AN: A wild chapter appears.

Oils Stains and Meetings

Chapter 3

"Look out!"

Precia's reflexes perhaps weren't as sharp as one would expect for someone her age. At the tender age of sixteen, most adults would say she should be as agile as a cat. Sadly, that was not the case. Precia only turned in time to see a body collide with her own. There was no time to brace for the impact that followed. The smell of freshly cut grass cut through her senses followed by a dull pain.

"Are you okay?"

"That voice..."

Very reluctantly, Precia opened her eyes to confirm her worst fears. Looking down at her, brow creased in worry, was Lindy. Precia could feel the heat crawling from her neck up to her ears. This couldn't be happening.

"Is she alright?" Someone else asked. Precia recognized the voice as Linith's.

It was enough to distract Lindy from continuing to scrutinize the girl below her. Lindy pushed herself up from her position to address Linith. Precia didn't know how to feel. On one hand, she had never been so close to her crush before. On the other, she felt like she was about to die from embarrassment. Why had she even been tackled by Lindy anyway?

"I think she's okay. Maybe a bit disoriented."

"That was quick of you to get her out of the way."

Lindy smiled. "Well I wasn't gonna let a pretty girl get hurt because of an errant soccer ball."

Precia was sure she'd died and gone to heaven. She soon found her view obstructed by her annoying, but faithful best friend.

"Are you ever going to get up?" The playful smirk on Linith's lips wiped away the last bits of her disorientation. There would be endless teasing from all this. She could feel it. Without a word she pushed herself up from the ground and quickly walked away from the duo who did nothing but watch her leave.

"Was it something I said?" Lindy cast a nervous glance to Precia's retreating back. Part of her wanted to go after the other girl, but last time she did that, her efforts were less than welcomed.

"No, she's just," Linith paused. "Very shy."

Still unsure, Lindy continued to stare after the girl she'd had a crush on since she laid eyes on her.

"If you say so..."

Lindy continued to stare after the girl she loved all through high school and up until the day they graduated. Never doing or saying anything to pursue her crush. It was the one thing she regretted up until fate smiled on her and she ran into that girl, now a women, once again.

"So, you never told her?" Chrono looked unbelievably at his mother. He'd known that his father was not the first person his mother had feelings for, but he never imagined his mothers first love was the mother of his underclassmen.

"No." Lindy sighed. "Precia never really showed interest in me, but there were times I thought, maybe, just maybe, she liked me back. Then I'd do or say something that left her upset."

Chrono chuckled. "Not a smooth talker?"

"I never really considered myself smooth at anything."

"Except with cars right?"

It was Lindy's turn to laugh. It was true that where she failed in charming her crush, she was able to work her charm on machinery much more successfully.

"Yes. In my opinion they are easier to understand."

"Well, do you have a plan for your date?"

Lindy chuckled nervously. Although she'd called it a date before hanging up with Precia, she was almost certain the other women did not see it as such.

"About that..."

"Mom, I refuse to let you fail this time."

"Eh?"

The seriousness in which her son addressed her definitely caught her off guard.

"We're going to make sure you don't screw up this time."

"We?"

Chrono didn't answer her and instead stood up with phone in hand.

"Amy? I'm going to need your help."

xxx

"I don't need help." Precia glared at her soon to be dead best friend. Her glare softened but it didn't lessen the message as she turned to her daughters. "And I don't recall ever asking for it."

Alicia rolled her eyes. "Mom, please. You looked like you were about to have a meltdown."

Preica's eyes narrowed at her oldest.

"What she meant," Fate elbowed her sister. She wished Alicia was a bit more tactful. "Was that you haven't been on a date in years. It wouldn't hurt to have a bit of help would it?"

"Like a refresher course!" Linith added too enthusiastically. "Come on Precia. When was the last time you went on a date?"

Preica kept silent. She was not about to let any of them know exactly how long it'd been since she dated. Linith probably had a good guess, but she wasn't going to give her an accurate number. Precia closed her eyes. It had been awhile since she dated anyone. Her late husband being her last romantic involvement.

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

Linith and Alicia jumped up in celebration. Fate smiled as reassuringly as she could. They'd never expected to actually get through to Precia, but the least she could do was try to keep Linith and Alicia in check. She did want her mother to have a good date. If anyone deserved to be happy it was her.

"First, where are you guys going for lunch?"

"I haven't decided on a place yet."

"Then pick one now!" Linith practically shoved the phone in her face. "And let her know."

"Linith can we at least do this later? I have dinner to work on."

"No, this is much more important than feeding your children."

At that moment, Linith's stomach decided that it too was hungry and neglect wouldn't be an option.

"Maybe its important to feed all of us."

"We have all week Linith. There's no need to rush."

"That's true", Alicia chimed in while she looked for plates to use. "And you can fill us in on even more embarrassing stories from your high school years."

"Linith I swear I will kill you if you tell them any more things."

"But mom!" Alicia and Fate had been dying to hear stories for the longest time. They wouldn't be robbed of this opportunity.

"Sorry girls, but I'd like to live long enough to at least see your mom go on this date."

The girls pouted at the response but didn't pursue the issue. The fact they got as much as they did deterred them from pushing their luck too much.

xxx

"You know you really should just talk to her."

Precia sighed. If it wasn't Linith tormenting her, it was this person who suddenly saw fit to give her advice whenever he was around. From the corner of he eyes, she could already see the mess of blonde hair settling beside her. Would it kill him to comb it even a little?

"And when did I ask for your advice?"

"Your face says it all."

"What an amazing ability you possess to see my facial expressions when I'm not even facing you."

He chuckled. "Please, this is where you go to mope."

"I do not mope."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Precia chose not to answer him on the grounds that it was none of his business.

"What do you want Michio-san?"

Michio grinned slightly at the exasperated tone. Clearly Precia was not in the mood for his brand of flirting today. Not that she was ever in the mood if he was honest with himself. It was just his luck to fall in love with a girl who had no interest in him. Looking out the window, his eyes landed on the person that did hold Precia's affection. Lindy truly was a lucky and oblivious girl. They both were. He recognized the looks Lindy threw at the even more oblivious Precia, but said girl never seemed to notice. At the rate things were going, the two girls would never confess to each other. For him, that was the best outcome he could hope for. It was selfish. He knew and he hated himself for it, however, his other half wanted nothing more than to see Precia happy. Hence why he started giving out advice in hopes of, maybe helping her achieve happiness even if it cost him his own.

"Well, I heard about what happened earlier..." he trailed off.

"Do you have nothing better to do than stalk me?"

"I resent that remark." He playfully bumped his shoulder against her's. "Plus it was hard to ignore when the entire school started talking about how the girls soccer captain saved the reclusive school nerd."

Precia scoffed.

"Their words not mine."

"Is that all you came to confirm?"

"No. I also came to tell you to talk to her."

"I don't know why you would even suggest such a thing."

"Because you like her."

"Everyone likes her."

"But you love her." When Precia didn't answer he continued. "Look, all I'm saying is give yourself the chance to be happy. You'll never know unless you try."

xxx

"Wait so even dad knew?" Alicia squealed.

"Oh yes. He knew it was a losing battle for him but he never stopped being there for your mom." Linith answered.

This wasn't what Precia would consider dinner conversation, but Fate and Alicia's curiosity got the best of them. After hearing a tiny bit about her past, they wanted more. Really, she blamed herself for being so tight lipped about her younger years. It was more out of embarrassment than anything else. Like the saying went, hindsight is 20/20 and talking about all these things made her realize just how blind both she and Lindy had been.

"Michiro was, if anything, persistent. Unlike some other suitors though, he knew when to stop. It wasn't until we met again in my last year of college that I decided to give him a chance."

"Then we came!" Alicia proudly proclaimed.

Precia coughed. Truly her oldest could be very blunt sometimes.

"Yes, you two came into our lives." Precia took of sip of her water. "I suppose things happen for a reason. If Lindy and I had gotten together, would I still have you two? Would she have her son? Sometimes it doesn't help to dwell in the past."

"But you still loved her all this time right?" Fate asked.

"I did. Part of me would always love her. Your father knew this but he held a special place in my heart too. I was happy with him for whatever time we had. I wouldn't change that for the world."

"And now you have another chance at being happy." Linith smiled.

"I suppose I do." Precia admitted for the first time. "Although I find it highly disturbing that you are so invested in my love life."

"Precia I've been watching you fumble around Lindy for far too long. You two are getting together if its the last thing I do!"

"I think you need something better to do in your life. Like finding your own partner."

"Who says I don't have one already?"

Precia scoffed. There was no way Linith would be able to hide something like that from her. Linith's unwavering gaze, however gave her doubts.

"You're not serious are you?"

"Who knows?" Linith smiled mysteriously.

"I swear if you don't tell me the truth I'm going to fire you!"

Linith's laughter echoed from the kitchen as she went to start the dishes.

"I'm serious this time!"

xxx

Precia took a deep breathe. The day of their "date" was fast approaching and she'd yet to pick a place to go to. After much deliberating between Linith, Fate, and Alicia, they all finally decided on a nice casual place called the Midori-ya Cafe. It also happened to be owned by Fate's girlfriends family. She wasn't sure if there was an ulterior motive for choosing the location, but she was out of time. Quickly dialing the increasingly familiar number, she waited with baited breathe.

"Precia!"

She could practically picture the grin that accompanied that enthusiastic greeting.

"Lindy," her greeting was far more subdued. "I hope you're well."

"I'm more than well now."

Damn her and her effortless flirting. Had she always been like this?

"I-I figured you would like to know where we'll be eating." She tried her best to keep her heart rate under control. No she would not let Lindy continually fluster her.

"And here I thought you were going to stand me up."

"It would be quite foolish of me to stand up a pretty girl."

"I- uh,.."

Precia smirked. Oh how the tables had turned. She couldn't help but feel proud of herself. She hoped this would be the first of many times she left Lindy fumbling for words.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Midori-ya Cafe."

"Oh that's owned by Momoko-chan."

She knew it was irrational to feel jealousy at the familiarity in which Lindy addressed Momoko Takamachi. Granted they'd all attended school together, but she'd never been good friends with anyone except Linith and Michiro.

"You picked a good place. What time should I meet you there?"

"Does 1pm work for you?"

"Sounds perfect. I'll see you then, Precia."

There was no doubt in Precia's mind that Lindy said her name with far more affection than she had with Momoko's. As silly as it was, she felt a small flutter in her chest.

"I'll see you then."

"Bye."

Precia unceremoniously dropped onto her bed. She'd done it. Now all she had to do was make it through her date without making a fool of herself.

"God what have I gotten myself into?"

AN: I'm still alive guys. Maybe I'll actually update one of my other stories before the year is over.