I know it's been awhile, but I have other stories to worry about. Not to mention finals and family drama. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara!

Chapter Four

Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,
and think of you.
Caught up in circles,
confusion is nothing new.

Amu stood at the bow of the ship, staring out at the sea ahead of them. The dress that Utau had delivered fit comfortably, the pale yellow color complimenting her nicely. Though she'd been offered tights and trousers, she hadn't been able to take her eyes off the beautiful material of the dress. Every day since the...incident had gotten worse and worse for her, at least in her mind.

It had been two days since her run in with the Monster of the Seas in his quarters. Two days of no more than a few words from him at any given point in the day.

Hating that she admitted it to herself, the princess knew that she was actually hoping that Ikuto would at least talk to her about what had happened.

She was still shocked at her reaction to his...teasing. She never would have thought that she'd feel the way she did at that moment; ladies weren't intrigued by such barbaric actions. No, they were supposed to keep themselves chaste and pure until marriage in thought, word, and deed. Fear should have been her main emotion at that point.

Only it wasn't. Sure, there was a little mixed in; she'd never been in that kind of situation with a man before. But it had mingled with something like...desire. She'd wanted him to continue, however disturbing that sounded to her. She wanted him to push her just a little bit farther over that edge that she was slowly making her way towards. If he would have asked her for her virginity, she didn't think she'd have been able to say no. Or yes. She would have been stuck in a delightful in-between stage that left him to make the decisions.

Instead of pushing the limits, he'd left. He'd stormed out, leaving her shaken and alone. Every time someone walked too close to the door, she had wondered if that was him, returning to finish what he'd started. But it never was.

Since then, he'd spent as little time as possible with her. At night, she would fall asleep long before he returned and awake just as the spot where he'd laid grew cold. She was positive that he was avoiding her on purpose because he came up with excuses to leave her presence whenever she came out on deck.

What had caused such a reaction? Hadn't he made it pretty obvious that he was planning on keeping her? He wanted to have her, so why didn't he do it then, when he had the chance?

"Princess, please step away from the rail," said a now-familiar voice from behind her.

Amu turned to find Kuukai, Ikuto's first mate, with his hands cupped around his mouth, meant to make his voice shift pitches. Green eyes flashed with sympathy and mischief as his hands lowered, showing a lopsided grin that matched his roguish appearance. Red-brown hair hung just a bit too long in his face and a diamond earring gleamed on one ear. Since she'd started venturing out onto the deck, he'd been the one to make friends with her, where Utau—Ikuto's younger sister—had decided to become something of an antagonist.

Rolling expressive gold eyes, Amu moved away from the side, noting that they were coming up on land rather quickly. "Are we going to port? It cannot be safe for you all, so close to where I was..." Her voice faded out. She couldn't bring herself to say "kidnapped" because, she had to admit, Ikuto was giving her more freedom than she'd gotten in her kingdom. She didn't have to stay within a certain part of the ship or spend time with people she didn't want to. Like she did with Utau, she could simply stay away from the person. Her only rule was to be in the captain's quarters whenever she slept, and she was much more comfortable there since Ikuto's warning anyway.

Though he seemed like a joker, Kuukai was actually very attuned to the feelings of those around him. Rather than poking fun at her or questioning why she wasn't able to finish her thought, he just said, "Yeah, we should make it there in only a few more minutes. Just don't go anywhere until Ikuto tells you where you're going and where you're not."

She felt the muscle in her eyebrow start to twitch. She was waiting for the captain's permission? As a princess, she was probably the only person that would be safe on the entire ship once they got onto land. Especially since she was pretty sure that they hadn't gone far enough to leave the reach of the Hotori kingdom.

Nodding to Kuukai, she turned away and moved back towards the room she shared with Ikuto. She was simply too angry to let this deed go unpunished. Though he wouldn't talk to her other than what was necessary, he dared to think that she would follow his orders? The blue-haired man would have to think again.

Besides, what did he care if she ran from them? Wasn't she nothing more than a nuisance? That was how he was treating her, anyway. As if she were a pest that could be ignored! He thought that he could take her from her wedding, force her to sleep in his room with him, steal her first kiss, and then act as if she were not there?

"Amu."

His voice—which brought not only anger, but something else in the pit of her stomach—came to her ear from much too close as she started to open the door to their room. A small shiver coursed up her spine, leaving her a little worried, but it didn't stop the cool look that came to her face.

Before answering, she walked into the room, knowing that he followed. It took everything within her to keep the emotionless facade going; her body was thrumming with that strange feeling she had only ever felt with him. "Yes, captain?"

One elegant blue eyebrow rose at that. Ikuto's back straightened as his arms crossed over his chest, daring her. "I suppose you already know what I told Kuukai, yeah?" At her narrowed eyes, he continued. "It's for your own good. We don't know what has gone on with the royals since you came with me—"

"'Came with you'?" A small, dark laugh rose from her chest. "Do not act as if this were my choice. I believe everyone is aware of the real status of our little excursion." She wanted to hurt him, yes, but that word "kidnapped" was still too much for her. As were anything that could be construed in the same manner.

Brow furrowing, the tall, lean man simply continued his thought. "And since we don't know, they could have just told the masses that you are dead and now they will treat you as a pirate. You know, to protect them from bad publicity and all that." He spat the words with a look that almost seemed like he was accusing her of something. "So, I've decided that you will stay with me until we return to the ship. Unless you would prefer to just stay here, then I will have Kuukai and Utau guard this door." He motioned behind him, implying that she would stay in the room.

Anger flowed freely through her, but she didn't let it change her demeanor. "Oh, really? You think that I will simply do as you say because you are the captain? You forget who I am. I was not raised to take orders; I was born to give them. And you will do well to remember your place." Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned away from him, her nose lifted slightly in the air. There was absolutely no way that she was backing down. He was so disgusted by her that he could barely be around her, so what was the point in trying to keep her?

Suddenly, a long-fingered hand wrapped around her wrist, spinning her around until she found herself face to face with a chest that she would do well to forget. Then, before she knew what had happened, she was on her back on the bed, legs hanging off the edge. Frightened, Amu blinked up at Ikuto with wide eyes, catching his furious gaze.

Their position didn't help with her already-shaky disposition on their relationship, whatever it may be. Fear and desire warred within her, bringing her to a standstill as that predatory glare came over his face once again. Only this time, it didn't look like he had any intention of backing down.

As she laid there, petrified, he brought both of her wrists up to hold in one of his hands, the other skimming down her side and sending shivers throughout her. "Amu," he murmured, his voice surprisingly calm considering the expression crossing his features. He leaned close to her, but didn't kiss her. Instead, his mouth found her ear where he added lightly, "If you do anything to put yourself in harms way, there will be severe repercussions. The threat still stands; cross me and we won't be leaving this bed for days."

Her eyes widened as more of his weight came down on her, bringing his words home. Heat rose to her cheeks and it felt like she had to remind herself to breath. Ikuto's face raised from beside hers, instead lining his mouth up with hers. Blue eyes caught amber, completely focused on the owner. Just before his lips met hers, he murmured, "Do you understand?" keeping his eyes lock on hers.

She nodded slowly, eyes darting down to his lips.

"Good."

A quick peck on the cheek and he rose, straightening his clothes. Making his way to the door, he said, "We'll be docking soon; I suggest you head out before we do if you plan to leave here at all."

For a few moments after he left, Amu could only stare at the door, shocked at what had just happened. Then anger rose and she shrieked, throwing an ink-bottle at the door.

The chuckle she heard only drove her more crazy.

He's gotta be strong,
and he's gotta be fast,
and he's gotta be fresh from the fight.

I hope she isn't scared.

That was all Ai could think of when she thought of her young mistress. Though Amu liked to believe that she could take care of herself, she was taken by pirates, one of which made it abundantly clear what he wanted from her. The thought of that brute laying one hand on her precious little sister sent waves of anger never before experienced flowing through her. So help the man if he had hurt Hinamori Amu. Ai would destroy him.

It was why she'd demanded to go with Prince Tadase. When she had heard that he was preparing a ship for battle against the Monster of the Seas, she'd forced him to accept her company. There was no way she would let him turn her down.

Now that she had left the propriety of the Hinamori castle, she found herself looking over the young prince. Though she was seven years older than Tadase and had known him since Amu had met him, she couldn't help noticing that he had filled out quite a bit since she'd last really looked at him.

His blonde hair was perfectly coiffed and hung around his face like an angel's halo. Ruby-red eyes caught even the most miniscule details, picking out people that were hiding something. He was taller than she was, which was a feat in itself. Though he was raised as a prince, he had learned how to fight and it showed in his lean frame. He walked with purpose and a regal air, as well as strength.

Turning her attention to the captain that Tadase had chosen to keep the ship following the path it needed to, she couldn't help the feeling of discomfort and paranoia that swept through her. Something wasn't right about him. It was obvious that there was something he was hiding from the prince, even if Tadase didn't let himself believe it.

The man was too tall and largely built, with muscle not fat. Thick, wavy black hair was tied back in a ponytail, though a lot of it fell in his face, and he watched her from beneath the shadow of it. His eyes were almost as dark as his hair, giving him that ultra-bad look. And the smile he threw at her as he looked her up and down...she wasn't comfortable with him. Not at all.

That didn't stop her, however. She would find out his secret that she knew he was hiding, especially if it had anything to do with Amu. He wasn't allowed to hurt her anymore than anyone else, and she was going to keep it that way.

I dreamed I was missing.
You were so scared,
but no one would listen,
'cause no one else cared.

Ikuto couldn't help how his gaze was drawn back to the woman at his side. Her pink hair would have caught anyone's eyes and her beauty would have kept them stuck on her. He noticed that other men throughout the small seaside village doing a double-take and couldn't stop the snarl that formed on his lips. Tightening his hold on her hand, he dragged his eyes from her shocked face to send out a warning to all the males around them.

He knew that Amu hadn't noticed. Since their encounter, she'd been too furious with him to do anything other than take out her petty revenge. She'd tried to trip him at least four times, had almost forced him into a pile of waste, even shoved him into the wall of one of the shops. Whenever she caught him looking at her, she would stick out her tongue like a child.

If she did it again, he might take her up on the offer.

"Utau," Ikuto shouted over his shoulder as a flash of gold passed the corner of his eye. Once his sister made it to his side, he leaned down, whispering in her ear, "Take out two scouts. Find out if there are guards following us."

Nodding, her long blonde hair bobbed as she slowly walked towards two of her most trusted men. A quick message was passed between them and they all broke apart, going in different directions. Her disappearance led Kuukai to come up on the other side of Amu, taking her arm despite Ikuto's look.

"Maybe you should come with me, Amu," Kuukai said with a bright smile before glancing up at Ikuto. A suspicious gleam, accompanied by a head jerk, met the captain's questioning look. "Ikuto has some business to attend to. Some of the guys and I will show you some of the sights."

Amu smiled up at him deviously, no doubt hoping to use this little adventure to drive Ikuto crazy.

Which it probably would have if he hadn't caught sight of what Kuukai had seen.

"Fine, go," he said, feigning annoyance. If he pretended to be upset, she was more likely to go. "I'll be back for you once I finish my business. Don't stray away from them; you know the consequences."

Her cheeks flamed up, but she did that strange looking-down-her-nose thing that only she could pull off, despite their height difference. "Do not tell me what to do, Ikuto. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. However," she took Kuukai's arm with a smile, "I would like to see things that I have never seen before. And who would be better to see them with than my friend Kuukai."

Ikuto didn't know whether to warn Kuukai of his wrath or Amu of Utau's. Either way, he had to leave her and go back towards the man that was eyeing him from across the square.

"I hear you stole a princess."

The blue-haired man narrowed his eyes on the red-haired man standing in front of him. It didn't escape his notice that he was watching Amu disappear over his shoulder, nor did it bode well with him. "What do you want, Nikaidou?" he demanded viciously, careful to keep his hand on the hilt of his sword. "And don't give me cryptic answers; you know I don't like answers that don't come forthright."

Brown eyes flashed with amusement before the older man chuckled. "Oh, Ikuto, you never change. You just keep assuming that your reputation can serve as protection. Someday, you'll come up against a force that you won't be able to stop. And that's the day your reputation fails and you die. Just remember that." Straightening his worn-out clothes, Nikaidou muttered, "I hope you understand why I have to do this."

"What?" Ikuto demanded, drawing his sword. His eyes darted, catching all the movement around them, but none of it was towards him. The gold of the royal guards' uniforms caught his eye, making their way towards where Kuukai had left with Amu. "Amu!" he shouted, turning away from Nikaidou.

"That was a mistake, young friend."

A burning pain seared Ikuto's side, but his dodge had kept it from doing too much damage. Still, he felt the blood starting to pour from his wound, and slammed his sword hilt back to bash the other man hard enough on the head to knock him out. Stumbling, he didn't bother to wait to hear Nikaidou hit the ground, just forced himself to move in the direction Amu had gone. Nothing was going to stop him from protecting her. Nothing.

"Ikuto!"

Utau's voice cut into his mind, the desperate tone catching his attention. Suddenly, she was at his side, breathing, "You're hurt, Ikuto! We have to go back to the ship!" She glanced around frantically, looking for the others. "Where is Kuukai? And the princess?"

"Guards. Nikaidou called the guards. They went that way." He pointed raggedly towards a large crowd. "I bet they're somewhere in there."

Despite Utau's shouts for him to stop, Ikuto pushed through, slamming his way into the group. Kuukai and his men had surrounded Amu, keeping her safe with their bodies and weapons, but they could only protect her for so long. And Ikuto could hear what the guards' orders were.

Kill the pirates.

And the princess.

If she got in the way, they wouldn't stop from swinging at her. In fact, she was probably their top priority if they had been told to kill her.

Fury ate at him and he threw himself into the fray, swinging at the gold-coated men in his way until he had made a path for him and his remaining men, whom Utau must have rounded up. He took no notice to the men in his way, only wanted to get closer to his pinkette. Her face was pale and she looked as if she were trying to cry out. Her distress only fueled his temper, numbing the pain in his side.

Somehow, he managed to get close enough to grab her hand. His men were fighting back the guards, giving them a chance to flee. It wasn't beneath Ikuto to flee in this situation; he needed to keep his beloved safe.

Utau and Kuukai were at his side as he made his way back to the ship. He could hardly breath without pain erupting through him, leaning heavily on Kuukai after an arm curled under his shoulders, holding him up. Hearing Utau and Amu trying to speak to him, he couldn't help trying to look back at the princess's face. When had everything started to get so...fuzzy?

And when did he end up in his bed with two feminine faces hovering over him?

Maybe if he just rested his eyes for a bit, everything else would be fine. Then he would remember what had happened.

Songs are, respectively:

Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park

Okay, I would just like to tell everyone that I purposely kept everything short and sweet with the fighting. Personally, I don't think Ikuto would fall for a long chit-chat with someone he doesn't trust and Nikaidou would realize that. Also, he was injured worse than he thought and that's why the fight was...blank. Next chapter, I plan on doing Amu's part of it, so just wait until then!