Ritsuko was surprised to find Kisame still by her side the next morning. She lay on her back and he was on his side, his arm draped across her shoulders in a side hug. His face was buried in her neck. Normally she would have been worried but she trusted Kisame. She knew that he wouldn't touch her like that again. She smiled softly as she cautiously reached up to run her fingers through his navy hair. It was softer than it looked. He stirred slightly. "Mmm Suko…" he groaned and his lips tickled her neck.

She giggled. "At least this time you didn't call me Kaneko."

"Hmm what?" He mumbled thickly as he blinked sleepily at her. Then when his eyes focused they widened in horror. "Oh! I'm sorry! I meant to leave during the night but-"

She laughed. "Don't worry about it. Though maybe I should punch you again for good measure."

He chuckled as he got the joke. "You sure do pack a whallop for such a little girl." He teased back.

Her smile faltered at that. She knew that he meant it as a compliment, but she thought that it meant that he only thought of her as a child. She turned away and hugged the pillow close. She loved him, the stupid idiot that she was, she loved him. And he just thought she was a little girl who needed to be rescued. Will love always be beyond my reach? She thought as she bit her lip to keep from crying.

Kisame's smile faded as he saw her begin to retreat within herself. It always worried him whenever she did that. He'd much prefer to see her smile. He leaned in closer, unintentionally pressing against her back, and rested his large hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about it," she shrugged him off and climbed out of bed. "I'm gonna use the shower first."

He watched after her with a frown. He didn't like it when she refused to talk but it wasn't his place to pry. Especially now. "You know that I'm here for you right?"

His words made her pause at the doorway as it reminded her of her best friend. "I'm going to call Shizako today. She should be back from vacation soon. Maybe I can stay with her. I wouldn't want to impose here."

"Now wait a minute, that's not true!" He protested as he climbed out of bed. "You're welcome to stay as long as you ne-."

She cut him off by closing the door firmly behind her. She didn't want to hear it. Not then anyway. She was having a hard time controlling her emotions and didn't want to blurt something hurtful out when she didn't really mean it. So she went to the bathroom to take a shower. Her clothes from the hospital were still discarded on the floor and she pulled them back on. Today she ought to see if she can get her clothes back. With any luck she could move back today. Surely the police were done searching through her tiny apartment for evidence. When she came out, Chie mewed at her feet and rubbed against her legs with a happy purr. "Aww, you're so cute," Ritsuko said as she knelt down to pet her. "I should think about getting a cat too. I'd forgotten how much I like them."

Chie rested her paws on her knees and licked her face, making her giggle. She caught her furry face in her hands and gave her a big kiss. Kisame then came out of the bedroom dressed in his uniform. Her face fell. "Oh that's right. I'd completely forgotten about work. I should-"

"Stay here," he said as he passed her in the hallway. "I'll explain what happened to Mrs. Aomori though I imagine that it's all over the news by now." She blushed in shame as she realized that he was probably right. "I'm sure that she'll insist on some paid time off." He went into the kitchen to get some breakfast and Ritsuko followed after. He turned to look at her sadly. "I know that you're very close with Shizako and that you'd much prefer her company to mine. But please don't feel like I'm trying to get rid of you."

She fidgeted slightly. "Yeah…I know."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you need to. Please don't rush on my account."

"Thanks," she whispered gratefully.

He spread his arms out. "You're welcome to eat anything you like. I'll be back right after work."

"You do what you want and I may or may not be here," she shrugged as she opened up a cupboard to look for something to eat.

"At least leave a note then," he growled softly. She was going to be stubborn about this, he just knew it. But he also knew that he'd have to keep his protective nature in check. Ritsuko was an adult and was free to go as she pleased.

At work he was surprised to find police doing an investigation there. In retrospect it made sense that they'd look into Ritsuko's whereabouts, especially if the pervert had been someone that she knew. Mrs. Aomori quickly approached him. "I heard about it on the news. Oh the poor dear! Is she alright? Is she safe?" He nodded and to his surprise she pulled his face down and kissed both of his cheeks. "God bless you for being her savior in her time of need!" He reddened slightly as he discreetly disengaged himself. "I just can't believe that Yuki was capable of such monstrosity."

He frowned. "Yuki? That quiet guy with white hair? What's he got to do with it?"

Just then the detective from last night approached him. "Excuse me Mr. Hoshigaki, but may I have a word with you?"

Kisame nodded. "Let's step into my office."

Once they were seated inside, she handed him a picture of Yuki. "Do you know this young man?"

Kisame took it with a shaky hand. The picture was a school photo of the poor kid with his signature scared look. "He's the stalker isn't he?" His voice cracked.

"Yes," she whispered. A heavy silence filled the room as this sank in for him. He just couldn't believe it. It was impossible. "According to school records he was seeing a psychologist for some mental illness. While he was generally considered mild-mannered, he was known to possess a morbid fascination with dominance. During the interrogation last night he claimed that she was his lover. He showed classic symptoms of extreme possessiveness, jealousy, obsession, as well as a deep hatred of you. He was convinced that you were attempting to steal her away from him. In his mind, Miss Ryoku belongs to him."

"I just can't believe it," he murmured as he handed the picture back. He couldn't stand to look at it anymore.

"Is there anything you can tell me? To shed more light on this?"

He sighed as he sat back in his swivel chair. "He was one of her regular customers, came by every day or two and ordered the same thing every time."

"Did they ever talk?"

"Most of the time she did, just a friendly meet and greet sort of routine, nothing very personal." It was hard to imagine such a mild-mannered guy snapping like that. "He didn't usually say very much."

"Did she ever complain about him making unwanted advances?"

He shook his head. "No, she never talked about him or saw him outside of work ever. It just doesn't make any sense."

"There's no point in trying to," she said sympathetically. "He isn't in his right mind but now he'll be getting the help that he needs."

Kisame's hand curled into a trembling fist. "He doesn't need help! He deserves to die!" He snapped. Then he caught himself. "I'm sorry Detective."

She nodded gently. "I know how you feel, it's very natural. There's only one thing more. It will be some time before Miss Ryoku will be allowed to return to her apartment. During the investigation, more objects were found."

He swallowed hard. "What…sort of objects?"

She grimaced, that wasn't a good sign. "I don't think you'd want to know." He felt faint as his stomach flip-flopped. "Are you able to keep an eye on her until they've finished?" He nodded silently, not trusting himself to speak. She reached into her purse and pulled out a check. "This should cover the damage to her property. If you need anything, please let us know."

He took the check and mumbled goodbye as she left. He was just in shock. Of anyone it could have been…he never would have suspected Yuki.

Ritsuko meanwhile remained oblivious because she intentionally didn't watch the news. She didn't want to be an audience to her own humiliation. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise to be staying in Kisame's place. At least she'd be spared a visit from Niigata. Either she'd be super consoling or irate about bringing "shame" on the family. Either way her reaction would be extreme. Instead she used his landline phone to call Shizako. She, at least, deserved an explanation.

As anticipated Shizako screamed at her for not telling her what had happened. "I shouldn't have to find out from the news!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry to make you worry," Ritsuko said contritely.

Shizako sighed and was silent for a moment. "No, you don't have to apologize. Oh Suko," her voice cracked with emotion. "I'm sorry you had to go through that again."

A lump formed in Ritsuko's throat. "Well…he didn't get that far. Kisame came to my rescue."

"Kisame? Really?" She asked in surprise. "That was lucky."

"Not really," she confessed. She explained what she'd returned home to find and how she'd called Kisame right away.

Shizako was silent for a moment. "Why…would you call him and not the police first?"

Oh that's right. She'd never told Shizako that they'd become friends. Mainly because she knew that she'd never understand why. After all, in her mind, Kisame had raped her. So she explained that they worked together and had become great friends. Shizako didn't sound very pleased but she tried to be understanding. After all she knew how hard it was for Ritsuko to make friends. If she said that Kisame was a friend, then she knew she could trust him. "Well…I'm happy for you then," she said sincerely. "As long as I'm still your favoritest friend." She giggled.

"You always will be," Ritsuko grinned in response. "You and me go way back."

"Yeah, all five years of it," Shizako laughed and Ritsuko laughed in response.

Then the mood sobered once again and Shizako spoke. "I won't be home until next week. You can call me whenever you need, night or day. But in the meantime, are you going to be alright? Are you staying with someone?"

"Yeah I am so don't worry about it," Ritsuko said vaguely. She didn't want to mention that she was staying at Kisame's place. She knew that Shizako would hit the roof if she knew.

Shizako noticed though. "Who are you staying with?"

"Oh crap I'm late!" Ritsuko faked panic. "Gotta go Shiza, I'll call you later."

She wasn't buying it and heard the Nara curse her out. "You liar! You're just-" CLICK

Ritsuko shook her head as the phone rang again. No doubt it was Shizako calling back. That was the only downside about friends, they ask too many questions. She grabbed a sweatshirt of Kisame's and pulled on a hat and walked outside. She walked by her apartment but found lots of police tape and reporters hanging around so she steered clear from that mess. What a pain. If only she'd had her wallet, then she could have bought some new clothes. So she just walked around and was dismayed to hear that she was the current gossip on campus. To her surprise she learned that Yuki had been her attacker. That revelation left her winded. He always seemed so nice and gentle. Since the general consensus on campus was that he was a nice shy guy, no one wanted to think badly of him. So it was concluded that she must have been a slut. It was probably just a job gone badly. She ran back to Kisame's apartment; she just had to get away from such cruel words. It hurt to be talked about like that, to be judged so harshly by people who didn't know what they were talking about. SHE had been the victim NOT him!

Once inside Kisame's apartment she threw herself onto his bed and cried into a pillow. She hated being so emotional but her heart ached with such pain. It combined with the past trauma she'd only managed to squash before. It had never been fully resolved, just ignored. She didn't hear Kisame enter the room so she was surprised when he pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Let it out Suko," he whispered. "Don't keep it inside."

She struggled against him. "I don't want your sympathy or your pity!" She snapped.

"I'm not giving you either," he said firmly. "Because you're a fighter. I know you'll find a way to get through this. But until you get there that's why I'm here." She blinked in surprise at his tender expression. He gently kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips against her skin. "I'm here," he whispered. "You don't have to face this alone."

She hugged him back and cried softly into his shirt. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

"You're not," he reassured her. "I'm here for you."

She smiled. "Thanks," she whispered.

For a while he was content to hold her, gently rocking her back and forth in his arms. He was beginning to realize that even she was weak sometimes. Then he continued on.
"Shizako's there for you too. And by the way she's pretty pissed at both of us."

Ritsuko burst out laughing. "Yeah…that's my bad."

"Well go fix it before she gets Itachi on my case," he playfully shooed her away. "Then let's order some pizza for dinner. I don't feel like cooking tonight."