Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Fighter ❯ Chapter twelve ( Chapter 12 )

Fighter

By Marie Darkholme

Eleventh Chapter

Sora opened her eyes as the morning light began to enter her darkened room. Though it wasn't much of a light, it still was enough to awake a light sleeper like her. She rubbed them trying to get use to the light that burst inside as she exchanged some looks to the window. Outside the winter snow had accumulated above the roofs of the houses around her apartment and in the streets. She watched as a snow truck drove through the streets to clean them making them open for the cars to pass.

The watch over her night table marked fifteen past ten a.m. Sora yawned as she walked slowly in her sleepers to the kitchen to make herself a coffee so she could awake. She sat lonely at the table sipping her drink without much enthusiasm. She just missed working, but something else as well. She sadly remembered the only night she remembered having some company. Only then she began understanding how she like having someone by her side when she awoke, instead of the emptiness and coldness of her lonely home. In her head, only one image could replace that loneliness and that person was Taichi.

She walked over to the phone and hesitated, weighting the pros and against about phoning the brown haired man. It had been about three days since she had last seen him. That had been the day she had been with them at the cafeteria. Only then she reminded that she was supposed to think about Yamato's purpose of being his godmother, which she was really inclined to refuse.

The phone lied there, besides the couch on its usual spot, but somehow it seemed to be calling her. She eyed it like she was under hypnosis. Should she or shouldn't she call him? She wanted to see him, but at the same time, she was afraid to see him. She didn't know anymore if she could control her instincts that really told her to hug that man and kiss him. She didn't want to move too fast for her own good. Taichi had been patiently waiting and she didn't want him to think he could rush things.

Just when she was about to pick up the phone it started ringing. She retrieved her hand surprised and then breathed in relief. She looked into the small screen on the phone, but she couldn't recognize the number on it. She clicked the bottom ok and replied to the other side of the line. "Hello?" her voice was clearly a puzzled one, but the voice coming from the other side was no puzzle to her and it froze her blood almost at the first letter.

"Hi babe. It's me." A seductive, yet serious and manly voice replied from the other side. At that moment, Sora didn't know what to do. She wanted to release the phone and run as fast as she could to the most secure place in her house. Her hands travelled like a thunder to her waist, and she surprisingly realised she wasn't dressed up, and so she didn't have her gun with her. But for the rest she could not move, as the voice spell bounded her and prevented her from moving.

"C'mon, just say something. Call me an asshole if you want." The man continued. Sora's mind screamed as memories rushed through it. Her face go paler and paler as more she become to realise that that wasn't a dream. She was really hearing his voice again, the voice she didn't want to hear but that she, at the same time, longed for.

Finally her mind gave in and she spoke coldly and rough. "What do you want?" there was a small laugh from the other side. She could almost swear she could feel his breath on her neck coming from the receiver itself, closer and closer and closer. Then she could really feel it. She stood up in thunder timing and turned to face him. His cold brown eyes staring at her crimson eyes. His lips formed a little smirk as he put down the phone from which he had been talking and took a step forward. She started screaming and he put his hands over her mouth followed by his lips.

Sora opened her eyes suddenly. The covers of her bed were on the floor and she was lying in her pyjama without anything else covering her. It was very cold, but still, she was sweating. A cold sweat though. She breathed in relief as she acknowledged it had been just another nightmare. `But it seemed so real.´ she thought, but they all seemed. She just remained there, not knowing if it should be better if she wake up and started doing something or if she should get some more sleep. Her eyed flew to the clock in her night bed. It marked fifteen past ten.

Crazy dream. But it's only a coincidence. she calmed herself as she watched the watch marking the exact same hours that in her dream. She hadn't been able to get a straight sleep for over a week now, since that incident in the cafeteria. She was so sure she had seen him there, or maybe she was just hallucinating. Sometimes it just felt like he was always watching her, whatever she went and then the nightmares, worst than ever, started haunting her again.

She stood up and stared around her room directly through the window. The snow was falling in small flakes, not fast but very slowly like they were dancing along with the wind. A cold chill came up her spine and she shivered. She pulled the clothes closer to her as she started to make her way to the kitchen.

The kitchen was cold as well as the rest of the house and empty, very empty, but in contrary to her dream, she didn't found it empty and lonely. This possible might be, because in her dream she hadn't seen Taichi for the longest time, while she had seen him in the night, since they had made the shift together. She prepared herself a coffee and sat on the couch turning the television on and starting to watch the news. Not much to her surprise there it was the new about yesterday's murder.

"Where here in the place where yesterday, another teenager girls was brutally murder. We don't have pictures of the body or set, and the police refuses to give more information, saying the case is still under investigation." The reporter on the news said. She allowed the camera to shoot some pictures of the commotion around them and then it went back to her again. "The citizens of this city have only to ask: is it safe to be studying in Kyoto? This is…" Sora turned the television off while she murmured. "Yeah right. Try you to catch someone when you haven't the sliest idea of who might be."

She stood up and turned her attention to the phone. And just as she was going to pick it, it started ringing. She suddenly had that idea of dejá vu. She shook her head and tried not to think about the dream again, but somehow she found it difficult. She picked the phone and answered it. "Sora here." "Hey, Sor. Did you see the news?" an unmistakable voice asked from the other side. "Yeah. Just turned it off." She replied annoyed with the news still. "Well, would you like to investigate this case?" Taichi asked. His voice sounded very excited about something. Sora raised and eyebrow. "Yeah, why?" "I tell you when I get there. I can go over can't I?" he asked, his voice sounded like a little children asking for candy to his mother. Sora giggled. "Yeah, you can. But can't you…" she was about to ask, when she heard the dial sound. Taichi had hung off the phone.

Sora just sat there for a while in surprise before she decided to go dress herself before Taichi came. She went to her bedroom and made her bed. Then she undressed her pyjama and stared at the closet trying to decide what to wear. She ended up by deciding for a pair of black pants and a fluffy wool sweatshirt in tones of deep red, completely matching her eyes. She then automatically picked her belt and put it on along with her estimated gun.

While she waited for Taichi she decided to clean her gun. She headed towards the living room and sat on the couch cross legged. Then she started dismount her gun. She took the charger and counted her bullets and put it over the phone table. Then she took the top part of it and the part for where you grab the gun. With a clean, middle soaked cloth she started cleaning it. She smiled as the dust caused for the action of the trigger showed up in the wet cloth instead her gun.

After several minutes, she was finally over. She mounted the gun again and rolled it in her fingers admiring her work. She loved her gun, maybe because it was her best ally against the scum that she faced. It wasn't once or twice that that same gun had prevented her from getting hurt or even killed. Of course her hands as her entire body could be deathly traps as well, for someone like her that knew how to use them. She could kill with a simple touch of her fingers in someone's neck or spine. A movement of her wrist can cause much pain if you know where to it, and Sora, was one of the few that knew how to use it. But sometimes that wasn't enough and other means were necessary.

As she watched her gun shining in her hands, images flashed through her mind. Bodies lying around her, but still none of them dead. She had never really killed anyone. She had injured some badly, one of them was never able to walk again, but not kill. She had always managed to hit them in a way that they remained alive, only preventing them from attacking her again. She had a sharp aim and she usually didn't miss her target. She knew how a few inches could make the difference between life and death.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the knock on the door. She out the gun back in her belt and went to pick it. Taichi stood there, in his usual long coat that gave him a nasty but still attractive look. She smiled at him as he smiled to her and she motioned him to enter. Taichi of course had no troubles in following the orders and entered the already familiar house.

He stood next to the couch, interrogating himself if he should or should not sit. He watched as Sora closed the door behind him. His eyes coming from her feet to her head, admiring every inch of her like he always did, especially when she was not looking. He just loved to see her in those black pants that she had custom to wear. It made her sexier. As Sora turned to meet his eyes, he immediately turned his gaze to her crimson orbs as well, not wanting to pull the trigger in her temperament.

Sora motioned him to sit and so he did. He noticed how she was transporting her gun, even in her house. He chuckled. She sat besides him and invaded him with curiosity looks. He watched as well her gloved hands, this time with black bike gloves instead of the winter gloves she used to wear outside. He reached for them, as Sora frightened watched is moves, ready to react at the sliest sign of danger. Her mind was still acting like an animal's kept in captive, always waiting to be shot or abused. Her muscles relaxed along with her face features as she saw Taichi's hands heading towards hers and slowly taking her gloves.

The two of them just stared at each other, sharing the moment that in a way they were both enjoying. He for being able to touch her, she for being able to feel him in her hand's skin, so long kept from touching other's skin. Taichi sighed as he took her other glove. "I've said to you, that I don't like when you use those around me." He said throwing away the glove that fell right above the other in the top of the television. He could feel her skin and it felt divinely. He allowed his fingers to trace the lines of her hand bones, feeling the soft pale skin of her hands. She shivered as his fingers seemed to be touching her soul and not exactly her hands and retrieved them, broking the spell moment. She cleared her throat before start speaking again.

"So… what made you so excited that you wanted to tell me?" she asked turning her gaze to the phone. Taichi took a deep breath as a huge grin spread through his face. "Well, now that you're back to work and…" Sora eyed him growing impatient. He smiled mischievously. "Yamato took a time off, remember?" he asked. Sora turned to face the window and sighed. "Yeah, I'm going to work alone, I know."

For many years, that should be the happiest thought crossing her mind. Besides she had worked alone for several times before Yamato became her partner, but now, she was used to the blonde's company and she wasn't much in the mood to work alone. Nevertheless, she had no choice because the pairing was already done and no cop wanted to work with her.

"That's the point." Taichi continued. His eyes sparkled like shining rays of the sun as she looked to them. "Look, the question is: would you like to be my partner in the murder's department?" he asked. Sora looked speechless to him. She had never considered even the possibility of going to work with him. She was not used to murder's investigations but she usually fit up everywhere and learned the stuff easily, besides it had been her that had first arrived to the place where another victim of, who the media called, the university assassin, and she had done a pretty good job. Why not? She thought. After all it's still police job.

Taichi eyed her now impatiently to know what she thought about his idea. It had seem a perfect one. Yamato had took a time off, since Mimi had too and both of them were on vacations now. The Hiroshi case was over and Sora was a smart woman, he knew she would fit in quickly in his job, besides she didn't have many other choices. Even if he liked it, he couldn't go work with her again, because that had only been one case, but on the other hand she could go work with him. He was sure Jyou wouldn't mind. Why should he? I'm helping her to rise in her career. Taichi thought. Besides it's not like I would like to leave her to become cold and distant again.

But that wasn't his problem. As he faced her now with the question, he was afraid she might say no. He wanted her by his side so much. Not only at work, that is, but that would have to wait. She was still vulnerable for what he could see and every wrong move could leave her in a worst state that the first time. He waited for an answer. A drop of his own impatience sweat fell through his face and he gulped dry.

"What do you say?" he asked her. His answer was given in the form of a beautiful little smile that he loved in her. "Yeah, it will be great." She replied and embraced him. Taichi was taken back by her sudden burst of joy and she too was surprised by her actions as he hugged her back and they remained there in each others arms, both knowing they wanted more in that moment, but both not knowing how to ask for it.

The crimson eyed was the one who broke the hug. She felt herself blush and quickly got up to have a drink. She went to the refrigerator and took a cane of beer that she immediately opened and was about to put her to her lips when a hand took it from her. Taichi eyed her disapproval. "Why do you keep drinking like that?" he asked her. Sora was embarrassed and look to the other side, until she felt his arms surrounding her and turning her back to him. She followed his hands movements as he slowly put the cane in the table avoiding his gaze.

Taichi watched her. Her slender wait on his hands, her head down ashamed. He couldn't guess why she kept drinking like that. He knew it took her a lot of beer to get drunk but still he didn't like one bit that every time she found herself in a tough situation she went to draw herself in alcohol. He noticed how she prevented him from looking into her eyes. He moved his hand to her chin and raised it, but still she did not look into his eyes.

"C'mon Sora. You can't keep drinking every time something happens." He admonished her. Two tear escaped from her eyes and she made no effort to clean them, just like the time in the cleaning room. He could still remember her face as he tried to kiss her and somehow he still thought, as Mimi did, that so much pain against men couldn't be caused by just one person. But he also knew that in time, she would learn to trust him and would tell him everything.

The brown haired guy fought against the urge to taste her lips and cleaned her tears, involving her in a warm embrace. "I know it's your way to deal with things but you have to stop." Taichi said. The crimson eyed pulled away and wiped her tears. "No, you're right, I shouldn't." she said. Silence felt between the two, only to be broke by the phone ringing.

Taichi got out of the way and allowed Sora to walk to the phone. He simply followed her and waited next to the door. Sora picked the phone and waited for an answer from the other side, but the answer she got wasn't quite the answer she was expecting and it froze her entire body. Even her tears that threatened to fall stop in their places. Taichi watched her behaviour and wondered who should be on the phone. She didn't spoke and she only put down the phone again and walked towards Taichi picking her wallet that she stuffed into the back pocked of her pants.

"Let's go. We need to get to work." She replied in her usually cold tone. Taichi eyed her curiously. "Who was it over the phone?" he asked. His mother had always told him to mind his own business but somehow he didn't seem to ever listen to what people said. The answer was given in a calm yet stoned and ghostly voice. "A mistake." She replied as she waited for Taichi to open his Subaru door. Then she entered and didn't spoke in all the way.

Jyou sat on his chair mirroring some papers over his desk, but his mind was a little far from the papers, from the desk and even from the place he was. His mind was in a certain brown haired girl. He couldn't believe how the time had rushed away so quickly. To him, it just seemed like yesterday she had finished her course and had entered that same building asking for a job as psychologist. She was so young then. He too was younger and the first time his eyes had came upon her beautiful features his heart beat faster, his hands shook and he couldn't concentrate. It was like an angel had just passed through the door. By that time he was in charge of the police for only a few months. He loved her from the first moment he saw her, but still he never revealed his love for her and now it was simply too late. His angel was going to get marry and was waiting for a child from one of his subordinates. He sighed. She was happy that was all that mattered, but still his heart couldn't stop bleeding.

He decided to go for a little walk. He always thought he was just too old for her and maybe that was the truth, but still he wanted her to know that she could always count on him, like everyone. Like his young policewoman Sora. Though Sora was almost the same age as Mimi, he couldn't see her as a woman, but as a child, the child he would like to have. He wanted to be her father, the father he knew she had never had and deep inside he knew he had been like one for several times. But she too was growing up and had finally found someone that loved her for real. He wanted to protect her but he knew it was Taichi's time to do so now. He just had to let her go.

He inhaled the fresh air outside his balcony as the snow started falling again. Fragile snow flakes just like his Mimi. He didn't know what had happened to her in the office, but somehow he had a thinnest clue. Maybe she wasn't so sure about marrying Yamato. The baby is the trigger that pulled them both into it, Jyou knew it. He had been much admired when the young woman came to him and told him the news. She had also asked him to keep it secret and so he did. She had told him about her ideas of marrying Yamato for the child sake. By that time, Jyou had remained calm, but now he regretted deeply. He should have told her that they should choose what was best for them, and if that wasn't what she thought the best then she shouldn't do it. I was a fool. If I had told her sooner maybe none of this would be happening. He thought to himself. But he also knew he couldn't have done it, because he didn't had the courage to do it.

Another snow flake made his way through the movement air. Jyou followed it with his eyes and watched it as it fell upon the roof of a dark blue car.

Taichi opened his car door. He was tired of the silence that had fallen between the two of them, after the phone and his curiosity was killing him. For some seconds he had even consider the hypotheses of putting a small bug on Sora's phone, idea that he quickly rushed from his head, since he knew what would happen if Sora ever found out about it, what she probably would, since she had this amazing ability to know when he was lying. She could detect the smallest indices of a lie in him.

He walked around to the sidewalk and waited for Sora to also exit the car, so he could finally lock the doors. He pushed the small button on his car's keys and it made the usual beep sound when you lock the doors with a remote. He eyed her as she simply walked towards the building in a zombie like way. Who ever was on the phone had really disturbed her.

Sora looked behind her to see Taichi eyeing her. Only then she noticed how she was strangely behaving. She quickly smiled to him and motioned him to hurry. He just shrank his shoulder and continued. She was trying her best to forget the stupid dream she had had and then bang. The phone call. Now no one could say she was being paranoiac. Taichi had heard the phone as well. It was so déjà vu. She couldn't forget the words he said just before she hung up and they hammed her head beating back and forwards like a little hammer in a screw. "I came back for you, babe." It was just the typical words he said when they were still together, but now, they had that devilish, maniac, psychotic tone. By just thinking of it, it sent chills up her spine.

She had never claimed the possibility that he would return. After all, she was only a woman. There were so many others that he could have fallen in love with, married and had children, but no, he had to come after me. She thought. But then again, why am I so worried. He can't harm me anymore. I know how to defend myself. But even thinking like that, she could stop the fear growing inside of her. There were so many ways he could get her. And she was afraid that he would try to do it again. The last time, she hadn't even figure how she had escaped. She guessed it had been somehow in the middle of his gasps as he watched her punished back, but part of her mind had blocked that day from her, but not from her dreams. That was why they haunted her every night. Each time in a different way, in a different place.

Suddenly she felt herself being shaken and stared at the brown eyed man, before her that tried to wake her from her trance. His words sounded distant somehow. She recalled herself where she was as she slowly came back to the planet earth leaving her ocean of thoughts. "Are you okay?" the brown haired guy asked her for what it seemed to him the millennium time. "Yeah… I'm okay. Don't worry." She pasted a huge smile, unusual for her, in her face, but Taichi wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? You spaced out for almost fifteen minutes, you know?" he concernedly informed her. Another smile. She's definitely not okay. Maybe if I just take her to work right now she goes back to normal.

They entered Jyou's office and watched him as he too seemed to be spacing out in the window. Taichi considered for minutes if he was actually thinking about throwing himself from the window. "Huhhh…sir?!" he asked. The only thing he received as an answer was a mumble and then Jyou turned to face them. He was already aware of the situation and he was just waiting for Sora to sign the transference papers so he could dismiss her and she could start working officially with Taichi. He sighed and watched the young couple before his eyes.

Sora picked the pen. She looked over to Taichi, that smiled encouraging her and then to Jyou, that also smiled, even if in a more fraternally sad way. She then turned her attention to the paper and made her signature in the right spot. She then raised and excused herself for a cup of water, but what she really wanted was be alone for a little with her thoughts. She wanted to cry a little so she could be okay. More than that, she wanted to do other thing, but she was keeping her mind away from it, trying to prevent her from actually doing it. She knew it would bring her relief but then it would also bring guilt and pain.

Jyou stared into the boy's eyes as he too signed the paper giving a special notification to make the process quicker. Taichi then shook hands with the blue navy haired man and prepared himself to leave. Just as he was turning the handle, Jyou's deep voice spoke in a sad yet authority tone. "Take care of her." He said as Taichi faced him. The brown haired nodded. "I will, but you know she will only be some steps away." Taichi laughed unwilling. "The murder's department is just the next floor." Jyou allowed himself to laugh also, because that was true and he knew he still will be able to see her every time he wanted.

"I guess you're right. Maybe what I wanted to say was, don't hurt her." His voice sounded cold and rather tough. "And I mean it. She's like a daughter to me, even if I'm only a few years older than you, I feel like she's my daughter and I know I could be the father she needed and she didn't had." Taichi was shocked with Jyou's words. Jyou felt like he was the father Sora never had? That was a deep revelation. But Jyou continued. "Treat her well. I wouldn't like her to return to her old nasty habits, if you know what I mean?" Jyou said glancing over to the window turning his back on Taichi. "If you don't, I'll kill you and Ishida." He finished and Taichi left.

As he walked down to meet Sora in the spot where the huge barrel of water was, the blue haired's words puzzled his mind. Kill me and Yama?! Taichi thought confused. "What does Yamato has to do with this?" he asked more to himself then to anyone around him, but in fact he asked a little too loud and some cops around raised their heads from their work to see who was talking. One of them was Koushiro, that as soon as he saw Taichi rushed to greet him.

"Hey man, how are you?" Koushiro asked shaking hands with Taichi. The brown haired smiled to shorter man before him. "Good, you?" "Fine. So… now you talk to yourself?" Koushiro asked curiosity burning inside him. Though, Taichi spot what the red haired man wanted, he needed some answers and he might as well know some. "Well, I'm kind of puzzled you know?" he started not heading directly to the point. He wasn't much direct in any matter so he wouldn't be now. "I went to Jyou's office to fill up the papers with the recommendation for Sora to the murder's department…"he paused to check if Koushiro was following him. The other nodded. "And then Jyou comes with a conversation about Sora being like a daughter to him and if I hurt her both me and Yamato would pay." He paused again. This time to watch Koushiro's reaction, that wasn't quite the reaction he was waiting for.

"So that left me thinking what Yamato had to do with Sora, besides being her partner, they had nothing to do with each other." Taichi concluded. Koushiro pulled him to a corner and made sure that there was no one around. "The fact is that hey don't have anything to do with each other." He confidence to Taichi. This last statement only left the brown haired even more puzzled. "But then…" "Shh." Koushiro interrupted him. "I'm not finished. Yamato has to do with Mimi." he said hoping Taichi could get the rest, but still his face remained in an enigma just like before. Taichi could be a real genius in resolving murders, but in what came to love, he was a zero.

"Jyou is in love with Mimi." Koushiro said losing his patience. "He has always been, since the day she got here about the same time me and Sora did." Taichi's face turned from a puzzled one to an astonished one as he stared wide eyed to Koushiro. As to assure his position before this type of knowledge, Koushiro nodded and then left, allowing Taichi to stay alone with his thought for a while.

Man, thatwas a surprising revelation. Taichi thought. Never had I thought Jyou would be in love with someone. I even thought he was married. He walked away heading to the spot where the water was. Sora was already there, with a cup in her hand. He eyed her. Her eyes were slightly redder than usual. She smiled and drank the remaining of her water. "So, do you care to show me, where I'm going to work?" she mocked him a little. Taichi smiled before her good humour, thing that he usually didn't see much from her.

"Of course." He replied and walked towards the elevator followed by Sora. The murder's department was slightly different in the organisation. There were several cops working there as well but in groups. She walked through a long hall with doors in every metre in both sides. Finally Taichi stopped and entered in one. It was a not very large but still not small either room. It had two desks turned to each other under a large window that showed the grey whitened sky outside. In the walls were cork boards that for now exhibited several pictures of the university killer's victims, Sonoko and another young woman. Another board across the cork one showed information written on it.

Sora concentrated her attention in the desks again. They both had equal chairs and a paper basket was on the middle. On the top of the desk were two small desk lamps, a phone and a laptop. One of the desks was filled with papers spread in a much disorganized way. Some photos, papers, a plate with some remains of what had probably been Taichi dinner last night and a frame. She walked to it and forgetting that should be Taichi's and that he was actually behind her seeing her every move she picked it and stared at it.

There were four persons in the picture: two youngster, one about fourteen with brown broom hair and a huge smile, that could only be Taichi, and a younger teenager girl with mousy drained brown light hair and auburn eyes that also smiled looking happily to the picture, that was probably Taichi's sister Hikari, the journalist that had followed her during her undercover investigation. Above the two teens were two adults, both smiling. They should be Taichi's parents. She smiled to the Yagami lady on the frame, she was so beautiful, her brown hair curled up in a bunny on her head. With one hand she grabbed the young woman's hand while the other was over Taichi's messy hair along with her husbands hand. The perfect family. She thought, a tear wanting to roll down her face. She prevented it with an enormous effort.

Taichi watched as Sora carefully observed his frame. He allowed her too, after all it was his family, he was proud of it and he had nothing to hide, unless his famous broom hair that had seemed to become wildness as he grew wild as well. He went over to her and placed a comfort hand on her shoulder that startled her a bit, but she kept watching the picture on the frame. "It's my family." Taichi affirmed in a proud tone. "Your mother is beautiful." Sora replied still staring at the woman. Taichi only smiled weakly remembering his mom. "Was, she died when I was sixteen." He informed.

In that moment Sora just wanted to find a hid spot to hid her embarrassed face. Stupid, stupid. You just don't know when to stay quite. She repressed herself. "I'm so sorry, Taichi. I had no idea, I'm really sorry." She pleaded turning to meet his eyes. Taichi smiled and put the frame back in its place that was amazingly the only spot over the whole desk that wasn't dirty.

"No, don't say sorry. It's not your fault that she died and know that you above all people can understand how I feel." He replied. Sora blushed before the complement as she remembered her own mother. She then decided to change the subject that was bringing tears to her eyes again. "So, this is going to be my desk?" she asked like a little child excited to know how to play with her new toy.

The brown haired man walked around to his desk and sat on his chair. "Yup!" he replied crossing his fingers on the back of his head leaning on his chair comfortably. "Like it?" he asked. She nodded and went to sit as well in her chair at her desk. She patted the top of the desk. It was black, but that just gave the white lightened room a more modern view. She looked around her once more and took a deep breath. That was going to be her new work place and she liked it.

"Let's get to business." She finally replied awakening Taichi from his slumber time. He looked at her and then around him and smiled. He knew he had made a good choice by picking Sora to help him with the investigation. He stood up and walked over to the white board. The name of the victims along with their profession, and some other data were written on it and above their names was a picture of them alive.

Sora stood up as well from her sit and walked over to the table studying the information that was being given to her. Apparently the victims had nothing in common. They were in different universities, had a different past, their families didn't know each other, now common friends. Nothing. Sonoko was an art student, while the other girl named Reika was a science student. The only thing similar in them was the way they died. They were both tortured, fingers cuts, in one case the victim had her index finger in her stomach which meant that the killer had made the girl eat it, while the other had her finger on her mouth. Both with several cuts all over the body, marks on the neck, which meant they had been both being caught the same way, and both had died bleeding to death.

"Have you interviewed any of the family members?" she asked Taichi. He nodded. "Yup, Sonoko's family, or better, her brother." He replied. "we still have to investigate their friends and interview them, but as you know…" he blinked her as she turned to look at him as he reported his advances. "…I needed an extra pair of hands." Sora smiled. "Yeah, I guess you did. Then let's keep this going." She said.

The two young adult cops left the room and the building to enter Taichi's dark blue car again and started driving to the Arts University, a few kilometres away from the centre of the city. "You have any clue, revenge, hate, …?" Sora yawned as Taichi drove. "Nah, they have nothing in common, at least till now." He glanced over to his newest partner and saw her yawning again. "You're tired?" he asked, not taking the hands of the steering wheel but glancing at her for a few seconds at a time. She shook her head but as to make of her a liar she couldn't stop another yawn that arrived unsuspected. Taichi looked slightly worried. "Do you wanna get some coffee?" he asked her. Sora nodded.

Taichi turned around and started heading to Miyako's cafeteria. It was basically the hang out of the entire police department and plus, it was the only place where he actually liked to drink coffee. That is maybe except for his sister home made coffee of course. He parked the car in front of the cafeteria and glanced over to Sora to see her fats asleep, but still not quite resting. She was twisting and turning even in her seat. He stayed there watching her for a while. She was obviously dreaming, maybe having a nightmare and it was consuming her. The brown haired guy watched the sweat rolling over her face. Sometimes she would mumble something unintelligible. He took her safety belt and called her name. Her face contracted in what it seemed to be pain and she mumbled something again. "…alone…" was the only thing Taichi could understand.

He placed a hand on her face and slapped her gently. Suddenly she woke and grabbed Taichi wrist with an animalistic force squeezing it along with its owner as she pushed him against the driver's door. Her eyes, furiously red in fear. Her other hand pressed his throat, preventing him from breathing. Then, just as suddenly as she grabbed him, she let him go. She was obviously ashamed of what she had done. Taichi gasped for air as he was able to bread again. He caressed his throat as to be sure she hadn't taken it off. Then he glared at her, her face down, her hands gasping uncontrollably in each other and her mouth moving in a excuse me conversation that he couldn't hear.