Missing
Part III
by
Chibijem
Disclaimer: See Part I
A/N: This part is dedicated to my Imoto-chan who provided me with ideas to ponder when I was stuck. You are the very best!
Hagi stood under the luke-warm water of the shower. He and Saya had been sparring since mid-morning. He thought back over the past two months. They had left the abandoned farmhouse near Marseilles six weeks ago and settled into their current domicile a couple weeks after that. His contacts had certainly come in handy; he bowed his head to rinse the shampoo out of his dark, silky hair. It had been shortly after they had come to this out of the way house near Lourdes, that Saya had asked for his help. She had told him she wanted to strengthen her sword skills and to become stronger in body. He had gladly acquiesced to her request, knowing she was trying to move beyond her grief over losing Riku. He stepped out of the shower and heard the bath water on the other side of the wall, Saya was soaking as he suggested. He wrapped a towel around his slim hips and moved to the mirror and looked at his reflection; he had not changed in the over one hundred years since the night of Joel's birthday party, when his whole world had changed forever. He quickly rubbed another towel over his dripping hair and slicked it back.
He knocked on the door to the main bath as he passed by, "Saya, do you need anything?"
Saya opened the door and saw her Chevalier standing before her in a towel and nothing else. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Iie, heki." She answered in a whisper. Ever since she had learned the real reason Joel had brought Hagi to the Zoo all those years ago, she had begun to think differently about him. She had always had feelings for him, but now they were different.
Hagi nodded and padded down the hall to his own room. He slipped into a pair of soft cotton pants and giving into the heat, left his shirt unbuttoned. This was more for Saya who had commented that looking at him in his usual attire made her hotter. He went downstairs in his bare feet to the kitchen and poured a glass of lemonade to take to Saya. He heard her coming down the stairs and saw her turn into the small living room.
She sat in front of the open window and smiled in thanks when he handed her the glass. "Have you heard anything about the others?" She queried as he seated himself in a chair across from her, enjoying the breeze.
"Iie. I hope to next time we go into town." He answered, watching her sip the tart liquid. He was enjoying this time they were spending together. It reminded him of the time they spent in Russia before the Gregori incident, almost a century ago. This too, was a time of joy for him. And yet it was bittersweet; they were still both mourning their losses. During the past several weeks, Saya's mood had lifted but there were still times he would catch her staring, completely lost in thought with her eyes taking on a sadness he knew he could not combat.
XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX
One afternoon had found them in town; they had both decided to take a break from training and enjoy the day. Hagi had been wanting to come into town to see one of his contacts and Saya just wanted to get out and be normal for a day.
Saya was strolling around the open market, picking up fresh vegetables, bread and even a bottle of wine. She was talking with one of the vendors when Hagi appeared at her side. She smiled at him, appreciating the change in his wardrobe. With the onset of high summer, he had exchanged his dark clothes for lighter colored pants and to her amazement a short sleeved shirt. He still bandaged his hand and arm to conceal his Chiropteran limb. Everyone they had encountered just assumed he had been injured and didn't bother them with questions.
"Monsieur, I've been trying to convince your ma belle wife to take this pastry for later. She has the makings for a fine evening meal but I see no dessert." The old vendor told Hagi.
"Oh, we're..." Saya began.
"Yes, she should." Hagi interjected. He looked down at Saya and nodded, silently telling her to go along with the old man's assumptions. A small smile graced his features as he took her parcels from her so she could pay the man for the treat.
"No, no...I give it to you. You always come to my shop when you are in town. To see such young love is enough for me." The vendor told them, wrapping the pastry and handing it to Saya with a smile.
Saya thanked him and they moved away, Hagi shifting the many bags to hand her a sheet of paper. "There's news of the others." He told her as they walked. "Joel is in London; the rest are staying on a farm outside the city."
"Kai?"
"He is with them. That's all my contact could find for now." He replied and hearing her sigh, went on. "With a little more time, he'll know more." He finished, trying to keep her spirits up.
"Arigato, Hagi," she stopped and looked up at him. "I know how much trouble you've gone to for me."
"Iie, I would do this and more." He said quietly, looking into her eyes.
After arriving home, Hagi put away their purchases as Saya went to change. As he turned away from the sink, Saya came down the back stairs, rummaged through a drawer and coming up with a pair of shears, went outside. Hagi looked out and saw her approaching the flowers growing along the back fence. He grabbed a chair, his cello and sitting in the shade of a tree, waxed his bow. He played for her as she picked flowers.
She looked over her shoulder as the first notes filled the air; she smiled in thanks. She noticed he had taken the time to slip into an open white shirt and had been doing so ever since she made the comment she liked him that way. She didn't know how long she stared at him. She was brought out of her musings by his soft voice calling her name and asking if she was alright. "Hai, heki." She replied turning back to the flowers; she could feel the blush rising on her face.
"You have been staring at me. Is there something wrong?" Hagi asked, resting the bow across the strings.
"Iie...I..." Saya's voice muffled as she had her back to him.
"You?"
"Why did you let the man think we were married?" In truth she had been thinking about him in a way she wasn't too comfortable with. Lately, her mind had been going back to the kiss he had given her when she killed the Chiropteran at her school and the way he had picked her up to leap across to the gardens back in Vietnam just because she had voiced her desire to investigate there. She was beginning to think of him as a man, not just her Chevalier. And the comment from the pastry vendor had not helped; did he really see love between them? These thoughts had started right after she learned of the real reason he was brought to the Zoo; she didn't know what to do or what to think about them and she couldn't ask Hagi.
"I thought it best to let him assume so. Many of those around here may question a single woman living with a man." He answered, fingering the bow.
"Hagi...?" Saya's voice trailed off.
He looked up to see her still figure, kneeling amongst the flowers. "Saya?" When he received no answer, he set aside his cello and walked over to her. He knelt next to her and saw she was clutching something. He laid a hand on her shoulder and repeated her name.
Saya opened her hand and turned her face to his, tears quietly slipping down her face. "Riku..." She buried her face into his shoulder.
Hagi wrapped an arm around her shaking body and closed his eyes. He could feel the waves of sadness coming off her; he too felt much the same at just the mention of the boy's name. He covered Saya's hand and what she clenched: a baseball. He thought back to the last evening aboard Red Shields' headquarters; he had watched as the siblings tossed a baseball. It had been Riku's way to bring together his older brother and his sister. "Saya."
She brought up a hand and wiped her face. "He liked playing. Almost as much as Kai. I think he started so he could have something in common with him." She reminisced, tears still streaming. "Gomen ne."
"Iie, cry if you need to." Hagi answered, thinking back on the young boy who he had taken into his care with his sister. As Saya let her tears flow, he sat in the grass and cradled her in his lap as she cried for both of them.
After dinner Hagi set up the chess board and Saya now sat studying the pieces trying to keep her queen from capture. Hagi had begun to teach her the game as a way to enlighten her about strategy; she moved a piece and leaned back in her chair. Hagi returned his attention to the board from the book he was reading. "Interesting."
"I am getting better...aren't I?"
Hagi's eyes never left the board, "Your game has improved." He replied, picking up a bishop and moving the piece. "Checkmate."
Saya let out a soft, somewhat irritated sigh. She studied Hagi as he set the pieces back up for another game. "Hagi?"
"Hmmm?"
"You have never spoken of your family. Why?" She asked, moving a pawn.
He reached for one of his own pawns and stopped, chess piece in mid-air. He set the piece down and was silent. "...I...There was no need for me to." With this cryptic comment, Hagi rose and went to stand before the window, the setting sun casting a red glow on his face.
She joined him and rested a hand on his arm, "Hagi?" It was extremely rare to see him display any emotions and even more rare to see him upset; she knew the answer he had given was not a straight one. When he closed his eyes and turned his head down, Saya moved behind him and hugged his waist, laying her head against his back, trying to comfort him. They stood like that for several minutes, Saya knowing he needed time and was organizing his thoughts.
"You remember when I first came to the Zoo?" He finally asked. "I was angry." When he felt her nod at his back, he went on. "Iie, I was outraged. I told you I was bought."
"I remember."
"My family was very poor and I had many siblings. We were always moving from village to village. I was with my mother and my sisters in the village near the Zoo when Joel approached her. He had noticed my family and our struggles." He laid a hand on one of hers around his waist. "Several nights later, I was told I was going to live with this man, in his grand house. I would be taken care of."
"You didn't want to leave them."
"Iie, I argued with my father. Mother was crying and he told me it was already done: I was to go. I would have a better life. It wasn't until the next morning when Joel came for me that I understood; I saw my father accept money from Joel."
Saya, not wanting to believe Joel would have been so cold hearted, tightened her arms around his trim waist. "Maybe Joel wanted to help your family. Not only you." She suggested.
"I will never know. At the time, all I knew was anger at being treated like a commodity. I decided then to never rely on anyone, become close to anyone."
"You didn't want to care."
"Hai." Hagi's voice very soft.
"You could try finding out what happened to them." She told him, moving to stand before him.
He turned his head to look down into her eyes, seeing her concern and touched by it. "It would serve no purpose; they are long dead. Any descendants would not know me."
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Why all the questions about my family?" He asked.
"I...You've helped me mourn Otosan and Riku. I just thought..."
"Arigato, Saya. It is not necessary; I mourned them long ago." He answered, a small smile gracing his lips as he placed a finger over her own soft ones.
XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX
It was a few weeks later, as summer was drawing to a close, when the old pastry vendor from town, came to their house. He approached the back of the house following the sounds of a fight; he saw the young couple sparring. He waited patiently and it wasn't long before the young man stopped mid-strike and turned to face him, the young woman doing the same.
"Pardon the intrusion." he told them as they drew near. "You asked me to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, for strangers."
Hagi set his dagger down and handed Saya a towel. "Trouble?"
"I am not sure. The people are talking of strangers asking questions. Looking for someone." The elderly man moved to the pitcher and poured water into glasses.
"Thank you for letting us know." Hagi moved to take a glass and handed it to Saya. "Can you describe them?"
"Non, I'm sorry. My friends said their manner, though polite, made them very uneasy."
"Hagi?" Saya's voice held concern.
"Daijobu," He told her. Turning back to the man before them, "Your friends didn't..."
"Oh, no, monsieur. They told them nothing but lies that will have them chasing their tails for some time." The vendor replied with a laugh.
"Thank them for us." Hagi replied, smiling at the man's laughter. An hour later, Hagi left the house, telling Saya to gather their things and be ready to move. He wanted to check the town and see if he could spot the strangers and to check with his contact once more.
The following morning, the quiet talk amongst the vendors was the now empty house just outside of town and the disappearance of the nice young couple who had been regulars during the summer.
End Part III