Author's Note:

Here's where things get quirky. At this point I feel I should mention that the original draft of this fic was a crazy ass parody thing which kept getting serious in spots. Somehow, the serious spots started inspiring me more and I decided to take it in that direction instead. As a result, I had to go back and tone done some of the craziness, yet I couldn't bring myself to take it all out. Hence, we have some random quirkiness thrown in every so often. I apologize to any huge Sakaki fans who don't like how I quirked up his character. It just happened somehow.

Also, the last scene of this chapter marks sort of a deviation from the canon plot inspired by that odd scene in the series after the attack on Touko's and Robin's apartment. You know which one. Or you will figure it out at least. Maybe not at this point in the story, but eventually. Sorry. One of my friends would be calling me pretentious now . . .

Oh, and yes, for those of you who have asked, this is going to be AxR in the end. But I try to include all of the characters on the fun, so everyone gets a chance to show their point of view. No worries. Everybody happy--well maybe not everybody. Some people are only happy when it rains . . . but that's not until the next chapter.

Chapter 2

Round Robin

The atmosphere in the STN-J was sleepy and quiet before Amon walked into the office almost an hour late. Sakaki sat blinking at his computer monitor lazily, his eye movements still sluggish with sleep. Karasuma was in the kitchen chatting with Hattori, and Chief Kosaka was glaring out of his office at the rookie dozing at his desk. Michael, on the other hand was busily typing away at his computer, trying to keep his mind occupied. Scooping up the papers he had just printed out, Michael turned to Sakaki.

"Here's the stuff you wanted, Sakaki," he announced.

Catching himself from falling asleep, Sakaki mumbled, "Huh? I'm awake. Oh. Thanks, Michael." His eyes lit up as he scanned the papers.

As Michael was leaning back in his chair, Amon brushed by him without even looking his direction, oblivious to the frown Michael threw his way at his passing. The older hunter stopped in front of his desk and shook the dampness of the morning's fog off his coat before starting to remove it. He paused when his eyes fell on Robin's empty workstation. "Has Robin not come in yet?" he inquired, his voice acquiring a frosty edge and his hands still paused in the act of removing his coat.

"Not yet," Michael replied with a hint of worry.

"Has anyone called her?" Amon continued, the edge in his voice sharpening.

"Yeah," Michael answered quickly. "No answer. I tried several times.

"When was this?" Amon's voice held a sense of worry, which seemed out of place on him, especially when it was related to Robin of all people.

"The last time was ten minutes ago.

"Why didn't anyone contact me?

Impatience bordering on anger flared in Michael. Why did he suddenly feel like he was being interrogated? He opened his mouth to reply, but Sakaki interrupted his thoughts with a cry of horror.

"You've gotta be frickin' kidding me! After the hours upon hours I put into collecting those purifying salts! After all the random encounters!" Sakaki shook his head and buried it in his hands desolately. "This is the worst!" he continued, grumbling under his breath. "After the damn frickin' chocobo race and the damn frickin' birds! After dodging all those lightning bolts, only to get to 99 and miss! After the damn frickin' butterflies! This is the worst."

Michael was grateful for the interruption when he saw Amon glance down at Sakaki with a raised eyebrow, his expression still thinly veiled anger. Karasuma poked her head out of the kitchen and frowned when her eyes fell on Sakaki. Putting her hands on her hips, she marched across the office to the rookie's desk and snatched the papers off his lap. "What is going on with you lately, Sakaki?" she demanded, looking at the papers. "What is this?

Sighing, Michael answered her reluctantly, knowing Amon had seen him hand the papers to Sakaki and feeling the hunter's eyes on him again. "It's just a walkthrough I printed out for him.

"A . . . walkthrough?"

"For a video game."

Sakaki seemed to be curling into a little ball in his chair as he heard this exchange.

"A video game?!" Karasuma practically crumpled the papers into a ball as her hand turned into a fist. "That's why you haven't been getting enough sleep? That's why you're barely coherent half the time?!"

"Well, at least I come in to work on time," Sakaki retorted. "Unlike just about everyone else around here."

Kosaka stepped out of his office. "Not that you do any work while you're here."

Restraining a smile, Michael turned back to face his computer, momentarily forgetting that he never had answered Amon's question. A hand came down firmly on his shoulder. "Maybe you should try calling Robin again," Amon stated.

"Oh, she's probably just playing hooky with Doujima," Sakaki muttered. "You don't see her here yet, do you?"

"That's highly unlikely. Skipping work isn't in Robin's character," Amon commented softly.

How would he know? Michael wondered. Amon seemed to try so hard to ignore Robin, as if she'd disappear if he pretended she didn't exist. Robin, on the other hand, spent most of her time trying to earn his respect. Michael didn't have a clue why she continued to work so hard for Amon's approval when he never even bothered to acknowledge her, and though Michael sympathized with her, he thought she was wasting her time. Amon seemed to have already made up his mind about her, and no matter how good she was at finding her way into people's hearts, Amon's heart, if he had one, was buried under several layers of ice and rock.

Nevertheless, Michael did as Amon had asked and dialed Robin's phone again. He did it as much for himself as for anyone else. Robin's absence worried him, all the more so since she had come to visit him the night before and had left early because she wasn't feeling well.

The phone rang . . . and rang . . . and rang . . .

The answering machine picked up and Michael hung up, scowling at the phone. "No answer," he reported. He tried her cell phone. Still no answer. An uneasy thought occurred to him. He glanced up at Amon to see the hunter perched on the edge of his desk, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes staring somberly at the wall across from him. His expression was difficult to read, but if Michael hadn't known better he would have said Amon looked troubled, and not just mildly.

"I wonder if I should track down her roommate's work number," Michael speculated uncertainly. He took a deep breath, swallowing his self-imposed guilt and his fear of how the knowledge he was about to share would be interpreted. "Robin stopped by last night after work to visit me, but she looked really pale." He saw Sakaki's eyebrows raise and Karasuma turn halfway to look at him, but Amon did not move or even react. He continued in a rush, "She said she felt like she was coming down with something and went home, but now I'm worried that maybe she didn't make it home at all . . ."

"She made it home," Amon reported with no regard to the surprised glances which met his statement. "But this doesn't make sense." Without a second thought, Amon whisked his coat off his chair and started for the door, but he stopped short when he heard the sound of the elevator opening. Michael's head was still spinning from Amon's strange reactions, but the thoughts evaporated when he saw Robin step into the office.

She paused uncertainly when she saw all the eyes focused on her, pushing some of the damp locks out of her face and attempting to put them back in place, but her hair was so disheveled it didn't make much difference. The mud-caked hem of her skirt rippled as she shifted her feet, looking away and swallowing self-consciously. Her cheeks were flushed though her skin otherwise still seemed extraordinarily pale. "Sorry I'm late," she murmured. "I forgot to set my alarm, and my Vespa broke down on the way to work . . ."

"Why didn't you call?" Amon demanded coldly.

Robin's cheeks flushed even brighter. "I left the apartment in such a rush I forgot my phone." Her green eyes were still focused on some abstract surface of the wall or floor, glittering in the light as if she were about to cry. Then, unexpectedly, she sneezed, reaching into her pocket for a handkerchief to wipe her nose.

Awkward silence fell then, into which strode Doujima, humming some melody from a pop song as she waltzed off the elevator with a shopping bag tossed over her shoulder. Pushing her sunglasses down on her nose, she surveyed the scene. "Serious crowd already," she mumbled. Then glancing back and forth between Robin and the others she commented, "Um, what's going on? Are you guys playing charades? Lemme see . . . " She squinted at Robin. "Bad hair day?"

A communal gasp met Doujima's faux paus, followed by a pained expression twisting Robin's face. Before anyone could say anything, Robin whispered faintly, "Excuse me," before she fled the room like a bird from a cage.

Doujima's pretty face now wore an expression of discomfort, most likely due to the foul taste of her foot in her mouth. "Well, good job guys," she managed, gathering up her scattered pride. "It looks like you made Robin cry."

You made her cry, dumbass," Sakaki scoffed as he rolled his eyes.

Michael started to rise from his chair, feeling helpless sitting there and wanting to do something for Robin. She was always going out of her way to be nice to him, but he never seemed to get the chance to pay her back. The thought made him a little nervous though. He wasn't sure why, but whenever he was alone with Robin lately he found his stomach filled with butterflies and his mind filled with cotton. He wasn't sure what words he would be able to find to comfort her now, but he had to try. "I'll go check on her," he said with more courage than he felt.

A hand pushed him firmly back in his chair. "Karasuma," Amon said emotionlessly. Michael turned an angry glare up at him, restraining the impulse to shake Amon's hand off his shoulder. "I think it might be best if you check on her." Karasuma looked at Amon curiously. He did not elaborate further, nor did she ask out loud the questions in her eyes.

During Karasuma's long moment of hesitation, Doujima countered, with a defiant glint in her eyes, "Maybe Amon should check on her. She is his partner after all." She met his cold gaze bravely, though even Michael looked away from it despite the fact it wasn't even directed at him.

Shaking her head as if Doujima's idea was ridiculous, Karasuma stated with a sigh, "No. I'll do it.

Amon stopped her with a hand gently brushing against her arm. Michael's eyes narrowed. Why am I the only one getting the abuse from Amon? Eyes dark with anger or annoyance, Amon handed his coat to Karasuma and swept past Doujima in the direction of Robin's retreat without another word.

"Wow," Doujima commented when Amon had disappeared down the hall, leaning back awkwardly to see the doorway he had vanished through. "I hadn't expected him to actually go."

Still fuming, Michael swung his chair back to his computer and jammed his earphones into his ears. Turning up his music, he tried to drown out the world around him.

-----

Sitting on a chair with her back turned to the door, Robin bit her lower lip to keep the tears filling her eyes from spilling over her cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to walk out the door and head straight back home, ending this day before it got any worse. But she had no mode of transportation at the moment, and she knew she would never get out of her responsibilities so easily. Not to mention the fact that it would likely please Amon to no end if she showed such weakness. He already thought her barely competent. What would he think if she asked to go home early because she was having a bad day? Well . . . she supposed, it would be more accurate to say it had started with a bad night.

Attempting to distract herself with a task, she began untying the ribbons in her tangled hair, working to put it in order with only her hands to use as a brush. Despite her struggle to focus merely on straightening out her hair, images from the night before kept flashing through her mind. She hadn't seen Touko since the event, and she dreaded that first awkward encounter. Though she had known about their relationship before, interrupting the two of them in the middle of such an obviously intimate situation left her with scattered feelings, some of which surprised her. The uncomfortable situation had made her feel like an intruder in the place she'd started to think of as home, as well as an intruder in her roommate's personal life. She wanted to be friends with Touko and feel at ease around her, but somehow she sensed that Touko didn't want the same thing. Touko treated her kindly, but always kept her at a distance.

And Amon . . . he had never even felt the need to inform her he was dating her roommate in the first place. Even before the incident, he had made her feel as if she was merely an anomaly in his universe and an intrusion in his life. Seeing him there though, and knowing what he had just been doing . . . She took a deep breath to still the panicked rush of confused emotions welling in her at the memory.

At that moment, she finally noticed someone was watching her. Dropping her hands from her loosened hair, she whirled around to find the source of her bewildering emotions standing just inside the doorway, a strange expression in his eyes. He walked farther into the room cautiously, pausing and turning halfway to look back when he was standing next to the couch across from her. "Are you all right?" he inquired, though his tone said he didn't care if she really was or not.

Looking away from his penetrating gaze, she glanced at the floor. "I'm fine," she whispered.

She heard him sit down slowly on the couch, and she could see him lean forward out of the corner of her eyes, his hands clasped and his elbows resting on his knees. "Were you late today because of what happened last night?"

A blush fired her cheeks almost instantly. He had caught her off-guard with his bluntness. It was true that the night's events might have had something to do with the way her morning had gone since she had barely slept at all, her thoughts keeping her awake most of the night. She wasn't about to admit that though. Not to him. "I just forgot to set my alarm, that's all--"

"Robin." His tone was so commanding that she met his eyes without intending to. Despite the cold expression on his face, his grey eyes actually held a kind of warmth which almost looked like compassion. "You didn't do anything wrong." He looked away, exhaling softly. "I don't know what Touko said to you, but I, at least, am not angry with you."

Robin was stunned. His words were among the kindest he'd ever said to her, and she didn't know how to reply. Instead, she simply sat there, looking at her hands in her lap and concentrating on just breathing.

"Where did you leave your Vespa?" he asked after a long pause. Her gaze shot up to his face again in shock, but she managed to mumble out the location despite the way he had completely unnerved her. Nodding, he replied, "We should send someone out to fix it."

Then, apparently feeling the conversation was finished, he rose to his feet. Robin did the same, sensing he expected her to come with him and get down to work. Her legs felt unsteady beneath her for some strange reason, but she managed to stay standing despite the fact that he moved closer as if to walk by her, but paused at her side. Uncertain what to expect from him when he was acting so strangely, she avoided his gaze and tried to calm her nerves. When she saw his hand reach toward her she almost jumped in response.

He caught a few strands of her hair nevertheless and murmured, "You should wear your hair down more often."

Finding her eyes wandering upward again, she saw him looking down at her with an even stranger expression than before. Though his face was a mask, his eyes seemed darker somehow, and burned with some emotion she couldn't even begin to describe. Tension tightened her back and she felt her pulse accelerate. Why is he looking at me like that? Suddenly his gaze dropped slightly and she realized he was looking at her lips. Alarm pounded through her veins and the strange clutter of emotions she associated with the event of the night before washed over her in a torrent.

Suddenly, he tore his gaze away from her with a quick intake of breath, the hand touching her hair dropping to his side. She watched his adam's apple move as he swallowed and wondered what had almost happened. As she watched, she saw him reconstruct the rest of his mask, the expression in his eyes becoming distant and his emotions out of reach once again.

"Amon." Robin started at the sound of the voice, though Amon seemed unperturbed. She looked up to see Zaizen standing in the doorway, looking at her suspiciously. His fierce gaze turned back to Amon. "I need to see you in my office."

-----

Turning to face the director when the office door had closed behind him, Amon kept his face bereft of emotion, facing the desk with his hands behind his back. Zaizen put a few things into order on his desk with meticulous care before looking up at him, his jaw set sternly and his expression grim.

"I heard from the others that Robin was late for work this morning."

Amon did not reply, simply returning his gaze silently.

Zaizen leaned back in his chair slowly, eyes narrowed. "It seems rather out of character, don't you think?"

Amon shrugged. "Everyone's entitled to a bad day. And she is young."

"Perhaps . . ." Zaizen rubbed a finger against his lips thoughtfully. "Both are reasonable conclusions. But I still have my doubts about her. Headquarters did not send her to us without a reason, and I can't help but wonder if her tardiness means something more than we might suspect."

Zaizen looked at him with another penetrating stare, giving Amon the uncanny impression that he was baiting him. But baiting him to say what--admit what? "Though I agree headquarters likely had ulterior motives in sending Robin," Amon said finally, "I do not believe this incident has anything to do with them. It doesn't have that kind of feel to it.

Nodding pensively, Zaizen continued to look intently at him for several moments before asking a question which instantly raised Amon's blood pressure. "What exactly was going on in that room before I walked in, Amon?"

Amon struggled to keep his hands from turning into fists, trying to keep any obvious sign of his tension from Zaizen's eyes. "Robin looked visibly upset when she came in this morning. I was merely verifying her state was not going to interfere with her work."

"Upset, you say?" Zaizen's eyebrow rose. "And yet you still suspect nothing?" He sighed and turned his chair to look out the window for a moment. "I have concerns, Amon, about your ability to keep this girl's supposed innocence from blinding you to how dangerous she is. You seem to be softening toward her of late."

"Hardly," Amon replied quickly. "I realize exactly how dangerous she is. I simply think she is even more dangerous if I reject her completely. She's tolerated my rejection for a little while, but I can see hints of rebellion in her. She refuses to accept it."

"Then perhaps we have been approaching this from the wrong direction. Have you noticed the way she looks at you when she thinks you're not paying attention, Amon?"

Amon shrugged indifferently. Though he denied it on the surface, he knew all too well what Zaizen was talking about. On multiple occasions, he had caught Robin looking at him with need burning in her green eyes. The need for his acceptance and respect; the need to understand him and to be understood in return; as well as another, darker need which he would never have expected to see in someone so young and childlike. It was the need he felt echoed in himself no matter how hard he fought it.

"I don't think that look has much to do with whatever headquarters has planned for her. In fact, I believe it merely suggests that she has a bit of a crush on you," Zaizen continued. "That makes you her weakness." As she is mine, Amon admitted only to himself, remaining expressionless. "And we can't afford to waste any advantages that come our way." Amon definitely did not like the direction this was going. Zaizen leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk. "You need to gain her trust, perhaps by making her believe you trust her as well. Allow yourself, at least on the surface, to get closer to her. Encourage her crush."

Amon's eyes narrowed and outrage found its way into his voice. "You're asking me to seduce her? She's only fifteen."

Zaizen narrowed his own eyes, steepling his fingers in front of him. "Are you saying this is going to be a problem for you?" Again, Amon had the feeling Zaizen was baiting him, laughing inwardly at something he had missed. "Tell me again what almost happened in that room before I showed up, Amon. You can make excuses as much as you want about her youth, naivete or anything else that comes to mind, but your hormones clearly don't seem to have much of a problem with her age."

Spinning away from the Director as his anger turned his blood to flame, Amon attempted to regain control. He looked down through the window into the empty briefing room, trying to focus. This situation felt like a trap, but he couldn't find a way out of it. "If you're so uncertain of my control, why would you possibly want to take the risk of my losing it?"

"I want you to lose control, Amon. Get it out of your system so you can get over it. Rape her if you have to, if only so you can master your desires."

Amon suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He had never completely respected Zaizen--feared him perhaps--but never fully believed in the man's honor. He had learned to understand the fact that his own life was not necessarily of much importance in Zaizen's eyes, and that it could end all too easily on the slightest whim. But the suggestion to rape Robin was almost too much for him to bear. The images the mere suggestion brought to mind made him hurt with the pain and betrayal he could imagine in her vulnerable green eyes. "What about your daughter?" he inquired softly finally, trying a different tactic with Zaizen and making things personal. "How will this seduction make her feel?"

"Touko?" Zaizen scoffed quietly. "Maybe it will make her finally realize you're not worthy of her." Shuddering beneath his calm facade, Amon closed his eyes and tried once again to calm his racing heart. "Never forget you work for me, Amon. I own you."

He heard Zaizen rise from his chair. "I received a summons from headquarters this morning. The strange coincidence of this command with Robin's absence is what sparked my suspicions from the beginning. HQ refused to tell me why they were summoning me, claiming it was something too top secret to discuss over long distance, but I'm sure we can both think of some quick possibilities." Amon actually shifted his gaze to include Zaizen, curiosity sparked despite his anger. "They didn't tell me how long the trip would take, but I'd venture to guess I'll be back sometime early next week. I don't believe they intend to make their move just yet, but just in case, be careful."

"That's why it's so important for me to get closer to Robin right now," Amon concluded without a trace of the emotions still overpowering his senses.

"You know what they say . . . keep your friends close and your enemies closer. She may reveal more than she intends if she believes she can trust you. Hold on to your control a little longer, and you will get the chance to indulge your desires." Amon barely managed to restrain the shiver of disgust twitching in his muscles like an electric current. Zaizen was now standing only a few steps behind him and his voice was pitched low, his tone warning of danger. "I do expect to see some progress when I get back, Amon. Don't disappoint me."

He paused and handed Amon a report. "You can start with this case on a possible witch. The police haven't been able to arrest him for anything, but he's suspected of murder in half a dozen different cases, all involving unusual circumstances. I suggest staking out his apartment building. That will give you a chance to spend some time with her alone."

Amon took the report and pretended to be reading it while his mind was still too much in turmoil to even concentrate. He found he was grateful that Zaizen would be leaving in a few hours, though he wasn't sure how he could possibly satisfy the Director's wishes. There had to be a way out of this situation, a loophole of some kind. But he only had a few days to figure one out, and judging by the glint in Zaizen's eyes, Amon wouldn't like the outcome much if he failed to impress the man.

-----

Hope you enjoyed it! See you next time in Chapter 3: Rain.