because you can't be friends with both 'types' of monsters. So what's it going to be?!"