Raspberry Heaven

'Time Lapse'

"Alright then. Let's begin."

A large hand came down gently but swiftly, striking the top of the timer and setting off a steady click, click, click rhythm that would last another hour and a half.

"...Um..."

"Don't be shy now." Steady eyes peered at her from across the desk, sheltered behind tiny specs that perched on the doctor's nose. "Pick up from where we last left off, Kairi."

Another moment's hesitation passed by before Kairi raised an eyebrow, staring at the ceiling from her position on the low-seated sofa. I bet that if I try hard enough, I can make all those little dots on the ceiling turn into shapes and animals.

"Well..."

A whale...

A bunny...

"I guess that was really..."

A spider...

"The last time I saw her."

Not a spider...

"Yuffie, I mean."

A tarantula.

x x x

"Holy SHIT!" A customary silence fell over the front of the restaurant, the lone waitress present looking up from her tables as pots, pans, and plates clattered to the floor from the kitchen.

"That's not a fucking spider! It's a fucking tarantula!"

"Cloud, calm down."

"AHHHHH! KILL IT, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

"Cloud--!"

"Eeeeee!"

"Put it down, Cloud, you'll break--!"

"Fuck!"

Smash. Shatter. Bang.

"THAT IS IT! Out! Get OUT! You're FIRED!"

"I'm not fired, you pompous sonuva--"

"Don't you even--"

That was standard procedure in the Eclipse. And Aerith knew that in five minutes Leon and Cloud would have everything patched up between them and all would be back to normal. No, it wasn't this that worried her. This never worried her. The thing that worried Aerith was Yuffie, bursting into the restaurant, clad in a pair of worn jeans and a baggy orange sweatshirt, striding determinedly toward the kitchen.

Not even a hello...?

"Don't even tell me. Kairi's called in sick today, hasn't she?"

"Yep."

"And don't even tell me. You're mad at me, aren't you."

"Yep."

Cloud stood in front of the massive stove in the kitchen of the Polar Eclipse, spatula in on hand as he prodded at the pancakes on the pan experimentally. Off to the side was Leon, leaning against the wall and pretending to read the newspaper. Damn faker. He's listening to every single word I'm saying. And really, he was. Not even Leon was in a sad enough state to be reading the tiny little newspaper Destiny Islands had going for it.

"And you too, Leon? Do you think I'm--?"

"Yes."

"UGH."

"To give your ego a rest, Yuffie, Kairi actually did sound sick on the phone." Flip, flip, flip. One hand on his hip and the other busy flipping pancakes, Cloud let out an exasperated sigh. "You honestly think that her world revolves around you?"

"Could you knock it off already?! It was an accident."

"You don't accidentally destroy some little girl's heart, you frigid bitch!"

"Yeah?! Well you don't exactly go telling her to go profess her fucking love to someone who doesn't even want it in the first place, either!"

"You led her on, didn't you?!"

"I swear, if you don't shut up I'm going to--"

"What, are you going to tear up my feelings with a pair of rusty scissors and eat them too?!"

"No, but I'll gladly take that stupid spatula and ram it so far up your--"

"And we're done now." Leon stepped forward, whacking Cloud with a rolled up newspaper and giving them both a rather weary and exhausted look. Yuffie glared and crossed her arms, Cloud sniffed and turned back to his stove and everything appeared to be... Horribly and utterly wrong. Leon felt that he should have seen it coming. By letting Yuffie go to meet Rinoa and by letting Cloud have the chance to talk to Kairi one-on-one and fill her mind with all his crazy romantic thoughts, there could only have been disaster.

The kitchen was eerily silent for several minutes, the only sound coming from the occasional schhht-flop of Cloud flipping pancakes. Yuffie seemed to have her gaze fixed steadily on a wall and Leon seemed to be mentally debating whether or not he really wanted to ask her to go back to work. It wasn't really fair to Aerith and Tifa to have to do all the work, after all...

"Yuffie, maybe you should go see if anyone out front needs a refill of--"

"I quit."

"...What?"

"I'm quitting. I'd like to give you two weeks' notice, but this is all you get. I'm done. I'll see you later."

And just like that, Yuffie brushed through the beaded curtain of snowflakes, intent on leaving the restaurant for the last time in one final burst of a temper and a fed-up attitude. But the rustle of beads clicking against one another brought about the warning that someone had a different idea. Pushing through the front door of the Polar Eclipse, not even daring to look back, Yuffie could only glare as she heard the footsteps behind her.

"Yuffie--"

"Cloud, could you just GO AWAY?!"

"Um..." Rinoa blinked back at her in confusion, Yuffie's mouth hanging open. ...Well. That was... possibly slightly uncalled for.

"Sorry. I thought you were... Yeah."

"Yuffie, wait."

"Mm?"

"What is going on with you?" Rinoa simply shook her head and gave Yuffie a look of simple disbelief. It was either disbelief because Rinoa couldn't believe Yuffie could be so dumb... or it was disbelief because Rinoa... well... because Rinoa couldn't believe Yuffie could be such a bitch. Not much of a difference between the two, but a difference nonetheless.

"I mean... Okay, explain this to me. You say you really love me and care about me, but you lock yourself in your room after a little outburst that this girl overheard. This girl who you say you don't love, but... I'm just not getting it. Run it by me again, would you?"

"Cut it out, Rinoa. There's nothing to explain. Some things just get really fucked up and there's nothing you can do about it."

Yuffie started walking again, sharply turning her back on Rinoa and starting off once more down the road, hands in the pockets of her jeans and walking like nothing would get in her way. And anything that did? Well, it would hopefully rest in peace after meeting a rather gory end.

"But there is something you do about it!" Rinoa refused to be dismissed that easily, tagging along as Yuffie walked along, her hands waving in the air as she frantically tried to get her point across. "God, Yuffie! That girl is at home crying because of you and you know it! You messed up, okay. Wait, no, alright. You really fucked up. Big time. But you can fix it..." But Yuffie kept right on walking and Rinoa practically had to jog to keep up, letting out an exasperated sigh and asking, "Why did you just quit your job?"

"Because I'm not staying here." A bus stop was where Yuffie finally slowed to a halt, her gaze firmly situated somewhere off in space, hovering just above the ground and just below the sky. That was where she would wait. And apparently, that was where Rinoa would wait with her.

Whether she liked it or not.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"...Sooo, where are you going?"

"I don't know. Somewhere really fucking cold."

"Oh. Well that's nice."

"Mm."

"Yuffie."

"What."

"It's okay to feel that way about her... I'm not mad or anything. Actually, I'm really happy for--"

x x x

"Hey-hey!"

Kairi stood blinking confusedly at the absurd sight before her, doorknob clutched in one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of her completely-too-pink bathrobe. What the hell...?

"Well are you gonna let me in or what?" Cloud asked, his eyes pleading and his mouth tugging downwards into a small pout.

"My parents aren't home, Cloud. If they found out--"

"Then they'd think you were straight and they'd be more delighted than you could imagine. Look, I brought soup!"

"...Well, I was sort of hoping that was what was in the thermos you were clutching..."

Moving in as Kairi stepped aside for him to do so, Cloud laughed and waved one hand carelessly in the air, dismissing the idea with a sarcastic "Yeah, I spiked it so you're gonna get totally sloshed tonight, Kairi-baby!" After a pause, Cloud blinked and added, "These words? They get repeated to no one."

Kairi simply smiled, rolled her eyes, and led Cloud into the kitchen. After spending fifteen minutes drooling over her mother's cooking utensils, Cloud finally managed to get the soup from thermos to pot with very little trouble. And as an unnaturally tempting aroma drifted upwards from the kitchen, Kairi did exactly as Cloud had ordered her to right after he'd finished admiring an assortment of spatulas.

She sat in her bed, covers pulled up to her chin, look rather pathetic and sad, really.

"Heeeere we go! Soup is here and you've got choices, choices, choices! Granted, these are all from your fridge, but I'm sure it's legal for you to have a little wine as a pick-me-up..."

"Cloud...."

"Haha! Kidding! See? It's grape juice! And then there's apple juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, strawberry-kiwi... It's amazing how many types of juice you've got in that fridge of yours! You should really have a look at 'em!" This was received by a rather blank stare from Kairi that, if put into words and phrases, would have probably assembled something wavering between 'You're completely insane and I don't know why you're in my bedroom' and 'I'm too exhausted to deal with this, but I'm wondering if I have the heart to kick you out.'

After realizing that it was going to be difficult to pull laughs out of Kairi that night, Cloud let out a small sigh and set the table-tray full of food down on the bed, perching on the edge beside it. It was then that he realized that he'd never been in a girl's room before. ...Whoa.

The posters of rock, pop, and alternative singers adorned the walls, of course. Stacks of CDs, rows of DVDs, an open closet full of clothing. Book shelf overflowing with book after book, glow-in-the-dark stars tacked up on the ceiling, stickers plastered all over the back of the door, stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, throws... and so many shoes.

Of course, it was then that Cloud realized that his own room was no different from a girl's room. And somehow he wasn't really surprised. Well that just sucked the fun right out of it, dammit.

...Back on track now.

"Kairi... Are you okay?" Cloud shifted slightly on the bed, trying to get a better look at Kairi's face, but failing anyway. Bangs slid easily down over her face as Kairi lifted the tray of food and gently set it in her lap before quietly stirring the bowl of soup with the little silver spoon that had been laid neatly beside it. It took a few moments, but finally Kairi raised her head from the tray of food and offered Cloud a little smile.

"Yeah. Little sick, but..."

"I'm not that uninformed, thank you. I know about what happened last night."

"...Does the whole world know?"

"Just the world that needs to." Cloud grinned feebly and shrugged, drumming his fingers against the quilt that covered the bed. He should have been used to it by then... comforting girls, that is. But something felt different here. Normally the situations were silly stupid things that just upset girls for no reason. It was easy to console them... just make them laugh and they would get over it, right? But this was different. This was a real problem. And Cloud... didn't really know what to do. "But are you alright? I mean..."

Come on, think here... I can do this...

"Kairi, the things Yuffie said... She didn't mean them. You know that."

"She's allowed to say and think and feel whatever she wants. If she doesn't feel the same way then I respect that." Kairi looked pointedly at Cloud, suddenly striking him as being outrageously mature and controlled for a teenager. ...Jeeze. That's just damn unnerving. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Thankfully, it didn't. And Cloud continued to plow ahead at full force as best he could.

"Aww listen to you! You're talking crazy now, all weird and psycho-analyze-ie! You must really be sick, huh?"

"I guess."

"...Kairi, Yuffie cares about you. I don't know if you-- if either of you-- know it or not, but she does. I think she's just wondering if she really wants to get involved any further. I mean.... It was just that Rinoa..." Cloud tried frantically to keep his hold on the small ledge he'd found in his train of thought, but already he was rapidly starting to slide down the metaphorical ski slope. Well damn. Just damn. But slip as slide as he might, Cloud wasn't going to give up. "Everything just sort of happened at the wrong time in the wrong place."

And evidently, Kairi wasn't going to give up either.

"This soup is really good."

"Really? Thanks!" Cloud beamed with pride, just about to launch into the nitty-gritty details of soup preparation before.... ...Oh, hold on... "...Wait a minute, was that a feeble attempt to change topics?"

"...Maybe?"

"That's such a straight girl thing to do. I expected better from you." Unable to keep it in any longer, Kairi burst into laughter, causing the tray in her lap to jostle slightly and nearly tip over the glass of orange juice resting on top of it along with the soup. Cloud simply grinned and chuckled, blue eyes gleaming with accomplishment. "Good, good! Laughing is good! But if you told me what it was you were thinking, I guarantee you that you'd feel ten times better."

"I don't even think I really know what I'm thinking." Upon receiving a puzzled glance from Cloud, Kairi shot him an apologetic smile before shrugging. "No idea... just sort of this icky feeling that doesn't really sting or hurt like it did last night. It's just sort of... there."

"Kairi, do you think I have a chance with Leon anymore?"

...Who's changing topics now, Cloud?

"Ah... um... I... don't really know... Maybe he's just--"

"Because sometimes things just don't work out." Cloud bit down hard on his bottom lip a moment before hesitantly continuing, "Because maybe it's not that they weren't supposed to happen. Maybe we're all supposed to be together and be happy, but we're not. And maybe that's just the way it's going to be. Do you believe that? Would you believe that?"

And when Kairi thought about it... when she really, truly thought about it... all she could do was frown slightly and give a small nod.

"...Damn. I was sort of hoping you wouldn't." Well, I think she should know. ... I think she has to know. Cloud paused a moment and took a deep breath, steeling himself for the inevitable."Yuffie quit."

"What?"

"She quit her job at the Eclipse."

"Why?!"

"I don't know. She's being stupid."

"But... Well, where's she gonna work now??"

"...I..." Hmm... "Um..." I hadn't thought of that... "Not sure. If she can't find a job and gets kicked out on the streets, she had it coming."

"But Cloud..." Kairi's eyes turned to him then, large and pleading and simply begging for an explanation that just wasn't there. "She's our friend. We can't just let her do something dumb like this..."

"Hon, you don't know Yuffie like I know Yuffie. I know you want to believe she's smart enough to do the right thing, but... Really, none of us are." Cloud gave Kairi what he had hoped would be a reassuring smile, but it fell flat and came off as being sad instead of inspiring. "She's made a lot of mistakes and a lot of people have, in turn, made mistakes that turned out to have pretty nasty consequences for her. It's no one's fault though, Kairi. Some things just... happen."

And then Cloud was floored as he realized one very small little detail that really just shot the life out of his little fragile heart.

"Aww, Kairi... Don't cry!"

"I'm... not crying..."

"...You're making me cry!"

"Y-you're not supposed to b-be crying... You're the damn boy!"

x x x

While some of the inhabitants of Destiny Islands had curled up on themselves, wallowing in their own seemingly sad little existences, others had not. As Cloud had so plainly put it, some things just happen. And it just so happened that while Cloud and Kairi were bawling and laughing and choking and trying in vain to cheer each other up, one particular girl sat in one particular little boat by one particular outcropping island.

And she thought she was alone.

It was because she thought that she was alone that Yuffie decided to think in the first place.

Okay...

Rinoa has a right to live her own life. They're her choices and I don't control them. Yeah... Okay...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Yuffie screamed until her voice cracked sharply, her throat searing with the sharp burn that can only be caused from ripping vocal cords to pieces... all just let loose a little pent up frustration. Fingers clutched at her hair, her eyes blocked out the fading sunlight, her breath came out ragged and her mind was reeling and jumping, teasing her with its fragmented little musings.

'Yeah, Rinoa made a little mess up. But she's made up for it. She's happy where she is. Look at you.'

"I'm happy..."

"Like hell."

"Huh?!"

The girl who thought she was alone was in for a nasty little shock as she opened her eyes, nearly blinded by the last glimmer of sun as it hung just above the horizon. Blinking several times to fix her frazzled vision, Yuffie was finally able to decipher the shadow blocking out the sun.

"You sure aren't very good at hiding with all the screaming and everything," Rinoa said, unable to keep a smile off her face. There she'd been, walking along the shore of the tiny little island, convinced that it was just some stupid wild goose chase that Leon had sent her off on. Heh. And if I hadn't been worried about being secretive, I could've used this little dock and found her right away. Imagine that.

"Don't you have a baby to be taking care of?" Yuffie asked sourly.

"Cloud's taking care of Ryo. It's what we pay him for."

"He's not a damn babysitter! He doesn't have to do that for the money!"

Rinoa frowned slightly, casting a puzzled glance over Yuffie. "Yuffie, we pay him, but he doesn't do it for the money. He does it because he's my friend and I ask him to. Besides, he's good with kids."

"Cloud?"

"Yeah. I think it's because they have similar thinking patterns or something."

Just as Rinoa had hoped, her statement drew a small giggle from Yuffie, loosening the tension in the air between them. Swinging her legs over the side of the dock, Rinoa sat down and was content to simply lounge there and admire the sun that hung just above the water, orange and red streaks jetting out in all directions as it began it's eternal downward descent. She was content, yes, but only for a moment.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on? Cloud said..." Interrupted by a snort of disdain from the skinny girl being bobbed up and down in the boat below her, Rinoa let out a wisp of a sigh and shook her head before shooting Yuffie a cold stare, one she'd obviously picked up from Leon. "Yuffie, what are you doing?"

"I don't know."

The answer wasn't enough to satisfy Rinoa and Yuffie knew it. There were some things that one was simply expected to know. For example, if a person was asked why they suddenly chose to quit their job and simply give up on life in general... well, they'd better have a damn good reason. As far as Yuffie could see, she had no reason, good or bad. So she simply did the best she could. She thought out loud.

"...Remember when we used to be afraid of stupid things? Like hearing noises when we were all alone or walking across the hallways in the dark? ...It feels like I'm starting to miss being afraid of those. Instead I'm afraid of losing people forever. I'm afraid of hurting her so much because I already have..." Yuffie's nails scratched idly at the flecks of paint that had chipped off of the old wooden boat, giving Rinoa a wry grin, but refusing to raise her head. "Kinda dumb, but I'd give anything to have my pathetic little kid fears back."

Rinoa shook her head and suddenly leapt to her feet, her dainty hands making tight fights at her sides and she exclaimed, "Yuffie, you can still fix it! I don't get how quitting your job is going to do any of the fixing... But I'm sure--" She was cut off again by something Yuffie uttered, but it was washed out by her own voice and the lapping of the ocean waves against the bottom of the dock "What was that?"

"I said 'please stop.'"

One look at Yuffie and Rinoa blinked before her shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. This was just too hard... this was just too strange. Yuffie was never one to stew in her own bad situation. No, it was Yuffie who was supposed to leap into action and cheer the rest of the world up. Yuffie... who was always supposed to merrily volunteer to carry the world on her shoulders. So what had happened? What had gone so wrong that Yuffie's back and been broken and nothing, absolutely nothing would rest on her shoulders anymore without causing her to wail?

It was melodrama. That was the only explanation. And it was pissing Rinoa off.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not asking for your help, Rinoa! You mess things up too, remember? You mess up really bad! I don't want your stupid help!"

Rinoa pouted, staring at the weathered planks of the dock. Yuffie scowled, staring at the old floor of the boat she sat in. Neither wanted the other to say anything, but neither really felt like saying much either. But Rinoa was hell-bent on kicking Yuffie back into the old girl she'd known. She fished around in the large pocket of her duster a moment before pulling out a small wrapped object and tossing it easily towards Yuffie who simply held out her hands and caught it with ease.

"...Here," Rinoa said, watching as Yuffie carefully and slowly unwrapped the little package, a numb look on her face. Cocking her head to the side, she could only gape at the small yellow fruit as Rinoa continued. "I heard about them a few months ago."

"What am I supposed to do with a paopu fruit?"

"I don't know. Share it with someone special." Rinoa gave the other girl a small smile. She watched Yuffie closely, seeing the fingertips dance over the lightly fuzzed surface of the fruit, pulling gently at the green stem and leaf that still clung to the top. Around the five pointed edges, up and over the slight dips and bumps, taking in every detail as though it was the most critical piece of art on the face of the earth, one that had to be experienced over and over again to be fully understood.

And then Yuffie cradled the paopu lovingly in one hand... before reeling that very hand back as far as it would go and flinging the fruit straight into the ocean.

"..."

"..."

"Well that's nice. That's productive." Even Rinoa had a breaking point with her patience and things had certainly pushed and stabbed at this point. By then it was not only broken, but it was severely shattered. She shook her head and simply turned away, ready to just storm out of Yuffie's life again if the other girl was insisting on acting like such a baby. But there was one thing that kept her rooted to the spot. One thing that still pulled at Rinoa's heart in such a way that she'd never be able to desert Yuffie like she really wanted to.

"...Yuffie? What...?"

"..."

"Hey, hey, stop crying..."

"..."

"Yuffie..." Rinoa cautiously stretched one leg out and tapped the inside of the boat with her foot, checking to make sure she wouldn't end up flipping both of them over into the water if she tried to get in. Hoping it'd be good enough, Rinoa slipped into the boat, stilling as it bucked and jolted under the added weight and change in balance, but finally calming down back into a gentle swish and sway that went along with the ocean waves.

"Listen, I know you're not happy... And I know that it's probably mostly my fault, but... Yuffie, doing this to Kairi isn't doing anyone any good. You're only hurting both of you..." She reached out a hand to try and comfort Yuffie. There was nothing else she could do but try, in this case. And really, the only other thing she could ever do was just to hope the trying would work.

But it didn't. Not that time.

"That's why I--"

x x x

"...Or at least, that's what I've been told."

Kairi was no longer seated on the overly cushioned sofa. She stood off to one side of the room, running her fingers over the spines of the many books lining the shelves of the bookcases lining the office. It was one of those places that just had bad news written all over, really. One of those places that, the very moment you set foot in it, just bored you straight out of your mind. And then some.

"Alright. That's fine, just fine. But how does this make you feel, Kairi?"

Blegh, there he goes again.

"Well, I guess it makes me feel lifeless, Doctor. Truly it does. I believe I am invisible and unloveable. The fact that Yuffie left me so long ago-- nearly three years, sir-- the fact that I was deserted at such a vulnerable state, having just discovered my sexual orientation..." Heaving a dramatic sigh, Kairi splayed a hand over her heart and continued solemnly. "It simply tears me to pieces. I believe it is this one event that leads most to my troubled life today. I have a low self-esteem and often find myself wallowing in self pity. In fact, just the other day I contemplated suicide after getting two abortions and running into my mother who'd left my father when I was three, as you know."

Eyes nearly popping out of his head as he scribbled furiously away at his notepad, the man seated behind the desk nodded frantically, questioning, "And where was this, Kairi? Where did you meet your mother? The carousel by your grandfather's grave? Was that it? You said you go there quite often..."

"No, no, Doctor. Actually, it was just outside the supermarket."

"The supermarket??"

"Yes, the supermarket."

"Do you hold any resentment to supermarkets lately as a result, do you think?"

Kairi let out a small gasp of surprise and turned away from the books suddenly, her mouth forming a perfect little 'o.' "I think you may be right! Why, I'd never realized it before, but I am afraid of the produce section in the store! I can't believe I'd never thought of it!"

With a resounding 'ding!' the alarm on the desk went off, the psychiatrist quieting the shrill ring with another tap of his hand on the button. Smiling and nodding all the while, he said, "This was an excellent session as always, Kairi. It never ceases to amaze me how open you are to professional care. Certainly a nice break from many of my other patients. I look forward to next week's session... a... Wednesday? The third? Does that work for you?"

Kairi nodded, gathering her coat, hat, and purse from where they'd sat discarded for the past ninety minutes. With a sweet smile, she nodded happily before slipping the black suede cap over her auburn hair.

"I think that will work just splendidly, Doctor. Thank you so very much."

"Always a pleasure, Kairi. See you next week."

Destiny Islands never got 'cold' in the winter. Fifty degrees was the coldest it got, and though many people from more northern locations scoffed at the average winter temperature on the balmy island chain, the island's own inhabitants found this weather freezing cold nonetheless.

So Kairi wandered the streets of the downtown area, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket and hat firmly on her head, her purse hanging over one shoulder as she headed towards the nearest bus stop.

The truth was... and 'truth' was a very funny word to use, things being as they were... Kairi had no need to see the doctor that she did. In fact, the only reason she continued her weekly sessions there was to keep the doctor himself happy. Everyone needs to feel needed at some point, and dealing with silent moody teenagers whose parents forced them to come... and dealing with parents who didn't want to come, but who felt they had no other choice in life... well, that was certainly no easy way to feel needed.

In short, Kairi was the rest stop on a road of never-ending angst and under-appreciated consolation. It was something she prided herself for, but something that nonetheless chiseled away at her conscience day by day.

Tomorrow would be Christmas Eve... wouldn't it? Was it that late already?

Kairi cocked her head to one side, surveying the list of bus times posted at the stop. Just missed the last one... Shit. Realizing it would be faster to walk, Kairi started off towards her apartment, though time was definitely not an issue. There was no one there to get back to, no holiday calls to make or receive. No tree undecorated, no fireplace begging for a spark or flame.

It was Christmas again, no different from last year's.

I'll get my little visit from Riku and Sora on Christmas morning. They'll be happy and excited because they're always happy and excited... But rather than feeling nostalgic and left out, Kairi smiled. She would walk down to the pier and see everyone from the Eclipse tomorrow and all would be perfectly sweet and happy.

Still smiling, Kairi strolled down the sidewalk, feeling the steady slap of her sneakers against the sidewalk. She wasn't depressed nor was she lacking in self-confidence. She was good old normal Kairi, lacking in several aspects of life in general, but definitely no worse off than anyone else.

And when she did have the time and the patience to allow just a little self-pity to mix into the scheme of things, she couldn't help but wonder...

Yuffie, what are you up to now?

Are you with some girl in some northern stretch of who-knows-where? Are you sitting close together by a fire and roasting marshmallows, talking in low voices about the things you plan to do tomorrow? Are you waiting tables in a run-down old restaurant just outside the big city, or are you spinning disks at a local dance joint? Are you taller, are you thinner? Are you happy?

And do you ever wonder about me the way I wonder about you?

(x) (x) (x)

Yay! Nice long chapter for you here. And guess what the next chapter is? The end! XD I'm thinking this fic won't need an epilogue, but this ending might get to being a little choppy in order to get all the little short snippets I want in there. That should be posted today or tomorrow. And the finished product of RH will be my holiday present to all of you... and then I'll be taking the rest of the year off to figure out Lucky Thirteen's plot and to also start plotting out a new fic.

So I'll see you all next year with a brand new fic, probably something similar to RH. And by similar I mean containing more of the rare Kingdom Hearts shoujo-ai, for those of you who enjoyed it here. Happy holidays, everyone!

--Ori