Thanks for all the kind reviews. This next part of story is taking me a bit longer to feel out so bear with me and I'll see if i can wrap it before Christmas :) There will also be a bit more Raizo chatter coming up too, I'm aware he was a little quiet here.

Two days later and Mika and Raizo were making their way into town as the sun set, to see Jacob and Mel. Raizo was driving while Mika sat in the passenger seat, her gaze fixed on the green scenery whipping past them at speed. When she turned back to Raizo she noticed the grip he had on the steering wheel. She reached over and placed a hand on his leg.

"Hey? You ok?"

Raizo nodded, "I'm fine."

Mika moved her hand further up his thigh to hover over the stitched wound. "You feeling alright?"

Raizo turned to face her this time. "Of course." He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Pull over."

Raizo raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Why?"

Mika gave his leg a squeeze directly over the healing wound. Raizo winced in pain. "Pull over, please?"

Raizo pulled the car to a stop on a dimly lit country lane, flanked by woodland. There wasn't a house as far as the eye could see, which wasn't very far. "I don't understand," he said while Mika unbuckled her seat belt and got out. He followed her lead and circled the car to join Mika on the grassy verge.

Mika leaned back against the car. "You're tense, you're still in your head about all of this and I get it, I do. Well as best as I can." She reached out a hand to Raizo. "It's going to be fine."

Raizo took her hand and let Mika gently pull him toward her. She placed her palm against his cheek and guided his face to hers and kissed him gently. He kissed her back with a smile, his free hand rested on her waist. "Perhaps I could try to worry less."

Mika kissed a trail across Raizo's jawline and to his neck while her hands moved down to his belt. "What are you doing?"

"I told you," Mika unclasped Raizo's belt. "You're tense." She undid his pant zipper.

Raizo rested his forehead against Mika's trying to focus. "Mika I don't think this is…"

Before he could finish, Mika took both Raizo's hands in hers and placed them on either side of the bottom of her jumper dress. Taking one of his hands in her own, she slid Raizo's hand under the hem of the jumper dress, between her thighs and slowly guided it upwards. Raizo's eyes changed when he felt what she wasn't wearing and the warmth across his fingers.

Mika leaned back from him slightly, an impish smile on her face, "Of course if you don't think we should…"

This time he stopped her from finishing. With a deft tug of her wrist, Mika was spun around to the back of the car and shoved face down across the trunk. Raizo hoisted her dress up to reveal the smooth brown skin of her bare ass while he expertly freed himself from his cargo pants and pushed himself inside her.

25 minutes later they were back in the car each with a hint of a smile on their lips. Raizo was driving again and Mika was gazing out of the window watching the trees go by, only this time when she turned back to glance at Raizo's hands on the wheel they were loose, easy. Sometimes the old methods work the best, Mika thought to herself and as if hearing her, Raizo took a hand off the wheel to rest on her leg. She covered his hand with her own.

They got to the glassware shop 20 minutes later. Mel was putting together a new glass bead jewellery display in the front window and was the first to spy Mika and Raizo approaching. They could see her face squealing from inside the shop window before they even entered and got to hear her in glorious stereo.

"Skoenlapper!" She embraced Raizo first, of course, and then Mika, "Heuningby!" She took Mika's face in her hands and planted a kiss on her lips so quickly there wasn't enough time for Mika even try to avoid it.

"Jacob!" Mel called into the back of the store, "come, we have company!" Mel went over to the shop door and locked it before turning the sign over to the side that said closed.

"Come, come," She took Raizo by the elbow and guided him toward the back of the store but this time they didn't go down the secret staircase to Jacob's weapon room. Instead, they went up a flight of stairs to an open plan lounge area. It was plush and looked hardly lived with its white walls and chrome furniture. It was like a stylish meat locker.

"Sit, mah loves, sit." Mel motioned Raizo and Mika over to the grey leather couch while she took some drinks out of the fridge, three beers and a water. She set the bottles down on the leather coffee table in front of the couch and sat herself down atop a plush rug on the floor beside the coffee table.

"So Mika, I see Raizo is keeping you well." Mel took a beer for herself and had a sip grinning up at the both of them.

"We're doing alright I think," Mika replied sheepishly.

"Oh well, maybe not so well if you want to run off fighting other men's wars hey?" Mel's word sounded harsh but her face was so soft when she said it, it was hard to take much offence.

"I guess I'm a little restless. I just want to be useful, to help people the way Raizo helped me." This time Mika took a beer also, she figured she was going to need it.

"Is that what you are calling it hey? Well, I can't judge. I was there once. If I'm honest, Mika, I'm not sure I ever left." Mel turned her gaze to Raizo, "And you?"

Raizo tilted his head at her quizzically while reaching for the bottle of water. "I'm not sure I know what you mean?"

Mel narrowed her eyes at him with a smile, "Oh you know what I mean mah love. If you'd taken to time to keep this one on her back and filled with babies maybe she wouldn't be running off to find excitement elsewhere?"

Mika's eyes flew wide, she nearly choked on her beer but Raizo remained calm. "I feel maybe that you are the pot speaking to the kettle Mel."

Mel smiled wide, "haha, you might well be right. You know Jakey and I spoke about that just the other day. We're not ready yet, maybe we never will be but you two…you have something there. I see it. I tell you, she will be knocked up within the year."

"Ne snova Mel!" Jacob entered the room finally with a large flat box. "My gods, must you always play with these two?"

Mel got up off the floor and handed her beer to Jacob who took a sip and handed it back to her, "Oh but Jacob don't you see what I see?"

Jacob set the box he was holding down on the coffee table beside the drinks. "I'm not sure anyone sees what you see." He leaned over to Mel and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Now, we have business." Jacob started to open the box. "I'll need you to take off your jacket Mika."

Mel got excited but before she could get up to help Mika shot her a glance that said, I can do it by myself thanks. Mel gave an almost visible pout and instead helped Jacob open the box which contained a thin sleeveless Kevlar vest.

Jacob motioned Mika to go over to him so he could fit it on her properly. She showed her how to access the loops and buckles to secure it. The seemed to have been moulded to her body's contours. Mika was astounded. "This is amazing!"

Jacob smiled this time. "State of the art lightweight Kevlar poly blend. This will not take impact well but the special weave of the fabric will reduce the impact of most medium calibre handguns and light to middleweight blade strikes. You'll be able to wear it under most clothing without being detected." Jacob took two more packages out of the box. "These are similar to the vest. Wrist cuffs and thigh holsters. They'll hold blades, bullets and small items flush against the skin while adding protection across main veins and pressure points. You can try these on again when you get home. Practice moving about wearing them and utilizing them in combat. Ideally, you don't want your opponent getting so close that these need to help save your life."

Mika nodded, "Got it."

Raizo sat in silence. Mika turned to him to gauge his response and he smiled warmly back at her with encouragement. This was what she wanted. She was capable, she would train more over the next few months, she promised. And then maybe then, he would be able to look at her without fearing the worst.

"I've also made you up a full tactical suit should you need it. Made out of lighter weight blade resistant fabric. This will be what you'll most likely be wearing if you're infiltrating for recon."

"This is all amazing guys, thank you so much for helping me." Mika smiled packing her bounty away neatly.

"Don't thank us just yet. We still need to give you the bill." Jacob smiled only half-joking. The armour had cost a small fortune but Raizo would have nothing but the best for Mika and pay any price to keep her safe.

"So Mika, have you thought about how you will be selecting your jobs?"

Mika sat down again looking a little embarrassed, "Actually no I thought I could maybe do what Raizo does?"

Jacob glanced at Raizo who raised an eyebrow at Jacob, then back at Mika. "Respectfully Mika, I don't think that would be good for you."

Mika felt a pang of something like hurt pride, "Well I know I'm not Ozunu but I can do something! Why the hell else go through all this trouble with the weapons and the clothing? Just to humour me?"

Mel circled the couch and placed a hand on each of Mika's shoulders giving them a gentle squeeze. "Oh come now heuningby, you know we don't doubt you're ability. But you must understand that this is a business and we must control it as if our lives depend upon it. Which they do." Mel began to use her thumbs to massage the back of Mika's neck. "You expect to maybe be helping some poor soul get revenge on an ex-partner or perhaps track down some gang that sold bad drugs to good kids hey? Do you know what Raizo was doing while he was away for those past few weeks?"

Mika shook her head, "I don't ask him about his business. I know he helps people."

This time Mel glanced at Raizo who gave her a reluctant nod back.

"Your love was liberating Simau. It's a small island off the coast of Indonesia. It has been in and out of civil war for 25 years. We sent Raizo to lead the coup that eradicated a blood-soaked, dictatorship and left a democracy. Of course, it was a little more complex than that but you see, we sent Raizo alone, on a job that would usually take a team of at least 6 people. Tell me, are you ready for war mah love?" Mel leaned down to whisper by Mika's ear, "Are you ready for blood…."

"Mel, down!" Jacob interjected. "You're unnerving her."

Mel pouted at Jacob but left Mika alone to stand beside him, arms folded.

"Look, Mika, we could put you on our books but we would be in charge of all your jobs. We take 20% of any paying work. If you want to run charity jobs, that's up to you. We only work for cash. If you want to come on board, we will also control the type of job you go on. We'll start you off small. You might get bored or frustrated but that's your problem. If you get burned, we don't know you, you're on your own."

"Burned?" Mika looked at Raizo quizzically.

"If you get caught you will have no help. There will be no connection to Jacob and Mel. If you are tortured, you do not talk. You are permitted to take your own life if needed. Your family will be compensated in that instance. You can let Jacob and Mel know who you would like that to be."

"Jesus."

"Still want in on this game Mika?" Jacob asked her.

She took a moment before responding. This was all becoming so real and although she'd been preparing for this for months it still hit her squarely in the chest with a thud. "Yes." She said to Jacob. "Yes, I still want in."

Mel squealed with delight while clapping. "Yay, time for practice! Come, Mika?"

Mika got up suspiciously glancing towards Raizo who had an unreadable expression his face. He'd gone to that place he uses when it was time to turn off emotion. "I'll wait here." He said to no one in particular.

"Probably for the best brother," Jacob said to him while Mel tugged on Mika's arm.

"We'll go get some towels," Mel said grinning, leading Mika down the stairs. "And don't worry, waterboarding is nothing like you see in the movies. I'm so excited for you!"