Tokyo Ghoul and all its affiliated characters are property of Sui Ishida.

My writers block is going away and I'm trying to stay on schedule with weekly updates- yaaaaay! Please enjoy and review.

Chapter 25
In the shadows

"You're sick and your mad." Itori sneered at me as I smiled.

"I'm not sick, but I might be a little mad." I replied leaning against my lover as I felt him shift mildly behind me while his hand drew small circles on my thigh. I was in nothing but his shirt.

"No no no, you're not a 'little' mad- you flipping mad. I stepped into the apartment and there was no sign of you! I was willing to kill everyone in that building."

I pouted, unnecessary murder must be avoided. "I sneaked out…I'm sorry."

"Doesn't mend it." She said as she glared at me then at Uta.

"Your part to blame for this!"

"I take full responsibility." He said peacefully as I smiled a little. Oh Uta~

"Hell no, don't feel sorry for her because I have been lacing her up and then on top of your pity, try to act cool 'taking full responsibility'. She is wrong. You are wrong- but she is mostly wrong."

I pouted. She did have a valid point and maybe along the way Uta could have been blamed but what has happened already did and it can't be taken back.

"What happens when they realize you're not there?"

"They won't. You're smart. You left the TV on and the rice cooker and probably left slamming the door creating a scene to make it look like I wanted to be left alone so they wouldn't even knock.

She blinked. "…you're good."

"I learn from the best."

As much as I was trying to water it down, I couldn't take all the steam off her as she was really upset.

"So what have you guys been doing? Saying wedding vows, making babies?"

Uta cleared his throat to speak, "Unfortunately I haven't reached my knees yet and you interrupted before I could formally begin."

I blushed. Uta was dodging no bullets here and he said it so raw that it made me blush cherries! Bad Uta, bad.

"And as for you Miss Terresi."

"I'm…happy…"

My cheeks flushed as I pulled my knees to my chest crossing my ankles as I touched my hot cheeks feeling very flustered.

I'm happy. I'm very-very happy. Back in the arms of the man I was so madly attracted to I could hardly keep the rainbows inside as I was elated to be in his arms and with him.

After a long conversation it was decided it was time for me to go home. I was taken home by Uta entering through my now famous window exit (not so famous when Uta used it almost like he had done this hundreds of time before which I feel like he has) as with Itori distracting the guards we made it to my apartment door. When I entered the apartment I pulled him in as I held onto his shirt pulling him down to my height kissing his lips as I dangerously bit him.

"Trying to make me stay?"

"Is it working?"

"It is." He replied as he gave me a small grin. I slipped my arms over his shoulders looking him in the eyes as I wanted him to stay for the night. "Can't"

"I know." I said as we were interrupted by Itori who came through the hall walking to us.

"I have very bad news."

My hands moved off his shoulders and to my sides as I pouted looking at her. "What is it now?"

"Aogiri Tree, they have set up a group of their best to come after you, and to make it worse, they aren't silent about it."

"W-What do you mean?"

"My information pipes are flooding with the same news. They are coming for you in two days from today. They won't allow you to leave the island. They won't allow you to escape."

I looked at her as I turned to Uta. Did this have to do with the fights and him protecting me? Why did they want me- was I number one on their of human elimination list?

"What are we going to do?"

"Fight." Itori said as she sounded very serious as her lips curled into a smile. Not the nice one, it was the scary one that reminded you she was a ghoul. "If it's a fight they want then it's a fight they get, since they keep on bringing the battle we will bring the war."

I paused, wait….war?

Everyone knows of the three great ghoul wars in Tokyo and how many people and innocent civilians were killed. I can't have a war take place over me; I can't put anymore people's lives on the line. Tyrel was already enough, he barely survived and I can never see him again.

"Wait- aren't they ghouls like you, why are ghouls fighting against ghouls, Shouldn't you be fighting against CCG together?!"

"We are not just fighting." Itori said as she looked at her with a serious expression.

"We are protecting. Keeping. Maintaining. Do you really think this is just about you?" Uta added as he looked at me.

Umm…excuse me?

How was I supposed to say this, I felt relieved and hurt at the same time. I thought this was actually all about me, but now that I knew I wasn't just a soul target- I felt like this was bigger than me and I was just a part, like the heavy blame that was presumed to fall on me was shifting.

"Aogiri Tree is willing to leave the 11th ward to bring war here in Shinjuki, the 4th ward. Believe it or not, they have wanted this for an extremely long time."

"Then-then this isn't about me…this is about territory."

"Wrong and right." Itori said as she looked at me. I could tell she was filled with anger and more over she wanted to go right into the next two days with itching claws. "It's not just about territory; it's about Uta's territory. Him."

I cracked a smile wait- what? This was about Uta?

I turned around looking to him. "You're joking right?"

"I warned you, from the beginning, I tried to protect you- tell you to stay away. He knows that this would eventually happen; I knew this would eventually happen, even Renji…them coming after you. Its apart of him being the most powerful yet mysterious ghoul out there. He's like the grim reaper- you never see him, but death continues to happen around you. No one knows if the 'Peacemaker' is really alive or if he is really powerful but our ward is the most peaceful and well-contained ward when it comes to attacks. However if it is said that he was killed, the fourth ward won't be the only thing on a silver platter to his murderer."

"What do you mean, if they want him, why are they after me?"

"Because you're his woman. If you know the true nature of the man you are truly in love with, the only human that stays around him more than 6 hours are the ones minced up nicely and tucked in his freezers at home. And knowing him I doubt they survive more than 48 hours."

I swallowed. Why was this happening now? I turned around and looked at him as he had not even a shred of remorse which for some reason I felt stupid for expecting that. This was Uta we're talking about.

"I- I know…he eats humans, it's his lifestyle….it's his natur-"

"And you know…how he kills them, how he dismembers them, not with nice little sharp metals but his own hands."

"I am not ashamed of who he is." I said sternly as I glared at her. Was I to cower in horror and shame because this was who he was, what was different in him eating his food from me eating my own. The way we ate it was different, the way we chose to eat is different, how we eat is different, what we ate was different as well. But it doesn't rob away from the fact that we eat to survive. "Try again." I mumbled as my voice cracked and I felt my eyes watering, as much as I was trying to pull my shit together my conscience was slipping through my fingers hitting rock bottom, drilling the logics into me singing songs of reality that at the end of the day- she was right. This was all because of him.

Love or not. Commitment or not. Being by his side through everything or not. I don't want to die because of this man. I could die because of this man. I was going to die because of this man. And if someone was to murder me right now it would only solve their satisfaction because they are not after me but him.

I am just standing in the way and he is actually what they want….. So what was I, a puzzle piece? Not the main picture?

What was I? A fragment of what was really happening here. The cookie crumbs leading to the big jar?

What am I?- a pitiful loss that the world won't even notice when I'm dead, I haven't even left a mark on society- I haven't even given myself some….importance.

"I warned you." She growled at me as she walked to me pulling my chin as I looked at her. I didn't like when she was rough but I knew she was angry. "Kaisa, pick someone else, love someone else, fall in love with someone else- NOT him. He can put you in such danger that you won't even end up in a coffin- your body might not be found, you could be raped and killed and tossed in the gutter, ripped apart and scattered to god knows where after doing who knows what. Of humans- murders and rapist are the worst, of ghouls- he is the most violent and cruelest thing walking on this soil. He may not be the strongest ghoul but he is a hell-fall from the kindest."

"Enough." Renji said walking up behind her as he pulled her hand away. "Kaisa are you okay?"

"I am." I mumbled looking at her. I knew it felt like someone else was here but I never thought it was renji. There was also another presence but with all these emotions inside me I wasn't sure if my body could concentrate enough on that.

I blushed walking to him as I hugged him tightly burying my face in his chest as I didn't cry but I just wanted his comfort. Renji wouldn't attack me and he would understand. He always does. His presence was calming and I knew unlike Itori who was going down my throat and Uta with his infamous poker face I would receive from him- the comfort, the understanding and assistance with reasoning on what the exact fuck I had walked myself into.

"Do you wish you had fallen in love with Renji instead?"

I flinched.

That's not Itori's voice.

I turned around and looked at him. "Uta why would you say that?"

"Why wouldn't I say that?" He said as he stepped forward and I looked at him. Why was he saying this? "Kaisa, compared to me, he is calmer, safer, and normal. You both have more in common that you even know. He's always a step ahead so you never have to worry about being in danger, he is precautious and unlike me, hides perfectly in the crowd to the point he looks so human it's ungodly that he is a ghoul. Don't you wish…you had fallen in love with him instead? Maybe it would be easier for you to make that decision after he confesses that he likes you."

"Uta, don't say that and you know I-"

"You're always clinging to him." He said stepping close.

"W-What."

Renji pulled me to his side as he put me behind him and I felt how firm his hand was. "Uta, you're getting angry."

"I'm sorry." He apologized kindly and took a step back. Renji's hand slowly loosened on mine as I swallowed. He was getting angry…you mean jealous?

But there was certainly some anger there as well.

I went to the kitchen and with all that was on my mind I was startled when a familiar face popped up in front of me.

"You seem to be doing awfully well."

I blushed lightly. It was the doctor from when I was at Renji's place. "What are you-"

"Come I have a blood test to do on you. I have been working on your samples…" He started talking and I was blinking looking at him as half of what he was saying went over my head. Why was he here and why was he in our apartment more precisely did he say samples?

Samples of what?!

I turned to renji who came in as he signaled for me to come out the kitchen and to the living room to talk to this guy who I supposed had some sort of relation with me. I went in the living room as the first thing that hits me was the paper work on the little table that he had spread out. I guessed he helped himself to coffee since he was drinking from a teacup and I knew there was no way in hell Itori could pull off making coffee for our visitors. I sat down as he came over to me strapping an elastic band on my upper arm as he inserted a needle-

"Ouch." I sulked. He could have at least warned me and I didn't even see him pull that needle from a BRAND NEW CLEAN bag which meant it could be unsterilized. Holy shit I do not know where that needle went or where it has been but it's in me!

"Relax, he's certified" Itori said with a smile. I swear she is packed with personalities she was going to rip my head off earlier.

I watched him take blood as he hummed making a few markings on paper.

"A-Am I okay" I asked nervously. This must be a follow up after the amusement park incident.

"Well there is only one way to find out." He said as he removed a knife holding out my hand as I blinked.

"W-What are you-"

I felt the warm liquid spray on my face as I gasped looking at my arm before me. He had made a vertical slash from my wrist up to my mid arm as I immediately screamed as blood began running.

"What th-"

"Watch."

I was panting like hell at the burning feeling as suddenly….suddenly it slowly went away.

"U-Uta…" I was scared. I watched this gash slowly close up and the pain disappear as he wiped the blood away.

Uta sat next to me and pulled my hand to him as he licked the blood from my hand.

"How long" Itori said as she covered her nose. "It's as good as they say it is…even better."

She sounded like she was stiffening her breath.

Valor looked at me and analyzed the blood as he looked at it. "I would say-"

"A month ago" Uta answered as he looked at me and the red in his eyes were even more alive. "I realized she was carrying a different scent…She has changed."

I looked at Renji as I heard Itori leave the room walking to the porch to get fresh air. "Renji has something happened to me."

"Our blood was transfused into your body, most specifically my blood. You're not completely human. You heal like a ghoul now. And your senses have sharpened-"

"The question is how you continue to eat human food."

I neeeeeed a beta reader like I cannot re-read and see all the errors. Because I wrote it while I'm reading my mind is like skipping over the errors because I know what I'm reading and how I want it sound and blah- I need a beta reader I really really do!

Fun Fact#02: I was a lover of tokyo ghoul- when I started it I had just finished Attack on Titan and I felt like it slipped right into action. I got very obsessed with it until Re: came out and I began hating it like crap. I don't think Sui Ishida is writing anymore everything is all over the place oh back to fun fact yes!- i was going to make it a crossover with Attack on titan!

Recruiting a beta!

please review!