Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.

Warning: Slightly gory chapter. I don't think that it is enough to be 'R', but still, take note if you are sensitive to such things.

Author's note: So here I go again. I actually have an idea for a new fic. I dunno if I should get stuck into it before this story is finished though. Still, I wanted to stake my claim on that idea, so I will be submitting a bit of it as a new fic to see what the general reaction is. Right after I finish this chapter here.

NightElfCrawler, evilanimeblond22

Sorry for the shortish recap chapter. Inspiration did not come, so I just decided to expand on what happened in the manga a bit. Hopefully you'll be able to notice slight changes to the story in this chapter. They are not much though. I'm only using different means to reach a similar end.

kitsunedemon

Yay! My computer is more or less fixed. So here is the awaited update. Thanks for the review!

RuByMoOn17, ruby-dream

Wow...same name Nice to see you again.

Zilleniose

Ooohh...can't wait to read your fic when it's done. When you say based on the first 13 chapters, do you mean like writing an alternate version of it or like a continuation from where I left off?

I think I'll wait for a while before deciding whether to split the story or not. I want to see how I will progress with this.

Lady Yami

Yep...definitely a happy ending for Joshua too. I haven't thought about how I'd go about achieving that, but rest assured he will not be killed by the recently swallowed axe murderer aka a very unfortunate hockey playing lumberjack who got lost in the dark.

You are obviously a Joshua fan. So tell me, how would you like to see Joshua portrayed? Give me inspiration. Thanks for the review. Hope to see you soon.

HypeRAzNChocobOGoddesS

Shrug...I just spelt 'Relaie' phonetically and in romaji. And I think this was how Anime Keep spelt it, so...

It is similar to the manga, but I've sort of changed little things here and there. The dialogue is not identical. As for Asmaria asking for Rosette to kidnap her, that inspiration came from me playing Final Fantasy 9. In the manga, Asmaria told Rosette not to tell anyone she was there because she was trying to escape.

I still sort of follow the manga, but I may deviate in certain places, as you will see in this chapter, hopefully.

AnimeFreakVee52

Hehe...I hope it was the story, but it could have been a combination of both. My very first foray into a novel length fic. I hope you like it. Thanks for reviewing and I hope to see more of you in the not too distant future.

Kawaii Spinel Queen of Evil

Thank you so much for the review! It made me very happy when I read it. Nice to see you again.

Chapter 16: Power

Chrno:

Today started out just like any other normal day, except that we had Asmaria with us now. The Apostle had taken things into stride reasonably well, all things considered. She had been shocked to be woken up by unfamiliar people in an even more unfamiliar place, but had not freaked out as we had thought she would. Or maybe it was because she just didn't know how to react. Rosette's antics did finally get Asmaria to relax after a while.

Asmaria had been running around all morning looking for things to keep her busy. She had been totally accepting of the situation, even volunteering to help out with chores or wherever needed. A while ago she had gone off to help prepare tea for Sister Kate. With nothing better to do (Asmaria had done my share of the chores as well), I sat down to ponder about the Apostle. Outwardly, she seemed like a shy little girl with hardly any self-confidence. But there was a lot more to her than that. I could still sense traces of the awesome powers that she had tapped into that night. It had been a heady feeling, being so close to such power. It made me miss my horns all the more. I longed for the rush of being re-energised by astral.

"Chrno!"

I had looked up to see Rosette staring at me, exasperated. "What on earth are you doing there? Where's Asmaria?"

Good question. It shouldn't have taken that long just to deliver the tea. We had found her in the gardens eventually, after looking all over the place. She was crying, though she made a bad attempt at laughing it off. "I'm fine, really!" She claimed, forcing a watery smile.

Rosette and I looked at each other sceptically. I hurriedly stopped Rosette when she tried determinedly to drag Asmaria somewhere.

"Rosette." I murmured. "There's no need to take her anywhere. And it's not very safe anyway. Let me try and talk to her alone for a while."

She looked hesitant at first, but nodded reluctantly. "As long as you're sure that you're ok, Asmaria." Rosette then called to her. "I'm going to go to the Elder's workshop for a bit and see if he has anything new to play with. Chrno will take care of you until I get back."

I waited till she had gone before saying anything. Asking if she was alright would be stupid since she obviously was not. I decided to try a different tack. "Tell me about your past, Asmaria."

Asmaria:

My past? Why would he want to know about that?

This was so weird. I thought that he would ask what was troubling me, or something like that. The topic was so totally unexpected that for a moment I just gaped at him.

I hadn't wanted to burden Rosette with my troubles. How would she have reacted if I had told her that my band, those who had been more like family to me than my own kin, had all died because of me? She would have shunned me like the plague. I didn't want to be rejected again so soon, after having made my first tentative friend.

I didn't really want to tell Chrno either, but there was something about him that made me want to trust him. He seemed older and wiser than he looked, though he definitely seemed to be younger than Rosette. This same feeling also cautioned me to fear him. It was the same feeling that I got when I was near Relaie, except it was not as creepy with Chrno.

I began hesitantly. "Ever since my parents died I had gone from one relative to another. They were all kind enough to take me in..." Chrno's expression darkened as I continued to talk. His frown turned to a deep scowl when I moved from the band to Relaie. That look quickly disappeared though, once I stopped talking.

"And your powers?" He asked. "Could you tell me about those as well?"

Talking seemed much easier now that I had actually tried to speak with someone. Somehow, I found myself telling him everything. It was like a dam had burst inside of me, and what had originally been a trickle of information became a torrent of emotions as I poured my heart out for the very first time.

Chrno looked so very sad when I finally reined myself in. "You needn't be afraid of your powers Asmaria. They can be used to help people. And you don't need to feel that there is no one to turn to. Rosette and I will always be there to help you whenever we can." He sounded so confident and sincere. For the first time in ages, I felt a spark of assurance and hope. "Besides." he continued. "One thing that I've learnt from my time with Rosette is that life is often unpredictable and short. We should all do what we can in the time that we have. Try to live life to the fullest."

He gave me a charming smile, which I couldn't help but return. I had finally found other people, friends, who were willing to accept me for what I was. Perhaps it would be different this time.

"Did you enjoy yourself today, Lady?"

We both spun around at the familiar voice. Relaie stood there watching us with an amused smirk.

"Relaie!" Chrno growled.

Relaie had a terrible smile on his face as his attention focused onto Chrno. "I must say that I'm quite disappointed, Sinner. That is hardly a form which befits the traitorous one who defeated me and betrayed Pandemonium."

I was totally confused now. How did Relaie and Chrno know each other? What was going on? Chrno kept casting glances back towards the compound, in the direction where Rosette had gone before. Relaie noticed this and grinned nastily. "Looking for this?"

My eyes widened and Chrno tensed in shock and anger. One of Relaie's underlings had appeared beside him and was carrying someone. It was an unconscious Rosette.

"You were careless Chrno, to let your contractor wander away from you." Relaie's grin widened as he gauged Chrno's reaction. "I would not do anything rash if I were you. I'm sure that you don't want anything to happen to this girl." Chrno was shaking with rage. I cringed when Relaie turned towards me, while keeping his eyes on Chrno. "If you don't want your new friend to be harmed, Lady, come with me."

This was entirely my fault, as usual. I brought misfortune to anyone who tried to help me or get close to me. I nodded in resignation and headed towards him.

"Asmaria! No!" Chrno hissed.

"I'm sorry, Chrno." I turned to face him, genuinely apologetic. "This is the only way to save Rosette. Thank you for having taken care of me." Relaie reached out with a long arm and snagged my wrist, pulling me towards him. I winced, but turned to look at him. "I'm here now. Let Rosette go!"

Relaie laughed. "You really are naïve, Lady. Why would I do a thing like that?" There was shouting in the distance. People from the Order were coming towards us. Relaie levitated into the air. "Follow me if you can Sinner. I will be waiting for you."

I cried out with horror as Relaie threw a ball of light at Chrno. He was going to die and it would be my fault.

"NO!!!"

Chrno:

I should have died when Relaie threw that ball of energy at me. But I was still standing there, relatively unharmed, when all the dust cleared. A barrier had protected me. I turned to see Remington with a 'barrier cannon', a prototype that the Elder had been tinkering with.

Relaie had taken Rosette and Asmaria. And I had no way of reaching them. I could only watch helplessly as they flew off towards the blimp that hovered in the distance.

"How did that demon manage to get in here?" Remington wondered in disbelief. "Most demons should be avoiding this place, just from our reputation alone."

He had just answered his own question. The Order had grown complacent, secure in the 'certainty' that no demon would be stupid enough to attack where holy power was so heavily concentrated. This was no time for stupid questions though. "Who cares about how he got here. We need to go after him right now!"

Rosette:

I awoke to the sound of yelling. What? Why was I unconscious to begin with? The last thing I remembered was some strange butler and maid knocking me out. Where was I? Why couldn't I move?

There was someone bear hugging me from behind, preventing me from moving. As my eyes focused, I saw that the noise was coming from Relaie and Ricardo. The latter was furious with Relaie. "What did you think you were doing? It is too soon. The preparations are not complete. We do not know for sure whether this experiment would succeed or not. You should know better than to act without my permission." Strong metal chains shot out to constrict Relaie. Doubtless, the weird ring which Ricardo wore on the finger that was pointing at Relaie was controlling those chains. "Always remember who has the power here, Relaie."

Despite being in obvious pain, Relaie laughed. "Oh, but I do."

Ricardo frowned, then started in surprise when his servants reached out to restrain him. "What are you doing? I am your master!"

The chains vanished, leaving Relaie standing there slightly winded. Grinning, he stalked towards Ricardo. "I always remember exactly who is in control here. Thank you for your services 'master', but you are no longer needed. You should feel honoured that I am allowing you to perform one last duty for me, human."

I couldn't see what Relaie was doing, since he had his back to me. But as I watched, Ricardo's body began to shrivel until it was nothing more than a dried out husk. I'd been on enough missions to know what had happened and the realisation made my stomach turn. Relaie had sucked out his soul.

A familiar gasp made me turn around in surprise. Asmaria was behind me, shackled to a chair and connected to weird electrodes and wires. She had turned her face away and was quivering with shock.

"I see you've awoken."

I turned back to glare at Relaie through narrowed eyes with undisguised disgust. He dropped the shell of his former 'master' onto the floor. I felt sick. He turned his attention towards Asmaria. "What do you want with her, you freak!?" I screamed at him. He ignored me and walked towards Asmaria. I struggled, but the butler behind me had a vice like grip.

Relaie grinned. "You should be grateful, Lady." He said to Asmaria. "I am showing you the true purpose for which you were given these powers. With them, you will summon the Astral Line, from which I will be able to draw energy to return to my true form." He gestured to the sky, and I finally realised that we were in a vessel of some sort floating high in the sky.

He motioned to one of his servants who was stationed at one of the contraptions lining the walls of the room. A switch was thrown and the screams began. As Asmaria cried out with pain, a stream of green light appeared in the sky. The light started to flow into a receptor implanted in Relaie's chest. I thrashed even more furiously, but it was no good.

Asmaria continued to scream in agony. I continued to struggle helplessly as I watched. "Stop it!" I screamed. "What the hell are you doing to her?!"

Relaie laughed sadistically. He looked creepier than before, with all the flickering shadows playing across his features. That green light was the only reason that I could see him at all. I gasped in horror when he turned around. Not only did his skin seem to be melting off him, but he was definitely expanding to the point where I could tell that the ripping sound was not just coming from his clothes, but from himself as well.

"I'm letting her do what she wanted to do. She wished to help others, so I'm letting her help me. Her powers are regenerating me as we speak." Spikes violently thrust out from his torn skin as he continued to grow in bulk. Horrified but determined, I prevented myself from cringing when he stepped closer. "Am I really that fearsome? You should be accustomed to demons by now, having been with the Sinner for so long. How strange that you do not fear him. Are we not representative of the very things which you and your precious Order stands against?"

"Chrno is nothing like you!" I growled. "You are nothing but a soulless monster!"

Amazingly, Relaie laughed at that. "Of course we're nothing like each other. The Sinner is much more of a monster than I shall ever be." I recoiled when he peeled back the skin on his face to show his true appearance. There was a gaping hole in his cheek through which the teeth could be seen, which slowly closed up even as I watched, mesmerised. "But you do not believe me, do you?"

"Chrno is nothing like you!" I repeated, glaring at him. "He is kind and gentle, not an evil thing which takes advantage of noble self sacrificing people like Asmaria."

"Oh really?" He signalled to one of the servants at the control switches and the flow of green energy was stopped when the machine was turned off. Asmaria stopped screaming and mercifully fell unconscious. Casually, Relaie ripped off the rest of the tattered material, which had been his old shell. He was fully regenerated now. "From what I could see, you were not forced to become Chrno's contractor. There must have been something which compelled you to do that and it certainly does not seem to have been for your own benefit." I stiffened, causing him to grin. "Did Chrno not take advantage of you either when you forged the contract?"

"It wasn't like that!" I stopped myself before I blurted out anything else. There was no reason to tell this demon anything.

He smirked. "You say that he is kind and gentle. That is the side of him that he lets you see. But do you really know him? Do you know of his past and what he had done to earn the title of Sinner?"

When I thought about it, I really didn't know anything about Chrno, other than the fact that he was a hornless demon. "It's true that his past is a mystery to me." I admitted slowly. Relaie smirked and I glared angrily at him. "But I don't care about what he did before. That doesn't change who he is now. I know that he would never knowingly hurt me."

"Perhaps you won't be saying that when you realise how truly monstrous he is. Obviously you do not know as much as I had thought you would. No demon can ever truly change their nature. Remember this, young lady. We are creatures ruled by instinct, unlike you humans who act according to your emotions. Our instincts override our feelings and it is in our blood to cause pain to humans. Torturing others and drinking in their fear gives us a rush such as you couldn't imagine. This is something that all demons would have indulged in at some point. We can do naught but obey our nature."

Who does this guy think he is? He nodded at the person restraining me and I suddenly found myself pitched roughly forward. Suddenly free, I tried to back away as far and as fast as I could from Relaie, but was stopped when he reached out and grabbed me around the neck with his talons. "You know nothing about Chrno." I stated flatly, giving him a defiant glare.

Relaie:

I grinned. It didn't matter that the girl rejected what I said. The seeds of doubt had been sown and they would undoubtedly take root once she witnessed the truth for herself. What better way to get back at Chrno then to turn his contractor against him. For surely, she would fear him once his vicious side was revealed. Humans were fickle creatures after all. This girl would be no different. I couldn't wait until the Sinner arrived. It would be so much fun to provoke him in front of his contractor and show her his ugly and violent side.

"Master." It was one of my legion servants. "A small plane is approaching us. What would you like us to do?"

"Let it come unhindered, until the Sinner arrives. Once he is on board, destroy the plane." I ordered.

The girl looked perplexed. "You're just going to let Chrno come here? Why?"

"He and I have things to discuss." I grinned as I unsheathed my claws, pleased at her gasp of alarm and sudden apprehension. "And we have a score to settle."

Chrno:

This was suspicious. It was way too easy. I snuck through the corridors quietly. I had not encountered a single person during my trek through the blimp. It was unlike Relaie to have such sloppy security. Eventually, I came to a large shadowy room that was most probably the control centre. A figure was chained to a chair in the centre.

Asmaria!

Hurrying forward, I broke her free. "Asmaria! Are you alright? Asmaria!"

She came around slowly. "Ch...Chrno?"

I sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. We have to get you out of here. Remington is waiting in a plane outside..."

"Leaving so soon, Sinner?"

His maniacal laughter echoed through the room, but he himself could not be seen. I whipped around anxiously as Asmaria tensed. "Relaie!" I quickly pushed her behind me, gesturing for her to take cover behind that humungous torture chair that she had been strapped to. I then started looking for Relaie again. It was hard to pinpoint exactly where he was. "I won't let you take Asmaria again."

I was surprised when he laughed even more. "By all means, take her." He stepped out of the shadows and my eyes widened. "As you can see, I am finally free and fully regenerated. I no longer need the Apostle. But aren't you worried about the wrong girl? Isn't this one even more important to you?"

One of his arms had remained shrouded by shadow. He brought it forward, dragging a figure forward. I tensed in anger as I saw who it was. "Rosette!"

Relaie had his claws around her neck. She had made no sound because she was being slowly suffocated. She turned at the sound of my voice and renewed her struggle when she saw me.

"Feisty little thing, isn't she?" I bristled at the tone of voice that Relaie used. Rosette's hands, which had been beating uselessly at Relaie's hand, fell towards the clock at her chest. The next thing I felt was the incredible surge of power as she opened her soul to me and allowed me to revert to my true form. I had missed this.

Relaie laughed in approval. "That's it! That is the Sinner that I wanted to see!"

Growling, I lashed out with lightning speed. His mirth disappeared when he noticed suddenly that I had 'disarmed' him. "Temper...temper..." he said reproachfully, not the least bit worried about the severed limb.

I quickly put some distance between us, before putting Rosette down. "Are you alright?" I asked, concerned as she coughed and wheezed. It wasn't just the after effects of being strangled either. The breaking of the seal on the clock was physically draining her.

Rosette nodded. Surprisingly, she was mostly uninjured. "I'll be fine. You handle Relaie. I'll go and take care of Asmaria." I hesitated, seeing how she had difficulty breathing. She looked like she could barely stand on her own. But she gave me a reassuring smile and started heading towards Asmaria.

"Forget about the human, Chrno." Relaie called. "It is time for our rematch. I am here to avenge my brothers and to execute you for your crimes. You have disgraced your kind by associating with humans and serving them. I shall enjoy making you suffer."

I snarled. "It is you who will suffer for daring to harm Rosette." We leapt towards each other, claws out, each intending to kill the other.

Rosette:

Stupid demon! My throat felt like it had been mangled. Breathing actually hurt, but I forced myself to suck in deep breaths. It didn't help that the feeling of being drained was making it hard to concentrate. I stumbled over to where Asmaria was crouched.

She still looked a bit dazed. Making my way there, I quickly checked her over and was relieved to find her unwounded. "Rosette? What happened to Chrno?" I gestured to the demons fighting outside. Her eyes widened. "That's really him?

"That's right. He is Chrno, the Sinner...the one who lost his horns...the one who lost his rank. He is known by many names, but he is basically a demon." I grinned at the stunned expression on her face. "He doesn't look like it usually, does he? Anyway, let's talk about this later. We need to get you out of here."

The poor girl was still too disoriented and shaky on her feet. "What? How?"

"Chrno managed to get here." I explained patiently, while I dragged her along. "Someone must have flown him up here with a plane unless they catapulted him up here with a huge sling shot or something. All we have to do is find an escape hatch or even a large window or something where we can signal to the plane."

Relaie:

Chrno slashed at me again and again. The small wounds that he had inflicted I could easily heal due to the enormous amount of Astral that I had absorbed. He had obviously not used his true power for ages, yet he still had perfect control over everything. A shame that this control made him rein in his powers because he was worried about his precious contractor. I had no reason to rush. I was saturated with Astral, while the Sinner was solely dependent on his contractor. He would want to end this quickly and would eventually make a mistake. That would be the moment to strike. Unlike him, I had all the time in the world.

"This is really quite disappointing, Chrno. You have become rather weak. Do you really have time to play around like this? Why don't you just finish me off?" Oh that frustrated look was just delicious. He knew that he could not defeat me at this rate, so why would he hold back? Grinning, I blocked a particularly vicious and desperate attack. "Are you worried about your contractor?" I ducked to avoid a swipe that could have beheaded me. "The poor girl looked like she was in so much pain. And it's entirely your fault too. She looks so young. I can't help feeling sorry for her."

Ooh...I think I struck a nerve. Chrno's attacks increased in ferocity. Even then, he still hadn't slipped up once. I suppose this should have been expected from one as highly trained as he was. It wasn't luck that had earned him the title of "Killer of a Hundred".

The sound of a plane engine distracted us for a second. A plane was trying to get close to the blimp and attempting to pick up the Apostle. Strange. Why had my Legion not managed to capture the Sinner's contractor?

Oh well. While he was distracted, I backhanded him violently, sending him crashing into part of the blimp. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Sinner sit up painfully. It was such a pitiful sight.

The plane was getting too close though. I wouldn't let those humans escape so easily, especially the one who held such importance to the Sinner. I called out to him. "I wonder what you would do without your contractor? Let's find out, shall we?" I took aim with my cannon, waiting for the moment when realisation dawned on his face, before firing at where the girl was.

"Rosette! NO!!!!" The Sinner tried in vain to propel himself forward, but it was too late. The resulting explosion from my blast blew him back, away from the blimp. I couldn't help but laugh at the panicked expression on his face.

CRACK!

A bolt of something hit my receptor dead centre, cracking it and releasing the pent up Astral. I cried out in pain as my energy was suddenly depleted. I glared viciously with narrowed eyes at the place where the shot had come from.

Chrno's contractor was standing there with the Apostle behind her, protected by a crucifix barrier. That must have been why my Legion had not been able to approach her. The plane had moved away when I had fired at the girls, but now it was directly underneath them, waiting for them to jump off. I could not let this happen, but my power was fast disappearing.

"Need...Astral...!"

Spotting the Apostle, I dove towards her, dimly aware of the Sinner following after me. It didn't matter so long as I reached the girl. I needed power, and I would extract it raw from her if I needed to.

Chrno's contractor pushed her out of the way, so that she dropped onto the plane waiting below. I screamed in anger. She had gotten in my way. That would be her last mistake. Not slowing or changing my trajectory, I flew at her. If I were to be slain, then I would take the girl with me.

When I ploughed into her, my claws burrowed their way into her stomach. She gasped in pain, frozen in position. Before I could do further damage, the Sinner jerked me away from her with a roar of fury and smashed me through a wall. Briefly, I saw the girl sink to the floor in a spreading pool of blood, before Chrno's eyes dominated my field of view. It was the same expression of insanity as the last time when he had 'disposed' of me, only this time it was amplified many times over.

After that, all I knew and felt was pain and extreme agony as he proceeded to give me a painful reminder of just why he had been so feared and respected in Pandemonium in the past.

Rosette:

Pain.

It hurt everywhere. Why was I even still conscious? Who was screaming? Where was Chrno?

I dragged myself over to where I had seen Chrno and Relaie disappear to. What I saw then made me feel even worse than before.

Chrno was torturing him. It was wrong. This was not the Chrno that I knew. But then Relaie's previous words came back to haunt me. Did I really know him? His eyes were totally feral as he ripped into Relaie with his claws. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to fight the feeling of nausea. I had to stop him.

"Chrno..." I called weakly. He didn't respond. Relaie had sunk to the ground in a limp bloody heap. Breathing heavily, Chrno gave him one last frigid stare before finishing him off with a swift blow to the head.

I couldn't believe that this was Chrno. "Chrno!" I dragged myself closer, even though my body was screaming at me for making it work when it didn't want to.

Chrno whirled around, claws at the ready. The wild look disappeared when our eyes met. He was at my side in an instant, worry evident on his face. But something was wrong. Chrno's face kept swimming in and out of focus and I starting to feel very cold. Was he saying something? Everything was muffled now.

Chrno:

She had lost so much blood. It was like déjà vu all over again. First Magdalena and now Rosette. Was it fate that every human that I loved would die in my arms?

It was all my fault. If I hadn't gotten so carried away...if I had killed Relaie sooner...if I hadn't let Asmaria get kidnapped...!!!

Asmaria!

She would be able to heal Rosette. I should have thought of that earlier, instead of sitting here panicking stupidly and feeling sorry for myself. I scooped her up as gently as I could, wincing as she gasped with pain. "Just hold on for a little longer." I pleaded her as we blasted out of the doomed vessel.

Hovering in midair, I scanned the area desperately. Remington's plane had landed nearby and there were people standing there looking up at me. I had last seen Asmaria dropping onto Remington's plane so she should be there as well. As I sped over, I was relieved to see that she was indeed with Remington.

Landing quickly, I placed Rosette onto the ground in front of the Apostle, before dispelling my powers and resealing the clock. Asmaria was frozen with horror, transfixed by the bloody sight. Remington had immediately knelt down to take stock of Rosette's condition.

"Asmaria, please!" I begged. "Rosette needs..."

I broke off when she immediately rushed forward, kneeling next to Rosette and placing her hands over the wound. She wore a determined expression as she concentrated on summoning her powers. Glowing wings sprouted from her back, and a golden light sprang forth from her hands. As she worked on healing Rosette, Asmaria spoke to me. "There was no need to ask. Rosette is my friend and I will do everything in my power to save her."

A while later, the light vanished and Asmaria slumped forward, unconscious. Remington caught her. While I was also concerned about the Apostle, Rosette was my first priority. But I needn't have doubted Asmaria's ability. Rosette was totally healed, though still unconscious. Relieved, I held her tightly. She was safe. For the moment, that was all that mattered to me.

TBC

What a monster chapter! It was so damn long to write! I'm looking forward to feedback for this chapter. Though I wasn't completely satisfied with how stuff happened, I hope it was ok for you guys. Please review to tell me what you think should happen next.