Love Just Is

Oh, and I was so sure that I was finished with this. Then, I started reading over the old chapters, and I realized that I hadn't finished at all! There was so much more to do with the odd family I sucked into this fan fic. Besides, Courtney and her family will become more important… MUCH more important from this moment on. Don't worry! The fluff and stuff continues! However, things become more… complicated. Darn my muses for making me think of more. I hope you like it! Please, keep reviewing! Love the reviews!

Davis/Kari and Courtney/Tk… with hints of Matt/Sora every so often!

Ice Skating

It didn't take them long to get from the cabin to the pond. There was so many other people ice skating already. Luckily enough, there was plenty of room with such a large frozen lake. Everyone cheered and jumped out. Courtney looked the most enthusiastic of them all. When Kari looked at her, she was sure that the girl didn't have any fun at home. Her sister, Trish proved that. It was almost like torture. 'What a horrible family…' Kari thought, shivering, as she pulled her jacket closer to her.

She looked at Courtney and was surprised to see that she and Tk were getting very close already. It was easy to tell though, that Courtney didn't have many friends. She was too weary of people to have had many friends, or even people she could trust.

"You ok?" Davis asked, looking at the really pensive girl. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Yeah, let's just have fun while we can, right?" Kari added, running over to the dealer to rent some ice skates for their stay. Davis followed close behind, chasing her the whole way there with a smile on his face. 'How did I get so lucky?' He mentally asked himself. Then, he shrugged it off and decided that that wasn't anything to worry about now. He was happy, and he was in love…

Courtney eyed the two, smiling. 'I wish I had friends like this. Too bad, though, that my life couldn't have been better. I would have liked to be free like this. Instead… it's a job I just have to do. It'll be hard… but that's the life… for someone like me.' She said, rubbing her hand over something cold and metallic in her coat pocket.

Tk looked at her and smiled. "Come on! Let's skate!" He said, dragging her over to get a pair of skates. She looked up at him and smiled weakly, with a hint of a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. 'Yeah… I could get used to this REAL fast. And him… it'll be so hard… I like him. I like him a lot…'

"Ok, ok!" She laughed in defeat. "Let's go!" They purchased the rental skates after Kari and Davis and decided to go right out on to the ice. "First one around the perimeter wins, ne?" She challenged Tk after they both finished putting on their skates. He nodded, eying her with a small smirk.

"Be forewarned… I NEVER lose!" He laughed.

"Oh? Neither do I!" She shouted, both of them launching off onto the ice at the same time, and taking off at amazing speeds. "You're pretty good!" She smiled. "I'll give you that much. But here's where I lose you!" She said. Courtney attempted to speed up using a rather quick swerve, but instead, cracked the ice, and almost fell in herself. She would have; certainly, had a certain blonde boy not reached under her arms and supported her until he could carry her off the ice.

Courtney had been drenched in the freezing cold water, and had a few scrapes and scratches. But other than that, she came out of the incident unscathed. However, her breath showed that this small action made her life pass before her eyes. And she didn't like what she saw. "Tk?" She looked up at him. "Why did you do that? Why didn't you let me drown?" The way she said it sent shivers down his spine.

"Better question… why WOULD I let you drown? We're friends, right? And that's what friends do." He smiled, pulling her close. As soon as he hugged her, she felt an amazing feeling tugging at her heart. 'Is this… is this love? Friendship? I… I can't do it! I'm sorry… mom, dad, sis, bro… I can't do it. The money doesn't matter anymore… Tk… Tk matters much more to me, now. Why does fate have to be so cruel…?'

She thought about it for a second. This situation… she had never dreamed of questioning herself like this. No one had ever calmed the tides of her deadly emotions before like this boy could. Just looking at him made her feel warm and at peace with the world. But she knew that that was wrong. The world wasn't really like that… not at all. There was no time to question her motives. It was her life and her family vs. the boy she just met. Obviously, the family would win…

Besides… this… these kinds of missions were what she was trained for. Her whole life she had been getting ready for this moment… the moment within her grasp. Courtney WOULD do it. She HAD to. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't warn him. Maybe if he was smart… he'd realize the truth. Maybe he'd run… if he knew what was good for him. Then, maybe it wouldn't be her fault. Maybe she could go on; if she knew that it was beyond her control.

That was something she could tell her family. She would be charged with a failure, but not killed. Courtney would live for another mission… one that she could complete without a second thought. This was a feeling that only comes up once, and it would leave once she was away from him…

But the thoughts might kill her…

'How often have I dreamed of being a normal girl? Going to the mall, and drooling over guys, then finding the right guy, and going on dates? Oh, how wonderful it would be if I could be like Kari? No problems in the world for a girl like her! I wish I could be like that. But too much is at stake… I don't have a choice. If this is betrayal, than shoot me for it!' She opened her eyes forcefully, and reached in to her pocket to feel for THAT item…

"Tk… no one has ever been this nice to me. Thank you. But… there's something I have to tell you. I can't go on without telling you the truth. You are in grave danger, and I'm the one you have to fear. I can't stop. I can't pull back… I…"

Trish watched with disappointment. "Now that the plan is ruined, it looks like it's up to me. I knew she was never cut out for this family… for this JOB." She ran up to Tk, pretending to look like she was rushing up to her sister. Instead, she took a sudden turn that nobody had been expecting.

With a foot planted firmly on the ground, she outstretched her arms and… she pushed Tk right back into the icy water he had just pulled Courtney out of.

Short, but it's leading to a point. I have to get back into the swing of things with this story. It's been too long, really.

Don't worry. I have more for you! Comin' right up! REVIEW, please! Love the reviews, love the reviewers!

C.L.