A/N Hey guys, thanks for being such great readers! I always love getting your reviews. Anyway, this chapter was finished later than what I had planned, but this time I have legitimate excuses: I've been looking at colleges all over the country, I have been working five days a week (THE WORST JOB EVER!), we just found an abandoned newborn puppy in our backyard, and I rewrote this whole chapter altogether. Boy, I am EXHAUSTED! I really have been trying to remain consistent in updating my story but I've also been trying to live my actual life with the actual living. Nonetheless, please enjoy Chapter fourteen! (This is the first draft. As usual, I may or may not correct it. But your opinions do help me in making my decisions.)

Though progress at the bathhouse was moving slowly in the morning, Kamaji worked diligently, observing the bath tokens and assessing which levers he pulled with more deliberativeness than usual. Even when no tokens dropped in from their long, dangling ropes, Kamaji reached one long arm behind him to his cabinets and ruffled through the contents as if he was searching for an item of dire need. The soot workers followed the industrious example set by their master, carrying heavier lumps of coal at a quicker pace.

After all, the astute attentiveness of the Boiler Room's workers was only a diversion, assembled specifically for the woman crying in the corner of the room. Not one individual knew how to deal with the tears of a female, nor did one even want to.

"Kamaji," Lin called to the man, having spilled out her problems for nearly ten minutes without him acknowledging her. What was the old man's problem? She knew she looked like a mess – her hair was splayed around her head like a lion's mane, and the circles under her eyes were shaded a deep purple. Even when she informed him of everything that had happened, he had not even managed an attempt to appear sympathetic.

Kamaji stiffened at the sound of his name before taking out a piece of paper from his desk and analyzing it thoroughly. Perhaps if he appeared too busy to mind Lin's clearly upset demeanor, he would not have to pretend to console her in the same way he always did when Lin was troubled.

In all of Kamaji's twelve thousand years of life, he had always preferred a life of solitude, not minding loneliness in the least. Due to this, he had never been good at dealing with women, let alone anybody. Yet why did Lin run to him of all people when she was unhappy?

"What do you think of the whole thing?" Lin asked him, disregarding his engrossment in the sheet of paper.

Kamaji sighed and scratched his head. "I think it was foolish for you to have stayed up all night."

"I couldn't help it!" Lin said, exasperatingly throwing her hands up in the air. "I wanted to make sure that Sen came back safe, but she never returned."

"Is she still missing?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I just said that she never came back!"

"Well," Kamaji started, "she probably didn't want to deal with the tension of sharing the same room as you after the argument."

"Yeah, I already know that."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I told you! Someone or something is out to get her, and yet she pays no mind towards the whole thing!"

"Calm down, Lin," Kamaji said, still looking over the paper. "You sound like you're her mother."

Lin exhaled sharply. Kamaji did not seem at all concerned about Sen.

Lin stomped over to where Kamaji sat, grabbing the document from his hands. She grimaced when she saw that it was only a blank sheet of paper. The man, however, only shrugged unapologetically when she shot him a look of utter disbelief.

"I'm not trying to be her mother," continued Lin, crumpling up the paper before throwing it unceremoniously to the ground. "I'm just worried about her. Sometimes, I think of her as my little sister."

"Sen has grown up to such an extreme that we didn't even know who she was when she returned. She's not a child anymore, and I'm sure she has her own way of handling things."

"I know she's not a child anymore. But she's still human!"

"It doesn't matter that she's a human," Kamaji said. "Us spirits really underestimate humans. They're rather strong despite their fragilities."

"Are they really?"

"Of course! Our ten-year old Sen was able to accomplish many things, and I'm sure that this same girl has only grown more capable of dealing with whatever curves life throws at her."

Kamaji's words made Lin realize how stupid she had been.

Lin had already told Sen how strong she was – how she had saved the famous River Spirit, how she had led No-Face out of the bathhouse, how she had broken off from Yubaba's contract. So who was Lin to tell Haku of Sen's close encounter with a meager supply of poison? That was equivalent to taking back all of the compliments Lin had said in regard to Sen's courage. Sen was perfectly fine in dealing with her own problems, and Lin had tried to tell her otherwise.

Although he had spoken quickly to silence Lin's pessimistic views, Kamaji meant every word in saying that Sen could take care of herself. She had, after all, held down a powerful dragon right before his eyes when she was just a child. A poisoned apple in comparison seemed of no consequence.

"See?" asked Kamaji, sensing a breach in the conversation. "Sen will be fine. Unless she is directly assaulted by whoever sent her the apple, we need not to worry."

"You really think so?"

Kamaji nodded. "This anonymous spirit did not show his face, indicating that he is most likely something of a coward. I doubt that he will physically attack. Perhaps he has given up in his pursuit altogether."

"Perhaps," Lin agreed. "But just knowing that I was wrong won't change the fact that she's angry with me."

"Well, you both have things to apologize for." Kamaji sighed, disappointed that Lin wasn't quite done complaining.

"What does Sen have to apologize for? I'm the one who practically babied her."

"Yes, but she intentionally stated that you failed to protect her. Did those words not hurt you?"

Lin flinched. "It doesn't matter whether they hurt me or not. She only spoke the truth."

"It was not your duty to guard her from an apple," Kamaji said. "Sen should have known that."

"But..."

"Even though you may have made her feel inferior and weak, there is nothing wrong with wanting to protect your friend."

"But it's not like I was going to protect her. If Sen hadn't stopped me, I would have gone to Haku to have him keep watch over her. I'm the weak one." Lin weakly leaned her head against the wall.

"I already said-"

"When Sen saved that River Spirit, I hadn't even arrived to her aid until after she had been through the worst of tending him. When No-Face was chasing her through the bathhouse, I did nothing but row her to the train station. And I didn't have any part in the freeing of her parents whatsoever."

"Lin..."

"I guess that I had tried so desperately to protect her from an unknown enemy due to my failures to protect her from what was already known. So why should I have acted like her savior when she has always been so much stronger than me?"

"Lin, you're looking too much into things," Kamaji said, reminding Lin of how Sen had said the exact same words. "You are not responsible for the girl's fate. Focus more on your own for a change."

"I'm going to work for Yubaba for an eternity. That isn't much of a fate."

"That's not what you so impulsively declared a few centuries ago."

"Look, Kamaji. I was young and rash when I decided that there was actually a way that I could make it to that town across the water."

"Indeed, you may have been young and rash, but you had a dream to fulfill." Kamaji nodded knowingly. "Had you had kept a hold of that dream, you would not be blaming yourself over the mishaps that have befallen somebody else. Rather, you would be more concerned about your own affairs."

Lin snorted. "Then maybe it's a good thing to have lost this 'dream' of mine. I'd rather take on the stress of dealing with friends than to become a self-conceited woman with no regard to others."

"I didn't say that keeping a dream would make you self-conceited. It would serve as a sharpened perspective of those whom you hold close to your heart," Kamaji said.

"How?"

"If you were able to relate to any of your friends, you would understand that they too have their own motives behind their own actions of reaching their own goals. But of course, you fundamentally do not have anything you wish to strive for, leaving you unable to understand the workings of others."

"But Sen didn't have a motive in ignoring the danger that deeply surrounded her!"

"You don't know that, Lin."

"Yes, I-"

"Think! Sen did not tell us of why she returned to our world," Kamaji said.

"So?"

"If the motive behind her return is still greatly unknown, then is it so difficult to imagine that she may have a motive as to why she refused outside assistance in dealing with the hostility of an unclaimed spirit?"

"I guess not," Lin mumbled, feeling that her own observations were quite obtuse in comparison with those of the old man's. "But what am I supposed to do?"

"I'm not asking you to reacquire your dream, nor am I asking you to investigate Sen's secrets," Kamaji chided. "Just apologize to Sen, and she will do the same to you. Both of your actions are the reason why you two ultimately ended up fighting. Once you rekindle your friendship, I can guarantee that you will no longer feel as troubled as you do now."

Lin had only begun to think negatively ever since her fight with Sen. Kamaji was right – if the two girls became friends again, Lin knew that she would not feel so depressed.

But just going up to apologize to Sen was easier said than done. It was definitely possible that Sen didn't even want to look at Lin, let alone talk to her.

"Sen wants to mend the relationship as much as you do," Kamaji said, sensing the small trickle of doubt that had already begun to taint what little positivity Lin held in her mind. "If she could forgive Yubaba for turning her parents into pigs, then she can forgive you for trying to keep her safe."

It was amazing how supportive Kamaji could be when he didn't want to be. When it came to desperate times, Lin swore that Kamaji could read her mind as a desperate measure.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "As usual, your advice is uncontested, Kamaji."

"I know it is. Now, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find Sen right away so that we can be friends again."

xxxxx

Chihiro was on the verge of waking up, still sleepy enough to take her time in doing so. Aside from the blowout with Lin from the night before, her mind was relatively at ease. Lying in the massive mattress that served as Haku's bed, she did not regret her decision to stay the night. The relaxation that the bed had to offer significantly replenished the girl's energy, even though she had only slept for a few hours.

She still had a moment or two until she would have to arise for work. Sure it was early, but she still did not want to risk the chances of Haku waking up. Such embarrassment from having the dragon find out about her stay could only be imagined.

The rising sun made its grand entrance into the sky, reaching its long, golden rays through the glass windows in an attempt to grab Chihiro's attention. The sun's efforts did not go in vain, for the blackness behind Chihiro's closed eyelids paled into a dull shade of yellow. A mellow breeze happened to pass by, hauling the ocean's waves into the side of the bathhouse, vying for the girl's attention as well.

The courses of nature were like an alarm clock, signaling that it was time to get up.

Chihiro turned to her side, finally opening her eyes.

Haku was awake.

And he was staring at her.

"Good morning, Chihiro."

"WHAT-" Chihiro lurched back, throwing herself away from the dragon. Realizing that she had launched herself over the edge of the bed, she automatically grasped out at the open air in a futile attempt to regain her balance. She heard a sharp CRACK! as she landed spine-first onto the ground.

A few seconds ago, it had seemed that her friends, Sun and Wind, had innocently reminded her to wake up. Now, she knew what their intended message had been: CODE RED! THE DRAGON IS UP! WHY ARE YOU STILL SLEEPING, STUPID HUMAN?! RUN THE HELL AWAY! HURRY!

"Are you all right? That sounded like it hurt."

Chihiro glanced back up to see Haku peering over the edge of the bed. To her horror, he appeared to be absolutely amused.

Unbeknownst to Chihiro, Haku was just as embarrassed as she was concerning the whole ordeal. Like Chihiro, he had woken up without completely opening his eyes. He had stretched his arms out, expecting them to run endlessly across his ever-empty mattress. Instead, his left hand had brushed up against something soft, something that held a different delicacy than that of the sheets. His eyes had snapped open immediately.

Sleep still held a prominent leverage of his vision, blurring the object that was in his bed. He rubbed at his eyes, anxious to know who or what had slept right next to him.

He braced himself to be met with a potential threat, such as a parasitic spirit in search of an unsuspecting individual whose power it could feed off of. This idea was outrageous, but so was the fact that there was somebody else in his bed.

Eventually, the fuzziness faded, and a woman sharpened into his sight. What he had touched had been the side of her face. Even so, she continued to sleep, undisturbed by the contact with his hand.

Haku moved his hand away from her face slowly, making an effort not to disturb her. Even if she had been the one to intrude on him, he was courteous enough to let her sleep. He'd ask the questions later.

With his hand completely away from her, he leaned over so that he could see her face. Approximately two seconds later, his face had darkened into a deep shade of red. His heart pounded against his chest, and he struggled to breathe normally.

Why was Chihiro in his bed?

Setting courteousness aside, Haku considered waking her up, wanting – needing – to know why she was there, when she had gotten there, how long had she been there, etc. But past the embarrassment and the wondering, Haku was rather ecstatic over the situation. Chihiro clearly trusted him enough to have rendered such a bold move.

Perhaps he would let her sleep after all and enjoy the moment.

But after what had seemed like only a few seconds, Chihiro opened her eyes. And the fact that she had winded up on the floor made it obvious that her endeavor of sleeping in his bed was meant to be kept as a secret. But why?

Chihiro stood up from the ground slowly, her hand pressing against her aching back.

It appeared that her anxieties, which had seemingly gone down the drain just the night before, had only clogged that drain and were now extensively resurfacing. Of course, Chihiro should have known that she couldn't have possibly afforded a moment's rest from all the chaos. The worst scenario possible – such as Haku finding out about her humiliating stunt – was bound to happen. Her previous imagination of such embarrassment had now manifested into the real deal.

"Chihiro, would you care to tell me the details concerning your stay?' Haku asked.

"Uh... um..."

What was she supposed to say? She had not anticipated for her plan to venture down this horrible road.

Telling Haku the truth – that she had slept in his bed in avoidance for sleeping next to Lin – would evoke a domino effect; Haku would know that the girls had fought based on the fact that Chihiro was here with him verses there with Lin. He would go to Lin to ask for the reasons behind the argument. Lin would tell Haku that Chihiro was in danger just because she almost became a Snow Whited goner. Haku would, as usual, overreact over Chihiro's well-being and ultimately send her home.

And going home was not an option.

She took a deep breath in an attempt to recompose herself. Even though she could not tell Haku the truth, it was possible that she could save what little dignity she had still held on to. She considered herself a rather worthy actress; her co-workers still thought she was a girl named "Ai." Perhaps she had enough charisma to convince Haku that he was simply confused.

"My 'stay'?" Chihiro asked, eyes widening with false innocence.

"For lack of a better word."

"What are you talking about? And where am I?"

"I'm talking about how you... slept with me."

"I believe that it was you who slept with me." Chihiro folded her arms across her chest, conveying the action as defiance. "I don't even know what you're doing here."

Haku sensed the girl's phony act immediately. The exaggerated movement of her body and the drama in her voice were much too blatant.

"Don't tell me... is this your room?" Chihiro continued, eyes wandering around the room with fabricated disbelief. "How did I get here?"

"I'm assuming you came by foot."

"Nonsense! I wouldn't do such a thing!" Chihiro declared. "Either you or somebody else must have kidnapped me and dropped me here."

"Chihiro." Haku sighed, interrupting the girl before her false assumptions swerved even further down into ridiculousness. "I can smell the path you took that brought you here. And there is nobody else's scent there except your own."

Well, dammit.

She really should have taken a situation like this into consideration. Haku had sensed the disappearance of his river from worlds away. Of course he would have been able to sense Chihiro's presence right in his very room.

"I really don't mind," Haku continued. "But perhaps you should have informed me...?"

Chihiro, once again bright red in the face, only shrugged in response. She was frantically trying to piece together an excuse, but knew that no words could salvage her now.

"I mean, you didn't have to if you didn't want to," Haku said, misreading the redness in the girl's face as anger. "As I previously said, it's all right with me. You can do it whenever you want, really."

She shrugged again, anger actually beginning to surface. How she hated his condescending tone!

But in all honesty, Chihiro was relieved that Haku was not at all outraged like she had so feared him to be. He had even invited her for another stay rather than requesting that she never do something as such again.

"Perchance, did you stay with me in regard to your parents' situation?"

"Huh?" she asked, his words pulling her from her thoughts.

"You said before that your parents are in danger."

"Yes."

"Well, I couldn't help but think that maybe you slept with me due to the stress of it all...?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Are you not upset by your parents' situation?"

"What? Of course I am."

Haku nodded as if her words confirmed an unspoken assumption of his.

Chihiro was slow to take Haku's understanding tone and sympathetic expression into account. But when she did, she was horrified by the path that the conversation was beginning to travel.

"No Haku, I did not sleep with you because I was scared." She spat the word. "I'm a big girl now, and I can sleep by myself."

"Then why did you sleep with me?"

"Because I felt like it," Chihiro said, huffing boldly. Her much needed excuse to Haku's previous speculation was making a fashionably late entrance. "Those hard, wooden floors that Yubaba makes us sleep on serve as unjustifiable treatment. I needed to sleep on something more suited to my tastes for a change."

Haku raised his hands in amused defense. It didn't sound like he was going to get a definite answer, but when had Chihiro ever directly answered his questions?

"Whatever you say, Chihiro."

Chihiro nodded in satisfaction, unable to interpret the sarcasm in Haku's answer. She was quite proud of her smooth recovery. She would not have to re-convince the dragon to allow her to stay in the Spirit World, nor would she have to rationalize the unexplainable poison incident. The affirmation that life for her would continue in the bathhouse was immensely assuaging.

"I'm glad that this little incident has finally-" She winced.

Haku noticed immediately. "What's wrong?"

"My back still hurts because you pushed me off the bed."

"I didn't push you off-"

"So I am going to rest for a few minutes before I go to work." She ripped open the covers on her side of the bed, and crawled back in.

Haku hesitated, unsure if Chihiro would allow him to rest with her. He was still fairly tired, but she didn't seem too thrilled when she had found him staring at her upon her awakening. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable.

Just then, there was a loud knock on the door, sealing the deal that Haku would have to get up.

Chihiro opened her eyes, just as curious as Haku was about the visitor. Aside from her, who else would need to bother Haku at such extreme times within the day?

Haku jumped out of bed, pacing to answer the door. He was still slightly shaken up by the fact that Chihiro had slept with him, and he opened the door with a little more force than what was intended.

"OW!"

"Ah, Lin. Sorry."

Standing before Haku was Lin, her hand poised over her throbbing nose.

"That hurt, Haku! Did you have to open the door that forcefully?!"

"I said I was sorry."

"'Sorry' doesn't un-break my face!"

Haku sighed. "Was there something you needed, Lin?"

"Oh, right!" Lin said, her anger having already melted and evaporated faster than ice under a summer's sun. "I can't find Sen anywhere, and I was wondering if you've seen her."

"Is she needed for something?"

Lin shook head. "No, but she's been missing since last night."

"Lin, about that..."

"Haku, who's at the door?" Chihiro asked from across the room.

Lin froze at the sound of Chihiro's voice.

"No way... Is that Sen in there?"

What was Haku supposed to say? How would he explain the reason behind Chihiro's stay when he didn't know it himself? Did Chihiro even want to be found by Lin? She apparently hadn't even wanted to have been found by Haku in his own room.

Lin stared at the dragon, her eyes abundant with unconcealed suspicion. "What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything."

Lin crossed her arms across her chest. "Is that so?"

"Haku?" Chihiro called again before Haku could answer Lin.

"That's definitely Sen in there, isn't it?" Lin demanded. "Not only can I hear her, I can smell her, too."

"Lin, perhaps you should come back later..."

"Why is Sen in your room? If you so much as touched her, I will skin the scales off your body."

"I didn't do anything-"

"Step aside, dragon-boy." She shoved past Haku.

"Wait, Lin...!"

The details of what Lin's senses picked up were beginning to piece together, forming a scenario that made sense based on the evidence provided:

Haku's room was filled to the brim with Sen's scent, indicating that the girl had been there for hours.

Haku had refused to answer Lin's yes-or-no question in regard to Sen's whereabouts.

Haku wasn't wearing a shirt.

Sen was in Haku's bed.

"Well dragon-boy, you'd better start running because I am going to kill you."

A/N Finished! Like I said, I've been very busy and I'm sure that my writing isn't on par with other chapters.

Let me explain why Lin is so angry at the end: in the beginning, she did say that she thought of Chihiro as her little sister. And even if you want your sister to find love, you most definitely would not want some boy to have physical contact with her. Does that make sense?

I can't tell you how long it'll be until the next chapter is out, but I'll try to start it as soon as possible. Please review!