(oooh, chapter 10, double digits, I am proud)

((mmm, trying to mimic HD style more so more, first person, present tense, as it is, very analogous writing, simply, simple thoughts and feeling pushed through it.)), reallllly need to work on using first tense verbs rather than past in the thinking mode though, that's how HD makes it, but trying not to make it seem to childish at the same time is hard…))

((an, , *breaths* no, I am not dead, yes I do and will continues. But, life is hectice, I am now a uni student YAY so I feel kind of out of touch with this right now, but I kept on and kept on getting reviews and after a while I just was like. oh dear… I really do need to do something about this… so DEADLINES. Yes, I will have some dead lines, for when you can expect the next chapters to be up, um… maybe a month between each chapter, most likely. But hey, it's be better than the what (year or so) between this.)

I sat in down, Sadie curled up by my feet, the surrounding granite not pushing down around me like it had once before, but it wasn't comfortable either. The feeling that swelled in my stomach was like when I'd been younger sitting at the kitchen table with Connor and Dad, waiting to be scolded for being caught doing something we had been told not too. This was maybe why, when Granny Carne perched her old form down opposite me, like a head teacher, I tensed.

"Sapphire," She started her voice the ever old wisdom filled voice that sent tremors down your spine.

"Yes."

"I understand." That was not something I really expected to hear, nor was the hand that stretched out over the wood and wrapped warmly round my own. She smiled, a strange smile that made her face glow with youth and age at the same time. It was like looking at two pictures over laid on each other. Then it was gone. "I'm old Sapphire, older than my teeth and a little bit younger than my tongue. But old, I know a little of what you feel." I swallowed my mouth suddenly very dry. My eyes had stopped stingy with tears and dried on the walk back to Granny Carnes house, but I was sure they where still red and puffy.

"What do I do?"

"I can't decide that for you Sapphire, you have to choose it for yourself." She pulled back patting my hand as she did so. "But you're a smart girl, you'll figure it out."

"But…" I started, my mind couldn't think straight, couldn't pulled together the thoughts and the feelings that conflicted. I didn't know what to do, I wanted to be told. "You're Granny Carne. You're the person everyone comes too when they need help."

She smiled, owl orange eyes flashing. "Sometimes, these things just need to run their course and they'll sort themselves out." With that she started outside to busy herself, with the things that Granny Carne does.

Leaning back I let out a sigh. It was not the most helpful advice, but even so. Standing up I headed for the door, Sadie, following at my heel, of course, Sadie was a good girl. I have no idea of the time it is now, or even what it was when I left… but I was sure I'd been gone too long.

And I soon find I'm right. I can tell because Sadie looks so tired on the way back. I walk slowly for her and she doesn't seem to mind, but she's not running ahead like she usually does. She's too old now for long walks. She can rest the rest of the day.

It's not only that though, I see Dave running down towards me.

"Sapphy!" He called before he's even reached me and doesn't stop, smiling as he pulls me towards him and holds me there. I grin, I can't help but grin. "You where gone for so long, you should have woken me up, I'd have come with you." He pushed back and stopped. His face turned sombre, not an expression I liked seeing on Dave, it isn't scary or worrying in fact, it doesn't make me feel anything. It just doesn't suit his face. "You've been crying?" he asks it as a question and I frown.

"It's nothing. I went up to see granny carne, I'm fine now." But I can see the hurt on his face, I wonder if he knows I'm lying. I wonder if really he knows something's wrong and is sad I haven't told him, sad that I told Granny Carne but not him. I don't like it any more than his other expression. I take his hand and start walking again.

"Come on, when we take Sadie back, we can go down to the cove. This time I won't swim so far out." The sudden change in subject changed his face back to the way it was supposed to be. But, the feeling of tension still hung out heavily between us. I could feel it… I just hoped it wouldn't come crashing down any time soon.

Sadie was glade to get back inside, slumping down on the kitchen floor and laying her head in her paws. Content with her long walk and too tired, she just lifted her head as Dave and I headed out the door, wet suits in hand. The water was cold still, but that had never deterred us before. We talk about pointless things like we always do on the way down to the cove, it was always easy to talk to Dave. He was the type of person that words simply rolled out towards. He was never complicated.

"Hey Saph?"

"Hm?" I turned from my place in front as we walked down the narrow path that leads to the cove.

"Listen, can you hear?" I blinked, but I listened and strained my ears but I didn't hear anything different to usual.

"What?" he grinned. Rolling his eyes and making room on the path to stand by my side, arm wrapped around my torso pulling me closer.

"The sea, sapphire, I would have though you'd be one to listen out for that."
"Oh… ooh." I muttered, Blinked and concentrated. Yes, now I paid attention I realised the sea was in the background, waves roaring against the rocks and sand and cliffs. Though, I was so used to it, that didn't mean it wasn't special, it was just something I didn't need to notice. "What about it?" he frown, faltered for a second before he shrugged.

"I don't know, it just sounds different today. Like it's… more of… I dunno. Sad."

I blinked, Dave was always happy, I preferred him that way, but he was also one of those people who could pick up on things other people didn't.

Perceptive, I think that was the right word. Yes, Dave was very perceptive of other people's feelings. I closed my eyes and paused trying to listen to the ocean again. This time I really concentrated, this time I could hear the low moans and the wails as the water rushed up and slammed into the cliffs. As it pulled back along the sands and the gulls squawked over head and I could picture it too. The sea did seem sadder today.

"Yeah." I muttered, "Yeah I know what you mean."

Then we were climbing down finding the footholds that my feet and hands knew off by heart and walking in-between the two heavy rocks until we reached the cove. The clean white sand than sloped gently all the way down to the water without being touched. The familiarity of it always brought a smile to my face.

However, today it didn't. Today something was wrong, very wrong.

"Hey do you see that?" Dave called from right behind me, he pointed his arm out to point to the line of rocks around the cove. The tide was out, but water still reached those further out. His arm drew a line to a point on the sharp black rocks where the waves smashed into them and frothed and exploded around. A point where the water seemed just a bit more violent than it did else where in the cove today.

Right where a figure sat on the rocks, silhouetted against the sunlight, looking like he wore a wet suit pulled down to his waist.

I didn't answer, I didn't speak, I just froze. I stared at the point in the water and my muscle froze. Somewhere inside me I felt burning anger raging around screaming too. My emotions conflicted as the fire pounded against the ice keeping my body still.

"Saph? Is something wrong?" His arm fell on my shoulder immediately and like a spell it just erased everything.

"Huh?" I mumbled, my eyes moved from the sea back to him. He gave a sly grin, but worry was etched into his features still.

"You just… freaked out for a moment?"

"Oh… sorry. Heh, I guess the other day." He relaxed then and his hand moved from my shoulder to put his arm over them and hug me to his side.

"I get it, don't worry Saph, I won't let anything happen to you. Ever, you know that."

I did as well. in that moment the figure on the rocks didn't bother me that much. He didn't bother me, because I knew what Dave told me was true. He'd never let anything happen to me, with him. I never had to worry again.

(a/n: so yes, there we go an update, it's short, i know, and the grammar, maybe iffy i did proof read, i didn't find much. i will try to update more... though i have to ask for feedback, for me this seemed a bit rushed... i'll try harder to flesh things out more hopefully with what happen next and muwhahaha, maybe faro and dave will actually meet...))