The rest of the week passed— luckily — without incident. When I got to Chris's apartment after class on Friday, I collapsed on the couch, feeling extremely tired. Sometimes Jeremy was a little too much to handle. Especially when he kept teasing me about Isaac. I pressed my lips together tightly. When he'd teased me about liking Chris I didn't mind because I actually liked Chris, but when it came to Isaac it was awkward and embarrassing. Probably more for Isaac than me, but still. If Chris heard wind of any of this...

            I grimaced. He'd probably be very jealous and try to transfer into our class even though he'd graduated college years ago. At that thought, I smiled. Jealous Chris could be a cute thing...

            Sighing, I closed my eyes, resting my head on the sofa pillow. Chris would wake me up when he got home.

            Or so I thought.

            I wasn't sure how long I was out, but I woke up with a head of cobwebs and bleary eyed.  A blanket lay on top of me and I looked around the room to see Chris sitting on the chair opposite, doing something on his laptop. When he noticed I was awake he grinned at me. "Afternoon, Sleeping Beauty."

            "Why didn't you wake me?" I complained. "I hate taking long naps during the day."

            "You're so cute and quiet when you sleep, I'd thought I'd enjoy it while I could."

            I puffed my cheeks out at him. "Jerk."

            He shut his laptop and set it on the coffee table, coming over to the couch and lifting up my legs so he could sit under them. "You hungry?"

            "I could eat."

            "Not what I asked, Holly."

            "I just woke up. What do you think?" I grumbled.

            He chuckled. "I was thinking we could go out to eat tonight."

            "Like a date?"

            "Like a date," he confirmed.

            I nodded my head immediately. "Yeah! Where? Let's do it!"

            "I was thinking Osaka. Last time we went there was your birthday, right?"

            "Sounds good to me," I agreed. A date? With Chris? Would I ever say no to that? Especially now that we could go out wherever and whenever we wanted to without being afraid of someone seeing us?

            He smirked at me. "Eager, are we?"

            "I don't think I'll ever not be excited to go on a date with you," I told him.

            "Oh, I know."

            I rolled my eyes. Right. I needed to stop accidentally inflating his ego. "It's still early though... someone might come and sweep me off my feet."

            Patting my hand, he climbed back off the couch. "I'm not too worried."

            "So confident," I muttered.

            "I have complete faith in us," he responded, winking at me. "I'm going to go shower and change because I probably smell like chemicals. We'll leave in about a half-an-hour."

            Nodding, I heaved myself off of the couch as well. I didn't feel the need to shower, but I figured I could freshen up. Or at least brush my hair.

            When we were both ready to leave we had our usual scuffle about who would drive. And like always, Chris cheated and tickled me until I couldn't breathe and reluctantly allowed him to drive. His trademark smirk was in place as he headed to his own car.

            "Stupid devil of a teacher," I muttered under my breath.

            He paused, turning to raise an eyebrow at me. "What was that?"

            "N-nothing!" I responded quickly.

            "You know, I bet there's still a way for me to give you detention, or something of the sort," he said teasingly.

            I blushed, folding my arms across my chest. "You can't even give out detentions!"

            "This year I can," he said matter-of-factly.

            "Well, I'm not your student anymore."

            Frowning, he turned away from me. "That's right, huh. Now your Isaac's student..."

            My heart skipped a beat. What did he mean by that? Did Jeremy say something? I reached out for Chris's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Doesn't matter to me. You'll always be my favorite teacher."

            He looked down at me and ruffled my head. "You'll always be my favorite student."

            "This is better than me being your student anyway," I said, swinging his hand with mine. "I can hold your hand as much as I like without worrying about anyone seeing."

            "Which means we can actually eat at the restaurant this time," he responded with a chuckle. "Now hurry up— I'm hungry."

            I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Sir."

            Since it was a Friday night, Osaka was bustling and we had to park a couple blocks away.  It took a couple minutes for us to be seated, but at least we got a quiet spot near the windows. Our waiter came by a few moments later and lit the candle sitting on the table. Since Chris and I always got the same thing we didn't even need to look at the menus to give our orders to the waiter.

            "So what made you want to go on a date tonight?" I asked after the waiter had left to put our orders in.

            He shrugged. "What? I can't be romantic?"

            "Not really."

            "Holly."

            I grinned. "Is it because you forgot to pick up a movie from the Red Box?"

            "Might've been," he responded offhandedly. "That and I've been craving the rice here all day. I always forget how crappy school lunch is."

            "Why don't you ever prepare something at home?" I asked.

            He stared at me for a moment before smiling.

            "What?"

            "Home," he said. "I like that you call my apartment home."

            I could feel my face heat up before I fully processed his words. Of course his apartment was like my home. "I-I mean I practically live there..."

            He nodded. "You do. But it's not really made for more than one person."

            "What are you trying to say?" I asked, pursing my lips.

            "I'm trying to say that if you stay with me all the time and Jeremy comes over all the time, I'm going to need a bigger place," he clarified. His fingers tapped a slow rhythm on the table. "Especially if you ever bring friends over."

            I tilted my head at him. "You want to move into a new apartment?"

            He shook his head. "No, I want to move into a house."

            My eyes widened. "A house?"

            "Why do you look so shocked?"

            "Can you afford a house?"

            He gave me a flat look.

            I grimaced. "Never mind. A house wouldn't be a bad idea.  That way you're not just throwing away your rent money."

            "I do like my apartment though," he said with a frown. "But maybe if we move into a new house Jeremy won't know the address."

            "We?" I echoed.

            Chris gave me an uncharacteristically sheepish look. "Well, if you wanted to move in full time you could..."

            His offer surprised me. I mean, it was basically like I lived with him anyway... but this was different. My address would be the same as his address.  And he actually wanted me to live with him? "I don't even have a job yet, Chris," I said, shaking my head.

            "I wouldn't make you pay for anything."

            I frowned. "Then that makes me a freeloader."

            "No, that makes you my girlfriend," he corrected me, mirroring my expression. "You don't like the idea?"

            "That's not it! I just don't think that'd be very fair of me. And I'm only eighteen..."

            He raised an eyebrow. "Most eighteen year olds are dying to get out of their houses..."

            "I mean, I am, but..."

            "Well, it's not like I'm moving out tomorrow. You can think about it," he said, shrugging. "You're the only person I think I could put up living with."

            I couldn't help but smile at him. "So you put up with me being at your place all the time?"

            "You know what I mean."

            "Well, thanks."

            He smirked at me. "Any time." Then shifted in his seat, face becoming serious again. "I'd like to at least start looking at houses soon. It would be a good investment. Then maybe we can leave Milkshake to the next person who rents my apartment."

            I stared at him in horror. "Chris!"

            "Just kidding," he responded with a snicker. "But still, you should think about it. Someone has to be around to take care of that little shit besides me."

            I chewed on my bottom lip, staring at the table. This was a big deal. Chris and I hadn't even been dating for that long... but we practically lived together as it was. Would it really be that big of a difference? But still, I didn't work. I didn't want to be a freeloader— even if I was his girlfriend. If I moved in with him, I'd at least have to have a job. Maybe Lance could hook me up at the super market...

            "Don't over think it, Holly."

            "Well, I need a job anyway," I responded with a frown. "I'm a bit too old to live off my mom's money now. It's kinda embarrassing."

            Chris nodded his head. "I can see why you think that. Although I was busy beating people up when I was your age."

            "I like how you say that so casually."

            "So do I."

            I rolled my eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless. "I used to wash dishes at the café downtown but there's only so much of that I can take. I'll have to start applying at places."

            "Will you be able to keep up with your studies?" he asked.

            "A lot of other people do it, so I figure I can too," I told him with a shrug. "I'm sure I'll be able to manage my time."

            He nodded. "I'm sure you'll be able to too."

            Just then our waiter came back with our food and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was impressed by the fast service. Either that or I lost track of time when talking to Chris. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

            Dinner was a quiet affair— mainly because both Chris and I were too focused on our food to say much to each other. Of course he didn't have any qualms about telling me when I had mashed potatoes on my nose.  Which led to a mini food fight, which led to us getting lectured by the manager, which led to me making Chris purchase a desert because I felt bad.

            "We were just having fun," Chris muttered as he sulked out of the restaurant.

            I turned to give him a short look. "Okay, Jeremy."

            "Hey."

            "What?"

            "Don't make me tickle you..."

            I automatically whipped around and put my hands up. "Please don't!"

            He chuckled, grabbing one of my hands and holding it tightly. "I'm kidding. But this fried ice cream better be good for the price I paid for it."

            "Let's just stop at the Red Box and pick up a movie," I said, moving closer to his side. "It's cold out here."

            He let go of my hand and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Of course, Ms. Evers."

            I rolled my eyes and allowed him to lead me back down Main St, which had quieted down since we'd arrived. Chris seemed completely at ease, doing a little window-shopping as we passed closed stores. My eyes stayed vigilant, the gnawing feeling I always seemed to get whenever I came downtown suddenly present. I pressed myself closer to Chris as we crossed the street and headed down one of the side allies.

            Chris didn't say anything, but he quickened his pace as we passed through the dimly lit area to the parking garage. My relief was almost tangible as I slid into the passenger's seat. I put my head against the window and let out a soft whoosh of air.

            "I should've killed Shawn when I had the chance," Chris declared as he started up the engine.

            I glanced over at him, frowning. "You're not a murderer, Chris."

            "I hate the fact that you can't even walk downtown without feeling uncomfortable, Holly. And it's all because of me and him."

            "Don't," I said, shaking my head. "Any one would be nervous walking though the city at night."

            Chris pressed his lips into a thin line. "Still."

            "How about we watch a comedy tonight?" I asked, deciding to go for a subject change. I hated when he felt guilty over the past. It wasn't like everything happened just because of him...

            "How about one about aliens— shit!"

            Suddenly I was thrown forward in my seat, my seatbelt digging into my neck. I put my hands on the dash to stable myself, looking out the front windshield to see why Chris had slammed on the breaks so hard.

            A bloodied face was staring back at me.

            A familiar bloodied face.

            "What did that brat do," Chris said, swerving to the side of the rude and cutting off the engine.

            "What are you doing?" I asked, staring at him with wide eyes.

            "Going to save his ass. I can't just leave him."

            "But..." I trailed off, glancing back at the dark ally. All this fighting nonsense was supposed to be over and done with. I wanted it behind me forever.

            Chris frowned at me. "You want me to leave him?"

            I hesitated.

            "Holly, I can't."

            "I know," I sighed. 

             "Stay in the car and keep your head down," he ordered, unsnapping his seatbelt and winging open his door. "I'll be back."

            I scrambled to take my seatbelt off, completely ignoring his instructions. That was Isaac out there. Even if I didn't want to be involved with any more fights, we couldn't just leave him. And I wasn't about to let Chris go back there alone. Even though I knew he'd be fine. But it didn't stop my heart from hammering on my chest.

            Chris took off after him and I followed suit. I could hear the sound of men yelling and was thrown back into the time that I'd first walked in on the old gang preparing to fight Chris. Was Isaac in the middle of a fight? Why was he fighting anyway? Didn't Chris say he wasn't good at it?

            And it was too bad I didn't have any groceries.

            "You're not giving up?" an unfamiliar voice snapped from up ahead.

            "Never," another voice responded— Isaac's voice.

            Chris turned to give me a warning look, gesturing back at the car. I shook my head immediately. After a three-second glaring match he gave me a look that said I'll-deal-with-you-later before stepping out from around the building.

            "Don't you think three on one is a little unfair?" Chris demanded as he revealed himself.

            "Chris?" I heard Isaac gasp.

            "Who's this douche?" someone else asked.

            I peeked around the corner, but couldn't make out any faces. I figured the half-hunched over figure was Isaac, but there were also three other figures aside from Chris.

            "He's no one," Isaac said quickly. "Leave."

            "I'm not leaving," Chris responded. "I couldn't sleep if I left you here to get your ass kicked. You were never good at fighting."

            I grimaced. He sure had a way with words.

            "I don't need babysitting," Isaac snapped.

            "You three have ten seconds to get out of my sight before I beat the shit out of you," Chris said menacingly.

            The other three chuckled. "Who are you again?" one taunted.

            "The one who threw Shawn in jail. You know, Shawn Myers? I figure you guys know the name," he responded nonchalantly. "Most idiots do."

            "Heywood," someone growled.

            Chris snapped his fingers. "Bingo."

            "This is my fight," Isaac interjected, moving closer to the trio. "He has nothing to do with it—"

            "You were just entertainment. This guy right here is the real challenge," one of them said— a bald man, if my eyes were seeing correctly.

            "No," Isaac said, his voice growing louder. "Fight me—"

            "If you're that eager to be beat up, we'll mess you up after Heywood," Baldy said, forcefully shoving Isaac backwards.

            Without warning, Isaac grabbed the guy's arm and twisted it backwards in a painful way. Cringing, I had to turn away. The bald man let out a shout of pain and then I heard feet moving and then Isaac crying out. My eyes snapped open again and I saw the three men now on Isaac, two holding him still while the bald man landed on a punch directly to his head.

            I took my first step out of hiding, my hand diving into my pocket to retrieve the phone as Chris lunged at the group of men. Within seconds he had one on his knees and Baldy chicken-winged. Unsure of whether to be scared or impressed, I left my phone in my pocket. There was no need to call the police... Chris obviously had this handled. And no one seemed to have weapons or an unfair advantage...

            I frowned. I needed to reevaluate my life if I was thinking it was okay to fight with other people if there wasn't an unfair advantage.

            "Now I'm going to say this again— get out of here or I will kick you ass. It's been a long time since I've gotten to punch anyone. I wouldn't mind the practice," Chris said, sounding way too eager for my liking.

            "This is my fight," Isaac said again, grabbing Chris's arm. "Let them go and leave us be."

            "Not happening."

            The one man not affected by Chris suddenly turned on Isaac, getting him to the ground and wrapping his hands Isaac's neck. I immediately sprung into action, running the few steps between them and myself and landing a perfectly aimed kick to the guy's neck. He immediately let go of Isaac and lost his balance, hitting the ground hard as he wrapped his hands around his neck. Aware of what I'd done, I took a few steps back, raising my fists defensively.

            "Who's this bitch," Baldy spat. "She your caretaker, Isaac? Come to bring you home safe and sound so you can snuggle with your teddy bear?"

            "I'm his friend," I snapped, eyeing the guy I kicked in the neck warily. He was slowly climbing to his feet.

            "Aw, how cute, Isaac—"

            Before he could finish his sentence, Chris had clocked him in the back of the head with his free arm. "Don't talk to her. I'm going to give you one last chance to get out of here. If you don't start walking away the minute I let you go, I won't hold back."

            Baldy gave Chris a short glare. "You think you can scare us away—"

            Without warning, the guy Chris was holding onto dropped unconscious to the ground. I stared at him with my mouth open in shock. What the hell did Chris do? The one I'd kicked immediately stopped advancing on me, eyeing Chris nervously. Even Baldy seemed surprised.

            "Well if you guys aren't going to leave, then we will," Chris said with a shrug, stepping over the unconscious guy and moving between Baldy and the other man, latching onto Isaac's arm.

            Isaac immediately tried to pull himself free. "Let go of me! You leave!"

            "Will you ever grow up Isaac?" Chris asked, basically dragging him away from the other two men.

            "It's my fight!"

            "Some fights don't need to be fought."

            I stared at Chris incredulously. Did he really have so much confidence that he felt like he could keep his back turned on those two men like that? After all that had happened he wasn't scared? No, of course he wasn't. Chris was probably the strongest guy around. And had the confidence to match it.

            Still, I wasn't confident. I kept my eyes on the other thugs as Chris grabbed my arm as well and led me away from them. Isaac kept his mouth shut, brooding all the way back to Chris's car. I slid in first, fidgeting in my seat nervously until Isaac was settled in the backseat and Chris was in the driver's seat and the doors were locked.

            "Are you okay?" I asked Isaac, turning in my seat to look at him.

            "Holly?" he said, surprised, as if he'd just noticed it was me.

            I grinned a little. "Yep."

            "What are you doing...?"

            "That's what I was going to ask you," Chris interjected, glancing at the younger man through the rearview mirror.

            Isaac's lips curved into a frown. "I thought it was self-explanatory."

            "Well obviously you were getting your ass kicked, but I mean why were you?"

            I grimaced. Why was he so irritated? He enjoyed fighting once upon a time too. "Chris, can't you be nicer?"

            "No," he responded. "I don't have patience for idiots."

            "You shouldn't have interfered," Isaac said, crossing his arms over his chest.

            "What made you think you could take on three guys at once? You can barely even handle one!"

            Isaac glared at him. "That was way back when."

            "That was two years ago. Now you're just being stupid because neither Jer nor I are around to help you out. And aren't you a professor? You shouldn't be getting in street fights either."

            I pressed my lips together to keep from saying anything. Chris was such a hypocrite sometimes... but this was okay because whether he'd admit it or not, I knew he was just worried about Isaac.

            "I don't fight anymore," Isaac responded, voice firm. "But if someone initiates it, I'm not going to play the coward and back down. "

            "Sometimes backing down in the brave thing to do," Chris told him.

            He looked down at his lap. "I don't want to be seen as weak."

            Sighing, Chris tapped the steering wheel. "You're still the same as always. What did you do to them?"

            "Nothing," Isaac said. "Absolutely nothing. They recognized me from the old gang and before I knew it they were throwing punches."

            "But I thought the whole gang disbanded."

            "Well, I've heard rumors but...

            "But what?" Chris asked sharply.

            Isaac caught his gaze in the reflection of the rearview mirror. "Someone's trying to get the gang back together."

            "Shawn?" I questioned, terror seizing me. "What? But he's in jail? Isn't he? Isn't he—"

            "No," Chris interjected firmly. "It can't be Shawn."

            "It's not," Isaac said matter-of-factly. "It's someone else. Someone new. Someone who has a legacy greater than yours, Chris."

            Chris scoffed. "Impossible."

            "I'd watch your back," Isaac warned. "This guy is still trying to climb the ranks... and with Shawn in jail, guess who's at the top?"

            My head whipped back to Chris, whose face had darkened. For a second, it felt like my heart stopped working. There was no gang, yet Chris was still the gang leader? And now there was someone new around to screw things up again? Was Chris going to get shot again? Was someone going to come after me or my friends again? This was supposed to be done with!

            "I don't fight anymore," Chris said through gritted teeth.

            That's right. It was over. Chris hadn't even made a fist in the past few months, unless it was to hit Jeremy.

            Isaac gave him a half-smile.  "And I bet that's what you said last year when all this stuff happened."

            And then I realized that Chris really had said that last year when I saw him that first time.

            And then I think I passed out.

_______________________

I've just been busy with life so that's why updates are so slow. I want to start working on Robin Hood at the same time, so hopefully that will make me upload this one more. But the problem i have is that I feel like I don't know my characters anymore....and even after reading APR over again I'm still like how would Chris act? How would Holly? That's why it to look so long to write. Tell me if it seems weird. I just.... I don't know. It's really hard since it's been so long you know? But I promise I'm trying! Also, I want to rewrite Darker than Black because I can make it more awesome and I want to put in more characters and more plot twists. There's so much I want to do but there's so little time.