Disclaimer: I don't own Blood+

Disclaimer: I don't own Blood+.

A/N: I've always wanted to write a Blood+ fan fiction, because they left it hanging at such a perfect place for fandom to take it over. So here it is.

I've been sleeping for a long time. And I've been dreaming of someone. It was someone who held me until I'd stop shaking, someone who pushed back my hair so tenderly. It was…someone who is no longer here. I remember a lot of things, but I dreamt only of that someone. Dreaming about that someone makes me feel warm… so warm I could cry. Is that why I can't see your face… because I will cry if I saw it? Hey stranger, why do such happy things make me cry? Is it that music? My dreams always have that music. It's that sad cello, playing sad songs over happy memories. It makes me feel relief…but at the same time it makes me cry even harder. Hey stranger, I want to see you. But who… who are you?

Saya awoke to a damp darkness. Dizziness clouded her mind and her body felt heavy and unfamiliar. She had been dreaming for too long, it seemed. And she was thirsty… so thirsty. She dragged herself across the cool stone towards the light in the other side of the strange stone structure she lay in. The sunlight felt hot and blinding to eyes unaccustomed to being open. She groped about, and her hand landed painfully on something sharp. She picked up a dried pink rose that seem to have been there for a long time. Tied to it was a single navy ribbon, swaying in the slight breeze. She couldn't give it much thought though, she was much too thirsty.

Suddenly the overpowering sunlight was blocked by a dark figure. She watched his silhouette shift a few seconds, and by the time her eyes adjusted, he was kneeling in front of him. He had loose dark curls tied into a ponytail behind him, loose strands falling untidily about his face. Piercing blue eyes stared at her head on. He leaned over and took her by the shoulders. Saya was so disoriented at the time she didn't even know what was going on until his lips held hers. She just stared at his closed eyes with her widened ones in alarm, gripping the front of his black coat weakly until she felt warm liquid seep into her mouth. It tasted salty, and so sweet. It relieved her scattered image of reality, bringing everything into sharp focus. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed herself onto him, pressing her mouth harder on his. She reached in with her tongue hungrily, wanting to taste more of this wonderful liquid, searching the corners of his mouth for any remains. When she knew for sure there was none left in his mouth, she pulled back, licking her lips. As she looked up at him, she felt weak again. All she could manage to mumble to the tall figure in front of her was a faint "…Who are you?"

The man looked shocked for a moment, and then in pain. Before he could provide any reply, though, the world spun around her, and she fell back to sleep.

Saya's eyes opened to a white ceiling. The paint was slightly cracked and the fluorescent light was dotted with lazy flies. It must be summer…She thought faintly as the damp heat washed over her. The bed felt warm and the way the springs creaked seemed familiar to her. She sat up and surveyed the room in which she lay. She recognized it instantly as the room that had been hers in Okinawa. The furniture was just as she had left it, though slightly dusty from the time passed. How much time had it been exactly? The fresh awareness she felt made her realizes she must have been sleeping for the full thirty-year hibernation. So much time had passed, but the room looked exactly the same.

The familiar smell of food and faint laughter drifted from outside the closed door. It made her wonder whether everything she had gone through had all been a dream. She got up and opened her closet. The mirror inside was the same as always and the first thing that hung was the deep purple jacket, worn and faded. Yet her reflection looked just as it had before. She still wore that same uniform, and although her skirt was crumpled and torn and her shirt worn and weathered, her body remained unchanged. The only difference was the length of the sleek black hair that slid along the floor behind her. She looked to her dresser and saw that small box where she used to keep hair things and jewelry and found it lying just as she left it. She dusted it off and opened the lid, tying her hair back so it lifted off the floor and hug just at her ankles. She then made her way towards the door. She hesitated a long moment, wondering what she would find on the other side. Would there be strangers waiting for her outside? She couldn't pretend time had stopped for her. She inhaled deeply and turned the knob.

The bar looked just as it had thirty years ago, though more photos and posters adorned the walls. The doors were locked and the sign read closed, but the warm glow of the lights was relentless. As Saya entered, the comforting voices fell to silence and she lifted her eyes unsurely. A man with a muscular build and reddish hair trimmed with gray on the edges stood on the inside of the bar. He had paused from his task of wiping a glass dry. Next to him a woman with brown hair tied up into a bouncing ponytail set down the glass she had been drinking water out of. Their faces were matured and slightly creased at the corners of their mouths and eyes but Saya recognized them instantly. Tears began welling up in her eyes when she realized how long had passed.

"Kai! Kaori!" she gasped stepping forward limply. Both of them dropped whatever they were doing and rushed towards her, hugging her close.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Kaori whispered, tears dripping down her cheeks too. "But when that man brought you here… I'm just so glad you're okay!"

"I told you I'd be waiting." Kai said simply, laughing in his usual manner. Saya felt a warm sensation bursting in her chest, and all she could do was cry and hug them for a long time.

Finally when the tears faded into laughter and relief, the other two inhabitants of the house stepped tentatively in, pushing one another playfully. The first had long black hair and stunning blue eyes. Her slim figure was clad in a simple lace-trimmed nightdress and her softly smiling face was a carbon copy of Diva. The second girl caught Saya slightly off guard. She dressed more boyishly than her sister in a long t-shirt, a pair of shorts peeking out from underneath it. She had Saya's deep brown eyes and short cut black hair, but her slightly rounder face and big smile looked so much like Riku's, Saya almost started crying again. "Are you… our Auntie?" The brown-eyed one asked hesitantly. The shyer blue-eyed twin gripped the hem of her sister's t-shirt unsurely.

Saya smiled. They had grown up so much, that they looked more like triplets than aunt and nieces. "Yes. I'm Saya. You must be Sora and Ai." She recognized them by their eye color; Sora was the blue-eyed one and Ai was the brown-eyed one.

"We've been waiting for you, Auntie Saya." Sora spoke out softly, still fidgeting with Ai's shirt. Her smile was uncertain, but hopeful.

"Yeah!" Ai exclaimed energetically. "Dad says that you're just like us—that you'll never grow up, just like us! He says that you and Haji will take us away from here and take care of us and that we're going to see the whole world together!"

Saya shot Kai a smirk and he chuckled in return. But suddenly she realized something and blinked uncertainly towards Kai. "Haji? Who's Haji?"

Kai's mouth fell slightly agape in an almost comical way. "Saya… what…? Are you… mad at him? Saya, don't be! He came back! He's the one who brought you to us today!"

"What are you talking about?" Saya's head was beginning to ache. Her senses were filling with a strange yet familiar scent: blood, a freshly ironed shirt, and roses.

"Haji! I know you're out there somewhere, get over here. She's not going to believe it unless she sees you!!" Kai yelled out to nobody in particular, peeking out the windows. There was a brief windy sound before a man appeared at the door. He opened it and stepped smoothly in with catlike grace. He appeared to be shouldering a coffin, and gazed at her with those frosty blue eyes just like…

"It's you!!" Saya gasped.

"See, I told you!" Kai smirked, feeling satisfied.

Haji moved closer to her, but she backed away, looking at him with caution. "You're the one from before. The one who…" Her mind was suddenly filled with their previous encounter, and her face flooded with color. She was acting so animalistic at that time… and he… and she… "A-are you the one they've been talking about? The one named Haji…?"

A long silence swept through the room, before Kai came and placed a hand on her shoulder. "… Saya you really… don't remember him?"

Saya shook her head. "Really, I've only seen him once before, after I woke up this time."

Kai's grip on her shoulders tightened. "Really, Haji. I'm… so sorry."

"It's not your fault." The man named Haji spoke for the first time, and it was a voice that caused all the tenseness in Saya's body to relax. She looked up into those blue eyes and saw a flicker of emotion that she hadn't sensed before on his blank face. For a brief moment he looked as though he might cry.

"Do you really not remember him at all?"

Saya looked up at Ai from the mess of soap and dishware in her hands, flipping her newly trimmed hair.

"Haji you mean?" Saya sighed, turning her gaze back to the plate she was washing. "No, you guys all need to stop asking me that! Is there something I'm missing? I mean was Haji someone really important I should be remembering?" Her voice carried strong hints of aggravation.

There was a silence between them as Saya rinsed the plate. As she handed it back to Ai their eyes met and Saya saw that same shadow cross Ai's face. It was an expression that everyone had been giving he recently, and she was really beginning to be bothered by it. She was finally awake, and they were finally living like they had always imagined (although Saya hadn't imagined that Kai and Kaori would get married). Yet here she was, feeling people's eyes on her every move. Those same sad eyes.

"This is ridiculous. He can't have been that important if I don't remember him. I mean if he was… I don't know, some long lost love, I would have probably remembered him." Saya reached for a dirty cup as Ai snickered at her left.

"Yeah. Long lost love, what a ridiculous thought." Ai blurt out through giggles.

"Hey, Auntie Saya… have you ever been kissed?" A quiet but direct voice came from behind Saya. Saya blushed crimson and spun around to face the source. Sora sat on the counter behind her, head tilted slightly to the side in inquiry. Sora had proved to be much less timid than the first glance would betray. She had Diva's sharp tongue and Riku's directness when it counted.

"Th-that…" A memory flashed through Saya's mind of waking up… the bright light and the taste of blood… pressing herself against his hot suit, fingers curled over the collar, gripping tightly. Saya's entire body became hot. She could still feel her tongue grazing his. "N-not really…" Saya responded in a half stammer.

"What do you mean not really? Isn't this a yes or no question?" Sora blinked expectantly.

"I mean, when I woke up… with Haji… b-but he was just feeding me blood. I was so disoriented I didn't know what was going on, and I'm sure it didn't mean anything to him either!" Saya replied nervously, trying to shove the images out of her mind.

Ai and Sora both exchanged glances and chuckled, as if sharing a private joke. "Are you sure that's all? There was never a time before?" Ai teased.

Saya splashed her playfully with soapy water. "Of course not!!" She laughed nervously before turning her attention back to the cup in her hands. Her reflection stared back at her, distorted by the curved surface. "… He only kissed me once." She replied in a quieter voice, biting her lip. What a mysterious man. Only two encounters and she was already developing a crush. That's unlike her. Yet…

The bell over the door to the bar tinkled softly and Saya lifted her gaze in its direction.

That same perfectly ironed suit and empty expression. Their eyes met and Saya's gaze fluttered downwards once more, her face flushed. …Yet it feels like I've known him forever…

It didn't take long for Saya to notice that Haji followed her everywhere. He was like her eternal guard dog, and she was beginning to be unnerved by it.

"Did he… always do this? Even the last time I was awake?" Saya whispered uneasily to Kai as he chopped away at some carrots.

Kai laughed. "Oh yes. Always. I used to be so jealous because he was always around you."

Saya smiled. "So… was he sort of like my guardian before?"

Kai paused, resting the knife lightly on the carrot's orange surface. "I guess you could say that. Sort of like a guardian."

This put Saya a bit at ease. So his dog-like tendencies weren't anything stalker-like or perverted. It actually made her feel a bit comfortable, knowing he would always be there. Still, she was relieved he never followed her into her bedroom. She was granted at least that much privacy. He would always just wait outside her room, only to follow her again when she exited. Sometimes she wondered if he even slept.

Saya padded up the stairs to her bedroom and giggled a little as she heard Haji's footsteps behind her. Really, he was just like a puppy. She clicked her door shut and heard his footsteps cease right outside her door. It was a familiar sound already. She slid off her shirt. She needed to run some errands for Kai and pajamas really weren't appropriate attire for the grocery store.

She was in the midst of wriggling out of her pajama pants when she heard a scuttling coming from somewhere on her right. Her gaze jumped downwards to meet with the beady eyes of a mouse, chewing at a stale crumb of food by the corner by her dresser. She yelped and leapt up onto her bed, tripping over the discarded pants as she did so. At the same time the door burst open and Haji appeared suddenly, a dagger ready in his hand.

"Saya, are you okay?" He asked, his usually flat voice raised slightly in alarm.

"A mouse! A mouse!" Saya shrieked, incapable of understanding her irrational fear of something so small when she'd fought off packs of blood-sucking beasts in her lifetime.

Haji's eyes fixed on the mouse just as it was darting across the room in alarm. With a swift, blurred movement, he swiped up the mouse by its tail and tossed it out the window.

A silence passed between them, and Saya felt silly for panicking at something so small. Haji was standing right in front of her, and standing on her bed, Saya was just a bit taller than his towering height. He was staring unblinkingly at her and the bedsprings creaked under her heels. Saya looked down, feeling embarrassed by his stare. It was then that she realized she was standing before him in only her bra and underwear. Her eyes snapped back to his unfaltering gaze. She yelped for the second time and without thinking, slapped Haji straight across the face.

By that time they had attracted the attention of the rest of the house, and Kaori, Ai, and Sora arrived at her doorway with shocked expressions on their faces.

The picture: Haji standing by Saya's bed with a bright red mark on his cheek, and Saya crouched on her bed, covering her face with mortification.

"Saya… what…?" Kaori stammered.

"What the hell is going on here?" Ai supplied, the three of them staring, dumbfounded.

"Nothing… Haji was just… getting rid of a mouse… nothing's happening…" Saya's muffled response came from deep in her arms.

Haji nodded to them. After an awkward pause, he turned towards Saya, and then thought better of it and diverted his gaze. "I'm sorry." He apologized with a bow of his head, and walked stiffly out.

"Could you… get out?" Saya asked meekly from her humiliated position.

"O-Of course…" Kaori smiled unsurely and ushered Ai and Sora out and shut the door behind her.

Saya collapsed onto her bed, feeling exhausted. Her heart was pounding and the burning blush wouldn't leave her face. It seemed she was developing a rather problematic crush already. It never ceased to amaze her how she fell for this guy as if she had been in love with him for years. And now he had seen her half-naked.

Saya physically shook the thoughts out of her head and sat up with a sigh. Those groceries weren't going to walk over here themselves.

"What happened to you?" Kai asked Haji as he appeared, a stinging red mark glowing on his face. Haji didn't respond, and Kai pulled an icepack out of the freezer. "On second thought, I probably don't want to know." He handed to him, and he accepted with a small mumble of gratitude.

Kai noticed that both of Haji's hands were human-like again. "When did that happen?" he asked, motioning towards the smooth pale fingers.

"It took many years of healing, but somehow they grew back human." Haji responded, flexing his fingers. "I wonder if it's a sign that we don't have to fight anymore."

"I hope so." Kai grinned.

As Haji placed the icepack on his face, his hair shifted to reveal his ears glowing as red as his wound.

Kai burst out laughing. "Haji, are you blushing?"

"That would be… irrational of me. I've seen her like that so many times before…" Haji said slowly. "But, it was different because… then… she didn't react that way."

Kai just blinked for a few moments. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but that's the most you've said to me since you returned." He laughed again and slapped him on the back. Haji just stared back at him with his usual expression. "This must really suck for you. I'm sorry." He added on a more serious note.

"My purpose is to serve Saya, and that is all." Haji responded monotonously as he always had.

"Bullshit." Kai nudged him. "I know it, and you know it. You're still in love with her after all those years."

"My purpose is to serve Saya, and that's all." Haji repeated in the same tone.

Kai stared at him for a long moment, before turning away. "Now you're just making me sad." He replied quietly.

They were silent for a moment before Saya came tentatively down the stairs. Her eyes met briefly with Haji's and she quickly looked down, her face flooding with color. "S-sorry about just now… I shouldn't have slapped you."

"It's okay." Haji replied quickly.

There was a moment of awkwardness between them before Saya spoke quietly, curling and uncurling her toes unsurely. "D-Do you… want to come to the grocery store with me?"

"If that is what you wish." Haji nodded, standing up.

"O-okay." Saya said quickly, and walked towards the door, looking back at him as if she thought he might not follow.

Kai laughed, taking the icepack from Haji's hand. "You might have hope yet, Haji." He winked.

Haji, as usual, was unresponsive to the teasing, and just followed Saya in silence.

The bell rang once again and the door fell to a close. Kaori padded down the stairs and joined Kai. "Did Saya and Haji just leave?"

Kai chuckled. "Yep. And I feel like they won't be back for a while."

"So… how long have you known me, Haji?" Saya asked casually as the two strode towards the grocery store at an easy pace.

"Since I was a child." He always answered her with the exact amount of necessary words, never too detailed, and never too vague.

"Were we close?" She looked down at the sidewalk as she asked this, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Very close." He replied. It answered her the question, but as always, lacked the detail she craved. Still, the answer made her face heat up a bit.

"Um… so… what do you keep in there, anyway? A…" She gulped a bit. "…A body?"

Haji chuckled, and Saya was surprised by the sound. It was nice and low, warming her. "No, it's a cello." He answered after a pause. He was smiling, which was something Saya hadn't seen before.

"I like it when you smile. You should do it more often." Saya grinned up at him.

"If that is what you wish."

Saya stopped walking and burst into laughter. Haji stopped too, a few steps ahead of her.

"What kind of answer is that?" She said between gasps. "You should smile because you want to, not me!"

"If that is what you—"

"Enough of that already!" Saya laughed harder, and Haji stood awkwardly, now unsure of what to say. "Okay, how's this: I wish for you to do whatever you want."

Haji paused before walking back towards her. "Then I wish to stay by your side."

Saya blushed and took a few steps backwards. "Really, Haji, you should save lines like that for someone you love." Haji didn't reply, and there was a long silence between them. Saya looked towards the sky. "It's… a really nice day." She inhaled and sighed. "It makes me want to go to that beach."

"If that is what you wish."

"Haji, what are you talking—AH, HEY!" Before Saya could finish her sentence, Haji caught her by the waist and legs and lifted her off the ground. Saya tried to struggle and protest, but in the end could do nothing but cling to him for dear life as he vaulted himself into the air.

The rush of cool wind through her hair felt incredible in the summer heat. She had no idea what was going on, but she loved every minute of it. She felt safe in his strong grasp as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, landing perfectly each time. She felt like she was flying, and each time she was lifted high enough to see nothing but sky, her heart leapt into her throat with euphoria.

It had been a long time since she'd felt that lighthearted. She wondered why.

When Haji finally released her, the two of them were standing on the wall that separated the street from Saya's favorite beach. She just stood dumbfounded for a minute.

"If this was where you were going to take me, you could've told me!" She laughed finally, kicking off her shoes and jumping into the sand.

She turned back to see Haji smiling in an almost playful way. "It was… a surprise. You told me I could do what I wished, and that is what I wished to do."

Saya smiled and returned her gaze to the sea. "…Thanks. It's… been a long time since I've been here. I remember we used to all play here together: Me, Dad, Kai… and Riku."

"I know… I remember watching and wishing I was the one who made you smile like that." Haji said slowly in reminiscence.

Saya giggled. "Were you jealous?"

"Perhaps. But as long as you were happy, it didn't matter."

Saya stepped back towards him and rested her hands on the wall. "But I'm smiling like this for you now."

"And it's beautiful." His response was so quick it surprised her.

Saya laughed nervously, looking down at her bare feet. "Honestly… you need to stop saying things like that…" She said a bit breathlessly.

"…I'm sorry." Haji jumped off the wall and onto the sidewalk, resting his hands on either side of hers.

Saya's heart jumped a bit. "I lied." She said meekly, feeling embarrassed. "I like it when you say things like that."

"Then…" His hands shifted to cover hers and he looked down at her with his cold eyes. "…You're beautiful. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

The crashing waves were all that filled the silence that followed, as Saya's face flooded with color. She wanted to move or say something, but could only manage to stand there, stunned, with her lips slightly parted.

"…Was it okay for me to say that?"

"Yes. Very, very okay." Her voice came out hoarse.

"Should I say it again?" His voice was so steady it scared her.

Saya slid her hands out from under his and turned around, her face burning. This was just too embarrassing. "T-The wind feels really good, don't you agree?" She stammered, trying to divert the conversation from her supposedly incomparable beauty.

There was a long silence behind her, and she wondered if she had hurt him in some way. When she looked back, she saw him lifting something large and heavy out of his "coffin". The dark surface of the cello glistened in the bright afternoon light. Saya's heart beat faster for unknown reasons as he leaned down and let the bow slide across the strings with a melody hauntingly familiar to her.

That song… it calmed every part of her body until she fell limply to her knees, but at the same time it squeezed at something deep in her throat. A steady pounding began at the back of her head. She knew that song. She heard it resounding in the background of every memory she had. On a train, in an empty church, on a day where snow flooded the streets, on a day when rain washed over the windows, on a day where the sun was too bright to stand, it was there.

"Saya."

His voice. It was his voice, surrounding her and echoing as strongly as the music all through her body, calling her from deep inside her memory.

Suddenly, something inside her broke, and she cried out, falling to the ground with her fingers tangled in her hair. The music stopped abruptly and the last thing Saya remembered was seeing Haji's feet running towards her before it blurred into nothing.

When Saya woke up, it was dark. Her room was illuminated by the silver light of the streetlamp outside and she heard the sound of a motorcycle rush by somewhere in the distance. She heard hushed voices outside her door.

"Will she be okay?"

"Yes, Emily said that she would be fine."

"But why…?"

"It's probably all the memory lapses. When she starts to remember something…"

"Haji…"

"Yeah… it probably has to do with him."

Saya bit her lip and felt guilty as she remembered. She probably worried everyone. She sat up to see Haji standing there by her bedside, looking absentmindedly out the window. The moment he heard her stir, he stepped quickly to her bedside.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice laced with the faintest trace of alarm.

"Yes. I'm sorry for passing out like that, I don't know what…"

"It's fine. I'm sorry. I won't play the cello again." He bowed down low, his hair falling over his face.

"Haji, don't say that." She reached out and grasped his sleeve. "Your cello playing is beautiful."

"But—"

"It has nothing to do with it, I promise." Saya said firmly, even though she knew it was a lie. She moved her hand to squeeze his. It was unnerving to see Haji in an almost frantic state, and she wanted him to be normal again. "Thank you for keeping me safe."

"That is my only purpose." He ran his fingers gently through her hair.

"Don't say that, you—"

The door suddenly opened, flooding the room with light.

"I thought I'd heard you, you're awa—" Kai stopped in mid-sentence and he and Kaori stared at the situation in front of them. Haji was standing by Saya's bed, palm resting on her cheek, and she was on her knees on the bed, grasping his hand.

"I'm sorry, did we interrupt something…?" Kai asked slowly as they stood awkwardly in the doorway.

Saya released his hand and jerked back suddenly, and Haji dropped his hand quickly. "Nothing! Nothing was going on!" She said frantically, leaping to the other side of the bed. This seemed to be happening increasingly often.

"Um… if you say so." Kai smirked, and Kaori giggled from behind him. "Anyway, there's someone downstairs who wants to see you… unless you two need some more time alone…"

"No! It's fine! We don't need to be alone!" Saya scrambled off the bed, and to the door, blushing like crazy and trying to avoid Haji's gaze. She heard him follow her silently, as always.

The twins must have been asleep, because the house was strangely quiet without them causing a ruckus. The four descended down the steps in relative silence, save for Kai's chuckling and Kaori's giggling. Saya really wished they would stop.

A woman who looked about thirty sat at the bar. She had blonde hair cropped to her chin, and foreign-looking features.

"Saya, this is Emily." Kai introduced with a grin.

"Pleased to finally meet you, Saya." She greeted Saya with a handshake, and Saya wondered where she had seen her before. Something about her blue eyes and round face was very familiar.

"I'm sorry… do I… know you?" Saya asked, laughing nervously.

"Oh!" Emily laughed, and Saya had definitely heard that laugh before. "Yes, you knew me before I was even born."

Something piqued in Saya's memory. Her mouth fell agape. "Are you David and Julia's daughter??" She gasped, leaning forward and nearly knocking over Emily's glass of water.

Emily laughed and shot her hand out to steady the poor glass of water. "Yeah, I am."

"I knew you looked familiar! You have Julia's face, and laugh—but those are definitely David's eyes!" Saya's face lit up with excitement. It was then that the time passed really hit her. That unborn child was this old already.

"It would be weird to call you Auntie Saya, even though that's how they always referred to you as when talking to me." Emily laughed. She knew already about Saya's "special circumstances".

"Please, just call me Saya!" Something popped into Saya's head. "Oh, where are David and Julia? I really would love to see them."

"Oh, they're on vacation now." Emily explained. "They'll be back in a week though, so you'll see them then. You know, I always wondered why they chose to live in such a small town in such a small island, but… I think it was probably because of you."

The two smiled at each other for a moment, feeling a rush of warmth for one another as if they'd known each other for years.

"Oh it's the famous Haji!" She exclaimed as she saw Haji over Saya's shoulder. "I see you're by Saya's side, just like they said you always were."

Saya blushed and looked down. "Was he really… always…?"

"Of course!" Emily looked at Saya in confusion, her brow furrowed. "You would know better than anyone, seeing as you and Haji—"

"That's really enough, Emily." Kai cut in. "Haji's sort of part of Saya's memory problems, so I think it's better if…"

"Oh…" She and Kai exchanged looks as if they knew something Saya didn't, which made her feel increasingly uncomfortable.

She turned back to Saya with a smile. "Don't worry about it. There's no need to rush things. Just take it easy and everything will come back to you in time. Sometimes our mind naturally wants to forget things that are too traumatic."

"Traumatic? I remember a lot traumatic things, that's really not the problem." Saya's brows knitted in frustration.

"There's nothing more traumatic than losing someone you love."

"What…?" Saya ventured slowly and Haji stiffened behind her. Was there someone else she was forgetting… someone who wasn't around anymore? She remembered Riku and her dad… but who…? Was it that person from her dreams?

Her head began throbbing again. Someone was holding her in the snow, talking about a promise. He was there again on that street with the sound of cars rushing by, and she could smell him as she cried, clutching his shirt. He was there when she woke up, holding her hand…always so warm…those long tapering fingers…

Saya returned from her flashbacks as her knees hit the floor painfully. Haji immediately rushed to her side and scooped her up. "Saya, you must rest." He said firmly.

"Haji…" She mumbled, forgetting all the other worried faces in her daze. "Haji who am I forgetting. It was someone important, right? But every time I think of him… it's so painful. Even though it's warm, it's so painful."

Haji held her tighter and whispered into her hair. "Shh. It's okay. Just sleep for now. It's not important… if it hurts you, it doesn't matter if you remember him or not."

"But I want to remember…" Saya trailed off back into sleep.

Emily sighed as she watched Haji take her upstairs. "I'm sorry, I might have pushed it a bit. I just… for his sake… I really want her to remember him again. It must be so painful for him."

"Yeah. But… She's starting to remember, isn't she? She can't forget him forever." Kai smiled, running his fingers through his hair, looking tired.

Kaori rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Kai. I know you've noticed too. They're making progress."

The next weeks were spent as usual. They took care of the restaurant together and went to the beach once, and Saya even visited her old school one day. It was still the same as always, although they'd fixed up that old hallway with the leaky ceiling. The picture of Saya's class was still there on the wall of the different graduating classes, even though she was absent from the image. She recognized Kaori and a few of her other classmates and couldn't help but smile. Sometimes she wished she could go back to those days when the world seemed so bright and beautiful to her.

It was still beautiful, but there were things that she couldn't forget. Well, scratch that, apparently there were things that she did forget. Important things.

"Saya, are you ready to go?" Haji asked as she lingered by the school gates. It was summer vacation so not many students were there. However, some lingered for club activities, and she watched them walk by enviously. There were two girls in the track uniform Saya used to wear, and she really wanted to go with them. She wanted soar over that bar once again and watch the sky pass by her in a moment of beauty and satisfaction where everything was just right. She turned away. "Yeah, Haji, I'm coming."

"Are you okay?" He asked as she walked silently by his side.

She hated how he always knew when there was something wrong.

Saya slid her hand into his and squeezed. "It's just… a little bit too much nostalgia for one day, you know?"

"…Is there something I can do to make you feel better?" Haji asked, squeezing her hand back.

Saya smiled. "Just… walk with me. It's a nice day."

"Yes… it is."

"Hey, Haji?" Saya asked slowly. "Were you close with that person… the one I'm forgetting?"

A sort of chuckle escaped Haji. "You could say that."

"Did I love him?" Saya asked suddenly, before she could stop herself.

"…I don't know if I can assume things like that." Haji chose his words carefully.

"I think… I must have loved him very much, because all my memories of him… even if they don't have a name or a face attached… they're all… so nice. I feel so calm when I'm with him, as if everything that's wrong with the world doesn't matter." Her expression softened with endearment.

"I'm sorry." Haji said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I think I must have caused you a lot of pain. I'm sorry for the worry." He pulled her a little closer, entwining his fingers with hers.

"What are you talking about?" Saya tilted her head to one side, looking up at him with puzzlement.

"… Nothing, never mind."

The sun was setting just ahead of them, and everything around them glowed golden.

"Saya… you are cruel." Haji said quietly.

"Eh?" Before Saya could respond, Haji spun her to face him. He cupped her face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers.

"If I play for you… one more time… will you listen?"

"Of course…" Shops had closed and the street was empty except for them and a stray cat that slunk it's way down the street. Distant laughter was heard from the houses around them, but at that time, they seemed to be completely alone.

Saya watched as Haji set up his cello on the sidewalk in front of him. "This is where we met after you woke up last time."

"Really?" She looked around at the familiar surroundings, hoping it would trigger her memory.

The music started playing before her eyes had finished wandering, and she sat on the curb and closed her eyes. The melody was bittersweet, but lovely. It calmed her, and reminded her so much of that person she was forgetting. It seemed this music followed him everywhere. Maybe it was because Haji followed her everywhere?

"Hey Haji? Did you play this for him often?" Saya asked. Haji stopped playing. "I mean, it reminds me of him a lot. So I was just wondering…"

"You still don't understand, Saya?" Haji asked quietly. "Don't you see?"

"See what, Haji?" She looked up to see Haji looking at her with the most painful face she had ever seen. Saya wondered if she'd hurt him in any way without realizing it. "Haji…?"

Haji looked away and packed up his cello. Their walk home was spent in silence, and once they returned, Haji disappeared somewhere.

"Saya, you seem a bit preoccupied." Kaori commented over dinner, as the usually ravenous Saya poked at her food.

"Have you seen Haji?" Saya asked, before finally lifting a bit of food into her mouth.

"No, not since you got back." Kai shook his head.

"Oh…" Saya lowered her chopsticks and her eyes to the table.

Kai and Kaori exchanged glances.

"Saya, did something happen?" Kaori asked gently, and everyone paused in eating to stare at Saya.

She kept her eyes down. "I don't know… he just… he seemed upset. He always gets sad when I ask him about the person I'm forgetting. Did they not get along or something?"

Ai choked back laughter and Kaori gave her a sharp look. Ai ignored her and raised her eyebrows. "Are you seriously unable to put the pieces together?"

Saya looked up at the twins who had been silent until then.

Sora's piercing blue eyes narrowed as she looked at Saya. "You're really dumb, you know that?"

Saya's mouth nearly dropped open. For a long moment she thought she was talking to Diva again.

"Sora!" Kaori chided.

Ai and Sora continued to ignore her and Kai just stared at the situation with his mouth slightly agape.

Ai placed her chopsticks on the table and crossed her arms, leaning back. "Think about it. There can't be that many things you're forgetting. So some of them must overlap, right?"

"What?" Saya was really confused at this point.

Sora stared Saya down with a hard look. "It's simple, really. Are you forgetting two things, or just one?"

Saya slammed her chopsticks down and bolted up suddenly. "I'm sick of these cryptic answers from all of you! No matter who I ask, you guys, Emily, Haji—I never get a straight answer!" She was so frustrated, more with herself than anyone else. "Who am I forgetting??"

She looked around the room to see everyone giving her that sad look that she was so sick of seeing. She gave a cry of aggravation and stormed upstairs. She threw herself onto the bed without even bothering to change or turn a light on. She stared at that same ceiling, angry tears blurring her vision. She squeezed her eyes shut and searched through her memories. She didn't care if her head started aching, but she had to remember. She just had to.

"There's nothing more traumatic than losing someone you love."

"… Saya you really… don't remember him?"

"Are you forgetting two things, or just one?"

"Saya… you are cruel."

"Saya…"

Her eyes snapped open. Wait a minute. It wasn't possible, was it? It couldn't be… There was just no way…

She leapt off her bed and stumbled to her open window. He had to be there. He was always there. Always. "Haji!! I know you're there somewhere! Please come back, I need to talk to you! Haji!"

There was a rush of wind and as Saya blinked Haji appeared before her, the sheer fabric of the curtains flowing around him. "Yes, Saya?" His voice seemed colder and more clipped than before.

"Hey Haji… It's not you… is it?" She asked quietly.

"What…?" His eyebrows came together in confusion.

Say gripped his fresh white shirt in her fingers and leaned against him, burying her face in his chest. There it was—roses, a freshly ironed shirt, and the faintest trace of blood. It was so familiar and sweet.

"Was it you, Haji?" She whispered. "It must be… right? Because… you're the only other person who makes my heart beat this fast."

"And if I was… what would you do?" Haji asked tentatively, gently hugging her shoulders.

"I would wonder why the hell I forgot you in the first place." Her laughter was muffled in his shirt.

"I love you." He said so suddenly Saya almost choked on her own laughter.

"W-What?"

"I love you, Saya."

She pulled away to look up at him and just like that he captured her lips. The kiss lasted just long enough for something to stir inside Saya. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back fiercely. When they finally broke off, Saya was crying.

"I was stupid. To think you'd only kissed me once… that's ridiculous. You kissed me just like this… just like this… and then you just… everything crumbled and you disappeared." She choked between sobs. "You say I'm cruel… then what are you? Do you think I was happy thinking you'd died for me? Do you know how much I cried?" Everything was a blur. She was half wiping her tears frantically and half hitting him uselessly in the chest. The pain of thirty years was crashing down on her and all she could do was cry until she could barely stand.

"Saya…" He grabbed her wrists until she had stopped flailing and just stood trembling before him. "Saya, look at me!" Her quivering gaze lifted reluctantly. "I'm here Saya. I'm here. And I'll always be here. I promise."

"You'd better." She finally sniffled. "I'm tired, Haji."

She pulled him to her bed and they just lay side-by-side for a long time.

"Hey Haji?" Saya asked, curled up next to him.

"Yes Saya?"

"Play me that song again, please?"

"Of course."

Saya lay there with her eyes closed as she heard the sound of Haji opening his case. "Mm, and Haji…" She mumbled, her hand reaching out and grasping the hem of his coat. "I love you, too. I didn't really get the chance to say it… but… I really do."

Even with her eyes closed, she knew he was smiling. "I know, Saya."

The sky was clear, with a nice cool wind blowing in through the window. Sora and Ai fell asleep in the midst of eavesdropping by Saya's door, heads drooped against each other. Kai dozed off while reading a recipe book, and Kaori slept peacefully with her head in his lap. David and Julia called Emily to tell her they were boarding their flight home, and somewhere in Paris, Mao and Okamura argued for no apparent reason while on a stakeout by a politician's hotel. Saya soon fell asleep too, her fingers still gripping Haji's coat loosely.

And the cello continued to resound faintly through the night.