Lupin III Fan Fiction ❯ Daddy's Girl ❯ Delicate Balance ( Chapter 10 )

Daddy's Girl

By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki

(Lupin isn't mine. Armed with the information he has found out about Chamberlain, Lupin sets out to find him and clear Jigen's name as well as save the scientist. However, he must rethink his plans when he can't find Fujiko.)

Part Ten: Delicate Balance

Lupin drummed his fingers on the table as he let Fujiko's phone ring. He had tried her three times before with no answer. The ringing cut off and the recording from the telephone company came on. " The party you are trying to reach is not available… please try your call again later. Goodbye! "

Lupin set the receiver back in the cradle before picking it up and dialing her number again. " Come on… where are you? " He muttered as the phone rang.

" Have you still not got a hold of her? " Jigen asked from where he was laying on the couch.

" No. I wonder where she could be? " Lupin sighed as he hung up the phone.

Jigen scoffed, " She's probably hunting Chamberlain down to kill him for standing her up last night. "

" I thought she didn't know where he lived, " Lupin glanced at Jigen as he thought about calling Fujiko again. He wondered if she had turned the ringer of on her phone because she was upset over the information she had found out the night prior.

Jigen thought about it, " Yeah. You're right. "

" Where could she be? " Lupin shut his eyes. " I hope she's just sleeping late or out shopping. "

" Calm down, " Jigen muttered. " She's a big girl and can take care of herself… oh wait. We're talking about Fujiko. I forgot. There are days I wonder if she needs help wiping her own ass. "

" Very funny, " Lupin snapped as he noticed someone at the top of the stairs. He smiled as he focused his attention there, " Toshiko! This is a surprise. What made you come out of your room? "

" Is lunch going to be ready soon? " Toshiko acted a little nervous under Lupin's attention. She wore her clothes from the day she was brought in, a black sweater with faded jeans. Lupin had left them at her doorstep the day before after they were cleaned and she had worn the same outfit to dinner the night before.

" Oh! I forgot! " Lupin looked around. " Where's Goemon? "

" He said he was going to use the sauna to see if he could sweat out his cold. He's being such a baby about it, " Jigen said. " How was I supposed to know he would get sick if I threw him in the water? "

" He didn't look too good yesterday morning. I think he was coming down with something before you tried to feed him to the fish, " Lupin shrugged. He looked up at Toshiko, " So what would my lady like to have for lunch? "

Toshiko blushed a little bit, " Um. Could you make that ramen again? It was really good. "

" It must be engraved in the genes, " Jigen muttered as he rolled over to face the back of the couch.

" What? " Toshiko looked a little confused.

" Never mind, " Lupin gave Jigen a dirty look. He heard someone take a sharp breath and found it was Goemon. He had emerged from the sauna room but obviously not expected to see Toshiko downstairs because he wore nothing but a towel.

" Looks who's coming to lunch, Goemon. "

Goemon nodded as he blushed. He tightened his grip on the towel where he was holding it closed around his waist, " It is good for you to be moving around. How do you feel today Toshiko? " He seemed uncomfortable to be in front of her in such a state of undress.

" A little better. I hadn't had much rest when I… " Toshiko blushed and bowed her head. " Well, you know. But I feel better now. "

" That is good to hear, " Goemon commented. He was relieved the girl had averted her eyes from him.

" How are you? " Toshiko asked timidly. " I overheard Lupin saying you weren't feeling well. "

Goemon cut his eyes towards the couch, " I would be fine if I hadn't been pushed into a fish pond. I'll have you know that water was VERY cold. "

Jigen's responded by lifting his right arm and shooting the finger at Goemon. He brought his arm down, " Can't a guy get some sleep around here? " He growled.

" If you want to sleep, go to your bedroom. It isn't rocket science, " Lupin replied.

" If I walk upstairs, I won't feel like sleeping anymore, " Jigen lifted his head and glared at Lupin.

" You could have some manners and join us for lunch since we have a guest, " Goemon said.

Jigen growled then rolled over and sat up. " Oh alright. "

Goemon looked at Lupin, " What are we having? "

" Toshiko requested ramen so that's what I'm fixing, " Lupin announced as he put an arm around the young woman.

" It must be genetic, " Goemon muttered.

" That's what I said, " Jigen said.

Toshiko looked at the two men then at Lupin, " What are they talking about? "

Lupin put a hand behind his head and laughed. " I guess it wouldn't hurt anything to tell you. You see, your dad eats ramen like it's going out of style. "

" Oh, " Toshiko looked down at the floor, " Then could we have chicken salad for lunch instead? "

Lupin blinked, " I guess so. What made you change your mind? "

Toshiko stepped away from Lupin's arm. " I'll be in my room, " She said and darted up the stairs.

" My, " Goemon said once he heard Toshiko's door slam shut. " Her mood changed quickly. "

" Nice going, " Jigen got up slapped Lupin upside the head. " You just had to mention Pops. "

" I just thought… " Lupin said then sighed. " Okay, it was a bad judgment call. I'll apologize later. "

" Speaking of moody women, " Goemon looked around. " Has Jigen's best friend shown up yet? "

" She's not my best friend, " Jigen said as he sat back down on the couch.

" Actually, she hasn't. I can't get her on the phone either, " Lupin looked at his watch. " I should try again. "

Goemon narrowed his eyes, " This is unlike her. She's in one of her moods where she can't leave us alone. "

" I know and I don't like it. I think she might be in trouble, " Jigen said as he got a cigarette out of his jacket and lit it. " We need to go find her before something happens to her. "

Lupin dropped the phone and looked at Jigen, " Holy shit! Is that concern I hear in your voice? "

" I'm just saying that if she's with Chamberlain, we can kick his ass for making us wait for him last night. I could have been doing better things than teasing Fujiko about being such a slut. "

" But you enjoy it so much, " Lupin said with mock drama.

" Shut up! " Jigen shouted then said, " I probably wouldn't have to smoke if it weren't for her. "

" You smoked before we even met her, " Lupin said. " Matter of fact, you told me once you were born smoking. "

Jigen thought it over; " I would have to smoke as much if it wasn't for her. "

Lupin rolled his eyes, " Oh. That makes sense, Mr. I-Was-Already-On-Two-Packs-A-Day-By-The-Time-I-Turned-Ten. "

" I WAS NOT! " Jigen shouted. He flicked some ashes in to the ashtray as he muttered, " I was only smoking a pack a day then… until my mom whipped my ass when she caught me. "

" It served you right, " Lupin replied.

Goemon took a step forward, " I will fix lunch once I get dressed. Lupin, I suggest you apologize to Toshiko while I do. "

" Yeah, " Lupin sighed. " I may have set her back a bit on wanting to see him. "

" Do you think you should tell about him being shot? " Jigen said as he motioned to where Lupin had stashed the paper. " She might want to see him sooner if she knows he's hurt. "

" I don't want to scare her though. I'll wait to tell her about that, " Lupin looked up the stairs. " It may be the only way to get her to see him though. "

**

Fujiko fought for consciousness as the sedative started to wear off. She found she was in a dark room and was bound. She struggled to recall the last thing she saw and felt her blood start to boil. ~Did Jigen do this to keep me out of the way? Does he think I have something to do with the plot to assassinate that diplomat? ~ She thought.

The shadow of a man fell over her from the doorway. The dim light was behind him so she couldn't see any feature save for the outline of a fedora. " Bastard! What do you think you're doing? "

" I'm just keeping your ass out of trouble, that's all. "

Fujiko narrowed her eyes. The voice wasn't Jigen's. " It's you… " She said. She was careful not to use his name for he had never told her and it would raise suspicion if he knew she knew it.

Chamberlain moved into the room and out of the light. Fujiko could hear his footfalls as he came closer to the bed. " Do you like my disguise? " He purred as he ran his fingers up one of her bare legs.

" I hate it! " Fujiko said. " I thought you were someone I'm not very fond of. "

" But you like him enough to tell him about me, " Chamberlain slid his hand higher until it rested on Fujiko's upper thigh. " I'll have to tell you he shared the information with someone else. "

" How did you know? " Fujiko shivered as Chamberlain stroked her thigh. She had only told Jigen because she thought it would be safe.

" I have my ways, " Chamberlain said. " What happened to your earrings I gave you? "

" I took them off and forgot where I left them, " Fujiko said. ~There must have been a bug in one of them… he wouldn't know otherwise. ~

" I see, " Chamberlain's fingers glided back down her leg then up to her thigh again. " I'll remember that the next time I think about giving you a gift. If you are that careless, I may reconsider. "

" How did you find out about the way Jigen dresses? " Fujiko asked. " I really thought you were him. "

" This helpful ICPO officer showed me a picture of him. At the time, I didn't know he was a cop until I saw him at the ball last night. You should have seen the look on his face when he saw me. He must have thought I was this Jigen guy when I shot him. "

" You shot Zenigata? " Fujiko went cold all over. There was something in Chamberlain's tone that led her to believe the inspector was dead.

" I did but it would have been a better shot if I wasn't on a motorcycle at the time. I only hit him in the leg, " Chamberlain ran his hand under Fujiko's nightgown and caressed her stomach. " He should be out of my way for the time being. "

~And Lupin's… ~ Fujiko thought.

" I missed you last night, " Chamberlain whispered. " I feel so bad about standing you up. "

" I could have caught a cold. You could have told me you weren't going to make it, " Fujiko said then gasped as he slid his hand back down and in between her legs. He pushed her skimpy panties aside and stroked her.

" I tried to call you all day yesterday but you didn't answer, " Chamberlain explained as he probed her with his fingers. " Where were you? "

" At a friend's house, " Fujiko gasped as he pushed two fingers into her.

" Jigen's house? " Chamberlain inquired. " Or was it Lupin's? "

" Why should I tell you? " Fujiko writhed a little as Chamberlain worked her. She tried to part her legs a bit but she was tied too tightly. " I could have been anywhere. "

" I know you were with your friends, " Chamberlain purred.

" How? " Fujiko panted.

" I used those earrings to keep tabs on you. I guess it's safe to tell you now since I'm going to keep you here until I have no use for you anymore. Do you know how hot I got when I heard you goading that Goemon guy? " Chamberlain pulled his fingers out of Fujiko.

" I was in a rage, " Fujiko was relieved he had stopped. " I had no idea what I was saying. "

" You sounded like you really wanted him to screw you, " Chamberlain said. " I'm surprised he didn't break down and take you. I bet he would have if Jigen hadn't interrupted. "

" Goemon's not like that, " Fujiko said. " I only did that because he isn't that kind of man. "

" He must have something wrong with him if he was able to resist you, " Chamberlain countered.

" He's just more sensible. He isn't controlled by his crotch like some men I could mention, " Fujiko narrowed her eyes.

" Tsk, tsk. What am I going to do with you, my little minx? " Chamberlain said. Fujiko then heard the sound of a switchblade knife.

" What are you doing? " Fujiko's blood ran cold. She was certain he was going to kill her for mouthing off.

" Settle down, " Chamberlain cut the ropes around Fujiko's legs.

" Aren't you being a little too trusting? " Fujiko arched an eyebrow. " I am highly trained in self-defense and my legs are pretty strong. "

" Just try something and see what happens to you, " Chamberlain said coldly. Fujiko heard the heavy thud of a gun being set down on a bedside table. He chuckled, " Besides, I'm not cutting the ropes on your arms. "

" You are such a sick bastard, " Fujiko muttered. She had called him a sick bastard before but this time she meant it. The other times she had said it was in a playful manner.

" Yeah but you love it, " He said.

Fujiko could hear him taking off his clothes and knew what he had in mind for her. " What if I say no? " She said then thought better of it. She usually only aggravated those she felt like she could control but the words slipped out before she could stop herself.

" Then I'll rape you… if you could call it that. After all, you're the one who didn't bother to find out my name before we screwed for the last week, " Chamberlain tone was icy. She felt that her being bound excited him even more.

" You should have told me it, " Fujiko replied. " It was your responsibility to introduce yourself. You really have no manners. "

" What a mouth you have, " The bed sank with Chamberlain's weight. He pushed Fujiko legs apart and crawled between them. " I'll have to try it out before I kill you. "

" But why do you want to kill me? " Fujiko said. " You said I was the best you've ever had. "

" It's simple. You know too much to live. " Chamberlain whispered as he tore off her panties then placed his tip at her opening. He thrust into her swiftly, causing her to cry out.

Fujiko could do nothing as he went at her like an animal, her only condolence being the fact that the speed he was going at meant it would be over quickly. She thought of something and tried to speak. " You have one on, right? " She panted.

" One what? " Chamberlain grunted then let out a hoarse chuckle. " Nah. I don't need it. "

Fujiko tried to buck him off of her but stopped when she felt the tip of the knife at her throat. She swallowed hard then decided not to fight anymore. ~I guess it doesn't matter… ~ She reasoned. She was a thoroughly modern woman and had taken measures to prevent becoming pregnant.

" I told you not to fight, " Chamberlain grunted then set the knife down. His breathing had changed and Fujiko knew it would be only a minute or so more before he was finished. He didn't seem to care if she was getting any pleasure out of it or not. She wasn't but she wasn't going to say anything for she wanted to keep her life.

Chamberlain took a sharp breath and went rigid over her, letting her know he was done. When he was finished, he got off of her and sat down on the edge of the bed to smoke a cigarette. She thought about kicking him in the back but the gun was still in close reach for him. If her arms had been loose, she would have grabbed it he would have been on the floor dead.

The sound of the telephone in another room attracted his attention. He stood and didn't look back as he said, " If you move even an inch I'm killing you. "

**

" Damn! " Lupin flung the telephone off of his office desk. It hit the wall with a hard thud before tumbling to the floor. He put his head in his hands and stared down at the desk.

" You still can't get Fujiko? " Jigen stood in the doorway. He had come to see what the noise was and Goemon was right behind him.

" How did you ever guess? " Lupin said sarcastically without looking up from the desk. " I hate this. I'm starting to think she really is in trouble. "

" She probably is considering who she has been consorting with, " Goemon said.

" Thank you Mr. Ray Of Fucking Sunshine! " Lupin flung a paperweight at Goemon's head but he quickly unsheathed Zantetsuken and sliced it into tiny pieces.

" Hey! Don't whip that thing out so close to my back! " Jigen shouted at Goemon as the samurai re-sheathed the sword. " You nearly cut my fucking head off. "

" I was careful to avoid you, " Goemon said evenly. " You were perfectly safe. "

" Dodge it the next time! " Jigen growled.

Lupin put his head down on the desk; " I should have locked her up the second I found out about that guy. "

" Have you figured out what you're going to do about this? " Jigen walked in and sat down on the couch. Goemon followed and took a seat on the floor.

" There's only one thing we can do. We need to get to that diplomat before he tries to shoot him again. "

" There's a slight problem with that, " Jigen sighed.

" What's that? " Lupin arched an eyebrow.

" They just broke in on the TV with a special bulletin, " Jigen jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

" And? " Lupin made an 'out-with-it' motion with his hand.

" They just found the poor guy dead. He shot himself in the head and his suicide note said that he was overwhelmed with guilt because so many people had been hurt because of him. He also burned the plans so the companies he contracted with are shit out of luck, " Jigen looked down at the floor. " It looks like this caper was over before it even started. "

" Fucking great… " Lupin stood up and walked over to where the phone had landed. He picked it up then set it back on the desk. He turned around to say something to Jigen and Goemon when it rang. He answered, " Burger King, Home Of The Whopper. "

Jigen and Goemon looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They quickly realized that Lupin was not talking to one of his contacts when he said, " How did you get this number? " He glanced at Jigen and Goemon as he turned on the speakerphone.

" Oh. You've put me on the speaker. That's wonderful because I want your friends to hear this too, " The man on the other end of the line said. " First, I would like to say hello to Goemon and Jigen. "

Goemon and Jigen looked at each other. " It's him, " Goemon said.

" Chamberlain, " Jigen muttered.

" I would particularly like to ask Jigen how it feels to be wanted for shooting an ICPO officer? I hear you are being looked for all over Japan right now for trying to kill that diplomat, " Chamberlain's tone was that of a gleeful sadist.

" You framed me for that and you know it, " Jigen growled. " The point is moot now anyway. The guy is dead and he took the plans with him. "

" Yes it is but it doesn't change the fact you went poking around in my private affairs, " Chamberlain chuckled. " Of course I know you probably coerced Fujiko to tell you all the sorted details. I gathered that from what you discussed with Goemon. "

" Why have you called? " Lupin interjected. " You still haven't told me how you got my number. "

" It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out, " Chamberlain said. A moment later, Fujiko screeched in pain. " I just did this until she told me. "

" What did you just do to her? " Lupin leaned over the phone and shouted into the speaker.

" Settle down. I pinched one of her nipples, " Chamberlain responded. " I can't believe how sensitive they are but I'm pretty sure you know that they are susceptible to a man's touch. "

" Stop it, " Fujiko was barely audible in the background.

" What are you doing now? " Lupin said.

" I'm playing with her beautiful tits. I'd imagine my hand would be broken by now if she could do anything about it, " Chamberlain sounded like he was taunting Lupin. " Tell me, Lupin. Do you like touching these beautiful mounds of flesh? "

" Please excuse me, " Goemon stood up, his cheeks bright red.

" Don't be so shy. Goemon, I heard your little fight with Fujiko. I know you wanted to feel her wrapped around you. Would you like for me to describe just how heavenly it feels? " Chamberlain said, his tone becoming sycophantic.

" I did not! " Goemon moved to unsheathe Zantetsuken but Jigen stopped him.

" He's just trying to break you down, " Jigen said.

" Yes, I am. I like to play with my prey before I kill them, " Chamberlain purred.

Lupin looked at Jigen and Goemon. " What are you talking about? " He said.

" Oh. That. You see, the man who hired me told me I would get a hundred million yen if I killed the diplomat. Since that's been screwed up, my boss called me with a Plan B. "

" What's that? " Lupin asked hesitantly as he heard Fujiko let out a gasp.

" Don't you want to know what I'm doing to Fujiko now? " Chamberlain replied.

" I have an idea and I'm going to cut off those fingers when I find you, " Lupin snarled.

" Oh God, this is getting disgusting… " Jigen threw himself against the back of the couch. " I'm going to vomit. "

" I would like to leave now, " Goemon's face was bright red with a mixture of anger and mortification.

" I haven't told you Plan B yet, " Chamberlain said.

" Tell me and stop molesting Fujiko! " Lupin picked up the receiver for Goemon and Jigen's sakes. " Tell me what this Plan B is! "

Goemon relaxed a tiny bit then Jigen reached over and patted him on the back. He sighed, " We have got to get you laid… "

" I do not wish to be 'laid', thank you. "

Lupin listened as Chamberlain explained the plan, the fist he had clenched on the desk becoming tighter as he paid close attention. " I see. Then I guess it is a challenge. Fuck you too, asshole. "

Lupin hung up the phone and Jigen stood up. " So? "

" He is going to be paid five hundred million yen if he kills all four of us, " Lupin said quietly. " He said he wants to kill us all together so Fujiko is safe for now. "

" Damn it! " Jigen said. " He must have told his boss about us and the fact he knows where we're at! "

" The stakes are pretty high too. If Chamberlain fails to kill us as well then he will be killed, " Lupin looked like he wanted to break something.

Jigen scoffed, " That goes without saying. I plan on putting a bullet in his head the second I see him. "

" If I don't slice him into tiny pieces first, " Goemon said.

" No. I get to shoot him. Nobody fucks with me like this… " Lupin slammed his fist down on the desk. " There won't be enough left of him to be identified when I'm finished with him. "

" I want to help, " Toshiko's voice startled everyone in the room. They turned to look at her.

" You are one quiet little bugger, you know that? " Jigen glared at the girl. " You shouldn't sneak up on dangerous people like that! "

" I'm sorry, " Toshiko looked at the floor. " But I want to help. "

" Oh shit, " Lupin walked over to her. " Toshiko… "

" I heard just about everything. Was that right? Was my father shot? " Toshiko looked at Lupin.

" It was in this morning's paper but I didn't want to worry you… " Lupin put his hands on the girl's shoulders. " You understand that, right? "

" Why didn't you tell me? " Toshiko locked eyes with Lupin. " Is he dead? "

Lupin shook his head, " No. He was shot in the leg and he'll be fine from what I understand. "

" I see, " Toshiko nodded. " So I guess that was the guy that shot him on the phone? "

" Yeah, " Lupin said.

" Then I want to come along. I want to do something, " Toshiko's eyes started to fill with tears. " I mean, no matter what, my daddy is still my daddy and… and… "

Lupin wrapped his arms around Toshiko as she started to shake, her words being cut off by hard sobs. " Shhh, " He whispered into her hair. " You don't have to say it. "

" I never meant it all the times I wished him dead, " Toshiko's entire body shook with her wracking sobs.

" I didn't mean it either when I wished my dad dead so I guess that's why it was hard for me when he really did die, " Lupin whispered. "I said it to his face right before he was killed so I never got to say that I was sorry. I never want you to know how bad it feels. "

" Take me to see him, " Toshiko sobbed against Lupin's chest. " Mr. Lupin, I want to see my daddy. "

" If I take you to see your dad, will you rethink coming along when we go to fight Chamberlain? " Lupin pulled back to look into Toshiko's eyes.

" What? " Toshiko blinked away her tears. " But I want to help. I have to… "

" We'll talk about that after you go see your father, " Lupin smiled then kissed Toshiko on the forehead.

" Okay. Are we going to see my daddy right away? " Toshiko looked hopeful.

" Ah, well… " Lupin glanced at Goemon and Jigen. " I just can't go waltzing into a hospital to see Pops even in a disguise. He'll go ape shit and start screaming about arresting me. "

" I sure as hell can't go, " Jigen put his hands up. " For all I know, he might think it shot him. "

" Why would he think that? " Toshiko looked confused.

" I'll show her the newspaper now she's heard the truth, " Lupin waved his hand. He focused his gaze on Goemon.

Goemon narrowed his eyes, " What? "

Lupin smiled, " I think I know who's taking Toshiko to see Pops. "