Alisha handed her coat to the cloakroom attendant with a polite nod before following the waiter into the restaurant. He guided her to the VIP section towards the back, slipping between the tables with practised ease, and stopped in front of a door leading to the private room beyond. He knocked on it lightly and held it open for her with a polite bow of his head.

'Miss Deravoux, welcome,' the man inside said with a pleasant smile as she stepped inside. He kissed both her cheeks before motioning to the woman next to him. 'This is my wife, Luina.'

'It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Deravoux,' she said easily and shook her hand.

'Likewise, Mrs Chanler,' Alisha replied with a kind smile. 'Your husband always speaks so highly of you, I've found myself quite jealous.'

'Such a charmer,' she laughed and motioned to the seat opposite them. 'She's just like you said, darling.'

'Of course,' he said with a grin. 'Now, we can talk business over food. You know this box from before?' he asked and motioned towards the object standing on its own small table next to him.

'Yes. Three years ago I acquired it for the son of a CEO, who thought it'd make a good engagement gift for his fiancé. He had seen it on TV and thought it was... neat,' Alisha finished with a smile that didn't hide her true feelings. As the couple laughed heartedly, she took a sip from the freshly poured wine. 'They got married after a few months and signed the divorce papers less than a year later. That was the last I heard of the box.'

'I see. We have it on loan right now from the current owner, and we'd like you to take a closer look at it to make sure it's the original before we purchase it.'

'That won't be a problem. I remember it clearly.'

'Fantastic,' he said as the doors to their private room slid open again. 'Let's eat first.'

Dinner was a calm affair, Alisha spending more time flattering and entertaining than looking at the box. At the end of the meal, she had referenced a few notes on her phone and gone over it, confirming that it matches her original research. A quick disclaimer that since she couldn't check the owner's papers she couldn't swear it was accurate and it was concluded. If everything went as she predicted, they would contact her in a few weeks to check the papers as well for them and make the purchase.

Alisha gave the man in the wardrobe a small smile as she accepted her coat at the door. She slipped it on and pulled her phone from her pocket as she stepped out onto the street. A few new mails that she ignored in favour of texting Shisui. She raised a brow when he called back within a minute.

'That was quick,' she said and pressed the phone to her ear.

'I was just looking at my phone,' he said easily. She could practically hear the small smirk on his lips as he spoke. 'We're just finishing up for the day. Are you done with your business?'

'I am. Too late?'

'Never. Where can I pick you up?'

'I'm a few blocks from the police station, I could meet you there.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah. I'll see you in like twenty minutes,' she said and ended the call.

The streets were fairly empty for a Tuesday evening–as empty as a big city like Konoha could be. The cool air was a nice change from the warmth of the restaurant, and the background noise of the cars and that special buzz that was just city sounds settled over her senses. She buried her hands in the coat pockets as she crossed a street.

Three months away really made her miss her home. As much as she truly enjoyed her work, travelling did take its toll over time. She sighed. At least she got to see new places and lay her eyes on some truly interesting antiques to make it worth it. Not to mention, it did pay really well–well enough for her to own a fancy apartment in the better part of the city, dine at the most expensive restaurants, and travel first class whenever she wanted. She smiled slightly. Not too bad for a guttersnipe from the wrong side of the tracks.

She cleared her throat and pushed the thought from her head as the police station came into view. It had been many years since she left that part of her life behind, no use in lingering on it now. She tugged slightly on her coat before pushing the door to the station open. The inside was surprisingly calm for such a large station. There was a handful of people seated in the waiting area, and two officers behind the reception desk. Through the glass wall behind them, she could see the officers pulling the night shift settling in.

Shisui stepped through the door before she reached the reception desk. 'She's with me,' he said to the officers with a nod. She gave them a weak smile before stepping up to him. 'Sorry, we just need to finish up the last of the report before we can leave for tonight. Shouldn't be more than ten minutes.'

'That's alright,' she said and followed him to one of the conference rooms at the far end of the station, ignoring the stares she felt following her. She paused as he held the door open for her. 'Is this really okay?'

He smiled slightly and put a hand on her lower back, nudging her inside. 'We've packed up the confidential stuff for the night. You remember Itachi.'

'Of course,' she said and offered him a kind smile. 'How are you?'

He nodded politely, his usually hard expression gone–a soft, if tired, one in its place. 'As well as could be expected, Miss Deravoux.'

'Are you ever going to call me by my name?'

'He barely calls his own father by anything other than his title,' Shisui commented as he sat down next to her. 'He's a lost cause.'

Alisha leaned back in the surprisingly comfortable chair, crossing her legs as she angled it towards Shisui. She smirked when she caught his eyes flickering downwards. Before she was able to say anything, the door opened and an officer chewing on a toothpick stepped inside.

'I got those files you asked for, where–Alisha?' he said and stopped dead in his tracks.

She stared right back at him for a long moment, lips slightly parted. 'Genma?'

'What the hell are you doing here?'

Alisha stood and embraced him with a laugh. 'I could ask you the same thing. I never imagined your lazy ass would actually become an officer of the law. How the tables have turned.'

'Damn, you grew up,' he said and looked her over. 'Who would have thought the lanky kid sneaking beers to the seniors would grow into a man-eater?'

She snorted. 'Your mom always said I would be a late bloomer. As clairvoyant as she seemed, I guess no one could have predicted a runner would become one of the city's finest.'

'Not just me either,' he said. 'Raido and Hayate too. Not bad for a group of... what did your dad always call us? Guttersnipes?'

She laughed warmly and shook her head. 'We certainly showed him, didn't we.'

A polite cough reminded them they weren't alone. Genma straightened his back ever so slightly as he faced the two FBI agents looking at them humorously. 'Sorry,' he said and handed Shisui the file he had been carrying.

He waved it away with a charming smile. 'Don't worry about it. So you two know each other?'

'We grew up together,' Genma said. He paused. 'How do you know each other?'

At the positively wolfish grin that came to Shisui's face, Alisha had no chance to stop the blush that exploded onto her face when he looked at her. She did her best to roll her eyes at him and sat down again.

'Oh, I see,' Genma chuckled. 'Well, if anyone was to catch the Dera-Demon's attention, it'd be one of the best FBI agents in the nation, I suppose.'

Alisha snorted, surprised. 'Wow, I had forgotten that nickname.'

'Dera-Demon?' Shisui echoed.

'It's what they used to call her back in the day,' Genma said and put his hands in his pockets, twirling the toothpick between his teeth. 'Devilish little runt, this one. Even the older runners couldn't get their hands on her when she put her mind to it.'

'Not my fault they didn't bother to learn the backstreets properly.'

'You used to run with the gangs?' Itachi asked carefully, looking between the two.

Alisha shook her head. 'They didn't want a girl, too much trouble, they said.'

'That's not it,' Genma interrupted. He chuckled at her raised brow. 'Your old man took a bat to the Red Renegade's leader's car when he found out they were considering accepting you. He'd leave them alone as long as they kept you out of the gangs.'

'I didn't know that,' she said softly. Her memories of her father were never of the protective sort–never really of the present sort at all, if she was honest. Genma's parents had been more parental to her during her youth.

'Hayate, Raido, and I ran with them for a time during high school,' Genma said and looked at the two agents. He shrugged slightly, but Alisha saw the slight tension in his shoulders. 'Thankfully, we got out before it was too late.'

'It all seemed to work out in the end,' Alisha said, pulling the attention to herself. She smiled softly at the slight inclination of Genma's head in her direction. She held out her hand to him and he put his phone in her hand without hesitation. As she added her contact details, he turned his attention to the others, answering some questions about the content of the files.

'That should be it for the day's report,' Itachi said after a few minutes and closed the laptop in front of him. 'You got the list of people to talk to tomorrow?'

'Yeah. We'll head to the university the first thing in the morning.'

'Good. I suspect we'll be busy at the Byakugan building most of the morning, so let's just keep in contact in case something comes up,' he said and stood.

'Don't be a stranger, Ali,' Genma said as they left the conference room.

'You got my number. Don't abuse it,' she added with a smirk. She gave him a slight wave before following Shisui and Itachi out of the station, walking a step behind as they mumbled something to each other she couldn't hear properly–she knew better than to know too much about the going-ons about their work. She waited until Itachi gave her a polite nod. 'Good night,' she said.

'My car's over here,' Shisui said and motioned in the opposite direction. He slipped his hand into hers as they walked, rubbing his thumb over her skin gently, but they didn't speak much until they stepped into her apartment. Shisui closed the door behind him and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply.

'You don't waste any time, do you?' she laughed but didn't make a move to leave his embrace.

'Not if I can help it,' he mumbled against her lips. He sighed deeply and kissed her again, a gentle touch that made her pause.

'Are you okay?'

'Long day,' he said, a tired look flashing across his face.

She slipped off her shoes and coat and grabbed his hand, leading him into the apartment–straight to the bedroom at the other end. 'Strip and lie on your stomach,' she said and stepped over to her wardrobe, already unzipping her skirt.

'Usually, I'll have to be facing the other way to have fun,' he smirked but swiftly pulled off his shirt and jeans.

She ignored him with a huff and changed into a pair of loose shorts and a tank top. When she turned back to the bed, she found him lying on his back, his hands behind his head, and watching her with a smirk. She raised a brow at him and stepped around the bed, to her bedside table–retrieving a small glass bottle.

'Are you going to drug me?' he chuckled.

She climbed onto the bed with a sultry smile. She trailed her fingers over his torso as she leaned over him, pressing a light kiss to his lips. 'I thought I was enough of a drug for you,' she whispered.

One of his hands settled on the back of her head, pulling her in for another kiss. He slated his lips against hers, rumbling deep in his throat when she responded. He breathed deeply when she pulled back, his pupils blown out and lips parted as they looked at each other for a long moment. 'You are, indeed.'

Her lips twitched upwards against her will. 'On your stomach.'

'Yes, ma'am,' he said haughtily.

When he had settled comfortably onto his stomach, his arms folded beneath his head, she opened the small bottle and coated her hands with the oil. She rubbed her hands together, heating it up, as she settled over the back of his thighs. When it was warm enough, she put her hands on his back and ran them over his taut muscles–working through the knots and stiffness.

He groaned as she worked. 'You are an angel incarnate.'

She laughed lightly. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his spine, smirking against him when she felt him shiver. 'I've never been called an angel before. Usually, it's demon, or vixen.'

'I'll call you whatever you want me to,' he mumbled.

She smiled but didn't say anything. She moved her hands over his back, soaking in how his muscles moved at her touch. Her eyes trailed to the few scars on his person, her mind wandering as her hands moved on their own. It was nearly an hour later that she had worked through every tense part of his back. Her fingers moved over an old bullet wound, pulling her mind back to the present.

Shisui's breathing was deep and even, but she knew he wasn't asleep–his breathing was always a lot more shallow. Without thinking, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his scar just below his ribs.

'How do you feel?' she asked lowly.

'Incoherent.'

She chuckled and slipped off him. She went to the bathroom and washed her hands and face, removing her makeup and pulling a brush through her hair. She turned off the light in the apartment before returning to the bedroom–slipping off her shorts and climbing into bed next to a completely relaxed Shisui.

She turned off the last lamp before settling against her pillows. He reached over and pulled her towards him. She shifted into a more comfortable position as she yawned, and his arm slid around her waist and his breath fanned the back of her neck lightly.

He moved closer, until there was no space between them, and pressed a kiss just behind her ear. 'Thank you.'

'Anytime.'