I hang up the phone and put it in my pocket. “Well, that’s that. You ready to go?” I ask. “Ready as I’ll ever be…” Fang mutters. Her body betrays her otherwise nonchalant tone. The constant shaking legs and inability to find a comfortable place to sit says it all. I was feeling the same way not too long ago. It hasn’t taken long for Fang to decide on returning to Volcaldera. Whatever conversation she had with her dad made the idea a solid contender, and without the possibility of Trish or Naomi showing up to bring everything to a screeching halt, staying all the way out here just wasn't feasible. Not with a kid on the way. Two suitcases, a little more stuffed than they were when we arrived, and a guitar case sit near the front door. Anything else that was still lying around, we probably won’t be coming back for. As for the apartment itself, the cancellation fee will be mostly handled by the security deposit, and Ripley said he would take care of the rest. A knock comes on the door a couple of minutes later. Fang lets out a long, anxious breath and gets up from the couch. I grab a suitcase in each hand and she grabs the guitar case, then heads for the door. “You kids better be ready, cause I’m not waiting,” Castle says as the door opens. “Oh, full of surprises. Come on.” “Hey, do you think you could carry one of these?” I ask as he turns away. “Nope.” Asshole. I trudge down the stairwell behind the others and we emerge into the parking lot. Castle leads us to a pristine white luxury car. The trunk pops open and we stuff our luggage into the back. Fang and I clamber into the back, and Castle slides into the driver’s seat. “Next stop, VB,” Castle announces. “Hope you used the bathroom, because I’m not stopping until we hit the city. There’s a good three hours ahead of us, and I am not getting stuck in rush hour traffic today.” There are no objections, and he starts up the car. A blast of cold air from the A/C hits me, blowing away the morning heat. Dad rock starts playing from the radio, and Fang rolls her eyes so hard I swear I could hear it. I zone out pretty quickly, my mind stuck on what the rest of today might hold. I doubt Fang is going to get any trouble from Ripley or Naser, but what about me? Ripley didn’t seem very willing to say what he thought of me over the phone, our follow up conversation being about as short and utilitarian as the first. I can only hope he thinks highly enough of me, but the niggling thought won’t leave. And Naser… that conversation is going to be unavoidable. I’d get a day of grace, maybe two tops, before he puts me in a headlock or something. “And the venerated princess returns to her kingdom. Huzzah,” Castle announces with more than a hint of sarcasm. It’s been three hours already? “Do not call me a princess,” Fang demands. A toothy grin forms on Castle’s face. “Asshole.” Ah, so he does it on purpose. “Keep your glass slippers on. If you have somewhere in particular you’d like to stop before the main event, say so now. Long as it’s not somewhere stupid.” “Dino-Moe’s,” Fang says before I can finish thinking. I probably would have picked that too. Castle turns his head slightly, eyeing Fang through the rear-view mirror. “The one in Little Troodon?” he asks, shifting away from his usual obnoxious tone. “Yeah?” she replies, a little unnerved at the change. “Alright.” He goes quiet, focusing on driving. I chuckle to myself. Looks like the big, tough military guy is scared of a little shadiness. Not too long later, we pull up to the curb outside of Dino-Moe’s. “Go,” he ushers. “Call me when you’re done.” “You’re not coming?” I ask, more out of accidental politeness than actual curiosity. “No,” he states plainly. Fang and I exit the car and he drives off. She shrugs and we enter the restaurant. “Welcome to Dino-Moe’s,” the host says. “Do you have a reservation?” A glance inside shows the place is pretty busy right now. “Actually, we're just here to see the manager," Fang replies. Hey, if it worked the last two times. The host suddenly seems much more attentive. “Ms. Aron, is it?” “I- yes?” “Right this way, please.” He leads us through a maze of filled tables and moving people to a lone, reserved table far into the establishment. “The manager will be right with you,” he says as we sit down, dashing off towards the kitchen. Fang and I exchange an odd look. There’s no way Moe could have been expecting us here, right? Sure enough, a familiar tyrannosaur bursts through a nearby door marked ‘Employees Only’. “Well, if I’m not a pie in the goddamn sky!” he exclaims as he approaches us. “You’se really a handful, ya know that? Hey baldie, scooch ova’!” He squeezes into the space that I provide for him. You’d think he’d invest in bigger tables. “My God, where the hell you been? No, no, I’m gettin’ ahead of myself. How the hell ya been? Don’t look too worse fa’ wear, all things consida’d.” “We were only gone a couple of weeks…” Fang replies, still confused about the situation. “A couple a’ weeks? Try tellin’ yer old man that. Looks like a couple a’ years on him. And for the love a’ God, please tell me he knows ya’ in town. You’se show up outta tha’ blue, it might kill him on tha’ spot.” “Yeah… how did you know we would come here?” “I didn’t, but I was hopin’ you would. Had this table waitin’ eva’ since I heard you were gone. Which, by tha’ way, was after your fatha’ bowled the worst game I eva’ seen. My dog coulda’ bowled better than that, but that’s neitha’ here nor there. You doin’ alright? I know you’se wouldn’t a’ done all this without huggin’ your uncle Moe goodbye if everythin’ was all hunky-dory, yeah?” “We’re doing a lot better, yeah.” “Good, good. Really. Lotta’ people gonna be happy ta’ see ya’, ya’ dad most of all.” Hope the same can be said for me… “And you,” Moe says, turning to me. “Lighten up a little, will ya’?” He smacks me on the back. “You’se been with her through thick n’ thin, not a chance he ain’t respectin’ ya’. And if he ain’t, let me know, and I’ll smack him upside his stupid head ‘till he does.” “Yeah… yeah, you’re probably right,” I reply. “Course I am. Now, I’ve got today’s lunch special on tha’ way, and I just know both a you’se will love it. Alright, I'll get out of ya hair. At least, one of ya’s hair.” He slaps his belly and guffaws. Yeah. Classic. He pushes himself away from the table and heads back into the kitchen. Moe emerges a bit later with two trays in his hands that are so long, it’s almost comical. “Buon Appetito!” he shouts, placing the- holy shit, they’re meatball subs the size of baguettes. “Hah! Everyone gets that look in their eyes. Fear and wonda’ at such a specimen of culinary theory. You kids enjoy.” I barely register what he says as the hungry monkey brain takes over. The only other thing I need right now is the ability to stuff as much food in my face as Fang can. Fang and I fill up in a shockingly fast time, and there’s still half of the damn things left. “Oh, Jesus…” I groan. “This might not have been the best idea.” “It was a great idea,” Fang mumbles drearily. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Casa de Aron. End of the line.” Castle announces as the car stops in front of Fang’s house. “Hope you had your fun. I’m not chasing you two across Dinofornia a second time.” I liked it better when he was quiet. While I’m elated to never have to see this guy again, something much more unnerving is staring me right in the face. Fang and I step out of the car and move towards the trunk. After an awkward moment of waiting, I slap the trunk a few times to get Castle’s attention. “Go introduce yourselves first. I’m not going anywhere.” Fang and I exchange an uneasy look. Looks like I’m not getting any more stalling time. We walk up to the front door, but neither of us raise a fist to knock. “After you, princess,” I offer. The joke doesn’t make me feel any better. Fang shifts from nervous to angry, and back to nervous in the span of a second. She steels herself, then knocks on the door. There’s a moment of deathly silence, then soft footsteps approaching. The door opens to reveal a familiar ptero woman. The warmest motherly smile I’ve ever seen graces her face. Fang seizes up as Samantha steps forward and wraps her in a tender hug. “Oh, it’s so good to see my little princess again,” the matriarch coos. “Why is Moe the only one that hasn’t called me ‘princess’ today?” Fang mutters quietly, returning the embrace. “It’s… good to see you, too.” “Naser and your father are going to be so happy to see you. Please, come in.” She releases Fang and steps to the side, and turns to me as Fang steps inside. I thought I sensed a hint of disdain from her, but she steps forward and throws her arms around me. “Thank you for keeping an eye on her,” she whispers. “I hope you enjoyed your little adventure together.” “I… yeah.” I take just a little too long to hug her back. “Come in, make yourself at home.” I follow her inside and she shuts the door. Well, that’s one down. She heads upstairs, leaving Fang and me in the living room. Who’s next? I take a few steps away, bracing myself against a piece of furniture. Whoever it is, Fang gets to go first. Not that I wouldn’t volunteer, of course, but she is the ptero of the hour. Heavier footsteps make their way down the staircase, and Ripley turns the corner. The last time she saw him, she had a loaded gun trained on him. How well has that wound healed? She tenses up, leaning away from him almost imperceptibly. He steps forward and pulls her close, the shock forcing out the sob she was holding back. Her arms hesitantly wrap around him, and she whispers something. They share a hushed exchange, then step apart. He turns towards me and… walks past me. He picks up a tissue box from the coffee table. As he steps next to me, he stops, placing a clawed hand on my shoulder. Where I expected a spike of pain, there was only a fatherly pat. “We’ll talk later,” he murmurs, taking the box to Fang. She dries her eyes with a tissue, and Naser comes down the stairs as if on schedule. As he spots Fang, it’s as if a weight is lifted from his shoulders. He breathes a sigh of relief as he finally hugs his sister. Knowing how much he was always trying to help, I can’t imagine what he’s been going through. Hell, what I was putting him through. As he steps away, he hits me with a death glare, and I can only hope those thoughts stayed in my head. “The hell is he still doing here?” Ripley asks, looking out one of the front windows. “Our luggage is in the trunk,” I answer. “And he didn’t- Nevermind. Come on, unless you fancy going back to that barren apartment for some reason.” He opens the door and we walk to Castle’s car, the trunk popping open as we reach it. We pull out the pair of suitcases and the guitar case, then slam it shut. “Got everything?” Castle shouts from the driver’s seat. “Yup,” Ripley shouts back. “Good. By the way, word of advice - next time, put them on a leash.” Ripley snarls and kicks, but the car lurches forward and drives off before his foot connects. “He’s just a dick to everyone, isn’t he?” I ask. “You don’t know the half of it.” We head back inside and up to the door to Fang’s room. He drops off his load and I carry it all in. I set the suitcases up on the bed and start unzipping them when I notice Fang sitting on the bed, staring off into space. “Hey, you alright?” I ask. Fang sighs. “It just… doesn’t feel real. A few days ago, I was sure I would never step foot in this city again. Now, I’m sitting in my own bed like nothing ever happened. But it all happened. We can’t just… pretend that it didn’t.” “And we’re not going to. Whatever happens going forward… It's going to take a while, and it certainly won’t be easy. But we’ll do it. And I’ll be with you every step of the way, alright?” “Honestly… I can’t believe you’re still here. I feel anyone sane would’ve ran a long time ago.” “You know why I’m still here?” “Because you’re insane?” Haha. You know the real answer, though. “It’s because I love you.” She tries to maintain her smirk, but it melts into a mirthful grin. “That’s what I said.” She lays her head on my shoulder. “I love you too.” We sit together for a few minutes, but all nice moments have to end sooner or later. “I’ve got a thing or two to take care of downstairs. I’ll be back when I can,” I say. She sighs, but nods in acknowledgement. “Try not to get killed.” I head downstairs, looking for a gray ptero. The house seems eerily quiet, and I hope it’s not a bad omen. I poke around, and eventually spot one on the back porch, leaning into the banister. I take a spot next to Ripley and quickly realize I have no idea where to begin. “I didn’t think it was appropriate to say over the phone, before all was said and done,” Ripley starts. “So, thank you. For sticking with her all this time.” I sigh in relief. This one doesn’t want me dead, thankfully. “I don’t think there are many that would have done the same, given the circumstances. It’s… nothing short of extraordinary. I think a man like you truly has a great future ahead.” “Thanks, that… thanks.” Would my dad have ever said the same? “The last time we talked face to face, you said something that… stuck with me. I’ve heard it every day since you said it, and I think it was at that moment that I realized how… out of my depth… I really was. ‘I'm the only reason she's still alive.’ Did you mean it?” I instinctively clench the banister as my mind is cast back to that fateful week. Naomi, Volcano High, Fang, Ripley… even myself. How closely did we each evade oblivion? Would she really have done it? Would the real her have won out if I wasn’t there? I respond with a slow, painful, and solemn nod. “Then, I… I don’t think I can ever thank you enough,” Ripley says after a long pause. “But by God, I will try. Till the day I die.” Having gotten what he wanted, Ripley turns away and heads back into the house. I stay outside for a bit longer to dwell on Naser. What the hell am I going to tell him? Ripley witnessed first-hand most of what happened, but not him. There’s no filling in the blanks or simple questions and answers. He’s going to want- to need to know everything. “Yeah, I am.” “Jesus, fuck!” Naser glares at me. Considering what I did, he’s justified in doing much worse. “You’ll regret asking.” “Dad said he was too scared to tell me what happened, so whatever it is, I know it’s going to be horrible. But there is no way I am letting you two go on alone. Not again. Spill.” Well… I guess it all started on prom night. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- END