Standing just out if reach, Herobrine watched the two girls in their camp. Shelby was talking fast and gesturing heavily in her excitement. Sydney laughed at something she said, causing the other to blush, and he wondered what she had said. For a moment, his crushing anxiety lessened. Just for a moment.

Walking out towards the girls caught their attention. Shelby's unfinished sentence drifted away and Sydney's laughter subsided.

"Hey." He said quietly, stopping in front of them. He held out a hand to help the redhead up, watching her expression in the fleeting moment of hesitation. She accepted it and followed as he began walking silently into the forest.

"Where are we going?" Shelby asked, trying to hide her bitterness beneath soft-spoken words. She stepped in synch with him, pacing equal, and looked to Herobrine.

"I have explaining to do and the setting must be right." He murmured, guilt washing over him at the frown on the woman's face. Her eyes shone with hurt; it had not been long since those same eyes had been full of the deep affection she'd felt towards him.

After a few minutes of silence, the pair breached the tree line, and were left with the sight of the complex. Shelby stopped short of it.

"You're sending me home, aren't you?"

Herobrine turned to look at her pained face, his own twitching in it's repressed state.

"That's what you and Sydney were arguing about."

"Yes." He watched her face evenly, studying the expressions on her face to detach himself from the guilt and sadness he felt.

"And you're not coming?"

"No."

"I-I... No! I won't be welcome there!" She cried, looking to him in an attempt to sway him.

"They think I killed Jack, y'know? And... And they probably think I'm a ghost or something too-"

"I talked to Notch," he interrupted, "You're plenty welcome."

Shelby looked to him in shock, tears beginning to leak from her eyes.

"He talked to everyone... Sorta, and made sure they knew you were innocent. He explained everything to me, about Jack and his reasons for banishing you."

"So this is it? You're not going to ask you me what I think? Just... Just send me away, because now that we're back here I'm obviously not wanted anymore?" Her voice had risen and her eyes were streaming steadily.

Watching her break down was horrible. Herobrine sighed decidedly and pulled her close despite her halfhearted attempt to push him away.

"I just want to protect you. To say you are not 'wanted' would be a lie."

She cried into his shoulder for a moment and then looked back up at him.

"So I can still see you?"

"Maybe." He replied softly. "I don't want to put you in danger, and I can't promise your safety."

Shelby began a reply, but Sydney stopped her with a solemn look. They broke apart at her gaze, and he allowed Shelby to go to her friend. Sydney murmured softly to her, and looked at the man expectantly.

"Ready?" he asked. Sydney nodded and they started off along the edge of the forest.

Standing just within the shadows, Herobrine's redheaded companion passed him, venturing into the waning sunlight. Before she stepped out of reach, the man took Shelby's hand and pulled her back to himself. Without breaking the motion, he brought his lips to hers.

"You're terrible at good-byes" she murmured, her forehead still rested on his. He sighed and let his hands slide from hers. She gave him a look of longing and turned from him, venturing into the sunlight and then into the door of the building.

Without him.

(( Guys, TSoH is not over. I've still got a lot of plot and story to tell. Thank you for being patient with me, I won't leave you off with such a unfinished story, I promise~ ))