Time stopped for a few seconds and the man approached Train and Saya. "Hi," he said. "I'm Lloyd Goldwynne. Is Sven Vollfied here?"

Train remembered Rinslet telling him about Sven's past. Was this the Lloyd Goldwynne that she had talked about? He also remembered that Lloyd had given Sven his right eye. "No, but I can tell you where he is," Train said.

"You can? Thanks! I'd appreciate it." Lloyd followed Train and Saya to their apartment.

"Sven, we're back!" Train said.

"Oh," Sven said and stared when he realized who the man was. After a few moments of an extremely awkward silence, Sven said, "Lloyd!"

"Sven!" The two men embraced each other, which caused Train to shudder. Eve looked up from the book that she was reading and Saya stood beside Train. Train glanced at her and blushed due to sudden romantic feelings. Saya also blushed due to sudden butterflies in her stomach.

Lloyd looked at Saya and Train, and then said, "Looks like we've got some lovebirds here!"

Saya and Train were surprised by Lloyd's comment. They blushed deeper and said in unison, "We're not lovebirds!"

"It seems like it to me," Lloyd said. When he noticed that Saya and Train were fuming silently, he added after laughing, "It was just an observation, that's all!"

"Some observation that was," Train muttered to himself. Saya agreed wholeheartedly.

Sven and Lloyd told Train, Eve, and Saya stories about when they were in the IBI. Lloyd went on to mention his death. Sven was silent throughout that part. Train noticed that he had a distant look in his eyes as Lloyd spoke. Sympathy for Sven filled Train's heart. Train always remembered Saya's death whenever he saw or heard about fireworks.

Saya noticed the sympathetic look in Train's eyes and put her hand on his before she could stop herself. It was a gesture of friendship, a gesture that told Train that she was there for him, no matter what, and that everything was going to be okay. Train wished that he could say the same, that he could agree with her and know that deep within his heart, everything would be okay, but he couldn't. He felt that one more thing had to happen before he could agree with her, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Just thinking about the whole concept scared and fascinated Train at the same time. He felt something strong and powerful waiting in the depths of his heart waiting to be unleashed, like a wildcat waiting to be released from its cage, and he suspected that whatever it was, that was the thing that had to happen. It lurked in the shadows, waiting to leap when Train least expected it. Train tried to locate it and find out what it was, but his attempts were in vain.

"Train?" Train blinked, and he was brought back to reality.

"Yeah?" His body was brought back to reality, but his mind wasn't fully there yet. He still felt dazed from looking at his heart.

"You were staring into space a million light years away."

"I was?" Train laughed, trying to get his mind back into the present.

"Yeah, you were."

"Oh."

"What were you thinking about?" Saya asked Train, whose mind fully came back to the present after hearing her soft, kind voice.

"Nothing." It was almost automatic for Train to say that.

"Liar," Rinslet accused. She had rented the room next door and decided to pay Sven, Train, Eve, Saya, and Lloyd a visit.

"Come on, spill!" Lloyd said a little too cheerfully for Train's liking.

"Please do," Eve said while looking up from her book about progressing feelings.

"Okay, okay. I was just thinking about..." Train's voice trailed off as he paused. "Oh, look at the time!" he said, trying to change the subject but failing miserably. Saya, Sven, Rinslet, and Eve knew that Train was uncomfortable about telling them what they wanted to know, but their curiosities got the better of them.

"Tell us the truth, Train," Sven said. "I know that you want to tell us, but you're too embarrassed to say it."

"Okay, fine. I... I think..." Train then paused, motioning for Saya to leave the room. She didn't budge. Train sighed quietly and then said, "It's not the right time to say what I have to say, but I'll tell you what I was doing when I was spacing out."

"Well?" Sven looked at Train expectantly.

"I was doing some heart-searching."

"Heart-searching?!" The words came out of Saya's, Eve's, Sven's, Lloyd's, and Rinslet's mouths with total surprise.

"Yeah," Train said. "What's wrong with that?" When no one answered, he continued, "You guys act like it's the end of the world if I do anything that involves emotion. Like if I told you guys that I—" He cut himself off as he realized that he was about to confess his feelings for Saya.

"That you what?" Sven asked.

"Never mind," Train said.

"Tell us, Train," Sven pressed.

"I'd like to wait a little longer before I say what I'd like to say, if you don't mind."

When Lloyd and everyone else were out taking Lloyd shopping for clothes, Train booted up the computer that they had brought with them and opened a new Word document. He started typing, letting his heart do the talking.

I don't really know what this will become, but for right now, it's a confession.

I like Saya, but it seemed as if Sven, Eve, Rinslet and Lloyd were pushing me to tell them what I thought about her. Why do they always get shocked when I say or do something that involves emotion?

He stared at the computer, pondering what he had written. Sven, Eve, Rinslet, Saya, and Lloyd came home. Train then closed out of the document, shut the computer down, and then went into his room. He wanted to go back to Braccio City to see the fireworks again. At that moment, Sven came into Train's room and said, "Train, look outside your window!"

"Wow," Train muttered to himself as a red firework lit the sky. He remembered Saya lying in the back alley, her yukata wet with blood as she lay dying in his arms. He remembered her last smile and the lone tear that had streaked down her cheek that he had desperately wanted to wipe away.

"Train, there's a better view of the fireworks on the rooftop," Saya said while handing Train a bottle of peach-flavored ramune.

"Where'd you get this?"

"We picked some up while we were gone," Saya said. "Come on. Let's go. It'll just be me, you, and the fireworks." There was something about her voice that made Train want to follow her without a second thought.

Train was eager for some one-on-one time with Saya, and he felt his heart stop beating for a second as Saya took his hand and held it all the way to the rooftop. She then sat next to him and he drew her into his lap. Saya sat there, feeling warm and content. Train wrapped his arms around her waist and she snuggled in deeper, feeling comforted by Train's warmth. Train sighed as a blue firework lit the sky.

Train and Saya went inside and fell asleep when the fireworks were done.

-

At nine o'clock in the morning, Saya noticed that Train was still asleep. She quickly glanced at him and then got up as quietly as she could, not wanting to disturb him. She knew that he was a light sleeper, and one golden eye cracked open at the sound of Saya getting up. She looked back at him, smiled slightly, and then left the room. Train lay there, both eyes now open, pondering whether or not to get up. He smiled randomly, then got up out of bed and joined Saya in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Train," Saya said happily as she took a swig of her milk.

"Good morning to you, too," Train said while getting a bottle of milk out of the fridge. He felt refreshed and ready for some action. He had heard that the Sweeper's Alliance was meeting in the town hall today. He wanted to go there and catch up with them. With a glance at Saya, he thought, Maybe she could join them, too.

Saya noticed that Train was staring at her absentmindedly and met his gaze. Train quickly blushed and looked away, disappointed that Saya had noticed him.

Sven came into the kitchen and said to Train, "Did you know that the Sweeper's Alliance is holding a meeting today at noon in the town hall?"

"Yup," Train said. "And I was planning on bringing Saya with me, if you guys don't mind."

"Nope," Sven said. "Besides, I think that we could use another sweeper." Throughout all of this, Train couldn't help but think that Saya looked kind of cute with a confused look on her face.

After chugging his milk, he sat down and explained everything to Saya. Sven made a few comments of his own at appropriate times but otherwise let Train tell the story.

Saya's previous look of confusion was replaced by a look of understanding.

After Train took his usual ten minute shower, he ran into his room, closed the blinds at a breakneck speed, and threw on his clothes so fast it would send your head spinning.

He walked out of the room at a leisurely pace and hung his towel up in the bathroom. "I'm done," he said. Saya then took two towels and shut the bathroom door behind her. Train picked up James Patterson's Cross Country and started reading.

Sven came in and sat next to Train's right. "How's that going so far?"

"Good." Train flipped the page.

"I can see that," Sven muttered as he opened the newspaper.

Eve came in and sat down to Train's left. Train glanced over and saw the title of the book.

"Grey's Anatomy? Princess, are you sure that you want to read about, well, anatomy?"

"I find it interesting."

What don't you find interesting? Train thought as he sweatdropped and went back to reading. Train glanced up and saw that Saya was clad in a towel. He blushed and quickly averted his gaze due to modesty.

"Where's Lloyd?" Train asked Sven.

"He went to wherever his wife and daughter are. I can't remember the name of the town," Sven said.

"So what you're trying to say is that he ditched us," Train summed up.

"Yup."

Train sighed. "I feel so loved right now." Sarcasm was evident in his voice.

"I do, too." Sven's voice was thick was sarcasm.

"We can all feel the love," Eve added, also using sarcasm.

"Well, it looks as if we're ready to go to the meeting," Saya said as she sat next to Eve. She was the only one not to use sarcasm due to Lloyd's departure from the group.

"Yup," Train said while putting down his book after one last glance at the page.

"We should probably get going soon. Eve, did you shower yet?"

"Yes. Did you, Sven?"

"Yup. Train?"

"Did that."

"I just got out, so we're all done," Saya said.

"Right," Train said. "Let's go see the Sweeper's Alliance!" Saya dried her hair so fast you would think, "Did she just dry her hair?" The bright sunlight greeted the four sweepers as they walked out of the house and made their way to the town hall.