It's Saturday again, woohoo! =)

By the way, in this chapter I've integrated a song. Of course I don't own neither the song itself nor the lyrics.

If you want to you can hear it here: .com/watch?v=ay-PbkxJqnw (I love Final Fantasy VIII and Stanfour and this song ^^)

So, enjoy the chapter. =)


Chapter 11: Sorry

Yuan and Regal arrived in Mizuho only about midday because they had to do some paperwork in their company which couldn't be delayed.

When they finally reached Orochi's house, all hell had broken loose. Sheena was lying on a futon; Zelos, Orochi, Ashton, Lilly and Zuzi were sitting around her and argued loudly about what was wrong with Sheena and if they should bring her to a doctor.

"Oh, are we disturbing you? Then we'll leave," Yuan said annoyed. "Apart from that, it won't help Sheena if a bunch of chattering geese is sitting around her."

After that it was silent; everybody looked at Yuan as if he were a being of another planet.

"You have to forgive him, he didn't have a good start into the new year," Regal remarked sighing.

"No, he's right, we should let Sheena rest and wait until she wakes up," Orochi replied while standing up. "So, then I'll show you the flooded hall." He disappeared with Yuan and Regal in the underground hall.

"We should go out for a walk, Zelos," Zuzi said while placing a hand on the shoulder of the red haired.

"But Sheena …" Zelos replied worriedly.

"Nothing will happen to her and we can't help her right now anyway."

Zelos slowly nodded and stood up. He walked with Zuzi, the children and Voax outside.

"I'm really wondering what's wrong with her … If that's an effect of the alcohol?" Zelos asked quietly.

"I don't think so. It has to be something else …" Zuzi answered.

"Maybe it has something to do with the prophecy …" Ashton remarked.

"With the prophecy?" Zelos looked at him confusedly. "What makes you think that?"

"I think I've seen Zolkit last night … During the fireworks …"

"Zolkit?" Zuzi asked while remembering the old man who had helped her and Bayne back then to get back to Mizuho, after they had been left behind in a deserted area by the Chorior. And despite this deed, she still didn't trust him.

"Wasn't that the old geezer who helped you saving me from drowning, and then disappeared without a clue?" Zelos wanted to know.

Ashton nodded. "But that's not all. Shortly after I've seen him, a rocket has been shot into the sky which formed Ryunish runes after exploding."

"And what did these runes say?" Zelos asked the little boy because he knew that Ashton was surprisingly able to understand this ancient language.

"'Your journey in service of the prophecy will soon begin'," Ashton answered.

Zelos frowned. "That's really strange …"

"But what has that to do with Sheena?" Zuzi wanted to know.

"We know that Sheen is the Earth Healer and thus involved in the prophecy. Maybe she sees or feels something we can't notice," Ashton assumed.

"Well, we should ask her about that as soon as she's awake," Zelos murmured. Suddenly he realized that Zuzi was rooted to the spot. "Zuzi?" He followed her gaze and saw Bayne who was walking towards them.

The blonde kunoichi turned around and rushed away.

"Zuzi! Wait, please!" Bayne called after her while following her.

Zelos and the children, however, decided to go back to the house of the chief.

:::

Zuzi had run into her house and locked the door. Bayne was standing in front of it and constantly knocking on the door, hoping that Zuzi would come out after all.

"Zuzi, please! I'm sorry! I've tried everything to get back the heirloom but the man who bought it doesn't have it anymore, and he doesn't know to whom he sold it …"

But the door didn't open. Bayne sighed and sat down on the ground.

Sorry - Stanfour

(Will you believe in me?)

Will you listen to my story?

It'll just be a minute

Well, how can I explain?

Whatever happened, dear, I never meant to hurt you

How could I cause you so much pain?

He had ruined it. Why had he sold the heirloom of all things anyway? And why hadn't he asked Zuzi beforehand if it was alright with her? Bayne didn't know why Zuzi was so extremely mad about it; he could only assume that the old locket with the strange runes had been really important to her. And he had sold it … And in addition, he had lost the rings he had bought with the Gald to the river, so that he was now empty-handed and couldn't even proof that he had had the intention to propose to her …

The only thing he could do now was to apologize to her again and again, and to hope that she would someday forgive him. After all it was said that time healed even the worst wounds.

When I say I'm sorry, will you believe me?

Listen to my story, say you won't leave

When I say I'm sorry, can you forgive me?

When I say I will always be there

Will you believe, will you believe in me?

(Will you believe in me?)

Bayne thought about telling Zuzi after all what he had bought with the Gald … But would she believe him? If only he had still the rings … He had already searched in the whole river but he hadn't found them. It was like they had been swallowed by the ground. It was as if he didn't have any luck anymore. He had lost the ring, his house and his girlfriend; how long would it take until he lost his job as well?

But if there was anything he could do to win Zuzi back he wouldn't hesitate to do it, no matter what it was.

All the words that I come up with

They're like pourin' oil on flames (Will you believe in me?)

There's no excuse, no explanation

Believe me, if I could undo what I did wrong

I'd give away all that I own

The last year and a half had been the best time of his life. And now he had lost what was most important to him. Just now he realized that he was a nobody without Zuzi. He needed her to live just like the air to breathe. And each day without her, he died a little more …

When I say I'm sorry, will you believe me?

Listen to my story, say you won't leave

When I say I'm sorry, can you forgive me?

When I say I will always be there

Will you believe …

Bayne shook his head. It couldn't end like this, it mustn't end like this! He wouldn't give up!

He stood up and knocked again on the door. If there was no other way he would knock the whole day and night until she sometime finally opened the door and talked to him!

If I'd told you I've been cleaning my soul

And if I'd promised you I'll regain control

Would you open your door and let me in

Take me for who I'm now and not for who I've been?

Come take my hand …

The memories of past times dominated Bayne's thought now. How they had been going out for dinner … How they had gone together to the festival in Luin … How they had watched the fireworks there …

Why should all of this come to an end now, only because of a stupid heirloom? It couldn't mean that much to her!

Take my hand (Take my hand)

Take my hand (Take my hand)

Like you used to do (Like you used to)

Take my hand

When I say I'm sorry, will you believe me?

Listen to my story, say you won't leave

When I say I'm sorry, can you forgive me?

When I say I will always be there

Will you believe …

Bayne's hands started to hurt; soon he had abraded them on the rough wood. But still he didn't stop.

(Take my hand)

When I say I'm sorry (Say I'm sorry)

(Take my hand)

Will you believe me? Yeah

Take my hand (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

When I say I'm sorry

Will you believe

Suddenly the door was opened. Surprised, Bayne stumbled forward but he could regain his balance again in time.

"Geez, Bayne, nobody can concentrate with that noise!" Zuzi got upset. "Could you please stop it?"

"Only if you finally talk to me!"

"Alright. So, do you have anything new to say?" Zuzi folded her arms in front of her chest and looked at him expectantly.

"Well …" Bayne just wanted to tell her that he wanted to marry her, that he had bought rings with the Gald and then lost them, but no word would leave his lips.

"If you don't have anything to say, then please leave and leave me alone. Anyway, I won't forgive you until you have found my heirloom." She signed him to leave the house which he finally did.

He didn't give up, no, just now he had drawn new hope. She would forgive him, he just had to find the locket! It couldn't be that difficult, could it? He would talk to the merchant once more and get him to remember to whom he had sold the locket … Yes, he would find it and then Zuzi would forgive him. They would continue living happily together and finally marry.


Yeah, Yuan isn't in the best mood. xDD

Ah, Ashton is so intelligent and so cute x3 By the way, most children in my stories behave like grown-ups, so don't be surprised by that. ^^"

Hehe, yeah, like I already said I like this song. ^^ And it fits perfectly to this situation. ^^

So, there's still some hope left, Zuzi will forgive Bayne ... He only has to find the locket. ^^ But if it's really as easy as he thinks ...? You'll see. =)

By the way, there will be still some more chapters with songs in it ... Ahem, I maybe overdid it a little bit, but oh well ... xD Usually I planned to integrate even more but I was able to stop myself. xD

To be continued ...