What makes an idividual who they are? Is it they way they differ from everyone else, or is it how they use that difference that makes them who they are? What happens to the person they are now when ever they change? Does it die or is it barried deep down, a building block on who they will someday become?

It had been several weeks since their fateful encounter. The girl and the man had wrote off the whole thing and returned to life as normal, or well as normal as their lives may be.

Be careful today, I'll be back to pick you up when your shift ends. A woman in all black wearing a helmet held a phone out to Ayame as she balanced on her motorcycle. Ayame, who had just hopped of the bike, tuned her attention to the woman holding the phone.

"I'm always careful aren't I?" Ayame gave the woman a smile adjusting the straps on her backpack before heading into her place of work. The call of a horse sounded in the night as the woman known as the black rider drove off into the night.

Ayame greeted her manager once she changed in her uniform. Today was to be an exceptionally busy day and her tables were booked once again. With a deep breath she switched gears into her character and began her night.

Meanwhile the man, Shizuo, was walking with his employer through town his hands in his pockets. A stranger with a death wish attempted to pick his pocket as he walked by in the crowd.

"Petty thief!" Shizuo grabbed the closest object to him, which happened to be a road sign, and swung it at the man who had snatched his wallet. He must be new to town otherwise he never would have been so stupid.

The thief realized too late just who he had tried to steal from, he should have known to avoid the one dressed as a bartender. He lay on the ground as Shizuo picked up his wallet and continued on his walk with his employer. The thief had gotten off easy, this time.

"I've had reservations at this new place for a month. It took a while for the server I was recommended to become available would you like to come with?" A black man with dreads asked sounding a little hopeful. This man was his employer and they had both just finished their jobs for the day.

Shizuo shrugged his shoulders, he wasn't in the mood for company but decided he might as well join him.

"Tom we're going to eat at one of these ridiculous places?" The annoyance was clear in Shizuo's voice as they stood outside of a maid cafe, it was the last place he'd think to go on his own.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. The food's supposed to be good and our server is said to be one of the most beautiful women in Ikeburkuro, though for some reason she's never been seen outside this cafe." Tom smiled as he opened the door.

Shizuo gave a sigh, he had already come this far he might as well eat while he was out. Plus at this time of night the only other place opened would be Russia Sushi and he wasn't in the mood for that. The sight that greeted him gave him a little bit of a start, which didn't happen often. A girl with familiar emerald eyes smiled at them as they entered the building. She filled out her maid outfit well without any of her assets being too distracting. With her petite frame, curves, and almost flawless pale skin he was reminded of a doll.

"Welcome back masters! Right this way please." She smiled and turned around leading them to the reserved table, the ruffles of her dress dancing against the back of her thighs.

Ayame hoped that the man she had helped before hadn't recognized her, she liked to go unnoticed in public. Once she had seated the two she bowed her head and spoke in the ridiculous way she was paid to once more, "How might I serve you today masters." she tucked her shoulder length hair behind her ear, and her customers her best smile.

The man she didn't know and the one she had seen bleeding both stared at her for a moment before telling her what they wanted to drink. She joted down thier order and handed them thier menus.

Shizuo growled in slight frustration. He knew he had seen those emerald eyes before but he couldn't figure out where he had seen them. Maybe it was nothing but an itch in his brain told him that he knew that girl, not that it really matter either way. One of the men at another table had asked her for a number which she rattled off to him. When she returned with their drinks he couldn't help what came out of his mouth next.

"You know it's not safe to give your number out easily?" He wasn't sure why he said it or even why he had the desire to protect this girl. Maybe it was just because of how fragile she looked, either way it wasn't like it was any of his damn business.

"I give out a number if you really must know master, but if it's mine I won't tell." She winked and placed the drinks on the table wishing to throw the glass in the man face instead. "It's easier to give someone something, even if it's not exactly what they want, than to deal with them when you refuse to give them anything." She took a breath hugging her tray close to her chest. She despised getting a lot of attention the only reason she worked here was because they paid her triple what they paid any where else.

"Have you decided what you would like to eat tonight masters?" She smiled waiting for their orders.

"I'll just have a hamburger and fries." Shizuo placed his menu on the table as his employer ordered the same thing.

"I'll be back with your food soon, or else I'll be punished." She gave them a coy smile before walking away. She really didn't like how they made her talk here.

Everything was going smoothly with her shift until a familiar fur line sleeve caught her eye. She couldn't stand that man! He had seated himself at one of the back tables and was waiting patiantly for her to take his order. Of course it had to be one of her tables! How did he get in without her having to greet him. The owners gave her the option to refuse to serve someone at the door so she could have avoided the whole situation. The bastard probably used a new alias when he reserved a seat.

She held the serving tray close as she walked over to where the snake sat, "Hello how might I serve you today master?"

A man with short black hair, light brown eyes, and a devilish smile greeted her words, "Hello darling I'll have the usual today, and your hand in marriage of course."

She resisted the glare she wanted to give the man and smiled at him, "I'll bring it right away though I politely refuse your other request."

As fast as she could without being too obvious she was trying to escape she ran to the back to turn in his order and pick up the food for her other tables.

"I hope everything is to your liking masters. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask I'm yours to command." Ayame smiled as she sat the food down infront of the man with blond hair and the one with dreads. She gave a small bow meeting the blonds eyes on my way up and felt a very slight heat in her cheeks before moving on to the next customers. She hoped she wasn't getting sick.

"I think she liked you." Tom, Shizuo's boss, normally didn't dare tease Shizuo but he seemed to be in a relatively good mood.

"I think you need to get your eyes checked." Shizuo grunted as he began to eat his food. He could have sworn he heard the rats voice. Maybe he was imaging it but just the thought of that bastard irritated him.

"Here you are master I hope everything's to your liking." She placed a steak, medium rare, infront of the man who watched her every move.

"The only thing not to my liking is the fact that you've wounded my heart so." He smiled wickedly.

She glared at the imp before her for a moment before forcing the normal happy pleasant look she usual wore, "I think your much too busy of a man to be thinking of me. After all information can be a hard thing to stay on top of." She smiled at his some what surprised face.

Izaya smiled, he loved people especially the ones who were able to surprise him. Little did he know that the girl walking away from his table wasn't the only one who would surprise him that day. Luckily for him he had sat himself near the rear exit of the store so that when the events that were about to unfold happened he would have a quick escape, or so he thought.

"I swear I heard that rats voice again!" Shizuo had bent his fork in a rage.

"I didn't hear anything." Tom shrugged, he also hadn't been paying attention either as he placed their payment on the table.

Today was not Izaya's day for he happened to stand up at the very same time that Shizuo's party stood up. Instantly Shizuo was met with a blood lust to kill the bastard known as Izaya, he was in such a rage that he forgot to grab his sun glasses off the table.

"Who would have thought I would find you in a place like this!" Izaya grinned widely backing his way to the door behind him.

"I thought I told you to stay out of Ikeburkuro!" The only thing on Shizuo's mind was to kill the man backing away from him.

Ayame didn't seem to sense the danger coming from the blond haired man as she walked over to him. She gently placed her hand on his arm, stood up on her tippy toes and whispered, "its a shame I seemed to have locked the door. Do you mind assisting him out" she looked at him with wide eyes mocking innocents.

For some reason the girls touch had calmed enough to listen to her words and grin. Usually Shizuo hated to be used but watching the fleas face go from errogant to slightly panicked as he giggled to handle to his exit made it worth it.

Suddenly Izaya was flying through the air as his once blocked exit became open. The unfortunate barricade held onto the wall with one hinge after being opened too hard. Ayame watched as the two vanished into the night pleased with the way it had turned out.

"I'm so sorry! We can ban him from the store if you like?" The manager ran up to Ayame assume that the encounter had shocked her.

"Actually I think I would quiet enjoy him coming back, it might be a good source of pest control." She smiled at the managers confused face and went to clean up her now empty tables. When she came to Shizuo's table she noticed a pair of sunglasses had been left behind. Shinra seemed to be friends with the odd bartender maybe he could return them to him. When her shift ended she ran to the back and changed into her over-sized hoodie and jeans.

The black rider pulled up as Ayame was leaving the Cafe. No noise escaped the bike as it pulled up next to her.

How was your day? The woman in black held out a phone.

"It was fun. I got to see Izaya run for his life." Ayame smiled at the woman.

Really? That's why he was in a foul mood when I met back up with him!

"Awe so he didn't die." She sighed a little disappointed then shrugged, "how was your job, besides the end?"

It was a little hectic but it went smoothly.

"Can I go out for a run later?"

You're asking?

"Thought I'd give it a try." Ayame shrugged then, to her surprise, she noticed the blond from earlier walking up the side walk, "I'll be right back!" Without waiting for the headless woman's reply she ran off towards the man who was in the cafe earlier. She hadn't expect to find him so soon especially with the way he had chased after Izaya like that.

Shizuo glared down as someone in an over sized hoodie approached him. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anything right now., especially after having lost track of that damn bastard. This person must be an idiot, his glare didn't make them run away. His frustration was growing as they began digging around in their pockets, where they going to pull a weapon on him?

"I think you forgot these." Emerald eyes met his as the hooded character looked up and held out his sunglasses to him

"Who are you again?" Shizuo was surprised to find the figure was a female.

"I'm no one really but if you must have a name it's Ayame Kishitani." She waved at him as she jogged back over to were Celty was waiting patiantly.

It wasn't far before the two riding the silent bike passed by an ally where a group of men where heading into. This was pretty usual for the city except for the fact that the men held a wriggling bag. Ayame's eyes widened these were the men who were leaving dead animals in the ally! Before she could decide it was a bad idea she stood up on the bike and jumped hitting the ground running. The one thing she couldn't stand was those who hurt animals and she couldn't stand by while one was beat to death!

It would be one thing if it was a fair fight but these had been caged and restrained to where they couldn't fight back. She felt a connection to these creatures and thier sad fates, with memories of her past racing through her head she pressed forward desperate to make a difference for once.

The black rider wrestled her familiar back under control, the sudden force of Ayame jumping off had almost made her crash. What was that girl thinking! She could have killed them both! The black rider tilted her head to the side as she came to a stop and turned around as soon as she could, something had to of caught the girl's eye to make her act like that. Celty shook her head in frustration at the girls recklessness.

"If you must hurt something hurt me." Ayame wedged herself in between the assailants and the small puppy they had brought with them.

"Just move you little bitch." A muscular man grinned at her, he would give nothing more than to strike her now but his friends might turn on him.

"Yea don't make us hurt you." A younger male, probably in high school, tried to make himself look bigger than he actually was.

The other men stared in silence prepared to jump when their boss told them too, blood lust in their eyes. Ayame kept smiling and picked the puppy off the ground and tucked it in her hoodie being careful to not move it's broken leg.

"Hit me all you want I won't let you hurt this poor thing again." She smiled at the men who began to circle her. She was completely defenseless, she held her arms around where the puppy was in her hoodie as one of the men struck her in the side with a bat.

She didn't flinch, even though she knew a few bones broke, and never stopped smiling. They wouldn't be able to kill her, the people at the lab made sure she would be very hard to kill if someone wanted to get rid of her. The others soon joined in hitting her with various objects, eventually bringing her to her knees. She was covered in her own blood and yet the smile on her face never left her.

"Why won't you stop smiling you freak!" The group was beginning to get uncomfortable.

Suddenly the shadows came alive knocking the men away from the small girl. A giant ball hung suspended in the air, the screams of the men who once surrounded her came from within.

Are you ok? A screen appeared in front of her and a hand touched her shoulder.

"The bones will take a little bit to heal but I'm fine. We need to get this little guy to Shinra though, I think his leg is broken." Ayame pulled the puppy she had kept safe out of her hoodie and showed him to Celty.

Let's get you both home, never do anything like that again! There are things men will do to women that are worse than what happened!

Ayame nodded her head, she would have to.ask what those other things where later. For now she was tired and in pain and just followed orders quietly getting on the black riders bike.

What makes you who you are? Are the actions you take what determine this, or is it the things that you won't let stand that define you?