Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Fighter ❯ Chapter fifteen ( Chapter 15 )

Fighter

By Marie Darkholme

Fifteenth Chapter

A figure appeared from between the shadows that surrounded her. She was scared as hell, but her voice simply didn't come out anymore. She was exhausted and from all the screaming for help, she had completely lost her voice, she could barely speak and scream it was completely impossible. The figure walked towards her. Sonja could see something shining with the few lights that came from a nearby window that was covered with papers and magazines.

"What do you want from me?" she whispered, her voice cracking clearly in fear. Suzume stepped out of the darkness, but her lightened was as frightening if not more, than her darkened one. She was clearly insane at Sonja's eyes. The blond could stop staring at the person that she knew it was going to kill her. Her dark eyes sparkled with an absurd madness, longing for her screams, for her death. A new batch of tears assaulted her already dirty face.

Suzume smirked evilly to the tied figure in front of her. After three years of hating and despising, there she was, face to face with her last victim. At that moment she thought of herself as omnipotent. She could do anything, and she would get out of it easily unpunished. She rolled her torture instrument as she raised her dark cold eyes to face Sonja. "They screamed a lot at first." She said as she twisted the knife in her hands. "But then…" a step forward and she almost hit Sonja with it in her stomach, only stopping inches from her skin. "Well, I guess they were too tired."

Sonja felt the blade touch her skin as Suzume travelled it along her legs. Her heart was beating faster than ever. She just wished, her killer would finish her quickly and painless, but she knew she wouldn't. "Sonoko was the one who cried the most." Suzume trailed off, engulfing herself in the fear that exhaled from Sonja. "She kept pleading me to kill her and stop the torture." a sick smile crossed her lips as she thought about the anguish moments of one of her previous victims. "But I didn't, I killed nice and slowly. Hell, I even stayed to watch as she ran out of blood and it spread all around the floor." She laughed as she played with the knife.

"Reika didn't cry, but she screamed." Sonja watched incapable to keep herself from crying again. "Woo. We had a lot of fun. Especially when cut her fingers." Another sick smile and Suzume came dangerously close. Her knife was strongly held in her hands. With a quick gesture of her wrist, she made a cut in Sonja's leg. "You're sick." Sonja shouted. She might be going to die, but she would give her the pleasure she was looking for. She spitted to the floor, what caused an hysterical laugh from Suzume.

Sora arrived fifteen minutes after Koushiro called her to hers and Taichi's office. The girl that had reported her friend missing was near Koushiro crying while he tried in vain to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Taichi was over the phone still trying to get the arrest request when Sora rather shyly stepped in. At first he didn't see her and she just remained on the doorway looking at him while he worked. He too was dedicated to his work just like Sora was to hers. She narrowed through his hair, to his face and noticed how young he was, how young she was. The man in the bar was right. She couldn't just throw her life away like that because of one mistake in the pass. The mistake of choosing the wrong guy to date, but deep inside, even if her fear remained at the surface, she knew Taichi wasn't like that guy. He was better, much better. And he cared for her in a way no other man had ever cared for and she loved that. And she also loved him. It was time to admit to herself that she was in love with that messy brown haired cop. He had locked her heart.

Over the phone, Taichi called stupid to the woman that was on the other side of the line. He slammed the phone over the table and hit his head over the desk. When he raised his head, he saw her. She was standing in the doorway looking at him, and her eyes were not showing fear or pain towards him. For the first time, the only thing he could see in her eyes was passion. Pure passion for life and way down on them, he could see love. The love that she had tried to hid. The love that she had for him. She smiled and smiled too. There were no words needed at the time. And the time itself seemed to have stopped. "We go without a warning." Her words were like a breeze of fresh air in the room. Putting aside everything that had happened in the past hour, Taichi picked his coat and both he and Sora left the office, in search of the young girl, Sonja that desperately needed their help, or the help of anyone in the surroundings.

They started to search around the subway station where she usually got the metro, according to her friend's information, but she wasn't there. In fact, there weren't many people around at all. They stopped to talk with the girl in the tickets cabin. Sora held her identification card in front of the window along with a picture of Sonja. "Have you seen this girl?" she asked in a demanding voice, not kindly at all. The woman eyed her a little angry. She put down the fingernail's rasp that she was using to do her manicure and stopped chewing her gum. "No, I haven't." she replied in a bore tone. Sora, though, knew this kind of employees. She walked to the back of the cabin and knocked. There was a sigh and seconds later the door opened. She stuck the piece of paper in front of the woman's eyes and asked again. The woman sighed.

"Well, yeah. She was here very earlier and bought a ticket." Sora thought for a while. She was here and now she's not, but she didn't catch the metro because it was stopped due to mechanical troubles. Then… "And after she was here, was there any other woman?" she asked. The woman was getting rather annoyingly as she kept chewing her gum without showing the sliest interest on what was going on. She looked at her fingernails and then to Sora. "Yeah, there was another girl. That one was spooky."

Sora sprinted to where she had left Taichi to speak with a cleaner. He looked at her and she nodded. He thanked the man that had been very polite and kind and left after her, both running. "Koushiro have you got the data that I asked for?" Taichi spoke to the intercommunication device in his car, while he drove. "Yeah, I've already sent the coordinates to your GPS." The red haired guy replied from the other side of the line.

"Good." Sora said as she checked on the computer for the coordinates. "The closest to us is in the next street. Just turn to left in the next crossing." She informed Taichi. Then she picked the communicator. "Hey, this is Detective Takenouchi. Send men to the warehouses to the red and pink areas, we're on the blue one. Don't forget. She is dangerous and considered armed. Be careful all unites. Who finds them is to communicate immediately and wait for us. Do not enter, I repeat, do not enter in contact with them, unless the victim's situation asks for an immediate intervention. Over." "Okay, central over and out." Koushiro's voice replied from the other side.

Meanwhile, Taichi had driven all the way that separated them from the blue dot. It was a common warehouse. "You know, if they demolished the abandoned warehouses and buildings, the rate of crime would decrease." Taichi said with a smirk. They both were in the car. Sora had already jacked into the warehouse's plant. "Okay. We have two door, one in the back and the other in the front of the warehouse. But the back door is jammed since 1989, so that leaves us one door." Sora explained. "The windows are too high for the most. There are also three separated rooms that we need to check up."

Taichi looked at the plant and then to the building. It was a large warehouse painted of grey, but due to the snow the roof was no white. Part of it seemed ready to collapse. He looked again to the plant. "Can you get a side look?" he asked. Sora clicked a few keys and the plant raised in perspective, showing a window in foot range. "Okay, I get the door and you go through the window. Keep you com on. We meet here." He said pointing to a spot in the middle of the warehouse.

Then, they both left the car, having careful not to be spotted. Each with its gun on hand, they nodded and started to snoop into the building. Sora looked for the window in the left side of the warehouse. She tried to push it pen but it was closed, so she ripped a tool from her coat and forced the window open. Then she smoothly got inside causing the lowest noise she could. The building was full of spider webs and a rat crossed her path right in the moment she was going to open the door. She had, after all, entered to the bathroom. There was a fetid smell to rotten and urine. She turned the handle of the door and looked outside. As she saw nothing, she opened the door in a quick movement and got out, leaning against the nearest wall, but not touching it. She closed the door again and continued her way, her gun down next to her leg.

Taichi turned the handle on the door, but it didn't open. He tried to knock it silently pushing it and the hinges gave in. he popped into the abandoned warehouse. It was rather dirty and that made him think that possible they weren't in the right spot, but he kept going anyway. He had to check it out. Next to the hall there was a huge corridor with windows to the rooms inside and there were only several doors. He leaned against the wall, holding his gun with both his hands next to his face, his knees slightly bended. He took a brief look into one of the rooms and then rolled over the floor to next covered position. Near him there was a door. He turned the handle and opened it.

The crimson eyed girl looked around amazed by the machinery around. That was an old shoe's warehouse, but the machines around weren't to make shoes or even to keep them. Now she was beginning to notice how helpful updating classes could be. That had been an illegal factory. The warehouse was just a façade. But now it was rusty and dirty.

She advanced a little further, being careful not to step on anything. She too was beginning to think they were in wrong place. Suddenly something rolled next to her feet. She looked down and sighed relief when she saw another rat. Even thought rats aren't the most pleasant animal in the world, they are much better than murders. The room was clearly empty. She walked around looking for another door, but all she could find was the door that led to the bathroom. The fact was that the small room, contrasting with the large warehouses' rooms, must had a secret way in and she was in no mood to search for it, as she continued to convince herself that the building was empty.

Her hands flew to her com. "Did you find anything?" she asked. For seconds the only response she had was silence. Taichi had rolled again to the next covered spot and looked into another window to see the place completely empty. He then picked his com. "No. You?" "Nop." She replied. Relaxing for a bit, his contracted muscles, Taichi allowed his gun to rest on his belt again as he stood and stared at the room. It looked a lot smaller than it should in his point of view. "Then, meet me outside, okay?" "Yeah."

Sora quickly returned to the nauseous environment of the bathroom where a large hairy spider climbed over the sink. She put her gun back in its place and climbed through the tub over the window. Meanwhile Taichi made his way back to his car, still intrigued by the fact that the rooms seemed smaller. He waited for his partner to arrive and eventually a couple of minutes later she did. She was covered in dust from having to through the window. She dusted herself off and looked up to him. Taichi then saw a mark on her face and rubbed it off with his hands, making Sora shake at his touch. He quickly retrieved his hand and entered the car. Sora stood outside and touched with her gloved hands the spot where he had touched her. She smiled and got into the car as well.

"You know," Taichi started, changing the subject to smooth the environment. "I found that warehouse a little odd." Sora looked puzzled at him but then she acknowledged what he should be talking about. "Yeah, it was used to illegal work for illegal immigrants. The window led to a bathroom that was connected to a room full of machinery, but the room itself hadn't any other door. It must have had a secret door, but I couldn't find it." She replied. "That's explains a lot." Taichi replied as he started the engine and drove again. He glanced over to Sora and their eyes met, making them turn their gaze away.

Sora picked the car com. "Central, this is Detective Takenouchi. Do you copy?" she asked. "Sora, this is Koushiro." "The warehouse was clean, well, not clean in the proper sense but you know what I mean." She chuckled. "What about the pink and the red team?" Koushiro took his time to reply. "The pink team is clear as well, but the red team hasn't reported yet." He informed. "Okay, then we're going to see what is going on with the red team. Over and out." Sora replied to Koushiro and then turned to Taichi. Once again he only nodded as he made a hundred and eighty degrees turn and drove to the red spot on the navigation computer system.

They arrived there ten minutes later due to a truck that had jammed in the high way. Taichi parked his car next to the other two unites that had their cars stopped next to another near collapsing warehouse. They stepped out of the car and walked over to the two stopped police cars to see them empty. Both Taichi and Sora exchanged confused looks. Sora picked her com. "Detectives Takenouchi and Yagami here. What is your current position red team? Over?" she spoke into the communicator but the only response they had was silence. "What's going on?" Taichi asked her, stepping out of one of the patrol cars. "They were supposed to have waited for us, but I guess they didn't." Sora replied. "Let's get in."

The couple advanced cautiously next to the building. "This time, we better stick together." Taichi said. Sora nodded in agreement. They stood by the doorway both with guns in hand and leaned against the wall. Taichi raised one finger, then two and at three he opened the door and Sora got in, pointing her gun to possible danger. She motioned Taichi to get in, and so he did. They advanced cautiously. Taichi had seen the plant of this building. It was a simple one, no plant at all. It was all open space. The problem was that it used to be a warehouse where they stored wood so there were high shelves where the wood was pilled on, which blocked their view.

They continued carefully ahead through the maze that had been created. Sora could feel her heart beating faster and faster in adrenalin. That was a sensation that, though not quite pleasant, she loved to feel. It was the feeling that told her that she was alive. As long as her heart was able to beat like that, she knew she wasn't defeated yet. She looked over to Taichi. Though the day was beaming through the windows, the darkness inside was still blinding them. From him, she couldn't see more than his shadow, except when the light coming from the windows reflected over his figure. His hair shined brightly as his eyes when he too looked at her. He too could barely see her, only a shadow, except for her fiery eyes that glow in the darkness of the place.

His mouth moved in words shape, but Sora couldn't quite understand what he was saying. She gave him a confused look, illuminated by the light of the window under which they were passing. He looked around and walked over to her and whispered to her ear before he got back to his place. Sora remained calm on her place as she simply gazed at him. He had definitely stolen her heart.

She moved further, and as she did, she saw something on the floor. Taking a closer approach, she saw a cop lying on the floor. She checked for his pulse. He was still alive, but barely. She looked to his chest where a bullet had made her way through his clothes. The bastard wasn't wearing protection. She cursed mentally. She picked her com once again while Taichi approached too to see the man's condition. The bullet had fairly missed his heart for inches, of that he was sure, but he was bleeding badly and his breathing was being affected. He had gone unconscious; it was hard to say if he was going to survive.

"Central, this is blue team. We need back up and medical support. One man down, the rest of them are still missing. I repeat: we need back up and medical support." Sora's low voice spoke into the com. "This is Central, Officer Izumi as assembled three unites and they are on their way. Medical support is also being contacted. Central Over and out."

"They're on their way." Sora said to Taichi. He nodded and looked around, but just when he spotted someone on the top of one of the shelves, he saw the metal glow of a gun. "Take cover." He shouted as he threw himself over Sora and they both rolled out of range. They remained with their heads and bodies down, supported by his feet, with their knees bent. Taichi took a shot and peeked to the spot where he had first seen the shooter, but if it was there, he had take cover as well. "It must be Suzume." Sora replied. The brown haired nodded. "I'm going to try to get to the other side. You go to this side and see if you can spot Sonja." He ordered. Sora nodded.

Taichi prepared himself to roll down on the floor again so he could pass to the other side. But just as he was going to do it, Sora held him by his shoulder. "Please be careful." She asked. Taichi was a little surprised by that, but he smiled as he put a reassuring hand over her shoulder. "Don't worry." Sora returned the smile, turned and began to run silently through the corridors, trying to find the girl.

The brown haired guy looked once more to the place where the shooter was, and as he did not see him, she ducked even more and rolled through the floor to the other side. He started running to the opposite side Sora was running, his plan was that he got the killer while Sora found the victim and took her out of there. He stopped when he reached a death end. Damn, this place has really been turned into a maze. He thought as he turned away and chose another way. I just hope Sora has found the girl and had gotten out of here.

On the other side of the building, Sora was also trying to find her way through the maze. This is weird. Why would she turn this into a maze? Sora thought. She couldn't find the reason why Suzume had made the building a complete maze. After all she wasn't expecting us to catch her. she has been smart. Why would she quit being it now? "Unless…" Sora gave voice to her own thoughts. "…she knew we were going to catch her this time." Maybe the order in which she killed the girls wasn't out of purpose, but planned. We couldn't make a sense of things, until the third an then it would be too late for us to find the fourth and if we did it… Hell, she planned the all thing.

As she thought, she couldn't hear the footsteps coming from behind her. Suzume tried to approach her as silently as she could, but when Sora suddenly stopped, she accidentally knocked a box in one of the shelves down. Sora quickly turned around to face her enemy. Suzume found herself in deep troubles. She was hoping to get out sneaking, but the stupid cops separated themselves. She faced the policewoman in her way. Sora held her gun pointed to her. "Stand still." She said.

Damn it. Suzume tried desperately to look for a way out. Her gun was on the back of her jeans but if she tried to get her, it would be too obvious and the woman would shoot her. She looked around her as she put her arms up in apparently surrender, just high enough to pick a box above her head. Then she threw at Sora and ran pass her. Sora, though, wasn't even near to give up on her hunt. She quickly pulled the box aside and stood up, running after Suzume. She could see her shadow moving quickly. She seemed to know quite well where she was going.

"Stop." Sora shouted as she ran after the murdering girl. "The place is surrounded. You have no escape." But her words seemed to have no effect on the girl that kept running. After a tough turn, Sora saw a glance of stairs and the normal metallic sound that someone makes when running up a bunch of metal stairs. She quickly started climbing the stairs as well, when she heard a weird sound. It seemed like something was rolling down the stairs, and then she saw a big barrel. She looked around to see her possible escapes, but the stairs where against the wall and the barrel was too big for her try jump when he came. Without any other option, seeing the barrel coming closer, she jumped off the stairs and fell to the ground. She winced in pain as her shoulder hit the floor. She then rolled over herself to stand immediately and started climbing up the stairs again, without noticing her com over the floor. Then she heard a gun shot.

Koushiro had rushed to get out of the traffic that had settled in his way. He drove the car through the cars that had managed to step aside from his way, followed by another two unites. He had assembled the best cops on watch to drive as fast as they could to help the others. Also behind them was an ambulance. When they managed to get to the warehouse, the first thing they saw, were the three cars parked side by side a few metres from the place. He watched the plant of the building over his navigation system and ordered the guys to place themselves in strategic places. Wow, pity that Yamato isn't here. He would be of much help, being an expert in surrounding buildings and placing men.

After all the men had left, he watched once more the plant, making sure he had placed them in the right places. Just then, as he watched a side perspective of the warehouse he noticed that things were a little changed. He looked at the warehouse and then to the plant he had and noticed that there were stairs on one of the sides that weren't marked on the plant. He picked his com. "Sora?! Taichi?! Have any of you found the suspect yet?" he asked. "Nop. I'm still searching. Try Sora." Taichi's voice came with a whisper. "Sora? Come in Sora?" But there was no response. Without knowing what to do, he rushed over to the place where the stairs were. He was incautious and did not carry his gun on his hand.

Taichi kept running through the building. He was starting to get really worried about Sora. Darn it. Suzume must have gone to the other way. As the was making his way back to where Sora had been, he saw a light coming from one of the ways. He ran over to it, with his gun always in his hands, walking carefully not to make a wrong step. And then he saw someone hanging the middle. As he approached, he glared at Sonja's death body hanged by her neck. He controlled his urge to scream at full lungs. They didn't manage to get there in time. Somehow, the body of the death girl messed up with him more then it should. He picked his com. "Koushiro the victim is dead. Do you copy that?" he asked. Just then he heard a gun shot. His heart shouted.

Sora rushed her climbing over the last few steps that were left. She was on the top of the roof now, but the show that was before her eyes wasn't a pretty one. Suzume was holding her gun, which still ad smoke coming out of it, and on the floor, lied a hurt Koushiro. Sora's first instinct told her to rush over next to her friend, but she knew she couldn't just let Suzume ran away. Before the girl knew it, Sora launched herself on the top of her, making her drop her gun. Suzume wasn't used to hand to hand fight. In anger, the brown haired girl, smashed her fist in the dark haired one, knocking her unconscious. After handcuffing her, Sora ran to her friend. Her tears started to fall, as she saw Koushiro holding his stomach. His hand was already filled with blood.

"Oh no! You hang in there, you hear me?" Sora cried as she took off her jacket and put it over the wound trying to stop the bleeding while with the other hand, she tried to reach for her com, that unfortunately wasn't there. Without even thinking, she reached for Koushiro's. "Attention, officer down, I repeat, officer down. Medical support on the roof now." She cried into the com, while she pressed Koushiro's wound strongly. He winced closing his eyes in pain.

Taichi sighed, partially relief when he heard Sora's voice, but his face quickly contracted in a worried expression as she heard that an officer was shot. He was glad that it hadn't been Sora, but loosing a profession mate, was always something to regret and he knew many of his mates. But the most worrying fact was that, relying on Sora's voice cracking a bit, he could swear it had been Koushiro. The central had said that he was coming. Though he didn't know Koushiro as long as long as Sora did, he still praised his company and friendship, and it would be a great lost.

He ran out of the building over to the paramedics. They were loading the hurt cop that they had found, and next to him, there was a black bag, where the corpse of another cop lied. He looked over to the building and spotted a glance of stairs. He cursed himself for not having seen them earlier. Pulling the arm of one of the paramedics he started running to the place. "There's another officer hurt, needing medical attention." He shouted as he dragged the man. Understanding the situation the medic motioned two other to bring a stretcher and the right material. Meanwhile another ambulance had arrived, along with a forensic van. Some other cops had already gone into the building to search for the other two officers and the body of the girl.

The paramedics hurried up the stairs, even though that with the stretcher it was a bit complicated, but they managed too. The first thing they saw was an unconscious handcuffed woman in the floor that they ignored, walking towards the couple. Sora was holding her jacket over Koushiro's wound that kept bleeding. Seeing the paramedics, she quickly got out of the way, allowing them to do their work. Taichi followed them and held Sora. They watched as the paramedics put Koushiro over the stretcher and carried him to the ambulance, using compresses that the pressed hard on his stomach to stop the bleeding.

After making sure that Koushiro was in good hands, they hurried to Suzume's side that still lied unconscious on the floor. They stood in both her sides and picked her up, carrying her to the patrol car that immediately took her to the police department where thy found her a "cosy cell" for her staying until the trial.

Later that day, Taichi and Sora were in the waiting room of the hospital where Koushiro was being operated. The doctors had a good prognostic from when he had entered the emergence service. They said that though he had lost a lot of blood, he was still conscious and that was an important step. When they managed to put him in the surgery room and he was under anaesthesia, a female nurse had come to tell them that the bullet had housed itself in the muscle near the traverse colon and so there shouldn't be many complications after the surgery was done. At that moment, both sighed in relief, but now, two hours later, they were getting worried.

"I thought she had said it was an easy surgery?!" Sora exclaimed after giving her hundredth turn in the small waiting room. Taichi stood up for the thirtieth time and grabbed her by her shoulders leading her to the chair once more. "Don't worry. If there was something wrong, they would have warned us already." He shushed her, trying to sit her down. "Now, sit here. And relax."

Sora followed Taichi to the chair but unaware to her own consciousness, half minute later she was up again walking in circles in the room. After a good half an hour, the doctor finally came out of the room. Sora stood up in a flash and looked inquiring to the doctor. Taichi too was looking intently at him, with a questioning worried look. Their faces relaxed almost immediately, and Sora sunk in her chair again, as the doctor smiled and gave them a thumb up.

"See, I told you he will be alright." Taichi told her as he took her gloved hand in his, once again noticing her stubbornness in hiding her hands. "Yes. It was quite an easy surgery." The doctor, a young man, though older than them. He should be about thirty years but some signs of earlier aging were already visible in his face. He wore a pair of squared glasses, which gave him a very intellectual look. Sora raised an eyebrow. If it was so simple, why did it take them so long? She gave voice to her thoughts, and the doctor's response. "Even the more simple surgery can take it's time. There were some complications when the bullet slid to the small intestine. But we managed to remove it, without causing permanent damage, and even the scar your colleague is gonna have, was diminished by the long time we took." He explained with a proud voice on his work.

"When can we see him?" Taichi asked a perfect formal question in these occasions. The doctor's short pose assumed a thoughtful position, as he started at the ceiling unintentionally. "I think more two hours and he will be awake, but you cannot stay for a long time with him. He needs rest." The doctor replied appointing another thing that was clear for them both. Then he turned around and left back to the surgery room again.

Taichi looked over to Sora. He could see her face in pure relief as she allowed herself to drown in the chair that for her tired body could be as good as her own bed. Seeing her tired features, Taichi decided that a coffee and of course, lunch, that they haven't, after all, taken, besides needed, was deserved. "Let's go the cafeteria and grab something to eat. I'm starving." He said. Sora nodded in agreement as she stood up. In those brief moments during the lunch and the ones that followed it, none of them reminisced again, the fact that early in the morning had made one of them completely speechless and the other tormented once more.

Early in the same morning, Yamato and Mimi were side by side in his bed. Yamato had his hand over Mimi's belly in a somehow protective form. He watched Mimi's sleeping features as she breathed in and out in a constant and peaceful sleep. Though it was already noon, he did not dare waking her. he knew how tiring the day before had bee for her and he did not wish to make her stop whatever dream she was having, that made her smile so often, during the sleep.

He almost could feel his child in her belly. He was happy now. Very happy, because he had no more doubts about his marriage with the woman that carried his child. He had settled that she was the only one he would love for now and forever. After all, I could he possible deny loving such a beautiful and enchanted woman. She was intelligent, smart, thoughtful, kind and sincere. And she had also beautiful features. Which man would not want her by his side? She was everything he could ask for. She would certainly be such a lovely mother and wife as she was a girlfriend. What could go wrong?

Mimi turned and hugged him. Even if she had done it several times, during their nights together he still couldn't help to blush, and a slight pink spread across his pale face. He turned to face her. His hand slowly moved to her face and removed a lost thread of her brown hair behind her ear. Another smile spread across her angel face. And a word came out of her mouth. Yamato just remained in his previous position, completely in shock. His fingers still lingering in her hair. He removed his hand in slow motion as he also put his feet to the other side of his bed and stood up. Thousands of thoughts crossed his mind. The first one told him to wake Mimi right there and demand explanations, but his rational part would not allow him to talk to her in a moment of shock in which he was imbibed now.

He sat on the couch of his spacious house, legacy of being from a rich family. His hands covered his darkened face. He couldn't think right now. He had to calm himself and start thinking clear. But that word, that name stuck in his mind, banging in his ears, he couldn't ignore it. He grabbed his hair with strength and breathed in and out, until his accelerated breathing came to a paused calm one. He should wait for her to wake up, and think about it meanwhile. The fact that Mimi was perhaps in love with another man hit him strong, but not as strong as he thought it would. Should it be because perhaps he had small hints that she was?

He lied on the couch staring at the ceiling. The whole idea of marrying was mine. But even I wasn't sure about it. The child was my trigger. I was only thinking about the well being of the child and not thinking that Mimi could ever possibly not be happy with me, like I thought I couldn't be happy with her. I purposed to her. Maybe she was afraid to say no, for me and the child as well. But I cannot marry her, knowing that she's in love with other, especially being him who he is. How can this be happening to me. And all because of a little mistake.

As the thoughts floated in his troubled mind, he didn't notice Mimi coming from his room, a rope around her slender figure, standing in the shadows, watching him. She did not make a sound, as she just watched him there. Her thoughts lingering in his beauty both interior and exterior. He had an amazingly well built. He had all the right muscles. Not the kind of bully in school, but like a sportive guy. And his blond hair contrasting with his beautiful eyes made him a man very attractive. But what had first captivated her was his personality. Though a lonely guy, he had a strong personality. He loved his brother and cared for him more than anything else in the world. He also cared for his friends and always knew the right words to tell them to cheer them up.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Unaware to her presence, Yamato stood up and walked to the phone, to see Mimi's hand picking the speaker and attending the call. "Jyou?!" that was certainly a name that caused him some troubles right now, but as Mimi's face turned from slightly surprised to shock and then relief, his thoughts wondered to the reason of the call, more than the person that had called.

"What did he wanted?" Yamato asked. His voice was rather cold still and Mimi noticed it. His face contracted all his muscles trying not to look irritated or annoyed by any matter, but Mimi was a psychologist after all, and he couldn't hid things from her. "Is something wrong, she asked him?" Yamato made his best angelic face and immediately denied anything that she could possibly be imagining. "No, nothing, he replied. "What did Jyou wanted? It seemed important by your face."

Mimi launched him a look that told him they would talk about it later. Walking to his room she started to get dressed. "Koushiro has been hurt. Sora and Taichi are in the hospital, right now. Jyou just called because he thought you would want to know about it." She informed him as she slipped into her pants. Yamato just watched how cool she could be with his stares. In fact in the moment that she asked him if there was something wrong, he considered the hypothesis that she had already noticed his jealousy over something that wasn't even confirmed.

He too slipped into a pair of pants, and half an hour later, they were both meeting Taichi and Sora at the waiting room, where both the exhausted cops awaited for the doctors to leave the room, to see Koushiro. This is because, if they wanted to talk to him, they would have to wait for him to awake. The two of them were also almost asleep. Sora had her head over Taichi's shoulder and Taichi had his head over her head, they both leaned to the wall behind their chairs. Taichi had actually started snoring, but acknowledging it, he immediately changed a little the position of his head so he wouldn't snore. Sora was fast asleep also. After eating, she had fall against the chair. Her head hanging to the wall as she slept. Taichi eventually put her head over his shoulder and fell asleep looking at her brown light hair.

This was how Yamato and Mimi found them when they arrived to the hospital. They didn't awoke them, because besides Yamato knowledge that they should be tired, he thought that scene very cute, since he had never seen Sora sleeping against a guy's shoulder, not even a woman. So it was cute. Mimi giggled and whispered something about having a camera to take a picture of them. Just like magic, but still not quite, Takeru and Hikari appeared, she was holding a bag and he holding her. They were laughing low all the way there and kissing like two lovers of high school.

Yamato had called them, knowing how close, Takeru was with Koushiro since they had first met. Koushiro admired forensic medicine a lot, and having Takeru as a friend was a bonus he couldn't refuse. Besides, being both of them, extremely intelligent in the arts of criminology they had exchanged theories several times. It is like the gang is all here. Yamato thought. Somehow we are all connected to each other.

"Oh, so cute!" Hikari exclaimed as she notice how her brother and Sora were. She immediately took her camera and started taking pictures. Takeru sighed as he sat besides his brother, after greeting Mimi with a kiss on her cheek. "Hikari, do you have to carry that camera of yours everywhere?" he asked in a concerned yet amused voice. "Yeah!" she replied between flashes. The she put the small machine back in her purse and sat back by his side. "We never know when a scoop is coming directly towards us and we need to take pictures." She replied with a smirk.

"Journalists!" the three replied. Hikari made an annoyed face but ended up laughing as well. Next on the line was Jyou. Porting his usual authoritarian and wise look, with his navy blue hair and his glasses on the top of his nose, he made his appearance in the waiting room as well. After all, he was Koushiro's chief and he cared for him as anyone following his orders.

The first thing he saw where the two blond guys, then Taichi's sister. He approached and greeted them. Yamato watched him carefully as he greeted Mimi. But to his surprise he did the same as he had done to the others, a small shaking hands and a nod. She, though, seemed to be satisfied. There was until he noticed a hint of brightness in both their eyes mix with sorrow and happiness. Somehow, he felt guilty about it.

Only after having sat himself, Jyou notice the sleeping couple. He shook his head disapprovingly to those two officers behave as polices, but he couldn't help to chuckle to their pacific faces as they slept, both looking like little children. Finally someone is taking care of you, my child. His thoughts directed at the sleeping woman figure. A smile spread across her face, and he couldn't help to smile himself. No more night in blank with nightmare, then. I guess that broom haired of Taichi had made a good job. But if he ever messes up, don't forget that I'm here.

Finally the nurses inside the room left. The doctor was in the end of the line. He smiled as he saw all the people that were waiting. Many friends I guess. Good for you. He thought. "You may enter now. He's still asleep. Please two at a time, and don't try to wake him. if he awakes, what eventually might happen, limit the visit please." He smiled and left. Jyou was the first to get in.