A/N: I feel so happy that I am finally over my writers block! Here is the much delayed Chapter 11! Dedicated to those who helped me through the writers block: Smiley-maker, Lunaofthenight, and my sister! Woot!

Disclaimer: I do not own of harvest moon!

That scene on the beach was a couple of weeks ago. It's been getting more difficult avoiding Rock. The first week he came everyday to try and apologize, but he'd leave after half an hour of me hiding in my house or barn. My shipping has suffered from this effect, because I have no time anymore. And it feels awkward around the boys in the valley. Every time I pass someone that was in on the bet I notice that shame will cross their faces and they'd rather look at the cobble road than meet my eyes. I can't blame them though. It's hard enough not breaking out and yelling at them for being such morons.

I feel safe though at night when I know Skye's in the valley. I've recently seen him near the mountain which is the entrance to the valley but he doesn't always come… When we don't meet up he leaves a note and it says that he had business to take care of. I feel so scared though at the same time. Because a couple of people around town are saying things like "The thief is back!" and "That dirty little thief better not get his hands on my money!" I have no idea who the thief is but he's scaring me. I just hope that I never have to see him.

Tonight I got to meet Skye at the entrance to the valley. I walked with him in silence to the pond looking around the valley to make sure that the thief wasn't going to come and Skye gave me a questioning look, but didn't say anything. When we got to the pond Skye disappeared. "Skye?" I let out a horse whisper, and looked behind the giant tree that grew there but nothing was there. "Skye?" I tried to call louder, but my voice was stuck. I sunk down next to the tree, and scooted my legs closer to my chest. Leaves rustled behind me and I looked that way. Nothing. "Skye? Is that you?" Is what I think I said, it was so soft that I'm sure no one could hear it. I got goose bumps on my neck and arms. The silence was all over. It scared me. Why had Skye disappeared? Where did he go? I hugged my knees closer to my chest and backed up further into the tree.

"Boo." A voice breathed down my neck and I screamed. Then a hand covered my moth muffling my scream. It's the thief! He's going to hurt me! He doesn't want anyone to hear my screams. I have to scream louder! All of those thoughts went through my mind in a second and I agreed with them. I tried to scream louder and the hand pressed harder against my mouth. "Hey it's okay. It's me. Calm down." Skye shuffled around on the dirt road making noise and I felt comforted. The screaming started to go down so he took his hand off my mouth and I stopped. "I'm sorry it was just a joke! Why are you so scared my angel?" he cocked his head.

I felt like crying. But it was more because of relief instead of being scared. "Claire…" my eyes opened wide. That was the first time that he had called me by my name. "What's wrong?" I took in a breath. "I-I'm just a little scared…" I put my head on my knees and closed my eyes taking deep breaths to calm myself. "Of me? I didn't think I was that scary but-" "Not you! It's the thief that I heard was in the valley… Thieves scare me…" he cocked his head again. "Thieves are your phobias?" I nodded feeling a tear run down my cheek. "When I was little my parents were divorced. My dad worked on the farm I have now and I lived with my mom in Kansas. One night my mom was working late and I heard some one in the living room I didn't think it was my mom because she makes a lot of noise.

"I got curious and headed to the living room. Some one was in our house taking our vases and pictures and documents. He was stealing. Then my mom walked in. And he noticed that I was in the room. He took a gun and aimed it at me. When he shot the bullet my mom jumped in front of me and he killed her. My sister called the police with her cell phone and he ran leaving our mother on the ground dead and bleeding. I was about fourteen and my sister was eighteen. She wasn't old enough to take care of us so for a couple of years I got put in a foster home. I wouldn't talk to anyone for weeks." I looked up and studied Skye's face. He was looking into my eyes and it seemed as though he was looking into the past. Another tear ran down my face and I flinched when Skye put his hand on my face to brush it away.

He embraced me and I let out a sob. It made me feel better and worse at the same time. I had never talked to anyone about my mom even my sister, but here I was confessing to a guy that I had just met this spring. "It's okay there's no thief here." The word stung around my chest like bee stings and my sobs went silent. Skye let me go from the embrace making my chest hurt more but he kept his arms on my shoulder. "I won't let the thief get you my angel. I'll protect you from the thief." I nodded and leaned against his chest.

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Skye's POV

I made a promise I couldn't keep. I promised to her that I would keep her away from the thief and then agreed to meet again sometime. I knew there was nothing in the world that could keep that girl away from the thief and yet I promised to protect her. After she told me about her mother's death I couldn't help but remember my own mother dying. The supermarket. The knife and stones… I shuddered away from the thoughts. I couldn't realize that while I was lost in the past that she was stuck in the future crying.

I saw that she took comfort in my bluff and I was disgusted with myself. I had to be with her no matter what I was. I was a thief that she was afraid of. My notes saying I had business and couldn't be with her were not making anything better. I felt like everything was a lie. Well except for the incredible feelings that I had for her. The feeling of being alive. The feeling that she wanted to be with me. And the most incredible one. The feeling of her choosing me over Rock. I snickered darkly to myself ashamed and giddy.

I'd never come close to loving some one as much as I felt love for her. I never thought it was possible to feel as loved as she made me feel. To love a thief was impossible for her! I reminded myself. But I couldn't help feel my sub-conciseness fighting with that statement. I couldn't care less that she was afraid of me without even knowing it!

I was helplessly in love.

A/N: Thanks to all the patient fans of 'The eyes of the valley' Thank you for waiting so long and reviewing! I love reviews! I'll try and get the next chapter up soon!