A/N: I know at the minute Roux's a beep beepbeep beep beep but can any of you be mad at him for long? I don't know if he's gonna stay a beep beepbeep beep beep yet, he might, but somehow I doubt it. Actually, hmmm, it'd be different to all the other Chocolat romance stories. . .
Chapter Seven: Stubborn Virgo
Roux didn't come back by nine, so you climbed on his boat and seperated it from the others, and quietly slid down the river, unnoticed.
After two days you were beginning to get bored, there was nothing to do on the boat alone, apart from watch the banks go by and play your guitar, which began to feel like a chore as you wanted to do something different. You weren't looking foreward to maybe another week alone on this boat, you didn't want to swim or make music. You tried to sleep to pass the time, but you always woke before you wanted to, and your dreams were filled with Roux, and Vianne. You caught a few fish which you cooked over Roux's small gas stove to eat for supper, and over the time you were sailing alone, ate evrything that Roux had on the boat.
Sometimes you cried, cried and cried, thinking about Roux, and thinking about Vianne. You sometimes let the anger bubble up inside you, for what purpose you didn't know, while other times you tried to quiet it, which didn't really work either, so most of the time you felt depressed, tearful, and tired.
It didn't take a week to get back to your family. It took nearly two, but you did find them. One morning when you stood on deck, looking into the bright sunlight ahead of you, you saw boats moored to the bank, so you sailed over, and it was them.
"Father!" you call as you enter his boat, after docking Roux's. Your father looks up and smiles as he sees you, taking you into a strong embrace.
"Why are you back? We didn't think we'd see you again," he says.
"Roux left me, he said he was going back to say goodbye to Vianne, but when he didn't come back to the boat I went into the town and saw Vianne lead him upstairs in her shop. So I took his boat and sailed home to find you. I've missed you so much."
"Come on, he didn't leave you, you left him, and I'm proud you had the strength to. Bion has missed you, he doesn't tell anyone but he's been different for weeks since you left," your father says. Bion. What were you going to say to him? He had been right. Maybe he had his own experience with this. You draw back from your father, and go to look for him. He had already seen you go to see your father, and was waiting for you to return. As you step onto the bank you see him, and go over.
"Bion, you were right," you say, tears welling up inside you again. "We can't trust other gypsies, we can't trust anyone." Bion took you into his arms and held you for a moment.
"It's alright, I knew a stubborn Virgo like you would have to see things for yourself before you'd believe them," he says, you laugh and prod his ribs playfully.
"Bion," you begin, not sure how he's going to take this. "I will always have feelings for you, but I can never love you." He laughs and you feel surprised.
"Well that's good," he replies. "While you've been gone I've fallen in love," you want to know more. "We passed a big town a couple of miles back, you probably saw it yesterday, and we picked a girl up there, Célina. I just know she's the one for me, we're so similar, she's Virgo, and I'm Pisces, were so compatible, and she's so kind and loving, and gentle and romantic. People always say gypsies don't fall in love, not when they fall so quickly, but I don't think I'm not in love."
"Oh, Bion," you say, coming out of his arms. "I'm so happy for you. You must take me to meet her!" Bion guides you through the boats until you come to his, where a girl is sitting, she has long, wavy, black hair, and beautiful, deep, brown eyes, eyes just like Roux. You push him out of your mind, you can't go weak whenever you see brown eyes, most of the population have them. She's wearing traditional townspeople clothes, and she stands up when you enter with Bion and hugs him.
"Célina, this is a friend of mine, she's been like a sister to me since I came here, she's taught me everything I know about the stars and life," Bion says. You hold out your hand for Célina's and she gives it to you, you turn her hand palm up and study the features for a moment. She looks at Bion, interested.
"You're very compatible," you say, letting go of her hand.
"See? She knows everything, she can tell everything by hands and the stars."
"I love it when people say nice things about me," you smile, and settle yourself down, ready for a long conversation with Bion and Célina in the boat.
You've spent a few hours with Bion and Célina, and it's beginning to get dark, most of the family are back from the town, and happy to see you home. Marella hugs you like you're her life source, and you happily sit down around a bonfire, cooking food, playing music and talking. Marella hasn't let you out of her sight, and Bion and Célina are with you too, Célina and Marella are already getting on like a house on fire. There's so much laughter and happiness, that you've completely forgotten about Roux. Until now. He slowly creeps back into your mind, and you desperately push him out of it, trying to concentrate on Marella's vivid storytelling. You can't do it. He's always there. People say it takes time to get used to change, and you guess it'll take you a while or so to forget him, but you're sure you will do it eventually, he will no longer have a place in your heart, or your life, or anyone else's life here, he's gone, and he's not welcome back. Marella notices that you're deep in thought and pauses her storytelling.
"Are you alright?" she asks. "Are you thinking of Roux?"
"Yes," you admit. "I think it'll take me a while to forget him." Marella puts an arm around you.
"That's fine," she says. "He's not coming back, we'll never see him again, so just forget him. You're with us, and we're never going to let you go, because we all love you so much."
"Oh Marella," you sob, putting your arms around her and crying into her shoulder, she notions for Bion and Célina to leave you for a moment, and they do, disappearing into the family, singing, dancing and laughing.
