"She won't go with you." Riku whispered. "Michi, dear child as she is, won't go with you. I'm asking you to stay here, to take care of her for me. I...cannot always be there for her." Riku dropped to his knees and then pressed his forehead to the ground, "Please."

She glared down at him with the same icy look his angle had once given him long ago for showing the same sign of servitude. " get off the ground your embarrassing yourself" She spat out the words and walked out of the room. she went in search of the small child. she had no choice if the girl would not come with her she would have to stay. for Yasmin would not leave the child to the vampires.

Riku shifted back onto his haunches after Yasmin had left the room, a small sad smile playing at the edges of his lips, "How similar the two are..." He quietly stood back up and returned to his chair and his reading, "I wonder how Angel would have reacted to the little one?"

She walked down the hallways in search of the child until she finally found her, she placed a smile on her face so she wouldn't scare the child off " Michi there you are" She said calmly as she approached her.

Michi looked up from where she was carefully pouring water into a glass, both hands needed to support the weight of the water jug, "Oh, hello." She greeted with a smile, "Michi is getting water for gwest." She carefully set the jug back down and held the glass up, "Michi done!" She announced proudly.

yasmin smiled at the small child " yay" she said encouragingly " Hey michi would you like to come live with me for a while?" She asked her gently leaving the choice up to her, but being blunt at the same time.

"With Big Bwother to wight?" Michi asked, completely oblivious to what Yasmin meant. "Big Sis is nice person but Bwother would get lonely if Michi left. He's always by himself in his room."

she sighed and bent down to be on her level " I"m sorry hun be but were we are going he can' come with us." She said lightly to her wondering why she was calling her big sister.

"Then Michi no go." Michi tended to speak more childishly when she was annoyed with something, a habit Riku found quite amusing at times. She stood to her feet and walked back down the hall, holding onto the glass of water carefully, "Michi go find Bwother now."

Yasmin sighed so he had indeed been right, very well she would have to stay here then. if only to protect the small child from yasmin's imagined fears.

The book fell from Riku's grasp suddenly and he looked at his hand, it had pulsed with pain just a moment before. "How strange..." He murmured and then collapsed from his chair, unconscious. Michi, standing in the doorway, opened her mouth and cried out loud for help, "Waaah!!"

YAsmin ran in the direction of the distressed child. she saw Riku on the ground she did not know what happened but it was alarming michi. she walked over to him and picked him up " Come on wake up"She said to him as she placed him on his bed.

Riku struggled against the blinding flashes of pain and forced his eyes open, forcing himself awake, he blinked his eyes for a moment still blinded slightly by darkness. He took deep breathes and then whispered, "Michi." The girl finally stopped screaming and hurried to his side, grabbing hold of the end of Yasmin's shirt in one of her small hands, she peered at him with her large eyes. Riku smiled painfully at her, "I'm sorry for scaring you Michi. Why don't you go outside to play with Yasmin?"

YAsmin picked Michi up " come on Michi Lets go play hid and seek while big brother has a nap OK?" She asked the small child while shooting Riku a look that said i expect answers later.

Michi agreed wholeheartedly, seemingly having forgotten the previous incidence. After the two left the room Riku relaxed his expression and a great weariness seemed to envelope the room, "The effects of time...are truly something to be feared."

Yasmin stayed outside until the child became tired or hungry which ever came first.

Eventually Michi curled up in the grass and closed her eyes, her breathing slowing down. She was tired out and now needed a nice long rest.

Yasmin couldn't help but smile warmly at her. she went over and picked her up " come on MIchi Tell big sister were your room is" she asked of the sleepy child forgetting for a moment that vampires were inside the house and she was now trapped by her own sense of right and wrong there.

"Next to...Big Bwother's..." Michi murmured sleepily, then she snuggled into Yasmin's arms and fell asleep.

she stroked the child's hair soothingly while she fell alseep. she quickly found the room and put michi in her own bed. once she was safely tucked in she quietly sneaked out of the room and went next door to check on riku. she wasn't stupid she knew if she was to stay here he would be her source of protection if the other vampire's wanted to attack her.

Riku's eyes fluttered open as soon as Yasmin entered his room. His mask was up just as fast. "Did you need something, love?" he asked, sitting up and throwing his legs over the side of the bed to stand up.

she genitally out her hand on his shoulder and made him lay back down, the first none violent act she had ever done towards him. " no i just came to see how you were doing" She said lightly " Michi is sleeping in the next room" She informed him

Riku simply went along with her actions, if she wasn't going to react violently then he could cooperate. He smiled at the mention of Michi, "I was wondering how long it would take her till she fell asleep." His eyes found hers and he reached a hand up to ruffle his hair, "What did you want to ask me?"

yasmin sat down in the chair he had been sitting in earlier. " first of all what the hell happened to you earlier?" She asked him quit bluntly

Riku averted his eyes and looked towards the red-draped windows, "Time is a funny thing. Especially when one isn't supposed to be alive anymore."