Chapter 2: It's been a year - December 15

It had been a whole year since Joe had left Ahim behind at the concert hall. When he had closed the door firmly behind him, he counted the money and was surprised that she had given him more than enough to pay back the clothes as well as buy some warm food for himself and his friends. He had trailed back to the store where he had stolen the clothes and placed the money in the mailbox with a note saying, "Here's the money I owe you." Afterwards, he had bought food and enjoyed Christmas with his friends.

Joe smiled. It was a good memory. That Christmas had been saved by an aspiring cellist. Joe looked back to the memory with a fond feeling whenever he was feeling down.

As promised, Joe had also stopped stealing, instead finding work at the local bakery. True to her word, the policemen had never found him, and didn't even recognize him when they entered the bakery sometimes. Nevertheless, Joe would always breath uneasily whenever they came into the shop. The work there was tough work, and didn't pay much, but Joe didn't have much of an education to his name, and had only gotten hired when the manager was too desperate to even care about where Joe had come from. He could hardly complain about his work, but there was a slight silver lining. Joe had found out that he was talented in breadmaking, and noticing his talent, the manager had taken him under his wing, providing him with some tips and tricks of the trade.

However, that was then and this is now, Joe thought grimly as he watched his friend cough violently and shiver under the threadbare blankets. The empty cough medicine bottle stood near her head as though taunting him about his promise.

"Joe," his friend said weakly. "Don't worry so much."

"Luka, you know I can't," Joe replied. "Someone has to."

Luka Milfy smiled wryly at the thought of their other friends worrying. "Marvelous would never worry so much over this... and Doc would tire himself out looking after me."

As if on cue, the other two members of their motley crew entered the room, one with blonde bushy hair carrying a bowl of lukewarm soup and the other shaking the snow off his jacket.

"This is the best we could do, Luka," Don "Doc" Dogoier said as he offered her the bowl.

The other man placed his jacket over her legs, attempting to warm her up. "Wasn't much at stalls tonight either."

Luka smiled weakly at the two as she gulped down the soup. A little colour returned to her as she slowly sat up. "Thanks you two. Now Joe doesn't have to worry."

Joe smiled grimly as he got up. "Take care of her you two," he told them, as he grabbed his jacket and headed out.

The thin door shut with a wobble as he buttoned up and breathed into his cupped hands before he placed them into his pockets. The jacket had already been worn threadbare since last winter. He looked back to the old apartment room that the four of them were living in. It wasn't much and most of the inhabitants that surrounded them were of the unwanted type, but it was all they could afford. Actually, they didn't afford it. It was given to Joe by his manager for a cut of his wages. Quickly, Joe descended down the rickety stairs and walked towards the bustling town.

Joe's mind was full of inner turmoil. He didn't have enough money to buy Luka the medicine that she needed, and neither Marvelous or Doc had enough money. Even when they pooled all their money together, the end result was still under what they needed. The only thing left to do... was to steal.

But he wouldn't do that, he had promised Ahim after all. He had left behind that life, and had focused on making a honest paycheck.

Joe's expression hardened. Desperate times called for desperate measures. It was either steal or let Luka suffer and possibly die. Luka was the glue that could control the other boys; without her they'd likely be in jail the next day.

"Sir, would you like a flyer?"

Joe snapped out of his thoughts, and looked towards the girl who was dressed warmly for the cold. "I'm sorry?"

"Would you like a flyer?"

"Oh, uh, yes please." Joe took the flyer from her as bowed as she walked away.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we invite you to a free evening of music on your Christmas night by the Small Lotus symphony orchestra..." Joe read as he walked further down the street. "A special solo performance this year by cellist Ahim de Famille."

Joe stopped dead in his tracks. "Ahim..." True, he hadn't seen her in a while, but she should be able to help him out again.

A quiet melody floated out from the imposing doors of the concert hall that he had taken refuge in last year. Joe smiled at the irony of landing back to where his life had changed last year. Like last year, no one was walking into the concert hall, so without further ado, he ran up the stairs and opened the doors just a creak.

On the stage, he saw a familiar figure playing her cello. Watching as Ahim de Famille played her cello with such intensity, he slipped quietly into the seats within the darkness. Ahim was so immersed that she hadn't even noticed that Joe had come in. Her bow danced along the strings as the music resonated clearly throughout the hall.

Drawing her bow across the strings one last final time, Ahim took a deep breath and relaxed her posture. From the shadows, someone clapped, once again startling her just like year ago. This time however, Ahim kept her grip on her bow.

Following the sound of the clapping, she found a figure in the darkness that looked somewhat familiar...

"Is that you, Joe-san?" she called out. The clapping stopped abruptly as the figure stood up and moved into the aisle, revealing his face. Ahim visibly relaxed as Joe's ponytail and face came into view. The last year had been good to him, she noted, as his face had more colour to it.

"It is good to see you again, Joe-san," Ahim greeted him as he walked up to the end of the stage, looking up at her.

Joe smiled back at her, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It has been almost a year," Ahim noted cheerfully. "Have you been doing well?"

"Well enough."

"And our promise?"

"I've kept it," Joe said lifting his pinky up to her. "I've found work at a bakery."

Ahim hooked her pinky around his. "Congratulations!"

Joe nodded, then looked away from her, slipping his pinky away.

Ahim caught the sudden change in emotion, "What is wrong?"

"Ahim," Joe began after taking a deep breath. "I almost broke our promise today. You see, a friend of mine needs medicine and I have no money..."

"Were you going to steal it?" Ahim accused him.

"There was no other choice," Joe rationalized.

Ahim looked at him solemnly, "I understand that there may have not been any other choice. However, now you do have a choice."

Joe looked at her strangely. "I do?"

"Of course," Ahim smiled mischievously. "I can help you out again."

Joe gave a start, "You would do that for me?"

"Of course," Ahim said as she walked towards the dark backstage. "Would you like to come backstage with me? I need to put away my cello."

Speechless, Joe leapt lightly up to the stage and followed Ahim.

Five minutes later, Ahim and Joe exited the concert hall, Ahim now bundled up against the cold weather. Walking out of the dark alleyway and out into the brightly lit streets, Joe followed Ahim as she led the way towards the pharmacy.

Bells jingled to announce the arrival of the pair as they entered the pharmacy, taking refuge from the cold weather outside.

"Which medicine did your friend need?" Ahim asked.

Joe reached over and grabbed a cough medicine bottle. "We just needed this one," Joe replied as he handed it over to Ahim for inspection.

"Hmm," Ahim murmured as she read the inscription. "I do not know if this would be good for your friend."

"Why not?" Joe asked.

"It is simply not strong enough to help your friend," Ahim placed the bottle back onto the shelf and picked out another one. "I think this one would work better."

Joe looked at her with dubious eyes but said nothing, instead nodding his assent.

"Then it is settled," Ahim declared as she took it over to the cashier.

Moments later, Ahim passed Joe the medicine, now in a brown bag. "Make sure your friend takes it twice a day," she instructed Joe, who nodded. "Are you returning back home now?"

Again, Joe nodded.

"Would you like come with me?"

Joe's question took Ahim by surprise. It was a question that was full of answers. Answers like how much Joe trusted her now, and how much he wanted to be her friend.

"I cannot, at the moment," Ahim said ruefully.

"Maybe some other time then," Joe offered.

Ahim smiled brightly, "Yes, maybe another time," she promised.

"Thanks again for the medicine, Ahim," Joe said as he turned to take his leave.

"Wait."

Joe turned around as Ahim hugged him hard in the streets. Passerbys didn't notice the pair as Joe awkwardly returned her hug.

"Come back to the concert hall soon, okay?" Ahim said as she broke off the hug and ran quickly back towards the concert hall.

Left alone, Joe scratched his head in an attempt to figure out what just happened. Shrugging it off, he made the now lonely walk back towards his room.

Whelp, as we stated last week, this won't be done in time for Christmas... so a very late present? I'm not too sure. Anyways, if all goes well, I'm hoping I can upload the current version of Chapter 3 that I have next week. Just hoping haha.

Uhh, in this chapter, we've seen that Ahim and Joe have been thinking a lot about each other for the past year, yay :D Thinking about people for a year can lead to some... romantic subplots in their heads?

But in other news, Happy New Year! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

And I got a 3DS and Pokemon X, need friend safaris pl0x.

Oh and before I forget, thanks to both Pearl and Lisa for editing this for me! :D Sorry I couldn't be there for the party... still on vacation :(