Hello guys! This is my first fanfic, and I would really appreciate it if you guys could take the time to give me some feed back. Thanks!

R&R

The Letter

By nine o'clock, the mail would have already been delivered to Mizuno Youko's mailbox, and at five past nine, Youko would already have the mail in hand as she walked up two flight of stairs to reach her apartment and by nine fifteen, Youko would have already discarded the mail on her coffee table as she headed for the bathroom for a quick shower before her eleven o'clock class.

But on the second Tuesday of June, Youko was drinking a glass of wine at nine fifteen.

Among various ads and bills that would later be sent to her father, Youko found a crisp white envelop address to her. It surprised her that in this day and age someone would take the time to write out a letter to her, and curiosity getting the better of her, Youko sat down on the nearest chair and carefully tore open the envelop, forgetting that her Japanese Legal Systems class was a hour away.

As the former head of the Yamayurikai, Youko found it to be one of her duties to be able to recognize each of the roses' handwriting. Eriko's, for example, was large, loopy, and though it appeared neat, there was an air of hurriedness in each curve. Sachiko's was a bit more constrained and definitely more elegant, and while Yoshino's was darker than anyone else's, Rei's was more on the faint side.

But judging by the small characters and the strong right slant of the words, Youko knew that the letter was written by the more reserved of the white roses. It also helped that at the very bottom, Toudou Shimako had signed her name.

Youko found it odd that theyounger girl had written to her, more so now that Shimako was at a convent somewhere in Kyoto, following the ridged guidelines of becoming a nun.

Sei had wallowed in a spout of depression after Shimako left, but after a few free lunches on Youko's and Eriko's part and spending quality time with Shimako' petite soeur, Noriko, Sei had slowly come out of her depression, though Youko would notice the bitter smile of Sei's lips from time to time.

Youko shook her head of the thought and turned her attention to read the contents of the letter.

A few minutes later, there was a discarded letter on the floor and a distressed Youko pouring herself a glass of wine.

She like Shimako had no idea what to do with the present situation.

Youko-sama,

I am deeply troubled, and though I've prayed on the matter for many nights now, I still don't know what to do. I know we have never been close and the fact that I'm writing you may seem a bit weird and out of the blue, but we do have one thing in common. We both care deeply for Sei, and that's why I'm writing to you and not her.

I saw her today Youko-sama. Not Sei, but the woman she once loved: Kubo Shiori, though now she has taken up the name Sister Theresa. Prior to entering the convent, I had never seen her in person, but Tstuko-san once showed me a picture of her. It was those same dark sapphire eyes that smiled at me from across the nave that smiled at me from the still image.

At first I wasn't sure, so during recreational time after dinner, I stroke up a conversation with her. She found it a coincidence that we were both alumni of Lillian (I didn't), and immediately we began a conversation of the still gardens that flourished under Maria-sama's care. She recounted her fond memories of the gardens, and though she never named the other person, she always said 'we' instead of 'I'.

After a lull in the conversation, I decided to make my move. I asked her if she ever had a petite soeur or an Onee-sama, and she replied that she had none. She in turn asked me the same question, and I replied that I had both. She asked who was my Onee-sama, saying that she might have known her.

I replied that my Onee-sama had been Satou Sei.

Her eyes widen in surprise Youko-sama, and she watched me with hollow eyes as if I had been the messenger of death and had imparted my gift to her. She opened her mouth slightly to say something, when it was announced by the head nun that it was time for evening prayers. She scurried from our seated positions and left for the nave without even saying goodbye.

Shiori-sama has been avoiding me ever since.

I don't know what to do with this information Youko-sama. A part of of me believes that I need to let sleeping dogs lie, but I also know that Sei needs some sort of condolence if she is ever to get rid of her bitterness. We've both seen the way she looks out the window with a morose frown tugging on her lips, and we both know it's her that she is thinking about.

I've started dozens of letters telling Sei about Shiori-sama, but each one has found their way into the trashcan. I don't know what to do Youko-sama, and I'm sorry for burdening your shoulders with my troubles but you know Sei better than I do and have always had her best interest at heart.

Sincerely,

Toudou Shimako

It was way past eleven o'clock now, and Youko was seated in the same chair for the past hour, mulling over the pros and cons of the conundrum.

Shimako was right that Sei needed closure, but there was always the possibility that the closure would tear open up old wounds and cause new ones to mar Sei's fragile spirit, and Youko wasn't sure if Sei could handle another onslaught of such pain. Youko could barely handle the pain of watching Sei cry during that faraway day in December.

But what if didn't? What if it allowed Sei to move on with her life and escape the despair and loneliness that resided within her since Shiori's departure? What if it did more good than harm and allowed not only Sei's soul but also Shiori's soul to finally rest without the guilt of ruining someone's life?

No wonder Shimako came to her. It was difficult picking the the lesser of two evils, and for once, the former the calm collected Rosa Chinensis had no idea what to do.

Youko stood up, deciding that a hot shower would clear up her mind. Perhaps later she would call Sei's Onee-sama and ask her for advice.

As she headed toward the bathroom, her phone rang ,and after three rings and a dash on Youko's part, she answered the phone.

"You-ko!" An obnoxious voice chimed on the other end. It still Youko in her movements; it was Sei.

"Hello Sei." Youko returned the greeting after gathering her bearings. "What do you want?"

Sei laughed."You don't beat around the bush do you? I was calling to see if you wanted to have lunch with me."

Youko nodded her head, even though Sei couldn't see her do it, feeling a nervousness she had never felt around Sei. "Sure. At what time?"

If Sei noticed the slight shaking in Youko's voice she didn't say anything.

"Around one." Sei answered.

"At the cafe near your dorm room?"

"You betcha!" Sei cheerfully replied.

Youko smiled, hearing the playfulness in the blonde's voice. What would happen to it if she ever saw Shiori again?

"Okay Sei. I'll see you then."

Sei didn't even bother saying goodbye before she hung up, and Youko would have chuckled at the former white rose's rudeness if she didn't reach her decision.

She headed for her study and sat down at her desk as she gathered the materials to respond to Shimako's letter.

With a pen in hand, she wrote her response. And after ten minutes, Youko was out of the study, and on her way to meet up with Sei.

And on her desk laid her letter.

Dear Shimako,

For now, I think it's better that we wait. Sei, though not as much as we both would have liked, has moved on, and I think that if we tell her right now, it might bring back memories that are too painful for her to handle. When this all comes into light as I'm sure it will, I'll take the blame.

Sincerely,

Mizuno Youko

What do you think? I was thinking about leaving this as a one shot unless people want me to continue. So it's up to you guys!