A/N: Amazingly, I got a review, thank you so much :D please enjoy this chapter


Ib arrived early in the morning at the gallery she would have her exhibition at. Already waiting outside, leaning against the wall, was Garry and Kara. Kara was smoking a cigarette. They both looked Ib's way when she approached.

"Ib!" they called out, and Garry ran over, standing before Ib. She smiled up at him, trying to ignore her frantically beating heart, and Garry said, "We've been here for an hour already. We set up some of the tables, and we made sure all the artwork was inside so if it rained they wouldn't be damaged. Is that ok?" Ib nodded along with his words as Kara dropped her cigarette on the ground, stamping on it.

"Well!" she declared, clapping her hands together. "Shall we?"

Nodding again, Ib went to the gallery door and unlocked, letting herself into the dim gallery. Garry flicked on the secondary lights, and slowly the empty space was filled with light. In one corner was covered paintings and other assorted pieces of Ib's, and along one wall was a few tables all set up, obviously the refreshment tables. Nails were in the wall here and there so Ib could hang her paintings, but really she was allowed to put them anywhere in here and in the room upstairs.

Garry was the first to reach Ib's artwork; he took the sheet off the first one and held it up, admiring it. It was a picture of Kara's usually coffee cup, without the logos on it of course, and the attention to detail Ib had put in it almost made it seem like you could just up the coffee and drink. Ib herself wasn't a fan of coffee, but both Garry and Kara both drank it so she didn't mind having it on canvas.

Turning to Ib, Garry said, "So what shall we do? Do you want to decide, or shall we unveil a few more and decide then?"

Ib thought for a few moments, before walking over and taking the painting from Garry. She set it against the nearest wall, stepping back to look at it for a few moments. She then took the cloth off another painting and put it next to the coffee one. Ib stepped back again, tapping her chin, and Garry and Kara just watched.

"I think... we should take all the cloth off and I will decide where they all go," Ib said at last, nodding. "That why I can see what goes with what, what compliments what, that sort of thing." She smiled with happiness and relief. "Help me, please!"

Garry and Kara wasted no time in falling into place, helping to remove all the cloth and placing the portraits here and there. Ib studied each one as the cloth came off, trying to decide where each one would go, and soon each painting and bit of artwork had been uncovered.

Kara was holding three life-like roses. One was red, another blue and the last yellow. Ib felt a small pang when she gazed at them, but Kara simply placed them on one of the small tables suppiled for some of the smaller pieces. Somehow, the way she put them down was arranged beautifully, and Ib was a little relieved.

Out the corner of her eye, she saw Garry eyeing the roses nervously, so Ib cleared her throat. "Um, thank you," she said aloud to Garry and Kara, and they turned to her with smiles. "I can take it from here - you guys can go, if you like."

Kara simply shook her head. "I'm not leaving you here alone. I'll be back in a bit - I'll get us some macaroons!" Nodding defiantly, Kara ignored any protest Ib made and grabbed her bag, heading out into the light drizzle. Garry had been right about the rain.

Garry, however, simply sat against one of the walls, watching Ib. "I'll stay. The thought of you alone here gives me the willies," he admitted with a nervous laugh, and Ib felt her heart leap a little in her chest. Garry was going to stay here with her? Maybe...

She stopped that thought in its tracks. Don't be silly, she scolded herself, hurrying to start putting paintings up. Nothing's going to happen. Don't be a fool. Breathing evenly to calm her furiously beating heart, Ib distracted herself by getting into setting up her gallery.

Ib did such a good job of working that she forgot Garry was there. Most of the smaller paintings had been put up - the bigger ones were a two man job to hang. Ib stepped back to admire her work, smiling, and she bumped into something larger than her, and very warm.

Behind her, Garry hummed. "Wow, this is looking good so far, Ib," he admitted, and Ib's cheeks suddenly felt hot. She pressed her hands to them in a weak attempt to cool them down, and she whispered, "Really?"

There was the sound of movement, and she felt Garry's arms go around her in a tight hug. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Of course it does," he insisted, and Ib could tell he was smiling. "I wouldn't lie to you about something this important to you." He gave her a squeeze before letting go. Garry approached the bigger paintings as the door to the gallery flew open and Kara appeared, bringing the wind and the cold with her.

Ib jumped at the sound of door opening, and quickly turned her face away from her friends to get rid of the blush. Combined with the cold, it went away pretty quickly and she was able to join Kara and Garry when Kara produced the macaroons, protected from the rain and clod in her bag. Setting out a sheet like a picnic rug, the three sat down, joking, laughing and talking amongst themselves.

When they finally decided to go home, the exhibition wasn't completely set up, but that was alright. Ib still had a few days before she had to be all ready for show, but for now, she dozed off in Kara's car as she drove Ib and Garry home. As they neared Ib's place, Ib felt something warm cover her hand, and glanced up to see Garry holding her hand, smiling at her.

"You'll do great," he whispered to her, and Ib was so surprised that she barely managed to utter a goodbye when they arrived at her place, and she thanked Kara and Garry again for helping her. Shutting the car door behind her, Ib rushed through the rain to the front door, letting herself in, where she headed straight for the shower.

Ib awoke abruptly in the middle of the night, her chest heaving. She had had one of those dreams again... the word 'thief' echoed over and over again in her mind. Clutching her pillow tightly to her chest, Ib rolled over, trying to think of more pleasant things.

Things that made her happy, like sunny days... macaroons... beautiful art... the colour purple... hair that hung over one eye... Garry. Garry made her happy. The very thought of him sent her heart into a frenzy, and she allowed herself to close her eyes and imagine him hugging her tightly, warmly. He said his kinds words that turned into sweet nothings in Ib's mind, and she imagined him telling her she was beautiful, drawing her close... kissing her...

Ib jerked roughly. She had begun to doze off in her musings and her mind had abruptly brought her back, ending her happy daydream. Groaning lowly, she rolled onto her stomach and put the pillow over her head, trying to dispel any thoughts of Garry. She couldn't think of him like this. He was too old. He was thirty, she was twenty-one, there was no way...

Not too worry. Surely she would meet many young artists at her exhibition, young men who were her age and enjoyed art and saw things like she did... They would be perfect. Well... almost. There was one minor detail they would all be missing.

None of them were Garry.