He was following me. Whenever I'd turn around, no one would be behind me. I could hear his footsteps and feel his eyes on my back. I let it go until I couldn't take it anymore. I led him into an alley then stopped at the dead end. I turned quickly and caught him ducking behind a dumpster. I acted as if I hadn't seen him and walked past him. Then I turned to face him.

"Why the hell are you following me?" I yelled.

The figure dropped his hood revealing fire-red, abnormally spiky hair. His jade green eyes seemed to look into my soul as we stared at each other in silence.

"It's my job. I was hired to protect you."

"Protect me? Protect me from what?"

Three people dropped from the top of the building and landed in front of my. He turned and immediately took a defensive position.

"I'm meant to protect you from them. Stay behind me. If I tell you to run, you run."

I nodded.

He stormed the trio. Each one was cloaked in black. As he rushed toward them, they just stood still. When he was close enough, they moved.

"Are you done?" the middle person asked, "Just let us have her, Axel. You know you can't protect her."

"Yes, I can!" Axel argued, getting to his feet.

"What do you want from me?" I asked in a whisper.

The trio turned to me, the same person answering my question, "It's simple really. You have the power we need to destroy him and all of his kind."

"And if I don't help you?"

"We kill you."

I looked from the trio to Axel. He shook his head. I didn't answer. Something inside of me told me not to help them.

"I'd rather die."

"So be it."

All three of them lunged at me. Axel jumped out in front of me and threw one of them back. The other two moved around Axel and knocked me to the ground. The one Axel threw back hit the wall and immediately stood back up. I tried to get to my feet only to be knocked back to the ground again. Axel took one of them by his shirt and threw him back then the other one soon followed. He helped me to my feet.

"You have to run. You have to hide. Don't you dare look back."

"I won't leave you."

"I'll find you again. I just need you to stay hidden until morning."

I nodded and ran from the alley. I could hear Axel's grunts and cries as he fought against the three. I didn't want to look back he had told me not to. I stopped running and foolishly turned to look back the way I had come. One figure in black was running toward me.

"Stay away from her!" Axel yelled as he dove forward. He managed to grab the other man's cloak and throw him back. Axel kept running until he reached me, taking my hand.

"We have to go." He whispered.

I gave a curt nod and ran next to him.

"Close your eyes." He muttered.

I did and the next thing I knew I was being held tightly to his body, wind flowing freely through my hair. Minutes later my released my but kept my hand tight in his.

"Open your eyes."

I did so and was amazed at my new surroundings. I was in a forest, a crystal blue lake to my left and hundreds of exotic flowers to my right. In front of me was a small cottage.

"I'll be back. You can go inside if you'd like or you can wait out here. When I get back I'll tell you everything."

He turned to leave me.

"Axel…" I whispered.

He hummed in response.

"Thank you."

"It's my job."

With that, he disappeared. I stayed outside for a while, kicking my bare feet through the water of the lake. I found a caterpillar when I inspected the flowers. It was green with little yellow spots. I put my feet back into the water and watched the little caterpillar crawl over my hand. Hours passed when I heard Axel chuckle behind me. I turned to see him leaning against the cottage.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You look so young."

"I am young. Now come here and tell me what the hell is going on."

He walked to and crouched down next to me.

"Those people were members of Organization XIII. They're a secret group of people whose only goal in life is to destroy the Heartless. They were after you because what they need to destroy them, it's in your genetic code."

I gave him a confused look.

"Your DNA, kid."

"I'm not a kid."

"We'll discuss that later. I was sent to protect you from the Organization by an anti-Nobody group. Nobodies are the hallow shells of people after they lose all feeling and become a Heartless. Everyone in the Organization is a Nobody."

"So they want me dead so they can use my blood to destroy this other species?"

"Pretty much."

"And you're supposed to protect me?"

"Yes but there will be others coming in from time to time to check in."

"Whose cottage is this anyway?" I asked as I poked at the caterpillar.

"Mine, I live here."

"It's nice, peaceful, I mean."

"Have you even been inside?"

I shook my head. He chuckled again. He stood and then pulled me to my feet by my elbows.

"What do you say we find a jar for the caterpillar?"

I nodded and followed him into the house. He gave me a small jar and I put the bug inside it. I went back outside and found a nice sized twig and some leave to put in the jar with it.

A couple of weeks passed. Axel insisted that I train to fight. He taught me what he could and allowed the other members the "anti-Organization" to teach me anything else. After a hard training session with Tifa and Cloud, I went inside, took a shower and changed clothes. The other two stayed outside and fought. I walked into the living room and Axel had pictures panned out all over the coffee table and the floor around it. I peered over his shoulder.

"What is all of that?"

"These are the members of my Organization. You need to learn them and get to know them. They will be helping me with keeping you alive. I've realized that every time they come over you can't seem to remember their names."

I sat down on the couch next to him. He held up a picture of himself. I smiled.

"Axel."

"Yes, it is me."

I looked at all the pictures, flipped myself on the couch so I was hanging upside down and sighed.

"Do I really have to learn all of them?"

"Yes. It is our job to keep you alive. They're making the effort to learn about you. So you should do the same for them. Got it memorized?"

I flipped upright and got in his face.

"Hey, I'm in charge here. You can't do anything without me. Got that memorized?"

"Spunky, it's cute."

I nodded and stood up off the couch.

"So what's for dinner?" he called as I stepped into the kitchen.

"I don't know. You tell me."

He scoffed and walked into the kitchen. He stood behind me. His chest was so close to the back of my head I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Now what were you saying about you not being a kid?"

"I am 17 years old, practically an adult."

"Is that so?"

He slid his hands around my waist.

"Axel what are you doing?"

"Absolutely nothing." He chuckled.

I turned to face him, a small smile cursing my lips. His hands met at the small of my back. He lifted me onto the counter and spread my legs, moving in between them. Words from my childhood flitted through my mind.

"He'll come to you in the form of your protector.

He'll do whatever he has to so he can keep you safe.

He loves but don't worry if he doesn't realize it.

He'll be yours soon enough, all you have to do is wait."

His lips met hers. I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

"We're…" I began but he cut me off.

"…meant for each other." He said before kissing me again.

The conviction in the statement was all I needed to realize the truth. He held me tightly in his arms. His tongue brushed my lips and I parted them to allow his tongue to slip through. My fingers tangled in his hair. He pressed my body closer to his. Someone to the side giggled and someone else cleared their throat.

Axel pulled away reluctantly and glared in the direction the interruption came from.

"That's so cute." Tifa giggled.

"Get a room." Cloud said.

I gave them a death glare.

"Just saying."

Cloud and Tifa left.

"Well that really killed the mood." I muttered.

"Really?" Axel asked.

He looked at me, his eyes wide. I kissed him before pushing him back so I could get off of the counter. I walked past him and to my room.

"Damn it."

That was all I heard before I shut my bedroom door.