Morg: Heyo!

Ikuto: She doesn't own us.

Amu: Someone is eager for this chapter.

Morg: Must be.

Ikuto: Not really, I'm just tired of the all the crap you write in these opening things. Get on with the story.

Amu: Maybe you should listen to him...

Morg: I suppose this once wouldn't hurt.

~Alone With You~

The trip into the village was nerve-racking, but after walking around without anything happening for a few hours the couple began to let their guard down. The supplies they needed were easy enough to find. Being on the run for almost half a year had definitely given them time to figure out what were essential things and what they could do without. As they were walking out of one small hut that they could get some clothes from, Amu spotted two meant that they knew weren't from the village. "Ikuto, they're here."

The blue haired counterpart of the team took in the men while directing them in a new direction. He and Amu simply needed to slip out of the village before those men saw them. Grasping her hand in his, Ikuto did just that. They immediately switched directions and headed for the trees of the jungle.

"Radio the leader. I've spotted them."

XXX

That stupid, carefree captain was usually around this area this time of the year. Michelle was actually surprised that she hadn't run into him yet considering he always managed to find her. She liked to think that she at least made him look for a few weeks before she actually let him see her.

"Hey there Michelle! Long time no see!"

Damn that stupid captain and his ability to sneak up on her. No one else could do that, and he was usually so loud! "Kukai, take my friends to Africa."

The grin never left his face. Kukai was a tad bit surprised but he was used to Michelle's bluntness. "Why do they need to go to Africa?"

Usually he was bouncing all over the place by now, asking about her and Yoru and the jungle and monkeys. Always monkeys. Well, she did consider him a hyper idiot. "They're going to have to be the ones to explain it to you. Will you do it?"

Kukai scratched the back of his head in thought before he threw an arm around her shoulders and began walking through the trees with her. "You're my friend so of course I'll help you!"

There was that friend word again, being thrown around so casually as Michelle saw it. First this guy and then Amu and Ikuto. Did she look like she needed more friends? Yoru bumped against her leg, reminding Michelle of his presence so that she'd run her fingers through his fur. He was her friend. The rest of them were just acquaintances, right?

A growl erupted from deep inside Yoru's chest before the bane wolf took off through the trees. Michelle knew what that meant, though Kukai looked confused. "They're here."

The boat captain removed his arm from around Michelle's shoulders to look into her eyes. "Who's here?"

Sighing, the redhead took off through the trees as well. "Get your boat! You'll have to leave immediately!"

Kukai didn't a waste a moment as he took off back to where his boat sat in the small port. Michelle was his friend so he would do this for her. She'd said that they'd be leaving right away so Kukai got his small yacht ready to cross the ocean as quickly as he could. All he could hope for was to be done by the time Michelle came back with the two he was supposed to take with him.

XXX

Ikuto knew that they were being followed. He also knew that Amu knew. All they could do, however, was continue their path into the jungle. The chances of them getting lost within the unfamiliar trees was highly likely, but they'd rather be lost than captured. If they were lost then they could be together.

"Ikuto."

Squeezing her hand, Ikuto continued his pace away from the area that they knew. "I know. Just stay with me."

Amu wasn't about to argue. The only way she'd willingly leave him was if she died. "Always."

He sent her a smirk even though he felt the pressure of the two men following them. Every once in a while, Ikuto could hear what they were saying over their radios.

"-yes I'm certain. How many couples that fit their description are in South America?"

Regretting his decision to at least not disguise himself. The reasoning behind him refusing the mud was because he didn't want to risk it getting on Amu. He'd never forgive himself if he caused her to go through what she'd already gone through again.

"-ould we act? They just seem to be going for a walk... No, they're alone and heading back into the jungle. Roger that."

Quickening his pace, Ikuto hoped that the orders weren't to take them down. Amu kept a firm grip on his hand, good thing too, since she stumbled over some unsteady ground. Ikuto helped her maintain her footing and continue on. That's when they heard it. The snarls and bark like noises coming from behind them. Yoru had known. He'd known that Ikuto and Amu were in trouble and had come to help them.

The problem Ikuto had with that, however, was the fact that the bane wolf he'd come to be friends with during his stay in the jungle was up against armed men. To keep his conscious clear, Ikuto had to stop. Amu turned with him to see the bristled Yoru standing between the young couple and their pursuers. The two armed men looked completely surprised by the animal facing them. So surprised that they hadn't had the chance to act on the animal advancing on them.

Ikuto couldn't let anything happen to him. Yoru was Michelle's best friend. She'd be alone if the bane wolf was injured. "Yoru, come here."

The growling increased but the bane wolf stopped advancing on the men and moved backwards towards the couple. Amu was surprised at how easy it was for Ikuto to command the young wolf. Usually, he'd only listen to Michelle.

Snapping out of whatever trance they'd been in, the two men smirked at the couple before them. "Nice pet, time to go home."

Their grip on each other tightened. Since it was her mother that had ordered these men after them, Amu decided to be the one to step forward. "They set the stipulations for the bet. Now, Ikuto and I are simply carrying them out. We aren't going back."

The two men glanced at each other before chuckling. "Orders are orders, young miss. We have to take you back home in order to get paid, so we'll be taking you back home. Your lover over there can do as he pleases. Our orders are only to get you."

Anger coursed through the pinkette. So the brilliant plan that her mother had come up with was to kidnap Amu and bring her back home while leaving Ikuto to fend for himself wherever he was left. Though, knowing her mother, Midori would probably tie an anchor to his feet and let him swim back to Japan from the middle of the ocean for 'stealing' her precious daughter away. "Well, I don't want to go."

"Not our problem."

"Obviously it is."

All four people turned to the newest arrivee to the conversation. Michelle slipped out of the trees to join Amu and Ikuto. She nodded to them before facing the two men. The first thing she noticed about them was the fact that they had knives and no guns. That was going to help her out immensely. "Why are you so lightly armed?"

"Who are you?"

"Michelle."

"... That wasn't what I meant."

"Answer my question."

The two men stared at the redhead in disbelief. Their growing anger at the way she spoke to them. Who was this girl that looked as though she lived in the dirt? "We didn't expect them to be here. Now answer my question."

Nodding, Michelle smiled before crossing her arms and moving closer to the couple she was standing up for. "I saved their lives."

Comprehension dawned on their faces. "That's nice and all, but we'll be taking the girl now."

Ikuto pulled Amu behind him as he took a step forward to stand beside Michelle. They wanted Amu so they wouldn't do anything to him besides try to get him out of their way. Thus, in their way was exactly where Ikuto wanted to be. If they took Amu now, everything that they'd done, all the times they'd hidden and run would be for nothing. He was not about to let that happen. "Good luck."

Michelle matched the smirk on Ikuto's face with one of her own. She snapped her fingers to send Yoru into another snarling fit. The fur on his back stood up completely as the young bane wolf bared his teeth at the intruders. A step towards the two men brought them to raise their long knives in front of them for a defensive stance. They weren't from South America. They had no idea what the bane wolf was capable of so they were on the alert.

"Ikuto," Michelle's low voice came to his ears. He knew that the other two men couldn't hear what she was saying to him. "Kukai agreed. HIs boat is on the other side of the village from here and he's waiting. Yoru and I will hold them off."

Ikuto barely nodded to show that he'd heard what Michelle wanted him to hear. His grip on Amu tightened before he suddenly darted to the right with his pinkette in tow. A cry of surprise sounded from the men that they'd been against, but Ikuto knew that this was their chance. They stumbled blindly through the trees for a few yards before Ikuto turned them to slip by the men that he knew were now fighting Michelle and Yoru to chase after them. She was giving them a good chance to slip away and Ikuto would not waste it.

A high pitch yelping noise filled the air along with an outraged scream. Something had happened to Yoru and Ikuto and Amu knew it. Twinges of guilt rushed through their systems, but the need to get away drove any thought of going back out of their minds. Michelle had risked her everything to get them this chance and they weren't going to waste it.

The sound of pursuers reached their ears as they crashed through the trees behind the fleeing couple. Michelle's angry calls could still be heard, though they couldn't understand what she was saying. Yoru's name was the only word that they could recognize as they ran. The village came into view but Ikuto and Amu didn't slow. Other men had showed up while they'd attempted to sneak away. They were easily dodged as Ikuto lead Amu in a weaving pattern through the clumped together huts. A dart hit near Amu, but Ikuto kept them going.

The only boat in the harbor came into view. A man that couldn't be much older than them if any at all was already unteathered from the dock and pushing off as he watched the young couple race towards him. "COME ON YOU TWO! RUN!"

Shots rang out not only at Ikuto and Amu but also at the boat captain. He cursed as he ducked out of the way, but managed to maintain control of his boat. Ikuto pulled Amu harder and tossed her into the boat before he dove into the water and began dragging the yacht farther from the dock. Once they were clearer, Ikuto climbed aboard and watched as the captain started the engine and pointed the bow away from the coast.

Breathing harder than she ever had in her life, Amu stared at the stranger that they assumed to be Michelle's friend. "I'm Amu and he's Ikuto."

Kukai smiled as the girl got out her words between breaths. He nodded to her before winking. "Name's Kukai and I'll be your captain."

.

Morg: I hope you guys liked this chapter.

Ikuto: Not really, no.

Amu: I think it was kind of okay.

Morg: Well fine then! Maybe I'll just stop writing!

Ikuto: Don't do that! We get to have sex in this story now!

Amu: Good idea, Morg. Just stop writing it.

Morg: I'll leave that up to the readers.

If you have figured out why Amu got sick, let me know! I'll give you a sneak peak if you are right!