My take on what may happen after Chapter 178! (This is also a result of procrastination...)

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN ANYTHING! Just bits of this plot...however if any of it did come true I'd feel a little psychic! =]

ENJOY! 3

"Who are you?"

That was the million dollar question that, Natsume did not want to hear at that precise moment.

He was too busy intently staring at the blushing girl standing before him. The same girl who was now a more mature and prettier version from the one in his memories. He made sure that she was steady on her feet but did not let go of her hand.

"Thank you! I'm so grateful for you saving me from falling down! I'm known to be really clumsy, you see?"

She seemed to misinterpret his actions as she looked up to him and smiled her signature happy smile at him… God… How he'd craved her smile…

"…You let your hair down…" He absently murmured as he reached out to grab a lock of her hair.

The girl before him seemed to snap out of her daze as she weakly tried to release her hand from his hold. Her eyes widened in shock as it seemed his words had triggered some sort of reaction within her.

"L-let go of me…"

Natsume began to feel unsettled inside. This girl couldn't leave him now… not after everything he'd been through to be able to reach her!

He'd become desperate and suffered so much internally when he awoke that day and found no sight of the girl he willingly gave his life up for.

"Mikan"

He breathed out her name in a painful whisper as he watched her back away from him. His hair that had grown longer over the years concealed the pain in his eyes. He did not want her to see him look so weak and vulnerable after he finally got to see her after so long.

"Why do you seem so familiar… ? I-I don't know you b-but why does it feel like I… Who are you?!"

She had clutched her head in pain. Perhaps her mind was distressed from trying to regain the memories she had lost. He didn't know. But although he felt concerned for her pain… he couldn't help but feel a little euphoria at the fact that she clearly found him to be familiar at least.

Narumi walked closer towards Mikan. He was clearly worried for her wellbeing.

Natsume did not appreciate this gesture of his at all. Neither did Mikan by looks of it as she moved away from Narumi and closer to him.

"It's the foreign kidnapper…" She muttered.

Natsume could not help but internally smirk at her actions. She had only recognised him. Not Narumi or that insufferable Goshima who had somehow managed to stay close to her… She had only indicated that she had found him familiar… and that seemed to make Natsume feel a little satisfied as his possessive nature caused him to hug Mikan close to him to keep those insufferable idiots away from her.

He knew it was wrong to take advantage of her vulnerability at this point in time but damn it all… He had missed holding her like this… He wanted… no… he needed her.

"You… Didn't I say that I would always protect you?"

She looked up at him suddenly frightened as she realised what she was doing.

Who was this man? And why was he hugging her?

She was confused. So, so confused.

First a group of people decided to attack her and her seemingly innocent friends.

She is then surrounded by a sea of fire and has this random image of some boy wearing a mask that looks like black cat's face.

Then a foreigner appears whom she assumes to be the kidnapper and then the fire magically disappears.

Then one of her friends turns out to be extremely strong and suddenly transforms into some handsome tall guy in the next second.

Then there's this attractive guy with red eyes who hugs her and appears to know her while making comments about her hair and giving her yet another mental image of a younger her and some boy at a clearing.

And she doesn't know why but… She feels like it would be okay to trust him… This weirdly attractive stranger who acts as if they have met before…

Well… if people thought that she was a liar before when she rightfully claimed that the bear in her house was alive then they would have a field day if they found out what happened to her just now... Perhaps they would finally send her to the mad house that they had threatened to send her too before if she told anyone about this…

But this guy that was hugging her was somehow uncomfortably comfy…

She had seriously gone insane… Her Jii Chan would kill her if he saw her now…

"Answer me… Who are you?"

She lifted her head up with a determined look in her eyes. Trying but failing to stare down the man before her who would not let go of her.

He cocked his head to one side and put on a poker face.

"You know who I am. You just don't remember me."

She sighed in annoyance as she felt her vein pop. What was with this guy?!

"Then why don't you kindly remind me?"

The man seemed to be amused.

"Don't want to."

Pop went another vein.

"Then please let go of me"

The guy's eyes seemed to flash.

"I could but…" He leaned in closer to whisper into her ear.

"… Do you want the kidnapper to come and get you?"

Mikan shivered from the unexpected contact of the guy.

"…No."

She dared to look up as she saw the man smirk down at her. He looked like he was having fun.

"Oi Naru! I'm taking her!"

She wondered how this guy knew the kidnapper's name as she looked up to see a slightly shocked and hurt expression on the blonde man's face.

"Is he really the kidnapper?"

"It doesn't matter."

Mikan looked back towards the blonde man who seemed to look slightly more hopeful at seeing her questioning expression.

"Are you the kidnapper, Sir?"

The blonde man looked back at her with a confused smile.

"Errr… n-no…? I'm actually-"

"We don't have much time so come along Polka dots…"

Mikan looked up in shock.

"What do you mean by Polka dots?"

The guy just had a blank expression on his face.

"You should be more careful when falling. Your skirt might fly up…"

Mikan stood still in her tracks. What the fu—

"Why you… Don't you know its bad manners to peak under someone's skirt?! You're such a pervert!"

The guy just had a wistful smile on his face as held onto her hand.

"I know… You've told me a lot of times before… Mikan"

Mikan just looked at him in anger. He may have been extremely handsome but he was such a creep! Though him saying her name gave her chills, she ignored them... This guy was way too freaky!

"What are you on about?! I don't remember you!"

The guy visibly flinched from her words and then looked at her so passionately and seriously that Mikan's heart began to unwillingly flutter which caused her cheeks to flush.

"Are you sure you don't remember me?"

The guy lifted an orange stone from his pocket and showed it to her. Why did it seem so familiar? And why did the image of that boy pop into her head again?

"Who are you really?"

She looked at him closely. Why did she feel like she knew him but didn't remember who he was? Why did he look at her like that, with his eyes looking so unguarded and loving? Why did her heart clench at when he looked hurt? What was this feeling?

"I'm Hyuuga Natsume… and you…"

Natsume walked up to her and embraced her as he pulled another stone out of his pocket. This one was blue.

"… are mine."

He looked into her eyes and kissed her deeply as she stood there shocked.

He placed the stone on her arm as it sunk in through her skin.

"Wha-! What is this?! What are you doing?!"

She pulled away as she stared at her arm in surprise.

"I'm sorry for making you wait so long Mikan..."

"Wait! What?! N-Natsume-…"

She didn't finish her sentence as her mind went hazy and she drifted off into slumber as she fell into Natsume's arms.

"From now on no one will interfere… I'll protect you."

Narumi came up to Natsume and patted him on the back.

"Well… that went better than I expected… She should be fine and possibly a little shocked when she wakes up in a few hours but… that is to be expected after regaining memories you didn't know you had until now…Now I don't want to see any little Mikans or Natsumes running around anytime soon okay?"

Natsume just shrugged Narumi off.

"I don't think what we do is any of your business… but I'll be sure to keep that in mind…"

Narumi gave a warm smile. Time had flown by… They had both grown into such charming adolescents.

And they were finally together.

Narumi looked up at the sky as he saw Natsume go in the direction of Mikan's house. He would probably be as nonchalant as when he last met Mikan's grandfather but… he had slowly been accepted by him… despite the accusations Mikan had written in her letters about Natsume to her grandfather, anyone could see how much the lad had cared for her and perhaps the old man learned to understand Natsume's awkwardness in such situations that he may have taken pity for the boy.

Maybe some fairy tales did come true.

Izumi and Yuka would be proud.

Then Narumi walked away to give the couple some time to adjust. He would go back to see how they were getting along in a couple of days… just in case Mikan had a change of heart and decided to choose him instead… Hey… he was just kidding around… Wink wink.

Why... hello everybody! Long time no see!

I know I've been naughty and haven't uploaded in AGES! But exams have been around and I have been trying to study and ended up writing this! (Trust me to do this with my life!)

I've also been doing a lot of growing up so my writing style may have changed and whatnot but meh! Such is life!

Review. Favorite. Or just read. (I'm just happy with someone bothering to look at it!) XD