Back! Aaaand we pick up where the dramatic moment left off!

...Sorta. :D

Read, enjoy, review, ENJOY!

...Yes, I know I said enjoy twice, I promise. XD

She couldn't stay still. Just couldn't. How could anyone stay in one place when every time they closed their eyes, they imagined their dead ex-boyfriend exacting his vengeance on their best friend, who was hours away?

Too far away for an Agent of her status to do a damn thing to help.

For Luna, that was worse than any punishment the Agency could possibly give. And they definitely had some gruesome ones...

Nope, no, stop it, STOP IT! With a determined nod, Luna closed her eyes again. ...Which lasted for about forty-three seconds, if that long.

Then her eyes snapped open, and she sprung off the window seat, creeping through the hellish obstacle course known as Naruto's Dirty Laundry.

She froze as she heard him turn over, muttering restlessly to himself.

"Mmmph...No, that's MY waffle...No, stop...LUNA PUT THAT FORK DOWN, DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! NOOOO!" Luna's temple throbbed as she remained frozen until he calmed back down.

Do I really terrify his subconscious that much?

She shook her head and continued to the doorway. Once she got there, she paused to turn and look at him.

It was a habit now; whenever she woke up before him, she'd check one last time to make sure he was alright before she left the room.

She really hoped she simply did it because she was an extremely paranoid Agent. It wasn't too far-fetched, you know.

HOURS LATER...

A cabinet slamming woke him up. Naruto thought it was part of his dream at first, but that would hardly make sense.

What the hell would a tiger be looking for in his cabinets? Jeez, logic.

That only left two possibilities. Either someone broke in and wanted some of his ramen (which was pretty much the only thing he had stored in his cabinets), or Hinata had broken in again and she and Luna were currently fighting to the death over him in a really hot way that would only happen in his wildest dreams.

...Or it could be just Luna.

"Pleeeease, for the love of all that's hot, let it be the second one," Naruto pleaded to the ceiling before running for the kitchen.

His eager expression slowly faded away once he saw it was just Luna. "...Damn. So close." He watched with lots of sweatdrops as she cleaned dishes that were already clean, wiped up some kind of invisible mess, rearranged some things that appeared to already have been arranged (by her, he was guessing), mumbling to herself the whole time.

"...Loon?"

She jumped about three feet off the ground with a tiny squeak of a shout, looking around spastically.

"Oh, it's you," Luna said with a sigh of relief. Naruto sweatdropped. "Well, who the hell else would it be?"

"Anybody, it could be anybody. Especially Alex. She saw him, remember?"

"Who did?"

"Becs did! Weren't you fricking listening?"

"But...you said she saw the Boogeyman...?" Great, now he was beyond confused. Luna sighed, still flitting around the kitchen frantically.

"He might as well be the Boogeyman. He has the same effect on our minds, me and Becs. Maybe Will, too. He never talks about him, none of us do. Until he started calling me...why's he calling me anyways, does he really think I'm gonna be any help to him? I killed him, for crying out loud! If anything, he should be lurking in the shadows, all nice and quiet-like, but nooo, he has to be a flipping loudass!" She ranted, pacing frantically at this point.

I didn't even know loudass was a word.

Naruto sweatdropped about three more times before making his way over to her, planting his hands on her shoulders.

She stopped abruptly, but continued looking around, trying to find something to keep her busy. Anything.

"Hey. Hey, Luna. Calm down. CALM. You hear me?" He waited for a second, then tried again.

"HEY, LUNA!" She jumped. "What?" She squeaked. "Calm yourself. Okay? Everything's gonna be fine."

"Calm myself? I'm calm! See, look at me, I'm totally fine, I'M CALM, DAMMIT!"

Naruto sweatdropped yet again. "...Yeah, the sheer embodiment of calm." She wriggled away from him, resuming her mad pace around the kitchen. "Leave me alone, would ya? You deal with things in your own way, I'll deal with things in mine."

His temple throbbed as he opened a drawer and pulled out some duct tape, hiding it behind his back. "You leave me no choice...HEY LUNA!"

"WHAT, Naruto, what!"

"I got you an early Christmas present!" He announced cheerfully, edging towards her. She eyed him suspiciously, eyes narrowed. "...Really?"

He nodded, and she brightened. "I've never received a present before!" Great, now he felt a little guilty.

Nope, stop it, IT MUST BE DONE!

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Just come a liiiittle closer..."

HALF AN HOUR LATER...

"Naruto, I have to use the bathroom."

"Nice try."

"No, I am dead serious! Unravel me this instant!" She demanded, trying to stomp her foot. But her feet didn't even touch the ground, so her foot just swung around instead, making her temple throb.

Naruto turned the volume up on the TV, and she huffed before doing a great number of near-impossible maneuvers to throw a pillow at his face with her feet, since her arms were duct-taped to her sides. "I HAVE TO PEE, DAMMIT, WEREN'T YOU LISTENING?"

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

"You'll see once there's a puddle for you to clean up!" She threatened. He shot off the couch and helped her stand up before unraveling her. "Go, go, go!"

Luna rolled her eyes, and as soon as her back was turned, she smirked. She could've gotten out of the duct tape any time she wanted to, it was actually quite simple since she had a file sharpened to perfection in her sock.

The other Agents called it "paranoia". She called it "prepared for any creepers that come my way".

But anyway. She just wanted to see how easily she could persuade him.

When she finished washing her hands, she glanced at her reflection. And winced. Luna looked about as bad as she did after her first week in the Manor of Sleep; dark circles under her eyes, skin looking sallow.

Only instead of being dull, her eyes looked...jumpy, sort of. Like she expecting something to grab her at any second.

As if meant to scare that crap out of her, someone pounded on Naruto's door. "Gah!"

THUD! CLING!

It worked.

"Owww," Luna groaned from her position in the bathtub, legs sprung in two totally different directions and the rest of her sprawled out all over the place.

What with her mussed bedhead hair being mussed even more now, she had to admit she looked rather comical.

Naruto sure seemed to think so. "Hey, I heard a big crashing noise...Oh, wow. Way to go." Luna's temple throbbed as he continued to laugh his ass off.

"...Mind helping me up?"

He tried to keep as straight a face as possible as he held out a hand. "Right, sorry. Some Agent you are!"

It took great self-control not to pull him into the tub and duct tape him to it, but someone was still knocking on the door, so she had to let that one slide with nothing but a simple "Shut up."

As soon as she opened the door, Becs bombarded her with a hug. "Ohmigod, thank the bloody Queen you're alright! I've been worried all night!"

Ichigo looked like the walking dead as he pretty much collapsed in the doorway, plopping down on his ass with a tired sigh.

Luna decided to be nice, and dragged him into the room before someone hit him with the door. Becs decided Naruto was a good enough substitute while she was dragging Ichigo, and wrapped her thin exotic arms around his neck, burying her face against him.

"Oh, it was terrible! I didn't believe it at first! Loony, he's alive! He's fucking ALIVE!"

Luna's temple throbbed as Naruto patted her back gently. "Naruto Uzumaki, it would be in your best interest to move your hand a little further away from my best friend's ass. Thank you."

Ichigo grinned up at her, still looking absolutely haggard. "Now, Luna, now's not the time to be jealous. Can't you see Becs is upset here?"

Her temple throbbed, and she dropped his arms abruptly, making them crash against the floor in a very satisfying way. "Ow! Jeez, I carried your friend half the way here!"

Luna looked at Becs. "Seriously?"

"I was tired, and he's so fast," she mumbled from against Naruto.

"What, is it a Soul Reaper thing? NARUTO, STOP STROKING HER HAIR!"

"IT'S A COMFORTING GESTURE!"

"NOT WITH YOU, IT'S NOT!" She sighed and shook her head, and Ichigo just grinned even more. "Wow. And yeah, it is. She wanted to get here fast, so I got here fast."

"That's actually kind of nice of you."

"Thanks, I have my moments."

As if to bring them all back on topic, Luna's phone rang. She went to look at it, and promptly handed it to Naruto.

He threw it against the farthest wall, making it snap in half. Again. He held out his fist, and she bumped it with hers. "I'd give it a nine-point-five."

Becs looked at them both in confusion. "Who was it?"

"Alex."

"But...you killed him...how are you taking it this well?"

"Because this is only the eigtheen millionth time he's called her," Naruto answered for her. Becs was starting to tremble again, and Luna pulled her onto the couch with her. "Tell us what happened. Okay? Everything."

She sniffled. Luna looked at Naruto, who nodded. "I'll get the chocolate."

Ichigo grinned and shook his head; she'd ask about that later.

Becs nodded slowly. "Well, um...I was fixing something to eat..."

Becs sighed as she emptied the rest of the Goldfish. They were Flavor-Blasted, which made her instantly think of Loony.

They hadn't been separated this long in such a long time...actually, no they'd never been separated more than three days. Not since Becs first started working for the Agency, years ago.

And here she was, without her best friend for almost two months.

She sighed again at that thought, remembering how Loony used to be. Before all the shit hit the fan with Alex and the damn Agency.

Back when she was happy, and she still had her own personality that the Agency hadn't convinced her to hide.

Of course, she still had little moments where she'd make Becs smile, but most of the time...she just felt a little sad for her.

Luna didn't realize what she was missing, being all neutral all the time like that. "With a little effort and some fliirting, I'd bet she'd be eighty times happier,"

"HA! Luna flirting! Luna! That's fricking hilarious!" Naruto interrupted, him and Ichigo practically rolling with laughter.

Luna's temple throbbed. "I flirt, THANKS VERY MUCH. Well, not recently, but still." Becs nodded in agreement, temporarily distracted from her unsettling recounting.

"It's true, y'know. I taught her tons of techniques. Once you see her flirt, you'll never be the same."

Naruto went all starry-eyed. "Heeey, Loon, we should flirt in public! It'd make Sasuke's day."

"No it wouldn't."

"It'd make MY day."

"All the more reason not to."

"It'd make Sakura's day, and it'd make your job easier."

"Maybe."

"YES!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Go ahead, Becs." She frowned, not really wanting to go ahead, but she took a deep breath and did it anyways.

Becs had just put some popcorn in the microwave when she heard shuffling from another room.

Luckily, she and Ichigo were sharing a two-bedroom two-bath flat, so it narrowed down the possible rooms an intruder could be in.

Unluckily, she was in fact sharing a two-bedroom two-bath flat...with Ichigo.

But anyway. She felt a slight twinge of adrenaline as she briskly surveyed the living room and Ichigo's room.

Then she checked the bathrooms. There was only one room left...hers. Becs crept silently towards her closed door, counted to three in her head, and swung it open.

Empty.

Satisfied, she let out a tiny sigh of relief before shutting the door, pressing her face against it. Why did she still feel uneasy?

"Oh, look, there she is. Her best friend."

The blood drained from her face. She had to be imagining it. Had to be. There was absolutely no way Alex Sharpe was standing behind her. Good thing she hadn't taken out her gun; he was already dead, after all. Wasn't he?

Scared to look, she squeezed her eyes shut briefly before letting out a shuddery breath and turning around to face him.

There he was, looking as if he never died. Except for the mark from the shrapnel in his forehead.

Loony had shot him twice in the chest, not being able to bring herself to shoot him in the head. The bullet that was meant for his head that first try had missed, but the shrapnel had grazed him on the forehead, and now here he was, looking perfectly healed.

Same brown hair with those dark brown highlights in it, same body build, no decaying bits of flesh. But his eyes...they were so angry...

His green eyes were flashing, and not in a sexy way. Not at all.

"Where is she?"

Becs opened her mouth to speak, but just couldn't find the words. He didn't seem to like that. He braced his hand against the wall, right next to her.

Dangerously close to her throat. "I said...where is she? Where's Luna?"

"I-I dunno!"

"Bullshit! You two're inseparable. Where...is she...Becs, where is she?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare call me that, you filthy traitor." He showed a twinge of hurt, but it was gone so quickly that it took Becs a long time afterward to figure out what it had been.

"Dammit, tell me where she is! I don't wanna have to persuade you, but..." He twirled some kind of throwing knife in his hand before making it roll over his knuckles.

He noticed her panicked look and smirked, faking a throw at her. She couldn't help but scream, it was mere centimeters (if that) from stabbing her right between the eyes.

"Where is she? Huh? Where's Luna?"

She stared at him stonily, and after a few minutes, the hand by her throat closed around her throat, lifting her up off the ground.

"I'm only gonna ask nicely one more time, and then I'm gonna start getting rough. I need. To see. Luna. Where. Is. She. Can you comprehend what I'm asking? Or should I talk slower?"

His tone was the sheer embodiment of mockery as Becs tried to kick him, her hands clawing at the hand wrapped around her throat as she gasped for air.

"...I...I won't tell you...You can just go to hell!"

Alex shook his head, leaning his face close to hers. "Don't even talk about hell. Not until you've been there. You'll never wanna mention it again, trust me. You weak little Agents wouldn't last a damn day down there."

He stared at her for a second as she started turning a little red in the face with the effort of resisting him. She heard the dim sound of the microwave beeping, and soon the smell of popcorn wafted over them. He smirked, flexing his hand so he could hear her gasp even louder. "Yum. Movie butter, huh? I don't think the Agency would like to hear about that. Maybe I should pay Tara a visit too."

Alex grinned as she continued gasping, unflexing his hand oh, so slowly. "...You know, it'd be in everyone's best interests if you cooperated. I've got friends in high places now, who won't hesitate to sink low. Just think, if you cooperate, you get a ton of perks. I'm happy, you keep your life, Luna keeps hers, and we'll just stick with getting rid of this Demon Kid my friend keeps mentioning. Deal?"

And with that, he let her drop to the floor with a THUD. An idea must have struck him. "Oh...lemme guess...they chose HER to protect him, didn't they? Her? THAT'S where she is? Konoha."

He started laughing, doubled over as Becs just stared at him, still in shock. "That's rich! Do they not know what he did? Oh, wow, just wait until she figures out what he did to her family...oh, wow...maybe I won't even need to kill him myself."

"She won't let you touch him, you slimy bastard," Becs choked out, a hand on her neck gingerly.

He didn't really hurt her, she had been through worse; his mere presence was enough to make her clutch her throat in fear.

Alex just grinned. "We'll see about that, alright? You forget one very important thing."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" She spat at him with some newfound sense of courage.

His grin grew. "I know pretty much everything there is to know about Luna Sasaki. ...Oh, surprised she has a last name? I can tell by your face that I know a lot more than you do. Along with this library of information up here about her," he added, pointing to his head, "I know exactly what to say. She'll be shooting him in no time. And if not, well..."

He shrugged, winking at her. "You have imagination, I know."

"Don't you touch her! Either of them!"

"Oh, touching won't be necessary. Talking's all it takes. Thanks, Becs, it was good to see ya again." And just like that, he strode out as she started whimpering despite herself.

And she promptly passed out in the middle of the hallway.

"...And that's how I found her," Ichigo concluded for her. Towards the end of her recounting, Becs' voice had grown dimmer and dimmer.

Now she stared at the floor silently, trembling.

"He was so angry...He may have sounded calm, but if you had only seen him, Loony...Whenever he mentioned you, or especially Naruto, he got even angrier...I..." She looked up at Luna, who was trying to avoid looking at her.

Luna ended up meeting her piercing gaze anyway. "Loony, you listen to me. Don't you listen to him. He's full of shit."

"Not exactly. ...My name is Luna Sasaki, and...a couple...other things...he's accurate...about...But I promise I won't, all the same...I, uh...yeah..." She trailed off, not wanting to talk about Naruto. It wasn't her information to share.

He seemed relieved by that.

Becs nodded, satisfied. "Good. Good. Um...is there a hotel we can stay at? I don't really think Ichigo would like me too much if we went back to the Mist tonight..."

They glanced at Ichigo, who was currently passed out on the couch, and sweatdropped. "...You two can just sleep on the couch," Luna offered, shaking her head and standing up. "If he left you any space..."

HOURS LATER...

It was too quiet. Well, besides all the snoring. And that whistling noise caused by Becs' stud on her nose that could be heard from a mile away.

But other than that...it was so quiet...like the calm before the storm.

"...Naruto?"

"..."

"...Naruto?"

She heard him groan. "Yeah?" He asked before mumbling something about wishing she was normal and would give up after calling his name once.

She sweatdropped before sighing. "...Um...You know that no matter what he might say, I would protect you no matter what...right?"

"...Yeah...Yeah, I know."

"...What if...he told you things about me?"

"...Like what?"

"...Entirely hypothetical, is all. If he said horrible things about how I did my job...horrible things...things that made me seem...like a robot...like a-a cold-blooded killer –"

"Loon, call me crazy, but I just don't trust dead guys."

She grinned at that and turned over, satisfied. "Oh. Wise policy."

"..."

"..."

"...Oh, and Luna?"

"Hmm?"

"...Me too. You."

"Huh?"

"I'd protect you too. No matter what."

She was glad it was dark, because otherwise he would've seen her arm shoot up and shove her necklace as far down under the covers as she could.