Author's Note: I hope you all have been well! Thank you for reading the last chapter. I want to thank those who read, alerted, faved and give a shout out to the reviewers animechick247, Sarah K.R, Sookdeo, Frooky90, PieroXVII17 and Shadowrunner240. I really appreciate the support you guys.

Tell me what you think of this chapter and I will try to update it as fast as I can! Take care!


Vanitas pushed back his plate and smiled in satisfaction at the deliciousness of his meal. He looked up to see his associates still finishing their desserts and folded his hands, setting them on top of the table.

"It's quite rare," Saix began. The blue-haired gentleman was surprised by his superior's dining choice. With a warrant out on his arrest, Vanitas rarely visited restaurants that his family did not have ties to for risking the chance of being taken in. Perhaps tonight he simply did not care. "That you put yourself in the public's eye for a night out."

The black-haired young man smirked. "Tonight is a special night…and I do own this restaurant now."

Saix nodded. Clearly his boss was feeling confident. "And the reason for celebration would be?"

"It's not every day that we get treated to such a meal," Xigbar commented.

Vanitas cleared his throat. He explained, "Exactly one year ago today, my fiancé and I—"

Stella's eyes widened in surprise. "Your fiancé? I had no idea you were engaged."

Vanitas reached into his pocket and pulled out the very same ring he had proposed to Jasmine with, smiling fondly when he thought of her. "Stella," he said dangerously, "do NOT interrupt me again." Upon hearing the sharp edge in Vanitas' voice, Stella silenced herself. "My fiancé took off and set twenty million dollars up in flames before my eyes."

The facial expressions of everyone in Vanitas' company ranged from shock, horror to curiosity.

"You almost seem happy with the memory," Said pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "I'm surprised the girl isn't sitting in a cemetery right now as we speak."

"Jasmine is clever. Even when I had her backed into a corner she was able to find a way out," Vanitas inhaled. "I want her found," he said sternly.

Xigbar placed his hands behind his head in a leisurely fashion. "Where do you want us to start?"

Vanitas set his hands on the table. "Stella," he looked to the blond, "I want you to visit Radiant Garden University and start looking through the archives. That was one of the schools Jasmine was accepted to and I have no doubt that her friends attend the university as well. If you find her," his eyes narrowed, "I want you to bring her to me. Knock her unconscious if you have to. I doubt she'll go without a fight."

Stella nodded, fully understanding the importance (as well as possible danger) of her mission.

"Xigbar, I want you to find Sora, my idiot cousin on the Destiny Islands," Vanitas told his employee.

"You want I should bring him in?" Xigbar asked, grinning as he did so. He loved a good fight.

Vanitas did not want this. "No. I just want you to deliver a message to him."

The one eyed bodyguard frowned. He thought this assignment would be more interesting. "Which would be?"

"That his year is almost up. He'll understand what that means," Vanitas finished. He took a glance at Xigbar and Stella, dismissing the two of them. "I'll expect a report early next week."

The two given assignments nodded and dismissed themselves from the table, knowing full well that if they did not complete their tasks that there would be hell to pay.

Once they were gone, Vanitas turned to Saix. "I want you to keep an eye on Tifa, Jasmine's former guardian, as well."

Saix understood Vanitas' reasoning for doing so. Yet, the blue-haired gentleman could not understand the young man's infatuation for the young girl.

He thought back to the first time he met Jasmine years ago when he and his friend had visited a high school. Saix could see why Vanitas was physically attracted to her – she was a good looking girl even in her younger years – but he couldn't fathom the obsession that consumed him. Perhaps there was something in her that Saix could not see all those years ago. But he had no intention of letting his employer in on the fact that he'd come across Jasmine in the past.

"How is the construction on your new headquarters with Edge going? I see that Xigbar is spearheading it under his name," Saix pointed out.

Vanitas grinned. "Flawlessly."

"You are quite bold showing your face in public given your…troubling past." Saix was never one to hold his tongue, even with the dangerous young man sitting before him.

"Concerned for my well-being?" Vanitas chuckled. Saix's facial expression did not change.

"I'm concerned that your blatant disregard for the authorities will lead to your arrest," he clarified. "It is dangerous to be walking around as freely as you are now."

Vanitas reached for the glass of wine in front of him. "My family has bought off half the city. Even if someone were to spot me, they would be too terrified to cross me for fear that I would run their businesses into the ground." He took a sip before setting it off to the side. "I'm untouchable."

Saix inwardly sighed. 'As intelligent as he is, his arrogance will surely lead to his downfall.'

"It won't be long now," Vanitas shifted to another subject, "until SHINRA is completely under my control."

"Is that why you're building that new office on the far side of the island?" Saix inquired, already knowing the answer to his question.

He nodded. "It's time for a fresh start. Besides, the old SHINRA headquarters is swarming with SOLDIER agents," Vanitas frowned. "They're like rats; hard to kill and once they get inside, it's hard to flush them all out because more of them keep appearing."

Saix nodded. He had run into a few SOLDIER agents in his time. They were a persistent bunch. "I doubt they will stand a chance now that we've recruited competent members to go against them should they try to stop us."

Vanitas' smile widened dangerously. "I actually hope that they give us a good fight. It would be oh so boring if they didn't."


"You gonna start packing for winter vacation soon?" Sora asked Roxas as he, Tidus, and Riku hung out in the freshman's dorm room while playing video games. "Your finals are next week. You should get a move on it."

Roxas groaned. "You see that stack of books on my desk?" Sora and Tidus followed Roxas' gaze and stared at the mountain of textbooks, notebooks and flashcards scattered around his workspace. "Once all THAT is taken care of then I'll be able to get it done," Roxas told them.

Riku, who was sitting on the floor with Sora playing video games chuckled. "You kiddies will understand how hard it is once you get to college."

Sora laughed and returned his eyes to the TV screen. "Probably," he laughed.

While the three of them chatted about their vacation plans, Roxas' mind was elsewhere. More specifically, it was on that dark-haired, hazel eyed, ex of his who had just been in his room about four hours ago.

Roxas didn't know what to make of his feelings for Jasmine anymore. That much was certain. And their interaction the night before as well as earlier in the morning solidified that.

When Jasmine had picked him up, he expected a short conversation; nothing more, nothing less. Instead, the two of them went out to dinner.

'It's almost like we're a couple again,' Roxas noted mentally as he watched Jasmine flip through the menu in the dimly lit restaurant.

She laughed, throwing his train of thought off. There was something different about this laugh. It seemed slightly strained; it was almost as if she was forcing herself to laugh.

Roxas recalled the moments after dinner when she took out a pipe of sorts. She never seemed like the type to smoke. But then again, she never seemed like the type to do half the things she'd done in the past.

She took a long drag from the pipe, making sure she stood far away from Roxas as she did so. They stood on the beach after the sun had set and it was almost complete empty save for a few stragglers trying to make their way home.

Once Roxas caught a whiff of what she had been smoking, his eyes widened.

"How did you get your hands on paopu?" He asked her incredulously.

Pipe still in her hands, Jasmine focused her attention on the ocean. "Can't say…but I can tell you that it costs a pretty penny."

Roxas was stunned. Paopu was illegal all over the islands because it was known to warp the mind and change one's perception. What was Jasmine doing with that?

"Trust me," she seemed to sense his discomfort, "it's not something I do on a regular basis. I know what it does to people." Jasmine inhaled once more, held it in, and blew out a cloud of smoke before putting it out completely. She cracked a slight smile then. "Come on. Let's go to campus and get some ice cream."

Roxas laughed. It really did almost feel like a date.

"I can't wait until we all get our acceptance letters," Sora said to Tidus. "I can't WAIT to start living the college life."

Riku laughed at his best friend's energetic outburst and ruffled his hair, irritating the brown-haired senior. "Don't rush it, Sora. After high school you guy to experience the real world."

Tidus laughed. "Ha! As if you're one to talk! You're the one who's got the grades, the girl and a job waiting for you as soon as you get out of here."

Roxas laughed. Sometimes he forgot that he and his friends were privileged with wealthy families. No matter what they did (so long as they finished college) they would be set for life. He wondered why Tidus made such a statement anyway.

'Jasmine was the only one of us who knew how hard the real world could be,' Roxas thought dismally. He glanced at his bed and drifted away from the conversation again, this time to a more profound memory of last night's events.

"I don't want you driving home at three in the morning," Roxas told her as she leaned against the bathroom door.

Jasmine was stubborn. "Roxas," she attempted to hand him back the oversized t-shirt he had given her, "I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I need to get home."

Roxas would not budge either. He turned down the volume on his television and gave her a hard stare. "No," he told her firmly. "If you really wanted to go, you probably should have left before it got really late." He held up her keys and pocketed them. "But seeing as you didn't, you're stuck here."

She frowned. "I didn't think you would be so controlling."

"It's not controlling," Roxas said casually, pushing the t-shirt back her way. "It's called caring for someone who means a lot to you." Jasmine froze. "Now get changed." He took a seat at his desk. "You look like you could use a good night's rest."

Roxas was determined to keep himself from remembering everything but could not block out the memory. What frightened him more was that he was realizing slowly that he did not want to forget the time he spent with Jasmine.

His eyes drifted to his bed. For a moment, he could swear that he saw her lying on top of the covers, her chest rising and falling with her soft breathing and a soft, serene look upon her face. For the first time in over a year, Roxas felt like he had her; like she was within reach for him.

His blue eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head. Roxas had fallen asleep at this desk studying while Jasmine drifted off into a deep, calm sleep. He sighed, staring at his notes. He hadn't gotten very far. With her in the room like this, Roxas was a bit more than distracted.

"Can't sleep either?" she asked softly, shocking Roxas.

He jumped from the sound of her voice and spun in his chair to face her. Roxas laughed nervously, trying to adjust his vision in the pitch black room. "I guess not. I've got a lot on my mind."

"You should go to sleep," Jasmine told him kindly. She kicked her legs over the side of the bed and Roxas got a good look at her. She looked stunning under the moonlight in his clothing, despite how simple it was. Her face was surprisingly soft and her eyes lost most of the cold sharpness she usually held. "I think you should have your bed back."

Roxas felt his face redden but he didn't say a word. He closed his books and stacked them into a neat pile on his desk and stood up. Just as Jasmine rose to her feet and he was at the bed, she attempted to leave his space only to have him grab her wrist.

"You might as well sleep in the bed with me," Roxas told her. He smiled to reassure her that nothing would happen. "We did this even as friends, remember?"

Jasmine stared at him in confusion. Roxas slipped into the bed after he released her hand, facing the window with his back to her. He closed his eyes, hoping that she wouldn't be put off by his sudden courage and had been too abrupt. The last thing he needed was to ruin whatever the hell it was that they had at the moment.

Roxas felt the bed sink in and smiled to himself before turning over to face her. Jasmine appeared a bit more than concerned about their sleeping arrangements and had a slight flush of red in her cheeks.

"Roxas," Jasmine whispered, pulling her fists to her chest, "I want to be here, with the rest of you, enjoying your lives."

Roxas could feel his heart breaking with every word. He could not tell if this was the paopu finally taking hold of her, or if this was her natural, but what Roxas did know was that she was being one hundred percent genuine.

"I know," Roxas replied.

"I shouldn't be doing what I do now," she continued, "I should be Naminé's roommate. I should be worried about studying for exams. I should be going to rallies and parties and doing it with the people I care about the most. This is no way to live, Roxas."

Instead of replying, Roxas pulled Jasmine into his chest and held her. It seemed as if time had come to a halt for the moment. Their movement; their conversation, even their heartbeats had paused for their embrace.

"I don't know how you could still care about me after everything that I've done to you all," Jasmine breathed, tilting up her chin to look him in the eye.

Roxas smiled down on her and placed a hand over her cheek, brushing her hair back off her face. "Heh, maybe I picked up Naminé's saint-like patience after all."

Jasmine sighed. "Either that or you're a glutton for punishment."

Roxas knew that this happiness would not last but he was determined to ride this wave in particular out as long as he could. "Probably, but I don't really care about that right now. But then again, so are you."

She seemed a bit confused by his statement.

"I know what kind of girl you are," Roxas sat up and hovered over her. He gazed deep into her eyes and for the briefest moment (no doubt thanks to the paopu) he saw the girl he had met back when they were juniors in high school. "You're that girl who will hurt others and hurt herself in the process because you have some idea of "protecting others for the greater good". Am I right?"

Jasmine narrowed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as if in anger.

Roxas smirked. "I knew it."

"Shut up, Roxas. You don't know anything."

"You never seem to give me enough credit." He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and wrapped an arm around her middle. "But let's go to sleep. I'm tired and you need to get some sleep too. You look like a zombie."

"Is Kairi still considering other schools?" Tidus asked Sora.

The spikey haired boy sighed sadly. "She'll hear from those school sometime in March. As much as I want her to be happy, I still hope that she chooses the same school as all of us."

Roxas leaned back. "I hope so too. It would be nice if all of us could be together again."

As soon as Roxas mentioned "us", Riku got an image of Jasmine in his head but quickly brushed it aside. "That would be nice for sure," he responded.

When the conversation resumed and Roxas was the one who led it, Riku moved closer to the bed and caught wind of a familiar scent and his eyes widened. He would never forget the scent in a million years.

"Roxas," Riku started casually, keeping his face turned to the television and away from the blond.

Roxas looked up. "Yeah?"

"It smells like a girl in here," Riku continued cautiously. "You got a new girlfriend I should be aware of?"

Roxas tried to hide his growing blush and acted as though nothing were out of the blue. "No girlfriend…maybe friends who just so happen to be girls though."

Sora and Tidus laughed while Riku remained suspicious.

"Well I hope these…friends of yours don't come with any baggage," he told him in a semi-joking manner which (only) Roxas seemed to understand meant more beyond the surface.

Roxas scratched the back of his head, laughed hollowly and went back to what he was working on. "That would be ideal."