A/N I noticed there were FIVE fan fics... ish. But still, not enough. I had to post one, and I'll probably post more chapters. Also, anyone wondering about my other fics... (if you happen to read this) my NoodlexMurdoc is going to end. I figured it all out at work whislt bored :D

and my ArtyxHolly? Still not sure about that, but i got a few ideas.

And about THIS v Ive got ideas too, so don't fret. Its nooot a oneshot.

Forever. It was a very, very long time. After all, it had only been a year since Sho had practically yelled that he'd never forget her. He hasn't. In fact, she... er, ALL the Borrowers tend to pop into his mind on a regular basis. Every fleeting moment when ever he wasn't occupied with something, (which, due to the recommendations of the doctor, he had best stay with his Great Aunt from time to time, somewhere stress free, blah blah blah) it was focused solely on Arrietty.

He sighed. He missed the shy little girl. A lot. He didn't know why, but he was sure it was for reasons he really didn't care to think about. The reason didn't matter. The Borrowers were gone. For good. Of course, they couldn't have really gotten too far, and he had though of that.

He remembered looking ever day he went out to 'enjoy the day,' hoping to catch the tiniest of a glimpse of red flashing about. He never actually did, but in his mind's eye, it was there. Taking things the humans would never miss.

Of course, this left an unfamiliar pain in his heart every time he thought about it. A crushing, twisting feeling in his gut that could never get rid of, no matter how hard he tried.

Of course, he was just being selfish. As long as humans were in the lives of the Borrowers, there would be dire consequences to follow, and despite how much he wanted just to protect Arrietty, things similar to what had happened just a year ago would surely repeat.

But he didn't particularly care. At all. He never did care in the first place. He just wanted to see them. Know them. Protect them. Protect her.

He sighed again.

Forever was LONG.

000

The little person in question was in fact, not in need of protection. Never wanted it in the first place, but Sho had grown on her anyway.

She was sitting in her 'room.' Arrietty was still sort of depressed about leaving what seemed like the greatest home, just like her mother. Her father, on the other hand, was content with the fact that they were safe. That was the important. They were fine.

To an extent, anyway.

Arrietty's father had definitely noticed her change in attitude. His wife was easy to read, being rather flamboyant with her emotions, always complaining half-heartedly about their 'kitchen,' which consisted of less than a quarter of the original little conveniences.

But Arrietty herself spent a large amount of time by herself. She secluded herself from her family almost immediately, not even wanting to confront them after they made her leave Sho. She felt safe with him, so it was ridiculous to move for the sole reason of safety. It was just a stupid misunderstanding! But...

She wasn't stupid. She, over time, got over her seclusion phase, and continued life normally. Her father had just wanted to do the same thing Sho did. Protect.

But what was Sho's reasoning for protecting her? She blushed at the thought that it might be the same reason that her father did it – love. She blushed even more furiously, pulling her knees to her face to hide it, and a slight grin that she couldn't hold back.

She was sitting on her bed, made of a little yarn cloth and hay. It was scratchy and slightly uncomfortable at first, but it was awesomely warm during the coldest nights.

Sho made a much warmer bed, she assumed. The time she had spent in direct physical contact with the human, she had learned that their temperature was very, very warm. And, suddenly, her face followed the temperature in persuit as she pulled her knees up higher. She missed him.

"Arrietty, come out for dinner!" Her mother called cheerfully.

All thoughts about the past aside, she hopped up and jogged out of her room, yet again, like every other day, preparing to continue as if nothing ever happened. As if it didn't matter. But it didn't, right? Of course not. She had her mother. Her father. Heck, she even had Spiller from time to time, the adorable, muscular man who would drop by every few days.

Spiller sort of had a thing for her, but he was even shyer than her, and would never admit to such a thing. Plus, he had told her once, that he was technically "with another. Pretty. Like you, but different."

He touched her arm with his index and pointer fingers, then to his own.

"Colour." He did the same with her hair. "Colour. Yours is nice too though!" He said with a large grin. Then he pointed to her eyes. "Colour, and a little less..." he paused, unsure of what the best descriptive word was, "... soft. Lived a similar life." He grinned again. "But different."

"Some men have many pretty women," he said another time, with an eyebrow raised, suggesting something, but not really expecting an answer. "Not just one. One's common though, no complaining, no one is unhappy unless..." he paused, the word creating a bad taste in his mouth and he glanced at Arrietty. The look on her face was one of sadness, and the last word he said that day was the reason, "alone."

Spiller was just a friend. And for now, a friend, a mother, and a father, was all Arrietty had. All she needed. Just... not all she wanted.

Well... dinner with the family was good at least!

A/N YAY, that was fun. They'll meet later, I promise.