Doubtful Love by xo0starfire0ox

Chapter 31

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR HIKARU!

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"It's time to go back anyways, Jeanne. No use finding something you threw away." She said to herself wearily. And so she dragged her feet back into the building, waiting for her next assignment. But it came quite quickly. Her friend rushed right up to her face right when Jeanne stepped through the doors.

"So, did you find him?" She asked eagerly.

"No. Perhaps he was someone else." Jeanne said.

"Well, maybe you'll bump into him later. I see you later, need to get back to work." She said.

"Okay, bye." Jeanne said kindly. Jeanne took one last look around her and then let out an exhausted sigh. She lazily dragged her feet to the elevator to go see her next patient.

"Bye, Jeanne-chan!" Hiroku shouted and waved to the silver haired girl. Jeanne managed a smiled and a small wave. Hiroku shut the door of her small little house and Jeanne went on her own way back to her house. There wasn't much to say in Alaska, but it's superb beauty among them. Jeanne appreciated the nice chilling wind that would use to bring down her frustration. She looked down at her feet at the fluffy whiteness as it crunched beneath her feet. She turned her attention to the surroundings. Everywhere she turned, there was splendor and simplicity.

"Simplicity…when was life ever simple?" She asked herself. She would go through this path in the forest each day, and each day taking in all the solitary feelings of peace. "Hao Asakura, what have you done to me?" She asked the cold blowing wind. She continued her walk to her lone house in the forest. She would stop occasionally, looking back at the past and smiled at it.

In a few minutes, she approached her house; it wasn't much, but it was nonetheless home. She walked up the quiet steps and walked inside with a sigh. She shut the door, and locked it shut. She stood there, dazed by the few events that had already occurred. 'I really miss him. Oh Hao, where are you? I want to see you again. I have failed to return your love, Hao. I'm sorry; I'm so sorry.' Jeanne resolved. She turned around, knowing there was much work to be done.

"It's hopeless anyway. Even if he did come back to get me, we'll be parted again. It is the fate of eternal enemies." Jeanne sighed as she took off her shoes and walked up to her room. The house was empty, just like it always was. Only silence droned upon the place. 'That's what my life is basically like anyways, silence.' Jeanne thought to herself. She turned the knob and slowly swung open the door. She walked in, and nearly flipped out. Seeing someone on your bed is not exactly the best surprise to see when you walk into your room. And not just anybody, but him. Jeanne felt her heart skip a few beats as she approached him. That face, the face of simple peace brought upon him, reminded her of the face she had talked to so many times when he was stuck in a coma. She looked down by the foot of the bed and saw his shoes placed neatly beside it. She dared to move closer and took one last look at his face. She pulled the covers up more and let him rest. 'It has been a while, Asakura, and I'm really glad to see you again, but you're too late.' Jeanne thought sadly as she closed the door softly and went downstairs to cook up a meal.

'Why does life have to be so confusing? I thought I had left him behind so long ago, yet here he is again, coming back to haunt me with the feelings I thought I once buried. Yes, the greatest rivals at first. Yes, a murderer that had killed many people, and many foes he did have, me being one of them. But how did things change so quickly between us? Yoh-kun has shown him great kindness, and given him a second chance. What drove me to give him a second chance? Right from the instant he had spoke, I knew that he was different. He wasn't the mass killer I've battled, but someone who came to celebrate his brother's wedding.' Jeanne thought as she stirred the broth. 'How did friendship begin? Truth be told, I think it was because everyone else was all in their own little relationships that we got stuck together. Ren-kun and Pirika-chan were solving their conflicting relationship. Yoh-kun and Anna-chan were well blossoming in their love. Horo-kun and Tamao-chan finally found each other and declared love upon one another. Who's left? Why, Hao-kun and me. But I suppose the more you spend time with someone, the more you get to know them, and things do start blooming. I felt nothing but mere friendship for him, but it suddenly changed. He had confessed his love to me that night. What difference do I make to all those love affairs he had in the past? Any girl would fall for his charming looks, that is, any girl who doesn't know his past. I am just another girl caught upon this? Somehow, I have to say no. He loved me, and he risked his life for me. I am in debt to him, yet fate does not allow this debt to be repaid. Things will never work out between us. Life and death are always warring upon one another. Forever warring, forever enemies.'

"But what is there left to fight for?" Jeanne asked aloud as she put the steak on the sizzling pan. She felt a shocking pain on her right finger, as the sizzling oils stung her fragile hand. She instinctively retracted it and brought it to the sink to cool off. But someone caught her hand before she did. Jeanne immediately blushed as she saw Hao inspecting her finger. She looked carefully at that face again. 'Such a serious and conniving face; I've only seen it when he was battling…and when he confessed…' Jeanne thought.

"Hao-kun!" Jeanne said and pulled her finger out of his hand. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No. I just heard a lot of mumbling and stuff about enemies." Hao said. Jeanne looked surprised and confused. She knew that she didn't say her thoughts aloud, not all of them.

"How…?" Jeanne wondered. Hao pointed to his head. 'Right, he could read minds…but I thought…'

"I thought Pirika-chan told me that you lost your powers?" Jeanne asked, still stirring the broth.

"How did you…" Hao asked.

"Pirika chan called me at the hospital earlier to confirm that you were coming; I just didn't know where you were. How did you get into my house? And why do you still have your powers?" Jeanne asked suspiciously.

"I got in through the basement window. You got to fix that by the way. The elders did not take away my mind-reading power, only the Spirit of Fire and my other fiery powers. Yeah…" Hao said.

"So, I guess you heard everything then…" Jeanne asked, crushing in humiliation already.

"Um…yeah, I did." Hao said, stuffing his hands into his pocket. Silence filled the air again. Jeanne stood there, stirring the broth and looking away distantly, scorning herself for being such an idiot. But Hao could hear those beatings, and with each one of them, they also tore his heart.

'Worst part of all is what if we do get back together? It would be great, but fate has its bitter tragedies to keep fated things apart. Hao may have saved my life, and he still lives, and I'm happy to know that. Next time, who knows what may happen? Someone might lose their life over something that is destined to not work out. And I can't take that risk. Maybe the best thing is to know that he lives. I don't have to have him; just to know that he is living, breathing, is enough for me.' Jeanne thought with much regret. Her heart lurched at the sudden resolution she had decided upon. She felt her eyes getting watery, but she did her best to keep them in, for the sake of Hao.

Hao standing a few feet away from her, looked at the girl he had loved, tore herself apart with her choice. And inwardly, he felt his heart being ripped into million of pieces to hear the words being spoken out of her. He slipped behind her and engulfed her into his arms. She dropped the wooden spoon and stood there, shocked and frozen. He rested his head upon her shoulder, taking in the sweet scent of lavender.

"Hao…?" She spurted.

"I agree with you. I never did dream that the two of us would end up together. I never imagined that I would be falling completely in love with you. We were, after all, rival enemies." Hao said softly. Jeanne turned herself around within his arms and got the courage to face him. "But that was before. When we were at the tournament, it was all about power. But I learned something from Yoh. There are more important things other than power, and that is the reason why I was defeated. He had something I didn't. He had love and support; he had true friends. His love of his life standing next to him, pushing him onwards. I had none of that. I had followers, followers that only remained loyal because of fear. I never knew how it felt to be loved, or to love. Though we may be enemies, I know that I am fated to fall in love with you. But if fate keeps us apart, well, then this love is something I'm willing to die for." Hao whispered happily. Jeanne looked up upon him, meeting him squarely in the eye. She lowered her gaze, her hands tightening around the fabric of Hao's shirt as she slowly shook her head.

"Hao, as much as I want to be with you. I'm not taking that risk. Do you know how hard it is to live a life that constantly haunts you? You went into a coma, and I had to live with this guilt hanging upon me each day. Imagine what would happen if you were wiped away from the face of the earth? Hao, I…" Jeanne said but her voice cracked under the strain. Hao pulled her closer.

"I am sorry that you had to go through so much suffering. But I've also learned another thing while living in the Asakura residence. Love conquers all. We'll get through anything we want, as long as we are together. Love can defeat any power over us." He said gently. Then he started falling upon Jeanne, who only felt the weight being added upon her. She stopped and looked at Hao, who was falling to the ground now.

"Hao? Hao, what's wrong?" Jeanne asked urgently, but he didn't answer. She looked at his face and immediately knew what was wrong with him. She placed her hand on his burning hot forehead to confirm.

"Hao, you're really burning up!" Jeanne muttered to herself. "That's right, you're not really immune to anything without your powers! You're not used to this kind of cold, and who knows how long you've been out there. Come on, Hao." She said and dragged him to the living room sofa. She placed him down there and rushed upstairs to get a few extra blankets. It'll be too dangerous to bring him up to the hospital because of that slippery hill. She didn't even think she would be able to carry him.

"Please Hao, please don't scare me." She whispered over and over again as she ran up. She grabbed a thermometer and several blankets and raced back down stairs. She placed them gently on Hao as she took his temperature. She went to the washroom and took out several rags and a big basin of water. She went back to the living room. She soaked each individual towel with water and placed them on Hao's forehead.

"Jeanne, calm down. You know how to treat a fever. You've been through much worse, yet why am I shaking with fear? Why am I so scared?" She asked herself as she laid a towel on Hao's head. 'You know he's right about love. Jeanne, don't be silly. If you love him, go for it. Love has no bounds, and nothing can restrict it. True love is the most powerful weapon of all. It is unstoppable, inevitable, and it conquers all. I can't let this chance pass by. He came all this way to see me again, something I've been longing for a while. He has confessed his love for me a second time. Will I let our differences get in the way this time? My heart longs for him, but our differences stand between us. What differences do you see, Jeanne? Love and hate, two totally extreme opposites, but they are not so different at all. Hate turns to love if given time to do so. Life and death, not different at all. One life to live, one death to die; it is a human's journey. We are not different; we are of the same process of this journey. I am the beginning and he is the end of this journey of life. I'm not going to pass this chance this time. But am I already too late?' Jeanne asked herself as she left up the blankets and washed his hands. He suddenly grabbed hold of her hand, and she smiled. And she held his, unafraid and unashamed of what is to come.

The End (I think)

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If you want a better ending (like continue the story), please tell me! Thanks to all those who have reviewed!