Undercover

By theladyknight

Disclaimer: Digimon—not mine!

A/N: I have SUCH smart reviewers! I love all of you guys!

Dedication: nickygirl—"Of course Matt will find a way to get to the pageant- he's Matt Ishida, for God's sake; he can do anything." Amen to that! Lol. Such a cute, funny review. Thanks for all the support for every one of my stories!

Chapter 13: Who Dun It?

Five hours.

She was almost to the point of counting down the minutes and seconds but figured she'd save that in case she got really bored. Right now, listening to the dance coordinator nag about how the girls were dragging when they should be picking up the pace, she was still at the point of sanity. Barely, though. She must love hearing herself talk because she's rounding on five minutes now. The moments were starting to drag on. Sora wanted nothing more than to go back to the boring routine of paperwork and writing up reports, something she never thought she'd want to do.

Her time in San Antonio and every waking minute spent on this case had been the adventure of a lifetime; she'd be the first to admit it. When Agent Jones gave her word of the assignment, Sora had to do everything in her power not to laugh or slap him. A beauty pageant? What kind of joke was that?

In her younger years, she could remember sitting in front of the television set with the Kamiyas and watching the pageant every year. Her surrogate parents watched for tradition's sake. Tai tuned in for the girls. Kari anticipated the glory and fame the winner received. But Sora forced herself to sit through things for an easy laugh.

People had tried to explain it to her throughout her whole life. She swore that if she heard the words "scholarship contest" one more time, she would freak out. In high school, some of her friends competed in these pageants, and Sora argued with them about their pointlessness to no end.

"Why do you never see normal-looking women up there? If it's not a beauty pageant, why do all the girls seem to be the magazine model types? Come on; real girls do not participate in these things. Real girls have better things to do with their time. When you find a normal, average girl competing on this, please let me know."

Maybe I should let them know.

Though her view hadn't changed, per say, it had softened a bit upon meeting with some of the contestants. The girls she befriended fit the stereotypes but also avoided them completely. Take Mimi and Yolei. Mimi was a pageant poster girl. Born and raised to live and breathe competition, she carried that winner's aura that most girls in the contest were jealous of. Her beauty, talent and surprisingly smart mind gave off the whole package. Yolei, on the other hand, wasn't blessed with everything Mimi was. But she was true and sincere, full of energy, sarcasm and love, all mixed into one person. The two of them, along with the other girls she befriended along the way, had been her first set of actual female friends. Sure, Sora got along with the other female agents in the FBI and had some "friends" from college, but she couldn't relate to them the way she could to the girls she'd met in the last few weeks. With these ladies, there was a chance to talk about the things she'd been missing in life. She had a chance to wince at their discussions, wondering why she was polluting her mind with talk of fashion tips and which guys were the resident hotties this week. But Sora also gained the opportunity to hear these things, the things she'd been missing out on her whole life.

And that left her torn as to her feelings.

It could go either way. There were the goods of the competition mixed in with the bads. Some days she hated things. Some days she wanted to stay here and never get forced to leave. It was hard to describe. This contest had brought out the softer side of her character, the more relaxed and carefree yet still independent and hard-headed girl that had disappeared long ago. So, with that in mind, Sora would probably give the advantage to the pageant. But then again…

"Miss New York! Would you kindly pay attention?"

"Sorry, ma'am. I just drifted off a bit."

"Well, pay attention! Things are going to be a disaster the way it is. We don't need a horrendous dance to add to the problems."

But if you took into the count the dancing, the paperwork clearly was a better option.

Chaos was too light of a description to account for everything that had happened here. Disaster seemed to be lurking in the air. It was as if someone had muttered the curse Macbeth backstage, and the entire group would now pay the consequences.

An arsonist set fire to some of the sets that crews worked on for a good month. Now, things lay in ruins with them. A new group of construction workers and artists was hard at work, but it appeared that time would overpower their diligent efforts. Protesters outside the place yelled and screamed; feminists shouted profanities at the doors. Somehow, word had gotten out that the Beauty Queen Killer was still at large and that he or she was claiming responsibility for the set disaster. And in even more shocking events, the Killer promised—via e-mail to the San Antonio Police Department—that none of the girls were safe.

Mr. Fujiyama was running around like a chicken without its head. He couldn't stand still in one place for more than two minutes at a time. The man was nervous and shaky. His shirt showed that the area underneath his armpits was soaked through with sweat. There was no question that he had a right to be nervous; but the question remained: what was he nervous for?

Security had been patrolling the grounds all night. Cops were on watch, keeping the protesters at bay and guarding the area. Someone close to the pageant, or someone who had very close ties to someone in the pageant had to have a key. It was the only way they could avoid suspicion. With all this bad publicity coming along, people would want to watch to see if anything happens. Desperate men do take desperate measures.

But…did Mr. Oikawa fall under that category too?

Sora had seen the man a few times since they had gotten here early this morning. He, too, was buzzing around, but the man didn't come off as nervous or uncertain. He didn't come off as smug and confident either. Mr. Oikawa was his usual stoical, unperturbed self. But did that mean he was hiding something as well?

I'm as confused as Matt was. Boy I really wish...

Matt…

For all she knew, he was in D.C. being interrogated and reprimanded by the dogs. But she also knew that if he had his way, that wouldn't be happening. Sora desperately wanted to find out what was going on with him. She'd considered calling her cell phone to get an answer from him, but then thought it better not to. What if the FBI agents—those two lumbering idiots—took away his, rather her phone, and caught onto the fact that he had it? What if it were bugged? Though she had a way to contact him, it was crossed off the list. The last thing she wanted was for him to get caught if he had, indeed, managed to escape from the FBI. I hope I'm not being wishful in thinking that he managed to. But he's going to be in loads of trouble if that's the case.

Sora thought about using her necklace communicator to reach him but vetoed that idea as well. The others would be able to hear her and would know if something was up. And could it even project that far? She highly doubted it.

She was on her own. Sure, the others were outside the auditorium, waiting to get their seats and patrol to the best of their abilities. They would be here with her, but they wouldn't be with her. It was a paradox literally but, truthfully, it was common sense. Tai and the others wouldn't let anything happen to her, but they were on a completely different wavelength. If something did happen, they wouldn't be tracking the right suspects. No one was posted behind the scenes with her.

Everyone backstage was a target.

She would've questioned Agent Jones' reasons why and why not. But she didn't feel like getting yelled at and get cited for some ludicrous charge or other. He's way too high-maintenance. I'd consider him to be the Beauty Queen Killer or involved in some elaborate plan if Matt wouldn't have convinced me otherwise.

Matt…

She was back to him again. All night, during her tossing and turning and horrible case of insomnia, she had thought of him and only him. Though he haunted both her dreams, daydreams and fantasies, Sora Takenouchi never wanted to see him more. Every waking thought tied into him, and that was understandable as most of her thoughts revolved around this competition.

Paperwork definitely had the edge right now.

Sora hoped that she wasn't being naive in believing that he'd make it here. If she hadn't gotten to know him as much as she did, she may have doubted him when he said that. But he once told me to expect him in places he'd usually never be. And she really hoped that it held true…

Two hours.

The girls around her were nibbling on their food, gossiping and bitching about others behind their backs. As she listened to Catherine relating the latest rumor she'd heard, Sora pushed the food around her plate with her fork. On a normal day, she'd be scarfing down the food. The delicious entrees, desserts, and every other food imaginable reminded her of the buffet during her college years. Usually, the others would tell her not to each so much.

But it was the other way around today.

She wasn't hungry a bit. Her nerves fed her appetite, giving her nourishment and drink. Her mind was overflowing with information that she desperately wanted to share with the world. This was too much for one woman to think about. I have no idea how Matt managed to keep it to himself and…stop thinking about him! Okay, I'm going to think of something completely different and not consider clues, motives, suspects and the charming blond the rest of supper.

"So, Mimi," the conversation had drifted, "what's going to happen between you and this guy? Is it going to last?"

The pink-haired girl seemed pensive as she munched on a grape, trying to figure out the best way to answer Jun's question. "I don't know, for sure. I mean, I really like him. He's got so many good qualities, and he's just so damn cute. But the distance thing could be an issue. I'm from Mississippi; he's from New England. Will that be a problem?"

"Distance really shouldn't matter if you like him enough." Yolei put her two cents worth in. "He seems like a really sweet guy, and it looked like he really likes you. Go for it."

"What do the rest of you think?" Mimi was anxious for more opinions, hoping they would backup what Yolei had stated.

Sora smiled at her friend. "You don't know for sure what happens in life until you take a chance. Maybe you'll end up on the east coast. Maybe he'll get reassigned to the South. You'll just have to see. But you're going to go on, wondering if you should have gone for it if the two of you don't try now."

"Good point," Gwen said with a smile. "But what did you mean by reassigned? He's just down here on vacation."

The redhead bit her lip. I shouldn't have said that. "I was talking about his job. Maybe, by some weird twist of fate, he'll get assigned to work down in the South somewhere. Then the distance issue wouldn't be so big. Likewise, maybe you'll end up in the Northeast."

Catherine nudged Yolei. "The next time I have guy problems, I'm coming to you, Sora Lynn."

Gwen caught on. "Yeah, you seem to have the guy field handled pretty well. Who was that hottie you snagged last night?"

"You certainly didn't waste anytime going after him." Mimi beamed at the redhead. "I taught you well."

"You guys told me to find a guy and ask him to dance. That's all I did."

She wanted to keep it as simple as that. No explanation meant no more lying. And no more talking about Matt. So much for my game plan. "But you just happened to choose a guy who all ready had a girl hanging onto him. Literally." Yolei pointed out.

"Don't you think I was doing him a favor? Would you really want her drooling over you and cooing over every move you make?"

"Calm down," Jun held up her hands. "You don't have to get so defensive, Sora Lynn. You took looked really cute together."

"Sorry," the girl replied, taking a sip of her bottled water. "It's just…been a long day. Things have been really stressful ever since last night." I'm definitely not lying there either.

"It'll be over soon enough. I'm just going to be sad to see it go." Mimi admitted. "We all have to keep in contact and talk all the time."

Sounds of "definitely", "you'd better believe it", and, finally, the one that Sora was dreading from the start: "group hug" came from all directions. As the girls fought to hug each other with all their strength, giggling in giddy glory, Sora could only fight back a groan. So this is why I hang out with guys…

Forty-five minutes.

"You know if you pace around much longer, you're going to leave a hole in the floor."

Sora glared at the man next to her. He seemed calm and relaxed, unabashed by the pandemonium surrounding them. Girls ran left and right on last minute quests for missing lipstick and curlers. The food table in the middle of the room lay untouched. The barren gift table, nearly two feet long, was gleaming from the barrage of spotlights hitting it, causing it to shine proudly while it waited to be filled soon.

Sora was now dressed in her jean capris with a blue and orange halter top. She was given five different options for shirts in those colors to be matched up with five different types of bottoms. In the end, having really no say in the matter—except a loud "Hell no!" to the jean mini skirt—Gennai decided on the outfit for her.

Here they were, clock ticking down and nerves setting in, as the time till the pageant began got even closer. Sora could see some of her friends mulling around each other, helping with last minute wardrobe issues and hair problems. Some of the girls, Miss New York included, also brought along trainers or coaches to help with any details. "I can't do this, Gennai."

"Sora, you are more than capable. I think you've proven that by now."

"In your eyes, maybe. But in front of the whole world?" She pulled the man aside. "You and I both know that I'm no beauty queen."

"You may not be a beauty queen by definition, but look at how far you've come and the things you've learned. I think you proved you can fight for the crown, and that you don't have to be trained in the art of competitions to do this. Relax; stay calm. You are almost done with this."

"But we still have to concentrate on finding the Beauty Queen Killer. And from…"

"AHHHH!"

Sora's crimson eyes searched the room for the person the voice belonged to. They landed on Miss North Carolina, the woman she'd snubbed last night for Matt. But, as much as she didn't like the girl, Sora knew it was her duty to help her.

Too bad she wasn't in trouble.

"Look! The presents and flowers are here, ladies!" She led the charge as, one by one, girls all around the room sprinted up to the three men, all of whom were struggling under the weight of many flowers and balloons. "Is there one for Miss Laura…"

Sora rolled her eyes as the pile around the guys grew larger. She tried to fight back the laughter that was gathering in her throat. The guys all were around her age and dealt with the attention in three completely different ways. The first man, a redhead, put on his best "lady-killer" smile and tried to balance as many things as he could in one hand so he was free to greet the female population that was approaching faster than a freight train. He successfully lasted about thirty seconds. By that time, he realized he needed both hands. Man number two stood calm and cool, brushing the wavy locks out of his hair as he warmly welcomed the girls flocking to him. The third man paled considerably. He placed his gifts down and hurried over to the nearest exit, nearly bumping into another deliver.

The man had attracted no attention, and it seemed he wanted it that way. He snuck around the girls, bobbing and darting so none of the potted plants and ridiculously gaudy balloons fell to the ground, getting in and out as quickly as possible. As he turned around, he caught Sora's eye and winked.

Feeling slightly suspicious—and thinking her brain was playing an awfully mean trick on her—Sora followed him out the door. And her incredulous thoughts were confirmed.

"How…what…you're going to be in so much trouble, Matt!"

"No hi, how you doing, glad to see you?" His smile rivaled an impish elf. Sora had seen through his disguise and ruse for the first time since he'd been pulling all these incognito stunts. Though his hair was now chocolately brown with speckles of blond coating it and he was dressed in an "Ann's Gifts and Flowers" shirt, his eyes, those brilliant pools of sapphires, shone like powerful stars and were his revealing feature.

"It's more along the lines of how the hell did you manage to escape the FBI, but, yes, now that the shock of you pulling a Houdini has swept over, I'm glad to see you."

"Good," he whispered, glancing around quickly before leaning down and giving her a sweet kiss full of ambiguous meaning. "Mmh…you taste good."

She glared at him. "I'd hope so considering you took all my lip gloss off. As thrilled as I am that you're here and gracing me with your charming presence, how did you do it? And how did you manage to get here without someone finding you?"

His badass grin was so sexy and powerful that it nearly swept Sora off her feet. "It's kind of a funny story…"

-WashingtonDC, Mid-morning-

The jet screamed down on the runway, gradually slowing down and beginning to taxi around. Smug looks graced Jake and Thomas's faces. They never would've imagined this happening in their wildest dreams. This was something they'd hoped and wished for. And now it was coming true!

Matt Ishida was toast.

Both anxiously waited for the moment they could triumphantly saunter down the steps of the plane with Ishida in handcuffs, ready to hand him over to Agent Jones. Jake gave his associate a sly wink that said one thing: Maybe Agent Jones would reward them with promotions for successfully completing this assignment. This day was looking in their favor.

"Get up, Ishida. It's time to see Agent Jones. Enjoy your last few minutes of your "agent" status and of employment." Thomas mocked.

Jake snickered. "I hear there are some openings at the fast food place down the street from headquarters. Or...there might be an opening as a garbage collector in New York City."

The blond gave off a bored yawn, looking at the two with sleepy eyes. His haughty smirk dominated his expression and the two wanted to wipe it clean.

Be as rebellious as you want. You'll be looking like a fool soon.

The plane came to a halt, and the three individuals inside gathered their belongings. Jake's phone rang and as he talked, his face lit up. "Uh huh…yes, sir. We'll be there in thirty seconds. Yes, sir!" He shut his phone, turning to grin at the blond. "Boss just called. He's waiting for you outside."

The man made no movement, and it continued to irritate the two agents. "Silent like a man walking to his death. That's what you are, Ishida." The three exited the plane, greeted by Agent Jones and a couple of other high-ranking officials, most likely there to interrogate Agent Ishida once they got back to headquarters.

"Yamato Ishida, never did I think I'd see the day when you'd cross the FBI. You've embarrassed us and hurt our mission." He paused, as if waiting for Matt to say something. "Take off your hat and show some respect, Ishida. Even though you've made a mockery of us, show some dignity." The blond refused to speak. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

A faint smile appeared on his face as he reached up to his eyes and took out the cerulean contacts. His sparkling green orbs twinkled with amusement. "Yeah I do have somethin' to say to y'all: I've always wanted to visit DC! Are we plannin' on visiting the big guy at the White House...."

"Lucas is probably in so much trouble right now."

"I hacked into the database." Matt replied. "He's being held in custody while Agent Jones sends out a bulletin for my capture. But Luke knew what he was getting into. He was quite cool with the idea, particularly after I offered him a nice going rate in addition to a free plane ride there. And he told me that he always wanted to go to New York see the Capitol," he added, trying to justify what he'd done.

Sora's face was hard to read. Matt anxiously awaited a response, hoping she wasn't that mad at him. "When I first met you, I never saw this coming. But I never saw you as a nice guy, genius or potential lover. I guess I'm learning more about you everyday."

He grinned again, pulling her into his arms and giving her another kiss. "You're not what I anticipated either, Sora. But I'm very happy you're the way you are and that we ended up the way we are. Now, though, we need to figure out who this Beauty Queen Killer is and save the day. Then we can go learn some more about each other."

She slapped him lightly on the arm for what he was alluding to, but her smile betrayed her attitude. "Flirt. Where are you going to be hanging out at? Going into the stands would be like walking out into your death. Jones probably has a bunch of spies out there, in addition to Tai and the others."

"I'm going to chill in Mr. F's office for awhile to check how the manhunt for me is going and to cover any trails I may have left. Then I'm going to hook up my laptop in the coatroom down here, watch you and hope to God that we can figure out 'who dun it' on time."

"Sounds good. Be careful, though. I'll call you on this," she motioned to her necklace, "if I need…wait, it'll attract the others' attention. How will I get in touch with you if I find out something or if you do?"

"I've got that covered. I ran a little errand after I made my escape from the FBI," he joked. The blonde's hands brushed against her neck, taking off the heart necklace and replacing it with a nearly identical one, this one being a shiny golden color. "It's linked to the one I bought for myself. I can relay information to you when you're out on the floor."

"Are you sure these won't interfere with the ones the others have?"

Matt gave a confident nod. "We can try them out, though, just to prove my point." He walked over the doorway and whispered something into the speaker. Sora's face heated up at the comment and this time, she did give him a harder slap on the arm. "Ouch…I take it you heard me."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Ladies!" It was as if God was listening into their conversation. "We have twenty minutes before show time. Get in your places. No more dawdling around!"

"That's my cue," Sora muttered the unnecessary words. "Don't do anything stupid."

Matt fought back a laugh. "Would I ever?" She wisely chose to hold her tongue, and he gave up, knowing she wasn't going to play along with his little game. "Yes, Sora, I'll be careful but make sure you are as well. You're a walking target. Always be on your toes."

"Aren't I always?" she coyly asked, reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips. "Keep in touch."

"Of course,"

"No more standing around, ladies!" Mr. Fujiyama's voice called out. "It's time to get this pageant underway…"

The music was cranked up to the highest volume, and the opening bass beats of "Eye of the Tiger" thumped over the speakers. Excitement littered the air. Audience clapping and cheering interrupted parts of the song as sporadic screams and shouts sounded for certain contestants. The incredible amount of light shining on the stage raised the room temperature by nearly ten degrees.

Why do women choose to do this?

Matt sat, staring at his laptop screen, with an amused smile. He resided in Mr. Fujiyama's empty office, having picked the lock on the door and now had hacked into Izzy's computer program and the main security database. While he watched the pageant unfold, of course. To catch criminals, sometimes you have to become one.

His style of work was somewhat unorthodox. Matt studied criminology and law at Harvard and heavily added courses in advanced math, code breaking, psychology, sociology and computer science, in addition to every other advanced course that would compliment his major. Yes, they'd been challenging, but he'd thrived off the pressure. Unfortunately, though, it hadn't successfully fed his hungry curiosity. He wanted more; he needed more. With that, he did the first thing that came to his mind.

Upon entering the FBI, Matt realized that he needed another outlook on crime if he wanted to be the best he could. The blond decided to take some action about it instead of sitting around. But the ideas he had in mind weren't exactly "FBI approved." He went on this mission in secret, seeking out fellow co-workers who would think nothing of his shenanigans. He'd ask those in the web area if he could try out their newest, most highly-protective programs to make sure everything was running efficiently when in reality, he only wanted to see how long it took him to break into them and send viruses their way. Matt's genius was remarkable, and it didn't take him long to accomplish his unsanctioned work.

I hope it's the same for this.

The voice of the television announcers came through his speakers, muffled a bit by the cries he was hearing from the live audience. It's just about Sora's time. "Miss New York!" the studio announcer shouted into his microphone.

Sora stood on her designated spot, smiling out to the crowd and listening to the cheers and applause. Matt's computer flashed on the FBI agents, all cheering and shouting for her while trying to remain inconspicuous. They're not doing that great of a job. "Sora Lynn Rogers, Miss New York, just graduated—with honors—from New York University. She is pursuing a career in special education awareness and teaching with the hopes of, one day, starting up her very own school for the mentally and physically handicap."

Gennai hadn't lied when he said he could come up with some good descriptions for Sora's personality. She had transformed into this Sora Lynn lady. But just for the night. Then, after this, she'd be back to normal, beautiful, slightly cynical, quick-thinking Sora.

And he was waiting for it to happen.

The dancing continued as more contestants were introduced. Matt zoomed in on Sora and laughed at her expression. It was a smile—a forced smile—but a smile nonetheless. She didn't seem to be enjoying herself as much as Mimi or Catherine, but she still bore some sort of positive facial feature. The blond decided to change angles and targets. He focused in, instead, on Tai, Izzy, Joe and Davis.

The three sat up in one of the upper balcony boxes with, from what Matt picked up, nearly thirty other FBI officials. Scanning Izzy's list of important information, he came to conclude that fifty FBI agents were in attendance, not counting his invisible appearance. They were joined by another twenty San Antonio police officers, all in civilian clothes and spread out in the crowd. Though Izzy's computer gives me exact coordinates. I'm surprised he didn't encrypt things better. It was child's play cracking into them.

A commercial break interrupted his gaze as all the ladies had been introduced and were now in the back to get a few drinks of water or a quick pick-me-up from the assortment of fruits, vegetables and meat and cheese platters on the table in back.

"Well, you didn't trip or anything like that."

Sarcastic laughter. "I came damn close. How's the view from where you are?"

"Not bad," He didn't have to worry about being heard where he was at; no one was in hearing distance of him, but he understood her hushed tones. "I was watching our friends, and I don't think they're in any ideal location should something arise. Come to think of it," he clicked on the map that showed everyone's locations, "I can't find anyone backstage besides you. Apparently, they think you have it covered."

"We have everything covered, though I don't think they know about you being here."

"Let's hope they don't." Matt lied, choosing not to tell the redhead that the bulletin regarding Matt had been sent via e-mail, word of mouth and as a conference call to their other officers. He switched to a view of the backstage area. "Looks like you're being called to head back. Good luck…"

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to narrow our field of lovely young women down to ten." The host, a well-known talk show host Atsuki Homasaki, dramatically waited as a black-haired male in his mid-twenties handed him an envelope. "In my hands I hold the names of the lucky ladies who will go on to compete for the crown and the scholarships. In no particular order, those moving on in the pageant include: Miss Minnesota!"

Sora was genuinely happy, applauding rather loudly and joining in the loud cheers for Gwen. She was glad one of her friends made the final cut. From her eavesdropping sessions with Matt, Sora knew Gwen—along with most of her other friends—had done well in preliminaries.

"Miss Arizona!" She politely joined in the clapping. How was she going to react when they called her name? Sora knew she wouldn't be full of incredible ecstasy at the thought of her name being called. She wasn't into the whole beauty pageant thing. And, of course, she all ready knew she would waltz right into the finals.

"Miss New York!" This was her chance to act. Sora shut her eyes and then opened them as the cameras and lights shone on her. She covered her mouth with her hand as if it was a complete shock and honor for her name to be called. Girls around her swarmed to her, wrapping their arms around her and mumbling jumbles of words Sora wouldn't even try to understand, though she knew they all rivaled the term "good luck" and "we're so proud of you." Managing to escape the clutching of hugs, Sora tried to confidently walk up to stand next to Miss Arizona. She was doing her best not to laugh at how successful her act had been as she stood, patiently waiting for the next girls to join the elite ranks.

"Miss Texas!" Jun let out a triumphant shriek, light tears slinking down her face. The Majestic Theater exploded with noise as the home state's contestant, once again, made the final cut. The cheers were exuberant and were still going as Jun stood next to Sora and hugged her as well. "Miss Hawaii!"

It was a similar process for all the rest. Likewise the same was true for the rest of the girls: "Miss Georgia…Miss Mississippi…Miss Washington…Miss Nebraska…and, the final contestant who will go onto compete is…Miss Massachusetts!"

Yolei managed to make her way down to the front of the stage with the other girls after going through the ceremonious traditions of hugs, kisses and congratulatory statements from the other forty-two women. There were tears being shed behind her, but Sora knew she needed to concentrate on the task at hand.

She stood posed with the others, waiting while the television announcers relayed information off to those at home. She was still having a hard time believing that she was here, standing in front of millions of people in a beauty pageant. That had kind of fallen to the back of her mind with everything regarding Matt, the FBI, Matt, the Beauty Queen Killer and…did she say Matt?

The girls were ushered off the stage, and Sora and her friends immediately met in a group hug. "This is going to be so freaking fantastic?" Jun shouted out.

"I'm so happy we all made it!" Mimi answered, eliciting nods from the rest.

"But it doesn't look like we have time to gab right now," Yolei looked around the room. "We have to change for the next part of the pageant."

Sora rolled her eyes, not at all looking forward to the next part: the swimsuit competition. Well, the sooner it starts, the sooner it ends. "She's right. We'd better get ready."

With one more hug, driven by Mimi, the girls all went their separate ways, moving to the dressing rooms provided for them. Each girl was given her own split off stall and was told to change at fast as humanly possible while keeping appearances. "Why the long face?"

"You'd better not have a camera that's able to see me right now, Ishida."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Takenouchi."

"I really don't want to know what you're dreaming."

"Funny. Your humor never ceases to amaze me. So, how are things at ground zero? Nothing's been happening in the audience and such yet."

She pulled off her top, hurriedly trying to find her swimsuit—rather the swimsuit Gennai'd chosen for her to wear. She fumbled with it but successfully managed to win the battle and put the—thankfully—one-piece on. "It's odd; I'd expect this Beauty Queen Killer to strike, but apparently he or she is lying low for the…"

"AHHHHHHH!"

"Shit…"

"Sora, what's wrong. I heard a scream. The whole audience had to have heard it. What's going on? Sora…damn it, Takenouchi!"

The redhead's hands flew to her mouth the moment she saw what had happened. She instantly recognized the voice; Catherine wouldn't scream like that unless something was wrong. While she would occasionally shriek for joy, it was nothing like this flat-out fearful shout that shook the walls. Something's happened. "Matt, you'd better get down here as fast as you can…"

A/N: So the Beauty Queen Killer has finally struck. Will Catherine be okay? More importantly, is she the last victim or only one of the first? Guess you'll just have to read and see. This chapter was basically a setup for the two concluding chapters, but I did bury some bits of important information in here. Hope you guys and gals picked up on them, but if not, it'll add to some of the surprise next chapter. Next chapter…well, hopefully it's up faster than this one. I'm doing my best to work on things: two colleges applications are done, two letters of acceptance have been received, one more to send in, about twenty scholarships to apply for, but no idea where I'm going to go to college at. Life sucks. Lol. Please review and make things a bit brighter for me and let me know what you think about this chapter, what you liked and such and what you think will happen!