Spring was quickly melting into the blistering heat of summer, and if work had been hard before it was nothing compared to what Angel was facing now. The heat was relentless, and when rain came Angel found herself standing outside, the cool water kind on her sun kissed skin, simply enjoying the mild weather before she was once again thrust into the hell fire that had become her farm. But work would wait for no-one, and Angel found that opening up to the residents of the Valley paid off extremely well the more progress she made towards doing so.

Angel was at Muffy's bar most nights now. She had not expected herself to become lonely, always considering herself somewhat of a recluse, but without the familiar sound of cars, talking and footsteps outside the window of her old apartment, she found herself needing to make sure that people did in fact exist in this town, and she had not simply stranded herself in the middle of nowhere. Marlin sometimes sat near her, though he hardly said more than a few words unless heavily prompted by Muffy. Mostly he and Angel sat in companionable silence, which she was more than happy with.

Otherwise she was treated to a wide range of conversation partners from happy, wandering musician Gustafa with his tall tales of traveling and amusing jokes and jibs, to the drunken, if somewhat forward, antics of the twin inventors and pyrotechnic experts Kassey and Patrick. Sometimes she would even meet residents from the neighbouring town, whom proved themselves every bit as hospitable and polite as the valley residents had proven to be. Angel had very slowly began to become more and more involved in conversation, and as she trusted, she was in turn rewarded with trust.

This trust usually came in the form of requests. Simple things that became more and more complex as she built up a reputation for being rather resourceful. Something Angel had been complimented on for entirely different and admittedly more illegal reasons in the past. Usually she was asked for simple things, such as crops, wood, stone and sometimes even things as simple as flowers. Angel was more than happy for the extra income, and began to feel as though she was truly becoming part of a community that would not have been possible somewhere as big as the city.

She did not simply earn gold. After a particularly memorable request from Takakura. – Involving rather heated debates with the town scientist and the collection of some suspicious looking grass – She was rewarded with a beautiful horse. Angel had been rather dumbstruck throughout the whole exchange. Thanking Takakura continuously and badgering for him to take the payment he vehemently refused to take. Angel had named her horse Summer, though she was unimpressed by her own lack of creativity, and the mare had been very useful in order to travel from place to place.

The days moved by at a manageable pace, with routine becoming something Angel, unexpectedly she had to admit to herself, enjoyed wholeheartedly. She should have known that doing something completely unroutine would not end well. And she should have guessed knowing her luck, or rather lack of, that it would signify the end of her rather peaceful beginning here.

The day had been long, but uneventful. Collecting wood for a barn that Vesta and Celia had been encouraging her to build. Angel knew almost nothing about raising animals, and she admitted that she was a little sceptical about taking the advice from someone whom also had no animals on her farm, but she needed something to set herself apart from Vesta's farm. All animal produce came from Mineral Town. It seemed to make sense that the villagers would enjoy being able to get their milk and eggs a little closer to home.

It was already late when she finally got inside, and when she noticed a collection of onions on her table that she could barely remember harvesting that morning, she remembered that she'd forgotten what she had promised the rather harassed butler Sebastian merely a day ago. The letter of request was lying right next to the basket, and in the mist of managing the endless rush of her ever growing to do list she had simply forgotten all about it.

Miss Angel.

I've been experimenting with new dishes lately, but I've run out of my basic ingredients. Mineral Town seems to have sold out of their onions until the next harvest. But Takakura has mentioned that you were growing some that would soon be ready. May I request you deliver some of your harvest to the Manor by the end of Friday? I have included payment in advance.

Regards, Sebastian.

And Today was Friday, Angel noted with a start. Cursing her own stupidity she grabbed the basket from the table and rushed out the door.

Angel was halfway there when she managed to let her logical side catch up with the panicked side of her brain. It was nearly 11pm. She doubted Sebastian would be happy with her waking up the entire mansion to deliver some Onions. However he had paid in advance, and requested it merely the day before last. She supposed he would just have to deal with her late arrival.

Angel hopped the stairs to the mansion with quick steps, too busy concentrating on her feet to realise that she was about to walk into someone right at the top.

There was a rather spectacular wham, blunt pain and suddenly she began to tumble, the basket falling from her hands, only for her to be pulled sharply forwards against a slender chest.

It took a moment for Angel's mind to catch up to the present, the world spinning violently. A cool, light voice brought her back to her senses.

"Oh my. Are you alright, my dear?"

Angel looked up and was rather surprised to see someone she did not recognise. Forget-Me-Not Valley was small, and she had been almost sure she had met everyone that there was to meet. But she knew she had not met this man. She would definitely have remembered.

He was dressed plainly, in a light cream jacket and simple suit pants and shoes. The outfit did not quite gel together, however he seemed to pull it off well enough; his natural charisma bringing the look together. He was undeniably very pretty for a man, with sparkling blue eyes and a catlike smile on his thin lips. His hair however was what really startled her. It was an alarming, but admittedly rather beautiful, shade of silver, however he could not have been much older than she was, and you did not see many people in their 20's with hair like that.

"I'm fine... Sorry. Thank you." She responded automatically, pulling herself away and righting herself. She was relieved to see that not all of the onions had fallen out of the wicker basket. She bent down to quickly gather them, and the young man joined her. He spoke again his voice, like his hair, was lovely, each syllable a song. She wondered how one managed to get themselves to sound like that. Music lessons perhaps?

"I'm so sorry Miss Angel. I should have looked where I was going." He smiled at her, his voice now even lower. Angel did not like that smile. Not at all. She'd seen it way too many times in her day. But his sentence startled her to speech before she could stop herself. "Sorry but I don't believe we've met… How did you..?"

"Know your name? Why now could I not? You're the talk of the town, my dove." He stood when she did and Angel held the basket in front of her. Unconsciously making a barrier between herself and the man. This did not go unnoticed and his smile grew more amused. He was uncannily observant it would seem. Which did nothing but heighten her anxiety.

"Well you have the best of me. I don't know your name." She replied, her voice a little louder than she meant it to be. He laughed before dropping into a low and elegant bow, his hand on his heart. "Well I'm rather reclusive. But who am I to deny such a pretty thing? My name is Skye. A pleasure to meet you." Angel took the hand he held out to her, but something was nagging at the back of her mind. She had heard that name before, but she could not for the life of her remember where.

"Do you live in the Valley? I would have thought to have seen you around by now." She asked, her eyes cautious. He smiled at her, but did not answer, instead continued on.

"I've heard quite a bit about you, my dove. Both here and not. And I must say it is rather nice to meet you in person." His phrasing was rather deliberate, his empathies clearly on the latter sentence. Angel felt ice take hold in her gut, but refused to panic yet.

"Have you? I dread to think." She responded evenly. Her hands clenched around the handle of the basket. He smiled, seemingly enjoying himself a great deal. Angel felt irritation take hold. She desperately wanted a way out of this conversation. But something about his stance made leaving difficult.

"Only good things I can assure you. Such lovely tales of a dear Songbird."

Her stomach clenched and her eyes widened. However she managed to control the rest of her face and stop herself from fleeing the scene or worse, punching him. "Why did you call me that?" She blurted out, losing her good sense. He laughed lightly. "No need to threat, my love. Your secret is safe with me. We are after all in similar lines of employment. And I always make sure to get to know a little about any new arrivals. It is a rather small town after all. However my… contacts never really have much to say about the people who come here. Until now. Until you."

"In similar lines of work? What do you mean in-"

"STOP THEIF!"

The scream caused them both to start, and Angel whipped around to face the mansion where the noise had come from. She was rather alarmed to see a dishevelled looking Lumina storming towards them, but was even more confused by what she had shouted. The name Skye and the word thief connected in her mind and Angel was brought back to the notice of robberies that she had seen in the bar all those weeks ago.

A criminal. He was a criminal. Of course he'd know about her if he had checked up on her in the underworld. But what this meant for her was sending her mind reeling. Would she have to leave, just when she had finally gotten used to the idea of settling down here? He had said he would keep her secret. But was she simply supposed to take his word for it?

Skye, however, seemed completely oblivious to Angel's own internal debate, he cursed under his breath before spinning sharply on his heel. Pausing only to give Angel a smile. "You look simply distraught love. But you have no need to panic, I won't tell. How about we continue this… Some other time?"

He made to move, but he did not get very far before another shout pierced the air. "STOP! Don't you dare run away!" Lumina stopped about half a metre away from them, panting and flushed. Skye neatly dodged her outstretched hand and saluted, giving Lumina a smile that would bring most women to their knees. Lumina was no exception it seemed, as she gave him a rather startled look in response.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but as lovely as it would be to spend more time in your company, I have other places to be. How about next time we talk more?" His words were low and seductive, and Angel could recognise the faint undertones that reminded her of more than a few conmen back in the city. There was something else to. Something she could not quite put her finger on. Something felt… wrong.

Lumina simply flushed a brighter red, and in the moment it took her to become distracted, he'd took off at a sprint. Lumina collected herself and ran after him.

Angel hesitated, but before she could make to follow, a rather defeated looking Lumina had returned disappointed, still flushed and empty handed. "H-He… Got away." She admitted. Angel was not oblivious to the obvious, but could not find a thing to say in response. His words still rattling around her head. What did he mean he'd see her again? He'd said the same thing to Lumina. Did he mean it? What was she going to do now?

"Angel... Are you alright? You look ashen. Don't worry he's gone… He won't hurt you." Lumina placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and Angel looked at her with blank eyes before managing to smile. "I'm sorry I was so… I should have helped you." Angel replied. Her mask making its return appearance. Apparently she was convincing, because Lumina laughed in obvious relief. "It's alright… I didn't even see him get away. Just one minute he was there the next… Gone. It was… Pretty cool honestly." Lumina gave a guilty giggle, and Angel forced a laugh of her own.

After a bit of polite chit-chat, and Angel handing over the basket she had brought with her, the two parted ways. Angel's mind was occupied the whole way home. She had no choice but to believe that the thief would keep his word, plus she doubted that anyone would take his word over hers, no matter how short a time she'd been here. Everyone in the Valley seemed trusting enough. No, she rationalised. There was no need to panic just yet.

But one thing was certain. She would see Skye again, and next time she'd get the answers she wanted out of the pretty boy before he could run off.

It took hours of tossing and turning, but eventually she fell into an uneasy sleep. Her dreams filled with stars.

N/A I took some liberties with Skye's outfit. (No-one wears leopard print on my watch.) But I hope you like my characterisation.