"Would it be best if I left them here in Japan or took them with me?"
"It's your choice Amu. Like I've been telling you."
I sighed. There was only 4 days left till our departure to France. Normal people would be at least excited or pumped. But no, not me, I was never like a normal person.
Here I was sitting in the kitchen at 4 in the morning, as worried as hell talking to Tsukasa who was probably at his wits end from me asking so many questions.
"What do you think at least? I know it's my choice, but would it be safer to keep Ami and Noelle here with Utau and Yaya watching over them, or take them to France?"
"What do they think?"
I managed a laugh.
"What would they think? Ami definitely wants to go to France but Noelle…she wants to stay here in Japan."
"I wouldn't blame them. Either of them. Just understand France is dangerous enough without bringing Kyou into this. Just because you're bringing family along won't make it safer than an average day living there. You especially should know about this Amu."
Sighing, I rested my head back against one of the cabinets. It was true. I knew the everyday dangers. Maybe not exactly what people witnessed every day, but what people on the streets felt.
"I'm leaving them here with Utau and maybe Yaya. But you know, ever since she and Kairi got together, there hasn't been much time for us."
"I see. Well, I guess that's the best choice of action to take. Don't forget, the rest of us are here as well."
"Thank you. And sorry for calling so early."
"You were worried. I'm just here to help."
"Thank you again. Bye."
I closed my eyes and they stung with dread.
"What am I going to do?"
Ikuto POV
It was 5:00 a.m. now. I had been awake for nearly 2 hours now just pacing back and forth and trying to pack.
The suitcase was sitting wide open on my bed just staring at me…emptily. There were a few shirts and a couple pairs of pants. Not to mention the other necessities like soap, underwear, toothbrush, etc.
Just going back to France made me jittery with nerves. I hadn't been to France since I was 15. It's been nearly 13 years since I've been back where I was born.
Sighing, I walked to the phone and began to call my frantic mother.
"Hello?"
"Hi mama, it's Ikuto."
"Ikuto! I haven't talked to you in ages! How is my little boy?"
No matter how hard she tried to sound excited, I knew she wasn't. Her voice was tired and strained. Not that I blamed her, after Saya had been kidnapped she'd fallen apart.
"I'm guessing the first part would be my fault, and I'm fine."
"Don't worry; you've been busy with work." After a moment of silence, she lowered her voice and began again, "How's it going on your end?"
Frustrated, I shoved my hand into my hair and paced the room.
"We don't have very many leads. All we have is the abandoned shack he used to stay in and the little girl we found, Noelle. She's staying with Amu."
"Amu? Amu Hinamori? I'm guessing."
"You know her. How? Did Kukai tell you?"
"Did Kukai tell me what? Is there a little fling between the two of you?"
When I didn't answer, she laughed. A deep, rich, relaxed laugh.
"Well now. It's not everyday my son gets himself a girlfriend. Though when you were younger you seemed to have tons of them."
"MOM!" I hissed.
"Yes, yes. Anyways, what's with the call honey? Is everything all right?"
"Yeah. I was just calling to say I'm coming to France."
"France? You want to bring Amu over and visit. You know how your father and I love company. Especially Victoria, she hasn't had anything to do in a while."
"As much as I'd love to, I can't. We're hunting the man who took Saya…Kyou."
"Oh, well do be careful now."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
Those last 6 days had just snuck up on us. Amu, Kain and I had been sweating off blood and tears over the last week. Kukai doesn't even practice with us. I'm not sure what's up with his agenda nowadays but he goes in either after us or before us. Now there were only 4 days left until we left.
Sighing, I walked back over to my suitcase and tried to figure which one of my guns I would take.
Kukai POV
I hadn't been training with Ikuto and Amu just so I could what? Not worry Utau? As if, I thought as I headed over to her house.
What was I thinking? I should've just told her straight out that I was going to France on a dangerous mission to capture some psychotic kidnapper. I should just leave. She won't care if I go or not.
I slammed my head against the steering wheel then walked up to her front door. I rang the doorbell then bounced back and forth on my heels.
I heard her run towards the door and when she opened it the aroma of cookies floated out. Her hair was pulled to a sideways braid and around her neck was the silver locket I had left her.
"Kukai? Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. Come in."
"I can't. I just needed to-
"Don't be silly," she laughed pulling me inside.
We both sat on the couch. After a lingering awkward silence, she jumped off the couch.
"Why don't I bring some cookies? Haha, I've baked quite a ton," she exclaimed dashing off towards the kitchen.
She came back as quickly as she had jumped up to leave the living room. In her hand was a tray full of tiny cookies of all flavors and shapes.
How am I supposed to tell her when she's so happy?
"Milk and cookies?" I smiled.
"It's a classic. So what do you want?"
I leaving to France for a while…
"I'll be gone for a while…on a trip…"
"Ooh where are you going?"
"Not like a trip…more like I have to find this bad guy…a thief."
She took a bite out of her cookie, popped the rest of it into her mouth before grabbing another chocolaty one. Utau then looked up with her big purple eyes and laughed heartily.
"Being a cop sounds like so much fun! Don't worry, I trust you. You'll be fine and I know you wouldn't do anything too dangerous."
"Yeah…" I said laughing nervously. I ran my fingers over my hair. "I should probably go now."
"Oh so soon?"
"Yeah. We have another meeting soon."
"Okay…well bye."
"Bye – I'll walk myself out," I said when she got up.
I rushed out of the house and made a bee line to my car.
"Stupid, you didn't even tell her what you came to tell her."
I groaned then cursed.
Time for packing…
Kain POV
It was too early to go to work and start training, but luckily the gym was open all night long. Well…this gym was at least.
The departure to France was in four days. I had to cram in as much training I possibly could. After all we don't know how strong this Kyou is. There is no replay in life. There are no second chances offered in life. I definitely wouldn't be taking any chances with this guy.
As I was finishing my last minute on the tread miler my cell phone vibrated in the pocket of my sweats. I groaned, stopped the machine and answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"My, my. Someone's cranky."
"You're bothering me."
"Now, now, is that how you talk to your older sister?"
"Yes. What do you want Kisa?"
She released a large sigh.
"Mom and Dad want you to come over for dinner before you leave."
"I'm leaving in four days. That's plenty of time to go to dinner."
"Please, I've told them. Now are you coming or not?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Not really," she said releasing a large laugh.
"It wasn't that funny," I mumbled as she repeated my words over and burst out laughing again.
"Yes it is. When you were little, Mom and Dad would be like 'Kain, eat all of your brussel sprouts'. Then you'd put on an annoyed expression and say, 'Do I have a choice?'"
"Whatever. I don't remember."
I took advantage of the silence and finished up my minute then moved onto the weights.
"Tohru wants to see you."
I froze…I didn't want to remember her. I didn't need to remember her.
Has she changed?
"I don't want to see her."
"Come on Kain. It's okay…she says it's okay. She forgives you."
"Stop…I have to go Kisa. Tell Mom and Dad I'm coming to dinner. Bye."
"Kain wait I-
I hung up the phone and jammed it into my pocket.
No more.
Two Days Later
Ikuto's POV
I put on a pair of jeans, a dark blue tee and my leather jacket over it. I grabbed my keys off the counter and just as I was about to leave the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Oh good, I thought you'd have left by now. It's Tsukasa."
"What is it?"
"I'm running a bit of a high fever," he said with a light chuckle. "Could you do me a favor and update all of the employee folders?"
"What a drag…fine. But you owe me old man."
"Yes, yes."
"Get well. Bye."
I hung up the phone and walked straight to the car.
Later
I walked up to Amu's office first. I hadn't seen her in two days because of all the training. She looked up, her small pink glasses on the tip of her nose and smiled.
"Good morning," I said planting a peck on her lips.
"Good morning back."
"What're you up to?"
"Just double checking the flights for Friday."
"Why are you double checking it?"
"Just to make sure it's safe and right."
"Don't be a worry wart, it'll be fine."
"Whatever."
"Hmm…I didn't know you wore glasses."
"I don't, I wear contacts. I worked my butt off in school."
"Oh did you?" I asked raising my eyebrow.
She frowned at me, and then cracked a teensy smile.
"Yes, I did."
"Any boyfriends?"
"No."
"How about-
"Ikuto, as much as I love having you around. I have work to do," she smiled.
"I know," I said bending down to kiss her again. "I'll be in my office."
"Okay."
I walked out of her office and went all the way down the hall to where his office was. Once inside the office, I pulled open the drawer of the file cabinet and groaned.
"What the hell…this is going to take forever."
Grumbling, I pulled out all of the files and carried them back into my office. They were relatively thin I noticed and that would save me a lot of time. When I dropped them onto my desk one of the folders fell to the ground.
As I came to pick it up, I noticed two things. A) It had 'Do Not Open' in bold red letters. B) It was super thick.
"Now who do you belong to?" I asked myself as I looked at the top.
Amu Hinamori.
I opened her file and looked at it. On the top was her basic information and beneath it was a list of previous employments. All that was understandably normal.
It was the newspaper clippings, the old photographs, and journal entries that confused me.
I grabbed the first newspaper clipping. On the top it was headlined: The 10 Year Old Criminal.
The 10 year old criminal? Curious and as well as suspicious I read the article.
While our 10 year olds are tucked safely in their beds, this rambunctious 10 year old is off doing things we see grown men and women doing on the news. Amu Hinamori was seen robbing a bank late afternoon on June 6. She gave the excuse for her little sister being shot.
I stopped reading it, and slammed it back into the file. She was not a 10 year old criminal. Amu, herself told me, when she was 10 she was in an orphanage.
Another article read – Ikuto Tsukiyomi: Negotiator or Love Interest.
Where are all these articles coming from? I've certainly never read them before.
June 6, young Amu Hinamori was caught for robbing a bank filled with hostages. Police officers were called, and because of the hostage situation along with the gun she possessed, negotiator, Ikuto Tsukiyomi, was called in. He safely handled the situation and freed the hostages. He safely handled that being only 17 years old. What an accomplishment! That was his job, but was his job to offer $100,000 in scholarship money? Has he taken a fond interest towards this young child?
I was on the edge of believing and disbelieving. Then a photograph caught my eye. There I was when I was 17 hugging Amu…a young Amu. Ami was in my arms, while Amu showed off a toothy smile and a band-aided cheek.
So we've apparently met? Where does the orphanage fit in all this?
Then to top it all off was a journal entry from Tsukasa.
September 24:
I've given Ikuto the day off…I knew he was going to ask anyways, but I gave to him. I already knew why he wanted the day off, today was the day Amu would be going to court as a witness for her friends that had been murdered. I don't remember his name quite well and Amu doesn't seem to want to say anything. Oh well. Yes, Ikuto now I feel so much pity towards him. Its Amu's birthday today, as well as the court day and he had absolutely no idea what to get her. Poor Rima was stuck with him for 3 hours shopping.
~Tsukasa
My eyes burned as I reread the letter.
As I picked up another photograph of Amu and I a couple years later, my door swung open.
"Ikuto, does this seem r-
"What's wrong?" she asked sliding her hand over my cheek.
"You're past…was it a lie?"
A/N
Early update because I was so excited to get this published. The points of views were just showing how each person going to France was taking the news. Yes, yes, Ikuto finally understands something. And next chapter, he learns the COMPLETE past.
Thanks for the support all with the reviews, story/author alerts, and author/story favorites. It means a lot.
Neko-Meme
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