---I do not own Ayashi no Ceres—

It hasn't even been a week since Tooya arrived from his last mission. It was such a short time…how could it come to this? Why am I here? What am I doing?

Aya's knees were shaking as her legs were about to give in. I should've eaten my breakfast. Tooya was walking for half an hour now, at a pace too fast for Aya to handle. Only the unsettling feeling in her heart kept her from quitting. He finally slowed down as he walked in the city center into the park. He sat on a bench.

This must be their meeting place. Aya stopped a few feet away and hid in the nearest tree with a good view. Not long, Suzumi showed up. She came! Aya was secretly hoping she wouldn't come.

Tooya and Suzumi had been talking for the last couple of minutes. Aya was having a hard time breathing as her temper rose. Aya couldn't hear their conversation so she inched closer. Will he kiss her or something? Her imagination was driving her crazy.

They don't seem to notice me… Aya was now hiding on the bushes behind the two.

"Tooya, I can't stop you now, can I?"

What are they talking about?

"I'm sorry to have involved you in this. I know I can trust you with Aya if ever something goes out of hand."

"Now's not the time to doubt if you can complete it tonight. Have you realized how dangerous your situation is? You just came back from a mission a couple of days ago."

"Don't concern yourself with me; it's Aya you should be worried about."

Huh? What's that supposed to mean?

"I thought you might say that. Then, I'll just be a good messenger and deliveryman. Father says you have until midnight, it's very short but it's enough time to complete the mission and escape. Here, it's the pass; it'll give you full access to almost all rooms." She handed this small ID key.

"Thank you, but I don't think I'm going to need it."

Tooya stood up and was about to leave. That's it? Aya doesn't have a clue about what was going on.

"Tooya?" Suzumi called.

Aya held her breath at her sudden call.

"May I ask why won't you let Aya know? What shall I tell Aya if she asks me why?"

Tooya took a while to answer. Aya felt like she was being ripped to pieces the whole time.

"Aya's been angry at me ever since I came back, I don't know why, but I think she's fallen out of love with me in my absence."

What? I'm not angry at you! Where'd you get that idea? Is that what you won't tell me? You turned to Suzumi instead because you think I didn't love you any more? That's not true… Aya couldn't believe what was hearing. She wanted to protest so much. She didn't care if they see her. But she jerked back when Tooya spoke again.

"Don't tell her this, just say that I have to this now. She wouldn't let me go through with it and I know I couldn't refuse her if she says not to go. Tell her it was supposed to be a surprise." Without another word, Tooya left the park.

Aya, frozen behind the bushes, was wide-eyed in shock. She had wanted to follow him but was too tired from all the walking and not to mention all the thinking.

Suzumi sat there for a few more moments, and was about to leave. Aya still couldn't move. And all of the sudden, Yuuhi appeared out of nowhere.

"Sis, what was that about?" Yuuhi marched in front of Suzumi. He had been hiding in a tree nearby. Suzumi screeched at the sight of him.

"What are you doing here Yuuhi?" she asked skeptically. "Were you following me?"

"His mission is today??? I can't believe you did this to her. AYA! AYA! Hey come out now! Aya, where are you?"

"Aya? You mean she's here too?"

Aya was startled, surprised that someone was calling her. Her daze seemed to have been broken and she jumped out of the bushes.

"Aya, I didn't know you were here…" Suzumi explained to her.

"Did you hear them Aya? We got it all wrong…it was about Tooya's mission after all. Aren't you glad?" Yuuhi told her with a smile.

Suzumi raised an eyebrow. "What did you two get wrong Yuuhi?" Yuuhi just smiled again.

"Yuuhi…Suzumi…" Aya began to speak. Her voice was calm. She has her fist clenched near her heart and her wide ayes glistened with tears. "You both knew about this mission?"

The two looked at each other and just nodded.

"Oh, I see…" Aya looked slightly happy. And Tooya didn't tell me because…

Wait. Aya's whole train of thought changed. Something inside her was telling her that this wasn't the time to think about such things. I think Tooya is in danger...I have to save him…right Ceres? Aya had the feeling that all of this was happening for that sole reason. I must stop Tooya.

"Where is Tooya going? He's in danger right? I have to stop him. Where is he?" Aya's heart was beating hard and fast, but she was still calm on the outside.

--oOo—

Aya was sitting in the lobby waiting for the secretary of the company president. She lied about setting up an interview for her business management class. Suzumi said Tooya is in this building. I don't understand why she and Yuuhi tried to stop me, doesn't Tooya matter to them?

Earlier, Suzumi and Yuuhi were trying to stop Aya. It seemed she wasn't thinking straight, talking to herself. They thought she was too calm for the situation. That wasn't a good sign.

But you matter to me Tooya…that's why I'm going to stop you…

I have to find him and warn him before its too late…and tell him… that I wasn't angry at him… that I love him… I hope I'm not too late for that…

"Ms. Aya?" the secretary was back with the company president's schedule. "An interview is possible tomorrow morning. I could put your name for appointment?"

"Ummm…can I speak with him now??"

"The president is in a meeting now. I think it will take all day."

"Ahh…I could wait…" I still haven't found Tooya yet, I can't just leave that easily.

"Will tomorrow be too inconvenient for you? The meeting would probably take a long ti—"

Just then, the office door opened and the president came out.

Aya's heart skipped a beat. She was suddenly nervous. What if I really do interview this guy?

"Oh, the meeting's over already?" the secretary told her. "You're lucky; maybe I could get you an interview now."

"Ahh…" and then she gasped.

Before she could say anything else, Tooya appeared from the president's office. Their eyes had met. Tooya had stopped walking. Apparently, he was as shocked as she was to see him.

"Tooya? How—What are you doing here?" Aya finally blurted out. She wasn't sure if she was happy to finally have found him.

"Are you coming Tooya?" the president had called out to Tooya

"Yes." Tooya answered.

"Tooya! I need to speak to you!" she said out loud trying to make him not come with the president.

Both the president and his secretary were puzzled.

"You know her Tooya?" the president asked skeptically.

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iannetine: I've finished the story…hooray! I said this was going to be the last chapter but I decided to break the supposedly chapter 6 to two chapters because it was too long. Thank you for reading and please review!