The Rookie:

Rarely if ever did Vash make his precious baby sister upset. Like all siblings, they have differing opinions but never to the extent of full-blown wrath. He suspects it's because they share a lot in common and she greatly admires him. Her disagreements are silent and she trusts him to take good care of her as promised. Growing up without parents after age 18 tends to change people. Vash grew up quicker than most. Lili understood and was as little burden as possible. When all they had were each other for so long, very few things get in the way of their relationship.

But there are things that Lili just doesn't like and she's poised and gracious enough to say it in such a way that seems almost…gentle. Vash has to look away when she gives him that look at the door. He clears his throat and pulls on his already loosened tie.

"Sorry, Lili," comes his grumbled apology and glances obliquely at his little sister, her disappointment in him being an hour late only reflects in the way she holds the door.

Partially hidden behind the structure as she is, her position may seem normal to a stranger. Vash knows Lili. She always welcomes him with open arms, a small smile and pleasant aura. The only reason she would put anything between them, literally or mentally, is when she wants to keep him at a distance.

A voice so small, barely audible makes him look her way. "How long were you there?"

Vash flinches at her directness, the dreadful looming feeling of being in trouble closes in on him like a fish in a fisher's net. Telling her he was at the precinct for two days straight is a sure way to get her door closed in his face. Telling her he was there a few extra hours on a Sunday may see him being invited inside for their usual family dinner with only a pointed glare.

He opts for the latter.

"I worked a few hours today, Lili, that's all"

"And yesterday?"

Hook. Line. Sinker. The net closes and he's caught. Vash can only sigh and pray she's still willing to feed him. Ramen for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two days can't be healthy.

"Vash you promised," she chastises,

"I know," he grumbles but she goes on.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself. You need a break."

"I take breaks!"

"At home." She emphasizes, and then softens her voice to a sullen whisper; "I don't like seeing you like this…"

And there it is, he's pulled out of the water, wriggling on a boat with his life in her hands. Lili is the only person in the world who can make him feel bad about doing his job. She is the only one who can make him apologize for being the best detective in this damn city.

"Ja, I know," he tries desperately to justify his actions, "But this case,"

However, he is unceremoniously interrupted by a rather unexpected voice. "The Beilschmidt case?" Alfred comes into view, his hand first as it opens the door wider and he towers over Lili who looks up at him and smiles, "Boss man, you're worrying way too much about this,"

Yes, that's true up until a few seconds ago when his sister's boyfriend intruded on their Sunday dinner time. Case momentarily forgotten, he sets his jaw and looks down at Lili.

"Alfred's here," Vash points of out the obvious, his voice surprisingly calm considering the looming dread returns but this of a blond hair blue eyed executioner attempting to severe long established sibling ties.

Speaking of, an array of emotions play on his dear sister's delicate features before she, surprisingly, settles on what could be interpreted as resolve. Chin up she meets his eyes green for green.

"I invited him,"

"To family dinner?" Vash stresses the very key and important word in this whole affair.

Alfred, like an ignored child butts in again, "We're all family here" The taller blond squeezes between his petit Lili and the doorframe, grabs Vash by the shoulder and pulls him into his sister's house. "Police family, family family, it's all the same."

It is not! Vash glances over his shoulder at Lili who closes the door and gives him a pleading look to at least be nice. Vash's stomach turns as he's pushed along towards the dinning area.

"Plus, I helped Lil cook and she showed me lots of really cool tricks," Alfred continues with a smile too bright, voice too cheery and loud and just everything. "I made this and we made that together, right Lil?"

The shorter blond glances at 'Lil', noting the pink blush decorating her cheeks as she carefully studies her hands as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

She will not meet his eyes, "Ja, will did," and bites her lip as she looks at the spread of food instead.

Vash can't help the surprise in his tone and faces her fully, "You cooked…together?" There's something else there when it dawns on him that they used to cook together all the time.

"Alfred offered to help, so…" she's wringing her hands, not a good sign at all. Lili is nervous and Vash knows that his behavior tonight will mean more to her than anything. It would explain why she was so disappointed with him being late. Had she planned this all along, her and Alfred to cook…together?

The first pop of a severed string from the executioner's blade resounds in his mind. Vash holds back a shiver as bonds only he and Lili shared break and reform with another. No. No. No! This is all wrong and way too soon! They shouldn't be cooking together yet or doing anything without another person present. Yes, he is aware of the hypocrisy of his thoughts considering he's the one who sponsored this little union. It's only been a few months though. Hasn't it?

He nearly recoils from the unwanted and unnecessarily hard clasps on his back that makes him stumble a bit. Once again, Alfred interrupts much to Lili's gratitude and his annoyance. "C'mon bro, let's eat! I'm starving."

His sister scurries away to get drinks while he and Alfred sit opposite each other, leaving the head seat to the woman of the house. No soon as his chair is pushed in, Alfred sets off on another stream on conversation to fill the silence. Vash tunes him out while glancing at the spread of food. Freshly roasted potatoes and veg, grilled pike, and käsknopfle, Lili spared nothing and that makes him wonder just how much she spent on all of this.

Just as his brain starts ringing up numbers, she returns with a bottle and three glasses, "I have white wine,"

His face must have given away his confusion and temperament about such an expense being used for something so casual, "Alfred brought it," Lili assures him and sits the bottle and glasses down.

Vash has a million things he wants to say but the words catch in his throat at the exchange before him. Something secret and private passes between the two when Lili sits the glasses down and Alfred offers to pour the wine. He mumbles something and Vash can do nothing but watch while Lili giggles quietly, brushing hair from her face and giving her boyfriend a rather, ahem, coquettish look.

He does clear his throat at that but the action is ignored. White fist clench the lacey tablecloth. It doesn't take that long to pour three glasses of wine! Their nearly silent exchange ends with a subtle hip bump of which he is sure he is not meant to notice. Yet the insinuations of such action make Vash push his chair back. Lili looks at him, wine in hand with the innocent smile he's know her to have.

"Here Vash," she hands it to him; probably assuming he was going to try reaching for it himself. He forces a thank you but does glare at Alfred when the blond looks away.

Thankfully, no more flirtatious glances are passed during dinner. Lili reclaims her modest decorum while they eat. Vash on the other hand, watches Alfred like a hawk. Surveillance is a part of his job, finding clues, putting pieces together. Just how far has Alfred gone with his dear sister?

Alfred just rattles on, carrying the conversation like a clueless idiot. "Yeah, and then we went to this little farm and Lil was totally fangirling over the baby chicks. It was so adorable."

"Interesting," Vash adds his piece and shoves a potato in his mouth.

The American laughs (again) and waves his fork around. "It was! They let us ride the horses for like thirty minutes too. The guy was like super hesitant to let Lil ride one. But I convinced him that she'd rode bigger horses before."

"More wine, Vash?" Lili asks politely, holding the half empty bottle.

He waves his hand and sighs, "No Lili. I'm fine."

Lili turns to Alfred and refills his glass. A cringe-worthy 'thanks babe' follows and, this time, Vash cannot help his rather loud sigh. Both parties look to him, Alfred blinking as he sits his glass down.

"Dude, you okay?" he asks, "You've seemed kind of out of it since you got here."

"I have a lot on my mind," Vash's words come through gritted teeth.

Alfred nods slowly and takes a sip of his wine. Vash watches blue eyes as they look away, glazing over with something unlike he's seen before. Seriousness coats them. Alfred licks his lips and sits his glass down, the only noise in the sudden quiet. An oblique glance his way before the man speaks.

"Thinking about the case, huh?" Alfred speaks seriously, almost chastening.

Vash huffs and looks away, "I have others things to think of then the," his phone buzzes and he stops his statement to reach into his pocket. He can feel the blue eyes watching him over the other side of the table. Ignoring both sets of eyes on him, the detective looks at the message from his work phone.

Blonde brows rise. Vash blinks once, then again. No way. He scrolls through the message, reading the contents twice over before it sunk in. A quick text from one of the other officers that requires his immediate attention, something about a new lead. This can be the thing he needs to move forward in this case. Finally, a new witness, something that can get him out of the stagnation. Vash sits up quickly, ready to reply to his fellow officer when a petit hand grabs the phone from his.

His head jerks up and his met with defiant green eyes of Lili. "No work,"

"Lili, you don't understand-,"

The tiny woman shoves the phone in her back pocket, and gathers the empty plates from the table. "No work, Vash. Not until we have dinner at least," She falters a step, confidence wavering a moment before she hurries off to the kitchen, his phone in tow.

Vash stands quickly, prepared to confront his dear sister when a taller, broader wall stops him. Without that goofy grin and boyish smile, Alfred suddenly looks a little more intimidating. Not that Vash is scared in the least. He's taken down criminals Alfred's size and then some. The two men stand off across the table, him glaring and Alfred giving him a pointed look. A moment passes. Alfred opens his mouth finally.

"Boss man,"

"Vash," the older blond corrects, neither men speaking in particularly pleasant tones.

Alfred snorts and nods once, "Okay, Vash. Seriously, you really need to lay off this case. Lil's like working herself up worrying about you worrying about a cut and dry case for no reason."

The statement is almost a slap to his pride. He never wants Lili to worry over him and says as much. "Let me worry about Lili." Vash counters, "I'll talk to her myself."

"Yeah, like that's gonna change anything." Alfred rebuts, "The whole precinct can see how you're running yourself into the ground over this. And for what? We had our guy but you insisted on looking for something else."

Vash crosses his arms, facing the challenge with on of his. "How long have you been an officer, Jones?"

"Long enough to know that evidence is the best damn thing we have to book a scumbag. One that you let get away."

Anger seethes, Vash fist hits the table while the other points accusingly at Alfred, "Evidence can lie. Rookies like coming fresh from the academy with a stick up the ass thinking you know everything. It isn't always by the book and I'll be damned before I put an innocent man in jail."

Alfred grunts and sneers, "Sounds like you want Beilschmidt to be innocent. What is it, Vash? Conflict of interest? Your friend's boyfriend gets charged with murder and now all of a sudden there has to another suspect? Funny how Liz is missing too. Assailant and accomplice, that's what I see, what everyone sees but you."

He shrugs and throws up his hands, "But what do I know? I'm just a rookie, right."

Unable to control the mounted anger, Vash pushes his chair back, read to defend his integrity as a detective. Alfred stands his ground unflinching. It's only a matter of time before something goes flying. He wants to punch him in the face so badly but Lili stands in the doorway, a torte on a pretty plate in her hands.

She's biting her lip so hard it's turning red. Vash's distraction makes Alfred turn around.

"Lil," he calls in a soft voice. She doesn't answer, ducking her head as she walks over to the table.

"Here's dessert," she whispers with no eye contact, sits the torte in the middle of the table along with Vash's phone, and then walks away.

Vash moves instantly, ready to go after, "Lili, wait" but Alfred grabs his shoulder, bringing his steps to a halt.

"I think you've done enough, alright. Go…take your call or whatever."

Then leaves Vash in the dining room with a chocolate torte, a phone and the dreadful feeling of letting his dear Lili down.


A/N: And we're back with Vash's point of view AND a new witness? Suspect? Liz is missing and there's tension on the force! Get all the juicy details in our next chapter of Innocence!