Title: Better

Warnings: None.

Rating: G

Author's Note: And here's chapter one! I can't remember if it said when she moved to France during the show. I found online that she moved as a baby but I also saw somewhere else that she'd just moved that year. So this is kind of a compromise. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you to everyone whose favorited, followed, and left feedback. You all are too kind.

1. Her mother told her that France would "make everything better." She hadn't quite forgiven her for that lie yet.

She was twelve when her parents sat her down at the table. Hiroki was at a friend's house. Her mother's face was relaxed while her father looked nervous. "You aren't in any trouble, Yumi," her mother said. "Your father has something to tell you."

"Yumi," he began. He stopped and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Father?" she asked politely, curiously. She had never seen him nervous before. He looked at her mother imploringly.

Her mother sighed and rubbed her bare shoulder. Her mother's hands were warm and callused. "Yumi," her mother said in that soft way she had about her. "Your father has received a promotion at work."

"Congratulations, Father," she said promptly. She offered him a smile.

"Thank-you," he replied. He shifted and poured tea. "Yumi, once your school finishes we're moving to France."

"France?" she exclaimed. Her father shot her a look and she quickly bowed her head and studied the folded hands in her lap.

"It will be a good opportunity for our family," her mother informed her. "You'll like France, you'll see."

"May I be excused?" she asked. Her father waved her away while her mother frowned.

/

"I'm moving to France," she announced after school one day. Her friends stopped their laughing and teasing and elbowing to stare at her. Hina paused mid-twirl of her hair to cover her mouth in surprise. Kaito just stared at her, his eyes wide. Yumi tucked her hair behind her ear again.

"Moving?" Hina repeated. Her wide eyes widened more. A moment later she had her arms around Yumi in a tight hug. "You're my best friend, you can't move!"

"I know," Yumi murmured. She hugged Hina back just as tight. "But I have to. My father's already gone over to look for a house. He got a promotion." The last word is more bitter than she intended. Her eyes meet Kaito's over Hina's shoulder.

"When?" he asked quietly.

"Next week, when school's over," she replied. She wouldn't let the tears fall again, she refused. "I have to get home; I'm helping my mother pack."

"Next week?" Yumi nodded miserably. "This isn't fair!" Hina exclaimed. She stomped her foot and crossed her arms. "We've been best friends for ten years, Yumi!"

"I know," Yumi replied. "We'll get together this weekend, a sleep over, okay?"

Hina chewed her hair and nodded. "Okay," she agreed.

"Come on, Yumi, let's go," Kaito said. He gave her a wry smile and she gave a small one back. "Later, Hina."

"Bye guys," Hina replied.

They parted ways at the usual street corner, Hina heading east and Yumi and Kaito continuing on northward. "So…France?" Kaito asked. "Excited?"

"No," Yumi replied. She tucked strands of hair behind her ear and frowned. "I don't know, maybe."

"I'm sure it'll be fun," Kaito told her. He looked at her sideways from under black bangs. "You'll turn into an even bigger fashion lover than Hina."

She laughed and their hands bumped. "I doubt that," she replied.

"You never know." He laced their fingers together and she looked at him. "I'm going to miss you, Yumi." Her face flushed and she smiled.

"Whose notes will you copy?" she teased. "Hina's a terrible student."

"Yumi."

"My mother's waiting; I need to help her pack up the house…" She trailed off as he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Kaito-"

"Yumi!" her mother called. "Yumi, come in and help me with pots!"

Kaito reached over and squeezed her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," she mumbled before hurrying up the walkway to where her mother stood in the open door.

/

The night before they took the plane to France Yumi laid in her empty room and stared out the window at the cherry blossom trees. The light from the hall spilled in as her door opened. "Are you awake?" her mother asked softly.

"Yes," she replied.

Her mother crossed the bare wood floor and sat down on the edge of her bed. "I know you're upset about moving, but it'll be fine, you'll see," she promised.

Yumi twisted in order to stare at her mother over her shoulder. "Can you promise that?" she asked.

Her mother's hand reached over to brush the dark strands of hair from her face. "Yes," she said after a moment. "You'll make lots of friends-"

"I have friends here-"

"There won't be as many people; there will be more trees-"

"I like the city," she protested.

Her mother's face creased and her lips drew together. "Yumi, please don't make this difficult. Your brother will be looking to you for an example. You must be brave. You'll love France, you'll see."

Yumi heaved a sigh. She closed her eyes. "Will you and Father stop fighting?" she asked. She cracked her eyes open to see her mother's expression.

"Everything will work out," her mother replied. "This is for the best." Her mother leaned over to kiss her forehead. Yumi turned back to stare out the window. She heard her mother sigh and get to her feet. "Goodnight," she called from the door.

"Night," Yumi replied when the room was dark again.

/

Two years later and she'd come to the conclusion that she did not like France. It was cold and rainy with villages and trees and grain fields. There were no cherry blossom trees, no Gozun Okuribi festivals, no temples or tall buildings. And they spoke a funny language.

Her classmates still gave her curious looks and her teachers could never get her name right. And she was really terrible at French. Hiroki liked it though. He spent days off in the park climbing trees, enjoyed when the children asked about his video game knowledge, and told jokes that Yumi was eighty percent sure were at her expense. It wasn't fair. She'd spent their first year here trying to learn French and was still only conversational in it. After that first summer Hiroki was practically fluent.

She kicked a discarded coke bottle and watched it roll down the road. It landed in the gutter and got trapped by a narrow drain. Yumi sighed and looked up to watch the other kids in her class walk in laughing, chattering groups home. She still missed her friends. Hina…Mei…Nori…and Kaito. She frowned. It still hurt to think about Kaito..

"Ugh!" she groaned. A couple curious heads looked over at her. She slouched down, hands deep in her pockets. Her messenger bag thumped her thigh as she sped up to reach her street faster.

She exhaled when she reached her house. Her relief was quickly replaced with a frown. "Hey, Yumi," her little brother said. He didn't bother looking up from the handheld game he was playing on the front steps.

"What are you doing out here?" Yumi asked. "Where's your jacket?" It wasn't cold but it was cool enough. "Hiroki?"

He jerked his head toward the house just as the yelling started up again. Her mother's usually calm voice turned sharp and piercing. "Dad's home early," Hiroki noted. She heard her father's voice rising.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag and dug into her skin. "How long have they been fighting?"

"Since I got home," Hiroki replied.

Yumi sighed and blew strands out of her face. "Let's go to the park. They'll have sorted it out by then. Come on," she said.

"Really?" She nodded and he bounded to his feet, a wide smile on his face. She knew he liked the jungle gym at the park, she preferred the swings. "I thought the fighting was supposed to stop." He looked up at Yumi as they walked.

"Yeah," she agreed. "I thought so too."