I did take into acknowledgement that my last chapter sucked. I know. I'm just not in the right frame of mind for this stuff. Ima just start writing.

Will woke up after roughly 2 hours and a half, rubbing the back of his head and looking around.

"What, happened?" He muttered. He was sitting outside Alice's. He looked to his right. Blood was left in a trail from beside him a metre away. It lead around to the front of the house. He got up and followed the trail. It lead into the forest as it grew thicker. He looked over to the lean-to stable. Annabelle was still there, ears pricked up. He pictured the scene before him. Alice. Where was she? Had she been injured and she was in the forest? The door to Alice's looked as if she had violently thrown it open, as there was a few scratches on the wall where the door would swing open, and one of the hinges were halfway broken. He looked inside. Alice's cloak, weapons and boots were gone, but she'd left her wound treatment and first aid kit. There was a note on the table, and Will walked up to it and picked it up.

"Dear Will" He read aloud. "I'm sorry about what I did, knocking you out. I suppose you'll follow my trail, but I'm afraid that it may be to late by the time you do, if you wake up in 9 hours or more. I don't know how hard I may have hit you, and my rage got the best of me. Tell the others if you want. I'm afraid when I did what I did, that may be the last time you ever see me."

Will looked at the signature, and the ink seemed to have slipped off the page, and he gasped when he realised the blood in the bottom and top right corners.

"Yours truly, Ranger Alice."

Will needed to tell the others. But, he felt he needed to find her, fast. He'd been out for around 2 and a half hours. He had around 7 hours. He heard the others outside, and walked out the door, note still in hand.

"Will, what happened?" Halt asked as Will approached him. He handed Halt the note.

"That'll explain" He said, before he walked off to the lean to stable, and getting on Tug. Halt's eyes widened, covering his mouth with his free hand.

"Where are you going?" Crowley asked while everyone else looked over Halt's shoulders. Will gestured to the trail, before digging his heels into Tug's sides and speeding off. Ryan and Amber were stressed and beginning to panic.

"Crowley, what's happening, where's Mummy?" Amber asked Crowley, grabbing his arm in fear.

Crowley was still looking over the shoulder of Halt, and tore away his gaze to meet that of the scared little girl.

"I don't know Amber" He replied, before Halt passed the note to him. Halt knelt down in front of Amber, hood up so the girl could see his face. He grabbed her by the hands.

"Alice's..." He began, trying to find his words. "Alice's fine, Amber. She's just, gone to do something."

Amber looked into the eyes of the older man. He picked her up.

"You do trust me, don't you?" He asked.

Amber nodded. "Mum's told me all about you" She said.The fear in her eyes made Halt himself need his own reassurance.

"You're a bit of a softie" Crowley said. Halt glared at him.

"Don't get your hopes up" He said.

Will found Alice, against a tree, pale. Blood ran down her right arm, her left leg, and just below her chest. "Alice!" He exclaimed, swinging off Tug, and running to her side, before kneeling down.

"W-Will?" She stuttered. "Y-You're ok." Will smiled. There was no humour in it.

"Alice what have you done to yourself?" He asked, taking out his first aid pack from the saddle bags. Tug stood next to him, looking at the young woman. Will looked at Tug.

The little horse shook his mane, a nervous look in his eye. Is she alright?

Will shook his head sadly. "I don't know, Tug"He said. "I just don't know."

He patched up the wounds. Alice had drifted out of consciousness. He threw her over Tug's back, and grabbed the little horse's reins. He led the horse back to Alice's. He took her off Tug's back, now in his arms. Gilan looked at Will, concern in his eyes. Will took her inside. It was a while before she woke up. Will looked around nervously, thoughts running wild.

"W-Will?" Said Alice's unsure yet weak voice. "W-What happened?"

Will turned to face Alice. He smiled. She always gets herself into these situations, he thought.

"It doesn't matter" He said. "As long as you're ok."

"I-I am" She stuttered. "Wh-What about A-Amber and R-Ryan?"

"They're fine, Alice" Will said. "Perfectly fine."

Alice laid back, sighing in relief. "Thank g-god."

The days between that day and now were muddled up. Alice was eventually back in action, better than ever. Things were messed up as the others got back to their own fiefs. Except Will. He stayed with Alice. He wasn't confident just yet on leaving her alone with her kids. If she was a target to people, she needed proper protection. Alice had disagreed with the fact. She was one of the most experienced people out there when it came to combat. Lately, she'd been weakened by something. Will had talked to Malcom about it, and he said it must've been some sort of disorder. Maybe paranoia, but he couldn't be sure. Will had watched over her. When he went to leave, the kids had wanted to go with him, and he ended up staying another half hour discussing things with Alice. He was happy to do so, but Alice feared that it might be a distraction. Will had shook his head and said it wouldn't. She eventually caved in and let the kids go. Will had found kids could prove to be a bit of a handful, but they seemed fine around him. They went nuts around Alice. Will shrugged. Weird, he thought, how that seemed inevitable. Ryan and Amber got along really well, and were really obedient. Will sighed happily. This wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Alice heard a knock st the door, and got up. She walked through her house, and ansewred the door sleepily.

"What ya want?" Alice asked.

"Sir, I mean ma'am" Said the man at the door. A farmer, with jet black hair and blue eyes. "I need your help. I was robbed last night." Alice nodded, grabbed her cloak, swung it on, put on her quiver over her shoulder with her bow, and adjusted her scabbard and sheath around her waist. She yawned. She knew there was nothing she could do to try and boost her energy now.

She was sceptical of this man. She had never seemed an armed farmer. And with advanced weapons too. She got to the site. There was no evidence there had been any burglary here. She raised an eyebrow, looking sceptically at the supposed farmer.

"Whatcha say your name was?" She asked.

"Ashton. Ashton Smith" Replied the farmer. That seemed to be a last minute name, Alice thought. Not many people had 'Smith' as their last name. She stretched, still a bit sleepy, and swung out of Annabelle's saddle to inspect the scene.

"Ashton, this doesn't seem to look like a crime scene at all" Alice said, turning to face Ashton. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I-I don't know I wasn't here" Ashton said hurriedly. Alice looked sceptically once more at the man. She went to look at the door, for any signs of a broken entry, a trail, something she could follow to discard her conspiracy. But there was nothing. This house, in the middle of nowhere, no where near a town or city, was supposedly robbed last night. This supposed farmer didn't have stock, let alone crops, and had advanced weapons that he looked like he knew how to use. (It was at that moment she knew, she fucked up. *hides laughter*) It was then, she realised, this was a trap. She whipped around a second too late. A dagger dug into her, and she fell, blacking out.