A/N: Sorry about the lateness of the update, I've been having serious writer's block lately. Thanks to all the people who reviewed! Oh, and if Touko seems a little out of character in this chapter, trust me, it's nothing to how she'll act in the others. Hope you enjoy it.

Immediately after the meeting was over, Michael returned to his desk and his incessant typing. It was getting late, but he had something he needed to do.

"Michael," Robin inquired in a puzzled voice. "Aren't you going to head home? It's already well past midnight." Now that Michael had the freedom to leave the office, the others took it as a given that he would.

Not wanting to draw any more attention to himself he said in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice, "Oh, I was just going to finish up a little research on the new witch."

"Oh, okay. Well, goodnight Michael." He watched her cautiously as she headed towards the elevator.

Glancing around the office to make sure that all the others had departed as well, he turned his face back to his computer; the light from the screen giving his face an eerie blue glow. Michael's fingers skimmed gently over the keys with an accuracy built from many years of experience.

Early that evening, while the others were all on the hunt, he had come across some information about headquarters that could prove to be problematic for the STN-J. Ever since the incidents with Zaizen and the factory, the new administrator had instructed him to keep a close watch on Solomon HQ. This had been extremely difficult as their security had always been tough, and now was even more so after the factory had collapsed.

However, Michael had managed to find a scrap of useful information through the cracks in their system. Apparently, a new member had joined the ranks of Solomon, with the purpose of keeping tabs on the STN-J. The only information other than that that he had been able to find out about this mysterious agent was that they were already posted in Japan. He was unsure as to what exactly the agent was supposed to be doing about any situations regarding the STN-J, but Zaizen had not put them in a good position with HQ, and whatever it was he was sure it could not be good.

Michael's typing cut off as he heard the door of the administrator's office open and the sound of muffled voices as Amon reappeared. Michael glanced up from the screen to find the dark hunter grapping his coat and heading out the door.

Robin was searching for her keys when she heard a noise from within her apartment. Pausing with her hand in her pocket, she stared apprehensively at the door. She grabbed her keys, inserted them into the lock, and turned them slowly. Pushing the door open slowly and wincing as it creaked loudly, Robin stepped slowly into the living room of her apartment.

She could hear a faint rustling from further inside and a faint light was coming from down the hallway. Robin fumbled along the wall in the dark, searching for the light switch. Once she flicked it on, the noise from the other room stopped abruptly.

Robin was about to reach into her coat and take out her glasses, ready to attack any threatening intruder, when Touko appeared.

Robin dropped her glasses in shock at the sight of her old roommate. The last time she had seen Touko had been when they took her to the hospital after being shot several times, lying unconscious on a stretcher.

"Touko..." she mumbled faintly. "How—," Robin began, stopping abruptly, remembering her last moments with this woman. She shifted gears and smiled softly. "I'm so glad to see you're okay."

Touko smiled sweetly, but it was the kind of sickly sweet that generally had venom hidden somewhere in its depths. Unaware of her old roommate's malicious undertone, Robin went over to her and embraced her gently. She drew away quickly, however, when an awkward silence hung over them ominously.

"So," Touko said conversationally as she headed over to the kitchen. "How has everything been at work lately?"

"Oh," Robin didn't quite know how to answer this question coming from Touko. Now that she knew Touko was, or had been, Zaizen's daughter, she was unsure how to deal with the situation. Whether or not Touko had been aware of Zaizen's true intentions, Robin didn't know. "Um...it's been...fine," she finished vaguely, staring intently at her pale hands.

Robin felt somewhat apprehensive about keeping things from Touko; she was her roommate after all and Robin should trust her. But that would not be easy, now that Robin knew she had been keeping her true connection with Zaizen from her all along.

Robin glanced over at Touko as she gave her that same smile; it made her skin crawl. She didn't understand exactly why, though. Aside from keeping one thing from her, Touko had never done anything to make Robin dislike or distrust her. The vision of Amon and Touko walking side by side on the bridge suddenly filled her mind, but only for an instant. She pushed it away hastily, refusing to acknowledge that the incident had affected her at all. Robin had tried to forget it since it happened, and she was determined to continue this way.

Robin had been looking around the apartment and consequently hadn't seen Touko looking at her intently from across the room, as if trying to read her mind. Robin attention was drawn back to Touko again as she held up the coffee pot and asked sweetly, "Coffee?"

"...Yes, thank you," Robin said somewhat unsteadily. She had no idea how she was going to be able to manage living with this woman again. Robin couldn't remember it ever being so uncomfortable between the two of them, and she tried to convince herself that it would get better in time; they were just unused to each other after being apart for a considerable period of time.

After Touko had made the coffee, she handed Robin a mug before saying, "Well, I'm actually feeling pretty tired, I think I'm going to go to bed."

Robin looked up from her seat on the couch. "Oh. Goodnight, then."

Touko smiled again, and a malicious glint flickered across her gaze, so swiftly that Robin was almost sure she had imagined it. Almost.