Disclaimer: (I feel a sudden urge to hit something. Hard) Blah I don't own Golden Sun etc. blah blah

*********************************************************************

After he had trailed her for a few minutes, Isaac saw Mia sit down on a fallen stone in some old ruins just outside the town. She took her head in her hands and her whole body was wracked by silent sobs, the shock and misery of the last few days all hitting her at once. His intention had been to simply follow her at a distance and see that no harm came to her, but seeing the confident and capable woman, his friend for so long - even if he had not seen her for years - reduced to such a state was something he really could not bear.

Mia looked up as she heard someone approach, and her mouth opened in surprise as she saw Isaac. She had not expected him to follow - this new Isaac, for all he did seem to still care about her, seemed somehow beyond ordinary human emotions - and had been feeling utterly alone. Neither said a word as he came up to her, then sighed and sat down on the stone beside her.

The tears were still running openly down her cheeks, and he put his arm around her shoulders with a noticeable trace of self-consciousness - it had been a long time since he had had any such contact with other people. He half-expected her to push him away, but she surprised him by turning into his chest and crying her heart out. Isaac felt massively awkward, but ran his fingers through her hair. He felt that in some way she was grieving for both of them, that her tears were somehow also his and she was weeping with the grief he would not allow himself to show.

When she finally began to stop Mia had managed to get Isaac's shirt really quite impressively wet, and she was still clinging to him. They simply sat there for a while, her head resting on his shoulder. He rose and they walked slowly back into the house as the sun glowed overhead - though little warmth ever seemed to penetrate as far as Imil - Mia still holding onto his arm.

Once they got inside Mia began to prepare lunch, without saying a word. Isaac simply sat quietly in a chair looking out of the window, apparently deep in thought.

"I-Isaac" called Mia, slightly tentatively "lunch is ready."

"Why do you sound so scared?" Isaac looked more lively and cheerful than he had in years, and she thought how right a smile looked on his face. "Am I not going to like it?"

"Keep talking like that and you won't be getting any!" Mia replied and they both laughed.

Later that day, as the evening came on, Isaac and Mia were sitting together on the sofa, (do they have sofas in Golden Sun? They do now!) talking of all the happy memories they shared of their friends and all the journeys they had had together. Both fell silent after a while, though, as thoughts of their friends inevitably lead to thoughts of their recent demise.

Isaac was leaning against Mia for warmth as the night came in and the fire died down, neither of them willing to get up from the comfortable seat to add more wood, and she realised she was enjoying this a little too much. Her cheeks coloured with this thought and Isaac, sensing something, looked up at her. She caught a glimpse of his deep blue eyes then, seized by impulse, kissed him on the lips.

A moment later she thought to pull away, heart pounding and horribly embarrassed, but he did not seem to want to let her. The single kiss went on for quite some time, and when they finally broke apart their eyes met again.

"Hope." Mia whispered. That was all either said and they stayed there until they fell asleep, his head resting on her shoulder.