(a/n: Yeah, I know 8 months of nothing. Where in the hell did I go? Who knows? Just be happy the story is back on track! Well let's see if we can't get some things done in this chapter. Resolved; I doubt it, but progressed and possibly worsened…Well, you all know what a cruel mistress I can be. I wouldn't want to let you all down, so I think I will keep tension high and prospects low. Maybe one day things will work out for the characters, but let's see if we can torture them a bit more first.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vol 24 The Absent Ally

-Jin-

"How could you be so irresponsible and so-so-so stupid!" Fuu scolded as she stormed around the room in useless circles. I had been listening to this all day and it was beginning to get on my nerves. I did perhaps deserve it, but Fuu was not showing any sign of ceasing. I didn't know how much more I could endure.

"Really, why wouldn't you tell us?" she demanded.

"Cut it out, will ya?" Mugen cried, frustrated. "You haven't shut your trap all goddamned day!"

"Mugen, aren't you the least bit concerned? Tsukiko is gone!"

"We all know that, everybody in Japan knows that thanks to you. So why don't you just shut it?"

She huffed and went for the door. "Fine, I have to go to work anyway."

"Place at the fish stand?" She nodded. "Bring back dinner."

Once she was gone, Mugen sighed in relief and reclined back on the futon. He was chewing on a toothpick and smirking like he always was. How could he be so normal and so unaffected? It was as if he didn't even care. I hated and envied him for that. I thought sometimes, like now, it would be easier to just not give a damn about anything or anyone.

"Well?" I asked expectantly.

His eyes flicked to me. "Well what?"

"Aren't you going to say something about all of this?"

He shook his head. "Why? I'm not the one who's in love with the chick. Don't get me wrong, I like her and all, she's pretty alright." He scratched his mangy mop of hair. "Plus, I figure she'll come back sooner or later."

"I'm not so sure."

This actually seemed to stir some kind of alarm. He stopped chewing the sliver of wood and sat up a little. "Why wouldn't she be coming back? I mean, she just has to get over this, how long could that take?"

"She said she was, but the look on her face said that she was never going to see me again." That was hard to say. Never see her again? Maybe it was for the best, because I had serious doubt that she would ever accept Shino and I with a child. I don't think even I could bear to have her there in that situation.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Mugen asked expectantly, like I already had a plan working in my head.

"I have to stay."

"Too bad, I really liked that girl." He paused for a moment in thought. "Did she take the money with her?"

"I would assume…" I shrugged. I didn't care about that so much right now.

Mugen got up and went for the door. "Maybe I should get some kind of job then. At least if I'm makin' some extra dough then I can spend it on a hooker if I want."

"And what exactly do you plan on doing?" I asked him, wondering where in the hell he was going to get a job. Just looking at him, who would hire him? He could probably get bodyguard work like usual, but that was only if there were a need for it.

"Maybe I'll go to where Fuu works and see if they wanna hire someone else too. I can work with fish I guess."

"If I'm not home when you get here, then I will probably be with Shino."

He pressed his lips together tightly and nodded. "Your funeral."

"And what was that supposed to mean?" I demanded, crossing my arms.

He grunted impatiently and tapped the toe of his geta behind him. "Guys like you and me, not that I'm sayin we're the same, can't be the domestic type. You know it, I know it; I just figured it out first. We aren't like normal people if you hadn't noticed. We'll never be the family kind of guys. You may say 'duty' and 'honor', but deep down there you know you were made for fighting and nothin else. It's what we love, this life. I mean, can you picture yourself anywhere else? You know you love this gig we have. I think that if you could never pull that sword of yours out again, it'd be worse than dying."

Sometimes Mugen had these little speeches between all the ignorance and genuine stupidity that amazed me. I would never go as far to say that he was insightful, but he was somewhere in the general area…on occasion.

"Now I'm gonna go get me a job…then a hooker."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(a/n: Sorta short, I know. I've had part of this chapter sitting for a while, and I just finished it. I'll do a longer one next time, I just need to go back and review what I already have before I get into it. Wish me luck.)