Why me?

[Firefly]

Author's note~ Aww, thanks for all the compliments! I shall start on the next chapter!

Chapter 20

Manna turned around, her eyes bloodshot. There were dark circles under them, too.
"Manna..." Ann whispered, her eyes wide. Manna just stared for a moment, before sighing. Then she spoke.
"Duke got drunk again... obviously. I noticed and yelled at him for drinking so much, that we were getting poorer and losing money! He just drawled on and on about stuff for a while, then just left. He came back an hour later, and he looked mad. He said that he... uh... saw Karen, and knocked her out. He then... uh... tried to kiss her, but she woke up and ran away, screaming. Then Duke took it out on me." She suddenlt buried her head in her pillow, sobbing. "I can't take...it...any longer! I hate him! I hate him! Why oh why did I marry him?" Manna sobbed, punching the pillow. "I want to die! Please, Harvest Goddess, end my life, please!" She got up and rushed to thw window, throwing it open. "Into your arms I command my soul!" Manna screamed, and was about to jump when Ann stopped her.
"NO! Manna, please! Come with me! I'll take you to the Clinic, and you can stay with Jack. Please..." Ann begged, slowly walking toward Manna. "We can make a rope out of these sheets, so we don't have to go down... there."
"...Okay." agreed a weary Manna. Ann sighed in relief, then began tearing up the sheets.

After half an hour, Ann and Manna were outside the Winery.
"Come on." Ann whispered. "The Clinic is closed, but when they see..." She paused, knowing she didn't need to continue. Manna agreed quietly.
"Here we are." Ann led Manna inside, where Elli said nothing but knew what to do.
"Thanks, Ann." Manna mumbled before dozing off on a bed.
Ann sighed again and waved to Elli, who, after giving medicine to her patient, went wearily upstairs.

When she was outside in the cool night air, Ann walked slowly toward her house. That had been quite an adventure. But... that obviously wasn't her heart's desire. She'd NEVER want anything this bad to happen, no matter how much she loathed Duke. So what could it be?
***

[Mewmew]

Niiiiiiiiiice!!! Keep writing!!! Keep Writing!!!!!!!

[Butterscotch]

Great chapter! ;D

[PsychoBlade13]

More! More! ;D

[Firefly]

OK! The next chapter is on the way...
Sorry for taking so long. I've been too pre-occupied with marrying Ann on one slot and Elli on the other...

[Firefly]

Chapter 21

Ann sighed as she walked out of the Clinic. Even though she knew she had not caused that to happen to Manna, she felt partly responsible. But, that was not what her heart's greatest desire was. How could the Harvest Goddess know her heart's greatest desire when Ann herself didn't know! Frustrated, Ann stomped her foot, and crossed her arms. Jack would have figured it out by now. Jack--
JACK! Suddenly Ann's eyes lit up. "That's it!" she exitedly whispered. "Jack! I love him so much, maybe he loves me enough to..."
She blushed, but began sprinting towards the farm.
"This has to be it," Ann told herself as she ran. "What could I possibly want more than to marry Jack, to stay with him forever?"
Finally, after what seemed like hours of running, Ann stopped in front of Jack's house. It was huge- obviously with a kitchen, bathroom, even rugs!
She shook her head, and took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm herself. Her mind, however, would have none of that.
"Ann, Ann, how can you not be exited?"It asked her. "You love Jack, and he's going to propose to you! Tonight! He has to! You wished it! It will come true!"
When Ann's conscience told her that, she felt guilty. Made it happen? So... so what would happen happened only becuase Ann wished it? This "blessing" was a curse!
Overcome with emotion, Ann began to quietly cry. The tears streamed, hot and wet, down her cheeks. Jack didn't love her. He didn't love her. When he asked for her hand in marraige, he would be lying. It was all fake. All fake. He wuldn't propose to her of his own free will, she forced him to! How could she force someone to marry her? Now, his love was only something that was forced upon him. Now, he'd tell her he loved her, but he'd hate her for forcing him to love her back.
"Ann?" a voice asked as a light flickered on. "Is that you?" Out stepped Jack, in nothing more than his boxers. "Are you all right?"
***

[Butterscotch]

Great chapter!

[Future Trunks]

*Gasp!* Oh my gosh! Hurry, I NEED to see what happens next!!!!!

[Firefly]

Chapter 22

Ann's head shot up as she heard Jack's voice. She hurriedly wiped her tears away, but wasn't fast enough.
"Ann? What's wrong? What happened?" Jack looked seriously worried.
"N-nothing. Just w-wanted to come b-by to say hi-"
Ann stopped talking, because the look on Jack's face plainly said he didn't believe that.
"Please, Ann. You can tell me," he pleaded. "Whatever it is, I'll still love you."
No. No he wouldn't. He's being controlled by the Harvest Goddess.
"Uh... uh..." Ann couldn't get any words out, and she bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears. Jack noticed this.
"Oh, Ann, you're really scaring me now. What's wrong?" His brown eyes looked shocked for a moment.
"Ann... you're not going to... break up with me or something, right?" he asked softly.
Ann was shocked. "N-no! Never! Jack, I love you, but-"
Jack looked very satisfied. He swept her into his arms and leaned in to kiss her.
"Jack... before you kiss me-"
Jack looked at her in a quizzical way. "What?"
Ann took a deep breath. "Well, this morning, I went to the Goddess Spring to pray for Elli and to be forgiven that I didn't believe her. The Harvest Goddess appeared to me."
Jack looked very surprised, but said nothing.
"She told me I was forgiven," Ann continued, "And that since I still believe what happened to Elli was my fault, she decided to grant my hearts greatest- Wait! I think I've got it!"
Jack looked even more confused. "Got what, Ann?"
"You see, all day I've been looking for my heart's greatest desire. I have so many! I came here, because I really really wanted you to propose to me, but-" Ann stopped. She could have kicked herself. Good job, Ann, her conscience told her. Now he knows you want to marry him. Ann blushed scarlet.
"Uh..." she cleared her throat and continued, still blushing furiously.
"Is that why you were acting so scared?" Jack asked gently.
"No," Ann shook her head, "It was because I thought that, if you did, it would be because I wanted you to, not of your own free will. And-"
Jack seemed to understand. "Don't worry. Everything's okay."
Ann nodded, and continued. "Now I've figured out what the Harvest Goddess meant. She said I was forgiven of what I did. That must mean that Elli-"
A voice, very familiar, interrupted her.
"Ann?" The voice asked. Suddenly, Cliff stepped out from behind the barn.
***

[Future Trunks]

[Firefly]

Chapter 23

"Cliff?" Ann asked, surprised. Jack said nothing, but his mouth was open. After a moment, he shook his head and clenched his jaw tightly. His face looked angry, but his eyes showed his hurt.
"Ann..." he stopped and shook his head again. "You didn't need to lie."
"Lie?" Ann asked, getting a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"Yes, Ann, lie. The Harvest Goddess wouldn't visit you. She doesn't just visit someone! You made all this up..." He paused and clenched his fists. "...You made this up, because Cliff was coming. You couldn't bring yourself to break up with me-"
"Break up with you? No!" Ann cried. "I had no idea Cliff was here!"
Jack turned and stared at her for a long time, obviously waiting.
"Cliff," Ann turned to him. "Cliff, you've got a girlfriend! Tell him! Tell him I'm not with you! Please," she pleaded.
Cliff said nothing.
"Please, please Cliff!" Ann pleaded again. "Tell him!"
Cliff said nothing.
"Cliff! Do something," Ann softly begged, her voice choking up.
And Cliff did something. He walked curtly up to Ann and kissed her on the lips.
"There," he cooly said. "I did something."
Jack looked at Ann in shock. "I really thought you loved me," he whispered. "I know I love you. I love you more than anything. More than anyone." His voice broke, but he continued hoarsly. "You are the most important part of my life. You had everything with me, and I did with you. Why did you ruin it? Why?" And with that, he ran away, not looking back.
Ann was mixed feelings. Hate for Cliff, and sadness for herself. She had lost Jack. She'd pushed it too far. She should have known from the start not to come here and find out. Now, another feeling boiled in her- anger.
"Cliff," she growled, clenching her fists, "why did you do that?"
He shrugged, not looking at her. "Vanessa broke up with me." He answered simply.
"So? Thats it? So you decided to come and ruin my relationship with Jack? You should have known that I'd never take you back after that!"
He still stayed cool. "That wasn't my origional intention. I saw you walk toward Jack's house and followed you-"
"Stalker!" Ann hissed. "No wonder your surfer-blonde broke up with you! You're cute on the outside, but a scum on the inside. I hate you!" Ann balled up her fist and punched him, hard, in the face, knocking him out cold.
"Good," she muttered. She'd leave him there for now. She had to leave and go home now, anyway. Jack would come back sooner or later, and she didn't know what to tell him yet.
As Ann started walking away, a glint of blue caught her eye. She gasped. It was a Blue Feather, laying on the ground were Jack had run by.
***

[Kayla]

Story's great!

[frypan91]

Thats pretty good.

[Butterscotch]

More!!

[Firefly]

Chapter 24

Ann dropped on her knees, slamming her fists into the ground.
"No, no, NO!" she wailed, sobbing. "Why did I have to mess this all up? Stupid, curious me, I just HAD to figure out what the Harvest Goddess did!"
After a few minutes of crying, Ann reluctantly sat up. She looked at the sun rising over Mother's Hill. She then picked up the Blue Feather and stroked it, cleaning it of any of the dust and dirt it had on it.
Ann stood up. She had to find Jack, find him and explain. Once he saw what she did to Cliff, he'd understand. So, tucking the Blue Feather carefully in her ribbon, she began running toward the town.

Where would Jack go? When they first became friends, he would talk about how he thought Popuri was beautiful, and that he'd like to marry her. A thought hit her so hard she stopped. He wouldn't buy another Feather and propose to Popuri, would he? No. Ann continued on. Popuri was too infatuated with Kai. But, it wouldn't hurt to look at the Poultry Farm. Jack and Lillia were very close, like mother and son.
"Why hello, Ann!" Lillia greeted her cheerily.
"Hiya, Lillia! Have you seen Jack around?"
Lillia shook her head, pink curls flying in her pretty face. "Sorry, Ann. Haven't seen him since Popuri came back."
"Oh," Ann said, trying to to sound disappointed. "Well, thanks anyway. Bye!"
As Ann left the Poultry Farm, she tried to guess where Jack could be. He wouldn't be at the Supermarket; he hated Karen, especially now. He might be at the Clinic, visiting Elli. No. It was too early. The only reason she had been able to come here was because Lillia happened to be outside. Suddenly it hit Ann.
"He's at the Inn," she whispered to herself. Not wasting another second, she sprinted towards her home, hoping her hadn't left yet.

"Hello, Ann!" Doug's voice sounded cheerful enough, but she knew by the dark circles under his eyes that he'd stayed up all night, worried about her.
"Hi, Dad," Ann wearily said to her father. It just occoured to her how sleepy she was. Yawning, she tried to tell Doug that she was going to bed.
As Ann curled up in her soft bed, she tried to think about what to tell Jack. She'd probably sleep the whole day and through the night, so she'd tell him tomarrow. If he didn't hate her.
***