A/N: Hi, guys! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out! Uh... I don't really have any reasons.

SaoirseParisa: I already PM'd you, but I wanted to thank you here, too! I don't think it'll get better within this story, as I kind of already have it mostly planned out and everything, but I'm definitely trying to incorporate better detail/narration into my future stories!

Thank you for your feedback, everybody! Don't give up on me yet D:

One week passed. Raeger ran the restaurant as per usual, tending to the customers and cooking and cleaning. Sometimes people would ask him why he didn't hire any help, but he would just tell him that it was easier on his own. A crowded one-counter kitchen was better with one person.

The bell on the door tolled, signaling someone stepping in. He turned his head and smiled, but his eyes widened slightly, taking in the view.

It was Lillie, small and perky like always, but tagging along behind her was Annie.

Things had been a bit awkward between him and Annie since the scavenger hunt ended. She hadn't spoken more than ten words to him, and when she came in the restaurant, she just ordered and quickly thanked him. She always had someone with her, too. The first time it was Licorice, then Klaus, and now Lillie. She favored the more quiet, refined people, didn't she?

He wondered if maybe he really did scare her away... It seemed every time he tried to apologize, she was either talking to someone or avoiding eye contact with him. He didn't want to scare her even more.

But at the same time, he didn't want to lose touch with her. Not after meeting up with her again after so long...

She could deny it all she wanted, or maybe she really didn't remember, but he wouldn't stop trying. He wanted to ask so much.

Where had she been all this time? What was she doing now? And what happened to make her forget about him? They used to be inseparable.

...But that made it sound like he was obsessed. For now, he would keep trying to apologize. He came on rather strongly, and with someone like Annie, that was something he definitely didn't want to do.

Annie and Lillie chose a far away table to sit at, and he couldn't help but watch them as he cooked.

They talked about something in hushed voices for a while, and soon Annie's face turned bright red. He chuckled seeing it, wondering what they were discussing.

He finished up an order and brought the plates to a different table. He made sure the customers were taken care of, then he walked over to the girls' table.

"Hey, you two," he greeted with a smile.

Neither one looked directly at him, averting their eyes anywhere else. Oh, well – he was used to girls not making eye contact with him, sadly.

"What will you have?"

Lillie glanced away nervously while Annie fidgeted. He was pretty used to this, too. Maybe there was something he could recommend them?

"How about the - "

"We – we'll just have some sweets," Annie interjected somewhat forcefully. "I want... apple pie."

Raeger nodded. He supposed it wasn't dinner time anymore, so it wasn't strange to order something like that. He turned to Lillie. "Apple for you, too?"

She shook her head. "N-no. Lemon meringue... please."

He smiled. "All right, then. Anything to drink, or just the pie?" He looked more at Annie while asking since she seemed to be more comfortable. It was still hard to tell, though.

"No, i-it's okay."

He nodded slowly. No drinks, then, he took that as. "I'll be back in just a few with those."

Raeger turned on his heel to start walking away back towards the kitchen. That was a bit nerve-wracking for him, as -

"Raeger!"

He spun around in a flash, shocked to find Annie standing up, hands slammed down on the table.

"What's the matter?" he asked. It was definitely unlike her to call out to him, much less raise her voice at all.

She seemed to shrink down almost instantly, growing redder in the face. "U-um, is there anybody you like?"

His eyes widened. "What?"

By now, the other customers had quieted down and begun watching them. Annie glanced around briefly and self-consciously sat back down. Beside her, Lillie looked away, beet red herself.

Raeger sighed in understanding. Lillie most likely put her up to that.

He smiled sadly, regaining his composure. That was just another reason he turned down so many women – they were too dependent on other people. If they had just relied on their own abilities and personalities, maybe...

"Talk to me when you're done. Alone," he added with a smile directed at both of them. Even though Lillie appeared to be bothered, she lightened up and returned his smile. Good. He didn't want her to be upset.

It took about a half hour for things to die down. The restaurant was at its post-dinner quiet time now, and there was barely anyone left inside. As Raeger was cleaning up, Annie walked up to the counter alone. Lillie was nowhere to be seen.

He nodded to her and smiled. "Have a seat."

She climbed onto one of the barstools and smoothed her ruffled dress out. She didn't make any move to talk.

He was glad that she wasn't visibly upset about that day of the scavenger hunt anymore, and she didn't seem to be avoiding him anymore, but... he also felt like she was just pushing away her own feelings for the moment. She was too nice.

"Did Lillie ask you to do that?"

She stiffened in her spot. "D-do what?"

"Ask me if I like anybody. She wanted you to do it because she was afraid to, right? And she thinks you have an easier time talking to me?"

She watched him with wide eyes as he talked, and then she hesitantly nodded. "How did you know?"

Raeger shrugged nonchalantly. "This isn't the first time it's happened. Besides," he continued, softening his tone, "you don't seem like the type of person to be concerned with that."

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Y-you're wrong. I wanted to know."

"What?" This wasn't good for his heart!

She fidgeted. "Lillie did tell me to ask you that, but I wanted to know, too. Since you told me you and I used to know each other..."

"And you thought asking me if I liked anyone would help? With what, exactly?"

"W-well, not exactly that topic... just things about you in general. I want to know more about you. Maybe then, I will remember you."

He stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then quickly looked away and covered his reddening face. Oh, man, this was bad. She was so pure and sincere it was almost adorable.

He shook his head, banishing those thoughts. "If anything, it feels like I shouldn't remember you – or shouldn't have recognized you, anyway. I'm essentially the same exactly person from back then, only I'm taller now. But you, Annie... you're so much different."

"Is... that a bad thing?"

"No! Well, to be honest, I don't really know right now..."

"..."

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You're so much different that this almost feels surreal, us meeting again. It's fine if you don't want to hang around me. I'm not much fun, anyway."

"B-but - "

"You don't have to try and make me happy, Annie. You already have by coming back and showing me you're safe. Worry about yourself."

He reached forward and ruffled her hair before walking around the counter to tend to the others in the restaurant.

Closing time was nearing now, and the last remaining people finally left. Annie stayed for some time while he cleaned even though he told her she should go home, but she had left now.

He wiped down the counter and tables, took stock, and bagged the trash and opened the door to throw it out. On his way out, he passed by Annie standing against the siding of the building. He dropped the bag.

"Annie! It's freezing out here, jeez!"

He shrugged off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "What are you thinking? You're gonna catch a cold."

Annie didn't say anything or even acknowledge his presence, let alone his jacket.

"Annie?"

"...why."

He leaned closer to try and hear better. "What?"

"I don't know why, but... I want to spend more time with you."

He blinked in confusion and stared at her.

She was certainly different, but not just from her childhood self. She was different from any other girl he'd met in recent memory. She didn't know why she wanted to spend time with him? Normally, girls didn't stop giving him reasons why.

But that was okay. He'd rather not hear any from her.

He ruffled her hair again and smiled. "Then let's plan something for tomorrow. That's my day off."

She nodded shyly. She shivered and only then acknowledged his jacket, wrapping it around herself contentedly.

"I'll walk you home."

Raeger quickly disposed of the trash bag and then began walking with her through the town. He wondered if she knew her way around by now and was about to ask, but something about the comfortable silence told him not to. These quiet, peaceful moments as they listened to only the patter of their feet and the chirping of the insects would be ruined if he opened his mouth.

Time passed quickly, he realized, as Annie's farmland came into view. It was dark and she had no porch light, so he led her to her door.

She thanked him and said goodnight, and Raeger saw her off. But as she was about to enter the house, he turned back around and called out to her.

"Annie?"

She looked at him from behind the door. "Yes?"

Then he started stuttering, not knowing how to word this. "I-I wouldn't exactly say I like her, but... I am certainly interested in someone."

…

He waited outside her house the next morning, having told her he would pick her up at nine. It was only quarter to, so he allowed her some time while he looked around at all the land she owned.

She had a cow outside, and he could faintly hear the clucks of a hen from inside the coop a ways back. She seemed to favor strawberries.

He smiled. She was just starting out. Come autumn, she'd probably have this place completely full of life.

He heard footsteps as she came to the door and opened it. She wore a nice yellow spring dress with daisies adorning it.

Her face reddened as she looked over his more casual attire. "S-sorry. I think I was under the impression that this was a d-date..."

He smiled and shook his head. "That's fine. Think of it as one if it makes you feel better."

After all, she was the one he was interested in, and she did say she wanted to get to know him better. That meant... weren't they technically on a date right now, anyway?

He stuck his hands in his jeans pockets as they walked down the paths. Before they went too far, though, he led her to the meadow again to watch the breeze sway the cherry blossom trees back and forth.

Annie seemed content just observing nature, and before too long she was looking around, trying to find the birds she was hearing. But a few minutes later she turned to face him.

"Raeger, why did you bring me here?"

"You said you wanted to remember me, right?"

She nodded. "Of course."

He looked out at the trees. "Then we should come here often. Under cherry blossom trees is where we almost always were back then. You liked the scents and the pale pink color. This is just a hunch I have, but... I think if we spend enough time here, then maybe you'll regain your memories."

And she obviously felt comfortable here, when there wasn't anybody watching her. She already wasn't stuttering as much, and she seemed more at peace.

She looked down at her feet. "Spend time here... together?"

He nodded. "Yeah. What do you think?"

"...Okay."

She fidgeted with her hands, not meeting his eye. "Why are you doing this for me?"

He mussed her hair. "That's what friends do. You're important to me, Annie."

"B-but we don't know each other anymore."

He sighed and ran a hand through his own hair. "I know. But if I could turn back time, I'd make it so that you never left."

"Raeger..."

"I mean it," he said, turning to her to smile.

They continued observing the nature-filled meadow for some time. Annie listened to and mimicked the birds perfectly, and Raeger wished he had a notebook with him as he watched her. Maybe one day he would finally be able to share all his "recipes" with her, which brought a smile to his face.

Yet, as she wandered around with a huge smile, his lips curved down into a slight frown.

He didn't know why or how, but she was damaged. The way they were always together, there was no way she would actually forget about him, regardless of how many years it'd been. Ten?

...No, it was longer, if she left before he did, and his parents divorced when he was eleven. He was twenty-four now. More than thirteen years had passed since they last saw each other.

But that didn't matter. Annie's qualities – kindness, grace, gentleness – were all the standards he'd always held other women to.

All the days and nights they'd spent just in each others' presence, soaking up the shade under the biggest cherry blossom tree in town, she couldn't have just up and forgotten him like that. There had to be something blocking her memories of him, or something of the sort. He couldn't think of anything else. Maybe if he could get her to talk about it...

He relaxed and sat down in the middle of the field. He wasn't a doctor, let alone a psychiatrist. Not everybody retained their childhood memories. Those times were probably only special to him.

But he couldn't give up hope. There was a reason she came back into his life, and he couldn't just ignore that.

~CGA