Camera Flash~

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down

You'll be alright; No one can hurt you now

Come morning light,

You and I'll be safe and sound-Safe and Sound, Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars

Kanda was roughly pushed into a cell. The policemen slid the bars close and left Kanda alone in the tiny room of two by two.

He grunted inwardly and sat on the cement bench, holding his head between his hands. His brain hadn't finished processing the sudden turn of events. One moment, he was watching Tykki being blamed, and the other, he was dragged to the Detention House like a criminal.

"That bitch…" he hissed disdainfully, remembering Lulubell's dirty, low and pathetic, yet successful, trick. No wonder why she cornered him in the elevator and seduced him, murmuring incoherent phrases. He should have suspected that it was all a part of a scheme. Nonetheless, a part of him, he admitted shamefully, wanted it to be real so badly that he let himself go.

In some sort of way, he never got over Lulubell. They never had what is called 'a closure'; she simply walked away and he decided that he didn't care enough to reproach. Furthermore, since Keira showed up, he barely thought of Lulubell, so Kanda classified it as 'past history'.

Apparently, it was not that 'past'.

"Filthy bitch." He spat again.

A curvaceous figure stood by the right edge of the cell, "What bitch?" her soft voice asked.

Kanda lifted his gaze and clenched his hands into fists. A mocking grin spread across her beautiful face and her golden eyes sparkled in a devilish way. He barely restrained himself.

"What do you want, bitch?!" he hatefully snarled, glaring at her with all his might.

"Sweetheart, the question is 'what do you want?" she chuckled derisively and leaned on the bars, closer to Kanda, "I can help you."

"You got me into this, whore!" Kanda barked, "Fuck off!"

"You're not listening to me, koishii." She sweetly smiled at him and caressed the bar with a thin finger, "I know how to get you out."

"I don't want anything from you!"

"Alright, then stay in jail." Lulubell blew her fingernails and examined them absentmindedly, "Penalty is ten years minimum for getting laid with an underage." She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow, "You cannot sell movies from prison."

Kanda growled. His blood boiled and his temples started to throb from the badly contained anger.

"Unless you join Noah family." She murmured, looking around to make sure no one heard, "We know how to do this. We can take you out and clean your reputation."

Kanda blinked, thunderstruck as understanding dawned upon him. So this was her plan from the beginning. She got him into jail to blackmail him afterwards. The corners of his eyesight started to acquire a red color, while the blood pressure increased until his whole head throbbed. He launched against the bars and clutched them tightly, his knuckles going white and his tendons straining the tender skin.

"Get away from me." He acidly muttered, his forehead almost touching hers, " .bitch."

She laughed softly, throwing her breath to his face, "The offer will be open until tomorrow, Kanda. Think about it."

Said this, she turned around and left.

Kanda kicked the wall violently and slid down to the floor. A guard warily stared at the man and yelled something he didn't hear. Kanda hugged his knees and rested his head on them.

This couldn't be happening. Not to him. Not now…

He pictured the media outside the Detention House, the T.V. bulletins, the magazines and the newspapers with his face in the cover. He thought of Tiedoll, of Fujimoto, but, overall, he thought of Keira.

A part of him, the evil one, wanted to blame her for everything: the sex, the fire in the woods, the involvement in all this bullshit... However, whenever he pictured the desolated look in her eyes and the void imprinted in them, he couldn't help feel compassion for the girl.

She never wanted any of this. She couldn't see the consequences of her actions and, even if she could, that would have changed very little.

No, the fault was Leverrier's. Now he believed her. It made sense: the recorded phone call, the proofs that Mototo offered, and Allen and Lenalee's story pointed to the same direction. In some way, Keira always knew it, she sensed it, but no one believed her.

If her mother had believed Keira, would it have made a difference?

That was useless brooding, however. What Kanda had to think of was how he'd get out of here. The judge said that the session would be continued –and hopefully, terminated- tomorrow. Would Kanda get a new lawyer by then, or were Watanabe and Sato going to defend him as well? Was Keira testifying?

Even if it was for his own good, Kanda didn't want to see Keira up on the dais again. Last time, the stupid Portuguese moron almost broke her down.

Upon thinking about her, the girl's stunned face reappeared in his mind. He wondered how she was coping with this, if she had eaten, if Lavi…

No, he didn't want to think about Lavi being with Keira in those harsh moments. That dimwit would probably put on his face of compassion and understanding, and harass Keira to no end arguing that 'he was just worried'. Lavi didn't know how to treat Keira. He just looked at her like the replacement of his ex-girlfriend. To him, the young actress was nothing more than a cherished doll that he had to look after.

He didn't see what Kanda saw: a strong, confident girl that was put to the edge. That was Kanda's definition of Keira, and he was sure it was the right one. Unlike Lavi, Kanda felt no pity and didn't look down at her. He respected Keira as an independent woman and gave her the space she needed, and it had worked so far.

He got her better than Lavi, because, somehow, Kanda suddenly realized, they were alike. Even when they repelled themselves, at the same time, they were so complex that they needed each other, an equally complex person, to feel less alone.

After all, what is infatuation but an endeavor to defeat loneliness?

And he was infatuated with Keira. The feeling was unmistakable.

He gasped.

Could he possibly be…could it be possible…really possible that he was in love with Keira? Did Keira, the most stubborn, pigheaded, short-tempered and insufferable yet loyal and bravest girl he had ever met get so deep into his skin?

The answer left him breathless.


Sometimes, you need to get away; away from the things that are stronger than you and bigger than you'll ever be. Sometimes, in order to face catastrophes, you have to hide for a while, gather stamina, strength, will…and then come back, refreshed and ready.

But, what if I don't wanna go back? What if I'm not strong enough for this?

Keira sat down on a swing. She was in the park where Kanda and she rehearsed some lines for the Drama Club, at the beginning of the school year. Although the practice had been only a few months ago, it seemed to Keira like another life in a completely different era. Everything was so simple back then that she felt silly for complaining.

She looked at the sunset. Gray clouds hovered above her head and she thought that it wouldn't be long before it started to rain…or snow. Her mind registered the similarity of this day with that other one, when Kanda abandoned her in the middle of a downpour. It was sickly funny how the roles inversed, and now she was the one here, forsaking Kanda to his luck.

Whether she wanted it or not, though, she was conscious that her obligation was to go back. She owed Kanda at least that much. But, how would she defend him? With what strength? With what will? She was so tired…

Keira knew what the right thing to do was. After all, Kanda was always the one saving her, helping her out in the emotionally difficult situations.

She recalled the day of the photoshopped picture Aiko had distributed and how Kanda had cheered her up in his own twisted way. The day that she got sick and he lodged her in his apartment also popped out from her memory storage. Other scenes came along with it: the night she threw him in the fountain, the depictive glare he gave her while she ate a cheeseburger, that other day when he dragged her to the rooftop and she openly insulted him, her first kiss, the kiss in the Halloween party, the make-out sessions…

Her stomach shrank and tears attended her eyes. Keira couldn't imagine life now with him behind bars, away from her, secluded in a three by three room and surrounded by serial killers and robbers.

After all the things they went through, Keira couldn't be without Kanda. So she had to save him, not because she owed it to him, not because it was the best for him or it was the right thing to do.

No, she ought to save him because she needed him to be with her.

A cold wind tangled her hair and she shivered. It was getting late and she had no money to pay for another cab to take her back to Lavi's.

Embarrassed, self-conscious of how foolish her behavior had been, she pulled out her cell phone and started to dial his number, thinking of how she'd give him the indications of her actual position.

However, in the last minute, a sudden revelation hit her like a train, leaving her breathless. She hastily looked through her contact list in search of another name as the engines of her brain worked out a crazy plan.

There was only one person in this world as interested as she in saving Kanda.


"Did you have to tell Allen?" Keira raised an eyebrow, remembering how much Kanda and Allen used to fight. She wasn't paranoid or anything, but she really, really wanted this to work out.

Lenalee shrugged and smiled, "We made a great team in Esashi."

Allen grinned and passed a hand through his hair, "He is a pain in the ass, but, well…"

Keira narrowed her eyes, "Are you sure?"

"I won't sabotage you, Keira-chan." He showed his palms in a peaceful gesture and smiled nervously, "BaKanda is my co-worker after all."

Lenalee rolled her eyes, "What Allen means is that he and Kanda are friends in some degree."

Suddenly, Keira felt ashamed for doubting Allen's good intentions. She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh, "I didn't mean to…well…"

"I get it." Allen patted her shoulder reassuringly and looked up at Kanda's building complex, "How are we gonna get in?"

"I'll take care of that." Lenalee smiled with a shrewd glimmer in her pretty eyes. She waltzed to the guard's kennel and leaned on it while talking charmingly to the chubby man.

Allen and Keira shuffled their feet awkwardly. After confessing her sin to the entire world, Keira expected her friends to be judgmental and morbidly curious. Maia and Yamamoto had called the day before with the pretext of checking up on her, but it didn't take much wit to unravel the true intention behind their inquisitions. She refused to give away any kind of dirty detail, and they gave up soon after that was clearly settled.

With Allen and Lenalee, Keira waited for something similar, especially when Lenalee was practically Kanda's best girl friend. However, no creepy questions came from neither of them, and Keira silently thanked the thoughtfulness.

When Lenalee finished, the gates were automatically opened. Allen cocked an eyebrow and sent her an inquisitive glance. Lenalee shrugged, "I told him who we are. He gave us thirty minutes to go in and find what we need."

"Will he testify in our favor?" Keira wanted to know.

Lenalee shook her head, "He claims to never have seen Lulubell, but I got a glimpse of the list of strangers that come in and go out. Not many people visit Kanda."

"So?" Allen inquired.

"A woman's name was written down. I've never heard of it, so I'm guessing it's Lulubell. That means she didn't enter with Kanda and she walked in voluntarily."

"They will have an alibi prepared for that." Keira frowned, thinking about the Noah's incredible ability of making up fake situations that sounded real, "We need the guard that was in shift that moment."

"We'll get the information from the lobby." Lenalee assured, "Allen, did you contact Mototo-sama? Maybe we'll need him to look at classified data."

Allen nodded as they walked past the gates and into the small plaza beyond, "He'll be here in ten minutes. Want me to wait for him?"

"Yes, thanks." Lenalee agreed, "Keira and I will go in there and interrogate the watchman. If you have problems with security, call me, although I already told him."

Said this, the two girls walked in the building nonchalantly. They glanced around warily, making sure no suspicious men observed them.

Keira let Lenalee do all the chat. The girl was good at it, after all, and Keira had never been quite the social person. She liked to stay quiet and observe other people's demeanor. Therefore, Lenalee and she made a good team.

Since it was past eight o'clock, the night watchman was already doing his rounds when the two girls arrived. Lenalee interrogated him about the happenings of that night, and found out, with great delight, that he had been the one filling up his shift when Lulubell showed up. He described her as a rather handsome, elegant woman, and told them that she ran into the elevator right after Kanda took it.

"She gave me money," the naïve guard, a young watchman with incipient stubble, told them in a confused tone, "She commanded me to forget her. Truthfully, I didn't like her much, so I reported her to security."

Good man! God, Jesus, Alá or all of them together, bless you! Keira excitedly thought. She observed the man under a new light, one that elevated him to the level of a saint.

Lenalee's lips curved up a little and she asked, "What did they do?"

"Nothing in particular since she didn't do anything illicit." The watchman replied, "But they have the tape, I guess. However, only security members can go into the vigilance room."

The Chinese nodded knowingly, "I understand."

Said this, Keira and Lenalee waited patiently for the next twenty minutes. As time ticked by, an eerie feeling clung stronger and stronger to Keira's stomach. She looked at her cell phone.

8.40

Mototo was supposed to have arrived ten minutes ago. She looked inquisitively at Lenalee and, by her concerned expression, deduced that the Chinese was feeling the same way as her.

Keira had the sudden hunch that something was terribly wrong.

Allen entered the lobby and gazed at them with tremulous eyes. He gingerly approached the girls and gulped, "Mototo is not answering his phone. And the guard wants us out."

Lenalee and Keira exchanged preoccupied glances. The Chinese, obedient by nature, reluctantly started to walk towards the exit, downcast.

"Ten more minutes." Keira stubbornly stated, hitting the ground with her foot emphatically.

Allen raised both eyebrows, taken aback by her adamancy, "Kei, this is private property. What we're doing is already-"

"Then let the stupid guard come and drag me outta here." She declared, crossing her arms and holding her ground like a spoiled kid. She couldn't ignore the frenetic pace of her heartbeat that urged her to remain where she was and, at the same time, commanded her to plan something else because Mototo was not going to show up.

They were here, so close to the truth that walking out would be such a waste.

"We'll return in the morning, Kei." Lenalee soothingly said, "The trial won't start until midday."

"No." Keira capriciously exclaimed. Had everybody already forgotten who she was? "I'm Keira Onozawa." She reminded to Lenalee, Allen, the world and herself. The pronouncement of her name bestowed her a new kind of forsaken energy. For so long, she had been Keira The Actress, Keira The Slut, Keira The Victim. No more. She was Keira Onozawa.

Kanda needed Keira Onozawa. It was time to stop being a whining baby and become somebody's hero. She couldn't save her mother and she couldn't protect Lavi. That was not going to change. Yet, she was still in time to save Kanda. This was her wake up call.

No more Keira The Whining Baby.

"I'm Keira Onozawa and I'll get this done tonight." She assured, darting a determined, haughty gaze to her friends, daring them to challenge her newly recovered identity.


Kyo Mototo was not a man that got easily intimidated. That was probably the reason why, albeit having the elemental education only, he became chief of Esashi's police department.

He was also a sly, cunning man. He knew where to look for information, he intuited which were his enemies' weaknesses, gazed beyond the physical proofs, and took advantage of every opportunity.

If he had had the money, he'd have become an excellent lawyer. Unfortunately, life was not that easy for the son of fishermen.

However, Kyo Mototo was a grateful, happy man. He was married to a wonderful woman and had two beautiful daughters; his income was large enough to keep his family well fed and dressed. There was nothing in his life to complain about.

Except now. After almost a week in Tokyo, he was starting to feel homesick. He was not a businessman, so Kyo had never been away from his family for so long.

He thought of his wife as he walked out the hotel and scanned the street in search of a cab. He had just gotten Allen's text message with the androgynous actor's address. Apparently, there was something that they wanted to investigate within his apartment complex.

The familiar flash of yellow caught his eye and he stretched one arm towards the car. The cab pulled over to let Kyo climb to the passenger's seat.

He mumbled a hasty greeting to the driver without looking at him. Then, he pulled out his cell phone and dictated the address.

When the man replied with a confirmation, Kyo turned around to see him, taken aback by the high-pitched voice.

Instead of 'he', it was a 'she'; the voluptuous chest gave her away immediately. She was wearing an Ed Hardy, white cap, and sunglasses that prayed Prada on the side. Her slim hands were covered by leather, driving gloves, and a Rolex circled elegantly her left wrist.

Kyo got an icky feeling in the pitch of his stomach. What kind of taxi driver wears such expensive brands and drives around with them?

The sound of someone shifting on the backseat reached Kyo's ears. He straightened his back and moved his right ankle closer to the border of the seat. One of his hands discreetly reached out for the hidden gun that he always attached to his leg.

Kyo gingerly glanced to the backseat. Two young men, a blonde and a black-haired one, grinned creepily at him and pointed at the officer with a couple of elegant 9 mm.

"Hello,-" the blonde one smiled, showing off perfect, white teeth.

"-good officer." The other one completed with the same teasing, gleeful expression.

Kyo grasped the handle of his weapon and groaned, "What's going on?"

"If I were you," the driver woman said in a smug undertone. She slid a piece of paper across the dashboard and tapped the surface, "I'd sit down and behave. Hoshi and Izumi are really adorable."

Kyo's marrow froze upon listening to his daughter's names. In slow motion, he fixated his eyes on the square of paper and realized with increasing horror that it was a photograph. Two girls, one of thirteen and the other of eleven, smiled back at him from the brilliant paper.

How did they get the information? He always kept his family as far away as he could from his work. He never said anything about them to anyone in the office. He protected them…he always protected them…

"Where did you get that?" he asked in a choked tone that he inwardly cursed. His heart was racing and all his muscular fibers tensed up in anticipation. There was no point in pretending oblivion or dementia. These people knew what they were doing.

"We have our means." The blonde man cackled excitedly, earning a reproaching glare from their hostage.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the raven man started to recite Kyo's home address, telephone number, the girls' school name and their extracurricular activities. He also talked about Michi and the restaurant she worked in.

"Darling," the woman sweetly smiled, not turning around a single time, "You either shut your mouth or they," she tapped Hoshi's forehead emphatically, "shut theirs."


When the guard came to escort them out, Keira followed him meekly. She pretended to walk down the street and turned around the corner to be left out of the guard's sight.

Allen and Lenalee followed her with interrogative, doubtful expressions. Keira had an idea of the way they looked at her now: a crazy, desperate girl that was willing to break every rule and every law just to save Kanda.

And they were right. This time, Keira was going to do anything that had to be done in order to help the actor. After all, she had nothing left to lose.

Keira looked around in search of any security camera. A tall, metallic fence surrounded the cubical bushes of the garden that was inside the complex. There was no real challenge in jumping over them. The only thing that worried Keira was the growing darkness, which would make it impossible for her to look where she landed.

Nonetheless, ignoring her friends' requests and suggestions, Keira climbed the fence and passed a leg to the other side of the railing, transferring her weight to her arms. Her foot brushed the bushes' leaves tentatively.

While she pondered whether to jump past the bushes or let them cushion her fall, her right arm buckled under her weight. Her body started to bend towards the peaked end of the vertical bars. As a matter of reflex, Keira hastily swung her other leg over the fence and propelled herself to the other side.

The thin branches pinched her back in several spots. She groaned and rolled on her side, crushing twigs and dry leaves until she dryly hit the floor.

She remained there, face down, mentally analyzing the state of her body while she slowly recovered her breath. Her back was sore and her elbows were scraped. The dirt she had fallen on was hard, cold and dry, almost like pavement.

Something moist and light fell on the tip of her nose. She spotted a tiny, white ball before it melted with her respiration. Similar figures started to surround her body and she tilted her head up with a dreadful sensation spreading across her chest.

It was snowing.

Nice, she sardonically snarled, the first day that snows had to be this. Does God hate me or what?

Keira sat up with a groan and observed her surroundings as she shook off the dirt from her clothes. She was in some dark corner of the garden, at the right side of the building. The edifice's lights shone several yards in front of her, and in the plaza, a guard made its rounds silently.

What was she going to do now?

Well, first of all, stay out of sight. Nobody could know that she was there, or they'd send her to jail for breaking in.

Then…Allen had mentioned something about modern cameras' chips. Keira was not going to be able to get into the security room; that was doubtless. Besides, Lulubell was not a stupid woman. She wouldn't let anyone stay with the proof of her devious seduction, so they must have bribed another guard or stole the tape.

Therefore, Keira was planning to break in the lifter and dismantle the camera. She hoped she could get away with the chip before they caught her.

Carefully, she stood up.

"Keira?" Lenalee whispered from the other side of the fence. Keira caught a glimpse of her across the dry branches.

"I'm okay." She murmured back, glancing around in case someone approached her. "I'll be out in a second."

"We'll be here." Allen assured, "Text if you need help. You sure you don't want us there?"

Keira shook her head. This time, she was the only one taking risks. No more dragging innocent people with her.

The girl rounded the building, always in the shadows, like an inconspicuous ghost, in search of an alternative entrance.

She tried with the exit door, but it could only be opened from the inside. Then, she saw the common garage. It was dark, afar from the principal entrance and without any door or gate.

Keira shivered as she silently slid into the quadrangular, wide space. Snowflakes were starting to pile up on her shoulders and whitened the hard, brown, infertile ground. Upon entering the roofed parking lot, Keira thanked for the protection against the snow and the chilly wind that blew outside.

However, the reigning darkness soon made her take back her gratitude. Not even her cell phone's screen managed to light up more than a few inches ahead of her. She tried to remember the structure of the garage and walked blindly between the rows of cars. The lifter doors were at the end of the aisle; she just needed to get there unseen.

Not a single soul crossed her way. Relief filled her when her fingers touched the cold metal in the farthest wall. Her hands roamed along the wall until she felt the buttons.

The interior of the lifter was well illuminated and cozy. She had to blink several times before her eyes adjusted to the yellow light. Then, she carefully observed her surroundings in search of anything helpful.

She pressed no buttons, expecting the elevator would remain unmoved for a while. After all, it was snowing, and she doubted –and hoped- nobody went out with that weather.

Her eyes fixated on the camera at the left corner behind her back. It was a conventional device, black and small.

Keira stretched her arm only to confirm that the camera was out of her reach. She was going to have to get onto something, although there were no useful objects around… except for an aluminum bar extended in front of the wall-length mirror that was opposite the doors.

Her equilibrium would be precarious and it was a rather perilous plan, but it was the only one she could think of. She put one foot tentatively on the bar, and placed her left knee beside it. Her hands gripped the bar at her feet tightly, and she tried to remember the cheerleading lessons.

This was nothing like cheerleading, though, and nobody was underneath her to catch her fall.

There was an edge where the mirror had been assembled above her. She could use it as another support.

Slowly, very slowly, she tried to extend her hand towards the free border and stand. Nonetheless, her feet lost balance and her rump pulled her to the cold, carpeted floor.

The impact shook her sacrum, and then travelled up her spine to the base of her skull. She groaned and gently rubbed her coccyx. However, she didn't procrastinate pitying herself for the painful fall. The minutes were ticking by.

Keira stood up and tried to get onto the bar once again. It took her three more failed attempts to finally grip the mirror's edge with one hand and grab the base of the camera with the other. Her legs trembled, yet, she commanded them to be firm and steady.

"Come on, come on…" she mumbled to herself and analyzed the camera's structure with critical eye. She wanted to do it the right way, without having to dismantle it, but, the more time she spent in that precarious position, the more she convinced herself that she had to destroy the device and reveal its secrets.

She embedded her fingers in a slot on the other side of the camera, the one that wasn't visible to her. Her hand pulled, but nothing happened.

One of her feet shook violently and menaced with slipping off the bar. Keira ground her teeth and tried to rip off that side of the camera stubbornly.

Suddenly, the lifter trembled and buzzed. Refusing to let go, Keira grabbed the camera with both hands as her legs yielded. She was left suspended in the air, hanging from the stupid camera.

Keira insisted even then. The doors were likely to open up any moment now, and she was not going away without the fucking chip. She forced the slot open and dug her fingers into it.

The elevator shook again when it stopped. Keira fell on her knees and the pieces of the destroyed camera bounced around her.

She eyed the remains frantically, looking up for something that looked remotely like a chip. There was a cracked screen, black screws, and other things that she could not name.

The doors opened. An authoritative voice called her, but she didn't lift her gaze. Finally, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a tiny, black, flat square that said 16GB. She picked it up a second before someone pulled her by the arm.

Keira impulsively put the chip inside the left cup of her bra, where her subconscious told her no one would find it, and glanced at the intruder.

It was a tall, strong man with a black beard. He was wearing a blue uniform; the same the guard Keira and Lenalee had previously talked to wore. Behind him, two equally dressed men looked at Keira with curiosity.

"Uh…uhmm…hey…" she dumbly stuttered.

The man with the beard scowled, "Come with us."


If they had told Keira at the beginning of the year that she'd end up in the Detention House, in the female section, she wouldn't have believed it.

Yet, in some sort of way, she couldn't imagine herself ending up somewhere else. It was as if every decision, every step and every path had leaded her to this outcome.

And, as she sat down on a wooden bench behind the bars, Keira realized that she didn't regret anything, not even the night spent with Kanda. It might have carried them a lot of trouble but, in its moment, finding refugee in Kanda's arms was what Keira needed the most. She hadn't acted under the influence of a whim or a suppressed desire; the energy that wheeled her moves came from the purest and most sincere necessity.

"Onozawa Keira, you have a visitor." A hoarse voice announced.

Keira looked up and found Lavi's concerned expression. She hadn't responded any of his phone calls since that day's trial, and she felt slightly guilty. Then again, though, she didn't regret it at all.

"Keira, what the hell happened?" he exclaimed in an alarmed tone. He gripped the bars that separated the actor from the young girl and gazed at her with preoccupation, "Lenalee and Allen are out there, but they'd only let one of us get in."

Sensing that this was probably her only chance, Keira stood up and approached Lavi. She rapidly unbuttoned the top part of her shirt and looked down at her breasts.

"Keira?" A very confused and unsettled Lavi called.

Keira, not really minding the compromising view Lavi had to behold, explored the inside of her cup until her fingers gripped the tiny square. Afterwards, she put a finger on Lavi's lips to silence him and slid the chip in his breast pocket.

"I hope this is what Allen was talking about." She murmured, "Please, give it to him. They'll explain everything to you. Now, go, you must not waste time."

Lavi blinked owlishly, bewildered, and nodded.


The next trial passed by in a blur. Kanda didn't understand much. The only thing that mattered to him was the news of Keira's detention.

To see her surrounded by guards and away from the lawyers was a great shock to him. He yearned to ask her what had happened, what stupidity she had done, but he was forced to be left on the periphery.

He didn't get much of the circumstances. The sleepless night, the mental fatigue and the emotional weariness made him lose interest in anything else that wasn't Keira's welfare and his freedom.

After almost two hours of discussion, a video of Lulubell and him in the elevator, Keira's defense of Kanda and the Japanese's explanation of the happenings, Keira and Kanda were sentenced guilty: He, for engaging sexual intercourse with an underage, and she, for forceful entry and destruction of private property.

However, they had the right to pay a bail and be released. That was the last thing Kanda understood before the judge closed the session. She said something else to Sato and Watanabe, who stood up and followed Keira back to the female section of the Detention House. Lulubell was arrested too for complicity, and she and Tykki were going to be deported back to Portugal along with the twins to be judged by the European justice system. They were no longer Japan's problem.

Kanda, as well, was escorted back to the tiny cell they had assigned to him. Being a famous man had its advantages even here. He realized this when the two guards left him in a separate, more private room with a mattress instead of a dirty bench to sleep on.

After that night, things seemed to finally go back to normal.


A week later…

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lavi worriedly asked.

Keira locked gazes with him and smiled faintly. His eyes gave away an illogical tenderness beyond comprehension. She still couldn't understand how he managed to still love her after all the shit she put him through. Keira guessed his feelings were always going to be a mystery to her.

"I have to." The girl replied in a tiny voice. Her stomach was a riot, and even her bowels made funny noises. Upon looking at the main entrance of Black Order High School, her heartbeat accelerated like a freshman's on the first day of class.

"Then," Lavi leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead softly, "good luck." Since the argument in Hong Kong, there had been no kisses in the mouth or especial displays of couple affection. He still looked after her, hosted her and paid for every need she had without asking anything in return. It hurt Keira to realize that they were so broken, that she was so secluded in her crumbling world to give him back anything at all.

It was wrong, and she had the horrible sensation that she was taking advantage of his money, time and feelings. Yet, she couldn't gather the strength and generosity of soul to let him go.

"Thanks." She half-heartedly murmured and slid out of the car.

Keira put on her earphones and tried to ignore the side glances the students gave her as she walked through the corridors. The music in her ears drowned the murmurs, but she still guessed what they whispered about when she passed beside some group of girls.

She tried to ignore them, she really tried, but the judgmental glances cowed her.

Wishing she was invisible, she silently swept into her classroom and gingerly walked to her seat beside the window.

Kanda stared at her from that same place. Keira's heart sank. Suddenly, she felt the need to cry.

His perfectly chiseled face wore the same arrogant, conceited and stubborn expression she acknowledged in him the first day they met. The flawless skin and haughty position made Keira's chest fill with nostalgia.

She dragged her feet reluctantly to the seat beside his and put down her schoolbag.

"Hi." She gently saluted.

Kanda only 'tsch'ed her. Nonetheless, he held her gaze and, in his eyes, Keira discovered something similar to…

"Keira!" a high-pitched voice excitedly exclaimed. Before she realized who the caller was, a pair of arms surrounded her neck and pressed her cheek against a rather flat stomach.

"You're back!" the same hands pushed her away and cupped her cheeks. Keira finally saw Maia's cheerful grin, "We were so worried! Are you fine? How did everything go? Did Nikkatsu pay the bail?"

With a weary smile, Keira told Maia and her friends all the important details of the trial, avoiding sensitive topics. During her whole tale, she noticed that everyone in the room had fallen silent and were listening to her with as much attention as Maia and Yamamoto. Even Aiko Nishimoto, who sent her deadly glares, pricked up her ears.

Miranda's entrance made Keira shut up, and she thanked the interruption. It was still really hard to talk about her experience. The feelings mixed up in an incomprehensible mass that summed up in one word: anxiety.


During brunch, albeit her friends' insistence, Keira refused to enter the cafeteria; instead, she sneaked into the theatre, seeking some comfort in the darkened, wide room.

Keira sat down cross-legged on the stage. Before Lavi dropped her at school, he made a fast stop to buy her a Subway. He knew even before her that the girl wouldn't find the guts to enter the most social area of school. The news and her face were on the cover of every teen magazine and in, at least, a thousand websites. Of course they were going to talk…and she was conscious that she had to get over herself and face them. She just didn't want to do that now…neither tomorrow, nor the day after tomorrow…

Keira sighed and unwrapped the baguette. Maia and Yamamoto had offered her some company, which she rejected as well. She just needed to be alone.

Or not…

The steps were so familiar that she didn't have to turn around. Beside her, a figure, tall and imposing, sat down.

"Why did you do it?" he abruptly questioned.

Keira knew what he was talking about. Yet, she asked, "Why did I do what?"

"Steal the camera."

"I didn't steal the camera," Keira sharply corrected, "I stole the chip."

Kanda scoffed, "Whatever. Answer the question."

Keira gulped and stared at her food. She wasn't sure of how much she should tell Kanda. Her feelings were still unclear, and she didn't want to say anything compromising until she sorted out everything.

"It was my fault." She finally muttered, "My conscience wouldn't have let me live in peace knowing that you were in jail because of me."

To this, Kanda had no response. His silence, though, spoke for himself. Clearly, this wasn't the answer he was expecting, although it was the most logical one.

"It wasn't your fault." He said through clenched teeth after a while, "I should have stepped back."

"No."Keira automatically replied. She tenderly extended her hand and put it onto Kanda's, "You did the right thing."

Kanda blinked, bewildered, and gasped, "What?"

Keira shyly looked at him in the eyes, "I-" she seemed to choke with the words, "It's complicated…you…you wouldn't understand."

"Try me." He challenged.

Taken aback by his sudden interest, Keira gazed dumbly at his perfect face. "Why are you being so…kind?" she babbled.

"Tsch." Kanda casted his eyes away and clicked his tongue, "Answer the goddamned question."

Keira sighed and tried to wring an answer out of her brain. She frowned and traced circles on the back of Kanda's hand absentmindedly with her thumb. When she realized what she was doing, she jerked back her limb and crossed her arms.

"I was…" she flinched, "I had many emotions inside. I…When you…ugh." Her blood pressure increased and her heart beat so fast that she could hear it, "When you…kiss me…and…well…touch me…everything else disappears." She gave him a quick sideways glance, "It's as if…the world…the problems…stop existing. Upon receiving the news, together with all the things that had already happened, I reached my limit, and I…I needed you to take me away, so I could feel, for a tiny moment, that nothing else existed but…" she left the sentence unfinished when she realized she had already said too much. Sheepishly, she glanced at Kanda.

His face was expressionless, the eyes fixated into the emptiness. He clenched and unclenched his hands into fists, and said nothing for a long while.

"It was selfish." She continued, "and stupid. I don't regret doing it, though." A shiver ran down Keira's spine, "Or I didn't regret it until you were incriminated…"

"Don't." Kanda abruptly interrupted. He sent her an intent gaze that Keira didn't know how to interpret, "Don't feel guilty. You did what you had to do. Laws don't contemplate situations like yours."

Keira swallowed loudly and nodded. She remained quiet for a thoughtful minute and then spoke again, "Do you regret it?"

Kanda exchanged a meaningful glance with her, "No."


Sooner than she thought, their lives recovered the frenetic routine of before. Keira found herself attending school in the mornings and recording at Nikkatsu in the afternoons. Thrice she had to skip a couple of lessons in order to shoot some scenes, but it was nothing extraordinary and few people noticed the absence.

The first days were the hardest ones at Nikkatsu. She had lost the sequence of the story and completely forgot her character. However, as days went by, and with the staff's endless patience, she got into Nakuru Dazai's skin once again.

Keira discovered with delight how good she felt after a hard day's work. Acting like an insensitive, capricious, spoiled bitch helped her take out all the suppressed wrath and frustration that she had been holding since Leverrier entered her life.

Probably that was why, according to Reever, her acting skills had improved. Eventually, Keira stopped thinking of her role as a duty, and started to look at it as a therapy and a distraction. Before she knew it, she was starting to enjoy shooting Geek in the Pink.

As hard as she tried to put her life together, though, there were still situations that made her remember her position and her past. In school, she avoided crowded places like the cafeteria or the gym. The furtive looks and the gossip got on her nerves. Several times she heard someone call her 'bitch' as she made her way through the corridors. In other occasions, freshmen and sophomores approached her and pretended to be her friends, but Keira knew it was all for the fame.

In conclusion, half of the school hated and despised her for what she did to Lavi and Kanda, while the other half admired Keira for the same thing. Both halves made her nauseous.

Another obstacle in her way to recovery was her stay in Lavi's house. Being there only reminded Keira of how ungrateful and unfair she was towards the American. Lavi was always kind and nice, and assured her that his feelings hadn't changed at all and that he was willing to give their relationship another chance.

What he didn't know was that, albeit saying nothing, Keira didn't want another chance. She had hurt Lavi in a horrible way, and he treated her like a doll instead of a human. It was clear to Keira how much of Lavi's love was made up and how much was natural, and it scared her. To him, she barely meant something else than the memory of a past love.

Yet, she didn't dare share any of that with him. Keira had already too much to deal with to add another round of arguments and emotions to the basket. Therefore, she decided to save the problem in the drawer for another couple of weeks.

In mid-February, they officially finished shooting the movie.

When Reever yelled 'cut', Keira straightened her back and looked at him wide-eyed. She was wearing a tiny short that revealed 90% of her slim legs, and her blouse's cleavage made her truly uncomfortable. Lavi handed her a blazer and hugged Keira tightly while everyone clapped.

"It's done." He whispered into her ear.

"Congratulations! Great job!" somebody yelled from the back of the studio.

Another pair of arms surrounded the young couple and Keira lifted her head to see the newcomer. Reever smiled proudly at them, "Good job."

"Is it…over?" Keira dumbly asked, breathless.

"Yep." Lavi undid the hug but kept an arm around her shoulders, "At least for us."

Keira opened and closed her mouth like a fish. She looked around, flabbergasted. She couldn't believe it was finally over, especially not after she was finally starting to enjoy it. A sensation of emptiness menaced to fill her gut, but she tried to keep it away, telling herself that this was probably the first of many movies.

A cork bounced near Keira's feet. She looked up and found Allen waving a bottle of cool cider. Lenalee distributed cups and beamed at everyone.

"It is not a celebration without alcohol." Allen exclaimed.

Keira flinched. She still remembered the first night she had gotten drunk and the morning afterwards, when her head felt like a hundred tons heavier. Her eyes wandered absentmindedly around the studio, searching Kanda subconsciously.

A foreign figure, tall and slim, stood by the doorway. The familiar white hair and soothing smile encountered Keira and he approached her.

Keira bowed politely and smirked, "Watanabe-sama, what brings you here?"

The old lawyer handed Keira a manila envelope, "We won the lawsuit."

Keira stared at the veins marked beneath Watanabe's pale skin. The conversation they had had more than a month ago attended her mind in unconnected fragments.

"Leverrier has not been found."

"We believe he changed his identity."

"He left his stocks, and the government confiscated the money."

"We'll demand the money for you. Since you're older-"

"Your father's insurance is yours by law-"

Keira remembered that much. She really wasn't paying a lot of attention, sick and tired as she was of all the law stuff and the trials. The only thing that she wanted to do was lay down and forget everything. She didn't care about the money and the insurance, as long as she had enough to eat and live peacefully, she was happy.

However, Watanabe and Sato insisted, and promised to carry out the lawsuit by themselves, without Keira's intervention until they obtained a response.

And the response, as it seemed, had already arrived.

With trembling hands, Keira grabbed the manila envelope and ripped it open, "You mean…we won…I…"

"You have your father's insurance." Watanabe affirmed with a smug grin, "And Leverrier's belongings have officially been transferred to you, except for the company." He twisted his mouth, "The associates divided that."

Keira read the first lines of the document that was in the envelope and panted, "How much money…?" she didn't finish the sentence when she saw the amount of her father's inheritance…

Watanabe recited such exuberant number that Keira needed a second to process the information.

She stumbled backwards and slumped on a chair, "Wow…"

"I told them to deposit it in your bank account created by Nikkatsu." He informed. Then, he delicately flipped the pages that Keira was grasping, "We need your signature here," he pulled out a pen and pointed to a line at the bottom of one of the pages, "And here, and over there. These are deeds of the house and the vehicles."

"So…everything is mine." Keira mumbled, thunderstruck. The years that her mother and she spent struggling with money rushed to her mind. She couldn't help blaming Leverrier for that, but the current wealth minimized the effect of her anger.

She was rich. She was fucking rich, and she didn't even have an idea of what she was supposed to do with that. Besides, in spite of feeling utterly relieved, the news didn't make her happy. Sad thoughts came to her mind, reminding her of what she had to lose in order to be wealthy. For a second, she considered to decline the offer. However, she did need the money.

"Yes." Watanabe softly replied, "Just sign this and it will be over."

"Over…" Keira repeated, overwhelmed. So, this was it. Leverrier was gone, and all his stuff was hers. The movie was done too, and now that she had money, she could move out of Lavi's house and make her own life apart. Moreover, she could pay Lavi and Kanda the money she owed them and be debtless.

This was it.

Moving like she was in a dream, Keira accepted the pen Watanabe offered her and signed on the lines he indicated. She was so abstracted in her thoughts that she didn't listen to the round of applauses and gleeful exclamations that surrounded her.


Allen, Lenalee and Keira accompanied Mototo to the airport.

Allen found him during the trial the day after Keira's break-in. Since he hadn't answered any phone calls the previous day, Allen had naturally got worried, and he scanned the officer in search of any physical injury or abuse. He looked fine, although he refused to talk or even look at him in the eye.

It took several weeks for him to contact Allen and explain what had happened.

"I'm sorry." Kyo Mototo apologized again.

"It's okay." Keira replied with a reassuring smile, "I'd have done the same."

Allen didn't miss the disappointed inflexion in her voice. He grimaced and glanced at her, taking in the rapid flash of sadness that crossed her eyes. Lenalee dedicated Allen a concerned look. She had noticed it too.

Mototo fixated his equally preoccupied gaze on Allen. He was still unsure of whether to return home or linger in Tokyo, due to Lulubell's threat. However, everybody knew where his place was, and he couldn't make his family and his job wait any longer.

Allen patted his arm and helped him with the suitcase, "Have a nice trip, Mototo-sama." He used the Japanese suffix as a show of respect, "Thank you for everything."

"Yes." Lenalee affirmed, shaking the man's hand and grinning up at him, "We wouldn't have been able to do all of this without you."

Mototo shook his head humbly, "I wish I…hadn't…cowed."

"That's okay, Mototo-sama." Keira occupied Lenalee's place and shook Mototo's hand gratefully, "You don't have to apologize for anything. I'm really sorry for dragging you into all this mess."

"Bah." Mototo dismissed Keira's guilt with a vague movement of his hand, "I did my job. Don't worry, child." He smiled at Keira and ruffled her hair fatherly, "Have a nice life, sweetie. Always keep looking forward."

"Thanks." Keira accepted the advice with a nod and walked Mototo to his gate, "Be safe."

Allen only waved the man goodbye and stayed by Lenalee's side.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" she delicately asked, looking at Keira and Mototo.

Allen stared at her perfect profile for a second and then averted his gaze, "I guess. The Noahs are no longer in the country."

"But Leverrier…"

"He'd be a fool if he comes back." Allen fiercely replied, wishing that it was true, "Interpol is looking for him. Anything that happens to Keira or any involved person from now on will be suspicious."

"That's no guarantee, though." Lenalee commented absentmindedly, but didn't push the topic.

Once Mototo was on the plane, the trio walked to the exit. There, Allen's Rolls Royce waited for them, as well as Komui's black sedan.

Allen's heart started to race. He had been thinking about doing this for a while now. A fast phone call and a verbal kick from Cross had encouraged him to do it. Yet, he never seemed to find the right moment, and now that Geek in the Pink was done and he had to return to London soon, he realized he couldn't afford wasting more time.

"Get in there." He indicated Keira, "I'll join you in a sec."

Allen didn't give Keira the chance to reply. He ran towards Lenalee and the sedan.

"Wait!" he scooted between two travelers and skid to stop beside her. "Lenalee-" he purposely gave his back to Komui's glare and looked into the pretty, brown eyes of the actress.

"Yes, Al?" she owlishly blinked, bewildered.

"I-" he felt like choking with his own tongue. He cleared his throat several times and babbled, "I want to…you know…ugh…amm…" blood warmed up his cheeks and his fingertips trembled.

Lenalee gave him a fond look, "Yes?"

"You…ugh…amm…you know…I mean…you're so pretty…inside…I mean! Outside too! You have awesome legs and…ugh, no, please, don't think I'm a pervert! I…what I what…I…"

A soft chuckle escaped Lenalee's lips. She cupped Allen's cheek tenderly and grinned, "I'm free tomorrow at six."

Allen opened his mouth to talk, moistened his lips with his tongue and…

And saliva went involuntarily down his throat. He coughed, and accidentally spit on Lenalee.

She jerked back immediately, "Allen, you okay?"

Allen kept on coughing. He closed his hands around his throat and tried to clear it, "Yeah…sorry…" he croaked.

Lenalee tried to approach him, but he extended an arm and kept her away, "No…no…oh my God…ugh" he swallowed again and straightened his back when the gagging feeling diminished.

"I'm so sorry, Lenalee!" he exclaimed in a horrified tone, embarrassed.

The Chinese girl laughed well-naturedly. At that moment, a horn made both teens jump. They turned around to find a vexed Komui glaring at certain British boy, "Lenalee, is this brat bothering you?"

Allen gave a step backwards, intimidated, "Amm…I…" he looked at Lenalee in search of support.

"No, Nii-san." She affirmed and subtly placed herself between Komui and Allen, "In fact, Allen-kun just asked me out."


A/N: Sorry for the delay. I know I promised you quicker updates but, sadly, a lot of shit happened in my life during these last weeks and I went through an emotional breakdown.

I, personally, hated this chapter. I tried to avoid any more trials and other repetitive, boring stuff that was pointless to write. However, I kept on disliking this chapter.

As you can see, though, things are getting back to normal :) or that's what Lavi and Kanda believe...hehehe

Reviews? I know this is bad, but don't be so harsh, huh?