Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the characters.

The next day, Claire finished with her farm work early, and while she was in the mine, tried desperately to come up with a way to ask Gray what his favorite cookies were and actually get an answer.

"Well Gray," she told the rock before her, holding her hammer over her head. "I was wondering what your favorite cookies are because I would like to make Cliff cookies and I thought that since you guys spend so much time together you might…oh, that's no use, he'll never listen to me for that long," she sighed, bringing the hammer down and smashing the rock, which left behind a golden ore.

She picked it up and smiled. It wasn't like she didn't have fifteen more of those in her basket, but every time she saw one of those ores it made her grin. And maybe, it would make a certain blacksmith who loved making things out of ores grin too…and be happy enough to answer a simple question for her best friend, who was already disappointed enough in her.

"Okay, how's this?" she asked the ore with a smile. "Hey, Gray. I got you something. Oh, you love it? Well, you're very welcome. Hey, can I ask you something? I was thinking of making Cliff some cookies for Winter 14. Do you know what his favorite cookies are? Sugar? Oh, thanks. What are your favorites?"

Well, if she gave him an ore that she could have shipped for 100 G, he could at least give her a simple answer, right? She put it into her pack with one last smile, heaved her basket up and over her head, and hurried out of the mines.

When she got to the blacksmith's, she was greeted by the familiar shout of Gray's grandfather. "You botched another broach, Gray? It's not that difficult!" he was bellowing.

"I wonder if…if…he'll be angry if I come in…" she started, but then Rick opened the door and found her standing there.

"Oh, Claire!" he exclaimed, despite her frantic head shaking. "You coming in to get one of your tools upgraded?"

Saibara shot her a look. If she told him she had come for Gray and not a new tool one more time, she thought he might snap on her. "Yes, I did, actually. I have some spare silver to upgrade my…watering can." That had to be the one of the few tools left that she didn't have upgraded. "And since it's winter…this is the perfect time." Once you start one lie, the rest are either painfully difficult to come up with, or blisteringly easy.

The old man looked surprisingly more cheerful after she had handed over her watering can, a silver ore, and 5000 G that she had worked so hard for. "…Thanks, Saibara. I appreciate it," she mumbled, looking sadly at the 5000 G he greedily clutched so tightly his knuckles were white.

"No, no, Claire, thank you," the old man said, and then shot a rueful look. "And don't worry. With that craftsmanship," he gestured to the broach, "I'll be the one working on your watering can, not my apprentice."

Gray met her eyes with a dark look. Ignoring him, Claire peered over at the broach, which looked fine to her. Plus, a little kissing up could never hurt. "I think that's really lovely, actually. I mean, I would buy it," she said, with a big smile, adjusting her pack as she prepared to ask Gray to please answer her damn question so she could leave.

"Really?" Saibara asked, and then shrugged. "Well, it's yours for 1500 G, then."

Claire stiffened and then smiled again. "I can really have it?" she asked in a monotone, pulling out 1500 G. "That's…fantastic."

"Yeah, 500 G discount, too. You're real lucky, Claire," the old man told her, taking the money from her. 6500 G just to ask Gray what his favorite cookies were. The day was turning out great.

"That's me…lucky. That's what they used to call me back in the city, in fact." Sarcastically, actually. When she had slipped and fallen in the halls of her high school while heading into the front row of the assembly, she had been forced to withstand, "Hey, lucky!" throughout the halls, while others chose, "Hey, puddles!" Nobody was very witty back in the city, now that she thought of it…

"Gray, give Claire the broach. And would you mind watching the shop for a bit? I promised I would deliver this new axe to Barley." Of course. Barley was as close to a best friend as Saibara would ever have.

Gray shrugged, looking stunned. "Uh…sure, grandpa. Okay."

Claire watched as Saibara left and then thought about all her money in that cash register. It wouldn't be too hard to reach in and take it back, would it? She would take her watering can and ore too, it wouldn't be fair to make them do the work…and she could do without the broach…

The UMA wearing bigmouth, as Claire sometimes affectionately called him, cleared his throat and she spun, looking at the broach he held out to her.

"Uh…thanks, Claire. Again," he frowned at this revelation that he had actually thanked the girl twice in the past two days. I'm not a big fan of it either, Claire wanted to say, but instead she took the broach- how could Saibara call it botched? It looked beautiful- and then admitted that it was worth the 1500 G to herself, trying unsuccessfully to pin it to her shirt over and over again.

The watering can though…now that was not worth 5000 G. Who cared if she had a silver watering can? It was just going to get dirty and rusty all over again.

"You want me to help you?" Gray asked, smirking a bit. Of course, he couldn't even offer his help without making fun of her.

Gentlewoman, Claire had told herself. Mary had said that it wasn't a real word, but Claire liked it nonetheless.

That was when it hit her like a wave. As she nodded and let Gray's surprisingly nimble fingers fasten the broach to her shirt, she realized that this little blacksmith was the boy Mary had her eyes set on.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you staring at me?" he asked, pulling his hands back and folding his arms.

"Oh. Nothing. Thanks," Claire shrugged. Whatever Mary saw in him, Claire sure didn't see it. Tough face, broad shoulders, muscular build, angry expression. Oh, yeah, what a dream. She reached over her shoulder, felt for the familiar smoother edges of the gold ore, and then pulled it out of the pack, holding it out towards him. "I got this for you too. For…um…" I knew I should have just stuck to the speech I prepared. "For a peace offering. Yes. This is a peace offering."

"Why are you talking like that?" Gray frowned.

I guess my voice is starting to sound a little robotic, Claire admitted to herself. "Are you going to accept your peace offering or not?" she snapped. Losing 6500 G- 6600 G if you counted that gold ore- could do that to you.

6600 G. All of that hard work, lost in less than five minutes. How long she had been saving up that money for a new house extension?

Easy come, easy go. Or, in her case; Hard come, easy go.

"Okay, okay," he rolled his eyes, but smirked a bit. "Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome, I guess," Claire retorted, and then they stood there staring at each other, arms folded.

"Did Mary make you do this?" Gray asked finally. "I mean, she seemed kind of mad last time we were fighting…" he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, we threw books. I think that's the number one rule of libraries. Not that I would know for sure, though. I mean, those things should really be written down so we can tell for sure."

Gray rolled his eyes again, but he still had a small grin. That was a good sign. A small smile, 6600 G, a peace offering…it was time to pop the question.

"I need to ask you something," Claire stated, and his eyes widened. "Not anything huge, or anything! It's just…you and Cliff are close, right?"

He shrugged. "I guess. We're friends…we share the same room…so," he just shrugged again to emphasize his cluelessness.

"Well, I was wondering…you know how Winter 14 is coming up?" I paused, and he slowly nodded his head, making a face. "Well, I was wondering if you knew what Cliff's favorite cookies were, so I could make him some."

Gray looked shocked. "You're…you're…courting Cliff?" he demanded.

Claire made a face as well. "Courting?! Who said anything about courting? I'm just trying to be nice! Goddess, courting."

"You only give cookies to people you like Claire," Gray told me, still looking stunned.

The girl folded my arms. "For your information, I'm making several guys cookies. Cliff, Rick, Dr. Trent, Carter, Stu…all of my friends. Guy friends. Male friends. I was…I was gonna make you some too! I wanted to know what Cliff's favorite cookies are, and I wanted to know what yours were. But if you'd rather I didn't make you any, well then, fi-i-ine."

Gray frowned and then rolled his eyes for the millionth time. "You're going to make all of us cookies?"

"Yes. Yes, I am. I am a very polite person."

"You threw a book at me!"

"I am usually a very polite person, Gray!" she snapped. "That was a one time thing!"

"Was not! Mary just stopped you all the other times!"

"Exactly, Gray! She stopped me. Because I asked her too." He looked like he was about to argue again, so Claire said, "Okay, okay, I threw a book at you and I tried to other times! But I've given you a peace offering and bought your lovely broach, so can you just tell me what your favorite cookies are?"

He heaved a heavy sigh. "Fine! Whatever. Cliff and I both like chocolate chip. Almost everyone on this island does. Except for Carter. When you make his cookies, you have to pound peppermint and put it in. That's the only way he'll eat them."

"Where do you even get peppermint?" The rancher asked, making a face.

Gray looked at her as if it were obvious. "Popouri sells it, she bought a ton in the city last year! You can get it for 300 G."

"300?" she demanded, my jaw dropped. "Do you know how much money I've spent today?"

"6500 G?" he asked simply.

If Claire had had a book in my hand, she would have flung it at him. Luckily, they were not in a library- Mary was the only one who really had any books in the town- and so she upheld her side of the peace offering. "That is correct. Okay. I am going to go ask Ann if I can bake cookies in her kitchen. After I get the peppermint from Popuri. Thank you, Gray."

He hesitated. "Uh…yeah, you're welcome, Claire. Thanks…"

"No problem, Gray," the blonde told him with her best, friendliest smile, and then headed out to Popuri's to spend even more money.

Author's Note: So there's chapter two. Haha, I hope you guys like it so far. This chapter was probably my favorite. Hopefully you guys like it a lot too! Thanks for reading. :)