Waaah! I'm an idiot! *bangs head on wall* I'm an idiot! *bangs head on wall* I'm an idiot! *bangs head on wall* I'm an idiot! *bangs head on wall*

Okay, now that I'm done losing brain cells, I should explain:

I haven't thanked my reviewers! So, now I'm going to list all my reviewers from the very beginning to right now.

dbzgtfan2004-Thank you for the encouragement!

JeZ-Amutolover110-I'm glad. She turned out a little on the creepy side though... Thanks anyway!

Najika Tsubasa-chan-Thank you. Should I incorporate Madame Leclaire later? (She's supposed to be a minor character.)

JuSt To RaNdOm-Wait for it... the past will come in time. (But shouldn't that be the future???)

IceGirl7-Dramatic effects are awesome!

lenprz-Does that mean you are what is called the mysterious "Anonymous"? Ooh.... I'm glad you noticed the Sumire thing... I'm kind of pro-minor characters right now. (Persona, Jacob, etc.) And-muahahaha!- I'm always such a feminist. Maybe I'll make her shun him later on...Natsume probably hates me right now. ;P

-Tribal Addict--Thanks! I am awesome, after all... okay, maybe not, but you get my point. What was my point?

TheBlackSwallow-Good authors should be leaving you with questions. Or at least that's what I tell myself to feel better.

tmoshi-I love that smiley! =) Everyone always uses colons instead. Thanks!

Ah Hael-Thank you for telling me the obvious. Hehe... I'm an idiot, aren't I? (Why do I feel like I've said that before?) Sorry I didn't clarify earlier. I'm glad you think that a stronger Mikan is good; at first I was worried readers would think she wasn't "Mikan-y" enough, but it was too hard to write super silliness without making her annoying. I was aiming to let the reader admire her, hopefully, or at least see her more as an adult.

BestFriend09-First reviewer! Yay!

So... as I said to Ah Hael, I apologize for not clarifying something: This is a semi-alternate universe, semi-actual future fic. So, this fic gives them Alices, but Natsume is somewhat more mature and doesn't burn things as much. It mostly just provides more context. But there is NO evil elementary school principal, and Luna will probably be just a- I don't wanna swear!- rather than a weird evil minion thing. There was also NO Alice war with the AAO, although I might let the AAO be mentioned.

I haven't written (or really planned) the rest out, so... yeah. I know, lazy much? Sigh.

This chapter is really short. I'm kind of afraid the Author's Note here is actually longer.

I also haven't put in any disclaimers. Gasp. I don't know what will happen if I don't (aliens?) so... I don't own Gakuen Alice. That's why there's a "dis"-a.k.a negative- in front of the "claimer."

(Looking back, I have a lot of ...s and ()s, don't I? Hm.)

After finally escaping Madame Leclaire's expounding on the issue of prejudice–"Really, my dear. There is so much dreadful bigotry these days," she had sighed—Mikan slipped back to the bathroom to compose herself, as she had done before.

Resuming her serene, poised façade, she began walking back to her friends. She was stopped by a handsome young man, who asked her to dance.

She didn't bother to hear his introduction, but pretended to listen and needlessly told him her name as well. They made their way together towards the dance floor, chatting aimlessly.

Her took her hand and placed his other on her waist, while hers went automatically to his shoulder. He smiled as they began to step back and forth. She mirrored him mechanically as they began to dance.

The same happened quite a few times, with so many different men that she stopped counting. Well, she never was counting in the first place.

One young man who requested a dance had a smile rather similar to a leer she had seen before. Where?

"How is your company doing?" he asked as he spun her.

"Well," she replied without hesitation. She suddenly realized he was all too close, his body pressed against hers, his lips only a few centimeters away…

Then she felt herself being pulled backwards, away from him, by a viselike grip. She stumbled in her heels, and fell against a familiar body.

"Thank you for keeping my date company while I was busy," the newcomer said shortly. "Come on Mikan, we're going now."

In shock, she followed him off of the dance floor before halting in her tracks. He stopped as well, and looked back at her.

"What—What exactly was that?!" she seethed, barely able to form rational sentences in her fury. "Treating me like an object—a thing—I don't even get to say a word—What the hell were you thinking, Natsume?!"

He shrugged carelessly.

Her eye began twitching. "You—you—you—!"

He gave an irritated sigh. "What's the big deal?" he growled, almost threateningly. "I just prevented a pervert from harassing you."

She couldn't collect herself. She reminded herself of her reputation, or her business. She made the smart choice, and stomped away in rage to calm down in private.

Natsume slid into a chair and held his head in his hands.

"Excuse me," Mikan said to a nearby waiter. "Excuse me, sir."

"Yes ma'am?"

She handed him a piece of paper, precisely folded. "Do you see that man over there, the one with black hair and red eyes? Yes, him. Could you please give this to him?"

He nodded. "Of course. What name would you like me to say as the sender?"

"Oh, don't bother," she smiled charmingly at him, "he'll know as soon as he opens it."

She swished off, her dress swaying enchantingly as the waiter stared, dumbfounded.

Now THAT was how one works a Mikan Sakura original.

I'm going home. Goodbye.

That was exactly what she had given him. A sheet of paper with four words on it. And she hadn't even bothered to say it in person.

That goodbye sounded too final for him to be comfortable. He excused himself and speed walked to the door. The night outside was refreshingly cool, and the moon was full and beautiful. But it was silent, too silent.

She was gone. Again.

He didn't even know how she had gotten home. He prayed she hadn't been so stupid as to walk. He rushed into his car and started the engine, nearly burning the entire vehicle when it momentarily stalled. Luckily for him and his car, it quickly got started and he set off towards her house, driving slowly enough so that he could see anyone on the sidewalk.

He reached her home. To his relief, the lights were on. She was safe.

But he had to check. He rang the doorbell. He could imagine her swearing at the disturbance.

Light spilled onto the porch when she opened the door. He hoped his relief didn't show on his face—

"What the hell are you doing here?"

He blinked. He didn't have an excuse.

"Natsume, answer me."

He thought frantically, and spied a rosebush with blooms that hadn't quite opened yet.

"Natsume—"

"Here." He quickly broke off one bloom with a long stem and handed it to her.

She was speechless. "…You… you do realize you just killed one of my roses? And then gave it to me?"

He looked at her, abashed.

Then, to his immense surprise, she began laughing. Laughing like she used to, more carefree and actually happy than she had been all night. He felt his lips being unwillingly tugged upwards. Then she hugged him, and his semi-smile disappeared out of shock.

Embarrassed, she immediately pulled back, thanked him, and shut the door in his face. He didn't particularly mind. He was perfectly happy with being the cause of that adorable shade of pink that had spread like a virus across her cheeks.

In a daze, he strolled back to his car, sat down, and drove about a block away, where he was sure she couldn't see him. Then he parked in front of a random stranger's house and sighed contentedly.

That was the best evening he'd had for eight frickin' years, and he was going to remember it for as long as he could, dammit. No one could take a memory away from him.

Weird ending. I don't like it, but do you?

Review button! I accept compliments, suggestions, elements you liked/disliked, constructive criticism, or even-*deep breath*-FLAMES. What are flames?