Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.

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Chapter 2: PARTNER

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It was official:

Mikan Sakura was going to die before I'd even begin plotting to kill her.

If I was lucky, I'd be able to save myself the trouble by doing nothing at all. The woman spelt disaster. Of all sorts.

Yesterday, she tripped on slippers lying in the doorway while on the way to hang the laundry. Why did she even leave them in the doorstep?

Then she cut her finger on a knife while she was chopping some onions this morning, and that was while her eyes were watery and I thought she'd been crying. And when we ate lunch…

She ate too quickly and too fast I swear she'd choke if she didn't slow down.

But… She was… interesting. She was caring towards her grandfather, who was apparently sick. And for some reason, she would always try to start a conversation with me. She was a curious person. She asked me many questions, but I did my best to omit the important details. I was surprised when she told me more than I did tell her.

And like I assumed, she also loved pink. I hated pink. It was ironic that I was forced into a mission with a woman who loved the color, it was even the color of her bathroom soap. Not that I examined it or anything. I mean, it was staring me in the face.

She also went out with Imai today, and I observed for awhile, but it didn't like she did anything suspicious. Using the time she was gone, I decided it was time to report to the HQ, our headquarters. I dialed our regular number. I didn't have to wait long.

"Andou," came Tsubasa Andou's voice through the earpiece.

"It's Natsume."

"You were scheduled to report last night," he said, demanding an explanation.

"Didn't get a chance to. The walls here are paper thin and my room is right next to her."

There was momentary silence along the line. It didn't take a genius to know what he was probably thinking. "Did you…You know?"

I didn't like his suggestive tone. I wanted to throttle the bastard for even saying it.

"No," I said slowly, trying to calm my voice and not to picture strangling him, "I don't know."

"Guess you went straight for her house, huh. I thought you'd be staying somewhere close or som-"

"Leave. Me. The fuck. Alone. I do the mission, I make my own decisions," I growled. One of these days I might just end up killing him.

"Hey, no need to get so furious. So report. Wait a sec, lemme open the prog-"

I didn't wait for him. He had always complained the word processor loads slow.

"She has the Stealing Alice. As far as I know, she has only used it twice."

"Oh. Shit."

"Exactly," I said through gritted teeth. Persona wasn't going to like this, not anymore than Luna. That meant my mission would be high on their priority. As if it wasn't already pressure enough as it was. "She said she used it accidentally before, that's how she knew." My mind was still focused on that bit of information- she told me that with a gloomy look. I remembered that look. Something tugged at me. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't her fault that she had the goddamn Stealing Alice or the Nullification Alice. If only someone thought Luna common sense, I wouldn't be where I was today. Resentment grew within me.

Breaking my train of thought, he cleared his throat before he asked, "Have you confirmed her single status? Her photo-"

I ended the call, and chucked it at the bed. I could do just fine without the womanizer trying to squeeze information from me about my target. It was ridiculous that I wanted to protect her from him, when it was me who was going to kill her.

I'd have to kill her soon. Sooner than I'd expected. The truth hit me even more when she returned, her bright smile lifting all the heavy pieces in my heart, the corners and spots no one ever touched. She worked her way in, slowly. She was worse than Hotaru Imai, because I realised for the first time in my life, this woman had the power to break me.

She baked me a fresh new batch of cookies today while the television was on at a random channel. Something with cartoons, I think.

"Do you have an Alice?" she asked me when I bit into a cookie. I was taken aback by the sudden question, and it took me some time before I replied.

"Fire," I told her. If she only knew what I could do. Things I did.

When she didn't say anything for some time, I looked at her. She was battling with something in her mind, I could see it in her eyes. "You've killed, haven't you? In your missions? Hotaru told me a little about it. She didn't say much even when I kept asking. Why… Why do you do it?"

She could've asked me many other questions. She could ask me about me more about my Alice type, or asked me some stupid, pointless question, and I'd give a brief response, or maybe nothing at all.

But this question I couldn't answer. It was too risky, and anything that laid my weaknesses bare, anything that highlighted my vulnerabilities was simply unacceptable. I needed to be the cold and hard. I needed to be distant. That's what I was known for. That's what I've always been like.

When I looked at her one more time, I understood. I could still see the glimmer of hope and sunshine that was always present in her eyes. She believed me to be good. If I was right, she believed everyone to be good. More reason why I believe she'd be dead even if we've never met. —But I'm not good. I've killed many. Nothing like innocent Ms. Fairy Tale here, but killing was killing. I never make excuses for myself. Never try to make myself good, justify my actions. I was not the hero. I was merely the right person at the right time. How many had been grieving? I must've grown numb to the pain, because I've been to many funerals, seen many graves, witnessed many burials. Seventeen and already constantly in battle.

I did it all for my sister. So Persona won't harm her. Everyday, I come back to the Headquarters, bloody and beaten. On my first mission, I almost came back dead. I never refused a mission, and as far as I know, I did almost the half the mission around there. It made me stronger. Steel. But I'd never tell her that. Like I said, no excuses. I do what I do, and I damned well better be rewarded for it. One day, as I told Ruka, I'd escape. But I'd kill Persona first before I left with my sister. He was a constant cage, and damn if Luna didn't just add extra locks for security.

And yet she sat there, all the while, staring at me. For some reason, her trusting nature brought a spark of irritation in me. It made me strive to drive her away from me.

Then, I answered, "Because it's what I'm good at." That much was true. Not the full reason, allowing her to see my ruthless side. The me everyone else knew.

"But that's not why you do it," she said softly. She touched my arm lightly, and looked at me with those drowning eyes. There it was again. That trust. Her total faith in the good side of me. It enraged me even more.

"Don't look at me like that," I growled.

She pulled her hand back, looking slightly hurt, but her eyes... They were a beautiful brown. Unwavering. The only constant I knew that could make the corners of my lips curve upwards.

"You're… Not an evil person, Natsume."

I mustered an icy glare at the mention of my first name as I tried to harden myself. First name implied a closeness that wasn't supposed to exist. "You don't know a thing about me, Sakura. Don't pretend you do. You don't. No one does. " And it damned well better stay that way.

When I saw who greeted me this morning, I almost thought the gods were mocking me. In fact, I think I could already here their cackle, resounding through the thin walls of Mikan Sakura's home.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

There Kokoro Yome stood mere metres apart from me, his trademark goofy grin plastered on his face, behind Mikan, carrying what looked like what I hoped it wasn't; bags and baggages. There'd better be a reason for this.

"Another happy camper," she chirped. I cursed under my breath.

"Hello to you too, partner," Koko grinned, offering a hand to shake.

I narrowed my eyes infinitesimally. "There was no need. Things were under my control."

Slowly, I took his hand, but rather than shake it, I pulled him towards the direction of my room as I walked and briefly told Mikan "We were… old partners. We have things to discuss."

I then shut the door and folded my arms across my chest.

"You told her you were camping?" I said disbelievingly.

Koko scratched his nose absent-mindedly as he shifted to a comfortable position. "That was the first thing that came to mind. I don't see the problem."

"I told her I was camping Two people don't just randomly camp at the same area," I pointed out.

Understanding, Koko frowned, and then as if he settled the matter in his head, shrugged. "Two people could. Incidents happen."

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, it was just like him to be so carefree. "Back to the mission at hand: I could handle it perfectly fine."

"Ruka didn't seem to think so. Said you could back out anytime, and I'll take care of it."

Right. Just what I needed. A partner.

"'Sides, didn't have to do much. Seems your target went HP. They moved the deadline to a fortnight after they learned she has the Stealing Alice."

High Priority. Double damn. But then, I had news for Ruka too.

"Well, tell him that his ex-girlfriend terror that bombed the HQ is best friends with my target. See what he makes of that."

"That was her?" he said after a low whistle. "Best friend of the Nullifier, too," he mumbled.

"Exactly," I said with a nod, for there was no other word for it.

She looked immensely rattled. Not that I could blame her.

Every now and then, she would twine and untwine her fingers. She would play a bit with her food. After awhile, she dropped her fork, and it hit the plate with a loud clatter.

"Did I do anything wrong?" she snapped. I looked up, surprised. No one had ever used that kind of tone on me. Not if they didn't want to risk getting burned. To think that she already knew my Alice and still look at me straight in the face as though it was nothing. I think it made me smile. Ms. Pink and Fairies had some backbone.

"No," I answered truthfully, now fully looking at her. I've been avoiding her in the house, until I had no choice but to come to dinner. Even then, I refused to look at her. The woman did strange things to me. She made my gut clench when I look at her. It made me guilty, to think that I would have to kill her.

She seemed to consider my answer as a challenge.

"Natsume-"

It was then that Koko choked. Or pretended to, at least. I clapped him hard at the back and handed him a glass of water to my left. When he looked at me, it was a questioning look. Since when did you two get so close? his look said. I ignored it. I didn't know the answer to that myself. In my mind, I've already thought of her as Mikan. It was disturbing to not understand your own feelings.

"- I- I don't understand..."

Yes, I don't understand it at all. It made me want to push her away.

"I think you're annoying."

I think you're amazing.

"Oh!" Her cheeks were slightly tinged with pink.

"And unbelievably clumsy."

And gentle, and compassionate...

Her eyebrows furrowed and she exclaimed, "I'm sorry if I'm the one who always start our conversations, because the only time you ever talk is when I ask something."

Ouch. So I wasn't exactly Mr. Social.

She looked about to cry. Koko, on the other hand, was watching us both intently. The reality of the situation hit me.

"Koko, get out."

He grinned, and winked at me, and then he headed to our room. I rubbed my temples, reflecting on what had happened. Koko could read minds, something I've forgotten to take into account.

I came back to my room in ten minutes and saw Koko opening a packet of biscuits on my bed. It didn't surprise me.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I said, struggling to keep my cool. "And get the bloody hell away from my bed."

A slow smile reached his lips. "Possessive, much?"

I answered him with an icy glare.

Muttering a few unintelligible words, he moved towards a leather seat just near the bed. "Natsume, buddy, I know we haven't worked together for quite some time, but I didn't realise how much you've changed your style."

I raised a brow. "You've got a problem with the way I work?"

Koko looked away. "Mere advice from a friend… Getting all close with your target is just looking for trouble. And I thought detachment was your specialty."

It was. Until her. Until she baked me those damn half-burnt cookies and treated me like we were best friends. But there was no use explaining inconsequential feelings. They were distractions. Obstacles. I needed to get my priorities straight. I needed to start to do something, because the longer I stay here with her, the closer I'd be to going insane. The bloody woman was disaster. And it wasn't just to her and the people around her- she was a disaster to me.

"We're having a strategy meeting tomorrow," I finally decided. The sooner I completed this mission, the better. Or perhaps, worse.

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Sorry it took so long. I've really planned on finishing this chapter early, but I've had few issues with this chapter, and was a little indecisive about posting it. And shool just grilled me last week... But I'm done. And thanks for the reviews so far guys- much appreciated. ^^