Hey guys, I'm back, but just a notice before I start. I'm back at school again, and I do quite a few extracurricular activities, so I don't have as much free time anymore. Plus, it takes me an hour travelling each way to school and more. So basically, what I'm saying is that from now on, I may not be able to do a chapter a week, or I might be late by a day or too. I'm sorry! But I'll try.

Special thanks to Cupcakecup, whose review gave me an idea I'm using in this chapter. Oh, and we haven't had a Hana Akai movie scene since chapter 11 so…

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN!!

Kyoko walked onto the set, in the latest of a series of elaborate outfits. The costumes manager had apparently been unsatisfied with the dress she was going to be wearing for this next scene, so she'd been busy choosing one that did please her. Kyoko was now wearing a light blue overdress, covering a flimsy white nightgown in the style worn by 18th Century ladies. Her shoes wouldn't be seen for this scene, so she was wearing woollen slippers.

It was now just over one week since they'd caught out Saku Daichi, and Kyoko was still at Ren's with some pretence or another. Right now, about half of her clothing was at his house, with the rest still at the Dayuma. Yashiro had actually taken her food shopping the other day, so the fridge was well stocked. It was so nice of him to do that, he was a really dedicated manager. He was always worried about Ren's health, particularly his eating habits. Saku had been sacked as Mayui's manager. Kyoko had been willing to simply ignore her, but the President had said that he wouldn't employ anyone who acted in such a way to other LME Members, and fired her. Kyoko didn't realise that Lory thought of her as a granddaughter, or at least a goddaughter, or that Ren knew Lory had ensured that Saku would not be hired by any agency in Tokyo. She'd have to move if she wanted to stay in the entertainment business. You don't work your way up from nothing and let threats exist; Lory was actually quite a sharp man when it came to business.

Unfortunately for Kyoko, Mayui's new manager was an air headed flirt who was more interested in Ren than her own charge. So now she had to deal with seeing her flitting around Ren all the time, when he obviously couldn't care less. The new lady's name was Ootori Jasmin, although Kyoko suspected her first name wasn't entirely authentic, and she had long (dyed) light brown hair with dark eyes, and a bosom that looked like the buffer on a truck. She was constantly purring at Ren, which exasperated Kyoko. Ren's stunning smile told her that he was annoyed, and if that woman couldn't see that, then she didn't have snowballs chance in a forest fire of winning even his grudging acceptance. It seemed every one of the young actress's managers brought some form of misfortune, but this new one annoyed Kyoko more than she should. She seemed quite prideful of her looks and barely acknowledged Kyoko past shooting a glare at her when she left with Ren. Kyoko wouldn't ask herself why she was so irritated; she just decided she didn't like that sort of person.

Speak of the devil, there she was now. Jasmin was currently hanging off Ren's arm, and in Kyoko's opinion, Ren looked like he would rather have a colonoscopy than spend another minute with her. His eyes lit on her face, and Kyoko raised her eyebrows slightly. Having fun?

Ren's mouth twisted down faintly, to the side, and his chin went up slightly. Haha. I'm not enjoying this, you know.

Kyoko grinned at him, looking smug. I know. She's annoying.

Agreed. Ren smiled deviously back. Just give me a second.

Kyoko watched as he turned to Mayui's latest manager, and watched Ren's smile reach its highest voltage as he talked to her. That lady better get some sunglasses, Kyoko thought, that face could probably damage her eyes. She vaguely realised it didn't hurt her as much anymore. Maybe she was growing immune? Well, whatever, Ren was now free of the malignant harpy and he walked towards her with the smile reserved for her; not wide and sparkly, but warm and understanding. Of course, she did also get another super sparkly smile every now and then.

"Good morning Kyoko." Ren said quietly, slipping to her side as they both watched the bustle of crew men and woman in the room. Kyoko didn't feel the need to say anything; after almost two weeks of living together, words were frequently unnecessary. She noticed that Ren's costume hadn't been changed. He was still wearing the simpler navy suit the designers had first decided on. It really complimented his tall, lean figure.

Their companionable silence was broken by the entrance of the Director. He motioned both Kyoko and Ren over, to get ready to start their scene. This was also one of the most important scenes in the Hana Akai story; Sir Percy has just left for France after Lord Grenville's ball, and Marguerite wanders into his private study. Kyoko viewed this scene as a challenge of her acting abilities, but then, she did for every scene. It was one of the things that made her such a wonderful actress. Shinkai motioned them to get up on the 'stage', which currently looked like an 18th Century study. Kyoko stood in the wings, while a man playing Ren's butler stood opposite the desk he was sitting at.

"Alright, people! Ready, aaaand… Action!"

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Sir Percy glanced up at his valet, a capable man around sixty, who had been assisting him for the better part of thirty years, before returning to the task at hand. Transferring a quill to his left hand, he wrote a short note in an undistinguishable scrawl, before taking a ring from his finger and flipping open the black stone in the centre to reveal a stylised flower symbol. This he pressed into ink before marking the parchment with the flower symbol, blowing on it and rolling it up, passing both notes to his valet and setting the ring down on the table. His manner was brisk and businesslike, and his eyes sharp.

"John, I want you to give these to Ffoulkes and Sir Philip Glynde as soon as possible. I'll be meeting with Hastings and Saint Denys in France; we have to get the Count de Tournay and Armand out of the country."

"Right sir."

"I'll be leaving now, then. Is the carriage out the front?" Sir Percy shut the lid on his ring again, showing only a smooth black surface, before slipping the ring behind his clock on the mantel piece.

John only nodded. Percy walked out of the study, and the manservant followed a couple of respectful steps behind. As Percy walked down the corridor to the main door, he turned to shut and lock his master's study, but was interrupted by a call from the man himself, and trotted off to see to it, leaving the study door slightly ajar.

Marguerite met her husband in the courtyard. She'd read the note he'd slipped under her door, and got up immediately, unwilling for him to leave after the conversation they'd had on the balcony the previous night. Hoping he had not already left, ran to the door, her sharp ears picking up the sound of hooves on gravel. Quickly moving through the house to the courtyard where sure enough, there was a carriage and two horses, she ran up to him clad only lightly in a blue nightgown.

"You are going?" She asked slightly breathlessly, "Where?"

"As I have informed your Ladyship, I have been called for urgent business in France."Sir Percy said in his usual civil but cold tone.

"Percy, you can't have been! I know it. There have not been letters, no couriers, no one was waiting for you when we came back from the ball… There is some mystery."

"No, no mystery." He said with slight impatience, "My business is to do with Armand. I have, as you say, some influence and I intend to exert it before it is too late. I will bring him back to England. May I have your leave to go?"

Marguerite smiled dazzlingly at him, looking divinely beautiful in the morning sunlight. He bowed very low and kissed her hand; she felt the burning kiss and her heart thrilled with joy.

"May I thank you, at least, for what you do for Armand?"

"You honour me by commanding my services." His voice was cold and formal, but they did not chill her as they once did. Sir Percy turned and stepped into his carriage and Marguerite watched him leave until a bend in the road blocked her sight. Her sigh was almost a happy one. For once, her heart seemed to be at rest. Percy had promised to bring Armand back, and somehow it never occurred to her that he wouldn't. She went back to bed and fell into a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

When she woke again, refreshed, she got up and wandered into the dining room, partaking in some fruit and fresh milk. A maid informed her that the groom had returned with the carriage after leaving Sir Percy in London to board his schooner, the Day Dream. This news puzzled Marguerite, but then, her husband had friends everywhere. She was expecting a visit from Suzanne de Tournay today, and started off to her rooms to get ready. Near the oak staircase, she hesitated. To her left was her husbands suite of rooms, which she hardly ever entered. For once, the door was unlocked, and feeling bored and mischievous, she decided to have a look at Percy's private sanctum.

She crossed the floor and pushed on the door, which opened without a sound. John, her husband's confidential valet, was not there and she crossed the threshold bravely. Feeling like Bluebeard's wife, she was stuck by the sever simplicity of everything. The dark hangings, the oak furniture, the maps of France on the walls in no way reflected the dandified leader of fashion that was Sir Percy Blakeney. Marguerite was more and more convinced of her suspicion from last night; that his foppish ways and foolish talk were no more than a carefully studied part.

Feeling a growing sense of dread, Marguerite moved to the desk, seeing neat bundles of accounts and receipts. Yet another indication of her husband's strong business capacities. The clock on the mantel piece proclaimed the time to be eleven o'clock, and she moved closer to it, looking at the picture over the mantel, a portrait of her husband painted a couple of years previously. Her eyes sought out his face, which seemed not at all lazy, and travelled down his uniform to his feet. Marguerite noticed that there was a small ring on his finger in the portrait, and she saw well enough to focus on the small flower insignia the dutiful painter had copied down. The feeling grew, and she dropped her eyes from the painting, to come to rest on her husband's Blackstone ring. He was barely ever without it. She noticed that it seemed slightly broken, and picked it up, ignoring the niggling feeling in her mind. Her small fingers found a catch in the smooth gold surface, and the stone flipped back to reveal the stylised flower insignia she had only seen one before; on the note she'd taken from Sir Andrew on the night of Lord Grenville's ball.

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Kyoko walked into the elevator and pressed the number for Ren's floor. They'd left the filming late after a perfect take, which the Director praised her for. It really was fun working on a movie like this one. Ren had dropped her off at his apartment before Yashiro, so she could start on dinner while he drove his manager home. She hadn't quite decided on what to cook yet, but she was thinking fried fish, rice and soya beans would do for now. It was quick and easy, and she knew without asking that Ren didn't feel too hungry tonight. Neither did she, for that matter. They'd gone out to a café for a late lunch that day, with Ren wearing a cap and glasses. It all comes with being voted Japan's hottest bachelor for three years running.

When the elevator arrived at her floor, Kyoko stepped out and skipped happily to Ren's door. He'd given her a key a couple of days ago and not asked for it back. She hadn't mentioned it. Kyoko wasn't quite sure when she was going to leave, but she knew that she couldn't stay there forever. She'd have to go back in a week at most, but for some reason she didn't really want to. Deciding that it wasn't worth thinking about and spoiling her good mood, she slipped the key into the lock and turned it. For some strange reason, the lights were already on inside. Kyoko stood in the doorway feeling a little shocked as a tall man with blond hair stood up from the couch. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with long red-brown hair, the confused look on her face mirroring the one on Kyoko's.

"Kyoko-chan? What are you doing here?" Kuu asked.

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Mwahahaha!!! XD

Today I would have posted on time, because I had it finished on Saturday, but there was something up with FF so I couldn't upload my story. Not sure about next week though, I'm apologising in advance. BTW guys, thanks for giving me over 150 reviews!! My life is complete!! Also, thank you to all those people who read my note last time and gave me ideas.

Also, I'm not sure exactly how Kuu would address Kyoko, but I decided probably first names right? Since she was his son and all (how weird that sounded…)