A/N. A quick Update for you all. Have Sorta prepared the rest, but need cookies to post more.

I was up on the roofs of the kitchen today when I saw her, and for no reason, I decided to follow her. Not sure why, but needed to get out of that rat infested hellhole. Hells Kitchen for sure, but Clinton was more than that, at times it seemed to be more than that, more like hells whole house, and only a few there to hold it back from the abyss. I kept back from her, high above her, on rooftops, and scaffolding, one good thing about the kitchen was it was always being repaired, and had lots of climbing places. She was heading towards an apartment block, when I heard a commotion on the other side of the building I was on top of. I looked down, and saw a young girl on the floor, a girl who could have so easily been Hayley, being assaulted by a group of men. They already had her bag, but it seemed they wanted something more. I recognized them as being from the hand, yet at the risk of revealing my true allegiances I had to help; after all it could have been Hayley. At least I could reduce the suspicion on me. As a way of studying my last hits I had purchased a set of silver Sais, a weapon much more suited to being concealed, and so I had them on me. Hopefully Kirigi would suspect it was my target, and not myself, who had committed this crime against him. I dropped silently through the air behind the men, counting them as I fell. Five men, against one poor defenseless girl, how was that fair now? I had to even the odds. Before I hit the ground, three of them had been killed, victims of a set of modified ninja stars, which fitted in my belt buckle. I had stolen that idea from bullseye, before I put him out of his misery. He had useful information, about the devils fear of noise, so I made it quick and painless, more of a mercy killing. After all to my eyes he had never recovered, who does after dropping out of a church steeple onto a car? Anyway I digress. As I silently hit the ground, the men shouted for their foe to appear. I killed one with my Sais, stabbing him through the heart from behind. The other man spotted me, however, and drew a wicked looking dagger from beneath his coat. He challenged me. The fool. I would so have liked to finish him with my wire then, a length of wire, resembling a lasso... another invention borrowed from the past. Who could forget Erik, my namesake, and his Punjab lasso? However, I wished to make Kirigi believe it was she; maybe he would give me more pay for defeating her, if she had killed more of his minions. I parried his knife, blow for blow, even letting him believe he had the upper hand, until he ripped my shirt, as I realized my mistake. I stepped up a notch, until the man realized I was playing with him and, dropping the knife, he turned and ran. He had hardly gone ten paces when my Sais entered his neck, severing the nerves, and the jugular. Messy perhaps, but oh so like my target.

As I returned to the roofs, after ensuring the woman's safety, I saw Hayley, exiting a shabby looking apartment building.

"Damn,"

I swore, annoyed that I had missed what she had been up to. I would wait for later, she would tell me, after all.

I returned to the building I lived in, throwing my shirt in a nearby trashcan as I passed, before sitting idly by the heater, waiting for her to arrive. She quietly knocked, and entered, trying not to disturb me.

"Hey you." I said softly

"Hey" she smiled back at me, sitting next to me and watching the heater. "See you ate all my food"

"Your food? Excuse me but I do remember someone giving that food to me."

"Oh and who would that be?"

"You might know her very well." he smiled down at her

"And who would this mystery girl be? Oh don't tell me, it's that old lady next door isn't it? Cause I know you were checking her out you player."

"Player I may be, but she's no the one who gave it to me, this girl is nice, smart, no to mention a great musician." I said, purposefully being vague, what was the point of being close to someone without playfully teasing.

"Oh my god Abby gave you this food" She said, a naive expression on her face.

I gave up and laughed, "No. Her name is Hayley"

"So you've been mooching off of other Hayley's have you?" she laughed, not ready to give it up quite yet.

"God you are so dense"

I flung my hands up in mock defeat, laughing at the absurdity of it all. She smiled back, and watched the heater. Somehow we could sit silently in each other's company, and yet know what each other was thinking, an unspoken bond, between the two of us. She lowered her head onto my shoulder, content in my presence. So little she knew. I looked down at her closed eyes, and lowered my head onto hers; gaining what rest I was able. I could have sat there for hours, but she suddenly jumped up, and shouted.

"Oh shit. That's what I forgot, ok get some good clothes on."

"Why?" I asked disappointedly.

"It's a surprise now lets get going"

I changed, and asked her, laughing as I realized that she didn't know I'd stalked her.

"Where the hell are you leading me crazy chick?"

"You'll see" she smiled maliciously.

As I had guessed, we walked back to where I had seen her this morning. So I was to gain access to her secret. She led me into the apartment building, to the top floor, and I noticed the empty apartments opposite the door she stopped at. These seemed a perfect place to decamp my lair to. She opened the door with a small Yale key, although to me it looked like one kick would have done the job, even by a weakling like her. I would have to remedy that sometime.

'Ta Da" Hayley smiled waving her arms in the air at the room.

"This is it?" I asked laughing at the pathetically small, three roomed apartment. Well, two roomed, with a minute bathroom. I hoped the shower worked, fervently realizing how much I needed a wash. Living in poverty sort of makes you forget things, like hygiene. She interrupted my thoughts, with a usual Hayley comment.

"Is that all, I waited three months to buy this apartment and Ta DA I got it!" she said, smiling. "And guess what it's got one extra room, now who do I know that would stay in an apartment with me?"

I decided to play her game, and put my hand in the air, jumping. "OH, Oh I know this one."

"Yes you in the front" she laughed, playing along, again.

"Gareth"

"Is that your final answer?"

"Can I take a life line?" I said, following her as she moved back to the front door.

"Nope." She laughed, jangling her keys at me. I noticed there were two identical sets. She had obviously planned this, and so disregarding the danger it may put her in, I relented.

"Then yes that is my final answer."

She clapped, jumping up and down again. I didn't know where she got the energy myself.

"What has he won Johnny…? DING, DING, DING he wins half of an apartment with a young lady name Hayley"

"Aww crap that just ruined it" I joked.

She hit me in the arm, and I remembered to complain, having a high pain tolerance was in itself a pain sometimes.

"Shut up. Well its home."

"Well yeah I like it. Now where do I sleep?"

She pointed to a small run down couch on the other side of the room "there you are" she laughed

It was too small, even for her. I asked her if that was it, and she reminded me that anything was better than that cold wreck. I asked her where she was going to sleep. She walked through the door and told me, pointing at a decrepit mattress on the floor.

"Over here".

Seriously, it was worse than the couch. I had to get better furniture. I told her she could have the couch, as that mattress was probably infested. She told me it was too late, she had dibs as she had already slept there. I knew she was lying, trying to give me the best deal. I jumped onto the mattress and laughed.

"You are going to have to pry me off of here to sleep here, or sleep here with me" I informed her, serious except for winking my left eye.

"You know you are such a player." She said, laughing and dropped her jacket next to me. "And no I'm not sleeping in the same bed as you"

"Then you will have to get me off here"

She pulled out one of her drumsticks and laughed, "Get up or I'll make you"

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

"That's a treat".

R+R