A simple thank you would do. But a big thank you and a box of chocolates would do better.

2. "Thanks for doing this again, Gearston. I mean, I'm kind of sick of these extensions.” "It is not a problem, Little Miss. How would you like your hair to look?" "Um," Skylartapped her chin, "Kind of choppy. Like, a lot of layers, you know? Something cool."

3. Gearston nodded, "Like this?" "Perfect!" Skylar beamed into the mirror he held in front of her.

4. Things were getting along pretty well in the Ronstrosity household. Skylartruly was a good girl. She always did her homework, helped out around the house, and was just generally pleasant to be around...

5. However, Skylar seemed to have an issue with the kids at school. "I mean, can't they just... At least acknowledge my existence? Even scowling at me for being an alien is better than being ignored completely. Am I just... Asking for too much? I'd just like some friends."

6. "Am I just... Is it me? What did I do to put everyone off from me so much? I don't smell or anything... I think. I just... I thought we moved here so I wouldn't have problems adjusting in school. I don't know... Maybe it's not even my alien heritage. Maybe I'm just... Unapproachable?"

7. "I guess, Apple Tree, I'm not supposed to-" "Little Miss?"

8. "Oh! Hey Gearston," Sky twirled around, caught by surprise, "I was just tending to my trees. What's up?" Gearstonlooked from her, to the tree, and back again, "Did I interrupt anything?" "Huh? Oh, no." "It seemed as though you were talking to this tree-" "Talking to the tree?" Sky shook her head, "That's absurd."

9. "All right, Little Miss. I just came out to tell you the school bus will be here soon. Please come inside and eat some breakfast."

10. ~-~-~ Daniel sat down nervously next to Esther. "All right!" She shouted after burninating the high score. "So, um, guys..." Daniel said, trying to get both Chandler and Esther's attention.

11. "My graduation party's coming up..." He started. "Dude," Esther set her controller down then turned to him, "We know. It's going to be totally awesome. Don't worry about it. We've so got it covered." "That's not what I-"

12. "We won't invite anyone you don't approve of, Daniel," Chandler said while typing away at his term paper, "We won't invite any girls to try and set you up with."

13. Daniel heaved a sigh of relief, "Okay. Thanks," he felt better knowing they weren't planning anything, "I'll be right back." He stood up and headed towards the bathroom.

14. Esther picked her controller backed up and was unpausing her game when she asked, "We are so inviting girls, aren't we?" "Of course," Chandler answered distractedly.

15. Daniel closed the door to the bathroom and dialed a number into his phone, "Hey. Are you going to be there tonight? ... Oh, okay... Yeah, no, it's fine. A house would be a nice thing to have when we move out... Really? That's awesome. How much? ... Fantastic. Okay, great, I'll see you soon... Love you too, bye," he hung up the phone and smiled, knowing he'd be keeping his secret for that much longer.

16. ~-~-~ Finally the time rolled around for Daniel's party.

17. "Sky!" Kevin hugged his little sister, "Hey, you made it!" "Of course I did. You think I'd give up a chance to see my future dwelling space?" Sky teased. "Haha, I guess not. Hey, I've got a ton of people I want you to meet, c'mon," Kevin motioned for her to follow and she did.

18. "Hey DJ!" Daniel shouted at Chandler, "There's a lot of people here I don't recognize!" While his tone was angry, his face betrayed him. A smile was tugging at the corners of his lips. He was amused, he'd admit.

19. "What's that?" Chandler played dumb, "Turn it up? You got it!"

20. Daniel laughed and turned away. Chandler flashed him an award-winning smile and went back to spinning tracks.

21. Despite all of Daniel's uninvited guests, the party went smashingly.

22. It didn't take long for Kevin to finally drag Sky over to meet the man of the hour, "You must be Daniel.” "That would be me," he nodded, "Let me guess. Sky?” "Yup," she shrugged, "So... Big party," she commented. "What?" Daniel shouted, not hearing her. "I said, 'Big party!'" "WHAT?" "BIG PARTY!” "I can't hear you! Want to go outside and talk?" Daniel shouted and motioned to the door.

23. The two found a bench outside and sat down, Sky was a bit unsure of herself, after a few moments she finally said, "Okay, so I guess I don't get it." Daniel was confused for a moment, "Get what?" "Well," she gestured towards the house, "That's one big party in there... And Chandler always told me you were kind of... Uh... You weren't one for parties with lots of... Er..."

24. "The girls weren't my idea," Daniel shrugged and carelessly threw his arms up in the air. The glitter from his engagement ring caught Skylar's eye and she stared at it. "I see." Daniel realized what she was staring at, then sighed, "Yeah..."

25. "So, why..." Sky started, trying to understand his situation, "Why are you keeping that a secret from everyone? Are you embarrassed of her?" Daniel blinked, "What? No! Of course not! I just-" "It is a her, right?" Sky asked, quickly, realizing the assumption she made. "It- She- No I-" Daniel babbled.

26. ”I’m going-" Sky started to stand up, but Daniel jumped in front of her. "It's not like that. It's just... A complicated situation.” "Obviously," Sky smiled. "Well, no. I just... They don't think I've even been dating anyone. If I shocked them with an engagement, they'd-” "Would their reaction be any better than if you were to shock them with a marriage... Or joining," she was quick to add.

27. "Maybe you should just tell them," Sky suggested, "What's the worst that could happen?” Daniel sighed. Sky shook her head, "The world won't explode. C'mon, let's go back inside. I'm pretty sure my brothers have something they want to give you," Sky gestured towards the door and Daniel followed. "You know, you're very mature for your age," Daniel said with a smirk. "Hey, watch it buddy. Youareengaged," Sky laughed. "I wasn't-" Daniel cut himself off that time, shaking his head, but smiling.

28. Back inside, Sky was right, Kevin had a gift all wrapped up for him and everything, "For being awesome, Daniel. It's to help you start off. Just, promise me you won't open it until a few days after you're all settled into your new house, 'kay?"

29. And with that, Daniel grew up into a sharp looking suit and headed to the taxi waiting out front.

30. -~-~- Life continued on at The Hut without Daniel, but it sure was a lot more quiet now that everyone had settled down.

31. -~-~- "Mind if I join?" Brendan asked, pulling up a chair next to his wife and best friend. "Not at all."

32. "So how's Sky doing at school, has she talked to you?" Hailey played with her chips, "She hasn't said much to me about it." "No, not to me, either. I've been a bit worried about her. We may have moved here for her, but that doesn't mean high school kids aren't still cruel."

33. "She has not spoken with me directly, Brendan. However, I have my own suspicions.” Brendan shuffled the cards, "Well share them then, Gear." "I do not know that that would be appropriate, sir." "Oh please, it's about my own daughter's wellbeing, go on."

34. "Excuse me for just a moment, the little old ladies' room is calling my name."

35. ”Brendan, I overheard Skylar talking to one of her..." Gearston paused for a moment, considering his words, "friends. She doesn't seem to feel that the girls of her class are accepting her. She seems to think that they all... Do not notice her. At all." Brendan continued shuffling the cards, “That’s what girls her age do." "I believe it's more than common girl antics, sir."

36. "I believe, Gearston, what you overheard is probably just a dramatization of the truth. You say she was speaking with a friend? Clearly she has one, then. Maybe it's not much, but it's better than nothing. I mean, it's not like she's talking to the plants in her garden or anything. She's fine. She's a tough girl. She'll get through it."

37. ”Brendan, I do not think-" "Gearston, you've never been in high school." "No, sir, but-"

38. "What'd I miss?" Hailey asked, reappearing at her chair. "Nothing, nothing, go ahead and sit down and I'll deal us out."

39. -~-~- "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Sky cheered as she guided her character through a snow slope. Then she glanced over at her challenger, "Gear, are you even trying?" "Yes, Little Miss."

40. "You can't be serious," Sky shook her head, "C'mon, Gear, I just beat you by like, 50,000 points. You're trying to convince me that you didn't let me win?" "No, Little Miss, I would not do that when you strictly told me not to." Sky sighed and set her controller down.

41. "Okay, I'm going to help. Go ahead and pick your character," Sky nodded sagely.

42. "All right, now," Sky scooted a little closer, "When you get to a jump, hit these buttons," Sky indicated, "in this order," she recited a pattern, "and you'll do this trick, but you have to land it, or else you won't get the points."

43. "Good, you're doing good. Now just go with the mountain. It's so much faster than trying to just go straight. Swerve… Yeah, like that."

44. "Okay, now, swerve over there and then jump off that-" Sky started bouncing slightly with excitement, "And now you hit that button, and- And now you- Oh! Go! Go!"

45. "Good job," Sky beamed at him when his total score added up. Her smile faltered slightly though, when the words 'New High Score' flashed on screen, "You beat my score."

46. ~-~-~ As if in an attempt to distract herself, Sky excused herself to her garden to check on the condition of her lemons. She was pleased that they were ripe for the picking.

47. She reached up and picked a lemon off one of the higher branches and sucked on it for a moment.

48. "Oh," she said, her face puckering, "Nothing quite like a fresh lemon." She dropped the sour fruit into her basket then picked the remaining ones off the tree. "So today I was teaching Gearston to play SSX Tricky. Remind me to never teach a robot anything ever again."

49. After picking the tree dry and some more of her reflection on the recent events, Sky moved onto a more pleasant topic. "I'm moving off to college in a few days, Lemon Tree. I can't wait. It'll be like fresh start, you know? Maybe, for once, I'll have some real friends. Haha, wouldn't that be something?"

50. Gearston stood out on the cat porch area, watching Skylar tend to her trees. He could see her lips moving, and he wondered if maybe she was singing or talking to them as she so bizarrely was earlier. He stood there for a long while, until the sun began to set, watching her. She certainly was interesting to watch, he found. And a much more interesting little girl than Sarah ever was, he noted.

51. "Mao," Scout looked up at Skylar with her big green eyes. "Hmm?" Sky looked down from the tree she was currently tending to and saw her precious kitten, whom had grown into a large cat now, "Oh, hey Scout." She looked up at the sky, "Eh? When did it get so dark?" Sky shook her head, then headed inside.

52. -~-~- "Eh?” ... Click. Click. Dear Mom, It's been a while, hasn't it? I'll admit I've put off calling you, but I've been busy with school work and such.

53. I realize that you and Tiff have been emailing back and forth. I just read through a couple and wanted to set a few things straight. First of all, while Tiffany was emailing you, she was going through a few dietary issues. However, I'm proud to say that she's now back on track health-wise.

54. She's also been more focused on her school work lately. If she told you she was keeping up a good grade point average, that was a lie. Her grades were slipping, but I've been working to keep her on track. I also wanted to point out that she wasn't as innocent as she put on. She claimed to be staying away from guys, however this was not true. I'm not very happy to say, but Tiffany was seriously dating several boys at one time.

55. I also thought you should know that after school is finished, she's moving in with Emily and Ava back home. However, I think I'm going to stay here. I met a girl, Danielle (spiky-haired girl from Tiffany’s emails) and she wants to stay in her hometown area, so we are moving to Strangetown after we graduate. Send my regards to dad, Ethan.

56. ~-~-~ "So what's the deal, dad? Why did Shrimp call us over here?" The three Ronstrosity boys were seated in the back room of Shrimp's house, where they were first welcomed into Strangetown. "Well you can never be certain with Shrimp," Brendan nodded, "But I'm pretty sure it's time to name the heir.” Chandler looked confused for a moment, "Like the heir to the family fortune?” Brendan smiled, amused, "Something like that. The heir moves back into the house and continues the family line. Nothing too special."

57. "Well then, who decides?" Kevin asked. "Typically the parent. But there was a case with your grandfather where my grandmother couldn't decide and there was some sort of vote. Or maybe the selected heir is ineligible," Brendan sighed, "Or perhaps Shrimp will decide herself. Nobody really knows."

58. "So does the heir get to, like, be the leader of the free world or something?" "Are you serious Kevin? Clearly, dad was the heir of his generation, and ishethe leader of the free world?" "Well I don't know, he might be and he's just hiding it or something." "Just stop, Kev. You're being ridiculous." "Well, there's got to be some kind of perk." "Says who?” Brendan chuckled at his arguing boys.

59. "Hey guys," Shrimp smiled as she pulled out her seat. There was a chorus of greetings followed by a bit of pointless small talk.

60. "So dad said you're here to name heir," Kevin said bluntly, getting to the point. "Well, yeah. S'pose you could say that," Shrimp nodded. "Great! Who is it?"

61. "Er... Well, if Brendan-" Shrimp looked across the table at Brendan, who shook his head as if to say he didn't want to get involved, "Okay then, I guess I get to pick," Shrimp looked between the boys for a moment and finally turned to Kevin.

62. "I'm going to pick Chandler," Shrimp said with an apologetic look in her eye, "Look, it's not a big deal or anything. You still get to live with Esther and have a family, you could even live in the house if you want, but your kids won't be eligible for heirship." He stared at her for a moment, "That's fine by me," he shrugged, "I don't think Esther would appreciate living in that monster of a house, anyway." He smiled.

63. "Great," Shrimp raised a flute of sparking grape juice, "A toast then, to our new heir!"

64. "To Chandler!" "To Chandler!" Everyone downed the drink quickly, thinking their respective thoughts. After more small talk, goodbyes were said and the boys left.

65. ~-~-~ "So they really liked my garden then?" Sky asked, again, for what may have been the twelfth time. "Yes, Little Miss. What is there not to like?" Gearston nodded as Sky grinned. "What I do not understand," Gearston looked straight ahead, "is why they installed a well. Our house is perfectly capable of running water. There is no need to fetch water from a well."

66. Sky looked at her mechanical friend and smiled, "It's for wishing, Gear." "That is illogical."

67. "Nah, it makes perfect sense, Gear. Here, watch." Sky stepped up to the well and pulled a coin out of her pocket.

68. "I wish..." Sky hesitated for a moment, feeling Gearston's eye on her, "I wish for a fresh start at college," she whispered, then flipped her coin into the well.

69. "Skylar, I do not believe-" "Shhh, wait for it, Gear," Sky held her ear over the well and waited for the 'plink' of the coin hitting the water, "There. And now the wish should come true." Gearston'slarge eye stayed on her, waiting for instant gratification, until Skylar finally said, "Come on, let's head inside."

70. -~-~- "Ugh, June, really?" Ezra sneered at her cousin, when she entered the apartment that night "Are you still sitting on that couch?" June smirked, "Yep. Have been for..." she scanned the room for a clock, "8 hours now."

71. "June," Ezra shook her head, saying the name as more of a threat than anything. "What?" Her cousin was growing sick of Ezra's disapproving glare. "We're getting you out of the house tonight."

72. ~-~-~ "Why am I here?" June glared at Ezra. "Because you needed to get out of the house." "There's nothing wrong with me wanting to stay in the house for the rest of my life."

73. "Of course there is. Especially for you," Ezra bent over to take a shot, "Just look at you. You're young, you're beautiful, you don't even have to work since your rich parents and the inheritance they left you. It should be a crime for you not to enjoy your life." Ezra stood back up and motioned for June to take her shot. June began to say something, but Ezra didn't hear. All of her attention had been directed at Andy, who, as luck would have it, just entered the pool area.

74. "You know what, June?" Ezra interrupted, "You're right. You should be able to do what you want. Go ahead and wait outside, I'll call a cab so we can head back to the apartment." She said to June, hoping to keep her distracted so she wouldn't notice the third person present in the room.

75. A huge smile broke out on June's face, "Thanks Ezra, that means a lot to me. I'll just be right outside." "'Kay, I'll meet you out there in a second."

76. Ezra watched as June sauntered out of the room, then turned back to Andy, who was now entering a door she hadn't noticed until that moment.

77. Ezra maneuvered toward said door. She looked around before lifting her hand to open the door faux-casually. Her hand grazed the cold, metal knob and shivers went down her spine. A feeling she'd never gotten from a door knob before. She twisted her wrist ever so slightly and pushed forward.

78. Slowly, but not slowly enough to raise suspicion, she opened the door and set her foot in the small, dark room which only seemed to lead to another door. For a few brief moments she pondered whether to open that door, as well.

79. However her thoughts were interrupted by the door behind her closing suddenly and a flood of lights blinding her.

80. "Last name," came a robotic voice from nowhere. Ezra searched the room desperately for a speaker, but to no avail. "Last name,please," the voice repeated with an almost sarcastic tone. However, Ezra had no time to marvel at the possibility of a robot capable of feeling and blurted out the word "Ronstrosity.” Suddenly it dawned on her what the repercussions of her saying those words might have been and her mind began racing.What if I just gave myself away to a bunch of killers? What if I set off some sort of alarm? What if-

81. "Access granted," the voice answered, startling her once again. The door then swung open. Ezra entered the stone room and immediately turned a corner, where she was greeted by a set of stairs that she could hear voices echoing up from.

83. Cindy's gaze fell on Andy. Her red eyes empty of any sort of emotion and her face barren of any hint that may give away her thoughts. Her arms were crossed over her chest, unintentionally showing off the muscles she gained from working undercover on the police force. Her presence was threatening, not that Andy would show any inclination of this thought.

84. But if Cindy made him nervous, Lee was worse. With a steady stare that could make a grown man cower in fear. Andy, however, refused to be that man, and while Andy was arrogant, he wasn't stupid enough to try and size Lee up, but he wouldn't give Lee the pleasure of seeing his fear. "So Andy," Lee's voice cut the silence suddenly like chopping a lives fish's head off with a butcher knife, "I'm not going to comfort you with small talk, I'm just going to cut to the chase: I have something I need you to do for me.”

85. Ezra's brow furrowed and she stood up suddenly, convinced she probably shouldn't be listening to this, but in the process of standing up, she lost her balance, tripped, and fell.

86. “Shit.”

87. ~-~-~ After saying goodbye to her family, Skylar packed up her things and got in the cab to head over to The Hut, because it was time.

88. The time when a party is thrown,

89. Pizza is eaten,

90. Kisses are shared,

91. New friends are made,

92. And one legacy heir celebrates his last few hours at La Fiesta Tech. He certainly has a lot ahead of him. --- So that's it for this time around. So sorry for the delay, but there's been so much going on around here. And I'd like to thank everyone for being so patient. (Even though I probably have no readers left.)

93. "Damnit Ezra, whereareyou?"