Chapter 4:

Serah's Determination

A/N: I am sorry for taking so long to post this chapter! I've had it completed for a while but I had finals to take care of, then the Holidays were suddenly here and gone. I start school real soon and am taking extra classes so I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to update next but I promise that I am always thinking of this story and what to write. Happy New Year everybody!

Disclaimer: Nada…zip…nope…nothing

~ oOo ~

There was no need for Serah to wrap herself in one of her heavier cloaks, the potion was to keep her hidden depending on how much she drank. After ensuring that no one was outside of her private room, Serah hurriedly walked from the living quarters and outside of Jorrvaskr. Once outside, she barely caught a glimpse of the twin's backsides as they made their way towards the Skyforge. Why are they heading there? What is going on? With the potion working its magic deep within her body, Serah could not be seen by any individual. She had been given an invisibility potion and from the moment it came into her grasp, she had only used it once – the first being her curiosity in knowing what kind of potion it had been. But even though she was undetectable from everyone else's perspective, she still had to remain quite with her footsteps against the stone walkways.

Cutting through the outside eating area, Serah hugged one of the poles holding the roof up as she noticed the twin's stop directly under Skyforge. They looked at one another and then around them before Vilkas placed his hand on a random spot along the stone wall and pressed it. The creaking of stone caused Serah to shudder before realizing that a door was opening within the wall. Her eyes widened as they brothers stepped through as if they weren't fazed that a wall had suddenly appeared. Taking a deep breath, Serah ran across the spaced between her and the door, mainly hopping with her legs so she wouldn't cause too much noise as she tried to reach the brothers. The door began to close as soon as she reached it, but she was able to sneak through before it closed completely once she was inside.

Her mouth dropped open when she looked inside the cave. She had been living within Jorrvaskr and had no idea that this place had been there the entire time. Though she was still invisible, she ducked behind a large enough boulder, but stuck her head to the side so she could still see. There was a part of Serah that honestly felt guilty for sneaking and eavesdropping on the members of the Circle, but the other part of her was screaming that it was perfectly fine since she was worried about the wellbeing of Farkas and Vilkas – two individuals she had come to see as her own brothers, people whom she cared for deeply.

The twins weren't alone; Farkas and Vilkas were also joined by Kodlak, Skjor and Aela. Serah was confused at why all the Circle members were there when she had originally thought that it was supposed to be a private meeting with Kodlak. But when the others didn't speak, she could hear Farkas breath in deeply as he stepped towards a stone pillar with a large bowl attached. After a few moments, Serah gasped, but quickly covered her mouth as she took a few steps backward in fear; Aela had just transformed into a monster! No…I've seen that creature before. Oh all Divines, Aela is a werewolf! But wait…what's Skjor doing?!

Serah watched, horrified at the scene happening right in front of her eyes; Skjor sliced the monsters arm, whose blood bled into the bowl, and Farkas drank the same blood from a goblet. Her stomach churned when she noticed Farkas having a difficult time swallowing its contents. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing. Does that mean Farkas will…is he…? But, why Farkas…?

Her eyes nearly bulged from her sockets as she visibly suffered through her friend's horrific transformation. When she couldn't stomach the scene anymore, she turned away and hid behind the boulder; but Farkas' screams of agony brought desperate tears to her eyes, her body shaking in disbelief that he would commit himself to such a life.

Once the cave was again silent, Serah forced herself to be brave as she moved her head around the boulder when a tear coursed down the side of her cheek. No longer was Farkas the man standing before them, but Farkas the beast; and it was a sight Serah thought she'd never want to see again. His head began to turn and she knew he was looking for a way out. His lips curled and he snarled, saliva dripping from his now sharpened teeth and, from her readings, Serah knew what that meant – it was his first feeding time. She blinked several times, and in that few moments, Farkas the werewolf had escaped through a narrow hallway in the back of the cave. Someone was yelling they needed to go after him and the footsteps of several individuals rushed beside her as one opened the entrance to the cave and they left in a hurry; Serah followed behind so she wouldn't be left alone.

The others spoke quickly about what they needed to do. Kodlak instructed that they keep an eye on him to ensure he didn't run amuck within any nearby towns or homes. He stated that this was normal for new beasts to run off. Aela questioned why Vilkas' transformation was nothing like Farkas, but Kodlak replied and stated that maybe Farkas had more worries about taking the beast-blood than his brother.

So…Vilkas took this "beast-blood" as well? How many other secrets are they keeping from me?

Ignoring the rest of their conversation, they split up, but Serah made her way back down towards her room where she hastily threw on her armor, latched her small, iron sword to her hip. Quickly, she grabbed an empty pack and began filling it with several health potions she had stored and a dry towel before taking several items of clothing from Farkas' own room. Running upstairs, she grabbed different food items, shoved them in her pack, threw it over her shoulder and ran out of Jorrvaskr, not caring that the doors slammed shut behind her as she made her way towards the city gates. She brought her potion along as well and took one small drink of the liquid to ensure that the mixture would last until she was far enough away from the city. She had a feeling that Vilkas, Aela and Skjor headed in the direction that Farkas left from the cave, which she assumed led towards the backend of Whiterun, but she knew better.

Serah knew where Farkas would go on instinct, even if he had no control of his body whatsoever. Out in the woods close to Riverwood, about an hour walk away from Whiterun, there was a special place Farkas had described to Serah on many occasions. It's a favorite spot of mine, he would tell her, and it's someplace I want to take you when you're older. She had never actually been there herself, but he had described in too her in much detail and had even shown her on a map so she should be able to find it on her own. Swallowing the sudden fear that flew into her throat, Serah left the confines of the city alone, something she had not left since she was attacked by the wolves a few years ago. But for Farkas, she could, and would, do anything. She wanted to be the one to find him, to ensure that he was ok, and to remind him that he truly was an ice-brain that Aela kept calling him for taking on the "beast-blood". As her feet carried her away from the city, she kept telling herself that she would find her friend, her mentor, her brother – she would do anything for him.

As her feet carried off into the distance, Whiterun faded in the distance. Even though Farkas had said it was roughly an hour until this "spot", it had taken Serah almost two hours before she made her way into the forest behind the farms of Whiterun. She cursed her small statute, her legs not able to carry her to a farther distance before they gave out from fatigued. The pack grew heavy on her back as she leaned against the bark of a tall pine tree, her eyes scanning the area to see if it resembled anything Farkas had told her. There were trees and rocks that surrounded her current position but that was about it; nothing similar to the so called "stream" or "waterfall" she was supposed to find.

Taking a deep breath, Serah collected her thoughts to try and remember everything she had been told. I know he'll be at this spot. It's his favorite spot in all of Skyrim. A random hole in the wall that he had found on his way back from a mission in Riverwood. Looking around her once more, she closed her eyes, telling herself to listen in order to find what she was seeking. Several minutes passed and all she heard was the whispers of the wind and wolves howling in the distance. She cringed at the howls and opened her eyes, suddenly realizing why she was so angry at Farkas for taking on the beast-blood.

He had become the same monster that attacked her several years ago.

Serah would never admit it, but deep down, a small part of her felt that Farkas would eventually hurt her, just like the wolves did. Sliding down against the tree trunk, she wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them close to her chest. She so desperately wanted to find Farkas, to help him, but in her current position, she felt lost and vulnerable out in the wild. Who am I kidding? I should never have left Whiterun. I'm just "little Serah" to everyone within Jorrvaskr whose still too young to fend for herself. I truly want to find Farkas but…part of me wanted to prove everyone wrong, all the people who said I could never take care of myself.

But then she heard it.

Snapping her eyes upwards, Serah drastically turned her head left and right, knowing she heard what she had heard. There had been a deep, menacing howl off into the distance, but judging by the sound, it wasn't that far from her current location. Standing, she waited again to see if she could hear it. And she did; there was another howl, this time even closer. And again, and again. This cry was loud, but painful; Serah could tell that whatever animal was the cause of it, was in agony. But as she took a brave step forward to search for whatever it was, the howl turned into a mixture of animal and human sounds and then finally – a scream. A blood curling scream that resonated from within Serah's skull. She cowered at the sound, but then it turned more human and that's when she realized she recognized the audile noise. There was no mistaking who it could be.

She jumped over logs, burst through streams and burned her ten summer old lungs – all to reach a destination she had never seen before. Why was she even doing what she was doing? What was the point if she was just "little Serah" in their eyes? Even Serah didn't know. It upset her when people called her that, but she knew it was true. She was, and was going to be, the youngest member within Jorrvaskr. She just wanted to prove that she was strong enough as everyone else. That can't be the reason, she told herself. Farkas was the main reason. Since her father abandoned her at Jorrvaskr, Farkas had Vilkas had always been there. Whenever she needed to cry, they were there; whenever she wanted to try a new weapon, they were the ones to encourage her to try; even when she just needed someone to talk about the way she felt, they actually listened to her words.

Her legs took her where she needed to go. Running through the forest, she narrowly avoided tree branches, but here and there a few would snag against her face, drawing enough blood to trickle down her sweaty cheek. The moon glided across the night sky; luckily it was a full moon, meaning Serah could practically see what was in front of her. But as she halted near a boulder, she bended over and took deep breaths when she heard another scream echo into the night. This time, it was closer than ever but before she took off running again, Serah waited to see if she could hear it again. When nothing happened and she could hear only the wind rush through her matted hair, she leapt into the night, crushing leaves, leaving behind her fears, and faced the blackest night. Nothing mattered in the moment, only the thought of finding Farkas was her priority.

Maneuvering her way through the trees, Serah nearly tripped on an overturned rock sticking up from the ground. She braced herself against a tree when she looked ahead of her vision. There, before she even realized what she was looking at, was the spot Farkas was telling her about. It was a small area, enclosed by a cluster of dense forestry, a large lagoon nestled in the middle as a waterfall from the overhanging cliff poured freshwater into its depths. A stream exited one side of the lagoon and went passed Serah's field of vision, of into the unknown depths of the wilderness.

This is it…this has to be it!

As she took a step forward, she remembered a missed detail Farkas had explained to her the first time he mentioned his special spot. "This is my special spot, but there's something hidden that adds to its being special. Can you figure it out?"

At first she had been confused, but as she looked at the scenery around her, it hit her. The waterfall…it's…the water into the small lake isn't just coming from the waterfall…it's coming from…inside the cliff? Somethings…behind there – behind the waterfall!

Jogging up to the waterfall, she gingerly placed her hand along the cliff and ran it along its jagged façade behind the cascade of freezing water. Half expecting to still find the stone walling, she gasped when her hand slipped through. There's a gap back here! Taking a deep breath, Serah ran under the freezing water and into the pitch black of nothing, the only light coming from the moon through the water directly behind her and the light at the end of the path ahead of her. Balancing herself by keeping a steady hand on the wall, she quickly paced through the passageway, her slight fear of the dark creeping across of clammy skin. Her feet sloshed in the small river that ran through the passageway, the cool liquid reaching almost to her knees. But the quicker her legs moved, the brighter the light grew at the end of the tunnel.

And before she knew it, she was out of the dark passageway, her mouth falling open as she was encased in a light provided only by the full moon directly above her. As she looked up, her mouth turned into a grin when realized she was in a hidden cavern, the entire stone roofing closed off the night sky, save for several large openings that were large enough to see the night sky and allow the elements to enter the secretive cavern. Through these openings, the moon was allowed to expose its glow, which casted a soft light throughout the cave, illuminating the darkness.

As she glanced around, Serah could take in why this was a special spot or Farkas. The entire ground was covered in luscious, green grass and flowers of various colors spread across the ground. Along the back wall, there was another stream that entered from one side, coursed through the middle of the cavern, its ripples a gently melody echoing off the stones walls. The gentle stream flowed into a pool; though it was smaller than the one at the entrance, Serah still noticed that it was fairly large, and probably deep enough that, at her size, she could swim in. Serah sighed, a sudden peacefulness coursing through her body; it was relaxing within the grotto and she closed her eyes, trying to savor the moment. But when she finally opened her eyes, her vision landed on Farkas.

"Farkas!"

Running up to his side and dropping to her knees, Serah inspected her friend. Farkas was crumbled on the ground lying flat on his stomach. His body was naked, all clothing discarded; Serah turned in head as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She inspected his upper half, only to discover that he was covered in blood, grime and sweat, just as Vilkas had, earlier that morning. Gingerly shaking his shoulders at first, Serah repeatedly said his name, trying to awaken Farkas from his deep slumber. Pushing him with all her might, the little girl managed to turn the Companion over onto his back; once successful, she tapped his face, whispered his name, poked his shoulder – but nothing worked. Placing a hand over his heart, she could feel the soft thump of a heartbeat.

Knowing that he was still alive, Serah, grabbing a small wooden cup from her pack, walked towards the stream and filled it with water. Making her way back, she knelt next to Farkas and, taking a deep breath, poured the water onto his face. Bright, amber eyes immediately opened and fixated on the clear sky above. Letting out the breath she was holding, Serah gently placed her hand on his shoulder; his head shot towards her and growled, his lips pulled back in a daring snarl.

Dropping the cup, Serah jumped to her feet and stepped away and waited until Farkas calmed down and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply to calm his shot nerves. Daring to kneel by his side again, she whispered, "Farkas…?" She received no answer in kind. Again, but louder this time, she said, "Farkas?"

The warrior turned his head in her direction and squinted, his vision gradually clearing so he could make out the person in front of him. Blinking several times, his vision cleared enough that he could tell her it was. "S-Serah…?" His eyes were now back to their normal silver color.

Smiling, Serah knelt down and placed her hand on his shoulder again. "Yes, it's me Farkas."

Groaning, Farkas pushed his body upwards, attempting to sit in an upwards position. Arching his back, he rubbed the back of his neck and sighed before finally turning to his visitor, finally noticing who was really with him. "Serah, what the hell are you doing here?!"

Narrowing her eyes, she replied, "Why're you getting mad at me? What the hell are you doing here, Farkas?"

The expression on Farkas' face dropped as he turned his head away from her. "That's something…" he whispered oh-so-quietly, but changed what he was going to say. "Don't worry about it, Serah, you don't need to worry about it." He turned back towards her and placed a smile on his face. Although he meant the gesture, especially towards her, the act itself was slightly fake and he knew it – especially by the expression she gave him in return.

"Farkas…tell me the truth. Why're you out here?"

"Why're you out here?" he countered.

"Don't answer my questions with questions."

"Well you shouldn't be here anyways!" Serah recoiled – Farkas had never snapped at her like that before. The Companion could see what he had done as the girl looked away and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. He wanted to say something, anything, but the right words could not come to mind – he had absolutely no idea what to tell her. But before he could manage to utter one word, she beat him.

"Here," she pulled her pack towards her and began rummaging through its contents. "I…I had a feeling you would need a few things." She handed him the items of clothing she grabbed, as well as an apple.

"How did you…?" he glanced at the items and back at her face, but she only shook her head. Turning around so she could give him his privacy, Farkas quickly changed. He knew he reeked and smelled of blood, just as Vilkas did the previous night, but he had no time to clean himself, not while Serah was here. He was about to throw on the loose-fitting trousers when Serah interrupted his thoughts.

"I brought a dry cloth for you…if you wish to bathe."

Sighing, he felt that was the best choice of actions. Mumbling a reply, she threw the cloth behind her as Farkas made his way towards the small river. It was just deep enough that it reached up towards his hips. The water was freezing and only caused his already sore muscles to ache more, but because of what he had just went through, he felt it was only a small punishment he deserved. Lathering his arms, the blood and grime slid off his body and into the water. Farkas grimaced as he remembered the course of the night's events. He had slaughtered innocent people, that much he knew – and devoured them. He cringed and focused on cleaning the rest of his body, which took no time at all. As he stepped out of the water to dry himself, Serah finally spoke; her words froze him to the core more so than the water had.

"Why did you do it, Farkas?"

But Farkas completely ignored her question. Drying off his clean body as best he could, the Companion dressed and eventually made his way back over towards her side and sat down next to her. Neither spoke a word for several minutes; Farkas too afraid to speak the possible truth, something she might already know.

"Your silence scares me."

"Serah…" he turned in her direction. "What are you doing here? You know Kodlak told you not to leave Whiterun on your own. What if another wolf attacked you again? What would you have done?!" Farkas knew it was wrong of him to snap at her the way he was, but there was a part of him that was frightened for her safety. He truly was scared that if she ever left on her own again, that she might be attacked…and that no one would be there to save her like he did. But as he watched Serah turn her head towards him, there were tears in her eyes, and one slid down her cheeks.

"Like you'll hurt me?"

His face instantly fell. "What're you talking about?" he said in a low voice.

She closed her eyes and said, "I know."

"You know what?" Farkas said slowly.

When she finally looked at him, the tears made her eyes radiate like emeralds, and in that moment, Farkas felt his heart skip a beat, a sudden experience he had never felt before. His heart did weird things when he was around her, but nothing like this. "Why did you take the beast-blood, Farkas?" She whispered.

His eyes widened. "W-what…?"

"The beast-blood, Farkas, why did you take it?!"

Her voice echoed across the confined walls of the grotto, straight into the Companion's heart. "How…" he gulped, his heart racing, causing his breathing to be uneven. "How did you know about that?"

"Because I was there." Grabbing her pack, she pulled the potion from within and showed it to him. "Remember a few months ago when you and Vilkas returned from a job and you guys found that and gave it to me? You never tested the potion – it's an invisibility potion. One drink and I turn invisible for a few minutes. Several gulps and I can hide for almost an hour…"

"And that's how you snuck into the cave earlier…I-I heard a gasp while I was…transforming…and turned to see who it was but no one was there."

Serah nodded. "Even though I was invisible, I hid behind a boulder, just in case the potion wore off." Her tears fell harder as she recalled everything she had seen a few hours prior. "Why…you and Vilkas…you both lied to me! Why would you want to become something like this? To be tied to Hircine?"

Farkas shook his head. He couldn't believe she had been there the entire time; she saw him take the beast-blood, she saw him transform, she witnessed his agony. When he thought he'd never forgive himself for taking the beast-blood, now that Serah knew, he would never forgive himself for her witnessing what he went through. Running a hand through his matted hair, Farkas sighed for the umpteenth time that night. No one was supposed to discover their secret, and within a few hours of his first transformation, Serah discovered the truth all on her own. Taking a breath, he asked, "So…now you know. What are you gonna do?"

"I want the truth. The whole truth, Farkas."

"Well…since you already know, I guess there's no harm in it. You see, all the Circle members – Kodlak, Skjor, Aela, Vilkas and myself – are all werewolves and only the Circle are werewolves. No one else knows this secret; not the other Companions, not the citizens on Whiterun – no one. You understand this, right?" She shook her head no. Farkas leaned down closer to her face, staring into her tears stained emerald colored eyes. "You know our secret. You have to keep our secret."

"I wasn't going to tell anyone," she stated quickly, the firmness in her voice confirming her words.

Farkas nodded, a soft chuckle escaping past his lips. "I would appreciate that, little one." Even though she was still mad at keeping this a secret from her, she smiled. In turn, this made Farkas smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her close; she returned the awkward hug before tilting her head against his muscular bicep. "So…you really want the truth?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Vilkas and I…were sent to the underforge last night to be inducted as new Circle members, on one condition – that we take the beast-blood. Every member of the Circle for the last several hundred years have taken the blood to be tied to Hircine. At first, we thought it was a crazy idea…" Farkas began stroking Serah's hair, a technique he discovered always relaxed her whenever she was stressed. "But the more we thought about the power of the beast-blood, the more we wanted it; but we took if for one person and one person only."

Moving away from her position, Serah peered up at Farkas. "And who was that?"

Looking down at her, Farkas smiled sadly. Everything he and Vilkas had discussed about her safety, from the day Serah was brought to Jorrvaskr, crashed through his mind. His want to protect her from everything in Skyrim, his constant need to be about her; her smile, her laugh…it meant the world to him.

Farkas didn't reply at first. Instead, he gently grabbed her right arm and brought it closer to his vision. In the light of the full moon, Serah's scars from the wolf attack were prominent. Deep, jagged teeth marks plagued her skin from the wrist all the way up to the elbow; the white of the tissues almost glowed in the dim light of the secret cave. Thumbing each individual scar, there was a part of Farkas that flinched; he felt responsible for not reaching her sooner, for not stopping her before she left. Now and forever, her beautiful, flawless skin would be scarred from an incident we wish he could've prevented.

In a small voice, he finally spoke. "We wanted nothing more than to protect you."

"…protect me?" He nodded. "But…why me? Why have you two always tried to be there for me?"

Farkas was silent for several long minutes. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but he averted her eyes and continued to stare at her scars. Knowing why he chose to drink the blood of Hircine, Farkas couldn't admit the whole truth to Serah; her brain wouldn't understand its meaning behind what he really wanted to say. "At first, it was because we promised Fenrir." Looking down at her, her head tilted in confusion, not understanding his statement. "Your father." She gasped and tried to ask more about her father but he cut her off. "The day he brought you here, he promised both me and Vilkas to keep an eye on you. And from that point on, we did just that. But…" Farkas swallowed and rubbed each scar, not sure if he was trying to calm Serah down or himself. "The longer you were there, we practically forgot we promised Fenrir because it came naturally to us; protecting you became something we sought out to do, not because we were asked to. Before long, we wanted to do nothing but ensure your happiness, to know that you felt safe in Jorrvaskr. That's why…" He quickly glanced up into her teary eyes then back down at her scars. "That's why the day you were attacked…I couldn't take it. I nearly lost it when I saw that you had almost died. It was too much to bear…Vilkas and I…we took on the beast-blood in order to have the strength to defend you if necessary."

Serah's eyes watered over and several drops dribbled down her cheek and she had to look away before any more tears fell. "But…why me…?"

Grasping her chin as gently as he could, Farkas turned her face towards his, their noses barely touching. "You are very special to me, my little Serah. And you'll always be special."

~ oOo ~

Farkas and Serah had stayed in the cavern till nearly sunrise, talking about everything they could think of, except the one topic that was obvious. Through their talk, she understood why the twin's decided to take on the beast-blood, and although she wasn't happy with their choice, she was elated for the reason why – it was all to protect her. So in the end, she agreed to it, since there was no cure and nothing she could do. For Farkas, he still couldn't believe that Serah, a young girl of barely ten summers, had witnessed his transformation. But there was nothing he could about what had already occurred so he left it at that. In the end, both were content with what transgressed and simply let it be.

As the sun began to rise, Serah slowly progressed into falling asleep. First, her head began to nod back and forth before she finally rested her head on Farkas' lap and was out within the first few minutes. While the moon faded and the sun took its place, Farkas watched the girl in his lap sleep peacefully as he ran his fingers through her silky, midnight colored hair. As the seconds ticked by, his heart beat faster, and the faster it raced, the slower time traveled around him. Lost in thought and concentration, Farkas eventually noticed that the sun had finally risen into the sky. With barely a full hour of light in the sky, he grabbed the pack and gently picked up Serah in his arms. He wasn't worried about any monsters attacking him; he took a large gulp of the potion Serah brought with her so they would not be disturbed as he took his time walking back to Whiterun.

By the time he reached the grand city, the effects of the potion had run dry and he was visible to those around them. As he passed through the gates, the guards snickered that he, once again, brought an unconscious Serah into the city, but Farkas glared at the men until they bit their tongues and swallowed their stupidity. It was too early for the citizens to be wandering through the city, and as he made his way up to Jorrvaskr, Farkas wasn't surprised to see the rest of the Circle members standing outside in the training area. Vilkas was the first to spot his brother and they all rushed to greet the new member when they stopped and realized he was carrying Serah. As quickly as he could, Farkas explained the situation in detail, stating everything that had happened from the time she snuck into the underforge to Farkas telling her the Circle's secret. Skjor and Aela were livid that he would admit such a thing, but Kodlak simply laughed at the situation, stating that was just like Serah to take matters into her own hands. But their Harbinger wasn't worried, knowing that the two made it back safely to Jorrvaskr, and stated that they would discuss in detail later about what would happen next.

As the day she was attacked by the wolves, Farkas carried little Serah down into her private room, where he gently placed her on the bed. It was already slightly warm in the morning and discarded the fur blankets resting on her mattress. Sitting on the edge, Farkas stayed where he was for several minutes, watching Serah's chest gently rise up and down as sleep continued to consume her small body. Farkas became surprised that he was enamored by Serah. Since their talk in the cave and on the way home, anything she did, his heart beat faster; her face, her smile, her voice. Everything about her set his blood on fire and he wanted to do anything to simply make her happy. Out of everything he worked for in his day, Farkas wanted nothing more than to be the one to put a smile on her face.

Sighing, the young man stood to his feet and turned towards the door, but turned back and leaned across Serah's figure, who had curled onto her side and faced away from the door. Leaning towards her forehead, Farkas gently traced his lips across her skin, his lips burning with the sensation to do much more, but his moral side stopped him from doing anything he might regret. He was fifteen summers and she was ten, so he would need to become patient, and patient is what he shall suffer through. His fingers lingered as they traced an invisible line across her cheek. Farkas battled within himself, wanting to stay but knowing he couldn't. Sighing at the loss of a battle, Farkas smiled in her direction and whispered a few words before he stood and left her to her peaceful slumber.

"I love you, my little Serah."

~ oOo ~

I hope this is what everybody was waiting for. There's more to come, trust me! It's not over yet – not by a long shot. As I stated earlier, it might take me some time to post the next few chapters. I have school starting soon, it's going to become a little chaotic.

Chocobocolina :3