Hey Readers, well, here's the newest chapter, it's a little shorter than the rest, but I'm sure you guys will like it. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, they warm my heart so much to read and are a major source of encouragement and motivation when I write, so thanks to everyone who's been reviewing and please keep it up, its greatly appreciated!

Chapter 7

Providing Comfort and Distraction

Amu couldn't stand the silence any longer. Ikuto hadn't said a word for a half hour at least, if not longer and it was driving her insane.

"Ikuto?" she called quietly, "Is…everything okay?"

He looked up at her "Yeah I'm fine…" he wanted to take the focus off of him so he posed a question, "So…you get stage fright, don't you?"

She nodded, "Yeah, how did you know?"

"really, Amu? You were shaking the entire time you were on stage with me and then after that you went pale as a ghost and fainted…what else would it be?"

"Oh…right."

"So…why? Why are you so afraid of being on stage?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, I'm just shy I guess, same reason I hate standing in front of the class, or giving speeches. Why do you think I came up with the whole 'cool and spicy' attitude anyway? I didn't know what else to do…"

"Why couldn't you just do that on stage?"

"I could maybe…but it's different, cool and spicy is only one way of acting, I don't know if I can alter it to different forms. I mean…no one would want a cool and spicy Juliet, it would have to be a lovesick Juliet."

"Yeah, so, if you could come up with cool and spicy I'm sure you could come up with beautiful and graceful."

She shrugged, "maybe, regardless, I'd rather not try."

"So then, you'd rather we go back to using that other girl we had before?" he asked, "She brings the whole play down, I'll never know what the director was thinking when he picked her."

"Well…no…." she frowned, she didn't like where this argument was going.

"Then why not at least give it a try?" he asked her.

She sighed, "there are plenty of reasons not to."

"Yeah, like, you're a scaredy-cat with no backbone what-so-ever."

"That's not true!" she told him strongly

"Then prove me wrong. Accept the role, be Juliet!"

"But…but…."

"But what Amu?"

She sighed…."alright fine…I'll try it. No guarantees."

He smirked to himself, once again he proved he could get her to do whatever he wanted. He paused suddenly though and his smirk faded it looked as if it was going to be harder to change his habits then he thought. He frowned and ended the conversation there. Once again silence ensued between the two of them.

That was when it began. It was subtle at first, so much so that the two students didn't even notice it at first. It started out as a dull humming sound, after a few minutes it grew to a buzz at which point they started to take note.

"What is that?" Ikuto asked looking around for the source of the sound, it was difficult for him to pinpoint; the sound, it seemed to be coming from all directions at the same time. He looked towards Amu who was struggling to cover up the fear she was clearly feeling as a result of the sound. "Its…probably just the wind…or something," she muttered softly.

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"How's the operation going, Hikari?"

A black haired woman turned to face the blonde haired man who was posing the question. "So far so good, the one is progressing surprisingly well…on the other hand, the other one…." She sighed and turned her attention back to the data screens and video camera images, "well, let's just say the other one is needing a little more encouragement…."

The man frowned, "I see, that is…unfortunate. Have you decided what method you are going to use yet?"

Hikari nodded and showed him her plan.

He looked it over a moment before responding "It's a bit direct…and will assuredly be difficult for the participant….however it will most definitely be effective. If this doesn't get things moving, then I don't know what will."

Hikari agreed, "I know it will be stressful, most likely for the both of them, however it is by far the most effective procedure, it is in our brokenness that we are most vulnerable, and those moments are what create the highest opportunity and chance of success for what we wish to achieve."

"Indeed, there is a certain truth to what you say, very well, you have my permission to continue with the procedure."

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Meanwhile about ten minutes had gone by for amu and Ikuto and the "wind" had intensified into a roar, a few more minutes and it was howling, no, shrieking. Ikuto looked back to Amu to find that she had pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, she was shaking. Her head rested on her knees while her eyes were closed.

"Amu…" he called out to her.

She didn't move, not in the least.

Ikuto started to get worried. "Amu…what's wrong?"

As he stared at her something slid down her cheek, Ikuto's eyes widened, a tear?

"Amu!" he called louder, his voice was drowned out by the shrieking sound. He looked up, it was like a tornado, only worse. It sounded like a host of trains were coming right at them and were close enough to touch. Such a violent sound…could it be….a hurricane? He wondered, of course, what else could make that kind of sound, he glanced back towards the pink-haired little girl. She hadn't improved in the least. She must be afraid of hurricanes…. He thought to himself.

Groaning he shifted himself over to her side and put an arm around her, just holding her, letting her know he was there, trying to stop the shaking. He knew it probably wasn't a good idea, that it was completely against his desire to distance himself from her, but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't just sit there and watch her like that, no one with a heart could, even as a friend it was perfectly appropriate to help in such a traumatic time. Traumatic was the perfect way to describe it, Amu was falling apart right in front of him, the shaking had spread to her entire body and that single tear had grown into a river of tears. Not knowing what else to do he simply sat there for a long time and held her in his arms. It didn't seem to help however. The hurricane came closer to the building and Ikuto could swear he felt the building quaking for a moment as the sound grew to unimaginative levels. He felt Amu flinch when this happened. The rushing sound of the wind was everywhere, completely surrounding them and there was no way to block it out, the building groaned under the weight of it, and even Ikuto was starting to get worried about it. Amu just kept getting worse she was sobbing now and saying something. Ikuto bent closer to hear what she was saying. "No…no….Koji!"

He raised an eyebrow, who was Koji? He looked back to Amu.

"Koji come back! No…..NO!" Amu's eyes snapped open suddenly and the amount of horror in those eyes nearly broke Ikuto's heart. The horror soon faded to raw pain and heartache. He pulled her close to him, wrapping her in his arms as the shakes increased. Ikuto's chest was throbbing, he couldn't bear to see her like this. He felt so helpless, he was desperate to help her, but there was nothing he could do. There was no possible way to distract her from something as major as a hurricane….unless. An idea started to form in the back of his mind. No! he quickly shoved it away. It would only serve to further upset her, not help. Besides, that would definitely not be something to encourage friendship. He looked back down at her and struggled internally, it wasn't like there was anything else he could do. Even if it did upset her, the anger she directed at him just might be the only possible thing in the world that could distract her. Besides, with the state she was in there was a chance that maybe, just maybe she wouldn't remember it tomorrow. He sighed and pulled her away from his chest and looked down at her tear-stained face, it was like digging a dagger deeper and deeper into his heart. That's it, he had to do it, there was just no way he could let her go on like that. He reached down and gently wiped the tears from her eyes and brushed her hair behind her ear as he cupped her cheek in his hand. She stared at him with that same look of unbearable suffering as before as he leaned down towards her. He paused and hesitated a moment, his heart pounding uncontrollably, it seemed even louder than the raging winds of the hurricane. He looked back to Amu and with renewed determination closed the gap. Their lips collided as they kissed and for the first time in his life Ikuto felt joy. Sheer joy, completely unhindered by sorrow as all the pain that he had felt watching Amu suffer was washed away. He refused to give into that joy however, after a short seconds he pulled away and looked at Amu with concern filled eyes. Wondering if it had helped in anyway. Her eyes softened and he watched the pain disappear from them, for the first time in what seemed like forever there was recognition in her eyes, she was back in the present, her eyes locked with his as they slowly started to fall closed. "Ikuto…." She murmered softly then collapsed from exhaustion.

Ikuto breathed a sigh of relief, he was relieved to know that he had made the right decision, that he had been able to help Amu. He looked at her sleeping form and breathed easily. That's when he knew, that no matter what, he wanted to always be by her side, to protect her. He didn't want her to have to hurt any more, he didn't want her to have to go through anything alone, he wanted to be the one there for her, to hold her whenever she cried. He wanted to take her darkest days and sprinkle a ray of sunlight on them. He wanted to be that person who could make her laugh, even on days when all she wanted to do was cry. He sighed, what had he gotten himself into? Why on earth had he allowed himself to kiss her, it broke out against all sound judgment whatsoever, he should've known what would happen to him after the kiss. What was he thinking? Easter would never allow it. No matter how he tried, or how it hurt, him and Amu could never be, not in a world where Easter existed. He pounded his fist against the wall and cursed fate that had tied him to that horrible company. He sighed, what he wanted right now, more than anything was for things to stay the way there were. It was a fantasy, he knew it, but a wonderful one at that. He wanted to stay with Amu, forever, in this theatre house, where they were safe and completely untouched by Easter. Yes, he wanted it more than anything he had ever wanted. He shook his head, maybe they couldn't stay there forever, but the least he could do, was make the most of the time he had. With that he turned his attention back to Amu, realizing she must be cold in only a dress he grabbed his shirt that had long since been abandoned and put it on her. Smiling to himself in satisfaction he rested his head against the wall. Regardless of this hurricane and regardless of what Easter had planned for him once he was out of here, right now, Amu was sleeping peacefully, she was safe, and free of sorrow, and that, was all that mattered.