Kotatsu screamed into her pillow.

Feeling mollified, she lifted up her head so she could breathe again.

It had been two weeks since Arith Haneko, energetic extraordinaire had come to live with her. She had wanted to adopt, yes. The idea of no longer being alone in the house was more than appealing, and living with Arith was about as far from alone as one could get. But in only fourteen days, he had eaten all of the cookies. In only fourteen days, he had made her tidy living room into a black hole of messiness. And she wouldn't even mention the bath tub. In only fourteen days, he had managed to sniff out every inch of the house, including her closet, break her teapot collection, jump off the roof into a tree, and destroy the front bushes. And he wasn't the only one making her life hectic. Konig had his share of blame, as large dragons tended to make chaos even without trying.

She could handle all that. She could get used to it.

But he was still asking her when Mia was coming to get him.

It frustrated her to no end. When she adopted a child she expected them to know that they were being adopted! She exhaled again, a ragged sigh. She would have to explain it eventually.

But every time she tried, his confused look just wrenched her heart. What would she TELL him? 'Sorry kid, you're never going to live with your mum again'? That HARDLY seemed the right thing to do.

And he wasn't the only one who needed explaining to. She still had to explain to the gardener that the shrubbery was dead because of a young boy and his dragon frolicking in it. She still had to explain to her nosy neighbours that the abnormally hairy lad that was now inhabiting her house was indeed her new son, and not something she had stolen from a science lab or a zoo, as Mrs. Kettle had been whispering. And she still had to explain to herself that she was not quitting this time.

Because everything else she had tried, from sewing to sculpting to singing, had ended up in failure. She had just sort of given up when it had stopped being new. But her natural instinct to abandon new roles was obviously going to have to be stifled. Because she liked Arith, despite all the new responsibilities. In the end, she wanted to be able to raise him well...

She turned as Arith slammed the door open to her room. "Ko..." He squinted, thinking. He had trouble remembering her name. "-Tatsu." she ended. He grinned. "What's for dinner?" She looked up at the clock. It was nearly five. "Hamburgers?" she suggested. She wasn't good at cooking. Easy dishes were about all she was willing to risk. Arith nodded. "Great!" he said, and turned to leave...

"Arith, wait." Kotatsu hadn't meant to say it but it came out anyway. Arith turned around.

"Arith, about Mia..." She paused. The boy's grin shrank by a degree as she looked at him. He looked sheepish. "Sorry I ask so much." He grinned helplessly. "I like it here and all, it's just..." Kotatsu interrupted him, however. "Mia isn't taking care of you anymore." Kotatsu's insides churned but at least she got it into the open. It sat between them, a divide that grew with each second of silence. Arith's grin faded. "Well... not for now anyway, right?" he said, his voice full of brittle cheerfulness. Kotatsu shook her head. "Not ANY time." She looked at the ground. "Mia just wasn't able to take care of you anymore, Arith. She still loves you, of course she does, but she just... Couldn't." Arith's smile was totally gone now. "This is your new home." Kotatsu finished, "And though I can't claim to be your mother, I'm you guardian."

The silence was longer this time, and it devoured the scene, The guardian and the boy staring at each other from across a room.

"Okay." Arith said, and left.

It was easier than Kotatsu had expected.
---------------------------------------------
Arith went to the room Kotatsu had given him and sat on the bed. His bed. His room.

No, his bed and his room were in a different house.

According to Kotatsu, they were also in a different time.

He didn't know what to think about what she had said. He knew that Mia wouldn't leave him forever, it was simply unthinkable. It COULDN'T be true, Kotatsu was mistaken, the neighbours were mistaken, and if Kotatsu really was officially his caretaker now, D-Corp was mistaken too.

Someone had to be wrong. Arith just knew it wasn't him.

Arith looked outside at the strange neighbourhood and bit his lip. He had been exploring this place for two weeks. It was nice.

It wasn't home.

He lifted up the window and looked out. If he was right, and Arith was GOOD with directions, home was that way. Home, with his room, his kitchen, his chair, his life.

He walked downstairs and down again, grabbing Konig in the basement. The dragon followed him as he walked out the door.

He paused.

Walking back inside, his stomach churned. Someone had to be wrong about Mia.

He didn't want to prove it if the person that was wrong was him.