Dawn is still several minutes away as Phillipe walked the narrow streets. He liked this time of day and enjoyed the peace and quiet yet busy anticipation it offered. Here and there, businesses were clearly in a state of preparation for the day and shadows could be seen moving inside of lighted windows. Passing a bakery, Phillipe smelled the aroma of fresh baking bread and rolls and his mouth watered in anticipation. He's have to stop back by here later for a sample.
Other merchants were beginning to pull their wares out and set up displays outside their doors. A produce merchant was stacking his fruit and vegetables in neat pyramids on tables for display. In a butcher's shop, he could see a man through the door busy cutting meat from a hanging pig, and thought of the bacon that would soon be frying in someones pan. In another stall, a woman was 'kindly' helping a drunk out of her doorway with a broom. Yes, everyone seemed intent on having a good day, and Phillipe was no different.
Moving further down the road, the stores changed style and offered things of differing variety, although the merchants on this end of the route were mostly still dark. A tailor's shop was still tightly closed with no sign of activity at this early hour.
Moving closer to the tailor's shop, Phillipe slid around to the side of it and opened the door there. A stairway appeared just inside the door and he took the steps two at a time, reaching the top quickly. Moving softly through his living area, he reached the ladder on the far wall and climbed it to reach the hatch in the ceiling, which he opened quickly and climbed through to reach the roof.
On the roof, Phillipe ran to the edge and looked out over the city, just as the sun broke the edge of the horizon. He grinned involuntarily. Watching the firey globe slowly appear, he detected the sensation of faint warmth on his face from the weak sunlight as well as the simultaneous sting of the night air which would warm all too soon and vanish. Breathing in, the air was clean and fresh up here, above the street level.
He looked down and spotted someone pulling a cloth covered cart along the street. "Hey Newt!" he called softly and waved at the young man his own age. Newt looked up and grinned. "Hey Mouse." He stopped pulling the cart and went back to pull the cloth back.
"Look! - just came in this morning." he said. "My father was out with the others fishing most of the night."
Philippe saw fish of many different sizes and varieties in the cart. "Wow, your family will do well today."
Newt grinned. "Yeah, well enough that father won't miss one!" And he grabbed a good sized fish and, tying a cord to the tail, tossed the coiled line to Phillipe who pulled up the fish.
"Wow. Thanks Newt." he said, throwing down the line after he had untied the fish. "But don't let your dad see you giving away his profits!"
"Just don't mention it if you see him, ok?" Newt replied. Then, walking back to the cart, he lifted the handles and was off. "Later Mouse!"
Phillipe waved as the other moved off down the street, pulling his cart. He then looked at the fish and realized just how big it was. He could never eat something this big alone, nor did he have the proper culinary arts to do it right. He was going to have to think of someone to share it with.
Just then, the early morning stillness was broken by the rumbling of an engine. Turning and looking down, Phillipe saw a helmeted rider, clearly female, riding a motorcycle up the street.

Phillipe called down to her. ""Come up the side stairs, I'll meet you inside!"
At her nod, he turned away and headed for the trapdoor. He opened it and climbed down, closing the hatch behind him. Quickly he ran to the kitchenette and tossed the fish onto the counter. When he turned around, he realized that his place was a mess! And she was coming up the stairs!
He panicked.
'Calm down Mouse' he thought. 'Let's get this done.'
Moving fast, he grabbed everything he could. He grabbed all the old chinese food cartoons and other stuff as fast as he could and stuffed them into the trash. Then running into the living room, he scooped up odd clothes and trash here and there and flew into the bedroom and began stuffing them into the closet, the chest by the bed, anywhere. He was shoving some other trash out the back window, when from the front door came her soft knock.
"Just a second!" he called, shoving the rest of it out the window and turning to pull up the blankets on the rumpled bed. He knew he should have made it right away this morning!
Kicking a few odds and ends under the bed, he ran out of the bedroom and froze.
Aj was standing in the middle of the living room.
"Uh, hi." was all he could think of.

He grinned. "Door locks? In this neighborhood?" He asked incredulously. "Around here the only locks that are not broken are less than twenty four hours old." he joked. "But," he continued, looking at her solemnly, "if you're worried so much about me Aj, I'll get it fixed. As you say, I wouldn't want to get killed in my sleep." He winked at her.
When she removed her coat, he caught his breath. "Wow." he said, swallowing hard. "That red shirt is..." She gave him a look, which caused him to grin again. "Well what do you expect? It's like waving a red cape in front of a bull." He laughed. "It gets me all excited and makes me want to charge!" He couldn't help it and laughed again.
She continued to just stare at him, her thoughts completely hidden.
He decided to change the subject.
"About that ride..." he continued. "That sounds like a great idea. But I was hoping you would join me for breakfast first." He said. "You see, I recently came into possesion of some fish..." He held up a hand at the look she gave him. "And before you ask, no. I didnt steal it." Then he grinned sheepishly. "But I haven't a clue how to cook it either! Do you?" he asked.
Twenty minutes later, they were in the kitchen by the stove as he watched her preparing the fish he had cleaned and filleted. He watched her for a few moments silently, then on impulse, he spoke.
"Ya know," he glanced at her from the corner of his eye before looking quickly back to the pan." I noticed that you are still staying at the Inn. That's got to be getting costly for you." He shrugged innocently. "If you needed to save some money, you could always consider staying here..." She turned and the stare was back."You know...If you wanted to, I mean." She was being awfully quiet and that stare was unreadible.
"Okay..." he looked back at the fish. "Maybe I should just shut up and we can eat instead." He turned and went to get some dishes to eat on. As he did so, he began to wonder if he had just taken a bad step. He hoped not. He liked Aj a lot. And he had been looking forward to that bike ride with her.

Mouse rolled over and sat up in bed. It was still very early, but he was wide awake. Normally he would be getting up at this point and going for an early walk But today wasn't normal, and he bloody well knew it!

Very quietly he rose, lit the candle and slipped on his pants, trying not to make any noise. Then he walked to the bedroom door, opened it a crack and peeked out. Aj lay in the narrow camp bed he had managed to borrow from Newt's parents, deep in sleep. She lay on her side facing him and her right arm was tucked up under the pillow beneath her head. The blanket he had given her was small, and he noticed that she had pulled it up to her chest, exposing her feet at the bottom. He scowled and went to get his own blanket. As he did, he recalled their ride around town two days ago on her bike and then their conversation in the Inn that same night:
"Well.. I suppose it wont hurt to stay with you until I get a job again. Have you thought of where I would sleep?"

He had offered to let her have his bed, but she had refused, insisting on taking the couch. She had made the joke about not sleeping in her panties, and then, that French line...the one that he hadn't quite understood...But he had caught one word. Putain. He knew what it meant and he didn't like it. It had instantly made him feel defensive for her. Walking back into the front room, he gently laid the blanket across her legs, covering her feet as well. She stirred slightly then quieted again, her breathing soft and regular. No, that word did not fit at all. She was so much more.
He moved away slowly and walked to the top of the stairs, looking down the steps to where her beautiful bike stood just inside the door in the entryway. When she had first arrived he had insisted that she bring it inside the door. "I don't want to see anyone steal it." he had said. Well, he thought to himself, at least she gave in easily on that point.
Moving back into the room, he slid into the chair across from where she lay sleeping and watched her, trying to sort out his feelings for her.He had made many openly suggestive comments to her since their first meeting and she had liked his over the top, almost ridiculus propositions - laughing them off, and yet still being friendly to him and preserving his ego. That had been how their frienship had begun, and it had grown steadily stronger. "You're the only real friend I have here." she had said. She was indeed a true friend as he had told her that night, but now he felt something else too- something more. He wasnt sure what it was, but he had an idea, and it worried him. She isn't interested in that, he told himself. You'd better just keep those ideas to yourself, Mouse. But his mind did wander....
He jumped, waking up and sitting up straight. Aj was standing directly in front of him with an amused expression. She was wearing one of her tight shirts and a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants. In her arms she was holding her pillow. "Bonjour, sleepy head. What are you doing sleeping in the chair?"
He grinned tiredly. "Well, I was still hoping for a look at those panties." He made exagerated gestures of gawking at her pelvis. She swung the pillow so fast and hard that he never saw it before she had knocked him sideways out of the chair. She came and stood over him and smiled. "Time to wake up, little Mouse." She gave him a wink and another smile before walking into the bathroom and closing the door.

Once again, the morning's bike ride had been great. He enjoyed riding with her and what's more, she enjoyed having him along. They rode all around town and spent the entire morning in each other's company. At noon, she had dropped him off at their place and said she had business to attend to. Something about a music box, Mouse recalled.That had been the last he had seen of her until she had walked into the Inn this evening while he was sitting in his favorite booth.

Now, Phillipe was sitting on a crate in the back alley behind the Inn, trying to figure out what had just happened in the last hour.

They had enjoyed some light joking about her getting drunk and him having to take her home and charging her a fee for the effort. He had said it, hoping to entice a kiss out of her, but she had apparently thought he intended more and became very coy and elusive. They had ended up slipping out back behind the Inn in the alley, where she became suddenly quiet. The alley apparently spooked her.

"I don't like them too much.." she said. She then went on to say in french that she had bad memories involving alleys.
"We all have bad memories." he told her.
"Of course we all do.." She replied before letting her coat fall off of her shoulders, exposing several scars along her shoulders and up to her neck. He looked at the scars, then back to her face, showing no suprise.
"I've been in a few back alley fights..." She noted, letting her coat fall to the ground.
He had shrugged. "I noticed them this morning after you put that haltertop on. He had then untied the loops in his shirt, opened it, and showed his own scars which crossed his chest. "Bet ya mine are bigger than yours."
She had reached out a hand and touched one that she saw and nodded. "Yours are definetly bigger." She said with another nod. "A few of mine almost killed me." she said, pointing to the most apparent one on her neck.
What had happened next had occured so suddenly, that he could hardly believe he had done it. He had walked around behind her and, moving up close, bent over and kissed the large pink scar lightly. "There. Did that kill you?" She blinked a little and reached a hand up and rested it on her neck where the scar was. "No... it didn't kill me." And she had smiled. He moved around to the other side of her neck and lightly kissed that side too, even though there was no scar there. " And that....did it kill you?" he asked again. "No. It didn't kill me that time either."
Things had progressed from there, with each step moving them closer and closer together until finally, they had kissed. Aj was the first to break the kiss, and that was when Phillipe had really seen the confusion and pain that she was struggling with. She seemed so vulnerable at that moment. He had asked her what she was thinking, and all she kept repeating was "I don't know....I just don't know...."
"I still miss Antonio and yet.." She shook her head. "I didn't mean that against you or anything. I just... I don't know."
Suddenly she stood. "I have to go." she blurted out, and she slipped away down the alley. He stood after her, watching her go. A few minutes later he had heard her bike roar to life out front and speed away.
And now, here he was, sitting on this crate. Anguishing over what he might have done.
He stood and walked. He thought about how much fun they had riding together, and he walked. He remembered their shared breakfast meal that first morning, and he walked. He thought about the horseplay and the flirtatious jabs, and still he walked.
He walked all night, going through areas of Rhydin that he had never visited, and yet he saw nothing but her. He wondered what she would do. Would she move back out? Man, he hoped not. Would she scream at him when she saw him, or lash out and strike him for the hurt he had caused her? If so, he knew he would never be able to forgive himself for what he had done.
He looked up. The sky was turning lighter in the east. Dawn was coming soon. He turned toward home.
He opened the door silently and slipped in. Her bike was just inside the door where she always put it. He closed the door and it made a soft click. There was a commotion and he looked up to see Aj sprint to the top of the stairs and look down. "Mon dieu, o? avez-vous ?t? ? she said quickly. He blinked.

Phillipe stood stock still, looking at the bathroom door. He thought for a moment before quickly coming to a decision. Moving swiftly before she could come out of the bathroom, he bolted to the bedroom and quickly stripped the bed, remaking it with fresh clean sheets. When he had finished with the bed, he grabbed what few things he needed for the night and returned to the front room. He could still hear Aj moving around in the bathroom...He'd better hurry.
He quickly stripped to his underclothes and, grinnning to himself, slid into the daybed, pulling the blankets up over himself and turning towards the wall.
A few moments later, he heard the bathroom door open, followed by soft footsteps crossing the room. The footsteps stopped when they were only halfway across the room.
"Monsier Mouse, what are you doing?" He closed his eyes, feighning sleep.
"Phillipe!" she said loudly. He made an exaggerated snore. "Very funny." she said."Now get out of my bed and go to your own." Opening his eyes, he rolled back over and grinned at her. "I am in my own bed." he said, rasing his hand and pointing to the bedroom. "Yours is in there."
"I told you," she started, "I'm not taking.." but he cut her off.
"Look," he said. "You're not taking my bed - I am giving it to you."
"Symantics" she said flatly.
"Call it what you want." He said gently at her. "I need this Aj."
"What?" You need the daybed?" she asked skeptically?
No," he replied. "I need to know that you are as confortable as I can make you, and that means you get the bedroom."
"Oh yeah?" she grinned, moving to grab his arm. "Well, I bet I can make you move."
He jerked his hand back. "I wouldn't do that if I were you..."
"And just why not?" she laughed.
He pointed to his clothes on the floor. "Because, I'm not dressed." Then with a pleasant smile and a "Nite!", he closed his eyes and rolled over.
Aj just stood there, her hand to her mouth, which had fallen open.

Phillipe woke several hours later. He could hear that the marketplace was in full swing outside. He slipped out of the day bed and went to the window, but could see very little as this side of the building didn't offer a good view of the street. The bedroom faced the front of the street, and Aj was in the bedroom.
He got dressed and moved around the room cleaning up the place and making it more presentable, all the while staying quiet so that he wouldn't wake the sleeping girl. When everything was very clean, he went to the kitchen area and did the same, following that with the bathroom. He noticed while he was cleaning that Aj was very neat around the house. He never once saw any of her clothes lying about on the floor or bunched up in corners, not even in the bathroom. She always put her laundry into the hamper. He smiled to himself. It was just a little thing, but thinking about her laundry lying in that hamper mixed in with his made him feel good. It felt...right.
When he could no longer find things to clean and keep himself busy, Phillipe settled onto the couch and picked up a book. He began to read, but couldnt concentrate and put the book down. Then his eyes fell on Aj's bags.
He sat and stared at the for a moment, then glanced towards the bedroom door. Then he looked back at the bags. He figeted and shifted his position on the couch and looked at them again. Staring at the bags, he noticed the corner of a piece of paper sticking out from a side pocket on the left bag. Glancing at the bedrom door one last time, he slipped over and pulled the paper from the pocket.
It was a photograph of two people standing in front of two motorcycles. The girl on the right was Aj, and her face was nearly bursting with happiness. One arm circled around the waist of the man next to her while the other rested lightly on his shoulder, her body half turned towards him. The man was young, maybe a few years older than Phillipe. He had dark hair, strong features and a smile that showed lots of straight white teeth. "Antonio", Mouse whispered softly. He waited for the pang of jealousy that he expected would follow, but instead felt only sadness filling his heart. The smile on Aj's face was radiant, and he had not seen her like that since meeting her. Oh yes, she had been happy, but this... this was beyond happiness. This was pure joy, and the realization humbled him.
He walked to the corner of the room and took down a picture frame that sat on the shelf there. He turned it over and removed the drawing that was in it. The drawing wasn't important. It was just a picture of himself that a traveling illustrator had drawn, and he never thought that it was very good. But it was the silver frame that he cared about. He ran his fingers over the edge of the frame and felt it's rough, dented surface. He knew it wasn't real silver, probably only tin. It was old...the oldest thing he owned, in fact. But it was also the only thing that he had that came from before he could remember. It was the only thing he had, he knew, from his mother.
Phillipe couldn't remember her of course, and he didn't know who she was. Even the orpanage didn't know. But when he was found they had taken anything else that had been with him and sold it to cover orphanage expenses. Only the frame was left for him. Because it wasnt worth selling, they said.
Phillipe slid Aj's picture into the battered frame and returned it to the shelf, placing it carefully so that it was stable and faced the center of the room. He sighed.
"Mom...Dad..." he whispered. "This is Aj...and Antonio. They are friends of mine so keep them safe for me, okay?" He sniffed. "Antonio..he's with you there, so make him welcome. But Aj's down here, with m..." His voice cracked and suddenly he was crying, unable to stop. He heaved silently and whispered, "No matter wha..what happens....make..make her happy again."
He stood there for several moments, crying silently, when suddenly he heard the bedroom door click. Aj was awake, and she was coming out! He turned and slipped into the bathroom, trying to gain control of himself as he quickly closed the door.

They were both exhausted.
After staying up all night the night before, trying to sleep during the day, and then the dramatic and emotional outburst from each of them afterwards, they were both emotionally spent and tired. They had moved from the floor to the couch, where they each in turn began to tell the other about their past.
Phillipe told Aj about his vague memories of the orphanage. How he ran away from it when he was only a small child...and how living on the streets had forced him to steal to survive. Later he had tried to stop being a thief and gotten this place from the tailor downstairs for practically nothing.
Aj told Phillipe about her life in Salem and her parents and their obsession with the magical arts.- How she had been destined to live up to the family honor and become the next 'great one' in the family, - And how, with Antonio's death, she had left it all behind and sought escape, and the fates had brought her here.
"So your parents are still alive, unlike mine." He said it simply as a fact, not with sadness or accusation.
"Yes, they are fine." She responded, and Phillipe sensed a bit of anger in her words.
"Do you miss them?"
She hesitated, then said, "Yes, especially my sisters." Her voice was soft now. "But I spoke with Alexandria, my younger sister, not long ago.
He looked amazed. "But, how?"
She smiled faintly. "It's part of the magic."
His eyebrows lifted. "You can still do it?" She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. A bright blue flame appeared from the tip of one finger. "Wow." he said, impressed. "You must be able to do lots of things then." She shrugged smiling, and blew out her finger. He laughed at that.
On and on they spoke, about their pasts and desires for the future until at last they were talked out and just sat silently, Aj in Phillipe's arms. They were so tired that soon they both dozed off and fell asleep in each other's arms.
When morning came, and Phillipe awakened, his first awarness was that of a weight on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down to see Aj's beautiful chestnut hair splayed out around her head as she slept, resting against his chest. He smiled sleepily and gently stroked her head, then lifted a lock of her hair to his nose and breathed in the smell of her. And he thought sleepily, 'If I'm dreaming right now, let me never awaken', before drifting back off to sleep for real, a pleasant smile on his face.

Phillipe carried Aj into the place they were sharing and she was laughing, holding roses and a bottle of whiskey in her hands. "Put me down!" She yelled and he smiled before setting her down. "Alright alright." He said with a laugh. They walked up the stairs.

"You know I heard you play the guitar earlier..." He noted to her with a smile before he went into the kitchen to grab some glasses for the drink they had. "Oh?" She asked, blushing a little. Did he really hear her sing? "You sounded wonderful AJ." He noted with a smile, before pouring their drinks. "Why don't you play me a song?"

She took a sip of the whiskey and smiled. "Sure.. I guess." She said, standing up and moving for the bedroom where the guitar was sitting on the bed. Thinking a moment she panicked inside her head. "What am I going to play..." She thought back to when she was growing up... the first song she really learned how to play would be perfect, she thought. So she picked up the quitar and walked out to the main room where he sat down on the couch. Sitting down beside him she picked up a pic she found and she held the guitar in her hands, fingers finding the first notes she would need to play.

"Here goes nothing..." She said before she took another sip of her drink and set it down. "Go ahead..." He said to her with a smile.

Relaxing a little she began to strum out a few chords, looking casually from the guitar to him. "I don?t need a lot of things I can get by with nothing" Was the first part she began to sing, her voice was quiet, but soothing at the same time. He just sat there smiling at her. "Of all the blessings life can bring. I?ve always needed something." The song began to bring back memories of sitting in her room, playing LeAnn Rimes all night on the guitar, and it made her smile, but she continued playing and singing. "But I?ve got all I want." A pause, before she continued. "When it comes to loving you. You?re my only reason." Another pause as she smiled to him. "You?re my only truth"

She began to strum out the chords for the chorus... and this she sang with no pausing at all, but still a little nervous.
"I need you like water
Like breath, like rain
I need you like mercy
From heaven?s gate
There?s a freedom in your arms
That carries me through
I need you"
A smile on her face as she continued to play. He sat there smiling back at her, just watching her play the guitar and sing.
"You?re the hope that moves me
To courage again
You?re the love that rescues me
When the cold winds, rage
And it?s so amazing
?cause that?s just how you are
And I can?t turn back now
?cause you?ve brought me too far"
She paused and looked to him and smiled once more, then continued to play a few chords before she continued her singing, her voice louder and a lot clearer, and a hell of a lot prettier than before because she was into the song.
"I need you like water
Like breath, like rain
I need you like mercy
From heaven?s gate
There?s a freedom in your arms
That carries me through
I need you
Oh yes I do"

She finished off the song, her voice cutting off. He clapped his hands happily and sipped the drink. "That was beautiful AJ." Setting the guitar on the ground, leaning it against the couch she blushed a little. "I never played for anyone outside my family before... that was the first song I ever learned really well too..." She smiled.

They spent a while there, just talking, her playing the guitar and singing to him, and drinking. A kiss here and there, and a lot of laughing. They were having quite a bit of fun just being in eachother's company.

She paused and simply stared at the gift Phillipe gave her for a moment before reaching for a house coat and slipping it on. Then walking over to them she touched them, studied them. "You like?" He asked behind her and she didn't say anything for a moment before she turned to look at him. "I love it, thank you." Was said to him before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He simply smiled as she bruied her face into his neck.
"I made it myself." He said proudly, putting his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out. She laughed a little and kissed his cheek again. "Those will really come in handy, you don't know how bad I needed them." She said with a smile still played across her face.
Picking them up she walked over to the chair by the window, the one where her guitar was leaning on the wall beside it, and set them down on it. She then turned to him, he was still standing in the doorway.
She simply walked over to him and kissed him once more, before grabbing the door that was still open and pushing it shut. The fire out in the main room was dying, and the streets of Rhy'Din were still busy... the city that 'really' never sleeps.

The figure stood motionless, not answering immediately. After severals seconds, it turned and moved slowly in a large arc, circling the man in the chair as a preditor might circle it's prey. "You are the one called The Mouse..."
It was a statement, not a question, and the voice which spoke was soft and had a strange quality to it. Perhaps reptilian? The small man in the chair nodded silently, to which the figure responded, "Ah. Good."
"Look", said The Mouse, "What is this all about? Why have you asked me here in the middle of the night? And why all the secrecy? Why couldn't I tell Aj?"
"So many questions..." the figure said slowly.
The Mouse shifted in his chair. "What do you want from me?"
"You are here because I have need of your....talents." the voice said plainly."I wish for you to aquire something for me."
"I'm not in that business anymore."
"Leopards don't change their spots."
The Mouse stood. "I'm not a leopard, and I'm not a theif. - Not anymore." He turned to leave.
"I want your girlfriend's spellbook." the dark figure said.
The Mouse spun around and stared. "You have got to be kidding me!"
"I do not joke."
The Mouse laughed derisevly. "You must be daft. I would never steal anything from Aj!"
The cloaked figure moved forward from the shadows and reached up to lower it's hood. The Mouse saw piercing reptilian eyes and a long snort with razor sharp teeth. He froze.
"I think I may be able to pursuade you." the raptor said.

"O? est mon livre?" She was asking herself that morning. Her almond eyes gazed around on the floor. Hands and knees were moving her across that floor as she continued to look. Moving blankets, chairs, the dresser at one time. "Rien!" She would shout after a few moments of another failed attempt to find it. "It was right there when I fell asleep! It was right there." She pointed to the spot on the floor by the wall where she put it. Her mind was racing. "What could I have done with it...?" She asked herself, standing up and brushing off her pants.

Phillipe was standing in the doorway, silently watching her. She hadn't notice him by now, but she moved past him, letting a hand brush across his chest as she moved past. Her almond eyes were filled with worry. "D?esse..." She said to herself as she began her search in the front room. "If I don't find it... I'll never forgive myself..." She whispered quietly to herself in the darkness of their appartment. "Aj, how could you be so silly..." She asked herself, sitting down on the couch, forgetting the search for the moment. "I know I lose things all the time, but the spellbook... am I really that horrible with where I place things?"

Her eyes gazed to the bedroom where Phillipe was inside. "Maybe he saw it..." She said to herself before getting up and walking over to the bedroom, Phillipe was sitting on the bed. "Hey... Phillipe; Have you seen my mother's spellbook?" She asked, her almond eyes taking a glance around the room. "I know it sounds silly but I could have sworn on my life that I put it down by that wall right there on the floor." She laughs a little at herself, a nervous laugh. "Can you help me look for it?" She questioned him.

Her almond eyes gazed into the bathroom where Phillipe was... how did he get so sick. "Are you alright?" She would ask, before stepping into the doorway. "Phillipe..?" She would ask once more and he wouldn't answer her. Figuring he was still feeling pretty sick she continued her search. "Have you seen where I put that damn book?" She called to him once more, no answer... He was being quiet.

"I don't know what happened to it... I mean I put it right by the bed. I had it next to me!" She started getting a little angry with herself. "I told myself I would never lose that book.... Ever..."

She went to blow him a kiss, but he was already out the door. "Phillipe...?" She asked, before walking... no, running to the door and swinging it open... but it was no good. He was already heading out. "What the hell?" She questioned, but decided to follow on foot.

Casting a quick spell on herself she would not appear to anyone around her. No one could see her at all. A shadow, nothing more nothing less. Her feet carried her and inside the emotion would begin to build... worry, anger, saddness even... "Why is he acting so strange?" She would question herself, still following close behind him.

Who knows what she would find out...

"How could he....?" She asked herself as she opened the door to that apartment of theirs. "I mean... I trusted him... I dared to trust myself to someone again." The sobs were still as violent as when they started, she simply couldn't stop.

The apartment was empty... and the echo of her footsteps made her all the more furious. Her footsteps carried her over to the bedroom and when she opened the door she instantly gazed at the unmade bed where they had slept together. "I can't stay here..." She whispered to herself before grabbing her bag, and gathering all her clothes and belongings. "How could I have been so naive!? I can trust no one it seems..." Her french accent almost destroyed her attempt of yelling at herself in english. Her words were almost undefinable.

Putting her diary, and grabbing her guitar last she picked up a pen and a piece of paper before writing a note to him.

Phillipe

I cannot stay here anymore...You know damn well I will be staying at the inn... you better of had to have a good explination... I don't even know why I am writing this to you, maybe it's because I still love you... I don't know why I do right at this moment...

Tears flowed from her eyes yet as she continued to write.

I have nothing else to say to you... but goodbye.

-Aj-

She finished the note and stuffed the pen into her bag. She then put the bag down and slipped on her coat and then putting her gloves on. Her eyes glanced to the silver frame, and the picture in it, before walking over and carefully taking the picture out, leaving the back off of the frame she set it down. She put the picture in her bag before throwing it over her shoulder, and grabbing her guitar and leaving.

Not one thing was left behind from her in that apartment... not one single piece of clothing. No old notes to Phillipe, no guitar... nothing. It was almost as if she were never there.

Her tears continued to flow under her helmet as she turned the bike on, and sped off towards the inn.