DISCLAIMER: Um, I don't own Lupin III, but the list of characters I do own in here goes on and on…

Hi!

Well, this chapter's out pretty quick, neh? Surprised? I am! Well, here is the latest installment of the series… Please let me know how I'm doing so far! It only helps with my improvement, really! I'm not sure if I'll be able to update this quickly again, but I will, as always, try to produce a high-quality chapter as soon as possible! Enjoy!

P.S.: Oh, by the way, if you're signed up for Yahoo Groups, and you have Lupin fanart or links to your fanfics, I've got a group running now, called Lupin fanworks—jlucydaisuke. I've got a few pictures of the main characters of my own series up now, so you can even see those if you want! It's not very big right now, so feel free to leave anything behind when you visit!

Fun Fact of Boredom: In one of the episodes of the ultra-bizarre anime FLCL, there's a homage to Lupin, where the crazy father actually enters dressed as Lupin himself! Toshiro's yellow Vespa is based off of character Haruko's yellow Vespa, in a nod to this reference!

'Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun.
Happiness is a warm gun
Happiness is a warm gun
When I hold you in my arms
And I feel my finger on your trigger
I know no one can do me no harm
Because happiness is a warm gun.
Yes it is.'

—The Beatles, 'Happiness is Warm Gun'

Chapter Six

The Next Day: Thank Heaven for Little Girls

"Where's Leo now?" Max inquired as he looked up from his newspaper.

"Throwing up again," said Dakota worriedly as she walked out of LeBlanc's bedroom, "Max, he's running a fever, too, and he's still acting as crazy as ever…"

"Yeah, I'm worried too, Kid," Max admitted.

"Why can't we go to that shrink? Leo wasn't acting like a total weirdo until this," said Dakota.

"Good idea, but I can't leave you here with him when he's this unpredictable," Max replied.

"Then we'll take your police cruiser!" Dakota responded quickly.

"Are you kidding? He's a Lupin! He can break out of anything!" snapped Zenigata.

"He's a Lupin who's jumping on the bed and singing Uptown Girl…."

"You know I can't afford to buy her pearls! Maybe someday when my ship comes i-n…" Leo stopped as there was a loud thud, and he laughed, "Ow… I think I broke my pancreas…"

"….You get his jacket, I'll tie his shoes…" said Max.

"Deal," Dakota nodded and disappeared.

When they drove down to Dr. Lauren's business, they were greeted with a sign that read 'OUT OF BUSINESS'.

"This is fishier and fishier…" muttered Max to himself as he stopped the car and leaned upon the steering wheel, "Hey, kid, what's your waist size?"

"Why?" asked Dakota.

"There's an opening up there," said Max, pointing up to an opened door on the roof. "I can't fit, but I know someone who can…"

"Wait, how will I get up there?" Dakota asked worriedly.

Max gave a smile which truly concerned Dakota, and soon she found herself upon the roof of the business, "Max… Max, I'm afraid of heights!"

"So's Yukiko Jigen, but she's still tough!" called Max. "Dakota, you can do it! If something happens, yell!"

"Ooo…" she looked down into the darkened passageway, and jumped into it.

Max smiled, and turned back to his police cruiser, and became quite pale as he saw the back door hanging open, and no sign of Leo, "Leo?" Max shouted, "Leo? Arséne? Ari? LeBlanc? Lupin?" he called as he worriedly ran down the street.

Meanwhile, Dakota continued her crawl down the narrow tunnel way, the passage ahead as black as the passage behind her. She came to a dead stop as she felt something in front of her, and grabbed onto it. It was a foot, wearing a soft slipper-like shoe. She gasped in horror, and the masculine voice gave out a yell of surprise, and cursed as he hit his head upon the top of the small tunnel.

Dakota quickly began to back out, the person in front of her following, "Max! Max, I'm yelling now! Come and get me! MAX!"

But Zenigata was about two blocks away by this point, still looking for Leo LeBlanc. He was frantically yelling for his friend, and grew more and more worried as each person wearing purple who he thought could be Leo turned out to be a dud.

He finally found Leo, who had somehow managed to wind up in front of an ice cream parlor, muttering to himself.

"Come on, Leo," said Max quietly taking Leo by the shoulders and leading him to the cruiser. "You aren't in your right mind right now, Buddy, but that's okay… We'll get this sorted out…." He adjusted Leo's jacket, and frowned with suspicion as he heard a rattling noise. He reached into one of Leo's jacket pockets, and found a bottle of pills, prescribed by none other than Dr. Lauren.

"God the lights are too bright… They… They're making my head hurt…" said Leo to Max while clenching his aching head.

It was then Max noticed the gash running down Leo's arm, "Leo… Leo, how'd you get this?"

Leo blinked with shock and perhaps a few moments' clarity, "I… I don't know… I don't know… What's going on?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out, partner…" responded Max, "Come on, let's get over here…" he led Leo to a park bench, and seated him upon it, removing his coat before seating himself. He ripped off a strip of it, and tied it about Leo's arm, and continued to do so.

"You're ruining your jacket…" muttered Leo dully.

"I don't care," Max answered quietly. "I've got a million of these, and one of you."

"I love you, Ryoko," said Leo suddenly.

Max stopped, bit his lip, and nodded to himself, and then continued in silence. After he finished, he lifted Leo up, and the two trudged back to the police cruiser. Max gasped as he saw Dakota run out of the tunnel, followed by Ally Jigen.

"Allen Jigen, you're under arrest!" Max shouted.

"Hey, you're a kid!" gasped Ally, paying no attention to Zenigata and instead staring in shock at Dakota, who began to deliver a swift kick to him, but was stopped midway by one of Ally's arms.

"Zenigata, Fuji wants to talk to you!" Ally called as he fended off Dakota once more.

"Okay," Max nodded. "You ride with us. Dakota, come down from there!"

"How do I know you won't arrest me?" asked Ally suspiciously.

"Because I've got a partner to worry about," Max responded.

"What happened to Ari's arm?" Ally inquired with worry.

"That's the least of our problems. Right now, he's not even on the same planet as us," responded Max quickly.

"Okay, I'll be right down," nodded Ally.

"Get her down, too, Jigen, she's afraid of heights!" called Max.

"All right," Ally nodded, and picked up Dakota. "All right, Kid, now hang on."

"Why? Why should I hang on?" Dakota asked with wide-eyed worry.

Ally backed up to the edge of the back of the building, and began to run, and jumped off the roof, all while Dakota screamed and grasped on tightly to his neck. She panted as Ally let her down, and she shakily walked over to the police cruiser and leaned upon it while she caught her breath.

"Come on. Ally, you get in the back. Dakota, get in the front seat," Max ordered.

"You want me to help you load Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds over here into your back seat?" asked Ally as he looked over to Leo.

"Yeah, that'd be smart," Max nodded.

"Which is exactly why he thought of it and you didn't," added Dakota as she climbed into her passenger seat.

Ally laughed, "I like her… Who is she, anyway?"

"She's just on vacation. You remember the Daniel Thomas case, from about two and a half years ago?" asked Max.

"That's Dakota? Jeeze, she's really grown!"

"Glad someone noticed," said Dakota as she looked at Max with a small glare. Max shrugged his shoulders and led Leo into the police cruiser with the help of Ally. Ally also climbed into the back of the vehicle along with Leo. Leo clung onto Ally for the ride home, much to the dislike.

Ally gave directions back to the Lupin hideout, which he knew was risky, but he had few other options.

"In here," Ally nodded. "Okay, Ari, let go now."

"His name is Leo LeBlanc," said Max with a snap.

"Jeeze, okay, Zenigata… Don't go looking like you're going to kick my ass across the continent over it…" muttered Ally.

"Trust me, if this were better circumstances, I would," Max replied as he exited the vehicle. "Let's get him out of here… Does this place have an elevator?"

"Nope," Ally replied, shaking his head.

"I don't get it—Her dad stayed in five star hotels, and she always finds the crap holes of the city. This place is nice, but it's a hick motel compared to what he old man stayed in," said Max.

"She likes a lower profile," responded Ally.

"Funny, the only thing I connected to her was her neckline," Max said with a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Ha ha… That's my boss, okay?"

"Boss? Not friend?"

"She's not exactly like her dad in that sense, either. I don't see why Ryoko puts up with her, sometimes."

"It's because she promised to protect her…" said Leo slurridly.

Max looked at Ally, but Ally only shrugged in response, "Don't look at me. I'm as lost as you are."

The two lifted Leo up the seven flights of stairs to where Fuji's hideout was, and Toshiro was more than a little surprised to see Ally and Max carrying a tired-looking Leo up to Fuji's hotel room, and Dakota following them a few cautious steps behind.

Ryo and Fuji were playing a card game when they entered. Ryo extinguished her cigarette, and Fuji tried to avoid showing surprise, but this was difficult to do. The sight was just too strange not to gawk at.

"Can we lay him on the couch?" asked Ally.

"What the hell? I take you out to check out Lauren's office and get lunch, and you come back with Zenigata, LeBlanc, and… Who are you?"

"I'm Dakota," replied Dakota tiredly. "Daniel's daughter."

"Oh… I'm sorry about your dad…" Fuji said with true condolence.

"What are you talking about?" Dakota asked, furrowing her brow.

"Hey, what happened to Leo's arm?" Ryo asked, rising and studying his arm.

"I don't know… He's been acting crazy since he got back from a psychiatrist…" Max explained.

"It wouldn't happen to be Dr. V. Lauren, would it?" asked Fuji.

"Um, yeah…" answered Max slowly.

"Crap… He's on the same stuff as Yukiko!" said Fuji.

"What am I missing here?" Max inquired.

"Dr. Lauren's our cousin…" explained Fuji.

"He looks a little old to me…" said Max.

"Not like that! He's Victor! V. Lauren, V. Lupin?"

"…Son of a bitch…"

"Exactly," Fuji nodded.

"Ryoko?" Leo asked dully as Ryo took Leo's arm and studied it. His legs collapsed underneath him, and Ryo quickly caught him, and helped him to find a seat on the couch.

"He's running a fever… Just like Yukiko…" Ryo muttered with worry.

"How's she doing, anyway?" Ally asked, turning to Fuji.

"Still throwing up," responded Fuji.

"Victor you bastard… You bastard…" said Ryo under her breath.

"Wait, the actual doctor is Victor?" Ally gulped.

"Yeah, why?" asked Fuji.

"I um… We talked about things…" Ally flushed, and scratched the back of his head.

"Knowing him, he's got a video, and will probably blackmail you with it," Fuji added.

"What?" Ally choked, "He… He wouldn't do that, would he?"

"I wouldn't hold it against him," answered Ryo, rising from where Leo sat.

"What did you guys talk about, Ally?" asked Fuji.

"I…" Ally looked down at Dakota, and flushed only more, "I don't want to talk about it in front of her… It's those kinds of problems… What in the hell am I gonna do? How could I be that stupid?"

"My boyfriend, my sister, my brother… Yeah, this constitutes as personal," Ryo muttered as she stalked about the room and reached for her gun. She examined it, and shook her head, "This isn't strong enough… I want something that'll blow a damn hole into a wall… Something like… Yukiko's gun…" she quickly ran into Yukiko's room, and emerged with Yuki's combat magnum shoved in the back of her belt.

"Fuji, I'm going out for a little while…" said Ryo as she grabbed a box of bullets.

"Um… I have a feeling it's not out to a Denny's…" Fuji said. "Where are you going, Ryo, and what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go blow a hole through your cousin's head…" Ryo replied coolly.

"Woah, she's cool!" asked Dakota as she watched Ryo spin the chamber of the gun about once.

"No! No she's not! She's bad!" snapped Max, "Ryo, if you go, I'll have to arrest you!"

"You hypocritical son of a bitch," snarled Ryo. "If you were any sort of cop, you'd have had this figured out by now! Look what they did to your damn partner, if that's all he still is! Look what they did to my sister, and look what he's doing to my brother! And you're no friggin' better, Fujiko! Just sitting on your ass while Leo's practically trying to climb walls and Yukiko's hallucinating! You're both lazy, useless, and only a fifth of your parents legend!"

"I am not my father!" snapped Max.

"Yeah, and that's your problem, Zenigata. You try so hard not to be your old man, you're freakin' turning into him!" snapped Ryo.

"Listen, Ryo-san, we'll get this all sorted out," chuckled Fuji lightly. "Just put down the gun, okay?"

"Fuji, if you're really my friend, let me do this. And if you're my enemy, I won't pause to shoot you," said Ryo. And with that, she stormed out of the hotel room, leaving all stunned in her wake.

"I think she's mad…" said Dakota after a pause.

"There's more to this than she's saying…" Fuji said to herself, "Something's got her really mad…"

The Docks:

Victor Lupin was more than a little surprised when a shot fired, smashed out a window, and nearly made impact with his skull. He looked out, and saw a very angry Asian woman with an olive complexion staring back at him, taking aim on the dock.

"What the hell…" he started, and ducked as another shot fired.

"Come on out, Victor! I've got all day and a box full of bullets!" snapped Ryo as she cocked the magnum and leaned against the hood of the Alfa Romeo, which she had liberated from Fuji, "And you know who my brother is, so you know I'm sure as hell good on my word!"

"Friggin' hell…" Victor threw down the paperwork he had been studying and opened the door to his study room.

"Boss, you want me to take care of this?" asked one lackey in a thick Columbian accent.

"Nah, I'll ice this bitch myself," Victor replied, walking down the hall while he loaded his Walther, cursing as he did so.

"Well, if it isn't my almost in-law… How's my cousin? He and that blonde do one another yet?" Victor asked with amusement.

"Only you'd begin a question like that, Victor," said Ryo with a smirk as she looked up from where he stood at the side of the ship.

"How's Odori-chan?" inquired Victor with a smile.

"Very pregnant," responded Ryo.

"Brave man…" muttered Victor to himself.

"Victor, why don't you come down here? I want to talk with you," Ryo called.

"You look like you want to shoot me, Jigen…"

"You know, whatever comes first," said Ryo with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Heh," Victor gave a small laugh, and jumped off of the ship and onto the dock, landing in front of Ryo with the same smile. "You know, if I weren't blue-eyed, I'd almost look like your fiancé."

"Ex-fiancé," responded Ryo quickly. She raised her gun and glared at Victor, "But that's your fault now, isn't it, Victor? He's not the one who shot that guard, is he?"

"Ryoko Jigen, are you wearing a wire? Don't make me have to search you," Victor chuckled.

"I'm going to feel sorry for the devil when I send you back to hell, you bastard," hissed Ryo.

"What, you're going to kill me?" chuckled Victor, "Since when did anyone in your group kill for revenge?"

Ryo shot, and the bullet grazed Victor in the shoulder, "Since now, jackass."

"God… What the hell Ari sees in you," Victor shook his head and laughed. "It's no wonder the way he is… You want to know the things he said to me, Ryoko-chan? You want to know what your dear little brother said to me? Tough boy Allen Jigen…." Victor laughed, "You should hear what they told me! It's priceless… They both brought you up, by the way…. Do you want to know what they said about you? Your brother was quite kind, but Leo was simply confused…"

"Do you have an off switch somewhere?" snapped Ryo.

"Why? Do you want to see it?" Victor asked with a sneer. He raised his gun and shot, but Ryo quickly ducked and rolled out of the way, and shot again. Both were more than surprised when she hit a gasoline tank, and it burst into flames.

"Damn it! That's half of my supply, you bitch!" growled Victor as he looked at half of the ship submerge into thick flames, "You bitch!"

"Heh, it's about time someone showed you your place, you damn misogynist..."

"You think you're funny, neh? Well, we'll see how funny you think this is…" he threw several metallic balls, and Ryo quickly ducked before they exploded.

"Full of tricks, aren't you, Mister Magician?" smiled Ryo as she surveyed the explosions.

"Victor Lupin!" both looked upward.

"Who's that?" Ryo asked as she noticed he too had a gun pointed at Victor.

"That'd be the ships captain," Victor gulped dryly.

"You damn fraud!" shouted the captain, "There's nothing in those crates! What did you do with the supply?"

"What? Of course there's something in those crates, you idiots! Now go get it from the flames!" shouted Victor.

"I should be throwing you into those flames!" growled the captain. He shot from his machine gun, and both Ryo and Victor took off running. Ryo threw herself into the Romeo, and started it up, shooting back at the captain as the zoomed off. She shot at another fuel tank, and the rest of the ships went in flames.

"Well, there are a million ways that that could've been better…" mumble Ryo as she threw her gun down on the passenger seat. She continued to zoom down the ever-busying streets, ducking other cars and cleverly weaving through rush hour traffic. It caught her attention at one point that there was someone in the back seat reaching for her gun. She quickly brought the car to a halt, grabbed the gun, and pointed it to the stowaway, who proved to be none other than Victor Lupin. Victor was clutching to his chest, and looked very pale. Ryo then noticed he had been shot.

Ryo started the car up once again, and sighed, "Victor, I don't know why I'm doing this… I shouldn't be… But I want to be the one to kill you… So that's why I'm doing this… Don't think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart, because I'm not," she pulled into a hospital, and helped Victor out of the car, her own outfit becoming stained with blood as she led him in.

"Why… Why are you…" Victor choked.

"I explained it already, idiot, so don't make me again… I'm having a hard enough justifying it my friggin' self… Now save your breath," grumbled Ryo. "Nurse! Nurse!" she called. The nurse quickly ran up, and Victor was carried away on a stretcher.

"What's his name, ma'am, and how are you related?" inquired another nurse.

"His name's Remy Rupan," replied Ryo quickly. She had prepared for this, "I'm an acquaintance…"

"Are you going to be staying with Mister Rupan?" inquired the nurse.

"No, I've got to get home," Ryo shook her head in response.

"Could I have your name, please?"

"Diana. Diana Ming," she answered, and left the hospital, still soaked in blood.

Ryo returned late in the evening, and there were more than a few questions as to why she was covered in blood, the full box of bullets she had gone with was only half full, why a huge Columbian cargo ship had been reduced to flames, and why Victor Lupin was in the hospital.

"I need a drink," was Ryo's only tired answer. She then went silently into her room, and took a shower. She threw away the clothes covered in blood, and had to wash off each of her thirty-six bracelets.

"Ryo?" she heard, and shot her head up at the sound of her name. Leo was in the doorway, leaning against it tiredly.

"Leo!" Ryo gasped, and led him to a chair, "How are you feeling?"

"Finally on this planet… I've been throwing up for hours," Leo answered. "Max and Fuji have been good caretakers, though. And Heiji's been making soup left and right."

"I'm glad you're okay… I was worried about you," said Ryo with concern as she laid a hand upon his face. "Your fever's gone down."

"That's good," Leo nodded.

"Hey, you aren't blushing when you're talking to me!"

"Victor's a bastard, but he can really make sense," Leo answered with a shrug. "I'm not cured, I know… But I'm better…"

"What did you two talk about?" asked Ryo as she resumed polishing her bracelets.

"My serious relationship problems," answered Leo.

"Hm… That it?"

"That's all you're getting," replied Leo with a yawn. "I'm tired… I'm gonna go home… I just wanted to say thanks…"

"For what?"

"For being there," Leo shrugged, rose, and stumbled out of her room. He would have to find Max. He could she Dakota was having enough fun of her own—Heiji, Toshiro and Ally were in the kitchen together, and she had been allowed to help. Leo could tell that she had developed a crush on the three from her time being there.

"Surfer Heiji, bad-boy Ally and city boy Toshiro… Yeah, I guess that's the dream of a lot of girls her age," mumbled Leo as he seated himself on the couch. "Aw… My friggin' head…" he rolled over and grumbled.

Max was with Fuji outside on a balcony, still trying to sink in what she had told him.

"Dead?" Max yelped.

"Yep. They found his body Thursday," answered Fuji with a nod. "You want a cigarette?"

"Not really, but I think I need it now," Max muttered, taking the lit cigarette from her shakily. "Now what?"

"I have no clue. How in the hell are you supposed to tell a kid that her dad was murdered!" asked Fuji.

"I'll have to tell Leo… As soon as he's better, though," Max nodded numbly.

"Leo's got enough stress right now," replied Fuji. "Ah, what a twisted web we weave, neh?"

"You can freakin' say that again," Max snorted.

"Ah, what a—"

"I didn't mean literally!" snapped Max, "I've got to get home…"

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Fuji.

"Nope," Max shook his head, and walked out to the living quarters. "Dakota, Leo… Come on, let's go!"

"All right," Dakota sighed. "Bye, guys!"

"Bye!" the three men answered, and Heiji gave a small laugh as she exited.

"I think she was checking you guys out," Heiji laughed.

"Heh, hey, you weren't saved that, either," muttered Ally.

Fuji smiled as she strode in, and slapped Heiji from behind as she walked over to him, "So, what's cooking?"

"Heh heh… Nothing as long as you're here," Heiji answered, nudging Fuji out of the kitchen with a spatula.

"Ah… Heiji-chan, you're no fun sometimes!" muttered Fuji in a whine.

A Few Days Later:

Ryo was awoken by a knocking on her door. She yawned, and stretched, and threw on her bathrobe before approaching the door. She opened it, and was shocked to see Victor Lupin standing in the doorway, holding a package.

"What are these?" asked Ryo curiously as she took the box.

"The videos," Victor responded, clearing his throat. "I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart, Ryoko… I'm doing it because you saved my life, and I don't want to remain indebted to you for the rest of my life."

"Heh…." Ryo laughed and shook her head, "You destroyed my entire life, and this is supposed to make me feel better?"

"No," Victor shook his head. "We've even now, Jigen. I don't want to be bothered by you, any longer."

"Only if you retire, and promise you'll leave everyone alone," said Ryo firmly.

"Hm… I can't do that, and you know that… So I suppose I'll be seeing you around, after all," Victor smirked, and hobbled down the hall.

"I could've shot him…" Ryo said to herself as she closed the door. She couldn't though, and she knew why. When she had seen him in the back of the Alfa Romeo, he had looked exactly like Ari. And it was impossible for her to hurt Ari…

"Fujiko!" a loud growl suddenly awoke the entire floor of the small motel, which was taken up entirely by the Lupin gang.

"What the hell was that?" asked Yukiko as she leaned against the doorway, still weak from her drug trip.

"That sounded like my sister…" answered Toshiro with worry as he also rose from the bed and opened the door to the hotel room.

"I'm gonna be sick!" Yukiko moaned, and quickly ran from the doorway. Toshiro watched her run to the bathroom with great concern. The vomiting spells should've passed days ago. Now something totally different was making her sick, and he had an inkling as to what it was. He just didn't want to admit it.

"Flintstone vitamins! Your important cargo was a bottle of nutrition supplements shaped in the likeness of a cartoon?" Odori growled as she pounded upon Fuji's door.

"Hee hee…" Fuji laughed from the other side, "Dori-chan, how could you?"

"How could I fall so easily for one of your tricks? I'm not sure, the reason escapes even me!" Odori growled.

"No I mean, there was a great treasure in there, and you let it get away! Dori, I'm surprised!" gasped Fuji.

"My ass! You're full of crap, Lupin!" Odori yelled, "You get out here, now, and face my blade!"

"Eh, rather not, Dori!" Fuji responded.

"Odori, you get to bed before I lock you in your room! You need sleep!" shouted Heiji.

"All of you need to just shut up before I start on you all!" Ally shouted from his room.

"Ah, what a beautiful night…" muttered Ryo, rolling her eyes and slowly closing her door.

Leo's Apartment:

"Well, you want to go in there?" asked Leo as he sipped his coffee with Max at the kitchen table.

"I think we should go together," Max nodded after a pause. "I can't do this alone, and I know you wouldn't be able to, either, LeBlanc…:

"We can't put this off forever," Leo sighed, and rose.

"Listen, um, I don't mean anything by this, but, I um…" Max rose and grasped onto Leo's hand tightly, "I just… I'm nervous about this…."

"Yeah, me, too…" Leo admitted, and both walked into Leo's room. Dakota was there, watching television blankly. Leo curled up next to her on the bed, and Max seated himself on the edge of it.

"Um, Dakota, why don't you turn that off a second, sweetey? We…. We all need to talk…" Leo reached over and turned off the television, and looked up at him questioningly, and then at Max.

"What's going on, guys?" asked Dakota, "Did they find my dad?" a smile grew on her face, and she laughed, "Oh, no, where'd they have to bail him out of now?"

"I… I got a report from Lupin, and ICPO had information on it, too," Max cleared his throat, and avoided eye contact with the young girl.

"Dakota they… They found your dad, but, um…" Leo paused, "He… He's gone for a long time, Honey…"

"What?" Dakota's smile fell, "Did Interpol catch him? Wait, can't you two bust him out?"

"No," Leo shook his head, "We'd do it if he were. We both would jump through as many hoops as possible to do that for you, you know that! But… He's gone…"

"Gone? You keep saying that? Where's he gone to?" Dakota asked Leo. She looked over at Zenigata, "Max, where's he gone?"

"He's… He's in a very good place, Dakota…" Max responded.

"What….? No… You… You mean he's… No!" she ran to the door, but Max quickly caught onto her and embraced her. Leo walked over and seated himself next to the two.

"It's okay… It's okay… Get it all out, Dakota… It's all right…" Leo said in a whisper.

"What are they going to do with me?" Dakota wept, "No one will take me! They all hate me! My mommy's in a coma! My daddy's gone, and they're going to put me in one of those stupid orphanages! I know it! That's just like them! They'll do it! They hate us!"

"Not if we have anything to do about it," Leo shook his head, and brushed some of Dakota's black hair back. "I can't do it, because all of my information's forged, but I already talked with Max about it…"

"About what?" Dakota sniffed.

"Well, if you want, you can stay with Leo's parents, and I'll adopt you…. I know you hate me, but, would you like that?" asked Max.

"You two are going to be my parents now?" Dakota inquired.

"Yeah. If you want us to," Leo replied, wiping away a few of her tears with his hand.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'd like that," she responded, clinging onto Max tighter. "Thank you…"