Kimiko peeked through the hole in her door and gasped at the sight. There was a sheriff outside the door with another sheriff behind him grasping the two slaves she had taken in. She knew what she had to do.

"Raimundo, your gonna hate me for this."

He looked at her funny. "For what?"

She shook her head softly. "Im sorry, I love you," she said as she grabbed her rifle.

"What are you doing with the rif-. Wait, what, you..you love me?"

But it was too late. Kimiko opened the door and pointed her gun at the sheriffs. "Let them go!"

"Whoa lady, put that thing down-he snickered at the other sheriff- before you hurt yourself."

"Let the slaves go! NOW!", she screamed. "Don't think I won't shoot you."

Raimundo had come up behind her. "Kimiko, whats going on."

She kept her gun in its position and turned her head slightly to Raimundo's. "Raimundo, Im so sorry. I..I lied to you. I do help slaves, I'm really..."

"What the hell Kimiko? You wouldn't tell me..something so important."

"When you love someone so much, you'll understand." Then she turned her attention away from him.

She repeated what she had previously said. "Let them go, I will shoot you," she said in a voice that dared them to refuse.

The sheriffs were no longer snickering. The one holding the slaves appeared to be scared. And like Kimiko knew he would, abruptly let go of the slaves. "Go!," Kimiko said firmly but soft.

The slaves didn't take a second thought. They raced off into the woods.

"Don't even try to follow them."

The sheriff who knocked on the door was the first to speak. "Your under arrest."

Kimiko thought about this for a second and looked at her hands. "Hmm, no handcuffs, nope I don't think I'm arrested."

Raimundo spun her around. "Kimiko, what are you doing. They're only going to arrest you longer."

Kimiko looked into his green eyes for a second, reliving the past month she had got to spend with him. "This is what, I do Raimundo, these people, they're just like you and me. Why is that so hard to understand?"

"Its not about that Kimiko. Why didn't you tell me."

"You wouldn't have listened. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt something, when I met you, I didn't want to ruin it, but its too late now..." She would've said more, but she heard footsteps running. She turned around, only to see the first sheriff already in the woods. She lifted her gun and aimed and shot, hitting the tree right next to the sheriff's head. Before anyone could say anything, she darted into the woods. As she ran off Raimundo whispered something. "I love you too Kimiko," but once again it was too late.

- - - - - - - - - -

Kimiko ran as fast as she could to the designated meeting spot that she had shown the slaves were anything were to happen. She had never had to use it before, but there was always a first.

"Stop," someone shouted. The sheriff, she presumed. She turned her head slightly to see if she could see him, and at that moment, tripped over a tree root growing out of the ground. She tried to get up, but instead screamed in pain when she tried. She knew she had sprained her leg bad, maybe even broken it. She stood up on her good leg (the left one) and slowly hobbled to the river, a very obvious spot but unobvious at the same time. There was a deserted cave, which she had found over the summer. She had cleaned it out and it was guaranteed the slaves would be there. She knelt down and crawled through the small opening and sighed with relief when she saw the slaves in the corner.

"Its okay, Im here. We have to hide out here for a while, but well make it. Im sorry, I can't come with you, but my leg is sprained, you'll have to do it on your own."

The slaves looked at each other and nodded solemnly.

"Do you remember the map I showed you on how to get to the next place?"

They nodded again.

Kimiko smiled slightly. "Okay then here's the plan..."

Midnight

Kimiko silently ushered them through the opening, following them quietly, as her right leg throbbed. "Okay guys, your on your own, I know you guys can do this. I'll send a letter to the owner to make sure you have it safely."

The nodded their heads.

"Good Luck, you two." The two slaves smiled at her and then turned away and quickly ran into the depths of the woods.

Kimiko ran a finger along her eyes, and swiped off the tears on them. She had a feeling this was the last time she would ever help slaves. She looked up at the half-full moon and smiled, then crawled back into the cave, wincing with pain. She leaned against the wall of the cave lost in thought...

Morning

Kimiko opened her eyes, realizing she must have fell asleep, then she felt the pain. She looked at her leg, which was swollen. She knew she wasn't going anywhere. She sighed and leaned back again and let sleep wash over her.

- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -

Raimundo sighed as he walked along the river. Where was Kimiko? He wanted to tell her, that he loved her too, it really wasn't a surprise to him that she hid slaves, he had thought that ever since he got that tip. He wished he could find her. As he walked along the river, he was struck with curiosity. When he was younger, he and his friends would play in a cave along the river. (Corny, I know) He wondered if it was still there. He remembered exactly where it was and found the opening, it was kinda tight, but he made it through. And boy, was it worth it. Against the wall of the cave was Kimiko, appearing to be sleeping. He crouched down beside her and whispered her name. She woke up immediately.

"Kimiko, are you okay?"

She slowly rose up and winced again at the pain in her leg. "Would you stop asking me that."

"Okay, okay, Im sorry. Are you okay though?"

She shut her eyes with pain. "Your pushing it Raimundo. I..um..fine."

"Your leg doesn't look good."

"Your Mr. Obvious aren't you?"

He ignored her remark. "Can you walk on it?"

"Limp on it you mean. I think I just sprained it..really bad."

"Can you crawl out?"

"Done it 3 time already."

"Okay, lets go," he said as he crawled out of the tunnel.

Kimiko followed obediently. Once they were outside of the cave, she slumped to the ground. "How'd you find me?"

"Pure accident, I use to play in there when I was a little kid."

He pulled her up and motioned to his back. "Come on, I'll carry you."

She looked at him warily. "I think I may be too heavy."

"Believe me, your not."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't tell you so," she said as she got on his back (piggy back style).

They walked in silence for a few minutes, until Kimiko couldn't take it anymore. "Im sorry."

Raimundo sighed and put her down. "No, Im sorry."

"Your sorry? For what? You didn't do anything. It was my fault."

"No, it was me, It was right for you not to trust me, because of what I was."

"Was? Why? Did you quit or stop..or something."

"Yeah, I did, I mean, when I think about it, the slavery issue, that is, I can see where your coming from."

"Really, Im sorry, I left like that earlier. Its just that, I would hate to see those slaves hurt..or worse."

"I bet, they kinda become like your family, right, you care for them."

"Yeah, like that, I just sad now because, well, all my mothers stuff is in that house. I can't go back. Even if I wanted to."

"Well, actually, someone..paid them off...they never saw anything..."

Her jaw dropped as he smirked. "You didn't?"

"I did."

"Why? Im not worth it."

"Yes you are, but anyways, about what you said at the house... What was it exactly?"

"Um, uh...I love you."

He smiled softly. "I love you too Kimiko, and I know this is really quick, maybe we could have a long engagement, but... Will you marry me?"

Her jaw dropped again. "Oh, yes I will, I love you Raimundo."

"I love you too Kimiko." He hoistd her on his back again. "Lets go back to town."

7 Months Later

Kimiko sat in her new home in upstate Cobleskill, New York going over wedding plans with Rhia. They were going to have a summer wedding like Kimiko had always wanted. Before long Rhia, went back to her house..next door to Raimundo and Kimikos house. Kimiko sat at the fireplace, sewing a small object in her hand. The front door opened and Raimundo came in.

"Hi Kimiko. How the wedding planning go?"

"Really well."

"Thats good." he rested a hand on her stomach. "Hows the baby?"

She smiled with delight. "It's fine, it misses it's daddy though. Speaking of which, when are we going to tell our parents?"

"At the wedding." He smiled at her and pulled up her hand. "What are you making?"

She grinned. "A pair of socks for the baby. Don't laugh. It's my first time."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said as he kissed her on the forehead.

Well there you have it, just wanna say thanks to all my reviews as usual (again) Hope everyone has a good Christmas/New Year. I won't be starting any new stories till next year (thats sounds weird) but like I said I have one planned but currently unwritten. I might, just might start it over vacation cause my vacation starts after school on the 21. But don't hate me if I don't, it is after all vacation. I probably won't though because a little birdie told me about a certain Xiaolin Showdown game I got for Christmas!! Talk to you all next year. Anyways, Merry Christmas-Hana-Kwanza and a Happy New Year!!!!!

3RaiKimLover