Oh, man, I am soooo sorry for the delay. I didn't mean for this chapter to take this long. Please forgive me, but school is making it REALLY hard for me to find time to write. I'm looking at all the reviews that came in _just_ for Chapter 2. And you all waited so long. I promise, the next Chapter won't take as long. At least I hope it doesn't. Some things are beyond my control. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. ^_~

Since you all waited so long, I'm not even gonna wait for my beta-reader. You are getting this hot off the press (I did check for grammar and spelling, though).

Once again, sorry. I hope this chapter doesn't suck and reaches the same quality of the last two chapters. Thanks for the reviews.

Disclaimer – If you care that much, then read the beginning of Chapter 1! :P

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Early next morning was greeted by the bright orange sunrise.

Raven got up from the couch and yawned from his three-hour sleep. The only thing on his mind was how much longer it was going to be until Fiona was off his hands. He didn't even know why Hiltz asked him to kidnap her. But he didn't care. He just needed an excuse to see if breaking into Van's base was possible. And now that he knew it was, he considered paying them a little visit.

But first things first. He had to go meet someone.

He got up and walked into the bathroom to take a nice hot shower. While hot drops of water washed over his body, his thoughts drifted to last night. How Fiona had to be reminded of her place. How he wanted to show her exactly why she shouldn't talk to him like that, but couldn't bring himself to it. Not like him at all. He wrote it off as not wanting to endanger her because it would interfere with Hiltz's plans. But that still didn't explain his personal feelings. While he should've felt hatred or annoyance, he instead felt hurt as if he didn't want Fiona thinking of him as a monster.

Whatever.

Raven got out of the shower and dried himself off. After he was dressed and ready, he went to check on Fiona.

Shadow was looming over her fallen figure, tilting his head as if something was wrong.

"What is it, Shadow?" asked Raven, walking up to the organoid. Shadow pointed to Fiona's face. Raven looked down and raised an eyebrow.

"She looks a little pale," the warrior observed. Shadow nodded. Fiona's eyes were giving off a small twitch again. She even gave out a small, fearful whimper. Raven chuckled.

"What's the matter, princess? Am I giving you nightmares?"

Raven turned around and headed towards the door.

"You know the drill, Shadow. Keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't leave. Use any means necessary to keep her here," he said, and then decided to add, "Just don't kill her." In case Shadow thought any means really did mean any means. He didn't want to come back to a corpse, after all.

"I won't be long."

He closed the door behind him and left.

*    *    *    *

Fiona opened her eyes only to see an ugly organoid's face right in front of hers.

She screamed in surprise causing Shadow to scream as well. The organoid jumped at least ten feet back. Fiona sat up and saw that she was still in the same place as she was last night. So it wasn't a nightmare after all.

She felt incredibly sick. She wished someone would just come and get her out of this hellhole already. She didn't want to stay with this merciless soul and his dark organoid. Shadow was definitely no Zeke. Just what could he be doing this morning?

Now that she thought of it, Raven didn't exactly leave any leads. How would they find her?

Fear. It was all she was feeling. She was no longer angry. She was no longer sad. Fear was the only emotion she was capable of feeling right now.

Shadow tilted his head and stared at her. She was unmoving except for the steady sounds of her breath. Shadow sensed the terror she was feeling inside. He debated in his head whether he should do anything about it or leave her be.

Fiona tried to stand up, but she was weak in the knees. She just sat back down on the bed and put her hand over her eyes.

"Curse you, Raven," she sobbed softly. Shadow walked up to the girl and looked her in the eyes. Fiona gasped at its monstrous muzzle.

There was a sparkle in Shadow's bright blue eyes, which calmed Fiona down a little. She realized she had to stop treating Shadow like a monster that was going to hurt her. Shadow was really no different from Zeke. He's just following orders and being loyal. The only true monster here, as far as she was concerned, was Raven.

With this in mind, she reached out and touched Shadow. The organoid grew a little tense. He was not expecting to be touched, but he calmed down soon afterwards. There was just something about Fiona's touch that was calming and almost had him gazing off into a dream-like state. Fiona smiled a little, after hearing Shadow purr like a kitten. This did ease some of the tension as she stroked his muzzle softly and delicately.

But it wasn't long before Raven's fierce scowl flashed in her mind. She instantly took her hand back and cradled it in the other. Shadow tilted his head again, confused at the sudden gesture.

Shrugging it off, Shadow sauntered toward the door and curled up in front of it. He was still tired, getting the same amount of sleep Raven had, and really wanted to make it up. As long as he sat right here, Fiona couldn't escape. If she were to try another way of escape, Shadow's lightning-quick reflexes would alert him and he'd be all over her like a bad itch.

Fiona turned her head away from him. The ugly organoid did nothing but make her think of Raven.

She got up from the bed and looked herself over. Man, was she dirty. The desert sand and dirt had been all over her and there was a small scar on her neck from where Raven pressed the knife against her throat the night before. Luckily, it was barely noticeable. She gathered what energy she could muster and walked out of the room to explore the house.

It was a one-story house. Built for a family of two, she figured. Possibly three. The room she was in had two doors, one leading to the den, the other the kitchen. The den had a room that led to two rooms, one leading to a bedroom, the other the bathroom.

She went into the bathroom when she started having a sudden headache. She put her hand onto her forehead in pain. Seeing as there was nothing she could do about it, she did her best to ignore it and disrobed. She might as well take a nice hot shower and make the best of it.

The water dropped down from the showerhead and slid down her body. The dirt and grime from last night found a new home down the drain. While the shower felt good, it did not disperse Fiona's negative thoughts. She knew there was no way out of this. She knew all was lost. Van would never know where she is. Raven was too slick. He was just too slick. They would never find her.

And Moonbay.

If Fiona wasn't thinking about Van, she was thinking about Moonbay. Fiona would keep revisiting these thoughts and how hopeless it all was.

And Raven.

Raven was going to kill her. She knew it.

The way he grabbed her last night and shoved her against the wall, nearly breaking her back. And his words:

"Listen, princess. Don't you ever forget that I could destroy you in an instant. I exist only to kill. If I had it my way, you would've been dead already. So if I were you, I would watch my tongue. Remember that."

He said it himself. He existed only to kill. And it's what he ended up doing unless something worthy held him back.

Killing her would be the ultimate insult to Van. Raven wanted nothing more than to see Van break down into a pathetic state where he couldn't live anymore and snuffing Fiona out would do just that. There was nothing that would stop Raven from doing that. Nothing.

So he was going to. Fiona knew it. And with the sudden pang of trauma from that knowledge made her faint in the shower.

*    *    *    *

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Is that how you're going to greet me now?"

Raven was on top of a desolate hill overlooking a town where he expected to meet Hiltz. Instead Reese and Specula were there, greeting him with a smug smile.

Raven sighed.

"What is it then? Why are you here now?" he asked.

"There's been sudden change in plans," Reese answered.

"A change in plans?"

"Hiltz has hit a bit of a snag and won't be coming for an entire week."

"An entire week?"

"You're going to have to watch the girl until he's ready."

"Watch the girl until he's ready?!" Raven cried out incredulously. He couldn't believe this.

"My, aren't we in an 'echoing' mood today," Reese mocked. Raven growled.

"That is NOT funny, Reese!" he exclaimed, "What the hell am I suppose to do with her for an entire week?"

"Feed her, house her, keep her alive. Think of it as taking care of someone's pet while they're away," Reese joked, followed by a chuckle. Raven grimaced.

"This is not funny. This is not funny. This is not funny!!!" he yelled.

"What's the matter, Raven? Afraid of having actual human contact instead of being around that ugly organoid of yours all the time?" Reese snickered. Raven shoved a finger into her face and opened his mouth as if to say something. But nothing came. He hesitantly pulled back his finger and his hand dropped to his side.

"Just watch over her until Hiltz arrives," said Reese.

"Fine," Raven said with nothing more to say. Reese and Specula turned and walked away. Raven heaved a huge sigh. Now what was he going to? How was he supposed to take care of Fiona?

On the walk back to the cabin, he debated whether or not he should even bother. There was nothing in this for him. He didn't need to endure this. Fiona would never cooperate long enough. He knew she was a smart girl. She helped Van get this far. It would only take a week for her to figure out an escape.

"Well. Then I just won't give her any time to think. She'll just feel," Raven said smugly. As long as she feared him, she wouldn't have any time to think clearly. She'll just fear him and probably cower in a corner all week. Raven could handle that. He smiled at the thought.

He finally made it back to the cabin. He opened up the door and walked in. His eyes grew wide. Fiona was gone and Shadow was nowhere to be seen.

"Shadow?" Raven called out. The black organoid bolted into the room, urgency written all over his face.

"What is it, Shadow? Where is Fiona?" Raven demanded. He walked over to the organoid and looked him square in the eyes.

"You didn't let her escape, did you? 'Cause if you did…"

Shadow snarled and ran into the den. Raven followed and heard the water running in the bathroom. The door was open. An instant blush spread across Raven's face.

"Is she…showering in there?" Raven said quietly. Shadow smacked his forehead in a "no duh!" gesture. But the he returned to his troubled face. Something was wrong, so he gestured Raven to go inside. Raven shook his head.

"No way I'm going there. Besides, she needs her privacy." Raven was surprised at the words coming out of his voice. Normally, he didn't give a damn if he was busting in on people's privacy or not.

Shadow sighed and ran inside himself. Raven heard the faucet turning off and a towel being placed over something. But wouldn't Fiona scream if Shadow walked in on her?

Raven narrowed his eyebrows. Something was wrong.

He decided to walk in after all.

He busted into the bathroom and yelled, "What's going on Shadow?!" very tersely. Shadow jumped then regained his composure. He pointed into the bathtub.

Slowly, Raven's eyes trailed from Shadow's claw to the object he was pointing at. It was no object. It was Fiona.

She was lying naked, under the towel Shadow had kindly placed over her, and lifeless. Raven's eyes grew wide. So did the blush across his face.

"What happened?"

Shadow shrugged.

"Maybe she's sick," he figured, "But…what do I do?"

Shadow just walked out of the bathroom. He did what he had to do.

"Well you're no help!" Raven spat. He turned his head back to Fiona and gulped.

What am I doing? He thought. This is ridiculous. Just pick her up already.

Hesitantly, he put his arms around her and lifted her up. He didn't want to think of anything else but to get her out of here and back on the bed. But his mind did wander to other things. Things a hardened warrior like him shouldn't be thinking about. But as he walked back to Fiona's bed, he did. He couldn't get over the fact that he held a beautiful woman in his arms.

He placed Fiona gently on the bed. He wondered if he should leave her there in that wet towel. He decided he shouldn't and wanted to remove it. His hand grabbed towel and he slowly lifted it up.

A big tail smacked his wrist.

"Ouch!" he yelled, cradling it. He glared at Shadow who had done the damage. "Why'd you do that?!"

Shadow raised one finger and swayed it side-to-side. Raven scoffed.

"Oh please. The towel's wet. She can't lie in it all day."

Shadow insisted he do it and he'd also put a fresh blanket over her as well. Raven said "Fine" and walked towards the windowsill and stared out the window. When Shadow was done, he signaled Raven to come over. Raven muttered under his breath as he walked back over. He folded his arms and looked back down at the young woman. Her cheeks were flushed. He could hear her moaning softly.

"She's sick," Raven said softly. He took off one the glove on his right hand. He placed his bare hand on Fiona's forehead. It was burning as hot as the red sun in her eyes.

"How in the world did she get sick? She looked fine last night."

Maybe she isn't sick. Maybe her body failed her because of shock. He couldn't blame her. He did give her quite the scare and he wasn't sorry at all. She deserved it.

But he had to make sure she stayed healthy so Hiltz wouldn't be mad at him. He didn't know Hiltz's power and he didn't want to test it right now, so he had to make sure Fiona was all right.

Yet, he also wanted to help Fiona simply because he wanted to. He tried denying it, but how can one deny his own feelings?

"I wonder if the old residents had something in that kitchen over there…"

Fiona's eyes opened slowly. She was back in the bed. She wondered if she even got up in the first place. Was she just dreaming it?

She saw Shadow taking a nap on the floor. He was in a corner of the room instead of in front of the entrance this time. She got up and removed the covers and noticed she felt a bit drafty. She looked at herself and instantly threw the covers back on herself. A thin red string grew across her face. She was naked. Guess it wasn't a dream. She remembered taking a shower, then collapsing. Who brought here?

The question was soon answered when a familiar warrior walked into the room with a bowl in his hands.

"You're up," he said. Fiona suddenly felt nauseous. Great, not only was she in this evil man's clutches, she was also feeling ill. Just great.

 Raven knelt down beside her and handed her the bowl.

"Here," he said as gently as he could, "It's miso soup. It should make you feel better."

Fiona looked at the bowl. Who was this boy fooling? She wouldn't eat anything from him even if he held the last food on Zi. She turned her head away.

"Come on, you have to get better!" he said, impatiently.

'Why do you care?' she wanted to yell, but she couldn't. No voice could come from her mouth. She felt weak.

"What, do you want me to feed you or something?" Raven wondered rudely. Fiona just looked down, her eyes almost shut.

Raven gritted his teeth in frustration, but sighed. He reached for the spoon and stirred the soup a little. He took a spoonful and blew on it.

"Here," he said as Fiona looked up. She saw the spoon stopping at her mouth.

Should I? She wasn't sure. She felt something about him. Something she couldn't put her finger on. It didn't make much sense, really.

She opened her mouth as the spoon entered. She swallowed. Raven looked at her with a confused expression.

I don't believe this. Something wasn't quite right. He didn't have to do this. He didn't have to do anything. But he did. And he was beginning to…

No. He quickly banished that thought. He was just doing a duty. That's what he kept telling himself.

He gave Fiona three more spoonfuls. Shadow started stirring and before long he got up. He saw the scene of Raven feeding Fiona. He suddenly had an idea. Raven would have his neck for this, but he decided to risk it.

"Ready for another," Raven asked. Fiona nodded. He took another spoonful of miso soup and blew on it.

"ROOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!!"

Fiona and Raven jumped. The bowl of soup flew up into the air and came crashing down onto Raven's head. Miso soup was dripping down Raven's face. He was soaked. Shadow bellowed in laughter while Raven started steaming. This was so not funny.

"You dumb dinosaur!" Raven raged with the bowl still on his head, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your head off!!!"

But there was more laughter going around. Raven turned and saw the blond Zoidian laughing. Fiona. Laughing. It started out as a small chuckle until it became a frivolous giggle.

Raven's stone cold face began to soften. For the first time, in a long time, he couldn't stay mad. A smile as well as a blush crept across his face. He closed his eyes and folded his arms.

Oh, gods of Zi, he thought to himself, what is happening to me?

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And that's Chapter 3. I decided to lighten up the mood of this story with a little humor. But the overall tone of this story will stay dark. This won't be your average romance story, just to let you know. Next chapter will continue the development of Raven and Fiona's relationship and might let you finally know what's going on with Van and the others (if not chapter 4, then chapter 5).

If you have any comments/question e-mail me and please review!