A/N Sorry for the delay, everybody. My break is turning out to be a bit busier than I thought it would be. To make up for it, this chapter is a little longer than the others. I tried getting this up last night, but for some reason it wasn't working. Anyway, here's chapter three!

xXxXx

"I can't believe this." Anna scowled, digging her nails into the leather steering wheel. "She goes and disappears and I'mthe one they send to find her. They could have at least let me sleep another hour..." she was looking for Rosette. Father Remington was away, and Sister Kate was hesitant to leave the Order without some sort of leader present. Somehow the task had fallen to Anna.

She sighed, scanning the dark scenery around her in search of the old house Rosette had been assigned to that night. It was very dark, despite the lightening skies of pre-dawn. Anna was so absorbed in looking for the old house, she almost failed to see her head lights flash across a figure plodding wearily along the road.

xXxXx

It felt like it had been hours since he had started walking. Rosette weighed heavily on him, and he hunched his back as he moved, hoping the curve of his body would help keep her from slipping farther down his back. He kept his head down, focusing on the edge of the road as it passed beneath his feet. Chrno had grown so very tired, he was taking things one step at a time now. Vaguely, he became aware of a sound approaching them. As he looked up, a blinding light flashed past him.

It was a car.

He turned to watch it swerve off-road, a familiar red-headed figure leaping from the driver's side. "Chrno! I've been look - oh! What happened?"

"Anna?" relief swept over him as the nun raced to his side, her hands immediately reaching for Rosette. She frowned in worry, glancing into the demon's face.

"Things didn't work out?"

"No."

"Here, we'd better get her back...are you alright?" Anna pulled him toward the car, her sharp eyes picking up his careful movements.

"I'm fine, just...being careful." he waved her off and she moved around him to open the car's back door. Wordlessly, they worked to move Rosette into the seat. It was difficult to do gently, but after several minutes they had managed to have her stretched comfortably across the backseat. There wasn't any room for him beside her, so Chrno unhappily joined Anna in the front. He propped his head against the window, staring past the scenery as it began to rush past them. After a few minutes, Anna turned to him.

"When we get back, you should let Elder take care of you."

"I'm fine. Besides, I want to be sure she's alright." the nun scoffed impatiently, watching him turn in his seat to gaze at Rosette.

"It may be dark, but I'm not blind. You're hurt too, there's blood all over your coat..."

"I was carrying her..."

"Thefront of your coat." Chrno bristled a little in annoyance. He was tired, and she was right. Without his partner to concentrate on, his pain began to come back to him, though not to the point that he couldn't handle it. What really worried him was Rosette...she couldn't stand up to things like this the way he could. Still, Anna was only trying to be sure that he took care of himself and didn't neglect himself for her sake. The demon fell silent, aware that his bad mood would have turned any further reply somewhat sour. Quiet settled inside the car.

Exhaustion began to take hold of him and he realized for the first time just how tired he was. The entire night had been one thing after another.'Tomorrow doesn't look good, either.' he thought dismally, remembering the splinter of wood in his side.'I'll have to ask Elder for a new field box...I hope that piece comes out alright.' Sleep pulled at him, and he didn't fight it. Throwing one last glance at his contractor, he slumped back into his seat, dropping off almost immediately.

xXxXx

Chrno woke slowly, aware of a heavy weight pressing down on him. He was laid out on his side, beneath a glaring light. 'They must have moved me while I was sleeping...' he realized. There were voices around him, that he couldn't quite make out. Blearily he recognized the infirmary in which he lay.

'Why is everything so fuzzy? I can't...can't...' focusing his thoughts was difficult. Perhaps they had drugged him. Carefully, he turned his head slightly, his unfocused eyes settling on the woman holding him down. 'Kate? Oh...' a sharp pain cut through the haziness, and he felt firm movement at his side, where the splinter of wood had pierced him.

He struggled against Kate, fighting the darkness that overtook him.

xXxXx

It was in the infirmary that Rosette awoke, sore and confused. She was propped up on soft pillows, a blanket pulled up to her neck. The infirmary was dark, despite the sunny day shining through the window curtains. Rosette's eyes wandered over her immediate surroundings. Next to her bed, a chair had been pulled close, and a small, white head was bowed next to her.

"Azmaria?" instantly the little girl was on her feet, Rosette's hands clasped in her own.

"Rosette! You're finally awake! When they came and told me you were hurt, oh, I was so worried!"

"How long have I been in here?"

"Since early this morning. Rosette, what happened? Did something go wrong?" the nun thought for a moment, running through the night's events in her head.

"I'm not sure...the demon we went after chased us all over the place...I couldn't get a shot at it. Then we were outside and...and that's it." she said, offering a shrug. Azmaria cocked her head at her friend.

"Really? Anna said she found you guys along the road. Chrno was carrying you back-"

"Oh!" Rosette interrupted, moving to sit up. "Chrno!"

"No, don't get up!" the young girl gently pushed her back down. "He's fine! At least, he will be. He's sleeping, just over there." she indicated a space several beds away. Rosette followed her gaze, her eyes settling over the figure nearby.

Chrno lay propped on a pillow, his amethyst hair pooled beneath his head, having escaped from its careful plait. One bare, scratched up arm lay outside the blanket, draped across his chest. Relief flooded through her as Rosette saw him fidget a little in his sleep.

"Was he bad?" she asked, reluctantly turning back to Azmaria. She shrugged.

"I don't know. You were both in here before I even knew you were back. Elder said he'd be up and about again soon, I think."

He was right, Rosette knew. Even when he didn't try to, Chrno healed much more quickly than any human would. The demon claimed it was because of his legion, but she had always suspected he did it just to annoy her. Regeneration was one of those few things she envied him for sometimes. Huffing a little, she cast another glance at him.

"So, how long do they expect me to sit here, Az?"

"A week. Although you're doing very well considering what you looked like coming in..."

"Huh?"

"You were hurt really badly, there was a big bump on your head and you had a cut on your stomach. It isn't so bad anymore, though. At least, that what Sister Kate told me. "

Rosette stared at her, an odd glint in her eye. "Is that so?" Azmaria scooted away from her a little. Icily, the nun cast a glance toward her partner's bed before she turned to smile at the little girl. "Az?" she asked sweetly, " I haven't eaten since last night. Would you please bring me something?"

Azmaria nodded, leaving the room hurriedly. Once her footsteps had faded down the hall, Rosette sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Chrno!" she hissed, ignoring the pain moving brought to her head. The demon ignored her, still asleep. She tried again, louder this time. Still, no response came.

An annoyed growl escaped her as she cast about for some sort of small object. 'That idiot. What on earth was he thinking? He better not have panicked and done something stupid...' There wasn't anything within her reach. Losing her patience, she seized her pillow and hurled it at him.

"Chrno!" she hissed again when it had bounced uselessly off his head. He remained still, which sent the nun into a fit. A hail of bed dressings sailed past him, leaving Rosette with nothing but a bare mattress. 'This is just wonderful...' gingerly, she eased her feet to the floor, the cold tile causing her to draw back before she shifted her weight onto her legs. Moving carefully, she set out at an agonizingly slow pace, navigating through the other beds. An empty chair had been set at Chrno's bedside. Azmaria must have been going back and forth between the two of them. Rosette slumped into it, clutching her middle.

A tiny snore drifted from the demon's mouth. She leaned over him, allowing herself a good look. In making her way across the room, her anger had slowly left her, replacing itself with worry. He had been carrying her...but that didn't mean that he'd been in better shape than she had.

It would be just like him to do something stupid like that and put her before himself. Gently, she reached out to his uncovered arm, placing her hand over his. The demon sighed in his sleep, a faint smiling pulling at his lips.

"I owe you, I guess." she whispered, as she softly rubbed her thumb against his skin. He looked so tired that she suddenly felt somewhat guilty for having felt angry with him. He was looking after her, after all. "I don't know exactly what happened...but I hope you don't feel as bad as I do." her eyes fell closed, and she moved to brush his bangs from his face. Happily, she wound her fingers into the violet strands, rubbing soothingly at his scalp. "Chrno, I really worry about you sometimes."

"I'm sorry." Rosette started, realizing he had spoken to her. A flush flared on her cheeks and she pulled away from him.

"Chrno! You, um...what? I mean..."

"Rosette." the soft voice of the demon cut off any explanation she could have hoped to throw at him. He watched her for several seconds, his scarlet eyes roving anxiously over her. Moments of silence passed before he looked her in the eyes. "Are you alright?" the exorcist smiled in spite of the solemn question.

"Perfect." she leaned back in the chair, moving just a little too quickly. Seeing her wince, her companion stiffened. "Okay, I guess I'm a little sore..."

Slowly, carefully, Chrno pushed himself into a sitting position. The blanket fell away from his bare shoulders, revealing a bandage over his side. He sat hunched slightly. Turning to look at her, his fair face contorted into a familiar look of guilt. For a moment his gaze rested on her blue eyes, before it dropped away from her. "I'm sorry." he said again. Rosette cocked her head at him.

"What is there to be sorry about?"

"I...I didn't know what else to do." he said in a small voice. It wasn't one Rosette heard often. That small, frightened voice could only mean one thing: he would start beating himself up over it before long. He'd done something he'd never even consider under normal circumstances. Things like that were hard for him to deal with.

Rosette sighed, staring at the violet head bowed before her. Gently she reached out to him, her hands falling to rest comfortingly on his shoulders. He tensed at the touch, as if expecting a blow. .

"You opened the seal yourself." slowly he nodded. "Why?"

"...I was...I was afraid." if it were possible for his voice to become any smaller, it did. The exorcist frowned and squeezed his shoulder gently. He relaxed a little beneath her touch. "I didn't have any choice but to carry you, but...I couldn't tell how badly you were hurt. If I'd tried to move you, and you...I just couldn't tell. I didn't know what else to do."

"It's okay."

"Huh?" Chrno looked up at her, his scarlet eyes made bright by the tears clouding his vision.

"I said it's okay."

"You mean...you're not angry with me?" he asked hesitantly. Rosette shook her head, a smile working it's way onto her lips.

"How could I be angry at you for taking care of me? Now, move over." ignoring his confused look, Rosette gingerly climbed into the bed, settling herself at his back and reaching to take his hair into her hands. "Sorry, but you look like a wreck."

"Don't be. This is a perfectly legitimate reason to be in my bed." Chrno felt himself blush and he chuckled. She did this to him all the time, it was no reason to be embarrassed. He usually had more clothes on, though. Rosette laughed as the back of his neck went red too.

"What's the matter, Chrno? Am I making you nervous?"

"You make everybody nervous." she jerked her hand, smirking as his head snapped back.

xXxXx

Azmaria giggled, even though she felt like she was intruding just a little. She had paused outside the door upon hearing the voices of her friends. A quick peek inside found that Rosette had moved to Chrno's bed. The girl was perched on his pillows, roughly pulling her fingers through his hair in an attempt to comb it. Chrno mumbled something, causing his contractor to give the violet strands a jerk. They're cute... Azmaria thought to herself, pushing the little trolley of food to the side of the door. She could bring them something to eat later. At the moment they seemed to be enjoying themselves.