A/N: ha. ha. ha. It's been a while, my friends.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Chapter 4: The Definition of Talk

So many thoughts had overtaken Kairi's mind that she fell asleep on the bed, although her dreams were as hectic as her reality. In her dreams, she saw that no one was with her, that she was alone- completely alone...

Except there were two people there in the darkness of her surroundings. Those two "siblings" of hers, as Aerith had called them. They were there with her... and they had made her nightmare worse. She tried to run to them for help, asking where Tifa and Aerith were.

She was surprised at her words. Why did she ask for Aerith if she was the owner of the home that was the last place she wanted to be?

"...They're gone. And you're coming with us." Wakka grabbed both of her arms and held them behind her back.

"Wh-why?" Kairi whimpered.

"You have something we want." Maria smirked, speaking in a heavy Mexican accent.

"Wh-what?"

Neither of her antagonists spoke. Maria's eyes were glued to her pocket. What did I put there? Kairi wondered. She then looked down herself, and saw the lump was in the shape of the harp that she loved so much.

Maria's hand reached down into her pocket, and grabbed the harp. She held it away from her, taunting her, and then throwing it as far as she could into the darkness. Kairi was holding back tears, and trying to fight away Wakka.

"GIVE ME IT BACK!" She screamed as she let the tears fall.

"Kairi?" Maria's voice suddenly went soft. She felt someone shaking her shoulder.

Her eyes then flew open, only to see Maria, squatting down next to her bed. "Tienes pesadilla?" She asked.

Kairi just gave her a blank stare.

"You have nightmare?" Maria comfortingly asked, in broken English and a heavy accent.

Kairi gave a tiny nod, still intimidated by her Mexican demeanor.

"You want Aerith?" Maria didn't know what else to do with a crying girl.

Kairi, unable to speak, nodded again. Maria then left and Kairi let out a sigh of relief. She got up and walked to her closet, looking for her harp. It wasn't there. Had her nightmare come true? Maria WAS in the room when she woke up crying... maybe it didn't happen the way it did in her dream, but perhaps it truely did happen...

She heard footsteps coming up towards her room, so Kairi sat back down on her bed. The door cracked open, and Aerith crept in. Kairi wasn't sure why Aerith was being so quiet about this, but she continued to wait for Aerith to sit down in her desk chair.

"So, what's wrong? You haven't seemed to comfortable since Maria and Wakka came home." Aerith's usual smile was no longer on her face.

Kairi took a deep breath. "It's because... because..." more tears came to Kairi's eyes and flowed down her face. She couldn't find the words to explain how she was feeling.

"Don't worry about anyone overhearing. They're all practicing in their rooms."

"Because Wakka's black and black people are really mean and they push you around and beat you up and Maria's Mexican and Mexicans steal everything if you leave them unattended and I'm really worried that I'm gonna get beat up again and Maria's going to steal my harp or and that they're going to team up and do it together and I just had a nightmare about that happening and I don't want it to happen and I'm scared!" Kairi's face was now red and sticky from her tears.

Aerith wasn't sure what to say. She knew her children better than anyone, and she was slightly- no, VERY ashamed of what Kairi was thinking, and how she was stereotyping Maria and Wakka because of their race. Perhaps Wakka was right about the girl- but for now, she'd allow her another chance- that's the way their family was. She sat down next to Kairi and put her hand on her shoulder, despite feeling the girl tense up from her touch.

"Kairi... please stop crying. Don't worry about Wakka and Maria. Wakka's never beaten anyone, and I know that Maria hasn't stolen anything from us or anyone else. So don't worry about those things."

Those words slightly calmed Kairi. She still told herself to be wary, but tears stopped flowing out of her eyes.

"Oh, and just to let you know... Tifa's coming for dinner tonight." Aerith grinned.

Kairi couldn't help but smile.

-

Aerith carefully examined each other family members, from eldest to youngest.

"Cloud, your tie is too loose, tighten it or I'll do it for you." Cloud groaned and then did so, making a gagging sound and also making everyone, including Kairi, laugh.

"Where's Squall?"

"He had a gig tonight, didn't you remember, Aerith?" Her husband retorted. "Besides, I don't see why he had to come... he's twenty-one and completely grown!"

"Well, guess what, he's still living under this roof, so therefore, he should still be attending our dinners with our friends!" Aerith's nose was right against Cloud's. She then stood up straight once again to examine the other family members.

"Maria," she looked at her eldest daughter and smiled. "Buena." Her smile soon faded as she saw that Yuffie was standing next to Maria. "WHERE'S WAKKA?" The family held their ears from Aerith's loud scream.

"He's at Sora's, practicing Blitzball. They don't want to lose another game." Cloud sighed.

"ARGH!" Aerith threw her hands up in the air. "Why don't I just cancel the dinner, since no one is here?"

"Are you saying that your 'dinner' is more important than your family?" Cloud also seemed upset.

"NO!" Aerith got defensive, but then decided to fight back. "Why did you let him go, anyway?"

"They have another game tommorow, Aerith."

"But what about my dinner?" She scowled.

"It'll be okay..." Cloud took the chance to put his arm around his wife.

Aerith squirmed in his embrace. "This is why I prefer to raise girls... they're all here," she grumbled to herself.

"Oh, stop being so fussy." He kissed her.

"AWWWW..." Selphie squealed.

Kairi took the chance to sit down on the floor, bored out of her mind. When was Tifa going to get here? She already had a plan for the night- to slip away as soon as Tifa went to the bathroom. Then, she'd talk to her and then convince her that this home was, most definately, not right for her. And after that, Tifa and her would go home together and then they could live happily ever after.

"Kairi, stand up." Yuffie whispered to her.

Too bad not everything was going to be that simple. When was everyone going to get here? Aerith was now taking the chance to place everyone in the living room with decent space in between them so that everyone would be together, but they would be sitting next to someone not in the family- with the exeption of her and Cloud, of course.

Aerith then gave everyone a review on ettiquette, and then finally took a long breath and sat down next to Cloud, right before the bell rang. She then spazzistically and up to and opened the door to greet Tifa.

Kairi sat on her hands, to keep herself from jumping up in anxiety. Tonight would be the night she left this hell.

The doorbell rang again, to reveal a sweaty Wakka and Sora. Wakka came in with a silly grin while Aerith carried a look on disgust on her face, shooing him up to his room to get dressed. She then smiled- or was it a smirk?- and invited Sora to dinner.

Sora had a confused look on his face, but was then pushed by Aerith into the living room, almost begging for him to have a seat. When he didn't, and took a look around the room, Aerith gently pushed him down to sit in the spot closest to where he was standing- next to Kairi.

Kairi stopped sitting on her hands then. She nervously smiled and placed her now sweaty hands into her lap, where Aerith said they should be.

"Hey," he smiled at Kairi, realizing that it was her he was sitting next to.

"H-hi." Kairi looked at him, and she wondered if it was possible that he could have grown cuter during the day. His hair was now as messy as ever, but his eyes seemed to be twinkling at her...

"Hi, Kairi!" She looked up in alarm from the woman's voice. It was Tifa's. "How are you doing here?"

She wasn't sure what to say. She would, most definately, not say the truth right in front of Aerith and Cloud and the rest of the family that could overhear what she was saying, but would it really be that hard to lie?

Her lips pressed into a smiled. "I'm doing good."

"That's great!" Tifa grinned, not noticing how much her smile was forced. Tifa sat down next to Cloud and Aerith to talk.

"Who's she?" Sora asked her.

Kairi froze. He was talking to her... as in, not just greeting or saying hi... "Sh-she's my social worker." She stuttered out.

"That's cool." He wasn't sure what to do now- but there was one thing that he couldn't deny- there was something special about Wakka's new sister. He let his hand brush accross hers. Maybe then he'd get a signal about how she felt.

Kairi felt his hand against hers for the slightest moment, and then felt her face go pink. She shyly looked at him, and only felt her face go warmer as he smiled at her.

"Okay, everyone, let's go have a seat at the table, now that Wakka's dressed for the occasion."

Kairi looked up, to see Wakka in a dress shirt and tie along with slacks. She turned her head to look at Sora, and then noticed how he seemed to be out of place- everyone else was wearing clothes at least somewhat dressy. She couldn't help but giggle.

Wakka had come over to where Sora and Kairi were, and greeted them both. Kairi took a small sidestep away from the two, or rather, just to keep a distance between her and Wakka.

"Hey, don't walk away from me," Sora said to Kairi. She looked at him again before she giggled. "What's so funny?" Sora asked out of curiousity.

Kairi shook her head while laughing, and then walked to the dinning room with the rest of the guests and family, leaving Wakka and Sora behind.

"Why are you here?" Wakka asked Sora, as soon as Kairi left the room.

Sora was still staring at where Kairi was before, then looked back at Wakka. "I'm not really sure. Aerith pretty much dragged me into the living room."

"Oh, really?" Wakka raised an accusing eyebrow at Sora. "Or were you here so you could stare at my sister?"

"Maybe that, too. Why does it matter to you?"

"Because she's only thirteen!"

"For someone who says she's a brat, you seem pretty protective."

"Look, Sora, I don't want her to be another one of those people in that... that group of girls that you and the rest of the team have fun using on and off."

Sora sighed. Maybe he shouldn't do that to Kairi... after all, she seemed to have been through a lot... but she...

"C'mon, let's go to dinner." Wakka cut off his thoughts.

-

"Aerith, I'm going to go to the bathroom for a moment, okay?" Tifa excused herself from the table.

Once Tifa was out of sight, Kairi also excused herself, went to the hallway by the bathroom and waited for Tifa outside the door.

She heard the toilet flush, and the sink running. Once the sound stopped, Tifa opened the door in surprise. "Hi, Kairi!"

"Tifa... can I talk to you?"

"Sure."

"I," Kairi stoped to think, "really don't want to stay here."

"So what's happened that's been so bad?"

"Everything..." Kairi felt tears come to her eyes, then let her feelings run loose. "What ever made you think that I'd be able to even slightly belong here? Everyone else is so perfect... in their perfect world with perfect music with a perfect family with perfect people in their perfect house..."

"Oh, Kairi." Tifa comfortingly patted her head. "I'm sure that you're just a little upset. It'll get better. Besides, it's only been a few days. I know that they didn't treat you that bad."

"But they did!"

Tifa chuckled. "You're being silly. I know Cloud and Aerith. They're wonderful people. No worries, Kairi, okay?" She smiled, and then left. Tifa was oblivious to the obvious tears floating in Kairi's eyes.

Kairi then let the tears in her eyes fall, and then slowly brought herself down into a sitting position. There was no use in holding them back, especially since there was no one around. Her face soon became sticky, and the velvet dress that Yuffie lent her was soon dotted with teardrops. She would let out a hiccup every few seconds of so, and then continued to sob as she hugged her legs in front of her.

At the dinner table, Sora had wondered what was taking Kairi so long. He excused himself to go find her. Although Wakka's accusations still rang through his head, he wasn't going to let those words stop him from finding her.

He walked toward the bathroom, in the direction that Kairi seemed to have gone. As he walked a little further, he could hear sobs and hiccuping. He saw her crying in front of the bathroom door.

Kairi heard someone's footsteps, and then attempted to collect herself and stop sobbing. It didn't help- the tears now came involuntarily, with hiccups in between. The tears blurred her vision, and she wasn't sure who he or she was until the person spoke.

"Are you okay?" She saw the figure bend down next to her. When he came closer, she confirmed her suspicions on who the person was. There was no doubt that it was Sora.

She tried to hide her tears, but her concious told her that there was no use. He had already heard her sobbing down the hall. She didn't answer him, but the condition she was in made it obvious whether she was okay or not.

Sora was completely unsure of what to do. He was never able to confort crying girls, especially ones that he had feelings for. He thought back to the internet chain letters that all of the girls he knew would send him (LOL), and then decided that the only thing that he really could do was hug her.

And so he did. Surprisingly, Kairi let him hold her while she continued to cry into his shoulder.

"It'll be okay..." When her tears flowed faster, he pulled her a little bit closer, and hugged her a little bit tighter.

-

End notes: Awh. I'm happy with this chapter.

So... you should make me happier. REVIEW!