Authoress Notes: This is for you, Kyla and Lorrie! I'm glad that everything is okay! :D

Claim: Kyla and Lorrie helped with Annetta.

Disclaim: Still nothing on owning Gundam 00. Awww.

Soundtrack: The Taste of Ink [The Used]

Sweet Escape

06

Allelujah blinked as the lock to his door was slid open, and Annetta slipped in breathlessly, leaning against the door for support. She trembled, and he blinked as he rose, approaching her with a look of concern.

"Are you alri-" he was cut off as she threw herself at him, her arms winding around his torso as her face buried into his chest. Startled, he pressed a hand against her back out of reflex, puzzled as to her strange behavior. His gaze softened, however, as she trembled. "What's wrong?"

Annetta's teeth clenched together, and she shook her head. "I want to leave," she murmured, tipping her head back as gravely serious neon-green eyes met with a single, surprised silver one. "Now."

"Now?" Allelujah blinked. "But they won't be here to-"

Her eyes were desperate and pleading, and she rather looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown as her hands clutched the front of his gown, and he sighed before relenting, easing her hands from the front of his gown as he said,

"Alright."

Her eyes lit up in gratitude, and she snatched his hand once he had gathered the things needed itno a backpack that he threw over his shoulder. Annetta dragged him through the door and towards the hole that she slipped through quickly, Allelujah following after her as he slipped the stone back into place.

From above, he could hear the sounds of sirens wailing as he stepped down the last of the ladder, and Annetta glanced up as well, obviously wondering what the shrill cry of alarm was about.

There wasn't time to linger on it, however, and she grabbed his hand, speeding around the corner with him. Being a meister, he had little trouble keeping up with her pace, though he marveled silently at how swiftly she could find her away around the darkened tunnels.

She led him around corners and through more tunnels until they reached a door. Swiftly meeting his gaze, Annetta reached out and pushed on it, bright light flooding where they stood and swallowing them.

[Haro!]

Escaping had been easy. The part that hadn't been so easy was finding a place to stay until his friends could come and retrieve them. Eventually they had found an abandoned lodge near a forest, and so they had decided to stay there.

"It's nice here," mused Annetta as she kicked her legs over the back of one of the chairs that littered the carpeted living room. Allelujah nodded absently, and he blinked as she shifted, sitting up to observe him with a rare serious look on her face.

"Something wrong?" he asked, and she went to shake her head, only to pause and nod. "What is it?"

"Are you okay with me being here?" He blinked, taken aback by the inquiry as she watched him, brushing silver locks from her face as she did so, bracelet clinking around her wrist as she waited for him to answer. "Well?"

He crossed the room and bent, snatching up one of her hands and pulling her to her feet, hugging her gently. She squeaked at the unexpected contact, and he missed the vivid ruby shade of her face as he pulled back, her skin the normal shade as he answered, "It's fine. I don't think I'd be here without you."

"Meh," she shrugged, back to her normal self as she danced across the room towards the pantry. He watched her go, and the sounds of rummaging sounded through the air until she returned, hands empty. "There's plenty of food in there."

"I see," he answered, and there was a brief moment of silence before Annetta crossed the room to her own bag and rummaged through it for a few moments before pulling out a silver disk that shone in the sunlight that spilt from the window behind her. "What's that?"

"I have no idea," she admitted, smiling sheepishly as she made her way towards the CD player. "I found it a few days ago, underneath my bed. Weird, huh?" With that, she reached over and pressed 'play'.