Well, that's my first post here as a writer in English, so be gentle. Jade and Anise is my favorite couple (even if they're not a real couple! XD) [Beta: THEY ARE ç_ç Ok, remember to erase this LOL UHAEUHAEHAE] so, I'm posting this fic. And, everyone knows that Tales of the Abyss does not belong to me (so sad! ;o;) so, just enjoy!! I'll love to receive some reviews! 8D

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Cap.1 Return

Jade was walking calmly behind the group that was returning from Tataroo Valley, after they found Luke and Asch there. Astonish, intrigued and (why not?) happy to see the impulsive redhead and his original return, both alive and without any apparent problem. He was observing the group that was walking cheerfully for the Albiore, which was at the exit of the forest. Anise, on the other side, Jade noticed, that she didn't seem so lively about the return of the redheads. Snooper, resolves to approach later to know what's the problem, and annoy her a little about the new position she got in Daath, not as the Fon Master, but as an Ambassador of Diplomatic Subjects of Daath, helping the new Fon Master Thritehein, which was guiding the Order of Lorelei to a more brilliant future. After they arrived in the Albiore, Jade, seeing that Anise was going for her personal cabin, resolves to speak with her.

"Anise, I would like speak to you in privacy" says Jade, walking beside the girl, that had not any more the childlike appearance that she used to have three years ago, taking the form of a young and beautiful woman. Realizing about what he was thinking, Jade resolves simply to simply ignore his thoughts. Anise stopped walking, and watches the Colonel, who seemed lost in thoughts.

"Sure Colonel, but what you want to talk about? " ask Anise, looking on his ruby eyes, looking for some answer, while the Colonel just adjust his glasses, smirking.

"Very well! Let's go to your cabin Anise!" smiling, Jade start to walk and open up the door in front of him, waiting as Anise passes thought it. After she did, Jade walked inside, closing the door and looking Anise sit on the bed on the cabin, looking to him after sit, waiting he start the conversation.

"Anise, if my memory does not fail, in the return to the Albiore, you seemed way depressive, any reason for that?" asks Jade, looking at her attentively, while she looks away from him.

"O-f course not Colonel! Why should I be sad? After all Luke and Asch came back to us alive, so why should I be sad for that?" she speaks quickly, running over the words, and Jade observes, she closing her fists with strength.

"Really Anise? For me now it seems that you're hiding something, even if I have no idea of what it is... Maybe something related with a green haired Fon Master?" comments Jade cunningly, looking at the girl who now had shrieked while hearing what he spoke.

"You think so? Why should be something related to him?" says Anise weakly, while trying to contain the tears; realizing that it was that itself that he had had just spoken, Jade gives a tired sigh and goes towards bed, sitting beside her.

"Anise, I know you at sufficient time to know that you are blaming yourself again for the death of Ion, when you yourself know that that is not true" speaks Jade in a serious tone, putting a gloved hand on top of the trembling hands of Anise, holding them lightly.

"Colonel...I-I don't understand! I know that I am going to sound quite selfish, but, why Luke and Ash could return and Ion not? I know that the circumstances for them are totally different from Ion but, I do not manage to adapt myself! It wanted to be able to bring Ion back, and apologize with him! If I could...I would exchange my life for his!" speaks Anise, sobbing. Hearing that, Jade withdraws the hand from above hers, becoming serious and irritated.

"Anise, look at me" command Jade, with a voice showing rage and reprimand. And, obeying, she lifts the head to look at him, and he slap her face, furiously. "Never again dare to speak a thing of this, are you hearing me anise?" he speaks in a tone of warning. "I find that after three years in which we know each other and after all what we have passed, you should have already understood that what you has just spoke is the most pure stupidity!" reprimand, looking at the watered eyes of Anise, and, putting a hand in her cheek where he had slammed, astonishes with the action of the Colonel. Not holding out any more, Anise just hugs Jade, hiding her face in the front of his uniform, sobbing. Jade is tense with the unexpected contact of the girl, soon putting a hand in her chocolate hair, that now she was using free, caressing lightly, trying to comfort her.

"I'm sorry Jade... I know that I'm wrong but, sometimes I feel so guilty because that I can't help thinking about these things" murmurs Anise weakly against Jade's uniform, hugging him a little bit stronger. That leaves the Colonel feeling a little bit of regret for the slap, but also be surprised since she had called he only ' Jade ', without using is patent.

"My my, it seems to me that somebody here does not call me any more 'Colonel'. Why, I wonder" comments Jade, trying to improve the mood of the girl, which gave a little laugh that was stifled by his clothes.

"What's the problem? Do I remember that from the beginning you wanted that we just called you by your name, and then you can't complain if you yourself allowed can you? You're complaining too much don't you think? If you continue like this, everyone is going to think that you are a surly old man!" pout Anise, with a weak smile, looking at Jade and seeing the expression of pure sarcasm what he was giving out.

"Oh? So, now I'm a surly old man! Very well, this surly old man will go out of the presence of the disturbed youngsters!" speaks Jade, on a fake indignant face, pretending to stand up, when Anise pull him close for the clothes, while he looks at her with a sarcastic smile.

"No Colonel..." Anise whispers, looking at him with the eyes full of sadness and solitude. Jade, seeing that she wasn't so well yet, smiles, but not a sarcastic smile, a simple smile, while he withdraws her threads of hair of the face and puts behind her ear delicately, drying Anise's tears that were wetting her face, in the process.

"Anise, you know that I would not leave you alone here, in the way that you are now, so, where's the girl what I know, which is always ready for a good joke and adores to do tantrum?" speaks Jade, looking at the brown eyes of the girl, while she blushes lightly to his delicate touch. "Besides, you called me 'Colonel' again! I am going to stay here only if you will call me for the name!" giving a wicked smile, while Anise was blushing a little more. "Then ...?" speaks Jade, looking at her.

"And I spoke already! Why do I have to speak again?!" demands Anise, blushing furiously and pouting, while Jade laugh.

"Ok, I'm leaving now" says he, mentioning of lifting of the bed again.

"Right! I'll say! But stay, Jade" speaks Anise quickly, blushing furiously and making Jade give a victorious smile.

Then, Anise put her head in Jade's chest, and then he hugs her again, while she close her eyes as Jade just observes the girl, hugging her back and remaining silent. After a while that way, he realizes what the breathing of Anise it was uniform and calm, then he looks at her, and see that she was sleeping calmly, then he smiles, resolving that is time to leave her alone, putting her in his arms delicately and sorting it out in the bed, withdrawing her shoes and putting the blanket over her.

"Good night, Anise" he whispers, caressing her cheek lightly, and walking off to his cabin. While going out, he encounter with Luke, now wearing long hair again, and the redhead was looking him confused, because knew that that was not the cabin of the Colonel.

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So, that's It! I have to thank for the help my friends gave me, reading this and saying their opinions! Thanks to Nagi, my new Beta Reader [yes, you are!! XD] who helped me which the English part, and the others for reading it!

Arigatou Minna-san!!

Until the next chapter, I'll post as soon as I can!!

-Yullie Black-