A/N: I got this done! I'm sorry I took so long. School is pressing over me. Is that the right thing to say? I'm still stumbling over the correct English sayings... In any case here is a filler-y chapter that gets the plot forward. Is that even possible? Oh dear... Just read and review okay?

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Chapter 54.

The alarm clock in a cell phone was one of the best and worst inventions ever. Best because it actually worked and you didn't need to drag around any unnecessary contraptions when going to a sleepover. Worst because it actually worked and you needed to get up. Especially when on the previous night of the said sleepover one had stayed up late.

Those were the fuzzy and tired thought one Okiya Tsukiko had when she rolled on her stomach and stopped the alarm.

"…'m naw gettin' up." The blonde mumbled, burying herself under the duvet once again. And right on then… that cursed phone rang again. Accompanied by a few choice words, a slender arm dove out from the confines of the warm blanket and picked up the phone. A three seconds later the piece of electronic's desperate calls for attention were answered.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Hey, Tsukiko-chan. Do you remember what day is it?" Out of all people, Miyoshi Mai wasn't the person Tsukiko expected to call her so early in the morning. Sonoko maybe, or Sera but not Mai. Not rational and considerate class president of 1-A, Miyoshi Mai-san. Well, apparently appearances were deceiving…

"How could I forget?" The blonde grumbled. "I'm not coming."

"Oh, that's not exactly on option. If you don't come to the department store on your own, we're going to come and pick you up. And that means all three of us." Oh, you just didn't not make that threat.

"But I wanna sleep. I'm tired…" This time the reply was accompanied by a yawn.

"We're meeting a ten o'clock in the ground floor, on the right side of the entrance. And we will see you there."

"But-!" The call was already disconnected.

"Heeeeeeeh…" Tsukiko sighed. She didn't exactly have any choices. Glancing at the clock, the girl sighed again. It was seven fifteen… Way too early for a Sunday morning. And it was so nice and warm here underneath the duvet…

"Kyaaaaah!" Tsukiko woke up with a start when ice cold water streamed down on her. Door closed on that moment somewhere on her left and behind but she didn't notice. She found herself sitting in the bathtub, right underneath the showerhead. With some fumbling, she stopped the stream of water and got up from the tub, her pajamas soaking and dripping wet. But while awake, she was still a bit disoriented. What was she supposed to do now? She was wet and her day clothes were in her room. Or so she though. The only thought in the blonde's head was how she would get clothes from her room(well, guest room) which was in the other end of the second floor corridor.

Minutes ticked by and Tsukiko dried her hair on a nearby towel. Then she noticed a pile of clothes nicely folded a top of the washing machine. At the sight of them, the girl figured out who was in response of her abrupt wake up. Not that anyone else really could've done it: Her so-called brother, Okiya Subaru.

"Ah…"

After a few more minutes the blonde emerged from the bathroom, wearing simple black t-shirt, a high-collared warm-grey hoodie, a pair of blue jeans and violet socks. She made her way to down stairs and to the kitchen where Subaru was apparently preparing for lunch already. Tsukiko glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost ten.

"Your friends called." Subaru stated without turning away from the cutting board. "They wanted to make sure you won't sleep in."

"And there wasn't any other way to wake me up?" The girl frowned in irritation.

"No, seeing that you didn't even wake up when your phone rang right next to you."

"I see."

"I told Miyoshi-chan to go and eat a lunch with Suzuki-chan and Sera-chan." That sounded quite formal… "So you shall help me here and eat here and then you're going to meet up with them." Was this a payback from the anime marathons?

"Okay…"

About two hours later Tsukiko found herself at the Beika department store. Subaru had given her a ride to ensure she wouldn't just slip away.

"Oh, how much he trusts me…"

"Well, I had half-a-mind to take over and do something productive instead of this… whatever they've planned." Kage muttered.

"C'mon guys, don't be such killjoys… It can't be that bad." Reds… whined.

"Yes, it can." Came the simultaneous reply from the other two parties of the internal debate.

"Don't gang up on me!"

"Now you know how I feel…"

"I swear this is a conspiracy against me!" Tsukiko announced once her three so-called friends were in earshot. The trio of girl turned to look at her and grinned simultaneously. Creepy as hell… They weren't even upset at all about that she had missed their meeting time.

"Your brother brought you over? Lucky~." Sonoko giggled. Mai and Sera were also smirking.

"It's a conspiracy I tell you. He is paying back to be for all those anime marathons I've put him through but ganging up with you against me!" Tsukiko raged but there wasn't any heat behind the words anymore. "Just tell me what have you planned for me to go through. And why, is possible…"

Mai smirked. "Well, 'what' shall remain a secret for a moment more but as for 'why'… maybe I can tell you… This all began when Suzuki made a very interesting observation about you. And Sera-san."

"Observation?"

"Yes." The classpresident smiled. "And after hearing that, I told these two how you don't actually need glasses… which led to yet another observation…"

"Just spill it." Tsukiko growled. "And didn't you promise not to mention that fact?"

"Well, I didn't say anything about the other issue related to that…"

"The 'adoption', you mean…" The blonde was silently confirming with her glare. Mai didn't even have a tendency to look sorry.

"Well, in any case. We noticed that if you discarded your glasses…" Sera joined in. "… and dyed your hair…"

"You could pass as Sera-san's sister!" Sonoko exclaimed with unveiled glee. Tsukiko blinked. And blinked again. Then it hit.

"W-Whaaaaaat? You can't be serious!"

"Dead serious." Mai nodded. "And today we are about to confirm our theory."

"We even reserved a time for a hairdresser for you. Don't worry, I'll pay for it." Sonoko explained.

"But we don't even look alike…" Tsukiko glanced at Sera for support. She didn't get any. "Or do we?"

"Well, you gotta admit that there are similarities between the two of us…" The tomboy shrugged. "We both can pass as boys if needed, according to Sonoko-chan our eyes look similar too except for the color… and there're similarities in personality as well."

"According Suzuki-senpai?"

"Yes. But we all agree to it and want to see the results… So?"

"So what?"

"Are you up to this?"

The three girls were looking expectantly at Tsukiko. Talk about peer pressure.

"…Fine." The blonde huffed. "But only because you're paying." She added but the girls didn't hear it whilst cheering at their success.

So, approximately three hours and a new hair color later, the quartet was found sitting in a cafeteria of the third floor of the Beika Department Store, chatting away with every day things. Tsukiko was time to time playing with her hair and wondering the change. It was… different, so to say. In a way now she could blend in better but at least in the class she would attract more attention as everyone had already used to her 'unusual' hair color. Not to mention that now she was set even more apart from Subaru. That was the fact that worried her the most. Especially after Sonoko had confiscated her glasses. 'You don't even need them so why ruin your eye sight?' The rich girl had asked. Tsukiko hadn't answered.

"Say, Miyoshi… You mentioned once that you were writing a book, didn't you?" Sonoko asked while slurping her smoothie. Mai blinked and looked up from her cake piece.

"Why, yes. I think I mentioned that…" The class president mused. "What about it?"

"Well… I was just thinking what sort of book it is."

"Writing a book? My, that sounds interesting." Sera joined in. "What is it about?"

"It's a mystery novel placed in a boarding school environment. It is going to be a book series if I am ever to publish it and I already have an outline for it ready."

"Have you started writing it already then?" Tsukiko frowned. That sounded quite full days for Mai… Homework, duties as the class president, dating Kouki, her investigations… and now writing a book.

"Well, I do it when I feel like it… It really is a piece of cake once the main plot lines are done. The script for the first book is ready I just should get it forward." Mai chuckled. "But I guess I'm too embarrassed to actually send the draft to anywhere to be read through…"

"Embarrased? But, Mai-san… You told me once that you want to become a mystery novelist. You shouldn't be embarrassed about your own work even if it were your first one. I know that many writers often look back at their debut works and think them childish but you have to start from something. Who knows… maybe this is what will make you famous."

"But I can't… What if my parents spot my name… They want me to become a doctor…" See the scared side of Miyoshi Mai under the threat of her parents' wrath. Tsukiko was glad she wasn't on her shoes…

"Well, use an alias then." Sonoko huffed. "A lot of artists do that. We can help you to come up with one, right girls?"

"Sure!" Sera nodded. "That sounds fun. And I really want to read your books, Mai-chan."

"Me too. You are talented, I'm sure." Tsukiko smiled.

It took a while to arrange the letters of Mai's name. The four of them had together decided to write Mai's name first in western letter and rearrange them then. They came up with two names: Himiyo Misa and Himiya Miso. The first one was obviously feminine while the second one was masculine. Both were good. 'Himi' would be written with the kanji for 'secret' while the rest… depended.

"You had to add 'bean paste' into the name?" Mai frowned at Sera.

"Well… It is an alias, isn't it? No one really cares when it's that obvious. Besides 'Miso' sounds good, huh?" The tomboy grinned.

"I agree." Tsukiko smirked. "It sounds good and if you really have to, you can just write the whole name with hiragana."

At that Mai and Sonoko shared a glance. They smirked. And before either of the other two could react, a photo of them was taken. By two camera phones.

"Let's see… Who to send this…" Sonoko mused smugly. "To Ran… at least."

"And to the phones of these two." Mai continued. "I think I'll send one to Takuya-nii too. You both met him after all."

"And of course to Tsukiko-chan's brother!"

"True."

"H-Hey wait!" Tsukiko leaned over the table in a vain attempt to stop the pictures from being sent via cyberspace. Sera blinked in surprise too at the antics of the duo before chuckling to herself.

"C'mon, Tsuki-chan. It isn't that bad." She consoled the younger girl. "Like this we do look alike, surely you noticed it."

"Umm… yeah…"

The tomboy threw an arm around the former blonde's shoulders. "You know what, Tsuki-chan? You can call me 'neechan' now!"

"N-Neesan?"

"Yes, just say it: Masumi-neechan." The green-eyed girl smiled brightly, her snag tooth showing. A blush covered Tsukiko's face once she saw Sonoko and Mai watching her… and waiting.

"Just do it. It won't kill you to say that no matter how embarrassing it might be." Kage yawned.

"Just go to sleep, no-gender! But really Tsukiko, you should just say it. You'd look cute!"

Tsukiko sweatdropped internally. Once again her two separate personalities had ganged up on her. Was that even possible to happen? In any case she was the poor minority in this situation, no matter was one counting the situation socially or mentally… Or something.

"M-Masumi-nee…"

Sera – Masumi – squealed in delight and hugged the blushing girl by the neck. And zap, zap… the cameras went off once again.

Sera headed to her hotel and Sonoko had her chauffeur picking her up for a late dinner with her family and some business associates. That left Mai and Tsukiko walk together home.

"Tsukiko-chan? Are you alright?" The only bespectacled girl on the moment asked. The former blonde stopped her hand fingering her now-dark locks and looked wide-eyed at the other.

"H-How so?" A vain attempt of smile.

"It's really bothering you, isn't it? This new hair color of yours…"

"Ah, you are as observant as always, Mai-san!" Tsukiko laughed nervously. "But yes… This will take a while for me to get used to. Nothing else. That's all I have in my mind. I promise."

"Liar..."

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are. Come on… Let's spend the rest of the evening at my place. My parents aren't home. They never are." Mai took a hold on Tsukiko's arm, pulling it away from her hair and pulling her to other direction than Jodie's apartment.

Mai's home was… quite nice. Well, it was a bit cold and impersonal in a way but Mai explained it being so because they never spent time together there.

"Otou-san is always at work and Okaa-san is almost as often by his side or in some important and prestigious events." The class president explained as she made tea. "My room is a bit better though. I don't let anyone come in."

"Is that so?" Tsukiko smirked. "Can I go to take a look then?"

"Go ahead! Just don't touch anything though. I don't want any of my notes being messed up."

"No worries!" The dimension-jumped girl made her way to a corridor leading away from the kitchen-living room area. There was a door to a bathroom, a toilet, the master bedroom, a guest room… and finally Mai's bedroom. It was the last door on the left but when Tsukiko stepped in, she noted the room was quite spacious and had an excellent view. Mai had a bed next to a large closet and even larger bookshelf filled with books. There was also a desk… completely void of any papers.

"What?" Tsukiko frowned. Where were Mai's notes she was so worried that could get messed up?

"Oh, sorry. I forgot I had cleaned them away." Speak of the devil… And she appeared on the doorway.

"Okay… What shall we do then?"

"Hmm… We don't have really any games or movies here… And reading books is pretty… anti-social. What if we just have tea and talk in the living room? We could also talk here but I don't have another chair and drinking tea on a bed is pretty hazardous."

"Okay." The two of them where making their way out of the room when the blue sheet covering one wall caught Tsukiko's attention. "Mai-san… why's that here?"

"Hm? The sheet? Just to cover the boring white wall. Okaa-san didn't allow me to paint it." Mai waved her hand dismissively.

Tsukiko wasn't sure who came up with it and how that person came up with it... She wasn't sure what exactly happened but at one point of the evening Mai went to her parents' liquor cabinet and took out a bottle of some expensive whiskey. Tsukiko was a bit apprehensive at first but yielded then. It wasn't like her parents would scorn and scold. It wasn't like she didn't like the idea of doing something forbidden.

"Underage drinking? Really, Mai-san… Do you do this often?" The former blonde chuckled as she took her half-filled glass of – she took a better look on the bottle – bourbon.

"When things are really fraying my nerves and no one is at home…" Mai sighed, taking a sip from her full glass. "Okaa-san and Otou-san don't know naturally. Neither does Kouki-san. Takuya-nii… well, I guess I took the cue from him. He goes to this bar… Blue Parrot. He used to go there with a couple of his friends when in the Academy… I don't remember their names or faces anymore, I met them only once… In any case he doesn't speak about them but does go to that bar whenever he feels depressed. I followed him once."

"You sure talk a lot." Tsukiko drank some more. The drink didn't really taste bad…

"Like I said, when things are fraying my nerves… It's good to calm down and let it all out. You should try it too."

"You think so?" A skeptical eyebrow was arched.

"Yeah. It truly does some good."

Tsukiko doodled on her sketchbook that she had laid on the low rectangular table. The two girls had settled on the floor from the couch. Mai was sitting at the side next to the girl and making some notes on a sheet of paper.

"Wha'? 'm I a scientific 'xperiment now?" Tsukiko mumbled after a while. Mai looked up and quirked an eyebrow. While the class president had drank more than the former blonde and had a notable flush splayed on her cheeks, she was obviously less intoxicated than the other.

"What makes you think so?"

"You keep lookin' at meh an' makin' notesss."

"I'm just checking that you are alright. But to be honest I truly didn't expect you to fall that quickly."

"Fall?"

"Your condition. And while we're at this and both are aware of the alcohols effects on loosening one's tongue… why don't you tell me now what exactly bothers you with this new hair color of yours?" The brunette leaned her elbows on the table and gazed down at the black haired girl who was half-lying on her sketchbook. Tsukiko tilted her head on the left and blinked slowly while thinking of an appropriate answer.

"Hmph… Fine. I just… I don't look like Niisan anymore. You even took my glasses away… I want to look like Subaru-nii, not like Bakai…" She muttered into her forearms, not fully aware to whom she was talking to. "I don't want questions. I just want to live my life here and get on with it…"

The former blonde dozed off. Mai smiled faintly. While she didn't feel good about getting her friend drunk and making her speak… she was sure Tsukiko was happy to get that confession out of her chest. The class president frowned then. For two reasons. One: now even more questions were raised. And two… what should she do about Tsukiko now? They both had school tomorrow and her parents would be home around midnight. If they found Tsukiko, they both would be in trouble. The bottle would be easy to hide and dispose later…

Mai picked up Tsukiko's phone which was lying on the table too. The screen was locked. The girl frowned. She needed a number to call and she had neither Tsukiko's brother's nor Jodie Saintemillion's number… So the only option was the phone in her hand.

"What could she use…? Not a regular four-numbered one… and definitely not birthdays…"

"Bakai… It wasn't my idea…" Tsukiko mumbled in her sleep. Again that person… Whoever it was… Mai frowned in thought. It was just a guess but…

"22-2-5-2-44. B-A-K-A-I." And it was open. "I better tell her tomorrow to change the code."

In the end Mai ended up calling to Jodie since most likely Tsukiko's school uniform and other stuff were at the agent's place where she regularly lived. To say the woman wasn't shocked by the call from her former student was a grave understatement. And when she heard the reason, it was obvious, she was trying her best not to launch into a full-blown lecture mode. The girl's former English teacher was at the door in thirty minutes and already slightly sobered class president went to open the door.

"Konbanwa, Agent-san." Mai greeted the woman and gestured her to follow to the living room, where Tsukiko was still sleeping.

"Konbanwa, Miyoshi-san." Jodie greeted back a bit awkwardly and took a look at the sleeping girl then. "When I heard you three and dyed Tsukiko-chan's hair, I was a bit doubtful but apparently you actually did it. A proper transformation I have to say."

"Yeah… It was Suzuki's idea and we all, even Tsukiko-chan, decided to go with it." Mai shrugged. And then Tsukiko spoke again.

"Hmh… Bakai, tell that Scar face to stop wandering around…" The duo blinked and glanced down at the girl.

"She has been muttering awhile already." Mai explained. "Not much but time to time…"

"I-I see…" Jodie crouched next to Tsukiko and attempted to shake her awake. The woman decided not to comment the phrases she heard. When rousing the slumbering girl from her sleep, the agent completely missed the contemplating look the future mystery novelist Miyoshi Mai had on her face. She had not failed to note the look on the agent's face when Tsukiko had spoken. But what was it exactly?

"Bakai… Baka-i? Ba-kai? No wait! Tsukiko uses is unfamiliar with some kanji, she could easily just an alphabet in a word! B-Akai! No wonder Agent-san is so shocked: Tsukiko just mentioned both her (possible) former colleague and the guy who wanders around with a face like his… Interesting…"

"Right, we are leaving now." Jodie had the half-awake Tsukiko on her feet now. "I'm not sure if Tsukiko-chan is coming to school tomorrow after this but…"

"I'll take a full responsibility of that and will deliver the homework and a copy of my notes for her tomorrow. After all this was my idea." Mai picked the half-empty bottle from the table and took a look at it. She could drink it on a later date. It wasn't like her parents would miss one bottle that they'd buried on the back of the liquor cabinet…

"Yes. I think I'll keep her home for the day. Just in case. Bye then, Miyoshi-san."

"Bye, Agent-san."

When the door closed, the young girl with sharp investigative mind was left alone with her new discoveries. What she had found just now… truly confirmed one Jodie Saintemillion's connection with Akai Shuichi. How exactly Okiya Tsukiko was related to that man, was a mystery though. Maybe via the same way than to Jodie? The both of them were FBI agents after all and that was how Tsukiko had ended up as Jodie as her guardian. Which was strange since she had a brother too…

"Oh well… Time to rest and process this all. Tomorrow I gotta wake up early after all."

A/N: This chapter has been in my mind for a while now. Some details were honed while writing but the main points: hairdye, alikeness between Sera and Tsuki, drinking, Jodie picking up Tsuki... Yeah...

Oh, and just to mention: Mai calls Tsukiko in her mind by just the girl's name but when speaking it's still 'Tsukiko-chan'.

And no, Jodie didn't hear Mai's musings in the end even though it was in italics like Tsukiko's mutterings had been. I just used italics with Tsuki in order to emphasize that it was quiet almost inegible voice. It's the same with whispering but mostly italics are used when thinking.

Reviews to Replies:

-Kaizuka-Michiko:
Ah well... I think it'll come up during the time. But Subaru can probably guess it since Sera is wandering around Beika... But Tsukiko won't mention it on her own will.

-Zeladious:
Huh? What have I answered last time?
*goes to read*
... Well, like I said, I'm happy to see any art about my fic regardless of the state of talent the artist posesses.

-shfilster:
I'm glad you like this. I'm always to happy to see new readers here!

-kitty offline:
ah, thank you for telling me. I've fixed it now. :)

-Lutias'Kokopelli:
Ah, really? Sorry about that. I didn't have my dictionaries at hand so I had to use GOOGLE trnsltr. I thought it could be up to such a simple task... Apparently no...
Well, here was the 'action' (I guess). I hope this was satisfactory. ;)

()

I'll try to finish the fourth chapter of the Leap soon and then start writing the next chapt. for this Dream. For new readers if you got curious about Takuya and his friends, go to read my three oneshots: Last man Standing, He was our Zero and Forgotten Time. They shall also act as a prelude for the next chapter which shall introduce our favourite blonde: Amuro Tooru! I can't wait for writing those two chapters either. :)