Well, I don't own Xenosaga, but I do own the storyline or whatever you call it. I'm tired, give me a break...I'm not even sure if I put this little disclaimers notice thing on the first chapter but now I can be sure it's somewhere in the story. Anyway, enough of my babbling and get on with the story.

Chapter 3

"Well, I guess everything is going well." The Professor said. They hadn't gotten a ring from MOMO and Jr. in a few days. Shion and chaos were getting slightly worried, as well as Allen spazing out every now and then. Ziggy was also concerned for MOMO's safety.

"Ummm…professor…when do you think they'll come back?" Assistant Scott asked. The professor began to think for a second then shrugged.

"For all I know, they might not come back for a year. Who knows?" Shion sighed and then walked up to the Professor.

"Are you sure it's safe?" She asked. The Professor nodded.

"If the trip wasn't successful, then they wouldn't have disappeared in the first place." Shion looked down at her shoes. She began to miss the cheerfulness of the pink haired realian. Chaos suddenly approached her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Shion…they'll be all right." Chaos reassured her. Shion slowly nodded and walked with chaos back to the Elsa's bridge. The others soon followed.

It had turned night out and MOMO and Jr. decided to camp under a giant tree that they had come across. MOMO had many thoughts going through her mind as she laid there in the soft grass. 'I wonder…if we'll ever get back…what if we don't? What are we going to do? I knew that this was going to be a mistake…but then again…I do get to stay with Jr. for a long time. I wish…I could tell him what I'm feeling right now.' MOMO looked over at Jr., who was now snoring in his sprawled out position. MOMO then looked back up at the tree.

MOMO woke up to the sun glowing down on her soft silky skin. She stood up drowsily and looked around. Jr. was no where to be found.

"Jr.?" She called lightly. Jr. slowly slid down the tree and snuck up behind her. He had recently found a snake and caught it, just to fool around with MOMO when she woke up. Jr. put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump and turn around quickly.

"Uh…you scared me!" MOMO complained. Jr. slightly laughed and then showed her his newest 'find'. MOMO looked at the snake and then squeaked again. She backed up a little ways from Jr. while she watched the red head double over in laughter. "Jr.!" She cried.

Jr. let the snake go, making sure it didn't go in MOMO's direction. He wiped a tear out of his eye and walked up to her.

"Sorry, I had to do it." He smiled and then sat down next to her. "Sorry if it scared you too badly." He apologized. She made an angry expression, but then lightened it down with a sigh. Suddenly, MOMO heard a low growling sound. She turned to Jr., wondering if it was his stomach…but he thought it was hers.

"Umm…was that you?" MOMO asked getting worried.

"No…I thought it was you…" They both stared at each other for a second and then began looking around for the source of the noise.

"Jr…I'm scared…" MOMO said, inching closer to Jr. Jr. gulped and pulled out his guns, ready to protect his best friend.

"Don't worry MOMO; I'll make sure what ever it is, that it doesn't harm you." They both stood up, ready to run if needed. MOMO was side to side with Jr. Suddenly, a large black cat jumped down from the tree they had slept under. Jr. immediately started shooting at it.

"Go MOMO! I'll take care of this!" He exclaimed over the roaring of the panther. He pushed MOMO in the direction that she was facing. She was caught off guard by this action and ran clumsily until she fell away to a safer part.

"Jr.!" She exclaimed. She was panicking again. She eventually calmed herself and conjured up her either bow, ready to save Jr.

"Eat this!" Jr. yelled as he shot at the panther's head. The panther dodged and quickly lunged at Jr. He was caught off guard by the quick movements of the cat and was tackled to the ground. The panther ripped its claws against his chest, putting four deep gouges. Jr. yelped in pain. Before the panther could get in another swipe, MOMO shot it with her arrow. The panther fell off of Jr. in a state of shock.

"Jr.! Are…are you okay!" She asked examining his wound.

Jr. clenched his chest. "Don't worry…it's just a scratch…" MOMO ignored his 'it's just a scratch' saying and immediately did what was her first instinct. She reached in her pocket for some nanospray, but when she was done searching; she noticed she didn't have any.

"Jr., do you have any nanospray?"

"No. Listen, I'll be all right."

"No you won't! You won't be fine! You'll die!"

"MOMO, calm down!" Jr. comforted her shoulder with his hand. MOMO's expression began to change. Her eyes became tear filled and she started to cry.

"I CAN'T CALM DOWN! hic I can't…I'm…so scared!" She cried, making Jr. regret yelling at her. He put his other hand on her other shoulder and tried to calm her down.

"I-I'm sorry for yelling at you." He apologized. MOMO shook her head and leaned into his bleeding chest, not caring that blood stained her hair.

"I just…I just…want to go back home…" she cried. This was the first time he'd seen her snap like this. She never cried like this before and it tore him apart. He couldn't stand watching her cry. He cradled her in his arms, still trying to calm her down.

"I just…want to see…Shion and Ziggy and everyone else…again…" She said through sobs. Jr. remained speechless, waiting for her to go on if that's what she had intended.

A few minutes later, Jr. had propped himself up against a tree, holding a sleeping MOMO. 'Man…she cried herself to sleep…I've…never really seen her cry so hard. I hope once she wakes up, she'll be okay…' Jr.'s thoughts were interrupted by rustling in the grass. 'Damn it…not now!'

"Who's there?" Jr. yelled, being as protective as he could. Nothing replied, making him worry. "MOMO…MOMO, wake up. We have to get moving." MOMO rubbed her eyes and looked up at Jr. drowsily.

"What is it?" She said sleepily. Jr. helped her up and walked closely to her.

"I think those freaks came looking for us again…and I think they might have found us. I'm not sure that we'll make it if they capture us again. I don't have much ammunition left." MOMO looked up at him and tilted her head. Then she remembered how she had broken down in front of him.

"Umm…I'm sorry for acting the way I did back there…" She apologized. Jr. smiled slightly.

"Ah, it was probably all the pressure you're under right now." She nodded in agreement and they continued on the path. "But don't worry…cause I'm right her for you all the way." MOMO looked over at him again. 'Was that…a commitment of love?' She wondered. 'No…he wouldn't say it like that would he?' Her thoughts were interrupted when Jr. pulled her into a nearby bundle of bushes.

"What's wrong?"

"Remember how I said that I had a feeling we were being followed? Listen closely…" Jr. explained. MOMO stayed as silent as she could and listened as close as she could. She could hear a distant bickering of a group of people…but there was on voice that stuck out from all of the others. It was feminine, but was tough sounding.

"What are we going to do!" MOMO panicked. Jr. looked at her with a 'I have no clue' expression. She sighed and waited for something to happen. She swallowed hard as the voices grew nearer.

"Listen, we have to find those scoundrels no matter what! We'll kill them like the dogs they are and bathe in their blood!" Zhu Rong's husband's voice boomed. MOMO shuttered at the sound.

"Don't worry honey, I'll take care of the little brats myself…but then again I think we could keep the girl as a daughter. But the wretched little boy…I'll behead him and then torch his body!" Jr. gulped in fear as he sat behind the bushes. MOMO also feared becoming a daughter to some fat guy and his cruel wife.

"Look at this, someone got involved in a 'cat' fight. Looks like we're getting close." Zhu Rong pointed out. "Keep a look out for anything else that might tell us they were here." She ordered. Immediately, half of the Nanman tribe had begun looking.

"My lady! I seem to have found a trail of blood. It's still slightly warm too." One of the men said as he squatted down by the panther.

"Shit!" Jr. cursed absentmindedly. "MOMO, get going…I'll follow. We'll crawl out of here."

"Okay…" MOMO's heart raced. She didn't want to be captured again and just hearing the voices made her worried. She went into a crawling position and began crawling from the bushes in the opposite direction of the Nanman tribe. Jr. followed, trying to be as careful as possible not to expose them.

While they were crawling, one of the tribe members followed them. Eventually he tapped Jr. on the shoulder making him freeze. Jr. turned around and then immediately stood up, putting his hands on his guns.

"MOMO! Hurry!" He yelled to MOMO. She looked behind her and got up and ran for her life. 'Wait, what am I doing! I have to help him!' She immediately conjured up her either arrow once more and aimed it at the enemy.

"There they are!" And soon enough the whole tribe was upon Jr., entrapping him into a circle. He kept his guns up and nervously looked around at all the people around him. He gulped as he began to panic. Suddenly, a familiar looking Amazonian woman walked through with her husband beside her. Jr. began backing up, but stopped as he got too close to one of the troops.

MOMO began to search for a way to save the red-headed gunslinger who was now currently surrounded. 'Well…here it goes!' She thought to her self and let the arrow fly, stunning a row of men. Jr. turned around and ran through the opening.

"Get him!" Zhu Rong ordered, sicking all of her troops on Jr. MOMO ran with Jr. when he caught up to where she was. They were chased for at least an hour, finally loosing them in a thicker part of the forest. When the search group had given up, Jr. and MOMO could here Zhu Rong cussing and then telling her troops they were insignificant.

Jr. and MOMO had found another place to rest. Jr.'s wounds had scabbed over, making MOMO less worried about it. The sun was soon covered up by clouds that threatened a storm.

"Not again…" Jr. complained. MOMO looked over at him with caring eyes. She was still scared, but just the sight of him made her feel safe. The rain began to fall, dampening their clothing once more. MOMO got up out of her sitting position to go and sit next to the lying down Jr.

"Oh come on, the rain isn't that bad is it?" MOMO smiled a normal smile. Jr. looked up at her, seeing her big smile. 'She…she hasn't smiled like that in what seems like forever…' He thought to himself as he smiled himself. Not only was it storming again, it had become night, making the lightning more visible. The lightning flashed and scared MOMO causing her to put her hand on Jr.'s hand.

Jr. sat up with MOMO. He looked over at her like she was silly.

"Don't be scared; just be glad we're not under a tree." Jr. smiled and then began to laugh. MOMO tilted her head and then smiled and giggled as well. They sat and laughed at nothing for a few seconds until a booming thunder came by, causing MOMO to leap into Jr., knocking him back down into the laying position he was in before. It felt good to laugh again, even though it was over.

MOMO had her eyes closed tightly, but she could feel herself blushing. Why was she so scared of the storm now when the first day they had arrived it was storming and she wasn't scared a bit? Her feelings of before came back to her as she opened her eyes to meet Jr.'s surprised expression. She immediately sat back up and looked away in embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry for b-being so jumpy!" She apologized. Jr. sat back up again and laughed.

"Don't worry about it. Let's try to get some sleep." He yawned and lay back down for the third time. MOMO laid down too a few feet away. Another thunder clap was heard and she was lying with her back up against Jr.'s back. He felt her presence against his back and sighed.

"I have a feeling you're not going to get much sleep…are you?"

"N-n-no…" Jr. sighed again. A few hours passed and MOMO finally got to sleep. Jr. had stayed awake to talk to her when she wasn't asleep. He turned over in the now soaking wet grass and put his arm around her. 'Don't worry…I'm right here…' He thought to himself as he fell asleep himself.

So? How was it? Was it good or was it bad? I can't really judge it myself cause if I jusge anything that I do then it would be "It sux!" type of deal. Anyway, review and let me know how you liked it. I don't care if you don't like it or if you loved it, just let me know if there were very many grammatical errors and stuff like that if you hated it. I don't care. Flames excepted and it's too early in the morning...well, actually afternoon(12:13pm). So I'm a late sleeper! (Yawn) I don't even know why I wanted to update it now, but oh well. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!