This is my next chapter for Fallen, maybe my last. I don't know yet. I'm still thinking about a sequel. Anyway, this message is to Regno Cuore:

OH-MY-GOSH! I forgot to explain the part about the necklace, didn't I? I knew I was forgetting something. Ugh...this kind of stuff always happens to me. Good thing you told me! For the people who really, really DO like this story, thank Regno Cuore for telling me! I might now have written this otherwise! ^-^

And I sincerely, sincerely, sincerely thank everyone who reviewed. Sincerely. I can't say that enough. You all made me so happy with your reviews! That's why I now review every story I read, because reviews are an author's addiction. Lookie! I even made you all a poem:

Roses are red...and yellow...and purple...and pink...

Violets are blue...wait, I mean purple...whoever thought blue,

Reviews are good,

And you're real swell!

It was beautiful, wasn't it? Come on now, don't you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? I feel a tear coming on...*tear*

Okay...I went a little overboard. Slap me next time I do this. By the way, it's five in the morning and I haven't gone to bed yet, so if this chapter is a little funny, it was my half-asleep self.

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Fallen

Chapter 9:

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Yuffie walked along the edge of the Waterway near the secret entrance, gripping Squall's arm in case she fell in. The water which used to look dirty and reek of sewer water was now cleaned and clear, a much more refreshing sight than before.

She sat down on the edge and put her bare feet into the water. It was summer time again in the hot month of July. Eight months since Squall first kissed her, and since Damien disappeared from their lives.

Squall stood next to her and sat down by her. She dipped a finger into the water and moved it around, studying the ripples. A lot had happened since then. Cid had found himself a girlfriend, one his age. Cloud asked Aerith to marry him, and she accepted. Two months after they got married and went on their honeymoon. They came back with a tropical tan, and they were as in love as ever.

Someone even invented a way to communicate with people on other worlds. She had spoken to Kairi, and she said that Sora had found her again, and that Riku was safe on the island. She was overjoyed with the news. But it made her wonder how Sora got through the barriers, but then again, Sora could do almost anything.

Yuffie took her finger out of the water and wrapped her arms around Squall's waist, leaning against him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him lazily. The hot was affecting her speaking and her ability to move around quickly. Funny how the heat could slow everything down.

"I'm not really thinking about anything," he replied.

She gave a little half smile. "Tell me."

"I'm just happy, I guess."

Yuffie looked up into his face. "I'm happy, too."

She kissed his jaw and stood up. "Okay, let's go inside, now. It should be cooler."

The water looked welcoming, so she stepped down into it and felt a sharp pain in her foot. She gasped and sat back down next to Squall, gripping her foot.

"There's something in there," she said through gritted teeth.

"You okay?" Squall asked. He looked in the water and noticed something glinting. He picked it up and pulled it out of the water. When Yuffie saw what it is she took in a sharp breath.

"I-It's that love necklace," she managed to say. She took it out of his hands and examined it. "Where did this come from?"

"It never moved. I threw it in there on...that night."

"You told me that you knew what happened because of the necklace I was wearing," she said as a question, wanting an answer back.

Squall's face grew blank and stiff. She knew how uncomfortable he got whenever Damien was mentioned, but he was a part of their past, and your past makes up your present.

"Damien was always strange, Yuf. He was almost obsessive compulsive. All of the girls he was ever with, he made them wear a necklace like this. I never really figured it out," he said coldly. He thrust it back into the water. "Someone else can find it here. It's probably worth something."

Yuffie shuddered. For some reason, the necklace just lying in the pool of water was disturbing.

"Come on, let's go," Yuffie urged. She pulled up the bars of the secret entrance and waded into the shallow water until it was too deep for her feet to touch. She swam toward the island of land near the back and gradually, the water got shallower so she could walk to it.

She stood up, her clothes soaking wet. She took hold of her shirt and wrung it out, then her shorts. She squirmed a little. Wet clothes that stuck to her body always made her feel itchy.

Squall followed behind her, looking a little less relaxed than he had a few minutes ago.

"Here, let me help you," Yuffie said. She took hold of his shirt and wrung it out like she had hers. He just gave her a slight nod and sat down onto the cold stones.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"It's okay to be sad about it," she said as she sat next to him. "It wasn't your fault."

"Just shut up, Yuffie."

Yuffie was taken aback. He hadn't said words like that to her for a long time. She bit her lip, offended and hurt, and turned away from him.

"Fine. I will shut up then."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

She stood up and walked away from him, then picked up a few stones. She flung them into the water angrily, watching Squall out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but remember something her mother used to tell her in Hollow Bastion.

"You can't change who someone is, Yuffie, no matter how much you think you can."

Maybe Squall would always be mean to her, like that. It was just who he was. He had had it rough. But did that still give him the right to treat her that way? She sighed and threw another rock into the water, not even attempting to make it skip.

She threw in another, and another, and they all went in with a kerplunk and sank to the bottom.

She bit her lip and looked to Squall. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, staring off into space with a blank expression.

"Why are you being like this?" she asked in a sad tone. She went and stood next to him.

He gave her a sidelong glance.

"I'm sorry, I know how touchy you are on that subject."

"I'm not touchy."

"Yes you are—look, never mind."

She took his hand and squeezed it in her own. She gave him a small, apologetic smile and put a hand on his cheek. She couldn't resist...he was growing more and more dear to her by the day.

"Let's go home, okay?" she said as more of a statement. What she said surprised her. Was the hotel really becoming like her home?

She waded into the water again, still holding Squall's hand. She couldn't tell what he was feeling. He had put up his emotionless charade again.

When they got to the hotel, Yuffie let go of Squall's hand and went into the Green Room. She collapsed on the bed and moaned.

"Ugh, it is so hot today!" she exclaimed. Squall sat down on the edge of the bed and nodded.

"I know."

She propped her head up with her hand and stared at him. He was really attractive, and even after being with him for eight months, she was still caught in his eyes. They were blue, a brilliant shade that could make her stare into them for a long time.

She sat up and flicked on the radio. Soft melodies filled her ears. Hopefully it would loosen Squall up. She wanted to cheer him up.

She climbed onto his lap like a little kid would and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gave her an amused look, like saying, 'What are you doing?' She buried her head in the nape of his neck and breathed in his scent.

He put his arms around her waist and she could feel his knee moving to the beat of the song on the radio. She secretly smiled; maybe he would stop feeling sad and kiss her.

"Are you going to kiss me now?" she mumbled into his neck. She brought her head up and leaned in closer to him and pressed her lips against his, feeling warmth in her chest that spread to her fingertips.

He responded to her quickly and stroked her hair. She grinned as she kissed him and put a hand into his hair, not wanting it to end.

There was a knock on the door, and Aerith walked into the room. She hesitated and said, "Erm—is this not a good time?"

Yuffie broke off the kiss and stood up, not feeling too embarrassed. "No, what is it?"

Aerith clasped her hands together. "We made dinner, it's in our room."

Ever since they got married, Aerith and Cloud started to refer to themselves as 'we' all the time. Yuffie nodded and looked at her stomach. "Yeah, I'm starved!"

Dinner was roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Yuffie sat on the floor, picking at her food and smelling it before she hesitantly put it in her mouth.

"Yuffie, haven't you ever had roast beef before?" Squall asked, in a considerably better mood.

"No. It smells disgusting!" she said before extending the tip of her tongue to lick at it.

"Yuffie, be reasonable," Aerith said. She sat next to her with a full plate. Cloud nodded and shoveled some mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Yeah," he said around swallows, "It's good."

She gave the food one last sniff before putting the fork on her plate. "I can't. Got any chips around here?"

Yuffie stood up and started opening up cupboards and desk drawers. "I know Cloud has a secret stash in here somewhere. Where could it be?"

She found something remotely interesting. She held up a bottle of lotion that said, 'Couple Avenue, the store for lover's,' and on the bottom it said, 'Oil that warms at the touch! Rose scented.'

Aerith flushed pink and stuttered, "P-put that away...it's not mine!"

Cloud had turned bright red. Squall chuckled and shook his head and continued eating.

Yuffie put it back in the drawer, holding back her laughter.

"The junk food is down there," Aerith said, her normal color starting to return. She opened the cupboard and pulled out an unopened bag of Doritos.

"Yes! I love these," Yuffie said and crunched into a chip. She picked out one after another and munched contently.

"Chew with your mouth closed," Aerith said crossly. Yuffie raised her eyebrows.

"But I am."

"Then stop chewing so loudly."

"Sorry..." she muttered. Aerith must be getting angry over the lotion rub. She couldn't stop a grin from spreading across her face before biting into another chip.

Later that night, Yuffie lay in bed next to Squall in a tired daze. She looked at him, sleeping so peacefully. She remembered something that had been on her mind, lately. She reached out and shook his shoulder.

He yawned and opened his eyes, slightly irritated. "Huh?"

"Squall?" she asked tentatively. For awhile now, he had let her call him Squall, with the excuse that it was too tiring correcting her. She didn't buy that...she think he just wanted to give her a subtle way that said he really did lo—like her.

"Yes?"

"I have something to tell you. It's really been on my mind lately."

She paused and took a deep breath. "Squall...I..."

He seemed to stiffen. "Yes?"

"I love you."

He relaxed, and Yuffie watched in surprise as he smiled. "I love you, too, Yuf."

She sighed in relief. What had she been expecting? A frown? She gave him a soft kiss on the lips and laid her head on his chest with a content sigh and fell asleep.

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I'm done! This is definitely the last chapter. I don't even think I should have written this. And it really sucked, too. I wrote this really early in the morning when I hadn't even gone to bed yet. Usually I stay up till five or six in the morning. Now that I don't really have a plot worked for the story I had no clue what to do.

I am still considering a sequel, but if I do make one then it will be later. Right now, my head is empty. I have no clue what to write. In desperation I have started another story, called "Summer Nights." It should be up shortly.

Now...please review! Please? ^-^