Oh jeez it's been soooooo long since I updated either of my fics and I'm real sorry about that. I just kinda had issues with school and stuff you know, I'm back now and will be updating my other one tomorrow so yeah, I hope this chapter is okay!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harvest Moon, or any of it's characters.

Chapter Six: Sense

Tuesday, April 14th/7:24am/Chelsea POV

I wiped the sweat dripping from my brow and sighed heavily, putting down my watering can and nodding to myself.

"Nice job ya' done here Chels, it don't look too bad." I commented on my plants and grinned, rubbing my hands together.

In the eight days since I met Jules' doucebag of a cousin (who was actually really fun to annoy) I had gotten two new chickens, Feathers and Cluckity.

...What? I like those names okay!

Anyhow, Mirabelle said she had a surprise for me, so I was excited to go visit her shop. Even if cowboy jerk would be there. I hurried over the bridge connecting our islands, nearly tripping over a loose board that I promised myself to fix someday.

Once I was outside her door I shifted from foot to foot, trying to guess the surprise before I entered, the little bell above the door tinkling. Jules and her mom were nowhere in sight, but, luckily for me, Vaughy-kins was there.

Oh joy of joys.

"Mornin'." I greeted him with a nod.

He simply rolled his eyes and tilted his hat down, sitting on the chair in the corner and muttering something under his breath.

"Somethin' wrong cowboy?"

"Yeah. You keep callin' me cowboy." He replied simply, lifting his hat a little to send me an icy glare.

"Well excuuuuuse me." I huffed and turned my back to him, walking out the rear door and to the barn, where I assumed Mirabelle would be.

I pushed it open and peeked inside, my bandana sliding a little to the left as I smiled brightly. "Hey Mirabelle, ya' in here?"

I then saw her tending to a rather large cow, who wasn't in the field with the others. Slowly I walked up beside her and tapped the older womans shoulder.

She turned to face me and her face lit up. "Oh Chelsea! I'd like to introduce you to your surprise." She motioned to the cow.

My jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Y... You're givin' me a cow?!" I squealed excitedly, bouncing a bit, causing her to laugh at my childishness.

"I sure am. You've been such a delightful addition to our little village. You're so sweet, and I know that it would be a while if you tried to save up for a cow normally, so here. Have this girl."

I wrapped my arms around the blonde and hugged her tightly and let go before I choked the life out of her, running up to the cow and patting it's head.

"Hey there girl! I'm your new owner! Ya' need a name..." I continued to pet her, and she mooed loudly at me, licking my arm. I giggled and wiped it on my shirt before pondering over a name for my new companion.

"Hmm... How about... Frankenstein! Or Frankie for short!"

Frankie let out a long moo this time and nudged me, nearly knocking me over. "Okay okay ya' like it, I get it!"

Mirabelle shook her head and chuckled. "You sure have a way with the animals Chelsea. Well, I'd best be off back to the shop now."

I spun back around. "Mirabelle, thank ya' so much! You're like a mom to me, ya' know that." I meant every word. She was more of a mother than mine ever was. At least she accepted me for who I was.

Her whole face brightened as I said that. "Why Chelsea. You're so sweet, you really are."

"Uh, thanks! Oh one more thing, do ya' mind if I use your phone? I don't have one yet."

"Of course not! If it's private just go out into Julia's room, she won't mind at all."

"Thanks!"

Ten minutes later

I took the wireless part into the other room, closing the door and making sure no one was around before I dialled the number I knew so well.

"C'mon... c'mon, pick up..."

There was a short buzz before a familiar deep voice filled my ears. "Hmm, who's callin' at this hour if I may ask?"

"Griffin. Griffin it's me!" I said in a hushed tone.

"Miss Chelsea?" His voice was full of shock, and seemingly relief. "Oh my, thank word you're alright. Muffy and I have been ever so worried about you."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't risk callin' earlier in case 'he' was checkin' on people." I sighed.

"I understand. I'll go get Muffy for you, wait here."

A while later a loud, high-pitched squeak came from the other end of the phone. "Cheeeeeeelsea!"

I laughed quietly. "Muffy! It's been too long, eh?"

"Oh Goddess yes! Are you okay, you doing alright on that farm?"

I nodded to myself again. "Yep, just fine! I needed to ask ya' somethin'. Has 'he' caught onto my trail yet?"

"Well..."

Vaugh POV

Mirabelle had left me in charge for now. I swore to myself I had better been getting paid overtime for this.

That annoying girl had been in the other room with the phone some time, and it was peaking my curiousity. I knew it was probably a bad thing but I couldn't halp wandering over to the door, and trying to listen in.

God you're a dumbass. This is what got you punched the first time. Why does she interest you so much anyways?

In truth I didn't know. But she was so... different. And weird. Yep, weird. But, I kinda liked that, you know. She wasn't prissy like Lanna, shy like Sabrina or all happy like Jules and everyone else.

She showed anger and pain, and she didn't care what I thought of her. She was like Natalie but, still somehow different.

...Maybe it was the height.

Yeah, definitely the height.

Anyways, I noticed in her conversation she kept reffering to a 'he'.

No name just, 'he'.

She asked if 'he' was on her trail, if 'he' had found anything about her location yet.

It almost sounded like she was on the run.

No that wasn't possible. It was just my mind being over-imaginative.

"...That's good to hear, well I have to go now, Bye Muffy!"

Crap.

I scrambled and sat on the chair, trying to look as nonchalant as possible as she strolled back in and hung the phone up.

She turned around and caught my gaze, so I looked away quickly and bit the inside of my lip, hoping she wouldn't catch on.

The brunette opened her mouth a fraction before Jules came back, and told me her mom had said she should take over for now and that I had to help Chelsea move her new cow to her island.

Since when did anyone get animals for free? That didn't seem fair.

Still I obliged, albeit begrudgingly.

As we walked back to barn, she kept quiet, thankfully. She seemed to be in deep thought.

"What ridiculous name did you give her then?" I broke the silence, which was unusual for me, but I was sure the name would be a good one.

"Huh...?" She snapped out of her thoughts, a dazed look crossing her face. "Oh, Frankenstein, or Frankie for short! Cool name, isn't it?"

Surely she had to be joking. "Frank...enstein? As in the monster?"

"Well technically the creator of the monster, but yeah! It's a real awesome name!" She laughed cheerfully to herself.

"It's stupid." I snorted.

She pouted childishly. "Is not! Just 'cause ya' don't like somethin' don't make it stupid!"

"No. But calling a cow Frankenstein is stupid."

"Well I don't care what you think, cowboy." She opened the door and slammed it in my face. I growled as I pushed it back open, and was surprised at the sight before me.

She was happily hugging the big black and white cow, who was swishing her tail and licking the girl's face. After working around animals for years I could tell when they formed a bond with someone, and it almost shocked me how close the two were already.

"Awww Frankie likes her name, dontcha' girl?"

"Mooooooo!"

"See!" She nuzzled the cow and began to lead it out of the barn, towards the side gate of the field. "I don't need your help anymore cowboy, I can do it myself."

I couldn't tell whether I admired her independence or resented her stubborness.

Chelsea POV

"There ya' go girl, settle yourself down. This is your new home now!" I spread my arms wide, motioning to the whole barn. She mooed once more and went to go eat some of the hay that jerkface had insisted on bringing over, even when I said I could do it myself.

Although it was funny to watch him get frustrated when I kept calling him cowboy.

Still, I had some more important issues to attend to at the moment so I put that at the back of my mind and went back to my house.

The day before I had been informed by Alisa that today was something called 'Spring Harmony Day'.

It was a day when boys gave girls cookies for some reason. Whilst I didn't understand it, I was never one to pass up free food so I waited in that house for ages.

Thankfully Elliot had leant me some books he had, so I wasn't as bored as I could've been. I didn't really expect anyone to come around, I mean Denny was the only boy I was really friends with, and he didn't seem the type to give out cookies.

To my surprise the fisherman DID come around, at about 9:00am.

...Okay so I wasn't waiting THAT long but still.

I cracked open my door and grinned at him. "Hey there Denny-boy!"

"Chels! Came to give you these!" He shook the box of cookies in his hands.

"I love you." I said so seriously, it might've convinced William Shakespeare I was telling the truth.

He just chuckled and handed them to me, before strolling in.

"Sooo... you wanna come fishing today?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hmmf?" I said through a mouthful of cookie before swallowing it and nodding. "Sure! I got time to kill."

He smiled and stole a cookie, so I gave him a playful glare and lightly punched his arm.

"Hey! I bought these." He waved it in my face jokingly, before taking a bite.

"And ya' gave 'em to me. Making 'em my property. So you just commited a felony, young sir!" I said dramatically.

He snorted with laughter, and I soon joined in, trying not to spit my cookie out.

10:54pm

As I lay in bed, yawing tiredly. The whole days events flashed before my eyes. One memory in particular stuck out though.

Why did Vaugh insist on helping me...?

I mean he knew I was capable, and he would get paid either way so, why did he help me? It didn't benefit him at all. And he wasn't the type to be nice for no reason.

It just didn't make sense, why help me of all people? I mean, we were like enemies. I annoyed him, he angered me.

It really didn't make sense at all.