Hello fellow readers! Pepper here! Welcome to this story! Now, I haven't had a chance to buy and read all of the Shugo Chara mangas. Cue the frownie faces! SO! I'm going off the episodes and stuff that I watch online. (Just in case there's a difference in what happens and stuff)

Here's the full summary!

Ikuto: 17 Amu: 15 (Cause its gross to think of her being that young *blegh* Haha) and Tadase:16

Okay so remember how Ikuto was staying at Amu's house, hiding from Easter? Well this is sometime during that time period before her mom (or any of the other guardians found out). Note: Ikuto is still feeling ill.

When Tadase is acting strange one day, Amu confronts him about it. When he tells her that he is worried that Ikuto is up to no good, Amu lets her defensive side take over and she argues him about it. Tadase, feeling betrayed by Amu taking Ikuto's side, yells at her. Amu runs home crying to find a certain black cat awake from one of his long slumbers.

Kay? Havee fun!

(by the way, I OWN NOTHING! Just the plot!)

Amu POV

I was flying again, as I often found myself doing when I slept. I felt so free and relaxed as I flew around. A loud buzzer ripped me from my peace and my eyes opened droopily. I was met with several eyes staring at me.

"Amu!" They shouted in unison, causing me to giggle.

"Good morning Ran, Miki, Su." I said with a loud yawn. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was 10:15, Saturday morning. I could barely keep my eyes on my three Guardian Characters as they zipped around the room, chattering about nonsense matters. I rolled over and shut my eyes again, deciding to take my time getting up this morning. I felt warm breath on my face and I involuntarily leaned forward slightly. There was a slight noise and my eyes opened slowly.

"AHHHHHHHH!" I shouted as I was suddenly out of bed faster then I could've imagined. Ikuto was lying there breathing slow breaths. On his shoulder, Yoru (his own guardian character) was sleeping as well. I groaned as I remembered why he was here.

Ever since I found him in the alley the other night and took him home, I've been letting him and Yoru stay here. I found myself, like always, smiling at the peacefulness on Ikuto's face. His dark blue hair was all in disarray and there was a small smile playing on his lips.

"Amu-Chan." Said a high pitched voice. I looked over and saw Su by my face with her green eyes sparkling. "Your phone went off in the middle of the night. But I was too tired to wake you up." She admitted in her adorable voice. I reached down and grabbed my phone, flipping it open, and seeing a message from Tadase.

'Do you want to hang out today? You know, get away from all this stress for a couple of hours? I'll be by the fountain at 12 if you want to meet up.' I felt my giddy smile form and the feeling of cloud nine retuned.

"What should I wear!" I shouted as I ran to my closet, throwing clothes behind me that didn't catch my eye. Miki was standing on my shoulder, helping me decide. I went with something simple, much to Ran and Su's dismay. I went with my white and black striped knee highs, short black skirt, and black cat shirt.

"So this considered a date, do you think?" Ran asked as I started to comb my hair. I tried to keep my face in check and shrugged my shoulders. Cool & Spicy…

"SO stubborn." Her and Su giggled. I added my X bows to my hair and spun around in my chair. Ikuto hadn't moved in the slightest and I decided to go sneak up food for him and Yoru.

"Mom and Ami went to the store and Dad is at work. The house is all yours!" Miki and Su explained. I nodded and trodded downstairs. Just as they explained, there was a note explaining everything. I prepared a giant plate of food today, in case I wasn't home in time for dinner. I smiled at the thought, being with Tadase that long! I carried the tray upstairs and found Ikuto in the same position. I placed the tray on the small table I had in my room and wrote a note on a piece of paper.

'I'm going to be gone for a couple of hours with Tadase so I made you and Yoru a whole bunch of food. If there's an emergency, call me on my cell phone.' I read the note and with a shaky hand added 'hope you're feeling better. –Amu' I glanced at the clock and realized I should get going.

"What are you thinking of, Amu?" Ran asked as I walked down the street. I stared at her surprised and annoyed. I hated that I was so easy to read.

"Just thinking about Ikuto staying at my house." I admitted quietly. I heard them gasp in astonishment so I carried on. "Its just…ever since him and I have been near each other a lot, I realized that he's actually…a good person." I flashed back to every time he caught me when I fell, offered to help me with my homework, or even when he cleaned once. He was a handful, of course. I remembered when I found him and Yoru tangled in yarn, or when he was getting changed in my room without me knowing. And every single time he managed to squirm his way into my bed.

"Yeah I think so too." I looked at Miki shocked. "Yoru and I talk a lot on the balcony about him. Ikuto is actually a good person, he's just being chained down." I gave her a look and she blushed. Unknowingly, I had already found my way to the park at to the fountain. I only had to look for a moment before my sweet prince came running.

"Hinamori-san! You came!" He said in relief. I blushed and nodded. I chanced a glimpse at his eyes and saw there was something different about them today. We must have been standing there for a while because all of a sudden his warm and soft hand was in mine and he was pulling me away from the park. Behind me, I heard Kiseiki (sorry about spelling!) talking to my characters. I smiled and I looked up at the sky. For a split moment, I thought of Ikuto and worried for him but Tadase laughed and all thoughts of him flew away.

Ikuto POV

I opened my eyes slowly and tried to move. I groaned as my body felt sore and stiff.

"Ikuto!" Yoru shouted as he flew in front of my face. I looked at him as he started to talk a mile a minute. "Look at all this food-nya!" Was the only thing I managed to hear at the end. I looked over in confusion and saw a plate of our favorite foods. I tilted my head in confusion and slowly sat up for the first time in a while. I leaned forward and picked up the note that was on top of it all.

'I'm going to be gone for a couple of hours with Tadase so I made you and Yoru a whole bunch of food. If there's an emergency, call me on my cell phone.' Then, in much smaller and sketchier writing was, 'hope you're feeling better. –Amu'

I couldn't help the small cocky grin that formed. She did care, as much as she wished she didn't. I frowned though when I realized she would be with the little Prince all day. He was really getting on my nerves. Unconsciously, I had lifted my hand and touched the Dumpty Key, which stayed around my neck since the moment I came here. The Little Prince was always telling me it was his, but I knew otherwise. The Dumpty Key was my fathers. And the Humpty Lock is Amu's. He didn't want to admit that there is some force already keeping us together.

I looked over at Yoru, who was stuck in a glass, trying to get the last of the drink. I sighed and plucked him out, flicked him on the nose, then ruffled his hair. I don't know what I'd do without Yoru…

I glance at the clock, it was almost 4 already and Amu wasn't home…I wonder when she will be.

Amu POV

We were sitting in the middle of the park drinking smoothies. We went to the mall and walked around for a while, he bought some things, and then we got these and came back to the fountain. He frequently grabbed my hand or got really close to me to whisper in my ear when things were too loud around us, and I should've been on cloud nine.

But the problem was, I wasn't. He had been acting strange all day and I was just about fed up with it.

"Um…Tadase…" I said awkwardly. He glanced at me and forced a smile onto his face, which was the last straw with me. "What's wrong? You've been acting strange all day…" He frowned and looked away. "If you didn't want me to come…you could've said something." I said in a crackly voice.

"No Hinamori-San! I wanted to be with you today. It's just…something came up yesterday that reminded me of something in the past…" He said lamely. I looked at him until he met my eyes. "I was just thinking about (insert Ikuto's T last name here. It's like Tyskiomi or something haha) Ikuto and a time we saw each other before you moved here. That's all." At the mentioning of Ikuto's name, I leaned towards him expectantly. I knew I wanted to know more, but I couldn't make It seem obvious I cared.

He noticed my confused face instantly and sighed. "It was just something he said. We were talking and he brought up my grandmother." I frowned, remembering that his grandmother had fallen ill a while back. "I yelled at him, telling me to explain what happened that day. But He just looked at me and started to walk away. He walked out into the road, in front of my mom's car, and she almost swerved into another car. We had to take her to the hospital and I saw Ikuto as we were loading up the ambulance. I looked at him and said 'I hate you. I hope you die in a filthy disgusting hole. You don't deserve kindness. You steal and you hurt people. You don't deserve happiness.'" I was shocked that those words came from Tadase. I felt so guilty about it all.

I looked away for a moment to catch my thoughts and when I turned around, a couple tears fell from Tadase's face fell onto his hands. I hesitantly reached forward and held his wet hand. He took a deep breath and spoke again. "He was surprised that I could say that to him and he just looked at me deadly. 'You won't amount to anything the way you are now. You are weak.' And then he vanished."

I was quiet for a moment and before I could do anything about it, my big mouth got the best of me yet again.

"That doesn't sound like the Ikuto I know…something must've been wrong with him." Tadase's head shot up and he glared at me through red rimmed eyes. There was such anger in his eyes. I felt like I shrunk down and he was eighty feet tall with razor sharp teeth. "Ikuto isn't like that…"

"Don't you dare defend him, Hinamori. He is a horrible, vicious person that brings death and pain wherever he goes." He spat at me. I flinched back from him and looked away. Inside of me, my mind was telling me to just let him be mad and not say anything. However, my heart overpowered me and I stood up quickly.

"I know you and Ikuto have a past. But he's different. At least to me he is. Tadase-Kan, he's saved my life countless times and you always seem to overlook that. I'm not saying he didn't hurt you, I know he did. But my opinion about him doesn't have to change. So if I want to defend him, I will." I was screaming inside of my head. Did I just say that? To my prince!

I could hear the Guardian Characters quiet from behind us and I could tell they were definitely watching us now. Tadase stood up and started to shake slightly.

"I wasn't aware how close you and (Tyskiomijijridhgshrh) Ikuto became. So our friendship means nothing I see."

"Tadase-Kan! Of course our friendship means something! It means everything to me you…stupid dumbass! I'm not saying Ikuto didn't do anything to you, but he's not that way with me! What does it matter!" I said in a louder voice. I couldn't breathe because all of a sudden, Tadase was right in my face, eyes harsh.

"How could you Hinamori-San! I'm so disgusted by you!" he shouted in my face. I could feel something inside of me wither and I stood there as he shouted at me. "Can't you see he's just using you? All he wants from you is to piss me off, get the Humpty Lock, and maybe in the meantime win your heart only to crumple it. Is that what you want? To be used by someone so filthy and scummy as him? You're just a girl! A stupid young girl to him! Why would he ever spend his time willingly helping you if he didn't have an ulterior motive? You're what? Three years younger than him? And you honestly believe that he would care about someone like you?" His voice began to fade even though I knew he was still screaming.

I'm so useless. That's what he's saying. That Ikuto would never talk to me unless there was something he wanted. Was I really that horrible to be around? That's what Tadase was saying.

I couldn't stop the tears from coming and Tadase stopped when he saw them. He was still breathing heavy but I could see a hint of regret in his eyes.

I looked at him through my watery eyes, ignoring when I felt Ran, Miki, and Su appear at my side.

"Even if he is who you say he is…" I began causing him to freeze in surprise. "At least he has the decency to talk to and about me like I'm a normal human being! I'm a stupid young girl? He's NEVER said that! You Have! Goodbye, Tadase." And with that I spun around and ran. I wasn't even Character Changed and yet here I was, running faster than I could remember. Tears were flying down my face and my throat was hurting.

I ran all the way home without stopping. Ran, Miki, and Su never said anything and just flew by me the whole time. I was thankful for that. When I got home and pushed past the doors, I briefly noticed that no one was home again. I was thankful for that as well. I ran into my room and slammed the door shut while facing it. I locked the door and with one of my hardest punches, hit the door with all the anger I felt. I sank to my knees and just let myself cry like a child. I didn't care.

I felt a hand on my shoulder but didn't scream. He was like a house cat in every way, always knowing when you're sad and knowing just when to appear. I didn't think for the first time in years. I just threw myself at him and buried my face into his shoulder. I felt his arms instantly wrap around me.

I was in content hell.

Ikuto POV

It was almost five when I considered calling Amu like she said in the note. I could have Yoru say I wasn't feeling well and then she'd come running… I walked to the balcony and with my catlike senses, I listened to the sounds of the city. It was oddly peaceful in a way.

My ears twitched as I heard a sad gasp in the distance. Slowly, I could hear the sounds of running steps approaching and I could smell the salt in tears. I heard the front door open and it slammed shut. Her heavy steps pounded up the steps and the door flew open. She looked like hell—not that I'd say anything about it since something was notably wrong. She violently turned to the door to slam it and gave it one hard punch, which left a dent.

She crumpled to her knees and started to cry even harder. She must've forgotten about me being here, because she wasn't showing any acknowledgment of me. Against my mind, I walked to her and crouched down. I couldn't stand to see her this hurt, no matter how much of a pain we were to each other. I placed a hand on her shoulder, reminding her I was here. She didn't seem to care.

All of a sudden she lunged at me and I felt back onto the bean bags which kept me in a sitting position. She just held me and cried and I couldn't help myself. I wrapped my arms around her quickly and squeezed her to me. It was like an instinct. I was confused, very confused, yet at that moment I just sensed that she needed me to not ask any questions. At least for this one moment.

She was in so much pain that I barely recognized the Dumpty Key shining faintly beneath my shirt.

Well that's that. I know that seemed a little out of Tadase's character, but that's kinda how I pictured him snapping.

Next chapter: After finding a safety in Ikuto's arms, Amu quickly leaves and locks herself in the bathroom, embarrassed that she let herself exposed like that. How will Ikuto handle this unstable Amu? And why are Ran, Miki, and Su slowly turning black and white? When will Amu come out? And what will Ikuto do when he finds out just what Tadase said to her?

Amu: Why did you make me such a weakling?

Ikuto: Because you are.

Amu: Glares. I am perfectly capable of handling myself. *Crosses arms and turns away*

Ikuto: *Smiles wryly* Right. That's why you just lunged into my arms and tackled me.

Amu: *Blushes*

Read and review please! That's the only way I keep going!

~ Pepper