a/n: alright guys! Next chapter is going to be the end of the story! I just want you to know I'm going to take a long time working on it to make it just perfect for you(: I really appreciate all of you for keeping me motivated and focused on the story. I'll admit at some points in this story I wanted to quit, but you guys helped me through it and I love you all for your help! :D And, thank you to everyone who took the time out of their day to review. It really helped me through those rough patches.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Spirited Away, that would be freakin' awesome!

"Children, stop arguing. We have very important business to discuss. Do you want a job in the Bath House or not, Takashi? I'm only asking you once. If not you can clean the pig pen." Yubaba threatened him to answer her question. Takashi eyed Lin for a moment. She just blinked at him

"Yeah. I'll take the job. What do I have to do?" He put his hand through his hair and messed it up a bit. Yubaba rolled her eyes at this action.

"Lin will show you everything you need to do." Yubaba informed him. Takashi turned back to Lin.

"WHAT, can't you get someone else to show him around?" Lin shouted in shock.

"You haven't done work in days because of him. The least you could do is punish him by making him work his ass off. I'll even let you make him wash the Stink Spirits." Yubaba made a reasonable deal with Lin.

"Ugh, fine." Lin threw her arms up in the air dramatically. At least she didn't get stuck with the Stink Spirits this time. Takashi walked up to her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Looks like we'll be spending a lot of time together. Better get used to me." He whispered then smiled as he backed away. Lin frowned awkwardly. What did that even mean? Chihiro smiled at the two. Takashi seemed to be very interested in Lin and she seemed to like him as well. If not only a little bit.

"Haku and I will report here tomorrow, is that right?" Chihiro questioned Yubaba.

"That's right. All of the Spirit community will be there." Yubaba reminded her. So not only did she have to marry Haku but she had to marry him in front of a huge crowd. Huge crowds weren't her thing at all. She could barely handle going to school while she was alive. Let alone her own wedding in the Spirit World. She hoped she wouldn't make a terrible fool out of herself and ruin everything.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Chihiro and Haku had a picnic lunch on top of a lovely hill. Lin trained Takashi. They fought constantly about stupid issues. Like, who had to scrub the tub or who had to get the water tokens. Eventually Lin always won because she reminded him that she had higher authority and that he had to learn what to do.

"I can't believe how selfish and inconsiderate you are you little asshole!" Lin shouted then threw towels at him. Takashi just laughed. He enjoyed making Lin mad and for some reason it was very entertaining to him.

"You didn't think I was an asshole a few days ago now did you?" Takashi replied with a smirk as he slowly folded each towel carefully the exact way Lin had taught him to.

"Yeah, only because you possessed me you freak! You almost made me kill my best friend! Oh and not to mention you made me like HAKU, ew! Why did you pick me huh? Why not anyone else in the whole Spirit World?" Lin demanded in a harsh voice as she continued to throw towels at the boy. He caught each one with his hands then folded it quickly before the other one hit him. She paused with sudden fatigue and sat down on the floor.

"I picked you . . . I picked you because nobody else I saw was more beautiful. And beauty and evil put together triumphs over any good in this world." Takashi explained as he folded the last towel. Lin was shocked. All she could do was look at him. Had he gone insane? She wasn't beautiful. Not by far, especially not compared to Chihiro. So she wasn't possessed anymore that didn't mean she still wasn't jealous of her best friend.

"You've got to be kidding me there are plenty of girls here three times more 'beautiful' than I ever will be. You could have chosen one of them." Lin laughed in his face. Takashi rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Fine. Forget it. I'm done trying to be honest with you. Honesty gets you nowhere in life." He replied with a snort. Lin watched as he sat down on the floor across from her.

"So, do you really know all of my biggest darkest secrets?" Lin wondered innocently. Takashi glanced at her, why should he bother?

"Yeah." He answered her with a smug look on his face. This look spelled out power and evil. This was a face Lin would have to get used to if she were stuck working with him for the next two centuries as his punishment.

"Could you not tell anyone anything about my human life? Please? I've done some pretty horrid things and I tried so hard to make my Spirit Life better and it has been. I just don't want all of my hard work to be ruined because of my past life." Lin brought her knees up to her chin and sighed. She couldn't believe that she was actually asking for Takashi's help.

"Look, unless I'm bribed with ruler of the world in return for your secrets then you're safe. I may be an asshole but I'm not that bad on good days. You've just got to give me time to adjust to this new life. You've been here much longer than I have after all." Takashi explained with a chuckle. She gave him a really small smile and her cheeks turned a very light pink. Maybe working with him wouldn't be all that bad. Maybe something could happen between them. Maybe he was the one she had been wanting all this time and she didn't even realize it because he was possessing her.

"Thanks, that really means a lot to me." Lin thanked him with a bigger more noticeable smile. Something inside Takashi felt warm and a melting sensation rushed through him. Yep, he was falling in love with her and he was falling fast. He just hoped she wouldn't be too harsh as to let him smash into the ground when it was over. They stared at one another for a very long time, trying to think of something to say. Anything to say really. Nothing came up so they stood up and got back to work. For the rest of the day they didn't fight. Not once. They just worked together side by side calmly.

Chihiro was walking home by herself, thinking. She thought of everything that had already happened and everything that will happen soon. It was still shocking to her to realize that she was dead. Not alive, a spirit. Like Haku and Lin.

She wondered silently how her mother and father were getting along without her. Were they sad? Did they miss her? Guess she'll never truly know. After all once she's married to Haku and has his children, the portal to the Human World will be closed for all eternity. The thought of never seeing her family again made her ache inside. Sorrow crept up behind her and a single tear fell from her cheek. Her hands were getting cold, she glanced down and saw ice forming around the tips of her fingers.

Great! Some power this was. What was she going to do? Make somebody's tongue freeze as they licked her hand? It was ridiculous! Still, she managed to somehow slide the door open to her new home, Haku was at the table reading a scroll of some type.

"Haku, I'm in a bit of a predicament." Chihiro stated as she entered while holding her hands out. The ice had now spread to the middle of her hands. She began to shiver. As she breathed out, small snowflakes flew toward him.

"Okay. Well, I'll just put some water in the kettle and heat it up. Then everything will be as good as new." Haku said while he did so. Chihiro sat down where he had just gotten up from.

"I miss my family." She admitted in a soft voice. Haku lit the fire underneath the kettle and turned to face her with a serious look on his face. The one she saw most of the time.

"Look, Chihiro. . . Everybody has to go through some tough transitions at one point in their life-time. Yours just happened to be after you were dead. Just know that no matter what happens, I will always be here for you. I'll always protect you and well, I'll always care for you." Haku spoke to her as though he were talking to a young child. Chihiro looked at him with disappointment.

"Only because you have to." She said to him in an unhappy way. It was the truth though, wasn't it? He'd probably want to marry anybody else in the Spirit World but her. Haku shook his head openly at her.

"Not because I have to, but because I want you to be safe. I want you to feel protected and loved and because I really do want to marry you. I'll admit when Yubaba told me I had to do this I was frightened. I was afraid that you'd never accept me or that you'd forgotten about me completely. I was afraid you'd changed. In some ways you did. But for the better. I love you, Chihiro. I will always be your family." Haku told her while looking directly into her eyes. Chihiro smiled warmly. Hearing this from Haku made her feel so much better. Knowing he wasn't being forced to marry her made her feel less guilty about the whole situation.

"You mean that?" Chihiro couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, Chihiro. I think I've always loved you. Even when I pulled you out of the river when you were young. I just couldn't let you die. You were too young, too innocent, and happy. So, I saved you because I loved you. I know that it sounds really strange coming from a River Spirit. But it's how I feel." Haku admitted with a light blush on his cheeks. Happy now, Chihiro grinned she stood up and walked up to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. Haku paused for a second, then let his arms find their way around her small waist. Even as a Spirit she was still so scrawny.

"I love you too, Haku. I always have." Chihiro whispered onto his neck. This caused goosebumps to run up and down his back. It was a really nice feeling. Knowing you were loved by the one you loved. Comforting and happy and beautiful. Time must have moved quickly because the kettle made a loud ring as it was finished heating up. With a sigh, Haku let Chihiro go. Chihiro let him go as well, with a smile on her face. Still even happy as she was, her whole hand was now covered in ice. Her hands were two large icecubes.

"Here, just put your hands into these two bowls and that should do the trick." Haku said while he set the two bowls onto the table. Chihiro sat down and did as he advised. He seemed to always know what to do. Which was really nice for a change because all her life Chihiro felt lost, like she was always doing everything wrong.

"Thanks." She whispered before putting both hands into the burning hot water. Chihiro couldn't feel anything. Her hands were completely numb.

"I'm going to get ready for bed. You should too once you're thawed out. It's pretty late and we have a very big day tomorrow." Haku kissed her on the head before walking away. Chihiro didn't think she could be any happier. She stared down at her hands, wishing they'd thaw quicker so she could sleep next to her fiancé and soon to be husband. This was the perfect night. She just hoped tomorrow wouldn't have any unwanted surprises.