A/N: Sorry for long updating, I'm busy nowadays and it caused me tired too. T_T But here you are, the fifth chapter. Please enjoy! ^_^

Disclaimer: Aoki Takao-sensei

Setting: Alternate Universe

Sheriff and the Thief

Chapter Five

"Sheriff Max!"

"Max, wake up!"

"Sheriff Max!"

Sheriff Max groaned. Those voices were so noisy! Couldn't they see he was sleeping now!?

"Max, please… wake up…"

"Sheriff Max…"

Oh sh*t, Max thought. Who the hell are they, bothering my sleep!? And they also shake my body! Don't they know that my body is still weak and my wound had not been cured!?

Sheriff Max was swearing in his heart. He didn't want to open his eyes; he still wanted to sleep. But the voices disturbed him so much. Even now he could hear a cry. He tried to ignore it, but…

Wait…

It sounds like Emily…

And Kenny…

Finally Sheriff Max opened his eyes.

"Max!!!" a big hug welcomed him. A hug that he recognized well. Emily's hug.

"E—Emily!?"

"Sheriff Max, are you OK!?"

Sheriff Max turned his head and his eyes widened.

"Kenny!?"

"Oh Max, you are alive!!! I don't know what I will do if you… if you…" Emily cried.

"I'm sorry for making you worried, Emily," Sheriff Max stroked her hair softly. "Now, would you like to release me please?" he gently asked her. Emily released him, smiling happily. She brushed her tears away.

Sheriff Max looked at his surroundings. There were many polices beside Kenny and Emily.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She? Who?" Kenny frowned.

Sheriff Max took a deep breath.

"Nothing," he sighed. "I think I was dreaming."

He smiled to all people there. Of course he would not tell about Miss M to them.

"I'm not late, aren't I?" Emily asked. "I send police here, as you wish."

"But you are supposed to wait in the town with your father, Emily."

"Miss Emily forced to come with us," said the Police Inspector, smiling slightly. "Eventually Major Dickenson allowed her. By the way, Sheriff Max, I'm glad you are fine."

"Not really. Joseph shot me."

"What!?" Emily yelled in panic.

Sheriff Max opened his pajama (Miss M borrowed him Joseph's pajama to be worn). Emily screamed when seeing his chest bandaged.

"It's okay, Emily."

"Oh Max… I'm sorry," Emily began to cry again.

"You should not apologize, it's not your fault."

"Where is he, Sheriff Max?" the Police Inspector asked him sharply. "That damn bandit who shot you. We will arrest him."

"He's gone."

"He's gone?" Kenny repeated confusedly. "To where?"

"Have you checked this house?" instead of answering Kenny's question, Sheriff Max asked the Inspector.

"Yes Sheriff. We didn't find any sign of Joseph nor his fellows."

"So it's obvious, isn't it, Kenny? We don't know where he is going."

Kenny nodded, and then asked another question, "So who was taking care of your wound, Sheriff?"

Sheriff Max didn't answer. Lying to Emily and Kenny was something he never did before. But he did not have any will to give them information about Miss M. She had saved his life, he owed her about this.

He didn't know where Miss M now is—is she still here or not? Sheriff Max believed that she could look after herself, of course. Nevertheless he still worried if the polices realized her presence.

"Kenny's right," said Emily, suddenly stop crying. "Who had done it?"

Sheriff Max took a deep breath again. This would be his first lie to them.

"I don't know, Emily," he shook his head. "I don't know."

***

It had been ten days since Emily, Kenny and the police brought Max back to the town. Now Max was in hospital. He still didn't say anything about his rescuer; he always says that he was unconscious for a long time and didn't know anything. Emily, Kenny, and Major Dickenson felt strangeness about this, but they kept silent. Max's recovery was the most important thing right now.

Max had so many visitors everyday. As a sheriff—especially a great and friendly sheriff—he was well-known in the whole town. Common people, police, his friends, and even the town judge visited him. Max was really adored in that town; he was being such an idol there.

But he was not a boastful person. Otherwise, he was very modest. He served his guests friendly, he thanked them for fruits they brought for him. He joked with his friends as usual, and he talked politely to the judge and other important people of the town.

Sheriff Max loved them all; he loved people here and he appreciated their big attention to him so much. But he couldn't lie to himself that he really missed Miss M.

He missed her.

He missed her appearance…

Her blue hair…

Her cynical words…

Her porridge…

And above all, her presence.

He didn't know why he felt something like this toward her. Why she means so much for him? Whereas he only spent three days with her, and it was not the best days in his life.

Maybe I miss her because I left her when we had started to be friends, Max thought. Yeah, it must be the reason.

During his hospitalization, he always feels lonely at night. From morning until evening he was surrounded by people, but he was alone at night. The loneliness made him unable to sleep. In usual days—before Miss M did her thieving in this town—Max never got a difficulty to sleep. He had been tired after working for a full day, so he fell asleep immediately when he lay on his bed. After Miss M started making trouble for him, his sleepy days was begun. But it is all paid by his three days with Miss M. Although his whole body was ill, he could sleep peacefully because he felt comfortable with Miss M's presence. He never be disturbed by her and he didn't need to be worried about a danger or a sudden job at midnight. The point is he could completely relax with her.

Now, he felt lonely and bored, though he definitely wouldn't be called for a sudden job in his current condition.

"Maybe it's better if I'm still at Mariam's house," he murmured to himself. "It's very boring here."

All of a sudden, his hospital room's door was opened. Max turned his head to the door and he was very surprised when he saw who's coming in.

"Emily!?" Max yelled in surprise. "Why are you here!? Now is too late to visit a patient, isn't it?"

Emily smiled strangely.

"I come to see you, Sweetie," she said while walking nearer to Max. She brought a very big plastic bag on her hand.

Meanwhile Max frowned. Sweetie? Emily never called him like that—even to be exact, Emily WILL NEVER called him like that. Emily dislikes calling someone with a nickname—she is the simple one who always calls anyone by his/her given name.

"What's wrong with you, dear?" Max asked carefully.

"Nothing. I just want to see you."

"But you have been here since morning until evening," Max said.

"So what? I miss you. Do you object I'm here now?"

Max sighed.

"Stop acting. I know you are not Emily."

Emily grinned. Several seconds later she was gone. Instead of her, Miss M was standing on the place where Emily was there before.

"I know it was you. You'd made a wrong decision to disguise as Emily—you are quite bad in portraying her," Max mocked her.

Miss M smirked.

"Well, this is the first time my disguise doesn't get a praise," she said lightly.

"Emily will never call me 'Sweetie'," Max chuckled. "It's very disgusting for her."

"Really? I'll remember that," Miss M took an apple from a pile of apple on the table. And then she sat down on a chair beside Max's bed, eating the apple greedily.

"Hey, are all your words you said before indeed from your heart?"

Miss M looked at him confusedly.

"What do you mean?"

"Your words about 'I miss you' and 'Sweetie'," Max smiled teasingly. "I ask you whether it was just words because you are disguising as Emily or it was indeed from your heart."

"What a rhetorical question," Miss M said sarcastically.

Max laughed. His feeling changed instantly; he didn't know where the lonely and bored feeling that he felt several minutes ago were gone. Now he was very excited.

"By the way, what are you doing here? Do you really come to see me?"

"I'm hungry," Miss M answered. "Remember, you have ever said that I can come to you if I'm hungry. Anytime."

"You are hungry? It had been ten days since I left you! I can't believe you didn't eat anything for ten days."

"Oh my, you are truly the silliest person in the world," Miss M rolled her eyes. "Nobody could survive without eating for ten days."

"So? How do you get some food to be eaten?"

"Thieving, of course. I'm a thief, dummy."

Max was too happy seeing Miss M until he didn't get angry because of her quip.

"Why you didn't come to me earlier?"

"And being arrested by the magistrate?" she snorted as she took another apple.

"He doesn't arrest anyone," Max chuckled. "But how do you know the town judge visited me?"

"It's impossible he didn't visit a famous sheriff in this town who got shot in his duty to arrest an escaped bandit, isn't it?"

Max didn't answer. He suddenly realized it. Apparently Miss M had always been monitoring him since the police took him from her house. Does it mean that she cares about him?

"Are you worried about me?" Max asked. "You always monitor my condition, don't you?"

"Who said that?"

"No one, but I know it. Thanks, Mariam," Max gave her a sincere smile.

"I'm not worried about you. I'm just hungry. Actually I'm waiting for an exact time to steal your wedding cake, but seemingly you postponed your wedding, huh?"

"Yeah, Emily waited until I get well. Thanks for your care about me."

"How many times I have to say, I'm not caring about you! I don't care about you at all, you bastard."

Max's smile got wider. He knew she has a great pride, so she would never admit it. But Max understood.

"Where did you thieve your food during these ten days?"

"Not in this town. It's not interesting if no people chase me."

Max practically laughed. This girl is so adorable!

"You're wrong."

"What?"

"Yeah, you're wrong, Mariam. It's not interesting if no me chase you, right?"

Miss M rolled her eyes. Max chuckled.

"Stop teasing me, you damn sheriff," she said while took the very big plastic bag that she brought. And then she put fruits and other foods on Max's side table into it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Thieving your food."

"Who permits you to take my food?"

"Neither. Who says thieving needs a permission?" she commented sarcastically as she continued taking foods on the table.

Max sighed.

"Put it back."

"Are you trying to stop me?" she twitted him.

"Actually no," Max gave up. He let Miss M doing that. Moreover he wouldn't stand a loss at all, since foods on the table were uncountable. Its quantities had been enough to be not starving for at least a month.

"I understand now what that big plastic bag is used for," said Max. "By the way, how could you get here?"

"Are you blind? Of course by disguising as your beloved fiancée," Miss M answered lazily.

"Did the receptionist not forbid you to visit me? As I had said before, now is too late to visit a patient."

"What if I say that I left my wallet here?"

"Oh, an old trick," Max rolled his eyes. Miss M grinned.

"All right. I'll leave now. Thanks for the foods."

"Won't you be asked about that bag?" Max pointed at Miss M's big plastic bag which full of foods now.

"I won't call myself a thief if I can't handle this," she said lightly. "Good bye, Sheriff."

She had disguised as Emily again.

"Err… Mariam? Will you visit me again? Other times?" Max asked, trying to hide the hopeful tone in his voice.

"If I have finished eating all these foods," she answered while going out.

"Then I'll be waiting for that," Max grinned happily.

***

Next morning.

"Good morning Miss Emily, good morning Mr. Kenny," the hospital receptionist greeted them while smiling widely.

"Morning," Emily replied her smile.

"Visiting Sheriff Max again this time?"

"You know the answer," Emily said lightly as she and Kenny walked to Max's room.

"Don't leave your wallet again, Miss Emily," said the receptionist. Hearing that, Emily stopped walking.

"What's wrong, Emily?"

"Nothing. Go ahead, Kenny."

Kenny nodded. He left Emily who changed her direction—instead of going to Max's room, she went to the reception desk.

"What did you say?" Emily asked the receptionist sharply. "Leave my wallet?"

"Yes, Miss Emily," the receptionist nodded. She looked confused. "Last night you came back here to take your left wallet in Sheriff Max's room, didn't you?"

"I didn't leave my wallet and I didn't come back either," Emily stated flatly.

"Bu—but it was you, Miss Emily! It was really you! When you were going to Sheriff Max's room, I asked you what you are doing, because that time was already not visiting hours…"

"Wait," Emily cut the receptionist's words, "what time was it?"

"Around ten," answered the receptionist. And then she added, "You have to trust me, Miss Emily. I swear it was you. You don't have a twin, do you?"

"I don't," said Emily. "This is weird, very weird…"

"What if you ask Sheriff Max, Miss Emily? He definitely could explain this."

"You're right," Emily nodded. "I must ask him. Thanks."

Emily left the receptionist and went to Max's room. She opened the door harshly—although she actually had no will to do that.

"What's happened, Emily?" asked Max. He and Kenny looked worriedly at her.

"I want to ask you something," Emily walked closer to them. Her expression was strange. "Did I come back here last night to take my left wallet?"

Max's face turned pale immediately.

"Wh—what do you mean, Emily? I don't understand."

Emily took a deep breath, and then told him what the receptionist had said.

"Well, it's really weird," said Max, pretending to look confused. "But I know nothing about it. I slept soundly last night, not too long after you went home."

"Are you sure you know nothing about this?"

"Yes, Emily, my dear."

"All right, I trust you then," she smiled while sitting down beside Kenny. "How are you today? Do you feel better?"

"I think so," Max nodded. He felt better after Emily didn't ask furthermore about 'take-my-left-wallet' incident.

"Sheriff Max, how many fruits and foods here that you've eaten?" suddenly Kenny asked as he looked at Max's side table. He seemed surprised.

"I just ate some."

"Well, I think its amounts are decreased many enough. I'm sure yesterday it's still…"

"It's just your feeling, Kenny," said Max quickly.

"Hmmm… maybe."

Max sighed deep in his heart. How many lies again he has to tell them? He hated this situation. He hated to lie, especially to Emily. But he couldn't tell them the truth about Miss M. He didn't know until when he could stand it…

TBC

A/N: Hope you'll like this chapter, and once more, sorry for long updating this time. Well, next week I have five tests at school, so I suppose I can't update. But after that, I have holiday for two days. ^_^ I'll work harder for the next chapters. Thanks for reading and thanks more for reviewing.