Would you Kill for Love?

I could feel my body stir, beginning its waking process, but something wasn't right at all. I blinked my eyes open; glad for the fact the room had dark curtains, which were not drawn open. My right arm felt dead though and when I tried to move it there was a moan of protest at my side. I snapped my head and eyes in that direction and found Misao...a naked Misao…curled on her side facing me with her head resting on my said dead arm.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

Stupid Shinomori, real stupid of you!

Great my "wonderful" control that I prided myself on having had fucking deserted me at my most desperate time of need.

As I look at Misao's sleeping form, I realised I didn't have an ounce of regret in my body…though right now my stomach churned at the fact that I had just bedded a 16 year old. Talk about feeling old…and then the simple fact of "cradle snatching" was catching up to me as well. I sighed lightly, bringing my left arm up to scratch through my ruffled hair. What the fuck was I going to do now?

That's when all thoughts were lost. There was something…a noise…an intrusion that reached my ears and into my brain. It wasn't a good noise at that. I eyed the bedroom door, but it was closed, but as I concentrated a bit more there was someone in the house and it wasn't Yahiko. Instantly my police instincts went into overdrive and I clamped my hand over Misao's mouth, watching her sleepy ocean blue eyes snap open to gaze frighteningly up at me. As soon as she realised it was I, fright left her, but those beautiful eyes held confusion now. I placed a finger at my lips and pulled my hand from her mouth, whispering words into her ear.

"Get dressed…quickly now…" Instantly the fear was back, but I hadn't time to ease her of it as I left the bed and padded quietly to where I had kicked my boxer briefs and trousers. In mere seconds they were on and I zipped up the trousers but that was all. I walked bare foot to the guns lying on a small drawer near the bed and as quietly as possible I pulled back the triggers. My eyes turned to Misao to watch her clasp her bra around her firm supple breasts and then she placed on the white tank top, stood up and placed on the black slacks over her red underwear.

"Come…" I whispered to her and Misao immediately was at my side, her right arm around my waist as we both headed for the closed door. I had my left arm over her shoulders keeping both guns pointed at the door.

"What's happening?" Misao whispered but I shushed her instantly. I stood near the door, but the ki of many men were already inside the house. How the fuck did they find us here? My thought process was lost when the window of the bedroom was smashed as two men came flying through. I pulled Misao behind me and instantly shot the both of them dead. There was no fucking way they were getting their hands on her! As another two men came flying through the window I felt my blood drain when there was a gasp behind me. The bedroom door had burst open a man racing in and he grabbed Misao from behind. I flinched when I felt her nails dig into the skin at my sides as she tried desperately to hold on, but to no avail.

"MISAO!" I yelled turning around, the only thought in my mind was to keep her safe and therefore I lost part of my concentration. I felt an object, a fucking hard one at that, collide with the back of my head and it sent me to my knees. I kneeled dazed for awhile and then the stupid morons left me there not even finishing me off as they left from where they came, through window or through the bedroom door with a screaming Misao being carried all the way. I clenched my teeth, the back of my head pounding and I stood up and headed straight for the window. There was noise on the roof. I couldn't care less if my bare feet connected with broken glass. All that mattered was Misao. I gazed out the window and shot a guy currently heading up some rope. Long training sessions paid off as I effortlessly made my way to the roof.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" Sure I wasn't my usual calm self but can one be like that when the most important person to unsolved cases was being held at gunpoint. It was true, Misao was important to the cases that I dealt with, but somehow, some way and by some odd twist of fate Misao had also slipped her way into my life…into my battered heart.

"Come, come now Shinomori, there is no need for such harsh language." One of the masked men spoke, the one currently holding the gun to Misao's temple that is. He was going to die…real soon.

"We won't hurt her…not yet anyway. I've come on behalf of my boss actually."

"Kanryuu!" I snapped back, but earned a blow to my head once more, only this time it was at my left temple.

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" I heard Misao sob.

"You will not speak about Takeda-sama in that way Shinomori. Now as I was saying, I've come to deliver a message to you from Takeda-sama." I caught the slip of paper in my hand easily but didn't read it at all.

"He wishes to settle this with you once and for all. I find it stupid that our leader would show his fighting talent to someone like you, but it is his desire to have you die in front of this little one here." A gasp came from Misao at hearing this and I raised my eyes to her. I gritted my teeth as I stood back up once more and lifted my gun to point at the unknown man beside Misao.

"How the fuck did you find us?" I growled out watching as he positioned himself behind Misao now.

"Oh, it was easy really. Gien, bring him out." I eyed the only unmasked man and watched as he pulled a bloody body onto the roof. My eyes grew wide.

"YAHIKO… YOU SONS OF BITCHES!" The semi unconscious boy was facing me as he was leaning on his left side, his face a bloody mess. His lips were moving, trying to tell me something but his voice wasn't working. I eyed the unmasked man who had dragged Yahiko up onto the roof and had dumped him onto the tiling like a piece of garbage. My ki flowed through me with great hatred towards this figure.

"You watch your back, I will kill you."

"Hardly…" He croaked out and began laughing like a maniac. Before I could do anything I heard the distinctive sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath. It was all too late; I was too fucking slow as it slashed across my back, splitting my skin apart from my left shoulder down to my right hip. At this impact it sent me to my knees again, only now I didn't have the strength to get up. Having a couple blows to the head and now a deep gash across my back, I was surprised my own body hadn't passed out yet. Perhaps it was the sheer adrenalin at not wanting anything to happen to Misao or Yahiko, even though most of the damage had already been dealt to him.

"Gien enough, you can play later, but right now we must leave and set up what Takeda-sama has in store for Shinomori here."

"NO! LET GO OF ME! AOSHIIIIIIIIIIIII!" My blurry eyes watched a crying Misao being dragged from the roof. My hand was out trying to get my body into motion to go after them, but again something cracked over my head…and this time I plummeted into darkness…practically welcoming it.

****

I opened my eyes and stared up at a white ceiling. Where the fuck was I?

"You finally woke up." I turned my head to see Saitou of all people standing at the bedside. I was in hospital. Someone had called the police and I'd been found.

"Tell me what happened Detective?" He was definitely pissed that's for sure.

"I failed…" I muttered lightly as I sat up even though the pain surged through my body. I placed my legs over the edge of the bed and wobbly stood on my feet.

"Come again?"

"I said I failed Saitou." I glanced my narrowed eyes into his death glare and then headed for the bathroom.

It wasn't long before I came back out in my black trousers. I had a bandage wrapped around my head and a large one around my chest and back. I headed for the door, wanting to discharge myself from the hospital, but Saitou's hand gripped my wrist as I placed my right hand on the doorknob.

"Let go…"

"Don't beat yourself up Shinomori, we will find her."

"I will find her Saitou, me and no one else." My eyes stared into his and his grip loosened on my wrist and I turned the knob.

"Suit yourself Shinomori, not like I care if you get yourself killed." How true that statement was. I decided to remain silent and headed into the hallway where I found Megumi sitting on a bench. Instantly her maroon coloured eyes met my green-grey ones and she leapt from the bench and straight into me.

"Yokatta…" She whispered softly. I patted her back lightly and then pulled her from my arms.

"You shouldn't be here Megumi. Why are you here? I told that idiot to take care of you…" She looked confusedly up at me and I cracked a small smile as I placed my hand on her cheek.

"Sagara…" Her eyes widened at that one word.

"Please be happy Meg. Though he's a little too over protective of you, I guess it's to be expected when he loves you that much. Sagara is a good guy Meg, so you make sure you take care of him alright?" I watched her smile as she nodded her head at me.

"But how…?" She questioned and I cut her off by placing my finger to her lips.

"There is no time for questions Meg, just get in contact with him and have him meet me at the Midnight Cat Club in one hour…with reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? I don't understand." And that was a good thing that she didn't.

"He will… See you around Meg." I turned to leave and headed towards the nurse's desk. I was signing myself out, ignoring the stares from the nurses as I was just in my trousers and nothing else. Then it finally hit me,

"Yahiko! Where is he? Was a 15-year-old boy omitted in here? His name is Yahiko."

"Let me see…" A nurse spoke as she picked up the phone to call around.

"Thank you…" I watched her hang up the phone. "He's in Intensive Care, Room 203. Hey! No running in the hallways!" I was already heading for the lifts.

* Intensive Care Ward – Room 203 *

I opened the door and stepped into the room. There he was looking like death in that white bed. Half of his face was bandaged up while his right eye was as black as anything. There were bandages at his arms and probably his legs if I could see them, but they were tucked under white linen. There were bruises on his neck from Gien obviously choking the life out of him.

"Yahiko…?" I softly spoke as I headed for the bed and sat down in the chair. I placed my hand on his right arm and bowed my head. My fault…this was my entire fault.

"Mm…A-Aoshi…? That you?" I snapped my head up and found a brown eye looking over at me.

"Hey kid, I'm glad you're okay…"

"Gomen!" My eyes widened at his choked voice. His brown eye watered and a few tears spilled down his bruised cheek. I stood up then and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why do you cry Yahiko?"

"I tried…I tried being brave. I tried to hold out, but when…when they said they'd hurt my family I couldn't…I couldn't hold on. I'm sorry Aoshi." I shook my head at his words. So that's why…

"You are brave Yahiko. You know, I think you're a real man now." I watched his black eye widen at my words and for the fact I held a small genuine smile on my face.

"I'm proud of you Yahiko. I'm proud you protected the ones you love."

"But Misao…" I shook my head cutting him off.

"I assure you that for what those bastards did to you they will pay…and I'll make them pay. Don't worry about Misao either, she will be safe, but all I want you to worry about is getting better alright?" I watched him nod his head and then we were interrupted when the door burst open.

"Yahiko! Oniisan!" I stepped away from the bed watching two parents and two little girls come rushing into the room.

"Otosan, Okasan, Imoto's…yokatta…" I watched Yahiko's new and unharmed family move around him, the little girls climbing onto the bed to hug their big brother. I smiled and quietly left the room undetected. I quickly glanced at my watch and knew it was time for action. With that I left the hospital and hailed a cab.

* Midnight Cat Club *

"Aoshi, what happened?" Okon spoke in worry as she looked at my injured body.

"I'm alright, is he here?"

"Of course." I entered the dark club and headed for the usual table where a smoking figure was sitting. I sat down, took an offered cigarette and lit it up. A duffel bag was kicked in my general direction and I bent down picking it up.

"This is the last time Shinomori. As of today we don't associate with each other got it?" That wasn't good. I would think Sagara was being followed. I mean first there was those photos of Megumi and myself so it meant that he had been given a warning.

"Yes, I understand." I watched him leave, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Sagara?" He stopped but did not turn to face me.

"Take her away from here." I heard him 'che' lightly at my words but watched him give me a wave over his shoulder. Good, he was going to follow my advice. Anyone that was linked to me was in danger and if anything happened to him or her, it would be my fault. I opened the bag and noticed a crumpled beige coloured trench coat was stuffed inside. Instantly I pulled it out and unrolled it, watching as several weapons fell from the coat. Three guns, a kodachi, a tanto and plenty of spare clips. I pulled on the trench coat, tied the kodachi to one of my belt loops and then hid all the weaponry within the confines of the large now buttoned up coat.

"Okon, please lock up when I leave." I watched her nod her head, not having the courage to try and force me to think about what I was doing. In truth there was no reason that I was doing this other then to get back what had been taken from me. Whomever and whatever got in my way of saving Misao would die a painful death.

I stepped out of the club and only a block away I heard a car screech to a halt and a familiar ki get out of the car and catch up to me.

"Doesn't take you long to figure anything out does it Hannya?" I stopped walking and turned around to glance at my friend.

"I will not allow you to go alone Aoshi."

"She's my responsibility."

"And you are mine." I eyed Hannya and knew he was serious. He would not leave my side without a fight. I sighed and headed towards him. Again our eyes met.

"I'm sorry my friend…" I whispered softly and watched his eyes widen, but faster then he could react my hand collided with the side of his neck rendering him unconscious. I caught Hannya before he could fall to the ground and dragged him towards the black Ute, which inevitably was my car anyway. I placed him back inside and locked the doors so no one would harass him while he slept.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you into this personal battle. I want Momo-chan to have her father around for years and years to come." At that I turned away and headed towards a busy street knowing cabs would be around the business district area.

My final battle was just beginning and death was in my eyes.

It was time to end this…

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To be continued…

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