Hey peeps.  This is my first Witch Hunter Robin fic, so please give feedback. 

Info on fic:

Plot: Well, since you all were so nice to click on the story even though I left you with a very vague quote for a summary, I might as well tell you what the hell you clicked on.  Amon and Robin are trying to remain out of the all pervading grasp of Solomon.  Robin attempts to reconcile her destiny and her beliefs with the growing pains of being a teenager with a 25 year old, tall, dark and handsome grouch as her only company.  I know, it's pretty vague, but I promise, I am just doing that because I hate giving stuff away.

Genres: Drama, Romance, Action, Angst… Pulp fiction (I wish, I don't have the stomach to write that kind of stuff), with a dash of Humor.  In short: General.

Couples: Wouldn't you like to know….

Rating: PG-13… at least for now.

The author covers her ass: I just want to make one thing clear: No matter what I write from the perspective of either Amon or Robin or who the hell ever should show up later in this fic, I have absolute respect for Catholicism and the belief in God.  I partake in both myself.  Both are an extremely important part of Robin's life, however, so the topic will be brought up in both a negative and positive light.  I wouldn't be writing Robin accurately if the subject of religion did not find its way into this fic.  I do not mean any of the stuff I write to be offensive, I am just trying to write the perspective and experiences of the characters as realistically as possible. Oh, and I don't own Witch Hunter Robin…well, I do own a bootleg copy of the DVDS, but that is about it.

Chapter 1

Unprepared

Destiny is so unfair, it has the roadmap but refuses share….

            It was the end.  The mysteries had been revealed, the young hunters of the STN-J   finally saw everything clearly.  They had ended the misery of the witches who were forced to suffer inside glass tubes, creating the very substance that would lead to their destruction.  Zaizen's vision of witches as the dirt marring humanity, abandoned by God, had been rejected, at least by the hunters.  It was the conclusion, and Amon couldn't get it over with soon enough. 

            Amon, Karasuma and Robin dashed down the halls of the Factory, speeding toward the exit.  Sirens howled frantically around them, driving them to move faster and faster to avoid being caught in the building's destruction. Red and blue lights flashed on and off erratically, lighting their pale, tense faces as they swerved around corner after corner.  Karasuma breathed a sigh of relief as she caught the exit door in the distance.

            They would be waiting for Robin.  It suddenly struck Amon as he raced down the hallway that personnel from headquarters would probably be ready outside to arrest the young witch and kill her.  All of this work to understand her, to make sure she wasn't a victim of her own power, to save her, would be for nothing.   Whether she should live or not, he wouldn't let them get near her.  If anyone was going to end her life it was him; he was her partner, and now her warden.  

            More than just the newfound responsibilities he felt as her guardian, he really wanted her to have the chance to prove him wrong.  She was the only one that could show him that becoming a witch, having that incredible ability, did not mean losing oneself in the chaos of insanity.  The bitter memories of his sweet, gentle mother turning into a completely different creature made him believe otherwise, but Robin continued to act the same. She unremittingly held onto that sweet, tranquil temperament he couldn't help but identify with his mother.  Maybe if she could keep a firm grip on her humanity, there might be hope that he could also keep his own.  If she fell into the darkness, Amon knew there was no hope for his own salvation once his powers awoke. 

            For those reasons and an indefinable need to keep her safe, he caught her arm and dragged her away from Kurasama, hurrying down a side corridor toward a different exit.  She started as he forced her on, but one sharp look quieted her immediately.  If there was one thing she had learned, it was to trust Amon in life and death situations. They heard Karasuma scream desperately after them, but they made themselves to focus on finding another way out.   The shrill sirens screeched louder, causing Amon to grit his teeth and grip Robin's shaky hand tighter.  He caught the start of the count down to the destruction just above the cacophony of the sirens. Heart suddenly seizing in his chest, he shot forward, nearly leaping to the nearest window he found.  Coming to a halt in front of it, he gave Robin a look instructing her not to panic.  He could feel her anxiety as he hastily gathered her in his arms.  With a deep breath, Amon flung Robin and himself out of the window, his back shattering the glass. 

            Amon grimaced as he hit the ground with a thud, glass further imbedding itself in his back. Blood poured over his eyes from shards slicing his forehead.  Pain seared through his body in a way Amon was sure it never had before, making it excruciating just to breathe deeply.   Not one to be stopped by the protests of pain, he hauled his agonized body up, blindly groping for Robin with weak hands. Robin caught his hand feebly, before leading him swiftly away from the Factory.  Limping and stumbling like infants learning how to take steps, they made their way away from the now burning building.  They didn't even remember when exactly it had exploded, and it didn't really matter.  What mattered was they were out. 

            "Over by the forest." Amon directed shortly, leaning against Robin, who in turn leaned lightly against him.  There was a shady wood about thirty feet behind the building that would provide enough protection for them for a little while. Robin nodded slightly, focusing only on the trees in front of her.  Her ankle throbbed dully as she moved forward, but she was sure it wasn't broken.  Amon's body had protected her from any major damage the fall could have done, she was just bruised and scraped in a few places.  Why he continued to sacrifice himself for her she would never quite understand.  But she was so grateful to him, so grateful to not be alone, that she probably would never ask why.  It didn't matter what he thought of her so long as he stayed.  Part of her knew that wasn't really true, Amon's opinion of her probably meant more to her than anyone else's on the planet, but she had long ago reconciled herself to just surviving on his presence. 

            Robin's eyes shot open as she heard the sounds of helicopters and soldiers closing in on them.  That was what Amon had been afraid of: HQ would arrest her if she were seen.  She Hobbling toward the trees with Amon, she fought back the tears.  Everything seemed to be going from bad to worse. The shouts and noise crept closer and closer.  Sirens continued to ring on, making Robin want to scream and give up.  But giving up meant death, and death was not an option. The only thing she knew about her mother was that she had called Robin "hope".  Hope didn't give up, and neither would she.   Furrowing her golden brows in determination, she strove to move faster.  No, it wouldn't end here, this was just the beginning.

            "Dear God, please." Robin whispered fiercely as they neared the edge of the forest, tears sliding down her high porcelain cheek bones. "Please, please, help us!"

            Amon wished he could be so sure someone was listening.  He figured his time was better spent planning what the hell they were going to do next.  Groaning inwardly, he mentally smacked himself.  There was no plan.  He had only realized how far he was willing to go to keep Robin's power in check during their confrontation with Zaizen.  This was the most impulsive thing Amon had ever done.  For the first time in his life, Amon wasn't prepared.  He had no idea where they were going to go, what they were going to do, how they were going to deal with Solomon at all. 

            Amon had unwittingly dived into the sea without so much as a log to hold onto.  Worse yet, he had taken Robin into the deep with him.  Fighting the wave of frustration that crashed over him, he attempted to wade through their situation.  Going back to STN-J was impossible.  It would put his teammates endanger, and Robin would be easily found. Even contacting Sakaki, Karasuma, Doujima or Michael would put them at risk, and he wasn't willing to do that.  His brother's wouldn't have been a bad hide out, but Amon wasn't sure it was safe to stay in the area for the moment. 

            The hunter slumped against a tree once they were safely covered in the thick darkness of the wood, still deep in thought.  Robin let herself rest against the other side of the tree, catching her breath.  It was nearly morning, the sun began rising over the trees, weaving patterns on the ground like lace on black velvet.  Both sat quietly recovering, watching the lacy glow of the sun dance over the dark grassy ground. 

            Staring the play of shadows and light dumbly, Robin tried to come to dry her tears, only to find the tears turning into full out sobs.  Everything seemed to be moving so quickly.  Four months ago she had come to the STN-J.  Two months ago she had been hunted, had all of her friends shot before her eyes, and had to flee for her life.  One month ago the hunt had started all over again, and everything she knew about herself and her life had been turned upside down.  And now, she was charged with a destiny bigger than any she had ever had any desire for.  She had always wanted to make a difference, enthusiastically performing her job as a hunter as well as she could.  The task that she was now given, however, was just so enormous that she didn't even know how to approach it. 

            How does one be the light of hope to a people that had been repressed for so many hundreds of years?   How was she supposed to fight SOLOMON? What exactly did she want to achieve? How could she fight them when they were probably sending hunters after her at this very moment? Would she have to fight the people she still held as comrades, as friends? The truth was she didn't have the answer to any of these questions yet. 

            A cool, gentle hand reached out and enclosed hers, causing her to jump a little.  Amon gazed at her levelly, with something that almost resembled understanding.  "Robin." He said quietly.  She sniffled and looked up at her with glassy jade eyes.  "What do you want to do?"

            She understood the full weight his question bore behind the façade of its simplicity. "I don't know yet." Robin sighed deeply, choking down the last of her sobs.  Her unsure eyes stayed linked with his for a long while. 

            Eying her neutrally, Amon spoke purposefully. "I can't help you make that choice."  She nodded slowly, dropping her eyes to her torn black skirts.   He looked her up and down, reading her body language.  It was obvious that she wouldn't be ready to make that choice for a while longer.  In the mean time, he would have to decide how to keep them safe and out of SOLOMON's reach.  Gritting his teeth, he used the tree to once again pull himself to a standing position.  "Come."

            "Where are we going?" Robin asked, acknowledging that he would be making their plans for now. 

            "I have some supplies I left near the Factory in case of emergencies." He answered as she stood shakily. "It shouldn't be too long a walk from here."  They walked together deeper into the wood, each resting against the other for support.  Amon's injuries still raged against any quick or sudden movements, making their progress agonizingly slow.  He tried not to focus on his aching body, instead focusing on sketching out a plan in his mind. Robin let Amon lead them silently, trusting him to know where they were going.   

            After an hour of walking, they reached a small gray highway.  The sun had risen higher in the sky, making them blink and squint when they fully entered its light.  Amon scanned the area, trying to decide exactly where they were along the highway.  Finding a large green sign, he was surprised to find how far south of the factory they had drifted in their ambling.  Gesturing to the north, the two continued to stumble on, leaning on each other so much that they seemed to weave left to right then back again.   They were careful to stay inside the forest's border, just out of the sun's grasp.  Amon finally stopped in front of the next green sign.  Looking up to make sure, Amon nodded to himself, heading straight back into the wood. 

            When they reached the third tree straight back, Amon carefully slid to the dirt.  "Dig a little right here." He commanded, breathing heavily and becoming more pallid with each passing second. 

            Robin quickly did as she was told, kneeling cautiously and beginning to dig with her bare hands.  Drawing back as her hands felt something other than the crumbling earth, she saw a large black suitcase.   Smoothing her skirts she once again began to dig around the suitcase until she could open it.  The case was filled with a medical kit, water, food, a spare set of men's clothing, a gun, a few maps, money, and a cell phone.  Robin couldn't help but be amazed by the thoroughness of the kit. 

            She looked up to complement Amon on it when she stopped short, stuttering before any coherent words escaped her lips.  Amon had removed his trench coat and long grey inner jacket, and was gingerly removing his black t-shirt at the moment.  Robin had never seen an inch of Amon's skin besides his head, and neck.  Once in a very long while she got to see his hands, but those occasions were few and far between.  Seeing the sinews of his upper arms was a shock, seeing his fair, sculpted chest nearly blow up the nearest tree.

            This was the first time she had seen any man shirtless.  Father Julian had always been very careful to make sure that she never came in contact with any of the village boys, and would never have been anything but fully attired in her presence.  Her grandfather had always given her the distinct impression that to bear one's skin was shameful and sinful.  It was a "sign of pride", caused people to "sin against the Lord".  But she wasn't horribly aghast at her partner's state of undress, so much as her own reactions.  She actually liked it.  No mattered how hard she tried, she couldn't pry her eyes from the well defined muscles of his chest. Helpless to stop her cheeks from heating with embarrassment, she began to berate her mind for its sinfulness.  After all, Robin was going to be a nun.  Or at least that had been the original plan… Then again, the original plan had pretty much turned to ash over the last for months.

            Amon seemed not to notice her wide-eyed stupor, simply looking at Robin authoritatively, "Pour some of the water over your hands." He ordered.  His words broke her revelry, causing her to notice the blood running down his chest, and the bits of glass embedded in his shoulders.

            Understanding what he meant her to do, she immediately took the water and spilled some on her hands, cleaning off most of the dirt they had acquired while she was digging.  The medical kit contained everything she needed; some cloth, a pair of tweezers, some gauze, tape, peroxide and ointment.  Gathering up the supplies, she meekly approached Amon, not sure how to feel about her both half naked, and yet also injured partner.  She pushed the awkwardness away as she kneeled down behind him, letting her attention only rest on the shards jutting out of his back and shoulders. 

            He sat in silent tension, staring at the bark of the tree in front of him as she sensitively plucked out piece after piece.   The pain was sharp, and he couldn't help but hiss as a particularly large wedge was ripped from his upper back.  Robin jerked back. "Gomen!"

            "Just keep going." He urged through his teeth, schooling his sharp features so he wouldn't cry out again.   

            Reluctantly, Robin's wavering hands once again found his stinging back, and began to remove the shards a bit more gradually. "You know," She said in the lightest voice she could manage, trying to take his mind off the pain. "That case is very well packed.  You are always so well prepared." 

            The hunter merely grunted in response.  He put together about five different cases and sprinkled them around the city in case of an emergency where he couldn't get to a hospital.  Yet he hadn't even considered something like this happening when he had planned their attack on the Factory.   Amon was beginning to think he was paranoid delusional rather than well prepared.  He still had no idea how he was going to get them out of this situation.

            Forcing the feelings of impotent frustration down, Amon once again began to think.  They were going to have to disappear.  The first step to disappearing would have to be changing their looks in any way they could.  It wouldn't take a lot, but some simple changes would be necessary.  While Amon loathed the idea of getting rid of his jacket and trench coat, he had to admit they could give him away to hunters.  He would have to change his appearance in ways they didn't expect.  Maybe… dye his hair blue and wear a neon pink shirt? A ghost of a smile tugged his lips, imagining Sakaki's and Doujima's looks horror if he were to ever wear bright pink. 

            Robin finished removing the glass, pouring water over his back to cleanse the wounds.  She nimbly washed the blood from his skin with the cloth before applying the peroxide and ointment.  Gently wrapping his wounds in the gauzed and tape, Robin let her fingers wander lightly over his back, amazed at how soft the marble looking skin really was.  Amon felt himself unwind under the rhythmic patterns she traced ever so tenderly, unconsciously leaning into her touch.  Fighting the temptation to continue this obvious transgression against God (Robin was convinced that Father Julian would have been shocked if he knew what she was thinking at that moment) she allowed her fingers one more trip up his spine before retreating. She quickly left his side, hurrying away to put the supplies away in the case. 

            The spell of the moment broken, Amon once again tensed, bewildered as to what had just happened.  Had he actually relaxed? At a time like this? Maybe he had fallen on his head when they had jumped out of that window.            Re-focusing, Amon turned toward the girl. "Thank you." He was puzzled by the way she blushed under his gaze.  Was the girl that uncomfortable with him?

            "You're welcome." She answered shyly as she turned her head down.  Busying herself with finding some band-aids for a few of the cuts on her arms, she did her best not to look at him, afraid of her urges to continue touching him.  'These are sinful desires' she told herself, 'Besides, he is nothing more than my partner.  I can't think of him like he's…' She stopped the thought as her cheeks became an even deeper red.   Ducking her head down farther, she began to apply the bandages.

            Amon waited until she had finished to address her.  "We are going to have to disappear." He informed her firmly.

            "Disappear?" Robin looked up with wide eyes.

            "At least for a little while, we have no idea what SOLOMON will send after you."  He continued after she nodded reservedly. "This means we are going to change our appearances." 

            "So I will have to wear a hat and glassed like I did with Nagira?"

            He took a breath, trying to find the best way to put it to the witch. "No, our entire appearances." Amon explained. "The hair is going to have to change, the clothes… everything."  Robin seemed some how reluctant, her thin lower lip jutting out just enough to edge on pouting. "You don't exactly blend in with bicycle handles for hair and a Victorian dress on."

            She nervously touched her hair, fidgeting with some of the loose brownish gold strands. "I don't feel comfortable in the clothes other girls wear."

            "You'll get used to it."

            "I don't know if I can…" The image of the outfit that had been forced upon her during the hunt for Master's son still made her cringe.

            Amon gave her a dry look that left no room for further discussion.  Satisfied with her small sigh of acquiescence, he moved on.  "We're also going to have to do some things you might not approve of." Robin looked back up at him curiously. "This isn't going to be easy, and I need you to trust me and do what I tell you, no matter what you think of it."

            "I trust you." She didn't like the subtle foreboding in his voice, but she did trust him.

            He nodded neutrally in response, secretly enjoying the promptness of her reply.  'Time to test if she actually means it' he thought cynically.  Standing up, he put on the black t-shirt, deciding to hold the jacket and trench coat rather than wear them.  "Grab the suitcase." He instructed, walking unsteadily in the direction of the highway.

            Closing the suitcase, Robin hastily caught up with him.  "Where are we going?"

            His hair fell over his charcoal eyes as his lips lifted ever so slightly.  "Hitchhiking."   

Whad'ya think? Do tell; I need to know if I am wasting my time on this idea.