Vierte Kapitel: Die Captain Jaiden DarkRiver

A couple days later, after the massive storm had pass through and the dynamic duo returned to their peak condition, new cases were lined up for the pair. Currently Ginji was waiting at the Honky Tonk while Ban braved the sleek roads and psychotic drivers to pick up Hevn-san and one of their many clients. As the blonde Lightening Emperor waited, his messy-mop of hair could be seen hunched over a single piece of paper.

Paul had never seen the blonde Retriever's expression so serious nor full of intent unless it was about food or Ban. However, here was the blonde at his counter with enough determination and concentration to rival any student taking an entrance exam. Every so often the blonde would look up, checking for something or more precisely someone then return to his work. Also every so often the blonde would ask Paul how to spell a word or two, such as 'appreciate' and 'stupid nymph', which clued the older man that his young charge was writing a letter. But to who? The blonde would not say.

A few minutes later Ginji signed his mysterious letter and neatly folded it into an envelope. Suddenly the copper chime rang as the door opened and a blast of cold air assaulted the warm café. Paul noted absently that Ginji had quickly hid his little secret in a pile of mail that Natsumi had yet to send out. The blonde immediately bounded to his partner and preceded to envelope the slender brunette in a hug. Paul did not doubt it was more to warm up the easily chilled Witch Heir rather than to show his affection for the brunette. Paul knew that was just an added bonus for the blonde. Looking at the pile of mail, Paul's curiosity won out as he picked up the pile and told his young assistant that he would send out the post. The young girl gratefully smiled as the older man walked out.

Walking to the post office, Paul looked through his little pile and found what he was looking for: Ginji's letter. The chestnut brunette then frowned as he read the address.

Why would he send a letter there? Paul thought, And more importantly, to who?

^_^

"Hunh? Hello, what's this?" A male voice mumbled as he picked up a simple, white envelop with shaky kanji written on it. The young mail clerk looked at the writing and mentally cursed at his own lack of proficiency in reading the language of the land. Turning around, the young man scanned the small mail room before seeing someone, who could help.

"Samano!" The young man called.

A balding figure popped his head up from the mail bundle. His brown eyes looked owlish behind his coke-bottle style glasses.

"Hai, Anderson-san?" The petite old man replied as he slowly approached the kind giant.

The young man met his companion halfway then handed the letter to his senior.

"Could you translate this for me? I can't read it." The taller man blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh!" The elder exclaimed as he looked at the letter and a frown disappeared into a sea of wrinkles, "Poor, poor penmanship! Even for a child! Poor, poor indeed!"

"A kid wrote it?!"

"Hai, letter for DarkRiver-san."

"Oh!" The young man exclaimed as he relieved his co-worker of the letter, "It's one of the Captain's Kids!"

The old man stood there for a moment while the young American had walked to a nearby phone. It took him a few seconds to understand the young man's comment. At first, the older male thought the younger was being scandalous in suggesting that the honorable Captain had bastard children but then remembered… The young man meant that the letter had come from one of the children that the good Captain had rescued!

^_^

"CAPTAIN!" A voice called; causing two heads to appear from their respective offices. Unfortunately the two were not the Captain that the young man wanted.

"Captain DarkRiver?!" The young man called once more while ignoring his hot ears.

"Yo!" A muffle voice replied from the back while a slender, copper complexioned hand rose above a cubicle wall but no head appeared.

The young man dressed in traditional battle dress uniform quickened his pace into the back of the office floor, where he located the Captain. The young Airman immediately stood at attention as he observed the petite Captain leaning over a desk with another officer. The desk was cluttered with documents and photos to the point that the desk seemed to have disappeared. A few second later the young Airman found himself staring into a pair of lush, pale green eyes. The same pale green eyes he had heard rumors could make even the hardest of the hardest assholes squirm.

"At ease." The Captain's voice was calm and held a natural authority. The Airman's posture relaxed. "What can I do for you, Airman?"

"Captain, this came for you through the post."

An elegant, raven-black brow arched as a slender hand removed the envelop from the Airman's outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Airman." The Captain dismissed.

"Captain! Lieutenant!" The Airman acknowledged and promptly left.

"Wow! Fan-mail! And personally delivered too!" A southern drawl teased, which caused the young Captain to glare; unamused at the Texan subordinate.

The strawberry blonde Lieutenant just merely gave his Captain a devil-may-care grin, knowing the petite creature would probably get revenge in their next sparring match. Not that the larger man minded. Pale green eyes rolled heavenward as the Captain guessed the cocky Lieutenant's thoughts. Ignoring the subordinate, the young Captain leaned against their desk and read the shaky written address. Twin brows rose high as the Captain recognized the return address.

With a flick of a wrist, a slender black blade appeared; causing the middle-aged Lieutenant to arch a thick brow.

"Who's it from? One of your kids?"

"No…" The Captain's voice lightly trailed as pale eyes graced the shaky script. Then slowly a smile graced the Captain's face. The veteran Lieutenant watched in amazement as his Captain suddenly appeared not only younger but far more innocent than he knew to be true.

"Captain?" He called softly; afraid to break the fragile spell.

Pale green eyes looked up and was sparkling with mirth and unbridled joy.

"It's a letter from my Cousin's partner." The youthful tone was recognizable.

"Wait? Cousin?! You have family here?!" The Lieutenant exclaimed in surprise.

"Yep." Was the childish reply.

"Waitaminute?!" The Lieutenant exclaimed, "We've been in country for what? Eight months!? Eight months! And now you're getting something?!"

Suddenly the Lieutenant winced as he observed the calm and yet annoyed expression that his Captain usually wore when dealing with idiots and morons; namely the top brass.

"Lieutenant Carl Davidson Junior," The Captain's tone was even and held no trace of emotions, which was the only warning Davidson knew he would receive if he continued to be an idiot. "Did you honestly forget that it took you almost three months and a direct order from me before you actually took a weekend off and contacted your then pregnant wife? Speaking of which, how is she and the baby?"

"Uhm… Good. They're both doing good." Davidson weakly answered, and of course not, he not forgotten. That was their curse. Their curse of being the best, and to be brutally honest, they had not even crossed the Pacific when they received their first case. Davidson could honestly count on his left hand the number of times that his Captain called in sick, and it was not until recently that his Captain took more than one day off. Of course, being shot at and having to deal with an Irish-Chinese descendant doctor did ensure that the still recovering Captain stayed out of the office and out of the field. Davidson hazard a guess that was when the Captain had a chance to contact loved ones; both in and out of country.

"So… uhm, your cousin?"

"Actually, his partner wrote me."

"Eh… why?"

"Apparently, Ginji, my cousin's partner, wants to 'get me back' for Ban, my cousin."

"Eh… hunh?"

"It looks like Ban and Ginji run a recovery service…"

"A what?"

"A recovery service… in other words, they return things that should not be lost or stolen."

"Eh… is that even legal?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not, but whatever the case may be. It looks like Ginji has taken upon himself to return Ban's cousin, me, to Ban." The Captain explained then neatly folded the letter and placed it safely in a small black magnetic billfold.

Davidson looked at his Captain and thought about what was said. A massive head shook in disbelief as he thought about what this Ginji person was doing. It was endearing and heartwarming. It was a nice ray of hope and light in their world of darkness and madness. Davidson hoped to meet this Ginji. The kid sounded like someone one could easily call friend. God only knew that in their line of work, they needed people like that.

"Captain! Davidson!" Another voice called.

"Mason." The Captain answered back as the pair stood up to greet their missing third member.

"Just received a call. They found another one." The thin male muttered.

"Let's go." The Captain uttered as the petite officer lead the two out.