A/N: As you read on, realize that Hibiki is beginning to realize what love actually is. Watch Hibiki matureas he finds out that love in notjusta saying but an actual feeling.

Chapter Seven: The Love in Torture

"First, where is that ship headed?" he asked. Hibiki thought for a moment, he wasn't even sure. What could he say.

"I'm... I'm not sure." he answered. The man smiled and turned back to Dita, he grabbed the root of her hair and pulled her head up so everyone could see her tear filled eyes. He looked at her and then at Hibiki.

"Do you really want her to suffer?" he asked now pulling her hair. Dita gasped in pain. Hibiki didn't know what to do, he was stuck. What could he say? He'll just have to make something up.

"We're going to Tarak. Alright, that's where we going." he said. The man frowned and struck Dita two more times across the face. A large bloody spot appeared over her right cheek.

"STOP! I told you already." he yelled. The man stopped and turned to him, evil raged in his eyes. Hibiki felt tear dwell in his eyes at the sight of Dita. She was helpless, he should have taken the damage. Not her. The man came up to him and unbuttoned his shirt revealing his tanned skin. Hibiki again tried to move but was unsuccessful. The man drew his knife again and held it to Hibiki's chest. Painfully he carved a line in his flesh making Hibiki squirm. Dita raised her head.

"No, I beg of you" she pleaded. A small dot of blood made its way down Hibiki's chest.

"For every time that you lie to me. I either hit your little girlfriend or I stab you in the chest. Eventually, I'm going to narrow down the choices a bit. If you continue to lie, I will then either kill her or cut off one of your limbs. Your choice." he hissed in his face. Hibiki felt anger erupt through him, he breathed in and spat at the man's face. Leaving a trail of saliva hanging down his chin. The man wasn't phased at all, he just smirked and turned his attention again to Dita who was badly in need of help. The two guards that pinned Dita to the wall released their grip as she fell to the floor. The man lifted her to her feet and made her stand in front of Hibiki. He slung his hand around Dita's neck with his knife still ready to cut. He gently placed the knife on her collarbone and rested it there.

"Be a good boy and tell me who is the lead dread pilot aboard your ship." he said. Hibiki felt his mind scramble through the depths of his memory. Meia.

"Her name is Meia. Need a last name?" he said trying to sound sarcastic. The man smiled.

"No need, I've heard of her before. Now tell me, what are the dread's weakness?" he said. Hibiki gritted his teeth, what the hell is wrong with this guy? He remained silent. The man tightened his grip on Dita's neck. The tip of the knife slightly intruded her skin.

"I'm not playing boy! Give me some goddamn information or I will slit her throat!" he screamed in his face. Hibiki bit his lip and exhaled forcefully.

"Co-Pilot Jura, her dread has no defense on the under belly. The other... Chief Pilot Meia... although she has speed she tends to use the same flight pattern." he stopped he couldn't announce Dita's weakness which was a great weakness.

"Tell me HERS!" the man screamed holding Dita. Hibiki flinched as those words left his mouth. He couldn't, then they would know everything about their battle strategies. Dita was the heart of the dread fleet. Without her, he couldn't hold that same determination to be stay alive. He shut his eyes and hoped for the best.

Dita screamed as the man impaled her collarbone with the sharp knife, her blood seeped over her shirt and began to discolor it. Hibiki bit his lip. Dita winced in pain as tears fell from her eyes, the man dug the knife deep into her flesh. But she was strong, she held the rest of her screams in as she felt the knife pierce the muscles of her chest. Without warning, he threw her to the corner of the cell leaving her to tend to her wound. He looked at Hibiki, with one final smile he plunged the knife deep in his shoulder causing Hibiki to yell in pain. What's worse, the guy didn't have the courtesy to take it out. Instead he left in, so Hibiki could feel the metal in his shoulder. The guards released him and dropped him to the floor. With that, all of them left leaving Dita and Hibiki to suffer from their torture. The door closed and the bright white lights were turned off. There they were. Alone in the darkness. Hibiki couldn't see anything but he could only feel his shoulder burn along with the soft whimpers emitted from Dita's body.

"Are you alright?" he asked leaning against a wall clutching the knife that was deep in his shoulder. Dita didn't make a sound.

"Dita?" he asked trying to pierce the darkness. Dita began to sob uncontrollably. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked trying to find her. Dita quieted down a bit before answering.

"You're an idiot!" she screamed. Hibiki toppled over and fell on his wounded shoulder making him yell in agony. What did she mean by that? Was this woman serious?

"What the hell are you talking about?" he said feeling anger bubble inside him.

"I can't believe you told him. You should have stayed quiet!" she sobbed. Hibiki couldn't understand. He did it so Dita wouldn't be killed, if that's not love than what the hell was it?

"I saved your freaking life! You wanted to die?" he shot back. Even though he couldn't see her he knew she was standing over him.

"You should have, saving two lives just to sacrifice thousands? Think about it... aw man. This hurts." she said. Hibiki siphoned all his energy to remove the dagger from his shoulder. He felt his blood run down his arm. He threw it away knowing if they caught him holding it they would kill him. He had to realize his mistake. Dita was right, but then again. Was he really that loyal? Was he so loyal that he would give his life for people he almost hardly knew. One thing was for sure. He would give his life for Dita, maybe Misty but he wasn't sure. Might as well, try to focus on their survival at the moment.

"Were are you? Did he cut you deep?" he asked shuffling his body toward the center of the room.

"I'm over here." she whispered. Hibiki extended his hand to reach out for her, he suddenly felt something warm and round. What was that?

"Mr. Alien?" she said softly.

"What is it now?" he asked.

"You're touching my chest." she said. Hibiki froze and quickly retreated his hand, thank goodness for the darkness because he knew he was blushing. He moved next to her, making sure he had a couple of inches of space between him. Hibiki tore off his shirt and folded it, with the linen band around his waist he tied his shirt to his arm. That would make the blood flow slow down.

"Take off your shirt." Hibiki demanded.

"Is this really the right time?" she asked.

"Just give it to me." he said. She took off her jacket like shirt and handed it to him. Hibiki dug into his pocket and pulled out a small tube, he emptied its contents onto the shirt.

"Put this on your cut, put pressure." he said. Dita was slightly confused.

"Why don't you use it on yourself?" she asked. Hibiki chuckled.

"I want you to use it. That's all. Don't tell Duelo, I took that from his room." he said. Dita knew that his injury was far more serious. She just had to ask.

"Now that we're going to be here for a while. I've been thinking about what Jura said to you last week. You know, about men and women making babies." she started. Hibiki couldn't understand the mind of a women at all. First an argument, then they're healing their wounds, and now they went to babies?

"To tell the truth, I don't want to have one with another women." she stated. Hibiki pretended to be busy with his pants. "Would you like to have one with me, Mr. Alien?"

Hibiki froze.

For some reason, she sounded freakishly cheerful at the subject.

"Two things. Why the hell are you so happy all of a sudden and why are you talking about children now? At this time." he asked.

"Well, we can't do much now can we? So why not remain optimistic? You know I don't have the capability to stay mad or sad for a long period of time. And I just thought... we can learn something about each other in the process. I mean... I think I love you. And I hope you do for me. I just want to stay with you... forever." she whispered gently. For the first time in his life, he actually felt touched by someone's words of affection. He never felt so close to anyone before. Which increased his love for Dita by enormous amounts. He slung his arm around Dita's neck and pulled her in.

"Do you love me? Hibiki?" she asked resting her hand over his chest. Although it was rather straight forward, he couldn't help but give her a straight forward answer.

"Yeah... with all my heart. With every inch of my body." he whispered in her ear. Dita chuckled as she closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat, his soothing heart warmed hers.

"I do too." she said. Hibiki smiled. He slowly nodded off, hopefully he wasn't losing consciousness. He fell into a stirring slumber, it didn't last long. He soon awoke when a loud explosion echoed through his ears, although it was still dark he could sense that something was off. Dita snored on his lap, he shook her violently.

"Dita. Wake up. Come on, get up." he said. Dita awoke but quickly groaned as she held her neck with her hand. Hibiki stood and went up to the door, he tried to peer out the tiny slot but stopped when his shoulder throbbed from an earlier wound. Someone was coming down the hall, or rather people. He gasped. Meia?

"Their here! Hibiki stand back" said Meia. Hibiki did what he was told and stood a few feet back. Dita scrambled to her feet. The door blasted open scattering debris in every direction. In the doorway, stood Meia along with other crew members from the Nirvana.

"Let's go!" she commanded.

How's that? I don't know whether or not to add more lovey-dovey stuff or to leave it as it is. What do you think? Review.