A/N: Starting to get the drill yet? It's Vapes here. Chapter two is pretty spiffy... Hitomi gets to be a stubborn brat, which is always fun mind you. But unfortunately, this is where we leave out some of my favorite characters... GOODBYE MY BABIES!

CAN: Ello Ello again for the world of Emi-Noa! I can't really say much about this chapter other than the fact that Nawaki is still being a bit of a jackass. . Let's hope he softens a bit... maybe he will, and don't worry Vapes The doggies will come back later on!!


Three weeks later Hitomi found herself covered in sweat as she jumped onto Kun's back, dragging him to the ground as Akane and Kohaku jumped onto Hitomi and Shinju pounced to the top of the dog pile, all growling playfully and tugging on each other. Li stood off the side watching his pack play.

Nawaki rubbed his fore head as he walked along the path to his mother's house. His waist was bandaged and so was his fore arms, cheek and forehead. "Why the hell did I accept that damn mission for?!" He grumbled while rotating his shoulder and cringed. He passed Hitomi's house on his was, hearing her play with the dogs. Stopping he peeked in and watched. "Don't you think you're a bit old to be playing with the dogs that way?" He was leaning on the entrance with his back against the archway. His arms crossed and his jacket around his shoulders instead of wearing it.

"Are you kidding me?" She laughed as she scrambled out of the dog pile and looked up at Nawaki. "If Pops and Akamaru were here they'd join in to." She smiled, as Shinji liked her cheek. " This is something we love to do." she stood moving away from the dogs and towards him, smoothing her hair and clothes. She laughed softly "Welcome back…again." she smiled then paused. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I just like wearing heavy bandages on my mid section, arms, and patches on my face." He smirked at her and pushed lightly off the wall before he began walking once more. He made a slight face of pan when he pushed to hard and sighed softly. "Mom better be able to fix this crap…"

"If she can't, then I'll help out?" Hitomi offered softly. "I'm not great, but I've learned a bit over the past few years."

"Help with what?" He arched a brow at her. His imagination was getting the better of him. 'Stop that!' He told himself. "It's alright, my mom should be able to… fix me up." He smirked at her as he walked slowly to his house.

She sighed as she shook her head and watched him walk towards his house. "I wonder if she's even home?" she paused and turned back to the dogs. "GRR!"

He sighed as his house came into view and his face twitched lightly. She wasn't home; he could tell. Great He said to himself… "No… no she's not home." His tone was that of disappointment. Nawaki really didn't want to bother Hitomi.

Hitomi paused and looked back at the door. "Well, if that's the case get your butt inside this house mister." She stepped to the side just in time to doge Kohaku's charging attack and looked down. "Better luck next time buddy."

"I'll be fine. I'm just gonna go relax… somewhere." He raised his arm lightly and waved at her before walked towards the training grounds and the small park for there area.

Hitomi tilted her head to the side. Turning back to the pack she gave a simple command. "Stay." she turned back. She didn't want to be like a stalker, but she didn't want him to disappear again, and if he did; she wanted to spend as much time as she could with him.

Why… Is she following me? He wondered to himself. Nawaki turned the corner and entered the training grounds. Finding a nice area and a good tree to lean up on he sat down under it. It was mid day in the village, he could hear the cascade's screech in sequence. Closing his eyes he sighed. "Stop following me Hitomi. I'm not on my deathbed. I don't need someone to watch over me." Didn't have anyone the last four years to take care of me, so why now the last pat he said to himself. Really, why did I come back here…

She winced. There was no point in lying; he would read her She continued to walk past him as if it was nothing. She needed to get something's anyways. "Sorry for caring then, gezze…" She frowned softly.

He laughed at that remark. "Caring? Sure Hitomi." He opened his eyes lightly and watched her through his lashes.

"Excuse me?" she arched a brow and stormed towards him. "Did I say something amusing to you? Is it funny that I care about you?" She stopped a few feet away from him. Her voice slightly pained.

He opened his eyes and watcher her come towards him. His face blank as he stared at her. When she was directly in front of him, he finally spoke. "Yes, I do fine it funny." Nawaki didn't say anything after that; he waited for her response to him thinking it was funny. It wasn't like he didn't care for her, it was just a matter of if he could ever be able to care for her himself like he used to.

Her eyes narrowed somewhat as she shot a glare at him, tears welling in her eyes, but she refused to cry. She sniffed before speaking. "You're a jerk, you know that. You a jerk, and an asshole, and egotistical!" She blinked a few times to keep her tears back, her eyesight blurring. "I don't even know why I -" she stopped and turned away from him. No longer able to hold the tears back. She bit into her bottom lip before taking off back to her house.

Nawaki closed his eyes as she took off and lowered his head shaking it. "Why the hell did I come back?" He raised his head and began banging it against the tree. The last time he hit a bit to hard and he winced. "Fuck!" He looked down again as he rubbed his head while staring off into nowhere. Getting up slowly he winced after putting too much pressure on his left arm. Looking at it he flexed his fingers and muttered to himself. "After I get better… I'll leave." He began walked back to his moms place. Knowing how mom is, there should be something fast healing in her work room.
He thought. "It's better this way. If I'm gone."

"Why does he have to be such a jerk?!" Hitomi muttered to herself as she wiped away her tears. She had gone off to the one place she knew no one would bother her... the forest of death. She sat at the base of a tree and sighed softly. She needed to get a hold of herself. It wasn't like her to cry so easily. After taking a few deep breaths, she slowly started out of the forest.

He rotated his shoulder more easily as he walked out of the house. He had left a note with his mom telling her he was fine and everything before grabbing his bad. The only bandage he had left was the one on his cheek, and like usual right when he was about to do something, a messenger shows up with another scroll. Perturbed Nawaki sighed and took it. Reading it and then placed it in his bag. "One right after another. God can't even relax for a day. Damn bastard."

Hitomi sighed as she walked into her house, leaving the front door open. She plopped down nearly on top of Akane who lay on the couch. "I can't understand why everything has to be so hard."

Nawaki walked casually though the neighborhood. His bag over one shoulder while his free hand was placed at his front pant pocket. He wore a different set of clothes than what he was in when e first came. The get-up he had on was more for the shock and awe, then actual traveling like he wore now. Traditional pants and shoes, but he worse a torn and patched black vest instead of the unusual printed one he left. He walked past Hitomi's place without any type of hesitation or even glancing. Nawaki didn't feel like saying bye or see you later. In fact he might not be coming back this time.

Hitomi happed to glanced at the door when she saw Kun pad out the front door. She tilted her head to the side and stood. "Kun?" she followed him and the others followed her.

Kun panted as he ran up to Nawaki's side and pushed his nose against the boy's hand and licked it.

Nawaki looked down at the dog and smiled, rubbing the top of the dog's head and patting it. "Go home boy." He continued on his way.

He wined softly and ran back to Hitomi. "Leaving again?" Her voice was soft.

"Why not. It's better that way isn't it?" He didn't bother turning around, but kept on walking.

"Better for who?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"For both of us. Who do you think?" He stopped this time, though he didn't turn around the face her.

"Well then… I'm coming with you. Don't try to stop be because it won't work." She sighed softly. "You might not care for me like you used to, but I do still care. Whether you laugh at me or not that's how I feel, and I'm not letting you leave me behind this time."

What the hell is she talking about He spun around quickly to face her. "You NOT coming Hitomi! It's out of the question. Just… No. Go home. Go play with your dogs. Your not coming." He hesitated for a few moments before turning back around and continuing. It wasn't going to happen. Just like the last times; she's not going. His mind didn't register the other portion of what she was saying.

"If you insist on leaving without telling me where your going or how long you'll be wherever you are then I'm coming with you." She turned to the dogs. "Li, Akane go get something's from the day and tell pops that I'm taking off." She turned back and moved up to Nawaki's side. "I'm coming with you and that's that." she crossed her arms over she chest and stuck her nose into the air.

"No your not. Just go home." He glanced down at her before picking up his pace. "Where I go and what I do, and how long I'll be gone is none of your business." His tone was that of aggravation She has to be kidding!

"You're right. It's not my business, but now I'm making it my business to know. So either you can let me come along, or I'll follow behind you anyway. So" she stopped him. "What's it gonna be Nawaki?"

He shot a glance down at her and sighed looking away. He moved away from her and crossed his arms. "Fine. Tag along if you really want to, but if you slip up once, your going home. Got it?"

She smiled bright at him. "Yes sir" she giggled softly as Li and Akane padded up to her with a bag in mouth. "Thank you" she patted their heads.

Arching an eyebrow he watched her and the dogs. "And they're not all coming. Pick your top three." He continued on his way steadily as he waited for her to choose. One the inside he was grinning, but to the outside world, his face didn't change. She was going with him…

She pouted slightly. She turned and looked them over. "Go on home girls… take care of pop and Akamaru for me. Remember my aunt is coming next week." She smiled and petted them both. "Be good." she turned to Nawaki. "Alright then."

"Fine, let's get going." His pace sped up as they left the village Every now and then he would glance back. Was it really a good idea of her going? He wondered if he just took on extra eight. Especially with this type of mission.

She kept up with him, but just slightly behind. She was glad that he had let her come along, and that he had put up much of a fight. She couldn't hide the smile she had. But something crossed her mind 'But if you slip up once, you're going home.' She frowned slightly. She needed to not mess up. She had to not mess up. She had to be helpful. She refused to be send home. It wouldn't happen. She nodded to herself, and followed him quietly.

"Damn it…" He muttered to himself as his pace slowed. They wouldn't make it to the first down in their direction before night. Sighing heavily he finally came to a stop and set his bad down. Looks like he wasn't feeling well enough yet; his breaths were quicker that normal and sweat dripped from his fore head. Wiping his face quickly before bending down, as he went searching through his bad. "We're stopping here for now."

She nodded and set her bag down as well. She turned and looked down at him. "Are you alright?" she moved closer to him, worry in her eyes.

He found what he was looking for and hit it. He didn't look at her, but set his bag next to a close tree. "Yeah… I'm fine. Can you start a fire? I'll be right back." He left the area without another word.

"Yeah." She nodded gently. She turned and looked around. "Kun, can you start a fire pit? Li and Kohaku, help me gather wood." she smiled softly as the four began their work.

He leaned up against a tree in a position where he could still see their camp, but where he was hidden and took the scroll out. He re-read what he had to do and put it back with a sigh. "Like I couldn't do this later. Jeez…" Rolling it back up he took out the next time he had with him. A pouch of high potency tablets his mom had developed for serious wounds that didn't have time to heal on their own. "This crap has to stop soon…" Popping two in his mouth he doubled over in back a bit before standing up straight. They had stopped, and the fatigue gone. Putting both away he went back to camp.

The hole dug, the wood piled in, and another pile off to the side. Hitomi leaned down and breath on the wood and it lit quickly. She smiled and purred softly "Hmm, back already." She looked to him. "You look better then before." Her voice was soft.

"Yeah…" the answer was short and simple. He couldn't tell her that he was still injured. He didn't want to, not so she wouldn't worry, but also because he was embarrassed at how stupid he acting with out thinking during the last mission. Sitting down hard Nawaki grunted before shrugging off his vest, rolling it up, and set it where his bag was sitting.

She nodded. "Hmm" She looked into the fire. She looked up after a few second and looked around. Kun lay off to the side and Li was next to her but… "Nawaki?" Her voice carried a hint of worry. "Did Kohaku follow you?"

He shook his head before laying back. His hands behind his head, one leg crossed over the other as he looked up into the night at the canopy of trees. "Nope…"

She looked around. "He was here a short while ago…" She paused, and then shook her head. "He'll be fine." She was speaking mostly to herself. She sighed softly and leaned against Li, slightly. Her eyes closing. Sleep taking over.