A/n: I made you guys wait way too long for this chapter, my apologies. I'm getting awfully lazy again, that and the fact that I've been busy. Well, enjoy. Capítulo seis.

Chapter 6: Now or Never

Finally, after a long and exhausting day, it was time to head back to the apartment. Maya, who seemed like she was still full of energy, told Phoenix that they couldn't go back just yet. When he asked her why, she replied, "What about Saturday Nights?" He nodded, understanding what she meant. They made a quick stop at a nearby store, buying a few snacks to prepare for their movie night. Deciding on what they could watch was difficult for Phoenix. There wasn't much to choose from and most of the titles were a bit lame really. Not wanting to spend all evening staring at a bunch of DVD cases, Phoenix finally made up his mind and rented a little something called Never in My Life. It would be their last movie for today, probably for the rest of the weekend.

It was getting late. The sun had already set, and the winds were picking up speed, bringing in menacing-looking clouds along the way. Pearl clung onto Maya's robes, frightened by the sudden change of weather. Maya pulled her cousin closer as she tried her best to comfort the young girl.

After a bit of walking, the three of them made it safely to Phoenix's apartment. As soon as they were inside, Maya snatched the DVD from the lawyer and popped the disc into the DVD player. In a few short moments, they were on the couch, watching the movie that Phoenix had rented.

Nearly two hours had passed and Maya wasn't at all impressed. In fact, she was quite disappointed.

"Okay? Uh, that was boring and a bit um…strange, very, very strange. Couldn't you have gotten something better?" Maya looked to Phoenix who shrugged.

She turned her attention back to the screen and brought a hand up to her mouth, yawning loudly as she stretched on the couch. She blinked a few times as she continuously played a few scenes over and over again in her head. Never in her life had she watched a movie that hardly made any sense at all. The plot was all over the place and the ending wasn't exactly satisfying. It was like a bunch of random scenes thrown in together just for the heck of it. There was no doubt in her mind that the Steel Samurai movie was a thousand times better than this…whatever this was. Should this even be called a movie?

Taking her eyes off the screen, Maya decided to ask some questions, though she had a feeling that no one would answer them. "So did you guys understand what was happening? 'Cause I certainly didn't. What was the point of him sending the letter if he knew she'd never get it? And why was the little guy so upset? Was it because he found out about his brother's secret, you know the whole satellite thing? Or was it because he lost a toe? But then, they'd just re-grow their toes, won't they? Oh, man, I've never been so totally confused in my entire life."

Phoenix made a noise that sounded like a snort. "Oh, I can think of a few times of when you were."

Maya rolled her eyes at his words. "It was boring, wasn't it?" She faced her cousin, who instead of replying, simply nodded at her.

Phoenix sighed and reached for the remote, turning off the TV as well as the DVD player. Scratching his head, he turned to Maya. "What are you complaining about? We got to watch your beloved Steel Samurai movie, didn't we?"

"Well, yeah but—"

"No, I don't wanna hear any—"

"But—"

"Maya, will you just—"

"Wait—"

In a desperate attempt to get her to stop talking, he quickly placed a hand over her mouth, preventing her from saying another word. Surprised by his sudden action, Maya stared at him as a smile crept to his face. "You know, Maya. Why not just say 'thanks, Nick. Thank you so much for renting this movie'. It'd be nice to hear that from you instead of 'it's boring'. Hmm?"

As he removed his hand from her mouth, he raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her response. She folded her arms tightly across her chest and smirked. "Thank you, Nick. Thank you for spending a few dollars so that we could watch a movie about falling satellites and grumpy gnomes."

It wasn't long before the smile on his face began to slowly disappear. He sighed, defeated. "Okay, you're right. I admit that movie was boring…and most definitely stupid," he muttered.

She smiled. "See? I told you. If you had let me choose, we'd be—"

"Oh, heck no." He quickly cut her off. "No, no, no, no, no, and no. We are not watching that again. We've rented that six times already."

"Seven." She corrected him.

"Whatever. You know what? It's okay. We can just forget about this movie because next Saturday's will be much better, I promise."

"Um…right," she said, her voice suddenly becoming a whisper. Her smile faded as she stared into her lap, avoiding his gaze.

The silence came, making Phoenix uncomfortable. He cursed inwardly, realizing he had said something wrong, again. He nervously cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Oh, well…I mean, you know, when you visit me…um…if you're not too busy…"

She brought her head up to look at him. "You'll visit Kurain too, won't you? You won't forget about me and Pearly, right?"

Phoenix looked at her in disbelief. He was surprised she'd ask something like that. Surely, she didn't think that he would just move on and forget about her once she returned to Kurain? Maybe she did. All this time, he thought he was the one who'd be tossed aside and forgotten. It hadn't occurred to him that Maya would feel the same way, but then again, she knew what it was like to have people leave her. She had experienced it most of her life. Perhaps she thought…he would do the same. Not like that would happen of course. He could never do that to her and silently prayed she wouldn't do that to him either.

He smiled reassuringly at her. "Of course I'll visit. Kurain's not that far, by train anyway. Visiting won't be a problem. And what makes you think I'd forget about you and Pearls? You two are like family to me."

She lowered her head, wanting to believe him, but somehow couldn't. His words were warm, but they were just words. Things would change. That she was sure of. She'd have her own responsibilities and he…well…he'd meet someone, fall in love, and forget all about her and Kurain. But she had to think positive. Maybe he wouldn't forget about her, but then she was sure he'd meet someone and fall in love. Why did she have to make such a big deal about this? Because I love him, that's why, she silently answered.

Phoenix's lips curved into a frown. Why was she so upset? Worried, he placed a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Maya didn't answer him. Instead, she turned her attention toward her cousin, who had been quiet for some time now.

"Pearly's asleep…" she said.

Phoenix looked at the young girl who was curled beside Maya. "She did look really tired earlier."

"Well, we all are. We've had a tiring day," Maya said as she watched her cousin who was now in a peaceful slumber.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Anyway, thanks for taking me and Pearly to the movies today."

He softly shook his head. "No need to thank me. You already did, remember? And I should thank you for that cake. It was really delicious."

She nodded and then grinned at him. "Remember last week? You said there was absolutely no way you'd see that movie with us and yet you actually did."

"Yeah, well, people often change their minds," Phoenix said as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"You know…" Maya began. "…if you weren't there with us, I'd probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did."

Surprised by her words, Phoenix turned to look at her, seeing how she would once again avoid his gaze. Inside, Maya felt like screaming. Why did she say that just now? She might as well be wearing a big sign that says hey Nick, I love you! Well, she did plan on telling him, but now she felt like she couldn't. She was too afraid of what he might think.

"Maya?" he called out.

She faced him. Uh oh, he's figured it out, she thought as she tried to calm her fast beating heart. "Hm?"

"I…uh, there's something that…I…I…um…never mind. Anyway, I'm glad you feel that way," he said a little too quickly as he averted his gaze.

She frowned. What was he gonna say? Maybe he'd finally caught on. He was always pretty good at figuring things out.

Once again, it was quiet between the pair as they continued to stare at nothing in particular. The only noise they could hear were the sounds of Pearl's gentle snoring and the howling of the wind coming from the window. This awkward silence, it was becoming a bit of a routine for them and it drove Phoenix crazy.

A minute or two later, he rose from the couch. He drew a long breath, grabbing his jacket as he made his way to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Maya asked him.

"I'm just gonna return the DVD," he answered her as he bent down to put on his shoes. "I might forget tomorrow."

"Um, Nick, I think you forgot to grab the DVD," she told him as he was about to open the door.

"Oh, right," he said. He walked over the TV set and removed the DVD from the player, placing the disc back in its case.

Maya watched him make his way to the front door. "Nick, there's a storm coming. You'll get sick."

"Don't worry. I won't be out too long. It'll only take fifteen minutes," he said as he grabbed an umbrella and left the apartment, closing the door behind him.

Maya awoke to the rumbling of thunder. It was raining. How long it had been raining like this, she didn't know. Keeping her eyes shut, she groaned inwardly as tried to block out the background noise. Feeling a little cold, she reached for the blanket that was resting near her feet. Strange, she didn't remember wearing a blanket to sleep. As she pulled on it, she felt something move. She lazily opened one eye and scanned her surroundings. It seemed she had fallen asleep on the couch. The room was dark with little light coming from the window. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw him.

There, sitting on the other end of the couch was Phoenix, staring blankly at the TV that had been off for quite some time. Maya glanced at a nearby clock. It was past midnight. Why was he still up? Did the storm wake him up too? The girl bit her lip, unsure of whether or not she should interrupt him from his current thoughts. He seemed to be lost in them as he practically stared at nothing. He didn't even notice her staring at him.

In a soft voice, Maya called out to him. "Nick?"

He blinked, turning at the mention of his name. "M-Maya, I didn't know you were awake. I thought you were sleeping."

She slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she replied. "I was. The storm woke me up."

Phoenix chuckled. "Looks like the weatherman made the right call, huh?"

She smiled, but quickly frowned when a certain little girl came to mind. "Where's Pearly?"

"She's in my room, sleeping of course. I didn't think she'd be comfortable on the couch so I moved her."

"Aww, what about me?" she asked jokingly as she stared at him with sad eyes. "Why can't I sleep on your bed instead of this old thing?"

He laughed. "You sure looked comfortable when I came back. Besides, you've slept here plenty of times before."

"Oh, so you returned the DVD?"

He nodded. "Yeah, like three hours ago. I told you I was only gonna be out for fifteen minutes. Didn't think you'd be asleep by the time I get back."

With a wide grin, she replied, "Sorry, Nick, but sleep was out to get me."

Lightning lit up the sky, followed by roaring thunder. It was raining harder now. Luckily, there weren't any cats or dogs falling out of the sky.

"It's been raining nonstop since I got back," he said as he stared at the window.

Maya raised a brow at him. "Were you awake all this time?"

He nodded. "I couldn't sleep."

"Oh," she replied, "so what're you thinking about?"

"Things. They're not important, really." Though I would like to know what's been on your mind these last few days, he thought.

He was about to ask her when suddenly a strange song began to fill the air.

There was a farmer who had a dog
And Bingo was his name-O.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O…

"Um, is that music?" Maya asked as she began to laugh. She looked to Phoenix who had been softly banging his head back against the couch.

He groaned. "I'll be right back."

Maya could only giggle as Phoenix sauntered over to where little Pearl was hiding. The small girl gasped. Surprised that she had been caught, she nervously greeted him.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Nick. Um, your radio seems to be broken."

"Nice try, Pearls." He grabbed the small radio and snaked an arm around Pearl's waist, carrying them both back to his room.

As soon as he was inside, he gently placed the young girl down. Placing both hands on his waist, he gave her a stern look. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I heard thunder and got scared. I saw that you two were awake so I…" She lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I was only trying to create a romantic setting."

"By playing children's sing-along songs?" Even if Maya and I were dating, we wouldn't be listening to something like that, he shuddered.

"I'm only nine years old, Mr. Nick. I don't know where to find beautiful, romantic love songs, and I certainly couldn't find any in your room so I just played one of my own tapes. It's very catchy!"

Why not tune in to one of the local radio stations? He thought. He smiled and crouched down to Pearl's level. "You just don't know when to give up, do you Pearls?"

She smiled back. "Why would I give up on something that's meant to happen, Mr. Nick?"

"Cute, but I really don't think anything is gonna happen…" he trailed off, thinking of what he was going to say.

"Yes?" Pearl stared at him with curious eyes, expecting him to continue but he didn't. She squealed in excitement. "Oh, my! Have you finally realized that you're in love with Mystic Maya?"

He let out a nervous chuckle. "You know what? You really should be sleeping."

"Of course, Mr. Nick. I'll be happy to go to bed if it means you two will be spending some alone time together." She gave him a satisfied smile. "Good night."

She softly pushed him out of his own bedroom and closed the door. Shaking his head, the lawyer made his way back towards the couch and sat down. Maya had a bit of trouble containing her laughter.

"Well? What'd you tell her?" she asked in between giggles.

"Just asked her why she was playing that horrible song. Told me she wanted to create a romantic setting or something like that."

"That's so Pearly."

"Yeah. Her plan didn't exactly work though."

Maya opened her mouth to say something, but quickly thought better of it. She turned away from him and stared out the window as sheets of rain poured angrily against the glass, showing no signs of relenting. She felt herself being once again pulled into her usual thoughts.

Running a hand though his hair, he hesitantly attempted to start a conversation. "Um, Maya?"

She looked at Phoenix questioningly. The expression on his face was difficult to read, but Maya had a good idea of what he was thinking.

"I don't mean to press or anything, but it seems to me that something's been bothering you."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You seem to have a lot on your mind, lately. I'm no psychic, but I sure can tell when something's troubling you and right now you look troubled. If you wanna talk about it…"

It's now or never, Maya thought as she nervously spoke, "Y-Yes. Um, there's something that I feel I should really, really tell you…something important."

Raising a brow, he waited for her to continue.

"It's kinda silly," she told him as she began to play with her hands. "You're probably gonna just laugh or something."

Phoenix shook his head at her. "No, not at all. If this is what's been bothering you all this time, you should tell me about it. I promise, I won't laugh."

No, but I'm pretty sure you'd freak out, she thought as she tried to calm her racing heart. "I-I just wanted to let you know that these last few years really mean a lot to me and after sis died, I felt so lost, that is, until I met you. I know this sounds weird and all…"

"No, of course not. I feel the same way too."

With a shaky voice, she continued. "We've been through so much together and before I leave…I…" She gently grabbed a hold of his hand, causing him to blush on the inside. "I-I realized that I couldn't leave without first telling you."

"T-Tell me what?" Phoenix felt his heart leap and his breath catch in his throat. He didn't care that he felt so excited. He just wanted her to finish, hoping she could clear up this fog. He had a feeling this was it, but he needed her to confirm it.

Is she telling me that she…

"That I…" The words wouldn't leave her lips. Oh, c'mon Maya, it's just three words…three little words…three tiny, little words that could completely destroy your friendship with this man for all eternity! Oh, man, I don't think I could do this anymore. "I…"

"Yes?" He anxiously waited for her to finish.

"I-I sleepwalk." She managed to say as she released his hand.

"Huh?" He felt crushed.

"I just found out that I walk in my sleep. Last night, I woke up in the kitchen with a sandwich in my hand and a glass of milk in the other. I thought I should let you know."

He blinked multiple times, trying to comprehend what had just happened. "I-Is that all?"

"Yes."

"You mean that's what's been bothering you this whole time?"

"Yup."

He was trying his best to make eye contact with her, but she made it nearly impossible. He let out an exhausted sigh. "Maya, you're not telling me everything."

"I think the rain has stopped," she said, hoping he would drop the subject. I guess it's never, she thought.

Phoenix sighed, looking away. He felt a little disappointed at how their conversation ended. Well, maybe he was wrong after all. Maybe she didn't think of him as anything more than a friend. Not that that matters anyway. It's not like he hoped for something to happen between them, right? Well, maybe he did feel something for her, but he still wasn't sure. He would have to wait to find out. He looked at the girl sitting next to him. Scratching his head, he felt useless. He hated seeing her like this.

Feeling his throat go dry, Phoenix began to cough. "I'm not feeling too well," he said as he coughed some more.

A few seconds had gone by and his coughing had gotten worse, almost as if he were choking or something.

Maya became worried and began to gently rub his upper back. "Nick? What's wrong?"

He just shook his head at her and continued to make strangled noises within his throat. Slowly, he stood up, only to stumble onto the carpet. He began to gasp for air, struggling to take in a few deep breaths. Maya dropped to her knees beside him. She panicked. What was happening to him? "N-Nick? Nick!"

"I…I…can't…breathe…" he managed to say between gasps of air. "Maya…"

"O-Okay, just wait. I'm…gonna…I'm gonna…call an ambulance, okay?" She managed to say as tears began to form in her eyes. She was frightened. Why? Why was this happening? As she was about to stand up and head for the phone, she was stopped. She looked down at Phoenix who took hold of her arm. He was shaking his head. "No…don't…please…I just need…I need…"

"Y-Yes? Nick?"

After a few short seconds, Phoenix's face changed. With his eyebrows raised, he grinned wildly at her before opening his mouth to speak.

"Water, ahem. I need some water," he said as began to laugh like an idiot. Maya stared blankly at him with her mouth wide open. The stunned look on her face made Phoenix laugh even harder. "Haha, I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist!"

Laughing like he was, it was so out of character for Phoenix, but he couldn't help it. He suddenly had this urge to mess around, see her reaction, which wasn't exactly good judging by how angry she looked. Maya glared at him after recovering from what happened in the last minute or so.

"That's so not funny, Nick!" Maya didn't appreciate his laughter nor did she enjoy his stupid little joke. "You big jerk!"

Phoenix flinched as he rubbed his left shoulder where Maya had just smacked him. Ow, she must be really angry! He thought.

"What in the world did you do that for? I thought you were…you made me worry for nothing! You immature…you…argh!" She rose from the carpet and began to walk away from him. "I'm not talking to you for the next seven hours."

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked as his laughter died down.

"I'm sleeping with Pearly! You can think all by yourself on that stupid couch! Good night!"

Phoenix watched her as she opened the door to his bedroom and closed it with a slam. Just then, he heard a small voice coming from inside the room. "What happened, Mystic Maya?"

The lawyer let out a sigh. "I didn't think she'd take it that hard," he said to himself as he sauntered over to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of cold water.

A/n: Thank you for reading and thank you for those who have reviewed. Hopefully, I can finish chapter 7 and post it up later next week since it'll be Thanksgiving and everything. Have a great weekend, everyone :)