"Yes, a letter, though I never managed to be able to send any of the other ones I wrote to her." He was so upset with himself that he didn't see that Fyo had taken his book until it was too late.

Snatching it back, he said, "It's not a diary. It's a book of occasional thoughts on things. And where I plan to keep my unsent love letters to Bunbury." So far he had only added one. He was behind.

"Give that back!" Fyo insisted. The "diary" had seemed so interesting, he had forgotten pretty much everything else. He snatched it back, moved over to a Torin-free zone of the tent, and quickly began to read before Torin tried to snatch the thing from him. His eyes narrowed as he went further down, realizing that his own poem was staring out at him.

"Bad kitty," he said, looking up from THE BIG, BAD BOOK. "You've stuck my poem in here, anyone can read it now!"

He frowned at Fyo. "Not if they aren't as nosy as you are. And you should be proud. It's a great poem. Bunbury really liked it. I could tell." No, he wasn't in denial.

Fyo raised an eyebrow. "What if they are as nosy as I am?" he asked, now re-reading the entry titled "Jacese." "You've practically told the whole world that I, Fyodor Balouch, wrote this mega LAME bit of poetry."

If anyone found out.... oh, the horror! The horror!

He narrowed his eyes. "It's not lame. It's about Bunbury." Hmph! He snatched the book back.

"That's what makes it so lame," Fyo muttered under his breath. The fact was, he LOVED Professor Bunbury. She was an awesome teacher and, yes, she was a good flier. But Torin made her seem.... not good.

Bad Torinkitty. BAD! Kitty.

"I heard that! Don't talk about Anastasia like that." Yes, Anastasia. A-N-A-S-T-A-S-I-A

"It's not Anastasia!" Fyo flared up. "It's Professor Bunbury. B-U-N-B-U-R-Y, Bunbury. Professor B-U-N-B-U-R-Y Bunbury. GET IT? And give that back!" So saying, he snatched THE BIG, BAD BOOK back from Torin.

"If you want it, say her name is Professor Bunbury," he said, backing away from Torin and holding on to the book.

"No, it's Anastasia. ANASTASIA. A-N-A-S-T-A-S-I-A!! Not Professor Bunbury! We aren't in school now."

And with that he tackled Fyo and started trying to get his book back.

"Gerrofffme!" Fyo said, spluttering as he tried to get his best mate off himself. He finally managed to, immediately making a run for the badkitty-free side of the tent. Which was a bit of a difficulty, really, seeing how small the tent was for "running and hiding" purposes.

"I'll give it back, just say Professor Bunbury once," he insisted.

"BAD Lion!" he called out as Fyo got away. He looked at him through narrow eyes and clenched fists. "Okay.. Professor Bunbury. Now can I have that back?" As soon as the book was safe he was calling her Anastasia again. MWAHAHA

"I know what you're thinking," Fyo said, but he was grinning as he handed THE BIG, BAD BOOK back to Torin and stifled a yawn. Gosh, was he tired or was he tired after all the excitement? Sort of excitement, anyway.

"Night, badkitty," he said, settling into his sleeping bag. "Click off the lamp whenever you go to sleep." His eyelids were drooping now.

Dreams. Quick but exciting. As Fyo's voice brought her back to the reality Alice blinked and blushing mildly. "Mmm. I was really in my fairytale land with my Lion" she said with twinkling eyes. "There was no darkness but full of stars, showering them with brilliant lights" she nodded, moved and sat on his lap as her hands wrapped around him. "Fyo? Before sleep I want lullaby. Could you sing for me?" her eyes looking at him, excitedly.

Alice startled and looked around. Awe..Dream. A perfect, real like a dream. All of a sudden she was all alone, in front of the campfire. She had no intention to get into the tent, she was just sitting there, looking at the fire.

Fyo's eyes flew open so suddenly, he was startled.

He raised the back of a hand to his mouth, in an attempt to stifle a yawn, before looking around. The lamp had been put out, and silence reigned inside the tent. Sitting up, he breathed deeply, before proceeding to poke his head out of the tent - only to see Butterfly by the fire.

He left the tent, stifling another yawn as he sat down next to her. "Still awake?" he asked, looking into her face.

Hearing the footsteps behind her, Alice turned her head around to check. Fyo!! Coming out of the tent in half-sleep mode. She giggled and looked at his tired face as he sat down next to her.

"Yeah. I'm scared to dark. I need light." she said smilingly, "How come you're here in half-sleep?" she asked as slipped her hand in his.

Scared of the dark? "You're scared of the dark, and you've agreed to camp out with me," Fyo laughed teasingly. "Oh, whatever will become of you now, Butterfly?" Enough of the teasing now, though.

He looked towards the fire, which had pretty much burnt out, and decided it would be too hectic to start another. "You shouldn't be scared, now that I'm here," he told her gently. "Butterfly, sleepy?" he asked. What he really wanted to do, right now, was to place her head in his lap.

Alice laughed with him. "Yeah I agreed to this Camp thing only 'cuz I..wanted..tobe....with you Fyo. I couldnt imagine the vacation time without you" her eyes looking to his big bold dreamy eyes. She pulled her knees against her chest as she spoke, "But I really enjoy this camp thing so that I didnt complain about anything, including this one.." she pointed out the darkness around them.

"I know. That's why I'm sitting here without fear." She moved closer and rested her head on his lap. "This's more comfortable" she smiled up at him.

"Well, you're going to be with me all summer now," Fyo said, himself glad at the prospect. They were going to his home after the camp, weren't they? But he was suddenly reminded of the days he had to spend with Torin. Lissy.... Well, Torin had better invite her, that was it.

He was pleasantly surprised when he found her head resting in his lap. "Can you read my mind, Butterfly?" he asked, with a smile.

Alice shifted only to make herself in a more comfortable position. Now she could able to see his face properly. "Yeah, and I'm so happy and excited about this..whole..vacation thingy." Her smile reflected in her eyes. She didnt have tobe sit alone all the time back home. Not anymore.

With that thought she grinned, "Umm..Yes I think so. So fear me" she laughed and took his hand around her securely.

"So am I," Fyo said, sincerely. "More excited, at the moment, about being here, though." Maybe because it was more -- real? "I think Uncle Henry is going to show us around, tomorrow. Just think of all the things we can do, then." He was looking forward to a swim, but he wondered if Uncle Henry would allow it. Was the place too dangerous for a dip in its waters?

"I'm the Sand Monster, you're supposed to fear me," he laughed at her words, watching as she took his hand. "Mrrawwr!"

"REally?" Her eyes went wide, excited. "Like what stuffs? Mmm..valleys, forest animals, falls and..and.." she trailed off.."H..hunting?" she looked at his face from his lap. She knew he was not going to give up any clues to her about this hunting since he knew about her fear already. Her grip tightened around his hand.

Here you go. He made her laugh at the next second. SandMonster. "I..wont. Why should I fear of my SandMonster?" she pouted playfully and squeezed his hand.

Fyo smiled at her apprehension, fully aware that she did not want to hunt. Neither did he, if truth be told. Not that he was scared of it - it was just.... not right. "No," he told her gently. "I talked to dad about it, and he had a convo with Uncle Henry, so now we don't have to," he said, quite cheerfully. Which was a really, REALLY good thing, actually.

"You should be afraid of your Sand Monster because...." he paused, trying to think of a good enough reason. None came to him, though. "Because he's going to hug you," he laughed finally.

This's great. A great news actually. What a relief!! Alice thanked his dad in her mind like thousand time. "You know, this's great. I just wanted to see you dad right now to thank him properly." Alice couldnt hide her happy emotions. Simply couldn't. "I like your dad already" she winked with a huge smile on her face.

Aw. He was cute and funny. "Should I be afraid 'cuz of his hugs?" he was kidding and clearly running out of words. Haha. "No way. I'd luff to get his hugs" she said dreamily.

Awww. "You can thank him all you want, when you see him," Fyo grinned. "I don't think he was dishing out any favours though - knowing him, I'd say he didn't want us doing anything of that sort, in the first place." Killing animals without need was, no doubt, an act of - there was no other word for it - cruelty. Christian Balouch would never have tolerated it.

"Well, you should be afraid of his roar," he said, finally finding something to "scare" her with. "Lion RAWR." Tee hee.

Viad was watchin' those two. Seated in a corner, away from the Fyo kid an' the Alice girl, he finally decided he had had enough.

"You two!" he hissed at them, emergin' from the shadows. "I've had enough of you kids. First the girl falls asleep outside, an' I have to stay up to watch her. Then you come out an' start goin' lovey-dovey on her. What's the problem, don't you understand it's useless kids? Your love is useless!"