Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ There's Not A Thing I Would Change ❯ The Final Days ( Chapter 7 )

~*~I wonder if this thing will ever get more than 100 reviews… hmm… Let's make it happen people or else this is your last chapter!!! Lol. J/K. Here we are, chapter seven. It's broken up a lot, but there is a reason. ~*~

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Chapter Seven: The Final Days

Sitting at his computer, Van typed away as best as he could. Somehow, his mind just could not concentrate on his work this morning. It wasn't that the file was boring or hard, but rather his thoughts traveled elsewhere, somewhere far away from the office.

Looking at the clock, Van saw it was nearly lunch time and he hadn't finished even half of his work. This was not like him at all. Usually it was all done by now. Sighing, Van continued to work, but his mind kept on drifting to that morning.

~Flashback~

That scent. That same scent surrounded him, inviting him into comfort and warmth. It sent a content feeling all throughout his body, making Van curl into the object producing this scent. This thing had a soft feel to it, curves in all the right places. A soft, light feeling was brushing against his face, making Van shift his head to the side to inhale more of this scent. He could hear his cell phone going off on the other side of the room, signaling him to get up and start the day. In an act of protest, Van curled more into this comfort object, wrapping his arms around it and bringing it closer to him.

That damn phone kept on ringing, demanding to be heard. Sighing, Van opened his eyes to locate the murderer of his slumber. Blinking a few times, his maroon eyes flew wide open when he realized what his "comfort object" really was. 'Hitomi?!?' The position he was in was what concerned him the most.

Hitomi lay there on the couch with her head on his arm while her own arms were pressed up against his chest. Her legs were intertwined with his while her body was pressed up against his, due to the fact his arms were tightly wrapped around her. His head was above hers, causing him to inhale the smell of her hair. If someone were to walk in on them right now, they would have thought the two of them were lovers.

With heat growing on the back of his neck and traveling up to his face, Van slowly tried to disconnect himself from his best friend, who was still asleep. He eventually succeeded in gaining his freedom, but immediate felt the loss of her warmth. 'Just like the other night. But why?'

A soft groan was heard as Van looked over at the sleeping angel. He took a quick look over at the clock to see just how much time he had before he had to wake her. "What are you looking for?"

Van turned his head back to Hitomi, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Her hair was scrambled and out of place, wild and free hanging over her shoulders. Those emerald eyes of hers sparkled with that just-got-up look. Breath taking.

"Hello? Earth to Sparky. Anything in there this fine, fabulous morning? Fanel!"

Snapping out of his daze, Van nodded. "Huh?"

"Oh very articulate. And you're in the advertising business? Scary."

Shaking his head, Van tried to think of a comeback, but none would surface in his mind as he watched her stretch, arms high above her head, causing her shirt to slowly rise to reveal her stomach. He could feel the heat on his face again and had to turn away.

Suddenly, Van felt a delicate hand on his forehead. Turning his head back, he gazed into Hitomi's emerald eyes, full of concern. "Well, you don't have a fever…"

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Well, first you space out, then you have no come back, then your face got red. I figured you must be sick or something. Maybe you should take the day off and rest."

Pushing her hand away, Van got up and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm fine."

Hitomi blinked at him, but shrugged. "You want the shower?"

Van just nodded in response, got up and walked into the bathroom. His mind went all over the place during his shower. 'Why am I looking at her so differently? I'm acting all weird too. It's as if I'm a shy highschooler with a crush on a girl.' That caused him to pause. 'Is that it? It couldn't be! Hitomi's my best friend! There's no way I could be attracted to her.' Van smacked his hand against the shower wall, using his arms to support him. "There's just no way!"

There was a knock on the door, causing Van to turn towards it. "You okay in there, Sparky?"

After taking a deep breath, Van called back. "Yeah. I'm fine. Be out in a minute." Closing his eyes, the raven haired man sighed deeply. 'What the hell is going on with me?'

Turning off the water, Van dried himself off with a towel and changed into his clothes. Coming out of the bathroom, strange scents hit him. Following his nose, he walked into the kitchen where Hitomi was standing by the stove. "Park it if you want breakfast. Pancakes."

Doing as she said, Van waited until she came over with the plate. He took two and put them on his plate, thanking her. Hitomi pulled out the chair, sat down and stared at him. Van turned to her. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah. You can tell me what's wrong."

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Eleven years of knowing you. There's something on your mind."

Sighing, Van put a fork full of pancake into his mouth. "It's nothing."

Raising an eyebrow, Hitomi didn't give up. "You just ate that without your usual syrup drowning it. What's wrong, Van?"

Van slammed his hand down hard onto the table, startling Hitomi greatly. "Look, there's nothing wrong, so just back off! Damn it! Stop trying to act like my mother!"

Completely shocked, Hitomi replied in a weak voice. "I'm just trying to help, trying to be your best friend."

"Then back off. I don't need your help." With that, he threw back his chair and stormed out. "Find some other ride to work." Van then slammed her door and marched off to his car. As he was driving away, he realized what had just happened. 'Oh Kami. What have I done?'

~End Flashback~

Just thinking about it again caused guilt to flow throughout him. He had no right to yell at her like that. She was only concerned about him, which was natural. Why the hell was all this happening?

Shaking his head, Van tried yet again to work on his files. Wait, that's not true. He went back to work on Allen's files. Yeah, the bastard left a lot of work for him today. That was no surprise, considering the new restrictions that were placed on him.

"Van?"

The said man turned to look at the sandy brunette standing in the doorway. Hitomi wore a black skirt that came right about her knees and a dark charcoal colored blouse, that black purse hanging off her shoulder. Her hair was pulled back, half up, with a regular hairclip. Was she wearing makeup? Yes, her eyelids were brown with white up to her eyebrows and her lips were a dark red. Why was she dressed like this?

Clearing his throat, Van looked away, realizing he was staring. "What is it?"

"I came to pick you up. We have to talk."

Before he could answer, Allen came into view. "Van, I have some more files for you to do." When he came close enough, the blond looked up and smiled. "Well, hello Hitomi. You look beautiful today. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

Van did not like Allen looking her up and down like that, not at all. His hands tensed as he tried not to punch his face in.

Hitomi shot Allen a look that clearly stated she was annoyed. "I came to see Van. It's my turn to pick him up for lunch today."

"Oh. I'm sorry, but Van has too much work to do today. He'll even have to work through his lunch period." Allen gave Van a look in order to keep him quiet. "I, on the other hand, am free. Where would you like to go?"

"Sorry Allen, but I really need to talk to Van."

"I just told you he's too busy to chat."

"And I told you I don't care. I need to talk to him, not to you."

That caused Allen to back off a bit. He glared at Van then turned back to her. "Perhaps after he gets off work he'll be able to socialize."

"Oh I so enjoy you talking for him as if he can't talk for himself." Hitomi turned to Van then, turning her back to Allen. "Van, please call me as soon as you can. It's important that we talk. Please?"

Van nodded. "Promise."

A smile was what he received. "Good. I better get back to the school. Talk to you later, Van."

"Bye Hitomi."

"Bye Fanel." With that, Hitomi headed for the elevator, not even looking back at Allen, who was fuming. The man glared down at his employee as he dropped the files onto his desk. "You're lucky she already agreed to go with me to the banquet. Just remember those conditions, Fanel."

Nodding, Van sighed. "Yes sir."

"Good boy. I want these on my desk by tomorrow morning. They better be the first things I see or else." Allen then walked off towards his office, leaving Van to glare daggers at his retreating figure. 'Asshole.'

Shaking his head, Van grabbed a file and dove back into his work. Nothing disturbed him as Van was completely focused on his task. At around four, Maaya came to his desk. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

He gave her a weak smile and motioned to his extra chair in the corner. "I could use the distraction. What's on your mind?"

The woman sat and looked at him like a mother who knew her child did something wrong. Considering she was like his second mother, Van was a tad uncomfortable. He sat in silence until she spoke. "I talked with Hitomi today at lunch."

"Oh?"

"She told me she was going to the banquet on Saturday."

"Yeah. So?"

"So when I asked if she was going with you, she told me no. Care to explain to me why she's going with Mr. Schezar?"

"What makes you think I have anything to do with it?" The glare he received was enough to tell him to talk. Sighing, Van sat back in his chair. "Look, he asked her and she said yes. That's all there is."

"Van Slanzar de Fanel, don't you dare lie to me. And don't say you aren't. You aren't looking me in the eye. What's really going on?"

"W-why do you think something's going on?"

"First off, you haven't looked me in the eye lately. Second, you stutter when you talk, which means you're nervous. Third, you and Hitomi had a fight this morning apparently, which she is upset about. Forth…"

"Okay okay. I get the point. I'm just stressed out."

"Van…" Maaya had that warning tone in her voice, saying she wanted to know this minute.

"Look, I can't explain right now. After the banquet, I'll explain everything. Just please, don't make me tell you now."

Shaking her head, Mrs. Kanzaki stood and turned to leave. "I just hope you know what you're doing and if it's worth it. If it's what I think, you could lose a lot more than you will gain." With that, she left, leaving Van sitting there.

'I really don't know anything anymore. If I did, I wouldn't have snapped at her today.' Running a hand through his hair, Van sat up and began to finish his work on the current file. 'I don't have time to dwell on this. No more interruptions.'

The other employees left at their normal time of five in the afternoon, all waving at him and wishing him luck with his work. Van would look up and nod, sometimes giving a weak smile. A loud grumble told him to make a quick run to the vending machine and Van would have done so if his phone didn't ring at that moment. Van looked over at it sitting on his desk and sighed. 'I'll just let it ring.'

After about another hour of silence, save for the typing of the keys, Van's cell phone rang, the specific ringer telling him exactly who it was. Taking a glance at the phone, he shook his head and went back to the screen, letting that stupid ring of hers continue to play. How he had let her talk him into allowing her to put "Tank" from Cowboy Bebop on his phone was beyond him, though it did put a smile on his face. But at the moment, all Van did was let it ring, which echoed throughout the empty office.

~

The door creaked open as an exhausted Van walked into his dark apartment, opting to leave the lights off. A red blink was coming from the kitchen counter, telling him to check his answering machine. After debating about it for a moment, considering it was almost midnight, Van smacked the button and sat at the kitchen table, listening to the random voices that came through.

"Hey Sparky, it's me. You must have had your cell phone on silent again. I really need to talk to you. It's not just about what happened this morning. Please call me when you get this message. Later!"

Beep

"Va~n! It's Merle! Where are you? Hopefully not still working! I thought you got off by now. Anyway, mom was looking for you, something about a family reunion or whatever. Basically she wants to see that we're all alive. Either call her or me back soon! Bye bye!"

Beep

"Fanel, it's me again. Where are you? I can't reach you on your cell or here. Don't make me sit up all night and track you down. Please, call me."

Beep

"Van, it's Folken. I was hoping to speak with you tomorrow at lunch. Call either my cell and leave your reply or leave a message with my secretary. It's rather important. Oh, and I think Mother wishes to speak with you. Ja."

'Folken? Why does he want to meet me?'

Beep

"Van Fanel, if you don't call me back this night, I'm gonna ring your neck! Don't think I won't!! Call me!"

Beep

"Van, it's mom. As I'm sure you are aware of by now, I'm trying to have everyone get together sometime and I wanted to know your schedule so I can pick the best day for all. Also, I'd like to catch up a bit. I haven't heard from you in a long time. Take care. Bye."

A monotone machine voice came on next. "End of messages." Van sighed and looked at the clock once again. 'Is it too late to call?' Shrugging, he picked up his cell and dialed the correct number. Hearing the voice mail message, he waited until after the beep. "Hey, it's me. Just got your message now. Can we meet at the café across from where I work at about one? Just leave me another message if you can meet there or not. Ja."

Hanging up the phone, Van stretched and walked into his bedroom. After changing into the appropriate attire, he climbed into his bed. That same scent, her scent, filled his nose as it lingered on his pillows and sheets. It was to this scent that lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

~

The church was beautiful today, the weather perfect for a day such as this. Van stood right outside the sanctuary greeting people when a woman with blond hair came up to him. "Van, she's asking for you. I think it's important."

"Danielle? What's wrong?"

"All I know is she needs to see you before the ceremony."

Nodding his head, Van headed off towards the special room designed for this one person's preparation. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door lightly.

The voice that answered was timid and shy. "Who is it?"

"It's me. You decent?"

After a few seconds, the door creaked open as an emerald eyed girl stuck her head through the crack. "Come on in." She parted the door more so that he could fit through.

Once he was in the room, Van turned to the woman. "What's going on, Tomi?"

The sandy brunette began pacing back and forth, fidgeting a bit, telling him right away she was nervous. "Van? I have a favor to ask."

Stepping forward, he looked her in the eyes. "What is it?"

Hitomi hesitated a bit. "Well, you see, I don't have anyone to walk with me."

Raising one eyebrow, he questioned. "Walk with you?"

"To walk me down the aisle."

At this, Van took a step back. "Hitomi, what are you asking me?"

Taking a deep breath, Hitomi gathered up all her courage. "Van, would you walk me down the aisle?"

It was then that Van noticed what she was wearing. Her white dress swept the floor in a flowing manner in a somewhat bell-like shape, her curves accented by the waist line and her shoulders bare as the fabric came below them. Her thin veil came down to her knees in the back. On her face was that deep red lipstick as her eyes were highlighted white, her eye lashes done with mascara. She was breathtaking.

Van took a moment to collect himself before he processed what she had asked of him. "You want me to walk you down the aisle?"

Biting her lower lip, Hitomi nodded. "Please Van. You are my absolute best friend in the entire world, the most important person in my life. It only seems right that you stand beside me, that you give me away."

His heart was racing and in pain at the same time. Lowering his head, Van replied, "No."

A small gasp was what he heard, for he refused to meet her eyes. "What?"

"I won't do it."

Her voice sounded almost desperate. "Why?"

At this, he looked up at her, into her beautiful emerald eyes that were shining with unshed tears. "You know I would do anything for you. I'd even give up my life for you with no hesitation. But I cannot walk down that aisle with you and give you away to another man who isn't me."

That caused both of them to pause, both in shock at Van's little confession. Is that what he meant? "Van, what are you saying?"

Walking right up to her, Van took Hitomi into his arms and whispered into her ear, "I think at some point on this road we walked on side by side, I fell so deeply in love with you."

A small gasp was heard as he leaned his head back to look into her eyes once again. Tears were forming in those eyes and he so desperately wanted to rid her of them. Before he thought this over, Van lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers, sending all he felt for her into that moment.

To his dismay and horror, Hitomi pulled away from him, out of his grasp. "Van, you're too late. I'm getting married. I've moved on, Van. I'm so sorry." Shaking her head at him, Hitomi picked up her bouquet and walked towards the door, away from him. As she was about to leave, he heard her whisper softly, "Why couldn't you have figured it out sooner?"

Van whirled around to face her. "Hitomi!" But it was too late. Hitomi had already walked out the door, out of his life and into the waiting arms of another man. The maroon eyed man sank to his knees and tried to force away the tears that threatened to fall. He had lost her, forever.

~

A loud beeping noise broke Van away from his deep slumber, startling him. With heavy breathing, he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. 'That dream.' Shaking his head, Van threw off his covers, which he discovered were soaked with sweat. That did not concern him at the moment as he headed into the shower to wash away the effects of his dream.

Van placed his forehead against the wall of the shower as the water pour down on him. In a pleading and almost desperate voice, he whispered to himself, "What the hell is going on with me?"

Receiving no answer, he turned off the water and got ready for his long and task filled day of work. 'I still have a lunch appointment to keep as well. Hopefully I get some answers soon.' With that, Van picked up his briefcase and left his apartment, but remembering to grab his jacket as well. 'The days are getting colder and colder now.'

The raven haired man soon got into his car and drove off to work.
~

Van smiled as he stood up in his seat at the café. "I'm glad you got my message. What did you want to talk about that's so important?"

"Is this how you greet people? Stand and announce your business to everyone else in ear shot?"

Shaking his head, Van sat back down as did his companion. "So, what is it you wanted to talk about, brother?"

Folken sat back and took a breath. "I came here to offer you a job."

"If you haven't noticed, I already have a job. I'm actually up for a big promotion."

"Hear me out, Van." After the raven haired man motioned for him to go on, Folken sat up a bit. "It's a company we recently took over. It's a good advertising company, but they lacked talent and a leader. I figured it's right up your alley."

"What's it called?'

"EscaFlowne. Very new. It would be a good job for you, Van. You wouldn't have to work as many hours as you do now. Merle tells me you didn't call her back yesterday?"

"I didn't get home until around midnight. Had a lot of back files."

Puzzled, Folken gave Van a confused look. "That doesn't sound like you."

"Yeah, well, it's been busy. In fact, I have to be back up there in about fifteen minutes."

"Only a half hour break? That doesn't sound right. I thought you had at least an hour."

"Like I said, we've been busy."

Folken gave his brother a skeptical look, but didn't push that matter any further. "You'll think about my offer? I don't know anyone more qualified than you."

"So, you'd be my boss then?"

"In a way."

With a small smile on his face, Van sighed. "Folken, I appreciate the offer, but I already have a great job. Life is good at the moment."

"Oh really? So is that why I received a phone call from Hitomi last night asking if I would check up on you?"

That caused Van to sit up a bit, his face void of any humor, but only concern. "Hitomi called you?"

"She sounded very concerned, said something about a fight and that she wanted to speak with you about it, but you never returned her calls." Folken knew his brother well enough to know if he was avoiding Hitomi, something big was going on. And by the guilty look on Van's face, he knew his little brother was in fact avoiding her. "I guess not everything is as good as you stated."

"I've been busy lately. That's all."

Narrowing his eyes a bit in thought, Folken nodded. "Please call her on her cell at around five. If not, I will come and drag you over to her. Don't think I won't either. Hitomi is the best thing in your life and I won't see her upset by you're avoidance of her because you're," Folken lifted his fingers and used air quotes, "busy."

Seeing that Van had nothing to say to that, Folken sighed and rose to his feet. "What you and Hitomi have is special. Don't throw it away over nothing. Please, think over my offer." After receiving a nod from Van, the elder brother turned towards the door. "Oh, and call mother when you get the chance. She wishes to speak with you."

"I will. See ya Folken."

"Bye Van." With that, the silver haired man walked out of the café, leaving Van to his thoughts.

~

It was around four o'clock when Van's desk phone began to ring. Looking away from the evil computer of doom, he debated for a moment whether or not to answer it. 'Well, there's a fifty percent chance it's Hitomi and a fifty percent chance it's Allen. If it's important, Allen can walk his sorry ass out here to talk to me.'

A minute went by and the phone began to ring again. Raising one eyebrow, Van looked at it, a bit confused. When the same thing happened once again, he had had enough. Sighing, he picked up the phone. "Van Fanel's desk."

"Finally! Van, I've been trying to reach you for awhile now."

"Sorry, Hitomi. Been pretty swamped. What's up?"

"I need your help."

Van sat up a bit. "What do you need?"

"How quickly can you get to the high school? It's an emergency."

"And what do you define as an emergency again?"

"Van! Please!"

"Alright. I'll come over as soon as I can."

"Please hurry."

"I will. Just calm down, alright? I'll see you soon. Ja."

"Ja ne."

After hanging up the phone, Van turned to his stack of files. 'Well, I only have two more. If I go to Allen, he'll just give me more work to do.'

"Something tells me you need to make a quick getaway." Van looked up and into the blue eyes of his second mother. She smiled down at him. "Go ahead. I can handle these."

"Are you sure, Maaya?"

"Hai. Go to her, Van. I figure you need to spend as much time together before the banquet."

Van rose to his feet and smiled as he grabbed his jacket and briefcase. "I'll see you later."

"Tell her hi for me."

With a nod of his head, Van went over to the elevator and eventually got into his car, heading for the high school.

~

The doors broke open as Van walked down the halls he knew so well. Taking a right, the maroon eyed man headed straight to the choir room where he knew she would be waiting. Opening the double doors, he waltzed right on in. "Alright, where's the fire?"

"Excuse me?"

It was then that Van looked around the room to see a tall woman with long curvy blond hair that went to the small in her back. Her violet eyes were gazing at him in confusion and slight annoyance. "Umm… sorry. Guess I have the wrong room. Is Ms. Kanzaki here?"

The blond walked over and looked him over closely. "Why would you want to know that? You some kind of stalker or something? A dumped boyfriend that still pines for her to the point where you declare no one else can have her, so you'll kill both her and yourself?"

Raising one eyebrow, Van gave her a confused look. "A little on the dramatic side there? I'm a friend of Ms. Kanzaki."

"And I should believe that… why?"

"Because it's the truth."

"How do I know it's true? You could be saying that on the off beat chance I'm a nice person and believe that. Well, forget it buddy."

"Are you always this paranoid or is it just today?"

"Let's just say I'm very protective of my friends. I mean, you could be a serial murderer and she just happens to be next on your list. I'd feel like crap if I let you through to her and she died."

"Do you read a lot? How else can you get these far out stories?"

"Hmm… you ask a lot of questions."

"To get answers, you ask questions."

"A logical guy, huh? All that aside, why should I tell you where she is?"

"Because I asked?"

"Not good enough. You a fan of hers, or are you just trying to attack her?"

"Millerna!" Both people turned towards the door to see a woman with emerald eyes looking at them. Her dark gray dress fell to right above her knees, legs bare as her feet were covered with matching heels. The sleeves went all the way down to her wrists as the front was dipped in a v-neck fashion. Long sandy brunette hair was parted into a twisted half up, half down look. Make up was the same as before as her eyes sparkled with mischief and amusement. On her pointer finger was that Celtic ring he had given her so long ago. 'I don't think I've ever seen her without it on her finger after that day.'

Shaking her head, Hitomi walked into the room, causing Van to raise an eyebrow. 'Since when does she swing her hips as she walks?'

"Try not to scare off my best friend, Millerna, okay?" Hitomi smiled at the blond as she turned to him. "Van Fanel, may I introduce you to my good friend Millerna Aston. Millerna, my best friend Van."

"Wait, so you were Hitomi's roommate in college?"

The blond smiled at him. "Guilty as charged. Sorry for that… interrogation. You can never be too careful nowadays. It's nice to finally meet the guy Hitomi talks so much about. I can see why."

A small blush formed on Hitomi face as she lowered her head. "Enough of that. I'm just glad you two could help me out on such short notice."

"Excuse me, but I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing, 'Tomi."

"Yeah, about that. How much do you love me, Van?"

"Oh boy. What is it? You only say that when it's something big."

"Oh, it's nothing too big, just something that would help us all out a lot and keep me happy."

"I'm not agreeing to anything before I know what it is."

"Nothing really. How's that singing voice of yours?"

Raising an eyebrow at her, Van tried to back away, but was stopped by Millerna, who smiled down at him. "Why am I suddenly afraid?"

"It's just a little song. You can learn it quick, like you used to back in high school."

"I only did choir for one semester because you talked me into it."

Suddenly, Hitomi's bottom lip began to quiver as her eyes became big and teary. "Please, Van?"

The said man tried to turn away. "Not the puppy dog face!" A quick sniff and a little whimper from Hitomi was enough to defeat the stubborn man. "Alright! Damn it all that I still can't say no to that face!"

"It's a gift."

"And my curse."

"Hey, don't be stealing my lines now."

"What?"

"I said that to you last week."

"You think I can remember what I did twenty minutes ago as opposed to last week?"

"Good point. Now come on!" Hitomi yanked his arm and dragged him into one of the practice rooms, leaving Millerna to watch them with wide eyes which turned into a smile.

~

The lights came up as a woman with vibrate red hair came onto the stage. "Thank you everyone. I hope you are enjoying our Salute to Broadway. It's simply amazing to see such talent hidden in our faculty. And a great warm thank you to Ms. Millerna Aston who came all the way from Broadway to perform tonight! I haven't heard 'If I Loved You' from the show 'Carousel' sung quite like that. Now, we're shifting the focus slightly to a production more recent than the other more tradition shows. The show is called 'Wicked' and the teacher heading this musical area is our choir director, Ms. Hitomi Kanzaki."

Applause was heard throughout the auditorium as the red head walked off and Hitomi walked on. She grabbed the microphone from the stand and smiled. "How's everyone doing tonight?" A small wave of shouts and applause was her answer, along with a 'we love you, Ms Kanzaki!'

Hitomi chuckled. "Well, I can tell some of my students are here tonight. Don't know why though. They should know they won't receive any extra credit for coming." The audience laughed slightly while she continued. "Now, it says in the program I'm supposed to be singing this song with Mrs. Yoshimatsu, but due to an illness sweeping the school, I apparently am flying solo." Looking up at the sound booth, she nodded her head and smiled. "I hope you enjoy this song. I'd actually like to dedicate it to my best friend in the entire world. He, and probably all my students, know who he is." Van looked up and over at her from backstage, startled a bit by her dedication.

Hitomi smiled again as the music began. She soon opened her mouth and sang her song, capturing everyone's attention.

"I'm limited
Just look at me - I'm limited
And just look at you -
You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda
So now it's up to you
(spoken) For both of us
Now it's up to you"

Hitomi stood there and waited until her part came back in, eyes downcast. When she looked back up, there was a spark in her eyes as she began again.

"I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

"Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good"

Hitomi took a few steps forward, completely lost in the music. To everyone, it seemed as if the person she was singing to was right there in front of her. Van watched her backstage while standing next to Millerna, only focusing on the emerald eyed woman singing the song she dedicated to him. Millerna smiled as she was captivated by her friend's singing voice.

"It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend

"Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you"

A higher pitch of her voice broke through the sound system, telling them she had pre-recorded part of it due to her partner's absence.

"Because I knew you"

Hitomi then sang her part as the pre-recorded voice sang along.

"I have been changed for good"

"And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for

"But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share"

The pre-recorded voice came back in and stayed until the end of the song.

"And none of it seems to matter anymore

{pre-recorded voice}

"Like a comet pulled {Like a ship blown}
From orbit as it {Off it's mooring}
Passes a sun, like {By a wind off the}
A stream that meets {Sea, like a seed}
A boulder, half-way {Dropped by a}
Through the wood {Bird in the wood}

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better?

And because I knew you
Because I knew you
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good."

Hitomi looked down as she lowered the microphone. After a small moment, the auditorium broke out into applause, whistles and shouts. The choir director smiled and bowed to the crowd. "Thank you very much. As Principal Nagano said, the songs we perform in this section are from the Broadway show 'Wicked.' I got a brief synopsis off the official website which stated that long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years. Now, the song I just sang, 'For Good', was sung between Glinda and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. This next song is called 'I'm Not That Girl', which is also sung by Elphaba."

Van continued to stare at her as she spoke. 'She really thinks I changed her life? I know she's definitely changed mine.' He shut off his train of thinking as she began to sing. Her eyes held that far off look, as if she was reliving the moment. Her hands moved to the words as well. It was as if she really was feeling this song deep into her soul.

"Hands touch, eyes meet
Sudden silence, sudden heat
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl
He could be that boy
But I'm not that girl."

"Don't dream too far
Don't lose sight of who you are
Don't remember that rush of joy
He could be that boy
I'm not that girl

"Ev'ry so often we long to steal
To the land of what-might-have-been
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel
When reality sets back in

"Blithe smile, lithe limb
She who's winsome, she wins him
Gold hair with a gentle curl
That's the girl he chose
And Heaven knows
I'm not that girl

Van noticed Hitomi bit her bottom lip as tears came to her eyes, making him want to rush to her and dry her eyes.

"Don't wish, don't start
Wishing only wounds the heart
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl
There's a girl I know
He loves her so
I'm not that girl"

While the applause was going on, it took the woman on stage a moment to collect herself, wipe away the tears that did fall, and bow in appreciation. "Thank you very much. This next song it called 'As Long As You're Mine' and I'm going to need the assistance of my best friend, Mr. Van Fanel, who thankfully volunteered to fill in for Mr. Matsumoto. Let's welcome Mr. Van Fanel please."

With that, she turned and clapped, giving him his signal to come onstage. Van smiled and walked over to her while holding another microphone in his hand. When he came up beside her, he gave her a hug and wiped another tear from her eye before facing the crowd. "The real applause should go to this wonderful woman who has kept music alive in your children's hearts. Through her dedication and love of music, she has given each student a special gift. This night might not be possible if it wasn't for her. Ms. Hitomi Kanzaki."

While the applause was going on, the music began to play, causing Van and Hitomi to face each other and act out the song. Hitomi was the one to come in first.

"Kiss me too fiercely
Hold me too tight
I need help believing
You're with me tonight
My wildest dreamings
Could not foresee
Lying beside you
With you wanting me

"Just for this moment
As long as you're mine
I've lost all resistance
And crossed some borderline
And if it turns out
It's over too fast
I'll make ev'ry last moment last
As long as you're mine

Van then came in with his baritone voice as she faded out.

"Maybe I'm brainless

Maybe I'm wise

You've got me seeing

Through different eyes
Somehow I've fallen
Under your spell
And somehow I'm feeling
It's 'up' that I fell"

Hitomi rejoined him as their voices blended perfectly.

"Every moment
As long as you're mine
I'll wake up my body
And make up for lost time"

Hitomi dropped out once again as Van sang his two lines solo.

"Say there's no future
For us as a pair"

The emerald eyed woman came back in to finish out the song in a duet.

"And though I may know
I don't care!
Just for this moment
As long as you're mine
Come be how you want to
And see how bright we shine
Borrow the moonlight
Until it is through
And know I'll be here holding you
As long as you're mine

Van paused for a moment and looked at her with a questioning glace while she looked away with a small smile on her face. "What is it?"
The woman looked at him fully, delivering her last line before the completion to their song. "It's just… for the first time… I feel… wicked."

Everyone was up on their feet as the couple smiled and bowed. Even Millerna was highly impressed. When they walked off stage, she came up to the two and smiled widely. "That was amazing! And you said you had no talent, Hitomi. Shame on you! You should be on Broadway with that voice and your way of showing such emotion! You'd put a lot of us girls out of business."

Hitomi laughed. "Thanks, but I wouldn't go that far. This is just for a fundraiser. Oh, and Van," she turned to her best friend, who was waiting to hear what she had to say. "Thank you again for doing this. I know you hate to sing in front of a lot of people. It means a lot to me."

Her reply was a smile. "You know I'd do anything for you, Hitomi."

Her smile seemed to light up the room and before he knew it, she had her arms around him in a tight hug, which he returned. "I'm sorry for yesterday morning, 'Tomi. It won't happen again," he whispered into her ear.

"I know." Before releasing him, Hitomi gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, causing him to not only be startled, but to blush as well. The only one to notice this, however, was a certain blond, who only smiled. "Well, now that that's over, I say we all go out to eat, my treat."

"You sure about that? I know for a fact Van here has a big appetite."

With a wave of her hand, Millerna dismissed Hitomi's comment. "So does my fiancée. It's no big deal. Just name the place."

It was Van to speak up this time, after regaining the correct color on his cheeks. "Diner?"

"A diner?" The tall violet eyed woman thought this over. "I've never been to one. Why not? Just lead the way."

Hitomi gave her a surprised look. "You've never been to a diner?"

"It'll be a learning experience."

Van shook his head and smiled as he walked the girls to the parking lot. "You need a ride, Hitomi?"

"Sure. Van will lead the way, okay?"

Millerna nodded and climbed into her car, waiting for the couple to go ahead. 'Seems like Van has more interest in Hitomi than just best friends. Wonder why he won't move it forward.' With a shrug, she saw their car moving and followed closely.

In the other car, Van was in deep thought. Well, he was until Hitomi started poking him. "What is with the poking? Didn't your mother ever tell you not to mess with the driver while he's driving?"

"Yes, but if you're in deep thought, your driving gets crappy."

"Excuse me?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"I have a feeling I know Millerna from somewhere."

"Besides the fact she was my college roommate?"

"Yeah, besides that. What does she do?"

"Wow, Fanel. You really didn't pay much attention at the fundraiser. She's an actress on Broadway. She had a minor in business though, to satisfy her father's wishes."

"Why do I know that name though?"

"Hey Sparky, you're gonna miss the turn!"

Van snapped to attention and turned into the diner parking lot. "Sorry."

The girl next to him shook her head. "What did I tell you about deep thinking and driving?"

"Yes mommy."

After she stuck her tongue out at him, Hitomi got out of the car and waited for Millerna. When they all got together, they went inside the diner and had a nice dinner, Hitomi and Van sitting side by side. They laughed, joked around, and had serious conversations until around one in the morning. "Damn it! I promised I'd be home by now."

Hitomi looked at her friend. "Your fiancée going to be mad at you?"

"Well, it's nothing I can't make up for."

Van covered his ears. "I don't want to know. Virgin ears here."

Millerna laughed as Hitomi hit him in the stomach. "You two are so cute." Receiving the blushing effect she wanted, she picked up the check and walked over to the cashier to pay.

While she was paying, Van looked over at the girl beside him. "I really am sorry for the other day. I didn't mean to snap at you. I've just been under a lot of pressure at work."

"I know, Van. It's okay."

Shaking his head, he pressed on. "No it's not. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

A hand over his caused him to stop and look at her. "It's okay. I understand."

With a small smile on his face, he nodded. "Thanks, Tomi."

"Okay you two. I got to get going. It was nice meeting you, Van."

"Nice to meet you too, Millerna."

Hitomi got up, removed her hand from Van's and hugged her friend. "Come by to visit before you leave, okay?"

"Of course! You're not going to get rid of me that easily." With a wink and a wave, Millerna left the diner.

Van got to his feet and looked Hitomi over. "You ready?"

She turned to face him and smiled. "Sure. I have to get some sleep for this banquet thing."

That statement caused a pain in Van's chest. He had forgotten all about the banquet. "Oh, right."

Hitomi reached over and grabbed her jacket, which caused Van's eye brow to rise. "A denim jacket with that dress?"

"I don't even want to hear it, Fanel."

Chuckling, Van grabbed his own jacket and led her to his car. After closing her door for her, he walked to the driver's side and climbed in, starting up the car and driving out of the parking lot. As he was driving, Van looked over at her. "So, we're good now?"

"If you keep bringing it up, I'll smack you so hard, Fanel, you'll still feel it twenty years from now."

"Violent, aren't we?"

"Always have been, always will be."

"Glad to know not all things change."

"I'd comment on that, but I'll be good."

Van refrained himself from replying to that, already knowing what she was implying. 'I really have changed her, haven't I?'

Her apartment building came all too soon, causing Van to pull up front. "You sure you don't want me to hang around?"

"I'm a big girl now, Sparky. I can walk all the way to the door without any help." She smiled at him before opening the door. Before closing it, she stuck her head back in. "Thanks again for helping out like that."

"Like I said, anything for you. Just don't make me do that again, Kanzaki."

"Mentally noted. See you at the banquet."

"Good night."

"Night." Closing the door, Hitomi walked away towards her apartment building, causing Van to look at her confused. 'I wasn't imagining it. She's swinging her hips now. But why?'

Shaking his head to clear it, Van drove off to his own apartment. 'I wonder who I can call for a last minute favor. I totally forgot to get a date myself!' Mentally checking off all the females he knew, Van sighed. 'I'll call her in the morning. Hopefully she'll help out.' With that, he continued his way back home.

~*~Don't kill me!!! I'm sorry for the long wait! This chapter was actually very hard to write. I had forgotten I had two days in between to cover! Hopefully it's okay. Now send in those reviews and (hopefully) soon I'll have the next chapter out: THE BANQUET!!!! Ja ne!~*~