I'm sorry for not updating for SO long. Enjoy the new chapter! :-)

09.

Zane felt a hand on his shoulder and jolted awake immediately. He looked up and saw Cleo standing next to him.

"You look tired. I made the other spare room for you, go and get some rest. I'll stay with her."

He shook his head no.

"Thanks, but I'm fine. I want to stay with Rikki."

Cleo sighed.

"How's Ariana?" Zane asked in an attempt to change the topic.

"She's fine. In her cot and asleep." The brunette answered softly.

He nodded not knowing what else to say. Cleo glanced at Rikki one last time and walked out of the room.

Rikki was with fever the whole night and it didn't go away even in the daylight.

She was getting worse.

Zane put his palm on her forehead.

"She's burning up. Her fever's getting worse." He told Lewis and Cleo.

Lewis handed Zane a towel in a bowl with cold water. Zane gently put the cold towel on her forehead. Seconds later her tail appeared. Zane lowered his arm and took her hand in his.

"Sitting down and waiting helplessly is killing me." He said bitterly. "Isn't there something, anything we can do?"

Lewis shook his head.

"I've been up most of the night researching but I couldn't find anything. Besides we don't even know what exactly is wrong with her.."

Zane dropped Rikki's hand burying his face in his hands. He then reached and took out his phone from his pocket.

"We need to get her to a hospital." Was the only thing he said, but just before he could dial the number Cleo took out the phone from his hands.

"Zane, we can't. What if they find out our secret?! Rikki's life will be in danger."

"Her life is in danger right now!"

He sounded really angry.

"We haven't tried everything yet. Let's get her to the bathtub and fill it with cold water. It might help get her temperature down."

"Fine. But if it doesn't work we're taking her to a hospital."

Lewis and Cleo shared a look, but no one said anything. Zane lifted Rikki in his arms and took her into the bathroom where Cleo had filled the bathtub with cold water. He gently put the curly blond inside.

Now they could only wait.

"I'm going to make some breakfast." Cleo said, determined to keep herself occupied with something. "Zane do you want anything?"

"No, I'm not hungry." Was his response.

Cleo sighed but nodded slightly and walked away from the bathroom, closing the door.

Zane fondled Rikki's forehead.

"We'll take down your temperature and you're going to be fine." He said.

He sat there for about an hour until tiredness took over him and he fell asleep with his hands on the edge of the bathtub and head leaned against the curly blonde's shoulder.

After some time Rikki's eyelids started blinking and she tiredly lifted them to look around. She frowned realizing she's in the bathtub as she had no memory of getting there, the last thing she remembered was the picnic. Then she noticed Zane asleep with head on her shoulder. Rikki lifted her hand and touched his head, running her fingers through his hair. He moved a bit, but didn't wake up.

"Zane." The curly blond said quietly. "Zane, wake up."

He finally lifted his head and at first looked at her a bit confused, but then his mouth was pulled into a large smile.

"Rikki, you're awake!"

He put his hand on her forehead.

"And your fever's gone!"

Rikki smiled nodding.

"Come on, help me out."

She stretched her hands and he pulled her out of the bathtub, then she curled her hand into a fist and dried herself off. The curly blond carefully stood up.

"Are you ok?" Zane asked her concerned.

"Yes." She said.

The two of them walked out of the bathroom to see Cleo entering the room carrying a plate with some breakfast on it, but seeing Rikki she put it away and rushed to the curly blond pulling her in for a hug.

"Rikki, you're ok!" Relief was audible in the brunette's voice, but when she finally let go, there was worry in her eyes. "Are you ok?"

"I wish everyone could stop asking me that." Rikki rolled her eyes annoyed. "I'm fine. And by the way - what am I doing in your house? Zane told me I had fainted, but he could've brought me to our apartment, not here."

"Our house was the closest." Cleo explained.

Rikki only nodded.

The brunette took the plate and handed it to Rikki.

"Breakfast?"

"Sure. I'm starving."

Cleo chuckled.

"You'll never change, will you?"

"Never." The curly blond grinned.

She took the plate from Cleo sitting on the bed and crossing her legs, before grabbing a sandwich and taking a big bite hungrily.

Zane and Cleo couldn't help but laugh and he went to sit next to Rikki.

"Aren't you going to leave something for me?" He chuckled, reaching to take a bite from her sandwich.

Rikki pulled it back, but when he tried to take a bite again, she practically shoved it in his mouth, laughing. Zane chewed it a couple of times, then gulped it and grabbed Rikki's hand with the sandwich, pulling her close to himself, and their faces were inches away. Cleo took that as a queue to get out of the room. Zane dropped Rikki's hand, running his through her hair and kissed her mouth. Then he broke the kiss to look at her eyes.

"I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me that you'll never leave me."

"Zane.."

"I don't mean the 'break up' way. I mean the other way. The..lethal one."

Rikki glared at him.

"What the hell's the matter with you?"

"Please, Rikki. I want you to promise me."

She shook her head in disbelief of his words, but still nodded.

"Fine, then. If it's so important to you then I promise."

"Thank you." And he kissed her again, before grabbing her wrist and taking another bite from her sandwich.

She laughed, before nudging him playfully and eating the remaining of the sandwich.

They ate the rest sandwiches and went downstairs to the kitchen where they found Lewis.

"Cleo told me you're awake and are feeling way better." He said giving Rikki a smile. "That's good. Except we still don't have a clue what was wrong with you."

"Whatever it was, it's gone now." Rikki shrugged. "Where's Cleo? We wanted to tell her we'll be going now." She added looking around.

"She's in Ariana's room." Lewis said.

"Ok, I'll go to tell her we're leaving."

Lewis nodded and Rikki went upstairs to find the brunette. She opened the door of Ariana's room.

"Cleo?" She called out looking around, but Cleo wasn't there.

Rikki was about to shut the door close again when she noticed that Ariana was clutching the bars of her cot and was staring right at her.

The curly blond hesitated for a moment then walked inside and lifted Ariana in her arms. The baby looked at her and all of a sudden smiled at her.

"Don't worry Ariana, mommy's here.." Cleo paused at the door as Rikki turned around to look at her. "I didn't know you're here." The brunette added, closing the door behind herself.

"I was looking for you, Lewis told me you're here."

"Oh, well here I am."

Rikki gave Ariana to Cleo.

"I just wanted to thank you so much for everything you did and to tell you that Zane and I are leaving."

"Why don't you stay for lunch at least?"

"No, thank you, but we really should go."

"Ok, take care for yourself." Cleo said giving her a smile and carefully hugged her still holding Ariana.

When they let go, Rikki smiled at Ariana and gave her a peck on the forehead.

"Bye, Ariana."

And the curly blond walked out of the room, heading downstairs.

"We're good to go." She told Zane and the two left the McCartneys' house.