A/N: I am a horrible person. You all are very right to hate me.

XXX

"Sebastian! What the hell do you think you are doing!?" the man who tried to attack Ayame yelled, his black, jagged eyebrows quivering with irritation.

"Exactly what he should be!" an unfamiliar voice answered urgently.

The first thing Ayame heard were the hurried footsteps. From her vantage point, she saw a friendly-looking young man running towards them, his face a picture of worry and indignation. His spotless white shirt, dark trousers, and coat looked finer and more elegant compared to the clothes of the men surrounding them. This, put together with the round glasses perched on his nose and the suitcase in his hand, made Ayame think he was one of the more distinguished persons of the town.

For a second, the image of the young boy from the Dimensional Witch's shop flashed before her eyes. However, she pushed it out of her head when the man spoke.

"How dare you point your rifles at innocent travellers!" he said, taking a stand between her friends and the townsmen.

"But Doctor!" one of the men protested, "At a time like this, these foreigners…!"

A doctor. Ayame's guess had been spot on.

The man did not budge. Blue eyes glinted with defiance. "The least you could do, is give them a chance to explain why they are here," he reasoned.

The men gathered broke out into a heated discussion. Some of the townsmen seemed confused, some angry while others stubborn but a few, just a few, were nodding their heads in agreement. However, they were still holding Sakura and the others at gunpoint. She could see her companions glance back and forth between her and the men apprehensively.

Ayame turned to Sebastian and said, "Do you mind getting me down back to my companions, Mr…?"

"Sebastian would do just fine," he answered with a bow, a quick smile flashing across his face. "And of course, I will get you down right away."

Once again, Sebastian moved with surprising agility. He swept Ayame off her feet and jumped. They were back down in no time.

Even before her feet touched solid ground, Fai got off his horse and covered the distance between them in three quick strides.

"Aya-chan, you alright?"

His face was an indecipherable mask. While his customary smile was in place, sapphire eyes seemed to have a steely edge to them.

"Yeah," Ayame replied.

"You seem to have a penchant for trouble, Princess," Kurogane huffed.

Ayame couldn't help but smile inwardly when she saw a similar steel in the ninja's eyes as well.

She then turned to Sakura and Syaoran. "You two good?"

Before any of them could answer, however, the townsmen seemed to reach an agreement. One of them spoke up.

"Fine, we will listen to the Doctor and start over. Who are you people and what are you doing here?"

While Ayame's mind was in the process of cooking up a convincing reply, Syaoran answered confidently, "We are travelling around the world to investigate mythologies and architectures of different lands."

The man frowned. "And why are you doing that?"

"We want to write a book," Syaoran replied, his face a perfect picture of calm. Not a single muscle on his face betrayed the outright lie.

The atmosphere in the little gathering shifted immediately. While the townsmen just stared at Syaoran with disbelief, Sakura seemed to be astonished. Not as astonished as Kurogane though, who was gawking at Syaoran with his mouth slightly open. Fai, on the other hand, looked like he was mildly amused with the sudden turn of events. Ayame was the only one who wasn't surprised; she had heard this exact same lie quite a few times afterall.

"Write a book! A boy like you!?" the man said once he recovered from the initial shock.

The sudden outburst did not affect Syaoran the slightest. "No, not me," Syaoran clarified. He then pointed in the direction where Ayame and Fai were standing and said, "It's that person."

'Who does he mean, me or Fai-san?' Ayame wondered.

Fai took advantage of Ayame's hesitation and took up the reigns of Syaoran's fib smoothly.

"That would be me." Fai put on a gracious smile with no effort. He gave a small bow. "The young boy is my assistant. This lovely young woman right here – " he placed his hand on the small of Ayame's back, his eyes glinting impishly "– is my fiancé."

Ayame had to control the immediate urge to grab the man by the collar, throw him into the ground and pound him till that slimy smirk slid right off his face. She knew… she just knew. When she saw that look in his eye, she knew. Obviously Fai was up to mischief. Leave it to him to find a way to irritate her at the exact moment she couldn't afford to react. Ayame did her best to keep a straight face. However, everyone else's reaction did nothing to help maintain her composure – Syaoran's eyebrows shot up into his bangs while Sakura simply tilted her head in confusion. Kurogane, on the other hand, looked like he was about to burst out laughing and itching to throw something at the mage.

The grin on Fai's face simply widened.

He continued, ignoring the glares Ayame was throwing at him, "The young girl with my assistant is my fiancé's younger sister. And the man here –" he now pointed at Kurogane "– is my serv…"

Ayame shifted her position just a little and firmly stepped on Fai's foot, cutting him off. The movement went unnoticed; for the first time in her life, Ayame was thankful for a skirt. From the corner of her eye, she could see the mage's eye water in pain. Ayame smirked; it was not even close to the revenge she wanted, but something was better than nothing.

"That man over there is a close friend of mine. He is accompanying us on our journey" she said.

Kurogane flinched just a little at that.

The man who had asked the question could barely wait till Ayame finished. "You have made your business here clear," he said, hoisting his weapon, "And now we are making ourselves clear. Get out of this town. You are not welcome."

Ayame's immediate reaction to his words were irritation. She, however, quickly brushed it aside and focused on the people surrounding her. They were tense; arms and legs ready to attack, forehead furrowed, eyes brimming with hostility. But beneath all that, there was one common emotion that bound them all together, an emotion whose stench was as unmistakable as that of rotting eggs – fear. Suddenly, Ayame's own hostility was somewhat replaced with patient understanding.

"This is unacceptable!" the Doctor protested, "No matter what our problems, our mood should never dictate our manners!"

He then turned towards Ayame and the others with open arms. "I apologise for our rudeness, travellers. Welcome to Spirit."

"Do as it pleases you, Doctor," said the man with the jagged eyebrows, "But if they put even a toe out of line, we will not hesitate to haul them out of town." This was met by nods and murmurs of agreement as the small group disbanded, almost all of them throwing suspicious glares at the group of travellers as they left.

XXX

The walk to the good Doctor's place was thankfully uneventful. Even though half a dozen weapons pointed his way didn't make Fai nervous, he preferred to avoid conflict. However, he didn't miss the mistrustful gaze of unseen eyes following them. When they reached the house and the door closed behind with a final click, Fai had to control the urge to sigh with relief.

Sebastian immediately excused himself and got a fire started, before bustling into the kitchen to set a kettle boiling. Within no time, all of them were comfortably settled in the well-furnished, warm living room with steaming tea in their hands.

"Oh yes, I didn't introduce myself," the Doctor said, "My name is Kyle Rondart. I am a doctor in this town. And this is my assistant, Sebastian Michaelis." The man gave a brief bow at the mention of his name.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Ayame frown suspiciously when Sebastian was introduced, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. He made a mental note to ask her about it later.

An awkward silence followed. Fai decided to end it.

"Where are my manners, we haven't introduced ourselves as well," he said, "My name is Fai D. Fluorite. The young boy there is Syaoran." Syaoran gave a curt nod. "Sakura is the young girl next to him." The princess gave a shy smile. "The man in black over there is Kurogane." The ninja simply raised his hand in acknowledgement. Fai then smiled broadly before introducing the one remaining person. "And this lovely young woman is my fiancé, Ayame." Fai had to bite his cheeks to stop himself from laughing when an angry flush bloomed on Ayame's pale face.

Kyle chuckled good-naturedly. "When is the happy day?" he asked, glancing at Ayame. He probably misunderstood the blush.

Fai bit his cheeks harder. Ayame turned a deeper shade of red.

"Right after I finish my book. Which will be soon, I hope," To make a point, he reached out and took Ayame's hand in his. "We have been engaged for quite some time now, but as you can see, she is still very shy." The last few words came out a little strained. Ayame's nails were biting into his skin, but he held on anyway. The look of complete outrage on her face was worth the marks he was sure she was going to leave.

"Thank you for helping us out earlier, Dr. Kyle," Syaoran said. Fai was sure that the boy intervened to help out the older princess.

"No, please," Kyle said, "It was extremely rude of the people in the town to treat you the way they did." Then after a thought, he added, "You all just came into town, right? Do you have a place to stay?"

"We were hoping to rent a couple of rooms in the town inn," Ayame said, smoothly removing her hand from Fai's, but not before shooting a warning glare. Fai simply grinned back.

"No need to worry about that," Kyle said, "You all can stay here."

"We couldn't possibly trouble you more than we already have," Ayame protested.

"It's no trouble at all," Sebastian assured them, "This used to be an inn before the Doctor bought it. There are many vacant rooms."

Fai was about to express his gratitude, but the words were lost when the door flew open with a bang, startling him.

A loud shout filled the formerly peaceful living room. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS DOCTOR!? BRINGING OUTSIDERS HERE AT A TIME LIKE THIS!"

A tall, stern-looking man with long black hair and a thin, well-kept moustache marched into the room. He was a man who was used to authority: his clothes were rich and sophisticated, a gold chain hung from his breast pocket, his shoes polished till they shone. The ornately decorated cane in his hand clicked purposefully on the wooden floor with every stride. He stopped near the coffee table around which they were seated, taking a moment to give each and every one of the travellers a cold stare before fixing his gaze on Kyle. A second later, a distraught-looking, balding old man wheezed into the room; clearly struggling to keep up with the man.

From the corner of his eye, Fai saw all his companions tense up – Syaoran and Kurogane, who were standing, moved in a little closer, Ayame straightened up, her jaw set. Sakura, on the other hand, set her cup on the table and placed her hands firmly on her lap, trying her best not to twist them nervously. On his part, Fai was still at ease in his spot on the sofa's arm rest. His eyes, however, were trained on the newcomers; he was ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"Mr. Glossam, please, calm down," the old man pleaded.

The man, Mr. Glossam, brought down his cane impatiently with a bang, making both Sakura and the old man flinch. "How can I be calm, Mr. Mayor!" he yelled, "We still haven't found any of the missing children!"

Missing children?

That piqued Fai's interest. He was about to ask, but then stopped himself. It was better to see how this played out.

If Dr. Kyle was even a little rattled by the sudden intrusion, he didn't show it.

"These people are studying legends all over the world," he explained calmly, "They might be able to help us with our situation. That's why I have invited them to stay."

The answer only seemed to anger Mr. Glossam further. He brandished his cane in their direction saying, "These vagabonds, that came out of nowhere? What do they know?"

"They know things that are unknown to us. Their experience and insight can prove to be helpful," Kyle insisted.

Mr. Glossam huffed. "If anything happens, it will be too late." And with that, he marched out, leaving an even more flustered Mayor behind.

"Any… anyway, please make sure these people leave by tomorrow morning," he said weakly, before hurrying out of the room behind Mr. Glossam, who showed no signs of slowing down.

Sebastian closed the door behind the Mayor while Dr. Kyle crumpled into an armchair with an exasperated sigh.

"I hope you will look past the rudeness," Sebastian said, pouring Dr. Kyle a cup of tea, "The tall man is Mr. Glossam, the owner of most of the land here. The man with him is the Mayor."

"I don't mean to intrude," Ayame said, "But is this the situation that has made the whole town so anxious?"

"I presume, you all found your way to Spirit after hearing the legend of the Golden Haired Princess?" Kyle asked.

"We did," Fai confirmed, "But isn't it just another story, a grim fairy tale?"

"All the people of this town, including me, felt the same," Kyle answered, "But recent events have shaken those beliefs."

"And the recent events being?" Kurogane asked. Fai thought it was a little amusing, the way the ninja's impatience seeped through his stoic mask.

"Children have started to go missing, exactly like in the story," Sebastian elaborated, "We have searched very hard, but we haven't found anything. Twenty children are missing as of now."

"Twenty children!" Sakura gasped, "How can it be!?"

"No wonder they were on guard when they saw us enter the town," Kurogane said.

"As I told Mr. Glossam earlier," Kyle said, "If you all have any clue, even the smallest one, to help us uncover this mystery, please let us know at the earliest!"

"We promise, Dr. Kyle," Ayame said.

"Sebastian and I will go out into the town in a short while to help look for the missing children. Meanwhile, please make yourselves comfortable. You all must be very tired," Kyle said. Then turning to Sebastian he continued, "Prepare three rooms before we leave."

"One for the young lady, one for the gentlemen, and one for the couple, Master Kyle?" Sebastian clarified.

Ayame froze… and so did Fai. He had not seen this coming.

"That won't be necessary at all," Ayame said quickly, "My sister and I will be comfortable sharing a room. I'm sure the boys won't mind either." She gave Fai a pointed look at that.

"Yes, of course!" Fai said, "Please don't take so much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all!" Kyle smiled. "I will not have it on my conscience to separate such a lovely couple on such a lovely night." Even Fai felt heat rising in his cheeks when the implied meaning behind the Doctor's words clicked.

It took Sebastian about ten to twenty minutes to set things up while Dr. Kyle sat with them and made small talk. As soon as the necessary arrangements were made, they gathered up their coats and hats.

"Get a good night's rest, travellers," Kyle said, "And one more thing; please refrain from venturing out on your own after dark. The people of the town might get suspicious."

"We understand," Syaoran answered.

With that, both Dr. Kyle and Sebastian picked a kerosene lamp each and went out to help with the search. Fai got up and locked the door shut. He turned back to his companions to ask their opinion about the current situation. However, all he saw was a hand arching towards him and then a sudden, jarring pain in the side of his head. A sharp crack rang in the room.

Ayame had wasted no time at all.

"Ow, that hurt!" Fai yelled in surprise, his hand flying to the side of his head.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" she hissed, "Now, we have to pretend to be a couple for the whole duration of our stay here. How are we going to manage that!?"

Kurogane smirked. "Just hold hands, and walk around the town. That should help, I'm sure."

"See Aya-chan, Kuro-pon has the right idea."

"It's Kurogane!"

"You are unbelievable!" Ayame huffed, sitting down heavily.

"Don't be like that Aya-chan!" Fai pouted, "It can be fun!"

"It can be fun my as-" Ayame glanced at Sakura and then at Syaoran before taking a deep breath. "Let's just find the feather quickly, okay?" she sighed.

"Talking about quickly, you were very quick on your feet there, Syaoran-kun," Fai said, "You are pretty good at making stuff up."

"Comes with practice, doesn't it?" Ayame said, winking at Syaoran.

"It does," Syaoran smiled back, "My dad and I used the same excuse when we travelled. Though, Ayame-san was the assistant that time." He grinned a little sheepishly at Ayame.

"Yeah, good times," Ayame sighed.

A hush fell over the group. Ayame and Syaoran were, for sure, lost in the adventures they had. Kurogane was staring pensively into his teacup as well, his mind off to a much happier place, Fai guessed, going by the small smile that played on the ninja's lips: a smile Kurogane smiled when he thought no one was looking.

Fai felt a sudden pang of guilt; he knew, what was in store for them in the future. Not only did he know, he was also one of the causes of it. The weight in his chest grew heavier, dragging his conscience down. He thought about everything all these good people would have to sacrifice for the sake of that man's wish… and his own as well.

It was Sakura who finally pulled everyone back to the present.

"There are so many people outside," she said, pointing at the windows.

Surely enough, Fai could see moving lights and shadows through the curtains. He walked up to the windows and parted the drapes just a little to get a better look. Outside, it was as if almost every single adult in the little town of Spirit were wrapped up in their thickest coats and trudging in the snow, calling out the names of the missing children. Ayame came to take a look as well. She stood next to him, watching as the search went on.

"Things are getting very serious, aren't they?" Fai said.

"Rightly so," Ayame said. Fai thought he could hear a little anger in her carefully modulated voice. "Those children could be anywhere, alone, scared, freezing in the snow. No one deserves that. If I ever get my hand on the bastards who are responsible for this, I'm gonna have more than just a word with them."

Kurogane said something in response, but Fai didn't hear any of it. Ayame's words shook something inside him. For a moment, he was back in that horrible place, starving, desperate, slipping on the ever present snow, piling up the dead to reach the top of the tower which imprisoned the only other living person there… the only one who truly cared for him.

"Fai-san?"

Fai felt a warm, calloused hand on his arm, shaking him.

"Fai-san? You alright?" Ayame asked again.

"Yea… yeah," Fai said, a little more shakily than he would have liked.

Lilac eyes searched his face. "You looked like you were lost for a moment. Are you sure you're okay?"

Fai gently pushed Ayame's hand away and put on the best smile he could muster. "I'm in top shape. Don't you worry!"

He turned away quickly, but, not before he saw Ayame and Kurogane exchange one short look. Fai swallowed nervously and chose to ignore it; the best thing to do was to pretend to be alright, like nothing ever happened.

"Anyways," he said, "It's really late. Time to sleep!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Sakura yawned a massive yawn. She swayed dangerously were she sat, then toppled off the sofa. Luckily, Syaoran caught her before she hit the floor. Fai didn't know whether to be relieved, or just laugh out loud. Sakura's timing had been so perfect, it was comical.

"I was just waiting for that to happen," Ayame chuckled.

Ayame and Syaoran went upstairs to tuck Sakura in, Mokona bouncing in their wake, leaving Fai and Kurogane behind. Fai put out the fire and was about to go upstairs as well when Kurogane caught his arm and held it firmly.

"What is it with you?" he asked.

Fai knew exactly what the ninja was asking about, but he pretended he didn't. "I don't know what you are talking about, Kuro-pon!"

The scowl on the ninja's face looked more menacing in the formless shadows thrown around by the dying embers of the fire.

"You are not fooling anyone, mage."

With that, Kurogane released his arm and made his way up to where their rooms were, his footsteps echoing in the now empty living room.

Fai's smile dropped the moment Kurogane was out of sight.

"That's what I am afraid of, Kuro-sama."

XXX

Syaoran and Kurogane were talking when Fai reached the floor above. On seeing him, however, Kurogane abruptly stopped mid-sentence, gave him a sullen look and stomped into a room nearby. Syaoran looked a little taken aback, but gave Fai a small smile nonetheless, probably to ease the obvious tension.

"Is Sakura-chan comfortable?" Fai asked.

"Yeah," the boy answered, pointing at the door opposite to the one Kurogane disappeared into. "Mr. Michaelis left a few extra blankets. Ayame-san made sure Sakura-hime was warm. She really wanted to stay with the Princess but there is just one bed in the room. She was even ready to sleep on the floor; that's when Kurogane-san threatened to tie her up and dump her in the other room."

"She didn't take that threat very well, did she?" Fai laughed.

"That goes without saying." Syaoran cracked one of his rare smiles. "Ayame-san said something in the lines of 'Let's take this outside and I'll show you who dumps who'."

Fai could picture the exchange – Kurogane's red eyes narrowed with irritation on one side and Ayame's hands placed on her hips, an air of defiance surrounding her, on the other.

"So where is Aya-chan now?"

"Oh, she went stomping into the third room," Syaoran said, pointing to the door at the end of the hallway.

Fai couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Kuro-mun managed to convince her?"

"I was a little surprised too," Syaoran said, "But Kurogane-san made a valid point. He said that if she wanted to find the Princess' feather and help the children, she would have to rest up well and that will not be achieved by sleeping on the floor."

"Our brooding ninja was on point as always," Fai chuckled.

"The mention of children was enough to convince Ayame-san," Syaoran said. When he met Fai's questioning gaze, he simply shrugged. "She's always had a soft spot for children, especially the ones who are lost and uncared for."

"Is that so…" Fai trailed off, his eyes shifting to the view outside the window. Through the frosted glass, he could see some of the townsfolk still outside in the snowfall, looking for the children. Syaoran's little revelation explained the anger he heard in Ayame's voice earlier. He couldn't help but wonder; would his childhood have been different if someone like Ayame had been there to stand up for him and his brother?

Fai rested his head against the window, shivering just a little from the sudden chill.

'Probably not.' He was cursed afterall; always had been.

"Is everything alright, Fai-san?" Syaoran asked.

Fai snapped back quickly.

"Yes, of course! Why would you ask that, Syaoran-kun?" he asked back.

At this, Syaoran frowned just a little. "It's just that earlier, downstairs, you looked troubled and now, Kurogane-san seems to be angry with you, and that only happens when he feels people are keeping things from him."

'That's quite impressive,' Fai thought. Syaoran was more perceptive than he looked.

"Kuro-fu is just being grumpy as always, don't read into it too much." Then Fai gave the young boy the widest smile he could muster. "And as for me, someone who smiles so widely cannot possibly have a care in the world! Wouldn't you agree?"

Syaoran didn't look convinced, but he didn't push it further. When the boy stifled a yawn, Fai took the opportunity to put this behind him as soon as possible.

"We should call it a night. Don't you think, Syaoran-kun?"

"I guess we should. Good Night, Fai-san."

"Good Night."

Fai let out a relieved sigh as the door closed after Syaoran. Since when did his emotions start to show so clearly on his face?

"I used to be so much better at this," he said, walking down the hallway.

The room, which he and Ayame were sharing, was smaller than the one they all had slept in the night before, but definitely cosier. Most of the space in it was taken up by a king sized bed so fluffy, it reminded Fai of the little puffs of clouds one could see in the spring sky. A fire crackled away merrily in the wrought iron fireplace on the left side of the bed, filling the room with the faint fragrance of pine. A square window, covered with fluttering grey, lace curtains, was set into the wall next to the fireplace. Two, wobbly-looking chairs with twisted brass legs and soft white seats stood invitingly in front of the fire.

He shook off his coat and was about to sink into one of the chairs when he saw it – a small pile of blankets snuggled in between four feathery pillows with a note on top. Overcome by curiosity, he picked it up. The writing was neat, the letters looping over one another. Fai noticed that at some places, the ink had left imprints on the other side of the paper, as if the writer had pressed the pen too hard in thought while writing.

The note read –

I observed earlier this evening that the cold bothered Miss Ayame very much. It seems like she is very unfamiliar with such temperatures. Thus, I took the liberty to leave a few extra blankets, in case she needed them.

I hope you have a restful night.

- Sebastian Michaelis

"Odd isn't it?"

Fai's heart shot into his mouth; Ayame just seemed to materialize out of thin air behind him. She had changed from her day clothes into a night gown. Scanning the room once more, he noticed a small doorway covered with curtains, similar to the ones on the window. It had completely slipped past him before. His skills were getting rusty as this journey progressed, he was becoming too complacent.

He did his best to hide his surprise and asked, "Dressing room?"

Ayame simply nodded. She hugged herself, shuffled to the other chair and curled up, like a cat curling into a cushion.

"Why did you say it was odd, Aya-chan?"

Ayame held out her hands in front of the fire for a while before answering.

"Odd that a simple doctor's assistant in a small town like this, would be so observant. It's almost as if, he knew that I was from a place which hasn't seen snow."

"He probably assumed that about all of us," Fai said.

Ayame shook her head.

"I don't think so. See, in the note he only mentions me, not you. If he thought that all of us were from warmer places, he would have left extra blankets for everyone. But the only ones who got them were me and Sakura, no one else."

"He is a doctor's assistant, afterall, it's his job to observe people for signs of discomfort."

"That's not the only odd thing, Fai-san." Ayame sat up straighter. "He is too strong and agile for a doctor's assistant. I could feel the strength in his arms when he lifted me. He was very quick on his feet as well, you saw that yourself."

A new, unfamiliar feeling nudged Fai's chest. Fai dealt with it in the same way he dealt with any other emotion – a joke.

"Well, well, well! Is our Warrior Princess developing a crush?"

Ayame jumped and hit Fai on the shoulder. "Not now, you idiot! What I'm trying to say is, it doesn't add up."

Fai didn't suspect before, but now it was clear as day. The assistant's timely arrival, the doctor vouching for complete strangers in a town shrouded with fear, and even letting them stay in his house; it really didn't add up. Fai now understood the meaning behind Ayame's suspicious frown from earlier.

"They are hiding something. Both, Dr. Kyle and Sebastian," Ayame said, almost as if she was reading his mind. "I don't trust them. Not one bit."

A silence stretched between them, both lost in thought.

"So what do we do now?" Fai asked finally.

Ayame shrugged. "Nothing. We just go on. Pretend like we trust them. Just gut feeling is not enough to prove that they are up to something, don't you think?"

"Yeah."

There really was nothing they could do but observe their seemingly benevolent hosts, quietly and patiently.

Ayame got up and stretched her arms. "We should rest up, it's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

Fai felt his heart thud nervously. He had shared a room with people plenty of times; but a bed… he hadn't shared a bed with anyone other than his… Fai couldn't bring himself to complete the sentence in his head.

Even though it never seems to be the case, Fai felt uncomfortable having people around him all the time. Being always around was a sign of regularity. If something is regular, you start depending on it. If you start depending on it, you become attached to it. And after everything that has happened to him, attachment was the last thing he wanted. So far, he has been trying his best to keep a safe distance from his companions, trying his best not to get too used to them. But this, now, might change things.

He mentally kicked himself for being so impulsive. What was he thinking?

"Aya-chan, you should sleep on the bed… I'll be fine, right here on this chair," Fai said.

Ayame raised a sceptical eyebrow. "And why is that?" Then, after a pause, she added, "I hope it's not for my benefit. I've lived in battle camps for months, and trust me, the bed here is spacious in comparison to the sleeping arrangements there."

"And didn't anyone ever… you know… try anything with you?" Fai asked, doing his best to cover his worry with a veil of curiosity.

She took a step back and grinned at him, eyebrows raised. "Try anything, with me? Have you met me?"

"Point taken," Fai laughed. "But seriously,I'm fine here. Don't worry."

Ayame placed her hands on her hips and scoffed. She was having none of it.

"Fai D. Fluorite, you better tuck yourself in before I lift you by your bony neck, and do it myself."

Fai huffed indignantly. That tone. It took him back to Luval Castle, to the times when Ashura used to scold him for sneaking off wine bottles from the cellar. And he hated it. He would do anything, but obey. That's what he's going to do now as well.

Fai was not going to budge. "You sound like a grumpy nanny now, you know that?"

Ayame ignored the jibe. "Fai, I'm giving you one last chance."

"Well I refuse. What are you gonna do about it?" Fai snapped back.

Ayame blinked at him, surprised by his answer. Then, a smug smile sneaked across her face.

"If you don't sleep on the bed, I won't too."

Fai clicked his tongue disapprovingly. Why was she being so childish?

"Seriously, Aya-chan? That's, how you're going to play this? Blackmail?"

Ayame wasn't even the least bit ashamed. "Hey, whatever works, works."

Now he was intrigued. How far was Ayame willing to go?

"And you think this is going to work?"

Ayame gave him a sideways glance and said, "Oh, I know it's going to work." She then grabbed a particularly thick blanket from the pile on the bed, wrapped herself in it and burrowed into the chair, staring into the flames defiantly.

They sat quietly for some time. The comforting crackling of the fire, and the wind howling outside were the only sounds in the stubborn silence. And Fai simply waited. He knew what was going to happen. He could see it in his head – Ayame would lose her patience, jump up, wriggle out of the blanket, throw herself on the bed and say, 'You can do whatever you want. I'm going to sleep, thank you very much.'

Several minutes passed, Fai could tell by the sand trickling into the hourglass kept on the mantel, but Ayame didn't jump up as he'd expected her to. Instead she just sat next to him; he could see her fingers clutching the blanket for dear life. She was staring into the fire, as if the intensity of her gaze had the ability to scare the fire into being warmer. Her discomfort made him feel queasy, but so much he could take. He was stubborn enough for that. However, when Ayame started shivering so hard that Fai could see her knees knocking together, he was not so sure. By the time the chattering of her teeth joined the sound of the crackling fire, Fai decided that this has gone too far.

"Fine. Alright. I give up," he said, jumping to his feet, "You win. I will sleep on the bed. But, only if you tuck yourself in first."

He was stubborn, yes. But not stubborn enough to let someone's health take the hit. Especially when that someone had just recovered.

A small, triumphant smile bloomed on Ayame's face. "Just as I thought."

"What do you mean?" Fai asked.

But she didn't answer. Instead, Ayame hopped on the balls of her feet as she made the bed, grinning all the while.

When Fai prodded further, she replied with another question. "What do you mean by, what do you mean?"

"You know, what I mean," Fai huffed.

Again, she didn't answer. Fai glared at her, but that just made Ayame laugh.

"Fine, fine. I'll tell you," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "I knew I would start shivering soon. And, I also knew the moment that happens, you would cave."

"You risked falling sick to test out a theory?" Fai asked.

"Oh, I was not testing a theory. I was proving a fact."

Ayame sighed as the warm sheets enveloped her and she sunk into the soft bed.

"And the fact is that you are a caring person," she mumbled drowsily.

"Really…" Fai trailed off, watching Ayame's eyes grow heavy with sleep.

Caring. That was not the word Fai would use to describe himself. But he did like the sound of it.

"You should sleep soon, Fai-san," she said softly.

A thought whooshed its way into his head. He wrestled with himself, should he say it or not? A few seconds later, he decided to go ahead.

"You know, Aya-chan, since we are pretending to be engaged, I think it will be better if you call me Fai," he said.

Ayame, however, was already snoring softly. Fai chuckled.

"That's probably for the best."

Fai put out the fire, slipped into the other side of the bed and draped a single blanket over him; he was used to far lower temperatures.

"Good Night, Aya-chan."

XXX

Memories flash before Fai, like the fluttering pages of a book.

The first being his earliest memories. The clear spring sky; the towering pines and willows; walks in the palace garden; small hands clasped together so tight that they got a little sweaty; little feet tottering among blooming lilies, lavenders, and chamomile; a warm and comforting hand on his back, teaching him about the flora around him. The silly games of hide and seek, giggles echoing in the polished marble corridors. Fighting over the last piece of pudding. Tossing neatly piled autumn foliage into the air, screaming with glee, then watching with awe as the setting sun blazed golden life into the dead, browning leaves. Pillow fights way past bedtime. Sipping hot chocolate while cuddled in a warm quilt, watching the snow drift lazily down from the restless grey sky.

Those were the days, Fai thought, the days he lived without a single care about tomorrow.

But they didn't last long.

He is standing in the royal court of Valeria, surrounded by angry courtiers demanding sacrifice… demanding blood… demanding death to save a dying country. Emotions he remembered all too well course through him once more – desperation, fear, anger, hate, the will to survive against all odds. The king, his uncle, his own flesh and blood, declares the final verdict, to roaring applause. He tightens his grip on the hand of the person standing next to him. At least they will be together, he thinks.

The ground freezes below him. The cold wind rips through the rags on his small, bony body. Why? Why did they have to be separated? Wasn't being thrown into this eternal prison enough? There was only white nothingness as far as the eye could see. And scattered in the nothingness, the lifeless bodies of Valeria's vilest and cruellest. What had they ever done to deserve this?

Time passes. Fai sees himself starving in the shadow of the tower; sometimes sobbing, sometimes screaming, sometimes calling out to the one trapped above. But mostly, just staring at the frozen ground. He watches as the light almost leaves his clear blue eyes, watches as he becomes nothing more than a moving husk. He doesn't know how much time has passed, only that he just wants it all to end.

The mood changes when he sees innocent citizens being thrown into the frozen hell – old men with scrolls in their hands, young men wearing the army uniform, a little girl still holding on to her doll, a woman cradling her dead babe. He knows something has gone terribly wrong. That's when it kicks in, the adrenaline, the will to survive. He calls out to the one trapped in the tower, urges him to stay strong. They will not die here. They will not go down with the world that forsook them. They will get out.

He piles up bodies, doesn't matter if its man, woman, or child. He stacks them up, one by one, to reach the top, to reach his blood.

Fai knows what's coming next. He tries to stop. Tries to wake up. But the nightmare continues.

He can't get out.

He tries in vain to get out of the memory. He doesn't want to see it happen one more time… not again, never again.

And then, a miracle.

A warmth engulfs him. Fai reaches out to it, clings on to it for dear life, lets it seep into every single bone of his being. It pulls him away from this frozen nightmare. He lets it. It guides him into calming emptiness.

A voice rings through his dreams. It starts off mellow at first, then surges, eroding away the howling wind from the horrors of his life, little by little, till it was completely gone. A song, a beautiful, oddly familiar song, lulls him into dreamless sleep, into safety.

XXX

It was not the frigid morning air, nor the bar of sunlight streaming into the room through the windows, but the cock-a-doodle-doo of the roosters that finally woke Ayame. She rubbed her eyes groggily and pushed herself off the bed. She cringed a little when the floorboards creaked, worried the sound would wake Fai up. However, judging the way he had buried his face into two pillows, it was highly unlikely he heard anything at all.

"Good," she sighed, bringing his blanket up to his chin. He needed the sleep. It had taken Ayame a while to calm Fai down when he started to twist and stir in panic. Finally, when he calmed a little, she had sung a song she vaguely remembered to get him sleeping peacefully. She had often sung that very song to calm Yukito's nerves after a particularly bad vision.

"Somethings are an evergreen solution."

A peek out of the window told her it was still pretty early. A man was putting out the flames in the street lamps. A teenage boy was refilling the milk bottles kept outside the homes. She figured she could get another half an hour of sleep, but chose to wash up and get dressed for the day instead.

She picked out a lace blouse, similar to the one she wore the previous day, but in white this time. She decided to ditch the petticoats for a pair of black trousers. She chuckled to herself when she remembered the tailor's shocked face when she had asked to buy them. She then wore a deep purple wrap skirt over the pants, so as to avoid any unwanted attention; she and her little group had enough of that from the townsfolk already. She didn't want them to think that she had no regard for their culture and customs. When she finally managed to get her hair into a neat side braid, she tip-toed out of the room and shut the door softly behind her.

As Ayame made her way downstairs, she heard the raking of metal against coal… and then after a while, the clinking of cutlery against ceramic plates. Sebastian was awake as well, probably following his morning routine.

"Good Morning, Mr. Michaelis."

Sebastian, who was arranging forks and knives on the dining table, looked up and smiled. "Good Morning, Miss Ayame. You are up awfully early." With a frown, he added, "I apologise if my morning chores disturbed your sleep in anyway."

"No, not at all. I used to be a light sleeper, not anymore though." Ayame assured him.

"I see…" Sebastian said, more to himself than Ayame. She thought she saw something like surprise flicker in the red of his eyes. With a small bow, he added, "Since you are awake, I'll get the kettle boiling right away."

Ayame sat in the living room, skimming through a few leaflets on the coffee table – the renewed menu of the local diner, the timings for the weekly market, a new antique shop open in town, so on and so forth. One of them caught her eye: A lengthy one containing a series of security measures every household was expected to follow in light of the child kidnappings.

"Those were Dr. Kyle's idea," Sebastian said, setting a silver tray containing a steaming tea pot, a tea cup, and a bowl of sugar on the table. "He hoped that by taking the appropriate security measures, the situation could be somewhat contained. Unfortunately, it hasn't been working so far."

"Any luck last night?"

"No, I'm afraid. The children still remain missing." Sebastian poured tea into the cup. "You don't take milk and like two sugars, right, Miss Ayame?"

"Yes." Ayame sat up a little straighter to get a better look at Sebastian's face. "How did you know?"

Sebastian's usually calm demeanour rippled just a little. "I made a note of it last evening."

"You are quite observant, Mr. Michaelis. First the bedsheets, and now, the tea. And also, how could I forget yesterday's rescue? You were very quick on your feet there. I would say you are well trained, and very qualified." After a pause, she added, "Too trained to be just a doctor's assistant."

Sebastian held her gaze for a few seconds before tipping his head down a little. "You overestimate me, Miss. I am nothing but a humble assistant."

Ayame searched his face for any sign of a lie – a small twitch in a muscle, tiniest uncertainty in the eyes. But Sebastian's sharp, chiselled features gave nothing away. The polite smiled stayed as he mixed the tea and the sugar and handed the cup over to Ayame.

"Thank you."

"It is my duty, Miss Ayame. If you require anything, you need only ask."

Sebastian continued making preparations for breakfast. Ayame went through the safety leaflet once more. It had clear instructions and a list of precautionary measures – it advised everyone in town to change the locks on their doors and windows, discouraged making copies of the new keys, instructions to shut the doors after sundown and not allow anyone in or out whatsoever. In case of emergencies, a password was to be shared with only the ones they trusted the most. Parents were to keep a close eye on their children for any behavioural changes. And it continued on and on.

The advice the doctor gave was sound and accurate. Not something a person involved with the kidnappings would do. But then again, Ayame couldn't shake off the fact that something was wrong, that she was missing something.

She sipped the tea and was about to continue to go through the brochure. However, when the warm liquid hit her taste buds, every thought in her head vanished without a trace. The sweetness, the aroma, the strength of the brew, the after taste it left in her mouth… was exactly like the tea in Clow Country.

For a moment, she felt herself going back to the times when she sat in the porch of her little house right near the palace barracks; the house she lived in till Touya made her move back into the palace. The desert wind blew, stirring up dust and sand. She heard the panting and groaning of the recruits exhausted from the days training. She remembered the pale blue morning sky when she and Touya sparred, Yukito watching with a mixture of amusement and pride. The blinding white sunlight as the clock struck noon, the time of the day when she and Lafarga discussed everything about the army, from patrols to weapons to the whispers from their intelligence network over lunch. She remembered the world painted with the beautiful rose gold of the sunset when Syaoran used to drop by and tell her all about the excavations. And then the midnight black sky peppered with twinkling stars when Sakura sneaked out of her quarters and the sisters talked into the night about anything and everything two sisters could possibly talk about.

The tea made her yearn for home, the not-so-perfect, yet beautiful life she had before the madness began.

"Is the tea to your liking, Miss Ayame?"

Ayame's eyes snapped open to find Sebastian standing near the coffee table, his face carrying his customary polite smile. However this time, she could see an amusing light dancing in his eyes, as if there was a joke being played and he was the only one in on it.

"A foreign vendor came into town a few days ago. He had a variety of exquisite merchandise, but this particular tea caught my eye," he continued, "I have never seen anything like it before. I tried my best to follow the instructions he gave me. I hope it's, at the very least, drinkable."

"No, no. I'm sure you did everything right. It's quite good," Ayame replied, pulling herself together. The sudden nostalgia had shaken her more than she would like to admit.

"I'm glad you liked it."

Ayame was saved the trouble of replying by soft, thumping sounds coming from above.

"I think it's safe to assume that your companions are awake," Sebastian noted, glancing at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I think so too," Ayame said, a little relieved. "I better go, they might worry."

"Yes of course," Sebastian said with a small bow. "However, I urge you all to be here soon, breakfast is almost ready."

Ayame emptied her cup with a single gulp and said, "I will get them down as soon as I can."

As Ayame made her way back up, the taste of the tea still lingered on her tongue. How could that same tea be right here, right now? Practically speaking, it was just a coincidence. However, the words of the Dimensional Witch came to her: 'There is no such thing as coincidence in this world, there is only destiny.' What was destiny trying to tell her? Does it mean that there is something suspicious about Dr. Kyle and Sebastian?

On one hand, they help with the search for the children every night, they put out safety brochures to help families keep their children safe. And on the other hand, they seemed to be at the right place at the right time, invited complete strangers into their home, a very big home for someone who was the doctor of a small town, not to forget the obviously over-qualified assistant.

She kept turning all this over in her head, when a sudden thought popped. It made her stop in her tracks. Last evening, it was Dr. Kyle, not Sebastian, who poured out the tea. He had put in the milk before asking her. Ayame had taken it that way out of politeness. Not once had she mentioned her preference.

She stopped at the landing and turned around. Sebastian was busy stirring a pot and checking its contents. A few seconds later, he stopped and looked up, as though he felt her eyes on him.

He offered her a smile, just a tad bit wider than the one that usually adorned his handsome face, and asked, "Is something the matter, Miss Ayame?"

Ayame looked straight into his bright red eyes and smiled back. "Not at all, Mr. Michaelis. I just remembered something important."

She held his gaze for a moment longer, before turning her back on him and continuing her way upstairs; only one single question in her head now.

How the hell did Sebastian Michaelis know?

XXX

A/N: I hope you guys can forgive me. I've had a crazy time since the last update. Didn't think the working life would be so hard! But no matter what, I am determined to see this story through. You all have been so wonderfully patient with me, it just gives me more motivation to move forward.

It was fun, writing this chapter. It's the longest one yet. A special thanks to Tonight's The Night for taking time and writing a very long, very helpful review. It really helped re-evaluate a couple of things and helped me get better.

If guys love it, hate it, have any comments or insights, or even want to give me a good scolding for putting this up so late, do write a review.

Until the next time! (Hopefully in a month)