"Rue..."

"Hnn...?"

"You're smiling again."

A pair of chocolate eyes blinked in response. The boy, apparently named Rue, turned away from the windowsill and towards the female speaker behind him "Huh?"

The brunette woman giggled and smiled demurely at him, "I said you're smiling again."

Once again, the boy, only a few years younger than the woman, could only blink in response. "I don't...understand. After three years of searching... I found a way to get you back...I'm happy...so...why...why wouldn't I smile?"

She sighed and walked over to the kitchen, taking out various ingredients for supper. She was silent as she worked and Rue figured he wasn't going to get an answer from her until she put down the pot she was holding and looked over at him meaningfully.

"You...probably wouldn't remember...it has been three years for you and to me...well...it only feels like two weeks." The woman sighed again as she walked the few steps needed to enter the living room to sit next to Rue. She looked at his white hair thoughtfully, no longer covered by the olive green hat she had made for him so long ago... even if it only felt like a few months to her.

"Claire?"

Turning her attention away from the younger boy, Claire looked upwards towards the ceiling. "You know...when I first found you lying in the snow...two... no wait... five...five years ago." She frowned as she corrected herself, obviously still unused to the drastic time change in which she had been deceased. She continued, "Five years ago... I found you unconscious in the fallen snow... I took you into my house because I couldn't bear see a life so young end so tragically."

She gave him a sideways glance, "Back then...when you first gained consciousness... you were quite the sullen muted boy... It took about half the year to finally get you to talk to me. But even after another year and a half...no matter what... you... never smiled."

"But!" Rue held out a hand to stop her and she gently placed her hands on top of his.

"I know...I know that you were happy...and I was too. I knew that even if you never smiled, you loved it here as much as I did. That's why I just find it amazing to see you smile... I find her amazing..."

"Her?"

"She was a sweet little thing... very energetic and free spirited. She visited me for a bit before you did... we did have a pleasant talk even if I knew not who she was... and she... well... she made sure to tell me just how much trouble you went through to find Valen's [relic] so you could revive me..."

'Elena?' Rue's mind asked himself as Claire continued with her narrative.

"When our short conversation had ended... she looked me over once...and then gave a strange sort of smile as she said, '...Claire... you were worth it.'"

The brunette woman suddenly laughed, "At first... I thought she meant the effort... but after Mira and Elena explained who she was -that girl never really introduced herself to me- I understood."

'Not Elena then... Maya...?' Rue's mind was confused beyond confusion.

"And ever since we moved back here... I saw something changed in you... you were lighter... freer... you smiled. And at once I knew it had to have been that spunky girl's influence..."

"...Did Elena and Mira tell you her name?" The boy next to her asked, still baffled by the identity of this mystery girl.

"Oh? I figured you would know better than anyone else...ah let's see... her name was... uhm... M...Mint? Yes, that sounds right. Mint."

Rue's mind locked in on two words that Claire had spoken, 'sweet...and... Mint', before chuckling deeply. "Mint...sweet?" He gasped, still chortling.

Claire looked absolutely bewildered for a moment before a soft smile graced her lips. "You've never laughed before either... She did something in a few weeks that I couldn't do in two whole years... truly amazing...that girl." There was a slightly melancholy note in her voice.

"Claire..."

"Oh don't you worry... I'm happy more than anything else." Claire flashed him a smile before getting up from the couch and walking halfway towards the kitchen.

"Say Rue..."

"Hm?"

"Why don't you take a nice little trip?"

"Huh? Where to?" He asked, the conversation sounding strangely familier.

She looked back at him with a sort of mischievous grin that was so very un-Claire like... and so very... "You've never been to East Heaven before...have you?"

He blinked... wasn't East Heaven...

"There a ship leaving to there at 9 o clock today." She was already pushing him towards the door as she spoke.

"But...that's in 10 minutes! I can't pack that qui-" He stopped short after stumbling over something...his bag...filled with clothes. He gave Claire an accusing look to which she returned a masked look of innocence...that was also very un-Claire like.

"But my Arc Edge...!" Rue cried out desperately...something about going to East Heaven didn't sit well with him... the mere thought of it made his heart feel... funny.

"Newly sharpened." Claire grinned, pointing to the corner of the little house where the blade stood proudly, looking new as ever.

"I... I don't have a-"

"Ticket?" She asked sweetly, handing him a piece of paper and some extra money for meals.

"What's all the commotion?" A voice interrupted Claire's unsuccessful attempts to shove Rue out the door.

Claire was the first to react to the voice, sending the youngest member of their little family a warm smile. "Your brother is going to take a nice little trip to East Heaven."

"Cool! Where's that? Can I go too?" The little boy asked excitedly as the elder two began their struggle once more.

Claire shoved her hand over Rue's mouth before he could agree, giving the youngest a sad smile, "Oh Ruenis... of course you can go... It's just too bad my dinner for two will be wasted though...and I did make your favorite dish..." Rue looked at Claire in surprise...everything up to this point seemed like an elaborate scheme to get him to East Heaven... perhaps he was not the only one Mint had influenced...

Ruenis looked at Rue's face, then dinner, and then Rue's face once more before waving cheerfully, "See ya bro!"

Giving Rue a real Claire-like smile, Claire asked, "Now is there anything else?"

"I uh..." 'I want to go.' Rue was surprised at the thought. That funny feeling in heart was... excitement... he realized. A feeling that had laid dormant since his days of [relic] hunting... But his logical side couldn't help but quip, "There's...only 5 minutes till 9."

The older woman gave him a quick hug and placed his green cap on his head before opening the door. "Then you better start running." He glanced at his adoptive elder sister and then at his adoptive younger brother before flashing them both a large smile and dashing out the door into the night, feeling more alive than ever before.

A/N: Ohoho...forgive any mistakes I've made...It's been a while since I've been obsessed with the game which was when I thought up this fic premise. Actually...I thought this story up because in the game, you see Mint smile and frown and smirk but Rue's expression never changes (Maybe cause he's a doll? hmm..) But at the end of the game...sure Rue cried...but he didn't smile...which was weird in my opinion cause he should be happy...so that's the reason for this fic.

Sorry for the ooc-ness, yes, I know Mint is a spoiled brat but I think her relationship with Prima doll shows that she can be a softie. Speaking of which, I thought I would write a short fic about Mint and Claire's meeting...it would answer what exactly Claire understood but never chose to expand on when she was talking to Rue in this fic. (Fyi, Rue didn't notice that she never expanded on it cause he was too confused.) But yeah, I would've included that in this fic but it just didn't seem to fit. Anyway...hopefully you liked it and hopefully you'll review?

Edit: Thanks to Josh for pointing out my mistake with Ruenis' name. I fixed it now. Sorry...but it has been awhile since I last played it... ehe.