Seasons: With Gray Skies!
Hikari: Hi 'all I'm back. Travis let me be kind of a co-author. So I'll add my opinion in the story every once in a while.
Travis: I can't believe I agreed to this…
Hikari: Alright, the standard disclaimer applies, read, enjoy, have fun! Also if you could go to Travis's user page and vote in the poll there, that would help us a lot.
SunshineGirlx3: Here you go hope I was fast enough for you )
Uhmanduhbby: Thank you and I hope this was fast enough for you to.
Harvestmoonrox: Don't worry about more chapters I have gotten enough HM stuff over this summer to keep me occupied with this series for a long time (not to mention both Tree of Tranquility and Island of Happiness are coming out within the next two weeks.)
Chapter 2:
First night
Gray's PoV, 2:39AM Fall 3rd
I woke up, not because it was light out. I couldn't figure it out; then I heard it, a sound that was so familiar somehow, the sound of someone crying. But who? I didn't realize where I was right away, I thought for a couple of seconds; then I remembered I was at Claire's house, but that meant that the only person who could be crying is…"Claire!" I said, as I jumped up and went over to her bed. She was alright, she was absolutely sobbing in her sleep, and the ruffled sheets suggested that this was more than just a quick burst of tears. "Claire, Claire, Wake up" I said, picking the weeping female; pausing just momentarily to notice how light she was; trying in vain to awaken her from her obvious nightmare. I sat down on the couch with her still in arm, and for the moment she started to settle down. I held her for a few more minutes, and by then she had completely stopped. I sat there a while, thinking about when she came to the village, and the first day we met.
I had gotten into a fight with my grandfather; she had just moved in and was going through the town the first day, meeting everyone. It was the first day bliss so she had gone out early to meet everyone. Grandpa's shop wasn't open, and she didn't come upstairs in the inn; so she knew neither of us. She had apparently decided to go to grandpa's shop later in the day, on her way back to her farm. Ah, but alas. She came in during the argument; I, being the self-centered asshole she probably thought of me as when she'd left, opened my big mouth and spewed bullshit on the poor farmer noob (inside joke, heh heh.)
Since then, I like to think we've become just a little more than acquaintances. "Enemies are friends in ignorance" someone famous said that once, I think; I wasn't sure, it was one of those things that you think you've heard, but probably really just made up. I turned my attention back to the blond haired girl I had rested on my lap. She was small, skinny, and very cute; but there was something about her I didn't quite understand.
What I didn't understand was that this blond, petite, cutie could probably go after any guy she wanted in this small town, but she didn't. She was completely different from the blond flirts I had been accustomed to in the city. I couldn't put my finger on why I was so transfixed by this single idea; that every blond, cutie didn't have to be a total flirt, or at least not this one.
Finally, sleep came calling again for me, I welcomed it. Letting me forget my confusion, at least for the moment.
Claire's PoV, 6:23AM
??: "You're an ugly, short hic little brat" He taunted.
Me: "No I'm not" I screamed, crying profusely.
??: "Oh, Yes you are. And you mom's even worse the deceptive, toady, harlot." He yelled.
BANG!
I woke up with a start, I knew it didn't happen that fast, but that was what it had become after the several years of regular dreaming of it. It had decayed to just the three lines and the gunshot, but I wished it would go farther into dilapidation. But it won't, it's been like this for the past two years, why would it go any farther now? It was the final night for the evil that still grasps my life over 12 years later. The final night for him. A person so vilely pretentious in my life that I dare not remember his name; for that, I feared, would be too much.
I then became conscious to the presence of someone holding me, I turned around. It was Gray (who, I must quickly admit, looked absolutely adorable in the morning light.) I was relieved, he had stayed; I was worried he wouldn't. But soon my attention wandered to why he was holding me. I hope he didn't see… he must have. I wished that no one would ever have to know about my crying spells, but it seems this wouldn't be the case. These spell happened nearly everyday. Gray knew, it would have been almost impossible for him not to, wouldn't it?
For now however I got up carefully and began my daily routine, albeit horrifying myself when I found some of the contents of my panty drawer strewn about near my bed. I would have to find out what happened last night, because I had no answers to that question. I slowly took myself over to my bathroom and began my morning shower.
10 Minutes later
Finished with my morning shower, I stepped out of my Bathroom. Gray was still asleep, but instead of the upright position I had left him in, he had found himself into lying on the couch, quite peacefully-looking I might add. I decided to try and cook breakfast; luckily my arm was not being the greatest roadblock I could think of, it was quite easy to compensate for it so far, but I doubt it would stay this way throughout the day. With all the farm work I would need to do there was bound to be problems, conflicts, to be sorted out.
Breakfast was very simple, just a stack of pancakes and some accompanying eggs and bacon. Gray had woken up about half-way through preparation, and was still sitting on my couch looking somewhat delirious in the morning mind fog. "Breakfast is ready" I said, putting the two separate plates on my small wooden table.
"Um…good morning?" Gray said, a questioning look on his face "What is today?"
"Fall 3rd, Why?" I responded.
"Isn't the music festival today?"
"I would be, didn't you get the memo?" I asked chuckling to myself.
"No." He responded flatly
"Okay" I began. "Apparently Carter has to go to some religious group, as part of him being a pastor. So he sent out a note explaining that explains he'll be gone 'till about part-way into next week. So long story short, it's been cancelled."
"Hmm..." he responded. "Good Pancakes by the way."
"Thank you, by the way could I ask you to do something for me?"
"If it's 'feed my cows,' no!" He responded quickly.
"No it isn't" I said giggling to myself about the time I asked Gray to do that for me. It was a sunny summer day and I had asked Gray to help me feed my cows so I could get somewhere (I think I had an appointment.) Well long story short; the cows must have been so sick of the bullshit that Gray was known to spew out, that they decided to spew some of it on him, literally. "I was wondering if you could tell me about what happened after we left the clinic, I kinda don't remember" I couldn't at all. Gray paused eating, wiped his hands on his napkin and began.
"Well we got back to your farm, I admired your wall trimmings, you asked me on my preference between two pairs of identical panties" As I heard this I turned red. "Then I told you to get ready for bed, you did, then as you climbed in you asked me 'Gray, do you think I'm pretty?'" as he said this he mimicked my voice, badly. "And I said…" he trailed off.
"And you said?" I already knew the answer to this one, if he had said anything less than "yes;" it would have led to him being beaten again; even in my apparently deluded state. I just liked teasing him.
"I said..." he started. "Yes" he had said this part so quietly I could barely hear at all. However, even if I wasn't able to her it, I would still have known what he said from the dark hue of red he turned afterwards.
"…but I woke on the couch with you…" I added, I had to know what Gray would say about this.
"Well, um…this might sound weird, but you were crying in your sleep last night" He said, finding the view outside of my window a very interesting sight all of a sudden. "I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't. So then I brought you onto the couch and sat with you, and seemed to calm down after that." Gray finished with a hint of nervousness on his voice. I only stared into nowhere. Gray had helped me? Maybe there was more to him than the antisocial, PMSing, idiot I thought of him.
"Thanks…" I muttered.
"For what?" He asked, tilting his head. Gee, he was naïve wasn't he?
"For last night, for helping me last night." I said, blushing, and lowered my head.
"Do you want to tell me about it" He asked; care woven, almost secretly, in his voice. Did he just ask me that? Did Gray Care? I was shocked, and regretted the fact that long ago I promised myself that I wouldn't tell anyone; except, my husband. I didn't like breaking promises, doing so only brought sadness.
"I-I'm sorry Gray, no. It's just something I-I would rather not share." I stuttered. He didn't need to know.
"Okay, but if you want, too; I suppose you know where to find me normally. I mean it's not like, no getting the last creampuff would make you, or anyone for that matter, cry in their sleep like that." That part struck me as sweet and I blushed like mad.
"Alright, get outta here, ya bastard." I finally shot playfully, not trying to clue him in to awkwardness I was now feeling. Gray shrugged and got up, slowly walking over to the door. "Hey, Gray?" I started.
"Yeah?" He said glancing back.
"…See you around." I muttered. Why did I just say that? It was like I was on auto-pilot and just flew into a wall. Did I like Gray? …How? …When? …My Head hurts!
Finally I collected myself and set to work cleaning up breakfast, all the while thinking about what my body and actions had said to Gray, in contrast to what my mouth didn't; or better yet, what my sub-conscience knew and I didn't.
I gathered my tools, and set out to my fields. Today was going to be tough, or so I thought. When I got down to my field I noticed all my crops were already harvested, I glanced over to the shipping bin and noticed a note on it that read:
Dear Claire:
We were really sad when we heard about you accident so me and Stu already picked them so you wouldn't have to. Grandpa says to visit us when you can.
You're little sister, May
Sweet little May. As I walked to my chicken shed I realized how more mature she had become since I moved in nearly three years ago. Now she was 11, and was she starting to grow! It seemed like every time you looked at her she grew another centimeter. Goddess I could only imagine how big she would be in a year's time. Stu had yet to show the same physical growth, he had also gained about the same mental capacity as his female "counterpart," beginning to be able to focus on more things than just on how to freak people (or animals) out. My cows seemed happy to have discovered this change in him.
Arriving at my chicken coop I was confronted with yet another note that read:
Dear Claire:
Popuri heard about what happened yesterday, and insisted that we help. So we did! Your chickens have been fed; we took the eggs back to our house, you can pick them up later!
Your friends Popuri and Rick
PS: I love the neck bracelet idea you have going on! Mind if I borrow it?
"Popuri…Rick…" The tow chicken farmers, despite being "excessive" at times were really good friends of mine. The leg bracelets mentioned were little elastic bead necklaces, each one spelling out the carrier chickens name. They also told my gender at a glance as well (blue beads for boy, pink for girl.) I had to admit, it was one of my better ideas.
Finally I trekked over to my barn, knowing that most likely it would be like the other two of my farm "areas," all ready taken care of.
I once again let my mind wonder to thoughts of how things have changed since I arrived in the small village called Mineral Town. However nothing seemed to jump to mind, instead what did was a heaping cauldron of indiscriminate memories and experiences from the past. Cliff collapsing, Ann's dad's saddest day, my first cow, building my deck…
I arrived at my barn and as expected there was yet another note on the door:
Dearest Claire:
We heard about your accident through Elli and me and Cliff decided we should help you, so we took care of your animals for you! I may not look like it, but I feel I am actually pretty handy with a milker. BTW I enjoyed when you showed me how to that last year it was really fun! So anyway, we brought your milk back to the inn so come and get it when you get up and feel like. Then we'll have lunch or something for just us girls!
Bestest friend: Ann
Cliff
The two had obviously signed it separately. I loved this village, and it apparently loved me back. I sighed as i walked into town. Maybe this broken arm thing wouldn't be so bad.
Travis: So this is the second chapter, it's a little shorter than I would have liked, but never the less; I feel that this chapter is old to enough to leave the nest that is my computer sniffle.However this will probably be one of the chapters I revise if I ever do that.
Hikari: What are you saying about revisions? Your not really new to them. The first chapter, okay people out there, you probably wouldn't notice since Travis loves to update his stories late at night (that's when he writes best,) but even before any of you have a chance to see the new chapter; it's already been revised about four or five times (about ten last time,) within then space of an hour. Travis you are obsessive!
Travis: Isn't that a good thing when it comes to spelling? Anyway; vote, review, fave, love, hate, your choice.
