Amu fluttered her eyes awake after a deep sleep. A bed felt great after sleeping in a car seat. The first thing she noticed was that the wall she had made was gone. She sat up instantly and scanned the room seeing many different pillows and blankets scattered around the room. They were thrown off during the night and that made Amu tense. She turned to her side but that half of the bed was empty.

"Ikuto?" Amu asked looking around the empty room. She sat up and walked slowly over to the bathroom and knocked, "Ikuto?"

She was met by silence and open the door timidly. No one was there. Then she started to panic.

The last thing she needed was to get stranded in the middle of nowhere. Again. Maybe he was in the car. She tried to run out the door when she made contact with a person. "Miss me?"

"No!" Amu answered in defiance. "I just didn't know where you went."

"So you planned to look for me in that?" Amu looked down and realized that she was still wearing his shirt. She would have looked ridiculous running around outside looking for him.

Ikuto put his hand against her forehead and pushed her back into the room, "I had to make a call." He explained shutting the door, "Since my cell phone is dead I used the public phone around the corner.

"The thing I have in Kurashiki can't wait any longer." Ikuto continued falling into the chair. He was having second thoughts about his father's plan. But what else was there to do? "We have to go there first, then we can meet up with your group at the beach."

"How do you know they'll be there?"

"Because," Ikuto paused waiting for her to catch the clue. Amu waited patiently. It was still rather early. "You're going to call them with the public phone and tell them."

"Oh! That's perfect!" Amu exclaimed. An actual plan with a set destination. "We should hurry if we're going to get to Kurashiki at a reasonable time."

"Sure." Ikuto agreed, less than enthusiastic, "I'm going to get a map from the front. Just in case."

When he left, Amu took her backpack and went to the bathroom. Shifting through the things in her backpack, she realized, she hadn't brought enough shirts. She took one her wore the other day and debated about putting it back on. In the end it was shoved back into the bag. Damn. She had to start packing for trips before the morning of. She always forgot the most important things. Luckily, she found her bathing suit. It would be hard to go to the beach without that. Amu took the top piece and put it on. It would have to do until she got a shirt from Utau.

Ikuto came back as Amu was exiting the bathroom. Their eyes met for a moment, both staring.

"Why?" Was the only word Ikuto deemed appropriate.

Amu shrugged, "I don't have a clean shirt." She threw his shirt to him and continued explaining, "I'll just borrow one from Utau when I see her. I won't look weird in it since we're going to the beach."

Amu dug in her pockets, "I have some change. So I'll go call Utau and meet you in the-" She was cut off as she was trying to leave by a shirt getting pulled over her head.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Amu demanded once her head was through the neck hole.

"I'm not the one who was going to walk around half naked."

"What?"

"If the car breaks down on the side of the road it would probably be better if you have a shirt on."

"I don't think you should jinx the situation like that."

"Just keep it on. I'll meet you in the car."

Amu walked away slightly confused and not quite sure she wanted to be seen in an oversized shirt either. As she was walking to the public phone, she took the hair band from her hair and tied the shirt so that it at least wasn't so huge on her.

She took the change from her pocket and dialed Utau's number praying that she would answer. There was an answer. But it sure wasn't Utau.

"Hello?"

"Tadase?"

"Amu?"

"Where's Utau?"

"She's still sleeping. Nikaidou-sensei managed to convince Yukari to stop at a hotel for the night. Where are you?"

"Uhh...I don't really know, but can you tell Yukari and the others to go to Hakuto beach and I'll meet you there?"

"Yes. That would probably settle some nerves around here." There was a pause before he continued, "Amu, I really need to talk to you."

"Right now?"

"I'm afraid I may not get a chance later."

"I don't have much time left, I'm using a pay phone."

"Amu."

"I know..., I know. Just talk to me at Hakuto beach. Okay?"

"I miss you."

"I miss you too." Amu hung up the phone before anything else could be said. She knew she needed to talk to him, but she just wanted to keep what they had going just a little while longer.

~Flip the Paige~

"I told you you were going to jinx us."

"Just because the check engine light is on, doesn't mean anything is wrong."

"Yeah, that's the logical answer."

"Aren't you glad you have a shirt on then?"

Ikuto managed to pull into a garage not far from Kurashiki. The car wasn't doing too well. Ikuto got out willingly, afraid the thing was going to fall apart any moment. Amu following soon after.

"Wait here." Ikuto told her and walking in to get service. However, he seemed to walk in on a heated debate.

"You don't take care of it."

"I do take care of it!"

"This truck doesn't like you."

"Is it talking to you now?"

"Your transmission is shot."

"I shift up and down a lot!"

"Mr. Grind it Till You Find it, huh?"

"Just tell me what needs doing."

"Be faster to tell you what doesn't need doing."

"Whatever you want."

"You ride your brakes. Bad for truck. Good for me. I like replacing brakes. Pays for the cabel tv."

"No problem! How about I make the check out to the cabel company? Would that be easier for you?"

"Yes. And get some extra checks, you're going to be making one out to my milkman too." The mechanic went deeper in the vehicle. "Oh, lookie-here. You just bought me a couch."

"Unbelievable!" The customer complained kicking the tire.

"Excuse me." Ikuto chimed in, seeing the opportunity, "I don't mean to interrupt."

"No, please! Interrupt. I need a break from all this gaiety." The customer commented huffing off.

"What can I do for you?" The mechanic asked with a smirk as she wiped off her greased hands with a rag.

"My check engine light came on and I'm not sure what's wrong."

"Oh, well. At least I have something to go by." She answered rolling her eyes and pocketing her rag, "Where's the car?"

Ikuto pointed outside towards the car, making the mechanic look doubtful. "What is that? European made?"

"I have no idea," Ikuto answered honestly, "It's vintage I think."

The mechanic rolled her eyes again and walked to the car. She lifted up the hood to examine the problem. "When was the last time you had this checked?"

"I don't remember."

"Guys are stupid." The mechanic answered shaking her head and walking back into the garage.

"What?" Ikuto responded following her.

"You strip your gears, you ride your breaks, and if we don't laugh when you make a joke, you think we're serious."

"I don't ride my breaks!" The customer voiced, hearing her complaints.

"I just want to know how to fix my car." Ikuto answered, willing to take her abuse if it got him out of there.

"Just needs an oil change." She answered, back to inspecting the previous vehicle, "It will take a few hours to get out the sludge, but after that, no time at all. I'll get to it when I'm done here."

"Thanks."

"Anytime." She nodded and dug into the engine. "Oh goodie! A trip to the hot springs!"

Ikuto walked to find Amu sunbathing on top of the car. "It needs an oil change." Ikuto reported to her, "We have to wait around for a few hours."

"That's a relief." Amu answered rolling over to look at him. She was using Ikuto's shirt to keep the roof of the car from burning her back, so, just to spite Ikuto, was in her bathing suit top.

"Try not to get burnt." Ikuto warned her. She stuck her tongue out at him, making him shake his head. "I'm going to get some food. And you'll have to move to a different spot soon."

Amu nodded shifting her spread onto another car in the lot. One without any wheels, just to be safe. She layed down again and closed her eyes just enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. A sheer moment of serentiy amongst the chaos that was this voyage. But she was instantly awakened from her trance by someone knocking on the roof in an effort to get her attention. She sat up fully prepared to face Ikuto, but stopped to see it wasn't him. Instead, she saw three older boys she didn't recognize, probably just some people passing by.

One spoke up. "What are you doing?" There was a nerve of dominance in his voice that made Amu immediately annoyed.

"Do you want something?" She asked, making sure to show her feelings.

"Ouch. Don't be so harsh. We were just wondering if you were bored."

"Thank you. But I'm perfectly content."

"Oh come on, a little fun won't hurt you." Another voiced.

"Yeah, live a little." The third encouraged.

"No thank you."

"We can show you a good-" He was instantly cut off with a shout of pain after being hit on the head with a backpack.

Ikuto stood there, holding her backpack with a smirk, "You left your backpack in the car." He told Amu throwing it to her.

"You makes friends everywhere you go." Ikuto commented on the group. The one, rubbing his head to numb the pain, went to the others.

"Who the hell are you?"

"The bodyguard." He answered with a smirk that suddenly wasn't so goodnatured, making them look a little nervous. "Mind if I come along with you, since you're going to have... fun was it?"

"Uhh, that's ok. Never mind." They took off pretty fast after that.

Ikuto chuckled, "That was fun." Amu just stared at him wondering where all that came from.

"See what I mean about the shirt?"

Amu thought about what he meant. She put the shirt on but when she saw his smug look, stuck out her tongue and asked if he got the food. He shook the plastic bag in his hand and joined her on the roof on the car.

"How much does an oil change cost?" Amu asked biting through a sandwich.

"More than I'd like."

"I have some money left if that helps any." Amu offered, but not putting up too much. She spent most of it on food and pay phones.

Ikuto just grinned. "I just have to make a quick buck for the gas to get to Kurashiki."

Amu looked puzzled. "How do you plan on making money so fast?"

He smirked, "You'll see."

~Flip the Paige~

Ikuto went to the car and took out a case that looked familiar. Ikuto smirked and shook the case, "It's good to get a quick meal out of."

"Your not going to make me sing are you?"

"No. The point is to make money, remember?" Amu stared at him deadly as he walked towards a populated area.

Amu watched him set up, per the norm for him. When he started playing she instantly became flooded with memories. It sounded sweeter than she remembered, she found herself closing her eyes to take in all in, focusing only on the sound.

She only opened her eyes when the music stopped and was replaced with light appalause from the passersby. It seemed Ikuto had already made a good chunk of change, but he went straight into another song anyway. Amu just smiled and sat down resting her chin on her knee. This time, she watched him play. He played with the same posture and enthusiasm she remembered. But the sound was different, lighter and not so melancholy. It was amazing that after all this time things could change so much. And yet, stay exactly the same.