AN:Thank you to Faerie Fury for the review. I am really glad that you find the story unpredictable - that's what I've been going for so that makes me very happy to hear. Hope it continues to be unpredictable.

Chapter Ten

"Who the hell are all these people?" Mako asked.

She was standing outside the Chinese restaurant Nolan had designated for them to eat at that evening. It was surrounded by a bevy of young women (and some not so young) all eying each other with hostility.

Nolan's car approached and he soon sprang out, sighting her almost immediately. Her heart gave a huge lurch as he smiled at her - but then her view was suddenly blocked by three women who had shoved their way in front of her.

"Uh, excuse me," she said, politely if slightly irritated, "I'm trying to get through -"

One of the women - with the face of a model - turned to look at Mako over her shoulder and smirked.

"Sorry, honey, you'll have to wait in line like everyone else."

She turned back to the assembling crowd around Nolan.

Mako opened her mouth to say something when she heard a weird cackle to her left.

"That's must be the newest one," she heard a blonde whisper to her neighbor (not a very discreet whisper).

"Her?" The other said, in a tone of disbelief.

"She looks fit, but she won't last long."

They both lost interest as soon as they caught sight of Nolan attempting to part the sea of women. They flagged him down with autograph requests, which he was too polite to refuse - though he pretended to be deaf to several in order to make the process go faster.

The chattering of the high pitched voices; the wandering hands that played over Nolan's arms and shoulders; and the occasional sneering glances that came her way were beginning to discomfit Mako - just slightly.

Cupping her hands around her mouth she shouted:

"Excuse me!!"

The group stopped as one and turned to look at her in amazement and ridicule.

"Thanks," she said, and started to make her way through the crowd. No sooner had the ladies realized her intentions then they started to giggle, sneer and even try to trip her on her way.

When she was almost to the front, a rather bold young woman grabbed Mako's arm.

"Who do you think you are?" she demanded.

"I don't think I'm anyone," Mako answered her, her tone a little lower than normal, "I'm Kino Mako, that's all."

"Big deal," the other woman said, her eyes narrowing as she recognized the singer.

Mako shrugged and started to move forward - she was only three women away from Nolan.

"Hey," the woman's friend said, grabbing Mako's other arm, "What do you think you're doing?"

Mako sighed. She deftly and quickly twisted the first young woman's forearm, breaking her hold and pushing her to the ground, while using her leg to trip the other.

Disregarding her skirts, Mako squatted beside them.

"That's Judo," she told them, "That's what I'm doing. And if you don't get the hell out of my sight in the next two seconds, I'll do it again."

They hurried up and away from her as fast as possible.

Mako looked up to see Nolan offering her a hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, smiling. Then she frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked, oblivious to the ten pairs of eyes that gazed murderously upon where Mako's hand rested in his.

"I think I tore my hose," she said, flushing a little.

He pretended to look very gravely at the hose while minutely examining her legs.

"I think you could go without," he suggested, "You have amazing legs. Have I told you that?"

Mako blushed scarlet and hit him lightly with her purse.

"You are such a ladies' man," she hissed. He laughed at her modest embarrassment and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm.

"Let's eat," he said, "I'm starving."

He looked down at her as he finished this statement, and there was a slight look in his eye that made Mako blush again.

"Just kidding," he murmured soothingly, and lightly kissed her hand.

"Hmph." Mako replied. But she smiled to herself when she thought he couldn't see it. The uneasiness caused by the fans' remarks was almost forgotten during the rest of her date. She resolved to ask Mina for some advice about how to handle what little was left lurking in the corners of her heart.

"And another thing..." Mina sang, gripping the microphone like a life-line. She was in rare voice during this recording session. It was too bad there was no one around to hear it.

"Like Lucasta, I'm still waiting..."

She could feel her heart hammering as she sang - she'd never been this emotional about a song before.

"Honor isn't worth the breath it takes to say -"

She took a deep breath and suddenly stopped. The pre-recorded music kept playing, but Mina was frozen watching the figure back lit by the hall lights, standing just behind the glass windows of the recording studio.

Her eyes narrowed and she slid the microphone back into the stand with a satsifying click. The music stopped by itself as a man entered the room, fumbling open the door.

Her hair was a mess today; she'd rushed to the studio that morning and demanded a spot, regardless of who was booked. She had pulled her hair into a sloppy bun, jumped into a long t-shirt and board shorts, with accompanying flip-flops. Little make-up, and not much sleep, left her looking tired but her natural vivacity made up for most of this neglect.

Her eyes coldly met the green eyes of the man who entered the studio. When he saw her he stopped abruptly. Zoe had just finished his third unsuccessful wooing of Ami Mizuno - and he was feeling a little odd. Mina was the last person he wanted to see before he got himself together.

"I'm sorry," he began, eying her warily, as though he wasn't sure if she was going to attack him, "They said we had the place to ourselves today."

Mina watched him silently, then, without taking her eyes off of him, she bent to pick up her bag and sweatshirt.

"As you can see," she said, quietly, "You have it to yourself. As usual."

She meant that to be all, but she couldn't help giving him a swift, and angry, glance as she passed him.

"Mina," he said, not looking at her.

She paused, not turning around.

"I'm sorry," he said, at last.

Mina stood still.

"I've been wanting to tell you that for a while now."

"Is that so?" she asked.

He turned around, his eyes and face uncharacteristically desperate.

"Yes," he said, "I know I've been acting like an ass lately. It wasn't my choice -"

"You're choice!?" Mina retorted, spinning on her heel to face him, her eyes suddenly blazing.

"Maybe you'd better think that phrase through," she suggested, "Because there are a lot of things I've been meaning to say to you for a very long while."

His face fell a little.

"Mina, really," he pleaded, "I didn't know anything about you two - if I'd known, I never would have -"

"Never would have what, Zoe?" she demanded, backing him into the room with her eyes.

"If you'd known that I was dating your brother - that we were in love -" she pronounced painstakingly, "Then you wouldn't have done something so incredibly stupid that you nearly got your brother killed?"

Zoe's eyes were wide with fear and uncertainty - her anger, which he'd never seen before - overwhelmed him.

"The attention grabbing stunts you've pulled - the things you say - because you are so scared and weak inside," she said, jabbing him with her words, "You wouldn't have done those things - you wouldn't have been a coward - you're saying that all your insecurities and vanity would have disappeared if you'd known that Kip and I liked each other? Wasn't that the very thing that made you pull that stunt? Your fear that you might be left alone?"

"No - it wasn't like that," he said, though he knew she was partially right, "I wanted you to be together."

"You just wanted Kip to yourself a little bit more, though. That's nice, Zoe," she answered, "It's nice to know you can be so considerate."

Zoe seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, feeling guilty and threatened. Fear won out. His eyes narrowed and he stood as tall as he could - the familiar sneer played across his face.

"Selfish, am I? Well that's good, coming from you," he answered, "It was your little affair that got him fired in the first place. As far as I can see you're the same as -"

As soon as the words left his lips he realized he'd gone too far. Mina almost seemed as if she had transformed into a different being - her eyes flashed gold, and he could feel the air around him heating slightly.

"Don't you dare to say that to me," she said softly, teeth clenched. Her face was now inches from his and he felt very scared even as he looked down at her terrifying and captivating gaze.

"You have no idea what it means to love someone - you can't even get past your own insecurities to love yourself," she went on, "I understand you - it's because I know what you've been through that I can forgive any 'problems' you've caused me - but him-"

"Don't think I haven't kept count of what crap your selfishness has pulled down on his head," she went on, "I have - every single stupid thing you've done that he's had to cover for - every mess you've made that he's had to clean up - I remember all of them, Zoe. I don't care what your excuses are, they mean next to nothing compared with him."

Zoe couldn't speak or tear his gaze away from her. The heat, passion and fury that rolled off of her was almost palpable - and yet, perversely, it brought to mind his brother's cold, distant, pleasant face which often looked like a porcelain mask. It also brought to mind Ami's similar expression - impassive, disinterested. Something in him began to shift, ever so slightly.

"I know that I've hurt him," he whispered, suddenly, almost involuntarily. He wasn't really sure what he was saying - but he felt for the first time that he was speaking to another human being as himself.

"I know that I've h-hurt you," he continued, "I just - I wish it would stop. I never meant to be like this."

Mina's eyes didn't budge from his, instead she seemed to hold him even more tightly.

"Then stop," she answered.

Zoe licked his lips, trying to make his dry mouth and numb mind work. Mina only watched his eyes - waiting.

"I...don't know how." he said at last.

Mina stared at him for a long moment, and he watched, fascinated, as her flushed face gradually gained a startling vulnerability. Her proud eyes grew pleading - it was far more humiliating to him than her ranting had been.

"Please," she murmured.

Zoe continued to stare, like an idiot.

Finally he shook his head in helplessness. Mina's face almost crumpled for a brief second, but she held it together.

She abruptly turned on her heel and nearly walked into the solid chest of Kip as he stood behind them, unobserved.

Mina looked up into his face, her own showing a stunned look of confusion. Kip's face, in contrast to the other two, was calm, clear and composed.

"Hello, Mina." He said.

For a moment Mina couldn't think of how to answer even such a simple greeting. The years of frustration and bitter resentment were crowding her mind - the passion and anger were crowding her heart. She felt as if her insides were going to explode from the unremitting rebellion. She couldn't control herself any longer. It was going to break free - even though she knew that it would be a total disaster. She met his eyes.

"Do you love me?" She asked.

Kip, as she could have predicted, didn't even flinch. All he did was stare at her for a moment longer than necessary - while she stared back at him with an expression which was growing pathetically desperate.

"I think it's time that we started practice," he began.

"I should leave," Zoe began simultaneously.

"No!"

They both halted at Mina's shout. Zoe looked nervously between the two of them - Mina's proud and rigid back, and Kip's smooth, unperturbed face.

"Mina, I don't think you're feeling well," Kip said at last; "You look tired."

Mina brushed a hand that was shaking slightly across her eyes.

"I am tired," she answered to the floor. Her voice had a slight tremor.

Zoe watched his brother watching Mina. He saw, for a moment, something flit across Kip's face that ruffled the surface of that placidity. Almost unconsciously Kip's hand slowly moved toward her.

Zoe held his breath as he saw the longing look that was stealing very stealthily, almost noticeably, into his brother's eyes. He doubted if anyone else would have caught it - but it shocked him more than would any outburst of Nolan's or biting remark of Jude's, or any hateful silence of Mamoru's.

He also saw Mina's shoulders tremble gently.

In that moment he wished he were gone - out of the picture the two of them ought to have made - he didn't belong there. He made a step and had the misfortune to trip over a cord.

Like breaking a spell, Kip's hand and eyes recoiled from Mina and he made a step toward Zoe, who had already caught himself against the wall. It took less than a moment, but the damage seemed irreparable to him.

He watched Mina's shoulders cease their trembling and straighten. He watched as the longing look in Kip's eyes turned to one of confusion, and then to serene calm.

"I'm...so tired." Mina said, quietly. Her voice was steady - but the tone sounded as decisive as a bolt locking.

Zoe wanted to scream for her to wait, but he couldn't say a word. She looked up and shouldered her bag, then walked out of the studio and didn't spare either of them a parting glance.

Zoe and Kip watched her go in silence.

"Aren't you going to go after her?" he wanted to ask. But he was afraid. Ami's blue eyes came to his mind - her cool, uncompromising gaze seemed to convict him.

"Don't you hate me?" pounded inside his chest as he looked up at his brother's remote profile. Kip turned toward him and smiled.

I'm sorry, Mina. Zoe thought as he looked in his brother's face. It was full of affection and concern - there was not even the slightest trace of anger, resentment or even frustration.

"Are you alright?" He heard Kip ask - his voice sounded distant - as distant as his eyes always were - but they hadn't always been that way.

Somehow, in that moment, something inside Zoe snapped. The wire that tickled him and plagued him and even tortured him at times, had finally come undone.

"I'm quitting," he said to himself.

Kip seemed, at first, not to understand.

Zoe met his eyes, and smiled in half-bewildered manner.

"I quit," he repeated. A sudden and euphoric feeling of power and confidence, unlike anything he'd ever known, flooded through him.

He turned his back on his brother and began to walk out of the studio, stopping when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" Kip asked - his voice sounded disturbed and alarmed.

Slowly, deliberately, Zoe put his hand on his brother's and said:

"Let go."

Kip stared at him with something akin to real shock. Zoe lifted his hand off of his shoulder, gently. Without turning around he resumed walking.

"I'm going to get some air," he called, "Don't worry."

"But -"

"Just let me go."

He turned as he reached the end of the hall. Kip stared at him, his long frame standing tall and erect, but his hand was clutching the door frame.

"You can't -" Kip began, his tone rumbling with the faint beginnings of anger.

"Yes, I can. I should have a long time ago. In Tokyo. Goodbye."

"Wait -"

"Kip," he called, just as he reached the corner.

"You ought to be honest with yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, you always choose me. Not her. But I'm telling you that I'm not your concern any more."

That effectively halted Kip mid stride.

"You're my brother," Kip said, quietly - his lips were almost wincing.

"I know," Zoe answered, feeling a sudden pang of remorse for what was to come.

"I made that decision a long time ago."

"I think you made the wrong decision."

"I promised I'd never leave you alone again," Kip shouted, suddenly losing his control. It startled Zoe for a moment, but he didn't come any closer to Kip.

"I know," he answered, quietly, "But I don't need you anymore."

Kip let out a sharp breath.

He and Zoe stood facing each other across the long hallway - their bodies in almost identical attitudes of strain.

"You're leaving?" Kip asked, at last.

Zoe nodded.

"For how long?"

"Just a little while. A week, maybe. We both need to think some things through."

Kip eventually nodded.

"If you need anything -" he began.

"It's my turn to take care of you," Zoe interrupted, his shy grin returning.

"What?"

"I'm taking care of you," Zoe repeated, "Well...I'm giving you to someone who will."

Kip blinked.

"Just think about it," Zoe replied, "Think like me, for once. Think selfishly."

Kip shook his head, and watched, trying not to panic, as his little brother rounded the corner - out of his sight.

"Think selfishly?" He repeated. He looked down at his hand and flexed it as the scent of honeysuckle swept through the hall - or his memory - it was hard to figure out which it was - until he looked down and realized that there was a golden hair on his shirt. He picked it off and stared at it with a rueful expression.

He looked down again at the scar that ran from the inside of his thumb to his inner arm.

"Hmph."