Cuxie: 'I have kept you all in suspense for far too long. I'm sorry my...incompetence? Ahem, has kept you all waiting. If I had only listened to Amu-' Amu! This is the last time I let you write my intro. (Throws paper away)

Amu: Well, it's all true. And Rima wrote most of it.

Rima: You didn't even get to the part about your poor writing ability that's only saved by having such great characters to work with.

Cuxie: 'Great characters' that can just as easily be cut.

Rima: You wouldn't dare.

Cuxie: Try me.

Amu: I think she means it Rima...

Rima:...This isn't over.

Cuxie: Yeah, we'll see. Ahem! (dramatic pause) ROLLING!

Utau's POV

"What the hell?" I swiftly yanked the little blonde weirdo away from my brother before she could break his spine. I shot Amu a poisonous look, holding her little 'friend' by the back of her collar. The girl struggled in my grip, shouting what I'm sure were obscenities in French. I'm not well-versed in the langauge, but I know enough to recognized when its being spoken. Upon closer inspection, she looked to be older than me. "What is this? Why did your friend just ambush my brother?"

Amu looked every bit as surprised as I did. "I-I don't know...I mean, I knew she wanted to see Ikuto, but I didn't think..." She shook her head in disbelief.

I dropped the girl and bent down to help my brother up. He seemed mildy surprised, not half as much as the rest of us. But Ikuto's never been big on showing emotion. "Ikuto, who is she?"

He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "I don't...I'm not sure. She looks familiar though."

"You mean you don't actually know her?" Amu cried.

I was about to respond when the girl in question launched herself at me, pushing me away from my brother and standing in front of him possessively. "Utau?" I heard him cry. Kukai was at my side in a second, holding me back before I could retaliate. Before I could lay into the crazy little wench, Ikuto stepped away from her. She grabbed his sleeve, mumbling, but he glared at her and snatched his arm way, coming to my side. "Are you okay?"

"I am," I growled. "She won't be."

But before I could make good on my threat, my security detail came in. Rima was leading them, and she pointed out the girl before anyone had a chance to ask questions. "That's her."

As my bouncers grabbed her and began to escort her out of the building, I could see the fear in her eyes, and I almost felt sorry for her. Then she screamed for my brother, "Ikuto! Aidez-moi! S'il vous plaît! Ikuto!" And she was gone.

For a moment, no one knew what to say. Except, of course, Amu's little blonde friend.

"I told you she was nuts."

Ikuto's POV

"So you think this Ella girl followed me all the way from France?" Things don't really get creepier than that. Especially considering the fact that she seems much more familiar with me than I am with her. Still...something about her face was familiar. A memory was tickling the back of my mind, floating right along the edges, but I couldn't grasp it.

"I just don't see how you don't know her," Amu sighed. "The whole reason I brought her here was because I thought you'd know what to do with her. Where she's supposed to be going, who she's supposed to be with...something."

"Who the heck cares?" Utau grumbled. "She was a pyshco anyway. I can't believe you let her into your house."

Rima nodded. "That's what I said."

Amu's cheeks burned slighlty. The cold mask she'd been wearing all day seemed to finally be melting away. I didn't realized how much I missed seeing her blush. "Still...there must have been a reason Ella-san freaked out like that. Maybe we should find her and-"

"No way," Utau said immediately. "She's never allowed near me or Ikuto again. If you bring her to any more of my concerts I'll have her picture taken and posted so everyone knows she's not allowed in."

"I agree," Kukai jumped in. "Its not safe. She clearly has it out for Utau."

My sister crossed her arms. "Its Ikuto I'm worried about. I can take care of myself."

He grinned. "Of course you can." He placed his arm around her shoulders and I watched my sister fight against a small smile tugging at her lips. Originally, I didn't think I'd ever get used to the idea of my sister dating, even though it probably would've saved me from a lot of her advances. Its a big brother thing, I suppose. Still, I feel like if Utau was able to open up to someone, my going away must've been good for something. My I'd been the reason she wasn't interested in guys before. She was certainly pretty enough to have any guy she wanted. And God knows they all tried. But maybe I just needed to step out of her view for a little bit and let her see someone else. And Kukai's a good kid.

If only I could say the same for Amu... If Utau's opened up, Amu's shut down. To me at least. It's killing me, but I know I deserve it on some level.

So maybe it came to me because I was thinking about Amu. Maybe because Ella was the last thing on my mind at that second, but I finally remembered where I'd seen her from.

And the memory was so incredibly insignificant that it couldn't possibly be why she's here.

She had been a waitress at a café. One of the smaller, more out of the way places I liked to go to. The memory was very faint. I couldn't recall the name of the place or what I'd ordered, but I was sure the waitress had been Ella. She'd spilled something all over the table, apologizing profusely in English. (It was the only common language we had considering the fact that her café obviously didn't get many Japanese tourists.) She was embarrassed, but I had assured her it was okay, gave her a nice tip, and left.

And that was the one and only time I'd ever seen her. I didn't bother sharing this since it was obvious it would get us nowhere. And besides, Ella was gone. I didn't see much point in dwelling on her.

"But she's all alone in a country where she doesn't speak the language," Amu was saying. "Anything could happen to her." Her eyebrows were knitted together and she frowned slightly. "I just don't feel right abandoning her like that."

I had to smile then. It's just like Amu to want to rescue every stray she finds.

Ella's POV

"No! Please! You have to let me back in! You don't understand!" The security guards had tossed me out the back entrance where the dumpsters were. Part of me was terrified to be out in the dark all by myself in this strange place. But I was even more terrified that I'd lost my one chance to see Ikuto. You stupid, stupid girl...! I banged on the rusted door until my fists were red. No one could hear me. And if they could, its not as if they understood what I was saying.

I had seen him. I had touched him. And I'd screwed up. Why, oh why, couldn't I have stayed calm? Why couldn't I have controlled myself?

I knew why. It was that Utau girl. That unfaithful, ungrateful, cheating little...ugh! Why couldn't Ikuto have come in a moment sooner. In time to see her kissing that redheaded boy. He would've dumped her and then I really would've had my shot. But now he'll never know. I'd been so angry with her that I had gone ballistic and gotten myself kicked out. It had been one thing to know he had a beautiful, talented girlfriend. Another to find out she was a cheater. She didn't deserve him, even if she was famous. (And the large crowd I'd seen suggested that she was, indeed, famous.) I would make him see her for what she truly was.

I'll wait until they come out. The concert was already over. How much longer would they stay in there?

Sneaking around to the front of the entrance. I hid around the corner. The bouncer was still out there, guarding the entrance. I would have to sit and wait until I heard them come out. I was cold and scared, standing out on the street by myself at night. Anyone could come by and...I wished I had my long coat and hat. I might be mistaken for a boy with those things, especially since my hair was so short. But in Amu's skirt and thin tank top...

I hope they come out soon...

Cuxie: Not bad, if I may say so myself.

Amu: Poor Ella-san...

Cuxie: Still siding with the pyscho, I see.

Amu: No one even gave her a shot!

Utau: I'll give her a shot...with an AK-47.

Cuxie&Amu: WHOA! Out of bounds!

Utau: Whatever.

Cuxie: Bad Utau! I'll have to do something about all this violence. It's corrupting the children! R&R&Stay in school!