Sorry for not updating in a while. Hang in there, the roller coaster ride is almost over. This chapter is kinda awkward cuz I haven't updated in over a month and there's no dialogue. The final chapter or two (I'm not sure yet) will come around much sooner. I love you all, reviewers and flamers. You really made this an enjoyable fic!

Flicker In My Life

By Fantasy Cat

Disc: Dude, get real!

Chapter Ten

That night, Bijou could not sleep. Her thoughts were on the guilt she felt inside. Her honest words had pushed Boss away…to somewhere she wished she knew. Suddenly knew thoughts began to invade her mind, her dearest and closest friend Hamtaro. With him, her feelings belonged. Perhaps this was why she couldn't feel anything for Boss. Her heart already belonged to someone else. But in time, it came to Bijou's realization that Hamtaro had no knowledge of Bijou's feelings whatsoever, and he may never know. Now…she understood. She finally understood how Boss must've felt when he confessed those words to her. It made Bijou want to cry but she try to fight the tears. She had to sleep if they were gonna have any luck looking for Boss in the morning.

That night she had a dream. It was a very quiet dream, and relaxing. She must've been in someone else's mind because she wasn't able to talk. She wanted to say to herself how beautiful the scenery was that she was in.

It was the shore at sunrise. Did morning come already? The red sun was approaching over the city landscapes infront of here view. She was awfully small compared to those boats that were parked near by. The sand beneath her toes was tingly. She turned her head over to the waters to her left. A classic sailboat designed in a Japanese style was the only ship sailing. Suddenly, Bijou began to develop a yearning to go out to sea. She built a stool out of some sand and sat on it to watch the boat in the early morning. As she finally got to settle down, she realized that the air was becoming misty and foggy. It felt awfully cold…she wished she had a jacket.

Another thought struck her, or perhaps the dream was changing. This time she closed her eyes looking out at the water and the moment her eyes were opened the ground began to move. She looked out. Bijou was on the boat in the water! But why was she feeling sick? She had to get to the edge of the ship but it was swaying too much for her to move. The edge of ship was farther and farther away from her. Bijou was literally climbing the long deck to reach the deck. Behind her she felt the water crashing onto the ship's deck as if she was about to be swallowed whole.

Wasn't she in a situation like this before? She remembered, Boss was taking her out to see determined that he was over his seasickness. She had to admit the results of their trip together were drastic but now that she knew how Boss felt about her she finally understood.

The memory shook her awake from her dream. The sun was bare but its light was visible. Bijou looked at the clock, then over to her sleeping master Maria. She seemed so much happier these days. Bijou knew that Maria missed her very much and now she couldn't be happier to have he hamster in her life again. The clock said 5:33. Maria sets her alarm to get ready for school at 7:05. Bijou climbed out of her cage. She had a while before Maria would wake and greet Bijou with her beautiful smile and not too long before she began searching for Boss with the others. Still, Bijou wondered if she had enough time to check one place first, just before they began searching.

Sometimes a dream can consume your thoughts. It was happening to Bijou now, as if she knew exactly where Boss was at that very moment.

~*~*~*~*~

The sand felt exactly like she knew it would. She was tired but she had to run if she wanted to get to the shore and back in time before Maria woke up. She crawled on her fours along the beachy shoreline. It was small to a human but to her and perhaps the other Hams, it was an endless beach that reached to the opposite end of Japan. She kept her eyes opened but found nothing but sand. She could see the red sun rising higher above the city. It was time to go back now. She looked at the sea and sighed.

Of the few things she knew about Boss, she knew that Boss would not lose hope in overcoming his seasickness. He was known to be a bluffer, but Bijou knew now…it was all to win her heart.

Bijou sighed. There was no more time left to see if her dream was real. She turned around in the direction of home. It wasgetting foggy now. But her eyes could not be fooled…just a few feet from her, deep in the fog was a figure well built and walking. She couldn't tell if the figure was walking towards her or away from her, so she ran (badda-badda-badda) towards the shadows.

Her eyes were now moist with tears as the vision she hoped for became real. Now she stood face to face with Boss in his trenchcoat. At that moment Bijou realized that she didn't bother to brush her fur or put any ribbons on before coming out to the beach.

But for this occasion, such a thing no longer mattered to her.