Chapter Twelve:

Lullaby

After calling Charlotte and telling her I'd be at the docks early morning, I looked in my wardrobe for something nice to change into.

I knew at once that I didn't want Charlotte seeing me as a farmer. It went back to my insecurities, the very reasons why I left for a new home. My sister was a doctor, both my brothers were in law (whether it was interpreting it or enforcing it) and what had I done with my life? I had thrown away my education for the country and farming for a family I hardly knew but came to love.

I didn't and I don't regret starting my ranch, but I was embarrassed by it. And I think my parents were too.

I decided to change my outfit, I admit I didn't have many clothes other than comfortable work clothes, but I did have one thing, besides my maid of honor dress, that could make me look like a professional, instead of a hick.

I took out my pantsuit.

Chen had received it over a year before by mistake and sold it to me at a discount. At the time, I thought I would need it since I was planning on leaving the island once Mr. Taro and his family didn't need me, I figured that I needed the suit to find a real job.

I'm glad it never happened, but I was also happy that I finally had a chance to use it.

I threw it on and dropped my favorite bandanna on the floor in my rush as I clipped my hair and packed a spare bag full of clothes and other supplies.

I went outside to see Vaughn still waiting for me. He did a double take when he saw me.

"Let's go then!" I said bouncing into step.

"Oh no, no, no," Vaughn protested, holding out his arm to block my path, "You aren't going anywhere in that."

"That's wrong with this?" I asked looking at the outfit.

"It isn't you Chelsea."

"That's the point!"

Vaughn pinched the bridge of his nose, like he usually did when he was annoyed with me, "Go change."

"No."

"Go, or I'm not taking you!"

I glared at him while he stared me down. Vaughn had a longer lasting will than I did; I soon turned away, "Fine," I said going back inside.

I quickly changed into a yellow shirt and shorts, what I usually wore for work minus the orange button up. I let my hair down but still yearned for something different, so I put my hair in low pig-tails. Just as I was about to leave I saw my bandanna and picked it up. I tied it around my wrist as I went back outside.

"Better?" I asked, holding out my arms so he could look the adjustment over.

"Much, now let's go."

By the time we arrived our ride was already at the dock.

"Yo, Vaughn! You ready to leave?" asked one of the sailors from ship's deck, "Oh ho? Who do we have here?"

He headed down to the dock to greet us. When he reached us he took my bag and hand, "A beauty is boarding our ship? How grand," he said, kissing my hand.

I blushed and blabbered nonsense, in shock of what happened.

The sailor laughed and Vaughn scowled.

"Cool it," he warned.

The sailor nodded, "Got it cowboy. Anyways, if you plan to take her aboard she better be willing to pay."

Pay? I didn't know that, "Oh, let me get my money then," I said motioning to grab my bag.

"I've got it," Vaughn said before I could reach it, he handed the sailor some cash and grabbed my hand to lead me onto the ship, and on the way he grabbed my bag from the sailor's hand.

"Let me pay you back," I said.

"No."

I heard the sailor mumble something as we walked past but I didn't quite catch it.

Once we got going, I stayed inside the cabin and tried to keep myself distracted by talking to Vaughn, or reorganizing my bag and its contents, or just trying to sleep. None of it really worked.

"Why are you so restless?" he asked.

"No reason," I said, at this point I started pacing around the room.

He sighed and put his book down. After a moment, he got a look on his face, one that said he had figured it out, "You don't like boats, huh?"

I stopped in my tracks and hastily shook my head, "N-no."

"Chelsea, don't lie."

I hugged myself and refused to look at him, "Okay, so I'm scared. Sue me."

"Is that why you wanted me to take you?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

Vaughn looked as if he wanted to say something, but he was having trouble as to what, "There isn't any reason to."

"Thanks…but there's really no use telling me that."

"Why's that?"

I paused, I wondered if it was wise to confide in Vaughn, but before I could decide I started talking, "I didn't come to Sunny Island by choice. Mr. Taro, his family, and I were all shipwrecked there."

"I…didn't know that."

"We don't talk about it much—at least I don't."

"Have you been on a boat since then?"

"No…"

He didn't say anything at first, but he didn't really have to, I thought, what could he say to make the dread go away?

"If anything happens," he began, "I'm here for you."

Somehow, that was it.

I smiled and sighed in relief, "Thanks. I mean it. I…I feel better actually," I admitted.

"Good," he said smiling.

I walked over to his side and sat down, "So what're you reading?"

We discussed his book and other things before finally returning to bed. At first I couldn't sleep, afraid of what would happen if I shut my eyes, terrified that a storm would find us and destroy our ship much like the last time—only this time I feared I wouldn't be so lucky. But the thought of Vaughn being in the same room, only a few steps away, comforted me, and I hate admitting it, even now, that his steady breathing was my lullaby that night.

The next morning we arrived in the city early. I told Vaughn that my sister was supposed to meet me soon.

'Hey, Vaughn!" called out one of the sailors, "We're leaving for Green Hill soon, make sure you're on board."

"Got it!" Vaughn called back.

"You don't have to wait with me you know," I told him.

"I don't mind."

"I just don't want you to get left behind."

"I won't."

We waited in silence for a moment. I think he was about to speak when there was a hi-pitched squeal in the background. We both winced and looked in the direction from where it came from.

"Chelsea!"

There was Charlotte, spastically hopping up and down and waving both hands to make sure I would notice her. My older sister was—is, quite the character, and we look like each other, only difference really was she wore her hair up in a clip and usually wore skirts and dresses, but there was one more prominent difference.

"She's a midget," Vaughn blurted when he saw her.

I punched him and told him to hush, "She's just short," I defended.

Charlotte ran up to us and caught me in a hug almost knocking me down. She didn't let got until I could give her the two armed hug she was expecting from me.

"I'm so glad you're here!" she said, holding me still but looking me over, "You look great!"

I was surprised, 'I…I do?"

"Of course! I've known you all your life, Chels, and this is the first time I've seen you so…well, you."

I blushed and looked to Vaughn, who was smiling in triumph.

"You look good too," I said, changing the subject.

She laughed, "Don't I?" she asked letting go and giving me a model's pose.

That was defiantly a Charlotte move, she was always more confident than me.

"I better go. See ya Chelsea," Vaughn said making a move to leave, suppose I should have warned him that Charlotte wasn't the type just to let him leave.

"Hold it, buddy. You're not leaving without a few introductions," Charlotte ordered, "I'm Dr. Charlotte Winter, and you?"

Vaughn looked bewildered, "Doctor?"

"That's right, now you tell me your name."

"Vaughn."

"Oh? Short and sweet. I like your boyfriend Chels."

"Eh?" I couldn't believe she said that.

"Now I defiantly should go."

Vaughn took his leave and boarded the ship, I waved goodbye and quickly turned back to my sister.

"He isn't my boyfriend," I told her.

"I know—you would've told me, but he will be," she teased.

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh, I just have a sixth sense about these sorts of things, now come on! We can go to that little coffee shop we used to love so much."

I had completely forgotten about the existence of coffee, they didn't have much of it on the island.

"Let's go!" I said eager to get my hands on a cup.

Once there, Charlotte and I ordered and sat down at a table by the door.

"So, what's new my sister?" she asked straight away.

"I've told you everything."

"Oh no you haven't. I know you well enough to know when you're holding something back, even over the phone."

"Is this what this whole trips about?"

"Somewhat."

I groaned and leaned back in my chair, "I should've have never called you," I joked.

"That's your fault," she laughed, "Now talk."

"Well…recently, I think I was dumped," I said, but then came up with a better word, "No, rejected fits better."

"How?"

"He married another girl."

"Ooooh. Well, that certainly is…bad."

"It's no big deal though," I said, feigning nonchalance, "He always loved her first. But what really bothers me is…"

"Is…?" she urged.

"I tried to break them up."

"Ouch."

"Yeah…"

"There's something else, huh?"

I sighed and figured I'd tell all, "I don't know what it feels like to be in love. Lust, I know, but love…"

"Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea. Don't you know? No one really knows what love feels like."

"Then how…?"

"You just know. And there are all sorts of love too."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Charlotte began, leaning in, "I've heard of gradual love, or moments where a person realizes that they're in love, and even love at first sight."

"That first sight stuff is bull crap."

She laughed, "It sounds like something straight out of a fairy book, but trust me, there's proof."

"You're kidding."

"Nope! I was reading a study the other day, and the research team was trying to figure out what part of the brain triggers imprinting."

"That werewolf thing?"

"No, no, no! It's sort of how a duck thinks whatever it sees first after it hatches is its mom."

"What has that got to do with love at first sight?"

"Well, there's two kinds, one is filial imprinting: the duck thing, and the other sexual—"

Which leads right back to lust."

"Oh hush. Anyways, there are animals, like zebra, that know exactly what sort of mate they want. Well in the study, they found the brain part that lights up, and they soon found it in other species like dogs and monkeys, and then, this is the interesting part, they found that the same phenomenon happens in humans!"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Apparently, there are a few people who really do love at first sight! It's mostly males though."
"Huh, interesting."

"I know, right?" she laughed.

I laughed too.

The week went by much too fast. Charlotte and I were teenagers again; sleepovers, makeovers, shopping, gossiping and prank calling filled our week. We talked about true love a lot too and Charlotte said something that has been stuck with me ever since.

"Follow love and it will flee, flee love and it will follow," she said.

"Who said that?" I asked.

"I did!"

I didn't believe her and it showed.

"Fine, it's an old proverb a friend told me."

That following Tuesday night we left for the dock and she waited with me for Vaughn. She didn't know that I was afraid to travel alone by boat that was a secret reserved for Vaughn and him alone. No one else would know.

It wasn't hard to find him, he was really the only one dressed in mostly black and in cowboy boots. I smiled when I spotted him.

"Hey, Vaughn!" I called out.

He turned at his name and acknowledged me with a head nod, we walked towards him.

"Thanks for meeting me here," I said.

"It's no problem."

"Well! Isn't that sweet?" Charlotte giggled, "Anyway, Chels, I suppose this is goodbye. Call me when you get home, kay?"

"Okay, thanks for letting me stay at your place."

"Psh, it was a pleasure to have you," she pulled me into a hug, "Gonna miss you."

I squeezed, "You can visit whenever you want, and you're always welcome."

"I'm going to hold you to that!"

We laughed and let go.

"Love you Chelsea. Get home safe."

I nodded, "I love you too. And you too."

"Bye then! Oh, and bye to you too, Vaughn. It was nice talking to you for all of five seconds!" she laughed, "Take good care of my little sister, you hear?"

"I always do," Vaughn said.

"Wow, a real gentleman, I like you! You have a brother?"

"Charlotte!"

She laughed and told us that she was only kidding, well, sort of. She laughed again and walked away, waving goodbye.

"Your sister's a real character," Vaughn said once she was gone.

I laughed, "Yup, but that's why I love her."

"Must be nice, having a sibling you can trust."

I nodded, "It is," I admitted. I knew that he was thinking of the family he didn't have, or never got to know, "But it's great to be able to find trust in other people too."

"Huh, I guess that's true."

I smiled, "Good! Now that we agree we can get on board!"

I grabbed his arm and we boarded the ship, ready to return home.

That night, his breathing acted as a lullaby once more, and I secretly wished that it could be like that every night.

Author's Note: So. Very. Tired. Just to be clear, there is no real study (that I know of) about imprinting. In this chapter though you get to see how much of a psych dork I am. :)

P.S. I love allusions ^.^

Disclaimer: Harvest Moon and all characters belong to Natsume

Charlotte Winter belongs to Twilights Lily