Okay, well, sorry for taking so long. But I didn't have enough time with my laptop over the holidays to type. Honestly, you would have had it within a few days if it weren't for the holidays.

And yes, I write in 1st person this time. I think it suited this scene more. I might try a few more characters in 1st... Hmmm...

Oh, also I think I correct Ace's OOC-ness in this Chapter. PM me or review ideas/comments.

Oppa Ace-kun style will come with 15. Promise. I just need to locate Part 2.

Song of the Chapter: "Fix You" by Coldplay, sung by Sawa and Ace. I'd like to think that they're helping eachother, fixing eachother, saving eachother...

Well, on with the story.

Ace's POV

…And then that bitch ran off into the damned woods! Maybe she'll come across that bear. Oh, bear, I remember you. I'll kill that bear some day. Bear needs a name. But I'm not good with names. Maybe I'll call it Wren and it'll be easier to kill. I grinned as I thought of Wren as a bear. A laugh came a few seconds later at the thought of Julius as a bear. Oh, Julius, you'd make a funny bear. Maybe Alice will finally like you if you're fluffy enough.

I sighed as I paced. Dammit, where is she? She should be back my now.

Maybe she's with Wren.

Maybe Wren told her that I kissed her infront of him.

…Maybe… Maybe she hates me now.

Maybe she doesn't want to come back.

Maybe she's sorted something out with the Gamemaster…

I scowled. Yes, I could imagine the Gamemaster liking Sawa. Oh, why don't you two team up against me? You two bitches suit each other. Yes… They'd either be best friends or worst enemies. Sawa sure does have an irritating stubborn streak.

But… Where is she?

I reached out with my mind, trying to bridge the gap of distance between our minds, trying to sense where she was. I couldn't find anything other than her bare presence, indicating that she was at the very least alive and likely still in this country.

'Ah, but why do I care?'I grumbled to myself. 'She doesn't care about me, I shouldn't care about her.'

'Shouldn't indeed,' A smug voice behind me replied.

'Nightmare,' I growled. 'I wasn't asking for a response.'

'Aw, come on, I'm here now, aren't I? Deal with me.'

'I'd rather deal with Black.' I retorted.

'You don't know what he's capable of,' Nightmare warned.

'Oh yes I do, I worked for him – remember? That whole fuss with Alice.'

'Ah yes, Alice. Julius was quite angry when you tried to pass her over to the Jokers.'

'It was a sacrifice I had to make.' I snapped. 'And anyway, he's gotten over it now.'

'What about Paige?' Nightmare asked curiously. 'Will she suffer the same fate as Alice?'

'Fate?' A new voice asked. 'Someone called?'

I turned around, pulling my sword from its sheath. I was surprised to find that the person in front of me was a kid, a little kid, no older than seven or eight. For the first time in ages, I was so shocked that my sword stopped halfway to his chest. That kid…
He looks like Wren.

'I am Wren, dumbass.' The kid responded.

I would have sheathed his sword if the kid hadn't said that. Instead, the tip came closer and lifted up the kid's chin.

'Who are you and what is your business here?' I said coldly.

'Ooh, someone getting upset because I look like your crush's ex?' Wren-kid teased.

'Don't make me kill you.' I had been hesitating because A, the kid had a face; B, I wanted to know how he got here and what his business was and C, because he looked like Wren, and Sawa would murder me if I murdered a cute little Wren-kid. Like Vivaldi and Gray, Sawa had a thing for cute things.

'I am Fate.' Wren-kid replied calmly, meeting my gaze.

I snorted. 'You're Fate? Wren is Fate? And since when was that a Role?'

'There are many Roles that you don't know about, and I am anyone and everyone.' To stress his point he turned into a miniature me, then a miniature Neko-chan, then a miniature Sawa; before eventually going back to Wren.

'Greeeaaat,' I groaned. Another Nightmare.

'I'm not a Nightmare, I'm Fate itself.'

'Oh, so where's Destiny?' I snapped.

'I don't know, probably bugging someone.'

Oh, so there is a Destiny.

'Well, can you go away?' I asked, starting to lose my patience.

He let out a dramatic sigh. 'Oh, maybe, maybe not, this world is so dull; there's anyone who wants to talk to me these days. I say I'm Fate, they tell me to get out of their way. Nobody appreciates me.'

'I'm sure Nightmare does,' I snap and quickly walk out of the room before they can stop me.

Damn, I hate those guys.

I was lost. For the umpteenth time or something. In the woods. I hadn't found Sawa and it had been 6 time changes since I had started looking.

Damn that bitch.

Hater, lover, friend, with benefits.

Crush?

Squire.

More….

I sighed as I walked. Walked as I thinked. Thought. Thinked. Thoughted.

Sawa, Sawaed, Sawaing.

Sawa, Sawaer, Sawaest.

Wren, Wrenier, Wreniest.

Fencing, fighting, floating, flying.

Loving, losing, living, longing…

Why do I hate Wren?

Why do I love Sawa?

Or Neko-chan?

Julius?

Why do I love?

I thought I didn't love.

What am I?

What was I?

Psycho-

Socio-

Path.

Which?

Psychopath, sociopath.

Sociopath, psychopath.

Two simple words…

I think, for the moment, I'll go with sociopath. Yes, that makes sense. Sociopath.

So-

ci-

o-

path.

Happy with my conclusion, I started whistling a happy tune.

Wait, okay, back to the original point.

Wren, Wren, Wren.

Sawa, Sawa, Sawa.

Hate me, hate me not?

She loves him, she hates me.

He… I have no idea how he feels about me.

I should introduce Wren to Black! That'd be fun.

Fun, fun, fun.

Maybe Sawa's mad at me because Wren hates her now.

Ace, you idiot. Of course she does. She's only a woman. And all woman are emotional…

Although Sawa's different.

Ever so slightly.

Maybe I do actually care for her…

Maybe I shouldn't have-

It was then that I spotted the flash of red in the tree above me.

Hey, Sawa! I was thinking about you!

I climbed the tree. It only took me a few seconds to haul myself up to her height.

'Hey, Sawa! I haven't seen you for- For…' I trailed off.

Sawa had hugged me. Hugged me.

'Ah-uh… Sawa…?'

Sawa sobbed into my shirt. Sobbed. Sawa.

Oh. Oops.

'H-hey… Shhh… It's, um, okay? It'll be okay?' I tried. I'm not good with emotional stuff.

Sawa let her memories tumble into my mind.

Wren

Wren yelling

Wren shouting

Wren talking

Saying

Saying those words

Saying that

That he didn't want me anymore

That he didn't love me

That he was a fool to care

That I didn't care

Wren

His face

Was so sad

So angry

But sad

So sad…

I wrapped my arms around her, gently, oh so gently, not wanting to upset her further. Sawa sobbed, she cried so hard, her tears so real, every one of them paining me, searing me, scalding me. Maybe I shouldn't have broken them up.

Is she gonna yell at me? Hate me? I-I don't think want her to-

And that was when her lips touched mine.

She kissed me, softly, gently, sadly. I was surprised, and so it was a few seconds before I carefully pushed her away.

'Who are you and what have you done to my squire Sawa?' I asked with a sad smile.

'Drowned her in alcohol and tears,' She whispered back.

I kissed her gently. 'Give me the bottle.'

'No,' she whispered defensively. 'It helps me forget.'

'You're stronger than the alcohol.' I located the bottle and took it from her. 'We're going back to Heart Castle. Have some marshmallows.'

'Okay,' Sawa whispered and let me pick her up.

I climbed down the tree and let Sawa point me in the direction of Heart Castle.

That time change, I went to sleep with the feeling that my relationship with Sawa had stopped crashing, and had started to fly.