It was approximately 9:45 when Dunban walked through the Villa towards the Study and happened upon the group of ambassadors. Riki, Vanea, Kelly and Otharon were walking out of the Western Sitting Room, speaking in hushed tones to one another. The intonation of their voices fluctuated; they had heard something surprising. When had they arrived? Surely there would have been a formal announcement that the ambassadors from the other nations were visiting the city. And yet he did not remember hearing one. A secret meeting with the ambassadors...Melia was playing an enigmatic game.

As the ambassadors came into view, Dunban saw the Nopon recognize him.

"Dun Dun!"

The Heropon barreled over to the Homs, stopping just a few feet away and jumped up and down. A jubilant grin spread over his face. "Dun Dun back from his journey! How is Dun Dun?"

"I'm doing very well, Riki. It's good to be back."

"How long Dun Dun been with Bird People?"

"Four days. Not too long."

"How long Dun Dun be here?"

"I'm...not so sure, Riki."

The Heropon furrowed his brow, as though he were putting pieces together in his head. He bounced back and forth between his feet, and nodded to himself, as if coming a conclusion he was most sure of. Dunban wondered if Riki and Melia had spoken privately as the Homs knew that Riki was one of Melia's closest friends.

"What is Dun Dun doing now? Talking to Melly?"

"I do have a meeting with her in a few minutes."

"What does Homs Hero have to say to Melly?" Riki asked, squinting his eyes suspiciously.

"I'm not sure. She's the one that asked me to meet with her."

"Oh?" Riki looked up in surprise. "About what?"

"I imagine whatever you were talking with her about." He raised an eyebrow. The man was rather curious about the ambassador's appearance. It was no social call, that was certain.

The Nopon looked sideways, as though he were guilty of eating the last of the pollen orbs. "Riki can't tell. Melly said not too."

"Well, then you should honor your promise."

"Dun Dun meet Riki for lunch later?"

"Sure." He smiled at his friend.

"And then go monster hunting?"

"Riki, do you not have things to attend to?"

"So-so. Things can wait little bit."

"Alright. If you say so."

Though he knew that Riki was most likely procrastinating, Dunban wouldn't mind getting some exercise. Even though he'd only been back for a week now, his body itched for some general movement and light combat after 18 months on the road.

"Riki go now. Riki hungry. Bye Dun Dun. See you later!" The Heropon waddled away towards the exit of the Villa, presumably in search of food.

Shaking his head, Dunban turned back and saw Vanea waiting, arms crossed over her chest, amused. "He seems to have a one track mind."

"Don't let appearances fool you. Riki is wiser than he seems."

"It's nice to see you, Duban." She took a few steps towards him, the metal of her body glinting from the lights overhead.

"You as well."

"What brings you to Alcamoth?"

"I have some business to discuss with Melia."

"Don't we all. She is very busy, no? It is impressive how much she is able to juggle." Vanea said and continued. "But you have just returned from your expedition. How was it?"

"Forgive me. I've been asked to describe it so often in summary, I'm starting to lose words."

She laughed. "Then maybe you could tell me about it extensively over dinner? That is, if you are not busy?" He noticed she'd leaned in, slightly closing the distance between them.

There was a hopeful smile on her face. Dunban did like Vanea; he enjoyed her company. She was both an optimistic and logical person; a rare kind. At one time, he may have been interested in what was intimated in her expression, but now he only had eyes for one.

"Unfortunately I am busy this evening, but if you have time tomorrow, we could grab a coffee."

"Alright. I look forward to it. Let's meet at 15:00. See you." The Machina smiled and walked on, following the direction Riki had gone.

Once again, Dunban turned back, presuming he would now head towards his destination uninterrupted, but this time he saw Melia watching from the doorway of the Western Sitting Room, clutching papers and a notebook to her chest. Her face was blank, but the man knew better. It seemed fate wanted to complicate every interaction they would have since his return. And now Melia had seen an interaction that included an intimation that he had not — and did not— wanted to be a part of.

"Good morning." The Homs said as he stepped towards her as unconcerned as he could, though his heart knew better as it thumped in his chest. Once again, he found himself staring into those disarming eyes. What he wouldn't give to make her smile again.

"I hope yours is off to a good start."

Did he detect and undercurrent of sharpness? This is not how he wanted to start their one-on-one meetings.

"Shall we?" Melia said. Without waiting for a response, she twirled around and headed for the study. Whether it had been her earlier meeting, or her witnessing the interaction with Tyrea, or both, Dunban saw the narrowed look in her eyes before she turned away.

He followed, matching her position and pace. "Riki looks well."

"Yes, he does."

They walked on in silence until the reached their destination. Stoically, the High Entia opened the door and went straight towards her desk. Dunban closed the doors and then made his way to the chair across from her. She still did not speak as she sat in her chair and dropped the stack of papers onto the tabletop forcefully. He frowned inwardly. Now would not be the opportune moment to bring up those things he wished to, for he knew they would only be greeted with a colored ire instead of any sort of thoughtful contemplation. Which was understandable. Had he seen Melia in a similar situation, he would be inclined to feel some jealousy, even though he had never considered himself to be a jealous person. Perhaps it was different since he felt that he belonged to Melia and wished to protect her from any malevolent or self-interested individuals.

"I will get straight to the point." Melia said, clasping her hands together on the desk and looking at him square in the eye. "I am organizing a change in the High Entian government. I feel that in this new age, the power should be in the people's hands, not mine. And so, I will effectively step down."

Pause.

This was unexpected.

"However, I'm unfamiliar with what a government looks like without the head being that of the monarch. I confess I am unfamiliar with the new government structures of the Homs Colonies, and Chief Dunga is the monarch of Frontier Village. I've researched as much as I can and have found only a few instances in the High Entian history where an Emperor has abdicated. And in those instances, a replacement was always found."

"This is a very...bold move, Melia."

"Yes." Melia hesitated, her mask of coldness falling, then continued, "Granted, I do not think I could, or should, entirely remove myself. But I do believe primary power should be in the hands of the people. It is as Shulk wished: each individual should have the freedom to determine the course of their lives. Not the gods. And in the case of the High Entia, my word is law and everyone must obey. And that must be rectified."

"What kind of presence do you want, Melia?"

She was silent, her brow knitted together in thought. After a moment, she said, "I imagine that it would be prudent for the Empress to take ahold of the government in a state of emergency, whether that be war, famine, or some other catastrophy."

"What else?"

"I...I don't know." The Empress sighed, all indifference dissolving.

Dunban leaned back in his chair, studying her. This was something he would never have anticipated, considering how staunchly she had felt about committing her life to public service. He wondered what had spurred this idea in her head, and what was actually driving her to act upon it.

"Let's start with how the Homs Colonies operate. And that may shed some light on what kind of system you would like to put in place."

"I understand that there is some person who does make some sort of executive decisions? Is that correct?"

"Yes. There is a President, who does much of the policy creation and handling. And he or she is elected by the people by popular vote. Granted, this person only stays in this office for two years, and then the position is up for reelection to prevent any types of power abuses."

"That seems logical."

"There is also another governmental body called the Conclave. They determine whether or not the President's actions are constitutional, the members of the Conclave vote on the bills the President puts forward to prevent any abuse of power. The Conclave are also elected by the people and are reelected every two years."

"Interesting."

"There's another body, the judicial branch, but we can discuss that at a later time."

"I'm not entirely sure that it would make sense for the High Entia to completely convert the government to that sort of structure." Melia propped up her arm and rested her chin on her palm.

"Let me think on this. Tomorrow I can come back to you with a better picture of what I think that could look like."

"Thank you."

Dunban rose from his seat, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. Besides, it would be better to end on this good note rather than take his chances in engaging in another conversation that could end poorly. "Have a good rest of your day, Melia."

As he left, he marveled over what she was planning. Melia no longer wanted to be Empress. At least, it appeared so. Such an idea hadn't even occurred to him as he tried guessing what her secret plan was the previous evening. The man wondered if she would ever cease to surprise him.

But why was she doing this? What compelled her to research and action this plan?

And most importantly, what did she want after all was said and done?

She should have known better than to ask him for help. Now the woman couldn't stop thinking about him. All day, despite what meeting she was in or what document she was reading and writing, her thoughts kept rotating back to him.

First, she remembered watching his conversation with Vanea this morning. A small shiver of distress rippled through her body when she thought of Vanea's smile directed at him. First Bella, now Vanea. Of course it made sense. Dunban was charming and intelligent. A good listener with an irresistible smile and firm but generous nature. Who wouldn't wish to be the center of his affections?

Second, Melia replayed their morning meeting multiple times. She thought Dunban would have displayed some sort of curiosity or shock at her announcement. But he remained cool and unaffected. What did he think of her? Did he believe she was abandoning her people? Did he see her as breaking her responsibility and following her selfish desires? Or was he considering the exact opposite? The woman shoved away these insecurities; it did not matter what he thought. As the Empress, she needed to do what was best for her people. And for herself.

Third, simply his existence was enough to distract her. It had been difficult enough to ignore the fact that he was in the city. Now, they had recurring private meetings. Such an action had been unwise. It was as though she were sabotaging herself. Regardless, the woman would be firm. She would stick to her agenda during their meetings. They would focus solely on this government transition plan. Then she would have it, could action it, and wipe her hands of it. Not that the woman would be completely free to go about her business separate from government, but enough where she could live some of her own life.

Her own life.

What did that look like? If she were honest with herself, Melia hadn't entirely considered that reality. It seemed so far-fetched, so uncertain; part of her was protecting herself from the disappointment that none of this would work. And yet how utterly fantastic would it be for her to wake up free of meetings and other confining responsibilities?

A pang of guilt ran through her. She should not look upon her duties in such a way.

Her mind turned away, bored of that subject and returned to the daydream. She would awake in the morning, well past sunrise. The woman would turn on her side to see his sleeping fa—

Stop.

Why was he here? Could he just leave? He was stirring up feelings in her that she did not wish to deal with or reminder herself of. Could he not see that she was busy? Could he not understand she had to keep herself focused on the goal?

Of course the man did. That was exactly why he hadn't yet said anything of this goal that Tyrea had intimated. If there were even true, which the Empress doubted. She hoped that he wouldn't say anything soon.

Or did she?

A relevant question considering her current state. Melia stared down at the package in her hands and sighed. He had left it for her a year and a half ago. When she'd awoken in the morning with a hangover that threatened to split her head in two — all thanks to Tyrea — she had flung her arm out to the other side of the bed. She remembered how it felt cold, and she instantly remembered that he was not sleeping next to her. That he had gone and would most likely never sleep next to her again. Her heart had faltered. But then her hand had grasped something. Frustratingly curious, she opened her eyes to see a small wooden box.

Now she held it in her hands once more. Cautiously, the woman opened it and took out the item it contained.

It was a carving. A carving of her.

Of course it was prettier than her, as is the way with all portraitures in art, but he did capture her likeness impeccably. Even now as the High Entia held the smooth wood in her hands, tears dotted her eyes. It had been a beautiful gesture, and one she could not have thanked him for in person for since he had already taken his leave.

And now he was back. Dunban was back in her city.

Brushing away the tears, Melia looked up from her desk to the black sky outside her window. When had it become night? She'd let her thoughts run away from her. Sighing, she put the carving back into the box on her desk next to the page of the book she had been reading before inevitable distraction. The Empress knew no more work would be done this evening. Her brain was too full of stress and possibilities; nothing new would pierce into the cloud of noise. As the High Entia stepped onto the balcony, she took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet air and the quiet of her city.

Leaning on the railing, she closed her eyes. She needed to relax and clear her mind. It was a warm night. It would be good to get outdoors. She considered going to Prison Island. But she was not in the mood to work on the garden on the highest level of the structure, nor engrave the Quartz rock that sat in the center of its platform with the High Entian prayer. She could take a bath or a shower; soaking generally calmed her nerves. Neither option seemed enticing.

But she could go for a swim.

Gathering her things in haste, the Empress draped herself in a cloak that hid her appearance and traversed through the peaceful city towards the entrance. Passing through the main gate, she stepped onto the teleporter and found herself on the cliff overlookingLateal Shore shore. Crunching the grass beneath her feet, Melia ambled over to the coastline, removing her shoes as soon as she reached the sand. She looked around to see if there were any others taking a late night walk, but no one was there. The moon was bright, shining its light over the landscape. She heard the sounds of crickets as she disrobed, revealing a blue bikini with frill on the bust line. Fiora had sent it to her as a gift in the event she visited Colony 9 in the summer — when it was hot and humid — and go for a swim. Melia had first balked at it, unable to imagine herself in such a tiny piece with all sorts of eyes on her. But now, with no one around, she felt safe to try it out.

As the young woman waded into the water, she welcomed its coolness slapping against her legs. She relished the feeling and dove in, immersing herself in the water, feeling it cover every inch of her body. Touching the sandy floor with her hands, she shot upward and broke through the surface. Smoothing out her hair, Melia looked back at the shoreline once more to see if anyone had arrived, but she was still alone.

A smile broke out on her face. It felt glorious: the solitude, the silence, the water, the warm air, and the moonlight. It was as if all of this had been gifted to her for this small portion of time.

Perhaps this is what Dunban meant by clearing his head. Getting away from all of the noise.

Dunban.

Again he invaded her mind. She did not want to think about him now; this was her time. Melia dove once more, focusing on the water streaming around her as she swam further into the sea. Bursting again through the surface, she inhaled and plunged backward, somersaulting through the water. In another life, she wondered if she had been some sort of sea creature; she enjoyed the water far more than any other High Entia she knew. How odd it was to be akin to the water when she was one of the sky.

As the High Entia twisted and turned underwater, daring herself to do more and more complicated tricks with each turn, she found her lungs soon burn for air. Popping up, she sucked in oxygen, feeding her screaming lungs as the air whistled across her exposed face. Inhaling and exhaling, the young woman floated, treading water, allowing for a brief respite as she gazed towards her city. Lights dotted the towers of Alcamoth, forever burning to guide wayward travelers to the city, but the rest of the city was dark. It was enough for now.

Once more Melia darted under the water, spinning and swirling, disrupting its stagnancy with her turns and tricks. She surfaced again, this time noting how far away she was from the shore. The young woman knew not to leave her things so unattended and so headed back to the shore, diving in and out of the water like a flying fish. She giggled as she went, diving and resurfacing in a steady rhythm, splashing with her feet as she zoomed forward. Finally, the Homs Entia reached the area where her feet touched sand and she could stand. As her feet touched the floor, she slowly stood and wrung out her hair and slowly treaded upward until the water only covered her ankles. Turning towards the sea, she watched as the moon's light rippled over the water she had disrupted moments before. Her heart sighed; it was beautiful.

A breeze passed along her body, both cold and warm simultaneously. A shiver ran down her spine.

Her chest felt abnormally cold.

Casting her eyes downward, Melia was confronted with her bare breasts. Shocked, she swung her arms around her upper body, shielding her chest from any possible onlookers, face flushing in the blue light. She must've not tied the straps tight enough; it was either her speed or tricks loosening that must have loosened the strings. Sighing, the woman considered going to collect it, but she knew it was too dark to find the clothe top. Perhaps she'd venture out in the early morning, but the reality was it would most likely not be found, forever lost to the depths of the sea.

"Melia?"

She froze.

No. No. No.

Squeezing her arms around her, Melia slowly turned her head over her shoulder to see who spoke. Mortified, she whipped her head back towards the ocean.

On the shore stood Dunban, just next to her pile of things. Of course he had to be there. Because her luck was atrocious.

Or it was fate.

Focus.

How would she get to her clothes without him seeing her compromising situation? She could simply tell him; but it would be to embarrassing to confess such a thing. No, she would simply ask him for her towel. Taking a breath, the woman turned slightly towards him, still keeping her arms crossed over her exposed upper body.

"Dunban."

As he stepped into the moonlight, she could see he was shirtless, the lines of his muscles highlighted by ethereal glow. Her pulse quickened and she swallowed.

"It seems we both had the same idea."

He didn't turn around. Which meant he couldn't see the predicament she was in for she knew he would to protect her modesty. This was somewhat a relief.

"It is rather cold. Would you bring me my towel?"

He grabbed it from the pile and walked over to her. As he reached arms length, she said, "That's fine. Thank you."

Hastily, the woman grabbed the towel from his hand, though not fast enough for him to notice her one armed guard.

His eyes widened and her face grew hot. Dunban whipped around. Carefully, the woman wrapped the towel around herself and marched past him, unable to meet his eyes.

"If you'll excuse me." She grabbed her things. She needed to get away; she would change over the hill when she was far away from him.

"Melia, I apolog—"

"You have nothing to apologize for. You did not realize I was here." She said, her back to him. Her lip quivered and she bit it, unsure of what emotion boiled up inside of her.

The man was too close. It was dangerous.

"I will be heading back now. Have a good night."

Fleeing, the Empress strode towards the hill without glancing back.

An hour later, after the young woman had washed out the sea water from her hair and off her body, she shrugged on her pajamas and hopped into bed. The humiliation from earlier still burned as she pulled up the covers all the way to her neck and turned out the light. It had been a year and a half and yet she still grew hot at the sight of him uncovered. The High Entia did not like what that meant.

As her eyes closed, Melia felt her brain dig up old memories of sweeter times; many that took place in her bed. Twisting around, she lay on her stomach, propping her head up on the pillow with her right arm. These were things she did not want to remember. The Homs Entia did not want to recall what their first kiss tasted like. She did not want to be reminded of their first time in her bed. She did not want to revive the pure joy of those last few days.

It hurt too much.

Flipping over onto her back, she sighed. Trying to move past the mortifying aspects of the evening, underneath it all, Melia had liked looking at him, and she liked that he'd gazed upon her. The thrill of the gaze still sent jolts through her.

The High Entia covered her face with her hands and groaned. How could she feel that way? She didn't want him anywhere near her. He'd left after all.

But not because he wanted to leave her, she reminded herself.

The image of him on the beach popped up in her mind again. Even in the moonlight, she saw his disarming smile and the warmth in his eyes. It made her feel weak.

Melia sighed and clutched the blankets to her, letting her eyes fall heavy with sleep. She wanted no more thoughts of him. No more this night.

And yet, he was in all of her dreams.

The first thing that came into Dunban's head when he awoke was how beautiful she had looked in the moonlight the previous night. The way her hair curled against her body, the slivers of moonlight highlighting her blue eyes, the curve of her breasts under the cover of her forearm. He had wanted to go to her, take her in his arm and kiss her. But he knew that he could not do so.

Naturally, when the man realized how exposed she was, he had looked away. But he could not get the image out of his mind. It was seared there: her beauty and his lust all combined into one. It was more than lust: it was a hunger for her body and soul.

And now he had to meet with her and act as if nothing had happened, for he did not wish to make her uncomfortable any more than she already was (he knew she would be). So the Homs was prepared with the materials he said he'd bring. But with the encounter they had last night...he wasn't sure how she would act. Would she even want to see him? Between her observation of his and Vanea's interaction, and now his untimely appearance on the shore, Dunban did not think he was in her good favor.

And yet he would not be perturbed. No matter what obstacles lay in his path, he would continue trying to reach her unless she said 'no more'.

With great attention, he readied and dressed in his usual white tunic and black pants, taking extra care with his grooming this morning. After all, if he had seen correctly last night, she had been caught by his appearance just as he had by hers. And feeling her eyes on him had ignited a fire that had burned low inside him of the past 18 months.

It was exactly 10:00 when he knocked on the door to her study.

"Come in."

He opened the door to find Melia sitting on the sofa instead of at her desk, tea cup in hand. He was surprised; he half expected to see her at the desk, head down, nose buried in papers, refusing to look up at him. But instead, she sat on the sofa, calm, no trace of embarrassment, or resentment. How many times had he seen her in the exact position? More than he could count, and yet she still looked as lovely as she had the first time. Placing her tea cup down on the coffee table, the young woman sat back into the seat, folding her hands neatly in her lap. Her hair was tied into a braid that hung over her right shoulder. She wore a light blue blouse and grey slacks, both bringing out the porcelain softness of her features. There was a notebook and pen at the ready to her side.

"Tea?"

The man joined her, seating himself across from her. He poured tea from the teapot into the empty cup and took a sip.

"How did you sleep?" He asked.

"It was adequate. How did you sleep?"

"Well enough." He put his cup down and settled against the sofa, feeling his back sink into the cushion.

"Did you have a nice swim?" She inquired, crossing her legs at the ankles, averting her eyes for a moment.

"I did. It was quiet."

"So it was."

"I'm sorry I surprised you."

A slight blush appeared on her cheeks and she shook her head. "Don't be. As I said, you did not know I would be there."

"I wouldn't have minded if you stayed."

Silence.

"I've put together some thoughts after our conversation yesterday." He leaned forward and spread his diagrams and documents out on the table.

"Good. I'd be glad to hear them."

For the next hour, Dunban outlined three different scenarios he saw would be possible. With each, he laid out the pros and cons, showing her the full picture. Throughout his presentation, the woman constantly jotted down notes and occasionally stopped him for questions. By the end, he believed her to be satisfied both with his research and the information.

"So, what do you think? Which do you think you'll choose?"

"I'm not certain at the moment. I will need more time to think, but this was very comprehensive. Thank you, Dunban."

"You're welcome. I hope this was helpful."

"More than."

"You are a much better student than Reyn."

"I don't know if that was ever a question." She put her notebook down and took up her tea cup once more.

"No, it was not. I was just remembering when I attempted to explain to him a similar topic, he couldn't keep his concentration. Eventually, I gave up and we resumed sparring."

"That isn't surprising." Melia sipped her tea then gave him a small smile, her eyes sparkling. "Do you remember what he said after we fought that Ent Antol during our travels through the Valak Mountains? The 'rainbow' comment?"

He squinted as he thought backward; it was now two, two and half years ago? A long time. Her memory was impeccable. However, Reyn was notorious for interesting comments; many hard to forget. Finally, Dunban's centered on the one Melia referred to and he grinned.

"Ah, yes. I try not to."

"That was the first time I laughed since my father died. I enjoyed your dry humor on the road."

"Really? If I remember correctly, you once said I had a 'mean streak'."

"Well, you did intimate that Reyn and Riki were a fairly noisy bunch. That's not exactly kind."

"I was merely making an observation."

"So you say. I'm sure Fiora would agree with me."

"I wouldn't be so sure. She had the pleasure of growing up with me."

"Are you sure it was a pleasure?"

"Melia!"

"I apologize. That was cruel." She batted her eye lashes at him.

His heart jumped.

"I don't think you're apology is very sincere." He couldn't keep the grin off his lips.

"What if it's not? What could you do? I am the Empress, after all. I could have you locked up for slander should you say anything against me."

"I think it's good we're changing the High Entian government to more of a democracy."

"Oh, but with your many provisions, I can still exercise executive powers when I need to. So do not think you can escape me, Dunban."

"I don't want to."

The Homs gazed into her eyes, and she did not look away. Somewhere, in those icy blue depths, he saw a growing yearning. It was there: unmistakeable. If only he could just reach out to her.

"When I was climbing in the mountains, I reached a summit where there was this single flower in this snowy area. It was surviving in the harshest conditions. I couldn't find any others like it."

She softened, her lips closing and her eyes gazing at him solemnly.

"On top of that peak, looking at that flower and the land below, I realized what I was missing. And what I wanted my life to be like."

The man rose and moved to sit on the sofa next to her, taking a deep breath as he went. She swallowed, but did not move away.

"Melia. I'm not perfect. I have only one working arm. I am stubborn. When I'm angry, I'm not at my best. And there are still things in my past that affect me."

Inside, his stomach flip flopped. His blood roared in his ears. This was the moment.

"But I—"

"Empress!" Serenity burst into the study. She gasped as she took in the scene.

Dunban shifted himself away from Melia, struggling to keep his anger at bay. It was gone.

Melia flashed her eyes at the young woman and snapped: "What?"

Serenity's eyes widened; so did Dunban's. He had never heard the Empress use that tone of voice before with her assistant. Or anyone.

"Um...Tyrea and the Royal Commander...they are having a disagreement..."

"I'll be right there." Melia turned her attention back to Dunban, her expression stony. "I apologize for the interruption. We will have to reconvene at another time."

"I will leave you to it then." Dunban said and rose. "Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with."

He gave her a nod and went straight for the door. Though his disappointment bled through his veins, a small candle of hope flickered to life in his heart. It appeared he was not the only one displeased by the interruption.

As he walked out the door, Melia cursed silently. Why did it seem fate worked against her at every possible turn, whether it was to throw them together or pull them apart?

While she marched through the Great Hall towards the explosive situation she had been called to diffuse, the Empress' mind raced. What had Dunban been about to confess? Her mind itched to know. Rather screamed to be told. She had an idea of what it was; she dared to hope it was exactly what she believed.

The words were there, clear as day in his eyes, but time had been short and stayed them from gracing his lips. It was those same words that she denied wanting to hear last night. Wanting to admit to herself that she felt the same for him, which in the morning, when she awoke, she could no longer deny. If she could hear those words, then maybe, just maybe...

A/N: I promise, promise, promise there are only three chapters left. You can hold me to that! Also, I love reviews :) Please leave some love.