<div style="background-color:#6c9cb8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="color: #000000"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">It was a relief to hear Dimitri's voice, but how he could care so little about his birthday, she didn't understand. Birthdays were the <span style="font-style: italic">best</span> thing; it meant cake and fun and scavenger hunts in the sun. Alannah giggled as she held out her hand to him.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"You'n drink now,"</span> she snickered. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Without cops."</span> Her face suddenly took on a look of profound puzzlement. <span style="font-weight: bold">"But you do need cups."</span><br/><br/>Dimitri's hand was cool and wet on her own; a nice feeling. As the pain lessened, by virtue of the divine powers Alannah still didn't completely understand despite her own affiliation with the same element they derived from, the clouds of confusion dissipated and the world became a little clearer. She recognized the light blue curtains above her bed. Henry, the stuffed lobster, was sitting by her feet. Her cheeks reddened slightly.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"You look exhausted,"</span> she told Dimitri. He really did. The pain in her hand wasn't so bad, but she could feel a headache sneaking up on her by her left temple. <span style="font-weight: bold">"What - what happened? I remember the gold 'n - what <span style="font-style: italic">was</span> that?"</span> She lifted her hand from his, looking at the puffy, bright pink skin. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Were all those fish <span style="font-style: italic">dead</span>? And that - that girl? What does the Ocean's Eleven want with her?"</span> Her mind whirled. She wasn't quite sure why she hadn't told him that she was part of that organization yet, but she knew she felt wary about it, and in turn guilty. She just hoped he'd notice the confusion rather than the sheepishness.</span></div></span></div>