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Restoring Faith	By : Lady_Kae Category: +G through L > Harvest Moon Views: 2535 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters used from the game Harvest Moon: ToT. All characters ,game related material, and lyrics, save for original content is property of their respective owners and no money is being made from this fiction.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
A/N: Things have been very rough since the last time I posted. Long story short, I had two funerals to attend, one of them for a very dear family member, and I've been working a lot of overtime on top of all of that. I was happy to get the majority of this knocked out last night/this morning. I sincerely hope you all enjoy this chapter and please feel free to leave any comments, critiques, and constructive critisms. I love getting to hear from all of you!
~Kae
Chapter 8: More Midnight Musings
Restoring Faith
A Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility Fanfiction

Kohri winced slightly as sunlight began filtering into her home from outside and she groaned in absolute dismay. She could feel that she had definitely overslept for starters, meaning Kohri had to play some serious catch up with her crops today and she still needed to go check on the boys to be sure they were okay as well. She had to brush her teeth first and foremost however. Her mouth felt so dry it was like having a wad of woolen socks shoved there. She definitely had to be sure the boys were alright though. Granted Kohri had a hell of a hangover, but Owen had hit the bottle harder than she had last night after all.
Noise from her kitchen made her sit up fully and Kohri blanched slightly at the sight that met her there. A naked toned back, a very familiar looking back for that matter, was standing at the fridge, pouring a glass of Kohri’s homemade raspberry lemonade. Where did she know that back from? It was too short to be Owen, and despite being nearly the same height and width was much too pale to be Luke. The color that she lost from her cheeks came roaring back with a vengeance in a flood of red when she realized just who it was. The crown of golden strands, matted to his head from sweat and exertion, was a dead giveaway.
Sure enough, it was Gill as he turned around to put the now empty glass in the sink.
Why had he stayed this long? Surely he had other things he could be doing on a Sunday than minding her after she had stupidly had too much to drink last night.
Why the hell was he a sweaty mess and why his shirt missing for that matter? Not that Kohri was complaining, of course! This was a delectable visual delight that she didn’t get to see often! He had even found the time to head back home to grab a pair of jeans and his sneakers!
Turn around again...Oh sweet goddess please turn around again. Kohri pleaded silently. She had been so gobsmacked at the sight of him that it she hadn’t thought to take the free gander at his ass like she had last time!
Gill smiled when he saw that she was awake and sitting up in bed, and he grabbed a fresh glass to put some cold water into. Once he had done that, the deputy mayor walked over to Kohri, sitting beside her on the bed and Gill placed the cup in her hands while smoothing away a riotous, mussed curl. “ Did you sleep well?” he asked sweetly. “ Are you feeling any better?”
Kohri nodded silently, still a tad floored at Gill’s less than conservative appearance. Not only was he a deliciously sweaty mess, but he was unshaven for that matter. He clearly had the makings of a mustache and goatee growing in that looked ridiculously sexy on him. His skin seemed a few shades darker, but that could be the lack of light in the room. All the curtains were drawn tightly shut save for the one that had woken her up. What was going on? What had happened after he had gotten her home last night? Kohri was positive that she didn’t feel any different, as if that were something she’d be able to pinpoint right away, but still…
Had anything happened last night?
Gill gently tipped her chin, bringing her confused gaze up to meet his own. “ I’m glad sweetie.” he purred, sliding his lips over hers in a short but sweet kiss.
Fire flooded through Kohri’s entire being from the connection and in an instant her arms wrapped around his neck to pull him back in. Sweet goddess in the tree, he was kissing her! Something drastic had to have happened last night, but Kohri didn’t give a damn. It was either that, or she was dreaming. Kohri’s hands wandered, shyly at first, as she mapped the terrain of his torso with her fingers. Every ridge and dip was memorized, the gentle slope of his pecs leading to his sinfully delicious abdomen recorded to her memory. Kohri gasped delightedly against his lips when Gill’s hand trailed down her side to settle against her hip. His fingers gave a gentle, but insistent squeeze at her physical perusal of his body and Kohri allowed her hands to sweep down his back to settle against his rear. She fought back a delighted but wanton moan at the feeling of the toned, firm glutes in her grasp and she returned that insistent squeeze with one of her own.
If Kohri had lost her virginity last night with no recollection of it, she was owed an encore dammit! She was going to get it if she had anything to say about it too! Gill deepened their kiss, and Kohri moaned as she finally got a full taste of him. The bitter sweetness of the lemonade he had drank was still very prevalent as their supple muscles twirled and danced against one another, though there was another taste there. What it was she couldn’t put her finger on however. Kohri’s arms wrapped around his neck again as she leaned back against the mattress. Gill had no choice but to follow her and he chuckled a bit when he realized where things were headed.
“ Mmmm. Gotcha.” he purred once more against her lips. “ We’ll have to make it quick however. I’m pretty sure that Sage and Jill will be back from school soon. Phoebe’s subbing for me today seeing as how you weren’t feeling well this morning.”
Sage? Jill? Phoebe subbing? School? What was Gill going on about? Kohri was utterly lost the longer she tried to think it over. She allowed her hands to roam down the front of his torso towards his thighs, taking absolute relish in the feel of his musculature beneath her fingertips all the while. Her fingers grazed over the tell tale swell of his erection and she shuddered delightedly in his arms. She couldn’t wait to feel him as close to her as humanly possible. “ Wha’?” she mumbled between kisses.
It was Gill’s turn to look down at her in confusion. “ Sage and Jillian? The twins? Our twins? Kohri, are you sure you’re feeling alright?” he inquired seriously.
Kohri was stunned speechless as she tried to make heads and tails of what she was told. Children? She and Gill had children? She looked at her left hand and she was surprised to see a set of golden bands sitting on her hand. Looking over to her right, she was in a state of shock to see a matching golden band on his finger. Had she forgotten a whole section of her life or was she dreaming again?
“ It’s not really a dream as it is a vision of what could be, Kohri.” came a sweet female voice from nearby.
The whole scene suddenly changed and Kohri found herself staring at a completely different version of themselves. Gill was noticeably older, as was she, and Kohri stared at the image in a state of shock. They looked so happy, so carefree that it made her heart both swell and hurt at the same time. She reached out a single hand towards the spectre, longing for the reality of it, but Kohri pulled her hand away after a moment. No, she didn’t want this…
Kohri couldn’t want this. Not if Wren was still out there, haunting her.
“ You’d throw away a chance at happiness because of something out of your control?” the voice asked sternly.
Kohri turned around and she gave the woman standing there a sorrowful, tear stained grin. The spirit before her had the kindest brown eyes that she had ever seen in her life, and mahogany colored strands of hair. Her face was of some sort of european descent, like a cross between castilian spaniard and scandinavian. She was lovely in her own right, with a calming influence. She was probably just as sweet as the boys had said she was despite the minute glare Kohri was currently being affixed with. If fact, Kohri would put money that she knew exactly who this was. “ I put my potential happiness aside because I refuse to put him in danger Angela. You love him too. You would have me put him into harm’s way like that? I can’t do that...I just can’t.” Kohri retorted sorrowfully, her blues eyes shimmering from her tears. “ I can’t hope for something like this unless Wren is finally out of the picture. He has to know I’m still alive…”
Angela’s glare dissipated as she met Kohri’s gaze. She was still holding onto the needless guilt over her parent’s deaths. Maybe she needed to change up her tactics a bit. As the goddess’ arbiter of sorts, Angela had quite a bit of power at her disposal. “ What if I told you he’s a smarmy bastard who's pretty sure he got away with murder.” Angela replied with a wry grin. She needed to help Kohri move on, needed to help fully absolve her conscience before Angela could place her on the paths she needed to take from here.
Kohri shook her head in the negative even as she sat at her table. “ I won’t move on until he’s in jail. I can’t move on Angela. Nor can I take the risk that anyone too close to me won’t get hurt or caught up in my mess. Can’t you see this is all my fault? That none of this would have happened if I hadn’t tried…”
“ He deserved to be put in his place Kohri. Not only that, he’s a serial rapist...It would have come to that point no matter what.” Angela interrupted as she sat with Kohri. The image of Gill and Kohri in the bed faded away, leaving the two women alone and Angela gingerly took Kohri’s hands in hers. “ It was never your fault. You are the victim here, not him.”
“ He snapped…”
“ Because he’s insane, Kohri. He hasn’t sat on his laurels since you’ve dropped off his radar. Three more women are too afraid to come forward now, and probably never will.” Angela soothed, trying to catch the other woman’s gaze.
“ But he didn’t kill their parents…” Kohri added bitterly. The bitterness was too much to take, as it left her chest feeling much too tight and a lump seemed lodged in her throat. Her head fell against the table as she began sobbing softly and she drew her hands away from Angela’s to hide her face.
Angela’s eyes seemed to glow with power for a moment. She finally understood exactly who she needed to absolve Kohri of her guilt, to help her start over properly. She smiled softly as the two before her nodded in understanding of their task and Angela took her leave for now. She had to try her hand with Gill at this point.
After everything that had happened, Kohri deserved a chance to actually say goodbye after all and Angela wasn’t going to deny her that.
“ No, he didn’t… He wisened up after what happened with us.” came a deep, comforting baritone.
That voice! She knew that voice! Kohri’s head snapped up in shock and she looked over her shoulder in disbelief. Standing in her kitchen, one leaning against the counter, the other preparing tea, was her parents! She instantly got to her feet, granted on shaky legs, and Kohri began stepping hesitantly for the kitchen.
Damiana smiled sadly as she set the tray down to cross the room. “ My sweet Koriander…”she whimpered tearfully as she enveloped her only daughter in a tight, maternal embrace. Both she and Burdock had seen how harshly their deaths had been eating at their daughter and she was desperate to finally ease that pain. “ Oh my darling Kohri…”
Kohri’s arms wrapped tightly around Damiana’s waist, and her sobs returned despite the unbridled joy thundering in her heart. She felt fingers smoothing through her hair, and another arm settled over her back. That was undoubtedly her father doing that and she leaned over to wrap an arm around him as well.
“ Don’t let this be a dream…” she whimpered desperately.
“ We’re in a state of in between for now. You’re not quite dreaming but you’re not on a completely different plane either. The young lady that was just here pulled all three of us in here for a bit. Probably until morning.” Burdock explained as Kohri’s tearful blue gaze met his. His hand moved from her hair to cup her cheek and Burdock shook his head a little.
“ I’m so sorry...I know I told you I finally got him off of my back, but I never…” Kohri hiccoughed a little as she tried to bury her face against her father’s chest and her face scrunched up as she tried to hold her tears at bay. “ This was all my fault.”
“ No it wasn’t Kohri. Things had to happen this way so that you would come here. Even if you were to go back in time to try to right this whole mess, we still would have given our lives for yours. As horrible as this may sound, all this was supposed to happen. You were fated to come here Kohri, alone.” Damiana retorted soothingly.
“ You’re mother is right, Kohri. Just don’t forget that this world works in mysterious ways. The harvest goddess here needs your help and you’re one of the only people here on the island that would be able to see her sprites.” Burdock added. He began moving the three of them over to the sofa and they sat Kohri in the middle between them. “ It was not chance that you were brought here, sweetheart. The harvest goddess is trapped away because of the death of the mother tree and she needs your help if she’s ever going to get free again. You had to lose us to help someone else, and you have. Part one of your mission is done, sweetheart. It’s only just the beginning however and you still have a long, long way to go.”

Gill woke up briefly when he felt something wet on his neck and he fought the urge to jump right up in shock. He looked down to see nothing but a chestnut colored crown in his direct line of sight, and Gill kicked himself mentally.
Shit…
He had fallen asleep on the couch with Kohri! How could have I been that stupid?! What if she wakes up dazed and confused from her hangover?! He thought, soundly chastising himself for the lapse in judgement.
Again. How was it he suddenly turned stupid when she was nearby?
Gill held his breath as he slid one arm under Kohri’s knees in an effort to lift her properly and she wiggled a little in retaliation of the ticklish sensation on the back of her knees. Gill couldn’t hold back the sigh of relief when her movement worked to his advantage and he held her as tight to himself as he could as he got to his feet. Kohri sighed sweetly in her repose, and Gill couldn’t help but smile tenderly as she nuzzled his neck. His lips pressed a gentle kiss to her brow before he had even thought it through and Gill took a deep breath in to memorize her scent.
He’d never find himself in this position again. Gill was pretty certain of that.
Gill carefully navigated the room until he was at her bedside and he leaned over to deposit Kohri against the mattress. He slowly rose again, though Gill rapidly realized that Kohri wasn’t letting him go. In fact, she had an iron clad grip on his sweater and her face scrunched up a little at the loss of warmth and contact.
Crap…
Gill held himself as still as a winter’s morning as he was held in place. Did Kohri do this to Luke or Owen? Had she cuddled with either of them the way the two of them had tonight? Jealousy flared up unexpectedly in Gill’s chest and he hurriedly changed his line of thinking. Where did that come from? He wondered, perplexed as to why he would have been jealous in the first place. Why jealousy of all things?
She’s pretty in her own right, ain’t she? Luke’s soft spoken words from the night before the flower festival came back and blindsided Gill like one of Owen’s hammers. It then hit him that jealousy wasn’t quite what he was feeling towards Kohri. Possessiveness… Gill realized. He was possessive of Kohri? When had that happened? She wasn’t his girlfriend or significant other for him to be this covetous of her. Then why all the pangs of regret when she claims you're her friend? Why the doubt when she says that for that matter? mocked a small voice in the back of his mind. As much as he wanted to, Gill did not have an answer to refute the silent inquiries that had been made. He was desperate to push his mind passed those musings, and his brow furrowed a little as a new thought came to mind. Was this the first time something like this had happened with her in a post inebriated state? Gill had so many different questions running rampant through his head as he took in the look on her face and he resigned himself to staying a little while longer. It was obvious Kohri would not be relinquishing her hold any time soon.
As if sensing where he was going, Kohri turned, keeping her vice like grip solidly on his sweater to keep Gill from leaving. As such was his current lot, Gill took the time to study her face in the low light coming from the street lamp near the house. Her face was no longer scrunched in protest of his movements now that he was still once more and Kohri had tears streaking down her cheeks every now and again despite the grin on her face. What was she dreaming of to have such a sad smile?
Against his better judgement, Gill caressed her cheek tenderly. Her skin was indescribably soft to the touch, though Kohri seemed to relish in the contact between them if the way she nuzzled his palm in her repose was anything to go off of. Gill knew why Kohri was keeping a strict friends only rule, even if she might find herself attracted to any of them here on the island. She had nearly been raped and assassinated, worst yet her parents murdered, by a sociopathic cad. Kohri had expressed her fears of Wren ever learning she was here and hurting those he felt were too close to her. That was a very real possibility for Owen, Luke, and Gill if Wren was as deranged as Kohri had made him out to be.
Who in their right mind would want to harm such a precious person like her?
Protectiveness surged through Gill as Kohri nestled herself perfectly against him and he gave her a small squeeze. He had never found himself in a position like this before. As horrible as the realization was, Gill hadn’t felt this protective of Angela when she had still been alive. Then again, she had been disowned and had nothing to fear from those who wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. He hadn’t even gotten jealous when Luke had blatantly flirted with her right in front of him. Gill had been laid back at the time when it came to Angela, as he was sure in her feelings for him then. She hadn’t given him pause to think otherwise.
Why did the thought of any of the other single men making a move on Kohri make his blood boil?
Just admit it, Gill. You’re falling faster and harder for Kohri than you ever did with Angela and that scares the ever loving hell out of you. the voice in his mind sneered nastily.
Gill wasn’t sure he was ready to face that yet, despite all the healing he had done this year. Even then, he had Kohri to thank for that. Gill didn’t feel the crippling guilt that used to plague him every time he thought of Angela. What should I do? I haven’t found myself in this position in almost six years... Gill thought despondently.
His eyes began closing of their own accord the longer he lay there beside Kohri. Her soft, rhythmic breathing was lulling him back into the land of nod.
Who knew? Maybe his dreams held the answers.
A soft breeze was blowing over the island, and it lightly ruffled his hair as he sat under Darren’s tree reading.
“ Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?” came an all too familiar voice. It wasn’t mocking, nor was it condescending. She had never been like that, even if you pissed her off.
Gill dropped the book he was reading to turn around in shock. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes and he jumped to his feet in an instant, if only to pull her into a tight embrace. “ Angie!” he breathed out in disbelief. By the goddess, she felt so real, so solid, so warm in his arms. Was he sure he was dreaming?
“ You’re not quite dreaming Gill. You’re between planes at the moment. Somewhere between the dream realm and spirit realm. Kohri’s here too, only she’s busy as well.” Angela said with a smile. She waved towards the town hall and Gill could see his friend sitting with two people he had only seen pictures of.
Burdock and Damiana Phelps.
Gill couldn’t stop the motion as he shook his head, almost in disbelief of the entire situation. “ How is this possible?” he inquired, though it was spoken so softly Angela almost missed it.
Angela sighed forlornly and she took Gill’s hands to guide him back under Darren’s tree. “ You’ve always been sensitive to things like this. Both of you sensed me that one night when you were debating over supper after all.” she said with a sad grin. She kept her hold in Gill’s hands as they both took a seat and Angela met his gaze. Even now, Gill could not think of a moment where Angela’s gaze had held so much seriousness in it. “ Gill, no matter what, promise me that you will keep calm with what I have to say.”
Gill took a deep breath. More than likely, he wasn’t going to like what she had to say at all. “ Let me get something off of my chest first and then you can tell me what it is.” he compromised sincerely as his azure gaze softened at the sight of her. It had been so long...One hand came up to caress her cheek and Angela smiled weakly for it. They had always been reaching a compromise with everything save for one issue. “ I was devastated when I lost you. I had no chance to say I was sorry for pressing the issue of your parents so much, no chance to tell you that despite the fight we had gotten into that I still loved you. I lost you a week before we were supposed to have been married. I felt like I was being told that it was never meant to be between us, Angie. I couldn’t handle that.”
Angela grasped his hand loosely as she drew it back down between them. “ I wish I could have spared you all that pain Gill, I truly do. I knew you would have apologized the minute I walked through the door again, and I had already forgiven you for it. Besides..." Her free hand came up to run along Gill's jawline and she kept his gaze locked to hers. He had to know that she held him no ill will for what had happened right before she died. "...I heard you every single time you came to my grave to talk to me.” she said with a kind grin. Her smile vanished as she looked to the side, pain etched into every facet of her face. This killed her as much as it did him, but she was sure she had come to terms with it. What should matter most was that the love they had shared would never be erased, that both of them would carry it for the rest of time. Angela sighed as she looked back up into Gill’s blue eyes and he wiped away a stray tear that ran down her cheek. He had beaten her to it. “ However, you’re absolutely right on the same note. We weren’t supposed to be married...It wasn’t until after I died that I came to realize that both of us had destinies to fulfill. Mine is as the arbiter of the Harvest Goddess as she’s trapped away. Your destiny lies on the same road as hers.” Angela told him as they both looked over to the image of Kohri carrying on with her parents.
Gill smiled at the light in Kohri's eyes, though he was sure she hadn't grasped just how real all of this could be. He had a feeling she hadn’t received full closure at their murders, but now; with one last chance to say her piece, Kohri looked like she was on the last step of healing. What if all this was a dream however? Would it undo all the healing and closure both of them were getting with this? “ And what road is that?” Gill asked Angela seriously.
“ You already figured out she’s trying to learn more about the harvest sprites and the Harvest Goddess, Gill. I can’t give you everything, but Kohri will need your help soon. She feels that the more she keeps seeing the Harvest Goddess in her dreams the crazier she’s getting. I’m all too certain she’s going to come to you soon, and you will need to help her if she is to finish this.” Angela told him seriously. “ There’s something else I need to say, the thing I asked you not to get upset about. It’s time to let me go, Gill. There is someone in your life who has the potential to make you happier than I ever did, who offers you so much more than I could. You’ve been keeping faithful to my memory, and I am honored, but life is for the living Gill. It’s nothing if you don’t have love in it and to give up on it is akin to giving up on life. Promise me that you won’t let my memory hold you back anymore if you believe you have feelings for someone. If you truly want to honor my memory, please, live your life to the fullest. Fill it with love, light, and laughter again. You’ve been moving on recently, but you haven’t lived these last five years.”
Gill swallowed hard. Angela was right that he was moving on, but that he was still clinging to the very thought of her. The only problem was that the one woman he was sure was quickly taking Angela’s place wanted nothing to do with men or romance. “ It’s a little more complicated than you think, Angie.” Gill sighed heavily.
“ Oh, I know better than you think I do.” Angela retorted with a smirk and she got to her feet. Gill followed her lead and he pulled her into one last tight embrace. “ I’ll always be here, Gill, and I’ll always love you. From everlasting to everlasting. It’s time for you to find happiness again and you have my blessing to do just that.” Angela took his left hand in both of hers and she pressed something into this palm, closing his fingers over it. She was slowly fading from sight the longer they stood there together and Gill felt his breath hitch in his throat. He wanted, no, needed to say one last thing to her if possible. “ Goodbye Gill.”
Gill swallowed hard against the lump forming in his throat and he pressed a kiss to her brow. Even as she was slowly disappearing, she still felt solid to the touch. “ I love you, Angela. Thank you for everything. Goodbye...” he told her just before she faded completely away and Gill looked towards the sky with a sad smile on his face.
A single tear fell down his face as Gill woke up and he wiped it away. He could hear Kohri in her bathroom, probably bemoaning having drank so much last night and he shook his head. He’d have her lay back down, get her some tea with honey and lemon along with some toast, and probably head back to his house for a few minutes to gather his work clothes. Kohri was in no shape to tend to her fields today and he was going to make sure she put her health first.
Maybe the bottle of cold medicine he had might help to alleviate some of her symptoms as well.
Gill went to get up from the bed when he realized his fist was clenched and he looked down at his hand in curiosity. Angela had handed him something in his dream, but she hadn’t let him see it. Was his hand still closed out of reflex? It certainly felt as if there was something being held. He held his breath a moment, almost afraid to honestly look, but he opened his hand a few moments.
It hadn’t been a dream, just as she had said...Gill had spoken to her, had heard her voice for the first time in five years. And to prove that she had truly been there, she had given him what was supposed to have been their wedding bands.
These rings had been set into Angela’s headstone by Ramsey himself. There was no way of getting them out without breaking the stone itself, yet Gill was positive that her gravemarker was still in one solid piece.
There’s someone in your life who has the potential to make you happier than I ever did, who offers you so much more than I could. Her words to him echoed in his mind and Gill looked up to Kohri as she came back out into the main room of her cottage. She looked a fright if he were honest and Gill chortled sadly as he looked back down at the bands. He’d have to ask Ramsey to set them back for him, though he had no clue just what he was going to tell the blacksmith in explanation.
Well, Gill had plenty of time to think it over today while he made sure she was resting off this hangover.
Kohri blinked, her sight a little cloudy still from sleep, as she stared at the sight of Gill sitting on the edge of her bed and her brow pinched in confusion. “ I don’t even remember getting home.” she groaned. “ What happened?”
“ We dozed off on the couch shortly after I got you home. I woke up sometime this morning before dawn, and tried to put you into your bed, but you refused to let me go.” Gill said with a small grin.
Kohri had the grace to blush at that claim. That would definitely explain why he was currently sitting up in her bed. He hadn’t wanted to disturb her with as much alcohol as she had consumed last night. “ Sweet goddess. I’m sorry about that Gill. I’ve never done that to Luke or Owen. Nine times out of ten, they shove as much water as they can down my throat before pushing me into my bed and leaving me there until morning. I can only remember a few times where one of them has stayed with me through the night to be sure I won’t need to be dragged to the bathroom. They were on the couch however.” She could remember a little of situating herself in his lap somehow and Kohri groaned all the more. With as drunk as she had been, Kohri was desperately hoping that she hadn’t tried anything else. She highly doubted that Gill would tell her otherwise this time. He seemed less than keen to tell her that she had made their friendship awkward again. “ I’m sorry if I kept you here longer than you wanted to be Gill.”
Gill shook his head even as he drew Kohri into a quick, but consoling hug. “ Don’t be. I can’t lie, that was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. I would rather have stayed here the night to be sure you were going to be okay than to have had not just my father, but both Luke and Owen, on my case for leaving you in such a precarious state.” He replied as he held her at an arm’s length. “ Lay back down, I’ll draw the curtains shortly and get you some tea and toast. I’ll head home for a little bit after that, but I’ll take care of your fields today Kohri. You’re in no shape to do so yourself. You’ll make yourself sick if you try to.”
Kohri sighed heavily as her head leaned against the pillow and she took relish in the soft, cool fabric against her warm face. She needed to strip down into less clothing than this, but she couldn’t while Gill was here. Wait a second. What had he just said? Kohri bolted upright in surprise, though she immediately regretted it as the room began spinning again. “ What did you just say?!” she demanded, clearly and concisely.
Gill’s brow quirked in both amusement and curiosity. “ I said I was going to make you some tea and toast, pull the curtains to darken the room, and then go home to grab a change of clothing so that I can work your fields and crops for you today so that you can rest. You’ll make yourself sick if you try to do anything too strenuous. Think of it as a belated birthday gift from me.” Gill reiterated amusedly. He was already filling her tea kettle for her and he looked at the cupboard near the sink for the herbs she had in her stock. What she needed was a light, mostly clear tea to help her detoxify herself with.
“ If you want my input, a mix of ginger and burdock would help me with this hangover.” Kohri groused from under her pillow. “ I should have both dried and crushed up there.”
Gill paused for a second as he reached for the labeled containers. Maybe a white leaf tea to add to it perhaps? Oh! She had a white peony that would pair well with both the herbs. “ Wasn’t Burdock your father’s name?” he asked her curiously.
Kohri smiled softly as she leaned against the headboard, though Gill could not see her. “ It was. Funny enough, both my parents had names of different herbs and they wanted to continue the tradition with me. Mine’s a misspelling of coriander. Mom was still pretty doped up on her pain meds when she filled out the application for my birth certificate.” she giggled. It still floored her that both of them had shared the bed last night, and that Gill felt that it was the best he had slept in a long time. He had worn a delightful cologne last night, was the smell ingrained in her sheets now?
Gill dropped a few slices of bread into the toaster as the water in her kettle was heating up and he chuckled at the thought. “ I thought that was an odd spelling.” he added.
Kohri couldn't resist the urge to find out. “ It’s the other reason I go by Kohri.” she sighed happily as she snuggled deeper into the blanket. Kohri was glad Gill couldn’t see her at the moment. She was blushing intensely as she took a deep sniff of everything around her.
It all smelled just like him still and she had no intentions of washing anything until the smell faded away...
Gill was silent as he continued preparing Kohri’s repast and he looked over to the bed after a moment. The rise and fall of the blankets told Gill that Kohri was asleep again, and Gill shook his head in his amusement. He knew that wasn't the case, she was just that deep in thought that her breathing slowed to such a point. Gill had seen it happen more than once after all. He pulled out her favorite eight inch skillet, and he turned on a burner to a medium heat so that he could let that warm up while he grabbed what he would need for his breakfast.
“ If you’re making an omelette, make a small one for me too please. Spinach and bacon are both in the fridge. I’ve got mushrooms in there too.”
Gill laughed softly as he pulled out everything, including a few other things. Just like I thought, she's thinking about something. he thought merrily. He saw one of the tomatoes from the plant she had grown for their bet and Gill had yet to taste one of its fruits. He pulled a few bowls from the cupboard, only to turn around and pull Kohri’s cutting board and her basic chef’s knife. Kohri had a rather impressive collection of knives for her kitchen, though admittedly this one was the one she used the most.
It had been said before, but Kohri’s kitchen would make any aspiring gourmet’s mouth water just from how it was organized. She had two ovens, one of them being a convection oven, in the wall next to where she had the stove top set up. The sink and dishwasher separated the heated elements of her kitchen from her cooler ones. A tall pantry spanned the height of the home from ceiling to the floor, filled with dried spices, rice, and other dry goods that would keep there. All her teas and comate herbs were in a cupboard near the sink along with the tea kettle. She didn’t have too many dishes, enough for table settings for four as that was all she could currently sit and quite frankly, Kohri had yet to have more than three people over at a time. She had an abundance of tea cups however. The majority of them had been her mother’s and Kohri had been unwilling to part with a single one.
Gill looked back over to the bed again as he set to dicing the veggies he was adding to their omelettes. Kohri had barely moved from under the covers, but she looked as if she were in a state of deep relaxation. The kettle whistled shrilly from where it was on the stovetop and Gill smiled as he set up the tea ball for Kohri’s favorite mug. He carefully added a mixture of the white peony, ginger and burdock, trying to keep it to an amount of one half tea leave to a quarter a piece of the additives. Gill poured the hot water over the ball once he had it in the cup, and he sighed a little at the scent of the mix. It smelled heavenly. His brow rose a bit in intrigue. Once he had breakfast almost done, he might make a cup for himself.
Kohri seemed to rise as Gill brought her finished cuppa over and she sniffed appreciatively. “ What did you add?” she asked.
“ The white peony. I figured it would be a good choice to try to mask the bitterness of the burdock.” Gill replied as he set both the saucer and a small plate with her toast at the bedside table. “ Did you want anything while I’m working on breakfast?”
Kohri shook her head after a moment, and she settled against the headboard with the teacup in hand. “ That smells delightful…” she whispered delightedly and she took a tentative sip. It was smooth and delightful, with a heady nose of ginger, and a slight bitterness from the burdock root. She’d have to have a few cups of this today to purge her system admittedly, but this was a blend Kohri would have no trouble drinking. Gill had done a wonderful job with the ratios. She exhaled softly in her contentment and Kohri took another sip from her cup.
She was going to have to find a way to pay Gill back for all he had done and was doing for her today.
One eye cracked open and Kohri smiled as she watched Gill in the kitchen.
You’d throw away a chance at happiness because of something out of your control?
Kohri felt a little heartache at that thought. This was not a decision she made lightly, and she felt as if Angela had ridiculed her for that decision. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel safe here on Waffle Island. She was just positive that Wren knew she wasn’t dead and that it was only a matter of time before he found out where she was.

A heavy knock sounded on an office door and a pair of bright, almost impossibly mint green eyes looked up at the door expectantly. “ Enter.” he drawled out in a bored tone.
“ Mr. Matthews.” came an answer from the man now stepping in. He had a rather unsavory look about him, and he clicked the door shut behind him.
“ Ah, Borges. How goes your information gathering?” the man with green eyes replied.
“ Very well, Mr. Matthews. You’ll be happy to know that your hunch was right on the money, sir. There’s no official address listed, but she’s trying to get her degree through mail correspondence. Do you want me to do any more digging on the matter?” the man named Borges inquired as he set a stack of papers on the desk.
The gentle shuffle of papers was heard for a bit and Matthews set them down once he had finished reading them. “ I had been sure that she was moved into witness protection, though where she was sent is off the record. The only one that knows anything is her case manager. Quite frankly, with the death of her doppelganger, Kohri’s more than likely going to let the case drop. I’ve got absolutely nothing to fear from her unless she shows up in this town out of the blue. If that happens, I’ll deal with it personally…” he purred as he picked up a picture. He traced one finger down the profile longingly and his smile grew deranged.
“ Besides…” the voice that echoed in the room sent a chill up Borges spine from the sheer demoniac sound of it. His eyes had flashed from mint green to lime with the sudden switch in demeanors and the man smiled maniacally. “...Kohri and I have unfinished business. Very intimate, but unfinished business.”
Quick update 9/22: Went in and fixed few things that I didn't like after the fact. I promise you I have not forgotten about this story and I'm sorry that my work schedule is kinda forcing me to take a little hiatus from any serious writing. This along with the fact that the school year started up in August. Needless to say that my household has gotten very busy over the last month or so. I'm hoping to make an update in a week or two, as I don't foresee myself finishing the chapter I'm working on now this week, and I'll probably go ghost for a few months to get a few chapters knocked out for all my stories in play. I do want to thank all of you who have been reading however. I love the fact that at least someone besides myself is enjoying this, and it's because of that feeling that I keep writing. Every jump in the view count, even if it may seem minimal to some, gives me joy and hope. So again everyone, thank you so much and I hope you continue to enjoy where this story is going.
~Kae
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Restoring Faith