"Do I get hugs if I tease you, too?" asks Bella, grinning.

"That depends. Would you tease me just to get hugs?"

"Well, it would probably be easier to ask than to tease, so I guess it depends on how limited my options for hug-getting are."

"But you're obviously on a vengeful crusade," Bella points out.

"Well, right now, yeah. I won't be forever."

Right on cue, Savannah says, "Fine! Fine, okay, I will stop teasing you, enough with the hugs!"

And she is released. "Like so."

"My turn?"

Hugs!

Soon enough, the hug's ended! Darren would keep hugging her, but her dad is in the front seat and Darren is not suicidal. "Happy?" he asks, amused.

"Only if you teach me one more rune before we get there."

He laughs. Then, he gives her a rune.

Darren notices. He is not complaining at all. Magic lessons, and Bella has her head on his shoulder. This is something he approves of!

Savannah will not bother them to talk about something other than magic. They are reasonably close to maybe kissing. She isn't going to mess this up. Instead, she curls up and tries to nap some more.

Then they shall proceed to the Avalon thusly!

That's the plan!

"Well, this looks like the perfect place to have a cop show season finale."

"Not if the cop show was much good," snorts Charlie.

Darren snickers. "I'm pretty sure we're not part of a bad cop show."

"I dunno. Our dads could make a great cop show duo."

"I'm the edgy one," drawls Vernon dryly.