rath: lol Thanks! lol I just had to add some comedy; I can't stand pure drama (my cousin is the exact opposite-she has to add an element of drama to her comedies). lol So glad you like it. Here's your update. Thanks for reviewing!
Shadow's Assassin: lol Thanks! I like your user name. Oh, I love alternate pairings, and I'm probably the world's biggest fan of the Soujiro/Yumi pairing.
WHY would she want Shishio when she has Soujiro right in front of her??
Clears throat Now that I got that out of my system, thank you very much for your review and I'm very glad you like this fic-I hope you like the ending just as much.
Ochanoko: lol Thanks. Well, I make up for that chapter being so short by making this one extra-extra long lol.
Plus, there's always the sequel. I don't know if you'd like it as much, though. Thanks for reviewing!
Once again I would like to thank ALL of my reviewers! Y'all have been so much nicer to me than I thought you would. I'm so glad y'all like this fic so much, and I can only hope I wont disappoint you with the sequel.
I don't want to ruin the mood at the end of this fic (Yes, this is the ending chapter), so I will put my closing Author's Note here.
I know this is an awfully long chapter (I really should have split it up in to two). You know how sometimes with series finales, the finale will be two hours or longer when the show was only a half-hour or hour? That's kinda what I was going for with this.
Also, I have since discovered (since the previous chapter) that Makoto is actually Shishio's given name, much like Hajime is actually Saito's given name, so I apologize for the inaccuracy of the previous chapter (i.e. Yumi's flashback). However, this raises a different problem: Is Okita Okita's given name or surname?
If y'all want to read more of Detective Seta and Lieutenant Himura, check out Cruel and Unusual! I'm starting it, like, practically right now.
(Ah, if only good 'ol what's-his-face knew what I was doing to his characters. He would probably keel over dead.)
Once again, I would like to thank ALL of my reviewers. Y'all have been so kind to me. I hope you like (and can understand) this ending.
Devils and Angels
Chapter 6
Soujiro sat on the end of the dock with his feet dangling in the water. He had found this dock some years ago, when he was wandering around after being released from the youth facility. It was quiet, in a rural area. He figured it was privately owned, but there was no 'Private Property' or 'No Trespassing' signs, not even any boats anchored nearby. The dock was in need of repair, though it was still sturdy enough to walk on. It was probably abandoned, forgotten about.
It was located in a small, tree-lined inlet. He could see straight out to the ocean from where he was sitting. A few times when he was there, a boat would come in and look around, probably curious as to where it led. They would leave quickly, as it was indeed very small and shallow, and there was not much to see, other than pine trees and perhaps a manzanita.
It was nearly dark. The sun still illuminated a few clouds near the horizon, making them look pink and orange. He loved this time of day (or night). The air was crisp, and slightly salty, considering he was near the ocean. He had taken Yumi here a few times, though he knew she didn't enjoy it as much as he did. Mostly because she felt she was going to fall through the dock. She was the only person he had ever taken here, for he didn't have many friends, and after all, this was HIS little getaway. All his own. Therefore he didn't want many people to know about it for fear they might take it away from him.
He would typically come here when he needed some time alone, or when he needed to relax and clear his mind, as was the case tonight. The investigation was beginning to get to him. They had at least succeeded with arresting Enishi (for the second time), and hopefully this time the charges would stick. Against his better judgement, they had dropped the charges against Tomoe in exchange for her testament against Enishi.
But they were still no closer to finding Kaoru.
He heard a creaking sound on the dock behind him, and was about to turn and look when he heard a familiar voice.
"I figured I'd find you here."
He smiled but said nothing as he listened to her footsteps walking closer to him.
"I was beginning to get worried about you." She said as she stood next to him.
He looked up at Yumi. "Have a seat."
She made a disgusted face as she looked down at the dock and slowly began to sit down.
Soujiro chuckled. "It's not going to break, I promise."
"Yeah right." She grumbled as she finally sat down.
There was silence as they both enjoyed the fading sunset.
"I take it the case isn't going well?"
Soujiro shook his head.
"It's kinda creepy to think that you pass these people on the street every day, and you would never guess by looking at them that they would be capable of such things. I guess it proves that saying, you don't know what goes on behind closed doors."
"Yeah, it does."
"Anything I can do to help?"
Soujiro blinked. "Huh?"
Yumi rolled her eyes. He could be so dumb sometimes. "With the case."
"Oh." He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not unless you know of any battleships nearby."
Yumi shook her head. "I figured that was -your- area of expertise."
"Yeah, I thought it was too." He looked back out to the ocean and sighed.
Again, silence prevailed.
Yumi studied her husband. She knew the case was bothering him, more so than usual. She realized that when he punched a hole in the wall the night before.
Soujiro studied the horizon. Every second that ticked by was a second that meant Kaoru was dying.
"You're doing all you can do for her, Sou."
"But it's not enough."
Yumi looked down at her lap. He did have a point, but so did she. She tried to think of something to say that might be of help. "Um...try looking at the pictures again."
He shook his head. "We have a million times."
Yumi sighed. Soujiro smiled and reached over to her, grasping her hand.
"Thank you for trying."
She smiled back. "I wish I could be of more help."
He looked back out to the horizon.
He blinked.
He suddenly remembered something.
Yumi noticed her husband's expression. He had thought of something.
"I've got to go back to the office." He jumped up and said suddenly.
"Ooookaaay..."
"I'll be home soon!" He shouted back to her as he ran off.
Soujiro spread the pictures that started this whole investigation out on his desk, then began opening his drawers, trying to find his magnifying glass.
Finally he yanked each drawer out and dumped the contents out on the floor, cursing quite profusely the entire time because the magnifying glass could not be found.
"What are you doing?"
Soujiro looked up with an expression similar to that of a deer caught in headlights. Captain Saito was standing in the doorway of the cubicle, surveying the mess. Drawers had been taken out of the desk and stacked to one side, their contents spread around everywhere. Scraps of paper were tacked to the walls, papers were hanging out of the lopsided file cabinet, the desk was piled high with paperwork...and nude pictures. 'This man made detective?'
"I didn't know you were still here." Was Soujiro's response.
Saito frowned. No, scowled was a better description of the look he gave Soujiro.
"Um...do you have a magnifying glass?" Soujiro asked hopefully.
Saito raised an eyebrow, Soujiro noticed the way he was studying the desk, and presumably the nude photos. He could only imagine what the captain was thinking.
"It's for a case, sir." Soujiro quickly clarified.
Saito's expression did not change as he turned and headed back in the direction of his office. Soujiro wasn't sure if the captain had left to get a magnifying glass or not, so he continued looking.
After a moment the captain returned, and with a magnifying glass, much to Soujiro's delight. Soujiro gladly accepted it, hopped over the mess on the floor, and bent over the desk, studying the pictures.
"What -exactly- are you looking for?" Saito repeated.
"I know it's here somewhere. We've been looking at it the entire time! It had never occurred to me what it might be till I was sitting on the dock just a little while ago with my wife...on the pipes there is a plaque...-somewhere-. The plaque should have the name of the ship, or at least the identification number."
"You think the person who took these would be stupid enough to send you the one that shows the plaque?"
"Apparently you haven't met Enishi."
Saito rolled his eyes and turned to leave. "I'll be checking on you in the morning, detective."
'What did he mean by that?' Soujiro stopped what he was doing for a moment to ponder over what the captain said, then finally shook his head and went back to searching.
Kenshin was looking over paperwork on his dining room table when he heard a pounding on the front door. "Just a minute."
Kenshin walked over to the door and leaned against it. "Who is it?"
"Detective Seta. You've got to see this. It's been right in front of us the entire time! Can you believe that? It occurred to me when I was sitting on the dock earlier with Yumi that I had seen it but hadn't thought anything of it, so I went back to the office and began looking for my magnifying glass, well, captain Saito came by, and I can only imagine what he thought about the nude photos spread out on my desk, but anyway, he leant me his magnifying glass..."
Kenshin rolled his eyes and opened the door as Soujiro continued rambling about how he had found 'it'. He held up his hand with an exasperated look, which Soujiro had learned over the years meant 'Shut up and get to the point already'.
Soujiro took a deep breath and handed Kenshin one of the pictures. "See anything?"
"Soujiro, we've been over these a thousand times already..."
Soujiro took out the magnifying glass and placed it over one portion of the picture.
Kenshin leaned closer.
There was a plaque.
There were words on the plaque.
U.S.S Purgatory.
"My god, it's been right in front of us the whole time."
Soujiro nodded. "The Purgatory is a battleship that was retired from active duty. Somehow it wound up in civilian hands, where it was refitted to look like a simple, albeit unusually large, commercial fishing ship. The company who owns it is having legal problems, so it hasn't been used for months. Kaoru could easily be down there and no one ever realized it. The best part is it's anchored only ten minutes away."
Kenshin nodded and reached for his coat and shoes. "Call for backup."
"I already did."
Soujiro and Kenshin stopped at the top of the stairwell when they saw how high the water level now was. Kenshin turned back around to the officers behind them. "Officers Tucker and Robins, you stay up here and cover us. Officer Honjo, you're coming down with us."
"I am?" The unusually feminine-looking man said in a small voice as he studied the stairwell.
Soujiro rolled his eyes. "Please don't tell me you're aquaphobic."
"Um...I'm not aquaphobic."
"Good. Then come on." Kenshin said, and he and Soujiro began heading down the stairwell.
The water was cold and as high as their waists, which made their progress irritatingly slow.
"Do you recognize anything from the photos?" Kenshin asked.
Soujiro shook his head. "Not yet."
"I don't suppose you are familiar with the layout of a battleship?"
"Um...vaguely."
Kenshin sighed. "I suppose that's better than not at all."
"SHH!" Soujiro grabbed Kenshin's sleeve, and they both stopped. Behind them, Kamatari Honjo stopped as well. "I thought I heard something."
They listened for a moment, but heard nothing.
Kenshin shook his head. "Come on, we're wasting time."
Kenshin began to move away but Soujiro shook his head. "There it is again."
They listened intently. It was dark and cold, the ship was old and full of creaks and groans...but there was a different noise.
A cry.
"Officer Honjo, do you have an extra flashlight?"
"Yeah." Kamatari quite literally swam forward and handed Soujiro the flashlight. Soujiro proceeded to move past Kenshin and take the lead.
"It sounded like it was coming from...over here." He stopped when he came to a junction, where he had a choice of turning left or right. He chose right, a passage even darker than the rest.
"Kaoru? Miss Kamiya, can you hear us?"
There was a moan.
Soujiro, Kenshin and Kamatari continued down the passageway.
"This is getting -really- creepy." Kamatari observed.
Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Very observant of you, Officer."
They came to another junction of passageways.
"Miss Kamiya?" Soujiro shouted and shone his flashlight down the passageway in front of them and to their right.
There was another moan, and it was coming from the left. Soujiro quickly turned and began to move down the passageway...until, finally, his flashlight illuminated a figure up ahead.
Sure enough, it was Kaoru.
She looked half-dead, her wrists were handcuffed to pipes over her head.
"Where would Enishi get handcuffs?" Soujiro asked as he studied the situation, trying to think of a way to free her.
"Magic stores sell them for tricks. But they work just as well as any police-issue pair." Kenshin said.
Kaoru's eyes cracked open as Soujiro felt her pulse. "She's not doing too well."
He looked back up to the handcuffs.
He had an idea.
"Stay with her." He said to Kenshin and Kamatari.
"Where are you going?" Kenshin asked.
"They should have an axe down here somewhere, for safety. I'll be back in a minute."
(A/N Those of you who have seen the movie Titanic may remember that Rose ran and got an axe (that was kept next to a fire hose) to free Jack when he was handcuffed in that room. I have no idea whether a naval battleship would have one, but oh well. It's my fic.)
Soujiro sighed as he looked along the walls of the passageways. It had been over a minute. Way over a minute. But it -had- to be down here -somewhere-.
Suddenly a shot rang through the ship.
Soujiro stopped.
Rivets busting?
Then there was another shot. And another, followed by a cry.
Gunshots.
What the hell was going on now?
Soujiro sighed and decided to continue looking for the axe. He turned down another passage. And another. And another. Then he came to another stairwell.
And the axe.
Kenshin and Kamatari pulled their guns when they heard someone approaching. They had heard the gunshots.
Someone rounded the corner with a flashlight, shining it right in their eyes.
"Drop the guns." Said a woman's voice.
Kenshin recognized the voice. "Miss Yukishiro..."
"No! Don't talk. Just drop the guns!"
"Miss Yukishiro..."
"It's all her fault! None of this would have happened if it weren't for HER!" Tomoe sobbed as she moved closer. "Because of HER my brother will be in jail the rest of his life." Her voice cracked as she blinked back tears. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Now drop the guns!"
They heard someone else approaching.
Soujiro.
Kenshin was about to shout a warning to him as he rounded the corner, but Tomoe swiveled around and shot twice.
There was a splash, and Kenshin could see Soujiro's flashlight was now underwater, but he couldn't see Soujiro.
Tomoe turned back to Kenshin and Kamatari. "Drop them. Now. Or I'll shoot the two of you just like I did the other three."
Still, neither made a move.
Tomoe pulled the trigger, grazing Kamatari, who immediately drop his gun. She pointed hers back to Kenshin. "You're next."
Suddenly there was a splashing sound and a muffled cry; Tomoe dropped the flashlight, and presumably the gun.
He shined his flashlight at the source of the noise, and was all too pleased to see Soujiro holding Tomoe in a headlock. He was soaking wet and bleeding from his left shoulder, but he wasn't letting go of her. He looked up at Kenshin.
"Are you alright?"
Kenshin nodded. "Yeah, fine. Where's the axe?"
"I dropped it with the flashlight."
Kenshin handed Kamatari his flashlight and headed over to where Soujiro's was under water. He took a breath and went under, feeling around blindly. He felt the floor, he felt the flashlight...but no axe.
He came back up and took another breath. "How close to the flashlight did it drop?" He asked Soujiro.
"I don't know. It was pretty heavy, I imagine it would have dropped nearby."
Kenshin sighed, took another deep breath, and went back under. The floor, the flashlight, more floor...and a handle. He felt up the handle, just to make sure it was the axe. Sure enough, there was the blade. He grabbed it and headed back up.
"I found it." He said as he headed back toward Kaoru. Of course, just because he found it didn't mean he knew how to use it.
He stopped in front of Kaoru and closed his eyes, took a deep breath, raised the axe, prayed he didn't chop off her hand...and swung.
Yumi stood in the kitchen by the coffeepot, drumming her fingers on the counter, eyeing the phone nervously. She was so scared that someday, when Soujiro didn't return home, the phone would ring, the voice on the other line would say 'Missus Seta, we regret to inform you that your husband has been in an accident...'
He said he would be home soon when he left the dock around seven the night before. She had lain awake all night waiting for him, worrying about him, praying he was alright.
It was nine thirty the next morning and she still had not heard from him.
She sighed as the percolator's drip came to a stop, and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and looked at the clock. Nine thirty three.
Her stomach lurched as she heard the familiar sound of a key turning in the front door. She set her mug down on the counter and walked in to the living room in time to see Soujiro walk through the front door and close it behind him.
His left arm was in a sling and his shoulder bandaged, his shirt was draped over his shoulders, he was soaking wet, but he was alive and home.
Yumi ran forward and wrapped her arms around him, succeeding in hitting his shoulder.
"OWW!!"
She quickly pulled back. "Oh, I'm sorry. What happened?"
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I was shot."
"How?"
"By a gun."
Yumi rolled her eyes. "I get that." She stopped and sniffed. "You smell like seaweed. What happened last night?"
"We found Kaoru!"
"Oh, how wonderful! Is she alright?"
"Eh, she will be."
Yumi smiled. "So how did you get shot? Is it bad?"
He shook his head. "Naw, not that bad. Not as bad as when Shishio shot me. Well, we had to drop the charges against Tomoe to get her to testify against Enishi, so she was roaming around free. I guess she really did know where Kaoru was, but where she learned to fake a polygraph I have no idea. I guess she had a grudge against Kaoru, I don't know whether she intended to kill her or what, but she encountered us. She shot the three Officers that were with us as well as me. I managed to get the gun away from her before she shot the lieutenant. She's been arrested and charged as an accessory. With any luck, she'll be convicted."
"And Kaoru?"
"I don't know what will happen to her. She might be put back in to foster care until she's eighteen. But, I guess we have to be thankful for Enishi. If he hadn't have sent those pictures, I doubt anyone would have found Kaoru."
Yumi shook her head in amazement. Soujiro kissed her cheek.
"I need a shower."
"Yeah, so do I now that you've got seawater all over me."
(A/N I don't know why I'm including this next scene. It's so completely sappy. I guess I just really wanted to end it with this song, and I couldn't think of any better way. I apologize for all the sap, folks.)
Yumi was almost asleep when she realized her husband was humming.
Humming!
In a way it was sweet, since he was probably humming to her, but it was still odd. Soujiro did not strike you as the type of person who would hum. But Yumi smiled nonetheless. She recognized the song. It was a lullaby. Probably the only one he knew, for it was the only one he would hum. (Yes, she had heard him hum a few other times, and each time it struck her as odd.) She turned slightly to look at her husband. He had his eyes closed but she knew he was awake, his injured arm was resting lightly on her waist. She smiled and closed her eyes.
- go to sleep little babe
go to sleep little babe
your momma's gone away and your daddy's gonna stay
didn't leave nobody but the baby
go to sleep little babe
go to sleep little babe
everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn
didn't leave nobody but the baby
you're a sweet little babe
you're a sweet little babe
honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop
gonna bring a bottle to the baby
don't you weep pretty babe
don't you weep pretty babe
she's long gone with her red shoes on
gonna need another loving babe
go to sleep little babe
go to sleep little babe
you and me and the devil makes three
don't need no other lovin' babe
go to sleep little babe
go to sleep little babe
come lay bones on the alabaster stones
and be my everlovin baby-
The End
Shadow's Assassin: lol Thanks! I like your user name. Oh, I love alternate pairings, and I'm probably the world's biggest fan of the Soujiro/Yumi pairing.
WHY would she want Shishio when she has Soujiro right in front of her??
Clears throat Now that I got that out of my system, thank you very much for your review and I'm very glad you like this fic-I hope you like the ending just as much.
Ochanoko: lol Thanks. Well, I make up for that chapter being so short by making this one extra-extra long lol.
Plus, there's always the sequel. I don't know if you'd like it as much, though. Thanks for reviewing!
Once again I would like to thank ALL of my reviewers! Y'all have been so much nicer to me than I thought you would. I'm so glad y'all like this fic so much, and I can only hope I wont disappoint you with the sequel.
I don't want to ruin the mood at the end of this fic (Yes, this is the ending chapter), so I will put my closing Author's Note here.
I know this is an awfully long chapter (I really should have split it up in to two). You know how sometimes with series finales, the finale will be two hours or longer when the show was only a half-hour or hour? That's kinda what I was going for with this.
Also, I have since discovered (since the previous chapter) that Makoto is actually Shishio's given name, much like Hajime is actually Saito's given name, so I apologize for the inaccuracy of the previous chapter (i.e. Yumi's flashback). However, this raises a different problem: Is Okita Okita's given name or surname?
If y'all want to read more of Detective Seta and Lieutenant Himura, check out Cruel and Unusual! I'm starting it, like, practically right now.
(Ah, if only good 'ol what's-his-face knew what I was doing to his characters. He would probably keel over dead.)
Once again, I would like to thank ALL of my reviewers. Y'all have been so kind to me. I hope you like (and can understand) this ending.
Devils and Angels
Chapter 6
Soujiro sat on the end of the dock with his feet dangling in the water. He had found this dock some years ago, when he was wandering around after being released from the youth facility. It was quiet, in a rural area. He figured it was privately owned, but there was no 'Private Property' or 'No Trespassing' signs, not even any boats anchored nearby. The dock was in need of repair, though it was still sturdy enough to walk on. It was probably abandoned, forgotten about.
It was located in a small, tree-lined inlet. He could see straight out to the ocean from where he was sitting. A few times when he was there, a boat would come in and look around, probably curious as to where it led. They would leave quickly, as it was indeed very small and shallow, and there was not much to see, other than pine trees and perhaps a manzanita.
It was nearly dark. The sun still illuminated a few clouds near the horizon, making them look pink and orange. He loved this time of day (or night). The air was crisp, and slightly salty, considering he was near the ocean. He had taken Yumi here a few times, though he knew she didn't enjoy it as much as he did. Mostly because she felt she was going to fall through the dock. She was the only person he had ever taken here, for he didn't have many friends, and after all, this was HIS little getaway. All his own. Therefore he didn't want many people to know about it for fear they might take it away from him.
He would typically come here when he needed some time alone, or when he needed to relax and clear his mind, as was the case tonight. The investigation was beginning to get to him. They had at least succeeded with arresting Enishi (for the second time), and hopefully this time the charges would stick. Against his better judgement, they had dropped the charges against Tomoe in exchange for her testament against Enishi.
But they were still no closer to finding Kaoru.
He heard a creaking sound on the dock behind him, and was about to turn and look when he heard a familiar voice.
"I figured I'd find you here."
He smiled but said nothing as he listened to her footsteps walking closer to him.
"I was beginning to get worried about you." She said as she stood next to him.
He looked up at Yumi. "Have a seat."
She made a disgusted face as she looked down at the dock and slowly began to sit down.
Soujiro chuckled. "It's not going to break, I promise."
"Yeah right." She grumbled as she finally sat down.
There was silence as they both enjoyed the fading sunset.
"I take it the case isn't going well?"
Soujiro shook his head.
"It's kinda creepy to think that you pass these people on the street every day, and you would never guess by looking at them that they would be capable of such things. I guess it proves that saying, you don't know what goes on behind closed doors."
"Yeah, it does."
"Anything I can do to help?"
Soujiro blinked. "Huh?"
Yumi rolled her eyes. He could be so dumb sometimes. "With the case."
"Oh." He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not unless you know of any battleships nearby."
Yumi shook her head. "I figured that was -your- area of expertise."
"Yeah, I thought it was too." He looked back out to the ocean and sighed.
Again, silence prevailed.
Yumi studied her husband. She knew the case was bothering him, more so than usual. She realized that when he punched a hole in the wall the night before.
Soujiro studied the horizon. Every second that ticked by was a second that meant Kaoru was dying.
"You're doing all you can do for her, Sou."
"But it's not enough."
Yumi looked down at her lap. He did have a point, but so did she. She tried to think of something to say that might be of help. "Um...try looking at the pictures again."
He shook his head. "We have a million times."
Yumi sighed. Soujiro smiled and reached over to her, grasping her hand.
"Thank you for trying."
She smiled back. "I wish I could be of more help."
He looked back out to the horizon.
He blinked.
He suddenly remembered something.
Yumi noticed her husband's expression. He had thought of something.
"I've got to go back to the office." He jumped up and said suddenly.
"Ooookaaay..."
"I'll be home soon!" He shouted back to her as he ran off.
Soujiro spread the pictures that started this whole investigation out on his desk, then began opening his drawers, trying to find his magnifying glass.
Finally he yanked each drawer out and dumped the contents out on the floor, cursing quite profusely the entire time because the magnifying glass could not be found.
"What are you doing?"
Soujiro looked up with an expression similar to that of a deer caught in headlights. Captain Saito was standing in the doorway of the cubicle, surveying the mess. Drawers had been taken out of the desk and stacked to one side, their contents spread around everywhere. Scraps of paper were tacked to the walls, papers were hanging out of the lopsided file cabinet, the desk was piled high with paperwork...and nude pictures. 'This man made detective?'
"I didn't know you were still here." Was Soujiro's response.
Saito frowned. No, scowled was a better description of the look he gave Soujiro.
"Um...do you have a magnifying glass?" Soujiro asked hopefully.
Saito raised an eyebrow, Soujiro noticed the way he was studying the desk, and presumably the nude photos. He could only imagine what the captain was thinking.
"It's for a case, sir." Soujiro quickly clarified.
Saito's expression did not change as he turned and headed back in the direction of his office. Soujiro wasn't sure if the captain had left to get a magnifying glass or not, so he continued looking.
After a moment the captain returned, and with a magnifying glass, much to Soujiro's delight. Soujiro gladly accepted it, hopped over the mess on the floor, and bent over the desk, studying the pictures.
"What -exactly- are you looking for?" Saito repeated.
"I know it's here somewhere. We've been looking at it the entire time! It had never occurred to me what it might be till I was sitting on the dock just a little while ago with my wife...on the pipes there is a plaque...-somewhere-. The plaque should have the name of the ship, or at least the identification number."
"You think the person who took these would be stupid enough to send you the one that shows the plaque?"
"Apparently you haven't met Enishi."
Saito rolled his eyes and turned to leave. "I'll be checking on you in the morning, detective."
'What did he mean by that?' Soujiro stopped what he was doing for a moment to ponder over what the captain said, then finally shook his head and went back to searching.
Kenshin was looking over paperwork on his dining room table when he heard a pounding on the front door. "Just a minute."
Kenshin walked over to the door and leaned against it. "Who is it?"
"Detective Seta. You've got to see this. It's been right in front of us the entire time! Can you believe that? It occurred to me when I was sitting on the dock earlier with Yumi that I had seen it but hadn't thought anything of it, so I went back to the office and began looking for my magnifying glass, well, captain Saito came by, and I can only imagine what he thought about the nude photos spread out on my desk, but anyway, he leant me his magnifying glass..."
Kenshin rolled his eyes and opened the door as Soujiro continued rambling about how he had found 'it'. He held up his hand with an exasperated look, which Soujiro had learned over the years meant 'Shut up and get to the point already'.
Soujiro took a deep breath and handed Kenshin one of the pictures. "See anything?"
"Soujiro, we've been over these a thousand times already..."
Soujiro took out the magnifying glass and placed it over one portion of the picture.
Kenshin leaned closer.
There was a plaque.
There were words on the plaque.
U.S.S Purgatory.
"My god, it's been right in front of us the whole time."
Soujiro nodded. "The Purgatory is a battleship that was retired from active duty. Somehow it wound up in civilian hands, where it was refitted to look like a simple, albeit unusually large, commercial fishing ship. The company who owns it is having legal problems, so it hasn't been used for months. Kaoru could easily be down there and no one ever realized it. The best part is it's anchored only ten minutes away."
Kenshin nodded and reached for his coat and shoes. "Call for backup."
"I already did."
Soujiro and Kenshin stopped at the top of the stairwell when they saw how high the water level now was. Kenshin turned back around to the officers behind them. "Officers Tucker and Robins, you stay up here and cover us. Officer Honjo, you're coming down with us."
"I am?" The unusually feminine-looking man said in a small voice as he studied the stairwell.
Soujiro rolled his eyes. "Please don't tell me you're aquaphobic."
"Um...I'm not aquaphobic."
"Good. Then come on." Kenshin said, and he and Soujiro began heading down the stairwell.
The water was cold and as high as their waists, which made their progress irritatingly slow.
"Do you recognize anything from the photos?" Kenshin asked.
Soujiro shook his head. "Not yet."
"I don't suppose you are familiar with the layout of a battleship?"
"Um...vaguely."
Kenshin sighed. "I suppose that's better than not at all."
"SHH!" Soujiro grabbed Kenshin's sleeve, and they both stopped. Behind them, Kamatari Honjo stopped as well. "I thought I heard something."
They listened for a moment, but heard nothing.
Kenshin shook his head. "Come on, we're wasting time."
Kenshin began to move away but Soujiro shook his head. "There it is again."
They listened intently. It was dark and cold, the ship was old and full of creaks and groans...but there was a different noise.
A cry.
"Officer Honjo, do you have an extra flashlight?"
"Yeah." Kamatari quite literally swam forward and handed Soujiro the flashlight. Soujiro proceeded to move past Kenshin and take the lead.
"It sounded like it was coming from...over here." He stopped when he came to a junction, where he had a choice of turning left or right. He chose right, a passage even darker than the rest.
"Kaoru? Miss Kamiya, can you hear us?"
There was a moan.
Soujiro, Kenshin and Kamatari continued down the passageway.
"This is getting -really- creepy." Kamatari observed.
Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Very observant of you, Officer."
They came to another junction of passageways.
"Miss Kamiya?" Soujiro shouted and shone his flashlight down the passageway in front of them and to their right.
There was another moan, and it was coming from the left. Soujiro quickly turned and began to move down the passageway...until, finally, his flashlight illuminated a figure up ahead.
Sure enough, it was Kaoru.
She looked half-dead, her wrists were handcuffed to pipes over her head.
"Where would Enishi get handcuffs?" Soujiro asked as he studied the situation, trying to think of a way to free her.
"Magic stores sell them for tricks. But they work just as well as any police-issue pair." Kenshin said.
Kaoru's eyes cracked open as Soujiro felt her pulse. "She's not doing too well."
He looked back up to the handcuffs.
He had an idea.
"Stay with her." He said to Kenshin and Kamatari.
"Where are you going?" Kenshin asked.
"They should have an axe down here somewhere, for safety. I'll be back in a minute."
(A/N Those of you who have seen the movie Titanic may remember that Rose ran and got an axe (that was kept next to a fire hose) to free Jack when he was handcuffed in that room. I have no idea whether a naval battleship would have one, but oh well. It's my fic.)
Soujiro sighed as he looked along the walls of the passageways. It had been over a minute. Way over a minute. But it -had- to be down here -somewhere-.
Suddenly a shot rang through the ship.
Soujiro stopped.
Rivets busting?
Then there was another shot. And another, followed by a cry.
Gunshots.
What the hell was going on now?
Soujiro sighed and decided to continue looking for the axe. He turned down another passage. And another. And another. Then he came to another stairwell.
And the axe.
Kenshin and Kamatari pulled their guns when they heard someone approaching. They had heard the gunshots.
Someone rounded the corner with a flashlight, shining it right in their eyes.
"Drop the guns." Said a woman's voice.
Kenshin recognized the voice. "Miss Yukishiro..."
"No! Don't talk. Just drop the guns!"
"Miss Yukishiro..."
"It's all her fault! None of this would have happened if it weren't for HER!" Tomoe sobbed as she moved closer. "Because of HER my brother will be in jail the rest of his life." Her voice cracked as she blinked back tears. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Now drop the guns!"
They heard someone else approaching.
Soujiro.
Kenshin was about to shout a warning to him as he rounded the corner, but Tomoe swiveled around and shot twice.
There was a splash, and Kenshin could see Soujiro's flashlight was now underwater, but he couldn't see Soujiro.
Tomoe turned back to Kenshin and Kamatari. "Drop them. Now. Or I'll shoot the two of you just like I did the other three."
Still, neither made a move.
Tomoe pulled the trigger, grazing Kamatari, who immediately drop his gun. She pointed hers back to Kenshin. "You're next."
Suddenly there was a splashing sound and a muffled cry; Tomoe dropped the flashlight, and presumably the gun.
He shined his flashlight at the source of the noise, and was all too pleased to see Soujiro holding Tomoe in a headlock. He was soaking wet and bleeding from his left shoulder, but he wasn't letting go of her. He looked up at Kenshin.
"Are you alright?"
Kenshin nodded. "Yeah, fine. Where's the axe?"
"I dropped it with the flashlight."
Kenshin handed Kamatari his flashlight and headed over to where Soujiro's was under water. He took a breath and went under, feeling around blindly. He felt the floor, he felt the flashlight...but no axe.
He came back up and took another breath. "How close to the flashlight did it drop?" He asked Soujiro.
"I don't know. It was pretty heavy, I imagine it would have dropped nearby."
Kenshin sighed, took another deep breath, and went back under. The floor, the flashlight, more floor...and a handle. He felt up the handle, just to make sure it was the axe. Sure enough, there was the blade. He grabbed it and headed back up.
"I found it." He said as he headed back toward Kaoru. Of course, just because he found it didn't mean he knew how to use it.
He stopped in front of Kaoru and closed his eyes, took a deep breath, raised the axe, prayed he didn't chop off her hand...and swung.
Yumi stood in the kitchen by the coffeepot, drumming her fingers on the counter, eyeing the phone nervously. She was so scared that someday, when Soujiro didn't return home, the phone would ring, the voice on the other line would say 'Missus Seta, we regret to inform you that your husband has been in an accident...'
He said he would be home soon when he left the dock around seven the night before. She had lain awake all night waiting for him, worrying about him, praying he was alright.
It was nine thirty the next morning and she still had not heard from him.
She sighed as the percolator's drip came to a stop, and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and looked at the clock. Nine thirty three.
Her stomach lurched as she heard the familiar sound of a key turning in the front door. She set her mug down on the counter and walked in to the living room in time to see Soujiro walk through the front door and close it behind him.
His left arm was in a sling and his shoulder bandaged, his shirt was draped over his shoulders, he was soaking wet, but he was alive and home.
Yumi ran forward and wrapped her arms around him, succeeding in hitting his shoulder.
"OWW!!"
She quickly pulled back. "Oh, I'm sorry. What happened?"
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I was shot."
"How?"
"By a gun."
Yumi rolled her eyes. "I get that." She stopped and sniffed. "You smell like seaweed. What happened last night?"
"We found Kaoru!"
"Oh, how wonderful! Is she alright?"
"Eh, she will be."
Yumi smiled. "So how did you get shot? Is it bad?"
He shook his head. "Naw, not that bad. Not as bad as when Shishio shot me. Well, we had to drop the charges against Tomoe to get her to testify against Enishi, so she was roaming around free. I guess she really did know where Kaoru was, but where she learned to fake a polygraph I have no idea. I guess she had a grudge against Kaoru, I don't know whether she intended to kill her or what, but she encountered us. She shot the three Officers that were with us as well as me. I managed to get the gun away from her before she shot the lieutenant. She's been arrested and charged as an accessory. With any luck, she'll be convicted."
"And Kaoru?"
"I don't know what will happen to her. She might be put back in to foster care until she's eighteen. But, I guess we have to be thankful for Enishi. If he hadn't have sent those pictures, I doubt anyone would have found Kaoru."
Yumi shook her head in amazement. Soujiro kissed her cheek.
"I need a shower."
"Yeah, so do I now that you've got seawater all over me."
(A/N I don't know why I'm including this next scene. It's so completely sappy. I guess I just really wanted to end it with this song, and I couldn't think of any better way. I apologize for all the sap, folks.)
Yumi was almost asleep when she realized her husband was humming.
Humming!
In a way it was sweet, since he was probably humming to her, but it was still odd. Soujiro did not strike you as the type of person who would hum. But Yumi smiled nonetheless. She recognized the song. It was a lullaby. Probably the only one he knew, for it was the only one he would hum. (Yes, she had heard him hum a few other times, and each time it struck her as odd.) She turned slightly to look at her husband. He had his eyes closed but she knew he was awake, his injured arm was resting lightly on her waist. She smiled and closed her eyes.
- go to sleep little babe
go to sleep little babe
your momma's gone away and your daddy's gonna stay
didn't leave nobody but the baby
go to sleep little babe
go to sleep little babe
everybody's gone in the cotton and the corn
didn't leave nobody but the baby
you're a sweet little babe
you're a sweet little babe
honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop
gonna bring a bottle to the baby
don't you weep pretty babe
don't you weep pretty babe
she's long gone with her red shoes on
gonna need another loving babe
go to sleep little babe
go to sleep little babe
you and me and the devil makes three
don't need no other lovin' babe
go to sleep little babe
go to sleep little babe
come lay bones on the alabaster stones
and be my everlovin baby-
The End