A/N: Here's the next chapter, and whew, I thought I wasn't going to get any reviews for a while there. But people we've got a problem here. On the cover of my manga Dark's eyes were GOLD, and people have corrected me by saying they're purple or red. Uhh, so what's the vote guys? Purple, red, or gold? Anyhow, REVIEW! Please?

Yipster54- I know! Jeez, I was shocked how many there are out there. Glad you found mine to read .

Clarence Hikari- Thanks very much for the repeated reviews. I'm glad you're following the story.

Alice-1103- Thanks for pointing that out, I keep doing it and it really bothers me if I don't catch them. No hard feelings at all!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I just blew my last five bucks on M&M's and blue icing to make my mom a giant cookie birthday cake. What would you gain by suing me, a slice of it?

"In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain."- Pliny the Elder

Slowly she heard the lock's tumblers fall into place and the door swung open. Gracefully she swung from the doorframe ledge onto Hiwatari's desk. Whichever idiots thought up the idea that only floors should have motion detectors deserved to be at least stabbed if not shot.

Stepping between his nameplate and the mug of pencils she reached out and yanked open the file cabinet. Moving past all the other files she found the one she was looking for, in the very back.

Aeris grinned.

When she was several blocks away, and in her normal street clothes she felt the wind change directions and shivered, pulling her light jacket tighter around her small frame.

It was beginning to howl as she crossed the bridge and she grimaced, she didn't like this. The night was starting to get to her, unnerve her. Trees were rustling and the moon shone bright on her.

For an instant her skin went dark and she frowned in confusion. Glancing up she almost staggered back; covering the moon with its shadow was a man, no it was no man, it was the thief, Dark!

With his extensive black wings he almost blocked out the moon's light and as he flew closer she could feel her heart begin to pound painfully.

"Well, well, well... what have we here? A girl after my own heart." He landed on the railing, balancing effortlessly. "Of course, I fail to see the sense in breaking into a police station, but I'm sure you could enlighten me."

Aeris took a step back, confused. His face... up close it was different. She wasn't sure now, could it have been another she'd seen?

Dark clicked his tongue, "Now, you're being rude, tell me your name."

Straitening her shoulders she looked at him evenly. "Aeris. And you must be the legendary Dark."

He grinned at her, "Oh no, what gave me away?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Not the wingspan of course."

He took flight for a moment longer, just to settle himself on the railing with his legs in the Indian fashion before cupping his chin in one hand. "Must've been my shoes," Dark reached for her hand and held it in his own. "Ah, Aeris, I recognize you, you're the commander's girl."

Aeris eyebrows shot up, "Commander?"

Dark's eyebrows shot up as well. "Hiwatari, blue hair..."

"Satoshi? He's not... I mean, wait, commander?" Aeris stammered.

"Ah, so you're not taken then?" Dark's grin widened and his arm circled around her waist, pulling her towards him.

"Um-" Was all her mind could register before she was yanked back onto someone's chest.

"Don't touch her." Satoshi's tone was more frigid than ever as he held her to his side and glared at Dark through his glasses.

"And why not commander?" Dark was frowning but it was forced. Satoshi continued to glare at him without saying anything. "Since you have no complaints, I do believe me and Miss Aeris will be going-" His hand reached for her but Satoshi knocked his hand away.

"Over my dead body." He spat tugging Aeris along as he started to walk away. "You stay away from her Dark."

"Can't do commander!" Dark called gleefully.

Satoshi continued to tug her along until they were well away from Dark. Then once he was sure they were completely alone, he turned to face her.

"What were you doing!"

Aeris was taken back. She'd never seen him so upset. "Walking along the bridge," She said carefully, it wasn't a flat out lie...

"I meant talking to him!"

"He's the one who started the conversation, why are you so upset?" She demanded and Satoshi huffed before grabbing her wrist and tugging her along behind him.

He couldn't possibly be jealous, could he...?

"I'm taking you home," He turned to glance at her over his shoulder before tugging her to his side so they walked side by side. "And what were you doing walking alone so late at night?"

Crap.

"I couldn't sleep," Her glance slid to the passing scenery, sure to keep her eyes away from Satoshi. He'd be able to tell she was lying for sure then.

"You usually can't, why venture outside tonight?" Her eyes shot to him in surprise but he kept looking straight ahead.

"How did you know I don't sleep well?" She demanded and he looked at her, piercing her with his eyes.

"I am a commander for the police force."

Mmhmm... she rolled her eyes; she really needed to get blinds for those bedroom balcony doors.

"Hey," She stopped and turned him to face her, putting her hands on her hips. "Just what were you doing outside so late yourself?"

Satoshi wasn't daunted in the least. "I woke up and happened to glance over and saw your bed empty. When you didn't answer your door I went looking for you."

"Oh."

Yep, really needed to get blinds.

"Now would you care to explain what you were really doing?" He crossed his arms and she laughed nervously, and put her hands behind her neck when she felt it shift next to her skin and her eyes widened as she felt it fall right out of her clothes and land on the ground.

He hated doubt. It ate away at your insides, making everything you thought were facts slowly fade to nothing more than things with a bit of evidence.

Ever since the girl had shown up in his life again and captured Satoshi's attention (and held it) he had begun to doubt what he was once sure had been the truth.

The case had essentially been a no brainier. The girl was literally covered in blood at the crime scene, was the only one there, and the murder weapon was in her hand when they found her!

But could it have been someone else? Could the girl simply be innocent, and wanted nothing more than to try and help by taking out the weapon? She was young, she may not have understood that by then it was too late.

Wait a minute!

Hiwatari sat straight up in his chair.

By then it was too late! Why would the girl commit murder and stick around, let alone be found in the room with the murder weapon?

Doubt begun to viciously attack his insides, he was so hasty then to accuse someone he picked the most obvious.

And the most obvious most definitely did not mean the guiltiest.

He sank into the chair, feeling angry with himself.

Because now he was sure the girl had not committed the crime, and he was angry with himself because he had loathed her very being for so long, he didn't think he was man enough to think of her as just a girl, and not as a cold blooded killer.

With a groan he sat up and covered his eyes, either way, he'd need to take another look at that file.

And besides, it would mean admitting to Satoshi he was wrong, and hell had yet to freeze over.

Jin didn't bother to knock; he just charged right into his niece's room and smiled when he saw her sleeping peacefully in her bed.

Deciding not to wake her he slowly begun to creep out of the room before it hit him.

Narrowing his eyes he turned on the form underneath the sheets and yanked them off before grabbing her by the ear and glaring at her as she blinked at him.

"Don't even try it you little rabbit wannabe, where is my niece? And why isn't she in her bed?" He roared making Chuu transform back and huddle under the covers in fright.

She knew she shouldn't have faked sleeping peacefully.

He flicked on the lights and threw his jacket on the coat rack before making his way to the filling cabinet.

Once it was obvious he wouldn't be getting to sleep any time soon he decided he might as well get the report now.

Yawning while he ran his fingers over the files he thumbed through all the way to the back before frowning and looking through them all again.

No file.

How could it not be here? No one had access to these files but him.

Which meant someone must have snatched it.

In the years he hadn't looked at it.

Hiwatari groaned before slamming his head onto the top of the filling cabinet repeatedly.

"What is that?" Satoshi asked and she didn't even look down before snatching the folder back up.

"Oh, my homework for next week, I did it already." She lied weakly, well aware he won't buy it.

He narrowed his eyes. "And why was it up your shirt?"

"Uh-"

THINK GIRL, THINK!

"AERIS!"

Whipping around she spotted her uncle running towards her, suit and tie still on, an extremely angry look on his face.

He was panting by the time he reached her and put his hands on his hips. "When I said you'd be free, I didn't mean this free!"

Aeris seemed to shrink under his furious gaze. "I'm sorry uncle, I didn't mean to take advantage of your kindness..."

Satoshi looked at her uncle in surprise, "Free?"

"What kind of fool do you take me for anyway? Getting that stupid rabbit thing to cover for you, I mean honestly-"

"Chuu was just trying to help me uncle." Aeris said in a very sad voice while Satoshi looked at each of them and repeated louder,

"Free?"

The man drummed his fingertips on his very large oak desk while he waited. A P.I. was such a nuisance really; he should have done it himself. But he didn't want to run the risk of being seen watching her.

Of course he never dreamed she'd be freed from that hellhole, so he was hardly prepared.

And that was not good.

The girl would be on her toes, and surely ruthlessly pursuing him.

And with that brat Hiwatari he'd have an even harder time silencing her. The boy obviously knew, he was always watching over her and carefully steering her away from possible threats.

She was intelligent, she would figure out it was him if given the time. He had been too careless; there had been one too many slip-ups.

There was a point in his favor, that collar they had choked her with. If she did ever figure out it was him she could do nothing to him physically or she'd die herself.

But he was at a loss as to how he could kill her without arousing suspicion. If there were any kind of accident, Satoshi would either prevent it or insist an investigation.

He could always set up the brat himself... hm, he rather liked that idea.

After all, why not? He'd set up the girl, why not set up the boyfriend years later?

Besides, he'd be damned if he got away with murder only to be caught again years later.

A/N: I just thought I'd add this part in. While writing the scene between Aeris and Jin I seriously stared at the screen for like 10 minutes thinking to myself, "That can't be how you spell free is it? If not then how?" Then I spent the next 5 minutes saying the word aloud before asking my brother how it was spelled. I've never heard him laugh that loud for that long. sweatdrops