"Home? Like, really? You guys aren't playing a joke right because that's the last thing I need right now," I said sternly, but even my strained voice couldn't hide the smile blooming near my lips. 

Shadow wrapped his arm aroun my waist and tugged me to him. I looked up at him and he smiled. "No joke. The car is ready and we can go whenever you want. So?" He lifted an eyebrow. 

I smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. We pulled back and he kissed my forehead. "Anything for you, mermaid." I frowned up at him, but he casually shrugged.

"Okay, I'm just gonna ignore all this flirting and move on...Awkward," Seth pretended to tip-toe quietly to the kitchen, but we just laughed, and pulled him back to us. I certainly have missed my Seth.

"So are we actually going home because I'm homesick!" I exclaimed. It was true. I missed my family and friends. And oddly, I missed my school and it's teachers. Oh... someone give me some aspirin!

Seth and Shadow chuckled. "I thought so," Seth said, at the same time Shadow said,"We can go now if you want?" 

I nodded my head vigoriously. "Yeah. Now. If you don't mind, Shadow. And how long does it take to get back to Oregon? Seth?" 

Seth laughed and took hold of my hands. "Calm down. We'll take care of everything. Oh and even though I shouldn't be doing this, I think, but what are you gonna say to your mother? No doubt she noticed that you have been gone for three days now." 

My eyes popped open from my skull and my brain screamed with alarm. I gaped and exclaimed,"Oh my freaking god! What am I gonna do?!? What will she think... No one told her the truth, right?!? 

Seth placed a finger in my lips and gave me a tender smile. How can someone be smiling right now!! "Shh, Arielle. First of all, she doesn't know anything. Second of all, we took care of it. And thirdly, you do realize your gonna have to tell her about you guys." He mainly pointed at Shadow and arched an eyebrow. 

I hesitated and bit my lip. "She doesn't know I'm out of Oregon, right. You left that out." 

"No. Like, I said we took care of it and so I'm not telling you more or your gonna be in danger of having a heart attack. Capiche?" He raised and eyebrow.

Not really, but sure. Jesus. And silly me for thinking that this was really over when in reality it wasn't. There was my mom. Who for one didn't know of my close relationship with Shadow and who didn't know that he was in a gang. Yep. I'm screwed. 

I rubbed my forehead and said,"Yeah, okay. I just really don't know what I'm gonna say when I see her... I should have told her, but then it be like betraying you, Shadow." I placed my hands on my hips and tapped my foot nervously. Dammit. 

"I'll help you, Arielle. And...we'll tell her together. I promise. I just hope she understands," Shadow said, wrapping his arms behind me. I shivered and tried to concentrate on the warmth that was radiating from his body. It didn't so much as work. 

I nodded and looked up at Seth. His blonde hair was tousled and it's brightness brought the color of his light clothes and aquamarine eyes to life. Like home. Home was light and bright. 

I finally let a small smile enter my lips and he smiled back in return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I think that's it," Ash grumbed as he heaved another heavy load in the trunk of the car. A mysterious load since it was being taped all around with cloth. Blanket, maybe. A backpack followed next.

I looked questiongly at Shadow, but he just shrugged and looked down at his motorcycle boots. Odd, I thought. What more secrets is he hiding from me...

I slightly jumped as someone tugged at the loophole of my jeans. Shadow. He held a hand out and I accepted. He opened the car door for me.

Ash behind us slammed the trunk close and I jumped. I glared at him and he winked, his eyes twinking with mischief.  

This was the plan: Me, Shadow, Seth, and Ash would be riding this car while Jonathon, Aiden, TJ, and Flash rode another car behind us. And yes, more mysterious loads were loaded in their car. I guess I wanted to know what they were...hiding, but in another way I really didn't care since I had enough secrets to chew on. 

I ducked in the car and Seth followed beside me. We smiled at each other. Shadow shut the door behind us and got in the passenger's seat. 

"Tell me again why I agreed to drive?" Ash muttered, slamming the driver's door. I flinched and he glanced at me, a small apoligetic smile on his lips. "Sorry. Loose hand." He shrugged as if saying, what are you gonna do?

Shadow slightly snorted. "More like a loose temper if you ask me." 

"Yeah, well, no one asked you so...," Ash answered, sending Shadow a snarky look. Shadow rolled his eyes and leaned against his seat, visibly saying I don't want to fight now. 

Suddenly, the car grumbled to life and it launched forward in attack. We--except Ash-- gripped our seats and prayed fro the best as we launched to the street and sped off. 

I glanced behind me and saw the others follow in slowy. Almost cautious, predatory like. And TJ was driving so it made no sense to me. 

I frowned, turned to Seth for a distraction, ignoring the uncomfortable squeeze in my stomach. I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and said,"So do the others know about Shadow? Me and Shadow?" 

Seth crossed his legs and replied,"Yeah, since they were freaking out that they didn't know where you are and they forced Shadow to tell them--to all of us. Pretty shocking--and it still is--, but we've accept it. They don't know your together, together with Shadow. Me either, till earlier on did I know." He popped out his eyes behind Shadow's back and I laughed. Shadow grinned. 

"Um, okay. What was your reaction when you heard about...Shadow's secret. Did you want to hurt him or hurt me for liking him? "

"What is this? And interogation?" 

I laughed. "No. Just curiosity."

He cocked his head to the side. "Well, I guess at first I wanted to punch him at the face, but then I thought about you and thought,'She's more important right now.' And by the looks of the situation, me and Shadow didn't want to get in a fight. Wrong timing."

"What about Ruby and Jodie?"

"They," he answered," were shocked. They really had no idea how to respond. With hatred, sadness, bitterness, nothing. It was pretty unreal, but thank god we got through that and went out to find your as fast as we could."

I leaned back and swallowed this information. Somehow, this wasn't such a surprise. What did I expect? Huge smiles from them and a shake of the hand? No. 

"We might as well say this is too unreal," I muttered. 

"Yeah." 

"Hey, where are they by the way?"

"Home. Waiting. They told me if I came back empty-handed that they'll shave off my head and told me to go back again, but with you this time. I never do they take them for granted, but with those murderous looks they gave me I knew I better rethink twice. And I had to agree with them as well," Seth answered. I felt very loved and soft right now. 

I smiled and said,"I miss them. Yeah, they're kind of crazy, but they're awesome. Can't wait to see--" My answer was caught short when Ash reared violently to the right. I hit the window, hard. Instantly, my brain started pounding in my skull. I groaned and gripped my head, wanting to grab a hammer and tear my brain apart. 

Still groaning at the pain in my head, I looked at Seth. He had been thrown backward and was now kneeling in the floor. He let out a shocked breath through his gritted teeth and looked at with confusion. What happened, he mouthed at me. 

I don't know, I mouthed back, confusion and pain filling my eyes. 

Seth cautiously picked himself up and looked out the window. The others weren't behind us. We were totally alone in a deserted road. Alone. 

I blinked and reached out for Shadow. I jumped as he gripped my hand and used it to pull himself up from the floor. I pulled and met his narrowed, angry eyes. I blinked and said,"Shadow, what--" He shook his head and looked behind me, his features darkening in disust and pure hatred. I looked back and saw two cars with tinted windows. They were to the right and seemed to be waiting...for us? What? Where did they come from? Did we get hit? I heard no engine. 

"Exactly," Shadow whispered, answering my thoughts. I looked at him and he let go of my hand and looked at Ash. Ash was crouching in his seat, looking with bitterness and malice at the people inside the awaiting cars. 

My body trembled with fear. The look inside Ash's eyes didn't help at all and suddenly I felt very isolated and empty. Walls seemed to be caging me and I felt very hopeless to their accelerating power. I looked at Seth and he gave me fearful look. I trembled and reached out for his hand, needing someone to cling to. Someone who was with me and that this didn't feel like a continuing nightmare all around. 

He reached for my hand in return and then I was surrounded with warmth and safety. And so I hope this was enough... 

Shadow made a growling sound at the back of his throat and I looked at him fear. Fear for what was going to happen because apparently we had an enemy at our tail.

And I think I know who it is... Unfortunately. 

As if hearing my thought he came out. Out of one of the vehicles. Two other guys followed him and they slowly made their way to our car. My heart beating with every step.

What I didn't understand was why we weren't gunning the car and running away like hell was after us? Was something wrong with the engine or... I looked at Ash and saw the finality in his deep brown eyes. 

Or they wanted him to come over. 

And do what? Fight? Peace? Which was very likely. Or get this over with and be done with Sebastian, once and for all?

I'll have to go with the third part. 

A smug look was set upon Sebastian's face and I flinched as he toyed with a pocketknife in his hands. His bloody hands. 

Ash surprised me by angrily opening his door and stepping out in plain sight in the street. Plain sight... I gaped in horror and tugged at Shadow's sleeve. He looked at me, leaned over, and whispered,"Stay here. Don't make a sound." 

With that he got out of the car as well. I stared in shock and looked at Seth. He placed a finger to his lips and told me to crouch in the ground. 

I did and crawled to him to look out his window since that's where all of them were. I noticed Ash and he was angrily walking toward them. Shadow tried to keep up with him and kept holding up his hand for him to stop.

"Really Sebastian? Now? Now you wanna fight, but instead for her, we're doing this to end one of us once and for all. Get that you son of a bitch!" Ash started violently yelled at him, a vein throbbing at his forehead, clearly showing his frustration and anger. 

"You never were much of a calm person, Ash. Never will be," Sebastian said, showing boredom. 

That agitated Ash more. "And you will always be the weakest swine I have ever met in my life!" 

"Ash--" Shadow reached out for Ash's arm, but Ash just glared at him wordlessly.

Sebastian yawned. "We really aren't getting anywhere and so let's settle this more...my style."

Ash snorted and replied,"Your style always ended up being us winning which shouldn't be the other way around by the way." 

Sebastian smirked. "Ash, your time is running out along with Shadow's here and so any last words?" 

Ash groaned and said,"Jesus! That's really getting old and can you stop pretending that you rule the world for once in your life! It's a pain--"

The last thing I heard was the sharp intake of breath and the sound of a gunshot. And then the window fogged up. 

Seth frantically rubbed away the fog, but my brain seemed to have shut itself off. I sat unblinkly at the floor and tortured myself with horrid thoughts, What just happened? Was that a gun shot I just heard... 

"What the--" I said, looking at the window.

A scream filled the lonely, dark night. I drowsily looked around and felt my sense tingle. Who was screaming? 

I looked out again and horror filled every part of my being. 

Now I knew who was screaming: 

Me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I call this chapter: The Last Fight. Obvious, right? 

Well, this isn't my best chapter, but since I have been distracted, and I really wanted to do a chapter I decided to this in a hurry, but thoughtful way. I'll edit this later. So yeah and now I know how fun covers are! :D Really.

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If I sound boring then pardon me. 

Much love <3

~ HeartndSoulGoodness