Carmen: Well, sorry for the long wait for the next chapter of FF. But first, Review responses.

Roxy: What review responses seriously. There is NONE.

Carmen: Roxy, you moron, theres two.

Oh yea, before that, please please please, we need reviews, it lets us know how well we are doing.

Skavnema: Thanks! And really, she is harmless.

Audra Kaiba Advent ID 001: Thankies!!!

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Carmen sighed under her breath as she looked over the last of the tapes, though she knew there was nothing on it. No, her mind had wandered, and was now focusing on Rango. Why on earth would he be more interested in what she was doing now, especially her relationship with Kadaj. It wasn't the first time he had shown interest in their relationship. Over the past few weeks, he, Rango, had been cornering Carmen about it, and often replied, when she asked why he was curious, that he was worried about her. She thought it was weird, because Rango didn't really care about it all before, but now...

Carmen shook her head, before rubbing her temples, as she reached for a drawer in her desk. She pulled it open, before drawing out a flask of scotch, as well as some butterscotch sauce. She poured out the scotch in a small shot glass, before drizzling some butterscotch on top in a grid pattern. While she did that, Rango walked in, sighing in slight frustration. He noticed her with the drink, before chuckling quietly.

"Mind pouring me a glass, Carmen?" He asked, smiling at the younger slayer. Said slayer looked up, and then paled slightly. Rango noticed this, before sitting down in a chair in her view. "Not going to bust you, I just want a drink. Preferably with raspberry on top." He added, looking at the butterscotch in Carmen's right hand. She nodded, before pouring him a shot of scotch as well, taking out a tube of raspberry sauce, before pouring the syrup on the tiny amount of drink. She poured the raspberry in a spiral, before handing it to Rango. He smiled as he took it, thanking Carmen before downing the thing, as Carmen turned on the radio, which was currently playing 1000 miles by Vanessa Carlton.

"Ugh, not more of this crap." She sighed, as she moved to turn off the radio, but Rango stopped her, a ghost of a smile on his face. Carmen looked at him, an eyebrow raised as he replied.

"I like this song."

"...Huh."

The two sat in silence, occasionally raising their glasses to drink from, listening to the voice on the radio.

"..And I need you. And I miss you. And now I wonder... And If I Could fall, into the sky, do you think, time would pass me by. Cause I'd walk a thousand miles, if I could just see you. Tonight."

Carmen finished her Scotch, before pouring some water into the glass, as Rango looked at Carmen, an eyebrow raised

"Hey, how come you're not intoxicated?" Rango asked, earning a smirk from Carmen.

"I boiled the alcohol out, so it still has the flavour, but no alcohol, so technically, it's not an alcoholic beverage."

The voice on the radio changed to the DJ.

"Enough of this sappy crap, now time for Three Days Grace's Animal I have Become!"

"Sweet." Carmen smirked, as Rango rolled his eyes.

"The Slayer radio needs a new DJ." He grumbled under his breath, his eye on Carmen, who was singing along to the song.

---

Roxy bent down and hefted up her giant sword and placed it into its sash that was strapped to her back, she was going out again just like every night, to do some business. Yazoo leaned against her doorway and eyed her warily.

"You're going out again?"

She nodded and made to leave her room when an arm shot its self on the other side, blocking her path. She turned to look at Yazoo as he looked at her with an equal glare plastered on his face. She narrowed her eyes and growled.

"Move your arm Yazoo, before I rip it off with my own two hands."

"No. It's been 2 months since he left and all you do is use me and come home every dawn all battered and bruised without telling me anything. I want some answers."

"I don't use you Yazoo. You're throwing this thing way out of proportion."

"No you are. When was the last time you smiled or hung out or even left this house except for these nightly 'walks'."

Roxy blanked and scowled back at Yazoo's triumphant expression. She pushed past his arm and headed down the stairs before arms encircled her being.

"Yazoo get lost. I'm not telling you."

"No Roxanne you're telling me."

"..."

She sighed and lifted her hands up to where his arms held onto her tightly. She gently removed them and turned around to face him.

"Come with me tonight. Do not get involved no matter what I do even if I'm dying. Do you understand?"

"But I would have to step in if you're dying."

"No you're going to stand there and watch me die and not interfere. Because you will pretend to be a ghost which means you won't be able to do anything. Got it?"

Yazoo hesitated then nodded in consent. He returned moments after with his gun and followed after Roxy's fast pace. She walked into the garage and picked up the keys to her Volvo. She handed them to Yazoo who looked at her questioningly.

"And these are for...?"

"Your driving. I'm running the way there."

"But-"

"I've recorded a map vocally just in case this ever happened. Just play the CD and follow my directions and you'll get there."

Yazoo nodded and watched as she bounded off into the dark.

'Man she's still as fast as ever.'

---

Carmen packed up her gray-black messenger bag with several papers, as well as her laptop, before heading out her office, pausing as she passed by the oak doors of the briefing chamber. She glanced around, noting no one was around. A small smirk came across her face, before pressing her ear to the door, her curiosity overcoming her. Rango had left a few minutes ago, saying he was going to be briefed, so maybe he was in here.

He was, and his voice practically exploded in Carmen's ears. She winced slightly, pulling her head back a few inches, as she rubbed her ears, but she did hear what he had shouted quite easily.

"If we do this, DEEPGROUND will have a chance to enter our realm again, so why on earth do we have to send her away?!?!?" Rango's voice snarled. Carmen figured that the elders wouldn't yell, so she pressed her ear to the door once more.

"Because, Rango, It has reached our ears that the Ex-turk Vincent Valentine has returned to his realm, and the Oni Slayers need to protect Miss Roxanne Yang, who is obviously planning to go after him. I daresay that it is a safe bet she will. But in the meantime, Senior Slayer Carmen will have to accompany them. She would prove enough backup for Roxanne, as well two other choice people. They will be sufficient. No more are allowed to go." The voice of Elder Suth wavered out calmly. Carmen smirked quietly, before pulling her head away once more.

"Well, why can't more of the slayers go?" Rango shouted. Elder Suth answered calmly.

"You shall ask Miss Roxanne if you would like more details. She might just take two extra people along, but currently, our knowledge isn't that complete." Suth's voice waivered from the conference room door as Carmen headed out the door back home.

"I need a drink..." she mumbled to herself under her breath, pushing the doors open to the atrium of the building, before heading to the elevators down to the parking lot. She let out a small sigh, as she arrived at the iron gate that blocked stupid people from falling down the elevator shaft. She pressed the bronze button labled down, before waiting for the elevator.

"Allo, Carmen-san." A voice, laced with a thick southern accent, called out to her left. She turned, before smiling at the owner of the voice

"Gotz! You're finally out of the hospital wing?" Carmen grinned, looking at the man, who was wearing the Slayer coat, who had a large bandage on his arm, his other in a sling. He was also in a wheel chair

"E'Yup. I got out just now. How are you, Carmen-san, been alright?" He asked. Carmen smirked before replying to the man. They made light talk until the elevator came. Carmen wheeled Gotz in, before descending down to the parking lot, where Carmens Camry waited.

---

Roxy ran towards the area she would always go to every night. She arrived there and waited to Yazoo to catch up. He pulled over and walked up to her.

"Now what? There's just a cliff."

"You watch from here Yazoo and remember no interference."

Roxy then turned around and unsheathed her sword before running off the cliff. Yazoo called after her and watched as she fell to her suicide. Without warning as she neared the bottom of the valley, black wings spread out from her back and she landed on the ground smoothly.

The wings folded themselves into her back and disappeared and she hefted her sword onto her shoulder. Onis started to appear in great numbers and she hacked and slashed at them, she started slicing through them with one arm while shooting at any that came near.

When she killed all the onis in the area, she then put her sword away and knelt down. Without warning she shot up the cliff and arrived back in front of the shocked Yazoo breathing hard with a few cuts on her body.

"You do that every night?"

"Yes it's training for me."

"Need a drive home?"

"That would be nice."

Roxy commented as Yazoo picked her up and set her into the car. She groaned and set her head against the window after he closed the door and climbed into the driver's seat. He stared at her worried and drove back to the house.

---

Carmen sighed as she walked through the doors to her home, only to face near strangulation as Kadaj glomped her at mach two.

"OhmygodCarmenwherethehellhaveyoubeenthesepastfewdays? Ihavebeenworriedsickandyoudidn'thaveanyofyourphonesonyousowecouldn'tcall" he took a breath, before continuing. "IfyoueverdothatagainIwouldnotknowwhatIwoulddo!!!" he finished, before stepping back, as Carmen took several gulps of precious oxygen, vaguely noting that Rufus had obviously not told him anything. Then again... They're always at each other's throats, even after I told them to stop it. She thought to herself, before replying, completely understanding what he had just said.

"I was away on slayer business. That's all you need to know for now. Now, where is everyone?" Carmen asked, as she looked around, slightly confused, before her eyes rested on Kadaj, who was currently wearing a gray t-shirt with a green phoenix thing on it, and a pair of black yoga pants with the same insignia on it, only in white. "Why are you wearing my gym uniform?" she added, an eyebrow raised. Kadaj blushed for a few seconds, before replying.

"Oh...It was in my pile of clothing, so I decided to wear it. I don't know where Reno and Rude are in the study room, Elena is in the kitchen, Tseng is probably in the training room, I'm not sure, and Shinra just went to take a bath." Kadaj shuddered at the thought, "Oh and Carmen, Loz is over." His voice came down to a whisper. "Lisa broke up with him. She told him that she preferred hanging out with her friends, and she liked someone who wasn't that clingy. Poor guy..." he sighed, before walking into the living room, Carmen following as she looked at the burly silver-haired man, garbed in his leather clothing, who was sitting on her couch, his face in his hands, and his elbows on his knees.

"Loz? You ok?" Carmen asked as she sat down beside said man, cautiously placing a hand on his shoulder. She noticed that his shoulders were quivering, as he silently sobbed. A shake of the head from him made her give him a hug, Kadaj sitting down on Loz's other side.

"Cheer up, Loz. Every cloud has a silver lining."

"Not this one." His voice, scratchy since he had been crying, cried out from the gloved hands. Carmen looked at him for a few seconds, before standing up.

"Tell you what, Loz, I'll let you use the training grounds. Normally, I use it to practice, so it can withstand a lot of damage. You can take your sorrow out there." She smiled, before looking at Kadaj. "Maybe you can escort him there?" she added, her head tilted to the side like a hawk watching its prey, and for a brief moment, she had an expression like that. Kadaj winced before nodding.

"Come on, Loz. Nii-san will help you now." He smiled at his brother, before the two revenants stood up, heading for the training grounds.

Carmen watched them for a few seconds, before sighing in envy.

"Wish I got along with my brothers like that." She grumbled, before heading off to change from her slayer clothing into something more casual.

---

Roxy gathered her things and grabbed her sword. She went down the stairs and passed by the living room to remind Yazoo of her number. He looked up from the book he was reading to look at her.

"Going out again?"

"Yeah."

She said lamely. Yazoo nodded and spoke again.

"Your cell phone is going to be on right?"

"Yeah."

"See you at dawn."

"Kay."

She left and returned to the same cliff again. She cleaned off the onis that always gathered there and sighed as she realized her decision. It started raining.

---

Carmen: Well, Theres the chappie!!! Hope you enjoyed it!!!

Roxy: Hn...