The summer promised to be a glorious one. At the end of May, the weather had changed from the chill of spring to the warmth of summer almost overnight. The sun poured down on the tiny garden, lighting up both the myriad flowers and plants packed into the small amount of space, and the young woman who knelt on the path, giving those plants much needed water. Finishing her task, the woman smiled, getting up to stroll back to the house where her cup of coffee waited. It's been getting warmer every day, I think. I wonder if it's the same...where he is? Her smile faded a little, and she reached up to her throat, where the tiny charm of an angel hung on a gold chain. How long had it been since he had left? She couldn't quite remember, but it had been spring then, and now it was summer. Weeks, months? I haven't counted. I...try not to think about it, because if I do, I'll only cry...I miss him so much... Sighing a little, she sat on the sun-warmed doorstep, adjusting the pink robe around her. If he was here, he'd be sitting beside her perhaps, stretched out in the sunlight like a cat. Or more likely, still fast asleep...she realised with a giggle. Her fiance could sleep anywhere.

Fiance...that still sounds strange. We only had a few days to get used to the idea of being engaged before he had to leave. It was hard at first...I wasn't expecting him to propose the way he did, and certainly not so quickly. But it's like everything else. From the very first moment we met - there was some kind of spark between us. A connection of sorts...

"Miss Ramius?" The young woman blinked out of her introspection, and smiled at the man at the gate. "Oh, good morning.." The postman grinned back, holding out a handful of letters. "Here ya go. Sorry to interrupt you.." After receiving the post, Murrue sat back down on the doorstep, flicking through the envelopes. Bills, bank statement, message from work...and a letter. The handwriting on the envelope was easy to recognise, and her face lit up in sheer delight. Ripping open the pale blue envelope, she leaned against the doorframe to read the letter.

Hey, sweetheart,

How are things? I hope you're taking care of yourself...I forgot to get you to promise that, didn't I? You got me to make all these promises, and I forgot to ask you to do the same. So here we go. You have to look after yourself and not work too hard...and don't be checking out all those other guys on the way to work, okay?

Murrue giggled at that. She remembered half-jokingly making him promise to not look at any other girls while she wasn't there to keep an eye on him, but Mwu knew perfectly well that however much she had changed since she had met him, she was still far too shy - and far too faithful - to look at anyone else. That day at the station, you stole my heart, and you know it.

Things are going pretty well with the testing. They've put me up in a hotel while I'm here, and it sure is a fancy one. I can see the beach from my room, but I haven't been there yet...I haven't had time. It is beautiful here, though. The city's filled with open spaces and parks, the one closest to the hotel is where I spend a lot of my free time. I'm writing this letter there, actually. I sit on a bench and watch the world go by, and think about how much you'd love it here.

I...well, there aren't many words I can think of to let you know how much I miss you. I wake up in the mornings thinking you're there beside me, but you're not. I watch the view from my room at night, see the moon over the ocean, but it doesn't compare to those nights I spent with you at the attic window, looking at the landscape spread out below us, and how we would talk about anything and everything together. I keep your picture in my wallet, the one we had taken together that day in the garden. You remember?

She nodded, brushing away tears. She had a copy of that same picture on her bedside table, after all. It had been taken in early spring, when the snowdrops and crocuses had just begun to bloom in the garden. Murrue had picked some of the tiny flowers for the vase in the kitchen, and laughing, Mwu had tucked one of the snowdrops behind her ear, before running back inside for his camera. "C'mon, let me take your picture..." he had wheedled, trying to kiss her. "I promise I won't show anyone else..please?" Murrue remembered being incredibly embarrassed, and refusing to look at the camera, until Mwu had an idea. Setting the camera to automatic, he had run to sit beside her. "Then why don't we have a picture taken together?"

The photograph had turned out well, the two of them sitting together on the doorstep of their house. Mwu had been smiling happily, one arm wound around her shoulders, and her head was resting on his shoulder, the tiny snowdrop peeking from her dark hair. She'd been blushing still, cheeks tinged rose, but she was smiling in the picture. She looked at it every morning when she woke up, brushing her fingers against the image of her fiance to wish him good morning. I miss you so much...

I'm sorry I haven't called like I promised. I keep meaning to, I get as far as picking up the phone and starting to dial the number, but I can't do it. It's not that I don't want to - I'd give almost anything to hear your voice...but I'm not sure that I could take it, you being so close, but so far away. I'm a coward, I know, but it hurts too much as it is. All I can do is keep writing, and hope you'll keep reading. I promise, as soon as they let me, I'll come straight home.

I'll write again soon, okay? You look after yourself, and I'll do the same. We promised, right?

I love you, Murrue.

Yours forever, Mwu.

Every time she re-read the letter, it brought tears. His sentences were a little incoherent, the blonde man clearly having trouble putting his thoughts into words, but she understood the meaning behind them. He was as lonely as she was. Perhaps, painful as all this is, it was for the best. This way, with this separation...we'll find out how we truly feel about each other. Whether our relationship - our engagement - is as strong as we think it is. Whether it's meant to be or not...Murrue thought about that a lot. About how quickly she and Mwu had settled together, about how close the two of them had grown in such a short space of time. In just six months, they had met, become friends, fallen in love, moved in together and gotten engaged. Was it all happening too fast? This way, at least we'll have space to decide whether this is the right decision...

"Hey, Murrue? What are you doing?" The voice was that of her friend Erica. She was leaning over Murrue's desk, peering down at the letter the young woman was trying to write. Blushing fiercely, Murrue tried to hide the letter, but Erica had already read some of the contents. "That's a love letter, isn't it? Who are you writing it to? Who is it you miss so much?" The auburn-haired woman's blush deepened further, and she murmured something so quietly, Erica had to strain to hear. "My fiance..."

"Your WHAT?" her friend shrieked, almost falling over. "You're engaged? You, the shyest person I've ever known...are engaged? To who?" Murrue buried her face in her hands, mortified. "Please, Erica...not so loud.." Taking a deep breath, she peeked out from behind her hands, amber eyes and red cheeks the only parts of her face visible. "His name is Mwu.." she whispered. "I met him on the train. I kept it secret...because I knew I'd get this reaction.." Erica smiled gently, sitting down beside her. "I see. How long have you been together?"

"About eight months.." was the reply. "We met just before Christmas last year. He's away at the moment though. The people he works for sent him to work in a different city for a year. But a few days before he left, he asked me to marry him.." Raising her left hand, Murrue showed her friend the silver daisy engagement ring. She was still blushing, but she knew that Erica would never say anything to embarrass her. The older woman nodded, examining the jewellery. "It's beautiful. You must miss him, huh?"

"More than anything." she answered. "I didn't know it would hurt this much, but it does." A tear rolled down her cheek, and she brushed it away impatiently. "I haven't talked to anyone about it...nobody else knows. You won't tell anyone else, will you?" Erica shook her head. "Of course not. I'm just happy that you've finally found someone. And if he's someone you fell for, he must be a good person. When he gets back, can I meet him too?"

Murrue nodded, smiling a little. "Sure.."

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The sun shone brightly over the city, sparkling off the blue ocean. People everywhere were enjoying the day, sitting on park benches, eating ice-cream, or soaking up the baking hot rays on the beach. At a testing facility just outside the city, a blonde man climbed out of the car he had just been driving, pulling off his helmet. His hair was soaked with sweat, blue eyes closed in fatigue. "Man..it's hot today.." A mechanic nodded, checking the temperature of the car tyres. "It's the hottest it's been all year. Days like this should be spent on the beach, not here..."

Mwu chuckled, half-unzipping the overalls he wore. "I'd go for that.." Stretching out, he made as if to walk back to the shade of the pit. The mechanic raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to say hi to your fans?" Along the seats of the spectator stands, a crowd of girls watched with admiration. Mwu rolled his eyes. "Why the hell do they show up? It's not as if I'm a race-car driver or anything.."

"Apparently, they think you're cute," the mechanic teased. "You should be flattered. Some of those girls won't even show up to watch real racers..." Sighing, the blonde man looked back at the gaggle of girls. "It might be flattering to others, but not to me. 'Cause none of them could compare to my fiancee.." He smiled to himself, imagining what it might be like if his Murrue was there. All the other girls seemed to be wearing as little as they could get away with, and were trying their best to get his attention. How different she would be.. The mechanic smiled. "Your fiancee, huh? Does she look like that?"

Mwu laughed. "Nope. She's much more beautiful than they are. But she's very shy. If she was here, I doubt many people would notice her..." Slinging the helmet over his shoulder by the chin straps, he walked back to the pit, whistling a tune. But I'd always notice you...

Later that day, he was filling out a report on the test of the car, when the supervisor from the company walked in. "How come you're here?" she asked, confused. "You've earned enough time off..." Finshing the report, Mwu looked up. "Time off?"

"Sure," she replied. "You spend so much time working, you're even here when everyone else has gone home, or before they arrive. With all the extra hours, you've earned at least three or four days leave. You should take it. Go to the beach or something. Relax.." At her words, the blonde man's face lit up. "Three or four days?" Getting up, he grabbed his jacket and dashed for the door. The supervisor laughed. "Off to the beach?"

"No!" he yelled back. "I'm going home!"

If I catch the first train that comes...I should be back home by early evening. And..I can spend four whole days with Murrue...

The little house was dark and quiet, no sign that anyone was there. Carefully, not knowing whether his fiancee was asleep or not, Mwu let himself in, locking the door behind him. No-one was in the living room or kitchen, the same for the bedroom when he tip-toed upstairs. Frowning, he wondered whether she was working late. Sighing, he made his way up into the attic, deciding to look at the view from the window until she came home.

She was there. She didn't notice him climb into the small space, intent on gazing from the window. The moonlight reflected from her dark hair and haunting eyes, and lit on the expression of loneliness on her face. Mwu watched her for a few moments, lost in her beauty. The picture..it's not enough. It could never do her justice... Walking up to her, he simply embraced her, wrapping his arms around her and breathing in her scent. Murrue jumped in shock, turning around in his arms. "Wha-!" Her eyes lit on him, and she gasped. "Why...you...I..." Mwu smiled, hugging her tightly. "Hey.."

The young woman stared at him, stunned, for several moments, then her eyes began to brim with tears. Flinging her arms around his neck, she buried her head in his shoulders, crying her heart out. "You...you're home? They let you come back?" He closed his eyes, nuzzling his face into her hair. "Not for too long. Just four days. But all the time I have..I wanted to spend with you. I missed you so much.." Murrue hiccupped slightly, her tears still soaking his shirt. She didn't say anything, just clung to him as though she never wanted to let go. Smiling, Mwu leaned against the wall of the attic, his fiancee curled in his arms. All he had seen in the large city, the thousands of people and wide-open spaces, here, right now, this beat any of them. Sitting in a dusty attic room in a tiny house, the woman he loved there with him.

The whole of the next four days, they spent together. That first night and the most of the next day was spent in bed, separation having been very hard on the two of them. After that, they walked together, swam in the river, spent almost their whole time outside in the summer air. When asked later about what had been the happiest time of her life, Murrue always said it had been those four days of summer she had spent with her fiance - because that time had finally answered her questions and soothed her anxiety as to whether she and Mwu were really right for each other. This is meant to be...

But, like all things, those days couldn't last forever, and all too soon, Mwu had to return to work. If their parting had been painful the first time, now it was almost unbearable. The platform was crowded and noisy, but for the two of them, it was as if no-one else was there. "You really have to go?" Murrue asked softly, voice choked. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and it felt as though her heart was breaking. Her fiance looked no better, handsome face clouded with pain. "It won't be for that long," he said gently, reaching out to brush the tears from her face. "Please, sweetheart, don't cry. If I work as hard as I did before, I'll get more time off. As soon as I do, I'll come straight back..." She nodded, understanding, but it didn't make the pain lessen. "You promise?"

Mwu smiled, but the expression was strained. "Of course.." Leaning forward, he kissed her lovingly, pulling her into a hug. She returned the embrace immediately, the kiss salt-flavoured due to her tears. When they finally broke, he touched his forehead to hers. "Wait for me, okay?" he asked, and despite her sadness, Murrue giggled. "Silly. You know I will. I'll wait forever if I have to.." Kissing him one more time, she let him go. "Go on now, you'll miss your train.."

"What if I want to miss it?" he asked, and she smiled, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "I wouldn't mind," she admitted. "But the sooner you go, the sooner you can come back, right? Go on.." Her tears still fell, but the pain was somehow lessened. He was leaving again, but it wouldn't be forever. Mwu took her hand in his, squeezing gently. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, walking him to the waiting train. "And I always will."

One day later, Murrue sat at her desk, a cup of coffee in her hand. She had spent all morning drawing up new plans, and was quietly pleased with the results. Smiling to herself, she picked up her cup, wandering into the break room. The television was on, showing a news report, which Erica was watching sadly. "What is it?" Murrue asked. "Did something happen?" Her friend nodded, gesturing to the news. "A train crash," she replied. "Looks like a bad one.." The news report stated the time and destination of the train, and how a signal failure had caused the vehicle to crash into another heading in the opposite direction.

Murrue listened to the report with concern, wondering how many had lost their lives in the disaster. "Did they say how many had died?" she asked softly, sipping her coffee. Erica sighed. "Not yet..." The report changed to show where the trains had come from and were heading, and the times they had left on their journey. The young woman watched wide-eyed, mind going blank with shock. The time...the destination...The coffee cup slipped from her numb fingers to shatter on the floor. Oh God...please...no...

"Murrue? What is it?" She could hear Erica's voice, but it was distant and faint. She didn't answer, taking a few steps backwards.

"Mwu..." she whispered, before passing out cold and falling to the floor.

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( I think this may be the longest chapter I've ever written...

Am...I evil?

:hides in a bomb shelter: Please read and review! And don't kill me! )