Jina trudged into the kitchen. She had finally managed to kick the last nosey fangirl out for the night, and was ready to start cooking dinner. Omi came through and stopped to peer over her shoulder

"What are we having?" He asked.

"I'm cooking chicken!" She replied happily.

"Need any help?" He offered.

"Yeah…if you don't mind keeping an eye on this, I was going to start a salad.

Omi nodded, and traded places with Jina as she began gathering and cutting her salad ingredients.

"You know…if you guys run off and abandon me like that again, I'm going to invite some of those fangirls over to spend the night…then rent a hotel room."

"Sorry about that…we had to leave to spare our sanity…and eardrums.." Omi replied. "Besides…Youji would probably like that whole sleepover idea…"

"True, true."

'What do you think you're doing?' an all too familiar voice rang in her head.

'Cooking dinner with Omi…' She replied.

'Have you gathered any new information?'

'No…I got swamped in the flower shop today.'

'What? You're job isn't the flower shop…it's finding out useful information for me.'

'And if I don't do my job in the flower shop, they'll think something is up.'

'Can't you do both?'

'Can't you leave me alone and let me do this my way?'

There was no response.

'Schu-kun…' She ventured after a moment. 'How are they?'

'Who?'

'You know who…'

'They're fine…just do your job.'

'Hai.'

'I'll check back in later.'

'Ok, ja.'

'Ja Kitten.'

"Ouch!" Jina exclaimed as the knife slipped and she cut her hand.

"You ok?" Omi moved to put a dish towel over the cut. "What happened?"

"Baka distracted me…" Jina mumbled.

"Who?" Omi questioned, puzzled.

"Oh…um…no one…" Jina started for the bathroom. "I just started thinking about a stupid fanboy that bugged me today. I'm gonna clean up and put a bandage on this…I didn't hurt the salad did I?"

"Um…it might be salvageable…" Omi said in a tone that hinted at 'Bloody salad…yay!

"Don't worry about it…I'll put some vegetables on to cook." She said with a sigh.

Jina walked to the bathroom and, with great difficulty, got the first aid box down.

"What's going on?" A voice asked from the door. She turned and saw Ken.

"Oh, I got distracted and cut myself…"

"Need some help?"

"No…" She lied, just before dropping the first aid box. "Ok…maybe a little…"

Ken gathered up the fallen items while she rinsed out the cut.

"It doesn't look very deep." He commented. "Here, I'll put some antibiotic cream on it, and we'll bandage it up."

She held her hand out to him as he started to doctor it. He just finished wrapping the bandage and he was fastening the end when Aya cleared his throat at the door.

"If you two are going to sneak off and hold hands, don't tie up the bathroom."

"Nani?" Jina asked then looked at her hand. "It's not…never mind."

She pushed past Aya, hoping he didn't see her blush, and she didn't look back to see if Ken followed for the same reason.

Jina was sitting in her bed, surrounded by the cats, watching the video footage she'd gotten that day.

'Well…anything new?'

'Jerk.'

'What's your problem?'

'You cut my hand.'

'Did not.'

'Did too!'

'You make as much sense as those little brats…'

'You distracted me and I cut myself.'

'Then you cut your hand.'

'You're responsible…indirectly…'

'Well, you're not dead, so I'm not too worried.'

'I could come clean with the guys and send them to beat you up…'

'Stop with the threats and tell me what you know.'

'They're off on a mission. Something about rescuing a kidnapped kid or something.'

'You're not very helpful. Maybe I should replace you, Kitten.'

'Fine…then I can go back to my boring life. The one I had before an orange haired German began stalking me.'

'No…I'd find another use for you.'

'Like what.'

'You're not much of a spy, but…'

The mental image he sent her caused her to turn bright red. She quickly recovered.

'In your dreams maybe.'

'Or I could make it happen in yours.'

'If you're done bothering me, I think they're home. I need to unplug the cat.'

'Oh, but I was having fun.'

'I don't like your kind of fun.'

'Sure you do.'

'Hentai ecchi baka…'

'Ja, Kitten.'

Jina turned off the TV, and unhooked the small cord running from the mechanical animal to the VCR. She rolled it up and tucked it away in a small compartment. She sighed. She didn't feel very tired, and decided to get a snack before bed. She entered the kitchen and found Ken sitting alone at the table.

"You're still up, Jina-chan?" He said a bit surprised.

"Yeah…I wasn't tired…" She managed a weak smile as she began to look through the contents of the pantry.

Ken nodded and stood, getting himself something to drink.

"Where are the others?" Jina asked curiously.

"They went on to bed…" Ken replied. "Tomorrow's my day off, so I'm not too worried about turning in early."

Jina gave a small laugh. Something told her no matter how much sleep he got he would probably always be energetic. She grabbed a small package of cookies and sat down at the table.

"It's been a nice change having you here." Ken commented, returning from the refrigerator with two glasses of milk. "It's great having someone who actually cooks real food."

Jina smiled, but felt a sudden pang of guilt. They trusted her…andf even enjoyed her company. "Hey…Ken…" She said after a moment, unsure of what she was going to say.

"Hm?" He asked, looking at her with interest.

"Let's say…someone was doing something…that could hurt the people they cared for…but they had a good reason." She couldn't look him in the face, so she simply opted to paying close attention to the cookie in her hand.

"I'd say it'd have to be a very good reason…"

"Oh, it is!" Jina said, defensively. "I mean…it would be…it's either potently hurt one, or know for sure the another loved one will be hurt."

"That's a difficult choice…why do you ask, Jina-chan?"

'What do you think you're trying to pull?' a voice intruded, sounding angry.

"No reason…I was watching this movie earlier…and I just wondered what you thought." Jina gave a small laugh. "Night!" With that, she put her empty glass in the sink and headed for bed.

Ken was a little less then convinced. "Night."

'I can't let you almost coming clean go unpunished.'

'Don't hurt them, Schu-kun.'

'No…this only involves you.'

'What?'

'You'll see soon enough.' He sounded a little less kind then when they'd said goodbye earlier. 'Sweet dreams.'

Jina eventually drifted off to sleep, figuring Schu would wait until tomorrow for her 'punishment'. She was wrong. She'd just began a calm dream when suddenly, Schu's laughter erupted into her mind.

'Here's a little present from two of your friends. Enjoy Kitten.'

Jina bolted upright with a scream, turning her bedside lamp on to make sure Schu wasn't in the room The door opened, and Ken came in, looking concerned.

"What's wrong? I heard a scream…"

Jina looked up at him. "You poor, poor boy…"

Omi came in just after Ken. "Is everything OK?"

"I had no idea you were like that…whips?"

"What are you talking about?" Omi asked, confused.

"I…had a dream…" She began. "But just to be sure…Omi…you don't own much leather, do you?"

Omi gave her an odd look. "No…why?"

"No reason…I'm going to go on back to bed…after washing up…"

Jina walked to the bathroom and began to splash water on her face. Just as she turned to leave, she heard his voice.

'Here's gift number two.' He said, laughing again. Another vision flashed through her head. She stumbled out of the bathroom and fell into someone. Looking up, she saw it was Youji who had caught her. She yanked back with a small yelp. Aya gave a small grunt as she backed into him.

"What's wrong, Jina-chan?" Youji asked.

"Bad…bad…evil…dream…" She mumbled. "I'm going back to bed."

She walked off, trying to clear the image from her mind. 'That's not right…that's not what the wire is used for…' she thought. She returned to her room, all four men standing in the door, watching her concerned.

"Here…take this." Omi said, holding out a couple pills. "It should help you sleep."

Jina took the medicine and climbed back into her bed, still watching the guys wearily. "I'll be fine…you guys go back to bed…" She said, and after a moment they did. She was feeling very drowsy, and had just started to doze off again when Schu returned.

'Time for gift number three…'

Jina gripped the blanket, waiting for the next terrible image. Nothing came.

'Darn! It must be that medicine he gave you…oh well…those two gifts should be enough for tonight.'

Schuldig sighed. "I had a good one planned for the last gift…" He said.

"Speaking of gifts…from what I can tell, you'll have a gift of your own in just a moment." Crawford said, sitting a small baby, about a year old, in his lap.

"What? No way, you're kidding, right?" Schuldig asked, looking from the baby to Crawford.. "Oi, Chibi…diaper duty…come take care of this for me…"

"No way." Nagi replied. He appeared in the door with a small five year old girl latched at his waist. "I've got enough to handle right now…" He looked at the girl. "Don't you want to go see Uncle Crawford?"

"Nuh-uh." She replied with a smile before hugging him tighter.

Farfarello came in, carrying another baby about a year old. The child was crying and wiggling to the point the Irishman could barely hold on. "Farfarello wants to make God cry…not baby…" He offered the child out for someone else to take. No one did.

"Why don't we just give her back the kids…and find another way?" Nagi suggested, trying to pry the little girl off.

"No…this will work…we just have to bide our time." Schuldig replied.

"And change their diapers." Crawford added as he turned to leave. He paused, looking at Farfarello. "That one needs changing too…that's why he's crying…" He said before leaving. Nagi said nothing, but followed him out, dragging the small girl behind him. Schuldig and Farfarello exchanged disappointed looks before glancing at the babies.

'Must make babies stop crying…' Schuldig heard Farfarello think.

"I'll change them both…don't worry about it, Farf." He sighed. The plan would fall through if something happened to the kids…and Schuldig wasn't sure if they'd be safe with Farfarello.