Author's Note: Next chapter. At this rate, I think this will end up being about ten chapters, but don't hold me to it. :)
I do not own City Hunter or any of its characters.
Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this. It is always appreciated.
Eve: Thank you. I was going for a wide ride of emotions and you can expect that for the rest of this fic. :) As to Kaori's skills...well yeah I agree that she never really approaches Ryo's level (and probably not even Miki or Saeko's level for that matter) as far as her straightforward fighting skills go, but I do think she does improve as far as being suited to being Ryo's partner. For example, during the early part of the Union Theope storyline, he has to tell her to do things like lower her head so he can shoot her assailant or act as a decoy so he can draw out the General. By the last volumes of the manga, they are so in tune that Ryo can shoot the tire of a car she is in and Kaori knows to prepare herself for the impact without a single word passing between them. They didn't explore this as directly in the anime, but there are incidents when her skill and intuition show up like when one of their clients comment on how Ryo trusts Kaori to manage his weapons (something that is a big deal to a pro like him) and when, on occasion, she can sense people approaching the room she is in. So yeah, I love that it's realistic that she never becomes this fighting machine, and yet she still becomes his indispensable partner. :) Anyway, I am glad that you enjoyed the last chapter and hope you will like this one as well.
FRH91: Thank you very much for that. :) I do wish I could find more City Hunter fic on this site myself, so it has been fun to add some of my own...Yeah, despite their love for each other, I could see Ryo and Kaori going through these kinds of ups and downs until they figured things out. After all, the both of them are pretty inexperienced at this type of relationship for differing reasons...Hee, there will be an interruption at one point, but it may not play out the way you expect. :)...Anyway, I am really glad that you enjoyed the twists in the plot and you can expect some more in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it...and by the way, as for how I end my chapters, let me apologize upfront for the next couple chapters. ;)
Chapter Seven
The first thing Ryo felt sensed he woke up was warmth.
Ryo slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times in an attempt to clear the usual disorientation he felt after a deep sleep. As he did so he was met with the sensation of being surrounded with warmth. He moved his arms slightly and when his fingers brushed against skin, he became pleasantly aware of the position he was in: lying side by side with Kaori, his arms wrapped around her.
He smiled and carefully shifted his position so that he could watch her sleeping face and the slow steady rise and fall of her chest. His mind went back to last night and his smile grew.
Last night he had decided to show Kaori how he felt about her instead of trying to explain it with words, and the experience had been far more blissful than he had anticipated. Even though it had been Kaori's first time, it was far from Ryo's first experience with a woman. But, that night, everything felt new to him as he made love to her as opposed to having an ippatsu with her. Instinctively, Ryo had known for a long time that there was a difference between his usual mokkori activities and actually making love, but he had no experience with this distinction. Last night had been a revelation to him as he realized what he had been missing all this time.
Ryo didn't want to wake her, but couldn't stop himself from leaning down to softly kiss her shoulder and neck. He pondered on how Kaori had also given herself completely and freely to him last night, putting aside any apprehension she felt and placing absolute trust in him along with opening her heart.
He then reflected on something one of his clients, Sara Nishikujo, had said to him. Sara, with her ability to read minds and hearts, had seen the cold, empty world his soul had inhabited for most of his life and had commented on his warm heart at the center of it. It had been an extremely uncomfortable moment for Ryo since, most of the time, he tried his best not to think about the loneliness he carried with him. He believed that if dwelled too much on the darkness in his soul, it would suffocate him. It was the reason he tried instead to live life to the fullest and focus on the simple pleasures all around him.
Last night, however, his heart and soul had managed to touch Kaori's and he had been able to bask in the love and light inside her. The barren, frozen world was banished, and he was enveloped by her presence. The intensity of it had frightened him a bit at first, but any fears quickly disappeared as he allowed himself to get lost in her. Ryo was no longer alone. Kaori was there with him. Until that moment, he had no idea that anything could make him as happy as he was when he felt his solitude finally end.
Ryo continued to plant feather-light kisses onto her skin while moving to cover more of her body with his. His mokkori was already awake, and nothing sounded better to him right now than to repeat the experience he had had last night.
Soon, Kaori stirred and let out a moan as she opened up her eyes.
"Ryo," she murmured as she became aware of what he was doing. Ryo lifted his head and watched her rub her eyes.
"Kaori," he said with a grin. "This is a much better way to wake me up in the morning." Kaori opened her mouth to ask him what he meant by that when her face turned red as he pushed himself closer to her and when she realized that she was no longer completely covered by the bed sheets. Kaori pulled the blankets over her chest and Ryo laughed.
"You do realize that I have seen it all by now, right?" he smirked at her.
"Well…some of us like to keep some sense of modesty," Kaori pouted, her blush becoming more intense. "Do you think that's funny somehow?" Ryo brushed her cheek with his fingers.
"No," he said with a smile. "No I don't." Kaori smiled back and the two of them kissed again with Ryo shifting to move onto her. His movements made his intent clear and Kaori could not stop herself from letting out a moan even as she raised her hands to stop him.
"Ah Ryo," she stammered between his kisses. "Stop that. We need to get up."
"I already am," he chortled before going back to kissing her, his mouth moving downward along her body.
"That's…that's not what I mean," Kaori replied, her blush increasing even more. "We need to get some breakfast and get going. We still have a case to…."
"No rush," he said as he let his hands wander. "Umi-chan and Miki-chan are more than able to protect Emi-chan. We have plenty of time for other activities."
Ryo decided to halt any further conversation with a hard kiss to her mouth while continuing to run his hands along her body. At first, Kaori continued to try to wriggle away from him, but soon, her struggles became less urgent and she responded with increasing fervor to his touches. Ryo soon raised his head and looked down with a smirk of triumph at the need written into her features.
"Are you going to try to tell me that you aren't enjoying this?" he said. "Are you really going to say that we don't have any time to spare? I think you want to find the time now. Am I wrong?"
"Ryo," Kaori said, astonished. "You're insatiable." The smirk disappeared and Ryo closed his eyes while lowering his head to press his forehead against hers.
"Yes I am," he murmured. "And you might as well get used to it because I will never get enough of you." Kaori placed her palms against the sides of his face.
"You better not," she whispered. "Because I'm not going anywhere."
Ryo smiled again. He was thankful that Kaori instinctively understood his need for her assurances and never tired of giving them to him. He moved to look in her eyes, his smile widening into an evil grin.
"Good," he said. "Now that that's settled…."
Ryo turned his attention back to her and soon the two of them fell into a more intimate rhythm of kisses and caresses.
That rhythm was interrupted, however, by the ringing of the telephone on the nightstand.
"Ah, Ryo," Kaori gasped. "The phone."
"Ignore it," Ryo growled, going back to kissing her neck. The phone rang again, and Kaori turned to reach for it.
"It could be important," she said as she strained her arm toward it.
"It's not that important," he replied. "Ignore it." He reached for her arm and pulled it back toward the bed. He increased the intensity of his kisses in the hope of distracting her.
The phone continued to ring and with a burst of effort, Kaori freed herself from his grasp and sat up. Ryo scowled and contemplated shooting the phone before she could answer it, but decided that it wasn't worth risking Kaori's temper.
"Hello," she said into the phone. "Saeba Company. What? What is it, Umibozu-san?" Ryo's expression instantly became venomous.
'That stupid octopus, interrupting me in the middle of this,' he fumed to himself. 'Just you wait, Umibozu. There will be a truckload of cats in your future…that is, if I don't just shoot you first.'
"What?!" Kaori gasped. She lowered the phone from her ear and turned toward Ryo.
"Ryo, it's Emi-san," she said. "She's disappeared."
After quickly getting dressed, Ryo and Kaori rushed over to the Cat's Eye café. The café itself was closed, but the door was unlocked so the two of them were able to walk right in. Umibozu and Miki were standing near the counter.
"Umibozu-san, Miki-san," Kaori said. "How did this happen?"
"Good question, Umi-chan," Ryo harrumphed. "I thought you were supposed to be keeping an eye on her and you let her get kidnapped right under your nose."
"Hmph, she wasn't kidnapped," Umibozu frowned, turning her head. "What kind of pro do you take me for?"
"That's right, Saeba-san," Miki said. "She snuck out of here herself last night. She had gone to the bathroom to take a shower and when I went to check on her, she was gone. There was no way that anyone could have gotten into the place, so she must have left on her own."
"What did you do?" Ryo said, continuing to stare down Umibozu. "Stand too close to her and scare her away? Maybe she got too much of that monstrous face of yours?"
"Shut up," Umibozu barked at him. "It's your fault in the first place for shirking on your job."
"Ryo, why would Emi-san run away?" Kaori asked.
"I don't know," Ryo said, putting a hand to his head. "But we need to find her. There is still someone after her and it will be deadly for her if he finds her before we do." He then turned toward Umibozu again with another frown.
"You know, you should be helping with this search," he said. "Since you were the one who lost track of her."
"Hmph, she lost track of herself," Umibozu said turning his head away.
"Falcon, don't listen to Saeba-san," Miki sighed.
"I'm not senseless enough to listen to him," Umibozu replied. "But my pride as a professional has been offended. I have no choice but to find her before this useless mokkori idiot does."
"Falcon," Miki said, shaking her head. "Well…then I guess we'll both look for her then."
"Good, then let's go," Ryo grinned.
"Yeah, let's," Kaori said. She started to walk out, but Ryo stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Not you, Kaori," he said. "We still don't know enough about Emi-chan and this case. Take a cab and go do that research I asked you about. Then meet me back at the apartment building."
"But Ryo…." Ryo squeezed her shoulder.
"I'm depending on you to do this for me," he said. "There is always the chance that Emi-chan might try to head back to our place and if so, one of us should be there."
"All right," Kaori sighed. "I'll see what I can find out."
"Thank you," he smiled. "I will see you later. Hopefully, Emi-chan and I will be back in time for dinner."
Kaori nodded at him and left the café. Once she was gone, Ryo turned back toward Umibozu and Miki.
"All right, I'll meet the two of you here in a couple of hours," he said. "Also, be on the lookout for a green car. The guy who is after Emi-chan is probably on the move and will be looking for an opportunity now that I'm not with her."
"Understood," Umibozu said. Ryo then rushed out of the café to watch a cab take off with Kaori inside. He knew that she was disappointed that he hadn't involved her in the search, but he couldn't bring himself to feel too guilty about it.
'If Kaori gets too close to Emi-chan, this guy could try again to take both of them out at the same time. It'd be better for her to stay in busy places or at the apartment where she could take care of herself.'
Ryo got into his car and soon drove along the streets. He was worried about the turns this case was taking and the danger Emi was in, but he also could not stop thinking about how frustrated he was to be interrupted while he was spending more intimate time with Kaori. He hungered for both the physical pleasures and the feelings of warmth, security and completion she gave him and he was determined to get more of all of it as soon as possible.
'Just you wait, Kaori,' he smirked to himself. 'Once this case is wrapped up, I promise you that you'll be spending an entire day in bed…if not two days.'
Almost two hours later, Ryo drove back toward the café, frustrated. He had scoured the streets looking for Emi, but found no trace of her. He had even tried talking to several of his informants, and while a couple of them had seen her for a moment or two, none of them could give him any real clues to work with. Even worse, Ryo suspected that Umibozu and Miki would not fare any better.
As he searched for her, Ryo continued to mull over this case. He couldn't deny that there was someone shadowing Emi, but now he began to ponder the notion that, for the most part, Kaori had been in more danger than Emi had been ever since he and Kaori started working on this case.
'Something is wrong,' he told himself. 'If Emi-chan was really scared of this guy getting her, why would she run off by herself? What if…what if Emi wasn't the target all along?'
'What if it's been Kaori this entire time?'
Ryo pulled up his car in front of the café and sat in the driver's seat to wait for Umibozu to show up with Miki. His wait was not a long one, however, since a couple minutes later, Saeko pulled up along aside him.
"Ryo!" she said. "Where is Kaori-san?"
"By now she should be heading back to the apartment," Ryo said, his mood suddenly tense at her tone. "Why?"
"Hurry up and get into my car," Saeko said. "We need to find her right now."
Less than a minute later, Ryo and Saeko were speeding down the road in her Ferrari.
"What's going on, Saeko?" Ryo said, his tension growing.
"That license you gave me, I knew that I recognized her," Saeko replied. "Her name is Emi all right, but it's not Emi Kushida. The real Emi Kushida was found dead two days ago after being missing for months. The corner had just identified the body this morning."
"So who is she?" Ryo asked.
"Her name is Emi Sugisaki," Saeko answered. "Several years ago, her older brother, Jiro Sugisaki, was arrested for murder and drug-trafficking for one of the smaller syndicates in the area. Sugisaki ended up spending the rest of his life in prison having died after six years of incarceration from a heart attack. Emi's parents had died when she and her younger brother, Akita, were very young and Sugisaki had been raising them up to that point."
Saeko tightened her hold on the steering wheel and Ryo felt the car speed up.
"The reason I remember her so well is because Makimura was the one who arrested Jiro Sugisaki," she said.
"Makimura did?" Ryo replied. Saeko nodded.
"Makimura and I were investigating some murders that had possible drug connections around Shinjuku at the time," she continued. "During the course of our investigation, he discovered Sugisaki's ties to the syndicate and found evidence that he had killed two people from a rival group." Saeko sighed and shook her head.
"Even though the evidence was solid and Sugisaki admitted to the crimes, Emi, who was barely in her teens at the time, always insisted that the police had been overzealous in arresting her brother, and she blamed Makimura in particular. She would come to the station all the time to try to file some sort of complaint against him. She even persisted after Makimura left the force. And then when Sugisaki died…."
Saeko shook her head, her eyes sad.
"When her brother died, Emi only showed up at the station one more time," she continued. "She told me about her brother's death and she swore that one day, she would have her revenge against Makimura. I told Makimura about it, and he told me that he would be careful for both his sake and Kaori's…but then, as you know, Union Theope put him on their black list and…."
Saeko did not finish her sentence, but Ryo didn't need her to. Not a day went by when he didn't think about Makimura and what happened to him at the hands of Union Theope. He knew that the same was especially true for Saeko.
"So…even though Makimura is dead, you think that Emi is after Kaori," Ryo said.
"I'm sure of it," Saeko said. "Ryo, you didn't see Emi when she talked about Makimura. She was obsessed with making him pay for arresting her brother, and I don't think Makimura's death will be enough to appease her. And that is not all. When her younger brother, Akito, got older, he got involved with a yakuza group out of Kyoto as a contract killer."
Ryo's eyes widened as what she said sunk in.
'The man in the green car…that was her brother. That is why he his shots were so erratic toward Emi…he wasn't trying to hit her at all. He was only after Kaori.'
"Saeko…."
"I know," she nodded. "Hold on, I'm going to get us out of this traffic."
After spending a couple hours at the library, Kaori made her way back to the apartment. The cab driver dropped her off across the street and she paid him before watching him speed away.
'I couldn't find anything useful,' she thought to herself. 'There wasn't much in the way of records of Emi-san's work at that firm which is somewhat odd, but not that helpful. And no one in particular stands to benefit from her silence, so there are no leads there.'
'There's nothing there to help Ryo out with this case.'
Kaori sighed, her shoulders slumping. Despite the bliss she felt over the night she had just spent with Ryo and the happiness his love had given her, she still was angry at herself for the blunders she had made on the case thus far.
'I told Ryo that I would try to be an even better partner and not force him to carry all this responsibility alone…and yet, I haven't done either one so far.'
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Emi running into the apartment building. Kaori was about to call out to her when she saw a familiar green car parked nearby. One glance told Kaori that it was empty, and she immediately became tense.
'That guy…the one who is after Emi-san is here. He could be waiting for her inside.'
Kaori approached the building stealthily. There were ways to get inside without being noticed, and Ryo had taught her all of them. She reached into the pouch that was around her waist and pulled out her revolver.
'You'll see, Ryo. I'm going to help you protect Emi-san. I am not going to just be a burden to you.'
Kaori quietly entered the apartment building through one of the secret entrances and crept around the corridors in search of Emi and the intruder. She eventually made her way to the floor with Ryo's room and stifled a gasp when she saw a man walking around the front room. A rifle sat on the couch nearby and his back was turned toward the windows.
'This is my chance,' she told herself. 'I'll clobber this jerk and tie him up and then I'll call Ryo to let him know what happened….Or I'll just stun him and find Emi-san so we can run and meet Ryo when he gets here.'
Kaori slowly moved closer and then held out her revolver in front of her.
"Don't move," she yelled at him. The man turned and his face twitched in surprise.
"What…what are you….?" The man started to reach for his belt, but Kaori fired a wild shot into the wall.
"I said don't move," Kaori warned him. "Where is Emi-san? Why are you after her?" The man grinned at her maliciously.
"You really don't know, do you?" he laughed.
"Know what?" she replied, her anger growing at his laughter. Suddenly she heard another sound from behind her: the sound of the hammer being pulled back on a gun. She turned to see Emi pointing another gun at her.
"I'm so glad to see you…Kaori Makimura," Emi smiled, her tone mocking.
Kaori tried to ask what was going on but was cut off by a blow to the back of her head from the man behind her. As she slumped down onto the floor, she had the vague impression of Emi speaking to her.
"It's time," she said. "It's finally time for my brother's revenge…Makimura."
Saeko and Ryo pulled up to the apartment building, and Ryo jumped out before she even finished parking the car. He ran toward the door, his gun already drawn. As he darted up the stairs, he felt an overwhelming sense of dread when he realized that he did not sense any murderous intent or fighting presence. He ran up to his floor and burst into the front room. Once he was there, he started at the sight of Kaori's gun lying on the floor.
'Kaori…'
"Ryo," Saeko said, running up behind him. "I can't find Kaori-san. Do you think….?" She stopped though when she saw what he was staring at.
They had been too late. Kaori was already gone.
