Disclaimer - I do not own Durarara

CHAPTER 16

"It seems that you've made yourself at home here, aye? Nice little place you've got,' said Izaya, sauntering into the room, side-stepping the pans that had fallen. Natasha initial surprise and shock had waned, replaced by certainty. She had been found. She had indeed expected some time to set herself up before things started to unravel, but Shizuo being shot and Izaya showing up at her doorstep confirmed her suspicions.

But if Yagiri hadn't made a move, it could mean one of two things – either he was just playing around with her, or he wasn't aware of her exact whereabouts. Natasha could drive herself up a wall thinking about the first situation, which would threaten her sanity. She was more inclined to believe the second situation.

However, there was still one thing to clear up. Had Izaya told Yagiri yet? She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. Izaya smirked at her, and with his hands still in his fur coat pockets, he spun around gracefully.

With his back to her, he answered her unspoken question. "Tasha-chan, if I would've told the people looking for you about your location, they would've found you by now."

Natasha mentally heaved a sigh of relief, but refused to release the tension in her shoulders. "How did you know about this place?"

"Ah, that's a most interesting answer, Tasha-chan. But I'll answer that only if you'll first answer mine."

Natasha was in no mood to play games, and was prepared to beat the answer out of him. But then she remembered her daughter sleeping in the next room, and decided cooperating with him would be faster.

"Alright then. What question do you have?" she asked his hunched back.

"There are two pairs of shoes by the door. One is a larger pair, definitely yours. The other one, however, is much smaller than yours, and is quite feminine. Like that of a child's. A young girl's, to be more precise." Izaya said this in a monotone, contrast to his earlier mocking. His back was still to her, and Natasha could not make out his expression. However, if he hadn't ratted her out earlier, he wouldn't do so now. Besides, Izaya was a smart man – he was bound to figure it out sooner or later. Her biggest worry, however, was how would he use that information against her, and if, or when would he involve Shizuo.

She understood that there was no point in mincing words with the man. "Those shoes belongs to my daughter, Sophia Ascott."

"Your last name, huh."

"Yes."

"Any prizes for guessing who's the father?" asked Izaya with a hint of mockery, in an attempt to steer the conversation in the flow that he liked it – with him knowing everything, and other person being at a loss for words.

"Don't bother with that Izaya, you know the answer to that as well as I do. Do what you like with that information. You were never the type to listen to someone else's pleas anyway."

Shizuo's child. Those words kept swimming around in his head. Not only had the brute got the lady, but had also cemented her affections for him. As pathetic it had sounded to him, he refused to believe it, but the truth was, he had waited. Waited to make a move. Waited until the brute made a mistake, a huge one, something so disastrous that she would never be able to accept him again. Now his waiting was all in vain. Because he lost the woman.

Noting Izaya's hunched shoulders, Natasha asked,"Izaya?" it wasn't like him to be so quiet.

Izaya shook his head, got back his nonchalant self, and turned around. "What can I do with information like this anyway? It's not like I can go to Yagiri personally anyway. My dealings with him have become a bit….. complicated." It was the truth. Yagiri had an inkling about the dullahan head being with him, not to mention Izaya had a great deal of dirt on his company. Their dealings were limited, and they mostly tried to avoid each other, save for that rare one time when the man came personally to his office. "He's not very fond of me."

"I can imagine why," said Natasha with a wry smile. "I hear your profession as an information broker ensures your name in all the shady activities of Ikebukuro."

"Shady activities, Tasha-chan? You wound me. I simply involve myself in places I know I will find interesting humans. I love humans, more than anything!"

Natasha smiled slightly and relaxed herself. This was the Izaya she remembered. Slightly psychotic, but nonetheless knew exactly what he wanted as the outcome.

But then she remembered. "You still haven't answered my question. How did you find this place?"

Izaya smirked. This was going to be interesting.

###

Shinra Kishitani was having a slow day. For some reason, he had had only two patients, and they had only minor lacerations, probably from a gang fight. He was sitting and cleaning his scalpels when his phone rang.

"Ah, my son! I see you're home! And my daughter-in-law?"

Shinra's erstwhile peace had been destroyed. "Ah, father. Celty has gone out for a job. And I thought we agreed for experimenting on her only once a week!"

"But Celty's kind is fascinating… And I want to know so much more about her! Besides, I can't turn down an offer from Nebula Corporation, you know. Plus she gets paid very well. You know that."

Shinra was not the type to lose it at anyone, but sometimes his father caused his eyebrow to twitch.

"You know very well that's beside the point, father…"

"Ah, but Shinra! That's not why I called! Wait a minute!" came the harried voice from the other side.

"Yes?" came the exasperated reply.

"I spoke to Seitarou Yagiri. You know him, right? He's an old friend of mine."

Shinra knew. He also knew then that things were going to get difficult. Or in Izaya's words, Interesting. "I know him."

"So I met him earlier today and he told me about the most wonderful creature! Apparently she looks human, but can make objects move with her mind!"

Shinra slammed his head on the table. When Izaya had called up to tell him about Yagiri knowing Natasha's whereabouts, he had an inkling that since the latter and his father were friends, Shingen would ask for his involvement. This conversation was going exactly where he didn't want it to, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Shinra, you're there?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here."

"Apparently this creature was under Nebula's radar for quite some time until five years ago, and after that she vanished without a trace. But now it seems she has resurfaced again. And that too, in Ikebukuro!"

Shinra predicted Shingen Kishitani's next words before the latter had uttered them.

"I want your help in locating her. This would be as amazing as Celty! She's Irish too, you know. We could cut her up and see how her abilities work!"

"Ahh… Father? Don't you think you're going a bit too far? After all, isn't she a normal human like us?"

"Ah, Shinra. This is medical research. You know I can't turn down an offer which comes directly from Nebula's headquarters."

"What makes you think I can help you finding her? If she's so good at hiding herself, even from big companies like Nebula?" Shinra gave a slight nervous laughter at the end of the question, to diffuse the tension building up.

"Ah! That's where you come in, son. Seitarou tells me that this girl is your classmate from high school."

This was too soon for Shinra. Natasha had landed in Japan just yesterday, and things had already accelerated so fast. And his meddling father had involved himself. Shinra needed time to consult Natasha and Celty, and plan things out. Obviously, it went without saying that he wouldn't sell out Natasha, or her daughter, but he also needed a convincing argument to make his father sit out of this one.

"Shinra….." came his exasperated father's voice from the other end. "Is everything alright? You seem spaced out. You can tell your father anything, you know!"

'Ahh…. I'm just really tired. Shizuo-kun came over last night."

"Okay then, I'll leave you alone for some time. But get back to me about this exquisite creature, okay?"

There was a pause at the other end while Shinra mulled his words.

"Or….." continued Shingen, noticing Shinra's pause, and being the intuitive scientist, he concluded, "If you don't want to go along with this, and if she is a friend, I suggest you hide her well. Seitarou is well on her tail. Goodbye." He kept the phone.

Shinra took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. He was tempted to call Natasha or Celty, but then it might just result in undue panic. He decided that he'd approach them only after having a plan of action.

He dialled up Izaya.

###

"You still haven't answered my question. How did you find this place?"

Izaya smirked and was contemplating about telling her the truth or not when his phone started vibrating. It was Shinra. Izaya immediately sobered. It had only been a few hours since he had warned him. This wasn't a good sign.

"Ah, Orihara-kun." Came Shinra's weary voice from the speaker. Natasha heard it too, and she came closer to the phone. Izaya didn't bother with motioning her away, since in all likelihood it involved her as well.

"Yes, Shinra. What's the matter?"

"Ahh…. It seems we have a problem." Izaya and Natasha waited with bated breath on the other side.

"My father called up, it seems that Nebula too has a lead on Natasha's whereabouts in Ikebukuro."

Izaya looked up at Natasha to gauge her reaction. She had closed her eyes and let out a big sigh. So she isn't wasting any time in denial. She's already planning her next plan of action.

"But he doesn't know where exactly. I think he knows that I'm not too keen on helping him out with his research, so he's agreed not to say anything, but I just wanted you to know how things are progressing on this side."

"Ah, thanks for letting me in on this. I'll owe you one." Izaya hurriedly cut the call. "I'll get back to you later, Tasha-chan. I just realized I have some work to do. See you!" he said, running out the door. But then paused at the doorstep, as though remembering something. "Tasha-chan. A word of advice. Start looking for employment and societies. Get along with people. make contacts with people, and make sure you reach out to a large number of people. Agreed that this way Yagiri will be able to locate you faster, but it also means that more people will know of your existence and will notice you if something happens. You'll have an alibi at all times this way. See you!" he thus left, fur jacket fluttering behind him.

It was only once he left that Natasha realised that he hadn't yet answered how he had found out her place. But the fact that Izaya had decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being, and his advice at the end, proved to her at he was on her side, at least for the time being. There was a very real chance that he could switch sides later on, just to make things interesting, in his opinion, but at the moment everything was alright.

Natasha decided to listen to him and went out to knock on her neighbour's door, intent on introducing herself. She'd introduce Sophie to other kids in the building later on. They'd be a normal mother and daughter, at least for some time.

###

Liked it? Hated it? Either way, please review! Reviews make me happy!