Van stood ready in front of Hitomi waiting for the attackers.  Reflexes ready; hand on hilt of sword; eyes opened wide to catch even the slightest movement from the bushes.  His ears perked, he heard soft footsteps coming closer.  Hitomi grabbed the back of his shirt in fear as she stare wide eye at the origination of the sound.  Whatever it was, it was coming closer.  Suddenly…

            Allen appeared from behind the bushes and the trees.

            "Hi guys!  What are you doing out here?  Um…Van, did you want to fight?" (Van – *sweat drop*, Hitomi – *sweat drop*)

Both Van and Hitomi let out an anime style sigh with the little white mushroom shape coming from their mouth.

"No Allen, I thought an attacker was coming this way." 

"Anyways, I've received notice that Asturia's main forces will reach here in 5 days, but the Dragon Slayers will reach the castle in three days.  We need to call a council of war and start up Escaflowne again."  Allen glanced at Hitomi once again before he turned around and left the way he came. 

"Time to go back Van."

"Yeah."  Van put his arm around Hitomi as he led her back to the castle.

Hitomi sat pacing the ground in one of the large common rooms in the castle.  Merle sat nearby embroidering a very complicated picture of a dragon with a boy that had jet black hair riding on it's back with an impish grin.

"Hitomi, stop pacing or else you'll carve a groove in the floor."

"I can't help it, they've been in there all day, the sun's already setting.  I feel like I should be in there with them, trying to help where I can."

"Tell me Hitomi, are you good at tactical planning?  Let them do their job.  We'll help where we can."  Merle said calmly between stitches."

"You really have grown."

"Well, to confess there are times when I wish I could just get on all four and run through a field."

"When was the last time you did that?"

"Last week."

"…"

"There, I'm done.  Kireko!  I finished the embroidery!  Do you want to see Ojisan Van's present?"  Kireko came bounding into the room and settling into her mother's lap and stared at the dragon before her.

"Wow!"  Kireko carefully fingered the intricate scales of the dragon and the boy.

"I must say Merle, that's wonderful work.  You have learned patience."

Merle gave a small giggle.  "Like I said Hitomi, motherhood does that to one."

There was a small knock at the door and Natsuki entered the room.

"Otousan!!"  Kireko ran and jumped into her father's waiting arms.

"The meeting is done.  It's time for dinner.  Will you need any help Merle?"

"No dear, I'm fine."  Hitomi then noticed as Merle was getting up at the small bulge in her stomach.

"Merle, I don't mean to be blunt, but are you pregnant?"

Merle gave a radiant smile.  "Glad to see you finally noticed.  The baby isn't due for some time."

Dinner passed without incident though Hitomi did notice Allen looking at her a lot during the dinner.  Van noticed the same thing, but it didn't matter since he held Hitomi's hand for the majority of the dinner feeling secure knowing she was safe by his side.  After dinner, Van and Allen went outside on the wall.  They started dueling and talking to relieve some stress.

"Allen, do you still care about Hitomi?"

"I don't know Van, she just appeared again.  I haven't had a woman in my life for so long since Celena came back.  I've been busy helping her readjust back to her old life that I just forgot about women.  And now that she's married, I guess my eye just started wondering again."

"Oh."

"Hey Van, I'll tell you the secret to women."

"What is it?"  Van was eager to hear anything since he didn't have a father to go to to ask questions about the heart.

"Just smile and nod."

"WHAT?!"

"Just smile and nod.  Really, that's all you have to know when dealing with women."  Allen gave a big grin and lunged at Van.  Van almost didn't parry in time from shock.  Hitomi went to watch the men duel and noticed that Van's skill had greatly increased.  The fought for some time till Hitomi noticed that Van was fighting with a sharper edge than Allen when suddenly Van knocked the sword from Allen's hands and it fell near Hitomi's feet.

"You've improved Van.  Good match.  I think I'll go to sleep now.  Goodnight minna!"  Allen walked off leaving Van and Hitomi alone together.

"Van, you better go to sleep.  You have to wake up Escaflowne tomorrow and start the march to keep the fighting away from the towns."

"How did you know?"

"I heard the generals talking about the plan."

"Right, I should get to bed.  Come, I'll walk you to your room."

Hitomi woke up the next morning and went to see Escaflowne woken up and she saw the soldiers and Van leave in Escaflowne and Allen leave in the Crusade.  It would take a day for the soldiers to reach the Dragon Slayers.  Asturia's forces would meet up in half a day at the battleground.  Hitomi found the castle to be deadly quiet with so many people gone and she spent the day with Kireko and Merle trying to keep their minds from wandering to the upcoming battle.  Natsuki stayed behind to run defense for the castle is any Dragon Slayers decided to attack there.

Hitomi sat by her window, staring out at the Mystic Moon as she fell asleep.

Van was leading in Escaflowne, it was dark all around him as his thoughts wondered back to Hitomi.  Is the castle safe from attack?  Is Hitomi safe?  Van shook his head to concentrate at the task at hand.  It would do him no good if he went home dead.  Suddenly men around him screamed in excruciating pain and Van heard the familiar, terrible sound of metal being ripped apart.  Van turned around and saw his men lying in a pool of blood, then saw the glimmer if an invisible guymeleft. Suddenly Van saw the silver glint of a liquid metal sword coming to impale him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"

:-) Hi everyone.  Thought I'd leave another cliff hanger here for you guys.  Hope you like this chapter, I put it up sooner than I thought.  I'll start working on the next one tomorrow so expect it up soon too.  Or else you can e-mail me and yell at me for my slothfulness. ; )