Sleepy eyes fluttered open, feeling entirely rested. Remembering the events that happened before she fell asleep, her eyes closed again and she turned over into the darkness. Denying what happened, she exhaled a quiet sigh and tried to fall asleep, hoping it was all a dream and she’d wake up soon. Back to her mother’s cancer and bedridden situation.

Snuggling against the comfy pillows, she breathed in the scent and paused. An eye shot open. This wasn’t her pillow!

Jerking her upper body up with both hands, she looked around the plush room with wide eyes. ‘Where AM I??’ She thought worriedly. Her eyes widened as she looked around in awe.

Sunlight streamed in through tall, wide windows, the lengthy curtains drawn open. Her resting place was a king-sized black metal canopy bed. Her eyes lowered to the soft pillows, smelling them. ‘Dryer sheets.’ She decided. ‘They smell like dryer sheets.’

Twisting to her back, she leaned on her elbows and stared. Light oak furniture and side work resided in numerous spots around the spacious room. The white carpet looked thick and she almost got out of bed to wiggle her toes in it, but denied the urge for now. She would later, just after she figured out where she WAS.

An open door led to a spacious bathroom, part of it obscured by the wall. Another door gave away part of a large walk-in closet. Her wide eyes widened even more. ‘This place is like a PALACE!’

Her head swung around and she immediately took note of the weight on her head. One hand went to the back, not finding the normal bun. ‘My hair is down.’ She realized, brow furrowing.

Pulling the blanket aside thankfully revealed her work suit. ‘What did you expect?’ She mentally retorted, shifting to one side of the bed. ‘Sleeping naked? Different clothes?’

Shaking her head, partially from her own stupidiness and to clear it, she deposited both feet on the carpet. A childish smile met her face and she gripped the lengthy woven strands with her toes. It easily gave way and her smile widened. ‘Whoever lives here sure has good TASTE.’ She exhaled a small pleasurable sigh before regrettably standing.

Walking to the nearest window, she looked out to the massive backyard, seeing trees and forest go on seemingly forever. The fake rising sun cast extreme shadows over the ground, adding a red tinge to the leaves. She sat on the small ledge and leaned against the wall, wishing she could get a picture of the brilliant morning. ‘Someone has to PAINT this.’ She thought dreamily.

Through the serenity she felt, somewhere in the back of her head told her she STILL didn’t know where she was. Pulling away from the scenery, she spied another door next to the massive bed.

Curiously sliding off the ledge, she nearly crept for the door, ears perked for outside noises. Apparently this was just one room in some type of mansion, so she had to be on guard.

Carefully reaching for the knob, she gripped it and turned it at a snail’s pace. The door didn’t creak when she cracked it open, not that she expected it to.

Her head stuck out and quickly darted down both sides of the hallway. It wasn’t covered with much, just a few round tables, flowers, and mirrors for decorations. A narrow, white carpet went down the center and stopped at the far end of the wall, the rest of the floor a light oak.

‘Someone has VERY good taste.’ She thought wryly. Doors across from her and down the hall confirmed her suspicion of the mansion setting.

Not seeing anyone, she bit her lip, hoping to find the stairs without leaving the ‘sanctuary’ of the room. But all she saw were more doors. Heart pounding from the adrenaline and inane excitement, she crept from the bedroom and headed down the lighter part of the hallway.

Light shone greater at that end, also it was the only side without a wall. Keeping low to the ground, eyes dancing everywhere, ears perked for the slightest noise, she moved with a fluid cat-like grace. Time seemed to slow to a crawl.

She finally reached the corner and peeked around as carefully as she could. Never in her life did she imagine she could EVER be kidnapped.

Not seeing anyone, she gave a final glance at the hall behind her then continued past the corner to the open area somewhat ahead. ‘The last thing I remember, I fell asleep at work!’ She thought. Had something happened to Quatre and they grabbed her? Her jaw clenched as anger hit her. ‘If ANYTHING’S happened to him I’ll make whoever PAY.’ She vowed darkly.

The anger allowed her a little more confidence and her catlike grace turned to a cocky stance. Fear dissipated and she held onto the anger to give her strength. Forgetting about anything other than her current situation, she stopped at the end of a set of massive stairs.

Her eyes widened as she took in the extravagant setting below her. The white carpet pooled around, covering every inch she could see. The light oak occupied more of the trim and some small decorative furniture. A chandelier hung over the wide set of outside doors, the early morning light casting rainbows on the walls. The doors themselves were also oak, oval shaped stained glass in the center.

If she wasn’t worried for her safety, she would’ve sat on the steps and admired the view before her. But there was no time.

Shaking her head to clear her awed fog, she stealthily crept down the stairs. Stopping at the bottom, she peeked around the wall on her left, seeing even more beauty. ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost wonder if this was a drug lord’s house.’ Her lips pursed, wondering if they even existed.

‘Anything is possible.’ She thought. ‘Like my surroundings and how I ended UP in them.’ An eyebrow rose at her wry thoughts. Deciding to go around the corner, she eyed the apparent front doors, wondering if there was an alarm set on it or not. If there was, she would have to find an open window to crawl out to escape instead and hoped THAT wasn’t bugged.

Her small exploration/escape route down the hall ended her in a large dining room. She blinked again in awe at the master decorator that supplied her current view.

The white carpet stopped at the arch she stood under, the entire floor that beautiful, light oak. A lengthy, easily dozen seat table matched the floor, the cushions on each chair in a plush white. Another chandelier hung over the center of the table, though a little smaller than the previous one she eyed. Rainbows filled the white ceiling and walls as part of the sun managed to hit such a high up place.

More tall, wide windows dotted spots on the walls, showing off part of the side lawn outside. Next to the other exit on the far side of the room, more light oak china hutches stood, decorative dishes resting behind glass panels. Double doors leading to whatever room lay beyond this were glass; small frosted designs on each panel.

She inhaled when her lungs protested her not having done so. Eyes widened when she realized she forgot to breathe. Exhaling quickly, her head cocked to one side in astonishment, wondering what ELSE lay beyond those beautiful glass doors. Looking behind her quickly, she decided to go for it and stepped onto the cool, smooth wood floor.

An inane thought on the whereabouts of her shoes popped into her head as she crept through the large room. Part of her was wondering where they were, since she hadn’t seen them in her starting destination. But part of her was thankful she was barefoot; there would be no way she could walk on such thick carpet or oak flooring without making noise or falling.

Stopping off to one side of the glass doors, her head craned around, trying to see anyone on the other side. The entire journey was a quiet and empty one. It was almost as if she WAS dreaming and this entire place didn’t exist.

Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. ‘Is that IT?’ She wondered. ‘COULD I be dreaming?’ Her lips pursed. ‘It’s possible. I mean, WHO gets KIDNAPPED anymore?’ An easygoing smile popped up. ‘That’s so old-fashioned. Besides, why kidnap ME? I’VE nothing to ransom off.’

Figuring she WAS dreaming, she walked to the knobs and confidently opened the door. She read somewhere that it was possible people knew they were dreaming.

The next room was a kitchen, something so elaborate she wished she owned it. Metal appliances resided everywhere, large enough to be considered restaurant size.

The same oak colored every cabinet she could see. Windows marked the walls, shining in an extreme amount of light. On the far end lay a set of French doors, leading off to a balcony. Glass and black metal patio furniture resided outside, shining in the sun.

In the middle of the L shaped, wrap-around cabinets and appliances was a good-sized island, white marble gracing the countertop, lightly kissed with gray chips.

Taking a step inside, she felt coolness under her and looked down. The entire floor was also white marble as the island.

Walking in a few steps, she carefully closed the frosted doors and stopped next to the counters. Next to the opposite wall was another matching oak table and chairs, but intensely smaller than the one she previously saw.

Another door situated next to the table was cracked open a few inches, unconsciously sending shivers up her spine. All the windows were closed, as were the French doors.

Her shoulders dropped. ‘How am I going to get OUT of here?’ Her eyes dropped to the marble countertop, feeling defeated. She wasn’t going to roam the entire house to look for a way out.

The door swung open and her eyes widened as they jerked to it. A middle-aged butler came through the room and smiled. She did a mental double take at his amiable demeanor, but kept a wary stance.

“Ah, there you are Miss.” He said pleasantly. “Good morning, did you sleep well?”

Her brow furrowed in confusion at his easygoing manner. She watched the butler warily as he walked in and opened the French doors. The cool air blew in, sending in smells of morning with it.

“That’s better don’t you think? I was just getting the windows opened up to get the stuffiness out of here.” He turned and smiled again. “Master Quatre is still asleep, but will be waking shortly. Did you care for some breakfast while you wait?”

She stood there dumbly, blinking in perplexity. Her mouth gaped open and snapped closed without saying a word. She didn’t know WHAT to say. Her mind had blanked.

His smile never dimmed as he waited for her to tell him what to do. “Where am I?” She asked hesitantly, eyes looking around the kitchen again.

“Why, you’re in Master Quatre’s home.”

Her eyes snapped to his, mouth gaping open again in amazement.

“He brought you here after work last night since he explained you were in no condition to go home.”

If she wasn’t in danger of making a moron out of herself, she would’ve fallen to the FLOOR. Her legs sure weren’t doing much to keep her upright. All his answers were swirling around her head. She was entirely flabbergasted to say the least. She didn’t know WHAT she was feeling, but she was surprised beyond BELIEF.

Remembering his earlier question, her head shook slightly. “No...I’ll wait for HIM.” She mumbled, eyes resting on the scenery through the French doors.

“As you wish Miss. Did you need anything else?” He asked, hoping to ease her evident discomfort.

Now knowing she was in no obvious danger, she felt a little more curious about her surroundings. “I’d like to look around some, if that’s alright.” She requested softly, looking at him.

He nodded, swinging an arm out. “Knock yourself out Miss.” He jested slightly. That allotted a small smile from her and he walked to the doors behind her. “I’ll come find you and let you know when he’s awakened Miss.”

She nodded. “It’s Divinity.” She muttered before he left.

Now alone in the kitchen, she walked to the archway and leaned against the wood, partially for strength and from the breathtaking beauty that surrounded her. Even though it wasn’t real, the sunrise cast beautiful colors in the cloudless ‘sky’.

Crossing her arms comfortably through the early morning chill, she took a few steps onto the white marble ‘patio’ and looked around.

Taking a few more outside, she looked around at the forest that made up a lot of the so-called ‘backyard’. Walking to the banister, she looked down and immediately stepped back in surprise. There had to be an EASY story drop from where she stood. Not having any major fear of heights, she slowly walked back and leaned over the white marble, bracing her upper weight with both arms.

Her eyes gravitated to the drop below, getting a small chill. She didn’t really fear the altitude, but had a great respect for something that could cause bodily harm.

‘I guess I was more surprised to find out that something this large was built on a HILL.’ She surmised. Tranquility quickly took over the longer she was out in nature’s home. Sure Quatre’s home was nice and all, but the area surrounding it was even better. She respected all forms of Mother Nature, even the synthetic kind.

Feeling the calmness of the morning, the chill was kept somewhat at bay by her pantsuit and lengthy hair. It flowed around her like a cape, keeping the cool temperatures away from her upper arms.

Now that she knew she was in no danger and her unfamiliar surroundings had been cleared up, she had time to reflect on OTHER matters.

Tears immediately clogged the beautiful vision in front of her as pain entered her face. Casting her eyes to the tips of the trees below, one cleared as a tear spilled to her cheek. So the inevitable had finally happened.

‘But I thought the cancer was in REMISSION!’ She thought sadly. Last time she had an update from her brother about the ‘remission’ was those few days ago when she called regarding the message.

Looking back up at the horizon, her eyes shone from tears. ‘When did it all go wrong?’

She didn’t know how much time she spent out back. Time seemed to stop, despite the climbing position of the fake sun. Not able to run away from the sad truth, she turned and left the broken tranquility, wanting to find something to do to keep busy. Exploration would keep her mind off the new problem at home for a while.

Walking into the kitchen, she looked at the open door to the unfamiliar room. Deciding to go for it since she had free reign to the house, she slowly ambled through the doorway.

It was a library without a doubt. Bookshelves lined the walls, broken only by the amounts of windows everywhere. Windows near the ceiling gave in extra light so artificial light wasn’t needed as much.

A few lamps resided on oak tables next to overstuffed armchairs and loveseats. The entire floor was oak paneling. ‘I think Quatre has a thing for this color of oak.’ She thought, slightly amused. ‘AND white carpeting.’

Both were everywhere and although it matched up with every room, the idea was too monotonous. ‘He’s lacking variety.’ She realized, lips twitching briefly. Her ability to smile was lost on that small balcony.

Walking alongside the books, her eyes danced over some subjects, finding them mostly business books of some type. ‘Where does he keep the GOOD stuff?’ She idly wondered. It seemed to be mostly encyclopedias, law books, dictionaries, business texts, and very few fiction mixed in. ‘Maybe it’s all decoration.’

Finishing the entire thing, even through a slow gait, she aimlessly walked through the opposite door and to a hallway. A closed door rested a few foot across from her, the hallway on her left.

Deciding to walk around the hall some more, she lightly trailed a few fingertips along the smooth surface as she went.

Coming to a set of closed double doors, she hesitantly turned on knob, finding it unlocked. Pushing it open hesitantly, her eyes widened in rare happiness when she realized she stumbled upon a music room. Instruments were carefully placed throughout, a grand piano off to one side...waiting to be used. A seat by the window was bathed in light from the morning, giving off a gentle feeling.

Not even entering the room yet, her eyes locked with the grand piano. A slow, sad smile appeared and her fingers itched to play. She hadn’t seen a piano in months, hadn’t PLAYED one even longer. The song from her dream popped into her head and she stepped inside, leaving the door cracked an inch in case someone needed to find her.

Sitting on the piano bench, she ran through chopsticks slowly, making sure it was in tune. Nodding in satisfaction, her head bowed with closed eyes as she fought to recall how it started. Hitting a few high notes that were still a little off, she hummed a few bars, singing the words alongside the music.

She stopped and began again after hitting the right keys. Almost possessed with the desire to play the song she heard, fingers touched over the ivory with determination. As the haunting music filling the air, she blankly looked at the keys before softly singing.

~*~*~

A soft knock sounded, waking him from the deep comfortableness of sleep. Rolling over groggily, his eyes sought the alarm clock on one of his nightstands.

He softly groaned upon seeing the red flashing numbers saying it wasn’t even seven thirty yet. But it was the latest he slept in since he started working, since the war was over. With a quick sigh, he flopped on his back and spread both arms out, staring at the dark ceiling.

The knock sounded again, a little louder than last time. “Come in.” He loudly bided, not wanting to get up. The bed was too comfortable, the warmth wasn’t something he wanted to give up just yet.

“Master Quatre?”

“Quatre.” He immediately corrected sleepily. He’d been TRYING to get his servants to say his first name, but hadn’t had much luck. It was as bad as trying to get DIVINITY to say his first name. Being reminded of his ‘guest’, he sat up, bracing himself with both hands.

“Sir, your female guest is up and looking around the mansion.” The man informed softly. “She was up a little before seven. I told her I’d inform her when you were up and last night you said you wanted to be up early.”

Rolling over, He pressed the alarm button to check when his alarm was supposed to go off. Seven forty; not worth it to go back to sleep for a measly ten minutes.

Deciding to get up, he tossed the covers from his lower body and padded his way to the curtains. Opening one, his eyes squeezed shut from the brightness.

Turning away till his eyes could adjust, he faced the man still at the door. “Do you know where she’s at now?”

The butler shook his head. “No, but I heard instruments in the music room. I’m assuming she’s in there.” He suggested.

He nodded, making a mental note of it. But he wasn’t going to leave until he was properly dressed and showered first. Walking to an armoire, he opened both doors and rummaged through for something to wear. He wasn’t going to wear his normal, not on one of his ONLY days off.

“Well, have the chef start in on breakfast. If you could, have him make something light.” He asked, turning to the man. Giving a small smile, he nodded to the butler. “And don’t bother with informing the lady I’m awake. I’ll do so personally.”

Nodding, he smiled slightly. “Did you need anything else Master Quatre?”

‘Other than for you to call me QUATRE?’ It was all getting too formal, he was only a KID after all! Sir, mister, MASTER, they were making him out to be twice his age!

“Not as of now. Thank you.” Now alone, he set everything on his bed for when he got from the bathroom and headed for the shower. His mind was on Divinity and her emotional state the entire time he cleaned up.

‘She seemed so BROKEN yesterday.’ He sadly thought, bowing his head under the shower’s pressure. Water ran down his face, dripping from his eyelashes. The heat felt good in the chill of the room. ‘I hope she’s a little better than last night.’ He sighed slightly. ‘Though I don’t know what I’m going to do, what I’m going to SAY.’

By taking her in for the night, he basically gave her the day off, making it possible for him to keep an eye on her. ‘I just don’t want her to be alone.’ He meekly figured, lathering his hair. ‘That’s the LAST thing she needs right now.’ It was a given, as he went through the same thing with HIS father’s death. Yet he was left alone to deal with it...and he didn’t want the same thing to happen.

Stepping out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and one for his hair, he quickly dried off and went for his bed. Donning one the few pairs of blue jeans he owned and short-sleeve shirt, he decided against shoes while he was in his own home. ‘That’d be going a little TOO far.’ He thought amused, slipping into socks instead.

Wiggling his toes in childlike amusement, he shook his wet hair a little, running his hand through it. Feeling no tangles, he nodded and left the room, searching for his ‘guest’.

Remembering the butler said she was in the music room, he headed there first, hoping she was still there. Walking to the first floor, he kind of wished his room was there instead of the second. But first floor was for the guest rooms, as was the second and part of third.

 Walking on the last step to the ground floor, he gripped the wall and swung into the hallway, happy he was around the mansion past six thirty. Normally, he left a little before that, giving himself enough time to get to work, especially during the usual morning work traffic. But if he had to wait, it gave him time to work on anything for the day.

He winced minutely, knowing he was getting too involved in the business. ‘I need to learn to leave work at WORK.’ He absently wished. Oh, if it were only POSSIBLE, but being the one to take on the ENTIRE business without a partner left him with little options...or free time.

Hearing notes from the grand piano, he came from his reverie and paused outside the double doors. Peeking in, he couldn’t see anything other than the window. Carefully and silently pushing the door open a little wider, he spotted her. His eyes widened at the makeshift cape around her back. ‘She was RIGHT about her hair!’ He marveled wide-eyed.

It nearly touched the bench she sat on, covering her entire back from him. Even though it was thick, it curled up to the top of her head and then laid straight. It was a deep brown with a few natural auburn highlights that shown in the right light.

His ears perked up at her moderately soft, but beautiful voice. ‘I was right...I CAN only imagine how she sings.’

It was a little breathy, but that was only in spots. As he listened, her voice would clear up, become stronger. It was a beautiful soprano, clear as a bell when she hit the right word. Her vibrato wasn’t overdone, and it only added to the sweetness as she sang. Her tone heightened and lowered as she added or took away volume. He couldn’t imagine anyone else in the world with such a beautiful, God-given talent.

Now glad he wasn’t wearing shoes, he quietly stepped in, letting her play on. The song was sad, her fingers heavily and slowly pressing on the keys, as if she didn’t have the strength. He leaned against the closed door with crossed arms and listened intently.

And why do they always say?

‘No regrets’

But I wish that you were here with me

Well then, there’s hope yet

I can see your face in our secret place

You’re not just a memory

‘Say goodbye to yesterday’

Those are words I’ll never say

 Her voice sang to a melody without words. The vibrato chimed in on certain areas, giving it the sadden tones she was most likely going for. His brow furrowed in sorrow at the near overpowering teary edge she held.

This used to be my playground

This used to be our pride and joy

This used to be the place we ran to

That no one in the world could dare destroy

~*~

This used to be our playground

This used to be our childhood dream

This used to be the place we ran to

I wish you were standing here with me

~*~

This used to be our playground

This used to be our childhood dream

This used to be the place we ran to

The best things in life are always free

Wishing you were with me...

Her voice seemed to give out to tears as she fought them throughout the song. Head bowed with obvious grief, she plucked the final chords slowly; pushing the pedal that made them sound long after the ivory was touched. Sniffing softly, she sighed quietly and looked up, her back still to him.

Clenching his jaw slightly, he softly cleared his throat to get her attention. She jumped slightly, that curtain turning as her head shifted. Swiveling in the bench, she faced him and gave a small, cheerless smile. It didn’t reach her eyes at all, but he sensed she was feeling better than she had last time they’d met.

“Nice mansion.” She softly commented. It almost came out a whisper through her still somewhat teary voice. She mentally cursed herself; she sounded too depressed. But it was only natural, she WAS depressed. “You have a thing for oak and white or something?” She lightly jested, lips tilting slightly.

He chuckled softly. “Well...I kind of...INHERITED the house.” He softly answered, looking at the hardwood floor. Now, he realized that they really didn’t know that much about each other. He knew the little things that made her up as a person, but not her past. He assumed it was the same with her. He didn’t remember any conversations revolving around his past, or almost ANYTHING outside work for that matter. They were basically clueless about the roots that made them the people they were.

‘That’s going to change.’ He strongly thought. There were going to be no excuses, only the truth. He wanted to know what happened to her, and if that meant exchanging some information, so be it.

“From your father right?” She asked softly, eyes looking at the cabinets.

He nodded slightly. “Yea.” He gruffly answered, strangely an octave lower. That was still a touchy subject with him and he figured it always WOULD be.

He looked at her again, fighting for another topic to talk about. “What song were you playing?” He asked, slowly walking to the piano.

Her mouth set in a grim smile and she turned to the piano again, running her fingers through the opening lines again slowly. “Something I dreamt.” She vaguely answered. It was the truth though, but inspiration could never have been so vivid as that one horrifying, beautiful dream. “But there’s supposed to be a violin in the middle section.” She started humming the notes where the lyrics should’ve been as she played.

His ears perked up at his specialty. “Which part?” He asked, leaning against the piano. His eyes already locked with one of his cherished possessions safely held from dust and grime behind glass.

“A lot of it.” Her lips pursed as she continued to play. He pushed off from the piano and went to the cabinet.

As he opened a door, she played the violin’s piece for him, giving him an idea of how it sounded.

His ears kept tabs on the notes, figuring it should be easy to improv. Grabbing the bow, he tucked the end under his chin and ran it across the strings experimentally. But he hadn’t played in months so he wasn’t worried about it being out of tune.

Walking back over to piano, he leaned against it again and eyed her through the hold over his instrument. “Play it again.” He suggested with a small smile.

She nodded slightly, giving a little more to her smile. Playing the piece, he played a few seconds after, allowing him enough time to configure the notes in his head and transfer them to his instrument.

She stopped playing when he started again, the lonely music the only thing in the room. Tears came to her eyes as she listened, looking at his peaceful face. That was it; that was what she heard...

A tear fell as she eyed him, immediately knowing he loved what he held. The serene, happy way he played showed it. Although his eyes weren’t open, the small tilt to his mouth gave it all away.

When he finished, he came from his fog and looked at her, realizing she stopped playing. Blinking, he gave a sheepish smile and looked at the bow. “Sorry, I get a little caught up in the music when I play.” He softly apologized, as if he had something to be sorry for.

She shook her head slightly. “No,” She whispered tearily, “you did it perfectly.”

He looked back at her, noting the shine to her eyes and face. His face softened and he faced her. Kneeling, he gripped the bow and neck with one hand carefully, the other patting her knee kindly. “Would you like to play together?”

If it was anything like how he connected with Trowa, it would be the same with her. Music was a passion she held dearly, same as Trowa. Although the instruments were different, the burning fire was still there, the flame a little altered. “I would like to hear the whole thing.”

Staring down into his compassionate eyes, she was overwhelmed with the feelings of friendship and care. His love for music was hers, and he was offering to share it with her. That told her a lot deep down.

Smiling slightly, she nodded and turned to the piano while he stood. He leaned against the wooden hulk again while she placed her fingers on the starting keys.

The piano started again, her dream coming back to her. The little kids playing so happily on the playground equipment, the loving mother...HER loving mother...

“This used to be my playground...this is used to be my childhood dream...this used to be the place I ran to, whenever I was in need...”

She often dreamed of being a pianist when she was old enough and well experienced. She had the slim, lengthy fingers to hit the keys in complex pieces and mastered some before she was ten even. She and her mother had high hopes for her profession. She could’ve written pieces and sang along in her native language...the possibilities were ENDLESS. She had such an open future ahead of her. But that all changed.

Her soft voice gained a little momentum, as she felt stronger about her talents. She didn’t need his scrutiny of something she was confident in. Her mother ALWAYS told her she had a beautiful speaking AND singing voice.

“Why did it have to end? And why do they always say: don’t look back...keep your head held high, don’t ask them why because life is short...and before you know, you’re feeling old and your heart is breaking...don’t hold on to the past, well that’s too much to ask...”

It WAS too much to ask. She didn’t WANT to hear that her mother was dead, but she would be running away from the truth if she thought that. She would be living in a denial so fake it would represent a colony itself.

“This used to be my playground, this used to be my childhood dream...this used to be the place I ran to, whenever I was in need of a friend...”

She used to spend HOURS playing, practicing her talent. Just her and her mother, side by side on the piano bench. The early morning light shining in the room, the two getting a head start before the heat kicked in.

“Why did it have to end? And why do they always say: no regrets...but I wish that you were here with me...well then, there’s hope yet...I can see your face in our secret place, you’re not just a memory...say goodbye to yesterday, those are words I’ll never say...”

She looked at Quatre, giving him the cue.

He started in, easily remembering how it went. He added a little to the song, mimicking the notes with his violin. He also watched her the entire time, looking at the emotion as it played across her face, through her eyes. She was working out her demons as she played, but it would take more than one song to help heal her.

She looked at him as he played, feeling tears gather. She didn’t fight them because she had shed enough before and knew it wouldn’t be the last. A few fell as she watched the way his bow caressed the strings. He was so gentle with the instrument, like he could break it if he wanted. She hurriedly turned to the piano again when his solo was done, before she skipped the time and screwed up the song.

“This used to be my playground, this used to be our pride and joy...this used to be the place we ran to, that no one in the world could dare destroy...”

She always played on rainy days, when she was unable to play outside. She was such a happy child back then, never questioning when she needed to practice, just doing it. She was never like Martin when he had to play. He always whined, saying that piano wasn’t a boy instrument. She almost smiled. Any instrument could be played by anyone, as the person next to her was just demonstrating.

“This used to be our playground, this used to be our childhood dream...this used to be the place we ran to...I wish you were standing here with me...this used to be our playground, this used to be our childhood dream...this used to be the place we ran to; the best things in life are always free...Wishing you were here with me...”

Tears fell as she finished the final notes, feeling too old for her body. She was just so tired of having to deal with the problems placed on her with the war and then her mother’s illness due to it. A small scowl set on her mouth.

‘If she hadn’t ‘lived’ so carelessly when she was my age, she wouldn’t have developed liver problems. She wouldn’t have developed lung cancer from trying so hard to be a reckless youth...’

Her shoulders slumped, all anger fizzling away. She couldn’t condemn her mother for mistakes she made when she was a teenager. But those were something she wasn’t going to repeat, she vowed that a LONG time ago. She didn’t want the same process to repeat itself.

She thought of Martin and Eliah, Enrique and her father. What would they do now? She wondered if it was a good or bad thing that she hadn’t been present when her mother passed. Of COURSE she would’ve taken it badly, but would it have been worse if she WOULD’VE been there? Her eyes clouded over as she weighed her unconscious choices.

He fiddled with the strings uncomfortably, knowing the song was over. He watched her space off, staring at nothing; hands resting on the keys. What was she thinking about? He wanted to know, but didn’t know if he should intrude or not. But he had a right to know, had a right to help her deal with her pain. He didn’t want to be in the dark on something he could help her through.

Slowly setting the violin and bow on the piano, he leaned over the edge and stared into her eyes, subtly waiting for acknowledgment. He smiled slightly when her eyes didn’t move, the expression not changing after a few lengthy minutes.

‘She must really be GONE.’ Shifting his weight, one hand leaned forward and a finger cupped her chin, slowly dragging her face to his.

Her eyes widened in small surprise when they landed on his. She was still weighing whether her life in L-4 was a good decision or not. She hadn’t even noticed the change in her vision.

She knew it was always possible for Enrique and Eliah to get jobs at home, which they most likely already had. But their bills were more than her father could afford. There was no way he could keep afloat financially with four teens at home. Not after the war was over. NOTHING could pay as good as that job. And with the skills HE had, it would be hard to find something akin to that.

“You still in there?” He softly asked, that smile widening a little more.

She blinked long lashes before smiling minutely. Feeling something under her mouth, her eyes trailed from his face to his arm.

He blushed lightly, wondering if she would protest to his action. But her smile only widened, rendering him slightly relieved.

Seeing something from the corner of his vision, he looked over, immediately pulling away when he saw the butler. “Master Quatre, breakfast is ready and waiting.”

He nodded and the butler’s head exited the gap, leaving them alone again.

The spell broken by bad timing, the two looked at each other again. Both smiled sheepishly, wondering what led their actions toward each other to be so touchy-feely. Normally, they were never LIKE that, just vocally friendly.

“Well...” Her throat softly cleared in the uncomfortable silence. “Let’s not let breakfast get cold, shall we?”

~*~*~

“So...would it be too crass of me to inquire what happened yesterday?” He timidly asked, feeling like avoiding her eyes. The two sat outside on the small balcony, plates piled with the goodies his chef whipped up.

She took a bite of her toast and thought about it, then shook her head. “No, I suppose you deserve a right to know why I acted like that yesterday.” She announced solemnly. “I’m sorry I lost it like that at work-“

He made a noise of protest, unable to say anything around the juice he was sipping. Putting it down, he quickly swiped the small dribble under his lip. “You do NOT need to apologize to me.” He nearly ordered, trying to keep any irritation from his voice. He couldn’t believe she would APOLOGIZE for something like that!

“I made all the necessary contacts and cleared out my schedule for the day so I could be here to HELP you.” One elbow set itself on the table, a finger pointing at her. “So DON’T go saying you’re sorry. Deal?”

She nodded, looking at her plate. “Deal.” She softly answered.

He smiled lopsided and grabbed his fork. “Now, as you were saying?” He inclined, keeping an eye on her as he dug in. He wanted to make sure she knew she had his undivided attention.

She fiddled with her fork a little before toying with her eggs. “Well, I guess it all went back to her teenage years...before the war and all.” She started slowly, trying to find a starting point to grasp. In essence, there was none, it was just years of poisons she put in her body through bad choices.

“She was a somewhat ‘rebellious’ teenager. Grandfather and grandmother allowed her to drink, as was custom for relatively young people to do. Wine was given at communion in Catholic churches, and she was allowed to have some at the time.” Her shoulders bobbed once. “No one thought anything OF it. And she eventually developed a taste for it. When she was old enough, she bought wine, and sometimes heavier stuff, more often.” She decided to dig in and finish some of her plate before the morning air turned it the same temperature.

“She slowly became an alcoholic, and papa drank a little himself, but it was nowhere near the quantities she was used to.” Her head shook, shaking that thick mane behind the chair. “When the war was just starting, she got into smoking. It didn’t take long for her to get addicted.” Her eyes closed, a soft sigh leaving her lips. “I was MORE than old enough to understand, but she wouldn’t listen to me or my brothers. She didn’t figure she had a problem.” She grimaced slightly.

“So when she started developing a bad cough, papa wanted her to go to the doctors after she started coughing up some blood. They diagnosed her with beginning lung cancer and cirrhosis of the liver...” She nervously sipped her juice, feeling somewhat exposed when talking about old family problems.

“They were able to start treatment to keep the cancer from spreading in her lungs or to any other part of her body, but her liver was nearly shot. From years of drinking, it was of no use to her. They couldn’t save it.” She started eating a little more, deciding it a good idea since her eggs were getting cold.

He watched her, processing everything she was saying. It was all too amazing for him to imagine. He couldn’t imagine sweet, pretty Divinity with a reckless mother.

She fiddled with her fork after finding the next words. “Finding a donor wasn’t easy, and it took a while before we could. The war was in full swing at the time and papa had to find a job that would pay HER medical bills, the ones HE was struggling with, and taking care of everyone.” Her eyes saddened.

“I offered to work with him, as did Enrique and Eliah. Eliah is eighteen now, so he wasn’t that young at the time. I’m a year and a half younger than him, but I faked my age so I could work later. Those old child labor laws were overlooked since they needed the help.”

He decided to speak, wondering what job her family took. “Where did the three of you work?”

Her lip quirked. “We repaired mobile dolls.”

His eyes widened. He couldn’t picture her in anything but those business suits she owned.

She smiled slightly at his dumbfounded look. “I didn’t care whose side we were on, it was a paycheck, plain and simple. What we could salvage, we worked on. The rest we used for parts.” Her eyes clouded as she remembered her youthful days.

“Papa and I could never really agree on much, but he taught me mechanics of a LOT of machines when I was younger. Mama and I had the piano, cooking, singing, and embroidery; papa and I had the general mechanics and hard work.”

Mentally shaking herself, she looked into his eyes and smiled. “That’s where I get it from. And the politeness.”

He wryly grinned. “So how old are you NOW?” He wondered.

“I’m nearly seventeen.”

He looked at her incredulously. She didn’t LOOK that old. “But...I thought you were closer to MY age!” He sputtered in shock.

Her brow furrowed. “Really? How old are YOU?”

“Fifteen!”

“Really? You look OLDER.”

“And you look YOUNGER.”

She blushed and looked at her plate. Realizing what he said, he coughed nervously and kept quiet, allowing her to continue.

“One reason it was hard for me to fake my age.” She explained softly, still feeling shy from the compliment. “We were able to afford the bills and get a LITTLE caught up, but the elusive donor was taking longer and longer to find. People were dying all the time, but there weren’t a lot of bodies with the right ‘parts’ to use. And matching up the blood type was hard since mama has a somewhat rare type. Not a lot of the soldiers had it.”

A fork roamed through the remnants of her food. “So we waited. And waited. And WAITED. The war was nearly over before someone was found, but the transport was lost in the war.” A hand idly waved.

“Gunned down I guess. So we had to find someone AGAIN. During the wait, her chemotherapy started becoming ineffective. The cancer had started adapting to the treatments. Doctors had to up the doses they gave her, creating a higher cost while we waited. The war ended during all this and soon we were all out of jobs. Papa and Enrique were able to get jobs in small device repair, but it didn’t help at all. Debts were piling up. With my background in mechanics and not much else, I wasn’t of much help either. But I wasn’t going to let THAT stop me. I was able to continue working at tearing down mobile dolls for scrap while I did a computer search for any high paying jobs I could find. Location was not a problem, I just needed money. At the time, I would’ve accepted almost anything I was so desperate to help mama.”

Her eyes started shining a little and she finished off what little was on her plate to calm down. She wasn’t done yet and she wanted to be able to tell him this. He deserved to know her full reasons for working so far away and so many hours each night.

“When your secretary was quitting for family reasons, I jumped at the job. Being so far away from home was a problem for me because I was so close to mama. But the fact that I could PROVIDE for my family overshadowed personal feelings. Papa didn’t want me to go, and neither did Martin. I am close to Martin, ever since I started teaching him piano when mama was unable to.” She smiled slightly.

“Papa didn’t want me to leave BECAUSE of destination. But I couldn’t just sit by while the entire family scraped money together when I had opportunity right there.” Her gaze lowered to the table.

“I reserved an apartment in the more...run down places on L-4. It was cheap and that was what I was going for. I didn’t have much, but I’m at work every day so I don’t care. As long as I have clothes, a bed, food, and a working bathroom and kitchen...I don’t CARE.”

Solemnly, she met his eyes, feeling nearly seventeen from the maturity of her situation. “I send them a large portion of what I earn each week to balance mama’s bills and the rest goes for their own. Rent is easily paid for with my remaining credits. I don’t weigh much so I don’t require much food, and I find things to snack on or water to fill my stomach in the meantime.”

He stared at her with widening eyes, now understanding her reasons for everything she did. Looking back, it all made sense now.

Her eyes looked to the blue sky, now past morning and going to mid afternoon. “I don’t know what HAPPENED. I heard from Enrique that her cancer was in remission. Since I work all the time and am tired when I get off, I don’t get many opportunities to speak with them. I normally call on my days off and talk with them for a while.” She smiled sadly, leaning back in the seat.

“I can’t honestly say that I miss everyone that much, aside from mama. I miss her terribly and I think it’s unfair that I didn’t get to say goodbye...” Her voice cut off from a whisper, unable to continue.

He knew almost everything and what he didn’t, he could guess at. She was too tired to speak of the matter again; she’d done so already a few times.

He sighed slightly and reached over the glass surface, reaching for her hand. Taking it, he touched her palm with his and covered the top of her hand with his other.

She met his comforting eyes, somehow feeling like the youth and he the elder. It was his eyes that gave it away.

“And it’s not right, but you did what you had to.” He softly answered. Finding the right words wasn’t easy but he decided to speak from his heart. It never failed him before. “I think you’re very brave and extremely kind for doing what you did.” Her eyes glanced at the table, but he tugged at her hand immediately. “No, look at me. You need to hear this.”

Obeying, she blushed minutely.

“It is a very sad fate your mother dealt herself and you’ve done all you can do to try and turn the tides for her. But you can't do EVERYTHING.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “You’ve been so strong for so long, put your emotions aside to provide for everyone, that it was only natural you acted like you did in my office yesterday. You love your mother very much. You have nothing to apologize for, nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. ANYONE would feel what you do if they were that close to their family.”

Sadness tinged in his eyes as his father’s face sprang to his mind. Hearing his words reverberate in his head was like giving a pep talk to himself about his grief over his father. Sadness entered his heart.

“All you can do now is live your life the best you can. She wouldn’t want you to be sad for her when you would miss out on life. You’ve missed out on so much already, you should be able to live it how you want to now...”

He stopped and let go of her hand, getting up from the table. Walking to the side of the balcony, hands pressed onto the marble as his weight shifted over them. Sighing, his head bowed and blue eyes took in the forest under him forlornly.

She was more than shocked when he stood up suddenly, but not before she saw the tears that threatened to fall. Concern etched through her heart. She saw identical haunted emotions in his eyes and wondered what HE lost that he deemed so special.

Biting her lip, she pushed the metal chair back as quiet as possible, hoping not to scratch the surface. Standing slowly, unsurely, she took a few steps till she was behind him. “Are...you okay?” She asked softly.

His head rose a few inches, staring at the horizon. Closing his eyes, he exhaled and tried to find the right words. “Yea...” He muttered, swallowing harshly. It was a blatant lie and he felt bad for saying it.

His head dipped again. “No, I’m not. I’m lying. It’s just...” He cut off uncertainly, trying to find words.

Stepping off to one side, one hand rose slowly and lightly touched his back, letting him know she was there and ready to listen as he did for her.

His head slowly swung to her, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. “I’ve ALSO...lost someone...during the war.” He nearly whispered. His eyes closed tightly as he remembered what happened. “I just wish I could’ve dealt with it as YOU did.” He mumbled. His elbows took the place of his hands, one knee bending as he leaned over the railing. Sighing, his head turned to her completely, to see her better.

“What do you mean?” She asked hesitantly. Leaning her back to the railing, stared at him.

His face screwed up in a small grimace. “It’s...complicated...” He hesitated on how to begin. He didn’t know how she would take him being an ex-Gundam pilot, destroyer of thousands of people. He wasn’t the kind person he appeared to be on the outside.

“I’m not the person you know.” He muttered. “I was ALSO in the war.” He started slowly.

Her eyes widened a little.

“Fighting for the colonies to achieve peace...” Fingers met the bridge of his nose as he massaged away some building tension. “There’s a...SITUATION with my family. I never KNEW my mother...never really felt like my life was WORTH much...until I met Rashid and the Maganacs. A ship I was on was hijacked; they were the hijackers.”

She stared at him slightly wide-eyed. She MET the people he was talking about and she couldn’t believe they were evil at one point in time. Each seemed like a good person to her and she held a relatively good judge of character. But war changed a lot of people...

“They turned my beliefs around, gave me purpose...gave me pride.” His half-opened eyes glazed over as he stared at the forest surrounding them. “After meeting them, I fought in a mobile doll against invaders that attacked their ship. They said I was good... I found my purpose.” He looked at her absently, his mind still back in the past.

“I fought in the war so others wouldn’t have to. If I did, they would be able to live their lives without knowing the true horrors of war. I hate fighting, but I did it to protect the ones I loved and cared about.” His vision cleared somewhat, but clogged with tears from the emotions he was experiencing.

“I never had a good relationship with my father. I was to be ransomed but I didn’t care. There was NOTHING that I cared about back then. And when I fought during the war...he couldn’t UNDERSTAND... The Winners have always been pacifists but...he didn’t understand why I fought. I did it to protect him and my sisters, for the people of the colonies so THEY wouldn’t have to fight...”

She couldn’t take the lost, childlike look on his face, not after seeing the strong man she worked with. Sympathy shone through her eyes and she turned to face him. Not knowing what she was doing, but listening to her heart; she lightly touched his shoulder, gaining his full attention.

His teary, lost eyes looked into comforting eyes and a tear broke free.

Stepping forward, she gently wrapped her arms around him, switching their rolls. Now, she was the adult and he the child.

He didn’t sob, but silent tears roamed over his face as he stared at the horizon blankly.

Her face partially buried in his shoulder, she looked at the marble below them, praying for strength that strong.

“I haven’t had it easy...” He whispered, somehow managing to continue. “I only spoke with my father a few times after I went off to fight. I met one of my sisters in space when I was hurt in battle one time. She was going to father’s research satellite and I went with. The war was at a turning point for so many, I didn’t find it necessary to fight just then. Everyone was just so confused...”

His hands gripped part of her shirt, fisting it in small anger. “Power corrupts EVERYTHING.” He whispered venomously.

She felt like shivering from the rage, but forcefully kept indifferent. She didn’t want him to think he was scaring her, not when he needed to get out all this anger he was hiding.

“That power killed my father.”

Her brow furrowed in sadness, knowing a small portion of those ‘horrors of war’. She’d been on the sidelines and thankfully not on the ‘field’. But she still heard some talk of what was going on outside the shop.

“What happened?” She whispered tentatively.

His face buried itself in her shirt, inhaling her essence. He sensed she was trying to be strong and he was grateful. Dealing with the emotions that rendered him temporarily insane was always hard for him to face. He’d done so many horrible things...fell into the abyss... He tried latching on to that strength, if only till he could retain his again.

“Missiles hit the asteroid, reducing it to rubble. We watched it happen... He died to keep the asteroid from used to make mobile dolls.”

Helpless feelings enveloped him. The familiar abyss started looming. He harshly and mentally shook himself, vowing to keep control over it. To loose one’s sanity to insanity was ALWAYS tempting when you didn’t have to claim responsibility for your actions. Only when you came to your senses and realized what you did was wrong were you sorry. And he was...TENFOLD.

Worriedly, she gazed at the back doors that led to the kitchen. It seemed like a different world inside. She wondered what their conversation would’ve been if they ate inside, but she strangely preferred it this way. Their demons were getting out in the open, coming to terms with what was plaguing them for too long. Although it was an undesirable road, it was a necessary one.

Feeling protection surface, a hand slowly rose and landed on his hair, slowly stroking it comfortingly. Part of her marveled at how soft his hair was, how fine for such a seemingly thick mass.

“You had every RIGHT to be upset.” She whispered, groping for SOMETHING to say. She didn’t know how he took the aftermath, but something deep down told her she didn’t WANT to. “Even though you and your father might not have been close, your maternal bond was still THERE. Seeing him die struck that nerve in your heart. And the fact that you never saw him, never got to know him...”

He nodded minuscule. She was voicing what he had thought every so often.

“Even though you might not have thought your life much, you know deep down he always cared about you.” Pulling back, she looked at his tracks and wiped them away with a tender, mothering expression. She felt as though he was the child she needed to comfort from the storm.

“You can always rely that a parent and child’s bond lasts forever. That is something you will ALWAYS have that no one can take away from you.” She looked into his eyes seriously, knowing both of their uplifting speeches went both ways. She too, could’ve said this to herself in a mirror.

“I’m not going to imagine what you went through, because I have been away for my mother’s death. I don’t know if it would be worse to be there or be away and NOT witness it. But I CAN tell you that it will get better. There’s no other way to go but up.”

Smiling slightly in encouragement, she got a small nod from him. “But you were right, I CAN confide in you and you can confide in ME. I swear on my life not to tell anyone of what transpired between us if you don’t want me to.”

He gave a small smile at her loyalty. Bowing his head, that small smile widening, he looked back into her eyes through his tears, feeling a lot better. “Thank you.” He whispered, hugging her again.

She returned it with the same vigor, feeling he wasn’t so weighed down now.

“You truly ARE a good friend.”

She smiled slightly, not minding being called his friend. He was hers as well, without a doubt, she just never thought about it before. “If you ever need anything, you know I’ll always be there to help.”

~*~*~

Not too long later, sitting in front of the vid phone, she dialed home with a heavy heart. She KNEW it had to get done sooner or later, but she preferred LATER. Tersely rubbing a few fingers over her forehead, she sighed quietly as it rang. She didn’t bother to look up when part of her vision picked up someone on the line.

“Ah Divinity...are you okay hermana?” Hearing the youthful voice, her heart panged.

Without looking up, she smiled slightly to be strong for her brother. “Hola Martin. ¿Como está?”

“Pierdo Diva.” He softly answered.

Hearing the timidness in his voice, she looked up slowly, seeing the top of his bowed head. “Mirame.” She softly ordered.

His eyes met hers and she could see the tears in them. Motherly instinct to hug him till it was all better threatened to choke her. Forlorn feelings pricked the back of her eyes. She’d always been strong for him, acted like mama when she was bedridden since it got bad...but how was she going to be strong for him NOW? Now when SHE couldn’t even be strong for HERSELF?

Giving a small smile, one hand came out on impulse and touched the screen. “Te pierdo también hermano.” She nearly whispered. “Is padre around?”

He nodded slightly, giving her a small smile. She leaned back heavily in the plush chair as she waited, eyes on the ceiling. Aye DIOS but she missed her baby brother, they’d been so close for so long...

“Hola Divinity.” She looked at her father’s face and felt like crying for him. His bloodshot eyes were nearly dead, so full of pain... His clothes were unkempt, messy. She didn’t blame his appearance, sometimes feeling like how he looked. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been able to talk with Quatre about a few things.” She softly answered, looking down at her fiddling hands. She hadn’t told her father of her small insubordination with personal names, and now she hoped he didn’t mind. He would have too much to do to scold her for such a trivial manner.

“¿Quién?” He asked quizzically.

‘Here goes.’

“Mr. Winner.” She restated. She hesitantly looked into his eyes and felt like she should explain herself. He didn’t look too happy. “El es un buen amigo papa...he helped me a lot.” A small smile appeared. “Y podido ayudarLE TAMBIÉN. So it’s even. Plus, I LIKE calling him by his first name.”

Looking into her eyes, the small anger diminished, seeing something in her brown depths. A small fatherly smile graced his face, seeing something she needed. “Aye, you two are amigos.” He stated.

She blinked a little surprised. Had she been so easy to read? But this was her papa here, he knew her. She nodded, smiling a little under his stare.

“But you’re calling to discuss su madre’s funeral.”

She nodded gravely, keeping an even face. She knew from the sound of her father’s voice that he was taking it harder than them all. She needed to be strong, for HIM.

“¿Cuándo es lo?” She asked softly.

He exhaled deeply. “I need to find her family, get the details for burial and the wake figured out.” Tears clogged his eyes. “Find a plot...” His eyes fixed on something on the ground. “Dame un semana de este fin de semana.” He softly requested.

She nodded, giving her a total of a week and a half to get ready for the funeral. Figuring now was no better time; she decided to delegate her plan to her father. “Papa, there’s something I would like to do para mama...”

~*~*~

Sunlight streamed in through the spotless windows, casting halos over his golden head. He’d been sitting in the same position since she requested use of his vid phone after breakfast. He knew what it was for and he let her go, knowing she needed to do so alone. He didn’t want her family casting any suspicions or making him the bad guy for being there.

Those troubled blue eyes looked out at part of the grounds, still running the conversation through his head. He couldn’t believe how easily they switched rolls as the child and adult. Although the problems were different, the advice was eerily similar. ‘We’ve more in common than I thought.’ He idly thought. One arm gracefully draped over a knee, the other in his lap. His head rested against the white wall, almost in support.

The silence made him look around. Blinking slowly, he felt a small serenity to his soul, something he hadn’t felt all morning. ‘But maybe coming back in here made it possible.’

Sitting on the ledge in the music room, he wondered if their first bond was the cause for his calmness. So much faced him that this rare feeling seemed almost foreign. But it was nice to experience, if only for a short time. It was almost like being in the eye of the storm, knowing of the troubles that surrounded him and his ‘guest’.

Blue turned back to the window, looking at the vast amount of green that surrounded the white mansion. He meant what he said about his vow to be there for her. She was there for him when it counted the most and he was extremely touched. She was a good friend in his eyes, not just A friend. He was enthralled with her as a whole...

Her personality mimicked different colors of the rainbow, peeking out only when set off by certain stimuli. Her mothering, overprotective side seemed fitting for her elder age.

A small quirk found the ends of his lips. He couldn’t believe she was nearly two years his senior. That didn’t seem possible, given the fact that she looked so young. Those beautiful eyes clouded over slightly. ‘She looks even younger with her hair down.’

Still having to cradle her in his arms due to her uncanny deep sleep, he felt sorry because he knew she must’ve been exhausted. Making sure his driver had his briefcase; the two left the room, the driver locking the office behind them.

He led the way, stopping only in front of the door long enough to let the driver relock it. He didn’t want to jostle Divinity too much and have her wake up; he was too set in his plans to allow that to happen. For some reason, she didn’t want to, or was just too tired to wake up.

The driver opened the door when they reached the bottom of the steps. Carefully situating the two through the small confines, he was thankful they were both slim in stature.

Situating her in his lap, she unconsciously snuggled against him, muttering something in Spanish. Against his will, a hand came out and touched her face with the pressure of a butterfly’s wings. He slightly marveled at how soft her skin was. It was a light olive, totally blemish free. There wasn’t a marking anywhere on her face, no mole or scar. ‘Perfect.’ He thought nonchalantly.

When the car stopped at the Winner mansion, he looked at his home and at the sleeping girl in his arms. He smiled gently, seeing her childlike expression. One hand lightly fisted part of his shirt near her head.

Snapping back to reality from the opening door, he carefully situated the two out the opening.

The butlers and maids were MORE than astounded when they saw him carrying his secretary inside with the help of his driver. When he was past the front door, his helper left to go put the car away.

His eyes locked with one butler to be appointed his new helper, telling the others to go back to their previous work. The man nodded and grabbed his briefcase by the door, following his master to wherever he intended to take the comatose girl.

The two ended up in one of the bedrooms on the guest floors. He didn’t want to carry her up all those flights if she woke up. That would be a sticky situation to explain. He told the butler to take his briefcase to his room and prepare something small for him for supper. After his ‘helper’ pulled the blankets back on the bed, he did as told, leaving the two alone.

He gently laid her on the mattress, watching her eyes for any sign of alertness. There was none. ‘She must be EXTREMELY worn out.’ He realized, slightly distressed. Had the pressures of her family and work built up so much that this was what she resorted to? Sleeping as long as she could?

‘That’s no way to fix things.’ Removing both shoes from her small feet, he set them on the bed and carefully sat down himself. There was something he still had to do yet.

Snaking an arm under her back, he carefully moved her to a sitting position, his other arm working at the tie that held her hair in place. It took a little maneuvering with her lifeless body to get it untangled, but he finally managed success. His eyes widened slightly as it came tumbling down onto the bed, pooling behind her back, most of it over the sheets.

His mouth gaped open slightly. ‘She wasn’t lying when she said it was THICK...’ One hand grasped the mass, trying to situate it from behind her back. He didn’t want her laying on it if she was going to move around during her sleep.

The door creaked open and his head swung around. She peeked in and smiled. Walking in, his eyes took in the makeshift cape that moved around as she walked. I wonder when the last time she cut her hair was.’

She stopped before him and silently sat down. The entire morning and now early afternoon was like some dream she was living; a fairy tale castle with the caring prince as her host.

Sitting down extremely familiar to his stance, she leaned her head against the wall as well and stared into his eyes. “I’ve been looking for you.” She softly stated.

A blow brow slightly rose. She smiled minutely. “The funeral is in a week and a half.” Her lips pursed as her eyes gravitated to hands uselessly lying in her lap. “I need a favor.” She softly asked.

She hadn’t really wanted to do this. She took enough advantage of his hospitality as well as his spare free time. She didn’t ASK that he bring her here and clear his schedule aside for the day, but she was indubitably grateful. The entire place seemed carved from someone’s extravagant imagination. She feared if she shifted the dream with her horrifying reality, she would wake up and have to deal with her living quarters.

“What is it?” He asked softly.

“Papa is falling apart. I miss Martin too much to be strong for him. I know Eliah and Enrique are taking it hard. I won’t be able to be strong enough for the entire family.” She looked at him. “I’d like you to go with me, to help me through this.”

He was touched by her request. She was asking for him to go with and help her deal with something she wouldn’t be able to. She was asking to LEAN on him.

“How quickly can you arrange time off? Before more meetings get scheduled?”

His lips pursed, mind whirring. “If I get started calling tomorrow, I can have them set earlier or canceled for a later date.” He remarked, a finger going to tap thoughtfully against his lips, eyes locking on nothing.

“How long do you want me to take off?”

Teeth bit her lower lip as she pensively stared out the window. How long would she need his strength to wash over her? How long would she need his friendship to keep her strong and able to face what lay ahead?

“The funeral and wake will most likely be a few days.” She murmured, more to herself. Her lips pressed together momentarily. “A week?” She meekly asked, hoping that would be enough, but not too much.

He nodded. “I should be able to work that out.”

Her eyes swung to him, widening slightly. She didn’t think that was reasonable, but the serious look in his eyes told her it was.

“The company is going smoothly now. It ran okay WITHOUT any kind of Winner to oversee it, it can do it AGAIN.”

Eyes tearing, she gave him a grateful smile. “You have a week to do so.” She nearly whispered. “I can get our flight arrangements made in the meantime.”

A hand came up, waving off her statement. “We can go down in my shuttle.” He said, rendering her stupefied.

She never knew anyone that owned their own PLANE. “That...that...WORKS.” She stuttered. He smiled lopsided and stared out the window again. “Then...you can stay at my parent’s house.”

His eyes swung back to hers, raising a skeptical eyebrow. She smiled sheepishly. “Mi papa won’t mind you there, not when I tell him WHY.” Her jaw clenched. “Though I hope I won’t have to tell him my reasons.”

Clouded chocolate eyes lightened a little as she envisioned him meeting her family. It was a nice thought. “And you’ll be able to meet mis hermanos.”

He nodded, his mind whirling at this sudden change. “A week.” He muttered.