A/N: been on the edge of your seat since the last update? lol! enjoy!

Chapter 8: Second Chance Meeting

Ryooshi groaned and stirred, groaning again when her head throbbed in pain from being hit upside it with something hard. What it was, she wasn't sure, but she was sure it had been hard. She groaned, sitting up and touching the back of her head in pain to check for blood. She looked up and tried to figure out where she was.

Bars stood in front of her, and a low roof sat above her head, just high enough to allow her to sit up. She didn't have to think long and hard on it to realize she had been caged. Panicking, she moved toward the bars and tried to let herself out by bending the bars with her teeth. She growled in pain and backed away. That was not a skill she'd honed, unfortunately.

She jumped and stared wide eyes outside the bars when she heard shouting outside the room her cage was in, the door to this room wide open. She saw a young boy run across the door and felt her heart race with hope as she leaned against the bars.

"Hey, kid!" she called, hoping he hadn't gotten too far away to hear her. She sighed in relief when she noticed the boy come back, look around and duck into the room just as some security guards ran past the door as well but didn't look inside the door. Ryooshi examined the boy with died turquoise hair and amber eyes as he approached. Definitely human, and probably not where he was supposed to be, but at the moment, he was her only hope.

"What are you doing in a cage?" he wondered at her as he stopped in front of her with a frown.

"Never mind that," she dismissed. "Can you get me outta here?"

"I can pick the lock," he suggested, rummaging into his pockets for something.

"That's great," Ryooshi commended, her face alight that she was being helped. "Do that."

It didn't take the boy but five seconds to pick the padlock on the cage door and fling it open. Ryooshi stepped out just in time for the boy to grab her hand and bolt toward the door.

"We have to hurry!" he explained. "I still have a job to do!"

"A job?" she echoed as he dragged her through the hall and whizzed past men and women in lab coats toward the back exit of the building.

"Just stick with me," he told her. "I'll get you outta here!"

They reached the back exit and the boy stopped beside the door to flip open the small panel on the wall, flipped some switches and the lights in the building all went off.

"What are you---?!"

"Hurry up!" the boy interrupted, grabbing her hand and dragging her out the door behind him. "We still have to meet them out front while the guards all head to the back!"

"What's going on?!" Ryooshi snapped, having enough of being confused as the nameless boy still dragged her behind him and into the night toward the front entrance now. "Who the hell are you and what was all that about?!"

"My name's Timothy!" he replied. "I'm helping my gang pull a job!"

"Thieves!" Ryooshi snapped as they stopped and she yanked her hand out of his, making him turn wide eyes at her. "I should have known! I'm not gonna have anything to do with thievery!"

"What the hell are you doing, Timothy?!"

Ryooshi froze when she heard the voice snarl from behind her, her heart skipping a beat as she turned around to see the very person she'd knew that voice had belonged to running toward them, a box of valuables in his arms. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared wide, jade eyes at Ryooshi in disbelief.

"You!" he nearly breathed as she stared back at him, her eyes just as wide.

"Tsume…" she murmured back, but the moment of awe and disbelief was cut short when a shot rang out behind him, making them both jump.

"Dammit! Tsume! We gotta get outta here!" one of his men called, running past him as more shots rang out behind them and Ryooshi froze. They were shooting. The humans were shooting at herself and Tsume: wolves.

"Let's go!" Tsume snarled at all of them as he shot off after his gang that started passing him up, Timothy not even bothering with Ryooshi anymore, he was so scared. Tsume took a few steps but stopped when he noticed she wasn't following. He turned to see her frozen in her spot and staring at the men shooting at them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he snarled, hurrying toward her again and grabbing her arm, shaking her from her trance. "Get your tail moving, mutt!"

Tsume dragged her behind him, his box still in one arm, her wrist in the other. She stumbled behind him, feeling her heart thud against her chest with every report of the guns behind her that she heard. She felt her hand slip from his grip and lost her balance, but before she fell, another shot rang out, followed by her howling in pain. Tsume whipped around to see Ryooshi fallen to the ground, trying to stand again on a leg that was dripping blood.

"Go!" she shouted, waving him off and trying to limp away from the nearing shooters heading toward them.

Instead of obeying her, Tsume hurried toward her, shoved the box into her hands and swept her off her feet as she yelped in surprise and threw and arm around his neck, the other hand holding the box in her lap. She held onto him for dear life and buried her face into his shoulder as he ran after his gang to a jeep waiting to take them and their goods back to their hide-out.

"Hurry, Tsume!" Timothy called, already in the car with the rest of his men and Tsume nearly threw Ryooshi into the back seat before jumping in himself.

"Go!" he shouted to the man in the driver's seat and he slammed on the gas, speeding them down the street as they listened to the shouting of the men behind them drift into the distance. Once he was sure they were safe he leaned over and slapped Timothy upside the head, hard, making the boy jump and rub his head with a wince.

"Ow!" he whined, turning to Tsume. "What was that for?!"

"For risking the job by rescuing her!" Tsume growled, pointing at Ryooshi who looked up at him with wide eyes as he turned to her to snarl, "what the hell were you doing there?!"

She couldn't find her voice for a moment as she stared into his fiery jade eyes then finally sputtered out, "I-I was kidnapped. Somebody knocked me out and took me there."

"Why?" Tsume snapped back, yanking the box of valuables from her again.

"How should I know?" she retorted, a little braver. "I didn't have time to ask!" She watched as he began rummaging through the bow he now held and frowned in wonder as she asked, "What are you looking for?"

He didn't answer as he pulled out a pair of pliers and a roll of bandages, making her eyes widen in panic.

"Tsume, what the hell are you doing?" one of his men sitting on the other side of Ryooshi asked for her. He still didn't answer as he reached over with the box, shoved it into the man's hand then pulled Ryooshi's wounded leg onto his knees, pliers and bandages in hand as Ryooshi gave another yelp of pain.

"Hold still," he muttered and Ryooshi's eyes popped in disbelief when he brought the pliers to her leg. She growled in pain, one hand shooting to Tsume's shoulder for something to hold onto through the pain and as he worked to get the bullet from her leg, she dug her nails into his shoulder, making him growl in pain.

"Get your paw off my shoulder!" he snapped, jerking his shoulder free from her grasp as soon as he'd gotten the bullet out.

"Well, what else was there to hold onto?!" Ryooshi snapped back and they stared each other down for a moment before Tsume turned to take the bandages in his now bloody hands and started wrapping the wound in her leg. She couldn't help but stare at him in awe as he wrapped the gauze around her leg.

This had been the same man who left her out in the rain just that morning, wasn't it? Why had he helped her when she'd been shot? Why was he helping her now by bandaging her wound? She remembered Toboe telling her that he was actually a good guy. That he would help anybody who was in a pinch without a second thought. But if that was true, why the tough guy act? Why try to push people away if he wouldn't think twice before helping them?

"What are you staring at, mutt?"

She was jolted from her thoughts by his voice and she immediately scowled at him at hearing the words.

"I'm not a mutt," she snapped back as he knotted the bandage. "I'm---" She cut herself off, remembering what kind of company she was in then looked back at him to say, "I'm full."

"Oh, you're full of it, alright," Tsume retorted making her shoot a glare at him as the man next to her snickered.

"Shut up!" they both snarled at him and he jumped with a start and shot his gaze ahead as Ryooshi turned back to Tsume when he sat up from her leg on his knees.

"There, you're bandaged," he muttered. "Now get your leg off of me and get ready to get out."

"But, Tsume---"

"Shut it, boy," he snapped at Timothy who was about to protest for Ryooshi who was staring at Tsume in disbelief. "We don't have time to care for a sick mutt. As it is I'm thinking of getting rid of you for endangering the job!"

"It wasn't his fault!" Ryooshi argued quickly, drawing Tsume's attention to her. "I saw him running by and called him over to help me. Don't blame him!"

"He shouldn't have stopped for you," he argued. "He's not getting out of it either way."

"If you were gonna be such a jerk, why'd you bother helping me out back there?!" Ryooshi snapped back and his men looked at him in a bit of surprise as well.

They hadn't wanted to bring it up themselves, but they were curious to see what his reason was. Tsume glanced around at his men then looked back at Ryooshi who had set her jaw in anger and was staring at him with fiery eyes.

"Well," he shrugged, coming up with a reasonable answer as he sat back in his seat and looked away from her, "I couldn't have you IDing me and my gang for the theft, could I?"

"You could have killed me if that were the case," Ryooshi retorted and Tsume felt a very distinct skip of his heart at the tone in her voice. She was digging for something. "Instead you helped me from being killed and bandaged my leg for me. If you were truly the jerk you pretend to be, you would've just left me there to die or killed me yourself."

Tsume glanced around at his men again and felt himself inwardly panic as they seemed to agree with her and waited for his answer to that. He couldn't let these humans think he was soft. He'd lose control and have nowhere to go once they got rid of him. He knew they would get rid of him as soon as they had the chance. They all hated him.

He turned back to Ryooshi who only stared at him expectantly, waiting for his answer and without saying a word, while the car was still rumbling down the street, he opened his door and tried shoving her out. She gave a yelp of surprise and kept herself from falling out of the car by bracing herself against the frame with her hands and feet.

"Boss!" Timothy shouted, trying to climb from his seat and toward the two. "What are you doing?!"

"Get outta the car, mutt!" he snarled, but Ryooshi still braced herself against the door frame.

"I don't have anywhere to go!" she struggled against his hands pushing against her back.

"How's that my problem?!" Tsume retorted and that was the last straw for Ryooshi. She shoved back as hard as she could against him until his hands gave way and she flopped back into his lap just as the car hit a bump and the door swung shut. She looked up at him, her head on his thighs as he looked down at her in shock and she crossed her arms over her chest with a triumphant smirk, lifting her legs to cross her ankles and lean her heels against the door frame.

"You saved my life back there," she smirked. "I'm indebted to you. And I'm not leaving your side until that debt is repaid."

Tsume stared at her with wide eyes filled with disbelief, only blinking out of astonishment as she only smirked confidently at him. So that was how she was going to get him to keep her around. She was going to play the 'debt' card. Realizing she wasn't going to give up, he groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly before giving his reluctant answer.

"Alright," he grumbled, and Ryooshi's eyes lit up as she sat up, ignoring the pain in her leg, but he barked, "But you'll keep your mouth shut until we get to our place! We'll talk there, got it?"

Ryooshi opened her mouth to reply with a simple yes but quickly closed it and opted for nodding. Tsume gave a quick nod of approval and sat back again, crossing his arms over his chest as his gang looked back at him for a moment before turning to sit properly as well.

The ride back to the shack the gang had come from was silent. Not even any of Tsume's men talked, and as they all sat in the car, he couldn't help but glance at Ryooshi a few times. He frowned every one in while when he caught her glance around and stick her head out the window then quickly pull it back in with a grin on her face.

He shook his head at her, not being able to help the smirk that spread over his lips. She was such a pup. Though he had to admit, she was a rather attractive looking pup. He quickly shook that thought from his head. No way was he going to let himself think that way about her. She was a little mutt that was just in his way. She didn't belong with him or even around him.

Once the car had stopped and everyone jumped out, Tsume waited for Ryooshi to get out and grabbed her hand to march her around the back of the shack his men where filing into.

He pulled her in front of him and stared at her angrily as she stared back at him in wonder and he growled, "Why the hell do you wanna be around me so damn much?!"

"I told you, I'm indebted to you!" she argued, her own temper flaring.

"Oh, cut the crap, mutt!" Tsume shot back. "I knew from the moment I met you today that something was weird about you! What do you want?!"

"I told you, I'm not a mutt!" Ryooshi argued. "And I answered your other question, too!" She crossed her arms over her chest with a huff and a pout and muttered, "I don't know who Toboe was thinking of, but I'm sure it wasn't you."

Tsume's eyes shot wide at hearing her and he grabbed her arm roughly to pull her attention to him as he questioned, "You talked to Toboe?!"

"Ow!" she growled. "You're hurting me---!"

"Where did you meet him?!" he demanded, ignoring her proclamations of pain and held her tighter when she began struggling.

"I met him after you left!" she replied, still struggling. "He let me wait out the rain at his place with his human! I left when they fell asleep!"

"How does he know me?!" Tsume demanded, pulling her closer when he felt his hand losing grip of her. "How the hell does that runt, who I've never met, know who the hell I am?!"

"I don't know!" Ryooshi replied, still struggling against his bruising grip. "He said you guys were friends a long time ago, but you didn't remember him!"

Tsume's anger shifted into thought as he loosened his grip on Ryooshi's arm and she yanked it away to rub it and stare at him as he thought.

We were friends, he repeated to himself, but I don't remember him? Then how the hell does he remember me?

He was reminded of that waitress he'd met in the alley earlier that day who he was sure he'd met before, like the others, but he couldn't remember. She'd said maybe they had met in a past life. But why would he remember Toboe so vividly, and even know his name without knowing the runt himself? He snapped himself from his thoughts when he remembered that Ryooshi had said Toboe had let her wait the rain out at his home with his human and he marched close to her, making her jump with a start when he stood directly in front of her.

"You remember where Toboe's place is?" he questioned and she frowned at him in wonder.

"Why?" she asked.

"Do you remember or not?!" Tsume snarled and Ryooshi nodded, still frowning as Tsume nodded and said, "Good. You'll take me to him, then."

"Why?" she asked again. "What do you need to see Toboe for?"

"None of your business," Tsume growled back, but Ryooshi stared back at him, unafraid.

"He's my friend more than he's yours, if you don't even remember him!" she shot back, making him stare at her with wide eyes filled with surprise. "It is my business! You don't scare me, Tsume! You saved my life, so there has to be something under that exterior that doesn't have 'asshole' written all over it! Get over yourself already and answer my question!"

Tsume stared down at her, his eyes still wide as she only stared back at him in anger. She had a point. By asking her to take him to Toboe it made it her business to know why she was doing it. The fact of the matter was he wasn't too sure himself why he was looking for the runt. All he knew for sure was that he knew Toboe somehow, and maybe seeing him, and talking to him would bring it all back…if he was that lucky.

"Well?" Ryooshi prompted, bring him back to reality and he sighed in exhaustion but nodded, making Ryooshi's anger melt away as she watched his face soften, something she'd never seen of him before.

"I don't really know how, but I'm sure I know him," he explained. "Maybe if I see him, it'll all come back to me and I won't be so damned confused anymore about it. That's why I need you to take me to him. Not knowing is driving me nuts."

Ryooshi blinked a few times, stunned that he'd given her a sincere answer. However, her shock melted away and she smiled, warmly as she nodded and replied, "Alright then. I'll take you to him. We'll head back to that diner first. I remember how to get to it from there."

Tsume nodded in approval and glanced around, then walked around her and around the corner of the shack. Ryooshi frowned at him but followed and when she rounded the corner she giggled, giddily as she watched Tsume stand his bike up from leaning on the wall and straddled it to sit.

"Get on and hold on," he told her, placing his feet on the ground to keep the bike from falling as he shoved his helmet onto his head. Ryooshi grinned as she hurried to the bike, straddled it as he was behind him and bounced happily in her seat as he started the engine.

"I've never been on a motorcycle before!" she grinned, talking loudly over the engine.

"Then don't move and hold on tight!" Tsume advised.

Ryooshi frowned but before she could ask why, he revved the engine and sped toward the street, making her throw her arms around his waist to keep herself from falling off the bike. He couldn't help but smirk in amusement when she did this but couldn't help but wonder why his heart had also skipped a beat when her arms threw themselves around him as they sped back to the diner where they had met.

A/N: ok, ok, you caught me. It's Tsume/OC. lol! not mushy...yet. lol. oh, hell, it can't be mushy with Tsume in the pairing, right? He's not mushy. he's fluffy. lol! alright, back to business. reviews?