Hello everyone! Here we are at almost 289 views... wowza guys, That's fantastic! I'm taken aback by how sweet you guys are. Lets see if we can break 300 by tomorrow morning ;)

Please, if you're enjoying the story, follow it and leave a review. The next 2 or 3 chapters will be uploaded in a week. I'm trying to find a good system of when to upload... and I'm thinking of uploading 2 chapters every Sunday. I'm open to suggestion, though, so please let me know when you'd like to see more chapters and how often.

Anyways, thanks so much for all of your support! I'll be introducing some new characters soon, and the plot after this chapter is about to get a little bit more complicated *diabolical laughter* mwahahaha :3 Without further ado, here's chapter 7. :3

When she opened her eyes, she briefly found herself back inside her old room. Chihiro could have sworn she saw her mother standing the corner, and the sight filled her heart with warmth.

After blinking several times, she saw that the woman was not her mother, but Yubaba, staring very intently at her.

"Ahh, and Sleeping Beauty finally awakens. Nice job, getting your smell all over my office." Yubaba said, giving the girl a dirty look.

Looking at her surroundings, she saw that she was wrapped in a blanket on Yubaba's couch. She finally remembered what had happened, and who had caught her when she fell.

Her eyes darted around the room, looking for her friend. Seeing her look of dismay, Yubaba looked up at her. She gave a sneer. "If you're looking for your dragon, he told me he was going to get some food for you. He wasn't sure if you had eaten anything yet in this world, and we wouldn't want you disappearing again, now would we?"

Chihiro made a mental note to thank him for catching her earlier. She also thought she had better get to the point with Yubaba as soon as possible; she didn't want to stay in that office any longer than she had to. It gave her the creeps. "Yubaba, is there any way I can get a job here again?"

Yubaba thought for a moment. The look on her face said she was skeptical. "How do I know that you won't just leave again like before?" She paused, and then gave a howl of laughter. "If you're trying to pull something like that again, you can forget it."

Her skepticism and hesitance didn't deter Chihiro. "This time will be different, Yubaba, I can promise that." She paused. "I've closed the chapter of my life in the human world, and I'm staying here."

The severe look on Yubaba's face dulled into a blank expression.

"Although I hate to admit it, no one in this bathhouse ever worked as hard as you did. If you are actually staying here for good, I may have actual use for you here." She paused and gave a sigh. "I'll give you a job, but it'll be different than the job you had before. And If I hear one little complaint out of you, I'll skin you alive and fry the shreds as chips for the guests."

Completely ignoring that open-ended threat, Chihiro smiled and nodded quickly. Yubaba looked almost disgusted at her joyous expression. "HEY!" She said loudly. "Don't go thinking that this is me going soft, alright?! I wouldn't be doing this with any old worker, you know."

Chihiro was so happy, she felt she should express her gratitude. But, before she could, Yubaba waved her hand. A paper in the center of her desk floated softly into Chihiro's hands, along with a quill.

"You know the drill," Yubaba said. "Sign your name, and I'll put you to work."

Wasting no time, she quickly signed her name in the same spot she had 6 years ago. She also wrote her name on her arm, so she wouldn't forget it, no matter what.

She wondered in silence what her new job would be. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her.

"Yubaba, what kind of work will I be doing?"

Yubaba smiled wickedly at this, adding a hint of nervousness to Chihiro's happy mood.

"Well, you see, after you left, Haku stormed into my office and quit being my apprentice," She paused, glancing at Chihiro. "He did all of my dirty work, and he did it well. As you could probably guess, I was very upset that he was now leaving me," she said while trying to hide the smirk on her face. Yubaba wondered if Chihiro had caught on to what she was thinking. Chihiro eagerly listened, expecting Yubaba to tell her that she needed her to find Yubaba a new apprentice. Clearing her throat, Yubaba continued.

"For the past 6 years, I've had to do all of these tasks and errands myself. But, I now find myself in dire need of a new apprentice."

Chihiro felt the air escape her lungs as she heard what Yubaba said next.

"And that apprentice will be you, Sen."

Haku had arrived at the office moments before, carrying plates of food for Chihiro. Hearing that she and Yubaba were deep in conversation, he thought it'd be wise to wait outside the door and not to interrupt.

After waiting long enough, curiosity got the better of him. He focused all of his dragon senses into listening, and put his ear up to the door, hearing their conversation. He heard Yubaba speaking first.

" -I am now in dire need of an apprentice."

Haku didn't like the way this conversation was going. What on earth were they talking about in there? He continued listening.

"And that apprentice will be you, Sen."

He nearly dropped the food in his hands. Haku must have been hearing incorrectly, right? He certainly hoped so.

Chihiro, as Yubaba's apprentice?! Yubaba KNOWS she won't be able to handle that kind of work!

Frozen in shock, he came to his senses.

I need to stop this. I've got to get in there!

He slammed into the door, much to the surprise of the doorknocker. Haku hadn't realized how much strength he had used; the huge wooden door was now cracked at its hinges. He burst into the room.

The sight he saw was not a pretty one. Yubaba's wicked smile was several inches from Chihiro's face, and Chihiro looked as though she was either about to burst into tears or pass out again. Both women startled by his sudden intrusion, they turned their heads in unison to look at him.

Without thinking, he ran to the center of the room, his shouts directed towards Yubaba.

"Yubaba, you know Chihiro isn't capable of those types of jobs. She's a girl, not a slave!"
His eyes turned dark, like an ocean on the verge of a storm.

Before Chihiro could speak up, Yubaba responded.

"Her name is Sen now, dragon-boy," the old woman retorted, showing Haku her new contract. "And she's not a girl anymore. 6 years have passed, Haku, and she's grown up." Before finishing, she narrowed her eyes at him; her tone changing. "You can't protect her forever, Haku, you know this."

That last statement struck a chord with Haku. He recalled as they held hands on the field 6 years ago, about to say their goodbye, he secretly passed along a seal of protection from his hand to hers, guaranteeing her safety throughout her life. Had Yubaba somehow known this? He promised himself to bring that up with the old hag later. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

"She'll be killed if you give her this job, you know that! Why are you sacrificing such a hard worker for something you know she can't do?!" A wind without origin began to swirl around Haku, rustling his hair. He hadn't been this angry in several decades. His eyes were almost black, filled with his fury.

This spectacle only made Yubaba more furious. Chihiro, on the other hand, was surprised that he cared so much for her wellbeing. She had never seen him more furious, and it both frightened her and touched her. Nevertheless, she knew something had to be done.

"I'll do it." She said sternly, looking at both Haku and Yubaba.

You could hear a pin drop as the two angry figures whirled their heads to look at Chihiro. Haku was about to demand that Chihiro was given another job, but now, seeing her calm confidence, changed his mind.

He could finally see now that Chihiro was no longer the little girl who fell in his river. Haku looked at her now as the strong, independent, beautiful woman that she truly was. In that moment, all of his anger dissipated as he gained a new level of respect for her.

Yubaba, too, was shocked. Although Yubaba knew that Sen had grown older, she had never expected her to be accepting of this new job. Maybe she just didn't know what she was getting herself into.

Hearing the prominent silence in the room, Yubaba finally spoke up.

"See, dragon-boy?" She piped. "She's a big girl now."

Haku pondered the pros over the cons of this situation for a moment. He could think of only one thing that might make it easier for Chihiro.

"Fine, but you'll be letting me assist her on any out-of-bathhouse jobs." He said. If Yubaba agreed to his conditions, he'd allow it.

Yubaba, at this point, was irritated that they had been in her office for so long. She was ready to agree with anything, if those brats would just leave her alone. Getting impatient, she nearly yelled at them.

"FINE, just shut up and get out of my office. Sen, you'll be starting here tomorrow morning."

Haku's eyes transformed back into their brilliantly bright jade orbs, and Chihiro exhaled in relief. Before any of them could respond, however, both of them felt invisible arms grab them, dragging them both out of the office. Hearing the door slam behind them, they felt the mood change.

Both of them staring at the floor, none of them knew what to say. The air felt thicker, and Chihiro suddenly felt as if she was trying to breathe underwater. They remained in silence for several moments. Chihiro had so much to say to Haku, yet the words just wouldn't come out.

She was beginning to feel worried. Chihiro was too afraid to make eye contact with him. All she knew was that this silence was torture for her, and she wanted to get out of it as soon as possible.

Oh God, Chihiro thought. Why isn't he saying anything?! Why am I not saying anything?!

She began to feel disappointed. Maybe he didn't want her back in the Spirit World. Or, perhaps, maybe he had already found a new friend to take her place.

Chihiro quickly stole a glance to her side, to see what Haku as doing. Apparently he had the same idea, because she saw his eyes staring directly at hers. She quickly turned her gaze back to the floor.

She was now filled with panic. Why was he looking at her so intently? What's going through his head right now? Why was this situation so awkward?

Maybe I'm too late, She thought. Maybe so much time has passed that all we'll ever be around each other is awkward. The thought made her heart sink.

Chihiro suddenly remembered that Rin had wanted her to meet her in the women's quarters once she had gotten a contract. She decided to use this as an excuse to escape this situation.

She was nervous. Her hands were shaking, and she was so terrified to open her mouth that she was surprised she even had a voice at all. Chihiro had already taken the first step towards the elevator when she spoke.

"H-haku, I have to go see Rin…" She stammered out in a hushed voice.

Chihiro had just turned to leave when she felt her wrist being grabbed and pulled back. Haku reached out and held her, pulling her into a warm embrace.

Her heart was already pounding, and this sent her into havoc. He spoke in a calm, almost dreamlike voice.

"I missed you, Chihiro."

She felt all the anxiety and worry flush out of her. Whenever Chihiro imagined them being reunited, she always pictured herself being the one to say 'I missed you'. Never, never had she imagined it being the other way around. Tears began to well in her eyes, and Chihiro silently wished she could stay like this forever.

"I…I missed you too." She said as a small teardrop made its appearance on Chihiro's cheek.

He was so warm. She felt his heart beating against hers, showing her that this was no longer some unattainable dream. Here she was, finally in a place where she knew she belonged, with the best friend she knew she belonged with.

They separated immediately after hearing a womanly voice behind them.

"Awwwwww!" Rin said exaggeratedly, wishing she had a camera. She had come up there with a plate of food; she must have been about to deliver it to Yubaba. "Sorry to interrupt, guys, I know you must have a lot to catch up on," she said with a giggle, "But, Sen, we have to get your apron ready for tomorrow."

Of all the times to show up, Chihiro grumbled in her head.

Chihiro quickly turned to Haku. His face was different from his usual stern, emotionless expression. His mouth was upturned into a light smile; his eyes sparkling as bright as she had ever seen them.

She had so much more to say, but she didn't have the time.

"I'll see you later, Haku." She said with the most genuine smile she had felt in years. He waved in response as Rin pulled Chihiro away with her.

As he saw her being dragged away by Rin, he was the happiest he had felt in ages. Haku had so many questions flooding his head.

Did I really just tell her I missed her?

He recalled the awkward silence as they had stood alone, too overwhelmed to say anything. Although he hadn't meant to say it out loud, he finally told her what he had wanted to tell her for years. He missed her, and now she was back.

Without him knowing, a smile cracked through his features as he thought of her staying here permanently. It's as though the 6 years had suddenly evaporated, and all that mattered was here and now.

Haku still had thousands of questions without answers, like why she was here, but he was so happy, he didn't care enough to answer them. All he knew was that he would be there for Chihiro and protect her, through thick and thin, no matter what.