Hi. I'm new. I've never written a fanfic before so I hope it's not too horrible. This is going to be Xelfi fic so if you don't like don't read... Unless you want to. Then read all you want. Ummm... Disclaimer! I have to write a disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. That's all I need to write, right?

Oh, well- story time!

Needing You By Shy Neko

Chapter one: Promise me

I still remember the day I learned Val was never going to come home again. It was in a war with a neighboring kingdom when I lost him. The two kingdoms could not come to an agreement and decided the only way to solve the problem was war. The kingdom Val and I lived in recruited all males over the age of 18, Val was one of them...

It was a slow day at the shop. I was cleaning a new shipment of vases when someone entered. He looked nervous, and I didn't recognize him as one of my customers. I noticed he was dressed in a uniform of the kingdom's army.

"May I help you?"

He fidgeted slightly, "Miss Filia Ul Copt?"

"Hai..."

"Here," he thrust a piece of paper into my hands and fled. Blinking after him I shrugged and looked down at the paper in my hands. It was an envelope. Across the front of the envelope in gold lettering and fancy script was my name. Turning it over I found the army's seal. I began to grow worried, why would the army send me a letter...? Slowly I broke the seal and removed the paper within.

I still cannot bring myself to speak of what was written on that simple piece of paper, no matter how hard I try. To say it would finalize it, end it, and I find I am unable to do so. I still have that letter...

I do not know how long I stood there in shock before I managed to come out of it enough to close the shop and sink into a chair in the kitchen. There I was once again overcome with shock. How could Val be gone? It wasn't true, it couldn't be.

How long I sat there unseeing I have no answer. What brought me back from my state of shock? Someone removing the letter from my hands. Blinking, I returned to the world. Reading the letter I could not bring myself to believe was HIM. When he appeared and why he was there was a mystery to me. I would only ask those questions later, after he had left. At that time my mind was taken up by the fact that he had my letter.

"Give.that.back." I managed to growl at him. He looked up from the letter but did not return it. "Give.it.back." I repeated. Suddenly he smiled.

"Why? You read it, didn't you? It says Val-"

"DON'T SAY IT!" I whipped out mace-sama and swung at him. He, of course, dodged.

"Yare, yare, is that anyway to act? One would think you don't care that Val's dead." I dropped mace-sama. He said it. He said-

"NO! It- It's not true! It can't be! Val- Val's not..." The rest of my words were choked out by a sob that escaped by throat. I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face as I began to sob.

Suddenly, he was there, kneeling beside me. He wrapped his arms around me, comforting me. Murmuring words I couldn't hear and stroking my hair he me rocked in his arms as I sobbed. Later, as my sobs abated, he loosened his grip, but continued to hold me. Exhausted, I allowed my head to fall to his shoulder as I leaned into his embrace. I felt him shift and lift me into arms as he stood, but I did not resist. He phased into my bedroom and gently laid me down on my bed. I opened my eyes to look at him; he was no longer smiling. Instead there seemed to be a faint expression of concern in his features as he brushed my hair away from my tear-stained face. A moment later he turned away.

"I have to go now."

Slowly drifting towards sleep I asked him something my wakeful self would be too prideful to even consider, "Will you come back?" He looked back at me, taken slightly off guard, though his eyes remained closed. "Promise me you'll visit sometime? Please?" Hesitantly, he nodded, "I promise." And then he was gone.

That was long time ago. He has yet to keep his promise. I am alone; ever since that day I've been alone. What's the point of continuing to live if I'm always going to be alone? No! I can't think that way! He promised. He promised he would come back. I will wait for him to keep his promise...

A tear slid down the cheek of a blond haired woman as she set down her pen. The tear left her face and landed on the page of the open book in front of her, slightly blurring the words written there. Glancing down at the book she closed it, then put her head in her hands, whispering a name under her breath, "Xellos..."

End Chapter One: Promise me

Chapter one all done! Though... It could be a story in its own right rather than a chapter, couldn't it? Oh, well, it's still a chapter! See? It wasn't absolutely horrid, now was it? If anyone actually likes it, let me know- I'll post the next chapter.