Hey, everyone! Here's chapter 5! Sorry it took me a bit longer for this one-I had trouble figuring out how to write it and once I finally did I basically tripped and fell on my wrist so I couldn't type for a couple days ahahah... (sweatdrops)

As always, I don't own Gakuen Alice, Yumeiro Patissiere or Kitchen Princess! (Although I just bought the second omnibus for KP-I have to complete the collection soon!) Pretty soon Mikan will actually start cooking-you know, once this "clear up the past" business is done.

Finally, thank you to everybody who read, reviewed, and followed/favorited this fic! I really hope you're all enjoying it! Now, without further ado, here is chapter five!

Flashback: Mikan's POV

Present: Hotaru's POV (the ending bit is third person POV)

MONKEY

Almost there! Just a little bit more and I'll be able to make Hotaru the most delicious apple cider punch to go with the scones I baked earlier! After all, the apple trees at Gakuen Academy produced some of the juiciest, ripest, sweetest, reddest apples ever! I smiled, thinking of my dear Hotaru. She had a huge presentation for her latest invention coming up and was working way past midnight for the last few nights. I obviously couldn't help her with designing the presentation, or the details of her invention, and as a result left her alone. But every time I see her, she just looks so tired. So that got me thinking: what could I do to help Hotaru? And that's when I decided that the best way to help Hotaru would be to make her something to eat, especially because she's been skipping meals to work. I reached my arm out just a bit more before the apple was in my palm.

CRACK! My eyes widened in alarm as I slowly glanced behind me at the branch I precariously balanced on. There was a huge crack running down the side of the branch, and it was tipping lower and lower. I let go of the apple in panic before cautiously inching my way back towards the main part of the tree.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I shrieked with all my might as the branch finally broke with me only halfway back to the trunk. I desperately clung on to the branch. God! Grandpa! ANYBODY UP THERE! PLEASE HELP ME! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE! I HAVEN'T EVEN FALLEN IN LOVE, OR HELPED HOTARU, OR GOTTEN BACK AT JIN-JIN FOR ALL THOSE DETENTIONS, OR MADE NATSUME PAY FOR CALLING ME POLKA-DOTS OR-I let out a grunt, my thoughts completely cut off as the branch smacked the forest floor with great force.

Sharp tendrils of pain shot up from my leg, and when I finally opened my eyes to look, I was horrified to see a huge gash running down my shin. Blood was slowly pooling out of the cut, and tears dotted my face. I bit my lip hard in an effort to calm down, before seeing my backpack near the base of the tree. There was a first aid kid with some gauze and wipes inside, and I realized I had to stop the bleeding as best as I could. After expending a lot of effort crawling over to my bag, I grabbed the kit and began wiping at the gash with the antiseptic wipes, groaning at the pain the alcohol provided. Ignoring my now completely ruined pants, I used the gauze and bandages to secure the wound as best as possible, before wrapping my sweat-shirt tightly around my whole calf in support. I sprawled back, attempting to regain my breath before a hiss of pain escaped my lips as I tried to move my leg to stand. I quickly realized there was no way I would be able to crawl, let alone walk, back to campus. All I could do was wait for somebody to find me.

I wasn't sure how many hours had passed, but the sun was beginning to set. I had finally adjusted to the pain in my leg and was pleased when it stopped bleeding. Nevertheless, I still wasn't in the condition to walk, and I frowned at the sky as I realized if the sun was going to set, everyone would be going to bed and nobody would be searching for me. My stomach was grumbling angrily, and I was fighting a losing battle against my tears. Hotaru's right, I really am a crybaby. Hotaru….just the thought broke my resolve and I finally started sobbing. What if I died out here? What if I never got to see Hotaru again, or mom and dad, or Youichi or Ruka or…..or even that stupid Natsume? My wails only intensified at the thought of losing everything out here because I'd be eaten by wolves, or worse: starve to death!

"Geez, you're so loud. It's a wonder nobody's found you yet, polka-dots." Great, now I'm even starting to hear Natsume's voice in my head. Forget starving to death; I was going to die from going mentally insane! But I...I...I…..I DON'T WANT TO GO CRAZY! I was crying so hard that I started hiccuping, and I could feel my nose running.

"Now that's… a sorry sight. I didn't think it was possible, but you look even uglier when you cry. Besides, you're already crazy polka. Now come on, let's get outta here. Everyone's been searching like crazy for you, while you're just sitting here under some stupid tree. Tch." I slowly opened my eyes before seeing Natsume's crimson ones staring right back with a look of disgust. I blinked a few times, stunned to see the real thing standing in front of me with his hands in his pockets.

"Do you mind? I know I'm good-looking, but most people don't stare at me the way you are right now. Now get up already-the sun's starting to set, and I'd rather not be stuck in a dark forest with you," Natsume intoned in his typical bored voice. Although...it was tinged with a hint of concern. Looking closer into his eyes, I could see the same concern masked underneath, and that was when it dawned on me that Natsume was searching for me. I wiped my tears from my face quickly.

"How...how long have you been searching?" I asked, my voice hoarse from crying. Natsume stared at me for a beat, before turning away and nonchalantly replying,

"Too long, if you ask me. That stupid inventor was the first to notice you were missing: when she couldn't find you in your usual places she got all of us-including me and Ruka- to look for you." I giggled softly, realizing that she must have blackmailed Ruka and Natsume into helping. Hotaru really is the bestest friend! Too caught up in my happiness at being found, I began to stand up. Only to fall back down with a shout of pain at the cold reminder that I couldn't walk in my current state.

"Hey….What's wrong with your leg, Polka?" Natsume inquired, suddenly crouching in front of my damaged appendage and examining it. He shifted it slightly, and I tried to hide my wince but he caught it anyway. Natsume rose an eyebrow at me, impatient to hear what happened. I bit my lip, not wanting to divulge that I fell out of a tree. He already thought I was a ruffian! Now he would think I was a monkey too! Oh wait, monkeys don't fall out of trees, now do they? I don't even deserve to be called a monkey! What if Natsume decided to leave me here because he didn't think I was worth saving?! I could feel Natsume's stare, and it was making me extremely uncomfortable as I fidgeted and avoided his searching gaze. Natsume scoffed before walking over to the base of the tree and snatching my backpack. He faced the tree for a moment and then suddenly turned around and crouched down.

"Look, I frankly don't care what happened to you. But clearly you're not in the condition to walk, so just get on my back already." On his...back? I felt a strange sense of relief as I realized Natsume was offering to give me a piggyback ride. It was silly of me to think that Natsume would leave me here-he may act like an egotistical jerk, but deep down he does care about other people. I slowly crawled over to Natsume and took my backpack from him before carefully climbing onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his shirt. The way my leg was angled was a little painful, but I didn't complain because I would finally be able to go home. Natsume stood up and secured me on his back before heading off.

"Natsume… Thank you…"

"Tch. Whatever, Polka." Natsume glanced over his shoulder at me before smirking and turning back to the front. I was amazed by how strong he was-I knew I wasn't exactly the lightest thing in the world, yet he wasn't even breaking a sweat carrying me. A twinge of guilt hit me as I realized that the least I could do is tell him what happened to me; he was trying so hard to help me and yet all I could think of was how embarrassing it would be if I told him the truth. I steeled my resolve before softly saying,

"Natsume...the truth is that the branch I was on broke and landed on me. I...basically fell out of the tree." I blushed, embarrassed, expecting him to burst out in mocking laughter.

"Tch, just what I'd expect from such a clumsy girl. What were you doing so high up the tree in the first place, polka?" I lifted my face up to peek at his expression, only to find him smirking! Damn Natsume and his stupid smirk! I wasn't going to tell him anything anymore!

"It's...NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! And quit calling me polka, you pervert!"

"Is that how you thank the person who's saving you? Besides, if you don't answer I'll just drop you. You can crawl back to the academy by yourself." I blanched, realizing that not only was I being a bit ungrateful (only a bit, mind you. There's a limit to how grateful a person can feel towards such a sarcastic meany), but Natsume was totally being serious about dropping me. I coughed lightly, before pouting and finally telling the truth.

"Fine. I climbed the tree to get an apple so I could make some apple cider punch to go with the scones I baked for Hotaru. She's been super busy with the presentation lately, and I really wanted to do something for her. Since she was skipping meals, I thought maybe I could make some food for her and Hotaru really loves apples, especially the ones from the Academy..." I trailed off, not knowing what else to say. Natsume was silent for a while as he continued walking before saying,

"Did you get an apple then, Polka?" Great, another unwanted question.

"I...I….I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU-"

"I'll drop you."

"...I didn't get it. The branch broke right as I was about to pick the apple…" Natsume let out a slight laugh and I puffed my cheeks before tucking my face further into his back. As much as I hated to admit it...Natsume smelled kind of good. A bit like mint. I blushed at the thought and quickly moved my head away from his back. Natsume just glanced at me again, curious at the action, and I looked away before he could see my pink cheeks.

"Hnnnnn… so I get how you fell. But where did you get the supplies to bandage your leg? Unless someone saw you...and didn't take you to the hospital?" Natsume ended, a dangerous note entering his voice that confused me. What was he so upset about anyway? Oh well, this question I didn't mind answering.

"Oh, I always carry a full first aid kit around with me in my backpack. I guess it really came in handy today!"

"Yes, it did. Although I am curious, why would such a clumsy little girl be prepared enough to carry around a first aid kit?"

"HEY! You don't have to insult me, you know! Besides, I have to be prepared. Cooking can be pretty dangerous: glassware, fires, sharp utensils and all."

"...That's right. My parents mentioned something about you being really good in the kitchen or something like that. Is that what you do with your free time? Mess up pristine kitchens with your failed creations?"

"I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PRAISED ME FOR MY COOKING, YOU CONCEITED LITTLE-"

"And I can still drop you whenever I want, polka, so I suggest you not finish that sentence." I scowled at his back before finally deciding to close my mouth. That was when I noticed we had emerged out of the forest and were heading towards the school entrance. I felt a soft smile slip on my face as I realized that Natsume really had saved me.

As we got closer and closer to the entrance gate, I saw a lot of people pacing anxiously. One of them shouted to the others once they saw us and everyone quickly came running over.

"Mikan! Thank goodness you're alright! Don't ever go off like that again!" Narumi Sensei immediately cut in, helping me off of Natsume's back. "Natsume. Thank you for finding Mikan and bringing her back. I see now that her leg is injured; we'll take her to the hospital from here."

BAKA BAKA BAKA! I watched as Hotaru fired her gun right next to me, blank mask still in place. I could see slight tear stains on her cheeks though and realized how worried Hotaru must have been. I sent her a soft smile, reassuring her that I was alright, before reaching over and giving Hotaru a hug. For once, she returned it and I sighed before whispering an apology to her.

"OH MIKAN! MIKAN! YOU'RE NOT HURT ARE YOU? OH, YOUR LEG! IZUMIIIIII! GET OVER HERE NOW! WE HAVE TO TAKE MIKAN TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW!" The shrill voice of my mother suddenly cut through the crowd, as Yuka Sakura herself rushed over and swept me in a giant hug. I laughed before hugging my mother back.

"Well, looks like you're in good hands, Polka, so I'll be off now. I've got better things to do than watch you reunite with your family." Natsume cut in, before turning and stalking away. I remained in my mother's hug, completely ignoring her remarks as I couldn't take my eyes off Natsume.

"Oh, and one more thing," Natsume said, suddenly stopping in place. "Check your backpack." With that last strange remark, he raised a hand in goodbye and left the entrance. I stared at Hotaru, who had witnessed his exit, and tilted my head in confusion. She shrugged before handing me my backpack and I immediately yanked the zip open. My eyes widened in surprise. There, right in the middle of the main pouch, lay a beautiful, ripe red apple. When did Natsume….? Maybe when he first got my backpack? But then...he didn't know I was searching for apples at that time. I smiled, realizing that it didn't really matter because I would never understand how he knew. Thank you….Natsume...

"What happened, Hyuuga?" I asked coldly as I pictured my best friend. I looked at Natsume, who only sent me a glare before looking out towards the frozen lake in front of the cabin. We were currently on the porch of Natsume and Mikan's cabin.

"Nothing." I could feel my irritation building and attempted to reign it in.

"I'm only going to ask one more time. What. Did. You. Do?"

"Nothing, Imai." That's it! I let rage break my blank facade before snapping at the irritable character in front of me.

"Don't give me that. I know something happened between the two of you last night."

"Oh? Do tell me where you got such unreliable information, Imai," Natsume spat back, finally turning to face me with narrowed eyes. I felt a smirk slip on my face, before replying,

"Have you forgotten who I am, dear cousin? You of all people should recall how adept I am at gathering information." Of course, he was actually right. I didn't have proof if something had transpired last night. But I figured if I pushed hard enough I would find out. Natsume scowled at me before looking back out towards the lake.

"I know you don't actually have any idea Imai-I'm not as gullible as the idiot you call your best friend. But since you're not going to stop harping about it, I'll tell you. I kissed her and she blacked out." I sighed before pinching the bridge of my nose and elaborating upon his response. This Baka basically stole Mikan's first kiss and she probably blacked out because she had a memory flashback or something like that. At the rate this was going, I'd be needing my Baka gun soon.

"Really, Hyuuga? Was that necessary?"

"That's what she gets, Imai. She dared to challenge me, and a Hyuuga never backs away from a challenge. If it scared her, then good. That bitch deserves much worse than a good kiss after what she did," Natsume growled, anger lacing his tone. My eyes narrowed in anger myself as I realized the trauma his actions would have caused Mikan. Although I couldn't blame him for wanting to exact his revenge. Natsume didn't know the truth about what happened all those years ago and why Mikan didn't contact him. And now it was up to me to protect my best friend by telling him. I took a deep breath, before turning towards my moody cousin.

"Hyuuga. I know what you think of Mikan, but what happened in the past isn't her fault."

"Don't even start. Do you really think I'll believe any excuses you make up for her? The fact of the matter is that she completely betrayed me. Do you have ANY idea how many letters came back to me with a "rescinded" notice? How many calls went straight to voicemail, before that bastard Izumi finally responded only to tell me to "leave their family in peace? I frickin flew all the way to Japan just to find her, and when I did she betrayed me in the worst way possible. And you expect me to suddenly forgive her? You're delusional, Imai." Natsume turned cruel eyes towards me, before jumping off the porch and trudging through the snow towards the lake. I bit my lip, annoyed at how he completely dismissed me before following him. I suppose it was quite naive of me, but I never realized the extent to which Mikan's family had brushed Natsume off. Although I wasn't sure what he was referring to when he came to Japan to find Mikan. I finally caught up to Natsume, who was hurling stones at the frozen lake with extreme force.

"Hyuuga. Don't interrupt me this time, or else I'll sell your baby photos to all your fangirls," I began, smirking when he turned towards me with a slight grimace and look of disgust. "Before I educate your irrational mind, I have a question for you. Why did you agree to this engagement with Mikan if you hate her so much?" I had a suspicion that he had only accepted to ruin Mikan's life, and until I cleared that suspicion I wasn't going to tell the brat anything.

Natsume scoffed before replying, "Are you really dumb enough to ask me that Imai? As my cousin, some of the Hyuuga genius genes must have passed to you." My eyebrow ticked in irritation at the insinuation that I was dumb, but I kept my words locked away, unsatisfied with his response. Natsume glanced at me before grunting and throwing another stone. I glanced at his hands, which were beginning to turn red from the snow he shook off the rocks.

"Fine. I'm going to marry her and make her life miserable. Since she's marrying me for the sake of her parents, she won't dare to leave the arrangement. Mikan Sakura will suffer for all the turmoil she's caused me." I snorted. Ruka was completely right-Hyuuga clearly didn't know what he wanted himself. I had never believed it possible for my cousin to be so stupid, but this half-baked plan was a new low. Which meant I still had a shot of convincing him that his version of the past is incorrect.

"You're being childish. Especially considering Mikan didn't betray you intentionally."

"This again? What are you trying to pull with your lies? You and the bitch must be on the same page: after all, both of you are claiming innocence."

"Look here, Hyuuga. I'm only going to say this once, so listen. Mikan lost her memory."

"...What? Is that the best excuse you could come up with? That's ridiculous, Imai," Natsume responded. I didn't miss the slight trace of hesitation in his voice and I realized Natsume was starting to fill in the blanks. Why Mikan had never been the one to respond to his letters or calls. Why Mikan hadn't even recognized him at the airport. Why Mikan kept blacking out suddenly.

"It's the truth. The day that your family left, Mikan was in a car accident. She was in a coma for a few months, and when she finally woke up all her memories of the past year were gone." I carefully watched Natsume, who ran a hand through his hair before hurling another rock at the lake.

"If she lost all her memories, then why does she remember you and Ruka?"

"It took a full week, but she regained all of her memories from that year. All of her memories except for the ones with you. At first, she kept asking about a boy with crimson eyes, and we all thought she was going to remember you. The doctor suggested calling you over, but by then your family had already left. So we showed Mikan a photo of the two of you instead. Her reaction...was terrifying, to say the least. She had a violent seizure, before blacking out completely. When she awoke, the doctor warned us to never mention you again, as you were the trigger to this behavior."

"...So then Mikan is never going to remember me again? And if I'm the "trigger" then why isn't she blacking out now?"

"I think it's because she hasn't made the connection that you and the boy from that picture are the same person. As for remembering you, the doctor said she would have to regain those memories by herself. Otherwise, it was not only dangerous but impossible."

"So then that's why her entire family cut off contact with all of us?"

"Yes, Hyuuga." Natsume silently watched the lake and I waited, giving him time to process what I just told him. It was beginning to get a little cold and a peek at the sky confirmed snow was coming soon. He looked up at me then, with frigid cold eyes.

"Why the hell didn't any of you tell me this? Did you think it was funny, leading me around blindly?" I let out a sigh, feeling a bit sorry for my cousin. But it wasn't my choice to keep it from him.

"If it were up to me, you would have known years ago. I couldn't tell you because I promised Mikan's parents and I never break a promise. Hell, I only told Ruka recently. If you want to know why you were kept in the dark, you'll have to ask Auntie Yuka and Uncle Izumi." Natsume's jaw tightened and I could tell he was gritting his teeth. He grabbed another stone and sent it flying across the lake. After hearing the very audible crack that resonated on the ice, I headed back towards the porch, deciding to give Natsume some private time. I plopped down on one of the few porch chairs that weren't covered in a fine layer of snow before closing my eyes and waiting silently. I was going through the parts of a new invention when Natsume suddenly slammed his hand down on the table in front of me. I slowly opened my eyes, slighted by the fact that he chose to interrupt in the middle of an invention idea. I think Natsume saw the murderous look on my face, as he took a slight step back before sitting down in the chair nearby. I rose a single eyebrow at him, took in his red cheeks and waited for him to speak.

"Why have you told me all of this now?" It's about time he asked that question. I was getting a bit bored waiting.

"Simple. I got sick of seeing the two of you suffer. As hard as it might be to believe the "ice queen" actually has feelings, Mikan happens to be my best friend. And you? Well, I truly couldn't care less about you. But Ruka does, for some reason, so I'm helping you for him. Besides, Mikan won't stop complaining about you, and frankly, it's getting a bit annoying. So stop being an ass so she'll stop bothering me." Natsume shook his head at my response, mumbling something along the lines of "Typical of the ice witch. What does Ruka see in her?" I cocked a brow before patting my pocket with the Baka gun in warning. Natsume got the idea, and immediately shut up. It was a while before he commented,

"You ask me to 'stop being an ass.' I assume that means you want me to go back to loving Mikan; to make her fall in love with me again?"

"It's about time you got it. Sheesh." I stared out at the lake, a small smile on my face as I realized that Natsume might finally let go of his ridiculous notions of revenge.

"I still think you're delusional. There's no way that's going to happen, Imai." My smile immediately wiped off as I rolled my eyes. Once an idiot, always an idiot. I let out a puff of breath, watching as the cold air fanned it out widely.

"And why is that, Hyuuga?"

"Simple. Mikan may not be responsible for all those calls or letters. But she's still responsible for what happened that day. I saw her, Imai. Not her mother, not her father. Mikan Sakura herself." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before staring at him blankly.

"Congratulations. You saw her. And that means what exactly?"

"Don't get bitchy. She hugged a guy and he kissed her on the forehead before swinging her around. And she was definitely very very happy about it." I maintained my blank stare, trying to comprehend what the hell he was blabbing about. Mikan's never had a single boyfriend-even if she tried to maintain a secret relationship I would have found out. The behavior Natsume was describing was typical only in a relationship. It suddenly dawned on me who the only boy is that could get away with that sort of behavior with Mikan.

"Did he happen to have a star tattoo under one of his eyes? Blue hair too?" Natsume stared at me, a quick look of surprise flitting across his face before it disappeared. The action amused me as I realized how similar we were as cousins. Both of us were emotionless-facade masters. Although I was definitely better than him at it.

"Ya, he did. I'd never forget that bastard's face." I smirked. Oh yes, I was definitely far superior to my cousin. For one thing, I don't believe stupid sights.

"You know, for a genius you sure are slow. I think I should call the magazines and tell them my cousin is actually an idiot. That guy's name is Tsubasa Andou-"

"I don't give a crap what his name is, Imai. He can go burn in hell for all I care."

"If you interrupt me again I'll shoot you into the lake. Now, as I was saying, his name is Tsubasa. And he's happily married to Misaki Harada. In fact, their first kid is probably due in a couple weeks. What you saw was just the way Tsubasa always greets Mikan. Mikan's nothing more than a little sister to him, and for her, he's just an older brother type of figure. Like Ruka." This time a soft chuckle escaped my facade as I saw the look of absolute shock overcome Natsume. It wasn't often my cousin revealed his emotions, and I immediately whipped out my camera to capture the moment for his fangirls. Natsume snapped out of it at the camera flash, but I had already hidden my camera before he could even fathom stealing it. He sent a glare my way before it faded away to blankness.

"Then...that guy...and Mikan…."

"Yup. They're not and never will be a thing. Natsume, both Ruka and I know you still love Mikan. So why don't you make her fall in love with you again?"

"Even if she isn't a thing with that bastard, she doesn't even remember me, Imai! What am I supposed to do?" I sighed, realizing how insecure Natsume was about Mikan right now.

"You idiot. She hasn't even tried dating in all these years, claiming that she never could 'find the right guy.' That's because even if she forgot, her heart never did. The only person who could possibly be the right guy for her is you. Now get off your ass and make her fall for you again, or else I really will blast you into the lake. More than once," I hissed, irritated at how I had to give him a pep talk. This better work, or else I'm shooting him. Ruka can pick up the pieces later.

"And just how do you propose I go about doing that? Mikan probably hates me right now," Natsume responded, standing up and scowling at me. That's it. I stood up in annoyance before grabbing my Baka gun.

BAKA BAKA BAKA! I rolled my eyes as Natsume nimbly dodged each bullet before placing his hands in his pockets. Cocky brat. Oh well, I have better things to do with my life than target Hyuuga.

"RUKA! Come on! We're leaving!" I yelled into the house, before grabbing my bag and heading off to the car. Ruka and I walked to their cabin in the morning, but this time we were taking the car back, especially because it finally started snowing. I opened the trunk and tossed my bag in, before heading over to the passenger seat.

"Hey, Imai. I'll give it a shot-there's no way I'm letting polka-dots forget the great Natsume Hyuuga." I smiled at the door for a moment before turning back to the "great" Hyuuga.

"Whatever. Just don't screw it up." With that, I slammed the door open and got in. Ruka eventually emerged from the cabin and paused next to Natsume. They had a brief conversation before Ruka gestured towards me. He gave a quick wave in goodbye before running down and hopping into the driver's seat. Ruka started the engine to turn on the heater and then stared at me for a while. He didn't say anything though and instead started back towards our cabin.

Third person POV from here:

Hotaru stared up at the sky, watching the soft snowflakes fall from her position on the porch swing. A blanket wrapped around her, she calmly pondered the outcome of Natsume and Mikan's relationship. Her blank facade was finally broken alone in solitude, and worry creased her eyebrows as she stared at the white sky.

SLAM

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ruka asked, the cabin door slamming behind him as he approached Hotaru with two steaming mugs of cocoa. Hotaru blinked before cheekily replying,

"Maybe a million pennies and I'll consider sharing." Ruka grinned, glancing down at one of the mugs. He extended the mug towards Hotaru.

"I don't know about a million pennies, but I can part with some cocoa. How 'bout it, dear?" A soft smile slipped onto the ice queen's face, as she turned towards Ruka who was now sitting next to her on the swing.

"Hmmmm….That's a pretty hard deal to refuse. Although I still would prefer a million pennies." Ruka chuckled at her response before handing Hotaru the mug. He took a sip from his own before snatching a corner of the blanket and settling in closer to Hotaru. Ruka patiently took another sip, before sending an encouraging smile towards Hotaru who only sighed in response.

"I'm worried…."

"About Natsume and Mikan?"

"Yes. Mikan still doesn't remember anything about Natsume and I don't know if she ever will. On top of that, I managed to convince Natsume that she lost her memories. But he seems extremely hesitant to be with her again and I honestly don't know how it's going to work out. What if the past...somehow repeats itself all over again?" Hotaru blurted out. Ruka concealed his expression, surprised to have heard the ice queen so vocal about her problems. He smiled then, realizing she must trust him a lot to have dropped her typical facade.

"You're worrying too much, Hotaru. Think about it: if Natsume and Mikan weren't destined to be together, then why would we all have met up in Greenland of all places? Why would a huge snowstorm have hit now, forcing the two of them to reunite? While I admit that what happened in the past was quite horrible, I believe that the present will yield a much better outcome."

"What makes you say that, Ruka?"

"Simple. Fate separated them when they were kids, but now it's working to bring them back together even stronger than ever. Not to mention the fact that they have a genius, gorgeous inventor and a charming prince as best friends to slap them if they act like idiots this time," Ruka languidly replied, ending his speech with a sexy wink at his fiancee. Hotaru snorted in response, but Ruka still caught the slight pink on her cheeks at being called gorgeous. He sent her a cheeky smile and took another sip of his cocoa. The two enjoyed the warmth of the blanket for a while longer before Hotaru recalled the brief conversation Ruka had with Natsume before they came back to the cabin.

"Neh, Ruka? What did you tell Natsume on your way out of their cabin?"

"Not much. Just to give Mikan another chance, as she was willing to give him one. Also that she had a surprise waiting for him inside. Oh, and if he hurts her again like whatever he did last night then I'll deck him." Hotaru snickered quietly at the thought of Ruka decking Natsume before she shot him into the lake. She sobered before inquiring,

"What surprise is that, exactly? Knowing Mikan though, it's probably something food-related."

"Right as usual. And ironically she chose strawberries." Hotaru smirked at the thought of Mikan using strawberries herself before agreeing with Ruka about how funny fate could be. She then glanced up at the sky in discontent when a snowflake landed on her eyelash. An image of Sheila flashed through her mind, bringing out a scowl at the thought of the flight attendant's incompetence. Another snowflake intruded upon her lashes and her scowl deepened.

"Ruka, it's still snowing. Which means we may be stuck out here longer than we thought, and since the announcement to the press about our engagement is scheduled for next week…"

"Oh, that? Well, I frankly don't care if the press has to wait a little longer, especially if it means spending more time with you. It's been pretty busy lately, what with work getting in the way-I fully plan to enjoy this respite. To hell with the press and the announcement; as long as I'm with you it doesn't matter who else knows." Hotaru smiled at Ruka's sweet words, before decidedly challenging him.

"Is that a fact? I recall quite a different mindset as kids-you tried your absolute hardest to get away from me so I couldn't take pictures. Ironically you always ended up chasing me to get the shots back, although it was in vain. It's hard to trump a genius after all." Hotaru sent a victorious smirk towards Ruka. It was quickly neutralized when Ruka flashed her a sexy smile before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. After placing both of their cocoa mugs on the nearby table, he leaned closer and feathered kisses along her face teasingly. Hotaru let out a slight moan and Ruka finally pressed his lips against hers. Hotaru closed her eyes, waiting for Ruka to kiss her fully, only to open them in irritation when she felt him mumble instead,

"It's not that hard to trump you, dear. I just let you win as kids." Ruka grinned before deeply kissing Hotaru on the lips. Hotaru placed her palm on his cheek and leaned in closer as Ruka wrapped one arm around her waist and moved the other arm towards the back of her hair.

"AAAHHH! WHAT THE…?!" Hotaru yelled, downright pissed at the stunt Ruka pulled. She quickly reached behind her shirt to remove the remainder of the cold snowball and then shot Ruka a very frigid glare that definitely ranked high in the Ice Queen's repertoire of dirty and angry looks. Ruka burst out in laughter as a response before jumping off the swing to escape. Too bad he didn't make it far.

BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA! Hotaru angrily fired her Baka gun at Ruka, before nailing the final shot and raising a cool eyebrow at her fiance who was now sprawled completely face down in the snow. Ruka got up from the snow, sending a sheepish grin towards Hotaru, who helped him up from the floor. She yanked him closer by his collar, before issuing out a warning.

"Next time you do that, Ruka, I'll launch you into the frozen lake along with your stupid best friend. But...thank you for the cocoa." Hotaru waved her Baka gun to reinforce the threat before stalking into the cabin with the two empty mugs. Ruka stared stupidly after her before smiling and shaking his head.

"I have got to get that Baka gun away from her. Preferably before she gets pregnant with our first child."

Wow, that was... actually a super hard chapter to write. I had a bit of trouble with the flashback because a lot of the beginning stuff was Mikan's thoughts and actions. At first, I made it so that when she fell off the tree it was already sunset, but then the timeline didn't fit well with Natsume's arrival and I had to completely rewrite that part. Then there was her injury-I knew she couldn't walk, but I didn't know what kind of injury to give her leg! In the end, I decided to pick a gash so that she could wrap it; mainly because I wanted Natsume to ask her why she had a first aid kit. I always carry a full first aid kit with me and am always being asked why I have it on me-I guess that was the first idea that popped into my head and I just sorta rolled with it.

I was also kinda worried about how Hotaru's POV turned out-I've never written her POV ever, and she's completely different from my personality. I'm a bit similar to Mikan, so I can kind of relate to her. But Hotaru? Yikes...I hope it turned out alright though-and isn't OOC! Haha, I also had to rewrite part of the present because I totally 100% forgot they were in the middle of a snowstorm and Natsume's rock throwing wouldn't result in ripples if the lake was frozen solid. I did enjoy writing the bit of Rukaru there at the end-although I'm not really sure if it turned out very fluffy at all haha!

Anyways, please tell me how you feel about this chapter (and the story in general)! I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading! The next chapter will be the formation of a bit of a truce between Mikan and Natsume! (And finally some food!)

~Breezylyn