Chapter 7 - Getting what you want is only a plus.

4 years, that's how long it took me before I decided Reo was of no more use, I had turned their secret agent into my double one, without arousing even the tiniest hint of suspicion, as suspected he was employed by a dud company, and after searching through a paper trail, filled with dead ends and password protected sites, the Koizumi's name appeared, figured really, those people are a nightmare!

And speaking of nightmares, Reo is trying to make my life one; I get daily beatings from the cowered, they were always in places that my clothes covered, his record showed that he gets a lot of practice, the Koizumi's number 1 information retriever, he always got his hands dirty, but his relationship with the Koizumi's was buried, hell so buried it was almost as well hidden as the Imia's are.

Koko knows everything now, has done for years… in fact I think it only took me a week to confess my real life to him after his little impromptu message to my camera, he had I good idea with the notes, although we made them more cryptic, which in itself was fun. I'm still not sure how he magically comes up with his information, he once told me that he didn't know how it worked either, he said it was like everyone just told him, without him asking or wanting the information.

But it became very useful in taking out the Koizumi's,

I haven't forgotten my purpose of finding my father, but I ran out of ideas on where he might be, so instead I decided on taking out the obstacles that were stopping him coming home to me. Reo's presence being the first.

I had everything he owned identified and wired, he couldn't so much as wear his wrist watch without it monitoring his heart rate, every phone call, every conversation, every meeting and it seemed the Koizumi's had put so much faith in him, detailed plans, missions, and interrogation subjects. It seemed that his time at the office has been increasing, no doubt looking for the leak, ha, he never even suspected himself.

Why would he, after all he dominated his home life, an oh so obedience wife, who though the sun shone out of his ass, and a step daughter that was terrified of him and could do nothing against him.

Speaking to Koko directly about family things was impossible, so notes in class were very handy, and on the odd occasion that the teacher caught the note, he could make neither hide nor hair of it.

It was important that he didn't understand, but he soon worked out it was Koko and me, which of cause got us in trouble, so only important notes were passed around the class the rest of them to be messaged back and forth between us, and today was EXTREMLY IMPORTANT.

Riri, vli qp yhdr ovit wqp fvqs fikhn, mwqdw tlhup khfh vlfvqljhz, nig qu?

(Translated for you – 'Koko Reo is back from his trip today, which means data retrieval, you in?')

Pgvl fwqux yipp! Ml'zz xi fo nigvp pfxhqxwf hoflv pwdiiz

(Translated for you - 'Sure thing boss! We'll go to yours straight after school.')

I smiled at his reply, he never let the boss thing drop after he found out who I really was, who knows maybe when this is all over with I can integrate him into the family.

I waited for Koko at the gates, but it had started to get dark, and boy did I know the rule about being in before dark. I mean just because I can take it, doesn't mean I like pain, and fractured ribs cane. Lately he is becoming more agitated, he is quicker to hit me, reaches for his belt without even the slightest hesitation, work must be going bad for him… I wonder why, I smirked at the idea of the Koizumi's turning and beating each other to find the spy, I pondered how long it will take him to work out its him, and it's all my doing, he won't be pleased, and he will be even livider when he finds out it's been going on for four years.

I was about to leave, and let Koko catch up when he rounded the corner of the school building, walking at a leisurely pass.

"KOKO, HURRY UP ITS GOING TO BE DARK SOON!" I screamed at him from across the playground. He knew what I meant by that, and his pace had immediately quickened, instead of slowing at the gates like I expected him to, he grabbed my arm and ran faster, pulling me along with him.

"Sorry, got a detention for one to many snarky comments in poetry, but the guy was asking for it" he stated, while running, I was please at his progress (not in poetry and snarky comments) but in his stamina and strength when I first started training him three years back he couldn't even do a 100 meter dash without crumpling in fatigue. He sure has come a long way.

"Mikan speed up, or else…" he said pulling me from my thoughts.

Oh so he thinks he can boss me about… I held his arm tighter and let my speed suddenly surge he toppled as I overtook him, the only thing keeping him up was my grip.

"What's wrong? I thought you were faster than this." I turned and looked at him with an innocent smile on my face, he grunted and regained his balance, but I still wasn't enough, so I slowed a little, there was no need to tread on any more of his pride.

We reached my house in record time; no really, I had been timing our sprints from school to my house, as motivation for Koko, it takes me 5 minutes at full speed. Koko is currently at 15 minutes. But today it took only 13.

"Great job, 2 minutes faster than yesterday." I went up to the door, using my key to open it.

"Easy for you… to say, miss 5 minutes" he growled back slightly out of breath, and a little sulky, he constantly gets like this when I best him, which is always.

"Don't sulk, we have work to do." I chastised him with all the authority I would use on a family member. He nodded getting back to business. Once inside I turned to face him, putting on the act of childish conduct that was necessary for this house hold.

"Come on in Koko, I'll get you a drink" I turned to the living room "Mum, Koko came home with me, we are going to work on our homework together" I waited for her nod of confirmation, before turning back to Koko. "Don't forget to take off your shoes." I said as I ran upstairs.

Over the years my relationship with my mother is only marginally better, but for as long as she is around Reo I can't trust her. Once upstairs I started setting up some of the monitors Koko went to set up the rest. We worked in harmony a comfortable silent ensued as we tapped at the keyboards.

(If you're wondering where I got all this stuff from, well it's simple, in the few hours I had before I left the house for good; I set up a safety deposit box. I had money and all the spare documents stashed there under a different name. 'Ichigo Sakura' is the name I chose, at the time, I thought that if I could ever tell Natsume he would get a kick out of it.)

"Mikan Reo is coming" Koko alerted me shutting down and hiding his screens while pulling out text books, I did the same. And we pretended to study. It wasn't long before Reo slammed my door open, clearly in a bad mood. He looked at Koko, who politely said "Hello Mr Mouri" waiting for Reo to make I rather rude grumble type of noise before he let his eyes return to the book.

"I'm glad to see you doing your homework Mikan; I would HATE a repeat of what happened last time, when it wasn't done." His eyes burned into me.

"Yes, sir" I mumbled the reply, it would take me half a second to strike his voice box it such a way that it would never work again, instead I stayed perfectly still not making eye contact, because he would surely see what I was planning. I felt Koko shiver next to me; I swear that boy can read my mind.

"I'm going back down stairs, I would like I a word with you after you have finished up." He said slamming my door shut without waiting for a reply. Damn that arrogant, obnoxious, no good cowardly, pathetic excuse for a human being, I swear I'm going to destroy him.

"Calm down Mikan" Koko tried to soothe me. He just sat there with his hand on my head waiting for my breathing to even out.

"You should go and see what he wants, otherwise he will just get angry, and you will have to let yourself be hurt again." I nodded and got up walking towards the door.

"Thankx Koko, you're the best, I don't know what I would do without you."

He was sitting at the kitchen table when I ambled in.

"Take a seat." I did without looking into his eyes, it must be serious since he has neither threatened or beat me yet. "Mikan, I'm going to get straight to the point, I want you to take my last name. It's been 4 years since you started up this whole Imai nonsense. And the fact that you haven't already taken my last name is bringing shame on the family." He waited for my response, and I stared blankly at him, what is his angle? By changing my last name he would gain practically nothing… except access to all of my files! That sneaky BASTARD well there is no way in hell I'm going to give him any form of admission to information my family so carefully buried.

"I'll think about it…" I left it at that and slid out of the room.

I swept past his jacket that was flung over the staircase's rails my hand darting out to retrieve the small recording device, I had earlier attached to his centre button.

Back in my room I noticed Koko had already loaded up the monitor which downloads information. The archives transferred rather quickly, and I plunged a set of head phones into the monitor giving one to Koko, the voices were a clear as day, and we came across nothing, well that was until we heard Reo say 'Master Koizumi' my eyes widen as I focused on the recording giving it my full attention. Meetings with Koizumi himself were rare but the info was always juicy.

"I'm disappointed in you Reo, you're my top infiltrator and spy, yet 4 years in and you bring my NOTHING, you don't know of his whereabouts and you say his DAUGHTER! HIS HIER! is a useless piece of garbage, well then it's about time I pulled you off of this case and put you somewhere that's useful."

"Yes Master, what should I do with the bait?"

"Kill them, since they are obviously not tantalising enough for him to come and get, then they are useless."

"And the Girl…"

"You said it yourself didn't you? Trash! Well she can go out with the rest of the garbage. Now get out of my site, I have to return to that inadequate school and pretend I give a damn."

He was talking about us, my mother and I…

I didn't want to have to do this but it looks like it's time to involve the family…

I need a distraction, and with them, all of hell braking lose wouldn't be as terrifying.