"A closet?" Ryou asked the next evening, when Fuji showed him where he'd sleep. They'd found an unused apartment by pure luck - well, Fuji had, so maybe luck had nothing to do with it - but partially furnished. And the landlord hadn't minded them using it until he found a permanent tenant. An had learned long ago not to question where Fuji found these people.

She stood against the wall across from the window, next to the chair she'd brought from the kitchen, her reflection in the window showing a calm she didn't feel. None of them were as calm as they looked. But the room was big enough for her to move if she needed to. Or looked that way; she didn't know the place well and it made her nervous.

"Are you sure this will work?" Ryou's question dragged An's attention back to the issue at hand.

"You said he broke the mirror," Fuji said. "It stands to reason that this will keep you from him."

"So I have to sleep in a closet for the rest of my life?" Ryou asked.

"Would that be so bad?" Atsushi asked. "I mean, you'll be alive, right?"

Ryou looked at his brother, his expression bland. Then he relented. "It won't be that bad," he murmured, and An looked away when the twins hugged. They were obviously close, and this just made her miss Kippei more than she usually did. Ryou went into the closet, curling up on the futon mattress Fuji had put in there. Atsushi closed the door, and sighed at the full-length mirrors. "I hope this works," he murmured, and Fuji pressed his shoulder.

"It will be fine," he said. "You should go home. If you're here, he'll know Ryou is."

Atsushi looked like he wanted to protest, then sighed and nodded.

"I'll take you," Mizuki said, and Atsushi followed him out, dispirited.

"Do you think this will help?" An asked Fuji in soft tones when the two had gone.

Fuji sighed. "I don't know what else to do," he admitted. "Honestly. I don't."

She'd never heard him sound so... uncertain. "We'll still get him," she said, softly. "We will."

It was a promise she always kept; it had taken some time to get over Kippei's death. She hadn't even had the courage to tell his team in person. She regretted it now, but then she'd been in such shock that she had barely been able to think. So when Fuji had approached her, she'd jumped at the chance to strike back.

Fuji looked at her, eyes open, and An could see the pain in them. "I know," he said. "We don't have a choice."

"No," she said, and was surprised at the regret she felt. She suspected that it was as hard for him to hunt Saeki down as it would be for her if she had to hunt Akira down. She determined then that she'd be the one to dispatch this vampire. She didn't want Fuji to have to. He wouldn't hesitate, but she wanted to spare him that.

"I'm going to wait out in the front room," he said. "And I'm going to check on Jirou. He's been quiet."

"Sleeping, I hope," An said. "Real sleep." She couldn't even name the time she'd gotten so attached to these guys, but it was almost like having her brother. But only almost. And... they were good guys. Even Mizuki, once she got to know him.

An settled down in the chair across from the window and lay her naked katana across her knees. It would help keep her awake, and that would help make sure she saw Saeki when he came.

Because they knew he would. Somehow, he seemed to know where Ryou was. An wished she had a chance to find out if every vampire was like this, or if it were something singular to Saeki's line. Kippei hadn't been in that condition, run down and ill.

She shook her head and looked out the window at the deepening night, then lay her head on the back of the chair. For just a moment, she indulged in wishing things were different. It was impossible, but sometimes she just wished it.

Close to midnight the window opened, creaking loudly in the silence of the apartment. Saeki froze and stared at her, and then smiled one of the most unpleasant smiles she'd ever seen. "Where is he?"

An hid her shudder as she stood up, but she didn't move toward the closet. "You think I'd tell you that?" she asked, raising her voice just a bit. Hopefully Fuji would hear her.

"Do not keep him from me," Saeki said, and for the first time she saw the monster he had become. His eyes went red, and his teeth elongated, forming sharp points.

An didn't say anything, didn't even renew her grip on her sword. She'd faced that sort of monster before. Or, at least, she'd seen Kippei face it.

"I can hear his heart beating," Saeki said, sounding oddly desperate. "It calls to me; he is mine."

An still said nothing. Fuji walked in and stopped in the doorway. "You are not welcome here," he said easily.

"I don't have to be welcomed in," Saeki said, and An started. His eyes had gone back to normal, his teeth flat and perfect.

Fuji shrugged and An knew he'd stored that away in his brain. She'd have to remember to tell Mizuki to put up on their site. The more information, the better. And she'd mention that she thought there might be different kinds of vampires, too.

As if to prove his words, Saeki stepped into the room and immediately turned away from the mirrors, taking his eyes off her for the first time. An started again when she caught sight of the mirror; Saeki wasn't in it. No wonder he wouldn't look at it. That had to be disturbing. "What's the matter?" Fuji asked. "Don't like the mirrors?"

"He is mine, Fuji. I want him."

An didn't think she imagined the hunger in his voice, and tightened her grip. If he weren't looking at her, she might try to take his head off.

"He is not yours," Fuji said softly. "He doesn't want you to do this to him."

"His wants will change," Saeki said. "He would want this, if you hadn't changed him."

"Are you jealous?" An asked, a verbal jab. "That he had someone to break him out of it and you didn't?"

Saeki snarled at her. "He is mine."

"Get out," Fuji said coldly. "Don't come back."

Saeki glanced at him and cringed, then dove out the window and vanished.

Fuji sagged against the door jamb. "This is going to be harder than I thought," he said.

An sat back down and laid the sword across her knees again. "We might have to get him out of the country," she said, relieved he'd left.

"I'm not sure that will be far enough," Fuji said. He pushed away from the door and closed the window, locking it. "It might give us time, but that's it."

"Time would be good, right?" An asked.

"It will help, but I'm not even sure it'd be enough before he found us again." Fuji gave her one of his inscrutable smiles. "Get some sleep," he said. "Jirou's out, and I think he's probably actually sleeping."

"A miracle," An said. "I'm glad."

Fuji nodded and retreated again; An settled back in her chair and watched the window.