Hi. I'm back!

After a period of not writing/lacking inspiration, I intend to update more often.

Ivy here.

She'd guessed. Of course she'd guessed.

I laughed. "Why would you think that?"

"You talk, walk, and act exactly like she did. I would have to say I knew her better than a lot of other people. You even have the same scars."

I didn't have very many visible scars. Except for the one on my throat, which I always hid. But of course Miranda would have seen it, even if she'd never brought it up.

She grabbed my wig and yanked it off. "You lied to me."

I nodded. "Miranda, I'm sorry."

She punched me in the face and started screaming, fists flying and striking me everywhere at once.

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, dragging her away.

Jack pulled her out of the room, pinning her arms down, yelling for her to calm down.

He shoved her out of the door, but stayed a moment to look at me. "It really is you." He slammed the door.

Miranda narrating here.

When Jack pushed me out the door, I ran.

Avengers Tower has stairs – many, many flights of stairs – and I was halfway down by the time my head started to clear.

"Wait up, Miranda."

I stopped and leaned against the wall, breathing hard. "How could she do that to us? We stayed by her when not many others would. I did everything I could to help her, at risk to myself. And she just left?" The hand which rested on the railing trembled. I snatched it off.

"Miranda, I know you're upset – and believe me, I am too. Take some deep breaths."

I obeyed. How this was supposed to make me feel better, I don't know. It did make me calmer, though.

When I had calmed down (outwardly) Jack continued talking. "Mom's texted me. We're ready to go. Let's just get out of here. It's dangerous to be here, and I just want to hide for a while."

I nodded. My eyes stung.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"That makes two of us."

Edward here.

We met them outside of Central Park, in the most secluded place Ariel could think of.

Jack's mother was in the driver's seat of the car. She pulled over to the curb and they all got out.

"Alright, Jack. I trust you to come back." She gave him a hug.

Jack glanced over at us, his face slightly red. "I will, Mom. I promise."

"Don't try to run anywhere if you don't have to – actually, don't even try to walk if you don't have to. You're still recovering from that knee injury, and prom didn't help. I knew you shouldn't have gone."

"I'll come back. I always come back. You have the muffins I baked you?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Maps? Cell phones?"

"Mom, people can track cell phones. We're going to ditch them when we get out of the state."

She nodded. "Right. I'm sorry, I forgot. But promise you'll call me and tell me you're safe when you can."

"Yes, Mom." He slid into the driver's seat. "Get in, everybody."

We piled into the car. It had five seats, but Ariel and my shoulders were almost touching, sitting on opposite sides.

Jack's mother watched until we turned a corner and were out of sight.

Where was his dad? I'd never met the man, and I'd never asked about him. I'd been to his house half a dozen times and never even seen a sign of him.

"Okay guys. We have some news for you. Just... try not to freak out."

Ariel sighed. "There is nothing in life that can surprise me anymore. Hit with your worst."

"Edward?"

I had a feeling I knew what it was. "Go ahead."

"Ivy's alive."

"WHAT?!" shrieked Ariel.

I said nothing, though I forced a startled expression across my face and looked out the window.

"Wait..." In the rearview mirror, Jack's eyes narrowed.

He knew that I had known. My reaction hadn't convinced him.

He said nothing, though. Luckily for me, because the girls would probably have ripped my head off the moment they figured it out.

"The Fortune Seller is Ivy..." breathed Ariel. "How didn't I guess? How could I possibly..."

Miranda turned around. "Because she lied to us, her friends, and decieved us." You know how in cartoons, people's eyes shoot lasers and fire when they're angry? I'm pretty sure there were flames flickering in her eyes. "I'm so angry right now I can barely breathe."

I was terrified to even twitch.

"The Fortune Seller." Miranda snorted and returned to her seat. "We should have known. Who else would do something like that?"

"I would never have thought Ivy could do something like that on her own. It's not as if she's really good with people or business or anything like that."

"She had the Doctor helping her, probably. And other people. She has a lot of people who think it's in their best interests for her to suceed in life, of course they'd make sure she was okay. And the Doctor took her body... how didn't we figure this out sooner?" Miranda's voice was scaring me.

"Oh..." Ariel's face had gone white. "Um... Jack, you might want to pull over. I just realized something."

Jack pulled over.

"Ivy has a kid."

The car went dead still.

"Are you sure?"

"I met her after my parents died. Obviously, I didn't know who it was. Ivy's gotten good with wigs and makeup. She was with S.H.I.E.L.D., and there was a little boy with her. About a year old now, I'd guess. Ivy and me didn't talk much, but..."

"Why would Ivy have a kid? You know how she was about romantic relationships."

All eyes turned to me.

My face burned. "Hey, she turned me down. I never so much as held hands with her."

Ariel scratched her head. "Then... oh."

"What?"

"Nothing. It's Ivy's secret to keep." Her face had gone white.

"You're loyal to her now? Seriously?"

"She was probably trying to protect us. Misguidedly, sure, but I understand the sentiment. And really, if what I think happened is true, it's not for me to say anything."

What had changed? Oh... right. Ariel knew about what had caused the conception. Just me and Ariel. And Carmen.

Yeah, that was for Ivy to tell them about.

By the time we reached the state line, hours had passed, we were exhausted, and no one had spoken.

We pulled over at a rest stop with picnic tables and ate the muffins Jack's mom had made.

No one said a word for the whole time.

Finally, Jack put the empty muffin container on the table. "Everyone. Cell phones, ipods, all electronic devices in here."

I put my cell phone in, along with every one else's.

We buried them under a tree and marked the spot.

"We will come back for these," promised Jack. "It's too inconvenient to replace them."

"Where are we going?" asked Ariel.

"Best I don't tell you. If something happens, the location will still be secret. Just me and Miranda know."

Ariel shrugged. "I trust you. And I'm too tired to argue."

"Brilliant." Miranda's never particularly expressive face had become a blank mask, barely even blinking.

The girls walked back to the car.

Jack pulled me behind the trees. "You. Knew." He grabbed me by the shirt and shoved me against the rough bark.

It was pointless to deny it. "She wanted someone could back her up when she came back. I don't know why she picked me, but she wanted to protect you. If you knew, you'd be a target. She has a lot of enemies."

"I sort of noticed."

"I just did what she asked me to."

Jack shook his head. "Ivy really has you on a string, doesn't she?"

"Would you have done the same thing for Miranda?"

Jack froze. "Yes. I love Miranda, of course I'd do that for her. Look, Ivy means well. I could never think she doesn't. But she's not exactly the best at thinking things through. She'll stick to her decisions, but they're not always the greatest."

"I've noticed. But who was going to believe me? You? Miranda? You would have thought I'd had a weird dream and gone crazy."

"I knew you liked her. She's..." Jack cut himself off. "I used to have a crush on her, let's just leave it at that. You're right. I wouldn't have believed you, and she wanted it kept a secret. I would have done the same. I'm still mad at you, but I won't tell the girls."

If he had, Miranda probably would have killed me.