It's Because You're Here [Cody and Mazie]

How long has it been?

The girl was unsure of this herself, but having set off to return back to Forget-Me-Not Valley seemed to be the only thing that she thought to do upon recollecting the pieces of herself that had shattered due to recent events. Once her father had been given the clear that the cancer was gone, and he was well into his recovering stages, the young farmer found herself swallowed up in a mixture of relief and guilt.

Of course she had always wanted to leave the city--there was a draw to the country lifestyle that she simply couldn't ignore--but being so far away from her family meant such things this occurring in her lifetime. The scare that it had put into her when her mother told her that her father had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and the weight that had fallen upon her was unexplainable through words alone. But it was a feeling that she would not soon forget, late in the night, when her suppressed fears and worries got the best of her.

But that wasn't the only guilt that existed for young Mazie Addison.

As soon as she was into her own emotional recovery, having spent equal amounts of time between trying to sort out her feelings as well as apologizing and thanking and telling those she loved how much they meant to her, there was another weight that settled rather uncomfortably upon her chest. There was something that she had been forgetting. Something that she had been neglecting to do...

And then it occurred to her.

Back in Forget-Me-Not Valley, she hadn't met or grown very close to many people during her stay there. But she found that the air was much cleaner, and much easier to breathe. The lifestyle was so much more laid back and relaxed, and time seemed to slow right down over there. And though they weren't very close yet, she knew that there was still people that she owed an apology to.

With a suitcase that carried a few pairs of clothing, and a little bit of money, in hand, she admired the valley with a content sigh. Her father was going to live to see another day. Her mother was getting over her own emotional trauma. Mazie had managed to come to terms with her own scattered emotions... now, it was time to make amends with the life she had so suddenly dropped.

Another sudden idea struck her as she headed into town. Standing on the bridge, as if captured by her own thoughts, she stared up towards the waterfall as if mesmerized. She was going to spend some time at Ruby's Inn, reacquaint herself with such a lifestyle... but there was one thought that nagged in her mind.

Will they still remember me...?

The service that Cody owed to the army was filled for the time being. It seemed like he had been gone for a few years, since his room was covered with a layer of dust. Ruby apologized for not watching it for him while he was gone, but he didn't mind. After all that fighting a guy just needed some time to himself. Cleaning was the perfect excuse to stay hidden for a bit longer.

The dust eventually drove his allergies insane, it was worse than the sand that occasionally would find its way up to his nostrils. It only took him an hour to give up and leave the Inn for a relaxing walk. Jogging could wait till another day. He laced his shoes and stepped out into the world he had left for awhile.

He wasn't sure of all that he should do. Maybe visit Celeste at the clinic. At the moment she was his closest friend and would be glad to see that he was back in one piece. He wondered if she got the letter that he mailed to her. He doubted it, because things got lost or censored all the time. Part of him regretted living on such short notice and not being able to tell her about it. Then again, maybe it was better this way. She didn't like the idea of him possibly dying.

His walk led him to a bridge of old memories and to his dismay someone was there. A girl, around his age without a doubt. She had wine colored hair that hit just above her worn out jeans. Could it be?

No, no, no. The thought was just silly. Cody spent months looking for his long lost friend. Was it possible that this girl was her? Could it really be Maze? As he walked closer there was only a slight sliver of doubt in the young man's mind that this was not his friend. Part of him was too scared to call out for her.

Pushing that fear aside, like his fear of losing his life he asked, "Is that you, Maze?"

A sudden voice rose above the peaceful melody of the tumbling river. It was a familiar voice, without a doubt, and her mind blanked on a name as she turned. She had been startled right out of her thoughts, but she wiped her surprise from her face as to not appear rude or forgetful.

There was no way she could ever forget someone like Cody Hanes.

"Well, hey, if it isn't my favourite soldier," she said as a playful smile crept over her features. Behind it, she wasn't sure if she should be laughing or crying. How long had it been since she had last heard anyone call her by Maze, let alone someone she used to know. But she wanted to erase that 'used to know', and make things right again. "Where you been, buddy? I've been looking high and low for you--I never thought I'd lose a giant."

But that was a lie. She had been the one to up and leave without warning. She had probably worried him, and then angered him by not getting in touch at least once. Yet, when it came time to face him, she didn't know what she should say.

Someone remembers...

"Thank you for remembering!" or "Sorry for leaving without warning" sounded too cheesy. They were the words that anyone would say in a situation such as this, but they were totally not Mazie at all. So she instead played it cool, like she hadn't vanished for almost a year's time only to reappear without so much as a word back to the people of Forget-Me-Not Valley.

She couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't bring herself to fess up to her guilt. Whether it was pride, or whether it was to avoid the emotional explosion that came with a reunion, she gave her best smile, filled with mystery, and greeted her old friend. "You look just as healthy as always, it seems." It was just more smalltalk.

Why couldn't she just say it? But the words "I'm so sorry" felt so shallow now. They just weren't enough.

It was her.

The girl that had suddenly vanish appeared right before his eyes once again. The same slender figure, the same wine hair, the same carefree attitude. It was hard for Cody to swallow down her statement that she was looking for him. Part of it actually angered him, for he was the one that spent months looking for her.

Those feelings didn't last long. He had nightmares of what could have happened to her, the possibility that she was dead actually came to mind after he was done searching for her. It was a bittersweet feeling to see her presence. He had the urge to run up to her and wrap his arms around her, but he was scared it was a hallucination. He and his comrades did suffer from concussions when that bomb exploded near their camp. It all could be a trick, fabricated from his deepest desires in his mind. So he stood where he stood.

"You must had gotten back before me," he said a little wavering in his voice. Naturally, his fist clenched themselves. "I actually was summoned to duty, so I've been gone for a few seasons and I was toughing it out in the desert."

Cody still hadn't begun to feel like his good old self before he was shipped out. His appetite had remained bleak, showing on his slightly thinner figure. But at least Maze or his hallucination was looking well. "You look pretty well too," he commented beginning to feel his eyes get all watery. "I always thought that though. More so, that you were kinda cute. Did I tell you that before you left? It's a shame if I didn't."

He had... Cody had been summoned to duty while she had just up and disappeared? Without saying a word, she just left and all the while he was... There was a sudden wave of regret that washed over her as she took in what he was saying to her. It was as if his voice was coming from a distance. As if it wasn't real. He could have died. He could have died, and without even saying goodbye...

But that's what her father's close call had taught her. And that's what she had come back to change.

Perhaps running from her feelings wasn't the best way to handle a situation after all. Though they were awkward to handle, and quite a mess to sort through or try to understand, the girl felt tears prickling at her eyes. How silly. Getting all teary over something like this... but the idea of Cody having possibly died out there somewhere, without even having heard a proper goodbye... With the burden of an unfulfilled promise...

What kind of a friend was she?

Wiping at her eyes furiously to avoid crying, she shook her head. "I didn't," her voice sounded strained now. This wasn't how she wanted it to go. This wasn't what she wanted to say, and this isn't the atmosphere she had thought would occur. Perhaps anger, perhaps confusion... but not this. "I had no idea, I just got back, but you... You could have..."

But she didn't want to be having these thoughts, either. The complicated and difficult to understand Maze; the girl with a beaming smile like sunshine who knew nothing of dark storm clouds... where was she? Where had she gone?

At his following words, though, the girl's eyes widened just a tad. Her suitcase fell from a consistently limping grip, falling with a small thud against the wood of the bridge. But she didn't care. Suitcase be damned, she couldn't find a tight grip on anything, and so her hands idled awkwardly at her sides, loosely clenching and unclenching as if trying to grab a hold of something invisible.

"You silly--What in the world are you saying now?" This time, her voice did crack, despite the smile she wore. "Nobody in their right mind would ever say a thing like that, Cody."

The young woman had to hold herself back from just running to the man, tackling him to the ground, and allowing her apologies to overflow uncontrollably. But that wouldn't be very Mazie-like, and she didn't think he would appreciate it too much. Not now, after all this time apart. After having almost become total strangers.

"But for what it's worth... I'm really glad you did."

The look on Maze's face was all it took to send Cody's mind reeling. The way she tried to hold back tears made him feel guilty on his part, even though technically he had nothing to apologize for. He found his feet carrying him to the girl or hallucination and his arms folding around the girl.

He expected to feel nothing, but there she was the slender figure he once knew, for what seemed to be years ago. "I'm sorry," he whispered patting the girl's head and holding her tight, as if he had the fear that she would vanish again. It was now obvious that his eyes were watery now to the world, for he felt a single tear role down his left cheek. While holding the girl, he used one hand to wipe away the tear and he backed away to give her some space.

"Well, that was embarrassing," he stammered. "You can ignore the whole cute part. For a second I thought I was suffering from my concussion that I got."

Just the the thought of what he said was enough to cause a deep red flush to his cheeks. Did he really say something that out of line? That cheesy? It sounded like something someone in a romance movie would say after being in love. There was no way he was in love with Maze. Hopefully she didn't get the wrong intention.

Cody's embrace was warm.

The sound of a beating heart. The sound of life...

Cody is alive.

That thought alone was enough to cause the tears to overflow. But this time they weren't riddled with pain and guilt. They were tears that couldn't be withheld, no matter how much she tried to smile them away. They were not the tears that came from being broken inside, but rather the wave that crashed down upon her from relief.

Even when she had left, she had never expected to return to this. She thought that perhaps he would push her away, scold her for running off so suddenly, or bombard her with questions that she was unprepared to answer. But none of that came. Instead, she was tripped with guilt on a level that she could not have expected, even in her wildest dreams. But such was the life of a soldier, and while she couldn't tell him to just up and drop such a life because of this turn of events, she choked back her relief.

"Don't you apologize," she said suddenly, looking up at the boy with her freshly fallen tears. She didn't even try to hide them as she smiled. It was an honest smile, a smile that came naturally as she felt this sudden overwhelming relief. With a small shake of her head, the girl added, "You ain't got nothing to apologize for, soldier."

But even as Cody flustered and becoming embarrassed, the girl just laughed through her tears. She couldn't voice how happy she was to see him, to feel him, to know that she still had a place where she belonged in his heart. Even after vanishing so selfishly into thin air, and then returning out of the blue whenever it was convenient for her... he was still there. She still had a friend in him.

"Concussion or not, your heart does not lie," Mazie teased with a playful wink. The Cody that she used to know was returning, showing through all the awkward and emotional reunion mess. This brought ease to the girl. "Would you have really told me that if I had told you I was leaving? Perhaps I'll have to let you know next time..."

A tad more seriously, she quickly added, "On that note, I can't apologize enough for not saying anything." She lowered her gaze, finding that the words sounded even more shallow once she had said them. There was no meaning to such words. "I promise I'll give you a proper explanation eventually, and I can't exactly ask you to forgive me for acting so selfishly... But after this, I can promise you that I'll never abandon my friend again."

Before he realized it, the tears of guilt and sadness disappeared for the both of them, to be replaced by laughter. They both were alive and well, and now as if a turn of fate were reunited once again.

Mazie was even up to her old tricks too, already she was teasing the grown man. It was a wonder how Cody would let someone get away with it, but under his hard shell he had a soft heart. A trait he was thankful of his mother for. Otherwise he couldn't imagine reacting the way he did. Perhaps it was wimpy, but his dad wasn't here so he didn't need to care about it as much.

"Maybe I would have," said Cody. Maze was his friend, and most importantly a girl. Did it really mean anything if he complimented her like he just did? It was a common action between friends, if she was dating someone then it would be a problem. Unless, it was if she was asking him if an outfit looked good or something. "I am a big softy though too," he admitted somewhat proudly. I don't think it would be out of step for me to say something like that."

All of a sudden a large growl came to Cody. It was as if this reunion triggered his appetite once again. Maybe we could talk about it over dinner or something?

The girl hurriedly wiped her face to avoid looking too dirty, the last of her tears having finally fallen. Now she was smiling again, laughing and teasing, as if they had only just been apart for a day. "That's why I'm still here," Mazie said. "To exploit your kindness and take advantage of you at every given chance."

Of course, saying such a thing was absurd and a total lie. But the smile on her face betrayed all seriousness of her statement, and she reached down to retrieve her fallen suitcase. Dinner sounded like a fantastic idea, and the mere thought of food brought to reality her own need to grab something to eat.

In turn, her own stomach grumbled.

She laughed at this, and touched her stomach sheepishly. "My stomach thinks dinner would be a great idea."

That's right. She had been travelling all day to reach the valley she had previously called home. She had spent some fun times in the valley, and was more than willing to walk a thousand miles if it meant coming back to this place. But being on her feet for so long was tiring. And she hadn't eaten a decent meal all day, so she couldn't resist the idea of dinner.

Not that she would resist an offer from Cody, anyway.

"You're still staying at Ruby's Inn, right?" Mazie piped up as the Inn came into view--and thoughts, now that she could think more clearly about anything but their reunion. "I have to go there to check in, anyway, so I doubt she would mind feeding us poor starving children. And just think--we could be neighbors!" There she went again, back to her old rambling ways.

Cody almost sighed with relief when Maze's stomach growled as well. It wasn't just him, it was actually dinner time for a change. And this way they could grab a bite to eat right now together. It had been so long that they've seen each other, so he was excited at the opportunity to spend some more time with her.

"Yep, the inn is my home," chimed Cody. The idea was a great one, Ruby was one of the best cooks in the valley if not the best. She also looked after everyone as if they were her own kids. His mind was already wondering what delicacy was in store at the inn. Everything Ruby made tasted good and Cody could imagine himself shoveling down two or more plates of food down his gullet.

Bowing gracefully to Mazie, Cody smiled somewhat deviously grabbed her suitcase off the ground and held out a hand. "Mistress, would you accompany me to dinner this evening, right now in fact?"

"What a gentleman you've turned out to be," Mazie said, though she couldn't suppress all of the laughter that had come with her comment. She allowed Cody to take her bags, though, because not only was she selfish in that way, but also quite tired from her travels. At least she wasn't one of those people who travelled with all of their belongings in five or more suitcases. "It would be an honor to attend dinner with you this evening; right now, in fact."

She did something of a curtsey, but was not overly well rehearsed in such an action. Plus, it didn't help that she was wearing pants. She probably looked completely ridiculous, but gave her best attempt anyway. Then, she laughed a cheerful laugh.

"Being here like this, being able to act like this and talk like this with you, Cody... it feels as though I never left." When Mazie said this, it was an honest statement. While a lot had happened, and surely there was going to be plenty to discuss over their first meal together, the idea of settling right back down in Forget-Me-Not Valley no longer seemed scary or lonely. "It's a pleasant feeling... things in a small town never really do change all that much."

Perhaps time really did stop in a place such as the valley. Even though she was sure that days went by, the moon and sun took separate turns watching over the land below, and people surely got older... but the hearts of the people seemed to remain forever.

"I was really worried," the girl admitted as they walked towards the Inn. It's like we're walking home together... as if we're still kids. Though we've never walked home before, this feeling feels like it's nothing out of the ordinary. "When I first arrived, I wasn't sure if this town would still remember me. I wasn't sure if they had moved on without me, if I would come back to a place completely different from the valley I remembered... But when I met you again, it's like all my worries vanished."

Chatterbox Mazie.

"And though we had only met once or twice, I'm really glad that we met again this evening," she concluded with a rather dreamy sigh. It was no surprise that once all the emotional drama had calmed, the girl with wine-coloured hair would have her head in the clouds once again. But in a valley as peaceful as Forget-Me-Not, it was hard not to get lost in a different world. "After all, we've still got to go fishing one of these days."

That's right... it was a promise.

She gave a big grin. "I never forgot that promise."