A/N: Yay! More reviews! And no M.Blade, that rant wasn't directed at you, it was directed at walkswithwraiths. To walkswithwraiths, maybe I'll let you preview chapter 8. ^-^ I may even re-intro someone for you, but only if your nice! ^-^

Anyway, all that aside, please be gentle in your reviews of this chapter. I fear I may have rushed the story a bit, but couldn't think of another way to do it. To all the Shinobu otaku, I have a feeling you will flame me for what I did here, but I needed to for my story. Gomen. All that said, I like how it turned out in the end (after three attempts and a lot of editing later), but it may seem off compared to earlier stuff. And now on with the show.

Love Hina: Healing Hearts

Disclaimer: Yes, at long last! I own Love Hina! (rider wakes up) Oh, damn, I still don't own it. Doh! _

Chapter Seven: Ending the Chase

            He stood on a high branch in the trees hidden from sight. He made sure to keep his power suppressed so that his targets would not be alerted to his presence. He watched as the second man arrived silently behind the first.

"You're good. You know that?" Called the tanned boy. "I was barely able to sense you." He looked back to the paler skinned boy over his shoulder.

The figure in the trees narrowed his eyes. "This one is trained well. Even I can't sense the ki of the clan heir."

"We need to talk." Replied the second man.

The second man stood. "Yeah, I figured we would have to have words sooner or later."

The figure watched intently.

The pale skinned man jumped the railing and walked up the roof slowly. "I know that you're here for Motoko. I won't let you hurt her."

The tanned boy scratched his head. "Well, you're sort of right at least." He turned and glanced toward the trees.

For a moment the figure was afraid that he had been discovered. Then he calmed, he had been here for almost two months now and had never been discovered, and he would not be noticed now. Then the tanned one spoke further.

"However, before we discuss this, what do you say we deal with the big, pink elephant hiding in the trees?"

The figure in the trees felt his throat tighten as he saw the second man nod. They knew he was there. He paused a moment to wonder how that was possibly before he realized that could be wondered about later and he ran.

"Don't let him get away!" Yelled the second man.

The first man laughed. "You worry to much!"

The mystery figure didn't look back. He had to get away, had to find an escape! If he were to be caught now, there would be hell to pay. He glanced to his left and saw the dorm manager racing only a step behind. He looked right expecting to see the other man, but no one was there. In fact he was nowhere to be seen at all. He made use of the opportunity and distanced himself from his only pursuer. He bounded through the trees, pouring every ounce of his energy into his speed. A few minutes later he stood alone once again, his tracker left far behind and completely clueless. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now this is just sad." Called a voice from above. "You made this way to easy. I thought I was tracking an Aoyama. The old man must be getting lax in his training."

The hooded figure looked up to see a tan man with long, spiked blonde hair hanging upside down from a higher branch. He prepared to run again.

"C'mon now, we both know how that's going to end." Stated the hanging man. "Now how about we talk 'Ro."

The hidden figure looked up again. "How do you know me? Who are you?"

"That's not important right now. My next question is however, so answer carefully." The blonde replied. "What do you intend to do now that you've been discovered?" He received no response, instead he watched as his target reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of nunchaku. "We're going to have to do this the hard way, aren't we?"

The man in black watched as the boy released his legs from the branch. As the boy fell he grabbed onto the branch on which he was standing and used his momentum to spin himself into a twisting flip to land softly on his feet on the branch. Despite all this, there was no movement from the branch at all. "Who are you?"

The blonde smiled. "You know who I am."

"No, I don't." He braced himself to attack. "However, it is clear that you are a threat to me, so I will find the answers I seek from your corpse!" He charged forward and attacked rapidly, his nunchaku twirling with tremendous force and speed.

The other boy merely rolled backward, out of the attack range. "The hiraishin suits you well, you are quick and powerful. However, you are also impulsive. You charge recklessly, with no information on your opponent."

"Shut up!" Yelled the attacker. "What the hell do you know?" He struck again.

The other man swatted the weapon away easily. "A lot more that you do 'Ro."

The attacker charged again. "Stop calling me that! That is not my name!"

The blonde backed away again, leaping backwards to another tree. "Right right. My mistake, you are the avatar of electricity of the demon clan blah blah blah blah blah."

"Stop mocking me!" He followed the path of the first man and attacked in rapid succession. The nunchaku began to glow and crackle with electricity.

"You know, you get very sloppy with your attacks when you get angry." Cautioned the tanned man. "Believe me, I know from experience that can get you hurt."

The black clad man struck again, but missed. "You know nothing! I will destroy you, and then I'll take that girl you seem so interested in…" He was cut off as the blonde dashed forward and caught the electrified weapons, one in each hand. He pulled his arms apart from each other.

Because the attacker in black had smaller arms and refused to let go of his nunchaku, the result of this maneuver brought him quickly towards his target where he received a violently strong head-but. Disoriented he began to fall out of the tree, but a the seemingly last second his coat was grabbed by the tanned man who lifted him up and pinned him to the trunk with a single hand.

"You touch one hair on her head, and I'll break you in half." He growled. "You clear on that fact?"

Though in pain from the quick attack, the pinned man attempted a reply. He spit into the other man's face. However, the man didn't flinch, nor did he attempt to wipe it away.

"Consider that your free shot." He warned. "Now, I'll ask you again. What are you going to do now that you've been exposed? I know that you've been here at least two months if not longer, but I chose to ignore you because you're not a threat to me."

The other remained silent.

The blonde backed away and allowed the other man to fall into a sitting position on the branch. "Well, the way I see it, you don't have many options. The old man sure isn't going to welcome you back now." He began counting off ideas on his fingers. "So you can one, run back to him telling him what you learned and most definitely take a beating that you'll be lucky to survive. Two, continue giving me the silent act and pissing me off and I'll save you a trip by beating your impertinent ass right here. Three, run away from everything and hope the old man doesn't find you, though with you level of training that would be unlikely. Or four, you can come with me, and I'll keep you safe and hidden. So? What'll it be?"

The figure looked up at him. "How do you know so much about us?"

"My question first." The boy replied.

"Not much of a choice is it? I'll go with you."

The blonde smiled and reached out a hand to help the other to his feet. "Good choice."

"Now my question." The figure insisted.

The tanned man smiled again, and reached out to move back the long hood. "Hey, I know you were only one year old at the time "The Incident" took place, but I'm insulted that you don't recognize your own onii-chan."

***

Shinobu waited in front of her school. She knew that the other members of her class were staring at her. In the past, such attention would have reduced her to shaking. Now, it made her nervous, but not to the same degree. She smiled as she heard the familiar sound of Ken's motorcycle. He came to a stop in front of her.

"Gomen nasai! I got a little busy repairing the roof and lost track of time." Ken apologized.

Shinobu shook her head. "It's ok." She climbed behind him, noticing that the side cart was missing.

"So where to?" Ken asked as he handed her a helmet. "I hear Tokyo has great places to shop, but that's really not my area of expertise."

"Are you sure you don't mind going that far?"

"Hey! I thought I told you to get that vehicle of school grounds!" Yelled the guard from earlier that morning.

Ken smiled. "Oh this is too perfect…"

Shinobu's eye's widened. "Ken! Don't!"

Ken frowned. "Oh, alright. But only cause you asked so nicely." He calmly pulled away from the school. "So, Tokyo?"

"Hai!" Shinobu waved at her friends and classmates as they all looked on it wonder.

***

Ken sat in the waiting area by the changing room of the department store. He was stretched out in his chair with his head lolled back staring at the ceiling. "Hotaru never took this long." He mused silently. "I didn't realize trying on clothes was such a lengthy ordeal. Still, as boring as waiting is, the view is worth the it." Shinobu had tried many outfits on, and each looked better than the last in his opinion.

"Ken?"

He lifted his head, and immediately bolted upright. "You look amazing Shinobu."

The young woman looked down at the short, black with gold embroidery, Chinese style dress she was wearing. "You don't think it's too revealing?" Shinobu twirled around, showing off her outfit.

Ken shook his head dumbly.

Shinobu smiled. "Thanks. I'm going to go pay for my items now."

Ken walked to the front of the store while Shinobu went to change back into her uniform. "Yeah, definitely worth the wait."

***

Shinobu closed the door to her changing room and looked at herself in the mirror. "Was he just being nice? Or did he mean what he said about me?" She wondered aloud. She sighed as she began to change her clothing. "We seem to hang out just fine, and I think that he likes me the same as I like him, but I can't be sure. He's so secretive most of the time." She looked at herself in the mirror, now dressed in her uniform. She reached out and touched the face of her reflection. "He must just be being nice, with out the fancy clothes I'm just to ordinary."

She left the changing room and hung up most of the dresses on the line of returns. Now holding just a few she made her way to the cashier. "Yeah, that must be it. I saw the way the girls at school were watching him, he probably just sees me as a friend or a dorm mate." She sighed. "My mom was right…" Shinobu went through the cashier line, and came out with a very small bag.

"Didn't you try on more than that?" Ken asked as she approached him.

Shinobu nodded. "Hai, but I can't afford that many all at once, so I just picked my favorites. Sorry to make you wait so long, we can go now."

"I'm in no rush." He assured her. "Hey, you ok? You look like someone just hurt your last feeling."

Shinobu forced a smile. "I'm fine." Ken didn't look convinced, but didn't push the issue.

"If you say so. Hey, you want to grab something to eat?"

Shinobu began walking out the door towards where Ken had parked down the street. "Sure." As she reached the motorcycle she tried to load her package into the storage rack.

"Hold up Shinobu." Ken cautioned. He reached down and hit a hidden switch behind the rear wheel well, causing a slight crackle of electricity to jump across the bike. "A friend of mine designed an anti-theft system that gives a nasty shock to anyone who touches my bike with out permission."

Shinobu looked down at the motorcycle. "You have some unusual friends."

Ken laughed. "Yeah, she's actually my cousin, not that she knows it. She a tad eccentric, but she's a whiz with machines. I modified this system since her version would have blown my ride up though."

"She sounds interesting." Shinobu replied nervously. "Hey wait, Hotaru said that you two don't have any other family."

Ken stared at her blankly, then turned quickly. "Well, I'm starved! Lets go get something to eat!" He pulled her on the bike behind him. "I know this great place that serves okonomiaki that's to die for!"

Shinobu tightened her grip on Ken as he took off into traffic. "Wait! You didn't answer my question!" They arrived at the small restaurant a few minutes later and entered in silence. "Well?" She asked expectantly as she sat across from Ken.

Ken ordered his meal as the waitress came around.

Shinobu declined to do the same. "I'd rather know why you're avoiding my question."

"Come on!" Ken laughed nervously. "It's really not that important."

Shinobu frowned. "It is to me. You don't like being spied on, but I don't like being lied to."

Ken looked around the room, before sighing heavily. "Look, I'm not lying ok. It's just…family is different were I was raised. Hotaru and I are half-siblings, but you probably guessed that already. There is some family on my side, but none on Hotaru's, so I've never mentioned it to her." He paused. "Nor have I ever talked about my family to anyone."

Shinobu was surprised by this fact and it showed on her face. "You don't talk about them ever?"

Without realizing it Ken gripped at the scars hidden beneath his jacket sleeve. "No, I never have."

Shinobu caught his movement, but didn't call attention to it. "I guess I can understand then." Shinobu admitted. "I don't talk about my family much either."

Ken looked at Shinobu in a new light. "You always seem so upbeat, I never had you pegged as having trouble on the home front."

They paused as the waitress placed Ken's order on the table. He picked at disinterestedly now.

"My parents are getting a divorce." Shinobu stated without warning. "And it's all my fault."

"No way Shinobu." Ken objected. "You had nothing to do with that."

Shinobu smiled a sad smile. "But I did, my parents have only been married fifteen years."

"What does that have to…" Ken began. "Oh…"

Shinobu nodded. "That's right, I'm sixteen." Tears began to form in her eyes. "I was a mistake. My mom told me it was my fault that dad was leaving and that if I didn't behave…"

Before he realized what he was doing, Ken was seated beside Shinobu, embracing her as she cried into his jacket. "Shinobu, you're not a mistake. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise." He spoke gently. "One with as pure a soul as yours could never be a mistake. And I though I am unworthy of protecting someone as wonderful as you, I will fight anyone who says otherwise."

Shinobu looked up at the man who held her. "Ken…"

He smiled. "Come on, let's go find something to make you smile again." He dropped a handful of yen next to the uneaten meal. He stood and took her hand, leading her out to the street once again.

Shinobu stopped just outside the door, her emotions a whirlwind within her chest. She had never told that to anyone, nor had she expected him to be so worried about her. This confusion, coupled with her growing feelings for him over the past few weeks, she felt that her heart was about to burst. She had to do something now, while her feelings for him were clear.

Ken turned. "What's the mat…"

Shinobu closed her eyes, raised herself onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Ken's. For a moment everything stopped, and nothing happened. She was afraid she had overstepped her bounds, and that her feelings for Ken were unrequited. She was afraid that his concern was just for a friend and nothing more, afraid that she would be alone again as she had once been in her life. Suddenly her worst fears were realized as Ken dropped her hand. Yet just as she was about to pull away, she felt his hands wrap themselves gently around her waist pulling her closer, and he kissed her back. At last however, they broke away from each other. She slowly moved down from her tiptoes stance and opened her eyes looking up at the taller boy.

He opened his eyes slowly, and smiled. "This must be a dream, Motoko isn't trying to kill me."

Shinobu smiled as tears began to form again. She wrapped her arms around Ken and held on to him with all her strength.

"Sh-Shinobu? What's wrong?" Ken asked worriedly.

Shinobu looked up and smiled. "Nothing. Come on, let's go home. I found something that made me smile." She took his hand and began to walk to where the motorcycle was parked.

Ken stopped her as she tried to walk away. As she turned towards him he reached out and wiped the tears from her face. "This is becoming to familiar a scene with you crying." He teased lightly. "No more of that alright? You're to pretty to always have tears on your face."

Shinobu smiled, but shook her head. "These tears aren't sad ones, so they're ok. Now let's go, we should get back, otherwise there won't be anyone to cook dinner for the others."

"The others can fend for themselves for one night." He suggested jokingly as they climbed onto the bike.

"Maybe," Shinobu admitted as she rested her head against Ken's back. "But I don't want to risk ruining this feeling I have right now, so let's just go home."

Ken looked back over his shoulder, before heading for home. "Sure thing, Shinobu-chan."

Shinobu smiled as he used the honorific, knowing that this time it wasn't being said for it's child-like endearment. "Arigato, Ken-kun."

"For what?" He called back over the wind.

Shinobu remembered his words from the restaurant. "For everything."

***

They arrived back at the apartments about an hour later, and stopped in for drinks at the teahouse.

"Well, if I ain't the new couple." Kitsune greeted. She smiled as the two younger tenants blushed. "Well, at least you aren't like Keitaro and Naru getting all tongue tied and denying it."

"Why would we deny it?" asked Ken confused.

Shinobu gasped. "Wait! How do you know already Kitsune?"

"You mean you didn't notice?" Kitsune pointed toward the ceiling.

Ken and Shinobu both looked up to see a mecha-tama-chan reconnaissance camera.

"I'm going to strangle that hyperactive, little…" Ken began. "Ah, crap. What do I care?" He flipped the camera the bird. "I hope you enjoyed the show, 'cause you aren't going to see anymore." He grabbed a teacup off the counter, and hurled it camera, causing both to explode.

"Hey!" Kitsune protested. "You're paying for that!"

Ken shrugged. "Ok." He nodded to Shinobu and they took a seat at one of the booths. "So, you think this will mean I stop getting beaten so often now?"

Shinobu laughed. "Nope, if anything they are going to watch you even closer, and make up reasons to hit you."

Ken sighed. "Oh well, small price to pay…"

"Ken, thank you for what you said earlier, it meant a lot more that you probably realize." Shinobu began.

"Ken! What have you done to Shinobu?!" Demanded Motoko as the teahouse door flew open.

"You broke my tama!" Yelled Su as she pulled out some dangerous looking, newly invented weaponry.

"Onii-chan!" Hotaru looked extremely pissed, and was wielding two kodachis.

"You jerk!" Declared Naru. "Acting like a playboy with Shinobu!"

Ken sweat dropped multiple times. "Ok, maybe it's going to be a big price to pay…" He swallowed nervously. "This won't end well."

Kitsune grabbed Shinobu and brought her outside the teahouse. "You're not going to want to see this." Kitsune warned as forced Shinobu to head up the stairs to the dorm. She quickened her pace as she heard the first explosion.

"Help!" Screamed Ken as he ran through the streets of Hinata with the pack of girls close behind him. "Police! EMS! FBI! CIA! Secret Service! Riot gear! Hell, the Justice League! Anybody! Help!"

Good? Bad? Other? Let me know. 'Till the next, live well all!