Title: "Reunion"
Author/Artist: Yukari Rin
Pairing: Sana x Jhoe
Fandom: Innocent Venus
Rating: K
Notes: Meme-chan on livejournal's Christmas gift. Sana kept pushing to be the voice of this, so I apologize that it isn't JhoeSana. fails
Disclaimer: Innocent Venus and related properties belong to WOWOW.

"Reunion"

She was twenty now, and everyday she thought about him and how she had been so childlike in fearing him due to his serious manner those few years ago. (She also bemoaned how wrong she had been in the end; Jhoe hadn't been who she should have feared.)

Sana would come up with various scenarios in her minds as she went about her duties aboard the Ishin. Scenarios of time spent with Jhoe in the future, if they met up again. She'd also wander into the land of What If and change decisions or actions in her mind, creating a "present" that wasn't possible otherwise.

Goro was still as annoying as ever, but "Hime-sama" had become an endearment over the years. The change in their relationship caused Sana to wonder it Jhoe had changed at all in his years of wandering. Had his smile changed? Did he talk more? Was he friendlier? Had he grown even taller? Gained weight? Lost it? Had he grown his hair out, or had he cut it?

One day she woke to find the Ishin had docked in one of the Southern cities. Oryou hadn't told her they'd be making landfall, so she walked to the deck to enjoy the fresh salty air. Seagulls flew overhead, squawking and diving occasionally. She smiled at their daring tricks and held her face up to the wind, the winter sun bright in her closed eyes.

She opened them, turning to look at the lush mountain view beyond the rocky beach. There was a person standing amongst the sea-worn rocks. Someone tall, lean, and dark.

Sana felt her heart leap.

Goro was calling out in a sing-song voice. Toraji stood beside the man, laughing at the younger pirate as the young man slipped and fell in his exuberance.

"There you are, missy," Oryou's voice, familiar as breathing to Sana, sounded. Sana looked to her right and saw the tanned woman smiling at her near a boat that was ready to be lowered. "You want to go say hello, or would you prefer to stay here?"

(It was a silly question, really.)

The few minutes it took to get from the submarine to the shore passed too quickly, but not long enough (after all these years, it was finally happening and she had no idea what to do). She fidgeted, touching her hair (it was shorter now) and tucking it back in place only to have the sea breeze freed it again.

One of the pirates helped her out of the boat after it bumped against the beach, and she took a step only to stumble. Months at a time without walking on land had made her certain she had fully developed sea legs, at the cost of losing her land ones.

She blushed as the pirate helped her steady herself, looking up. She felt his eyes upon her.

They hadn't changed, except maybe they were softer now.

Goro stopped his chattering and the three men watched her walk towards them. ("Please don't stumble," she prayed over and over.)

(It worked.)

Once she had reached them, him, she wasn't sure what to say aside from- "Jhoe..."

"You've grown up, Sana," he offered her a small smile. His voice was still soft, but not as somber. (Had he gotten taller? Surely he couldn't have, but even with all she had grown he still towered over her.)

Both felt the sting of the past while looking at the other, how Jin's betrayal had broken them both. But as they examined the other, both knew they had healed.

It was time for a new beginning.

"Welcome home, Jhoe," Sana said finally, returning his smile.