A/N: I'm still around! I haven't quit on you guys yet and I certainly don't plan on leaving this thing unfinished. Stay patient, guys!

Tomoyo Kinomoto: Thank you! Your kind words have pushed me to make the next chapters even better!

Hope you all enjoy (:


Amaya was tired. Every muscle in her entire body ached. She was physically and mentally exhausted to the pneumatic point of dizziness in which every thought made her want to curl up and die. She was broken and bleeding. She was unable to tell if the wet sensation at her forehead was blood or sweat. Either way, she had to end this, and soon, otherwise they would all end up dead.

She looked to her left. Mint and Pudding were desperately trying, and failing, to pull themselves up off the ground. To the right, Lettuce was attempting the same. She was the only one who could still pull herself upright. This was her battle. Her stomach twisted in fearful anxiety.

Everything had happened so quickly. One moment, they had been running toward the scene, searching for signs of distress that had caused Ryou's Chimera Anima radar to suddenly signal. He had told them their target was near Juuban National Park: that was a twenty minute walk from the cafe. They were running, Mint at the lead with Amaya pulling up the rear, when suddenly they'd been hit by something hard. The force of the hit sent them flying backward, landing painfully on the concrete ground. When they'd pulled themselves up, their target had shown itself: a giant lizard Chimera.

The fight had not lasted long. They were unprepared and caught between a tight space of tall, brick buildings. With so many obstacles, it was a wonder the Chimera was even able to maneuver itself, but it somehow found a way. The buildings served as more of a target practice for it, as Amaya had been thrown against them at least three times. Now her head was pounding and everything pulsated her pain.

Pudding pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and looked up, making brief eye contact with Amaya. The sternness in her eyes was something Amaya had never seen in the young girl's face before: she was determined. Amaya felt it was her duty to mirror her determination. "We can't give up yet," Pudding muttered. She wobbled to her feet and steadied herself. "We haven't even started. It's time to show this jerk what we can do!"

Mint steadied herself up onto her knees and nodded. "I'm ready."

Lettuce soon followed. Amaya watched as each of their eyes turned to her. She suddenly felt the pressure on her shoulders grow heavier. They were looking at her as if waiting for her to take the lead. Was this the kind of pressure that Ichigo constantly had to handle? She made it look so easy. Amaya had no idea what to do even when she was following the others, let alone when she was calling the shots.

Still. She had a duty. She owed it to them. She owed it to Ryou. She owed it to herself.

She forced herself up onto her unsteady feet and nodded. "Let's go. Everyone go in different directions. Pudding, you start. Then Mint and Lettuce will follow, then me."

They nodded.

The Chimera screeched loudly as it began winding its tail, ready to make another swipe at them. Amaya would not have that. The wall had had enough of her blood staining it.

Pudding began running. Lettuce and Mint followed, all in different directions. Pudding had gone to the left. Lettuce and Mint went to the right. That gave Amaya only one option: straight down the middle. She began running. Then she began to pick up her pace. Faster. Faster. I need to go faster. Her muscles cried out and her throat screamed, but she ignored it all.

"Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!"

"Ribbon Mint Tone Echo!"

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"

That was Amaya's cue. She used every ounce of her strength, bent her legs and jumped. The force of her jump allowed her to meet the lizard at eye level. Its giant irises followed her body. It opened its mouth as if readying itself to swallow her, leaning in toward her.

"Ribbon Blackberry Trench!"

Those giant irises froze. A loud shriek was released through the air, making Amaya cover her sensitive ears. She cringed against the ear-piercing sound, eyes clamped shut against the flare of their attacks. She landed painfully on her backside. When she opened her eyes, the Chimera Anima was gone.

She let out a painful breath of air and collapsed against the hard ground. It was uncomfortable, but it was all she needed right now. She welcomed the steadiness of the cold hard cement. Everything was burning.

It was only when she felt hands on her shoulders that she realized she'd momentarily blacked out. She opened her eyes and watched as her blurry vision slowly swam into focus. Ryou was leaning over her, blue eyes twinged with worry. "Amaya, I'm so sorry I couldn't get out here faster. Are you okay?"

She groaned and sat up, holding her aching head. She shut her eyes against the blinding pain. "I'm okay, I'm fine. Just, things are kind of spinning. How are the others?"

She heard the smirk in his voice as he replied, "Better than you. You can't go home like this. Your sister would kill me."

She grinned despite her pain. "You know Mamaya well. She would kill you."

His hands were at her back, which led her to believe that he was sitting behind her. At least, that had been what she had thought until she felt one of his hands under her knees. "Don't go trying to hit me, okay? I know that you're in no condition to walk, so don't blame me if my hands end up somewhere you don't want them."

The lifting motion as he pulled her into his arms made her head spin. She caught his shirt tightly in her hands to steady herself. "That's something only a perv would say," she muttered. "You'd better not let my skirt fall."

He groaned. "Women."

Her consciousness was slowly wavering. She couldn't help but notice how warm and comforting it felt to lean her head against his shoulder. Still, she was determined to continue their banter until she had the last word. "Don't make me hit you," she muttered tiredly.

His arms tightened around her a little. Amaya couldn't help but smile. "Now would be the perfect opportunity since I'm in no way able to reciprocate."

He was right. But she was too tired. "You always have to have something smarmy to say."

He snorted. "Go to sleep, Amaya."

She groaned tiredly. "Ms Rosbe . . ." she murmured.

"I'll handle it."

That was the last thing she remembered before she finally drifted off to sleep.


Amaya woke with a splitting headache. The sun shone brightly through the crack in the curtains, directly onto her face, making her squint as she tried to open her eyes. She moved her head to the side and opened her eyes again. Usually when she opened her eyes she saw Mamaya sleeping in the bed next to hers but today was different. Today, all she saw was a wall.

She froze. This was not the shelter. She sat up and immediately regretted it. She put a hand to her aching head and groaned. She felt like she had a hangover - or at least, this was what she imagined a hangover to feel like.

"Careful. You'll have a headache for a while before you start to feel better," a voice said from the other side of the room.

Amaya turned toward the door where the voice had come from to see the tall brunet man who constantly shadowed Ryou: Akasaka. He was holding a First Aid Kit in his hand and a glass of water in the other. "May I come in?" he asked.

She nodded.

He walked in and set the kit down on the foot of her bed, making her shimmy down to give him space. He held out the glass of water to her and she gratefully took it. "Thanks," she said shyly. She wasn't sure how to act around Akasaka. Technically he knew her almost as well as Ryou, but they'd never really spoken much. He was there the day that she had run into the burning Shirogane mansion to save Mamaya. He was there on the day she ran away from the hospital. Ryou had probably told him just about everything else about her as well. Thinking about it made Amaya uncomfortable. For a stranger to know everything about her? It was all very strange.

"How are you feeling?" Akasaka asked, interrupting her from her reverie.

She shrugged. "Sore."

He nodded, smiling gently. "I can imagine. I'm sure Ryou will have something to help your aching muscles. He's good with plant-based medication and remedies. For now, I'd like to change your bandages if that is okay with you."

Amaya nodded. She propped herself up against her pillows and watched as Akasaka reached in toward her head. She wasn't sure all the places she'd been bandaged up, but she knew where it hurt the most. She wondered how many injuries she got just from that one Chimera.

She looked down at her hands. They were bruised and a bit cracked in some places, and sometimes they hurt to be moved. One chimera had done all of this to her. It had been four against one and they'd barely won. If this was the result of battling a much lesser Chimera, could she really defeat the one that had made her life a nightmare, or would she be killed in the process of trying?

She flinched as a sharp pain hit her in the back of her head.

"Sorry," Akasaka murmured. "I'm trying to be as gentle as I can."

She forced a quick smile. Her thoughts felt like they were pushing down on her brain, making her feel tired and lethargic. She felt like crying. Everything was so complicated, so difficult. She was broken and in pain and nothing else had become easier in her life. It seemed things were only getting worse. Every time the world knocked her down again, she found it harder to get back up.

"That should be fine," Akasaka said, folding up the bloody bandages into a plastic bag. "If you feel anymore pain you should tell myself or Ryou. I'll go get him for you now if you'd like something for the pain."

She hardly paid attention to his words. She nodded without really knowing what she'd agreed to, then watched as he stood and began walking toward the door. She dropped her faint smile and propped her pillows back down, turning away from the door and lying down again. She hugged her pillow tightly, clinging to it as if it were her only safety. Tears stung her eyes but she forced them back.

Why did she have to be such a crybaby? Why did she have to be so weak? If Ichigo had been there, everything would have been fine. Amaya was sure that Mint, Pudding and Lettuce would never have been hurt so badly if Ichigo were there to protect them. She was a truly powerful leader. Amaya had done nothing but let them - and herself - down.

Story of your life. All you ever do is disappoint people. Ms Rosbe, your sister, Max, and now even your friends. Did you really think that this would be any different?

Her father's words echoed back through her head as the faint image of her memory replayed. She had been young then, but she had thought that one little decision would be enough to decide that she was going to be stronger. She'd fought against the monster once and won, out of luck and because she had been protecting Mamaya, but back then the monster had been young as well. While it was growing stronger and stronger, Amaya had just been idly wasting time.

"Amaya?"

A hand gently touched her shoulder, but she neglected to respond. She simply stared at the wall across from her.

Ryou stood there for a moment in silence, then slowly perched himself on the side of her bed. She knew it was coming: the big speech, the pep talk. He probably saw the tears in her eyes. He knew her too well.

"I don't know what you're so worried about. You did well out there."

She shrugged. Part of her knew that what he said was true. In the end, she'd still won. Still, she wished she were better at protecting others.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Then Ryou sighed quietly. "I called Ms Rosbe and told her where you were."

Amaya's eyes shot open. She sat up and looked back over her shoulder at him. "W-what?"

He lifted his hands in surrender and stiffened at the sight of her anger. "Calm down. I didn't go into specifics. I just told her that you'd overworked yourself and you needed some time to rest. She's sending your sister over to get you in a few minutes."

Her eyes were wild and calculating. "B-but, how did you-"

"It was the last thing you said before you passed out," he explained. "I'd heard the name before: Pudding used to go there often. Akasaka still had the number so I got it off of him."

Amaya deflated. She'd tried so hard to hide her secret and now here it was, all out in the open for Ryou to laugh at. She couldn't believe she had let something slip like that. She was usually so good at keeping her mouth shut. How could he ever take her seriously now that he knew she was living in a crappy little children's shelter? She sighed. "Oh," she murmured. "So then you know."

He frowned. "Of course I know. It's not like I thought you lived in a happy home before this."

She buried her face back into her pillows as if it would help to hide her from the world. "Still! You didn't have to know that I live there of all places!" she cried.

"Like I'm any better!" Ryou retorted. "Look around! Does my living condition really look that much better than yours?"

Her temper flared. She sat up again, this time in rage rather than surprise, and practically shoved her face into his. "You have money! You just choose not to use it! You've got your family money and god knows what else from all the science-y crap you did in America. I have nothing! I have no allowance. I have no inheritance. I hardly even have my own bathroom because I usually have to share it with at least seven other kids! So yeah, your living conditions look like paradise to me!"

Ryou looked shocked at first. Then his eyes softened, and he looked hurt. For a heartbeat, Amaya could have sworn she saw empathy in his eyes, but after a flash it was gone, replaced with impatient anger. He sputtered as if fighting for his words. "Well . . . How did we even get onto this topic anyway?!" he finally shouted back.

She let out a loud, hard groan and threw her hands up into the air, like she'd finally had enough. "You're so freakin' exhausting!"

He huffed. "Yeah well all I wanted was to cheer you up and here you are yelling at me!" he retorted.

Amaya flashed an angry glare. "Well your pep talks could seriously use some revising then!"

"You're so-"

"Oh my god, you two fight like a married couple! Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Amaya's head turned toward the familiar voice interrupting them. She was in no way surprised to see her little sister standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. She wore matching pink PJs and a light washed denim jacket which Amaya knew she'd taken from her closet. It was one of the few nice things Amaya owned. In any other situation, she would have reprimanded her sister for borrowing it, but luckily for Mamaya her anger was directed elsewhere.

"Stay out of this Mamaya, I'm about to show this blond brat a piece of my mind!" she shouted, balling her hands into fists at her sides.

"I'm not fighting you!" Ryou growled.

Mamaya groaned and stomped toward the two. She stepped between them and turned to her sister, balling the collar of her shirt into her fist. She pulled back one hand and paused. "Sorry in advance for this," she muttered, then slapped her firmly across the cheek. The initial shock made Amaya immediately shut up. She held her cheek, now red with pain, and stared wide-eyed at her little sister. Throughout the years, they'd had many arguments, but Mamaya had never raised a hand to Amaya before, at least not like this.

"Thank you," Ryou muttered.

Mamaya huffed and turned toward him, releasing Amaya from her grasp. She made a fist and promptly punched him square over the head with it. He grunted in pain and held the bruising spot in his hands. "Damn," he groaned. "And I thought Amaya punched hard . . ."

The younger redhead scoffed. "I wouldn't have done anything if you hadn't opened your mouth." She turned back to Amaya and crossed her arms. "Now what are you two arguing about?"

Amaya looked away. "Nothing," she muttered stubbornly. Part of her was embarrassed that her younger sister had pulled something like in front of Ryou but she supposed he got what he deserved as well. Her face was red, and not just from the pain of her sister's slap.

Mamaya rolled her eyes. "Don't pull that crap on me," she snapped. She shoved a finger into Amaya's chest. "Both of you are going to figure your shit out right now because I sure as hell didn't come all the way out here just to have to sit up all night listening to you rant and rave. You're going home happy dammit, so hurry up 'cause I don't have time for this."

Ryou rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "This is a very nice way to say hello after years of absence, I must say," he mused.

"Damn straight," Mamaya retorted. "Now, start making up. Neither of you are leaving this room until I hear laughing from the other side of that door, got it?"

Amaya opened her mouth to tell her sister to please, just take her home, but before she could even begin to form words, Mamaya was stomping toward the door. She opened it and stepped out, slamming it firmly behind her. The shadows underneath the crack in the door proved that she hadn't been lying: she was planning on standing there until they really did make up. Fat chance Amaya could lie her way out of it; Mamaya would see through anything.

Amaya sighed and flopped back down on the bed. She was so frustrated, she'd forgotten about the pain in her head. As she landed in the pillows, her head once again began to ache. She groaned and held it in her hands, wishing she had thought more about her decision to land like that. Now her head was practically pounding in pain.

Ryou noticed her turmoil and stood, reaching into his pocket. "Right, I forgot. Akasaka told me you were in a lot of pain, so I brought some of this for you. It's going to taste like crap, but it'll help ease your pain. It'll make you sleepy though, so I recommend not taking it until you get home."

She looked up to see him produce a small bottle from the folds of his jean pockets. He held it out for her to take.

"What is it?" she asked warily, taking it from his hand. She looked into the transparent bottle, lifting it to her eyes' level. Inside were three pills, thick, small and round. They were a pale grey color, with odd specks like they'd been flecked with paint. Her mind raced to images of intense side effects. Amaya hardly ever even took pain killers when she was PMSing, let alone any other kind of drug.

Ryou shrugged. "A bunch of different herbs, some other natural ingredients. I don't use chemically based medicines."

She looked up at him with obvious worry tinged in her mis-matched colored eyes. "It won't make me high or freaky or anything, will it?"

He shook his head.

She was still hesitant, but she figured she might as well take it with her, regardless of whether or not she'd end up using it.

"She curses more than you do," Ryou said.

Amaya looked up at him and frowned. "What?"

He looked down at her and gestured toward the door. "Your sister."

"Oh," Amaya said. She stared down at the bottle in her hands, avoiding eye contact. For a few moments they just stayed like that, neither of them speaking or even moving. She fidgeted nervously. What was she supposed to say or do? How could she make the silence less awkward?

"Is your head okay?" she asked.

He frowned. "What?"

She grinned meekly up at him. "I know Mamaya doesn't hold back when she punches. She must have gotten you pretty hard."

He touched his head as if he'd forgotten. "Oh, right. No, I'm fine. I've had much worse."

She nodded. Guilt was gnawing at her insides over what she'd said to him. She had never felt disdain for those who had more money than her, she supposed her frustration had just finally hit a boiling point and took the first opportunity given to her as an outlet. Ryou had gone through a lot too and she had no right to make him feel like his problems were less important than hers. What had she become? She was beginning to scare herself.

She needed to apologize. If she didn't, she would never be able to look at herself the same way again.

But before she could open her mouth, he was already speaking; "Sorry," he murmured.

Amaya looked up at him and frowned. "What for? I'm the one who should be apologizing. I didn't mean any of those things I said. It was awful of me!"

He shook his head. His mouth twinged upward at the corners in a bitter grin. "No, you were right. I have nothing to complain about compared to you. I mean, at least I have my own place. I have money that I can easily use if I come across a crisis. You really do have nothing compared to me."

She wasn't sure if she should be offended or apologetic. He didn't give her the chance to decide.

"Let me make it up to you," he said, meeting her eyes with a determined gaze.

She felt her face flush a little. "Um, okay, how?" she muttered.

"Im sure you haven't been able to really have a nice dinner in a long time. Let me take you somewhere. You can bring your sister if you want," he said.

Amaya's head spun. Had Ryou just asked her out? No, that couldn't be it. This was just a make-up dinner, he'd felt bad for a childhood friend. After all, he'd invited Mamaya too. Ryou wasn't the type to fall for a girl like her. He'd seen every part of her: her flaws, her tears, the good times and bad. He was probably trying to just be polite. What kind of guy could fall for her after seeing those sides of her?

It's your fault any of this even happened to him. Without you, his life would still be the same and his family would be alive. Why would he ever ask you out?

Her heart sank at the thought. The truth behind it stabbed through her like a knife to her chest. He really must have just been saying it to be nice.

She looked up at him and forced a smile. "No, you really don't have to. I've already put you out enough."

For a moment, she could have sworn she saw hurt in his eyes, but she looked away before it could bother her. She stood from the bed which she'd been sitting on and bowed her head politely. "Thanks again for your hospitality, Ryou. I'll see you tomorrow. And sorry again, for everything," she said. She stood up straight and began making her way toward the door where Mamaya was waiting for her, determined to leave it at that. Pushing Ryou away like this was easier, for him and for her.

"Amaya, wait!"

She froze. She didn't mean to, but there was something in his voice that nudged at her heart. She stood, unable to say or do anything but stare at the hardwood floor beneath her feet.

She heard footsteps slowly approach her from behind. Then she heard a low sound as if he'd smirked or scoffed. "That's the first time you've said my name in over seven years."

Amaya frowned. She looked over her shoulder and turned toward him. He stood behind her, looking down at her, hands in his white leather pants pockets. His blue eyes searched hers as if waiting for something to appear behind them. The weight of his eyes on hers made her shift uncomfortably. Why was he staring at her like that? "Ryou?" she muttered.

His eyes fell closed for a moment. He let out a soft breath through his nose. It looked almost as if he were praying. When his eyes opened again, they looked stern, like he'd made a decision. Amaya was beginning to get worried. She'd never seen him act like this before. He was usually sarcastic and rude - he rarely ever said things that seemed personal. His mouth opened again, and Amaya almost forgot to pay attention to what he was saying. "Forgive me," he murmured.

She opened her mouth to ask what he meant. What was she supposed to be forgiving him for?

Then suddenly, his lips were softly caressing hers.

Amaya's body was frozen stiff. Her skin was prickling and hot. She blinked in surprise, eyes wide in disbelief. Ryou was kissing her. His lips were really on hers. This was her first kiss and it was with Ryou! His eyes were softly closed, long lashes fanned out toward his pale cheeks. His mouth was soft and sweet and gentle and nothing like what Amaya would have imagined. Her heart was pounding with adrenaline. Her breath came ragged and warm against his face. She felt like she was running a marathon.

What was she supposed to do? Where were her hands supposed to go? He'd left his in his pockets, was that normal? Was she doing this right? What exactly constituted a good kiss for most people? She cursed herself for never researching how to properly kiss someone before this.

Do you really want to spend your entire first kiss wondering how to kiss? Just shut up and enjoy it!

She closed her eyes. Her mind raced but she refused to listen to its anxious thoughts. All she needed to know now was that she and Ryou were kissing and nothing felt more right to her.

The pressure on her mouth began to fade, and Ryou slowly pulled away. He looked down at her and grinned. "You enjoyed that. Does this mean I don't get a punch in the face?" he smirked.

She nudged him playfully in the cheek with a fist, smiling. "Shut up, Shirogane," she retorted.

He smiled and stood up straight. "Will you please come to dinner with me sometime?" he asked again.

She shifted uncomfortably. It really had been a date. No wonder he seemed so upset; she'd shot him down thinking that it was just a pity dinner. The thought of being on a date with Ryou terrified her, but it also excited her. Part of her leapt for joy, but another part paced nervously.

He likes you! You should give him a chance at least!

She looked up at him and smiled. "Okay."

His face lit up. The idea of him being happy just because of something she did or said gave her butterflies. She'd never seen this side of Ryou before. It conflicted entirely with the image she had of him when they were kids. Maybe she didn't know him as well as she thought she did.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then stood up straight again, hands still in his pockets. "Anyway, you should get going. Poor Mamaya has been standing out there for almost twenty minutes now, and you should probably rest your head. Take the day off tomorrow. Then I want to see you bright and rested for your shift on Saturday."

She nodded. "Yes sir," she chirped. She stood and made way for the doorway out. She twisted the doorknob open and pulled. "Okay Mamaya, we're done fighting, so can we please just-"

She stopped. Her sister was not standing in front of the door. Instead, Amaya looked to the side to see her sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms folded around her head where she leaned it against her legs. Her breathing was slow and steady; she'd fallen asleep waiting for them.

Amaya let out a quiet groan. "Damn. I should have known I had a time limit," she muttered.

Ryou chuckled. "I can carry her if you want," he offered.

She shook her head and smiled. "It's okay, I'm used to it. I had to carry her like this all over Tokyo once. I can definitely handle taking her home. Besides, Mamaya tends to kick in her sleep," she explained. She walked over to her sister and knelt to her level on the floor.

Ryou watched as Amaya gently nudged her sister awake enough to climb onto her back. She lifted the younger girl with ease and stood up once more. Amaya had said she'd done this before, carrying Mamaya around the streets of Tokyo. No doubt, she'd meant when they ran away as kids. He wondered what else they had gone through in the long period of time when he hadn't seen or spoken to them.

"You'll call if anything happens on your way home?" he asked.

She nodded. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Thanks Ryou."

He smiled and leaned in once more. This time she was much better prepared for it. She leaned her face upward to meet him halfway, their lips meeting in the middle. This kiss was much softer and sweeter, but it still sent shivers down Amaya's spine. They pulled away after a few seconds and smiled at one another. "Go," he murmured.

She nodded and turned, making her way down the stairs of the cafe, through the hallway and out the front door. She smiled as she walked, unable to wipe it from her face even when she got home and Ms Rosbe began her long, long lecture.