Author's Note: Hey, okay another chapter but its quite short and there aren't really many developments. Already started on the next so should update soon. Also for those of you begging me not to kill Chrno well...we'll just have to see what kind of mood I'm in when I get to the end XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Chrno Crusade :(:(

Chapter 6

Confessions and Choices

Rosette yawned loudly, earning herself a disaproving look from Sister Kate. Sighing, she slumped down in her chair, trying to pay attention to what the elderly priest at the front of the church was saying. But she couldn't stop her mind straying back to the one person she shouldn't have been thinking about in a house of God. She hadn't seen Chrno that morning. Without him to get her up in the mornings she found it almost impossible to get ready on time. She only just made it in to mass as the priest began talking. Giving up on trying to listen, she bowed her head forwards and closed her eyes, hoping she looked like she was in prayer. In all honesty, she hadn't been sleeping well lately. She now spent half the night worrying about Joshua and the other half worrying about Chrno. It was difficult to believe that four years ago her biggest worry had been Father Remington slitting her and Joshua up. Now she would have gladly welcomed that.

By the time mass finished, her head felt clogged up with problems she didn't know how to solve. How was she supposed to find a cure of Chrno (because she would of course find one) and keep searching for Joshua and keep training so that she could defeat Aion all at the same time? She was both surprised and pleased to find Chrno waiting for her outside. "What are you doing here?" she asked, practically skipping up to him.

"Elder persuaded Sister Kate that it would be good for me if I got out of the Order for a while," his lips curled up in to that awkward smile that instantly made her want to smile back as he held up a list of errands written in the Elder's shaky handwriting.

"And she agreed? Maybe the old hags not so bad after all!"

"Well she did have one condition..." Chrno nodded his head at Sister Claire who was stood a couple of feet away. "We aren't allowed to go unsupervised. She said it's in case I loose control again. I guess I can see her point,"

Rosette seriously considered marching back in to the church to yell at the head nun for a moment but decided it wasn't worth it. Besides, she was too cheered of the thought of a whole day out with Chrno to care about one other person tagging along with them. They piled in to one of the Order's cars; Azmaria and Sister Claire in the back and Chrno driving, Rosette sitting sulkily in the passengers seat, having lost the vote of who would drive 3 to 1. Her mood quickly lifted though as they moved through the city, making their way to the shopping centre. The market was out and they strolled happily from stall to stall, in no rush to get back. It was a pain having Sister Claire watching Chrno's every move but she stayed out of their way and Rosette refused to let it spoil her mood. They moved through the list Elder had given them as slowly as possible but it still only took them an hour.

"Lets go get a drink and some cake somwhere!" Rosette suggested, already glancing around for a nearby cafe.

"I'm sorry Sister Rosette but Sister Kate told me I had to escort you straight home as soon as you were done," Sister Claire said.

"But we only just got here! We can't go back already!" Rosette sulked. "Couldn't we just stay half an hour longer? I won't tell if you don't," She smiled up at her fellow nun, trying to seem cute like Azmaira. Sister Claire wavered for a minute before sighing.

"Alright," she relented. "But only half an hour,"

Rosette was instantly off trying to find somewhere quiet for them to go. They settled for a small cafe with seats outside and sat in the shade of a large umbrella, relaxing in the afternoon sun. For a while it was quiet except for the drone of the busy shoppers and a coughing fit every few minutes as she swallowed more cake than was sensible. Azmaria laughed nervously as she devoured her third slice, sitting back in to her chair with a satisfied grin.

"Rosette, how are we paying for all this?" Azmaria asked anxiously glancing at the bill.

"Don't worry, we can use what's left of Elder's money," Rosette replied dismissively.

"But...isn't that stealing?"

"That old pervert owes me, I caught him going through my laundry the other day!" Rosette suddenly turned to Chrno, surprised that he hadn't chided her by now. She was worried to see his eyes closed, his face hard and pale. "Are you okay, Chrno?"

Chrno eyes fluttered open. "I'm fine," he lied, seeming disgruntled.

"Really? Maybe you should have another drink? Do you feel sick? Have you got a fever?"

She reached across to check his forehead but he pulled away from her. "I said I'm fine!" he snapped. Rosette's hand fell to her side and she stared at him in shock. Never in the four years that they had spent together had he snapped at her. She didn't know whether to feel hurt or angry. But before she could make up her mind, his whole body slumped to one side, held up only by the chair. "Chrno? Chrno, can you hear me?" Rosette was at his side in an instant checking his head. His skin burned like hot coal under her fingers. "We need to get him back to the Order,"

Between her and Sister Claire they managed to get Chrno back to the car while Azmaria ran ahead with the shopping. It was a short drive to the Order's Headquarters and Rosette submitted to letting Sister Claire drive while she sat in the back with Chrno. She stroked his forehead and lightly slapped his cheeks every time he looked like he was about to go to sleep. She didn't know how bad he was and he didn't want him falling unconscious on her. Using the portable phone they used on missions, Azmaria rang ahead and Elder and Father Remington were waiting for them when they arrived. All too soon Chrno was being lifted from Rosette's arms on to a stretcher and rushed up to the infirmary. She had to jog to keep up with them.

"What happened?" Elder demanded as they heaved him on to an empty bed. Nuns were busying around him, checking his pulse and other things, hooking him up to drips and all sorts of weird machines.

"I don't know. He was fine one minute and then the next he looked terrible," Rosette bit down on her lip anxiously. She should have checked to see if he was getting tired. All that walking around must have drained him. "Will he be okay?"

"His temperature is high, even for a demon," Father Remington commented. "His body is trying to absorb more astral to fight the poison but the pocket watch is making it difficult,"

Rosette's hands flew up to the watch around her neck. Was it her fault that Chrno was so ill? If only she was strong enough to release the seal without loosing so much of her own life in the process. "What can I do?" she cried.

"Nothing. Even if you opened the seal, it wouldn't stop the poison," Remington explained. "All we can do is try to bring his fever dow-" He was cut off as Chrno's body suddenly started thrashing around on the bed like a fish hauled out of the water. Elder reached in to the medical box beside him and injected a purple chemical in to Chrno's veins while the others attempted to restrain him. Almost instantly his body fell still. Too still. His breathing became shallow, his chest barely moving. Remington handed Rosette a damp cloth and instructed her to run it over Chrno's face a neck in an attempt to cool him down. She did as she was asked, leaning over him so that she could mutter in his ear, mostly words of comfort, but also a few sharp threats of what would happen to him if he didn't get well soon. When Azmaria joined them thirty minutes later there had been little improvement to his condition. She stood next to Rosette, tears brimming in her pale pink eyes. They were alone with him now except for Elder and Remington who were discussing their options in low voices on the other side of the bed.

"I just wish there was something I could do," Rosette confessed to her friend. "I've never felt so helpless before. Any other time he's had an injury this bad all I had to do was open the seal," Azmaria bit down on her lips, her face suddenly turning a subtle shade of pink. Rosette frowned, curious. "What is it Az?"

"What?...Nothing!"

"You're crap at lying, Az." her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Tell me whats wrong,"

"Well..." Azmaria hesitated. "The other day I was on my way to Chrno's room and I heard him and Father Remington talking and...well I didn't mean to but I overheard what they were saying and when they mentioned the cure I couldn't help but to keep listening and-"

"Cure?" Rosette was on her feet in an instant, hands on Azmaria's shoulders. "What cure?"

"Chrno made Remington promise not to tell you about it," she replied. "He doesn't want you to know,"

"Azmaria, if you know about a cure you have got to tell me! Please Az!"

Azmaria paused only for a second before bowing her head in submission. "I don't much about it. Remington said that the poison of another demon could help cancel out the poison from the one that got Chrno. If it could be defeated and brought back here, it could save him,"

"WHAT?!" Rosette quickly spun round to face a startled Remington. "There's a cure for Chrno and you didn't tell me??" She demanded.

Remington's face went blank for a moment before his usual calm expression took place. "Chrno specifically banned me from telling you," he replied. "I trusted his decision,"

"Where is this demon and why aren't the Order tracking it's arse right now!?"

"The demon is a high ranking one. We couldn't risk sending girls in after it. The only member strong enough to defeat it is Chrno. But he refused to let you open the seal. He was adament that you didn't waste your life,"

Rosette resisted the almost overwhelming urge to shoot Father Remington and instead leant over the sleeping Demon, shaking his shoulders urgently. "Chrno! Chrno, wake up!" his eyes opened slightly and he stared up at her, clearly confused. "Chrno, I'm going to open the seal so that we can go after this demon, whoever he is," Chrno's eyes widened in alarm and he shook his head furiously, bringing on a coughing fit. Rosette sucked in her breath as droplets of blood landed on the white covers, staining them red. "I'm sorry but you're going to have to try and keep awake while we get there. Otherwise I'll have to open the seal before we even arrive and I don't know how long I go,"

"No," Chrno managed, his voice hoarse. He pushed himself up in to a sitting position and closed his eyes for a moment as though his head hurt. "I won't let you,"

"This isn't your choice anymore, Chrno,"

"Nuh uh....it's my life," Chrno's eyes were already closing of their own accord but he argued strongly.

"No, it's my life. While this thing is hanging around my neck I get to make the decisions," She ignored his stuttered protests and turned to Remington. "How do we find this demon?"

"I believe I can help there," Elder inserted. "I have a machine that can pinpoint his almost exact location,"

"It doesn't matter, we're not doing this!" Chrno cried, turning to face Rosette. "I won't let you waste your life anymore than it has already!"

"This is my decision too! You can't just decide to give up when theres a cure!" Rosette yelled.

"You will not open the seal, do you hear me?" Chrno's voice echoed around the room and he suddenly found himself on his feet, fists clenched, heart pounding. The others stared at him, wide-eyed. They had never heard him shout before. He stared down at his balled fists and slowly relaxed his hand. If he hadn't known any better he might have thought he was about to hit Rosette. He met her eyes. Clearly she was thinking along the same line. "Sorry," he said, sinking back on to the edge of the bed. "I don't know what came over me,"

"Its the poison," Elder replied. "It's taking over,"

A new sense of urgency overcame Rosette. She stepped forwards and grabbed both of Chrno's hands in her own, pulling them up to the pocket watch. "Chrno, please," He didn't reply and avoided her gaze. A new idea came to her. "You promised to help me find Joshua, remember? Are you just going to go back on your promise now and leave me?" It was a low blow and she knew it but it worked. He glanced up at her, his expression torn. She took advantage of his momentary lapse. "Elder, get us that demons location. We'll leave first thing tomorrow,"

"I'd better go tell Sister Kate," Remington muttered as Elder hurried out of the room. He grimaced slightly. This wasn't going to be a fun discussion. He watched Rosette and Chrno carefully for a moment. Niether was actually speaking but they might as well have been yelling at the top of their voices. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Remington turned to Azmaria who was clearly just as uncomfortable as him. "Why don't you come with me? Sister Kate will be less inclined to shoot me if there are witnesses," Azmaria gratefully accepted his offer and the pair were left alone.

Chrno tried to keep his thoughts together but the fever was making everything seem slightly surreal and despite how hard he tried he couldn't keep up the staring match. Sighing, he looked down at his hands. The hands of a murderer. He wouldn't let himself be the cause of yet another death. "Rosette-"

"Don't." He looked up, startled to hear her voice clogged with tears. Her face was still stubbornly determined but she couldn't hide the hurt welling up in her Sapphire eyes. "Don't you dare tell that everything will be alright or that I can live without you,"

"Once I'm dead there won't be a drain of your life anymore. You can live the rest of your years out fully,"

"Idiot. You just don't get it do you? I'd rather die tomorrow with you than live to a hundred having never met you. I need you." She held up her hand to stop him interrupting. "I'm no good at telling people how I really feel. I spend most of my time rushing around. I don't have time to sit down and think everything out. But when I think about loosing you....it's like there's nothing left for me."

"You'll still have Joshua," Chrno pointed out.

"Yes," Rosette agreed. "And I will find him, no matter how long it takes. But the way I feel for him isn't the same as I feel for you,"

Chrno felt his heart drop slightly. "Well of course not. He's your brother, you love him,"

"Yes. But even if he had never been taken, we wouldn't have been together forever. We would have gotten married and had families of our own and probably seen each other only once a week and on holidays,"

Chrno's face crumpled slightly as he pictured the future she described, the future she would never be able to have. Is this how she imagined her life would be like? He saw her walking up the isle towards some faceless stranger and jealousy rushed through him, bitter and sickening.

"I'll find Joshua because I need to know he's safe. Its my fault he was taken," she cut him off before he even opened his mouth. "It is. If I had stopped being so selfish and let Remington take him he would have been safe. So I'll save him. But I'll stay with you because I need to be with you. I..." She hesitated a moment but swallowed down her fear. There was no time for holding back anymore. "I love you,"

Chrno stared at her, stunned in to silence. She...loved him. He'd always known that she looked to him as her friend, that she trusted him to protect her. But he had always accepted that that was all he would ever be. He had put aside his own feelings, not wanting her to feel pressured in to anything. And now she was telling him she felt the same way. She loved him. Rosette loved him.

"Okay, so here's the part where you put me out of my misery and say something..." Rosette stated impatiently.

Without speaking or thinking of the consequences, Chrno pulled her against him and kissed her. It wasn't the same as before, when he'd been nearly out of his mind with panic and fury. He had always thought that was just her desperate attempt to get him to come back. Their lips pressed against each other softly, their hands met and tangled. It was how he had always imagined it would be and so much more. And for that one moment it didn't matter that he was dying or her brother was in the hands of the most notorious demon known to man. It didn't matter that Sister Kate could walk in at any moment. And it made everything seem a little better. But it wasn't enough.

"I see. And they wish to leave this morning?" The calmness that Sister Kate displayed was a credit to her many years of service to God. Her voice wasn't even slightly raised. Remington felt slightly more confident and continued.

"That's right. Elder should have the location by now,"

"Okay. I understand. There is just one thing I would like to ask," Remington noticed the all too familiar glint her eye a second too late. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! You are just going to let them waltz out of here to go off on some fairytale mission on their own which will probably result in her loosing another ten, twenty years just for a cure we don't even know will work! I mean, where are we going to keep this demon?!"

Remington hadn't thought about this. "There are cells that can be used."

"Cells...." Sister Kate was on her feet now pacing. "Do you know Remington I'm begining to wonder if you're trying to bring the Order down! First you bring a demon and its contractor to my door, and now you want me to put up an evil being bent on killing humans! If you weren't one of the most skillful exorcisits I've ever had the misfortune to meet I would do everything within my power to have you killed, or worse; excommunicated,"

Remington gave her a couple of seconds to cool off while trying to work out how someone would rather be killed than kicked out of the church. In the corner of the room Azmaria was staring at the floor, hands trembling slightly. Poor girl. Maybe she would have been better off with the others. Coughing slightly, he took a careful step forwards. "Kate, I understand your worried. But Rosette is a trained member of the militia and capable of making her own decisions,"

"Oh really. You know sometimes I don't know whether you're working with me or against me," Sister Kate spat. She glared at the priest for a moment before turning to look out the window across the grounds of the Order. It was still dark. Sunrise wouldn't be for several hours and then she would be forced to go about her daily duties, looking after all the other girls while her mind stayed only with one. She sighing, her shoulders slumping, tired of being the bad guy. Why was it only she could see reason? Rosette's life had been shortened by her stupid decisions. She should be spending the rest of her short life in prayer, begging for God's mercy and understanding. They stood in a tense silence for several long minutes. Azmaria had curled up in her chair and was snoring lightly, oblivious. Remington took a calming breath and moved so that he was directly behind Sister Kate. She raised her hand to her face, catching a runaway tear on her index finger. Reaching out, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I know. I love her too," he muttered.

"Then you understand why I want to stop her,"

"And you understand why I want to let her go,"

Anger flared up in her for less than a second before resignation took its place. She nodded slowly. "Will you go with them?"

"Of course," Remington replied, smiling slightly. He gave her shoulder a light squeeze before leaving the room, carrying Azmaria in his arms.

Well thats it for now...R&R :D