Author's Note: Glad everyone seems to like the story so far as well as Jasmine's…upgrade perhaps? In any case, I want to thank the readers, those who alerted the story, those who put it in their favorites list and all that good stuff. I also want to thank the reviewers Sookdeo, Sarah K.R, animechick247, UnwrittenMemory, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu and Kira Carmen. Thanks a lot you guys!

Let me know what you think about this chapter and take care!

-Skye

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the Final Fantasy games. I only own the OCs.


Riku and Aria stood when Riku's parents entered the double doors to the café near Radiant Garden University. While Riku smiled in excitement of seeing his mother and father, Aria looked a little less than excited.

He watched her as she fidgeted with the hem of her pencil skirt.

"Relax," Riku told her calmly before his parents could get closer. "They love you. You'll be fine."

Aria forced a smile to hide her nervousness. She and Riku had been a couple since September and things were perfect. They took many of the same political science classes, they were involved in the same clubs and there was definitely physical attraction between the two of them to sweeten the deal. But even so, she couldn't help but feel odd around Riku's parents, especially Riku's mother Angela.

"I hope so, "She whispered under her breath.

Angela inwardly sighed when she caught sight of Riku and his current girlfriend, much to her husband's dismay.

"Leave the poor girl alone," Ryo told her in a hushed voice. "She's a sweet girl."

Angela told a waitress passing by that she had wanted a drink delivered to her table and then dismissed her. "You know I'm never mean," Angela whispered. She glanced at Riku and his auburn-haired girlfriend who was clearly fidgeting in her seat. "She's just…she's just…."

"Not Jasmine," Ryo finished. He took his wife's hand. "I know. I miss her too."

They walked to the back of the café, trying to look like they were having a casual conversation so that they wouldn't alarm their son.

Ryo continued then. "He still loves Jasmine. I can see it in his eyes."

"He won't even talk about it," Angela sighed heavily. "This isn't healthy."

They dropped the subject when they came to Riku and Aria's table. Riku reached out and took his mother into a tight hug.

"You're late," he whispered.

Angela turned her head while Ryo hugged his son. "She was doing her makeup," he explained with a chuckle. "You know how long it takes your mother."

"I want to look good for lunch with my son," Angela rolled her eyes, "is that too much to ask?" She glanced at Aria, who stood off to the side as if she were afraid of both Angela and her husband. 'She's weaker than Jasmine was,' she noted mentally, hiding the thoughts behind a smile. "How are you sweetheart?"

"I'm well, thank you," Aria replied politely, giving a short, stiff bow.

Ryo motioned for everyone to take a seat and they did so, giving the waiter passing by their drink order.

"How's school?" Riku's father asked cheerfully. "I know you're all heading into finals."

Riku chuckled. "They're definitely tougher than high school finals, but it's nothing that can't be handled. If you've been paying attention all this time and going to class, you really can't fail. So I'm not worried."

"Still as confident as ever," Angela commented, nodding in approval. "But you're right. If you're doing everything right, you have nothing to worry about." She turned her attention to Aria. "How about you, dear? I know you're a junior, right? I'm sure grades are important to you seeing as you're applying to law school after next year."

Aria folded her hands in her lap. Angela probably wasn't aware of this, but the short, record company executive was extremely intimidating. "I'm handling my papers and finals pretty well, I'd say. I'm trying to finish my papers early so that I can dedicate more time to the actual finals I have."

"How many classes do you have, Aria?" Angela asked, taking her drink and sipping slowly once the waiter returned.

"I have four classes and two discussion periods," she answered softly.

Angela pushed her drink back and glanced at her menu. "That's not so bad," she said, eyes skimming over the salads.

Riku frowned a bit. "She's pre-law. Her classes are difficult," he said, defending his girlfriend.

"I'm not saying they're not challenging," Angela piped up, not even bothering to look at her son, "that's not the case at all. But at least it sounds like she might have time to breathe. That's all I'm saying."

When Riku looked to Aria, who seemed a bit frazzled by his mother's attitude, Ryo squeezed Angela's knee inconspicuously. She flinched at this and shot a glare at her husband.

"Easy," he mouthed before anyone could catch on. "In any case, I wish you the best of luck, Aria."

"Thank you, Sir." She smiled a bit, feeling the warmth of Riku's father's words.

"No problem."

While everyone carefully scanned over their menus to figure out what to eat, Ryo jumped upon feeling the vibration of his cell phone. He reached into the pocket of his blazer, pulled out his cell phone and then sent the call to voicemail.

"Who was that, dear?" Angela set her menu on the edge of the table.

Ryo hesitated for a second and glanced at Riku and Aria, who seemed to be in the middle of their own private conversation.

"Well?" Angela asked once more.

Her husband hesitated. "Tifa," he said in a low voice.

Right then, Riku's head shot up and he stared intently at his father. "Tifa? Tifa called you?" He asked curiously.

"She did. I sent the call to voicemail though." Ryo could see the curiosity and intrigue on his son's face. Little did Riku know, Tifa, Ryo and Angela had been in contact ever since Jasmine left the island. They never disclosed this information to Riku in order to keep him calm.

Ryo remembered it clearly, his son's behavior after Jasmine disappeared. For months it was as if Riku was the walking dead. He ate here and there, he rarely slept and he did not speak unless it was necessary. His behavior was so unsettling that both he and his wife were considering sending Riku to see a therapist.

Riku's voice then became icy and his eyes hard. "Why would you speak to her?"

Angela noticed the change in her son. Whenever anything related to Jasmine popped up, he would become quite cold. "We like to check up on her from time to time. Believe it or not, we enjoy her company."

"Who is Tifa?" Aria asked innocently, instantly noticing the elevated level of unease at the table.

"A family friend," Angela answered quickly, hoping to change the subject.

"Oh," Aria turned to Riku, "why do you seem upset at her?"

Riku scowled and turned away from the group. "It's not her that I'm angry at."

Before Aria could ask another question, Angela made sure to get her attention.

"Don't ask," Angela mouthed, her eyes almost pleading with Aria's to avoid the uncomfortable topic.

Aria fell back and remained silent, occasionally passing looks of concern to her boyfriend who seemed to be in a world of his own for the rest of the meal.


Naminé took a bite of her fruit salad. Today, she was enjoying lunch at a café on the school's campus with Sora and Kairi who had just finished their classes for the day.

"I can't wait till I can get home and go to sleep," Sora yawned then, "thank goodness we don't have blitzball practice."

The blond laughed. "You haven't changed one bit," she teased.

Sora lifted his head. "Going to school, then to college, then to practice is hard work!"

Kairi smiled. "He does have a point. I couldn't do it."

Naminé smiled ruefully. "I wish I could go back to the way things used to be sometimes."

"What do you mean, Nam?" Sora took a French fry and dipped it in his ranch before putting it in his mouth.

"I mean," Naminé began to elaborate, "things were a lot simpler back in middle school and high school. Now we have actual responsibilities." She then added, "despite the fact that for the most part, our families have a certain amount of wealth, we're out in the real world now. University is the first step into real life."

"Aren't you going to become a painter like your mother?" Kairi asked Naminé.

She nodded. "I plan to. I'm getting ready for an art show in February. A lot of important people are coming to view my work. I have to make a good impression."

Sora grinned. "Don't worry about it, Nam. You're an amazing artist. They'd have to be stupid to NOT love your work."

Naminé blushed at the compliment. "I'm not that good, Sora."

Kairi drank her hot chocolate. "You're being bashful. You're an amazing painter. I just wish I had the kind of talent you have." She then added with a laugh, "I'm terrible at drawing. That's why I'm going to be a marine biology major."

"Well, this is an amazing school for that," Naminé pushed her empty plate back. "We have one of the top marine biology programs in the world."

"Atlantica University does as well," Kairi blew on her still too-hot beverage. "I hope I can get in there."

"I thought you were applying for Radiant Garden," Sora said curiously, feeling a bit nervous now. Kairi had never mentioned Atlantica before. Sure, the university was prestigious and after one graduated they were set with a career, but everyone in their group only talked about Radiant Garden. What would happen if Kairi decided to attend a university hundreds of miles away?

Kairi turned to Sora. "I'm applying here as well. But I have to apply to other schools as well. What if I don't get in? I need options."

Sora's smile vanished. "You're right I guess."

Naminé sensed the change in Sora's attitude. She stood up and grabbed her purse. "Let's go to Roxas' place. He should be back home anytime now. Besides, it'd be a nice surprise for him to see you. I didn't tell him that you were staying for lunch." She giggled and shook her head. "He stayed up too late and now he's sick and whenever my brother gets like this, he's totally depressed. Let's go cheer him up."

Kairi's eyes lit up. "That sounds like a good idea. Come on, Sora!"

Sora's mind was racing with thoughts of his future with Kairi. 'She might not be here next year. What happens to us then?'

The redhead grabbed Sora by his sleeve and yanked him to his feet. "Let's hurry up! I think it's going to rain soon. We don't want to get sick either. We have exams coming up as well."

Sora snapped out of his daze long enough to steady himself and walk with Naminé and Kairi. Before his mind could wander back into his thoughts about Kairi, he took his cell phone from his pocket.

"What's up?" Naminé asked.

Sora glanced at the text and instantly, his face paled.

"I hope you didn't forget our wager. I'll be sure to see you soon, cousin."

"It's just a text." Sora cleared his throat and fell silent for the rest of the walk across campus. "It's nothing to worry about," he lied.


Roxas sneezed loudly and Axel, who was standing next to him, took two steps to the left of him.

"Whatever you've got," Axel gave the blond a sideways glance, "I'm not trying to catch it."

Roxas sighed and stepped to the front of the line. Seeing as he was sick as a dog, he figured that he'd stop being stubborn and go shopping for medicine, teas and decongestants. Finals were a few weeks away and he needed to be able to study without sneezing his brains out in the process. So, he called Axel up and asked him to take him to the store.

"You're such a good friend," Roxas said sarcastically.

Axel slapped the college freshman roughly on the shoulder. "Yeah, I know I am. I drove your half-dead ass over here, risking my own health. You'd better be glad that you're my best friend."

Roxas stood up straight and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his peacoat. "Have you heard from Reno lately?"

The redhead stared at Roxas curiously. "What the hell brought that up?"

"I don't know," Roxas watched the cashier scan the items, "I just don't hear you talk about him anymore."

Axel shook his head. He could see right through Roxas and his question. "Reno is off doing his own thing. I don't keep tabs on him. He's the older brother. He's not my responsibility."

Roxas could tell that Axel knew what he was hinting at and decided to cut straight to the point. "Look, have you heard anything about Jasmine? I'm really worried about her," Roxas said in a nasally, strained voice.

"Reno and his partner Rude left Jasmine's family's service a while ago." Axel shut his eyes. "I'm out of the loop on the Silva's family drama."

Once Roxas finished paying for his groceries, he and Axel made their way to the exit. "Axel, you were involved with Jasmine for most of that Vanitas incident. She trusted you. You've got to know something," he pleaded.

Axel could tell that Roxas was desperate for information and deep down, he couldn't really blame him. A person he loved vanished without a trace, leaving everyone without so much of a goodbye. But then again with Jasmine's situation, it wouldn't be crazy to say that something bad was happening for her to have done something as drastic as that.

"Jasmine and I have not spoken in months. That is the truth." Axel's tone led Roxas to believe that he wished to drop the subject, which he did.

'Where the hell are you?' Roxas asked himself sadly.

As the two came to the door, they realized that it was raining outside. "You stay here," Axel told him taking the groceries from Roxas' hands, "I'll bring the car to the front so you don't get caught in the rain." He snickered, "the last thing you need right now is a case of walking pneumonia."

Roxas waved to the redhead and watched him walk through the light rain to the other end of the parking lot. He stood under the awning with his arms crossed over his chest.

'What a crappy year,' he commented. 'I thought things would go back to normal by now like back when we were all juniors in high school. Guess I was wrong.'

Roxas looked to his left and watched a couple leave the café next to the grocery store. They looked so happy together as they held hands and ran to their car to escape the rain. Roxas didn't bother trying to tell himself that he wasn't jealous. He'd given up on lying to himself a long time ago. The truth always resurfaced at one point or another anyway. Why bother fighting it?

He turned to his right where he saw a large amount of people leaving a sushi restaurant. They came out in large groups, all the faces blurring themselves together into one. Roxas turned away, did a double take and stared at one person in particular, his eyes widening.

At the back of the group was a tall, attractive woman who appeared to be around his age. She wore dark jeans, brown combat boots and a red, oversized hoodie. She allowed her long black hair to fall freely about her shoulders and did not seem to mind that the rain was hitting her tan cheeks. Before stepping off the curb, she pulled her bangs out of her face, giving Roxas a clear view of her unmistakable, gold/hazel eyes.

"Jasmine!" Roxas shouted as loud as he could despite his cold.

The girl did not move at the sound of his voice nor did she look around to see who it was calling out that name. She stepped off the curb and headed to the rack where a row of motorcycles sat, standing by a black and silver sports bike. She threw a backpack on her back and grabbed her helmet.

'That has to be her.' Roxas took off running in the girl's direction full speed, being ever so careful as to avoid the people trying to reach their cars in the parking lot as well as the cars driving through the area.

He watched as she put on her helmet and hopped on, starting the motorcycle up. Roxas was maybe fifteen feet away before she took off and sped through the parking lot, disappearing down the wet streets of Radiant Garden.

Roxas stood in place with his face twisted in shock and disbelief. 'That had to be Jasmine. There's no mistaking it.' The tall, slender frame, the long black hair, tan skin and those unmistakable hazel eyes; it had to be her.

Axel pulled up in front of Roxas and hopped out the car with a scowl on his face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Axel snapped. "You ran out into traffic. You could have been killed!"

Roxas blinked himself out of his daze. "I just saw her."

Axel stared at him, clearly puzzled. "Who? I hope this girl is important enough for you to risk getting hit by a damn car."

"Jasmine," Roxas whipped around to face Axel. "She walked out of that sushi restaurant. I just saw her."

"You can't be serious," Axel stared at the grocery store and then looked to the location of the sushi restaurant. "There's too much distance between where you were standing and where the restaurant is. Plus you're sick. You probably imagined that you saw Jasmine." Axel pulled Roxas to the passenger's side and made him get in the car. Once Axel was inside, he drove off towards Roxas' dorm.

Roxas seemed dead-set on this. "That was Jasmine," he argued weakly.

"You're delirious," Axel concluded. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "It's best if you move on and forget about that girl." He then added, "She's no good for you."

Roxas remained silent for the rest of the trip.

'I can't be imagining things,' Roxas was beginning to second guess himself. 'Do I really miss her that much?'


Noctis slid the keycard in the elevator and stepped inside, ready to get home and out of the rain. As the elevator traveled upward, he leaned against the back and sighed.

'Dealing with SOLDIER is such a pain sometimes,' he thought, watching the counter go up as he reached the top floor to his penthouse apartment. Once it came to a smooth, slow stop, he stepped out onto his floor and looked outside the windows, noticing that it was still pouring rain outside.

A butler stood near a set of double doors and bowed upon seeing Noctis. "Good evening Mr. Caelum. It's good to see you."

Noctis nodded and took out his keycard.

"Um, Sir?" The butler began slowly.

Noctis froze before swiping the card. "What is it?"

"The young miss is home," he nodded his head toward the door, "she seems to be distressed."

The black/blue haired young man swiped his keycard and entered the apartment. "I'll take care of it," he called over his shoulder before shutting the door.

Noctis Lucis Caelum lived in a penthouse apartment in the heart of Radiant Garden, one of the most affluent cities in the entire world. Only the wealthiest of families could afford to live on the island paradise or even visit it for that matter. Noctis was able to secure a place of residency here because of his family's social status. It was rumored (but never confirmed) that Noctis came from a long line of kings who rose to power because of the Caelum diamonds aka the Caelum Crystals, making him a prince of sorts. Why he left his country in order to be involved with SOLDIER was a great mystery to many.

Noctis did not remove his black combat boots as he stepped onto his alabaster marble floors in the entryway. He immediately caught a familiar scent and shook his head, making his way to the living room at the back of the unit. His apartment's scheme was white and a deep royal blue with paintings of mythological gods and goddesses hanging all around near crystal chandeliers and glass furniture.

When Noctis stepped down into the living room, he spotted Jasmine sitting at the black grand piano sitting near the window with books laid about at her feet and her laptop on the table beside her. She had clearly just gotten out of the shower as she sat in her black bathrobe with her long tresses dripping with water and clinging to the robe and her shoulders. In her right hand appeared to be a long cigarette of sorts and her eyes were fixated on a painting on the wall in front of her.

"Rough day, Valentine?" Noctis asked casually as he slipped out of his trenchcoat. Despite the rain, his spikes seemed to be perfectly intact.

Jasmine's eyes shifted to him. She seemed to be in a bit of a daze. "You remembered to call me by my last name."

"Tell me again, why did you have your name changed?" Noctis asked curiously.

"Because Vincent is my uncle and I do not want to claim the name Silva anymore."

Noctis nodded his head. This was one of the first, straightforward answers she had given him. "You're smoking Paopu again," he noted, taking a seat on the couch in front of the piano. He rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and his chin in the palm of his hand. He did not take his blue eyes off her.

"My nerves are bad," she admitted sourly. Jasmine took another drag.

Noctis sighed. "We're in SOLDIER. Our jobs are extremely stressful. That's why we're allowed to have such an illegal substance to calm us down. You however weren't on a mission today," Noctis pointed out. "What is it today?"

Jasmine closed her eyes. Roxas had managed to spot her as she left the sushi restaurant. Though she did not fully turn to get a good look at him, she gave him a sideways glance and took off on her motorcycle in order to avoid a potential confrontation.

"I was trying to do some homework," she told him, pointing to the stack of books by her bare feet. "But I couldn't focus. I just couldn't do it…"

"It's amazing that SOLDIER is allowing you to attend a university while you're still so active." Noctis gave her a half-lidded stare, analyzing her. "Why you're able to be here given your past is beyond me as well." He watched Jasmine take in another long drag, blowing out the smoke through her mouth. "It's dangerous."

Jasmine sniffed. "I gave up my life a long time ago. The past means nothing to me." Jasmine's heart twitched when she said this. She hadn't seen Roxas in almost a year and yet he had put her into a total state of disarray. Usually she only smoked Paopu, the weed of the fruit, when she and Noctis had completed a mission that required combat. But after seeing him for a split second had caused her to have a moment and now she had to smoke her problems away to be "Valentine" again.

"A former pop singer giving up everything to become a SOLDIER," Noctis sighed, "it doesn't make sense to me."

"It's not that difficult," Jasmine said slowly. Her cheeks were turning a light shade of pink. "I'm useful to the organization, that's why they keep me around." The effects were starting to take over. Now Jasmine was beginning to look more relaxed and she smiled coyly. "And what of you, Noctis? You're a prince whose family operates like the modern day mafia. I'd say we're quite the pair."

"Keep in mind that my family is less known than you. We did not want to be in the public's eye."

"Well, their other activities are anyway," she reminded him. "In terms of being undercover."

Noctis shifted in his seat. He stared at her long and hard. "Speaking of undercover, what is the meaning behind the tattoos and the scar on your back?"

Jasmine's eyes snapped open and she glared at Noctis. He knew then that he struck a chord.

"You didn't expect me to not ask, did you? After all, the tattoos are almost always exposed and I saw a bit of the scar when you pulled your hoodie over your head." Jasmine's silence was heavy but Noctis continued. "You are my partner. We live together. You can't hide everything from me forever."

Jasmine stared out the window and looked at the city below them. "Three reminders," she spoke softly.

Noctis opened an eye. He didn't expect to get an answer out of her. "What?"

"The tattoos on my ribcage going down vertically," she repeated, "are three reminders."

"Their meanings?"

"As for the scar," Jasmine ignored his question altogether, "is something I'm not willing to share with you just yet." She noticed the annoyed look on his face. "You didn't really expect me to reveal everything, did you?"

"It's a simple question," Noctis argued weakly.

Jasmine replied, "But the answer isn't simple."

This was their relationship. Although Jasmine and Noctis were partners, Jasmine kept a lot of things hidden from him. She seemed to be all work, cold, determined and a bit harsh at times. Even their superiors within SOLDIER called her cold. But Noctis knew that she wasn't completely heartless. He would just have to wait until he could see the real "Valentine" hidden behind the stone cold eyes and mysterious façade.

"You can be a difficult woman, but I know that you aren't as harsh as you like to put on."

"And I know you're not as harsh as you like to appear too. Seems to me like we both have things we'd like to keep hidden from one another."

Noctis rolled his eyes. As usual, she had a point. He rose to his feet. "When you're finished, get dressed. We're going to dinner." Noctis headed towards his bedroom but stopped before he disappeared down a hallway. "You're freaking out the butler with your constant smoking. He's worried. Try not to do it as often. It's not good for you."

"Is that an order, Your Highness?" Jasmine asked, putting out the Paopu in the ashtray in front of her.

"Just do it," he told her before disappearing completely.

Jasmine chuckled and stared at the spot where he sat. "If my prince wishes," she said jokingly albeit with a straight face.

An image of Roxas came to mind and soon Jasmine was able to picture Sora and Kairi. Before she did the unthinkable and let her mind slip to a certain silver-haired boy, she stood up and retreated to her own room.

'I guess time can't heal all wounds,' she thought as she left the living room.