Bounty Identified and Classified
This is the second last chapter. I would have updated sooner but I have already explained why I couldn't. I am taking a huge risk typing now but if I GET SOME NICE REVIEWS IT WILL B WORTH IT. So here we go. Okay so enjoy the new chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.
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It was three weeks after that morning when Ryou had unexpectedly dropped n on Ichigo and since then things had changed for the good and the bad.
Ichigo collapsed on her couch frustrated and exhausted. She had been unable to break that date; she had even phoned but slammed down the receiver before she could go through with it. Despite what her mind and commonsense had said, her hearty had won out in the end. They had gone out for a spectacular dinner and then went on to an ice-skating rink where they had both admitted to one another that they were expert skaters. Ichigo having been a champion while in school and Ryou always having found it soothing had taken it up as a pass time before he had taken over the family business. When Ichigo and Ryou had eventually finished skating and Ichigo had stayed longer than she had originally intended, the date came to an end because Of Ichigos previous engagement. Ryou had offered her a lift home and she had accepted. Once he had dropped her at her door of the apartment, had kissed her hastily good night and left Ichigo had set out on her engagement.
Ichigos cat had thought a whirlwind had entered the building when Ichigo had entered her apartment. She had hastily changed into her Feline outfit, retrieved her bag and tools from their hiding place. Once this was all done she was ready and she left the building through an unconventional route, the window. This was what she liked about this apartment. It was respected area but it wasn't close to any main roads. Seeing that his mistress had left the building the cat closed his eyes and resumed hi previous activity of napping on his favourite couch.
Ichigo snuck in through an open twelfth floor window. 'They should really be more careful.' She thought as she entered the office. She had decided to proceed with her next job sooner than originally planned. Thus breaking the profile pattern that Ryou had figured out. She had been meaning to rob this place for sometime and had just needed the right motivation to actually do it. She prowled quietly through the building. using the shadows to hide herself and moving with the trained gracefulness of a cat. Later on the camera tapes that she had decided to leave so as to break her profile even more, she was barely visible. She had then been about to enter the CEO's office when she had seen that the building was not deserted as she had originally thought. The CEO was there working late. She groaned on her mind, this would complicate things a bit more than she had expected but it would not make the job impossible, after all she had done it while Ryou Shirogane was in the room there was no reason why she couldn't do it now.
Quietly she moved around the room to the safe, using the shadows and silent catlike movements to get there. Once she had reached the safe she broke the combination, this being a fairly common safe although hi tech and place the jewellery collection she was after I her bag and placing a silent kitty bell in its place. She was making her way back to wards the office exit when the CEO's phone rang and he looked up. There he saw her almost at the door. He shouted in fright and then realising he was being robbed he made as if to try catch her. Realising that she would have to make a break for it she ran and dived out the same window through which she had came. Later while she looked at he prizes she cursed the telephone for ringing, how inconvenient. Placing her feline things back in place she had then showered away the fun, excitement, worry, fear and exhaustion away. She had then changed into her pyjamas and gone to bed. Jewel being the faithful cat that he was then snuggled up to his mistress and slept besides her.
Ryou cursed as he slammed the phone down, Keichierro looked at him enquiringly from where he was reading a book. Ryou had been on the phone with the person he had figured out would be the next target. Grant industries were a jewel supplier, trader, importer, exporter and designer. It had been their file that Feline had looked at and now Ryou had found out that he had been to late in warning them to take precautions. The CEO had answered the phone sounding out of breath ad when Ryou had asked if he was okay, the enraged and shocked CEO had explained that he had just been robbed while he was sitting in the room working and that he had seen the thief exiting the seen only because the phone had rung. WJEN Ryou had asked the CEO to check his safe he had been told that a valuable stone collection had been replaced by a kitty bell. FELINE. But why? She never did a job so soon after the other. He had then told the CEO to call the police and said that he would be right there himself. After all this was his bounty and it was one of his Safes that she had just robbed. True it was an older model but it was still insulting that she had managed to break it, again. Especially since he had just figured out a way to catch her.
Early the next morning her doorbell waked Ichigo up early. Slightly disorientated she went to the door. In came a really tired Ryou. He looked like he hadn't slept in ages. It was hard to believe that it was the same man from the evening before. When she had sprung into action, she had offered hi coffee bid hi to sit in the lounge while she changed. She had entered her lounge minutes later to find him fast asleep on her couch. She had covered him with a blanket and went to the kitchen to feed Jewel and then start breakfast for the two of them as she did this she mused wit amusement that this was becoming a habit. Two hours later Ichigo entered the lounge again to find jewel sleeping on Ryous chest, his tail moving from side to side and tickling Ryous nose. Laughing silently she took a picture of them before she removed Jewel to his couch. Honestly she had never seen her cat take such a liking to anyone beside herself.
Minutes later Ryou woke up and was slightly bemused to where he was. This wasn't his furniture, or his house or his cat. Then he remembered. He had been on scene all night and when he had left, by simple instinct had come here. Ichigos APARTMENT. He realised that this place felt more like home to him than any other place ever had. He was thinking of Ichigo when she entered the room carrying a breakfast tray.
Seeing that Ryou was now awake, Ichigo almost dropped the tray, but he had moved to her and taken it from his hands. He had hen apologised for intruding on her once again. She had replied that she didn't mind and then they had chatted over breakfast of Egg, bacon and muffins.
Once they were finished and they had both done the dishes they returned to the lounge ad Ichigo INQUIRWE AS TO WHY HE HABEEN EXHAUSTED. Feeling that he owed her at least some sort of explanation, Ryou explained that Feline had struck again and that he had been up all night trying to find some sort of clue or evidence. Ichigo had made the right sympathetic comments and encouraged hi in his work at tying to capture the Feline. And the funny thing she realised t was that she was genuinely encouraging him and it was her that he was trying to capture. She realised that she was starting to care more about him than herself. A bad thing to happen to a thief.
When Ryou eventually left Ichigo was left bereft and yet happy. She was upset that she was causing him some much stress and she was happy that he had come to her.
Ryou left feeling invigorated and enthusiastic. Somehow Ichigo seemed to just motivate him to do well and being in her company made him feel happier tan he had ever felt before. Reaching his car he stopped in his tracks. He loved her. He rally love her, she was the reason he had come there, and he loved her. Looking up to see her watching him from her window he resolved that as soon as this Feline case he would tell her how he felt.
That day Ryou worked out all the details I his plan to trap Feline and then he went over it in fine detail, smoothing out all the flaws. Once he done this he set it into motion.
Two weeks later and four dates later Ichigo and Ryou were having a candle-lit dinner at her pace. Ichigo had noticed that Ryou had seemed on edge all evening. Ichigo was just serving the desert when Ryou suddenly bid her to sit down. Once she had he got on one knee, "Ichigo I love you, I always will and I think I always have. I know we have but known each other for a short time but I feel like I have known you for a whole lifetime. Will You Ichigo Mommiya please marry me?"
Ichigo was stunned, had he just proposed? She was shell-shocked. Ryou Shirogane, the man she loved and wanted to live with had just proposed. She was just about to say yes when the reality of what she was about to do slammed into her. She was about to say yes to his proposal when she realised that she was about to say yes to the man who was after her and who would turn her in if he knew who she was.
Ryou was watching Ichigos a face and saw shock, joy and then another emotion that made him feel a sense of foreboding settle in his stomach. Ichigos eyes filled with tears, her voice sounded defeated when she said, "I'm sorry but I can't." For the first time ever Feline and Ichigo wanted to do different things. She then dropped his hands ad looked away.
Ryou felt like he had stabbed in the heart. She had refused him? Standing up he looked at her with sorrow filled eyes. Closing the ring box, he placed it on the table and said," I'm sorry you feel that way. I've suddenly lost my appetite. I'll show myself out." He ten left. Once she heard the door silently close Ichigo fell to the floor in tears, the only man she had or ever would love had just worked out of her life and most probably would never be back. Even Jewel was unable to comfort her in this deep sorrow. Ryou who had stopped o the other side of the door heard her tears but restrained himself from going back. He himself had his pride and his own broken heart.
For the next month Feline didn't strike once. Ryou worked non-stop and neither Ryou or Ichigo appeared on the social scene.
Eventually news hit the newspapers that Shirogane industries had developed a revolutionary amazing new Security System and they were installing it in their on building. Te article also told of rich clients placing their jewels in the safe. The article went on to tell how clients felt their valuables were far safer in the security headquarters, a no one would be mad enough to rob it, not even Feline.
When Ichigo saw this article she began her planning. She was going to prove them wrong unknowingly she had fallen onto a trap.
The article while true was also planted by Ryou. He had been working on the pan to capture Feline and he had now set it into action.
Using his knowledge of all her past exploits he had created the perfect plan. He knew she found new systems a challenge and the fact that this one was so hyped would tempt her even more. There were no real jewels in the safe. No He would be I the safe room and when she opened it, that is if she could that is, he would catch her red handed. And this time he would take her in.
A week later Ryou was standing in his hiding place as he had been doing ever since the article in the paper when her saw her enter through a window. He watched as with seemingly ease she cracked the safe, he felt like screaming, how did she do it? The ex-cons that he had in his employ to test the safes had found it impossible. He watched as she entered the safe and heard a gasp. His heart lurched, but why?
When Ichigo entered the safe she was shocked to see that only one thing was in the safe, a golden cat statue. It was beautiful, but she knew it belonged to Ryou. She had seen it at his house the one night she had had dinner there. She knew she couldn't take it. She couldn't take anything from her loved one. She backed out of the safe and closed it. Tears ran down hr face under the dark mask. Suddenly she was seized from behind.
Ryou waited quite sometime. What was she doing I there he wondered. There was only one item in there she should have been out by now. He was just about go see for himself when he saw her back out the safe. She was closing the safe, seeing his opportunity he came out of hiding and grabbed her, whoever she was, from behind. He then said, "Got ya!'
Ichigo was temporally still, it was him, Ryou, she would recognise his voice anywhere. What should she do? She didn't want to hurt him but she didn't want to go to jail either. Suddenly she turned I his arms and kissed him. Ryou not expecting this at first responded, this kiss was heaven and so familiar, yet challenged him to try and keep hold of her. His heart and buried feelings kicked in along with memories. His hold loosened and he broke the kiss. It couldn't be his mind screamed, further thought was stopped when she swept him off his feet and he landed on the floor. His hand held something, her mask he realised. Looking up he saw a stricken Ichigo with tears in her eyes at the window, turning to him, he heard her say in a hushed tone, "I'm sorry, Goodbye, Love." She then leapt out the window. Walking to window he saw her land in the park opposite the building and leave her parachute there. He saw her turn one last time to look at him and then she was gone.
He couldn't believe it, Ichigo the woman he loved, was FELINE. Feline and Ichigo were one and the same. Turning h saw that the safe was still open as he made to close it he saw that the golden cat was still where he had put it. Why?
Now three hours later Ryou sat in is office, still holding the mask of Feline and his beloved Ichigo I his hand and had to make the hardest choice of his life. Who was she really? Feline or Ichigo, the woman he had fallen in love with before he had even met her?
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Okay, I know cruel to stop there but if you want me to update you will have to review. I would also like to say that if I receive a burner I will burn you back with interest. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The last one will be up soon. I won't be writing stories during school term, but you can still read and review and send me any ideas that you would like me to write when I get the chance.