They pulled up to Kar's house and Aria hopped off the bike.

Uncle Press was right behind her as she ambled up to the neat blue and white trimmed house. The front yard was full of daffodils and crocuses and a wide variety of other plants, most of which Aria did not know the names of. There were mandarin trees lining the right side of the yard and pomegranate trees lining the left which she, Kar, and Tommy plucked regularly when they were ripe. Only the mandarins were at the moment, but the pomegranates were in bloom and would be fruiting within a few months.

She walked up the cracked concrete walkway to the front door, over which hung an iron horseshoe, and knocked out shave and a haircut.

At once she heard the light pounding of feet on the second floor. The sound traveled from the back of the house, down the stairs, and flew down the hall towards them. The door slammed against its frame as the person on the other side tried to throw it open without realizing it was locked. There were a few clicks, then the door flew open – about two inches. The chain was still on.

A screech of frustration. The door closed, the chain was unlatched, and the door whipped open proper.

Despite how impatient she was to see her parents, Aria grinned when she saw her best friend. Kar was as short as she was with long, lanky brown hair drawn always into a ponytail, and wide, bulging black eyes. Her face was thin and gaunt, though not pale. She usually dressed in bright greens, purples, and browns, and always carried a huge backpack with her no matter where she went. In the backpack Aria knew were several things that would be useful in a wide range of preternatural emergencies. Rock salt, holy water, and a slingshot with silver and iron ball bearings were only the basics. Also present was a case with about two dozen herbs, some quite rare (and a few illegal), all with different applications. There was a lot more besides, but those were the staples.

Aria, still smiling, held out her arms for a hug.

Kar reached into a large front pouch on her sweater, pulled out a half-liter water bottle, twisted off the lid and splashed the contents in Aria's face.

Aria blinked the holy water out of her eyes and, still smiling, said, "Not a demon, Kar. Just me."

Kar grinned and went, "Whoo! Awesome! Hold on."

Then she slung her backpack off her back, reached in, pulled out another water bottle, twisted off the cap, and flung this past Aria. She turned around to see her uncle wiping holy water out of his eyes.

He shook it off and said, "Hi, Kar. Nice to see you, too. I take it you got the ring?"

Acting as though nothing she'd just done was the least bit out of the ordinary she said, "Yup! Right here!"

She held out her hand. On it was a Traveler's ring.

Aria felt relieved. "So, you've been getting my journals?"

Kar nodded furiously. "Yeah! Come in!" Then she turned around and shouted at the top of her lungs, "TOMMY! ARIA'S BACK!"

There was a considerably louder pounding of feet on the floor upstairs. Kar explained, "He was taking a nap on the hammock. It's been a pretty hectic week."

Uncle Press nodded. "Yeah, I'll bet. Hey, Tommy," he said as Aria's other best friend appeared around the corner.

He gawked at them for a moment before splitting into a wide smile. "Aria! Mr. Tilton! You're back! We were scared out of our wits!"

Aria snorted. Tommy was very polite to the people he respected, and her uncle about topped the list. Hence, 'Mr. Tilton'. Tommy ran over and was about to wrap Aria in a huge hug when he looked down at her waist and stopped short. Aria glanced down and saw that the blood had soaked through the shirt and jacket.

Dang. She'd liked that jacket.

Without another word he turned around, dashed into the kitchen, and started rummaging around. Kar stepped back to let them inside.

Her best friend immediately began a rapid-fire deluge of questions about whether she was alright, how badly injured she was, exactly how scary on a scale of one to ten Saint Dane was (eleven), all of which Aria answered to the best of her ability. By the time she stepped into the kitchen Tommy had already gathered up all the first-aid supplies, which were arranged neatly on the counter.

Press nodded at him, clearly impressed. "Thanks, Tommy. On top of things, as always."

Tommy was big on outdoorsy stuff. Camping, fishing, hunting, you name it, Tommy loved it. Because so many of the things he did included a certain level of risk, his first-aid training was just as extensive as Aria's – and she knew more than most adults.

"Okay, let me see," Tommy said. Aria lifted her shirt up and tucked it under her bra, exposing the wound. Tommy frowned at it. "Ew. That looks like it hurt. You got that from Saint Dane, right? Saving that girl? Jani?"

Aria, resolutely refusing to look at the wound, answered, "Yeah. I got it…uhhh…three days ago? Four? Just a shallow knife wound."

Kar said, "Yeah, we know! We got the journals! All of them! What happened since the last one?"

Aria winced. "I'll tell you guys about it later. Right now, I'm really hungry. And thirsty. And in pain. I hate to be a bother, but could I get…?"

Kar didn't allow her to finish before shouting, "Water, snack, drugs! On it!"

She ran around the kitchen rounding everything up as Tommy started cleaning the injury. All Kar had in her house was iodine, which hurt like the dickens, but the sting was better than an infection. She tried not to wince too much as he dabbed at the wound.

Uncle Press sat down on one of the barstools they always had in their kitchen and started chatting casually with Tommy. "So, Tommy, you're learning archery, aren't you? How's that going?"

Not looking up from the wound, he said, "Great. Got a boar last week. Ran pretty far, though. Heavy. Had to lug it back to the truck. Think I'll stick with guns."

Tommy was big for fifteen. Like, really big. Better than six feet tall and possibly still growing. He was a bit overweight, which made him look like a total juggernaut, but he was also extremely gentle and surprisingly well-coordinated. People kept trying to get him to try out for the football team, but he honestly lacked the aggression for it. He just didn't like confrontation. He had bright blue eyes that, unlike a certain diabolical demon's, were usually warm and friendly. A smooth, round face, a short mat of messy, brownish-blonde hair, and a calm, nearly drowsy demeanor negated any air of intimidation his size might otherwise have conveyed to him.

A lot of people called him a cow. Aria always reminded him that they just hadn't seen the horns.

Kar deposited a tall glass of water, a 500 milligram Ibuprofen, and a big bag of Cheetos on the counter. Aria's eyes widened when she saw the Cheetos, and she immediately ripped the bag open and started crunching them down. As much as she was looking forward to a real meal when she got home, she wouldn't say no to a snack. Sweet, sweet junk food.

Tommy superglued the wound closed while Aria was indulging, tidied everything up, then put the rest of the supplies away. "Okay, that ought to hold, but try not to overexert yourself for a few days. Maybe a week."

"Thanks Tommy," Aria mumble gratefully through a mouthful of delicious, Cheeto-ie goodness. "You're a lifesaver."

"Don't mention it. So…" he said cautiously, "How are you holding up?"

Aria shrugged. "I'm okay. It's been pretty rough. You've been reading my journals, too?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Kar came to get me as soon as she got the first one. But we don't know what happened after that town hall meeting."

Realizing that it would take a while to go over everything and answer their questions, she summarized. "Well, we won, Saint Dane took off to some place called Eelong, and Uncle Press and I came back here. Maybe I can give you guys the details over lunch tomorrow or something. For now, I really want to get home. I bet mom and dad are freaked."

She jumped at the sound of shattering glass. Kar had been pouring her a cup of mandarin juice from a pitcher in the refrigerator, and it had slipped out of her hand. Aria jumped up to help. "Oh, yuck, that'll attract every ant from here to San Francisco. Let me help."

The room was oddly still and silent as she grabbed a dishrag and started wiping the juice up. When she stood to wring the rag out in the sink, she saw that both Kar and Tommy were staring at Uncle Press, looking very strange. Press was staring out the window, watching a hummingbird hover around a feeder.

The scene looked strangely ominous. Kar leapt into action and said, "Uh, here, I can do it, you sit down."

Tommy concurred. "Yeah, here, I'll take that." He plucked the rag out of her hand. "You just chill out."

Aria watched them clean up the juice. Something wasn't right. Why hadn't Tommy and Kar mentioned anything about her parents? They'd probably have talked at least once about her disappearance, given how close their families were. And why hadn't Uncle Press wanted her to go home first? Why did he keep getting this odd look in his eye every time she mentioned it?

Without saying anything she reached over to the handset on Kar's table and punched in her home phone.

Uncle Press looked back just in time to see her holding the telephone to her ear. His eyes widened in surprise and he reached for it, saying, "Hold up, Aria. We need to–"

She wasn't listening to him. She was listening to the tone that had played upon entering the number. She pressed speaker phone just in time for the room to hear,

-umber you have reached is not in service. Please hang up and try again.

Her stomach was churning. Something wasn't right.

She got up and made for the door. Uncle Press followed behind her saying, "Aria, slow down."

She didn't turn around or answer him. She made her way out to the front yard, down the walkway, and to the bike. Her heart was hammering. She stood next to it and crossed her arms. "Are you going to give me a ride, or am I walking?" She demanded. It was only a mile between her house and Kar's. A bit of a pain with her injury, maybe, but not an issue just then.

He stopped and looked down at her. His jaw was clenched and he looked upset. Not angry, not at all, but certainly not happy.

He sighed deeply. "Yes, alright. I was hoping for more of a reprieve, but I guess this can't wait. Let's go."

Aria felt cold as they hopped on the bike and started down the street. They zipped past familiar homes and landmarks, all sleepy and still in the Sunday afternoon. They passed the dog park that was halfway between her house and Kar's, and Aria saw several dogs she recognized with their owners. Normally she might insist they stop to play with them. At that moment her mind was so far from normalcy that she didn't even acknowledge their owners with a wave.

It didn't take long for them to reach the street her house was on.

They pulled up to an empty lot, and Aria stepped off the bike.

She stood, staring at the giant patch of dirt where her house used to be. Where her parents used to be. Her cat, Loki. The family goldfish, Goby and Obadiah. Her room. Her bed. Her books and blankets. Her life.

She didn't feel anything. She just stood there. And stared.

Her legs felt weak. She sat down. Or rather, collapsed. Her knees just gave out. She felt herself start to shiver in the warm spring sunlight.

Her uncle walked up beside her and sat down. He didn't say anything.

She wasn't sure how long she stared at that empty lot before she asked, dully, "Where are mom and dad?"

Press said, "They're where they need to be."

"Where?"

"Not here," he said calmly.

"Where?" She asked again. She looked over at him, starting to feel sick.

He was watching her, and she saw a lot of the hurt she was starting to feel reflected in his eyes. He reached for her shoulder, but withdrew when she flinched involuntarily away. She didn't want to be touched right now. She didn't want to be comforted. She just wanted to know where her parents were.

He took a deep breath and said, "Aria, your parents have always been here for you. That's where they needed to be, to raise you and make sure you became the person you needed to be. The person you are today. But you're on a new chapter of your life now, and they don't need to be here for it. They can't be here for it. So, they're gone."

She shook her head. "No. I need them. I still need them. I need my home. Where is it? Where did my home go? Uncle Press?"

Her voice was fragile and pleading, but her uncle – the uncle who had always pulled through for her, had always shown up for her, had always come to the rescue – had no help to offer. All he could say was, "I'm sorry, Aria. This is the way it was meant to be."

She got shakily to her feet and walked to the edge of the lot. She couldn't step on it, couldn't bear to bring her feet down on the barren dirt that used to be her home. It was all gone. The house, the pond in her backyard, her mom's garden, all gone. She said, "No. I can't do this. I can't…I just wanted to come home. Where is my home?"

He opened his mouth to reply and she screamed, "Where is my home?"

He stood up and walked over to her. A hot flood of tears had sprung up suddenly, and she was blind. She didn't bother to wipe them away. She didn't want to see what was in front of her any more. She couldn't look at it.

She cried. She brought her palms up to her eyes and clenched her teeth and tried to force the all the panic bubbling up in her back down, but it wouldn't stay and it came whistling up through her throat like steam through a narrow spout.

She felt Uncle Press grab her, turn her around, and pull her close. It felt less like a hug and more like he was holding her together to keep her from falling apart. She buried her face in his chest and screamed. And she took a deep breath and screamed again. And again. And again, and again, until her throat was raw and she couldn't manage the breath anymore.

Once she was done she stepped back and gasped for breath. He kept hold of her shoulders. Once she was coherent enough to speak she said, "What now? Where do I go? I don't understand."

Press' response was short and simple. "Eelong."

She looked up at him, wiped the tears away so she could see, and said, "Eelong? That place Saint Dane went?"

He nodded. "Saint Dane goes from territory to territory wreaking havoc. We stopped him on Denduron, but we still have a ways to go."

She shook her head. "I can't do this. I'm not ready for this."

His grip on her shoulder tightened, and he looked at her with a gaze sharper than she'd even seen. "Yes, you can. And yes, you are. You're more ready for this than you could possibly know. You want proof? Look at Denduron."

She looked at him desperately. "I don't want to. I don't want to do this. I want my mom and dad back. Why can't I have them back?"

He said, "Because you don't need them anymore. I know it hurts. Trust me, I know. But the fact is, you're needed elsewhere. Right now. I know you don't want this responsibility, but you have it anyways. How are you going to handle it?"

A scrub jay landed on the sidewalk a little ways away from them. She stared at it blankly for a while. She didn't feel ready to answer that question, but she asked, "I don't have to do it alone, right? You'll be with me?"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a half hug. "Yup. And not just me. There aren't a lot of us Travelers, but every one of them will be there for you when you need them."

"Like Tarek?"

"Like Tarek."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Her home was gone. Her family was gone. All she had left was Uncle Press.

And a job.

She looked up at him and asked, one more time, "Where are mom and dad?"

This time she wasn't asking because she wanted to find them. She just needed to know they were alright.

Uncle Press seemed to sense the change in intention behind the question. "They're fine. They're somewhere safe. And you'll see them again."

A knot of tension loosened in her chest. Just a bit. "Promise?"

"Promise."

She nodded. "Okay. Eelong, then."

He nodded back. "Eelong."

He made for the bike. As they hopped on she said, "But not before I get a shower at Kar's first. Seriously, I'm not going to any more territories without a shower."

"Eh…okay. Fair enough. Shower first, then Eelong."

He revved the bike and they took off towards Kar's house.


They pulled back in front of the little blue house and went back up to the door. As soon as she stepped inside she was reminded that she hadn't lost her entire family – she still had Kar and Tommy. Kar ran up to her, grabbed her, and steered her into the living room onto the sofa while completely ignoring her uncle's protests that they were only there for a quick shower before hitting the road again.

Tommy also ignored him, which was very uncharacteristic for him. Instead he squeezed right by Press and held out a white plastic bag with a bowl-shaped object inside. Unless she was mistaken…

"Poké?" She asked.

Kar nodded. "Tommy ordered with Door Dash. Just got here a minute before you did. And here," she said, and handed Aria a tall cold of freshly squeezed, iced mandarin juice. Her favorite food and her favorite drink.

If Aria hadn't exhausted all her tears about five minutes ago, she'd have started crying again. She knew it would be impossible for her to live here – Kar's parents weren't rich or generous enough to support her, and neither were Tommy's – but it was an incredible relief to know that there was at least one place she could always come back to if she needed a place to stay for the night.

"Like Kren's inn," she hiccupped.

"Huh?" Kar said. "Like what?"

"Kren's inn," she clarified. "It's just good to know that I have at least one place to come back to if everything else goes wrong. One of the things that happened before I got back was I tried to give Kren a tip…"

It soothed her a fair bit to talk, and before long she, Kar, and Tommy were all crashed on the couch together going over her last few adventures. Aria told them about her last confrontation with Saint Dane and answered all of their questions between bites of fish and sips of mandarin juice. Just being with them helped her more than she would have thought possible.

Once he realized that they were going to be there a little longer than a shower's length, Uncle Press gave up and decided to sprawl out on the recliner and catch a short nap.

She looked over at him and got the feeling that, despite his relaxed demeanor, he was anxious to get going. She felt safe and content nestled on the couch between her two best friends, but she was already getting the sense that she wasn't where she needed to be.

Still, she would take advantage of the little bubble of comfort for a while longer. Just a while.

Then…off to Eelong.