Karuku felt like reaching out to grab him when he started to walk away though couldn't. What was she to say to him? Ow I'm sorry I do like you though I can't? She couldn't tell him that. She sighed a bit and went to go find something to do. She felt empty and cold and she just didn't know what to do. She soon started plotting a private rade to get her mind off of this whole thing and found that she would have a chance to do so in the next day or so.

Dante sighed as he went ontop of the deck, not many people were around, he chuckled a bit as he walked to the edge "now! jump!" his evil concious said to him "no! dont jump!" his good one said, Dante looked at them both and sighed "sorry bad guy, im not jumping" he said an shooed them away, he looked down at waves caresing the body as it glidded through the river "i can't leave now" he said sighing more

"Hi Dante... where's mistress? I haven't seen her all morning... or yesterday" Shishi asked asked softly as she came up to Dante looking at him some a bit worriedly though kindly and didn't seem like she had anything against the male... she actually liked him being there and knowing that her mistress was happy.

Dante looked at the female and sighed "im not sure... i came up here for some air... and then Karuku never followed so im guessing she is down below somewhere" he said looking back at the soft waves "im sure she is ok" he said as he breathed in deeply then slowly breathed out

"Ow... I'm surprised she isn't fallowing you..." Shishi commented quietly as she looked around then sighed some and nodded. "I'm just curious... not trying to start anything though did you happen to maybe make her a bit upset? Even just a little?" she asked quietly having a feeling that her captain had gotten attached to the male which would mean that he could easily hurt her.

Dante sighed a bit at her question "come to think of it... i don't think i did... i might have... you will need to go cheak" he said looking over the seas "this is wonderful... i never thought i would be on a ship like this staring over the ocean" he said breathing in the seasalty air

"I love it out here... I always have... it's really nice to grow up with it too." Shishi smiled slightly as she leaned on the rail some for a few minutes though then sighed a bit and moved. She then walked down to the deck below and spoke with her captain softly and kindly.

Dante smiled and watched the female leave, he sighed a bit then looked at the clear blue sky "today seems... peaceful and perfect" he said laening on the railings, he sighed a bit and thought... mabey he was too mean towards Karuku, he shook his head and sighed "i know she is a succabi... but to play with peoples hearts is down right mean"

(skip)

A few days had passed and they had soon ported and some had went on their own the first day for their own personal raids while Karuku would stay on the ship along with Dante and Shishi most of the time. After a day or so Karuku went out on her own and told Dante not to fallow. It was for his own safety really.... she didn't want him getting her... she didn't want him getting killed.

While their captain was out, however, the rest of the crew were in a sitting room bellow deck speaking. They hoped that Dante didn't come down and hear them though they didn't mind either... he needed to know this after all. "Do you really think that it's like that?" Atra asked and both Shishi and Doku nodded. "Yeah... she doesn't just tell ANYONE that they could do anything they wanted to her... nor would she let people really touch her... like, touchy touchy.... that kind of thing" he commented and Kaze nodded a bit. "He's right about that... though why would she?" he asked and Doku shrugged a bit. "He does act like him after all..." Shishi pointed out quietly and Kaze nodded a bit in agreement.

Dante sighed a bit, he was begining to get bored on the top deck so he decided to join the others, as he reached the door the others were behind he heard them talking about him and Karuku, it was only then when he realised, what she had said was true, she did love him "oh no" he said as it all came at him thick and fast. he burst through the door looking at them all "where is she?... i need to talk to her"

The crew members looked up and then looked at each other thinking. Atra was surprisingly the first to talk... and softly at that. "No... you can't go get her... she doesn't want anyone near while she's on a raid by herself... that's what happened to the last guy she liked.... though she likes you more and she would be devastated if you died too." she said softly and carefully as she looked at Shishi and she nodded some. "It would be best if you just waited for her to come home" Kaze said softly and kindly seeming to actually really care about his captain.

Dante listened to them and his head was soon filling up with images of her dying and his gut filled with fear "i need some air..." he said almost growling "... need some air" he repeated as he ran up onto the top deck, once he was there he began to growl as his head filled with more thoughts and hid fear soon mixed with worry and pain, what if she did get hurt, what if she was captured, the thoughts were begining to slowly eat his mind again as he started to pace back and forth

Shishi and the others looked at each other then Atra gestured for her to go. She rolled her eyes a bit though went and fallowed after Dante. She walked up to the top deck and looked at him with soft eyes. "She'll be okay... she always is... when I was a little girl I was so scared that she wouldn't come back, but she did, she always did" she said softly as she looked at him and thought some. "She'll only be gone for a few hours... maybe until sunset but she'll be fine" she said softly and reassuringly once more hoping to calm the male some.

Dante listened to Shishi and turned to her with a tear in his eye "but have you never had the feeling she wont?" he sniffed back the tear a bit "how can you do it Shishi? how can you manage not to worry much?" he asked wiping the tear away "i guess i will have to stay strong... for Karuku"

Shishi listened to him with soft eyes and nodded a bit. "Of course. What else would a small child think 'ow she's leaving! I'll never see her again!' that's what I always said... well all up until I was like five but that's when I started to see her as more of a hero and see that she wouldn't die that easily" she smiled slightly then moved over to him and gave him a small hug. "I can understand that some... not exactly since you're falling for her though in the way that I know the fear I can feel for you... but... she will come home and she will bring at least some treasure with her and food." she smiled some seeming quite confident about this.

Dante smiled and soon felt better "yeah, she is a hero, and she will come back" he said hugging her slightly back, her determination had soon raised his spirit making him more determined too, but he soon went back to walking back and forth "you should join the others, i shall wait for her up here" he said smiling at her, still pacing

"maybe you should eat then come back? Or I could bring you some food?" Shishi said softly and a bit worriedly wanting to make sure that he was taken care of before she went back down to her other shipmates. "Are you sure you don't want any company?" she asked some and really want to leave him alone though if he wanted to be alone she would leave him alone.

Dante sighed a bit turning around "i will be fine, trust me" he said as he looked out at the soft waves an smiled a bit

(dead brain T_T)

(it's fine XD )

Shishi smiled and nodded some giving him one more hug before going down and going to talk to the others again. After a few hours Karuku finally came back and was grumbling irritatedly as she had a bag of food though nothing else. She stopped when she saw Dante and wondered if he had been waiting for her all day... why? She thought he didn't like her anymore since he thought she didn't like him at all and that she had been lying to him which she never did.

Dante sighed a bit, he was about to give up until he turned around and saw Karuku stood behind him, his heart the began to beat faster as he ran over to her and hugged her "im so glad your safe..." he let go and looked into her eyes with sorrow "... Karuku... im sorry about before... i heard you had feelings for me ealier... i just wanted you to know that you can tell me anything you want too" he said going in to hug her again

Karuku was shocked she felt his arms come around her and couldn't help but let tears fall down her cheeks. She let go of the sack then wrapped her arms around him and leaned into him a bit. "Please... say it... I can't... not until I hear it said to me" she whispered and knew that he would know what she was talking about. She loved him, yes... though... she couldn't say that... he had to say it first for her to be able to. She hugged him tightly and looked up at him some tears still falling though she was waiting to see if he would actually say it or not... and she hoped that he did.

Dante heard her speak then soon realised why she never said it "well... you may not be able too... but i can" he said as he gently wiped away the tears "karuku... i love you... i love you like i have never loved anyone before" he said placing his hand gently on her cheek "and its not just because of you... body" he chuckled and then kissed her lips "but its mainly because i love you as a person"

When Karuku felt him wiping away her tears and speak she smiled some. When she heard him again and this time the tears fell for another reason... she could say it now... even though it took a bit out of her she could say it. "I love you too.... and you know... I wouldn't change my body for anyone else before... I did allot to make you happy with me because I couldn't tell you how I felt outside of my dreams... so I tried to show you" she said softly then kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck some.

Jake smiled a bit but it soon faded and he nodded "i realise that now... but i was such a fool for not reading the signs" he said hugging her tightly "and i am truely sorry for what i did and said, i don't know what came over me" he said kissing her cheek gently "and no matter what i did or do, i shall always love you" he said smiling a bit "and i just noticed you kept your body the same" he said smiling "therefor my soul is hereby yours" he said smiling more

"I don't want your soul... I just want you to love me" Karuku said softly as she closed her eyes softly and leaned into him some. She could feel stress on her body for not having that she needed for a few days though she pushed it away not wanting it to ruin this right now. "My only two goals right now are to keep you happy and to keep you and my crew safe and cared for... that's my only two goals and needs... I need to keep you guys alive... you, and this ship, and the others are all I have and I don't want to loose any of you... I don't want to loose you" she whispered softly as she looked at him and kissed his cheek softly and lovingly.