Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. Let's get right to it! I wanna thank my reviewers animechick247, Frooky90, Kanika Meskhenet, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu and Clumsy Clouds. Yes, it is over between Jasmine and Roxas...for now hehe.

And I added in another character you all should know from the KH universe. Reviews are always welcome because I wanna know what you guys think.

As for Crimson Hands of Time, I'm sorry to say that you guys still haven't guessed who the "monsters" or beings are. I'll add another chapter within the next few days and maybe that'll give a bigger clue. I kind of take responsibility because I put my own spin on the "monsters". Look out for that soon.

Happy Halloween!

-Skye

Jasmine walked through the halls of the record company where Angela worked feeling a little less than confident. She didn't believe in the woman until she saw her name written in gold on a glass office door overlooking the entire city. Everything was seemed legitimate. As far as she could see, if this operation was a scam, it was a pretty good one.

Checking over herself once more in the mirror, Jasmine felt that she looked decent. Clad in a gray trenchcoat over a simple, long-sleeved, metallic gunmetal gray dress with black, thigh high, flat suede boots with her hair pinned in a high, messy bun, she felt that if she wasn't ready at this point she probably would never be.

She knocked lightly on the glass and peeked inside. There were three people in the room: one she assumed was Angela who looked up from her desk and sped over to the door, and the other two she was unfamiliar with.

Angela swung open the door and grinned. "Wow, don't you look fashionable?"

Jasmine blushed. "Thank you."

"Well don't just stand there," Angela pulled Jasmine inside by her sleeve. It amazed the hazel-eyed youth how fast Angela could move in her sky-high heels.

Jasmine stared at the office in wonder. She knew from the business card that Angela was high up in the company, but judging from her office, all the awards on the wall and photographs with celebrities that she was definitely at the top. Before Jasmine could get a good look at Angela's desk she felt herself being yanked to a long table near the window.

"Jasmine, this is my good friend Victoria," Angela introduced her to a tall woman with shoulder length red hair and fox-like brown eyes. She, like Angela, was dressed from head to toe in designer clothes and had a cheery disposition although she was nowhere near as bubbly as the dirty blond.

Victoria took Jasmine's hand and shook it. "Angela was right, you are pretty."

Jasmine's blush deepened. "Oh wow. Thank you."

"I like your look," Victoria gave Jasmine a quick once over. She turned to her associate next to her and smiled. "Well, what do you think? You're the star here."

When Jasmine's eyes followed Victoria's, they nearly shot out of her head.

The man sitting next to Victoria had grass green eyes, blond hair styled into a Mohawk and a familiar smile that could melt any female fan's heart. He straightened up in his seat and grinned. "I like her!" He proclaimed.

"Demyx?" Jasmine whispered hoarsely, shocked to find herself in the same room as him. Demyx was a chart-topping singer, lyricist who (in his nineteen years of life) had already secured twelve music awards for his catchy pop, rock, dance songs and video direction. He sold out concert stadiums all around the world within an hour after the box office opened and was one of the most hard-working entertainers in the industry.

Angela tugged on Jasmine's sleeve. "I guess I should have warned you who my client was," she laughed, pulling Jasmine into a seat across from Demyx.

"I'm not one for surprises but this is okay," Jasmine managed.

"I called you down here Jasmine because Demyx is shooting a music video for his latest single "Ghost"," Angela began. "We've been searching for months to find the perfect girl for this video. It's a dark love song about losing the one you love the most and chasing after them, even though they're gone."

Jasmine's smile shrunk. "That's depressing, but it happens."

Victoria took out pen and clanked it against the clipboard in front of her. "As you are probably aware, Angela is an entertainer who released countless hits in her days who then decided to start this record company, Blue Fire Records."

And then it hit Jasmine. She stared at Angela's face for a long while and tried her hardest to keep her jaw from dropping. Now she realized it. Angela was a singer from before she was born who produced some of the most amazing love songs and ballads she'd ever heard.

"I figured that my time would best be spent helping other young artists," she patted Demyx's shoulder, "get a head start in the music industry."

Jasmine felt embarrassed. She wondered how she could not have seen it earlier. Angela looked familiar but Jasmine figured that she'd look much older.

"Plus Angela is good at taking care of our younger stars," Victoria added on, clicking the pen. "Since Demyx is nineteen, we make sure that the media doesn't get their hands on him as we do our other clients. The media can ruin lives and it's our job as managers to keep his life as easy as possible," she chuckled, "as easy as it could be with being a worldwide star."

"The main point of all this Jasmine," Angela announced, taking out a packet, "we've been searching for the right girl for this part for months."

Victoria rolled her eyes at Demyx. "It would've been easier if Demyx would have just picked someone."

Demyx crossed his arms over his chest, turning away from Victoria. "None of them fit the part. It wouldn't have done the song or video justice!"

"Anyway," Angela chuckled at Demyx's fit and Victoria's obvious annoyance. "When I saw you walk into the shop that day, there was something about you that I loved and that I thought Demyx would love too."

"So," Jasmine began skeptically, shifting in her seat, "you thought that I should be the girl in the video?"

Victoria and Angela grinned. "Exactly," they said simultaneously. Then Victoria said, "I do like her style and her whole demeanor. Now, if she could sing and dance, you'd definitely have something Angela."

"Demyx," Angela said, "What do you think? Does she look the part for your video?"

Demyx jumped out of his seat and pulled Jasmine to her feet. The blond-haired musician gave Jasmine a twirl and pulled her to his chest, making her face turn red. "I'd say so," he replied cheerfully, smiling down at her. "It's gotta look real. You don't have a boyfriend do you?"

"Currently no," she gasped. His grip was like that of a snake.

"Yay!" he cheered, loosening his hold on her by only a fraction. "This is perfect! I didn't want to make your special someone jealous."

Jasmine sighed into his chest and hid her face. 'I don't have one of those anymore.'

"Alright fine," Victoria handed Jasmine a packet. "Demyx says he wants you, and Angela recommended you. You've got the part. But since you're sixteen, we'll need consent forms from a parent or legal guardian."

'Thank god Tifa can sign for me.' Jasmine could practically hear her mother now. She'd probably whine about how I should be inside studying or something. As for my father….' Jasmine shuddered at the thought.

"My dear," Victoria said, "consider yourself lucky. You're going to be featured in one of the most anticipated videos for the year. We start rehearsals next week and then we shoot the following week."

"I can hardly wait," Demyx cheered, getting a tighter grip on Jasmine than the junior had expected.

"I-I can hardly b-breathe…" Jasmine choked.

Jasmine threw an oversized, gray, Mickey Mouse sweatshirt over her head and stuffed the money Tifa gave her in her pocket. She slipped on a pair of flat suede boots, pocketed the list of groceries she needed and headed out the door.

'I can't believe this.' She ran down the street and repeatedly hit the button for the crosswalk. 'What was I thinking when I handed in that contract to be in Demyx's video? I must have been out of my mind after breaking up with Roxas.'

Once the light changed to green, Jasmine pulled her tote bag close to her and dashed across the street. Out on the island, sports cars tended to overlook pedestrians and Jasmine was determined to not end up on the evening news.

'I don't even know why Angela picked me.' She darted past a couple girls from school and turned the corner sharply. 'There are actresses, singers, models out there who would probably do a better job than me. Talking about taking a big risk on a nobody…'

When Jasmine had finished rounding the corner, she collided with another human being and fell flat on her bottom. Stifling the curse she had lodged in her throat, she instead rubbed her throbbing head.

"Since when did people have to feel like brick walls?" Jasmine grumbled under her breath, grabbing her tote.

The person she had run into grabbed her by her elbow and hoisted her to her feet easily. "Nice to see you too, Faye," Riku chuckled, still holding onto her arm.

Her hazel eyes widened. "What the heck are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Venice?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "We came back early. My mom wanted to have a Christmas at home."

"Seems logical," she noted. Jasmine caught herself staring at Riku. As usual, he was dressed to kill in a pair of designer jeans, dark blue collared shirt, a dark gray trenchcoat and a matching beanie hanging slightly off his head. For a moment, her mind wandered around the fact that he looked really nice but she shook the thought away instantly. Jasmine then stared at her arm. "Do you mind letting me go?"

Riku released her arm and she dropped back to the ground. The heat from his touch still lingered, burning her almost in a way.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked quizzically.

"I'm going grocery shopping," she told him, walking on and leaving him behind her.

Riku appeared beside her and tucked his hands in his pockets. "Why don't you get a ride?"

"Because I like walking," she mumbled. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Riku grinned mischievously. "This is my winter vacation. I can do whatever I want."

Jasmine stopped talking and looked both ways before crossing the street. She thought she left Riku a while back until she felt his hand on her shoulder, ushering her across the busy street. Once they were safely on the sidewalk and in front of the grocery store, she whipped around to face him.

"Care to share why you're following me?" she asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I'm bored," he deadpanned.

Jasmine's shoulder sagged. "I swear you're like some random dog following me around like you expect me to lead you somewhere."

Riku looked up to the sky. "Am I a cute dog?"

"Yes—I mean," Jasmine slapped herself in the face while Riku laughed. "Do you expect me to entertain you or something? Am I like a clown or something?"

"Well you are entertaining," Riku agreed. "I wouldn't go so far as to say clown-like; they freak me out big time. You on the other hand just make me laugh."

Jasmine pressed her palm to her forehead. 'I'm going to end up killing him.' She ignored Riku and walked into the store. Jasmine grabbed a hand basket but had it snatched out of her hand a second later.

"Riku!" Jasmine half-yelled, "Don't make me end up putting you six feet under!"

Riku challenged, "I don't really think you'll do it."

"Oh? Really?" Jasmine eyed him dangerously and went on about her business, heading to the back where the meats were. "Don't test me."

Riku looked curiously over her shoulder while she sorted through the meats. "What are you doing?"

"Grocery shopping obviously," she growled, taking out a container of ground beef from the bottom of the pile.

A few seconds later, Riku asked, "Why didn't you take the one from on top?"

"Because here, they put the older meat on top to get rid of it," she replied. "The newer stuff is usually on the bottom." Jasmine looked at the hand basket. "Make yourself useful," she set the meat down in the basket and headed off towards the dairy section.

When they got there, Riku held open the refrigerator door for Jasmine. "Does the same thing go for milk too?"

Jasmine grabbed a gallon of milk put it next to the meat. "Yeah." She started to walk towards the grains isle and stopped. "Why is this so foreign to you?"

Riku looked away. For a second, Jasmine could've thought that she saw a very faint tint of pink on his fair cheeks. "I have never been grocery shopping before," he admitted.

"Well," Jasmine inwardly smiled at the situation and found it slightly adorable at how out of his element Riku was. Usually he was so confident and arrogant. Now he was like a little kid seeing an aquarium for the first time. "There's a first time for everything. No big deal."

She led him towards the pasta section and dumped a bag of rice and a packet of noodles into the basket.

"You don't find it strange that I've never in my whole life been grocery shopping before?" he asked cautiously.

Jasmine adjusted her glassing hanging on the tip of her nose. "Well, it is a bit weird. But then again, I don't judge. Someone always did the shopping for you, huh?"

Riku nodded.

"Not surprising, but as I said it's not a big deal. You're learning now." She spotted chocolates in the isle far off at the other end of the store and took off, pulling Riku by his sleeve. "C'mon! I'm in need of chocolate!"

Riku found Jasmine's strength a bit frightening. "Don't rip my arm off!"

Once Jasmine and Riku were out the store, she popped a stick of pocky in her mouth like it was a cigarette and smiled. Riku followed behind, carrying a good portion of her groceries. "Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home? It'll be a lot faster."

"Nope," Jasmine took off a good chunk of the chocolate covered biscuit stick and grinned. "I don't live far. Besides, I enjoy walking."

Riku shrugged his shoulders and quickened his pace so that he was at her side. "What the heck are you eating?"

"Pocky," she answered with a smile. "It's really good."

A soft smile Jasmine had never seen before on him surfaced and his curiosity peaked. "You're eating it like it's some kind of drug."

"That's because it is my drug," She stopped and held out a piece for him to try. "Come on, eat it. Or is my "commoner" food not up to your standards," Jasmine teased.

"Not sure," Riku took it from her hand and continued to walk, stopping once he bit into it. "Oh wow…"

Jasmine brushed past him and tossed the remainder of the chocolate treats into her tote bag. "See? I told ya so. And you say I'm the weird one."

The pair continued to walk down the streets, Jasmine always a few steps ahead of Riku. After a couple of minutes, a group of boys they'd never seen before turned onto the same sidewalk that Jasmine and Riku were on. A couple of the boys stared at Jasmine with curious looks in their eyes, looking her up and down.

Jasmine was startled when she felt Riku's arm wrap protectively around her shoulders and he seemed to usher her along. She wasn't entirely sure, but she could have sworn that she saw him give the boys an icy stare.

Once they were far away and on Jasmine's block she broke away from him. "What was that about?"

"Am I not allowed to touch you? Do I make your skin crawl?"

"You know what I mean," she growled, fishing for her keys as she walked up the driveway. "What was up with you back there?"

Riku held the door open for Jasmine as she carried in the groceries. "You mean you didn't see that?"

"See what?"

"Those guys staring at you…c'mon Jasmine," Riku sighed.

It was quite easy to see that she had not paid those boys any mind. "If they were, I didn't notice it."

"Jasmine!"

Before Jasmine could look, she had been tackled to the floor by Yuffie who nearly squeezed the young girl to death. "We were all waiting for you! Where have you been?"

Jasmine pried Yuffie's hands from around her neck in order to catch her breath. "It's nice to see you too, Yuffie."

"Seriously!" Yuffie waved her arms wildly. "Zack and Aerith are here waiting!"

"Sorry about that," she apologized, collecting the groceries that had spilled from her shopping bags. "Tifa had me go out and buy a few things for the house."

Once Yuffie was up and pulled Jasmine to her feet, her eyes immediately fell on Riku. With a crooked smile she asked, "Jasmine, who is this?"

Yuffie's smile was too threatening, setting Jasmine on edge. "Uh, Yuffie…"

"Yo!" Zack came in and wrapped an arm around Jasmine's tense shoulders. "What's up? Haven't seen you since the restaurant incident…"

When Riku shifted on his feet, the bags in his hand rustled. Zack looked from Jasmine to Riku multiple times and an eyebrow rose in suspicion. "Uh, Jasmine, who is this?" His arm dropped from Jasmine's shoulders and he stood between the pair of teenagers.

"That's just what I was trying to figure out." Yuffie stood between Riku and Zack and tried her best to glare up at the unknown, silver-haired boy. "Well, who are you?"

Jasmine slapped her hand over her eyes. 'I knew they'd do this.' "You guys, this is Riku."

"Nice to meet you," Riku said with a charming grin attached.

Yuffie paced around Riku. "Is this the boyfriend you keep hiding from us?"

Instantly Jasmine's face turned white. "Of course—"

Riku made his way over to Jasmine and covered her mouth. "Yes I am. It's a pleasure to finally meet her family."

At Riku's comment, Jasmine immediately bit down on Riku's gloved hand. Surprisingly, he didn't cry out in pain or react as he removed it. "Don't listen to this idiot!"

"Jasmine," Riku snickered, "are you embarrassed of me?"

Jasmine growled. "Get out of my house!"

In the blink of an eye, Zack had stolen Riku away and the pair were standing in the living room. Yuffie wrapped an arm around and dragged her into the hall. "Okay Jasmine, now spill," the tiny woman demanded. "Why haven't you brought him around us yet? You know good and well that Zack and I have been dying to meet your boyfriend."

"Yuffie," Jasmine moaned. 'She's jumping to conclusions again.'

"I mean, c'mon! The way you were hiding him it was like he was some kind of grungy, crazy thug," Yuffie continued on, waving her arms wildly.

"Yuffie…"

"I mean look at him! He's tall, good looking," Yuffie wrapped an arm around Jasmine, who was fuming, "As for looks, I totally approve. Zack's in there now trying to see if he's worth your time and has good intentions." She then whispered, "But then again, how many boys at this age have good intentions?"

Jasmine stomped her foot and sped into the living room where Zack seemed to be analyzing Riku. "Time to go, now."

"Jasmine, I'm not done with—" Zack started, his eyes never leaving Riku as Jasmine dragged the latter away and up the stairs.

"He. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend!" She barked as she pulled Riku towards her bedroom and threw him inside. Once the door was locked, Riku broke out into a fit of laughter that had him doubling over. Jasmine threw her keys on the dresser. "You think this is funny, don't you?"

Riku started to tear up and had to catch his breath before speaking. "It's hilarious, actually."

Jasmine shoved Riku with about half her strength but was thoroughly shocked when he didn't budge. 'He's worse than a brick wall...'

"I really doubt you could push me like I could do you," Riku had finally regained his breath and now stood over Jasmine.

"I bet Zack could move you," she challenged, not caring how tall or how strong he was compared to her.

"He said something along those lines," Riku recalled, not even bothering to hide his smirk of satisfaction for causing Jasmine so much trouble. "He said something about SOLDIER and how he knew about a hundred ways to kill me and all that good stuff."

Now it was Jasmine's turn to one-up Riku. "Zack is in SOLDIER. Not only is he a first-class member but he was also extensively trained with melee combat. So yes, all I'd have to do is scream and I could have you wiped off the face of the earth. No questions asked, quick and clean or long and painful."

Riku's smirk faded, replaced by his usual stoic expression. "I'm not shocked. The dude looks like he could snap a person in half."

"Exactly," Jasmine kicked off her shoes and collapsed in her chair while Riku took off his shoes as well.

"So, did you do it yet?" Riku asked while taking a seat on the edge of Jasmine's bed.

Knowing exactly what Riku was talking about, she agreed solemnly. "Surprisingly it was a lot cleaner than I thought. Roxas didn't freak out."

"That's because he saw it coming," he shrugged off his jacket and leaned against the headboard. "I'd be shocked if he didn't."

"I still feel bad though," she removed her glasses. "Part of why I blew up at him was all because of Larxene."

Riku laid flat on his back and turned on his side. "What did she do to you?"

Jasmine tensed up. She'd never told anyone the whole story as to why she flipped out so badly. "Larxene, Alex—"

"My ex?"

"Yup. And Ienzo came to the restaurant and I had to serve them." Jasmine shuddered. "It was pretty bad."

Riku's eyes narrowed. "What did Ienzo do to you?"

"It wasn't him, it was Larxene and Alex," Jasmine replied, noticing how heavy the room became when Riku asked about Ienzo. "Basically, they came at me with the whole issue of why I was with Roxas." She spun around in her chair to face him. "A lot of people think that the only reason I was with him was because I was screwing him and he was paying me. So yeah, now I've got the rep that I'm a prostitute."

"Excuse me?" Riku's eyes hardened. "Where would they get that idea?"

Suddenly, Jasmine felt self-conscious. There were many times in the relationship where she would wonder why Roxas had been with her in the first place. He'd taken her out to meet his family and other friends. While she and his family got along, his friends with their high society dates would often turn up their noses at her and ignore her. Roxas could have any single one of those girls with the grace, class, looks and money that she'd probably never have in her lifetime. At one point in time she could see why a lot of people came to the conclusion that she was sleeping with Roxas. She just tried to not think about it.

"C'mon Faye, I see the look on your face," Riku said quietly. He reached forward and pulled her chair over to him. "Listen to me: Larxene and Alex are jealous of you."

"How do you figure that?"

"Alex didn't like the fact that I hung out with Kairi or any other girl as often as I did, and Larxene will hate you because you're everything she isn't. That's why."

"I don't know what exactly what you mean but I'll take that as a complement for now," Jasmine smiled slightly but the frustration was still clear in her face.

Riku tapped her knee lightly. "You should. But otherwise, you're fine with the whole thing?"

"Yeah pretty much. I told him we should just be friends and that maybe in the future something could possibly happen but for now, it's not gonna happen."

"Well all I can say is do whatever makes you comfortable and don't worry about anything else, okay?" He advised her softly. "As long as you're happy, nothing else should matter."

Jasmine felt her heart flutter when her eyes met Riku's. They were so clear and flawless like the ocean waters surrounding the Destiny Islands. Inside the school grounds, his eyes were always a little harder, always a little sharper except for when he was dealing with Sora and Kairi. But in moments like this, when they were pure, Jasmine couldn't help but feel at peace with everything. It was as if all her worries, fears and pain just faded away.

"By the way, what do you enjoy doing that makes you happy?" Riku asked honestly.

Jasmine stood up and cleared off her desk while she spoke. "That's a random question."

"Not really," he argued, looking over his shoulder to watch her while she worked. "We were talking about happiness."

"That's true…" she thought out loud as she threw her pens in her cup holder on the desk.

"So, what it is? You always make this big deal about what the rest of us do, but you never tell us about what you enjoy."

Jasmine shook her head childishly. "I can do pretty much anything and try to have fun." And then very quietly she admitted, "But I do like to sing."

"You sing?" Riku once again laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"I enjoy it if that's what you mean," Jasmine pushed the drawer closed.

"I've never heard you sing before."

Jasmine noticed that Riku was wearing the scarf she let him borrow and rolled her eyes. "That's because I don't broadcast it."

Riku could feel his eyelids become heavier and heavier but didn't try to fight it. "I want you to sing for me."

Jasmine laughed. "Not a chance."

"Oh why not?" he whined.

"Because I said so," she told him. "And you still have my scarf."

Riku looked down at the scarf and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I do."

Jasmine put her hands on her hips. "So then that means you're gonna keep it?"

With a heavy sigh, Riku reached into his jacket and tossed Jasmine a long, rectangular white box with a bright, purple ribbon on it. "I saw this when I was on vacation. It looked like something you would like."

A dark eyebrow shot up in suspicion. "Is there like, a bomb in here?"

"No stupid," he chuckled, earning a sharp glare from Jasmine. "I'm in the room too. If anything I would just stick it in your mailbox and then run away."

"I hate you so much."

Riku rolled on his side, his back facing Jasmine. "Just open the box."

Jasmine slid off the intricately tied purple bow slowly. Part of it was because she wanted to keep the bow because it was so pretty and the other reason was because she was afraid of what was inside it. Her hand shook as she lifted up the lid but before she could see what was inside slapped the lid back down and handed the box back to Riku.

"No, I can't accept it," she said firmly, holding it out for him.

Riku grunted. "I don't think you understand how angry I'll be if you don't take that. It'll be an insult if you try to hand it back, especially before you open it."

"But…" Jasmine argued weakly.

"Open it," Riku said with a slight sternness.

Deciding right then and there that it was just better to open the box than invoke Riku's wrath, Jasmine did just that. She almost dropped the box to the floor when she saw what was inside and gasped.

Inside of the box was a pair of gorgeous, large, white gold hoops with purple and white diamonds all along them. Then the other object in the box was a necklace, also in white gold, with a large, beautiful, intricately crafted key and a large, purple diamond sitting dead center of everything. Jasmine lifted the necklace out of the box, not even bothering to try and close her mouth.

"R-Riku…w-what?"

"I wanted to thank you for helping me with Sora and Kairi," he replied nonchalantly. "Don't worry. I don't want anything in return. Just a thanks is perfect."

Jasmine admired the necklace and held it up to the light. "I can't believe you did this," she whispered. "I don't deserve this at all."

"It's not an option," Riku said finally, yawning loudly. 'Her bed is so comfortable,' he thought while curling into it. He buried his face into the pillow and breathed in a soft, rose scent. 'It smells just like her.'

With a heavy breath, Jasmine set the necklace back down. She felt extremely uncomfortable taking such an expensive gift from him, or anyone for that matter. "Fine, Riku. I don't feel like arguing right now. It's been a long—"

When she turned around, she saw that Riku had dozed off on her bed, sleeping soundly.

"This jerk—", she started. But Jasmine stopped herself once she got a good look at his face. In his peaceful state, she could not deny how angelic Riku appeared when he was asleep.

She set the gifts back down in the box and stood over him. 'He's always been attractive, but now he just looks so…' Jasmine couldn't find the words to finish off her thoughts. The way his chest rose and fell with every breath he took, the calmness in his face, the way his hair fell over his eyes took her breath away.

Before Jasmine knew it, she used the back of her hand to brush his silky soft silver hair out of his face. Once her skin touched his, Jasmine pulled her hand back quickly as if it burned. She stepped back. The heat from the skin contact was more than bizarre and it sent her heart rate through the roof.

'That was freaky…' Jasmine looked at her hand, to Riku, and back to her hand. As soon as her heart returned to its normal steady beat, she headed for the door and flipped off the light switch. She shut the door as quietly as she could before walking down the hall and joining her family.

'He never ceases to amaze me.'