Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Vindicated ❯ OF Foxy Thieves and Tea Cafe's ( Chapter 4 )

Vindicated

Chapter Five:

A Foxy Jewel Thief and a Tea Café

 

Yoko cowered into the corner of the bathroom as he gazed up at the manic and nearly nude woman looming over him. After facing down dozen of guards armed with guns and then a demon one would think that a half-naked woman with nothing but bath soaps and cosmetics as weapons…but there was something in her gaze that put an ethereal fear in him. As his claws dug into the wood of the door he was reminding of an old phrase something about the wrath of a woman rivaling hell or something along those lines…anyway now was NOT the time to become philosophical. As he cringed away from the woman Yoko tried his best to talk some sense into the woman.

 

“Listen miss…whatever your name is, this is just a mistake. I am very sorry! I am even willing to pay for the skylight, but…for Kami sake woman stop throwing stuff at me!” Yoko interrupted himself as Ami launched a bottle of lotion at his head.

 

Ami however seemed unmoved by his pleas, holding a death grip on the towel wrapped around her body with one hand and blindly picking up and launching various objects at the head of the offender the blue-haired woman seemed to be beyond reason.

 

Fed up with taking this abuse Yoko stood up and moved to open the bathroom door only to find it jammed and before he could tug on it a well-aimed bar of soap launched at the back of his head and in just the right spot that it jarred his senses. A grunt escaped him as he pulled away from the door only to have his right foot step on the soap and slide back. Before either woman or thief could move Yoko fell back onto Ami and in turn knocking her back into the bathtub still filled with steaming bubble bath water.

 

Sputtering water Ami roughly pushed the man out of her lap and onto the bathroom floor then quickly moved to readjust her towel to cover up her chest while the intruder was distracted. Shaking his head Yoko looked up to see Ami try to pull herself from her position in the bathtub but was having trouble getting up since her body was bowed awkwardly, her back against the wall of the tub with her legs extended over the edge. Yoko had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing, there was no way she could get out without help so he just stood there for a moment or two watching her struggle before swallowing his chuckle and bending down, offering her his hand.

 

At first Ami scowled at his hand, distrusting and indignant, but it wasn't long before she took what little pride she had and grudgingly took his offer to help her up. Effortlessly Yoko helped the woman to her feet, and although she still glared at him Yoko safely assumed that she wouldn't be throwing stuff anymore. Silently she walked past him and opened the previously `jammed' bathroom door. With her free hand she pointed out into the hall.

 

“I am giving you to the count of three to get out of my apartment before I call the police,” she threaded boldly; however Yoko was very good at ready subtle signals that people gave off.

 

Signals that showed what they were really feeling and thinking. For example this blue haired woman seemed angry and yet composed enough to order him out but he noticed a slight tremble in her arm which rippled into her fingers one which pointed his way out. She was afraid of him. Which is why a smirk crossed his lips, he knew it was wrong, but then again so was stealing priceless gems and he wasn't about to give that up just yet.

 

Silently he padded across the bathroom and moved to the door but instead of walking out of it paused to stare at the woman who merely glared back.

 

The hand that she had used to indicate to the hall lifted her ring finger up “One…”

 

He drew closer, his left hand resting on the headboard of the door.

 

The woman gulped as she held up her index finger alongside the first, “Two…”

Yoko dared to lean in close, to the point that their noses almost touched.

 

Now her hand and voice started to tremble, “T...three?” she finished in a questioning tone.

 

He closed the gap between them; they were eye to eye now. Ami didn't even dare to blink as she saw his right hand move to cup her cheek, she did however move her lips when she felt his fingers move from her cheek to her neck.

 

“Get out!” she snapped but her tone didn't sound so threatening as it crackled with tension.

 

Yoko merely grinned, “Make me,” he dared.

 

For once Ami's once bountiful mind was drawing a blank but then a wicked thought passed by and being the opportunist she took it.

 

“My pleasure,” she said snidely before she roughly swung the door forward so that it roughly collided with Yoko's skull. Feeling a sudden and sharp pain Yoko moaned and collapsed on the bathroom floor, his vision grayed around the edges before becoming completely immersed in darkness.

 

Later a moan came from Yoko who was now sprawled out on the couch in the living room. Slowly he sat up; he looked around but winced since his head was still pounding from having the door slammed into it. Looking around Yoko saw that the crazy blue haired woman was nowhere in sight. Maybe now would be as good a time as any to make his escape. However, something was bothering him, where was the woman at?

 

Meanwhile Ami was franticly pacing up and down her kitchen floor holding her cordless phone in one hand. She had managed to discard the towel and get on a pair of jeans and a shirt to cover her modesty while at the same time staying on hold thanks to the police department. She had been trying for the last twenty minutes trying to get someone, anyone, to believe her!

 

One would think that saying you had the infamous jewel thief in your apartment would have had the cop cars swarmed around the entire complex. But the first reply she got was a chuckle and a `Lady, you're not really serious are you?' remark. Of course Ami now realized that she only made things worse by being indignant and demanding to speak to the Police Chief. She was patched right to him alright…right to his call waiting list. Nervous and more than a little bit impatient Ami hoped and prayed that her `visitor' would be out for a few more minutes. What if she still couldn't get through and he woke up? Should she run that seemed like the logical thing to do…but what if he came after her…or stayed in her house and just wait until she came back? A fine shutter ran down Ami's spine, so spooked was she that she almost didn't hear any response on the other end of the line.

 

A gruff and no-nonsense voice answered the phone. Quickly Ami sprung into alertness. “Yes? Is this the Police Chief?” She waited a moment for him to affirm before she rapid spoke again.

 

“You'vegottohelpme!Amanjustbrokeintomyapartment, andIthinkhe's thejeweltheif!” she spat out rapidly and in a genuine panic.

 

While she was instructed to take deep calming breathes and more importantly properly separate her words, Yoko was slinking around the entrance silently cursing his luck. The front door was a mere ten feet in front of him, taunting him, but he couldn't very well go walking pass the kitchen when the woman was calling the police…all the same he couldn't stay while she called the police.

 

Just as the woman was trying to calm herself enough to speak clearly Yoko saw the headset for the phone, his amber eyes followed the line that exited out the back of the device and into the wall…the phone line. A wicked grin crossed his lips as he boldly ventured away from his hiding place, careful to stay out of the woman's line of vision Yoko crept over to the headset and with his clawed right hand sliced through the phone line.

 

“Hello?” Ami spoke to the sudden dead phone, “Hello?!” she cried out now sounding on the verge of hysteria.

 

“It's no use…even if your phone wasn't disconnected the police wouldn't believe you.” Yoko stated calmly.

 

A very un-adult like `squeak' escaped Ami's lips as her trembling hands let the phone slip out of her grasp and to the floor. Slowly she turned on her heel to face the thief, her posture stiff and slightly shivering but her dark blue eyes held a strong resolve.

 

“Just leave my apartment,” Ami started her voice holding a frigid edge.

 

 

Leaning against the dinning room table, actually nothing more than a glorified card table Yoko snorted, “And what will you do to me if I don't? In case you haven't noticed I've severed your phone line, your only means of communicating the police inside this apartment that is. So if you're really afraid of me then maybe it is YOU that should leave this apartment,” the thief finished sounding nonplused as he boldly gazed at the young woman with his amber stare. It was at this point that Ami, though scared silly, noticed that his eyes looked…odd, inhuman would have been a better term. The color was of course unnatural but it was also the shape.

 

 

Taking note of her silence Yoko smirked, “What's the matter miss? Cat got your tongue?”

 

 

“Fox…” Ami stated suddenly.

 

At this random utterance Yoko blinked, “Pardon?”

 

Despite feeling terrified Ami cleared her throat, “What I meant was you look like a fox…well your eyes at least. They're…different.”

 

At first Yoko wasn't sure if he should take that as a compliment or if there was underlining sarcasm in her statement, in the end he merely brushed it off.

 

“Listen, you don't need to posture around me. I can tell that you're afraid of me…and for good reason. None of your `policemen' have ever been able to catch me…so what could a simple woman like you do to me?” he began.

 

Ami opened her mouth to snarl an indigent comment but was interrupted when Yoko raised his right hand, asking for silence.

 

“I do know however that while I am not `afraid' of you…I can tell that you might be of some use to me.”

 

`How?' was the first question that popped into her mind, then suddenly she imagined herself following him on his jewel heists as either a lookout or to be use as some sort of diversion…but her fantasy, if it could be called that, was interrupted when Yoko continued.

 

“I think it would be a benefit to me to stay in a different place than my `home' from time to time, to throw the police off my trail so to speak.”

 

“But…I thought you said the police don't pose a threat to you?” Ami questioned.

 

Yoko grinned, “Oh they are not a threat to me on a heist. I can be in and out of museums and art galleries all over this country without any one of them being the wiser but I stay to because I want them to know what I am doing…but that's beside the point. They can't catch me, but if they somehow track me down to my `home' they will find all of my precious jewels. I would hate to lose that which I've worked so hard to steal.”

Ami gave him a dirty glare at that last sentence before speaking up, “Well what does this have to do with me?” she reluctantly asked.

 

Yoko cocked his head to one side, “That's the beauty of this plan. I could waste money and rent another apartment to either store my jewels or to live in, but looking around your cozy apartment I take it that you have more than enough room to spare…”

 

“What are you talking…about…?” Ami trailed off when she realized just what he was referring to.

 

“No.” she said firmly. “I am not harboring a criminal that over half of Japan is looking for!” Ami snapped.

 

The smile Yoko wore was wearing thin, “You hardly have a choice in the matter miss. Either you let me use your apartment as a safe haven or I will be forced to draw attention to you.”

 

Ami turned her head away, her arms crossed over her chest, “Go ahead I've got nothing to hide.”

 

“True you may not...but I on the other hand do…” Yoko replied cryptically as he held up the Ring of Hermes.

 

Grasping what he meant Ami's face paled, “You…you wouldn't!”

 

“Try me!” Yoko dared, “I can plant this pretty little trinket here and tip off the police. They may or may not respond but think on this. I will hide in a place inside your own home. You'll know it's there but you can never find it to be rid of it and to throw suspicion off yourself. Imagine having to sleep at night not knowing when or how it will be found…or who will find it…all you know is that when it is found then you will be in a world of trouble.”

 

Ami shuttered as she gazed at the sparkling ring then back to the thief. As much as she hated to admit it he did have a point. If he were to plant the jewel and told the police they would more than likely come, tear her apartment apart, and then find it. Even without all the other pieces of stolen jewelry she would be labeled as an accessory or even the very thief that stood across from her. But at the same time…could she really risk a dangerous criminal staying at her home? Again she had to grudgingly admit that the thief was right, she had few choices, either house the master thief or one of his `trinkets' that could “appear”.

 

With a defeated sigh Ami slowly nodded her head, knowingly resigning herself to whatever would come as a result of this rather unusual one-sided pact.

 

“Alright fine…but if you attempt to…”

 

Yoko rose his hands up in defense, “I promise that I won't hurt you. Just think of me as your roommate…only I don't pay part of the rent…and I store valuable jewels in your rooms,” he finished with a grin that was too cocky looking for its own good but again Ami knew she wasn't in a position to protest.

 

“Whatever, “she sighed before shuffling out of the kitchen and to the living room, “I am going to bed. You can stay on the couch since I don't have any guest bedrooms.”

“Ash and here I thought we could bunk up together,” Yoko jeered.

 

Ami merely gave him a withering glare before skulking back to her bedroom to sleep. However, she found that it was nearly impossible to sleep knowing that a wanted man was walking around her apartment.

 

Morning came far too soon since it was the beginning of yet another Monday morning, the start of another week…and the result of a sleepless night was a very rough looking Ami. Her hair poked up at odd angles, dark bags circled under her eyes and a rather unlady like scowl marred her lips as she stumbled into the bathroom.

 

“Maybe a cold shower will wake me up some,” Ami muttered to herself as she slowly took off her nightgown and slipped her glasses off of her face placing it on the counter. Turning she blindly reached out for a towel, an almost pleased expression crossing her face when she felt soft terry cloth against her fingers, but this expression didn't last long since a voice interrupted.

 

“Uhh not to complain or anything but I hope you realize that you're tugging on MY towel.” Yoko said dryly.

 

Owlishly Ami blinked her vision blurry from lack of glasses or contact lenses that it took her a moment to focus on the figure in front of her and even then she had to narrow her eyes to make out the bare chest of man. Her eyes looked up to see Yoko's grinning face, his white hair dripping wet. Unconsciously her eyes looked down, widening to the size of dinner plates when she saw her hands firmly on his wait clasped around the towel secured around his waist.

 

“Eiiiii!” Ami screamed.

On the other side of the bathroom door all that was heard was the throwing of random bathroom objects followed by high pitched curses and other not-nice-words being hurled. Suddenly the door flung open and a figure went flying through it before slamming shut and locking.

 

The `figure' flew/skidded into the hallway. Still wet from the shower and his towel M.I.A Yoko growled as he slinked away to find covering until he could get back into the bathroom since his clothes were still inside the bathroom.

 

After her shower Ami timidly opened the bathroom door, seeing no thief insight she made a mad dash to her bedroom. Once there she breathed a sight sigh of relief only to gasp when she turned to see a very naked Yoko standing in her bedroom.

 

Quickly she turned her head away, but the furious blush on her cheeks noted that she had still seen more than she had wanted.

 

“W…what are you doing in here?” she asked, her voice sounding strained.

 

“Relax. I just wanted my towel back. You wouldn't even give me a chance to get my clothes before you kicked me out of the bathroom so I…”

 

“Get out of my room first so that I can change!” Ami snarled.

 

“No, you give me the towel first…”

 

Again we go to the scenic other side of the door. It's a very nice door, and please don't pay attention to the screaming obscenities and the sounds of violence on the other side. The door flung open and once again Yoko found himself flung out into the hallway only this time he had captured the elusive `towel'. So had he won? Well if the obvious hand printed marks on his face was any indication…most likely not.

 

And this went on for the rest of the week. So by the time Sunday rolled around Ami was one exhausted woman both from lack of sleep and using what little energy she did have to scream and shoo Yoko out of any room that she occupied.

 

By Sunday morning Ami resigned herself to leave the house, just for a little while, since Yoko was making it quite clear that he had planned on staying there all day. She couldn't go for help since all he would have to do would be to plant a priceless jewel and alert the police; she could however get out of her apartment for some well needed `downtime'.

 

It was this morning that she was walking downtown and noticed that a small shop had opened up. In comparison to all the towering skyscrapers, large shopping districts and such this tiny shop seemed very `quaint' which of course spark Ami's curiosity. Peering into the shop window her eyes fell upon the menu. It listed various teas, coffees, and deserts to accompany the mentioned beverages. Looking up Ami looked into the interior of the shop, it didn't look like your average `coffee shop' which were always full with noise people balancing laptops on their knees while sipping lattes; instead it seemed to have a more `home-like' atmosphere. A place you could slow down and have a leisurely conversation with friends while having tea and cake. Tempted Ami opened the door causing a little bell to chime. No sooner had she stepped inside did a young girl approach her.

“Good morning Miss!” the girl stated in a bubbly tone before dipping into an authentic crusty, “Welcome to the Lotus Tea Room. Shall I seat you now or are you waiting for someone to accompany you?”

 

Ami blinked but then shook her head, “No I am alo…I am not waiting for anyone,” she quickly amended. Just because she was `alone' for yet another Sunday didn't mean she wanted the rest of the world to know about it.

 

The girl beamed before leading her to one of the window tables. Ami sat down in an ivory wicker chair just before the girl handed her a menu. For a few moments the girl babbled about the `specials' for the day but Ami was more intrigued by her surroundings. For some reason this place reminded her of someone…but it was just a passing feeling. Before the girl could even finish her description of todays confessionary treats Ami had already made up her mind.

 

“I'd like a Mint Tea and a Chocolate Curl.” Ami stated coolly as she handed the girl the menu.

 

Despite being slightly flustered at being interrupted the girl graciously took the menus and then headed to the kitchen.

 

While waiting Ami allowed a small sigh to escape her lips. Looking out the window Ami wondered just what she was going to do about her little `pest' problem but she kept drawing a blank.

 

Just as she was getting frustrated the girl returned with her tea and delicate looking biscotti which looked more like a Pocky stick instead of a biscuit.

 

Quietly the girl left leaving Ami to enjoy her hot tea and chocolate curl in peace. Whether it was the delicious tea and treat, or maybe it was the quiet yet comforting surroundings that caused Ami to gradually unwind and feel more relaxed then she had in weeks. Before leaving Ami saw the girl and quickly summoned her over.

 

“Yes Ma'am? Would you like your bill now or would you like something else?”

Ami was about to ask for the check but was then struck by an odd dose of curiosity, “Uh no actually I would like to meet your manager and thank him personally. I've really enjoyed my stay here…”

 

A voice behind her spoke up, “Why thank you, I am very grateful for the compliment. I am however, disappointed though that you would think that this fine establishment would be managed and owned by a man.”

 

Turning her head Ami gasped as her gaze fell on a very familiar face.

 

In response to the gapping look the woman giggled before winking at Ami, “Nice to see you again A-chan,” she said teasingly.

 

Still in shock Ami didn't notice that her mouth was hanging open but she did hear herself whisper a name she hadn't heard in almost two years.

 

“Mokoto-chan?”

 

The tall yet shapely brunette gave her a warm and genuine smile, “Yeah it has been a long time hasn't it Ami?”

 

For one of the few instances in her life Ami had no idea what to think, do, or even say, thankfully Mokoto filled in the blanks.

 

“Why don't we go to my office Ami? We have a lot to catch up on.”

 

Just as Ami arose from her chair to follow Mokoto into her office the door opened again. This time it was a couple, a young woman with long blonde hair tied up with a neat ribbon and a young man with long red hair and green eyes.

 

Without missing a beat the female server walked up to them.

 

“Good morning Miss! Would you and the gentleman like a table?”

 

The woman looked at the Mokoto and Ami going into the back office. A small smile played on her lips before she looked at the server.

 

“No thank you. My friend and I have already seen what we have come to see,” she replied cryptically before turning to exit the café followed by the confused young man and leaving in their wake an even more befuddled server.

 

Note: To my reviewer…thank you so much! I hope this chapter didn't seem to rushed but I had to finish it this weekend since I am going to have a very hectic term of school coming up next week so if this chapter is a bit sub par please tell me so that I can re-write it and submit it.