A/N: Hmm what will Ichi's decision be…Hmmm…

Thanks: Vera-Sama, Guren, evil-pillow, Shirubaa Kitsune, and Pi-chan.

Warning: Adult language.

Chapter 15

Ichigo and the other two pulled their resources together in order to take a can to Yoshiki Kitazawa's apartment since it was obvious Tohma Seguchi's limo was off limits. They rode in the back of the cab, Ichigo staring out the wind, Sho reading a computer manual, and Kari intently watching the price of their fare go up and up on the meter. "Do you really want to know Ichigo?" Kari spoke suddenly. "Is it really all that important to know…?" "Why wouldn't it be?" "Maybe that woman was right…" "So now you agree with strangers, Kari-chan!" Ichi looked at her cousin, going all on the defensive. "She has point you know….If it hurts father or the rest of the family even deeper…Why do through with it?" "They hid it from us! It's our right to know!" "Well I'm not sure I want to know anymore…" There was a gasp, "TRAITOR!" "Ichigo…." "Stop the cab!" The man did not comply. "I said, stop the DAMN cab!" The cab screech to a stop and Ichigo through open the door and slammed it behind her, disappearing into the crowd. Kari sighed. "There she goes again…Just like her okaa-san" Sho looked up with a frustrated look. "What now?"

"We continue on to the address." She said firmly. "When the girl comes to her sense—which she will—she will come to us, she knows the way…" She instructed the cab driver to keep driving.

Yoshiki Kitazawa opened the door in her caprice and tank top, looking on at the two occupants standing outside her door. "Come in…" K stalked forward. "Where's the little devil child?" He asked placing his hands on his hips. "She threw a hissy fit halfway here and jumped out of the cab." Sho explained sauntering in, hands shoved down deep in his pockets. "As usual." Kari sighed. "When will that girl learn?" K-san murmured. "I swear, she's getting more like Shuichi everyday…Her emotions are uncontrollable." "Exactly." Kari agreed, taking a seat on Yoshiki's couch. "Well?" This came from the great manager. "Well what?" the young Nakano asked reclining. "Go GET her!" The older man ordered, pulling out his gun and cocking the trigger. It was pointed at Sho. The old methods never died when K was concerned. Sho rolled his eyes. The trigger happy man walked over and pressed the muzzle to the 16 year olds' head. "Now." His voice was deadly. "K-san, there's no need for that. We have time. Give the baka time to think it over, she will come back." He reluctantly de-cocked the trigger and grumbled to himself. Sho breathed a sigh of relief.

"For your sake, let's hope so."

Ichigo found herself in a nearby video store buying a hell load of anime and Pocky. After she'd been done with that purchase she dragged herself to a nearby ice cream shop and began to gorge herself silly. When she gorged it seemed to quell her jumbled emotions, sealing them with a layer of delicious hot fudge. She spooned vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge and an enormous amount of nuts into her mouth. Her heart clenched tight; but she couldn't quite tell why. "Well hello…didn't think I'd see you so soon." Ichigo looked upon chocolate on her lips. It was the guy with the eyes the same as her tou-san. They were sparkling with warmth and mischief in the afternoon sunlight. "May I?' He indicated the vacant seat across from her. "Sure, do whatever you want…" The blonde spooned another mouthful of ice cream in, surreptitiously looking at the boy through her lashes. He was fair-skinned with dark brown hair, almost black that look smashing with his amber-eyes. He was perfect, she thought. The boy smiled at her as if he knew she was looking at him. She jerked back. "You know it's not polite to stare…" He flashed a dazzling smile once more, increasing the wattage.

She turned to mush at that smile. "By the way, my name is Asai…Seiya Asai..." The way he said it was so smooth—smooth and confidant. "Why do you want to talk to me? You called me a bitch." His eyes widened. "Did I? Hmmm…no wasn't me." Ichigo gaped. How could that creep tell a boldfaced lie like that? "Must've been my twin brother…" "You're lying right?" "Yep! Made you feel better didn't it?" A smile was tweaking at the corners of her lips. "Yeah…" "Good…Wouldn't want to ruin my rep...Making girls cry is not my style. Making them smile…." A sly smile. "Now that's another thing." "You mean being a sleeze-ball…." "Ouch!" He slapped a hand to his chest, feigning fake pain. "You're a real killer aren't you?" He grinned a wolfish grin. "I love a challenge." "Would you also like your teeth shoved down the back of your throat?" She was mood-swinging majorly today. At first she'd been gushing all over him, now she was becoming threatening with him. She was tired of boy's trying to put the moves on her. Ichi shoved more ice cream past her lips and ignored him. "Did I do something wrong?" Asai asked. "Besides being a guy…

"Of course not!" She scoffed getting up, "What could YOU have possibly done wrong!"

Secretly she knew this was wrong, getting pissed of at Seiya Asai when what was happening to her wasn't his fault, but she was just too mad to think straight. She'd gone from sad and frustrated to angry. "Look..." he took her by the shoulder. "If I can do anything to make it up to you; whatever I did….Just name it." He inserted. "It's not your fault, Asai, and none of your business." She scrambled to pick up her packages, dropping a couple boxes of Pocky to the floor. The blonde sighed frustrately. "Maybe I'm MAKING it my business; I don't like to see a pretty girl in distress." He stooped to retrieve the treat and hand it to her. "And the name's Seiya. Please remember it." She took it and started to mellow down leaving the ice cream parlor. "I'm sorry…" She said half a block away, knowing he was following her. Seiya shrugged and came up next to her. "No problem…You must've had something very harsh happen to you for you to be like that." "But I had no right to take it out on you, Asai." "Seiya." He corrected. "Yeah, Seiya…" Ichigo sighed. "I'm sorry." "No sweat." "I just have some really harsh things going on in my family…."

She heard him smile as he spoke coming up next to her, "I said it's cool. At first…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For calling you a bitch. I shouldn't have. I didn't know the circumstances behind your pain."

"I was acting like bitch…"

He shrugged, amber-eyes flashing in the sun. "All people have their off days. Did you know I've been called much worse than what I called you?" He laughed bringing his arms up behind his head.

Ichigo looked at him. He wasn't you would call a nice guy….but he wasn't a perv like Yamamoto either. He was His sexy eyes aren't bad either… "I know, so girls have been telling me." She jerked looking at him. "My eyes…" He explained. "Girls comment about them all the time. They're my best feature." "Yes, they are. They're very beautiful." "Thank you…And may I say yours aren't bad either." He whistled after saying this. Ichigo blushed as she laughed. "Thanks." "Only one other person I know has that…Well I don't KNOW him personally but he has eyes like yours, or should I say you have eyes like his. He's gotta be thirty something now." "Who?" She asked knowing damn well whom he was speaking of. "Shuichi Shindou." "Oh! Yes…..my eyes are amethyst like his aren't they?" She laughed. Indeed they were. If only this guy knew who her parents were. "What's so funny?" He asked. "Nothing." She smiled brightly. She felt better, a whole lot better! She could go see Yoshiki-san now!" Ichi started to run. "HEY! Where are you going!?" The blonde turned to smile at the handsome amber-eyed boy who was still caring her things.

"To make a decision!"

She laughed at this and hurried on her way, leaving poor Seiya dumbfounded.

Tohma Seguchi had waited for fifteen minutes and still no Sora Hina. Then the fire alarm had gone off without warning. When he'd come back to his office he'd learned it had been a false alarm. "Hmmm. Some how I knew…" He called down to the front desk and asked for a complete description of the young lady who'd claimed to be with NG. It was just as he'd thought. She'd been blonde with a short skirt, body-suit, and lollypop. "Blonde you say? Did she have purple eyes?" he asked gently. "No, Shacho-san, I didn't see her eyes. She was wearing sunglasses." "Sunglasses you say." "Yes, sir." "Were they green frames with black stripes?" "Yes, yes, sir! How did you know?" "I believe I know who are mystery woman was…Thank you." He hung up the phone with a smile, making a steeple with his fingers. "So my niece has been here has she…?" He closed his eyes in thought. What could she possibly be after? He pondered this in solitude. My files will her no information.. I have burned those transcripts that would be of use to her along time ago… Unless…. His cerulean orbs snapped open. "Surveillance."

Tohma hurriedly picked up the phone and called Sakano-san into his office. When he was done he waited.

The bespectacled man entered his office looking quite worried. "Yes, S-Seguchi-san…."

"Sakano-san, I wish for you to have the guard in the surveillance room check all the tapes…check to see if one is missing. I want you to personally oversee this…. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. You may leave…"

An hour later, the phone rang in his office and the president quickly picked it up. "Yes?" "Seguchi-san…" "Yes, Sakano-san." "There does appear to be a tape missing…." Tohma sighed. "I thought as much. Very well. Thank you, Sakano-san." "You're welcome, sir. Anything else, Shacho-san?" "No, that will be all." He heard the producer of Bad Luck hang up his end of phone. He sighed. "So they've taken the tape." He swiveled around in his office chair and stared out the huge picture window. "Hana-chan….What do you hope to gain from this tape?" Pain was in his voice. "Aren't things better left alone?" Tears entered his eyes. He then began to think of his dear wife. "Mika-san…" He murmured a sob in his throat. He continued to let out his tears. He then thought of what had driven her to leaving him Eiri-san… Why did I do it?! He held the place where his heart was. It ached so. His phone rang again. He dried his tears and calmly turned around to pick up the phone. "Yes, this is Seguchi." It was his detective. He listened carefully…The man was saying something about visitor's as Yoshiki-san's residence. "Oh, really?" He had not asked the man to stay on but…

"Job well done. I will personally look into this myself..."

Tohma hung up the phone and got up, heading out of his office. He had to stop Ichigo. The girl just didn't know what she was prying into!

Ichigo ran and ran till she finally made it to her destination. When she reached Kitazawa's apartment building she was out of breath. She had spent all her money on anime and sweets so…Damn it! She'd left those with that boy! She cursed but rang the bell. "How could I have been so stupid!?" She muttered and waited for the person to buzz her in. "I don't even know where he lives!" Ichi began to mentally kick herself over and over again. "Yes, who is it?" She stepped out from under the porch and looked up at a woman. "Tell K-san the Strawberry has arrived!" "Oh, you must be who we're waiting for!" The lady disappeared back into the apartment and the buzzer buzzed her in a second later. Ichigo hurried up the stairs to the third floor and was greeted on the landing by the same woman in her bare feet. "Konichiwa! You must be Ichigo-san, ne?" "Yes…And you must be Yoshiki-san?" Yoshiki nodded. "Correct! Come in!" She grabbed Ichi's arm and dragged the poor blonde girl into her apartment beaming all the while. "You are late…" K said from his place against the wall.

"Yeah...well…I got ….caught up…" He folded her arms. "But I'm here now so let's get down to business!"

"I never said I'd tell you kiddos anything." Yoshiki announced.

"You're kidding!" Ichigo yelled.

"Nope. I'm still not sure whether to keep quiet or not about this whole situation."

"But I have to know!?"

Do I?

"Do you? Is it really that necessary?"

"Stop stalling!" The frustrated girl hollered again.

Maybe the truth is better not known.

"Am I?"

"YES!"

Suddenly a bullet shot between them and embedded itself in the opposite wall. The two females froze and turned to look at the man who hid his blue eyes behind dark shades.

"Was that ENTIRELY necessary, K-SAN!" Ichigo shrieked.

"It got your attention didn't it?"

"Yeah! Not to mention almost made me wet my pants thank you very much!" She looked irate. "WHY ARE YOU BAD LUCK'S MANAGER AGAIN!?"

These were the times she didn't like K. When he was being a smart ass and a psycho American waving around his guns as if it were nothing! "Because I am the greatest!" "Ha ha! That's funny, K." She looked peeved once more then thoughtful… Is it really worth it? Rumiko-san's and Yoshiki-san's words sounded so alike... She had to wonder would her knowing really be that important? Did she absolutely NEED to know? Or would the knowing destroy her family instead of save it? But I must know! Or do I have to? Her brain was battling. Don't you want to know why obaa-san Mika left? She shook her head mentally. Not if it means destroying the family I wish to protect. A pause. Who are you protecting? Your oji-san…Another pause. Him? Yes.. And my parents—and the baby too. It indeed was a battle; a battle within herself. She could faintly here someone trying to talk to her… "Ichi…Ichigo, are you there?" Sho was right in front of her, waving his hand in front of her face. "Hello?" She came back to her senses. "Sho?" "No, it's Hiroshi Nakano the guitarist from Bad Luck." "Very funny, Nakano….You're killing me over here."

"Either me…or K will shoot you for real."

"Good point."

"You all right?"

"Yeah, just having an argument with myself."

"Must be fun."

She sighed. "Yeah, it's a hoot!"

It was as if it was only them in the room.

Kari cleared her throat.

Ichigo snapped to attention, looking to her cousin with focused eyes. "It's all up to you, Ichigo. Do you want to know this or not?" Her voiced was calming.

The blonde looked around at the people surrounding her. It was indeed up to her. Did she really need to know?

"Little Blossom…." A soft voice breathed.

She turned a spotted her oji-san Tohma standing in the door. "How did you?" Yoshiki murmured incredulously.

"Very easily when you leave your door wide open, Yoshiki-san…"

Tohma entered the room, gauging his niece with determined eyes, his famous black hat tipped back on his head. The rest of him dressed immaculately in black with a stunning red dress shirt underneath. "Ichigo….please consider this…I pray that you consider others you might hurt when you re-dig up the buried past." He sounded and looked so serious. "Why do you want it to stay buried, Oji-san!?" she cried out. "Why do you want to find out so much that you'd threaten the stability of this family?" His voice became icy. Her eyes and her voice trembled. He scared her when he was this way. She'd heard of her oji-san being manipulative and frightening, but this was the first time she'd seen it in real life. "If I do make a decision…It will be my own!" He nodded. "Let's hope you choose wisely…" "Stop bullying me! I can make my own decisions!" Her oji-san jumped slightly. "Then I'll leave you to make your decision…" And with that Tohma Seguchi left as quickly as he had come. Ichigo watched after where he had left through the open doorway then stared down at the floor. "Yes, it is my decision and I will make it…."

With that, Ichigo left as well.

It was too much pressure to make a decision with all these people here.

She didn't need Yoshiki's answer anymore though.

Ichigo walked through the park where her parents had met, the answer in her heart. She knew which road she would take. Truth was she couldn't hurt her family even if it meant finding out what she wanted to know. "I don't have to find out….It's not really necessary….My family is what is important, not some damn memory from the past!" She knuckled the tears out of her eyes. It seemed she was crying a lot these days. "In this way can I save the ones I love." She smiled through her tears. "Is that so?" A soft voice said behind her and she knew who that voice belonged to. It was the same voice she'd talk to ten minutes ago. This time it was not angry, it was soft and gentle. In saving her family though…She couldn't help but feel she'd helped her oji-san accomplish what he wanted. Yet to Ichigo, somehow that didn't matter anymore. "Yes. The past doesn't matter. You are right. My family is what matters. I was being selfish…" She turned saying this. Tohma looked just as sad as she felt and her heart contracted quite painfully. Sheding tears of happiness and sadness all at once, she rushed to her dear beloved, oji-san, letting herself be enveloped in his warm comforting embrace.

It was here she'd always felt safe.

Her oji-san was her family as well after all.

"I'm sorry, Oji-san."

He held her tighter. "I forgive you, Little Blossom…"

Next Chapter: Farewell Fans!

A/N: Done so fast you're thinking! I know. But that's cool! The other took awhile anyway.