-This is a work of fiction based on characters created by Monkey Punch (Kazuhiko Kato). It is drama/action/romance with a twist of lemon. Rated T for language and sexual situations. Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, and Zenigata are © Monkey Punch, and used without permission. This work is written purely for entertainment value. Please don't sue me.-

-Special thanks to Kiba for the black & white line drawing of Lupin's hand holding a photograph.-

The Sound of Her Breathing
by Elisabeth Henry

The city was bustling. The hum of voices, the occasional car passing, and the sound of a ringing church bell filled the women's ears.

"I'm glad you could make it to Naples," Fujiko said, smiling at her companion. "There are some cute little jewellery shops here."

The other woman laughed. "I'm not here for the jewellery, Fujiko," she said. Her smile broadened. "Some of us have more than gems on our minds."

Fujiko tossed her head dismissively, her lush brown hair brushing against her shoulders. "I can't imagine what could be more important than diamonds!" she said. Glancing over her shoulder at a sidewalk café, she blinked. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised to see them here," she muttered.

Her companion craned her neck to see what Fujiko was talking about. "Who do you see?" she asked.

Fujiko snorted. "Oh, only Lupin the Third. It figures that he'd be here too, what with the diamond exhibit happening this weekend."

"Lupin the Third?" Her friend shrugged. "I didn't know you were friends."

Fujiko's eyes lit up, and she smiled wickedly. "Well, I wouldn't say we were friends, exactly. But I'm always able to convince him to give me what I want." She led the way into the café, waving away the waiter who came to seat them. The two women wove their way between the tables and stepped onto the patio.

"Oh, Lupin!" Fujiko waved at him, her voice moving into the higher, 'I want my way' register that was so typical of her. At least, whenever she wanted something. From a man. The other woman rolled her eyes and followed the buxom brunette to the table.

There were three men sitting at the table. Lupin turned to look at Fujiko, and his face lit up with what could only be called pure lust. One of the other men, the one with the black fedora and the half-smoked cigarette, shook his head.

"Oh, no," he muttered to the third man. "Not her again."

"You're not surprised, are you?" asked the third man. His features were sharply Japanese, and he wore a traditional keikogi. He placed one hand on the sword that lay sheathed on the table.

Fujiko took a chair from a nearby table and settled into it, squeezing in beside Lupin. Her friend took the empty chair next to the man with the cigarette. Fujiko leaned over Lupin, displaying her ample cleavage for his enjoyment.

"Oh, Lupin," Fujiko said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad to see you here! I just know you'll help me fill my poor, empty jewellery box this weekend."

"She gets right to the friggin' point, doesn't she?" The two other men looked over at Lupin, whose tongue was hanging out of his mouth. The one with the hat lowered it over his eyes. "Let me know when it's over."

The second woman raised one eyebrow. "Is he always like this around her?" she asked.

"You have no idea," said the man with the sword.

"Oh!" Fujiko pulled away from Lupin, just as he reached for her breasts. He nearly fell off his chair. "How rude of me." She smiled winningly, but only Lupin seemed susceptible to it. With a gesture at her friend, she said, "Lupin, Jigen, Goemon; I'd like to introduce Alexis Finch."

Alexis nodded slightly. She glanced at each of them in turn, but her gaze lingered longest on Jigen. "Hello," she said. Her voice was soft and low.

"Greetings, Miss Finch," Goemon said, and bowed slightly from the waist.

"Yeah, hi there," Jigen mumbled past his cigarette. He tilted his head, and Alexis caught a glimpse of one dark eye beneath his hat.

"Finch, Finch," Lupin said, looking at the sky, deep in thought. "That sounds familiar."

"It's a type of bird," Alexis said coolly. She pulled a cigarette from her satchel. There was a flash, and Jigen leaned over, a lit match between his fingers. Alexis gave him a half-smile and touched her cigarette to the flame. She inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement.

Lupin shook his head. "No, no; it's something more than that," he said, eying Alexis carefully. "Oh, well! I'm sure it will come to me eventually." He leered at her, and Fujiko slapped his chest with the back of her hand.

"Hello?" she said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Remember me?"

Alexis smirked and sat back in her chair as Lupin slipped his arms around Fujiko. "How could I forget?" he said, ogling her lecherously. "You know you're the only one for me, Fujicakes." He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away.

Jigen shook his head in disgust. "Get a room, you two," he growled.

"Any time my little Fujicakes wants to," Lupin said, trying to reach Fujiko's cheek with his lips. She gave a little huff of annoyance and unclasped his hands from her back. "And what better place than beautiful, historic Naples?" he continued, waving one hand to encompass the view of the Mediterranean.

"Maybe we could work something out, if you'll help me get the Millennium Star diamond," Fujiko said with a sensual pout. She looked at Lupin with wide, chocolate-brown eyes. "Oh, please say you will, Lupin?"

"Ah..."

"Oh no, you don't," Jigen said. He looked sharply at Lupin. "Don't you dare give in this time, you bastard."

"The Millennium Star?" Alexis said. She tapped the ash off her cigarette and snorted softly. "You must be mad. That monstrosity? Doesn't it weigh something like two hundred carats?"

"Two hundred and three, actually," said Fujiko, looking over her shoulder at Alexis.

"And it's coming to the exhibit?"

Fujiko nodded. "It's famous as being one of the most colourless diamonds in the world." She looked at Lupin, her eyes practically glowing. "There isn't even a value on it. Any possible figure would be purely academic. But it was insured for a hundred million pounds!"

There was a stunned silence at the table before Jigen growled and stubbed out his cigarette.

"No way," he said firmly. "Not a friggin' chance. I am not going to steal a rock that size for any broad." He pointed at Fujiko. "Least of all her."

Goemon nodded slightly. "Jigen and I are of one mind about this. If the gem has no possible buyers, then it is of no value to us."

Alexis set her cigarette in the ashtray and folded her arms across her chest. "This is a wind up. Why would you want a rock that size? You couldn't even find a setting for it."

Fujiko turned up her nose and wrapped her arms around Lupin again. "The setting doesn't matter, Lex, but size is everything." She smiled mischievously and nuzzled Lupin's neck. "You'll help me get it, won't you Lupin, darling?" she purred. "I have an absolutely foolproof plan."

"The last time you brought us a foolproof plan was 'never'," Jigen said, his voice low and dangerous. "This is friggin' insane. You can't seriously be considering this, Lupin!"

His words went completely unheard. Lupin was staring dreamily at Fujiko, and when she pressed her cheek to his, he nearly fainted with delight.

"Of course we'll help, Fujicakes," he said, squeezing her waist and trying unsuccessfully to kiss her. "You can have anything your little heart desires."

Jigen slammed his palm against the table. "Forget it, Lupin. Not this time." He stood up. "Coming, Goemon?"

Goemon nodded and pushed back his chair, taking his sword from the table as he stood. His face was expressionless.

"Hey guys!" Lupin looked imploringly at them. "C'mon! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Yeah, well, I like my life just fine the way it is," Jigen said. He took a wrinkled cigarette from his breast pocket and tucked it between his lips. A matchbox appeared in his hand. "She knows what's going to happen, I know what's going to happen, we all know what's going to happen." He struck a match against the sole of his shoe and drew deeply on his cigarette. Flicking the match into the ashtray, he shook his head. "No way. You're too much of a masochist for me, pal. You can get that friggin' rock on your own." Jigen plucked the smoke from his mouth and looked down at Alexis. "I'd stay away from her if I were you."

Alexis laughed lightly and picked up her cigarette. She blew a smoke ring and looked up at Jigen through it. "I appreciate the warning, but I don't need it. I know perfectly well that Fujiko has raised betrayal to an art form."

Jigen lifted the brim of his hat and blinked in surprise. Fujiko turned away from Lupin and scowled. "I don't know whether to be flattered, or insulted," she said.

Alexis smiled wryly and extinguished her cigarette in the almost-overflowing ashtray. Either the men had been here a long time, or Jigen smoked more than anyone on Earth. "I'll go with Jigen and Goemon and leave you two to your plotting," she said, taking her bag from the ground and standing up. "I'm not sure I want to be involved in this, either. It's far too rich for my blood."

"Coward," Fujiko taunted, but she smiled as she said it. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Alexis laughed again. "I think I left it in my other handbag," she said, and winked. "Anyway, my jewellery box is quite full, thank you." She waved over her shoulder. "Best of luck, though." She trailed after Jigen and Goemon as they left the café.

"Back to the hotel then?" Jigen asked as they stood on the sidewalk. "Since there isn't going to be any work here for us."

"Unless you count rescuing Lupin from Fujiko's schemes," Goemon said. His voice was soft, with an undercurrent of disgust.

Jigen snorted. "That can wait. Maybe he'll learn his friggin' lesson this time." He finished his cigarette and dropped it to the pavement, crushing it underfoot.

"I seriously doubt it," Goemon said. He looked over at Alexis, who had fallen into step with the two men. "And you, Miss Finch? What do you think of Fujiko's idea?"

Alexis lifted her hands, palms out. "Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "Don't even go there with me. All I'll say is that I wouldn't trust Fujiko as far as I could comfortably spit out a rat."

"And yet, you keep company with her." Goemon frowned.

Alexis looked thoughtfully at him, and decided not to misunderstand his comment.

"Being seen in someone's company and being her partner in crime are hardly the same thing, samurai," she said. She lifted a pale hand and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I'm not sure she'd even call us friends, but we do have some things in common." Her blue eyes sparkled, and she took a deep breath, forcing her chest out. "For instance, we're both women."

Goemon caught himself staring at her breasts, and blushed deeply. He looked away.

"I'm not so sure that's a point in your favour," Jigen said. The three of them reached the piazza. "We don't have the greatest track record with dames." He glanced down at Alexis. He was several inches taller, and from under the brim of his hat, she could see the hint of a scowl.

Alexis shrugged. "That's hardly my fault," she said. She looked up at Jigen and smiled brightly. "But I'll leave you two to your brooding. I have my own business to attend to." She waved at a shop across the square. Through the window, they could see a man stirring some kind of chocolate mixture in an enormous copper pot. "This is my stop."

Jigen lifted his head to look in the window, and even Goemon stopped and stared.

"Before you ask," Alexis said, hefting her bag, "I'm a chocolatier." She smoothed one hand over her shapely body, sheathed as it was in a clingy knit dress. "I'm not fond of eating candy, but I do like to work with it. It's so refreshingly uncomplicated." She smirked. "Unlike people."

Goemon raised one eyebrow, and Jigen laughed. "Touché," he said, and touched the brim of his hat. Alexis dimpled at him and gave a little wave.

"I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again. Good day, gentlemen." She disappeared into the shop before either man could reply. For a moment, they stood there, looking after her.

"You're about to say something foolish," Goemon observed drily.

Jigen chuckled, and nodded. "She doesn't seem quite as bad as that bitch, Fujiko," he said. "At least she's not a greedy little thief." He pulled an empty pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. "Damn. I need more smokes. Meet you back at the hotel?"

Goemon nodded and turned away.

"And if you hear from Lupin, let him sweat it out," Jigen called after him. "If we run to his rescue too soon, he might think we actually give a damn."