Author's Note

So this isn't much of a Father of Mine story because it doesn't really focus that much on Joshua and Gabe's relationship, but it is still there! I really only put this story into the Father of Mine Collection because I feel awful for not updating in forever. I have a ton of short stories I want to do for this but I find myself stopping halfway through writing them and not having the motivation to continue. I had stopped working on Father of Mine for a few months because I really just wanted to finish this chapter fic of mine and, now that it's done, I'm having trouble getting out of a writer's slump.

This was written on one of my many snow days and only has slight Gabe and Joshua focus. Instead, the main thing here is Joshua and Alyssa. I hear it's a popular pairing but there isn't a lot of writing on it. That being said, prepare for fluffiness! Also, sorry if my writing sucks due to writer's block. I hope you enjoy nevertheless!

~~Wave~~

The Lost Princess

"How are you feeling, Alyssa?" ten-year-old Joshua asks as he leans forward in his wooden stool beside the hospital bed. Although he tries to hide it, worry shines in his ochre eyes as he gazes at his friend. They had only met two weeks ago but they are already closer than most and Joshua cannot help but be concerned when her face is noticeably paler and her emerald eye keeps drooping.

Alyssa's head is wrapped in bandages and one strip covers her left eye. Tufts of russet hair poke through her wrappings in a messy fashion. At first he found her appearance humorous but now, when she is showing unease, he wishes those bandages would disappear.

She wiggles around in her bed and blinks her bleary eye open. Some days the two solve puzzles or watch television, or any activity that the two can do in Alyssa's room. Today is one of those days where she wants nothing more than for Naomi to read her a story but, since her new mother is working, she will have to make use of her new friend.

Ignoring his question, she asks in a small voice, "Will you read me a story?"

Joshua immediately nods, his bushy green hair bobbing with the motion, and flips through a basket full of short stories. "Which one do you want to hear?" He questions.

"The Lost Princess," she whispers while closing her eye again and takes a few deep breaths.

Joshua pulls the book out but, before he begins reading, he takes her hand and urges her awake. She blinks her eye open again and he offers, "I can get a nurse if you need one."

Alyssa smiles a little bit and replies sleepily, "No, I just want to hear a story."

He nods and releases her hand. Opening to the first page he begins reading a tale about a princess who is kidnapped at birth and then raised by farmers in the countryside for eighteen years, unaware of her real identity. It isn't until the kingdom has fallen to the hands of a tyrant that a handsome man finds her in a field of crops. After telling her of her real identity, the two rush back to the castle to stop the tyrant, all the while falling in love with each other. The brave, handsome man defeats the villain and the kingdom rejoices. Everybody is happy until the princess finds her hero leaving the castle in the middle of the night.

"Where are you going, my love?" Joshua reads in a soft tone even though he is unsure if Alyssa is awake or not. Her eyes have been closed this entire time and her breathing is deep; he cannot stop reading nevertheless.

"I cannot stay, princess. I have saved you and now others need me," Joshua says, reciting the lines of the hero.

"But I love you and you love me. Stay with me, my hero, and we shall love and grow old together in peace."

"I cannot. Do not worry though, my beautiful princess, for one day we shall be together again."

"Can you promise me that? Promise me you'll return. Swear by it…with a kiss."

Joshua hesitates in his reading, looking up at Alyssa to see if she has shown any signs of consciousness yet. This is her favorite part of the story yet her body's as still as it was before.

With a deep breath, Joshua reads the final lines of the story, "The handsome hero took the princess in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss, promising that he'll return at the same time, and then left his love and went away. Years passed and he had not yet returned but the princess waited. More years passed and suitors were begging for her hand, but she refused them and continued waiting. More years passed and her body was growing old, waiting for her hero, but still he had not come. Years flew by and soon she was too old to move from her bed and, just before she lost all hope, a soft pair of lips kissed her forehead.

"I promised to return, didn't I?"

A frozen silence hovers in the air as Joshua slowly closes the book and returns it to the pile. He watches as her chest rises with each deep breath she takes and, after a few minutes of quiet, he stands from his stool and begins heading towards the door. Just as he is about to exit, however, he hears somebody ask softly from behind him,

"Are you leaving today?"

Joshua spins around to see Alyssa's green eye staring at him. He wonders how she knew about his discharge from the hospital but, finding it unimportant for now, pushes the thought away. Nodding, he walks back over to Alyssa's side and confesses,

"I'm sorry but I've healed from my surgery. I can't stay here anymore."

Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she asks innocently, "Why? Are you going to help other people?"

Joshua smiles and nods again. "Yeah, I'm going to help others like the doctors have helped us."

This, however, doesn't make the sadness disappear from her green orbs. In a soft voice, she questions shakily, "W-will…will we ever see each other again?"

With a grin, Joshua states and winks playfully, "Yes we will, princess. One day we'll be together again."

The sorrow flickers out of her eyes and a small smile appears on her face. In all seriousness, she replies, "Can you promise me that? Promise me you'll return. Swear by it…with a kiss."

Joshua's eyes grow wide and he wonders if she's only playing. Her gaze is steady, though, and he realizes that she is not joking around.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, he somehow manages to nod and bends his head forward. Ever so slowly he brings his mouth closer to hers until he can feel her shallow breathing against his face. He hesitates then, only an inch away, before very gently skimming his lips against hers.

It lasts for only a second before he straightens back up. Her eye is closed and her mouth slightly parted. With each deep breath she takes, Joshua somehow knows that she's really asleep this time.

Seven Years Later

It didn't take long for the two kids to be reunited. Gabe took Joshua with him to pick something up from Naomi's office one time and Alyssa was the one who opened the door. She tackled the boy in a hug and the two have been best friends ever since.

And that is all they have ever been. Over time the moment between them has become foggy and now, seven years later, it has been completely forgotten.

"Dad, you're the one getting the award and yet I'm dressed nicer than you," seventeen-year-old Joshua teases as he struggles with a piece of ribbon around his neck.

"At least I can make a bowtie," Gabe retorts with amusement in his tone. The two are in Joshua's bedroom, both preparing themselves for the single highly formal event of the year. The state is giving Dr. Cunningham an award for being one of the best diagnosticians in the region and, against his bitter judgment, he is being forced to go. Naturally, he has to bring his family along with him.

"Stupid thing," Joshua huffs, throwing the ribbon on the ground and turning around to face his father. Both of them are dressed in sleek tuxedos and, if Gabe had taken the time to button his vest and put on shoes, they would almost look exactly alike. Only family members and close friends can tell the minor differences between the two. Sure, Joshua has bigger eyes and a more heart shaped face, but would they notice that Gabe's shoulders and broader than his son's? Or that Joshua stands up straight while his father slouches?

Gabe chuckles from his spot on the bed when the door opens and Lisa enters.

"I thought you two would be ready by now," she sighs and, even though he hates the thought of the party, Gabe has to admit his wife looks "pretty darn good" as he'd usually say. Her brown curly hair is pulled up into a ruffled bun and her slim figure is dressed in a dark green halter dress that falls around her ankles.

"I'm almost ready," Joshua protests with a sheepish grin while his mother snatches the ribbon off the floor and expertly ties it into a bowtie around her son's neck.

"Gabe, please put some shoes on and try to be civil tonight," she orders and he pushes himself off the bed with a yawn.

"Only if there is an open bar," he grumbles and, once they arrive, Gabe's pleased to find that there is one.

The ballroom is heavily decorated with golden chandeliers that reflect in the polished stone floor. The walls are covered in a paisley design and women in long dresses and men in tuxedos wander around the dance floor chatting with one another. The far end of the room is crowded with over two dozen circular white dining tables and, in the corner of the large area, is a small orchestra playing a piece by Bach.

It doesn't take long for Gabe and Lisa to meet up with Maria at the open bar while Joshua sees Naomi's dazzling white hair from across the room.

"Hello, Joshua," Naomi greets in her lucid voice while sipping a glass of water.

"Hello, Dr. Kimishima," the young man greets with a polite smile.

"Alyssa is at the buffet," she instructs after a second of awkward silence.

Thanking her, Joshua pushes past the throng people until he spots Alyssa pilling pasta onto her china plate. He freezes upon seeing her although he doesn't know why. Her skinny body is dressed in a strapless light blue dress the shimmers in the light. It's tight around her torso but then fans out at her waist like a delicate flower. Somehow, she notices him and turns her sparkling green eyes to him and waves excitedly.

He swallows a lump in his throat and realizes for the first time that his best friend is growing up. She's two years younger than him but only at the age of fifteen she already has the beauty of a mature woman.

"Hey, Joshua," Alyssa greets cheerfully while popping a cheese cube into her mouth.

"Erm…uh, hello," Joshua stutters in reply, rubbing the back of his head as he tries to push away his sudden vertigo.

"Are you okay?" Alyssa asks, her eyebrows furrowing together and creasing her flawless skin.

"Yeah, let's go sit down, okay?"

Soon Naomi, Little Guy, Gabe, Lisa, and Tomoe join Joshua and Alyssa. They only chat for a few minutes before Naomi and Alyssa go off to chat with an aging man that Joshua is unfamiliar with and Lisa heads for the bathroom.

"Hey, Dad?" the teenager asks in a whisper while his eyes follow Alyssa as she gracefully moves across the floor. "Do you think there is something…different about Alyssa?"

Through a mouthful of food, Gabe follows his son's gaze and then shrugs. "Not really," he grumbles and takes a gulp of beer to clear his throat. Coughing, he asks in a more coherent manner, "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," Joshua replies, dumbfounded. Curious, Gabe averts his keen gaze to his son's eyes and stares at them for only ten seconds before he exclaims,

"Oh. My. God. You like her!"

"Dad!" Joshua snaps, blushing under the confused gazes a few people are sending. "I do not," he protests in a whisper but Gabe only huffs and crosses his arms.

"Have you not heard the nurses gossiping? Aside from the rumors of Little Guy and Naomi, you and Alyssa are the second biggest 'couple' they talk about," he states while rolling his ochre eyes.

"Are you serious?" Joshua gasps, exasperated, and Gabe nods.

"I'm sorry," Tomoe's sweet, tentative voice interrupts their conversation as she stands beside the pair. She's wearing a lovely red kimono with her black hair flowing around her as light as air. Holding her hands in front of her, she confesses, "I couldn't help but overhear…. Joshua, are you planning on dating Alyssa?"

"What?" The teenager blurts out, stunned before glaring daggers at his dad who just smirks at him.

"Wait, really!" Maria's excited voice pops up from behind Joshua, making him flinch and almost fall off of his chair.

"Nice dress, Maria," Gabe teases with a chuckle and everybody turns to look at the tanned, short haired woman in a simple black dress and heals.

"Shut up, moron," she snaps, her forest green eyes showing hatred towards Gabe but softening up when she looks at Joshua's burning face. Hands on her hips, she smiles wickedly and clarifies, "So you're asking out Alyssa? It's about damn time."

"No, I'm not," Joshua retorts but it doesn't stop Hank and CR-S01 from hearing, both of who are in sleek tuxedos.

"That is a great idea, Joshua, I am sure she will say yes," Hank encourages with a friendly smile and CR just nods.

Joshua sighs and repeats, "I'm not asking her out, guys."

"But you should!" Maria snaps and Tomoe nods in agreement.

"I have a few things you might want to hear before you ask her out though," the young Japanese woman states, oblivious to the pleading look Joshua sends his father.

"Sorry, kid," Gabe chuckles with his crooked grin as Tomoe begins her explanation.

"Naomi comes from a very traditional Japanese town," she says in a matter-of-fact manner. "You must act for permission to date Alyssa before you actually do so. If not then you will be shunned from the Kimishima household."

"Um, Tomoe?" Hank steps in with a gentle tone. "I don't think Dr. Kimishima is really that traditional."

"No, wait," Maria interrupts, musing to herself mostly. "Remember Dillon? He asked Alyssa out on a date but Naomi wouldn't let her go because he didn't ask for permission."

"Oh yeah, I do remember that," Joshua agrees and, feeling the heat rushing to his face, inquires hesitantly, "So…Tomoe…what would I have to do in order to get her approval?"

"You must show great honor, courage, and wisdom," She states proudly.

"Look, Naomi likes you so just go and ask her," Gabe ventures, clapping his son on the back.

"But what if she says no?" Joshua whispers for only his father to hear as he stares at the ground.

Leaning forward, Gabe whispers in his ear, "No matter what happens, if you ask her I'll stop smoking for a week."

Joshua blinks in surprise and looks to his dad with wide eyes. "Are you even capable of doing that?" He questions suspiciously and Gabe rolls his eyes.

"I've been decreasing my amount of cigarettes for a while now, I can handle it just fine."

With a deep, shaky breath, Joshua stands on his feet and prays his knees won't give out. "Alright, I'll go ask," he decides with a sigh.

"Yea!" Maria cheers, giving him a punch to the shoulder that almost topples him over.

"You can do it, Joshua," Hank encourages while Joshua begins making his way towards Naomi who is standing across the field of tables chatting with Little Guy.

"But there is still so much more you need to know!" Tomoe exclaims but Gabe grabs her from behind and puts a hand over her mouth.

"The path of honor doesn't apply to my son," Gabe informs her as she wiggles out of his grip and stares at the man in shock.

"Hey, what's with all the excitement?" Lisa wonders upon approaching the group of doctors who are now huddled together and watching Joshua as he talks to Naomi.

"Hello, Dr. Kimishima…hello, Little Guy," The young man greets with a forced, nervous smile.

Little Guy and Naomi nod in greeting, their piercing gazes making Joshua's heart pound in his head.

"I believe Alyssa was just asked to dance if you're looking for her," Naomi says with a small smile of amusement. Every time there is a banquet for the doctors and Alyssa comes there is always a man who asks her to dance. Joshua usually has to distract the person so that she can get away from him.

"A-actually…doctor, I-I came to talk to you," he stammers out before glancing at Little Guy and adds, "Privately."

Little Guy's gray eyes show confusion and skepticism but with one look from Naomi he's walking away, leaving the two alone.

Turning her cobalt eyes back to him, she inquires with a hint of curiosity, "How can I help you?"

Joshua swallows the lump in his throat but, before he speaks, glances over his shoulders to see Gabe, Lisa, Maria, Tomoe, Hank, and CR staring at him from across the room. They give him the thumbs up and, with very little confidence, he turns back around and practically blurts out, "I'd like to take Alyssa out on a date."

Frozen with fear, Joshua cannot take his gaze away from Naomi's calculating one. Heart pounding and blood rushing through his head, he stammers out, "That is…if she wants to. I-I promise to drive safely and get her home before curfew and…um, I'll respect her and – "

"Who told you to ask for my permission first?" Naomi cuts in with a tiny smile on her rosy lips. Joshua cannot tell if she's smirking or filled with joy at his proposal.

"Err…Tomoe," he admits and she nods as if she has been expecting that.

"What do you plan on doing for your possible date?"

Joshua swallows nervously and confesses shakily, "Well…I hadn't really thought of that. Anything she'd like to do actually…or what you approve of."

There is a tense moment of silence between the two before Naomi crosses her arms and her mouth pulls up into a genuine smile. In a comforting tone, she advises, "You can start by saving Alyssa from that man – he's a horrible dancer – and then ask her if she'd be willing to go out with you. If the answer is yes, then think of something to do and offer the idea to me. That is all."

Feeling his heart lifting in glee, Joshua grins at her and says eagerly, "Thank you, Dr. Kimishima." He's about to turn away when Naomi adds one last thing.

"By the way, Joshua, don't be so nervous. I'm positive she'll say yes."

The teenager turns around to see a knowing look in the doctor's eyes and he cannot help but send her one last smile before rushing back over to his parents and the others.

"She said yes," Joshua announces proudly and the small group erupts into cheers.

"See, no sweat," Gabe boasts while Lisa gives her son a quick hug.

"Thanks…have you seen Alyssa?" He muses, looking around the dance floor.

"She's over there," CR instructs in his quiet yet deep voice, pointing towards a pretty girl being twirled around and around by a balding man with a beer belly.

"Now might be a good time to save her, eh buddy?" Gabe ventures, nudging his son in the stomach and, feeling confident with Naomi's words, Joshua strides across the dance floor towards them.

"Excuse me, sir," Joshua says while tapping on the man's shoulder. The spinning couple comes to a stop and he asks politely, "May I cut in?"

The man reluctantly agrees and shuffles away while Alyssa sends her friend a grateful look.

"Thank God you're here," she whispers, placing her hands on his shoulders and resting her head against his chest in exhaustion. Feeling his heart pounding in his ears – almost to the tempo of the beautiful classical music – he puts his hands on her waist.

"You looked miserable," Joshua whispers in her ear, earning a chuckle out of her.

"I was. Thank you for saving me!" she chirps, tilting her head back so she can send him a grateful smile.

Feeling the gaze of his support group burning into him, he looks over and sees them all staring at him and Alyssa.

She follows his stare and just laughs a tinkling laugh. "Let's go somewhere else…away from creeping doctors," she offers, taking his hand and leading him through the crowd and out into the courtyard.

It's a small rectangular area filled with bushy plants and delicate, colorful flowers. Past the gothic architecture is the city of Portland with its lights illuminating the sky like stars. The cool summer air is refreshing to Joshua's burning face and it isn't till now that he realizes how hot it was inside.

Alyssa lets go of his hand and sits down on one of the stone benches beside a cluster of tall sunflowers that sway in the breeze.

"These shoes are a killer," she mumbles to herself while pulling off a pair of silver high heels. Sitting beside her, Joshua watches as he slips her toes into the grass and listens to her sweet giggle as the blades tickle her smooth feet.

To Joshua's surprise yet utter joy, Alyssa leans into him and rests her head against his shoulder. His heart skips a beat and he struggles to remain perfectly still while he admires the soft glow that the moonlight gives her skin. They can still hear the din of the people and music from inside but, out here, the coolness of the courtyard gives the place an ethereal atmosphere.

"It reminds me of those stories I loved when I was little," Alyssa suddenly whispers, blinking her eyes open and gazing at the gothic wall surrounding the garden.

Joshua nods and snuggles his face into her sweet smelling russet hair. "I think I know which one you're talking about," he says calmly even though his stomach is twisted in knots. "It's very vague but I remember seeing a picture…"

"The Lost Princess," Alyssa breathes shakily as an old memory hits her, which makes her realize how close her best friend is to her right now.

"Mmm, what was that about again?" Joshua wonders aloud, moving his head away from Alyssa's and staring at the garden around them.

"It's about a princess who gets kidnapped and a handsome hero saves her but leaves her in the end because he has to go help others," she rushes out in one breath, fully aware of how warm Joshua's body is. "She finds him leaving her in the courtyard…very similar to this one I suppose."

"Sounds familiar," the teenage boy admits but there is still confusion evident in his tone.

"Do you remember reading it to me?" Alyssa asks, turning around and looking into his amber eyes with her nervous gaze.

"I remember reading stories to you but not really that one in particular," he confesses, honestly having a very vague recollection of the time.

Averting her gaze, she says in such a soft tone that he can barely hear it, "Are you sure? It was the day you got discharged from the hospital…. You also kissed me."

At this Joshua's eyes grow wide and he suddenly recalls everything that happened that day. He had been so worried over Alyssa's welfare, and then she was so sad that he was leaving…how could he have forgotten? Especially with his newfound feelings…

"Y-yeah, I do remember now," he murmurs and the two lock eyes.

Suddenly, Alyssa smiles and recites with her emerald eyes sparkling, "Where are you going, my love?"

Joshua instantly chuckles as his friend holds a hand up to her forehead and sighs dramatically. In the same playful manner, he responds through his laughter, "I cannot stay, princess. I have saved you and now others need me."

Alyssa stands up and leans against a tree beside the bench. Staring up at the moon as the leaves dance in the warm breeze, she recites fervently, "But I love you and you love me. Stay with me, my hero, and we shall love and grow old together in peace."

Smiling at her words, Joshua stands up and stands before her. "I cannot," he whispers, suddenly feeling a whole new emotion wash over him when he looks into her gorgeous emerald eyes. Placing a hand on her cheek, the breath hitches in her throat and, taking a step closer to her, he breathes, "Do not worry though, my beautiful princess, for one day we shall be together again."

Alyssa's heart is pounding and her throat has run dry. She can barely form words but her desire to say the final lines shows through and, in a voice softer than the breeze, she asks, "Can you promise me that? Promise me you'll return. Swear by it…with a kiss."

The next few moments move slowly for the both of them even though it happens in only a few seconds. Joshua's face leans closer towards her, his bushy green bangs tickling her forehead as his hand runs through her hair to the back of her head. His fingers are the only things separating her from the hard bark of the tree, and only an inch separates their faces.

Her body shudders and her heart skips a beat the second his lips gently skim hers. She feels herself going back those seven years. She remembers the tremendous pain she was feeling that day and how his gentle kiss gave her the strength and warmth to make it through.

His lips hover on hers as her hands gingerly wrap around his neck. Eyes closed, she gently moves with his mouth until he manages to fully press his lips against hers and she finds her body rising with the tender, intoxicating kiss.

The heat that had run through them hovers inside them like a flickering flame as Joshua slowly moves his mouth away from hers. She blinks her bleary eyes open only to find a crooked grin plastered to his face and his amber eyes sparkling like gold.

"I promised to return, didn't I?"

"Hey! I paid for those!" Gabe yells while his son throws a pack of cigarettes into the dumpster.

"You promised to quit smoking for a week," Joshua replies calmly. "Besides, Cunninghams never break promises."

"What?" Gabe gawks. "Cunninghams always break their promises!"

"Well…I don't," Joshua retorts, smiling to himself at the mesmerizing event that transpired only a few days ago.

"This deal was bogus from the start. You get a date and I get nothing but mutiny!" Gabe grumbles as he turns away from his son and exits the shadowy alley into the bright sunlight.

"But it gave me another reason to ask her out!" Joshua calls in hopes to cheer up his dad, running after him as Gabe rapidly walks towards Resurgam.

"And now that you're happy can I get my cigarettes back?"

"No."

"Damn it!"