AN: See, I told you guys I'd try to do some quicker updates for a few days until I'm caught up with what I currently have done (that's about ch 6). so..... enjoy!!
Leaving It All Behind Chapter 4
He remained still inside the small closet, praying that he would not be discovered yet as it was sure to be his death if so. The pounding of his heart threatened to give him away, sounding immensely loud in the enclosed space. Men were running past his hiding place, shouting orders to one another to find the culprit and destroy him. He felt like a coward hiding here when all he wanted was to step outside and kick every one of their asses. Unfortunately, he had promised the strange man that he would keep the package safe and couldn't afford to take the risk that it might get damaged in the fight. So, here he was, hiding in a random closet like a damn woman, waiting for the right moment to escape.
Suddenly everything changed. The small space enlarged to a dining hall where the men who had been chasing him were eating lavish dinners and drinking way too much alcohol. Across the way stood a beautiful woman, her sad features in complete contrast to those around her. He started across the room to comfort her when the strange man from before blocked the way.
"Keep it safe," was all the man said.
The floor fell out from under him and suddenly he was underwater, fighting to reach the surface. His father's face appeared over him and the old man's hand reached down only to come up short of meeting his own. No matter how hard he tried his father kept getting further and further away. The lack of air began to make his chest burn and he knew if he didn't surface soon, all would be lost. The movement of his arms and legs became restricted and panic began to set in as he opened his mouth to scream for help.
"Sonny! Sonny, wake up!"
Sonny's eyes snapped open, fear clearly etched on his face as he tried to remember where he was. The concerned face of the officer assigned to him was only a few inches from his own, causing a slight feeling of unease to spread over him. What was wrong with this guy's face?
"Hey fucker, get off me. I can't move."
The officer chuckled, obviously relieved and sat up to give Sonny room. "You gave us quite a scare there. Good thing you got me here to keep an eye on you tonight. If it were anyone else, you'd probably be full of lead right now."
Sonny struggled against the sheet and blanket that were bound around him, frowning irritatedly. "Look shithead, help me out here."
A full hearty laugh this time only served to fuel his annoyance, but the officer complied and untangled Sonny from his self made cocoon. As soon as he was free, the witness swatted him away and headed directly for his cigarettes.
"Look, man. Smoker didn't tell us much about what was going on, but I do know you're a key witness in a major case. I don't know what you saw, but if you ever need to talk…" the guy shrugged a little, as if he expected his offer to be tossed aside.
Sonny regarded him for a moment as he let the nicotine settle his nerves, wondering just how young the man was. He looked like he was barely old enough to be out of high school. Black curly hair puffed out from under a checkered bandanna and a pair of strange goggles sat atop his head. He wore the standard black issued uniform with a black flac vest over it and an impressive looking gun attached to his hip. But the most distinguishing feature was his long nose. Hopefully this kid had some special ability or something, because he honestly didn't look like he could hurt a fly.
"Well, Sonny, my name is Usopp if you need anything. My shift here ends in a couple hours, but I'll probably be back. Smoker said he didn't want too many people to know where you were." Usopp stood from where he had been sitting on the bed and began to walk out dejectedly.
"Hey, Longnose."
Usopp turned around quickly, startled at both being addressed and the blatant nickname.
Long pale fingers rearranged the curtain of blond hair over the left side of his face as Sonny crushed the spent cigarette into the ashtray. His visible blue eye met with startled brown ones a moment before he turned around to look out the window. "It's Sanji, not Sonny. And, thanks."
oOoOoOo
Zoro spent the rest of his weekend at the dojo putting his body through harsh training, both in preparation for upcoming fights as well as to rid him of the sudden bouts of weakness that he had been experiencing lately. Helping a little girl change for bed, letting women take care of his laundry for him, falling asleep with someone in his arms; these things were unacceptable for a ruthless hunter like himself. He needed to refocus and get back to the goals that really mattered: defeating Mihawk. He was still bothered by the missing people and murdered officers, but until he was able to get his hands on something, things were at a bit of a standstill with the case. Hopefully he could get another chance to speak with the person on the phone again, though he wasn't even certain that it was the same group. Zoro knew his best bet was to return to the cages, and soon, because clues don't just get handed to you everyday.
Returning late to his apartment Sunday, Zoro was happy to see that all of the boxes were gone from the hall. He headed straight to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, downing more than half without taking a breath. A chill ran over him and he immediately went on guard. There was someone in his home that didn't belong. The bottle dropped to the floor and he dove for the case holding his swords. In a flash, he had opened the latch and withdrawn a single katana. He crouched next to the leather chair in the living room, searching the dark for the intruder. Feminine giggles drifted over from the open window between the bookcases. Zoro backed up to the wall and let his free hand search out the switch, flooding the room with light yet revealing nothing. He inched forward; sword gripped tightly in his hand, and kept his senses on high, trying to figure out where the woman had gone. Suddenly he was engulfed in darkness again. Zoro spun around blindly, the almost childish laughter seeming to come from everywhere at once. Whoever this was, they were really pissing him off.
"Horo-horo-horo-horo-horo! She warned you he'd be disappointed that you didn't accept his invitation," the girl's voice was laced with glee as she scolded him. Before Zoro could answer, the front door opened and outlined what appeared to be a teenage girl. Two long pigtails hung down from between a round crown with a cross on top. She wore a shoulder cape over what could barely be called a t-shirt, and an extremely short mini-skirt with striped stockings. "I don't know what he sees in you though. You're not cute at all."
"Yah, well I have this thing about being told what to do. And who gives a fuck if I'm cute or not, as long as I get the job done." Zoro lowered his sword, though not his guard. There was something very disturbing about this woman, warning him that getting close to her would probably be a bad idea.
"Well!" The girl turn haughtily and stomped her foot on the floor. "Just be that way then. I'm supposed to tell you his offer still stands, but now I don't think I will."
Zoro fought to keep from rolling his eyes. Seriously, how old was she? There was no way this could be the organization that he had been looking for, unless maybe this was the leader's daughter; that would account for her spoiled, childish actions. If nothing else, at least now he knew he hadn't ruined his chances completely if this did prove to be the right lead. Maybe he should let Smoker know what was going on first. If the detective had any information on this girl, it might prove useful later on.
"Tell him I'll think about it."
Pleased with the response, the girl smiled widely at Zoro and closed the door behind her as she left. The lift opened and she entered, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she eyed Jigorou standing in the back. He opened his mouth to speak and she held up a hand, signaling him to stop.
"You have no right to speak to me," she stated harshly. The super scowled at her and clenched his fists at his sides, though she continued to refuse to look at him. "All I needed from you was the key to his place, nothing more."
The doors opened again and she exited the lift, hurrying to the waiting car outside.
oOoOoOo
Zoro glared at the closed door for a few minutes, trying to understand how she had gotten into his apartment. He walked back over to shut the open window and notice a black limo parked outside. He watched the strange girl run from the front doors of the building and quickly climb inside. Just as the car pulled away, he saw the resident super step outside and watch the vehicle until it disappeared around the corner. Having a better idea of how the intruder entered now, Zoro made a note to have his locks changed as soon as possible. He brought his sword up in front of him and shook his head apologetically.
"No blood tonight, Sandai. Maybe next time." Zoro walked back over to his case and returned the blade to its resting place, reminding himself to clean everything properly right after his shower.
Feeling more relaxed, Zoro pulled on a pair of sweats over his still damp body and proceeded to gather the things he needed for cleaning his swords. The reflection of red flashing lights outside drew his attention and Zoro walked over to the window for a second time that night. Down below, two cop car and an ambulance were parked outside the apartment. Curious as to know what was going on, he opened his door and stepped into the hallway.
"Excuse me, sir. Could you please return to your apartment?" Taking in Zoro's scowl and powerful physique, the uniformed officer immediately put one hand on his gun and held the other out signaling Zoro to stop. "Sir, we need the hall clear, please."
"What's going on?" Zoro demanded.
"Sir, you need…" The officer's palm hit Zoro's bare chest and he paled at the feel of the shear strength that lay within the muscles under his hand.
"Fuck what you think I need, I want to know what's… going… on, oh shit." Zoro trailed off as he watched EMS wheel out the gurney with Kokoro strapped securely in.
"Sir, the paramedics need to get to the elevator, we need you to move." The uneasy officer pressed the button on the radio attached to his shoulder and called for backup.
"No." Zoro started towards the old woman, something akin to fear etched on his face. "Kokoro! Auntie!"
The officer tried to restrain him but was thrown to the side with little effort. Another uniformed man came out of Kokoro's apartment to assist just as two more came bursting through the stairwell door. The three of them ran at him at once, trying to stop his advance and failing. A couple doors opened on the floor and the officers were joined by some of the residents trying to keep Zoro from getting to the woman.
"Get the fuck off me!" Zoro screamed.
"Roronoa! Roronoa, calm down! Zoro, it's going to be okay. Calm down! Damn it, calm down before I have to shoot you, asshole!" a familiar voice yelled at him. Zoro turned his head to look down the barrel of a gun, trailing his eyes up to meet the angry face of Sergeant Fullbody. "They need to get through so she can get to the hospital."
Slowly, Zoro nodded in understanding, and shaking everyone off him he watched, wide-eyed as the wary paramedics continued down the hall to the lift. He kept repeating over and over in his mind that she would be just fine, but the sad smile she gave him through the oxygen mask said otherwise. Sniffling could be heard from several of the onlookers as the doors closed and the elevator began its descent.
"Now, to call child services to come take care of the brat." Fullbody clapped Zoro on the shoulder as he walked by; obviously missing the signs of internal battle Zoro was suffering from at that moment.
"Wait." Zoro called out as Fullbody turned to look back at him. Bringing a hand to rub at the muscles in his neck, Zoro looked from the elevator doors to the cop. Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, he looked towards the still open door to Kokoro's apartment. "Just leave her here with me and I'll make sure she gets to her uncle."
"What? Let you watch over her? Right, leave a kid with you. Now I've heard it all." Fullbody laughed as he shook his head and continued down the hall.
"If you call DHS they'll take a couple hours to send someone out, then all they will do is take her to the office and begin paperwork, making the kid suffer more than necessary until they find out that she's supposed to go to her uncle anyway. Just let her stay with me until I can get a hold of him. He should be able to be here within the hour. You can talk to Kokoro even and I'm sure she'll say the same thing." Zoro listened to himself as if he were someone else speaking. Why was he so readily agreeing to keep her? He should just let them take care of things.
"I don't know, Roronoa." Fullbody crossed his arms over his chest and thought.
Everything he said was true, but this was Zoro Roronoa they were talking about. Fullbody had seen the end result of one of the matches Zoro supposedly fought in, and there was no way he could feel safe leaving a little girl in the care of a monster who could deal that much damage without batting an eye. Hell, the scar running across his torso showed that Zoro had nearly been cut in half at one point and still lived. There were even shadowed spots showing recent bruising and a bandaged hand, making Fullbody wonder if the man had engaged in an illegal fight again. It was then that Chimney pushed out of the apartment, ran past him and tackled Zoro, clinging to his legs and crying, refusing to let go. It was strange to see such a cute little girl clinging to the half dressed killer.
"Just let the brat go with him. We'll all vouch that he's a big part of her life, won't we?" A skinny old woman dressed in a pair of low cut jeans and short shirt stepped up next to Fullbody and gestured to all the residents standing in the hall. They all nodded, murmurs of agreement filtering through the air. She winked at Zoro and cackled happily. "This way, everyone can be happy."
Fullbody looked between the old woman doctor, who had been attending Ms. Kokoro when he arrived, and Zoro, who seemed to be fighting a blush as he awkwardly patted the little girl's head. Knowing that this could be one of the most amusing stories he'd had to tell in a long time, Fullbody decided to go ahead and let things be. "Fine. But I'm going to keep an eye on you. I'll be hanging around until this supposed uncle shows up."
"Let's discuss that over a nice glass of sake, alright?" Kureha put her arm around Fullbody's shoulders and guided him over to the elevator. "Just don't think I'll give you the secret to my youth."
Zoro glared at everyone, silently ordering them to back off and give him some privacy. He looked down at the top of Chimney's head and wondered if he had made the right decision. As her sobbing slowed down to sniffling and hiccups, she finally released his leg to wipe her face with the sleeve of her nightgown. Zoro wasn't surprised to see her other hand clutching the strange looking stuffed animal she always carried around. Large watery eyes looked up at him, letting him know she understood everything a lot more than she should at her age.
"She's gonna die, isn't she?" Chimney's voice was broken due to her crying.
Zoro could only nod as tears continued to fall down her face. "Soon, but you already knew that, didn't you?"
Chimney nodded and hugged the animal tightly to her chest as she slowly walked in to Zoro's apartment. Zoro accompanied two of the officers back to Kokoro's apartment and answered their few remaining questions before taking the spare key off the hook by the closet and locking the front door. When he returned to his own place, he found Chimney fast asleep on the couch. Zoro covered her with a blanket and secured the safety latch on the front door so that they hopefully wouldn't have any further unwanted intrusions for the night. The clock in the kitchen read 2 AM. He hoped that Robin answered this time; Franky wasn't the easiest to deal with when he first wakes up.
oOoOoOo
Robin indeed was the one who answered since apparently Franky was still out working. She immediately hurried over and picked up the sleeping girl. Fullbody grudgingly accepted that he had found the Flam's to be listed as an emergency contact and even Zoro was authorized to pick up the girl if necessary. After seeing Robin off when she finally picked Chimney up, Zoro decided that maybe he hadn't blown off as much steam as he had previously thought and began to redress. He grabbed his swords and slung them over his shoulder before storming out of his apartment for the second time that night.
Kaashii and Oimo shouted out to him happily as he tore down the street and slid almost sideways into the parking lot. Their enthusiasm melted away when they saw the troubled face on the fighter. A few of the people standing out front backed away as Zoro approached the doors.
"Yo, Zoro! You've missed the entry fees and everything I don't think that Kohza will let you fight," Oimo held out his hand and was shocked when Zoro didn't even look at him as he continued into the bar.
"Man, I haven't seen him this bad in years… I didn't think he had anyone else to lose. I wonder who died." Kaashii kept a worried eye on the door as he spoke.
"Maybe we should be more worried about who's gonna die," Oimo pointed out. Together they nodded and turned back to resume their guard.
Inside, Zoro yanked off his hat and coat, throwing them to the bartender rudely as he passed. The man gasped in surprise at Zoro's new, clean-cut appearance and hurried to pick up the phone and call back to the office to warn everyone that there might be trouble. Veteran fighters all turned towards his foreboding aura, knowing the warning signs better than the spectators. The men in the cage continued to battle, unaware of the impending threat standing just outside their field of vision.
"You clean up quite nice," Paula cooed as she slid a hand up Zoro's arm.
Without taking his eyes of the match, Zoro shook her off. His voice was as cold as ice as he spoke. "Fuck off bitch."
Paula bristled and was about to strike when her husband appeared on the other side of Zoro, effectively stopping her with a single look. Obviously pissed, but realizing she would lose the battle, Paula moved away and continued to serve drinks to the waiting customers. The dark skinned man crossed his arms over his chest, standing silently next to the troubled man, and waited until the fight was over before speaking.
"It seems I missed quite a show the other day. Care to make up for it?" Daz kept his eyes on the cage as he spoke, but Zoro knew he had the man's full attention. The hidden meaning behind the words was perfectly clear in the tense atmosphere: you fought without me seeing so I'm going to kick your ass.
A humorless smirk tugged at Zoro's lips as he nodded and headed for the gate. Kohza took one look at them and held up a hand for them to wait. He finished handing out the prize money before stepping into the cage himself. He walked to the center of the ring and waited for the others to join him. Zoro set his case down on the table by the entrance and pulled out his swords, leaving the sheaths so they wouldn't get in the way. Daz dropped his jacket in a chair, the tattoo across his bare chest standing out as he pulled out his own blades and strode over to Kohza first.
"You guys know that I don't normally do this. I have rules here and this goes against several of them. But, I can also see that there is something going on that needs to be vented so I'd rather you guys battle it out here than to go into the real world and land up in jail. Cage fee is one thousand. If I bet on you and you win, it's free. If you lose, you pay double." Kohza watched for the nearly imperceptible nods from both men. "Zoro, there's been someone asking about you. He's here tonight so try not to get yourself killed. He's been scaring away some of the customers."
Zoro broke away from the staring contest he had been having with Daz to look around the bar. There were too many shadows to be able to see the faces of everyone, but he did catch a dark figure hiding against one of the far walls. Defeat Daz, then see about ramming one of his swords up the ass of the nosy stalker. Sounded like a plan to him.
Daz struck before he was ready, but not completely unprepared; a dangerous gleam in both of their eyes. Zoro blocked the attack with the single sword in his left hand, and while holding the man at bay he leisurely placed the white sword between his teeth. Daz's glare intensified as he took in the mocking actions of his opponent and thrust forward with all his strength, shoving Zoro across the ring and into the chain link. With lightning speed, the men charged at each other, two blades against three as each fought for dominance in the fight.
Daz turned his blades so they rested down his forearms as he blocked the onslaught of lethal swings from Zoro. He caught all three swords as they aimed for his chest and locked the five blades together so neither of them could move, giving him the opportunity to deliver a solid kick to Zoro's gut.
Grunting with the impact, Zoro curled in slightly as he stumbled back and frowned at the superior air that had settled around Daz. If he didn't get his act together, he would surely be beaten today and that was something Zoro couldn't tolerate. He took a deep breath and centered himself, drawing upon his calm and relaxing his body as he refocused.
"You know, when I beat you this time, you'll have to admit defeat." Zoro leveled both swords at the other man.
"When you beat me? That ardent fervor of yours will be a point to contend with. As a swordsman, you cannot defeat me. No other swordsman has even laid a scratch." Daz knew taunting Zoro would always bring out the man's strengths faster.
"Yah, I see what you're saying. But you should save those pretty memories for your photo album. It doesn't matter how many times we've fought in the past, you'll not win tonight."
"At least your tongue is sharp." Daz extended his blades out again and began to charge forward.
"I'll take that as a compliment, octopus licker." Zoro blocked the downwards swing with ease.
"How long will this take?" Daz inquired in his normal bored tone.
"Depends on you."
Daz broke the hold and swung around, using his force and pushing Zoro back again, the green-haired swordsman sliding across the bloodstained floor. Seeing the kick this time Zoro was able to push off Daz's blades and bend backwards to avoid the blow, following through by springing back onto his hands and over to his feet again. The flashes of light bouncing off their blades looked like tiny sparks amidst the flurry of movement between the two; each man holding his own and neither giving an inch. Daz's speed found a gap in Zoro's defense and a single blade sliced along Zoro's arm, dripping blood from the tainted blade and gaining cheers from the crowd at the sight of red.
Zoro jumped back and clutched his bicep, letting out a hiss of pain followed by a growl of anger as he realized his mistake. "I've trained myself more than anyone. I've been in predicaments on the brink of death and always risen to the occasion. I refuse to fall here to the likes of you."
Almost doubling his speed, Zoro began to attack, leaving Daz with no choice but to defend. Every swing of the three katana was met with equal force and Daz could see the battle being raged within his friend. Knowing that any slack that he gave the smaller man today would be seen as an act of dishonor, the dark skinned man renewed his efforts to win their vicious battle. He swore that sparks were produced with the strength and friction between their blades as Zoro fought with his broken heart. Whatever had happened, Daz knew that it had wounded his friend deeply. Not hesitating when he had his chance, Daz quickly thrust his blade into the small opening in Zoro's attack and frowned when the weapon connected with the other man's side. Stepping back to wait for Zoro to admit defeat, Daz watched the rage surround Zoro's bent figure.
"I've felt this way before. The world goes deafeningly silent. I hear my heartbeat thundering in my ears." Zoro dropped the swords in his hands and gently took his favored katana from his mouth.
"I don't think you can take my attacks with just one sword."
"I won't take them anymore." Zoro slowly rose to his feet.
"So you've prepared yourself. Very well." Daz started to run forward.
Zoro rested his sword at his side gently and took a deep breath. In the last second before attacking, he flipped the blade over presenting the blunt side to his opponent and landed a blow across Daz's chest that sent the large man sailing into the fence before falling into a heap on the floor.
"I thank you. I can still become stronger."
Medics came rushing in, but were swatted away when they tried to turn Daz over. The large man sat up slowly, clutching his chest and wincing at the pain the action caused him. He nodded to Zoro, conceding to his defeat and turned back to snap at the man currently trying to help him up as Paula shouted orders to everyone around.
oOoOoOo
Zoro walked out of the cage and was immediately surrounded by a cheering crowd. Kohza knocked them away and ushered Zoro to an empty table, encouraging him to sit down in a chair. Zoro allowed Kohza's medic to tend to the slashes in his arm and side as he listened to Paula and Daz argue about certain people being off limits. The air shifted and a strange creature appeared in the chair across from him. The man's long blonde hair hung down from under a strange ball-shaped white hat with blue markings. His facial features were almost catlike, with slitted eyes and a strange curve to his lips. The man hummed softly, the sound almost a purr as he smiled at Zoro over the rim of a frosted mug.
"We were worried. Your appearance has changed since we first saw you." The man's smile faltered slightly as his eyes caught the swing of Paula's hips as she walked by, completely mesmerizing him. The medic's polite cough as he gathered up his things brought the stranger's attention back to the conversation at hand. "Forgive us. I am Absalom. You met Perona earlier this evening."
Zoro's eyes narrowed dangerously as he made the connection to the break-in in his apartment. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep from launching across the table and strangling the man with his bare hands. "The bitch broke into my house."
"She's good at that," Absalom chuckled before downing the last of his drink and sat the mug noisily down on the table. "We are in no hurry for your answer. Master just thought you might need some incentive."
"If you're planning on threatening or blackmailing me, you should consider getting your facts straight first. I don't bow to any man and I have nothing left to lose."
Absalom laced his fingers together and rested his chin atop them as he braced his elbows on the table. A sinister smile crossed his face as he spoke. "So the girl means nothing to you?"
Zoro launched himself across the table, knocking Absalom out of his seat and into one of the support pillars behind him. They rolled together across the floor, each trying to come out on top. The straggling viewers of the cage fights gathered around, almost all of them cheering on their favorite green-haired swordsman. Zoro's swords had tumbled to the ground from where they were propped against the table as they continued to grab and punch at each other. Absalom managed to get a knee up between them and shoved with all his strength, sending his opponent sailing across the room. Zoro crashed into another table, using the momentum to summersault backwards to his feet and spring towards his swords. Shouts of surprise mixed in with orders from Kohza's men and bodies scrambled to get out of the building.
The crowd cleared and the two men faced each other over the broken furniture; Zoro with all three swords in place and Absalom with both guns drawn. Kohza and two of his men waited to the side, weapons drawn and ready to take both men down if needed.
"So there really is a woman in your life? That wasn't in our information." Absalom snickered as he slid his pistols back into the holsters hidden beneath his jacket. "How interesting."
Zoro narrowed his gaze at the feline man and silently swore, pissed at himself for making such a mistake. The memory of waking up with Chimney on his chest had been the first thing that came to mind when a girl was mentioned. He should have known better than to let himself get pulled into trickery like that. A business card was tossed onto the floor at his feet and Absalom turned to leave.
"Give us a call when you're ready to talk."
Everyone watched the gunman leave, their uneasy eyes drifting back to their fuming comrade, worried if they should try approaching him or not. Daz broke through their wall and assertively walked over to stand behind Zoro. A heavy hand clasped a shaking shoulder and Zoro looked up at him with haunted eyes. Understanding passed briefly across Daz's face before his stoic mask was replaced and he merely nodded to the shorter man.
"Go home Roronoa, make sure everyone is safe."
Zoro relaxed his guard and readily accepted the sheaths presented to him by Erik, Kohza's right-hand man. No further words were exchanged as Zoro gathered his things and made ready to leave, the business card shove ungratefully into his pocket. His phone began to vibrate and he paused at the doors to pull it out and see who it was. A sigh of relief was released when he read the text from Franky; Kokoro was in stable condition and not in any immediate danger. It looked like they both had dodged death for yet another day.
oOoOoOo
Smoker sat at his desk filling out his requests manually, not completely trusting the system even if the supposed mole had been apprehended. Something was still off and he wasn't about to have things go sour because he let his guard down. He opened the drawer to search for the box of staples and found a photo shoved in the back under miscellaneous pens and markers. Hesitantly, he took hold of one corner and pulled the square free. Smoker looked around the room to make sure he was alone before turning the picture over. It was he and Ace sitting side by side at the annual pancake breakfast the department held every fall. Due to Ace's relation to Garp, they both agreed that their relationship should be kept secret, however, Ace had convinced him that they could go to the event as friends and the tricky raven had somehow kept to his promise. They had almost no physical contact between them, and no sexual innuendos were made the entire day. By the time they made it back to Smoker's house, they were literally tearing each other's clothes off.
It seemed like years since that had happened though less than six months had passed. A few weeks later, Ace had gotten in trouble and spent the night in jail. When Smoker had come down to book a DUI, the look he gave Ace could have withered a mountain. The argument that incurred the instant Ace came home was the last time either had spoke to the other. Words were said without thought and accusations had been made without any grounds. Hina walked in about the time Ace's fist connected with Smoker's jaw and watched in awe as the older man turned and walked away. The tears on Ace's face helped fill in the missing pieces of the story and she hadn't let Smoker forget it since.
"Just call him," a soft voice said behind him. Smoker jumped slightly in his chair and turned to look up at his old friend. Hina reached out and caressed his cheek as she spoke. "Hina thinks he's just as miserable as Smoker."
The detective huffed and ripped the picture in half, tossing both pieces into the trashcan beside his desk. "History is only doomed to repeat itself if you don't learn your lesson the first time. He's one mistake I don't plan to make again."
Hina looked skeptical but held her tongue as she placed a folder on his desk. "Garp needs you to finish your report as soon as possible. He also said to check your e-mail. A strange invoice came in and he needs you to approve it."
With a nod, Smoker turned to login to the computer and see just what the chief needed. He sighed in relief when he heard the click of Hina's heels fade as she walked down the hall to the front entrance. A deep scowl settled on his face when he opened the attachment in question. It was a repair ticket from the electrician that had been sent out to fix the heat at the current safe house. Realizing he had forgotten to get the expense approved, Smoker quickly typed a reply. It never occurred to him that the document contained the exact address which held the key witness to one of the largest cases he had ever been assigned to.