Ryuu: *waves pirate hat* ahoy!! We're back! Aft *looks guilty* nearly 2 months... sorry fer makin' ye wait so much, lads an' lassies...
Dee: Yes yes, but blame school and college!!!! Not our fault!!! Darn those exams *mutters some not so nice words under her breath*
Ryuu: *gives Dee high five* exaactly *grumbles* me now right in the middle o' me exams... so aye, wish us the best o' lucks an' enjoy the third chapter o' this lil piece o' craziness we 'ave 'ere! *grins*
Dee: Wait...do you really think that lads are reading this?
Ryuu: *sweatdrops* ahem... 'nybody there? *echoe answers her* uh oh... nay, they've all scrolled down *sigh*
Dee: *bursts out laughing* Well, we can't blame them, now can we?! ^_^ Who wants to listen to our pondering when they can read the chapter instead?!
Ryuu: ^^UU... ye're right, damsel... but we must announce that this chapter, we decided te write review replies!
Dee: Yesyes, we wanted to personally thank aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the wonderful people who reviewed!!!
*both hugging them all tightly*
Ryuu: so, enjoy the read an' aft the chapter, there replies go! So, go read *shoves readers te the story*
Dee: Have fuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*both wave hands madly*

Chapter 3. A new beginning

Peep.

Peep.

Peep.

Peep.

Hello, this is the answering machine of Uchida Yukari, Millerna Aston and Hitomi Kanzaki. Sorry, we're not in at the moment, or perhaps we're having a shower and can't answer the phone, so if you want to, leave us a message after hearing the beep. Bye bye!

The serene voice of the recorded tape, belonging to Millerna, was chorused by a series of yells that could be identified as Yukari's, screeching something on the lines of 'Tomiii, get me a toilet paper roll, it's urgent!" in the background.

He sighed, starting to be sick of talking to the answering machine.

"Hitomi, this is Allen… do you know what day's today? 24th October… ten days since you cancelled the wedding. This waiting is killing me inside… I haven't seen you in two days, I need to talk to you, Hitomi. Please call me back."

Click.

But the addressee of the message had her mind in some other place, walking down Hispano Street with a newspaper tightly clutched in her right hand and a huge frown adorning her forefront. She had never imagined how difficult reorganizing her whole life from the very base was going to be. The honey-blond woman had had to adapt to her new lifestyle in the blink of an eye, and she was finding it hard to readjust to some things. Such as, her mind grumbled in total frustration, finding a damn place to work at!

She had scanned the newspaper's job section about five times already since she'd bought it fifteen minutes ago in the kiosk at the corner of the street, a few blocks away from her apartment. She used to go out jogging in the morning to clear her head, as she'd loved running since she was a kid, and on her way back to their shared flat she would buy the newspaper to dive anxiously into the job section and see if she could find what she was looking for.

But she hadn't been lucky yet. And so she stormed into the Escaflowne Café like an enraged Fury, making all heads turn in her direction. Well, she was getting used to that, after all it happened like every day, as her entrances in the place were always quite spectacular. Not that she'd topped herself after that memorable, fateful day when she'd burst into the place dressed in dazzling white, but some could think she'd been trying. Hard.

"What is it this time, 'Tomi?" grinned Dryden behind the counter, serving a café au lait to a thirty-ish brunette and her boyfriend, hand in hand and sharing intimate kisses now and then. "Did the taxes rise, maybe there was a catastrophic accident in Astria, or perhaps it's because of the basramits fishing whales?"

She arched an irritated brow and sat on a stool as regally as she could. "You should be concerned about how our world goes too, you know," she muttered indignantly, as she carelessly left the newspaper on the counter and sulked. "Basram has no right to do what they're doing with the poor beasts," the green-eyed woman scowled, as she was terribly touchy when those things were concerned. Add to it that it wasn't quite her day, and the result of that explosive combination was shot at Dryden under the form of a ferocious frown.

What on Gaea was a twenty-four-year-old veterinarian supposed to do with herself, how to earn some money when there wasn't a single job she could apply for? Some way or other, all the notes on the paper had something that put her off.

Needed qualified veterinarian. Well-paid, if interested call 0612030912. Via telephone she'd discovered the rest of stuff that went along with the job, that is, working in a farm, in the Floresta Mountains, with cows. She snorted. What then, play Heidi with the cows and goats in my free time? Or maybe take the three-hour drive back to Fanelia to pop in the Esca and bring the people some wild flowers from the idyllic paradise of peace? Peace, and boredom. Nope, definitely not for her.

Young veterinarian needed to work in the Nina Clinic. Appealing, yes, until she'd found out they dealt with snakes, and if there was something she couldn't handle, it were those. Maybe because of that visit to the circus when she'd been ten, during which she'd ended up as volunteering for a snake show… The reptile had decided to deafly ignore its mistress' commands, and Hitomi had endured the most terrifying moments of her life, thinking that the snake that was slowly creeping up her body was going to strangle her, or give her a death kiss. So, that job was also discarded.

Dryden placed her usual cappuccino in front of her before he started dusting the coffee machine, whistling the song that was on the radio that morning. "So, no luck yet, sweet?" he inquired sympathetically.

"Do I look like a person that's recently won the lottery?" she grumbled, taking in a sip of hot coffee, so hot it burnt her tongue. The honey-blonde cursed under her breath and asked for a glass of water, knowing that her palate would be out of action for at least the whole day.

A low chuckle made her turn her head towards the couch; there, a mop of black hair informed Hitomi that her best friend was lazily sitting in the Escaflowne while the rest of the world was working. Well, everybody but her, she thought irritably, and stomped to where he was to see what he was doing.

Van Fanel, dressed in a blue shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans, was, indeed, the one sitting on the couch, with a cup of tea on the low table in front of him, a pile of papers on his thighs and a pen dancing between his fingers like only him could do. When he noticed the ominous shadow of Hitomi approaching him, he lifted his gaze to greet her with a bright and slightly sheepish smile, sensing that the dark cloud looming above her head wasn't exactly the best of signs. He could perfectly understand her nervousness those past days, with all the problems that had risen those past days –Allen coming in to beg her to go back with him, the whole lot of trouble all removals held within, calling all the banks to give them her new address…-, and wasn't willing to offer her more sources of distress.

"YOU!" she said, pointing at him with an accusing finger. "You that have a job suddenly decide that Wednesday's not a working day and take a day off? While I am here frantically searching a freaking place to work at because I need the freakin' money??" she screeched, a few decibels louder than she'd originally indented.

He sweat dropped and sighed, a smile curving his lips upwards while he buried his hand in his dark strands absently. "Err… Hitomi, remember today's the Atlantean Day? There aren't any lessons today in all Fanelia," he explained calmly, and she blushed at his words with a small frustrated groan. The green-eyed woman fell onto the couch at his side with a despaired sigh, shaking her head.

"Gee, I'm sorry, Van, I guess this is getting on my nerves…" she apologized, her eyes closed and her lips parted, a mask of tiredness covering her pretty features. He patted her shoulder gently with an understanding smile.

"Don't worry, I could also be very near a nerve attack myself so no need to apologize," he said, resuming the task he'd been doing before her accusation. He'd slipped into the routine of acting as her 'childhood friend' effortlessly, as if it belonged to the natural course of things. After all, he'd known her like forever, and he could, someway, feel what she needed, read in her eyes, movements and words what was brewing inside that pretty head of hers. And, right now, she needed support, not some unexpected announcement of 'Hey guess what, the guy you thought to be your best friend has been in love with you for years and came to snatch you from your wedding, even if you saved him the work and escaped by yourself. Come, let's get together and live happily ever after'.

She needed their support to set the bases for a new life, and he wasn't going to put any more emotional strain on her in her readjusting period, the time to make amends with the past to look forward to the future.

Hitomi eyed him curiously. "A nerve attack? What are you doing?"

Van let out a laugh and waved a few sheets of paper in his hand, tapping with his pen on them. "Tests. I'm correcting exams…" he explained. "It's my first week as a teacher in that high school, and I wanted to see how much they knew… the results speak for themselves," he stifled a snigger.

"Are their Physics so bad?" she asked, and he gave her an amused glance as he reached for a determinate test paper on the pile of already corrected exams that was on the table. His burgundy depths scanned over the formula-covered sheet for a second until he found what he'd been looking for.

"Listen and judge for yourself," he cocked his head to a side and then he started reading. "Calculate the exact time a plane needs to take off if we know that the speed needed to do so is 165 km/h, and the acceleration is of 30 m/s2, starting from an initial speed of 0 km/h."

"Okay, I remember that kind of stuff from high school," she smiled. "You used to pass me the results in the exams… remember that day you got caught and the teacher made you stay two hours after the end of the classes? I'm still thankful that you didn't tell the Fugitive that it was me the one you'd been trying to pass the solutions to," she grinned when her school days with Van came to her mind, and all the nicknames they'd made up for their teachers.

Van chuckled. "Yeah, I remember… well, I really hope this lil guy over here didn't do it, as it would be a little bit too obvious… he answered that 'The plane will need 23 hours and 52 minutes to take off'."

She burst out laughing into tiny giggles that made his spine tingle and his insides warm at the sound of her carefree laugh. "He wrote that?"

He nodded solemnly. "Oh, and he even underlined it twice, writing below that he's 'absolutely sure that the result is correct'," Van pointed out, showing her the wobbly handwritten figures. "And then there's another girl who discovered in the second problem that the satellite was placed 50 meters above level sea… maybe the plane of this boy almost crashed into the poor device a few years after having taken off," he joked, and she gave in to laughter uninhibitedly, feeling that, once more, the raven-haired man had brightened up her day.

"Oh God, I never thought being a Physics and Maths teacher could be so much fun," she commented after the chuckles had receded. Van shook his head, holding the pen between his teeth as he left the stack of tests on the table to pick up his tea and take a sip of it.

"Most of the time, it isn't. Results like this can be really depressing if you've been the one teaching them before the exam, but this time I can lie back and laugh as much as I want, seeing what disasters I'll have to mend this year…" he smiled absently. "Maybe it's not as rewarding as saving the urban fauna we get around here, but I like it," the auburn-eyed man grinned at her and, as always, she felt compelled to smile back. She'd noticed that Van didn't really, truly and fully smile much, but when he did and the grin reached his eyes, it was one of the most adorable visions she could recall seeing.

"Hah, the only fauna I've seen these days are Yukari's fishs, as she discovered some of them have suicidal tendencies," she snorted. "She's really going to die from a heart attack with all this Amano party, I think she'll positively kill me if another day comes to an end and I tell her I still haven't got his present."

Van looked at her wide-eyed in a mock expression of surprised horror. "No present yet? What are you waiting for then? The party is this Friday, girl!" he said, knowing how carefully well his flatmate's girlfriend had prepared Amano's surprise birthday party.

The green-eyed girl muffled a giggle. "Yeah, and I'm amazed that Yukari has managed to keep it a secret from Amano this long… gee, she'll burst if she has to remain silent for another day!"

She sighed deeply and leaned against the backrest of the couch again, her eyes focused on the ceiling where reflections of sunlight danced, creating delicate patterns on the wooden panels. The conversations in the café that mixed with the quiet music reached her faintly, as if it was a great effort to break through the turmoil of thoughts in her mind. She didn't even notice that Van was watching her with intense eyes.

"You know what?" he announced and his lips turned into a warm smile when he placed the sheets of paper he had been holding onto the table in front of him. Suspiciously narrowed brows greeted him when he turned around. "This depressed look doesn't suit you. You definitely need distraction. So, what about we go shopping and look for Amano's present?"

"You think this will make me happy?" Hitomi replied and narrowed her eyes even more, an intense green sparkling through small slits. You always had to be careful when a man was voluntarily offering to go shopping.

"Of course! When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country," Van shrugged casually. "I'd say you can be glad that I'm not depressed."

He earned a smack on the arm but it was worth the grin that tugged at her lips. It could rain for ages, but as long as she was smiling, everything was alright.

"You'd really do that?" Hitomi asked quietly and looked at Van, who was emptying his mug with a mighty gulp.

"At your service," he stated with a lop-sided grin and bowed deeply, unruly strands tumbling over his auburn eyes which were glinting with amusement. "I have the day off, remember? I'm bored."

"Workaholic, aren't we?" the sandy-blond woman replied with a smirk and pointed at the pile of testpapers at the table. "But what about that? Don't you have to correct them?"

"My pupils won't mind if they don't get back the test tomorrow, believe me," Van answered with a sheepish expression on his face and scratched the back of his head, looking like a little boy who had just broken a glass. "They didn't look exactly happy when they left the classroom, you know. I think they'd actually like me to burn their tests."

Hitomi chuckled. "I really can't imagine you as an evil and hated teacher," she reassured him, and then crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Fine then, let's go. But don't say I didn't warn you. You absolutely don't know what you're letting yourself in for."

"I like surprises," the raven-haired man countered, his eyes sparkling challengingly.

"Your choice," she replied with a shrug, and Van swiftly rose from the couch, stretching his lazy bones and ruffling his hair.

He tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn and ran a hand over his face, before he reached into the pockets of his pants and fished for some money. He smiled when the coins clinked between his fingers and put them onto the saucer of his mug. "We have to go to my apartment first," he addressed Hitomi and collected the sheets of paper which lay scattered across the table, seemingly without any system. "I just want to get rid of those ones."

[#########]

"Millerna!"

It was a shriek that was able to penetrate the walls of apartment 302 and, had it been only an octave higher, it would've made the glasses in the cupboard shatter. It was like the screech of a little child who'd seen this utterly amazing toy everybody needed and that was praised in the tv ads, but whose mother simply refused to buy it. Ever heard something like that? Makes you want to stick your head in a pile of sand.

"Millerna!"

The young woman who was sitting between innumerable pink and white pillows on the bed in her room took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes, rubbing her temples in little circles. She could feel a headache approach like she would feel an elephant stomp past her in the forsaken savannas within the heart of Daedalus. Oh, how she wished to be there. Far, far away from that annoying something in her living room. When was the next flight to Iborian, capital of heavenly Daedalus, her self-choosen paradise?

When the third screech echoed in her ears like fingernails on a blackboard, her eyes snapped open, violet orbs blazing. With a snarl, Millerna angrily threw the script she'd been reading earlier onto her nightstand, noisily sending her alarm clock to the ground, but she didn't pay any attention to it. Instead, she hurried to reach the door before that insane woman who unfortunately happened to be her friend could call her again. An image flashed in her mind; an image of her having to decide between Yukari and a starving lion.

"What, Yukari?" she asked, annoyed and exasperated, when she opened the door. "I have to learn my role in this script by heart before the day after tomorrow! So what for heaven's sake is it this time?"

Shining red hair was intensely sparkling in the sunlight illuminating the place in the living room where the table stood, right in front of the tv – and where Yukari was kneeling in a nest she had obviously built herself. Various magazines were scattered around her with letters sticking out of between them here and there, Millerna's romance novels functioning as highlights. Yukari had successfully managed to empty the place under the table where every occupant of that apartment put the things they'd read when bored.

The lion. She would definitely choose the lion. She could accompany him on his hunt. For Yukari, maybe.

"Can I ask what you're doing there?" Millerna questioned warily, with an irritatingly calm voice for which any psychiatrist would've envied her.

"I'm searching for the stupid telephone book!" the redhead exclaimed, and threw another handful of magazines over her shoulder, glaring at Millerna. "Did you take it? I can't find it! It isn't here under the table where it actually should be!"

"Well," the violet-eyed woman began and tossed her blond curls over her shoulder. Yukari could be glad that there were good reasons for her to act like that, or else Millerna would simply wring her neck. "Maybe it isn't there because you took it with you when you wandered into the bathroom, last time?"

"I did?" Yukari replied and her vivid brown eyes brightened instantly.

"And it might still be there if you didn't decide to carry it somewhere else in the last fifteen minutes," Millerna nodded hissing the last words, and leaned against the doorframe with a desperate sigh, brushing a lock out of her face.

Sheets of paper rustled and were mercilessly crumpled and torn when Yukari jumped to her feet and rushed towards the bathroom, almost slipping on the face of Maaya Sakamoto, a famous singer in Fanelia, who was smiling brightly from the smooth cover of the Cosmopolitan.

"Hey, what's the matter anyways?" the blonde called after Yukari when the redhead grabbed the cordless receiver and disappeared behind the door but the answer was nothing but loud rumbling.

Grunting, Millerna turned away and faced Yukari's nest again, knowing quite well who was going to clean up that mess. The redhead could live perfectly well with their apartment being in a preliminary state of chaos but Millerna couldn't. With the intention to hurt Yukari later on, she pushed herself off of the doorframe and started to pick up the magazines, putting them back where they belonged.

She could hear Yukari's loud voice from out of the bathroom, making her wonder if the woman was talking to a person who was hard of hearing. But then again, it was always like that; if the redhead called her on the mobile phone, everyone in a range of around three meters around her could follow their conversation for Yukari was speaking so loud.

The soft clinking of keys stopped her ranting and she turned around to find Hitomi in the doorway. The sandy-blonde's cheeks were flushed for it was autumnally chilly outside and she was looking at Millerna with her brows raised in both surprise and suspicion.

"What did you do?" she asked slowly, her hand still resting on the key.

"What did she do!" Millerna replied angrily and cocked her head towards the bathroom, making her long hair sway gently. "I just hope that this birthday party will soon be over! But tell me, what are you doing here? I thought you were looking for a job. Did you already find something?"

"No," Hitomi snorted and stared at the parquet floor, watching dust dance along the sunbeams. "But maybe it's because of me and that I'm wanting too much. You know, there were quite some offers in the newspaper but it wasn't exactly what I was searching for."

"Nah, the perfect job will sooner or later cross your way, don't worry," the violet-eyed woman reasured her with a wink and rose from the ground, a pile of books pressed to her chest.

Hitomi eyed them curiously and one brow rose suspiciously when she read the title but Millerna just shrugged, a sheepish grin appearing on her features. "You still didn't tell me what you were doing here," she stated and turned around in order to bring her books into her room.

"I just wanted to see if everything is alright," Hitomi answered and still didn't make any attempt to leave the door. "Van offered to go shopping with me because he couldn't put up with me stepping on his nerves anymore and now, I'm waiting for him to -"

But she wasn't able to finish the sentence, for right then the bathroom door flew open and Yukari appeared, grumbling to herself and obviously trying to crush the receiver in her hands. Hitomi and Millerna, who had just exited her room, exchanged worried glances and watched the redhead cross the living room, expecting steam to come out of her ears at any moment.

"What's the problem?" Millerna asked quietly, her arms crossed in front of her chest and her eyes set on Yukari who slammed the receiver onto the telephone, the machine emitting an unhealthy, cracking noise.

"It seems as if someone really intends to destroy everything!" she exclaimed and her shoulders visibly sagged. "I just called this one friend of Amano who was supposed to cook at his birthday and wanted to talk with her about the meal and such but she just told me that she can't come! And now, I have nobody to cook!"

"But you can cook," Hitomi said and Yukari turned around, glaring at her with annoyance written in capital letters across her face.

"Yeah, it's enough to feed the both of you who could even burn water, but it's nothing special," the readhead replied and leaned her forehead against the wall beside her, beginning to bang her head against it. "Where do I get a cook from?"

"Yukari, no!" Hitomi said and hurried to her friend to stop her from turning her brain to mush. "Stop it! We'll find a solution but, please, just stop that! Millerna, will you help me!"

Blond eyebrows raised in surprise and confusion, the young woman pointing at herself and the innocent expression on her face, asking: Me? "Tell me one reason why I should do that," she countered casually and crossed her arms in front of her chest, deciding to enjoy that sight a little bit more.

Hitomi snorted. What a humble excuse for not knowing an argument to defense Yukari in that current state of hers.

"Hello, ladi – oh, looks like I didn't come in the best of moments?" a deep voice from the door interupted them and the two heads turned to face the familiar mop of tousled, raven-black hair. A pair of confused, burgundy orbs was looking at them, dark brows raised. "Do you need any help?"

"Van, tell her that it's not the end of the world to have no cook!" Hitomi pleaded and struggled to keep Yukari from banging her head against the wall again.

The raven-haired man looked from Hitomi to Millerna, who leaned in the doorway to her room with an indifferent look on her face, and then to Yukari, who finally managed to let her skull collide with the wall only to have Hitomi smack her hard. "Why do you need a cook?" he asked and scratched his head.

"For Amano's birthday party," the brown-eyed girl groaned. "What am I going to do now?"

"Well, if it's that necessary and you have nobody, I can cook if you want me to," Van stated with a shrug and the three women blinked in surprise. "What?" he asked warily, one dark brow raised in confusion.

"You can cook?" Hitomi half laughed, half asked with amusement and disbelief in her voice.

"Yeah," the auburn-eyed man answered defensively and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants. "I lived for two years on my own, Hitomi. And believe me, you start cooking at the latest when your stomach is grumbling so loud that you can't understand your own thoughts and you absolutely can't see the microwave or fast food anymore."

The green-eyed woman just grinned and Yukari stared at him with her eyes glowing like the ones of someone who was about to die of thirst in the desert and now saw an oase right in front of her. He watched her approach, preparing himself to retreat as soon as she made any move to jump at him. But she only grabbed his shirt. "You would do that?" she asked, staring right at him.

"If you want me to," he replied with a shrug.

"And you can cook something special?" she continued, tightening the grip on his shirt even more, fearing that he would just run off and ruin all her plans. "You know, not like that what I cook to feed those two parasites over there."

"We love you, too, 'Kari," Hitomi and Millerna chirped in unison, the sarcasm that was dripping from their voices almost flooding the living room.

"If you want me to," Van repeated patiently and watched in surprise an angry flicker rush across Yukari's lively brown eyes, her brows knitting instantly.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked, growling, as if he was the reason for all of her problems, but Van simply pryed her hands off of his shirt, a smug smile playing on his lips.

"You didn't ask," he replied nonchalantly and held her hands apart, ignoring her growling and looking at Hitomi over the redhead's shoulder. "Can we go then?"

The green-eyed woman nodded with a grin and headed for the door, leaving the apartment together with Van in order to knock about the shopping mile of Fanelia.

It was late afternoon and the wet sidewalks were crowded with people, walking over the carpet of soaked leaves and their conversations mingling with the noises of the street. The dying autumn sun was sending a few weak sunbeams through the thick, grey-blue clouds that were covering the sky, indicating that rain was about to soak the earth again. A strong and cold wind was chasing along the gorges created by the skyscrapers of Fanelia, making Hitomi duck her head farther between her shoulders so that the collar of her jacket would cover her whole neck. It was cold, even for autumn.

She glanced at Van, walking calmly beside her, the wind tugging madly at the pitch-black strands of his unruly hair, and could do nothing but grin by looking at the two bags he had carelessly slung over his shoulder. A sheepish expression crept upon her face when she noticed him watching her out of the corners of his unfathomable eyes. Though they had started their shopping trip only less than an hour ago, she had already bought two bags with things which were far from being a fitting birthday present for Amano. She did feel guilty.

But why was it always like that? If she intended to buy something, she would buy everything but what she had intended to. If she wanted to buy a shirt, she would end up buying a skirt or pants. If she intended to buy shoes, she would end up buying a shirt. And if she intended to buy a birthday present, she would definitely not buy one. It was the same with the less money you have, the more you want to buy. She snorted. She did something wrong, that was for sure.

Hitomi needed all her strength to turn her head away from the shop-window they were just passing by, where the dummy wore a beautiful and wonderfully warm jacket. No, Amano would not like this jacket.

With a sigh, she hid her clammy fingers in the pockets of her jacket (which wasn't as half as warm as the one in the shop-window) and listened to the splashing noises their shoes caused on the puddle-sprinkled ground. "Did you miss it?" she asked quietly when she glanced at Van again; his eyes were sparkling a warm brown with flecks of lively red peeking from between it, just like the colourful foliage of the trees along the street created by autumn, the master of colours itself.

"Missed what?" he replied and turned to face her, black strands dancing in his view. "Fanelia? Yeah, I did miss it. Palas is totally different and somehow I never really felt at home there. The city is colder and so incredibly big that you can do nothing but feel lost. But even more I missed the people."

Looking up at him, Hitomi found him smiling lop-sidedly down at her. "Of course, who would not miss us?" she exclaimed and poked him playfully in the ribs, earning a deep and amused chuckle. "But I still can't believe that you really moved back here and didn't tell me. You tend to surprise me, Van Fanel."

"It was my pleasure," he winked at her and then sighed, broad shoulders visibly sagging and making him look somewhat despaired. "I moved to Palas to try something but it didn't turn out the way I had expected and that's the reason why I came back, I think. It seems as if it wasn't such a bad idea after all, now that you changed your mind about a...well, certain event."

She saw the warm gleam in his eyes, before she turned away to watch the street ahead, people walking busily past them and the sound of tires on wet asphalt a continuous noise. "Yeah, it was a good idea," she replied in a whisper, kicking a little stone with the tip of her shoe and watching it jump along the sidewalk. "As if you knew that I would need you. But we talked enough about my love life, really, and I feel as if I only bore you. Tell, what about you? We haven't seen each other for two years and I want to know everything about your love life!"

He looked at her and saw the well-known, mischievous sparkle in her bright green orbs. "What love life?"

"You're kidding," she stated with her hands on her hips, her brows knitted in slight anger but he just shook his head. "You're trying to tell me that Prince Charming himself had no girl-friend for the last two years? Nobody you left behind in Palas? No incredible romance? Not even a kiss?" He shook his head with every question and was visibly enjoying it, an amused grin tugging at his lips.

"What's wrong with you?" Hitomi exclaimed and stopped in front of the window of a jeweller, expensive rings and chains sparkling in the warm light of the halogen lamp in the shop-window behind her.

"Why do you think it's because of me?" he asked indignantly and spread his arms in a desperate fashion, waving her bags about.

"Oh, for I can tell that it's not because of the female beings around you!" the sandy-blonde said and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Just look! They are drooling all over the sidewalks and I would bet my head that quite some of them are stripping you with their eyes!"

"Nice try, Hitomi," Van replied and stuffed his cold hands in the pockets of his pants, his burgundy eyes never leaving her emerald ones. He didn't even glance sideways to look at the two young women who had just walked past them and had blushed at Hitomi's words, giggling all the way down the street.

"I can't believe it!" she cried in frustration, throwing her hands up and turning away from her stubborn friend. The shop-window was so much nicer to talk to. "You could have almost every woman you want and you're absolutely oblivious to it."

Silently, he joined her side and his tall figure towered above her, auburn eyes watching her profile carefully. "Maybe I don't want every woman," he replied quietly and looked at their reflections in the window, a warm shimmer illuminating their faces. "The right one just didn't cross my way yet, that's all."

The green-eyed woman stopped scanning over the golden and silver chains with amethysts and emeralds sparkling in every shape; it was a symphony of fragile forms and intense colours, unfortunately too expensive for her wallet, though it was enough to just look at it. "Gee, Van," she sighed and glanced briefly at the raven-haired man beside her, who had this seemingly everlasting aura of calmness around him, and his jaw set firmly in the stubborn way that indicated that the discussion was over for him. "You wouldn't even notice the woman that is meant for you even if she stood directly beside you."

His handsome features softened and his lips curled into a faint, sad smile when he turned to look at her, green eyes already resting on a pair of earrings again. "Oh no, I would, believe me," he whispered and it hardly reached her, the wind easily tearing the only breathed words from his lips.

And he knew that no matter how fast he ran and no matter how hard he tried, how far he could stretch out his arm, he wouldn't reach her at that very moment in time. A chasm was separating them, deeper than anyone could ever imagine, made of her own conflicting emotions and his inability for showing his affection to her. But something was hindering him from spreading his wings and just fly to her. He was trapped watching her from afar, longing for a smile, a touch of her. And that's why he kept every moment he could pretend to be near her dearly in his heart; saving them for bad times, he added bitterly.

Hitomi was just about to turn to face him with raised brows when something in the window caught her every attention, gold sparkling on smooth, black silk. "Oh my god, Van!" she cried and nearly crushed her nose at the window, trying to melt through the glass and her breaths misting it over in the process. "Look at that! Look!"

The young man smiled at her in surprise, emerald eyes as wide as saucers and glowing like those of a little child who saw snow for the first time. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, her creamy skin covered with small, red dots because of the cold wind and her hands pressed flat against the glass of the window. It was a sight that made a warmth spread through him that came from the very depths of his heart, remembering him of old times; times that seemed to belong to another life.

"This chain there, can you see it?" she asked and pointed eagerly with her index finger against the window. "On the black fabric, the golden chain with the pink and tear-shaped gem? I can't believe it! It looks exactly like the one of my grandmother! I thought I would never see something like that again! I..." she trailed off, a tiny smile playing across her lips and a warm expression dancing across her eyes.

"It's beautiful," Van replied quietly and close to her ear, his voice like a soft caress. "Why don't you buy it?"

"Haha, very funny, Van," Hitomi said and turned to glare at him, a slightly annoyed expression on her face. "How do you think am I supposed to pay it with no job and a present that is still somewhere waiting for me to buy it?"

He was just about to reply when the sandy-blonde suddenly shook her head and pressed her hands flat against his chest, shoving him away from the window and stopping him from doing something foolish without noticing it herself. Oh yes, it would have been foolish to offer her that and Van knew it. She surely wouldn't have noticed the intention behind his oh-so-unselfish offer but he would have secretly raised his hopes even higher; and the higher they were raised, the more it hurt to have them crushed again. And still he would have done it, even if it had only been for the sparkle in her eyes.

"No no," Hitomi repeated again and shook her head vigorously, shoving him far away from the shop. "I'll be strong! I can resist the urge to buy it! I don't want to ask my parents for money, no no!"

Van looked down at her with an unreadable expression on his face, strands of pitch-black hair swaying softly in the cold breeze. Yes, he would do everything for the sparkle in her eyes; if it was moving the clouds or Gaea, it didn't matter at all.

"Hey, Van," Hitomi's slightly impatient voice woke him from his thoughts, the young woman waving her hand in front of his face and making him blink away the shadow that had hooded his gaze. "Everything alright?"

"Of course it is," he replied flatly after a short moment of hesitation, and turned away from her anxious eyes, watching a torn sheet of newspaper that was twirling across the sidewalk and trying to outrun the already dryed leaves on the paved ground. The wind was roaring around the corners of the houses beside them, the noise mixing with the sound of the engines on the street and the barking of dogs that was coming from a sidestreet. "Why shouldn't it?"

"I don't know," the green-eyed woman whispered and inspected her friend's profile worriedly, delicate brows knitted slightly while trying to decipher the emotions in his eyes almost completely hidden by black eyelashes. "But you seem distracted lately, as if you were far away from here, as if something was bothering you. Is there something on your mind?"

Van lowered his head even more, glaring at the ground where the coloured nameplate of the little café at the corner of the street was reflected on the ruffled surface of a puddle. Maybe he could glare a hole into the sidewalk, a hole to swallow him so that he could escape her questions. He hated lying to her but why did she have to be so worried in the first place? If she just didn't care, he could fight these damn unspoken feelings in peace. He knew that it was going to eat him up from inside, slowly but steadily, and it wasn't as if there was anything he could do.

But before he could finish the thought and before he could even think about a reply, he was interupted by loud barking, making him and Hitomi turn around. In the shadows of the street beside them, hemmed by apartment buildings, they saw the figure of a man struggling with a dog, biting and tugging violently at its leash, the echo of the growls reverberating in the alleyway.

Hitomi didn't hesitate and ran down the sidewalk towards the man, her first thought that of helping him. He was smaller than her, short grey hair covering only half of his head, and he fought with a black dog which reached to his waist. The half-breed was showing pointed teeth, the leash trapped between them and angry growls escaping its fured throat.

"Excuse me, may I help you?" Hitomi asked when she approached, carefully so as not to irritate the dog even more.

"Oh, be careful, miss," the elder man replied, seemingly in his late fifties, his nevertheless wise eyes set on her. "Castor is quite the tempered one."

But the young woman was already about to stretch out her hand, speaking quietly and soothingly to the dog. Castor was tall, yeah. And muscular. Add impressive teeth and you had an intimidating dog indeed, but Hitomi had learned that showing fear was the worst you could do when dealing with his kind. She had learned to show respect.

Her hand wasn't even shaking when she stroked over the soft, black fur between Castor's intense brown eyes.

"Gods, Hitomi, do me a favour and get away from him," she heard Van whisper behind her, his voice strained, and she knew that he had to force himself to not simply drag her away from the dog.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," the green-eyed woman replied calmly, her hand never leaving Castor's forehead, the growls slowly subsiding. "I attended classes where they were dealing with the psychology of animals. I wouldn't be a good vet if I wasn't able to calm that dog. You should have a little bit more faith in my abilities, Van."

"You're a vet, miss?" the old man beside her asked and she nodded with a smile, slowly taking the leash out of Castor's mouth.

"Yes, I finished – oh my god, what's that?" Hitomi exclaimed softly, her eyes travelling over Castor's left hind leg. Something was sparkling between the unruly fur, something liquid. Blood. It was fresh blood, flowing out of a wound at his leg. "He's injured."

"Yes, he was probably hit by a car," the grey-haired man replied slowly. "I was just about to--"

"Hitomi, no!" Van's alarmed shout interupted him but it was already to late.

She may have had the best intentions but tell that to a furious dog with a twenty centimeter long and horribly bleeding gash at his leg. Hitomi touched the wounded limb only with her fingertips but it was enough to cause a pained howl to escape the dog's throat, his head snapping around within the blink of an eye and his sharp teeth sinking into human flesh.

With a startled yelp, the young woman stumbled backwards and stared horrified at Van who had his arm trapped between merciless jaws. He had intended to snatch her hand away from the dog, but unfortunately he had only been in time to be bitten instead of her. To his luck, Castor was as surprised as him and hastily let go off the unfamiliar thing between his teeth, retreating with a snarl.

Van immediately clutched his right hand over his injured arm and bit his lip hard to stop himself from shouting some curses that would make the deads turn in their graves.

"Van!" Hitomi breathed in shock, finally finding her voice again and leaning over to him. "Are you alright?"

His eyes snapped open and she gasped at what was hitting her with full and unexpected force; blazing, auburn anger. "Damn, no!" he yelled at her, his powerful voice echoing along the street. "A second later and it would have been you instead of me! But no, wait! I forgot your amazing abilities!"

Hitomi blinked at his outburst and then smiled softly, her muscles relaxing. The scowl on his face was just so much like him.

"But I'm not one of these people who would say 'I told you so'," he growled and glared from beneath dishevelled bangs, acting a lot like Castor only seconds ago.

"We have to bring you to the hospital, Van," she stated, green eyes worriedly fixed on the young man who was still holding his bleeding arm.

"Maybe, the practice of a veterinarian would also do," a calm voice beside them suddenly said, making them look up at the grey-haired man. "Mine is just around the corner.

[#########]







"Why do I think that he doesn't like me?" Van pondered, his head resting in the palm of his right hand propped onto the armrest of the chair he was sitting on. He was absorbed in a staring contest with the pitch-black dog who'd bitten him, narrowed brown eyes glaring back at him from behind the bars of the metal cage.

"You don't make it any better provoking him like that," Hitomi replied without looking up, kneeling beside her friend and bandaging the wound on his left arm with skilled movements.

"I didn't start," the raven-haired man countered, still staring at the dog and making Hitomi roll her forest-green eyes.

"Don't be so childish, Van," the young woman stated and tied the white bandage around his forearm. "It wasn't his fault. I scared him and the wound probably hurt like hell. You can't reproach him."

"Well, I don't bite when it hurts," Van said matter-of-factly and glanced at Hitomi out of the corners of his eyes, her rosy lips twitching lightly.

Running her fingers over the bandage, she swiftly rose to her feet and grinned down at him. "Of course, you're a good boy," she winked and stretched out her hand, stroking the silky strands gently out of his face which tended to hide his eyes, only to fondle him behind his ears as if he was a dog.

Van tensed instantly under her touch, goosebumps covering his tanned skin within the blink of an eye. He felt her fingertips graze his scalp softly and he could do nothing but exhale deeply and close his eyes. He was weak and he knew it but he didn't care. If he could have a wish granted, only one, he would wish for time to stop. Stop right at that moment, with her hand in his hair and this pleasant warm feeling pulsing in every fibre of his body. She was like a gentle breeze, able to kindle an untamable fire from a spark within him.

But he had no wish and time kept on moving, mercilessly. Time had already been passing for an eternity, and it would pass another one, the single plea of a man no reason to change that.

Hitomi retracted her hand and wandered around the examination room they were in. Closets with doors made of glass that revealed a battery of various medicines rested against the white walls, surrounding a metal table which was sparkling in the light of the lamp above their heads. While absently tracing the frames of the closets with her fingers, Hitomi studied the different pain-killers which were pushing and shoving each other on the shelves.

The quiet sound of a door opening made her look up and Van stop watching her with unreadable eyes. Paruchi Foruma, as he had introduced himself, entered with a tiny smile on his wrinkled lips, milky gloves covering his hands.

"I'll put him to sleep now," he stated and walked to the dog in the cage, brown eyes watching him warily. "A nice long sleep will do him good before the operation tomorrow."

The green-eyed woman glanced around once more, the heavy scent of desinfectant hovering in the air. "What were you doing in that street with Castor, anyways?" she asked curiously, her eyes finally resting on the man who was giving the dog an injection right then, a low growl emitting the fured throat.

"He's the dog of a good friend of mine," the vet answered and gently rubbed the place where he had set the injection. "But she fell ill some days ago and wasn't able to bring Castor to my practice. I offered to get him myself and that's when you met me."

"Hmm," Hitomi hummed and continued to stare at the grey-haired man. "And how long have you already been working here?"

"For twenty years if I remember right," he replied and straightened slowly with a sigh, more wrinkles appearing on his face when he smiled. "My father let me have the practice."

"I always wanted to work at a place like this," Hitomi smiled and rested her hand on the cold metal table. "When I was a kid, my cat fell terribly ill and my mom went to a vet in the city with me and the poor thing. I was crying the whole way there for I thought my little friend would die. But the vet just gave her an injection and some medicine and told me that everything would be alright again. I think that was the moment I decided to become a vet."

With a sympathetic expression on her face, Hitomi watched the dog fall slowly asleep, dark eyelids becoming heavy until his head rested on his paws. "And where are you working now?" Mr Foruma asked, throwing the syringe in a small basket beside the door.

"Oh, I'm not working right now," she replied and her shoulders dropped. "Unfortunately, it's pretty hard to find a job here...or better to say, a job I'd like to do."

The elder man chuckled. "You're not the only one out there," he stated and a mysterious smile played around his lips. "I was going to search for an assistant and I already expected a heap of students to apply for the job."

"You're searching for an assistant?" Hitomi asked quickly, her delicate brows raised and her eyes shining with hope.

"Yeah, I was going to because I feel that I'm slowly getting too old for all that. My mind is willing but my body not. You saw it yourself, I can't handle these tempered dogs well anymore," Mr Foruma answered with another sigh and caught Van's gaze when he looked up, the young man staring frankly at him. "But I think I already found the right one."

"Oh, you did?" the green-eyed woman said flatly, disappointment swinging in her voice, and directed her gaze to the ground. She didn't see that Van's eyes were still fixed steadfastly on the vet.

"Yes, but that's only if you want, Ms Kanzaki," he explained and watched with a grin her head snapping up, a confused expression on her face.

"What?" she blurted, eyes wide as saucers.

"Well, you can have the job right now or you can wait until tomorrow to find my announcement in the newspaper and apply then," the grey-haired man stated and shrugged, a telltaling grin tugging at his lips.

She could do nothing but grin back. She was still grinning ten minutes later, after they'd exchanged numbers and had decided to meet to have a talk about the details of Hitomi's new job. Van smiled inwardly, waiting for her skull to split from all the grinning. He was glad to see her finally happy. She had really needed a feeling of success after these last weeks of mere chaos. Her bright green eyes were shining when she shook Mr Foruma hand effusively, making the poor man fear that it would simply fall off.

The young man quietly collected her bags and jacket from where he had dropped them and waited at the door for Hitomi to finish her ritual of thanking. An amused glint was dancing within the infinity of his auburn eyes while he watched her.

"I'll see you on Monday then?" the sandy-blonde asked eagerly for probably the hundredth time in the last minutes and finally released Mr Foruma now crushed hand.

"Yes, of course," the old man replied with a patient smile and a nod, leading her to the door and the still waiting Van.

When passing the cage of the sleeping dog, she kneeled down and quickly reached through the bars, patting his head softly. She ran her fingers over the smooth fur and turned to look up at Van, a foreboding sparkle in her eyes.

"You know what?" she said and swiftly rose to her feet again, making her sandy-blond strands sway gently. "I think I now know the perfect present for Amano."

Van's dark brows were raised questioningly at her but Hitomi simply walked past him with an impish grin on her features. Calling a last goodbye over her shoulder, she waltzed down the corridor towards the door that led to the street. Van watched his princess with unreadable eyes, the young woman winking at him before her fragile form vanished around a corner. He was just about to follow her when a deep voice stopped him.

"Your girlfriend is really special," the old vet said quietly beside him, a warm smile on his face. "Keep an eye on her."

The raven-haired man's burgundy eyes met wise brown ones when he turned around, his handsome features calm and collected. He didn't blink. "I will."

[#########]

Tbc...

Enzeru no Yami: *grin from ear te ear* blimey, thank ye!!! *both blush* *they both shake hands* heh! Glad te know that ye think we make a good team (*grin* we think so too, hehe) Yeah, and you hopefully buy another ticket for the next ride of our crazy rollercoaster ^_^. Thank you!!

CharlieTheOtakuNymph: *both grinning like mad* We do feel honoured but that goes to Ryuu-girl coz she was the one writing that part *pats shoulder* we are addictive?! *wide grin* thanks fer the kind comments *blushes* Hope ye liked this one too!!

Wink 57CS: Lol, yeah that's just like Van, isn't it *both grinning goofily* But then again, it would be all too easy if he just told her (Ryuu) aah, an' I finally found out what kudos means... *sweatdrops* even though I've already forgotten it... I always widen me vocab with ye! (Dee) lol, what does it mean?? (Ryuu) eh... somethin' on the lines o' "good fer her!!"... I think ^^UU... oh well, then again, thankiez fer reviewin' so much!! ^___^

dreamingofflyingaway:
We're more interesting than Latin yay!!! But then again, almost everything is more interesting than Latin...Dee can sing a song about it... though Dee cannot sing u_u
Ryuu can't, she's escaped the curse o' Latin... *snorts* but 'as the curse o' Biochem, which sounds more or less as borin'
So yeah, we're glad we could brighten your lesson
*cackles* an' hope that can brighten many others *winks*
so, 'ere is the update ye'd asked for, even if it took us a while, we hadn't forgotten it! We could never forget!! no no!!! Enjoy! :D

Dreamboat Annie: hey giiirl!! *Ryuu hugs* glad te read yer review fer this story, an' even more glad te read that ye like it! ^_^ *Dee waves* Hiya, greetings to the other side of the world ^_^ And hah, I think Van is pretty obvious showing that he cares, it's just that Hitomi is very much blind concerning him *shakes head* Question must be, when does she finally see him?! *wink wink*

Sailor Silver Moon: *they're both speechless* *somehow they find their voices* aye aye, *both blush beyond red* *both bowing veeery deep so that their foreheads are banging against the floor* THANK. YOU! (Ryuu) Now I'm only worried that we won't live up te all the amazin' things ye said 'bout us in the review!! (Dee) Lol, yeah, you made us feel incredibly special her ^_^ (Ryuu) *rereads it an' blushes* just hope our grammar an' vocab is still with us, an' that our charas are still worth yer praises throught the whole story!
(Dee) Yepyep, that is what one is fearing the most when getting a review like that: not being able to satisfy the high (very high) expectations
(Ryuu) 'bout reviews *grins widely* I think that it's better te 'ave few good reviewers that stick te the story no matter what ^_^ coz what one enjoys is writin', an' once that's done, all the rest is a bonus te the pleasure o' 'avin' written the chapter *nods*
(Dee) As referring to a reeeeeeaaaaaaaaaally good friend: The reward of a thing well done is having done it.
(Ryuu) Yah! Ye also like sarcasm? It's addictive! (Dee) We were sarcastic?! I didn't notice that...
(Ryu) an' aye, Van is... *sighs* so glad that ye like it! *muffles giggles* (I was in some places, damsel, in Van's monologue *winks*) he truly redeems mankind...
(Dee) Lol, yeah, the monologue..*cackles* Who didn't feel like that alredy?? *drools a bucket* That darn god!!! I love him!! Give him to me!!! Give give give!!!!
(Ryuu) *drools with Dee* aye aye... an' Tomi, well, I doona think an epitome o' perfection would be credible... an' would be borin' te write 'bout... so aye, we wouldn't dream o' makin' her appear as that, no way! (Dee) Everyone has little mistakes (do you say it like that) and it's what makes everyone unique, I think-... (Ryuu) Aye aye, I completely agree! aft all, in a fic like this one, where the action is totally centered in the charas, if they don't look like real human beings, who will read?
(Dee) Wow, never looked at it from that point
(Ryuu)*grins* d'ye agree?
(Dee) Of course!!! How could I not?! Wouldn't be us crazy clones, right?! As we both are sanely insane and admit it ^_____________^
(Ryuu) lol! aye aye *bursts out laughin'* an' hope te stay like that fer many years xD ^___^ *hugs Dee rainbowishly* AYE! (Dee) *hugs back like a sanely insane bear*
(Ryuu) so, *hides under desk* sorry if the update 'as taken a while...
(Dee) *hides behind homeworks* Blame the others!!! We're absolutely innocent!!!!
(Ryuu) *sighs* we'll try te be quicker an' be good writers, but ye know how things are
inspiration comes an' goes, but teachers are always there, like a rain cloud over our heads waitin' te pour tons o' homework down on us T.T
(Dee) *stunned* What a simily!!! Tell that your English teacher and you'll get an A!!!
(Ryuu) *winks* liked it? thought it was quite accurate *sighs resignedly* no more English fer me... only *grumbles* Citology *mutters some more*
(Dee) oh yeah, sorries *sweatdrops*... Anyway, we hope you liked it again ^_^
(Ryuu) Losin' Cap'n Sparrow?? NEVER! could never ever inflict someone that pain, so doona worry *shakes head wildly* this story WILL go on!
(Dee) *grins* Another pirate fan out there!!! Sign in on Capt'n Anne's ship!! *salutes* (Ryuu) aye aye, huzzah! *takes off pirate hat* great honour te be on yer favs list ^__^ An', aft this who knows how long review reply... we say goodbye (it rhymes, heh!)
Maybe, you're going to drop anchor next chapter!!!

Starry Eyed Wonder: *both jumping at you like having gone mad* *throwing you to the ground that you can't breath anymore* AYEE!!!! Hiya thereee!!!!!! 3 teddies all together!!! *all grin that their cheeks hurt* Yesyesyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So cooooooooooooooool!!! Teddy-meeting ^_^ (p-teddy) Aaah *winks impishly* hey sis, but I *know* why ye hyperventilate ev'ry time ye read this! Van's always there te give ye CPR *bursts out laughin'* with that wonderful perspective, who wouldn't!? (d-teddy) *grins that her skull splits* Did you tell her about the apron??? *melts into a puddle of drool* (p) yah yah!! *swooooooons* an' again, b-teddy an' her deep insight in action! girl, ye must get a 10/10 in Psychology, how can ye not? I mean, aye! Comunication problems, exactly that :D (d) I think we're quite good at writing about communication problems, don't you think? (p) aye! only that Van is better than us at that communication thin', at least he can put together a few coherent words! *tears hair* (d) lol!!! Not just meaningless stuttering T^T
(p) hehehehe... a one shot? Naah... I like writin' with the damsel too much te 'ave just a short thingy written, so girl, this goes fer long! (d) Quite loooong!!! They'll have to suffer a lot *cackles evilly*
(p) hahaha *sheepish laugh* well... spent a lot o' time writin' it... I doona know the damsel, I wrote me part in an evenin' o' desperation *sweatdrops* that week was me inspiration week, Chéve followed suit *winks*
(d) *grins hard* Yeah, I need a bit longer to write my parts ^_^
*both blush* wOOw, we're then like the first chapter? Too perfect te be true :p (d) lol!!!!!!!!!!!
(p) imagine it? THe horror! one day our perfect fic disappears coz it was too good! *bursts out laughin'*
(d) And hah, I liked the b-teddies comment on Hitomi moving in Van's apartment ^_^ We talked about it but decided for her to move in with the girls...let me move in with Van!!!!!!!!!!! *grins insanely* No no, it won't disappear!!!!!!!!!
(p) lol! *grins like mad* nay nay *both hug fic madly* an', *giggles* definitely must keep hair on head, girl! what would yer bros call ye then?
(d) b-teddy...(baldhead-teddy)
(p) *falls off chair rollin' on the floor* ... *clutchin' achin' sides* omg! I'll read this review reply t'morrow aft the exam te cheer up!
(d) Is it just me or did we find some incredibly matching names? (p) we did!!! *is still roarin' with laughter* (d) me too!! boy, we're going to kill the poor girl!!! She'll die from laughing her head off!!!
(p) oh well *muffles giggles* goddesses... a pirate, a damsel an' a *bursts out laughin' again*
(d) baldhead!!! *roars wit laughter* we are some trio!!!
(p) ye doona know how flattered we felt, how happy an' how... how incredibly well yer reviews make us feel!
(d) yesyeyes!!!!! They brighten our days!!! You're our sun ^_^ (p) definitely *grins like mad*!! hope te meet ye soon 'nytime online sis, or if not I'll e-mail ye... hope tests are okay an' as ye told us, we've kept on writin'! :D yer reviews are our reward
(d) And you do, too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can't live without your stories!!!! And without your reviews!!
(p) Exaactly! So, aye aye! hope that this chapter brightens yer day as much as yers brighten ours!! ^____^
*both look guilty* an' hope ye forgive us... for we couldn't finish out reviews fer yer story *both sob at yer sleeves*... will this make ye forgive us?

Spirit0: lol, someone doesn't like Tomi and Allen be together *cackles* *grins like mad* mustn't worry, we doona like them together either ^_~ Yepyep, don't walk away from the computer again ^_^ We couldn't have let her marry him!!
(Ryuu) Seems that yer homework was really somethin'... I could tell ye a lot 'bout clouds, I visit them quite often *grins sheepishly* specially in Biochem... an' cloud number 9 has also had a few visits while readin' some ficcies o' some missies I know *hugglez damsel an' sis*
(Dee) *grins* Oh yes, cloud number nine!! LOve that one!!!!!!! And muahahaha!!! You know what "bestimmt" means!!! *pat you on the shoulder* Good!!! Lol, you once said that Socke is one of your fav words!! I'll tell you mine ^_^ It's Dudelsack!!!! *bursts out laughing* Do you like it?! (Ryuu) Dudelsack? *is clueless* (Dee) *grins* bagpipes in German. It's such a funny word ^^ (Ryuu) aaaahh *nods wildly* will end up learnin' German with ye an' choir! definitely must write down an' remember "bathroom" fer a certain summer comin' soon
(Dee) *grins hard* Though I doubt that you'll sing about Dudelsäcke in choir ^^
(Ryuu) xD me too... oh well, what were we sayin'? aah, aye
(Dee) Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *sighs in utter bliss* Can't wait for that one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Ryuu) aye aye!! *does a jig* ah, aye, Allen aaha! out o' picture, hello Van! from now on, ye won't suffer more heart attacks, Van's there fer good! or *sweatdrops* perhaps she will, Dee?
(Dee) *hugs Van* ssshhhhhhhhhhh don't spoil everything!!!
(Ryuu) nay nay! *shakes head* never that! well, 'nyway, hope ye enjoyed this lil next chapter (lil? what the heck, 'tis the longest one so far! that's what dreamiland's beckonin'hand does te me brain... *sweatdrops*)
And thanks for the review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Niffer: *grins* Glad you like the story!!! an' thanks fer reviewin'! *both grin like mad*

YumeNightDragon: Yes, we will, don't worry ^________________________^ an' thank ye!!

fireangel621: thank ye!! (oh, an' hope ye found some solution te yer problem o' yer History teacher... *grins*)

dawnsama: *pokes Ryuu* We're on an authors alert list!! really??? O_O Seems you really liked it ^_^ Thankiez!!!! *bow te floor* thanks!!!

Dee: Hope ya all liked the chapter and maybe you want to know where the poor vet got his extravagant name from
Ryuu: *bursts out laughin'* thank all mighty Compendium for that... 'tis the (odd) blend between the names o' two Zaibach sorcerers...
Dee: Yesyes, crazy us couldn't decide for one name :p
Ryuu: soo, aye, there it is *sighs* hope ye liked it! An', as we're both quite nervous fer some darn exams we 'ave t'morrow *sobs an' hugs Dee* ye'd really make our day by leavin' a nice review, savvy? *hint hint*
Dee: *sobs and hugs back* Oh yeah, would really cheer us poor girls up!!! So go go and review!!!!!! ^_^
Ryuu: so, we really hope te be able te update sooner next time, but who knows *shakes head* teachers are the ones who currently set the rules in me free time U_U
Dee: *pat pat* Poor thing...well well, would love to see you around next chapter!!!!!
Both: Bye byeee!!!!!!!!