Chapter Four - Birthday

"You good on your own?" Lupin wondered as he and Zenigata sat in his car, parked in the hospital lot.

Zenigata stared at him in annoyance. "Yeah, I'm fine. I don't need you to hold my hand."

Lupin leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Have fun, then," he said with a grin.

"Yeah. Enjoy your nap, old man," Zenigata said dryly as he left the car and made his way into the hospital.

Zenigata took a seat in the waiting room, ignoring those around him as he stared at the floor. Ten long minutes later his name was called and he was led to an examination room, where he was weighed and had his blood pressure taken.

There was then another ten minute wait until the doctor entered.

"Mister Zenigata," the doctor, a middle aged man with slightly graying hair, said as he stared down at his chart. "How has your leg been? Is it giving you any problems?" he asked, looking up at Zenigata.

"A little last week after the stitches got removed, but nothing since."

"That's good." The doctor knelt down and lifted up Zenigata's pant leg, looking at where the stitches had been. "It's healing quite nicely." He lowered the pant leg and stood up. "Did you get any information on prosthetics when you were last here?"

Zenigata nodded. "I haven't had a chance to look at them."

"Well, whenever you're ready just let us know and we can get everything taken care of. Okay?"

Zenigata nodded.

"Did you have any questions?"

Zenigata shook his head.

"Okay, then. Everything is looking good and I see no reason for you to come in next week. If anything changes, swelling or pain, come back and we'll get you right in."

Zenigata nodded, happy that his long string of doctors appointments was coming to an end.

"And when you've looked at the information on those prosthetics you can call us and make an appointment."

"Yeah," Zenigata muttered.

"It was good seeing you again, Mister Zenigata," the doctor said as he held the door open for him.

Zenigata looked back at the doctor and nodded. He paused and watched the man hurry off down the hall.

"Anything new?" Lupin asked as Zenigata got back in the car. He remained leaned back in his seat, eyes still closed.

"No." He tossed his crutches into the back seat and put his seat belt on. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Lupin grinned. "Nope." He opened his eyes and sat up. "Fujiko called and yelled at me."

"What'd you do?"

Lupin shrugged. "I wasn't listening." He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Are you sure you two aren't married?"

"If we are then she owes me a ring and half of what she took on that job she did last week."

"Well, good luck with that," Zenigata muttered.

The two were quiet for most of the trip home until Zenigata broke the silence.

"Hey," he said.

Lupin glanced over at him before looking back at the road. "Yeah?" he wondered, not getting another word.

"Take me by the station."

Lupin looked over at him, the look on Zenigata's face telling him exactly what he was about to do. "Yeah," Lupin said, looking back at the road and quickly making a right turn.

Lupin parked three buildings from the station, Zenigata leaving the car and making the trip to his former place of work.

Nobody noticed when he entered, but then that was nothing new. He made his way to the elevators and pressed the button, stepping back and patiently waiting for one to arrive.

The doors to his right opened and he got inside, hitting the button for the fourth floor. Before the doors could close a hand grabbed them and they opened again. Zenigata stared as McGinty rushed in.

"Zenigata," McGinty said, standing and facing the doors as they closed.

Zenigata said nothing, only glared off in front of him.

"I got another gift from your little friend the other day," McGinty said gruffly. "Is that normal?"

"You get used to it," Zenigata said.

"Maybe you did, already being the mockery of this station."

Zenigata's grip on his crutches tightened.

"But me?" McGinty continued. "I have a reputation to keep. I'm not gonna let some weaselly little bastard make a fool out of me."

The doors opened and they both got off. McGinty looked back at Zenigata. "Going to see the chief, too?"

Zenigata nodded.

McGinty gave a slight shrug. "I'll walk with you." He waited for Zenigata to catch up and then kept pace with him. "I thought you'd be in Japan by now. Isn't that where you're from?"

"I found a place in the city. Figured I'd stay here until everything is settled."

"Huh. Your family doesn't miss you? Oh yeah, that's right, they don't." McGinty gave a laugh and a wave, quickening his pace to get to the chief's office first.

Zenigata stopped and glared at the back of the man. His jaws tightened and his body tensed. He then turned and headed back to the elevators.

"That was quick," Lupin said as the passenger door opened and Zenigata got in the car. "I figured there'd be a mountain of paperwork to sign and some party planning or whatever people do when they resign."

"I didn't resign," Zenigata said in annoyance.

"Second thoughts? Still want to arrest me?" Lupin said with a grin.

"It's McGinty," Zenigata sighed. "I... I couldn't go through with it."

"Being an asshole again?" Lupin wondered as he pulled out onto the street.

"He's never stopped being one," Zenigata muttered. He sat in silence staring out the front window.

"You hungry?" Lupin said.

"What is it with you and food?" a now more annoyed Zenigata asked.

Lupin shrugged. "I like it?"

Zenigata sighed deeply, trying to calm himself and failing. "Can you take me to the station in Montreuil?"

"Sure." Lupin looked over at him and grinned. "Hoping to get a job there?"

"Huh?" Zenigata said, broken from thought. "Oh, no. I just need to look into some case files."

Lupin groaned. "You're on leave. Just stop working and enjoy your time off."

Zenigata said nothing as he stared blank-faced out the front window.

Thirty minutes later Lupin pulled up to the front of the station. Zenigata hobbled out of the car and then grabbed his crutches from Lupin. He leaned over and stared at Lupin through the now open window in the passenger door. "Pick me up in an hour."

Lupin nodded and drove off.

Zenigata entered the building and approached the front desk. He showed his badge to the officer. "I need to look through some of your old case files."

"Inspector," the young man acknowledged. He then pointed to his right. "The storage room is through these doors, all the way down the hall and the third to the last door on your right."

"Thanks." Zenigata entered the hall and made his way down it. On the walls were posters of wanted criminals, Zenigata stopping at one for Lupin and staring at it. He scoffed at the menacing photo of the thief and grabbed the paper, ripping it from the wall before pocketing it.

He continued on and got to the door for the file storage room, opening it and surprised at how neat and organized everything looked. "This should make things easier," he muttered as he made his way down one of the aisles and glanced at the boxes on the shelves. "Laroche, Lefevre, Leveque..." He eyed the boxes as he walked down the next aisle, finally seeing the ones he wanted and staring at them.

In front of him at eye level were five boxes, all of them with Lupin II, Arsene written on them in black marker.

...

"Hey," Jigen said to Goemon, who was busy meditating on the floor of the living room. "You're sticking around for dinner on friday night, right?"

"What dinner," Goemon asked, his eyes remaining closed and his body unmoved.

"Lupin's birthday dinner." Jigen paused and stared at Goemon. "The one I told you about two weeks ago. And again last week. And again three days ago."

"Oh, that dinner."

"Yeah, that dinner." Jigen rolled his eyes. "Did you meditate everything Lupin away or something? Not that I'd blame you after that last job."

"I have not. Unfortunately."

Jigen laughed. "Yeah, that McGinty guy doesn't mess around. I guess we'll have to up our game from now on."

"Or Lupin could stop advertising all of our jobs to him," Goemon said in annoyance.

Jigen shrugged. "Eh, that's his thing, so..."

"And my thing is to not walk away with nothing after saving us all from being killed."

"Well, it's either that or we do steal something and Lupin stupidly gives it to Fujiko."

"She's been quiet."

"Not really," Jigen grinned. "Lupin told me she calls just to yell at him."

"Good. Is she coming to the dinner?"

"Don't know. I texted her all the info and she wrote back saying she'd try to make it."

Goemon was silent for a few seconds. "I'll go. I won't be happy about it, but I'll go."

"Well, don't force yourself," Jigen joked as he walked away.

...

The dinner was held inside a very expensive French restaurant, Jigen sparing nothing for his friends big day.

This made Goemon even unhappier that he came along, the food nothing he wanted to consume.

The waiter came to the table with a bottle of wine, announced what it was, and poured some in each glass before setting the bottle in it's ice filled caddy.

"The wine's from Zenigata," Jigen said before taking a sip.

"Wow, I'm surprised he paid that much," Lupin said. "Happy, but surprised."

"Well, he doesn't exactly know how much he paid," Jigen said with a grin. "He gave me his debit card and said to get a bottle of wine. 'Least I could do', he said."

Lupin laughed. "He's gonna be so pissed." He looked over at Goemon, who sat across from him with his eyes closed. "Not thirsty?"

"No," Goemon answered gruffly.

Lupin glared at him. "Look, if you're just gonna sit there and mope all night, why don't you leave."

Goemon opened his eyes and stared at him. "Fine." He stood up, reaching into his kimono and pulling out a folded piece of paper. "Happy birthday," he said in slight annoyance, handing Lupin the paper and then walking out.

"What is it?" Jigen wondered.

Lupin unfolded the paper and stared at it in confusion. "It's a bill."

Jigen laughed.

"For his services? Are you kidding me?" He crumpled up the paper and tossed it to where Goemon had been sitting. "Good luck getting me to pay that," he muttered.

"Leave it to Goemon to misunderstand the concept of birthdays, huh?" Jigen joked.

"Yeah, I guess he-" His phone chiming broke him from thought. He pulled it out and opened the text Fujiko had just sent him.

Happy birthday, Lupin. Sorry I couldn't make it. I sent $5000 to your account. Buy yourself something nice, okay? XOXO, Fujiko

"Anything important?" Jigen wondered.

"No, it's nothing," Lupin said, pocketing his phone and pouring himself some more wine.

Jigen was silent as his anger rose. "I take it she isn't coming."

"She's busy," he muttered. "Look," he sighed, "I know this whole thing was your idea and I'm grateful and everything, but I think I'd rather just go home."

Jigen glared at Lupin and then downed the rest of his wine. "Fine. I mean, this whole night was about you and having fun, not Goemon being an asshole and Fujiko being a flaky bitch, but fine. You wanna go home? I'll take you home."

"Jigen, I-"

"No, I completely understand. You wanna be a whiny ass bitch and go home and mope, fine. I'm not hungry anymore, anyway, so let's go."

Lupin watched as Jigen stormed from the table, making him feel even more depressed.

The ride to the house was quiet and uncomfortable. Jigen sped down the streets, running more than one red light and not heeding any of the stop signs. When he got to Lupin's house he slammed on the breaks.

The two sat in silence for a few seconds. "Look, Jigen, I'm sorry, but it-" Lupin started.

"Get out," Jigen said, cutting him off.

"Huh?"

"Get out of the damn car!"

"Yeah," Lupin muttered, stepping out of the car and closing the door, which barely had time to latch shut before Jigen sped off.

He opened the front gate and walked down the driveway. All the windows of his house were dark, the light by the front door the only thing showing him there was even a house there.

Lupin had never felt more alone, standing in the foyer of the dark and quiet estate. Feet dragging, he made his way up the stairs and down the hall, getting to his room and turning on the lights.

Sitting on his pillow was a small square box, a piece of paper underneath it. He stared at the items for a few seconds before approaching them.

He sat on the edge of his bed and grabbed both items. The paper was folded in half and folded again, his name written on the front. Unfolding the paper, he stared down at the note written on it.

Lupin, all those hours staring at that painting of your grandparents and it finally hit me what was familiar about it. Happy birthday. Zenigata

Lupin picked up the box, a slight grin forming when he saw it was wrapped in one of his old wanted posters. Removing the paper, he lifted the lid of the box and stared at the contents inside.

Laying on a small square of cotton was an old tarnished silver chain, which was strung through two simple, yet ornate, rings, the ones his grandparents had exchanged on their wedding day.