Um...

"Oh shoot! Shhh it's okay sweetie" Wendy said popping up from the couch and going to sit on the armrest of Ari's seat.

Wrapping her up in a tight hug she rubbed her back as she continued to whisper positive affirmation in an attempt to console her.

"Haha no no no, aunt Wendy I'm fine. Just a bit overwhelmed is all" she said giggling through the tears and wiping them from her face.

"Oh okay, sorry" Wendy said hesitantly letting go and sitting back down on the couch awkwardly.

"Sorry I just don't know what it is I'm usually great with people but when it's you or your dad all that goes out the window and I just...I just react" she said nervously.

"Thank you auntie...really thanks for this" Ari said as her voice started to crack as more tears streamed gently down her face.

"Oh damn now I'm starting to well up" Wendy said waving her hands in front of her eyes trying to keep them dry.

"Let me get you some water" she said shakily as she took a deep breath and got up to fetch Ari a glass of water.

Sitting back down having handed Ari a glass of water Wendy waited for her to finish drinking it as to her surprise Ari had just gulped it all down.

Noticing the bandage around her hand Wendy's heart sank.

"Ari, what happened to your hand?" she asked trying to stop herself yelling.

"I cut it in the dream" she said as Wendy furrowed her eyebrows and bit her lower lip.

"Shit I shouldn't have gotten you involved with this" she said through gritted teeth.

"It's fine, bit unusual but I'm okay, I'll be okay just gotta be more careful" Ari said shrugging as the pair sat in silence.

"...So when we did the study we had some men and women go as a test run. One of the first things we found out was that it's an entirely different world with it's own rules and in built system almost like a video game somehow. Did you notice anything weird about it?" Wendy asked intently.

"Haha Aunt Wendy, everything was weird about it" Ari said giggling.

"I mean come on...random monsters, people dying and coming back. Oh by the way my old stuffed panda showed up like as a guide or something and he did karate randomly" she continued while grinning ear to ear.

"Oh Buttons is your guide? Makes sense he was basically in your arms when you were a kid. Anyone tries to get you to go anywhere if you didn't have him? Haha the kicking and screaming" Wendy said with a chuckle much to Ari's embarrassment.

"Hey! He was my best friend" Ari said pouting as she tried to contain her smile.

"...OH wait friends, sorry auntie I gotta go I'm meeting up with someone" Ari said springing up to her feet.

"Oh someone's excited is it a hot date?" Wendy said snarkily as Ari rolled her eyes.

"Eww no I'm going on a run with Dave, besides he's gayer than I am" Ari said heading for the hallway.

"Oh Ari! Don't tell you dad about this 'kay?" Wendy said just as Patrick's bedroom door opened.

"Oh don't tell dad what?" Patrick said snarkily.

"Oh nothing just lady business" Wendy said smirking at Ari.

"Right, Ari what were you and your aunt here talking about..." Patrick said before turning to see Ari as radiant and happy as he'd seen her in forever.

"Ari was just telling me about how she's going out for a run. You know fresh air, exercise, seeing friends" Wendy said smuggly.

"Oh...alright keep your secrets" Patrick said as a warm smile crept across his face when his radiant daughter headed upstairs.

"What did you say to her?" Patrick asked beaming from ear to ear as he turned to face Wendy.

"What can I say I'm just too good at my job" Wedy said cheekily shrugging as she got up off the couch as Patrick approached her.

"What?" she asked looking at the glint in his eye and the wide smile on his face as he pulled her in for a tight hug.

"Thank you sis..." he said as his voice cracked and he pulled back allowing a stream of tears to start falling down his face.

"Oh Pat!" Wendy said immediately clutching his face in her hands trying to wipe the tears.

"Wow wow wow it's okay I guess these are just tears of joy or tears of relief if that's a thing" he replied removing her hands as he started wiping the tears himself.

Heading back into her room Ari went back on her phone to text Dave back.

[Dave: Okay if you actually wanna go let's meet up at say 8?]

[Ari: Sure where we meeting?]

[Dave: Oh you were fr (for real). Figured you were gonna bail, how about around the park?]

[Ari: Ha! Gonna have to try harder than that to get rid of me baby girl. And sorry was just talking to my aunt about something]

[Dave: Oh auntie Wends?! You can f off (fuck off) she want to come instead?

[Ari: Pls (please) get your own super cool aunt and nope you just stuck with me]

[Dave: Oh I'm so lucky (eye roll emoji)]

[Ari: See you soon honey (kissy face emoji)]

Changing into some sweatpants and a baggy shirt Ari cleared the dust off her only pair of running shoes and put them on before heading out.

Keeping her hand in her pocket until she got out of the house she made her way to the park.

Half an hour later Ari was woefully out of her depth running with Dave.

"Oh come on Ari we're not even thirty minutes in" he said seeing Ari slow down to a sluggish jog for the second time in fifteen minutes.

Sweaty and panting Ari leaned against a tree looking at Dave in his gym clothes and headband.

"You work out, I don't...shut up" she said before looking past Dave towards a fast food restaurant off in the distance.

Turning to follow her gaze Dave rolled his eyes when he saw what she was looking at.

"You have the diet of a kid who escaped fat camp" Dave said staring on incredulously at Ari who looked back at him and smirked.

"Come on let's both go home, shower, freshen up and come back here for some breakfast" Ari said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Pfft freshen up? I'm as fresh as a daisy" Dave said as he began stretching.

"Oh come on you already look great let's eat and get some ass in those shorts" Ari said to a now bemused Dave.

"Okay okay fine" she said rolling her eyes before continuing:

"We'll both get a muffin and some black coffee how's that for boring dessert" she said crestfallen.

"Just a coffee and muffin?" Dave asked looking skeptically at Ari.

"Yep and forget your wallet at home I'm paying, just got my last paycheck from the clothing store" she said smirking.

"Fine but just a muffin and coffee, ooh actually I think imma go with chocolate chip" Dave said smiling warmly.

"Ooh look at you living it up" Ari said brimming with sarcasm.

"Haha funny, trust me a bit of clean living is gonna do you wonders" Dave said proudly.

An hour later he sat with his coffee and muffin watching Ari drizzle dip on chicken nuggets sat inside a hamburger.

"Oh come on we both knew this was going to happen" she said as she placed the bun on top of the burger, pressed down on it and took a bite in junk food induced bliss much to Dave's dismay.

"I'm done trying with you" Dave said rolling his eyes as he ate his muffin and sipped on his coffee.

"Hey come on I haven't been out in ages baby steps" she said before taking another bite.

"Oh yeah actually you seem way more cheerful I'm glad your back your old self" he said watching as a smudge of ketchup was left on her cheek.

"Well mostly glad" he said rolling his eyes as he sipped on his coffee.

"Yeah, yeah whatever muffin boy...actually that does look pretty good imma go get one. Can I offer you an actual meal sir?" Ari asked getting up out of her seat.

"...Fine cheeseburger and fries, and another muffin. Your right these slap" Dave said holding the empty wrapper in his hand.

"Good answer" Ari said smirking as she left their table to go order some more food.

"Oh sorry" a brunette wearing a cap said as she accidentally bumped into Ari.

"No no no your fine..." Ari said as her mouth fell agape recognizing Cora through the dark outfit, hat and no makeup.

"Thanks sorry anyways..." Cora said as she locked eyes with Ari immediately recognizing the woman in her dream.