fandomhigh | The Library 5/29

"Will do. I wasn't too worried about it, honestly," Anders replied. "Hey . . . what were you doing out in the woods to get attacked, anyway?"

"Not what I'm pretty sure you were doing," Isabel laughed. "I was just on my way back from Caritas. By myself!"

"Hey," Anders objected through a slightly blushy grin, "we weren't doing that!"

The 'yet' was unspoken, but pretty clear nonetheless.

"Bel said they got this frakker, though, right?"

Isabel shot him a look. "Only because you were interrupted."

"Radio said they did. And the clinic seems to have quieted down. So I think it's safe now."

"Interrupted is a very mild way of saying 'my boyfriend got stabbed through the chest,'" Anders remarked dryly. "So I've had my total share of trauma for the summer now, I think."

"Okay, yeah, I can see how that would be bad. No more trauma. And in a few more days we'll be back in the dorms," Isabel smiled. "Safe and private."

"And me banned from strenuous activity, now." Anders chuckled, a wry grin twisting his lips. "Figures. Oh, well. Met any interesting new kids, big sis?"

"That just means you have to lay back and enjoy yourself," she snickered. "Let someone else do all the work."

"And I have. Karal and Gavin, Jaina, my little sister. Johnny's amusing. There's a bunch of nice new people."

"Shame my back's what got sliced open then," drawled Anders. "My new little sib and her cousin have already pretty much taken me on as a Cause to Protect, which I can't complain about, and the few new people I've met so far are pretty cool. Can't complain."

He couldn't suppress a soft sigh. "Still not the same without certain people around, but we'll manage, huh?"

"No, not the same at all," Isabel sighed. "At least I can talk to Parker. Jack's just gone."

His conversations from earlier that day just had to come back to him now, didn't they? What if . . . no, not thinking about that -- Anders reached over to hug her again, instead.

"And it's just not the same, over the phone. I miss her actually being able to thwap me in the head, instead of just ranting at me."

Isabel leaned into the hug gratefully. "I miss sharing chocolate. And rolling our eyes together at some bit of stupidity."

"She'll be coming back at least," Anders said. "For visits and stuff. Right? Big sis, we gotta figure out how to stop people from leaving. Like . . . before the summer is over."

"Yeah, wouldn't it be great if we could." She swallowed hard, realizing she hadn't told Anders she was planning on leaving in August.

"Big sis?" Anders asked tentatively. "You okay?"

Yeah," Isabel said quietly. "It's just, if I can figure out a way, I'll be heading back to Antar in August."

Anders looked at her like he'd just been punched in the gut. "Oh, hell . . . not you, too."

She looked down and bit her lip. "I'm sorry. But I have to get back to my brother and Michael. They need me."

Anders laughed shakily, and there was a note in his voice that, with a little more intensity behind it, could have been hysteria. "Who's gonna keep an eye out for me if both you and Parker are gone, then?"

"You'll be okay," Isabel said simply. "You're tougher then you give yourself credit for."

"I'm trying to believe it. But it's a little rough for morale when I have to keep saying goodbye to people I care about." He rubbed at his eyes quickly but furiously, trying to stave off any tears that might be threatening.

"I'm sorry. I don't like the idea either," she said, leaning against the counter. "But it's Max and Michael. And if I don't find my way back to them. They won't have a clue about what happened to me. And they're going to assume the worse." That more then likely somehow Kivar had gotten her again. "I can't do that to them."

"I understand." Anders shut his eyes tightly and drew a deep breath before looking at her as levelly as he could manage. "I don't like it, but I understand. And eventually I'll get the understanding to get the edge over the not-liking-it, I swear."

"Honestly? I hate the idea of going back there so much that I've just been not thinking about it. It's fun out on the River Denial," Isabel shrugged, not quite meeting his gaze.

Anders honestly had no idea there was a pun there; he just thought 'the River Denial' was a figure of speech. "Tell me about it. Wanna come party on my houseboat out there?"

The Library 5/29

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