Fakir sat impatiently at the same table he had his chat with Tutu. He puffed on a cigarette to calm his nerves. He wasn't entirely sure where Mytho and Rue were and honestly he didn't want to be here any longer than he had to. He lingered a bit on everything that happened recently. He had reunited with an old friend, joined his underground network of good Samaritans and was partnered with an incredibly frustrating info broker. And it hadn't been 24 hours yet!

He had only had one interaction with his partner, and he could already tell she was going to be a handful. He looked over to the other side of the room where he could see her with a group of girls. He could tell from their body language they were talking about him. He took another deep inhale of tobacco and looked the other way. He tried scanning the room for any sign of his new employer. He found him before when he entered the speakeasy for the first time. Why was he hard to find now? He crushed his cigarette on the ashtray at the center of the table.

He felt a pair of hands atop his head followed by some other weight. If he had to guess, they put their head on top of their hands. And only one person came to mind who it was. "Tutu, get off me." He grumbled.

"Aww, why?" She teased.

"I told you I expect professionalism in this relationship. So whatever this is, stop it!"

She sighed, "Fine…" She removed her head and hands from his head and sat down next to him.

He glowered at her. "What do you want?"

She shrugged with a smile. "Riddle me this: how does a speakeasy owner rope a detective with a bad attitude into his company?"

He arched his brow. Was she seriously trying to get personal with him? "Is that any of your business?"

She pouted, "We're partners now, it wouldn't hurt to have some understanding of each other. You can't blame me for that." He didn't say anything. She looked out at the dance floor. "If it helps, you can ask me anything."

He groaned, "You're not going to quit, are you?"

That playful smile returned. She leaned towards him with her head propped up on her elbows and waited expectantly. "Fine… Mytho and I were old friends." He said flatly.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed. You two seem so different."

Fakir sighed, "We grew up together. We… had a bit of a falling out some time ago. We saw each other every now and then, but it was always pretty distant. I guess I agreed to do this for 'old time sake'."

Although she kept that cute girl act on her face, Fakir could see in her eyes she was pondering what he had told her. "What about you?" He said, "How did you end up here?"

She cocked her head to the side, "Rue found me when I needed her help. We hit it off so we'll, she took me on as an info broker."

"That simple, huh? What exactly does that entail?"

She leaned back in her seat, that smile still present. "Easy. People have information. Get to know that person, and they'll give you information."

"So what happens when they don't want to cooperate?"

She laughed, "I can't tell you all my secrets." She stood up and moved behind him. "But let's say sometimes those people need a different approach." She whispered in his ear. Fakir was so distracted by her invading his space, he hadn't noticed her adjusting his tie. "Thanks for the chat." She patted his shoulder before walking away.

Fakir felt the blood rush to his cheeks out of frustration. "Wait… damn it!" He bit out after she left. He couldn't believe she had played him so easily. Though to be honest, it wasn't that serious. All she really did was find out a little about him. It was more of Fakir's pride that was hurt by her easy manipulation. She definitely did a good job of convincing people to let their guards down around her. He was also annoyed that she still wasn't working in that professional boundary he was expecting from her. That was when he noticed she had slipped a small piece of paper in the knot of his tie. He pulled it out to look at it.

Look up.

'What the hell?' he thought. He looked at the skywalk where Mytho and Rue were in deep discussion. He looked back in Tutu's direction, but she paid no attention to him. Yeah, she was definitely going to be a handful.

He got out of his seat and made his way up the skywalk. Mytho and Rue stopped their conversation and watched the detective expectantly. What they didn't expect was what came out of Fakir's mouth first.

"Rue if I have to interact with Tutu one more time, I'm going to lose it!" He hissed.

Rue rolled her eyes while Mytho sighed exasperated.

"It's just a game she plays, Lohengrin." Rue said.

"A game? Are you kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. It's part of the character she plays here."

Fakir glared at her, clearly unamused. Rue sighed, "Look at it like this: she plays the local vixen. The woman who sees and knows everyone. It would be out of character for her to not interact with you every once in a while."

"She can do that without this obnoxious flirt act she has." Fakir muttered.

"Maybe not," Mytho said, "Tutu pulling you into her game has its advantages. You stand out like a lone hound that everyone is afraid to approach. But if she approaches you like she does with everyone else, you hide in plainview."

Fakir huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could understand what they were saying, but it didn't make it any easier to swallow. Mytho put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know this will be hard to adjust to, but I promise it's all for the greater good."

Fakir cooled his temper before speaking. "Paulo's wife is back home, safe and sound. There was a catch though."

Mytho's face harded, "What was that?"

"I owe the Raven a favor." Rue and Mytho were deathly silent. Fakir went on, "She owed the Raven a favor. I knew if I took it on, she would be safe."

Mytho nodded, "I certainly hope you can pay off that debt soon. The longer that's over your head, the longer that poses a threat to our operation. We may have to hold off having you take on another case until it's paid."

Fakir nodded. It made sense. Mytho's network opposed the Raven. The whole thing could come crumbling down if one person turned on them.

"In the meantime," Mytho said, "why not stay for the rest of the night?"

Fakir put up his hand in dismissal. "I'm not one for the party scene."

Mytho put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "Then maybe just a drink?"

Fakir dropped his head and huffed before looking at his friend. "What do you really want?"

"To catch up. It's been so long since we've talked."

He shrugged. "Eh, what the hell."

Perhaps it was the many years of being alone that caused Fakir to spend almost the entire night visiting with his old friend for so long. A life of solitude, while complacent and familiar, could never hold a candle to wasting a few hours catching up with an old friend over a few glasses of good whiskey. Fakir counted himself lucky. It's not very often old friends get together and act like time hasn't changed them at all. The two sat at the bar, chatting away their worries.

"So all this time, you've poured yourself into detective work?" Mytho asked.

Fakir nodded, "Can't get good at something if you never do it."

"I get that. What I mean is, you don't have anything else to occupy your time? Like a hobby or a friend?"

Fakir only took another sip. "Seriously, Fakir! Do you really do nothing?"

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds like my life is completely uneventful." He said into his glass.

"Sorry. It's just…" Mytho paused, "When we were kids, you were interested in everything. Writing, dancing, fighting." He looked down so his bangs covered his eyes, "But I guess that was a long time ago."

"I guess it was…"

A long sad silence hung in the air that not even the loud jazz could fill. Yes, while the two men were friends, there would always be this uncomfortable air between them. The mixed feelings of guilt, regret, sorrow. Neither was ready to address it. Mytho checked his pocket watch and hummed. "I guess I better get ready to lock up. Last call is about to hit." He got up from his seat and began to walk away. He took two steps before looking over his shoulder, "Contact me when you're debt free." He said. Fakir lifted his glass in acknowledgement. Mytho walked off, leaving Fakir to finish his drink by himself. The bartender walked up to him. "Last one, monsieur?"

"Yeah, last one. I'll be out of your hair shortly."

The bartender only smiled. Fakir watched the man for a moment. He had to be in his age range. There was definitely something odd about him. He had long brown hair, with two strands that curled at the end to frame his face. He had wide brown eyes that seemed to be watching him very carefully. "Hey," Fakir said, "you see a lot that goes on here, right?" The bartender nodded as Fakir went on. "What's your take on the local vixen?"

There was a glow in the bartender's eye at this question. "Mademoiselle is quite fun to watch. What I find so interesting is how a pretty little redhead like that can get to the heart of someone with just a dance, a chat or a smile."

"And it's never caused a problem? No fist fights or shouting matches?"

The bartender laughed and waved, "Oh that happens from time to time. People will always be desperate for love. Usually she's clever enough to get out of those situations." He watched Fakir for a moment, "Though I must say, I think you're the first person where her usual antics seem to have the opposite effect."

Fakir took another sip, "I don't let distractions get in my way."

That glow in his eye returned, "Is that what you call it?"

And just what was that implying? Did this man seriously think there was another reason why Fakir was guarded around her? The bartender's eyes wandered back to the rest of the speakeasy. His face turned to one of concern. "Looks like our vixen found an escort for tonight."

Fakir looked over his shoulder to see Tutu with another man. From what Fakir could tell, the stranger definitely had certain ideas on his mind. It was hard to tell if Tutu understood what she was about to walk into. "She usually leaves with strange men?*

The bartender shook his head, "Normally she leaves by herself." The two men watched as Tutu left with the stranger. Both had an uneasy feeling about him. Fakir drummed his fingers on the bar, before swearing under his breath and downing the last of his whiskey. Whether he would regret this or not, he had a very bad feeling about that guy. He headed out the door and began to tail the two. Being mindful of the distance, Fakir waited for any signs of trouble. It was a good thing he did! From his vantage point, Fakir could see the stranger slide his arm over Tutu's shoulders. Tutu very delicately slid out from under his arm. Fakir couldn't tell what was being said, but it looked like Tutu was trying to calmly resolve the situation. Unfortunately, he didn't seem interested. He tried again, this time slipping his arm around her waist. Now she was more forceful! She pushed him away, possibly telling him to leave. This only seemed to anger the stranger. He retaliated by pushing her to the ground.

Fakir didn't waste any time catching up to them. When he came on the scene, Tutu was still on the ground with a very small handgun pointed at the stranger. Those kinds of handguns required precision, but her hands were shaking. He could see the fear in her eyes as the stranger towered over her. The stranger seemed to be relishing in her fear. He was, however, not too pleased when Fakir ran up to them.

"What the hell is going on here?" Fakir demanded.

"This doesn't concern you! Get lost!" The stranger snapped.

Fakir stood his ground. "Well from the looks of things, you're menacing a petite woman who is clearly not interested. Consider me concerned."

The stranger wasn't keen on leaving so easily. Fakir very carefully slid the bottom half of his coat back to allow the stranger to see his holstered revolver. "Why don't you head home before you do something that you'll regret?"

The man started to grumble to himself, weighing his options.

"Fine." He said before leaving. Shortly after the stranger was gone, Fakir turned and offered his hand to Tutu. She holstered her gun back into her coat before taking his hand to get up.

"Thank you for saving me." She said in a weak voice.

"No problem." He said, "You want to tell me how that happened?"

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked away. "I misjudged the situation. What I took for a simple walk home, he took to mean something else."

Fakir put his hands in his coat pockets, "It seemed pretty obvious to me."

"I guess I try to see the best in people even when I shouldn't…"

He shook his head, "You'll get yourself hurt or worse thinking like that."

Tutu didn't say anything right away. She looked up to meet his eyes. "What's the point of living then, if you think everyone is out to get you?"

He stared at her for a long time. There was no trace of her trying to play him for the fool. She was asking him a genuine question. "I don't know." He answered. "Though I have to wonder how much you believe that, since you had a gun drawn on him."

"If you honestly believe I was going to shoot him, you're wrong." She said definitively.

"Oh really? Then what would you have done if I hadn't shown up?"

"If showing him I was armed wouldn't have stopped him, I would have fired a warning shot and ran."

He arched his brow, "Oh that definitely would have been a warning shot, given how much your hands were shaking. Did you really think you could outrun him?"

"Not down the main streets. I would have gone down the backways and lost him there."

Fakir sighed. As far as desperate plans went, it wasn't that bad, but they would never know if it would have worked. He crossed his arms. "Well maybe you should stick to dancing with strangers rather than walking home with them."

After a pause, Tutu stifled a laugh. "Was that supposed to be a joke?"

He looked away quickly without saying a word. Tutu didn't hold her laughs this time. "Sorry, I didn't expect you to have a sense of humor."

Fakir huffed, "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"Are you a stranger?" She teased.

He closed his eyes, "Don't push it."

She paused."I would, if you don't mind. Just in case we're not being followed."

"The walls have eyes." He said absentmindedly. She nodded in agreement.

The two made their way through the city in the pitch black night, with only the electric street lanterns lighting their path every few paces. Fakir was mostly following Tutu's lead since he didn't know where she lived. In their silence, he had the chance to maul over their last conversation. She was naive in trying to see the best in others, yet she kept a concealed handgun for protection. He couldn't help but wonder why. As curious as he was though, Mytho said secrecy was to their advantage. Asking her why would most likely be crossing the line. It was probably bad enough he was going to find out where she stayed. They had arrived at a tall dark green apartment building with a small bronze sign by the door that read:

Ms. Edel's Room and Board for Ladies

Tutu turned on her heel to face Fakir. "I can take it from here. Thank you, for everything."

"No problem." He watched as she made her way up the short staircase and went inside. He waited a moment before moving towards the direction of his apartment. He made it perhaps five feet before he felt a blast of wind behind his back. He swore under his breath, knowing full well what was behind him. He turned to see a minion with a raven-like face staring him down. In his talons for hands was a clear orb.

"What the hell do you want?" Fakir asked.

"Master asks for your debt to be paid. He seeks for someone important to you."

Fakir shook his head, "I have no one."

The minion didn't look amused. He shoved the orb in front of the detective. "Not even that girl?"

'Oh hell no!' He thought. "No." He said firmly. He looked at the clear orb. "What is this thing?"

"A channel for Master's power. If you lie, it will know." The orb still didn't react. "Fine, you're not lying. Master asks if there is an item of value you have."

Fakir was silent for a moment. There was only one thing he had that mattered to him, his necklace he always wore. He didn't like the idea of giving it up to the minion, but if it paid off his debt to the Raven, who was he to argue. With that heavy feeling still in his chest, he reached into his collar and lifted up the chain around his neck. The orb changed to a blue hue. The minion nodded firmly, then held out his other talon to take the necklace. Fakir began to lift the chain over his head, revealing the charm at the center. A single black gem with several small dots that glowed a soft white. The minion flinched at the site of the gem. He pulled away and hissed. Still holding the chain, Fakir had a look of confusion on his face. "What's your problem?"

"Take it back! Take it back!"

"I thought you wanted something of value from me?"

"Something else! Something else!"

Fakir arched his brow, "I don't have anything else." The orb still glowed blue before shattering to pieces in the minion's talon. The instant that happened, Fakir's chest felt lighter. The minion growled. "What does that mean?" Fakir asked.

"Your debt is paid." He answered in a low voice, "Keep that wretched thing!" The minion jumped off the balls of his feet and disappeared in the air. Fakir waited in case the minion came back. He lifted the necklace to look at the charm more closely. Fakir never knew much about this necklace. When he tried to remember, he would get vague memories of childhood, but nothing more. It was precious to him though, or at least something told him it was. He lowered the necklace back around his neck. At least it was safe and his debt was paid. He would let Mytho know tomorrow so he could continue to work for him.

Ahiru closed the front door to her apartment building. Before she could get a good look around, she heard a woman clear her throat. There sat at the front desk was Ms. Edel, the landlord of the building. "It's rather late again, Ahiru. You're not getting into any trouble now, are you?"

Ahiru shivered as she remembered the stranger trying to grab her. "No, Ms. Edel." The woman gave Ahiru a suspicious look. Those leering eyes almost made it impossible to lie. Ahiru but her lip. "Not intentionally." She finally admitted, "There was this man, and he tried to…" Ahiru trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Ms. Edel's face shifted from suspicion to concern. The woman stood up to get a better look at her tenant. "You aren't hurt are you? Do I need to call someone?"

"Oh! No, I'm fine now Ms. Edel. Really!" Ahiru was quick to say, "I think I ought to get some rest."

Ms. Edel's concern didn't leave, "I'm not fond of my tenants coming back so late. It's a habit that isn't very safe, especially for a lady."

Ahiru nodded, "I understand, Ms. Edel."

Ahiru headed up the stairs, being mindful of all the other ladies being most likely asleep by now. As she got to her door she sighed. Ms. Edel was always worried about her, but she couldn't tell her why. 'Our advantage is secrecy.' she thought as she closed the door behind her. A thought hit her shortly after that, 'Lohengrin knows where I live. Is that going to be a problem?' Her gaze turned to the window to the pitch black night. She had just got a partner, and he saved her life. Would it really be so bad if he knew that? It's not like they knew each other's real names. So it should be fine. Her eyes went to the top drawer of her dresser. She slid the drawer open to look at a simple red pendant laying there."I wonder what you would have done." She sighed, that terrible sorrow hovering over her. "I wish you could see what's become of me. I wonder… if you would be proud."

She closed the drawer and got ready for bed. She took one last look at the window. Her partner flashed across her mind one last time. He was certainly interesting. One minute he's rude to her and says he doesn't trust her, then the next he protects her from that creep, cracks some kind of a joke and walks her home. She was grateful he was there, but she had to wonder why. "I bet that was the real Lohengrin. The one that was old friends with Mytho. I hope there will come a chance for me to see more of that side of him." She smiled to herself before turning in for the night.

A/N: Thank you taurusnerd506 for favoring this story (And following and favoring me, and I think all my other Princess Tutu stories). I really do appreciate it! :)

And of course, thank you for reading this far with me!