A/N: Ok... a little warning, Colette is OOC (out of character for new fanfic readers) a little bit, but not too much, I like to give her better features than she really has, like she's not that oblivious, but she does still do what other people tell her to do very easily... coughs I'll just let you read it, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia, Namco doea, and if I did own it, I would be making a sequel, and Kratos wouldn't leave.

Chapter 2

Free Time

Colette was enjoying Asgard, this town had never used exspheres so there weren't any to take. In fact, most of Sylvarant was void of them, Of course, with Palmacosta being gone, which was the one that probably had the most exspheres in it, there were only six main villages, Iselia, Triet, Izoold, Asgard, Luin, and Hima. Of course, there was Catz Village, but no one but their team actually knew about it.

Iselia didn't have any. Triet had a few exspheres, but they were quickly accumulated, as the people were quite willing to give them up after they heard what they actually were. The people of Izoold didn't even know much of what they were. Palmacosta had been destroyed by the seed, and they were now in Asgard. They had discovered a few small villages along their way, half of which were actually just stalls set up display exspheres, and a few people lived there.

This was when their work got hard, exsphere brokers like these were almost exactly like Vharley. It was their only income, and most were unwilling to give up that. Fights were sometimes taken up, but they were easily defeated, Lloyd and Colette were plenty experienced to not be able to handle them.

She and Lloyd had become accustomed to sleeping right next to each other, as it was getting cold out. They were up by the Dias, behind it actually, and were enjoying looking out at the scenery below them, they were leaning against the Dias.

"Colette?" Lloyd asked.

"Hm?" she replied, she had been thinking about absolutely nothing, as she often did, it was a nice feeling.

"You cold?" he asked, she had her arms close to her self, knees pulled up. And she just now realized that she was indeed cold, the wind was strong up here.

"Um... yes?" she smiled, she was pretty sure that the fact that she just realized that she was cold was quite obvious.

"Come here," he said, as he pulled her into his lap. She snuggled into his warmth, enjoying it, "Well, I like your warmth too you know." He said, responding to her snuggling.

"Thank you." she said, and again looked out at the scenery. He began to comb through her hair, and she wrapped herself deeper into him.

"Lloyd?" she asked.

"Yes, snuggler?" he replied, his smile quite evident.

"Do you enjoy getting all of these exspheres?" she asked, not quite sure 'enjoy' was the right word, but she couldn't think of anything else.

"Not necessarily enjoy, but I do have a good feeling when I'm doing it." he answered, "Why?"

"No reason. Do you like me along?" she asked, wanting to make sure, even though she'd asked him many times.

"Of course! I wouldn't be able to do anything if it weren't for you. I love that you're along, not just like." he added.

"Sure?" she asked again.

"Positive," he said, and kissed her on the cheek. She leaned against him more, and looked out again.

Lloyd brought the food out of the picnic basket, and they began to eat. When they were done, he wrapped his arms around her, and sighed.

"Something wrong?" she asked him, understanding that the sigh was sad.

"I wonder how Genis and Raine are... it seems weird not to see them, or anyone else." when she only nodded, he continued, "They're probably having a hard time to get people to accept Half-Elves. Sheena probably has a lot of new duties, being successor and all. Zelos, well, Zelos probably went back to his hunnies. Regal and Presea are trying to close that exsphere mine, they probably spend a lot of time on that." he finished.

"True. Why do you bring this up?" Colette asked patiently, these six months with him had taught her a lot, especially not to read to far into things. Lloyd liked to explain things in his own time.

"Well… I miss them, and thinking about what they're doing and where they are kinda helps… actually I think it's just making me miss them even more." his voice kept getting quieter, it was now a little above a whisper.

She turned to look at him, trying to see his face, but he had it turned to the side. She put her hand against his cheek, and he tried to shake it off, but it was too late, she felt the wetness of his tears.

"Lloyd… it's ok. They're fine, we're fine." she said, slowly, calmly, and quietly. She turned his face towards hers, and looked straight into his eyes to emphasize it. He seemed to be swimming in her crystal blue eyes, as she had done in his chocolate brown ones many times.

Suddenly he squeezed his eyes shut and turned the other way. Colette didn't give up though, she knew he didn't like to see her cry, but this was different.

She again turned his face towards hers. She kissed him full on the lips. He slowly relaxed into it, it wasn't their first kiss, that was about three months past.

When they broke apart, he smiled reassuringly but she stayed staring at his eyes. She put her arms around him, and hugged him, he leaned his head on her shoulder, and began to cry again.

"Why are you crying Lloyd? There is no reason to cry, everyone is safe and well. I'm here, calm down." she cooed softly into his ear. She had never seen him like this, it was starting to worry her. Maybe she should do something about it, besides talking that is.

"Colette," he said once they were looking at each other again, "I was crying because I miss not only them… but…" he didn't finish.

"Kratos?" she asked, he only nodded, "You could have told him to stay, he would've you know. Isn't… there a way you can contact him, or ask him to come back? Maybe the transporter works from here?" she tried suggesting things, just to get him to stop.

"Maybe… I don't know…" he smiled reassuringly once more, and this time, he kissed her. They stayed there for a while, and when they broke apart, she turned back to the view.

"Colette?" he asked her.

"Hm?" she had already begun to go back to the nothingness.

"I love you." he said, very quietly into her ear. She to face him once more.

"I love you too, Lloyd." she said, entranced in his eyes. He kissed her once more, and then turned back to the view. He held her firmly, and she settled down into his lap.

Colette did not go back to the nothingness, she instead thought about how to go about getting the whole group together, even Kratos, without letting Lloyd know.

After a time, they got up, and went back to the inn. "Lloyd?" she questioned.

"Colette?" he asked back.

"Why don't we go see if you can contact him, right now?" she asked, she really needed this to work out.

At first he seemed surprised, then happy, then sad. "We might not, you know." he replied, but she only went to go pack, leaving him without answer.

They left quickly, even though naught half the day was gone. The ruins of the Tethe'alla tower were still there, except for where the Elven village was, those were long gone. Lloyd went to the pad and stepped on it, obviously expecting nothing, but instead he got a surprise.

It seemed to work like the thing in the Tower of Mana did, showing an image of another person, whom was standing on the opposite portal.

"Lloyd?" his voice was clear, as if he were actually there.

"Kratos? Are you really there?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes, well, partially. You see, Derris-Kharlan did not float off into space, but became a moon instead. That is why Symphonia has two moons, there never were two in the first place, just one, revolving around the three planets. At the moment, it's coming closer to Symphonia. By tomorrow morning, this thing would actually work." He explained calmly, seemingly guessing what Lloyd was going to ask him.

"Dad?" at that, Kratos seemed to become more alert, "Could you possibly… come back, and not leave?" Lloyd asked.

"I wouldn't dream of saying no. It turns out a big ball of mana is extremely boring, but if you hadn't asked, I would've probably stayed." he replied, smiling. Kratos seemed to be getting clearer, but he was still not real. Lloyd nodded, and started to get off.

"Wait, is someone there with you?" Kratos asked.

"Yeah, Colette," he said.

"I would like to speak to her, privately Lloyd." he said. Lloyd seemed dumbfounded, but backed off, offered it to Colette, and said,

"I'll meet you back at Asgard?" he asked, Colette nodded. He flew off, in that direction, obviously still puzzled.

"Colette?"

"Yes, Kratos?" she asked, maybe a bit scared.

"How has he been?"

"Well, he's been crying… I think that he's better now he was really missing you." she answered truthfully, never would she lie to her protector.

"And what of you?"

"I've been ok, Lloyd and I've have successfully started collecting the exspheres, although we're often under cover."

"Raine?" he said, and after a pause, "Genis?"

"They've gone on a journey to try to stop discrimination of Half-Elves. It's working, all laws against them have been abolished, and some people are being kinder. Although, Exire still floats, Maxwell says he'll keep it a-float until the Half-Elves are truly safe. Otherwise, I haven't heard from them."

"Sheena, I heard she was to become the new chief."

"She is, she's had a lot of duties, plus the summon spirits have apparently been bothering her, the opposites seem to keep getting into arguments…"

"Zelos, is he still considered Chosen?"

"No, he had that abolished long ago, but the King seems to still let him have that mansion, and the girls still flock to him."

"Presea, and Regal?"

"Presea works at the Lezarno company now, she's helping Regal completely shut down the Toize Valley Mine." Colette was getting curious, Lloyd could have told him more, and why the privacy?

"Well, how are you and Lloyd?" he asked, Colette was confused, until she remembered earlier.

"We're fine, we're together, if that's what you were asking." she said.

"Colette, how in the world have you changed so much in six months?" he asked, she was not acting herself.

"Well, Lloyd and I just had a wonderful day, that's all." and at that, she tripped on nothing, and almost broke the teleporter.

"You're right, nothing has changed…" he replied, shaking his head, "If you could do me a favor? Please, for the day after tomorrow, set up a reunion, I wish to see everyone again." he said, resuming his stiffness.

"Yes, Kratos, I will. See you in the morning?"

"No… I uh… have something I need to take care of, I'll see you in… Altimira that would be a good place to have the reunion."

"All right, see you then, but Kratos, why couldn't you ask all of this with Lloyd here?"

"I want the reunion to be a surprise, and besides, he would never answer me straight." Kratos said, "Goodbye."

"Bye!" she said, and flew off, going to Asgard to spend some time with Lloyd, before she went to find Sheena.

"So… what'd he want?" Lloyd asked when returned.

"Oh, not much…" Colette said, and refused to say a word more.

When Lloyd had fallen asleep, she went to the phone, and called Mizuho, she was one of the few who knew Mizuho had a phone, let alone the number, and was actually able to get information.

"Is Sheena available?" she asked.

"Sheena is in Meltokio, I can give you her inn room phone number." Orochi said, apparently the two were still good friends.

"Please." after she got it, she called there, and found an extremely happy Sheena.

"Oh, good! you called, I was afraid I'd have to track you and Lloyd down, good thing I didn't have to."

"Before I ask why you're all hyper, I want to know, how's a reunion sound?"

"That was why I was going to call you! I just spent the day with Zelos at the beach! It was so… wonderful!" she said, still quite hyper.

"So you two got together?" Colette asked.

"Yes, and he was all down, wanting to see every one else." she replied, calming down.

"Well, we'll meet at Altimira, Lloyd doesn't know, and let's make sure Zelos doesn't either. We can tell Raine and Presea, they can keep it from Genis and Regal."

"Wonderful! It'll be an all girls secret!"

"Not necessarily… Kratos will be there, I'll let him explain how, I didn't understand a word he said about how, but he gave me the idea." Colette said.

"… ok… I guess, I'll call Presea, you take Raine, wait no, switch it. I'll call Raine, you call Presea. But first, tell me if Kratos… singled out Raine."

"Well, he did ask about how Lloyd was, then me, he asked about Raine, then added Genis, he almost seemed to be blushing…" she replied, not having a clue why Sheena cared.

"Great, thanks! So, I'll see you the day after tomorrow! Bye!"

"Bye!" Colette replied cheerfully.