Chiyo: I should shout this before I forget. I DON'T OWN TMM ;a;

Mitsukie: Why would the Cyniclons just lea-

Chiyo: Shhhh *puts a finger over Mitsukie's lips* shhhhhhhhh

Izumi: Yeah that ma-

Chiyo: Shhhhh *puts a finger over Izumi's lips* I say shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :3 Hey, I have this all planned out, guys! Trust me *^*

Chapter 28

Getting Information

It was a very clean place, but just hearing that Izumi's father abuses her and the other kids, everyone felt like the house was dirty and not supposed to be lived in. About half an hour later, everyone got a plate of pasta with steak chunks to the side.

While they ate, it was silent. "Izumi!" A deep male voice called from upstairs.

"C-coming, father!" Izumi called back, standing up from the table. "I'm sorry... I'll be back." She bowed to her friends, getting Lettuce to look over at Pai, who didn't even touch his food yet, with a worried look.

Izumi walked upstairs, leaving everyone to talk. "I wonder what's going on between Izumi and her father..." Lettuce whispered.

"Well." Mint and Zakuro stood up. "We're going home." Before anyone could even say anything to stop them, they left the house.

"Geez..." Taruto shoved a piece of steak in his mouth, "No byesh or anything!"

Pai sighed and looked at Taruto as if to say 'what is wrong with you?'. They began to talk, slowly at first, but Pudding, Lettuce, Pai, and Taruto were talking while Mistukie, Keiichiro, Ryou, and Ichigo were talking. Klaus kept quiet, eating his food in silence. "Hey!" Pudding stood on her seat and smirked at the guys. "There what, 5 girls? And what, 5 guys? We should play truth or dare!" She yelled, but her voice was a whisper so Izumi couldn't hear.

"Yeah! It'll be fun!" Taruto agreed, shoving pasta into his mouth.

Klaus chuckled and nodded, "Sure, why not, could be fun!"

"I wanna play!" Ichigo said happily, getting Ryou to smile at her.

"We don't have much of a choice, Ryou, let's play." Keiichiro said, setting his fork next to his empty plate.

Mitsukie nodded, "Yeah! We should surprise Izumi!"

Ichigo stood up and stole all the plates except for Izumi's, which was half empty. Her and Ryou washed the the dishes while Keiichiro, Pai, Mitsukie, Taruto, and Klaus were dragged away by Pudding and Lettuce to Izumi's room. "I still can't believe you and Ryou though." Mitsukie teased.

"Hey, Ryou?" Ichigo called Ryou's name, breaking the small silence between them. "What if... What if they come back?" She asked, washing a plate.

"If they do, then you guys would kick their butts." Ryou said, looking at Ichigo with concern. "What brought that up all of a sudden?"

"Well it was too easy. Seiko promised she wouldn't come back, but..." Ichigo sighed heavily. She placed the plate she was cleaning into the drying rack. "Why would she just go away like that?"

Ryou wrapped his arms around around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Ichigo, it's okay, I can't say they won't come back. But I don't like seeing you like this." His whisper made her blush. "I don't like you being sad, Ichigo."

"R-Ryou...?" Ichigo moved her eyes towards Ryou and pushed his lips against Ichigo's neck. "A-ahh..." She closed her eyes and blushed even more. He moved away from Ichigo and helped her wash the other plates.

"Izumi-oneechan is in her room, she doesn't know you guys are going to play truth or dare, so don't say anything, okay?" Izumi's little sister ran off with a smile, leaving Ichigo and Ryou to laugh and put the dishes away. Moments later, they were on their way to Izumi's room. While they were eating, Izumi's sister told them where Izumi's room was.

There were two seats open for Ryou and Ichigo next to Keiichiro, so they took the seat and watched as Pudding jumped up and down in her seat. "TRUTH OR DARE!" She shouted, slamming a empty juice bottle onto the floor. "Whooo!"

Izumi giggled at Pudding's happiness. "Pudding, who's going first?" Taruto asked, sitting with his hands behind his head.

"I will, I have the bottle, Taru-Taru." Pudding said, spinning the bottle.

The top of the bottle pointed at Izumi, and Pudding poudly put her hands on her hips. "Izumi!" She shouted, startling everyone.

"Wh-what?" Izumi asked, smiling still. "Oh, dare!"

"Then I dare you to.." Pudding scanned everyone and started laughing. "I dare you to kiss~... Hmmm... Mitsukie!"

Mitsukie and Izumi looked at each other, not realizing everyone getting out their phone to take a picture. "Wh-what?!" Izumi sighed and walked over to Mitsukie, standing behind her. "Fine..." Lettuce and Ichigo were taking a video while the others took a picture. Izumi bent over and placed a quick kiss on Mitsukie's lips. Neither of them were blushing, which got Pudding a tiny bit depressed, but she was still happy.

Izumi sat down and spun the bottle. "Geez, Pudding, I didn't know you'd start off with that right off the bat!" Izumi teased.

"Heheh!" Pudding laughed and watched as the bottle fell onto Pai.

"Truth." Pai said, making Izumi fold her arms.

"I suck at truths... Hm... Ok, so, tell us. What was your first kiss?" Izumi asked, making Lettuce look at Pai intently.

"Honestly? It was forced by some Cyniclon back on my planet a couple years ago." Pai said, his eyes closed.

Lettuce looked down in her lap, kind of sad. Pai spun the bottle, the only sound being made was the bottle spinning. The bottle landed on Ichigo. "Dare!" Ichigo yelled, folding her arms.

"I dare you to hang out in the closet with Taruto for seven minutes." He said plainly, but a slight smirk on his face.

"What?!" Ichigo looked at Taruto, who also looked shocked.

Lettuce pushed the two into the closet and closed it tightly. "Hey! I don't wanna be in here with this old hag!" Taruto yelled, folding his arms.

"I'M NOT AN OLD HAG, BRAT!" Ichigo yelled, folding her arms and puffing out her cheeks.

"Hey, you're the leader of the Mews, right?" Taruto asked, keeping his voice quiet.

"Duh." Ichigo said, sitting down by the door.

"Then I have information for you." He said simply, looking at Ichigo in the complete darkness of the closet.

"First," Ichigo said, looking around, "get me out of here! It's dark!" She whined.

"No." Taruto said sternly. After a while of silence, Taruto said, "Just listen, old hag." He sighed, floating with his legs crossed, staring at Ichigo. "You guys are being stupid." He said, not trying to sugar coat it or anything. "You really think Killi and the others are going to just stay away? They have the most powerful leader behind them, and who knows what she's up to." Taruto had his eyes closed. "Anyway, what I'm saying-"

Before Taruto could finish, Ichigo fell out of the closet. The seven minutes were up, and Taruto had happily flew out of the closet and sat next to Pudding. Ichigo smiled as she put her hand on the bottle. The two had forgotten all about what Taruto was saying... But what was he saying? The bottle spun. It pointed towards Mitsukie. "Dare!" Mitsukie proudly put her hands on her hips.

"Hmm..." Ichigo looked at her friends. Pudding was out cold, Lettuce was yawning, and Pai looked tired. "I dare you to..." Ichigo looked at her friends one more time. She couldn't think of anything. But when she got a glance at a tired Lettuce, she thought it was a good idea to go to sleep. "I dare you to-" Ichigo instantly covered her mouth and giggled. She walked over to Mitsukie whispered in her ear. The boys looked at each over, shrugging at Ichigo's dare.

When Ichigo sat down, Mitsukie shot Pai a look while others were looking at Ichigo. Keiichiro watched Mitsukie, confused, as she walked over to Pai and sat on his lap. Lettuce and Pai knew what was going on and went with it. Mitsukie just smiled as Keiichiro looked loney now, with no one to sit next to, to tease him more as she spun the bottle. "Ryou!" Mitsukie point at Ryou as the bottle pointed at him.

"Truth." Ryou yawned.

"Hm. When did you fall in love with Ichigo?" Mitsukie asked, feeling very awkward on Pai's lap.

Ichigo's face became red as she looked at Ryou. "A couple weeks after she became a Mew." Ryou chuckled as he saw Ichigo's face become dark red.

Izumi was giggling and looked over to see Klaus out cold as well, which only made her giggle more. "Well, I think we shoul-" Izumi started.

"Izumi! Father wants you!" Izumi's little sister yelled, making Izumi's smile fade.

"W-well, make yourself at home... It's pretty late, so you can sleep if you want." Izumi said, heading out of her room.

Taruto, Ryou, and Keiichiro looked at Mitsukie, as if demanding an answer from her. "Heheh, Keiichiro, you're so cute when you're jealous." Mitsukie laughed as she went back over to Keiichiro. "Don't worry, I still love you." She smiled and kissed him, making Lettuce and Pai smile at each other. Taruto cuddled with Pudding and fell fast asleep. They were closer to the closet while Klaus was across from them, meaning Pai and Lettuce were between Taurto and Klaus. Ichigo and Ryou cuddled and lied on the floor, next to Taruto, and stared at the ceiling in the complete silence. Keiichiro was pretty much a pillow for Mitsukie as they cuddled, looking at each other with a smile.

Although it was muffled, everyone, even Pudding and Klaus, heard a high-pitched scream. "Was that... Izumi?" Pudding asked, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

"That sounded too high-pitched for her though..." Lettuce said, staring at the door.

The boys stayed quiet as the girls started throwing in guesses on what was going on. "Taruto!" Ichigo yelled, folding her arms. "You didn't finish telling me that thing from when we were in the closet..."

"It's nothing." Taruto shrugged. "I was done anyway."

"Shouldn't we check on her?" Lettuce asked.

"We shouldn't," Klaus spoke, starttling everyone since they forgot he was still there, "didn't you see the way Izumi looked at us before she left?"

"She looked..." Lettuce started, trying to find the word she wanted to say, "...lonely...?"

"Desprate..." Pudding threw in.

"Scared." Ichigo said.

Izumi walked back in her room, bottling up her emotions and closed the door behind her. "Ah, you're still awake?" She asked, holding a couple blankets in her hands. "S-sorry, did I scare you guys?"

"Yes!" Pudding yelled.

"...Hey, I need to talk to you, Izumi." Mitsukie said, putting the blankets in the middle of everyone and sat on the floor next to her. Klaus scooted closer, wanting to get in on the conversation too. "What was that scream?" Mitsukie asked, looking worried at her friend.

Pudding snatched the yellow blanket, lied down, and passed out as she hugged the blanket. "You're supposed to put the blanket on you, not cuddle it." Taruto whispered, trying to steal the blanket from her. "Give me the blanket..." He whispered. "Give. Me. The. Blankeeeeet!" He whispered again. He finally got it out of her grasp and fell backwards, landing on his head. "Ow..." He covered Pudding up with a smile and lied next to her. "Goodnight, Purin." He whispered to where only Pudding could hear.

"Yeah, you had everyone worried, Izumi. What's going on?" Klaus asked.

Lettuce grabbed the green blanket and put it over both her and Pai as she lied with her forehead on his chest. They lied on their sides, so Pai was able to hold her close to him without it feeling awkward.

"Oh, I fell when I was trying to get the blankets." Izumi said, forcing a worried smile on her lips.

Ichigo insisted that she didn't need a blanket, so she just cuddled Ryou and fell asleep quickly. They were also on their sides. Ichigo had her back against Ryou's chest and Ryou had his arm around Ichigo's waist.

"Then explain why it was so loud, and why it sounded like you were scared." Mitsukie and Klaus said in unison.

"..." Izumi didn't say anything. Klaus placed a hand on her hand. Izumi looked into Klaus's eyes and teared up. "M-Mitsukie...?" She asked, turning her head towards Mitsukie.

"Mitsukie, at your service!" Mitsukie giggled, saluting Izumi.

"I-I'll tell you guys... At work t-tomorrow, ok?" Izumi asked, trying to not cry at all.

Keiichiro waited paitently for Mitsukie to cuddle, but fell asleep before she got back.

Mitsukie nodded. "Ok! But hey, let us know if something's wrong from now on. And, while you're at story time tomorrow with us, make Taruto spill the beans. I don't know what beans, but make him spill them."

Her sillyness couldn't even make Izumi smile, but Mitsukie trusted her friend. Mitsukie picked up the black blanket and giggled as Keiichiro was sound asleep. She placed the blanket over Keiichiro and cuddled in close to him, under the blankets, and fell asleep quickly as well.

By time Klaus and Izumi got their white blanket on them and cuddled, the only person, other then them, that was awake, was Ryou. "Can you at least tell me what's wrong?" Klaus asked, his voice quiet.

"W-well..." Izumi hadn't noticed Ryou was listening as well. "I don't know how to start this..." She whispered. "Mother has been gone for my entire life, which left me with father. After I had became a popular singer, father began to change... He started to abuse my younger sister, so I butted in..." Izumi sat up and looked at Klaus. "That's when I got this..." She turned her back to Klaus and parted her short hair, showing off a scar in the shape of an 'X', and next to it, a scar in the shape of an 'P'. She lied back down and cuddled close to Klaus. "And ever since then... He's abused us kids, but we can't say anything either because we're scared of what he would do..."

"You'll be ok if you tell someone with more power then your friends and I," Klaus said, holding Izumi close. "because you'll be safer..."

His words fell on deaf ears though, Izumi had fallen asleep in Klaus's arms. Ryou stayed awake a while longer, running things through in his head as he kept Ichigo close to him. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt his strawberry. Or... So he thought...

Chiyo: Okay, you're all probably like "wow what is this even...?" But all of this takes a role later on, so don't think I'm stupid just yet. *glances at the end of the story* Wait until the end to think I'm stupid... Heheh... But I know that it's just like fillers and everything, but I feel like some of this is needed, and I'm throwing in some RyouxIchigo romance too :3