Back again, this one was already mostly written. First real fight with Masaomi and other stuff and things. . . .anyway thanks for reading and. . .you know the drill.

"Your life sounds so cool Kitomi!" Masaomi stared at me with wonderment.

"I wouldn't say it's anything really, except me trying to survive." I thought back on everything I had gone through. "Personally I feel like everytime I make a new identity on the streets, my old one is killed."

Masaomi was excited though and would not accept anything less than amazing as a description of my life. "How many different identities did you have?"

I took a second to count, "Four main ones; Vienna, Ameko, Natsu and Hitomi."

"So what did they do?" He seemed fascinated by the world I grew up in.

"Vienna is the first name I ever remember having, my first bosses gave it to me because they thought it sounded foreign and they wanted people to assume I was a diplomates daughter or something. Ameko is what they called me at the orphanage I stayed at, no matter how many times I told them my name was Vienna. Hitomi was just a petty criminal, she was when I was seven and I tried getting money to get out of the orphanage. I had created Natsu by the time I was eight and she was in the escort business. Of course all of the adults have always known me as Vienna, no matter how many times I tell them to call me something else they won't. Then at school I've been Kitomi, that is my 'legal name' I guess."

He nodded, "It's just that shouldn't everyone have known it was you? It's not like there are lots of naturally blond kids who run around the streets."

"Hitomi was when I was little and not many people even saw me, and those who did see me always saw me at night, most of them thought my hair was white and I wore grey colored contacts. Natsu wore sunglasses, even at night, and wore a hat and a hood. Many of the people I worked with then thought I was a little boy. Except Kitsune, the bar owner, she knew what I really looked like and helped me out a bunch of times. As for the others it would probably be simple to figure out that they were connected."

"So you know the streets here really well!" His tone confused me but I nodded, "Yes, I only just barely retired Natsu. So I still have good connections out there too."

I looked at the clock, school was in two hours, I moaned and moved away from the bed I was about to collapse on. If I fall asleep now I won't wake up when the alarm goes off. I stumbled bleary eyes through my apartment to the bathroom, Take a shower and wake myself up, as I closed the door I looked up and saw my own face in the mirror and nearly screamed. Apparently that fall last night had been worse than I thought. I had a cut on the side of my face and and my right eye was black.

I showered and got the grime of the streets off me then went back to the mirror and cringed again seeing my injuries. Thankfully I had been taught how to cover up such problems with makeup, I don't think it will fool Masaomi though. First I had to deal with my bloodshot eyes, if it came back everyone will assume I was up late studying but I would like to avoid even that if I can. I put eye drops in, leaning against the wall so I didn't fall over while I was looking up, since I was still dizzy. Next I wiped the tears from my face and pulled out my concealer and foundation. It was slow and painful work but I finally got all of the bruises covered and made my skin tone even again. Anyone who looked too carefully could tell because I wasn't as skilled as the person who taught me but it should be good enough.

. . .

"Wow, Kitomi you scored the top of the class on the last test," the boy next to me teased, "You must have a pitiful boring life."

"There is nothing wrong with boring," Masaomi told him. I smiled over at him and he winked at me, "You're just jealous because she's smarter than you."

"Masaomi that's rude, he's right. I study a lot," I looked over at my neighbor again, "If you ever need study tips I would be happy to help." for some odd reason he blushed and looked away from me.

"Yah, right. Who would want the help of such an ugly girl anyway?" He mumbled staring at his test. "You're eyes are all bloodshot, its obvious that you just stayed up all night studying."

I could feel Masaomi staring at me, I smiled ironically, "I guess we can't all be beautiful because then beauty wouldn't be appreciated." he looked at me like I was crazy but I kept talking, "you caught me I stay up all night studying." I laughed a little, "It's been really hard to stay awake in class today."

"Then maybe you should go rest," Masaomi said leaning on my desk, "I'll take you to the nurses office." He smiled as if he meant to do something else in the nurses office but his eyes were anything but playful, I felt as if he were trying to look into my soul and pull out my secrets.

"I couldn't possibly miss class," I shook my head, but unfortunately I did so too quickly and made myself dizzy so I leaned my arm on my desk and let my head rest in my hand, "After all who knows what you would try to do if we went to the nurses office." I smiled back at him and closed my eyes so he couldn't see the mixture of emotions hidden there.

"Kitomi," Masaomi's tone made me open my eyes, concern was all I could see on his face. "Please, I'll take good notes for you. It isn't good to go without sleep." It was serious moments like this that made it clear why he was in charge of the Yellow Scarves, as well as why I deferred to him on important things.

"You're right. I'm sorry." I got up and let him lead me out of the classroom.

"Tell the teacher I'll be right back." He called as he closed the door to the classroom. "So where did you go last night, and what are you covering up with makeup?" He asked solemnly, I just kept walking frantically trying to come up with an excuse that he would believe.

"I'm fine, don't worry."

"I know you're fine, but what can I do to make things better?" He didn't look like he believed I was fine. If he isn't going to argue with me about this than maybe I can get away without telling him.

I shrugged as if everything was fine, "Thanks for wanting to help but really I just haven't been getting enough sleep."

He tugged on my arm making me stop, "Ame, what were you doing?" I bit my lip trying to keep the words from coming out and turned to look at him, he wasn't going to let this drop.

"They're everywhere," I whispered hoarsely. "I see yellow everywhere and I know you're fine with that but what am I supposed to do?" I couldn't look him in the eyes as I talked, I stared at his hand holding my wrist.

"I'm not but that doesn't answer my question." he reminded me.

"Well you sure make it look easy then, I just wish I could be that composed." I bitterly turned away from him.

"What happened?" He demanded again.

"I went out as Natsu, I asked the guys some questions about who was in charge now and what was going on with the Scarves, I texted Tatsuko a lot these last few days but I can only get so much from her, and I can't trust Tamaki anymore." I took a deep breath and heaved a sigh, "One group of them thought it suspicious and wanted to take me to their leader, so I ran. I'm not as agile as I used to be and I took a bit of a fall during my escape. I got a little banged up."

He lifted my chin so I had to look at his face, "Why didn't you tell me what you were up too? How could you go back?" Hurt and anger now melded with the concern I saw on his face. His eyes always told me just how he felt, they could never lie to me.

"It's easier for me to go back than it is for you, and I figured I could find out what was going on and at least send them into hiding again." I gave a weak smile, "If I could do it without you finding out then I wouldn't have to convince you to just stay in school, if both of us can't have a normal high school life than it would be better for you to have one then me."

Suddenly he pushed me against the wall and threw a punch, that hit the wall next to my face. "Who are you to decide these things?" he asked me coldly, he didn't raise his voice but I could tell he wanted to scream at me, "What would I do if something happened to you like it did to Sa. . ." he stopped, seems like her name is still too painful for him to say. How long will I have to fight against the memory of that day? Why do I have to fight him for him? "like what happened a year ago? Stop being so considerate of me! We both wanted to live a normal high school life so why are you giving up on that so easily?"

I swallowed hard but kept eye contact, "I'm not, I am being unbearably selfish and if something like that were going to happen to me it would have happened already. I'm not her, I can take care of myself."

I started pushing him away but he kept me against the wall, "That was before, just how out of practice are you Ame? Remember you're still a girl, and if you're not as strong as you used to be then. . ."

"So what?" I snapped at him. "Yes, I am a girl but I was raised on the streets." I reminded him, "If I didn't have what it takes to survive I would be dead already. Being out of practice is a problem that can only last so long." I matched his quiet intensity. "You have no right to tell me I can't go back."

"We made a promise." He reminded me, "Not only are you breaking it now, but you never really kept it." He rested his head on my shoulder, "how am I supposed to keep you safe when you do this?"

I wrapped my arms around him, "It's my job to keep you safe, after all this is all my fault to begin with."

"Ame. . ." he started but I cut him off again.

"Kitomi," I reminded him gently, "Ameko lived on the streets, and she died during that incident a year ago, remember you even told what was left of the Yellow Scarves that she died fighting."

He pulled back and looked at my face again, "You're right, we aren't those people anymore." Then he shook his head, "If you are running the streets again then I should too."

"No," I made the word sound as final as possible, "I'm giving up a normal high school life so you can have one, besides they might recognize you and then they will try to drag you back. As far as they know I am dead so no one will be looking for me." I smiled wryly, "it was never really possible for me to live a normal life anyway. Go back to class, remember you promised to take good notes for me," shoving him back towards the classroom I almost fell over.

"Fine. . . fine." he caved, "I need to know every time you go out now and you still have to go take a nap in the nurses office."

I shook my head at him, "No it would be safer if you don't know anything about it. The less people know the better, I don't want to have to leave being able to escape to luck ever again." My blue eyes bore into his brown ones, I will not back down on this. I was willing to stand there as long as it took for him to realize I was serious about him staying completely out of this mess.

"What happens if you do get caught and you don't have anyone that knows you're out? I wouldn't know until school starts the next day and who knows what could have happened by then. " He almost looked like he was going to cry, "You know Mikado has gotten pretty attached to you, and I am sure Anri would miss you too. Just keep in mind you're not alone anymore. There are people who worry about you now, just like you worry about us."

"Of course I know you care Masaomi, but I do this because we both know it's my fault. Don't argue," I snapped when he opened his mouth to say something, "I swore I would take care of all of this so we never had to fear them coming after us again." I was suddenly felt old and stretched thin, "We can't live our lives looking over our shoulders wondering when it will all come back to bite us in the ass."

He patted the top of my head, "I know you feel this is something you have to do, but I want you to remember that this is our problem. Not just yours, we should do this as a team like we used to."

"I won't let you go out on the streets again, if it weren't for me you never would have ended up out there." I refused to look him in the eyes because I didn't want him to see that I was on the verge of crying.

He held my face in his hands and looked at me intently, "No. I would have ended up out there anyway. None of this is your fault, never forget that."

I nodded back as some tears leaked out of my eyes, "OK. I promise I won't forget, if anything happens and I don't show up at school you can come looking for me, but only if you can't contact me and I'm not at home or at school." I couldn't help it, whenever he got like this he always won the argument he wiped my tears away for me, accidently smugging my makeup and we hugged again. Many times in my life I had felt like it was me against the world but with Masaomi around I knew I always had someone to watch my back, often when we hugged I felt like he was holding me together and without him I would literally fall to pieces. "Tell Mikado and Anri that I'll see them after school, I'm going to try to sleep through lunch because I'm going to be busy tonight." He didn't look happy as I pulled away from him but he quickly turned his back and just waved a hand at me. I continued on to the infirmary wishing I hadn't sent him away, that could have been alot worse. Even if it's like this we haven't completely lost yet.

Thankfully the nurse wasn't in the office, so I sat down on the edge of one of the beds and pulled out my compact to fix my smudged makeup. When I was done I laid down on the bed cringing as I bumped my bruises and careful not get any makeup smudged onto the pillow. I just tried to make myself go to sleep, but it was difficult, without my weapons nearby I felt exposed.

I won't be able to go out as Natsu for a little while, I'll have to come up with some other way to get close to the Yellow Scarves. I pulled out one of my phones and typed in the number I wanted, when it came to contacts on the streets I didn't have any of their numbers saved into a phone I had them all memorized, after the incident last year someone picked up my phone and just about everyone saved into the phone was getting calls from my number and other random numbers for months, I couldn't risk having important numbers programmed into a phone that could so easily be stolen. I need to investigate the Yellow Scarves, please come with me. The plan is to flirt and get them bragging and possibly drunk. You don't have to have sex with anyone and I will pay you for the hours you will miss helping me. Some people would find it surprising that I still knew the number for one of the 'working girls' that I had taught to maneuver as an escort instead of as a whore, but she was one of the first I worked with and we had gotten somewhat close before I left that business to go to Jr. High. Her response came back quickly, I can do that. I don't have any clients lined up for tonight. The rate per hour is the same as it was before. Make sure you dress the part and follow my lead or you will only scare the guys away. I smirked at the text, I had always done that, no guys flirted with me so I was mostly going to be depending on her to get information for me tonight but there was a chance that I could get some as well so I was going. Ok, make sure you call me Natsuki and not Natsu. I'll pay you at the end of the night. You know where to meet, same spot as before, and remember we're hunting information tonight not recurring customers.

I put the phone away and stared at the ceiling, I should have payed more attention when they tried to teach me how to handle men. It was too late to do anything about it now, but it probably wouldn't have even mattered. I had always thought I must be pretty unattractive, either that or extremely intimidating. "Too bad you can't see stars in the city, I could really use a wish, maybe if I see an airplane tonight I can pretend like it's a shooting star." Eventually though I managed to drift off into a fitful sleep full of running, I knew I had to get through the maze I found myself in without getting caught by whatever was following me, but my breath became ragged and I could hear it getting closer.

. . .

I watched as the credits rolled and wiped a tear from my eyes, I hadn't watched a lot of movies until now, but I was sure this one had to be my favorite, Kanoki had loaned me a stack of Disney movies to watch with Masaomi, since Shizuo asked her to. The hope was that it would help keep me off the streets and pull him out of his depression but I wasn't sure if it was helping him at all. "What did you think Masaomi? Stitch is spazzy and crazy just like you?" I smiled and poked his side, he just smiled back weakly.

I pulled the movie out of the computer and put it back in its case, I didn't own a T.V. or DVD player so we had to crowd around my computer to watch. "So how has Mikado been? You said he was interested in going to Riaka with us."

He perked up a little bit, "Yah I think he might actually come out here." I was so happy to see him looking a little bit more like himself. "Anyway you're much more like Stitch than I am?"

"Oh? So you're saying I am the odd monster?" I shot back at him.

"Nah, I'm just saying you're a misshapen blue furred dog?" He smiled teasingly.

"Take it back!" I declared pushing him over and poking his side.

"No," We broke down laughing laying on my bed.

"I'm glad that I could hear you laugh again, its been a long time."

"You know I'm not the only one who hasn't been laughing Ame." He rolled over and propped his head up with one arm. "I think we both need to move on, what happened is over and we can't change it."

I stared at the ceiling in exasperation, "Yah. I just can't help but. . ."

His hand covered my mouth, "It's over and it's no one's fault." I nodded and he hugged me, Masaomi and I had only known eachother for about two years but I knew he would be my best friend forever.

I pulled away suddenly ashamed thinking about Saki in the hospital, "Lets get some food I'm starving!"

He suddenly grabbed my arm, "can we stay just a little longer?" He looked so vulnerable it broke my heart.

I sat back down next to him, "Yah why don't we watch another movie before getting food. I have a stack of Disney movies for us to watch." I stuck a movie called Atlantis in and snuggled next to Masaomi again. I wondered if he was just trying to replace Saki with me, in the end it didn't really matter I knew that he would go back to her. I just needed to be here for him so I grabbed my teddy bear, epic, and snuggled close to him.

"Hey Ame, I really don't know what I would do without you."

"You would be just fine," I couldn't say it out loud but I knew just seeing me was a reminder to him of the time we spent in the Yellow Scarves, there was only one way to remind him things were different, "and remember Ame is gone. You have to get used to calling me Kitomi all the time." I told him.

"No, I would be really lost here without you." I looked at him confused, "I just don't feel like I've ever told you. I know you tried to hid it but you almost died that day, I never thanked you for what you did. So, thank you."

"I didn't almost die, I just knew the guy the Blue Squares took me to after they beat me up. I just did what any friend would do, in the end it all worked out just fine, so don't worry about it." I elbowed him, "Now quiet down or we won't be able to hear the movie."