Uhhm, yeah I have no words to say that'll express my apologies towards you. It's late, Realllllly late. So please read it and enjoy!

Reminiscence is Calling

Chapter 11: Breaking Point

Zelda was floating on her anger. She felt on top of the world as she walked triumphantly out of Link's house and down his driveway. She even sounded confident when she called the taxi. Nothing could stop her or get in her way.

She kept telling herself that she had said the right things, and as she got in the taxi she saw Link at his house, a defeated look on his face. He tried to wave at her, but thought against it, and, while shaking his head, turned and went back inside.

At first Zelda wanted to pump her fist in victory

Take that, bastard!

Then when the taxi started moving, all her anger that had been cushioning her up until that point went away, leaving her sitting on the cold hard ground, so to speak. The anger was just a façade, one that she couldn't support when the man in question had tried to apologize to her, and probably didn't mean a word.

Zelda felt a few tears fall down her face, framing it before dropping off her chin onto her lap. She didn't bother to wipe them away, because if she did, she would cry even harder.

The taxi pulled up to the hotel, and Zelda paid the driver before getting out. As she entered the elevator, it took all of her willpower not to just sob right there in the midst of strangers. A few of them must have seen her pained face, as they threw her a few sympathetic looks but nothing more.

Zelda had had it; she needed to see her son. Now.

She practically sprinted off the elevator when it reached her floor. She dug into her pocket and pulled out her room key. Sliding it in, she swung open the door. The scene she was greeted with was Midna playing a round of Go Fish with Sheik at the kitchen table. Immediately, all of Zelda's strength left her, and she collapsed to the floor, sobs wracking through her body.

"Oh Farore! Zelda, what's wrong?" Midna exclaimed, throwing down her hand of cards and rushing to Zelda's side. Sheik sat in his chair and didn't move; a stony look in his face.

"He…. Coffee…I … run… taxi… Ike… fun…" Nothing Zelda said made sense to Midna as her sobbing distorted her speaking, so Midna just rubbed circles on her back in a soothing motion. It made Zelda feel a little better, but not much.

"Shhhhhh, it's gonna be alright, Zel. It's gonna be alright. Calm down, that's right, calm yourself down. Nothing's going to fix itself if you don't calm down."

Midna cooed at Zelda for a few more minutes before the blonde's sobbing finally slowed down, leaving her hiccupping and hugging her friend.

"Thank you so much, you're an angel," Zelda murmured to her, wiping her eyes. After the hug, she sat back on her heels and looked around the room.

"Where's Sheik?" she asked Midna, who sat back as well.

"Hmm? Oh, where is he?"

Zelda felt herself panic a bit; thinking about there was a big enough gap between her and the still open door for Sheik to easily slip out and act on the anger that he had recently expressed towards Link. She could only imagine how angry he was to find his mother sobbing after coming back from the house of the man he hated in the first place. Not to mention the betrayal of a person that he was starting to be friends with…

A sigh of relief was heard from Midna, and Zelda looked over. Sheik was coming from the bathroom, a small, wet washcloth in hand. Zelda would've sighed herself if it weren't for that expression on her son's face. It was devoid of any emotion, and that scared Zelda.

She had seen it only one time before, when Ike had passed away in the hospital. Sheik had said nothing for two weeks, that same expression on his face. It was just like his namesake used to do. He was named after the extinct Sheikah clan that Zelda's grandmother used to be a part of before she passed away. They were known for their ninja-like antics and the ability to hide all emotion, even the emotion in their eyes.

Zelda's grandmother, before she passed on, had begun to teach Sheik how to use this skill; however, he wasn't very good at it and couldn't hide the emotions in his eyes. For reasons Zelda had no clue about, he could only use this skill in times of extreme emotion.

So when Zelda saw the bitter anger in Sheik's eyes, she had a right to be afraid. She was afraid for her son. Sheik came over and handed to wet washcloth to her, the anger in his eyes subsiding only slightly as he helped his mom put herself back together. She smiled at him, only to have her heart break into a thousand more pieces when he didn't smile back.

Zelda finally stood and wrapped her son in a firm but worried hug. She tussled his hair with one hand and whispered in his ear.

"Sheik, promise me you won't do anything rash. Please."

Sheik only nodded, his stoic expression not once cracking. Zelda smiled weakly again, feeling her own throng of emotions wrapping its poisoned blanket around her. She could lose Sheik to this problem, and that fact was like a knife to the heart.

She just wanted to burst into tears again.

Midna placed her hand lightly on Zelda's shoulder and gestured to the door.

"I have to go. Will you be alright? You should definitely think of coming to Girl's Night; it could help cheer you up. I'll send Marin down to pick you up, so think about it, 'kay?"

Zelda nodded, and watched her fiery haired friend leave, closing the door behind her. She turned to Sheik, hugging him again, trying to get him to speak to her.

"Come on Sheik, speak to me! I missed you, and I want to talk to you. What's wrong?"

Sheik only shook his head and dislodged himself from Zelda's grasp, walking into his room. Zelda bit her lip, trying to hold her tears in place.

"Kafei's gonna pick you up to take you to the arcade around 4, okay? At 5 I'm leaving for the girl's night thing. Uh, please behave yourself with Mr. Dotour!"

She received no reply, no confirmation that Sheik had even heard her. Feeling helpless, just like all those months ago, Zelda slipped into her own room to get ready.

As promised, Kafei came and picked Sheik up at 4, and her son left without a word. Zelda was already ready for Girl's Night, but didn't really feel like going. Midna had called an hour back to check up on her, and Zelda had lied and said she was fine. Of course, being the person that she was, Midna knew Zelda was lying. She didn't press the subject though, and just said Marin would definitely be there to pick her up.

What Zelda hadn't been expecting was a visitor between these two times.

A few minutes after Sheik and Kafei left, there was a knock on Zelda's door. Standing, she went over to answer it, first peeping through the peek hole.

It was Link, holding her purse.

She hadn't even noticed that it was gone and she cursed herself inwardly. She did know though, that if she opened that door and Link apologized, she would not be able to contain her emotions and would break down in front of him. And Zelda had read romance novels before, she knew where that led, and she didn't want to go down that alley. Ever again, for that matter.

She put the chain lock on the door and opened it, the chain preventing it from going all the way. She stuck her hand out the opening and gestured for Link to give her back her purse. He complied, but of course not before speaking.

"Zelda, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. Ike, for the little time I knew him was a good- no great man, a man that deserved you. I know this is really sappy and cliché, but… I don't deserve you, as you found out at my house.

"I know that no matter how much you deny being affected by my leaving, in reality it ripped you apart. You're afraid of trying again because every time you do, the man that you're with leaves. He leaves and never comes back. And honestly, it didn't seem you had that problem with Ike, you said you two had a spotless relationship, but it was there. I could feel it sometimes when you talked about him, the pain of your separation. That is why you're so angry with everything. It's your defense mechanism.

"So, I, uh, just wanted to say that I came back, Zelda. I didn't leave again, and I won't. Even if it's just as friends, I'm here. So please forgive me, because I had no right to say what I did."

After he was done, he handed Zelda back her purse. She thanked him quietly and shut the door. She heard him stiffen slightly before sighing and finally walking away to leave Zelda in bitter peace. Zelda slid down the door and sat there, holding her purse to her chest, feeling the tears come once again.

Everything he said was true, and hit her right to the core. What was happening to her? She was so emotional about everything now…

There was another knock on the door, and Zelda at first thought it was Link coming back, but then a feminine voice rang through it.

"Zellllliiiiie! I'm herreee!" Marin sang jovially.

Zelda sniffed and stood to open the door. There Marin was, prancing back in forth in front of Zelda's door in an aqua dress, her heels in her hand.

"Are you re- Oh Farore, Zelda! What's wrong?" Marin exclaimed, pushing into the apartment. It was like Déjà vu for her, seeing as that was exactly what Midna said. Zelda smiled slightly before the tears came again…and then she burst into tears again. Worried, Marin led her to a couch and sat her down. She let her cry a bit before asking her again.

Zelda told Marin everything, from being wasted, to eating bacon, the dream, the coffee house, and, finally, the argument. She took a breather in between explanations, trying to calm herself down.

"L-Link came here, a few minutes ago."

Marin looked alarmed, and sat up straighter, "What did he want?" she asked hastily.

"He wanted to apologize, and he did. He also said that Ike was a great man that deserved me and that he was the one who wasn't. He also s-said some things that hit home. It's like he knows me better than I know myself… He knew why I get angry and why I really didn't want to come and that no matter what I say, him leaving had been the worst thing to ever happen in my life." After saying this, Zelda proceeded to cry some more. She had given up trying to dry her eyes, not with her insides crumbling in on themselves like they were.

Marin moved closer to Zelda on the couch and began to pat her back lightly.

"So, what did you say?" she asked quietly.

"Nothing. I took my purse from him and shut the door in his face."

Marin chuckled lightly. "Alright then, how do you feel? Are you going to forgive him?"

"I don't know. I really don't know. Every fiber of my body says to forgive him, but my head is saying no, that will only lead to romantic despair. It scares me Marin. It scares me."

Marin nodded in understanding, "I see. Well, I'm not very good at this comforting thing Zellie, but I'll give it a shot. Let's see…" she thought a bit before proceeding, and Zelda waited anxiously.

"You're scared of a relationship because every other one ended badly. You don't want to get hurt again, especially because it involves Link. He made you an angry person, someone who doesn't trust the opposite sex easily, and someone who loves being alone."

Zelda winced, remembering what Link had told her at the door.

"At the same time, you hate that new person with a passion and you want her gone. You want the happy, honest Zelda from high school."

Marin looked to Zelda for confirmation at what she just said before going on.

"You've had two official boyfriends Zelda and one husband. Both of them are wonderful men, and I'd say you're the luckiest girl in the world.

However, I'd say Ike loved you the most; he thought of you all the time, there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't say your name in a conversation with my husband. He adored you, Zelda, and all he wants is your happiness. I bet if he thought that you would be happier without him in the picture, he would leave just because of that."

Zelda cried harder at the memory of her husband, and Marin took her hand comfortingly, pulling Zelda into a hug. They sat there for a few seconds before Marin finished, whispering into Zelda's blonde hair.

"So now that he's gone- and I don't think he wanted to leave- he wanted to bring someone into your life that'll make you equally happy. I think that he helped bring Link back into your life because he saw his absence was hurting you. Does that make sense?"

Zelda sniffed, "I-I think so…"

Marin smiled," you always listened to Ike's advice before, so won't you listen to him this one last time?"

Zelda sniffled and looked at her strawberry blonde-haired friend. She thought about what Marin had just said; that Ike wanted her and Link together. That Ike just wanted her to be happy. It sunk in slowly, and she felt her spirits start to lift.

"Do you really think Ike is watching?"

"Of course, Zellie. There is no way in the Sacred Realm that he wouldn't be."

"But what do I do? I'm positive Link thinks I hate him now!"

"Silly girl, just call him and apologize. Then invite him to drinks, he'll definitely agree. Go on, calm down and call him!"

Zelda nodded, sniffling some more. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Link's number. She was surprised she still remembered it, because a hazy familiarity told her that she had received it the night before.

So that was that 'important' conversation we had…

She smiled slightly and pressed 'call', and placed the phone up to her ear. After three rings, Link finally picked up.

"Hello?" his voice sounded dejected and sad. Zelda frowned.

"H-hi Link, its Zelda…"

"Zelda! Listen, I can't say how sorry I-"

Zelda cut him off. "I know Link. Uh, I'm the one who should apologize; I slammed the door in your face and all…"

Link chuckled slightly. "Nah, it wasn't a slam, and I don't really blame you for that. Anyway…"

They both stopped talking for a second, unsure of what to say. Zelda racked up her remaining frazzled courage and finally spoke.

"Do you want to go get some drinks later?" she asked.

"Do you want to go get some drinks later?" he asked at the same time.

There was a surprised pause between them. Zelda giggled, and then finally laughed out loud. It felt so good to laugh!

"Well…?" Link asked, laughing as well.

"Sure. How about at 7?"

"Perfect, I'll, uh, see you then."

"Yeah."

He hung up, and Zelda placed her phone back in her pocket. She turned to Marin, who had raised her eyebrows.

"I take it you have a date?"

"Yep!"

"I'll tell the girl's you're not coming to Girl's Night… That you have something a little more important to attend to." Marin touched her elbow in a friendly gesture, "I'm proud of you Zellie."

They hugged again and Marin got up to leave.

"Now don't get wasted this time." She said with a wink, as she opened the door to the hallway, "and have fun!"

Zelda nodded, grinning.

"Alright, bye!" And Marin closed the door, leaving Zelda alone in the hotel room. She hugged herself, thinking about what was going to occur later on that night. All her sadness evaporated into water vapor (probably making some pretty huge cloud somewhere in the world) and a certain sense of giddiness overcame her. She couldn't stop smiling. She had a date for the first time in twelve years. She had a date.

She was going on a date!

Yeah, we're getting near the end here. I think a few more chapters will suffice. I have a sequel in mind, but I don't really know what the plot line will be yet, so don't get your hopes up. Hopefully the next chapter comes out quicker, but with school and everything, I have no idea! Anyway, thanks for reading!