Happy New year! :D

There always seems to be different reasons to celebrate every week lately o-o

And with the new year comes the start of a new school year. Sigh. I gotta go back to school on Monday. Ugh. DX

Unfortunately, I won't be able to post chapters up weekly like I usually do. I have no idea when the next update will be or if I have the time to write but I'll try my best. ;)

Thanks for for all your reviews! 50! xD

Shizuru's fever was gone by the she had awoken from her nap. Feeling convalescent, she stretched her arms out, waking her sleepy muscles from their long slumber; the stiffness fading away. She stifled the yawn threatening to leap out as she slowly became aware of the presence not too far away from her in the same room. Focusing her eyes upon that direction, she noticed that the figure did not stay long at that same spot and was quick to make its way from one corner of the room to the other.

"Ara, what are you doing?" Shizuru looked at the woman quizzically as she went about the room, fingering the items in her hands and putting them back.

"I'm organizing the room because it'll be awhile before I come back here. I don't want my first sight of this room the next time I come to be that of a mess," Natsuki replied, not turning her gaze from what she was doing.

"Are you not staying here, Kuga-san?"

"We only came here for the weekend."

"So your daughter is here?"

"Yes, Shizuka is outside right now."

"Where exactly may I ask, are we Kuga-san?"

"You came here without even knowing where you were headed?"

"Well, the circumstances at the time did not allow me to know of my whereabouts."

"Why were you in the forest anyway? In the rain no less."

Shizuru ruminated long on the question, contemplating whether to reveal what had happened or not. She didn't know how the elder Kuga would take it. Would she even believe what she had to say? But before she even needed to answer, Natsuki spoke out, her patience having been worn thin.

"If you don't want to tell me then it's fine. Whatever you do is your own business. I was just curious as to why you did something as stupid as that and endanger your own life but I'm sure you have your own reasons."

She had said it like she didn't care, crossing her arms and averting her gaze but Shizuru had caught her stealing a peek. Also, the slight furrow in her brows was pretty unconvincing. Giggling behind her hand quietly, Shizuru continued to watch the woman with her mind made up on the matter, feeling her confidence somewhat renewed.

"Would you believe me if I said I was kidnapped?"

Natsuki didn't seem fazed by the question, her expression normal, as if she didn't hear what the brunette had said. But she did and she pondered upon it inside her mind. Her hands and legs continued to move without a pause and then suddenly she stopped, raising her head up with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I do admit that the sound of it is somewhat ridiculous but with what is going on in this society nowadays, I don't find it unlikely to happen. People would do all sorts of things for money."

"And what if I said that my kidnapping had nothing to do with money and it was done by one of my admirers who wished to bed me?"

"Then I would say that you've got one hell of a crazy admirer there. So…what does this supposed kidnapper look like?"

Natsuki chuckled; not at the fact that Shizuru was kidnapped but at the horribly foolish nature of the 'fanatic'. Shizuru's face gave the impression that she took the situation lightly and was probably joking with the sly grin on her face but she could tell that the ochre-haired woman was anything but that as her eyes did not try to hide anything. She was being completely honest with her.

"Ara, crazy indeed. Hmm…she has dark green hair and grey eyes. Usually she has this perverted look on her face but I doubt she looks like that all the time. Oh and she goes by the name Tomoe. I could probably tell you more but I don't bother to remember these kinds of things."

"Heehhh~ That sounds awfully like the person my daughter met by accident yesterday in the forest and by what she tells me, this person did in fact have a disgusting perverted face on. If I'm not mistaken, she described it as being stared at by a lion which had not eaten for days and it was enough to agitate Duran," Natsuki said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin in the process.

"Duran?"

"He's a family friend and also the one who found you and led me to the cave."

"Ara, I must thank this Duran-san for his kindness."

On the outside Shizuru was smiling but on the inside she frowned despite the gratitude she felt. Was this Duran a boyfriend, perhaps?

"If you want I can call him in here, he's outside playing with Shizuka."

"That is alright, Kuga-san I do not wish to bother him, I will find a chance later."

"If you say so. Anyway, this Tomoe person sounds like dangerous person. She's even preying on my little girl. I am afraid to imagine what might have happened if Duran wasn't there. Now that I know what she is capable of, I don't think it's safe to let her roam around freely."

Her face had turned serious as did her tone. She had planned to let the matter slide since the person hadn't done anything to Shizuka except look at her but what Shizuru revealed had her thinking that this person might pose a threat. She couldn't just ignore it this time; not when her daughter could be in danger

"She must be living in one of the cabins south of here. That's about 10 kilometres away from here and not as deep in the forest as we are currently. It wouldn't be hard for the police to find it but I think we should pay a visit to make sure she's there when the police arrive."

"By we do you mean me as well?"

"You don't want to get some revenge on your captor for the ordeals she has put you through?"

"I suppose that is a fine idea and I am feeling a lot better now. Would Duran-san be coming along as well?"

"Hmm…if he is, Shizuka would have to come along as well. But I don't want her anywhere near that psycho so I guess not."

Somehow, Shizuru felt relieved at her answer, letting out a breath of air she didn't know she was holding in. Natsuki shifted from her spot, rummaging through a drawer. Pulling out some clothes, she tossed them towards Shizuru who caught them with ease.

"Some suitable clothes for our little trip. It'll be easier to move in them. I'll go gather some things and then we can be on our way."

She left before Shizuru could get a word in, causing her to frown. The shirt looked like they would be a very tight fit on her figure, made evident by the difference between their sizes. It was no contest to say that she was much more well-endowed than her blue counterpart. Not that Natsuki was small or anything; it was just that Shizuru was bigger and the shirt would definitely accentuate it. But she had to take whatever she could get so she put it on anyway. She was sure that the woman would notice her mistake when she got a look at her.

And she did.

With a bright red flush even.

It made her grin with amusement, thinking how fortunate it was that she didn't manage to ask for a bigger shirt. If it were not for that she would not have had the chance to see this lovely sight.

"Ah! Gomen, Fujino-san. I did not know it would be so small," Natsuki uttered, running to the dresser as if she was being chased by a rabid animal.

Her words were rushed as she once again rummaged through her clothes, making a mess. Finding what she was looking for in the deep corners of her now not so well kept dresser, she quickly handed it to her, the blush still staining her cheeks and her eyes averted away from hers.

"Umm… here. That should fit better. I'll be downstairs."

It was amusing to see her blurting almost incoherently and running off like that. She was like an embarrassed puppy in a way and it caused her to giggle.

"Ara, how adorable."

"What is the plan, Kuga-san?"

"Natsuki."

"Hmm…?"

"Call me Natsuki, hearing you call me Kuga feels weird."

"Ara, weird?"

"I mean…only people I'm not very familiar with or dislike call me Kuga except Maria and I've given up trying to persuade her and uhh…I think what we're doing now qualifies as way beyond acquaintances, don't you think? I mean I can understand if you don't want to but…. I don't know…. it feels weird….."

She began to ramble, pushing her pointer fingers together nervously and Shizuru enjoyed every moment of it, watching as she nervously mumbled on. For some reason Shizuru felt very happy at Natsuki's words. It was very touching to know that her saviour and now soon to be co-avenger thought that they were more than just business associates. Could this qualify as being friends, she wondered.

"Ara, we are going to ride on that, Natsuki?"

"A car would make too much noise and it is quite a distance away."

"I don't remember ever seeing people use bicycles in spy movies."

"Well, they are usually better equipped and stuff… but that has nothing to do with us! Bicycles are good for the terrain around here and we can take shortcuts to the house since we don't have to follow any roads."

"And there's only one?"

"The only other is a kid's bike so we have to settle with this."

"Is it safe?"

She was worried, having not ridden on a bicycle since she was a young child and the fact that the both of them would have to go on one bike. Can one bicycle really support the weight of two full grown adults through the rough landscape of the forest?

"Trust me Shizuru. I've done this many times before. You'll be safe behind me."

The ride was as she said 'safe' since they did make their way to the destination in one piece. There were bumps here and there which made Shizuru tighten her grip on Natsuki's waist a little too tightly on several occasions.

Natsuki mostly enjoyed herself despite getting the wind knocked out of her several times. But thanks to that, her mind did not linger on the feeling of those hands on her waist. She was always fond of riding bikes, in whichever form they may be and the experience this time was even more enjoyable with the screams of fear coming from the woman behind her. She would have laugh if not for the warning she had gotten from the normally calm woman; she could still feel the chill on her spine she had gotten from the venomous tone in which she had spoken.

They hid behind some bushes, scoping out the territory of their unsuspecting prey. The car that was used by Tomoe was still at the house so there is a big possibility that the green moss was inside. Sneaking her way to a window to have a clear view inside, Natsuki peeked in to see if there was any sign of the prey. She didn't see her so it was probably safe to enter at the moment; Tomoe could have gone out to search for Shizuru.

She signaled to Shizuru who was checking out the kitchen window and told her that they should try to get inside. After getting a nod from her, she made her way to the front porch. Pulling a pin from her pocket, she wrestled with the lock and gave a small noise of satisfaction when the door opened from her tampering. Shizuru had kept watch for her during this and was unable to suppress the chuckle at the sound that came out from her companion's mouth.

Sticking her head in from the small gap that she allowed herself to peek through, she made sure that the enemy wasn't nearby. Deeming it safe, she and Shizuru entered slowly, wary of any signs of the green moss. Suddenly, they heard a noise coming from the direction of the bedroom; a groan of some sort. They hasten their steps to the door, careful to not make any suspicious sounds.

"Did you hear that?"

"It sounded like her, probably."

Natsuki put an ear to the door, curious as to what was going on behind it. What she heard tinged her cheeks red and her face sour. Her head immediately repelled away from the door and the reaction had caused Shizuru to focus her attention solely on her amusing partner rather than the suspicious activity going on behind the door that had been the cause of said reaction. She already had an idea of what could be going on in there and she would rather not confirm her suspicions by hearing that dreadful voice she was sure to make her puke.

"Nasty," was what Natsuki growled out when she recovered from her momentary petrified state. She had been frozen for a solid five minutes from the horrid visualization she wished she never had.

"With her obsessiveness and admiration you would think that she would go looking for you since you were lost in the forest but nooooooo, here she is doing something like that without a care in the world," she spat, astonished at the fact that the stalker was not worried about her target.

"Ara, what does Natsuki by that?"

Shizuru couldn't let this chance to tease pass. She felt bolder now that they were calling each other's names like friends.

"…w-h-at? W-ell, you know…that…"

Natsuki averted her eyes, her cheeks flushing an even deeper red. Her fingers were doing weird motions in the air, reflecting her inability to broach the subject. Shizuru on the other hand found it inconceivable as to how much more adorable this creature in front of her could be and was barely able to contain herself from hugging said adorable creature. She did however, let a chuckle pass her lips which did not go unheard by the fiery red faced individual.

"Shizuru! You already knew, didn't you?" she rebuked, having realized that Shizuru could have been playing with her. Why else would she laugh?

"Did I now?"

She smiled at her, batting her eyelashes; trying to look innocent. Growling in exasperation, Natsuki threw her hands up, giving up on the matter entirely. It was best to focus her energy on the mission which they had seemed to have momentarily forgotten.

"What should we do now? I don't wanna go in there and get a visual on what's going on in there. The sounds were enough to scar me."

"Oh, poor Natsuki. There, there."

The pats on her head were harshly batted away and a stern look was given, effectively halting the tease.

"Focus," she growled out.

"Hai," Shizuru chirped back.

She should probably stop now before Natsuki would get angry. She was really testing her boundaries. It was so much fun that it was hard to restrain herself.

"I know what we can do!"

All of a sudden an idea popped into Natsuki's head and she pounded a fist to her open palm in realization, prompting Shizuru's full attention.

"We just need to make a sound loud enough to alert and lure her out and then we nab her. What do you think?"

"Sounds good. What do you need me to do?"

Honestly, she hoped that she didn't have to be the one to grab hold of the creep. That was why she was glad when Natsuki suggested that she should be the one to lure the criminal out while she apprehended her.

Everything went according to plan. Tomoe had rushed out, looking disheveled and before she could scream at the sight of Shizuru, Natsuki had already bashed her on the head to oblivion with the stick she conveniently found lying around the house. Falling to the floor, her head slammed first into the ground, marring her forehead with a red bump to match with the one at the back of her head.

Shizuru, who had helped Natsuki tie the psycho at her hands and legs, was now rewarded with the sight of her stalker hanging from the ceiling in a net like a human piñata.

"Was the net necessary?" she questioned.

"It'll be easier for the police to take her away. Don't have to dirty their hands by touching her," Natsuki replied, smirking.

Dusting off her hands, she admired her masterpiece. It would be fun if she could whack the thing around with a stick but that would be too cruel of her. Besides, she didn't think Midori would appreciate it very much if she were to find her prisoner all bruised and bloody. The blood could stain…but maybe one hit wouldn't hurt? She doubts that it would bleed from one measly hit.

"Here. Why don't you take a whack at her for the things she's done to you."

She decided it was best if she gave Shizuru the honors for she was the one that had been dishonoured, being the victim of the stalker/kidnapper.

Shizuru looked at her smiling genuinely. She felt honoured that Natsuki would let her do it since she knew by the evil smirk Natsuki was giving the human piñata earlier that she was eager to do it. She could practically see the invisible tail wagging behind her as she plotted, waving the stick around menacingly.

"Can you do it for me, Natsuki? I feel rather tired."

"Are you okay?"

"I am fine. Don't worry about it; just give her a strike for me. Make sure to not hit her head though, we wouldn't want her to get any more brain damage than she already has."

"As you wish," readily she agreed with a chortle, wasting no time to fulfill the request.

The police arrived five minutes later with Midori leading the arrest. She was the one who received Natsuki's call to take the criminal into custody. Having been a long time friend Natsuki's, she had no qualms in coming such a distance. Natsuki always made her police life all the much more exciting with her impulsive nature. If she had a dollar for every pervert she caught because of Natsuki…ahh, the alcohol she could possess!

Holding a mini megaphone in her hand, she raised it to her lips while placing one foot on top of a huge rock she found conveniently located in front of the house.

"Hey, Na-chan! You in there? There's no hostage situation is there?"

"Chief!" several of the officers beside her gave a cry of alarm at her words, their eyes wide, showing their state of shock.

"If by hostage, you mean someone who is held prisoner against their will, then yes, we do. But we're not demanding anything other than to put said prisoner behind bars away from society and maybe rough her up a bit," Natsuki's voice fluttered from inside the house. Her voice betrayed her mirth as she tried to stifle the laughter bubbling in her throat.

Inside the house, Shizuru was looking at her partner in crime curiously. The way her mouth was curved, the twinkle in her eyes, the half chuckle escaping her throat…everything about this woman was fascinating and it baffled her. Never before has anyone piqued her interest this much.

"Someone you know? She sounds fairly energetic," she found herself asking, her eyes wondering over her face once more.

"Yeah, a friend of mine in the police. I called her before our escapade."

She made a grin at her before going back to watching the front door for when Midori would burst in. She wanted to see the expression she would make when she saw the 'present' she joyfully prepared.

"Oooooh~ That could be arranged; me and my buddies here could use could use some exercise. Police work shockingly ain't always about car chases and kicking butt like I thought it would be. I take it you've already restrained her for us?" Midori spoke through her megaphone again, even more interested than before.

"The least I can do for asking you to do all this," Natsuki replied, sounding sincere.

Giving a look to her crew who could not help but stare at her wordlessly without a clue as to what she would do next, Midori pulled the collar of one of them towards her so that they were face to face.

"I'm putting you in charge of my mid-afternoon drink. I expect it in my hand by the time I come back alright, officer?" she directed in a serious tone which got a prompt affirmative from the poor fellow.

"Where will you be going chief?" said another officer, causing her to sigh at his incompetence.

"We're going to retrieve the 'hostage' inside…. What are you waiting for? Let's go!" she shouted, practically skipping her way to the house.

From where she stood, the view of the green vegetable head was indeed amusing and she whistled, impressed at the excellent workmanship.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, Na-chan," she quipped, poking at the lump with a stick she found outside prior to their entrance while the rest behind her stood in shock.

"I know right? I had help this time," Natsuki grinned at her while the redhead moved to see the person she was referring to. Fixing her eyes upon the brunette who stood up from her position at the couch, she furrowed her brows and was surprisingly silent. She stared long and hard at Shizuru, scrutinizing her and tapping the end of her stick at her chin in thought. Shizuru smiled at her politely, waiting for her to say something before she introduced herself.

"She looks like her doesn't she?" Natsuki blurted without thinking, breaking the strained silence between them. Midori ignored her comment as she strode towards Shizuru and shook her hand, smiling at the already smiling woman.

"Hey, nice to meet you! The name's Sugiura Midori."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too. I'm Fujino Shizuru."

"A Fujino? What are you doing here with this idiot?"

"Hey! I am not an idiot!"

"Ara, Natsuki was kind enough to take care of me when I escaped that kidnapper your men are trying to get down at this moment," Shizuru said while eying the officers who tried their best to cut the rope at the ceiling and wondering why they chose to climb on each other when they could have just used a chair.

"Oho, is that so? Do you know the identity of the person who kidnapped you?"

"Yes. Her name is Tomoe and she has been known for several years now to having been stalking me despite numerous actions against her."

"A multiple offender, eh? Got a last name?"

"I believe it was Marguerite."

"Was there anything else she did besides kidnapping you?"

After thanking Shizuru, Midori excused herself and went to the net lying idly by her subordinates' feet. Hearing a groan coming from the lump, she kicked it, feeling happy after it became silent again. Feeling the heated stares directed at her, she defended herself.

"She deserved it, that crazy psycho."

Receiving no reply from her statement, she took the rope at the end of the net and pulled it over her shoulder. She held onto it without attempting to lift the net off the ground with any ounce of her strength, planning to drag it the whole way to the car.

"You guys can go now; I just need to say a few more words."

"Yes, chief!"

Shooing them away, she made her way to Natsuki, dragging the net behind her and enjoying the sound of friction. Her face then suddenly became serious when she came close to Natsuki's. It meant that what she was about to say should not be taken as a joke.

"Don't do anything foolish okay, Na-chan?"

Midori glanced over to Shizuru and made sure that Natsuki noticed. Following her gaze, Natsuki somewhat understood what she was trying to say.

"I would never," she denied.

"I hope so, Na-chan. I really hope so," Midori whispered solemnly to herself, patting her back before turning around to hide the sad expression she allowed to crawl across her face for a few moments.

"What? Did you say something?"

"I said, see you later! Call me when you need justice to be served again, I will gladly oblige anytime!" she exclaimed cheerfully, all traces of her attitude before gone as she marched confidently with a wave of her hand.

Chugging down the brandy (handed to her by the trembling newbie she had ordered earlier), she smiled widely, waving like a madwoman to her friend as the police car started to leave.

"Say hi to Shizuka for me!"

The sky had already begun to turn into night when they had finally gotten back. Shizuru was exhausted; remnants of the fever earlier that day still made her less energetic than usual. Resting herself at the kitchen table, she was greeted with the smell of freshly brewed green tea.

She was aware of the girl that kept glancing at her but she chose to keep silent, closing her eyes in deep thought. Cupping her hands around the cup, she let the warmth run through her palms before lifting it up to her face and taking a whiff. Just the smell was enough to tickle her senses and make her feel better; the torrent of thoughts running through her mind settling in a much needed pause. Sipping the clear liquid in her hands, she felt it slide down her throat and immediately she felt refreshed.

"Do you have something you want to say to me?"

Her voice surprised the much younger girl who hadn't thought that she would speak. When she saw those rubies of hers close, she had assumed the woman didn't want to talk. It wasn't her intention to seem like she wanted something from the woman; she just couldn't help but stare. There were a lot of things she wanted to ask but thought not to, as most of them were fairly intrusive in her opinion. It was true that this woman unsettled her immensely but it would be impudent of her to ask She didn't want to be rude in spite of her dislike towards her.

"Hey Shizuru, where do you live?" Natsuki asked, popping her head into the room.

"Ara, what does Natsuki intend to do when she finds out?" Shizuru voiced suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows for emphasis.

She narrowed her eyes. Since when had they gotten so close as to call each other so intimately? The fact that they were getting close worried her; who knows what could happen with the both of them together in close proximity. It was also shocking for her mother to befriend someone so easily and quickly but then again it shouldn't be surprising considering how the other party looked. Her mother was weak when it comes to things pertaining to her other mother.

"Baka, I need to know because I have to send you home."

"Ara, there is no need. I can just call someone to pick me up."

"I'm doing this because I don't think that they would be able to find this house, especially in the dark. This place is on private property and only my family knows how to navigate through this area without getting lost."

They had a dilemma. The thought had never crossed her mind even once when she realized there was no other way than to send the woman back herself. Staring in shock at her car, she chastised herself for her negligence. This should be fixable…..right?

And then an idea came to her.

Her face had lighted up but then she frowned again. Thinking closely, she didn't think Shizuka would agree to it but there was no other way. How Shizuru would take it was a mystery as well. But the both of them would just have to deal with it…unless they rather be stranded here.

"What?"

Shizuka had lost her calm. After her sudden outburst, she quickly shut her mouth, her cheeks slightly pink from embarrassment. Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides, holding in the shouts of protest that she was tempted to let out.

"I do not mind."

Shizuru on the other hand, was indifferent towards the decision. She didn't have much of a choice anyway and it was not like she had any problem with it. She had done it many times before (though never in a car) and it never cause her any strain at all. Plus, it would be a child this time and not a full grown adult like it usually was. This will be easy as pie.

Shizuru was the first to be comfortably seated in the car, her lean body cushioned by the leather covered seats. She was smiling her usual smile as she beckoned the young Kuga to come to her. Shizuka only gave her a sour look which only seemed to encourage Shizuru to continue, not at all perturbed by her attitude. If anything, one would think that she was enjoying it as the twinkle in her eyes would seem to indicate.

"Go on."

Stomping her way childishly to the car, Shizuka followed what her mother had asked albeit reluctantly. She huffed before taking her seat, not at all pleased at the position she had to take. Crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks, she showed her dismay while glaring at the air in front of her.

Why does she have to sit in this woman's lap?

Curse this car for only having two seats!