GEE, THANKS GUYS FOR HANGING OUT WITH ME AT SANTA MONICA ON SUNDAY!

OH WAIT… YOU DIDN'T.

Lol, naw. I'm just kidding. I didn't expect to see anybody there anyhow… I mean, why would anybody wanna romp up and down the pier with ME anyway? I'm only super fun and wonderful… Lawl.

I also spent a good lot of time (and money D: ) in Venice. It was a pretty good trip, minus the all kinds of tired I was on the drive back.

So… UH MAH GAD YOO GAIS!

Go over to Brinkmess' page RIGHT NOW! Seriously, don't even bother reading this stupid chapter. JUST GO! Go over there and read a little story she has called "Meanings." I'm in love with it and you will be too. Seriously, go! DOOOOOO IT!

Also, in the future, if you have any difficulties with one of my chapters loading for you, please send me a message right away letting me know so I can fix it. FF has been doing that lately with the past couple chapters which are loading for some people, but not for others, and I usually don't visit my own stories so I don't notice it until way later when I'm like "Ok, nobody has reviewed yet and that's odd."

I think that's all…

Oh yes, and don't be deceived by Marluxia. EVER. Now, enjoy!

In what seemed like no time, August came and went. I had turned twelve and we celebrated my birthday in absolute extravagance in Boston. I was flattered, because it was the first time anyone had done anything so special for me, and looking back on it, it was just a simple trip to the beach accompanied by dinner and a film.

But of course, as typical Marluxia, it was also a chance for him to get everything in order for what nobody knew he was planning.

I was a fool to not notice it at the time. So blissfully unaware of everything other than Marluxia's greatness, and there were so many hints.

Soon after my birthday I learned that my fun times were over, at least for a while. Marluxia was to be headed to Harvard and Zexion would be returning to California with his family in time for his own schooling. I would be alone, save for Marluxia's mother and the servants.

His mother, however, began to resent me. Not that I didn't understand why. I'd heard the servants gossiping back and forth about how Marluxia fawned over me more than he had fawned over his own sister. I only ever chalked it up to personal regret, but it was so much more than that.

So for his mother's dislike of me, I spent most of Autumn up in my room keeping to myself and awaiting Marluxia's return.

By mid-December, he'd returned…

… … …

"Nami!" Marluxia smiled brightly as he shook off the snow covering his body and peeled off his scarf and coat, piling them into the arms of the awaiting servant girl. "Nami! I'm home!"

Naminé groaned lightly as she heard a voice calling her name. She sat up from where she'd been sleeping on the canapé nearest the fireplace and glanced around. It took a while for her eyes to focus, but once they did she could see Marluxia's frame in the entryway. Her eyes lit up in excitement at seeing him and she bolted from her place out into the entryway. "You're here! You're home!" She threw her arms around him and nestled her face in his chest. "I'm so glad!"

Marluxia chuckled and patted the girl's head as she continued to nuzzle against him. "What, pray tell, are you doing down here at this late hour?"

Naminé smiled brightly up at Marluxia and pulled away from him slowly. "I heard you'd be home tonight and I wanted to be the first to greet you. I must've fallen asleep waiting for you."

"Life is that boring without me, I see." Marluxia ruffled the girl's hair with a wide grin. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to arrive home. The weather created complications about five miles from Worcester and we had to pull over for a few hours. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

Naminé shook her head vigorously. "No, it really is alright. I'm just glad you're home. I've been so lonely without you. I can't wait until the Summer already."

Marluxia laughed softly. "You're silly. Wanting things to pass so quickly is such a typical child's notion. Once you're older you'll realize how lucky you were for the months that crawled by." He took her hand in his and grabbed up a small bag that he'd been carrying. "Come, let's sit by the fire and you can open your gifts."

Naminé furrowed her brow at the word. "Gifts?" She sat down in front of Marluxia beside the fireplace and looked at his bag curiously.

"Yes, well, I'm half Jewish as you know. I celebrate Hanukkah like my father. But my mother is Catholic and we used to celebrate Christmas as a family." Marluxia pulled open the bag and pulled out two tiny gift boxes. "So, I got you a gift for each. It happens to be the third day into Hanukkah, so why don't you open this one? We'll save the other for Christmas."

Naminé reached hesitantly toward the box Marluxia handed to her. She'd never gotten a gift before and she was eager to know what it was, but she didn't want Marluxia to know. She pulled slowly at the ribbon tying the lid to the box until it came undone. She pulled the lid off and peered inside to find a strange looking toy. "What is it?"

Marluxia reached inside and pulled out the small wooden top. "This is a dreidel, a spinning top that we use to play games. Generally children are the only ones that play with them but I'll show you how." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fistful of coins, dividing them between them. "Well we don't have enough coins to play appropriately, but we can make due with three each. Now, we both put a coin in the pot."

Naminé pushed one coin along the floor to the side where Marluxia had placed his. "Alright, now what?"

"Well, since I'm showing you, I'll go first. You spin the dreidel like this…" Marluxia gave the wooden top a spin and watched it go. "and once it lands, that will be when you know what to do." He watched the toy spin and spin. The revolutions slowed gradually until it landed on its side. "Shin, that means I have to put in one coin to the pot." He put a coin over in the small growing pot and handed the dreidel to Naminé. "Your turn."

Naminé spun the dreidel carefully and watched it spin until it came to a stop on a symbol that she couldn't read. "What does that mean?"

"Gimel, it means you take the whole pot." Marluxia scooted the coins over to the girl in irritation. He hated loosing in a gamble, even a meaningless one. He picked up the dreidel and spun it. It landed and he grumbled. "Hey, which means I would take half of the pot, however there is nothing to take from. Your turn."

Naminé giggled lightly, sensing Marluxia's irritation. She gave the dreidel another spin and watched it land. "What is that?"

"Nun. It means nothing happens. My turn." Marluxia spun the dreidel again and watched irritably as it landed on Shin again. He placed his last coin in the pot and handed the dreidel back to Naminé. He watched her spin the top which quickly landed on Hey.

"So I take half, right?" Naminé looked down at the pot but noticed there was only one coin. "But I can't take half of one."

"When the number is uneven, you round up." Marluxia scooted the coin over to Naminé. "You won. Now let's go get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Naminé cocked her head to the side and picked up her dreidel, placing it carefully back in its box. "We do?"

"We're headed to New York tomorrow. I want to spend some time with my father and of course we have to check on our dear friend Roxas." Marluxia helped Naminé stand and kissed her forehead sweetly. "Now off to bed with you."

"Alright. Goodnight Marluxia." Naminé wrapped her arms around the tall man in a tight embrace. "And thank you for the dreidel. It means a lot to me."