*Gomen! This chapter took me too long to write I know but I had such a hard time on it! I don't know something about this section I couldn't get it to flow so sorry if it's not all that good, but the next will be better…I hope.*

Chapter 16 Homecoming

He watched her in the doorway, her chest heaving as she curled up on her bed. The dress flew out beneath her making it look like another sheet, "Dammit it's not fair, if you would just love me like I love you…"

His breath caught as he walked to the bed and sat on the edge holding her shoulders. She gasped and spun, how much had he heard? She immediately sat up, but to her surprise his hands never left her arms.

"It killed me when you went to him, when you sought comfort in his arms. I hated him, but I loved him for loving you," his voice was soft but there was no doubt which 'him' he spoke of, "When you came back that night…" He closed his eyes and pushed the pictures away, "I thought I would loose you. I tended you for so long, and slowly you began to trust me, trust grew to a deep friendship, friendship grew to love."

Her eyes grew wide, but he never stopped.

"We would spend long nights together, but no one in the palace knew. I don't know why we never told them, but we didn't. I wasn't sure if they could handle it, and you didn't want that kind of attention.

"When I had to make you leave it was like death. I didn't want to. I didn't want to force you away from me, I didn't want you to forget Cephiro, or me, but it had to be, for the good of Cephiro.

"That's what I needed to tell you, what you needed to hear. You were loved by someone who loved you back, you still are."

She didn't know what to say; they just sat there, taking each other in completely.

"Are you saying…?"

"I love you Umi I always have always will," he answered before she could finish the question.

"I love you too," she threw her arms around his neck, and he held her close, "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"I was scared, for the good of Cephiro. I didn't want to see any harm come to you, like what happened to Princess Emeraude. That's why I changed my form. I didn't want you to recognize me, didn't want you to see who I was. Then after all this happened I wasn't sure what to say."

"You said all you had to," she whispered and buried her head in his chest and cried, but for once he stayed silent and held her tight, letting her get it out. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head until she looked up and into his eyes. There were tears in his eyes as well as hers and both let a few slip when they kissed, the first time in so many years.

She let him know without words that she wanted more, so he kissed her harder an pulled her as close to him as he could, feeling her body in his arms again refreshed him.

She pulled him on top of her and looked into his ocean blue eyes nodding slightly. He moved his hands down her body feeling how much weight she had lost and frowned softly vowing to never let her get this way again. He kissed her neck, and she laughed making his heart leap.

Their lips met again, and the kiss was full of passion and desire. She smiled up at him still savoring the kiss, and he knew he would never forget that night.

§§§~~~

She awoke with his arms still tight around her and smiled sitting up careful not to wake him. She changed and was about to slip out when arms caught her waist, "Where do you think you're going?" he kissed her neck teasingly.

She laughed and turned, looking up at him, "We'll be in big trouble if we get found together," she said quietly.

"You're not going to tell them then?" It was just like before.

She shook her head, "They don't need to know."

"I know," he looked away, "I just thought that we wouldn't have to hide."

"It's not hiding I just want to wait and see how things fall into place," she responded, and he nodded.

"Gomen," he whispered.

"Don't be."

"But I hurt you."

"But you healed me," she said gently and put her head on his chest as he wrapped arms around her, "I've never felt this safe, this warm, this…"

"Loved."

§§§~~~

"Umi-chan where did you go last night?" Hikaru asked as she walked into the dining room. Clef was already there. They had decided it would look strange if she was up before him.

She smiled weakly, remembering, "Away, I had to make sure I didn't make the same mistake twice. I just went to get a bit of fresh air."

"Huh?" Hikaru looked confused.

"The guy last night, the one I was dancing with, his name was Kio," Umi mumbled, and everyone looked at her seriously, "It was just coincidence I'm sure, but I wasn't about to tempt fate."

"Smart," Clef commented, and she nodded looking down.

"Wish I had been the first time."

The subject changed away from that, and even if no one said anything they saw a big difference in her attitude that morning. She was happier, more of the old Umi. They assumed that it was just the success of the ball and stayed silent not even registering the secret glances that the two sent each other in between words.

§§§~~~

The day was spent in the forest and near the shore. They were just happy to be together when finally Umi brought up the subject that no one wanted to think about, but she had to know.

"What about home?"

They all grimaced but knew they couldn't avoid it forever. They sighed together almost in defeat.

"I suppose that Cephiro will be sending us home soon. Now that the fighting is over, and it's safe again," Fuu said quietly.

"That's not fair," Ferio muttered, and everyone quickly agreed.

"Why can't you stay here forever?" Ascot asked, and they shook their heads.

"It's not like you don't belong here!" Caldina protested.

"Cephiro will never push you out unless you want to leave," Clef told them quietly.

"What?" the three asked in unison.

"Cephiro has a will of its own, and it will never push out known inhabitants. You know you belong here now, part of this world is in your hearts, it will never make you leave," he explained, "So long as your will to stay is strong."

They looked at one another before Hikaru spoke up.

"I'm staying."

"Me too," Fuu said soon after. The two looked at Umi who shook he head.

"What?" There was not an unconfused face around, but none she saw looked as pained as Clef's. She looked away from them and spoke toward the creek where they had stopped to eat lunch.

"Someone has to tell everyone. Someone has to let them know. I can't just let my parents believe that I've run away or…or have been murdered or something," she shook her head.

"Why should you be the one to carry that on your shoulders Umi-san? Abandon this world because of our lack of responsibility? We should have thought of that," Fuu said practically, "If you go back we do too."

"No," her voice was as sharp as her eyes, "No Fuu, what if you can't come back? I won't see that happen to you. I'm leaving and that's final." She risked a glance at Clef who looked somewhere between horrified and crushed; she looked down.

There was a long silence before a strangled cry of, "No, Umi you can't."

Everyone turned to look at the Master Mage of Cephiro; they had never heard him sound like that, so desperate, so pleading. For a minute they were stunned, but couldn't speak as it seemed that all was left was him and Umi.

"Clef you know I can't stay."

"Yes you can, there's a spell, it'll erase the memories of your families and…"

"And then what of the people who know us?" she demanded, "When they look for us? What then?"

"It will make it so you never existed," he protested.

"But I want to exist, I love earth, and I love the people there," her voice was full of passion and most distinctly, pain.

"But what about the people here? The people you're supposed to love here?" now his voice was angry. Had she forgotten what she said just last night?

She looked down, "I have a place elsewhere."

"Please…"

"No," she said firmly.

"Please, stay with me Umi, please," now everything was out, and the people around them had a sharp gasp that threw them back into reality.

"Umi-chan and…" Hikaru shook her head.

"Woah," Ferio muttered thinking back to the night before where he and Lantis had joked openly about just the scenario they saw here. He looked down wondering how close to death he actually had been; he didn't want to think about it.

"Clef," Umi whispered.

"It's time they knew."

"Time? How long has this been going on?" Persea questioned obviously as confused as the others.

"A day, but before, in our past lives," Umi didn't need to finish, all was explained.

"Why do you want to leave so badly? Is there someone waiting for you?" Clef questioned.

"My family," Umi responded quietly, "They raised me, I can't just let them loose the last almost two decades of their life."

He looked defeated then, "I'll hold the portal open as long as I can. A few days at most please hurry, all of you."

They nodded and stood making a circle, closing their eyes and pushing their power through to earth. When they opened their eyes they stood on the Tokyo Tower once more.