Cat-chan: I'm so happy! Two chapters posted in one night! What an accomplishment!
Tsuzuki: Good job, Cat-chan! How long will the story be?
Cat-chan: Shhh! It's a secret, I'm not telling.
Puppy Tsuzuki: Mou.
Hisoka: Baka, it's obvious that it will be a long story if she hasn't even revealed the evil scheme.
Tsuzuki: Well of course you would know what happens 'Soka! You're with her when she writes it!
Hisoka: Aa, but only in spirit.
Cat-chan: Too bad he can't be there physically... Well, onward!

Chapter 8: Angel where art thou?

"Ohayo tenshi-sama." she said timidly, tilting her head against the pillow. Short, choppy strands of light brown hair falling about her head like a halo.

"Wh-what? Me? An angel?" Tsuzuki blinked stupidly at her, he had been called an angel only once before and that didn't really count since it was himself in one of the Earl's books.(1) "No-o, I think you have me mistaken. I'm no angel."

"Oh, really?" she pouted slightly, "That's too bad. But thank you for saving me anyway. It means a lot to me, aniki-sama."

He smiled at her behavior, relieved slightly that she was so open with him. Awake for a few minutes and already having a conversation with him. "You're welcome, but you don't have to give me a title or anything. You can just call me Tsuzuki."

"Tsuzuki?" she blinked up at him, then grinned, "Is it okay if I call you Tsu-chan?"

"Sure, go ahead. Whatever you're comfortable with." Tsuzuki replied, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

The child didn't try to sit up, as if she were well aware that she didn't have the energy yet to do that, "Okay, Tsu-chan! Oh! And I'm Itsuki Setsuko, pleased to meet you. Thank you again for saving me and taking me to your house."

"Hnn? This isn't my house," he remarked thrown off because of this, "This is the infirmary."

"Infirmary? What's that?"

"It's like a hospital." the violet-eyed man clarified.

The playfulness that had shone in her eyes vanished at the mention of hospitals, "Oh… so he's here then, right? The doctor?"

"Well, if you mean Watari, then yes. Oh, but you haven't met him yet. Hang on for a sec, Setsuko-chan, I'm supposed to tell the others when you woke up. I'll be right back." He rose, then started for the door, aware of the eyes that remained on him.

Her voice sounded small and out of place, "You won't leave me here long, will you?"

"Nope, like I said, I'll be right back." Tsuzuki was amused and saddened by her worry of him leaving and not coming back. She's like Hisoka in some ways… but definitely not like I'd imagined. "Hey, Watari? She's awake."

"Oh good!" the bubbly scientist bounded into the room where she lay, 003 following right behind, "Ohayo! It's good to see that you're awake! Let me just look you over, okay chibi? I need to recheck you're health."

The sudden appearance of Watari startled her, yet she complied and let the man look her over after gentle reassurance from Tsuzuki. It was surprising how much she trusted him already, but it might've been just because Tsuzuki had this kind aura about him or that she remembered him saving her.

"Where did the pretty bird go?" she asked as Watari checked her heart rate, "The one on fire?"

Tsuzuki smiled, "Suzaku? She went back to GenSouKai."

"Where's that?"

"Oh, it's far away from here. But she comes when she's called, as do my other shikigamis." he informed her, feeling smart. "Suzaku is a shikigami, the phoenix goddess of fire."

Setsuko's eyes shimmered with awe, "Wow! She must be really strong. And you must be too if she belongs to you. Are you a sorcerer?"

Funny how we're supposed to be asking her the questions, but she's doing all the interrogating. He chuckled to himself, "No, not exactly. You see, Watari here and I are shinigami, guardians of death. This here is Meifu, land of the dead."

She gasped, "So, I'm dead?"

"No, no, you're not dead. Far from it, chibi-chan." Watari smirked, finishing up his check up on her, "We, however, are dead. We brought you here for your own safety. Also, so you could recover."

"How long was I sleeping for?" she asked, sitting up now, propped up by a pillow.

The scientist pondered for a moment, "Quite some time, about thirteen hours or so? Fourteen? Something around there."

She nodded her understanding, then began looking around the room, as if searching for someone, "Anou, where's that boy? The one with the green eyes?" She looked back to Tsuzuki and Watari, "Is he a shinigami too?"

"That was 'Soka-chan! He's my partner. I'm not sure where he disappeared to, but he's bound to show up sooner or later! He always does!" Tsuzuki beamed, then patted the girl on the head. She stared at him for a minute or so, taking in the reaction he had to mentioning the boy, then she smiled in return.

"You must really like him," she stated innocently.

The eruption of laughter that issued from Watari called to Tatsumi's attention. The secretary entered the infirmary to be met with the sight of a confused girl, a hysterical Watari, and a stunned, blushing Tsuzuki. The child frowned and started apologizing profusely, thinking she upset him or something of the like.

"I didn't know, gomen! Gomen nasai! I didn't know that you didn't like him." she pleaded, shaking Tsuzuki out of his reverie.

Watari patted her on the head, "No, no chibi, it's okay! Tsu here really likes bon, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. He just needs to sort out his feelings."

"Watari…" Tsuzuki warned, scowling at the scientist who backed away.

"Oi, sorry Tsuzuki. Didn't know you were so touchy on that subject!" he held his hands up in defense, "I thought you had both progressed in that area of forming relationships! You do sleep together sometimes, ne? You necrophiliac, you!"(2)

"Nani?" Setsuko blinked in confusion, but Watari dismissed it with a wave of his hand. There was a look on his face that read: 'You're too young to know that'.

The playful wink he gave the man slightly enraged Tsuzuki, the comment clearly embarrassing him, "You're lucky Hisoka wasn't in here when you said that."

"Said what?"

Tsuzuki gave a small 'eep!' and hid behind Setsuko, looking extremely frightened at the appearance of his partner. Watari proceeded to hide behind Tatsumi who looked amused by the situation. Tilting her head slightly, Setsuko turned her mocha gaze on the new intruder. Hisoka was sending Tsuzuki a suspicious glare from his position in the doorway. His emerald eyes reflecting little emotion other than that.

"Here, baka, I brought you your apple pie. And stop hiding behind her, it's pathetic." he rolled his eyes at the actions of Tsuzuki, yet handed the bag he had in his hand over to him anyway.

Setsuko blinked up at him, "Ah, you must be 'Soka-chan! Thank you for saving me. It was very kind."

Hisoka frowned at the pet name Tsuzuki had given him, "Which of those two was it that called me that?"

"Uh, Tsu-chan did. Why?" she asked, watching him cross the room and stop right in front of Tsuzuki, who was now whimpering. Hisoka then hit him upside the head. Hard. She gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth.

"Hidooooiii!" the man cried out, "I was only kidding, 'Soka! You didn't need to hit me!"

"Yes I did. Now you don't get your pie." he stated simply, looking at his partner with indifference.

Tsuzuki was in immediate crying puppy mode, "Nooooo! 'Soka, please give me my pie! Pweeeeaaaassssee?"

Hisoka sighed and glared at the puppy, but tossed the bag at him anyway. Tsuzuki leapt up happily and began to devour his treat, nonexistent tail wagging furiously. Watari breathed out a sigh of relief, that it had not come down to violence and then resumed to check on the confused child. Tatsumi pushed his glasses up his nose before sending the boy a look that made him stiff and tense. Setsuko was extremely puzzled and her mind formed a lot of questions that required answering.

Tatsumi could see this and offered the answers, "Ah, Itsuki-chan was it?" she nodded, "Well, I am Tatsumi Seiichiro, the secretary here at Shokan division. This here is Watari Yutaka, the scientist and medical assistance. You've already met Tsuzuki, and I see you recognize Kurosaki-kun. Well, you're probably wondering why you're here. Is that correct?" Another nod. "You were taken her as an act of protection, also because we were unaware as to where and whom you lived with. Do you know who we're trying to keep you from?"

"H-hai…" she replied hesitantly, "Doctor Muraki… right?"

"That's right. We know that he is after you, but we don't really know why. Do you think you could fill us in on your relationship with the doctor?" the secretary inquired.

Setsuko contemplated this, worry and uncertainty dancing on her face. "Uhh… hai. Doctor Muraki, he- well, he was my doctor when I was really little. I got sick a lot… so my parents called for a doctor and he came. They adored him," she laughed cynically, everyone save Hisoka cringed at the sound, "But I knew… I knew that hidden behind that angelic appearance was the soul of the devil… He hurt me, I-I'm not sure how… but he'd make me sicker. He toyed with me constantly. I hated it. When he finally left… I was so relieved, even if he had managed to convince my parents that I was a monster… I didn't care as long as he was gone…

"He came back, not too long ago. When Kaa-san asked where he had been, he said he was on a cruise ship, the Queen Camellia? Anyway, it was then that he… he… I'm not sure what he did, but it changed me. My parents hated me. They hurt me. He made that happen. Something… he put something inside me…a-a curse or disease…" her voice cracked, bordering on despair and anger. "He said I'd never escape. So I'd run away a lot, even more so when he blamed me for the deaths of all those people…" a silent tear slid down her cheek, "I-I didn't mean too-! But they all, they all s-said that I killed them! I…I didn't… you have to believe me… I didn't want any of this to happen…"

The child started trembling, hugging her knees to her chest and letting tears run down her face as she took shaky breaths to calm herself. Tsuzuki looked on sadly, setting down his pie so he could wrap an arm around her. She welcomed the embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her eyes were frightened as she observed the others standing around her, but her gaze fell distinctly on Hisoka. There was little emotion on his face, but the few traces that managed to seep past his shields were of sympathy, understanding, and anger.

"It's okay, 'Suko-chan," Tsuzuki comforted, giving her a reassuring smile, "You didn't do anything wrong. No need to cry, okay?"

"Okay…"

The man gave her a pat on the head, the positioned himself so that he was sitting on the edge of her bed. He offered her some of his pie, which she gladly took a bite of. Tatsumi could see that it would be too much strain on the girl to inquire about her curse, so he let her be for now, already impressed with her willingness to trust them. Watari hopped about and debated with Tatsumi on what to do with her.

"I mean, it's not like we can send her back to Earth and all… not with old silver and crazy down their trying to get his hands on her." Watari pointed out as he and the secretary made way for the offices to discuss this with Konoe. "And something tells me her parents wouldn't be too much help either."

Tatsumi nodded, "Hai, I think the best solution will be to keep her here for now. We'll ask kachou his opinion of the situation. For now, we'll just see what this will do to Tsuzuki-san and Kurosaki-kun, it may help them recover from the Kyoto episode. This Itsuki-chan could do them some good."

"We'll see." the scientist laughed, continuing on with his friend.

TBC...

Notes:
1. A memory he has of book five when he meets the girl who's supposed to be him in the Earl's book world.
2. Necrophiliac: Someone who sleeps(sexually) with dead people Since Hisoka and Tsuzuki were dead I thought it was pretty funny that this could apply to them should they do something like that. Couldn't resist adding that.

Sorry if Setsuko comes off as a Mary-Sue, I wanted to make her seem like a regular nine-year-old which is proving to be a bit difficult. But 'Suko is needed in the story later on, or else the big plan I have in store wouldn't be able to happen! And that would just suck now wouldn't it? Well, R&R please! Ja ne for now!