I wrote this all in one day. It's not much, really, but after months of doing nothing, I'm pretty proud of it. I hope you can be, too.

Her name is Rose.

Today, she goes to see him again. There's a vibrant flower clamped between her teeth. Its stem is littered with thorns. The petals curl and bow gracefully, blooming into something beautiful. Her light brown paws crunch softly on dirt, the cream color of her coat bristling with the soothing wind.

She's a Leafeon now. A beautiful, delicate creature with tears springing to her eyes. Her ears fall back loosely when she sits in front of the grave. She marked it with a smooth, pale stone that rested near the banks of the secluded lake.

She came out here every day to see him. Sometimes she'd stay for hours. Her heart was always heavy. Often, she made a point to bring a rose along with her, kneading softly at the ground as she placed it just next to the stone.

Already the area was littered with roses. Many were withered and brown, showing their age. Its funny, how something so beautiful and gorgeous can shrivel away if given enough time. She had clearly been doing this for a long while.

"Hey..." Her voice is low, quiet, as if afraid of disturbing him. He was gone, he had been gone for the longest time. But that didn't mean they couldn't talk. It was a good thing to do, after all. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

She smiles. It's a sad, broken thing. Her tail curls around her lower-half, the bladed green leaf crinkling with the action. She was still young and beautiful. It was clear in the sheen of her light brown fur, the way her eyes shone with glittering tears. She wouldn't cry. She would try not to.

"I miss you." It was the same routine. She usually opened with that. And she meant it with every fiber of her being, from the tips of her ears to the end of her tail, it resonated true. The waver of her voice only made the statement stronger. "You were such a sweet boy. I..." She bites her tongue, feeling a single tear slip its way down her cheek. "I wish we could have spent more time together."

Graves don't talk. They never do. The pale stone resting there, littered with flowers, simply sat. It gave nothing in return to the conversation, it just stood there, marking the resting place of the Eevee that had once been so full of life and energy.

You would think she'd know when to stop.

"I went out to the field today. There were so many pretty flowers." The smile that tugs at her muzzle this time is genuine and pure. Though, the tears won't stop. They continue to stream down from the corners of her eyes, glittering in the sunlight. "I'm sure you know which is my favorite, though." She whispers. The soothing brown of her eyes wash over the many roses littered around the stone, and she can't prevent the little sob that jumps up her chest. It was a sudden, unexpected sound, and her paw rises up to her lips to keep a second from following suit. She was stronger than this.

"I'm sorry," the Leafeon murmurs. Rose brings her paw back down, her claws digging into the soft earth. "I told myself I wouldn't cry. Not in front of you." She sniffs, not bothering to wipe away the tears. Her cheeks were still wet and damp with those crystalline droplets that continued to leak their way down. "But it... it's just the easiest thing to do anymore. I don't know how I can go on like this."

Rose shakes her head, fangs digging into her bottom lip. She had to stop thinking like that. He wouldn't want to see her like this. She was strong. She was proud. She had to be. If not for him, then for herself. "Don't you worry about me," she laughs, straightening up a bit and wiping away the wetness beneath her eyes. "I'll be fine. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

And she kept her promise, true enough. The sun made its way along the sky, burning the clouds a faint tinge of orange as it began to set. She could have been there for days and still would have wanted to remain at vigil. She would bring more flowers to him and pretend her heart wasn't punctured with the tiny little holes of sadness bordering on depression. No, no. She wasn't depressed. There were up-sides.

"Rose!" A voice calls out, and her ears perk up curiously. She had gathered another rose, held it tightly between her canines. At the sound of that voice, she bit down on the flower even tighter, the thorns digging into the flesh of her mouth. It hurt. Gods, did it hurt. And she was crying as the blood began to pool onto her tongue.

A Flareon steps out of the brush, head swiveling to spot her there with the flower between her teeth, tail and ears limp as she cried silently to herself. "Oh, Sweetheart," He coos, stepping closer to grab the stem of the flower from her mouth and pull it away, placing it down next to the little rock that already had several fresh roses gathered around its base. "Come here."

At his words, she moved closer, her head pressing against the fluff of fur gathered at the male's chest. He was warm, and the comfort he so willingly provided made her want to cry. Just so he could hear the sounds and take the pain away with his understanding and caring love. His paws rubbed her back soothingly, his voice carried to her on a weak breeze that rustled the bladed leaves of her ears.

"He was a good kid, wasn't he?"

She nods into his chest, sniffling and turning her head to look at the little grave. The sight of the roses scattered there broke her heart. Not all of them were from her. "You were here in the morning, weren't you?"

"Of course. He's my son, too, you know?" The Flareon chuckles, the boom of that happy sound rumbling in her ears and making her shiver with pleasure. His happiness was infectious, even though she'd only been so broken a few moments ago.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Rose." He purrs, turning his head to stare at the grave longingly. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't his, either. Nobody was to blame for something so tragic happening. "You're free to pay your respects whenever you want, but know that I worry when you're away from home for too long."

Nodding, the Leafeon eases herself away from her mate, picking up a rose and holding it between her paws. The thorns just barely pricked into her pads, not quite uncomfortable but certainly not the nicest sensation. She holds onto the flower a little longer, letting the actue sharpness of the thorns make her feel a little more awake. She was able to shake away the dizzying haze that had overcome her just moments before, and the soft brown of her eyes light up again. "We can try again, can't we?"

The Flareon tilts his head curiously, not quite understanding the question. She admires his cute look, remembering why she fell in love with that innocent face of his. He was so lost, and she smiled lovingly at him, as if to clarify. Rose drops the flower, letting it fall with the rest, bringing her paw over to caress his warm cheek, purring softly. "Another child, Leo. We can try again, can't we, Love?"

The male blushes at her touch, leaning his cheek into her paw and closing his eyes. He was so happy just to have her by his side. How long had he tried to win her over just to fall unconscious to the poison swimming in his veins? To have to suffer to that excruciating pain of swimming up to the surface of that darkness that blackened his spirit, gasping for air and choking on berry juice that she squeezed into his muzzle.

He hadn't even gotten the chance to catch his breath again before Rose cried in relief, throwing herself onto him and burying her face into his chest, claws digging into his skin as if holding him there, keeping him tethered to the world that he had believed to been robbed from him just a few moments ago.

And they shared a kiss so firey and passionate that it brought the life back into his bones, let him wrap his paws around her body and hold her close, wanting to cry with the mass of emotions swelling beneath his skin. She had eventually broke the kiss with a giggle, feeding him Pecha berries until he got sick and tired of them.

They were her favorite fruit.

"Of course we could try again, Sweetheart. You know I'd do anything to make you happy."

"My mate..." Rose cuddles up to the Flareon, purring softly. Happines washes off of her form in waves, and she listens to his heart beat against her ear. She loved the sound of it, strong and healthy. As long as that continued to pound out its rhythm, she knew she was safe. She knew happiness was right around the corner.

The pair make their way home beneath the wash of orange-red in the sky, tails intertwined. They speak of little things, allowing the grave of their son to rest by the lake where they fell in love. The surface of the water ripples in tiny waves against the gentle winds, peace and calm settling over the forest as the sun fell and gave way to a beauitful, luminescent night.

The roses wait patiently to be picked for the next day and many more after that.