Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, than you should not read this.

Chapter 212

Koban duty was usually nowhere close to being exciting. Most days it was just a mater of sitting around waiting for somebody to come by to complain about something. One of the reasons Tsukune liked to make walking patrols of the town was to hold avid the boredom of just waiting behind a desk all day. With school out, Tsukune had thought things would be even more quiet than usual.

With the Board Chairman was going ahead with his plans for expanding the school, that wasn't the case. He had a crew hard at work already. The workers were living in tents on campus officially, but many were spending their time in town when their workdays were over. The town was quiet in the morning up until the mid afternoon. The shops did their normal business most of the day, but as evening neared, things started to get a little more lively. The bath house for example put out some extra sign boards. So did the places that sold alcohol, but usually only as an aside to the meals they served, to draw in more workers with money to spend. A few places closed up early, or at least pulled in their sign boards, because the work crews were not the kind of customers they were interested in. Once the workers were done with their labors for the day, the town became very lively.

Tsukune found the busy evening hours to be challenging, but not to any extremes so far. The cells in the koban were being used to hold workers that could not hold their alcohol. There were no major problems, but small ones were cropping up all over. The club Ageha enjoyed whenever she visited for example, it was willing to have the workers visit and spend their money, but when things started to get rowdy, they had not problem calling the police in. Shoving matches and small fights happened almost every night.

The first day of his shift Tsukune had been partnered with one of the policemen he had recruited. The same one that had ended up sick the last time they had worked together. After their second shift together, Tsukune was starting to wonder if the guy was prone to eating the wrong thing. He spent most of the shift in the koban complaining about his stomach and frequently hurrying to the water closet. Tsukune left the koban to his partner's care and enjoyed the freedom to do patrols.

The next morning Ikowai, or as Tsukune thought of him, 'Mr. Weak Stomach,' went off shift and left the koban. There was a small house in town that served as a dormitory for the off duty police, with three bedrooms, two beds apiece. Police were not paid very much before they gained any rank, so the somewhat crowded housing was a perk. Tsukune knew that if he was off duty for more than a day, he would go home, rather than make use of the provided apartment.

Tsukune had been cleaning out the cells when Ikowai went off duty. This meant waking up and turning loose the now sober youkai workmen, and one woman. Once they were shown the door, it was time to hose down the cells.

"Captain, good morning," Inari said as she arrived at the koban. She was bright, polished, and ready for duty, with a wide smile on her face.

"Good morning," Ikowai said with more energy than he had shown all shift. "Glad to see you. Nothing is going on at the moment. Have a good shift. Bye." And he was out the door.

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Tsukune said. "How are you doing?"

"I am well," Inari said. "How have you been?"

"Good, thank you." Tsukune gave a nod to the locker room. "Go ahead and put up your things."

"Yes sir," Inari said. "Then I'll make breakfast."

XxxX

Inari could not help smiling. She was with her captain, the man she loved and respected. The schedule had them both on for the next four days, and for most weeks they would be on the same shifts. Not always together, but most of the time they would be, as many as four days a week. It meant that she would be getting more time with Tsukune than when they were still attending Youkai Academy. She had months to spend with him on duty until classes started for them in the fall. Once classes did start, Inari would be with Tsukune almost every day. For the next couple of years, Inari would get more time with him than any of his girlfriends.

It just made Inari's world that much better to know that Tsukune was happy to be working with her. He smiled openly when she greeted him, and frequently had a small smile on his face when they happened to meet each others eye. It encouraged Inari to try to do her best for him, and to do all she could for him. Her motivation did not keep her from watching for opportunities to collect favor points. She was still as determined as ever to prove to him that she could be a capable lover.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxX

Kurumu found it hard not to pout. It wasn't fair that she and Tsukune were both working hard right after graduation. She could tell by the feel of his presence that he had gone south in a series of jumps. She knew that he was back under the barrier and back to work with the police. Meanwhile Kurumu was on another studio set, this time she was dressed as a chef's assistant and doing a walk-on role for a television drama. The stars of the drama were supposed to be meeting at a restaurant for a secret date. Kurumu's role was to be chopping vegetables when one of the stars has to sneak out through the kitchen to keep from being caught.

The role was not challenging or exciting. Kurumu had no lines to learn. Her screen time would be measured in seconds. The episode would not even be aired for another month. Kurumu wasn't doing it for the pay, but for the credit. All as a part of building a foundation for her career, her manager assured her.

The fact that Tsukune was working meant that Moka and Mizore could not be hanging all over him. That was a cold comfort to Kurumu. She knew that as soon as he was free, if she wasn't able to go to him, one of the others were likely to be at his side soon enough. And of course, if Tsukune was working with the police, then his little lieutenant was bound to be there. Kurumu trusted Tsukune, and she tried to be understanding, but it was so easy to be jealous of anyone that got to be close to him when she couldn't.

On the bright side, she and Tsukune were both working hard on their future. Kurumu didn't know what Moka was going to do until her classes started, and Mizore had gone home. Tsukune would know that Kurumu was taking her future seriously, and he would be proud of her, just as she was proud of him. She knew that some day, she and Tsukune would use all that drive and seriousness to raise a family.

XxxxxxxxxX

Come Friday evening Tsukune knew he should expect trouble. It was the first Friday since the end of the school year, and his own graduation. He wished that he could be out with his friends, and understood why he couldn't. He also knew that if he wished that he could be out having fun with his friends, there would be many who would be out with their friends. In a town full of youkai, many who had worked hard all week, Tsukune knew it was going to be a busy night for Inari and himself.

It turned out that Tsukune was right about Friday night. The workmen from campus were eager to relax and drink up a large chunk of their pay. Where there were people ready spend money, there were always others willing to help them. Even the little old lady that ate rats was making money. She had a tiny business selling ramen and beer that was doing good business with all the workmen looking for someplace cheap.

With alcohol available for anybody with enough money, drinking was very popular. Tsukune started his evening patrols on the look-out for anybody being too rowdy. Whenever he saw a worker already reaching their limit, he made a point of getting them away from their drinking and pointing them in the direction of the work camp. A firm voice, a level gaze, the police uniform, and occasionally a flare of youki was all it took to get his message across. Even trying to be proactive, Tsukune still had a trio of drunks that had to be put into a cell until they sobered up.

As the evening wore on, Tsukune modified his strategy. Most of the workers who were still drinking were just working their way into a stupor before staggering off to look for another drink or some other distraction. When Tsukune found them, he would bluster and intimidate them, and then send to sleep off the alcohol. In the case of the ones too drunk to manage to walk far, Tsukune just got them out of the way. He would bluster enough to get their name, search them, taking their money, and valuables if they had any, and them let them pass out in an alley. In the morning, Tsukune planed to visit the work camp to return what he collected. He hoped that without any more money the drunks would ether return to camp when they could, or just give up and sleep for the night. Also, if he already had their money, they couldn't be robbed in their sleep.

After a final round of the drinking establishments as they were closing up, Tsukune started heading back to the koban. He was looking forward to some rest when he was surprised by the sight of a pair of women that were walking, barely, together through the town. When the women saw him, open surprise showed on their faces. They paused for a moment, and then one tried to rush towards him on unsteady legs with her arms out stretched.

"Aono-kun," Nekonome Sensei gave an excited cry.

"Sensei," Tsukune answered, holding out an arm to hold off the inebriated woman.

His defense backfired on on him. Nekonome just wrapped both of her arms around his, hugging it to her chest. She smiled up at Tsukune, more than close enough for him to smell the alcohol on her breath.

"It's such a surprise to see you here," Nekonome said as here eyes tried to focus on Tsukune's face. "I have to tell Kagome." She proceeded to pull Tsukune the five meters towards her equally drunk companion. "Kagome... Look. It's Aono-kun."

"I remember you," Kagome Sensei said with a crooked smile. "You are the only boy to ever quit my special tutoring and still pass my class." She moved in on Tsukune with swaying hips. "You must have some remarkable strength of will."

"I know, right?" Nekonome said. "He is the most remarkable student I have ever seen."

"Yes," Kagome agreed. She closed with Tsukune and took his other arm in a breast presenting move worthy of Kurumu. "And and he was quite popular with the girls."

"Oh definitely," Nekonome agreed. She looked up at Tsukune's face. "Just what was it that you did for them?"

"I just did my best to be their friend," Tsukune said.

"Friend huh?" Kagome said with a raised eyebrow. "I saw the way they looked at you. Those girls wanted a lot more from you than just your friendship."

"Well look at himmm," Nekonome looking to her friend said with a little slur to her speech. She reached out to rub Tsukune's chest. "He's sho handsome in his uniform. It kind of makes me want to be his 'friend' toooo. Ra-oww."

"You know..." Kagome drawled. "You may be on to something." She turned a critical eye to Tsukune's appearance. "And we were just talking about how hard it is to find a good man around here."

"Senseis," Tsukune said in a flat voice. "Do you need me to escort you somewhere?"

"Why Aono-kun," Nekonome grinned. "I thought you would never ask. Why don't we all go someplace together?"

"Good idea," Kagome nodded. "Why don't you take us someplace we can spend the night?" She leaned a little closer and gave Tsukune a lusty leer.

"I think I can do that," Tsukune said with a small smirk.

XxXxXxX

Clang!

"Aono-kun?" Nekonome cried from within the holding cell.

"Awwwwww," Kagome pouted. "We just wanted to have a little fun."

"I don't believe you just locked up two of our teachers," Inari said. She sounded impressed and scandalized as she stood next to Tsukune and looked at the two drunk women.

The two teachers were the perfect image of why a lack of restraint was a problem. They were both in their youkai forms, with what little of their remaining clothing half off. The two women were alternating between attempting to entice their jailer and complaining about being locked up, complete with whining pouts.

"It's for your own protection," Tsukune said. "I'll let you out in the morning."

"Awwww," Nekonome pouted.

"Aono-kun!" Kegome cried out. "What's made you be so cruel?"

Tsukune ignored them as best he could as he locked up the Koban for the night. He was aware of the way Inari kept looking at the two women with a smirk. When she came out of the small locker room dressed for bed, she gave the two teachers one last smirk before going to the bunk room. Tsukune was sharply aware that the track suit she was wearing for pajamas was probably about three sizes too small for her body, and that she was wearing it for his benefit. As he went to bed himself, Tsukune was looking forward to the end of the weekend.

XxxxxxxxX

"So how are you doing with your new place?" Ruby asked as she served Moka breakfast.

"It is going well," Moka said. She was visiting with Ruby as a friend. "My father sent me a letter along with the things I asked for. He is not happy that I decided to live on my own, but our family respects ability and determination too much for him to want me to fail."

"I am sure he wants your to be able to prove yourself," Ruby said. "Because you are his daughter and he wants you to be happy."

"Maybe," Moka said guardedly. "But he would also want me to prove myself because I am his daughter, and thereby proving the worth of his ability to raise a family." Moka gave a sigh. "The better I do the more pressure Kokoa will be under."

"I feel a little bad for her then," Ruby commented.

"She'll be alright," Moka said.

"You're not worried that she will try to chase you down again are you?" Ruby asked, remembering how Kokoa had come after Moka in the past.

"I doubt it," Moka answered. "People at school have started seeing her for herself, and not just as my little sister, so she doesn't need to prove herself by trying to beat me in a fight."

"Well, she is the editor of the school newspaper now," Ruby observed. "That is a position you never held."

"That's right," Moka agreed. "Just never tell her that I didn't want the job. Tsukune was much more suited to getting the rest of us to work together."

"Yes he is," Ruby nodded with a smile.

Moka smiled back. With just the two of them, it was easy to let their emotions show. Moka knew that Ruby was in love with Tsukune as well. They had an understanding that between them they would make sure Tsukune was always well loved, supported, and taken care of.

"So you are settling in well?" Ruby started the conversation up again.

"Yes," Moka nodded. "I have my bedroom furnished and arranged." She touched a finger lightly to the rosario. "We reached a compromise on how we will decorate it."

"Tsukune will be glad to know that," Ruby said. "He sometimes worries that you two my not find a balance."

"There was some negotiation," Moka said. "She gets final word over the room we decided to make into a study. I get the kitchen, because she doesn't cook, and we will work together on the main room and the guest room."

"It sounds like you have it all worked out," Ruby observed.

"Now we just need to agree on what we will wear to the masquerade ball," Moka said.

"I have been working on that from the moment I received my invitation," Ruby said with a light in her eyes. "I have already made a costume for Tsukune, and I have started on the ones for everybody else."

"Excuse me?" Moka blinked.

"You know that it is a hobby of mine," Ruby explained. "So I thought I would make costumes that would go well together as a set. At the very least it would make sure that there was something for everybody to wear."

"I see," Moka said carefully.

"It's just for fun," Ruby said. "Besides, I thought it would be a good idea to have a backup plan Tsukune would be willing to support."

"A backup for what?" Moka asked.

"What kind of costume do you think Yukari," Ruby answered. "Or worse, Kurumu might try to get away with?"

"Ahhhh," Moka smiled. "You have a good point."