(And at long last I have returned to finish this. I will admit in guilt that I did almost absolutely no work on this fanfiction during my vacation and spent all last night typing it up to make up. However, the results are probably much better then they might have been if I had squeezed it in between my spare time as I had barely any and my mind was not focused on writing. This is the final chapter for Her Guardian Angel but the story isn't over!)


Chapter Eleven: End to Begin

Long is life, or it is expected to be, and very complicated. All decisions made will one day to come back to either haunt or reward us. Mistakes are made on a regular basis, though the truth is that we really do learn from them. Come moments in all our lives when we want to just put everything on pause and rearrange matters into the order we want them in. However, as it is well-known, that is impossible. Most of the time, change is slow, leisurely moving along with many stops along its course and turns in different directions. Rights become wrong and wrongs are righted. We let others take over our lives, handing it to them freely without any recognition of it and mostly by the time we do know it, it is too late. Anzu was glad she had realized this early. The smallest amount more she might have let pass untouched would have ruined it all.

First came the love, which had faltered, been shunned, unappreciated, misgiven, and died. Also it had been flourished, gained understanding, accepted, returned, and lived. For every day since Seto had left her she had known the reason and wanted to refuse it. As any young woman she liked to paint pretty pictures in her mind of the perfect first love, complete, whole and true to the last intimate detail. That gallery had been added onto since she had first seen a spark of kindness in Seto's eyes. Those bits and pieces increased in number in her fantasies, each of his caress and sweet word accounted for, each emotion a treasure that she locked away to keep entirely for herself.

That peaceful place of only happy memories had been cruelly burned down and ripped apart after he had left. Had she not been good enough for him? Had it been a short flare that shone brightly then wilted like a firework, he having grown bored of her? Was there something he had wanted that she had not given or satisfied him with? These had been the simplest and smallest of her notions. And if the answer had been no to all then why, why had he gone?

To the complications in life simpler for her. She knew it would have been hardly possible for the two of them to remain with one another while living on opposite ends of the world. She had dreamed of being a dancer ever since the first time her mother had taken her as a young girl to a ballet. So graceful, elegant and beautiful had been the performers and they had captivated her as soon as her eyes saw them. It was the same with all dances. She took it all in; let it become a part of her. Tap dance, hip hop, interpretive, even an Irish Folk, it was all mystifying to her. When Seto gave her the opportunity to grant those dreams, he had not wanted anything to hold her back. And a secret affair was certainly a large distraction. Her mind, body and soul needed to be entirely focused on the career laid before her. Just as he had told her, he did it because wanted what was best for them both. His company needed him just as well. It was not easy keeping everything smooth. If they were separate, they could truly concentrate on what had to be done. He had believed that his dear, determined Anzu would get unerringly where she wanted to be. Knowing that he could let her go and still be confident that it would not be a final parting.

From then their story went, confusing and at times unrealistic but nevertheless there was the perfect ending that every love should end in.

Lying to Seto and telling him that she did not return his love, which too had had its ups and downs. She had not heard a single thing from or about him in a long couple months afterward and it had only broken her heart even further. It made her think that she had not been so important to him that he would try to get her back, make her admit that the words had been false. She had become interlocked, trapped in her own mind and woes. She had broken down nearly every night and cried until she fell asleep. She wanted to take it back, take it all back. She never should have accepted Yugi's proposal. It had not been what she wanted. She had forced herself to believe that she had been happy with it but it was only more lies to hide the truth. She wanted Seto and then it had been as though she had lost him forever.

No longer would she hear his gentle whispers like a kitten's purr next to her ear, telling her words that made her heart flutter and bring beautiful smiles to her lips. There would be no more feeling his tender touches, his large hands traveling over her face and body would only be a memory, which time too would steal away. His kisses on her skin and mouth would not be a regular feeling, nor a rare one. At night when she cried, the man that was there comforting her was not who she wanted to be. Yugi, he was a great friend, a wonderful friend, but a friend. She did not want to marry her friend. She wanted to marry the man she loved and yearned for, the one she would give up her entire life with so she could only tell him how sorry she was and have him accept it. That would be enough.

She had seen the pain she had brought to him. It had been as clear as the snow that falls freshly from the heavens and the blue ocean waters of the Hawaii islands. One try to take that pain away from him, it would satisfy her, to let him know that she did love him, with all of her heart. He had been the one to take it, steal it away for himself, the heart she wanted only him to have possession of.

Yugi had begun to worry about Anzu. Around anyone else she acted cheerful and carefree, happy to know that her wedding date was drawing closes and closer. But leave her alone and within a moment she would be sullen and miserable. She would not tell him what bothered her ease but he knew it well enough. Loving her as much as he did, he would not take to see her this way any longer than it should. He had waited long enough, hoping that she might get over it all, but as it did not happen and she grew worse he made up his mind.

One afternoon he had come to her and taken her hands in his and kissed her palms and wrists. "Anzu, come with me. I have someone I want you to meet." She had merely nodded and put on her smile. It would be another close friend of his that had been invited to their wedding and come to with the to-be married couple well, or maybe a relative with the same sort of wish-giving.

Her forced smile had not faltered when she saw who it was. It dropped and sank like a two-ton rock being plunged into the deepest darkest part of the seas.

"Anzu... I wanted you to stop lying to yourself and I needed to do the same with myself. You won't be happy with me, no matter how hard we might try. I love you but I do not want to drag you into being my wife if you do not want it to be that way. You don't love me, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am stealing you away from who you are meant to be with. I do now want to ever see you cry again."

Anzu had been at a loss of words, staring at Yugi as though he was insane. She made no movements, still as a marble statute and watched as he took her hand again. "You shall not be needing, nor wanting this anymore." Yugi said as he took the engagement ring off her finger. In spite of what he had said about not wanting to see her cry, the tears had come to her eyes, stinging and blurring her vision and she hugged him close. "Yugi... I'm so sorry..." she whispered, holding onto him so she would not have to look over to whom it had been that Yugi had brought her to see.

She clung to him until she felt a familiar feel of strong hands on her shoulders and was taken away, surprised that Yugi had not resisted. "There now angel, he said no crying."

She whimpered, taking a glance back at Yugi who just gave the pair a weak smile and left them to be alone.

"Stop it before I have to get strict with you. From what I've heard you've done enough crying as it has been." Not true, it could not be. He could not be so soft and kind with her after what she had done. She had pushed him away repetitively, yelled at him, accused him, and said spiteful things. No one could be as accepting as this to someone like her. "Seto... I am sorry. I never should have-... I wish I didn't... I wanted us to-..." She could not finish a single sentence.

"Don't you go worrying yourself about anything. Stop those tears now, it is not worth it." He said, lifting her face up and wiping the streaks from her cheeks. "That's better. Where is that amazing smile? I want to see you laughing, not crying."

She couldn't resist letting a small giggle and letting a tiny smile crack onto her lips. The charming gentleman manner he was using now was so unlike him. "What are you doing here? You should be anywhere else, hating me."

"Anzu... I could never hate you. You needed me, did you not? Yugi called me and told me everything. I don't know about you, I really don't. Why'd you lie to me? You hurt me and not in a little way. What did you have to gain by rejecting me like that?" Listening intently to his words she admitted that she had no idea. It seemed like the logical thing at the time but after she had done it there was no taking it back without bringing more shame to her.

"I don't know. I was so confused. I wanted you but I had to be with Yugi. And I could do nothing to help myself in either direction. I was engaged to him, it seemed like the correct path to choose," she murmured. "I just did not know. I wish I could start all over, everything."

"We can do that. If I am not mistaken, Yugi called off your engagement. We don't have to worry any more about keeping secrets. I still love you, that hasn't changed one bit."

Anzu's breath got stuck in her throat. She had not known their true beauty until now. Simple words, regularly used by people all around their precious earth but so meaningful when said in the right way and by the right person. "I love you too Seto. Forget what I told you before. I lied."

And start of they did. Fully and completely. A few days later Seto had called, asking for a "first date." She had laughed at him and accepted. For the first time they were able to go together somewhere and not look over their shoulders every minute to make sure no one knew. Of course, the both of them being well-known in Japan, it started out as a reported scandal. What kind of woman found a new boyfriend just days after she had broken ties with her fiancé with no known explanations? She cared not and neither did he. Fools in love hardly ever cared. It had lead on, slow yet steady as the both agreed that there was no need to haste things.

Then Seto surprised her. He took her out that memorable afternoon and they had spent it simply. Walking through the local park arm in arm and hand in hand while she leaned against him. It had felt so peaceful and calm, like nothing could disturb their quiet surroundings. Anzu had not thought her day could have become any better. The same evening he had tugged her outside his manor into the gardens. After nearly three years she still felt uneasy in them, remembering how she had pushed him away and said that she did not love him. It stirred the objectionable feelings back to her.

She had been protesting, asking him to take her anywhere else but he refused.

"I know what you're thinking angel. I can turn those bad memories into good ones, if you like." Curiosity had arisen from her and she had stopped trying to pull him out of the gardens and stayed put to listen. "Go ahead then," she said, taking his hands and lacing their fingers together, disappointed as he nearly instantly pulled them away.

"Close your eyes," he said and she obeyed, smiling as she tried to think up what he might possibly have planned for her. "Now give me your hands." She held them out and felt his a second later, pushing something into them. Her eyes snapped open and she looked down to see a small black velvet box, the kind jewelry was kept in.

"Oh Seto, you really didn't ha–" She started off but he shook his head and shushed her.

"Don't worry, I'm not giving you a plain gift here," he said and she could see a strange emotion dancing around in his cold blue eyes. "Anzu, you're going to marry me."

It was exactly what he said, not a request. There was no question; his mind was set and confident on what he wanted. He was ordering her as he always had. As if she minded.

"S-... oh-... Seto..." She threw her arms around him, clenching the container in her hand while she pressed her lips roughly to his. "Of course I will!" Unlike when Yugi asked her it was not a false happiness she had displayed and there was no doubt here. There was not a better thing she could ask for.

When he finally managed to tear her away from him he took the box and opened it. Inside was a small golden band with a beautiful heart-shaped diamond, little circular ones on the side of it. He had taken in along with her hand and slid the ring of her finger as tears misted up her eyes.

"Anzu, don't cry darling, not now. Anytime but now," he pleaded, kissing the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"No... It's just... my guardian angel has indeed given me my perfect ending."

"Ending?" he laughed and drew her closer. "Stop being silly, it is just the beginning."


(And that, my dears, is it. I plan on taking another short break but my prequel is already in process so there should not be much of a long wait. Notice the much. Well I really hope that you enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it and thanks again for all those who supported me in the progress. Review one more time and tell me exactly how much you loved this, or disliked it, depends which one it was. I pray for the former however.)