A/N: Part two of the Ta to Ka Arc! Like I said last chapter, the name of this chapter is the name of the first segment of said chapter. Akai does appear in this chapter although technically, in DC canon, he doesn't infiltrate the Org until two or three years prior to the start of DC. That is the only fact I'm changing in this canon in accordance to Akai.
Warnings: More backstory!
Other (possibly irrelevant): Can anyone guess what the mysterious test tube substance is? I hope I made it recognizable enough. Oh, and there are address and such in this chapter… just know that they are fake. Please don't try to search them, you won't find anything.
Oh and since today is Kasuma's birthday in my timezone, I wanted to upload another chapter of this story. Though I almost forgot to do that whoops... I was busy and had other things on my mind that didn't involve any of my stories.

Today's quote is: "Sister Linda… Police… same category."—Mr. Ward

Double-M and KID vs. Conan: Betrayal

-6 Years Ago-

A test tube. One test tube rested alone within the ensnarement of a test tube rack. Its contents floated freely. Quietly… the red substance glowing like a blood-red moon. Beakers, microscopes, and flasks littered the large black table, the table's surface contrasting with the pure white walls. Computers lined the sides of these walls, every device in the use of a worker in this lab. Everyone except one… the shared computer of Takashi Kouichi and Kazuki—now Takashi—Hiromi, aka Montrose and Merlot respectively, two of the best scientists and high up in the syndicate's social status leveled with Pisco, Chianti, and Korn and underneath Rye, Gin, Vermouth, and Anokata (in ascending order). These two sat together, hunched over a small table, Merlot sitting quietly in Montrose's lap as the pair of them read, and reread, and re-reread the papers in front of them. The two of them didn't bother hiding their relationship, not from their fellow scientists. None of them would turn them in for showing weakness (they weren't—they thought), for none of them wanted Gin in their midst. None of them even wanted to be here in the first place but they all realized the consequences of leaving the organization: death. So why summon one of the best assassins to their nearly isolated laboratory? If it were Pisco or Vermouth, then that was another story. With Pisco and the head scientists, Montrose and Merlot themselves, friends and Vermouth's already frequent drop-ins, they didn't mind much. Sure, they were dangerous but they weren't the type to barge in and kill anyone in the most important section of the organization, Pandora's Box, like Gin would. For the most part, they were safe from their grasp.

But they weren't safe from Montrose's… "What the hell is THIS?!"

Montrose had shot up out of his chair, startling the woman on his lap as she jerked up as well. Merlot sent a worried glance to her companion and picked up another copy of the now crumpled sheet of paper. She moved back over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, honey," she said softly.

"I can't calm down." Montrose continued in a quieter voice, "Do you see this?" the crumpled paper appeared again and Merlot responded by sighing. Her response was taken as a 'yes,' "Do you realize what could happen if they found the solution to this? People weren't meant to live forever!"

"Montrose, we've worked on this for years and we still haven't found a way to duplicate it. It must not want to be copied; they won't get the elixir for the Fountain of Youth. From what I heard from Pisco, Waykamatayan lost the original source and Vermouth's been killing people 'in the know' whenever she finds them with their guard down. This abomination will be safe for a while. But we can't act out; we have to protect Kasuma and Takeo."

"We have to leave this place… I've known that but…" Merlot interrupted him by wrapping her arms around his neck from behind and placing a soft, quick kiss on his cheek.

"Ah re re? You two look comfy," a familiar, female voice commented.

Merlot pulled away slowly, intent on not revealing to the speaker the shock that the comment gave her. "Did ridding the world of that magician really ease this project? I've always wondered… You know, it's his anniversary today. Snake killed him exactly three years ago…"

The new visitor flicked away some of her long, platinum blonde hair before leaning on one side of the small table. "Who knows? How did you find out about that in the first place? The information wasn't supposed to be leaked from Waykamatayan to Ubique."

"There are birds, Vermouth. This place may be filled with crows but there are some small little sparrows with an ear for information," Merlot riddled.

"You wouldn't happen to want to slip some of that information to me would you? Maybe I could find some juicy details from one of them," Vermouth commented, her icy blue eyes demanding an answer out of her. "You do know, Merlot, that it's your job to notify Anokata about any traitors."

"Now, now," Merlot began, "I didn't say anything about traitors. If that were the case, someone, by now, would have ratted them out."

"So you're saying there are no rats?"

'Well, except for the FBI agent…' Montrose and Merlot thought simultaneously before Merlot answered, "I would have turned them in if there were. Do you really think that low of me Vermouth? I'm hurt."

"Well, I'll leave you to your work. We're hoping for good headway." Vermouth waved sloppily and promptly left the lab.

Montrose let out a sigh as Vermouth left and angrily threw the destroyed sheet of paper into the garbage can. "I can't stand that woman! She just gets worse with each passing year. Why was she here anyway…? I thought she was moved to the American sector last month."

"Oh but you know her tendency to ignore orders. She does things on her own… and she's Anokata's favorite, so no one would dare deny her."

Montrose growled, exasperated. "I can't focus now." In a louder voice, he announced, "Let's take a break for today and start again tomorrow."

Their fellow scientists packed their things and departed swiftly, thankful for the early release. After the last man left the room, Montrose closed and locked the door, pulling the blinds on the door and window down, blocking anyone from peeking inside the lab. The lone test tube was approached by Montrose and the man seized the tube, throwing the elixir filled object against the wall. The glass shattered and the red liquid dripped down the white wall, an accurate depiction of blood oozing down said white wall. Merlot started to protest but held her tongue as she curiously watched the furious man stride over to the main database in the lab and skillfully delete anything and everything about their project. Merlot finally found her voice, "Honey, stop please. You can't do this… Kasuma and Takeo will be in dang—"

"I know!" Montrose yelled. He started again in a quieter voice, "I know, but it's too late! Kasuma's already in danger. She's held their interest for years and they've recently decided to enter her in their ranks! She's eleven! We can't submit her to that, she already knows too much. And Takeo will be next; they're both in grave danger and our staying in the syndicate will not help their situation. Therefore, I'm destroying everything about this strange elixir and we're all going to relocate. Simply put: We're betraying the organization."

"'Betraying the organization means death, always remember that.'" Merlot mumbled, quoting Pisco's words when the two of them had first entered the ranks of the syndicate and were given their code names.

"Then so be it." Montrose answered.

-2 Months Later-

"Where are they?!"

"No one knows… Boss," Vermouth answered, keeping her distance in case Anokata decided to act upon his anger. "They just disappeared… their house has been evacuated… there's absolutely no evidence of them left. If they left the country, then they left under assumed names."

"And the Child?"

"Of course, they took the Child with them. They wouldn't dare leave her alone to fend for herself."

"Hmm…" Anokata leaned forward in his seat, hand folded with his chin resting atop it. "You're very partial of this Child… How about a test?"

"A test?" Vermouth quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes, a test. To test your loyalty," Anokata explained.

"You already know where my loyalties lay, Boss," Vermouth replied.

"Nevertheless, I'm testing you: Kill that family." It was too dark in that room for Anokata to notice Vermouth freeze in response. "They destroyed the Project anyway; they were asking to be cancelled. Now Akvavit and Cachaca have to build it up from scraps. Oh, and make sure to kill everyone. Even the Child. I don't care how useful she could be; kill her. Her parents gave her a death sentence the minute they destroyed the lab."

"I'll get right on it," Vermouth answered, giving a quick bow before leaving the room. For the first time in years, her poker face was unable to hide what she was feeling, her worry, grief, and pain shown in her icy blue eyes. 'It looks like I can't keep my promise to you… Hiromi. Let's hope you've got a good hiding spot…'

"Looks like something's bothering the unbreakable Vermouth," a deep, gruff male voice said then.

Poker face clicking fully into place, Vermouth let out a smirk. "Oh, I don't know about that… Rye." Her light blue eyes locked with his olive green ones. As per usual, Moroboshi Dai's long black hair was peeking out of his favorite dark blue beanie and his hands were in his pockets.

The young agent smirked. "It would be best for you not to show and weakness… there are plenty of other operatives just itching to catch you slip up so they can eliminate you."

"Hmph… are you really telling me what I should do…? Your superior?"

"No," Rye answered nonchalantly. "It was merely a suggestion. You, by any means, don't have to listen to me. After all… I'm not as powerful as you in terms of the Organization's hierarchy." Keeping the conversation brief, Rye continued on his way, leaving Vermouth to herself.

-10 Months Later-

"Is Mom sick again?" the twelve year old girl asked, peering expectantly at a man with black hair that was thrown around in a constant bed head.

"Mommy will get better right?" another child, a seven year old with bright, innocent blue eyes and dark hair much like his father's messy mop asked, "Mommy always gets better! Right onee-chan?" he turned his head to look at the girl behind him.

At first, the girl didn't respond in favor of staring at the closed door behind her father. The doctor, a very kind family friend, (the only one who knew the whole story) was still inside running tests and the like (what do they do anyway?) 'Those jerks! They did this to Kaa-chan, They're the ones killing her!' she thought angrily. 'And thanks to Them, we can't even take Kaa-chan to get a proper check-up.' "Of course, Takeo. And Kaa-chan will get better this time too." She said, not believing the statement herself. Constantly being around so many chemicals was never good for anyone. 'I wonder why Tou-chan wasn't affected in the same way. He was always with her but all those chemicals didn't do anything to him.' She turned to her otouto. "Takeo, why don't you try out that new game on your Game Boy?"

"Okay! But you have to play it with me. We can beat the bad guys together!" Takeo ran off, climbing the stairs to reach his room.

"I hate Them," the girlhissed, dropping her mask in order to let her true feelings show. "I hate Them all!"

"Kasuma," the man began, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I know how you feel, believe me I do. But there's nothing we can do to change the past. My becoming Montrose and your mom becoming Merlot, we can't change that but we can start over. No more syndicate, or codenames, or gems that cry tears of immortality. It's a new life. And maybe…" the man chuckled, "maybe we will inspire others to rebel as well. We need to take this group down one chess piece at a time."

"But if they find us… you said they presented an interest in me. What would they do to me?"

"They would bring you into their rankings. Just like they're doing to Atsushi and Elena's kids... You've only met them a handful of times. They have two daughters, Akemi and Shiho. Shiho is about your age and Akemi is about twenty. The organization is schooling Shiho here in America and Akemi has already been forced into the group. Maybe you can find them, Shiho most likely, as there's still a chance to save her and take down the organization with them."

"And Takeo? What about him?"

"Let's not think about that Kasuma-chan." A new voice said. Opening a door and walking out was their family friend, Sonoda Hitoshi, a short man with black hair and eyes. The man was still tan from jobs in Florida and Arizona and the dreary weather of the Willamette Valley didn't change that. The doctor strode over to Kasuma's father, Takashi Kouichi, and began whispering to him. Despite the hushed tones, Kasuma could still make sense of the conversation, "It doesn't seem like Hiromi-chan will be getting better any time soon. I know of some medications that may help but I need to attend to my other patients down at the hospital—"

"I can do it!" Kasuma immediately volunteered. "I'll pick them up! Just tell me what they are."

"Are you sure Kasuma-chan?" Hitoshi asked.

"I want to help my mom." Kasuma nodded, determination set in her face.

Hitoshi was silent as he exchanged looks with Kouichi. Finally Kouichi sighed and nodded. Hitoshi handed Kasuma a single sheet of paper. "Then… here. You don't need anything else except that paper. Show it to the pharmacy clerk and you should have no problems."

"Take some money as well, Kasuma," Kouichi said then. "And while you're at it, put on a disguise… nothing too drastic but at least make yourself look older. That way, you can use the motorbike and get there faster without raising any questions." With a nod, Kasuma ran up the stairs of their Central Oregon home and disappeared behind the doors of her room.

Hitoshi then turned to Kouichi and bowed slightly. "I'll be on my way then. The prescription for Hiromi-chan is sitting on the table by the door. When Kasuma-chan gets back, make sure to take a look at that." Having said this, Hitoshi grabbed his coat and hat and departed the house.

Soon after, Kasuma ran back out, a short strawberry blonde wig covering her dark hair. She grabbed a set of keys and ran out the door.

Sharon Vineyard stopped her advance when she heard an engine start up. The actress was currently wearing a loose pair of pants and a matching shirt, a black baseball cap holding all her platinum blonde underneath it. She hid behind a tree—a Douglas fir, by the looks of it—and watched as the motorcycle sped down the gravel driveway. She smirked sadly, 'I found you… Please don't bear a grudge against me.'

Sharon pulled out a pistol from underneath her shirt and checked the magazine. Full. With a sigh, Vermouth clamped on her poker face and walked parallel to the driveway, keeping to the security of the forest around her. The house she was seeking soon came into view, a large three story house that blended well with its surroundings. The front door was locked (she figured it'd be) so she pulled out a set of lock picks and began working at the doorknob. After a minute or so, the door clicked open and Vermouth walked in. She pulled out a small handgun and palmed it in case someone inside was ready for an ambush. In the meantime, while there was still no one around, Vermouth pulled out her phone and inputted a familiar number, the keys quietly playing a familiar tune. 'Karasu… naze naku no…? Yes… why do I cry indeed.' She swiftly typed in a short message: 'Targets found. On the kill.' The moment she pressed send, someone grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back. Vermouth dropped the phone out of pure shock, no sign of said shock present in her expression.

"So Anokata sent you after us? Why am I not surprised?" Kouichi hissed as he managed the swipe the handgun from Vermouth's other hand. Ceasing struggle briefly, Vermouth awaited the moment Kouichi's grip around her wrist loosened. The moment coming soon after, Vermouth twisted out of his grip, pulling out her pistol and angled it towards his forehead. Despite the situation he was in, Kouichi smiled. "If you shoot… without a silencer, nonetheless, Takeo will hear you."

Vermouth smirked, masking her true feeling about the situation. "Perfect. That's just what I want. Do you know what my orders were? 'Kill that family…' In other words, kill everyone." Kouichi's eyes widened briefly. "Gomen ne, Kouichi-kun." Vermouth pulled the trigger, Kouichi's body falling to the floor. Vermouth stepped over him and concealed the pistol. "But don't worry… I still plan on protecting your daughter. Just don't be cross if I decide to experiment a little." At the sound of the gunshot, the soft pattering of feet was heard. Vermouth slipped into a nearby storage room.

"Tou-chan?!" Takeo's voice rang out as he ran down the stairs. As the seven year old turned the corner and spotted his father's body, the boy fell backwards, eyes wide and scrambling away from the scene. "Tou-chan!"

In that moment, Vermouth immediately revealed herself and grabbed Takeo. She extracted a cloth moist with chloroform and pressed it against the boy's mouth and nose. "I'm sorry… Ta-kun…" Sharon whispered as she saw his consciousness slip away. Setting him down gently next to his father, Vermouth searched the house until she found a tank of gasoline. 'Prepared… just like always,' she thought as she threw the gasoline across the floor of the foyer. She then opened a nearby door, which held a sleeping Hiromi (well that was convenient), and spilled some gasoline in that room as well, tracing a trail that connected with the liquid in the foyer. Finally, she walked back to the main entrance and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and flinging it into a nearby puddle of gas, the liquid immediately catching fire. With one last look, Vermouth exited the house and calmly walked down the driveway.

"Ms. Vineyard…" Sharon froze, just as she had pulled out a pair of black gloves. "Why…?"

A twelve year old Kasuma stood in front of her, a small paper bag in her hands, eyes staring up at the women, absolutely betrayed. Sharon knelt down in front of Kasuma, placing a newly gloved finger in front of her mouth and whispering, "A secret make a woman, woman." She then rose and walked past the child, pulling out her pistol as she did. She removed the magazine and tossed it into the neighboring forest. She returned the gun to its position under her shirt. "Just know that I've got a soft spot for you Takashi Kasuma." 'May we never meet again… at least… not face to face,' she added silently. Vermouth then disappeared in the shadows.

Shakily, Kasuma pulled out a small cell phone and entered three numbers. "Hello, this is Officer Wilder," came the answering voice.

"Please help me," she whispered, her voice wavering drastically. "My house… it's burning. My parents… and brother… they're inside. They're inside!"

There was a pause from the officer on the other side of the line. Finally, he answered with, "Don't worry girl, we'll help you. You'll be alright. Can you please tell me where you are right now? Your address?"

"Uh huh," Kasuma whispered. "Um… my house is in the forest, there are trees within a twenty foot radius. The trees will die soon, please get her fast. My address is 91555 Ferry Way Monmouth, Oregon, 98248."

"Alright, we'll send a fire truck right away. Just stay right there, we'll be there right away."

The officer would soon find out that the caller never stayed. Just as the call ended, Kasuma called another number, running into the forest as she did so, running away from the house. Away from her now old life.

The tears wouldn't stop as Kasuma finally stopped next to a Douglas fir tree. Leaning against the tree, Kasuma slid down to the ground and buried her head in her knees. How long had she sat there? She would never know but the next thing she knew were the strong arms of her uncle wrapping around her upper body. "Come on Kasuma… let's go."

-4 Days Later-

Glass shattered. The frame lay face down on the floor across the room. Broken shards of glass surrounded the frame. Another picture frame was thrown across the room, slamming against the wall and landing with a dull thud on the carpeted floor. Again and again, frames were thrown across the room. A man, known as Kazuki Atsushi, ran in then. "Kasuma, what's going on?!"

"She didn't have to come after us!" the young girl screamed. "She didn't have to kill them! That traitor!" Kasuma walked backwards, withering down the wall the second her back touched it. She buried her head in her arms and sobs overtook her.

"Hey now," Atsushi soothed. "Even I know what would have happened if Sharon disobeyed… and I wasn't even in the Organization. Your parents knew the consequences of disobeying but they disobeyed regardless." Atsushi wrapped his arms around the twelve year old, tucking her head under his. "They were trying to protect you by leaving… and they did. I know I can't say the same thing about Takeo but I can say that he wouldn't want you to mope around." Atsushi pulled a white handkerchief out of thin air and offered it to Kasuma. "Now dry your tears."

Kasuma rubbed her sleeve across her eyes and accepted the handkerchief, even though she never used it. Atsushi rubbed her back gently, then walked over to the ruined frames and flipped them over, displaying the pictures inside. All the pictures were taken under different circumstances but all of them had one thing in common: the American actress Sharon Vineyard was present. "Why…?" Kasuma asked weakly. "After everything… all those years…"

"You can't expect to get an answer to everything," Atsushi told her. "You may never know why she turned on you." Atsushi set the photos gently on the floor. He then walked back to Kasuma. "I can already tell you won't bode well with me. I will, by any means, support you but staying with me won't be best for you. I think it'd be best for you to stay with that close family friend of yours."

"…Who?" Kasuma looked up at her uncle briefly before letting her head fall back on her knees.

"You were very close with them. Almost inseparable… Besides, with my moving around, they'd have an easier time with your up-bringing than I." Atsushi pulled out his phone and an address book and scanned through it, stopping about halfway through. He stepped outside the room as he talked to the person on the other line, all the while, Kasuma was curled up on herself, head buried in her arms. When Atsushi came back in, he knelt down in front of Kasuma, placing his hands on Kasuma's shoulders and said, "One of my good friends always said: 'Sometimes a trick may fail. But you mustn't bring that to the audience's attention. The essence of the heart is the most prominent ingredient of success. Focus on your show and never forget your poker face.'

"Well, you'd better gather up your stuff. You're leaving for London tonight." With that, Atsushi left the room, giving Kasuma some time of her own. How long Kasuma sat there, she'd never know but when she had calmed down significantly, she stood up shakily and walked over to the broken frames, carefully pulling out the pictures and stowing them in a pocket.

Thanks to the private jet her (rich) uncle had arranged for, Kasuma now sat in the London City Airport, using a trick said uncle taught her to jump a Japanese banknote from place to place—and it's not like anyone was going to snatch it up (after all, this was England, not Japan). Briefly pausing in her magic trick, Kasuma glanced up at the nearest clock, reading the time as 9:22 AM. "Oji-san couldn't just give me a time as to when I'd be picked up?" she mumbled in annoyance.

"That's because we never arranged a time, dear," a soft, kind voice said just then. Kasuma focused her gaze on Helen Hakuba as the woman sat down next to her and pulled the twelve year old into a hug. "I'm so sorry about what happened," she whispered into her hair. "This shouldn't have happened to you." Kasuma clenched her eyes shut to stop the flow of tears threatening to fall then grabbed the small bag behind her. Helen pulled away, smiling wanly. "Let's get you home."

-1 Month Later-

Kasuma sat cross-legged upon her bed, reading the contents of an e-mail, everything else fading into white noise. The further she read into the mail, the deeper her frown grew. 'Tou-chan… Kaa-chan… just what were you doing for Them?' She pulled a thick book into her lap—one of the only books belonging to her parents that hadn't been destroyed. She flipped through the pages. 'First should be 'fons iuvenis'… Here it is.' Kasuma began intently reading the excerpt. So engrossed in the entry as she was, she never noticed the approaching footfalls until her door burst open. Jumping, she rapidly shut the book and closed her computer, her eyes falling on Hakuba Saguru walking in with a large basket in his arms. "Don't you knock?!"

"I thought you heard me!" Hakuba protested. "It's not like I was being quiet… especially with this big thing. Mum went out and bought you some more stuff and she demanded I bring them up to you." Hakuba, as carefully as he could considering the weight of the box, set said box down on the floor. "I'm afraid you'll have to figure out what exactly she got you… I need to go back down and help Mum out with dinner preparations. Hopefully you'll break that uneven eating pattern you've been carrying and join us." With that, Hakuba exited Kasuma's room, closing the door behind him.

'Don't count on it, Hakuba,' Kasuma thought as she temporarily ignored the box on the floor and turned back to the book. 'I need to figure out what my parents were working on. The e-mails on their private line aren't very helpful.' Kasuma lifted the screen of the computer and selected another older message. She quirked her eyebrow at the contents. Opening another window, she initiated a search for the name mentioned in the e-mail. 'Died four years ago… accident… magician…?' "Maybe Atsushi-ojisan knows about him…" Kasuma opened her phone and sent her uncle a message saying: 'Have you heard of Kuroba Touichi?' "Come to think of it… didn't Kaitou KID disappear four years ago…?" Opening yet another window, Kasuma began a search of the phantom thief. Just then, she received a reply from her uncle. She opened the message and read the reply. "Oh right… now I remember. I went to his show on the day of the accident." 'But why would he be mentioned in one of Their e-mails?'

"Kasuma, dear, please come down and join us," Helen said as she appeared in the doorway of the girl's room after giving a brief knock. "I don't want to have to carry another plate up here… it takes far too long."

Once again, Kasuma looked up from the book in her lap before sighing and closing both the book and computer and sliding off the bed. Helen smiled brightly in response, glad to have convinced the girl to leave the sanctity of her room.

-1 Year Later-

Hakuba was jerked awake by an unknown sound he couldn't locate. The young detective sat up, looking around his room for anything strange. Hakuba rested his eyes on the LED lights of the clock on his desk, which read 2:43 AM. Hakuba groaned, rubbing his eyes rapidly. 'Way. Too. Early,' his brain slowly informed him.

There it was again, the unknown sound. Hakuba was wide awake now, ears fully engaging themselves in order to locate the origin of the sound. 'It's not some thief, is it?'

Hakuba slid off his bed and quietly exited his room, looking down the second floor hallway for any sign of activity. Making a left turn, Hakuba made his way to his parents' room, cracking the door open and peering inside. Seeing the sleeping forms of Kouhei and Helen Hakuba, the door closed again. Turning around, Hakuba walked past his room and to the neighboring bedroom, cracking open its door as well. Eyes not immediately catching anything, Hakuba began to close the door, but not before a quiet whimper reached his ears. Fully opening the door, Hakuba scanned his childhood friend's room. There was nothing out of the ordinary… except for the restlessness in Kasuma's form. The girl, though clearly asleep, would not stop moving, tossing and turning under the purple sheets. Suddenly, before Hakuba's very eyes, the girl's whimpers swelled, rising to occasional screams and she began thrashing, the beddings rendered useless as they slowly slid off the bed. Eyes wide, Hakuba bolted into her room, ignoring the voice in his head that told him Kasuma was going to murder him for entering her room without permission. Gripping the girl's shoulders, Hakuba shook her, attempting to jar her from whatever nightmare—because that must be the problem—she was having. "Calm down! Kasuma, calm down!" Another couple shakes. "Stop! Wake up!" Hakuba found himself repeating the same few phrases several times before Kasuma showed any kind of reaction. One more shake and Kasuma bolted up, tears immediately springing to her eyes as she took one glance at the figure in her room and grabbed him desperately. Shocked speechless, Hakuba slowly wrapped his arms around Kasuma, clueless as to how to comfort the sobbing girl. His weakness? No, not corpses or robbers or weapons (oh my) but crying. Hakuba Saguru hated seeing someone crying… especially someone of the opposite gender. "Kasuma, what's wrong?" He asked softly.

Shaking her head, Kasuma didn't answer, only clinging tighter to the detective. A very faint blush spread across Hakuba's cheeks, one that he would deny should anyone inquire about it later on… not that anyone would notice it in such a dimly lit room at three in the morning. Readjusting himself on the mattress, Hakuba drew his feet up and gently pulled Kasuma into his lap, where he could more easily embrace her. Kasuma's brief, sharp intake of breath was the only indication of acknowledgement of the action. As the girl continued crying, Helen Hakuba appeared in the doorway, rubbing sleep from her eyes. The blonde woman surveyed the scene then smiled softly, winking at her son before retreating back into her room. Hakuba bit back the sarcastic retort forming on his tongue and instead looked back at his childhood friend. Somewhat awkwardly, Hakuba rubbed soothing circles across the girl's back, timidly resting his head atop her own. How much time passed? Hakuba would never know but when the girl calmed down significantly, he quietly asked, "Are you alright?" Kasuma nodded briefly, her face still buried in Hakuba's shirt. "What happened? Do you mind telling me?" Kasuma whimpered, quietly, fisting the back of his shirt tightly. Hakuba tried a different approach; "Was it a nightmare?" the girl nodded. "About what?"

"My… parents… and Takeo." Hakuba mentally ran through a list of names until he identified Takeo as Kasuma's otouto. "I was just arriving… from the pharmacy and… I saw the house on fire. I-I could hear them screaming for help but I couldn't reach them… no matter how fast I ran. And when the noise subsided, a woman… a woman with long blonde hair was pointing a gun at me. She told me 'Sorry' in such a cold voice t-then pulled the trigger. And then you woke me up." Kasuma choked back a sob. "I-I'm so scared. Scared that she'll come back… decide she should have gotten rid of me already and decide to kill me. And I-I'd put you and your family in danger and she'd kill you b-because of my involvement with you. I-It'll be all my fault and I-I don't want anyone to di—"

"Shhh," Hakuba soothed, running a hand through her long hair, "I won't let anything happen to you." 'Never. I'll never let this woman come back for you… whoever she is,' he added silently.

"Ha-hakuba…"

"My name's Saguru. Sa-gu-ru."

"But Saguru sounds weird," Kasuma whined.

"Hey! That's my name you're insulting!" Hakuba huffed indigently. A brief laugh escaped Kasuma and he smiled. 'At least she's not crying.'

Hakuba stroked her hair a few more times before he began to shift towards the edge of the bed. He was stopped by the tightening of Kasuma's grip around his torso. "…Kasuma?"

"Stay... Please?... I don't wanna be alone."

"You're not. You're never alone. I'll always be here… no matter what."

"Still… please stay," Kasuma insisted, hugging him even tighter.

Hakuba sighed but didn't object, lying back as Kasuma shifted under the covers. 'This is unlike you, Kasuma. You've never acted like this. What was so frightening about this woman you mentioned? Surely she isn't that much of a danger, is she?' A blush made itself known when the girl buried her head in the crook of Hakuba's neck. 'So much for sleep.'

Final Notes: And that ends that lil' segment. Next chapter starts the next and last part of this arc. (*hinthintsecretswillberevealedhinthint*)
Awww… wasn't that a cute lil' endin'? (or maybe it's just me?)
I feel like there was something else I wanted to day...I can't remember it though... meh oh well...
Anyway… see ya next time (whenever that is)