Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.

Well...hope you enjoy :)

XXXX

It was a rainy night. Mikan was under the table covering her ears waiting for her grandpa to come home. She was wondering what was taking him so long. The sound of thunder frightened the soul of this 9 year old, especially when she was alone. Though there were barely any thunder and if there were any, it wasn't loud, she stayed in position prepared for the worst.

The door opened and she exhaled in relief. She jumped from under the table and ran to embrace her grandpa. As she ran to him, she noticed a boy hiding behind him.

"Ojii-chan, who is this?" The boy kept his gaze down and didn't say a word.

"His name is Natsume. He'll be staying with us from now on."

Mikan's face brightened. "Yes! I've always wanted a sibling!"

"You're not my sister." The boy coldly whispered.

Her grandpa's face saddened. "Natsume, you can think of us as your family. It would be better for all of us that way."

Natsume didn't reply. Her grandpa continued, "Mikan, take Natsume to the guestroom and find him some clothes to wear. He'll get pneumonia if he stays in that any longer. I'm going to go buy some things for Natsume. I'll be back in a while."

Mikan simply nodded and waved him goodbye.

"Ok so the guest room is this way." She started walking, but noticed that he wasn't following her. She wondered why he was behaving like that. She realized she was only seeing this situation through her point of view and not his. Something must have happened to his family.

She knew it wasn't right for her to barge into his business so instead she asked, "Are you ok?"

He didn't say or do anything. She didn't ask anything further and instead gently held his hand taking him to the room. She was thankful that he didn't resist.

She pulled out one of her grandpa's shirts and cotton shorts, which would be more like capris for him, and gave it to him.

"Natsume, I just wanted to tell you that my parents aren't in this world either, so you and me are not different at all, but ojii-chan filled both those spots for me, and I'm sure you'll feel the same."

"My parents aren't dead, at least my dad isn't."

"Oh." She bit her lip to stop her from asking further and walked out before she could, letting him change.

She then began preparing for dinner. She learned to cook several months ago, being the only girl of the house. Her and her grandpa would take turns cooking each night. She decided she would cook ramen tonight.

Her grandpa entered the house with plastic bags containing general necessities. He went and gave them to Natsume. Mikan tried to peek through, from the kitchen, when her grandpa opened the guestroom door, but could not see a thing from her spot.

She was done cooking and started setting the table. She walked toward the door of the guestroom and shouted from outside, "Dinners ready."

She sat patiently in front of the table waiting for him, while her grandpa began his meal. 15 minutes passed and he still didn't step out.

She pouted and got up stomping toward the room only to be pulled back by her grandpa. "I'll go call him. You just sit and start eating."

He entered the room to see Natsume sitting against the wall near the window with his arms wrapped around his knees. "The ramen is getting cold."

"I'm not hungry."

"It doesn't seem like you ate anything, considering where I found you."

Again no response.

"Look, if you won't eat for yourself or me, at least eat for my grand-daughter. She said she won't eat a bite until she sees that you have, and trust me she won't. She's a stubborn one. She'll also cry if you say you didn't like her food." He patted Natsume's head. "We'll wait for you in the living room."

Mikan was biting the tip of her thumb anxiously waiting for her grandpa and Natsume to come out. Disappointment hit her once again when she saw that it was only her grandpa that stepped out. She was about to whine when she saw a second pair of feet appear out.

She became ecstatic. She gave a thumbs up to her grandpa smiling wide and he gave one back to her.

Natsume silently sat down and began eating.

Mikan picked up her pair of chopsticks saying, "Itadakimasu!"

They finished their food and he got up to put his bowl in the sink. "Natsume did you like the food? I chopped the vegetables myself," Mikan asked eagerly waiting for the answer.

Natsume turned to her grandpa who was now giving him a warning look. "it was good." He turned back to the grandpa and added, "I'm going to sleep now."

XXXX

The thunder increased in the middle of the night waking up Mikan. She repeatedly told herself she was safe under her blanket, but it wouldn't work. She knew she couldn't sleep until she sought comfort from her grandfather. Just then, she heard noises from the room next door. She stepped out of her room and walked to the source of the noise. It was Natsume.

As she went closer to him, she could hear him mumbling, "am not a murderer… I'm not…I didn't do it…" He was moving from side to side and his face looked in pain. She sat next to him and grabbed his head and put it on her lap patting it.

"Yes. You're not a murderer. You are a good boy." She figured he was having an ordinary nightmare and that it would help to agree with him.

His eyes opened to her voice. When he gained full consciousness, he sat up from her lap. She smiled. "Natsume you were having a bad dream. I think the police must have been after you because you kept telling them you didn't do it."

His eyes widened. "What else did you hear?"

"Hm..that's about it. You just kept saying that and that and you aren't a murderer. I didn't hear anything before that." His face began calming down. She was about to leave when she heard a roar of thunder. She flinched to the noise and quickly added, "When I have a nightmare, I go to jii-chan's room. Even if he's sleeping, it calms me down to see his face so Natsume, I will sit here until you do."

"You don't need to do that. I'm better off alone."

She began playing with her fingers, trying figure out how to convince him to let her stay without admitting to her fear. Just then another blast of thunder shot down. She instinctly covered her ears and shut her eyes tight.

"You're scared aren't you?"

"No I'm not!" She started laughing nervously. "I'm fine. That thunder just happened to surprise me that's all. Nothing-" She couldn't even finish her sentence when the thunder once again roared causing her to repeat her action.

He sighed. "You don't have to force yourself to be fine."

She dropped her hand when the noise stopped. "Does that mean I can stay here till it stops?"

"Do whatever you want," He replied flatly.

She jumped in joy, taking that as a yes. She ran and got her blanket and pillow.

He looked at her confused as she entered. "What do you need all that for?"

"You see, I'm sure this storm will go throughout the night. I won't be able to sleep in my room alone and you said I could do whatever I want," she said grinning.

He sighed and laid back down turning the other way. She set her bed sheet on the ground to lay on and cuddled in her blanket.

"Natsume are you asleep?"

"Yes."

"Good cause neither am I. I was thinking-"

"If you want to talk, go talk to yourself in your room. If you want to stay here, then stay quiet," He mumbled in a sleepy tone.

She did a hand motion indicating that she zipped her mouth, not that he could see her.

She stared at his back. It relaxed her from the storm. She felt that she wasn't alone. Unlike the times she would go to her grandpa's room and sit for a while, she knew he was here with her through the entire night.

There's so much I want to know about him. He seems so distant….but that doesn't mean I'll give up. Just watch Natsume, you and I will become great friends.

Her eyes slowly closed, but the smile remained, as she entered a long peaceful sleep.

Well that's how the first chapter turned out. Tell me what you thought about it!