Authoress's Note:

Hello readers! Sorry for the wait :D I kinda hope i didn't make Natsume too OOC here :\ Without further ado, enjoy reading!

Reviews are appreciated! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice


Meanwhile, Mikan was on Natsume's bed, wriggling and squirming in discomfort. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her breathing quickened. She groaned in her sleep, tossing her head left and right.

"Run..." The voice sounded tired and choked, like the person was taking her last breath.

"R-run Mikan! I'm s-" she coughed up blood, her face twisted in pain. Claw marks could be seen on her, but the most obvious one was the one on her throat. That one was fatal. There was no hope for her anymore.

"No... No mother! I will not abandon you! Never!" Mikan in her dream wailed, grasping her 'mother's' weak hand in her own bloody ones. Her mother, who was lying on the forest floor, extended her hand out and caressed her cheeks.

Her smile was painfully obvious that it was devoid of energy, but still she forced herself to. "I'm sorry... Blame it on my weakness..."

"No mother! It's not your fault! Definitely not!"

"Looks like I'll be joining your father first..." Mother looked towards the sky and gazed up lovingly, as if her husband was calling for her. She reached out her hand towards the sky and smiled faintly, blood trickling down her chin.

"Live on Mikan..."

"Please...don't abandon me." Mikan choked, "Don't leave me alone!" she pleaded desperately.

"I love..." Mother took a final breath, "you..." and then stopped breathing. Her body went limp, and her hand dropped down. Mikan screamed in agony, resting her head on her mother's body. Her throat felt hoarse and scratchy, but she wouldn't stop wailing. Her heart was ripped into shreds, and she felt at a complete loss. She was all alone now, both her parents found their happiness in the other world, leaving her to face the cruel reality by herself.

Just then, a huge wolf came out of the darkness, and growled at her. Her heart skipped a beat and she was rooted deep into the ground. Her mother's last words echoed in her mind.

She HAD to run. The wolf prowled, as if waiting for the chance to jump on her. She picked herself up and gingerly took a step back.

Hearing the branch under her foot snap, the two of them perked up. Mikan ran for her life, while the wolf chased after her. She knew she couldn't outrun a wolf, so she felt herself changing into another form.

And then her predator charged towards her, pouncing on her. Both of them snarled at each other, jaws snapping and claws against each other.

Mikan jumped out of bed in shock. What was that dream? It felt so real, like she was really experiencing it. But she shook her head in denial, trying to calm her mind down. Mikan in her dreams couldn't shift... Mikan was a full-human. It was impossible, right?

"Mikan?" Hotaru spoke up, violet eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Mikan-chan! You're sweating buckets! What happened?" Anna gasped, and took a tissue to wipe her sweat. The gang crowded around her, Iinchou patted her on her back and Koko handing her some water.

"I...I'm fine." Mikan accepted the water, and chugged it down. "Just a bad dream." A real bad one.

She looked around and realised there was one missing person from their gang.

Ruka seemed to know what she was thinking and answered her. "Natsume probably left for a mission. It happens all the time." He looked out of the window, his face marred with worry. He was the only one who knew that Natsume was a double agent, and he would ensure he would remain so.

"I see..." She said with disappointment. She never needed Natsume to be by her side so badly before. She wanted him to stay beside her, giving her the much needed comfort. Mikan felt like when Natsume was here, she could forget all her worries and feel at complete ease. She clutched the blanket in her hands, which was the one she had shared with Natsume.

Natsume...where are you?


Just like that, Saturday, Sunday, and a half of Monday flew by, but Natsume was still not back in the Academy. Mikan was out of it for these few days, her heart felt heavy and she just didn't have the energy to be her usual self. She was counting every minute and second that Natsume wasn't with her, and as the numbers grew larger, she felt lonelier. Not one moment did she not spend time thinking about his whereabouts and his safety. Did he get injured during his mission? Why was he taking so long? Where was he now?

She sighed for the umpteenth time, and this time her sigh was longer than the previous one. After Natsume went away, she realised how much impact he had on her. Her usual colourful world became dull and monotonous. Breath-taking scenery and clear blue sky, well screw those shit. Nothing seemed fun, and her life felt like it was on replay. Many times she got caught zoning out, but she just brushed it off.

There was one thing she found puzzling though. Even though Ruka said Natsume was on a mission, Persona who was in charge of assigning missions didn't know where he was either.

Persona did try to enquire of his locations but Ruka managed to come up with excuses to cover up for Natsume. When Persona approached them, the students in the classroom were petrified and they froze in their spots. Especially the smaller animals that were typical preys of snakes. Nobody dared to move an inch when the venomous snake was around. Persona stared at Mikan for the longest time, and Mikan stared back, wondering what the deal with him was. She held her ground against him, feeling no fear against the man because she didn't find malice in his eyes.

Persona merely snorted and sauntered away. When he left the classroom, the students let go of the breath they didn't know they had been holding.

"Mikan-chan! Are you okay?" Anna grabbed her shoulders frantically.

"Yeah why?" Mikan asked, confused at the situation.

"Persona snorted at you! The Persona never snorts!'

Mikan merely chuckled and reassured her friend that she was fine.

Back in their room, Mikan flopped onto her bed with her forehead resting on her arms. Monday was ending and still no sign of Natsume. Three days. The man had been gone for THREE whole days! Didn't he have a phone or something? Why couldn't he call her? It wasn't difficult to punch a few buttons right? She hated how Natsume was making an emotional mess out of her, making her feel like she was on the most dangerous emotional rollercoaster ever. Sometimes he was nice, sometimes he could be a jerk and sometimes he could be all intimate and push her away the next moment. The raven-haired man was the very definition of ever-changing.

Feeling frustrated, she paddled her leg back and forth on the bed, hitting it as hard as she could. She wanted to vent everything out but she couldn't put her feelings into words, so what came out was a groan instead.

"What's wrong? You're not your usual noisy self." Hotaru removed her bag and placed it on the floor, and then removed her jacket to hang it on the stand.

"You're so mean Hotaruuuu~ I'm not noisy!"

OHH Hotaru doubted so badly. But she did notice that her usually perky friend had been feeling down ever since the slumber party. She opened her bag and pulled out a box, and then she tapped Mikan's shoulders, presenting the box in front of Mikan's face.

Mikan's face brightened up immediately, her eyes gleamed with delight. "HOWALONS!" She squealed at the sight of her favourite treats. Howalons were just so fluffy and delicious! She could eat it every day and not get sick of it. The time is just right for her to binge on howalons and forget all about the jerk who left her alone without a word. Not that he was obliged to anyway. She opened the pink box and gently handled a howalon fluff, treating it like it was her precious baby. She put the fluff into her mouth, letting the softness and sweetness melt into her mouth like a marshmallow. The milk oozed out of it, bring her to heaven.

"Mmmm..." Mikan licked her lips and fingers, not wasting any bit of it. "Thanks Hotaru~ that's why you're my best friend!" she snuggled against her friend, who pushed her away playfully.

"Cheer up yeah?" Hotaru smiled ever so slightly, a hint of blush could be seen on her cheek. Best friends... It's been a long time since she's heard that.

Suddenly, they could hear rattling noises coming from their window. The sound of the window being opened entered their ears, and Hotaru shot up, partially shifting into her lithe tiger form. Her ears and tail popped out, fangs and claws found their entrance. She crouched down on the floor in a battle stance, ready to pounce on the intruder if needed. Her violet eyes narrowed dangerously, and a low growl came deep from within her. Mikan got up silently and reached for her umbrella, on the desk beside the bed, which she branded as her 'weapon of choice'.

The 'man in black' with a strange cat mask climbed into their room, and swept the leaves off his shoulders. Hotaru perked up her nose and then withdrew from her battle stance. She stood straight and placed her hands on her hips.

"What the hell-" she was cut off when Mikan charged towards the mysterious intruder with her pathetic weapon, unleashing a 'battle cry'.

"Wait Mikan!" Hotaru shouted, but it was too late. Mikan already lifted her hand up and brought it down. The man caught her wrist in reflex action, slightly surprised by her sudden aggression. Mikan squirmed around, unable to break away from his iron grip.

"Dammit let me go!" she exclaimed, still trying to pull away from his grasp. Hotaru merely sighed, too tired to explain the situation to her friend who was wriggling like a worm. Just a moment ago, Hotaru was about to pounce on the man when his strong and heavy scent invaded her nose. She must have figured that he purposely made his scent stronger so that he wouldn't raise her natural defensive warning system that he had as well. Smart move, she thought.

All predatory alices had this almost instinctual habit to go into defense and offense mode when someone else invaded their territory. If he didn't take precaution, he might have to brace for a feral tiger lunging for his throat. That was something he definitely wanted to avoid, especially since it was between two felines. Two felines fighting equates bloodshed, it was messy business that both of them didn't want to show innocent Mikan.

"Oi Polka! Calm down!" He said in a low, guttural voice. Mikan recognised that deep voice that always sent shivers down her spine, and that particular name-calling. She visibly relaxed, causing him to relax his grip on her as well. He removed his mask to reveal his face, and Mikan's heart skipped a beat for a moment.

"Natsume..?" Her lips trembled, and her brows drew closer to one another. "What are you doing here?" Where were you? I missed you so much...

"Well... I wanted to see your face." He stared straight into her eyes, and straight into her soul. His gaze was magnetic, making her feel like she was being pulled towards him. That's what I wanted to say. She couldn't take it anymore. Her emotions was a ticking bomb that was due, and she just exploded there and then. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her view when she looked up at him.

Natsume wondered why she was silent all of a sudden. Did she feel grossed out when he said that he wanted to see her? And then she suddenly looked up. Crystal-like tears rolled down her lovable cheeks, making Natsume flustered at his situation.

"Wh-why are you crying?" He opened and closed his hands, not knowing what to do, and bit his bottom lip. He wished he knew how to comfort a crying girl right now. He reached out his hand and awkwardly patted her shoulder. And then she suddenly slammed into his chest, repeatedly banging on it with her hands.

"It's all your fault!" She sobbed like a child, "I...I was worried about you! Very worried!" She continued to say something but it was simply inaudible because of all the crying. Realization hit him hard on the head. The brunette cared for him. He was almost sure it was safe to say that she wanted him the way he wanted her.

Without a word, he embraced her tightly within his arms, and she returned it with a strong hug. Her body fit perfectly within his, and it was like she was made for him. They loosened their holds of each other, and looked into each others eyes. Their heads naturally leaned forward and their lips were only inches apart, when someone cleared their throat.

"You seem to be forgetting me." Hotaru folded her arms, upset that she was completely forgotten about.

Natsume rolled his eyes and twisted the side of his lips. "Read the mood will you?" he said arrogantly, in front of THE renowned blackmailing queen. The two of them glared at each other, zapping each other with their exchange. Mikan looked at both of them, They never stop fighting do they? She nudged Natsume in the ribs, causing him to jerk slightly at the sudden contact.

He looked down at her face, which pleaded him not to fight with her precious Hotaru. It was Hotaru over him huh? He didn't like this. NOW he found a whole new reason to fight with Hotaru. He opened his mouth to protest but she brought her slender finger to his mouth. Oh how he wanted to bite that finger!

"Please?" She tilted her head, and looked at him with her big, round eyes, increasing her cuteness level by a million times. He felt his heart pounding against his chest, rapid and non-stop.

"Fine." He grumbled, looking away. Look into her eyes any longer and he didn't know what he would do.

"So," Hotaru spoke with her eyes, "explain to me why you are here at this time of the night?" She wanted to know the main reason why Natsume was here so late.

Natsume, who understood what she was saying, stole a furtive glance at Mikan. "This conversation is between me and you only." he replied Hotaru back using the same method.

"Mikan, would you do me a favour and help me get my usual coffee from the vending machine?" Hotaru knew their room was way far from the sole vending machine she bought her coffee from.

"Well... Sure!" Gullible Mikan was confused at the sudden request but she accepted anyway.

She grabbed some coins and opened the door, "Be nice Natsume!" and then made her way to the vending machine.