Author Note: Hello everyone! As this is my first story, it might need work in the future. For now I'm not sure. If anyone thinks I need a Beta for this, can you please suggest so? Thank you...

Disclaimer: I do not own any Young Wizards stories, nor any Young Wizards. Either would be nice though.

"Darine, you can't do that."

"Come on, Nita. Dad won't even notice the toaster was missing if I bring it back in an hour or two. He said he was going to be at the shop late tonight."

Nita Callahan glanced up from the book she was working in to check the clock. Technically, her sister was right. Their dad wouldn't be home until at least six o'clock, and it was only three. Setting her pen down and closing the book, she pushed both across the table and stood up. Stretching her arms above her head and yawning loudly, she looked over at Dari.

"New spell?" Darine asked, putting the toaster back down on the counter and eyeing it longingly.

"Yeah, and don't change the subject, Squirt." Nita walked over to the island across from Darine and leaned against it, folding her arms and watching her sister. Darine wrinkled he nose at Nita. "Dad might not notice the toaster was missing for an hour or two when he gets back… but he will notice when it gets up and starts walking around tomorrow morning when he wants a piece of toast."

Darine scowled and picked up Spot, who was on the counter next to the toaster, and rubbed his shiny outside lovingly. "You're no fun, really Neets. Anyway, why are you still here? Dad left a note saying to fend for myself because you and Kit had a mission to complete." Walking over to the table, she set Spot down and she lovingly watched him stretch his legs before making a bee-line for the refrigerator.

"You're going to eat us out of house and home if you don't stop for ten minuets."

Darine smiled at Nita as she opened the door, searching through the contents of the refrigerator. "Hardly. And now you're the one avoiding questions." She grabbed a jar of jelly and closed the door, setting it out on the counter as she rummaged through the cabinets for the peanut butter and a loaf of bread. "Is it just me or is dad starting to hide stuff on us? Do you want one?"

Nita sighed and shook her head, going back to the kitchen table to grab her manual. "Kit was supposed to be over here ten minuets ago."

"Ah… he stood you up again..." Dari said wisely, trying to hold a straight face before she broke out into laugher.

"I'm not being stood up, Squirt. Kit's probably walking Ponch, or finishing homework…" Nita trailed off and rolled her eyes. This was the fourth time Kit was late this week, and it was only Friday.

Setting the knife in the sink and putting the rest of the food away, Darine picked up her sandwich and looked questioningly at Nita. "Don't give me that look." She said through a full mouth. "What are you guys working on anyway? The gnomes still?"

Nita looked at her sister carefully. "They're not gnomes, for your information. They're S'hi!g. They'd kill you if they heard you calling them gnomes. Anyway, they're being difficult. A new tribe of them moved into Central Park last week and decided to make their burrows right under the trees, who don't like getting their root systems disturbed. It's a mess, but nothing we can't fix." Darine nodded in understanding, she was used to solving disputes between different life forms. Nita continued, "And… I was working on a spell that would make the trees roots impenetrable to the S'hi!g's tools, but it's nearly impossible to replicate the material sequence." She sighed and ran her hands though her hair. "I need Kit to take a look at it, honestly.He might have an idea what to do."

Dari shrugged. "You better get out of here soon then, if you want to make it back for dinner. Dad will flip out otherwise. You haven't been home all week."

"I know. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can." Nita picked up her manual and went out the back door, grabbing her shoes that were on the stairs. She paused for a moment and thought better, sticking her head back inside to say to Darine, "Stay out of trouble. Or else." Closing the door again, she looked out onto her backyard. Smiling, Nita made her way down the stairs, skipping the last one as she bounded across the yard. She could hear the grass mutter at her lightly, but she rolled her eyes, ignoring it as she walked up to the Rowan tree.

"Need anything, dear?" it asked her slowly, in a motherly voice.

"No, thanks though. Weather's been nice lately, huh?" Nita slipped down to the ground between her roots, taking refuge from the sun in her shade. Just for a second, before she'd get up to throw the transit circle around herself and pop over to Kit's house.

"Beautiful out. Not too hot. How's the project going?" She ruffled her leaves and stretched slightly towards the dazzling sun.

Nita paused for a minuet and looked up through her gnarled branches. She knew it was wrong, if not impossible, to lie in the Speech. "Not so good. We thought it would be easier than it is."

"And Kit? He hasn't been back here lately."

Frowning, Nita sighed. She got up, in the process smoothing out the wrinkles in her jeans and straightening her shirt. That's because we aren't getting along so well. Nita said to herself. Instead though, she said to her friend "I don't know." She walked out from under the tree and out to the open grass. Turning back, she said "I'll be home soon, I think." Nita reached into the back of her mind and pulled out the transit spell for Kit's backyard, quickly tying her name onto the end of it in a wizard's knot. She held the spell in her hands for a second, looking at the glowing, multi-colored writing, before letting it drop to the ground around her.

"Take care, child." The tree murmured before she triggered the spell.

Nita nodded slightly to the tree as she read the words hastily, activating the spell. The air around her compressed and she was immediately blinded by a white light. Her ears rang in protest of the deafening crack that resounded inside the transit circle from the spell. Just as it began though, it ended. She blinked her eyes, her sight and hearing returning quickly as she looked around Kit's backyard.

Touching his mind gently with hers, she said, almost questioningly, 'Kit?', but there was no response. She felt his warm presence on the other side, but he was distracted by something else he was working on, clearly blocking out all other distractions. Kit and his homework, Nita said to herself with a smile as she walked up to the backdoor. She knocked twice and let herself in. There, on the living room couch, she saw Ponch sleeping, his legs up in the air and twitching madly, an obvious smile formed across his doggy lips. She tiptoed up the stairs, careful not to wake him. She dodged around Carmela's mess in the hallway, and stopped at Kit's bedroom door. She sucked in a shallow breath and willed herself to knock once, sharp, on his closed door. Nita could hear his muffled voice on the other side. Frowning to herself, she knocked again, harder and louder this time, and he yelled back.

"Just a second, mom!" A minuet later, Kit opened the door, the cordless phone in hand, and stopped when he saw Nita standing there. "Nita, you're early. I thought we were leaving at three. I was going to meet you over at your house anyway, wasn't I?"

"Kit, it is three." Nita said impatiently as she pushed against his arm that rested on the doorframe and slipped into his room. She strode across his room and grabbed his alarm clock next to the bed. Holding it up in triumph, she pointed to the digits said "Three thirty-two to be exact!" Kit made a face at her and checked his watch, and jammed the phone back into the cradle on his desk.

"Sorry." Kit said, still standing there, looking frazzled with her intrusion.

Nita sat down on his immaculately made bed, noticing the piles of books and papers strewn about his room. She fiddled with the hem of her green tank top, doing anything not to look at Kit. "So… who were you talking to?" she asked.

Kit turned his back to her and began fidgeting with the books on his desk, putting loose paper in the open pages and closing them up. "Uh… Some girl. She's from my math class." He stacked the books while he spoke, opening his backpack and shoving a few of them in. Nita frowned even harder into his turned back and said slowly, "Oh." She knew Kit helped kids from his classes, especially math, but he never forgot about anything he planned with her before. She didn't like it one bit. "Is that what you've been doing all week?"

Kit stopped what he was doing and paused, holding his manual loosely in his left hand. "Yeah." He put the book down carefully and leaned against the desk, supporting himself with both hands.

"We don't have to go today. If you're too busy… you know… helping people… we can go tomorrow. Or Sunday…" Nita said as she felt herself frowning even harder. She felt herself become angry with Kit. What's wrong with him! He's my partner! He's my best friend! Nothing's supposed to come between that.

Nita could understand forgetting one day or two, but almost an entire week! That was far too much. She cocked her head and looked hard into the back of his navy blue shirt. Nita wished he would turn around and look at her. She pressed on, "Who is she?"

Kit turned around, a pile of books in his hands, and looked at Nita like she had betrayed him. He could tell just by looking her in her eyes that she was being cautious; but he could tell she was angry with him too. Angry for what! I can have other friends if I want! "Jen. Her name is Jen." Nita scowled at him. Kit turned around and threw the books down on the desk and changed his mind about being nice to her. If she wants to fight, then fine. "She's a nice girl Nita," 'Nicer to me than you've been lately!' He added mentally, and he knew she heard him. He even felt her, even if just slightly, become hurt through their mental connection. "She just needed some help with what we've been doing lately! That's it! So don't interrogate me over it." Kit snapped off the end of the sentence, and words we're bitter.

She flopped back onto his bed, kneading her eyes with the palms of her hands. Why did Kit have to be so irritating sometimes? She never had heard of this girl before! "Look, Kit…" she paused and sucked in a breath, grinding her teeth in the process out of frustration. She needed Kit back for real this time, not just as her partner, but her best friend too. "Ever since my mom--" 'died'. Nita knew Kit heard it, she felt him looking at her sharply, carefully, but she continued on. "After what happened to my mom... We haven't been the same. What's wrong! Tell me, Kit… I want to help! I don't get it! You don't talk to me anymore!"

"And that's all my fault then, Neets?" She winced at his use of her pet name. "You're the one who ignored me for two months! It's like I don't even know you anymore!

Nita pinched her eyes together. She had changed, but who wouldn't? She'd been through so much in the past year, it wasn't her fault, and Kit had no right to blame it all on her. "And you haven't been there for me when I needed you!" she spat back at him, sitting up and holding her chin high to keep the tears from falling. "More than ever! You screwed up this time, so don't blame it on me!"

Kit glared at her. Girls are so sensitive, he thought to himself. "I gave you space! You wanted space, and I gave it to you. So, now I'm the bad one for trying to help! It's not my fault. I'm allowed to have other friends, you know." He softened slightly, when he saw Nita's chin trembling and her eyes shiny and red. Her brown curls clung to her chin and quivered slightly. "What do you want me to do, Neets?" He breathed out through clenched teeth.

"Nothing, Kit. Forget about it. I have other things to do. Jen can help you with the S'hi!g too while you're at it." Nita got up and strode out of his room with her head held high and down the stairs. Kit heard the backdoor slam shut and the loud crack of a transit circle being hastily activated.

As soon as he was sure she was gone, Kit turned and flopped face down onto his bed, where Nita sat only seconds before. The sheets were still warm from her body pressed upon them, and he could smell her spicy ginger shampoo. He turned over hastily and let out a long breath. "Nita's over reacting." He said out loud, to no one in particular.

Just then, Ponch slid in through the door, tentatively, his tail down. Looking up at Kit, he said "Nita's not happy."

Kit groaned loudly at the dog. "She's livid."

Ponch paced around the room, pausing at the bed to look back up at Kit. "Because of you?" Kit looked down and nodded at him. "You didn't say sorry? What did you do?" Kit closed his mouth and stared at the ceiling. "Poor Nita. She always brings me something yummy." Ponch sat down on his back haunches, looking sadly up at Kit.

He rolled his eyes, tucking his hands under his head, and said, "Get out of here. You're always thinking of your stomach first." Ponch got up and looked at Kit once more. "She was wrong anyway," Kit added.

Ponch turned around and shook his head, making his way back towards the door. He turned around to face Kit sadly; his eyes looked at Kit as if to say "So?" Instead, he said, "We all love Nita." Then, Ponch slipped out of the door as quietly as he came in, leaving Kit to toil in his own mess.