Saying Goodbye

A/N: Oh yeah, chapter four is up so read and enjoy (oh yeah … and review!)

June Bug

Hitomi would be back soon. She had to go it alone, she had to go back down to Earth and say goodbye to everyone. Van knew that she would come back upset and he would there for her but he wished he had gone down with her. What would he do if something happened to her and she didn't return? What if they didn't want to let her go and they held on to her, kept her from going back to her new home, her true home where she would be happy.

Van sighed and skimmed a stone across his lake. Merle was sitting beside him.

"How are you?" Merle asked. Van shrugged.

"As soon as Hitomi I will be happy again and we can start our new life together properly. Start making plans, be a proper family at last." Van turned to Merle who huffed.

"Do you really love her?" Merle asked. Van raised an eyebrow. "I mean, do you really love her, with all your heart?" Van smiled and nodded. "Then I'm happy for you." Merle smiled and gave Van a hug.

"Thanks Merle, that means a lot to me to hear you say that." Van said.

"I just want to see you happy, you're my best friends you know right?" Merle winked and Van then stood up and went in to the house. Van sighed a sigh of relief. Merle was his best friends and would be for the rest of his life and Hitomi would be his wife and very dear friends but no one could replace Merle.

***

Hitomi took a deep breath and opened the front door of her house. Her mother looked at her and her eyes watered up. She ran to her daughter and gave her a hug.

"I thought you said ten months." Hitomi's mother cried and stroked her daughter's hair. "Do you have any idea how much I worried about you?"

"I told you I would be safe." Hitomi said and she tried to get free of her mother's tight grip.

"Hitomi? What's wrong?" Hitomi wipe her eyes.

"I'm not staying mum, where I went, I like it there, I'm happy there." Hitomi wiped her eyes again. "Please mum, don't cry." Hitomi's mum sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from here, mum, I've found someone, he makes me happy, I love him and I want to be with him. I swear I'll visit sometime." Hitomi's mum turned away.

"You're just going to leave?"

"I swear mum, I will visit."
"Do I get to meet this man?" She asked and she went and sat down. Hitomi followed her mum and crouched down beside her.

"I…" Hitomi looked away. "Mum, there is so much about me that you don't know and I don't want to tell you, I just came to say goodbye." Hitomi stood up and headed for the door. "Goodbye mum." Hitomi's mum then stood up. "Tell dad and 'Brat' that I love them very much and will never forget them." 'Brat' was Hitomi's nickname for her younger brother.

"I'm not even going to pretend that I understand and I know you too well to know that whatever I say won't be able to stop you. You are old enough as well, just promise to keep in contact" Hitomi nodded. Her mother cried and gave her daughter one last loving hug and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodbye my precious."

"Goodbye mum." Hitomi wiped her eyes and left the house.

***

After walking for a bit she finally came to Amano's house. It was only four blocks away from her own house and she went the quick way. She knocked on the door. At first there was no answer. Hitomi sighed and tried again. Amano opened the door. His face lit up and he immediately gave Hitomi a hug.

"Please, Amano don't I have something to tell you." Hitomi said. Amano took his arms from around her and put them to his side.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I…We have to end our relationship." Hitomi said. Amano stopped smiling.

"But we've…you said we would…I thought we were going well, what's happened?" Amano asked. "I lived in hope that you would be back soon and we would be happy together, what went wrong?" Hitomi sighed.

"I'm sorry, I hate to have to say this but…"
"You found someone else didn't you? While you were gone those five days?" Hitomi lowered her head.

"I knew him before then I…" Amano shook his head.

"I thought you loved me." Hitomi nodded.

"I did, I mean, I do love you it's just…" Hitomi lowered her head again.

"What?" Amano asked, "Come on, what is it, it must be important, he beating you in to staying with him? You can't love two people Hitomi." Amano turned away.

"I don't want to tell you." Hitomi said. "I just wanted to let you know that I wouldn't be coming back and I wanted to say goodbye." Amano turned and looked at her.

"You're leaving me?" Amano asked "And you're leaving Japan?" Hitomi nodded.

"I probably won't see you again, I just wanted to tell you that I love you, you mean a lot to me and, well goodbye." Hitomi reached up and kissed Amano on the cheek. "Goodbye Amano."

"Goodbye Hitomi." Amano said and he wiped his eyes and turned away without looking back at Hitomi. He didn't want her to see him crying. Hitomi sighed and went to the final person she had to say goodbye to.

***

"Yukari!" Hitomi called and looked to her best friend's window. Yukari's head emerged.

"Hitomi?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, it's me." Hitomi said. "Will you come for a walk with me?" Yukari sighed.

"Yeah, I'll be right down."

After a few minutes Yukari was outside and Hitomi and Yukari were walking around.

"Where have you been?" Yukari asked. Hitomi explained to Yukari that she had gone back to Gaea. She had told Yukari all about it a few days after she came back after the huge scale Zaibach attack two years ago. Yukari never really understood but never accused Hitomi of lying.

"And you love Van right? You're going to be with Van? I knew it." Yukari smiled at her own knowledge that Hitomi would go back to Van. Her smile the faded as Hitomi said 'I won't be coming back.'

"I love Van so much and…" Hitomi stopped walking. Yukari turned and faced her.

"What?" Yukari asked. Hitomi scuffed her trainers on the floor.

"I'm-" Hitomi lowered her voice "-pregnant" Yukari stepped back

"What? How?" Hitomi sighed.

"I went up there, not that long ago and I … well," Hitomi coughed. Yukari rolled her eyes.

"How far?" Yukari asked.

"One month five days." Yukari nodded.

"And Van is the father, that's why you're going to stay with him?"

"It's not that, I love Van, I've loved him for such a long time, he means a lot to me, he is the father of my child yes, but I love him with all my heart." Yukari smiled.

"I guess you are doing the right thing, you'll be happy there." Hitomi nodded.

"I knew you'd understand."

"Have you spoken to Amano? You're mother? They both know?" Yukari asked. Hitomi nodded.

"I'm going soon, I'll come back some time's to visit but I'll be starting my new life with Van and make new friends in Gaea." Yukari turned away and sniffed.

"Oh Hitomi," Yukari turned and threw herself to Hitomi, "I'm going to miss you so much, you are the best friend I have ever had, I don't know how I'm going to let you go." Hitomi sniffed and reached her arm round to wipe her eyes. "You're my best friend, I love you." Hitomi smiled.

"I love you too." They parted from their final hug.

"I'll see you."

"You have to bring your child when you come back Hitomi, I have to see it." Hitomi nodded.

"Goodbye Yukari."

"Goodbye Hitomi."

***

Van looked up. He saw Hitomi standing in front of him, she was smiling. Van stood up and walked over to her. He put his arms around her and she started to cry.

"I'm glad I never have to do that again." She sniffed. "I made everyone cry," she said. "At least if I go back and see them they will know that I'm okay." Van nodded.

"You're here with me now, you'll be okay, I will take the best care of you." Hitomi smiled.

"Thankyou." Hitomi said. She sniffed again and buried her face in Van's shoulder. Van brushed his fingers in her hair to try and soothe her.

"You'll be okay, you don't have to cry, they'll know you are safe and you can go and see them whenever, you know that." Hitomi showed her face again and nodded.

"I guess so, not too often though because it will feel like I have two different homes." Van smiled.

"This is your home." Hitomi nodded and kissed Van on the cheek.

"You are so lovely to me even after all I put you through. Van shook his head.

"You didn't put me through anything. I just love you that's all, I always have, ever since I met you that first day and I swear, I will never let you go." Van wiped a tear of happiness from his eye and kissed Hitomi on her cheek. They then tightened their hug and stayed outside, sitting by the lake for the rest of the night and in to early morning.

T.B.C

Do you still want more? Good, because trust me, I still have plenty more. ^.^