-Seiya-

He was standing at the window overlooking Singapore in all its glory. The air-conditioning was cranked on high and he actually felt slightly cold while he waited for Haruka to come out of the office in which she disappeared an hour ago. They had barely made it to Singapore last night to avoid their self-made manhunt for them to distract from Mei and Taiki leaving from Hong Kong airport and now they were standing in the most secure bank building in the world. 'The twists and turns of life…' Seiya smirked to himself as he watched Jun Liu entering the building like whipped dog.

Seiya retreated from the window, sat down on the couch in the waiting area and reached for his phone. He casually played on it as Liu's bodyguards got comfortable around him while they waited for their boss to emerge again from the office that he was led in. Seiya casually watched each of them and their behaviour before he stood up and walked over the refreshment counter and got himself a drink. On the way back Seiya passed one of the bodyguards casually and slipped him a tracker into his pocket before sitting down again. This was going to take some time but slowly, after two more drinks and a trip to the bathroom, all guys were tagged and Seiya was sitting back down on his spot again and playing casually on his phone. Eventually Jun remerged from the office again, pretending to be strong and superior with Fen Guan by his side, one the banker's main eight enforcers that she used to implement her and the council's rules. Jun gathered his men before he left like the whipped dog that he came in as and Seiya watched the whole exit while suppressing a chuckle.

Not soon after, Cheng Xu emerged and Seiya stood up to greet him.

"You don't look too happy uncle Cheng." Seiya noted sympathetically.

"You wouldn't be either if you just got reprimanded by the fierce Dragon of Asia herself, Seiya" Cheng sighed.

"That's true." Seiya nodded empathetically.

"Waiting for Haruka?" Cheng asked.

"Yea, she should be coming soon." Seiya shrugged. "And you? Going back to Malaysia or heading somewhere else?" Seiya asked casually.

"Australia." Cheng grimaced.

"Oh fun. Customs there are particular anal about everything. I thought as Council member you would get to delegate a lot…." Seiya chuckled.

"Yea, pulled the short straw on that one. One way to get punished for mistakes…." Cheng admitted. "That is the lower echelons for you." He added with a sigh.

"You are hardly a low on the ladder and I would know, I am not even on it." Seiya tried to cheer him up.

"It is very tedious there though. So much to do and so little men there to do it." Cheng cracked his neck to relieve himself of the tension that he had built up in the meeting.

"Then I don't want to take any more of your time uncle. Think positive, at least it won't be hot and humid there." Seiya grinned.

"That is true. You take care of yourself Seiya, I expect you to guard the next Council meetings in the future as well." Cheng told him good naturedly.

"You, too, uncle Cheng." Seiya grinned before the older man walked away.

Seiya watched Cheng walking towards the elevator and thought to himself that if even the number two of the underworld in Asia, who kills dozens of his enemies in cold blood, even before he had breakfast, was so scared of the bank, Alice truly deserved to rule the Asia Pacific region. 'Never judge a book by its cover.' He reminded himself as he watched the old man who could be so warm if he wanted to be, but also capable to take on a small army on his own, disappear in the elevator.

Seiya sighed and put his phone back into his pocket before he resumed watching the sky over Singapore from the window he stood at earlier.

Finally, Haruka came out of the office.

"You could have told me that Alice was going to use Fen on the poor guy." Seiya commented as she reached him.

"I didn't know it either." Haruka shrugged.

"I could have saved the last couple of trackers I had on me." Seiya informed her begrudgingly.

"Relax, we are Alice's guests. No one in their right mind is going to touch us while we are here, besides she has assigned us babysitters for the rest of our stay." Haruka smirked.

"Oh no, why babysitters, Haruka? We are not going home yet? I only have two boosters on me." Seiya reminded her.

"And I have one with three pills. Relax it will be just a really short errand." Haruka chuckled.

"You said that about Hong Kong, too, and today is Wednesday." Seiya sighed.

"Come on, let's go eat. I am hungry. Don't worry. Nothing exciting from here on, if we do not count drinking with Kenneth, Albert, Sarah and Lea." Haruka put an arm around his shoulders and slowly dragged him towards their elevators.

"They are our babysitters?" Seiya asked excited.

"Yep, they are waiting downstairs for us." Haruka confirmed while grinning wide.

"What are we going to eat?" Seiya grinned back.

"We are in Singapore, so of course chicken rice and whatever else they will drag us to." Haruka informed him cheerfully before he elevator doors closed.


-Michiru-

She walked out of Yamaguchi's not any better informed than before.

Taiki had denied all knowledge of Kakyuu's whereabouts and the entrance to the tower was so securely sealed that even Taiki couldn't enter until Haruka came back from what he called 'errand run'.

Michiru took a taxi to Setsuna's and walked up to the older woman's apartment with food she had bought at Yamaguchi's.

"Michiru, what are you doing here?" Setsuna asked surprised as she opened her the door.

"Bringing you food?" Michiru held up the bag filled with hot and mouth-watering specialities.

"That is always good. Stay the night, I open us the bottle I got in Hokkaido." Setsuna walked ahead of her to the kitchen.

"No other visitor today?" Michiru asked with a smirk as she started to arrange the food on plates.

"Chinese wall." Setsuna explained as she opened the bottle. "And you? Where is the papa of your child?" Setsuna smirked in return.

"In Hong Kong, from what I heard." Michiru said with a slight cringe in her voice.

"What is the blonde devil doing there?" Setsuna asked surprised as she passed Michiru a pair of chopsticks.

"Apparently making out in the middle of the road with Hotaru's next mother." Michiru tried to say it as neutrally as possible. She had debated with herself, since she received Taiki's number the day before, if she should call him and ask for Kakyuu to ask her about the blonde. But then she remembered that Kakyuu told her that they guys were extremely busy and she didn't know nor could she confirm under how much surveillance she was herself. Therefore, she had resorted to going to the Yamaguchi's after work in the hope that either Seiya, Yaten or even better yet, Kakyuu herself would drop by there to at least pick up their food and to gain some information inconspicuously. But instead she only met Taiki, who explained to her in so many words that he couldn't help her.

Setsuna started to chuckle. "How do you know that she is doing that?" Setsuna smirked.

"Grandpa Tenoh got a report from Hong Kong, in which the pictures spoke volumes of irrefutable facts." Michiru explained.

"Did he add it to file 2381518519?" Setsuna continued to ask.

"How did you know that?" Michiru asked surprised in return.

"I worked for him for two years as an intern when I just started out." Setsuna poured Michiru a glass. "Now let's eat and drink, it all smells delicious." Setsuna suggested and both grabbed their chopsticks and started to eat.

"What is he compiling in that file?" Michiru asked curiously.

"Want to have a look in it?" Setsuna baited her.

"What will it cost me?" Michiru asked cautiously.

"Just the end of your story of what happened in the Peninsula between blondie and you." Setsuna snickered.

"Wouldn't you get into trouble for letting me look into that file?" Michiru raised an eyebrow.

"It can't be helped that he stores his personal files in my old office and that I happen to have a copy of Sayaka's access card." Setsuna winked. "Officially it is Sayaka that walks in and out of there like it is no one's business."

"Fine. And, again, nothing happened. Seriously nothing at all." Michiru insisted.

"I believe you. I am actually more interested on how you managed to keep her there all night." Setsuna explained.

"I didn't, she was just so exhausted, she just collapsed on the couch and she was gone before I woke up." Michiru shrugged.

"That's the thing though, Haruka doesn't just let her guard down and falls asleep just anywhere. Never. She never stays over; she never sleeps when someone else is in the room that she barely knows. She hardly ever even sleeps when she does know you well and you share a room with her. I have seen the boys' butts kicked so often when they attempted to move her to a more comfortable spot when she was exhausted after long and hard missions and just collapsed on a chair or a couch. In the end it was only Haruto who could ever move her safely and once he was gone Haruka just got even more cautious" Setsuna elaborated.

"Oh. I see." Michiru said pensively as she reached for another piece of grilled chicken.

"At the beginning I was really worried about Hotaru, when I was told that Haruka would take her in and let her sleep over once in a while but it seems that only that little girl is able to make sure for Haruka to get a good night's sleep without lashing out at everything that moves in her vicinity." Setsuna chuckled.


-Haruka-

Haruka was sitting alone on the at the Sky bar overlooking the sun setting over Singapore.

After lunch they had set out to find the broker that Alice had found for her and after questioning him thoroughly, they had given him fresh papers and a ticket to South America. If he would make it there in one piece or would be even able to survive long enough there to settle, Nicolas' people would tear him apart for his crimes, Haruka didn't care. The hand dealt with vermin their way and Haruka had to admit that she took advantage of that. The man had hired indiscriminately dozens of people to throw her off Ayumi's scent, financed Ayumi's insane research and enabled her to get close to the people Haruka cared for without asking one question or wondering who the person was that told him to do all of that. All that man cared for was money and his own skin, in the end not even that would be left of him. Alice would have a cleaner banking system and Nicolas a good warning to all the others who thought that cheating the council off their shares or messing with the work of their members would ever be a good idea.

"Why aren't you with your assigned entourage and shouldn't you be gambling away part of your five billion that you have apparently earned in the last couple of days." Kakashi stepped up behind her.

"I wish. Shouldn't you be there to supervise the audit of your department?" Haruka smirked before she took another sip of her drink.

"My presence will only cause a harsher auditing. Apparently, there was a huge incident in Hong Kong anyway, that needed security assessment of the stability of the forces in charge. Have you heard of it?" Kakashi asked with an exaggerated tone.

"No clue." Haruka answered in the same manner. "But do tell, I am burning to know."

"Yea, a major shake-up and yet the old structures came out even stronger than ever. All the people who tried to overthrow the major players there are either in jail, on the run or on their way home. Aunty Vivian was so happy, she even made me her famous dumplings when I dropped by for a visit." Kakashi chuckled.

"I am jealous. Those dumplings are really amazing." Haruka snickered.

"How did you get Liu to think that you could sell his daughter for five billion?" Kakashi asked amazed.

"I might have suggested to him that Kristian in Moscow might have some beef with him." Haruka shrugged.

"Good choice. Kristian has beef with nearly everyone." Kakashi chuckled.

"What brings you really here old man? It can't be the view nor the food." Haruka slowly turned away from the view and faced her uncle.

"I am here to take you home." Kakashi informed her evenly.


-Kakashi-

"I am not going to go back now! I have a lead, a good one at that, and if I have to follow it to the ends of the world until I find that bastard that got my parents killed then I will be doing that now and not waste any more time." Haruka protested under her breath with gritted teeth as she tried to keep her composure.

"You told me that you thought that it was a freak accident committed by some deranged lone wolf." Kakashi argued.

"What else was I supposed to tell you to put you at ease? That I have been looking for that bastard since I joined the Agency? That Haruto and I have been breaking into every database we could get our hands on and have been sifting through everything we could get to, even just get a hint of a clue to pursue and find the real person responsible for the death of our parents? That I have been breaking more rules and laws along the way that spans triple of the entire European law codes? Trust me, having no parents doesn't miraculously turn you into Batman nor Spiderman and it is far from great. Kakashi-ji, I can feel it, I am getting closer. Let me pursue this lead." Haruka started to beg.

"Don't beg. A Takahashi doesn't beg, a Tenoh even less so." Kakashi responded calmly. "Your blood sample that Taiki had sent back with Ryou was bad. Kakyuu even begged me to get you back as soon as possible and that is what I am doing now." Kakashi tried to explain.

"I feel fine. I don't feel in the least bad." Haruka argued.

"Not yet, but there is a flaw in the pills that she has given to you that she has just discovered and you need to get back now." Kakashi stayed firm.

"Kakashi-ji, come on, look at me! I am fine." Haruka insisted.

"Haruka, I am not an orphan but I am not going to be the one who will bury you either. You are the only person I truly feel I have left as blood related family that I actually care for and cares for me in return. I will not let you risk your life to avenge the death of my sister." Kakashi was getting irritated as he saw the defiance in Haruka's eyes. "Come here, I show you something." Kakashi pulled something small out of his pocket and hid it within his palm.

Haruka raised an eyebrow, but came closer nonetheless. Kakashi quickly jabbed her side and administered her a sedative.

"You …" Haruka croaked before she lost control over her limbs.

"See? If I can do this, think of what all the others could do to you in your state." Kakashi said evenly, more to himself than his niece as he quickly wrapped his arm around her to support her.

Seiya stepped out of the shadows and helped him to carry Haruka back into the building.

"You know, you could have just…." Seiya started.

"..just what? Do you really think there would have been a better way to make her come with me without her kicking and screaming, because she has other plans?" Kakashi asked as they carried her to the elevator.

"Good point." Seiya agreed.

"What's with Haruka?" Lea asked as she came back from the bathrooms towards them.

"One too many to drink." Seiya grinned knowing perfectly well that Haruka was not capable of responding.

"Need a hand?" Lea continued to ask.

"No, but how about a ride to the airport?" Kakashi asked with a sheepish grin.

Before Lea could answer, something beeped in Seiya's pocket.

"Oh, oh, we have company." Seiya announced as he pulled out his phone and saw two dots coming closer to their location.


-Michiru-

The next day, Michiru was waiting for Setsuna's signal after their official working hours were over and as soon as she received the message, she walked inconspicuously towards Setsuna's old office and opened it with the card Setsuna had given her the night before. Once, inside she looked for file 2381618519 and it was just her luck to find it right on the first try in the first file cabinet she stepped up to, or so she thought. Michiru was about to pull it out when she noticed that the file was a lot bigger than anticipated. The file consisted of another two complete file cupboards filled with pictures and reports, to be precise.

'So much to just taking a couple of notes and leaving as soon as possible again.' Michiru thought to herself as she flicked through the first couple of pictures, all showing a much younger, but unchanged, Haruka either flirting or getting pretty close to pretty women. Michiru had flicked through some until she reached one in which Haruka was gazing love struck at Sayaka who was laughing carefree. A twinge spread in her heart that made it hard for her to breath. More pictures followed of them on dates or just in each other's arms. Some were so explicit they caused a mixture of embarrassment and anger to rise within the violinist that she had a hard time not to rip it to shreds. There were so many pictures, she started to flick through them like one would do with a flip book, merely glancing at the faces of the other women that took Sayaka's place over time, wondering if she would recognise any of them, and indeed, she did. There were at least a dozen women that were also part of the various security details of the members of the council that they had to protect on their last mission, Christine not even included. There were also actresses, models, foreign and domestic agents besides other women of high status. It seemed had Haruka managed to rope in pretty much every woman she had simply smiled at.

Michiru went through so many pictures, she stopped paying attention to the time when suddenly she heard knocking nearby.

She quickly put the papers back and hid in the shadows of the cupboards when she noticed the knocking came from the opposite side of the room where she had come in. Michiru turned around and could make out the faint outlines of a door next to her in the dark.


-Yaten-

Yaten was exhausted from running the whole tower's security on his own as well having brought Kakyuu in through the most convoluted of entrances that they had, not to mention assisting her all day and night with her experiments while Taiki was chilling at the Yamaguchi's because he couldn't enter until Haruka would come home and lift the seal order. Tired he lay on the couch of the waiting area of the clinic with two of his laptops propped up next to him on the coffee table when he suddenly got a call from Kakyuu.

"Coming." Yaten responded as he stood up and took one of the laptops with him to the laboratory.

"Another one has died." Kakyuu said quietly as she put yet another rat into a paper box to be cremated later.

"Haruka-nee will be home soon. Don't worry Kakyuu-nee. She is a lot tougher than your lab rats" Yaten tried to reassure her while he knew perfectly well that it was a tall task the doctor had asked of Kakashi-ji to drag Haruka back home at all costs.

"I can only hope you are right Yaten." Kakyuu looked up at him with a deep look of worry he hadn't seen before.

-Setsuna-

"It's me, Setsuna, open this door by pressing the top right side" Setsuna called through the hidden door.

Michiru did as she was told and the secret door opened.

"Why didn't you tell me about this door from the start? then I wouldn't have to have to use the key card." Michiru asked her irritated.

"It is a one way exit for emergencies that can only opened from the inside." Setsuna explained hastily. "Do you know what time it is?" Setsuna asked Michiru as she came into her old office through the back of Ami's laboratory.

"No, what time is it?" Michiru asked her unfazed in return.

"It's ten p.m. You have been here for over four hours. You were supposed to browse through it and not memorise that file." Setsuna reminded Michiru.

"Oh, you mean these whole two cupboards and that file cabinet over there?" Michiru pointed out the chronologically sorted folders. "I have not even reached the spot where Yumi is mentioned yet." Michiru said dryly.

At this point, Haruka would probably be better off dying an excruciating death outside of Japan than to put even just one foot back into any conceivable distance that would be within reach of Michiru, judging from the cold look that Michiru held within her eyes, is what Setsuna thought to herself.

"How is that possible? When I managed these, it was a tiny folder with a handful of assessments. Did you read them all?" Setsuna tried to gauge Michiru's progress.

"I have nearly finished looking through most of the pictures, I have not managed to read any of the assessments yet." Michiru admitted.

"And what is your impression?" Setsuna asked casually while watching her friend through the corner of her eyes as she flipped through some of the file herself.

"What can I say, if a picture says a thousand words then Haruka has written the encyclopaedia of philandering." Michiru said evenly.

"It is hard to see the complete picture when you are in it, isn't it Michiru." Setsuna replied calmly. "Start reading at least some of the accompanying assessments before you pass judgement.


-Haruka-

She woke up in bed with a pounding headache and her body ached as if her veins were on fire. When she opened her eyes, she recognised the clinic's ceiling and she tried to move but she was held back by Kakyuu who seemed to have slept by her side.

"Pain" Haruka croaked barely audible.

"Thank goodness you re finally awake again. How often do I have to tell you to take the medication I give you like I tell you to and not the way you feel like? Don't scare me like that ever again." Kakyuu scolded her.

"Water." Haruka mumbled and Kakyuu pressed the button to adjust the bed before she held a sip cup to the blonde's lips.

"What is your name?" Kakyuu asked her as soon she was done drinking.

"Are you kidding me Kakyuu?" Haruka protested.

"Your name." Kakyuu kept on insisting.

"Haruka Tenoh, my birthday is on the 27th of January and the first birthday present that you have ever given me was a strawberry shortcake that I shared with my brother Haruto and yellow gloves. See long term memory is fine." Haruka frowned while her body was still pain ridden.

"What day is today?" Kakyuu continued asking as she adjusted the dialysis Haruka was hooked up to.

"If I remember correctly then the day on which the traitor that calls himself my uncle stabbed me was Wednesday. He did it while the sun was setting and it takes only a couple of hours from Singapore to Tokyo, therefore considering I am in the clinic and the sky is indicating that the sun is about to rise..., so today is… Thursday?" Haruka guessed.

"Try Friday smarty pants. You overdosed royally on the pills I gave you during your trip. I do not have spare livers growing in my lab for you and you could have caused serious brain damage there." Kakyuu continued scolding as she refilled the water and fed Haruka more water.

"I am blonde, there is low risk of that happening." Haruka chuckled between sips.

Kakyuu took the half-emptied water cup away from Haruka's lips and rested it on Haruka's upper thigh.

Instant pain rushed through Haruka and she had to cringe.

"Still think that oversensitivity is funny?" Kakyuu asked rhetorically with a raised eyebrow.

"Is there such a thing as dying of pain?" Haruka asked in agony as Kakyuu removed the cup again.

"Not from the pain itself but from what is causing it." Kakyuu explained evenly as she adjusted the dialysis machine. "Kakashi got you barely back in time….." the doctor added with a sigh.

Haruka frowned. There was such a small window of time to follow the clues she had on her hands and now she was stuck in bed. If she hadn't already killed Ayumi with her own hands, she would want to do it right now.

Kakyuu pulled on Haruka's ear.

"Ouch, oversensitivity here! Remember?" Haruka complained.

"You weren't listening." Kakyuu stated unapologetic.

"I was listening." Haruka argued.

"Ok, if that is the case, what do you think that Michiru has written into her report?" Kakyuu asked evenly.

"What report?" Haruka asked startled.

"See? You weren't listing. I was talking about her report about their training here and more importantly about you!" Kakyuu repeated herself.

"Call Yaten, we have to overhaul all emergency exit protocols that we trained with them and change every layout that they have come into contact with." Haruka said urgently as she tried to sit up properly.

"Already done." Kakyuu informed the blonde as she helped her to sit properly.

"How do you even know that she is writing such a thing?" Haruka asked in return.

"A little bird told me." Kakyuu shrugged.

"Is that bird called Ami by any chance?" Haruka asked unimpressed.

"I needed a second opinion on a bacterial culture I was analysing." Kakyuu explained.

"Uh huh, what strain?" Haruka asked sceptically.

"The my-best-friend-is-a-dumbass-and-of-course-dropped-everything-to-go-rescue-the-world-instead-of-clearing-up-her-mess-at-home-first strain" Kakyuu explicated evenly.

"That's a shitty name for a bacterium." Haruka chuckled.

"Yea not as irritating as the bacterium itself." Kakyuu snickered.

"What makes you think I made any mess?" Haruka countered.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe your girlfriend turning up at my work place to have lunch with me? I doubt she did it for my benefit alone." Kakyuu returned nonchalant.

"Who?" Haruka was confused.

"The adopted mother of your child?" Kayuu mocked asked Haruka.

"What? She called herself my girlfriend?" Haruka had completely forgotten her headache and turned her head a bit too fast, causing for her to become nauseas from the sudden movement.

"No, she didn't but as much as she talks about you and how dreamy her eyes turn when either of us talked about you, you might as well have put a ring on that." Kakyuu chuckled.

"When doesn't Michiru look like a dream?" Haruka asked absentmindedly.

"Aaawww you are so cute when you are not fully back to your arrogant self and your brain works unfiltered." Kakyuu teased, but before she could continue Taiki entered the room with a laptop.

"No work now Taiki." Kakyuu frowned.

"This is urgent." Taiki explained.

Kakyuu just sighed and nodded.

"Call from Hong Kong on the secure line" Taiki explained to Haruka as he set up the laptop in front of the blonde. Haruka just nodded and Taiki opened it.

"Hey Haruka, what happened to you? You look really shit." Eddy chuckled on the other side of the video call.

"EDISON KIN ZHAO, watch your language" his mother immediately scolded him from behind and came closer.

"Look who looks bad now." Haruka chuckled before Vivian reached Kin.

"Oh Haruka, what happened?" Vivian Zhao asked concerned.

"Food poisoning" Haruka just grinned sheepishly.

"How often do I have to tell you to only eat what is freshly made and still hot?" Vivian sighed.

"Don't worry aunty Vivian, I have Kakyuu here with me." Haruka put the older woman's mind at ease.

"Where?" Kin asked curiously and Kakyuu leaned in to greet the mother son pair before she went back to adjusting Haruka's drip.

"Kakyuu is such a wonderful person Haruka, why haven't you tied her down yet?" Vivian asked.

"Oh, BDSM is not her thing." Haruka laughed.

"Not what I meant." Vivian replied scandalised.

"I know aunty, I am just teasing you. Kakyuu is like a sister to me and think about it, that is even better than a wife, she can never divorce me." Haruka chuckled.

"But I can still torture you." Kakyuu snickered.

"And here I thought you weren't into that." Eddy laughed causing his mother to pull on his ear.

"Enough joking around, Haruka clearly needs rest, so let's make this short. We have found the accounts you have asked for. There were over 120 Million in Macau and another 30 Million were hidden here in Hong Kong" Vivian informed Haruka.

"Have you taken hold of all the accounts that I have given you?" Haruka asked.

"Not yet, but we got the all big ones. All other accounts seem to be a lot smaller. What you do want to do with all of it?" Vivian asked.

"Please keep 20 Million for yourself and your causes and send the rest to Alice, she will divide them into my various accounts." Haruka instructed the older woman. "If you find any more accounts that are linked to the information I have given you, just let me know before you donate it to all the charities you support." Haruka continued.

"Understood. You better rest up Haruka and come back for a proper visit next time with your child. I am looking forward to see little Hotaru. Heaven knows when I will have the joy of holding my own grandchildren." Vivian gave her son a sideways look.

"Ah, of course aunty Vivian. Please also look after your own health." Haruka smiled gently before they hung up.

"I thought it was urgent." Haruka looked at Taiki unimpressed.

"I just wanted to get business out of the way first." Taiki explained before the next Video call connected.

"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru called cheerfully from the screen.

"Hello there Hime-chan" Haruka grinned back.

"Are you sick again, Haruka-papa?" Hotaru asked concerned.

"No, this is just a check-up." Haruka waved away easily.

"Will you be ok to take me to take me to Obon again like last year?" Hotaru asked sceptically.

"Of course. By the way, how is Spain little one? Having fun with your cousins?" Haruka quickly changed topics.

"Yes, today we were in that park you showed me on the photos with Haruto-ji when you were younger. You know the one made of broken plates?" Hotaru tried to explain excitedly.

"Those are called mosaics." Haruka explained patiently.

"Yes that. There were so many people and flowers." Hotaru went on telling Haruka about all she had seen in Barcelona in the past couple of days on the vacation with the Tomoes while Haruka just sat there, listened and smiled.


-Michiru-

Michiru sat on the opposite side of the conference table of Takashi Tenoh as he flipped through her report.

"This is a very in-depth report about Tenoh's conduct and her facilities." Takashi nodded approvingly. "You are living up to your reputation for detail Kaioh-san" He continued.

"I still have a lot to learn." Michiru bowed slightly.

"Kaioh-san would you mind driving me to the airport?" Takashi didn't really ask her but more ordered for her to be present during his ride to the airport.

"Of course I don't." Michiru replied evenly.

"Great, then I see you in a few minutes downstairs in the car, Aino-san will give you the keys to the car in which my luggage is already stored. My flight is leaving soon and I still have to sign a few documents before I go." Takashi dismissed Michiru and she went as instructed downstairs, picked up the car keys wordlessly from Minako and then waited in the car with which she would be taking him to the airport.

Michiru only had to wait a few minutes before Takashi joined her.

As they were driving silently to the airport Takashi suddenly asked her: "How would you classify your relationship between yourself and Haruka Tenoh?"

"Purely professional." Michiru answered evenly as she drove onto the express way.

"But you have been with her and her group on their biannual Hokkaido trip, was that purely professional as well?" Takashi continued his interrogation.

"No, but I have mainly attended that trip to strengthen the team spirit of the people I am in charge of as well as to reward the team for their performance on the mission. I do not think that eating cake and viewing flowers can ever be purely professional unless your chosen profession is of horticultural or culinary nature." Michiru explained unfazed.

"What do you think of Haruka Tenoh?" Takashi proceeded to prod.

"I have outlined my thoughts to her in detail in my report." Michiru stated as a matter of fact.

"I have read it. Your professional opinion of her is very clinical, but I would like your personal opinion." Takashi insisted.

"My personal opinion matches my professional one. Sir, I am going to be candid, it is common knowledge that she is your grandchild and from the start I have focused on staying on a professional level with her, since her playboy reputation precedes her on all levels. I prefer to keep business and personal affairs as far apart as possible, since they impede on judgement." Michiru explained detached.

"I am going to be candid, too. You truly live up to your own reputation of being an ice queen Kaioh-san. Don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate that quality in an agent." Takashi smiled coolly and satisfied.


-Haruka-

Haruka had been stuck in bed all week and her only entertainment were the late night or early morning calls that Hotaru made to her while the little girl was on her short vacation trip in Spain with her uncle's family, in which the little girl briefly kept Haruka updated on her day to day life. Haruka was just about to leave the bed unauthorised again to stretch her legs when Kakyuu entered the clinic room with one of the lab mice.

"Look Haruka, let me introduce Watson." Kakyuu beamed proudly as she showed the blonde the small rodent that was sitting in a clear plastic container.

"What's up Watson? Won't the scary lady let you go out and play either?" Haruka asked the small mouse which was busy cleaning itself.

"Not funny Haruka, you cannot go anywhere because you need to rest and let your system recuperate." Kakyuu sighed.

"So, what is so special about Watson?" Haruka asked as she watched Watson stretch himself.

"He is the first survivor." Kakyuu beamed with pride.

"Did he eat some of Seiya's cooking?" Haruka chuckled.

"No, dummy. The new medication I have been making for you. He is the first one that has been viral free for the past three days and he shows no signs of relapse." Kakyuu explained.

"So, it is working…" Haruka smiled.

"We cannot be 100% sure of that yet, but this looks very promising." Kakyuu nodded.

"If this is Watson, where is Sherlock?" Haruka asked.

"Still in a coma." Kakyuu said quietly.

"So, the side effects are being comatose?" Haruka continued to ask.

"No, I had to put mice all mice into a coma for the duration of the treatment, because the pain was so severe, many committed suicide, even with pain medication, or they died of liver and kidney failure due to the level pain medication needed to manage their pain during the treatment." Kakyuu explained.

"Yay, more pain. Though, how do you know when to wake them up?" Haruka asked curiously.

"When their viral count has been consistently at nil for longer periods of time." Kakyuu explained.

"So why isn't Sherlock up yet?" Haruka watched Watson walk around in his container happily.

"His viral count is at zero, but his body has been so long under, it has difficulties waking up." Kakyuu explained as she gave Watson a pellet to nibble on.

"How do you see my chances with it?" Haruka asked quietly.

"If you were a mouse, at 40% for you to be like Watson, 10% to be like Sherlock and 50% to be like the ones that Taiki is cremating right now" Kakyuu surmised.

"How long do you think it would take to treat me?" Haruka asked tentatively.

"At least a month for you to be in a coma and then another month for your physio to regain your mobility." Kakyuu deduced.

"Next week, Hotaru is coming home and I promised her to take her to the Obon in Kyoto like last year. Let me do that first before we start treatment." Haruka said evenly as she watched Watson happily chewing away on the pellet.

"I think we should wait longer to see the long-term effects." Kakyuu interjected.

"Kakyuu, we have waited for years now. My mind might be willing but my body can't take much more. I can't work as hard as I used to without being out of breath or totally exhausted form things as trivial as being up 20 hours." Haruka explained.

"It is normal to be exhausted after being up 20 hours." Kakyuu reminded the blonde.

"But I am not normal. You know I can do a lot better than this. I got tired from carrying Hotaru just that tiny stretch from the woods to the Ryokan for crying out loud." Haruka insisted.

"She is growing, Haruka." Kakyuu tried to reason.

"You know it better than me that my inner organs are on the brink on giving up on me, not just my liver and my kidneys, but everything else, my heart included, have reached their limits. I do not just want to drop dead without even having tried to get better and I am not going to slowly rot away like Sayuri did. I am not going to do that to Hotaru." Haruka stayed steadfast.

"Haruka, I have not made enough trials yet, give it a bit more time. I know it hurts, but we can always find you a kidney and another liver." Kakyuu urged Haruka to overthink her decision.

"Kakyuu, you are like a sister to me, please understand me, I cannot keep this up much longer." Haruka looked into Kakyuu's eyes imploringly.

"Fine, after the Obon, but there is still a 50% chance you won't make it, so you have to tell the boys and Hotaru. She cannot lose another parent without knowing why. At least not so soon, not again." Kakyuu gave Haruka to think about.

"I have been on mission with a lot slimmer chances of success than this and when I get back, I will be back better than I was before, I will be back to my old self." Haruka said confidently.

"You trust my skills as a doctor too much." Kakyuu sighed.

"No, I am trusting myself that I will do everything to stay here with you, Hotaru and the guys as long as I can without being a bigger burden than I already am." Haruka said unwaveringly.

"Fine." Kakyuu conceded.

"I will start planning our complete cut off during my coma, so please also make arrangements on your side to not leave the tower while I am under as well." Haruka instructed Kakyuu calmly.

-Michiru-

Michiru sighed as she embarked the train that would take her to Kyoto to see her parents for Obon. The past week had been plain exhausting for her. After she had dropped off Tenoh Senior at the airport, he had immediately given her a long list of tasks, like writing the new training handbook as well as revising the training manuals used for new recruits, just to mention a few of the tasks that had been filling her days from sunrise to sunset.

She watched Mount Fuji in the distance as the train smoothly drove closer to her destination and wondered, like she had so many times in the past, what Haruka was up to. Their communication had fallen completely dead since she read the files that consisted of information that had only the blonde as common denominator.

Closing her eyes, the images of Haruka flirting, hugging and holding other women flashed by her inner eye and Michiru gritted her teeth. It sure wasn't a pleasant view and Michiru wondered if Haruka knew about the file that her grandfather kept on her. Even though not a single word was written about the blonde, the lack there of and the commonalities between the women she was associated with drew a pretty clear picture for the observant eye.

Michiru sighed and tried to banish the intimate picture of Haruka and Sayaka that she had seen early on in the file. It wasn't outwardly explicit, but the look on the blonde's face spoke volumes of unconditional, nearly blind love. Maybe the blonde had been blind while she was with Sayaka. Michiru had no other explanation for why Haruka would go out with Sayaka for any other reason. Then again, Haruka was young and mistakes were made. Michiru tried to think back if she ever got to see that face in person, that look of immeasurable love. Yes, she did, at least the innocent version of it. Haruka always looked lovingly at Hotaru, when the little girl explained her something or when they played together. She had to admit, she never saw hat face again in any other pictures. It also surprised her that there were no intimate pictures of her and Yumi. Merely pictures of them, where they happen to be in the same place but never any, where they were intimate or close with one another. Haruka seemed to have learned her lesson well since Sayaka.

Soon she arrived in Kyoto and her mother was waiting for her at the station to pick her up.

"Michiru, have you lost weight? You look so pale as well child. Have you not been eating?" Her mother Aiko asked her concerned as soon as she saw her.

"I am fine mum, I am just tired from work and it was so hot in Tokyo the past couple of days. But now I have a whole week off to spend with you and dad, that will wipe all the stress off my mind." Michiru smiled gently.

"You and your father are so alike, all day it is just work, work, work." Aiko sighed.

"Speaking of dad, where is he?" Michiru enquired.

"At work of course. An urgent work meeting was requested of him from an old business partner and of course he immediately bolted out of the house." Aiko said resigned as the taxi drove them home.

On the way Michiru saw how her father exited a restaurant and was about to tell the driver to stop to pick him up as well when she saw that Haruka was by his side. Both walked in opposite directions after they exited and suddenly her mother asked the taxi to stop and to pick up her father.

"Osamu, you should have told me that you are meeting up with Haruka-chan. I could have invited her for dinner." Aiko complained.

"She is very busy at the moment Aiko; you know how business is. It waits for no one." Osamu calmly explained.

"So what business did you have with her?" Michiru asked as casually as she could muster.

"She was just asking me for some advice with some of her new business contracts and if I could keep an eye on them while she would be going on a longer overseas trip." Osamu explained.

"She is so hard working, managing that big firm all on her own. Don't you think so, too, Michiru?" Aiko commented approvingly.

"Yes, I do." Michiru agreed absent minded.

-Haruka-

Haruka returned to the Ryokan exhausted when Hotaru came running towards her in her new Yukata they had just bought the day before.

"Haruka-papa, do you like it?" The little girl asked her eagerly.

"You look amazing Hime-chan" Haruka laughed as she picked up the little girl.

"Yumi-nee and Shinobu-nee helped me putting it on." Hotaru smiled broadly.

"Did you thank them afterwards?" Haruka asked sternly.

"Of course." Hotaru answered offended.

"Tenoh-sama, your bath has been prepared for you and Abe-sensei is awaiting you afterwards." Shinobu informed her as she walked with Hotaru in her arms into the Ryokan.

"Thank you, Sasaki-san." Haruka smiled kindly in return. "Please have some cold tea ready for Taiki and Seiya for when they return. They should be coming back soon as well." Haruka proceeded to instruct Shinobu, who bowed obediently before she went off to do as she was told.

"Do you want to come with me to the baths or do you want to stay out here and play with Kakyuu-nee while I take a bath Hime-chan?" Haruka asked Hotaru as they walked through the cool shade of the Ryokan.

"I just got dressed…." Hotaru was clearly torn.

"You know what? I just hurry with my bath while you can sit with Kakyuu-nee for a bit in the meantime and then when I am wearing my Yukata we can go for a walk and see if we cannot find a small festival nearby maybe." Haruka suggested.

"Ok" Hotaru smiled cheerfully.

They walked to Kakyuu's room where the doctor was talking to Kakashi and Yumi.

"There you are Haru-chan, ready to visit your grandma?" Kakashi asked.

"This early?" Haruka asked surprised.

"There are more things than usual that I want to talk to her about this time." Kakashi explained.

"Ok. Yumi, please send my apologies to Shinobu-chan, seems my bath will need to wait." Haruka sighed as she put Hotaru down

"Of course." Yumi nodded understandingly.

"Can I come, too?" Hotaru asked.

"It is very hot out there right now though." Haruka remarked as she loosened her tie and opened the top button of her shirt.

"Well, this would be your chance to introduce to Hotaru to her." Kakashi suggested, while referring to his mother.

"I guess, but you have to stay in the shade at all times, so you won't get a heat stroke Hotaru." Haruka insisted.

"Ok" Hotaru agreed while smiling wide.

-Kakashi-

They had arrived at the cemetery on which his mother was resting and Kakashi went to get a bucket of water to clean the grave while Haruka carried Hotaru ahead to their destination.

When he caught up with them, Haruka and him got busy cleaning the grave and lit some incense for Yui Takahashi and their other ancestors.

"Let me bring this bucket back and you can introduce Hotaru in the meantime." Kakashi offered and Haruka just nodded.

As he walked away he could hear Haruka and Hotaru starting a conversation with his mother.

"Yui-baa-chan, I want to introduce you my daughter, Hotaru-chan. She is very cheeky but otherwise a very good child." Haruka chuckled.

"Hello Yui-obaa-san" Hotaru bowed respectfully.

When he reached the water station, he left the graveyard for a moment and bought popsicles for them all before he returned to them, only to find them joking and laughing.

"…and then Haruka-papa bought me ice cream after all" Hotaru concluded her story.

"Speaking of ice cream, who wants a popsicle?" Kakashi grinned.

After everyone had a popsicle Hotaru asked Kakashi: "Kakashi-jii-chan, why did you buy us popsicles and not ice cream?"

"Yui-baa-chan always bought me and Haruto this popsicle when we were little and when we came to visit her in summer." Haruka explained for him.

"Do you like it Hotaru-chan?" Kakashi asked in return.

"I do." Hotaru beamed.

"Mum, I have great news, the person I had brought here to meet you after New Year's has agreed to put up with me for the rest of her life." Kakashi started to talk to his mother. "I hope you are happy that your little boy has finally made the leap of faith." He chuckled before he finished his popsicle.

"By the way Haruka, I heard from Hotaru that you are going on a long journey after this trip." Kakashi stated evenly without averting his eyes from the Takahashi family grave. "I take it Kakyuu found a good flight for you?" Kakashi asked casually.

"You could say that…" Haruka answered pensively as she nibbled on the wooden stick that was left of her popsicle.

"Were you planning on telling me at all?" Kakashi continued.

"Of course, I would want Hotaru to have a proper family if anything were to happen to me." Haruka stated contemplatively.

"If what happens?" Hotaru asked curiously.

"If my trip would turn out be longer than expected." Haruka explained.

"How much longer?" Hotaru continued to ask.

"A lot longer than planned." Kakashi watched how his niece tried to find words that wouldn't alarm her child.

"And how long is that?" Hotaru stayed persistent.

"Maybe over a month or two." Haruka answered evasively.

"And what are the odds?" Kakashi asked evenly.

"40% that I come home in time, 10% to be stuck in limbo and 50% that I deliver your regards to Tomoko in person" Haruka answered calmly.

Kakashi nodded deep in thought. "You better come home in time for my big day?" He stated calmly.

"And when is that?" Haruka asked.

"When my bride decides it to be." Kakashi shrugged.

"You don't essentially need me there." Haruka waved off easily.

"Of course I do. What kind of wedding would this be when my best man would be missing?" Kakashi asked Haruka as he turned to face her.

"This is not the way you ask someone to be your best man, old man." Haruka smirked.

"That is because I am not asking any man to be my best man, that is because I am asking the BEST man I know to MY best man." Kakashi grinned.

"Fine, I try my best to be back as soon as possible. I am sure Yui-baa-chan would want to make sure that you do it right." Haruka chuckled.

"Can I be there, too, Kakashi-jii-chan?" Hotaru asked.

"Of course. How could I possibly get married without the best flower girl that I know?" Kakashi smiled as knelled down to Hotaru and picked her up.

"Are you going to tell Michiru about your trip?" Kakashi asked his niece.

"No, Haruka-papa said it is a surprise trip and that we are not going to tell Michiru-mama" Hotaru explained for the blonde.

"Why is that?" Kakashi asked surprised.

"Because it is a surprise." Hotaru explained patiently.

"Did you screw something up? Is that why you have been avoiding her?" Kakashi continued to ask.

"God knows if I screwed anything up, but no, that is not the reason why I am avoiding her. I am worried that I will second guess my decision. That I will drag it out until it is too late only because I can't bear to be apart of her for longer than a day. Right now, I am in a good place, I can still make it without needing parts replaced. Later, I might only come back as a wreck which needs a whole list of spare parts and is just a constant burden on everyone around anyway. I am worried that when I see her I might grow weak and just throw all caution and resolution into the wind just to spend more time with her. Just to listen to her voice and watch her smile….." Haruka admitted reflectively.

"She got you bad, didn't she?" Kakashi chuckled.

"Who knows. It might pass again soon. You know how feelings are, they come and go." Haruka shrugged.

-Michiru-

"Mum, why are we going to clean the grave so early this year?" Michiru asked as they drove to the cemetery.

"Your father's sister has announced that she is coming a day earlier this year and I want it to be ready by then so that she has nothing to complain about." Aiko replied

"I don't remember Riko-ba-san to be difficult." Michiru interjected.

"That is because you are her niece and not her sister in law." Aiko replied curt causing her father to sigh.

Until they arrived at the cemetery, Aiko went on her monologue, reciting every incident that had ever happened between her and aunt Riko, when she suddenly stopped and waved at some people in the distance who were on their way out.

"Haruka-papa, look over there is Michiru-m…" Hotaru exclaimed excitedly as she spotted Michiru before Haruka quickly covered the little girl's mouth and whispered something into the Hotaru's ear before Kakashi, Hotaru and her reached them.

"What a surprise to meet you here Osamu-san, Aiko-san, Michiru-san." Kakashi politely greeted them. "I hope you are all well." He continued.

"Yes, we are very well. I hope you have been looking after yourself as well, Kakashi-san." Aiko returned the courtesy.

"Aiko-san, may I introduce you my goddaughter Hotaru?" Haruka broke the awkward atmosphere that rose between Kakashi and Aiko. "Hotaru, say hello to Aiko-baa-san, Osamu-jii-san and Michiru-nee-san." Haruka instructed Hotaru who bowed respectfully before she greeted each person as she was told to.

"You are a very good girl Hotaru-chan." Aiko praised the little girl. "Since I have you here Haruka-san, may I invite you to have meal with us some time while you are still in town?" Aiko asked the tall blonde.

"I would love that, but I am really only here for the Obon fires and the days are otherwise already planned out." Haruka answered apologetically.

"That is ok, the fires aren't until the day after tomorrow, so you can still join us for breakfast tomorrow." Aiko suggested.

"Of course, thank you for inviting me, I will be looking forward to see you for breakfast tomorrow then." Haruka replied politely.

"Haruka-papa, am I going, too?" Hotaru asked innocently.

"Of course you are coming, too." Aiko responded delighted before she continued "You are of course invited as well Kakashi-san." Aiko added out of courtesy.

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Kakashi smirked.