I'M FINALLY BACK! I'm really sad though because no one review. NO ONE! How,
can no one review to such a great fic. I'm planning on putting out 2 or 3
more chaps, and hopefully by then SOMEONE will read this. Sigh, please read
and review. It's not exactly fun hoping someone will review for this, and
in the end it's for a different fic you wrote. BTW, I found out that
Edwardo is spelled Eduardo. HAHA.umm. sorry. From now on I will fix his
name, promise!
Disclaimer: I'm too disappointed in everyone for no reviews to give you something funny. I have nothing. "All my pride is all I have."- J.Lo
I came out of the bathroom with a red faced Misao. You could have told that she had been crying, but no one that we passed asked what was wrong, no one except Sano. That idiot. I glared at him until he shut up. Misao just looked downwards, and said she wasn't feeling well. Kenshin looked worried, and was searching my face for an explanation. My face was a cool mask, so he basically got nothing from me. At the worst possible time, as always, Soujiro called. He just seemed to love calling me lately.
"What's up?" I asked. I couldn't move away from Misao and company now. Too much of Misao's weight was leaning onto me. If I moved, she'd fall. I was going to have to pick my words carefully.
"The mayor is unhappy about the incomplete job." Even as he said it, he sounded cheerful. Such a happy man, but at the same time troubled.
"I knew he would be."
"You will have to finish it. After this one you're going to work full time on the Battosai problem."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Why?"
"You're going to have to put all your concentration on this case."
"Fine." You've got to love my one-word responses.
"You don't believe that Battosai is here?"
"Nope."
"Why aren't you at home?" Random change of subject...
"I'm at the gym."
"I told you two days ago to be safe. Running around town isn't safe Kaoru." He warned. He didn't seem cheerful anymore.
"I can't help it."
"Well, you better learn how to help it. I will not see you dead."
"Aw, you care about me." I think Kenshin's eyes widened just a bit at my comment. Jealous? (A/N: Remember, Sano, Misao, and Kenshin can only hear her side of the conversation.)
"You know it." Man, did I love his teasing. It was a sign of normalcy.
"You sound happy now."
"I do, don't I?"
"You aren't?"
"Be safe Kaoru. Ask Eduardo for info on Battosai. No going out all day. No getting killed." Then the impossible happened...
"3rd time. He's making hanging on up me a habit." I frowned at the phone.
"Who was that?" Misao asked. Her voice was small. I almost missed it entirely.
"My boss. It's a long story, but I've got to go. I have some people to call in order to set up a meeting. Then I have to go to work."
"Aren't you normally off on Sundays?" She asked.
"Normally."
"That didn't sound like a call from you're boss. It sounded too casual, that it did." Kenshin said.
"Soujiro's not a formal type of guy. At least not with me."
"Oh, I did not know you and your boss were..." Kenshin said, his voice drifting off at the end.
"We're not." I said hastly, "We're just good friends. Old friends." Sano was grinning. What was he thinking? Misao was actually grinning too. Why is everyone against me?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Eduardo." I said over the phone.
"Senorita, you need something?" His voice said in a sexy baritone. He's such a flirt.
"I need a file."
"As always."
"I need to know of any recent police reports regarding a killer using a sword."
"This is odd, Senorita."
"Will you do it?"
"Si, pero I doubt I will find anything. No body uses a sword in this century."
"I do."
"..."
"5 o'clock, today, same place as always. 500 dollars."
"No Senorita. You usually give me more."
"This is not worth more. You said it yourself, there might not be anything."
"How can I argue with my favorite customer?" He laughed, "It will be done. However, this I can not do by 5."
"Find a way to do it Eduardo." I said hanging up. I was standing in an alleyway behind the Cafe that I had brought Aoshi to only yesterday. Misao had invited the guys to come to the cafe with us. She said I could set up the meeting with my cell phone, and she was sure I could spare an hour of two for lunch. Thus, I was dragged here. Just as I hung up, Yahiko walked out of the back door and into the alleyway. In his hands was a garbage bag. He was hauling it to the dumpster. It looked half as big as him. "Need help?" I asked.
"That would be nice." He said, resting the bag down on the floor while he caught his breath. Was the bag really that heavy?
"It would, wouldn't it? Too bad I'm not nice!" I stuck my tongue out, and ran inside. I could hear him cursing at me through the door. The joys of irritating the poor idiot. However, I had forgotten to call Big J. I needed to arrange a date with him so that I could attempt to kill him again. Sighing, I went back out into the alleyway, helped the mumbling teenager throw away the trash, and then shooed him away so I could make the call.
"Hello." I heard an unfamiliar voice say.
"Is Big J there?" I asked.
"Who is this?" The person asked, and it took me a while to answer. What's my name again?
"Roxie." I finally said.
"That took you a while."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take so long. I was distracted by something that happened in the lane next to mine. I'm in the car right now." It was a good thing I was in an alley. You could hear the sounds of the cars. It was a perfect lie. No hesitation or anything.
"Very well. One second." In no time at all Big J was on the phone.
"Roxie, long time no see." He said smoothly.
"You saw me yesterday." I said.
"And?" Before I could say anything, he carried on, "How was you're family?"
"They're all fine. It was a false alarm. It turns out that my brother was just worried about me, and came to retrieve me. I was supposed to be home by 11:30. I didn't listen. So, he made up a lie to get me home."
"How old are you?"
"How old are YOU?" I asked, throwing back his question.
"You're so fiery." He laughed.
"I'm glad you like me."
"You should be, now why did you call?"
"I want to know if I can see you tonight."
"Maybe."
That's not an answer."
"It's not."
"You're playing with me." I frowned.
"If I were playing with you, you'd be blushing." He said. I could almost see his smile. Perv. "I will call you later."
"How? You don't have my number." I said
"Goodbye. Roxanne." He said hanging up. Is it just me, or is anyone else feel a little... unsettled?
I walked back into the cafe. Sano was saying something, and Misao seemed a bit shocked.
"I didn't know you did martial arts!" Misao frowned at me when I sat down.
"Yup. I've been doing it for 12 years." I said.
"How come you never told me?"
"You never asked." I shrugged. Misao snorted, and munched at her muffin. She gave me a glance that said I had a lot of explaining to do.
"Miss Kaoru, I know the perfect place to take you." Kenshin smiled.
"To take me?" I asked puzzled. As in a date?
"Kenshin, way to be direct." Sano grinned.
"Not like that." Kenshin said embarrassed. "I would just like to show her that dojo we went to a couple months ago."
"Dojo?" My stomach started to fall. I think I was going to be sick. Please let him be talking about a dojo that wasn't the one I was thinking of.
"Yes a real dojo! It specializes in fighting with a bokken, but they also teach martial arts there. I'm sure you would enjoy the old Japanese feel of the dojo, that you would."
"Really." I said barely audible. My stomach was falling even faster now. Oh God, I might cry.
"The fighting style is the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu." Kenshin stated not noticing my pale face.
"The owners are really nice. They supposedly have a daughter, but they never talk about her, and when you ask they get touchy. Besides that, they're great. They make good miso soup." Sano smiled. He was licking his lips like he could actually taste the soup.
"Hey Kaoru, your last name's Kamiya! Are you related?" Misao said swallowing her last bit of muffin.
"Sort of." I said looking at the sugar packet I held in my hand. I needed something to settle my attention on, and that was the only thing close by. How had Kenshin reached my past? God damn it. Bad memories began to swirl in my head. My one weak spot. Kenshin had found my one weak spot. That damn dojo.
"You a niece or something?" Sano said, helping himself to the last of Kenshin's coffee because his was done.
"Not really. I got to go." I said standing abruptly. I needed air, I needed space; I needed to stop feeling vulnerable. I walked out leaving behind a suspicious Kenshin, a worried Misao, and a Sano that was licking his fork clean of the custard from his tart. I needed to hurt someone. I needed to feel tough. If I didn't I was going to cry. I hate it when memories are brought back up. When secrets begin to become exposed. When someone gets too close. Kenshin, whom I had known for 2 or 3 days, was too close. Closer then anyone had ever gotten, and I wasn't sure if he even knew he was that close.
~~PREVIEW: I should have seen this coming. I shouldn't have called him using my cell phone earlier. I should have been smart enough to use the pay phone, but still he shouldn't be able to get the number. My phone is not supposed to be able to be traced. If I was lucky he had only found out my number, and not my name. That was a doubt. Shit.
Disclaimer: I'm too disappointed in everyone for no reviews to give you something funny. I have nothing. "All my pride is all I have."- J.Lo
I came out of the bathroom with a red faced Misao. You could have told that she had been crying, but no one that we passed asked what was wrong, no one except Sano. That idiot. I glared at him until he shut up. Misao just looked downwards, and said she wasn't feeling well. Kenshin looked worried, and was searching my face for an explanation. My face was a cool mask, so he basically got nothing from me. At the worst possible time, as always, Soujiro called. He just seemed to love calling me lately.
"What's up?" I asked. I couldn't move away from Misao and company now. Too much of Misao's weight was leaning onto me. If I moved, she'd fall. I was going to have to pick my words carefully.
"The mayor is unhappy about the incomplete job." Even as he said it, he sounded cheerful. Such a happy man, but at the same time troubled.
"I knew he would be."
"You will have to finish it. After this one you're going to work full time on the Battosai problem."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Why?"
"You're going to have to put all your concentration on this case."
"Fine." You've got to love my one-word responses.
"You don't believe that Battosai is here?"
"Nope."
"Why aren't you at home?" Random change of subject...
"I'm at the gym."
"I told you two days ago to be safe. Running around town isn't safe Kaoru." He warned. He didn't seem cheerful anymore.
"I can't help it."
"Well, you better learn how to help it. I will not see you dead."
"Aw, you care about me." I think Kenshin's eyes widened just a bit at my comment. Jealous? (A/N: Remember, Sano, Misao, and Kenshin can only hear her side of the conversation.)
"You know it." Man, did I love his teasing. It was a sign of normalcy.
"You sound happy now."
"I do, don't I?"
"You aren't?"
"Be safe Kaoru. Ask Eduardo for info on Battosai. No going out all day. No getting killed." Then the impossible happened...
"3rd time. He's making hanging on up me a habit." I frowned at the phone.
"Who was that?" Misao asked. Her voice was small. I almost missed it entirely.
"My boss. It's a long story, but I've got to go. I have some people to call in order to set up a meeting. Then I have to go to work."
"Aren't you normally off on Sundays?" She asked.
"Normally."
"That didn't sound like a call from you're boss. It sounded too casual, that it did." Kenshin said.
"Soujiro's not a formal type of guy. At least not with me."
"Oh, I did not know you and your boss were..." Kenshin said, his voice drifting off at the end.
"We're not." I said hastly, "We're just good friends. Old friends." Sano was grinning. What was he thinking? Misao was actually grinning too. Why is everyone against me?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Eduardo." I said over the phone.
"Senorita, you need something?" His voice said in a sexy baritone. He's such a flirt.
"I need a file."
"As always."
"I need to know of any recent police reports regarding a killer using a sword."
"This is odd, Senorita."
"Will you do it?"
"Si, pero I doubt I will find anything. No body uses a sword in this century."
"I do."
"..."
"5 o'clock, today, same place as always. 500 dollars."
"No Senorita. You usually give me more."
"This is not worth more. You said it yourself, there might not be anything."
"How can I argue with my favorite customer?" He laughed, "It will be done. However, this I can not do by 5."
"Find a way to do it Eduardo." I said hanging up. I was standing in an alleyway behind the Cafe that I had brought Aoshi to only yesterday. Misao had invited the guys to come to the cafe with us. She said I could set up the meeting with my cell phone, and she was sure I could spare an hour of two for lunch. Thus, I was dragged here. Just as I hung up, Yahiko walked out of the back door and into the alleyway. In his hands was a garbage bag. He was hauling it to the dumpster. It looked half as big as him. "Need help?" I asked.
"That would be nice." He said, resting the bag down on the floor while he caught his breath. Was the bag really that heavy?
"It would, wouldn't it? Too bad I'm not nice!" I stuck my tongue out, and ran inside. I could hear him cursing at me through the door. The joys of irritating the poor idiot. However, I had forgotten to call Big J. I needed to arrange a date with him so that I could attempt to kill him again. Sighing, I went back out into the alleyway, helped the mumbling teenager throw away the trash, and then shooed him away so I could make the call.
"Hello." I heard an unfamiliar voice say.
"Is Big J there?" I asked.
"Who is this?" The person asked, and it took me a while to answer. What's my name again?
"Roxie." I finally said.
"That took you a while."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take so long. I was distracted by something that happened in the lane next to mine. I'm in the car right now." It was a good thing I was in an alley. You could hear the sounds of the cars. It was a perfect lie. No hesitation or anything.
"Very well. One second." In no time at all Big J was on the phone.
"Roxie, long time no see." He said smoothly.
"You saw me yesterday." I said.
"And?" Before I could say anything, he carried on, "How was you're family?"
"They're all fine. It was a false alarm. It turns out that my brother was just worried about me, and came to retrieve me. I was supposed to be home by 11:30. I didn't listen. So, he made up a lie to get me home."
"How old are you?"
"How old are YOU?" I asked, throwing back his question.
"You're so fiery." He laughed.
"I'm glad you like me."
"You should be, now why did you call?"
"I want to know if I can see you tonight."
"Maybe."
That's not an answer."
"It's not."
"You're playing with me." I frowned.
"If I were playing with you, you'd be blushing." He said. I could almost see his smile. Perv. "I will call you later."
"How? You don't have my number." I said
"Goodbye. Roxanne." He said hanging up. Is it just me, or is anyone else feel a little... unsettled?
I walked back into the cafe. Sano was saying something, and Misao seemed a bit shocked.
"I didn't know you did martial arts!" Misao frowned at me when I sat down.
"Yup. I've been doing it for 12 years." I said.
"How come you never told me?"
"You never asked." I shrugged. Misao snorted, and munched at her muffin. She gave me a glance that said I had a lot of explaining to do.
"Miss Kaoru, I know the perfect place to take you." Kenshin smiled.
"To take me?" I asked puzzled. As in a date?
"Kenshin, way to be direct." Sano grinned.
"Not like that." Kenshin said embarrassed. "I would just like to show her that dojo we went to a couple months ago."
"Dojo?" My stomach started to fall. I think I was going to be sick. Please let him be talking about a dojo that wasn't the one I was thinking of.
"Yes a real dojo! It specializes in fighting with a bokken, but they also teach martial arts there. I'm sure you would enjoy the old Japanese feel of the dojo, that you would."
"Really." I said barely audible. My stomach was falling even faster now. Oh God, I might cry.
"The fighting style is the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu." Kenshin stated not noticing my pale face.
"The owners are really nice. They supposedly have a daughter, but they never talk about her, and when you ask they get touchy. Besides that, they're great. They make good miso soup." Sano smiled. He was licking his lips like he could actually taste the soup.
"Hey Kaoru, your last name's Kamiya! Are you related?" Misao said swallowing her last bit of muffin.
"Sort of." I said looking at the sugar packet I held in my hand. I needed something to settle my attention on, and that was the only thing close by. How had Kenshin reached my past? God damn it. Bad memories began to swirl in my head. My one weak spot. Kenshin had found my one weak spot. That damn dojo.
"You a niece or something?" Sano said, helping himself to the last of Kenshin's coffee because his was done.
"Not really. I got to go." I said standing abruptly. I needed air, I needed space; I needed to stop feeling vulnerable. I walked out leaving behind a suspicious Kenshin, a worried Misao, and a Sano that was licking his fork clean of the custard from his tart. I needed to hurt someone. I needed to feel tough. If I didn't I was going to cry. I hate it when memories are brought back up. When secrets begin to become exposed. When someone gets too close. Kenshin, whom I had known for 2 or 3 days, was too close. Closer then anyone had ever gotten, and I wasn't sure if he even knew he was that close.
~~PREVIEW: I should have seen this coming. I shouldn't have called him using my cell phone earlier. I should have been smart enough to use the pay phone, but still he shouldn't be able to get the number. My phone is not supposed to be able to be traced. If I was lucky he had only found out my number, and not my name. That was a doubt. Shit.