Author's Note: The basic descriptions of the members of the Black Roses are as follows:
Ken Nordstrom: Leader of the Black Roses; 5'10"; 24; brown-haired, brown-eyed; thin yet strong and stubborn.
Jacques Wilshire: Second-in-command of the Black Roses; 5'7"; 20; black-haired, silver-eyed; stocky; belligerent, strong, and confident.
Georgia Langdon: Third-in-command of the Black Roses; 5'6"; 21; brown-haired, brown-eyed; thin; manipulative, audacious, and controlling.
Scott Omar: 6'5"; 27; brown-haired, green-eyed; well-built; calm, collected and tough.
Jilin Tejaffe: 6'2"; 30; black-haired, black-eyed; pudgy; frantic, flighty, and nervous.
Dom Kingman: 5'6"; 30; brown-haired, blue-eyed; portly; lazy, carefree, and frank.
Sasha McBeal: 5'4"; 25; blond-haired, brown-eyed; lanky; happy, charming, and aloof.
Ran Walkman: 5'8"; 28; brown-haired, brown-eyed; thin; serious, determined, and hardy.
Piper Bett: 5'2"; 24; blond-haired, blue-eyed; thin; cunning and firm, obstinate.
Iona St. Germaine: 5'11", 29; black-haired, green-eyed; thin; lively, courageous, and fearless.
-
Train had a very pleasant sleep. For once, his dreams were not depressing, sad, or full of anger. They were about Saya and his feelings for her. He fell a little more for Saya when he woke up that morning and found her lips a few inches away from his. He had never really looked at Saya before, but as his eyes scanned her sleeping form, he realized that she was more beautiful than he had ever imagined.
Saya woke a few minutes later and realized that Train was looking at her. She smiled and pecked his nose. A blush crept onto Train's cheeks.
Later, Train showered and said that he was going to pay Karl a visit. He probably thinks I'm dead, Train thought with a hint of black humor.
"That's in Rubeck City! Are you sure that you can make it there in one day?" Saya asked.
"Yeah," Train said. "I'll see you guys later." Train then took the train to Rubeck City and made it there in four hours. He stretched after walking off, and then scoured the streets for Karl's office. He found it within a few minutes and went in. After wandering the hallways for a few minutes, he reached the door where a sign greeted him with the words, "Karl Walken's Office. Knock before entering."
Hello again, Karl. It's been a while. Train knocked and went in. Karl's assistant came out and told Train that Karl was ready to see him. Train walked in and saw Karl waiting for him.
"Hi, Train," Karl said while getting up and taking a glass for Train out of the cabinet. He poured some milk into it and handed it to Train. Train graciously accepted it and waited until Karl sat with his own steaming hot tea to start drinking.
"Train, I was so worried about you for the past seven months. I kept thinking about you. I thought that you were dead."
Train laughed. "I'm not that easy to get rid of." He continued in a calmer, softer voice, "You don't have to worry about me, Karl. I can take care of myself."
Karl smiled lightly. He was glad to see Train again, and he knew that Train was happy to see him. "Tell me all about what you did in the past few months."
Train explained everything—Eden, what he did on his travels, and meeting Saya again when he was back with Sven, Eve, and Rinslet.
Karl smiled. "So you're starting to fall for someone, huh? I'm proud of you, Train. Your parents would be, too."
Train smiled. A light blush came to his cheeks as he thought about Saya momentarily. Karl laughed at this sudden reaction.
"You're thinking about her, aren't you? What does she look like?"
Train described everything about Saya to Karl—her short, dark brown hair, her brilliant blue eyes, her yukatas that she wore. Train could picture Saya in his mind.
"She sounds like a she's quite a looker," Karl commented when Train was done describing her.
Train blushed a bit deeper and said, "Yeah, she is."
After another hour of talking, Karl dismissed Train.
"How's the 100 grand doing?" Train asked.
"It's going well. As you can see, I've fixed up the areas that were damaged."
Train nodded. Giving Karl the rest of the 150 grand was the least that he could have done for him.
"Good bye, Train," Karl said. "See you soon!"
Train thanked Karl and left.
"He's got a girlfriend?" Karl's assistant asked incredulously.
"Not quite. However, he's falling for someone."
"Oh."
Train made it back to Elsida before nightfall. He fell asleep soon after he got to the hotel. Saya curled up next to him and fell asleep.
--
"Train?"
"Yeah, Saya?"
"I have the feeling that something's going to be different between us by the middle of the summer."
--
Train woke to the smell of coffee. He dragged himself out of bed and shuffled into the kitchen. "Sven, what day is it?"
"It's May 24th. Why?"
"May 24th? So that means that summer's coming up."
"Yup. What makes you ask?"
"I had a dream last night. It was weird. Saya told me that she had the feeling that something was going to be different between us by the middle of the summer."
"That's July," Sven said. "So that's about two months away."
"Yeah. And didn't Rins say something about Medulla aestris taking a month to show the first symptoms?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, crap."
"What's wrong?"
"It's just that by the time that I fall in love with Saya, Medulla aestris might have already begun to show itself."
"Did you just mention falling in love with Saya?"
"Um… Yeah. Why?" Train paused slightly. "Well, isn't it obvious that I'm falling for her?"
"What are you talking about?" Saya came into the kitchen.
Train blushed heavily, not wanting to say the word that was begging to come out of his mouth: "You." His heart raced and he could feel his palms start to sweat. Billy Currington's I Got a Feelin' played in Train's head while he experienced the symptoms of liking someone.
I don't wanna rush this thing,
I don't wanna jump the gun.
I really wanna say those three little words,
But I'm gonna bite my tongue.
Yeah, I'm just gonna lay back,
Leave it on cruise control.
I'm gonna hold it all inside
'till the right time comes down the road.
I got a feelin'.
My head's a reelin',
My heart is screamin',
I'm about to bust loose!
Bottled up emotion,
It's more than a notion.
It starts with an "I"
And ends with a "U".
I got a feelin',
Are you feelin' it too?
I guess I've all but said it now.
So much for hopin' you'd go first.
Don't leave me hangin' out here on a line.
Baby, it's your turn.
Say you couldn't sleep last night,
Swore that you could feel me breathe,
Had you wantin' me there by your side.
Yeah, baby I know what you mean.
I got a feelin'.
My head's a reelin',
My heart is screamin',
I'm about to bust loose!
Bottled up emotion,
It's more than a notion.
It starts with an "I"
And ends with a "U"
I got a feelin',
You're feelin' it too.
Bottled up emotion,
It's more than a notion.
It starts with an "I"
And ends with a "U".
I got a feelin',
You're feelin' it too.
You're feelin' it too.
Yeah, you're feelin' it too.
Feelin' it too.
Oh, yeah.
Saya was also experiencing the symptoms of liking someone. Eve was wondering what Train and Saya were thinking. She could tell that their attraction was strong, and it fascinated her. She wondered when they would share their first kiss. Whenever it was, she wanted to be there. She wanted to witness it for herself.
There was a moment of awkward silence between the sweepers, and then the coffee maker declared that the coffee was ready by emitting a loud ding that made everyone but Sven jump. Train, Saya, and Eve started to laugh, and Sven joined in.
It had only been seventeen days since Saya had returned, but the two sweeper's feelings were increasing steadily. Train's thoughts turned to Medulla aestris and he wanted it to show itself after he was in love with Saya.
Saya wanted to go after a bounty, so she and Train went to the Sweeper's Café and chose a $20,000 bounty. It was for a gang of notorious murderers that consisted of ten people—Ken Nordstrom, Jacques Wilshire, Georgia Langdon, Scott Omar, Jilin Tejaffe, Dom Kingman, Sasha McBeal, Ran Walkman, Piper Bett, and Iona St. Germaine—known collectively as The Black Roses.
Train and Saya eventually found the Black Roses at their hideout in a warehouse. Ken Nordstrom was there, smiling in an amused fashion. His brown eyes and brown hair blended together in the near darkness.
Saya then elbowed Jacques Wilshire in the neck, knocking him to the ground. Train then pistol-whipped Scott Omar in the back of the head. Iona St. Germaine succeeded in kicking Saya's stomach. Saya groaned and doubled over in pain. Train saw this and immediately went to Saya's rescue.
Train punched Iona and she fell with a thud.
"Ever the weakness, hm?" Train gasped and turned around. Jacques took out his knife and stabbed Train's abdomen with it. Train screamed and blood trickled down his lip. Jacques took the knife out of Train's abdomen and said sweeper fell to his knees, holding his wound while blood was trickling through his fingers and landing on the floor with a few soft drips.
Train growled and mustered the strength to stand while holding his wound. He then charged at Jacques and headbutted his stomach. Jacques was taken by surprise and started to vomit once he had recovered from the force of Train's headbutt. Sasha then grabbed Saya and threatened her with a knife. Saya elbowed Sasha in the stomach and Sasha doubled over in pain. Saya then punched Sasha and Sasha refused to fight.
Dom Kingman ran over and tried to punch Train, but Train knocked him unconscious with a heavy punch to the face. Jilin Tejaffe came over and also attempted to punch Train, but Train also knocked Jilin unconscious with an elbow to the face. Four down, six more to go, Train thought as he saw Saya kick Georgia Langdon in the stomach. Georgia bent over and then retaliated with a swift punch to Saya's head.
Saya fell and the next thing Train saw was red. He ran over to Georgia and punched her with all of the force that he had gathered in his fist. Blood spurted onto his knuckles as he broke her nose and rendered her unconscious. Make that five down, Train thought as he helped Saya up.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah. I just have one hell of a headache," she said.
Train nodded. Iona charged over and went to punch Train, but Train grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. Iona's arm cracked loudly. She screamed and held it, unable to fight. There were only three people left—Ken, Piper, and Ran. Piper ran to Saya and screamed, "How the hell did you defeat all of us? I'll kill you!" She drew her sword and ran towards Saya.
Saya froze while remembering Creed. Train knew he had to act fast or else the person who he cared for most would suffer the same fate once again. He cocked Hades, took aim at Piper's sword, and fired. The sword could not withstand a hit from a bullet at such a close range, and it broke just before the hilt. Piper stared in astonishment and then threw down the hilt. She grabbed the long piece of the sword and ran toward Saya.
Train then jumped in front of Saya and waited for the sword to strike.
Pain seared through him as the sword embedded itself in his abdomen. Once again, he realized that he was in danger of losing too much blood. Piper withdrew the sword and Train fell to the ground with a pool of blood surrounding him.
"Train!" Saya screamed as she saw her beloved hit the ground. Saya then took out her gun and shot Piper's shoulder. Piper groaned but didn't drop her sword. Train then managed to stand up and hit Piper, knocking her unconscious. Ken and Ran exchanged glances. They knew that they were sorely outnumbered. They decided to surrender because they knew that there was no way of winning the fight, no matter how hard they tried.
With the help of Sven and Eve, the sweepers turned in the Black Roses and got their $20,000 bounty.
"Did Ken and Ran surrender?" Sven asked as he bandaged Train's stomach wound.
"Yeah," Train said. "They probably knew that they couldn't win."
Saya winked and smiled. "That's because we kick ass and take names!"
Train smiled back. "Damn straight!" A few minutes later, Train lay down on the couch and dozed off. Saya sat beside him. As he slept peacefully, she wondered what the future would hold in store for them.