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The wind swept through Summer's hair, tossing her fiery locks about with wild abandon with the same harshness as the icy chill of the moor threatened to chill her to the very bone. Paying no heed to her thick clothing, it's cruel fingers sought to sink deeper into her flesh. But she paid no heed to that either, all her very being focused on the figure that appeared from the fog, standing like a bastion against the chill; unmoving, unflinching. And every inch the woman she knew and loved.

'I would have thought to find you here.' Summer brushed forward, the damp grass darkening the hem of her dress. 'Often to I come here to think.'

'Even when you don't know what to think?' Ari turned, her face grim and gaunt, her black dress flapping in the same cold winds that froze her breath.

'Especially then.' Summer took another step, cautiously, hesitantly.

'I might not know what to think.' Ari turned and Summer couldn't help think it was so she wouldn't see her tears. 'But I know what I have to do. I have to leave. And I would beg you not to council me otherwise.'

'Council.' Summer crossed the distance that separated them quickly, suddenly fearful of a greater distance she could never overcome. 'Council. What are such words to the tearing of my heart? When to have you leave would tear me asunder and leave me rent upon this ground.'

'Do you not think I would stay if I could?' Ari spun in that moment, tears streaming unashamedly down her face. 'That I would love to have endless days and nights with you save one that was far too short? If only that choice was with me. But I will never forget this time we had. Never forget your touch, your smell, and your closeness. You will always stay in my heart.'

'And you in mine.' Summer choked, throwing her arms around Ari and tugging her close. 'As long as there is breath in my body.'

Ari broke the embrace and took one step back, keeping her paws on her shoulders. She took one deep breath before she spoke. 'My breath..smells like pancakes.'

'I beg your pardon?' Summer whispered. 'Do you toy with my heart?'

'Nope.' Ari grinned. 'I'm making pancakes.'

Summer jerked awake, the reality and oddness of the dream still clinging to her head even as she told herself it wasn't real. Luckily her senses helped to ground her, especially the sweet smell wafting into her nose. That had been real it seemed, the smell of cooking pancakes having intruded on her dream.

It was that smell that dragged her reluctantly from the warmth of her bed, pausing only to throw on a robe before she made her way to the kitchen. Oh, she could have stayed in bed but the smell was too enticing to resist. So she followed it and was not entirely surprised to see Ari standing over the stove, her shirt thrown over the sleepwear she had leant her, just about covering the shorts that hugged the curves of her rump.

'I should have been the one to do that.' Summer said as she walked up behind her.

'It's okay.' Ari turned with a grin. 'My way of saying thank you for letting me crash. Do you have any syrup around here?'

'I..think so.' Summer replied.

'Great. Could you grab it? These are about done.' Ari said.

'Sure.' Summer said. True to her word she rooted around in the cupboard by the window for a few seconds, returning with it at the same time as Ari set two plates on the table.

'So...have you got plans for today?' Ari asked as Summer joined her.

'Nothing much.' Summer admitted. 'Nothing I couldn't change easily enough.'

'Great.' Ari smiled, spearing a forkful of pancake. 'Because I was thinking we could grab a meal together. I know a great restaurant. I know it might be a bit sudden but..I don't want this weekend to end yet.'

'Neither do I.' Summer admitted, glancing at the calendar on the windowsill quickly, her heart freezing as she saw the circle she had ringed around this day, drawn around just one word. Father. And yet that chill only lasted for a second. It wasn't like she owed him anything, so why not spend the evening with someone she wanted too. Let him be angry at her, she could deal with that. She always has before. 'Sounds perfect to me. I haven't had the chance to eat out in a long time.'

'Well then, it's high time you did.' Ari grinned. 'I could pick you up around 8?'

'8 sounds good.' Summer replied.

Summer again cast her eyes over the assortment of clothes laid out on her bed, finally having managed to pick out two outfits from her wardrobe that she thought were halfway passable. Odd, she never had trouble choosing outfits before, so why was this so much more difficult?

'Well, because it's kinda a date. Isn't it?'

Shut up. Summer snapped at the tiny voice at the back of her mind. But it was too late. She had almost spoken that thought aloud. And now she couldn't ignore it. Or how it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside in ways she didn't understand.

When was the last time she had felt anything like that? Too long, she reflected. Pushing that thought down with an effort, Summer returned her attention to the clothes before her, leading her back to safer ground. Safe was what she felt like going with now, as she let her gaze settle on the blue high collared shirt that in her head she had paired with a deep green skirt . Now wasn't the time to try anything new. She was already bordering on feeling self conscious enough to call the whole thing off. And she didn't want to risk tipping her over that line. So far better to go with something she knew.

Summer flicked her gaze over her reflection one last time, still scrutinising her outfit as the buzzer shattered the fragile peace of the apartment, nervously tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before she moved to answer it.

'Sorry if I'm a bit early.' Ari said as soon as the door opened.

Summer instantly felt outdone as she looked over Ari, her black shirt and trousers completed with a dark leather jacket seeming to have this effortless style to them.

'No. That's okay. I hope what I'm wearing is going to be okay.' Summer's doubts slipped that phrase from her lips before she could stop them, even if she rallied afterwards.

'You look perfect to me.' Ari said with a sly smile.

'You still aren't going to tell me where we are going are you?' Summer managed, hoping that question deflected attention from her doubts.

'Well, that would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?' Ari teased. 'Trust me, you'll like it. You ready to go?'

'Yup. Just give me a sec.' Summer bounded into the bedroom and grabbed the shawl from her bed which she hastily wrapped around her neck, quickly grabbing her phone almost as an after thought. One she almost regretted.

It had to be at that moment as she returned to Ari that her phone vibrated in her paw, the screen flashing up with her father's name. Just one glance at that made her face freeze, her eyes quickly narrowed on instinct.

'Do you want to get that?' If Ari had noticed her sudden tension, she didn't show it. 'I can wait.'

'So can this.' Summer jabbed the ignore button with a vicious stab of her finger. 'It's nothing important. I don't want to make us late. For wherever we are going. Given how you turned out, it must be somewhere pretty special.'

'Oh? Trying to use flattery to get me to talk now, huh?' Ari laughed softly as she lead Summer out of the apartment.

'Maybe. Is it working?' Summer said coyly, not breaking step with her.

'Nope. Tonight is going to be a surprise remember?' Ari reminded.

Summer hadn't really been paying much attention to where they were going until Ari stopped suddenly by the cars parked next to the curb, fishing in her pocket for something that turned out to be a set of car keys. But it wasn't the keys in her paw that attracted her attention but the car that she unlocked with a light tap on the fob. 'Is this yours?"'

'Yeah. Something wrong?' Ari asked.

Summer didn't know how to answer that immediately, her eyes again gliding along the sleek low bonnet and even lower wheels, the elegantly streamlined chassis all decked out in the bright red paint that almost glowed in the early dusk light. 'No..I just wouldn't have expected you to drive something so..retro.'

'Hey. She's a classic.' Ari patted the bonnet lovingly. 'Restored her myself. Right from the frame to the engine. Can you believe she was sitting in a scrap yard? Just because she was missing a few pieces?'

Summer was on the verge asking how many pieces she had actually been missing. Then thought better of it. It really wasn't her place to pry. 'Well, you've certainly done a great job. I wouldn't have known unless you said.' Summer admitted. That was true. She didn't know much about cars. Not to the level Ari did anyway. 'As long as she can get us to..wherever this place is.'

'Better than that, she can get us there in style.' Ari laughed as she moved to hold the door open for her gallantly.

Style seemed to be very much the theme of the evening as Ari smoothly pulled her car off the quiet side street and into the forecourt of what could only be their destination for the evening. Clearly Ari and she had different ideas about the definition of somewhere not to fancy. From outside anyway, it certainly looked very impressive, all dark glass and white marble with real torches lining the doors

'This..is where we are going?' Summer swallowed, her throat dry. 'I guess it's too late for me to go home and change is it?' Or bury my head in a paper bag the rebellious voice at the back of her mind added.

'You look perfect.' Ari soothed. 'Trust me.'

Summer wanted too, keeping close to Ari as she lead her inside with an ease that showed how often she came here. The interior wasn't that different from the outside, but not as fussy as she feared either. Still Summer hung back as Ari talked with the waiter, secretly glad as he silently lead them to a secluded table at the rear of the restaurant.

Just as glad as she was as he handed them a pair of menus before beating a discreet retreat, Summer mimicking Ari as she picked hers up.

'Ohh..I never know what to go for.' Ari said with a sigh. 'They all look so good.'

'And here I was hoping you could recommend something.' Summer quipped.

'I could recommend lots of things.' Ari laughed. 'That's the problem.'

'You must have a favourite.' Summer pressed.

'I do. But I eat that far too often. I've decided to try something new this time. Still, you might like it if nothing else jumps out at you. Tell you what, I'm going to go splash some water on my face. You take your time, see what like.'

Summer took that to be a concession in her part and she was touched by it. Try as she might though, she couldn't exactly focus on the menu in front of her, not with the thoughts that kept intruding. Intruding so much she didn't see Ari returning.

'Something is on your mind.' Ari said as she sat.

'What makes you say that?' Summer asked, careful not to sound short.

'Well, you've been staring at the same page on the menu for the last five minutes now. And something tells me you aren't agonising over the starter.'

Summer thought about denying it, but she couldn't. 'No. It's, well, it's my father. Sort of. It's complicated. We've never been close, but that doesn't stop him thinking he can run my life for me.'

'Doesn't approve of you joining the military?' Ari asked.

'Far from it really.' Summer took a drink to compose herself, not wanting to blow up here. 'He was delighted when I did. He just thinks I should do what he does, that his career is the only way to go. He wants me to take a staff position, a captaincy that I don't want. I never wanted any special favours from him or anyone. Didn't stop him from trying though. Ever since I entered the academy he had my life mapped out for me. Cadet school and then officer training.'

'Is that what you did?' Ari asked.

'Not quite.' Summer replied. 'I wanted something else.'

'You wanted a Field Command.' Ari guessed.

'Exactly.' Summer nodded. 'An officer shouldn't be different from their troops. I wanted to face the same risks and challenges as them, not sit safe behind the lines while others risked their lives. That's what it means to serve to me. With my grades and scores from the Combat Exercises, he couldn't refuse me. But that has never stopped him trying to get me to change my mind.'

'He is pressuring you?' Ari sounded genuinely concerned for her at that moment.

'No. But he keeps pulling all these strings for me.' Summer grimaced at the memory. 'How can I know what I'm getting on my own merits and what is coming from him? Cause I'm sure that he has a hand in this. I'm sure things are going to come to head a some day.'

'So, what are you going to do?' Ari asked.

'I wish I knew.' Summer sighed. 'I'm going to have to deal with him someday. But not today.'

The rest of the meal passed with nothing more than small talk, the effortless conversation of two people enjoying each other's company as much as the meal, even if Summer was relying on Ari to guide her through it. An ease that lasted until they sat sharing a very good indulgent apple tart.

'This..wasn't all just a way of avoiding him was it?' Ari asked suddenly.

'What?' Summer raised her head, her heart jumping a beat, almost leaping into her throat.

'I meant, about tonight...that wasn't why you agreed to come out with me. Right?' Ari continued.

'No. No.' Summer said quickly. 'I won't deny it was a nice..benefit. But no, it wasn't about that. I wanted to do something special with you. Something like..well...'

'Something like a date?' Ari asked.

'I guess you could put it like that.' Summer smiled nervously. 'I mean, I'd like to think of it that way..I mean...'

'You are very cute when you get flustered.' Ari grinned. 'And I'd like to think of this as a date too. I very much hope that we get a second one.'

'I'm not sure I can top this.' Summer said slowly.

'Actually, I was thinking of something a little slower.' Ari replied. 'My place? Tomorrow? I make a mean curry.'

'Sounds like a plan. I'll bring the Naan.' Summer said, sure she was grinning like a school girl and not caring one bit who saw her.

And here we are. Chapter five of six. Things are gonna get heated in Chapter 6 I can promise you that. In more ways than one. Ari and Summer take the big step and her father drops by to drop a bombshell of a choice, one that will shake up Summer's life forever, no matter what she does. Stay tuned for the next chapter to watch the sparks and the fur fly.