DISCLAIMER:

Hi!

Over 100 reviews! Yay! Thinking I ought to write something special in for it, but I'm not sure yet…. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed—Critically, positively, or negatively. And thanks to those who've read this but never reviewed… Well, on another note…. Someone asked me was my love affair with dysfunctional families was, and the reason is… I belong to one! I'm sure of us at least think or family is screwed up, but I'm for real… But in response to another question—Michi Mine is featured only in the Lupin manga from what I understand. I just realized that Fujiko's family is about the only one I haven't delved into and screwed into this fanfiction.

'She loves you, yeh, yeh, yeh,

She loves you, yeh, yeh, yeh,

And with a love like that,

You know you should be glad'

--The Beatles, 'She loves you'

Chapter Twenty Five

Back in France: Maybe I'm Amazed

"Hey, Mister, can we get our ball back!?" a young boy screamed across the park.

"Here!" Natasha yelled, and threw it over towards the boys, "And don't go hitting people on the head with that thing! It's dangerous, you know!"

"Sorry—Is he going to be okay?" another boy as he looked downward at Zenigata, who was now spread out across one of the green metal park benches with an ice pack over his head.

"He'll be all right," Natasha sighed.

"Hey, Lady! You throw a mean fast ball!" the boy who caught the ball yelled.

"Thanks," Natasha nodded, and turned back to Zenigata as the boys ran back to their game. She rolled the double stroller Fuji and Ari were strapped into, all while speaking to Zenigata, "Koichi, are you all right?"

"I've had better hits," Zenigata admitted. He sat up on the bench and rubbed the back of his head, "But I'll be damned if that didn't hurt like a bitch! The kids all right?"

"They're fine! You're the one who was just hit in the head!" Natasha laughed, and patted him on the shoulder, "You give them a little ice cream and a Sinatra song, and they're gold."

"Gold… I'll bet Lupin's stealing a truckload of gold right now…" Zenigata murmured. Natasha frowned, huffed, and began to storm away from him, the stroller in front of her, "What—Natasha! What's going on!?" he asked as he caught up with the blonde.

"You have to quit, Koichi! You're retired! Start freakin' acting like it! Do I bore you that badly?" Natasha hissed.

"No… I, I mean—You don't bore me at all! It's just that I'm used to being so busy, and all of that free time! I can't help it!" Zenigata responded.

"Well, maybe you can volunteer somewhere…"

"Say what?"

"I don't know! I'm just shooting answers into the air!" Natasha sighed and stopped the stroller, and turned to Zenigata, "You're so intelligent, but you can't even get a little hint…. Guy can do a New York Times crossword in just under a half an hour but can't get the hint… It's amazing…."

"Hint? What did I miss?" Zenigata inquired.

"I… Never mind…" Natasha muttered, and continued pushing the stroller down the street.

"Would you just friggin' tell me already!?" Zenigata snapped.

"Did you ever think it was a little weird that I would move in with you?" Natasha inquired.

"No. You told me about how hard it was to find an apartment…" Zenigata answered.

"Did you ever stop for a second to think some might actually like you? But, no—No self-confidence whatsoever…" Natasha seethed.

"Stopped to think…." Zenigata trailed off, and then began to run towards Natasha, "You're kidding, right? I, uh, mean—"

"Your wife was a bitch, but she had good taste. Believe me, you're everything I never even thought of in a person. I always hoped for a white, rich, Jewish doctor from Queens! Instead I find a Japanese, middle class, agnostic retired detective from Tokyo. But I still like you," Natasha said with a disbelieving shrug, "I mean, I've actually been happier in the past few months than I was in my entire life! Even when I lived with my mother! I love her, G-d knows, but times were always rough, and she usually was, too. But I tolerated it. And you're not in the least bit mean—Obsessive, emotional, cranky—Hell, yes! But mean, no! And Amaya's just like that!"

"Uh… Wow…" Zenigata scratched the back of his head, "Well, here's the house… I—I'll open the door…" he tripped over the steps as he climbed up onto the porch, and nervously opened the door. He helped Natasha lift the stroller up the stairs, and then the two set the babies down in their cribs for the afternoon. Natasha smiled as she laid Fuji down, and turned to Zenigata, who had put Ari to bed. But he was nowhere to be found.

Natasha walked down the stairway into the living room, and then into the kitchen, where she heard some activity, "You're nervous around me now, aren't you?" she asked.

Zenigata jumped in response, nearly dropping the teacup he had been drinking from. He set the teacup down on the counter and looked over at it, and then back at Natasha, "Not really… I've gotten pretty used to you after the past few months…." The phone suddenly rang, and Zenigata bolted for it. He quickly picked it up; grateful to whomever was at the other end for his escape.

"Hiya, Pops! We got Yuki, and she's just fine!" Lupin announced cheerily, "We won't be back for at least two days, so try to make yourself a little more comfortable! And don't you and Natasha go and do anything I would!"

"Lupin! You—" Zenigata began in a growl, but then sighed in defeat, "Yeah, okay… Thanks…"

"No problemo. You guys have fun now!" Lupin laughed, "Oh, and Pops, one last tip…."

"Yeah?"

"When you're putting a few moves on the blonde—"

Zenigata quickly slammed the phone down and turned back towards the living room, where Natasha was still sitting, waiting for his return, "Who was that?" she inquired, rising and walking towards him.

"No one," Zenigata lied, and turned his head away from her.

"Why don't you like me?" Natasha inquired, "Is it because I'm Jewish? Because I'm blonde? What? What is it that you don't like?"

"There's nothing that I don't like, really," Zenigata admitted reluctantly, "It's just that I haven't been in a serious relationship in almost twenty-odd years!"

"You've been in one for the past couple of months. You just never realized it," Natasha answered flatly, "Now, do you want to give this a shot? If you don't, we can forget this afternoon after happened, and we can go back to the way things were. I promise. I just had to get everything out in the open, Koichi."

"Well…" Zenigata sighed and sat down on the couch, Natasha soon seating herself down next to him. He looked over at her, and smirked, "Okay."

"Great!" Natasha smiled and laughed happily, and embraced Zenigata, "Thank you for everything Koichi."

"Hey, it's no problem. I've got enough time on my hands," Zenigata sighed.

"Well, at least you'll have something else to do in your spare time…." Natasha said with a smirk.

"Really, what?" Zenigata inquired.

Natasha laughed again, rose, and led Zenigata up the stairs, "I'll show you while the kids are laying down. Oh, and you might want to have a set of handcuffs ready…."

Chicago:

"Yukiko? What'd you want to see me about?" asked Ming as she closed the door behind herself and the little girl.

"Lucky told me some things…" said Yukiko quietly as she sat down on an expensive hotel bed, "Things about you…"

Ming faltered, and looked downward at Yukiko, "Yuki… That was a long, long time ago… I was barely the same person, then!"

"But now you're changed?" Yukiko asked suspiciously.

"Yes," Ming answered with a nod. She sat down next to Yukiko, "Listen…. What happened…. I didn't want it to. It was under the order of my parents, though."

"They made you do something like that?" Yukiko muttered in wide-eyed shock, "Why?"

"I still try to figure it out, myself," Ming answered with a shrug, "But you know, girls aren't treated in Japan or France like they are in Hong Kong. Luckily, your father is an American, and they know how to treat women."

"Does Daddy know about you?" asked Yukiko.

"No…. But I guess I should tell him, huh?" Ming smirked wearily, "I owe that to him."

"Yeah," Yukiko nodded in response.

"All right, you get him. I'll prepare a speech," Ming said nervously, clasping her hands together. Yukiko nodded, and exited the bedroom, while Ming waited apprehensively for Jigen.

Later:

Jigen sat there quietly, trying to let what Ming had told him sink in, "Jigen, please take off the hat and look at me. Please? You've been sitting there like that for four minutes now!" Ming said nervously, "Please?"

Jigen removed the hat, and set it in his lap, and looked away from Ming, "The grandson of a whore, the son of a whore…. And guess what he ends up marrying…."

"It wasn't anything!" Ming yelled in response.

"How the hell old were you?" Jigen asked quietly. Ming did not answer, "He didn't hurt you that much, did he?"

"Only the usual," Ming answered in a choke, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but after I found out who you were, it only made it harder to tell you!" Jigen remained silent, "You—You hate me, don't you? I can't blame you…. Well, like I told you—If something comes up, I'll go."

She rose, and turned briefly, and yelped in surprise when she saw Jigen standing close in front of her when she turned back around, "I'm not mad at you. And to get pissed at you because you didn't tell me about your past would just be hypocritical. You liked me without even knowing a damned thing about my past. I think I owe you at least that…."

Ming shook her head and put a hand to her mouth. Jigen smirked wryly and embraced her, and set his hat down on the bed behind her. Ming looked upward, and reached upward to kiss him, but the door suddenly opened, and Lupin walked, but immediately jumped back as he registered Jigen and Ming, "Woah! You two in the middle of something!?"

"Yes!" Jigen growled, "What the hell do you need!?"

"I wondered if I could borrow—"

"Yes! Dammit, yes! Now leave me the hell alone!" Jigen yelled in response.

Lupin smiled, and nodded, and closed the door, "Thanks, Jigen…" he called as he walked down out of the hotel room and into his own room.

"What was all that yelling about?" Fujiko wondered out loud as Lupin entered.

"Jigen just gave me permission to find that alchemy formula," Lupin answered with a wide smile.

"Really? How'd you finally talk him into it!?" Fujiko inquired.

"I didn't do a damned thing except use my charms…." Lupin replied.

Fujiko paused, "Okay… Now what did you really do?"

Back in Jigen and Ming's Room, a little while Later:

"I wonder where Lupin went in such a hurry?" Ming wondered out loud from the bathroom.

"No clue. But who the hell knows with that guy?" Jigen muttered tiredly in response. He was lying down on the bed, flipping through television channels as he spoke.

"He got really excited after he busted in here…." Ming chuckled.

"Yeah, well the guy only wanted to borrow—" Jigen stopped dead, and stared ahead blankly at the television, "Son of a BITCH!" Jigen yelled, and bolted from the bed. He quickly ran to Fujiko's room, and began to bang on the door.

"Jigen! What is it!?" Fujiko gasped as she opened the door.

"Lupin! Where is he!?" Jigen demanded.

"He offered to take the kids for ice cream—"

"Dammit!" Jigen snapped, and ran down the Goemon and Amaya's door. He banged on the door, and heard two discontented sighs behind it. Followed by this was the slow hobble of a cast and a wooden sandal, and Goemon answered, wearing a look that could kill, "Goemon, Lupin went to go find Capone's vault, and he took Yukiko and Toshiro with him!"

"Nonsense, Jigen! Lupin would never be that stupid!" Goemon said. Both stood there silently a few moments, until Goemon spoke again, "What the hell am I saying, of course he would…." Goemon muttered. He looked forward at Jigen again, "We've got the find them…"

On the Road:

"So, it's in Chicago all right, huh?" Lupin muttered as he quickly glanced over a few microscopic enhancement photos he had taken of the ring when no one had been watching over him. In the flowery and intricate pattern around the ring, there were a series of directions to the vault carved in the design. He had realized this when he had seen two photos of the piece of jewelry. In one, the gold on the ring, but in a later picture, taken in about the sixties, it had shown the ring with the intricate floral design.

Behind him sat Toshiro and Yukiko, both excited at the thought of an adventure. Yukiko had blackmailed Lupin into taking both her and her friend, so the thief begrudgingly allowed the two to come.

"Oh, you're kidding me…" Lupin paled as he stopped in front of the same Italian restaurant Jigen had taken both him and Goemon. It was the same restaurant where Jackie the Clay Pigeon and Costello the Bat, among other numerous mobsters, hung out, "This isn't Goddamned fair…." Lupin grumbled as he got out the car, "Whoever keeps making my life so difficult ought to be strangled!" he added.

"What's wrong, Lupin?" Yukiko inquired.

"Uh, nothing, Yukiko…" Lupin replied with a small and nervous laugh. He looked back at the restaurant and cringed, "Okay, guys, let's get going…."

"It smells like cheap wine. Even from here…" Toshiro muttered in response.

"Well, if you've got any praying to get out of the way, I suggest you do it now…" Lupin said quietly as they entered.

At the same time, Jigen pulled up the restaurant, looking at Ming in a sharp glare. His ears were still ringing from a lecture Ming him and Goemon, "I still think he's up to something…" Jigen murmured.

"He's not! When could he have possibly had the time to find the directions!?" Ming replied.

"Li Yan, you don't know him like I do," Jigen responded, "He found time somewhere…. I just wish Goemon could've come… Damn it, though…. 'He had to get his cast off'—What a bunch of bull… Damn it… I can feel when he's up to something…"

"Let's just go inside and meet some of your friends," Ming said tiredly, "Lupin probably took them to the park or something…. He likes doing things like that for the children…."

"I know. He also likes trying to kill them," Jigen retorted. Ming sighed, and stepped out of the car as Jigen finished parking it. Her eyes went wide briefly as she saw a familiar car as parked a few spaces in front of them, and quickly directed Jigen away from the Porsche. They entered the restaurant, and Ming became relieved once more as she no sign of the familiar red jacket in the club.

They seated themselves, and a waited soon came over to them. Jigen placed both orders to the waiter in Italian—Something that pleased the waiter a great deal. He enjoyed seeing people who held on to their culture. As he left, Jigen turned back to Ming, who had taken the breadsticks and had constructed them into a small house. Saltine crackers served as the roof, and oyster crackers led up the front door, which was also a saltine. The salt and pepper shakers served as the residents, and it was currently snowing parmesan, Jigen noted. He could not quite find the words for this interesting craft project, and began to look around for anyone he knew.

"Christmas is coming soon," Ming said as she adjusted a few of the saltine shingles.

"Yeah, I—What the hell is that? I didn't want to say anything really, but…." Jigen shook his head in awe, "Jesus Christ…."

"It's a house…" Ming answered, looking up at Jigen, "My Mom and Dad were usually out whenever I ate, so I would get bored and do things like this… Of course, I had people who would also clean it up for me afterwards… Yeah, I lived the high life for a while… It wasn't worth it, though… I'm much happier in this nomad existence. The people are real… I'll bet you came from some money, too…"

"Not really. And if I did, it'd be news to me," Jigen responded, "My Old Man always used to keep me and Maria grounded….."

"Maria and me."

"What?"

"Maria and me. That's how it should be said…." Ming answered.

"What the hell ever…" Jigen shrugged.

"Leave it to those dime romance novels to totally screw up your grammar," Ming muttered. Jigen nearly fell out of his chair at this statement, and Ming looked back up at him and smiled, "I found a couple lying around while I was cleaning our place back up…. I can't believe some of the smut they put in those things! 'Oh, Mark, take me to that one place where women fear to go'…. Jesus!"

"Would you kindly shut up?" Jigen hissed.

"Okay," Ming shrugged, "I'm just saying, I always wondered how people as repressed as you vented. Guess I know now, and, I must say, it was rather disappointing…"

"I know people here!" Jigen murmured.

"You—You sure do," Ming blinked a few times in disbelief as she watched three people who looked frighteningly like Lupin, Toshiro, and Yukiko rush out of a small hallway. She smirked, and turned her attention back to Jigen, "Hey, what do you say we get out of here?"

"What? We haven't even gotten the food yet," Jigen answered.

"I…" Ming trailed off once again as she saw Yukiko ran through another hall, this one leading to the bathrooms, "I know… But, uh… I'm not feeling well. The baby's, well, you know how it is sometimes… It's been kicking and all, and… I just really want to go lay down, if that's all right…. I'm really sorry, Daisuke…."

"It's no problem," Jigen answered with a shake of his head, "This place was getting dull, anyway. You're right…." He rose and helped her out of her chair, and the two exited the restaurant. Ming looked back once more over her shoulder before she exited, and returned a 'thumbs up' with Lupin.

"Jesus, that was close…" Lupin muttered to his two young cohorts. He looked down at Toshiro and Yukiko, "Well, I think we looked in every possible place, guys. Unfortunately, that ring doesn't go beyond telling us that the formula's somewhere in this restaurant…"

Yukiko sighed heavily, and fiddled with the ring a little. She briefly glanced up at a painting, and then shot her head up again as she recognized something in the picture, "Lupin! Toshiro! Look!" she gasped happily, running up to the painting. She held up the ring to the painting, and wore looks of surprise as they realized the woman was wearing the same ring.

"She's pointing downward!" Toshiro added.

"So… That would mean…" Lupin muttered as he kneeled downward and moved away a red terracotta Italian tile from the floor. Sure enough, there was a small red velvet box, "You guys are terrific…"

"We know," Yukiko and Toshiro replied in unison. They exited the restaurant, and Lupin placed a phone call as he drove down the road, back towards the hotel.

"Hey, is Zenigata there, Natasha?" Lupin inquired cheerily.

"Lupin? Is that you? Do you know what time it is?" Natasha muttered wearily, "Yeah, he's here…"

"Could you get him for me?" asked Lupin.

"Okay," Lupin heard someone mumbling in the background, and wondered to himself how Natasha had gotten into Zenigata's room so quickly when she had just awoken.

"Who the hell is it?" Zenigata inquired.

"It's me, Pops. How're the babies?" asked Lupin.

"They were sleeping until you called," Zenigata answered.

"Yeah… Well, could you tell them good night for me and Fujiko?" asked Lupin.

"It's three in the morning…" Zenigata responded.

"Doesn't he know about time zones?" Natasha murmured in the background.

"Pops, why is she still there?" Lupin inquired, "Unless… Oh my God, are you two—"

"Goodnight, Lupin," Zenigata grumbled, and hung up the phone.

"Bleedin' hell…" Lupin shook his head, "I banged Goemon's step-mother-in-law… Oi… This is just too weird, even for me…."