Witch Hunter Robin Fan Fiction ❯ Pain ❯ Aftermath ( Chapter 2 )

AN: I'll tell you a funny story…as I've said before my computer crashed and I thought I had lost everything on it. Turns out I didn't but the day before I got it back we had a really bad thunderstorm that apparently knocked out our internet. That was a week ago, today it was fixed. But I was at the RenFest all day so I couldn't exactly know that. However this chapter I've had written for a good while. Just no way to post it. >< I've been meaning to continue it but it was almost like someone was out to stop me. Stupid whatever it was. Oh! And someone mentioned wanting to be a beta? ^_^ I'm thinking I could really use one just don't remember who that was.

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything, still wish I did. L But alas I don't. Not even the florist. But you do get points if you can identify him! ^_^ What the points add up to I don't know but HEY! You get something. But don't let it detract from the story. Also I did take a bit of liberty with Sakaki's past. <begs forgiveness> It's just so…unmapped…besides it worked out in the end I guess….o_O

To ArrowSphere: LOL! >< I know…Takahashi's probably related to the horse of many colors from the Wizard of Oz. My brain wasn't communicating well with my fingers I was thinking one color but no didn't happen. :S I'll fix that when I do a redo of that chapter.

~*~*~

"How is he?" The dark angel asked the doctor, his face neutral. It was nearing midnight yet the doctor hadn't told the raven haired man to go away, that visiting hours were over. No one ever did. They accepted his late night visits without question. That was just the way things had worked for the last two weeks. The first time he had shown up around midnight an orderly had tried to tell him to leave. The same orderly had himself transferred to the day shift the following day so as to avoid the dark man.

"It's hard to say." The doctor replied, pushing his coke bottle glasses up as he glanced at the chart he held. "His body is healing. The antibiotics we've been giving him have fought off the virus, but his stomach wound still may become infected." He spared a glance at the black haired man swallowing nervously before continuing. "However, because of the blood loss and trauma it's highly probable that he won't be waking from this coma."

Amon nodded silently, shifting his gaze to the prone man on the bed and the doctor backed away feeling dismissed. The dark ominous man held a quiet, yet powerful and authorities aura around him, that was plain for him to see now. He had also seen that for all his uncaring, cold mannerisms, the man had a heart. Once the doctor had left, shutting the door behind him, Amon reached out and took the teenagers limp hand in both of his own. He never showed this affection when people were around. Probably never showed this affection when the brunet was awake and healthy. It was cute, really. Or it would have been if he hadn't been touching his kitten.

He growled loudly to himself knowing that the hunter wouldn't hear him. He didn't even know he was there perched on the edge of the bed opposite him. It was he who did this to him in the first place. He had robbed him of his body by trapping him in the explosion that had destroyed his mortal form. Too bad for the Hunters he wasn't that easy to kill. The brown haired hunter on the bed was too tempting of a prize to relinquish that easily.

The dark angel remained another hour, just sitting in silence holding the boys cold hand between his own. Then one of the night nurses, who happened to be a young man fresh out of school, came in with the latest round of antibiotics. Amon let go of the limp hand quickly and stood, leaving the room with the quiet rustle of his trench coat.

Taking the nurses body was easy once the hunter was gone. It was just a matter of disconnecting the man's mind's link with his body and establishing the connection with his own consciousness. The nurse offered little resistance to the attack, mostly because he couldn't. His body went rigid for a second before he fell limp against the IV stand. When he looked up his face and changed and his eyes had become a dull grey, hair a seemingly both it's original color and black.

He pushed off the stand turning to face his kitten. A half-crazed smirk played on his lips as he leaned over, claiming the comatose boys lips with his own. His kitten never moved, never responded, but he could live with that for now. Until he was healthy again he'd let the dark angel have him. He'd let his kitten think he was safe. Then he'd strike. He wanted to break his new pet of his old habits, wanted to see him crying and scared. When he was through his kitten would be begging him to take him. He smiled fully, finally breaking the kiss.

Yes his kitten would be to be his before the end. He gave the nurses body back to his mind, retreating to the shadows for another day of waiting. The nurse frowned, shuddering as if something slimy had crawled from deep within his stomach and nestled in his throat. He left the room quickly and clocked out early. He took a long hot shower when he arrived home, scrubbing himself until he bleed although he didn't understand why he felt so dirty.

~*~*~

It had been two weeks since the fire. Two weeks since Sakaki had fallen into a coma. Two weeks since he had been into the office to talk with him. It was getting to be extremely boring, doing nothing but work all day and most the night unable to leave the office.

Michael shook his head as he stared grimly at the same page he'd been focused on for an hour. His mind was wandering too much today. They wouldn't let him visit Sakaki, wouldn't even let him hack the security system at the hospital so he could make sure he was alright. It wasn't fair, he should be able to visit him. He was the closest thing he had to a best friend since he had arrived at this godforsaken place. If he died, there was no way Michael could survive alone.

Robin set down a cup of coffee beside his shaking hand, and took it into her own. He glanced up at her, startled, but reassured by her smile, maybe not so alone. She sat in the seat next to him, looking at the screen he'd be focused on. Information on the Witch they had fought that day. Yamato Takahashi, age 20. No living relatives, no job, no life.

"Takahashi…" She whispered wincing for a second. She had seen what the witch had done to their friend, and it still sent shivers down her spine, Michael squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't you think you should be doing the research for that murder last night?"

"There's nothing I can do until the autopsy is complete." Michael replied pulling up the information they had so far. "All we have is that the victim was disemboweled." He pulled up the picture of the dead man. "He seems to have worked at that construction company though That's why I pulled up Takahashi. I mean, Sakaki was the only one who had seen the bodies, so I'm not sure, it might be coincidence."

"You'd better keep an eye this case though…" Robin trailed off thoughtfully. Michael watched her out of the corner of his eye, did she have the same misgivings about the murder that he did? "Especially with what had happened last week."

"That's what I was thinking. There were too many similarities" Michael nodded looking at her fully, barely noticing as Dojima swept into the room. "And the attack happened during the memorial ceremonies for Takahashi's victims."

"Oh don't tell me we're still talking about this guy!" Dojima said suddenly from her workstation. "He's dead, nothing to worry about anymore. Probably a different witch."

The younger STN-J members stared at Dojima blankly so she continued. "I mean, it couldn't be Takahashi. He's dead, and what other connectors do we have besides that? The only one who saw the victims was Sakaki, and he's not exactly around to confirm your suspicions anymore now is he?"

Michael kept his gaze level but his voice was cold as he replied, one hand clenched into a fist. "Dojima, shut up. Don't talk about Haruto like that."

She widened her eyes realizing she'd struck nerve and wisely backed off. He continued glaring at her until he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and he looked back to find Robin watching him with concern. He unclenched his fist, turning fully back to the computer. Robin still looked a bit worried. "Michael…"

"Robin could you do something for me?" He asked diverting her attention. Besides it was something he felt he needed done anyway. Since he couldn't be there himself.

"Yes?" She prompted hands on her knees as she bent over him.

"Some time this week could you…could you take some flowers to Sakaki for me? Since I can't go myself?" He didn't look at her, but there was a slight tremor in his voice. If she did or not she didn't make any gesture of it, for which he was grateful.

The blonde haired craft-user smiled kindly nodding. "Sure, Michael."

Michael looked at her briefly smiling. "Thanks."

Robin returned to her workstation stopping long enough to grab her jacket before heading for the elevator. "I'm going to lunch now, want me to bring you back something?"

"If you could get some soup I'd be eternally in your debt." He called not looking up from the computer.

The elevator dinged and she was gone leaving him alone in the office with Dojima. The silence was heavy, so he put his earphones back on and turned up his music. The loud rock always seemed to help him concentrate for some reason. Without any way to further torment the hacker the blonde sighed and went to the window. She moved to the window the same time everyday. When Robin left for lunch, during which she usually visited Sakaki in the hospital, the lazy girl went to the window. It was like clock work. Michael smirked watching her out of the corner of his eyes, she was just as concerned about the brown haired rookie as the rest of them she just was too proud to admit it. Like Amon.

Michael frowned at the thought of the oldest hunter. He acted as if he hadn't carried Sakaki out of that burning building barely two weeks ago with the younger man's guts spilling out into his hands. Acted as if nothing was wrong at all. It grated the hackers nerves. How could someone be so cold about one of their associates, friends, getting so brutally beaten? Well Amon probably didn't consider the young brunet as anything more than a necessity. Some meat shield that he could send in after witches. Maybe he couldn't really go that far Amon was, after all, a pretty decent guy once you got used to the icy bastard routine. The phone rang suddenly and he answered quickly. It was Amon, he needed some information on a witch. Michael jumped on the task, his train of thought derailed for the time being.

~*~*~

Dojima was watching the traffic below with a lazy glaze. Things had been frantic since Sakaki had been hospitalized. They were understaffed in the Hunter department, forcing her to go on more hunts. She hadn't been able to just lounge around in a week. This had her greatly upset.

She sparred a glance over her shoulder at Michael, who was listening to his music at its usual decibel. His face was solemn as he typed away on the computer finding information for Amon. He'd been quieter than usual over the past two weeks. His friend was in a coma that he might never awake from and it was seriously affecting him. She hadn't realized how close the two had become until now, and it made her a bit embarrassed to have talked about the brunet the way she had. In a way though, she was glad that the hacker had been able to make friends with the other teen. She'd never admit that of course. No not her.

She was, after all, Yurika Dojima lazy bum extraordinaire. She was, as Sakaki had described, an arrogant, lazy, self-centered bitch. She couldn't say she cared, it just wasn't her style. Yet she also couldn't say that she didn't care. It was why she found herself here, at the window, watching for Robin as she pulled out of the garage on her Vespa as she had for the past two weeks. The other blonde was taking longer than usual today though.

She was going to visit Sakaki, hoping one of the times he'd be awake and waiting. He wouldn't be and she'd be saddened relating the news to Michael and Karasuma. Dojima was always waiting by the window when she returned. She might not have said anything but she too wanted to hear the news as much as the others.

Life at the STN-J without the annoying rookie was rather dull. He brought life and energy to the place that it was sorely lacking with him gone. He was the one who initiated conversations, or at least tried to. The one who always cared wore his emotions where everyone could see them. A deathly quiet had fallen over the building since his accident. Everyone worked in silence, not wanting to start a conversation for fear it would lead to the events of that day, the conversation Robin and Michael had had was the most they had spoken of the event in the two weeks since. Every time the elevator chimed all eyes turned towards it, even Amon's she had noticed, hoping to see a familiar shaggy brown head come sauntering out. It never happened though, which painfully drove home the fact that their brown haired rookie was laying in a hospital bed surrounded by machines that were keeping him alive on the other side of Tokyo.

"Dojima! Lounging around again are we?" The Chief's voice drifted to her from across the office where he had just entered, back from lunch.

"Sorry sir." She mumbled quietly, turning from the window as Robin zoomed out of the garage on her Vespa. She made her way back to her desk knowing both Kosaka and Michael were watching her, one with anger still hiding in his gaze.

~*~*~

Robin waved her way in and out of the midday Tokyo traffic mulling over what Michael had told her earlier. It was publicly known that four of the construction company managers were killed that night of the fire. The fifth manager, the one Takahashi had attacked was out of town at the time, ironically, attending a funeral.

He had become head of the company some time last week after holding a proper memorial ceremony. It had been televised because of the sheer brutality of the murders caught on camera, partially, by the closed circuit security that was monitored from a security station father away from the compound. It wouldn't have been worth mentioning the ceremony if not for the fact that halfway through the power hand been cut and 10 of the guests were attacked, five of them were killed.

They were all disemboweled like the first four. It had been horrific because no killer had been seen, nor were there any suspects. The manager, a Mr. Hiro Wantanabe, had been giving a death threat written in the blood of the victims on the walls, nothing more. Needless to say he was terrified and immediately took a two week vacation to soothe his nerves while his newly hired team of managers took care of the rebuilding the company. He left the island for America, where his affiliates there were supposedly giving him a course in the way they manage things.

It didn't make sense though, why was the ceremony attacked? Why, if Takahashi were truly dead? It wasn't possible for the spirit to remain on this plane once the body was destroyed. Could it be possible that there was another witch carrying out what the madman had started? No, he didn't have any contacts outside of his pets. Which there was no way they could be witches.

She pulled up outside of a flower shop that was on the way to the hospital where Sakaki was lying comatose. The shop was deserted when she entered, but the evidence of a mass rush was still obvious by a few of the crushed flowers littering the floor and the dazed state of the only florist on duty. He was a tall man with wavy brown hair pulled back into pony tail, several strands were too short to reach the ponytail and framed his face. A pair of sunglasses were perched behind the fallen bangs. He watched her with lidded jade eyes and a lazy smirk on his face.

"Hello young lady how may I help you?" He asked in a smooth voice completely contradicting his half-asleep appearance.

"I'm looking for some flowers." Robin replied quietly glancing at the many bouquets and displays.

"Well of course you did," The florist replied smirking even wider as he came out from behind the counter and sauntered over to stand next to her. "This is a flower shop after all. What's the occasion? Got a hot date with your boyfriend tonight?"

The blond craft-user blushed deeply as she looked down, the man threw an arm over her shoulders. "No…"

"Oh, then is it for a hot date with your girlfriend?" The brunet was blunt as he scrutinized her, eyes bright with mirth. They reminded the young blonde of another brunet who teased her.

"No!" She cried looking at him incredulously. He chuckled as she pulled away watching her like a lazy cat.

"Relax, I was only kidding. So if it isn't for a hot date…" He shot her a look before turning back towards the display case. "…what is it for?"

"Well, I have a friend of mine who's in the hospital." Robin started watching the man shyly. "And another friend is unable to get away from work long enough to go visit him."

"So he asked you to bring flowers eh?" The brunet scratched his head almost dislodging the sunglasses perched there. He thought for a second before snapping his fingers and turning towards the back of the shop.

"I think I have just the thing." He said retreating into the backroom and emerging a few minutes later with one of the most beautiful bouquets she had ever seen. He, or one of the others who worked the store, was obviously a craftsman at the art. It was a group of red and white flowers with bristled centers and scattered sparsely with yellow roses and the white flower that's the garnish of all arrangements . "Mixed Zinnia, yellow roses, and white Heather."

"That's perfect." She took the flowers smiling faintly. The man smiled in return and rang her up.

"And here's your receipt." The brunet handed her a slip of paper. "Thank you for shopping with us. Have a nice day."

"Thank you!" She took the paper and her bouquet heading for the door.

"Oh miss!" The man called suddenly stopping her in her tracks. She turned back and he had moved from behind the corner and was approaching her with a flower. It was a deep purple and seemed almost two flowers in one. Several petals of a lighter purple, extended upward like a buttercup, more of a darker purple were bending downward, almost like a starburst. He handed it to her. "This is a purple columbine, it represents a resolve to win. I have a friend whose sister has been in a coma for a long time, he makes a lot of arrangements with this flower. I guess it gives him hope and maybe it'll do the same for you and your friends."

Robin took the flower with a polite bow, reaching into her pocket to give him some more change but he shook his head holding up a hand. "No need, it's on the house for a pretty young woman like you."

Robin blushed bowing again. "Thank you sir."

"Welcome." He drawled seeing her out the door and watching as she placed both the bouquet and her special gift in the compartment of her Vespa and mount it. "Goodbye and come back soon, I don't want to hear about you leaving me for some other flower shop you hear?"

"Yes sir." Robin smiled at him as she pulled on her helmet. "I'll do that."

She rode of as the man waved from the sidewalk. He had been nice, and wise for someone his age. He had looked to be barely in his twenties yet had a wisdom about him of someone twice his age.

Robin was ten minutes later than usual in getting to the hospital with her bundle of flowers. She took her usual route to Sakaki's room waving to the nurses in the station.

"Hey there miss Robin." The head nurse, a pretty woman with brown hair by the name a Sakura, called as she passed. "Your brother hasn't woken up yet, but I'm sure he will soon."

Robin nodded to her smiling kindly. She had told the hospital that she was Robin Sakaki, Haruto's younger sister, because the rules of the Intensive Care Unit stated that only members of the patients immediate family were allowed to visit. It had been necessary because they had no idea how to contact the brown haired teens parents and Robin didn't want him to wake up in that room alone and with no chance of seeing a familiar face until he was released.

She took a deep breath as she opened the door, hope rising in her chest. It was always there when she opened the door, the hope that maybe this time Sakaki would be awake and grinning at her when she entered. It was a false hope though. She was beginning to fear that she might never see his sparkling purple eyes or hear his voice as he teased her again.

Nothing in the room had changed when she finally entered the room. Everything was exactly the way she had left it yesterday. The boy slumbered on, oblivious to the beeping of the heart monitor and the intrusion of the various needles and electrodes. Not even the respirator, which had been removed the previous day, seemed to bother him. His eyes remained closed, mouth slack, yet he wasn't even snoring. The same as every day. She moved to the stand by the bed, placing the flowers done so she could grab up the vase that was already resting there. It contained some wilted blue flowers. She had recognized them as the one's Karasuma, Dojima, and her had decided on giving Amon when they thought his stay was going to be longer. He had brought them to Sakaki that night he was released.

She ducked into the connected bathroom disposing of the dead flowers and cleaning the vase. The gesture of Amon giving the flowers to their comatose teammate was strange, the others had agreed when she had told them of it. He wasn't exactly the most affectionate of individuals and they all thought for sure he had thrown them out when Robin had told them of his recovery and subsequent release from the hospital. That he had given the flowers to Sakaki instead was proof of just how badly they were all shaken by the boys injury. Besides what had happened with Kate, this was the closest to dying any of them had ever come.

She dumped the water she had been using to clean the vase out and filled it again with clean water. She went back to her friends beside and plunked the vase down picking up the bouquet, unwrapping it and putting the flowers into the water. When that was done she took the Columbine and placed it gently in one of Sakaki's hands. She then took his other hand in one of hers, stroking it before speaking. "Michael told me to bring you some flowers for him since he can't come himself. The purple flower I got for free from the man at the flower shop. He told me it symbolizes a will to win."

The man on the bed didn't so much as flinch. He hadn't moved in two weeks. Not since he had come out of surgery late the afternoon following the fire. Robin had been there watching over him the entire time, giving Michael a link up by which he was able to hack the security cameras overlooking the operation. His chances of survival had increased to 50% during the surgery, however his chances of recovery were low. It was more than likely that he'd remain in this comatose state of living-dead for the rest of his life.

Robin bent forward resting her head on her clasped hands, feeling the brunet's cool fingers against her forehead. Her eyes slid closed as she prayed. She prayed that Sakaki might be spared from such a terrible fate. Prayed that for his return to the living. If anyone could help in this situation it was her God. He'd be able to save the STN-J from this downward spiral it had been in since their energetic rookie had been put her. It was funny that even she had begun to think of him like that. She, who had been with the STN-J for all of a month and a half, was calling him rookie. She was technically the rookie team member yet it seemed that term was reserved for Sakaki.

Rookie had become an affectionate term for the older hunter even if it grated the teen's nerves. He still made rookie mistakes but that was what made Sakaki Sakaki. It was his impulsiveness and impatience that got him into trouble most of the time (as well as his apparent ability to attract witches wrath), not his lack of experience. He could be a formidable hunter once he learned to control his urges and focus. She had seem him in that state, completely focused and serious. He had taken down two dangerous witches on his own, and watching him she had almost felt as if she were looking at the stoic Amon rather than the shaggy haired teen.

She began to feel the tears welling up in her eyes as her memory began to take her back to all the times he had made her laugh, smile, or even just realize how good life was. As they came she realized that in less than two months the brunet had dug himself a spot in her heart. The whole of the STN-J held a special place in her heart now and briefly she wondered when she had allowed it to happen. She wasn't sent her to be their replacement hunter and was supposed to be recalled the moment she had fulfilled her job, so she had meant to keep everyone at a distance. Yet here she was sitting by the bedside of one of her teammates praying for his survival and actually crying at his loss. "You have to wake up…"

Tears escaped from her closed eyes dropping, like liquid crystals, onto Sakaki's limp fingers. They twitched at the contact, startling the blonde when his fingers connected weakly with her cheek. She jerked back with a cry eyes flying to his face, her train of thought and prayer derailed temporarily. His eyelids twitched and she felt her hope rising in her chest again.

"Sakaki…?" She whispered uncertainly, watching his face for movement. After a few minutes she gave up with and sigh and returned to her prayer. It was because she had assumed her previous position, eyes closed, head resting on her hands, she completely missed the eyes twitch again, the face draw into a frown nor the eyes as the slowly fluttered open. Foggy violet eyes flicking slowly over her lithe form.

"Are you…an angel?" A voice, hoarse from long disuse rasped. It wasn't the nicest of sounds yet to the blonde hunter it was the most beautiful and welcome sound in the world.

Her eyes flew open with a gasp to take in the other hunter staring back at her, blinking owlishly. "Sakaki?!"

"Robin?" He rasped sounding confused now. "Did you die too?"

Robin stared at him blankly for a second before breaking into a soft smile. "You're not dead. You're in the hospital."

"Then I'm alive?" He blinked. "Really?"

She nodded and the brunet let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god!"

I am. She thought quietly to herself watching him. Believe me I am.

The doctor chose that moment to rush in having been monitoring the teens' heart monitor, which had changed the moment he regained consciousness. His eyes bulged with shock at seeing his charge wake and staring back. The brunet gave a weak little wave. The doctor quickly regained his composure with a professional smile as he approached the pair.

"Mr. Sakaki, you're awake." He greeted glancing briefly at the blonde girl sitting by his patients side. "If you don't mind stepping outside miss, I'd like to examine your brother."

Robin nodded ignoring the brunet's look of confusion as he stared at her. She stood heading for the door but stopped and turned back giving a little wave over the doctors shoulder with an 'I'll explain later' look. The other teen frowned blinking at her as she disappeared out the door. She spoke with Sakura on her 'brother's' seemingly miraculous awakening for twenty minutes until the doctor allowed her back into the room.

Sakaki was sitting up in his bed looking decidedly unhappy, arms crossed and shoulders drawn in, assuming classic pout position. He brightened considerably upon seeing her and smiled broadly. The doctor nodded a greeting to her as he looked over the charts on the clipboard she had never seen him without. Once she had taken her place next to Sakaki's bed, the brunet grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze, the doctor turned to them ready to speak.

"Ms. Robin." He began casting a glance over at Sakaki. "Your brother has overcome some pretty tough odds these past two weeks." Sakaki jerked looking startled as he shot Robin a wide-eyed look. The doctor pretended not to notice. "He doesn't seem to be suffering any aftereffects from the coma, and his injuries seem to be well on their way to healing. He'll be able to leave the hospital in the next couple of days." Robin smiled and Sakaki seemed to radiate excitement. The impulsive teen had never liked hospitals. "Your lucky it was only a flesh wound young man. Any deeper and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

With that declaration the doctor was called to another room of the ICU by an alarm. He scurried out of the room quickly, leaving the two hunters in a shocked silence. Robin had given a little gasp and was staring at the bedridden hunter. Sakaki returned the stare his expressive face displaying a plethora of emotions.

"Robin…" His voice was still raspy but dull now with shock. "Can you get me some water?" Feels like I tried guzzling liquefied cotton…"

"Sure." Robin hurried into the bathroom for a plastic cup, filling it with water, and returning, gently placing it in his hands.

He drank greedily, downing the whole cup in seconds. He handed it back gasping out. "Thanks!"

She smiled settling into the chair next to his bed as she placed the cup on the bedside stand. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." He replied fiddling with the sheets. "A bit groggy, and my stomach kinda hurts but other than that, I'm good."

Silence descended on the room as he chewed on his lower lip and Robin was pondering how to explain what had happened should he ask. He would glance at her every so often almost shyly. It was several minutes before Robin found the silence uncomfortable. "Sakaki…"

"Was I really out for two weeks Robin?" Sakaki blurted almost simultaneously looking up at her suddenly with an intensity he'd rarely shown before.

Robin stopped mid-sentence drawing back slightly at his sudden outburst. Then she smiled kindly, stroking the hand that gripped hers still. "Yes, it's true. You were. We weren't sure if you were ever going to recover. Every one's been worried."

Sakaki nodded silently his face suddenly grim, he looked away from her at the flower his other hand still held. "I-I'm sorry Robin. I shouldn't have worried you like that."

Robin frowned deeply. "Sakaki…It-"

"What happened after I was attacked?" Sakaki interrupted. "I don't remember too much."

"The witch blew up the building. We thought you and Amon had been killed." She explained slowly fiddling with the hem of her overskirt. Recalling the events of that night was still difficult. "Then Amon stepped from the flames with you cradled in his arms. You were badly hurt and at first I thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry." Sakaki repeated staring at the flower in his right hand. Robin watched him carefully for a long while before he spoke again. "It's my fault Amon was hurt. He was protecting me from that witch."

"It's not your fault." She replied finally as she felt his hand begin trembling in her own. "You had no idea you were going to be attacked."

He glanced at her smiling weakly. "I know Robin, it's just…this sort of thing always happens to me."

Robin nodded quietly smiling as Sakaki brought the flower in his hand up to his face for inspection. "That's a…"

"Columbine." Sakaki finished for her and grinned fully at her astonished look. "..A purple Columbine, it symbolizes a will to win."

"That's what the florist who gave me the flower said." Robin admitted sheepishly.

Sakaki nodded looking to the flowers in the vase. "Zinnia, yellow roses, and heather…"

"Michael had me bring you some flowers from him since he can't be here himself." Robin explained quickly. "The man at the flower shop recommended that arrangement."

"I can see why." Sakaki nodded, Robin cocked her head and stared at him until he decided to explain. "The red and white flowers are Zinnia. That type of Zinnia means 'thinking of an absent friend'. Yellow roses are often a sign of friendship. And heather is a sign of protection." Robin began giggling causing the brunet to frown at her. He crossed his arms. "What's so funny?"

"I never thought you'd know so much about flowers." She told her still smiling and Sakaki grinned back.

"My mother was a florist." He said gazing fondly at the flowers as if they were his mother. "I spent hours in her shop watching her work when I was little."

"I see." Robin's phone rang just then and she answered it. "Robin here."

"Robin." It was Michael. "Amon needs you, there's been another victim to this disemboweling murderer."

"But I thought the authorities were convinced it wasn't a witch." Robin frowned and Sakaki sat up a bit straighter at the mention of being disemboweled, watching her curiously.

"They are," Michael replied and Robin could hear him typing furiously. "The latest victim happens to be a witch. She also worked for that construction company. This could possibly be a coincidence, Takahashi's dead an-"

Sakaki whimpered loudly at the mention of the witch that had landed him in the hospital, drawing his knees up to his chest and hissed at the pain that obviously caused. "Takahashi…"

"Sakaki?!" Michael cried incredulously having heard the other teen through Robin phone communicator as easily as the brunet had heard him.

"Yes?" The hunter replied sweetly knees still against his chest, a haunted cast to his eyes.

"He woke up while I was here." Robin explained to the flabbergasted hacker. "Where does Amon want me to meet him?"

"I'll send you the coordinates via non-linear filter." Michael returned to job mode but his voice said that Robin was going to be grilled for information later. Robin got the information she needed.

"Thanks Michael." She said before ending the call and turning back to the wounded hunter. The look in his eyes had her worried but she had no time to ask what was wrong. She offered him a comforting smile as she stood. "I've got to go."
"Will you be back?" He asked quietly watching her like a scared child. Robin was uncertain what had caused this abrupt change in demeanor.

"Yes." Robin nodded smiling, then left.

~*~*~

He snuck into the hospital room a little after midnight his long greasy blonde hair, having been unwashed for days. His blue-green eyes were frosted over with a greyish mist that seemed to glow in the darkness. He smiled as he approached the bed running his fingers through the sleeping brunets hair. "I here you were awake today kitten. I wish you were awake now to talk with me, but I don't have much time. The dark angel will be here soon."

He brushed the lips of his borrowed body to those of the young kitten he would soon claim as his own. The boy stirred causing Takahashi to draw back nervously. He didn't awaken and after a couple of seconds the raven haired man inhabiting the bums body smirked. The other hunters had no idea of his true power. He had spent long studying them as the brunet lay in a coma, he knew all about them. The other teenage boy who worked there, the one who was stuck in the building, he kept pulling up records on his past. He might soon stumbled across the records better left untouched. He couldn't be allowed to meddle like that. His hand ran through the brown locks. "Yes kitten, that hacker will have to be taken care of first."

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AN: REVIEW! <reaches into her bag o' cutestuff and pulls out Kuronekosama. Stares for a second before shoving it back in. Then pulls out one of the cutest things people have ever seen. A kitty with big puppy dog eyes. (Strange…but effective)> Review you can't resist the face….:D