A/N: Thank you Niffer, SabineballZ, Wandering Soul, Blue Demon, Rai Dorian and Faraday for all reviewing. I'm glad you're all enjoying the fic so far.

----------------------------

Last night I had a dream
It wasn't about anything
But it made me smile
It made me scream

We should take this slow
'Cause I can't let go
When it feels so good
To feel this low

I stumble and she sees all
Waiting for me to fall
Obsessing over her
But it's nothing personal

We should take this slow
'Cause I can't let go
When it feels so good
To feel this low
We'll take our time
Tell each other's lies
In a world so much brighter
If Paul were still alive

Take this slow
Till I lose control
And I'm falling down

Last night I had a dream
It wasn't about anything
I made you smile
I made you scream

Paul McCartney by SR-71
----------------------------

Chapter 9: Take This Slow

Hitomi was finally released form the hospital after a week. The only reason she was kept there so long was for her therapy sessions with the hospital's shrink. It was mandatory for every suicide patient to see the shrink. The hospital administration wanted to make sure they, the patients, didn't attempt suicide again.

When Hitomi arrived home, via Yukari driving, it felt odd for her. It just felt odd to be back in her home. Yukari helped her friend settle back in and took on a mother like role until Hitomi forced her to leave. Yukari didn't seem offended that her friend was kicking her out; it only seemed natural. She'd admit she was beginning to seem like a pest almost.

As she made her way down the driveway to her bright red Volkswagen convertible she saw Dilandau heading towards the two-story home. "Dilandau…" She said catching his attention. "Keep an eye on her okay. I don't want to loose her. She's been my best friend since…"she stopped and tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat.

Dilandau rested his hand gently on Yukari's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her for you." Yukari wiped away her tears and hugged Dilandau tightly. He stood there feeling awkward and completely unsure of how to react to Yukari's sudden action.

Dilandau went inside and headed up stairs rather than downstairs to the den like usual. He would keep his word for Yukari. He maybe a sadistic pyromaniac, but he always kept his word.

He walked down the hallway at a slow pace. He knocked softly on the slightly open door to Hitomi's room. There was no answer so Dilandau let himself in. "Yukari, I'm fine… really I am. You can leave now."

"Wrong person." Dilandau said catching Hitomi completely off guard and by surprise.

Hitomi turned over and glared at him. There were so many things she wanted to do to him such as strangle or rip put ever hair on his proud head. "You've won Dilandau. Aren't you happy!? I'm miserable, more than before. Shouldn't that make you happy?" Hitomi spat at him before turning back over onto to her other side so she was facing the wall.

Dilandau looked at her unimpressed. His crimson red eyes narrowed slightly as he walked over to the bedside and sat down. "You know most people would be happy if someone saved their life."

"Ya that'd be true if they weren't trying to kill themselves… now could just leave me alone. You've ruined my life…" Dilandau suppressed the urge to hit her and torture her mindlessly. Why did I ever befriend that bitch Yukari? He sighed and left.

Dilandau went to his room. He shut the door behind him and walked over to the bed, not bothering to turn on any lights. He sat down and then laid on his back. All he could think about was Hitomi and how he truly felt when he first encountered her at that pansy-ass knight's fortress.

----------------------------

Dilandau stood proudly in front of his loyal Dragonslayers. His blood red eyes surveyed the room. He chuckled inwardly at the sad excuse for soldiers around him. His eyes then moved back to the blondie, pansy ass knight before him. "I request that you supply weapons, food, and water. We're engaged in urgent military maneuvers." He demanded.

"I'll do the best I can." Allen replied while taking a quick glance to his left.

"By the way, Sir Allen…You haven't seen a strange Guymelef in the area have you?" Dilandau asked suspecting the knight was hiding something from him such as a 'strange Guymelef.'

"No, not that I know of. It wouldn't have anything to do with the maneuvers that require a floating fortress, would they?" just by the sound of the pansy knight's voice Dilandau could tell he had seen he Guymelef he was looking for.

"Possibly." Dilandau replied bluntly.

"Would it have anything to do with Fanelia to the West being attacked?" Dilandau's head perked up at the question. It provoked so many possible answers.

"That run-down little country?" Dilandau asked and stroked his right cheek with his index finger. "Maybe its leaders were eaten by the dragons that wonder that valley." Dilandau looked back at Allen with a cunning smirk. "It's such a fitting end for such a backwater country, don't you think? At any rate, it was a country of cowards led by a king who's gone into hiding. Who cares what happened to them…"Dilandau chuckled to himself but was stopped by a voice from the crowd of soldiers.

"Not showing yourself during battle is cowardly, wouldn't you say?" Dilandau looked towards the voice. It was a boy, a bit on the scrawny side. Dilandau narrowed his eyes at the boy for his rude interruption. He walked over to him to teach the bastard a lesson. However, as Dilandau drew near to him a girl behind the raven-haired boy caught his attention.

When he came face to face with the scrawny boy, Dilandau pushed him aside and walked up to the girl clad in strange black and cream coloured clothing. Not only was her clothing bizarre, so was her hair; it seemed unusually short for a woman. But the one thing that stood out in this strange girl was her piercing emerald green eyes.

"I've never seen clothes like yours before. Where are you from, girl?" He asked still up holding his pride. It would be a sin if he ever let down his guard.

"She's my new lover." Allen stated in a matter of fact way as he walked over and behind the girl. "I found her in the East." Allen placed both his gloved hands on the girl's slender shoulders. "Her name's Hitomi." What Allen did next was not surprising. He bent his head down and planted a gentle kiss of her smooth cheek. "As I said, Lord Dilandau."

Dilandau looked in disgust at Allen and turned away immediately, cursing the womanizing knight to hell. However Dilandau kept his cool and looked over his shoulder. "You live up to your reputation, Allen Schezar." Dilandau spat and began to walk back to his loyal Dragonslayers. "I hope you put the same effort into our provisions."

----------------------------

If that pansy ass knight hadn't pulled that little stunt that bitch would have been mine. Dilandau thought to himself while clenching his fist into a ball. It was true; Dilandau had never felt for a woman like he did for Hitomi. He only threatened to kill Hitomi so that she would do what he wanted in order to spare her life. But perhaps with the way things were, it would work out for the better. Now if he could only get up the courage to tell her how he really felt when he first met her on Gaea and how hurt he was when he found her practically dead.

----------------------------

A/N: awwwww………now wasn't that a sweet little chap? Hey, there needed to be a bit a fluff thrown in somewhere. So like always, if you want an e-mail when I update, just leave your addy in a review or e-mail it to me at