WARNING: Character death imminent.

Allen had kept the salon closed for the following week. He didn't even appear to go outside, though Hina insisted she had seen him in the forest once or twice. Eventually Rod decided to visit Allen and find out for sure if his friend was OK.

Rod pushed open the door of the salon and was unsurprised to find it empty. He headed up the stairs to the flat and knocked on the door.

"Allen, let me in! I want to see you!"

Rod heard a grunt, and some shuffling. Then the door opened.

"You look terrible" were the first words that left Rod's mouth.

"Thanks," Allen muttered, but he knew it was true. He hadn't slept much at all during the week, and he was sure a cold was coming on. What's more, he hadn't washed his hair at all, which was unthinkable for Allen. The red locks, usually thick and shiny, hung like rats tails around his face. It made him look old and ill. Rod felt uncomfortable as he stepped in the flat but Allen had at least kept the flat relatively clean.

"What brings you here, Rod?" Allen asked as they sat at the table, facing each other like the time Dunhill told Allen that Rachel had left.

"Frankly I'm worried about you since no one has seen you properly in a week," Rod started. "And I'm still worried about you, because you don't look well. Do you really miss Rachel that much? I mean, it seemed like you guys were kind of wearing out."

"Don't!" Allen groaned, not wanting to be reminded of what a terrible boyfriend he had been. He buried his face in hands and Rod waited awkwardly.

"I'm a terrible person," Allen muttered.

Rod never thought he would hear Allen say that. "Excuse me?"

"I'm a terrible person!" Allen repeated. "I said such horrible things to Rachel last time I saw her."

"Tell me about it," Rod offered.

Allen told him about how he had brushed off Rachel's stress and dismissed farm labour as an easy task, how Rachel felt like Allen wasn't showing her any affection, he just wanted to show her off as his girlfriend, and finally he told Rod that if Rachel didn't like their relationship she should sleep around until she found someone more interesting.

Rod sat in shocked silence for a minute and Allen looked at his fingers.

"You piece of shit," Rod managed. Allen braced himself for another verbal onslaught. "Why the heck did you tell her to sleep around? That's just...that's sick..."

"I didn't even mean any of it," Allen sighed. "I was angry and speaking without thinking." He slumped down in his chair. "I've never felt so miserable in my life."

Rod snorted. "By the sounds of things that's because no one has ever bruised your ego so much." Allen flinched. That hurt. But then Rod softened his tone. "Maybe this time you'll learn to consider other people's feelings as much as your own. You're my best friend, but God knows I've been trying to get you to realise this for years."

"Of course Rachel was going to be the one to do it," Allen sighed. "I wish she'd come back, Rod."

"Me too," Rod agreed. "But there's nothing we can do for now. I find it hard to believe she won't come back, ever...but until then we need to get on with our lives."

He stood and walked over to Allen and put his hand firmly on Allen's shoulder. "You made a mistake, like everyone does. And now you're paying for it, like everyone does. I think you're just going to have to deal with the consequences, pick yourself up, and carry on with your life. And for God's sake, get in the shower and wash your hair. Greasy hair doesn't suit you."

Allen ran his hands through his hair, shuddered, and rubbed his hands clean on his trousers. Rod laughed as Allen pulled himself up from the table and headed into the bathroom. He'll be alright he thought to himself.

Allen reopened the salon. Business was slow at first-people still seemed to blame him for Rachel's departure-but their need for haircuts grew strong and they slowly came back. They started to forgive him too, agreeing with Rod's point that everyone makes mistakes. It was nice to be friends with everyone in town again, but there was still something-someone-missing.

When he wasn't working Allen visited Rod and Soseki, and occasionally Iroha. They would talk away the afternoons, discussing neutral topics such as work, Rod's relationship with Tina, and Allen tried (and failed) to persuade Soseki to let Allen cut his hair. It was thick and shoulder length. Allen itched to cut it.

Occasionally, when the mood was right, they talked about Rachel. They wondered what she was doing and how she was getting on. Dunhill still hadn't found a replacement and, for once, Allen worried about him. Dunhill wasn't a very young man. Rumour had it that Klaus had given him strict warnings to listen to the aches and pains in his body-they were there to indicate when something was wrong.

Come back Rachel Allen silently prayed. If Dunhill can't keep up the farm we'll fall apart again. We don't have to get back together, but the town needs to stay together.

It was a night in late summer. Allen was just falling asleep when a crash shook him awake suddenly. He stumbled to the window, only to see the worst typhoon he had ever seen in his life. Rain was lashing down against the window in buckets, forked lightening cracked the sky, loud thunder shook the bowels of the earth. The trees were practically at right angles from the gale, some even looked like they were being ripped from the roots. Allen was mesmerised. He had never seen anything like it.

He spent most of the night watching the storm. He wasn't going to sleep through it anyway.

The storm finally calmed at around five in the morning, at which point Allen was sitting up in bed, reading. He clicked off the lamp and finally drifted into sleep.

He woke a few hours later than normal. Cursing at the time, he stumbled about the room as he dressed quickly, then hurried into the kitchen to boil the kettle and to put some toast on.

As he was washing up, he heard the door to the salon opening, and someone walking up the stairs. However, there was no knock on the door. Just a letter through the door. The feet hurried down the stairs and left the salon.

Allen dried his hands, and went to investigate. A note was on the floor. He picked up to read, instantly recognising Dunhill's writing.

I'm afraid I must bring everyone bad news this morning.

As you are aware, last night we were hit with the worst typhoon in history. It was a complete surprise, since only a light rain had been predicted.

Unfortunately, Charles had been flying with passengers (not residents of the town) and was unaware of the storm ahead until it was right in front of him. There was nothing anyone could do. His plane was instantly caught up. Charles and the two passengers were killed instantly in the crash.

Camellia and Hina gave permission for me to alert everyone, but they have asked for privacy for now and we would do well to respect their wishes. Arrangements will be made for the burial of Charles's body and we will let you all know in time.

I'm sorry that we must tell you in this manner, but it is all we can do for now. Hold your loved ones tight and treasure one another. Charles will never be forgotten.

Dunhill

"NO!" Allen roared. He crumpled up the letter and threw it away from him. "No, come on, it's not true!" He was shaking. First Rachel, and now Charles. What was happening in this town?

"It's not true," Allen moaned quietly. Charles had been one of his best customers. Always offering a smile, a story to tell, a helping hand to anyone. Charles made Allen want to be a better man. He had a beautiful wife who he was madly in love with. He was an excellent father to Hina...

"Oh Hina...you poor child," Allen sighed, as he tried to picture how the little girl must be feeling. She had adored her father and now he had been suddenly, cruelly snatched from her life forever. Allen's heart hurt again. He cried for Charles, he cried for Charles's friends, he cried for Charles's family who he'd left behind.

Sorry Charles. This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you T_T