Trader dashed up the the bank so the rocks didn't break her ankles when she ran. She moved her arms in a long, steady rhythm with her legs, lifting her knees to get her maximum speed.

She thought her ears had popped, but the streak in her vision told her otherwise. Her legs were wobly and stiff, but he was just a short little kid. How was he going that fast?!

She stopped when she heard his voice. Trader couldn't even see him. "Oh my God." She began a jog, tucking the strings on her sweatshirt inside it as she went.

Trader wished she had some sort of music to run to. Something with a steady beat.

"Well, now you gotta wait for the slow poke!" she continued her jog.

Kyle stood where he was, his ears flickering slightly in the wind coming off of the water. Once Trader caught up, he realized that the university was only a short distance now. Able to see the road, Kyle would point, "There is the road Miss Trader. Were almost home."

Walking forward again, Kyle would reach the road at roughly the same time as Trader, the gaits of the university only a couple hundred feet away.

When Trader finally saw him, she kept her pace, her breathing heavy. No, don't move! Come back!

She fluffed his hair once they were together again. "How do you go that fast?" She rolled up her sleeves and rolled her shoulders. She yawned and stretched, her jaw popping once out, then back in. Her stomach growled.

"Man, I'm starving. How about some food, mmmm?" She put a hand on Kyle's shoulder as they walked, using the other to pull the strings back out of her sweatshirt.

Almost home.

Such familiarity moved around him, invigorating his senses. The smell of thousands of people he knew, food wafting from the lunch room, the mixture of oil and gun powder from the labs and of Trader right next to him making Kyle extremely excited to be back finally. Stretching some, Kyle longed for a bath. Scratching at his left ear, he would look up to Trader, "Miss. Trader, can…..Can I go take a bath please?"