Author's Note:

So, I lied. This isn't the chapter with the action. BUT, I have been working on that chapter. Unfortunately, it still needs a lot of work. And then I had an inspiration for this little interlude chapter. I so enjoy interludes. In fact this story is turning into more interlude than anything. :) But I thought it was only fair to give you a little something to tide you over while I'm working on the action chapter.

I apologize in advance for a reference to another TV show (though not as elaborate as prior references) but somehow such allusions have become a shtick of this fanfic. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the original fiction I used to put all my writing energies toward is set in an entirely fictional world which allows me absolutely no connection to the real world. I'm taking advantage of the opportunities this fic give me. But if it pisses anyone off, please let me know and I will cut back on it. I've tried to make sure the references are not necessary for understanding the story and that they only add another layer of meaning which can be overlooked. I guess it's just the part of me that enjoys writing parodies coming out to play.

Chapter 19

Caged Bird

"Well, babe, you've got to admit this is a lot better than being held captive in that office all day long," Dante said with a smile as he stretched out on the grass in a pool of sunlight, soaking in the warmth of the day. His smile widened as a refreshingly cool breeze stirred the tendrils of silver hair spilling across his face. "What a beautiful day," he murmured.

"It is beautiful," Robin admitted, adjusting her skirt as she sat down on the grassy hillside next to him, closing her eyes as another breeze stirred the air and danced through the budding branches above with a soft rustle. "But I don't think Amon would be very happy if he knew we were sitting so exposed in the middle of a park like this."

Dante cracked open an eye at her as he stretched his arms back and rested his head against his palms. "Well Mr. Control Freak doesn't need to know, now does he? It's not like Beatrice is going to come and mow us down in broad daylight like some kind of supernatural weed whacker; it would be a waste of her time and effort since she already has a trap set for tonight. Besides, paranormal baddies always do their bad deeds at night, remember? That's rule number one in the evildoer's handbook."

"I guess I never read that one," Robin replied with a smile, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"Tsk, tsk. How can you ever know your enemies and learn how to predict their moves if you don't even read the handbook?"

"I don't suppose you know where I could get a copy of it to read, then?" she asked, turning to look at him, laughter sparkling in the green depths of her eyes.

He found a grin spreading across his face. "That's the trick, isn't it? But I can't just give away all my secrets."

The sound of a soft growl of frustration coming from the park bench a stone's throw away drew Dante's attention for a moment. He watched as Sakaki sat up on the bench suddenly, his growl turning into a roar as he angrily shook the GameBoy in his hands. "Damn Dracula and his minions of evil!" Then, before Dante could say a word in response, Sakaki flopped back on the bench again with a sigh and fell silent as he continued playing.

"That kid really needs to get a life," Dante observed, pushing himself up on his elbows. "So," he began, turning to Robin, only to be interrupted by the sound of a cell phone ringing. He was sad to admit he recognized the ring as the theme song of some TV show Trish had gotten addicted to watching in reruns; it took him several long moments, though, before he realized the ring was coming from his cell phone. "Damn that woman," he grumbled as he reached into his pocket for the phone, "downloading rings all the time just to piss me off . . ." Flipping open the phone, he answered it with a sigh, trying to rub away the headache already forming around the bridge of his nose. "Yo."

Without preamble, the voice on the other end of the phone demanded, "Is Robin with you?"

Repressing an ironic bark of a laugh, Dante looked at Robin with a smile twitching on his lips. She had not noticed his attention as she stared out at the pond below them, her chin resting on her knees and her expression pensive. "Would it be a problem if she was?"

Amon sighed softly. "Apparently there was a misunderstanding. I was under the impression she was coming back to the office after lunch, but Karasuma returned over an hour ago and Robin is still missing. It isn't safe for her--"

"No, she isn't safe," Dante interrupted impatiently, "but don't you think Beatrice could find a way to get to her even at the STN-J if she can enter people's dreams at will and mysteriously deliver letters without anyone noticing? Robin won't be safe until Beatrice is a bloody carcass on the floor. That's the cold, hard fact. And that fact remains the same whether Robin's sitting caged at your office or sitting in the park enjoying the beautiful day. Shouldn't she be allowed to enjoy the sunshine?" His words had finally drawn Robin's attention; he could see her frowning at him in concern.

"This decision falls under my jurisdiction, Dante. Not yours."

"I thought I made the decisions concerning demon behavior. My conclusion is that Beatrice will not act until tonight. Therefore, Robin is relatively safe until then."

"This is not a discussion."

Shaking his head in amazement at Amon's nerve, Dante felt his free hand turning into a fist as he ripped a handful of grass up by the roots. Annunciating every word crisply, he stated, "You are such a hard ass." Then, sitting up so swiftly that Robin jumped in surprise, he continued, "Tell me, does it keep you up at night knowing there are people in the world who are actually smiling, laughing and enjoying life? Do you lose sleep over all the lives you have yet to sap the joy out of? I'll bet you're some kind of depression vampire, aren't you? You must feed on misery and despair."

Ignoring Dante's comments with an infuriating amount of control, Amon replied coldly, "If Robin isn't back at Raven's flat in half an hour, I'm coming to get her."

"Gasp. You? Walking in the park?" Dante cried mockingly. "The very thought gives me shivers. No thanks. I would hate to ruin such a beautiful day for all the people out here enjoying it by letting you show up with gloomy thunderclouds in tow." Grumbling in frustration, Dante finally conceded, "Fine. Your little bird will be back in her cage soon." Hanging up before Amon could make another comment which would annoy him further, Dante sighed deeply, hating the fact that he had lost another point to the cold-hearted witch hunter.

"I suppose we should be going, then," Robin said sadly before he found a way to explain why he had given in to Amon's demand so easily. "I have to get back to my cage," she added with an ironic smile.

"How do you do it?" he found himself asking without thinking, looking at her in bewilderment.

"Do what?" she asked, curiosity crossing her features.

"Put up with his shit all the time? I mean it's his way or the highway twenty-four seven. Don't you get tired of it?"

Smiling quietly, she replied, "Of course. But he's just trying to protect me right now. I can forgive that."

"And the rest of the time? Do you forgive his attitude when he's being a stubborn asshole just for the hell of it?"

She returned her attention to the pond and a glint of ruby light caught his attention; he noticed a red crystal in her hand, catching the light as she turned it over and over again fretfully. "Amon doesn't do anything without purpose," she said finally, her voice faint. "I'm sure he has reasons for everything he does."

Disturbed by her response, Dante remembered what Amon had said to him on the phone earlier in the day, and remembered his own promise with a twinge of guilt. Robin's easy acceptance of Amon's cruelty was troubling, and spoke of deeper feelings than Dante had realized she held for the dark hunter--feelings which would get torn to shreds by Amon's attempt to change her mind about him. Her fixation with Amon was definitely not the healthiest thing for her. "Robin," he began slowly, frowning when she didn't even turn to look at him when he said her name. Reaching up to turn her face with a gentle grip on her chin, he forced her to meet his eyes. After assessing her confused expression, he continued, "Has it occurred to you that you deserve better?" His voice dropping to a whisper, he added, "Has it occurred to you that he doesn't deserve you?"

Her eyes had widened and her eyebrows rose sharply in unease. Suddenly her gaze flicked to his lips before returning to his eyes, and he realized with a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach that he was close enough to feel her breath on his skin and she had obviously noticed--and misinterpreted it. Good job, Dante, he lectured himself. Make her forget about her interest in Amon by making her think you're interested in her. Brilliant. Very uncomfortable with their proximity now, though it had been purely platonic in his mind a few moments before, he hesitated from pulling away quickly as he realized such an action would likely give her a wrong impression as well. Shit!

The sound of a familiar voice being cleared, accompanied by a soft, girlish giggle solved his dilemma for him, though not in a way he might have liked. Determined not to allow his feeling of awkwardness to show, he refused to move away from Robin, simply looking in the direction of the giggles; Robin clearly did not share his determination since she seemed to shrink away from him though he retained his light grip on her chin. Trish stood on the path below them, her hands resting on her hips and her lips pursed. Doujima stood a few steps behind her, holding her stomach as she tried to repress her laughter. Bags of various shapes and sizes hung from their wrists like oversized bracelets, trophies of their shopping expedition.

"Well," Trish stated, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't this interesting . . ."

Sakaki peeked over the back of his park bench, blinking at them in surprise.

Undaunted, Dante grinned before placing a light kiss on the tip of Robin's nose and releasing her chin. Pulling away unhurriedly he settled back on his elbows in the grass again. "Robin and I were just having a little heart to heart. Nothing to be jealous of, Trish . . . unless you really are that insecure."

"Hardly," she replied with a tight smile.

"I see you had a good time spending all of our hard-earned money," he commented, nodding at the shopping bags.

"Yeah!" Doujima answered for her excitedly, climbing up the grassy slope to drop down next to Robin. "They were having a sidewalk sale!"

"Wow," Dante commented quietly. "And you bought it? I didn't think concrete was your thing."

Following Doujima slowly, Trish hit Dante over the head with a handful of bags for his bad pun. "Don't bother talking to him about it, Doujima. He's too thick to understand shopping for pleasure."

"But there are so many other ways to find pleasure," Dante replied, as he leaned forward and caught one of her bag-laden arms gently, slowly placing a kiss on her wrist.

"So I've seen . . ." she said coyly, pulling her hand out of his grasp and glancing at Robin.

Eyes wide, Robin sputtered, "Really, it wasn't--"

Smiling apologetically, Trish stopped her. "I know. Don't worry, Robin." Eyes flashing, she looked back at Dante before planting one high heeled boot on the grass between Dante's legs and pushing his knees apart so she could turn and sit down between his legs, leaning back against him with a sigh. "It was just too perfect of an opportunity to irritate Dante."

Wiping golden strands of hair out of his face in annoyance, Dante commented, "You seem to find plenty of opportunities to do that on your own. Speaking of that . . . what's with the new cell phone jingle?" The last words were murmured in her ear in a dangerous tone.

Laughing musically, Trish tilted her head back to look up at him. "Well, you are pretty much an immortal. I thought you could appreciate the irony."

"If there can be only one, maybe I should just kill you now and get it over with," he teased, placing a threatening hand against her neck.

"Ah, but who wants to live forever, anyway?" Her laughter actually made him join her with a soft laugh of his own, his touch on her neck turning into a gentle caress.

"You two watched Highlander?" Doujima inquired, leaning forward to look around Robin at them.

"You watched Highlander?" Sakaki echoed in response, staring open mouthed at Doujima.

Shrugging, Doujima replied, "The swords and beheading may not have been my thing, but Amanda is my hero. Well, second to Nikita. But Methos is--"

"Wait!" Trish interrupted, leaning forward as well. "You've watched Nikita?"

"I don't believe this," Dante groaned. "I thought Trish was the only one who watched such sad excuses for television."

"Hey," Trish said sharply, elbowing him in the ribs. "I told you before. I missed out on a lot of popular culture during my years under Mundus' control. I'm just trying to catch up."

"Dante," Robin murmured softly, and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was trying to remind him of his pledge to Amon to return her to the STN-J. She was far too responsible for her own good.

"Well, you three are just going to have to catch up on your own." Pushing Trish forward enough for him to get to his feet, he brushed off his leather pants hastily before reaching down to take Robin's hand and help her to her feet. "I have to get Robin back to the office."

"No funny business on the way," Trish called after them with a smile.

Lightly slipping his hand around Robin's waist just for show as he guided her in the direction of his bike, Dante smirked back at his partner. "Just keep telling yourself you don't have a jealousy problem, Trish."

"I don't!" she yelled after them.

Grinning, Dante murmured, "Right."

-------

"What kind of package?" Amon asked softly, stepping in front of the hacker to block the nearest surveillance camera's view of their lips as they spoke. He was truly starting to get paranoid. But he knew the full dangers of what he was doing by defying Zaizen's orders, and he would be cautious to the point of absurdity if his caution could keep his deceit hidden from Zaizen.

Turning away from the coffee pot and back to face Amon, Michael shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't see it very well. She said it was some kind of crystal."

"A crystal . . ." Amon echoed thoughtfully.

"Anyway, I thought you might have already known about it."

Raising an eyebrow, Amon considered Michael silently for several moments. "Why did you think I would have known anything about it?"

"Well . . . with everything that's been going on between you two lately, and the fact that it didn't have a return address or postage . . . and she was so reluctant to talk about it. I guess I just thought it was a gift from you. Like an apology or something . . ." Michael's expression had become increasingly uncomfortable as he spoke, until he finally just dropped his gaze to his coffee cup. "I guess I was wrong. It's not really your style anyway." Michael gulped down several swallows of coffee, coughing when the hot liquid burnt his mouth.

"Did the package come with any kind of message?" Amon kept his voice even and his face carefully bereft of emotion, determined to stick to the facts.

"There was a piece of paper inside, but Robin said it was blank."

"And that's all?" Amon inquired, observing Michael's expression closely and sensing he was holding something back.

Michael looked up at him over the rims of his tinted glasses. "It was kind of weird. She just . . . well, she set the paper on fire. She said she didn't mean to do it, but it still struck me as odd."

Odd, indeed. Amon glanced at the clock briefly. "Robin should be here any minute. I have a bad feeling about this crystal, but I have something I need to take care of before this evening. Keep an eye on her." Ignoring Michael's perplexed expression, he turned to leave but paused for a moment, adding, "And try not to mention any of the plans we discussed for the hunt to her either, if you can."

"Amon, you don't think--"

"I'm simply covering all possibilities. I'll be back in a few hours."

Amon didn't look back as he left the room briskly, focusing on the task at hand. He would come up with some way to safeguard the Robin situation later, but now he had more important worries to deal with. Zaizen rarely got involved in their hunts, but he had certainly taken an interest in this one and was likely to be watching it more closely than usual. His attention was unacceptable. He needed a diversion, and it was Amon's responsibility to arrange one--without leaving his fingerprints behind.

------

"Is everything in place?" Beatrice asked quietly, looking at the tool standing before her with a blank expression, his eyes empty.

"Yes. The traps are set, my lady," the man replied tonelessly.

"Good. And we have gathered enough supplies to keep our hunter friends occupied?" The man nodded. "Excellent." She turned her attention to the basin in front of her, plucking a few hairs from her head and adding it to the bubbling mixture. "You may go," she added, shooing the man away.

When he was gone, she pulled out a small dagger and pricked the tip of one finger, letting six drops of blood fall into the liquid. Stirring the mixture with a silver spoon, she smiled. "My witches brew," she laughed softly. "How stereotypical of me."

"Will it work, my lady?" a soft voice asked from the darkness.

Glancing at the foremost of her tools, a witch with a fair amount of power, she answered unwaveringly, "Of course it will work. Her power will be mine. The time for subtlety is over. Action is required if I am to gain her power in the time we have left." Drinking in the acrid smell of the concoction as it wafted up to her, she smiled. "This ritual of binding is a risk . . . but risks are unavoidable at this point."

"But . . . what about the crystal? Couldn't you simply use it to control her?"

Shaking her head at the man's density though she knew she didn't need her tools to be intelligent so long as they had the power she required, she glanced at him from beneath her dark lashes. She decided to explain her strategy to him only because she liked to hear herself speak; he would do as she wanted him to do whether he understood her reasons or not. Free will was no longer an option for her tools when she needed to use them. "The crystal is a temporary link--it can only be maintained for a short period of time, and it can be broken far too easily. It is merely a method of bringing her where I need her at a moment of my choosing. Then I can create a permanent bond."

"And the hunters. They must be eliminated."

"Yes." Straightening, she squelched the fire burning in the pit beneath the basin. "Two birds with one stone. Efficiency is essential at this critical time."

Reaching out to the connection she could still feel ever so faintly at the periphery of her perceptions, she whispered into the darkness, Soon, my lord. Soon you will be free. All the elements are in place. The fire-witch's powers will tip the scales and tomorrow night the gate will open. The world will be yours as it always should have been.

-------

Ah, cheesy bad guy point of view. I haven't written nearly as much bad guy stuff in this story as I normally do, nor have I done Beatrice as much justice as I probably should have. Only Zaizen has gotten the true "bad guy you love to hate" treatment. At least, I think so.
The farther I go, the more AU this story becomes, but I suppose that was bound to happen when you set your fic in the middle of a series and want it to be longer than a chapter (and include characters from something else . . .). But I really wanted to use all the characters in WHR because I enjoy them all, and I liked the dynamic between them better earlier in the series for the ideas I had in mind. I hope I'm not getting too OOC though. But you'd all tell me if I were, wouldn't you? Anyway, why am I getting all introspective all of a sudden?

To Inuki: Don't know if you'll get to read the action part before you go to Texas, but I'll try to get it updated soon!

To Tiger of the Wind1: It's so much fun turning the tables on Amon. There will also be more opportunities for Amon angst and suffering soon. I've got it all planned out. BWAHAHAHA

To Kim "ShadowFox" Klein: Mmm. Popcorn. You have my permission to hit Amon with a big rubber mallet. But please, no permanent damage. ;)

To Amon's Anger of Darkness: Yeah, sorry I didn't get to the action yet. I'm working on it! But I gave you a little DxR, so you got your money's worth. Wait a minute--what money? I haven't gotten any money. Hey . . .
Thank you for your compliment! I'm not so sure if I can say my story's better than the Burning Time, but I'm very flattered that you think so. My story is just so very different
anyway, it's hard to even compare. And I didn't do nearly as much research as Misora has done, though my story might be almost as long by the time it's done because I am so wordy . . . But length does not equal quality.

To sailorsaturn12345: I'm glad you enjoyed the comparison between Kosaka and Mario and Hattori and Luigi. It just popped into my mind out of the blue and fit so well it even cracked me up. It might have had something to do with an OC Remix popping up in my playlist around the same time called "What the Funk!" which is a remix for Super Mario All-Stars. Its very amusing. You might check it out at ocremix.org.

To Aliora: I love Fruits Basket! It's one of the only animes that could make me bust a gut laughing and then reach for a kleenex because I was crying--all in the same episode. It's so well done. I think I've made more AMV's for that anime than for any other. It was very inspirational. But no fanfics unfortunately.
Anyway, thank you again for the compliments and specific feedback. Chapter 14 is still my favorite, but I think it may be bumped down by some later stuff when I've finished writing it because I really like where it's going. I'm afraid I might be a little borderline PG-13, but my lizalou42 thought I was overrating it when I originally posted it as an R. So I have to monitor myself more closely to keep it at that rating so fanfiction.net doesn't freak out on me and pull a Strong Bad and say, "Deleted!"
I was intrigued when you mentioned discussion about my fic at Harry's, so I found the forum and tried to find the postings about it--but I failed. Must not have been looking for the right keywords. I noticed that several of my favorite fic writers (misora and meris ann among them) are members of the forum as well. I think I may have to sign up sometime too!