Authors Notes: Wow no ones talking to me this week. Is it finals week or something. I haven't been in school for 11 years so I don't remember lol.

In a Heartbeat

Chapter 9

Following the River

The Professors senses started coming back to him. His mind felt like cotton balls being held together by lots and lots of glue. He felt around for a moment but all he felt was rocks and sand. It was cold, and that was the first thing that came to mind. It was cold, so he had better put an extra blanket on Donny. When he opened his eyes and looked around there wasn't anyone around him. His feet were still in the water. It seemed that he fell down a water fall and drifted to land. He shot up and looked around.

"Donny!" He called, where was she, was she alive? Did she drown? What could have happened to her? If she did survive did they catch her? What if they...No she wasn't dead, she was to spirited to die. She probably scared death off, or challenged him to a game of fates. 'Oh dear child...be alright. I don't think i could survive another bout of heart ache.' He thought and stood up pulling his jacket around his shoulder more. He needed to keep going. Perhaps he'll run into her along the way.

Across the river and a little farther up stream Donny lay against a rock. Her arm was held rightly to her. Her scarf was pulled around her neck and tied around her arm. She had used a few sticks as a splint. It hurt her very much when she collided with the rock. But if it weren't for the rock she now lay against she wouldn't have been able to climb out. She didn't know where the Professor was, nor did she know where she was. All she knew was what the Professor last told her to do. Go up stream...he'll find her at the port.

She slowly stood up and made her way toward the ocean. Her leg was bruised all the way down it, and probably very colorfully purple and green too, but she didn't want to pull her dress up to look. Specially what happened last night, she didn't realize they were being followed. She looked back over her shoulder and ran her eyes over the trees, she didn't see anyone.

A few hours passed and Donnys stomach growled loudly. She had eaten so many apples yesterday that she wasn't sure why she would be hungry at all. She looked around at the area wondering just what was good to eat. Nothing in the trees. She looked at the river with all the bass jumping in it. Her eyes fluttered closed. "Rather die..." She said and continued to walk on down the stream.

Horatio had long since pulled off his boots, laced them together and threw them over his shoulder. They were soaked from walking around in the rain which it was poring down around him. "Donny please...be brave." He said as lightning struck close by and he heard a loud scream. "Donny!" He yelled and threw his boots down. His feet seemed to run without his knowledge. They just carried him.

Donny backed away from the three men closing in on her. One had a switch blade another had a gun. The third one just seemed to want to stand there. "I...I don't have anything..." She said and the man just standing there smiled. His teeth looked horrid in the dark.

"Oh don't worry hun. What we want doesn't involve money." She gasped when she was pushed against a tree. She screamed aloud as high as she could with someones mouth on her own.

The next thing Donny knew she was laying on the ground and looking up at the Professor with a large stick in his hand. The man with the gun was on the ground spitting blood and teeth from his mouth. He would be out for a little while. Her mind was swimming and she didn't know what was going on. Perhaps she was dead and was dreaming. The Professor was actually fighting.

Horatio threw the large stick at the man with a knife which knocked it from his hand and it fell into the waters. He picked up the ring leader bodily and threw him into the river. He looked around at the previous man who had the knife. "Help!" The Professor looked around at the man he threw in the water.

"Oh...it looks like your friend can't swim." He said and stepped forward and glared at him. "What are you waiting for..." He said and watched the other man jump in after him.

The Professor turned to see Donny laying on her side giving him a dreamy look. "Donny...are you alright?" He asked. She didn't answer just lay there rather dumb founded.

"Donny look at me...did they harm you?" He asked and pulled her close. Her head rested on his shoulder and she breathed deep.

"Even after a swim through the river...can't make that smell go away." She said and ran her fingers through his hair. "Did they hurt you?" Donny asked half dreamily as they watched all three men run back up river.

"No...I was just so scared." He said kissing her forehead. "Are you?" He asked

"No...just wished my first kiss wasn't with someone...like that." She said. She heard him scoff.

"You call that a kiss? That wasn't much of a kiss." He said and stood up with her in his arms. "We don't have that much farther to go, I can smell fish and chips from here." He said. Donny sniffed the air. He wasn't kidding. She could smell fish and chips too. The Professor began to walk toward the smell. Not to far from where they were before there were lights in the distance.

Donny looked on at those brilliant lights with fading eyes. She however couldn't fall asleep. She knew her Papa would get them there, but she just couldn't. She wanted to remember this moment. She looked up at her father who continued to walk even though she knew and could see it in his face that he was exhausted.

"I can walk..." She said and tried to push away but held her tightly.

"I don't want to put you down." He said and held her close. She could see in the moon light that he was pale.

Once in the town they became a sight him carrying the child and walked into the nearest Inn. He walked over to the keeper. "We need a room." He told the man. The man simply looked up at him.

"You have the money?" Horatio had never been asked that. He set his daughter down and reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a hundred and put it on the counter. When Horatio looked back down thats when he noticed the sling around Donny's arm.

"Oh child..." He whispered picking her back up. "You look like you just walked out of hell." He said. "Your ankle is bruised, and your arm is broken." He said nuzzling her cheek as she was falling asleep. "Is there a doctor around?" He asked. The Keeper seemed to look bewildered now having not noticed the childs broken arm because it was under her coat.

"What happened to you?"

"Ambushed by three men on our way in." Donny said looking at her father and shook herself. She was still very very cold and her clothing was still wet from the rain.

"I'll call him for you. Go ahead up to room 311." The keeper said and waved them up.