'Yeah, yeah...'

Stretching and yawning, Armin swept his gaze over the room to check they hadn't missed anything, then started to head downstairs.

//Nice little hotel, this,// he mused. //We should try to get the same one next time we come here...//

{Dianne heads down to the lobby, checking out before walking for the truck to stow their luggage.}

Dianne: "I guess we go to that diner for breakfast."

'Yeah. One last time.'

Armin unlocked the truck and opened up the back so Dianne could put everything away. He took Esme and climbed into the front, not wanting her to accidentally see her present.

{Dianne put the luggage away, then went around to the passenger's seat.}

Dianne: "Ok, let's get going then."

Armin glanced back at the hotel one last time as he drove away, to follow the familiar route to the breakfast diner. Esme tried to glance back too, seeming to catch that something was different about their departure this time.

'I wonder if she'll remember any of this when she's older...' Armin mused.

Dianne: "Maybe, maybe not. She's not even a year old yet. However, if she does remember, I hope it's good memories."

'Well, we've got photos to look at. And even if she doesn't remember, we'll come back someday, and we'll go on other trips with her.'

Upon finishing this, he drove up to the diner and parked outside.

Dianne: "Yeah, that's true. She'll have plenty more memories to make in the coming years."

{Scooping Esme up and kissing her head, Dianne hops off and heads for the diner.}

Armin followed. He felt more awake now, and was wondering how their flight would go. //Never been on a plane before. It's kind of exciting. As long as we don't crash. I suppose we could survive that, but I don't know if Esme would...//

'Pick a table,' he said as they walked in.

{Dianne selected a table by the window. She didn't look at the menu, knowing prior what she was going to order.}

Dianne: "Later tonight, we'll be home. Excited?"

'Of course. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. Rex had better have taken good care of the house while I was gone.'

He picked up the menu and scanned it idly. He was only planning on getting a drink today.

Dianne: "So am I. And what if he didn't? Will you punch him?"

'No. He has got a job; it's not like he was just sitting at home all day. Besides, I wouldn't hit him unless it was for a good reason.'

Dianne: "Ok. But I think he won't extend you the same courtesy. "

{Just then, a waiter showed up. Dianne ordered two pancakes for herself and Esme, with coffee and milk.}

Armin just ordered a mug of hot chocolate.

'Eh, I'm still looking forward to seeing him again. I do feel a bit guilty for worrying him half to death back there. He was already concerned about us leaving, considering what happened last time.'

Dianne: "Yeah, I'm a bit surprised that you didn't keep on top of that, knowing how nervous he gets."

'I didn't deliberately stop talking to him, but it was right around the time the Windglen thing came out, and I was preoccupied with thinking I'd just ruined my /other/ most important relationship.'

Dianne: "Yeah, I get that. You were a bit distraught. Did you tell him I found out, and that's why you didn't text?"

'Not in the initial call, where he was shouting at me, but I did mention it in one of my later texts. He was still pretty angry with me until then, but after I told him, he calmed down a bit.'

Dianne: "Well, that's good. I don't like the idea of him striking you. Better if he understands."

'We'll have to see. But I know he'll be glad to have everyone safely back together.'

Armin briefly looked around the room before continuing.

'Apparently, Fred's been getting out a warning about the upcoming arrival of Sam Garvey and his friends. Making sure all of our group are aware of the possible danger.'

Dianne: "That's good. Knowing Jerry, he's going to want the chance to talk to his dad before we murder him, see if he can't convince him to leave."

{Just then, their food arrived.}

Armin murmured a quick thank-you to the waiter. He lifted his mug of hot chocolate and blew to cool it down.

'His dad hasn't listened to him before, so I don't think he will now. But we can live in dubious hope, I suppose.'

Dianne: "For Jerry's sake, we should give him the chance to listen to reason. It's not like he can ambush us. If he refuses to leave, we could always collect his bounty."

'We won't kill him unless we have to. But, if Jerry convinces him to leave, then he might ambush us again some other time. Maybe it's better to dispose of him. But... we'll see.'

Dianne: "Yes...let's not think about this while I'm eating pancakes..."

Armin smiled apologetically. 'Oh yeah. Well, enjoy them.'

He continued drinking while they ate, sometimes looking at his phone.

{Dianne continued eating, remaining silent. After a little while, she finishes, looking at her phone.}

Dianne: "Hmm...we should probably get going."

'Yes, plane's waiting.'

Armin put his phone away and stood up, heading outside.

{Paying for their meal, Dianne picks up Esme and heads back to the truck.}

Dianne: "We can't take much onto the plane. Just whatever bags we can carry."

'I guess we'd better prioritise what we want to take, then,' said Armin as he jumped into the truck. 'We'd better take the coats and jackets, since it'll still be cold at home and the shipping will probably be a few days at least.'

Dianne: "Yeah, we're bringing the clothes. I'm bringing my armor as well. If we have to fight at home, I'm going to need it."

'I'll bring my swords. Both of them. I'm not entrusting a 10,000 squall sword to the shipping service.'

He set off, leaving the diner behind for the last time and setting a course for the airport.

Dianne: "Heh, yeah. Besides, if Sam makes this a problem, you'll be glad you have it. Apparently, the flight will be twelve hours. We'll arrive there tonight."

'Twelve hours on a plane... fun. Well, maybe I'll just go back to sleep once we're on it. Normally, I wouldn't even be up by now.'

Dianne: "I think I'll do the same. Do let everyone back home know what time we'll arrive."

'I'll text them beforehand. I think you're supposed to turn your phones off on a plane. I'll have to let Rex know that that's why I'm not talking to him.'

Dianne: "Yeah...something about it making the instruments malfunction, causing crashes. Yeah, let's turn them off."

{When they arrived at the airport, it was deserted. However, chief Alder was waiting outside the terminal.}

'Oh, hey... there's that police guy...'

Armin, spotting the chief, drove over towards him. Stopping the truck, he began to climb out.

(Question: could I have another character, who is also travelling to Sovereign, on their plane? Or do they have a private flight?)

(You can add whoever you want. Go nuts. :) )

{Once they were off the car, Alder speaks up.}

Alder: "Hello again. The mayor put me in charge of making sure your belongings were properly handled and shipped. Before your flight, just give me the keys and we'll take care of the rest."

Armin gave a brief nod. 'Alright, thank you. Just give us a minute to collect some things we'll be taking on the plane, and I'll leave you to handle the rest.'

Alder: "Of course. Have a safe flight."

Dianne: "Thank you, Chief. For everything."

Alder: "My pleasure. Farewell."

{Adjusting her grip on Esme, Dianne starts to gather their luggage.}

Armin wrapped up his two swords in a bag, hoping the airline staff wouldn't mind that he was carrying weapons. He also gathered their clothes, leaving Dianne to collect her armour and anything else she needed.

{Dianne took the bag with her armor, the plush ferret, and Esme. She then followed Armin.}

Dianne: "Let's go to the gate so I can show them our tickets."

Armin took the rest of the bags, eyeing her giant ferret with amusement as he wondered if it would fit on the plane, but he said nothing. He handed Alder the car keys before turning to head towards the gate with Dianne.

{Fumbling a little, Dianne produces the tickets and shows them to the attendant.}

Attendant: "Thank you. Down this hall."

{The hall led them outside to the plane and a separate attendant directed them to board.}

Armin kept a firm grip on his bags while watching Esme to make sure she didn't manage to jump away. He gazed up at the plane with wide, curious eyes. //I wonder what this is going to be like.//

Near the back of the plane was another passenger. A human boy, about eighteen, with ruffled dark brown hair. He was drowsily playing on a handheld console and paid them no attention.

{Once aboard, Dianne finds a nice set of seats by the window, stashing the luggage under and above the seats. She glances curiously at the boy.}

Dianne: "Hmm...looks like we're not the only ones headed for Soveriegn."

{She whispers.}

Armin eased himself into his seat, grimacing when he decided there wasn't enough leg room to be entirely comfortable. He glanced surreptitously over his shoulder.

'Hm. You don't think he's a secret hunter spy, boarding our flight to keep an eye on us?' he whispered jokingly.

{Dianne looked him over briefly, considering the possibility.}

Dianne: "No. He's too young and calm. he would be showing some hint of nervousness..."

The boy yawned, rubbing his eyes, and shut his console down, stashing it away. He glanced up at them sleepily. Then his expression changed to recognition and surprise. He quickly looked away, feigning indifference.

//I think he knows who we are,// said Armin telepathically. //But then, most people probably do now.//

{At that, Dianne raised a brow, then turned back.}

Dianne: "Huh...Now why would he be surprised to see us?"

//Well, I guess it's a bit of a surprise to find us on the same plane as him,// Armin mused. //Aren't we practically celebrities now, what with all the news we make?//

Dianne: "Celebrities have fans. We don't. I think we're just infamous or something."

//Eh, well, we're something.//

The boy glanced at them again. The surprise seemed to have worn off. He just eyed them curiously for a second, then turned away and settled back in his seat to sleep.

Pilot: "This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seat belts, we will be taking off shortly."

Dianne: "Well, after we get into the air, I'm going to sleep."

Armin looked up at the sound of the voice through the plane.

'Yes, me too. I just want to stay awake long enough to see takeoff.'

He quickly pulled out his phone, typed a message to everyone back home to say when they'd be flying in, then turned it off.

Dianne: "Oh, I almost forgot..."

{Pulling out her phone, she shuts it off. The engines start and the plane starts rolling down the runway.}

Armin and Esme both stared out of the window, transfixed, as the plane rolled into motion.

'We're going up...' Armin murmured, watching the runway speed past.

{Dianne watched curiously as well.}

Dianne: "Weird. So used to flapping my wings to get up here. I suppose what we did with Titan wasn't much different though."

'Yeah, he was like a plane. Though I'd honestly trust Titan more than a giant chunk of metal.'

Yawning as they took off, he leaned sideways and dropped his head against her shoulder as if to use her as a pillow.

{Chuckling, she pulls him closer, stroking his head.}

Dianne: "Nap time."

'Mhm... Just for a few hours...'

He closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh, getting as comfortable as he was able to.

{Leaning back, Dianne closed her eyes and began to drift off as well.}

(Do we skip to something?)

(Yes. You can skip to later in the flight if you want to do anything, but if not, we can just skip to their arrival.)

(I got nothing. Arrival it is.)

{Twelve long hours later, it was almost midnight. Jerry and Pythia were sitting at the airport, patiently waiting for the plane to arrive.}

While Jerry and Pythia were waiting there, two more familiar figures came over to join them. One, a small, brown-haired woman with large round glasses; Owel. The other, a tall muscular man with purple hair and orange eyes; Ryder.

'Hey, guys,' said Ryder warmly. 'Fred asked me to come over in case our friends needed a drive home. Heard they had to leave their car behind.'

Jerry: "That's correct. I'm just here to make sure things go smoothly."

Pythia: "Hello, Ryder, hello Owel. How are you this evening?"

'I'm doing good, thank you,' said Ryder with a quick smile.

'Oh, well, if everything's the way I expect, then so am I,' said Owel. 'Isn't the plane meant to be here by now?'

Jerry: "Should be here soon enough. Actually, that might be it."

{Just then, the lights of a plane appeared on the horizon.}

Inside the plane, Armin was looking out the window as the lights next to the runway came into view. Esme was dozing. It was late at night and she'd had a rather boring day.

'Wonder if anyone'll be there to meet us?' Armin murmured.

{Dianne stirred from a light doze.}

Dianne: "Hmmm....probably Rex or sm'mone....I need to stretch my legs..."

'We'll be off this thing in a minute,' he replied. 'Hopefully I can still walk after being cramped up here all day.'

{As the plane came in for a landing, Dianne rubbed her eyes.}

Dianne: "...I can't feel my legs....You may need to help me up..."

Armin gave her a look of mild amusement. 'I'm hardly any better, you know. But alright, let's try to move.'

As the plane landed, he started to gather up their luggage and painfully pull himself to his feet.

{Dianne followed suit, standing and leaning heavily on the seat.}

Dianne: "Ow, ow, ow.....Pins and needles...."

Armin picked up as many bags as he could carry, leaving only the bag with Dianne's armour. 'Just give it a minute to pass. You'll be fine once you start moving.'

At the back of the plane, the human boy had gotten up, hefted a single suitcase, and begun to walk for the exit.

{Dianne was too preoccupied with her situation to pay the boy any mind. After a brief moment, she pushed off the chair and grabbed her bag and Esme, and walked for the exit.}

Jerry: "There you are. Have a good time, I hope?"

'Hey, big guy,' said Ryder in a friendly tone when Armin walked down the steps. 'And hi Dianne.'

'Hey,' said Armin, jumping the last step. 'Nice to see you all here to greet us.' He grinned, but there was a hint of worry as he looked Jerry over.

Meanwhile, Owel was smiling widely and embracing the human boy who had just stepped down.

'Look at you! Have you grown?'

'Aww, c'mon, it's only been a year.'

Dianne: "Hey, Ryder. How've you been?"

{She looked a bit surprised to see that the boy was related to Owel, but quickly hid it.}

Pythia: "I'm glad you all made it back safely. No wounds to heal, I hope?"

Dianne: "No, Pythia, we're ok."

'That's great,' said Ryder. 'With what happened back there, I was worried for a moment.'

Armin glanced at Owel and the boy, then looked between Jerry and Pythia. 'So, you two really came over here at almost midnight just to see us arrive?'

Jerry: "Yeah, well, given the identity of your pursuers, I needed to make sure you could land safely."

Pythia: "And I just wanted to make sure you were all unharmed."

Dianne: "We're ok. You got your new house, right?"

'Yeah, have you got your house yet?' said Armin, privately thinking Fred would be very glad to have his home back. //After deep-cleaning it, maybe.//

Owel, after greeting the newcomer, had turned her attention back to the group conversation. The boy stood nearby, quietly stifling the occasional yawn.

Pythia: "Yes, I do. Ryder has provided some old furniture, I've spent the last three days cleaning it and trimming the gardens. Thankfully, Crowley has left me well enough alone."

Dianne: "That's very good. I'll need to visit it in the morning."

Pythia: "I think by morning, you mean late afternoon. You're not much of a morning person."

'Hey, mornings suck,' said Armin. 'I don't like getting up early either. But yes, we do need to come over and see the place sometime.'

Pythia: "I think you'll like it. It's a beautiful property."

{Just then, Jerry speaks up.}

Jerry: "Hey, Mrs. Owel, you want to introduce us to your friend there?"

'Oh, very sorry. This is Warden. He's my son, who was living in Alexandria until now.'

The boy blinked and glanced at everyone quickly in turn. 'Hello,' he said politely.

{Dianne gave a surprised look.}

Dianne: "Your son? Hello, Warden, I'm Dianne. It's nice to meet you."

{She says, offering a hand. Jerry gives a quizzical look, wanting to ask why they didn't live together, but he figured it wasn't his business.}

Jerry: "Hi, I'm Jeremiah Garvey. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Pythia: "I'm Pythia. Nice to meet you."

(Posting new room)