Disclaimer: Forgot to do this last time. I own zero Lupins. Nada Lupins. Nine Lupins. Er, wait. Yeah. And yes, the present actually exists and so does the company that makes it (which I also do not own... Please don't sue me). If you dig around enough on the internet, I promise you'll find it.
Goemon had been trying, and failing, to meditate.

"Transcend. Transcend. I must... Transcend..." Even the infinite patience of a samurai would begin to wear thin after listening to a drunken Lupin sing his own rendition of 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean' for the past 3 hours.

Goemon had had enough.

"LUPIN! PLEASE! Show some dignity! Age is a sign of wisdom! Instead, you treat it as if someone has punished you to a life of dishonor and shame."

Lupin stopped singing.

Goemon sighed with relief.

This time, when Lupin opened his mouth, it was to wail.

"Buh-buh-but I'm old Goemon! O-L-D! Fujiko isn't gonna want me when I'm so.. So... OOOLLLDD!"

Lupin took a deep, ragged, breath.

"She'll leave me! LEAVE! She's so young and beautiful and and and and... She'll leave meee-ee-ee-e!"

"Yes, Lupin, you said that part already. I fail to understand why you are so concerned with that woman. She has caused you - no, all of us - nothing more than trouble. Not to mention a lot of money."

Lupin grabbed the nearest bottle, and, finding it empty, threw it down onto the counter causing it to break. He stared at the shards of glass, and then broke into tears.

"I'm just like that bottle, Goemon! Broken and useless! Broken, useless and OLD!" He continued to snivel to himself.

Goemon stood there for a moment, then responded with "That could possibly be the most profound thing I have ever heard you say." He turned and headed for his room.


All around the restaurant, couples were quietly enjoying their dinner. A pianist played a Bach etude softly in the background. And Jigen was in a state of serious dismay.

"You've got to be friggin kidding me, Fujiko. You want to get him one of these things? Do you have any idea how difficult this is going to be? I mean, honestly. Did you think this through or did you just see a picture of it in Glamour magazine and think 'ooh, shiny! Lupin will love it?'"

Fujiko frowned slightly. "Really, Jigen. Do you know how hard it is to shop for the man who literally has everything? I put a lot of thought into this present, and I think he'll appreciate it. Plus, I know for sure he doesn't have one. Moller International has barely allowed any press coverage to be released on their new Skycar volantor. If Lupin has even heard of this thing I will be shocked."

Jigen turned the picture over in his hands. He was still unsure if he believed what he was seeing. The picture was of a red vehicle that looked like a hybrid of a very expensive sports car and a small fighter jet. It was red, had turbine like engines attached to the sides and back, and was actually hovering above the ground.

"Do you have any specs on this thing? Like how fast it goes, or how safe it is?"

"I'm glad you asked, Jigen. I do, actually. I have done my homework." Fujiko winked. "It's top speed is said to be somewhere around 350mph. And really, the gas mileage isn't too bad considering it's a mini Jetsons car come to life. It has emergency parachutes, should anything happen in midflight - the Skycar version of the airbag. And it can hold 4 passengers. So, it could even prove to be useful. It mostly flies itself as it is installed with computers that manage flight stability and control, all the person driving is required to do is steer in the right direction. If Lupin can fly a 747, and he has, he can handle one of these."

Jigen knit his brow in thought.

"I assume you have concocted a brilliant plan to get this thing from California to Japan?" He finally questioned after a considerable silence.

"Well, it does fly, Jigen."

Jigen stared at Fujiko as if she had just changed colors.

"Yes, Fujiko. It flies. It flies short distances. However, I don't imagine it was built to fly over the goddamn OCEAN."

Jigen's outburst turned a few heads.

"It has a 750 mile range," Fujiko said patiently. "My plan was to fly it from Davis, California - the US Moller headquarters - to San Francisco, a mere 65 miles. From there, rent a private jet and simply transport it through Hawaii to Japan. Is that satisfactory?"

Jigen rolled the idea around in his mind a bit. It would work. Of course, the biggest challenge would be actually stealing the damn thing, but provided that went OK, everything else would be cake.

"All right, Fujiko. Gimme a day or two to think things through and talk to Goemon. I can't promise anything yet, but I'll see what he says. I don't know why the hell I'm even considering doing this for you. But, I'll give it a shot."

Fujiko smiled. "Thank you, Jigen. Really. I appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah. Just try to make sure Lupin doesn't drink himself into an early grave, OK?"