Chapter Eleven:

Takashi stood in the elevator that would take him up to Rae's law firm. He was meeting her for dinner. He was taking her to simple ramen place that he had discovered on one of his long walks. If Rae's texts were anything to go by, Rae was in need of something simple. She had gotten a few mediations where it seemed like everyone was unwilling to meet halfway. She of course couldn't give Takashi particulars about her clients, she did say that she had been working with this particular client for six months trying to get a mediation that was successful. Every time it seemed like it was close to resolution, they would find something else that was worth arguing over. At this point, Rae had contacted a judge and had requested arbitration. Rae would come up with the resolution and the parties would just have to accept that she had both their interests at heart when she made the decision.

Takashi stepped out of elevator and looked around. Lawyers were standing around watching a spectacle. He stood by a pack of legal secretaries who were whispering.

"For the last time," Sora's voice rang out loud and clear. "Unless you have an appointment to see Miyagi-san in reference to possible mediation or a current mediation, you cannot see her."

"She is involved in a mediation that I'm related to, I demand to see her." a haughty shrill voice shrieked.

Takashi looked around and spotted Rae looking out one of the windows of her office. She was shaking her head. She closed the shade on her window and disappeared from sight. He turned towards Sora's desk and saw him standing tall and stiff as he narrowed his eyes at an older woman. The woman was dressed in a cream suit, her salt and pepper hair was immaculately pulled into a bun.

Suddenly, Rae's door opened and she stepped out in a black pencil skirt and sapphire blue top. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun. "Iwate-san, I have no business with you or your company. My mediations are not open to public information. Please leave," she said cooly.

"I won't have what you and that crazy woman are planning," the woman shrieked. "You'll tell me what I want to know. Or so-"

"Iwate-san," Rae said holding up a hand to silence her. "I have already contacted building security and the police. If you continue with your threat, I will have no choice but to escalate the matter further and press charges." Rae's tone was calm, but there was something darker in the way she said everything. She was the picture of grace under pressure, but she wasn't about to be pushed around by someone.

"How dare you call the police on me!"

"Please remember that it was you who came stomping into my office demanding to see my confidential files," Rae said. "You have now threatened my assistant four times, while being monitored by security camera. I suggest that you leave before you make matters worse for yourself."

"Do you have any idea who-"

"I know perfectly well who you are, who your husband is, and what your company does, Iwate-san," Rae said. She stepped closer to the older woman, squaring her shoulders, making herself look taller and confident. She was interrupting the woman on purpose, showing her that Rae was the one in a power position. "It doesn't make me more inclined to break my client confidentiality. Now please leave, or by all means, wait here for your security escort. Either way, I'm running late for a scheduled engagement, and will be leaving." Rae turned on her heel leaving the woman stuttering angrily.

"Security will be here in just a minute Iwate-san if you would like to wait," Sora said with a large fake smile. He grabbed his bag and looked at all the watching lawyers. "Show's over folks. The day has come to an end, and it's time for food and family." He made a shooing motion causing the watching lawyers to disperse.

The older woman let out a growl of frustration and stomped towards the elevator.

Rae closed her office door and a couple minutes later, she came out holding a thick file. She turned and locked the office door. She had slipped on a long jacket that fell to her knees. She slipped the file into her bag and talked to Sora quietly for a minute. After she got a nod, she happily walked over to Takashi. "So, did you enjoy the show?" she asked kissing him on the cheek.

"Are you okay?" Takashi asked.

Rae nodded. "I had a feeling that woman was going to show up," she said. She patted her bag. "Which is why I'm bringing this little file to my dad's so he can lock it up."

Takashi looked at the bag and wondered why she felt the need to take the file out of the office. She even locked her office, something he hadn't seen her do at all in all his time picking her up. "Twins?" he asked.

Rae nodded. "There are some sketchy corners of this mediation that have me cautious. The legal part is clean, but the mediation results are bound to make some people like the Iwate-san very upset." Rae slipped her arm through Takashi's as they walked to the elevator. "Iwate-san has some frightening connections it would appear, and if she wanted to take my job, she very well could. However, the main partners aren't too fond of her lawyers. So I took a gamble and challenged her."

"Dangerous," Takashi said more as a statement than a question. He knew that the Iwate Family had come under scrutiny in the past. Was Rae really going to get tangled up in something like that? Takashi had to wonder what the twins were getting themselves involved in. Would they need help?

They stepped into the elevator and Takashi pushed the lobby button. He looked down at Rae's blue bangs and resisted the urge to press a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"Only if I don't take the proper precautions," Rae said. She bowed slightly to those who were already in the elevator. "And it's not dangerous to my health. I can handle any shots that woman wants to take with my career. My partners like me too much to just dump me."

"Be careful."

"I always am, Takashi," Rae said quietly.

Once they were out of the elevator, Takashi led Rae out of the building. He guided her to his waiting car and she happily slipped in without much trouble. Takashi quickly slipped behind the wheel.

Ten minutes, and a very quiet car ride later, Rae and Takashi entered a ramen house. Rae took a seat at the bar as a older man came walking up.

"Morinozuka-san, so good to see you again. Will it be the usual?" the man asked. He turned to Rae. "Oh! Is this your girlfriend? She's very pretty."

Rae laughed slightly as she looked at the menu. "Thank you. I'll have whatever he's having."

"Two beef and tofu ramens coming right up," the man said with a wide smile.

Rae turned in her stool to face Takashi. "I've worried you unnecessarily," she said with a frown. She grabbed his hand and held it in her lap. "Takashi, it's nothing awful. It's just an old family feud from twenty years ago. It's really not that large a part of the entire mediation. Don't worry yourself."

"She was very angry," Takashi said.

"Yes, she was. Interrupting her was a lot of fun, too," she smiled as she rubbed the top of Takashi's hand with her thumb. "Takashi, she's a bitter old woman, and we don't need to worry about her. She can't hurt anyone. I'm not worried, so you shouldn't be either." Rae smiled as the older man came back with their food.

Takashi pulled his hand away carefully so that he could grab his chopsticks. Rae already had hers in hand and she smiled at him gently. Takashi waited for Rae to take the first bite. She grinned as she swallowed back a piece of beef. "This is sooooooo good." She laughed as she grabbed some noodles and lifted them up so that she could blow on them.

Takashi ate his ramen slowly as Rae started talking about some grand plan she had come up with while she was listening to her clients argue. She wanted to go to Disneyland. She wanted to go with Sora, Mitsukuni, and Akira, and of course Takashi. She told him about how she used to go as a little girl with her mom and dad. She loved Disneyland and admitted that it always made the kid in her come out. Rae did her best impression of Minnie Mouse and ended up laughing at herself.

Takashi smiled back at her as he lightly shook his head.

0o0o0o0

Rae stood in front of the door to her condo and smiled at Takashi as she held his hand. She opened her door and backed in pulling him with her. Takashi looked around at Rae's safe space. He looked at the small selection of photographs that hung above a narrow table that held her mail and keys. He saw a picture of Mitsukuni and Akira hugging each other in a photo booth. Rae stood with her brother Ren in front of the Taj Mahal. Then there was a photo of Takashi smiling at something. He reached out and touched the frame.

"I took it with my phone," Rae said. "You were watching Haninozuka-san and Akira as they were working on chokeholds."

Rae walked over to her couch after she slipped out of her heels. She fell back and gestured for Takashi to join her. Takashi slipped out of his shoes and walked over. As soon as he sat down, Rae curled up beside him. Takashi wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her head. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He could feel as Rae relaxed. Her muscles became less tense, the grip around his waist loosened. Her breathing started to slow. Takashi wanted so much to just stay there and let the moment sink in. The moment of complete serenity. Nothing could harm them within her home. They had stopped at her dad's before they came back to Rae's condo. Rae handed over her file and Takashi watched as Hayato locked away the file in his safe behind a bookshelf. Rae thanked her father, and Takashi came to the realization that Rae was far more worried than she was letting on.

Takashi nudged Rae slightly and smiled at her when she smiled up at him. Rae pushed herself up slightly before pressing her lips against Takashi's. She hugged him close and smiled as Takashi hugged her tightly. He lifted her up slightly as she moved her hands up to his cheeks.

"I think I'm falling in love with you Takashi Morinozuka," Rae whispered as she pulled away and tapped her forehead against his. She smiled at him as he held her close and smiled back.

Takashi kissed her again adjusted as Rae shifted slightly. The two of them had never done something like this and yet it felt so right. Neither of them seemed to want to break apart and Takashi certainly didn't want to leave.

0o0o0o0

June 10, 2014, Author's Note: Hey friends! I know you're all quite busy with your lives, and so am I. I'm giving you a set of chapters right now, but I'm going to warn you right now of some delays in updating. I leave for a tour of Ireland and England tomorrow. I'll still be writing new chapters, but updating may not happen. The tour is three weeks long. So be patient and you may get many chapters updated when I return. I'll have my laptop, but I'm not really soaking up the culture if I'm constantly updating fic, right? I'll see you all when I get back, and I hope you liked that chapter. Please leave a review if you get a chance. I love to hear from you all.