Thanks Sherona849 for letting me know something was wrong with my italics. I use italics to mark dream segments, but it seems that when I copied over the chapters from Microsoft my settings didn't hold. Should be all corrected now, thanks again!

Chapter 6:

Haku sprawled out on the sandy bank of his river and let the water lap over his feet. The gentle sound of flowing water and the distant roar of waterfalls spread across his soul like a soothing balm. The elemental part of his being reached out to touch his calf and feel their connection strengthen. He was strongest when he was in his dragon form submerged within his water, but for now he was content lying in his human form mentally talking to his water. Something was coming and he wanted to be able to see it before it reached his banks. The rustle of cloth came closer and Haku looked towards the sound expectantly. Wearing a gorgeous purple butterfly yukata, Chihiro slowly walked forward as she observantly looked around them. Her long hair was tied up ornately with a single pink flower hair pin and her feet were clothed in traditional white socks within her sandals. Flipping over onto his knees, he openly stared at her. She was so beautiful, like a ray of warm sunshine, as she made her way towards him. His water bubbled excitedly behind him and tried to move up the bank some to get closer to her.

"It's beautiful here, Haku. Did you make all of this yourself," she asked quietly. Her voice reminded Haku of tinkling bells. Taking a look around himself, he admired his handiwork before nodding his head yes. Not that he could have spoken if he wanted to, something about her always seemed to take his breath away, even more so now than eleven years ago. Chihiro stopped an arm's length away from him and seemed to look over his shoulder at the water behind him. Standing up to his full height, he noted how her eyes stood just above his shoulder when she was wearing the thick soled sandals.

"Will you introduce me to your river? It seems eager to meet me." Haku looked back at the bubbling water. It was indeed happy to see her again and expressed its desire for her to come in. It was even warming the water temperature near them considerably so she might be more comfortable in its cool depths. Hesitant to bring her in, he warned the river that she could not be held in the same manner as the last time she was within its grasp. Humans were so fragile…

"Haku," she questioned, "Haku, can you hear me?"

Chihiro hesitantly called out to Haku and asked if he could hear her before she leaned over and shook his shoulder. Jumping from his seat with a start, he looked around lost for a moment before settling on her. She had found him fast asleep at his desk amongst the mounds of papers. Running a shaking hand through his hair, Haku stepped away from his desk.

"Sorry about that. I was just a little tired after answering the wounded bell this afternoon."

"You were there," Chihiro asked, grateful that she had not been caught. Haku had told her on their tour that it wasn't safe for her to go into the mazes or go to the infirmaries since wounded spirits could degrade into Tainted spirits at any time and become a danger. However, he showed her the way to the main infirmary in case she should need to seek treatment for an ailment during her time here.

"Yes, I help with the wounded whenever there is a wounded bell. I heard on the way upstairs that you kept the rest of the bathhouse running in my absence, thank you."

"It wasn't a problem. I actually enjoy helping out. There is such an assortment of spirits that come through here," Chihiro admitted as she followed Haku into the dining area. Steamed fish, rice and vegetables laid in an appealing arrangement on two plates upon the table. Haku slid out a chair for her and waited for her to sit before taking a seat himself.

"Don't let Lin know that you are enjoying the work or she will never let you leave," he joked with a smile. Chihiro gave him a small smile in return before biting into the meal. Haku turned to his own meal and tried to think of what to say.

"Haku, can I ask you a question," she asked between bites. Nodding his head yes, he waited for her to continue. "Were we friends before…you know when I visited here last time?"

"Yes, I would say we were fairly good friends before. Why do you ask?" Haku bit into the tender pieces of fish as he watched her struggle to find the right words.

"Well Lin was telling me about my visit here last night and there are some gaps in the story. I was hoping you might be able to fill those in for me." Haku frowned and deliberately looked down at his plate.

"I honestly don't like talking about my time as Yubaba's henchman. It is not something I am proud of or care to openly discuss."

"You don't have to talk about what you did for her, just tell me how we met or something. How did we become friends?" Haku ground his teeth in frustration. He couldn't tell her all that he knew or show her with magic without the risk of revealing too much. She could get so easily pulled into this war and into all of the happenings of the bathhouse. He wanted a better life for her…she deserved the right to return to her peaceful life in the human world.

"Why don't you tell me what Lin has told you first, that way I don't waste time repeating information you already know?" Chihiro felt like Haku had side stepped her questions gracefully, but determination to beat him at his own game set in. Telling him all that Lin had told her, Chihiro watched his brow furrow in thought. Avoiding her gaze, he looked out towards the balcony where the night sky was beginning to wane into morning. Choosing his words carefully, he slowly began to weave in the missing holes.

"Lin did a fairly good job of informing you… We met shortly after you and your parents stumbled into our world. I had just returned from a mission for Yubaba and was on my way inside when I heard your sneakers squeaking on the bridge. When I went to investigate, you were leaning over the rail, admiring the train passing by in the canyon below as your parents ate the food laid out for the spirit's awakening. As part of my contract with Yubaba I had given up my name, my memories, and my water, but I recognized you. I remembered your name, even when I couldn't remember my own. I told you to run away, but you didn't make it across the river before the spirits began to awaken. Humans who pass through the void must eat spirit food in order to ground themselves here or else they begin to disappear. Yubaba turned your parents into pigs for eating the spirit's food, but I was able to save you with a berry before you disappeared. I snuck you into the bathhouse and told you to seek employment under Kamaji. I thought if you worked for Kamaji for a few days I would have time to try and free your parents, but he sent you to Yubaba. She signed you into a contract and I was forced to pretend that you were nothing more than another common employee. Once everyone was asleep that night, I took you to see your parents and helped you remember your name."

"While you were dealing with the stink spirit, I was sent to steal Zeniba's magic seal for Yubaba. I managed to return in the night, but was gravely injured by the curse placed upon the seal. I don't remember well what happened then, but Yubaba's son Boh was turned into a mouse by the curse and you were there keeping me from falling into the pit that we kept the Tainted spirits in before disposing of them. I woke up later beside Kamaji feeling better than ever. He told me you had gone to return the magic seal to Zeniba in hopes of breaking the curse. I went to Yubaba and made her a deal in exchange for you and your parent's freedom I would return her son. Once she agreed, I flew to Zeniba's cottage expecting to find you tied up somewhere crying, but instead you were happily having tea with Zeniba as if you were the best of friends. Zeniba forgave me for acting against her and we flew back to the bathhouse. On the flight, you spoke my true name and Yubaba's magic over me was broken. The rest of it should be history, so they say."

A period of silence passed as Chihiro thought over everything. Haku got up and sat before the fire with a cup of tea. Looking back at Haku, Chihiro felt like she was truly seeing him for the first time since arriving in the spirit world. His strong features were furrowed in thought as he recalled those memories and the firelight twinkled in his bright green eyes. The way he curled his body up to sit before the fire reminded her of when he had curled in that same exact spot in his dragon form the night before. There was a sort of tension about him that left Chihiro with the slightest suspicion that there was more to it than what he had just told her, but she decided to let it go for now. Standing up, Chihiro grabbed a cup of tea before slowly sitting down next to Haku and staring into the fire.

"I can't imagine going through all of that," Chihiro spoke absentmindedly as she gazed into the tendrils of fire, "not unless I loved the person." Haku's eyes shot up to stare at her with shock and though he might not have realized it, hope. Hope that perhaps she did feel something and that maybe there was still something there hidden beneath the dust of time and magic. "Then again, I can't imagine the sensation of flying either. I've always been scared of heights," Chihiro chuckled quietly breaking whatever spell had fallen over them, "guess I found the courage to do a lot of things last time I was here."

Hiding his crestfallen feelings, Haku pasted a thoughtful smile on his face. "I might not be able to help you recover your memories from last time, but I could take you out for a fly if you wanted to experience that again." Chihiro gave Haku a small smile before getting up and walking towards the door.

"Lin already tried that tactic my first night back by having me scrub the big tub, but thanks for the offer. If I get the sudden urge to have my feet leave the ground, I'll let you know," Chihiro replied saucily as she leaned against the door frame. Haku's smile brightened as he smirked back at her.

"Don't say I didn't warn you about working for her. She is a tireless master."

"Speaking of work, I need to send a message to my company in Tokyo about extending my leave of absence for the week."

"Unfortunately with the war going on, lines of communication and transportation between the worlds have been cut. The Capital doesn't want any of the Tainted leaking into the human world if it can be avoided. Only spirits who are bound to the human realm can move freely between our worlds, but most of them only have the power to remain in their elemental form when on the other side. I'm not saying it would be impossible, but it will be very difficult to find someone to pass over your message." Nodding her head in understanding, Chihiro frowned slightly. Her associates at work would become concerned if she didn't notify them, but it might not be possible with the war going on. Haku saw Chihiro's frown and felt a twinge of pity for her. She had put her life on hold by coming here, and here he was not making it any easier. The least he could do was try to find someone to pass a letter.

"If you give me the letter by late morning, I can see if any of our guests could pass the message. Would it just be the one letter to your company or is there someone else you need to notify," Haku asked.

"Just a letter to the company will be more than enough. There is no one else who will notice I am gone."

"Won't your parents be missing you? Or a boyfriend?" Chihiro smiled grimly at Haku before fiddling with her fingers.

"My parents died two years ago in an accident, so there is no family left for me. I haven't had time to date with work and all," Chihiro mumbled off as she awkwardly ran her fingers through her hair. Haku felt his heart go out to her. The way she stood leaning against the door frame looking down at her feet made her seem all the more isolated.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did they die?"

"Car accident. They were killed on impact, but not me. All I had was a few small bruises and a weird burn mark from where my hair tie broke against my wrist. Everyone kept telling me that I should have been dead, but somehow I made it out alright." Haku felt his eyebrows rise as he listened to her. He remembered the purple hair tie that the others had made for her and the magic cast upon it to protect her. If the tie had broken then it meant that all of its magic had been released to save her. If it wasn't for their forethought she probably would have died as well, but she didn't need to know that. The thought of Chihiro dying left Haku with a bitter taste in his mouth. "Sometimes I feel guilty that I survived the crash and they didn't…"

"Your parents wouldn't want you feeling guilty about their deaths. It wasn't your fault," Haku reassured her. Standing up, he walked over to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking up at him, she nodded her head with a sigh.

"I know that, but it's so hard to let go. Sometimes I catch myself thinking about Nakamura-san and Tsukasa-san as well. Maybe they wouldn't have died if I had just stayed in Tokyo instead of coming back for the stupid class reunion."

"Maybe, or maybe it would have happened all the same, and Nakamura-san would have been on his way to Tokyo to hunt you down anyways. You can't change the past Chihiro, only the future." Taking his words with a grain of salt, Chihiro painted a small smile on her face.

"Thanks for listening Haku. I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight. I'm sure there are lots that will need to be done tomorrow and I still got to write that letter. Good night." Sliding out from under his hand, Chihiro walked slowly to her room and closed the door behind her. Haku whispered goodnight as he stared at the closed door. Turning back to his desk, he examined the mounds of documents awaiting his attention. With a sigh, Haku sat down to work into the wee hours of morning.

Slipping the letter to her company into her hands, Chihiro stepped out into Haku's office. Noting that the mound of papers had decreased considerably in size, she approached him slowly as he continued his work.

"Good morning, Haku. I brought you the letter," Chihiro greeted him. Looking up from his work, Haku greeted her with a smile and took the letter gently from her hands.

"I will see about getting this sent off. Lin left a message saying that you are to report to the third breezeway as soon as you were awake."

"Well I guess I will head there now then. Have a good day Haku," Chihiro called over her shoulder as she slipped out the door. Haku watched the closed door for a moment before grasping the letter tightly in his hand and frowning at it. Opening his top right desk drawer, he slipped the letter inside and returned to his work.

Chihiro found Lin bustling among the billowing white sheets of the third breezeway. The hall was located on one of the higher floors of the bathhouse, overlooking the big tubs, and was used to dry sheets during the summer time. The windows were all propped open to allow the gentle summer breeze to filter through the hanging materials. Lin was giving instructions to two other staff members on how the wet sheets from the wash needed to be hung when Chihiro walked up.

"Good morning, Chihiro. Great timing. You and I will be folding the dry sheets and dispersing them to different departments via the chutes." Following Lin to the set of sheets closest to the windows, they began unpinning the material from the wires.

"I thought I remembered seeing dryers down in the laundry room. Why would you hang dry these when you could put them into a dryer?"

"It saves energy and magic to hang dry the sheets instead of use the dryer. Now make sure that fold is crisp, otherwise it will get all tangled up when it goes down the chute." Defining her fold again, Chihiro closed the space between her and Lin, cutting the sheet size in half. Grabbing the bottom, she repeated the folding until the sheet was a manageable square that could be set aside in a basket. Together Lin and Chihiro folded through the sheets as they talked about their nonexistent love lives.

"I agree with you. It is so hard to meet new people when you work long hours," Chihiro remarked as they started to collect the folded piles of sheets in a cart.

"I think it is more like all of the good guys are already taken," Lin huffed as she pushed the cart forward. Chihiro picked up more of their stacks and piled them into the cart as Lin continued.

"I wouldn't go that far. There has got to be someone out there for everyone."

"Since when did you become a hopeless romantic," Lin asked with a sarcastic retort.

"Probably around the same time you became a pessimistic spinster," Chihiro threw back. Stopping in front of the chutes, Lin began tossing bundles of folded sheets to Chihiro so she could drop them down the individual chutes to different departments.

"Six hundred and thirty two years old is still considered a maiden here, thank you very much. Besides, I'm nowhere near as old as your dragon and he's still single."

"Haku has been busy running the bathhouse and dealing with the war. I doubt he has even thought about finding a girlfriend with everything on his mind." Lin smiled at her and brought them around to the next wall of chutes.

"He's missed plenty of opportunities, but everyone here knows he's waiting for just the right one. I guess he's as much of a hopeless romantic as you are," Lin said with a suggestive smirk. Chihiro rolled her eyes at her and threw the next batch of folded sheets down a chute.

"Just because we are both waiting for the right person, doesn't make us hopeless romantics. It just means we don't want to waste time fooling around with people we know aren't right for us."

"Fine, fine… change of subject. Tomorrow is my scheduled day off and I was going to go into town to do some shopping. Why don't you come with me? We can scour the markets for unusual trinkets and flirt with uninterested boys at a bar." Chihiro laughed and waited for the last bundle of folded sheets to be tossed to her. Taking a step back to brace herself against the chute opening, she watched Lin haul up the heavy load.

"Be honest Lin. You just want someone to drink with you after you get turned down by the bartender," Chihiro joked with a chuckle. With a playful smirk, Lin launched the heavy bundle of folded sheets at Chihiro's chest. Catching it, Chihiro felt her center of balance shift back under the burden and the back of her knee press against the chute opening. Unable to keep her balance, Chihiro screamed as she went over the edge into freefall within the chute. Screaming her entire way down, Chihiro dropped out the end of the chute into a large basket of folded sheets. Laying there catching her breath, she looked around at tall basket edges. Thanks to her clawing in freefall, some of the sheets had become unfolded and landed on her. Climbing towards the edge of the basket, Chihiro heard the door slam open.

"Chihiro," Lin yelled as she ran towards the basket. Popping her head up over the edge, Chihiro couldn't help the impish grin on her face as she fought back laughter. One look at her ridiculous state and Lin felt laughter start to mask her worry. A few of the sheets had wrapped around her head and body like a veil leaving only her face peeking up over the edge of the basket. Chihiro was simply too short to get out of the basket by herself.

"Does this mean we have to refold these sheets," Chihiro asked with a growing smirk as she tried to contain her laughter. Before either of them could break into laughter, the door slammed opened behind Lin. Breathing heavily, Haku rushed into the room calling out Chihiro's name in worried voice. Spotting her under the sheets peeking up over the edge of the basket, he felt his confusion grow. Haku's dramatic entrance and worried expression had been the last straw to Lin and Chihiro who broke out in fits of laughter. Between fits of laughter, Lin tried to speak as Haku walked quickly to the edge of the basket and lifted Chihiro out, sheets and all.

"She just *snicker* fell down *laughter* the chute *chuckle, snort* stuck in the basket *chortle* and the first thing she asks is if we have to refold the sheets?! *laughter* Then you come in here-," Lin lost her sentence to laughter. Chihiro didn't even try to speak as she laughed. Haku, failing to see what was funny, felt his irritation grow as he listened to their laughter and removed the sheets from around Chihiro. Tossing the sheets at Lin, Haku eyed Chihiro for injuries, but saw none.

"I was so worried something happened to you Chihiro. You have to be more careful than that," Haku admonished her as she stifled her laughter.

"Sorry Haku," Chihiro managed between her lingering snickering.

"You are fine, right?" Chihiro nodded her head yes and Haku shot Lin a piercing glare. Giving him an apologetic smile between her snickering, Lin saw him roll his eyes and walk away from them. As soon as the door closed behind him, they both broke out into laughter. Catching their breath some time later, Lin tossed one end of a sheet at Chihiro and motioned for her to begin folding.

"Yes you dope, the sheets have to be refolded and don't you dare tell Haku I sent you down the chute on accident."

"On accident? I thought you were trying to end me," Chihiro joked as they threw a folded sheet into the basket and reached for another sheet. Shaking her head with a smile, Lin tossed the other end of the sheet to Chihiro.

"Why would I end my supposed drinking buddy," she asked with a wink. Their mutual laughter rose up through the bathhouse floors mixing with the gentle plucking of koto and the hiss of steam. Moving quickly back to the herb merchant he had been bartering with when he had heard the scream, Haku apologized for the delay and continued their negotiations.