They left wordlessly after that.  They passed the cafeteria, 
through the doors, into the woods, and found rest at the clearing.  As 
much as it repulsed her what her good friend Lyndsy was doing there, 
she had to admit it really was a nice spot.  Not really looking last 
time she was there, she missed all the flowers, and the perfect grass.. 
 and the way the sun refracted off them so serenly in hues of gold and 
magenta.  Jiz didn't have to know what situation brought her there just 
yesterday.

	Resting crosslegged against a tree, she enjoyed the warmth of 
the sun on her red fur, the isolation and silence.  As she waited for 
the words to form in her mind she watched him lower himself beside her. 
 She expected him to sit beside her, instead he lied down, placing his 
head on her lap.

	She sighed, and stroking the fur on his head, she spoke to him: 
 "I didn't know you saw her so often, the cousellor.  You seemed so 
familiar with her.  What do you tell her you can't tell me?  I thought 
you told me everything.."

	He smiled, and sighed happily, enjoying the sensation of her 
fingers running through his headfur;  "Oh..  Is that what you brought 
me here to ask..  Well don't worry, I don't hide anything from you, I 
tell you about my problems.  Just telling you about my problems helps 
solve them, I can't find anybody else that will just listen but you.  
Everybody else always interrupts with advice, opinions, stuff like 
that..  I mostly ask Heth questions about religion.  You must have 
questions yourself, haven't you noticed how religion contradicts 
itself?"

	She lied down with him, so that he could have the comfort of 
the fur on her stomach.  Ironically, it wasn't as soft as his even 
though she was female, but it was nice, especially for Jiz who loved 
her so.  "That's it?  Come on..  You know you talk about me."

	"You're paranoid, hehe..  I just say how much I love you of 
course!"  He met with her skeptical gaze.  "Alright, I wanted to know 
if there was a way for us stay together after high school, things like 
that.  You probably never even thought of it did you?  It's rare for a 
couple to go to the same school after graduation.  She promised me she 
could work something out though, and I trust her."

	Her hand slid from his head to his neck, immediatly massaging 
the the most tender areas, though she remained wordless.  He tilted his 
head backwards slightly, purring at her touch.  He loved it so much 
when she did that;  It was a good distraction.  It gave Shike time to 
think without chance of being interrupted.

	And she did think.  She thought not of the apocalypse, which 
had been her previous occupation of mind, but of where her relationship 
with Jiz was headed.  How could they possibly stay together?  They both 
had drastically different lives planned ahaid of them, but she never 
thought those whisps of the future could eventually tear them apart..  
She could only hope that Jiz's confidence in that counsellor wasn't 
misplaced.  But what if it was?  Would she have to change her whole 
life plans for him.. ?

	A noise from the trees above...  Shike attempted to identify 
its source, sheilding her eyes from the stream of light that seeped 
through the gaps above.  A moment later she identified a robin..  no, 
two: mates.  It was impossible to say if it was the two she remembered 
from the day before, but they were just as beautiful.  They seemed 
serenely out of place with their surroundings, like a rainbow refracted 
off a prism onto a blue green wall.

	"Now," she thought, "I can finally be happy, just like the 
little robins.  Truly happy, living my own little life with him.. is he 
asleep?" She slid her hand down to his chest, he remained motionless 
"He's so cute, to think he now has the power to throw the world into 
hell.  I'm never going to think about that again though, never.  It 
doesn't matter now..."

	The next few minutes were taken watching those two little 
birds.  One, the male, trying to impress the other in its little way.  
So peaceful..  It wasn't long before the rouge tinted felines own 
eyelids began to droop, and at first she didn't resist, she didn't want 
to awaken her lover.  Unfortunatly, she knew it would be impossible to 
catch up with a full days missed school.  Impossible with her study 
habits anyway.

	If she had to wake him though, she was going to do it right.  
Supporting his head carefully on her arms, she slid out from under him. 
 She sat, holding him, enjoying the sight of him in her arms for just a 
second more.  Then, she pulled him into a rather violent kiss.  "Mm?" 
was all he could muster, till she finally decided to drop him back to 
the ground.

	He chuckled lightly, and returned to his feet.  "Hmm..  My 
little princess charming.."

	And so, moments later, they were both leaving that place; Arm 
in arm, back to their school.  They were both content that their 
troubles were over.  I was not to be however.  They were destined to 
carry it through to a conclusion, though they didn't yet know.

-----------------------------------------