Robin awoke early the next morning and looked around the very familiar room. "It wasn't a dream, then…" She whispered into her bedroom. "It couldn't have been what I thought, though. All I saw was a hunter's coat. Amon…" She bit her lip hard against the wave of pain at the thought.

"What about him?" Touko asked from the doorway. Robin glanced up at the older woman who had entered with a tray of hot rice with honey, coffee, and a glass of orange juice. A bowl of ice accompanied the food.

"I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it." Touko cut her off. "Just tell me the truth about what happened here, and about Amon." Robin's roommate sat beside Robin and applied the ice to her ankle while offering the food. The girl didn't touch it, and haltingly told Touko the events from the night before, as well as the Factory story and the circumstances leading up to it (omitting Zaizen's name). As Touko listened to the small, delicate victim, she felt the last of her anger draining away, and she placed an arm around Robin's too thin shoulders.

"We both loved him…and he has left us nothing." She whispered. "And now…we only have this place where it happened."

&

Amon woke, his heart pounding. He had dreamed of a vow to protect her, an orbo bullet tearing deeply into his chest, the building around them in flames…

…Green eyes that pierced his soul, tears striking his lips as she wept over him, a kiss as he fell in agony…

He shook his head firmly. The face haunted him, as he realized that she was the witch he had gone after the night before.

"Robin Sena, what are you doing to me?"

&

Amon was irritable when he walked into the office. He still had no idea why he had revived in the Solomon HQ's infirmary days before. His eyes flickered to Kate's empty chair as he sat before his own computer. After a moment he realized what was bothering him the most: the office was empty, Micheal wasn't in his usual place.

As if on cue, the other man walked in and pulled off his jacket, freezing at the sight of Amon. Slowly, he walked towards his team member, pausing at Kate's chair with his hand resting gently on its back. For an incredible moment, Amon would have sworn that he saw the blonde witch sitting there looking up at Micheal with a quizzical expression.

"Amon!" Micheal gasped. "Thank God you're all right! Where's Robin?"

"I don't know," Amon answered, inwardly wondering again who the girl was, and how Nagira and Micheal would know her. "Try Nagira's. I saw her there." He leaned back, closing his eyes…

…And always she was there, those vibrant green eyes staring into his heart.

&

Amon reawoke, sweating and shaking. In his mind's eye, he saw Touko, bound and gagged, jerking as the bullets tore into her.

"Amon?" Karasuma asked, worriedly.

"I need to go to her!" He gasped, lunging to his feet just as Sakaki and Micheal returned. In an instant, Sakaki had crossed the room, knocking him back into the chair with a well placed blow.

"What the hell are you playing at, trying to murder Robin? She's your partner! Or was she just your means at exacting a private grudge match against Factory?"

Amon sighed. "She may have been assigned to me, but I never met her before I received my orders the other day," He explained patiently. "If she came and went while I was sick, so be it." Inwardly, he was very confused. He stood, stepped around a dumbfounded Sakaki, and walked out the door.

"Am I the only person who feels that something is dreadfully wrong?" Micheal asked into the silence.

&

A less-jumpy Touko turned at the sound of a very familiar, polite knock. She assumed the landlord had noticed signs of habitation and had come to investigate. She felt slightly guilty, and was readying an apology as she pulled the door open, inwardly praying that Robin stayed in the shower a few minutes longer.

For the second time in the past twelve hours, Touko froze in shock. Amon looked at her for a long moment, his eyes more haunted than usual, then pulled her tightly into his arms in a rare burst of affection.

"Thank God you're alright," He breathed, burying his face in her hair. Her eyes shot wide with shock, then closed as she returned his embrace. All that had been wrong was now right again.

"I've missed you. I thought you were dead." She whispered back. "I was told you were dead." She pulled back to get a good look at him. After a few moments, he kissed her, and the last several horrible months died in a heartbeat. She tugged him inside and shut the door, helping him to pull off his coat, trying to avoid breaking the kiss.

She felt him tense, just before he pulled away with the intent, predatory look of a listening hunter. A jealous expression that she had found endearing in the past stole into his eyes, and he strode firmly towards the bathroom, rudely neglecting to remove his boots.

Oh, Lord,Touko thought, This is not good...

&

Amon paused. There was definitely someone splashing in the shower, and he knew quite well that she didn't have a roommate. With a sudden quick movement, he flung the door open wide, going for his non-orbo (illegal) sidearm.

Their eyes met in stupefaction.

"A-Amon?"Robin stammered, her hand flying to her lips.

"My apologies," He said, fighting a stammer himself as he stepped back into the hall and closed the door behind himself. He sagged against the wall, mind in a whirl. Touko lightly touched his arm, worried by his pallor, and he faced her, trying to find the words he wanted-needed!- to say.

"I'm sorry, Amon." Touko whispered. He bent and kissed her sweetly, the taste of finality and regret on his lips, before he turned and strode from the apartment.

&

I couldn't hunt her, Amon thought. When faced with her, I couldn't pull the trigger. What in God's holy name is wrong with me?

He was still pale when he entered the office again. He staggered and would have fallen if Micheal hadn't caught him.

"Amon? What's wrong?"

"That witch...that incurably damned temptress..."

"What?"

"At Touko's." Incredibly tortured eyes turned upwards to meet Micheal's. "I saw her there..."