"I'm sorry, Julia."

~Hugo

"I'm afraid she doesn't want to see anybody." Hugo told Caraway as he massaged his temples. "Julia refuses to come out from her room. She doesn't even touch the food we bring her."

For a heartbeat, Caraway felt the pangs of guilt gnaw at him. He didn't want to put her in pain. But he had no choice-He had to play his strongest cards. Loire's disappearance was a boon yet an unfortunate and unintended collateral damage.

On one side of the coin, Caraway was finally free to pursue her now that Loire seemed to be out of the picture. On the flip side of the coin, he would have to exert much effort to gain her affections.

He put his hand on Hugo's desk. "Let me see her."

The memories of that day was still fresh in Hugo's head. Shit. Why did this happen to her? He dejectedly handed Caraway her room key. "Don't be surprised when you see her. She looks horrible. Please try to convince her to live. If she can live for his sake and publish the song she promised to him… that would be really great."

Caraway stared at the key offered to him. Have a little more patience and play your cards right, Fury. Paint a good picture of Loire for her. She will never see him again anyway.

"Tick tock. Tick Tock."

Staring at the wall clock had become Julia's solace for the past few days, especially when Hugo forbade liquors and wine brought to her. She felt her stomach grumble again. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. You ate before that day, Julia.

It was a day that sucked the entire appetite she had for life. Drawing the bedcovers over her body, she once more tried to blot the unwanted memories that resurfaced to haunt her.

Her mobile phone rang. "Hello?"

"Julia, its Caraway. I have something important to tell you."

She recognized the ominous tone behind his words. Julia's instincts never lied to her. Something was wrong. "What is it?"

"I received a report from the Centra expedition. Loire and his men were separated from the main party. Our men found his comrades gravely injured."

"And Laguna? What happened to Laguna?" Please don't let anything happen to him. Please.

The silence was damning until he replied. "They couldn't find his body."

Julia curled into a ball and covered her ears, not wanting to hear the voices that reminded her of her pain.

"You emptied a 1000mL wine in 30 minutes? What were you thinking, Julia?!"

"He… he…. He's missing, Hugo. He's not dead, is he? They will find him, right? I know I'm overreacting, but…. I'm sure they'll find him, I'm sure…."

"Is this what you really want? Do you really want to waste your life pinning for a guy who wanted you to live life to the fullest?"

"Shut up!" She threw the wine glass at Hugo. "You don't understand the pain I'm going through!"

She closed her eyes. She had behaved like a selfish spoiled brat. Hugo was thoughtful and looked after her best interests. Yet here she was, lying on the bed, moping like a brat. I can't understand this pain… I don't want to bear it. I want it to go away. Why do I feel like this?

She couldn't no longer count the number of times she wept, nor the number of times Laguna crossed her mind. It was a mystery in itself. She had only spent a single night with Laguna, yet why was she acting like this? Would I act like this if Hugo died, too?

What am I thinking? I love him, silly. I wanted to see him. We made a promise to each other. We were supposed to talk about our dreams. He was supposed to tell me his stories. I was supposed to sing him my song. I was supposed to be with him forever. All those imaginary scenes just set me for despair. I just cherished the idea of being with him and his loss meant the death of those ideas.

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard a familiar voice. "Julia, its Fury."

She sniffled. "Go away."

"No, I'm coming in."

The room was dimly lit from Julia's night lamp. Caraway glimpsed her small frame curled like a ball on top of the bed. She took a peek at him and his guilt gnawed him again. She didn't look horrible- she looked terrible! Her weight loss had exacerbated the redness and puffiness of her dull eyes. The animated woman whom he once knew was gone.

"I don't want to see nor talk to anybody." She whispered beneath the covers. "Go away."

There's no turning back now, Fury. He would replace the space Laguna occupied in her heart. Slowly, he approached and sat by the edge of her bed. Julia lay unmoving and did not acknowledge him further.

Several minutes had passed when muffled sounds broke the room's silence and his heart contracted. She's crying because of what you did. He knew there was nothing he could do but listen. He listened to her as she cried in despair. He listened and recognized the brokenness and longing for the man with the machine gun. Soon enough, her sobs eventually stopped and he knew she drifted herself to sleep.

He heard a soft rap from her door. "How is she?"

"Horrible doesn't give justice to her state right now."

Hugo walked inside and stood beside Julia's bed. "I don't mean to disrespect you, General. But I hope you were fully aware what a broken heart can do to a person."

Caraway glanced at the Hotel Manager who introduced Julia to him. He knew. He wasn't a stupid man. Hugo was bound to connect the facts that he was involved with Laguna's reassignment. The more important question was, "Would he would inform Julia of his treachery?" Immediately, the compassion and pity he felt for Julia's sorrow vanished. He couldn't risk to lose the rapport he built with her.

"It's too late to turn back time, isn't it?"

"Did you purposely interfere with their budding relationship?"

Without shame and hesitation, Caraway caressed Julia's cheek. "I did."

The bastard. So he really was involved with Laguna's sudden re-assignment! "Did you plan to kill him?"

"No." Caraway honestly told him. "I just wanted to separate him so I could woo her. I wanted to see the expression on his face when he returned to realize what a fool he was to take what belonged to me."

"She's not yours. She never was yours."

Caraway smirked. "That's for me to find out, yes?" He glided his fingers across the silkiness of her hair. "It might be too late to save him. We are at war and it can't helped if men get lost…. Or be killed."

Hugo struggled to compose himself. How could he separate this monster from her? Yes, He would tell her everything!

Caraway wasn't finished with him. Hugo was such an open book. "You want to tell her, don't you? Let me tell you something first." He leaned closer, his face a few inches from Hugo's as nonchalantly drawled. "You know how I can easily destroy your career…. And hers."

Something snapped in Hugo's that prompted him to punch Caraway in the face. He didn't care that the man who stood in front of him was one of the most powerful men in Galbadia. "I can't believe I respected you. You're a bully. Julia will never love you." He cursed him.

"I don't need your love or respect. I just need hers." He brushed the blood that trickled from his mouth. "Good punch, by the way. If we weren't in her room, I could have punched you harder."

Caraway stood up and lightly slapped Hugo's cheek. "I'll forgive you for your insolence. Now, will you promise to shut your mouth and let me have my way with her?"

Through clenched teeth, Hugo rued the day Caraway had set foot at The Galbadia Hotel. "Yes, you rotten bastard."

Notes:

1. I waited for the very last minute to edit this chapter.

2. The initial draft covered the plot when Julia discovered Laguna was missing, until Caraway manages to convince her to "live"again.

3. The initial draft was too long. Hence I decided to create a new chapter for it.

4. I wanted this chapter to reflect the feeling of "despair",

5. Julia's despair for the loss of a future with Laguna; Hugo's despair for succumbing to Fury's blackmail; and Caraway's despair over the grief he caused Julia

6. I would like to thank Estrelita Farr for her suggestions!

7. YEOM won't follow the 12 chapter and 1 epilogue now that I'm going to add 2-3 more chapters.

8. This was a difficult chapter to write.

9. I still had fun writing this chapter.

10. I still have a lot of improvement to make!

11. Thank you for reading this story!