"Do you see him anymore?" Izzy asked softly.

The child shook his head, "Not as much, he says it's because he knows you'll be here. So he doesn't visit as much…"

"Okay, never mind, at least he still shows up sometimes." She smiled, tickling him to hear him laugh.

Izzy tucked Squee into bed, nuzzling his bear close to his arm. She still thought about calling social services, but now, after knowing Nny for so long and seeing how he took care of Squee from time to time, she wasn't sure if it was necessary any more. Now and again, she would knock on the door of number 777, but there would be no answer and breaking in seemed to not be the best idea. Instead, she just kept watch.

Squee was asleep before she even closed the curtains. A slam of a door downstairs told her that the parents were home. She sighed and trudged downstairs to collect her pay and then leave. She knew that there was no point in knocking the door to 777, but she did so anyway. It had been almost two months since he had left her at the hospital. Something inside of her told her that he wasn't dead, or far, but for all she logically knew, he could be anywhere.

However, those two months had not been wasted. In that time, she had managed to find out about 'the one that got away' from a local artist website. Her sharp, pretty features were hard to mistake. Her name was Devi D and had just been recognised for her new work that she had labelled 'The Sickness'. It was a disturbing painting, but had a certain charm to it that Izzy could relate to. It had taken a lot longer to actually get in contact with the girl, but as soon as she mentioned Nny, things were different…

Izzy was jarred from her thoughts as she noticed that her friend texted, saying that she was going to be late in picking her up. Izzy sighed and replied, telling her to get her at the coffee shop instead. Izzy didn't know why she bothered texting that, it was where she always got picked up nowadays. She followed the familiar route in the darkness and stepped into the low-lit café. She ordered her usual drink.

As usual, the place was full. She sighed and went to stand by the window. The night was cool and cloudless, the stars bright and more prominent that usual. She jumped as she locked her eyes on her own in the reflection of the window. She found herself more jumpy than usual lately, and she didn't know why. It was really started to grate on her, but there was nothing she could do about it. A good twenty minutes later, her lift arrived, taking her away from the dark atmosphere of the café, and back home.

"Congratulations Izzy!"

Izzy blushed, embarrassed by the sudden attention she was getting by other strangers in the room. She sat at the head of the table in the café and looked down at the members of her family. It had been graduation day, and she had achieved honours, finally free to make her mark on the world. Her degree was clutched in her hand and still clad in the graduation robes. She was proud of herself, but didn't like the sudden attention she was getting, it was too much.

Her mother lifted her arm for a toast and laughed, hugging her daughter one armed. Normally, families would have gone out to a fancy restaurant for a celebration such as this, however, despite its size and smiles, they were not that wealthy. Not to mention that Izzy rather little places like this instead of fancy Ritz-style places where people just stared down their noses in disgust.

She laughed as she saw her youngest cousin of a year and a half attempting to clap his hands together. Izzy saw her little sister hold his fists gently and guide him so that he did it properly. This was nice. She'd missed moments like these. Especially after they had been so sick with panic during her month long absence. It had taken much convincing on her part to allow them to come to this area, but this was her favourite place at the moment. Busy, yet isolated. Crowded, but not pushy. It was just that perfect amount of capacity where everyone was too wrapped up in their own business to be nosy. Which helped when they were celebrating as well as entertaining a series of small children. Izzy turned to look at the coffee drinkers around her. She jumped, nearly spilling her drink on her robes.

"Everything okay, Iz?" her mother asked.

"Uh…" she composed herself, "Yeah, fine, can I just go over there a minute, I think I see a friend of mine."

Her mother nodded and playfully shooed her away. Izzy grinned appreciatively and got to her feet. No, it couldn't be. But who else was that thin? No one had eyes that wide. But it couldn't be…

Izzy gently walked up to the figure sitting alone at the sofa, he hadn't noticed her approaching. She swiftly placed both hands on his shoulders, making him jolt and turn to glare at her. She grinned at his reaction and gripped him tighter.

"I thought you couldn't be caught, yet here we are." She smirked.

His expression relaxed a little as he recognised her, but not by much, "First time for everything, so they say…" he looked at her clothes, "Interesting change of style…"

She shrugged, "I graduated today. Mind if I…" she nodded at the empty seat next to him.

He shrugged and leant back in his seat, arching an eyebrow at her as she took the seat.

"I've missed you, how've you been?" she said, smiling.

"I've been around, nothing much really, but another break from home has been good. Yourself? Good I'm guessing considering you're current situation and… company." He nodded at her family.

She shrugged, "Yeah, true. I've been looking for you, I've been worried."

"You shouldn't have. I haven't killed anyone if that's what your getting at?" he paused, "Well, one person, but that hardly counts if he was dressed as a clown." He waved his hand passively.

Izzy chose to ignore that last statement, "I've… got something for you…"

He eyed her questioningly as she pulled out a tattered piece of scrap paper from her pockets. She handed it to him and waited expectantly. He unfolded it and saw a telephone number and e-mail address. He looked at the name and Izzy watched in awe as his eyes widened even further.

"How did you find this?" he asked, not sure if he was happy or angry.

"I have my ways. Give her a call or something, she's ready to listen properly this time. But only if you don't give her one of those recorded messages. I'm with her on that one, sorry."

He leaned in so that he was inches from her face, getting a good look at her eyes, "Why would you that for me?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe I want the hero of this story to get the girl. The right girl."

He sighed, "I've told you before, many a time, I'm not a -"

"I know, you think you're the villain." She moaned playfully, "Look up a Byronic hero, you may think a little differently after."

They paused as Izzy felt something tugging on the sleeve of her robe. She looked down to see her little sister, she was about Squee's age, looking up at her with large, curious eyes.

"Mummy wants to know if your friend wants to come over too." She looked at Nny curiously, "Are you Izzy's boyfriend?"

"No," both Izzy and Nny said together, Izzy smirked.

"Yeah you are! You're her friend and you're a boy. So you are her boyfriend!" the child grinned, tapping his knee.

"Jade!" Izzy scoffed, rolling her eyes.

He tilted his head at the gril, "Well… Aren't you literal minded? I can't argue with that logic."

Izzy knew that her sister didn't know what 'literal' or 'logic' was by definition, but she still grinned in triumph all the same.

"So will you be my boyfriend too?" she asked.

Nny froze as Izzy turned her head to contain her laughter. Nny narrowed his eyes on little Jade and allowed himself a smile of mild admiration. The innocence in a child's mind was, after all, something that had to be admired, before it was tainted with the scum of the world around it. If Squee was this outspoken, he wouldn't have so many problems, Nny thought. He decided that he liked this little girl.

"Why not start off as people who simple know each other, then see how it goes?" he offered.

Jade thought for a moment and then nodded, a grin spreading on her face.

"So, do you want to come and join us? For a little bit?" Izzy asked, lifting her sister onto her knee.

Nny sighed, "I appreciate the offer, but there's things that I need to do. You know how I do, my mind must always be occupied or who knows what will happen."

He got to his feet and looked down at Izzy, "So the first one to catch me has lead me to the one that got away… What do I say to this?"

Izzy scooted her sister onto the sofa and got to her feet. She hesitated, but forced her arms to loop around his shoulders, pulling him close. Hid frame stiffened with anxiousness. For a moment, he stood there, but she slightly tightened her grip, indicating that she wasn't letting go until he did something. He rolled his eyes and lifted his arms to return her embrace. He found that he actually kind of liked it, but was not something that he could allow himself to get used to.

"What do you say to taking chances?" she whispered into his ear, chuckling slightly.

"I say, I'll see you around. If you're unlucky enough." He replied, releasing his grip.

She gentle pressed her lips to his, making his eyes narrow in warning. Any other time, she would have backed away or released him quicker, but for some reason, this time she didn't. Instead she smiled and winked, and took her time, slowly pulling away and moving her arms down his before letting go completely.

"I've never really been unlucky around you, now have I?" she laughed, picking up her sister and placing her on her hip, "Now go find her, you know you want to."

He nodded and waved his fingers at Jade, making her duck her head shyly. Izzy waved as Nny vanished from the café, dissolving into the night.

"Izzy? Who was that man?" Jade asked, resting her head on her shoulder.

Izzy smiled, "A friend… A really weird, insane and… crazy friend."

"You gonna see him again?"

She looked at her sister and pushed a strand of hair away from the child's face. She wanted to answer yes and even go and run after him, but she couldn't. Instead, she sighed and shrugged. That was enough of an answer for the girl and she squirmed back to the ground to rejoin the family. Izzy looked down the street after the dark shadow that skimmed down the streets and smirked.

"Yeah… maybe I will see him again…" she sighed and returned to the table, taking a sip of her drink.

After all, she thought to herself, I did promise before that it wasn't going to be goodbye…

The End…?