Ami fell down onto the bunk without a single word. She thought about grabbing one of the stupid zen magazines from Killzone's meditating area (just so she could have something to read), but she pushed that idea aside immediately. He'd probably slap some zen into her (quite literally) and with the state she was in, that wasn't really an option. She was just tired.

Tired of the voices, tired of being annoyed and paranoid. She didn't even have the energy to write her daily entry in her diary. Sleep came swiftly and soundly.

---

It was a deep sleep for her, which was surprising considering what a light sleeper she was. Ami normally woke up once or twice a night- it had always been that way since before she could even remember.

When she awoke, a familar black-haired face was staring back at her warmly, a hand stroking her strawberry blonde softly. "Hey Ams," his honey voice rang out into the small cot she'd been lying in. Had she been having an out-of-body experience, she might've found it strange that she was a cot now instead of the bunk she'd fallen asleep in, but the black-haired figure next to her cause more of a stir in her heart than a bed did.

"Adam- ?" she blurted out, not sure of what to think about what was going on. "What are you doing here?!" It was a mixture of happiness and bitterness. She couldn't decide what emotion to feel.

Adam looked down knowingly, with a smile on his face and said, "They told me you'd react like that." His hand dropped from the side of her face. "Listen, I'm sorry about ... what happened. All of it. Not believing you, the- the girl." He got sort of choked up, but he continued. "I ... they told me everything that's happened. Ami you've been so strong. My little conquistadora." His hand coming up once more to stroke the side of her face as he used the joke nickname for her they'd come up with one Cinco de Mayo.

Ami's eyes were alarmed, but relaxing rapidly. Adam was home to her. He was comfort, he was everything. She knew something about this was off, but gave in to it nevertheless. She leaned her head into his stroking and closed her eyes blissfully. Adam took it as a signal to keep talking. "I searched for you Ams. I had to tell you how sorry I was. Had to tell you how much I loved you. Your leader ... guy came and found me instead."

Ami jerked a little at that one, and slowly sat up, pulling her things together hurriedly and worriedly. "They just let you in here? Adam this is a hunter base! You can't just walk into-" Now that she was more awake, she looked over Adam's shoulder to see that they were no longer in the dark underground base. They were back up top in some sort of tent that was brightly colored.

"Yeah about that," he said, chuckling lightly to himself, "They keep saying they've won and beaten Halloween. I'm not really sure what that means, but ..." He stood up from where he was kneeling beside the bed and pulled her up by her hands, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I do believe that means you can come home Ami." He kissed her gently on the nose and then pressed his forehead to hers, smiling.

She should've been celebrating. She should've been laughing and crying at the same time, ecstatic and overjoyed, but spending time in the hunter compound had made her suspicious. Nothing was ever this good.

"I ... just a second, I want to go see it for myself!" she lied. Adam just chuckled and held her hand as he followed her through the flaps of the tent, into the bright sunshine of a May afternoon. People were running back and forth celebrating, and there were party festivities everywhere. Otto was talking with a purple-scarved girl, looking rather content with himself. Feng was standing awkwardly near one of the food tables, but he looked so happy it was almost anachronistic. Marcus ran by with Cass, and Ami reached out to stop him. "Marcus ... is it true?" she asked.

"About Halloween? Yeah! We did it Ami- they're done!" he responded, and then ran off with Cass once more.

She looked up at Adam, and he said, "What did you think I was lying? I meant it Ami, we can go home." He began to wrap his arms around her once more, and Ami found herself giving in even though she wasn't quite sure it was what she wanted. After all, Adam was what made her become a hunter, and pretty much scarred her life. She couldn't help it though. Adam just felt comfortable- it felt right. "I know its sort of sudden, but I-" He looked away in embarrassment, and then leaned in to whisper into her ear. "I really do want to marry you Ams. Shadows and all."

Ami smiled, hearing the words she'd longed for for so long. She let go of whatever she'd been holding onto and embraced him more fully, pressing her nose into his chest, taking him all in. Her perfect Adam. "I take that as a yes," he chuckled, squeezing her closely.

Her eyes cracked open just enough to see Wilson walking by, with a sad sort of look in his face. She immediately let go of Adam, looking like a kid being caught with stolen candy. "Wilson- this isn't ... I mean ..." She looked at the ground. This isn't what? This isn't my boyfriend? Fiancee? Why would it matter to Wilson? More importantly, why did she feel so guilty?

Her stomach churned as she looked at the ground, but Wilson smiled just the same and winked at Adam. "Don't worry, I already know. Adam's a pretty cool guy!" Adam smiled back, his blue eyes twinkling with the compliments.

What was this feeling in the pit of her stomach? She brushed off Adam's arm, looking at Wilson sternly. She realized she was divided. Part of her wanted her old life, to be cherished and married to Adam, and the other half of her thought it was Wilson's arm she should've been under. Internally she just about fell out of her imaginary chair. Holy s**t.

She had feelings for Wilson.

It dawned on her, and internally she was having an emotional seizure, but on the outside she was as steeled as ever. "That's great, you two have met." She smiled, wrapping her arm around Adam. "We're going to get married Wilson! I'm going to go home and marry Adam, and we'll never have to fight another shadow ever again. This is great!" She faked a smile, which Wilson seemed to take. Adam was positively beaming, and kissed her on the cheek right then and there.

"There's more Ami!" Wilson chattered excitedly, "Me and Adam were talking and there's a police station near your guys' apartment- Em and I found a cheap place near there too!" Adam squeezed her hand, looking just as excited as Wilson. She wasn't sure how long she'd been knocked out, but apparently Wilson and Adam had become very good friends.

"That's great Wilson. Really," she responded, smiling at Adam. Yeah, this was the best possible combination. Her feelings for Wilson would fade with time. She'd be able to keep Wilson as her friend, and Adam as her husband. It would all equal out.

---

Things couldn't have been better. The next few days were spent celebrating with everyone. There was quite a bit of drinking, though Ami didn't participate. Adam had a few here and there, but mostly stayed sober. She spent the time with Adam for the most part, catching up one what had happened after her disappearance ... among other things they did.

Something wasn't right though. Why was Adam allowed in the hunter compound? How had he even arrived here? Not to mention Wilson ... why were they such good friends? She couldn't have been unconscious THAT long, could she? Come to think of it- how had she gotten up here too? She'd been in the bunk underground and now she was ... where was she exactly? It dawned on her that she'd never bothered to ask.

One day while she was reading in Adam's lap, she said, "Hey Adam, where are we exactly?"

He looked down at her a little confused, and said, "Why?"

She sat up, turning a little bit to better face him. "Well I mean ... where are we? This isn't Deus Ex, so ..."

Adam laughed and so, "Oh Ams, you never change. It doesn't matter where we are, just so long as we stay." She tilted her head a little, and he continued. "See, as long as we stay, who cares where your body is?"

Ami looked at him a little horrified. "What do you mean? This isn't my body or something?"

He looked at her a little awkwardly, like he realized he wasn't supposed to say what he did. "Ah ... Ami, look it doesn't matter. I'm just messing with you. Just go back to reading." He kissed the top of her head, and Ami was subdued, but not for long. She couldn't shake it. Something wasn't right.

Once it had gotten somewhat late and Adam was asleep, Ami detached herself from him and left the tent. The outside was very different from what she'd originally found. Since it was dark, the scenery wasn't so pleasant. The colors were almost violent in their brightness. Too bright, too happy. Much too much.

She began walking, when Adam appeared along side her. "Where you goin' Ams?" he said, same cheerful smile on his face as when she was first reunited with him.

"Looking for the exit," she said seriously, "I mean we're going home, right? So where's the airplane or whatever?"

"Ams, let's just stay here."

"You said we were going home," Ami said, the clever mischievous all but gone from her voice, now replaced with cold argumentation. She was going to figure this stupid s**t out.

"I mean it. We're staying here," he responded, the strange seriousness also entering his voice.

Ami was about to respond when Wilson came up behind her and put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Yeah- why're you leaving Ami?" he said, a sad sort of broken look on his face, like a kicked puppy.

She shoved off his hand and said, "Guys, I just want to find out how we're leaving to go home! This is no big deal, really.

"You're staying," they both responded in the same moment.

It was wrong. It was all wrong. Ami broke off in a sprint into the small forest to the left of their colorful camp. She got somewhat far, but she knew they were chasing behind her. Knew they were coming. She had the surprise on them, but she'd always been weaker. They were ten times faster and stronger.

Soon she turned around to find herself in a clearing of trees, with Wilson, Adam, Vanessa, Feng, Sasha and countless other hunters facing her. Adam took a step out and said, "Ami, we just want you to stay with us!"

She shook her said and said, "No don't you get it?! This isn't real! NONE OF THIS is real!" Wilson took a step out, and Ami tried to summon Junpei, but he wouldn't come to her. Her hands flung up to the spot where she always put the Junpei clip. It was gone. Come to think of it, it wasn't awfully quiet these past couple of days.

"Where is he? What did you do with him?"

"He's back at the camp," Marcus said, "Junpei's waiting for you back there, so just come with us ..."

She shook her head again, and reached into her pocket. She still had the two daggers that Sasha had given her back at the Amazon base. Ami held them, hands shaking.

"Ami don't!" Adam's voice rang out. He was crying. "Ami, please for the love of god don't."

She laughed coarsely and said, "You know I don't believe in God Adam." She looked up and put the dagger to her throat.

"Ami-"

Wilson's voice was the last thing she heard before she woke up.