Onna: Don't own them, period!

Yaone: *is embarrassed* I am NOT wearing this!

Hakkai: Demo, Yaone-san, you look very nice desu.

Yaone: *blush*

*****

Hakkai took a deep, appreciative breath of the chilly night air. It's been so long since he enjoyed an evening out with a friend, so long...

He opened his eyes to gaze at the young woman near him, smiling at her expression of peaceful awe as she gazed at city skyline at night. The wind whipped at her long lilac hair, partially pinned to fall in soft waves around her face and arms.

He liked her, yes, he knew that much. Yaone was a good friend, and one of the few people who had been there for him all these times of trouble. But that didn't explain the rapid pounding of his heart every time she looked at him, smiled at him.

When she asked him if he wanted to go out.

He thought about her all day, found himself missing her dreadfully and would at times consider the thought that he might be falling for her. But just when he did, a familiar face would flash in his mind and his chest would tighten painfully.

Kanan... he felt horrible, as if thinking about Yaone was in itself disloyal. He had thought that he would not be able to love another as he had loved her.

Yet even as his mind flashed warnings to him, his heart found himself drawn to the girl by his side. There was so much he didn't know about her, and she fascinated him.

Never did he feel so torn.

"Hakkai-san? Daijoubu?" her voice came through his thoughts, startling him in the slightest.

"Daijoubu desu," he answered with a forced smile. "I've just been doing some thinking..."

Her eyes darkened with an emotion he couldn't describe, and her soft smile vanished. "Kanan-san?"

A lump caught in his throat as he nodded. She was partly right. "I miss her..."

"I know you do..." Yaone sympathized, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You really loved her, didn't you?"

He couldn't answer through the tightness at the back of his mouth, and nodded.

"Sou ka..." her eyes turned downcast, shoulders shaking in the slightest. Her head came up again and she gave him a bright, if not forced, smile. "Let's go have dinner, ne?"

He nodded again, wondering why his heart constricted at the smile that did not reach her eyes, like it usually did. As she took his hand in hers to lead him into the restaurant, Hakkai looked back at the view and the stars, wondering if they had the answers he so needed to have.

"Yamete! Onegai, yamete!!!" she screamed as the blows fell on her body, feeling her limbs being twisted to the side and the blood running down her mouth.

The man roared as she kicked in defense, angrily punching her on the cheek. "You insolent bitch! Shut up!"

"Tasukete!!!" she screamed just as more blows rained on her body, pain exploding at the back of her knees. "Onegai! Somebody!! TASUKETE!!!"

"Toufa-chan! Toufa-chan!"

"Toufa-chan! Wake up!"

Her eyes flew open as she sat up, panting heavily. She looked around, her surroundings unfamiliar. With a small cry of fear she shrank against the head board of the bed before the pain of her injuries registered in her mind. "Don't...! Please, don't hurt me...!"

"Toufa-chan! It's Lirin!"

"Toufa-chan!"

"NO!" Toufa screamed, swatting their hands away. "Get away from me! Don't touch me!!!"

Warm, strong hands closed on her arms and she struggled, screaming. "Toufa-chan, it's me, Goku! Don't you recognize me?"

"Leave me alone!!!" she curled up into a tight ball, desperate to ignore the pain, hands closing over her ears. "Please... leave me alone..." she murmured, sobbing before blackness overcame her again.

"That wasn't too good," Dokugakuji murmured, watching as Toufa fainted. "She's in shock, and traumatized."

Gojyo lit another cigarette. "She was lucky, the medical examiner's report shows no sign of sexual abuse. That must be a relief for her family."

"Three older sisters," Dokugakuji mused. "One of them works at the counseling center with Hakkai."

His brother's eyes widened. "Shikuso, first this girl, then the bakasaru. She might be next."

"Getting closer and closer to Hakkai through his friends. I'd better tell Yaone," he said as he took out his cell phone. "Strange... I can't get to her phone."

Gojyo shrugged. "She must have turned it off, after all, she's out with Hakkai."

Yaone smoothed the creases of her cream-colored dress as she got up. She smiled at him, although her heart seemed to be pounding painfully. "I had a great time," she murmured as he helped her into her coat.

"So did I," he smiled back, the light from the moon reflected in his glasses and piercings on his left ear. His hands seemed to linger on her shoulders before offering his arm. "Iku zo?"

She nodded silently and took his arm. She did have a good time, and managed to learn a lot more about Hakkai. His hopes, his dreams, his past...

His love...

He managed to get her to talk about her family, and she happily told him everything about herself.

Everything, of course, except...

"Yaone-san, would you mind stopping at the counseling center for a while?" Hakkai asked as he looked at his pager. "They need an extra person to take the calls."

She nodded. "I don't mind. I'd like to see what you do there."

He smiled again and helped her into his jeep, driving towards the center. Her hands pushed at the strands of hair falling to her face, not used to having her hair down. She sighed softly so that he wouldn't hear, wondering what possessed her to dress up so much when he wasn't even going to notice.

"Yaone-san..." his voice caused her to jump.

"H-Hai?"

"I just thought I'd tell you. You... you look..."

Yaone's heart pounded so hard she could hear it.

"You look lovely tonight..."

He said it! her heart sang, her cheeks colored. She swallowed hard before replying, "A-Arigatou... you... you look very nice too."

Hakkai's smile widened as they pulled into the parking lot. "Arigatou gozaimasu. Ne, shall we?"

"Hakkai-san!" Shufa greeted him with a smile. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I got your page," he smiled at her as he moved to his station. "Have you met my flatmate, Yaone?"

Her smile turned cold. "No, I haven't. My name is Shufa, Hakkai's faithful assistant."

Yaone flinched at the gaze. "Konnichiwa, Shufa-san. Demo, Hakkai-san has told me that everyone here do not have assistants."

Shufa's smile slipped a little, laughing coldly. "I know, but with Hakkai-san as a boss, no person would be able to say no to him," she purred, taking his arm.

Hakkai noticed the slight narrowing of Yaone's eyes before he gently eased his arm from Shufa's grasp. "Sumimasen. Yaone-san, Would you like to sit here?" he patted the seat beside him.

"Hai, arigatou," Yaone said, keeping her voice even and her gaze at the young woman as she sat down. Shufa soon huffed and returned to her station. "Who was that?"

"She's one of Toufa's older sisters, and a victim of child abuse."

"I... see.... Can't say I'm very fond of her."

"She has asked me out a number of time, but I always turned them down."

"Naze? Don't you like her?"

He shrugged. "Just as a friend. She's a good co-worker, but I'm not really interested in her that way." You on the other hand... he find himself thinking, adding to the confusion in his mind.

"... oh." She looked at the switchboard. "I think you have a call."

"Sou desu ne," he said as he picked up. "This is Hakkai speaking, how may I help you?"

Crackling on the other line.

"Hello?"

"...... crackle.... Tasu...kete...!!!"

"Hello!? Who is this?!"

Yaone sprung from her seat and grabbed another head set to listen. She mouthed the word "conference" and Hakkai patched it to Yaone without disconnecting.

"Hakkai, isn't it?" a distorted voice said. "I have an invitation for you. Come to the alley behind the bar at the outskirts of town. She's waiting for you..."

"Hakkai-san!!!"

"Houfa-san!" Hakkai yelled into the phone.

"Come in one hour, or she'll die." Click.

Hakkai immediately dropped the head set and rushed out, Yaone close at his heels. "Hakkai-san!"

"Don't!"

"You're not going alone!" she stressed as she buckled her seat belt.

"You could be killed!"

"I know that! Let's just go!" she insisted as she took out a radio and turned it on. "Command central, this is Detective Yaone on the way to stop a potential murder, do you copy?"

He looked at her in surprise. Detective?

"Copy that. Sha Jien here."

"Dokugakuji! Get to the street three a block away from the bar on 57th street!"

"Will do! Details of situation?"

"No time. Just get there!"

"Roger that!"

She turned her handheld radio off, not meeting his eyes as he began to drive. "Gomen nasai, Hakkai-san, demo..."

"I understand... That would explain why you ran after the bomber."

"Please don't be angry with me..."

"... I'm not. Just a little surprised. But... that doesn't make you any less of a friend. The time you protected me from that explosion told me as much."

"I really am your friend, Hakkai-san. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing will happen to you or to me. I won't let that happen."

"Neither will I," she murmured as he hit the emergency lights, zooming through the highway. It didn't take them long before they reached the place, and Yaone shuddered unconsciously.

The seediest part of town.

Hakkai killed the engine and stepped out. "I'm going alone."

She glared at him. "I'm not letting you. This is a dangerous group of people, Hakkai-san!"

"Don't you think I know that?" he sighed. "I can fight too, after all."

"So can I, but I'd feel better if I went with you."

He raised his hands. "No point arguing with you."

She smiled, turned her radio back on and took a small handgun from her purse. "Dokugakuji, come in."

"Read you loud and clear!"

"Are you in position?"

"Roger."

"Stay where you are, I'll signal when you're allowed to go inside with two shots. For now, they are not supposed to know you guys are here."

"Roger that, Yaone."

She turned off her radio and placed it in the jeep. "Let's go."

Damp.

Cold.

Dark.

Those were the first words that entered Yaone's mind once they stepped into the alley, her gun at her hip. Hakkai walked silently in front of her, looking back every now and then to see if she was still there.

He turned again, for the nth time, and Yaone had to glare at him to indicate that she's fine.

They reached a dead end, and Hakkai looked around for Houfa. Not a sign of her.

"Took you long enough..." she saw him stiffen at that voice. Quickly she drew her gun and pointed it to the direction where the voice came from.

"Ahh, detective, I see you're here."

She tried not to let the surprise color her voice. "So you knew that I'm a cop."

A cold laugh. "Of course, I did."

"The gun told you?"

"No," a shadow materialized from the darkness, Houfa caught in the vice-like grip of his arm. "I have my sources."

"Spies?" her eyes narrowed.

That laugh again. "A mole."

She started. "What?!"

"You have a traitor amongst your officers, detective. And through him we knew from the start what your purpose is..."

Her teeth gritted. "Shut up and release the girl."

"I'd rather not. I would enjoy seeing the look on Hakkai's face in the next few minutes..."

Hakkai's eyes widened in horror as a form took shape as it was pressed against Houfa's temple. "Houfa-san!"

"I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this little thing. Too bad her pretty face and shapely body has to go..."

Houfa's eyes widened in terror and she began to sob hysterically. Yaone felt bile rise up the back of her throat and cocked her gun.

"Yamero!!!" Hakkai yelled.

Yaone quickly moved her finger to the trigger and fired, but the darkness of the alley caused her to misjudge the location of their enemy and miss. "Shit!" she realized her mistake the moment the sound of the bullets hitting the brick wall reached her.

"Good try, detective. But in this game, the advantage is mine..."

Click!

"Houfa-san!!!"

"NO!!!"

The gunshot rang loudly in the night air before it faded into the darkness.

*****

Onna: Japanese terms desu!!!

Yamete/Yamero- stop

Onegai- please

Iku zo- let's go

Naze- why

Gomen nasai- I'm sorry