The flight took around sixteen hours, meaning that around late morning, they finally landed in Taipei. Geese was used to sleeping in moving vehicles, boats, and planes but he wasn't particularly rested and thus he found himself in less than a stellar mood which would have to be addressed later. First thing first was to get ready for that meeting with Cheng, however long that would take.

After that, well, who knew? Perhaps Geese could use the time to rebuild his relationship with Mai. He thought of the ways to accomplish such a thing as the car sped off toward the hotel. He could spoil her rotten. Wine and dine her but that alone wouldn't be enough, and he had a feeling she'd call him out on it.

Flaunting wealth didn't fix trauma after all.

Geese would be the first one to begrudgingly admit that he was much better at breaking emotional bonds than mending them. The clock wasn't ticking, however, and he could afford to be patient and nudge things to fall in his favor. In for a penny, in for a pound. Right now, Mai sat next to him, watching something on her phone and reacting to it with animated facial expressions. The admittingly adorable visage was interrupted on occasion when she'd lift her head and look through the windows, vigilant for any incidents revolving around guns.

Her entire body would stiffen before she relaxed and continued with whatever she was doing, following along when they reached the hotel entrance. While Ripper discussed with the doorman, Geese took the time to have a quick look at his surroundings, spotting a jewelry shop right across the street with various items on display. Most of them were gaudy, but one did catch Geese's attention.

It was a modest silver necklace with a nickel-sized pendant shaped like a flower. Rubies were embedded into its petals with a diamond in its center.

Out of all the items displayed, it was by far the most simplistic, but its minimalism elevated its elegance. It also happened to be the cheapest judging from the price tag but that was beside the point. Geese was aware that he couldn't buy Mai's trust and affection, but he could sweeten the deal a bit. Make it a surprise as well.

The place in which Cheng worked, looked like a typical office building with rows of cubicles that would probably leave you with crimpling depression by the end of the week. Geese made a point to design the office spaces of the tower to avoid cubicles simply because he absolutely hated the things. Of course, as Cheng was partly opposite to Geese (serving as the middle piece between him and Jeff), the annoying jolly rancher probably saw nothing with the depressing hellhole he called a workplace.

Ironic, wasn't it?

But Geese wasn't about to verbally desecrate this place. He had a reputation to uphold and a public persona to maintain. And with Mai joining him for the occasion, it wouldn't do much good either. Then again, he knew Cheng. They knew the strengths and flaws of the other so the persona could be loosened just a bit.

"This place seems shockingly normal," Mai mused as they made their way through the top floor of the office building. She seemed almost shocked at their mundane surroundings. That was a given when she had been used to the tower's interior design.

Initially, she would rather go exploring the hotel and the rest of the city, but Geese implored her to join. Primarily the reason was to keep tabs on her and make sure she didn't discover the pendant currently in the process of being bought right across the hotel. It looked like something she'd like and buy after all.

"Indeed," Geese couldn't help but sneer, catching a glance from several office workers staring at him only to cower when he dared to look at them back. Considering the conversations died upon him walking past them, he tried not to add that the dourness extended to the man's office.

A strong scent of tobacco came rushing from the room when the assistant opened the door and ushered the pair inside. City lights casting ribbons through the stagnant air was not a good sign of the ventilation. In a chair, puffing away on a cigar, sat Cheng with his feet on the desk. Behind his dark glasses, his eyes almost glowed and he sat back up straight, crushing the cigar in an ashtray before he stood up.

"Geese! It's been so long!" he stretched open his arms, maneuvering around his desk before he stood in front of the pair.

Not in the mood for a hug, Geese simply held out his hand, shuddering at the clammy palm that firmly shook his. "Yes, it has, Sinzan. I figured since you invited me, I could only accept."

Cheng nodded but by the way his head turned, it didn't seem like he was listening anymore. His gaze had landed on Mai and by the way he stared at her, it could unfortunately only mean one thing.

"Hello there. I didn't know he'd bring a friend over," Cheng grinned widely. He held out his hands which Mai accepted without hesitation. "Pleased to meet you, Miss."

She was about to say something akin to an introduction but could only stare open-mouthed when Cheng turned her hand a bit and raised it to kiss the back of her palm. Bitter jealousy slithered from the pits of Geese's stomach and for a moment, he thought his vision had turned red.

Amazingly he didn't let any acidity slip through despite the sudden twitching urge to step in and somehow rip Cheng's arm off. Geese calmed down just a bit to simply watch in silence. He'd put up with it for now but there was a real chance of him having to read Cheng the riot act before the day was over.

"You look familiar. Have we met before?" Cheng's brow furrowed closer to the rim of his shades.

Mai stiffened and pulled her arm to herself. The subtle way she rubbed at the spot where he had kissed her hand was not completely invisible. "Probably. Maybe at Pao Pao's?"

"Oh yeah! You hung out a lot with the Bogards! How are they doing?"

"I…" she began, then looked at Geese for a moment as if she wanted him to bail her out. Then in a split second, she seemed to remember that she was angry with him and responded on her own with; "It's bit of a long story."

Geese reckoned Cheng wasn't a complete fool and the way his smile dropped indicated that he was aware enough to let the matter be. The wide grin returned on the rotund man's face as he stuffed his hands down his pockets.

"Well enough about the past," he said as if he wasn't the one who accidentally stepped on a landmine of brittle feelings. "I called you over because I heard things got dark in South Town. Thought you could use some vacation? And investment opportunities? I'm expanding my business and getting some sponsors would do wonders!"

Figured it was something like that. Cheng truly was the middle piece between Jeff and Geese. He had the overly earnest and friendly nature of the former but the drive and ambition of the latter.

"All right?" Geese raised a brow, inching a little closer to Mai as a signal to Cheng, who seemed completely oblivious to it. Instead, he just marched out of the office, telling his assistant to prepare a car, and almost offered to do the same for Geese and Mai until he was reminded that such a favor was highly unnecessary.

"Let me treat you two to someplace nice, eh? I'll see you there," he had said as he waved, and Geese was left with a slight feeling of dread.

By now, as it was getting close to the end of the workday, the office building had been cleared and was now occupied with janitors sweeping and dry-cleaning the floor which was immediately stepped on by Geese and an apprehensive Mai. Just as they made it outside, Geese's phone began to buzz, and he answered diligently once he saw it was a call from the tower.

"I hope you bring me good news," he said as he made way for the car and entered. He swore he could hear a smile down the line from Billy.

"You bet we do. White was shot dead in a gun deal gone wrong and we confirmed that the Neo Black Cats were involved in the coalition. We also managed to locate Big and we're in the process of capturing him. He fled to Asia and we chased him back to North America."

"Right," Geese felt a sense of oxymoronic, relieved anticipation settle over him. "Keep running him down but make sure he's alive until I get back. I'll handle him personally. And as for the other mutt?"

"Barricaded himself within his castle," Billy answered, a little more neutral. That was to be expected. More annoyingly, it meant that the castle couldn't be stormed as it was rather fortified. Something would have to give from within or somewhere within the chain of command. Anything to lure Wolfgang out. And while Geese was at it, it would be wise to assimilate his resources. The Stroheim assets were most valuable.

"As I thought. He better be ready when we come for him. Look into his allies and see if there's a crack we can exploit."

"Noted," Billy said before he continued. "What should we do with the Neo Black Cats?"

"Sic Yamazaki on them. They aren't worth other resources," Geese shrugged, and the call ended after that. Progress has been made and there was a lot to come back to after this. Momentarily Geese almost wondered if he should cut his time in Taiwan a little short and go back to South Town, just so he could satiate his own bloodlust.

And yet, as the car drive through the bustling city and Mai stared at its lights, he figured it wasn't fair to her. The first battle was already won but the fate of its prisoners could wait a little for the judgement.

"Is it happening? Are you making good on all your promises?" Mai asked just a tad sharply as she stared at him. She was wearing earphones, connected to her phone so Geese assumed she didn't listen to his conversation.

"Yes, it is. You'll get your revenge," he answered, unsure of what to make of her expression. She probably didn't want anyone reading her thoughts.

She looked out of the window, staring after a billboard advertising the upcoming winter fashion trends. "Your friend is weird by the way."

"Yes, I agree with you on that."

And then silence.

The air between them was frigid in a way that reminded Geese of the time before their truce. But in light of all that had happened, it was difficult to laugh it off. It was difficult to keep sitting here and pretend that he didn't long for her. Mai Shiranui would remain his biggest weakness, his Achilles' heel.

Like a moth to a flame, Geese slid his hand across the seat, chasing the warmth of her body until his fingertips brushed against her thighs. If only she wasn't wearing pants. Geese slid his hand over her leg and to her waist, noting how she twitched at his touch and closed her legs together.

"Groping me won't make me forgive you, Mr. Howard," Mai whispered without looking at him.

"Not if I make you scream my name?" his fingers made their way to the rim of her shirt and slid upwards, brushing against her bare skin. It was like pure silk, soft and smooth. It was hard not to forgo caution and just take her right here in the backseat.

"Ugh, dirty old man!" Only then did Mai look at him, swatting his hand away and pressing herself against the door. The deep blush on her face eased the rejection a little.

It was wonderful timing that the car rolled to a stop right outside a high-end establishment where Cheng stood ready to greet them.

"I propose we have a conversation," was the first thing Geese said to Mai once they arrived at the hotel later in the evening. Their rooms were adjacent to each other, sharing an entrance to the hallway.

The ride back to base had been an icy journey and it highlighted the deep contrast between the bubbly way Mai acted when with Cheng, who probably picked up on the death glares, and when she was alone with Geese, never looking at him or speaking a word to him. She was thankfully upfront in her displeasure but remained cordial enough to grant him this favor.

"Okay. Let's talk," Mai raised a brow, and followed him into his room. She looked around for a bit, not surprised by anything since hers was probably identical. She did however not touch anything, only staring intently at Geese while he removed his jacket and tossed it onto the mattress of the bed.

"I'll need you to close your eyes for a moment."

This caused her to grimace at him, but she eventually complied, folding her arms over her chest. "Don't grope me then."

"I won't," Geese sighed, pleased to see the gift bag on the table.

He opened it, finding the necklace packed away in a neat, velvet box. In his hands, it looked comically fragile, but Geese would reckon it looked more suitable on a certain woman. Carefully he inched closer to Mai and put the jewelry around her neck, battling a bit with the clasp and her long hair.

After some trial and error, he stepped away, the gut-rushing anticipation pooling through his entire body. Slowly Mai lifted her arms to feel around her neck, touching the pendant and her eyes flew open. Instantly she headed for the nearest mirror, staring at the necklace.

"Ah, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed almost wistfully while a wide smile spread over her face. It was almost mission accomplished until she remembered that she was supposed to be mad at Geese and instantly frowned.

"B-but that doesn't mean you can buy my affection! I'm still angry at you…but thank you," she announced, though the blush and the coy way, she caressed the necklace would suggest otherwise. Suffice it to say, it emboldened Geese enough to come closer, noting how she watched his every move.

"But it helps, does it not?" he asked once he stood directly in front of her. Close enough to catch the scent of her sweet perfume.

Mai shook her head, the blush deepening. "N-no."

She was such a terrible liar, it was adorable. The way she bit her bottom lip was ridiculously enticing. It sent ripples of want to rush through his stomach.

"It broke the ice, didn't it, Miss Mai?" Geese stepped closer, almost trapping her against the mirror.

His hands twitched with the urge to feel her warmth, to drown in her affection. He wanted her to look at him with adoration in her eyes once more. He wanted her so badly, it ached. Unable to stand it any longer, he put his hands on her hips, holding her in place, just so he could indulge in the feeling of her body pressed against his.

"How are you going to kill Big?" Mai began squirming against his touches but never quite pushed him away. She just sort of took it without reciprocation.

"That's a morbid question but…I haven't decided yet. All I know is that must be something that proves a point," Geese mused, resting his ace against the top of her head. Quickly, he identified her hair wash as hawthorn.

"And what's that point?"

"There's two of them. One is; don't mess with me."

"Hmm," Mai hummed, obviously not impressed until Geese continued.

"And the other is directed at you. You can trust what I say."

The expression on her face was unreadable now beyond just musing. Mai wriggled enough for Geese to let her go a bit, sliding his hands to her shoulders.

"Geese, I think we've come to this point where I can ask you this. What happened to your wife? Wolfgang said..." she trailed off, fear permeating her eyes as if she expected to get lynched for asking such a question. And indeed Geese must have looked like he was about to snap her in half momentarily.

Not through any fault of hers; rather it was Wolfgang stirring the pot like the shit-disturber that he was. Geese had loved Marie, but he detested the fact that the Heinlein family was somewhat acquainted with the Stroheim mutts. He hated that he had not been told this until after he had wedded Marie.

There were a lot of things Geese wished he knew before he got married to her. Such as…

"…She was prone to serious illnesses. She became terminally ill. I wasn't always good to her, however. Maybe if I had acted differently, things could have become quite…alternate with a certain someone," Geese said, feeling the distaste of acknowledging past regrets. He didn't mind so much that Mai has asked. He rather liked the way she looked at him now. Filled with understanding and keen awareness. Astute enough to at least appear like she knew who he was referring to. She almost looked sad on his behalf.

"I've stopped being upset over it. It wouldn't do me any good at all either. Suffice it to say, I didn't expect to be going down this route again but here we are. Even people like me ponder over the course of fate," Geese rested his hand against her cheek, catching a few strands of soft brown hair.

"And…the people we lost? I mean, do you ever compare me and her?"

"I think that's just inevitable we do that. The difference between healthy and obsessive is treating it like a competition."

"So…I take it that was the ultimate reason why you took me in, huh?"

Well, there went his trump card.

Geese nodded, willing to admit defeat; "I wasn't looking to replace my wife, however. You're not Marie Heinlein but I don't need you to be."

"…You're not Andy Bogard but it's good that you're not. I think I've reached the point where it's okay for me to think that. It feels weirdly great. You could be great. For now, as I'm still mad at you, you're just okay," there was a devious gleam in Mai's eyes as she spoke. It seemed like she was still upset with him, but the ice had been chipped away and Geese could feel the warmth from the heart within.

"Hm, well I'll take that over you leaving," he said, pulling her closer and pressing his lips against hers.

She didn't push him away this time either which was a good sign. Her hands planted against his chest was an even better sign. The soft moan that came from her was the absolute best. This time when Geese kissed her, there were no tears in Mai's eyes.

"I take it many a hopeless suitor has told you that you're absolutely beautiful. Even when you're mad."

Mai sighed deeply; bitterness edged in her voice. "Ah, I do hear it quite a lot. After Andy's death, it became white noise."

"Does it mean anything coming from me?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded. Warmth returned to her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head against his shoulder.

"…Can we say like this?" she asked in a whisper and Geese was certain he had thoroughly smashed the proverbial ice wall with a sledgehammer.

"Yes," he answered calmly in a way that hardly reflected his elation.

"Good. Then I forgive you."