Authors Note:Hey guys, new story :D if you liked my old one then hope you like this one too :) i'll try and update as soon as possible :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrno Crusade or the chacters


Chapter 1

Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock...Tick...

Rosette pushed her feet gently against the wooden floor, rocking the porch swing to the same gentle rythem of pocketwatch. The sun was already sinking down beneath the hills in the distances but she could still feel its warmth kissing her closer eyelids, tugging her tired lips in to a small smile. Somewhere far above her a flock of birds called to each other happily and she suddenly longed to be up there with them. The door opened with a creak. "Rosette,"

Her weak heart gave a light flutter at the sound of his voice. Even after spending four months alone with him she still couldnt get enough of it. Maybe it was because she knew she wouldnt be hearing it much longer. But deep down she knew if she had a hundred years with him it wouldnt be enough.

"Why dont you come over here?" She asked, gently patting the seat next to her. "Its nice and warm," She turned her face back towards the setting sun, smiling a little at the view. "Its beautiful. Im...really fond of the view from here... I want to stare at it forever,"

With obvious effort, he pushed himself forwards and she slid over to make room for him. For a long moment they both simply sat in the peaceful silence broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the light summer breeze. Inevitably it was Rosette who spoke first. "Hey...shall I break the seal? Then you can heal your injuries. You can be well again,"

She placed her hand over the seal. Too tired to argue, he simply rested his own hand on top of hers, enjoying the warmth of her skin under his. Though he couldnt help but notice it had been getting slightly cooler lately, loosing its usual heat. He noticed her questioning look and sighed.

"Its fine," He muttered. "Thats also an important thing to me. So I dont want to loose it," Any sooner than I already will, he didnt add. They didnt speak about their inevitable seperation. Whenever one of them would dance near the subject, the other would change it to pleasenter things like what to have for dinner that evening or how they could fix the broken beams under the ceiling.

Beside him, Rosette felt her heart falter then pick up speed. It had been doing that recently. Her breath was too shallow but she couldnt seem to find the energy to sigh. Despite all the years of knowing this day would come, she wasnt ready. There were so many things she hadnt said. But it was becoming more and more difficult to recall certain faces. She closed her eyes and forced herself to picture them; Joshua, Azmaria, Remington, Sister Kate, Elder.

"I sometimes remember... I wonder how everyone is doing?" No time for holding back now. "But for now, I'd rather be together with you,"

Somewhere in the distance, a horse and cart rattled by. Niether of them tensed like they used to at the sound of someone approaching. Although the Order must be searching for them, they were safe for now and, afterall, now was all they had. The sun sank lower in the bloodred sky and Rosette couldnt stop the tears swelling in her eyes, spilling on to her pale cheeks. She hadnt expected to feel this way in the end. She had thought she was resigned to it. She had saved Joshua and Aion was defeated. So why did she feel so...panicked? The pocketwatch ticked relentlessly forwards, robbing her of sensible thought.

"I wanted to tell you so much," She whispered, smiling sadly at the sky. "When we were finally alone together. But I cant think of the words," Her heart was thudding more painfully now, as if trying to fit a lifetime of beats in to a few short minutes. Her mind seemed to be on fast forward, skipping from one thing to the next so quickly she couldnt focus on one thought long enough to put it in to words.

"Lets go inside now. You're the one who should lie down," He suggested, as if that would help at all. Rosette barely heard him. She knew there was something important she had to tell him. Her mind was already fading out, taking her body with it.

"What was it?" She whispered, sobbing freely now. "I know it...But...I...Im so scared!"

He caught her hand up in his own, holding it firmly as though he could keep her there. Now that the tears had started it was impossible to stop. She lunged at him, trying to burry herself in his warmth. She knew it must have hurt his already badly injured body but he didnt complain as he wrapped one arm around her, still clinging to her free hand.

"I dont want to die!" She realised now how true those words were. And it wasnt just because there were still so many things she wanted to do and see. She didnt want to leave him. Four years together wasnt enough, wasnt fair. "I want to..." I want to be with you forever, she considered saying. But she knew he still believed they would be together afterwards. Her own faith had been pushed far beyond the limits. She had very little hope but she wouldnt dash his. "I want to live longer,"

His grip on her tightened, merging their two bodies together. "Rosette..." He murmered her name again and again in to her hair, his voice cracking each time. Her pulse began to slow and the rush of adreneline faded leaving her tired and weak. She turned her face slightly so she could see the last rays of the sun as it sank behind the hills.

Tick...Tock...Tick...

There was still something she needed to tell him. But the words wouldnt form in her mind and it was too late now anyway. Her grip on his hand slacked and he pushed his palm in to hers, willing her to stay with him. She longed to feel his heart against her own but the pocketwatch sat in between them as always.

Tick...Tock...

She couldnt find the right words. So these would have to do. "Thank you..."

Tock...

Tick...

Tock...

Tick...

"Rosette!"

Rosette Christopher straightened up in her seat and stared around her, disorientated. Unshed tears gathered in her eyes, distorting the image in front of her. It took several moments for her to recognise the saphire eyed boy staring back at her, an anxious expression on his face.

"Rosie are you okay?" He asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You looked like you were having a nightmare,"

Nightmare? Was that what it was? But it had felt so real. She had phsyically felt the life being ripped out of her. She glanced around herself again, trying to remember where she was. She was encased in a metal tomb and the ground beneath her rumbled.

"Yeah, I guess I fell asleep. Are we here?" She sat up and stretched, yawning loudly to cover up her distress. Joshua relaxed slightly, though he was still watching her closely.

"Yes. You're such a heavy sleeper its taken me this long to wake you- OUCH!" He rubbed the growing lump on his head where she had smacked him.

"You shouldnt tease a girl whos just woken up," She said curtly, standing up and clambering out of the car. Rosette hadnt actually wanted to come on this trip. But Joshua had insisted and she knew how he hated to leave her alone. Remington had been pretty persistant too, practically bribing her with the promise of three hot meals a day. Really, she had no idea why anyone would want to visit a convent of all places. She hadnt even taken Religious Studies.

"Ah, Rosette you're finally awake," Remington teased, winking at her. She scowled and mumbled something incohently. Joshua stood by her side and smirked. With their identical blonde hair and azure eyes, it was easy to see they were siblings. They might even pass as twins since Joshua had been pushed up two years in to her class. Although most people would hate to be in the same lessons as their younger brother, Rosette loved it. They had always been particularly close and he was weirdly protective of her, as if he was the older sibling not the other way round.

"Now, when we get inside the building you will be given a brief talk about the behaviour expected of you then a tour including the history of the Order of Magdelene. Are you ready?" Remington's eyes suddenly locked with Joshua's. He gave him the smallest of nods and Remington smiled. "Then lets go,"

"Rosette?" She grunted to show she was listening, while still glancing around the exstensive grounds of the Order. "What was your dream about?" Joshua asked lightly as they followed Remington towards the building. She faltered for a split second. Blurred images filled her mind; a soft pair of crimson eyes, pale lips, warm embraces.

"I dont remember, Josh, it was just a stupid dream," She replied impatiently. For a split second she thought she saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes. But then it was gone and Remington was calling for their attention once more.

To say the building was old would be a massive understatement. Rosette was surprised the place was even standing. The old walls were covered in ivy that crawled up the outside like a rash. The windows glinted like strips of gold in the summer sun. Rosette thought she saw the shadow of someone watching them from one of the top floors but it was gone before she could even be sure it was there to begin with. She hurried to catch up with the others. The inside of the building was strangely modern compared to the outside. Restorations had clearly been made and some parts were newer than others.

"It smells like Grandma Joans' house," Rosette whispered making Joshua chuckle.

"This way," Remington held open a door leading to a small room and waited until they were inside before closing it behind them. It was empty except for a young nun with a pretty face and kind green eyes. "This is Sister Claire. She'll be looking after you over the next couple of weeks. If you have any problems you can go to her or myself,"

"Couple of weeks?" Rosette hissed at the back of the room. "Joshua, you said it would be a few days at most!"

"Well, I may have underexagerated a little," Joshua replied advasively.

"Exactly how long is this trip?"

"Good afternoon, everyone," Sister Claire said, beaming happily at the class of bored teenagers. "Before we get on with the tour, I would just like to take this time to set down a few ground rules. As this is a convent there will of course be no alcohol, drugs or smoking. Please refrain from swearing or cursing when possible. Try to keep quiet as there will often be people in prayer. You will be responsible for your keeping your own rooms tidy. Lights out is at ten. No one is permitted to be out of their rooms after then. Right, are you ready for the tour now?"

"Joshua, how long?" Rosette persisted as they filed back out of the room.

"Im not sure exactly..." Joshua pretended to think for a moment. "No more than three weeks..."

"THREE WEEKS?" Rosette blushed as Remington fixed her with a stern glare and lowered her voice. "I cant stay here that long, Josh. I have a job, remember?"

"Remington sorted it all out,"

She frowned suspiciously. "Why are you guys so intent on me being here anyway?"

"You need to stop reading so many conspiracy novels," he countered. "Is it so wrong for me to want to spend time with my sister? You work so much lately I never see you anymore,"

Her face softened and she smiled. "I guess not. You still owe me big time though. I can already feel my spirit being crushed by this place,"

Joshua smirked and nudged his sister playfully but secretly he was relieved. The last thing they needed after eight months of planning was for Rosette to start asking too many questions.

"...first established in the early 1800s, but it has grown in size and now has branches all over the world," Sister Claire was saying. "The Order played a significant role in the second world war..."

Rosette zoned out again. History was not her strongest subject. She wasnt particularly religious either, though she went to church regularly for Joshua's sake. After their parents had died she'd given up on the weak faith she'd had. Her pace slowed as she studied the paintings on the walls. Most of them were the usual scenes of the crufixtion and a few Saints she didnt know or care for the names of. Her eyes brushed over them without much interest until they caught sight of a portrait much larger than all the others.

It featured a pretty blond woman with grey eyes and a small smile gracing her lips. She looked familiar somehow, though Rosette couldnt think where she had seen it before. She looked for a name but the portrait wasnt labelled.

"Rosette!" She started and smiled guiltily at Remington before hurrying to catch up with the others.

"Sorry, Remington," She said, blushing.

"Rosette, you mustnt wonder off by yourself here," He reprimanded. "Its a big place and we both know what your sense of direction is like," He laughed at the expression on her face and ruffled her hair lightly. Although he was her teacher he had also been the one to get her and Joshua out of the care system and in to a proper home. Too young to be her father, he was more like a stern older brother to her and Joshua.

"Right. if Mr. Remington would like to show Joshua to the boys domitory, I will take Rosettes to the girls. We'll meet in the dinner hall at six," Sister Claire suggested. Rosette waved goodbye to Joshua and Remington before following the nun. Rosettes room was more like a closet than anything else. There was barely enough room for the narrow bed and chest of drawers. A rosery hung on the back wall, the only ornimant in sight. She unpakced her things then followed the directions Sister Claire had given her to the dining hall. Joshua was there already and waved her over to his table by the window.

"Now I know why they call the rooms here 'cells'," She muttered as she took a seat opposite him. "Seriously, theres barely enough room to breathe in them,"

Joshua's lips twitched as he fought a smile. Silence fell across the room as a sour faced nun stood up at the front. Everyone bowed their heads as she said Grace. Rosette shifted impatiently throughout the prayer, desperate to start eating. As the final Amen resounded around the room she let out a sigh of relief and began shovelling stew in to her mouth at record speed.

Joshua watched with mild amusement as her face slowly turned from red to blue then back to normal again as she gulped down some water. "One of these days your actually going to choke to death, you do realise that?"

"Then I'll die a happy girl," She replied, pushing her empty bowl away with a satisfied smile. She glanced out the window and suddenly caught sight of someone watching her from the shadow of an old oak a few metres away. She couldnt see his face but he leant against the trunk with the ease of someone who didnt care about being caught staring.

"Earth to Rosette?" Joshua waved his hand in front of her eyes, dragging her gaze away from the figure. "What were you looking at?" She started to explain about the person under the tree but when she glanced back they were gone.

"Nothing," She replied, frowning. "Do you want to go exploring after dinner? I bet this place is just crawling with buried treasure or something,"

"You're such a little kid, Rosie," he laughed before turning serious. "Sorry, but I cant. I promised Remington I would help him with some stuff,"

"You two have been really secretive lately,"

"Oh?" He turned back to his food, trying not to blush under her harsh gaze. She could always see straight through him.

"Yeah... and I think I know why," He looked back at her, startled. A smug grin spread over her face. "You're planning a surprise for my birthday next week, arent you?"

"Oh...yeah, thats it," He let out the breath he'd been holding and made a mental note to plan something for her seventeenth. "Well, I'd better go. I'll see you later, Rosie,"

He ruffled her hair as he went passed and she growled in irritation. She hated it when he did that. Sighing, she glanced around the emptying room with a bored expression. Well, there was no way she was going back to her room. She could always explore the grounds now and leave the rest of the building for when Joshua was free. Eager to get outside, she stood up and practically skipped out of the dining hall. It was one of those summers where the air seemed to buzz with life, even in the evening. She pulled her hair in to two pigtails as she strolled across the grass.

There wasnt much to explore in the end. The most exciting it got was an old chapel that was practically falling where it stood but she wasnt stupid enough to try and go in without Joshua with her. She was unbearably hot, even in her shorts and t-shirt, so she made a direct beeline for the nearest tree and collapsed gratefully in its shade. She lay her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the cool summer breeze playing with stray strands of her hair, completely unaware she was being watched.

"So this is the famous Rosette Christopher," Sister Margaret mused, watching the young girl from the window of her office on the top floor. "I have to admit, Im a little cautious as to how to handle her,"

"How so?" Reminton asked from the couch where he sat.

"When you told me what you had been trying to achieve over the past seventy years, I dug up my Grandmother's old journals. I had read through them before, of course, when I was just a child," She went to her desk and pulled out a worn black notebook. "Not all of it was relevant and most of it bored me. At that age I still didnt realise my calling as a nun. But, as I said, when you told me what you were attempting four years ago I got them out again. There's a lot in there about Miss. Christopher,"

She held it out to Remington who hesitated before taking it. After the final battle Kate had left the Order, unable to fight anymore. Or maybe unable to fight without Rosette. Either way, he had remained intimate with her and was even the one to wed her to her husband, despite the fact that he was no longer officially a priest. She had been actively involved in Project Chrno Crusade from the very begining up until her death in the late ninetys. But he had never heard of or even seen such a journal. He wasnt aware she kept one.

"Dont worry, Ewan," Sister Margaret said flashing him a rare smile. "Im sure she would have wanted you to read this. It is mostly written as a letter, though to who it doesnt specify. Ive marked the page I would like you to look at now,"

Pausing only a second longer, Remington turned to said page and began reading;

I still remember the first day I met Sister Rosette Christopher. I knew right from that moment she would be difficult to handle. For one thing she was fiercly protective over Chrno. When I initially refused to allow him anywhere near the grounds of the Order she kicked up a fuss like no other. Even after I relented slightly to having him sleep inside the grounds but not in the building she was furious. He was the only one who could calm her down. From looking at her, you would never believe the pain she had been put through. Ewan and took me to the Seven Bell Orphanage later that week. Although by this point most of the barriers to protect the area had been put up, the devistation was apparant. Those poor children...

I believe any normal child would have broken down at the sight of her peers being destroyed in such a way. But Rosette was always a very fiery, determined child. It was clear from the begining she had a certain talent in fighting demons. Although we fought most of the time and I am sure she loathed me, I came to love the girl. She had an uncomprehensible copasity to love and forgive when others might simply have given up. I admit to being in awe of her at times. Especially at her relationship with Chrno. I myself never fully trusted the Demon. Loyal to the Order or not, he was a drain on her life force and ultimately caused both their deaths.

Remington closed the journal once more and sighed. What he read didnt surprise him, of course. She had made no secret of her dislike for Chrno.

"A girl who befriends demons, defeats the greatest Sinner of them all. A highly skilled excorsist and high-ranking militia member," Sister Margaret's mouth set in a firm line. "I must admit, I too am in awe of her. And you say she remembers nothing?"

"No," Remington replied. "We tried to bring her back several times before but her soul was fragile and each time the grief and pain would destroy her before she even attached herself to the body. The only way for it to work seemed to be if we supressed the memories, letting her catch only glimpses and peaks throughout her life,"

"Will she ever remember fully?"

"It is impossible to know. Her seventeenth birthday is comming up soon."

"The age she was when she died,"

He nodded thoughtfully. "I expect she will remember more then. But the memories have to be spoon fed, so to speak. If she were to get too many in one go her soul wouldnt cope and she would die once more,"

Sister Margaret shook her head and turned her gaze once more to the girl. "Is that why you brought her here?"

"Yes." Remington suddenly smiled. "Well, that and I thought it was about time the others met her again,"

At this Joshua, who had been listening silently up until that point, sighed heavily. "I still think this is a bad idea,"

"If you had your way you would keep her locked up forever," Remington countered, teasing him.

"And I would," He replied in all seriousness. "But its not her Im worried about," The pair frowned questioningly at him and he sighed once more. Sometimes it felt like he was the only one who thought things through. "What about Chrno? Have you not thought about how hard it will be to him when she sees him and has no idea who he is?"

"He knows what to expect," Remington replied.

"That wont make it any easier," Joshua argued. "Its different for me. She's grown up knowing me as I am - her brother. You are still her mentor and friend. She will meet Azmaria and befriend her the same way she did last time, though in different circumstances, of course. Nothing has changed for us,"

"He can handle it," Remington insisted. He paused, his eyes shadowed with a sudden pain. "You werent there when I first brought him back. When we werent sure if we could bring her back too," He grimaced at the memory then pushed it away. "This will work out. Trust me,"

"I do, though God knows why," Joshua replied, smirking. He sighed then held up his hands in defeat. "Fine. I'll let you do this your way,"

Remington smiled, satisfied then stood up. "I have to go. Satella's plane lands in an hour," He went to hand back the battered diary but Sister Margaret shook her head.

"Keep it," She insisted. "It wasnt meant for me to read,"

He nodded and ran his fondly over the cover before stashing it in his jacket pocket. "I'll see you tomorrow," He gave one final wave and then was gone. Joshua left shortly after him, deciding he should probably find his sister before she managed to destroy something. He wasnt surprised to find her snoozing lightly, her head resting on the trunk as she slept. She had been doing that a lot lately. He guessed she was just stressed about work or something. Not wanting to wake her, he sat down beside her and rested his hand on top of hers. This would work, he tried to convince himself. But it didnt stop him gripping her hand a little tighter, unwilling to let her go again.


Review please :D kind of short but just sort of an introductory chapter. and no its not a plot hole that everyone can remember except Rosette, theres a reason ;)