Here's a chapter that's a bit longer than the last! Hope you all enjoy. :D

Oh, and the first part of this is a little suggestive, maybe even a hint of lime, so all you young readers be warned if you don't want to read anything of the sort.

After this chappie, the plot will finally begin to reveal itself. Yay! Oh, and there's more hot sexy Chrno. Double yay.

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Chapter 10

Countdown

Cold.

It was freezing.

And not like ice water – that's too cliché. No, this was like drinking a tall cold glass of lemonade just before skinny dipping in a fishing hole somewhere in the Antarctic without the pleasure of knowing within the next five minutes at least fifty percent of your body will be numb.

So needless to say, Rosette couldn't help but let out a loud, strangled gasp as she pushed herself out of the strong arms that held her, tripping over herself in a panic and landing on her bed. Wait, this was new…

After a few seconds of gasping for breath, she looked down, grasping her fingers over her sheets, noticing that she was indeed back in her room. Quickly she looked up, partially relieved but mostly horrified to see that Chrno was standing not a few paces away from her, watching her with mild amusement. Well, time to give him a long and agonizingly detailed expression of the pain he just made her go through.

"What. The FUCK?!"

She never was good with words.

"Shadow jumping. I told you it would be cold, so stop whining." Came his somewhat cool response, clearly irritated with her tone but either trying to sound just a little less angered, or simply didn't think she was worth the effort.

"You didn't tell me I'd nearly pass out! Do you have any idea how… how… intense that was? I thought I was going to die!" She snapped, rising back to her feet, rubbing her arms although she was almost positive by now the cold was only an illusion.

The violet-haired demon folded his arms, glaring at her with those intimidating golden eyes. "I saved your life, little girl. I suggest you calm down."

"Calm down. Calm down?" She repeated, though not letting her voice rise quite like before. "No, forget it. I'm not going to be pushed around by you again. I'm grateful for all you've done for me, but couldn't you – for once in my life – treat me like I'm not some toy to be played around with?"

"As I recall, Rosette," His voice dripped with the slightest bit of venom as he stepped closer to her, quickly grabbing her hand that had thrust out to push him away. "I've been more than considerate with your well being. Had you been claimed by any other demon, you would have been raped, tortured to the brink of insanity, and killed by now for your complete lack of respect towards a creature far more powerful than you."

Though Chrno had vaguely tried to give her encouraging words, it was obvious by the look she was giving him he had achieved the polar opposite effect. Not that it was anything he was surprised about, but he had just about spent all his effort into trying to make her believe that in comparison to normal demonic routine, he'd be labeled a saint. He minced no words with her (Though honestly, that was the very root of the problem), and still she treated him like he had some sinister ulterior motive. Human women were just too fragile…

As she took a breath to reply, her hand visibly shaking within his own, he very much expected another plea for mercy. If frustration wouldn't kill him, cliché will. "And if you ever so much think of doing anything like that to me, I'll kick you so hard your grandchildren will feel it." She glared up at him with defiance, making her demon counterpart falter ever so slightly.

That had caught him off guard… though he still felt a little more than furious, he was surprised at her responses to him as of late. He could tell he was still scaring her horribly, but she was just so damn stubborn that she gave every ounce of her energy into her refusal to let him see it. Even when she was just a kid, she detested being anything like a damsel in distress.

A tiny smile graced his lips as he leaned forward, placing one knee on the bed beside her, making the poor girl shiver despite the hardened look of resolve she gave him. "How adorable. You think you can threaten me, dear heart?" He pulled her hand up that he still had in his grasp, pressing her fingers to his lips almost idly.

Rosette blushed faintly, her heart beating loudly in her chest. "Wh-what are you…?" She stuttered, now frightened and confused.

"I was planning on warning you first… being gentle… but I suppose I shall be a little more forceful in exchange for your harsh words…" His smile grew almost sadistically as he spoke, as if eager to carry out his word.

Slowly he kissed her fingers, making Rosette shudder with anticipation and blush harder still – before she felt the tip of his fangs brush against her skin, causing her to shake once more. 'What is he doing…?' She trembled, trying to find her voice… but the best she could muster was a small whimper, wincing her eyes shut. His fangs then suddenly pierced her skin, making her jump and pull against his hold, dull pain throbbing through her arm.

"Y-You…Chrno…" She whimpered, her expression constantly changing from her normal defiant state to a steadily slipping look of terror. "You a-aren't… going to kill me…. Are you?" She asked in a tiny voice, both afraid to hear the answer, and yet hopeful at the same time.

He looked down at her with lidded eyes, as if he was momentarily put under a trance. At first he gave her no reply, his tongue lapping at the blood as it pooled from the small wound on her finger; but he soon paused, letting go of her injured hand altogether.

"Silly girl…" He smiled lightly, though Rosette wasn't too sure she liked that paired with the look he was currently giving her. Gently he coaxed her down and onto her back, making her shiver at the suddenly questionable position he put her in. "Stop asking me that. I already told you…" He ran his claws along her shoulder, pushing her hair back. "I'm not giving up on you that easily. After all…"

The violet-haired demon leaned down, his lips so close to her ear she could feel his breath. "You're mine, Rosette Christopher."

She gasped loudly as her heart skipped a beat, cheeks flushing as her mind momentarily slipped away from fear and into something a little more compromising. A small whimper escaped her throat the moment she felt his lips kiss her neck, her state of thought hazy and her vision blurring.

"Chrno…" She whispered, voice uncertain. At first she was utterly terrified about losing her life, but now she wasn't sure she should be scared about losing something else in the not so distant future. Drawing in a sharp gasp of breath, she momentarily froze, feeling his tongue gliding across her neck.

As she was about to ready her muscles, scream in his ear and kick him where the sun doesn't shine, pain washed over her so swiftly she could have sworn she passed out for a few moments. Only after she was able to think straight did she notice she no longer felt his tongue against her skin, but his fangs – and by the overwhelming stinging sensation, she could tell they were in her.

Thankfully though and much to Rosette's relief, the pain didn't stay for long. Almost instantly she was able to refocus her gaze up at the demon that lay atop her, idly wiping away the faintest amount of blood on his lips.

"Fucking. Vampire." She glared daggers at him, bringing a careful hand up to feel the new puncture wounds. With a wince, she figured it'd only really hurt if she prodded at it.

Golden eyes gave her a condescending look. "I used up quite a bit of power fighting off those demons… and I'm almost one hundred years out of practice. Giving me an ounce of your Astral is only common courtesy to the one who saved your life – or do I need to keep reminding you? And stop cursing; it's not very becoming."

"You're a broken record – and I'll say whatever the Hell I want. Now get off me." She pushed both of her hands against his chest, knowing all to well she wouldn't be able to move him in the slightest bit. He was strong… overpowering. Intimidating. God it pissed her off.

"Do I hear a please, dear heart?" Chrno's smooth tenor voice teased lightly at her, anger just barely lining his words, as though he was honestly trying to keep his temper down to a cool minimum. The young blond beneath him was almost seething, frustration completely enveloping her eyes the moment she looked up at him. She was fighting back the constant shivers that ran down her back, still unsure of how to act around him; followed every so often with a familiar gaze of fear… And he had no idea why, but he felt as though he was enjoying it.

She drew in a breath, most likely stopping herself from snapping at him with a mouthful of cursing. Cerulean blue eyes met his own as she curled her fingers into fists, still holding them steadily at his chest – and for a moment, she gave him a look that was almost pitifully pleading. "P-please…" She whispered, taking in another breath, before completely breaking her helpless air she so hated to harbor, her voice firm and unyielding. "Get off me before I scream rape."

Feeling as though that was the best he'd be able to get out of her, the demon rose up with a slightly frustrated sigh and stood to his feet beside her bed. Almost immediately Rosette clasped her hand to her neck, grasping the headboard of her bed as she steadied herself up after him. It wasn't that the wound he gave her hurt anymore – on the contrary, she was almost positive it was starting to heal already, a single solitary drop of blood trailed down her chest and was followed by nothing more. It was more that she could still feel him somehow, where his fangs had sunk into her skin. It was making her sick.

"Wait." Her voice sounded loud in the silent room, even though it was merely little more than a whisper. "If you can only attain Astral through one spot then what was this for?" She jabbed her finger towards him, displaying before him the drops of fresh blood on the tip of her index finger.

Chrno paused as he looked down at her, amused by her confident front. "This," He spoke, bending down as he gently placed his claws under her palm, kissing the remains of the blood away from her fingertip. Looking up at her, he gave her an almost sly grin, making sure he flashed his sharp canines. "Was for taste."

Her skin crawled the moment those words left his lips, and immediately she retraced her hand from him. "Th-that's disgusting! You…" Her sentence ran quiet, her expression clearly stating she wasn't sure what to add. "Look… I'm sure you're having the time of your life toying around with me, but do you think you could elaborate about what happened back at the park?"

"I have nothing more to add to what you already know yourself." He coolly responded, leaning back against the wall beside her bed, folding his arms.

"I know I was nearly killed by a horde of demons and scared shitless by you." She grimaced, remembering the carnage that had been in their wake. "What I want to know is why those things came after us – there has to be a reason."

"You shouldn't meddle in the affairs of creatures such as I – you'll only be killed faster." Golden eyes gave her something akin to a glare, his voice firm. "This is the part where I say you should go about your daily life, but I'm beginning to give that a second thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Her question carried hesitance, as if almost afraid to hear his answer.

The tall demon looked away from her, letting out a soft sigh. "I fear after this initial attack, our location will be spread by word of mouth very quickly… and there will be more demons wanting to spill both of our blood."

"W-What?! You're kidding me!" Rosette practically yelled, standing to her knees. "Why is all of this happening, Chrno? Why are all of these demons after us?"

"None of your concern, little girl. Now I suggest you let it go – I'm not exactly thrilled to have to bring up the essence of this subject as it is." His arms unfolded, taking a step towards her in a threatening manner.

She winced as he moved closer, biting her lip nervously. He was starting to scare her again… but she wasn't about to give up – not when she was so close to squeezing it out of him.

"They're after you, aren't they? Not 'us'." She stated defiantly, looking up at him with a solid gaze.

"You're testing my patience." His voice grew darker, but it was obvious she struck something.

Giving him a long pause, her expression fell to a melancholy gaze. "Why are you so intent on keeping this from me?"

"Because I don't want you hurt." His reply was rather quick and honest, making his contractor stare at him for a moment in surprise. "I've been with you since birth, Rosette. I know that if I tell you any more, you're going to bury yourself in my problems, and you're not going to be able to pull yourself out. This isn't some petty human matter – you're going to get yourself killed if you stick your nose in places where it doesn't belong."

Rosette knew she should have taken that last comment to heart, but she just couldn't. "So you're saying I'll just get in the way." She furrowed her brows, sending him a weak glare. The demon before her stepped forward, making her wince her eyes shut, waiting for him to reprimand her as he always does when she doesn't keep her mouth shut.

But instead for whatever punishment she was waiting for, she felt his hand lightly set atop her head. Hesitantly she looked up at him, confused once she saw his almost… concerned expression. "I'm saying I'll worry about you. You're always so rash… I'm scared you may put yourself in a position where I won't be able to help you."

Rosette blinked once. Twice. And after the third time, a light blush arose on her cheeks. He has to be kidding… did he say he was scared? Oh pitiful, pitiful irony…

"Maybe I'll believe you when you stop the sadistic comments at my expense." She pouted slightly, looking away from him, trying to hide the fact she was still blushing. "Gods you're so confusing…"

The echoing slam of the front door made her jump, followed by familiar footsteps down the hall. Swiftly she looked up at Chrno, their eyes meeting one last time before he closed his, and faded into the air, a small whisp of black smoke left in his wake. Almost in that same instant, she heard her bedroom door open slowly, and she turned almost frantically in her bed.

"R-Rosette?" Joshua blinked, having only set one foot into her bedroom. "When did you get home? You're supposed to be at work!"

"W-well I…uh…." Rosette stuttered hopelessly, fingers digging into the covers beside her feet. "I…forgot something and…"

Identical blue eyes stared right through her, concern and confusion washing over her little brother's face. "Fine. You don't have to tell me." He turned away to step back into the hallways, closing the door behind him.

"Wait – Joshua!"

He paused and looked back at his sister, still wearing a somewhat hurt expression.

"……" Rosette slowly looked down at her hands. "…I'm sorry."

Joshua closed his eyes in acknowledgement, and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Guilt consumed her, and as she listened to his footsteps back down the hall, she began to wonder just how long she can keep all of this from her beloved little brother…

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Rosette was so sure she would be fired, considering the fact that she never really had the energy to return to work that night. But the following day, once she walked into the restaurant, she was only met with concern, and relief. Apparently such an incident that results in three blocks' worth of damage caused by horrific otherworldly creatures was enough excuse for any and all people absent from work during the evening… The moment Rosette spoke a single word about being caught up in the panic yesterday, her boss was more than ready to let her off easy.

Though it was to be expected, her position at work was the least of Rosette's problems. Completely pushing aside the fact that she's been feeling extremely guilty about lying to her brother (And also a little worried he may be catching on to her predicament), she also found that she's become almost paranoid about something jumping out and scaring her. Whether it's the fact that a horde of demons cornered her and there was ill intent of more returning, or simply because Chrno made his appearance in front of her, she wasn't so sure.

Cleaning off a table where some little kid had spilled his drink, Rosette looked up at the clock back by the kitchen. Her shift was almost over… and she wasn't looking forward to walking back home in the dark. At the very least, she knew Chrno wasn't mad at her for her little outburst yesterday, seeing as he would talk to her every now and then in that almost creepy, transcendent voice he uses.

Now that she thought about it, it hasn't been that long since she first learned about the demon that had been possessing her since her birth… He's always scared her to death every time he'd open his mouth, but now she felt she was almost making progress with him. Especially last night…

She had no idea he could be serious and not sadistic at the same time. She was beginning to wonder if she should be scared just by the essence of that.

"Hey boss," She walked over to the table where a bald man in about his mid thirties was sorting out different papers.

"What is it, Rosette?" The man replied, not looking up from his work.

"I was wondering if I could leave early tonight… I'm not sure I'm feeling well." Her excuse rolled off her tongue in an undignified manner, making her reconsider her point. "I was up late last night because I was so shaken by what happened… it was all over the news for hours…"

Her boss stopped and looked up at her for a moment, before nodding and patting her on the arm. "Alright. We're a little slow as it is… I'll see you on Thursday."

Rosette smiled and thanked him, going back to the locker rooms to change out of her uniform and back into her jeans and blue collared shirt.

"Chrno?" She asked the air as she walked out the front of the restaurant and into the dimly lit sidewalk, the streets bustling with cars.

"Hm?" Came his somewhat lazy reply.

"You were gone again." She pouted, holding her purse with both hands as she walked in a reserved manner. "I called your name several times a while ago."

"There were more demons at the edge of the city… I had to dispose of them before they came too close."

"Was anyone hurt?" She bit her lip, looking up the street before making her way down the crosswalk. "Property damage?"

"No, nothing of the sort – they were gone in a matter of seconds."

The blond teen let out a sigh of relief. Thank god… the last thing her life needed was more reason to feed the fire of the nation-wide upset the incident yesterday had already caused.

It was a long while as she walked along, before she heard his smooth tenor voice once more.

"I suppose I should let you know… that was the third attempted attack this day."

She grimaced, anxiety and worry pulling at her chest again. "Oh god… what are we going to do?"

"The only reason this is happening is because they know where we are now." There was a pause. "I need you to leave New York. We still have time to shake them off our tail if we move within the next few days."

"Leave?!" Her voice escalated, feet stopping in their tracks just as she reached the parking lot of her apartment complex. "I have school… a job – and Joshua! How can you tell me to leave like this, when I've finally got a steady life?"

"It's either that or be forever threatened by demonic forces." Chrno's tone lowered, becoming more firm. "They aren't going to stop until they're satisfied… until we're both killed."

"You've got to be kidding me… there has to be a way around this!"

"If it was that simple…" His voice trailed, before it stopped altogether, leaving her hanging. Long seconds passed before light tapping could be heard not a few meters away.

"Neesan?"

Rosette froze, looking over towards the stairs, her brother standing out on the sidewalk. At first he gave her a look of concern and confusion… but it quickly diminished to one of determination. She didn't like where this was going…

"Neesan, who were you talking to just now?" He asked, not taking his time to beat around the bush. It was then Rosette knew she was being cornered.

"N-Nobody… talking? I wasn't talking." Her words came out stuttered, her blood running cold. She had a hunch that her brother knew something was up, but now she was certain…There was no way he could know too much, seeing as most of what was happening she could hardly believe herself. Hell, he probably still thinks she's being haunted by some petty ghost…

"You're lying." He replied firmly, making his sister cringe with more guilt. "We're family, Neesan… we used to be so close." He paused, looking away for a moment before meeting her gaze with a hurt expression. "Do you not trust me?"

"No Joshua… it's not that." She slowly shook her head, her insides turning to mush as she tried to think her way out of this one. If he would even let her.

"Then why won't you talk to me?"

Her eyes widened, realization hitting her hard. Suddenly, she knew all too well how he felt, how frustrating it is to not know what's going on around you, in front of your eyes… and if it all could harm someone who's so close to you. She had been asking Chrno the same thing.

Why didn't she see it before?

"Joshua… I'm sorry…" Her gaze fell, voice quiet. "A lot has been going on lately… I'm tired, confused, and… well…" She looked up at him, biting her lip as she fumbled with her words again. "I-I'm not sure he would approve of – "

"He?" Joshua responded with a hard tone, giving her a pointed glare. "Who is 'he'?" His question was met with dead silence, frustration openly expressed on his features. "Neesan, I'm beginning to wonder if this whole 'ghost' thing is starting to make you paranoid or not, but you're making me worry. If you don't want to tell me a thing, fine. But don't keep making me wonder about your health like this."

There was a long, painful silence between them as Rosette waited, trying to sort out all of her stray thoughts in her head – and all the while, waiting to hear her demon's voice to respond with any sort of disapproving comments.

"Chrno…?" She asked quietly, making her brother perk up slightly, watching her carefully.

"It's not my choice to make, Rosette." Came her demon's simple reply, no anger in his tone, but she could tell he wasn't ecstatic about the idea. "But do you really want to put Joshua in the same kind of danger?"

All she could muster was silence once more, before she took a breath and looked at the boy in front of her whole-heartedly. "I-I can't, Joshua. It would only burden you… but I promise, I'm alright. I'm just…" She paused, searching for the right words. "I'm in a tough spot right now."

Joshua sighed, folding his arms and closing his eyes with disappointment. "Fine. As long as you let me know if you're getting yourself involved in anything dangerous… I love you, Neesan. I don't want to see you put up with this any longer than you need to."

She gave him a warm smile, if not melancholy. "Thank you." She stepped forward, and pulled him into a tight embrace that he hesitantly returned with a small blush.

"Let's get back inside… it's getting cold." He patted his sister on the back, pulling away from the hug. He figured she'd tell him when she was ready anyway… no use rushing things if it wasn't necessary.

"Alright." She nodded, ready to step towards the stairs – before a cold breeze made her shiver. That was odd… the last time she felt something like that, was when she was talking to Chrno…

"Rosette Christopher?" A dark voice called out from behind, making both siblings turn on their heels.

An older man around his thirties with black facial hair and matching trench coat stood not a few feet away, watching Rosette with growing interest. His blood red eyes lidded as he spoke, the air around them dropping to an alarmingly low temperature with each passing moment. Both Rosette and Joshua flinched and stepped back, not needing to be told twice that there was something strange about the man in front of them.

"Y-Yes..?" Came her quiet reply, almost afraid to speak to him, wondering if that was the wrong thing to do.

"Rosette, RUN!" Chrno's voice echoed loudly in her ear, making her instinctively grab Joshua's hand tightly and bolt in the opposite direction, down the sidewalk that ran along their apartment building, hearth beating wildly in her chest. This wasn't good… there was no way that man was a demon, but the way Chrno spoke to her, there had to be something wrong.

"R-Rosette, what-?" Joshua yelped as his sister yanked him along, eventually turning the cover and shoving him beside her, their backs against the walls. Even if she was supposed to run, she couldn't stay too far away… there had to be something she could do. "What's going on?"

"Aah… how perceptive of you, Chrno." The man spoke into the air, his grin widening almost sadistically just as Rosette peeked around the corner, watching him with confusion. He knew Chrno?

With a gasp, her eyes widened and she gripped the side of the brick wall just as she saw the shadows in front of the stranger morph and grow. At first she was terrified that there were more demons… but she was met with the slightest bit of relief the moment she saw Chrno step out from the shadows, making her hear pound loudly in her head once more.

"Even with my human disguise, you were still able to recognize me…" The man sounded as if he was boasting, fangs showing in his crooked smile. "Pity, that is."

"So I see you're still pursuing us Sinners…" Chrno spoke firmly, golden eyes narrowing into a deadly glare. "You should have stayed in Pandemonium with the protection of your dear mother…"

"My my, was that a threat?"

The violet-haired demon growled loudly and stepped forward, pulling back his arm, claws trailing with white lightning – and in an instant, he jumped faster than the human eye could follow, suddenly crashing his fist into the pavement where the dark stranger stood, causing the cement the fly in all directions; but his opponent had already moved to the other side of the lot, standing atop a parallel building – and in that instant, Rosette realized they were all in a shit load of trouble.

The man had changed, large black wings similar to Chrno's protruding out of his back, as well as two large, black horns. He wasn't by any means identical to her own demon, but he looked almost human in appearance, just as Chrno does… meaning he had to be just as powerful… or possibly even more.

"Rosette…" Joshua whispered, watching with wide, perplexed eyes as he gripped his sister's shirt. "What's going on?"

With a blast of power, Chrno propelled himself into the air, eyes glowing with fury. He wasn't going to give up this freedom he had fought so hard for hundreds of years ago…

"DUFAUX!!!"

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I know, pretty bad place to stop. I guess I'm just a little too eager to try and progress the actual plot that I may have rushed things a bit at the end…

Can we all tell I like vampires::mad cackle:: I just had to have something a little vampiric in there for Chrno. It makes me giggle.

Zoey