Falling Away

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Author's Note: Why yes, I am updating obnoxiously fast. Reason? Parent-best-friend-problems. I won't bore anyone with the dirty details, but updates may either increase to twice a day (actually, I'd like to see that happen. xD) to once a week. Depending on this weekend. You've been warned. And, yes. All of the Elie's pervious families have died – ten were murdered, and the others died of natural causes. Only five of her actual families were residents of Garage Island before they adopted her, though. The others have just come to live with her, upon request.

Disclaimer: How could I keep forgetting this? I do NOT own any character. Not even Plue. Or Elie. I just take their lives (except Plue?) and twist them into horrible situations. Mwuhahaha.

BY THE WAY, real quick! You guys should all go to my new forum – Wind Deity! Here's the link for it;

h t t p : / / f o r u m . f a n f i c t i o n . n e t / f o r u m / W i n d _ D e i t y / 7 0 7 3 1 /

Just remove the spaces, and go ahead~

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Chapter Four: Sieg, School, Birthdays, and New Year

"They told me something a little weird today, guys. When I went in to the agency," Elie said softly, hugging her knees to her chest. The four others, which had previously been talking loudly and goofing off fell silent. "They told me…that I can't stay here anymore. On the island."

Outrage filled the air. The ones that had been sitting sprang up, and the ones standing threw their arms over their head in disbelief. "They can't just make you leave, Elie! Garage Island is your home!" Musica cried out. Still sitting, Elie looked at him indifferently. Since the two had met when she was eleven, Musica had changed little. "Elie, you can't just leave us!"

Haru nodded furiously, his purple eyes narrowed. The older two were staring down at her in a mixture of confusion, determination, and sadness. "Why are they making you leave?" Let asked calmly, crossing his muscled arms against his chest. Elie stared up at him numbly, remembering the look in his eyes when they had first met – starved, fearful and anxious. Now they looked like any normal college students; stressed, worried, kind, and rather cold.

"Because there isn't a person who wants to adopt me anymore," she replied slowly, shrugging again. Her tank top straps felt as though they were cutting into her skin, but she made no movement to make that go away – it wasn't real anyways.

Haru rolled his eyes, sitting back next to her. "How come no one else wants to adopt you?" he asked softly, wrapping his arm around her thin shoulders. Again, Elie shrugged, unwilling to share this story. Julia sighed, grabbing her hands and pulling her up.

"If Let and I qualified, I'd adopt you myself," she muttered, hugging her tightly. Elie nodded against her chest, biting back tears now. After a second, she pulled away, smiling as widely as she could without looking as though she was faking.

Before she could say anything, several beeps from various cell phones cut her off. Let, Julia, and Musica each pulled out their phone and sighed. "Let and I have to get back to our place for classes," Julia explained reluctantly, grabbing Elie and hugging her one more. "As soon as we get done, meet us at Gemma's."

"And I have to start my new job. I'll catch you guys later!" Musica called, waving as he rushed off. Let and Julia followed him, leaving Elie and Haru alone. An awkward silence filled the air, broken only as Elie sat back on the bench and it creaked.

"This is the same place where we met, isn't it?" Haru asked softly, toeing the sand with his boot. Elie looked up in surprise, but nodded. "It was raining, but both of us were out here without coats on anyways."

Elie laughed. "You were sitting in the rain crying because your Dad wasn't back yet, and I was escaping from my foster Dad," she added cheerfully, laughing as Haru's face flushed. He nudged her gently, muttering a denial. Elie grinned, "We met Musica next. Over by Gemma's place, right?

"Yeah. That was when you started growing out your hair," he said, nodding. "It was still really light. I remember." Elie stared at him – how could he have remembered that? Elie hadn't even remembered that, and it was her hair! Haru turned, catching her stare. "What? It's true!"

The girl nodded slowly, smiling. "It was a couple months after your sixteenth birthday that I cut it. I was fifteen, I think," she added, laughing. "Why are we even discussing my hair?!" she asked, grinning. Haru laughed as well, shrugging. Both of them were silent for a while, watching the warm water as it crashed against the sand without pause.

"I don't want you to leave," he said softly. Elie didn't turn to look at him – it was bad enough that she had to hear that tortured tone; she couldn't see his expression. "Elie, you can't go. You can't leave me behind."

Very slowly, Elie turned to look at him, tears appearing at the corners of her eyes. "I don't want to leave, Haru, you know that. But I can't stay here on my own…and no wants to adopt me anyways," she explained calmly. Haru sprang up, shaking his head. "Haru?"

"Why doesn't anyone want to adopt you?! You're sweet, and fun, and the best damn daughter in the world!" he demanded, his eyes narrowed in his anger. Elie blinked in surprise, looking down at her hands. "Elie, just tell me. We're best friends!"

More tears appeared at the corners of her eyes, though Elie refused to blink and let them fall. "No one wants to adopt me…because…they th-think that if they d-do…that…" the tears had spilled over, and Elie held her head in her hands, "They think that they'll die if they take me in!" she cried, tears falling from her eyes without pause. Haru stared down at her, his mouth opened in surprise as his best friend sat on the same bench that he had used to cry on years ago and sobbed in a way she hadn't in years.

"Elie…" he said softly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up. Before she could ask, he pressed her against his chest, wrapping his arms against her body silently. She hiccupped against him, grabbing onto his shirt and releasing all the sadness she had been feeling from the time they had informed her that she was leaving.

When Elie was finally depleted of tears, she sat down on the beach, watching the waves. Her brown eyes were blurry, and her cheeks were puffy, but she didn't care – she wasn't in school anyways. "Haru," she said suddenly, hugging her knees to her chest, "if I really do have to leave, I'm really glad that I got a chance to meet you."

"Don't say that. I'll think of a way to keep you here, Elie. Promise," he said hurriedly, shaking his head. Elie smiled softly, shrugging. "You're my very best friend; there's no way I'm letting you leave this island!" he declared, punching the air in front of him. The girl looked up in slight surprise, her mouth a perfect circle. She smiled, and nodded.

The two sat in silence for a few moments longer before footsteps from behind caught their attention. Elie stared up at the man in confusion – he had long blue hair, eyes several shades darker than Haru's, and a tattoo going down his right cheek. "Hello," he said calmly, "would you be a young girl named…Elie?"

Haru sprang up, standing and blocking her from view. "Are you from that stupid agency?" he demanded. The man stared down at him in a mixture of confusion and amusement, shaking his head. "Then why are you looking for Elie?!"

"Relax, Haru," Elie said, getting up as well. "I'm Elie, yeah. Why are you looking for me?" she asked politely, giving Haru a look that clearly said 'I've-dealt-with-all-sorts-of-crazy-adults-let-me-handle-this-or-I-sik-Julia-on-you'. Haru rolled his eyes, and stepped back, glaring at the man.

He smiled kindly, at both Haru and Elie. "My name is Sieg Hart. This might sound a little weird, but –"

Elie cut him with a laugh, "I've heard a lot of weird things. Nothing can be as bad as some of that," she told him happily, placing her hands on her hips. Behind her, Haru was still glaring at Sieg, tensed as though he was ready to attack if he needed to.

Sieg chuckled. "I suppose that is true. Well, I was reading through some profiles in the adoption agency, and I happened to stumble across your file. You're story struck me as…sad. Yet, when the social worker assigned to you told me about you, he said that you were cheerful and never seen without your friends," he said, watching her reaction in amusement – she had gasped, a hand flying to her throat. "I was just wondering if, to keep you on the island with your friends, you'd allow me to adopt you?"

Never had the question been asked to her. It was always, 'Hello Elie, this is so-and-so, and she or he will be your new parent!' until that point. Numbly, she looked back at Haru; his expression was just the surprise she was feeling. "Uh…um…" she stuttered out, completely uncertain of what to say. "You know just how many houses I've lived in, right?"

"To date? Thirty-four families, one foster home. None of them lasted over a year. Am I correct?" Sieg said immediately, smiling. Elie stared at him like he was insane.

"And you realize that each of the families and dead, right? You're sure that you want to take me in, knowing that you could drop dead at any time?" Elie asked, trying to mentally slap herself. This man, however insane he was, was offering her a chance to stay on the island with Haru, and Musica, and Let, and Julia yet here she was, pushing him away.

Again, Sieg chuckled. "I am aware of that, Elie. But, I assure you, I won't be dying any time in the near future – at least not until you are able to live on your own…legally," he told her calmly, smiling. Elie felt her head nod slowly in numb disbelief. Behind them, Haru had grabbed Elie's arms and spun her around.

"You're gonna stay on the island, Elie!" he cried happily, throwing his arms around her and holding her tightly. "Now we don't have to be apart!" Elie nodded, trying to think clearly. Haru spun her around, dropping her in the same place where he had been standing previously. "I'm going to go find the others and tell them the good news!"

Before Elie could say anything, Haru was gone, running towards town without looking back. Elie frowned, looking down at her hands. "I would have expected you to be more cheerful about this," Sieg said softly, still standing the same distance away. The teenager looked up, shrugging. "You're still worried that I'll die, and then you'll have to leave."

"No, that's not it. My friends mean the world to me, and I'm really happy that I won't have to leave," she said, shaking her head. Sieg smiled, waiting for her to finish. "But, sometimes I get really worried that if I stay with my friends long enough, they'll suffer the same as all the other people in my life." It was a fear she had never spoken out loud, and doing so was almost enough to start the tears again. Thankfully, she managed to restrain herself by watching the waves again.

Sieg sighed. "Elie," he said seriously, "your friends aren't willing to leave. Whether it be by death, or consent to leave the island, they won't abandon you. Not the way your real parents did." Elie gasped, turning to stare at him. All she had ever known about her parents was that her Mom had died in labor, and her Dad killed himself out of grief before even holding Elie. "Neither will I."

The teenager stared into his dark purple eyes, trying to see if what he was saying was the truth. They showed no signs of deceit, so Elie smiled. "You're right," she said, nodding. "Thank you, Sieg-san…for everything," she said, bowing slightly. Sieg chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Just call me Sieg. It's weird to hear someone who isn't really all that younger than I am calling me that," he said, smiling as she straightened up. Elie smiled back, nodding. "I should probably tell you a little bit about myself, huh?" he asked then, scratching his chin softly.

Elie nodded, jumping at the chance to get to know this strange man a little better. "Alright, well…I'm twenty-four, I was an orphan myself growing up, and I…well, I can do magic," he said, grinning widely as he said that last word. The teenager's mouth opened wide in awe, and he nodded.

"Really?! Wow! Can you teach me?" she exclaimed, her hands balling into fists above her rather impressive chest. Sieg laughed, holding his hands up and shaking his head. Elie's lower lip jutted out. "How come?"

The man laughed again, just shaking his head. "Very few people left have the potential to use Magic. Unfortunately, you have some, but it's too small to really do anything with," he explained carefully. Elie sighed, and shrugged. The two stood and talked for a while longer, just getting to know one another happily.

For the first time since meeting Let and Julia, Elie honestly felt that this might just work. He seemed lively enough, and he had promised not to die anytime soon. Though she'd never admit it, that promise meant more to her than any other she had ever heard from one of her foster parents.

* * *

Months passed, and Elie found herself more cheerful than she had been in a very long time – she even threw a surprise party for Haru on his seventeenth birthday, Musica's nineteenth birthday, Let's twenty-fourth birthday, and Julia's twenty-second birthday. School even seemed to be going well for her – despite her obvious lack of focus during class, which Haru liked to point one.

"Maybe if you actually listened to the lesson, you'd get better grades than a C-!" he teased, holding up a happy looking 'B+' and waving it around. Elie glared at him, sorely tempted to hit him as hard as she was able to on the head with her bag.

Instead, she continued closing it. "You're one to talk; I saw you cheating off Celia the entire test," she finally said, smirking. Haru froze, his paper halting as well. Elie laughed, throwing her bag over her shoulder and heading out. Haru followed automatically, folding up the paper and shoving it into his pocket. "You really should get a bag, you know," she told him, sliding onto the bench for the lunch table.

"Yeah right. Bags are for very incredibly lame people," he said cheerfully, receiving a whack on the head from Elie's fist. "Oh, by the way, Julia wants you to come over to her house for New Year's." Elie scowled – she hated New Year's party, mostly because it was the night before her birthday, and she hated being hung over/drunk on her birthday. "Come on, Elie! It's a birthday and New Year's party combined! And, it's only two weeks ago!"

Stubbornly, Elie shook her head. "I'm gonna spend my birthday with Sieg; he asked me if I'd like to the other day. Besides, you know how I feel about getting drunk on my birthday! Any other day I'm fine with, but not the day before or after my birthday."

Haru sighed in defeat. "Fine. No party. Guess you don't want your gifts either," he said, feigning sadness. Elie automatically looked up in excitement, pulling out her wallet to go get food. Before she could even ask, Haru had shaken his head, "Nope. I'll just ditch them."

"Aw, come on, Haru!" she whined, grabbing his elbow and dragging him with her. Haru laughed, pushing past a couple of people to follow her carefully. "I said no party, not no gifts!" Elie sighed, looping her arm in his to make sure they didn't get separated. Laughing again, he shrugged. "Come on Haru!"

As the two pushed through way through the crowd, another girl appeared next to Haru, latching onto his left arm. "Haru-chan, how come you never sit with me?" she squealed, giggling loudly. Pointedly, Elie looked straight ahead, but Haru smiled down at the girl.

"I dunno. I guess me n' Elie just got so used to sitting where Musica and his gang of dudes sat, we just kept on sitting there even after they graduated!" he explained, laughing. "How about you guys come sit with us, Celia?" Celia jutted out her bottom lip, shaking her head. Her long blue hair swished around her head, hitting several people as they passed.

Elie pulled her arm free, heading into the small backroom that sold the food, leaving Celia and Haru in the doorway, blocking everyone else. "Haru-chan, are you dating Elie?" Celia asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the way. Before he could even consider this, Haru laughed, shaking his head. "Really? So, you're not dating anyone at all?"

"Nah. Besides, Elie is just my best friend," he explained, grinning. Celia laughed with him, edging closer slightly. "What about you? You dating anyone?" Haru had only asked to be polite – he had no interest in dating anyways. However, Celia seemed to take this as a hint that he liked him, and she giggled again, edging closer. For a brief second, the teenage boy was very much aware of how low-cut her shirt was, and just how chesty this girl was.

Batting her blue eyes, Celia smiled. "No, I'm not. Though, I'm sure that could change at any time," she told him in a low voice. Haru laughed, nodding. "Haru-chan," she said, grinning happily, "can I ask you something?" He blinked, and then nodded. "What sort of girl are you in to?"

Haru's mouth popped open in surprise, and a warm blush crept into his face. He had never even considered anything like this! "Uh…" he stammered, leaning away Celia suddenly. She giggled, hands on her hips in waiting. "Well, I guess I like…" he paused, glancing around as though that might help him. His eyes fell onto Elie as she waited impatiently in the line, looking lost in her thoughts. "I like a girl who's really fun to be around, someone who's definitely not afraid to speak her mind and someone who isn't afraid of a lot of things. Someone who's really energetic, and well, pretty, I guess."

Wait, he thought suddenly, was I just describing Elie?! Celia giggled, jumping up and down. "We're perfect for one another, Haru-chan!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him. Haru stared down at her in confusion, not lifting his arms to hug her back. Elie appeared next to them, holding a tray with a small bottle of water and a salad.

"Elie," Haru said softly, looking down at her expression. Her brown eyes had a rather guarded expression to them, as if she was hiding something. She was smiling the same smile she had always given him, but Haru could tell there was something different about it. "Uh…Celia?"

The girl jumped back, laughing happily. "Hiya, Elie!" she cried cheerfully, waving. Elie smiled and waved back slowly, glancing straight ahead at Celia. Celia glanced over her shoulder, waving to another friend cheerfully. "I gotta run, but I'll talk to you guys later!" Without another word, she was gone, sliding into her seat and talking quickly to her friends. Elie hesitated a moment before smiling up at Haru and heading back to the table, with Haru following closely behind her.

"What was Celia so excited about?" Elie asked, opening a small packet of dressing and pouring it on the salad. Haru sighed, shrugging. "She looks like you just asked her on a date or something," she stated, stopping suddenly and looking up at Haru with a rather curious expression. "Did you ask her out?"

Automatically, Haru shook his head; nearly choking on the drink he had begun drinking. "N-no! Geez, why are all the girls do worried about dating and who I'm 'in to'?!" he demanded, coughing. Elie stared at him in slight amusement, taking bites of her salad in silence. Haru sighed, twisting the cap back on his drink. Elie didn't say anything, so he kept quiet. A question bubbled to his head, and he asked it without even considering it. "What sort of dude are you in to, Elie?"

The teenager stopped mid bite, staring at Haru curiously. He stared back determinedly, a light blush on his cheek still. Grinning, she set her fork down and wiped her hands. "I don't know. I've been a little busy, you know. Uh…well, I guess if I had to…I'd pick someone who accepts my past regardless…and, um, is really kind, with a great personality. And definitely gorgeous. Definitely," she said, laughing. Haru laughed with her, watching her eat.

He had never really noticed, but Elie was the prettiest girl he had ever met, and that was saying something, as he had met quite a lot of pretty girls. But, there was something different about her, he decided. Maybe it was the way she had gone about life – needing him more than any other person that had suddenly attracted him to her. Or maybe, his head told him, you're an idiot and it took a girl asking if the two of you were dating to realize this.

Haru glanced at her one more time, and then away before he was caught staring. His heart fluttered slightly, and he wanted desperately to watch her again. The graceful her shoulders shook as she breathed…Oh, God, she's my best friend! I shouldn't be thinking this stuff about her! Alright. Pull it together, Haru. This is the same Elie that you've known for nearly ten years.

But, he decided silently as he turned back to her, that isn't entirely true. She had grown, and matured. She had gotten taller – though, she was still a good head shorter than him – and her chest…well, that had definitely improved. A lot. There was no denying that.

"Hey, Haru, what do you want for Christmas?" Elie asked, interrupting his thoughts. Haru looked up, blinking in confusion. Her salad was gone, and she was finishing up her water. "Something on your mind?"

Haru smirked, shaking his head. "I want a…" kiss from someone very special. Er…you. "I dunno." He said, very grateful that Elie could not, however often she seemed to, read his mind. He really hadn't any idea where that had even come from, but he was very thankful he had thought it and not said it. Elie stuck out her lower lip, so he laughed and tried again. "How about a really big…snowman! Yeah! Make a snowman with me, Elie!"

Elie stared at him for a second. "You know that it doesn't snow enough for a snowman here, right? We'd have to go to the mainland," she said, an idea dawning over her. "I know what we can do for my birthday, and your Christmas present!" she declared suddenly, excitement flooding out of her. Haru's eyes widened as he understood.

"We can go to the mainland together!" he finished, hitting the table with his fists. Elie nodded happily, clapping her hands together. Haru laughed, mentally trying to memorize how cute she looked when she was excited.

When Elie returned home from school, she found Sieg sitting on the couch, waiting for her. "Hello, Elie," he said kindly; just like always. Elie smiled at him, slipping off her shoes. "Did anything exciting happen at school?" Elie was about to say her usual reply 'no, nothing new,' when she hesitated. There was something that had been nagging her since lunch…

"Yeah, something kinda weird did happen today," she said distantly, throwing her bag over a hook. Sieg looked up in interest, closing his book as a gesture for her to continue. "Well, Haru and I were up getting lunch and Celia comes up and starts…hanging all over him, so I leave to go get my food, and when I come back, she's hugging him like he just agreed to marry her!" Sieg nodded knowingly – Elie complained quite a lot about the blue-haired girl. "I dunno, it just felt really…weird seeing that."

Elie sat down on the recliner across from him, shrugging. Sieg sighed, leaning forward on his knees. "Sounds like you were a bit jealous, Elie," he stated carefully. The teenager stared at him like he was crazy, so he continued, "You said that you felt weird seeing Celia hug Haru, right? Was it a weird that was made you feel excluded, or that you just didn't want Celia hugging him?"

For a few minutes, Elie sat in silence and considered the question. "I don't…know. I definitely didn't want them to hug…or well, to see them hugging anyways. And I guess that I did feel a bit excluded," she said slowly, measuring each word carefully.

"Then you were jealous," he said simply, smiling at her. Elie frowned, running a hand through her hair gently. "What I'm really curious about, is why you got jealous of something pertaining Haru." The teenager shrugged, not meeting his eyes. "Elie?"

Exhaling, she rolled her eyes. "I don't like Haru more than a friend, if that's what you're thinking," she said defensively, crossing her arms against her chest. Her foster parent didn't reply except to raise one blue eyebrow. Elie stared at him, her cheeks flooding with color.

As she stared into his purple eyes, the teenager was reminded rather forcefully of Haru, despite the fact that Sieg and Haru looked nothing alike. Sieg was just…like him. In personality alone, as they were both incredibly kind, and gentle, and sweet, and… No. Have I fallen for Haru?! That's…that isn't possible!

"It's perfectly common for best friends of the opposite gender to develop feelings for one another, you know," Sieg said softly, seeing the expression on his 'daughters' face. She blushed and looked away. "You're telling me that in the ten years you've known one another, you've never thought of him more than a friend?"

To be honest, she hadn't. Not once. "No! But now you've got me all flustered and thinking about it," she said, throwing a small pillow at him. Laughing, he dodged it, shrugging. "He's my best friend. That's it."

With another shrug, Sieg stood up. "Alright, alright, I believe you," he said, smiling. Elie stared up at him, crossing her arms against her chest tightly. "I need to head off to work. Will you be alright here on your own?" he asked, walking to the closet and pulling out his coat. Elie nodded cheerfully, leaning back against the recliner and flipping the television on.

Once he was gone, Elie turned the electronic off, and held her head in her hands. Did she like Haru more than a friend? That didn't seem entirely possible, though! Haru had been her best friend since she had got to this island. He was the one that had stood by her each funeral, rubbing her shoulders as she cried those first few times. He was her escape from the reality of her life. Elie couldn't fall for him. It would ruin everything.

However, she couldn't manage to get out the image of Celia hugging Haru tightly. It sent waves of anger and…jealous through her body. Suddenly, she stood up, her head spinning and heart racing. "No. No, I can't have!" she said under her breath, grabbing the nearest pillow and throwing it as hard as she could across the room.

"God…I've broke the number rule of being best friends with a guy…" she said softly, sinking back into the chair.

* * *

"Elie, come on already!" Haru asked from the boat, leaning against the edge. From the beach, his friend grinned, waving at Sieg. "Hurry up and get on board!" He was tired of waiting for her – this was the third time Sieg had stopped her from getting on.

She crossed her arms, rolling her large brown eyes. "Right! Bye Sieg!" she called, grabbing her suitcase and running up the ramp before he could stop her again. The foster father sighed, waving his arm. "We'll see you when we get back!" Before she could run down (again), Haru heaved up the ramp, signaling for the captain to shove off.

The two stood on the edge of the boat, flapping their arms wildly as they said their goodbyes, grinning happily. When the island was finally out of sight, they fell into a heap against the railing, rubbing their throats and arms. "I can't believe he actually let you go!" Haru gasped out in a raspy voice. Elie gave out a cracked laugh, nodding. "What did you say to convince him?"

"I didn't. I just asked him if I could go to the mainland with you for a birthday-New Years-Christmas gift to each other, and he agreed just like that!" she exclaimed, rubbing her throat and her voice cracked. Haru stared at her, and she shrugged.

For a while, the two sat in silence to let their voices get better. "Elie," Haru said suddenly, "what do you remember about the mainland?" Elie stared at him, her eyes wide in surprise. Haru stared back, waiting patiently for an answer.

Several seconds passed as Elie considered. "The place where I stayed at…well, places anyways, were all…crowded. I got lost once, in a crowd. It was right after I got out of that foster home, I was walking home with the foster parent, when my hand slipped from hers and we got separated." Elie chuckled, shaking her head. "I was so afraid."

"That sounds just like you when I first met you! You were always so amazed by the amount of people everywhere, but you always managed to get lost!" Haru said, laughing loudly. Elie rolled her eyes, slapping his arm. "What did you do while you were there?"

She shrugged. "Normal things. I went to school, came back, did homework, played outside. Though, I always moving around, so I never made any permanent friends," she said distantly, grinning. "There was this one guy, though. He was always really friendly to me. I can't remember too much about him, though, except that he was really blond. Like, golden blond. And his eyes matched."

Again, the two sat in silence. "Hey Elie," Haru said, thinking back to when they first met, "I don't know why I just thought of this, but that one family you lived with…the fourth one or something, that was when you always had those big bruises, right?" Elie tensed, nodding slowly. "You lied about how you got them, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. Why are you asking this now, and not then, when I lived with them?" she asked tiredly, staring at him curiously. Haru stared back, not wanting to say that he had remembered it because of his sudden new desire to keep her from feeling pain.

The two stared at each for a few seconds before Haru caved. "I don't really know. I saw this old picture of Cattleya and her ex boyfriend, and I remembered how he used to…hit her, and how the bruises that she'd get would look really…weird. Then I remembered that you used to get the same bruises!"

Elie chuckled, running a hand through her hair and shrugging. "Yeah, that guy would hit me. But, it doesn't matter anymore. He's gone, now," she said firmly, shrugging. "That was when I stopped crying at funerals. Everyone there thought I was heartless, but I just…couldn't bring myself to cry over him."

"You're right, he's gone. And I won't let anyone else hurt you like that again!" he promised, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Automatically, his heart race increased at the touch, but he ignored it. Elie laughed, nodding.

By the time the two arrived at the mainland, Haru was bundled up in one winter coat, two hoodies, three pairs of socks, earmuffs, a hat, and two pairs of gloves. Elie was wearing one thick hoodie and a hat, laughing as Haru shivered in the cold. "H-h-how ddddddid y-y-you ssssssta-ta-ta-tand this?!" he clattered, hugging himself.

Suddenly, he grabbed her and held her closely. "Need some warmth?" Elie guessed, laughing. He nodded, trying to hold his mouth closed. "Look! Haru, look at all the snow!" she cried suddenly, breaking away and running toward a large field. Haru followed slowly, his face lighting up. When she was close enough, Elie flung herself into a pile of it, flapping her arms and legs wildly.

"Er…El-El-El-lie, what are y-y-you do-do-ing?" he chattered, watching her in amusement. She laughed, jumping up and gazing down at her work. "W-whoa! It l-l-looks l-l-like an…an angel!"

With another laugh, Elie explained about snow angels, and igloos, and snow forts. Without waiting for her to explain, he bent down and made a ball of snow and began rolling it. "Lets g-g-go!"

For hours, the two stayed in that field, making a snowman bigger than any other Elie had ever seen. When it was done, Elie went to the nearest market and bought all the necessary items – a carrot, several buttons, a scarf, and a pair of gloves. By the time it was finished, the snowman towered over even Haru – who was much taller than Elie – and looked like a giant person, with lumps instead of limbs.

"It's done! He's done! She's done! And I don't feel cold anymore!" Haru cried, dancing around the snowman. Elie laughed, rubbing her hands together. "Come on, Elie! Dance with me!" Without warning, he grabbed her hands and dragged her into the weird dance of his. Elie laughed again, trying to keep up with him.

Collapsing into the snow, Elie stared at the sky. "You know, Haru," she said softly, breathing heavily from the dance, "since it's two in the morning and technically 12-31, tomorrow is my birthday." He nodded, watching her with an expression he hoped greatly she couldn't read. "I can't believe it. I'll be seventeen, which means I only have a year and a half left in school."

Haru nodded, wondering if she was afraid. "Don't worry, Elie. Graduating and turning seventeen is just a part of life! Look at Musica, Let, and Julia! They're out of school, and working! Besides, as long as the five of us stick together, there isn't anything that we can't get past. Right?" Elie smiled, closing her eyes and nodding.

A few minutes passed in silence as the two watched the stars. "You know, I don't want to go any big parties tonight. I just want to sit out and watch the stars as the year changes!" Elie said, sitting up and smiling at Haru. "Just the two of us! No alcohol, no smoke, no loud music. Just us, and the stars."

That really didn't sound all that bad. "Alright then. We'll do just that tonight. Think of it as an early birthday gift," he said, wrapping an arm around her again. She leaned against him, watching the stars still through her foggy breath. "I promise."

A few more minutes passed in silence, the only noise being Elie's even breathing. "I believe you." She whispered, closing her eyes.

~x~

Author's Note: OK, I didn't actually write in her birthday, but you know what? This chapter is almost 6,000 words. So, yeah.
I hope you all liked it, and if you read please go and post something in my new forum!!!
Love, E x p e r i m e n t .3173.