Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction produced solely from my own fevered mind. Any resemblance borne to other works is purely coincidental.

Disclaimer2: I do not own Esclaflowne nor any of it's affiliated characters or rights.

Prologue

Hitomi stood on the doorstep, letting the rain drip from her bangs into her now red, puffy eyes. What kind of person forced the woman he supposedly loved to a life on the streets? Sure, as a physician she made plenty of money; however there was no way she could find a place to stay on such short notice. Yukari and Amano were both in Tahiti on their Honey Moon. Had they been home, she wouldn't have hesitated to call her best friend. They had known one an other since high school and each would act in a heartbeat were the other in trouble.

Sighing to herself, Hitomi picked up her bag and walked through the torrential down pour to her car. Luckily, she had bought her own vehicle after she moved in with her boyfriend. Having to rely on that bastard for transportation would only add insult to injury.

After tossing her drenched duffle bag in the back seat she climbed into the driver's seat and contemplated her next move. She could always sleep at the hospital. However, it was noisy and the cots for the on call doctors were horribly uncomfortable.

Not wanting to ruin her friend's happy vacation she picked up her phone and dialed her brother's cell phone. She stared out the windshield of the Honda Accord and watched as the rain sheeted down while she waited for Mammoru to pick up.

She had bought the apartment with Eric a few months prior, happier than she had ever been. Now, roughly thirty minutes ago, she found out "the man of her dreams" had decided to trade her in for a younger, leggier blond. At least men could be counted on to be consistent. Too bad she had no place else to go.

"Hello?" a gruff and groggy voice answered on the fifth ring.

"Mammoru? It's Hitomi."

"Jeez, Tomi, don't you know what time it is? It's nearly two in the morning!"

"I know and I'm terribly sorry, but I need a place to stay. It's sort of an emergency."

"Emergency? What happened?" Mammoru had regained full consciousness quite quickly at Hitomi's last statement.

"Not that kind of emergency. I caught Eric in bed with his paralegal."

"Shit. That low life. And after everything you did for him."

"Uh huh," Hitomi grunted, "So can I stay or not?"

"Of course you can stay. The key to the front door is under the mat. Just be careful not to make much noise when you let yourself in. You know how cranky Anoka can get, especially if she is woken up."

Hitomi chuckled at her brother's remark. His wife, Anoka, was currently six months pregnant and a force to be reckoned with.

"No need to remind me. I did agree to follow her through the pregnancy and deliver the baby, remember? She nearly ripped my head off at our last appointment."

"Haha. Yeah, that's pretty much par for the course these days. See you tomorrow."

"Thanks a bunch, Mammoru."

"Anytime, Sis."

Hitomi punched the "End" button and put her keys in the ignition. Taking off towards her brother's house, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. Anoka was demanding to begin with and being heavily pregnant hadn't helped matters.

As she drove through the storm, Hitomi's thoughts turned to her next shift. She could catch a few hours of sleep in her brother's guest room before she had to be at the hospital for rounds. Being an attending meant long hours and tough cases.

As a first year resident, Hitomi had thrived under the demands. She was always at her best when thinking on her feet and under a lot of pressure. Snap decisions, life and death situations, and all the adrenaline combined into a job she loved.

Presently, she was no longer so sure. Those difficult cases became easier to handle with the exception of the ones that resulted in the patient's death. Those were the worst. Everyone around her had seemed to be able to detach, but not Hitomi. Add the fact that those long hours were no longer filled with adrenaline but boredom. She was losing her passion for her career and she knew it. However, she had no clue what to do about it. She longed for the days when she had never wanted to leave the hospital.

Turning left, Hitomi pulled into the driveway of her brother's two-story colonial style house. It was too large for the couple, boasting four bedrooms, two and a half baths, a dining room, and an honest to god parlor. However, Anoka had fallen in love with the place on first sight and the couple had closed the deal a week later. Mammoru had never been any good at denying his wife anything.

Hitomi exited the car and walked up the front sidewalk. When she reached the front door she proceeded to lift the mat, which welcomed all visitors, and found the key underneath. She let herself inside, locked the door behind herself, and climbed the central stairs to the second floor. A bed had never looked so inviting. Removing only her tennis shoes, Hitomi dropped into the middle of the queen size mattress. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.