These days I just don't find time to write. Sorry. But I always have inspiration for this story, so here it is. This chapter is dedicated to:

Rubberman2025

Raakshii

keetongu

Rainbow35

Crazyeight

Thank you for your kind reviews and constant support. I never would get the urge to continue without you. Thanks.

(-)

Knowing what to say.

Why is it always so hard?

I'd always thought that it was one of my strong points, saying what needed to be said at the right time. Kazu used to tell me I was a wizard at words. But that's just one of those dumb things he says that makes me laugh.

Still…

You'd think that would be easy to talk to everyone…to know how to tell them that I'm not dead. That I'm a fairy.

But it wasn't easy. I felt dread just thinking about it. How could I stand there in the room while they all talked about me, when probably most of them couldn't even see or hear me? And then what of the ones that could? How could I explain it to them?

I didn't know if I could do it.

Rika…If it wasn't so important to you, I wouldn't be there when you talk about me. But I promised Renamon I'd be there for you, and I wont back down on that promise. Somehow, I'll find the words to say. I sighed as I stared down at her. I was hovering in the air a few inches, just because it felt good, so I had to look down to see her face. She wasn't moving, blinking, or even breathing. But then…neither was anything else. For just a brief moment, I was standing outside of time.

I just wanted a few moments to ponder things on my own, before returning to the daunting prospect of this meeting.

I'll find the words, I thought again. Though my stomach felt heavy with dread. At least I know what to say to Jeri, and that's most important right now. But Henry…Kazu…Kenta…I hesitated before adding, …and Ryo. I frowned and tried to figure out why I was annoyed with him. I didn't have any reason for it. What will I say to them? What if they don't see me? Will it hurt, knowing that my best friends don't believe in me?

The thought made me feel worse. Even if it does, I'll still be there.

I looked up and took a breath of air, and time flowed back around me. I nodded to Rika and tried to smile. "So, what's the word?"

"They're all coming," Rika answered, face devoid of all life or emotion, except for a heaviness behind her eyes that wished she would just break down and cry.

But she wouldn't.

I head to tear my gaze away from the pain locked away in those eyes, and I opted for looking at her feet instead. "Even Henry?" I asked.

She nodded. Huh... I didn't even have to look at her face to know that she did.

"So here's how it's going to go," Rika sighed. "I'll have everyone in the family room, and we'll probably just sit and talk, and maybe eat a few snacks. You know how my Grandma is…she loves to entertain company." Another sigh. "You should be in the room, in the background. I want you to listen to what we say. You should know…" her voice choked up, but she clenched her fists and raised her chin to show that she would finish her sentence, no matter how hard it was to say. "You should know how much you meant to us…all those things we should have said to you before you…fell."

I did look up then, touched by her words. Without thinking I reached out and brushed one of her long sideburn hairs out of her face. It had caught on her nose somehow, and she hadn't bothered to move it yet. Then I smiled at her. "And it will be good for you all to move on. Even if they can't see me, you should be there for each other. That's how it's meant to be."

"I hope they see you," she whispered.

"I have a feeling Jeri will."

She looked up sharply. "How do you know?" she demanded.

I cringed, my heart aching again. Feeling hollow, I unconsciously crossed my arms across my chest. "I think she saw me, a couple days ago…yesterday…a year ago…I have no idea. Time is still something I haven't gotten back into yet. But I think she saw me at the top of the cliff. I'm not sure, but I hope she did. Because there's something I need to tell her."

Rika's breath caught in her throat. "Don't…" she started.

"I wont hurt her," I whispered. "I wont make it worse. Don't worry. You were right, and I know what to say now to make it better for her."

Her shoulders relaxed. "Well…good." She didn't really know what else to say to that. "Well come on, we should…or…I guess I should…" she paused. "What am I even saying?"

I laughed, and it helped. I stopped feeling hollow for a bit. "I think you're trying to say that we should clean up and get the house ready, right?" I floated past her toward the couch in the sitting room, and tossed a pillow at her. "Race ya!"

She threw the pillow back on the couch and made a face, but hurried to do all the cleaning before I could. We spent the rest of the morning that way, racing from room to room and straightening an almost perfectly clean house. A few newspapers here, a couple dishes and trash there…it didn't take long. Or rather, it shouldn't have, but we spent so much time fighting each other to get to the random chore we discovered that it took much longer.

Finally, we collapsed on the floor of her room, out of breath. I was still chuckling after just smothering her head in pillows to distract her from loading the dishwasher so that I could do it at lighting fast speed, but at least she got to put the pillows back. Now, everything we could think of was done. I turned my head to grin at her. "Well that was fun," I taunted.

Beside me, a smirk slowly spread across Rika's face. She was out of breath from fighting for chores, and though I was lying on the floor next to her like I was out of breath too, I was nowhere close to it. I probably could have kept doing stuff without tiring for…gosh I don't know….years! But then she punched me in the shoulder and distracted my train of thought. "You dork," she accused.

We left it at that.

As her breathing evened out through the minutes, I closed my eyes and filled my senses with the feel of the house and the people in it. It was quiet, but the wood hummed with the feeling of relief and joy. It was like I was experiencing what peace felt like for the first time. Except that I wasn't. I could still feel the turmoil inside of me just hidden beneath my calm exterior, threatening to break free and overwhelm me. But around me, the house itself reverberated with the peaceful feeling of relief. I pondered it for a while, wondering what it meant.

My only conclusion was that Rika's house itself—the people, the wood, the whole thing in its entirety—was filled with and giving off the feeling of liberation. If houses could speak, this one would probably be sighing.

I smiled to myself as I came to my conclusion, amused that I was personifying Rika's house, but that's what it felt like to me. Probably the actuality was that Rika herself was starting to feel better, and for the first time in a year, there had been laughter in the house. And the reason for her Grandmother's absolute silence in the next room was probably because she didn't want to ruin it.

I hoped it would only get better from here. Even though I knew that my friends would never really get over my…death…there could still be healing between them. It gave me such relief that I sighed along with the humming of the house that no one but I could hear.

"I wish…"

My eyes snapped open. I turned my head and there she was, propped up by her elbow looking at me. Her face was blank, her eyes clouded with deep-held thoughts, she didn't even blink when mine met hers.

My heart raced inside of me, building up momentum for the words that might come out, the wish in her heart that I could hear, even though she wasn't speaking it at all. But it was inside her, bursting at the seams. I would grant it without even thinking if she but finished her thought.

But I had to ruin it.

"What do you wish?" I whispered, unable to stand the waiting. A wish left unfinished made me feel anxious, like it would never happen. It hurt almost as much as disbelief.

Well, not that much.

Rika did blink then, and her eyes focused. "What?" she asked, sounding confused. "Did you just ask me what I wish?" She rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "You're alive. I think I'm done with selfish wishes.

Annoyance making me agitated, I stood up and started pacing. What an irritating feeling….unfinished wishes. It was like having a dream and then killing it because you didn't believe it could happen. I decided then and there I hated unfinished wishes.

"What's wrong?" Rika demanded. "What did I say?"

"Nothing," I lied. But she could tell. Sighing agitatedly, I continued. If I thought about it more, I might find it strange that I was willing to oblige her no matter how I felt, but I wasn't thinking about it. "It's just…you seemed like you wanted to wish for something, and then you didn't. It's kind of annoying."

For some reason that was really funny to her. A mean smirk twisting her face, she opened her mouth and said, "I wish…." And then stopped.

I barely stopped myself from punching through her wall.

"Huh…what do I wish?" she went on after a minute. "Hmmm. Maybe…uh…no…no I've got nothing. Can't come up with anything. I don't wish."

"Rika…."

She laughed at my almost growl. "Oh Takato…does it really bother you that much? Maybe I should do this more often…"

"Why?" I pleaded. "What did I do? Just tell me!"

My outburst made her laugh openly. "It's so funny!" she wheezed, trying to talk while overtaken by silent guffaws. "You're so….funny! Ha ha!"

It wasn't very funny to me, but I softened up at seeing her rolling on the floor in laughter. It died down too fast.

"Oh stop it," she huffed, done laughing. She stood up and scowled defiantly at me."

"Stop what?" I asked quietly.

"THAT!" She pointed at my face. "It doesn't befit you."

"Befit?" I chuckled. "What doesn't?"

"That stupid smile. That: 'oh Rika, I pity you because you're sad so it makes me feel happy inside to see you laugh' smile. Puh-LEEZE. I don't need your pity. If anyone needs pity it's YOU."

Ouch. I bit my lip and looked at the floor. "I didn't want to fall off that cliff," I countered in a small voice. But then I sighed. "Never mind all this. I didn't realize my smile bugged you, and no it wasn't pity it was lov…" I clamped my mouth shut, but not fast enough.

"It was what?" Rika demanded, somewhat amused and taken back at the same time. "Lov… you mean Love? It was love? Is that what you're saying?"

"Not…LOVE, love…" I groaned, slapping my forehead. I was blushing like mad. "I mean…of course I love you Rika…you're one of absolute best friends ever…I mean heck, you're the only one I can talk to! But it's just that I care for you, and it hurts when you're sad so yes it does make me happy when I hear you laugh! Okay?"

"Uh huh." Rika rolled her eyes. "Say what you like, Takato, but I know what I heard."

"You…" I pointed my finger at her, then dropped it with a huff.

"That's what I thought," Rika concluded smugly. But before either of us could say anything else, the door bell rang twice.

We froze, staring wide-eyed at each other as the mood suddenly darkened.

They were coming.

"I'll get the door," Rika whispered. "You…"

"Wait here?" I whispered. She nodded, so I nodded back.

Slowly, she left the room and headed for the front door, leaving me to wonder what in the world I was going to do if they saw me.

And if they didn't.

(-)

Shorter than usual, but that's okay. It took a long time to finally get up.

Here's hoping the next chapter will be sooner!

Rika195