"Cristina, you should not have brought Nathan. He was not prepared." 

"Mom, he was with me. I could cover him. It was fine. And we fulfilled the quest. Don't let his name fool you. Dark is a good man." Cristina said. 

"You've already introduced me to him, and I will admit, you're correct. He is indeed a good man. But what if he wasn't? Nathan has none of your training. He does not have your judge of character." She pointed to the hall, where Dark and Nate sat together, chatting peacefully. Nate seemed fascinated with his every word. 

"Why don't you have any faith in him?" Cristina asked. "Nate is wonderful. Smart, funny, talented... and he is just a good judge of character as me, mom." 

"Oh Cristina..." Her mother's face softened, as she knelt down to look her daughter in the eye. She placed her hands gently on her daughter's shoulders. "I know you care deeply for him. And Nate is good, yes. He is just not very... smart. He jumps to things before he knows the facts." 

"He didn't need the facts, mom. Besides, even if that is true, he had me. I can tell that Dark is good." 

"Of course. I can see that, too. I'm just wondering if... maybe you should set your eye on a better boy to..." 

"Oh my god!" Cristina shoved her away. "What is your problem, mom!?" She stormed away, grabbing her bag. 

"Cristina, wait!" 

"Not in the mood, mom!" She opened up the series of wooden planks that they called a door and slammed it behind her, shaking the foundations of the building, and catching Nate and Dark off guard. 

"Whoa, you okay, Cristina?" Nate asked as she stormed past. 

"My mother is just being stupid." She huffed. "But you passed her test, Dark. She sees the good in you, which means you're an official Digger." 

"Well, I thank both you and your mother. Thank you, to both of you." He said, also glancing to Nate. "If it wasn't for you two, I may have been lost forever." 

"Yeah, well... my mom does all the work, really. She's acting like she can control my life. What I do, who I am, who I love-" 

"Wait, you love someone?" Asked Nate, suddenly standing up. 

"No, of course not." She said, glancing away. "I've got to go." She hoisted up her bag and left the building.

"I think I see what's going on here." Dark said.

"What are you saying?" He asked. 

"You're clearly in love with her, Nathan." Nate bit his lip and turned away nervously. "No, it's okay. Young love, it's a beautiful thing." He chuckled. "Pity about her mother, though." 

"Yeah... but sometimes, I just wish..." 

"She was gone?" 

"Whoa, no. I mean... I wish she..." Nate trailed off. "Okay, sometimes. I just... I don't want her getting in between us anymore." 

"I'm sorry, Nathan. But maybe... maybe you and Cristina can be together soon." And he was right. But not in the way Nate wanted.