it's 3 AM, December 24 here. I've decided to stay up all night, becuase I'll nver get up tomorrow if I go to sleep. So writing this chapter was a good thing. (I still have to finish my English assignment though . .) Read, Review, Enjoy (I hope). It's a bit longer than usual, because I noticed that the last one was a bit short.

Natsuki awoke, but didn't open her eyes. She tried to move, but found her arm pinned down, and a weight around her. She slowly opened her eyes, and there was Shizuru. Her slender arms wrapped around Natsuki, as if never to let go. The memories of the previous night ran through her mind.

I love you, Shizuru. God, I wish I'd realized it sooner. I could have saved us both so much pain…

Shizuru stirred slightly, but didn't awaken. Natsuki studies every inch of her loves face.

I love you so much, it almost hurts.

Tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them away. Her eyes traveled down, and she noticed something. Around Shizuru's neck was a thin golden chain, and on it was a small silver key.

What's that a key to?

Natsuki pondered, but couldn't think of anything.

I'll just have to ask you.

She leaned forward, and planted a kiss on Shizuru's lips. The red eyes popped open, and Natsuki felt her smile, and then return the kiss. After a long, wonderful moment, Shizuru pulled away, and said quietly, "Good morning."

"Good morning." After several minutes of simply staring at each other, Natsuki finally asked, "So what's the key for, your heart?"

Shizuru's eyes widened in surprise. She reached up and held the tiny key. After a moment, she replied, "No, Natsuki. This is just a piece of metal. You have the key to my heart, you have always had it."

"I…" Natsuki could think of nothing to say to this, so she just kissed Shizuru again.

A beeping sound broke them from their kiss.

"It's my beeper." Shizuru cursed quietly, "I'm sorry, I have to get this."

She carefully untangled herself from Natsuki, and got up, looking for the item of clothing that held her beeper. Their clothing was strewn about the entire room, and it took her a minute to find it.

"I'll be back in a moment," And Shizuru disappeared down the hall.

Shizuru was not at all pleased to get beeped on this particular morning, but, duty calls.

She unlocked her meditation room.

What am I going to do? I hate to keep secrets from her, especially now that she's realized…has she really? Was that for pity? Does she really feel this way? Or is she just trying to make me feel better?

She pushed the horrible thoughts away.

I can't tell her about this though.

She looked around her Meditation Room, all the weapons hanging on the walls. What she did for a living…there was no way she could admit this to her love.

I'm doing it to protect her.

She told herself.

It's all about protecting her, that's why I kill these evil people, to protect her.

Shizuru felt guilty, using Natsuki as her excuse for her sins, but she couldn't bear them otherwise.

She sighed and opened her e-mail. As she read it, her eyes widened. Her contact was asking for a meeting. She replied that she could not do so, she was busy. She returned to Natsuki's room, carefully locking her meditation room door with the key that hung around her neck.

It's not the key to my heart, Natsuki, it's the key to my sins. I must bear this cold weight over my heart. I am forever reminded of all the evil deeds I commit. I cannot tell you this though…it's a weight I must carry alone. I don't want you to be ashamed of me.

When Shizuru entered the room, Natsuki asked the question she'd been pondering while her love was out of the room.

"Shizuru, what do you do for a living?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, You aren't the director anymore, and you keep getting beeped. What do you do?"

"I'm in Real Estate."

Natsuki's jaw dropped. "Real Estate? You've got to be kidding me."

Shizuru's face dropped, "I most certainly am not, I'm hurt that my Natsuki-chan doesn't think I'd be good at Real Estate." She pretended to cry, and though Natsuki knew she was faking it, she couldn't stand to see Shizuru like this.

"No…uh…I think you'd be very good at Real Estate…um don't cry!" She then used all her energy to leap out of the bed at Shizuru.

Oh God, I hope she can catch me.

Shizuru did catch her, with a small grunt and a face full of shock. Then her face changed to a rather devilish grin and she jumped onto the bed, spinning in the air so she landed on her back, with Natsuki still clutched in her arms.

The beeper went off again, but went unanswered.

"This is not according to plan, Nagi." Smith was visibly angry.

"Shizuru is a hard one to read," Nagi replied, "But, she'll answer eventually."

"We don't have the time, Nagi." Smith still raged.

"We have all the time in the world, Smith." Nagi grinned, "Shizuru doesn't know she's been working for us all along," Nagi turned to the other man who occupied the room. "We have Yamada here, to thank for that."

Yamada, frowned, and mumbled something about it being 'only for the money' and turned away.

"So, the plan is according to plan Smith, just relax." His pointy teeth sowed as he grinned.

Smith grunted in response. "I suppose phase two can wait a bit."

"Of course it can." Nagi grinned, "When we get Shizuru out of the way, I'll go have another chat with Natsuki. This is going to be fun."

Shizuru and Natsuki were woken around 5, by the ringing phone. Natsuki reached to answer it, but Shizuru's hand stopped her.

"Let me get it." Shizuru picked up the phone. "Hello, Oh, hi Mai, just a moment." Shizuru put her palm over the mouth piece, so Mai wouldn't hear her, "Natsuki, I forgot to mention. Mai has called you ever week for a year."

"But I've been…" Natsuki was confused.

Shizuru smiled, "Just let her talk, then surprise her." Shizuru put the phone to her ear and said, "Here she is," Then gave it to Natsuki, who put her ear to it.

"Hey! Natsuki-chan! I've got tons of news this week! Reito and I went to the park to play Frisbee with Mikoto yesterday, and guess who we saw there! Well, I suppose you can't guess, so I'll just tell you, Tate and Shiho! I'd heard she'd gotten out of the asylum; and that he was personally taken care of her, but now I have proof! It was funny, they were sitting on a picnic blanket and he was feeding her, and she kept dribbling food! I was laughing so hard. Then Reito decided to go say hello, and Tate was mortified! You know, after what happened last time he saw Reito-" Mai was blabbering on and on, but Natsuki chose this point to cut her off.

"What happened last time?"

A screech was heard from the other end of the phone and Mai just plain flipped out. After 10 minutes of Shizuru calming her, she was finally able to talk almost normally.

"Natsuki! I'm so glad! You're awake!"

"Yeah…so what happened with Tate and Reito?"

"Oh, well, about three months ago, I was dating Tate you see, and well, he told me he still felt responsible for Shiho. I mean, come on! He just wouldn't get over it, and that's when I lost it. We were eating dinner and he said that he wanted to take care of her himself, and I told him, to get over it or leave me, because I couldn't take it anymore. And Reito was having dinner with Mikoto there and he overheard and came over and told Tate, I believe his exact words were, 'Tate, you must either let Mai go, or let Shiho go. It's bad enough that I have to watch her date you but she shouldn't have to put up with this,' and then Tate told him to go to hell, because I'd chosen him over Reito, and Reito was just jealous, so Reito asked me if I was finished with Tate, and I told him I was because Tate was pissing me off, and Tate's eyes went wide and he said, 'You bitch!' and then Reito beat the crap out of him."

"Wait…so you picked Tate, but he was still gaga over Shiho, so Reito beat him up and now you're dating Reito?" Natsuki tried to clarify.

"Yep, that's about it." Mai replied.

"Natsuki, we need to go," Shizuru interrupted

"Oh, I'm sorry Mai, I've got to go, talk to you soon." Natsuki hung up with relief. "Where are we going?"

Shizuru's grin was almost scary, "You will see, my dearest Natsuki-chan. You will see."