The Unexpected Complication:

"Are you sure this is safe?" Lily questions.

Glancing between Vash and the review mirror, she eases her car back into the alley just enough not to be seen by anyone walking by. Shifting the car into park, she lets her hands drop to her lap and look over at her brother in the passenger seat.

Vash checks his hair in the visor mirror. He tucks stray strands behind his ear and straightens his hair bun. Turning his head from side to side, the detective frowns in displeasure and goes in to fix the top bun once more. It's a hairstyle he reserves for cleaning his house but Lili says it makes him look younger and more attractive.

"Vash?"

"Of course," he says with certainty. Distracted by what seems to be more important at the moment.

He takes his hair from the hair tie and combs it with his fingers. He's going to get this bun correctly if it kills him.

"That's not what I mean."

"I know,"

Vash keeps his eyes on himself, fixing his now lowered bun until it looks less and less like he's about to clean the city and more like he's going undercover. More importantly, that he looks like your average adult about to hit the club scene on a Thursday night.

Lili leans back in her chair and gazes over the dashboard out of front glass at the nightclub across the street.

"I mean doing this alone. Don't you think you should call Alfred as back up? He's your partner after all."

Lili's comment draws his attention away from his looks to gaze at her. Lili blinks ahead but doesn't turn to meet his gaze. Whether she feels it or not is unclear and, regardless, she's long since become accustomed to his disapproving stares. He doesn't disapprove of her, of course. Just her suggestion. Alfred is a nuance to say the least. Even after nearly a year on the same case, Vash is not used to having a partner. He doesn't dislike Alfred but the man is trying to ever nerve ending in Vash's brain. Being his little sister's boyfriend doesn't make him more likeable either.

"Lili, I've been undercover alone before. I've been a detective longer than Alfred knew how to shoot a gun. I'll be fun."

Lili turns her head and looks out the window mumbling, "Alfred shot his first gun at five."

"What?"

"Nothing. You should hurry up to the club. You can't keep the lady waiting."

Vash checks his hair in the mirror once more and plays with it until he's comfortable to step outside of the car.

"You look younger," Lili assures and gives him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks, I think."

His sister giggles and he glares at her halfheartedly.

"I'm leaving," he announces and opens the passenger door. "Remember what I told you. Drive in the opposite direction, away from the club. Don't call me at all tonight. I'll send you a message in the morning."

Lili nods seriously and watches as he exits the car.

Vash squeezes between the car and brick building to get out of the alley and onto the main road. Summer is definitely on it's way but there's still a crisp spring chill in the air, cool enough to warrant a jacket. He pulls at the collar of it and jogs between cars across the busy street.

As he approached the club his informant asked him to meet, Vash hears music boom outside. It's upbeat and loud, a song he doesn't know but serves its purpose of making you want to dance. It thumps in beat with pulsing lights from inside that temporary illuminates the walkway in front of the building in rainbow lights. The crisp breeze seems to dampen as he nears the place. A couple, reeking of alcohol, kiss heatedly next to the entrance door, completely oblivious to Vash as he raises an eyebrow at them before pushing the door open and entering.

A musky humidity lingers in the air despite the cool weather outside, saturated with the smell of alcohol and sweat. Music and voices mingle in his ear as he stands in line. About five people line up before him. One woman gives him a passing glance before going back to chatting with her friends. The rest ignore him completely, unaware of the law officer behind them.

He pays his fair, a measly 10 dollars exchange for the strange red stamp forced onto his arm. He eyes it for a moment as he walks further into the place. Once there, the music is deafening. Vash has never fancied places like this. Large crowds, overpriced drinks and cheeky women who feel entitled to said overpriced drink never quite appealed to his brand of 'fun'. He adds ungodly loud music to the listen of reasons why clubs make his skin crawl.

Surprisingly, the place is packed for a Thursday. Not that Vash has much to compare to, but he suspected less silhouettes of heads and arms in the air. Vash can't see any definitely faces, just profiles and body parts and that's enough to let him know that moving will be limited.

Out of habit he tries to looks for immediate exits. Should this whole thing go array, Vash can't be caught slipping on his duties. Regardless of his hairdo, he's a detective after all.

The club seems to have three exits, the front door and two in the back, one near the restroom and the other near what he assumes is the employee's lounge. Vash checks the doors, locked, as they should be, before squeezing through the bodies in hopes of finding the bar.

He spots it on the other side of the room. Vash makes his way to it and frowns at absence of seating space. Why do people enjoy these places, really?

"Whatdaya have?" the bartender, a young man with a kind face asks.

"Disaronno, neat."

The young man nods once and reaches under the bar to grab the bottle of liquor. Vash watches as the man flips a cup up right and slides it towards him on the bar. He pours a quarter of the cup worth of amaretto.

Vash offers his cash in exchange for his drink and turns his back to the bar. One elbow leans on the granite countertop and cradles his drink in the other hand. He holds it to his lips and looks around to find Madeline.

Five minutes in, a brunette too drunk to still be requesting drinks from the bar interrupts Vash's solidarity. He can't tell what she orders, only that it looks fruity. He only knows that much because she leans uncomfortably close to him with her drink in hand.

"I'm not interested," Vash says before she even formulates words to say.

She doesn't get it. Or hear him. Or both.

"Are you waiting for someone?" she whispers in his ear.

"I'm not interested!" Vash speaks a bit louder, eyes ahead and alert and aware of the gun hoisted in the back of his jeans.

The woman grins and whispers propositions that he can arrest her for. Vash politely refuses but that seems to make her more insistent. The woman coquettishly places a hand on his thigh. She presses right against his side until her lips and warm breath are on his ear.

"Come on, don't you wanna leave with me?"

Vash reels at the proximity for her body. He leans away, frowning even more than he does on a normal day. He takes the hand on his thigh and sits it on the bar top before turning his back to her. Maybe she'll get the point.

When arms go around his neck, Vash instinctively grabs her wrist.

"Hey!" she yells

He forces her arms to her side, using his own to keep hers right there.

"I told you," he reiterates, "I'm not interested. Maybe you should leave since you're either too drunk or too stupid to take no for an answer."

Vash backs off, leaving her and his empty amaretto glass at the bar. As much as it pains him, he ventures into the sea of sweaty people grinding against each other.

The crowd seems a good place to hide so he dives right into the dance floor and immediately drowns in the mist of sweat and alcohol. He squeezes between dancers until he's in the thick of it all. Body parts bump him on all sides and he can honestly say he's probably touched some women inappropriate by pure accident as he moves through the crowd.

"What kind of drugs and alcohol does it take to enjoy this?" the man grumbles to himself.

Vash stops when the crowd literally would not allow him to pass any further. He lets the wave move him about, not even needing to dance for his body to move in different directions.

Someone bumps his him and he ignores it, looking off in a different direction for Maddie. For the most part, all he sees his women with assess pressed against some guys junk. Or it's two women looking like they need to find a hotel room, quickly. All of the hype for grinding and rubbing body parts, Vash rolls his eyes unimpressed.

Maddie wanted to meet him here? Seriously.

He turns his body away a bit as the second hip bump registers in his brain. If some lady thinks she's about to get a human stool to sit her fat ass on, she's got the wrong guy. Vash is not into that sort of thing at all. He doesn't even look back, hoping that this one is not like the girl at the bar and will get the obvious hit. He does not want to dance.

The hip bump comes back in three quick secessions. He growls under is breathe and glares at no one. The person does it three more times and Vash turns his head to see who is testing his patience and is met with a head of blonde soft curls.

Madeline takes his hand and pulls him into her chest.

"Maddie?" Vash asks with measured patience.

She only chuckles and raises her arms close to his face, shaking them in tune with the music. Vash glares down at the woman who's made him wait for God knows how long in this awful place. What is she expecting him to do?

She leans in close on tiptoes and speaks loud enough for him to hear over the music.

"Dance with me."

"No," Vash replies through gritted teeth and rebelliously stands still, watching her move around like a gyrating chicken. Madeline moves her arms and rests them on his shoulders. Her fingers press into his shoulder muscles. She pulls, drawing him closer to her. Vash clenches his muscle and widens his stance, barely, so as not to be moved.

Madeline laughs and rocks from side to side. "You're enjoying this," she teases.

Vash growls softly. "I don't dance."

"I can tell."

"So why here of all places?"

"Dark and crowded. Perfect cover."

She pulls back and winks at him.

True. He can barely see any faces here. The ones he can see are in short snippets when brighter lights hit their face.

Vash nods in understanding.

"Dance or you'll look like the odd one out." Maddie says with a hint of seriousness.

Vash raises a brow in doubt. He looks to the left, then to the right and back down to her. His brow inches high as his doubt his evident. Who the hell can see them in this densely packed crowd.

Her patience waves and she pulls herself close to his face, lips uncomfortably close to his own.

"I told you they are watching you. Don't assume they didn't follow you here too. Or have people here. Dance with me."

Vash hesitates a moment more before relenting. If only to stop her breathe from tickling his faint mustache. Madeline backs down when he places his hands on the middle of her back. They move a little more as the song seemingly comes to the end. Seemingly. It just fizzles out into a faster beat where another song with lyrics replaces the words. They dance for what feels like forever before Madeline locks her fingers around his neck, drawing his attention. Vash looks down and blinks. Maddie smiles at him and leans in a bit too much for his comfort… again. He looks away quickly and clears his throat, confused by her actions. Over the music he hears her chuckle prettily and that only makes him frown even more.

She pats his shoulder and Vash chances a glance at her. Maddie tilts her head towards the other end of the club.

Vash quickly lets her go to take her hand. Even if she isn't implying they move, he's done pretending to enjoy dancing. He impatiently moves people side. Madeline squeezes his hand as he practically drags her behind him. When the crowd thins some, Vash shoving people aside impatiently until they get to the thinnest part of the crowd. The pulls the blonde woman along side him and takes her to a corner of the club. The music is loud regardless but with less people he can clearly hear her. And hear her he does. However, what she says makes him blink at her in utter confusion.

"Excuse me?" Vash's voice cracks slightly.

The woman blushes slightly and looks away from him. For a moment, he believes she's actually asked to do what he thinks. For a moment, Madeline looks a lot more reserved and timid than she had about thirty seconds ago.

"I said," Madeline wrings her hands and looks at him from the corner of her blue eyes. "Kiss me. Then take me outside. We're going to get a cab to a hotel I've already reserved."

So. He heard correctly.

Vash inhales then levels his eyes at her.

"If you had a hotel, why did you ask to meet me here?"

"Because meeting at the hotel would have been too suspicious. By coming here, they would think you were taking me to a hotel instead of meeting me at one."

"You know that makes you look like a whore and me a douche bag?"

"Better a whore than being recognize. I told you, I'd do whatever I have to do to protect my family."

"I'm not kissing you to prove that we don't know each other—,"

Madeline frowns. "But I told you…!"

Vash grabs her by the arms and pulls her close. He leans down to her ear. "I know what you said and I'm saying I'm not doing it. You wanna go to a hotel and talk, fine. But I'm not kissing you. We're leaving so looked dazed or excited or whatever."

Vash pulls back and takes her hand, repeating the process of dragging her from one side of the crowd to another until they are out of the door. He keeps her hand in his while Madeline discreetly whispers directions to him.

The hotel is close enough to the club that it makes sense for them to come here but nice looking enough for him to not seem like a cheap horny asshole.

If barely.

Once they make it inside the hotel, Vash drops her hand like hot lead. Madeline pays but stays close enough to Vash that if anyone watched them from behind, they couldn't see who fronted the bill.

The room is on the 13th floor. Vash takes the charge of checking it for cameras or wires while Madeline removes her shoes and settles down on the bed. She sighs and rubs a hand through her hair. Vash chooses to stand by the window and unsurprisingly far away from her. After being in such close proximity, he needs space to regain the air of professionalism.

The detective settles his features into a passive scowl, his everyday look and gaze at the city skyline. "This is an elaborate plan just to meet up and chat."

"It would seem that way to you," the woman counters and pivots her weight so that she is facing him. "I told you my reasons for doing this."

He snorts. "You should consider a job in witness protection. Overthinking things is usually their forte."

Madeline smiles softly and rubs her fingers idly against the white sheets. "Yeah, well, I've had a lot of practice hiding out in places. It's a requirement when you're in the line of work that Batsu is."

"Crime," Vash supplies and eyes the dainty woman before him. She doesn't look like she's ever dirtied her hands a day in her life.

A soft chuckle brings his gaze to her face. Madeline gives him a knowing grin and shakes her head.

"I know what you're thinking," she starts, "No one always looks the part of a mercenary. As a detective you deal with profiles all the time. Crimes and criminals fit in a 'type'. I never looked the type…even before."

The room falls silent. Vash crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the window seal.

"Is that why you got Gilbert involved in this organization? To cover your tracks?"

"Seems that way, doesn't it? Gilbert looks and is mean enough to be a murderer."

Madeline looks away from him and shifts again, pushing back on the bed to rest against the pillows.

"But, no, I didn't ask Gilbert to join because I was incapable to do my job. Kiku, the boss of this whole thing wouldn't allow incapable people. I had a lot of anger and needed an outlet. The person who recruited me promised that. I was good at my job but still angry. Gilbert was just…another angry guy with nothing to loss, just like me."

"Guy?"

"Guy"

Vash furrows his brow and Madeline blushes slightly and folds her hands in her lap. She looks at the window he leans against. He shifts his weight even though she…he…isn't really looking at him.

"Are you going to ask?" Madeline questions.

Vash bites the inside of his cheek and forces the weird feeling in his gut to settle. Not twenty minutes ago he was considering kissing Madeline when she offered. Learning that she is or was a he isn't the most pleasant thing.

"I think I got it." Vash supplies surprisingly even.

"I always knew I was different," Madeline says anyway, "People didn't believe me, so I was angry."

"That seems to be the way these story go."

"You're not very good at dealing with delicate topics, are you?"

The blond man snorts loudly and looks incredulously at her. "Honestly? I don't really care what goes on in your head when you look at yourself in the mirror. Whether you think you're a guy or a girl is irrelevant. I came here for one thing: information on Gilbert."

Madeline manages to look putout and she sits up a bit. "I'm not trying to go through the story of my life with you," she defends, "but this is important to understanding what happened with Gilbert. The only reason he took Antonio on is because of me. Because of…this." She gestures to herself.

Vash raises a brow. "They wouldn't let you stay as woman?"

Madeline shakes her head. "No one knew who I was except for Gilbert. I tended to be easily forgot and overlooked, a great skill to have in that line of work. But Gilbert was my partner at the time and he got to know me enough to see who I really was. That and I meant his friend, Francis."

That makes the man stand a bit straighter. Vash's eyes widen slightly. "Bonnefoy."

"The same."

"You're his…?"

"Wife," Madeline finishes, "We met when Gilbert went to visit his brother to check on him. Francis and I just…clicked. But having relationships like that is dangerous, something we both knew. So Gilbert recruited Antonio and helped me to slip out, claiming I didn't make it on a job we had. I went from Matthew to Madeline and no one from Batsu's come to my door since."

Vash blinks once, then again, giving Maddie a once over. He remembers the day he met Francis. The man was cooperative and offered everything he knew about Gilbert. Like most, his information ran short the time Vash assumes the albino joined this underground organization. They talked for…at least an hour if he remembers but not once did he remember ever seeing Madeline even come into the room during that time. Was she out?

"Were you there the day I and the other officers went to Bonnefoy's house?"

"I made you tea," she says plainly, "You didn't want sugar."

Ah.

"I don't remember seeing you."

Madeline offers a wayward smile. "That seems to be the story of my life. As a matter of fact, aside from Sadiq, Gilbert and Francis are the only people who ever noticed me right way and thought enough of me to be friends."

"Who's Sadiq?" he questions.

"The man who recruited me. To be honest, I can't even say that he played attention to me with certainty. I don't quite remember the day we met."

"It wasn't when he recruited you?"

The woman shakes her head. She leans against the headboard and folds her arms, staring at the door in thought. Vash turns his gaze to the skyline and waits for her to gather her thoughts.

"He messaged me," Maddie continues, "Said he saw me at a meeting or something on the college campus I was attending at the time. I guess I was angry because he mentioned an outlet for that anger. I was young and his offer appealed to me. Like it does most of us. We all have different reasons for joining Batsu. For me, it was a place of belonging, for Gilbert, it was Ludwig. He would have done anything to make sure his brother was cared for."

Vash nods at that. He'd spoken to the youngest Beilschmidt and the loyalty between them was unmistakable. Gilbert loves his brother that he has no doubt about.

"What about Antonio?" Vash turns his gaze back to her, "he replaced you right?"

"Yes, but I worked with him long enough to not raise suspicion. If you're asking what motived Toni to join, I can't say for sure. The man is a bit…hard to read."

"Oh, yeah. How so?"

Blonde brow furrows and Madeline's soft features contour into a concentrated stare. She bites her lip and looks down at her lap. "He was just…odd. The best way to describe it is like two people at once."

"So you're saying he's crazy."

"Not crazy just…" she searches for words and Vash shifts his weight, feeling a sudden bout of uneasiness. "Purposeful. On the surface, Toni comes off as an idiot. He's carefree and clumsy, slightly forgetful at times, loud and almost childish. But whenever we went on hits as a trio, something clicked. It's like his entire personality changed. I'd dare say that he almost…enjoyed his job a bit too much. Plus, he was freakishly protective of Gil, something Gilbert was just used to or hadn't noticed."

The detective absorbs the new information with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity. Antonio seems to be more of an anomaly than he thought. Actually, now that he thinks about it, anyone willing to marry Lovino Vargas has to be some level of mentally insane. The man is an emotional wreck, more likely to cry than to kill. But he was respected; so Vash can't put it pass the Italian to have killed before. Still, the mob boss hasn't missed one mass service with exception to when he leaves the country. He visits local Italian restaurants but only dines regularly at the ones with little old grandmas as the head chief. Somehow this immigrant from Spain managed to keep all of that mass of confusion under control? It takes crazy to love crazy, he supposes.

The sinking uneasiness in his gut doesn't let up. For Antonio to have found his way into Lovino's good grace enough to become a lover suggests that he's not your average crazy guy. That thought is unsettling in light of so many other things, namely Elizaveta. Vash is certain that she's with him and someone who can change personalities so easily is not someone that can be easily trusted.

Vash clenches his fist and frowns. Liz is so impatient and now she's gotten herself tangled in with a man who may be worse than Gilbert.

"What about Lovino?" he asks tersely, "Were they a thing when you were still working for Batsu?"

"Lovi and Toni?" she asks and he nods, "It was just hearsay at the time. People from Batsu don't normally stick together but we do rely information if hits overlap. There was rumor that Toni'd got mixed up with the Italians and that Lovi graced him for a reason no one knew. Gil wouldn't answer directly when I asked about it but he said that Toni wouldn't do anything to put our plan in danger. After that, Antonio showed up less whenever we got together to meet. He would come the night before hits and he and Gil would talk over details. Now that I think about it, I can remember them having disagreements sometimes. Gilbert would leave in a fit of annoyance and Antonio just looked putout for whatever reason. By the next day, they seemed fine. I never asked what the commotion was about and they didn't seem too ready to give me details either. Even though it wasn't overtly obvious, everyone knew that Toni and Lovi were connected somehow. I imagine Gil knew more than I did. And Toni would just smile at me and ruffle my hair whenever I brought it up. As boisterous as Lovino can be, he's a very private kind of guy, I think."

Vash snorts.

"I know," he drawls, "especially when it comes to family."

"Just like Antonio."

"And none foreseen that as problem?"

Madeline shrugs one shoulder. "Not when the ones they are protecting are themselves. Still, I can't imagine the protection Toni received from being Lovino's favorite went over well with the others in Batsu. I have people looking into now."

Vash cocks a curious brow. "That Sadiq guy?"

Madeline grins knowingly at him and slides out of the bed. "You have your people and I have mine. But it's not Sadiq. I told you, I only saw him once. He and Kiku don't interact much with the people who do the dirty work in Batsu. They are more…hands off."

Vash follows her with his eyes as she walks to the closet. Madeline pulls out a small purple suitcase, carryon side for an airplane, and carries it to the bed. She glances up at him and holds his gaze for a moment before looking at the clock on the nightstand the down to her suitcase on the bed.

"We've talked for more than an hour," she says and unzips the luggage. "That should suffice for a night together. I'm going to shower and get some rest. You're welcomed to stay the night with me or leave."

He nods though she isn't watching him and turns once more towards the skyline. Vash watches as cars flitter by in specks of white and red light. It's late and he knows that if he goes home now, he won't get a wink of sleep, not with everything they've discussed. Each new item feels so disconnected yet connected that he isn't quite sure what to do with it all.

Antonio, Lovino and Gilbert all fit in this awkward messy love triangle that isn't quite a love triangle at all. It's more like three men with a loyalty complex fight for each other's loyalty. Antonio seems to be the object of 'affection' here and the catalyst for everything. If what Madeline says is true, then maybe Gilbert didn't like seeing his friend being pulled away by another man. Maybe Lovino didn't like seeing Gilbert so close? Maybes. Maybes. Maybes. That's all he has right now.

Madeline closes the door the bathroom and a few seconds later, he hears the hiss of water jutting from the shower. The young detective pushes off the window seal and moves to sit on the bed. He rests his elbows on his knees and folds his hands under his chin so it can rest there.

"Alright, Zwingli, we need to think." Vash mumbles to himself and closes his eyes to connect the dots of information. He starts with the most obvious question of all: why does any of this matter?

"Because," he whispers, "piecing together Gilbert's past relationships will help understand his motives for killing an innocent girl…or not killing an innocent girl." Blond brows draw together in confusion. He hums in concentration and frowns even more.

He needs to compartmentalize. So, mentally, he lays the information out like a spider diagram with Gilbert at its center in a circle. Lines putrid from that circle into smaller circles housing different categories: friends, family, likes, dislikes. From general categories go more specific categories, each showing how all of this information connects to make the man known as Gilbert. He connects how Ludwig was Gilbert's motivation, and that falls under family. Batsu falls under his likes and dislikes, all leading to his decision to join such an organization. Antonio, Madeline and Francis fall under friends, with the former two connecting to Batsu as that connects to the over theme of Gilbert's loyalty. By the time Vash has connected all of the dots, he's arrived at one startling conclusion: the murder doesn't make sense.

"Join a gang to provide for your brother…. recruit a friend to save a friend…leave a gang to find a lover…kill a girl to…to do what?" Vash hums and slowly opens his eyes, "unless someone you cared for was in danger, there is no reason to kill the girl."

Vash can say now, without a doubt, that Gilbert didn't act without a reason. He will bet his badge that Gilbert's disappearance has to do with keeping Liz safe. Because she's the one in danger now.

He pushes himself up to a stand, "Gilbert is reckless but not for himself, always for others."

"You're staying?" Madeline's words make him turn to face her. She lingers in the bathroom doorway dressed in plain pajamas and a towel about her head.

"I'm leaving soon," Vash informs, "but I have one question that maybe you could answer. Was there anyone you know that could have wanted to see Gilbert dead or in trouble?"

Madeline's blue eyes glaze over and Vash takes a step forward as her face drains of emotion and settles into the mask he's seen her wear when thinking of her family.

"I," she starts and looks up at him with seriousness. "I don't know for sure but I have a feeling and I have people looking into that too."

Vash seizes the news and shakes his head impatiently. "Doesn't matter, what is it? Who are you thinking of?"

She exhales and pulls the towel from her hair, using it as buffer. "The Braginski case, you know the one that Lovino was tried for?"

"Of course,"

"Well, Lovino is a lot of things but he's not a risk taker. There's no way he would have gone after Ivan on his own. Plus, with an organization like Batsu, there was no reason for him to send his own men to do something one of us could've done. I think it was someone from Batsu and I think Gil might be mixed up in whatever happened with that hit."

"Get Lovino convicted to get to Gilbert? That seems too complicated."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too until I really thought about it. They called Gilbert Ghost in Batsu because he was just that good you couldn't catch him. Maybe the person tried to get Gil but failed. Then he played off the possible animosity between Gil and Toni because of Lovino."

"The Braginski trial did take place around the time Gilbert supposedly left Batsu. I remember reading something Elizaveta found on it. You think Gilbert knew he was being set up?"

"Possibly. That could be way he left in the first place."

Vash sighs as they go silent for a moment. Madeline's cloudy eyes look away.

"With everything that could have happened between Gilbert and Antonio, if someone wanted Gilbert dead, having Lovino pissed off at him is a surefire way to see it gets done."