At midnight, my eyes flew open.

Something was wrong. I jumped out of bed and raced to the kids room. I tried the door. Locked.

"Arabella?" I called out, trying to keep hysteria out of my voice.

There was a crash from within and I could hear struggling. Panicked, I threw my weight at the unyielding door, once, twice, three times before it finally gave.

I rushed in in time to see a man poised at the window seal, ready to jump, my two darlings in his arms. I screamed and grabbed at him, but he jumped out before I could reach him. I ran to the window and looked out, searching for him, but he was gone.

I collapsed onto the floor, shaking with sobs. My hand brushed something cold. Wiping my eyes, I picked it up. It was a necklace, a circle with a triangle in the center. Jashins symbol. The symbol that Hidan wore around his neck. I threw it to the ground as I stood up and ran to where I had dropped his card to the kids.

There was an address on it, to a hotel. My resolve stiffened. I wanted my kids back.

I knocked on door 13 firmly. A few seconds later, a sleepy Hidan opened the door. Everything I had prepared to yell at him faded as I saw him. Instead of yelling at him like I had wanted to, I just started to sob.

"Melody?" He asked, looking at me in shock. I almost collapsed, but he caught me and pulled me gently inside. "What's wrong?"

I pushed myself away. "Where are they?" I demanded to know.

He looked confused. "Where are who?"

"The kids! My kids!" I sobbed harder. "OUR KIDS! I saw you take them! You left this!" I thrust the necklace at him.

He took it, looking surprised. "Melody." He said gently. "This isn't mine. See?" He pulled his necklace out from his shirt.

"B-but, who else would take them?" I asked. "Wouldn't you take them so you could train them?"

"What the fuck in Jashin are you talking about?"

"Shiro said-"

Hidan, who had been in the middle of turning away, froze. "Shiro?" He asked.

"Well, yes! He said that-"

He spun towards me. "And you would believe something Shiro said?"

"It's not like I could believe you! And shiro was the one who sent us back the first time-"

Hidan's eyes widened. "Shiro sent you back?"

I nodded. "You didn't love me! That entire week you ignored me and Deidara broke Claire's heart!"

Hidan turned away and punched the decorative couch before sinking into it.

I approached him slowly. "Hi-dan?"

He looked up at me, disbelief in his eyes. "Melody Storme. I was gone the week before you left. The entire week. Deidara was gone too. Didn't you get my note?"

"What note?

"I left it on the bed."

I shook my head slowly, ideas forming in my head. "There was no note. And there were people who most certainly looked like you guys."

"Takashi Shiro." Hidan spat. "His group is made fully out of Shape-shifters." My hand flew to my mouth. "He fooled you, Mel."

"Oh my god!" I shook all over, remembering what the price was to get us back to this world. "He did all that just to-? With me?"

"What with you?" He asked. I sat next to Hidan, my face in my hands. With sudden realization, Hidan flew to his feet. "That bastard! I bet you anything that he took the kids. Just to make you hate me again. But what was in it for him this time?" He paced.

"I think you know." I mumbled. "He offered his assistance again for the same price. I refused."

"So he took them." Hidan glowered. "We will get them back to you, Melody. The akatsuki will get them."

My head snapped up. "I have to do this! They need me."

"What if he took them in the hopes that you would go after them? Huh? What then? You would be playing right into his hands again."

I mulled this over. "Fine, but I'm coming with you if you go."

"Fine."

"And I have a few people who need to come too."

Hidan looked quizzical. "Who?"