Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or any of the characters. (Sigh)

A/N: I'm sorry I took a while to update folks! Thanks to Rai for her help which she had to do twice because of my email mucking things up! Thanks for your time kiddo in having to beta-read this again after my account fluffed it up.

Anyhoo let's get on with the show! ;)

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Raising her head, Hitomi could feel the sun on her face. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was in a forest clearing. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary about it. Walking to the middle of it, Hitomi sat down on a log and looked around once more, enjoying the calmness. She listened to the sounds of the forest with her eyes closed and let all her thoughts drift away in the peaceful stillness.

She opened her eyes as the sky clouded over, and it suddenly went very cool. A feeling of foreboding came over her. The birds were quiet and the air was heavy with the deafening silence.

Hitomi became aware of a rustling in the foliage around her. Quickly standing up, she called into the shadows that were growing around her to show themselves. Her only answer was a low, angry snarl. She gave a little cry and stepped back in fear, falling over the log. Hitomi crouched behind it as some sort of protection.

The rustling became louder and more violent. Hitomi cried out for help only to have it drowned out by the growling in the bushes. The noises suddenly stopped, and as she peeked over the log, she could feel the heart beating so violently her body shook. But what she saw coming out in to the clearing nearly made it stop.

A huge black beast came out of the shadows. Hitomi wanted to scream, but her throat closed up as she realised that the 'thing' was not even solid. It was as if black mist had been moulded into the shape of an animal. Her throat recovered, and it took Hitomi a couple of seconds to realise that she was screaming. The creature looked straight at her, its yellow eyes glowing, and as it snarled it revealed very big white teeth.

As it started to advance, her instincts kicked in and she ran as fast as she could into the black forest. Running blindly, she had no idea where she was going or where there was any help. She ran forever through the darkness, slipping and sliding on damp logs and roots. Her heart was beating so fast it felt it was going to come out of her chest, and her legs were burning and aching. Slowing down a little, she tried to catch her breath, until a terrifying howl in the near distance echoed around her, sending her on again with renewed purpose. When she thought about help, only a single word came out her mouth.

"Van!" she yelled, praying he would come.

Crashing noises came from the forest behind her as she gasped out his name. Her legs felt like lead and she knew she couldn't run for much longer. With her head hurting and her throat dry, her whole body was burning.

The trees seem to thin out and suddenly she was in a field. Hitomi felt a little hope as she saw a figure in the distance, but this was short lived as she heard the howling again. Daring to look behind her, she saw the creature emerge from the forest. Its sheer size must have slowed it down in the trees, but now that it was on a flat plain it would catch up to her easily.

Hitomi looked ahead and used the last of her strength to give her a burst of speed. The figure was getting closer, and Hitomi recognised it as she approached it.

"Van!" she screamed. He turned, and seeing the thing on her trail, ran towards her. She kept telling herself she was nearly there. He was fast approaching her and she could see his face clearly. So clearly that she could see the horror on his face and could hear his cry.

"No! Hitomi!"

He reached his hand out but before she could grab it, she heard a snarl right behind her and a crushing weight suddenly on her back. The ground came up to meet her and she crashed onto it hard. As the breath got knocked out of her, she got rolled onto her front and was face to face with the creature. Its front paws were planted firmly on her chest and it was staring at her. She felt hypnotised by those glowing eyes, and as it opened its giant jaws and came for her, the last sound she heard was Van screaming her name.

"Hitomi! Hitomi! Wake up! Hitomi!"

She flung open her eyes and was greeted to Van shaking her, yelling her name. Tears escaped as she saw his face, and relief came over her.

"Oh, Van!"

Still holding by the shoulders, he brought her close and embraced her. "Don't you scare me like that. I thought I'd lost you," he whispered in her ear.

Hitomi raised her arms shakily and wrapped them around his waist, taking in his scent. She felt so safe in his arms; just his voice gave her so much comfort. She hid her face against his chest as his presence began to chase away the fear the nightmare had brought. Losing herself in the moment, she ignored the dull aching pain in her neck.

"You're trembling, Hitomi. What happened?" he murmured in her ear.

Hitomi just wanted to block the dream out. It had been so real to her, the monster, the chase. The terror of the whole thing was still with her, especially the look of horror on Van's face. She didn't ever want to see that look again.

"Just hold me for a little longer, Van. Please." Her voice sounded so small and scared that Van hardly recognised it as he gave her a reassuring squeeze. After a while, he tried to coax her again into telling him what happened, when a gentle knock came at the door.

"That's probably the healer," he said soothingly as she jumped at the noise. Gently laying her back against her pillows, he asked if she wanted to see him. Hitomi sought Van's hand and held onto it.

"Lady Kanzaki, you are finally awake. That's wonderful!" said the healer as he came into the room.

He was an elderly man with white hair and a kind smile. Hitomi took a liking to him the minute she saw him.

"You really are a lucky young woman. I don't know many surviving after losing that amount of blood." He noticed her holding Van's hand. "But I suppose there are things in this world that are strong enough to keep a person with us."

The old man apologised when Hitomi winced as he checked her bandages. There was another rap at the door and as Van went to answer it, the healer leaned in. "You're a special young woman, Lady Kanzaki. Your friends are proof of that. They have all stayed here at the palace waiting for you to wake up. The king has been an especially good friend waiting here by your side all the time." He gave her a little wink at that point. Over the ruckuses of her friend coming in she thanked the healer.

"No need to thank me Lady Kan..." he started.

"Please, I'd like it if you could just call me Hitomi," she interrupted him. As she looked at him with her big green eyes he gave a little chuckle.

"If only I'd been forty years younger."

Their conversation was cut short by Merle bursting in excitedly.

"Hitomi! I'm so glad you're okay!" the cat woman exclaimed as she bounded into the room, knocking Van practically across the floor. She ran to the side to the bed as the healer walked to the foot of it.

Merle threw her arms around Hitomi's neck, then quickly recoiled as she remembered the wound. "I'm sorry, I forgot about it there," she apologised, looking at a pale faced Hitomi.

Hitomi gave her a wan smile and patted the side of the bed for her to sit on. "It's all right, Merle. Thank you for your concern."

"'Concern'? 'Concern'! I was worried sick!" exclaimed Merle as she took up the invitation and sat down beside her friend.

"We all were," said Allen as he entered the room followed by Millerna and Dryden.

Hitomi smiled shakily. "How long was I out for?"

"A couple of very long days," answered Millerna

"How did you all know I was awake?" asked Hitomi, a little curious. Then Merle explained that she had heard the healer talk to her when he came in the room.

"You don't think these things are just for display, do you?" she grinned as she twitched her pointed ears, making Hitomi laugh.

"What about you three, did you follow Merle up?"

"Oh no, no we didn't. Merle ran out the room without saying anything," said Millerna, sitting at the foot of the bed and smiling warmly at her friend.

"Then how?" Hitomi asked again.

"Let's just say that we didn't need 'cat like' hearing to be able to pick up Merle coming in to the room," drawled Dryden as he sat on a chair in the corner. He made everyone in the room laugh, and when Merle crossed her arms and put on a pout they laughed all the louder.

"Well, it seems that I had better be going. I'll come in and check in on you later," said the healer as he made his way out the room.

"Thank you again for everything," said Hitomi.

The elderly man shook his head. "You should thank your friends more than me, Lady K... I mean, Hitomi. Without Princess Millerna treating you while Prince Dryden paid for me to get to the ship, I really doubt I could have helped in any way." With that, he said good evening to them and made his way out the room, closing the door behind him.

Hitomi was astounded at how much her friends had gone through for her. "Wow. I'm sorry I've been causing you all so much trouble."

"Nonsense, Hitomi. You were in trouble and we did what we could to help you," Allen said soothingly as he drew a chair for himself and Van to sit beside her. As Van sat down in the nearest her, he instinctively helped her sit up a little more. He positioned pillows behind her and pulled the covers up so she wouldn't get cold, not noticing everyone watching and smiling.

"Now, can you tell us now what happened? Who attacked you?" asked Van.

Hitomi raised a hand and rubbed her forehead as the memories came flooding back to her. "He said his name was 'Vincent'. I thought he was one of the guests that had been invited to the party. He seemed very charming and gentlemanlike, at first. Then he seemed to change, literally, before my eyes." She sighed again before she filled them in on the whole event. The spell he seemed to have been able to cast on her, the kiss, how he seemed to be able to transform into some kind of 'beast-man'. She refused to say 'werewolf' because she was still trying to get her head around that fact. She then told them what he had told her about his past, and then him subsequently biting her.

"He transformed?" asked Dryden, puzzled.

"He came from the Mystic Moon?" a confused Allen said. "He kissed you?" said Van quietly.

"Yes, yes and yes," answered Hitomi. She then went on to describe what he looked like before and after he had changed.

"The description sounds like the figure we saw that disappeared just as we got to you at the tree," added Millerna.

Allen looked even more confused. "But how could a man bite, Hitomi?"

"I just told you, he changed into some kind of animal," said Hitomi, a little irritated. She could feel it build up inside of her.

"But how could he? I've never heard of anyone who could do that," said Dryden sceptically.

"I'm telling you, he did! He grew big fangs, had yellow eyes, pointed ears, and hair started to grow on his face right in front of my eyes!" she cried, wanting them to believe. Looking at each of their faces in turn and seeing only blank expressions, anger suddenly seemed to bubble in her and before she could stop herself she started to yell at them.

"I'm not making this up!" She yanked at the bandage around her neck, making them all start, and revealed an even angrier looking bite mark. "What do you think did this?! A squirrel?!" she could feel herself getting more and more furious. Her breathing got quicker, all her muscles tensed up and she clenched her fists into tight balls.

Van gently touched her hand. "We believe you, Hitomi, it's just a lot to take in, that's all," he said quietly.

She at once felt herself calming down. Whatever was boiling up inside her immediately seemed to quiet at the sound of Van's voice, the touch of his hand. The others were staring at her with shock on their faces.

"Of course we believe you," added Allen as the rest of them nodded in agreement. Millerna got up and stood by the side of the bed. The room began to get a little darker as the sun outside began to set.

"I trust you more than anyone in this world, Hitomi. Please don't get upset. If you do, just don't yank at the bandage. It took me forever to put on, okay?" smiled Millerna as she gently fixed it.

Hitomi gave a little snort of laughter. She raised her other hand and massaged her head, surprised that she had totally blown up at her friends like that. When Millerna had finished and returned to where she was sitting, Hitomi apologised profusely to everyone in the room. They all concluded that it was probably just that she was tired and she had been through a traumatic experience. Afterwards, they all got up and made their way to the door.

"You have a good night's sleep, and we can talk again at breakfast," ordered the princess.

"Yes ma'am." Hitomi saluted her. As they all exchanged 'goodnight's and 'sweet dreams' they walked out the room so that only Van was left in the room. He stood by her bed and waited for everyone to leave so they could be alone.

"Hitomi," he started, as they were alone, "I've taken the guest room next door, so if you need anything, and I mean anything, all you have to do is call."

When he said this, Hitomi smiled gratefully at him and reached for his hand. "Thank you, Van."

As they looked at each other, she lifted her head and looked at him longingly. Resting a hand on the bed, he leaned closer, so close that he could smell her faint perfumed scent.

"Hitomi," he spoke softly, leaning closer. Hitomi's heart skipped a beat as he said her name.

"Van," she whispered. She could feel butterflies in her stomach as he raised his other arm and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. As he closed in, she closed her eyes and felt his soft warm lips brush against hers. She felt a sudden rush, and her whole body tingled with the sensation. Trembling at his touch, she savoured the sensation. When they pulled away she looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes.

"When I saw you at that tree and thought you were.... I've never been so scared in all my life. I felt even more so than the time your heart stopped." As he caressed her face she could see the fear in his eyes. Like in her dream. "I thought you'd left me. I don't know what I would have...."

"Shh." Hitomi gently silenced him by touching his lips. Tracing the shape o them with a finger, she gazed in to his eyes. "I'm yours, Van. I'll always be by your side."

As she said this, she touched his face, brushing a bang out of his face, and then kissed him. When they pulled away again, Van embraced her. As they held each other, Hitomi buried her face in his shoulder.

"Always," she whispered. After a while, they broke apart. Van stood up and held her hand.

"I'd better let you get some rest, otherwise I'll have Millerna getting me into trouble." He kissed her hand, said his good nights, and left the room, leaving Hitomi by herself. Fixing the pillows, she snuggled down, drifting off to sleep with a contented smile on her face.

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Hope you all found it worth waiting for peeps!