Chapter 3: The destination

Chapter characters: Akai Shuichi, Jodie starling

Chapter genre: drama, hurt/comfort

Jodie's train of memories was interrupted by the driver. Looking at him, she saw his lips moving through the mirror unable to distinguish what he was saying. She found herself breathing heavily with her heart hammering as if her body took a trip back to that time along with her thoughts.

"WE-ARE-HERE" he said putting emphasis on every word, he's been trying to tell her that for a while and now she finally seemed to take notice.

"Oh…Okay. Umm… would you wait for a minute? My friend is going to pay!"

"Okay!" he nodded.

Jodie had nothing on her. Her purse along with her phone and money were left inside her car. Gin took her to the warehouse with nothing but the clothes she had on and for some time, she had lost them too. And when she left, she stopped the taxi without putting much thought into that, a taxi that kept riding for about half an hour to finally reach its destination.

Getting out of the taxi, Jodie flicked the dust off her clothes for one last time in an attempt to look decent.

She walked towards the mansion and ringed the bell, a tall broad-shouldered man with strawberry blonde hair showed up from the garden after a while and opened the metal door to the Kudos residence.

"Shu, would you please pay the taxi driver" she quickly said pointing at the taxi behind her not giving the man a chance to even greet her.

Shuichi, or at this point Subaru opened his mouth as if to say something but then he changed his mind and closed it.

"Sure" he murmured reaching to the wallet in his back pocket before walking his way to the man waiting behind the wheel.

Jodie pushed the metallic door Subaru pulled after him making enough space for her slender body to slide inside the garden, she walked all the way to the front door but when she tried to open it she found it locked.

"What are you doing?" Subaru asked, taking slow paces towards the blonde who turned to face him.

"Shu, can I spend the night here?" Jodie asked going straight to the point, with all the exhaustion she was experiencing she had neither enough strength nor enough intellects to start turning around it.

Once in the taxi, Shu's house was the first place that crossed her mind, not her car, not her apartment, not anything else but him. She never expected herself to randomly show up at his door asking to spend the night especially ever since he broke up with her to be with Akemi. But now, the pain seared through her skin and took away every feeling of safety she ever had, she needed a friend to be there with her, to protect her, and who could be better than Shu to make her feel protected, He had already saved her life before.

"What?" Subaru raised his brows "Look, I already paid for your taxi fare which by the way costs a lot, now will you please leave miss"

"What?" Jodie said, with startle expressions from Subaru moving on to her face, she walked closer to him as she continued sharply "I'll pay you back for the taxi and just say you don't want me here, no need to be rude"

Once she got to him, Subaru raised his hands placing them on her cheeks, Jodie found herself taking a step back quickly, she wanted to take his hands off as Gin crossed her mind, she doesn't want any man's hand on her, not now, not for a while. Subaru followed her by taking a step forward.

Her heart suddenly started beating faster than it should as he stroked her cheeks looking straight into her eyes. She remembered Gin's gazes and what happened after. She felt scared but couldn't understand why! Even after what happened to her earlier, this was Shu... the man she loves and trusts unconditionally, he would never force her into anything.

"Shu" she whispered placing her hands on his wrists using some of the strength she had left -which is too little- to take his hands off of her face.

A light pain got to her cheeks that soon intensified as the tall man started pinching them hard.

"What is wrong with you?" Jodie finally yelled.

Subaru took off his hands sliding them into his pocket reaching for a key.

"I had to make sure you're not vermouth or someone in disguise," he said skipping her to the wooden door to open it.

"Okay, I'm not… can I spend the night here now?" she weakly asked following his path inside the mansion, cold hands placed on her cheeks to ease the little pain.

"I'm afraid you can't, it's not my house"

"It's just one night…"

"Jodie" Shuichi interrupted, finally looking at her after taking a seat on one of the couches in the living room "You do realize what you just did, don't you?"

"Huh!" Jodie looked at him with a dumb look on her face. She was having a hard time concentrating. She couldn't help but drift back to the dark memory every minute making it harder to focus on the present.

"You called me by my name in the middle of the street"

Jodie suddenly gaped as she remembered calling him Shu in front of the driver "Oh, I'm really sorry" she said, placing one hand on her mouth.

"And you came here all the way to the front door with a taxi, you could've stopped it one block away…oh, you didn't have money to pay"

Jodie didn't respond. Instead, she just sat on the couch parallel to him. Subaru, on the other hand, tilted his head to the right as a smirk played on his lips.

"Where are your car and your money anyway? Don't tell me you got mugged, you're an FBI agent it would be a shame if it really happened" he joked convinced that there's no way this could happen to her, she was well trained to escape such scenarios.

For Jodie, it was not funny. She was weak. If you choose a path as hard as the FBI's then you should be the opposite of that. She hated the idea of telling anyone that she had lost to Gin, she hated him to the guts and was determined to never let him reach satisfaction by delivering his 'message' to her colleagues. She was determined to bear the pain alone until they capture him, she was certain that day will come.

"Jodie, what's wrong? You spaced out" Subaru interrupted her thoughts with the smirk disappearing from his face.

"It's nothing… you're evil"

"Am I?" raising an eyebrow, Subaru pressed the button on the voice changer on his neck switching back to his real voice.

"Yes, you wouldn't let me spend the night"

"It's just that they know you're an FBI agent, you could be under the surveillance of the organization so your presence here is a risk. Not to mention that you called me by my real name. "

"I already said I'm sorry"

"Did you make sure no one was following you?"

"I…I don't know," Jodie told him frankly holding a hand on her forehead. He made her feel guilty for somehow risking his disguise to be exposed and she had enough emotions to deal with apart from that.

"Why would you do this? you are risking everything with this reckless move Jodie"

"I said I'M SORRY OKAY!" Jodie yelled. Shuichi's eyes grew slightly wider, this was the first time she ever yells at him for all the years he knew her. It gave him a sudden longing to go pinch her again and make sure it really is her and not someone in disguise.

"Jodie, what's wrong?" he asked, maintaining the calm tone.

"Nothing I'm just tired" she sighed. Taking off his glasses, Shuichi waited for her to say more as he fixed his green eyes on her "I'm sorry I yelled at you"

"What happened? Why did you come here in a taxi?"

"I went after Gin"

"What! Why didn't you tell me? What happened?"

"Not much I lost him"

At that time Shuichi's phone rang, it was James who told him everything about Jodie going after Gin by herself and that they found her car but she is still missing.

"… no there's no need for that she's going to spend the night here…yes…bye" he finished, placing the phone back on its spot on the table placed between them.

"I see you changed your mind" a weak smile quirked her lips.

"It must've been hard to go after Gin by yourself. Now tell me everything, how did you lose him and your car?"

"Admit it, You're letting me stay here to interrogate me about it"

Now a part of that was true, Gin was the personal rival of Shuichi, he killed his love so he never misses a chance to gather as much info about him as he could, but another part of him genuinely wanted Jodie to stay.

"No, but I'd like to know"

"I told you I lost him, Shu. Can you show me the way to the bathroom I need to take a shower, it's been a really long day"

Jodie was acting strangely, Shuichi noted that thinking that maybe she was tired, but he also thought there's more to it than that, it concerned him why she came to sleep in his house and of course the mystery of her car that was found parked next to a warehouse while she came in a taxi. He noted her skin is paler than usual so he thought it's not a good time for the interrogation, he'll let her rest for now.

He got to his feet with no protest and led her to the bathroom handing her some towels.

The Shower helped her feel less filthy both physically and emotionally, it also helped her clear her thoughts. She went out determined to keep standing strong. If anything, this incident will give her more reasons to try her best to hunt down the organization. She will keep wearing smiles as often as she always did, she'll continue being the strong independent woman she's always been, she will lock the dark memory in the back of her mind and continue standing strong as if it never happened, even if she had to pretend.

An appealing smell was leaking out of the food Shuichi was blending. He looked over his shoulder as he heard some steps behind him, and there was Jodie in a towel crossing her arms across her chest.

"Oh, you took off the mask"

"Yeah, it gets really uncomfortable when you wear it for too long"

Jodie missed his real face. She didn't get to see it for six month -ever since he faked his death- she was just wishing she could sit there and keep staring at the dark circled green eyes if it were to be appropriate. those dark circles she's always admired. They are basically natural makeup that underlined his eyes making every single glance of his more intense and giving depth to all of his looks.

It was Yukiko Kudo who helped him create the identity of Subaru, she insisted that he has beautiful distinguished eyes that could be easily recognized and thus gave him glasses thick enough that he had to squint to see clearly.

Shuichi cleared his throat after a moment of silence.

"I made us some dinner" holding the pot, he placed it on the table "but I guess I'll have to find you something to wear before that"

"Yes please! Anything will do" she smiled in an attempt to brush away all her memories from earlier "I still can't get used to the fact that you can cook"

"Well, wait till you taste it" he smiled back.

Shuichi left the kitchen before he showed up again handing her something pink! It was a strange choice of color to him, Jodie thought. She unfolded the thing, which turned out to be a dress, a really cute one in fact.

"Whose is this?"

"It belongs to a girl I know"

Unlike her usual self, Jodie didn't ask more. Instead, she just headed to the guest's room he had shown her closing the door behind her, the mansion held tow separate guest rooms, one was occupied by Shuichi and the second one now by her.

Changing into the dress that happened to fit her perfectly, she looked at the bed wishing she could just lay there and sleep for hours but Shu was waiting for her to have dinner. She didn't want to seem suspicious to him, the last thing she needs is an interrogation so she had to go out there and act normal before he suspects something. Little did she know he was planning an interrogation for her.

Jodie headed back to the kitchen where Shu was sitting to the table he had already sat up. His green eyes followed her as she took a seat on one of the chairs. He kept on staring at her for a long time as though he spaced out. Jodie on the other hand just looked back, it's the chance she's been waiting for to fill her eyes with his face, and his green eyes, and those strangely appealing circles underneath them.

"Shu," She softly said after a while, finally interrupting the silence.

"Yes," he slightly shook his head looking away. Akai let out a long sigh looking forward at, well… nothing.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes," he quickly answered looking back at her.

"It's hers, isn't it? Akemi"

Shuichi swallowed hard before nodding his head. Akemi was what made him bear the darkness that loomed over him back when he was infiltrating the organization, she was his only light back then, he loved Jodie but Akemi was able to steal his heart, Maybe because his meetings with Jodie where becoming more and more sparse, or maybe it was the kindness of Akemi and their long conversations that he enjoyed. Eventually, it caused him to end things with a woman he cared about.

"Oh… I'm sorry… I can take it off if you…"

"No, it's okay" he shook his head.

Jodie just nodded in return. She loved him, in fact, she never stopped loving him through the four years they stopped dating, she waited for him only to be pained knowing he's still mourning Akemi's death.

"So tell me about what happened with Gin," Shuichi asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"I told you he ran away"

"No before that, what's with the taxi? How did your car end up in front of the warehouse?" Something in Shuichi's eyes changed, his detective mode was on and Jodie didn't like it.

"We kept the chase on foot. We were so far away I just took a taxi"

"Why didn't you go back for your car?..."

"That's because I didn't know the exact address to the warehouse, can we eat now?" her blue eyes looked down at her plate, she stuck a fork into her food hoping to look casual.

"Jodie, if you kept the chase on foot why didn't you have your phone on you to make contact with James?"

"I-I forgot it" she stammered putting the fork back on the plate from its halfway to her mouth "I got so carried away then when I reached for it in my pocket, it wasn't there" she chuckled nervously.

"So how long did that chase last?"

"About twenty minutes"

"And how did you lose him?"

"He crossed the street"

"That's it!"

"Yes, disappeared right after"

"You said you chased him with your car all the way to the warehouses then continued on foot, how come when the FBI showed up his car wasn't there?"

"I don't know, he must've gone back for it"

"I thought the chase lasted twenty minutes, the FBI showed up ten minutes after you sent them the message. Jodie do you actually believe what you are saying because I don't"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Jodie suddenly stood up from the chair "you know what! I don't feel like eating anymore"

She stormed out of the kitchen, not that she really felt insulted but she felt cornered, she knew how smart he is and she had to run away fast before he realizes something.

"Just tell me what happened, none of what you said makes sense and the way you are delivering it with making it even harder to believe you" Shuichi snapped as he followed her.

Once she reached her room, Jodie slammed the door leaving him outside.

"why would you lie to me Jodie?" he softly asked from behind the door.

...no response.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me" he added.

Again, He got no answer but silence that lasted for too long. Shu inhaled a deep breath. he sat down supporting his back against her door making two big mountains with his legs as he placed his elbows on his knees. He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through it.

A while later, he heard the sound of a hand on the doorknob causing him to quickly move his back forward and away from the door that opened soon after. Jodie skipped him and started walking towards the stairs. Shuichi noticed that she had changed into the clothes she came wearing. Standing up fast, he followed her and grabbed her left wrist with his right hand.

"What's wrong Jodie? Why would you lie to me" Shuichi found his voice coming out sharply, which he regretted instantly.

Jodie turned her head to the left avoiding their eyes to meet. "I didn't lie," she said, fearing her voice will betray her, luckily it didn't.

She took another step forward and all that Akai could think of now is that if she steps out of the house, he will no longer be able to follow her with his Shuichi face.

"You did, no need to deny it, but why?" he asked so softly compensation for tightening his grip on her wrist.

"I told you I didn't Shu, just let me go," she said taking another step forward.

Shuichi moved quickly taking Jodie's free wrist in his other hand pinning them against her sides, he pushed her back against the wall "Shu, what are you doing SHUICHI!" she yelled. He was looming over her and it just triggered her bad memories from before.

Jodie turned her face to the left again tightening her lids on her eyes "BACK OFF" she yelled again but he didn't move.

"Not until you tell me what happened"

"stop it… Please, just stop" eyes still closed, Jodie's breath started to become heavier, heavy enough for him to notice.

This was Jodie, his good friend, and colleague and at some point his girlfriend. Why is she being like this? Shuichi thought, remembering her reaction back when he pinched her cheeks. She felt his grips weaken slowly until they were no longer on her wrists.

Her blue eyes finally opened as she turned her head towards him slowly, he was still standing close to her.

"He…" Shuichi kept looking at her with a face she couldn't tell the emotions behind "he didn't…" he trailed off as his lips tightened.

Warm tears streamed down her face, Jodie nodded looking away again. She didn't want to tell anyone but Shuichi knew her too well he could tell something was wrong, and he could tell what that thing was. There's only one reason that can make a woman unable to bear a man approaching her. Gin raped her and left her not only unbearing a man to approach her but also unbearing her self.

"That bastard" Akai muttered.

His hands formed two fists that kept getting tighter his fingernails almost drew blood. They stayed like that for a while without saying a word until he suddenly took a step back from her "stupid… I'm so stupid" he muttered remembering how he's been treating her all this time when she came to him for shelter, refusing to let her spend the night and interrogating her and eventually pinning her wrist.

Jodie finally moved again aiming for the set of steps ahead of her, she went down three stairs before he called for her.

"Jodie!" she stopped without looking back at him "stay…please!"

Her blue eyes looked at him over her shoulder glimmering with the tears. She needed that so much it was relieving to hear it coming from him. She sat down on that third stair burying her face between her hands. After all the promise she made to herself to stay strong, she found tears bursting forth from her eyes like water from a dam, spilling down her cheeks as the muscles of her chin trembled like a child.

For once, Shuichi's stoic face betrayed him. He looked obviously pained to see her like that as her sobs and sniffs got louder. his eyebrows pulled together moving upwards in the middle and downwards at the edge followed by his fist meeting the wall.

He took some wide steps and sat next to her not sure what to do. He wanted to offer her some kind of physical comfort but he wasn't sure she'd accept it.

His hand moved slowly touching her shoulder for a brief second to let her know he is there before taking it off fast. Jodie finally pulled away from her hands, she grabbed his shirt burying her face into his chest, enough for him to know that he was allowed to wrap his hands around her hugging her tight and so he did. He placed her head under his chin as she kept pushing herself inside his chest as if to escape from reality right into it. she sobbed into it unceasingly, hands clutching still at his shirt. He held her in silence as her tears soaked him. She'd pull away from time to time to recover breath giving him a chance to see her blinking lashes heavy with tears before she'd collapse again until her tears fully dried leaving her with silent sobs, and a friend who hadn't let go from the moment she buried her face into his chest.

Next chapter: The Revenge

The next chapter is when the battle against the organization begins so I hope you stick around.

Until then, have some nice happy days everyone :)