This story is set in 1911, in London, England. Ryou and Masaya are 19 years old, and Ichigo is 16. There are no other Mews, just Ichigo. I apologize if Masaya is a little OOC, but he has to be for this story to fit. Haha.

Merry Christmas, everyone!! I hope you have a wonderful holiday, and here's my little present to you all.

Please enjoy it!

~Nightfall26

RYOU POV

I wasn't sure when things changed. I didn't quite know when it was.

Perhaps it was when I first saw her, struggling to survive on the streets of London. She had been barely 13 then, a ragged orphan girl with dirty red hair and tattered dresses.

Or maybe the first time she met me, the first smile she ever flashed at me. It had been bright, filled with hope. Her pretty brown eyes had lit with a happiness that had stunned me. How could she be so happy, and have next to nothing?

Could it have been when she started to work for me? Or when she first transformed?

But somewhere amongst all the moments, my heart had stopped beating for itself and began beating for her. I lived each day to see her smile, to see her.

At first, she had been mine. She and I had begun to be friends- It had taken me a while to adjust to a friendship. But it was good. I was an orphan, as well, and we could relate together. Her sweetness helped me become less coldhearted, and with my work ethic, we became a fatal pair. We were both genetically enhanced. Specifically, with cat genes.

The difference was that she was saving the world, and she had powers to do so.

I was a normal person. Well, as normal as a person who turns into a cat can be. I helped her out every way I could, which meant tapping into the police's phone lines and radio lines. I also kept several telescopes in my office. I always knew what was going on.

We were hunting down Kirema Anima's, which were aliens inhabiting human or animal bodies and attacking humans. We didn't know where they had come from, only that when we had finished them off, we would go back to normal.

At first, she had been fine with living in an apartment near my manor and being with me all the time.

And then she was taken from me.

All it had taken was a freak accident. She had ran into Aoyama Masaya, the richest man in the city. Literally. She had run headfirst into him and knocked him over. He had reacted by laughing at her, helping her up, and saying it was his fault. Then he asked her out to lunch to repay for his 'wrongdoing'.

And so it went from there. They began to court, and I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. The one time I tried to talk some sense into her, she got angry. And she hadn't talked to me on a friendly level since.

What I knew was that Aoyama Masaya was a cheater. He loved women, and used them out like handkercheifs.

What she didn't know was that he and I had grown up together. The difference between us was his popularity. And his lust for women. Any kind of women, really. Just as long as more than one was involved. I knew how many hearts he had broken, how many engagements ruined by affairs, and how many weddings crashed by angry mistresses. Ichigo didn't know this. He had paid dearly to keep all of this quiet- even paid for my silence.

I tried to tell Ichigo, tried to give her proof. I tried to save her.

She wouldn't hear me.

Ichigo Momomiya soon fell head over heels for the stupid man.

So where was I? Ryou Shirogane, who had given her everything he could, had fallen from her mind like a stuffed animal too worn out to hold anymore. She acted like she hated me, now, for ever saying that her darling Aoyama could be anything less than an angel. In my shame and anger, I began to act bitter. I teased her for fun now, just to see her reactions.

It didn't make her enjoy my company anymore, let's just say that.

So I hid behind my fancy walls and only faced her when I had to. Most of the time, I kept conversations short and to the point.

Today was different, however. She was actually going to visit me.

I was sitting in my office, with my feet on my desk, and waiting. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the front door. I leapt up, making sure I looked alright in the mirror and hurried down the stairs. Once I answered the door, I saw how lovely she looked today. Her red curls had grown out, and were pinned in a fancy updo. She wore a red and pink dress that was held in place by a giant white bow. Lace gloves adorned her hands.

"Hello, Ryou." She said, smiling at me. I nodded to her curtly.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm going to a ball tonight. It starts at 7, if you want to come. It's Masaya's Christmas ball. Don't be a Scrooge, come and enjoy yourself." She said, and I lost myself in her sweet smile.

"Ichigo." I murmured, nearly losing my mask of coolness that I had aquired lately. She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" She replied, her voice tight. I cleared my throat.

"I'm afraid I'm busy this evening. But tell Aoyama that I appreciate the invitation." I said, my voice monotone. Ichigo sighed heavily.

"Ryou, can't you just go back to normal? Forget that I'm with Masaya, and just be friends again?" She pleaded, taking my hands in hers. I flinched like she had struck me.

"That's impossible, Ichigo. The thought of you with him is... terrible. I know him too well." I said bitterly, looking away from her chocolate eyes. Ichigo released my hands slowly.

"I see.. Then... Goodbye, Ryou." She whispered, and she sounded like she was fighting back tears. I looked at her retreating back swiftly.

"Wait." I cried, and she turned back to me.

"Yes?" She questioned, her face begging for me to say something. Say what, though? What to say...

"I'm... sorry." I said, my head drooping. Ichigo laughed darkly.

"Of course you are." With that, she picked up her skirts and got back into her fancy carriage.

Then she was gone.

I turned back to my fancy house, feeling hollow and empty. All these riches were of no use to me... Without Ichigo.

As I walked up to my room, my steps defeated and heavy, I caught a glance at myself in the mirror. Suddenly, I had an idea.

Tomorrow was Christmas Day, right? So tonight was Christmas Eve. I looked down at my watch. It was quarter to five. That meant I had two hours and 15 minutes to get Ichigo a present... and get dressed for the ball.

Ryou Shirogane wasn't going to go. But someone else would go- and he would have his moment with Ichigo, whether Aoyama liked it or not.

So, an hour and a half later, I had found Ichigo's present and was dressing for the ball. Her present was in a little box, laying on my desk. I looked at myself in the mirror. My other identity, of which I used for secret missions and the like, was staring back at me. The only part of me that could be recognized was my mouth and my eyes. Ichigo didn't know my mouth, obviously. My eyes would give me away only if she thought extremely hard.

Which I doubted.

So I believed myself to be safe. I adjusted my mask, combed my hair back and placed my fedora on my head. I pulled on my gloves and jacket and smoothed down my shirt.

"Not too shabby." I murmured, laughing softly to myself.

Tonight was my last goodbye to Ichigo. If I knew Aoyama well enough, he waited exactly three months and four days to ask the woman he had been courting to marry him.

And then, somehow, he would ruin it.

So he would ask Ichigo to marry him tomorrow, on Christmas Day. I looked down, gritting my teeth together to keep myself from crying out in pain. I couldn't believe it. My Ichigo... Gone...

I coughed once, gathered myself together, and sighed.

It was time.

ICHIGO POV

I was so excited! This was my first experiance at a real ball. I twirled in my fancy dress, flinging my arms to the ceiling and laughing. I touched the diamond necklace at my throat, and silently thanked Masaya. Ironically, it had a little silver cat bell at the bottom of it. I smiled.

"You look marvelous, darling. Are you excited?" Masaya called, entering my dressing room with a smile. I nodded emphatically.

"I can barely contain myself!" I giggled, turning to him. He gathered my hands in his, and spun me once.

"Only a few moments until its time, darling. Come, let's go downstairs. I've lit up all the lights and decorations."

Once we walked into the grand hall, I gasped. A tree, nearly 12 feet tall at least, stood in the center of the floor. It was lit with hundreds of white candles and strings of pearls decorated it. Little white tables were lining the sides of the hall, and a buffet table with drinks and little finger foods stood near them. Crystal snowflakes were hung from the ceiling, hundreds of them, and they glittered faintly.

"It's... so beautiful." I whispered, touching a hand to my necklace. Masaya smiled.

"I'm glad you think so. The orchestra has just arrived, shall we greet them?" He asked, holding out his arm for me to take. I nodded, and so, my evening began.

Oh, such a predicament.

Haha.

Please review, I would really appreciate it.

Again, merry christmas!

~nightfall26