"I don't know how to tell him how I feel, the words they just get jumbled every time I try to say them. He just makes me feel weak inside, just thinking of him now…but, not that it matters because I don't think he feels the same at all…I'm just the girl who runs the bar to him. He only stays because he wants to repay me for taking care of him, I know he really wants to travel the world and write about all he sees, but he feels the need to try and make it up to me. I think he worries that Ellone would miss him too much…he's grown attached to her, they're so close. I don't think he realizes though, that if he left…it wouldn't be Ellone who would have the hardest time letting him go, it would be me…"

Raine closed her journal with a sigh, thinking about Laguna again. She looked out her window and into the night sky. The moon and all the starts perfectly visible, that was the one thing she loved about living in a small town, there were no bright lights to obscure the beauty of the night. Winhill was an excellent place to live, so quiet and beautiful scenery, the only real problem were the fiends that had recently infested the town. Not that she had to worry about that, Laguna took care of them during the day, making it a little safer for Ellone to play outside.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, she loved him, she just was afraid to tell him. Now, she was losing time fast. Two of his old war buddies had shown up in Winhill today, Kiros and Ward, and they spent hours talking. Well Kiros and Laguna did, Ward had lost the ability to speak just before they were separated. These stories brought back memories for her as well. So before things turned into a fiasco with Laguna in charge, Raine headed back down to the bar to resume her work.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Miss Raine! There's a man lying in a bloody heap out in the Town square! Come quick!" a voice yelled for her just outside the bar she ran.

"A man, bleeding! I'll be right there!" and when she ran out into the rain, there he was on the ground, slightly conscious, one of his bright green eyes looking up at her through matted black hair. "I-I'm going to help you sir! Just a moment...MILO, MACHA, CARRY HIM TO MY PLACE!" She stood at ran back into the bar. "Sorry guys, we're closing early tonight!" she ushered them out the door and locked up before running next door to her own home.

"Thanks guys, drinks on the house for you both tomorrow, head home, I can take it from here..." and the two left. She turned to help him and noticed a smile on his face. "What are you smiling about? Aren't you in pain?"

"You're…pretty…" he said with that crazy grin before falling unconscious…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At that moment in the bar, she almost broke down, dropping a glass, it shattering to pieces.

"Raine, are you ok!" he asked, looking curiously over at her, standing up abruptly. "You're crying, did you hurt yourself?"

"No…I'm fine…" she said bending down to pick up the shard of glass in a cloth towel, throwing them away and quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. "So you boys want anything else to drink, it's almost closing time you know!" she plastered on a smile as she said this.

"No thanks Miss Raine, but I have to say you're very kind for letting me and Ward here spend the night in your living room, we just have a lot of catching up to do with our old war buddy here." He grinned, buddy punching Laguna in the shoulder.

"Well, anything for Laguna, he really helps out a lot here…" she could feel herself getting ready to break down again so she changed the subject quickly. "So is Deling City really as pretty as I've heard?"

"It's not as pretty as it sounds Raine, I prefer Winhill to Deling anyday!" Laguna said grinning his usual goofy grin, she couldn't help but smile when he grinned like that. It was contagious to smile when he did.

"Well boys, I'd better close shop now, I'll meet you at my place when I'm done, off yas go!" she laughed as she pushed Laguna out of his chair and pushed him toward the door. "Don't forget your buddies!" she laughed and he looked at her with an odd smile.

Feelin' a little goofy tonight Raine?" he said as he waved to her, Kiros and Ward pushing him out the door.

Once she was sure that the men were gone, the smile fell from her face. She went about cleaning up the bar and tossing out empty bottles. She began to sweep up the floor when she noticed that there were tears streaming down her cheeks. She stood still a moment and felt that she was shaking.

"Raine…" she heard that too familiar voice behind her. Footsteps coming towards her until she could hear him breathing steadily behind her, a shock went through her as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist and a head settling on her shoulder. Her eyes looked over and there he was. She saw those green eyes looking at her, worry in them. "Raine, are you ok…?"

She gathered up all of her courage as she heaved a sigh. "Laguna…I'm fine it's just…I don't want you to leave…because I…I love you…and not like a brother like you're thinking, I really love you, it hurts so much when I think about the fact that you'll probably be leaving soon…" she didn't care about the tears streaing down her cheeks now, she turned around and looked at him, her turning making him move his head from her shoulder. She looked into his eyes a moment before she tried to move from his arms, but he held her there.

"Raine…I love you too…" he leaned down and kissed her, holding her close, for what seemed like forever but was really only seconds.

"…Laguna…" she fell into his arms, crying, but not out of sadness…out of happiness…he loved her too, and that's all she needed to know. That night she fell asleep, wrapped in his arms, feeling safer than she ever had in her entire life.