"… In my heart, I had hope, built on dreams I'll never know… All the answers true love left behind… Visions fill my head, I felt so trapped… but that didn't seem so bad 'cause You where here…"

:: Here With Me :: Plumb :: 

Chapter Three: Here With Me

The sky seems so far away.

I scream, but my pleas for help comes as nothing more then a gurgle of bubbles. Water fills my lungs instead of air as I struggle upwards, towards the sky.

It seems so far away. Why can't I reach it…?

My arms and legs feel as if they are made of lead… It hurts to think… My lungs feel as if I swallowed fire rather then liquid death…

I can see shadows… shapes… faces… moving in the water above me.

Help me…?

Splash

Arms close around my torso, and I cling to my rescuer as we move towards the sky… Air fills my lungs, and my breath comes out in sputters and gasps… We float there… between the sea and the sky… just my angel and me… I…

"Well, well, well," said a distinctly masculine voice from above me, "Someone looks like crap." 

I lolled my head to the side, and the sight of a silver haired boy my age greeted me as he quite cheekily grinned at me, as he looked me over from head to toe from his perch at the end of the couch.

"Missed you too, Dilandau."

The older boy's smile disappeared, and he raised his pieced eyebrow slightly as he surveyed the empty DVD cases and popcorn bags that littered the living room where I had fallen asleep last night watching movies, "Rough night?"

"Nightmares."

"Ah."

I sighed, pressing the palms of my hands against my eyes, blocking out the bright, cheerful Californian sunshine that cascaded through the windows of the living room, "What are you doing here anyways?"

"Your dad asked my mom to have me check in on you because he went into the office," Dilly said plainly, opening a can of soda with a faint pop, "So what's up? We're a little early for bikini season, aren't we?"

I sighed, sitting up and pulling my knees up to my chest and looking out the window to avoid looking my next-door-neighbor-a-la-best-guy-friend in the eyes. 

"Well?" He asked, sipping his pop coolly.

"I ran away from home."

Dilly coughed, spitting out some of his soda, "You did what?"

"I spilt on my mum and Allen," I stood up, and padded barefoot towards the kitchen, "You want something to eat?"

"How? When?" He demanded, following after me with a faint trail of the sugary beverage running down his chin, "Where you stoned or something?" 

"I stole Millennia's credit card and bought a plane ticket about a week ago, and then I flew out yesterday afternoon. And I might be from New York, but I don't do drugs, stupid," I pulled out a box from within a cupboard, "Coco pebbles?"

Dilly limply sat down on a stool, looking at me as if he'd never seen me before in proper lighting, "Has anyone ever told you that you're really hott whenever you rebel against the system?" 

I rolled my eyes and poured the tooth-decay causing cereal and milk into two bowls, "I learned from the best." 

Dilly's eyes glazed over as he accepted his bowl of cereal, "We should burn down the neighborhood and celebrate your homecoming tonight. Fanel and I have been looking for a good reason to break out the potato launcher. "

I laughed, "Just like old times…"

He nodded, grinning, happy little pyro thoughts obviously bouncing around in his head, "Heh… before I forget…" He shifted to the side and pulled out a tell-a-tale piece of legal pad paper from the back pocket of his baggy camouflaged cargo pants, "You're Dad told me to give this to you when he stopped over to talk to my mum."

I unfolded the crumpled paper, which smelled faintly both of my father's aftershave and of Dilly's pineapple scented surfboard wax.

Kido,

Had a court hearing that I couldn't reschedule for this morning. But I got us a reservation at Mo LeMan Café for a lunch date at 1:00 with your old man. See you there.

My spoon fell into my bowl with a metallic tink, sloshing milk unto the counter.

"What?" Dilly asked, peering over my shoulder. I handed him the note.

"So? You've been there dozens of times."

I nodded, that was true. I had been to Mo LeMan Café often with Dryden during my summer vacations. It was a ritzy little beachside café where Santa Monica's elite goes and eats over-priced pasta and lobster dishes.

That's where the real problem starts.

Now, when you're going to have some bonding time with your parental unit in which you're going to beg them to let you stay with them forever (or at least until you graduate from high school and move away to further the educational experience), you've gotta look nice. Like Daddy's little girl nice. Like, 'hey-I-really-want-to-be-your-full-time-daughter' nice. Hence this was chic little sundress territory.

Normally, me looking nice wasn't a big deal. I'm not saying that I inherited the all of the 'Kanzaki-Aston' beauty genes or anything; but I've been whistled and honked at by truck drivers and the random construction worker, if you know what I mean.

No, the problem was that all of my 'hey-I-really-want-to-be-your-full-time-daughter' chic little designer sundresses happened to be in my closet.

On the other side of the continent.

Which, owing the fact I had made my getaway from New York with only a duffel bag full of casual clothes --- you know, jeans and vintage shirts and the sort --- so finding a sun dress was defiantly an issue.

"Earth to Hitomi…!" Dilly waved his hand in front of my face, his spoon hanging out of the side of his mouth, "What's wrong?"

"Fashion emergency."

"Wha? You look fine." Dilandau confusedly said. 

I glanced down at the rather clingy designer jeans and dark green tee that I had been wearing since my arrival yesterday and which where slightly worse for the wear having been slept in last night. Males, no sense of fashion.

"No… I… I need to look extra-nice today… I'm going to ask if I can move here permanently," I twisted my index finger nervously in my hair, deeply immersed in deep thought about this perplexing enigma.

I still had some stolen pirate booty left from Millennia's purse… But at best it was enough to order a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese; which wasn't nearly enough to venture out on a campaign for a new dress.

My eyes fell on the phone resting against the wall. This defiantly was a job for a friend-gone fairy godmother that wears the same size clothes as me.

Scrambling across the kitchen, I bee lined for the phone, dialing the first number that came to mind.

Riiiiiiiiiing… Riiiiiiiing… Riiiiiing… Riiiiiiiiiiing… Riiiiiiiiing…

"Who are you---?" Dilly mouthed, taking the spoon out of his mouth.

"Yukari." I mouthed back, sliding down against the wall so I was sitting on the cold tile floor.

"Hello?"  Came a female voice on the other end, barely audible over some punk music.

"Boo." 

"'Tomi?! Hey girl, what's going on?"

"A fashion emergency…" I traced little patterns on the floor with my finger nervously, "Umm…can I come over?" 

Silence.

"A-are you on drugs or something Hitomi--?"

"Drugs?" What is it with these people? "Yukari, I---" 

"— we can seriously get help for you--- "  

"Yukari…!" I staggered to me, feet, ignoring the raised eyebrow my male audience was giving me.

"---I know things are different in New York, but just know that we're totally behind you---"

"Yukari Yvania Uchida: look out your bedroom window," I ordered, rolling my eyes as I deftly unlocked the sliding screen door to the side porch, stepping out unto it. Dilly followed me, grinning and with cereal bowl in tow.

"Wha?" Yukari sounded a little miffed to be cut short in her anti-drug speech, "Why?"

"Just do it."

Pause.

Yukari's red hair bobbed into view of her bedroom window two houses down the street. I waved frantically at her, a huge Cheshire cat grin plastered to my face.

"*^%*…" Yukari's voice seemed to be very far away, "You've got a lot of explaining to do…"

A/N: Well? WELL? Horrible excuse for an update, I know… And before all you rabid shippers come chasing after me, Dilly and Hitomi are just close-friends. I'm a V/H shipper all the way, baby… *evil cackle* Speaking of which… Van will be in this fic… I promise. I cut this chapter short then what I was planning to, to keep with tradition of the chapter lengths, but there will be some Fanelage in the next chapter.

Grrl N: I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for reviewing!

Thundersenshi17: Hey you! Long time no see, girly! *Sniffle* Jeez… You're making me get all-nostalgic… Leather speed-os… what good times… *sigh* I probably should finish that fic, huh? To tell the truth, I really don't want to. It just doesn't seem right somehow, ya' know, ending something like that…

Jossi-31: I already have some ideas why, but depending how the next few chapter go, Allen and Millerna might be going to be staying there at least until near the end of the fic. Horrible, I know, but I have this really great idea that just suits this fic perfectly.

Dariel: *^_~ Ahhh… jeez… you're too kind. I'm glad you like it, I'm really nit-picking about how much sarcasm I put in the chapters, I'm always afraid I'm putting it over the top. Well, thanks for R&R!

MO:  =^_^= Yeah, it's gonna be a riot once the happy lovebirds come. I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head; I barely know where to start with them. *Dreamy sigh* This is going to be so much fun to write!!!!!!

One_Mean_Rabbit: *cackle* I love Allen bashing, but only when it's done properly and sophisticatedly, which makes it even better. Thanks for reviewing!

Niffer: *Grin* I'm glad you like it, and I'll be sure to check out some of your fics. I'm kinda slow when it comes to getting the time to read though, so it might be a while.

Burnt_Ashes: I was really afraid in the beginning to write Dryden and Millerna in as Hitomi's parents. This is my very first AU, and I was really worried because I've never seen/heard of anyone else doing something like this before. I think it's turned out pretty spiffy so far though, huh? Thanks for R&R!

Nightheart: Jeez… you're making blush… I'm still getting hang of this entire writing thing compared to others around here on ff.net *cough* CinderellaxVan *cough*

Lavender: I'm really glad you like this. Thanks for R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne… well… that's a lie… I do… seriously… I own every single episode… just not copyrights to it… so there, I'm glad we go that cleared up… Carry on with the R&R-love now, peoples.

October 27, 2003

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