Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jules and anything without a copyright symbol beside it. I also do not own any of the music or movies quoted in this except on DVD or CD.
Summary: "So why Tokyo?" She knew the answer but she wanted to know it from him. "No extradition." "So you're a regular cowboy? Bet your mama's proud." She replied as a joke and saw him smile as she swept her bangs from her face. "She is." Han had a thing for motorcycles, leather and pretty girls a long time before Giselle came around. Based on the song "You and I" By Lady Gaga, named after "Mama's Don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys" By Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Spoilers for everything from Better Luck Tomorrow (where Han Lue is introduced to the criminal world) to all five Fast and Furious movies. So if I ruin it for anyone…sorry!
Thank you to bindie, Mrz LOT, hidansgirl1234 and Mysterious-little-person! You guys are great! Thanks for such good feedback. I had to rewrite this one several times so honesty is appreciated! Enjoy!
Playlist -
Wayside- Birds of Tokyo (this song is amazing)
Roquefort – Karnivool
Chapter Twenty-Five – In which Jules earns her keep
I got my fingernails scratching at the dry wall
I got so much headache
I can't get you out of my mind
In the hardest times
When I had to call on you
Just a little when I cried
I don't mind if you leave me alone
You caught me by the wayside
- Birds of Tokyo
Ivy League College was never on the cards for Han, Jules realised as they drove and his fingers tapped on the steering wheel. He didn't have the focus to pursue something boring or mundane. He had a desperate need to be living in the fast lane, hence the cars and women. But that didn't mean that he'd thought about it at some point. Watching him wind down the window and light up a cigarette she knew that Han would never survive in college, but he could have survived in the states . Instead he'd bolted as soon as it was too hard to face what he left behind. She knew the feeling, hence moving to Tokyo a few weeks after her break up with Jordan. But just because he regretted Ben and Daric going to college, didn't mean he regretted how he lived. A lot of things had happened up to this point, but Han was happy where he was, she'd seen the glimmer in his eye everytime he worked on a car…in the rarity that it occurred or the smile on his face as he admired the garage he'd built.
Jules knew Han well enough when she started seeing him that he was mixed up in some scary stuff, she knew DK was involved and she knew as long as she wanted to be with Han that she'd be dragged in eventually. But this, this was definitely not how she expected it to happen.
They'd gone back to the loft in hope of finding something that could help them get rid of the situation Han had gotten himself into. Thus she found a high school yearbook thrown to her as soon as she sat down on his large bed.
"Who was the other guy with them yesterday? What's this?" She asked holding up the leather covered book. They didn't have fancy books like this in Australia.
"That's Keiko, he's a Tokyo businessman that freelancers translating for American tourists. And that is the only thing I kept after I left the states." He muttered pointing to the book as he walked over and pulled open the window in the corner and lit up a cigarette. Jules hadn't missed the renewal of Hans habit at the reappearance of his friends either.
"That shit will kill you." She muttered as she flicked through the pages. Gathering from the date on the front of the book, this was Hans senior year.
"Got to die of something."
"Don't you think you risk it enough without taking up smoking?" Jules replied as she flipped to the senior photos and searched for Han. She had to go through the book twice before she saw him. "Woah." Years of art classes in high school had had Jules studying faces, facial expressions, eyes.
"What?" he blew out smoke and she looked up at him, closing the book.
"Nothing. How much have these guys had to do with the cops?" She asked, trying to get the image of Han with a shaved head and haunted eyes out of her mind.
"Besides getting picked up in Vegas underage- nothing." He muttered and took another drag.
"Not even a speeding fine?"
"You think I would let anyone drive my car?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and Jules grinned. No probably not.
"I don't think you can get territorial about a coupe." She muttered and Han laughed for the first time in two days.
"Vintage Mustang smart ass." Jules grinned up at him.
"I didn't think it was possible for you to get hotter." She stood up and walked over, letting Han grind out the cigarette in an ashtray Jules hadn't ever noticed on the sill and pull her towards him.
"How's your face?" He asked and she shrugged, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning down to kiss him, but stopped and pulled back, a look of disgust on her face.
"You smell like an ashtray." She said before slapping him on the chest and stepping back. Han stood up and walked past her heading towards the bathroom, leaving Jules to turn back to the yearbook on the bed. She flipped it open on the page she'd been looking at and studied the picture. A few rows below Hans picture was a familiar face.
"Ben Manibag." She muttered as she looked at the person that had somehow found them that morning. She flicked back a page and saw the smug smile of Daric Loo. "Aren't you a cocky prick?" She muttered as the shower turned on in the bathroom and she went back to inspecting the year book. By the looks on Ben and Hans faces, this was after the incident. Didn't explain why Daric looked so smug. Maybe he knew he'd gotten away with it. He seemed like he didn't care who he stepped on to get where he was going. That's when it dawned on her.
The shower shut off and Han walked out a minute later, a towel slung low on his hips and took in the look on Jules face as she stared at the book.
"You should have your glasses on." He commented and she looked up at him. When she saw him standing in front of her half naked she was tempted to drag him onto the bed before spotting the bruising on his ribs and realising they had more important things to worry about right now. "What?"
"Daric didn't turn up at my house this morning to talk." She stated finally and Hans brows went up. "I was looking at his picture and it says everything about him right?" She said holding the photo up to Han and he held the book for support as he looked at the smug look on Darics face.
"Yeah."
"Did you hate him?" Jules asked honestly and Han shrugged before turning around to the closet and searching for some clothes.
"So what?"
"The stealing and shit, they came to you for help didn't they?" She asked and he tried not to clench his jaw as he pulled his t-shirt on. "Two smart, ivy-league bound kids wouldn't be able to get away with that unless they had some pretty good help. Someone that was smart and dangerous."
"What are you getting at Jules?" He sighed, finally turning to face her.
"Daric didn't come to my apartment to talk this morning, he came to scare you. To prove that he could find you anywhere, that he could get to me, anytime he wanted." She stated and saw the realisation dawn on Hans face. "And then the way that Ben was acting, I realised if he was scared of Daric he would have let him fight you, but he didn't."
"So…?"
"The only person Ben is more scared of than Daric is you." She finally said and Hans brow furrowed. She stood up and walked over to him, a smile on her face like the cat that had got the cream. Clearly she knew something he didn't. "Daric is trying to get the jump on you Han, because he knows the only way to survive is to scare you. Fear drives people. Fear forces people to submit."
"Jules…" His tone told her to get to the point.
"Fear is the only thing Daric has over you. If you're not scared Han, you're angry. He does not want that, he knows what you're capable of." She wrapped her arms around his neck before whispering, "And he is scared."
If Han Lue ever paled in his life- this was the moment.
The moment he realised that he had underestimated everything about the girl in front of him.
She released her hands from his neck and turned her back to him, starting to walk back to the bed but he grabbed her upper arm and gently turned her around to face him.
"You said you didn't want to know." He said quietly and she sighed, reaching up and running her hands through his hair, scraping her blunt nails across his scalp beneath the damp hair. "You can't have it both ways Jules." .
"I'm not going to sit back and watch them ruin everything Han. You've got a life here- one that you obviously love; otherwise you would have taken off as soon as they'd turned up." Her face softened and she pulled his head down to her. "You and I remember." She said before pressing her lips to his and Hans hand travelled down her side to her hips, pulling her closer. "Plus, no-one calls me a bit of ass and gets away with it, okay." She said pulling away and looking up at him, the small smile still on her face.
"I know someone that can help." Han said, knowing she was right. He watched her nod, her eyes closing briefly making the black eye she was sporting stand out even more.
"That's the spirit."
Watching Twinkie hack his way into a computer was the most intriguing thing Jules had ever seen. The boy talked animatedly about the car he'd put a deposit on as he flicked through the sites before getting into a credit card data base. Han could be seen tuning the RX-7 downstairs as Twinkie continued to type away and Jules tried to pay attention to what he was doing.
"Name?"
"Daric Loo." Jules said, as she watched Twinkie scroll through pages before selecting one with a list of names on it, thankfully only one of them was Daric Loo.
"Here's the transactions for the last month." He said handing the computer over and Jules scanned it. Nothing that stood out. Not even a plane ticket.
"Nothing." Jules said, handing the laptop back and Twinkie backtracked slightly.
"You got another name?" He asked. Jules racked her brain.
"Ben Manibag." He nodded and typed quickly. Then Jules let him scroll through the pages as she read over his shoulder. "What's this for Jules?" He asked and Jules shook her head.
"You do not want to know kid." When nothing stood out Jules shook her head. "No that's not it." She tried to remember anything that she could use. She didn't even know where the incident had occurred. They could have a fraud. That could work. But in who's name. "If I was trying to hide from someone, and I didn't have much common sense, what kind of name would I use?"
"For me girl, it's all about being obvious. No-one ever picks it up." Jules nodded.
"They wouldn't use Hans name. Too much trouble . Wait…" She jumped up and ran over to the railing, the height not even bothering her because of the urgency. "Han?" He looked up from under the hood of the orange and black Mazda. "What was your cousins name?" Hans brow furrowed briefly and she wasn't sure if it was in anger or thought but he answered her.
"Hu, Virgil Hu." Jules nodded, not giving herself time to feel guilty for bringing up Hans cousin Jules sat back on the couch.
"Virgil Hu."
Sure enough the moment the name came up a list of charges came up.
"You've got to be kidding…" She said staring at the amount of stuff that had been bought under the fake name. "See if there's any airline tickets and motel charges."
"Here we go…" Twinkie scrolled through the pages. "Who is this dude? He must be loaded. First class? LAX to Tokyo landed yesterday at 12 PM. I say it again, man." Jules looked over his shoulder.
"Shit…"
"And he's shacked up in the Crowne Plaza." He said, looking up at Jules. "Do you know this guy?" Twinkie asked, trying to suss the situation.
"He's dead Twink, he has been for seven years." She said, still staring at the pages and pulling out her phone. "Can you get me the number for the Crowne Plaza?" Twinkie typed into his search engine and produced the contact details which Jules quickly typed into her phone. "Thanks Twink. Totally owe you one." She said jumping up and running down the stairs to Han.
When she reached him he stood up straight from the car and dropped the hood.
"I hope you gave Twinkie that deposit." She said coyly holding up her phone with the number typed in ready to call.
"What's that?"
"The number for the Crowne Plaza, where Mr Virgil Hu is staying." Han took the phone she extended him. "Time to use some of that charm I know so well." With a smile Han pressed send and held the phone to his ear. Jules watched on in admiration as Han flirted in Japanese with the woman on the other end of the line.
"My business partner isn't answering his phone and he's got a heart condition, his wife is worried, I was wondering if there is anyway you can connect me?" He asked and he seemed to wait for the call to be connected. "I'm on my way there now, can I possibly get a key?" He nodded and spoke quickly and Jules grinned as he shut the phone and threw it back to her.
"I am in awe." Jules laughed as Han fished the keys of the skyline from his pocket and handed them over.
"Go home, lock the doors and set the alarm. Don't go anywhere until I call you." Jules nodded at his serious tone.
"Be careful. Please don't kill anyone." She said softly and leant up to kiss his cheek. Han nodded.
"I won't." Han kissed her lips quickly before walking over to the Skyline and opening the door for her. "Take your time going home, just in case, watch for a tail." Jules nodded, not game enough to question the seriousness in his voice. Climbing in she pulled on her seatbelt and started the car, letting Han close the door and pat the roof before she pulled out onto the street.
She was just pushing through her door into her dark apartment when her phone rang and she answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, are you home?" Hans voice asked as she typed in the alarm code and sat the keys on the kitchen bench.
"Just walking through the door. What happened?" She asked, stopping and waiting for an answer. She could hear him changing gear and realised he was driving.
"They weren't there." He shifted and exhaled and she guessed he was smoking again. "Just stay there. I'll call you." Then there was a click and he hung up.
"Thanks." She muttered and went to turned the light in the kitchen on and jumping with fright. "Jesus Christ! What are you doing here?" She shouted at the figure and lifted her phone quickly to dial Han but it was knocked out of her hand before everything went black.
A/N: Da dum…wow how dramatic! I hope it was alright. So I just finished watching Die Hard 4.0 – it was on TV and guess who's in it? Sung Kang. Thought that was pretty cool- he had long hair and isn't half as hot as he is as Han but oh well... Also the song for this one "Wayside" by Birds of Tokyo was sung as I wrote this on TV as well so guess it was just fate. If you believe in fate- Review! x