Here's Chapter 14! It's not very long, but has a bit of fluff! :) Please read on and review after you finish! Thanks!
-Jenna

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or any or its characters.

Stormy1696- Yeah I wanted to have a city trip somehow, and this was the perfect opprotunity. It was a fun little trip that Ann and Claire shared. Sorry the pictures of the dresses weren't up right away! XD I lost the links to all the dresses, and had to hunt them all down again! They're up now though, they've been up for a while.

Summer- Here's an update just for you Summie! :) Hope this ocupies you for a while! haha, yeah I remember that day at the hotel, that was fun!

DiaDiamond95- Yeah, I love that little trio too! :) Here's an update!

daydreaming.of.flowers- Yeah, it was funny how she didn't know what anything was, and was amazed by the littlest things! XD

(Winter 20) Mary's POV

"Open it Mary!" Ann urged. I grinned and ripped open the red box.

"Oh thanks Ann!" I thanked. I hugged her and took out my five new books and reading light. The light could clip to the pages so I wouldn't have to hold up a flashlight anymore.

"No problem." she laughed. I grabbed my next present, the one from Gray. I torn open the box and gasped. Inside the small box was a necklace with a purple gem.

"Oh Gray it's beautiful!" I gushed. Gray blushed and looked down at his feet.

"He didn't even make it!" Claire called out.

Gray hit her and she yelped. I smiled and rolled my eyes. I put on the necklace and grabbed Claire's gift, or should I say gifts. The first box contained five thick books, like Ann had given me. The next box had a writing kit, just what I wanted, and a cute outfit. It was a blue tank, and some jean shorts. I assumed they were for summer. When I opened the last box, I almost dropped it.

"Oh my Goddess Claire!" I exclaimed, "It's gorgeous!" I took out the blue dress and held it up to me. "This must have cost a fortune!"

"Anything for my darling Mary." she teased. I laughed and carefully put the dress back in it's box.

"How can I repay you?" I questioned.

"You can repay me by not repaying me." she told me.

"But-" I protested.

"Please." she begged.

"Oh alright." I sighed. I smiled once more at the dazzling dress.

"It's for the Starry Night Festival." Claire told me.

"Well I'll definitely wear it!" I assured her.

"Your so lucky Mary!" whined Popuri. Karen and Elli nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, Ann and I got you all dresses too!" Claire announced. They all screamed and hurried off upstairs towards the door that connected to my room. Claire stopped on the stairs and turned back. "Coming Mary?" I glanced at Gray and shook my head.

"I'll stay here with Gray, you go ahead." I told her.

"No I'll stay here, it's your birthday, you go." Claire offered.

"Yes but you bought the dresses."

"Ann helped pick them out, she knows who's is who's. Besides, I should rest my leg anyways, the trip yesterday tried me out." I pondered the thought for a minute then agreed.

"Okay. Thanks Claire." I said with a smile.

"Sure." she grinned.

I walked up the stairs as Claire went and sat in an armchair. When I reached the top I glanced back at the two. If I left would they end up injured again? Someone called my name and I sighed. I silently prayed to the Harvest Goddess as I walked towards my room.

Gray's POV

The girls squealed and ran up the stairs towards Mary's room. Claire was taking longer with her leg. She suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Coming Mary?" she questioned. Mary shook her head.

"I'll stay here with Gray, you go ahead." Mary replied. I jumped up and down in celebration in my mind

"No I'll stay here, it's your birthday, you go." Claire offered. I frowned and looked at Mary hopefully.

"Yes but you bought the dresses." I grinned, smart thinking Mary.

"Ann helped pick them out, she know who's is who's. Besides, I should rest my leg anyways, the trip yesterday tired me out." Mary thought for a few seconds. Please say no, please say no!

"Okay. Thanks Claire." she said with a smile.

I watched Mary leave, and glared as Claire came over and stretched out on an armchair. I waited until Mary's door closed until I spoke.

"Bitch." I growled. She looked up and smirked.

"What?" she questioned.

"You know what." I grunted.

"How would I know what? You just called me a bitch out of no where." she said politely.

"You did that on purpose!"

"You can't prove that." She grinned.

"Yeah, but I know you did."

"Who me?" she asked innocently. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Oh, are you mad that I got Mary a better present that you?"

"You did not!"

"Did so."

"Mine was special, not something bought."

"How is it special?"

"I made mine."

"You didn't make it, Saibara did."

"How do you know?"

"I walked in to have a tool upgraded while he was working on it."

"Likely story, the only problem is that you wouldn't need to have a tool upgraded because you aren't doing any work currently."

"Cliff asked me to get my brush upgraded if it was no problem actually." I felt my stomach tighten at sound of Cliff's name.

"Oh sure, if Cliff asked you to do it, then of course you did!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Just because you love him-"

"I don't love him!" she shouted. I was taken aback at first, but regained my composure.

"Oh yeah? Then how come you're always acting all flirty and nice when you're around him?"

"Maybe because he's a good friend, ever thought of that?"

"Wow, I've never noticed you acting that way with Ann and Mary, I'll have to pay more attention." I mocked.

"Why do you even care?"

That was a good question, why did I care? Because you like her my inner voice told me. No I don't, that definitely wasn't it. Then again, I was always thinking about her. But that was because we got into so many weird situations, it wasn't on purpose! Maybe the situations are happening on purpose my inner voice said again. I shook my head and stood up. I pretended to go browse for a book while she waited for my answer.

"Because Cliff is annoying me with his 'Claire loves me' talks."

"Y-You're lying!" She jumped up and hobbled over to 'find a book' too.

"No I'm not." I was only half lying. Cliff mentioned once how he thinks Claire likes him, and he hinted that he might like her back.

"Stop it." Claire growled. She hopped over and I backed away from her. "Why do you always have to ruin my day? It's Mary's birthday, why can't you be nice for once!?" She poked me in the chest so I was now up against the bookshelf.

"I-"

"No, just don't talk. You always ruin things!" She poked me again, and I bumped into the shelf. I looked up as a thick book that wasn't put back right, began to fall.

BAM

I wobbled a bit from the impact. My vision blurred and I almost fell over. I clutched my head with my hand, and felt a large bump forming on my forehead.

"Are you okay?" Claire's concerned voice asked.

I felt her take my hand and lead me over somewhere. She laid me down and walked away. She came back moments later and put a wet rag on my head. I turned my head and saw the outline of her figure sitting on the floor next me. She reached over and adjusted the rag on my head. I grabbed her wrist and I felt her tense up.

"T-Thank you." I mumbled.

"No problem." she whispered softly. She relaxed and slipped her hand out. Finally I could see again, and looked over at her.

"Mary reads big books." I joked weakly. She smiled and took the rag off my head. She leaned over me and came inches away from my face. I blushed as she examined my bump.

"Pretty decently sized." she finally said. She dipped the rag in a bowl of water next to her, then put it on my head again.

"It goes good with my arm."

"Oh Gray I'm sorry-"

"It's okay, I was just kidding." She smiled slightly and looked down. "I'm serious."

"I injure you a lot now don't I?" she giggled.

"I should start carrying a shield around." I teased.

"I think you should," she laughed, "either that or wear a suit of armor." I grinned and closed my eyes. I felt my cheeks being squeezed and looked up.

"Wha-"

"You have to stay awake for a half an hour so I know you don't have a concussion."

"Since when are you a doctor?"

"With a mother that beat you, you had to know how to fix yourself up."

"Why didn't you run away?" She was taken aback by that question, then smiled grimly.

"Jack said he wanted me to finish school, and the only way to do that was if I stayed with her. I left after high school and never came back."

"You really loved Jack, didn't you?"

"Yes," he murmured, "he was my brother, best friend, and parent all in one. Then he was taken from me." Her eyes started to tear and she looked away. I reached over and wiped the tears out of her eyes with my finger.

"Don't cry." She looked up at me and smiled weakly.

"You know you can actually be really nice when you want to be. What I don't get though, is why you aren't always like this. The girls we be all over you if you'd just open up."

"How will being more sociable make them like me? Don't you also have to look good?" She flushed red and looked away.

"Well you do, kind of, sort of, look-"

"Claire where are you!? You have to see this!" Ann called down. Claire looked over at me, and I nodded.

"I'll be right back, don't fall asleep." she instructed. I nodded and watched as she made her way up the stairs.

Was she about to saw I looked good? Did she think I looked good? These thoughts rattled throughout my brain, making my head hurt. I shook my head and looked up at the ceiling. After about five minutes or so, Claire came back down.

"How are you feeling?" she asked calmly.

"Like a book fell on my head." I grumbled. She chuckled and wet my rag again.

"Well the bump has definitely gone down, but you'll still have it for a couple days."

"Great."

"It's not that bad."

"Oh really? I bet." She smiled and sat down.

"You don't have to do this you know."

"I did it to you, I owe you this much."

"No, it's fine. Go be with your friends."

"But I want to." I looked into her bright blue eyes and found she wasn't lying. She smiled and I felt my face glow red. I reached up for my hat, but found it wasn't there.

"Where'd my hat go?" She stood up and looked around. She walked away and returned moments later with my beloved hat.

"It must have fallen off when you were hit in the head." she laughed. She handed it to me, and I set it aside. We sat in an awkward silence, and I decided to start a conversation.

"So didn't you get a dress?" I tried. Claire jumped and looked over at me.

"Oh, yeah I did. It's blue."

"It'll go perfect with your eyes." Claire turned red and looked away.

"Jack would've said something like that." she murmured.

"He liked your blue eyes now didn't he?"

"Yeah, yeah he did."

"I figured since he named a stuffed dog after them and all..."

"Yeah, he liked them so much because his and my momma's eyes were amber. He thinks that my father's eyes must have been that color."

"I bet they were." She looked up and we locked eyes.

"You remind me a lot of Jack." I opened my mouth, but then Karen hurried down the stairs.

"Claire you have to come up here!" she begged.

"But Gray-" she protested.

"Gray will be fine by himself, right Gray?" I looked up at Claire and nodded.

"I'll be fine." I assured her.

"Okay," she mumbled. She looked down at her watch then continued. "You can take a nap too if you want, it's been thirty minutes."

I nodded and watched them leave. As I began to drift to sleep I thought about things Claire had said. I reminded her of Jack? Did he look like me in someway? And she had almost said I was good looking? I thought she had at least. Maybe going with her to the Starry Night Festival wouldn't be as bad as I had originally thought.

Gray's finally discovering his feelings for Claire! :) It had a little fluff, like I said above. The next chapter is going to be VERY long, and have TONS of fluff! Cross my heart. :) Please review to get me typing faster!
-Jenna