When I woke up again, I was in the hotel room. In Yugo's bed. This might have been something to ponder, but I was cold, and alone. And it was quiet. It was quiet because of the time of morning. It was cold because behind the closed curtain, there was a broken window.

At some time in hours passed, Yugo and I had been attacked. And now I was far away from home, and there was the sound of sirens in the early morning. The freezing air, and impossible blue of the sky. I was freezing and disoriented. I reached to grab the alarm clock I had seen earlier on the bedside table, and my hand missed, my fingers groping the surface of the wooden tabletop. They found a piece of crumpled paper. I straightened it out, unable to read it from the bed, and sat up, wading out of the sheets. I turned the nob of a lamp to pour it's sickly yellow light over the darkness. The paper read:

The attacker from last night had to be looking for Kenji. Can't explain now. Must find Kenji. I didn't want you involved in our problems, but I trust your abilities. If you want to help Kenji and I, take the money I left on the dresser to check out. Also money for damage. Will meet you at coffee shop across the street at 8:00.
It took me some time to find the bag of things I had brought because in the fight the night before, somehow my bag had gotten pushed to a corner, behind a curtain. I had an extremely limited number of changes of clothes, since Yugo had destroyed one of the few things I currently had, except for the basic socks, underwear and such. I didn't think I would have time to turn around and go home for more clothes then. Just think, if I'd let him destroy one of my bras, I would be in serious trouble now. Or rather, if the strange attacker had let him destroy it. Luckily, I think, by interrupting us, that strange attacker had saved part of my wardrobe.

By eight I was ready, showered, brushed, etc. And I had found my little bag of sewing things. I arrived at the coffee shop, just on time. When I first got there, I saw neither Kenji or Yugo, so I took at seat, and waited. Yugo didn't come exactly on time, but when he did, he walked through the door, past the tables and to me with the same quiet, strong grace that he holds about him.

I popped out of my chair when he reached the table. He was close, the intoxicated closeness that made me despair and joy. My heart started beating fast again, like it seems to so much, and I wondered how he would greet me. I wondered if he would sweep me into a passionate kiss, or pretend that nothing had ever happened.

I blinked at him with big, red, shiny eyes. "Kenji is waiting outside." he said quietly. I nodded, smiling. I wanted to initiate something, so I reached up and kissed his cheek. Then I brushed past him, headed for the door. As I went by, his hand brushed my passing body, which could have been a subtle caress from my stomach to my arms, to my hand. He took my hand and I his, leading us outside. Kenji was waiting outside, his arms crossed. I think his eyes darted across us, across our clasped hands.
When the door had shut Yugo slid his hands up my arms, causing me to shiver all over. He penetrated my shell with his eyes. I returned his look with big, sleepy, red eyes. I know my lip was quivering. I slid my hands out of his embrace, taking both sides of his face in my hands, pressing a kiss onto his lips, long and slow, until his lips gave way to mine. I exhaled a high and airy sigh, into him, invading his mouth with my tongue. Biting his lip. His arms encircled my torso, pulling me off the ground, and I brought my arms around his neck, pressing my chest against his.

"Ahem." Someone far away cleared his throat. I hadn't seen him in a really long time. He'd even grown a little cuter. It was Kenji. Laughing at us. "No wonder Yugo was taking so long to go get you. I'll be waiting for my life to start..." He turned around and began to stroll away. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, looking after Kenji. There was a space in between where Yugo and I stood now. A space in between our kiss and when I said: "I don't want Uriko to have to be involved in this..." I looked back at Yugo; his hands resting in his pockets. He was masked again, straight- faced, as he walked forward.

"I know...how they feel for each other, whatever they feel now, it doesn't matter, because I love and trust Kenji. But like you, I cannot trust the individuals that made up his past, and that maybe haunt him now. I am afraid that everything Uriko deserves could be taken away from her if she becomes 'involved' with this, with these people."
"I can't control Kenji." he said softly, "And your situation is not so different from that of Uriko's."

"I am no child!" I said indignantly. "I can make my own bad choices. I am done with school, I have nothing to interrupt. Uriko has only begun her life..." We followed Kenji, slowly, walking together, but apart.

"Uriko is already involved, Alice. All Zoanthropes are involved in these battles. But because you are her sister, and you are with Kenji and I, that gives her every reason and right to fight alongside you. She will follow us, because Kenji is here, or because you are here. The only possible option is damage control. Wouldn't you rather travel with her, protect her back?"

"It's true that she will want to fight, because that is her nature, but she has the chance to grow up with no more fighting, she could have things that it is too late for those older than her to have." I felt a warm tear slide down my cheek. When I am angry, when I am furious, I cry. I can never take it as a sign of weakness, because of the nature of these tears. But others can think I'm sad or fragile, and that makes me more angry.

"Do you want to send her cowering; hiding, for the sake of protecting her from the fate you willingly walk into? Don't endanger yourself where you can't endanger her. Do you know who I am, do you know what I am? What I have done? Do you know what I am capable of? You said that you want me Alice, and you are willing to put yourself into every danger that I am in to be with me. You follow me, away from your security as a nurse. Alice, I can't allow myself to be so liberal with others. I could never allow myself to ask you to do anything. I could never ask you to be with someone like me, because neither of us understands the consequences." He strode ahead of me towards Kenji.
It was a strange kind of feeling. Like I wasn't sure he had ever held me in the dark or kissed me. I saw his back as he walked away. With his lanky stride; kind of inhuman and strangely graceful. I was burning, and I wanted to cry.