Sung to the tune of Dido's 'My Lover's Gone'

My fanfic's gone

It is no longer there online

Can anyone

Tell me where to go

To scream out loud

Instead of killing random

People outside

Unless with tranq gun they'll never

Get me calm again

I've lost years again

Woot.  Anyway.  If anyone wants a RELIABLE site on which to read this fic, I'll start uploading it on my yahoo group Rose With Thorns, or on Usuyami no Sekai: Lost in the World of Darkness site, cuz I'm really sick of what happens on   I understand they have a lot of different categories with people uploading everyday around the clock, but this is just crazy.

Chapter 7: Who Knows Where the Time Goes

By Sandy Denny (because I realized up until now I've never given credit where credit is due)

Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving
But how can they know it's time for them to go?
Before the winter fire, I will still be dreaming
I have no thought of time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?
Sad, deserted shore, your fickle friends are leaving
Ah, but then you know it's time for them to go
But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving
I do not count the time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?
And I am not alone while my love is near me
I know it will be so until it's time to go
So come the storms of winter and then the birds in spring again
I have no fear of time
For who knows how my love grows?
And who knows where the time goes?

Robin had been awake for only a moment before there was a gasp from the other side of the bed, and she rolled over to see Amon sitting up.  She touched his forearm, and he turned towards her.

"Was it a dream?"

He nodded, and she sat up.  "Can you tell me what was in it?" she asked gently.  He shook his head and Robin could only close her eyes and steady her self.  It probably involved their discovery.

Suddenly a warm, strong arm found its way around her and she found herself in a very similar situation to the night before.  "Happy Birthday," he said before kissing her.

She certainly liked waking up like this.  After a brief moment, he pulled away.  Inching out of the bed, crawling backwards, there was something about the way he moved…

The instant memory of her muttering her lessons in Italian came to her mind.  To fornicate was to sin…

She rolled over and stumbled out of the bed sheets.  The bathroom door was shut and she could hear the sound of a shower.  Really, she didn't need one, so Robin shucked her clothing in a pile on the floor and pulled on some sweatpants and a shirt.  While working one foot into the sweatpants, Robin stubbed her toe on the cardboard box on the floor.

His present!

Scrambling for the bag in the corner she fumbled to wrap the box as quickly as possible and placed the bow on top.  She'd give him the other present later.

The shower was turned off and Amon reentered, in clothing similar to hers.  From the looks of it they'd be spending the day in.  He leaned against the door.

Robin smiled up at him.  "Sorry.  Last minute wrapping."

He nodded, and she stood up, brushing her knees off, and she followed him down to the kitchen downstairs.

He made them breakfast.  Toast and bacon, since he couldn't really make anything else.  She didn't seem to mind.

Even with his back turned, he knew she was staring at him, and she probably had her head cocked to the side, one hand cupping her face and the other one lazily stirring the tea. 

He hadn't quite expected to spend Christmas morning waking up from a dream in which she and him were in bed together, and then realize that they really were in bed together.

"Merry Christmas, Amon," came a soft voice, and he turned from putting his dish in the sink.  Her pale face was lit up with a small smile.  Robin raised her mug for a moment before bringing it to her lips, in a small mock toast.  Amon walked over and sat down with her.

The snow outside was a bit lighter today, not that it mattered, since he wasn't going to go to town.  If he just kept them safe until midnight…

"You're not angry, are you?"  The timid voice shook him from his deep thought.

"What?"

Robin played with a chip on the side of the mug, biting her lip for a moment.  "For kissing you…the other night."

What was he supposed to say to that?

The look he gave her from the other side of the table was positively devilish, covered only by a few strands of hair.  He had taken to wearing it back, since the other day.  "I just wish I hadn't been so drunk, really."

Damn the blood that now made its way to her cheeks.  She fumbled with the pendant and looked up at him. Robin had always imagined, well, rather, dreamed of kissing him, but the afterwards?

That was the strange part.

"Juliano always liked you," she said quietly.  "He just called you a different name, but I know he liked you."

"Me?" he let out something that sounded a bit like a snort.  "I highly doubt that Robin.  After," he trailed off.  "I wasn't the happiest of souls.  And you can probably testify I'm not exactly the-"

"He said you had a lot of power."  She had cut him off, and she still wasn't looking at him directly.  How could she?

"What are you getting at, Robin?"

The tears came without her consent, wet and warm as they slid down her cheeks.  "That's the reason I was sent to STN-J in the first place."  She stumbled onward before he could say anything.  "They wanted to know what type of threat you would render to Salomon if they simply let you continue on."

It took him only a moment to process the information.

"Is that the reason they tested me?" his voice was suddenly serious, the tone in which he was speaking just moments ago of their kiss in gone.

"What?"

"Your apartment.  When I shot…"

She shook her head furiously, a new wave of tears seeking exit from her eyes.  "I knew you were-that you'd-but it wasn't me."  Finally, she bravely looked up at him.  "I couldn't," her voice cracked.

It was the truth.  Even when she had her suspicions that it was he who assisted in the attack, something in her heart would simply not allow her to say those words, to type them on the screen.  She'd cared for him too much.

He didn't say anything for a moment.  Robin felt fear cause her stomach to drop.   She wasn't afraid of him; just simply afraid he'd be upset with her.  With all that had happened within the past few months…

Amon meant the world to her.

"Why couldn't you, Robin?" he asked softly, a guarded look masking whatever he really was thinking.

"You…I couldn't let you disappear." 

He nodded, his face softening as he leaned forward and took her hand in his, tracing the lines of her palm, leaving her skin to feel as if it were on fire where his finger had just been.  He concentrated on the thin 'M' made of crisscrossed wrinkles while he spoke.  "I felt the same…if not more strongly.  I knew I was marked, and I only assumed it was after Zaizen's test.  In the apartment."  He closed his eyes for a moment.  "Doujima was much smarter than I ever gave her credit for, then."

"No," she said quietly, and she felt a mixture of relief and dismay at his actions. "It couldn't have been-"

His grip on her hand tightened as he stood up, and she stood up with him.  "I'm glad you shared that with me, Robin."  It was the end of that conversation, she knew.  He led her though the room with the piano to the living room.  A neatly wrapped package sat on the one, slightly more faded armchair that neither one of them could explain.  She turned to go up the stairs.  "Let me get your present."

He let go of her hand with something akin to reluctance.

Robin had started unwrapping the present, curiosity showing as a thin eyebrow disappeared behind blonde bangs. 
            Amon sat next to her, leaning back against the sofa and watching as the young woman next to him finally got the paper off.  She'd probably not opened many presents before.

"Oh, Amon!" suddenly a pair of arms were flung around his neck.  She sat back up after a moment.  Her eyes were wide with happiness.

He could feel it, and damn it, he couldn't hide it.  There was warmth suddenly in his cheeks.

A coffee maker wasn't something extravagant, but it sure could make Robin Sena happy.

"Thank you so much!  I'm going to go stick it in the kitch-Wait, you have to open my present!"  She placed the box on the floor delicately, and got her present from the chair.  Hastily wrapped, tape askew; it looked as though a young child had wrapped it.  Robin bit her lip when she handed it to him. 

It was heavy.  She was not supposed to be purchasing him something…

But would last night's kiss, or this morning's have ever happened otherwise?

In that case...

"Robin, don't waste-"

"Just open it!" she edged closer, excitement lighting up her face.  He looked down and took the paper off slowly at first, but at her urging, tore it off in one fistful.

It was a laptop.  New, top-of-the-line.  He looked over at her and smiled.

"Do you like it?" she asked tentatively, as if unsure how he'd react. 

He reached a hand up and held her face, reveling for a moment in the novelty of this intimacy.  "I love it…What about yours?"

He was rewarded with a feather-light kiss on the lips.  "I can say the same."

He played with a stray lock of her blonde hair, and Robin's eyes closed as his hand went to the back of her neck, massaging the skin there.  A small moan escaped her lips.  She leaned in closer, and she closed the space between them.

Kissing was, nothing new to him.  He'd kissed a number of women before.  He hadn't much time for dating, but he had kissed before.

But this was kissing Robin.

It was a rush of adrenaline.  A chill up his spine and a feeling of free falling.  And as her lips came back to his, he realized something else.

He knew what she was thinking.

It was the abbey, the two of them sitting on the edge of a bridge.  He was young, and he now realized, stupid, but she had followed him, a little shadow for those few blessed weeks.

They were looking at the necklaces, as they had just been given them.  Hers was older, left by her mother and slightly more ornate.  Robin was biting her lip as she held it to the light.  "How is this going to protect us, when we are in need of saving?"

Amon had not even though before responding.  "Who cares?  We'll work together. Protect each other."

Her little self looked up at him, surveying his face, before nodding.  In the few weeks since she had arrived, the little –then towhead blonde with the big green eyes had seemed wise beyond her years.

He had made a firm vow to find her someday, and to make sure she was safe.

Robin sat back now, those same eyes fluttering as her breath came in small gasps.  Gone was the little girl, and in her place was a dreadfully tempting woman.

Something was in her hand, clutched behind his neck.  The cold medal now hung on the same chain as the aforementioned charm that protected him from other witches.  He looked from the new charm to Robin. 

"It's a Raphael the Archangel medal."

"Robin, I haven't been to church since I was at the abbey, and even then…I've never been religious."

It was her turn to play with a lock of his hair, and he noticed now she had somehow managed to untie it.  "He's the patron saint of guardian angels…I thought it was fitting."

"Thank you."

She smiled.  "It was either that or Saint Benedict, protector against witchcraft, and with recent events as they were…" she laughed.

Amon planted a kiss on the top of her head, and as they settled in to a comfortable silence, he saw her eyes widen for a moment, and suddenly a roaring fire was across the way in the fireplace.  He chuckled.

"You really do light my fire, Robin."

Robin looked up at the man seated next to her, his face a strange sight for her.

He looked at peace.

She moved closer, closing the space between her and his shoulder, and inhaled.  He always smelled wonderful.

            How old was he?  The question seemed to ask itself, without her permission. He was younger than Nagira, she knew, and he had just turned 28.  And Amon was definitely older than her or Michael or Doujima…

            "I'm 25."

            Se jumped and turned her head to look up at him, confused.  He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

            "We we're holding hands.  I couldn't help it.  I apologize."

            "You've got nothing to apologize for."

            He looked at her, incredulous.  "I should have told you how old I was before I-"

            "Before I kissed you?  It doesn't bother me, Amon."

            Amon squinted his eyes.  "Really?"

            Robin bit her lip, and nodded.  They were just too close for her not to close the difference.

            There was a click and a chuckle, and Amon jerked his head back as Nagira started to ask something.

            Robin could already feel her cheeks burning.

            "Is this old news, or should I go alert the masses waiting for this event of epi-"

            "Oh, fuck off, brother," Amon sighed heavily and got up from the couch, leaving Robin high and dry as Nagira seated himself in the chair next to her.  He heard his tread on the stairs.

            Nagira grinned at Robin, who now was making sound similar to that of a beached fish.  He reached over and patted her hand.

            "I was just busting his balls, Robin."  He leaned forward.  "I knew this was going to happen as soon as I left you two alone.  When did he sweep you off your feet?"  Robin stood up and busied herself with a few things in the curio on the other side of the room.  Nagira put up his hands.  "Fine.  Okay.  Well, I'm only here for a little bit.  Tell Amon and you about my most recent encounter with Michael."

            "Michael?" she questioned.  When had this happened?

            "Yeah. He didn't tell you?"

            Robin turned, and he could tell there were wheels turning behind those light-auburn locks.  "If you'll excuse me, Nagira, I have something I really must take care of."

            Nagira wandered towards the kitchen to find something to drink.  He'd rather not be in Amon's room at the moment.

            Amon had finished checking his second Glock and was about to move on to the Berretta that was packed next to it when a flash of fire in front of him caught his attention, and he automatically whipped around.

            "That was inappropriate, Robin."

            She glared at him for a moment, and he was surprised by the novel expression.  "You said you would not talk to me like a child.  And you told me that we must share everything.  You made me promise.  You promised."

            He remembered those vows.  They were long before the English motel; they had been said while they were still in Japan, when he didn't know if he'd make it as the Orbo flowed through his body.  It was then that they found out large amounts of Orbo seemed to work as a catalyst of sorts to awaken powers, and that he surely wouldn't have a problem with a Hunter, should the chance encounter happen.

            "I did."  He couldn't meet her eyes because he knew he had not held up to his end, even given circumstances what they were.

            "Why didn't you tell me?" in a voice so soft.  It hit his ears painfully though.  Amon stood up and crossed his arms.

            "I would have, if I had had time."

            "Time?" one light eyebrow started to rise delicately. 

            "He called me yesterday, and then I went to wake you up and you were gone.  And when you finally came home, we we-"

            "Yes!"  That beautiful flush had come back to her cheeks.  "I understand.  Alright.  I'm sorry."

            He now stood so close she had to lean on the door, and he was planning on getting her back for startling him before.  "I'd never do that to you, you know."

            She nodded.

            "Why are were you so embarrassed when Nagira walked into the room?"

            Robin looked uncomfortable as she searched for an explanation.  "When you grow up in a convent, living a life alongside nuns…Doujima's soaps are the only place that I've seen people in a bed, after-"

            "Sex?"

            She hissed at him, and he laughed.  Robin crossed her arms.  "Amon, stop that.  I'm sorry that I'm not as worldly as Touko was."

            It stung, and the look in her eyes as he forced himself to turn before he said something he didn't mean. Amon sat back down.

            "If you want to hook up that coffee pot you can downstairs.  There should be room on the counter for it."

            There was silence and he supposed she had left.

            Slender arms wound around his shoulders suddenly, and he felt warm breath on his neck.  He turned, and pushing a suitcase off the bed, made room for her.  Her eyes were full of tears as she looked up at him.

            "I don't want to fight with you.  I don't want you made at me.  Not today, Amon.  I don't want that to be my last memory."

            Amon made sure that when he made eye contact with her, it was steady and he hoped conveyed his conviction.  "You are not going to die today.  Or anytime soon, if I have my way about it.  Robin, this is the second time you've cried today.  Are you feeling alright?"

            She wiped at her face, and he helped.  Anything to be close.  To touch her.

            "I'm fine.  I'm making up for lost years of crying."

            "Well stop."

            It caught her off guard and when she looked up he smiled.

            "It's your birthday."  Robin nodded, and after a brief kiss, he finished his excuse.  "And Christmas."

            She smiled.  "Of course."

A.N.  An apology for not getting this out sooner but…Hey, you know how they've been covering that massive flood and they're interviewing all these weirdoes about how all those bridges in South Jersey were collapsed?  Yeah.  Guess where the computer I had this saved on was at the time?  Eak.  Yeah.

I will shoot myself from now on every time I don't make a back-up copy…Luckily, by some stroke of cosmic luck; my house was YARDS away from the edge of the water.  And I have to drive an hour out of my way (well I don't drive, cuz I can't.  However, a lovely little '85 Trans Am bought for a cup of coffee in a 'oh so me' twist may soon be in my driveway for me) to get home.  Which bugged me.  A lot.

            Plus, with school looming in the future - 'taking Princeton's American History course even though I'm a sophomore in H.S. (weirdo thing I got excepted for.  I take it and score really well I don't have to take courses when I start college) and the fact that I'm an acting teacher and I just started to tutor a little girl and I work as a secretary when I get the chance for my father-I'm hoping I can fart out most of this, but since this story is taking on a mind of its own….

            Who knows.

            Aywhoo.  I have a fridge full of mountain dew in my room.  All is fine in the world of me.

BTW: I nearly died when they said the opened the gates farther up north and waited to flood some of us southern towns.  Then nothing happened and they officials were like 'uh…guess it's in the bogs".  Okay, so anyone in NJ who can't figure out why this fall the rate of deaths from West Nile Virus goes up, I just told you why.

Uhho um, Drag Queen/Gay!Inuyasha scares me.  Sorry.  Watching right now.

Whooo Review Time.

Hexes: Gee.  Thank you.  Yeah, the ending was a bit confusing, but I can only point you back to chapter one when Robin was in the tub and had an ever so cliché flashback.  I didn't want to foreshadow to the point where everyone simply knew it was Amon.

Indirockqueen:  Fluff gives me fuzzies.  And vice versa.  'Fabu'…I like it.

Ayoka: Thankya veruh much.

No prob, Yuna.  About confusion at the end, go back to chapter one to the flashback while in the tub.  And thanks about the crying. I just recently had one of those 'steps forward' with a few family members of the male gender after a death in the family, so I guess I was letting me get into my writing, but I'm glad you liked his sob fest.  There MIGHT be one more.  But it won't be for a while.  And I'll keep him in character as much as possible.  I know he wouldn't have cried in the show, but now barriers are gone and it was a private moment, soooo….

Kaidence: :sigh:  I wish I have one too, dear!

Lara1786:  Okay, must rewrite for repost on my Yahoo!group if that's the third review of confusion.  Go to chappy one.  Read flashback.  Now read this chapter's flashback.  Say 'Aawww.  Ohhh, okay I get it now!", please.

And the crying really worked well? Thank you, b/c this entire story is basically a bit like practicing for my novel that I'm writing.  Think, Amon, but hotter, and more smart-assy.  Heeeee.  My main character's name was Robin, but I watched the first epy of WHR, screamed, and ran into my room and started to rewrite my story from scratch with 'Insert good name here' for the m.c.'s name.  Gah.