A/N: I want to take a moment to thank A Musing Brunette for pointing out a few of my errors [I'm sure there are still issues, ha but that's how you improve] - Again thank you all for the reviews and comments it helps!

-Oxford - Tuesday: Part 3-

Running a hand through his hair Shoutaro laid on the couch in the small waiting room assigned to him. Sho didn't want to admit he had been shaken to his core. There was something wrong with his Kyoko and that man Tsuruga if that was really him was extremely dangerous.

I didn't know what to do, I knew so little English actually I had good marks only because Kyoko did my homework for me and even then because I have written it in my own hand they couldn't say anything. Maybe she was just too scared to speak in Japanese, "Why are you speaking in English Kyoko" I wanted to soothe her fears and so I found myself softly running my hand through her hair. It was much better-taken care of now and I couldn't help but think of the silk that I slept on and how much her hair reminded me of it.

Even with the look that said she didn't understand what I was saying. I refused to believe it and I lost my temper. I knew I shouldn't have but I couldn't help myself. "Don't fuck with me Kyoko" My grip in her hair tighten and I pulled her head back. Why was she shutting me out? Didn't she understand that I regretted selling her? Still, she wouldn't stop speaking English to me and the madder I got the less it made sense. It was all just gibberish to me now.

"Stop talking like that" I shouldn't have shaken her I knew that as I was doing it but I couldn't help it I had to bring her back to me. I had to make her understand this wasn't who she was. That I didn't mean for her to get hurt. I just wanted her back where she belonged. Which was at my side. "You think that I would allow you to forget me? You are promised to me by our parents!" I knew I shouldn't have snarled at her, she only looked more frightened.

I pulled her closer to me, how could I comfort her? I was never any good at that. I wanted her to understand I needed her to understand though. Then it clicked as she struggled against me, the pain of the memories of those guys, of being sold to some creep. She had been brainwashed. I could fix that. All I had to do was kiss her, but she was making that difficult. I pulled her face towards mine. Speaking as gentle as I could through all the pain that I was feeling "I'll make you remember you are truly loved, that you belong to me."

He still couldn't believe she had fought him when all he been trying to was help her. To fix what they broke in her when they sold her to that guy. 'I had only wanted to break the spell she was under. She always talked about those fairy tales where the Prince comes and saves the Princess due to True's Love kiss.' Well, Shoutaro might not have been in love with her but he still believed deep down she was still in loved him and that would awaken her. That would bring her back to him. Sho closed his eyes allowing what had taken place not even a half hour to finish playing in his mind.

'It's okay Kyoko, you'll be okay now' that was the main thought going through my mind as I leaned in to kiss her, even if I had to force her into it. I knew that it would work. It always worked with other girls who loved me. Why wouldn't it work with this one who had spent her whole childhood by my side? Who was willing to give her everything for me and me alone, she always forgave him, always came back to him. This time it wouldn't be any different once he broke through their brainwashing.

A hand was shoved harshly into my face, pushing me it was sudden and when he realized it the man had him the full length of the arm away from my Kyoko. I had no choice but to release her. Still, it was like being slapped nothing more and I knew that this guy was holding back yet I hadn't figured out why most guys would have punched him in the face. I watched this man who had pushed me away wrap his other arm around my Kyoko's waist pulling her for just a moment against his chest. How now that I was no longer right there, he runs the back of his hand down the other side of her face as he nuzzled her cheek with his own. There was a gentleness in the motion, it was too much for me to grasp at first and the fact she was no longer struggling bothered me more. As though satisfied that she was no longer in danger. His eyes turned towards my own and I couldn't believe how someone could have no light in them, they were like a black hole sucking in everything and they had narrowed in on me.

His actions if I didn't pay any mind to his eyes were something I knew well. I've been with plenty of women and not all of them had been unattached. Sometimes a guy came around and their body moved on their own. Their mind and body didn't react on the same wavelength. Those types of guys were dangerous. They ran on full instinct. Then he moved away from her, stepping around her body as she herself fell to the floor on her knees. He didn't even notice how she lose all the strength in her legs.

I had gotten into more than enough fights, I wasn't a pushover and I knew this guy face "Tsuruga." I had hoped that by saying his name he would back off. He was a star, of course, he couldn't let a scandal happen, not like this, not where he was getting in the middle of the woman that had been promised to me since she was five years old. Tsuruga would, of course, be a pushover, the type of guy might be just a pretty boy with no real talent but he was still smart enough to not ruin his fragile frame. All he ever did was smile, all he ever was to people was polite, he knew just as well as I did if such a thing happened his carrier would be over because he wouldn't be able to hide behind his pretty face anymore.

Yet at that moment, this man before me didn't seem like the guy I saw and new so well from all the interviews I've seen. He seemed like he wasn't sure about his own name and that threw me… no, maybe that's not what threw me it was the look in his eyes as if he just realized that he was talking about him. Then that grin that played across his features that scared me more than anything else not to just move further away. I knew I had to get out of there now or else, so I ran. I would have to get Kyoko back another time. It wouldn't do either of us any good if I ended up dead and she… she would still be brainwashed. That I couldn't let stand any more than my life being taken from me.

"Just what the hell is she doing here though?" Shoutaro didn't know what to think about this anymore, that man who looked so much like Tsuruga was also confusing him to no end. There was no way that could really be the so-called gentle mannered Tsuruga Ren. 'If it is then I really need to get her away from him.' he snarled at the image of that man wrapping his arm around Kyoko. 'He thinks he owns her' he snorted as he rolled over to his side.

He ran a hand across his face. How had such a movement not caused more damage to him? The way he moved and his first action… then it hit him. 'Kyoko.' He found himself laughing in his head, That guy had held back because Kyoko was there, to close for him to anything more. He didn't want to scare her so he held back. Once she was no longer in between them, that was when his movements had truly changed, that was when Sho had been really scared for his life.

"Crap… I bet that was Tod Damon…"

He hadn't heard the door open, he hadn't heard Shoko step into the room "Whose Tod Damon?" He nearly jumped out of his skin but he played it cool, he held himself firm to not show he was startled.

"Some guy that took something that belongs to me." Shoutaro stared up at the ceiling.

"Then we should report it to the police. You can't have a stalker like that hanging around you. Who knows what will happen if he does more than steals from you." There was real consider in her voice and he slowly lifted his head to look at her.

"No worries. I don't want people to know that someone can just steal from me. It might cause more problems that way." No, it might end up with Kyoko getting hurt even more. He didn't hear what Shoko was saying to lost in his own thoughts. 'I'm betting that's why she pretends to not know me, why she had been so scared. She knew that guy was going to find her.' He laid back down on the couch. 'Shit Kyoko, just hold on I'll get you back.''

Kyoko felt a calmness that began to wash over her, it was almost like Corn was here. Her little blue stone had healing magic. 'No… I'm sure the real Corn was here just for a moment. He just used this man instead because the part of Corn I have is in my room. That's why I can't remember what happened I am missing time somehow.' She shifted her face looking off towards where Shoutaro had likely gone. She knew it was childish of her to believe in such a being now that she was older but for some reason, a part of her could not let Corn go. After all, if her children were real why couldn't things like fairies and mermaids be as well? Her eyes narrowed 'Now's not the time for that though.' No for the time it was better this way hugging this man she had no desired to lean on anymore. She had to figure this out, and if he came back. This would aid her for the time being.

"He's gone" he spoke gently but she didn't respond to it. Inside she knew he was not nearby but she knew one thing, it was not over and as much as she disliked this man. It was not fair for her to use him any longer than it took to sort her mind and the story she was going to tell. It had to be fast, she wasn't sure how long it had been since she stopped crying but she knew that he had likely called her Father. Her Father would be on his way here and that meant problems for Kyo, not to say Ruto would be here soon.

There was still a job to be done and when there was a job you didn't let your personal feelings get in the way. That was something rooted in her as a child and that had not come from anyone else but her mother. A mother who couldn't stand to be near her child but there was the job to raise her until she could find someone else to do it. There was her job as a lawyer that always came first, no matter how she felt about the case. Her personal feelings didn't matter and neither would Kyoko's right now.

"Don't say anything." she pulled away from him, looking him in the eye. "No one can know. This must remain between us." She pulled herself out of his lap and moved towards her own broken phone, her eyes taking notice of his own phone. Reaching over she handed it to him, slowly she began to gather the pieces. She felt his eyes on her, she could feel the anger that leaked out of him. Her children were drawn to it, she couldn't let him sway her.

"You have no reason to be upset about my choice." Her eyes lifted up towards him, "He was mistaken in who I was. It happens." She turned her eyes into the little pile of broken phone pieces that now sat in her lap. "After all didn't my Nephele mistake you for her son who she had not seen in years?"

"Miss Kyoko" her head turned towards Ruto and then she looked down, her expression showed how sad she was, and that was not an act. She was sad and upset over the phone and not because it was a phone but because it had been a gift to her. You treasure such gifts… that's what she believed, this had been so she could talk with her family, so she could text at any time those whom she cared about, now it was gone and that hurt.

Ren felt her shift in his arms, it was just her face from the crook of his neck but he found himself already missing that. Even after she was no longer crying which had not taken that long to calm her down he found she had not moved her face right away. So he had stopped running his fingers through her hair, there was no longer the need to calm her and he hated it. She accepted him for the time being, accepted his arms around her and he wanted to keep her there selfishly he didn't want to let her go. Yet he was sure that she was not in his arms for any other reason than he had chased that man away.

He spoke as gently as he could out of fear that she would leave him "He's gone" and when she didn't respond to his words other than to remain right where she was he felt a sense of relief wash over him. It was wrong he knew to ask for more time but he did and he felt guilty over the reason why he even had this moment with her and more confused than ever about why he that was. He never felt guilty holding a woman and the need outside of sexual desire and wasn't that how you showed you loved the person you were with? None of them had ever truly taken a hold of him like this. There was no sexual desire, there was no need to show them how he felt. This was something new to him. Which only threw him further into confusion of his own feelings and thoughts when it came to her.

"Don't say anything" he felt her arms pull away from him and he wanted to pull her back to him but he didn't. The mixture of his confusion played across his emotionless face as she looked him in the eye there was no longer fear or sadness in those eyes. The determination that was all he saw. "No one can know. This must remain between us." and just like that, she was gone from within his embrace, from his lap. All he could do was watch her stare at the pieces of her phone as her eyes moved towards his own. He watched as she leaned forward reaching for his phone before handing it to him. Watched as she began to gather the broken pieces.

'Why? That guy… he was forcing himself on you! Don't you understand what could have happened to you? What he could have done to you?' The anger was building up in him. He wanted to understand but he couldn't find a way to say what he wanted to her. What she needed to know and understand. It had never been this hard before to talk to a woman but anything he thought up just made him feel like she slipped further away from him than she already was.

"You have no reason to be upset about my choice." There was no warmth in her voice, just a coldness that he only ever saw in himself as Kuon.

Her words hit him like cold water. 'She didn't accept me…' he wasn't sure what to think about it. He was still being denied the light that she shined and it hurt. When her eyes looked back at him he fought not to turn away.

"He was mistaken in who I was. It happens." She looked away and he found himself still watching her, he didn't understand how she could be so calm now and he wanted to protest but the next words stopped him dead in his tracks "After all didn't my Nephele mistake you for her son who she had not seen in years?" How could he explain to her that it wasn't a mistake? He couldn't, there was no way he could make her understand without telling her the truth and that was something he could not do. Maybe if she had accepted him, maybe then. But he was still being denied but he now had something to hold her to him. 'As long as I don't say anything, I can make excuses to be near her… maybe one day…' and again he found himself wondering why he cared so much. What did she mean to him? A word whispered in the back of his mind but he could not grasp it, could not understand what it was saying. It was buried too deep and he didn't want to risk letting his true nature out to hear what it was.

"Miss Kyoko" Ren had heard the worry and the relief that she seemed to be fine in the man's voice. Better than fine from what he could tell from the man's eyes. He watched from the corner of his eyes how sad she was and he wasn't sure if it was an act or the truth. Yet he did know that for some reason that phone meant something to her. Ruto knelt down lifting her chin to look into her eyes. Whatever he saw must have been a sign that all was fine. "I must call your father." He stood up and stepped a couple feet away. He was given a second glance by Ruto as he called Lory.

Lory picked up the phone the moment it rang, he was waiting for one of the cars at the moment. Having made up his mind after his godson had called him, he hadn't even known she was missing and to get such a phone call and nothing more other than she was fine troubled him. "Where is she?"

"She is right here, it seems her phone is broken." Ruto's voice was calm where he felt like he had aged 30 years in less than a half hour.

"Are you sure?" He knew Ruto and trusted the man's judgment. Still, he couldn't help but be worried.

"She seems well. She was indeed crying though." That made sense, the phone call he had gotten prior she had told him she was overwhelmed. It wouldn't have surprised him to learn she had cried but that still didn't mean she was alright.

"How did her phone break? Why is Kuon… I mean Ren there?"

"Juliena went and got him. Apparently, she was worried when she heard that I could not locate her and she was not answering her phone. Kyoko had brought Ren to her the other night and thought that he may have an idea where she could be." That made sense to his eyes saw the car pull up and the driver get out as he went down the steps. Besides Ren was close to Maria and Maria was likely to try and spend as much time as she could with him. It was only logical with the way his daughter felt about him that she would tag along to assure Maria's safety.

"How did she look when you found her?"

"She was holding the broken phone pieces in her lap. She seemed distraught over the fact it was broken." Again that sounded like her.

"And Ren?"

"He was nearby. He seemed a bit angry but then he had wasted his time it seems to help in finding her even if she was gone over a broken phone." Lory ran a hand through his hair holding a figure out towards the driver. All of this made sense to him. He was having a harder time telling himself he still had to get to her.

"Should I be there Ruto?" He was worried.

"I do not think it is needed, sir. As for your nightly call, I will lend her my phone tonight until we can pick up a new phone for her. Though I'm under the impression it's not the phone that she caused her to be so upset. I believe it is the person who gave it to her and her worry that they would not understand." Lory sighed heavily nodding his head. He would wait just a moment longer before making a choice.

"Put her on the phone."

"Of course Sir." Lory waited for what felt like ages for her voice.

"Hello, Daddy." He took a deep breath, she sounded fine but there was a pause "Daddy… my phone broke... a man stepped on it. Then he just walked away. He didn't even offer to replace it. I was careless… and wasted money." there was a pain in her voice but not the kind of pain he had been expecting and he could almost see her hanging her head in his mind due to the depression she was likely having over this. Yes, for her to be this worried about something so foolish as a cell phone had to mean she was alright.

"It's fine sweetie. Phones are replaceable."

"But my Nephele gave it to me…" again he could hear the worry in her voice. It seemed to click in his head. This is what upset her. She was scared to lose the affection of someone new that she had begun to love.

"Kyoko I'm sure she will understand. It wasn't your fault right?"

"I was careless… so yes… it was my fault" He pinched his nose slightly this part of her was always going to be a problem in his eyes not that he minded these sort of problems. This he could handle this didn't scare him, this didn't age him 30 years.

"Did you drop it on purpose?" He could mentally see her shake her head as she said no. "Did you step on it?" again he could see her in his mind shaking her head as she repeated the no to him "Then it's not your fault. Just tell her what happened and I'm sure she will forgive you." He left out the fact she likely would be dragged out to buy a new phone but that was something different altogether. "I would like to speak to Ren."

"Why do you need to speak to him?" He mentally laughed, yes she was fine if he had done something to protect her. He was sure she would not have spoken about him like that. No, she might even be madder at the thought. He really did something to make her dislike him.

"Ah well, he did call me first. So I want to thank him of course." He motioned off the driver heading back up the stairs.

Again he waited, "President?" his voice sounded annoyed. He took this as another good sign that Kyoko was indeed alright. That it had just been his panic over that time in the kitchen that had sent him off.

"Is she alright?"

"Yes. She is perfectly safe." There was something in his tone, perhaps he was really annoyed that he had been dragged out of work for something like this. "Is there anything else?" Lory nodded yep.

'Yeah he's pissed about work' but she hadn't been gone that long and the show would be starting in about a half hour maybe less. "No. Thank you for finding her. I'm sorry she troubled you."

"Of course." There was no warmth and Lory sided mentally. His godson and his daughter seemed to be mortal enemies now. How was he going to fix that?

Kyoko watched Ruto as he spoke in the distance, her eyes turning towards Ren, he seemed to be watching her every move but her children at this moment didn't response. So she could only assume what he was thinking as he sat there. His leg bent and arm rested on it as he leaned back on his other hand. Somehow she felt like prey. Like he was some lazy cat who saw a mouse and was trying to figure out if it was worth the effort to chase it down. 'I'm not worth the effort just behave you cat.' Somehow the word cat seemed like a bad word in her mind and she looked down at her broken phone pieces, turning them ever so gently. 'Besides having to deal with not getting pulled under is bad enough right now. I don't need you making things worse' she sighed softly as she lifted her head to Ruto's voice.

"Miss Kyoko, your father would like to speak to you." She mentally cringed.

'Of course, he did. He wasn't just going to take one person's word for it.' She held out her hand as he handed over his phone. "Thank you Ruto" she turned her head away just some from the two men who she could feel were both watching her now, "Hello Daddy." She took a deep breath "Daddy... my phone broke..." yes she could tell him part of the truth. "a man stepped on it. Then he just walked away. He didn't even offer to replace it." Yes if she reshuffled things in a certain way she could tell the truth without it being the full truth of the matter. That was for the best right now. "I was careless" That had not been a lie. Had she been more careful she would never have been in this situation, to begin with. No, she would never have run into him at least not alone had she just gone to her room. "and wasted money." It wasn't even her money, to begin with, that had bought this phone.

"It's fine sweetie. Phones are replaceable."

"But my Nephele gave it to me…" She couldn't hide the pain this time, it had been the case. It had been the thought that had plagued her before Shoutaro. She closed her eyes she didn't want to go there. She had to focus, take his worry away. Make sure Ruto didn't see anything he shouldn't and curse that man if he didn't listen.

"Kyoko I'm sure she will understand. It wasn't your fault right?"

"I was careless… so yes… it was my fault" She found herself right back to that line of thought. Had she not stopped here, had just kept going then none of this would have happened. So no matter how she looked at it when it came down to it all. The time lost looking for her, the worry she put on everyone because of it and yes in a minor since the phone itself was all on her.

"Did you drop it on purpose?" That was easy to answer because in truth she hadn't dropped it had been taken out of her hands.

"No" It was a very simple answer.

"Did you step on it?" Again this was easy to answer.

"No" Shoutaro did though she wasn't sure why he would. That didn't make sense to her. He was self-centered, he did at times rough handle her but that was only after they had moved to Tokyo. Yet he never stole or broken anything that she owned before. No, if he wanted her to do something for him, he had other ways to do that... like being kind to her.

"Then it's not your fault. Just tell her what happened and I'm sure she will forgive you." Kyoko had to admit that he was correct on the matter, she would likely forgive her. She didn't seem the like to hold a grudge... well minus the one she held against her father. Still, she felt awful about the whole thing. All she could think about was, what if it had been Corn? It held that sort of place in her mind for some reason. No maybe not that high of place but the feelings behind it, the reason for them. That had the same power in her mind.

"I would like to speak to Ren."

Her eyes narrowed. That could be problematic if he didn't play along and she couldn't help but be disturbed by the fact that her father needed to speak to the only other person who knew the truth about what had happened. No not the only one but the only one who would tell. Shoutaro wouldn't dare say anything. Whatever Ren had said or done had been enough to scare him away... he wouldn't want that sort of mark on his record even if she couldn't remember what it was.

"Why do you need to speak to him?"

"Ah well, he did call me first. So I want to thank him of course."

She could find no reason to go against that still she was not pleased as she held out the phone to the man "He wishes to speak to you Tsuruga." He leaned forward. Everyone she could remember when watching TV with Shoutaro spoke about the man's long legs. Why had they never commented on exactly how long his arms were?

Ren found himself watching her every moment, listening to every word she spoke. 'She could be an actress' that one thought ran through his mind as he did this, he knew the truth but had he not been there had not seen what he had seen. He would have fallen right into the story and had thought it was the truth. 'Do you realize what kind of a daughter you have Boss?' He was amazed watching her carefully craft a story that held the truth but said nothing on the true details of what happened. He had no doubt that the phone meant something more than just it being a phone. He had noted how she never once said she dropped it.

However, the pain in his heart when she had called him that man caused his anger to flare. As she handed him the phone he reached out taking it. He was slow slightly slower in his movement that he would have naturally been. Yet she didn't take her eyes off of him. No, she seemed annoyed about something maybe even a bit confused and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head as she watched him. He pulled away, choosing instead to not directly look at her. "President" his voice sounded annoyed, just as it needed to.

"Is she alright?"

"Yes. She is perfectly safe." That was the truth. No harm had come to her. No harm he could see now. His eyes trailed towards her, he saw no marks on her body either so while he had been rough he had not caused her physical harm. Maybe shocked her system but that was something. The whole thing pissed him off though and that too carried in his voice. "Is there anything else?

"No. Thank you for finding her. I'm sorry she troubled you."

"Of course." He pulled the phone away and hung it up turning towards Ruto he handed the man his phone. He had done what was asked. Now he had a reason to remain by her. A reason to threaten her with if she tried to push him too far away. It was childish he knew that but he found himself unable to help himself.