DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Lupin the Third characters. Some eccentric yet brilliant Japanese man does.

A few words

What is it with everyone and Collin? I was actually expecting negative backlash for adding him, but you guys seem to like him! Maybe I should put gay British characters in my novels—Maybe I'll finally get that publishing deal I've been praying for. I'm going to try to maybe make Ming a little more likable—Even I'm having some doubts about the girl, but at least we know she can hold her own against Jigen. A girl has to be a little off of her rocker to match wits with him, but that's just one opinion. Thanks for letting me know what I'm doing wrong and right with this. And, I promise I'll pay more attention to my spelling and grammar. Scout's honor (does that even count? I was never a scout, but I almost was….)

Chapter Eight

Day Eight: Cat's in the Cradle

'I'm looking through you, where did you go?

I thought I knew you, what did I know?

You don't look different, but you have

changed,

I'm looking through you,

You're not the same,'

--The Beatles, 'I'm looking Through You'

"Fire!" Jigen shouted. Both Ming and Yukiko fired off their guns, and two cans fell off of an old log milliseconds later. Jigen smirked, and looked over at Yukiko. He didn't have the heart to tell Ming that his seven-year-old daughter was doing better than she was, but the Chinese girl proved herself to be good on her shot.

"Okay. Put your guns back into the holster, ladies. I'm going to clock you on this one," said Jigen as he adjusted his glasses and removed a stopwatch from one of his pockets, "Okay…. Ming, you first…."

Ming nodded, and held her arms at her side. Jigen shouted for her to go, and she quickly removed the gun from her leather holster and fired, "Point-zero-five, Ming!" Jigen called, "Yuki, your turn."

Yukiko smiled happily at her father, and looked towards the bottles, "Go!" Jigen shouted. Yukiko quickly fired, and Jigen stopped the watch and looked down at the screen in disbelief.

"What'd I get!?" Yukiko asked happily.

This thing's got to be broken…. She couldn't have gotten that time… was what Jigen thought as he looked downward at the black digital letters. Point-zero-three. The same time it took him to draw a gun, "I forgot to stop it! You do that again, kid!" Jigen called.

Yukiko waited for her father to reset the watch, and fired again at his command. Same time. After the fourth shot, Yukiko began to get suspicious of her father, and Ming was growing impatient, "What time did she get?" Ming inquired, walking over and looking over Jigen's shoulder. Her eyes went wide, and she gave Jigen a shocked glance, "Is that right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jigen nodded, "This is the fourth time…."

"What time did I get!?" Yukiko asked.

"Point-zero-three," Jigen answered.

"Yay!" Yukiko smiled widely, "It paid off! All of the practice paid off!"

"Sure as hell looks like it…" Ming muttered under her breath as she began to load her gun again, "You guys want to take a break?"

"Sure," Jigen rose from the old tree stump he had found and began to walk back to the hotel with Ming and Yukiko, "Lupin's booked us to the eight-thirty flight to Chicago. I haven't been there since I was twenty-five. It's going to be kind of weird going back to the place."

"Why? Did you grow up there?" Ming inquired as she lodged her gun back into its holster.

"I'm not saying anything," Jigen answered quickly after Ming, "I just know the place well. I know it as well as you know—Where the hell are you from, anyway? Hong Kong?"

"Yeah," Ming replied.

"Really? Nice little place…"

"If you're a tourist or if your family is well off," Ming snapped bitterly. Jigen looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and wordlessly glanced at her in interest. Ming looked back at him, and then at the ground. Yukiko was oblivious to any of this; all of her hard work to be as good as her father had paid off finally. Why he looked so confused about it was a great curiosity to her, but her happiest currently ruled over her mind.

"Here we are. Maison belle maison…." Jigen muttered as they approached the hotel. They entered their room, where Ming and Yukiko went to packing while Jigen decided to visit the others. He first came to Goemon and Amaya's room, where both had packed. Goemon was currently meditating (this was an excuse to avoid an irate Amaya) and his fiancée was working on reinstalling her computer. It was not a hard process, but a long one. She had done most of it yesterday, and was putting the finishing touches on the computer.

"How's it going, guys?" Jigen inquired. He leaned over the couch, tilted his hat up over his eyes, and studied Amaya's computer screen, which was filled with numbers, "Why the hell do you play with that computer if it's just going to give you trouble?"

"Could I ask you the same thing about Ming?" Amaya answered back in a mutter.

"Not you, too! I thought you were the only other sane one here!" Jigen moaned, slapping his forehead in disgust.

"Sorry," Amaya sighed and sat back, "I'm just a little stressed out about the computer, and the fact that I'm getting married…. I'm wondering how Dad's going to take it…."

A Small Hotel out of New Orleans:

"Huh, what's this?" Zenigata muttered as he looked at the computer screen and saw he had mail. He sat cross-legged on the bed, an ashtray full of used cigarette butts to the right of the computer and a cup of Ramen noodles in his left hand. He clicked on the box, and read through Amaya's first e-mail, smiling as he finished, "Well, at least she's nice enough to call. Hey, another one!" he clicked on this one, and his smile faded as he saw the single message, "Holy…. Holy CRAP! She's actually marrying him! Jesus Christ! I should have never left! Good God, her Mother's going to blame me for this!"

Zenigata held his head in his hands and thought everything over for what seemed like an eternity. Now he knew Toshiko definitely was serious about Goemon. What the hell now? He had thought about retirement several times over the past few months, but Toshiko and Goemon were only part of what made him contemplate hanging up his gun permanently. Many of his friends who had started out on the force with him were retiring to many of the smaller islands of Japan or even to America; he knew fewer and fewer people in the office every time he went back. Only a handful he had known when he had graduated from the police academy were still there; many were starting to show signs of being senile or displaying a loss of passion for their job.

He was also costing Interpol big bucks with his constant pursuit of Lupin. Few even considered the gentleman thief their biggest concern anymore. Sure, there was a huge reward on his head, and anyway would've traded anything to capture him, but many of the newer guys concentrated their efforts on terrorists or bombers or crap of the like. Justice wasn't the point anymore; everyone wanted to be the next humanitarian, the one to save the world from the villainy of mass murderers. They were all still fresh idealists, yet to be broken in by the system, much like Zenigata had been long ago.

Zenigata scrolled over to the 'WRITE MAIL' icon on his computer, opened the program, and began to type.

TO: CyberSmaurai23

FROM: InterpolZenigata0967

SUBJECT:…

I'll help you, but if you tell Lupin that I'm helping him in any way….

I'm really happy for you, Toshiko. If it's one thing I've learned, it's that Goemon's loyal above everything else. What the hell you see in him, I'll probably never know…. It can't possibly be his personality…. But if you really want to do this, I'll support you, no matter what. If there's one thing I taught you over the years, it's what not to do in a marriage. I hope you two do better than your mother and I did. And, on that note…..

What the hell are we going to tell your mother?

Love,

Dad

P.S.: The first time Goemon makes you upset I'll make him wish he'd never stepped foot on the same continent as me.

Zenigata could not help but let out a small smile as he pressed the 'SEND' button, and went to work looking up information on the four suspects. "What are you so happy about, Sir?" Remy inquired as he filled in another line on his crossword.

"My daughter is getting married," Zenigata answered.

"Oh, quite a shame," Remy muttered to himself. Zenigata shot his head up and glared at Remy; Remy looked upward at Zenigata as he felt the inspector's icy stare upon him and smiled weakly, "Don't get me wrong—Very happy for her, and for you…. Good job…."

Zenigata leered at Remy, and then turned his attention back to his computer, "Stupid punk… I'd rather be trapped in a locked vault with Lupin…."

Lupin's gang's Hotel:

Jigen, Lupin, Goemon, and Ming all sat in a circle in Jigen's bedroom, drinking their respective alcoholic beverages and none of them smoking. Secretly the fresh air was doing murder to Jigen's lungs, but he kept quiet about this, as he did with most things. Amaya and Fujiko had taken Yukiko with them while they started shopping for their weddings leaving the others to drink away the hours.

"She fires a gun just as good as you?" Lupin repeated in disbelief as he stirred the ice in his drink around in the glass, causing it to make a small tinkling sound as he moved it in a circular pattern with his hand.

"Yeah," Jigen nodded, "And she's only seven! Can you friggin' belief it!? I had a draw of about eight at that age!"

"She ought to become a cop," Lupin said with a wry laugh as he took a sip of his drink, "Let me guess…. She's going as a gangster for Halloween?"

"Huh?" Jigen looked upward from his hat in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"We'll be in Chicago for Halloween. You can give the kid a real Western holiday," Lupin replied.

"You're kidding!? You're planning to go to Chicago on Halloween!? You're out of your friggin' mind…" Jigen muttered.

"Come on. It'll be nice…." Lupin responded, "Hey, why do you want to go to Chicago, anyway? Didn't people try to kill you there?"

"People have tried to kill me on every continent," Jigen retorted.

"Huh…. Yeah, you're right!" Lupin said after a pause to mentally add up the number of known times Jigen had had a death threat against him, "So why do you want to go?"

"There's a few things I have to show her," Jigen replied.

"Well, I hope you'll have enough time to help Goemon and me a little," Lupin said hopefully.

"With what?" Jigen inquired suspiciously.

"A little heist…" Lupin replied casually, "Nothing really big…."

"What are we lifting this time? Mussolini's yacht? Or is it Stalin's motorbike—What?" Jigen asked.

"Jewelry," Lupin answered.

Jigen rolled his eyes, "Damn, there are a lot better things than jewelry…. I like swiping it, too, but usually you have someone in mind to sell it to…."

"We do," Goemon spoke up from his seat.

"Really? Who?" asked Jigen.

"We really don't want to pay the arm and leg it costs to buy wedding rings, so…" Lupin put a hand on the back of his neck and smiled innocently.

"You're both hopeless!" Jigen growled, putting his hat over his eyes and leaning back in his chair, "You guys need that stuff, so you guys steal it! Simple as that!"

"It's not…" Lupin rose and sat on the arm of Jigen's chair, "We need a third guy to help us, and we can't ask Amaya or Fujiko for help, and I doubt you'd let Yukiko out of your sight."

"You're damned right!" Jigen snapped back.

"What about me?" Ming chimed in.

Lupin looked back at her and smiled good-humoredly, "Sorry, Miss. Team members only."

"I can do anything you want," Ming added.

"No way," Jigen rose, causing Lupin to fall off of the chair and fall onto the ground with a loud thud. Lupin glared at Jigen as he began to lift himself from the floor, and Jigen spoke again, "That's way too dangerous for you. Listen, you're paying me to keep you safe. I'm going to get a serious deduction in that pay if you go get your head blown off, don't you think?"

Ming looked downward at the ground, and nodded wordlessly, "I just want to feel useful…." She said quietly.

Goemon and Lupin both looked in Jigen's direction, "What!?" Jigen snapped, "Oh, fine! Ming, you can help me—Us—out…" he yelled, "God damn it…." He muttered to himself under his breath as he paced back and forth in the room. He looked towards Lupin, and pointed to him, "You! You tricked me into getting her to help us!"

"Who? Me!?" Lupin inquired innocently, "Jigen, how could you say something like that about your best friend!?"

"Easily; my best friend makes a living of lying," Jigen snapped in response, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"Yeah," Lupin smiled cheerily at this, "But you have to admit I'm likable."

"I ain't admitting anything," Jigen responded.

"Hey, guys, I'm going to finish my packing," Ming quickly rose as she surveyed the possible fight between the three, "See ya!"

"Yeah," Jigen nodded briefly at Ming, and then turned his attention to Lupin. Ming could hear the three bickering from the other side of the wall, and shook her head and smiled as she finished her packing.

"It's much worse than I thought," Lupin said with a laugh when he made sure Ming had disappeared from hearing distance.

"What is?" Jigen inquired.

"You've really got a thing for this girl, don't you? That's like robbing the cradle though, don't you think?" Lupin replied through his laughter.

"I don't have a thing for her!" Jigen snapped in response, clenching on to the arms of the chair that he had seated himself in once more after Ming had left.

"Goemon, what do you think?" asked Lupin.

"Pardon the bluntness, but you're following her around like a dog being taunted with a bone," Goemon answered.

"You shut up!" Jigen jumped out of his chair quickly and glared at Goemon and Lupin, "Listen, I'm not interested in anyone right now! You're both acting like Goddamned kids! If you feel sorry for me, don't! I don't want anyone! I don't need anyone, for that matter! That sort of crap only brings me trouble! I'm going into my room, and I'll come back when you both grow up!" Jigen stormed out of the room, slamming Lupin's door behind him.

"Wow…" Lupin said after a long pause between he and Goemon, "Have you ever seen him get that pissed off at us before?"

"I think maybe we're inadvertently rubbing it in his face that he hasn't found anyone yet," Goemon replied, "Or at least that's how he perceives it…. I think deep down he knows we're just having a joke or two with him, but we're also bringing up things that have been bothering him…."

"Huh," Lupin sat back in his chair and glanced tiredly over at Goemon, "Any ideas?"

"A few," Goemon admitted, "You want to hear?"

"I'm up for anything right now. I'd do anything to get Jigen out of his bitchy little self-pitying snit…" Lupin answered, leaning forward and resting his chin in his palm.

Jigen came into his room a little while later after his conversation with his friends, looking slightly frazzled. Ming smiled and leaned on one of her suitcases, "Hey, Daisuke. That a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?" she asked, trying not to break into a laugh.

Jigen reached down and removed a .78 Colt, "It's a gun," he answered bluntly, laying it down on the table and looking back at Ming.

"Oh…" Ming said quietly, and decided to go back to work after a few moments pause. She should have seen that one coming from a mile away, she said to herself mentally as she finished the last of her packing.

"Hi, Jigen! Hi, Ming!" both turned their heads and saw Yukiko hop into the hotel room.

"Hey, Kid!" Jigen kneeled down to Yukiko's level, "Whatcha got there?"

"Amaya and Fujiko got it for me!" Yukiko said happily. She undid the wrapping of the circular box and removed a fedora. Jigen's mouth twitched into a smile, and he could not help but let out a small unnerving laugh as Yukiko put it on her head. Jesus, she looks a lot more like me than I thought, entered Jigen's mind as he saw her eyes from under the hat.

"You got it on wrong, Kid," Jigen said, "You got to wear it with attitude," he said, and tilted the hat to a side. Yukiko chuckled and turned back to the mirror, and saw her hat looked just like her father's. She looked back at Jigen, and he nodded his approval, "You know, not everyone can pull off a fedora. We're related, though, so you can wear it and look pretty damned good."

"Thanks!" Yukiko quickly embraced it, and skipped off to show Lupin and Goemon. Jigen stood and watched as she closed the door behind her, and looked over at Ming.

"What?" he asked as he saw her begin to laugh, "What's so funny?"

"You're pretty good with her," Ming admitted, and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, better than I thought I'd be…. But I feel more like a babysitter than a father. I get the feeling any day her real, normal, stable father'll show up and want to take her back to their two-story suburban house in this perfect little neighborhood…." Jigen shrugged, "I feel like she deserves better than this…."

"Then leave," Ming replied, "Both of you can probably start a new life somewhere! I'm sure Lupin would understand!"

"It's not that simple," Jigen said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning away from her, "I tried it all before."

"What happened?" asked Ming.

"We ended up in a shootout, and I got shot in the arm…. And I shot in the heart, figuratively speaking…. I had to leave her for her own good. I had no clue at the time that she was going to have a baby…." Jigen closed his eyes, "I end up with the kid, she gets sick and dies, and we all live happily ever after. It's all just one big long party…."

Jigen felt a hand grab onto his arm, and he quickly spun around in surprise. Ming was looking upward at him, a sense of sympathy in her eyes. Jigen returned the expression briefly, but then he became hard and distant once more, and turned away from her, "Come on… We have to finish packing…. Well, I do, anyway…. And I need to double-check and see that Yukiko didn't forget anything." He worked his way out of her grasp and began to search around the room.

"I'm going to see what Fujiko and Amaya bought. I'll see you," Ming began to walk away, and turned before she exited, "I know what it's like to loose someone, too. I lost my entire family to the hands of Triads…"

Jigen remained motionless and watched as Ming closed the door behind her, and exhaled heavily, "Woah…" he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, and leered at the pair of menacing wire-framed demons. His vision was getting worse; the operation would have to get done soon, but with a thirty-five percent chance of going completely blind in at least one eye, he couldn't risk it. Not until the people who were after them were caught. Then he'd go back to the doctor and have everything fixed. He just hoped he wouldn't end up permanently losing his vision while he waited.

"Jigen, you ready!? We're going!" Lupin called, knocking on the door of the hotel room.

The gunman jumped, and turned towards the door, "Almost!" he called back, and checked the room quickly over once more, and set the last bag of his luggage among the pile. Ming and Yukiko walked into the room, picked up their bags, and exited. Jigen soon followed, and none even suspected that they were being watched over by an unknown enemy.