Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.

Author's Note: Well, here I go again...getting distracted from studying. Someone should whack me every time I get sidetracked. But if that happens, I'll probably end up in hospital because I just get distracted so often. Oh well...

lazy cat

Okie dokie. Longer chapters it is. Updates will be slower due to exams, but they should pick up again in 2 weeks time, hopefully, perhaps even earlier, depending on how often I get sidetracked.

ruby-dream

Thanks for reviewing. Writing this fic is so much more interesting than studying. It's even more fun reading the reviews.

NightElfCrawler
Shrug...I reckon if Aion can do that kind of stuff, Chrno should be able to do some as well. Elder accumulates heaps of junk in the workshop, but it's mostly stuff that's broken. That's why Chrno can't rely on them as power sources. I just wanted to show that things of power could be used by any demon, eg the demon in Episode 2 using Spirit as a power source after he lost his horns.

Izz

Ooohhh!! Most interesting. Nice to meet you by the way. Thanks for reviewing. Methinks I shall borrow this suggestion.

Alpha Draconis 1
My newest reviewer! Hurrah! Thank you!

Chapter 10: Trust

Chrno:

Indeed. What do we do now?

I didn't have the foggiest idea. All I had been concerned about was getting away from that place. Beyond that...well, I hadn't actually planned that far ahead yet.

"It's getting dark," I began slowly, "so maybe we should find somewhere to stay for tonight. There's really nothing more that we can do until tomorrow morning."

We wandered around for a while, avoiding contact with other people. It would be best if we were seen by as little people as possible. After all, people would be suspicious seeing two children wandering around by themselves in Central Park after dark.

"Hey! I think I see something!" Rosette pointed in the direction of a hazy silhouetted blob in the distance. We were in a really secluded area and it was dark. If there had been no moon, we would not have been able to see the shelter. We trudged over and peered in cautiously. Luckily there was nobody.

Sighing with relief, we went in. It wasn't much, but at least it would shield us from the cold and prying eyes. "This will have to do for now until we can find something more permanent." I said apologetically to Rosette.

Rosette nodded. "It's ok. Everything will be alright, so long as Chrno is with me."

My heart clenched at that. She had such faith in me. Why?

We both settled onto a bench, drawing close to each other for warmth. I cradled Rosette to my side as she drifted off. My thoughts wandered back to Rosette, and the trusting way in which she had said 'Everything will be alright, so long as Chrno is with me.'

Rosette had never been afraid of me. Although she had been startled the first time she saw me and when I first reverted to my true form, there had never been any actual fear. Just like Magdalena. Unlike Magdalena though, this girl was so vibrant and full of life. But for how long?

I was the demon who would most probably bring about her death. What had been accomplished from our contract? Joshua had still been taken away, and the only way I could protect her was by taking from her soul...her life.

What would become of us? Our major long-term plan had always been finding Joshua. But, though I hated to admit it, there was very little we could do at the moment. Rosette was still young and untrained in combat. And with my powers restricted...there was not much that we could accomplish.

Would it have been better if I had let Remington dispose of me?

Except for this girl, there was not really much for me to live for. And by taking her from the safety of the Magdala Order, I was making her endure hardship which could easily have been avoided.

My thoughts were interrupted as Rosette snuggled up closer. She seemed so peaceful, I wonder what kind of dreams she has. I never really slept much, especially not after my fifty year hibernation. When I did sleep, nightmares tormented me. Horrible visions of the results of my guilt, my sin. My imperfection that had led me to make decisions which seemed rash and unreasonable in retrospect.

Sighing, I continued my train of thought from where I had left off. The truth was that I was being selfish. I would rather take her with me than leave her among strangers. Strangers who would still have been able to offer her better care and training. She would stand a better chance of finding Joshua with them, I knew. Yet even so, I didn't want to let go of her. She was important to me.

I wanted to protect this girl. I wanted to watch her grow into the strong woman that I knew she would become. I wanted to always be there for her.

Lost in my thoughts, I began to drift off.

Soft footsteps brought me snapping back to alert wakefulness. I tensed. I could sense another demon nearby.

I shook Rosette awake.

"Wha..!!"

I put a hand over her mouth, to silence her. When she frowned and nodded, I removed my hand, motioning for her to stay low to the ground and follow me. As we crept out, we spotted it.

A demon without rank or name, by the look of it, only slightly more advanced than a Legion. They had no purpose, only following instinct, which was usually to kill or cause as much mayhem as possible. Taking care of primitive demons like that should have been as easy as swatting a bug...if I were in my true form. But now...

I did have that one jewel, but it was unstable and unpredictable. Using it once had already corrupted it, because of the flaw which was originally there to begin with. With the jewel, I might be able to access some of my powers in this form, but I didn't know if I could channel enough energy from it for a transformation. And I didn't want to open the seal...

I suddenly remembered the gun. I took it out and quickly examined it. Six bullets. Should be a piece of cake. Right?

The demon turned and stared right at us.

'Right...piece of cake...'

Remington:

Please let Rosette be alright.

I had been too impulsive and careless. Now the demon had run off with her, and our only clue was a strange device from the Elder.

When Rosette had been taken, I had immediately gone to check on the Elder. I had found him cleaning up his workshop, grumbling about Chrno.

When I told him about Chrno and Rosette, he had shaken his head. "You were pushing too hard, Remington. Of all people, you should have known to proceed with more caution in such...delicate matters."

I had known. But it had been so like that time with Magdalena...

And history usually had a funny way of repeating itself...

I had not told Sister Kate about any of this yet. This was my fault, my responsibility. I wanted to handle this as quietly as possible, but even so, I needed Elder's help. Hopefully, we would be able to find Rosette and Chrno before morning, before anyone realizes that they had disappeared from the Abbey. If anyone asked, then we could just say that they had been in the Elder's workshop all night, chaperoned by me and the Elder.

Elder had rummaged around before coming up with some odd device. "Now," he had said, twiddling with the contraption, "I had woken up to find my assistant gone, along with some bits and pieces from my workshop. If he has also taken what I think he probably has, then finding them will be a very simple matter."

He had laughed with delight when the boxy machine went haywire. "Yes! We have a reading!"

Which was what had led us to Central Park in the middle of the night.

"What are you getting a reading from, anyway?" I asked the Elder curiously as we got out of the car.

"Chrno took one of my experiments with him. It's a small device which gives out a very specific signal to this contraption here." Elder hefted the boxy machine when he said this. "I'm hoping one day to use it to create a portable telephone for the field teams."

Bang!

We both whipped around to the direction of the blast. A roar of rage was followed by several more gunshots.

"I think we've found them..."

Rosette:

Crap!

What do we do now?

Chrno had aimed for the demon's horn. He'd missed and now we had an angry...scratch that...pissed off demon on our tails.

Chrno turned sharply, gun cocked and ready to fire at the demon chasing us...only to find that the demon had vanished.

I slowed down and glanced over my shoulder, freezing for a second before screaming. "Chrno! Watch out!"

Bang!

The demon had blindsided him, but Chrno had still managed to fire off one shot. The gun flew out of his grasp. Something else also flew away. A sharp, twisted horn.

The demon was roaring in fury and agony. Chrno was on the ground. I ran forward and shook him. "Chrno!"

He groaned. "Rosette...run..."

I shook my head and dragged him closer. Frantically, I looked around for something...anything that we could use to defend ourselves. Spotting the gun nearby, I grabbed it desperately.

It was heavy. I shivered and shook as I trained the gun onto the demon. I'd never done anything like this before. Physically standing up to bullies was one thing. Actually trying to kill something was a totally different matter. But if I didn't do it, then we would be doomed. This should be simple, I had watched others doing stuff like this. You just point and shoot...right?

Closing my eyes, I pulled the trigger.

Bang!

I opened my eyes and gulped. I hadn't missed, but I hadn't dealt a lot of damage either. And the demon once again had its attention on us.

I pulled the trigger again.

Click.

Empty.

Crap!

The demon advanced towards us, sensing that we were helpless. I tried to shield Chrno as best I could. I noticed the jewel at his wrist glowing slightly and his cuts beginning to fade. He was attempting to heal himself. But the glow flickered and died before he could complete the process. It had run out of power.

Then something clubbed me and the world went black.

Remington:

We arrived just in time to see Rosette being batted aside by a demon's tail. Chrno was in pretty bad shape too.

Charging forward, I activated my sword and impaled the demon. It roared before disintegrating in a cloud of black smoke.

Chrno noticed our presence soon after. He backed away towards Rosette, not taking his eyes off us. I advanced slowly, pausing when he quickly swiped at the ground, picking up something sharp, while still warily eyeing my sword.

Intriguing. From what I had seen of his powers, he was supposed to be an extremely powerful demon. He could have transformed and destroyed the other demon with the simplest of ease. Yet he had not. Why? Was he truly worried about Rosette? Was she really more than just a source of power?

I could finish it here and now. But that would not help me in gaining Rosette's trust, nor the demon's cooperation. I deactivated my sword, noticing Chrno's surprise.

"Come." I reached out my hand. "Let's go back to the Abbey for now."

Déjà vu. Almost the same situation as when I had first found the two of them. Except that this time, I was offering the invitation to Chrno. He stared at me mistrustingly.

"I swear that I will not try to separate you from Rosette or kill you." I promised, putting the crucifix away to emphasise this. I gave him a comforting smile that had been perfected over many decades. It was such an easy and well-practiced mask to slip on, and it was effective for most people. Too bad it didn't seem to work on this demon. "Besides, neither of you are in any condition to go anywhere else."

Rosette probably had concussion or something. Chrno was covered in cuts and looking slightly groggy. Even then, he was still half slumped protectively over Rosette.

"I know that you have no reason to trust me at the moment, and for that I am sorry. I owe you two an apology for the way I acted. I was too impulsive." I spoke carefully, gauging his response.

Chrno's looked surprised, though still wary. Encouraged, I continued. "I will explain myself to you, but this is neither the time or place to do so. Let's go back to the Abbey now. Any decisions that need to be made can be done after the both of you are rested and recovered."

He stared at me, weighing out his options. Relief flooded through me as he finally nodded. He still looked suspicious, but at least he had agreed.

I reached over to pick up Rosette, but stopped immediately when he glared at me again, fangs slightly bared. He raised his hand warningly, still clutching the sharp object. It looked like...a horn?

"I'm only taking her to the car. I won't do anything else." I spoke soothingly, trying to pacify him. One wrong move, and he might do something unpredictable. "I can take care of her better than you can, at the moment."

His expression did not change, but he lowered his weapon and backed away very slightly. I slowly picked her up, before straightening up, careful not to make any sudden movements. I could hear the Elder breathing a sigh of relief. He had not spoken during the whole exchange. Neither had Chrno, for that matter.

Chrno's silence throughout the whole one-sided conversation was unnerving, but he hadn't needed any words to convey his feelings. He didn't trust me for a minute. This was tricky. Dealing with him was like walking through a room of starving wolves with steaks tied around me. Every step must be taken slowly and carefully.

I looked over to see him helping Chrno to his feet. Chrno's gaze remained locked on me, warning me.

I fought back the urge to shiver.

Turning, we headed towards the car, stopping briefly when the Elder picked up the gun which Rosette had dropped.
TBC

Must study...but too boring...NOOO!!! Oh well. Another chapter done. Chrno lost his rank when he became a Sinner, but what was that rank? It must have been pretty high, since he was so powerful.

Can someone suggest a rank for him? I can't think of one. He's definitely not supposed to be as powerful as Duke Dufoe (everyone spells this name different, there's at least 3 different ways I've seen so far, so I'm spelling it the way Chronogen did), but he's more powerful than Viscount Relaie.

Dammit! I hate this stupid ranks, I have no idea what's better than what. Curses. Oh well. I was going to write more, but I'll just put it in a new chapter. It looks very annoying writing so many character perspectives in the same chapter. You constantly have to switch viewpoints and it can get confusing.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed that. Review at your leisure. Must get back to studying...crap!