Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Black Hawke ❯ The Rundown ( Chapter 8 )

A/N: This chapter is a deviation from Kay and Hawke. (Ducks low to avoid wildly thrown objects and rotten vegetables). I thought it was time to check in on our bad guys, as it were. Enter in Shishio and Yumi-on the run. Now, before anybody goes thermal or starts with the eyebrow raising, let me warn all of you. I am taking my own liberties with these two characters. There will be a few similarities to the OVA/Manga personalities, but for reasons of plot development, and because I just love tweaking character personalities, I have made them what I want.

Shishio is a young guy whose taken a few wrong turns in life, and screwed up last second chance he got with Hawke (we knew that already), and Yumi is his sweet, if not naive, girlfriend who has betrayed her friends and the one man who tried to give her a second chance (Aoshi) for the charming guy she's falling in love with. Dumb girl. Anyway, Shishio was involved in an auto accident where his car blew up burning some of his face, his neck, and a lot of his chest. These are not grotesque burns, but the heavy, twisted type of scar tissue, so he's still quite a handsome man. He just has a self-esteem problem about them. He is kind of a hot-head and tends to have a short temper. Yumi is constantly trying to prove she can love him despite his burns, and she is always trying to help him in someway (sounds familiar), but she isn't all sweet words and loving looks like in the series. So, having been duly warned about the changes, lets be off to Manhatten. Tsuki-san

Chapter Eight

The Rundown

Manhattan Island

Characters:

Yumi Komagata

Shishio Makido

She walked with quick, staccato footsteps into the parking lot, reaching into the monstrous bag she called a purse looking for her car keys. Shoving aside the brush, tampons, and mini-kleenex she finally spotted the multi key-ring conglomeration and yanked it out. Now it was the process of fumbling through the handful of keys in an attempt to find the one that would open the door to her dark brown, 1975 Dodge Dart before she actually reached. It was a game she played with herself every afternoon when she got off work. The quicker she found the right key, the faster she got on the road, and that meant she would get a better place in traffic in front of some stupid schmuck who was slower than she. But today something was wrong. She had the key in her hand, and she was ready to go, but...

"Hey, where the hell is my car?"

It was five o'clock and the sun was setting on the New York skyline as the end of another day came to a close. The bright reds, purples, and oranges of the horizon were bleeding outward behind the darkening silhouettes of the skyscrapers giving the view an almost two dimensional artificial cast. It was sad to think that the brilliant colors were created because of the pollution level in the air, but everyone had to find whatever little pieces of happiness in life they could, and beautiful sunsets were one of those things.

Across the bridge a cold breeze was blowing in off Manhattan Bay turning the air frosty with the dropping chill factor. It wasn't bad enough that Fall was in full swing and the changing season had brought with it the change in temperature, but now the winds were picking up and adding the moisture from the water which added another negative five to ten degrees to the thermometer. The one good thing about the seasonal change was the leaves along Park Avenue were changing from their summery lime green to the brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds adding a brisk sense of color to the otherwise miserable conditions. It also meant Thanksgiving and Halloween were just around the corner. Again, one had to find whatever little pieces of joy were available to make the bitter cold bearable.

It was Friday evening and just about everyone was on their way home from work after the busy week and ready for a weekend off. The traffic was next to insane. Cabby's were darting in and out of the smallest spaces in the sea of vehicles and the sounds of honking horns echoed against the tall brick buildings flanking the streets. Stop lights, cross-walks, and herds of people filled what space the cars and trucks did not and the struggle for position in the hierarchy of 'the inner city commuter' became the foremost desire in everyone's thoughts. It was like the great race for the moment and each driver became the fierce jockey slapping his mount as he fought for his right to be in the lead.

It was ridiculous. It was pathetic. It was dangerous and as rush hour fell into full swing, it became apparent that nothing else mattered but saving whatever few extra seconds could be no matter how paltry, and the means by which they were saved was not an issue.

The extra 0.0004 seconds gained when that little old Lady was shoved out of the way in the subway terminal, or the 0.00263 seconds saved by the sharp cut left-hand turn made just as the light turned red. No matter that it was done while the one driver gleefully flipped off the other driver who was angrily flipping him off. What did it matter as long as the time was saved by someone; someone who could enjoy the victory, small as it was, and savor it like the sweet taste of a forbidden candy. The same sweet candy that planted the seeds of a boiling 'road rage' when that pissed-off, cut-off motorist decided to speed up and follow the first just so he could give him a piece of his mind, or his foot up his ass for turning in front of him and stealing away the precious 0.000026 seconds he saved from the last yellow light he raced through. Ah, the sweet taste of revenge. So much more satisfying when served cold.

But, that is just the way the world works. It is a 'Bite me, I kick you in the face' kind of reality when a motorist gets out on the blacktop inside of his automobile, and it is only made that much worse because it is a Friday night out on the blacktop. On Friday night all of the 'I don't give a shit who you are or who your momma was. Don't fuck with me! I'm in a hurry!' people are out, and one either drives with the flow or gets lost in the shuffle.

The true reality, of course, is everyone is in a hurry, and that is what makes driving in the city such a challenge and why so many people decide public transportation is a better alternative. Let someone else take the risk, besides, who is going to run down a bus? You are more likely to get into a fatal auto accident inside your own vehicle less than 10 miles away from home than a bus is going to get into an accident from cutting someone off. Buses are expected to cut people off. It is a known frustration and all that happens is there is a lot of cussing inside the vehicles behind the bus, but know one ever does anything about it. Buses are immune to the 'road rage' problem, and oddly enough, so are cabs. Everyone thinks cab drivers are insane anyway. Therefore, it is more common these days to see people bustling up and down the sidewalks, weaving in and out of the crowded sea of bodies on their way to whatever destination awaits them-usually a cab or a bus stop-but the din of those ten thousand thundering foot steps is still made insignificant by the swell of the noisy traffic.

OooooooooOoooooooooooOoooooooooOoooooooooOoooooooooOooooooo oooOoooooooooO

"You're driving too fast. You're gonna get us noticed if you don't slow down."

"Shut-up. I know what I'm doing, and your pissing and moaning about every little thing I'm doing is really getting on my nerves."

"I don't care. You're driving too damn fast. You're gonna get pulled over in you aren't careful." Her voice was more worried than frightened. It was not that she didn't trust him, she just didn't like looking over her shoulder all the time.

"No I'm not, now shut-the-fuck-up, will ya. I can't concentrate with you whining constantly."

"I'm not whining, I just said..."

"I asked you to shut-the-fuck-up!" Furious cinnamon colored eyes shot quickly to the right and raked the gap-mouthed woman with a scathing glare. "I told you, I know what I'm doing so do me and the rest of the world a favor and just shut your trap for the next 20 minutes, alright? Shit!"

"Fine," she spat back at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. "But when you get pulled over don't expect any help from me." 'As if I've ever really been any help to you anyway.' A disturbing feeling of inadequacy tugged at her heart and she gritted her teeth trying to keep it from coming to full bloom.

"I won't. It's not like you're any help to me as it is anyway." He shot back . "If it wasn't for me, you'd still be stuck back in that fucking warehouse doing books for Mr. Perfect and making $12 an hour."

"Fifteen." Was her heated retort as his barb struck its intended target. "And I never said he was perfect." 'He's just the only person who ever believed in me... Why can't you believe in me like he did?'

"Oh no, you just constantly compare me to him whenever you think I need a lesson in intelligence or something." 'Why can't I ever be good enough for you, Yumi? Why is he always so much better than I am?'

"I do not!" Pain filled eyes stared at him and the look on her face clearly said she could not believe he said that.

"Yes, you do!" His shout made her flinch. "You are always saying that shit to me. Well, Mr. Shinomori would never do things like that, or Mr. Shinomori is much smarter than you give him credit for. Well you know what? You can take your precious Mr. Shinomori and shove him up your ass because this time, I'm much smarter than he gave me credit for."

Yumi sat staring out the windshield of the car her boyfriend had just stolen with a sour, angry look etched across her usually classic features. Shishio had gotten himself into another one of his moods that day and she knew there was nothing to be done about it until it wore off. Even she couldn't talk sense to him when he got like this so it was best to try and leave him alone. Unfortunately the way he was weaving in and out of afternoon traffic was giving her an upset stomach not to mention that it was just the kind of behavior Friday-night cop's loved to watch for. He was putting them both in danger. If they got pulled over for reckless driving or speeding and the cops ran their names, they would be totally fucked. She was sure of it, but Shishio was not in the mood to listen to her or reason and as a result, the dark, brown Dodge Dart continued to careen through the dense traffic like a loose cannonball.

"Whatever, brilliant boy." She muttered and began to chew on her fingernail as her frustration with his behavior grew. "But you're sure acting stupid."

"What'd you say?" He barked as he made a swift lane change, flipping off the driver that honked at him. "Did you call me stupid?"

"Oh no, sweetie." She crooned in her best baby-doll voice. "I wouldn't dream of doing that." 'I ought to call you an asshole... if I dared.'

"Bullshit!" He yanked the wheel and made another unsafe lane change. "You just have to keep needling me, don't you?"

"Nope. I'm shutting my mouth. You wanna kill us, go ahead. At least it will get you off the friggen' road."

Shishio said nothing in reply to his girlfriends biting remarks. Instead, he turned and focused his eyes on the road and vehicles around them. The car they were in was freshly stolen and he wanted to get it to their hideout as soon as possible before the cops issued an APB for it. Reaching out, he turned off the radio and then turned on his scanner. The thing was like his security blanket and he never went anywhere without it.

He flipped through the channels until the static disappeared and he found a clear signal then he tuned it to the Police Radio Band. This was a daily ritual with him. He was obsessed with knowing everything the cops were doing and he got very ugly if he was interrupted.

Rolling her eyes in frustrated agitation, Yumi started chewing on another nail. She knew better than to make even the smallest 'peep' at this point, that was if she wanted to keep her head on her neck and avoid further arguments with him. Sighing, she wished, not for the first time, she had never let him see 'The Project's' deposit books. If she hadn't done that, then he wouldn't have gotten that harebrained idea and they wouldn't be here, running from the police-in a stolen car. 'And from Mr. Shinomori.'

Watching the sunset turn a brilliant orange with red and gold highlights, Yumi turned her thoughts to the past and found herself standing in Aoshi Shinomori's business office wearing her best black tweed skirt and red silk blouse telling him how badly she needed the job he was advertising on Shipley Ave. She could hear herself promising him that she would never be late, she would never call in sick, and she would always be strictly honest with his books. The pressure of that ice blue stare was still heavy on her and she remembered fiddling with her hands and shuffling her feet despite her resolve to be professional and calm.

"Have you ever been an office manager before, Miss Komagata?"

"I, ah, no, Sir, I haven't, but I can learn. I know how to type and file, and I can learn to keep your books, I know I can."

"Did you even finish high school, Yumi? Do you know how to do basic math?"

"No, I didn't finish High School, Mr. Shinomori, I dropped out in the 10th grade, but I got good grades in math when I was there."

"You believe you can keep a detailed spread sheet of bank deposits, withdrawals, company distribution, and profit margins?"

"I- I can if you teach me. I think I can figure out the basics and then you can show me how you want things done for you."

He smiled an eerie half twitch in the corner of his mouth and then stood up from behind his desk. "You want the job that much you are willing to have me teach you how to do it MY way?"

"Yes, Sir." Yumi looked down as he walked around the edge of the desk and approached her. He was taller than she first thought and much better looking. Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach.

"I usually require more experience when I hire someone to run one of my offices; however, I am also on the lookout for people who really want to turn their lives around."

"Huh," Her wide turquoise eyes searched his features in confusion. "Wh-what do you mean by that? Turn my life around?"

"Your criminal record, Yumi Komagata. You have been arrested for marijuana possession twice, possessions of drug paraphernalia once, and shop lifting at least four times. The only reason you have not spent any time in hard lock down is because all of the offenses occurred when you were still a minor." Aoshi reached behind him and picked up a blue file off his desk. Flipping it open, he began to shuffle through the pages. "You were in juvie three times, a drug half-way house for 6 months," Icy blue eyes rose and locked with her astonished gaze. "You ran away from there before completing your rehab. You were picked up twice for prostitution but not booked, and you've run away from home more times than anyone really knows because your parents have finally stopped looking for you. Is that right?"

"Yes, sir." She choked and a lone tear slipped down her face.

"Where do you live now?"

"I, ah... I don't live anywhere, at the moment. That's why I really need this job."

"I see, and where are your parents?"

"They live in Jersey somewhere. I don't really know anymore. I-I haven't been home for a long time now. They-they don't want to see me anymore." Her head dropped in shame and she tried to wipe away the tears that skated down her cheeks. Suddenly a white handkerchief was pressed into her hands.

"Here, no one should have to cry because they've been forgotten... even if they've been forgotten because they were bad." Aoshi watched as Yumi's face lifted and her eyes filled with an even deeper confusion. "I know what it means to be left behind, Yumi, and I know how bad it hurts. No one should have to know what that feels like, especially someone as pretty as you."

"I-I don't know what to say..."

"Do you want to put your life back together, Yumi?" His face hardened and his well-formed lips thinned. "Do you want to take control of who you are back into your own hands?"

"Yes," It was a fervent whisper coming from the depths of her heart. "I want that."

"Then the job is yours, but only on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to work for everything you get. If you want to turn your life around, work for it. No one can do it for you, you are the only one who can do it." His hand cupped the cap of her shoulder and he squeezed. "You must have the desire to want to be better than you have been, to be better than you are, and if you do, you will be."

He was into giving second chances. That was what he did. It was several months after starting work for him before she discovered who he was, and when she realized he was the infamous 'Black Hawke', she nearly peed her pants. A wistful smile curled her full lips as more memories filtered through her mind, like the day she met Sano and Cho, two of Aoshi's Den Leaders. They were in a heated argument over whose hair was the worst style. She could still hear them and it was still funny.

"Just who the hell are you calling a 'rooster head' you sorry excuse for a mother's broom?"

"Mother's broom?" Cho's face turned bright red and a sound that resembled a dog's growl rumbled in his throat as he started posturing. "What would you even know about hair styles, Sano? When was the last time you and a brush were even close to each other? Last Christmas?"

"Oh, that was clever," Sano jeered, "I'll bet it's been longer since you were acquainted with a bottle of shampoo. There is so much friggin' moose and gel in your straw mop I bet it would snap off if you tried to pull a brush through it."

"You saying I don't wash my hair, you shit-eyed rooster's comb?"

"That's what I'm saying, broom-head!"

Yumi was afraid it was going to come to blood and broken bones, but one well placed growl from the boss and the two men had ceased all aggressive activities. For the moment, and although it became obvious they were the best of friends, the antagonism was a source of comic relief many of the Pack members enjoyed, including herself.

It didn't take long to discover that Sanosuke was The Black Hawke's right hand, and Cho was his left, and for the next five years she and the two of them headed up The Projects mainstream business making sure that everything ran as smoothly as possible. Sano and Cho were the 'Pack Leaders' in charge of collecting and distributing gourmet coffee to the Pack owned and operated Java Carts around the city. This carefully constructed network consisted of 178 independent carts located in strategically picked areas of the metropolitan and business exchange districts where they would get as great a turnover in customers as possible.

Yumi was in charge of collecting the revenue earned, counting it, logging it in the books under each specific cart, and depositing it the appropriate bank accounts. There was one account for The Project's employees, like herself, Sano, and Cho, another for the Den Leaders for the specific use of housing and feeding The Pack, and the last for the city. The majority of the money earned was donated to the city Youth Charities where it helped build youth centers, basketball courts, fund free health clinics, teen pregnancy and daycare centers, and runaway sanctuaries.

In short, The Project was a privately run youth rehabilitation program that was funded by local donations from Gourmet Coffee Houses, Shinomori Enterprises, and private benefactors. The young pack members were all kids off the streets. Some were runaways, some were ex-gang members looking for a way out of the life they were living, others were just loners looking for somewhere to belong. It really didn't matter who or where they came from, if they had a desire to change their life and were willing to work for it, The Black Hawke was willing to give them a chance. And to date, The Project housed and fed 361 teens ranging in age from 13-18 and each and every one of them had a specific responsibility whether it was helping with the processing of the product, delivery and pick-up, or selling and management of the Java Carts. No one was exempt from the process.

Each 'den' had a 'den leader' who was in charge of the money and maintaining order, but if ever a problem broke out that the leader couldn't resolve, then The Black Hawke was involved and a 'court' would be held to determine the course of action needed. Every den leader knew The Black Hawke, every pack member knew The Black Hawke, and everyone knew the rules.

No one is superior, all members are equal and everyone works together for the better of the 'Pack'. No one is gets left behind, Betrayal is never tolerated, and if a member lies to the pack or 'The Black Hawke', they are expunged.

It was that simple, and Yumi and Shishio had broken the rules. Not only had they stolen from The Black Hawke, they had stolen from The Pack. They had betrayed everyone and everything The Project stood for and there was no going back.

A silent sob choked past the lump in her throat and she pressed her forehead against the cold window causing a steamy outline to appear. The pressure of her guilt was starting to become almost more than she could stand, and as the days passed since she and Shishio burned the warehouse, Yumi was not sure how much longer she could keep her silence.

'I'm sorry, Mr. Shinomori,' she thought as she anguished over what they'd done to him. 'I never wanted to do anything that would hurt you or the kids, I really didn't. Oh God, what have I done? Shishio, what did we do? How could we do this to him after everything he's done for us? How could we?' The fingernail she was chewing on suddenly broke off and Yumi was forced to spit it out before she swallow it.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath as she looked at the damage she caused. "How am I ever going to get that fixed?" It was an artificial nail and it wouldn't be an easy thing to replace now that it was gone. "Oh well," she sighed and dropped her head against the window again. "It's not like anybody is going to see me." Her eyes closed as she tried to block everything out and just concentrate on the 'thump-thump' of the tires as they rolled over the cement sections of the bridge. They would be in Manhattan soon and then she could relax again. Being in New York was like trying to hot-step over a frying pan without getting burned and her patience was wearing thinner and thinner every time they ventured into the big city.

She supposed Shishio's was too, that was why he was getting so short tempered and touchy with her. It had not always been that way between them. No, she remembered the days when he would come into her office, perch a well-muscled thigh up on the corner of her desk, smile in that special way he had, and then proceed to melt all her carefully erected barriers with those amazing warm cinnamon eyes of his. Oh, he was a charmer and she had never been immune to his attention, no matter how hard she tried. He always knew just what to say, and Yumi supposed that was what started her downfall. Shishio was just the kind of guy she never thought she would meet let alone the type that would ever be interested in her. He was just too handsome and way too sexy to want to have anything to do with a loser kid like her, but to her surprised happiness he persisted and eventually won her over. That was when the trouble started.

It was Shishio's idea, and at first Yumi had refused telling him there was no way she would help him with his plan, but over time his charm and good looks wore her down. Besides, it was only supposed to be for a little while and then it wouldn't happen anymore. But she should have known better than to believe a bullshit story like that. Nothing like that is ever 'for just a little while'.

He asked her to launder money for him and some friends of his. At first it was just a few hundred dollars here and there, but after a few months it started being larger amounts, sometimes close to five or six thousand dollars. Yumi remembered trying several times to tell Shishio that it was becoming too much money to hide inside of the smaller sized deposits she make for The Pack made, but he just wouldn't listen.

When the amounts cleared ten thousand, she knew either someone at the Bank was going to spot it and start asking questions, or Mr. Shinomori was going to see it on one of his spot evaluations, either way it was getting dangerous for her, so, in desperation, she tried breaking them up and spreading them out over several different deposits. The problem with that was it started getting quite complicated trying to keep track of what money belonged to who, and that was when Yumi implemented the second set of books. That was when she began working for both Shishio and Mr. Shinomori.

As the success of the parallel books became more apparent to Shishio, he soon made it known to Yumi that he wanted more from her than just hiding his money. A delicate shudder fluttered through her small frame and she found herself pulling her knees up toward her chest in a protective gesture. These were not the memories of Shishio she wanted to think about, and she clamped her teeth together trying to stem the flow of unpleasant images, but it was already to late.

"Come on, baby, it will be easy, I promise. We can hide the stuff in the 50 gallon barrels and no one will be the wiser. You can't even smell anything once you cover it up with the coffee grounds, so Hawke won't even have a reason to get suspicious."

"I don't know, Shish, it just doesn't feel right, doing this to him and all, I mean, after ever thing he's done for us. You know..."

"But he won't even know, Yumi." Shishio's dark eyes pleaded with the woman in front of him and he reached out to pull her into his arms, tucking her head beneath his chin. "We can put it in the drums that are in the back corner, the ones that aren't due to ship out for two weeks, that way there is no chance anyone will find the stuff and we can get it in and out before it can be found. It'll be easy, I swear."

"But it's not right, Shishio, using The Project for something like this." Her guilt level was climbing higher by the minute. "And it's illegal. If we get caught..."

"We aren't going to get caught." He stroked her hair trying to comfort her fears. "I told you I would take care of you, baby, don't you trust me?"

"Yes, I trust you, but I'm scared. I don't want to go to prison for trafficking in drugs, especially in cocain. That's 15 to life you know."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm too smart to get caught, Yumi, and I won't let you down. I promise."

"If Mr. Shinomori finds out..."

"He won't." Shishio's arms tightened around her and he waited until she leaned back and met the fierceness of his gaze. "He is not God, Yumi, and he isn't infallible. Now have a little faith in me, I'm not an idiot. I can do this, and we'll be rich. So fucking rich you won't know how to spend all the money we'll have."

So, just like the money laundering, Shishio eventually talked her into it, and the day dawned that he introduced her to the world of drug trafficking, and they used the warehouse as their covert headquarters. Shishio and his 'friends' used the big 50 gallon drums of coffee to hide their cocain, and Yumi kept detailed logs of the fragments deposits with her parallel books. It was a smooth operation and they had just opened up a dummy corporation account to siphon the illegal profits into when an unexpected wrinkled in the system occurred.

Kenshin Himura and his damned 'Bloods' came snooping around one night and caught the whole gang in the middle of a product transference operation. Yumi's hands clenched into fists and she started chewing on another fingernail. She could still see the ferocious look on Shishio's face as he turned to face the red haired kick-boxer.

"Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck do you want?" Cinnamon eyes turned into bloody fire as Shishio sized up the smaller, red-haired man who was standing in the middle of the warehouse floor. "This is a private business, buddy, and you're trespassing. If you don't' get the hell out, I'm going to call the police."

"Go right ahead and do that, tough guy, I'm sure they would find your, ah, nocturnal activities more than a little interesting. In fact, I'd like to hang around and watch the show." Himura crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled; it was a slow, eerie smile that sent icy shivers up his red-eyed opponent's spine. "It would definitely be worth watching."

"Really, well, so sorry I can't oblige you at the moment, Mister, but I'm sure we can come to some other arrangement that would help relieve me of your presence. What do you say? How about you and me spare off and see who comes out on top, eh?"

"Nah, I don't fight armatures, especially arrogant, stupid ones. So, how about you just tell me what you and your boys are doing here in Hawke's warehouse at two o'clock in the morning when it's supposed to be shut-up tight, and then we'll discuss our options, eh?" Himura's dark lavender eyes carefully watched the larger man and noticed the faint sheen of nervous sweat that appeared on his forehead and upper lip. The guy was definitely somewhere he wasn't supposed to be, that was painfully obvious and the red-head didn't like the look of the rest of the men either. He was getting a bad feeling about this, that he was. A very bad feeling.

"Well, gee whiz, Mister, I happen to work for The Black Hawke, or didn't you know that?"

"Really, is that so? I didn't know Hawke was in the habit of employing idiots. When did that start?"

"He isn't." Shishio bristled but did not rise to the bait. That was just what the smaller man wanted him to do, and he wasn't going to make that mistake. He was in a lot of hot water at the moment and if he didn't want it to end up with him in jail, he needed to play his cards very carefully. "I gather you are aware of the kind of business he does out of this warehouse? The Java Carts and the coffee?"

"Um-hum, maybe I am, what's your point?" The lavender eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Well, do you have any idea how long it takes to stock 178 carts for the weekend?"

"Are you trying to tell me that you're here getting supplies to stock the Pack carts for the weekend, and that's all? You expect me to believe that bullshit?"

"Yes, I do." Shishio squared his shoulders and faced down the man before him in what he hoped was a stance of pure integrity. "It's the truth." Behind him he could feel the level of tension in his men teetering on the edge of explosion, and he prayed that Yumi had enough brains to get out of sight before the man saw her. This was the best performance he had put on in a long time, and he was banking on it to work, but it never would if she was visible. Her face would have betrayed them in an instant.

"Well," Himura uncrossed his arms and shifted from one foot to the other. He knew about Aoshi's Java Cart business and how much effort it took to maintain and stock, so he found himself in a bit of a quandary. On one hand, he had the feeling something was wrong with this whole picture, and on the other, this guy was telling him all the right things and reasons for him to be there. The trouble was now he didn't have a reason to stay.

"Alright, tough guy, I'll tell you what, I'm going to leave and let you be about your business, but if it comes to my attention that what went down tonight wasn't just what you said it was, you and me are going to have a real problem. You get me?"

"Sure thing, Mister."

"By the way," Himura turned to leave and tossed the last words over his shoulder. "The name's Himura, Kenshin Himura. I'd remember it if I were you. See you around."

Shishio had nearly swallowed his face along with the rest of his men. Kenshin Himura was a name that was almost as well known as The Black Hawke. It did not bode well to get on his bad side.

"By the way," Yumi asked quietly decided to break to code of silence and casting wary look over at Shishio's clenched profile. "Have you decided what you're going to do about Himura yet?"

"No, I haven't." A quick look in the rearview mirror told him there wasn't anyone suspicious behind him so he flexed his shoulders and made an effort to calm down. After all, it wasn't Yumi's fault they were stuck in this predicament. "But it is certain that if he starts making waves or tries any of his little blackmailing games, I swear I'll kill him, Yumi."

"Kill him?" A shudder quaked through her and her brilliant turquoise eyes went wide with alarm. "Isn't that taking this whole thing a little to far, Shish? I mean, killing someone is a real big deal, its not just pushing drugs, it's... it's murder for pete's sake. Do you want to get wrapped up in something like that?"

"I'll do whatever I have to do to keep us safe, baby. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you and I meant it." He charmed her with one of his famous heart-melting smiles and was satisfied to see her relax. "I know we have our problems, koishii, but don't I always take care of you?"

"Yes," Her eyes drifted to the scenery passing by the window. "I just don't want you to get in over your head. Himura is not just some guy off the street, Shish. He's the leader of the 'Bloods' and he is at least as important around the rougher parts of town as 'The Black Hawke', and he and Mr. Shinomori have known each other for years. It just wouldn't be a good thing, that's all I'm saying."

"I know who he is, Yumi, I met him remember." Dark cinnamon eyes favored her with a worried look. "Are you trying to tell me they are friends?"

"No, not really, but they aren't enemies either. I'm not sure what they are, but there have been times in the past when they have worked together to help each other get stuff done. Mr. Himura has some kind of a fight school he runs, it's called 'The Blood Bond'. It works kinda like 'The Pack', but that is about all I know about it other than the fact he runs it over on the northside."

"Yes, I know that too. Everybody knows that... at least everybody whose ever been out on the streets. The guys infamous for his fights." A worried frown pulled at Shishio's mouth and he started to bite his bottom lip. "The man makes me nervous but I think I could take him if I had to."

"Are you trying to be stupid?"

"What do you mean?" He growled.

"He's the best there's ever been, you idiot." Yumi threw her hands up in exasperation. "He's won almost every title there is in every martial art there is. He does the karate stuff and the sword stuff. He's a walking, talking, fighting machine, plus he used to do movie stunts in Hollywood."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"He knows how to fight dirty too. You know, street fight not to mention he's gorgeous, even with that weird cross-shaped scar on his face."

"Thanks, Yumi, I didn't need to know that last part." Cinnamon eyes shot her a withering look. "I don't need to hear about whom you think is 'gorgeous looking' or not, baby. So save it, Okay? It really didn't have anything to do with what we were talking about anyway."

"Sorry," she muttered apologetically. "I shouldn't have said that. I guess I got carried away just talking about him. It's just a chick thing... talking too much."

Shishio was extremely good looking in his own right except for the large twisted patch of yellow and red scar tissue that marred the right side of his face and neck where he had been burned in a car explosion several years ago. The rest of the burn scar was hidden beneath his clothes, but Yumi knew it stretched out over the majority of his chest and touched some of the tender flesh along his upper abdomen.

She tried to talk to him about the scar several times, but he refused to go into it. It was a painful, tragic memory and he did not want to go back to it. Yumi decided to leave well enough alone. HE was a fascinating, charming man with beautiful cinnamon colored eyes, light brown hair, and a smile to die for. What more did she need? Besides that, he was damn good in bed.

"It's Okay, I guess." He fumbled with the steering wheel but couldn't quite get rid of the ache that rose up in his chest. "Don't worry about it. Just try to watch what you say, alright?"

"Alright. You know I didn't mean anything by it, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay. Umm, Shishio?"

"What, baby?"

"Is everything really going to be alright? Are we going to make it?" She was looking at his profile and even in the failing light she could see him clench his jaw.

"Yes, Yumi. I promised you everything would be alright, and I meant it. One way or another, honey, everything is going to be alright."

"Thanks, I needed to hear that."

"Sure, not a problem." The only problem was, Shishio really didn't believe it. They were fucked. It was just a matter of time.

OooooooooooooOooooooooooooOooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooOoooooo oooooOoooooooooo

TBC

Review Responses~~~~~~~~

Catti-dono: Ah, alas, we have finally turned off our air conditioner... but I have now had to turn on the heater. It's finally gotten cold in Airizona. What a pooper. 'Course, its better than 110 degree weather, that it is. Glad you liked the Lemon offering. LOL... hope you liked this chapter, sorry, no lemon. *sigh

Sepheriss: Dana-love, I am sorry it felt like I was pulling away from the plot. I suppose I did stray just a tad. :) I love love and everything that goes with it. However, I did delve into the 'meat' of the subject with this chapter. I hope it was more enjoyable, as it were, for the plot hunger in you. God Bless, my sweet friend. I miss you. I haven't heard from you for so long.

......: That still cracks me up LOLOLOL, what a name. (((((HUGS))))) back to you. I hope you enjoyed the chapter even though it was without the hot-and-spicy. I love your reviews, and thanks for your support. It means a lot.

MEGASUPER: Thank you, thank you... I am so happy you love the story so much you read and re-read. I love this story too. It and The Bad Kid are my favorites. I won't ever abandon it. The updates might be slow once in a while, but I won't abandon it. Thanks for the support and encourage. People like you are the ones who keep me writing. God Bless.

BelleDayNight: Ah, me Belle... the Aoshi/Kaoru lover extreme. I promise I am working on 'Saitou's Ranch'. *wink. I liked the ideas you sent. They were really good.

Thanks for the compliments on the chapter. I'm glad I could make you laugh. I laughed while I wrote it. I haven't decided yet when the two of them are going to share their whole names, but I think soon. They have crossed the major 'gulp, holy shit' barrier so they don't have much to loose. Maybe next chapter... I'll have to wait and see where they lead me from here. God Bless, Jenny.

Twishinky: Twisha, you New Guinia doll... where the hell are you? I haven't seen you for months, literally. You haven't updated 'Internal Affairs' for forever, and I haven't seen you anywhere. I know, I should have written you a letter myself, but I'm stupid. You're smart. You're supposed to write to me. Tell me what's going on girly... Oh, BTW-thanks for the wonderful things you always say about my stories. I love you. I miss you too. Where are you, and how's your mom. That's the last thing I heard from you was you were at your mom's here in the states. Waaaaah haaaaa! I miss my twish!

Some Person: Yes, you make me laugh. :D Always. I am happy I wrote something you liked, and yes, it was a war to end all wars. I had fun writing it. I hope you like this chapter. Sorry it is so long in coming too. But I think my writers block is finally gone. I've updated almost everything. Woo hoo!

Jenni4kl: My sweet jenni girl. It always brings a smile to my face to see your name. Your like a big ray of sunshine for me. You were my first MM fan ever. In a way, that makes you more special. I love you, girly. You're the best. And don't worry, Aoshi vs. The Weasel Girl... it's coming... oh yes, it's coming. P.S. I think he's cocky and irrisitable too. He's a lot like my husband. Hehehehehehehe. The bad boys are always the best ones to find, especially when the 'bad' part is just a big front. *wink

XxSilentDreamerxX: Hey you! It's good to see you. I have been kicking myself in the butt for weeks trying to remember to get over and read some of your fics. I guess I'm going to have to write myself a BIG note and paste it on the computer. I forget, and then I see your name and I'm like, "oh yeah, duh...". Thank you so much for what you say about my fic. It means a lot to me because I consider you to be an excellent author. After reading your offering in 'Rainy Night', I have been wanting to read more. I swear I'm gonna remember. God Bless, my friend.

DarkGoddessAluthri: SO your in love with my story, eh? Kewlness... I think that made my day. I promise I am going to finish this story. The updates may be slow on occasion, but I will finish. I'm glad you'll be sticking around. Hopefully I can write something else that will catch your attention. I like your reviews, and your personality. God Bless, good luck with school.

Sarcastic Sympathy: WoWsers! What a name! I love it! Totally cool and awesome! So I inspired you to join MM? I like that. MM is a good archive. It stays online much better than AFF does. That's why I have all my Lemon fics over here as well as on AFF. I'm flattered and humbled that you liked my story this much. I hope you stick around, and even, maybe, read something else I've written. I publish on Fanfiction.net as well. God Bless, my friend.

Just another A/K fan: Great name. Was that you on 'Saitou's Ranch'??

Thank you for the wonderful things you said in your review. You actually gave me some really great ideas for up coming chapters, including Aoshi-Misao dynamics, the relationship between Aoshi and Kaoru, and him dealing with where she's from, etc. Thanks! And yes, we will be taking a closer look at Kaoru's room as well as the entire house... ewwwwwwww. God Bless, and take care.

Little me (nsi): Sometimes it the stories you never open that are the best ones. I found that out myself quite a few times. Thank you for opening my story. I am so pleased you like it. I don't write for a living, but I am part of a writers workshop trying to polish my skills so that I can. I have several short stories in the work, and I have started on my first 'real' novel. All of my fanfictions, I consider novels in practice. I am 'in school' as I write them. They are teaching me to become a better author. Thank you for what you said. You have no idea what it meant to me and my confidence level. It came at a time when I really needed to hear it. God Bless. I think of you often.

De Lazy Lime: Sara, my love! How are the late nights? :D I'm glad you liked this. But remember, it's not going to be a Kaoru/Kenshin fic. Kenshin is going to have a big part in it, but this time Aoshi gets the girl. I hope this chapter helped to bring a little more of the plot, and sub-plot into perspective for you. God Bless, you adorable woman. Much love to you always. Thank you for keeping on track.

Paline: Sorry, dear one, I am not planing on a love triangle, but there are many other problems ahead for our dynamic duo. Besides, the relationship I have planned for Aoshi and Misao sets her up as more of a sarcastic little-sister thorn in his side. They love to argue. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It explains a lot about what The Pack does, and why Aoshi is more disappointed than angry.

Land Lady O' The Universe: Stellar Name! I mean it! It's a mouth full, but outstanding. It says a lot about you. It tells me your strong, you're a visionary, and most likely very straight forward. Cool name... good qualities.

I sincerely hope you liked this chapter. I have been suffering from the writers block from hell the last 3-5 months, so I apologize for the length between updates. Hopefully at this moment the writers block it gone. *knock on wood*. I have had 2 very productive weeks. I updated all of my fictions (6). They are not all on the web yet, but will be very soon. Thank you for reading and leaving me a few lines of support and encouragement. It means so much. God Bless.

Razz: 'Swoon factor' is good. I'm glad I pulled it off. I was trying to. Thanks for telling me I accomplished what I set out to do. I want Aoshi to be tough and edgy, but I want him to be the type that makes you catch your breath when he gets too close. I love that in a man. As for them calling each other by their 'real' names, it's coming, dear one, it's coming. I hope you liked this last chapter. No swooning, but lots of information about what's going on on the war-front out of Hawke's line of sight. I hope to see you again. I am humbled and honored that I rated a review from someone who doesn't review. Arigato, my friend. I am deeply grateful, and I will not forget you.

Animeloca: Aoshi, hmmmmmmmmmmmm... yes, yes. I am an Aoshi lover (I am a dyed in the wool Kenshin lover, but spice is the variety of life, ne?) Thank you for the review. The things you said were wonderful and made me feel very good about the story. As for Aoshi and Kaoru being happy, well..... there are always wrinkles in a volatile relationship like theirs. I don't really plan on bringing in any 'extra' ex's to stir the pot, there are enough other things that can go wrong without dealing with the jealousy factor. Tune in and we'll both see where the two of them lead me. After all, they tell me where to take them most of the time anyway. :)