(A/N: I've decided Kurtan is French now. Next chapter it might be Spanish. Whatever sounds the best at the time.)

Of Lions and Blonde Avengers:

Chapter 11:

Of Love and Betrayal

Kurapika found him by the river. He looked peaceful for once, almost happy, and that made her pretty happy too. The little Kurta skidded to a stop beside him.

"Hello, Kurapika," Chrollo greeted, eyes still captivated by the sparkling water. The little girl sat down and gazed down into the water, expecting to see something amazing, but all that she found was her own reflection staring back at her.

She tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What are you looking at?"

"The water," he answered, simply, still focused on the river.

"Why?" She saw nothing special about the water. It looked the same as always. Blue, clear, and drinkable.

He took some time to answer her, debating how to respond, like he always did with her. The Kurta sometimes wished he'd just say what was on his mind. It must have been really sad to always cover up what you were thinking.

"There isn't much water where I come from," he started, cautiously. "It's always calmed me down somewhat. Maybe it's the sound, or the color, or how the sun shines off it. It reminds me I'm alive."

She had never thought of it like that. Brown eyes peered back into the water, and it suddenly seemed a little brighter, a little more lively. Mr. Chrollo certainly had a way with words. It's like he brought new life to ordinary things, suddenly making them seem irreplaceable.

She gasped.

That was it!

"I figured it out!" she cheered victoriously, standing up and punching the air with her fist. "I know what your job is in the real world!"

Mr. Chrollo finally looked at her with a challenging, playful smile. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"You're an author!" she claimed, confidently, placing her hands on her hips because she was definitely right this time.

He sang, "wrong."

The girl pouted and plopped back down on the riverbank, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was sure I got it right that time."

"You'll figure it out someday," he reassured, petting her golden crown.

"You bet I will!" said the young Kurta, looking up at the sky like it'd give her the answer. "And when I do, you'll buy me a magic carpet!"

"If you figure it out, I'll buy you two and a genie's lamp."

The Kurta grinned, nodding fervently before a thoughtful look overtook her face. "I don't know what I'd wish for, though."

"What do you most want in the world?"

"World peace!" she said, not a doubt ringing through that statement. World peace was definitely the best!

Chrollo chuckled again, before switching to a lying position, placing his hands behind his head. Kurapika followed suit.

"Wouldn't that be something," he mumbled, before switching to his usual tone. "Let's narrow it down a bit. No world peace. That's too grand a scale for even a genie."

"Solving world hunger?"

"Nope. Think about just your life. What would you change?"

She shook her head. "I wouldn't change anything! Everything is . . . great," she faltered for a second, her face falling, and Chrollo knew she'd found her wish. "Except, I sometimes wish my eyes didn't turn red."

Chrollo glanced in her direction.

"I wish none of us were born with the Scarlet Eyes," she continued, a bit faster. "I wish we didn't have to hide. I wish people didn't look at us differently. I wish we could just be normal."

"Enough." His voice was positively steely, it chilled her to the bone. Never before had she heard Mr. Chrollo get angry about anything, much less at her. What had she said? "Not another word."

She sat up, eyes blazing red, vision tinted the same shade. "But it's true! If it wasn't for the Scarlet Eyes, we wouldn't have to hide - !"

"They're a part of you, Kurapika," he cut her off, brushing her cheek, the spot right below her right eye. "If others have a problem with that, they're the ones in need of a change. Not you. And if someone does ever attack you, I'll make sure they pay."

The poor girl looked ready to burst into tears, but then she fought them back and bit her lip hard. "Then . . . I have another wish."

"What is it?" he asked, a little more harshly than intended.

"I want to see the world with Mr. Chrollo," she said, decisively.

He smiled again, and Kurapika felt relieved. "Now that, you don't need a wish for."

. . .

Kurapika woke up the next morning alone, though she could still feel Chrollo's nen in the area so she decided she could lounge around a bit more. She felt surprisingly lazy that morning. The whole thing felt so natural. Falling asleep with Chrollo beside her, spending the day with him. It felt so right.

The panic rose up in her, engulfing her entire being until it finally forced her to sit up.

No. She was being selfish again. Her revenge, the eyes of her clan. That was all she needed. Chrollo didn't deserve to be dragged into her fate.

Even now, it was excruciatingly difficult to choose the right path.

She turned to get out of bed, her feet landing on the plush rug. Her clothes lay perfectly folded on the wooden nightstand, and she knew she wasn't the one who put them there. The Kurta grabbed her clothes and headed for the door. She just had to get to the bathroom, then go downstairs, tell him she really needed to be at work right now and check up on everyone and make sure her worry was convincing enough. Easy enough.

She opened the door, only to be met face to face with the very man she was trying to avoid.

Shit, not easy, not easy at all.

"You're up already," he said, cheerfully, and Kurapika nearly melted at the sound. Her resolve was already shaking. "I was just about to wake you for breakfast."

The girl pushed a strand of blonde her behind her ear, sheepishly. "I think I'll skip breakfast. Duty calls."

"Are you sure? They seemed fine yesterday," he said, still blocking her exit. "We don't want you starving on duty."

"I've been through worse," she said, a bit of nervousness seeping into her usually calm tone. "I just really want to see if they got the Scarlet Eyes, that's all."

He seemed conflicted, but then a smile flit across his face. "Alright then, Pika-chan." Oh dear. Not again.

He caught her wrist and pulled her closer, pressing his lips gently to hers. He went no further than simply brushing his tongue over her bottom lip, but it was nonetheless electrifying. His fingers loosened around her wrist and then he stepped out of the doorway.

"Have fun."

That was so easy. Too easy. Surely, he could've tried harder to keep her here. Not that she wanted him to try, but it still felt strange that he'd give up like that.

She shrugged mentally, heading to the bathroom, but then something on the dining room table caught her eye.

Blueberries.

Goddammit.

And she was really hungry too.

"Fine," she gave in, handing him her clean clothes, and walking down the spiral staircase, "I'll stay for breakfast, but that's all."

He smirked, "it's a deal."

The pancakes were delicious and the blueberries embedded in them were divine.

Chrollo chuckled as she gobbled them up. "Your one weakness."

"Shut up, you conniving bastard from hell," she said, glaring at him, before diving back into the pancakes. "You're lucky you're a good cook."

"I'm lucky I stocked up on blueberries."

She smirked and rolled her eyes. "Here I thought you were letting me go."

"I will," he reassured her. "Once I'm sure you won't pass out in the streets from malnourishment. You're too young to be skipping meals. You've gotten skinnier."

"Never before have I been so aware of our age difference."

He smiled, fondly, before giving her a pensive look.

"What is it?"

He shrugged. "It's hard to believe this might be our last time together."

And just like that, the atmosphere shifted to something more melancholy. Kurapika found it hard to believe, sitting across from him now, still wearing the plush, white bathrobe and his scent still clinging to her. It felt surreal to think about never seeing him again after they just spent a day, a night, and a morning acting like some kind of married couple. As usual, the little voice in her head reminded her it didn't have to be her last time. Not with Chrollo. Not with anyone she loves. She could stay with them and give up on her vendetta, and that would be enough.

But there would be nothing left of her. What else did she have other than her revenge? It was the reason she'd lived this long. She had nothing else. Her friends, Chrollo, she couldn't have her life centered around them. She wasn't that kind of person. She needed a goal.

"Well," she said, trying to channel her inner Gon-like optimism. Which was rather difficult since she was a realist most of the time and a pessimist the rest. "It might not be. We both probably thought we'd never see each other after the massacre, but here we are. We have a way of finding each other again."

He gave her a small, forced smile. "Somehow, I don't think that would work this time." His voice held so much yearning and dread that Kurapika almost felt that last string of her resolve snap. She didn't want to lose anyone else. Chrollo, her friends, was she really that willing to throw them away for something as uncertain as her revenge? And what did she mean to gain from her revenge? What if she died? The Kurta line would end with her. The Kurta Clan wouldn't have come to its end due to the massacre but due to her recklessness.

Kurapika shut the thoughts down. She was past the point of no return. Turning back was not an option. She had the choice to leave behind her revenge and pursue some other course in the Academy. Regrets and doubts were normal, surely, she just had to stay strong.

"I want to show you something before you leave," Chrollo suddenly said, standing up and gesturing for her to follow. She did. Every second with him could be her last. She'd stretch it out as long as she could.

They eventually came to what looked like a vault hidden behind what looked like an ordinary wall. He pressed a few buttons on the control panel beside the vault, and the door slowly slid open. Her feet stayed planted to the ground, not daring to move closer.

"Mon Dieu," she muttered in Kurtan. "You've been collecting them."

She counted twenty pairs. Twenty pairs of vivid, beautiful Scarlet Eyes held in glass cases.

It was enough to make her sick to her stomach, but she couldn't look away. As if the ghosts of her comrades were staring back at her through them.

"Why?" she started, voice barely above a whisper and ready to break at any time, her whole body shook with the emotions she'd always kept locked away. "Why are you showing me this?"

"Because you've been forgetting about them," he answered, not moving to come closer, to offer any meaningless words of wisdom or whisper sweet nothings in her ear. He stood there, cold and untouchable.

Kurapika's eyes turned a brilliant red, more spectacular than all their dead counterparts. How dare he?

"Forget?" she repeated, anger boiling over as she turned on him. "How could I? Every step I take in this world reminds me that I'll never be able to go back to them! That there's no home to come back to! That everyone I've ever loved is dead and it's all because a group of thieves thought our eyes were nice to look at!"

Her lungs expanded and contracted as she wound down.

"Feel better?" he asked, arms crossed over his chest. The woman nodded, pursing her lips as if to stop any further anger to slip through them. "Good. I suppose it's my turn to argue my case."

He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, the hot-blooded woman allowed herself to lean into them.

"You remember the massacre," he continued, holding her tighter as she stiffened. "You remember blood and death, so you decided to avenge them, but wouldn't it make more sense to carry on their legacy. You're just angry, so angry that you'd throw the last of the Kurta Clan's memory under the bus."

Her eyes widened a fraction. "What would you have me do? You know I can't let go."

"Stay alive," he whispered, cupping her face. "Not for revenge, or your family, or your friends, or me. But for yourself."

He always did have a way with words. His obsidian eyes burned into her Scarlet ones, and before she knew what was happening, his lips fell on hers. The young Kurta twisted around for a more comfortable angle, and wrapped her arms around his neck, as their bodies were crushed together. One of his hands stayed clutching her hair, his fingers mingling with its honey strands. The other stayed around her waist, even when her back hit the wall behind her.

He pulled away, though not very far, his breath still brushing her lips. "So," he breathed, voice husky with desire. "What say you?"

She hugged him, placing her face in the edge of his neck. "I'll . . . consider it."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Don't get cocky."

He chuckled, and the sound made her almost smile. "I would never dream of it, Madame. I'll be here all week. Come whenever you like."

"What will you do if I say yes?" she asked, playing with his hair.

"I'll make you the best assortment of blueberry desserts in the world."

She laughed freely this time. "I blame my obsession on you." Because he'd been the one to introduce her to the super-powered antioxidants. Years ago, in the Kurta village, when he'd gone off on a week-long excursion to some city in the United States of Saherta, he came back with gifts for her and Pairo - who, other than her parents, were the only ones who knew of him at the time. One of those gifts happened to be blueberries, and her father had decided they'd make for delicious ice cream. After that, whenever Chrollo was about to go off on his little trips, Kurapika would beg him to buy the delicious fruit, which was unnecessary, since even when she forgot, he still bought them for her.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, making her shiver despite his warm breath. He planted a few kisses along her jawline.

"Mmm, I love you too," she mumbled, letting him do as he wished.

. . .

She still had to go to work, though. So, she eventually had to ditch the bathrobe and change clothes. Giving Chrollo one last, prolonged kiss, she walked out the door. The nearby lake glittered with the morning sunshine and she took a moment to take in her surroundings. They were still in YorkNew, but clearly, they were in the cleaner parts. The building towered above her in its glory and Kurapika caught sight of Chrollo going about his business on the last floor.

A smile spread across her face and she raised her hand. "Taxi!"

They stopped immediately. "Take me to Mt. Olympus hotel, please." She showed him her Hunter license.

"Understood."

She watched the scenery rush past her, finding herself in a surprisingly good mood. And how could she not be? Chrollo's words had put her mind at ease a bit. He had a point, she must admit. Her parents wouldn't have wanted this sort of life for her. Maybe, if she just collected the Scarlet Eyes, that would be enough. She wouldn't accept Chrollo's help, of course. Collecting the Eyes was most certainly something she'd prefer to do on her own. Not that that was very strange for someone with her personality.

"Thank you," she told the driver, before heading inside. And then, at the stairs of the hotel, she began to feel a little uneasy for some inexplicable reason. Her steps hastened as she reached the elevator and pressed the button for floor nine. As soon as she flung the door to the hotel room open, her suspicions were confirmed.

Things looked normal, but it was clear there was a gaping smile. Tocino and Baise were both gone.

"Kurapika!" Nico said happily, putting an arm around her shoulders casually. "So, how was your date?"

She turned to him, too confused to brush him off. "Nico. What happened while I was gone?"

He averted his eyes. That bad, huh?

"The auction was attacked," Neon answered, surprisingly casual about the whole thing. "Baise and Tocino were killed. No one inside made it out alive."

"It was thieves," Basho continued.

Kurapika silently gave a quick Kurtan prayer to her two departed co-workers, as was the custom, before addressing Dalzollene. "Did you catch them? Why wasn't I notified?"

"They got away. One of them killed four shadow beasts in a matter of minutes, and it even looked like he was stretching it out. The rest were found dead and Owl was captured. He had the items in his possession, so they probably tortured him to get it."

Weren't the shadow beasts the most powerful nen users in the mafia? Either they didn't live up to the hype, or their opponents were ridiculously overpowered.

"The Phantom Troupe is the main suspect."

Kurapika froze. "What?"

"We just go the posters in. Take a look. Do you know any of them?" Squala asked, handing her a standard sheet of paper covered with faces. She took it, expecting to see some formidable, monstrous faces, fit for a crime like the Kurta Massacre.

Her breath hitched and she held the paper so tight that it almost crumpled under her fingers. There were six faces printed and four of them she recognized. A large bulky man with gray hair that looked like it received a few bolts too many of electricity. Uvogin. A lean, muscular man with blond hair and green eyes. A perpetual smile she'd only seen on one other person. Shalnark. There was Machi, the pretty girl she'd met all those months ago in the Academy. She stared emotionlessly into the camera. Finally, Feitan, the short elf of a man with shoulder-length black hair and a mask over half his face.

But how? How could Chrollo know these people? How could he come in contact with them? Did he know? He couldn't have. That would mean he was in cahoots with the people who slaughtered her entire clan, subsequently ruining her life and forcing her into an existence centered around revenge and hatred.

He couldn't know. Chrollo had loved the Kurta clan. He'd spent time with them, laughed with them, brought them gifts. He'd been her best friend. That much sincerity and love and happiness. That couldn't be faked. Could it? Monsters like the members of the Phantom Troupe. They wouldn't hesitate to manipulate them to get what they want. They would gauge their strength and the things they cared about most, what made their eyes trigger. It made sense in that regard. In that case, he hadn't just murdered them, he had betrayed them as well. Betrayed her twice.

And suddenly the pieces started to fall together. They had called him 'danchou': A common name for a gang leader in Jappon. It was clear they took their orders from him. He'd spent all this time trying to get her to stop chasing them, but wouldn't it make sense for him to be the least bit angry that they massacred the only people that ever treated him as a human being. Sometimes, it almost felt he was trying to protect them rather than her.

He wasn't just a Spider, he was the Head of it.

She'd let him in. She'd been ready to give him everything. And he'd just been playing with her the whole time. It must've been hilarious to watch her fall for the very man who was the cause of her suffering.

Her hands shook with anger, and her chains tightened against the back of her hand, cold and hot at the same time, ready to strike at its victim like a deadly metal snake.

Dalzollene started speaking again. "As for notifying you, we did. Called, texted, we couldn't reach you all night. Then Nico told us you were off with your husband on a date, and not to ruin your night. I didn't know you had a husband."

"He's not my husband," she muttered bitterly, eyes still glued to the paper, instead of switching to glare at Nico for his transgression.

He wasn't anything anymore. Nothing but her enemy.

But he didn't know that yet.

She could use that fact to her advantage.

. . .

"You're going out again?" Nico asked from where he was washing the dishes after dinner. "Girl, you need to relax."

"I'll pass," she said, letting the door swing shut behind her. Her phone buzzed, and she felt a little bit of relief to know it was functioning properly again. This just confirmed that Chrollo and his Spiders must've hacked her phone somewhere through the course of the night. She should've been more careful around him, even if she hadn't known he was a Spider. That was no excuse. But she'd been so caught up in the world he made for her, caught up in the Chrollo from her childhood, that she'd clung to him, afraid to let go. He'd been one of her only ties left to the Kurta Clan, after all. Kurapika didn't want to lose anyone else.

She shook her head. You couldn't lose what you never had, and Chrollo was never hers to start with. That man was a spectacular actor, but in the end, acting was nothing more than pretense. He was faking.

She pressed the button on the intercom, waiting for him to buzz her in, keeping her face neutral for the camera. The signal came but a few seconds later, and she walked in casually, letting her footsteps hasten a bit as she left the elevator to show just how much she wanted to see him right now. Her knuckles met the wood of the door, and soon it opened to reveal Chrollo Lucilfer: her lover, her friend, and the man she wanted to destroy more than anything.

A warm, tender smile spread across his face as he looked down at her, and Kurapika felt the doubts spring up again. Look at that face! How could he be faking so much love in those eyes? He couldn't be that good, could he?

She squashed the questions down into oblivion. Anything could be faked. The only one you could trust was yourself and even then you couldn't be too sure.

He enveloped her in his arms and closed the door behind them, leaning against the door whilst still holding her tight, and she resisted the urge to shove him away and demand answers. There was no way he'd tell her if she revealed what she knew. She needed to interrogate him without letting him know he was being interrogated.

"I missed you," he whispered in her ear, and it made her shiver in disgust at the desire she no longer wanted.

She let an easy chuckle leave her lips, even as she felt the anger boil up inside her at the lie. "I was only gone for a few hours."

He released her, framing her face, and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Hmmm, that was long enough. I didn't expect you to come back here so soon though. What changed?"

"I . . ." found out you were the murderer of my entire clan and came here planning to interrogate and then kill you with my own hands because I trusted you. No. She couldn't say that. "Just really wanted to see you again."

"Well, you're in luck," he said, pushing her towards the dining room. "I made extra pizza for today."

She forced a teasing smile on her face, the kind she'd use before. "Homemade? You're kidding. You could never make a decent pizza back in the village."

"I've learned some things over the years," he said, confidently, as he picked up on of the slices of the pizza in the center and offered it to her. She took it gingerly, eyeing it skeptically for traces of poison. There was no reason for him to get rid of her eventually. It was even possible he already knew everything.

It looked clean, though. The crust was burned a little at the edges, but other than that it looked absolutely delicious. So, she slowly took a bite of the cheese-topped pizza and chewed.

"Color me impressed," she said, simply shrugging. He tilted his head to the side in confusion, and she almost found it adorable. Almost. But everything he did now was just a reminder of how she'd let herself be humiliated.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You seem tense."

Shit. He noticed.

She sighed, putting the pizza down and leaning against the cold wall. "I've been thinking about what you said this morning."

The man's face turned to a look of exasperated fondness, he walked over to her and cupped her cheek. "I told you to think about it. You shouldn't rush this sort of decision."

As if she didn't know that.

"I already made my decision," she whispered, putting her hand over his, luring him into a false sense of security like he lured her into every time they were together. "I know what I want."

"And what is that?" he asked, taking the hand over his and kissing it.

"I want to live," she whispered. "I want to see the world. With you."

That was all she had to say and all his inhibitions and possible doubts seem to fade. His lips met hers once again and it made her feel sick. Sick of how she melted into it, kissing him back without really needing to think about it. Because now it felt wrong, but the memory of when it felt right was still so fresh in her mind. For God's sake they had been making out this morning.

This morning. The Scarlet Eyes. Hadn't he sold them all? Why was he trying to get them back? Fury rose in her. He was probably going to use them to mock her when she was finally of no use to him. This was all a game to the Phantom Troupe Leader. The Head just wanted something to play with.

She had to talk about the other members, but when was she supposed to do that when she was currently being kissed senseless? At least they were on the couch. Always a good place to talk.

Wait . . . couch?

She'd been so caught up in her plans she hadn't even noticed when Chrollo had pushed her down onto the couch, lips still locked on hers. He was hovering over her at the moment. That would be disadvantageous if she decided to attack him now. So, Kurapika did what any ex-lover-turned-enemy-but-he-doesn't-know would do. She kissed him harder, throwing her arms around his neck, and switching their positions.

"Tell me," she whispered between kisses, trying her best to sound casual, while inside a part of her cried 'please. Just this once. Tell me the truth.' "How do you feel about me?"

Chrollo wrapped his arms around her. "I love you."

Something in her snapped. Lies. All of it. Love her? He would've murdered her five years ago if she hadn't been gone that day. He had manipulated, lied, schemed against her. What kind of love was that? That was nothing but the love of control.

She wouldn't let him control her anymore.
"Hey," she started, recalling that time in the forest. "I think I finally figured out what your job is."

Her hands wrapped around his wrists like shackles. He just gazed up at her with that expectant gaze, like he'd known this would happen.

"You're the Leader of the Phantom Troupe."

One could've heard a pin drop in the silence followed, instead all they heard was the ticking of the clock and the sound of cars as they drove by outside.

"I am."

And there it was. The confession she'd been waiting for. Any doubts she previously had disappeared. There was nothing left but anger and bitter betrayal and she raised her hand, curled it into a fist, and let it connect with his face. Over and over and over, and it wasn't his response that threw her off, it was his lack of one. He just kept staring up at her with those gentle, dark eyes.

"Why?" she asked. "Why aren't you fighting back?"

His answer came swiftly and confidently. "Because I love you."

If possible, her eyes became even more Scarlet, but her hand froze in the air. "Don't give me that crap! Tell me the truth, goddammit!"

He easily reached up and took the hand in the air, before she was flipped over and pinned down.

"You can look at me any way you'd like. I've done enough to warrant any title, but don't you dare, for one second, believe what we have is fake," he said, voice chilling.

"What we had," she hissed, venomously. His eyes narrowed at the change. "Was a fabrication."

"I knew the whole time," said Chrollo. "That you found out -"

She cut him off. "Yes, we've already established that you're a fabulous actor. No need to rub it in."

"I would never hurt you," he continued.

"Ha!" she laughed, and it was high-pitched and hysterical. "You've already done so plenty of times by my count."

The broken look on his face was almost enough to make her hesitate.

"Every time you tried to force me to choose between revenge and you. Every time you lied to me. Every time you manipulated me into believing I was in the wrong! Do you have any idea how much that hurt? Just because I can bear it, doesn't mean I deserve to!" she was rambling like a madwoman now, shaking as her temper reached its boiling point, tears began forming in her eyes. "And let's not forget that you massacred my entire clan! My whole world disappeared in a second. I spent years on the streets trying to make ends meet. The only thing that kept me alive was my revenge! And you even tried to take that away!"

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry!?" she asked. How dare he only start being ridden my guilt now. He should've been dying of it. And why the hell did she think he was actually sincere?

"Allow me one last manipulation."

"Wha-?" A sharp pain in the neck and then everything went black.

. . .

She woke up alone on the couch with Chrollo nowhere to be seen.

He'd run away from her! The coward!

She sat up and took note of the small piece of paper left on the pillow.

'Forgive me, I had somewhere to be. We can talk about this later. How does six o'clock on Saturday sound?'

She ripped the paper to shreds and let it fall where it may. That sounded like some business appointment or date. The man wasn't even taking her seriously. The chains on her hand tightened as her hands turned into fists. He was underestimating her. Was she really so weak? Or was he just trying to make her feel that way?

Either way, she had no reason to stay here any longer. He probably wasn't coming home anytime soon, and she wasn't fond of the idea of staying.

The woman left the room behind her, checking her phone to see the usual dozen or so missed calls from Gon, fifty from Leorio, and two or three from Killua whom she was certain was forced into calling her by his girlfriend. And one from an unknown number that she easily recognized. Did something happen back at the hotel?

She dialed as she got out of the elevator. Soon, someone picked up.

"M-miss Kurapika?" Komugi's sweet voice rang out, and Kurapika almost magically felt some of her nerves settle.

"Did something happen?" she asked, conversationally, as if she hadn't just punched around her family's murderer a few times and was then knocked out.

Silence from the other line and then Komugi talking to someone on the other side. Probably Ayumi and her nanny from before. She'd asked them to watch over her while she was gone. "A man came in a few minutes ago. I didn't open the door, honest! It looked like he had a key."

Kurapika froze. Was it Chrollo? Was he going after her friends now that she'd figured him out?

"He said his name was Roro."

Kurapika's heart nearly stopped. Roro Lucilfer. Chrollo's psycho brother who insisted on killing her for some reason.

He found a way to Komugi.

. . .

Next on Lions!:

Kurapika saves Komugi, but at what price? Find out next time.

Question of the Day: I honestly feel like I didn't put in enough angst. What do you guys think?

~ Replies to Reviewers ~

Sweets Dreamer: Hello, my internet friend. I'm glad you approve since you're a hardcore KuroKura shipper. As for Nico, don't ever judge a book by its cover I always say. It's a little more complicated than Kurapika going Soap Opera Lead on us. She's not one for tears. No, all she has is anger. And now, Komugi's been kidnapped. Safe to say, she's got her hands full. Chrollo says the l-word a lot in this chappie, but she doesn't say it back every time. You weren't too off on what the spare bedroom subtext was about. This is still a T-rated fic though. I might make the third book M-rated though. Maybe. I'm glad you don't think Kurapika is too OOC. I also hope you prepared yourself for this chapter and the next. The angst is just going to heighten at this point. Nowhere to go but up. Anyway, thanks for reviewing & I hope to hear from you soon.

guest: Hiya! I believe this is called fulfilling all your shipping dreams. Pika can be sexually assertive if she wants to be. Prince Rohan knows what's up. Her rational side tossed itself out the window the second she figured out Chrollo was a Spider. It'll be resurrected next chap. Lots of "I love yous" in this chapter to contrast Kura's hatred for Chrollo. Oh, Roro's moving fast. I'm happy you don't find Kura OOC and hope this Kura wasn't OOC either. It's such a major point in the Kurokura story. Thnx for reviewing, hope to hear from you soon. :)

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