And here we go! I'm going to do my best, and I want to finish this story ASAP. That's the recipe for speedy updates, so they're coming at ya!

Thanks for the reviews CAPJHMPAgirl and ScipioPB, and a Happy Christmas to you and yours as well! And that also goes to anyone reading – whether it be Kwanza, Hanukkah, or what have you, I hope you're having a marvelous time! You know, before the winter kills everything. Wow, I hate the cold. Happy Holidays! xD

Warning! Second update today! Also, shameless fluff ahead – avert your eyes from this squishiness.

Zephyr

Vaughn stared out the window of the taxi, feeling much more awkward now that the trip was actually in motion. He wasn't obligated to wear a tie, for starters. That was throwing him off. And because it was June at long last, Molly took it upon herself to wear a comfy pink skirt. But Vaughn was getting pretty good at training himself not to stare. Or at least, not for very long.

Molly had her window all of the way down, enjoying the warm air batting her hair around. With both arms propped up on the edge, she was sticking her head as close to the open world as possible without looking like a dog with its tongue lolling out in delight.

He started when she whirled around to talk to him. "The weather's so nice today! I hope Zephyr Town isn't too far away and missing all this sun."

"It's just a two hour flight," Vaughn replied, eyeing the road ahead of the driver. It was decided they'd take a taxi, so Vaughn wouldn't have to pay to have his car in a garage at the airport for the weekend. And Molly insisted she didn't want to die before their trip. "The air should be clearer, too."

"Right… It's going to be nice getting out of the city," Molly sighed, sitting back in her seat.

"Do you even like the city?" Vaughn found himself asking from her saddened, nostalgic tone. "I mean… why even work here?"

"Well… it's where the work is," she shrugged, finding it difficult and embarrassing to explain. "My sister got lucky and got a plot of land for cheap."

"You mentioned she was on Castanet," he nodded.

"You remembered!" Molly sounded happily surprised. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "But yeah, Angela's a farmer out there. She's making pretty good money, too."

"That's good," Vaughn nodded as the taxi merged right, leaving the highway behind. He watched for a minute as they turned and followed the arrows directing them to the airport. He faced her. "You're a good gardener. Why don't you farm with her?"

Molly rolled her eyes. "Kind of crowded with her husband around."

"Oh," he had to agree.

She looked back out the window, pushing away the locks of hair that flew into her face when she turned. "Good farms aren't easy to come by. You know that as well as I do – we sell the bad ones! And I like where I am right now… It has its good points, too."

It wasn't much longer before they were dropped off at the terminal. Vaughn collected their bags from the trunk, and Molly used the company money to pay and tip their driver. After a quick look at the clock, they realized they wouldn't have much time to get through security if they wanted to board on time.

The walk through the crowded airport was stuffy and exciting. People zipping by, power walking to get where they needed to go. Everyone with something important to do and a place to be. Cell phones and luggage and crying toddlers and cheap pizza at double the price. Expensive shops for emergencies when necessities were lost or broken.

It reminded Vaughn of the subway system. And much like on the train, Molly was in her zone. He marveled how easy it was for her to wind through people and remain polite about it. The minute someone checked his shoulder or kicked his suitcase, his temper would ignite. But she expertly led the way with her little rolling case and her carry-on slung over her shoulder. The airport was a maze of signs and people and escalators, but Molly navigated it with ease, pointing out where they needed to be.

"We would've been late if you weren't here," Vaughn said, letting out a deep breath in relief. They were in line with the rest of the high end passengers to board the commercial plane first. It was an enormous cabin, but Zephyr was only the first stop. Then the plane would be off to another major city. "I'm glad I told Gill to stuff it."

Molly giggled, handing over her boarding pass to be scanned by the attendant. She waited for Vaughn to do the same and catch up as they walked down the echoing tunnel. "I'm glad, too! I feel a little bad though. You know, leaving him with Mr. Hamilton."

"He'll live," Vaughn shrugged. He subconsciously ducked his head as he entered and was led to the left by a smiling air hostess. The woman took Molly's bag and placed it above two plushy chairs with a window view. "He's had all month to get over it."

"I'm glad Hamilton's at least toned it down a little," Molly said. She sheepishly pointed, and Vaughn let her go in first. She happily bounced into the window seat. "I wouldn't be happy if my father came out of the blue and desperately tried to get to know me."

"I didn't think of it that way," Vaughn admitted, sitting down beside her. He took the arm rest and thought twice about it, keeping his arms folded across his middle.

Molly reached for him and took the piece of paper tucked into his shirt pocket. She unfolded it and looked over his notes on Zephyr. "Ooo, we're going to be there for the bazaar today! It happens every Saturday?"

"Yeah. Might be good to include in the brochure," Vaughn nodded. What a welcome to the village they'd have. Getting to see their renowned barter square where dozens of merchants would set up and haggle prices on all sorts of food and goods.

"Right!" Molly agreed. "This is going to be a piece of cake."

"Surprised it's a job at all…" Vaughn grumbled, thinking of his own monotonous one. Dealing with the public and all of the patience that took. He saw Molly out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "What?"

She pulled on his long sleeved black shirt, straightening the cuff around his wrist when she noticed it was turned around. "Isn't this hot? It's almost summer, and you're dressed for a funeral."

"I am not!" He snapped, pulling his arm out of her reach. He smoothed down his black trousers. "There's nothing wrong with black. It's classy."

Molly leaned and peered out the window as the pilot finally began his announcements before takeoff. "You're right. You look fine."

For the first time in awhile, Vaughn's face darkened as he pulled down his shirt cuffs and twisted them the way he liked them. The steward at the front demonstrated how to put on the life vests while another went around taking orders for the alcohol they offered. Neither Vaughn nor Molly bothered, and it made him regret it. He would've been able to blame his flush on the alcohol. But Molly didn't seem to notice.

The next two hours passed without conversation. This was due to their early departure at seven in the morning, and so Molly slept through the whole flight. Vaughn dozed in and out and was grateful for when they began their descent spiral. He gave Molly a nudge, and she stretched and buckled her belt for the landing.

Another trip through the airport ensued, but this terminal was tiny in comparison. It could only hold three crafts at a time, and their commercial plane was a big to do. And as Vaughn and Molly were the only ones making the hour long drive to Zephyr Town from the airport that day, the bus arrived right on schedule for them, and they were off again.

The towns thinned out and were replaced by forests and large valleys. They crossed a river, and the mountains in the distance grew steadily closer on the bumpy ride. The bus made a few more stops, picking up tourists and buyers coming in to visit the bazaar. The town itself was the next stop.

Since Vaughn was impatient as all else, the job of taking pictures was given to Molly. She held the office's state of the art, professional grade camera around her neck. She complained it was heavy and awkward, but she would gawk each time at the crystal clear pictures it could snap. Vaughn's job was taking notes and asking the important interview questions. But they both got off easy since they had only one meeting on Sunday with the busy mayor of Zephyr Town, a man named Felix, and that was that. They would be off the hook.

The bus stopped, and everyone disembarked. Vaughn and Molly waited for everyone to get off before they struggled with their suitcases. The bus was a small one and didn't have a compartment for their things, so they had to hang onto them in the cramped space. Molly tossed her suitcase down the stairs and followed after it, and Vaughn struggled to yank his down each step to the ground.

"Wow…" Molly's smile broadened as she stared up at the flawless blue sky. Vaughn took a deep breath of the fresh air and laughed as Molly dropped her things at her feet and spun around in blissful circles. "You were right! The air feels so different here. So… so… aromatic."

"Good way to describe it," he complimented, picking up her fallen bag and standing it upright again. He looked back at the departing bus behind them and then to the dirt roads ahead. "The hotel is supposed to be down this way since the plaza for the bazaar is where all of those people are going. I think we should check in first before we have a look around… Will you get your head out of the clouds for a minute?"

Molly gleefully laughed and ran back for her things. She slung her bag around her shoulder, jostling the expensive camera around as she picked up her suitcase and Vaughn's arm with her free hand. "Come on! The faster we can get to the hotel, the faster we can explore! This is so exciting!"

Her enthusiasm was contagious, so Vaughn just rolled his eyes and let himself be dragged along. The hotel was the only imposing building other than the three distinct windmills in the distance. The closest one loomed over the hotel's entrance, creaking in the wind and lazily spinning its vanes.

The clerk was expecting them. Apparently, Vaughn and Molly were made to look like celebrities from all of the talking Mayor Felix had done. The town was probably nervous they could make or break their chances on getting their abandoned farm sold. Though Vaughn's dour expression wasn't much help, Molly's bubbly personality was reassuring to the hotel owner, and he handed over their keys.

Molly let out a huff at her bangs as she ascended the last stair, carting up her suitcase to the top. "Phew! What a hike. I'm in 201, right?"

"202," Vaughn answered, feeling pretty bushed himself as he climbed the last step behind her.

"Right," she said, taking out her old-fashioned key and sticking it in the lock. She pushed the door open and took a quick peek around.

Vaughn unlocked his own door next to hers and wheeled his suitcase over to the bed. The room was small, but it was nicely furnished and clean. That much he could appreciate. He went to the window and opened the curtains, letting in as much light as possible. He had a good view of the mountains on the horizon line, and he could see half of the town from this side of the building. There was a tree close by that was right outside Molly's window, and he couldn't help but want to offer to switch rooms. What if some creep climbed that thing?

"Boo!" Molly giggled, seeing his startled reaction. She leaned against the open dividing door with a snide expression. "Our rooms are connected, and this wasn't even locked! How perfectly scandalous."

"You sound like Allen," he remarked, hoping it'd get her miffed for revenge.

True to his prediction, she stuck out her tongue. "Okay, okay, sassy pants. Are you ready to go or what?"

"We just got here," he reminded, throwing his key onto the desk and rolling up his sleeves. Molly invited herself in and sat on the edge of his bed. "Was that nap on the plane all you needed?"

Molly was admiring the white and blue comforter, testing how soft it was with her hand. "Sorry. I'm being annoying, aren't I? If you want to take a nap, that's fine! That's probably a good idea, come to think of it. Wouldn't want to be yawning everywhere."

Vaughn looked around, not feeling like unpacking yet. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nah, let's go. Where to first?"

"You don't have to," Molly chided, quickly standing and going to the connecting door. "Just knock when you're ready to go."

"I want to," he insisted, pocketing his key again. When Molly didn't immediately follow him to the door, he put his hands in his pockets and waited. He beckoned his head. "Come on. Let's see the bazaar."

Molly smiled and nodded. "Okay! I'll get the camera."

"Nah, leave it," he shook his head.

"But shouldn't we get a picture of the bazaar? It's a huge focal point of Zephyr," Molly pointed out, a worried hand at her chin.

"There's one on their website we can steal. Now come on," he held his door open.

She laughed and hurried after him. Once Vaughn locked his door and they started down the hall, she stopped them. "Wait, I forgot my key!"

"You can just get in through the connecting door," he said.

"Oh," she mumbled. "Right. Good thinking."

Vaughn chuckled and indicated for her to take the stairs first. "You're so scatterbrained today."

"Don't tease me! It's not my fault. Not entirely anyways. I'm just so excited! We're on vacation!" Molly jumped the last step, giddy once again. She ran to the door and anxiously waited for him. Vaughn wondered if it would be like this all day, and he envied her energy.

"Here you are," he held out his elbow to her, a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Why, don't mind if I do, good sir!" Molly curtsied melodramatically, looping her arm through his.

Though it was supposed to be a joke, it successfully got them closer. And when two kids came running in through the same door they were trying to leave, Molly fell into him, and Vaughn simultaneously pulled her out of the way.

Molly looked up from his chest, an embarrassed blush tinging her cheeks. "I'm sensing an adventurous day ahead."

Vaughn righted his posture and began the walk with a smirk, still arm in arm with her. He silently agreed.

Though the town was sleepy, the shopping district was a zoo. Apparently, Zephyr wasn't struggling too much financially with all of the booths and auctions going on. People were shouting and ringing bells and wafting sweet scented foods into the crowds to get any attention they could get. Vaughn was sure that if they didn't have their arms linked, he would've lost sight of Molly in the first five minutes.

"Aw!" Molly cooed, breaking away from him and running for a booth. Vaughn wound around an old couple passing by and clicked his cowboy boots on the cobblestones. He stopped in front of the penned area next to Molly where she was casually leaning against the fence. "Look how cute he is!"

Vaughn looked them over, unable not to share in his expertise. He propped his elbows up beside her. "That's a she."

Molly pat the bovine's nose, and it happily leaned into her hand. Her brow wrinkled in confusion. "But it has horns. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"Bad way to tell the sex," he explained. "Better to just look at the nether."

"Ha… nether…" she snorted immaturely. "But okay… it's a girl cow?"

"A heifer," Vaughn corrected again. "She's young."

"There's a difference?" Molly's eyes bugged as Vaughn nodded, explaining that she was too young to have calves yet and cows were the mothers. "Good to know… what else?"

Vaughn smiled. It was good to be on the topic of the craft he grew up in. Herding cattle as a teenager, learning from Taro, and working with other trainees like Neil. Baling hay, tagging steer. It made him want to go back and do it all over again. "Those are steer over in that pen. Can you guess what those are used for?"

Molly looked over the black and brown cattle with thick foreheads, pursing her lips before she made up her mind. "Beef?"

"Yup," he nodded. "They're steer because they've been castrated."

"What happens to the males who aren't castrated? And what are they called? Just in general," Molly asked, enjoying learning something new. It could pertain to her future work if her dream of owning a farm ever came true.

"That's a bull. They're the breeders," Vaughn said.

"Sounds like you know your stuff!" The cattle rancher and owner of the stand heard their conversation and approached, thumbs in his pockets and looking proud of his stock. "Just browsing today?"

"Uh, yeah," Vaughn stood up straight, rubbing at the back of his hair. "We're tourists."

"Not city slickers though!" The man heartily laughed.

"Thanks for letting us look. You've got a nice herd here," Vaughn thanked the man, edging away.

Molly suddenly laughed as the heifer stuck out her tongue at being ignored, licking her bare arm. It felt scratchy, and she had to wipe away the slime it left behind. "Yeah, thank you!"

Vaughn walked away first, and Molly hurried after him. She was still flicking spit off her arm. "I didn't know they gave kisses! Blech!"

"It just means she likes you," Vaughn said, getting a kick out of her shivers of disgust.

"Maybe I'll have some like her on my imaginary farm someday," Molly said, winding her hands behind her back. Her stomach growled. "You grew up on a ranch, right?"

"Yeah… Taro taught me everything he knew," Vaughn answered, feeling hungry himself. He spotted a merchant family selling pastries. He pointed at their stand. "Hey, wait up a second. You want something?"

"Ooo, I'm starving!" Molly nodded.

"Wait here," Vaughn told her, going up to a free person behind the counter. He ordered two churros, thinking that was a safe choice. After they were wrapped in wax paper and handed over to him, Vaughn turned and found Molly had disappeared.

He didn't have far to look. Vaughn found her at a booth across the way selling clothes and accessories. He walked over to catch up with her and found she was buying something.

"What'd you find?" He asked, trying to hand her a churro as he bit into his own.

Molly tucked her change into a previously invisible pocket in her skirt. She was smiling wide as she spun around with a black cowboy hat in her hands. It had a thick brown band around it and smelled like new leather. He saw piles of them in brown and white along the table behind her.

She stood on her tiptoes and placed it on his head, adjusting it just so. When Molly stood back, she was admiring it. "Isn't it classy? Now you're a real cowboy!"

Vaughn just stared at her with a mouthful of churro and a dumbfounded expression. Molly took the spare in his hand, thanking him, and taking a taste. She made a last minute adjustment and tilted the brim of his hat up, so she could see his eyes. "Much better! …It suits you."

Molly walked off to enjoy the rest of the bazaar, already pointing at another thing she wanted to see. His feet unfroze themselves and lazily trailed after her, his heart settling back somewhere around where it was supposed to be but still feeling light.

They enjoyed lunch on their feet, walking around the other half of the market. Molly shopped around, but neither of them bought anything else. Except he had to talk her out of buying a whip for Allen, as although it was funny, Vaughn knew for a fact he'd use it on them.

The shops started to close one by one, and they left the plaza. Instead of following the max exodus out of town, the pair meandered around the permanent shops and buildings. They met some of the locals and mingled, asking questions here and there as they were supposed to. They got lost a few times, having to retrace their steps back before getting lost in the woods. On their last excursion to a dead end, Vaughn suggested they get dinner at the hotel before wandering off again. Molly agreed, and they made the slow trek back.

The sun was setting a golden yellow, shooting pinks and oranges through the dusk. With only a few clouds to reflect off of, it felt as if they could see for miles from their little spot on the ground.

Molly paused as she let her hands trace along the tall grass at the edge of the path. Grasshoppers were chirping below, and cicadas were singing in the trees. Vaughn felt her lose step beside him and turned to see what was keeping her. "Something wrong?"

"Huh?" She quickly looked up and smiled at his hatted silhouette. "Wow, you look like you're straight out of a Western."

He bashfully pulled on the brim, glad for the light to be at his back to hide his face. The Stetson felt natural. Right where he would usually grab at his bangs when he was nervous was the brim of the hat waiting for him. He could imagine wearing away the end after years of sappy encounters like this.

"You don't have to wear that you know," Molly said.

"I like it," Vaughn immediately answered, letting his arm drop to find his pocket.

"Good," she nodded with a brighter smile. She pulled on a long blade of grass, plucking it up. It had a fluffy head, and it reached all of the way to her feet. Molly played with it, spinning it around and focusing on it as she talked. It reminded Vaughn of his own awkward habits. "It's been a really fun day – thank you. I've had a lot of fun learning about you and just hanging out… casual, you know? Like we're real friends or something."

"Yeah, I'd say we're friends," he replied a little dumbly. Vaughn smirked. "It has been a… a nice day. Yeah. Thanks."

Molly decided to just go ahead and jump right in. She started breaking the grass apart until all of it fit in her fists. "I've been wanting to just… do this, for a long time. See, I can't remember when, but it feels like I've always kind of… I don't know. This sounds dumb, I guess, but I was always a little jealous with how much you liked Candace and tried to impress her all of the time."

Vaughn was still. He waited for her to finish.

She lightly shrugged, looking at the bits of grass in her hands. "I guess… I kind of wished it was me that was so special. And now that I've gotten this far – I might as well tell you that Denny knows all about it. I wouldn't be surprised if he told you already."

"He didn't," Vaughn said, gracing her with a reply at last.

"He's a good friend," she observed. Feeling less like she was talking to the air, Molly's voice shook a bit from the nerves. She clapped her hands free, wiping them clean on her skirt. "Well, I just wanted to let you know I like you. A lot. And after today, I don't think I can pretend I don't anymore."

Fair enough. Vaughn mulled this over, keeping quiet. He swallowed hard, and Molly walked back to him.

She wasn't looking for an immediate reply. In fact, a rejection was the last thing she wanted. Molly cursed herself for being such an idiot and letting this dam burst on the first day there. She interrupted his train of thought. "It's okay! You don't have to say anything. Like I said, it was dumb."

Vaughn shook his head stubbornly. Now that the sun wasn't blinding her, Molly could clearly see him standing next to her with his face crimson and his eyes pinched shut. "No, I just… I don't… just say things… I…"

Molly looked him over, surprised her almost confession didn't seem to be outright refused. Now becoming timid herself, she kicked her shoe at the dirt. "Then… how do you tell someone you love them?"

Though it came out as barely a whisper, Vaughn heard it loud and clear. There were so many things to say. A whole plethora of ideas to choose from. That she was intelligent and unique and the only bearable person in the office day in and day out. How wonderful she was in both equal parts joy and sarcasm. Or how he liked her hair best like this. Down and soft. Nothing was preventing the wind from dancing with it.

He wished he could sound like such a poet to Molly aloud, but he knew it wasn't going to happen. He could work on it… But because words had never been his forte, there wasn't much else for him to do but his first instinct.

Molly's heart clenched in surprise when Vaughn reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a tight squeeze. She smiled, satisfied with his answer as he led her back into Zephyr Town.

Neither of them were going back quite the same.