A/N: Okay here is the thing. I hated what I originally wrote for this story and have decided that I was going to go in an entirely different direction that makes more since in my mind and that is less OOC not to mention a plot that runs a lot smoother. I hope you will like this story much more than the last attempt. And just a little hint when all the dates come into place, his is taking place in 2006 because that is the year it would be if by my calculations it was started the year WHR was released in America because I know it was in 2002 in Japan.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Witch Hunter Robin that is Bandai and Sunrise. I do however own the plot and the characters that I invent for this story so ask permission before using any characters or other inventions of my imagination.

 

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Chapter 1: Close to the Flame

 

The kiss sweetest
And touch so warm
The smile kindest
In this world so cold and strong

So close to the flame
Burning brightly
It won't fade away
And leave us lonely

The arms safest
And words all good
The faith deepest
In this world so cold and cruel

 

            The sun poured like a warm blanket over her milk white skin. The warm tingle brought her back from the world of dreams. Birds chirped in the background of muffled car motors. Blinking rapidly she cleared her eyes of the sleep that had accumulated there. Her small fist, its long pale fingers tightly wrapped together, rubbed against the translucent reddish blond eyelashes that surrounded her jade eyes. Sitting up slowly she wrapped the cotton sheets around her small frame; her bare skin slightly moist from the summer’s heat.

           

“Mmm… morning.” Her small voice was barely above a whisper.

 

Robin yawned silently as she looked around barren room. At the end of her bed sat her clothes for the day, everything else was packed away in her small suitcase that she was going to take on the plane. Only two things had been left in the room, a mirrored vanity and the bed she sat in now. There was no need to take them seeing as they like all the other apartments she had stayed in were furniture that had already inhabited the room before she moved in. Now it was time to leave behind these ones just like the rest. They would leave around noon to head over to Harry’s for a final goodbye before Amon and Robin were to leave the continent.

 

Untangling her body from the soft sheets of the bed Robin grabbed her long black skirt and light cotton short sleeved shirt. She pressed a careful ear to the door. The same silence that had greeted her ears when she had woke up now sounded in the hall. Slowly Robin opened the door and peeked into the dark hallway. Her footsteps were muffled by the thick rug that ran through most of the apartment. Amon seemed to still be shut up in his room whether this meant he was asleep or not was a mystery to her but she was willing to take her chance with guessing it was the first one.

 

The curtains were drawn firmly together creating a false night in the room. He had heard her wake up and check like she often did to see where he was in the house. After the first few times she had done this he had gotten use to her movement. She seemed to have an uncanny knack for waking up at dawn and taking a bath at the same time each morning. This wasn’t as strange as the fact that after her bath she would usually go back to sleep.

 

Pulling his attention back to the laptop he continued to go over all of the contacts, locations, hotel reservations, money, and any other little detail for their trip to Europe. Everything had to go right he was not going to let anyone kill Robin. Hell, he couldn’t even let himself kill Robin and he had made a promise to do it if she got out of control. Amon doubted that if the need did arise that he could actually go through with it. The third time would not be the charm and he knew it.

 

Checking all of the information on the laptop again along with the background checks on their safe houses in Europe he checked the time on the laptop. 10:47; they would need to get going the minute Robin was done with her bath to make it to Harry’s on time for a finally good bye to everyone in Japan. After a little going away party, which Nagira and Doujima had been resolute to have –who would have though they would hit it off so well-, he and Robin would head to the airport. Though he was wary of going someplace SOLOMON would know use to be the unofficial haunt of the STN-J and going out in public for longer then necessary, he just could shake the feeling that something important was happening today and he had in some amazing feat been left out of the loop.

 

Getting up he grabbed his cell phone to call Nagira to let them know they would be on their way to the party in the next half hour or so.

 

“Nagira Syunji speaking,” Nagira’s voice sounded the same as ever rough from years of smoking non stop and joyful.

 

“Nagira, its Amon.” No emotion was in his voice.

 

“Hello baby brother. Are you going to try and back out on us at the last minute? Because there is no escaping this party, if I have to I will personally come and haul your ass over here.” There was the sound of Nagira inhaling smoke on the other end of the line.

 

“I wasn’t going to abandon your stupid party no matter how much of a death trap I may think it is.”

 

“You better not, this party isn’t as much for you as it is for Robin any way; so you can just go in your corner and sulk when you get here.”

 

This caused Amon to frown and glare it to the nothingness that was his room.

 

“I don’t see why all of you are so intent on having this little party. You would think since you all cared so much about Robin you would let her stay safely hidden instead of having her go out into prime SOLOMON areas.”

 

“Oh, stop fussing. She’ll be fine we secured the building for you two to get here a good thirty minutes ago. So get both your asses down here before we get tired of waiting and do something you might regret.” Nagira chuckled.

 

“Fine we’ll be on our way as soon as Robin finishes her bath. Don’t expect us to stay long our place leaves at 3:00 and we will have to go through security.”

 

“Well we’ll just have to live with the glimpse we get. See you when you guys get here.”

 

Amon hung up and put the phone away in his pocket. Somehow the knowledge that they could finally leave the country after 7 months of waiting and planning did make him feel as safe as he thought it would.

 

“Robin! After your finished in the bath make sure everything is packed then come out in to the living room with all of your things.” Amon turned his head to the door that separated the bathroom from his room.

 

From the other side of the wall he heard a quiet “okay” which was undoubtedly Robin.  

 

Amon glanced at the door once more before packing his laptop away in his bag and carrying it to the living room. The abrupt change from total darkness to the warm hue that came from the curtained windows that were all around the room was hard for his eyes to adjust to. Setting down the light bag on the floor by the door Amon headed into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee for himself and Robin before they left.

 

The warm scent of black coffee filled the small dwelling as Robin reemerged from the bathroom in a robin’s egg blue shirt and long black skirt. She carried a small bag with her as she walked past Amon in the kitchen. He silently eyed her as she went about putting it next to his by the door and came back to stand next to him while getting herself a cup of coffee.

 

“Are we going to leave soon?” Her soft voice barely reached his ears.

 

“Yes, Nagira is impatient to see you. The sooner we leave the more time you have to say goodbye.” His voice was even; eyes dark and indifferent.

 

Robin looked up to his stoic face. “Are you sure it’s okay to go? I would be okay either way.” There was reluctance in her voice. In her mind she was pleading with every fiber of her being to see her friends at least one last time. Amon could sense it radiating off of her. How could he possibly say that it was his hope she would not go? Somehow she managed to break his will every time and not know it.

 

He wasn’t going to let on that he was caving, instead he looked down at her face keeping is carefully blank facial expression in place. “That would be absurd. They have already gone through a lot of trouble to secure the building so they could see you one last time. Nagira has also mentioned he had something important to say to you. Lord knows what it could be this time.”

 

Robin’s face lit up instantly. Her long strawberry blond hair brushed her shoulders as she gave a small jump for joy. She abandoned she usual elegant air in favor of swiftly finishing her black coffee and running to the door to wait on Amon who seemed to not move fast enough for her. Shaking his head he strode over to the door and grabbed both of their bags off of the floor.

 

“We’re going, calm down before you blow are cover the second we exit the building.”

 

Robin stopped her jittery motions and stood still waiting expectantly for Amon to open the door. He shook his head and headed out in to the hall with Robin at his heels.

 

The car ride to Harry’s was as uneventful as any she had ever shared with Amon. Of course he drove like the maniac he was causing Robin to have a death grip on the arm rest. He drove above the speed limit the entire way there and wasn’t one for the normal courtesies one gave on the road. When they finally arrived at their destination Robin was slightly ruffled from the thrill ride that was Amon’s driving.

 

The pair walked through the familiar hallway that led to the main part of Harry’s. This is the hallway where they had first caught each other’s eye. They memory of them sizing each other up flashed across both of the pairs minds. Something had seemed to click in to place, as if their destiny had been sealed, in that moment. Now here they were again right before that destiny was going to be lived up to.

 

Robin remembered the indignant stare she had bestowed upon him. She had held it right to the very last moment that they were able to have eye contact. Amon’s mind eye saw the small slip of a girl as she had past him. Out of curiosity he had glanced at her only to have a staring competition ending in a draw.

 

Both were snapped out of their contemplation as a mob tackled them. The head seemed to be an excited Doujima and Nagira. Go figure, the two who seemed to always be slacking actually did all the preparation for the party.

 

“Hey, you two, been a while!” Nagira, who seemed to have already gotten started on drinks from the bar, chuckled. “And I never get to even hear from Robin anymore, all I got is an eye full of Mr. Cheerful over there.” He made a gesture with his hand at a bristling Amon.

 

Amon was further ticked off when the Robin was dragged off to a table covered in what looked to be presents. Now Amon was just baffled as he strode behind the pack over to the table.

 

“At least you get to talk to them. The rest of us only saw them twice or so over the last seven months.” A grumbling Michael said from his seat at the table Robin was at.

 

“You know damn well that we had to remain hidden. You’re lucky I even let all of you see us before we left.” A still disapproving Amon said. “Nagira, why in God’s name did you want us to come down here so bad anyway?”

 

Doujima cut in before Nagira could get a word out of his mouth. “Because we knew today need to be celebrated or else Robin would forget herself.”

 

At this Robin’s eyes widened and a look of realization spread across her face while Amon simply raised an inquisitive eyebrow waiting for an explanation.

 

“I can’t believe I forgot!” Robin berated herself.

 

“Well you shouldn’t forget just because you got stuck in a hole in the wall with a cranky jerk of a person.” Nagira said to Robin though it was clear that he was talking to Amon.

 

“Will someone please tell me what I’m missing?” Amon ground out while sending a death glare at Nagira.

 

Doujima took Robin in a huge hug. “It’s Robin’s 17^th birthday! How you missed knowing that is beyond me.”

 

Karasuma, Sakaki, Michael, and Nagira all hid smiles at Doujima’s telling off of Amon. Kobari stood behind the counter watching without a word while Amon clenched his fists. He wasn’t use to being the one who didn’t know facts he was always on top of everything that was going on. The fact that he had not bothered to find out Robin’s birthday in retrospective wasn’t all that important, but some how he had also missed the 16^th birthday and Doujima and had just used it as a one up on him; he was sure for past humiliations he had caused her. He took a deep breathe to calm himself down.

 

Karasuma took this as a chance to rush things along a bit. They all needed to avoid Amon’s wrath, who knew what might come of it. “We got Robin a few things she might like to keep her occupied during your trip to and across Europe.” She smiled hopefully.

 

The hour or so that they stayed at Harry’s ended up being worth it. Robin got a few books to read along with some tasteful clothes chosen by Miho and Doujima for the weather difference in Europe. What Amon wasn’t prepared for was the last present.

 

“We’re coming with you guys to Austria!” Nagira and Doujima sang in unison when everyone had finished eating and was preparing to head home.

 

Robin deadpan while Amon shoot both a death glare mixed with a ‘do you not value your own lives’ look. No one else seemed to be too surprised whether it was because they had known in advance or because they had understood the personalities of Nagira and Doujima was a mystery to Amon.

 

“Oh, get over it little brother! You’re going to need us for the connection and other things while you’re in Europe.” He shot Amon a victorious look as he and Doujima skipped out the car to head out for the airport.