THIS is the chapter where the guest review 'sorry' has helped a TON with the conversation between Jericho and Jackie and I honestly can't thank him/her enough for indirectly giving me this idea. Thanks so much again!

And, be warned, this hedges towards M but doesn't cross I hope. Enjoy randiness Jericho style! :3

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"Don will be really happy to see you." The thinner gravedigger grins as he walks alongside me. Passing the Graveyard caused a pretty big stir despite my poor attempts to conceal myself from them. I was trying to see if I could find one of the guards who helped me at the fish hell warehouse but they weren't there. And then that's where this gravedigger, the one I gave the wheelbarrow of sweets to a while back, saw me and decided to walk along with me to the Art Museum.

"You didn't have to follow me, you know. The Graveyard is close enough to the Art Museum that I could get there on my own." I say, sheepishly smiling at the man. I can't count how many times I've dodged the question 'what happened to your clothes' or 'why do you have Hatter's cane and are wearing Hatter's hat?'. I reach up and nervously trace my finger around the rim of the hat. Why in the world did the maids there, when they dressed me up in this whorish attire, decide to put his hat on me? No matter how hard I try to take it off they put the pins in masterfully so it hurts when I try to take it off but sit comfortably when I don't mess with it.

"Nonsense. We would all be crushed if something were to happen to you, Miss Jackie. Don hasn't been able to sleep a wink the whole time you've been gone." He explains, sending a guilty pang through my heart. And there I go again, pathetically and indirectly hurting someone. My chest feels heavy as I try to push it back, nervously playing with my long bangs in my finger.

"Yeah, I'll bet he was worried." I quietly say, thankful to be on my way to Jericho. My lips twitch into a smile at the thought of just seeing him.

"Very much so. He's worked himself like a dog and was organizin' a small group to go so far as to infiltrate the Hatters." He says, making my eyes widen.

"Uh oh. He didn't send them, did he?" I say, my heart once again being speared with guilty horror.

"Nah. We were supposed to go tonight after our shift but there's no reason that I can see that we have to go now that we have ya back." He grins as we approach the Art Museum. I look through the brightly lit windows, spying a number of fancily dressed people in the windows.

"Another exhibition?" I ask, surprised. How many of those does he have?

"Yeah. He moved this one up a couple Time Changes to keep himself busy. I could perfectly imagine him storming Hatter's Mansion himself looking for you." He says with a small chuckle, as if imagining Jericho doing just that. I scan the windows and spy Jericho inside a smile on his face but deep bags under his eyes. Ah~ he's performing his role. I can't go in looking like 'Hatter the whore' in front of all those people. It would hurt his reputation, I think.

"I ... think it's probably best that I don't see him tonight." I say, changing course and heading for the back door instead.

"Eh- why?" The gravedigger asks, seeming surprised at my choice. "Don't you want to see him?"

"I do but he's busy with his Exhibition. I'll make sure to see him tomorrow." I sheepishly smile as we round the side of the house. The gravedigger holds up and arm and waves the guards off, letting them know we are here.

"Hm~ how about you just wait until his the Exhibition is done? I'm sure he will be more than happy to see you in his office." The man tries to convince with a smile. Hm ... that doesn't sound too bad, actually. I also kind of want to see his startled face.

"I think I might just do that." I chuckle, liking the thought of it as we head towards the back door. The guard standing there looks up as we approach, puzzled before looking very startled.

"M-Miss Jackie?" He says, somewhat doubtful through his shock.

"Yes, hello." I wave, trying to give the best attempt of a smile I could manage. Bleh ... I'm really, really tired and my head is still killing me. The adrenaline from before has worn off and now I'm really feeling the brunt of it. But, I still want to see Jericho more than anything.

"W-Where have you been-," he starts before the gravedigger holds up a hand.

"She's tired and needs her rest. I'm sure Don will squeeze every last bit of information out of her soon enough ... and maybe other things as well." The slimmer gravedigger teases as I jolt, whipping my head towards him with a thick blush.

"D-Don't say things like that!" I snap, keeping a hand covering their view to my chest as the guard unlocks the door and steps aside.

"What can I say? Bermuda is a very blessed man to have a woman with such great knockers. I'm happy for him," he continues on his roll with a cheeky grin.

"I'm done, good night. Happy digging holes." I brush off, trying to hold back my deep flush as I hurry through the door. My gosh I'm so embarrassed!

"Not as much as Bermuda will be when he's digging in yours." He cheekily replies, earning a hard elbow to the side from the smaller guard.

"Oh my gosh don't say that!" I almost shout, my entire face covered in a brain pounding mess as an image of it flashes through my mind. No no no bad brain, bad brain bad brain! Oh gosh and here I was thinking he was so nice. That was so mean, and gosh darn it so perverted! Jericho wouldn't ... he never ... ah ... o-oh gosh, alright I just need to stop thinking. I hurry up the stairs with a deep flush, trying not to think too hard about what he's no so subtly is implying.

I trot down the long hall not too surprised at the lack of guards. Most of them are probably down stairs looking after the exhibition. I hesitate by my room, about to go in and change my clothes before heavily sighing. That's right, I forgot that I completely packed up and stormed out of here. I gulp and touch the handle, casting a glance down the hall towards Jericho's guarded room. I ... should see him. No, I need to see him despite the embarrassing clothes that I wearing.

I take a deep breath and try to woman up before heading towards his office. I-It's not that bad. Maybe I can grab one of his jackets and try to cover myself with it. The guards inevitably take notice of me, looking up and spying my bare attire. They both flush at the same time as their jaws drop. Oh gosh something didn't rip so they can see more, did it? I walk on up passed them, surprised they aren't questioning me nor saying a word. Well, this is easy, I guess. One of them pushes the door open for me, pointedly looking away before quickly retreating back into his stance. Oh gosh how can I not?

"Hey, do me a favor and don't tell Jericho I'm here." I say with a slightly scratchy purr, winking at them before stepping inside and shutting the door. The self confidence immediately drains as I heavily breathe out and rub my achingly pounding head. Blech~ I feel like crap. My chilly fingers touch my searing hot head. Oh I've got a fever alright. I walk over to the door, catching the guard's attention.

"Can you get me some medicine? Oh, and some coffee for Jericho." I note. That would make it better, wouldn't it?

"R-Right away, Miss Jackie." One flushes before hopping off to do what I asked as the other one stands guard over the door.

"Thank you." I say towards the other faceless, watching his unmoving features with the exception of the deepening red on his serious face. I really have to admit Jericho's men definitely have defined personalities. I shut the door again and head over to another door in Jericho's room, guessing it's the closet. A dozen suits line the racks along with a few gravedigger uniforms and a hard hat up top. Matching shoes to the suits line the bottom of the closet, catching my attention. I should have known his closet would be this organized.

I reach in and pull off a black suit's jacket and head over to his couch, hesitating. The shoes and pants I'm wearing got dirty and wet from me running. My fingers nervously dance along the rim of the pants before pushing them off, slipping my feet out of the shoes and set them by the door. I touch my head and try to dissipate the fever and the throbbing headache. If it's for Jericho then I can suffer through this much.

I wonder how I should be sitting when he gets in here? I'm hesitant to sit at his desk chair and laying on his bed dressed like this will definitely send off the wrong message. Hm ... I remember seeing in a movie once a woman laying on the couch with her long legs hanging off the side. His reaction to the would be pretty funny I bet. I snicker at the idea and put on the suit jacket, jolting as I hear a knock on the door.

"M-Miss Jackie, I have you m-medicine." He guard stutters before stepping inside. His jaw drops as he takes in my legs before whipping his head to the side and holding out two mugs in one hand and medicine in the other.

"Thanks." I breathe, trotting over to him and try not to laugh at his pointed looks in the opposite direction of me. I take the medicine and down it with the water before taking the other mug.

"Thank you, you may go-," I start before he quickly turns and nearly slams the door on his way out. Ah~ I guess I made him nervous. I trot over to the couch and set the mug on the coffee table before laying down, making my legs overhang the arm of the couch.

... ew that's uncomfortable. I'll just lie here until he's done with his Exhibition. I curl up on the couch and close my eyes, quietly waiting to surprise Jericho for when he comes in. Hee hee~ he'll be so surprised~ I hope he likes it.

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A faint thumping makes my heart jerk and eyes slide open. Sluggish shoes draw across the wood floors as I hear a heavy and exhausted sigh. I quietly stretch on the couch and roll onto my stomach, sleepily rubbing my eyes. I must have dozed off while waiting for Jericho ... oh. I press myself against the cushions of the couch with a sly smile pulling my lips up. Yay~ and now it's time to surprise him.

I intently listen as clothes rustle together, hearing the taps continue across the room. Chair legs scrape back against the wooden floor followed by a hard thump and a heavy sigh. I quietly peek around the edge of the couch, spying Jericho slumping back on the chair with his eyes towards the ceiling, completely at ease he rolls his shoulder and visibly tries to loosen his shoulders up. Hm~ how should I go about this? I slide back and hide my head, making sure the hat it out of view.

"Now that the Exhibition is over I should go finish up this paperwork and then make copies of the more important documents, then go check on the Graveyard ... ," I hear him sleepily mumble under his breath along with the sound of shuffling paperwork.

"Jer~icho~," I softly purr, biting back a snicker as I wait for his reaction. Paper scrunches up together as I wait to hear his feet rush over to the couch. Instead I hear an aggravated groan and a heavy thump, as if he had smacked something against the desk.

"Oh G** now I'm hearing her voice everywhere." He heavily groans. I nearly burst into laughter at his words. Oh gosh does he think of me that often? I suck in a deep breath and brush out my hair a little bit before popping my head up over the couch.

"You think of me that of-," I start before his eyes flash with bursting anger, whipping his hands out from under the desk with his gun in hand.

BANG BANG BANG

"EEEEEKKK!" I scream and immediately drop back down against the couch as I feel the hat shift back. Oh good hell is was not a smart idea surprising a sleepy Jericho! "It's me, it's me Jackie!" I softly cry, with a frightened trill to my voice. Why in the world did he shoot me?!

"JACKIE?!" Jericho shouts, a muffled mortified tone in his voice. I pat my head down, making sure I wasn't hit. My fingers trail up to the hat, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach as I feel three defined bullet holes right through his hat. Oh my gosh that man was aiming to kill-!

"Don, what-,"

"Get out. Get out and do not disturb me under any circumstance." I hear him angrily order. O-Oh gosh he's angry at me. Crap, crap I was just trying to be playful, that's all! My heart races as I flip to my back, hearing his feet quickly smack against the wooden floors and his face pop into view. His eyes hold a strong sense of horror as he stares at me with wide eyes, clearly shaken himself.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Jericho I was just trying to be playful-!" I start before he whips forward and pulls me into a tight, bone crushing hug. His hand slides into my hair and the other around my waist, his fingers trembling slightly. I shiver and immediately reach around him to return the affection, somewhat frightened of what would happen if I didn't return the hug. His fingers weave between my hair strands and gently pulls my head back, planting a small kiss on my lips.

"Are you," he starts, silencing himself with another peck to my mouth, "alright? The bullets," he continues and parts for a breath, hooking his fingers around my head as his palm cups my cheek, "missed you, but are you alright?" He asks, pulling away a few inches so he can get a better look at the mangles Hatter's hat on top of my head.

"J-J-Just really star-startled." I stutter, tightening my grip around his waist and buried my face into the crook of his neck. My gosh I know it sounds weird but I actually missed his smell. Would that be borderline obsessive? His ticking clock runs rampant as my ear presses against his chest and listens to the mess. Heh ... his clock is racing faster than my heart. That's surprising considering I'm the one he shout at.

"I'm so sorry, Jackie. I snapped the second I saw that son of a b****'s hat." He apologizes as his grip loosens and lets me sit back a little bit. His eyes lock onto the three defined holes tearing through Dupre's hat, brushing his fingers over it while his other arm around my waist refuses to budge.

"Y-Y-Yeah, it's fine." I shakily say, honestly freaked out about the ordeal. Seriously, way way too much stress for only a few Time Changes! A soft tremble riddles through my body as I lean in and hug him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

"Let me see your scratch." Jericho says as he gives me a quick squeeze before letting go, his eyes lingering over the visible scratch that runs into the cleavage line.

"H-How did you know about it?" I ask, somewhat surprised that he already knew. His hands slide over my sides and rest on my ribcage. A faint blush crawls over my fevered head as he continues to simply stare at it. Ah~ well there goes my self confidence. I was somewhat fine and annoyed when the guards looked at me but to have Jericho himself staring so intently at them it makes me embarrassed.

"The Gravediggers who were watching you told me. They've explained what happened up until when Blood took you." He says, eyes narrowing through the glasses he's wearing.

"A-Are they alright?" I ask, concerned for their safety. They nearly got killed because of me. I shiver as his hands slide up so the slope of his hand from his thumb to pointer finger were cupping just underneath the big mounds, attempting to make them part wide enough so he can see the whole wound. I glance away, too embarrassed at what he's doing to look him in the face.

"Just fine. They are resting up and will return to work in a few Time Changes. I beg your pardon." He says, sliding his hands over my chest and making a surprisingly gentle yet firm grip, parting them so he can see the scratch running straight down to my naval. A small whine almost slips past my lips from the strangely satisfying grasp. I bite my lip as my heart starts to flutter wildly, unprepared for the sudden move.

"It doesn't look too bad. It was shallow so it is unlikely there will be complications from this." He says, his hands lightening up before gently squeezing and moving in a circular motion. My head snaps around with a deep flush, my head throbbing a little harder with embarrassment. W-Wait let go of those-! The reprimand gets stuck in my throat from the confident and teasing smile he sexily portrays. S-Stop, that's so unfair! A few short lived groaning squeaks between my lips, the majority being forced down and back into the furthest corner I can find within my scrambled mind. I lift a hand to my face and try to cover up the deep flush, unable to push him away or make him stop. Oh, gosh I'm so weak against him ...

"Do you not like this?" He asks, playful yet somewhat serious.

"Y-Yes, please s-s-stop." I stutter, nearly hearing my heart pop as he leans down and gives each one a quick, soft kiss.

"Alright, I apologize." He smiles, gently running his hands down my sides and rubs my hips. "Did Hatter do anything to you?" His face grows a little more somber, staring off into space at my flushed chest.

"N-No. When I woke up he wasn't around." I stutter, fiddling with a button on the jacket I took from his closet.

"So you robbed him." He chuckles, sounding strained but a little more relaxed at least.

" ... I kind of did." I heavily sigh, glancing at the cane that had rolled onto the ground and partially under the coffee table.

"Do tell." He smiles, gently rubbing my arms through the jacket. Ah~ that feels good~ I rub my head, trying to decide where and how to begin.

"Well, I woke up in this ... thing," I say, motioning to all of myself, "with the hat pinned to my hair and I can't get it out. I'm guessing it's the maids who thought it would be funny." I stiffen as he reaches up, giving the hat a gentle tug before leaning over and trying to find some of the bobby pins holding the hat to my head.

"Continue." He softly urges, slipping a finger under the hat line and my hair, sliding out one of the cursed pins.

"And there was a guard in the room with me who wouldn't let me leave. I was thinking of a way around him when I spied Blood's cane," I explain, watching as he pulls four more bobby pins out and sets them on the coffee table, "so when he wasn't looking I clocked him on the side of the head." I'm not going to bother going into deep details until later. I don't want to ruin the mood here by saying I tempted the man with my body before kicking him in the nuts. Jericho chuckles as he pulls another bobby pin out.

"I'm impressed." He smiles, starting on the other side of my head. All those were from one side? It would have been a nightmare trying to find them all myself.

"Yeah. I went ahead and stole his pants and shoes before hopping out the window and slipping out of a hole in the fence." I skip over the part with the maid putting makeup on me and Ace, wanting to get back to hearing his voice.

"I didn't realize I have a little thief under my roof." He teases.

"Stealing Blood's hat and cane don't count?" I lightly chuckle, falling into his happy and relaxed mood before he slips the hat completely off my head. I nervously gulp, seeing where the bullets were in the hat. Scary ...

"From that mangy dog? No, not at all. That's considered a felony." He smiles, setting the hat aside for now.

"Fantastic." I sarcastically sigh. I really hope he doesn't come after me for his can and hat back. Maybe I'll just it to Jericho and let him deal with it.

"And where did you get this lingerie from again?" He asks more concerned about the clothes I was wearing than the story itself. Another blush slaps me across the face at his words. Oh please at least call it something else.

"T-The maids. It's weird, I know, wearing an outfit similar to Blood's-,"

"Quite the contrary, the Hatter has never looked 'hotter' in my eyes as you do now." He smiles as he slips the jacket off my shoulders to get a look at the whole outfit.

"Gah!" I flush and hug myself, suddenly embarrassed now that I could see him practically peeling away the layers with his eyes. Oh gosh why the hell am I embarrassed now more so than when he grabbed me? His fingers curl around my wrists and pull them aside, gently kissing my jaw.

"I deeply apologize for the mess you were involved in. By the time word reached me the warehouse was already in pieces." He says, leaning in and kissing the corner of my jaw. I lightly smile at the affection, puzzled by how hands on he's being. I'm surprised that he's being so touchy today. Not that I'm complaining but it's a little ... off. He's touching me so carefully yet so possessively that it's

"Pieces?" I ask, leaning back from his affection for a moment to breathe.

"Yes. It seems the negotiations didn't go well for the Griffins." He smugly chuckles, seeming happy about that as he returns to rubbing my arms.

"I-I see, I see." I say, unsure how to respond to that. It didn't go well so Blood blew up the warehouse?

Blood ... my heart constricts as I try to push the nagging thoughts away but they return with a vengeance, completely ruining the mood for me. I trusted him and of course he turned on me when it was convenient. I've put countless lives in danger because of my choices the past number of Time Changes. Why ... am I so stupid? He remains quiet for a for moments before leaning in and kissing my hot forehead. Jericho pulls back, staring at my unresponsive actions.

"Are you hurt?" He softly asks, staring into my eyes so he could tell if I fib or not. I hesitate, looking at him for a moment before glancing away.

" ... a little bit." I admit before cupping his cheek and pecking him on the lips. He blinks, surprised at the forward action. "But now I'm feeling better." I smile, trying to get my mind off of the rampaging thoughts sweeping through me but they roughly drill into my head and kill off any romantic emotions I was feeling.

"Why are you hurt?" He asks, probably already figuring out this hurt is more mental and not physical. I quietly stare into nothing before wrapping my arms around his shoulders and pulling him into another hug. I just really want to be held right now.

" ... why did I agree to go around Diamond Country with Blood?" I say aloud, trying to keep myself together as I hide my face into the crook of his neck. I'd rather jump through another window than let him see me slowly fall apart. So some reason I trusted him. Was it, because maybe, he came to me at the outside restaurant when Jericho had basically left me for dead? If so that's a stupid reason and hardly any good at all. And worst of all, I know it too. I remain silent as his hands gently rub up and down my back in a comforting motion before whispering, "what could I have possibly be thinking?"

"Well, I can honestly name a few if you wish." He says after a moment of careful thinking, gently pulling me onto his lap so my feet are off to one side. I happily embrace the change in seating arrangements, keeping my head glued to his shoulder.

"Yeah?" I ask, voice nearly breaking as I keep my forehead in the crook of his neck. Mhm ... this feels good ...

"Yes. For one, you were undoubtedly sour about the recent promises I've broken." He straight out says, moving his hand in a circular motion over my back.

"Pissed." I correct, hesitating before kissing his neck to show there were no hard feelings before burying my face again. He throatily chuckles, rubbing his hand down my back.

"And more so upset that I had left you alone at the lunch table. There are no excuses which I can give to explain that." He says, kissing my cheek.

"None." I agree, closing my eyes and instead just listening to his voice. He has such a calm and deep voice that I can't help but be comforted by it. He could be spouting insults at me right now and I wouldn't mind it all too much.

"You are a smart girl, Jackie. You would not have foolishly gone with Hatter who had turned you into a fish without good reason and I believe it was a combination of things." He says, gently rubbing my shoulder.

" ... go on." I say, happy that there may be a reason for my irrational decision that I haven't realized. I ... wasn't really thinking of anything. All I could think about was how nice Blood was at the moment and not of before, like when he turned me into a fish or harassed me in the painting room with all fish predators in it. Gosh dang it Blood's good at 'seducing' people and I ... I guess I stupidly fell for it and thought he genuinely cared for me. Well, if all else fails I will just blame my period.

"Well, you were mad at me and seeing how Hatter is an enemy I could see why you would try to make a jab at me," he says, kissing my cheekbone before I hide my face deeper against him and makes him chuckle, "but I don't think that was in the forefront of your thoughts."

"And if it was?" I speak up, curious to hear his response.

"You're not that shallow." He soothingly says, keeping one arm around my waist and the other gently rubbing my smooth legs in a comforting manner. Gosh this feels nice~

"You were frustrated at me for breaking my promises and standing you up. You were probably hypnotized by Blood's d***ing eyes into thinking it would be harmless to let him walk you around Diamond Country. I doubt you knew he took you to that same restaurant and was mortified when you found out," he says, kissing my earlobe, "and, in all honesty, I'm surprised you did not take it further with Hatter than you did."

"I still feel like I cheated on you, though." I sadly breathe, feeling like absolute crap. Here I am making out with my landlord and then go skipping off with someone else? That's a crap thing to do especially since ... since I, towards Jericho ... oh gosh it's just too hard to try and figure out right now!

"Are we in a relationship? I was unaware of that." He says. My heart cracks in half as I lean back, clearly hurt. How could he say it like that? He studies my heartache for a moment before smiling.

"But I want to be the one to ask you, which is why I don't accept it just yet." He explains before gently kissing me on the mouth. I stiffen a little bit and cup his cheek, returning the kiss and practically melt into his arms. But ... does he think of me as 'his' woman? I doubt it. Because ... b-because ... my thoughts trail off into the heat of the kiss, feeling him angling himself for better access. He gingerly rubs my waist and pushes the jacket onto the ground, neither of us giving it a second thought. His mouth softly separates from mine, his eyes looking a tad hazy as my heart races.

"So, leading off of that, I would like to ask you something," he continues after a few moments, kissing my cheek before looking into my eyes, "would you care to be my woman, Jackie?"

My heart practically melts at the thought of having this gorgeous, loving and responsible man and claim him as my own. But ... it doesn't feel right. He has so much to offer, so much to put on the table that it makes whatever I have seem small and insignificant. I ... just can't. My eyes touch with sadness as I rest my forehead on his shoulder, trying to think of a way to say what I feel.

"I ... don't think I can be right now." I quietly admit, feeling myself shrivel up inside and shrink back. Jericho remains completely still and quiet before he reaches up and gently strokes my hair.

"Is there someone else?" He asks, his voice completely neutral.

"There isn't. It's just that ... ," you're too good. You're too glorious. You're too successful and dominating and perfect and gorgeous and forgiving and merciful and wonderful. How can I match up to someone like that? My gosh I don't think I've ever felt this small and insignificant before in my life and that's really saying something.

"I see ... well, I must admit this is the first time I've been rejected by a beautiful woman. It's a sobering feeling." He says with soft eyes, kissing my cheek in defeat. No, not defeat. Just ... patience, maybe? My heart aches, watching the hurt seep into his eyes. No, no don't. It's not you at all, this is all me here.

"Not ... not rejected. No, you're too good to reject." I slip out, almost regretting it the moment it let my mouth. He pulls back, eyes wide as he blinks in surprise.

"The reason isn't because you think you aren't good enough, is it?" He asks, completely dumbfounded by the thought. My lips seal tight as he hits the nail on the head.

"I-If it is?" I hesitantly say, my cheeks a bright red with embarrassment as he sweetly smiles, gently rubbing my arms.

"I am a man who can die at any moment, Jackie. You are one of the things which I had begun to strive for since you broke my back the first time we met," he lets out a chuckle, getting more animate as he continues, "you alone have captured this dodo's clock and I reject any thought of letting you walk out of my life completely. Jackie ... you make me look forward to waking up so I might have the chance to see your beautiful face. You make me work harder at my job so that I can hear your praise alone or scolding when I drop the ball. You make me want to strive to get better and become better so that I won't lose you to Hatter or a faceless organization or even another Role Holder. Each endeavor I make, though they may not have had the best results, is to capture your heart so that I may hold you in my arms and protect you, giving you all which you deserve. Jackie ... don't you know that I am absolutely mad for you?" He finishes with a smile, watching my face grow deeper shades of red.

"I ... really don't know what to say." I stutter. My gosh - this man would happily chop off his limbs just to be with me!

"Then answer me some questions, Jackie." He says, starting to get more animate and ... desperate? "Do you care for my safety?"

"Of course I do." I say with little hesitation. "It would kill me if something horrible happened to you."

"And if I were to vanish tomorrow ... what would you do?" He asks, searching my eyes for the answer and smiling as if he found it. The question pulls me up short as I glance off to the side. What ... what would I do?

"I ... don't know." I breathe, having not the slightest clue. "I guess ... return to my world?"

"And do you see how much you hesitated on that?" He says, grasping at anything he can. "I would not want you to leave. I don't think I could allow you to leave and as much as I hate to admit it I think I would sooner tie you up and keep you here with me, hating me, just so I may see your face and hear your voice. Is that not the mind of an obsessed man? I've tasted your poison, Jackie. And ... I do believe it's turning into a grave interest, so much to the point that I do not know how long I would last without your sustenance to keep me going."

"J-Jericho ... I-," I start, just about to say yes just to get him to stop saying all of these cavity giving sweet things about me while all I can think of to say is something stupid like 'do you have a map? Because I got lost in your eyes' kind of crap.

"I ... don't know what this feeling is, to be completely honest. It's aching and constricting to the point it hurts when I talk to you but it gets worse when you're not around. I don't ... I don't ... ," I hesitate, feeling my heart ache so painfully I have to grasp it, "I don't know how to 'love', Jericho. I am so lost when it comes to things like this I want to run and hide from it. I can never put a name to the aching feeling that burns when I'm with you in particular and it's scary for me. There's so much you have to offer and I ... I can hardly give you anything in return."

"Jackie ... ," he trails off in a gently reprimanding tone, "I don't want anything from you. You've already given it to me through your personality and presence. I used to think that there is nothing that I don't have but then you come along and I realize how greedy I've become. I want to spoil you and keep you close whenever I can. I want to give you everything I have to offer and show you things you've never experienced before, ranging from life in general to my mature desires." He says, very gently holding my shoulders. My heart drops to the pit of my stomach at the mention of 'mature' desires. He ... has those f-for me of all people?

"M-Mature desires?" I nervously repeat.

"Yes." He breathes, hugging me close. "You may think you're the only one who's set a blaze when we touch but you are sorely mistaken. I am a man and, as such, have desires most of which you are probably not ready for just yet." He says, kissing my forehead. "I am a very patient man, Jackie, and I will not be deterred after deciding I want something. And you, Jackie, are someone that I most assuredly want in every way," he says, kissing my jaw, "I am willing to teach you everything I know. No, excited to show you what I know and what I want to teach you. You say you don't know love," he continues, pecking me on the cheek, "and I want to teach you that as well. So, Jackie," he continues, sliding his fingers between my own as he stares into my eyes, "will you let me teach you how to 'love' someone?"

I remain quiet, deep in thought about the long speech he just gave on loving me alone. I honestly thought all someone could come up with is a paragraph and this guy goes and writes a book on wanting to love me. He cares so much for me ... is it, I wonder, alright to learn 'love' from him too?

"I ... do want to learn how to love. B-But I'm hesitant because that would be unfair to you. You clearly love me so much w-while I'm still trying to figure out the basics." I innocently say. Gosh I sound like such a scaredy cat. He smiles and hugs me before laying me down on the couch. I hesitantly keep my arms around him, feeling a rising flush on my face.

"Then I will take you to more advanced levels. You've done exceptionally well at expressing your affection through those 'mouth calls'. Speaking of which," he starts, kissing my upper lip before pulling back, "may I ask for another 'mouth call'?"

"R-Really? Me dressed like 'Hatter the whore' is making you want to kiss me?" I teasingly stutter, trying to get my mind off of the suddenly very loving and gentle atmosphere he's putting off. I don't think it's possible to feel more intimidated than I am now. Before I was pretty intimidated but now I'm just blown away by how much he loves me. And adores me. And supports me.

"It is." He chuckles, kissing her forehead, "it makes me want to dominate you with every fiber of my being, permanently ingraining myself into your mind so you can think of nothing else," he says, making me stiffen from the aggressive meaning to it before he clarifies it with a smile. "Lovingly, of course."

"Then~ go ahead." I say, trying to keep the nervous trill out of my voice as I pull myself up to him and gingerly press my mouth to his. His lips pull into a grin under the kiss as he pushes back with more fervor, pushing me right back down to the couch before I stiffen up.

"W-Wait, Jericho, you might get sick." I say, covering my mouth as the thought just occurred to me. Dang it his stupid gorgeous eyes made me forget that I'm not feeling well!

"That's alright. As long as you are the one to infect me then I will happily bear it." He sweetly smiles before kissing the back of the hand covering my mouth.

"Although, perhaps this is a good thing," he starts before pushing me against the end of the couch and lowering himself to kiss my collarbone, "it's come to my attention, Miss Jackie, that I haven't been paying your body the attention it deserves," his hands slide down and unbutton the jacket, parting it to the side so he can properly hug my waist. I bulk as his mouth gently kisses the top of the scratch the faceless made, drawing the tip of his tongue just barely over the long scratch and tiny scabs. "It would be my honor, Miss Jackie, to properly clean your scratch for you."

"I-I-I-I-!" I madly stutter, tensing up and curling my spine up as he gently doodles small circles with the tip of his tongue all the way down the scratch. My fingers shakily hold his head, about to push it away but my fingers instead slide into his hair and lightly ruffle it. O-Oh gosh ... I take in shaky breathes and try not to freak out as he continues down, gently parting my chest as he had before to reach the scratch.

"Close your eyes, tense you stomach and legs while relaxing your shoulders and arms." He gently instructs, very softly sucking on the scratch before moving on. I hesitantly do as he advises, feeling his movement intensify. Or, more likely, become more aware of what he's doing.

"Nng ... ," I lightly groan, briefly trying to hold it back along with the deep flush on my face. O-Oh, oh gosh, oh gosh oh-! I feel myself tremble as his tongue twists over the scratch on my stomach before tracing around my belly button with his tongue. My legs twitch pleasantly as a strong burning fires up in my stomach, making me involuntarily tense before he slips off the couch. I daringly take a peek as his arms slide under my knees and shoulders, carrying me to the bed.

"Would you like to try something new?" He asks with a kind smile while his eyes flicker with excitement.

"D-Depends." I stutter, a little wary but also curious as to what he has in store. Curse me and my curiosity!

"If you do not like it I will stop," he smiles, setting me on the bed with my legs towards him, "get on your hands and knees. I want to show you 'apple bobbing'." He excitedly grins. I hesitate before getting on my hands and knees, keeping a wary eye on him.

"W-Well, since I don't see any apples I'm guessing it's something else." I nervously chuckle, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. H-He won't hurt me. I know he won't.

"Well, not from your end you don't." He chuckles before hooking his long arm around my legs and his other around my waist and holds on tight.

"What are you - OW!" I shout, more so startled than hurt as he takes a gently bite out of my right cheek. I jump from the startling move but his arms tighten, making sure to hold me in place so I don't kick him by mistake. "W-W-What the hell was that for?!" I cry, watching as he pulls away a bit before blowing cold air over the place he bit. A sharp jolt needles me as he holds firm and smiles.

"Bobbing for apples." He simply say with a smile before kissing the mark. "I've also wanted to show you this because a guard told me something that you said that interested me." His mouth gently kisses the spot before nibbling on another. I shiver as the strange tingling sensations crawl through my body. Dang it why is he so darn good at this?!

"W-W-What could I have possibly said that relates at all to something like this?" I ask, a little calmer but still a little freaked out he literally bit my butt cheek.

"You said, and I quote, that I could 'kiss your fine big a**. If I had known that before I don't think there would be much to stop me." He teases, kissing my other cheek before taking a soft bit and kneading the skin between his teeth.

"W-Well don't, it's embarrassing." I deeply flush. Thank goodness I'm clean back there but he doesn't know that. Geh, so unhygienic and ew I sound like Peter. Jericho lets go of my legs but keeps the arm around my waist as he climbs onto the bed with me. "D-Don't do that again. I didn't like it." Or at least I'm pretending I didn't like it at all. "W-Why is that called 'bobbing for apples'?"

"Because when you bite down it irritates the skin and makes it turn red. The goal, basically, is to bit, blow and kiss as much as you can until your partner calls quits." He explains with a smile before lying on his side and taking me down with him, pressing his stomach to my back. Almost immediately I feel the pleasantly sore aching of the bite marks on my butt.

"D-Don't do that again." I complain with a deep blush as I turn around so I can face him.

"Very well, then let me teach you something else. It won't hurt and it's more along the lines of what we've done so far." He purrs with a grin. I shiver with nervous anticipation as his hand buries into my hair and his leg hitch to my hip.

"Jericho-," I start before he sweetly cuts me off with a kiss. Huh ... yeah, I guess this is more of what we've done with the exception of whatever he's doing with his leg. I reach back and wrap my arms around his neck, pressing myself up against him with somewhat eager fervor. I feel bad he's going to be getting sick because of me but he started it. His lips gently part as he licks my upper lip, teasingly receding back into his mouth when I allow him entrance. Tch~ sneaky little ...

I deepen the kiss and hold his head tight against my lips, refusing to let him leave for a quick breath until he follows through with his teasing. He hums and ventures out again, gently brushing it along the bumpy edges of my teeth before once again slipping out of my tongue's reach. Oh now he's just being a butthead.

My eyes narrow as I slide my leg out and force him to his back, lying on top of him before boldly moving my little fleshy warrior in for the kill. He chuckles at my sudden competitive mood as his hands fall over my hips, pushing up and down in small short motions. His legs clamp around my one leg as he continues to repeat the motion. I ignore whatever he's trying to do and concentrate on domination in his lips.

I softly slide around in his mouth, suddenly a little nervous at the unexplored areas. People's mouths are ... weird, warm and wet. My legs tense a little bit as he very lightly thrusts his hips up and brings mine down. I pause for a moment, feeling him repeat the motion a few times before ignoring it. I don't get what he's - ooh now I get it. My eyes crack open, spying his sliver of eyes watching for my reaction. He's grinding me. Oh ho~ how naughty. I lightly chuckle and gently rub his cheek, plunging my tongue in and locating his own which is lying flat against the bottom of his mouth. Gotcha~

I gently shift up and push my leg against him as I angle my head, forcing a soft groan to slip out of his throat. I hum a small chuckle in return, repeating the motion as I smoothly try to undermine his stiff tongue. This is fun~ he makes interesting sounds.

"Nng ... you seem a bit frisky today. I wonder if it's the medicine the guard gave you?" Jericho murmurs as he turns his head to speak, making me accidentally draw a small line of spit along his cheek.

"You think?" I breathe, trying to calm down a little bit and regain some lost breath.

"Yes," he steadily exhales to the side before looking up at me and kissing my jaw, "but I'm not complaining ... ngg ... ," he trails off with a faint groan as I move my leg repeatedly, pushing it up between his legs. I watch his face twitch, his cheeks turning a bit red. Something hard starts to touch my upper thigh as I grin, tempted to pinch his reddening cheeks.

"Good. Now get back here because I'm not done with you yet." I grin, cupping his jaws and kissing him on the mouth. He smiles and returns the affection, bulking slightly as I gently grind my knee and shin against him. My skin boils as I slip my tongue between his lips, tasting some red wine this time around as he returns the gesture. His hands tighten their grip over my hips, pushing harder against my leg in return as I gently massage the side of his tongue. I pause, puzzled as I feel something growing hard and persistent against my upper leg. OH-kay, now I know what that is.

I sheepishly pull back with a faint flush, spying the red on his face as he smiles.

"Ah~ sorry, but when you're up against me like this I get excited." He chuckles, gently kissing my jaw as he lifts my hips up so I'm not lying against the ... er, it.

"U-Um, no, t-that's alright, sorry." I nervously apologize. What in the world did I think that was when we started? Good gosh he just has a way to completely muddle my brain.

"It's not a problem, Jackie. I enjoyed it." He smiles as he sits up. I slide back a little bit and onto his lap, making sure to stay clear of his excitement.

"I, er, should probably get to bed." I say as I slip off his lap and toss my legs over the side of his bed. Oh gosh I need to get some distance or else I'm going to explode. I bulk as his arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me back into a hug. My head shoots up, spying Jericho's soft smile as he kisses my forehead.

"Go ahead and go to sleep here, Jackie." She says, gently rubbing my arm as he waits for my answer instead of just letting go.

"I-I-I don't know, I-I, uh," I stutter, taken aback by the sudden request. D-Does that mean ... he wants to c-continue? He smiles at my hesitation, giving my arm a light squeeze.

"I want to selfishly wake up and see your face. Is that alright?" He smiles, cupping my face and gently rubbing it. My face brightens up to a dark red as I glance away again.

"O-Ok." I stutter, dazed at his manliness. Oh gosh dang it why is he so gorgeous?!

"Good. Go ahead and try to get some sleep. I have some business to take care of." He smiles before letting go. I sit up, watching as he slips off the bed and heads for the door.

"What kind of work do you have?" I ask, somewhat anxious to have him back in my arms - no my gosh what am I thinking. He smiles as he pauses by the door and fixes his hair.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, I assure you." He sweetly smiles before slipping out the door. The moment it shuts I fell back, suddenly exhausted. I lie down and wrap the blanket around myself, pleasantly tingling from his soft and well placed kisses. He kissed my butt ... Hee hee~ I'm so naughty~

What would my father say if he saw this? Knowing him he might just encourage it since Jericho is such a mature and sensible adult while Jay tries to get me to 'experiment' with different people.

... wait ... he did it again. He brought me up from rock bottom and I still don't know what our relationship stance is. Gosh darn it Jericho I can never win with you!

JERICHO'S POV

Well that went rather nicely. Having her get used to that sort of motion will make it easier later on. A faint touch of pink colors my face as I run a hand through my hair, ignoring the thumbs up the guards gave me. I really question how much of it she really processed from that long , seeing as she had a fever, under the influence of medicine and is recovering from being poisoned. I was afraid she would walk out of there if I hadn't done something so it just all came out at once.

But, the results were better than I could have hoped for. Very slowly she's falling into my arms, becoming more and more deeply tied to me. It's only a matter of time at this rate for her to love me back. I'm positive she does love me now but is hesitant to commit or admit it. Not that I mind, more fun for us I suppose.

"Don~ here's the paperwork." A slightly flushing servant says as he hands me some paperwork. Oh how fast rumors fly in this Art Museum.

"Thank you." I say without another word, glancing through the paperwork. My eyes narrow as I spy the word 'blood' on a recent report. Hatters ... it pisses me off that he prettied her up like that but he saved her life. Not only hers but those of my subordinates and two unknown mercenaries. Calling them his own henchmen ... heh, no doubt both of those gravediggers are trying to live that down as I stand here thinking. Well, a small gift never hurt.

"Send a few bags of black tea with that green tea extract to Blood Dupre as a bit of thanks." I order, handing the paperwork back to the faceless.

"You're so blessed, Jericho~," the servant almost dreamily says with a shy smile. I glance over him, offering a small smile.

"I am." I agree before heading back to my office. Tonight is the first Night in a while that I'll be able to get some sleep. Not only that, but I'll be lying beside a gorgeous woman. I ignore the other workers as I try not to rush back to my room, finding the guards looking to either side with a faint flush on their cheeks. Ha~ I'll bet they heard everything. My doors aren't exactly sound proof because I've had no use for it until now. It really depends if Jackie is really vocal or not.

I step inside my office and shut the door, spying Jackie already lying beneath the covers. Is she already asleep? I unbutton my shirt and quickly get dressed into my night clothing, slipping on a black silk pajama bottom before hesitating with the shirt. No, I don't think she's quite ready to see those just yet. I shuffle on the top, leaving it unbuttoned before nearing the bed.

I nearly burst into laughter at her odd choice of a sleeping position. Jackie was practically sprawled over the entire bed and on her stomach, completely out. Ah~ this woman never ceases to amaze and amuse me. I was right, that medicine definitely affected her mind to a certain degree. I slip in and very gently roll her to her side before laying beside her.

She quietly mutters in her sleep as I slide in against her back, very gently rubbing her stomach and earn a small, involuntary hum from her. She won't mind this much I'm sure. Though it makes me wonder what her reaction will be to a man's 'morning wood'. I kiss her temple, feeling her shift beside me and try to roll around but my arm remains firm, keeping her right where I want her. "Goodnight, my little guppy."

BLOOD'S POV

"I find it rather interesting that a young woman was able to best a Hatter." I lightly chuckle, finding the man who was guarding her in the medic unit, missing of his pants and shoes. I didn't take her to be a thief but this has turned out rather interesting.

"I-I apologize for our inadequacy." The maid who had done her makeup deeply apologizes.

"That's alright. I don't consider this a step back at all." I say as I slip out her vial, curiously eyeing the liquid which has risen to half way. Oh ho~ so it still fills up without being in her possession? That's interesting.

"With this in my possession she will most assuredly return because she needs this." I chuckle, rolling it in my fingers.

Your move, Jackie.

‡

OH~ SHOOT! What do you think is going to happen next? 12 REVIEWS to find out since I posted this early~ and what is your opinion if April Season rolled around to Diamond Coutnry? ;)