A Swing and a Hit

"Jess, what are you doing?"

"Finding my blind spot," the brunette remarked as she slowly moved her out stretched hand in front of her face. "It says here that you can find your blind spot in your eye site that way. Try it."

Lupin sat down next to the transfixed girl and began imitating her movements.

"Like this?" he asked as he began waving his hand in front of his face.

"Less like an electrocuted baboon. Keep your eyes looking straight ahead and move your hand across your line of vision. When you can't see your hand that's your blind spot." Jess looked across the room and noticed the man in the corner attempting the same action, but very discretely. "Goemon, you just need to go for it. Sometimes it's good to look silly."

The samurai complied and put his hand straight out. "If it is true what you say, this could be to my advantage."

"Jess, I don't see it," Lupin cut in.

"Again, I said less like an electrocuted baboon." Jess leaned over to try and help and noticed the man on the couch trying the new means of entertainment as well. "Jigen, you would probably do better if you didn't have your hat blocking your line of vision.

"If I can see fine enough to shoot, I can friggin' see well enough to watch my own hand."

The sight of the four people waving their hands in front of their faces was certainly comical enough for any sitcom. The fact that Fujiko walked in right as they were all doing it was just the icing on the cake.

"What the hell are you all doing?"

"Blind…spot," answered Goemon as he continued to move his hand in front of his steady gaze.

"You all have gone insane! Lupin, I thought you asked me to come to hear your new plan, not watch you all make fools out of yourself."

"Right," Lupin said as he put his hand down. "I'll figure that blind spot thing out yet…Anyways; I have a new plan that entails two of my favorite things: beautiful jewels and beautiful women."

"This wouldn't have to do with today's front page in the newspaper would it?" enquired the gunman.

"You hit it right on the bull's eye!"

"When have I ever missed?" he added with a grin.

"True enough. As the front page indicates, a Mr. Narcus has taken it upon himself to showcase his great collection of rare jewels. The prize of the collection is the Helios Diamond, named such for its sun-like glow. While the invitations were only mailed to a select group, getting them wasn't the problem. You see, like myself, Mr. Narcus has an affinity for beautiful women and the only way anyone can enter is by bringing a beautiful girl. This is why I have asked Fujiko to come as my date of course, but I need to enlist the help of another young lady…"

Until then Jess had been quiet and rather amused at hearing something was about to happen, but seeing as she was the only other girl in that room the following response was elicited from her, "Wait a second…"

"You heard right, my sarcastic friend, I need you to be there so that I can get Jigen in as well. Goemon elected to sit this one out anyways, but you'll be…"

"I'm sorry," Jess cut in, "but you really must be insane if you think I have the uh…assets to get into such an event."

"I think you have assets enough judging from your prom pictures this year." Lupin pulled out an envelope full of pictures from a month ago when the baffled brunette had gone to her senior prom. "Holy crap, look at that! Your mother let you get out of the house looking that good?"

As the other two men listening began peeking over at the pictures in a discrete fashion, Jess began blushing immensely. She never believed herself to be pretty, just normal, she always thought. People kept telling her that she was, but she always wished they would stop. There only one time in her life she wanted to be considered so by someone, but those days were over.

"Fine, just put those away. I really don't want to know how you got them." Her mood had changed and Lupin was feeling a bit uneasy now about using the pictures as a means of convincing.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Don't say it," she interjected. Sorrys never sat well with her. They made her feel guiltier than the person saying them. "I'll do it and all, but I don't even have a dress or shoes or…"

"Not a problem! Fujiko here will go shopping with you for all of that."

"What?" Fujiko cut in, "Lupin, we never discussed this."

"Yea, and we don't need Jess coming back looking like a whore," the gunman added.

"I think she dresses fine," Jess added with a sharp glance at Jigen, "if you got it, damn it, flaunt it." While Jess made fun of people all the time, it was a rule to never do it with malice and in public. She immediately felt bad about saying it in front of everyone as he tilted his hat, crossed his arms, and turned away.

"Oh, I like this idea already," Fujiko exclaimed. To see her tormentor a bit shaken at having been reprimanded by the girl he had taken a liking to was a plus; Fujiko saw in herself a great ally with the fellow brunette. "I'll take her right now since it is still early."

"Don't be mad," Jess whispered as she leaned over to the now sulking man in black. "I say a lot of mean things too; just no one calls me out on it. Also," she added looking around to see if anyone could hear, "I think she dresses a bit whorey as well, so I'll keep on my guard about the stuff she picks out." With a pat on his back and smirk she was whisked away.

"Jigen, we better be off as well to scout the place out. Hey, are you listening to me? Let's go."

"Huh?" He shook himself out of his girl inflicted confusion and responded with a simple, "Right, let's jet."

When the two men returned they came to find only one of the three people they expected to see.

"Hey Fujiko, where's the other two?" Lupin inquired.

"Goemon is doing his meditating thing on the roof again and Jess went out for a walk or something," she replied calmly as she filed her nails.

"What?" Jigen interjected, "you let her out this late? It's friggin' midnight!"

"And she's a friggin' adult, she can do as she pleases," Fujiko interjected as she look for his response. "Anyways," she added nonchalantly, "she said she would stay on the north side near the market where it's well lit."

"Oh, well that makes ALL the difference. I'll be back." And with that he turned on his heels and went right back out the door he had just come in minutes before. When he left Lupin sauntered over to the self pleased girl on the couch.

"You told Jess to go out just to get a rise out of him, didn't you?"

"Actually no, that was just an added bonus. She tries to go out almost every night for a walk, but Goemon always talks her out of it. Seeing as her councilor is M.I.A., though, she left."

"Well, you know if she doesn't show up Jigen will kill you."

"Yea, well, I have a feeling that she would have just left eventually…something restless about her."

Down the street quite a distance from the relaxed woman in the hotel, an angry mumbling man walked briskly towards the north end of town.

"I can't believe Fujiko just let her out like that. So what if she is an adult? Doesn't mean it's not dumb to go out like this. Jess thinks she's so independent, but then shit always happens to her, I can't…" his rambling was cut short when he saw the figure of a woman about 50 yards away from him. She was taking long strides and her head was down. There was a sort of purpose driven swagger to her step; it was Jess.

"You're a heartbreaker, dream maker, love taker don't you mess around with me…" Jess hummed to herself. She had finally gotten away to do what she enjoyed most – escaping at night. Although it seemed a little redundant now that she had escaped the country altogether, it was still a habit that needed to be satiated. "You're the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasy…" but her little recital was stopped as she sensed someone behind her. "Shit."

The now tense and slightly scared brunette went into her fight or flight response. Needless to say she rarely if ever elected to flee. Down the nearest ally she went, waiting right by the corner. The footsteps got closer and almost sounded like they were running. Jess picked up a trash can lid and at the first sight of her stalker she swung.

"Take that you bastard; I swear I'll kill…oh my God, Jigen."

"God damn, Jess, what is wrong with you?" Formerly knocked flat on his back, now sitting up, the gunman put hand to his head. Aside from the massive throbbing that ensued, there was a cut that was bleeding pretty significantly. He tried to stand up but more so wobbled to and fro till he found a building to lean against.

"I…I thought you were well, bad people. I'm sorry, please let me see where I hit you," she remarked softly as she moved towards him.

"Hey, I think you've done enough damage, Babe Ruth."

"No, really, you could have a concussion; you're certainly walking like it. Also, I see myself as more of a Sammy Sosa." With a slight grin she took his arm and put it around her shoulders. "Now it just looks like I'm walking a drunk home."

When the two got back to the hotel, they were met by a very shocked crowd. Jess explained as she walked in that she smacked him in the head and that he could have a concussion, but for now all details would have to wait.

"Sit," Jess commanded as she eased him on to the couch, "and don't move. Lupin, do me a favor and grab my small black bag. Fujiko, can you get me a bowl of warm water? Thanks. Now you," Jess exclaimed turning to her patient, "the hat has gotta come off if I am going to see what I'm doing." With that she took a chair and sat directly in front of him.

"I wonder if she is this demanding in the sack…" Lupin whispered to Fujiko as they went to retrieve their assigned objects.

With all her things, Jess went into her comfort zone of take charge. Lupin as well was feeling good with his decision to bring her along as he watched her work methodically in cleaning and dressing the cut, even if she was the one who inflicted it. Jigen for his part was rather in a daze, but was conscious enough to feel a bit uncomfortable with Jess' face so close to his own.

"OK, he's all done, well sorta. He's not allowed to sleep for six hours now just incase there is bleeding on the brain."

The three faces in front of her made the same grossed out response with a communal, "ewwww."

"Well, if it's all the same to trashcan lid to the face here and you Jess, we're off to bed," Lupin indicated with a yawn. "Try not to kill Jigen in future walks; he's handy to have around." When Lupin and Fujiko left, Jess flopped herself in a chair across the room from the eerily silent victim of her deadly swing.

"Please don't be angry with me."

"Why did you go for a walk at friggin' midnight?" he finally exclaimed after an awkward silence.

"I enjoy leaving at night," Jess answered carefully as she looked away, "I'm sorry about hitting you, really I am, but you snuck up on me and you and you alone know about my skittish feelings on that. You shouldn't have come after me, I would have been fine."

"You don't know that. You think of yourself as so damn independent, but you get yourself in trouble because of it all the time."

"Don't yell at me." There was that look. Her dad had deemed it the quiet murder. "What made you come after me anyways? I didn't ask for help. You elect yourself to my protector or something, but you shouldn't, you just shouldn't. I'm bad news."

"Well, you certainly are friggin' bad news; I'm not going to lie. In fact, I have a bump on my head that would definitely have to agree." That was meant to make her laugh, but she just kept her head turned away. She really was the only person he couldn't read. "Hey, I'm not mad if that is what you want."

"Grood," she said finally facing him.

"Grood?"

"It's great and good put together. Sorry, it was a retarded thing Kim and I used to say just to be weird. It got so bad that we were saying it in normal conversation though. Again, I'm bad news…hahaha" There was the laughing he was looking for. "But really, just don't worry about me."

"Why wouldn't I worry about you walking around a strange town at midnight?"

"But how long would you worry?"

"I guess that's up to you."

"Watch out, your feelings are showing."

"I guess the blow to the head made an exhibitionist out of me."

She smiled; the rest of the night would be fine. Jess stayed up all night with her patient, but began waning in the final hour. Falling just short of the 6 hours, the brunette lay completely knocked out on the couch.

"Some doctor you'll be, your bed side manner is terrible," he whispered as he poked her to wake up. "Come on then Sammy Sosa, we both need sleep."

"Oh, sorry," Jess mumbled as she sat up. The drowsiness was heavy on her eyes as she looked up and added, "Jigen, I say a lot of things I don't mean. Thank you for coming for me."

"Yea, yea, that's just the lack of sleep talking," he exclaimed with a smirk as he put out his hand to help her up.

Leaning against his shoulder from pure exhaustion, the young lady whispered, "You know, I was right, we really are the most awkward people in the world."

"At least we're something…" he thought.