Omi looked up as a young girl ran out of the building and down the street. Seconds later a man dashed out and ran after her. "Get back here you bitch." He pulled a gun out and shot at her, but she dodged. Omi looked over at Ken. "Isn't that the guy we're after?" They both ran after them. The man ahead turned a corner. He shot at the girl again. This time he hit her in the leg. She went down, but got right back up again and continued to run. Finally she stopped. It was a dead end. "I got ya, you bitch! Now I'll teach you not to double cross me." He raised the gun, his finger slowly pulling the trigger. whoosh A dart hit him in the neck. He reeled around just as another dart hit him in the shoulder. He screamed in pain. Ken walked forward, Omi close behind him. His eyes widened in fear as they got closer. He pointed the gun straight at them. "Don't come any closer or I'll shoot." Ken took another step forward. bang The bullet whizzed by them. "That's enough!" He whirled around in surprise. In his panic he had forgotten about the girl. She stood behind him, a gun pointed straight at him. "Say goodbye." She pulled the trigger. For a moment he just stood there, mouth open in a silent scream. Then he slumped to the ground. The girl's leg gave out and she collapse to the ground. Ken and Omi ran over to her. "Hey, are you all right?" Omi asked. She looked up. "Yeah. Thanks for your help." She tried to stand, but her leg refused to support her weight, and gave out again. Ken caught her as she fell. "Why don't we get that leg looked at?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yohji jumped up as Ken and Omi came in. "What the hell happened?" "It's a long story." Ken laid the girl down on the couch. She winced as her leg brushed against the side of the couch. "Are you okay?" Omi asked, concerned. "I'm fine. It's just a graze." Omi picked up a pair of scissors and cut the jeans off right above the wound. It looked a little more serious than "just a graze." It was pretty deep, and a greenish film already covered part of it. He was pretty positive that it was infected. She gritted her teeth as Ken cleaned it. The peroxide bubbled and sizzled, which meant that it was working, but none of the boys in the room envied her the pain she was in. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Sweat poured down her face and her cheeks were flushed a bright red. Omi felt her forehead and pulled his hand back in alarm. Even from where he sat, he could feel the heat radiating from her body. The wound had become infected and she now had an extremely high fever.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Aya had gotten a bag of ice and they had placed it on her forehead. She moaned and turned slightly. Yohji yawned. It had been two days. The others were sleeping and he was the only one up right now. He sighed. 'Shouldn't the medicine be working by now?' When the fever hadn't gone down, they had called a private doctor. He had looked at the wound and given them some medicine that should help bring the fever down and ease the pain. He yawned again. She stirred. He looked up. Her eyes fluttered, then slowly opened. She turned her head toward him. "Hey. How are you feeling?" he asked. "Never felt better." He chuckled quietly. "Well, no offense, but, you look like hell." She smiled. He placed his hand on her forehead. It felt cooler. He grabbed the thermometer and placed it in her mouth. He sighed in relief. Her temperature was almost back to normal. Yohji yawned again. He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you get some sleep?" Ken said. Yohji nodded and left the room. As soon as he hit his bed he was out. Ken sat down in the armchair next to the couch. "I'm Ken." She smiled. "I'm Aasha. Thanks for helping me." He smiled. "No prob. We were after the guy anyway." She looked up at him. ' So I was right. They are assassins, just like me.' "Why was he so mad at you?" he asked. There was a flicker in her eye, then it was gone. "I was sent to kill him. I was undercover. I was supposed to get close to him, find out about his business, etc. Then I was supposed to kill him. Somehow he found out about me." Ken looked down at her. She looked no more than seventeen, yet she had known more pain than any seventeen year old should have to. 'Just like Omi.' Ken stood up. "I'm going to make some coffee. Do you want some?" She shook her head. "No thanks." He went into the kitchen and started to brew a pot of coffee. Ken was lost in thought as Aya entered the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. 'Omi and Aasha are so much alike. Both so young, yet they've experienced so much pain and suffering. It's not right. It just isn't right.' He jumped. He hadn't realized that anyone else was in the room and the sound of Aya's voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Sorry. What was that?" "I asked if something was wrong." Ken stared at him for a minute. He shook his head. "No. I was just thinking, that's all." "May I ask what you were thinking about?" "Nothing important." Ken poured the coffee and placed the mugs on a tray. He took them out to the living room. Omi had just come out of his room. "Oh good. Coffee. Just what I need." He took a mug off the tray and eagerly sipped the hot liquid. "Where's Yohji?" Ken looked up. "He's in bed." "Not anymore." They all looked up as Yohji entered the room and took a mug of coffee. He downed the entire mug in less than a minute. "I'm going to open the shop. See you in a little while." He walked out the door. Ken shook his head. "Baka," he muttered. Omi looked at him curiously. "What was that?" Ken looked over at Omi. "Nothing." Omi looked at him for a minute then turned back to his coffee. "Right."
~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been two weeks. Aasha was now moving around on crutches and had volunteered to help them out at the flower shop. Since she started working there, the place had been mobbed with as many boys as girls. She looked over at Ken. "Help me," she mouthed. He laughed and pointed. He was surrounded by as many girls as she was surrounded by boys. She moved slowly on the crutches, but she was very skilled when it came to flower arrangements. By the end of the day, they were all pretty tired, but the day wasn't over yet. They had a mission tonight. Yohji sighed. All he wanted was to fall into his bed and sleep, but that wasn't an option. Aasha was getting ready to take a shower as they left. They had asked her if she wanted to come, but she said she didn't want to get in the way. "Besides, I won't be much help when I'm on crutches. I'll just slow you down." She sighed as she undressed and turned the shower on. She stopped. 'What was that?' She listened, but everything was quiet. 'I'm just jumpy, that's all.' She whirled around, shock registered on her face, as the door was flung open. A familiar figure stood in the doorway. Fear clouded her eyes, but she forced herself to stay calm. "What do you want?" He moved closer to her, a wicked grin crossing his face. She backed away. "No. Not again." She tried to run past him, but her leg was still too weak and she could barely walk without the crutches. He grabbed her and she screamed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
As they entered the house, they knew something was wrong. They could hear the shower running. Omi went to check and the floor was covered in water. As he stepped into the hall, he noticed the shards of glass. The hall mirror lay in pieces on the floor. "Ken! Aya! Yohji!" They all came running at his shout. "What is it?" Ken asked. He pointed to the broken mirror. Yohji ran down the hall. "Oh my God." Aasha was lying on the floor. She was unconscious and naked. Blood ran down her thighs, and something else. Semen. Yohji knelt down next to her. "Aasha? Aasha, can you hear me?" She groaned and her eyes flew open. "Yohji?" she whispered. He nodded. Ken turned toward Omi. "Go fill the tub," he said. Omi hurried to do what he had been told. Yohji gently picked Aasha up and carried her down the hall. Ken knocked on the door as he was cleaning her up. He came in and set a pair of boxers and a t-shirt on the sink. "Here." Yohji looked up as Ken left. He smiled. After she was cleaned up, he put her to bed and turned to leave. She grasped his wrist. "Please. Don't leave. I don't want to be alone." He pulled the chair up next to the bed and sat down. He held her hand and stroked it until she fell asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Aasha was restless as she slept. She tossed and turned. She mumbled something and Yohji leaned closer. "No. Not again. Please. No. Please. Not again." He leaned back in the chair. 'Had this happened to her before?' He was startled as she screamed. "Nooooooooooo!" She sat up. Her eyes were full of pain and fear. Tears ran down her face. She wiped them away and turned her face. She didn't want to cry in front of Yohji. He sat down on the bed and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her body stiffen, then slowly relax. "It's all right. Cry. It will make you feel better." She buried her face in his shoulder and wept like a baby. Finally she calmed down and the tears ceased. "Thank you," she whispered. He held her close to him for a minute then pulled away so he could look into her face. "Has this happened before?" She turned her face away, but he put his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. Another tear ran down her cheek and she hung her head. "Yes," she said quietly. "I was sixteen when it happened. I had just gotten home from school." She tried to stop the tears that were threatening to come, but it was useless. "Was it the same man?" She nodded, and the tears flowed down her face. Yohji pulled her closer to him and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I was so scared," she said. "I tried to run, but I couldn't because of my leg. I had tried to forget about it, but I couldn't. Now it's happening again." He planted a kiss on the top of her head. "It's all right. I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let him hurt you again." She looked up at him and was surprised at what she saw. He looked at her tenderly and his eyes were filled with concern, and something else. Love. She stared at him. "But how can you love me?" she asked. "I'm not worthy of being loved, by anyone." He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. She brought her fingers up to her lips. "Don't say that. You're the most important person to me. I'm am the one who is not worthy of you." She couldn't believe it. 'Why is he doing this? Why does he love me? I don't deserve it.' He could see the doubt in her eyes. "Aasha, you deserve to be loved. You've been through so much pain and suffering and never once have you complained. You do things for others without expecting anything in return. You are more than deserving of love." She looked up at him and a single tear ran down her cheek. He gently brushed it away. He looked at her tear-streaked face and leaned down, planting a firm kiss on her lips. For a minute she was surprised, then she returned the kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ken opened the door and peeked in. A smile spread across his face. Yohji was leaning against the wall sleeping. Aasha was curled up with her head in his lap and arms wrapped around Yohji's waist. He quietly closed the door. She would be okay. With Yohji's help she would get through this. He turned and went back to the kitchen. "How is she?" Omi asked. Ken smiled. "She's going to be fine. Just fine."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yohji jumped up as Ken and Omi came in. "What the hell happened?" "It's a long story." Ken laid the girl down on the couch. She winced as her leg brushed against the side of the couch. "Are you okay?" Omi asked, concerned. "I'm fine. It's just a graze." Omi picked up a pair of scissors and cut the jeans off right above the wound. It looked a little more serious than "just a graze." It was pretty deep, and a greenish film already covered part of it. He was pretty positive that it was infected. She gritted her teeth as Ken cleaned it. The peroxide bubbled and sizzled, which meant that it was working, but none of the boys in the room envied her the pain she was in. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Sweat poured down her face and her cheeks were flushed a bright red. Omi felt her forehead and pulled his hand back in alarm. Even from where he sat, he could feel the heat radiating from her body. The wound had become infected and she now had an extremely high fever.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Aya had gotten a bag of ice and they had placed it on her forehead. She moaned and turned slightly. Yohji yawned. It had been two days. The others were sleeping and he was the only one up right now. He sighed. 'Shouldn't the medicine be working by now?' When the fever hadn't gone down, they had called a private doctor. He had looked at the wound and given them some medicine that should help bring the fever down and ease the pain. He yawned again. She stirred. He looked up. Her eyes fluttered, then slowly opened. She turned her head toward him. "Hey. How are you feeling?" he asked. "Never felt better." He chuckled quietly. "Well, no offense, but, you look like hell." She smiled. He placed his hand on her forehead. It felt cooler. He grabbed the thermometer and placed it in her mouth. He sighed in relief. Her temperature was almost back to normal. Yohji yawned again. He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you get some sleep?" Ken said. Yohji nodded and left the room. As soon as he hit his bed he was out. Ken sat down in the armchair next to the couch. "I'm Ken." She smiled. "I'm Aasha. Thanks for helping me." He smiled. "No prob. We were after the guy anyway." She looked up at him. ' So I was right. They are assassins, just like me.' "Why was he so mad at you?" he asked. There was a flicker in her eye, then it was gone. "I was sent to kill him. I was undercover. I was supposed to get close to him, find out about his business, etc. Then I was supposed to kill him. Somehow he found out about me." Ken looked down at her. She looked no more than seventeen, yet she had known more pain than any seventeen year old should have to. 'Just like Omi.' Ken stood up. "I'm going to make some coffee. Do you want some?" She shook her head. "No thanks." He went into the kitchen and started to brew a pot of coffee. Ken was lost in thought as Aya entered the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. 'Omi and Aasha are so much alike. Both so young, yet they've experienced so much pain and suffering. It's not right. It just isn't right.' He jumped. He hadn't realized that anyone else was in the room and the sound of Aya's voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Sorry. What was that?" "I asked if something was wrong." Ken stared at him for a minute. He shook his head. "No. I was just thinking, that's all." "May I ask what you were thinking about?" "Nothing important." Ken poured the coffee and placed the mugs on a tray. He took them out to the living room. Omi had just come out of his room. "Oh good. Coffee. Just what I need." He took a mug off the tray and eagerly sipped the hot liquid. "Where's Yohji?" Ken looked up. "He's in bed." "Not anymore." They all looked up as Yohji entered the room and took a mug of coffee. He downed the entire mug in less than a minute. "I'm going to open the shop. See you in a little while." He walked out the door. Ken shook his head. "Baka," he muttered. Omi looked at him curiously. "What was that?" Ken looked over at Omi. "Nothing." Omi looked at him for a minute then turned back to his coffee. "Right."
~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been two weeks. Aasha was now moving around on crutches and had volunteered to help them out at the flower shop. Since she started working there, the place had been mobbed with as many boys as girls. She looked over at Ken. "Help me," she mouthed. He laughed and pointed. He was surrounded by as many girls as she was surrounded by boys. She moved slowly on the crutches, but she was very skilled when it came to flower arrangements. By the end of the day, they were all pretty tired, but the day wasn't over yet. They had a mission tonight. Yohji sighed. All he wanted was to fall into his bed and sleep, but that wasn't an option. Aasha was getting ready to take a shower as they left. They had asked her if she wanted to come, but she said she didn't want to get in the way. "Besides, I won't be much help when I'm on crutches. I'll just slow you down." She sighed as she undressed and turned the shower on. She stopped. 'What was that?' She listened, but everything was quiet. 'I'm just jumpy, that's all.' She whirled around, shock registered on her face, as the door was flung open. A familiar figure stood in the doorway. Fear clouded her eyes, but she forced herself to stay calm. "What do you want?" He moved closer to her, a wicked grin crossing his face. She backed away. "No. Not again." She tried to run past him, but her leg was still too weak and she could barely walk without the crutches. He grabbed her and she screamed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
As they entered the house, they knew something was wrong. They could hear the shower running. Omi went to check and the floor was covered in water. As he stepped into the hall, he noticed the shards of glass. The hall mirror lay in pieces on the floor. "Ken! Aya! Yohji!" They all came running at his shout. "What is it?" Ken asked. He pointed to the broken mirror. Yohji ran down the hall. "Oh my God." Aasha was lying on the floor. She was unconscious and naked. Blood ran down her thighs, and something else. Semen. Yohji knelt down next to her. "Aasha? Aasha, can you hear me?" She groaned and her eyes flew open. "Yohji?" she whispered. He nodded. Ken turned toward Omi. "Go fill the tub," he said. Omi hurried to do what he had been told. Yohji gently picked Aasha up and carried her down the hall. Ken knocked on the door as he was cleaning her up. He came in and set a pair of boxers and a t-shirt on the sink. "Here." Yohji looked up as Ken left. He smiled. After she was cleaned up, he put her to bed and turned to leave. She grasped his wrist. "Please. Don't leave. I don't want to be alone." He pulled the chair up next to the bed and sat down. He held her hand and stroked it until she fell asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Aasha was restless as she slept. She tossed and turned. She mumbled something and Yohji leaned closer. "No. Not again. Please. No. Please. Not again." He leaned back in the chair. 'Had this happened to her before?' He was startled as she screamed. "Nooooooooooo!" She sat up. Her eyes were full of pain and fear. Tears ran down her face. She wiped them away and turned her face. She didn't want to cry in front of Yohji. He sat down on the bed and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her body stiffen, then slowly relax. "It's all right. Cry. It will make you feel better." She buried her face in his shoulder and wept like a baby. Finally she calmed down and the tears ceased. "Thank you," she whispered. He held her close to him for a minute then pulled away so he could look into her face. "Has this happened before?" She turned her face away, but he put his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. Another tear ran down her cheek and she hung her head. "Yes," she said quietly. "I was sixteen when it happened. I had just gotten home from school." She tried to stop the tears that were threatening to come, but it was useless. "Was it the same man?" She nodded, and the tears flowed down her face. Yohji pulled her closer to him and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I was so scared," she said. "I tried to run, but I couldn't because of my leg. I had tried to forget about it, but I couldn't. Now it's happening again." He planted a kiss on the top of her head. "It's all right. I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let him hurt you again." She looked up at him and was surprised at what she saw. He looked at her tenderly and his eyes were filled with concern, and something else. Love. She stared at him. "But how can you love me?" she asked. "I'm not worthy of being loved, by anyone." He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. She brought her fingers up to her lips. "Don't say that. You're the most important person to me. I'm am the one who is not worthy of you." She couldn't believe it. 'Why is he doing this? Why does he love me? I don't deserve it.' He could see the doubt in her eyes. "Aasha, you deserve to be loved. You've been through so much pain and suffering and never once have you complained. You do things for others without expecting anything in return. You are more than deserving of love." She looked up at him and a single tear ran down her cheek. He gently brushed it away. He looked at her tear-streaked face and leaned down, planting a firm kiss on her lips. For a minute she was surprised, then she returned the kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ken opened the door and peeked in. A smile spread across his face. Yohji was leaning against the wall sleeping. Aasha was curled up with her head in his lap and arms wrapped around Yohji's waist. He quietly closed the door. She would be okay. With Yohji's help she would get through this. He turned and went back to the kitchen. "How is she?" Omi asked. Ken smiled. "She's going to be fine. Just fine."