Based on the story: Getbackers

Written by: aoi kodomo

Full Summary: The Getbackers finally get their hands on a mission they can really sink their teeth into. However, when the spiritual world starts to cross with reality, will the duo be able to tell the difference between what's real and what's not? Does the ability to communicate with the dead really exist?

Author's Note: All characters of Getbackers are copyright to Rando Ayamine and Yuya Aoki. Any additional characters are copyright to me.

Rating: T


Get Back the Sacred Jewel

Chapter Eleven: Ban's Plan B!


Ban's hand was inches from Ginji's face when his friend suddenly tried to bolt over the gate.

"Ginji!"

Ban shot forward, his hand still stretched out. Ginji was almost leaning over the top when Ban took hold of the gate with one hand, his foot resting on the bottom bar, and reached up with his other hand, gripping Ginji's leg tightly.

Ginji clung to the top of the gate, still attempting to maneuver himself over.

"Ginji!"

"No!" Ginji shouted. "Let go!"

"No! You let go!" Ban demanded.

Ban gave his leg a hard tug.

Ginji's hands slipped from the top bar. His right knee whacked against the metal as he fell backwards.

Ban let go of his ankle and jolted back, his reflexes kicking in.

He felt Ginji's sudden weight push him backwards forcefully. Ban flung out his arm to hold him with his left hand as he stumbled to the ground. His right hand scraped along the driveway as it connected with the concrete, grazing his skin, almost bending his fingers back. He gritted his teeth against the pain. He lifted his hand quickly as his body skidded across the ground, before he came to an abrupt stop meters from the gate. Ginji landed in a heap on top of him.

Ban struggled into a sitting position, leaning back on one hand, holding Ginji with the other. For a short moment he didn't move, listening to the rain as it continued to pour down on them. He ran a hand through his now-flattened hair, resting his cheek against the palm. So many thoughts drifted across his mind but not one of them appeared on his face.

His friend suddenly moaned and he turned to him.

Ban rubbed a hand over Ginji's head. He noticed Ginji had a graze along his left arm where he couldn't stop him from hitting the ground.

Ginji groaned and opened his eyes. They blinked rapidly against the pouring rain.

"Ginji."

Ginji slowly sat up, his head turning to face the gate, then the driveway, then the mansion, before turning back to Ban. Those boyish eyes no longer showed the fright they had greeted him with earlier, just confusion.

"Ban …"

Ban let out a sigh. "Geez. I can't do anything with you, can I? What the hell are you trying to pull?"

"I –"

"I'd hit you right now if I wasn't so damn pissed!" Ban suddenly snapped, his patience seeping away from him.

Ginji blinked at the outburst. He carried on looking around him, opening and closing his mouth but not saying anything. His eyes flickered to and from the gate. He turned to look over Ban's shoulder, tracing his eyes down the driveway.

Ban said nothing. The fact of the matter was that he wasn't just pissed off, he was concerned. Ginji's body began to shake furiously against him. His bare skin felt like ice against his shirt.

"Ginji."

As though his voice had suddenly triggered something, Ginji's eyes suddenly widened as his head spun back around to face the gate. A gasp escaped his throat. His eyes locked on a spot near the ground. He began to move forward, his hand reaching out.

Ban placed a hand securely on Ginji's shoulder and grabbed his wrist.

"Inside," he ordered. "Now."

"Did you see them?" Ginji asked, his voice quivering slightly.

"Who?"

"Where are they?" Ginji asked, more urgently this time.

"Who, Ginji?"

"The children!" Ginji replied, tugging his wrist free. Ban immediately took hold of it again.

"We're going back inside, Ginji," he said firmly.

Ginji lowered his head. He spoke again but his voice was barely a whisper. "I wasn't … I couldn't …"

Ban relented a little. "You couldn't what?"

"Save them …"

Ban frowned at him. "What?"

"I couldn't!" Ginji snapped, suddenly grabbing on to Ban's shirt with his free hand. His body continued to shake violently. "I couldn't do anything! I didn't …" He gritted his teeth angrily. "I didn't … do anything …"

Ban looked at him. "Ginji –"

"I was so helpless," Ginji murmured. The grip on Ban's shirt tightened.

Ban said nothing and let go of Ginji's wrist, placing his hand on top of his dripping blonde head. He couldn't offer comforting words to something he couldn't comprehend, and he knew snapping at his partner would only fuel his own frustration. He wanted to smack some sense into Ginji, drag him back inside, jerk him back to reality, but felt the time wasn't right to do so.

Instead he remained silent, ruffling Ginji's hair as his only offering of comfort, and watched the rain continue to fall down on them.


"Here, drink this."

Ginji took the mug from Ban, his hands still shaking as he held it close to his lap. He stared into the steaming liquid thoughtfully.

"Drink it, Ginji," Ban repeated softly.

Ginji drank some of the tea reluctantly. He coughed when the hot liquid burned the back of his throat, but took a couple more sips just to make Ban happy. Despite the warming sensation that began to drift through his skin, plus the sheets Ban had cocooned him in, his body continued to shiver.

Ban sat on the edge of the bed and reached over to grab a cigarette from the nightstand. He lit up slowly, taking in a long drag, before resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. He blew out the excess smoke silently.

The mug Ginji held quivered as he brought it to his lips and took another sip.

Ban turned his head sideways to face him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ginji replied.

Ban nodded and took another drag on his cigarette. Liar, he thought, but said nothing.

The silence that settled over them wasn't uncomfortable, but Ginji broke it anyway.

"Ban."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

Ban waved his apology away with a flick of his hand. "Don't be stupid. You've nothing to apologize for."

Ginji sighed and turned to look out of the window. He couldn't see the driveway or the gate from his sitting position, but could hear the faint moan of the metal bars as they rattled against the wind. It felt hard to believe that his vision of stepping outside was the warmth of a setting sun, when they had seen nothing but gray sky since their recovery mission had begun. The realism of the dream still struck him to the core. He couldn't shake the feeling of pure fear he felt from his shoulders, despite how much he wanted to. The shadow continued to flash across his mind.

"I don't even know what he looked like," he muttered. Did he even have a face? He couldn't remember.

Ban clicked his fingers abruptly in front of Ginji's face. Ginji blinked and turned back to him.

The cigarette resting between Ban's lips moved up and down as he spoke. "Don't worry yourself trying to remember, Ginji. Let it go for tonight."

"But –"

"Just go to sleep. We'll talk about this later."

"But I –"

"Ginji."

Ginji sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

Ban took the mug Ginji was holding from his hands and put out his cigarette in the lukewarm liquid. He placed the mug on the nightstand and stood up, walking over to the door and turning off the light. The pitch black darkness engulfed the room, the only faded light source provided coming from outside.

Ban returned to the other side of the room and sat on the bed. He leaned back against the wall and crossed both arms behind his head. He already repeated in his mind what he knew Ginji would say.

"I can't sleep."

Ban thumped his shoulder lightly and answered, "Idiot. Just close your eyes and be quiet."

"No," Ginji insisted. "I really can't sleep. These sheets are suffocating me!"

Ban smiled. "You doofus."


The banging sounds woke Shido up abruptly, adding to the headache that was already pulsing away at his temples. He tried to move his legs, but the attempt proved to be futile when he saw Emishi fast asleep on them, almost falling off the edge of the chair placed next to the bed. The mouse on his shoulder stirred also, letting out faint squeaks of speech.

"How long have I been asleep?" Shido asked, lifting a hand to stroke the small animal.

The mouse squeaked in reply.

Shido rubbed his head and peered down at Emishi. "What about him?"

The mouse squeaked again.

"Hmph, some bodyguard," Shido mused. "Pathetic."

"Pathetic," Ban's voice suddenly shot back from the doorway, "is having to watch over you while you dream of little bunnies and chipmunks." He leant casually against the doorframe and smiled, his morning dose of nicotine hanging loosely between his lips as he spoke. "It's no surprise your bodyguard there fell asleep."

"What are you doing here?" Shido huffed, letting his gaze slide sideways. "Isn't Ginji with you?"

Ban didn't answer and continued to smoke his cigarette.

You stubborn bastard, Shido thought, resting his arm across his forehead and gazing at the ceiling. He realized then that the banging noise hadn't stopped, each sound seeming to press further and further against his throbbing temples.

"What is that?" he asked.

Ban held the cigarette midway from his lips and turned to Shido. "There's someone upstairs fixing the beam in the attic. At least now we can go back up there." He brought the cigarette back to his mouth, then added, "but hey, if this new one falls maybe you'll have a second chance to actually dodge it."

Shido gritted his teeth angrily. "Are you trying to piss me off?"

"Relax, monkey boy," Ban smiled. "Why would I bother trying to piss you off so early in the morning? I've got all day to insult you."

"Then what do you want?" Shido growled, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"Just killing time until everyone wakes up," Ban replied, the smile still playing at his lips. "I didn't think you would wake up so soon. I thought perhaps you'd make like a bear and hibernate."

Shido clenched his fist tightly. "You –"

"Come into the dining hall when Emishi wakes up," Ban spoke over him, removing himself away from the doorframe. His voice drifted away as he disappeared down the corridor. "There might be a slight change of plan."

"What do you mean?" Shido asked, but he never got a reply. He turned to look out of the window. Hmm … it's still raining, he thought with a sigh.

He leaned back against the pillow and waited until Emishi woke up.


Ban wandered up to the second floor after checking on Ginji. His partner remained fast asleep, seemingly dreaming peacefully as he barely made a sound or a single movement. Or at least Ban only hoped he was sleeping soundly. Luckily he had caught Hajime cleaning when he left their room the first time, and had asked him to keep an eye on Ginji. Hajime was only too happy to oblige. He already knew, due to Shido's accident, that Ban wanted everyone to stay in pairs if possible, so didn't query as to why he was asked to watch Ginji. Ban just didn't want him to go wandering again.

He stopped at the opening to the attic, lighting a cigarette before treading quietly up the stairs. The banging had stopped but Ban could hear shuffling movements up there.

He reached the top of the stairs and immediately came face to face with Mr. Sakamuru.

"Mr. Midou! What are you doing up here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Ban said, leaning sideways to look past Mr. Sakamuru. The old beam he had pulled off Shido previously had disappeared from its landing spot under the window. A new one had already been fitted, the wood bright and looking out of place next to the older ones.

Ban looked back at Mr. Sakamuru, his usual clothing of sweatshirts and smart trousers replaced with an old shirt and ripped jeans. Underneath the rolled up sleeves of his shirt Ban could see tanned, well-built arms.

"Working hard, huh?" Ban mused, admiring Mr. Sakamuru's handy work.

"Sure am," Mr. Sakamuru replied with a smile. "Not bad for a man of 53, don't you think?" He began to roll down the sleeves of his shirt. "However I did have to ask for Hajime's assistance. I don't think neither of us are as strong as we used to be. Sorry if we woke you with the noise."

Ban said nothing and examined the new beam above him. "Sure hope it stays up this time."

"Good lord, I hope so!" Mr. Sakamuru laughed. "I'd certainly be out of work if I can't replace a simple beam!"

"Is that so," Ban mused, taking a slow drag on his cigarette. He already knew the field of work Mr. Sakamuru specialized in, but didn't realise he involved himself in the labor side. It was no surprise his family inheritance ran high. He walked over to the window and looked down at the grounds circling the side of the mansion. Damn, it's still raining.

Mr. Sakamuru let out a sigh behind him. "It's been raining for a while, huh? Being away on business I never realize how bad the weather gets here. I haven't been around much since your recovery mission began."

Ban remained silent and continued to stare out of the window.

Mr. Sakamuru moved to stand next to him. "I know certain … obstacles … have delayed your mission considerably, and I must apologize as I feel a majority of the fault falls on my shoulders. But the respect I have gained for you and Mr. Amano continues to grow as you are willing to stay here despite these obstacles … even your friends, especially Mr. Fuyuki."

Ban turned to him. "You mean monkey boy?"

Mr. Sakamuru smiled warmly. "Yes. To stay here regardless of his injuries is very admirable. I do feel a great deal of guilt he was hurt in the first place, but … I'm relieved he's okay."

Hmph, it'd take more than a bump to the head to knock him down, Ban thought, though he'd rather die than say it to Mr. Sakamuru, or Shido, for that matter.

For a moment neither of them spoke, listening to the rain as it ran down in sheets along the window. Ban moved away from the glass as he smoked his cigarette. He'd seen enough water to last him a lifetime. He found himself wondering if he would get any sleep tonight, or if he would end up staying awake and body guarding Ginji. He had a hunch it'd be the second alternative.

Mr. Sakamuru remained by the window. He cleared his throat and said quietly, "It must have been cold, running after your friend last night."

Ban glanced sideways at him. "What do you mean?"

Mr. Sakamuru shook his head. "Ah, nothing. But I could have sworn I saw you and Mr. Amano by the gates last night. I must admit I was deeply concerned. You both looked frozen to death." He looked at Ban as he spoke.

Ban shrugged and smiled. "It may have been your imagination."

"It doesn't do a person good to sit in the pouring rain in the early hours of the morning," Mr. Sakamuru replied. "But you appear fine this morning, so I trust Mr. Amano is just as well. You don't need a lecture from me to tell you how to take care of yourselves."

"No," Ban murmured, turning back to the window. "Tell me. Do the windows in this place always unlock from the inside?"

"Why would you want to know that?"

"Just curious." He's not buying it, Ban thought, but kept his reply at that. He could see Mr. Sakamuru practically piecing together his own theory as to why he had seen him and Ginji outside last night.

Mr. Sakamuru wasn't buying it, but he showed no indication saying he didn't. Instead he placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and said, "The windows can be locked twice from inside. One is a manual lock that anyone can open – it's just taken off. The other way is to lock it manually then lock it again with a key, but only Hajime can do this. He keeps all the keys on him."

"I see. Thanks." Ban finished off his cigarette and began to make his way out of the attic.

Mr. Sakamuru followed him. "I'll be going away for a few days to follow up on a contractor's deal. It's difficult to keep traveling to work and back, so I've had to opt to staying in a hotel for a little while. But I trust Hajime will take good care of you."

"You're very trustworthy to leave seven people to randomly wander about your property," Ban said, walking out into the second floor corridor.

Mr. Sakamuru chuckled. "Mr. Midou, if you and your friends wanted something from me, you would have taken it by now. In fact, I must say that your company has been somewhat of an enjoyment this past week."

"Is that so?"

"It's rare for Hajime and I see the house so … lively."

I wouldn't call it 'lively', Ban thought, but said nothing.

"I heard from Hajime that Mrs. Kawayuki was having some difficultly finding the children," Mr. Sakamuru said now, following Ban as he walked down to the first floor.

Ban looked at him. "They seem to hide from us and reappear whenever they feel like it." He thought about Ginji and the odd dreams he seemed to be having. If Ban was thinking along the right lines, it seemed the children were finding him more than anything.

"I see," Mr. Sakamuru said. "I can assume that the whereabouts of the jewel hasn't come up either?"

"No." Ban felt a little bad for saying this. An ordinary recovery mission and they would've found their target a lot sooner, without the help of Shido, Emishi, Kazuki or Juubei. But from the beginning this job didn't start off as an 'ordinary' one. Ban sighed and lit up another cigarette. The amount of time we've wasted on these damn kids … it's like they're preventing us from carrying out our job.

Mr. Sakamuru seemed to sense his frustration and smiled reassuringly. "It's okay," he replied. "I have every bit of confidence in you. I understand your need to remove these obstacles that are blocking your path first, and I believe you'll succeed in the end."

Ban smiled back. "We will succeed in the end. I guarantee it."


Crap … maybe I should of kept that to myself, Ban thought as he made his way to the dining hall. Despite Mr. Sakamuru's reassuring smile, Ban could sense the slight doubt behind it, and felt the need to defend himself against his believed comment. He was hopeful a new piece of information would lead them somewhere, but didn't know for sure.

Just smoke and say nothing next time, he ordered himself, not really taking into account he did that a majority of the time anyway. With Mr. Sakamuru leaving for a few days it wouldn't matter so much now.

Emishi and Shido were already in the dining hall when he entered. Juubei and Kazuki were sat opposite them, surprisingly very quiet.

"What's up with you?" Ban asked, reaching for his cigarettes.

"Mrs. Kawayuki kept waking us up last night thinking there was someone taping on her door," Kazuki said, rubbing a hand over his face. "I did believe her, but whenever I looked or listened there was nothing."

Ban paused, his cigarette halfway to his lips. Had they not seen either him or Ginji then?

"What time was that?"

Kazuki shrugged. "After midnight. We reassured her nothing was there, so she fell asleep shortly after."

"After the twentieth time," Juubei said.

"At least you didn't wake up after getting smacked on the head," Emishi piped up, glaring childishly at Shido. "That really hurt, y'know."

"You wouldn't stop hugging my leg," Shido replied, arms folded casually. Ban could see the bandages wrapped around his upper arm and shoulder showing through under the sleeve of his t-shirt. He wondered if it hurt. The mouse was still with him, seemingly smug-looking sat perched on his shoulder.

"It was just a little squeeze!" Emishi protested.

"Then why didn't you let go!" Shido snapped.

"I didn't think you'd mind."

"Well next time you want to be my bodyguard go sit way on the other side of the room!"

Emishi sighed dramatically. "Oh Shido … why must you push me away so harshly? After all I've done for you –"

"You haven't done anything for me!"

"– I've taken care of you in your time of need, and this is how you thank me?" Emishi turned away, lowering his eyes as he did so. "I'm shocked to see such a horrible side of you."

"I'll show you a horrible side," Shido muttered, clenching his fist.

"To think," Emishi was murmuring now, "I really thought you and I could get along better than anyone … but you might as well rip out my soul and – guuuggggaah!"

Shido clasped his hands tighter around Emishi's neck, shaking him roughly. The mouse on his shoulder hung on for dear life. "I'll rip out your soul if that's what you want!" he growled. "You'll be so soulless even the afterlife won't have you!"

"Gugaah! That's – not – what – I – meant!" Emishi blurted as Shido shook him back and forth abruptly.

"Too late!"

"B-but Shido –!"

"You will die!"

A cough came from the other side of the room.

"Excuse me, ladies," Ban called.

The two halted and turned to him. Shido still kept his hands on Emishi's neck.

"Not to butt in on your acquainted love affair, but there's work to do."

Shido turned back to Emishi, before shoving him back roughly and returning to his seat. His shoulder started to throb. "Idiot."

"Who, me?" Emishi said it so innocently Shido wondered if he was being serious. He sighed and settled back in his chair. What did I expect? He is the joker, after all.

"Well, now that our morning entertainment is over … " Ban declared, lighting up another cigarette. He pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards, resting his arms over the top. "Our plan has taken a slight change. I figured you'd might like to know it."

"Wait," Kazuki said, "shouldn't we wait for Ginji?"

"I'll fill him in later."

"When you say 'slight'," Shido quipped, "you mean …?"

"Was I not speaking slow enough?"

"You son of a – !"

"Paul's sent some new info," Ban interrupted with a short smile. "I think it'd be a good idea to use it."

"About what?" Kazuki asked. "The children or the jewel?"

"The jewel. Currently known as the Raven's Eye."

"What?" Emishi leant forward in his seat. "You mean there's actually a name for it?"

"Yup."

"Wouldn't that make it more widely known?" Kazuki asked.

"You would have thought so," Ban replied, "but this piece of information is only a snippet. Paul stumbled across a small article that Toshihito Sakamuru jotted down himself, but we only know this man as Mr. Sakamuru's father. Whether he found the jewel himself, or was given it, he decided to call it the Raven's Eye. Not sure why. But the writing Paul found sounded a lot like he had considered selling it, as all it gave was a brief description of the jewel itself. But because it was written in his will that it should be passed on to Mr. Sakamuru, we think he changed his mind."

"Have you brought the writing with you?" Juubei asked.

"No, because it didn't say much more than that."

"So basically the 'slight' change in your plan is that the jewel now has a pretty name?" Shido shot back sarcastically.

"I've not finished, monkey boy," Ban replied tightly.

"Hmph." Shido glared at him in reply.

Ban turned to the others. "Written in the article was a sentence, 'The Raven's Eye currently resides in the dark of night'."

The bells on Kazuki's hair jingled as he spoke. "So we've gotten our first clue to the actual whereabouts of the jewel. Problem is, it doesn't sound to me that it's inside anymore."

"If this Toshihito person wrote 'currently', he could have moved it at any time," Shido said, directing the statement at Ban. "When was this article written?"

"Not sure," Ban replied, stubbing out his cigarette and lighting another. "Paul's looking into that now."

"So you're saying," Shido said, "that you want us to drop our search in here and take it outside?"

The vicious rain that had plummeted over Ban and Ginji last night continued to pound on the windows that were located in the entrance hall and along the corridor. They could see the water stringing down the glass from where they sat, looking past the open doorway and beyond the staircase. The sky remained gray despite the early rise of the morning, and a faint rumble could be heard in the distance. As though right on cue, a small flicker of light skimmed past the glass, followed by the approaching greet of thunder.

Ban puffed away at his cigarette and shrugged at Shido. "Why not?" he asked innocently in reply to his question.

Shido cocked an eyebrow at Ban. "You've got to be kidding me."


Ginji …

Ginji's eyes flickered open, adjusting themselves to the dim lighting within the room. The wind murmured a faint whistle outside as he struggled to sit up, tangled in his nest of sheets that had been pushed around his legs.

Ginji …

Ginji rubbed his eyes with one hand, moving his head to look around the room.

A shadow stood next to the bed, looking down at him.

An image flickered across Ginji's mind, one he didn't like.

"Wha –!" In a sudden panic he stumbled out of bed, promptly falling flat on his face as the sheets wrapped around his legs prevented him from standing. "Oww …"

"Mr. Amano!"

Ginji blinked. He recognized the voice instantly and relaxed. "Hajime?"

"Are you alright?" Hajime removed the sheets from Ginji, pushing them to one side. Ginji shivered as his bare skin was exposed to the cold. Hajime noticed and gave him one back. "I'm sorry. Did I startle you?"

"Oh, heh," Ginji rubbed his neck sheepishly. "No, no, not at all! It's cool."

Hajime smiled apologetically at him. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, you didn't, I just –". Ginji paused. He just what? What was he doing before he woke up? He couldn't remember. Did someone call him?

Ginji turned to Hajime. "Hajime, just now, before I fell … did you say my name?"

Hajime shook his head. "No, I didn't. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," Ginji replied. "It's fine." Dream … he suddenly remembered. Damn, what was it? He could remember everything now. Running outside, Ban running after him, bringing him back indoors. But the dream itself … When he thought about it, images crept into his mind and quickly disappeared again, but none of them pieced together the vital parts, the parts he wanted to remember. Damn, and Ban told me to let it go for the night. Now it's gone completely.

He moved over to the window, looking out. Nothing but rain and flickers of lightning greeted him. Nothing but them. Nothing …

There was something last night.

"Mr. Amano?"

I followed it. No, them. Them …

"Mr. Amano?"

There was more than one. Way more.

"Mr. Amano? Are you okay?"

Ginji opened his mouth slightly. "All those smiling faces … gone."

Hajime frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"I – Oww!" Something smacked Ginji on his head as he was about to speak. "Oww …" he moaned as he rubbed his head, one eye open and locked on the person responsible.

"You dolt, don't ignore people when they speak to you!" Ban scolded, thumping Ginji's shoulder. A cigarette hung loosely from his lips. "Geez, what am I going to do with you?"

"Ow, ow, ow! Baaan, that huuurrt!"

"Don't 'Baaan' me! Listen when Hajime talks to you!"

Hajime smiled, raising his hands slightly. "Oh, no, that's okay, really –"

"See, Ban!" Ginji pointed childishly. "Hajime said it was okay! You didn't have to hit me! You're so mean!"

"Tch," Ban shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's your own fault for spacing out."

"I – ! Hmm." Ginji opened his mouth to protest, and then promptly closed it. His eyes widened as he was about to speak, only to gaze downwards in silence. Another image passed briefly across his mind, only to disappear before he could focus on it.

Hajime and Ban exchanged glances over Ginji's bowed head.

"I should go," Hajime said softly. "I have chores to attend to. Excuse me." With that he bowed politely and left the room.

Ban watched him leave before turning to Ginji. He was already gazing back out of the window. Ban shook his head. "You space case." He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a cigarette.

"Hey Ban."

"What is it?"

"Can I talk to you about my dream now?"

Ban paused, the lighter millimeters from his cigarette. He smiled. "Can I light my cigarette first?"

Ginji's back was turned to him, but Ban saw the smile creep on his face. His friend gave a nod.

Ban leant his head closer towards his lighter …

… Only to have the tip of his cigarette zapped off!

Ban blinked. The shock lasted momentarily before he turned on Ginji, his eyes narrowing in anger. "You – !"

"Ah ha ha," Ginji threw him a grin. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

Ban sighed and removed the cigarette from his lips. Well, if he's acting so childish then it's only got to be a good sign. "So tell me about this dream of yours."


Chapter Eleven End

To Be Continued In Chapter Twelve


Author's Note: I'm sorry, I'm sorry! The lateness – it's horrifying! Haha.

I almost gave up on this chapter. In fact I don't really like it. But it would have been too much of a pain to go back and re-write it. Yeah … I guess my writer's block is back. I was on such a roll with the last chapter, too. But this one … oh man, first I wrote about 6 pages only to lose them all! It was such a pain to re-write everything because I couldn't remember my first one to every letter (unless I have a photographic memory, but I don't).

Then to top it all off my internet wouldn't work. Managed to sort it now, but … the inspiration went completely after that. Ah, well, I'm really sorry if this chapter doesn't meet my readers (yes that's you, haha) expectations. Especially those of you that have been waiting so long for this.

I do enjoy writing banter between the characters. Emishi and Shido are fun to work with (Shido especially – he's so easy to wind up!). Sometimes it's hard to write reactions that I can so clearly see in anime-mode.

To all of you that continue to give me encouraging reviews and adding this story to your favorites / alert list, thank you so much! For those that have stumbled across this story recently, welcome!

I hope to see you all in chapter twelve! Wish me luck! (And if someone has an axe on them, please come and chop down this writer's block of mine!). I'll stop rambling now.

Yours,

Aoi