Anything you recognize probably isn't mine.

"Where is he?" Her voice was a dark hiss as it caressed the ears of the man who kneeled before her. His cheap suit was torn, and his left eye was swelling terribly. She, however, was the picture of self-restraint and elegance. Where his hair was clumped and matted, hers was perfectly coiffed, held together with hairspray instead of blood and dirt.

He let out a hiccup of panic as her lips curled into a snarl, trying to find any point to focus on that wasn't her. "I don't know what you're talking about, lady!"

Crack.

"Liar." Painted lips spat out the words like they were a curse, drawing a reaction as violent as the blow that had preceded it.

"I swear to God, lady! I don't know nothin'! He never came back!" He shook his head frantically, trying to ignore the stained cement walls behind him, and the broken shards of glass scattered on the floor, all of which fanned out from the designer shoes that stood daintily before him.

"Bâtard.If I find out you know more than you're telling me, there will be consequences." Her eyes told him these words were no threat to be taken lightly. They both knew that she'd follow through without the merest hint of hesitation."Do you understand?" He nodded quickly, hoping that his reprieve would come soon. "I dislike liars. Now get out of my sight; you disgust me."

He didn't have to be told twice. He bolted as quickly out of the room as he could without offending the small woman, who had closed her eyes the moment he closed the door behind him.

'Where are you?'

"I don't understand it either. Why would she come back and not tell us?"The screen of the PDA flashed it`s message before it was deleted and replaced with another. "There must be some kind of reason... She's never kept this kind of thing from us before. And more importantly, from Shizuo."

"Yes. That's why I'm so worried. Even before they got together, she'd tell him almost everything. It makes no sense. I'm pulling in some favours to see what's happening, but I don't know how much they'll be able to find. She's never easy to find if she's making it a point to hide." Kadota mused, absently scratching his chin with his left hand.

"We'll just have to see how it plays out, I guess... Although it might be worth it to ask-"

"No." Kadota's eyebrows snapped together as he forced the words out, desperate to avoid the trouble that would inevitably arise if Shinra went through with his suggestion. "It won't be. Don't bother. We'll figure it out ourselves."

"Are you sure?"

"He's right. It's too much of a risk." Celty's thumbs danced a quick jig on the screen as they replaced the previous message. "Let's make sure we know what's happening before we jump to any conclusions."

"I wish she would've told us she was back. We could've at least thrown a party!" Shinra rambled, his hands flying through the air as they told what would be one of many tall tales and embellished promises.

Kadota turned away, his eyes screening the crowd that flowed behind the window, hoping to make out the figure of the girl he'd once found solace in. While they had never been lovers, and never would, they had shared a bond Shizuo could never hope to match, no matter how much the strongman tried. Theirs was a friendship that had been forged in the bitter fires of loss and heartache, and it was not one that could be dulled or broken with any number of days or kilometers.

Over time, Kadota's feelings had faded into something more like a distant yearning, but her return to the city had rekindled the flame he'd held for a girl he could never have. He knew it was his duty to return her to Shizuo, if only out of respect for the feelings she'd directed towards a man that wasn't him.

A dull buzz interrupted his trip down memory lane, and he turned his attention towards the slim black cellular he'd balanced precariously on his knee.

The three words displayed casually on the glowing screen were enough to set his mind on end, and to send him flying from his chair. He nearly knocked over Shinra in his haste, with Celty scrambling to find her helmet in a similarly disoriented state.

'We found her.'

Sorry about the delay, guys.

Things have been hellish lately, and not to make excuses, but my mind hasn't really been focused on this story, or anything that isn't directly related to me IRL.

I'll try to upload more often now that I have a concrete idea as to where this is going, but I can't make any promises.

Tell me what you thought?