Oranges and Lemons.
Chapter 2

A faint pop and Tsuzuki appeared with a barely conscious Hisoka in his arms. He placed his partner on the nearest bed and went into the bathroom only to return with a wet cloth and a glass of water. He returned to Hisoka's side and placed the cloth on his forehead. Hisoka was already sound asleep. Tsuzuki knew Hisoka slept when his body consumed to many emotions. Heck, he'd been the cause of some of the longest naps Hisoka had taken in their time together.

Tsuzuki stood up and pulled the covers out and over Hisoka as he slept. He turned the TV on low and began the waiting process while Hisoka slept.

Hisoka sat up and looked around himself. Once again we was dressed in a lightweight Yukata. Once again his surroundings were unfamiliar. He stood from the armchair he had been sitting in. Armchair? That was new this time. Hadn't he been in a bed in the past? He moved to the door and opened it. This time the voices met his ears even before he moved into the hallway.

Oranges and lemons Say the Bells of St. Clement's
Hisoka opened the door and the voices seemed to be closer than before.

You owe me five farthings Say the Bells of St. Martin's

He noticed the voices changed between male and female as the verses changed. That hadn't happened before.

When will you pay me? Say the Bells of Old Bailey

Hisoka stepped forward into the hallway and knew what lay ahead. The voices would stay with him as he made his way down the endless hallway.

When I grow rich. Say the Bells of Shoreditch

When will that be? Say the Bells of Stepney

I do not know. Say the Great Bells of Bow

Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed

Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head

Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead."

Again he awoke, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. This time Tsuzuki was sitting beside him, his hand gently resting on Hisoka's shoulder.

"Hisoka?"

Hisoka moved to sit up and looked to the face of his partner.

"Same dream?"

"Yeah. But this time something changed. I have no idea what this means, but we need to go back to that mansion."

"Not until you're ready. We have to make sure all your shields are up this time before we go in."

"Agreed." Hisoka said. "How long have I slept for?"

Tsuzuki smiled. "Three days."

Hisoka frowned. "Sorry. I've delayed the case."

"Don't worry, I've had time to do some research with Gushoshin."

"And to pig out on room service." Came a voice from the other end of the room.

Hisoka looked around Tsuzuki to see one of the Gushoshin twins sitting at the desk.

"How are you feeling Hisoka-san?"

"Better, thank you." When did you get here?"

"Two days ago. Tsuzuki-san contacted the ministry after he returned with you."

"Once Watari had made sure you were OK, Gushoshin offered to stay and watch over you while I rested."

"Thanks, both of you." Hisoka said quietly.

"Well," Gushoshin said, closing the laptop computer in front of him. "Now that Hisoka-san is awake I will return to the library. Take care you two." With that he disappeared leaving Hisoka and Tsuzuki alone.

Hisoka pulled the covers back and was slightly mortified to be in a pair of pajamas instead of his regular clothes.

"You wouldn't expect us to leave you in your street clothes for three days now would you?"

Hisoka's blush was the only reply needed.

The gate to the Soto mansion opened slowly as a large white limo pulled up the driveway. The vehicle stopped at the front foyer and the door opened. A well-dressed man stepped from the front door to greet the stranger as he emerged from the car. He was quickly escorted into the house as the limo pulled away.

Hisoka had finished eating and was waiting for Tsuzuki. After looking over the papers that Gushoshin had left, Hisoka felt ready to return to the mansion to continue the investigation. Tsuzuki had agreed only if Hisoka's shields would be able to hold back the emotional onslaught.

"Are you ready yet?" Hisoka yelled to the bathroom area.

"Yes, I'll be right there."

"You said that twenty minutes ago."

Tsuzuki stepped out from the bathroom and picked up his trench coat. As usual he was dressed in his suit and his hair was ever the mess that is usually was. Hisoka stood up from the desk and pulled his jacket on. Together they left the hotel room and headed back to the mansion. As they walked towards the place, a long white limo drove past. Hisoka stared at is as it passed, stopping to follow the vehicle as if left the area.

Tsuzuki stopped. "You ok?"

Hisoka blinked and looked at his partner. "Yeah. Just something about that limo."

"What about it?"

"An emotion was flowing from it."

"Emotion?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Smugness, completely unabashed smugness."

Hisoka looked once more in the direction the vehicle had turned, looked back to Tsuzuki and began to walk again.

Tsuzuki followed and caught up to him. They turned the left corner that lead up to the driveway and Tsuzuki wanted to make sure Hisoka was ready.

"Your shields are in place right?"

"Fully." Hisoka replied.

"Any sign of overload, you signal me and we're out of there."

"OK."

"We need a safe word, a signal word."

"Needs to be a short word."

"Cake." Tsuzuki said.

Hisoka stopped walking, turned to his partner, and smiled. "Cake?"

"Cake."

"All the small words in the universe and you came up with cake?"

"I like cake."

"That's idiotic." Hisoka said laughing and Tsuzuki smiled in return. "Cake it is." He said starting to walk again.

"Hey Hisoka, can we get cake later?"

Hisoka laughed again as Tsuzuki caught up. "Yes we can."

They reached the front gate a short time later to notice it was open. Hisoka and Tsuzuki walked past the gate and up to the front entrance. They paused momentarily at the door and Tsuzuki looked to his partner.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

"Lets go."

Tsuzuki pushed the door open and walked inside followed by Hisoka. An elderly woman met them.

"Good afternoon Gentlemen, welcome to the Soto Mansion. How can I help you?"

"We are investigating the theatre troupe that was last seen here."

"Ah." She said. "Well, I'm not at liberty to say anything while the investigation is ongoing."

Tsuzuki looked around. "Can we take a look around? We won't disturb anything."

"I suppose it will be OK. If you need anything, please ask."

"Thank you."

They watched as she turned and disappeared into another room. Hisoka stepped further into the foyer, and looked through the open doors. He walked into a large sitting room area and dropped his shields slightly. His senses were met with emotions. Calm, relaxed emotions. He sensed no danger from this room. The room had been used to rehearse before the shows. Hisoka moved through the connected entrance to the next room. A large library area. He was met with more lingering emotions. Young people had been in this room, possibly reading books when they had free time. Once again, no heightened emotion, just calm.

Tsuzuki walked in behind Hisoka and watched in silence as Hisoka walked around.

"Anything?"

"Not out of the ordinary. So far, all calm and relaxed."

"How are you doing?"

"Good. I've dropped my shields slightly. So far nothing overwhelming."

"Ok, I'm going to look at the other side of the mansion. Call me if you need help."

"I know."

"What's the word?" Tsuzuki said.

Hisoka looked at him. "Cake."

Tsuzuki nodded and walked away. Hisoka went back to scanning the room.

In another part of the mansion, the elderly lady walked into a back office. Seated at a desk was a middle-aged man.

"Who was at the door?"

"Two young men. They stated they are part of the investigation into the theatre troupe murders."

The young man typed on his keyboard and pulled up several camera images. He scanned the images until the form of Hisoka appeared in front of him.

"What do we have here?" He asked no one.

The woman moved to stand behind him. "That's one of the investigators."

"Where is the other one?" He asked, moving the images on the screen. Several seconds later Tsuzuki's image filled the other part of the screen.

"They are exactly as he stated. This is interesting." He said as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He flipped it open and dialed a number.

"Uncle, its me. They're here. Right. Yes, the blond one is currently alone. No. I can try to distract them. OK. Are you sure that's wise? OK Yes I understand, it will be done. OK. Bye." He placed the phone back in his pocket and stood up. "I have an errand to run, if I'm not back at 5pm, close up for me."

"Yes Sir."

Mamoru Soto pulled his jacket from the back of the chair and left the office.

Tsuzuki walked past the final room on the first floor. He knew the second floor had more rooms. He moved slowly up the staircase and onto the landing. He went room-to-room, opening each door and looking inside. At the third door a cold breeze moved past him as he opened the door. The sort of breeze that moves your hair and sends chills up your spine. He had barely opened the door, when he heard a crash. Tsuzuki was already in motion before the noise fully registered

"Hisoka!"

Tsuzuki burst into the living area where he had last seen Hisoka and looked around quickly. Hisoka was huddled against the far wall, hugging himself. An fallen bookshelf lay nearby and books were scattered. The elderly woman was there trying to help him.

Hisoka took one look at Tsuzuki and mouthed "Cake."

Tsuzuki quickly thanked the woman for her time, told her he would take are of it and asked her to leave. He watched as she left the room, placed his arms around his partner and transported out.

Materializing back in the hotel room, Tsuzuki released his hold on Hisoka and Hisoka sat down on the nearest bed.

"What happened?"

"Cold. So cold." Hisoka said quietly.

Tsuzuki pulled the blanket off the other bed and cloaked Hisoka in it.

Hisoka pulled the blanket close and looked at his partner. "I was scanning the room and suddenly there was a cold breeze. The kind that makes your hair stand up on end. I was then overwhelmed by voices and emotions. I almost fell but I landed against the bookshelf, which toppled over and then you arrived.

"Could you make out anything the voices said?"

"Screams. Cries for help. They were tortured and hurt before they were killed."

"Well, we now have the location, we just have to figure out by whom and why."

"I can't go back there yet."

"I don't expect you to. Not yet. You need to rest."

Hisoka looked up at Tsuzuki and motioned to speak, but Tsuzuki continued. "I'm going to go to the office. I want you to rest. I'll ask Watari or Gushoshin to look in on you."

"I'll be fine."

"I know, I just don't want you to be alone for too long."

Hisoka stood and moved to sit on the side of the bed. He kicked off his shoes and lay back against the pillows. Tsuzuki pulled the blanket up and over his partner.

"I'll be back soon."

Hisoka closed his eyes and didn't hear Tsuzuki leave.

Tsuzuki opened the door to the office of the Shinigami, and walked through. He walked past the Gushoshin and continued through the office towards Watari's lab. Opening the door he was greeted by Watari waving at him from behind a box.

"Tsuzuki, you're just in time to see my latest invention."

"Actually, I do need your help, but not for whatever that is for."

"I'm listening."

"Its Hisoka. He's been having nightmares since we began this case. The place these murders took place is overwhelming his mind and he gets no rest at night. He states he hears voices and they recite a poem."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I want to enter his dreams and try to help him."

"Hmm. Well, it's not something I have laying around, but I can see what I can come up with. Where is Bon now?" Watari said as he opened a closet and disappeared inside.

"At the hotel. He was overloaded again."

"You left him alone?" He replied from in the closet.

"I was going to ask the Gushoshin to check in on him."

It was at that moment that Tatsumi opened the door. "I thought I heard you, Tsuzuki. Aren't you on the troupe case."

"Yes. I came to see if Watari has something to help Hisoka out."

"What's the matter with Kurosaki?"

"Nightmares and emotional overload."

"You left him alone?" Tatsumi said and left quickly.

Watari appeared again with a small hat like device in his hands. "This should work." He picked up a duffle bag and threw several items inside. "OK, lets go back to the hotel.

Hisoka slept peacefully in appearance, but within his mind, the usual dream was unfolding once again. He walked down the hallway and heard the voices. They sang the poem this time, the words echoing louder in his mind.

Tatsumi materialized in the room and looked around. Hisoka slept on the bed closest to the wall and hadn't stirred when he arrived. He placed his folders on the desk and walked over to the bed. He pulled the covers back over Hisoka and looked down at the blond. Only a handful of the Hades department had access to the full history behind Hisoka's life and death. He felt for him. What kind of life would the kid have had if he hadn't crossed paths with Muraki? A breathy exhale returned Tatsumi to the present and he walked back to the desk.

Hisoka continued down the hallway. The voices were still singing. He knew what would happen next. First the song, then the candle, and finally the ax. He once again pulled his Yukata tighter and tightened the sash at his waist. He didn't remember a sash before. The ends hung from the front of the robe and moved as he walked. He went back to focusing in the voices and watched as the candle moved into his line of sight.

Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed

The ghost candle moved towards him. He backed up, which surprised him even in his sleep and his shoulders bumped up against the wall behind him.
Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head

He heard the door beside him open and looked to see a glint as the candle light bounced of the blade of the ax. He pulled in a breath and expected the ax to fall…
Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead."

The axe began its downward arc, Hisoka's mouth opened in the scream that always woke him and was abruptly grabbed from behind and pulled back through the wall. The axe cutting the edges of the Yukata sash as he was pulled back. He fell backward and was stopped by a firm chest. A muscular arm wrapped itself around him, holding him close. The mystery person steadied him, and Hisoka turned around in the embrace to stare into the face of his rescuer. His face paled although a smile graced his delicate features. He flung his arms around the person and spoke his name.

"Tsuzuki!"

WAH! Cliffhanger. Chapter three up soon! Go plot bunnies, go!