Tren: Alright. Here's the deal. As you might have noticed, my stories are on hiatus.

Aillas: Your just lazy.

Tren: No. For once I have a reason. My laptop, my trusty Aiden, crashed. The hard drive was completely erased and it was in with the guys from Geek Squad for awhile.

Aillas: Around 2 weeks.

Tren: When it came back, there was none of my stuff on his anymore.

Aillas: No fanfics.

Tren: No music.

Ailas: No art.

Tren: No nothing. It's been a struggle to get everything back and loaded, and finally I'm back.

Aillas: So without further delay.

Tren: Here's the crossdressing….

"It's a skirt."

"Very perceptive of you, Keichi," Koenma nodded his head understandingly, the tone of voice rather like how a person would talk to an especially idiotic person. Needless to say, Keichi hated that tone of voice.

There have been many low moments in Keichi's life, it could even be augmented that his entire life was one bad moment. This just so happened to be one of them. Spread before him was a rather delicate looking uniform for a trendy, prestigious high school. Smart, pleated skirt, grey with yellow trim, a trim blazer, a white blouse and a large ribbon like tie. He could feel a blush rise on his face, mainly out of frustration and humiliation.

"If you hadn't noticed, Koenma, I'm male… and that… that was not meant to be worn by a guy," he voice was meek and even held a soft stutter. He couldn't believe this.

"You don't ALWAYS have to be male, right?"

"THAT IS NOT THE POINT!"

Slamming his hands down on the desk before him, Keichi was livid. He was sick of these dumb jobs, and this was the last thing he needed. At this rate, he'd never graduate high school. Fighting demons in your spare time was only fun for the first few days, the it became painful and annoying. What's worse, is that this wasn't even a demon they were fighting. It was bodyguard duty.

"There's an ulterior motive behind this façade," Koenma admitted, pushing the uniform gently towards the enraged thief.

"It better be a good one," he growled, teeth clenched. Keichi had been in a poor mood for the last month, and nothing had changed to improve his rather angry outlook at the world around him. This all stemmed from himself, really. No matter how skilled the Kitsune, they weren't meant to hold a form for a long stretch of time and his ability to keep his body in a more human appearance was slowly making his every muscle ache. He'd been finding himself slipping in and out of his forms, and to be honest, it had only made his already short temper nearly microscopic. His fingers drug angry rents across the desk's surface as he rubbed at his nose and tried his hardest to refrain from punching Koenma.

"I want you to spy on the others. Don't take a form they've seen you assume, and watch how they work. Become friends with them, watch how they act when the other's aren't with them, and report back to me at the end. Should everything go well, they won't even know you were there."

It sounded brilliantly simple, but Keichi knew that anything simple usually become painfully complicated within the first ten minutes of the plan. He could refuse, he knew this, but the alternative sentence of "prison" kept him working.

"You do realize that if we keep missing school or transferring… we're screwed, right!? We won't graduate!!" Keichi exclaimed, snatching the girl's uniform away from Koenma who nodded his head.

"I've already had your teacher's contacted and they were informed of your important position in keeping the peace between humans and demons."

"Great, just what I need, my teacher's won't believe of word of that!" He snarled and stormed out. Ever since the news of demons came out, things had grown complicated, and it only made misery for the others…

As usual, Keichi woke late the next day, his first day doing reconnaissance for Koenma, because he still hadn't replaced the batteries in his alarm clock. Groaning, he checked to make sure his father was out of house and quickly showered before groaning and staring at the uniform. This wasn't funny. Even for someone with as sick a sense of humor as his own. His shape shifted with pained reluctance and he tugged on the uniform, acutely aware that if this job continued any longer, he would need to somehow find a bra to wear, because underwear wasn't supplied by this school and it was something he had over looked. Pulling on the knee high socks and black penny loafers he ran out the door, locking it behind him…

"Did Koenma tell you anything about the help we'll be getting?" Midori whispered over to Samui as they sat in their new classroom while the teacher took roll. They already had been introduced to the classroom rather awkwardly and were all sitting next to each other in a vague L shape.

"No, he just said we'd get help from a different spirit detective," Samui replied, just as curious as Midori. Koenma had let them know that Keichi was dealing with family troubles and couldn't go, so they would get back up. He hadn't thought to ask Keichi himself, as he avoided the selfish teen at all costs.

"It should be fine," Appoline added, smiling her usual mysterious little grin, "After all, should this new detective cause any problems, I can take care of it."

This statement made both Midori and Samui rather nervous. Considering this was a mission and all three of them were anxious to get it over with as soon as possible, the more business like section of Appoline's psyche seemed to be surfacing with more and more frequency.

They had already spotted their target, the daughter of an American ambassador, who was doing marvelous things with human/demon relations. As impressive as her father was, she was equally as shallow as she sat near the window with her cluster of friends, passing notes under the tables, and speaking in Japanese riddled with grammar errors and an accent that made Midori's hair curl.

"So, all we gotta do is escort her to and from school, and watch out for her during the school hours?" Midori asked and Samui nodded quickly, not wanting to be called out by the teacher.

Just as the teacher pulled out her notebook for the day there was a bright knock on the door and it slid open, a girl stepping into the room briskly. Eyeing her with suspicion, the teacher cleared her throat and held out her hand.

"Do you have a note for me?"

"Hm..? Oh, nope! I'm a transfer student!" she exclaimed, smiling widely, brushing dark brunette hair out of her face. She was pretty, by most standards, with long bangs and the rest of her unruly mane of curls pulled away into a pony tail. As far as anybody could tell, she was half foreigner, and with pale skin, the only color a soft blush on her cheekbones.

"Name?"

"Arika Motou," she replied brightly, bowing quickly and the woman sighed.

"Take the open seat, alright?"

Taking off, Midori glanced the girl over. She was small, dressed neatly in the uniform, and somehow she managed to keep her white knee socks from falling around her ankles. She sat daintily in her seat and smiled at the three as the teacher informed them to pull out their books….

"Nice to meet you all."

Arika's voice was cheerful, pleasant, and she was sitting on her desk, legs crossed, staring at them with deep emerald eyes. Twirling a long lock of hair, she laughed brightly, a noise like wind chimes.

"You guys are Reikai Tentai, riiiight?" she swayed side to side as she waited for her answer, grin spreading a little wider on her pleasant face. There was a pause before Midori made a prolonged "ooooh" face and then snapped her finger, keeping her voice hushed as class was being taught.

"You must be the help!"

Arika nodded briskly, head bobbing up and down with increasing speed before biting down on her thumb nail. Staring off for a moment, she snapped her attention back to them and gave a nervous laugh.

"Hell, you guys are trying to learn, right?"

"It would be nice," Samui muttered, trying to keep his voice quiet to be polite. If she heard, she didn't take notice, in fact she seemed completely unfazed before she swiveled in her seat to face the teacher, placid smile on her face, expression comically intent. Midori and Appoline both suppressed small sniggers, one by smacking her hand to her face, the other by tucking her chin into her small chest, respectively…

"I can't believe my daddy REALLY got the Rekai Tentai!"

"Neither can I," Midori replied truthfully as she stretched her arms over her head, watching the scenery pass by.

"I mean, I thought you were all legends!!" Their charge, the daughter of the ambassador was named Jessica, and she walked in the middle of their small entourage, safely guarded from anything foolish enough to attack. Smiling amiably at them, she pointed a finger at Midori.

"Got any powers?"

"… Liiike… what, stopping a bullet?" Midori cocked a slim eyebrow at the girl who gave off a shrill giggle.

"Yeah! Like that!! I wanna know what kind of protection I'm gettin' here!"

"By any chance did you learn your Japanese by watching Yazuka flicks?" Arika asked drolly, picking at her long nails, painted gold.

"How'd ya know?"

"I gussed."

Sensing one sided tension, Midori broke in, holding up a finger.

"Yeah, we all have powers here. Or at least, I think we do. Arika's not part of our usual group," Midori explained, "But nothing like the super heroes you have in America. I can fire my spiritual energy from the tip of my finger, like a bullet," as if to elaborate she blew imaginary gunsmoke off her fingertip and smiled.

"And what can you do?" Jessica stared glanced politely over to Appoline, who smiled, sickly sweet, and pushed the hair out of her red eye.

"It'd be best for you if you didn't know."

"Let me guess, you'd have to kill me, right?" there was that laugh again, annoying and loud.

"Yes."

Just like that, the conversation ceased, replaced by an awkward silence. It took every ounce of Keichi's restraint to not blow his cover and laugh. That was Appoline. His Appoline.

"… What about you, Kuwabara-san?" she jumped onto what must have seemed like an easy choice, as Samui had been polite to her the entire time. He smiled and tugged a little at his necktie, obviously nervous.

"I'm nothing more than support. I heal my team up and provide barriers to protect them from attacks," he replied politely, bowing his head and refusing to tell her anything else.

"Oh! So then, Arika isn't normally part of your group?" she glanced over at "Arika" who nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just here to help because it was in the area. Don't worry, I can protect you just as well as them should a fight arise," she spread her hands out before her as the opened the gate to Jessica's house.

"Have a nice night, we'll see you tomorrow," Midori waved at the girl as she went into her house and then sighed.

"Next mission we get… we'd better get to kill many things. All this body guarding is gonna kill me," she groaned, cracking her back and heading home.

"I think a little peace and quiet will do us some good," Samui replied calmly, nodding his head to Appoline and Arika. "See you two later." With that he raced off to try and catch up to Midori.

"…" Appoline glanced over and then sighed. "Your lucky their idiots," she muttered, "How did Koenma ever get you agree to that, Keichi?"

"…" Arika paused, and when she spoke, all of Keichi's mannerisms were back, including his voice, awkward to see coming out of a female form, "As it would seem, I'm a criminal and jail time is best avoided. So I agreed. If you'll excuse me, I gotta head home…. You.. You're alright, right?" He paused and glanced at her over a thin shoulder, "I mean, you weren't with us last time."

"I had other things to attend to. Unlike you, I am still active with my guild… or should I rephrase that, King?" her voice was light and airy, completely mocking and Keichi sighed.

"Just good to know you're alright."

"You too."

All the way home, it bugged Keichi. He had ducked into an alley, changed back into his human form and better clothes and then mused on his feelings the entire way home. It was true, Appoline was his partner. And he knew that most thieves developed strong bonds of friend ships with their right hand man… but it seemed foolish. He'd already seen what the assassin's guild did to his friends. Last thing he needed was another repeat Eyana. But he felt so possessive; she wasn't there with him last time, and look at the trouble he got into. What if somebody else was using her!? The very idea made him angry. Shaking his head, he head off down the streets and back home.

"Back!" he called out, wondering if his father was home yet or if he was still at work. He glanced at the watch on his wrist to see that it was still early into the evening, and his father always had study groups to teach. With winter finals coming, the kids would be desperate to cram. Just then the phone rang, reaching over his head, his fingers walked across the coffee table and he pressed the large TALK button.

"Minamino residence."

"Alright, I wanna know what you're up to that's so important that you get to avoid this shit!!"

"Good to hear from you too Midori," he groaned, letting his head drop back against the arm rest of the couch.

"I've only done this guard duty for one day. ONE DAY, and already I'm sick of it," she sounded in aguish over the phone and he wanted to laugh. At leas he wasn't suffering alone.

"That's tragic," he reasoned out loud, "But I have far better things to do right now than baby sit. Koenma understood that. Simple as pie."

"It's supposed to be CAKE, Keichi."

"No. The cake is a lie."

There was the awkward pause he was expected as he picked dirt out from under his nails, phone pressed against his ear by a shoulder. Counting to ten in his head, he opened his mouth to start the conversation up once more but she had already beat him to it.

"… Did you know there are other Rekai Tentai?"

"… REALLY? I thought we were the only ones," Keichi muttered, rolling his eyes. Of course they weren't the only ones, Japan's huge. There's no way they could police all of it.

"So, there's this new girl…. Arika Motou…"

"Want me to look her up? Dig up the dirt?"

"Could you!?" the words came out in a burst, and he smiled. No matter what, Midori was easy to read. Like father like daughter. Shaking his head, he had to try hard to keep from laughing.

"Alright. I'll get to work, pull a few string, you owe me, alright?"

"Yeah! No prob. Thanks!"

Then she hung up. Turning his phone off, he sighed and tossed it back onto the table and closed his eyes, openly cackling as the door opened and he heard the good natured voice of his father.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" he asked, poking his head into the room, hair pulled away from face in a frizzy mess and slightly damp. It must have been raining outside.

"Oh nothing…" Keichi's voice was practically singing, as he sat up, legs kicking into the air and coming down on the floor with heavy thuds, the socks muffling most of the noise.

"You're just like your Uncle. Whenever he sounded like that we all knew to run…" Kurama mused, putting down his bags and placed the phone back in it's charger.

"I don't see you running yet…"

"Haven't you ever watched National Geographic, you never run! It provokes the beast."

"Right right right…" Keichi groaned and glanced over, long enough to make his father look back, nervous.

"What's that look for…??"

"We need to go shopping."

"… For what? You just got your winter clothes and new sho-"

"I need a bra."

The look on his father's face was priceless. It almost made the humiliation worth it.

Almost.

Tren: Alright, here's the chapter, hastily thrown together while I work on my college apps.

Aillas: Which you still need to finish.

Tren: and now reader reviews.

Justice Without Reason: Thank you for liking the banter, I enjoy writing banter. Can you tell?

Sabs: I'm glad you approve, I didn't want Samui and Midori to disappear.

Darkness is my savior: Keichi… is like Artemis Fowl? TEN LEVELS OF AWESOME! I'm sure you'll write as good as me someday, you're probably as good and you don't even know it. Besides, I'm not all that grand to begin with.

Vitanie Tora: I know! Aillas is already freaking confused. Yes, crossdressing. Just with Keichi, don't worry. And Keichi is a klepto, this comes into play later on.

Shade Spirit: Indeed, Keichi tripped over Hiei. This is actually an inside joke based on a comic my friends and I did once.

Luna Forest: I hope this cross dressing is funny, there's more of it.

re was that laugh again, annoying and loud. e, who smiled, sickly sweet, and pushed the hair out of her red eye.