A/N: Same drill as the past few days! Two chapters in a row, if you skip the last (a lot of readers are, what's up with that?) you'll miss stuff. Enjoy!

Dust had been kicked up and hung in the air; illuminated by sunlight. The dingy walls of the shop were the same as Ame remembered them. Filled with holes and cracks and quickly descending into a state of disrepair that the best carpenter in the world would raise a white flag to. Ame cracked the door and as the bell jingled panic set over the store.

"Old hag,"

Horror contorted the older woman's face and she twisted away from her broom, only to topple over. As Ame peered down at her, the woman scooted back. Her mouth was wide open, and fear pooled in her irises; the only light in the dull green.

"It's you- you've come back to-"

The sound of a gunshot earned a disinterested flick of Ame's gaze and she found the store owner in the doorway across the room; gun up. He then lowered the weapon and aimed straight at her.

"Uh... You said they were friends... This looks hostile." Beside Ame, confusion was written all over the white haired man's face. He had perked up at the sound and was caught off guard, but Ame hadn't moved a muscle.

"I also told you not to come." She stated.

"You. You finally came back to finish the job, haven't you? We're not dying without a fight."

"Nobody's dying." Gintoki assured the man across the room. The revolver fixed on Ame stayed in place, but the woman couldn't find it in herself to care.

"Just the man I wanted to see." Calm as ever, Ame looked to the brunette across the room and offered her hand to his wife. The woman recoiled. Didn't trust her. Seeing that it would get her nowhere, Ame retracted her palm and muttered as she stepped around the blonde. "Fine. Stay down, then."

As she passed the woman, Gintoki took it upon himself to help her up. Ame walked straight to the gunman and leaned onto the counter, grinning.

"Long time no see, Amigo." The gun was in her face now. Pressed to her forehead. Even so, Gintoki approached and took a spot next to her side; wide eyed. What had he gotten himself into? "I have a few questions for you."

"The last time you had questions for us-" The hammer of the gun was pulled back, and before the man could assert himself, Gintoki joined the private conversation.

"What kind of greeting is this? Lead tea? Is that a new brand?" The nameless man in front of him sucked in a breath that wasn't audibly released and Ame raised her chin. "Put it down." Gintoki's command was received through narrowed eyes.

"This is a peaceful meeting." Staring straight up at the store owner, Ame reached up to place a hand over his and grip his gun with him. Gintoki was right. She wasn't dying here.

"This bitch isn't getting away this time-" The moment he started to act, Ame moved. One bullet down. It carried six, he used one, one was missing. The man squeezed the trigger and Ame was already a step out of the way. He turned and another round fired, but she was standing on the counter before he could react. A vase was kicked into his face, and shattered against the wall as he was knocked back. Gintoki had gotten out of the way and was opposite of Ame with his hand on his bokken. Ready to strike if need be.

With her own gun out, Ame stared the man in her sights down and racked it back. His aim had fixed on her again, but the sight of her ready to fire back shook the man across from her.

"You have two bullets left. I have fifteen. Listen closely because I'm not going to repeat myself." Everything in the room seemed to stop. Breathing, the people walking past outside; it all faded away until the only thing left was the clock on the wall near the door. "Give the nice samurai the pistol and nobody gets hurt."

Gintoki stepped around the counter and carefully passed the shards of vase. He didn't know if he wanted to be involved in this. It felt like a crime and that was the last thing he needed, but they hadn't done anything to provoke the gunfight. Well, he hadn't. Whatever was going on with Ame's relationship with the couple was beyond him.

"Tick tock, tick tock, come on we ain't got all day." Something about her tone sent a chill up Gintoki's spine. She wouldn't really do it right? She was bluffing. Right? Though unwillingness clouded the man's movements, he slowly parted and raised his hands. Offered his pistol to Gintoki. As he accepted the weapon, Ame dropped from the counter and kept her gun on the man. Jacked him up by his collar and shoved him against the wall with her gun still in his face. In the background, his wife cried out in terror and begged Ame to stop but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Oi!" The Yorozuya started to stop her. Grabbed her shoulder, but she was unaffected and nearly shrugged him off.

"The other one, too."

A pause took the room once more, only to be followed by the man lowering one of his raised hands and reaching behind himself. He pulled a glock from the back of his pants and held it over to Gintoki, but his eyes stayed fixed on Ame, burning with hatred. The moment the gun was out of his hands, Ame let him go. Tucked her gun back into her pants and sighed.

"I told you this was a peaceful-" Before she could complete the sentence, a fist shot into her jaw and her palm landed on the counter to keep from being knocked over. She felt at her jaw, and irritation writhed within her. Gintoki started to move but Ame held up her hand, still leaning onto the counter.

"It's fine- It's fine. Damn it Ace." The older man rounded the counter and reached his wife's side. Took her into his arms as she buried her head into his chest and sobbed.

"You come in here, scared my wife half to death, and you expect me to play nice?"

Straightening herself, Ame rubber her jaw one last time and eyed the man. She turned back to Gintoki, and from the look on his face, she could tell that he was still confused.

"I didn't know where else to go."

"Anywhere but here! Do you realize that Iori has a price on your head? You shouldn't be on earth, let alone Japan."

Sighing to herself, Ame took the guns from Gintoki's hands. He was just watching now. Wasn't going to interrupt. She laid them on the counter and backed away with her hands up as if to say that she wasn't pulling any tricks from her sleeve. A price on her head; leave it to Iori to go overboard on the break up.

"She's the reason I'm here. The hit is null, I've got business with her." As if following her lead, Gintoki joined her on the other side of the counter. A candy dish caught his eye and he took a strawberry pink lollipop from it.

"How much is that reward?"

Gintoki's question received a narrow of Ame's eyes that told him she didn't appreciate jokes at the moment. As he unwrapped the treat, Ame approached the two near the door. "You knew Tamaki personally, right? Where's his brother?"

"Tamaki?" Tension visibly drained from Ace's features and his wife fixed her eyes on Ame as the name was echoed back. "Tamaki's brother? Why?"

"Iori has his son. I just want to get him back to his family."

"Why can't he take him?" The question hung in the air and received no answer. Ame's gaze fell to the side, and the couple looked at one another. Didn't dare to voice it. After a moment's pause, Ace left his wife's side and walked to the counter. He pulled a sheet of paper from the other side, along with a pen and scribbled something Ame couldn't see before shoving it into her hands. "Get out. And don't bring any more trouble here." That was all he said before taking his wife and his guns to the back room.

Ame turned to Gintoki, of whom seemed more focused on his lollipop than what was happening. She helped herself to one as well and they left the store; unaware of the eyes on their back.