A/N- DX Teh shame! this whole begining part was cut off and I didn't even notice! DXXXXX

Fixed, though, now. Sorry. *plonks on the cone of shame*

-0-

Chapter Six

-0-

104 was packed to the very walls.

Masses of humanity wriggled and shoved each other as they swam past each other, obsessed with their own sceduale and own desires. The sheer amount of noise made the shy Rhyme wince, the selfish atmosphere grating on her idealist nerves. Taking Shiki's thin hand, she trailed at the end of their little group as she took in a deep breath and restored her good mood, trusting Shiki to take her where ever the seamstress was going. Rhyme honestly didn't care- she sensed that things between Neku and his tutor were rough and wanted Shiki to forget about him for just a while.

"Oh, Rhyme, look at this!"

The blonde was gently pulled into Edoga, to examine a blue jean mini shirt that was D+B level tiny. Ai held it across her own hips, smiling roguishly. "Do you like it?"

"Is this more of your ploy to get that collage student to notice you?" Shiki raised a black eyebrow, and Ai smirked. "Hmm, maybe, maybe not. He is pretty fine, isn't he?"

Shiki gave a little shrug. "He's not my type," she confessed, with a little smile, "and if anyone can get a guy to notice her, it'd be you."

At this, Ai made a little squeal of glee that only got magnified as the little party saw the reason for the scant clothes just outside the shop. "Eeee, I gotta say hi!" The brunette squeaked before vanishing from the store, tiny jeans forgotten and leaving Shiki and Rhyme to follow, which they did.

Matoko was a freshman in collage, with all the ease and grace of a acne-faced junior high student and all the intelligence, too, or at least from what Neku said. Neku, while caustically blunt, was a good judge of character when he actually bothered to get to know people, and as the object of the objects of Beat's affections, Matoko was someone worth getting to know.

Still, Rhyme was certain there must be something very special about this awkward looking young man in a messy blue suit, and she was determined to-

...Find the rest of her group.

She was lost.

The blonde spun around on her heel, large blue eyes searching for a familiar face in the crowd. I must have let go of Shiki while I was lost in thought!

With a quick breath, however, her mind was clear again. They can't have gone very far, right? I think we were headed towards the food court! And so off she went, feet pattering softly on the mall floor, grateful for her small body that let her dart around people with grace.

Or at least let her dart around people with grace when she didn't recognize them, get distracted by recognizing them, and slam into them. Which is not very graceful and happened right in front of the trash cans on the edge of the food court.

"Joshu-"

Thud.

The older boy took an involuntary step forward before swiveling and giving Rhyme a mildly disdainful look-over. "Fancy running into you here," he smirked, a hint of ice in his eyes. He must be having a bad day, she concluded quickly. The slender teen was clad in a loose, mossy green hooded jacket and tight black jeans, wearing his predatory expression with just as much confidence as his clothes.

"I'm so sorry, Joshua, but I lost Ai and-"

"You're looking for Ai?"

Neku's familiar voice cut Rhyme's apologetic spiel neatly. "She's over there," he jerked his head in the direction of the ice cream stand.

"Why don't you go join them," suggested Joshua, in a tone of voice that was nothing like a suggestion and everything like an order.

His companion glared. "Watch it, Josh. I can still turn you in, you know."

Rhyme's eyes went wide at this. Could Joshua be a criminal? "What's wrong?"

Before the silver-haired boy could answer, the intercom cut in.

"Would Mr. Yoshiya please come to the-" Suddenly, the security guard's voice was cut off with a clatter, as if someone else had grabbed the microphone. "Joshua," hissed a stressed female voice that Rhyme recognized as his mother, "If you don't get to the information desk in five minutes, I'm having you arrested."

Behind her, Joshua sniggered. "Oooh, it only took her thirteen minutes this time. A new record," he noted, a smile on his face that seemed forced in his eyes.

"Are you ok?" Rhyme asked softly, concern drawing in her eyebrows. Neku snorted. "He's not going to get arrested, Rhyme. I wouldn't worry about him."

As her companions exchanged cold remarks- something about handcuffs- Rhyme lost herself in her thoughts. I certainly don't want him arrested, but that's not why I'm worried. It's like... he's hiding something. Like he genuinely doesn't want his parents to find him.

Neku snorted, jolting Rhyme out of her reverie. "I'm not going to get between you and the police. The last thing I need is trouble with them." Joshua shrugged. "But of course. I'll see you around then," and he smirked before starting off into the crowd. On instinct, Rhyme followed, to Neku's suprised grunt.

"Be good," he called, as she caught Joshua's sleeve and he turned around. Neku was looking at her, but his words seemed directed at Joshua before the latter chuckled.

"All right, then, let's go, " he murmured, and it took all of Rhyme's skills just to keep him in her sight.

She was used to following people, especially fast ones, but tracking Joshua was like chasing down a paper bag in the Scramble Crossing. He was fast, and lithe, and more than once, just when she'd thought she'd lost him, he's show up behind her and tap her shoulder in mocking encouragement. Rhyme could see the police now, their stern gazes flicking from a sheet of paper in their hands to the crowds, probably trying to find the wayward youth based on their descriptions. They were getting rather close.

"Shouldn't we be..." she started, turning around to realize he had vanished again, leaving her in front of Edoga, a store well-known for carrying the sleekest jeans this side of Miyashita Park. Rhyme sighed, scarcely looking at the clothes decorating the mannequins in the glass front. "I hope he's ok," she sighed, and entered the shop with a bit of reluctance.

Even as she passed a smile to the pretty and cheerful college student Aily, who was working the counter and bantering with a handsome blonde tourist as she rung up his jacket, Rhyme found herself contemplating Joshua again.

Why would he run from his parents? They don't seem the abusive type, or at least his mother doesn't. She sounded so worried over the intercom. And his eyes were so cold...

"Oh, Joshua, " she sighed, hanging up the jeans and smoothing the wrinkles out of it, "you're a puzzle and a half."

"Why, thank you," came a breathy chuckle from behind her. She spun around so fast; she almost knocked over the mannequins in the window.

Wait a second... she recognized those jeans! Rhyme flicked a gaze up into the mannequins' face, under the newsboy cap. A set of purple eyes sparkled, though he didn't move an inch.

Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she quickly turned around as the police walked by the shop, muttering under her breath, "How did you do that?"

"A simple matter of control, my dear Miss Bito," came the whisper again, and she could just make out his lips moving and the roots of his silver hair tucked neatly under the hat, his jacket tied around his waist, "and knowing where I blend in the most."

After a moment, the coast was clear, and Joshua tossed the cap back onto the rack, flipping his head upside down and fluffing body back into his hair fearlessly. "Now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you my last trick."

Guiding her outside with his slender hand on her shoulder, Joshua took off for the maintenance stairs, his step quick but carefree as Rhyme skittered along behind him like a frightened beetle, wondering faintly what she was getting into now.

They came to the end of the empty, taupe-colored hallway, to a thick door with a keypad. Behind them, Rhyme could hear the pounding of purposeful feet. She shot her companion a curious glance, which he returned with the wink of the fearless, his fingers flying over the keypad. They were awarded with a chipper little beep, then Joshua jerked the door open, pushed her past him, then pulled the door behind him and sunk to the ground in the shadow of the wall, away from the tiny glass window.

His shoulders were shaking; she could make them out as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She scowled, worried more about his emotional state than the guards who were milling confusedly in the hallway outside, their muffled footsteps receding after a tense minute.

"Joshua?"

A snicker burst through the dark silence, then a river of suppressed giggles.

"Yes, dear?" he panted as he composed himself, her eyes adjusting to the dark and making out the glint of his eyes behind his hair and the flash of his teeth in a smirk.

"...You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

His smirk widened as he relaxed and slumped against the wall. "Of course. Didn't you?"

"I do enough running trying to keep up with Beat," she admitted, wrapping her arms around her legs and watching him curiously. "How did you know that code?"

"When you're rich and bored," Joshua drawled, "there's no limit to what you can do."

Rhyme sighed, and studied her companion in the gloom. He let her for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.

"Can I help you?"

"I was just wondering... why do you do this? To your mom, I mean. You seem to run away a lot."

For a second, his eyes flashed with fury, and she flinched inwardly. Instantly, however, he stretched and chuckled. "You don't beat around the bush, do you?"

"I just want to understand-"

He cut her off by pulling her upright and swinging the door wide open. "It's a secret. Now, come on. Let's go drop you off with Neku. Wouldn't want you getting lost here, now, would we?"

His touch was firmer than before, less friendly as well. Rhyme gave a small sigh again. I need to stop pushing his buttons, I guess. He'll never open up to me this way.

"The hardest thing to open is a closed mind, and the hardest thing to touch is a heart of stone," she said absently aloud. Joshua gave a little smirk. "You really like those little adages, don't you?"

"I guess-"

"Isn't it sad that you can't seem to come up with anything truly profound on your own?" His voice was almost a purr, but it hurt more than any growl. I must have really struck a nerve. She bit her lip and stayed quiet, noticing the faint scowl on his face.

To both their relief, Ai came into sight, deep in conversation with Mina. Before either girl had seen them, Joshua has pushed Rhyme in their direction and gone, just as the intercom buzzed to life again.

"I'm serious, Joshua," cried Mrs. Kiryu. "Please come back."

As Rhyme watched the silver haired boy melt into the crowds, she hugged herself reassuringly and echoed his mother's plea. Please, Joshua, go home.

-0-

Whoo, that's a lot of text. Trying to pull off an AU is... a pain but a welcome challenge, too. ^^