AN: This was the hardest chapter for me to write. Not only because of the content that will have many of you want to throw a couple of shuriken at me lol but also because I'm not very good at writing visual stuff. I spent a day just trying to lay it down but I finally decided to go with what came to my mind. By now most of you might have noticed I love throwing in songs, generally I'm a music lover :), but also I imagine I'm writing for a movie or I'm seeing it playing out on TV hence a lot of songs around. Hope you enjoy.

Raizo was in the kitchen putting Mika's breakfast together. He heard the heartbeat first before the footsteps, the way he had always been attuned to Mika's energy never failed to amuse him. Hair disheveled, waking up face, wearing his t-shirt she was still the most beautiful woman to him, and she walked straight into his waiting arms.

"You were not there when I woke up" she pouted looking up at him.

"I had to work out and make you breakfast" she nodded noticing he was only wearing his boxer shorts.

"Marlene will throw a fit" she joked.

"Not exactly, I told her you're here" he explained

"You told her what?" Mika looked a bit embarrassed.

"Mika, there's nothing to be ashamed of, I don't need to hide anything here, especially where you're concerned" he lifted her chin up then grinned appraising her

"Nice t-shirt"

"Oh, it's my boyfriend's" she laughed intertwining her fingers into his raven hair. Raizo's face lit up at hearing those words. He lifted her up and wrapped her legs around him and kissed her tenderly.

"I probably should go and change and get my overnight bag at home" Mika said after they drew apart.

"I'll go with you, eat first"

"You don't have to Raizo; I'll be back before you miss me"

"I'll be counting down the minutes" he kissed her again.

"Uh, Rai, our rate of making out has just hit the Wall Street" she joked.

"The better" he murmured leading them to the couch.

"And breakfast….?" she stuttered.

"I believe I'm holding it" his dry bone humor again. Any further conversation was cut as he reveled in making her his once again.

When she got to her apartment Mika wasn't surprised to find the connection she usually had with it was not the same. She knew staying overnight at Raizo's place overnight had done that to her. This now felt like a second home already, she grinned sheepishly as the thought of living with her warrior boyfriend crossed her mind. She knew it would be blissful, he would spoil her crazy and vice versa, she wondered who would win in going to the deep end for the other. After pushing the door open knowing Ryan hadn't locked it when she left him yesterday she turned back remembering she had left the keys in her car. She would need to lock it after taking her stuff.

Mika had just unlocked the car when a loud explosion thundered and the ground shook as rubble and smoke filled the air. She ducked on the ground covering her head, confused, her heart pounding in her chest. It sounded like a bomb explosion to her; she heard several muffled screams as she tried to make sense of what had just transpired. In a split second it dawned to her that it was her apartment that had exploded. Before she could react she saw two men cross the road to her inserting their hand in their coats, she didn't need to guess that it was a gun that would come out with those hands.

With the surge of adrenaline she had from the explosion she managed to get into her car, the bullet hit the rearview mirror splitting it into shards. Mika blindly reversed hitting other cars parked behind hers, a quick glance back she realized one of the men had run to a car and was starting it.

"Shit, oh my god" Mika swore trying to calm herself; she felt fear, panic, despair, aggressive all rolled into one. She sped her car down the street with the van speeding after her. She took a sharp turn that sent her tires squealing loudly with the forced protest. She knew the road would join with the main trunk, that way she would quickly lose her assailant in the horde of cars and get to call Raizo or Maslow. She was jerked forward as the van hit the boot of her car she made a small scream hitting her forehead on the windshield; she was not wearing her seatbelt. Whether it was a hard hit she didn't care anymore, she wanted to survive; she wanted to make it alive. She felt something warm run down her face, she wiped it harshly knowing it was blood. She increased her speed swerving to the other lane to avoid another inevitable hit. "Hold on, almost there" she said to herself seeing the junction into the main trunk. A bullet tore through the back and hit grazed the side of her seat, Mika ducked letting go the steering wheel.

When an accident happens it's very rare for the victim to witness all of it, they just catch a glimpse of what is to come and brace them for whatever follows. It is said before you die your whole life flashes before you. With her car skidding into the main road Mika only glimpsed another vehicle rushing toward her. Moments of her life played before her eyes, the first time she had eaten ice-cream at her nana's house for her parents never allowed it. Her first visit to Jamaica, how she had spent the day at the beach with her cousins, her first visit to Italy to her nono, and how she had played hide and sick in the olive orchards, Her graduation. her acceptance by Europol, her friendship with Ryan and her first meeting with Raizo, Raizo….

Time seemed to be suspended as Mika's car half flew off the road and overturned on the sideways.

Raizo had taken a quick shower hoping to find Mika back by the time he was done; he dried his hair walking into the lounge for any signs of her. It was eerily quiet, Raizo never had a problem with quietness, and he reveled in it. However there was something different about the silence that ruled his house at the moment. He couldn't even hear a sound or any chirping insects or twittering birds. He switched on the stereo he had switched off earlier on after Mika had gone. He switched to the compact disc jac; Marlene had once given him a cd claiming that it had good calming music to help him with his meditating. The cover was written Westlife and Raizo had found the music odd, the men sang about love, being abandoned and dreams, all things that had not begun to make sense to Raizo at that moment. Now he needed something to distract him from the uncomfortable silence, it seemed to wrap around his heart almost squeezing it and suffocating him.

Took my hand, touched my heart, held me close

You were always there, by my side, night and day

Through it all, maybe come what may

Swept away in a wave of emotion, we're caught in the eye of the storm

And whenever you smile, I can hardly believe that you're mine

Believe that you're mine.

Raizo tried sitting down as the music filled the house but he couldn't stay down for long. He paced to the kitchen, rested his hands on the counter and stopped for a moment looking outside the window.

This love is unbreakable, it's unmistakable

And each time I look in your eyes I know why

This love is untouchable, I feel it in my heart just can't deny

Each time I look in your eyes oh babe, I know why

This love is unbreakable.

He reached for his phone wanting to call her, and then he sighed and let the phone down. He didn't want to be one of those men who trail blazed their women because they failed to show up on time or got sidetracked. And he knew it wasn't like Mika to do this, she had always shown up on time and when she didn't it was because of a valid reason.

Shared the laughter, share the tears

We both know, we'll go on from here

Cos together we're strong, in my arms, that's where you belong

I've been touched by the hands of an angel

I've been blessed by the power of love

And whenever you smile I can hardly believe that you're mine

Believe that you're mine.

Raizo had heard people sing about love, talk about it, and feel lost without it, look for it. It had never dawned to him that one day he would feel that way about someone, probably more than what the singers and actors sang and wrote about. He was in love with Mika; he never believed he would love a person so much like he loved Mika. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her if possible. For him he knew he couldn't see anyone in the light he saw Mika anymore, it was either her or nothing.

As much as he had tried to distract himself from the uneasiness that overwhelmed him, the fact that something was wrong clouded him. In his whole ninja life he had never felt uneasy; the only time that feeling of panic and being uncomfortable had overcome him was when Ozunu's sword had pierced through Mika's chest.

It took a split second for him to look on the vibrating phone's screen and see Maslow's number flashing before answering it.

"Is Mika with you?" Raizo cut to the chase before they had even exchanged pleasantries with Ryan. He knew it was rude but he needed this feeling he had to dissolve. There was silence on the other end from Maslow; he could hear the man breathing though.

"Ryan…?" it was the first time Raizo had ever used Maslow's first name to address him.

"Raizo" there was such gravity in Maslow's tone when he said his name. Raizo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose feeling the feeling of numbness spread slowly through him.

"W—what—where is she Ryan?" Raizo's voice cracked, again it was a first, even in intense pain before Ozunu tied to the pole, and Raizo's confidence had never failed him, even in staring at death in the eyes but now he could barely find his voice, it sounded hollow. Like it belonged to someone else, not him.

"Mika—there has been an a—accident …." Maslow's own voice cracked.