10 At Long...long...long...long...Last.

Momo POV

She was sulking. Which was strange. Momo couldn't remember the last time she really sulked. Well, now she was sulking...not to mention in a terrible mood. Bleh.

She was scrubbing down a table for the sixth time, not really paying attention to it. Thinking. What should she do? Sit like a silly damsel in distress and wait to be rescued? Ha, as if. Like Monster-mom would ever do something as kind and let her sit. Momo smiled despite herself.

She set down the soapy rag and wiped her hands on her pants. Glancing around, she ran out into the entrance hall, and almost collided with Nemu.

"Oh, sorry, Nemu." Momo said hastily.

"Oh, it's ok..." Nemu said and bent to pick up the napkins she had dropped. "You haven't seen Hisagi around anywhere, have you?" She asked.

"No, I haven't seen any of them. They've probably gone back to their station, or something."

Nemu looked a little sad. "I see..." She drifted away. Momo stood there a moment, then remembered where she was going.

She took a detour out the side door which lead straight to the gardens. It was such a beautiful day. By the time she had reached the tall flower beds, her grumpy mood had almost disappeared. She was alone. No one but the birds could hear. She sat on a polished bench and sang quietly, one of Evanescence's prettier songs. No one would bother trying to find her. Not right now. As far as she new.

Hitsugaya POV

"So." The little girl, Yachiru, paced up and down, up and down.

"So...what...?" Hitsugaya leaned against the ally wall, and watched the two girls.

"You are going to go back." The other girl called Nel said.

"Go back?"

"Go back."

"Go back."

"Go back!" They said in unison. "Evil Monster-Mom was so mean!!" Nel said. "You need to to to go back there and tell her who's boss!!"

"Thats not what he's supposed to do," Yachiru cut in. "No, he hasta go back there because his Momo is there!"

"But Yoshi was so mean!"

"Yes but we followed him because of Momo!"

"Riiiiiight. We did!" Nel wiggled happily, and did a little pirouette.

"Ok. Right. But, What if this Monster-mom won't let me in, again?"

"ARE YOU A PRINCE OR WHAT!!" Yachiru jumped up and glared. "GO GET HER! THATS AN ORDER!"

--

"So, is she in the house?" He asked.

"Ummmmm...no." Yachiru said looking thoughtful.

"How do you know that?"

"'Cuz, she's over...there." Her little finger pointed to a lot of hedge and flowers. Hitsugaya couldn't see anyone. "Uh...really? I don't-"

"See her?" Nel piped up. "Well, there's a reason for that. See, you has to tilt you're head like dis-" She tilted her head to the side. "Den you has to go down..." She got on her hands and knees. "So now you can see under the bushes! And waaaay over there you can see Momo's feet." She stood up looking proud. "She's outside."

Hitsugaya blinked. These girls were really weird.

"Go go go!" Little hands pushed him forward, and he took a deep breath and walked.

"Don't forget to listen! Listen!" They called after him.

Listen? What? Hitsugaya made his way though the maze of hedges until he was sure that Momo was right on the other side of the hedge. Taking a chance, he listened. He heard singing...beautiful singing. It was Momo. Oh, wow.

He leaned into the hedge, entranced by her song, when out of no where,...a twig poked him in the eye.

Momo POV

"Ouch!"

Momo stopped singing immediately. Someone was near. Someone who had just gotten poked in the eye by those prickly hedges. Ow.

She stood up, and ran over to the other side of the hedge and stopped, and gasped.

"Prince Hitsugaya!"

How embarrassing this must be for him...Momo thought. Blew his cover...must have been trying to surprise me...aww how sweet...Now I feel all huggy...

"Momo...You are Momo, right?" He said after moment. He straightened up.

"Y-yeah," Momo was feeling a swell of happiness growing inside her, all sulkiness of before, gone. "Are you ok?? Here, come this way..."

She took his hand and lead him to the other side of the hedge, to the bench she had sat at earlier. She sat on it now, and he sat down next to her. His eye looked ok...his really pretty blue-ish green eyes looked great, actually.

"How'd you...find me?" She asked tentatively.

He smiled. "Looong story."

"Yeah... you, came by earlier, but..."

"Your mother." He finished.

"Oh, no she isn't my mother! No no no, she's just a step mom, and I'm so sorry, she was really rude to you, I can imagine..."

"Oh, I don't mind." He looked at her curiously. "You...look...different..."
Momo though a moment. Did something happen? Did her eyes turn blue? She felt her hair. Oh, yeah, it was down.

"It's my hair, people say that I look different with it down..."

They were quiet for a moment. Momo wished she knew what he was thinking.

"Oh," He said. "I have this..." He took from his pocket her red ribbon she had lost on the night of the dance. "Here." He leaned over and slowly tied it in her hair.

Momo acted on impulse. He was so close anyway. Her heart was thumping and she didn't care about anything really at the moment. He seemed slightly surprise when she kissed him. But it passed, and Momo suddenly realized what she was doing.

"Oh I'm so sorry that was totally impulse and was so unnecessary and probably really intrusive and I don't want to make it seem like anything you were just right there and it was like I said impulse and I know you're a prince and I hope you won't sue me or anything for harassing you like this... and oh my god...I'm sorry."

Momo inhaled and looked pathetically at him. He was blinking slowly.

"It was...was...fine, it's ok, I- er...what? I wouldn't sue you."

Momo was relieved. And embarrassed. "I know it was a little-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence. Hitsugaya had moved closer, and said, "Don't be silly, Momo, it was fine." And he kissed her.

--

In the bright afternoon, in the soft breeze, two little girls in the garden were hiding under a bush. Silently, they high-fived.

--

A random servant gaped out the garden window. Oh. My. God. He thought. Then he ran dow the hall screaming "BAD NEWS BAD NEWS BAD NEWS BAD NEWS!!"

He spun around the corner screaming, "MISTRESS YOSHI!! BAD NEWS BAD NEWS BAD NEWS!!"

"Oh, do tell me, what might be this bad news?" The servant had run straight into three guards, the one who had spoken, had spiky red hair-

"Oh it was...just...nothing..." He tried to get away, but the red haired guy grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Surly it isn't nothing." The one with black hair and a big '69' on his cheek said. "Or else it wouldn't be bad news."

"I-um-er-I don't...aahhhh! It's the servant girl! The servant girl! She's in the garden with that prince...it is bad! Mistress Yoshi didn't want anything happening between them!! She want's her own daughter wed!! She regrets ever letting Hinamori to the dance!!"

"You do have a knack for getting people to 'spill', Hisagi." The red-head said admiringly to the 69 guy.

The three of them exchanged smirks. The servant gulped.

30 seconds later, the servant was unconscious, locked in the supply closet, and the three guards headed for the kitchens like nothing had happened, wondering vaguely, what kind of cake would be waiting for them. Hisagi hoped for carrot.