Only to be told you're bold doesn't make Claire thinks she should gave up. Why? Because she wanted to ask the doctor out sooooo badly! It's a Winter Thanksgiving anyway, what could hurt? She told herself.

So she stuffed her rucksack with lots of delicious healthy food in order to lure him about and set off from her house quickly, (she forgot to lock her doors) ran straight to the clinic, only to eagerly invite him over.

__

Knock, knock.

The doctor opened the door himself that evening since Elli has gone home not long ago. It was supposedly a holiday for everyone, but except for the doctor, of course, they have to work. Poor him, Claire thought. And Claire waited under the un-roofed entrance of the clinic patiently until he finally accessing the door for her. Her head was full with snowflakes.

"Hello, Tim." she said in a friendly tone as the doctor gave her a surprised look for her visit, ignoring her freezing head. She could guess about his sequential questions of "Why'd you come here?" or "What are you doing?"

The doctor frowned for a bit second. "I thought I told you not to call me that...but hello." lastly he smiled, actually enjoying her visit. Claire turned amused for not hearing his weird questions. She smiled childishly. "You're not asking for why I'm here??"

"It's cold, so get inside." He reckoned to the in-door's. Once again the girl got her surprises but she did as she was told quickly. The doors are left locked few moments later. Claire couldn't believe that she is now with the doctor, her most admired person in town.

How should she describe this? Claire had liked the doctor since she first met him. She thought he was an amazing person, and amazing as he is, she thought it was very cool of him to not say of lots of things. He's a mystery! She liked that.

"It's a Winter Thanksgiving today," she started. "So I thought of giving you something you might like."

"Give me...Something?" the doctor exclaimed as if he didn't believe of what he'd just heard. For a few seconds his face looks rosy, and red. Claire notices that and giggled. "Yeah, something." so she unpacks her rucksack and withdraw all the delicacies on the doctor's table. "Taa-daah! This is it!"

The doctor looked at the foods interestingly. Small shines were on his eyes. Claire was glad she made him got giddy, or sort.

He backed for a few steps, face reddened. "Do you...Know that giving this to me means..that you have deep appreciation on me?" he spelled out. Claire nodded eagerly. "I do!"

"Then you appreciate me?" he asked clearly this time. Blinked.

"Of course!" she smiled widely. "You've been very great in saving the lives of the villagers, and you'd helped me few times before when I passed out from working in the fields, remember??"

"Claire.." The doctor was obviously, touched. No one has ever done this to him. He felt like crying all the same but he holds it.

"Anyway, I thought that you would like to eat healthy meals today. I cooked them all you know? I borrowed Manna's kitchen."

Smiling, the doctor returns to his seat that is in front of her. He strokes his own hair and sighed. "You..don't have to go for all the troubles just to say thanks to me."

"Tee-hee." the girl giggled again. "Then I should just spell it out to you; Thank you, Tim, for all those helps."

He stares down at her and nodded. "Yeah..you're welcome."

"Now let's eat!" with that, both the young and not-really-young people enjoys their food. Claire forgot to change the location and invite him over her house, but still she had fun. The doctor carved the day's date as one of his most precious days, and sadly, Gray who was hoping to invite Claire over, didn't get to see her and stayed inside her house to make sure her house wasn't broken in. What tragics.

-t.s.u.z.u.k.u-