-Michiru-

Michiru was sitting in front of her mirror getting, ready for her recital, when her eyes fell onto the sketch, she had made in Hokkaido, resting on an easel in her bedroom. Michiru usually kept all her art in a designated art room, in which she worked on them, but this one was special and she had not yet had the chance to complete the colouring of it. A melancholic smile graced Michiru's lips when suddenly her aunt knocked her at her door.

"Hey Michi-chan, we ran out of coffee, want to come with me to… what are you getting ready for?" her aunt asked her surprised.

"I have my bi-monthly brunch recital today. Want to come? We can go shopping together afterwards." Michiru offered with a cheerful smile.

"Sure it's not already sold out?" Riko teased.

"I am sure it isn't, if you want I can call up the concert hall to make sure to reserve you a special seat." Michiru chuckled.

"No, that is fine. I am happy to just hang out backstage if there is nothing free. I mean, how could I possibly miss out on one of my niece's recitals when given the chance to attend? I just go and change into something more appropriate for the aunt of the great Kaioh, Michiru" Riko winked before she went back out.

"There is no way I would let you hang out backstage. In the end you just end up planning my next concert or something with the concert hall director." Michiru called behind her.

Once both were ready, they took a taxi to the concert hall and, surprisingly, Michiru was told, by the director of the concert hall, that her recital was actually sold out.

"Told you, my Michi-chan is popular." Riko chuckled. "Sure you don't want to make it bigger in this field? I have good connections, you know?" Riko offered.

"I am happy to do it this small. I am mainly doing it for myself after all." Michiru tried to explain.

"Well, it is never too late to make it bigger. Just let me know when you changed your mind." Riko winked. "Oh, now that the recital is sold out I better follow you backstage." Riko grinned.

"Good thing, I always have a loge reserved for mum and dad. Feel free just to take their seats. Just follow me, I take you there." Michiru sighed.

After Michiru had dropped off her aunt in the special loge, reserved for her personal guests, she walked towards her dressing room alone. She sighed at the prospect of the meet and greet of fans after her performance. It would be exhausting if the recital was truly sold out, just due to the sheer numbers of people she would need to interact with.

She put her violin case down on the table and opened it to see her beloved instrument. As she took it out and caressed the familiar curves, she had to think of the blonde, she missed so much, who played with her heartstrings the way she played with her violin. Often with passion, lust and life, but the last song she had played was so painfully sad, Michiru's heart ached at the memory of the melancholic look in Haruka's, usually mischievous, eyes.

She wondered where the blonde was now, what kind of girl she was gracing with her roguish smirk. What kind of mission Haruka was on that would take her away from her beloved Hotaru for so long. Michiru sighed when she looked at her phone, to check for the time. A small wooden fox was hanging off it, the one Haruka had given her in Kyoto. Happiness, how was she supposed to find it, when the one person with whom she felt it, wasn't around her? She knew that she had promised Haruka to move on, no matter what happened, but it was so hard when everything she was doing and wherever she went, was reminding her of Haruka. She sighed again, when suddenly there was a knock on her dressing room door. Maybe aunt Riko was checking on her, Michiru thought to herself as she opened the door.

"For a pretty lady like you to sigh so much, there must be some true heart ache going on." Hiroko smirked on the other side with a bouquet of flowers ready in her hands. "Good thing I brought these." Hiroko smiled as she presented Michiru with the bouquet that Michiru politely took and put into an empty vase nearby.

"Don't you usually give those after a performance, when you are satisfied with it?" Michiru asked Hiroko sceptically.

"Not really, I have utmost confidence in Hotaru-chan, that when she says that her mama is a great violinist, that she is one. After all that cheeky girl is Chibi-Haruka" Hiroko chuckled. "I have actually not just come to give you these, the real ones that I wanted to give you will be delivered appropriately to your place of residence, so they won't die here in this changing room unappreciated. I have actually come to ask you out for lunch after your recital." Hiroko asked her brazen.

"What makes you think I would join you?" Michiru replied disinterested, but still politely.

"Because I don't know, that is why I am asking. You are a popular lady, so I thought I ask before everyone else asks you later." Hiroko continued undeterred.

"I am here with my aunt and we do already have lunch commitments." Michiru turned Hiroko down ever so politely.

"Oh well, I don't mind meeting your aunt as well. I mean if she is even just half as stunning as you are, I am in for a treat." Hiroko winked. "Haruka always loved Riko-ba-chan, but I never got to meet her in person." Hiroko shrugged easily.

"How do you know my aunt?" Michiru asked evenly.

"How can I not know of the person who taught Haruka her lady killer piano skills?" Hiroko asked challenging in return.

"How long have you known Haruka?" Michiru suddenly asked. It must have been that familiar cheek that Hiroko displayed hat made her wonder aloud.

"I'll tell you if you have lunch with me. Bring your aunt, the more the merrier." Hiroko smirked.

Michiru was still thinking when one of the concert hall's staff appeared in the door and reminded her that she had only fifteen minutes left before she was due on stage.

"I better get back to my seat before I miss your wonderful performance, Kaioh-san." Hiroko chuckled.

"Fine. We will see you after the recital at the entrance." Michiru gave in and Hiroko left the dressing room wordlessly but with a victorious smile on her lips.

Michiru got ready to step on stage. Routinely, she greeted her audience and let her eyes linger another a moment in her aunt's direction before she closed them and immersed herself in her world. This is where her home was, her music. Here she was allowed to feel all the emotions that she denied herself in the day to day life. Pain, sorrow, anger and frustration, but also pleasure, passion and love. 'Happiness, could she call this happiness?' Michiru asked herself as she let her bow dance across the strings of her violin. Her surrounding melted away, and all that was left was the violin in her hands. She felt the vibrations of the strings in the tips of her fingers and the sound of the violin filled her mind and soul. The music resonated with her desires, her wishes as well as her agony. She wanted to be happy, like Haruka had asked her to be, but it was just so hard. She proceeded habitually from one piece to the next, barely paying any attention the consistently enthusiastic applause between her compositions and finished with her signature piece, that indicated to her, with a hint of melancholy, that it was time to return to her serene self, that everyone expected of her.

As she opened her eyes to a standing ovation, she noticed that her aunt wasn't sitting in her loge anymore.

She bowed out gracefully and left the stage to return to her dressing room. While she packed her violin, she wondered where her aunt went. She had obviously not snuck into her dressing room, nor was she the type of woman who would patiently wait for her niece in the entrance area. Just when she was about to call her aunt, the concert hall staff reminded her that the meet and greet room was ready for her and she locked her violin into the safe of her dressing room, before following the other person to the meet and greet room.

As she walked between the familiar faces of her regulars, she noticed several new faces. They seemed vaguely familiar and her gut immediately put her on high alert.

Without raising any suspicion, she wrapped up the regular meet and greet with her audience and retreated to her changing room again. The whole time she was looking for her aunt, whom she couldn't spot anywhere. Deep inside she was hoping that her aunt was hiding in her dressing room, but no one was there when she got there. As she got her priced violin out of the safe she received a text message from her aunt.

'Be right out. Wait at the entrance for me.'

A sigh of relief escaped Michiru as she read those words and she left the dressing room with her violin case securely on her.

Just as she got in sight of the entrance, she remembered Hiroko. Her concern for her aunt had distracted her the whole time, to the point that she totally forgot about their agreement.

Hiroko was standing leisurely at the entrance and was waving at her cheerfully when suddenly a black limousine pulled up at the entrance and several guards exited it before a stern and sturdy older man stepped out, followed by the two people that had followed Hiroko the day before.

Hiroko's cheeky demeanour changed in an instant, from sassy to graceful.

"Father, what a surprise to meet you here." Hiroko respectfully greeted Masaru Chiba, the active head of the Chiba-clan.

"Hiroko, what are you doing here?" Her father asked her back stern.

"I have come here to listen to Kaioh-san's recital. It is truly magnificent father; you should come next time as well. It works wonders on the weary mind. My jetlag is like it had never been there." Hiroko elaborated unfazed as she looked over to her minders, from yesterday, evenly.

"I thought I was clear about this. You were not to ditch your protection detail at any time." Masaru continued undeterred.

"We are in Tokyo, Chiba-san. There is absolutely nothing your daughter needs to worry about, unless of course there is something you would like to enlighten my grandfather or me about." Yumi stated calmly, as she suddenly appeared from the side wing, followed by her husband who was a regular visitor of Michiru's recitals.

"I didn't know you were also a fan of Kaioh-san's music. Myamoto-san" Masaru commented calmer.

"We are good friends and my husband and I enjoy her recitals regularly." Yumi replied calmly.

"Didn't know traitors had any friends." Kairenseki said audibly under her cough while eyeing Katashi, earning herself a stern look from Kujaseki.

"Chiba-san…" Yumi started unfazed.

"I apologise Myamoto-san; the men my brother trains aren't always up to the standards that I like to uphold. This will not happen again." Masaru didn't even look at Kairenseki who went paler than white.

Michiru finally reached them and was immediately introduced by Hiroko.

"Father, may I introduce you, Kaioh, Michiru. Kaioh-san, this is my father Chiba, Masaru" Hiroko completed the introduction smoothly.

"Nice to meet you Chiba-san." Michiru bowed gracefully.

"The pleasure is all mine. Any relations to Kaioh, Osamu, by any chance?" Masaru asked her calmly.

"He is my father." Michiru replied evenly and watched how a calculating glint was sparked in his eyes.

"Then…." Masaru was about to continue to talk but Riko came and interrupted him.

"Michiru! There you are. I have been looking for you." She said cheerfully as she joined the small group after a few quick strides.

"Chiba-san, fancy meeting you here. Didn't think you are one for classical music." Riko greeted the Hiroko's father casually.

"I am here to pick up my daughter." Masaru replied even.

A glint of displeasure passed Hiroko's eyes but she did not change her general demeanour.

"It is still a pity that you have always refused to teach my son, Mamoru, the piano." Masaru continued.

"There is a difference between true love for the art and just learning it for prestige's sake." Riko replied unimpressed.

"Well, some just truly love the art of prestige. I wish you all a wonderful day, I need to return to my estate." Masaru bid his goodbyes and his daughter dutifully followed him without the slightest hint of rebuttal.


-Ami-

One moment she was still with Kakyuu, watching Haruka, who had managed to slip into a deep coma, the next she was covertly dropped off in her apartment, by Yaten and Seiya, on Kakashi's orders.

Connected to life support, the blonde was barely hanging onto her life and Kakyuu was barely hanging onto her own rationality, with the constant care she was giving Haruka. Ami truly didn't want to leave the other doctor alone in that state, but she knew, that there was nothing either one of them could do for Haruka anymore. They had finally managed to lower the viral count with long lasting effects before Haruka slipped away from them. Haruka's body was riddled with damage that took time and patience to heal, as well as the right amount of other medication and nutrition.

All that was truly left to be done was to wait. That excruciating waiting game that Kakyuu was horrible at. The doctor was a doer and sitting around idle was not her cup of tea.

It was usually Ami who could patiently sit with Haruka for hours, just reading up on her research, or talking to the blonde about everything that was on her mind.

Ami chuckled to herself as she made herself a cup of tea. Who would have thought that she, Ami Mizuno, would eventually find the perfect listener in Haruka Tenoh, the boisterous blonde who always had a response ready on the tip of her tongue. Just when she was about to go to the living room with her cup of tea, her front door bell rang. Surprised at the sudden sound she put her tea cup down again and walked towards her door.

As she looked through the peephole, Michiru stood on the other side.


-Michiru-

Michiru didn't know how she got there, her feet had just carried her by themselves to Ami. Before she consciously knew where she was, she was standing in front of the doctor's apartment. The day with her aunt had been long but by no means exhausting. After running in with the Chibas they had a pleasant afternoon, shopping and cooking with each other and in the late afternoon her aunt excused herself for an urgent meeting with a location scout.

As she had been standing in her studio, overlooking Tokyo in the light of the setting sun, while she coloured the sketch she had made of Haruka and Hotaru in Hokkaido, she had noticed that she could see the Tenoh tower clearly in the distance, standing tall among the many other skyscrapers that adorned the skyline of Tokyo. Before she would have not noticed it among all the other two high rise buildings, but now it had become unique to Michiru, with all the memories it held.

Like the little fox had become special to the little prince.

Michiru looked at her phone to check for the time and a small wooden fox smirked back at her cheekily, on a strap hanging off it, a happiness plaque under its paw.

It had suddenly overcome her, the sudden wave of emotions, she thought she had dealt with over her recital, but her unending longing for the roguish blonde, her ever growing desire for the trouble maker and the ever increasing turmoil that Haruka's absence caused within her heart was suddenly becoming unbearable.

She couldn't stay and had just gotten up and left her apartment, to go for a walk to clear her mind and now she was here. After reluctantly reaching for the doorbell, she was about to turn around to leave again, when Ami opened the door for her.

"Michiru? Are you alright?" her friend asked her concerned.

"I didn't think you would be home…" Michiru admitted.

"Come in, I just made some fresh tea." Ami invited her in, in her usual quiet but friendly manner.

"Excuse my intrusion and thank you for having me." Michiru smiled gratefully.

She entered the familiar small apartment, that was always neat and tidy and they headed for the couch.

They sat together, had a nice small talk about everything and nothing and Ami noticed how Michiru absentmindedly played with the little fox on her phone.

"That's unusual for you to use trinkets on your phone." Ami remarked.

"Haruka gave it to me after the Obon in Kyoto." Michiru smiled melancholically and noticed how Ami's eyes suddenly looked conflicted.

"You don't like her?" Michiru asked surprised.

"What? No, I do like her… I mean as a team leader she is really competent and as a friend she is very reliable." Ami answered flustered.

"Ami, would it be wrong for me to love her?" Michiru asked the doctor who looked at her with a mixture of sadness and empathy.

"I know. She comes across as such a playboy and flirt, but she is actually very sincere. I don't know. I am babbling. This has never happened to me before. I do not remember ever feeling this way. I just miss her so much, it has been only a few weeks that I haven't seen her and my whole being is aching for her, even just a call, to hear her voice again, could ease this pain." Michiru tried to explain to Ami who suddenly looked very sad.

"I am sorry Ami. I have been so self-absorbed, only talking about my own emotions while you haven't seen Makoto for the past weeks either." Michiru apologised.

"Makoto?" Ami sounded surprised.

"Don't worry, I have been looking after her for you. We have been working a case together and she swoons about you every chance she gets, but she knows that seeing you, probably wouldn't be the best move right now, considering how the office is at the moment." Michiru sighed.

"So how come you dared to come here?" Ami wondered aloud.

"I have worked myself into Tenoh Senior's good graces and it has not been an official order to avoid you, at least not to me, so I am not breaking any rules." Michiru explained. "Makoto and I are at the moment investigating a case together, so don't worry, I am looking after her for you until you come back." Michiru assured her friend as she watched the other girl growing ever quieter. "You know; you should tell her how you feel about her when you get the chance. I still regret not having told Haruka what she means to me. .." Michiru trailed off.

"I am sure she knows." Ami said quietly.

"Maybe…I can't wait for her to come back from whatever job she is on. I really hope it won't take as long as she predicted." Michiru admitted with a smile on her lips.

"You really do love her, don't you?" Ami observed in quiet and thoughtful manner.

"Yes, it is that obvious, isn't it?" Michiru smiled to herself. "If you would have told me a couple of months ago, that I would be so deeply in love with someone who lives outside of the law, I would have thought that you would have gone insane, but now I feel like, I am the one who has lost her mind by falling in love with Haruka. Ami, don't waste time and just go for it with Makoto. Life is too short to waste it on imaginary boundaries." Michiru smiled at her friend encouragingly.

Ami only looked back at her, deeply saddened, but nodded wordlessly back nonetheless.


-Setsuna-

She was standing atop the Meioh tower overlooking Tokyo, when Riko stepped up behind her.

"You haven't been here for a long time." Riko commented as she leaned over the railing next to Setsuna.

"Not many good memories were made here." Setsuna answered calmly.

"You can always make more of them." Riko chuckled.

"I suppose." Setsuna sighed. "Here, I have done the best I could to give you access to as many places as possible. I just don't have a good link as Kakashi to the underworld, you might have to do some negotiating in those areas." Setsuna explained as she passed Riko a package.

"Don't worry about that. I have asked the Myamotos for a list of willing clients to deal with them." Riko just nodded gracefully before she disappeared into the darkness again.


-Ami-

Ami felt still incredibly guilty for not telling Michiru, how Haruka wasn't in a good place right now and how a reuniting with the blonde might be moving into the far future, if not utterly impossible if things continued to decline. Kakyuu never talked about it, but the chances of Haruka ever waking up were dwindling with each passing day. Haruka's responses were declining and the MRIs were showing a bleak picture despite the decreasing viral count. The nerve and tissue damage was vast.

It had been two days now since she had seen her friend at her home and one day since she had returned to the tower to help Kakyuu with the monitoring of Haruka's condition.

The other doctor had been sleeping in the on call room for the last two hours to get some absolute silence and rest, while Ami was spending time in Haruka's room, reading up on the works that were meant to be dealt with for her sabbatical, as suddenly she saw how Kakashi and Taiki stepped around the corner, seemingly in a heated discussion. Both men seemed strained to keep their voices down and articulated vividly with their hands and frowns.

"….fine… as soon as you find out who was sent, we follow the appropriate protocol." Kakashi grunted as he stepped through the door to Haruka's room. Taiki just nodded curt before he turned around and disappeared again in direction of the elevators.

Kakashi sighed as he closed the door behind him before turning to Ami

"How is she doing?" He asked her casually.

Ami didn't respond immediately but before she could find any words to respond, Kakashi shook his head.

"Don't worry. There is no need to find comforting words for me. This is not my first rodeo with a stubborn Tenoh." Kakashi chuckled wryly.

He walked over to the blonde and sat down next to her. It was a very silent moment, nothing but the beeping and humming of the machines filled the room.

"Is there something wrong?" Ami asked timidly as Kakashi sat next to Haruka as he always did when something was bothering him and he needed a minute to think about it.

"Nothing particular. Haruka has just some appointments that she needs to attend to as soon as possible." Kakashi said, more to himself than anyone else in the room.

"What would happen if she doesn't make it?" Ami asked hesitantly.

"Haruka has everything sorted out. Anyone who needs instructions will receive them when needed." Kakashi responded calm and resolute, his eyes never leaving his nieces sleeping face.

He took his niece's right into his and held it tenderly as if in a prayer.

Taiki returned not much later, sporting a grave face. He walked into the room without hesitation and stepped up next to Kakashi.

"He sent unit 47, headed by Ernest Caine." Taiki reported curtly.

"Is Seiya ready?" Kakashi just asked in return.

"Yes, he is readying the equipment right now and our flight is leaving in three hours." Taiki explained.

"You are staying here. I need you to stay on post. Yaten is good in here, but you will make the more consequent decisions. If we need further enforcement I will contact someone local. Also, arrange for the flight to leave as soon Seiya is ready, we have no time to spare. Go ahead. I will be right down. " Kakashi frowned and gripped Haruka's hand tighter.

"Ok, I will make adjustments now." Taiki just nodded and walked away again.

"Haruka, I am only getting married when you get back up, so don't let Setsuna wait too long. You know how impatient she can get. Don't forget, you need to keep your promise to be my best man." Kakashi spoke with a hint of a chuckle in his voice, but Ami noticed how he slightly choked on the last words. "I am off to cover our asses. By the time I get back, I want your banana and chocolate chip pancakes and one of your cinnamon coffees that have way too much nutmeg in the mix." There was a melancholic smile on his lips before he kissed her fatherly on the forehead and left the room again.


-Michiru-

It was one of those days, Michiru thought to herself as she sighed.

Nothing was going smoothly. No call was being returned, no email was getting the expected replies, no source was getting back to her and to make matters even worse, now the system was shut down for emergency maintenance work. As if her life wasn't already as Monday as it could get, the coffee machine on their floor had just broken down and Michiru stood with her empty mug and lack of sleep in front of the unresponsive machine.

"So here you are" Makoto smiled as she stepped up next to Michiru with two steaming mugs of coffee.

"Where did you get that from?" Michiru asked surprised.

"The lab floor. Ami gave me the access code ages ago." Makoto grinned as passed Michiru a mug.

A sudden pang of guilt hit Michiru as she saw the melancholy in the brunette's eyes as she took the hot beverage out of the other's hands. She wanted to tell Makoto about her visit at Ami's place, but she knew that this wasn't the right place.

"I think it is time for us to go on a road trip." Michiru announced, after she had a warming sip of the hot black brew. The coffee wasn't bad, it was actually quite good considering the old machine they had on the laboratory floor, but it wasn't even close to the coffee at Haruka's place. Michiru knew she was spoiled but the long absence of the blonde was slowly creeping up on her and she started to compare everything she did or consumed, to the things she had when Haruka was around.

"Where to?" Makoto asked her curiously as they walked together back to Michiru's office.

"I was thinking about visiting the site of the burned warehouse." Michiru explained.

"Do you think there are any clues left, so long after the fire?" Makoto voiced her doubts.

"Maybe not any obvious ones, but maybe we could look for and question unwitting eye witnesses that the local law enforcement might have missed. It is not as if we could get much work done from the office today." Michiru shrugged and Makoto nodded in agreement.

"Ok, lets grab some essentials then and get going. We are burning valuable daylight." Makoto grinned.

They gave notice to Minako, who noted it down that they would be leaving for a couple of days for investigative purposes and left the building.

Makoto seemed particularly excited to get out.

The brunette had that in common with the blonde, that thirst for action and need for progress and movement. Sitting still definitely wasn't one of Makoto's strengths, making Michiru wonder how Ami and Makoto were when they were alone and if they could last, as different as they were. One being the definition of patience and calm while the other was the perfect picture of a warrior ever ready to charge into battle at any moment.

Once they had grabbed their go bags, they were sitting safely in the next Shinkansen heading to Osaka and were watching the landscape just rushing them by.

"Makoto…." Michiru started.

"Look there is Fuji-san!" Makoto pointed excitedly at the large mountain in the distance.

Michiru smiled at the childlike outburst and just nodded.

The large compartment was empty besides the two of them and their tickets had already been checked when Makoto stood up and walked twice the length of it, before sitting down again.

"Ok, we are in the clear, so what is our plan?" Makoto asked excitedly.

"What do you mean exactly?" Michiru asked hesitantly in return.

"I have already swept the place, there are no listening devices, so we can talk at least …" she looked onto her watch. "for 45 minutes, before we pull into the next station, and have possibly more travellers coming with whom we have to share this compartment." Makoto explained. "We do have a plan on how to exonerate Kakashi-sama… right?" Makoto looked at her expectantly.

"Yes of course. I do not think he has anything to do with it to start off with, but we need to proceed with caution, the best we can manage is to manipulate the information we gather by omission. Any direct manipulation of any evidence is too risky. Tenoh-sama is very sharp." Michiru reminded her friend. "Once his involvement has been ruled out, we'll be stuck with finding the real perpetrator to satisfy the Chinese's want for revenge, which will be difficult, considering they had laid out the thinly sprinkled evidence pointing to Kakashi rather skilfully without a single trace of an outside involvement."


-Haruka-

Haruka was curiously looking down on her right hand, as the faint sensation of touch seemed to run through it. She looked at her empty hand suspiciously but before she could find out where the sensation came from she noticed movement from the corner of her eye.

"Ruka, what are you doing here again?" a familiar voice asked kindly next to her and she turned her head.

"Ruto... I am not sure... " Haruka frowned confused as she saw him sitting, smiling his usual warm smile, next to her.

Haruto smiled at her patiently. "Let's go for a walk. You don't do well when you're sedentary for too long." her brother sighed and Haruka nodded eagerly in agreement.

Both stood up from the couch they were sitting on and both walked out of their beach house. They walked silently next to one another the along the familiar beach.

"How is Sayaka?" Haruto asked casually.

"Don't know…kind of stopped caring." Haruka shrugged.

"Nee….." Haruto sighed.

"Seriously, she is no one and nothing to me anymore." Haruka waved off his concerns.

"You know I will not let this topic rest." Haruto insisted.

"You are the one to talk, as if you had ever made better choices in your romantic partners. What were you thinking anyway when you courted Sayuri….." Haruka stopped and suddenly realized, that she was missing something very important.

"Sayuri was the love of my life, you know that." Haruto replied defensively.

"I thought the same about Sayaka, I was ready to give her the rest of my life…." Haruka sighed, feeling suddenly extremely tired.

"I told you that she was not good for you from the start." Haruto reminded her and Haruka just stopped mid walk.

"Will you drop it? I have already regretted ever meeting her in the first place ever since she got us into trouble with grandpa. How many more times do I have to apologise that? For the mistake to have ever loved her and trusted her?" anger rose in Haruka that translated into pain slowly growing within her body.

"You know I have no issues with your love, I have issues with her though." Haruto spoke soothingly. "She made you ignore all the red flags, Ruka."

Haruka's head started to ache…there was something, somewhere in her mind that she needed to remember, but the harder she thought about it, the more her head pained.

Suddenly she felt sharp pain racing up her right arm and her chest tightened.

She wanted to call out and scream in pain, but nothing came out. She broke down and her brother leaned down to her.

"Stay strong Haruka. I know you can do it." Were the words that rang in her ear before her world went blank with pain.


-Makoto-

They still had several hours of daylight left in the day when they arrived in Osaka around noon and were greeted at the station by another agent who handed them the keys to an agency car.

"Kaioh-senpai, it is such an honour to be allowed to meet you again." the lanky man kept showering Michiru with clearly unwanted attention.

"Thank you again for obliging to my request so quickly Tanaka-san." Michiru just kept her usual poised composure and skilfully ignored all his advances at every turn.

"You have become even more beautiful since the last I saw you in Nagoya. I see that Tokyo has been treating you well." Rikuto Tanaka continued to try his luck. Generally, he looked a bit shy, maybe even a bit too shy for the work of an agent, but Makoto knew better than to underestimate any agent that had survived the initiation training.

"Does Osaka not fair you well Tanaka-san?" Michiru asked politely.

"No, I mean yes. I am doing very well here. Why would you think that it doesn't?" Tanaka asked startled in return.

"It just seemed that even with all the famous Osaka food, you have not had time to eat well. Has work been that busy or haven't you found anything that is to your liking?" Michiru made small talk while they walked over to the car together.

"Oh, no, I mean yes, I have been busy, but I do know all the good places to eat here, too. Have you and Kino-san eaten yet? I can take you to the best Okonomiyaki in town if you like." Rikuto Tanaka kept on flirting undeterred.

"Thank you again for the offer Tanaka-san, but we wouldn't want to impose and take your precious little free time that you have. Also, we are here due to a direct request by the director, so therefore we have no time to waste ourselves. Agency business." Michiru just smiled gently with a smile that never reached her eyes.

"Oh. Of course…." Rikuto started to fumble.

"But thank you for the offer Tanaka-san. Another time maybe." Michiru just took the key for the elegant sports car out of his hand and opened the boot of the car so that he could put their bags into it. "We will drop off the car again in a few days. Maybe then Tanaka-san. I wish you a good day, agent." Michiru added before she took the driver's seat and Makoto joined her on the passenger's side.

"Eh, yes. I wish you a good day, too, Kaioh-senpai." Rikuto just stood there phased as they drove off.

"He seemed nice." Makoto chuckled as Michiru drove at a very generous interpretation of the speed limit towards the industrial area of Osaka.

"Yea, he has been 'nice' since he joined the agency just a year after me." Michiru sighed. "He is a good kid. Just not very perceptive to subtlety though."

"So, I have noticed." Makoto continued to chuckle.

They drove the rest of way smoothly and in silence. Michiru's driving style was completely different to Haruka's. While driving with Haruka, even at the lowest of speeds, it could be exciting because you continuously anticipated her to speed up at any point in time and share the thrill of a race with you, Michiru, on the other hand, drove calm but by no means slow. Every turn was meticulously executed and even while breaking all speed limits, you never had the impression that any of that was happening.

Makoto could see why Haruka would fall for Michiru. She was like the calm counterpart for the blonde that grounded Haruka for her own good and was probably also a needed influence on Hotaru with her calm. Not that Haruka was ever just over excited with the little girl or even irresponsible, just some female sensibility definitely couldn't hurt in the little girl's upbringing. Just thinking about how Hotaru kept on emulating Haruka in most of the things the blonde did when they were around each other, an additional voice of reason could only be beneficial so that no one would have to deal with a mini Haruka 2.0.

They arrived at the site of the burned down warehouse, where most of its remnants were already cleared away. That was Japanese efficiency for you, Makoto thought to herself with a sigh, as they pulled up and Michiru exited the car to have a closer look at the location.

Michiru just walked around the remaining outlines of the building and started to look around them at various spots. Makoto did the same, but hardly any surveillance cameras were around or even pointing this way and it was in no line of sight of any of the other residential and commercial buildings around either. Whoever chose this location did that under extreme care and consideration of their surroundings. Makoto had to hand it to them, this case was a pain. Suddenly Michiru stopped and looked intensely into the distance. Curious by the sudden stand still, Makoto walked over to her.

"Look over there." Michiru said with a hint of triumph in her voice as she pointed into the distance and Makoto had to squint to see what Michiru was pointing out. A single surveillance camera that happened to be pointed coincidentally into this direction.

"Michiru … I don't want to burst your bubble, but at this distance…" Makoto started to voice her doubts.

"I know, but that is one of the warehouses my father uses and I know that he only uses high resolution cameras with the best lenses the market has to offer." Michiru explained patiently.

"Ok…and how will we get our hands on the footage?" Makoto continued.

"I will think of something, but until I have figured it out, let's ask around here if someone has seen anything prior to this. This location is just too good to have been coincidental." Michiru said pensively.


-Kakyuu-

She was sitting exhausted next to Haruka. The blonde's overall physical reactions to the drugs, that she was administered with, weren't as severe as they used to be at the beginning, but that could be linked with the ever weakening of Haruka's heart.

"Here." Taiki offered her a cup of hot tea.

"Thank you." Kakyuu gratefully took it off his hands and blew gently over the surface of the steaming liquid.

Taiki knew better than to ask how Haruka was doing and just sat quietly next to her while Ami was spending some time in the common area to get a change of scenery and Yumi hadn't arrived yet to spend some time with the blonde and to read to her.

Taiki pulled out his tablet and opened a document before he started to read it down to give Haruka a daily update on the happenings in and around the tower. There was no guarantee that the blonde could hear him, or process the information at all, but as loyal and consistent as Taiki was, he just did it every afternoon before the sun set.

Once he was done with the official issues, he stopped and patiently waited for Kakyuu to leave the room, but Kakyuu didn't budge.

"Kakyuu-sensei..." Taiki started hesitantly.

Kakyuu didn't know what had gotten into her, a sudden stubbornness rose within her and she ignored Taiki's implied request to leave while she continued cool her beverage.

Sighing, Taiki just put down his tablet resolutely and waited.

"I am her doctor, I literally know Haruka inside and out. There is no point in hiding any of her business from me." Kakyuu spoke evenly, not budging an inch.

"I am well aware, but Haruka-sama had clear instructions not to burden you with any of our operations while she is in treatment, Kakyuu-sensei" Taiki replied stiff.

"If she said that you aren't allowed to burden me with the trivial matters of her business, what were her instructions on alleviating my burdens?" Kakyuu asked nonchalant.

"I am instructed to do absolutely everything that is in my power." Taiki responded without hesitation.

"Absolutely everything?" Kakyuu asked sceptically with a raised eyebrow. "Really anything?"

"Absolutely anything." Taiki confirmed resolutely.

"Even just calling me by my name without the honorifics?" Kakyuu continued evenly, watching Taiki's eyes widen as realisation dawned on him.

Kakyuu stood up wordlessly and put the cup of tea onto Haruka's side table.

"Don't over think things Taiki-kun, you still have business to discuss with your boss." Kakyuu sighed as she passed him on her way out.

She could feel how his eyes silently followed her tired body leaving the room and disappearing around the corner before she heard him standing up slowly and picking up her cup from where it was resting.


-Makoto-

Since they needed a non-agency affiliated place to stay without raising suspicion, they decided to go to Michiru's parent's place to discuss their findings in private.

They arrived late at night and Michiru unlocked the door for them to enter.

"Mum, I am home." Michiru announced their presence and Makoto added shyly behind her "Excuse my intrusion…" before they took off their shoes.

"Welcome, make yourself comfortable. Sorry I cannot come out to greet you, I am at the moment a bit busy in the kitchen." Michiru's mother called back.

"Need help mum?" Michiru asked as she took Makoto's coat and hung it up for her.

"No, I am nearly done. You two just make yourself at home. I already prepared the guest room for your friend." The older woman, who now peeked out of the kitchen, informed them and looked at Makoto. "Please don't be shy and just relax." She added with a warm smile.

"Thank you Kaioh-san" Makoto replied grateful in return before Michiru's mother disappeared in the kitchen again.

After settling in and helping with setting the table, all three women were sitting at the dining table and enjoying their late dinner. Makoto noticed that, unlike Michiru, Aiko Kaioh was a very warm and chatty person, once she was done with her interrogation of you. It didn't take much to warm up to Aiko, since she had that motherly aura about her that was at times a bit patronising, but not in a malicious way.

"I am sorry, Michiru, that your father had to leave unexpectedly for some business in the US. I know you usually only drop by when you need his advice." Aiko said half consoling, half chidingly as they ate.

"Nonsense, I always come by when I am in the area and this time I even brought a friend." Michiru replied with a suppressed sigh.

Aiko turned with a smile to Makoto. " I am so happy to finally meet a friend of Michiru's, she never brings any home." The elder Kaioh explained.

"That is not true, I brought Ami home several times." Michiru noted defensively.

"Yes, but she is not a friend of yours, she is your cousin." Aiko replied calmly.

"Dad is Ami's mother's second cousin. That makes her so far away related that she means more to me as a friend than that she is close to me as a cousin." Michiru sighed.

"Alright dear. So how do you two know each other again?" Aiko shifted the topic again back to Makoto.

"Makoto-san is my caterer of choice for the events that I plan. She is a really amazing cook." Michiru explained.

"Oh how wonderful, you should have told me earlier, I hope this simple meal is not too plain for you." Aiko turned apologetically to Makoto.

"Oh no, it is wonderful. It tastes superb Kaioh-san." Makoto reassured the elder Kaioh.

"You care too kind. So gentle and ladylike. A woman should always be able to cook for her loved ones." Aiko nodded approvingly. "Michiru, maybe you should introduce Makoto-san to Haruka-chan, so she can learn some cooking." Aiko suggested enthusiastically. "No restaurant food could ever replace the warmth that a home cooked meal gives to the soul, right Makoto-san?" Michiru's mother looked at her delighted and Makoto couldn't help herself but to nod in agreement.

"Haruka's cooking is good as it is." Michiru replied, slightly irritated.

"How do you know?" Aiko turned intrigued with a hint of coldness back to her daughter catching her slightly off guard.

"Haruka-san has cooked for us on a previous occasion when we visited her company in an informal setting." Makoto tried to help her friend out with her slip up.

"Oh, so you have met Haruka-chan before?" Aiko asked surprised.

"Yes, I have." Makoto confirmed.

"What is your impression of her?" Aiko returned to interrogation mode.

"She is a wonderful and strong person." Makoto replied without hesitation.

"Isn't she amazing? How long have you been friends?" Aiko asked curiously.

"Eh, actually for a few years now. We have worked together on several occasions already before now." Makoto started to fumble, worried about where the conversation was going.

Suddenly the home phone rang and Aiko excused herself.

"I am sorry about that. My mother tends to overstep personal boundaries as soon as she likes someone." Michiru sighed apologetically.

"Aren't all mums like that?" Makoto asked rhetorically and understandingly in return and both just laughed.


-Haruka-

Haruka was sitting peacefully on the porch overlooking the inner garden of the tea house. The smell of freshly brewed tea was filling her nose and she suddenly craved a sweet snack. Her mind was wondering to the wonderful white chocolate treats that she got in Hokkaido and she was about to turn around to call for a servant to bring her something when she noticed her brother sitting quietly next to her, shuffling Hyakunin Isshu cards.

"Remember how we used to play this with grandma?" Haruto asked with a gentle smile on his lips as he made to equally high piles and started to arrange his stack in front of him.

Haruka reached for the other one and started to mirror his actions with her stack.

"Of course I do." Haruka smirked. "I don't remember being particular good with it though." She sighed.

"You were always a bit too impatient but your accuracy and speed always made up for your initial mistakes." Haruto chuckled.

"Grandma was always so ambiguous with her reading." Haruka explained defensively.

"You just never really listened to her nuances when you had the chance to." Haruto laughed. "Have another cup of tea. And we'll play as soon as you are ready." He suggested as he refilled her cup of tea.

Haruka leaned back onto the pole behind her and closed her eyes.

"You ever feel out of place Ruto?" Haruka sighed as the pain in her neck crept up to her head again.

"What do you mean sis?" Haruto sounded aloof.

"I don't know, something doesn't feel right." Haruka voiced her discomfort.

"You better figure it out fast, I won't let this count as an excuse for losing to me." Haruto replied calmly.


-Yumi-

She was concentrating on whisking the tea to perfection as Kakyuu entered the room and sat down opposite to her. Both women didn't speak a single word and Yumi went through the motions with experience and routine. When she was done, she passed the cup to Kakyuu who received it in Haruka's stead. After she made herself another cup, both women continued to sit in silence before Kakyuu started to speak.

"We might need you to up Hotaru's security." Kakyuu said calmly as she kept her eyes focused on her tea.

"So the rumours carry truth?" Yumi couldn't help but sigh.

"Shouldn't you know more than me? After all you can do more than just making tea. I am only a doctor." Kakyuu replied calmly.

"We both know that you are more than that." Yumi said pensively before she took another sip of her own tea. "I have already upped Hotaru's security to the point that I would get notice if she doesn't brush her teeth or one of the other kids look at her funny." Yumi calmly informed her counterpart who seemed to relax in her sitting position. "More importantly, how is Haruka doing?" She asked as dispassionate as she could muster, while watching the doctor slightly gritting her teeth.

"She is slipping." Kakyuu seemed to have spoken those words for the first time and more to herself than to Yumi as she was looking over to the sleeping blonde.

Yumi didn't know what else to do but to grip her cup tighter. Things were getting more complicated and soon she would not be able to come here as freely as she was right doing right now.

"I am going to operate again soon and add a pacemaker. If things aren't improving I might need to connect her again to the other machines as well" Kakyuu put the cup down as if it was made out of lead.

"Would you like me to bring you your father?" Yumi asked concerned.

"That would be good for now, but if things go worse I think I need someone else as well, but I am not so sure how keen she would be with the idea of helping me…or actually helping her." Kakyuu signalled over to Haruka.

"Do you know where 'she' is right now?" Yumi asked calmly.

"As far as I am informed, Rome." Kakyuu sighed.

"I will see what I can do. Try to keep her alive in the mean time?" Yumi said reasurringly.

"Of course," Kakyuu nodded.


-Ami-

Ami woke up on the couch, in the middle of the night, in the common area and noticed that only a lonely light came from the other side of the building from Yaten's office. Busy typing could be heard echoing quietly in the distance, occasionally followed by a loud yawn. She slowly got up and walked over to the kitchen and filled two cups with coffee from the ever-busy coffee machine, before walking towards the source of the light. She put the coffee cup down next to Yaten who didn't even look over to her, as he busily continued typing.

"Thank you Ami, I will be done in a minute." He acknowledged her presence, eyes still affixed on one of the many screens, typing away at an incredible speed.

After he was done, he finally leaned back and stretched.

"So, how can I help you?" He turned over to face her.

"Shouldn't that be my question?" Ami chuckled before she had another sip of her coffee.

"Oh, no, you are strictly here only to help Kakyuu. We have everything else under control." He smiled tiredly.

"Aren't you overworking yourself a bit?" Ami asked with a slight doubt.

"Usually, Haruka-nee does all this on her own, we have merely split up her duties among us while she is unavailable." Yaten chuckled.

"Really? All I ever saw her doing was sleeping most of the time." Ami blurted out.

"Oh yea, she only sleeps when all things are done, or others are up who are capable of taking care of things. A habit she acquired over time. If she is sleeping it is a good sign that there is not much to worry about." Yaten chuckled.

"Must be tough to work under these conditions." Ami said pensively.

"I wouldn't want to have it any other way." Yaten shrugged.

"How come?" Ami asked curiously.

"You know, there are a lot of reasons why you get put into the special black ops program. Either you are the crème de la crème or you are disposable. I know why I was put into it and it was nothing flattering. I was trash, actually all three of us were damaged goods, one way or another. People were ready to use us for whatever good that was left for us to do and ready to discard us afterwards. Haruka and Haruto didn't accept that. They put us through so much training, we wanted to die at one point or another just to be through with it. Now that I made it here, I wouldn't trade it for the world." Yaten chuckled.

"So, you guys were that bad huh?" Ami joined with a smile.

"Extremely. Issues with authority, following orders, suicidal tendencies, mental instability, you name it, I am sure one of us had it and if we didn't the Tenoh twins would push us to the brink of it." Now Yaten laughed.

"I am not sure if I am refusing to imagine it or if I am scared of imagining it." Ami chuckled.

"Well, all in all, it is just part of our common experience now." Yaten shrugged again. "You sure you don't need anything?" Yaten asked again.

"Hmmm, I can't really think of anything." Ami admitted.

"How about checking on Makoto?" Yaten smirked.

"Oh, no, I couldn't… that would be an abuse of resources…." Ami couldn't help but blush.

"I thought you might say that….so how about I just check up on her while I wait for Seiya, just a routine check and you just stand behind me in the meantime." Yaten winked and Ami just nodded.


-Michiru-

Everyone had gone to sleep and Michiru snuck out of her room into her father's workshop in which he usually did his tinkering with his gadgets. She quietly walked towards the tool bench and moved several tools around for a secret door to open just underneath it.

When she was little she discovered this feature on one of her little adventures when her parents left her alone at home and she discovered her father's secret surveillance system on all his properties down there. As a kid she didn't think anything much off it, besides it being thrilling to find one of her father's secret caves. The older she got, she just thought to herself that her father used any excuse to get more toys to play with and considering how strict her mother was on this topic, it hardly surprised her that he kept it hidden from her mother.

She quietly sat down at his set up and hacked her way into his system. It took only a few minutes for her to find the camera footage that she was looking for and looked it up for the night of the fire. Several shadows moved around, and it was too dark to see whom it might have been.

She switched over to the night vision mode and noticed four people walking around, carrying, what it seemed, dead people into the warehouse. The movements looked very familiar and she zoomed into it.

Her heart skipped a beat.

It was Kakashi, Haruka and Kin Zhao, of whom they were investigating his death. They walked around and suddenly all three stopped near the door where Zhao was to be found later with a person he was supposedly trying to save. They talked for a while and Haruka gave Zhao something to drink before he knelt down and Haruka suffocated him with a routine grip. The limp body fell to the ground and she towered over him emotionlessly. The fourth person finally came back into view, dragging another corpse behind him that he put on top of the dead Zhao. Michiru zoomed in, but the night vision camera didn't have that kind of resolution that helped identifying someone with a baseball cap on his head. It seemed that the fourth person pulled out a remote and the pushed it. A fire started from inside the warehouse and Michiru needed to switch back to normal mode to be able to see what was happening. In minutes the place was lit brightly and the three-people watched it burning with their backs turned to the camera. The unknown person took of his cap to wipe off his sweat, before turning to Haruka and patting her shoulder, as the face was lit by the fire, Michiru recognised the familiar figure.

It was her father.