This is it guys! The very last chapter of this story! I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it and I hope this last chapter lives up to your expectations. Here you go, the last chapter of Imprisoned in Eternity: "If Love Were All."

Yuri stepped cautiously outside, silently easing the door closed behind her. He was sitting with his back facing her, his left shoulder leaning against the wooden frame of the porch, gazing at the moon. "Maybe I shouldn't bother him," she thought nervously, absently biting her lower lip and wringing her hands together. "I mean it's not like this is a life or death situation or anything. I can ask tomorrow, now's not necessary," she reasoned, turning back toward the door. In truth, she was quite reluctant to ask Kiba anything. It was the sole reason she never had before, despite her curiosity. "If he really wanted me to know, he would tell me himself, without my having to nag it out of him," she argued. And she didn't know how he would take it—she wasn't sure she would like his answer, so she left it at that. She started abruptly as the strain of her weight caused a wooden floorboard to creak loudly. She turned to look at Kiba. "Maybe he didn't hear," she hoped.

Kiba turned his head slightly in the direction of the noise. "Yuri," he said, looking somewhat bemused at the expression of horror on her face. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Uh, yeah, I should," she chuckled, nervously scratching the back of her head. "I couldn't sleep so I got up to get a glass of water."

"And you really think you'd find it out here?"

"Well, no, I-uh, I happened to look out the window and I saw you. I just came out here to see if… well, to see if, maybe, you might want some company," Yuri responded.

Kiba remained silent for several seconds, taking in Yuri's form—how dainty she looked with her hair flowing in the breeze;her scent reached him, soothing his troubled head. "Sure," he sighed finally, eyes closed. "Come, sit beside me."

Yuri smiled brightly, gladly taking her seat beside him. "Why are you out here so late?" she asked.

"No reason, just…thinking, that's all," Kiba answered, keeping his eyes closed.

"About what?"

"Just things."

"What kinds of things?"

"Nothing important. It doesn't matter anymore," Kiba responded. He opened his eyes, revealing the troubled expression hidden in their depths.

"Doesn't matter anymore? Then why are you still thinking about it?"

"No reason, I just—" Kiba muttered, cutting his answered short. "I just am."

"Oh," Yuri breathed, nodding her head slowly. "You don't want to tell me." Kiba blinked, considering what response he might give when Yuri finished, "You don't trust me."

Now he was in trouble. Kiba's eyes widened at Yuri's last declaration. No, it wasn't that he didn't trust her, he trusted her more than anyone else, but…should he tell her? Should he tell her about Cheza and Paradise? Should he tell her that he was giving up his dream for her? Giving up his friends for her? Leaving everything behind, just for her?

"You can trust me, Kiba. Please tell me what's bothering you."

"I do trust you, Yuri, I just don't see the use of telling you something that no longer holds any meaning."

"Well if it's nothing, then why are you sitting outside in the cold thinking about it? Huh? Why is there such an upset look in your eyes? If it's nothing why won't you tell me what it is?" Yuri implored, cupping Kiba's face in her hands and turning it to face her. She looked into his eyes, searching for any hint that he might be relenting. "Why won't you confide in me?"

Taking her hands from his face, he closed them both warmly in his. "I don't want to worry you, that's all."

Yuri smiled, leaning against him, her hands still enclosed in his. "Oh, Kiba," she sighed, "you should know, I will worry more about you if you don't tell me what's wrong. I hate not knowing what's bothering you and you never tell me anything, just remaining an unsolvable puzzle. An enigma."

Kiba sighed again, looking into Yuri's eyes—all stubbornness. "Do we have to talk about this right now?"

"Yes."

"Can't we talk about it tomorrow?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I want to talk about it right now."

"But I'm tired."

"No you're not!" Yuri protested, knowing this to be a lie—a damned lie; Kiba could stay up all night without so much as a yawn. "Please," she whispered in his ear, pressing herself lightly against him.

"What are you doing?" Kiba asked, a hint of amusement tinting his voice.

"Oh, nothing," Yuri replied, breathing softly in his ear, letting her lips brush gently against his skin.

"Are you trying to get answers out of me through seduction or something?"

"Maybe," she sighed. She stood up and stretched languorously in front of him then kneeled before him, letting her arms fall over his shoulders. "Is it working?"

Kiba rolled his eyes, smiling in sheer amusement. Next, he pursed his lips with the effort of trying to keep himself from laughing outright, but his shaking shoulders gave him away.

"And what, may I ask, is so damn funny?" Yuri remarked, placing her hand firmly on her hips. "Do you find me amusing?"

Kiba laughed audibly now, taking Yuri into his arms, pulling her into his lap and squeezing her tightly. Yuri was caught unawares by this sudden bold act of affection, a level of which she had never seen from Kiba, save for in the bedroom. "What was that for?" she asked when Kiba loosened his grip, still keeping her pressed against him, and she was able to pull her head away from his chest to look into his face.

"That was because I love you more than anything and anyone in existence," he answered simply, looking down at her. "I'm sorry I've been so difficult—I'm not used to confiding much of anything to anyone. Those four in there," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the house, "are my only friends. They're the closest thing I have to a pack; to a family."

"So you're not from the same pack?"

Kiba snorted. "No, not at all. Packs are like your families—relatives. I'm not related to any of them. Besides, packs are much larger than just five wolves. We're not much of a pack, in fact we're not a pack at all—we just travel together, that's all."

"Oh," Yuri replied, a little embarrassed at her own ignorance of the ways of the wolf, but who could blame her? "Then what happened to your pack?"

"There was…" Kiba began, his face contorted as if he were looking at something he'd rather not see—recalling a memory he'd spent years trying to repress was not pleasant. "I don't really know what happened, but there was fire and destruction—in the end, I was the only survivor, me, and I've never been able to figure out why." His voice trailed off, his mind getting lost in his tragic past as it had for so long.

"Kiba, I'm so sorry," Yuri sighed, embracing him warmly. "I'm so sorry," she repeated, cradling his face in the crook of her neck, gently caressing him. "You know what it's like to be really alone, don't you? You've felt true solitude. I've felt it too."

"I know," he replied.

Kiba pulled himself out of her embrace and nodded slowly. There were no tears in his eyes, as there were in Yuri's, just a realization that this was why he had fallen for Yuri in the first place. He remembered when she told him the story of her family and why she lived alone when she was so young. He recalled the pain he felt in his heart, the mutual understanding, transcending all barriers, that when she opened her heart out to him, he saw only a reflection of his own. He had not felt the same about Yuri after that.

She understood him, she really did. While Hige, Tsume, and Toboe seemed to understand him, he had always felt a wall between them, that if he opened up to them, they would only scoff and tell him to "suck it up," without really knowing what that would entail. He'd been "sucking it up" for a long time, didn't they see? No, but Yuri did. He was sure of that. He had been sure since that day, when he felt that instant connection with her, drawing him to her with a tie and an urgency that only grew.

She was just like him, and yet…and yet she was stronger than he. She lived alone, but withheld a certain zest for life, not feeling sorry about herself, but carrying on because she knew she should. Perhaps it was the memory of her parents that kept her going, but she prevailed, regardless of what her motivations were. Even still, she was lively and cheerful, exuberant and funny—she lived as if the tragedy of her past was but a bad dream, to be disregarded like a leaf caught in the breeze—she lived in the present.

Kiba on the other hand, lived in his past, ensnared by his past, willing himself to remember. The only thing that kept him going at this point was the promise of happiness that Paradise offered. That may account for his over-zealous pursuit of the intangible dream. While Yuri had accepted her fate, Kiba was still trying to fight it, unable to see that what's done is done—most of the time, there's nothing you can do about it. "Oh Yuri," he thought, "you're everything I am and everything I could hope to be at the same time—it's no wonder I love you so much."

Yuri had grown concerned at the glazed look that had entered Kiba's eyes for a while. She sighed when his eyes soften and warmed as a whisper of a smile hinted at the corners of his mouth. "Now what are you thinking about?" she asked.

"You," he replied, tipping her chin up and kissing her lightly.

"So," she snapped cheerfully, happy to have gotten an opportunity to draw the conversation away from such a melancholy subject. "How did you guys meet? Hige, Tsume, Toboe, Blue and yourself, that is."

"I bumped into Hige in a city once and he decided to follow me because he said he had nothing better to do. We ran into Tsume and Toboe together shortly after, although I sort of bumped into Tsume before that."

"Hmm," Yuri muttered, placing her finger on her chin. "Then I guess the question I should be asking is: where are you going?"

Kiba considered his answer—there was no other way to say it: "To Paradise," he answered.

"Paradise?" Yuri repeated, looking puzzled.

Kiba nodded—it appears he would need to explain further. "There is an old legend, passed down from generation to generation of wolves. It tells of how wolves came to exist in this world and our return to Paradise."

"Oh, you mean like religions used to preach about heaven and such?" Yuri said, trying to gain understanding by connecting his story to something more familiar.

Kiba shook his head. "I wouldn't know," he replied. "The way our legend goes, hundreds of years ago, there was a great clash, and nearly all mankind was destroyed. Wolves, who lived in Paradise, came here, to your world, to save what remained of humanity. After the disaster, some wolves stayed behind to help rebuild humanity. In the process, wolves mated with humans for the sake of procreation. Not all human families, however, wished to partake. Some families wished to remain 'pure'."

"The nobles," Yuri breathed. Kiba nodded. "So," Yuri continued, "all humans are descended from wolves, except for the nobles?"

"According to the legend."

"Wow," Yuri sighed. "So, I'm part wolf?"

"I guess so," Kiba smiled, suddenly delighted by Yuri's curiosity.

"Wait a minute, what does this have to do with Paradise?"

"I'm getting there," Kiba responded. "As the legend goes, the wolves who stayed behind are destined to one day unlock the gates between this world and our own, Paradise, and return home, where wolves reign supreme and we don't have to live in fear of being hunted, or have to disguise ourselves in order to survive."

"So that's Paradise?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"And you believe it?"

"With all my heart," he responded, clenching his jaw.

Yuri looked at his face, his features firmly set. "Then I believe it too," she said. Kiba looked appreciatively at her. "Oh," she breathed, suddenly understanding. "So that's what you're looking for. That's where all of you are going?"

"Yes, well, we're trying to anyway. There isn't exactly a map for it."

"No, I guess not," Yuri chuckled. "Then how do you know if you're getting closer or not?"

"We don't. At least, we wouldn't, not if we didn't have Cheza."

"Cheza!" Yuri exclaimed, "I remember that name, you said it in your sleep once, when we barely met. Yes, I remember, I asked you about her and you told me she wasn't your 'mate'," she put on a low, mocking voice for the last word.

"Aren't you happy about that?"

"Of course I am," she replied. "Are you actually going to tell me who she is this time?"

"Cheza is the Flower Maiden."

"Well that clears nothing up."

"The Flower Maiden is a girl, well not really a girl, a being really, made out of lunar flowers, who is said to lead the wolves to Paradise."

"A girl made out of lunar flowers?"

"Yes."

"Who made her?"

"Nobles, I believe."

"I see," Yuri replied, contemplating this rather contradictory information. Why would nobles create something that would lead wolves to Paradise? And how do you make a human out of flowers? "What's she like?"

"It's hard to put in words," Kiba contemplated. "She's different. She's quiet and…she smells like flowers, kind of like you." He finished. Boy was this hard. He had never had to explain any of this before.

"I'm not sure I understand," Yuri said slowly. "But I don't think I'll ask for any more clarification on that."

"Thank you," Kiba sighed appreciatively. He noticed Yuri trembling slightly. "It's pretty cold out, isn't it?" He mused.

"Yeah, it is."

"Come on," he said, "let's go inside."

"You're coming too?"

"If it'll get you to go to bed I will."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Yuri replied.

Kiba smirked. "Alright." Lifting Yuri out of his lap, Kiba stood and extended his hand for Yuri to take. He pulled her up easily and wrapped an arm around her. They walked back into the house together.

Yuri stroked his hair, brushing the loose strands out of his eyes, as his head rested warmly in her lap. The air was a bit cold on her bare form, but she didn't want to disturb him, so she endured. They had made love again that night. It just seemed inevitable, natural really, whenever they were together, for them to want only to be closer. They melted into each other, lost in one another's embrace. They forgot everything and everyone but the one lying beside them. Sure, it had been a bit awkward to begin with, but that soon wore away. Yuri felt protected with Kiba. He felt at peace—they made each other happy.

But at this moment, Yuri's brows were furrowed, her fine features darkened with concern. She replayed the scene in her head:

"'Do you believe it?'

'With all my heart.'"

She recalled the fire in Kiba's eyes as he said that, the conviction in his voice as he told her about Paradise and Cheza—it truly was important to him.

She understood Tsume's request now. She realized the decision Tsume had confronted Kiba with. He had asked Kiba to choose between Paradise and herself. "It isn't fair!" her mind protested. How could Tsume place such a burden on him? How could he ask Kiba to choose between his beliefs—his only aspiration—and the one he loved? She heart ached for him, thinking of the difficulty and will it would take on Kiba's behalf for him to abandon his dream, abandon Paradise, for her. How would he be able to do it?

What if he didn't?

Yuri's heart filled with dread. What if he didn't choose her? What if he had already resigned himself to leave her? To make love to her one final time and climb out of bed the next morning, letting her wake to find herself alone in bed, lonely without him? Would he do that to her? No, he loved her. He would never leave her. But how much did he love her? Did he love her more than Paradise? "Paradise is a dream," she reasoned. She is real. She is tangible—couldn't he feel the warmth of her body, the touch of her hand? Paradise was but an idea, intangible—how did he know Paradise was even real? Then he would be leaving her for nothing! "Now calm yourself," she thought. "He hasn't left you yet, he may not have even decided."

That was reasonable. It was a difficult decision to make, it really was. Even so, she felt a twinge of anger in the pit of her belly. And if he left her then what? She loved him more than life itself—what was she supposed to do without him? Just forget him? Ha! The sheer notion was laughable. She could never forget him, ever. She gave him everything: her heart, her soul, and her body. She gave him her virginity, didn't that mean anything to him? No, he would not leave her, he couldn't. He just couldn't. Yuri nodded firmly to herself, looking down at Kiba's sleeping form. He had such a serene expression then, quite different from the feral contortions of his visage when he thrust himself inside her. He loved her, he would never leave her. And even if he considered it, she would make sure to keep him by her side—she would not lose the only speck of happiness she had known since her parents' death.

Sunlight streamed into the bedroom through a gap in the curtains—it had rained profusely last night, leaving the sun to shine even more gloriously in the morning. Yuri's eyes creaked open. She found herself warmly within the bedclothes, tucked caringly in—so Kiba had woken in the night. Almost immediately, Yuri noticed his presence was lacking—she was alone in bed. She bolted to a sitting position, momentarily seized with panic, and calmed herself only when the knob on the door turned slowly.

Kiba peeked inside. "You're finally awake," he remarked, nudging the door open with his elbow. He carried a tray in his hands. "I brought you some breakfast."

"Thank you," she replied, deeply gratified.

"Your clothes," he said, glancing at Yuri for a moment, "I set them at the foot of the bed."

"Oh, thanks," she replied, blushing slightly. It was silly that she did so, it wasn't like it was the fist time he'd seen her unclothed, but still. She clutched the covers to her chest and reached for her clothes.

"Here," Kiba said, handing them to her. Yuri looked up at him. He held her clothes in both hands, having place the tray on the only table in the room, which changed position according to their needs—his eyes were warm and tender.

Yuri took her clothes without a word and Kiba turned his back to her as she dressed. As she pulled her blouse over her head, she wondered at this unusual display of tenderness. It was all so—human—most unlike him. She wondered if it had anything to do with Paradise and the decision he would soon have to make.

"Have you eaten?" she asked.

"Yes, before you woke up."

"How long have you been up?"

"A while. I stayed in bed for a bit, I got out when I realized I was hungry."

"Oh. Is everyone else up?"

"Uh, Tsume and Granny are, Blue's playing with Toboe, Hige's still asleep though," Kiba replied.

Yuri smiled. Kiba eased a chair to the table, preparing it for Yuri to eat. "I wanted to feed you in bed, but since you've already dressed…" he said, looking at Yuri.

"Oh that's alright, thank you anyway." She walked over to him and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "It's very sweet of you."

Kiba smiled and gently brushed the hair out of Yuri's face, pushing it behind her ears. "Eat," he said, turning to leave.

"Aren't you going to stay with me?"

"What, and sit there and watch you eat?" Kiba replied amusedly.

"Well, no, you could have some if you like," Yuri entreated, not wanting to eat alone.

"No thanks," Kiba replied. "I told you, I've already eaten. Besides, I have some things to do, I have to talk to Tsume about something."

Yuri's heart skipped a beat—had he decided already? Was he spoiling her with loving displays of affection because he had already decided to leave her, as if to soften the blow? "Yuri, are you alright? You look really pale all of a sudden," Kiba said, his voice full of concern as Yuri wavered slightly where she stood.

"Huh?" Yuri responded absently. She jerked herself from her thoughts and responded more firmly. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just caught a chill right now, that's all."

"Oh," Kiba sighed, looking a little relieved but still dubious—she had gone rigid at the mere mention of Tsume's name. "Alright then, I'll see you in a bit, look for me when you finish, I'll probably be outside."

"Ok," Yuri waved to him.Kiba exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Yuri sat down slowly and lost herself in her thoughts again.

He was easy enough to find, just sitting out there in the shade of the tree, snorting at Toboe every time Blue got the better of him in their chasing. Kiba caught Tsume's eyes from afar. Tsume stood slowly and walked over to him. "Yes?" he asked.

"We need to talk, let's get away from here so no one overhears."

"Alright." They away walked in silence, leaving Toboe and Blue to wonder at their departure. They walked around the house and took the path that lead into town, just walking absently.

Once out of earshot, Kiba slowed his pace and turned to Tsume. "Have you been talking to Yuri?" he asked straightforwardly. He had initially intended to give Tsume his final decision this morning, but Yuri's odd reaction to the mention of Tsume's name this morning, had pushed that out of his mind.

"What?"

"Have you been talking to Yuri? What have you been telling her?"

"What's the matter? Are you afraid I've been filling your precious Yuri's pretty head with poison?" Tsume smirked.

"What did you tell her, Tsume?"

"Nothing she shouldn't know," was the cool reply.

"Damn it Tsume, what the fuck did you tell her!" Kiba yelled viciously. "I want to know, I have a right to know. She's been acting odd, asking me weird questions since last night, I demand to know why!"

"I didn't need to tell her anything, she overheard our conversation last night."

"What?" Kiba said, shocked. "She heard us? She heard everything?"

"I don't know about everything," Tsume replied, "but she heard enough."

"You mean…"

"That's right, she heard about the decision you have to make."

"Oh," Kiba breathed. He walked silently for a few seconds, and then became angered again. "Wait, so if she knows, what did you tell her? Did you ask her to convince me to stay or something?"

Tsume snorted with contempt. "I merely commented on the delightful change in yours and her scent, you know what I mean. In fact," Tsume sniffed the air, "it seems to have grown stronger; started afresh."

"You son-of-a-bitch…" Kiba growled through clenched teeth. "How dare you insult her like that?"

"Me? You're the one flouncing about, reeking of her musk, and rubbing it under our noses. You could at least try to be discreet."

"It's none of your business what Yuri and I do, got that?"

"Of course not, I don't care that you finally decided to mate with her," Tsume commented in an offhand sort of way.

"Then why point it out at all?"

"I just pointed out that your new 'bond' with her showed me the kind of influence she has on you, maybe she could extend that influence to keep you from making a stupid decision."

"You had no right—"

"What did she ask you, anyway?"

"None of your damn business."

"I see." Tsume sneered. He had underestimated she girl's resolve—he really didn't think she'd have the guts to confront Kiba about all those things. Then again, he may wear a different face around her—a tender smile in place of his usual glare.

Kiba stopped in his tracks, grabbing Tsume's arm. "Don't you dare," he said through clenched teeth, jabbing Tsume in the chest with his finger menacingly. "Don't you dare speak to her again. Don't so much as look at her, you hear me? I don't want you worrying her with things that don't concern her. No amount of deceptions and intrigues of yours are going to make me change my mind. I am resigned." With that, Kiba released Tsume's arm, thrusting it away from him as if it were festering with some disease. He stalked away, fuming, leaving Tsume standing alone.

Yuri finished her breakfast with some difficulty, finding it hard to swallow whenshe had a lump the size of a baseball inher throat. "Just whatis Kiba talking to Tsume about," she wondered. She had half a mind to ask his outright, but reconsidered it, as this might raise some uncomfortable questions. She didn't think her conversation with Tsume would make Kiba very happy.

She picked up her tray and balanced it in one hand as she opened the door. The house was alive with sound. Blue and Toboe had apparently brought their game inside, and Hige just sat in the living room, laughing loudly at their antics. He delighted in this sort of light-hearted play, having seen so little of it as of late. "You finally decided to come out," he remarked, noting Yuri's presence as she headed for the kitchen.

"Yeah, I sort of overslept."

"I wonder why," Hige replied, sniffing the air and giving Yuri a knowing look. She smiled nervously and quickly walked into the kitchen, glad to be away from Hige's smirk and raised eyebrows-an expression that seemedto ask, "How was it?"

She thanked the gods Granny couldn't sniff her out. Honestly, it was unnerving. First Tsume throws it in her face, now Hige was teasing her? "Good morning, dear," Granny greeted her in her usual warm manner. "How did you sleep?"

"Oh, uh, great. Really great," she replied, nervously scratching at the back of her head.

"That's good to hear. Oh, you have your plates, let me take them," Granny offered, taking the tray from Yuri's hands. "I'll wash them later, now I have to go to town. Can you believe it?" she chuckled, "They've cleaned me out again, my but they can eat, especially Hige."

Yuri smiled. "Hige's a character alright. So you're leaving?"

"Only for a little while, just a quick trip. I daresay I won't be getting much this time. I've been able to buy more since little Toboe was been accompanying me, but I don't think he'll want to leave his games right now."

"Oh, would you like me to come with you?"

"There's no need, dear, Kiba will be back soon. He just went out for a walk."

Yuri winced slightly at her words. Why did she automatically assume that Yuri would look for Kiba? "Because you always do, remember?" she thought. Oh yeah, that's right. "Don't be silly, I'd love to, please, let me come with you."

"Alright dear, if you insist."

Kiba stormed into the house, still fuming about his argument with Tsume. "Where's Yuri?" he barked.

"She went to town with Granny, geez, what are you so worked up about?" Hige answered, noting Kiba's manner.

"Nothing, I just…wanted to talk to her."

"Oh, I see," Hige winked.

Kiba glared at Hige. "And what's that for?"

"Oh, you know. You scoundrel, I wish I had your courage to land Blue, but she pummels me when I try," Hige replied, picking at a point on his chin.

Kiba couldn't help but smile at Hige—he could always make Kiba feel at ease with his light, genial manner. He seemed so carefree all the time. Sometimes is was a bit of an annoyance, like he didn't care about anything, but Kiba knew deep inside that Hige's convictions were as strong as his. He was going to miss him dearly, his first friend. His heart sank just thinking about it.

"Hey, what's wrong? You look depressed all of a sudden," Hige remarked, noting Kiba's changed expression.

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm fine, it's nothing."

Yuri smiled as Granny chattered on and on about Hige's antics and Toboe's sweet disposition. Yuri thought it was a shame she had not been able to spend more time with the lot of them—she was already so endeared to them. And then there was Kiba. She tried to suppress it, to keep the melancholy thoughts from showing on her face, but she couldn't help wondering what she would do if Kiba did leave her. Suddenly she found herself hoping that he would leave her in the dead of night, when she was asleep and couldn't feel the distance between them grow. If he did excuse himself formerly, she was liable to throw herself at him and cling to his arms and legs, begging him to stay. And even so, she was not yet fully resigned to let him leave. A part of her was crying out, telling her to cling to him, to encase him in her arms—he would be happier with her anyway. The voice was but a whisper most of the time, drowned out by her own sorrowful sobs.

"And Tsume tells me you all will be leaving soon, such a shame. I have grown quite used to the sound of some much life in my little home…"

Louder the voice grew, Yuri's mind catching hold of this seemingly unimportant statement. So Tsume already planned their departure, huh? I'll bet he's planning on taking Kiba no matter what he decides, against his own volition. Yuri's mind raced. No, she would not allow that to happen. If Kiba chose to stay with her, then damn it, he would and no one would stop them from being together.

"Oh that Tsume," Granny continued, "he reminds me so much of my brother, Darien. The same, brooding expression, apathetic droll," Granny chuckled with the memory of it.

And then all she could hear was that voice, the one that told her that nothing mattered as long as she and Kiba were together. The one that told her that she must take hold of her only love with all her might, not matter what the costs. And then it came to her.

"This brother of yours, Granny, where does he live?" Yuri asked innocently.

"Live? Oh, nowhere, really. He drives a train that takes people to all of the main cities. He lives from city to city, no way to live, I always tell him…"

"Really?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Well I was just wondering, does he ever stop in this town?"

"Here? Oh no, dear, this is just a small town. He stops only in major cities, but one of his stops is only a few miles from here," Granny responded, looking curiously at Yuri. Is there something you want?"

"Well actually, I wanted to know if I could catch a ride with him, but seeing as—"

"Oh, you still can," Granny interrupted. "Yes, he called me only a day before the lot of you arrived. It seems he's being held up in the next town over, for repairs. He wasn't sure when the repairs would be done, but he said it would take a few days. He wanted me to send him one of my wonderful apple pies, you see. Anyway, my neighbors' daughter is going out of town to visit some friends and they're leaving tomorrow. I'm sure they'll take you along if we ask."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure."

"What if there are two of us?"

"Beg your pardon, dear? What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if two of us are leaving, together?"

"As in you and Kiba?"

Yuri looked in front of her and smiled before responding, "Yes."

That night was indeed an awkward one. Between Hige's insinuating remarks, Blue's curt reproaches, Toboe's whimpers as to what was going on, and Granny's incessant chatter, Yuri didn't know what she was listening to anymore. And then there was Kiba and Tsume, who seemed to shoot fire from their eyes every time they looked at each other. To make matters worse, Kiba was making a note to act extra-possessive of her tonight; putting food on her plate despite her objections and wrapping his arms around her waist, jerking her closer to him, as if to taunt Tsume with their closeness.

Tsume snorted loudly, crossing his arms, when Granny left the room to get dessert. "Just what are you trying to prove, Kiba? Marking your territory? Don't bother, there's no need."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiba growled.

"Hey!" Yuri exclaimed, standing up. "Will you two just give it a rest? We're all just trying to eat in peace! Please, keep your sorted squabbles to yourselves." Quite frankly she was tired of Kiba groping her like some piece of meat—he was not himself tonight, not at all. Making sure Tsume and Kiba weren't giving each other the "death stare," Yuri slowly took her seat. "God," she sighed, "I'm surprised you didn't throw me on the table and try to take me right here, in front of everyone."

"That sounds like a plan," Kiba said, staring right at Tsume.

"What? No!" Yuri cried, slapping Kiba's hand out of the way. "I was being sarcastic, damn it! That's it!" She yelled, throwing her napkin on the table. "I've had enough of this, Kiba, what's gotten into you?" She pushed her chair back and headed for the living room. "Come talk to me when you've calmed down." And with that, she stomped out.

"Trouble in Paradise?" Tsume sneered.

"Shut up," Kiba shot back quietly, rising from his seat and following Yuri.

"Tsume," Toboe asked timidly, "is Kiba going to be alright?"

"Kiba's going to be fine," Tsume retorted. "He doesn't need us and we don't need him. We leave tomorrow, as planned, got that? No matter if he decides to come or not."

"Yuri?" Kiba tapped the door lightly. "May I come in?"

He heard her sigh inside, then the sound of approaching footsteps. A moment later, the door was opened a crack and Yuri's face peeked out at him from inside the room. "Have you decided not to act like a jackass?" she asked.

"Sorry about that."

Yuri closed her eyes. "Yeah, I know you are." She opened the door wider, letting him in. After stomping into the room and flinging herself on the bed, Yuri realized she shouldn't be all that surprised by Kiba's behavior. "Afterall," she thought, "his friends are leaving tomorrow. He must be trying to comfort himself for their loss by fortifying our relationship in his eyes and theirs." Still, he didn't have to treat her that way.

They sat on the bad together and Kiba turned to look at Yuri. "Yuri," he said, "I need to talk to you about something."

"What's that?"

"Have you been speaking to Tsume lately?"

"What do you mean? I speak to Tsume all the time."

"No, I mean really spoken to him. You know what I mean." Kiba fixed her with a piercing gaze and she faltered.

"Ok, ok, yes. I have."

"What did he say to you?"

"Nothing, just stuff."

"Yuri…"

"Look, it was nothing!" Yuri sighed exasperatedly. "Really. Let's talk about something else, please?"

Kiba sighed. She was right, it didn't matter what Tsume had said to her, it wasn't her decision. In the end it was his choice and he had already decided, so it didn't matter.

"I just want you to know," he said, taking Yuri's hands into his own, "that I meant what I said. I love you, Yuri, more than anything and nothing will take me away from you. I will never leave you."

Tears welled in her eyes—it meant so much more this time. She flew into his arms, hugging him tightly, tighter and tighter, never letting go.

Kiba reached out for her, longing to feel her small form against him, welcoming the warmth of her skin—he welcomed it even more this time, knowing he would never have to even consider parting with her.

Pulling his arm to him, he was jerked from his slumber by the knowledge that his arms had come up empty. He sat up, not sure what was going on—was it time for breakfast already? How long had he slept? Her side of the bed was still a bit warm, so she must not have left long ago. He glanced down at Yuri's pillow, still slightly indented in the form of her head. There lay a note on it, with the name "Kiba" writtenin along flowing hand.

Kiba picked it up with curiosity; not knowing it was addressed to him. Remembering the day, Kiba's eyes opened wide—he couldn't have.

Kiba jumped out of bed, roughly pulling his clothes on and stomping noisily out of the room. "Tsume!" He boomed, the note clutched tightly in his hand. "Tsume!"

He reached Tsume in the living room and violently shook him awake. "What…what!" He yelled, first a bit groggily, then fully awake.

"What is this?" Kiba said, thrusting the note before Tsume's eyes.

"How should I know, I've never seen it before," Tsume said, roughly pushing Kiba's hand out of his face. "I can't even read, damn it."

"Where is she?" Kiba yelled, advancing on Tsume.

"What are you talking about? Who's missing?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Tsume, where is she!"

"What's all this yelling about?" Hige croaked, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Ask him," Tsume said, pointing at Kiba. "He's gone mental."

"Tsume…"

"Boys!" Came a stern voice from the hall. Granny stood in the doorway, her lips pursed, her arms crossed in front of her, a note held in one hand. "What are you two fighting about?"

Kiba cut in before Tsume could utter a word. "He did it, he took her somewhere and he won't tell me where. And he left this," Kiba said, indicating the note still clutched in his hand.

Granny's eyes widened with comprehension. "I see," she said softly. She looked at the note in her hand, noting the writing. "Let me see it, dear," she said, extending her hand toward Kiba.

"You know what it is?" He asked.

"Yes, dear, now let me see it." Kiba placed the slightly crumpled note in her open hand, looking eagerly at her face. Granny examined the notes—the writing was the same on both. "I see," she said again. "It makes sense now," she sighed. "Come with me, Kiba, and I'll explain what this is."

"Hey," Hige whined, sitting up. "What about our breakfast?"

"You can wait until I finish or you can make it yourselves, this is more important," Granny snapped.

Hige was surprised by the sad look in her eyes and decided now was not the time for his usual antics. Tsume stared fixedly at Granny and the notes, trying to put two and two together.

Granny closed the door carefully after her, thinking how to approach this. She sat down slowly on the bad, groaning slightly at the effort. "Come, sit beside me," she said. Kiba did so without objection.

"Yuri is missing," she said simply, looking at Kiba.

"Tsume took her somewhere and—"

Granny shook her head. "Tsume didn't take her anywhere, Kiba."

"Then why—"

"That's just what I am about to find out. You read your note while I read mine," she said, handing the note addressed to Kiba to him.

"Granny," he said timidly, "will you read it for me? Please?"

"Oh, well, certainly, if you want me to."

"Yes, please."

"Alright, let me read mine first." Granny unfolded the letter and took her glasses from the nightstand. The note said:

"Dear Granny,

Thank you for everything you have done for me, for all your hospitality. I am truly sorry for the trouble I may have cause you. I know this is abrupt, but there was a real urgency in my having to leave as soon as possible—try to keep Kiba from killing Tsume, it isn't his fault. I woke early, before any of you, and have left with your neighbors, just as you told me yesterday on our way to town. Please don't tell Kiba where I am going—I don't want him to follow me, you will understand why.

As much as you have already given me, I must ask for one more favor. I have left a note for Kiba. Please read it to him, I don't know if he will ask you to or not, but he can't read it himself. You will understand why I have done this once you've read that note. Thank you once again.

With love,

Yuri.

"Alright," Granny said, folding the note back up. "She's asked me to read that note to you," she said, pointing to the note in Kiba's hands. He handed it to her tentatively.

Granny opened the note slowly; noticing that is was slightly damp in some places. When she looked at the writing, she noticed the ink was smudged sporadically, in large drops. "Her tears," Granny breathed.

"What?" Kiba asked, leaning closer to Granny.

"Did you know, dear," she said, showing him the outside of the note, "that this is your name, written out?" She pointed to his name.

"Yuri—"

"Yes, Yuri wrote this, and mine." Granny looked at Kiba's face, seemingly expressionless, but a tumult of emotions whirled through his eyes.

"Let's see," Granny began:

"To my dearest Kiba,

If love were all, I would cast everything aside if only to be with you. I would step into the dark abyss of the ocean; leap into the endless void of the universe, if only to hold you in my arms, to love you and know that you love me in return. If love were all, we would be wrapped in each other's embrace right now, my love. If love were all, if love were all... ...but it's not…"

Granny read, pushing her glasses up on her nose to dab at the tears in her eyes. She knew what this meant, but did he? With a brief glance at him, she sighed deeply and continued...

Granny finished the note, folding it slowly. She removed her glasses and dabbed at her eyes. "There," she sighed. She looked at Kiba. He wore a glazed expression on his face, his mouth slightly open.

"So she left me?" he croaked, finally opening his mouth.

"She didn't justabandon you, dear, she did it for your own good. She did it because she cares about you," Granny said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"How could this be for my own good?" Kiba cried, jumping to his feet. "If she cares about me so much, how could she do this to me?"

"Kiba, try to understand—"

"Understand? Understand what? Understand that all this time, she never loved me, she was just making a fool of me, intending to make me love her just so she could abandon me?"

"Kiba, please!"

"What?"

"Look at this," Granny said, handing Kiba the note. "Look at it."

"What for?"

"Just do it."

Kiba took the note, his hands shaking with anger, rejection, pain and god only knows what else. He surveyed the paper, turning it over in his hand. "So?" He said, looking at Granny. "What do you want, for me to see my rejection in words, well I can't read so it's no use."

"See those smudges?"

"Yes."

"You don't know what they are?"

Kiba examined the paper more closely, looking at the smudged ink, feeling the dampness of the paper. He brought it closer and he detected a slightly salty scent. He knew this scent.

"Her tears?" He said, turning to Granny.

She nodded. "Now you know how much it hurt her to leave you," she said.

"But," Kiba objected, "but still, she shouldn't have left like that. She could have told me, we could have talked about it."

"Would you have let her? Would you have lether leave?"

"No," Kiba retorted. "But that's not the point. We're supposed to be together, her and me. It wasn't supposed to be like this…it wasn't…"

"Are you alright? You're crying," the girl remarked.

"Oh, well I'm just going to miss my friends, that's all," she replied. Yuri was finding it harder and harder to keep her self from asking the driver to stop and let her out. She just wanted to run back into Kiba's arms and tell him it was all a joke, nothing more.

"Oh," the girl said, looking out the window. "Why do you have to leave?"

"It's complicated," Yuri answered.

"Do you have any family in the city?"

"No, I'm, traveling alone."

"Alone? You can stay with my friend and I, I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Oh no, really, that would be too much trouble. I'll find a place."

"Do you even have money?" the girl asked, noticing that Yuri carried nothing with her.

"Some," Yuri lied. "I can always get a job."

"Then I'll tell you what. You can stay with my friend and me, get a job, and pay us back when you're on your feet. How's that sound?" The girl suggested.

"Ok, that would be nice," Yuri said. "Thank you." She turned back to the window, watching the endless landscape speed by. It was all the same, so vast. She could feel the distance between her and Kiba growing and it pained her. She didn't want the girl to see her cry again, so she pretended to fall asleep.

She thought about him, about his face, his eyes, his voice, his manner, his smell, everything. She longed to be with him, so much.

In the end, in the middle of the night, she had an epiphany. Lying next to him, his arm draped over her, she realized that if she loved him, she would leave him. "Curse Tsume for being right," she thought. She couldn't ask him to abandon all his hopes and dreams for her. She remembered the tender look in his eyes when he told her that those wolves were the only family he had. She couldn't bring herself to deprive him of all that, not in a million years, no matter how much she loved him.

So she left.

She knew that if she waited to explain things to him, he would only object and try to stop her. She wished she could have been able to embrace him one last time. It was all in the note. She spilled her heart out to him, told him she loved him, explaining why she did what she did. He wouldn't understand for some time, but it would come to him eventually. He might even despise her for some time, for hurting him. "Good," she thought, "then at least he won't feel hurt."

Tsume rose impatiently from the couch. "I've had enough of this waiting, let's go guys, it's obvious he's not coming with us."

"But Tsume—"

"Let's go!"

"Wait." Tsume turned. Kiba stood in the doorway, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He spoke softly, but clearly. "I'm coming with you."

Tsume nodded, not speaking a word.

After bidding Granny goodbye and taking some food she insisted they pack, they were on their way again.

Toboe felt like asking Kiba about Yuri, but took one look at Kiba's face and thought better on it. Kiba walked slowly, keeping mostly to the back, rarely overtaking Toboe. Tsume walked in the lead.Tsume paused, looked back, and let the others pass him. He walked alongside Kiba for a while, not saying anything.

Kiba broke the silence. "She left me," he said. "She just…left. She left me a note, Granny read it to me."

Tsume walked with his hands in his pockets. "I see." He stopped, Kiba stopped with him. "So if she hadn't left, would you be walking with us now?"

Kiba blinked and turned toward the sun, thinking that somewhere, wherever she was, Yuri was standing beneath that same sun. "No," he answered, turning to Tsume.

Tsume smiled. "At least you're honest." They started walking again. "I'm going to go walk in front, I think Hige's starting to tease the runt again," Tsume said. Kiba nodded and Tsume bounded forward, giving Hige some smart-ass remark.

Kiba stuffed his hands in his pockets, running the fingers of his left hand over the many creases of the paper. He crumpled it in his grief, almost tearing it to shreds. This hurt, he had never felt pain like this. He had been shot, stabbed, bitten, beaten, but it was nothing, compared to this. He felt as if Yuri were standing before him, slowly digging into his chest with a jagged knife, slowly eating away at his hear. "Shit," he muttered, wiping a tear from his right eye. "Come back, Yuri, come back."

In front, Tsume turned back to look at Kiba and saw him wipe his eyes again. He knew Kiba was in pain, but he knew it was for the best. Kiba, no matter how much he loved Yuri, would never be happy knowing that Paradise was still out there. It was engraved into his very bones, injected in his veins—Paradise was a part of him he couldn't escape and couldn't forget. It would be better that he live with a precious memory of Yuri than have that love tainted by Kiba's own restlessness. "Thank you, Yuri," he thought, digging his hands further into his pockets. "You're a lot smarter than I thought you were—you really loved him. For that I cherish and respect you," he sighed, looking up at the sky. He smirked. "If only I'd met her before he did."

Yuri was being shaken awake. "Yuri, Yuri!"

"What is it?" She groaned, willing herself awake.

"We're almost there!" the girl said enthusiastically, pointing out the window. "See, you can already see the tops of the buildings. Oh, won't it be fun?"

"Uh huh," Yuri yawned. Yuri stared out the window longingly. She would be this way for a while, not her usual cheerful self, she knew that. She was hungry, having forgotten to get any breakfast. She placed her hand over her tummy, feeling it rumble. As she sat there like that, the signs shown, already evident on her face. The clouds parted to reveal the sun again, shining on her face, illuminating her again with that motherly glow—just a few months. She turned abruptly, bumping her head on the window—the girl was tugging at her sleeve again, pointing out the window again, squealing gleefully as she watched the imposing structures loom closer and closer.

"I guess I'm home," Yuri thought, wiping one lonely tear from her right eye.

There you have it. How was it? Did you all like it? Did it live up to your expectations? I hope so, I really do. This has been my longest chapter…whew! Wow! Please review. If you've been reading this story since the beginning but haven't reviewed yet, now would be a good time!

I have one last thing to ask you: if you caught what I was hinting at in those last few paragraphs, you know I left room for a sequel. So my question is this: should I post it? It is already up on about five chapters in.Would it be worthwhile for me to post it up here? Would you want to read a sequel? In truth, I thought of the sequel to this story long before I thought of this story. Go figure. So this whole time, I've been working up to that, the sequel. Give me your thoughts. I really, really want to know.

Thank you all for reading my story, and a special thanks to those wonderful few who review, I love ya!

And the cast says: Thanks!

Yuri blows kisses, Kiba glares, Tsume scoffs, Hige winks, Blue looks kickass, and Toboe waves. Ta-ta for now!