Chapter Twenty Five

Hiko stared down at the scrawny fleabag, willing it to suddenly speak English. Instead, like the dumb mutt that it was, it just stared back with muddy, dim eyes.

"Listen Scooby, I don't have time for you to play Lassie and lead me to the well. Be a good Benji and get out of my way." Hiko demanded firmly. That damn Saitoh obviously could not stand to work so closely to greatness. Really, it was better they didn't work together; the other man would be underfoot just like Tokio's damn Rin Tin Tin.

The furry beast had the audacity to snap at him! Enough.

"Shut it Snoopy before I give you to Cruella to make a coat."

Obviously, the enemy had Tokio and Megumi because Saitoh could not seem to do his job. Pfft, and what about the subordinates on the inside? Just what good were they if they couldn't even do something so simple? They were professional alright, professional screw-offs. Then again, look at their "leader."

"So," Hiko rumbled as he walked towards the door, "We have a crispy psychopath, and I'm assuming his brain cells were a tad toasted too, because he's bent on taking over the government. His file seemed to say he was a vindictive little bastard with an ego the size of Canada. Probably paranoid too, all government junkies usually are.

Well, the man will have traps and guard dogs all over then. Being as sneaking around is not my forte, I need a plan."

Five minutes later Hiko was staring up at the dreary warehouse. He had come up with the perfect plan.

Striding forward purposefully, he let himself in the front door and smashed some heads.

He smirked at the "hidden" security camera and went on his merry way. He hoped a real challenge would show up soon before he got too bored.

A crash made the trio locked in the room jump. Heavy voices rumbled from outside the door and then there was another loud bang.

Before either one of the men could grab her, Megumi crawled up to the door and pressed her ear to it. She listened avidly for a moment before stating, "It's just that moron."

Kamatari felt his jaw drop and a laugh tearing out.

"Did she--?" Sano sputtered, looking more that slightly shocked. Then again, maybe the drug still hadn't worn off enough.

"She did."

The child whirled on the two of them with disapproval written all over her small face. Scowling, she fixed them with a dirty look and snapped, "What?"

Kamatari straightened out his face and said meekly, "You would make your Daddy proud." He managed to hold his face neutral for all of ten seconds before laughing again; this time picturing the shock on Saitoh's face to hear that particular comment. The man would have to implement some serious vengeance for that one.

"We need to escape." Megumi continued to scowl, clearly not pleased to be outside the joke.

"Slave driver." Sano teased.

"That moron is talking to the big guy out there. We should escape now while he is talking because he is distracting." And that was definitely Tokio. Kamatari almost wanted to meet this man that his friends seem to speak so highly of in front of an elementary schooler. "Men."

"Hey, you're saying that in the company of a man and a half here." Sano frowned.

Apparently Megumi wasn't buying any excuses. She shoved the door open and stuck her head out. Her small voice was muffled from beyond the door, but Kamatari could hear the certainty in it. "They are fighting now."

Kamatari realized that if they didn't stop her, the girl would walk her way right back into a battlefield. Having no fear certainly wasn't helpful in keeping her out of danger. He grabbed her shoulder gently and pulled her so she was looking at him.

"Listen, Meg, you need to get to some place safe. Which means no waiting for us and no looking for anyone else, understand? You don't seem to realize how small you are yet, so listen to someone older and wiser. It would kill your mother if you were hurt, and it would hurt us too because we love you. You're little enough to sneak out quietly, but Sano, well, he's a big, noisy guy. In fact, he makes an excellent distraction, as I've learned from experience. So he'll cover your escape. That is if he's up to snuff."

"Hey! Are you dissing my manhood? Of course I can do it." Sano raged, dragging himself up to a pained crouch. He looked like an indignant chicken ready to peck some ankles.

"Hmm, and who was it who called me half a man just a moment ago? Turn-about's fair play, lover. I can't help it if I make the outside look how I feel on the inside, just like you can't help being a tornado-re-enactment. To each their own beloved flaws."

"Yeah, I guess I was out of line there." Sano grunted, looking slightly embarrassed. It was endearing.

"Wow, those drugs must be something to make you apologize!"

Sano immediately growled back, "Who ever said that was an apology?"

"Boys, boys." Megumi tisked, "Can we focus? If I escape and Sano fights, what about you 'Tari?"

Not for the first time, Kamatari was shocked at the child's perception. It was seriously uncanny that a seven-year-old could be so smart. Most children would be clinging to an adult's leg in fear rather than discussion how everyone would get out alive.

Sano seemed to pick something up from the silence and glared in annoyance, "Well?"

"Meg, I want to you get out of here. Promise me that you will get yourself to safety and not worry about me or Sano or your mom. We're all capable adults and trained for this mission."

"I'm capable." Megumi retorted stubbornly, "I'm not a baby!"

"I want you to take my keys," Kamatari had some trouble fishing them out of his waist pocket, which was a little tight under normal circumstances, but now practically unreachable. The two tiny, silver keys clinked together lightly as he pressed them in her small palm, "And hide in my room. It's to the left and down three halls. You can't miss it because the door is… distinctive." He wasn't going to mention the Carebears with Sano standing right there. "When you get in there shove the dresser. It's on wheels so you should be able to move it, okay Meg? Hide there until you think it's safe to come out. You're a smart girl, so I think you can decide what's safe. Just, um, move the books and the banana pudding stash, okay?"

"Pudding?" Sano choked, "Pudding?"

The cross-dresser puffed himself up and retorted venomously, "Hey, when you quit smoking you have to have something!"

"Smoking is bad for you." Megumi added, no doubt having her fill of drug-free propaganda at school. Then she did it again, this time worry filled her voice, "Aren't you going to escape?"

He felt his heart and limbs freeze with dread. He didn't want to tell them; he shouldn't have cared, but he did. He never wanted Sano or Meg to know about his past or why he was truly here. They wouldn't understand. No one every understood, no matter how close they were to him.

"No, I just want to see you two safe. That's enough for me." He answered honestly, trying to dodge the question. He should have known that even if Meg didn't push it, Sano would.

"So you're going to be some fuckin' sacrifice to save us? That's shit!"

"Listen, I'm not being a dumb little lamb or some saintly martyr Sanosuke." He couldn't keep the coldness out of his voice as he said that. A stir of anger tore at his frozen heart. It was much easier to be angry than to let the guilt press down. "I am doing this for my own reasons. Honestly, Sanosuke, sometimes I think you are more naïve than Megumi about the way the world works. It's not just that I have to stay, it's because I need to stay. Or haven't you figured out how two-faced I am just yet? Being a turncoat is hard, but being a double traitor is far easier. I'm one of those darling pit bulls you're always complaining about, I'm just dressed as a police dog."

"What—you work for Shishio? How? When? Why? For God's sake, why would you be on that psychopathic murder's side?"

Kamatari gave him a flat look, leaning against the other side of the room. He looked, but his eyes wouldn't rest on Sano's face. His frozen heart would shatter if he saw the betrayal he knew would be there on that handsome face.

"How? Quite easy. He is my God, my Sun. When? Since he killed my abusive stepfather, something I could never seem to do. Ever. Because I was weak. Why? I owe Shishio my life, my adoration, and my loyalty. If he says die, I will ask how. It's a simple equation."

"When the hell were you planning to drop that little bomb? When you slit my throat?"

Kamatari didn't have to force the bitter laugh that rubbed at his throat. He smirked and tapped well-manicured nails on the wall wanting to destroy something. "New flash, lover, the world is not all about Sanosuke Sagara. I was never going to tell you. Ever. Then again, I never thought I would fall in love with you. Ever." There. He said it.

"Never huh? It was because you knew I'd punch your lights out for being so fuckin' stupid—." Sano seemed to go slightly slack jawed in the middle of his speech. He blinked furiously and snapped, "Love? Love? You have some balls to say something like that right after professing your undying devotion to some anti-social, anti-peace, anti-everything nutcase!"

Meg had been silent throughout the exchange. Her dark eyes darted between them and Kamatari hoped that she didn't understand what was going on. Even so, even a baby could sense the emotions charging the room and see that Sano was furious.

Abruptly she launched herself at Kamatari and latched her arms around his waist in a fierce hug. She buried her head in his stomach as if willing him to let everything go. It felt like the burning hate that had been building suddenly melted the ice creating a river of sin flooding out of his dammed heart. Somehow that river found its way up to his eyes.

"It's okay." Meg tried to reassure, hugging tighter.

Kamatari risked a glance at Sano's face and he could tell it was not okay. It probably would never be okay. Maybe Shishio would make his execution swift.

"Mommy says you can't decide where your heart leads you." Meg reasoned as Kamatari gave her a light squeeze back, not looking at Sano anymore. Not that he could see much through his tear-hazed eyes anyway.

"Your Mommy sounds very experienced."

"Of course she is." Megumi said simply, having all the faith a child could have in her mother.

"So is it settled then? You two go."

"Hey, who the fuck says it's a done deal, huh?" Sano growled. He was up on his feet and swaying slightly. In a few wobbly strides he reached the pair and grabbed Kamatari by the shirt front. Their faces were inches apparent and he breathed, "Who the fuck said I was doing anything you tell me?" The fist clenched harder and twisted, "Hell no."

Kamatari slowly pried his fingers off and said calmly, "Would you stop grabbing the drowning man? I'm doomed either way. Do you think Saitoh will be anymore lenient than Shishio?"

"Of course not, moron. I intend to see justice served."

All three heads whipped around, which actually kind of hurt because Sano's chin just happened to collide with Kamatari's nose and Meg's elbow hit a bit low. The man, causing all that, just flicked his glowing butt to the side and dutifully smashed it underfoot to put it out.

"Let me guess. You felt that your favorite soap, Passions, wasn't enough drama for you, so you came here." Kamatari joked weakly, feeling his knees shudder. Sano was one thing. Somewhere in him, he knew Sano would forgive him. Sano was that kind of guy. Saitoh was a different breed of dog all together.

"I have been aware of your affiliation with Mokoto Shishio since this mission began. That was why you were placed as a spy. It was much easier to control and keep track of you than someone without your inside connections." Saitoh said coldly, his amber eyes glinting dangerously. "You are now under arrest for being an accomplice in the plot to commit treason against the standing government."

"What if I resist?" It took all the guts Kamatari had left to ask, but he couldn't fail Shishio.

"Then I will tell this moron to knock you out and cuff you to a toilet until we can retrieve you for trial."

Was that some sort of sick humor?

Kamatari glanced at Sano and knew the young man would be more than happy to carry out that order.

"If you do not resist, then you may have a reduced sentence."

"You say that like you're going to beat Shishio."

"Moron."

"Well, you won't!"

"Watch the prisoner and Megumi."

And Sano didn't need to be told twice. He waited until Saitoh was out of the doorway before settling his body across the exit. Sano was more than happy to leave it all to Saitoh, for once.

A/N: Nothing much to say. I finally wrote it. J edited it for me after watching Tsubasa and Loveless (which she really needed to tackle my chapter). I'd like to thank my aunt for stopping at every outlet center between here and South Carolina so I could write this measly chapter with the music blasting in our rented, big butt van. Lastly, I'd like to thank the people who created the medication that I seem to refuse to take. You're doing a whole lot of good here.

fido: Sign in next time and I might try to take you serious rather than falling out of my chair laughing. Thanks, you made my day!

beta's reply: Fido, if I throw a stick will you go away?

Saitouu Ryuuji: Late but here.

eviladdict: Megumi has all their measure, doesn't she? It's a bit past Sept. or... almost Sept. (if you ignore the 05 part). There are some beautiful Saitoh fics, but not many of them are humorous X.x No Yahiko. I don't like him. Also, I traded him for Sano with my brother. If I don't torment Yahiko, my brother doesn't go after Sano. I think I got the better part of the deal personally. Late reviews are just as loved!

ak0: No one deserves to be burdened with my sense of humor. Believe me, it gets you in big trouble in both school and work. Aoshi reminds me of the elf in LoTR because he only talks every 40 pages or so. Saitoh hates me and has threatened to sue on Judge Judy for psychological damaged.

Kira: Wow bows down your attention span are surpasses my own. I read two chapters before I gave up.

eriesalia: It does seem like all the fics I was following either finish or died by now. Megumi will always be in all my fics because I like her .

Leila Winters: I think the dedication went into hibernation (although english was the only class I got an A in, which is frickin' amazing considering I missed about 16 days). Yes, Mister Sexypants is back evil grin I had to flip through my new artbook download (at the Saitoh section) several times!

MissBehavin: Hey, hey now. I'm not the only one who wrote in a 'Tari/Sano pairing! Besides, there is much worse out there than Saitoh/Kaoru makes interesting faces Meg just has no fear. Soujirou needs a conscious, I think anyway! Mmm thinking about Hiko's face if that happened.

Fyyrrose: Okay, now when you say pet I think of Soubi. Bad doggie, bad! I want a Soubi ;.; Glad you watched loveless before editting tho. I'd hate to clean up your puke otherwise. I want to hear Jakotsu's voice. Oh, lol, I forgot to tell you about Samurai Champloo and Kerry. I was correcting her about the "mafia" (yakuza). I only took a semester of criminology, what would I know about organized white collar crime?

...Okay, I'm taking too long. Stupid Cartoon Network.