A/N: Wow.. there was a really long gap between this and the last update.. I can't apologise enough. Thank you to everyone still following this story. This has pretty much been the year from hell for me work-wise and I was so close to losing the flat I moved into with my boyfriend because of money problems but I managed to scrape enough freelance work to get by and I think the worst is now behind me. (couldnt help but mirror that a bit in this chapter.. as well as the bit about the housemate's new boyfriend.. pff)

Anyway.. I know that's a terrible excuse. I've already written half of the next chapter and the entire epilogue so I really really will try and get this fic finished when I can. I already have an idea for the next one! I'm awful Well here goes Chapter 19. I think there'll be either 2 or 3 more chapters after this. This chapter is mostly tying up all the loose ends so we can clear way for the drama hehe

Reimi's eyelids fluttered open slowly as the obnoxiously loud sound of her alarm clock rang out. She lay deep in the cocoon of her blanket and frowned into her pillow, wanting to return to sleep. She clung to the duvet a moment longer before wearily abandoning her bed to shut off the alarm and start the day.

It had been a month since Lloyd's disappearance. She had run all over town that night, desperately trying to find him, denying the truth of what had happened, until Beatrix eventually forced her home and to bed, yet Reimi couldn't sleep. She had taken a sick day from work and forced herself in the day after.

She had called Lloyd's phone many times the first few days. She left him voice messages with a variety of different tones - ones returning his love, ones scared for him, ones where she apologised over and over, but he never replied. Reimi supposed his phone was out of range or lost. Either way her messages weren't getting through and she eventually stopped calling, though sometimes in the early hours she liked to let it ring and harbour the small hope that, this time, he might pick up.

Some nights, when her housemates had gone to bed, Reimi would crawl into Lloyd's room and bury herself in his sheets, bunching them up around her back so she could almost imagine he was with her and fell asleep breathing in his scent.

Why had she pushed him away? The obstacle that was Amy seemed so minuscule now.

Reimi rarely saw her younger flatmate anymore. The two girls had formed a strong mutual hatred and to Reimi's relief Amy only came back to the flat very late at night and left very early in the morning. If the two ever saw each other, Amy would ignore Reimi and this suited Reimi very well.

What did not suit her however was that Amy had begun seeing someone new. He was young, immature and treated the flat as his own. Reimi made sure to keep her door securely locked if she ever went out and Amy went back to hiding her glasses and dolling herself up to the point she was more makeup than person.

Reimi heard the two of them late at night through her bedroom wall, heard the forced laughter coming from her former friend and realised that she was unhappy but satisfied herself that it was what she deserved. She was furious at how quickly Amy had gotten over Lloyd and the regret swelled to an almost physical pain. Even if she cared enough to confront Amy, she knew the younger girl wouldn't have listened.

Unfortunately the bombshell of Lloyd's confession, accident and then departure was not the only bad thing to happen to Reimi that month.

"Made redundant...?" She froze, staring at her computer screen in utter shock.

The news had come in the form of an email from her boss late one Monday night. Reimi had always known that as a runner her position was never permanent or even guaranteed into the next month, but she had been at the company for almost a year now and had hoped that, being there so long, she was starting to make waves, friends and possibly a promotion into an actual music job. The email from her boss informed her otherwise. There was no longer enough work to employ Reimi but they would 'happily give her a good review for elsewhere'.

She bit back the tears she could feel welling up behind her eyes and gently shut her laptop closed, staring off into the distance.

'Elsewhere'? Where was 'elsewhere'? Reimi had thoroughly researched her options since first determining she would follow her musical passion to try and make it into a career and the only place that she could find within a reasonable distance was this studio. She had absolutely no idea what the next step would be and knew it could now be quite awhile before she was taken back on or got a reply from somewhere new.

Plus.. Lloyd's coffee shop was close by. Try as she might she couldn't help going there every lunchtime, still hoping he might turn up for work, but he never did.

Sadness soon gave way to anger and she bolted up, pacing the room, round and round.

Her eyes flickered to the jar of money that Lloyd had left. She desperately wanted to return it to him and not spend it, her thoughts being that spending it would be accepting the way things were left between the two of them but..

There was enough in the jar for one month's rent and she had some savings on top of that.

Ever since the morning after Lloyd had left, Reimi had been debating following him on the solstice. Like she had told Amy that night, she wanted to be with him, more than anything, and the solstice was now one month away.

Even if he didn't want to see her, even if it just made things more painful she had to know if he was okay and she couldn't bear the thought of him not knowing her true feelings. It was still her dream to be a pianist but her heart wanted to follow Lloyd and that was now her first priority.

The prospect of her plan was terrifying and she would have to work out the kinks but just the thought that she might see him again gave her hope. She had to try.

She hurried out of her room looking for Elsa and found her in the living area. It was now past midnight and she was shocked to see the older girl sitting with Amy who seemed very upset.

Amy immediately cut off from talking and stood up to leave.

"Amy, wait-" Elsa began.

"Sorry Elsie, we can continue the discussion when the room is bitch-free,"

"Not with your new boyfriend tonight then?" Reimi couldn't help but bite out in retaliation as the younger girl passed her.

"Excuse me?!" Amy swerved round so fast her hair whipped against her face.

"You heard," Reimi replied coldly.

"Guys-" Elsa tried to cut in but Reimi spoke louder, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

"Did you ever really care about Lloyd?"

"Are you stupid?!" Amy screamed back. "I cared about him more than any of the guys I've been with and we were never even together!"

"So why are you already dating someone else?!" Reimi yelled back.

"None of your goddamn business" Amy tried to walk away again but Reimi held her arm back.

Amy angrily pushed Reimi away and her eyes were like cold fire. "I dumped him tonight,"

Reimi stared back shocked. A short silence fell in which Amy's glare flickered to Lloyd's door.

"I never like anyone good.. I know that."

Reimi's arms dropped to her sides. "Amy.."

"Anyway.. he was stealing from me,"

"I'm sorry.."

"Don't pity me!" Amy defensively screamed. "I can't stand that. Don't you ever.. pity me,"

Reimi apprehensively looked away from Amy, unsure what to say next. Elsa awkwardly stood between them, frustratedly crossing her arms but unwilling to break the silence.

Amy took a long time to say her next line.

"Is Lloyd really gone?"

"Yeah.."

"But you can find him?"

Reimi looked up quickly. "I-"

"Not for me." She bit out, the sharp edge returning to her voice. "Obviously." Rolling her eyes. "Then you better find him. Because if I find out you wussied out or that you hurt him I won't ever forgive you. And I've barely even started to forgive you now."

Reimi was shocked. This was not how she had expected their eventual confrontation to go.

Amy continued in a slightly softer tone. "I wasn't there for you. I didn't realise how you felt until the jealously made me hate you,"

"I never did anything behind your back, Amy. That's the truth," Reimi said softly.

"Well..." she sighed. "I lost anyway," she gave a bitter laugh. "He loves you. I'll.. accept that.. eventually. But I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry I tried," she looked up fiercely. "And honestly I'm not sorry that I might not see you again if you go after him either. It hurts so much..."

Reimi looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry" she repeated again.

Amy struggled with her next words but eventually forced them out "Well.. I hurt you too,"

Elsa sighed, but there was a small smile on her face. "You guys are so dumb,"

The day before the solstice Reimi fidgeted restlessly. She spent most of the morning in the flat, the only one there, cleaning and adjusting the positions of the nicknacks around her. She had packed a suitcase with some of her clothes, piano sheets, and the statue Lloyd had given her but still had some time to kill.

Reimi had discussed things with Elsa after Amy had gone to bed that night and the older girl shook her head at Reimi's intentions but didn't try to stop her.

"Honestly, you sound crazy.. Talking about another world, but I can't blame you for wanting to try," she sighed out, with a hand on her hip. "And are you coming back here at all?"

Reimi didn't like to think about that part. "I.. don't know,"

"Well.. I won't look for a new flatmate yet. Just.. see what happens. You can always come back here, I'll keep your room for at least a couple of weeks,"

"I've packed my essentials and the rest of my stuff is up for grabs in bin bags in my room if you want it," Reimi paused for a second before continuing "Or if Amy wants it.."

Elsa nodded and gave her friend a small smile.

"It's going to be hard to replace you, Reimi,"

"Elsa.."

"Who is going to brew my coffee for me in the mornings when I'm too lazy to get up and do it now!?"

When 1pm painfully rolled around she decided she would go into town. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about the prospect of seeing Lloyd again and decided to smarten herself up a little. She killed a few hours by going to the Hairdressers, the Dentist's and the Optician's all in one day.

When she got back to the flat late in the afternoon her hair was cut short, her teeth hurt and she had a pair of prescription glasses in her pocket. She hadn't realised her vision was a little out and didn't really need them but liked the way they looked with her new haircut. She wore them around the flat for a bit before tucking them into their case in her inside pocket.

She made dinner, had light conversation with mostly Elsa but also a little Amy after she got in from college, before going out for her final stop.

Beatrix, who had been a true friend to her through the past two months understood and told Reimi to do whatever she could to follow Lloyd.

"I'll miss you," Beatrix said in a quiet voice before leaning in to give Reimi a tight hug.

Reimi smiled and gently rubbed her back. "Well, I'm not a hundred percent sure I'm going anywhere yet. If this works, great, but if not I'll be the idiot sitting by the main road for the rest of her life," she grinned, pulling away to look at her friend's face.

"We'll definitely see each other again, I promise," Reimi hugged Beatrix once more but couldn't bear to leave the shop and her friend until well after closing time.

The next morning Reimi took a seat on the curb, stared at the spot Lloyd had first appeared and waited.