A/N: Finally slapping up that last chapter has given me the strength to continue on! Y'know, several months later…haha…

This chapter's song is "Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)" by ABBA! Fun fact, I first heard this song because someone discovered it synced perfectly to a fight scene in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Extra special thank you to everyone who's slipped a favorite, follow, and/or review in here so far. It's a small thing that makes a huge difference and helps give me the motivation to proceed. I love you all! (hearts, hearts)

October was when fall really started to kick in and get kinda cold. The rain fell in heavy sheets that was almost to the point of freezing but not quite, giving the leaf-covered floor a sort of spongy feel to it every time I wandered off the mountain path to go foraging. I actually had to use my umbrella a couple times because I never understood the appeal of cold showers.

It was one of those cold rainy days when I finally decided to ask Dirk about the haikus I'd been getting. I took care of a few of my animals, unfolded my umbrella, double-checked my rucksack, and headed out into the downpour.

A decent amount of Mikhail's flowery hippie speech feels like it goes over my head, but I think I understand his whole…thing, with the rain now. I mean, when you're crop farming, the rain is a beautiful gift that basically does most of your chores for you, which is sick, but it's also very calming to listen to. Another thing I learned about Mikhail was the reason he walked around with his giant trench coat – it helped keep him warm in all this freezing rain, since umbrellas are for us unenlightened folk I guess.

The air smelled very clean and rain-y, but god it was cold. Even with the umbrella keeping me mostly dry, there was a bit of a wind to it that seemed to chew through my hoodie like my uncle at a pie eating contest. Thankfully the stone pathways weren't completely covered in mud and running water, so I wouldn't be leaving several two-inch rubber bootprints behind me on my way to Dirk's house. I stop near Kana's shop and idly slip a hand into my rucksack, feeling the haikus and their envelopes fill my palm. Was this a good idea after all? Maybe it would be best if I didn't say anything. After all, Dirk was one of the bachelors I was supposed to woo, and telling him I had a secret admirer might deter him.

"Something bothering you?" Reina shakes me out of my thoughts. She's standing across from me beneath her own Indigo-colored umbrella. "You've been standing there with a scowl on your face for a full minute, at least."

I don't know what it is with Konohana girls and finding me when I'm lost in thought, but…well. It sure is a thing that happens. "Oh, I'm okay. Just…thinking about stuff, I guess."

"I don't suppose it's something you could tell me about?" Hm. Well, that's an angle I never considered…I don't think Reina of all people might know who this haiku-person is, though. Still…

I twist the umbrella in my hands. "Well…yeah, actually. But you've got to promise not to tell anyone, okay?" Reina's eyebrows raise, but she does nod. "Um…can we talk about it somewhere else?"

"Of course we can." She says. "I was just about to examine some samples on the mountain – we can go there, if you like."

"Works for me."

Half past twelve

And I'm watching the late show in my flat all alone

How I hate to spend the evening on my own

Autumn winds

Blowing outside the window as I look around the room

And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom

Reina turned the haiku over in her hands, examining it as carefully as any plant specimen. "A part of me does still think it's a long-running prank, but…" I sighed. "I dunno, I figured I might as well tell someone. Get a second opinion."

"Hm." Reina handed the paper back to me. "Well, if you're looking for speculation, I'm afraid I won't be much help. However…I do think we can rule out Kana."

"Kana? Why?" I carefully folded the haiku and slid it back into my rucksack.

Reina shrugged. "He never seemed the calligraphy type, at least to me. Do you have any theories?"

"Well…" I shifted weight from one foot to the other. "I haven't really thought about it that much. None of them have come with the mail, so it's probably not Dirk – or at least, whoever-it-is isn't asking Dirk to deliver for them."

"I see." Reina and I stood in silence for a little while, the only sound being the rain off our umbrellas.

"I – uh, sorry. I'm probably getting in the way of your work with my nonsense…" I dug the toe of my shoe in the mud. "I'll...I'll figure something out."

Reina gave me a small smile. "You apologize too much. Good luck finding them, Diana."

"Thanks. I'll…I can keep you updated, if you'd like." Reina is a nice person, but I always feel like I'm constantly overlooking something when I'm around her. For the life of me, though, I can't imagine what it is.

Reina does nod, so that's probably a good sign. "If it will help, then feel free to visit me at any time. Are you planning on telling anyone else..?"

Well, I originally didn't intend to tell Reina, but now that I have…a certain someone from Bluebell springs to mind. "Now that you mention it, I think so. I'll keep you posted – and thanks so much for keeping this under wraps, Reina. I'll try to repay you one day, I swear."

"You don't have to repay me for anything. I'm your friend – I'm glad to help you out, even if it's for something small." Reina looked down. "Ah…I should probably be going now. I have some samples I'd like to collect before the day is through. I'll take my leave now."

I reach out and give her a quick hug. She freezes, but softens and hugs me back before letting go. "Thanks again, Reina. I'll see you around."

There's not a soul out there

No one to hear my prayer…

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

After making my way back to town, I bumped into Hiro, who insisted on asking me out to tea. I mean, he had a tendency to insist on paying, and I wasn't going to turn down a free meal. Even if I'm not quite sure he's gotten the memo that I don't like tea, yet.

The tea house was nice and warm. Mako had apparently started a small fire in the fireplace, and Hiro and I were sitting at a small table nearby. The rain was still ongoing – you could hear it pattering against the roof quite clearly, occasionally interrupted by a distant peal of thunder. It was…nice. Very nice, actually.

"You really shouldn't spend so much time out in the rain." Hiro finished stirring his tea and gently tapped the side of the cup with his spoon. "I don't want you getting sick."

I laughed. "There's the Hiro I know and love. I'll be careful, you big worrywart. You know," I blew off some steam from my cup of hot chocolate. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're only telling me this stuff on the off-chance you get to pull an 'I-told-you-so' moment."

"I'm your doctor." He reminded me, avoiding my eyes. "It's my job to be a worrywart."

"Hey, I'm not saying it's a bad thing." I put my cup back on the table. "I just think it's kinda funny. Cute, even. I think I see why Ayame dotes on you so much."

Hiro pouts into his tea. "A man is not supposed to be cute, Diana."

"You can be cute and still be a man, Hiro. It's the modern era, for goodness' sake. Just be you, I guess is what I'm saying." A peal of thunder shook the tea house, causing both of us to jump.

Hiro looked up. "That's strange. Normally storms this bad only happen in summer."

"Really? I-" my voice is cut off with a bright flash of light, almost immediately followed by a loud boom I try and shield my ears from. Reina's still out there.

Hiro seems to know what I'm thinking as I'm thinking it. "Diana, as your doctor, I cannot condone-"

"Okay, but what about as my friend?" I down the rest of my hot chocolate in one gulp and head to the door, one hand grasped tightly around my umbrella.

Hiro grabs my shoulder, gaze serious. "As your friend, I'm going out there with you."

Movie stars

Find the end of the rainbow, with a fortune to win

It's so different from the world I'm living in

Tired of T.V.

I open the window and I gaze into the night

But there's nothing there to see, no one in sight

The wind howls – it really is a nightmare of a storm. Hiro and I seem to have somehow combined our umbrellas, not so much to keep us from getting wet as to keep them from flying off. The visibility is absolute garbage, and I know it's only going to get worse when we go off the path.

I know vaguely where Reina goes when she's doing her job, which narrows down our places to look considerably – not to mention she never goes over the crest of the mountain. Toss in potential sheltered areas, and I only have about two or three places to look. Unfortunately most of these are pretty far off the path, and since I'm pretty sure Hiro has never done any sort of off-roading in his entire life, I can't shake the feeling he may be more of a liability than a help. Still, if Reina is in real trouble…

"Reina!" Hiro calls. "Are you out there?" Another gust of wind almost blows our umbrellas out from our combined grasp and we both halt. I can feel Hiro's cold weather coat slapping against my thigh with the wind – it's drenched, just like mine.

I being tugging him off the path, suddenly very aware that he didn't have muddy boots. "It's going to get really hard to move from now on," I call over my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more concerned about you." Hiro said, hopping down next to me. "Do you know where to look?"

I nod and lead us deeper into the shadows. Brambles tug at my clothes, but I forge ahead first. It's so loud, but now that we've trees over our heads it gets marginally quieter – the thunder sounding distant. I imagine the worst of the storm is over; that or we're in the eye of it, which means our time frame is rapidly growing short.

Under the main path is a small, almost tunnel area, on the way to a waterfall. This is the first place I thought of. "Reina?" My voice has an odd echo within the enclosed space. "You okay?"

Another flash of lightning cracks the sky, and I see a bloom of blue in the bushes next to the waterfall, right below a cliffside teeming with plant life.

"We need to get her back to the clinic." Hiro's voice is shaking pretty bad. Sure enough, it's Reina. She's got a pretty bad cut on her head. Even with the rain washing some of it off I can still see the blood. There's also a pretty nasty slice on her right thigh – straight through the clothes.

It feels like my throat has closed in on itself. "Yeah."

There's not a soul out there

No one to hear my prayer…

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

As soon as the doors to the clinic close on Hiro and I it seems the storm kicks itself back up a notch or five. Somehow we managed to carry the umbrellas and Reina the way back with only a little trouble. Ayame looks up and instantly enters Doctor Mode, leading us to an examination table and talking medical with Hiro at seventy miles an hour. I excuse myself to a sitting area, sliding my umbrella into the umbrella stand and debating whether I should dry myself before sitting down.

Reina looked white as a ghost, it really scared me. I pace the waiting room five times before the shock wears off, and it takes another fifteen before my anxiety recedes enough for me to stop disassociating.

I can't help thinking about what happened…I should have stayed with her. Was that what I was missing? Should have told her to lay off until tomorrow. But then, this was a freak storm. Would it have even made sense?

Another flash of lightning, another rumble of thunder like a hungry animal waiting outside the door for the right moment to-

"Diana." Ayame puts her hands on my shoulders. "Calm down. Reina is going to be fine. Goddess, you're shaking like a leaf."

I haven't been scared of thunderstorms since I was a kid. I feel myself relax, although there's still a tight-bound ball of lead in my stomach. "I-" I find myself speaking "I'm not usually…"

For some reason, my brain drags me back into itself, into a memory. There was rain, like today, but milder. It was…a city, at night. The street lights glowing ethereal, cars sliding through the slick. Always something to do, somewhere to go. There's laugher, and talking. Then – the red light of the DON'T WALK sign, running, a flash of white light…

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight...

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight...

I snap back into myself. I'm in the clinic, swathed in a warm woolen blanket. Someone made tea. Lemongrass. Mikhail?

"There's something about storms," Mikhail. "That can dredge up the worst of our memories, and cause us to drown in them." He offers me a cup – he's sitting across from me, dumb white coat absent.

I take a sip, to steady myself if nothing else. Ugh, tea. Well, at least I'm focusing on something else now. "Um…I guess that's one way to put it."

"I hear you have quite a knack to play the hero." He's trying to keep his expression neutral, but his eyes don't lie. There's something going on in his head, but I'll need a team of researchers and about three months to decipher it. "I…am glad you retrieved Regina. Truly."

Oh yeah, they dated at one point. I shift and force down another sip. "Me too."

"I am also worried about you. It's dangerous to be left alone with a storm ready to sweep darkness into your heart." He pours himself a cup and sips from it. What, is he…trying to get me to talk about it?

I ran my hands over the blanket. "I don't know what happened. I feel like…whatever it was, it was important, but all I got was a moment instead of the whole picture."

"I see. Well, if you need anyone to help navigate these moments with…I would be more than willing to lend my assistance."

He's after something. I don't know what, but that's the feeling gurgling in my gut, and my gut is hardly wrong. Or at least…I think so. But I guess this is one instance where I'll be glad to be wrong. After all, Mikhail is one of the guys I'm supposed to woo. "I might just take you up on that offer, then." My attempt at a smile is twitchy at best, but I'm sure I can brush it off as nerves. "We still up for rehearsal tomorrow? The festival is coming up."

"I am always willing to practice, but if it would make you more comfortable to put it off, then…"

"One thing about me you gotta know is that I always bounce back." I swirl the tea around in my cup. "Also…that I'm not super fond of tea."

He chuckled, which I took to be a good sign.

There's not a soul out there

No one to hear my prayer

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

Although the worst of the storm was long past, Hiro still insisted on walking me home. Mikhail and I had chatted for a few minutes more before the musician headed home, leaving me with a teapot still mostly full of lemongrass tea and a couple uneaten small cucumber sandwiches.

The wind had died down to a faint whisper, but it was still pretty cold. I'd have to drape a tarp over my crops to keep them from frosting overnight…hopefully the animals are still safe.

"Regina will have to stay in the clinic for at least the rest of the week." Hiro finally said as we passed Kana's store. "And, for what it's worth, I'd very much like for you to come in tomorrow."

"I think I understand why." I sighed. "I think I have suppressed memories, but I don't know why."

Hiro nodded. "Yes, that's usually the point of suppressed memories. You… never did talk much about your life before coming here. I am no therapist, of course, but perhaps that's where you should start?"

"Perhaps." We crossed the threshold to State farm. "Thanks for walking me home, Hiro. And for tea, and…all that."

"It is my pleasure to do so. I'll see you tomorrow, then?" The moon shines through a break in the clouds, illuminating a soft smile. At some point, we started holding hands.

"As my doctor commands." I let go. My clothes are still pretty wet, and I still have to cover my plants, and take a shower… "G'night."

"Good night. Sweet dreams." Hiro hesitates, but finally walks off. Just as soon as it came, the moonlight is mostly extinguished.

Year one is almost over already. I wonder if I'll complete my objective ahead of time. The thought sets my stomach churning with disgust, but still…

I'm starting to get homesick again.

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

A/N: HHFHDHGSDG FINALLY. My next objective is to upload this more than, what, twice a year?

I'm kinda sad we're done with Fall 1 now, since autumn has always been my favorite season. Oh well!

I mean, unless y'all want to see the Music Festival. I could probably squeeze a chapter out of that, and I mean, it'd only be fair due to all the implied rehearsals and Chekhov's gun and stuff. It would be a sort of not-very-spooky Halloween special, and by that I mean it would be pretty short lol. Be sure to let me know!

NEXT TIME: Winter is coming.