Hey all! Thanks for the review, DiscoAnt! I really appreciate it, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Here's Ch.5, which will be followed shortly by Ch.6. After that, it might be a while. Things are about to get hectic again. Woo! Peace.
Rev
Ch. 5
"I know I'll never be the same if I don't get her back again. Because I know she'll always be the only girl for me. But 'till she's here please don't come near, just stay away. I'll let you know when she's come home. Until that day; don't come around, leave me alone, don't bother me."
Jigen woke up and yawned. He reached for the cheap alarm clock by the bed. It was after 10 in the morning. He slammed it back on the nightstand and threw the covers over his head. He felt no real need to get up. What was the point? He wasn't going on this mission. He started to close his eyes and drift back off to sleep, until he heard a soft knock on his door.
"What is it?" he mumbled, ripping the cover off of himself and sitting up. It had to be Lupin, Goemon, or possibly Fujiko. He didn't care if they saw him in his briefs. Lupin walked inside.
"Hey, Jigen, are you alright man?" Lupin asked walking towards the bed. "You never sleep in this late."
"Yeah, Lupin, I'm great."
"You don't have to be a jerk about it," Lupin complained. Jigen rolled his eyes.
"Well, when the day comes that Fujiko says 'Well, Lupin, it's been fun, but I'm tired of using you to get things for me,' and she leaves you for good and you never see her again, you'll understand how I feel," Jigen told him.
"Look, I hate to say I told you so, but I did! I told you not to get wrapped up in her. Hell, I even told her not to get wrapped up in you!" Lupin grumbled crossing his arms. Jigen's eyes darted over to his friend and clenched his hand on the nearby sheets.
"You told her not too? What business do you have telling the woman I loved not to love me?!" Jigen roared. Lupin took a step back.
"Jigen…You're taking this way too far. You two only met a few days ago. You're a thief! She's a spy! You two are dangerous to each other and you're going to end up hurt! I was just trying to protect you!"
"Well maybe I don't need your help Lupin!"
"Well…Fine! I came in here to see if you had changed your mind. Me and Goemon are about to leave to scope the area at the jewelry show," Lupin said.
"Yeah, well I still don't want to go on this mission," Jigen told him, still pissed off.
"Well…I'm sorry!" Lupin yelled, unsure what to say to his friend. He left the room and slammed the door behind him. Lupin growled in frustration and made his way to the common room of the suite, where Goemon was sitting.
"Perhaps I should go in there next time? It doesn't seem like you calmed him down any. It sounds like you upset yourself more than anything," Goemon commented.
"Maybe you should. This all could have been avoided if Michelle hadn't shown her rotten face around us!" Lupin yelled.
"Things happen for a reason, usually, Lupin," Goemon told him. "They probably would have run into each other at some point or another, and you will have another opportunity to forgive her, I'm sure."
"And what makes you so sure of that?" Lupin asked.
"Because, fate brought you two together for that reason and you overlooked it. It will haunt you until you correct it," Goemon said, pointing his sheathed sword at his friend.
"Whatever…Let's just go." Lupin waved his friend along, and they left to check out the jewelry show.
)(
"And if I saw you, would I kiss you or want to kill you on sight?"
Michelle looked around her hotel room and sighed. It was nice, but it was small. She missed the luxury of being in her childhood home, but she was glad she was away from everything that would remind her of her time there. She had her laptop set up on the desk, and she zoomed in on her map of San Francisco. She wasn't too far from Eson's warehouse. Michelle sighed. It was going to be hard taking on a mastermind who had locations around the world to run to. "Well, he does tend to stay in Paris 90 of the time. San Francisco is his jewelry smuggling base, his gold smuggling base is in Germany, and his storehouse of the items he stole is in Italy. As long as he keeps them separated, it's impossible for someone, like Lupin, to steal everything in one swoop." The thought of Lupin made her shiver. She went back to thinking positive thoughts. "Thankfully I did get that information from Eson when I went in there. I now know where to find everything. Well…not EVERYTHING," she thought as Jigen passed through her mind.
"Damn it!" she yelled out loud. She slammed her laptop shut and folded her arms. This hiatus was going to be harder than she thought. Michelle walked over to the window and looked around the curtains. It was only in the afternoon. She would have to wait until dark before she could even begin to snoop around. Michelle lay down on her bed and began to close her eyes. "An afternoon nap shouldn't hurt…" she thought. Then she drifted off to sleep.
)(
Lupin and Goemon returned to the hotel suite after their scope of the jewelry show. They had one more day to steal what they wanted before the show moved on to another city. They had placed devices to refract the lasers so they could easily sneak in later in the evening to get the gems. Lupin walked in to find Jigen lounging on the couch with a glass of scotch on the nearby coffee table.
"How'd it go?" Jigen asked. Lupin walked over and sat in a chair near his friend.
"It went alright. There are three rings we definitely want to get and there are a few other pieces that look interesting," Lupin told him. Jigen sat up and rubbed at his eyes. It was obvious he had been sleeping most of the day. "Seriously, these rings, there is a ruby one, a sapphire, and an emerald one. On each of them there is a huge stone in the middle, and they're all surrounded by some of the most beautiful diamonds I'd ever seen. They're breath taking! I'm planning on keeping the ruby, Goemon wants the sapphire one, and so we decided we're going to give the emerald one to you."
"You don't have to give me anything Lupin," Jigen said. "I'm not working this mission, I don't deserve anything."
"Think of it as a present, Jigen," Goemon said.
"Well…Thanks," Jigen said. Lupin stood up and stretched.
"So we're going to head out once it's dark and get these gems. What about you Jigen?" he asked.
"I'll probably hit a few bars…" Jigen said as he laid back down on the couch and placed his hat on his head. Lupin sighed and Goemon shook his head. They both just wanted to see their friend back to normal.
)(
The moon was almost invisible except for a small sliver as Michelle walked down the street. She took a deep breath. This was going to be a quick mission: go in, find the jewelry, create a plan, get out, don't get caught. If she could handle that, this trip wouldn't go too bad. Michelle made sure there were no outside surveillance cameras watching her as she climbed her way in through a basement window. It was dark and full of cobwebs. "Perfect. Now to find a way to sneak around without being seen." She cracked the door to find no one in the staircase. She put on one of her masks and hoped it would work if she did get caught. Michelle walked quietly upstairs and through hallways. She slipped into one of the bathrooms and found an entrance into the air ducts. She crawled through, taking her time so she wouldn't make any noise. Finally, she saw a well lit room through one of the vents. She looked down and saw the most jewelry she had seen in one room at the same time. "There's no way I could get all of that by myself. Perhaps if I had Lupin too…" Michelle cringed again as she pushed the thought out of her mind.
Michelle turned around and began to crawl back to where she entered the vent. She tried to make up a plan as she moved. She'd have to come back in the next day or so in disguise. She would also have to see if she could get the blueprints for the building to create an efficient escape route. She would have to figure out a way to carry everything out as well. She jumped out of the vent and began putting the cover back, unaware that there was a man standing in shock staring at her. Michelle turned around and saw him and began to run. The man pulled out a gun and began to fire at her. "Where's Jigen when you really need him?" she thought and then instantly regretted it. She saw a nearby window and crashed through it, ducking into a roll as she landed. The man fired at her from the window as she raced down the street. She wouldn't be able to steal the jewelry for a while now. Michelle grimaced, more about Jigen than the fact that she would have to wait. She couldn't deny the fact that if Jigen and Lupin were present, it would make things a lot easier. Michelle began to grow frustrated. All she could do was think about the two…mostly Jigen. She ripped the mask off of her face and stormed off into the San Francisco night.
)(
"I know I'm a fool but what can I say. Whatever the price, I'll pay, for you…Madame Blue…"
Jigen leaned against the bar. The room was dark and smoky from all the people smoking cigarettes. He took another drink of scotch and then another puff from his cigarette. He had lost count of how many glasses he had drank, but he knew that destroying himself would be the only way to make him feel better. He closed his eyes and listened to the song as a man stood on the stage near him and sang in front of a jazz band.
"My mama done tol' me, when I was in knee pants, my mama done tol' me, Son! A woman'll sweet talk and give ya the big eye, but when the sweet talkin's done. A woman's a two-face, a worrisome thing who'll leave ya t' sing the blues in the night."
Once the song was over, Jigen let out another puff of smoke and stood up to place a ten dollar bill in the tip jar. The singer smiled at him.
"Play it again, Sam," Jigen said with a smirk. The singer rolled his eyes.
"That ain't the line, and my name ain't Sam!" the man told him. Jigen pulled out his gun slowly.
"I don't care what the line is; just play the damn song again…"
The singer took the hint and motioned for the band to begin. Jigen returned to his seat and his scotch. He finished it off and ordered another one. While he was waiting for his drink, a young blonde sat down next to him.
"Hey there," she said. "Had a bad day, huh?" Jigen shrugged her off.
"Here you go, Abe Lincoln," the bartender said as he slid the scotch to him. Jigen caught it and took a sip.
"Don't call me Lincoln," Jigen said as he placed the glass on the bar. The blonde smiled.
"Then what should I call you?" she asked.
"A potential threat if you don't leave me alone."
"Oooh, a bad boy, huh?" the girl said with a mischievous grin. "You sound like just my type. Want to offer to get me a drink?" she asked.
"No. I came here to listen to the music, have some scotch, and forget about the last week of my life. It's kinda hard for me to do that with you sitting here being a pain in my ass. Get lost," he told her without looking at her. The girl shrugged. She ordered a drink and continued to sit next to him. Jigen rolled his eyes under his hat. It was going to be a long night.
"You know…maybe I can help you forget whatever's bugging you…" the girl said as she was given her drink. She gave the bartender a wink as he walked off. "What happened that was so bad you want to forget it?" Jigen sighed.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"It was a girl, wasn't it?" the blonde asked. Jigen didn't respond. "Was she a pretty girl? You know, there are some crazy bitches out there that'll chew up men and spit them out a moment later…"
"She's not a bitch!" Jigen said as he slammed down his glass. "Please! Leave me alone! What would it take to get you to go away!?" The girl sighed.
"I just wanted to give you some company and cheer you up. You don't have to get all pissy about it." Jigen finished his scotch in one big gulp and paid his tab. He stood up too fast and felt the alcohol rush to his head. He took a second to regain his balance and then he marched out of the bar.
"Sheesh…someone needs to relax a bit…" the girl said as she took a sip from her drink and then moved down to the next man sitting at the bar.
Jigen began walking down the street. He knew from the fact that he wasn't walking in a straight line that he probably had enough to drink for one night. But he wanted more. He knew the bartenders will be making the last call all over the city relatively soon. He figured the bay would probably be the best place to find one open later than normal. He made his way in that direction but only found bars emptying out with mostly sober people carrying drunken people off so they could sleep off the booze. He continued walking till he found a wall near the water to lean on. It wasn't his first choice of location. He would rather be there a few hours later when the sun would be coming up. "What's a few hours, huh? It's not like there's anywhere I need to be or anyone I need to see…" He leaned back and felt his mind spin from the alcohol. It was a feeling he had missed. He breathed in the air and opened his eyes. He looked over his shoulder and saw someone creating small flashes of light from a lighter, but they were unable to keep it lit. Jigen couldn't tell if it was a guy or a girl. He pulled out his lighter and made his way over to the person.
)(
"I've got another confession to make: I'm your fool"
Michelle ran down to the bay. The thoughts were driving her crazy. Once she was close to the water and hidden in the shadows, she pulled out a cigarette and then her lighter. Her struggle began as the lighter refused to light.
"Of all the nights to not work…" Michelle sighed in desperation. She continued to flick it. "Come…on…you…Shit!" The lighter barely sparked and then went out. She threw the lighter on the ground with all the force she could muster. "Damn it!"
"Need a light?"
A figure walked toward her holding out a lighter. She nodded and closed her eyes as she inhaled while he lit her cigarette. As she opened her eyes, she noticed who was holding the lighter.
"You?! What are you doing here?" she asked, dropping her cigarette.
"Huh? Michelle, is that you?" Jigen asked.
"Yeah…It's me," Michelle replied, glaring at him. "Thanks for ditching me and leaving me with nothing after someone sold me out!"
"What? What do you mean sold you out? I come home expecting you to be there after all that you had said those days before, and then you disappeared without a trace! No note about where you were headed, nothing! I assumed you were done with me and ready to move on to your next victim!" Jigen yelled.
"Victim? You think I was just playing you? What did you think I wanted from you? Money? Jewelry? Protection? Sorry to disappoint you, but I can get all that on my own, thank you very much!" Michelle turned away from him. "If I were guilty of wanting anything from you, it would have been affection," she thought. He stepped forward, grabbed her, and turned her around.
"Listen, I'm sorry you got caught, but I had nothing to do with it," Jigen said. "I have a hard enough time trusting women, and I thought I could trust you. Then as soon as I do, you run off without saying a word to me!"
"You listen!" she yelled as he grabbed the lapels of his jacket. "I went to bed that night that you and Goemon took off and when I woke up I was being held hostage with someone trying to hack into my laptop right outside of my cell! Do you think I ran off to that?" She looked where his eyes were hidden by his hat.
"I have no idea, but you have no idea what kind of hell I went through! I can't believe I fell for you!"
"Ha! You can't believe it? The whole thing with me and Lupin would have never started if I hadn't fallen for someone who did the same kind of work I did." Her eyes were starting to get red and she could feel her hands shaking. She let go of his jacket and pulled out another cigarette and tried to look for her lighter. Jigen watched as she bent down and used her hands to feel around the ground. He thought back to his night at the bar and all the misery he felt, yet he couldn't help but feel some sort of pity on her.
"Here, I'll light it for you," Jigen said quietly. She stood up slowly and watched him as he pulled out his lighter. "You know, cigarettes are bad for you," he added with a smile as he lit it.
"You're one to talk," Michelle told him, "you're bad for me too." She took a drag from the cigarette and then held it away from her lips. Jigen took the cigarette from her and took a drag from it.
"Maybe you need a little bad in your life," he said letting the smoke out of his mouth.
"It's not like I don't have enough trouble in my life, as you so kindly mentioned back when we first met," Michelle said while reaching for her cigarette.
"I didn't say trouble. You just need the little devil on your shoulder to keep you in line," Jigen said smiling, keeping the cigarette out of her reach.
"But I thought I was such a bitch for ditching you when you expected me to be there. Apparently the devil is talking loud and clear," she said, finally snatching the cigarette from him and taking a drag.
"Then what is your devil telling you to do now?" Jigen asked, taking the cigarette back. He finished it off and tossed it into the bay. She folded her arms and smirked at him. "Well, Michelle?"
"Does it really matter, Jigen? What if it's really that the angel is in disguise as the devil? Maybe they switched seats for tonight. I've got two different ways I can handle this situation and neither one seems angelic or demonic," Michelle said.
"You're a weird girl, you know that?"
Michelle snickered and began to walk into the shadows.
"Then why do you keep following me?" she asked. Jigen walked behind her and as she turned around to face him, he gently pushed her back onto a wall and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Cause I'm drunk. Or maybe it's my little devil that won't shut up no matter how many bottles of scotch I drink." As he approached her, she noticed the smell of alcohol covered him. He seemed sincere enough, though.
"Are you saying you forgive me for whatever it is I didn't do?" Michelle asked him. He pushed his hat back with his thumb and looked into her eyes. There was no way that she was lying about what she did.
"I guess so. Hopefully this will suffice as proof," Jigen said as he lifted her chin and kissed her. A moment later, he pulled his lips away from hers and she smiled at him. He smiled back for a second, and then his smile turned into uncertainty. "Give me a minute…" Michelle watched in confusion as Jigen bolted off behind the corner of the building. She started to follow until she heard a retching sound coming from the same direction.
"Oh right…The alcohol…Shit." Michelle then decided it would probably be best to wait till he was done before she went to make sure he was ok. Finally, he walked back to her.
"Sorry about that. It's been a while since I've drank that much," he told her, trying not to breathe in her face. "I think…I should be ok now."
"If you say so," Michelle said. "Maybe you should lie down."
"Yeah, that would help."
"Jigen, how much did you drink?" Michelle asked, trying to help him walk in a somewhat straight fashion towards where he was staying.
"I dunno. A few bottles of Scotch or so."
"Bottles?" Michelle sighed. This was going to be a long night.
"Trust me, I'm fine. I've drank more than this before!" He shrugged Michelle's helping hand off of him and started to walk on his own. Michelle stopped and watched him for a moment. He seemed to be walking fine. A noise from one of the nearby alleys caught her attention and she looked away. After deciding it was nothing, she turned back to Jigen and saw him laying face down on the ground. Michelle rolled her eyes and walked over to him.
"Fine my ass," she said as she pulled his arm around her neck and struggled to get him on his feet.
"Yeah, I'd say it is." Michelle let go of him and let him fall back on the ground. Jigen landed with an "Ooof" and a groan.
"I swear to God if you weren't shitfaced I'd punch you right now." She started to try to lift him again. "Can you help me out here? You're a bit heavy," Michelle said, finally getting him up. Jigen smiled.
"I love you, Michelle. Thanks," he said. The two began to move again. Michelle smirked.
"I love you too, Jigen…otherwise I wouldn't be dragging you home this drunk." They walked silently for a moment. "Wait…you do remember where you're staying at right?"
"What?"
"You're staying with Lupin and Goemon, right? Where are they?" Michelle asked. Jigen shrugged and made Michelle nearly lose her balance.
"I dunno," he told her. Michelle let out a heavy sigh. She decided if she could tolerate tonight, there was nothing she couldn't handle. There was only one way she could see things working out ok.
"Listen, I'm going to take you to the hotel where I'm staying. I'll get you back to Lupin's once you're sober enough to walk on your own," she told him.
"Sounds good to me," he said with a grin. They made their way to the room without much discussion. By the time they reached the hotel, Jigen was trying hard to stay awake. She helped him onto the bed and laid him down. Unfortunately, he took up most of the bed so she had nowhere to lie down. She did, however, notice that he had gotten scratched up from his fall earlier. Apparently falling face first on the ground without stopping yourself will do that to you. Michelle went into the bathroom and soaked a washcloth. When she returned, he was completely asleep and non-responsive to the cloth cleaning his cuts. She rinsed the cloth, stole a pillow sitting beside Jigen, and then fell asleep on the floor near the bed.
Songs:
"Don't Bother Me" The Beatles
"Opportunity to Cry" Priscilla Ahn
"Suite Madame Blue" Styx
"Blues in the Night" by Woody Herman
"Best of You" Foo Fighters