A/N: Ok so I know I have been slipping lately. I am totally sorry that this one story has slipped through the cracks. I recently found it again and was like crap why'd I stop and immediately started typing. SO, in short sorry I took so long! Hope you enjoy the story! R&R!

Chapter 9

"What was that about?" Yui asked as Rem's door slammed in our faces. I looked between both Yui and the door and I knew I had at least a little more competition then Thor. Yui just happened to be thankfully more clueless.

"No idea? Maybe finding you in her room made her mad?" I teased Yui and to my surprise his face fell instead of him making a jab back at me. 'crap this is going to be difficult.' Cause I actually liked Yui as a person. I turned and started to walk away hiking Tiz up on my shoulder again.

"Do you think that was it?" Yui said as he turned and caught up with me. He seemed genuinely worried about her.

"I have no clue Yui. Maybe she was telling the truth and she was just tired?" I sighed in frustration. I had to start thinking of a way to woo her and not let Thor, and now, Yui know. She had to pick me it was like a physical ache now. It had to be me she picked; if she picked anyone at all. Sobering thought that. Not that I didn't mind spending the month of joining alone but, I hadn't had to spend it alone in many, many years. 'This was going to be one hell of a chase and I do love to chase.' I thought grinning like a fool.

XXX Next Day XXX

I was standing with my back to the door getting dressed. I had pulled on some leather pants and boots and had just finished wrapping my chest when my door busted wide open. In front of me on my bed was one of my tiny throwing knives that I had rescued from my boot. I had forgotten that it was there for safe keeping and in case of emergencies. Without thinking I bent down and grabbed my knife and threw it towards the door frame. I had reacted without thinking and now all the visual images of who it could be started to flash in my mind. I gasped as soon as the knife left my hand wished I could take back that one motion. Thankfully my aim was off and the knife sank home in the door frame rather than into flesh.

"I didn't think you had a weapon guess I was wrong." Zagi said smiling at me from the doorway.

"Learn to KNOCK! Damn it!" I glared at him and regretted that the knife didn't actually hit him.

"Nah. This is a much more genuine reaction; don't you think?" Zagi laughed.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah." I sighed as I turned back around and pulled a forest green top on over my head. I hissed out a breath when I pulled my arm up and through, but it couldn't be helped. What I wasn't expecting was Zagi to be right there as I pulled my shirt the rest of the way down, looking concerned.

"You ok?"

"Yeah. I'm not spun glass. I'm not going to break, it just hurts. That's all." That got me a smile and not one of the smirking ones either. This one was genuine or as genuine as I've seen from him any way. I shook my head and laughed, this day was going to be interesting that was for sure.

"Shall we go then? Anywhere in particular you want to know how to get to first?" he asked opening the door for me. I paused and pulled my knife out of the door frame, pulled some of the binding around my chest out and stuffed it down so you couldn't see it unless you looked directly down my cleavage. Zagi watched in fascination as he watched the knife seemingly disappear.

"How about where the food is, so that I can stop being fed like a baby. Having everything brought to me when I am perfectly capable of walking is annoying." I griped.

"I bet. But I'm going to warn you there are people that didn't want another mouth to feed this winter as you can well remember from your fight. And well let's say..." Zagi paused as if trying to grasp the right words out of the air.

"l know, from what I can deduce I won't be the favorite person amongst the women whereas the men may have a different opinion. Is that about the gist of it?" he gave me a grim nod and as he opened his mouth to tell me something else I stopped him by placing my fingers to his mouth.

"Look I will be careful; I have my knife and the only thing that is truly still sore to the touch is my shoulder. My ribs feel better than they did and I am sure I can hold my own otherwise I wouldn't be walking around and you know that. So, save your breath on the warnings, ok? I know the risk." Zagi looked dumbfounded for a minute then smiled and grabbed my hand pulling me down the hall with him. It was a new sensation, this hand holding. Well, with a man that is. I stared at his hand for a while and when I knew he wasn't going to let go I just shrugged and accepted it as part of him showing me around this gigantic fortress.

XXX

It took heroic efforts to stifle my laughter. I had tears leaking down the side my face and I was sure I was red from my stifling. It was too comical. When I took Rem to the mess I didn't think that it would turn out that hilarious. Another fit of laughter took me at the memory of what I had witnessed and I had to return to stifling.

"Stop laughing already. It was embarrassing enough." Rem scolded me but was laughing a little herself at the ridiculousness of it all.

'But..but but….HAHAHAHAHA" I couldn't hold it anymore. Just remembering the line-up of man after man that had come up to her and propositioned her, and not all of them too subtle, GOD! Oh, and the way the woman just about burned her alive with their glares and nasty comments; which were returned in kind, but still, it was more than what even I had expected.

"Oh for the love of God Zagi; it wasn't that funny." She laughed along with me and I was happy that for once she had loosed up in front of me.

"Oh yes it was. It was comedic genius on God's part." I said as I wiped my face of the laughing tears. "Where to next Rem?" I asked so as to spend more time with her.

"You sure you don't have anything to do today? I don't want to take away from your duties here." She said with a frown losing a little of that fun sprit she had a moment ago.

"I told you I would show you around today and that is what I am going to do." I smiled at her as I grabbed her hand and started to walk forwards towards the exit of the fortress. I had a mind to show her the plants and what each was capable of. Took me back to a time when I showed Thor and his brother how the planet worked when he got landed here. Man, it has been a long time. I smiled thinking back at the memory.