For Amalie's Love

Chapter 1: Of Steaks, Weasels, and Recognition

Amalie.

I was wearing a choker, which held two Demon Killer Charms next to my jugular. Since the conflict a week ago at the Demon Killer's lair my yokai was becoming harder to control, usually, I could suppress it without using the charms in my daily life. Lately; however, even the slightest irritation would bring it to the forefront and I would have to fight to regain control and not harm anything, a crowded restaurant was not the place for even a fake yokai to be rampaging.

I wore the charms all the time now, at home, at work, and in bed. For the first time in three years I began to wonder if the magic that had given me this power had some how damaged me, made me less human or not human at all. Could magic erase the centuries of breeding that made me of pure Hadrian/Vercon lineage? Could the magic have made me a demon? It is a tragic thing indeed when you realize you could be becoming your own nightmare.

That evening was the first time since the battle that I saw Him again.

It had been a long night at Mamoru's Bar and Grill with an hour before closing still to go. I'd cooked one hundred and six orders that night and I was at the end of my rope when the waitress Kameko entered the kitchen and said, "Amalie, There is a customer at table fifteen who wishes to speak to you about his steak."

"Toyo, take over the grill." I said to my prep cook. What a long night, I thought as I made my way to the customer's table in my food-encrusted apron. At the moment I was glad I only had my poor human nose to smell me with. Contemplating the state of my clothing made me even angrier at the asshole that had the nerve to drag me out of my kitchen during a rush.

The five businessmen I approached didn't make me any happier, it was the table reserved for the neighboring Taisho Corp executives and they all looked pissy. "Someone here whished to speak with me?" I asked the tone of my voice a warning not to push me. My temper had been at an all time short since the battle at the old bank. "I just wanted to thank you for such a delectable meal miss, after all, well done is almost the medium rare I ordered," said a beady eyed, weasel of a man, in a cheap department store suite. Great an executive- to-be who wants to impress the higher ups by being a dick wad.

"I'm sorry, sir, if you would please give me the offending steak I will gladly re-cook it, no charge." You overweight cow, steak should be out of your diet, cannibalism is wrong.

"Well it's too late now I've eaten it; I just want you to know I'll not be paying for an unsatisfactory meal." His haughty tone and the sniggers from his companions triggered my thinly controlled rage. My yokai surged forward, but the charms kept it in check, boiling under the surface but not accessible, it was an agony I was becoming all too comfortable with.

"Well, sir, I will give you a few options on that front, either A: you pay for what you've eaten, B: We charge the credit card you have no doubt left at the bar, C: I could call the police and have you arrested for theft of service, or D: I could personally insert my foot up your ass as I throw you out of here, never to come back, and then charge your credit card. My vote is D." The calm tone of my voice did not hide my clear air of menace as the businessman began to argue about being a good customer and the like. The tone of his voice was haughty and demanding, wrong tactic. I didn't really here any of what he was saying; I grabbed the offending patron, with his pissy attitude, and began to drag him towards the door.

Without my yokai active, I am a 5'2", 115 lb girl, who practically lived at the gym and could bench 100 lbs easily. The slime ball I was dealing with weighed far more than that, but anger is a great motivator and he was in no physical condition to fight someone with combat training. I'd managed to get the now screaming asshole to the door, his companions, still at their table, where now laughing at the ridiculous scene; as where many of the other patrons. A shadow detached itself from the bar to my left and glided right into my path.

Distracted by my struggling charge I didn't really notice the addition to our little drama until he was directly in front of me, and only then because my burden had stopped moving completely and was staring immediately in front of us. Looking up I saw him.

White hair, golden eyes, pointed ears, crescent moon tattoo and purple markings; he wore another suite that would have cost me three years pay and that stupid boa and that overwhelming aura. My hands instinctively gripped the asshole tighter. Oh shit, does he want revenge? I'll never get my choker off in time; maybe I could use the asshole as a shield to buy time. The panic that accompanied these thoughts surged up when I recognized him, sending my heart into my throat as he spoke.

"Seeing as this man is still, temporarily, in my employ I will cover the bill he has so disgracefully attempted to duck, if this incident will not mar the good will my other employees may have with this establishment." That silky, calm, rumbling voice cut through my rage and fear like a hot knife through butter. I dropped the slime ball who now making whining attempts to explain his actions and save his job. I was to busy attempting to fit two understandable syllables together and form a response. He doesn't want to kill me? Damn he's HOT.

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama that would be acceptable." I replied using, I hoped, the most formal and polite Japanese I could remember, I had never actually been told that this man was Sesshomaru Taisho, the most powerful Daiyokai and business man in Japan, but it seemed to be an obvious connection. His aura is so strong I can feel it even without my yokai instincts. Damn he's tall. I wonder what it would be like to kiss those lips. Did he recognize me? My thought whirled out of control as he calmly walked back to the bar, Attracted to a demon! My Gods, that's a disgusting idea. I shook myself and resisted the urge to rush home and shower.

A memory of Father Andrews, my council trainer came to me, "Demons can be very attractive, wishing to mate with mortals to gain loyal offspring who will carry out their infernal and depraved plans. You must always guard against the attraction. Mating with a demon will make you a soulless shell, with no control over your own actions." Living in Japan I had met a few hanyou and Hiroshi's mate was anything but soulless shell. I had seen her argue with him several times, belying the good Father's words, but a life time of trained repulsion at the very idea of mating with an animal was not something I was likely to over come.

Snapping back to the moment I returned to the kitchen. I noted that the Daiyokai had somehow managed to rid himself of the groveling business man and, more importantly, it did not appear that he recognize me as the woman from the Demon Killer's lair. The rest of the evening went in a blur as my thoughts where with Sesshomaru Taisho. Technically I had saved his life and he was duty bound to owe me one, but he may not see it that way. I thought over how I could use this possible advantage and I wondered about the creature himself and The DK's intentions. Did Jacob know who and what he had locked in that cage? HOW had they managed to get such a powerful yokai in shackles in the first place? How did the DK's infiltrate this country in such numbers without anyone noticing? Whatever game they where playing, if they knew exactly who and what they had taken, then they are playing a much more dangerous game than I expected. Would the council come after me now in earnest? I'd better warn Diane.

I left the kitchen cleaning to Toyo, changed into my street cloths and went to the bar to get a shift drink. Surprisingly the yokai was still there, I tried to ignore him. "Kameko, would you please get me a monkey's desert, neat?"

"Sure thing, boss lady." She smiled and winked at me, and I laughed.

"Don't worry, Mamoru will be back on Tuesday and that hanyou of yours starts Wednesday so you won't have to deal with me in the kitchen or on the floor more than one night a week." I sighed dramatically, "I'll back in my dungeon with the ledgers, paper work and the mice. Once more, devoid of human contact and the joy of dealing with customers, oh whatever shall I do for entertainment?" Kameko laughed, while she prepared my shot, I watched the yokai from the corner of my eye, he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts and I relaxed.

"You could always tie some asshole up back there whip him whenever you get to bored."

"Now there's a possibility, but if he's just going to stand around in chains most of the time he should be nice to look at, with pretty hair like that guy we saw at the bar last night."

"He was cute wasn't' he?"

"Shoot, the things I want to do to that man aren't even legal in forty-nine of the fifty states, and their even considered bad taste in Alabama. Then there's that hanyou…" I grinned wickedly rubbing by hands together. Kameko laughed.

"Hand off, he's mine, but I may just need to borrow those chains and a whip…" She winked evil at me, I laughed, and her tone became serious, "I'm just grateful that you are such a wizard with numbers, Mamoru would have fired anyone else for what you did tonight."

"I did let my temper get the better of my manners again didn't I?" I sighed regretfully.

Kameko leaned over the bar and with a quick glance at the white haired yokai at the end she whispered, "I loved it, that guy is such an ass and he can't seem to keep his hands to himself, you're my hero, Amalie-chan, from now on all the drinks are on me." She smiled warmly, I took my drink from her and downed it in one gulp, "Thanks, girl, you coming over tomorrow evening or do you have plans with that cute hanyou we where just discussing?"

Kameko blushed, she knew my feelings on the matter, and they where not encouraging, but it was her choice what she dated and I was happy she was interested in anyone after her recent break-up with the herbalist. "Plans, can I have a rain check?"

I stood, "No problem, it'll just be me, Rinee, Damocles and the Lion King, but you owe me."

"Oh the horror, you truly suffer; however will I repay this great debt? "She mad a show of thinking hard, "How about cookies?"

"For Rinee you mean, but that's fine I don't have a domestic bone in my body so I never bake her anything, just remember my niece likes candy pieces and chocolate and you'll have to pack them for mailing," I said.

"That's right she leaving soon."

I just nodded sadly, not wanting that much of my schedule known to the sharp-eared yokai.

"I worry about you, Amalie-chan, you should find a man of your own, or at least a good one-night-stand. Being lonely all the time is not good for the soul."

"Men are like American cars, to much maintenance and not enough benefit. Sure they are good for your reputation and a fast ride. But they depreciate over time and you always end up trading them in for a better model sooner than the dealer led you to believe. Besides my soul has a number of greater threats against it than mere loneliness," I gave her a quick hug, "I have my dog he's male, and very loyal." I grinned. "Though he's going to be mad at me when I pick him up from the vet tomorrow," waving, I turned from Kameko's exasperated demeanor to the door and began my trek home.

-----

Sesshomaru

I will have to fire that one. He thought as he idly watched the drama of his soon to be ex-executive and the disgusting smelling cook unfold. It seemed apparent to him that immediate action would have to be taken before this buffoon sullied the reputation of his company's reputation. With a small sigh of resignation he stepped near the door and directly in the path of the ephemeral comedy and waited for their attention to be drawn to him. "Seeing as this man is still, temporarily, in my employ I will cover the bill he has so disgracefully attempted to duck, if this incident will not mar the good will my other employees may have with this establishment."

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama that would be acceptable." The voice of the audacious American struck a cord; he recognized it from somewhere. Intervention complete, he walked back to the bar to consider this revelation. I am sure I have heard that voice recently, but the only place I have been in contact with anyone who natively speaks English is that damned bank and all but three of those people are dead. It is not the voice of that one, Tansy and she does not have the scent or the power of the other.

The cheap buffoon was following him, yammering on about how he deserved to keep his job and begging forgiveness, "I have a family to support! Please sir, my wife…" Blah, blah, fool if you cared about your family you would not have been so disgraceful, nor have continued dishonoring them by groveling in public. "If you do not leave now, I will personally make sure your 401K and all stock options are liquidated and returned to the company as compensation for your clear ineptness in executing your everyday tasks. No more protests, or else." The pathetic creature gulped on whatever he was about to say and bowing replied, "Hai, Sesshomaru-sama" before departing.

Returning to his seat Sesshomaru retrieved his drink and sipped it, though I suppose under the layers of vile smelling food mess she could have almost any scent, the aura is still wrong to be the one with the stolen yokai, intriguing. The problem bothered him for another hour as he sat at the bar, ordering drinks and waiting for her to reappear, determined to interrogate her. If nothing else this pathetic cook was a possible step in finding the Demon Killers Council.

His quarry eventually emerged from the back of the restaurant. She still smells of kitchen grease and burnt meat. He noted with disgust. Originally he had intended on buying her a drink and using his abundant charm to coax information from her, perhaps by flattering her over how she handled his now terminated employee and if necessary he would resort to threat. Yet her scent was quite repugnant even at the distance of fifteen feet and it inhibited him from approaching her immediately; she started a conversation with the empty headed waitress.

Listening carefully he gained useful information about his prey. She was of some managerial importance to this establishment, probably an accountant from the talk of ledgers and numbers; she had a niece named Rinee, her name was Amalie, she was a dog owner, she was alone, and had a very cynical view of men. Yet there was no mention of where she came from, or if she was in anyway connected to the organization that had attacked him earlier that month. He decided to follow her; even if he stayed a few blocks behind he was confident that terrible stink would be strong enough to track.