A/N: You guys guessed what would happen in this chapter… did I make it THAT obvious? XD My god, I feel stupid now. XDD

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Silent Night.

Chapter 19: Homecoming

"Did you hear that? Did you? That one famous cello player that used to go here is coming back..." Kairi could hear the flutes loudly gossiping while they were supposed to be warming up with the 20 minutes that Mr. Leonhart allowed them. She rolled her eyes. Sora might have gone to Julliard, but he wasn't famous- at least not yet.

Why she was feeling so sore, she didn't know. She was in a cheerful mood tonight, and didn't want anyone to bring that mood down- although the gossiping of Sora did make her upset. They acted as if he was some celebrity from their school that they had known personally- one of her peeves. It wasn't that she didn't like the idea of Sora being famous; it was just that she didn't like him to be thrown around like that. And those flutes were the same ones who didn't even know Sora existed when he was a freshman.

Kairi took out her solo from the music folder, and placed it on the stand. Her stand partner was going to be late tonight, so she might as well take advantage of hogging the stand with her solo.

She was playing the music perfectly tonight, even though she only had about a week to practice it. She could feel the stares of the other orchestra members when she moved so widely, but she didn't care. She was in her own little world, and she was happy. She had been happy since she realized that she still had the Silent Night solo that was handed to her three years ago, but this was better than that happy. This was sheer bliss.

"Kairi!" Selphie walked by and sat in her stand partner's chair. "Did you hear the rumors?"

She rolled her eyes. The flautists had ONLY been talking so loud that the person on the very OUTSIDE of the orchestra could hear them over the anxiously loud practicing. "Yes."

"Do you really think that Sora's going to be here tonight?"

This came as a shock to Kairi. She heard that he was coming 'back,' but coming 'back' could be several different things. She wasn't aware that they meant that he was coming back to watch them!

Her silence surprised Selphie. "You didn't hear, did you? Mr. Leonhart just told me and Yuffie. I guess word got around and a little bit mixed up."

Suddenly, Kairi became self-conscious. What did she look like? She didn't put on any make-up tonight, and hadn't since Sora had left. After all, there was no one to impress now... she looked around the room for a mirror, and then at Selphie. "How do I look?"

Selphie giggled. "You want me to be completely honest?" Kairi nodded. "You're part's crooked, you're hair is a little frizzy, and you look really sleepy."

"Shoot..." Kairi hastily ran her fingers through her hair.

"Good thing I came prepared. Actually, it was Namine's idea, since you were grouchy and didn't want to participate in the mini-makeover that she gives us before all of the concerts." She took out a small makeup bag, and looked at her cell phone. "You have 5 minutes before Mr. Leonhart leads us out to the audience." She handed the bag to Kairi. "Hurry!"

"Kay, I will." She ran off into the only bathrooms in the music building, and hurriedly put on a little bit of everything in the bag. She wasn't as klutzy with makeup as she was three years ago, so she didn't need help from any of the other girls doing last-minute makeup.

She ran out of the bathrooms, and toward the orchestra room, only to run smack into someone. "I'm so sorry!" She looked up at the male that she had run into, and gasped. "Sora," she breathed. Although he didn't look like he changed much, his whole aura around him had seemed to have matured.

"Yes, it's me. And it looks like you're going to be late to your own concert if you don't hurry back to the orchestra room." He gave her a little push.

"Okay," she mumbled. Sora was still Sora, even after three years at the best music school in the United States. And was it just her, or did he also seem to... grow up? She giggled, and ran back into the orchestra room, just in time.

-

Selphie, who was sitting on Kairi's chair, "guarding" her cello, bounced up and down. Where on earth was Kairi? She had taken up four-and-a-half of the five minutes that she had to get back here before Mr. Leonhart would find out that she left the room!

None the orchestra members were supposed to leave, but as Mr. Leonhart locked himself up in his office to try to relief stress, everyone just ran out and came back as soon as possible, knowing too well what time Mr. Leonhart would be out, also knowing the reaction that he would have if found half of them missing.

If Kairi hadn't come back in the exact moment that she did, both Selphie and Kairi could have been kicked out of the orchestra for the concert. They both ran back to their seats as soon as Mr. Leonhart's door cracked open and he walked out.

Their teacher walked out, commanding silence as he did. There was another change. Their orchestra never spoke as much as they did when they were Freshmen- although this year's freshmen were louder than ever. They were all crowded in one corner, all "ten thousand of them," as Selphie would say.

"Okay, guys. Symphony out first." With that command, the cellos and basses all stood up, and as Selphie held the door for them, they wobbled to backstage with their instruments and set them down in their own little spot that was mentally assigned to each of them.

Kairi hurried out to the audience, and sat behind the violins and violas. She looked around the crowded audience- this was their most popular concert of the year, Mr. Leonhart told them. There were people sitting in the aisle, standing where the chairs ended, and others dragging out chairs from who-knows-where and sitting where they felt comfortable watching- including the walkway in between the sections of the audience.

She giggled at the thought of strolling strings tripping over a chair as they walked out from the hallway, and then continued to look around for a certain someone. She strained her neck looking through the many people, but it would be worth it.

She saw him in the middle section of the auditorium, in the front row. He was looking around, too... maybe for her? Their eyes met, and she smiled, feeling the tears that were making her eyes glossy. Sora was the one who had gotten her where she was today, and she couldn't be more thankful.

Instead of paying attention to the other orchestra performances, all of the memories with Sora flowed through her mind- first the teasing, then the lessons, then the date that just completely ended it all. She wanted him back. She missed him more than ever, and she missed everything about him- his unnaturally spiky hair, his big blue eyes, and his cheerful smile that always brought her day up.

Now, everything in her life seemed to feel worthwhile once again, especially since she would be playing Silent Night for him- no one else.

She was in her own world for the biggest portion of the concert. Only when the violas started to get up, she realized how much time had passed. "Shoot..." she muttered, and then forced herself up with the rest of the group. She had barely even noticed Strollings' performance and she knew that Selphie was going to make her pay later.

She stiffly walked up to get her cello, but relaxed and started to practice once she had gotten into her seat. Her stand partner had miraculously made it to the concert while some other orchestra was playing, so being the nice person that she was, she let her choose the piece they were going to warm up on while the stage lights were dimmed and the lights in the auditorium were brightened.

Kairi felt herself relaxing as she warmed up with the piece that her stand partner chose. Everything was going to be perfect tonight, or rather, as close to perfect as possible. As Selphie entered the stage, the lights in the audience were dimmed and the stage lights became blinding.

They all tuned to Selphie's A, and she sat down, waiting for Mr. Leonhart to come onstage. He walked on, but not to his conductor's podium- it was to the microphone stand.

"We have something special for you all tonight. There's been a cello player- wait, two, but one of them left for Julliard-" Some people let out a laugh- everyone in the orchestra community knew who Sora was. "-that is one of the most amazing, most improved that I have ever seen in my life. And you all know how long that's been." More people laughed. "Well, we have a solo tonight. Give it up for your principal cellist."

Kairi felt herself blush from Mr. Leonhart's comments. She wasn't that good- was she? As the applause for her died down, she set her bow on her string, and started her vibrato.

She let her cello and her heart sing out- for Sora, because she knew that he was watching, and she wanted to let him feel her misery that she had felt for the past three years missing him.

And as each note went on, she could feel her own emotions surrendering to the music, too. A warm tear rolled down her cheek, yet she continued to smile.

After the last note, she let her bow hang off the string as she continued to use vibrato. The note echoed in the air and she could actually hear a few sniffles. Once the audience started to clap, she stood up and took a small bow- well, as much of a bow that she could do while holding her cello.

As she bowed, she took a glance at Sora. He had a completely sentimental look on his face, yet was clapping enthusiastically.

The rest of the Symphony's performance swept by like a dream. She was playing, alright, but her mind was still back where her solo was... in the past.

After the concert, Kairi, Selphie, and Yuffie stayed until almost everyone else was out. They usually helped Mr. Leonhart get the room back in order after 200 people were crammed into it at once. Today, however, more people stayed behind, hoping for Sora to waltz right in.

He did, but it was after most people lost their patience and just left. It was typical Sora- he didn't want to be stalked by the orchestra members in the school that he didn't know. Kairi didn't notice him come in- she was busy putting stacking the chairs with her back to the doorway.

He went to go talk to Mr. Leonhart, and gave him a stiff hug. After the two talked for a while, Kairi finally noticed that there was someone in the room other than Yuffie, Selphie, and herself.

"H-hi, Sora." Again with the stuttering? Wasn't that so freshman year?

"Hey!" He walked over to her and grinned. "You were wonderful tonight."

She smiled. "Thanks..." She looked down. "So why are you here?"

"I'm on break, so I decided to come see you guys."

Kairi could take it anymore- the fact that she and Sora were talking as if nothing happened, although they both knew very well that they hadn't spoken nor seen each other for two years. She completely exploded onto him. "Sora, I've missed you!" She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him like there was no tomorrow. "Why didn't you come before? I've been in misery for three years!" Tears came to her eyes.

He stroked her hair. "I've missed you, too... but I've had things to work on. I really would have come before..."

Kairi was fully sobbing now. "Sora... stay here. Stay here with me. I'm going to die without you."

He lifted her chin up to him. "No, you won't... be strong, Kairi."

"I don't know if I can anymore..."

"Shh. Let's take a walk." He took her hand, and led her out of the orchestra room, waving goodbye to Yuffie, Selphie, and Mr. Leonhart.

They were out in the school's courtyard, looking at the stars. Kairi had stopped shedding tears now, and was clutching Sora's hand. There were no words spoken, but the company that they had with each other was worth more than any words that could have been spoken.

"So..." Sora took a chance to talk. "Where are you going next semester?"

Kairi shrugged. "I don't know... I hope that NYU will accept me... but that's the best I can do."

Sora smiled. "That would be great... we'd be close to each other."

Kairi wanted to say how much she had been missing him, and how nothing was the same after he left. But those words just wouldn't come out.

"Look, Kai... I'm really sorry that I had to leave so suddenly, but we're together now... and that's all that matters, isn't it?" He pulled her into a hug.

With those words, everything felt right again. All of her anger melted away, and she could feel the passion that came three years ago coming back.

"I'm going to walk you home." Sora took his hand in hers, and they walked down the sidewalks with the stars twinkling above them.

-

Next chapter is the ending. I hope it won't be too disappointing for you guys, because… well… yeah. Thank you guys SO much for 100+ reviews, you're wonderful!

I don't know if I'm going to write a sequel for this, because I have an idea of what I'm going to write, but I don't like it very much. I might just do a semi-prequel that intersects with this fic, about Sora, because this one was mainly about Kairi. I kind of like that idea more than the sequel, but just by a little bit.

So, um, you should review! C: