Leilani woke up, but did not open her eyes. She loved to just simply rest and appreciate it before actually rousing, even though she knew it was quite late by now. For some reason she felt very happy this morning. Smiling, she shifted to her side, but felt an obstacle in the bed. Her eyes flew open, and her heart skipped a beat. Auron was lying on her right, breathing heavily, his eyes still closed. Leilani sat up very, very carefully. She knew she had fallen asleep to the sound of Auron's soothing voice. She saw his chest rising and falling in rhythm with his breathing and she placed her hand on his chest. He was very warm. She made a movement to get out of bed, but she suddenly felt a hand on hers.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning," Leilani replied.

Auron yawned.

"Have a good sleep?" she asked. He opened his eye.

"Very."

She smiled. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Were you planning on having me fall asleep here?"

"No, actually, I just wanted to hear the sound of your voice before I fell asleep."

"Why?"

"Because I like it."

"Hmm."

"It was nice to have company, though… I think."

"You think?"

"Well I was asleep, wasn't I?"

"What about waking up?"

"A pleasant surprise!" She leaned in and kissed him gently. He beamed. It was nice to wake up next to somebody… without regrets.

Auron yawned again, shifting onto his stomach and placing his arms underneath the pillows. Leilani leaned down and placed her head on his back, rubbing her fingers gently up and down his spine. Auron rolled over, still in his normal clothes and boots (he did not like to go barefoot like she did), and gazed at her. Even in the morning she was beautiful. He smiled and reached to stroke her face, but something caught the corner of his eye and he looked over. Flickering in and out of visibility was Tidus, the boy he watched from afar all those years in Zanarkand. The boy was watching his own hands vanishing and reappearing almost instantly, but he looked up and saw Auron. Auron bolted out of the bed, but looked back at Leilani and saw her frozen with amazement.

She was looking straight at Tidus!

Auron made a movement, but suddenly he felt the floor being moved out from underneath his feet again. He reached out for Leilani, but it happened far too quickly for him to grab her. It felt like he had been falling forever, but soon enough, Auron was left on his face in the sand, salty ocean water lapping at his ankles. He looked up and around him, cold realization telling him that he was on Besaid. He saw Wakka run up to him from the woods, his arms low and outstretched.

"SIR AURON!" he cried.

Auron lifted himself off the ground, steadying his legs. Wakka ran up to him, but stopped short, unsure of what to do. Auron decided he did not have time to waste.

"Did a girl fall here as well?"

"Wha-? No, nobody but you! Tidus said you'd be… But Sir Auron, you were… I thought you were…"

"I was," he said curtly. He respected Wakka, but he wanted answers. "What about Tidus?"

"OH man, Tidus said you'd be here! First, he was fading, like he did that time, when… but then he reappeared and told us he'd seen you! He said he's been seeing you in some place and Yuna said she could, too! Tidus has been trying to call to you but…"

Auron only looked at him blankly.

"He came back a few months ago! Right where you just did! Me and Lu and everybody just ran down and Yuna, Rikku and Paine came down from the ship and…" He stopped, realizing Auron could still hardly understand. "It's been two years. Almost three."

"Two years?" Auron could hardly believe it. Hadn't he only met Leilani a little over a month before?

"Ya, man, Tidus only came back a few months ago, he'd been gone for two years, but Yuna and them went out for a little adventure sphere-hunting and," he made a whistling noise and a pop, "Tidus came back when she did. Now here you are, but everyone's coming, still. I'm the fastest runner."

And sure enough, a few short seconds later, Yuna, Rikku, and Tidus came running out of the woods. Lulu followed, carrying a small bundle. Yuna ran down crying, and, throwing etiquette out the window, threw herself on Auron, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Sir Auron!" she wept. Rikku ran down and squeezed him around the waist. Tidus only watched with Lulu until the pair was finished with him. When they let go, wiping their eyes, he walked forward and held out his hand to Auron. They shook, but Tidus pulled him into a brief, uncomfortable hug. He let go and when Auron's eye met Lulu's she smiled and tilted her bundle so that he could see. There was a small, alert baby with a thick tuft of orange hair that floated dreamily upwards from his head. Wakka walked over and placed his arm around her, smiling.

"So," he said, "We're almost all together again."

"Almost?" he asked.
"Kimahri went back to Mt. Gagazet to be with the Ronso," Lulu explained. "He is the Elder there now."

Auron nodded, happy for him, but not smiling.

Yuna nearly broke down crying again. "First Tidus, and now you, Sir Auron. It's been years! You're both back from the dead! I feel so happy!" She relented and tears flowed freely from her eyes. Auron felt very uncomfortable, but they walked together through the woods and trails to the village. Some people gasped at his presence while others merely bowed low and made the gesture of prayer. Auron reached into his kimono and retrieved his sunglasses which, mercifully, were completely unharmed. The group went inside of a large home, sitting down at the table inside in silence. After a few minutes, Wakka finally got up the courage to ask, "So, what girl were you asking me about?"

Everyone's eyes shifted over to Auron.

"What girl?" asked Rikku.

"A girl who helped me, while I was… away." He could find no other way to explain it.

"Away? You were dead!" Rikku exclaimed.

"I was, but, almost as soon as I was sent, I met this… girl. She gave me food and lodging, but… It was only for a month." He shook his head in frustration.

Tidus piped in. "When I was dead (I mean I guess I was dead), it felt like I had only been gone for a day or two." He looked away. "Maybe time goes faster on the Farplane?"

"Maybe," he resigned.

It was another few moments before Rikku popped in again, "So, yeah, who was this girl?'

Wakka and Tidus groaned, but the girls all looked quite interested. Auron raised his eyebrows.

"Just a girl."

"Then why did you ask about her?" asked Yuna with a mischievous grin.

"I was worried," he said flatly.

"Why?" asked Rikku.

"She helped me; I just wanted to be sure she wasn't hurt." His tone indicated he wanted to end it, but Rikku kept pushing the issue.

"What was her name? What was she like? Did she know about you? Why isn't she here?"

Auron shifted angrily in his chair.

"I don't know," he lied.

"Liar," whispered Yuna.

Auron looked at her, but her gaze was burning into him. She had grown up since he had last seen her. They all had. He sighed.

"Her name was Leilani. She was… nice. I told her about myself because she did not know me. She's not here because…"

They all looked at him expectantly.

"She wasn't from Spira."

They looked at him, a little confused. He explained all about Leilani's world, but left his personal experiences with her private. They were quiet as they absorbed all the information.

"So, who's to say she's not here?" asked Wakka. They all looked at him. "I mean, if Auron and Tidus could go back and forth, who's to say she can't either? Maybe she landed somewhere else?"

Rikku looked upbeat.

"Hey yeah!" she said. "I'll ask the Al-Bhed if they've seen anything! If she's not from here she'd stick out like a sore thumb!"

They all sounded excited, but Auron only shook his head in dismay.

"I doubt it," he said.

"Well, we'll just have to see, won't we?" asked Yuna authoritatively.

Auron only grunted, and said little as the next two days dragged by in horrid boredom and anxiety. He was worried about Leilani, and he thought about her a lot. What was she doing? Was she okay? Did she miss him? But these thoughts did nothing but torture him, especially at night, where he missed her smile most of all, alone and cold in the quiet dark of Wakka and Lulu's spare bedroom. But he awoke one morning to Rikku's excited chatter outside of his door. He listened carefully.