Hi guys!! Can y'all believe it? Over seventy reviews for this! Didn't think anyone liked my stuff that much. And thanks to everyone who gave me congrats on the baby!

No own the devil, but I think I sold something to him once………

Chap: The truth about barriers

This demon had had enough. Were all of them insane?! "SHUT UP!!!!! You cannot be serious!!! I'm not about to just go up to her and—and—NO!" Chrono ran to the door, almost crashing through it. He raced down the hall, nearly taking flight to reach the stairs. People dived out of his way, some screaming in terror as the disturbed demon flew by.

All he could feel or think was echoing over and over in his mind. ' I can't. I won't do that, no matter what. It's my fault that this is happening, why does she have to suffer even more now?! It's not fair!!'

The poor devil almost crashed through the door to Sister Kate's office, barely stopping his flight in time. He simply came in, to the nun's consternation. "Chrono! What is the meaning of this?!"

"Sister Kate, you have to stop them! They want me to sleep with Rosette!" he said, running up to her desk.

The nun's faced twisted incredulously as she rose form her chair in shock. "What did you say?!"

"Father Remington and the elder!! They've gone insane! You have to stop them. I can't—I mean, I don't want Rosette to get hurt, but I couldn't—I—you have to stop them!" He repeated, flustered.

"Calm yourself, Chrono, and sit down!" she roared. The devil panted harshly as he sat on the arm of one of the room's sofas, trying to collect himself. The abbess situated herself at her desk to listen to his story. "Now, calmly, tell me what is going on." She listened in horror to what he had to tell her about the curse. Once his explanation was finished, she nodded. "I agree, Chrono, this must not be allowed to happen."

"There must be something you can do," he said, intense worry ringing in his voice. "This cannot be the only way to deal with this. Could it be blocked? Countered somehow?"

"My expertise was never in this area," the sister replied. Her brow creased in thought. "Most of my militia training was strictly in the field, like Rosette, not in research."

He glanced around the room, hoping for some kind of inspiration. The cross above the picture on the wall caught his eye. Old grapewood, probably from the Italian Renaisance. An idea flared bright. "Wait! The cross barriers! Is it possible to use the barriers to halt the curse?"

She paused to collect her thoughts on the idea. "The theory is sound, but you must remember, the curse is already in your blood lines. I think all that an Angels or Providence barrier would accomplish is to bind you to a certain place."

He nodded frantically. "That would be enough! Wouldn't it? As long as Rosette wasn't there?"

She cocked her head, considering. "I don't see why not. So long as you can make it past the new moon, it should negate the curse's power and you'll go back to normal."

"Oh, thank you god." The demon heaved a drastic sigh of relief, then straightened up to stand properly. "Thank you, Abbess, for you advice." He smirked ruefully, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment at his outburst. "I was really starting to panic there."

"Starting to? Chrono, I've never seen you act like this, not even that time when Rosette used the Spirit round." She sat gingerly on the edge of her desk, regarding him seriously. Although, she admitted, it felt rather odd for her to be at eyelevel with him while standing up. "Don't take this the wrong way, now, but do you really object to being with Rosette that much?"

Chrono stared in blank surprise, not understanding what the woman was asking him. "What do you mean?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "I mean,--well, I'm not quite sure. I suppose I mean that if Rosette were to love you, (god help us, the chaos)," she muttered under her breath, "would you reject that love?"

Chrono stilled at the implication, then sighed. "No, I would never reject the love of a person like her. I—I would treasure it." He looked at her, his gaze almost fierce, "But I will not take something from her simply because of a stupid curse. She deserves to have the best in the world, and I know that I am not it." He rose, bowing politely. "I apologize for barging in here like that."

"Apology accepted, but I will make you go down to the elder's and have him make me a new door."

The devil glanced behind him and winced at the sight of the twisted and ripped hinges. "Sorry, ma'am."

"Go on now, and tell those two what we've decided." She returned his bow as he went out the door. Sighing a little, she thought out loud. "For all that you are a demon, you truly are a good man, Chrono the Sinner. May god help you both."

(scene change: Rosette's spot in the hospital wing, playing cards with Azmaria, and just now discussing the spell.)

Rosette went pale as milk. "What did you say?"

Azmaira nodded sadly. "That is the terms of the curse."

"But he wouldn't—Chrono would never! He's the kindest, most decent person I know! He'd never do anything like that!"

"It wouldn't be of his own free will," the girl pointed out. "He would be in the grip of the spell. The Elder and Father Remington are trying to find a way to negate the spell before it reaches that far. They said that"—she paused.

"What? What did they say?"

"They said that—if Chrono does go out of control, they are to try to get you as far away from him as they can, by any means necessary."

"You mean, they'd shoot at him? They'd shoot Chrono?! No way! I will not allow this!!! Elder!!! Get your wrinkled old butt down here right now!" The nun shrieked.

Azmaria lowered her hands from her now ringing ears. "What are you going to do, Rosette?"

"See what I can do. And then I have to talk to Chrono. I won't let them hurt him," she said fiercely.

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Some humor will be coming up in the next chap, I can't resist picking on the poor guy.

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