Chika sighed, stood on her seat, and gazed around the airport for about the thousandth time. "Still not here…" she muttered bitterly.

Mahi sniffed. "Good riddance," she muttered to herself. After hearing about what Sora and Chika had done together at the party, her original opinion of him had reasserted itself. "He's not coming, Chika. Come on, or we'll miss the flight." She stood up and walked briskly towards the gate.

Takeshi laid a hand on her shoulder. "Chika… I know he'd be here if he could. I can see how much he cares about you."

The bell clock in the center of the airport tolled out twelve times- noon. The stewardess standing by the gate nodded to Chika and Takeshi. "Please hurry and get on board. The plane will be leaving soon."

Chika sighed, and walked slowly through the gate. Halfway down the tunnel, she paused and looked back one last time. "Sora…" She looked down at her bracelet. "Did you forget our promise already?" She turned away from the door, a single tear falling from her eye, and sighed as she heard the mechanical door begin to shut behind her.

A moment later, a shout broke through her reverie. "Hey! Chika! What are you up to, running off without even saying goodbye?"

Chika gasped and spun around. "Sora?"

Sora stood in the gate, holding the door halfway open and grinning his head off. "Sorry I'm late! Security was a nightmare to get through."

The stewardess grabbed his shoulder and glared at him. "Sir, unless you have a ticket, you'll have to leave."

Sora ignored her. "Chika! Come on, I still have something I want to say to you!"

Chika ran back down the tunnel and flung her arms around him. "Sora… I was worried you weren't going to come!" She slapped him lightly. "What were you up to, making a girl think she wasn't going to get to say goodbye?"

Sora laughed, and pushed the door open a little further. "Just give us a minute, 'kay?" he called over his shoulder.

The stewardess scowled, and operated a control on her board. "Fine…"

The door slid all the way open again, and Sora took a single step into the tunnel. "Chika… I've been doing some thinking since yesterday. And I've talked to Takeshi-san, too."

Chika gulped. "What… what did he tell you?"

Sora glared down at her. "He told me you were afraid of deep water. You never told me that."

Chika lowered her head. "I… I just wanted…"

Sora lifted her chin with one hand and smiled. "Easy, easy… You were brave for me, so we could go surfing together." He reached into his pocket, took out something, and put it on her head. "Guess what you're under…"

Chika reached up and touched it. Her fingers met prickly leaves and hard, waxy berries. "Mistletoe?"

Sora nodded. "This time… I'll be brave, for you."

Chika's eyes widened. "You mean…?"

Sora beamed down at her, and tangled his fingers in her hair. "Chika… whatever's holding me back doesn't matter anymore. For you, I won't let fear stop me."

Chika tangled her own fingers in his hair. "Sora…" She closed her eyes.

Sora smiled, and closed his own eyes. "Merry Christmas, Chika." He leaned in and gave her a long, gentle kiss on the lips.

Takeshi poked his head up the tunnel to look for Chika, and beamed when he caught sight of them. "I knew he'd show up…" he muttered.

Mahi came up beside him. "What? Did you find her?" She saw Sora and Chika and gasped. "Chika! Come here this instant!"

Sora opened his eyes, but only spared Mahi a momentary glance before returning to the kiss. As for Chika, her entire universe was the scent of Sora's hair and the feeling of his arms around her and his lips on hers; Mahi might as well have not existed.

Takeshi laid a hand on Mahi's shoulder. "She's made her choice, Mahi. She's her own person, and you have to respect that."

Mahi grit her teeth. "But… to choose someone like him… Where did I go wrong?"

Takeshi frowned. "Well… I'd say it started with you not understanding your own daughter even nearly as much as him. He gets her, and you don't. That's why."

Mahi grit her teeth, and took a step forward. "I… I won't accept this! I won't accept him as a son!"

Once again, Sora's eyes snapped open for an instant, before allowing Chika to draw him back into their embrace. But in that instant, Mahi saw a powerful, dark fury in his steely eyes. She trembled. "He…"

Takeshi crossed his arms. "He will never turn that anger on her. But you… you continue to try and break them apart, even going so far as to interrupt their kiss…" He glared. "Your daughter's getting her first kiss. You should be happy."

Mahi clenched her fist. "But…"

Slowly, gently, Chika broke away from Sora, and sighed happily. "This… this is the one thing I wanted… Thank you, so much…"

Sora smiled. "The question of whether or not I love you isn't important anymore. What's important is that you love me." He hugged her close. "And nobody can change that." He threw a pointed glance at Mahi.

Mahi gathered her composure and walked up to them, ignoring Sora's furious glare. "Chika… time to go, now."

Chika turned away from her and buried her face in Sora's chest. "I… I don't want to go away. I want to stay here, with you, Sora."

Sora stroked her hair. "My family would love to have you stay with us. And more importantly, I would love to have you stay with me." He raised his head. "But you'd better make sure it's all right with them first."

Chika turned, her eyes sad. "Please?" She held one of Sora's arms close to her.

Mahi twitched. "St-stay? With Kapalo-san? Absolutely not! Now come along! We can't make the entire airplane wait on your convenience!"

Chika looked at Takeshi. "Please, Dad? I… I love him."

Takeshi stroked his chin for a moment, and then gave a crafty grin. "You know how I always say, 'Listen to your mother'? Well, don't listen to her this time. Go ahead and be happy, for the rest of vacation."

Mahi turned to him, dumbfounded. "W-what? You're going to let our daughter stay with someone like him?"

Takeshi grinned. "Someone like Sora-kun? Absolutely. I trust him completely." He gave Sora a thumbs-up. "Take good care of her, you hear?"

Sora saluted. "Of course." He took a step back, gently pulling Chika with him. "Don't worry, Mahi-san. I'll bring her back safe and sound."

Mahi darted towards them. "Chika! Stop this foolishness at once!"

Chika glared at her, and pulled out her plane ticket. "Shut up. I'm staying with Sora." She seized the ticket in both hands and ripped it in half.

Mahi stopped, stunned. "Ch-Chika…"

Sora gently put his arms around Chika. "Enough. You can't break her away from me." He raised his right hand, and the charm on his bracelet shimmered in the light. "We made a promise to each other."

Chika nodded, and touched her right hand to his. "Yes… I won't leave him, Mom. This is my choice to make, and you don't figure into it."

Takeshi laid a hand on Mahi's shoulder. "Mahi… it's time to leave."

Mahi bent her head and sobbed. "My daughter… my little Chika…"

Sora gave her a cold look. "Say things like that when you start treating her like a daughter. Understand her, accept her for who she is, and actually try to put some of yourself into her care… then you can call her that."

Chika's eyes were soft. "Mom… I'm not leaving you either. I just want to spend vacation with Sora, that's all." She laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't cry. I still love you, too."

Mahi sniffed, and then threw her arms around Chika. "Goodbye, my Chika."

Chika smiled gently, and patted her back. "Bye, Mom. I'll see you in a week or so." She turned to Takeshi and hugged him too. "See you, Dad."

Takeshi gave her a bear hug, laughing. "Yeah… See you soon, Chika. Have fun!"

Chika grinned wildly. "You know I will." She stepped back, and the stewardess began closing the door, with an annoyed look on her face. Sora and Chika waved as it hid Takeshi and Mahi from sight. Chika sighed and hugged Sora. "Well…" She grinned wickedly. "I guess I'm all yours now."

Sora laughed, and tapped her head. "It's still there, you know."

Chika blinked. "The mistletoe? How the heck did that stay on?"

Sora shrugged. "Maybe it got tangled up in your hair? Anyway, leave it there. It looks cute. And besides…" He grinned

Chika giggled. "Yeah… We're going to have to make up for lost time, huh?"

Sora laughed, and took her hand. "Yes, I suppose we are. But let's wait until we get home, okay?"

Chika pouted, and kissed his cheek. "Fine. I guess I can wait that long." She grinned. "You're worth waiting for, after all. Where'd you learn to kiss that well?"

Sora chuckled. "It just comes naturally, I guess. Shizuka's the one I shared my first kiss with, and she kept telling everyone else how good I was at it."

Chika giggled. "Yeah… that sounds like Shizuka-san, all right."

Sora smiled, and gazed up at the airport ceiling, to the sky beyond. "So… we've got the whole rest of vacation together. What do you want to do?"

Chika smiled, and wrapped herself around his right arm. "I don't know… I mean, of course we'll have lots of fun, and take lots of pictures to make Shizuka-san and Akiko-san jealous, but… Let's just find out as we go, okay?"

Sora nodded, and kissed her forehead. "Yeah… Free as the lotus, right?"

Chika smiled happily, and held tighter to his arm. "Right. As free as the wild salt spray." She sighed happily, closed her eyes, and allowed Sora to lead her out of the airport and back to his home.

Author's Note: Yeah... I know it's corny... -seppuku-

I do so love two images I used in this, though... Sora holding open that stupid entryway door, and Chika with mistletoe in her hair. That second one is just so cute... :D

So, this is the last of the Hawaii chapters. The action returns to Japan- and "The World" next chapter... which will also be posted today. I know, I fail... -seppuku again-