Things were better after that. It was... boring I guess. But being bored is better than being raped. I walked for hours upon hours, still seeming to get nowhere. I was starting to believe I was truly lost. My stomach felt like it was starting to digest itself, which I hoped it wasn't, but I wouldn't be surprised. The only time I had something to drink was when it rained. I'd walk down the road, with my mouth open at the sky like a complete idiot. It worked a little though, and I kept myself from dehydrating.

It was three whole days before I got close to home. But I was so hungry and tired and hurting that I couldn't even bring myself to be happy. I stumbled on the sidewalk, just two blocks from the apartment. Then my body just couldn't take it anymore and I passed out.

***

I woke up, and my head was killing me. I rolled over on the sidewalk, only to see that it wasn't a sidewalk. I jolted all the way awake, hyperventilating.

I was home!

I jumped up from the couch, looking around. No one was here.

"Hello?" I called. I heard something from down tha hall. Carmine ran in, looking shocked.

"Harley! You're ok!" He ran over, and swooped me up into a giant 곰 hug. "I thought 당신 were dead 또는 something!"

"How the hell did I get here?" I asked. He laughed.

"Mrs. Jenson, the woman down the street, saw 당신 passed out on the sidewalk. She came and got me, and I brought 당신 here."

"Where's Nikolai?" I asked.

"Grocery shopping. He'll be in for a big surprise when he sees 당신 here."

"That reminds me," I said. I smacked my palm upside his skull, making a loud thud. "That's for not coming to get me!" Carmine sighed.

"I guess I deserved that..."

"You deserved much 더 많이 than that, mister." Just then, Nikolai walked in. He was holding three bags of groceries. They fell to the ground, apples and oranges and what not rolling across the floor.

"Harley...?" he whispered. He stood there 겨울왕국 in the doorway. I ran over to him and gave him a giant hug.

"Nikolai! I missed you!" I was actually crying. He hugged me close, and kissed my forehead.

"Harley! What are you...? How'd you...?" he was at 로스트 for words. So was I, frankly. Then Nikolai frowned. "Harley, do 당신 know how much trouble we're going to be in if they find out you're here?" I frowned and took a step back.

"So don't tell them," I said dully. "I just got here and 당신 want me gone already?" Maybe Felicity was right.

"No, I just... I don't want anyone else getting in trouble around here..."

"Nikolai, Reed didn't do it. Someone else killed Dalton."

"You don't know that," Nikolai sighed.

"Yes. I do," I insisted.

"No, 당신 don't," Nikolai said sternly. I clenched my teeth.

"Let's not talk about this now, ok?" Carmine interrupted. "Harley, 당신 look awful. Why don't 당신 go take a shower, and I'll get 당신 something to eat?" I sighed, but went to the bathroom for a long hot shower.

***

I ate a lot; considering I hadn't eaten barely anything since I'd left Gail's. The thought of her saddened me, which also surprised me. Sure, she was annoying, and rude sometimes, but she was the closest thing I'd ever had to a mom.

And thinking about Gail reminded me of my sisters. Ok, they weren't really my sisters, but again, they were the closest things I'd ever had to sisters. I missed them. I could talk about anything with them. With Nikolai, Carmine, and even Reed, there was that boundary, because they're guys. They just don't think like I do sometimes. It's hard for us to understand each other sometimes. With Scout, and sometimes Aspen, she just gets it.

"So, what was the foster 집 like?" Carmine asked. He sounded kind of worried, like he thought I liked it better there than I do here. Did I?

"Well, the woman there was named Gail. She was nice. And there was a girl my age there that I shared a room with. Her name's Scout. Then there's a little girl named Aspen, and another little girl named Jezebel. There's a baby girl named Bride... And Gail has a German Shepherd named Sky. She hated me at first, but then she was nicer." Carmine nodded.

"Geez.... All girls. That musta been annoying," Nikolai said. I frowned. Is that what he thought of me? That I was annoying? He got up and went to go watch TV. Carmine noticed, and smiled at me sympathetically.

"Don't mind him," he whispered. I shook it off.

"So. Are we gonna go find whoever did kill Dalton?" I asked. Nikolai pursed his lips; he was still sure that Reed was the one that killed him. Carmine shook his head.

"Just rest today. We can go tomorrow 또는 something." I groaned. It was late though.... I went to my room, which I hadn't seen in almost three months, and went to sleep. That night, I had a terrible dream.

I dreamt that we did get Reed out of jail, only he wasn't the same. He was... changed. He wasn't nice anymore, he was 더 많이 like Nikolai, in the moody way. Then he was in the kitchen, when he grabbed a butcher 칼, 나이프 off the counter. He stabbed Nikolai in the heart, then ran after Carmine. I locked myself in the bathroom, leaning against the door. I cried and cried as I heard Carmine scream. Then Reed threw himself against the door, trying to get it open.

I screamed as I woke. I sat up on my futon. I looked around my dark room, but everything was still. No one was there. I sighed a breath of relief, and laid awake for the rest of the night.