"Goemon, let go, you're friggin' hurting me!"

"It won't hurt if you don't fight! Now shut up! You always talk too damn much!"

Jigen managed to free one of his hands, grabbed Goemon by the back of the neck and threw him off onto the floor. The gunman then grabbed his fedora and stormed out of the room.

"...What… What in the hell did I just do?" Goemon muttered to himself. "Jigen, wait!"

"What were you thinking about when you did that?" Jigen shouted. Goemon saw that he now had a gun in his hand. "A guy screws you and you're suddenly looking at me? If you're some kind of a queer now, that's fine, but don't go trying to get my ass!"

"I… I'm not…" Goemon sputtered, shaking his head, "I just… I don't know what happened to me in there."

"I'm going to go get a drink," Jigen muttered darkly.

"Jigen, please don't leave," said Goemon quietly as the gunman placed his gun in his holster and then went for his jacket. "I don't like being alone anymore," he added in a low voice.

Jigen blinked a few times in surprise and walked back over to Goemon, and stood in front of the samurai with the same stunned expression. He didn't even seem like Goemon anymore. He wasn't the proud if not arrogant samurai warrior; he was just afraid now.

"I won't leave you," Jigen said, placing a hand on Goemon's shoulder. "I won't let those creeps get you, I promise. They'll have to go through me and Lupin before they get to you."

"Thank you," Goemon leaned against him, much to Jigen's shock. "It isn't easy for me to ask for help."

"I figured as much," Jigen answered with a heavy sigh. "Buddy, I don't know who you are right now, but I'll help you get Goemon back. Why don't you get some sleep, now? You're exhausted… We'll forget that this ever happened."

Goemon gave a gesture of agreement, and walked into the bedroom. Jigen sighed, muttered to himself and went into the minibar in search of the hardest liquor available. He was grateful that he had been able to get out of Goemon's grasp; it wasn't so much the thought of what would happen that had frightened him, it was Goemon's look of anger and his harsh words. He would have to start sleeping with a knife under his pillow, because, although he did not want to hurt his friend, it might come down to that grim reality.

The next evening:

'So… It's not a physical attraction so much, as much as a desire to attain the power which you yourself lost… Although maybe you feel more than you're willing to admit, that I don't know for sure,' Dorian explained as he took another swing at Goemon, the samurai ducking and then taking a shot at pinning Dorian, only to wind up with a sword butt in the ribs. 'You better be thankful your friend was so forgivin', Mate.'

'So, I do not like men now?' asked Goemon. This phrase was broken and could be taken several ways, but Dorian got the gist of what Goemon had to say.

'Dad, you here?' Goemon and Dorian stopped their battle and Goemon flushed as he watched a young Asian girl walk into the dojo, a backpack over her shoulder and a small smile on her face. She had a British accent, although more refined sounding than Dorian's, and wore light makeup along with a brown overcoat.

'I think you answered your own question,' Dorian said, looking over at Goemon. He was quick to add in a low voice, "Stay away from my daughter or I'll 'accidentally' cut off something of yours you hold dear…"

'This your friend?' asked the girl as she set down her backpack and walked over to her father, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek briefly.

'Yeh, this is him,' Dorian nodded in Goemon's general direction. 'Goemon, why don't you pack up, eh?'

"Hai," Goemon bowed lightly, and went to putting away their weapons.

'He's funny,' the girl giggled loudly enough for Goemon to hear and flush as he had before. 'He's from Japan, Dad?'

'Yes… I'm not exactly sure where, but I know it's rural, and it isn't Osaka… He doesn't have that blasted Osaka yokel accent. He isn't from Tokyo, either, that's for certain. He doesn't dress like a bloody woman and have his hair died four different colors.'

'What, an Osaka accent? Like Mum did? Heh, he looks like an Iga man. The lot of them are handsome…'

'Watch it. He's my pupil, and I don't want you trying anything funny, either, you hear? I know how much you like boys…'

'Dad, he ain't exactly a boy… He's a young man.'

'Regardless, he's my student and I won't stand for you doin' anything that isn't training related.'

'Ya didn't say what sort of trainin'…'

'Barbra, if you so much as—'

'I'm joking, Dad, I'm joking!' Barbra laughed and walked over to Goemon, and held out her hand. 'Pleasure to meet you, I'm Barbra, the daughter of the man who's been knocking you on the arse all of this time.'

'Good to meet you,' a preoccupied Goemon replied in a mutter, lifting up a bag of weapons and heading toward the car.

'So you're Mister Ishikawa, eh? You're a lot taller than I thought you'd be… Plus I thought you had longer hair…'

'I fix it,' Goemon replied.

'You mean you fixed it.'

'Good night, Miss Alexis.'

'I'll be damned, he said it properly…' Dorian said quietly to himself.

'Good night, Mister Ishikawa,' Barbra replied, and walked over to her father once more. Dorian frowned as he watched Goemon's eyes follow his daughter's legs, and he turned away from Ishikawa after shooting him a glare that warned him that he would receive extra difficult work tomorrow for that.

'Dad, I'm going to spend the night over at a friend's, but I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early,' Barbra kissed her father once more, and then was off.

Dorian took a step forward and gave Goemon the same stern glance, and then stormed out to the car.

The car ride was quiet as usual for the most part, until Dorian chose to break the silence, "….Barbra's a good girl…. I only wish she were really mine…."

"Hm?" Goemon opened one eye and looked toward Dorian; what did that mean and why was he telling him this?

"What happened to you…. Happened to my wife… Except she ended up with Barbra," said Dorian, clearing his throat and then changing lanes in the black nighttime road. "I think that's part of the reason she did what she did to herself… She loved Barbra, but every time she saw her, she saw him, too."

"Saw who?"

"Tomo Otomo…. Well, here's your stop. I wish you a pleasant night as always, Goemon. Just work on those bloody verbs…"

'Thank you, Dorian,' Goemon said as he exited the vehicle. Dorian took off driving, and looked in his rearview mirror, a small smile growing across his aged features.

"You can come out now, Mister Lupin… Your partner's gone; it's safe and I'm sure the floorboard's a bit grown uncomfortable for you after a bumpy ride like that," said Dorian reassuringly. On cue, Lupin rose and then seated himself out in the middle of the back seat, his arms spread out on the headrests of either seat next to him.

The thief smiled and lit a cigarette, "Well, Mr. Alexis, I'm glad we can finally talk one-on-one… Alexis isn't a British name, is it?"

"No, and Lupin isn't exactly a Japanese name, is it?"

"Touché… Enough about my nationality, though—Let's talk about yours. Your father was a Greek immigrant, who escaped when the Communists invaded."

"True… My goodness, you're quite good with your bookwork."

"I'm an even better cook. Your father was a Grecian dignitary who took a job as a sea merchant in Great Britain—I'm guessing that's where he also met your mother."

"You know my family almost as well as I do. I'm guessing, then, that you know."

"That your father was also sitting on a huge collection of gold coins and Tomo Otomo tried to kill your wife in order to get you to tell him where it was? Yeah, I know a little bit."

"I'm afraid I can't help you, there, Mister Lupin. I have no idea where my father hid his treasure."

"Mr. Alexis, I have no doubt in my mind that you're telling the truth. Your daughter wouldn't be on so much financial aid if you knew where to get a boatload of gold, I have the feeling…. She really seems to like Goemon."

"Yes, well, Goemon needs to keep a safe distance from her."

"I don't think he'll cross paths with you, Mr. Alexis. Even if Goemon does have pedophilic tendencies, i.e. Mursaki and Kikyo, he looks up to you like a father. That'd make Barbra his sister and that, well, would make this an even more screwed up situation than this already is."

"…Where shall I drop you off?"

"Here's fine. I haven't visited a good authentic British pub in ages."

"Have a good night, Mister Lupin…"

"…Have a good night, Mr. Alexis…

"A boatload…" Dorian muttered as he watched Lupin step into the British pub, ducking out of the way of several drunks in the process.

The following day:

'Where is your father?' Goemon inquired of Barbra. He had arrived via Jigen, and set his training gear aside and went to help Barbra with her books.

'Oh, he stepped outside for a fag,' Barbra answered. She chuckled at Goemon's confused expression and made the motion of someone smoking a cigarette. 'A fag…'

'Ah, I understand,' Goemon nodded.

'Ay, uh… Goemon,' Barbra nudged him, and the samurai briefly discontinued his work in order to see what Barbra needed. 'Are you busy Friday night?'

'Busy..?'

'Eh, working?'

'No.'

'Would you mind coming with me to this thing then? All of the other girls in school'll be wicked jealous of me!'

'Thing?'

'Yeah, a kore… A thing… An… Odori? Odoriwasu?... Umm…. Dansuu! Yeah, that's it, dansuu!'

"Dansuu?" Goemon blinked a few times and set his books aside; how was he to tell her he couldn't even dance?

'It's a party, actually, but I only know the Japanese word for dance,' Barbra chuckled and shrugged. 'I never really learned Japanese. Dansuu? Okay? Dansuu good?'

'Eh, okay,' Goemon nodded.

'Thanks!' Barbra squealed and embraced him tightly.

'What the bloody hell's going on in here?' Dorian snapped as he walked in on the two. He stormed over to Goemon and snatched the books that Ishikawa held in his hands, tossing them aside. 'Get to the gym, start pushups, and don't stop until you see my old, bitter, wrinkled face walk through those gym doors!'

"Hai," Goemon nodded, and made a quick exit.

'Dad, it was me, all right?' Barbra smiled upward at him and chuckled, 'You can't keep me safe forever, you know.'

'Hrm, I can die trying, though,' Dorian murmured.

'Dad!' Barbra laughed and embraced him.

'Young lady, I see trouble for me spelt all over your features.'

'Ha! You're so paranoid about everything!'

'With good reason.'

That night, the Lupin hotel room:

"And those are the basic verbs," Jigen rubbed his eyes and sat back against the headrest of the bed. "Goemon, what's up, Buddy?"

"Nothing," Goemon sighed and shut the book, and looked upward at Jigen. "I think I was invited to the prom."

"Ew, really?" Jigen shuddered at the remembrance of his own prom and looked over to Goemon sympathetically. "Have fun. Hopefully it'll be better than mine."

"What, didn't you have a date?"

"I got busted for some petty crap and I kinda got pulled in by the cops. Nothing serious, just some minor arson."

"I see…" Goemon looked downward at the books and then back at Jigen. "I have no idea about those sorts of things. I never even went to what you could call a real school."

"Well, I'll teach you, then," Jigen smiled and patted Goemon on the back.

"Huh? You'd do that for me?"

"Sure, I'd do anything for you or Lupin. You guys are my family," Jigen shrugged in response. There was a pause, and Goemon noted Jigen's hand upon his back. Jigen also took note of this and quickly moved it away.

"Hey, I'm gonna go step outside for a while," Jigen rose from the bed and slid his shoes on. "I could really use a good smoking session, but I'm all out. I'll be right back; I'm just going downstairs to a shop. Will you be okay on your own?"

"…Well, I…."

Jigen sighed and walked over to Goemon, and removed his gun from his holster, placing it in the samurai's hands. "If anyone comes and tries to attack you, just squeeze this part here, and hold onto it with both of your hands or you'll break most of the friggin' bones in your arms."

Goemon nodded, looked over the weapon and watched Jigen as he exited out of the hotel room. He heard the door open, and gripped onto Jigen's gun, taking cover behind a corner. He jumped in front of the unknown guest in the hotel room as he heard him draw close, gun pointed straight at the man.

Lupin gave a loud scream as he came face-to-face with the barrel, but both men calmed as they recognized one another. "What in the hell are you doing with Jigen's gun?" Lupin demanded.

"He… He gave it to me… For protection…" Goemon replied quietly.

"Oi… Where is Jigen, anyway?"

"He stepped out to go find some fags," Goemon answered.

Lupin blinked a few times, and asked in a quiet mutter, "He… He did what?"

"Lupin, it's nothing unusual for Jigen. He does it all of the time."

"He… He does? I've never seen him…"

"Well, it's not like he can do it in the middle of a heist," Goemon responded with a shrug, and turned away from the still-stunned Lupin.

"Well… That's true…"

The thief gave a jump when Jigen walked in, a cigarette hanging from his mouth and a few cartons in a brown paper bag. He set aside the bag and raised an eyebrow as he looked over Lupin's expression. "….What?"

"Is there anything you've never told me? I… I mean… Something you've always wanted to get off of your chest?"

"Yeah, I think you dress like shit," Jigen responded as he took another drag of the cigarette and removed his fedora.

"Did you find everything you needed?"

"Yeah—Great price, too. I love the exchange rate here… You'd be surprised at what you could find on any street corner. A lot of the really good stuff, really cheap."

Lupin put his hands on Jigen's shoulders and spoke in a serious tone, "No matter what, you'll always be Jigen to me, and you'll always be my best friend."

"Um…. Thank you….?"

"I love you like a brother, Jigen."

"…Where'd you score pot, anyway? You've acting funny, like you're high…. And trust me, one tour in the military and you'd be able to tell high from a mile away."

Lupin frowned with even more confusion, "All I've scored so far is a bottle of absinth. And you've only seen me like that once, and I only did it because I was too drunk to realize that it wasn't a hookah you were passing me."

"Whatever. Just don't go drinking the bong water; I don't want to relive that night, ever. You puked all over the carpet. Then you ran around claiming you were Cutey Honey."

"Hey, I never heard about that part," Lupin blinked a few times as Jigen relayed the part about Cutey Honey, but suddenly it made sense why he had awoken in one of Fujiko's miniskirts.

"Heh, Fujiko's got the pictures," said Jigen with a small smirk.

"What?" Lupin yelped. He knew that for this there would have to be revenge, and after a few moments' thought he had the perfect plan. "Hey, are you busy right now?"

"Yeah, I'm helping Goemon… I don't like going out anywhere, Lupin, he gets nervous without me," replied Jigen, lifting up his fedora. "Why do you ask?"

"I need you to meet with a contact of mine tonight," said Lupin with a smile.

"Oh, Christ, please tell me it's not a mob guy. I don't work with them anymore…"

"Nah, nah! It's a woman."

"Even worse," Jigen narrowed his eyes at this statement. "You know I don't like women."

"Yeah, I just wasn't sure to the extent," Lupin muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing… Just get going, I'll watch after Goemon. You're a good babysitter, but everyone needs to get out for a date or two every once in a while," Lupin shoved the address in Jigen's hand and then pushed him toward the door. "Just watch your ass, okay?"

"Yeah, I always do," Jigen removed another cigarette from his jacket pocket and glanced down at the address. He heard the door slam behind him and began to walk down the hallway to their car.

The address was a club, although Jigen wasn't sure exactly what kind it was. Until he got inside, that was. The numerous faces looked back at him, a little surprised to see a small Asian man who looked like he was from a mobster movie entering a predominantly black club. Jigen pulled his fedora over his eyes, and seated himself at the bar. There was reggae music playing in the background, and the club was smoky, with suspicious faces muttering amongst themselves.

'I need to speak to Roxanne,' Jigen said to the bartender.

'I was wondering what a little rice-eater like yourself was doing in here. I was just thinking you were brave, or stupid… The Triad hangout is down the street,' the bartender admitted with a chuckle. 'She's right over there… She's the one in the orange dress.'

Jigen looked to his right and saw a black woman leaning over the bar, sipping a brightly colored drink that almost accented her dress. Even from this distance he could tell that she was much taller than him. He rose and made his way over to her, seating himself next to her on the creaky bar stools. He looked about the walls, and noted all of the Black Panther propaganda. It didn't take a genius to figure out why he wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms.

'You don't look like my contact,' she said in a refined British accent as she took another sip for her alcohol. 'Want me to buy you a drink?'

'I'm fine, thanks,' Jigen said with a frown. He would not be treated like the woman here. 'Want me to buy you one?'

'I'm over my limit, already,' she admitted with a laugh as she looked at the emptied glass. 'I'll tell you what you need to know if you take me home.'

'Your place or mine?' Jigen asked jokingly.

'Whichever's more convenient for you,' she answered without skipping a beat. She laid her money down on the table and exited the club with Jigen walking beside her. He was somewhat distressed walking next to the taller woman, and he noted the tight muscles in her arms. She looked as though she could snap him in half on a whim. She also had a nice ass to balance it out though, he noted as she was turned away from him for a moment.

He didn't know it, but she was thinking similar about him.

'This is your car?' she asked, placing a hand on the door of the Romeo.

'My boss',' Jigen admitted as he seated himself in the driver's side. 'You might know him….'

'Lupin? M-hm. Who couldn't forget him?' she chuckled lightly, making Jigen wonder exactly what sort of a relationship they had had.

'Give me directions to your place,' Jigen said as he worked his way into the circulation of traffic and took off down the slick road. Trouble and rain seemed consistent in England.

'Left up here,' she pointed, and Jigen turned accordingly. 'So, you know my name—What's yours?'

'Jigen,' he responded, and she gave a laugh. 'What?' he asked with an insulted tone.

'It sounds like a bloody butler name!' she laughed. 'Do you have a first name, or is that it?'

'Urm, Daisuke…'

'Japanese for 'big help', one character off from 'Daisuki'… Which means…?'

'Yeah, yeah, 'I love you',' Jigen muttered plainly.

'The first date and already you're saying that? Hm, smooth talker,' she said with a laugh that showed her bleach-white teeth, while Jigen nearly choked upon the cigarette dangling from his lip. 'Lupin spoke about you, though. He said you were one of his best friends. Now, were you the one who had the altercation with Tomo Otomo or was that the one that cross-dresses?'

'That was Goemon,' Jigen gave a small sigh and felt a headache approaching. 'He—'

'Don't worry, I know what Tomo does to women and men, and I don't like hearing the details, it just sickens me that no one's caught him yet,' she held up her hand before Jigen could continue. 'He murdered my sister.'

'…I'm sorry….' Jigen said after an awkward pause.

'It's the past; I'm just glad I'll be getting revenge now,' she said as she watched the passing buildings. 'A right up here, Dasuki.'

'Daisuke, er, Jigen, I mean… Damn it… Yes, Ma'am,' Jigen sighed with frustration, and complied.

'This is it,' she pointed to a large house on the corner, and Jigen whistled, obviously impressed.

'Well, I guess a tall broad like yourself needs a big place, eh?' Jigen said with a light smirk.

She turned to him, and gave an icy glare, 'Didn't your mother ever teach you how to treat a woman like a lady? I'm sure if you were small she would've spanked some sense into you.'

'She didn't do that sort of stuff to me,' Jigen answered as he pulled up in the driveway.

Roxanne looked him over once and smiled, 'Well, someone should.'

'Eh?' Jigen nearly choked upon hearing this, and looked at the laughing Roxanne, stunned. Did she love giving him a hard time, was this a hobby for her? Was there a bug somewhere, and would Lupin come out of some dark corner any moment now, laughing his usual hysterical laughter? Jigen didn't even know anymore.

'Would you like to come in for some coffee?' she asked after overcoming this bout of hysterical laughter.

'Um, sure, yeah…' Jigen answered, although he wasn't thinking this was the wisest answer. He stepped out of the car, as did Roxanne, and she walked beside him up to her porch.

'I hope you don't mind black coffee,' said Roxanne with a smile. She placed one of her hands behind Jigen and let it go as south as he would allow before recoiling in horror and looking to her above the brim of his fedora.

'Eh, no… We're still talking coffee, right? This isn't like some clever metaphor for hopping into the sack, r-right?' Jigen asked, looking upward at Roxanne.

'It's whatever you make of it, Jigen,' Roxanne held up her hands in surrender and unlocked the door to her home and then stepped in. 'If you just want coffee, that's fine too. But you look as though you're at least considering my other offer'

'Lady, you don't even know me.'

'Sometimes that's what's best. The less we know about the person, the better,' she said quietly, closing the door behind him and looked down at him with a smile. 'No hats allowed on inside the house.'

'Eh, sorry,' Jigen muttered at removed his fedora, leaving him with even less height in comparison to her than before.

'I love shorter men,' Roxanne said with a smile. 'I'll get you what you need…'

She turned away from Jigen and vanished into one of her back rooms; Jigen waited until she was gone to give off a small whistle and fan himself off with his fedora.

'I have the sinking feeling that if I don't agree I'm gonna end up with her, anyway,' he said to himself. 'So, might as well play along, Daisuki—Daisuke! God damn it…'

The Next Morning:

"And where the hell were you?" Lupin asked with a raised eyebrow as Jigen trudged in. "And… Why are you limping?"

"Just give me a pillow to sit on, I've had a long night," Jigen muttered, and tossed his fedora down on the table and slowly eased himself onto the couch, cringing before making himself comfortable.

"Long in a good way?" Lupin asked with a wide smile.

"You knew she was going to do that, didn't you?" Jigen asked with a glare. "You're a badddd monkey."

"And I'm sure that's exactly what she said to you, too," Lupin winked and chuckled. "She talked you into it?"

"More like I had my pants off before I could figure out what in the hell was going on… For being a friggin' Amazon she sure can move," Jigen muttered, taking out a cigarette and placing it between his lips.

"Amazon goddess," Lupin smiled fondly, looking off as if remembering an encounter of his own with her. "I can honestly say that that was one of the only times I wasn't leading in the tango."

"Yeah, how in the hell could you? Every time I tried to get on top she just pushed me back down," Jigen asked with a roll of the eyes.

"I knew she'd take a liking to you… She loves skinny guys like you. I'm surprised you agreed though, especially since you had already gotten your fill from earlier in the evening."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" asked Jigen with a frown.

"I guess this means you're bi, right?" Lupin ventured as he rested his elbows on the back of the chair he sat on and leaned forward. "There's nothing wrong with that Jigen… And it sure as hell explains a lot."

"Wha… Where in the hell are you getting this?" Jigen snapped.

"Goemon said you stepped out for some company, which, by the way, I think is real shitty on your part if you're supposed to be protecting him. The least you could've done was let him in on it, too."

"What are you talking about? I went to go buy some cigarettes!" snapped a red-faced Jigen angrily.

"Yeah, yeah, well—" it then clicked in Lupin's mind that Goemon had been referring to cigarettes as their British slang term, and he let out an amused chuckle.

"What's so DAMN funny?" Jigen shouted.

"Nothing, just… Go teach Goemon some English. I think it'd be best for both of you," Lupin chuckled, and then broke out into a full fledged laugh as a still angry and confused Jigen stormed out of the room, his face red beneath his fedora and his teeth beginning to ache him.

"Where were you last night?" Goemon asked without looking up from his lesson books. Jigen simply glared at Goemon, and Goemon in return closed his book and rose to meet Jigen. "Well?"

"Not screwing a guy, that's for sure!"

"Excuse me?"

"Did you tell Lupin I was queer?" Jigen demanded. "Well? What in the hell did you say to him, Ishikawa?"

"Jigen, I didn't say anything about that," Goemon murmured numbly.

"Liar!" Jigen shouted.

"Are you accusing me of saying something other than the truth, Jigen?"

"That's what it means… Or are you stupid to Japanese, too? You sure as hell can't land English!"

Goemon paused a moment, and glared at Jigen, "My, that was low. What's next, maybe another joke at my expense? I know exactly what you want to say to me, Jigen, but you're too chicken to say it. You know it'd be easy to make jest of, Jigen…"

"Listen, man, don't turn this on me! You know I wouldn't go that low!"

Goemon turned away from Jigen, glanced at his suitcases and flung them from their position underneath his bed to atop it. He began to throw his things in, murmuring to himself.

"What was that?" Jigen's eyes traveled from the suitcase, to the angered Goemon.

"I said," Goemon looked upward at Jigen coldly, and finished this sentence in faltering English, 'if you were going to fuck any man Lupin would be your first choice.'

Jigen balked, and stormed over to Goemon, and delivered a good smack across his face, "Say that again, you son of a bitch! Come on, I dare you!"

"Jigen, let go," Goemon ordered.

"Like hell I will. Quit acting like a brat, this isn't anything like you!" Jigen growled, and refused to let Goemon out of his grasp, even as he struggled. A packet fell out of Goemon's pocket and both he and Jigen stopped a moment, and stared down at the white candy-like objects. There was dead silence between the two, and a moment later Goemon went back to his attempts to release himself from Jigen's grasp, but only fell back onto the bed, Jigen landing atop him.

"What in the hell are those two bitching about?" Lupin had been reading his newspaper when he had begun to hear the two and had tried to ignore them, but it seemed like the more he tried to drown them out, the more the noise escalated. So finally he removed his reading glasses and entered the bedroom (after picking the lock) just in time to see Jigen holding Goemon captive.

Lupin and Jigen met eye to eye for a few moments, and Lupin slowlyyyy closed the door and went back to his paper.

Jigen let go of his hold on Goemon and fixed himself cross legged-upon the bed, and Goemon sat up and rubbed his sore wrists, "I suppose you want to know why…."

"You're carrying pills? Yeah, that'd be nice to know," Jigen snapped.

"…I can't sleep without taking them. If I dream, I dream about that night. No amount of meditation has helped me, and none of my herbal cures that were passed on to me worked, either. So that was my only alternative."

Jigen picked up the bag and opened it, and studied on of the pills, "You have a bad trip on any of these yet?"

"Not yet," Goemon responded. "I fear one, though."

Jigen rose and walked into the bathroom with the bag, and Goemon cringed as he heard a flush, and watched Jigen exit moments later and seat himself beside Goemon, not allowing his eyes to meet with the samurai's.

"Your buddy's going to be pissed when he finds out about this," Jigen murmured. "That old British guy? Yeah, you're going to be in deep crap with him, friend. That is, if someone tells him."

"You won't, will you, Jigen?" Goemon asked almost desperately.

"Nah," Jigen shook his head and loosened his tie a bit. "But if I catch you with those again I'm going to kick the crap out of you." Goemon gave a silent nod and watched as Jigen stood and began to tidy up about the dismantled bedroom.

"You're going to wake up feeling like crap," Jigen warned Goemon. "A lot of my war buddies popped pills like the ones you have."

"How long will it last?" Goemon wondered aloud as he watched Jigen continue to work.

Jigen gave a shrug and pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket, "I guess it depends on the person. But I wouldn't expect to be going out anywhere anytime soon. You'll probably be hugging the toilet all day tomorrow. Your system's going to try to get that stuff out of you."

"Jigen, you know you don't have to do all of this," Goemon said quietly.

"Sure I do," Jigen smiled from beneath his fedora and placed the cigarette in his mouth. "Just get to sleep and don't worry about this anymore. I'll make sure you make it to the bathroom."

"…So, where were you last night, anyway?" Goemon asked as he looked over at Jigen, who was continuing his cleaning of their room.

"A girl," Jigen responded, and then corrected himself after a moment, "Well, more of a giant… Real pushy dame, but good where it counted."

"So you…"

"Ohhh yeah," a smile came upon Jigen's face, and he looked over at Goemon. "She was even better than Fujiko."

"Wait—You and Fujiko?"

"Sure," Jigen gave a small shrug. "She's the town bike, what makes you think I haven't had a ride myself? Or are you like Lupin, and you don't even think I ride bikes?"

"We aren't talking about sporting gear anymore, are we?"

Jigen gave a chuckle and shook his head, "You know, I wonder about you sometimes, Goemon. I really wonder about you."

"What's there to wonder about?" Goemon ventured to ask, and laid back a little in his bed.

"Well, I don't even know how old you are!"

"Twenty-nine."

"Twenty-nine? That's it? Holy crap," Jigen gave a laugh, and scratched the back of his head. "You're still a baby."

Goemon flushed at this comment, and asked moments later, "How old are you, Jigen?"

"Forty."

"You're younger than I thought…"

"Drugs'll do that to you. Especially cigarettes."

"Why do you smoke them, then?"

"Well, helps me with stress. This is a high-stress job, and I need something to unwind at the end of the day…"

"Those drugs help me to 'unwind'," Goemon said, and Jigen stopped, rose and looked downward at the ground, not exactly sure how to explain the difference between his drugs and Goemon's without coming off like a hypocrite. Then he realized that there perhaps wasn't that big a difference at all.

"….Yeah, but…. Just don't do yours, anymore, Goemon. You don't wanna get to looking like me. Just trust me; it ain't a good day when you look in the mirror and think you see your father staring back at you."

"I don't think I'll grow a beard, Jigen."

"Yeah, I don't even think you're old enough to shave," Jigen murmured and gave a light chuckle. Goemon took offense to this, and Jigen gave a tired heavy smile and seated himself on the edge of his partner's bed. "Promise me you won't do any more of those. If you can't sleep just get me or Lupin to play cards with you or somethin'. He can go on four hours and be gold in the morning and I barely sleep."

Goemon gave a nod, "Thank you once again, Jigen. I'm not sure how I'll repay you once things are back to normal."

"Don't worry about it," Jigen answered, sighed and looked at the clock. "You just grab some sleep… I know that Brit works you like a hound, so you need all of the rest you can get…"

"…Thank you," Goemon muttered quietly before nodding off to sleep on the bed.

"Great, so he's going to be puking and have a sore back in the morning…" Jigen stepped over to Goemon and placed a blanket over the ex-samurai, sighed and seated himself back in the cheap hotel chair. After a few moments' thought, he rose and walked out of the bedroom. He had promised Goemon that he would stay, but he had other things to attend to.