A/N: Well, this is practically it, folks - just a really short epilogue to upload and then it's all over... Thanks for the joining the ride, my friends, and thanks even more for sharing your thoughts and comments - it meant a lot.

Ciao.

-Ludi x

(19) Last Goodbye to Evil

Lee Chaolan had settled down for the night to watch a dirty movie when he had been amazed to find himself being interrupted by someone knocking on his door – politely, it was true, but it was far from usual considering he'd expressly told his guards he was to have no one disturb him that night. Muttering to himself, he got up and opened to the door to see a security guard standing apologetically on the other side.

"What is it?" Lee asked irately, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"I'm sorry, sir," the man replied uncomfortably, "but Mr. Mishima wishes to see you urgently. He's on the fiftieth floor."

"Heihachi?" Lee spoke the name to himself. "What could he want me for at this time of the night?"

Sending the guard away, Lee hastily made his way to the topmost floor. It was there that he saw his father, standing over a body in the snow. As Lee came closer the features of the corpse became apparent to him. He did a double-take, his mouth and eyes wide open. For a split second he couldn't breathe let alone speak.

"Father," he finally managed to spit out. "What have you done?"

Heihachi ignored the question and beckoned to his adopted son, his voice quite calm.

"Come here."

Lee did so, shocked into obedience. It was only when he stood beside his father and looked down into the staring eyes of the crushed and broken face that it finally sunk in.

"Kazuya?" he exclaimed as if to clarify the ridiculous truth. "Kazuya's dead?"

"Yes." Heihachi's voice was emotionless. "And look what I found on him."

Lee found it hard to tear his eyes away from the corpse. When he finally did so, he saw that Heihachi was holding out a small bunch of keys to him. He took them, swallowing hard. This was too much. He couldn't fathom it, even with the evidence plain before his eyes. Turning away from the body of his brother, he examined the bundle carefully.

"They're his apartment keys," Heihachi informed his adopted son before Lee could get a word out. His tone was coldly clinical. "They could tell us where he's been staying. Do you recognize them, son?"

"Yes," Lee answered presently, looking up. "They belong to his flat in Ginza." He paused. "Why?"

Heihachi placed a finger against his lips, his expression thoughtful. After a moment of rumination, he spoke.

"Lee, you are a faithful son, and I know that I can trust in you."

Lee stood still, listening with a sense of dread. Whatever had happened here this night was beyond even him, and he felt that to play a part in it would be dangerous. He knew Heihachi was going to ask him to do something. Do what? Dispose of the body? Lee had disposed of many bodies in his life. That in itself did not worry him. but when he thought of the vacant, staring eyes of his adopted brother, the one who had forgiven him not long before… something stuck hard in his throat, a gut-wrenching fear he had never felt before, and he could not push it down.

"What is it that you want me to do, father?" he asked, his voice dry.

Heihachi looked up, a grimace on his face.

"Kazuya is dead, yes, but his soul is not." He sneered down at the body in the snow. "Even in death he lives on. And the Devil will live on too." He raised his eyes to Lee's again. "The Kazama girl is pregnant with his child. If the child is allowed to live, then the Devil will claim its soul and become a threat to me – and our empire – once more."

He stopped. Lee said nothing. Once again, he could not speak. He knew what Heihachi was going to ask. But Heihachi didn't know what he was asking for. It would be too much. Lee did not think that he would be able to do it. But perhaps he could. Perhaps he would. What choice did he have in the matter? Heihachi had no idea how Lee felt about these things. It was natural for him to ask his favourite son to carry out his orders.

"Lee," Heihachi was speaking again. "It is up to us to secure – no, to defend – what is rightfully ours. It is our duty to rid the Mishima Empire of its enemies." He paused. "I want you to dispose of the Kazama girl for me. I don't care how you do it, just make sure that both she and the child are dead."

Lee's stomach clenched. He didn't look at Heihachi. He could not. Heihachi continued.

"Once they are gone, our empire will be secure. You will inherit the Mishima Zaibatsu knowing that there will be no threat from the legacy of feebleness that began with Kazuya. Do you understand me?"

Lee nodded, his throat icy. Heihachi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Good. Then make sure you carry out your task."

He turned and began to walk back towards the lifts. Lee, now suddenly able to move, called out to him.

"Father!"

Heihachi turned, his face expectant. Lee spoke, this time with more confidence.

"What about the body!"

Heihachi's face darkened.

"I'll take care of it myself," he replied, already walking again, as though the matter were a trivial one. "But first, I must call for a helicopter."

He disappeared into the lift without once turning back. Lee stared after him for a moment or two, his eyes reflective. Then, turning slowly, he knelt down beside the body of his brother, a look of resolution on his face.

"You were right, Kazuya," he murmured. "I couldn't protect you from our father. But I will protect Jun from him, at whatever cost."

With this last promise fresh inside his mind, Lee reached out and closed the lids over Kazuya's dead and staring eyes.

Lee stepped inside Kazuya's apartment, slowly closing the door behind him, listening warily as it clicked ominously into place. Lee was used to stealth – becoming a part of the darkness, the night. Nothing could be heard throughout the house. It was completely in silence.

He had been in this apartment before. Kazuya had rarely made use of the various places he owned, and so Lee had stolen the keys at liberty and taken his many girlfriends up to them for the night. As such, he had no difficulty in finding his way through the apartment to the familiar bedroom. It was just a matter of keeping as quiet as he could.

He finally reached the room he had been looking for. Opening the door with measured movements, he stepped inside. From his position against the door, he could make out the outline of Jun on the double bed, lying stretched out on her back. the regular sound of her breathing was the only noise that permeated the dark silence of the room. From this, Lee could quickly surmise that she was asleep.

He moved forwards, round the edge of the bed, to the side she was sleeping on. For a moment, he paused. From here, he could see her more clearly; her face, innocent and vulnerable in sleep. He remembered waking up beside her that night, of seeing the same look on her dreaming face. He grimaced. All this time and he still felt the same way about her.

Reaching out a hand, he shook her gently on the shoulder. She stirred, a name forming on her lips.

"Kazuya…?" she murmured, her eyes slowly opening.

In the darkness of the room she could not immediately discern the face of the person who had woken her. All Jun knew was that it was not Kazuya. The scream formed involuntarily in her throat, but before she could let it out the stranger had clamped a hand over her mouth. Jun struggled, her heart beating savagely. Her first thought was that this was someone sent to murder her. Her legs flailed away, but the size of her stomach prevented her from lifting them high enough. Her hands were her only option now, but before she could use them she heard the familiar voice of her supposed aggressor.

"Shhh, Jun, it's me! It's me, Lee!"

She stopped, and with her eyes now focused, she saw that it really was Lee who was sitting on the bed beside her. When he saw that she had calmed, he removed his hand and let her breathe freely.

"Lee!" she exclaimed in a half-whisper after she had caught her breath. "My God, you scared the living daylights out of me!"

"I'm sorry," he said, sitting back. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine," she nodded, then looked about her. "How come you're here? Where's Kazuya?"

Lee looked away from her, his tone quiet.

"Jun… Kazuya's dead."

For a second Jun could not believe it. She wanted to laugh in his face, call him a liar. But then, seeing the seriousness of his expression, the instinct fell from her, and a cold fear touched her heart.

"Kazuya…" she half whispered. "Dead…?"

Lee nodded slowly, knowing the pain he was causing her. "Yes, it's true. Heihachi killed him, just this very night. I didn't even belief it myself until he showed me."

Jun could not bring herself to say a thing. Her hopes, her dreams, her love, her very own being – suddenly it all seemed to fall away from her, lost and futile. With a low cry of anguish she dropped her head into her hands and wept. Then, suddenly remembering that Lee was beside her, she raised her head and wiped shakily at her eyes.

"So…Heihachi killed him." She laughed weakly. "We both knew it would happen some time." She looked up at the silent face of Lee. "But why are you here? Just to tell me this?"

Lee grimaced. "Heihachi told me to kill you," he replied, then, seeing the fear on Jun's face, he spoke again quickly. "Don't worry, Jun. I won't hurt you."

"Why?" she inquired, her tone questioning.

"Do you think I could?" he returned, standing up and facing the window, observing the twinkling city outside. "Do you think I could hurt you Jun?"

She noted the softer note to his voice and shook her head, even though he couldn't see the action.

"No," she answered shortly. "I don't think you could."

"I never did tell you how I felt," he said, still not looking at her. "Well, I did, but you didn't understand me."

"I think I understand now," she murmured.

"Do you?" he returned, swinging round to face her again. "The only person you felt anything for was Kazuya. When he confused you, when you weren't sure where this game would lead you – even then your feelings for him were there. What was I supposed to do? What could I do?"

"You did what you felt was right," she ventured, hoping to comfort him.

"What I felt was right," he repeated with a tone of irony. "And what do you suppose I think is 'right' now?"

"That to kill me and my child is wrong."

He nodded. "Heihachi wishes to destroy all that is left of Kazuya. Apparently the Devil will want to reclaim the soul of Kazuya's child. All he wishes to do is be rid of his rival for power – the Devil. His intentions are purely selfish."

"I can protect our child from the Devil," Jun assured him softly. "As long as I am the vessel for the Angel, I will be able to keep the Devil at bay."

"I realise that," Lee replied, leaning towards her again on the bed. "Listen carefully to me, Jun. I'm not going to try to make a right by doing a wrong. Killing you and the child would solve nothing. There must be some other way of destroying the Devil. Jun, you've already defeated the Devil once. That's something I've never seen anyone who had that power before. What's to stop you from using that power again?" He paused, his tone became quieter. "But Jun, Heihachi won't be so understanding. If he sees you he'll kill you. You've got to get away from here, Jun. It's not safe."

"But what if he finds me again?" she whispered back urgently.

"Heihachi trusts me, he'll believe me when I say I've killed you. I'll tell him I disposed of your body. He won't think to look for you."

She looked up at him, eyes wide. "Lee…"

He smiled wanly at her. "No – there's no need to thank me, Jun. I couldn't have done anything else but this." He stood up as if to go, but before he could reach the door she stopped him.

"Lee, wait."

He halted and turned back to her. "What?"

"Lee," she began carefully, "come with me. I need you. Come with me."

"You know I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Heihachi would know you were still alive. He'd chase us to the ends of the earth."

"Then why not break away from the Mishima?" she persisted earnestly. "Why not turn your back on Heihachi?"

"Jun, the Mishima is my life."

"I know, but…"

"Jun, you don't need me. You don't want me. You need someone who is strong, like Kazuya. I couldn't be that someone."

"You are strong," she tried to reassure him, but he shook his head.

"No, Jun, I am weak. I am weak because I am not strong enough to turn my back on what I hate the most. The Mishima." He stopped as if to reflect on the word. "But I am bound to them. I am bound to them in blood, by their blood – blood that has stained my own fists." Jun stared at him, confused at his uncharacteristically cryptic words. He gave her a side-glance and continued: "There's no sense in saving me, Jun. I know you want to make me remember the way it was before Heihachi adopted me into his way of life. But I can't break away. Perhaps I'm too afraid." He smiled in self-mockery. "Try not to think less of me for that. I can't do much good round here. This is the only bit of good I can do, so I'll do it unreservedly."

He turned again, his hand on the doorknob. Jun stared up at him in dismay, knowing that she would not see him again. With a sudden surge of regret, she jumped out of bed and crossed the room towards him.

"Lee…"

He looked down at her, aware of his closeness to her. He reached out of her, hungry for what he wanted, unable to think of anything else. His hand touched her waist and he felt the subtle thickening of her middle. The desire in his face fell, and he dropped his hand quickly.

"You know I want nothing more than to be with you," he said intensely. "But you know I can't do it."

She lowered her head, understanding his words.

"Lee…"

He placed a finger on her lips.

"Jun, you must leave quickly, before Heihachi comes back." He opened the door, crossed the threshold. "Goodbye, Jun. Take care of yourself. And the child."

With those parting words, he swivelled round and left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

-oOo-

Next: Epilogue!