Thank you Sakura Sango for beta reading!

Updated 6-27-08

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Gonou Cho walked happily back to his tiny apartment with a smile on his face. A smile that was now always present since he met his Kanan a year ago. They had both grown up in the foster care system with separate families. Kanan had been living a year on her own when Gonou graduated from the system. He had been eighteen years old at the time and was sitting at a diner contemplating his future when Kanan had come to take his order. He had looked up from his menu and fallen in love immediately.

There was something about her that had seemed so familiar. Possibly because she looked a lot like him; similar green eyes and brown hair. They could have been siblings. After dating her a few times and discovering that they shared the same last name, they both concluded that quite possibly they were. But even if that were the case, it didn't matter because they were in love. Despite their religious upbringing in, coincidently, highly devout Catholic families, they decided to live together. It was quite ironic actually. After living with 'family' that didn't look related, they ended up falling in love and living with someone who actually did. And for the first time in their lives, they didn't feel alone.

Gonou went on to earn his early childhood development certificate and obtained a job at a local preschool. He had then insisted on supporting Kanan so that she might pursue a career she truly wanted, even if it meant paying for Kanan to go to an expensive university. He would do anything for her. However after a couple weeks of looking through want ads and researching colleges and courses, Kanan had declared that all she truly wanted was to be a stay-at-home mother. Gonou had been thrilled to hear this and started to secretly save money so that he could buy an engagement ring and propose to her.

Gonou was practically skipping to the apartment now. It was a sunny day despite the weatherman's prediction of rain and he had enjoyed himself at work after deciding to stay overtime to play tag outside with the children. All was right in the world, and he hardly noticed the graffiti and prostitutes as he casually strolled by. Although not downtown, they lived in a somewhat questionable part of Las Vegas. It was all they could afford, but he wasn't worried, being highly skilled in martial arts and living in a secure apartment complex. He unlocked the front door of the building and proceeded to walk up the darkened staircase to their apartment.

"Kanan," he said as he unlocked and swung the door open. "I'm home!"

He froze. What he saw stunned him.

The apartment was in shambles; upturned furniture, broken plates and ripped clothing strewn all over the floor.

He rushed in. "Kanan! Kanan!" He quickly discovered that she wasn't there.

Was it a robbery? But there were no sign of break in and nothing was missing except for… He crouched to pick up Kanan's pale yellow dress off the floor, fresh blood on torn fabric. It was what she was wearing when he left this morning.

--

Moments later, he was standing in the hallway at his landlord's front door.

"I'm sorry, Gonou." The landlord was half hiding behind his heavy door; the green paint glistened under the glow of a bare light bulb.

Gonou blinked. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. The landlord was a balding man and had his head downcast in regret. "Some men from Hyakugenmaoh came here earlier." Hyakugenmaoh was the neighborhood mafia. Hearing about his skills in martial arts, they had offered him employment but he had refused. The landlord continued, "They said that if we didn't let them in, they would have burned the whole complex down."

Gonou looked down the hall and saw his neighbors, all hiding behind doors and looking guilty.

"I'm sorry," the elder man offered weakly and was about to close the door.

"You." The elder man looked up and his jaw fell. Gonou's eyes had hardened and he was looking uncharacteristically fierce. "You." The landlord staggered back and almost tripped. "You let them in!" Gonou roared.

The door swung violently, knocking the air out of the older man. He struggled to stand, to escape. But it was too late. He was dead before he knew it.