'This past year I have watched. Always feeling useless and a burden …'

Natsumi stands in the midst of the city night, the lights capturing every highlight in her shimmering black hair. The lights from the cars passing below danced in her black blue eyes. Across that famous bridge that has the most spectacular view of the limitless fortress. She gazes upon the mysterious building remembering all that had gone on in to what she could only imagine.

'… Now this time things are going to be different, in a whole new way …'

"Good morning." Natsumi greeted walking through a door along with the sound of a bell.

"Ah well good morning to you Natsumi." Paul smiled back tying on his white apron for the beginning of a new good business day. Well in the hopes for one. Natsumi punched in her time and began to get ready. It was the same as usual and the same every time she works there, but the one thing that never changes is when they come in the Honky Tonk every morning. BAM! The door slams open scarring the crap out of Natsumi but Paul raised an eye brow.

Ban suddenly storms in stomping his way over to the bar. Then in comes Ginji with his silly child like smile like he always has.

"Ban buddy I'm sorry I didn't mean to I swear."

"Don't talk to me you damn eel!" Ban snapped. Natsumi just watched curiously at them. It's the same ol' Ban and Ginji. They always seem to come back from a mission covered in bloody cuts and gashes arguing at each other for whatever they did wrong. Not only that, Ban was recovering from the most terrifying incident she ever had to face. The healing gash on his left cheek, the mangled up left arm and his body …

Natsumi had to look away breathing heavily with regret and fear. Tears filled her eyes, reliving the moment of that night and what Ban did to save her. Embracing herself, the three of them look at her knowing that ever since that night she has never truly been the same.

So helpless…

"Natsumi?" Ginji asks softly. She was trembling; she slowly opened her eyes, her gaze in a blatant stare. Ginji looked at Paul. Paul didn't know what to do but when he looked at Ban he stood up from his seat. Ginji watches Ban as he slides over the bar. Ban walks in front of her, and her blatant stare was then focused on him. "I'm so sorry…" she apologized softly. Looking down tears started dripping to the ground.

"Hey now there is no need for you to apologize to me. All that matters is that I'm alive and so are you." Ban replied, placing both his hands on her shoulders.

"You-" she paused. "You … don't know … how helpless I was, how useless I was, how … powerless I was. I just sat there as you … almost lost your life over me, because of how stupid I was to even think I had it in me to help you guys out!"

"Natsumi …" Ban smiled as sweet as he could, given her emotion at the moment that is.

She looked up at him. Seeing him smile didn't make matters better because she could clearly see that his smile was a lie. Not in the case of it being her fault but because of the condition he ended up in and making her go through this day in and day out. All for those wounds that won't seem to heal fast enough to take her pain and memories away. It's because she pains over it is what makes him angry at himself.

"Hey your graduation is almost here, and your new fate in life will be decided then-" Ban paused for a moment.

"Oh Ban." Ginji quietly said under his breath.

"-Just promise that you will never forget us?" Ban added. Natsumi looks aghast at him. Did he have to say that? Did he need to say that? All she could do at that moment was look down not saying a single word…

Soon… soon everything will be different…

That evening as the Honky Tonk was closed, Natsumi closed shop. Waving a hand good bye before she shut the door behind her; she walked home. Well a detour of sorts. She walked through the city with the look of thoughts racing through her mind. One in particular was what Ban had asked her at the Honky Tonk.

Walking through her front door and taking off her shoes she quietly walks up stairs to her room. Flipping on her light switch she plants her body on her bed looking up at the ceiling.

'Just promise that you will never forget us?'

"He speaks as if I will never see them again …" Natsumi rolls over to her side gazing upon a picture frame of her and her mother years before her passing. "Oh mom …" As she continued to stare at the picture she remembered something her mother was telling her as she slept aside her hospital bed.

'Become strong.' Her mother's voice filled her ears. Natsumi sat straight up looking perplexed. She had a questioning look but then looked down raking her hands through her hair. Then something hit her. Her eyes shot open. "That's it! I remember!" she looked back to the photo and the smile on her moms face. "Thank you mom… thank you."

The next day came so fast. Ban and Ginji just arrived and as they come walking in only saw Paul behind that counter.

"Morning you two." Paul greeted.

"Something is out of place?" Ginji said rubbing his head.

"You dumb idiot Natsumi isn't here-" Ban replied. "-So where is the cute worker today anyway?" Paul placed a dish in the clean pile and looked up at them. "She said that she had to take care of some things so she wasn't going to be in today but she did say that she was going to stop by later."

"I can't wait to see her pretty face." Ginji said in joy. Ban and Paul looked at him like he was some perv. "What, why are you guys looking at me like that?"

Ban shook his head at him. "Ginji I swear."

Just then Hevn in her nice stilettos and her hundred dollar dress walked on in greeting the three men with her smile. "I just received a phone call from Natsumi to meet her here." she took a seat next to Ginji at the bar. "-You know ever since that night she hasn't been the same really. Haven't you guys noticed?"

Ban looked the opposite direction, looking as though to avoid the question.

"Yeah, I've noticed and I believe we all have." Paul replied.

"Poor thing, she really took it hard." Hevn added.

"CAN we stop talking about that night?!" Ban hissed, clenching a fist and slamming it on the bar top.

"Hey Ban no reason to get …" Ginji tried to say but Ban glared at him.

"It seems that Natsumi isn't the only one affected." Hevn teased.

"Hevn sometimes you need to learn when to shut up." Ban said deep and low. The tone alone startled her. He has never done that to her before.

"What did you say?!" she snapped.

"Not in my restaurant." Paul warned, as he continued to clean some dishes. For a moment everyone was silent and well Ginji; he had a silly grin on his face for being stuck in the damn middle as he always is when those two on each side of him bicker at each other. What a morning to start out.

The bell on the door sounded and as the door slowly opened the person walking in was Natsumi. She was dressed like she was going somewhere far like a trip or something. "Hey guys." she smiled.

"Natsumi!" Hevn said getting up to hug the young woman. "Ok, so tell us? What's the occasion for having us meet up?" she added with a big smile.

It was clear that Natsumi was having a hard time saying what she had on her mind. The others could see it as well. "I'm going on a long trip, I don't know how long it will be but it's a family thing and I must go…" she finally forced it out.

"Oh, where are you going?" Ginji asked.

"It's a small town down at the very bottom south coast."

"Wow that's pretty far Natsumi, and is your father going too?" Paul asked.

Natsumi shook her head no. "He has to work so I'm going alone." Ban just sat there starring at the bar top, being silent. "-So that is why I wanted you all to be here so I could at least tell you instead of just leaving and not saying a thing at all." she politely explained.

"Hey kiddo, you just have fun." Paul said with a grin.

Natsumi smiled at him. "Oh, my dad will be by here at the end of the week to pick up my check so I'm letting you know a head of time. I leave in a few hours so I'll be sure to let him know again so he doesn't forget."

"No worries." Paul smiled again. Natsumi stood up from the bar bowing her head to all of them but as she stood straight up again she looked at Ban. He still sat there starring at the bar top. Natsumi dimmed her eyes, saddened that he was looking so down. When she turned to walk out she looked back with a sweet smile once more. "See you guys later…" waving at them, she walked out the door. The moment the door shut and she began to walk down the road her eyes watered up.

'He could have said a goodbye at least?'

It was mid day and Natsumi was standing in front of the very building at the pier where that cop and the yakuza had kidnapped her. The very moment her life started with Ban and Ginji. Whoever seems to own it hasn't been at the place for a long while. The breaker box Ginji slammed his fist into to short the electricity hasn't been fixed. The shattered glasses from the car windows were still on the floor, and there towards the back was that chair. The very chair she was bound to. Natsumi just stood there soaking in the memories of that day and the helplessness she is. Placing her hands in her long winter coat, the scarf around her neck she proceeds out of the building, till when she stops at the edge of the pier gazing out at the ocean.

'I have learned one thing from all of this … that very night showed me that life is too short. It is up to you; whether you want to be a victim or stand up … me? Well … I want to take a stand. Right now, my journey starts here…'

To be continued …

Next Chapter …

Natsumi sets out on a life changing trip that will change her life and the others lives forever. Ban puts the pieces together and realizes that Natsumi wasn't going to the south coast. So where did she really go? Will the Get Backers find the truth to where she is? How long is she going to be? And the one responsible for Ban's condition is back in town! How will this all go down and if a show down is approaching will Ban be ready physically to face that foe? Find out next time in chapter two "Reunion"