Greetings!

I know it's been forever since I posted anything new, but I am genuinely trying to keep this thing going. RL has been a bitch and I'm dealing with many mental health issues.

I've been sitting on this chapter for more than a year and I honestly didn't know where to go with this story. I apologize for the extremely long lull in chapters. I will do my best to get more written. I'll explain more on my Facebook page.

There's no warnings for this chapter, so I'll let you get to it.


Inside a Truckstop…

Joy-Lyn stood in front of the big mirror fidgeting. It was the last stop before they got to the mysterious hotel that they were told about. Next to her stood Phoebe who had become her rock ever since she moved to Angel Grove.

When she and Hannah had left the city to come to Angel Grove, Phoebe and her mom had been the ones to transport her. They had been the same age, yet Phoebe was fearless and had been packing a Glock and she immediately felt safe around her. Though most people thought she might be *butch, she was actually just a very tough tomboy that had no issue with getting dirty and hanging with the guys. She was also a fantastic wrestler.

Even after being adopted by the McIntyre family, Phobe continued to stick around even though they lived a few blocks apart. At school, they did their best to get into the same classes, though with Phoebe being on the wrestling team and her being in student council, that hadn't been possible.

That's also part of the reason why she hadn't been 'there' sooner to keep the hazing from happening. Apparently, a certain meat head had tried to subdue her and got a black eye for his trouble.

But that was all over for now. Now, her biggest trial was ahead of her. Mainly a very handsome guy was waiting for her at the hotel, and she was so very nervous.

She bit her lip again and fidgeted some more. She was currently wearing an old hoodie and baggy jeans which was not the outfit she had planned to wear when she saw Rook again.

The day before their date, she and Phoebe had taken a girl's day out and had a shopping spree. They'd gotten their nails done and bought some new makeup.

The date had been far better than she'd expected, and she really felt that there was a chance for this relationship to become something 'more.'

And then those gaudy bitches had ruined her chances; she was sure of it. If she were honest, that attack in the girls locker room at school had delt a severe blow to her confidence and had reduced her to-"

She gripped the counter as she felt her heart starting to race.

"I can see those gears in your head cranking." Phoebe said as she came up behind her. In her hand, she held up the small duffle bag that had been packed for this evening.

Sure, they'd packed a suitcase for her and Hannah with the regular clothes and necessities. But this bag was something extra. She already knew what was in it.

Phoebe had been so calm when they'd found out they were leaving town. Crazy calm and she didn't know if it was purely for her benefit or not.

Phoebe had gone through her closet and pulled out 'the cute outfit' and put it into that duffle bag.

"What are you doing, Phebes? We're running for our lives, not preparing for a second date."

"You trust me, right?"

"Duh!"

"He's good people. You're going to need this."

"Who?"

The wrestler gave her an incredulous look.

"Rook, duh. We can't let that diamond encrusted thong wearing bitch ruin this for you."

That had broken up the tension in the room. Pheobe grinned when she started giggling.

"That sounds painful."

"It would explain why she walks so stiffly."

Seeing the easy set of her friend's shoulders, Phobe packed the outfit in her duffle bag, shoes included.

"It's time, Joy. Are we doing this?"

"I dunno. Will he even be awake when we get there?"

Phobe nodded. "I think he will be. He's like me, we both want to make sure you arrive safely."

"Have you been talking to him all this time?"

"Only in the last week and it was just one protector talking to another to get past any awkwardness. He's good guy and I just want you to be happy. If it makes you feel any better, I did rake him over the coals to an extent. He's a solid choice."

"So, now you're playing matchmaker?"

"More like a wing man…wing woman… whatever. You've been through a lot of bullshit with the morons back home. It's time you got to experience the good stuff."

"And wearing this will help?"

"It couldn't hurt."

At her look of hesitation, Phoebe added, "He saw that stupid video like the majority of the school, and he's chosen the valiant path. Now it's your turn to decide how to respond. Do you really want him to see you looking like a hobo or like the strong young woman we both know you are?

That was all that it took for Joy to stand up straighter.

"Okay, let's do this."

Phoebe grinned and opened up the duffle bag. "Good."


Back at the hotel…

Rook sat on the bench in the Koi room with his legs pulled up to his chest. He rested his head against the wall letting the sounds of the small fountain in the middle of the pond soothe him.

He had a lot on his mind; sure, it was easy to be brave on camera and play the part of a valiant hero on camera and be full of bravado, but how would things be when she was standing in front of her face to face?

Though he'd defend Joy to the end, things were going to be a little awkward with her being exposed to teenage eyes. Well, he was a teenager after all; he'd be lying if he denied that she'd starred in a few of his more recent dreams.

Rook sighed heavily and gently massaged his brow.

The mental images were the last thing he needed in his mind right now.

He sighed again and glanced at the pool and wondered if a few laps in the pool area would help him relax.

"You look troubled, Rook." Lief said as he walked into the room and sat down on another bench. "Do you want to talk it out?"

Rook sighed. "It's not the noble thing to do, but I want to destroy that frigid bitch for making things so awkward."

At Leif's confused look, Rook clarified. "I'm talking about the hazing thing."

"Oh, duh, I should have known that." He replied. "I get it. I'd love to see that ho pay. But that's something that's better left to the ladies."

"I know." Rook said with a sigh.

"I wouldn't worry about that." Autumn said as she and Sapphire walked into the room. "She's going down once we get back home."

"And how are you planning to do that?" Rook asked curiously.

"It's not going to take much." Kyle said. "The school's a powder keg. All we have to do is show up and the trouble will start."

"By the time we get back, I'll be showing." Sapphire added as she gently rubbed her baby bump. "No one will be able to keep their mouth shut once the gossip starts."

"You sure you want to do that? You're going to offer yourself up as bait?"

"It's going to happen no matter what. If news of our marriage hasn't already spread through the town, I'd be surprised."

"Does anyone even know about the wedding?"

"I'm sure they do. Brock will see to it."

"And what does that asshole have to do with it?" Katsume said as he wheeled Elisa into the room.

"So, we're all here now." Rook said with a huff.

"Hey, we're an official tribe now." Kyle said. "We've got your back."

"Has Brock started stuff up again?" Elisa asked in a softer voice.

"He might as well have been that douche's lap dog." Rook said with a snort. "That day that I got stabbed, he was with that phony officer."

"Not to mention the fact that the butt-licker was in the room when I was escorting Lilac into the office. I'm willing to bet that he used Brock to spread the word to create a smoke screen for whatever he planned to do."

"He's such an asshole." Elisa said softly. "I wish I'd never gotten involved with him."

Katsume squeezed her shoulder. "No worries, he'll be dealt with."

They were quiet again. "It sounds like there's going to be a lot of ass-kicking going on once we get back." Kyle said with a snort. "You guys do realize that we'll probably get expelled because of this."

"It's a small price to pay for setting things right." Autumn said with a frown.

"That's probably going to happen anyway." Katsume added. "I know Trent was going to take me out of school when all this stuff went down. Even with all the bad guys dealt with. The school is going to be a toxic place for a while."

No one knew what to say to that, so they all just sat quietly enjoying the peaceful room. They all knew that it wouldn't stay peaceful long.


About 5 minutes before they arrived, Rook got the alert on his phone from Phoebe and he walked out of the Koi room. Moments later, Kimberly and the other ladies walked out of the elevator and stood waiting for their arrival.

When the entourage arrived, Rook found himself standing nervously with the others standing around nonchalantly and relaxed. The first person he saw was Phoebe. He held out his hand in welcome as she approached. She adjusted her shoulder strap as she shook his hand.

"How was the trip?"

"Not as exciting as the trip you guys took on the train, but it wasn't bad. We had plenty of time to decompress."

Rook nodded. "And how is she?"

The boxer looked over her shoulder and then grinned back at him. "Why don't you see for yourself?" Rook looked over her shoulder and smiled to himself.

She was stunning and also in parent mode as she had a slumbering child on her shoulder. In that moment their eyes finally met and just like in all those Hollywood movies, time seemed to stop for them.

Phoebe walked up to her friend and gently took the slumbering child from her mother and walked back a few feet.

"Rookery?" Joy asked softly.

Rook grinned and he walked up to her. "Yeah, it's me. I'm glad you made it."

Their eyes met again, and Joy didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she hugged him to her and let out a soft cry.

Rook to his credit was ready and he wrapped up in a hug. "You're safe here"

They stayed like that for a few more moments before somebody cleared their throats.

They broke apart to see her father with his arms crossed over his chest. "So, are we all going to just stand here like a Hallmark movie or are we going to get settled into our rooms?

That caused the teens to break apart and chuckle nervously.

"He's right, I better get up to our room and get my daughter settled into her bed."

Rook stepped back from her and gave her a smile. "No worries, we've got time."

Joy smiled back at him softly but didn't reply as she was suddenly lost for words. When she walked away, Phoebe nodded at him in approval and then followed her friend while carrying the slumbering child on her shoulder.

A moment later, Mr. McIntyre walked up to him pulling his luggage behind him. "I saw that video you posted; thank you for standing up for my girl."

Then like all protective dads, he walked away before Rook could answer.


Once everyone had left the lobby, it was just the Miscreants again.

"That went better than I expected." Katsumi remarked.

"Yeah," was all Rook could say.

Katsume squeezed his shoulder and then walked back to Elisa's side.

In the next moment, Annabeth who'd been observing everything from a distance walked up to him. "That was a good start."

Rook seen the older native lady lounging around but this was the first time she'd really spoken to him. He looked down at her in surprise, not knowing what to say.

"No worries, Rook. The other ladies are busy with the parents, I'm not really needed outside of being a grandma to the kiddos."

"And I'm the only one not paired up with anyone."

"Maybe for the moment." Annabeth said with an amused grin. "It'll happen. Every beautiful plant starts out with a tiny shoot in the ground."

Rook gave her a confused look. "Is that supposed to be some kind of ancient wisdom?"

"It sounded better in my head." Annabeth said with a grimace. "I leave the ancient wisdom to my husband. He's the shaman; I'm just the wifey." She wheeled herself around so that she was facing Rook. "The point I'm making is this: No good romance starts out with passionate declarations of love, there's awkwardness and fumbling and in your case, some crazy chick that is trying to destroy everything."

"You saw all of that."

Annabeth nodded. "Yes, it's hard not to when it's posted everywhere on Myspace. I'm kind of questioning my choice to make an account on there in the first place, even if it's a good way to keep in touch with the tribe back home."

Rook nodded. "It feels like it's more trouble than it was worth. The Miscreants were just supposed to be a pet rescue group. Now we're about to get into a war."

"The war has been going on long before the Miscreants formed your group." Saying this, she tapped the arm rest of her wheelchair. I'm just one of casualties. Joy Lyn is just the most recent victims of this conflict."

Rook looked down at her, not sure what to say. Then he took a breath. "Is that what happened to you?"

"This so-called war was my crucible. Before those idiots caused my accident, I was a good fighter and worked with my husband when he fought in the League of Warriors tv show. I was his manager, and in turn he and the other fighters taught me their best moves. If it weren't for those sneak attacks, I could have really held my own."

In that moment, Rook felt his respect and appreciation for the older woman grow.

"It must suck that you can't join the fight."

"Not physically, I can't and I'm letting Kimberly, and the others handle that. But you have got your own battlefield here. That's what love is you know. You wouldn't be the first warrior I've helped out."

"What, like a mentor?"

"A listening ear. I know how females think, being one myself."

Rook felt relaxed. "That would be awesome."


Joy Lyns hotel room

Hannah was sleeping softly on her side of the bed having been bathed and her hair braided for the night. Thankfully with her getting more into her late toddler years, she slept longer and didn't put up that much of a fight. With her slumbering, Joy Lynn had time to think.

The teen mom rested against the plush headboard in her comfortable Pajamas and took time to meditate. On the next bed over, Phoebe was in her own attire, a tank top and track shorts reading whatever sport magazine she had picked up from that last Walmart they'd visited on the way here.

She couldn't describe it, but the feeling of seeing Rook again made her heart smile. Being from the streets, she never really believed in love at first sight or that love could happen like it did in those cheesy Hallmark movies that her adopted mom liked to watch this time of year, but she couldn't deny the way her heart hummed at seeing the handsome guy that was there to meet her in the lobby.

She really wanted this love to be the real thing, but she just didn't feel ready to let her guard down. Her ego was still very bruised and in the back of her mind, she wondered if she could ever live down what happened in the locker room shower. She was exposed to the whole school…"

"I can hear your gears turning again." Phoebe commented quietly.

"I want to let him in, but how can I with the way I was exposed?"

"By not letting that stuck up bitch win and that's what's happening right now. From what I could see earlier, he's happy to see you here and I doubt there's any ulterior motive in him.

"And just what am I supposed to do now that I'm here?"

Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "You're supposed to relax; this is a safe haven and if any kind of romance happens, then that's wonderful and I'm happy for you." A moment later, she added. "And don't forget that there is an epic-looking pool down there. I for one am glad that I brought my bathing suit."

At the mention of swimming, Joy Lyn realized that she'd forgotten her own suit.

As if reading her thoughts, Phoebe added. "No worries, I packed your bikini along with mine. You'll be stunning in it."

"You just think of everything don't you?"

Phobe grinned at her. "Not everything, but I had a feeling that wearing a bikini is the last thing on your mind, so I brought it for you."

Joy shook her head. "Are you sure, you're not a fairy godmother?"

"Nah, I doubt I could rock those gossamer wings. I'm just looking out for you."

"Then maybe a pair of dragon wings instead?"

The wrestler cocked her head to the side. "Yeah, those would work, but still, I'm no Tinkerbell."

"I doubt Tinkerbell could survive this."

"Probably not. That's why you've got me."

Joy Lynn didn't know what to say to that, so she resumed meditating. Before she knew it, she was asleep and dreaming about her hero that she secretly hoped could be something more.


I want to thank everyone who is still around and reading my stories. Please let me know if you enjoyed this!

I will do my best to keep going. I have no idea at the moment where to go next, but I'll try not to disappear into the wilds again. See you guys wherever I pop up next.