The sky was gray, the rather gray clouds covering the sky. Sheets of rain hit the sidewalk, the roof, and everything outside. Music drowned the patter, though.

Fingers lightly touched the glass window and yellow eyes looked out into the crying sky from the second floor room. The fingers and eyes belonged to small Riku, who wasn't so small anymore.

It's been 2 years since that faithful but rather scary rescue from her life as a abused, piano-playing maid.

Her blonde hair was about two shades lighter due to the care Rin had made Riku put into it, and it was a little longer too. It went to about her shoulders, unlike Rin's, who kept her hair short. She grew a little taller too, but not that much. She was kinda short for the age of 9. She was still wearing that same kind of uniform design Zumi had picked out for her to wear the first day she came, it was like her little uniform in the group. Everyone had his or her own designs, of course.

She was looking out into the sky because she was wondering when everyone else was coming home. Raiden and Lim were out on a mission, or errand as everyone else secretly puts it around Riku, but she knows. So this young girl was alone in the big house, the stereo blaring out "Juvenile" by some artist.

Riku was looking out, her gold eyes filled with both worry and curiousness. She knew that it would take them longer to come home because of the rain and that they had to take a very small short cut through the forest that was the mansion fence. But Riku was more worried than curious.

Raiden, now the age of 18, was out of school and fully into the business and so was Limn so he was at home and was home schooling the blonde by Raiden's orders. She wasn't supposed to go to public school, like everyone else. Zumi, Mamoru, Meiko, and Kaito went to middle school through high school while Miku, Rin, and Len went to elementary still. Lim had said that after everyone is in middle school that they would be pulled out of school and be home schooled, like Riku. And she was looking forward to that. She didn't want to be here all alone and study by herself during the day.

She would've hated it if one of the bosses lackeys have hurt them……

"Ri-chan!" Riku's head shot up from the glass and she turned around, blinking. It was them!!! They were finally back! Riku turned her head and looked at the clock. How could she miss the time? The bus must've came late.

Zumi called, "We're home!!!"

Then, Mamoru added. "Yeah, and the rain just put a damper on it. I mean, I can't even teach Len how to kill a guy in one shot!"

Riku scrambled away from the window and down the stairs, seeing everyone.

Miku, Rin and Len had their school uniforms on, barely even wet. It was a navy blue skirt for the girls and regular navy pants for the boys with a blue vest and white undershirt, the girls having a ribbona dn the boys having a necktie. You know, regular school uniforms.

"Where is that girl?" Zumi asked, putting her hands on her hips. Since the middle school she went to didn't have uniforms, she was free to wear whatever she wanted. She had a white jacket that was wet from the shoulders and a green skirt with black tights under, it matched her hair a bit. She and everyone else flung their backpacks in the corner and shrugged off their wet jackets.

"Why's the music so loud?" Meiko asked. She was wearing a red jacket and hat with a pair of jeans. Meiko was a teenager now, and she started growing boobs. And they were growing fast.

"I'll go turn it off." Kaito sighed as he pulled off his blue scarf. He had a blue and white jacket and pants, what he regularly wore. And that blue scarf, Riku always wondered why he wore that. But it was autumn, so he was allowed to wear it. He went up the stairs completely not seeing the blonde that was peeking over the corner.

"Oh, shut it. Big boooobs!" Mamoru teased. His brown hair was wet from the rain. He had a regular white skull shirt and jeans, his regular attire. He was soaked down to the bone, his shirt was see through.

"You shut that mouth of yours Mamoru before I kill you!"

"Ri-chan, me and Len got you a fruit!" Rin cupped her hands around her mouth and called, her voice ringing throughout the house.

Riku blinked and smiled, scampering out of her hiding spot and running to the girl. But, she didn't get to her destination safely. Her socks slipped on the marble floor and she came tumbling down. She moaned and got on her hands and knees, rubbing one hand on her forehead. "Oww……"

She saw a shadow cover her and a pair of feet appear, and she looked up.

And there was ten-year-old Len. He had his hands on his knees and he leaned down, holding one helping hand to her. He closed his eyes and sighed for a second, probably wondering why he was supposed to be her bodyguard. He then smiled and looked at her fondly.

Riku blinked and smiled back childishly, grabbing his hands with both of hers and let him help her back up to her feet. She continued to smile up at him, and he just stared back. He didn't speak much to her when everyone was around.

"Ri-chan, welcome me home!" Zumi said, coming up from behind and glomping the girl around her nick. Riku smiled and clutched onto Zumi's arm so she wouldn't choke or fall.

"Welcome home, Zumi-onee." She said, smiling whole-heartedly as Zumi let go. Rin then glomped her almost look alike, looking down at the girl slightly and knowing what to expect. Miku jointed in, but didn't hug the girl. She just stood close and hung onto Riku's small hand. She closed her eyes and smiled. "Welcome home, Rin-onee, Miku-onee. I'm happy you all came back safely."

They both squealed and squeezed Riku, making her give out a squeak. They could never get enough of her naïve and childishness. They thought she was so innocent, and she was. She didn't really know what was going on in the outside world, only the things Zumi, Meiko, or Raiden tell her and the things she hears from the radio.

"Hey, you two." Mamoru said, sighing and running a hand through his wet hair. "Leave the girl alolne. Your squeezing the life outta her."

Rin and Miku dropped her in a instant, making her fall flat on her butt. She let out a gasp of paina dn rubbed her butt, wincing slightly. They squabbled, "Sorry Ri-chan!"

"It's…okay!" the little blonde said, standing up and smiling.

Meiko sighed and shook her brunette head. She grabbed everyone's jackets off the floor and started to head to the laundry room. "You all should hurry up and change out of those clothes before you catch a cold. And you know what Raiden would do if you get sick-"

Everyone's eyes widened and they ran up to the stairs so fast you would've thought they were running the marathon. Zumi and Mamoru were pushing each other back and Mamoru almost fell down the stairs, but he soon regained his balance and was running twice as fast.

Riku giggled to herself as she watched. She loved living here, everyone was so fun to watch and talk to and play with. Even if she still didn't know much about them after two years of living with them. She didn't know their life story, even though they knew hers-

She blinked when her view from the stairs was blocked with something. It was a red apple, a very good and juicy looking apple. She touched it and looked at who was holding it up to her face.

It was Len.

He was a little taller than her, so she had to look up like she did to everyone else. He had one hand in his pocket and was looking away, his head tilted slightly like someone who was doing something embarrassing.

Riku blinked and touched the shiny red offering hesitantly, but when her hands touched it fully she took it and lowered it, looking down at it in wonder. She had never seen an apple this red before! It was even redder than the ones in the large garden and the ones Meiko bought that one time!

"Thank you Len!!!" She never called him by any other honorific. She didn't know if she was allowed to. She didn't look up at him, she just stared at it in wonder.

She felt something warm on her head and looked up, seeing Len looking down at her. He was patting her head with his now free hand like Raiden would always do, and he was smiling. "Your welcome, Riku-san. Now take a bite, I know you wanna."

Len always seemed to talk older than he really was, and Rin sometimes called him a old man. Riku blinked and was about to say something, but decided to obey instead. She took a bite and blinked, chewing. She swallowed and smiled, her cheeks flushed slightly by the taste. She looked up at Len. "Wow! It's really good!!!!"

"What did you expect?" Len then smiled, his hand still on her head. Riku blinked at this. Even though Len acted as childish as everyone here int he house, he rarely smiled at Riku. "I knew you would like it."

"Hey Ri-chan! Len-kun!" Riku and Len looked up to see Meiko at the foot of the stairs, a smile on her face as she waved for Len to come up the stairs. "Len-kun, you should change. And Ri-chan, Lim just called right now. He said they would be coming, but maybe not unharmed-"

Riku's smile faded a bit. She knew what that meant, she was fully aware.

That meant that either Raiden or Lim himself might be hurt. They were on a mission, the two were a tag team like Zumi and Mamoru are a team and Kaito and Meiko are a team. But Lim and Raiden did the most dangerous ones, and Raiden usually was the one that would get severely hurt, not Lim.

Riku scooted closer to Len, grabbing a hold of his uniform sleeve. She would usually go to him for a little comfort. He just looked down at her and grabbed her wrist, pulling her up the stairs."Come on, Riku. You should change as well. It's to cold to wear a skirt."

Riku stumbled after him, looking over her shoulder to see Meiko walk towards the door when the bell rang.

?.?

Riku looked out the window and out into the still crying world in a daze, letting out a little sigh.

She was in Zumi's room, hanging out with the girls after Zumi had told her to take a bath. Zumi was sitting on her computer typing up a essay that was due the next Monday, so she wasn't paying lot of much attention. Miku was doing Rin's hair as they sat on the rug, then they started talking about the gossip at school. Meiko and Riku were sitting on the bed, Riku sitting on Meiko's lap as the brunette brushed through her hair.

She hadn't been downstairs, or out of Zumi's room for that matter, for two hours now.

"Is Onii-sama and Lim-san alright?" Riku asked, blinking and looking up at the ceiling. She had been asking that for a while, and every time she did Meiko would change the subject or just sigh.

Meiko stopped brushing her hair and Riku blinked in question, removing her eyes away from the window and tried to look over her shoulder to see what Meiko was doing. From her point of view, Meiko was texting on her phone with one hand, the brush in her other. Meiko looked up at Riku and she turned around to face the teenager fully.

Meiko smiled. "Yeah, they are. Raiden-sama only has cuts and bruises, he'll be alright for now."

Riku's face beamed. Thank god! "Can I go see Onii-sama now?"

"I don't see why not."

Zumi was now paying attention, she had the rotating chair turned around so she could face them, and Rin and Miku were sitting on their knees so they could look over the bed. They were waiting to see what the young girl would do.

Riku smield and climbed off of the bed backwards, running up to the door and opening it. She then ran down the very long hallway until she was at Raiden's double-door room. She opened one and peeked in.

Mamoru, Lim, Kaito, and Len were all hanging aruond the large room, all talking to Raiden. Mamoru was sitting on the window seat, his arms crossed over his head lazily and sitting idian was sitting in a chair while Lim was leaning casually against a wall, his arms crossing his chest. He had one bandage wound around his head and left eye, his smart-looking glasses still on.

Raiden was sitting up on the bed, the covers covering his lower body and some bandages wound around his bare chest and right arm. Len was sitting on the edge of the bed next to the 18-year-old, looking worried and buisness-like at the same time.

Riku leaned in closer, making the door creak slightly. Their conversation stopped and they all looked at her, some wary and some just plain deadpan. Raiden was the only one smiling at her, and Len just gave her the slightly fond stare he almost gave her all the time.

"Well, good evening, Riku-chan." Raiden said, his voice the same as if he weren't hurt.

Riku blinked and pushed the door open more, her bare feet making no noise on the wooden floor as she scampered to his side. She sat on her knees, putting her hands on the edge of the bed like a little blonde puppy.

With one swift movement, as is he was ordered to, Len grabbed her wrist and pulled her up ontot he bed with his still growing strength. She blinked in surprise as she looked at the bed and then to the floor, wondering what had happened. But once she finally figued it out, she scooted coser to Len and Raiden. "Onii-sama, are you alright? WHat happened?"

"Oh, same ol' same ol." Raiden said, rolling his blood red eyes and waving his hand over like it was something he had to repeat over and over. "Shots here, shots there. I got little grazes, so no harm done in my part. But some of those bastards got away."

Riku shook her head, touching the teenager's shoulder in the lightest of ways. "But are you alright, Onii-sama?"

Raiden winced, but that went by Riku unnoticed. He smiled down at her, putting one hand on her head and putting one hand on Len's, which made his blue eyes blink in question. He was obviously asking the question also, involentarily in his eyes. Raiden chuckled and smirked at them. "I'm tellign you both right now, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. What you need to worry about is yourselves."

Len opened his mouth. "But-"

"No buts, got it?" Raiden said, looking down at Len with one raised eyebrow. Len sighed and nodded, looking down at the bed cover. From between his legs he clutched the covers, hard, and then unclenced it as quickly.

Riku noticed this little jesture, even though she didn't even try to. She then did what she saw Rin do once. She reached over and grabbed onto the end of his baggy shorts, and he looked up and over at her. But she had her childish yellow eyes straight ahead, looking at her older brother as if she weren't hanging onto Len's shorts. She was listening to what he was saying, which made them both smile and laugh, and so the three other boys in the room.

But Len blocked what they were saying out of his head. He was now somewhere else, looking down at the covers he was once again clutching onto with his fist. A hit on the head brought him back to reality.

"Hey, squirt!" Mamoru said, standing on the edge of the bed and having his hand backward like he was knocking on the door. He smirked down at him. "It's not time to fall asleep on us. Anyway, it's time for you and Ri-chan to go to sleep. Take her to your room. Meiko texted me and said that Rin is going to sleep in her room, so don't get hysterical when if you don't see her sleeping in the bed tonight."

"Alright, you don't have to yell." Len said as he nodded and averted his blue eyes to the end of his shorts one again. Riku's hand had dissapeared, she wasn't even sitting beside him anymore.

She was standing at the now open double doors, her arm raised up slightly as Kaito's hand incircled her own small one. She was looking at him, her body half tilting his way. Her eyes were now sleepy and she had one sleeve over her eye to cover it from the light. She must've fallen asleep while Len was out of it, because she was never sensetive to light unless she had just woken up.

Lenn looked up at Raiden to see that the boy was staring back at him with expectant red eyes. Len eimmidiatly scrambled off the bed and walked over to Riku, his hands out slightly as a jesture of guidence. "Come on, time to go to sleep."

Riku nodded and grabbed onto the end of his white shirt. He sighed, he knew she would fall over any second and fall asleep. So he nelt down with his back to her and offered her a ride, a thing he always did. Riku blinked, but gladly took the offer with a slight nod and put her arms over his shoudlers lazily.

Kaito helped get the almost asleep girl on Lens back and opened the door further and the two were on their way.

"Hey, Riku." Len said, not bothering to look over his shoulder and to her.

"Huhm?" Her voice was right next to his ear and he had to run his head. She had her cheek on his shoulder, the hair that surrounded her face hanging across her other cheek and forehead slightly and mixing into his own hair. She had her eyes closed as well.

"Nothing, just don't fall asleep on me." Len said, looking ahead of him once more. He saw their room and his pace quickened. He didn't know why, but he just didn't want to have Riku asleep when Mamoru was still wandering the halls, he was the new prankster of the house.

So, once they were in the room, Len laid Riku down on the bed next to her favorite toy, a three inch fox with red fur and nine-tails. She curled up slightly on her side and rested one hand on Mimi the fox while Len closed the door behind him and turned off the light. The rain was lightest then it had been all day, and there was no lightning. The old fasioned candle was the only light in the room.

Len laid down on the bed next to Riku and covered both of them with the sheet.

"Len...." He looked up to see that she was talking in her sleep. She had Mimi in her arms tightly clutched to her chest, as if she were in pain.

Len's eyebrows curled up in worry. He rested his hand on her head and stroked her hair, like Raiden used to do when she would get too worried about his injuries. Riku's tension lessened a lot under his hand. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Where's......where's Rin Onee-chan?"

Len smirked to himself. She would alway ask the most random but understandable questions right before she loses consiousness. He scooted a little closer to her so they could share a little body heat. "She's sleeping with Meiko-Onee tonight. Now go to sleep. Lim said he would teach you how to cook breakfast tommorow, so go to sleep now."

Rikuk nodded and closed her eyes once more, falling asleep. Len sighed and shook his head, resting his face next to the sleeping girls.

"Why do I have to take care of a girl like this?" He smiled to himself and sighed once more, "Well, my fate, I guess. Better get used to her......."

Z.z

Bang!

Bang!

Riku shot up from the pillow, sitting on the bed and clutching onto the sheets. She rubbed her eye with her wrist and yawned. She looked at the clock; it was 1:00 in the morning. She yawned once more. "How come I-"

Bang!

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. It was a ambush! They were under attack!!! How did the bad people find where they lived?! She then looked beside her and noticed Len was gone, and her eyes widened even more with worry. She threw the covers off of her and walked ot the door, opening it and walking out.

She knew she should've stayed inside the room, but she wanted to help. But this was the first time the house has been in a attack, well, ever since that one night where Zumi found her. She didn't want to be useless when the others could be hurt, or worse!

Her jog turned into a run and she kept it that way until she tripped over something. Something wet and warm.

She looked behind her and her eyes widened a little, the thing was big. She scrambled backward away from it and her back hit something cold adn screamed for a second, she hit the wall. She the knew she shouldn't have done that, now someone would find her. She looked at the thing she tripped over in shock, covering her mouth with both of her half-wet hands so she wouldn't scream again.

Laying on the ground was a person with messy brown hair and eyes. A puddle of blood surrounded him, the blood coming towards her and almost touched her bare feet. Her eyes widened, she thought it was Mamoru for a second. And that fact made Riku scream out again, her scream so loud it drowned out the shooting.

She overed her mouth again, and noticed that the gunshots stopped.

Thuds of running was heard around the silent house, and Riku thought they were coming to get her.

"Someone get her out of here!" She heard her brother yell echoed in from outside.

The echos of feet walkign down the dark marble hallway continued as she sat. She kept her scared gold eyes peering down the hallway, just waiting for Meiko or Lim or Kaito or anyone to come and get her and reassure her.

Too bad.

A dark outline of a figure stood in her view, and she looked up in hopes it was one of the people she spent two very happy and joyful years with. But so much for that.

Standing there was one of Riku's old fellow servant, Hojo. He was one of the only servants who would talk to her during work, and he always gave her a smile in the morning. And now, when she compares it to the ones everyone in the house have been giving her, she could tell now it was a fake smile. He had shaggy red hair in the type of messy style you would see skaterboys wear, and he had peircing green eyes. His once pale and perfect face now had blood spatters on the side of his face. His eyes weren't smiling like they used to, no. Now he was out for blood.

"Well, who do we have here?" He asked in a teasing voice, walking over to her with strolling-type steps. "Another one of Raiden's workers?"

Riku scooted back even more, so much she was sitting back against the wall and her back was as straight as a board. He smirked as he continued to stroll to her, making her shiver everytime he took a step. Soon her was in front of her, kneeling down. He stayed like that and Riku continued to play paralyzed, her head down but her eyes wide open.

"Oh, why it's you, Chere!" Hojo said, his voice and eyes showed surprise.

Despite the clueless look on Hojo's face, she knew his intentions. So she mustered up all of her courage and said, "D....Don't call me that!!!!"

"What, did you say to me?" All of her courage flew away like a rocket and left her scared stiff on the floor.

And all of a sudden he had his hand under her chin and jerked her face. Riku was still scared out of her wits, so it kinda hurt when he did that. He smiled and looked down her at cold green eyes and pulled out a knife, making it gleem in the light. He put the tip on the begining of her throat and trailed it down her kneck, over and over again.

"You've grown to be so cute." He commented, making her shiver slightly. He stopped at the middle of her throat and pressed the edge of his knife to her neck, drawing blood.

"I should just take you back home, to the mansion. Master's son wished for you to come back, if you were alive after that little attack. First, should cut you up a little more, or just kill you right now."

Oh no! Onii-sama and everyone else won't let that happen!...Right?

But, much to the blonde girls' super surprise, Hojo stood up and the knife fell from his hand and to his side. Riku took this time to scoot away from the teen. Her knees came to her chest as she put both hands to her neck, rying to stop the bleeding. Blood was already slidding down her neck and soaking her pajama shoulder.

She looked up at Hojo to see his his head back slightly and put the back of his hand on his forehead in one dramatic motion. "But, alas, rules are rules. I'm gonna have to kill you right here and now, Chere."

Riku watched as Hojo took out a black gun, one a little like the one Mamoru always cleaned and used in every single mission he went on. He raised it up with both hands, gving a wicked smirk and watched Riku bleed with blood thursty eyes. With wide gold eyes, she watched him finger the triger.

"Bye bye, my little Chere." Hojo said, then-

BANG!

Riku shut her eyes and braced up so hard she thought she was going to accidentally choke herself.

But, surprisingly, she didn't feel anything come through her. Instead, she felt something wet and warm splatter across her face. And with that, she opened her eyes.

The gun fell out of Hojo's hand and he fell to his knee's, clutching onto his right hand. Riku looked at him with wide eyes as the blood that was spattered across her face ran down to the floor. Hojo had a hole in his hand, and he was screaming so much each time he took a breath and started again the girl would flinch.

"Riku," Her hrad shot up when she heard the very familiar voice call her name. Len was standing there, looking down at her. He was wearing his uniform, with a black jacket. He also was in the cool stance Mamoru had taught him to when he was doing execution. It gives it some style, Mamoru would say. "Come here."

"H-hai." Her voice was shaky as she nodded. She stood up, falling on her but before trying again and suceeding. She ran over to Len and hid behind him, shaking out of her skin as she cllutched to his black jacket.

"You alright?"

"Hai."

"God damn you!" Mamoru shouted, turning to the both. He glared up to Len while the boy just continued to stare down at him. "You won't get away with this! My comrades-"

"Are dead." Len said coldly. He then got ready to pull the trigger. "You wanted to hurt this girl, right? Any last words before you die?"

Riku looked up at Len with slight surprise in her eyes. Len never talked like this before, and it scared her a little more. Len didn't mid that she was clutchign onto her arm sleeve like her life depended on it, he actually kind of liked it Like he was savign the day, and he was gonna be in everyone else's eyes.

"Like I would tell you." Hojo sneered, still clutching onto his hand. "You can't pull that trigger, boy. Oh, and Chere?" Riku looked down at him and stopped shaking, right before he gave her a smile. "I hope you have sweet dreams, Chere."

And that got the girl shaking like a dog again.

Len was furious, at the fact that he was scaring his friend even more and that he was dissing him. And in one second, a bllet went throught Hojo's head and he fell on the floor, dead. His blood was now splattered everywhere, on the curtains and on Len. Riku was hiding behind him, so she didn't get any red on her except for her feet.

Riku didn't say anything anymore, she just buried her head into Len's back, shaking like a leaf still.

Len put his hands to his side and looked over his first kill, at age 10. That was pretty good, too. He then turned his attention to the blonde girl.

"Hey," Len murmured, turning around. Her grip loosened on him for a second, but she continued to hug him when he was facing her. He pulled her face up and started to wipe the blood off of her face with his pajama sleeve. "Are you alright? He didn't touch you or hurt you really bad, right?"

"No," She said, shaking her head as straight as she could. She looked up at him and gave him the best smile she could manage. "I-I'm alright. Thank's for coming, Len-san."

"You can cry, if you want."

She knew she couldn't act strong around Len, he knew just how to get stuff out of her weither she liked it or not. Len let go of her face and she closed her eyes, tears streamed down her face. Her shoulders were shaking uncontrolably, and her cries echoed throughout the house. While she was bawling her eyes out, Len ripped the curtains off of the hanger and drapped it ovver the dead Hojo.

And, soon enough, her tears ran out and her cries died down to shudders and sobs.

"Now now," Len said, holding onto her and patting her on the head. "No need for you to cry anymore. Come on, I think everyone killed the intruders. Let's go meet your Onii-sama and everyone else, okay?"

Riku nodded as she continued to wipe her eyes with her sleeves. Len bent down to give her a ride on his back and she gladly took it, holding onto him. As soon as her feet left the ground he stood up and started to walk the other way, not even minding the dead teenager anymore.

After all, he was about to hurt their innocent little girl.

~!~

"Oh my god, there they are!" Zumi's voice called once the two were outside in the rose garden.

Len just stood in the entrance of the garden and let Zumi and Meiko ran to their aid while the older boys walked over. Rin and Miku were alseep in the car that waited at the exit of the rose maze, after doing their job of course. Lim was sitting in the driver's seat of the car, keeping it running just in case.

"Are you two alright?!" Meiko asked, pulling the girl off of Len's back and carrying her. She was petting the girls' head like a concerened mother, and she was soon passed down to Zumi, who did the same thing. "Oh, your shaking like a leaf!"

"Yeah, she's alright." Len said, shrugging a little.

Zumi pulled Riku out of her arms and sat her on a bench, kneeling down on the ground so she could examine the girl throughly. Meiko put her hands on her hips and leaned over, examing her as well.

"Oh!" Zumi said, catchign Raidens attention. The raven-haired boy walked over as Zumi reached out, touching Riku's pale neck. The bleeding had stopped, but her neck was still tenderand she couldn't help but wince. She never got used to pain. "You got cut, you poor thing!!! Are you alright?"

"Yes, Zumi-onee." Riku said, nodding her head in responce. "Len kept me safe. Really, I-"

She froze when she felt something wind around her neck and she looked up to see Raiden put tie the thing. The black velvet ribbon that Raiden usually tied around his arm was gone and around her kneck. SHe smiled after he was done. "Thank you, Onii-sama."

"Your welcome, Ri-chan." The boy smiled back beore walking back to the group of three, in which the two older ones were praising the younger one.

"Good job~!" Mamoru congradulated, patting the blonde boy on his back. "You saved the damsel in distress."

"You got some guts, kid!" Kaito said, laughing a little. "It would've scared the crap out of me if I volenteered and had to face going in there alone."

"Yeah, well-" Len's voice was cut off by the Leader's.

"Baka!!!!" Raiden yelled, smaking the boy with a fist upside his head so hard he fell over. Len sat on the floor and rubbed the back of his head, yellign out "Ow!!!" and looking up at Raiden to see what he did wrong. "You never go into a battlefield alone, even if there is no other choice...."

"But-"

"You didn't let me finish!" Another fist made contact with the back of Len's head and Raiden smiled down at him. "Good job. But your grounded, got it?"

"Aww, really?!" Len asked, pouting. He then shrugged, "Whatever!!!"

He got up and ran to Riku to see if she was truely alright, leaving the three to confind in themselves.

"Len's really growing up and maturing really fast." Mamoru observed.

He watched Len run his hand through Riku's hair repeatedly, talking to her and trying to make her laugh. And he managed to get a little giggle out of her, even if she liked it or not. She was actually surprised he was warming up to her now, after two years.

"Yeah, and he's taking this really well." Kaito said, nodding his head.

"Well, what do you expect from my heir?" Raiden said almost to himself before shrugging and shoving his hands in his pockets. He called, "Come one, you four! Time to go to the hotel before anyone else comes! And we need a early wake up so we could clean the dirt out of the house!"

"Hotel....?" Riku asked, looking at Len. She ignored the dirt comment that came from her brother.

"Yeah." Len said, nodding. "We go to this fancy Hotel and stay there just in case we can't live in our house. It's really cool, Ri-chn. You'll like it so much you wouldn't care if you couldn't go outside, promise. Come on before your Onii-sama hits me again."

Riku laughed and grabbed onto Len's hand, hopping off the bench and following him to the car. Zumi an Meiko aww'ed at them and followed as well.

Once Raiden helped Riku into the large car and Len followed after, they sat in the back. Riku leaned up against Len and he leaned his head on her head. They talked about how they were going to spend their time at the hotel, since she couldn't go out and he could, and they looked out at the bright city lights.

Soon she fell asleep after chattering her contiousness away, curled up next to Rin for warmth but one of her hands were still clutched onto Len's.

Looking out into the nightlife of the town, Len thought about his actions that night.

How he was scared that Hojo actually hurt Riku badly. He actually got scared most of the time when somthing happens to her, even when she does it herself. But she took it well, maybe because she knew this would happen eventually. He was happy he could keep his promise with Raiden. Even if she got hurt just a little, she didn't die.

He protected their Hime-sama, his full time mission.

He smiled to himself as he drifted to sleep. He laid his head opposite of Riku's and clutched both of his hands onto one of her small ones with the same strenghth she had with him.

I protected my Hime-sama.....

~#~

Okay dokay!!!!

I think I have writers block waaaaay too much for my own good. But I still got it done, friends! Claps for everyone!!! Anyway, this is it! See ya next chapter~!

Oh yeah! Please READ AND REVIEW~! Mind the underlined words. Would you?! Pweeeeze?!! Im on my knee's~!

Anyway~ Me, out!