And miles from where you are

I lay myself down on the cold ground and I

Pray that something picks me up

And sets me down in your warm arms

-Snow Patrol

---

Try to Wish

Chapter Four : Pick Me Up

Clef groaned and sank back into his pillows. He missed the amount of sleep he was now used to. But returning to his old routine meant returning to his old habits. Four hours of sleep was one of those things. If only he had never learned what he was missing. Lethargically, he climbed out of bed and donned his robes. There was a mountain of paperwork on his desk that had been neglected. Nothing too terribly pressing, thus the lack of will power to complete it, especially baring current lack of previous distractions. There were rules for his post for a reason. Now he understood their purpose, though he did not care about them. Having her here was distracting enough, but with her absence his drive had left him and he was nothing more than a hollow shell. The mage glanced at him briefly in the mirror. He looked terribly. Some representative. Maybe it would be better if he resigned his post. Not that a new mage could be chosen within this century.

It took the better part of his strength to not look as absent as he felt. Ambassadors of any sort always bored him, but any one from the Trade Council could lull him to sleep on a good day with simple talk of current market trends. Today was definitely not a good day. Thus he was afraid he may have made a reasonably bad impression on the man. Maybe a nap would do him some good.

The mage sank into the hot steaming waters. A nap in the bath house would do him a world of good, if he could manage not to drown himself. The heavenly liquid soothed his aching joints. He was too old for romance and the pining that went with it. Maybe he should have thought of that before getting involved with the water knight. Though she was also wonderful at helping him relieve tension. Some times he thought her baiting his temper on purpose to relieve his aggression at the same time igniting his animalistic passion. Ambassadorial meetings were far more enjoyable when he had an evening with her to look forward to. Now they were far more torturous than before…before her. He let his thoughts drift to the more pleasant moments of recent life, as he drifted into a light dreamless sleep.

It was the soft nudge at his shoulder that roused the mage from his slumber. He blinked and stared blurrily at the shadow above him, it was fringed with green.

"Ferio?"

"I never thought you were much of a napper, Old Man."

"I fear in such close proximity, your bad habits are rubbing off on me."

Ferio laughed and slipped into the water himself. "Don't go blaming me for your habits."

Clef groaned and sank back. "You needn't worry. I am perfectly capable of destroying my own life."

The prince raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. If he had guessed right at his new wife's inferences, he had landed himself on a sticky topic if he took this too far. Best not say anything else. He soaked his rag and laid it on his forehead. A nap didn't sound half bad.

---

Umi held the phone as far from her ear as humanly possible. If it had been Hikaru on the other side, that distance would have done little to soften the screech, but it was Rika, so the distance helped a great deal. After the past few moths of her being home and working, it had finally gotten around to her old school mate and former fencing team member that she was indeed home with her parents. Within the last hour, the water knight had learned that her friend was now a fencing coach at their old junior high school and engaged to be married. She was wanted the former fencing champion to come up and give her students a few pointers, it was then that Umi stated how much she would love to, but she was too pregnant to do much of anything in comfort, at which point her friend screeched in shock.

The water knight quickly regretted her comment, as she was then bombarded by questions she didn't want to, or know, how to answer. The most her friend got out of her was that yes she was married and no her husband was not in Tokyo, or even Japan. It took some careful prodding, but Umi finally got the conversation to focus on Rika's fiancée. Turns out he is also a teacher at the same school. One of those few rare male instructors at the all girls academy. The friends continued to exchange cheerful banter until Umi heard the knock on the front door a second time and remembered that she was home alone. Telling her friend goodbye, she hung up the phone, clamored off of her bed, and begrudgingly descended the stairs.

Why she had insisted on spending the afternoon upstairs was beyond her. It was too much work to ascend and descend so many times in the past hour. Attempting to catch her breath again, she opened the door to a familiar smiling face.

"So how is my baby doing?" Kuu laughed as she stepped into the entry and rubbed Umi's belly.

"He's very active. More so lately."

The water knight settled into a chair as Kuu proudly displayed the plastic sack she was carrying. "Takoyaki, for my little boy!"

Umi smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. What would she do if she didn't have her family or friends right now? She really appreciated them so much more right now. Their love and kindness was a distraction from all the worry and sorrow.

The warm, delicious smell enveloped them. Umi opened the lid and took a deep breath. Everything from the last nine months washed away. In her mind she was standing in line with Clef prodding him to smile. This was the best stand in the city and they had been waiting for nearly half an hour. Finally they were next. Trading her few yen for a box, the two of them headed back down the street to a nearby park. Taking a seat on the bench she was opening the box and taking a deep breath. Clef was beside her smiling at the pleasure in her expression.

"So, what are you thinking about, Miss Umi?"

The water knight took a bit of the little octopus ball, and sat thoughtfully. "Clef…"

"You will see him again."

"How can I be sure?"

"You can't. But you can hope." Her face changed momentarily, so subtly that Umi wasn't sure it did. Her smile faltered to somber and back to a smile again. "I doubt fate would be so cruel."

The two women sat in silence for a time after that. Neither looking at the other. Umi drifted back into her memories. Trying so hard not to cry. Kuu's voice startled her.

"I've been accepted to a University in Kyoto."

Umi's head shot up. "You what?"

"I can continue my studies there. I'll be leaving when the new term starts."

She couldn't be losing the girl who had been her strongest support outside of her parents. Things were just going from bad to worse. What more could happen?

"Father is buying me a small condo. I asked him if he would mind if I asked some one to live with me." She watched Umi, hoping she would say something. "I want you to come with me. After the baby is born and all, but I think it would do you some good. There are too many memories here for you. One day the portal will open again, but you cannot put life on hold for it."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Well, later of course. I don't need to be up at all hours during my studies, but maybe after he sleeps a bit longer at night. What do you think?"

"I would love to."

"Good. Then it is settle. The three of us shall be flat mates in Kyoto."

Umi sighed and settled back into her chair, she shifted a little. Nothing was comfortable any longer.

"We can always visit the tower from time to time. I mean, we don't want to miss an opportunity for this child to see his daddy."

The blue haired girl smiled.

---

Clef took the volume being handed to him and set it on the shelf with the books it belonged with. It was the time of year to organize the library, and he had been at it for the past three hours. The mage always found it relaxing, and as he couldn't concentrate on his other tasks, at least something productive was being done today.

"Doushi?"

The mage looked down at Ascot. He only just now wondered at the palu's reason for volunteering to help him with this.

The boy had a bright flush across his cheeks when he held up a well worn copy of Pleasure Positions. "Where does….this belong?

A genuine smile crossed Clef's face. "I don't think Umi can put a book away to save her life." He muttered lightly to himself.

Ascot's head jerked up at the sound of the water knight's name. "What would…"

"I don't think it is anyone's business what some one else does with this particular book." The mage lifted the heavy thing out of the dumbfounded palu's hands and slipped it back where it belonged, with no thought. "Especially when those thoughts regard Umi and her uses of that amusing piece of text."

The palu fingered the bindings of the nearest books, looking thoughtful.

"Doushi?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think she will be back?"

"I don't know."

"I want her to come back."

"You have no idea how much I agree with that statement." Clef carried another volume back up to his earlier perch.

"We don't want to miss an opportunity for this child to see his daddy."

Clef nearly fell from the ladder as he spun to find the speaker. The voice was so familiar. He could swear that he had heard it before. It was like Fuu's but not quite. She had a sister, Fuu did. He had met her once. Kuu? Was that her name?

"Doushi? Are you alright?"

Breathing hard in confusion at the disembodied voices statement, Clef glanced down as his pupil. "I'm alright… Did you hear that, just a moment ago?"

"Hear what?"

"Nothing…" He must really be losing it. This random voice thing was happening more and more often now. And what he heard was baffling him all the more. Always about children now. Or one child rather. A boy. Who may never know a father. What did it mean?

"Do you think Umi will find someone in her world?"

"What?"

"I was thinking. What if Umi finds someone in her world to love, and the portal opens, but she doesn't want to come back."

"She wouldn't do that."

Ascot looked questioningly up at his master. "Do you think she already loves someone here?"

The sadness in the boy's eyes tore at Clef's concience. No one knew. Least of all this boy who had pined for his knight from day one. "I believe she must. Or there would be no reason for her to stay here permanently."

"I wonder…"

"She is a hard one to understand. No matter how well you get to know her."

Ascot nodded and returned to sorting the pile of volumes on top of the desk he didn't know the history of.

---

After dinner, Umi helped gather the dishes and set to work washing them. She was becoming increasingly bored from staying home all day with nothing to do.

"Umi, you need to go sit back down." He mother scolded.

"But, Mama."

Mrs. Ryuuzaki empathized with her daughter. She still remembered what it had been like when she had Umi. She had been ill through out her last months. Unable to get out of bed. At least her daughter could traverse the house, but her doctor would prefer she not work.

She didn't like how long Umi was on her feet, but she wouldn't force her to do something that gave her any measure of peace. Picking up a towel, Mrs. Ryuuzaki began to dry the clean plates Umi was setting on the dish board. It would ease her mind to have her daughter resting her swollen feet, at the very least.

To be continued….

---

Author's Note: You have no idea how sorry I am that in the months it has taken me since my last update, I only have a little shy of six pages. But I don't have much else that I can offer you for the length of time it took me to procure this bit. But my writers block may be gone for a time and I will try to update sooner than seven months… I am aware that the last chapter was posted in April, but I will try to get a bit of something else out soon enough.