The two weeks in California were wonderful. Not only did they visit the themed resort where Haku first met up with Chihiro again, (which he found out that the parks were called Disneyland and California Adventures) they also visited other theme parks in the area (Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Hollywood, and Sea World). Chihiro's father even got a limo to take them from Los Angeles to San Francisco and they went to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and every beach in between, as well as two more theme parks (Great America and Six Flags Adventure Park Haku enjoyed himself, and best of all, Chihiro enjoyed herself.

When it came time to return to Chihiro's home, both kids were sad to leave the beautiful state.

"I wanna come back to live here one day." Chihiro said as the land plane took off.

"We'll come back." Haku assured her.

He noticed her parents exchanging concerned looks in the seats in front of them. Haku frowned and wondered if Chihiro noticed her parents' reaction. She was frowning when he stole a glance at her. Obviously she had.

"When we get older and get married we'll come back." she said loud enough for them to hear, Haku had to fight back a sigh and an eye roll.

Chihiro's father cleared his throat, "So when does school start?" he asked to change the subject.

"In two weeks" she told him then glanced at Haku, "Will you be enrolled?"

"Of course he will. We'll deal with that when we get back. Haku, your parents got a hold of us at the hotel, you are going to be staying with us for the duration of your schooling. Apparently this project that they are working on is going to take a few years so it'll be better for you to just stay with us, since you are already Chihiro's friend." Her mother said with a smile.

"Uh, alright, I mean, Yes Ma'am." Haku nodded.

Hake noticed Chihiro smiling widely. As night set in, Haku felt Chihiro lean on his shoulder and when she was about to fall asleep, he pushed the armrest between them up and put his arm around her. She snuggled into his chest and fell asleep. He yawned and felt himself resting his head on hers and drifted off to sleep also.

"Things are moving fast between them."

"They've been friends for years dear, stop worrying."

Haku thought the voices were just a dream. The words went from making sense to being completely garbled.

"Them being friends for years doesn't matter to me, she's too young to be talking about getting married." the male said.

"She was joking." the female voice answered.

"She's joking now. Haven't you seen the looks between them? There is something more going on."

"You know when he moved away she got upset. Then she started inventing those stories when she was ten. I was surprised that she remembered him. He left when she was in Kindergarten."

Haku frowned in his sleep. So the story had changed again. He sighed were they ever going to settle for one story.

"Don't tell me you aren't concerned."

"Of course I am! But if this makes her happy so be it. Remember how happy she was when we told her that we were taking her to California? Remember how ecstatic she was when we told her he was coming with us? I think she would have been happy just staying at home as long as he could be there." the female voice sighed, "She's not ready to date yet, I'll talk to her when we get home."

Darkness swallowed Haku and the voices morphed into another dream that he couldn't remember.

Hours later Haku was woken up by Chihiro poking him. He looked at her and frowned.

"We're about to land," she told him, "You are very comfortable." she added.

He smiled and yawned. It was only when the plane touched down and they were in the car heading to the house that Haku remembered the conversation he heard when he was falling to sleep. In whispers he told Chihiro about the story changing yet again. She sighed and nodded.

"They need to make up their minds," she mumbled.

The weeks passed as soon it was time for them to start school. Haku was disappointed that he was in different classes than Chihiro. This was because he had to take an exam to see where to place him, and he placed in the advanced classes.

"No fair" Chihiro groaned when they got their schedules, "I'll only see you in gym and lunch. Why do you have to be so smart."

"I learned a lot," he said with a shrug.

He saw her roll her eyes and laughed.

The weekend before school started, Chihiro's mother took them school shopping. They were both sitting in the back seat and Haku was looking out the window when a song came on the radio.

"Mom turn it up! I heard that song in California, it's so beautiful!" she said excitedly then started singing along with it.

"One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you

Darling don't be afraid

I have loved you for a Thousand Years.

I'll love you for a thousand more.

All along I believed I would find you

Time has brought your heart to me

I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more."

Haku saw that Chihiro had her eyes closed and was smiling as she sang. She reached across the seats and touched her fingers with his, he took her hand and went back to looking out the window.

Chihiro's Mom POV:

I looked through the rear view window and saw him holding her hand. It made me sad, my little girl growing up, but at the same time I was happy that she was with him. I could tell that he loved her since they were kids. His mother was my best friend, so the kids grew up together. When she fell in the river, the scariest moment of my life, he didn't hesitate. If he hadn't thrown that long branch at her and pulled her in I know we would have lost her.

"Mom you missed the entrance." Chihiro's voice broke through my thoughts, silently cursing myself I made a U-turn and turned into the parking lot.

It was very hard for her to find a friend after they moved away. The thought of not going to school with Haku devastated, eventually she started to forget about him. She would talk about her new friends and how she adored her teachers. It made me smile to see her so happy. Then one day, when my husband's job had us moving to a new town, she suddenly started making up stories. Actually it was one story, it was always the same. My husband and I turning into pigs and Haku showing her how to save us. He was the star of the stories, she could explain in vivid detail the way he turned into a dragon, and about the witch that owned the bathhouse where she worked, and all sorts of other characters. We thought about therapy, but she wouldn't have it.

We thought the stories were just made up because we were moving again, even further from him. We dismissed them, thinking she would stop talking about them. She did, but she started drawing dragons, and the characters from the stories. She wrote them down too. Then I got in contact with Haku's mother, to see if him seeing her again would help. She told us how her husband was working on a project for whatever they did, I didn't really understand it, and how Haku needed a place to stay. I found myself inviting him to stay with us. We set it up for him to meet us at the hotel in California. Her excitement was...indescribable. She tackled screamed and fainted. She had never fainted a day in her life! When she came too, she was happier than anything.

"Mom? MOM!" I realized Chihiro was talking to me.

"Yes?" I asked her.

"I was asking if Haku and I can walk around for a bit. Then we can meet up and you can help me pick out clothes for school."

"Oh sure." I gave them some money and sent them off.

Chihiro's POV

"My mom was acting funny today." I was saying as I walked with Haku through the mall.

I smiled when he took my hand, he was always touching my hands since he came back. Almost like he wanted to make sure I didn't disappear. I could see people smiling at us and I blushed. Haku must have noticed because he dropped my hand. I couldn't ignore the disappointment when he did. He hadn't kissed me again since my birthday. Honestly I wanted him to, more than anything. I sighed and kept walking next to him. I pointed to the art supply store.

After a few minutes we walked out with my supplies, and a few for him too. I smiled and let him pick the next store. As we walked he once again picked up my hand and caused me to smile. He pulled me up the stairs to the almost deserted second floor of the store and was looking at me with such intensity.

Oh he's going to kiss me again!

My heart fluttered like a birds as he leaned towards me. Suddenly I was scared, what if we got caught? I pulled back away from him and saw his brows come together forming a crease. I couldn't control myself, I had to touch his cheek. His face relaxed as soon as I did and he leaned his face into my hand. He turned and kissed my palm, the spot burned from his breath.

"Haku..." I whispered.

"There you are!" We jumped apart when my mom's voice pierced through our moment, "It's getting late and you both need your uniforms." she was saying.

"Uniforms? I though they did away with those!"

"Not this year, I just got a call from your father they sent a letter saying you needed uniforms still."

I knew I was making an unattractive face, which is why my heart sped up with Haku still looked at me like I was the only person in the mall.

"Uniforms are not cute." I muttered but followed my mom out of the mall so we could go to the uniform store.

Once at the large store stocked with similar looking skirts, shirts and jackets, I sighed impatiently as my mom tried to find my size. It reminded me of Lin trying to figure out my uniform in the bathhouse.

"You're so puny" she had said.

In truth I hadn't grown much, size wise, but I was taller so my shirts showed my stomach if I lifted my arms, they felt tight around my chest, and my skirts were hemmed too short. Mom came back with an the next size up and sent me to the fitting room.

"MOM!" I shouted and walked out.

The shirt fit too big, and the skirt was too long now. I felt like crying.

"Are you sure this is the next size up?" I heard my mom ask the sale's lady, who only nodded.

"I look like I'm floating." I knew I sounded whinny, but I didn't want Haku to see me like this on a daily basis.

Speaking of Haku, he was trying on his clothes in the men's fitting room. He came out and I felt my breath catch. He looked so handsome. His shirt was just tight enough to show off his toned chest and arms, but not too tight so he wasn't constricted. Changing his clothes caused his hair to become disheveled, although I noticed that it was kind of long to blend in right. As if he felt my stares, he turned to look at me. Oh why does he have to look at me like that? I made face at him and ducked back into the room.

"Chihiro I can hem it," mom was saying.

"Hold on, I want to try something."

I pulled off a safety pin that I kept on my shirt to keep it pulled in at my waist. I pinned the uniform shirt back tightly, to show off my body. A blush rose to my cheeks when I thought about why I was doing this...for him. I rolled up the skirt until it was well over my knees, just to my fingertips. I pulled up the knee high socks and put on the loafers. I peeked my head out to see my mom fusing over Haku, she also seemed to commenting over his hair because I saw him run his hand through it.

"I'm ready" I told them, my mom turned and her eyes almost popped out of her head.

I wasn't paying attention to her, I was watching Haku. I suppressed a giggle when his eyes got wide and he gulped. Walking over to him, I moved my hips a lot.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

Gulping again he cleared his throat, "I think your mom is about to have heart attack." he said keeping his voice light.

I turned around and saw that he was right. Mom was turning like three different shades of red.

"Mom I'm kidding!" I said and ran back into the changing room.

I walked out in my regular clothes with the bundle in my arms. Mom took them from me and we waited for Haku to change out of his uniform. She paid for them and we walked to a restaurant near by.

"What did you really think?" I asked as soon as mom was out of earshot.

"I thought that if I said what I really thought your mom would throw me out." he said and winked.

I felt myself blush and I put my head in my arms so mom wouldn't see.

Haku couldn't help but laugh as she ducked her head down. In truth he thought she looked...beautiful, and so much more mature that thirteen. A part of him didn't like it. She was too young to be acting like that.

She was joking. His voice of reason put in.

Doesn't matter, she's only thirteen. He argued with himself.

He sighed and ate in silence. On the way home, Chihiro's mom turned the radio station to oldies. Haku caught sight when a particular song came on, especially when Chihiro started singing to it and stealing glances at Haku.

"Whenever you're near,

I hear a symphony.

A tender melody,

Pulling me closer, closer to your arms.

Then suddenly, your lips are touching mine

A feeling so divine

Till I leave the past behind."

Her mom made an annoyed song and turned off the radio. Haku was confused. Since telling Chihiro how he felt about her, that he loved her, and since he kissed her, Chihiro was acting more mature. Was he mistaken? Was a girl of only thirteen able to feel and understand the intense emotion that was love?