"Okay, ready?" Sora asked her husband who sat on the bed.

"Ready." Matt nodded his forth nod in thirty minutes, yet his newly wed wife continue to make circles around the bed, to the bathroom, back to the suitcases, and around the bed again.

"Do I look alright?" Sora asked.

"Beautiful." Matt started to lie back on the bed with out looking at his wife.

"Don't! Sit up; you will get your clothes wrinkled." Sora pulled off her blouse and put another one on.

Matt sat back up.

"Did you comb your hair?" Sora asked.

"Yes." Matt brushed the top of his head.

"What time is it?" Sora place a small amount of gloss over her lips.

"Five-forty." Matt replied taken a glance at the clock on the wall.

"Oh god we are going to be late." Sora fumbled with her shirt once again. Leave it loose or tuck it in? Hmmm…., she turned to her husband. "Which way should I wear this…why are you laying down? I told you not to lay down, Matt." She turned towards the closet and plucked a blue casual shirt off the clothes hanger. "Put this one on."

"Sora.." Matt sat up.

"Matt." Sora placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. Matt stood up and took the shirt that dangled at her side.

"These are your parents. They changed your diaper. They have seen you at your worse and we are only going to have dinner with them in their home." Matt sulked. "But I have to keep changing shirts."

"Because you keep lying back down on the bed when I tell you not too. I don't want them to think that we had sex before visiting them!"

"Yes, that would be a sin. Husband and wife having sex, who ever heard of such nonsense?" Matt muttered.

"Are you mocking me?" Sora slammed her purse down.

"No. No, of course not." Matt took off a blue shirt for another slightly dark blue shirt which to him, seemed to have just as many wrinkles as the one he just took off.

Sora stood by the closest watching her husband for a moment before shaking her head. "Are you not even a little nervous about meeting my parents?"

"I was nervous. How could I not be when you kept reminding me how your parents are most likely plotting my death. I was up all night wondering if I would be poison or if they would just take the quick route and slit my throat. But today, since one o'clock, you have me repeatedly comb my hair and brush my teeth. I think my gums are sore, I'll add. You also had me change into three pairs of jeans, five shirts and switch my shoes twice. On top of that, you have been instructing me on what to say and what not to say, while warning me on what to anticipate. Now I find myself exhausted of being nervous, tired from changing shirts and I'm hungry." Matt held his stomach as if he was in pain, "I am really famished. Poison or not, I'll eat anything your mother places in front of me."

"You sound like a child." Sora raised her eyebrows.

"You don't love me like a child." Matt smirk, "In fact last night as I recall were rather overly excited for me to…"

"Unbelievable!" Sora twirled around to grab her purse. "Are you ready?"

"You are mad, aren't you?" Matt sighed.

"No."

"That's really a yes, isn't it?"

"Matt, we don't' have time to play your mind games. We are running late as it is." Sora glared at her husband.

"Mind games? Ha, when you do it, we call it asking questions but for me, it is mind games. " Matt grabbed the keys from the dressing stand and opened the door for her. "After you, lov."

Sora stormed through the open door and marched to the elevator.

"I can't believe we are fighting." Sora crossed her arms as she waited for the elevator.

Matt gave her one of his glares that never had an effect on her. "I need to check on Tk one more time."

As Matt went into another room down the corridor to check on his brother for the evening, Sora fumed staring at the elevator.

She did not mind bringing Tk along; in fact, she loved the idea. It was not hard to see why Matt cared so much about his younger brother. Tk was full of hope, cheer, and compassion. For one so young he was so in tuned with the people around him. Matt claimed Tk needed him but after she and Matt shared their childhood memories, Sora decided it was Matt who needed Tk. Maybe Tk knew that as well which would explain why he let Matt treat him so much like a child.

"We are not fighting. Not really." Matt came out of the room and walked towards her with his hands in his pockets. "We are just…a bit irritable with meeting your parents."

Sora glared.

"Okay maybe irritable wasn't the right word." Matt placed an arm around her waist. "If they hate me so bad then we will just stay in Paris and you can visit them by flight."

Sora sighed and leaned against Matt. "Do you think my parents will be understanding?"

"From the information you gave me?" Matt glanced down at her before he led her into the elevator. "Not a chance."

"Seriously." Sora pressed the ground floor button.

"I think that's a question only you can answer."

"Your family loves me." Sora blinked up to her husband.

"When it came down to me marrying, well they never really have high expectation for me." Matt sighed.

Sora jabbed him in the ribs. "Maybe I should have dinner with them alone."

"That's what I suggested in the first place. I thought I'd just hide in the hotel room." Matt kissed the top of her head. "Maybe have a brotherly bonding with Teeks.

"You mean to play some more video games until three in the morning?" Sora gave her husband a sly glance.

"Whatever form of connection I must tolerate to let my baby brother know that I care, will be a sacrifice that I must endure for my brother's best interest." Matt watch a small smile creep on Sora's lips as she gave him her famous 'not buying it' look. "I still hadn't beaten him and I was so close the last time."

"Don't worry, Sor. Tonight can't last forever." Matt added after a moment of silence settled between them. "Tomorrow has to come sometime."

Sora took the keys from his pocket and unlocked their rented car.

"Do you remember our first real fight?" Sora watched Matt as he pulled the passenger's seat backwards to give his legs more room.

"It wasn't all that long ago." Matt mumbled.

"Still touché?" Sora rolled her eyes.

"No." Matt answered. "Why should we dwell on it?"

In truth, he was still touché about the situation mostly because he let their fight go further then it needed. Realising that and understanding that he had to put his pride aside was a painful lesson….

She had been sleeping at his place for two months now, three month since he had been sick. Unknown to them, three months after this peculiar night they would be husband and wife. The relationship was moving faster then they both had wanted but they couldn't get enough of each other. They were always at each other, loving each other, having long midnight conversations, and being carefree with their love. This was a new path for both of them.

Everything was going so perfect until…

"What do you mean they are in the car?" Matt shivered as rain gushed down over them. He was shivering from cold and wet. She at least had a hood on her jacket where he had none. Water dripped from his hair and face, down his neck, and into the once warm shirt.

It wouldn't had been so bad if the rain wasn't a down pour and it wasn't the winter months and if she hadn't requested that he set his alarm system (ever since a crazed fan found her way into the house) and if she hadn't locked the keys in the car.

Sora threw up her arms. She could not have said it simpler. "I mean, I locked them in the car Matt."

Matt walked down his steps and pulled the handles of his mustang.

"I told you it's locked." Sora folded her arms to keep herself warm, which was not helping. Still her boyfriend kept checking all the doors. Sora stood and watched, shaking her head in disbelief. "Do you believe me now?"

Matt walked up to her, "Do you have your cell phone?"

"It's in the car with my purse." Sora glanced at the silver car.

Matt clenched is jaw.

"Where's yours?" Sora looked at him.

"I gave it to you and you put it inside your purse." Matt gave her a harsh look.

"Excuse me…" Sora turned away from him. "Well go ask a neighbour if you could use the phone."

"It's two in the morning, Sora. No one is awake." Matt growled.

"Knock loudly, Matt!" Sora yelled.

Matt turned and kicked his door.

"That really helped!" Sora pulled her hood tighter. "I'll go knock!"

"I told you not to forget the keys!" Matt closed his eyes, knowing those were the wrong words. If he had only let her walk away.

"And you told me to make sure I locked the car!" Sora her voice raised as she stomped down the sidewalk to the nearest neighbour. Matt was surprise her yelling had not woken anyone up by now. Even Cashmere, the old coonhound did not make a sound from inside his neighbour's home. It was not until the fourth house that she was able to wake someone up to use the telephone. Ten minutes later, she found herself walking back up to Matt who now sat on the step of his home.

She sat down beside him and nudged his arm with her own. He only glared at her.

"I'm sorry." Sora sighed. God, like he never done anything stupid in his life? "Did you hurt your foot when you kicked the door?"

Still silence.

"I called Catherine. She should be here in fifteen minutes."

Still, he said not a word.

"What? You're not talking to me?" Sora gave a grin out of frustration. "Matt, I'm sure you had done something like this before. People lock their keys in their cars all the time. That is the reason so many locksmiths know how to break into cars! If you think about it, it is somewhat amusing. They get to break into your vehicle and you pay to watch them do it."

Another glare.

"You are such a baby, you know that?" Sora stood up and walked to the curb so she could look for headlights. She glanced over after a few minutes to look at the boy in the rain staring down at the ground.

"Catherine's here." Sora called up to his house.

Matt didn't even glance up.

"I have the keys!" Catherine stepped out of her own car with an umbel lea. "The solution to your problem!"

A smile froze as she looked at the girl with smeared make-up and the boy up on the step. She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. Turning to Matt's car, she unlocked his door and Sora ducked passed her to grab her purse and pulled the keys out of the ignition.

"I'm going home with you." Sora whispered in Catherine's ear.

"Oh. Okay." Catherine gave a nervous smile and walked up to her other friend. "Come on; let's get you two out of your wet cloths."

Matt stood up, followed her into the house, and sulked up the steps.

"I can not believe he is acting this way because I locked the keys in the car." Sora whipped around at the mutual friend.

"He'll get over it." Catherine waved at the problem, as it was no big deal.

"Do you know what he is doing?"

"Changing?"

"He's not speaking to me!" Sora pulled off her wet jacket and walked into the down stairs bathroom.

"Well sometimes that's better then saying something you can't take back, Sor." Catherine sat on the edge of Matt's sofa. She was torn. Both friends needed to rant and she did not know who to go to first.

"He's being a baby!"

"Yep." Oh, this relationship was going to give her a headache. "He's a man, what can I say?"

"I don't know if I can stay with a guy like that." Sora came out of the bathroom in different clothing.

"Oh pooh. Do not be like that. This will pass, Sora." Two painkillers are going to be needed for tonight. "Look, this is just an argument between you two. It shall pass."

"Until the next problem comes along." Sora hissed.

"Well he has his way of dealing with anger and you have your own way. Just let him sulk it out and then you can ramp him with a good lecture." Catherine smiled, she would had never guessed Sora to be one to yell so much.

"Over a locked door!" Sora crossed her arms and stared at the ceiling as she could see through the floor into Matt's bedroom.

"Honey," Catherine gave Sora a hug, "I think you also could take a few minutes to think about this..."

"He wouldn't even go to the neighbour's to call!" Sora pulled away, not caring if Matt could hear what she was saying from upstairs.

Catherine gave a deep sigh, she was not getting anywhere. "Well dear, you just get what you need and let me go calm the tiger."

"Even if you get through to him, I'm going home with you." Sora stated.

"You are always welcome at my home, Sor." Catherine slowly ascended the wooden staircase and walked down the dark hall. She found Matt sitting at the corner of his bed, already dressed in warm clothes.

"Hey there." Catherine put on her best smile. "You okay?" She sat down next to him, slipping an arm around his middle.

"I'm fine." Matt grumbled.

"Sure you are." Catherine leaned her body into his cold frame. "Boy, I'm starting to think the old saying about red heads is true."

She thumped her hand on her thigh as Matt ignored her. "She would like to come home with me."

"So let her." Matt shrugged Catherine away and stood up to place his wet clothes down the shoot.

"You don't mean that."

"Yes I do." Matt glared at the girl.

"Over car keys?"

"It's more…"

"Ah, I see. What then? She believes it is only because of a locked door. Don't you like her?"

"Well…yes of course I do."

"I don't see a problem." Catherine eyed him carefully as thoughts raced through her mind. "This is a kind of scary relationship for you. I mean, wow three months with the same girl. Record breaking, its no wonder you went out to celebrate."

"This thing," Matt stared at the open door. "This is going too fast, Catherine. I think that maybe I need to just step back and rethink."

"To think or to run?" Catherine stood up.

Matt shrugged, "Maybe to think to see if I have reason to run."

Catherine nodded her head. "You have my number."

"I've upset you." Matt stared down at the girl.

"Yeah, you both did. Look, you both are my friends and right now, I'm disappointed in the both of you. She claims you are acting like a child and you know what, I think you both are. Love is truly blind." Catherine placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Give me a call tomorrow or I'll call you to see how…well to make sure you are okay."

However, he did not call and he avoided Catherine's calls. He did this for two weeks. Scared that he would find that Sora hated him and never wanted to see him again or that she did not hate him.

He glanced around the large house and listened to its emptiness. He missed her and he was fooling himself. But what if they go on another month or two and things are different? If he does not leave her, how long would it be before she would leaves him? He could either swallow his pain now or die from it tomorrow.

Just thinking about her not at his side and being with other people…other men, wrench his stomach. He never let anyone get that close to him, he never let anyone affect him as much as she did. How was this mouse of a girl get past all his protective barriers? How was it so easy for her to slip into his heart?

"So what do I do now?" Matt stared down at his piano then at his bass at the other end of the room. They just sat in their silence unable to answer their master.

He shared his soul with those two instrumental pieces. He was able to pour his thoughts and feelings into music. Whether it was through the soft soothing grace of his beloved piano or the hum under his fingers tips from the familiar strings of his guitar, he was able to release those emotions that would surely have suffocated him.

Maybe Catherine was right and his parents messed him up pretty good. Sighing deeply Matt picked up the telephone and waited for his father's voice. "Hey dad."

"Matt. How are you, son?" Hiroaki voice lighten as he heard his oldest son's voice.

"I've been better. How about yourself?" Matt rubbed his eyes.

"Slowing down, much to your brother's demand. He keeps calling, did you know? Asking what time I get off work then telephones to see if I am actually at home or the office." His father sounded irate but Matt knew better.

Tk kept Matt and his father from destroying themselves. He was the heart of his brother and his father. While both older men were more comfortable in privacy with their emotions, Tk used his own feelings as a weapon by throwing his emotions and fears into their face. He showed no mercy. The innocent blue eyes, the carefully placed smile, the raise of the eyebrows at the right moment, Tk knew how to get what he wanted from his family. Lucky for them, he used it for good intentions.

"I um…I'm in need of some advise, Dad. I am in the middle of a… well a disagreement of sort with this girl I have been seeing. She locked the keys in the car and I made a fool of myself."

"And what kind of fool are we talking about?" Hiroaki voiced with concern.

"I haven't spoken to her for two weeks and I miss her." Matt slid to the floor. "I really miss her."

"Then I guess maybe you should be talking to her and not me."

"I know but what if she doesn't want to see me again?"

"Matt, are you in love?" Now his father really sounded amused.

Matt laughed at the thought but it slowly died away with realisation. "I…"

"Have you told her that you love her?"

"No." Matt whispered.

"Maybe it's about time you did." Hiroaki sounded weary, "Trust me on this Matt."

"But what if…" Matt turned his head up towards the ceiling.

"Matt?"

"It's just a word, Dad." Matt whispered. "You told mom so many times…"

"Yes it is only word and to some people that is all it will ever be, while to other's it not the word but the describable feeling that can only be simplified by that word. Your mother and I had more problems between us then what you remember, Matt. We loved each other and maybe there is still a small amount of that love between us." Hiroaki gently spoke. "Yet, there were unsolved problems before you were even born between your mother and me. Things we should had faced before it came back to haunt us."

"Like what?"

"None of your business." Hiroaki cleared his throat. "Matt, when I tell you that I love you, do you question it?"

"No…"

"Why?"

"You've always said that to me." Matt mumbled. "You brained washed me into believing it."

"Oh did I?" Hiroaki laughed. "If I known I had special powers like that I might have done something about you cleaning your room more often."

"I get what you're saying."

"Good. Matt, one more question."

"What?"

"When do I get to meet this special girl?"

"If she sees me again, soon. You'll love her. She's not only breathtaking but she's full of life and…"

"Love?"

"Yeah, love too." Matt grinned.