Author's Note: Omigod it's a new chapter! Huzzahs. Hey, at least it wasn't as late as the last one, right? ...Well, if it'll help quell your desire to rip me to shreds even a little, you can go ahead and read it.

Disclaimer:

Don't own Black Cat. It's too "beast" for me. GET IT? Ahahahahaha (Oh my God, please don't murder me).

"Aww, what an adorable couple! They've found love early, dearest."

"Wh-what? S-Sorry, Miss, we're not-"

"Oh, no need to be so shy. God knows the world needs more young love these days, what with everything going on."

"Uh-well, I mean..."

"Hang on to that one, deary. Make it last a while, and you'll be happy. Take my word for it, if my husband next to me is any indication."

"Uh...um...w-well, su-sure..."

"..."

"...They're gone."

"Haha, you faltered, Li'l Princess. We're together now, are we?"

"H-Hey! What was I supposed to say? I-I mean, that old lady thought we were...a couple. I couldn't just say we weren't...did you see the look on her face?"

"You're such a creampuff, Li'l Princess."

"Don't laugh at me!"

"Hey, hey, don't take it the wrong way. It's a good thing. It shows that you're nice."

"Hmph. Whatever. Can't even go one day separate from Saya and Sven without people thinking we're madly in love."

"Aww, so you're saying we're not? I'm hurt, Li'l Princess. I thought we really had someth-"

"Quiet, Train. And take that pout off your face."

"You take the fun out of everything."

"Let's just focus on what we met to discuss. You know...um...uh..."

"The lady was right. You are too shy."

"Shut up!"

"You can just say it outright. I like Saya. You like Sv-"

"Shh, shh! Not too loud! People will hear!"

"Oh, please. And if they do? No one here even knows us. What's with that moan?"

"Train...it's just that...us four, we've been friends forever. And...And...should we keep doing this? Try to help the other get with who they like? It could...jeopardize everything."

" 'Should we really do this?' Should we try to express what we really feel, you mean? Eve, it's not like we're doing anything wrong. We'll still all be friends. And friends help each other, right?"

"I still don't know..."

"Trust me, Eve. We...We need to at least jump this hurdle. Or things will never really be okay. Even if it seems that they are."

"Geez...How is it that one moment you're as thick as a brick, and the next you actually say something smart?"

"I'm resentful of your low opinion of me."

"Well, get used to it, milk-boy."

"Least I'm not a bookworm."

"What's wrong with that, you thick-headed mongrel?"

"Stuffy know-it-all!"

"Over-sized cat!"

"Damsel in distress!"

"Oh, real mature!"

"And you think you are?"

"I've got more maturity in a single blood cell than you do in your entire body!"

"..."

"..."

"You're so cute, Li'l Princess."

"And what's that supposed to imply?"

"You always gotta think so abstractly? Like I said, Li'l Princess. You are such a creampuff."

Eve suddenly bolted upright, the bedsheets sliding off her pale form.

She panted heavily as her knuckles flashed white from gripping the side of the mattress with too much force.

Again. A dream with Train in it. And this time she remembered everything that went on perfectly. Almost too perfectly.

"...As if it was...a memory, or something..." she quietly muttered to herself.

Who was Saya? And there was that name again. Sven. Supposedly...Train's best friend?

Two of Eve's fingers slowly massaged her temple, attempting to numb her overwhelming headache. Eve tried to sort out the dream in her head, but an agonizing pain prevented her from doing so.

Then the events of the day before came rushing back to her, and the force of it almost caused her to vomit.

Train. Train was shot. Shot protecting her. It was all her fault.

Afterwards, Train fell unconscious, most likely from loss of blood, and she had screamed for help. The school called for an ambulance, and Train was carted off to a hospital.

A hospital. He was at a hospital with a bullet wound, all because of her.

Eve had never felt so miserable in her life. She tried to go with him, but they told her that visiting hours would start tomorrow, if indeed Train was even fit to have visitors.

An apology couldn't make up for such damages. Eve felt that she could never make it all up to Train.

Her fist clenched on the bed covers.

But she was going to damn well try. Tomorrow, she'd go visit him. She'd apologize until her vocal cords rotted if she had to.

Eve would never in a millenium be able to live it down if Train died because of her.

Her mom didn't even fuss when Eve told her that she was going to skip school today. It was even more impressive when her mom said she would skip work as well.

As they were driving to the hospital, Eve noticed the solemn look on her mother's face. It almost seemed as if she understood even more than she let on.

The car screeched to a halt, and Eve burst out, sprinting towards the lobby entrance, her mother close behind.

The automatic doors smoothly shifted apart to grant her entrance, and Eve rushed up to the receptionist, heaving with breath.

"Please...d...do you know which room Train Heartnet is in?"

The receptionist, pen paused in mid-air, glanced at her, and promptly raised an eyebrow.

She pulled some files from a drawer and thumbed through them.

"Heartnet, Heartnet..." she mused.

She once again paused, and gave Eve a discerning look.

"Um...if you don't mind me asking...who are you to him? Only his relatives can go see him as of right now."

Eve's breath hitched mid-way up her throat.

"Uh...Um, that is-"

"She's his girlfriend," a smooth voice from behind Eve remarked.

Eve whirled her head.

"H-Huh?"

"And you are?" the receptionist asked.

"Her mother," Tearju Lunatique exclaimed calmly.

"M-mom, what're you-"

"Hush, Eve. Can't keep your beloved one waiting, can you?" At the end of her mom's statement, Eve saw the tiniest of winks. Eve felt a certain feeling of deja vu overcome her. The situation was almost exactly like the one that took place in her dream.

"His girlfriend?" the receptionist inquired.

Eve's eyes widened, and she suddenly spoke up.

"U-Uh, yes! I'm his...his girlfriend."

"Very well. Down that hall, third door on the left. He's sleeping right now, but the doctors have said that you're allowed to wake him up."

"Th-thank you."

Eve hastily sprinted down the hallway, and parked herself in front of a stainless white door.

She gulped.

She resolutely shook her head, and grasped the metal handle, hesitantly opening the door.

The first thing Eve did was wince, half-closing her eyes for fear of being blinded.

The room was practically bathed in white. White bed, white cupboard, white walls and ceiling.

It made it that much easier to notice the brown tufts of spiked hair resting on a pillow.

"Tr-Train..." she whispered.

The sheets covered up most of Train's body, but Eve noticed a thin bandage snaking out from where he must have gotten shot, in the hip area, and wound tightly around his right shoulder. To keep the system of bandages from hanging too loose, Eve supposed.

His tranquil, sleeping face intrigued Eve. Train was always so full of emotion, even in the rare event that he was angry, so it was a strange feeling to see him resting so peacefully, especially with the fact that had been impaled with a metal shell not twenty four hours ago. Although, Eve supposed, according to Rinslet, Train usually was emotionless, before he met Eve.

The door creaked, and Train's golden eyes opened.

Eve gasped, and faltered in her step.

"L-Li'l Princess...?"

She gulped. What would she say?

"Tr-Train. H-Hello. Um...I...I..."

Train shook the groggy sleep from his eyes, and stared intently at her. Eve's face was suddenly flushed with color.

Then, abruptly, he laughed.

"You're gaping like a fish, Li'l Princess."

The dam broke.

Eve collapsed on the side of the bed, her body wracked with heaves, her face streaming with tears.

"Train...Train..." she sobbed out. "I'm-I'm so sorry, Train...for everything..."

Train's face softened, and he grinned, putting his hand lightly on top of her head.

"It's alright, Eve."

"N-No!" She gasped out, as she burst up, her face furiously red and ferociously wet. Her glistening eyes met his.

"It's-It's not alright, Train! After everything I've done! You...You were SHOT, Train. And it was all because of me. It's...I feel so awful. You could've died, and it would've been my fault. And...And none of it would've even happened if I hadn't said those...those terrible things. Train, I-I know I can never make it up to you, but I'm so sorry..."

Train continued patting her atop her head.

He smiled.

"Li'l Princess...of all the things. Of all the things you could do, one thing you absolutely can't is to blame yourself. What happened was not your fault, Princess."

"H-How could you even say that...? If you hadn't taken the bullet for me-"

"...Then you would be the one in this hospital bed, Eve. Or dead. Do you really think that I could live with myself if I let you die? If anything, Li'l Princess, everything that's happened around me, everyone that's had or could have their life taken away..." Train's eyes glowed bitterly. "It's all due to me. If I weren't here, then Sven wouldn't have died. I absolutely will not let that happen to you, and you're crazy if you think that since it didn't, it's your fault."

Eve whimpered.

"But...but..."

"Besides..." Train smiled weakly. "I suppose I had that tirade coming to me, eh? I guess I did come on a little strong."

"N-No!" Eve shouted. "It wasn't you; I-I completely overreacted, I really don't know what came over me."

Train laughed.

"It's okay, Princess. You don't have to sugarcoat it, I was out of line."

"No, I'm serious, Train! Y-Yeah, you were...bothersome, but what I said was totally uncalled for. I mean, like I said, I really...I really don't know what came over me."

Train gave her a strange look. To Eve, it seemed almost somber, but she couldn't place her finger on how Train regarded her at that moment.

He grinned again.

"Well, Li'l Princess, you always did have a tendency to overreact. I find it endearing, to tell you the truth."

Eve froze. Her form became rigid.

Train's smile, plastered on his face, suddenly froze as well. He seemed to realize his mistake.

"...What did you say, Train?"

"Uh, what I meant was-!" His voice suddenly became slightly hysterical. "What I meant was, in the three weeks I've known you, Li'l Princess, um...I...I noticed..." Train trailed off unconvincingly.

Eve, her face still streaked with tears, glared for the first time at Train.

"Don't sidestep it, Train. I know what you said. I 'always did'? What does that mean, Train?"

Train averted her eyes.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about."

Eve grew angry.

"Train! Tell me! You're keeping something from me, aren't you? What is it? I...I know that I am the last person who would deserve to know, but...but please..."

Train hesitated for a couple more moments, then sighed.

"I suppose...I suppose that this was unavoidable. I had hoped that...that it wouldn't come to this. Your mother didn't even seem to have told you anything..."

"My mother?" Eve spoke sharply. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed again.

"Li'l Princess..." his voice was hoarse.

"Li'l Princess...the time three weeks ago, when you transferred here..."

He seemed to steel himself for the next words.

"That wasn't the first time we met."

Eve's eyes widened, and she almost stumbled off the bed-side.

Train stared at her, then continued.

"We...We knew each other long before then. The last time we saw each other, before you transferred in, was three years ago."

Eve clapped a hand to her mouth, and tears started to resurface.

"Three years ago...? Tr-Train..." she choked on her own breath. "Train...if we knew each other then...then were we in a group of friends together with...with two other people...?"

Train's eyebrows shot up.

"Y-You know of...?"

"Were they Saya and Sven?" Her voice was shuddering.

Train gaped in surprise.

"How? I've never mentioned Saya to anyone...not even Rinslet."

Eve clutched her shoulders.

"I...I had a few dreams over the past few weeks, and it...they showed..." She suddenly fixed Train with a desperate visage.

"Train...why? If...If we were all friends...why do I not know?"

Train stared at her intensely.

He cleared his throat.

"Because..." He clenched his teeth.

"Because, Eve. You lost your memories. You lost all of your memories that had to do with us."

As more tears started to cascade down Eve's face, Train gazed at her sadly.

"You forgot that I was your best friend."

Author's Note: Whoa, holy crap. This story is actually moving somewhere. Unbelievable, isn't it? Eve apologizes, and gets more than she bargained for. Where could this possibly develop? You're gonna have to find out.

...Why do I feel like that narrator from Dragon ball Z? It ain't a pleasant feeling. In any case, drop a review; they make me write faster! Theoretically.

Random Quotation of the Day:

"I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell one word one way."

-Mark Twain