"…Yes, and thank you for coming to our victory party. If not for you guys, Julia's album wouldn't have topped the charts and we couldn't have gotten this award… right Julia?" her manager had to nudge her to bring her back to reality.

"Wha…Oh… yes. Thank you very much." The crowds cheered more loudly after her statement. "Thank you for buying my album".

It took her more than ten minutes to finish with the photo ops and signing autographs for her eager fans. Once she was done, she hurriedly rode the car, wanting to go back home as soon as possible.

"Julia Heartily! What was the matter with you back there? You certainly were distracted during the press conference today," Her manager shook his head slightly to emphasize his point, "was it too early for you? But you were the one who requested that it be scheduled earlier than ten am."

"No …I'm sorry. I just wanted to keep the day off." She looked out the window as if to compose her thoughts. "I have nothing left scheduled for today don't I?"

"Well, there is that music festival tonight. However, it's an all male event thing and you can not go… it would be good if you went because…"

"I'm sorry, I can't. I won't go there tonight. I have to visit a friend you see." Julia looked at her manager with pleading eyes and smiled only when he nodded.

"I want to visit Richard today. I want to see if his fever is gone or if he has fully recovered."

"Oh…that handsome devil General Caraway eh?" her manager grinned knowingly, "Well I guess that appointment would be worth more than the stupid music festival tonight."

She just shook her head at his playful comment. "I plan to catch the first ride to Timber today."

"Oh no Heartily! I'm not letting you ride another train do you hear me?"

"I'll be fine," she laughed, "I'll just visit General Caraway in the Timber hospital. He's confined there."

"Well then, I'll go with you. I want to extend my gratitude to that fellow…and I want a glance on his pretty face too." Her manager laughed gaily and slapped her playfully on her upper arm. She just nodded and directed the driver to go to her house first. She wanted to change to more comfortable clothes.

She was surprised to see a man waiting at her doorstep when she got down the car minutes later. He looked vaguely familiar…

"Ms. Heartily?" the tall man wore a military uniform and looked as if he wanted to give her a salute.

"Yes sir?" she tried to remember where she saw the man yet she couldn't quite…

"You probably don't know me ma'am, but General Caraway introduced us once. I'm Martine." He gave her a slight bow as a sign of respect. He sighed in relief when he saw a hint of recognition in her eyes.

"Oh right! Martine. I remember now. Your desk was right beside Richard's." she shook his hand and smiled at him when she suddenly froze and her heart thudded nervously. "Wait. Did something happen to Richard? Please tell me."

"No ma'am, he's actually in the office right now, buried under a pile of papers," he grinned slightly, while a voice at the back of his head nagged him to ask her to convince the stubborn general to go back home and rest. "He just wanted me to give you this note."

"He's working now? He's impossible! The doctor said he should…" the fear in her heart was replaced with anger as she remembered how obstinate he can be. She stopped herself from ranting as she probably might have embarrassed Richard to his comrade. "I'm sorry. It's just that…"

"I perfectly understand ma'am." Martine awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Here is the note ma'am."

She carefully unfolded the note and read what it said.

Julia,

There is a pleasant surprise waiting for you in Winhill. I'm sorry for I cannot bring you there myself. However, I would like to wish you all the love and the happiness. Please be safe.

That is all for now. Good bye

Richard

She read the note thrice before she finally looked up to Martine with confused eyes. "A surprise? For me?"

"He told me to tell you that he is in a vacant house beside the Pub in Winhill."

"He? Richard?" she asked, tilting her head a little. Richard can be quite an enigma sometimes.

"I do not know the details ma'am. He just told me to relay that exact message. Anyway, I have to return to headquarters now ma'am." He gave her a snappy salute

"Martine wait, is Richard … I mean, General Caraway feeling better now?" she asked worriedly as she held back his arm to get his attention.

He didn't reply for a while and looked as if he was thinking hard for a suitable answer. "He's carrying on ma'am. He's been through many battles and almost got himself killed. But he's carrying on just like how he did back then" … with a heavy heart, he added silently to himself.

"Then I must go visit him and…"

"I would suggest you look at his surprise first then go visit him later to… show him how you feel." He mentally slapped himself when he realized he might have given away too many hints, "like…your gratitude I mean."

"Julia? Is everything fine there?" Julia's manager from the car.

Julia nodded at Martine as he said goodbye again and walked away.

"There's been a change of plans. I'm going to Winhill."

----0-----

The young woman in the potpourri shop was kind enough to let her rest for a while in her bench, Julia thought, and it was a good thing that she did not recognize her too. The media might suddenly track her down and she may disrupt the peace and quiet in the small town. It seemed egocentric for her to think of such things – however it all happened before. Besides, even the smallest of ruckuses might prevent her from seeing Richard's "pleasant surprise."

"Excuse me, but has a man been to that house beside the pub lately?" Julia asked curiously, eager to know what Richard has been up to.

"Well, that house had been vacant for quite a while now, since…well… since an accident. But a man recently moved in. He's quite a strange fellow. He was brought here, badly injured and he claimed that he got that from jumping off a cliff!" the woman chuckled as she remembered that fateful day.

"A cliff you say?" Julia gasped, somehow astonished by what she heard. "Why would one man do such a thing?"

"There were three of them actually, or so he claims. He said they were trying to escape certain death!"

"Oh…but that must have been a terrible experience, nonetheless."

"Yeah, I would guess so too. However," the woman paused and smiled, "If he hadn't been in that condition, maybe he wouldn't have ended up here."

Julia wondered how this story was connected to Richard's surprise. Something at the back of her head screamed the answer yet she couldn't quite figure out how the puzzle fits into place.

Suddenly, she saw a beautiful woman go outside the pub with a cute little girl following in tow. She seemed to have a small tray in her hands and was about to go to the vacant house.

"He sure keeps her on her toes!" the woman said, bringing Julia back to the conversation. "I would say Raine's life had been pretty calm…even dull if you'd ask me. That is until Mr. Strange-r came to Winhill."

"You mean that as a good thing…right?" Julia asked, getting more and more curious.

"Yeah, I guess. Raine had been a close friend of mine for as long as I can remember and I can say I've never seen her as happy as she is now. Sure she gets irritated a lot by his crazy antics, but he's like… how should I put it…?"

"Like the spark to liven up her existence?" Julia suggested.

"Yes, although it's more of an electric shock if you'd ask me! That guy can be a powerhouse!" She mellowed down a bit and added, "But you know, I think he needs a gal like Raine to keep him calm…and away from trouble."

Julia chuckled as she imagined it in her head. Such liveliness in a quiet town like Winhill can be quite different – different in a good way. It somehow reminded her of the way…

"Look! There they go again!"

He was so animated when he told his stories. It was like anything he touched would come alive… he was… he was …

"Raine! Look I can even play hopscotch now."

That voice… that hair…those eyes…

"Laguna's getting Raine riled up again." The woman beside her laughed as she saw the man's funny antics.

"I am not going to patch you up again if you hurt yourself do you understand?" the woman called Raine told him angrily as she looked torn between beating the man up or for preparing to break his fall in case he slips.

"Aw c'mon Raine, you're no fun!"

"Laguna…"Julia mumbled unconsciously, shocked to her wits.

"Yep, a strange name don't you think?" the woman asked Julia with a smile.

…I'm sorry I cannot bring you there myself… A pleasant surprise… I wish you all the love and the happiness…

"It all makes sense to me now…" she said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes once again.

Goodbye… Goodbye… the word kept repeating itself in her mind. There is a pleasant surprise waiting for you in Winhill… Goodbye…

"Miss? Are you all right?" The woman placed her hand on her shoulders, as if to comfort her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just remembered something…" Julia said, forcing a laugh while praying it won't come out as a whimper.

I'm sorry I cannot bring you there myself… it would be too painful… I wish you all the love and the happiness… with him… goodbye… goodbye…

"Oh…I understand…" the woman got the bottle from the counter and sat down beside her on the bench, "it must be that guy you bought these for," She said, referring to the lavender potpourri she did buy for Richard.

She nodded, "It's just that…" Julia bit her lip to stop herself from crying. She might have looked like a total lunatic right then and there.

As if everything that happened between them was not enough, he even led her to the man he probably loathed the most – the man she supposedly loved more than she loved him. It was strange how Laguna did not cross the parameters of her mind ever since the train-ride back home from Timber. And when she finally saw him, after waiting for so long, she can't look at him straight without thinking about Richard.

"He said goodbye," she thought, "he was giving up… he was letting me go."

"Raaaine… I'm sorry! Don't be mad anymore ok? I'd jump off a cliff again if you want me to!" she could hear Laguna saying from a distance. His eyes were not on hers any longer.

"Laguna… he …they look perfect for each other don't they?" Julia asked as she saw the so-called sparks between Laguna and his newfound love.

"Yep. I don't think those two have realized it yet, but I'm sure those guys would hook up sooner or later." Then the woman tried to soothe Julia by patting her back, "And I'm sure you and your man would work things out."

"You're right." She said, as she wiped the tears that escaped her eyes. "I'll make sure I'd get some sense into his thick head…" Just like how he brought sense to mine, she added to herself.

She looked at Laguna, thinking it would probably be her last chance – yet she could not feel a sense of regret in her heart. Finally she can let go.

Her true love went off to war and disappeared once…

…she found him in again… she found him in the man she had known all her life.

Now that one thing was clear, she won't ever let him say goodbye to her again.

Author's notes:
YAY! 2 more chappies to go! Um… thank you to the people who have reached this part. I hope you liked it. It's actually my exam week right now and… well… yes. I am insane. I'll probably continue this during sembreak… which is like… three weeks from now (Unless I suddenly die in my statistics and accounting exams that is…) so again, thank you very much for reading this fic. I hope to hear from you. Please tell me what you think. Did it suck? Was it horrible? Was it nice?

Ok. Again thank you! runs away and crams for long exam