Pixie: *sits on therapist chair, crying loudly* It-it-it's just that, that......SHE'S WARPING MY MIND!!!!!!!!!

foreva-urs: I see

Bianca: Hmmm that Ami must really hav some issues.....

Pia: *sighs* She really IS mentally retarded....

foreva-urs: I believe the correct term would be 'special'

Pia: *snickers* I'm sorry Pix' you are 'special'

Pixie: WAAAAA!!!!!! U guys really suck you know?!?!

foreva-urs: No, hon, that's your job.

Pia: You know what I reckon?

foreva-urs and Pixie: What?

Pia: That Pixie *glarz at her* should remain with her crazed maniacs (Vern, Dusk, and Ami), and leave us *motions towards foreva-urs, Bianca, Letinne, and Donari* alone.

Donari: Took you long enough to figure THAT out.

Letinne and Bianca: Mmmmhmmm

Pia: Shut up.

Pixie: *Runs back to ami, crying even louder than before*

Donari: Could someone shut that annoying little THING up!!!

foreva-urs: *sighs* Where's my masking tape?

STEALING MY HEART

Ch.6

Tiamo's P.O.V

I stood in the shower, letting the boiling hot water fall soothingly down my back, and soak my hair.

This must have been my, what was it now? Gawd, like the twentieth shower this hour. I just felt so dirty. The way Michael looked at me, as I was....... I felt my body shudder without permission.......as if I was, easy.

And Kai. I couldn't get his lingering smell of my skin. My indigo eyes darted towards the shampoo bottle.

The soap had already run out.

'Oh well, it's worth a try...' I murmured, while bending over to pick it up. With one squeeze, I managed to coax all of the substance out of its container, and onto myself. Now this bathroom had been courteous enough to have the full-length mirror right in front of the shower, and I had a full view of myself.

The shampoo had foamed up so much I looked like a big snowman. Even the thought of it, seemed to lighten my mood; Snowmen didn't have to worry about anything! They were so lucky. I reached to scoop some of the pretty bubbles into my hand, and blew them softly away.

Bubbles were carefree too.

My mind then regained its usual sane composure, and I scolded myself for envying a personal hygiene product. I turned the water off, once again; and walked over to get my wet towel, and use it in vain hope that it may dry me.

After a lot of patience, and using toilet paper for a purpose not intended for it, I was no longer a drenched ball of misery.

I was a dry one.

Enrique had been kind enough to give me full use of his late sister's wardrobe, and since she was rich, I wasn't really lacking in that department.

But I had at least three hours before I needed to worry about that. Without caring, I chucked on some simple underwear, turned the TV on to MTV, and jumped onto the plush bed that I had been given.

Ah, the luxuries of life.

Before long, I had fallen asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai scowled at the child running ahead of him excitedly. 'Is that Tiamo's room? Is it Kai? Is it?' Riko jumped around him breathlessly, anticipating the time when he could finally be reunited with his sister.

'From what I've heard.'

Riko grinned, and burst through the doors. 'Tiamo!' he cried, rushing over to her, not bothering to notice her lack of clothing. His chubby little hands poked her arm continuously, trying to wake her up.

Finally, he succeeded.

'Riko?' Tiamo asked, her mind still half in dream land, in pure bliss. To her dismay, reality came crashing down with a deafening thud. Her spirits took flight once again, however, when she realised that it was her little brother on top of her.

She couldn't help but smile when he wrapped his small arms around her swan- like neck, and yelled, 'Never, ever, ever, leave me again!!'

She covered him in kisses. 'I'll try not to.'

Over in the corner of the room, Kai watched her with keen interest. Her body was heavenly, perfect in every way. But he felt like he had seen it uncovered before.... Then he noticed her crystalline eyes staring at him in half-amusement and half-mortification. He blushed, and exited.

Tiamo turned to her brother, and spoke to him softly, while he lay in her arms, playing with her long red and blue hair. 'How did you get here?' she asked, staring into his sea-green eyes.

'That Kai guy helped me. He also fixed my hair.'

Tiamo raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. Her slender hands combed themselves through the boys silky blue locks, 'So he did.'

Riko nodded enthusiastically. 'Now it feels almost as nice as yours!' She grinned, and placed her brother on her hip, 'I never said it was that good, sweetie.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Johnny dumped his bags at the entrance; not daring to be seen doing something for himself. Impatiently, he demanded that Mike come get them while he waited for Enrique.

No, he was not going to go looking for his sort-of-friend. He would not reduce himself to that. He would wait for him.

10 minutes passed. Michael took the bags inside.

20 minutes. He pretended to be interested in the bricks...

Half an Hour. By now he was too damn sick of waiting.

'Stuff that.' He muttered, and stormed inside. Johnny was determined to give Enrique a piece of his mind.

He found the rich boy chatting with Oliver ('Gay freak' he spat under his breath).

'Enrique!' He demanded, silently fuming.

Enrique looked up, as if only just noticing there was someone else occupying his house. 'Oh, hey Johnny, we were just discussing a battle we are thinking of holding. Michael suggested that we go up against the Bladebreakers, to see if they are worthy of our company or not.'

If only Johnny had had Tiamo's experience with Michael, he would have realised the look of sinister triumph lurking in the depths of his piercing ebony eyes.

Michael had succeeded in his plan to eliminate the Bladebreakers. For they would no doubt accept their challenge, and would also no doubt lose. When the did lose, they would have to leave the mansion. Mission complete.

Without even turning to look, he knew that Tiamo had entered the room. He was always aware of where she was, how she was, and who she was with. This had its downfalls, of course, such as knowing she was sleeping with someone else. Michael closed his eyes, trying to wish the thought away. No such thing happened.

He would kill the Bladebreaker that dared to touch HIS Tiamo.

It was ridiculous, seeing as the girl despised him with every fiber in her sweet body. But he did refer to her as HIS property.

Next to Enrique, Johnny smirked. So this was the girl....

'Enrique?' she asked cautiously, not wanting to interrupt anything.

'Yes?'

'Are we going to Rome soon? Not to hurry you or anything, but it is past lunchtime, and I'm awfully hungry.'

Immediately, he rose from his chair. 'Sure. We'll go now.'

'Oh, are you sure?'

'Of course.'

She sent Michael a knowing look, that told him this was his chance to search for the money.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riko's P.O.V

I hid under the bed, just as Tiamo had told me to. From here I could just see the out the window, to check whether that rich boy had left yet. Kai had come in a couple of times, looking for me, and I wanted to go to him, but Tiamo had said not to, so I didn't.

When I was positively sure the house was empty (except the mean Michael guy, my sister had been clear to point out he wasn't going to leave), I crept out.

I had to escape.

That is what Tiamo told me to do.

But I just couldn't leave her here all alone! She had to find all the money, or meanie Michael would hurt her. But I couldn't NOT do what she said, either.

I sat cross legged on the red carpet, thinking. My blue-green eyes traveled swiftly around the room, but finally resting on a pretty vase.

It reminded me a bit of my sister. She LOOKED like she could withstand anything and was as valuable to me as that vase was to a collector, but in reality, something as little as a mini push could break her. She had cried so much when mommy died....

I pushed those thoughts away angrily and stood up. Perhaps that vase could help us? Mister rich kid sure didn't take notice of it, so he probably wouldn't care if I took it.

As a goodbye gift for me! Yeah, that's it!

I pulled a footstool over to the table it was situated on, and lifted my arms out to get it.

'What are you doing?'

I got so startled I knocked the vase over. I was furious. How dare that person interrupt me!? 'YOU STUPID!!!' I yelled at them, 'I NEEDED THAT!!!!'

Shiro shrunk back into the shadows. 'I....I'm sorry Riko. Really truly I am...'

My eyes widened to an unimaginable size. 'Shiro? What are you doing here?!'

'Looking for Tiamo.' He whispered, his identical eyes glistening with unshed tears. I went over to comfort him. 'It doesn't matter. That vase was useless anyway,' I lied, ' But Tiamo's gone.'

'Gone?' he squeaked, clutching onto my arm tightly.

'Only for a bit. She'll be back soon.'

Shiro sighed with relief, and started picking up the broken pieces of porcelain. 'What did you want the vase for anyway?'

'Tiamo. To help her get money.'

'Oh.'

I suddenly decided that our big sister was right. She didn't need our help stealing, she needed us to be safe. And the only way we could be safe, is if we runaway.

I grabbed Shiro's hand. 'C'mon, we're leaving.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tiamo was squished between Kai and Enrique, as the small car wove its way through the many streets. Every so often, one of their hands would brush against a part of her, making her skin tingle with unwanted delight. Her pale indigo eyes were staring ahead, not daring to look at any of the boys beside her, in fear that she may lose her cool composure.

'Breath in...... and out...........' she thought to herself, while slowly willing herself to calm down. After all, nothing would happen if she didn't let it.

On the opposite seat, Rai watched with amusement. Kai's fists were scrunched up tightly into two white balls of frustration, while he glared out the window; Enrique was fidgeting nervously with anything it came into contact with (and he made sure that was never the girl next to him); While Tiamo stared pointedly ahead ignoring anyone, and everything.

This girl sure was stirring up trouble, he mused to himself, and was suddenly thankful he hadn't decided to involve himself in this fight for her affections. It would certainly be a tough competition.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael searched madly through 'Master Enrique's' chamber. Tossing everything onto the ground in vain hope of finding a stash of $100 notes. Yeah, he thought to himself, I wish.

He was beginning to lose the traces of his sanity. That was a fact he was beginning to realise. All the time, all he thought of was money. It was becoming an obsession.

In desperation, he had turned to Tiamo, hoping she would relieve his pain, but she too had turned her back on him.

Voltaire had rung him this morning, wanting the money in advance. Michael had panicked and hung up on him.

Big mistake.

He was sending his henchmen to get him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tiamo's P.O.V

The afternoon had been great, and I had managed to hold off returning for hours. It was night now, and Enrique and I had just stepped out of Oliver's restaurant for a breath of air.

I felt Enrique's warm, comforting arm wrap around my shoulders. We were silent for awhile.

'I really like you.' He admitted after awhile, staring up into the starry night sky, and our fingers began to intertwine. I stared at his perfectly peaceful face for what seemed like hours. My chest began to feel heavy as I pulled away.

'I like you too much to be with you.' I heard my voice whisper sadly into his ear, and I got up off the steps of the restaurant, and started to go back inside, leaving him to dwell in his silent abyss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enrique's P.O.V

I just don't understand her. She's afraid to touch me, to even look at me, and when she does, I can see it tears her up inside. Her unusually open eyes told me she wants me.but doesn't want to hurt me.

Hasn't she realised she's already doing that?

With one last gulp of the crisp night air, I went after her.

'Tiamo.' I called after her desperately, reaching out to hold her arm.

She didn't flinch. But instead turned to face me. 'What?' She asked in an exasperated tone.

'Nothing would hurt me more than you rejecting me.'

'I'm not rejecting you. it..it's just difficult ok? I'm not like other girls.'

'That's why I like you.'

She looked downcast, 'You don't understand.'

'Make me.'

'I can't.'

'Why not?'

'I can't tell you. See? If we were together, it would always be like this. I could never share anything with you.'

'I won't judge you. We could learn to trust each other. It won't be an overnight thing, but we WOULD get there.'

I saw a flicker of hope in her eyes. 'I guess.' her soft lips pressed against mine, 'I guess we could give it a chance.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

foreva-urs: Well that's about as long as ami's last chapter! *sigh of relief*

Pixie: *Tied up to a chair, and struggling madly to get free* YOU'LL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS HER!!!!!

Letinne: I thought we gagged her..

foreva-urs: *starts filing nails* Oh really, Pixie? Donari, hon, you there?

Donari: Yeah

foreva-urs: Be a dear and get your axe.