Note: Holy geez, I had some extreme writer's block on this one. The next one will be easier, I already have it planned out. Leave a comment or don't, and have a great day.

The days passed by without much trouble or strife. Every day, Eve would wake up with new vim and vigor and go about her day. The routine was a very simple one but it gave her plenty of time to do…just about whatever else she needed to do. Study new farming tips and tricks at the library, fish at the beach with Willy, look for things to sell or take to the community center. As long as she stayed out of the way of the Joja people, she felt safe. Secure. Even happy. She'd also finally gotten in contact with the therapist Harvey had mentioned and Miso had his appointment to be fixed. She spent a good bit of her time caring for the heavily medicated cat and even purchased some new cat things to adorn the cabin. The new sense of normal finally felt like it was taking root. And Eve was enjoying every second of it.

On a particularly rainy day, Eve had finished the chores quickly because of the rain and started to look for things to sell in the forest. She remembered the spring onions that she had picked earlier in the season and went back there to look. She found the onions had regrown and though they didn't sell for much, it was better than nothing. After picking the last one, she looked toward the cliffs and found a peculiar object resting near them. She trotted over and found that someone had either dropped or lost an ax. She picked it up and thought back for a moment.

"Wait…an ax…" it took her a few seconds to remember before it finally came to her. "Robin! She did say she'd lost an ax in the forest. This has to be hers!" Eve secured the ax to her bag and was about to leave when she heard voices nearby.

"Ew…it smells…" a girl's voice mentioned. Eve perked up. It was coming from a southern part of the cliffside. Eve walked down there and found Vincent and Jas were standing in front of a huge grate that was leaking sewage. Eve cringed as the smell reached her. It did indeed smell. She watched carefully, making sure that neither of the kids was hurt. Vincent jumped and started to pull on the grates of the sewer tunnel, but to no avail. He looked disappointed.

"Why is it locked? I wanna explore the tunnels!" he exclaimed as he kicked the grate another time in frustration. "It's not fair." He added as he was looking further down the tunnel. Jas looked at the tunnel and then at him.

"I think Gunther has the key." She remarked back to him. "Why don't you ask him?" Vincent looked over at Jas with a confused look.

"Professor Gunther? The guy who runs the museum? Why do you think he has it?" Jas shrugged as she looked back at Vincent with a smile.

"I saw a big rusty key fall out of his pocket one time. A creepy sewer door like this has just got to be a match for a big rusty old key, right? Let's go ask him and-" suddenly both were silent as the sounds of stomping were coming closer. Then after a brief silence, a shriek like sound came from the cave. Both kids jumped and looked into the tunnel.

"What was that?" Vincent asked as Jas looked very scared, almost hiding behind the boy.

"S-something is moving around in there!" Both kids screamed and ran behind Eve, who they found nearby. She gathered them up and knelt down.

"What's wrong? Get spooked?" she asked. Jas pointed at the tunnel.

"A monster!" she said and Vincent just couldn't say anything. Eve sighed and looked over at the tunnel then back at the kids. She got up and walked over to the tunnel and inspected it. There was nothing as far as she could tell. Eve smiled and shook her head.

"No…no I don't think it's any monster. I think maybe someone in the sewers might be doing some work. To make sure that they are safe." She looked up at the kids. "You better be getting home before you get too wet right?" both kids nodded and sprinted out of there. Eve was going to follow when she heard a noise from the inside. It wasn't something a human could make, that was for sure. A low growling sound with the stomping coming even closer. Then, two glowing white eyes were staring at her from the other side of the grate. Eve covered her mouth as she took a step back. There was something in there…and it was looking at her. Eve took another step back but found that the cliff was right there. She looked behind her and then back at the sewer entrance as the eyes were still right there and staring right at her. Eve decided to make the decision and leave before things got worse. She dashed up the stairs and only looked back slightly as she started to pick salmonberries at a bush nearby. Once she picked her fill, she headed back toward the farm but found that the cart lady was back again. The cart was closed until Eve got there, to which the slide on the side of the card opened and a familiar green-haired woman leaned out and smiled.

"Well if it isn't my favorite…and only consistent customer here in Stardew!" she winked at the farmer. "And how has your week treated you this time? Are you getting used to the farming business? And what's with the hat?" Eve nodded and chuckled as she moved a little closer to get out of the rain.

"Hey, I won this hat you know! And well…with spring narrowing down, I'm just finishing up these last few harvests to get ready to summer." Rosetta nodded and handed Eve the menu of items in her inventory.

"Least it's reliable income to an extent. I have to rely on people, and you know how that is." Eve chuckled and shrugged.

"Well someone has to buy my stuff right? I'm not entirely independent." Rosetta chuckled and nodded.

"Well, that's true. But restaurants will buy too, not just people." Eve thought about that for a moment. Maybe Lewis would sell some of her crops to Gus or Pierre. She shrugged as she looked through the menu. She saw something that piqued her interest, a pufferfish. It wasn't cheap, but she needed it for the community center. "So, about this town." Eve shook her head out of the clouds and handed the menu back. "I've been coming here for years and the only people I know are the Mayor and the rancher right over yonder." She gestured to Marnie. "Oh, and that carpenter girl, I know her too. Helped me out with a broken wheel a while back. But I don't know everyone else. What are they like?" Eve thought about it and let out a sigh, sitting down under the awning.

"This town really…well…it gives me faith in humanity again." She said with a smile. "Everyone has been so nice and welcoming. I know that a lot of people are working toward some type of dream, and it inspires me." She chuckled. "I'd recommend going to the Stardrop Saloon, Gus makes the best food. Pierre's shop is nice and has everything one needs…the beach is nice and the harbor is good too. And there are these festivals that happen in this town. We had one a little while ago, and I don't think I've had that much fun in ages." Rosetta chuckled and paused for a moment. She closed the window on her wagon and walked out the back. She was taller than Eve and seemed a lot stronger too. She locked the door to her wagon and sat down next to the farmer girl under the awning.

"Sounds like it's left a good impression on you. I heard that there is some kind of dance that happens around this time. Reminds me of my younger days." She let out a laugh. Eve smiled back.

"Just how old are you Rosetta?" she asked and the merchant shook her head and winked.

"A lady can't reveal all her secrets, my dear. But I'll say I'm most certainly older than you." She leaned against the wagon and looked up at the sky, watching the clouds as the rain was pouring down. "So, tell me more!" Eve felt her face go a little red.

"I just…I know it sounds silly but…I'm learning about myself more and more since I've been here. How I am around people…what I look for in people…who I like…" Rosetta perked up and had a smirk on her face.

"Who you like hmmm? Ooooh, you've GOT to let me know!" she said, almost getting in Eve's face. "Come on girl, give me the details? Who are they, are they cute?" Eve was now blushing, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

"H-hey. Well…I think so, but that's not any of your business! I'm also…not so sure about it myself. I'm still kind of figuring out my feelings, you know? This is…kind of new to me." Rosetta's smile turned into a concerned look.

"Wait…wait hold the phone. Liking someone is new to you? Have you ever dated someone before?" Eve shook her head. "Wait what?! Never in your schooling days did you think that some guy or girl was cute and decided to try and ask them out? Eve, what in the world was your childhood?" Eve shook her head.

"It's…hard to explain…I kind of shut down during highschool…I didn't think of dating as important so I just…didn't. It's a long story that I don't want to get into…but could we drop it?" Rosetta looked at Eve for a moment longer before sighing and nodding.

"Alright…but if you want to talk about it later, I can-" Eve shot a glare toward the merchant and then just looked at the ground.

"Please Rosetta…it's…kind of hard to talk about. I've been reopening old wounds that I've kept to myself for so long already…I'm not ready to go that far yet…" the farmer let out a sigh. "I know it's sad…but yes, liking someone like this is a completely new experience for me. I'm still not sure but…whenever I think about it I…well I kind of feel like my heart is beating faster, and sometimes words are hard to really…form. I'll have a well-formulated sentence in my head and then suddenly…it's gone." She sighed and pulled her legs in, wrapping her arms around her knees. "But…I mean…there are a few people that happen with…I don't know if it's a feeling of love or if it's just my anxiety…" Rosetta thought about it and then snapped her fingers.

"I've got it. When you're around these people, do you feel butterflies in your chest?" she asked. Eve looked back with a confused look.

"Like…nausea?" Rosetta sighed.

"No, like. You just feel lighter. When they say something nice about you, it feels really good. Better then, say, if the Mayor said a compliment." Eve thought about it and then looked down.

"I…don't know…maybe? I guess since this is new I wasn't really keeping track." Rosetta nodded and then thought about something else.

"Okay well…how about this. Did this person, say, hold your hand or hug you and you never wanted them to let go?" Eve thought about it and a moment from a few days before flashed in her mind. She blushed and nodded and Rosetta looked surprised. "Wait really?" Eve nodded.

"Him…" she muttered. She covered her face. "Oh, this is so confusing! I don't know if it's me just being weird or if it's genuine affection…" Rosetta sighed and pat Eve on the back.

"Alright alright, I'll stop pestering. But if you do figure it out, let me know, okay?" the merchant handed Eve a card. When Eve looked at it, there was a number scribbled on there. "Call me anytime okay? I'd like to stay friends with at least one person in this town." Eve stared for a moment but then smiled.

"Okay…I understand." She put the card in her bag. "I should be getting going anyway, I still have some things to do." The farmer got up and then remembered something. "Oh right. I'd like to buy something. The pufferfish." Rosetta's eyes seemed to sparkle as she sprang up and unlocked the wagon as quickly as possible. Once inside, she lifted the window and handed her the fish.

"I'd be careful if you're gonna cook one of these things." She said, but Eve shook her head.

"Oh heavens no. It's for a…project." Rosetta shrugged and handed the fish over.

"500g please." Eve took out the coins and handed them over. "Thaaaank you. Well…I hope the rest of your day goes ok…and if you ever figure out about your little crush, you tell me ok?" Eve nodded and smiled back. She waved and started toward the community center, wanting to put the pufferfish in that scroll. She had to pick up the pace so she wouldn't get too wet. Though what seemed like a long walk became much shorter each time she ran it. She got to the community center and went over to the fish tank. A light blue Junimo appeared as she put the pufferfish into the scroll and watched it disappear.

"I'll have to take note of some of the other items I need here…if Rosetta has something that I need, I need to buy it…" she said to herself, and then left. She made her way to Robin's house, trying to get out of the rain. Once she got inside, she was dripping wet. Robin looked up from her book and sighed.

"Why is it that every time I see you, it's only when you're dripping wet from the rain?" she asked. Eve chuckled and shrugged.

"I'm sorry Robin, I promise it's just a coincidence," Eve replied and Robin sighed and turned toward the hallway.

"Hey honey?" she called. "Can you get a towel from the closet?" she asked. Demetrius' voice came back from the kitchen.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment, sorry dear!" he replied and Robin shook her head.

"It's so hard to get good help here. Try going to Sebastian, I'm sure he'll have a towel." She gestured to the door. Eve nodded and smiled at her.

"Thanks, Robin. But before I go. I'd like to buy something." Robin's eyes immediately started to sparkle.

"Oooh finally!" she seemed to get really excited. "What are we doing? House upgrade? Chicken coop? No, wait, a big barn!" Eve chuckled and shook her head as she took out the required materials from her bag.

"A silo." She pointed at the place she wanted it. "If you don't mind." And then handed her the money. Robin sighed.

"Aw you're no fun, but it's a start! I'll get that going tomorrow, but for now, go see Sebastian for that towel. I need to run to the store real quick for dinner before it closes..." Eve nodded and went down into the basement. There she saw Sebastian, ticking away on his computer, completely focused on his task. There were a few seconds of silence before Sebastian looked up and saw Eve standing there. He went back to work for a few moments and then finally spoke.

"Oh hey. Gimmie one sec." he said before really diving deep into his work to finish something. Eve fidgeted with her fingers for a moment as she waited for him dripping wet and shivering.

"Maybe I should...go?" she thought to herself, but then shook her head. "No no...just have patience Eve…" she thought and just stood there. After a few more seconds of ticking away, Sebastian stopped and stretched his back.

"Okay, sorry about that. I just needed to finish what I was working on." he looked up at her. "Oof, you look cold." he said and got up, going to his dresser and pulling out a towel. He tossed it to her and she caught it, finally starting to dry off.

"Thanks." she said with a smile. He nodded and went back to his computer, clicking on a few things. When she finished drying, she walked over toward the computer. She leaned over a bit, trying to glance a peek at what was going on. She only knew as much about computers like the one she had at work...so not a lot. But she was still curious.

"So...what are you working on here...if you don't mind me asking?" Sebastian glanced over as he started to type something.

"I do freelance work as a programmer...this was a little website thing...a module that they wanted or something." he was going to go into more detail when suddenly a ping sound came from his computer. He gave it a read and then sighed. Eve looked confused.

"Client not happy?" Eve asked and Sebastian shook his head.

"Oh no, nothing like that. That was an instant message from Sam...I guess he wants to hang out…" he paused and stretched back in his chair again." Ugh...I don't really feel like going out today…" Eve chuckled a bit.

"I don't blame you. I mean, look what happened to me." Sebastian sighed and looked back at his screen.

"Right? See you get it. Though, to be honest, I don't mind the rain...but I do mind people…" he was ticking back his answer when the door opened again and some more footsteps were coming. It was Robin coming down to check on them.

"Sebby, did you give Eve that towel?" she asked, and Sebastian nodded. Eve rose the towel to confirm it and Robin smiled at her. "Oh good. Now I know you don't like it when I come in here, but I ran into Abigail while at the store earlier and she said she was looking for you." Sebastian looked over at his mom with an almost dagger like glare.

"Mom…" he sighed a bit. "Nevermind...did you tell her I was working?" Robin crossed her arms over her chest and nodded.

"I did...but she said she'd probably stop by anyway…" Sebastian let out a grunt as he looked back at his screen.

"No one takes my job seriously...No one ever bothers Maru when she's working at the clinic...does everything think I'm just surfing the web all day? I'm doing some challenging work…" Robin shook her head.

"I know honey, I know. But don't shoot the messenger you know? Anyway, I'll leave you be." she turned and walked out of the room. Eve was standing there a little confused about what to say or do. She started to fidget again as she was trying to think of something to say. Sebastian let out another grunt and looked over at the farmer.

"What? You got something to add farmer?" he asked, still mad obviously. Eve opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. After a few more seconds, she finally spoke.

"So...your work. Do you have any goals you're trying to work toward? Like, to start a company or to get famous? Something like that?" Sebastian looked a little confused but then thought about it. He let out another sigh and started to click away again.

"Well...I'm trying to save up so I can move out of here. Probably to the city or something." he grinned a bit. "You know, if I'd gone to college I'd probably be making six figures right now...but I just don't want to be part of the rat race...you know?" Eve nodded and smiled, letting out a sigh of her own.

"You might not believe me...but I know how you feel. Working in a dead-end job, trying to make ends meet. But it's good to have goals, even small ones right?" Sebastian nodded and glanced over at her.

"I get that...and well...I guess I just feel more comfortable hidden behind the computer than dealing with people face-to-face." Eve nodded at him and sat down on the other stool at the desk.

"I hated dealing with customers...the saying that the customer is always right? It's...very stretched." Sebastian grinned.

"Can't agree more…" he replied. "Well, I should be getting back to work. I need to get this module finished by tomorrow." Eve finished cleaning herself up and handed the towel back to Sebastian. "Thank you." she said to him, though she chuckled as she looked around the room a bit more. "Though I'll be going out again after this...it's never a dull day for me." Sebastian grinned a bit before getting up from his desk, putting the towel in a nearby laundry hamper.

"Then what was the point of even coming down here to bother me?" he asked in a sarcastic tone. "Maybe you're worse than Abigail." he laughed and Eve just smiled and shook her head.

"You're right...I'm sorry. I don't know much about you, but from what I DO know, you value your privacy...and I just kind of encroached on that." Sebastian shook his head a bit and sat on his bed.

"Eh, I don't care too much. I guess it's nice to have a break once and a while. Sometimes I kind of forget. What time is it anyway?" Sebastian took out his phone and just shook his head. "It's 3 pm? Damn. I've been working for 8 hours straight...maybe I should take a break...couldn't sleep last night." Eve went to the door and opened it.

"That sounds like a good idea...Don't work yourself too badly okay?" Sebastian nodded and was about to lay down, but then looked back at Eve.

"Thanks...for caring or...something," he muttered quietly. "You're gonna be at the flower dance thing?" Eve nodded and gave a thumbs up.

"Yup. I don't know what it is, but I'm gonna be there." Sebastian just let out a larger than needed sigh and laid down.

"It's a dumb dance that the 'young people' do. Think of it as one of those lame school dances you had in high school. It's like that, only our parents are all watching. I think it's, like, a traditional thing for the town? But...It's a little dumb if you ask me." Eve thought about it and nodded to him, though she was a bit lost. She'd never been to a dance at school. She had no frame of reference. Maybe Joyce would know?

"Thanks, I'll remember that. Get some rest okay?" she walked out after that and went back to the main floor. Robin was behind the counter still, drawing out a plan for the new silo on a map of her farm. She looked excited. "You seem like you're having a good time." Robin looked up and let out a nervous laugh.

"You can't tell? Well, I do love what I do. I'm going to head over to your farm and put a little barrier up. You wanna come with or do you have other things you need to take care of?" Eve thought about it. She didn't have anything else she needed to do, but there were things that she certainly wanted to do.

"Maybe next time Robin. I have a full day ahead of me. Oh right, I have this for you!" Eve went into her bag and pulled out the ax. Robin's eyes went wide.

"My ax! Thank you! I can't believe I lost it in that damn forest." She went under the counter and grabbed a little bag of coins. "Here, as promised." Eve smiled and took the coins.

"Thanks Robin. I better get going. Lots of running around to do." Robin chuckled a bit as she put the ax away.

"Next time you want a building or an upgrade, you mind doing it when it's not raining cats and dogs?" both laughed and Eve nodded as she went to the door.

"I promise Robin. See you soon." Eve said as she left and was back in the rain. She had thought to herself that maybe today would be a good day to go into the mine, seeing as it was so crappy outside. Eve headed in that direction as she spotted Linus outside just standing in the rain. Looking a little confused, Eve walked up the slope and went to him. "Linus?" she asked. Linus turned and looked at Eve. He nodded at her a bit.

"Afternoon…" he muttered and then turned his back to her. Eve paused for a moment thinking maybe he didn't want to talk...but she was too curious.

"How come you're just standing out here in the rain? It can't be comfortable." Linus paused for a moment before answering the question.

"Rain is nature's shower." he responded kind of curtly. "I'm just...cleaning up." Eve nodded. She hasn't thought of rain that way once in her life. Now to her, getting a towel and drying herself off felt extra silly.

"I see...well, I won't bother you anymore." she said, but turned and reached into her bog. She pulled out some salmonberries and handed him a bushel. "Here. Something for you. You know this I bet, but these are growing all over the valley." Linus took the salmonberries and looked at them.

"Thank you...these are nice." he replied. "I...did know...but it's still nice of you." Eve nodded at him and smiled before giving him a wave and going down the hill. As she was crossing the bridge, she heard him call out.

"Are you going into the mine?" he asked, standing on the edge of the cliff and looking down. Eve nodded back in return.

"Yeah, I am. Figured this would be a productive way to spend my day." Linus paused for a moment and Eve thought the conversation ended once again. As she went into the mine's entrance, she heard him speak again.

"Be careful!" he shouted back, still standing on the edge of the cliff. He stood there for a long time, and then looked back to his tent. He climbed in and came out, holding a sword in his hand. His gaze hardened as he walked slowly down the cliff and across the bridge to the mine's entrance. He stepped inside, and darkness enveloped his form.

Meanwhile, Eve had taken the elevator down to the 5th floor and was mining rocks nearby. She found the ladder quickly and went further down, and again, and again. She was thankful that the ladders weren't far since she was pretty curious about what was in the depths. She took out her sword and swung it at some bugs and larva looking things. They went down after a few hits, leaving behind some bug meat, and another ladder.

"My lucky day," she said and climbed down. The next floor, floor 9, was covered in a green goo like substance. There were no rocks or anything in sight...completely different from the other floors. Eve, filled with dread, took out her sword and carefully moved around the floor of the mine. Anything that moved, she swung at. 2 slimes came at her, and she swung at them with...not great accuracy. She got hit several times, feeling the burns from the slimes on her body. She took a breath and watched as one slime was going to charge again. She put up her rusty sword and blocked the strike. Eve paused for a moment, and then swung again, slaying the monster. "I can't believe that worked!" she said to herself, and then moved away from the other slime. She did the same thing, parry, and then strike. Though it took a few more strikes after that, the slimes were gone, leaving behind a little slimeball. Eve sighed and picked it up.

"It could be useful later...I think…" she muttered and kept going. Several slimes and bugs later, the hole to the next floor appeared! Eve fist pumped and slowly made her way down to floor 10, seeing it was like floor 5. There was a ding on the elevator, but this time, a chest! Eve went over and opened it, finding a pair of leather boots inside. "Hey look at these…" she said and looked at the size. "They may fit." she muttered and switched out the boots. They were surprisingly comfortable as they slipped on as if they were MADE for her to wear. "I wonder why someone left these boots in here...these have got to be years old...but they feel good." she smiled as she got up and walked around in them a little bit. They felt great, much better than the shoes she was wearing. She put the shoes in her bag and continued down the ladder.

As she was mining some ore, she wondered what time it was. Eve took out her phone and looked, but because there was no service, the time didn't appear. She sighed and shook her head. "Need to invest in a watch." she said to herself but decided to keep going. She had just made it down another floor as she heard a buzzing coming from the walls. She pulled out her rusty sword and got on guard. "More bugs?" she asked herself as she kept walking in the darkness. Finally, a flying bug came whizzing at her, ramming its body into her and biting at the same time. Eve yelped and hit the ground, trying to run away from the creature.

"That thing hurts! Cave Flys!" she yelled as she heard the buzzing start up again. It was right behind her, and again, rammed into her. Eve hit the ground hard and took a second to get back up again. She coughed a bit and saw blood was coming out of her mouth. She was tired, and now her body was reacting badly to the damage she was receiving. "I'll go back for now, but...where…" she looked around frantic, but couldn't find the elevator. Some larva started to crawl toward her, but Eve yelped as she swung down on them. She got two of them, but one did something she hadn't seen. She swung at the bug and it made a 'thunk' sound back at her. Confused, she tried again, but again, another thunk. And as quickly as the larva made its cocoon, it was free. Another one of those buzzing bugs leaped out and attacked, causing Eve to scream! She put her sword up in defense and heard it clink off it before flying around for another go at her. Eve was scared, but raised her sword and sliced down at the bug, getting a good hit on it and hearing something crunch. She then heard the other bug coming at her and she sliced at that one too. "I...I got your number now!" she yelled as she kept going, though the floor, slicing when the bugs got close. At the final slice, Eve felt the sword go through the flying bug, and bits of bug meat scattered onto the rocks below. She gasped and then laughed. "I did it! Ha! Take that!" she called behind the other bug rammed into her once again. She hit the ground, feeling not great at this point. She was bleeding from her mouth and there were a lot of cuts and bruises on her body. She forced herself, willing her body to pump air into her lungs as she prepared the final strike. She slashed the bug, and it was a clean slice. Eve grinned and then sat down, seeing the bug near her. She grinned and then laughed.

"I...I did it...take that...stupid bug…" she muttered, but her victory was short-lived. More bugs were coming...and they were coming in hot. "No…" Eve got up and tried to get back to the elevator, but both cave flies rammed into her, scratching and biting. Eve screamed as she hit the ground and some rocks. She could feel her consciousness fading as the bugs were getting on top of her and biting her some more. She tried to resist, but only got them to take off again. Eve laid there and tried to stay awake...but it was too hard. "I guess...this is it...I was careless...damn it…" she whispered, and soon everything went to black.

As the bugs were coming back in for another go, one of them was killed very easily. Linus emerged from the shadows, brandishing a purple sword in his hand. When the other bug came at him, he sliced and killed it instantly. He went over to Eve and checked up on her.

"Hold on...I'll help you…" he mumbled as he got up, hearing more buzzing coming from nearby. "After I clean these out." one went to ram into him, but he parried and countered with a slice, slashing it in two. Another came and he took a hit, but it didn't seem to affect him as much as it did Eve. He turned and slashed, stomping on its corpse as it died. The last bug almost seemed to hesitate, but Linus did not. He made quick work of the bug and sliced it 4 times, watching it land in three pieces. He paused to hear anymore buzzing. When he didn't, he knew it was safe. He went back to Eve and picked her up, taking her up the elevator to the main entrance. He went to the right to the little creature with a helmet on as soon as he got up there.

"Watch." he said as he put Eve down. "Protect." the creature looked at Eve and then back at Linus, and nodded.

"TOCOG!" the creature yelled, and Linus ran off out of the mountain, back into the rain.

It was around 8:30 pm and Linus knew he was going to need help to get Eve to safety. He put his sword back in his tent and then ran into town, going as fast as he could. He made his way to the saloon and hesitated before putting his hand on the doorknob. He felt...odd going into the place. He didn't want to. But he had to make sure Eve was going to be ok. As he was about to turn the knob, it turned back. Linus let go and took some steps back as Clint was walking out of the saloon. He looked confused as Linus.

"Hey Linus…" Clint said, intending for that to be the entire conversation. "Well good night." Linus got in front of him.

"Clint...I...please...you need to help me." he said, almost panicked. Clint stopped and looked at him, confused.

"I do? With what? If it's about your tent I can't-" Linus shook his head.

"Eve!" he shouted. Clint was now even more confused.

"Eve? Look I don't know that much about her, so...I don't know how much help I can be." Linus shook his head again. He wished that he talked to the people more often...but then again...this was the kind of reason he also DIDN'T talk to people.

"No no...listen, Eve went into the mines and got overrun with monsters. She's hurt...I...don't know what to do...I need help." Clint's eyes went huge as he finally understood the situation. He nodded and started to jog toward the mines.

"Let's go!" Clint said to him and then the two started to run up toward the mountains. It took a bit longer since one of the two men was a tad more out of shape than the other, but soon they got back to the mountain. Once Clint got in there, he saw the creature hovering over the passed out farmer and raised his hammer. "You get away!" he yelled, which of course startled the little guy. Linus shook his head and looked at Clint.

"He was watching her." he said, and Clint looked a little confused but backed down. The creature scurried away and both men went to Eve, who was still bleeding and did not look good. Clint was checking her out and found that while she was still breathing, she was in really bad shape.

"Eve! Eve! Can you hear me?" he asked, and Eve just groaned. Slowly, she opened her eyes a little.

"W-what…?" she muttered and looked around. "Where…?" Clint sighed and started to get her to stand up.

"I'm going to take you to the clinic. Harvey can help you better than I can. Come on Linus." Clint looked around for Linus, but the older man seemed to disappear. "Linus?" Clint looked in awe as Linus just abandoned him, but he didn't have time to ponder where he'd gone off to. "Ah crap…" It was a long walk in the rain to the clinic as Clint moved slowly with Eve barely holding onto consciousness. Each puddle and mud pie was another obstacle the two had to get through. It took some time, but soon they were in front of the clinic. Clint wailed on the door, hoping that Harvey wasn't asleep yet. Fortunately, the lights came on, and the door opened.

"What is going o-" Harvey asked and then saw Eve's condition. "Holy moly! Bring her in here!" Harvey mentioned Clint in and they made their way into the back. Harvey quickly got onto the phone and dialed Maru. "Hey, I'm sorry to be calling so late, but we have someone injured. I'm going to need some help." There was a yawn on the other line.

"I'm coming...but can you tell me what's going on…?" Maru asked. Harvey watched as Clint put Eve in the bed.

"Eve got hurt in the mines. There is a lot of blood...fair warning." there was an audible gasp on the other side of the line and a click was heard. Harvey looked at the phone in confusion but thought maybe Maru would be on her way. He went back to where Clint was putting Eve onto the bed in the back, and covering her up. Harvey brought in all his doctor tools and did a quick once over of the farmer girl. He looked confused for a moment, but then upon closer inspection, it looked like it...wasn't that bad. Maru came in moments later and started to assist in dressing the wounds and cleaning up the blood.

"Could you wait in the waiting room Clint?" the doctor asked. "Just so we can undress her and check the wounds? Well, Maru will be doing the undressing…" Clint nodded, a blush on his face as he got up.

"Alright." he said and quickly walked out. An hour passed and Harvey came back out to the lobby area. Clint looked up at Harvey, hoping for good news. Harvey let out a sigh.

"Well, I will say that it looked a lot worse than it was." he said, looking back. "Ms. Turner had a run-in with those Cave Flys, and they can be aggressive. But, they will only ram into their prey and bite them. They don't eat meat, just other bugs, slimes, and flora found in the caves. I think she might have taken down one of them and they brought on more than she could handle. So, the wounds looked back because of all the bites and blood, but she is going to be fine and will make a full recovery." Clint sighed and nodded at Harvey.

"Alright then...that's good. I'll leave her to you then doctor…" Harvey nodded as Clint turned and left into the night, going back to the Blacksmith. Harvey went back to where Eve was sleeping. Maru was finishing up with the last bandage, and while she looked banged up, the lack of blood on her body certainly made her look a lot better.

"How's she doing?" he asked, and Maru smiled back.

"Just fine now. I got an IV in her and gave her something for the pain. It's a small dose." Harvey nodded and checked her chart.

"She didn't list any particular allergies. She might be in here for the night. Are you okay with staying a little while longer until she wakes up?" Maru nodded and winked at Harvey.

"Does that mean overtime pay?" she asked as a joke. Harvey sighed and nodded at her.

"Yeah, in this case, it does." Maru laughed and put up her hands in defense.

"Harvey I was just joking with you! I'm just glad that Eve is going to be okay." she got up. "Let's let her rest for now. I'll check on her in a bit, you can go rest." Both of them left the room as Eve was sleeping, talking about anything that came to mind. Over the next few hours, Eve rested and Maru would check up on her periodically, making sure she was comfortable and healthy. It was later in the night when Eve woke up. She looked around slowly, seeing that she was somewhere different then what she thought.

"Where…?" she asked herself and sat up. It was harder than she thought because of all the bandages that were on her. She looked at herself and then over at the curtains. "The clinic? I thought I was a goner...how'd I get here?" she asked herself. She put a hand on her head and groaned a little bit. "I can't even remember much about the mines too...I remember...a green floor...then it all goes black…" she sighed to herself and laid back down. That's when Maru opened the curtains and saw that Eve was awake.

"Ah! Eve!" she turned toward Harvey's apartment. "Doctor! Eve is awake!" she called and walked in, taking a seat next to Eve's bed. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?" she asked. Eve nodded and looked at one of her arms, which was pretty bandaged up.

"Y-yeah...I can't really recall what happened. I remember...a buzzing sound...and then pain...and then someone else...it all goes black from there." Maru nodded and started to take down the information in the chart.

"Clint brought you in here. You were in the mines and encountered those nasty Cave Flys. You're lucky, they don't eat meat but they do hurt like crazy. Clint believes they swarmed you." Eve nodded a little as Harvey came in.

"I'm glad you're awake." he started. "You looked far worse when you were brought in. But that was because you were covered in blood. But you're going to make a full recovery very easily." he smiled. "If you'd like to stay overnight, that won't be an issue." Eve shook her head.

"No, I'll go home...I don't think I can afford the expenses," she replied back. "But maybe we can set up some sort of plan for payments?" Harvey nodded and went over to her, taking out the IV and putting a bandaid over it.

"Yes we can, don't worry. For now, you need to rest. I'd advise you to take the day off, however, I don't think you can since you're the only one running that farm. So, I will advise you to take it easy...which will be easy considering the season will be ending soon." Eve nodded and got out of bed. She felt weak, but it wasn't bad enough where she couldn't stand. Maru helped her to the front desk where she signed the discharge papers.

"And that's all we need." Maru said. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to walk you home. Not because it's my job, but because I want to make sure you get home safe, okay?" Eve smiled and shook her head.

"Oh, you...you don't have to. I can-" Maru jumped over the desk and made Eve lean on her.

"No way. I'm not letting that be on my conscience. Let's go!" Eve sighed and just let it happen at this point. "Doctor, I'm going to take Eve home, and then I'll come back to sanitize the equipment." After a few moments, Harvey peeked through the door.

"It's fine Maru. Head on home after you get Eve home. I'll clean up here. See you tomorrow!" Maru smiled at him and nodded. She opened the door to the clinic and went to the left, heading toward the path to the farm. It was hard to see because it was so dark, but slowly Maru and Eve walked toward the farm.

"I'm sorry…" Eve mumbled and Maru looked over at her.

"What?" she asked back. "Sorry for what?"

"Wasting your time on me." Eve looked down with a sigh. "I should have been more careful...I was so confident I'd be okay...I didn't…" Maru shook her head and gave Eve a nudge.

"That's the thing, you DIDN'T know the danger. How could I possibly fault you for that? No, you're absolutely fine, I'm just glad that you're not really hurt. Those Cave Flys are a pain." Eve let out a sigh.

"You got that right. They hurt like a bitch." Both girls laughed as they made it to the gates of the farm.

"Hey!" there was a voice coming from behind them. Both turned and saw Gus walking up to them carrying a plate. "Hold on a moment. These bones aren't what they used to be." he caught up and took a breath in before smiling at them. "Eve, I heard what happened from Clint. I whipped up a batch of pasta for you." he handed her a plate. Eve looked at it and then took it.

"Thank you Gus...you didn't have to." Gus let out a hearty laugh.

"Please, you wouldn't have been able to feed yourself properly in your condition. Just eat up and get some rest, alright?" Gus turned and started back home. Eve waved back, despite the bit of pain she was in.

"Thank you Gus, I will. Have a good night." she shouted to him. Maru chuckled and shook her head.

"Well I'll be. That was really nice of him. Come on." Maru took the plate soon Eve didn't have to carry it, and they made it back to the cabin. Maru put Eve on her bed and the plate on the table. She covered it up so Miso wouldn't be able to get it. Speaking of the cat, it was on the bed and curled up by the time the two ladies made it to Eve's home. Eve kicked off her boots and got into her bed and Maru brought over the plate and a fork once Eve was all tucked in and then went to sit at the table. Eve took a bite of the pasta and let out a sigh.

"It's always good." she said, and Maru just chuckled.

"It is, that's for sure. Is there anything else you need before I go?" Eve shook her head.

"Not that I can think of." she said back. "Thank you for bringing me home." After a few more bites of food, Maru took the plate and covered it up. She put it in the mini-fridge to save for later.

"Alright then. Have a good night Eve." she said as she was leaving. Eve watched Maru go before laying back down on her pillow. It was a little hard to get comfortable because the pain medication was starting to wear off. Miso jumped back onto the bed, and curled up next to his master. Eve smiled and started to scratch the cat.

"I'll be okay...good night Miso…" she mumbled as sleep finally overtook her. The rest of the night was...thankfully...uneventful.