Onna: Don't own Saiyuki. Anyway! Rook-san, I'm not gonna say if you're right at all counts just yet. Just wait and see ok?

Yaone: Compatible?

Hakkai: A lot of people have been saying that.

*****

Hakkai threw himself on Yaone's assailant, knocking him hard on the chin. The man grunted and gave him a powerful push, making Hakkai hit the wall. He took out a knife and attempted to stab the green-eyed man when he rolled away and kicked him at the small of his back.

Again the man howled and struck his cheek with the hilt of the knife. Hakkai heard, rather than felt, the connection between the hilt and his cheek. He lashed out again, punching the assailant in the gut and drove his knee into the man's face. The man fell to the floor, the knife slipping from his grasp.

They both dove for the knife, hands grappling in the dark room. Hakkai punched him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and he managed to grab the knife.

"Talk," he spat out. "Who sent you?"

"None of your business, you bastard!"

Hakkai punched the man again. "You tell me who sent you!"

"I'd die first!"

"Death is too good for you! Tell me and tell me now!"

The man glared at him and jabbed him painfully in the abdomen. Hakkai doubled over in pain, watching as the man jumped out the window which he came through.

"Are you mad?! You'll kill yourself!" he yelled as he stuck his head out the window.

The dull sound of body hitting pavement made him wince. Then he remembered. Yaone-san! Hakkai rushed to the bed, throwing the pillow from Yaone's face and switching the lights on.

"Yaone-san!" No good. Her eyes were glazed and her lips were already turning blue. He was beginning to panic. He took deep breaths to calm himself and placed two fingers on her throat.

A small pulse. Small and weak, but steady.

He went to work, covering her mouth with his. His cheek pressed against her nostrils, preventing the escape of life-giving air. He breathed into her, watching as her chest rose and fell in response to his ministrations.

Come on! Yaone-san, breathe! Hakkai repeated the action once, twice, eight times before she coughed, taking large gasps of air.

He sank to the floor in relief as he positioned her to her side, to allow anything that might be blocking her airway to prevent her from choking. "Yokatta ne, Yaone-san..."

Her eyes opened, slowly focusing to gaze into his green ones. "D-Did you..." she coughed, making her words sound broken.

"He jumped out the window. I think he's dead..."

"S-Sou..." she continued to gasp. "B-Better report this..."

Hakkai nodded and went to get the phone.

"Dokugaku!" Gojyo shook his fallen brother.

"D-Daijoubu..." he answered, clutching his shoulder. "Let's just get out of here..."

Gojyo drew his gun and shot, quickly helping his brother up. Kougaiji and the other guy ducked behind tables as he did, giving them time to escape. "Go!"

Dokugakuji got up and ran as fast as he could, Gojyo continuing to shoot. Kougaiji ran to the next table and tried a few shots on Gojyo, but the red-haired cop was out the door when the bullet hit wood.

Dokugakuji started the car and motioned to his brother to get in. Gojyo dove in as his brother sped off, taking care not to aggravate his injury.

"Oi, Dokugaku. Are you sure you should be driving?"

"I'm fine, little brother! Let's just go before they come after us!" he answered, looking at the mirror to check if they were being tailed. "Why would Kou turn on me like that?"

Gojyo waved a piece of paper at him. "I think I know. Got a fax from the gang we're investigating."

"Nani?!"

"It's all here. Kougaiji was the one selling the information to the gang. At the expense of blackmail."

"Blackmail? That would explain why he didn't want Yaone reinstated in the case!"

"They threatened to hurt his sister Lirin if he didn't help them. Somehow they also got his mother. And... WHOA! Check this! There's a second mole!"

"Damn it," Dokugakuji muttered as he turned the car around. "Better go back for Kou, or else that bastard in the station would kill him!"

"And while we're at it, let me check that bullet hole in your shoulder!"

"I told you to finish him!" the man snarled at the police chief.

"He's highly trained. Did you think just having you and me gang up on him was enough to stop either of them?!"

He huffed and stomped to the other side of the room. "No matter, we just have to take care of your mother and take your sister."

"But you said-!"

"You failed us, you idiot! They probably know now that you were the mole! Your career's in tatters, Captain. Might as well destroy everything else, hmmm?"

"You keep your hands from my mother and sister!" Kougaiji growled as he pointed the gun at the man's direction.

"Tut, tut. First, betrayal, and now murder? You really do want your life to be over."

"Shut up!" he yelled as his gun recoiled from the shot.

"No one's answering," he whispered as he returned to her side. "You okay?"

"I'll live..." she murmured, blinking slowly. "Hakkai-san, arigatou..."

He settled himself beside her, lying on his side. "It's nothing," he said, brushing back a few locks of hair. "Finally paid you back for that time with the bomb."

She punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Mou... I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep..."

"Don't think I could either."

"What do we do then?"

He stayed silent, stroking her hair before drawing her into his embrace. "Boku... boku wa ureshii... Yaone-san wa daijoubu..."

"Hakkai-san..." she managed to whisper before his lips crushed hers in a powerful kiss.

Lirin skipped happily on the way home, smiling at everyone she knew. She had her first decent lunch in months, thanks to having Toufa make another lunchbox for her and Goku.

"Lirin-chan!" She turned and saw Toufa's older sister, Shufa, coming towards her. "I'm glad I found you."

"Toufa-chan wa daijoubu desu ka?"

"She's fine. Would you like to come inside?"

"Okay."

No sooner had she set foot in the threshold that searing pain exploded at the back of her head, and she fell to the ground. "S-Shufa-san..."

"Gomen nasai, Lirin-chan... but we can't let your brother betray us..."

*****

Onna: Thank heavens I know how to perform first aid! *reads the entire chapter again and sweatdrops* Oh dear... I think I'm starting to become terrible in this story... anyway, Japanese terms!

Ureshii- glad