Doubtful Love by xo0starfire0ox
Chapter 30
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS (except for Hikaru...who is Jeanne's nurse buddy...)
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"Who has the contact information?" Tamao shouted to the crowd in the kitchen. Yoh held up his letter.
"I have the address, telephone number, and email. But Jeanne-chan told me that she rarely checks her email, so yeah." He said.
"Good, okay, we can send her letters also." Pirika smiled sweetly.
"Yoh!" Hao called from the stairs.
"What is it, Onii-chan?" Yoh asked. Hao appeared at the foot of the stairs.
"Can I have the address?" Hao asked. Yoh gave him the letter and Hao raced back upstairs. Everyone wore a grin on their faces.
Upstairs, Hao copied down the address and went back downstairs to give his brother back the letter. Then he immediately returned back to his room, not even taking notice of everyone's smile.
Downstairs, everyone whispered amongst themselves. Pirika was joyfully chatting with Tamao about Hao and Jeanne. Horo Horo and Ren stayed by the corner, looking at their gossiping wives (or wife-to-be for Ren) as they silently wished Hao the best of luck.
"Poor Jeanne-chan, but she'll be in for a real surprise!" Tamao shouted happily.
"Yeah I know. I'm so happy for her!" Pirika squealed gleefully.
"Okay, Tamao, I think it's time for your nap." Horo Horo said, whisking his wife away.
"But Onii-chan-" Pirika began protesting, but then Ren wrapped his arm around her skinny waist.
"I think it's time for you nap time too." He said gently.
"Since when did I have a nap time?" She asked, still being led into the hallway.
"Since right now." He replied, and Pirika giggled at his truth.
"Everyone, I think I'm going to leave for a while." Hao abruptly said during dinner. Everyone looked up from their meals; some with happy smiles on their faces, some with concern.
"And where are you leaving to?" Horo asked.
"I have some things to settle with Jeanne-chan." Hao said mysteriously. But everyone nodded in understanding. Many wished Hao the best of luck and continued eating their dinner with happy thoughts about the couple in their minds.
Hao went up to his room straight after dinner. He began packing his necessary possessions. He took out the photograph and the letter from his drawer. He slowly opened up the letter again, and reread it.
Dear Hao,
You probably think I'm absolutely insane for writing to you, writing to my enemy. I know that you'll probably look down upon this as a weakness, as something to rip upon your hands. But I do want to thank you. I very understand our positions in this world, but you've shown me something very important, and I thank you. You probably won't remember that incident, but I remember it, and that's what matters. You are free to throw this letter away without reading it if you must. You have every right to look down upon me and mock me. But no matter, I will not blame you. I thank you for opening my eyes that there is no difference between differences. I only wish that I had opened them sooner. And though you may despise me for the rest of your life, knowing nothing that had happened in that month, I will not hold it against you. Yes, you are my enemy, and I am yours, but I thank you for leading me along this way. I thank you Hao Asakura, whether evil or good, I thank you.
Iron Maiden Jeanne
He sighed after reading it. It brought back so much memories, even if she did assumed that he had forgotten all. He slowly put the letter back inside its envelope and took the picture in his hand.
"Soon, my little dove, soon." He whispered with a smile and packed the remainder of his belongings into his suitcase.
"Okay, you want me to fill out this and then straighten out this?" Jeanne asked a patient. The frail lady on the bed nodded weakly, and Jeanne began her work. She worked in silence, smiling sweetly at the elderly as she continued her usual check up.
"Is something troubling you, child?" the woman asked her and Jeanne stopped abruptly to look at the lady.
"Why do you ask?" Jeanne asked back, returning to her clipboard.
"You seem really quiet today." The lady pointed out.
"I've always been quiet. I'm sorry; I'm not much of a talker." Jeanne said with a small laugh.
"Yes, yes." The old lady said and dismissed the question. Jeanne finished up her work and walked out of the room, kindly saying good-bye and closed the door behind her. She sighed and turned around to come face to face with a fellow nurse. She gasped, but gently greeted her.
"Oh, Jeanne-chan, there you are, I've been looking for you." A young woman no older than Jeanne said.
"Oh, why?" Jeanne asked as the two walked down the sterile hallways of the hospital.
"A man was looking for you at the front desk, but I told him that I didn't know where you were. He was kind of strange, never saw him in town before; he must be visiting. He asked for your address, but I told him that I couldn't give out such information, and then he left. Do you have an unknown stalker?" the nurse humorously asked.
"Very funny, but that would be scary. Who was he?" Jeanne asked.
"He didn't leave a name, but he seemed to be in such a hurry. But the guy was cute; do you have a new boyfriend you didn't tell me about?" she drilled. Jeanne started laughing.
"Of course I don't! I never did fall in love with anyone, except for that…that one time." Jeanne suddenly said, her mood automatically darkening.
"Sorry, did I say something wrong?" the nurse asked her. Jeanne shook her head.
"No, it is only fate." Jeanne whispered and continued walking. "Anyways, what did he look like; maybe he's someone I've met or maybe it's a patient I don't remember."
"Well, he was certainly a godly man, long flowing brown hair-" she said. Jeanne immediately stopped, frozen in her friend's words. Her clipboard clattered to the floor, startling her friend.
"Long-long b-b-bro-rown h-h-hair?" Jeanne stuttered as reality crept behind her back.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Her friend asked, concerned as she bent down to pick up the fallen clipboard.
"Nothing; tell the head nurse that I'm leaving for an early lunch break. I've got to go." Jeanne said urgently, running down the hallways, making sure not to bump into anyone. 'He's come after all these years. I have to find him; I need to talk to him. Even if he wants to kill me.' Jeanne thought, still unaware of his conditions. She grabbed her coat and rushed outside, the cold nipping on her once delicately soft skin. She looked around frantically, searching across the vast hospital grounds. She searched through the small town, running from building to building, bursting in and having to come back out. 'Only place left is the forest behind the hospital.' Jeanne said to herself as she rushed back to the hospital, gliding through the slippery streets. She reached an archway of branches, snow covered branches. She looked down the path, wondering if she should go in. She glanced at her watch and slumped her shoulders.