Goodbye?

.

Anna woke up alone in the room. She changed the yukata for the black dress she was wearing the previous day and went downstairs where she could hear the people's voices. Yoh stood up as soon as she appeared at the door frame of the living room and walked to stand in front of Anna, looking at her with concerned eyes and caressing her hands.

"Are you ok?"

She sighed, they shouldn't have told him about that last event or at least not the part of that female vampire trying to kill her, now he was worried and would be overprotective with her just as Alex.

"I'm fine. What about you?"

"Never mind, I'm used to wounds"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you. But we are short of time today, you can be worried for each other once we are gone", Eri said sharply to them. She was on a bad mood…

The rest of the band, Yoh and Anna glared at Alex in that moment. The aforementioned opened her mouth and shrugged doing a gesture that made clear she didn't know what she had done and why they were glaring at her. They all rolled their eyes while Yoh and Anna walked in to have a sit.

"Then the guy who shoot Yoh was your cousin", Horo said to retake the subject. "And he tried to kill Anna by sending a servant"

"Yes. That's it", Alex nodded. Thanking him in her inner focus for the intervention.

"So, we must be aware at night because they are stronger after the sunset", Ren added.

"Yes, but you should also be aware at day light. They can create a special barrier that acts like an artificial night", Xana pointed out.

"What do you suggest then?", Ryu asked.

"Take turns. Hans will stay here at night", Eri said. Then looked Anna, "You will too, since you can't go with us"

Anna nodded, she knew and it was painful to know because if it wouldn't for reishi she could be in the backstage with Awaya.

"We are just guests today, so we should be done early", Alex smiled at her sister knowing how much she was suffering by that.

"Just if you don't want to stay for the after party", Eri pointed out frowning at her.

"Wha- What the hell is wrong with you?! I can't think on partying! She is danger!", Alex exclaimed incredulous and mad with her.

"And here we go again", Xana commented rolling his eyes. Then continued, ignoring the girls' argument: "Anyway, they use demons. Anna should be capable of seal most of them, you just have to be aware of vampires. Weaken them and Hans will finish the job."

The meeting was interrupted by the sound of a slap rumbling all over the place. They all looked Eri walking outside and Alex frowning at her with a red hand marked on her cheek.

"Well, that's all. Anna let's go home and get you some clothes", Rain said standing and smiling at the girl, ignoring the discussion between her colleagues.

They did as they planned and drove Anna back to the inn. She was uncomfortable staying there with Yoh's friends but had no choice.

Yoh's friends were noisy but at least the girls were not so bad, she was used to Tamao by now and she could get along with Pilika, mostly because she wasn't a fan of her sister's band, so she didn't have stupid thoughts about that nor was interested in spending time with Alex. And she had to admit than Ren was nice too, he wasn't like Ryu and Horo-Horo, he was quiet and polite, not annoying at all.

"I'm glad to finally meet you", the Chinese boy said sitting next to her in the hall with view to the backyard. The door was opened and the noise was still audible but lower at their location, "Yoh said you met each other about a year ago. He hasn't stopped talking about you since I'm here"

"He told me about you as well. He told me everything about the Shaman Fight"

"Did he said I saved his ass?", he asked with a proud smile.

"Well… Not exactly…"

Yoh started looking for Anna when he noticed she wasn't talking with Pilika anymore, thinking than maybe she was already uncomfortable with so many people, then he saw her talking with Ren… in the hall… apart of everyone else… He was moving like if he was telling about his battles, was he trying to impress her?! Why?! And why was she smiling like if she was amused?! She never smiled like that when he told her about the tournament.

"See?! That's how I saved his ass! He is an idiot for not mention our help there!", he crossed his arms pissed with Yoh, "I never thought he would not give us credit just to impress a girl"

"Ok. I got it, you were the key to defeat Hao", she said amused by his pride, it was big enough for feeling offended just because Yoh didn't mentioned all his moves.

"Hey! Why are you so apart?", Yoh sat just between them with his usual big smile. But Anna could read him easily, she frowned at him. "Did you get bored of all of us?"

"Don't be an idiot! We were just talking and he is one of your best friends!", Anna hissed in Yoh's ear so only he could hear.

"Of course. You are too noisy", Ren glared at him. "You told her the Shaman Fight story showing yourself like the hero and not mentioning our efforts!", he pointed at Yoh with white eyes and pissed, "You would have died without us!"

"Why do you want to be a hero in front of her?", Yoh frowned at his friend.

Ren changed his rage look for one incredulous. Was he serious?! Then he became furious again.

"ARE YOU INSANE?! SHE IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND AND I'M DATING TOO!"

"WHAT?! ARE YOU DATING?!", Horo jumped from his seat incredulous and then pointed pissed to Ren with his index finger. "NO WAY! YOU CAN'T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND BEFORE I DO!"

"I'm classy and a 1000 times more handsome than you!", Ren yelled back with an arrogant smile.

"No way! That's a lie! You just said that because you are competing with Yoh!"

"I DON'T WASTE MY TIME WITH STUPID COMPETITIONS LIKE THAT!", Ren roared and then crossed his arms in a winner attitude, "And I date with her before Yoh had met Anna!", pointed Horo with his finger, "You are the only loser without a girlfriend!"

Horo felt that comment like a spear throwed directly in his heart and a black aura surrounded him while he started drawing circles in the floor with his finger. "Life is not fair…", he mumbled.

Anna crossed her arms under her chest and frowned at Yoh, it was the fault of his jealousy, his ridiculous and without fundament jealousy. How could he be so insecure?! He was the only one approaching her for god sake!

"We have to talk", she said to him and stood to walk away indicating him to do the same.

Yoh gulped nervously, she was mad and those words never meant something good. He followed Anna until they reached a tree, far enough to talk without being heard.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!", she cried out. She wasn't in rage, but was really mad and hurt because of his lack of trust in her.

"I'm sorry… It's just… Well…", he couldn't explain because he had never felt like this before.

"We can't go further if you don't trust me!"

Yoh panicked when she said that. Then looked into her eyes, she was in pain because of that… Of course, she had opened her heart only to him (and it took about a year) and he was stupid enough to think she could do that with people she recently had met.

"I'm sorry… I'm an idiot… It's just… Well…" he moved nervous and scratched the back of his head it was hard to say it out loud, "Well, I thought about those things Alex said last night…"

Anna shook her head slightly, she was now confused, Alex's words had nothing to do with him being jealous.

"And, maybe she was right… Maybe you would open with anyone taking the time to reach you and anyone who would try to help you… I just took advantage of the situation, you would fall in love with anyone who had tried to save you."

"Yoh… Alex didn't mean that when she said: "taking advantage"", Anna said in the middle of a sigh.

"Maybe not, but I really think it could be like that. Maybe if someone else freed you from that problem, you could fall with him instead of me…", he added looking away. Next thing he felt was a slap, but not the stronger she had given him.

"DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!"

He looked at her surprised, she was angry but not angry like "I will kill you" it was more like an "I hate you".

"Maybe you are right. Maybe if someone else had insisted like you did, I would fall with him instead of you", she said looking down with a low voice, then looked up, "But, no one came but you. You were the only one too stubborn to give up on me and I will never forget that." Her voice broke a little so she had to clench her fist to continue: "It doesn't matter if someone else comes here with a magic wand and takes this off me in a second, because you were the only one taking the time of knowing me and trying to help me. I would have never known about my parents and Alex without you, even if she would find me I wouldn't believe her without knowing the past. SO, STOP THINKING NONSENSE!"

He noticed how she tried to stay firm in her position and pretend she was just mad with him, but she was shivering and her eyes were glassy.

"It was hard for her to say that…", he thought feeling himself guilty because one way or another he had forced her to say it. But he was also relieved because of her words. Yoh approached to her and give her a tenderness hug, "I'm sorry. It will never happen again… Unless someone is really trying to go after you…"

"Idiot"

Yoh smiled, because he felt her lips forming a smile against his neck.

"Hey, lovebirds! Come here, we are looking their show on streaming!", Horo called them from the corridor. He was mad and depressed at the same time.

"Streaming? I didn't know you could see it on internet", Yoh looked curious at Anna. She denied with her head and explained him that it was a gift for their fans and a marketing strategy, they will broadcast live just that song. "It's a smart strategy. Their own concert is next week, right?"

"Yeah, but all the tickets were sold. The record company is announcing a new one in about two weeks because of the demand"

"So, they will stay here for a while. That's good!", he smiled broadly and followed her in. But he didn't notice the confusion on her eyes. She wanted to stay in Tokyo, but her sister already told her she would probably be traveling to America with them because of the danger…

.


.

"Maybe they quit…", Anna thought looking to the stars up in the sky, she was lying on the grass in the backyard. It was a beautiful silent night, only the crickets singing around. It had been some peaceful weeks without worries more than school, Yoh's laziness and her sister's issues, not a single enemy around since that night two weeks ago.

She looked to her left to see if Yoh was still up, he smiled at her and then got back to the stars. Their relationship was kind of weird now because she couldn't read his thoughts easily, so she could not know for sure what was on his mind and made her feel less confident than usual. He stretched and stood up, smiled at her and invited her inside because it was getting cold. Anna just nodded and took his hand to stand as well.

"Are they arriving late?", he asked as they walked inside.

"Yes, they have an after party with the event's producer and the record company. It's not optional if they want more contracts"

"Where are they heading after finishing their tour in Japan?", he asked looking away as they crossed the door.

"Back to America…", she answered knowing the why of his question.

He stopped her by taking her hand and gave her a sadly look.

"Are you leaving with them?"

She looked away sadly.

"I don't know yet… I don't even know when they are supposed to leave."

Yoh bit his lip and tried to smile as always but it didn't work. He was no one to be on her way to finally have a life with her family, but still he wanted so bad to ask her to stay with him.

.


.

"We are staying for two months from now on". Alex said in the worse mood Anna had seen in her. "We will work on a music video here, that should be over in a month, but we have to put an end to the clan's issue before leaving"

"I guess you don't want to stay…" Anna looked at her curious. Alex was a little bit moody in her opinion, but moody or not her behavior was strange this morning.

"That's not what is pissing me of", she said frowning to her beer. "It's just that stupid dancer who will be dancing in the video"

"Stupid dancer?". Anna raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you just look for another dancer?"

"That's 'cause Eri is our dancer at videos and that guy will be her partner, they are an awesome dance couple but that idiot flirts with her every single second!", Alex drank almost the half beer bottle after saying that.

"Oh. So, you are just jealous" Anna shrugged and took her school bag, "You shouldn't"

"I'm not jealous!"

"Of course you are. Look at you, drinking a beer at 7:30 a.m. because a guy will be performing a hot dance with your girl"

"She is not my girl!" Alex frowned at Anna, then thought about her words. "Did you say a "hot dance"?", she looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"I read your song, it's a passionate love song, so I guess it will be a passionate dance", Anna turned and smiled mischievously as she walked to the door, "See ya!"

"EEEEEEERIIIIIIIIIIII!"

She heard her sister's furious yell when she closed the door. It had been a little mean to do that, but it was the only way for Alex to think over her feelings.

Anna walked to the bus stop thinking about her situation now. The last year had been just crazy, and the events that occurred two weeks ago were insane, she was wondering how long this peace would last and if Yoh would be safe. She was worried about him; those people were dangerous and she didn't like to think than he was in this whole situation all because of her… but she never thought her family's history would be this dark and bloody and creepy with all this shit about assassins and vampires and demons and… her head started to ache, for the first time she got a headache because of her own thoughts not others thoughts. Ironically that self-induced headache made her happy, since Yoh arrived at her life she hadn't had one of those horrible headaches nor seen an oni again.

"Hey! Could you tell me what time is it?". A girl who was about her age asked politely when she arrived at the bus stop.

Anna looked at her wristwatch. "It's 7:45"

"Do you think the bus is arriving soon?"

"It should be here in the next 5 minutes"

"So, we are alone for the next 5 minutes", the black-haired girl smiled at her suspiciously.

Anna looked around to confirm there were just the two of them and an old lady who was walking slowly to the bus station.

"I'm the third kid. You have met my older brothers" the strange girl whispered next to her. Anna tried to reach her rosary, but the girl made an oversoul with a gun shape and pointed to the old lady, "If you move, she will be gone. Just listen"

"What do you want", Anna asked roughly.

"Don't take me wrong. I don't give a shit for my old man, I can help you to take rid of him"

"Yeah. And I'm supposed to believe in you since you are pointing an old lady with a gun", her voice was sarcastic.

"I'm serious. I want to be free before the familiar's contract, I don't want to do that pact"

"Familiar's contract? Like the witches?"

"Something like that, but a little bit different. Anyway, it doesn't matter, it's just what your sister did with that vampire Aldara. I don't want to be bonded with a vampire for the rest of my life or live an eternity"

"My mother didn't live an eternity and she used to be bonded with Aldara…"

"Your mother freed her before..." The girl shook her head and looked at her pissed, "Stop that! I just came to offer you a deal"

"Deal? What kind of deal?"

"I'll be attacking that blond dwarf tonight at midnight, just be there and kidnap me. I'll tell you all you want to know"

The bus arrived, both got on the bus, but Anna couldn't see the girl anymore. She started wondering which was the better action course: "Should I warn Manta? He will be scared as hell, maybe a should talk with Yoh first… But he will overreact since Manta is his first friend ―Anna sighed and looked up―. It would be better to talk with Alex… ... … Eri, she is more reasonable and has total control over Alex, I'll tell Eri first." With the decision made, she called a spirit to inform the chosen one about the situation.

.

To be continued…

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Hi there! It's been a while since the last update, but it's finally done. Thanks to all the readers still following the story. Special thanks for your comments and support to sasou, AnnaAsakura12, S.D.P (Kagami, thanks again, your reviews make me happy, hugs back! :D), and rozan-ji (well, Alex is a little bit special xd Yeah, they will do something soon ;).)

To all my ghost readers don't be shy and let me know what you think xd

Thanks again and have a good day/night!