Hello, and welcome to Chapter 2 of The Forgotten! I was really nervous about posting this story, and even more nervous about this particular chapter. It took me a while to write this one, it was actually really hard to get it to lead to the ending I wanted. I also had trouble conveying the emotions I wanted to show, but I think I might have finally gotten it right.

.Disclaimer: I do not own Baten Kaitos. Probably never will. It would be really cool if I did, though.

...Gram, your husband, is dead. A Sabre Dragon killed him months ago while he was trying to protect me. His friend Leon died, too. I took his armlet so I could give it to you, but it was lost along the way. I'm very sorry, about everything...

I can still remember the whole conversation clearly. Every word, every awkward pause. I remember how the Ice Queen's voice had become quieter and her eyes averted mine right before she told me the news. I remember how she had hesitantly fingered her bracelets as she spoke and how she didn't seem sure if she should offer some kind of physical contact. I remember the numbness that came over me when she first spoke. I remember thinking how I would never again see him, touch him, or be with him. I remember how I had been too shocked to make even the smallest noise. I remember wondering why it had taken so long for them to tell me, why they had let me live for months thinking that Gram was alive and well.

It must be a joke, right? People play jokes on their friends and family all the time! Gram likes jokes. I'm sure he does. He's played tons of jokes on me! I can't remember any at the moment, but I'm sure he did! I know that he must have...

I know! The time when he hid my necklace under the table, and I didn't find it for days! At the time, I thought it had simply fallen, but I know now that it must have been him!

That proves it, then! He loves jokes! This must be a joke! It makes perfect sense. This is just another one of Gram's jokes! It's a really good one, too. I wonder how he got Queen Xelha to go along with it? She's good actress, actually. I wonder if Gram told her what to say or if she thought it up on her own? I will have to remember to ask him when I see him again. It will be the first time I've seen him in such a long time!

I will ask him all sorts of things! About his adventures, about what the Outside Lands look like. I wonder if they have snow in the Outside? I have so much to ask him...

But...why hasn't he come into our room yet? It's been a while since Queen Xelha left, at least a half an hour. I would have thought he'd have come in by now, to see me and tell me it was all a joke...

Maybe he knows that I figured out it was a joke! Maybe Queen Xelha told him that I looked skeptical. If that is the case, then he's probably waiting a while so that I start to doubt myself and believe that he's dead. But Gram can't fool me this time!

Should I go outside and talk to him, or wait for him to come in? I want to see him as soon as I can, but...what if he's not out there?

Not that I think he really is dead...just that he might not be right outside. That's all I meant, that's all I was doubting. He's alive and in Wazn, and he'll come in when he thinks it's best. He is trying to fool me, that's why he isn't in here. And that's why it's pointless to go out and call for him. Gram is fine, and he'll come in soon. I don't need to go outside, I don't need to see that he's out there.

Because he is out there. I already know. I'm completely sure of it. There is no point in leaving this room until he comes in. If I leave, I might spoil the joke for him. Gram must have worked really hard on this one. So I should just wait in here. There is no reason to leave. No reason to doubt myself. No reason to ruin his fun.

Gram probably wouldn't be waiting right outside the door, anyways. He's probably hiding. He's trying to make this joke go on as long as possible. It would be no fun if walking out the door would end the joke, so he wouldn't stand out there. I could go outside if I wanted, I know he won't be out there. Because he's somewhere else. Because he's hiding. Not because he died.

It's all a joke. A good joke. A very clever joke.

But it's not so funny anymore. I want Gram! I want my husband! I want to talk to him, to hold him, to be with him. I want to see him now.

Why can't I can't bring myself to leave the room? I can't bear the thought of going out there and seeing empty hallways, even though I already know he won't be there. He...he's hiding, I know. But...why am I so hesitant?

It's working. Gram's plan is working. He's making me doubt myself. But I must remember that that is all that's happening. He's trying to trick me, is all. Now that the second part of the trick is working, he should be here soon. So I will wait some more. He will come through the door any minute.

He won't be much longer.

Maybe I should try to get back at him. I will act like I actually believe he's dead. I will wait here for as long as it takes, lay down on the bed, and pretend to cry. Just pretend. Because I'm not sad. I'm happy, extremely happy, because Gram is finally back. I couldn't possibly cry for real...it's just pretend, just a joke.

I will lay here for as long as it takes for him to come in. I will cry-no, pretend to cry-until he comes back. He'll see me and think that I believed him, but he'll be too guilty to laugh. He'll sit by my side and apologize. He'll hold me and comfort me. He'll kiss me and run his hands through my hair, just like always.

And he'll wipe away my tears. They're not real, I can make myself cry. I didn't know that until today. I can feel them, hot and sticky, falling down my face. They're fake, they must be, because I'm not sad. Gram is back. I am happy.

He'll be here soon, I know it. Until then, I will wait. I will pretend to mourn and cry. I will pretend to be sad. I cannot possibly do those things for real at the moment, for I am much too happy. So I will pretend. And I will fool him. And he will be here soon. And then we can stop the jokes.

Any minute now.

Did you like it? Review and tell me what you think of it. I'm not sure if I was able to convey the emotions that well, but I always think poorly of my own writing. so I can't really tell. It mentions Xelha a lot less then I had originally planned, but I think it works out better this way.

Thank you to Fan Fan Girl and Strawberry Eggs for reviewing the last chapter, and to Fan Fan Girl again for encouraging me to write more. -cough- peer pressure -cough-