Focusing on keeping his footsteps unheard was easier than trying to figure out what he was going to say. The attempt was pointless; she could have heard him a mile off, so to speak. The winds off the spaceport were violent, yet she moved not an inch as he walked upon the dock behind her. At any moment he pictured her turning around and telling him to leave before he even had a chance to open his mouth, but for now she sat in silence at the end of the pier.

As he neared her, he noticed her knees were pulled up under her chin with her arms around them in a grave manner. Quickly, he realized who was still on her mind, and the reason a sad look hadn't left her eyes since they escaped the planet. His hatred for the man grew once more, but only because it was somehow his fault she was like this now. The mystery, he supposed, of what had happened between them while he was in the core would remain just that- a mystery, for he wouldn't be able to bring it up without seeing the same grieved look in her eyes. It would surely kill him to do that to her.

Jim took another step forward, noting the fact her skin seemed chalk-white in the dim light, whether from recent shock or the cold, he couldn't he sure. Meanwhile, her mind must have been lost quite deep in thought, for it took all possible restraint not to whip her head around when something warm was placed over her shoulders, covering her bare arms. As she looked down, she recognized the jacket immediately, and straightened up a bit, turning her face away from the young man now sitting next to her.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and tried to steady her breathing. She wouldn't embarrass herself like this, especially not in front of him. Patiently, she waited for him to speak, yet he said nothing. Hoping her own curiosity wouldn't betray her further, she turned to look at him, only to find he wasn't even looking at her. His gaze was focused on something in the distant sky –a constellation or star, perhaps. He sat with nonchalance, his legs crossed and his arms behind him to hold himself up.

"What are you doing here?" Her monotone was clearly forced, but the anguish behind it was still apparent.

He remained silent, and acted as though he had not heard her. After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders, his gaze not leaving the sky. "I don't know." Glancing at her, his face held a caring look, though he did not smile.

Sora looked at him for a moment longer with a hidden astonishment before tearing her gaze away from his. Tightening her grip on the small device in her hand, she felt new tears form and spill down her face.

"What's that?" He asked suddenly. She could always trust him to pry. He was just too curious for his own good.

Now sitting in a cross-legged position, she held the instrument in her lap. "It- it's a compendium." She managed to say. "My dad's."

She turned it over in her hand for a moment, running her thumb over the gilded surface. The astronomical device was quite small, fitting into the palm of her hand easily. It's shining surface shown brightly in the faint light, contrasting greatly against her skin. "He gave it to me right before he left," She choked out, giving a small smile though tears fell down her face once more.

She wiped her eyes as he spoke. "Really?" He asked.

Nodding, she kept her gaze down, focusing on her hands. She swallowed once or twice before she found her voice. "Yeah… I- I guess I didn't realize how much I miss him."

He stared out into the dark etherium, thoughts racing across his mind. "You can go where you want now, right? Why don't you go and find him?" He hadn't said it bitterly, but she could tell he didn't like reminding her; he didn't want her to go, and she wasn't completely sure she wanted to.

After a minute of silence, she turned to him. "I could never do that." Just as he was about to ask why, she continued. "Just imagine how disappointed he would be, that I'd made the same mistake he did." She sighed, her gaze falling back down to her lap.

"I'd give anything to see them again. Anything," She paused. "But I don't know if they'd feel the same way."

Lost for words, he didn't answer her right away. What was he supposed to say? There wasn't anything he could say to comfort her, and as he remained silent, something finally clicked in his mind.

"They?" He asked, wondering if he had heard her correctly.

Sora looked over at him with realization written across her face. "Oh, I never mentioned Jason?" And, judging from the look of confusion on his face, she thought not. Her smile grew with each passing second. "Jason is my younger brother, Jim." She laughed softly as relief washed over his face.

"Oh… yeah," He said. "You never told me you had a little brother."

She shrugged. "Hard to believe it slipped my mind, though."

"What's he like?" He questioned, hoping to keep the smile on her face a bit longer. "Probably annoying like you, right?"

"Very funny," She replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "But no; we actually got along really well despite our ages."

Her face took on a blank look for a moment. And, though she stared off into the Etherium, he could tell she was not all there. "Wow," She breathed. "I haven't seen him in almost four years… he must be at least eleven now." She sighed and looked back down at her lap.

Jim looked back up at the sky once here, his mind lost in thought. He had just wanted her to smile, and now here she was remembering how much she missed her brother. The only thing he wanted was for her to be happy, but sometimes it felt like it was just too hard.

"Sometimes I wish I had never left." She whispered. "Then none of this would have ever happened."

His confusion grew; could she be talking about Grant's death, or the fact she had not seen her family in so long? After a moment, he came up with an answer. "Well," He said in a cheery voice, lying down on the dock with his hands behind his head. "Personally, I'm glad you did." He finished with a smile.

She shot him a curious look. "Why?"

"'Cause," He stated, looking up at the sky. "If you didn't, I'd be sitting here, alone, talking to myself." Glancing at her quickly, he flashed a smile.

To his surprise, she actually laughed. And, try as she might, she couldn't fight the genuine smile spreading across her face. Stretching her legs out, she lay next to him, her hands folded and resting on her stomach. As she turned her head to look at him, she couldn't help but grin back at him. After a short moment, he looked back up at the sky, his cheeks turning red. She tried to hold back a laugh as her gaze followed his.

The great expanse of the Etherium met their eyes. It truly was a breathtaking sight, even from the spaceport. The stars littered the sky, shining like diamonds. She could barely count all the familiar constellations she quickly found. After all, it didn't take long for a spacer to learn them all. She hardly broke the silence with her whisper. "Why did you come and find me?"

Jim turned to her, speaking quite truthfully. "I was worried." He said.

"You know I can take care of myself," She said with a puzzled look. "Right?"

Pausing, he looked to her with an almost sad smile. "I know." He answered quietly.

"How could you possibly be worried then?"

"…Just because, Sora." He answered, looking back to the sky.

Doing the same, something moved in the corner of her eye. A streak of light shot across the sky, appearing for only a few seconds before disappearing. It was probably the hundredth shooting star she'd seen in a lifetime, but it was nonetheless beautiful. Meanwhile, Morph had flown over to them out of nowhere, probably done goofing off somewhere else. His tiny eyes widened at the sight, and he 'oohed' and 'aahed' in a cute and high voice.

Sora held back a laugh as a smile spread across Jim's face. Morph looked back and forth between the two with a giggle and flew into Jim's coat pocket, even though it was around Sora's shoulders. With a sigh, the creature fell silent, content in their company.

Jim stifled a laugh once more as he laid his hands on his stomach, sighing tiredly. After this, a silence filled the air that, for one, was not hated. Everything had always seemed so tense between them, but in this one moment, everything seemed at peace. As she closed her eyes, everything seemed to fall away. The worries and troubles were forgotten if only for this moment and she knew she would have never felt this way alone. It was as if, for one, she could enjoy his presence, without a single thought of the past or future. With a contented mind, she leaned her head on his shoulder, not daring to open her eyes for some small fear of his reactionShe may not have seen his smile but she did feel him intertwine his fingers with hers, yet she did not feel uncomfortable.

It was quickly that she realized he'd always made her feel a bit more at ease –and that had, somehow, become the problem. Even though he had made her feel almost… happy, she still knew she had no reason to feel that way. There were just too many regrets and mistakes to be happy. Her thoughts drifted a bit more when she suddenly became aware of someone moving. Jim propped himself up on his elbow as he looked over at her.

"Sora?" His voice seemed distant.

She didn't bother to open her eyes. "Hmmm?" She murmured.

"Tired much?" He asked with a laugh.

"I've not had a decent night's sleep in… forever," She said with a yawn. "I think I'd have to say yes."

As he laughed in response, she attempted a smile but did so half-heartedly. In an instant, her thoughts quickly turn to unwanted realization. She had doubts about seeing him again. Would this be the last time they'd see each other? Sora took a deep breath. "Why are you still here?" She asked suddenly, opening her eyes. "At the spaceport, I mean."

He looked down at her. "I'm going back to Montresser tomorrow." She looked away from him for a moment. "Something about the ferry rides not being able to take off 'cause of all the debris."

He grinned at her, but as he continued, it was replaced with a darkened look. "We're leaving in the morning."

"Oh," She replied lamely with a slightly disappointed expression.

"Why'd you ask?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him again.

She merely shook her head as she looked away. Guess I won't see him again, she thought. This is unbelievable, me getting along with him. It doesn't seem normal for us. The silence between them continued. The longer I'm here, the more it'll hurt when I leave.

Another thought struck her, and she couldn't help but speak it aloud. She sat up quickly, keeping her gaze on her hands. "Jim, how… how do you know you- love me?" She barely whispered.

He sat up also, looking off into the distance for some time. His thoughts wandered to those from back at the bar. The answer was easy –getting it into words was another problem entirely. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed loudly. "I guess- I guess it's because I can actually talk to you… but I bet that doesn't make much sense, does it?"

"… I was hoping you had lied." She mumbled, though he had heard her perfectly.

"Why?" He asked.

It would have made this a lot easier. She stood up, throwing the jacket into his lap. As she gathered up her things, she spoke in a shaky voice. "I… I think I should go."

Jim stood up also. "Please don't go." He pleaded, placing a hand on her arm.

"I have to."

"…Will I ever see you again?" His voice was just over a whisper.

She had no choice but to look up at him as she answered. His blue eyes met hers in an instant. I can't hurt him again. And in that moment she realized why it had been so hard to always hide who she was around him -the reason she fought so hard not to care –the reason she had to leave.

"I don't know." She finally answered, knowing this was easier than to tell him the truth.

"Will you at least tell me why you're leaving?" He asked.

She looked back at him with a stoic face, but in her eyes there was a clear conflict raging. As the tears threatened to return, she looked away.

"Sora?"

Her gaze was focused on the ground off to the side, and she ignored his question. "Promise me something." Her face and voice had a mask of strength, almost hidden as she kept her emotions from running haywire.

"What?" He asked quietly.

Trying to hold back the tears, she looked down almost angrily at the ground for a moment. She brought her gaze back up to his. "Promise me you won't forget your future." He remained silent. "Go to the academy, just do something. Don't ever be like what you were when we first met."

She bit her lip, casting her gaze away once more. "It'll kill you, I know it will." She took a deep breath. "Please promise me." In a shaky voice, she finished. The silence caught up to them once more. From his expression, he must have been thinking this all over, but she was surprised when he let go of her arm.

"Okay."

He could've said goodbye and it would've meant the same thing. As she nodded, she felt she couldn't look at him any longer, so she turned away and started walking down the dock. Her heart pounded in her chest and she knew perfectly what she was doing –and how wrong it was.

As she reached the end of the dock, her voice was carried on the wind back to him. "I'm sorry." There was no doubt about the truth behind her words as she stepped onto the concrete. Neither was there doubt about how she really felt –how she was inescapably in love with him, and couldn't do a thing about it.

As he watched her go, he felt like his legs were rooted to the ground. Unable to move with shock, his thoughts were racing. Hadn't things been fine only moments before? His hands gripped the railing tightly. It's just like her to run away, he thought. He wasn't angry with her, though it seemed logical to be; he was just disappointed. It hurt, losing not only the one he loved, but the same one was also his friend, too.

Yet, he could accept the fact he wouldn't see her again –she surely wouldn't come Montresser, it was a strange thing to picture. The open Etherium was home for her and no place else. It was perfect for her, impossible to imagine her anywhere else. As he stared off into the sky, Morph flew up and moaned. With a sad smile, Jim knew he probably didn't even know what was going on, and why Sora had left. But, then again, he could almost say the same for himself.

Placing his hands in his pockets, he gave one last look towards the sky before beginning to walk. As he looked down at the ground, he knew quite well that he could never forget her. After all, she was different from anyone he had ever met. The wind blew steadily, causing him to shiver. She'll be alright, he knew; though, it didn't help much.

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Tap…tap…tap…

The Seullenuit Tavern's windows looked out on the spaceport's edge. Nearing mid-day, the light and heat combined were unmerciful, and the crowds outside were bursting with noise. Inside the tavern, the first floor was almost completely deserted, unlike the night before when it was filled with shouting and drunken laughter. Sora looked over the empty chairs and tables absentmindedly as she stood at the bar, tapping her fingers insistently on the counter as she waited. She was forced to wait while the innkeeper had a nice little chat with the barmaid before she could give him the key to the room she had stayed in. Tap...tap…tap… Her patience was starting to grow thin, yet she was too tired to speak up, and her eyes narrowed at the bright yellow light flooding in through the windows.

But as she looked down at the counter, something in her bag caught her eye. Her fingers stopped tapping, and she carefully lifted a book from the bag. The spine was cracked with wear and age, and the papers were loose. Over the years, she had acquired many books, and before their number would grow too large she would replace them. Yet this one she had kept. It was an old romance she had picked up in a market long ago. She could easily remember laughing at it almost in disgust every time she picked it up. Never could she take it seriously; two people could ever fall in love so easily, and it was now that she realized she was right.

She threw the book back into the bag in frustration. Taking a deep breath, she hung her head a bit lower so as to avoid the light. Exhaustion crept upon her from the night before, for despite her lack of sleep, her mind had protested against it. The night had been cruel, the faces of her comrades resurfacing in her memory the moment she closed her eyes. Then, as if things could not get worse, her thoughts had turned to Jim, and hadn't strayed much. At that moment, she felt an aching her chest but would not cry.

She had spent the entire night trying to figure out why she loved him, or at least why she shouldn't. Needless to say, she had quickly realized she loved everything about him, faults and all, and the excuses to leave were just that –excuses. The first was that she simply couldn't live on Montresser. Doppler would surely recognize her and then wouldn't the authorities be on her shortly after? The second, well, after that she had given up. Her past seemed to be the only thing stopping her, no matter how much she wanted to be rid of it. But did that really matter?

He was the only thing she could think about; he was the only thing that mattered anymore. But, now she felt more like a coward than ever. Despite the things she had done in her past, she just couldn't seem to find the courage to go see him again. Yet, would she really be able to live her whole life wondering what could have happened if she did?

"Miss?" The Innkeeper repeated for a second time. "The key?"

"Oh!" She said, startled as if she had just realized he was there. "Here… sorry." She mumbled, handing him the key while her thoughts were miles away and her heart was beating madly in her chest.

Stepping away from the bar, she rushed to the door without much thought before stopping suddenly at the door. "Excuse me," She said the moment she reached the counter. The Innkeeper gave an annoyed sigh, gut turned to her anyway. "When is the next ferry to Montresser?" She felt out of breath as she said it.

The man looked at her for a moment before laughing deeply. "This is Cresentia! Montresser's spaceport!" He grinned in amusement. "They leave ev'ry minute of ev'ry day. Which town yah headin' for, young miss?"

It took her mind a moment to work through his thick accent, and a moment longer to try and remember what town he lived in. It was the name of the inn, I'm sure of it… "Benbow." She answered suddenly.

The Innkeeper looked over his shoulder to the old clock hanging on the wooden wall. After this he glanced down at a small schedule underneath the counter before answering plainly. "Next is leavin' at noon at dock N23." He grinned a toothy smile, and pointed to the clock with his thumb.

She swallowed the oath on her tongue and ran towards the door, shouting a 'thank you' behind shoulder. "Teenagers," The man behind the counter shook his head as he watched her go. "…three minutes to noon…" He muttered. "…never make it."

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As he walked back through the crowds once more, he looked down at his feet. His mind jumped back to almost every moment he had spent with her, good and bad. There was no way he wanted to leave without saying goodbye. But, as he looked ahead, he could see the ferry ride, and knew his mother and Doppler wouldn't be willing to wait any longer. Even thought B.E.N. had met Sara only moments before, he had already woven a long conversation in the time they had left the inn. Jim payed little attention to it, throwing a half-hearted smile their way when his mother looked over to him. He was happy to see her again, yet there was still someone else on his mind that refused to leave any time soon.

Narrowly missing someone's shoulder, he noted he should pay attention to where he was walking –though his mind protested against what was somehow common sense.

Would he ever see her again? It seemed like an eternity when they were on Treasure Planet, but they were only apart for… what, less than a day? He hated not knowing –not knowing if she was alright, or where she was. But, he knew he had to go home now, no matter how much he didn't want to. The Legacy had somehow become a second home for him in the last few months -and Sora, with it. It felt weird to go to a world that she wasn't a part of.

Something shook him from his thoughts. His head jerking up, he looked around as if someone had called his name. Did they? With his mind deep in thought, he wasn't really paying attention.

No.

The slim hope he had in mind was crushed with the returning silence –well, somewhat silent, anyway. It was foolish to think she would come.

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Sora dodged a young man carrying a large basket, and then almost stepped into the way of a densadron carrying a large crate under each arm. He grunted as she stepped around him. The one day I wear a skirt… She thought sarcastically …I decide to have a run through this blasted spaceport!

The bright artificial sunlight seemed to taunt her as she ran, adding to the heat which, in turn, just added to her exhaustion. Yet, somehow, she didn't care. The only thing that occupied her thoughts was making it to the right dock before the ferry took off. She pushed her way through another massive crowd surrounding dock H14 where a small sloop was leaving port.

I haven't got time for this… With a quick turn, she made her way down a shadowed alley, documenting a map of the streets in her mind. If she were to get lost now –she did not know if she'd be able to forgive herself. Her black boots were sprayed with water as she stepped through a puddle. Still, she continued down the alley, hoping that it would turn out to be a shortcut and not a way making her even more lost.

And then, when she thought she truly had lost her way, she stepped out into the bright light once more –and the crowds, too. Yet, as she looked up as the sign hanging above the street, her breath caught in her throat. It read N18. She still had quite a long way to go… and that was when the clock tower rang.

Never in her life had she heard a more heartbreaking sound.

It stopped her dead in her tracks as any hope she had clung to slipped away with mid-day directly upon her. And yet –she loved him. She had to see him again, even if he was mad at her for leaving, even if it was just to say goodbye again. It wasn't just a wish anymore; she had to see him. And just realizing this made all the difference.

She ran with renewed energy –hope, a realization that made her feel uneasy and excited at the same time. Caring not about the looks of those she rushed past, she couldn't help but smile. She had never felt like this before –this was love, and she couldn't have doubted it for one second.

The next sign made her slow down, stopping almost beneath it as she looked up at it. Dock N23 – Her smile disappeared when she looked over to her left and saw the ferry's door close. "Wait!" Not in a million years would she ever understand what made her shout it out. It wouldn't stop; no one would hear her –except for the group of people standing near the railing waving goodbye to those that they knew.

As she reached the end of the dock, her hands grasped the railing. The ferry's take-off sent a gust of wind that sent hats flying and coats swaying and pushed her hair in front of her face. After only a moment, the wind died and the ride disappeared into the distance, Sora felt like collapsing. She had tried to come back, something she'd never imagined doing. It just didn't seem right that for once she had come back from something she had run away from, only for the whole attempt to blow up in her face.

She tucked some loose hair behind her ear and looked down at her hands as she gripped the rail tightly. The crows dispersed and soon she was the only one left standing on that particular dock. Never had she felt so alone-

And never had she been so wrong.

"I missed you."

The voice and its familiarity cause her heart to beat faster, that is, if it was even possible. She turned around, still grasping the railing behind her as she let her bag slip from her hand onto the ground. It was the last thing on her mind. He was just standing there, casually looking across the spaceport as if looking for something before looking back to her and offering a small smile. The wind played with his brown hair, and he took a step towards her as she spoke.

"I thought-"

"Yeah, we didn't leave," Jim said with a relaxed shrug of the shoulders. "My mom forgot her hat down at the inn. Parents, huh?" She nodded nervously, casting her eyes elsewhere and just realizing that she was standing here in front of the one she loved… and didn't even know how to tell him.

He took another step towards her, knowing he wasn't able to tear his gaze away from her. Just looking at her almost made him smile at her in amusement; never did he think he'd see her in a skirt –and one so colorful at that. True, she wore a long skirt which appeared to have many layers, each a different color. Yet, what caught his gaze was her expression. She had really mastered the art of masking her emotions. Even to the point where he hadn't the slightest idea what was going through her mind. But now, she had a look that almost made him think she was… shy? That truly was unlike the girl he had grown to know, so what in the Etherium was making her act like this?

He walked even closer, feeling a bit nervous himself, with both hands in his pockets. Keeping his gaze on her for a moment more made her look up at him, unable to bare the silence any longer. It was then that he chose to speak.

"So, what's your reason for coming back?" He asked with a serious face.

She took a breath, as if she was about to say something, and then quickly looked back down at the ground with a frustrated look. He raised an eyebrow at the way she shifted back and forth nervously and bit her lip.

"Are you going to tell me? Or-"

"You." She said just above a whisper.

He could have easily believed his heart skipped a beat. "What?"

With the way she continued to look straight down, her black hair fell over her face and masked her expression as she spoke again. "It's you." She said a bit hesitantly, yet it was easy to tell she was not lying. "You're the reason I came back."

Jim raised a hand and lifted her chin gently, bringing her gaze level with his. The way he looked straight into her eyes caused her to shiver, despite wearing a white short sleeved shirt in the hot weather. It wasn't really a questioning look, yet it was like he was trying to tell whether she was telling the truth or not.

She took a deep breath, though it could never prepare her for what she had to say. "I love you." She said with certainty. He let his hand fall away, yet did not look away from her with his emotionless face. Her gaze fell upon the railing to her right, unable to keep it on his penetrating stare.

"I really do. And I'm sorry I left. The only reason I did was because…" Her voice trailed off as she took another breath. "I guess I was just scared. I mean, every time I was around you, it was like I couldn't hide anymore. And I just… didn't know what that was like."

She ran a hand through her hair and continued with an uneasy voice. "But, ugh! Look at me now, I'm rambling –I was supposed to come here and… just tell you that, I guess, and… I don't know. I-"

Still with a stoic face, he placed a hand on the back of her neck and brought her face close to his. And, with his arm around her waist, he kissed her before she could say another word. For a moment she was stunned, yet she closed her eyes and let go of the railing behind her. Her hands lightly touched his cheek, and she was awfully afraid of waking up.

She suddenly pulled away, looking straight into his confused face with an almost playful look. "Are you always going to kiss me like that?" She asked as he pulled her closer to him, almost like he was afraid she'd run away again.

He looked a bit taken aback at her question. "Like what?"

"Unexpectedly." She smiled at him as she answered.

He couldn't help but grin back at her and lean his forehead against hers. "Only if you want me to." She laughed, but quickly silenced it herself as she kissed him once more –yet it was different from the night upon the Legacy. It was finally a kiss between two people who loved each other. Two people who could think of nothing but one another, and who could look towards the horrifically clouded future underneath the stars with… hope.

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A/N:

And you thought it'd be a sad ending…. Tsk, tsk, tsk. (Or maybe you didn't) ; )

So, this is the end, but there's a bit of a chance for an epilogue. But, I do need to explain something. You see, my friend has been giving me ideas for this story and well, she's kinda taken over a bit. She can't stop talking about a sequel… and she's planting these really awesome ideas in my head, too. So, most likely, there'll be a sequel. Not any time soon, though. Sorry, but I need, like, a month break to try some other oneshots –maybe Teen Titans or Avatar. I'm not sure, but be sure to keep me on your author alert, please. Thanks for all of you who reviewed and read the story. You all rock! This is the first one I've ever done so I'm really glad to have the feedback.

Thanks everyone!

Dark Angel