Hey, people! Well, I have to say I'm glad I managed to update before too long this time(although it did take alot of time, I know. But I'm getting better!)! Whee, go me! And, of course, thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'd also like to especially apologize once more for the lack of happenings in the last chapter, since I realize that it did disappoint alot of my favorite readers...so, I'm sorry again! I promise I'll make it worth your while. I do owe you that much. So, for all my eager readers, here's Chapter 13.

Enjoy!

"Ce?"

Sun Ce spun around at the familiar voice.

It was Zhou Yu, standing at the doorway. Yu peered at him.

"You okay?"

Ce wiped the perspiration from his forehead.

"Yeah," he answered somewhat breathlessly. "Yeah, I'm fine. How'd it go with the kites?"

Yu's eyes narrowed in deep suspicion. He knew Ce better than he did anyone. And with Yu, that certainly was saying something. Ce wasn't okay. And by lying, he'd just informed Yu of that.

He isn't buying this, Ce thought desperately, at Yu's reaction.

"You don't look fine to me. What's up?"

Ce shut his eyes in frustration. First Sun Quan, and now Yu. Would people ever cease with their insatiable curiosity? Didn't Yu have the sense to leave him alone? What did he enter Ce's room for, anyway? What was his problem?

Fine. Let him know if he wants to.

Ce's eyes snapped open.

"I'm sending them back. The Qiaos. I'm sending them home. To where they belong."

Ce said all this quickly and feverishly, as though his mind was made up. It was as though he was defiantly challenging Yu to make him do otherwise.

Yu's narrowed eyes were instantly replaced with ones that were wide with horror.

"Back?" he managed to say flatly. "You're sending them... back?"

The heaviest part of a lump of fear leapt to his throat. Suddenly, his mind was swarming with memories, memories he knew he'd never be able to erase for as long as he lived, memories he knew he'd cherish for all of time- there was Xiao Qiao, her small, soft frame resting on his comparatively massive one, her hands pressed into his chest for support, her large innocent eyes full of shock, amazement, and unnecessary fear; there was Xiao Qiao, wrapping her arms around him tight with a delighted squeal amidst the wreckage and carnage Dong Zhou's fairly magnificent palace had been reduced to, Xiao, her hair whipping him across the face while she giggled her apology uncontrollably on his mare, Xiao, pressed up close beside him on the bookshelf she'd so rightly said he'd 'emptied', Xiao, her face alight with joy, flying her kite with her eyes glistening, while he stood by her side, watching her sweet form, basking in her loveliness without her even knowing...

"That's what I said. Try and stop me."

The sound of Ce's brisk reply, which although did jerk him back to reality, didn't create the fiery swell of wrath within Yu as much as the violence with which his shoulder roughly pushed past him to the door did.

Impulsively, Yu seized his sworn brother by the scruff of his neck and wheeled him around to face him, before he vehemently hissed,

"Why?"

Ce's face betrayed no emotion as he crisply replied,

"I have to. You wouldn't understand, I know you wouldn't. Get out of the way."

He attempted another step towards the door, but in a flash, Yu was blocking his path yet again.

"There's nothing," he began in poisonous tones, "absolutely nothing you would understand that I wouldn't understand better."

Ce's frame rippled with rage. Yu knew better how to wound his pride than any soul alive.

"Fine," he answered in a subdued voice. He was angry, angry enough to hit Yu. But even in his infuriated state, he knew better than that.

"Fine," he said again, and turning his back on Yu, he made his way towards where he kept all of his letters.

"You asked for this, Yu," were his final words before he shoved a crumpled letter, which seemed as if it had been read numerous times, maybe too many times that were good for it, under Yu's nose.

More than slightly irritated, Yu held the letter away and surveyed it, brow furrowed.

Within seconds, he dropped his jaw.

The morning after, Yu was walking towards Xiao, who was lying, curled up in one of the gently swaying hammocks. Her entire form was bathed in the clear, warm sunshine, her eyes shut. A dreamy smile was playing on her face, as though she was reviving pleasant memories.

Yu stood over her for a few seconds, smiling at her childish, carefree position. Soon, Xiao seemed to have become aware of the decrease in sunlight washing over her. Frowning slightly, she opened one of her bright brown eyes.

Upon perceiving Yu above her, both her eyes flew open to their fullest extent, and that smile which never failed to enchant him replaced the one she'd been wearing previously.

"Hi, Yu!" she chirped excitedly, rising to a sitting position. She rubbed her eyes.

"How come you weren't there at breakfast today? We missed you! I mean, alot."

"I... woke up late."

"Oh...You should go to bed earlier. Sis said it makes you wake up early. It always works for me!"

Yu smiled.

"I guess I'll try that from now on. What have you been doing?"

Xiao giggled.

"Oh, nothing... Just lying around and thinking about... Oh! Now I remember! Quick, sit down, sit down, I've got so much to tell you! How could I forget? Shame on me! C'mon, sit before I forget again!"

Yu obliged, smiling at her with one eyebrow raised as he did so.

"So? What is it?"

Xiao took a deep breath. But then almost immediately, she exhaled it all out. Her sweet little lips drooped at the edges, and her eyebrows sank.

"I can't tell you. It's about Sis, and I don't think she'd want you to know. It's about Ce, too, see."

"I see..."

Yu put on a pensive expression.

"Well, you know what? If it's about Ce, I think you could tell me. He tells me everything anyway, remember? I don't think he'd mind."

Xiao brightened at once.

"Hey, you're right! Why didn't I think of that! You're a genius, Yu!"

Yu's face was mischievous as he said, "Thanks. I know I am."

"Stop that! Or I'll want to take it back," she scolded. But she was smiling.

"Ok, now listen..." she began.

When she was done with her tale, she paused to come up for another breath of air.

"So what do you think of it? Isn't it wonderful?" she squealed with clasped hands.

"Hmm, I'll have to agree with you," said Yu, as though he was impressed with her for realizing.

Xiao giggled for the umpteenth time.

"I knew you'd say that," she said merrily, her eyelashes batting with innocence.

They sat silently for a little while, each engulfed in their own thoughts. Xiao was staring serenely into space, looking for all the world like a blissed-out beauty without a single worry.

Yu, on the other hand, had his eyes focused on his hands, recalling the night before, a cloud on his brow.

Flashback-

"Ce, this- this is bad"

"What the hell do you think I've been telling you this whole time? Are you calling me a liar, or something?"

"Stop. This isn't the time for another fight, Ce, calm down. What should we do?"

"What else can we do? Yu, we've got to send them home, there's no other way, I'm telling you, I've aready thought about this..."

"No. There has to be. There has to be another way, I'll make one if there isn't!"

"Yu, shut up, someone'll hear you! Quan and I just lashed at each other a while ago, he might still be around. But what's with you? Why do you care so much, anyway?"

"..."

"Well?"

"I... I don't know..."

"You like her. You like her, don't you?"

"I... don't. You know I know it's wrong-"

"Why can't you just accept it? What's the point of running from this, Yu? You know you do; I know you do, so why lie?"

"We haven't time to talk about this...Think of whatever other options we have, Ce. You might have missed something."

"I haven't. This is... what's best for them."

"Unless..."

"What? What do you know that I don't?"

"Ce... we could try and use the... the alternative."

"What?"

"The alternative- that's another choice, a substitute for-"

"Will you shut up? I know what it means! What is your alternative?"

"Try and make your father love them."

"...What?"

"Make him love Da and Xiao. Love them enough to want to keep them here, despite its impropriety. Forever. I'm sure he will, it's impossible for him not to. Then it's up to them whether they want to stay or not. I'd rather lose everything than make them stay here against their will. And if Father really does love them enough to keep them, he'd let them go, too. Just like you were ready to let Da go just a while ago. What d'you say, Ce?"

End of Flashback-

And Ce had agreed to Yu's decision.

"You're the bigger genius here," he'd said. "I guess I'll have to trust you. It's better than making them leave if they didn't want to. I just hope you know what you're doing, though."

Yu was relieved at that. He was sure he knew what he was doing, and he'd told Ce that, too. But that wasn't, however, the end of their conversation.

"What about you? Why do you care so much?" Yu had asked of Ce.

"Because I love her," came the simple reply.

It was strange, hearing those words from Ce. Especially when they were said as firmly as they were. Earlier, Yu would have believed that they almost wouldn't suit Ce when he finally uttered them. But now he could see that nothing else made better sense.

Because I love her...

"Do you think he loves her?"

Yu snapped his head towards Xiao so fast, it hurt.

"W-What?"

"Ce. Do you think he loves Sis, Yu?"

Xiao turned her face to his, her eyes large and questioning, her face patiently awaiting his response.

Yu was quite taken aback. He'd never seen Xiao so serious. Come to think of it, he'd never even seen her serious before. It was rather surprising- discovering that even Xiao could be capable of displaying that emotion.

"Well," Yu began slowly. "Well, yeah. Yes, I think he does. But I don't think he does completely."

"Competely?"

Xiao looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"It's kind of hard of explain. See, he does feel everything he should feel for her to love her, but I think there's still a long way for him to go before he's committed to her. I mean, he is committed, but I'm not sure about how long his love for her would last if he wasn't with her, or didn't talk to her or see her much... like if she ever... went away."

Yu paused and studied Xiao's face for any reaction. He'd just voiced all his feelings to her about himself, not just Ce! He couldn't believe how he did it. Where'd he get the guts to? But she just remained pensive. Trying to hide his disappointment, Yu went on,

"He has been through most of the journey of- well..."

"Lovey-dovey stuff?"

"Lovey-dovey stuff. Right. Well, he's been through most of it, and he's on the absolutely right track if he wants to love Da completely, but he still has to face hardships with her... share her problems and ease her pain... be there for her when she needs him, not necessarily when she just wants him. But looking at Ce, and knowing him, I'm sure he could... well... do all that. D'you get it?"

He mulled over his own words... Ease Da's pain... Well, he didn't want to think she was going through any at the moment. Da was as sweet and dear to him as a girl could be. He was growing rather fond of her and her friendship, which he did value. Thinking of her in pain was unpleasant.

"Yeah... I think that about Sis, too. Wow! You really are a genius!"

Yu blinked. It was amazing: Xiao was actually back to her normal- well, if you could call that normal- self. In just a second.

"Well, thanks."

Yu smiled at her- and she smiled back.

She leaned against his shoulder-they were both quite used to her doing that by now-and said,

"I think you're just about the best friend I've ever had. Am I yours, Yu?"

Yu was caught off-guard.

"Well-" he said, panicking slightly, "Well, I-"

Xiao giggled.

"Sorry. I forgot. Your best friend's Ce. I can't see how I forgot that- we were just talking about him. But there's something esle I can't get. Ce's my friend, too, and I really like him, but I somehow just feel you're a different friend from him. And from Shang Xiang, Quan, Ning, Tong, Meng, Xun, Tai, Ci and Gai. Way diffferent. Maybe I just like you more than all of them, I don't know. Or maybe you're supposed to be special to me. Or I might just want you to be different. I don't understand why. Do you, Yu?"

From the tone of her voice, Yu knew that Xiao was falling asleep, and would never remember what she'd just said upon awakening. And so he knew there was no danger in drawing her close so that her head gently fell against his chest, placing his chin atop her soft, brown hair and whispering,

"Yes."

Ahhh... Well, how d'you like me now, all you Yu/Xiao fans? I tried to make it up to you by adding this romantic section in the story, and I hope I succeeded! Do let me know! Please don't forget to review! And I'm sorry about bringing a hammock into the scene- I know they weren't invented back then, and that China definitely never used them, but I needed Yu and Xiao to be sitting on SOMETHING outdoors to make it really romantic... So, till next time, then!

Seeya!