Kyo waited outside Kaiba-corp for Mei, with their bags. She said she needed to talk to Seto alone for a while... but had been gone for some time now.

"Come on Mei..."

And then she did, she came out of the building, big grin on her face, smiling brightly.

"I love you Kyo." She said again, wrapping her arms around him

"I love you too Mei." He said, kissing her

"You smell so good." She muttered

"Good, considering the fact that I haven't had a bath in two days..."

"Ew."

"Like you have?"

"I bathed in a park fountain."

"EW!"

"At night!"

"Like that's so much better."

"Oh, would you prefer I did it when the school children were there?"

"OF COURSE NOT!"

Mei laughed.

"So, where to know?" She asked, changing she subject

"I dunno." He replied "Anywhere I guess."

Kyo stared up at the ceiling of the small motel room they'd rented, from a small motel outside of Tokyo.(hell, I'm assuming that's where they live). They'd mostly hitchhiked their way there, and walked the rest... well Kyo walked with Mei on his back.

Mei was in the bathroom, washing her long hair, which she said felt 'so dirty she almost wanted to cut it off''. They'd both decided to go somewhere and rest for a few days before they decided where they wanted to go. And just fiinally ran into this place, which was luckily in their meager price range.

The bathroom door opened, and Mei stepped out, wearing one of Kyo's oversized tee-shirts. Kyo smiled at her.

"You look pretty hip." He joked

Mei winked and smiled.

"Aren't you going to change? Or shower?"

Kyo nodded.

"I will..." He muttered, standing and walking into the bathroom

Mei tilted her head back on the bed, listening to the shower turn on. She smiled. It was relaxing, being on her own... or semi on her own.. She was suddenly happy she took Kyo with her, he too could use the freedowm of being alone, away from the Sohmas... She smiled and wondered where they'd head next... where they'd sleep and where their next meal is coming from. She scratched her head and leaned back on the lumpy mattress.

"This... this is nice."

"What is?"

Mei looked up, Kyo had come out of the bathroom, wearing a tee-shirt and boxers.

"You." She said, "Come here."

She got on her knees on the bed and stretched her arms out to him. Kyo walked into them and hugged her tightly. She ran her fingers through his slightly damp hair.

"You always smell good."

"I smell like soap."

"And soap smells good. And through..."

"I get the point Mei." Kyo murmered, pushing her back and laying on top of her "You don't have to ramble."

"But I like to ramble." Mei said "I think it's cute."

"It is cute." Kyo said "But we need to..."

"Kyo.. if you say make a plan... I just might cry."

He looked at her strangely. She jestured for him to sit up and he did. She sat beside him.

"Kyo... the main reason I left is because I didn't want to have a plan... or rules or responsibility... I just wanted to be free. And that's what being 'away' is for me... freedom... and planning is not part of freedom okay?"

He nodded.

"We'll figure out what we're going to do when we get there."

"But doesn't that defeat the point of figuring it out if we're already there? I mean.. since we're there... won't we pretty much have the option of what to do laid out right in front of us? And--."

"Kyo? You're starting to babble."

"No... I was rambeling."

"Same differance."

"Nope. Babbling is..."

"Okay... just let it go alright?"

Kyo nodded. Mei leaned over and kissed him again.

"You're so warm." She muttered

"Are you cold?" He asked

Mei nodded. Kyo reached down and pulled up the comforter at the end of the bed and wrapped it around them. He wrapped his arms tightly around Mei.

"Better?" He asked

"Uh huh." She said, nodding "Much."

Mei closed her eyes and made herself comfortable in Kyo's arms.

Shigure sat across from Haru and Yuki, both looking equally as sad as him.

"I wonder where she is right now." Yuki mumbled "What she's doing..."

"If Kyo found her." Haru added

"I wonder why she left..." Yuki said, leaning his head on his hand

"Hmm." Shigure said softly "I thought it was pretty obvious."

Haru and Yuki both looked up at him.

"Well..." Shigure explained "We both know Mei's a free spirit. She was born that way. Was born to be a wanderer, going from place to place. But life with the Sohmas must've been... I guess I can say very restricting for her. All the rules and restrictions... not to mention being one the the zodiac... that's not the life Mei enjoys..."

"But she always seems so happy." Yuki said "She's always smiling..."

"Because that's just how Mei is." Haru replied "She's just... she's the type of person who doesn't want people worrying about her. It's not her way..."

"She's like ripples on water." Shigure mumbled

"Hm?" Yuki asked

"She's like.. ripples..." Shigure said "You can't really catch her... or hold on to her... and if you try, she'll just slip through your fingers. So you're best to just... watch from afar and let her do whatever she wants... what makes her happy."

Yuki sighed and turned his head up towards the ceiling.

"I just hope she's happy." He said "Wherever she is."