The big city.

"I hope so," Sable said quietly. "I really do."
~~~~~
"You? Sad?" Elliot demanded. "Stop lying."

Then she remembered what he had said before. Jack, was it? His old self? She could still hardly believe it.

Jade layed back, on the bed.

~~
Jake frowned. "What reason would I have to lie?"

*****1 WEEK LATER********
Raven had been acting just as strange. She hadn't said more than two words at a time, and refused to look anyone in the eyes. She was being so unlike her normal, happy self. Right now she was out back of James' house, picking the petals off a flower absentmindedly.

Sable had noticed the change in her, and it worried him more and more with each passing day. He was outside, watching her, but she didn't even seem to notice he was there. She was off in her own little world, staring at the flower she held in her hand intently.
~~~~~~~~~
Lenora had been worried about Sable and Raven. She still didn't know what had happened. But she was also so happy about James and Aice getting back together. Right now she was on the front porch, sitting with her chin resting in her hands.
~~~~~~
Brianna was in her room, reading her book of fairy tales she had received from James for her birthday. She was so happy, happier than she had been in a while. Ivy saw this, and frowned.
~~~~~~
Elliot hadn't seen Tyler that whole week. She was in the Dark Caverns, looking sad again as she sat in Jake's cavern. Thankfully, though, she hadn't seen Andrew, either.
~~~~~
Miserable wasn't even the word to describe how Ava was feeling right now. She couldn't even begin to describe what she was feeling. Pathetic. Horrible. Like she wanted to die, if she wasn't already dead.

She was walking next to Nick, Angel and Demon held tightly in her arms. They had begun to talk again, probably the result of being away from Blake for so long. They kept telling her to go back.

"I can't," she whispered. Nick looked at her.

"Can't what, love?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Nothing, nothing," she said quickly, looking away.

They were long gone, in another town and still walking.

Mary glared at Lance, Lance glared back. He wanted to know wher Blake was. He had suddenlt disappered and this lady started to keep an eye him.

~~
Jade was up in the room. Her heart was hurting, the whispbers were starting again. Aden lied, it had only been one week.

~~
Dust was sitting next to her. When Dawn appered.

~~
Jake sighed. "Tell me girl, why do you love Tyller?"

Ashlyn was in her room. She couldn't believe she had allowed Mason to stay as long as she had. She was sitting on her bed, a book in her lap, open but she wasn't reading it. Ether was whispering to her, and Ashlyn was listening.
~~~~~~
Lenora looked up when Dawn appeared. She immediatly tensed up, but decided to be polite. After all, she hadn't seen her in months.

"Hello, Dawn," She said simply, forcing a smile at her. "How have you been?"
~~~~~
Melody appeared next to Mary. She looked at Lance, smiling broadly. Then back at Mary.

"You ditched me!!" She accused, thouggh she was still smiling.
~~~~~~
Sable sat down next to Raven. She still didn't seem to notice, picking away at the flower more and more.
~~~~~~
Elliot looked up at Jake in surprise when he spoke.

"Why do I love him?" She repeated. "Because....." She said. "Because he was always there for me. He was my best friend. He never left me, and was there when I needed him. He comforted me when I cried, cheered me up when I was sad, and never left my side."
~~~~~~~
Ava couldn't believe this. She wanted to go back. But she coudn't. She knew that.

She wished there were someone who could do something about this.

Mason was sitting in a coner, nodding off.

~~
"I been fine, thank-you Dawn." She said with a smile, she sat next to Dust. "Hello brother."

~~
"Yes about a week ago." Mary said dully.

~~
"And why does he love you?" JAke asked.

~~
Josh appered next to Ivy.

Lenora immediatly tensed up again when she sat down next to Dust, but she didn't say anything.
~~~~~~
Ashlyn suddenly threw her book at Mason's head.

"You don't talk much, do you?" She said simply, not really requiring an answer.
~~~~~
Melody pouted.
~~~~~
"That's a good question," Elliot said quietly. "I don't know."
~~~~~
Ivy looked at Josh, seeming somewhat annoyed. Brianna was still reading her book, and didn't notice him.

"Do you want me to talk?" Mason asked.

~~
"Why did you love Blake?" Jake asked. "When Tyler loved you all along?"

~~
Lance glared at Melody.

~~
Josh smiled. "I missed you, love."

Ashlyn shrugged.

"Not really," She said, and walked over to him to retrieve her book.
~~~~~
Elliot frowned, and stood up, suddenly angry.

"Since when did you get such an interest in my love life??" She demanded.
~~~~~
Melody didn't seem to notice his glare. She smiled at him.

"So you're Blake's charge," She said.
~~~~~~
Ivy glared at him.

"I'm not your love," She snapped, invisible to Brianna now. Brianna kept reading.
~~~~~
Ava suddenly stopped walking. Nick looked at her.

"I can't do this," She said quietly. Nick smiled.

"You know what will happen if you don't," He said.

Ava flinched, but didn't move.

He picked up the book before she could take. "What are you reading?" He asked.

~~
"I just want to know, why you would love someone, who has such an easliy broken heart." Jake said, laguhing. Oh yes he knew where Blake was.

~~
"Yes," Lance said. "And I want to know where he is!"

~~
"Not yet." Josh said kissing her forehead.

Aline looked like she wanted to puke.

Melody sighed.

"I don't know," She said.
~~~~~~
Ivy glared at him, stepping back.

"And never will be," she mumbled, wiping off her forehead with her sleeve and frowning.
~~~~~~
Elliot winced.

"Where is he, anyways?" She asked quietly.
~~~~~~
"A book," Ashlyn said sarcastically. "Now give it back."

It was actually The Shining by Stephen King. She loved horror novels.

Lance folded his arms. "Why are you here?"

~~
Josh frowned. "But I loved you for so long."

~~
Jake touched her arm and she disappered.

She reappered in a park, sitting in a huge oak tree was blake, He was looking down at the river that ran through the park. It was the same river he used to push Cora in when they were kidding, but now most of the trees were gone, and kids were swiming in it.

~~
Mason smriked, abou to open his mouth to tell her how it ended once he saw the title.

Ashlyn glared at him.

"Do it, and I'll kill you."

It was hard to tell if she was kidding or not.
~~~~~~
"'Cause Mary's here," Melody said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
~~~~~~
Elliot frowned when she saw Blake.

She sat down next to him, gathering her skirt up under her.

She half-smiled at him.

"Hey," She said quietly.
~~~~~~
"That makes one of us," Ivy mumbled.
~~~~~
Ava had given up. No one could help her.

Mason frowned, and handed her the book.

~~
Lance looked at Mary. "I suddenly feel sorry for you."

"Thaks." Marys said glareing at him.

~~
Blake looked up at her. "Elliot . . ."

She was his best freind, and he felt as if he could tell her anything. "I-" He was sobing. "I'm weak, and foolish! I'm so easily betrayed, or rather tricked!" He cried, he didn't know why he was leting her see him like this. "So easily broken!"

He buried his face in his hands. "But no matter how hard I try I can't hate her for what she had done to me! I say she is the worst, but I can't bring myself to hate her! No matter what I do!" He looked at her. "She hates me, and I desvere it! She was right, I do desevre to be alone!" He burried his face in his hands again. "She lied to me, she made me happy and truned around and broke me, and broke her promise." He shock his head. "Her were empty, and I thought she really cared for me! I'm a fool, a moron!" He cried. "I want to hate her, yet I still care for her."

Ashlyn took the book and went back to her window. Her stomach growled, and she looked at Mason.
~~~~~
Melody pouted again.
~~~~~
Elliot listned closely. She woudn't judge him. No, he was her best friend.

When he was done, she sighed.

"I don't know who you're talking about, but she's a fool if she can't see the good in you," She said quietly. She hated to see him cry. "You don't deserve to be alone," She whispered, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You never did, and you still don't."

She sighed.

"Why did this happen?" She asked softly.

Dawn and Dust were Talking, like siblings.

~~
"But in the end, aren't I alway alone?" Blake said. "I don't know." He said when she ask why this happened. "I miss Av." He looked down at the ground. "It's not fair!" He said nearly yelling, "Why can Cora find love so great she is willing to marry an ex-demon, when not preson I care about care for me?" He asked.

~~
Mason closed his eyes.

Elliot sighed. She wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Blake," She said quietly. In her mind, she could somehow sense where Ava was. She didn't understand what was going on, but she intended to. A moment later she stood up.

"I'll be back," She said qiuetly, and disappeared. When she reappeard she was in front of Ava. Nick was ivnisble to her.

"What's wrong with you??!" She demanded of Ava. Ava jumped.

"Who are yo---" She started, but Elliot cut her off.

"Why would you give up someone as great as Blake?! No, why would you /trick/ him?!?!" Elliot demanded.

"I---" Ava began, but was cut off again.

"I don't care what your excuses are!!" She shouted. "He's been through so much!!" She shouted. "I just talked to him, and I don't know who you are exactly, but its obvious he cares for you!!" She shouted. "Why would you do that to him?!?!"

Ava opened her mouth to speak, when Nick became visible to her.

Elliot frowned.

"And who is he?" She demanded. Nick smiled and stepped in front of Ava.

"Oh, /he's/ the one you left Blake for??!" Elliot demanded, obvoiusly fuirious.

"No, I---" Ava started, but this time Nick cut her off.

"I made her leave," he said. "I told her if she didn't, I would put Blake into a never-ending sleep."

Elliot was ticked.

"Why?!" She demanded.

"Because I love her," he said simply. He smiled, knowing she could do nothing about it. Ava looked at Elliot, pleading for some sort of help with her eyes.

Elliot soon understood, and looked at Nick.

"You won't leave her alone, am I right?" She asked. "You forced her to go with you, though she doesn't return your feelings?" She asked, her voice level and calm again. He just nodded.

"Yes, and what do you plan to do about it?" He asked.

Elliot sighed. "This," She said, and stepped forward, pressing her lips against his.

Ava's eyes widned and she stumbled back. What was she doing?!

Elliot was taking all his feeling for Ava, and replacing them with....nothingness. When she finally pulled back a few moments later, Nick looked confused. He looked at Ava, then disappeared without another word.

"What did youjust do??" Ava asked.

Elliot smiled slightly. "I changed his emotions. He shouldn't be bothering you again," Elliot said. She didn't say that her power could wear off eventually.
~~~~~~~~~
Lenora smiled slightly as she listened to them, glad that Dawn wasn't trying anything weird again.
~~~~~~~~~
"Want to go get something to eat?" Ashlyn asked suddenly, looking over at him. It was around dinner time.

Blake didn't hear her, but he managed to stop cring, his face still buried in his hands.

~~
Mason nodded, he wasn't going to stay anything, but he been hurngy for the past hour.

~~
Dawn smiled. "I have to go, I love you Dust," It seemed sisterly, and she disappered.

Lenora smiled slightly.
~~~~
Ashlyn grabbed some of her money and stood up, grabbing a jacket and slipping it on, even though she was already wearing long sleeves.

"Let's go, then," She said.
~~~~
Elliot and Ava talked for a moment. Ava recognized her now from Blake's memories.

After a few minutes Ava, not Elliot, appeared next to Blake. She couldn't find any words to say, so she just sat next to him. Elliot appeared behind them, smling slightly.

Dust smiled at her. "I don't know if I sould be happy, or worried."

~~
Mason stood up and put his jacket on, and followed.

~~
Blake didn't relize Ava was next to him, he had fallen asleep, cring.

Lenora laughed slightly.

"Probably happy," She decided.
~~~~~
Elliot sighed, and touched both of them. In a moment they were in the room Ava had stayed in before. Elliot layed Blake on the bed, then smiled at Ava.

"Take good care of him," She said quietly, before disappearing.
~~~~
"There's a pizza place down the street," Ashlyn said. Mostly all she ate was pizza. She walked out of her room and to the front door, opening it.

"Yes, but still, I wonder what happened." Dust said smileing.

~~
Blake insantly curled up into a ball.

~~
Mason nodded. He really didn't cae, pizza was better then nothing, and better then the heatlhy rood his mom made him eat when he was still there. Mason followed with a word.

Lenora shrugged, but was still smiling.

"I don't know," she said.
~~~~~
Ashlyn walked out the door and down the stairs, stepping out the front door and holding it open for him.
~~~~
Ava felt horrible.

Even if it was Blake's fault, some of the things she had said were unforgivable. Like that he deserved to be alone, or that she could see why Suki chose Jake over him.

No...she couldn't. She brushed a strand of red hair out of his face, letting out a small sigh.

"Well I want to know." He said, "I kinda like her like this, It's like she's my sister again."

~~
Mason followed and nodded his thanks.

~~
Blake sighed and his sleep. "Don't touch me." He mumbled.

Ava immediatly pulled her hand back. That hurt, but she couldn't blame him. Of course she couldn't. She woudln't blame him if he coudl never forgive her, even though she had never wanted to say some of the things she had.

"Blake?" She said. "It's me, Ava," She whispered.
~~~~~~~
"Yeah..." Lenora said quietly. "You could always ask her?"
~~~~~~~
Ashlyn nodded and walked down the sidewalk, and a few minutes later they were in front of a pizza place. She walked inside.