Well, here goes another chapter.

I'm feeling almost relieve knowing that this story will end in about six weeks or so. X3 I've got so many other great ideas for other Amuto fanfics but I won't start any of them until this reaches completion. I hope you'll read those though, when this ends someday. ;3

And one more thing: EPISODE 65 WAS SUCH WIN OMFG.

Now that's said and done...

On with the chapter!

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Stolen

Part Ten:

Adventurous Escapade

Love only hurts me always...or so you whispered

You were scared of believing and cried, didn't you?

Learn your weaknesses and become strong, by believing without fear

You'll learn of true love, before it turns into hatred, right?

-Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi by UVERworld

Nikaido folded his arms across his chest, lit cigarette in mouth, eyes unmoving from the motel. (Hell, so he decided to smoke again. It wasn't like he was able to quit for long anyway.) It was just about time, and God damn him to hell if he didn't catch the two of them right now. They were right in front of his eyes. Besides, a little murder and crime before breakfast never bothered his appetite anyway.

He flicked the ashes out the window and stuff the rest of the cigarette into the ashtray in the car. He folded his hands over his stomach, paying no attention to his three comrades, who were most likely just as fidgety and anxious to get this over with as he was. (Or perhaps not. Mikage, maybe, but Touma wanted torture and Sanjou wanted credit.)

All the same, things were tense, and it was a quarter until five. Most people wouldn't be so awake at such an early hour, but not these four. As soon as the runaway Romeo and his Juliet awoke from their slumber, they could either die together, or just kill the boy and take the girl. Hoshina figured he could use her. So, he'd preferred to have her living so he could work her like he did with the Tsukiyomi siblings.

Mikage's voice was barely even a whisper, but Nikaido still heard. "It's nearly time." He glanced briefly back at her in the mirror, but her face was lowered and he couldn't read his expression.

He drummed his fingers on the dashboard impatiently, glancing at his watch every few minutes out of agitation.

When the clock struck exactly five...yes, exactly five.

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Amu blinked, suddenly conscious. Ikuto was obviously still asleep; his breathing was steady and his arms were still loosely around her. She felt refreshed, and had a strong sense of purpose after the conversation last night. Some sleep on top of that, and Amu felt ready for battle.

The people were close. But just how close is close? If Ikuto knew, he didn't divulge. She was sure there were at least three of them, maybe more. It was a wonder people like that had evaded the police. Then again, Ikuto himself was an escape artist, so she wouldn't put it past them to be just as talented, if not more so than the thief himself.

Ikuto was sleeping so peacefully, Amu seriously did not want to wake him up. He needed the sleep, but Ikuto had told her that they needed to be prepared by at least a quarter past five. No later, he had thought, or else they would catch them.

Sighing, she reluctantly scooted out of his warm embrace, wincing at the cold air on her skin. Oh, the cold. Her dear, good old friend. She had no time to warm up or for anything else at the moment, however.

She scooted over to Ikuto on the bed, and shook him gently in an attempt to wake him. "Ikuto...Ikuto..." She sighed, he didn't budge. He was a heavier sleeper than she had realized. On top of it, he was probably exhausted. She poked him, shook him again, pulled his hair and pinched his cheeks and he still didn't wake up. Suddenly feeling brave, she leaned down to kiss him but because of the angle she was at on the bed, she fell forward and wound up kissing his neck. Blushing darkly, she quickly sat up straight just as he was waking up.

He groaned as he awoke, blinking sleepily as he slowly sat up, looking around as he registered his surroundings.

Then he turned to Amu, who was sitting rigidly on the bed while blushing. He grinned at her, though it looked a little sleepy.

"I had no idea you were so...aggressive."

Amu gasped, shaking her head violently. "No no no no no no! It definitely wasn't like that!"

He raised an eyebrow, seeming more awake now as he scooted closer to her. "You call kissing my neck not aggressive?" He smirked as she flushed even darker, "If I didn't know better I'd say you were putting moves on me."

She whined a little as he pressed closer to her; her eyes darted around, looking for an escape or a savior, but finding neither.

He shook his head as he pulled away. "Oh well. There will be time for that later. Time..." his eyes narrowed. "What time is it?"

Amu blinked, blush fading as she scrambled up to go and look at the clock on the far wall. Not long after, she returned and answered his question. "Um...about 4:50."

"Get ready to go. We've wasted too much time already."

She nodded quickly, not asking any questions. That urgent tone of his and the dark and serious look in his eyes told her that they were going to be in big trouble if they waited any longer. She hadn't unpacked much, but what she did she quickly threw into her backpack and pulled her hair up into a loose braid and slid on her coat, then put her backpack on and went back to where Ikuto was waiting. He too was ready, and he stood looking out the window, the curtains no longer drawn.

It was dark; the sun hadn't even risen yet. It was about to, though, or so the faint traces of light on the horizon hinted. Dark, grayish clouds concealed most of the moon behind an opaque, smoky veil and blocked most of it's silvery light. Some stars were visible, scattered about the navy sky. Others were also hidden by the wicked looking storm clouds. Amu grimaced a little as she thought about what those clouds meant.

Rain. Which means cold. Yuck.

Ikuto seemed to have noticed her presence now, and extended his hand to her, like he had so many times before. Without a word, without questioning him, she took his hand, not even thinking twice as he opened the window, pulling her out on the rusty balcony that was most definitely not meant for many people to stand on, as it was rusty and worn. The two of them had their backs pressed to the cracking brick wall, and were pressed side by side. There wasn't even room to turn around.

She then wondered. Since when have I become so trusting? But she was barely able to finish thinking the question before Ikuto jumped clear off the balcony, landing conveniently in a pile of old mattresses in a nearby trash pile. Amu had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming aloud. After landing, he set her down, and she winced as she slid her tongue over where she had bitten her cheek and tasted blood.

Ikuto didn't give her much of a chance to think, for he seized her hand again and began walking quickly around the motel. She had no idea where he was going, nor what his intentions were, but she still followed. (Or rather, was dragged into a pace that she could barely keep up with. His legs were much longer than hers.)

When he suddenly stopped, she almost ran into him. She looked up at him to complain, but stopped when she saw the shocked, frozen look on his face. An expression that basically said, 'Shit.'

She followed his gaze, noticing it was fixed on a sleek, black car with darkly tinted windows. Though the vehicle was sleek, it had scratches and dents in numerous places, making it look old and unused. However, it was most certainly not unused, for a door opened then closed with a slam, and a man wearing a dark tan overcoat with messy, dirty blond hair stepped out smoking a cigarette. His eyes were narrowed in distaste as he stepped forward. Ikuto's expression of shock soon changed to one that mirrored the man's.

"Ikuto. Wonderful to see you again." His voice was so cold and sarcastic.

Ikuto said nothing, but pushed Amu behind him a little, his icy glare unfaltering.

The man raised an eyebrow, smirking a little in such a way that it chilled her bones to the core. Everything about him was cold and heartless and sarcastic. She bit her lip, wondering how they might get out of this situations, trying desperately to recall any stories in which the hero and heroine got out safely of a situation like this and how they might have done it. However, her mind was so in shock that nothing came to mind. She couldn't even remember ever writing a word.

He approached them, but stopped at least ten feet away. "Just come with us, Tsukiyomi kid. And nothing will happen to the little writer."

"Nikaido." Ikuto spat the word that must have been the man's name, for he raised both eyebrows at this.

The man called Nikaido took a few more steps forward. There was so much tension in the air that it felt static. Amu felt butterflies in her stomach like never before, her pulse racing, a thousand useless thoughts running through her head.

More people exited the car, three more. Two women and a massive man who resembled a monster from a horror story, with his hulking frame and overlong dark hair. One woman looked cold and calculating as she held a handgun on one hand, pushing her glinting glasses up her nose with the other. The other woman looked expressionless and cold, her eyes gazing on the scene with total apathy as she fiddled with the hilt of the knife on her belt.

All four began to advance on them. It all happened quickly after that. The woman with glasses shot at them, but Ikuto grabbed her and dashed out of the way, narrowly missing it as it left a cut on the side of his neck. The larger man dashed forward, swinging his fists and Ikuto barely managed to dodge, keeping Amu a safe distance behind him all the while. The smaller woman surveyed the scene with the same apathy, still fingering the knife but made no move to use it. Nikaido simply watched, his eyes still heartless, eyebrows still raised, still smirking sarcastically.

Ikuto quickly shoved Amu away as the large man came at him again. The woman appeared to be having problems with the handgun; she appeared to be trying to reload it.

"Go." He hissed to her as he delivered a kick to the man's stomach that appeared to have zero effect on him. Too stunned to move, Amu could only watch on in horror, not noticing that the smaller woman had moved from her position, her knife out and catching the light of the now visible moon. Just as she was about to strike the unsuspecting writer from behind, someone drove by, into the motel. The group froze, but the car simply drove by. Using this as a distraction, Ikuto grabbed Amu into his arms and ran as fast as he had previously, if not faster. She heard gunshots and prayed that none of them landed.

Amu couldn't tell how much time passed as he stopped suddenly, breathing heavily and obviously worn out. Worried, she slipped out of his arms and awkwardly entwined her fingers with his, trying to meet his gaze. He looked at her, and his expression was heartbreaking. He looked so...sad.

He wrapped her in his arms and held her so her face was buried in his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, how fast it was from running. His breathing was heavy and his body was warm. She hugged him back as tightly as she could as he moved one hand to stroke her hair. She didn't speak, waiting for him to say anything if he was intending to.

Slowly, after what seemed like such a long time, he released her and his expression was back to serious. "I need to find somewhere else for us to go. Somewhere they'd never guess we'd be."

Amu furrowed her eyebrows, wondering if such a place existed. "Where might that be?"

Ikuto sighed, covering his eyes with one hand. "The problem is...I'm not sure."

Amu bit her lip, deep in thought as Ikuto stood there, unmoving. She took the time now to glance at their surroundings. They were, to put it bluntly, in the middle of nowhere. Apparently that motel they had been at was at the edge of civilization, and now there was nothingness. The paving on the road was cracked and eroded, and small plants sprouted up in between. The wind here was dry and bone-chillingly icy; it was so cold it soaked through any kind of protection against the warmth with ease. Just behind them, there was an abandoned gas station. The windows were broken and the shattered pieces of glass lay inside the building. The pumps were old and broken, and some were even missing.

She scanned to the other side of the road, where a small forest was located. Dead bushes guarded the entrance just where the pavement ended, like skeletal beings of another world. The wind rustle the few remaining leaves on the just about as dead trees, causing a few of what remained to flutter to the ground, atop a small pile that covered the tree's roots.

However, when she turned to the left, there it was—what would—or might—save them. Praying that it worked, she dashed over to it. The metal frame of the booth was bent in, and the door was hanging off it's hinges. The glass was completely gone, however no shards remained. The most important part, however, seemed to be intact. Cautiously, she stepped over the bent frame and entered the small booth, running her hands over the worn receiver of the payphone.

A phone booth! This is Godsent. It must be.

Amu couldn't help but smile. This really and truly was great. She could feel Ikuto's eyes on her, but decided to say nothing until she found out whether the old thing worked or not. Fumbling around in her pocket, she pulled out a small handful of change and slipped the correct amount into the dirt-encrusted slot.

With bated breath, she picked up the receiver, and listened. She giggled a little. A dial tone!

Thankful for her good memory, she dialed Tadase's number with precision. Please answer, she hoped silently. Luckily, he did.

"Hello?"

"T-Tadase!"

"Hi-I mean, Amu?"

"Yes, yes! Um, Tadase, I need...a big favor."

"Of course. What can I help you with?"

"A friend and I are in trouble, so...we need a place to stay. Do you know anywhere?"

"Um, one moment please, Amu." She heard him talking to someone else, before a rather familiar and friendly voice spoke next.

"Hello, Amu."

She gasped. "Nagihiko!"

She could almost hear his smile as he answered back. "I hear you need a place to stay."

"Y-yes!" She was clutching the receiver for dear life.

"If you'd like," He began, "you may stay with my girlfriend and I. We have plenty of room, and...you said you have a friend with you...?"

"Um...yes. But, my...friend is in a bit of trouble right now, so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell the police."

"Of course we wouldn't."

"I'm so sorry for the trouble."

After Nagihiko ensured her it really was no problem, he gave her his address which she quickly scrawled on one of her notebooks. She thanked him multiple times before they both hung up, Amu promising to arrive and leave as quickly as they could.

Still smiling, she strode back over to where Ikuto was, where he was watching her curiously.

"I have a place for us to stay."

He looked shocked; his mouth even fell open a little. "Seriously?"

"Yep. It's a friend of mine, and he offered to let us stay at his house for as long as we needed. I don't want to get him in trouble, so I want to leave as quickly as possible..."

Ikuto nodded, his face serious once more. "I have an idea as to where we can go after that...anyway."

She nodded, smiling. "Right."

She gasped when he hugged her again, and was surprised to find that he was chuckling. She blinked, pulling away so she could see his expression, but he wasn't letting her. He kissed her before she could see the look on his face; kissed her lips, forehead, cheeks, nose, both corners of her mouth, then her lips again, for longer this time. He then pulled away, and she saw that he was grinning. Amu knew she was blushing.

He playfully tousled her hair, causing her to yelp in complaint, but he only snorted at her. "Well, let me see the address, we had best get going."

She frowned. "But you seemed so tired..."

"I'll rest when we get there." He glanced at her handwritten directions, then nodded to himself. "It's not too far from here, but far enough that we should be able to lose them." He glanced over his shoulder to emphasize his point.

Then he scooped her up in his arms again, holding her to his chest and took off. She thought she heard him say something, but it could have been her imagination; after all, they were running so fast that she could hardly hear anything much around them. Yes, it definitely must have been her imagination. There's no way he would have said that.

"I'm sorry, Amu...for what I'll do to you...I'm sorry."

Of course. Definitely the wind.

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This chapter was absolutely crucial to the plot. Mostly because of what Amu 'thought' she heard Ikuto say. You'll see what I mean in later chapters.

And, Nagihiko's voice makes an appearance! Sorry, couldn't fit the guy himself in here. He and Rima will be in the next chapter, I swear it.

Pleeease review! -whines-