Over the next few days, Jia spoke to Utsukushii, working a deal of some kind to get the elegant one to merge with Jia. He was at first hesitant and his main idea seemed to be just to bed Jia. In the conflict, Toki was around more often. Meaning he was around me more often. Which also meant more conflict between him and Jun. Jun and him came to arguing so loudly, either Aoki or I would have to pull Jun and Toki apart. Toki hated Jun so badly that anytime they argued, it would almost turn into a fist fight, Toki getting pissed and wanting to swing at Jun, but Aoki would be pulling him away and I would be standing in between them. Jun would stand there afterwards and look at me as if I had provoked this when it was in fact just him and Toki arguing. I would hate it when he would look at me like that....as if it was my fault he got into fight with Toki. Half the time I wouldn't even be around. One afternoon, Jun and I went to lunch. As we walked, Jun said to me,

"So...what's your deal with him?"

"My deal with who?"

"With Toki who else."

"Nothing."

He mumbled something as I stopped and said,

"Say it again Jun. I didn't hear you. Go ahead accuse me of something."

"I said if nothing was going on he wouldn't be around you like he was before."

"What exactly do you think happened before?"

"Something obviously did since you turned into a fucking space cadet when you were working. He got under your skin it fucked you up, he got in your skin and once he left, his stench stuck on you and you can't get rid of it."

"I confide one thing with you and you turn it around on me like that."

"I wasn't trying to make anything turn around on you. I'm just saying, you two are so obvious sometimes."

"Nothing happened Jun. Toki was being himself."

"And you were letting him."

I got annoyed, but didn't show it and I turned and continued walking. He walked beside me as he said,

"You shouldn't let him get to you like that. He's not worth it. He's the last person that's worth anything."

"You speak so badly of him as if he wasn't your friend before."

"Before is the key word here. Had I realized what an idiot he is-"

"Jun, shut up. I can't even begin to tell you how much of an asshole you sound like. You bad mouth him as if he was so useless and stupid. You forget if he was, he wouldn't have lasted as long as he had as a yakuza."

"The only reason he has is because he's hiding behind Jia most of the time."

"He can do things on his own Jun. He's not an idiot. He just acts like one."

Jun scoffed.

"You're so quick to defend him."

"Because you don't even know him half as well as you think you do."

"And I'm sure you know him biblically."

"I won't deny that I know him on an intimate level, but it's more then you know. So you shouldn't assume."

He scoffed again. I then decided to change the subject.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Whatever's fine."

I didn't know why I defended Toki to Jun. It was rather pointless of me to do so. Toki would have to save everyone from a burning building that was collapsing before Jun even gave a hint of recognition. After lunch, we returned to Jia's building where we saw Jo and Akio talking. Jo had grown up since his younger days of being Jia's driver. Nowadays, he worked just as hard as all of us and had not since fucked up in any way, shape or form. The cut on his lip was a result of a brawl sometime back where the blade of someone's knife cut him across the mouth. Everything had healed up, except in the middle of his lip where it was forever marked with the stitches Jun put in. He smoked anyway, his bottom lip curving inwards each and everytime he blew smoke out. Jun and I came in as Akio said,

"Hey Mikkie."

I waved slightly as Jo said hi to the both of us. I sat down as I crossed my arms in front of me. I was back in my usual suit and tie, my hair still falling around my chin. I was still growing it out at the time and I hated it for cutting it in the first place. I couldn't keep it short anymore. It made me look twelve. Sometime later, Jia came downstairs with Shikou not too far behind him. Shikou, still dressed in all black, his hair pouring around his face like a black rainstorm, framing his oval structure perfectly. He stopped once Jia did and looked alert. They spoke for a few minutes before Jia then dismissed Shikou. He then bowed his head slightly and left. Jia watched him go as Akio said,

"Nice."

"Yeah...very."

"And inviting." Said Jo.

Jia smirked slightly as he said,

"Is it ever."

Jia then shook his head as he said,

"Toki around?"

"Nope. Shinkan was last seen headed over to Queens with Aoki in tow."

Jia sighed, shaking his head as he knew Toki was head over to Takeo's place. Jia patted his pockets down for a cigarette as he said,

"Why aren't you there Playboy?"

"I was asked not to go."

He looked over at Jo as Jo shrugged and said,

"I don't know why he's looking at me. I didn't ask him to."

Jia shook his head as he laughed slightly and said,

"I'll be in my office. Stay out of trouble."

He pointed at Akio and Jo as they both laughed and Jia left.

Tai and Gabriel eventually got involved in Jia's meetings with Shikou. So did all of Jia's associates since Shikou was very willing to not fight with Jia. Though at first our ambitious potential enemy seemed like a problem with the right words and phrases, he quickly stopped. Powerful yes, ambitious yes, beautiful yes, but stupid he was not. Now that he saw the oldest syndicate in the city, the Yami, was behind Jia he was even more aware of the blood bath he could have faced. Once the final details of the meetings were behind upheld, I, along with the rest of the top heads of the 36 Moons sat in to hear the details of the final merging, of the conditions and the boundaries drawn up for Shikou not to cross. As I stood among my associates, I noticed Toki was there, but rather then at Jia's side like usual, he stood among us, near Aoki as they both smoked. Jia let us know that Shikou had to do a few things.

"You know that I am no longer a drug pusher. I don't care what others do to themselves, I just rather not have anything traced back to me somehow."

"I started my empire on that." Said Shikou.

"Well, started is one thing, keeping it there is another. It's why I invited all my other associates here. You know of the Yami I'm sure, the Itto Ketsuen and the Ryuujin no Chi. This is Yuki, an associate of mine that I trust with my local street knowledge. Takeo, my associate in Queens and the rest of my top heads."

Shikou nodded as he nodded to each of. He then stood to his full height and said,

"I understand my boundaries Jia. For me to cut ties with my drug affiliates will take some time of course."

"I understand that. So I'll give you the times and means to do so."

Shikou nodded. Jia then said,

"One more thing. You'll be watched. Everything you do will be viewed. You dare to cross me once more and I will not be so gentle next time."

Shikou nodded at Jia's warning and buttoned the front of his knee length coat as he shook his head out and let his black hair fall back into place. He then said,

"I would like to discuss something of a private matter with you Jia."

We knew what that was. Without waiting for a dismissal, we all left his office.

As everyone gathered outside, of his office, everyone preparing to leave, I saw something more then a serious look on Tsubasa's face. He was jealous as well. Of course he would be...with a permeant mark on his once porcelain skin, his age and the fact that among him stood Sozaburo. I imagined that would be hard on someone's ego. I begin to leave, Jun close behind as I heard everyone else talking among themselves. I stopped at the elevator, pressing the button to leave as I heard Jun standing beside me.

"Hungry?"

"A little."

"Let's get some dinner."

"Sure."

We went to get dinner. I sat across from Jun as he ate, watching my partner for so many years. I didn't know why he was my partner. What made me angry sometimes was that he was just my partner. I knew nothing else about him other then him being a doctor. I never bothered to. I always imagined he never wanted to speak about it. He never seemed eager to speak of himself. I knew that feeling. I had once tried to bridge the gap between partner and friend only to find out neither one of us really wanted such a bond. I couldn't imagine myself talking to Jun on a regular basis and confiding more then I already did in him. Jun couldn't either. So we remained partners. Jun had a faint idea of what had happened between Toki and myself. He didn't like it only because he didn't like Toki. He hated that it could make me different and he said it screwed up my work. I tried not to let it get to me so I would ignore it when I could. Jun finished his meal which I found impressive considering it was ten minutes old. He took a drink from his tea as he looked at me.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You seem distracted."

"Thinking."

"Of?"

"Nothing."

He left it at that. Jun and I went in circles when it came to trying to pry thoughts from each other's minds. I then poured more tea into my cup as I said,

"You have to work tonight?"

"I doubt any one of us has to work with Jia fucking Shikou."

He stated it, with all the knowledge we all had. Toki and Tsubasa's jealous faces hung in front of me as I thought of them for a moment. I held the tea cup in my hands, stealing it's warmth for a moment before I said,

"I should get some sleep."

"You look exhausted. Then again you always do."

I rarely slept so Jun was right. I was always exhausted. I couldn't even remember the last time I slept soundly through an entire night. Even on my days off when Jia wasn't going to call us in for a meeting or a problem. I rubbed my tired eyes and finished the last of my tea as I said,

"I'll get this."

"Nah, I got it. You didn't even eat."

I thanked him as I got up and left. I took the train back to my apartment, walking the few blocks left to my building. Once in the safety of my four walls, I began changing, taking off my clothes and all the while, staring at the cigarette sitting on my dresser. I wanted to smoke it...I was sorely tempted to. Instead, I turned away, finished getting dressed and laid down for a few blessed hours of sleep.

I was awaken by my own accord. I heard myself speaking but to who and why I didn't know. I blinked, seeing my hair had fallen over my eyes, I was on my stomach, my mind a total blank. I sat up and rubbed my eyes as I checked the clock seeing it was four in the morning. I turned away, trying to sleep again, knowing I wouldn't be able to. So I laid there for a few hours, my eyes closed hoping I could sleep again. Instead, I ended up getting up some twenty minutes later and went to shower. Around eight that morning, I went to get some breakfast, taking into account I had slept for five hours. Five hours and I was up and working again. After I ate, I took a walk to Jia's building. I found the only one there was not even Jia himself, but Tai. It was of no surprise. Jia owned the place and came in whenever he pleased. No one was going to argue with him. Tai was in his office across from Jia's. He and I spent of our mornings together since he was the only other one I knew that got up this early. I went to his office as I sat down across his desk and set a cup of hazelnut coffee down. He yawned, looking up as he said,

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

"Is this for me?"

"Yes."

"Arigato."

I gave a nod of the head as he took the coffee and sipped it and gave a satisfying sigh. He then picked up his pen again and started to work. I leaned back in my seat as I asked,

"Have you been here long?"

"Just an hour."

I yawned as Tai continued working. He periodically took drinks from the coffee I brought him as I asked,

"Where's Gabriel?"

"Slept in today."

I nodded. Tai had something confusing with Gabriel. They seemed as if they were seeing one and other, yet they never acted as if they were. It was almost like the relationship between Jun and myself. But Tai cared a great deal for the little gaijin. He just never showed it. Gabriel seemed totally dedicated to Tai...he showed it more then he meant to. Tai then said,

"Do me a favor."

"Sure."

"Take these to Jia's office for me."

He gave me a stack of folders as I picked them up and went across the hall. Jia's office doors were closed, yet unlocked. I turned the handle and went inside, not expecting anything as I went across the off ivory colored floor and to Jia's desk. I set the folders down in the center, minding the crystal ashtray that still had some cigarette remains in it. There was nothing personal on Jia's desk aside from that and it was almost as if he didn't even work there. I then turned and began to leave. I closed the door behind me after exiting Jia's office and went back to Tai's as I said,

"What were those anyway?"

"Documents of Utsukushii's empire. Seems our former enemy was indeed well prepared for a fight. Money is his game."

"Believes in the golden rule I see." I said as I sat back down.

Tai nodded as he said,

"Yes. Our accountant is going to have one hell of a time squaring the dollars and cents from this."

I nodded, trying to imagine the small meek man that was intimidated by Jia's very presence. Jia never gave him a reason to be afraid, yet the accountant was terrified of Jia and shuttered, flinched and shut his eyes tightly whenever Jia made any sudden movements. I would laugh if I remembered how. Tai then stopped, leaning back in his own seat as he took the coffee in his hands and said,

"I'm exhausted already. I haven't even begun delving into this."

I nodded, understanding all the hard work Tai still had to do. His load would lessen once all the other top heads got here...but for now, he wanted to get through it as much as he could on his own.

Sometime later that morning, Gabriel arrived. Everyone else soon started coming in and started working. Tai had Aya call our accountant as he continued working with Gabriel. After that, I sat in the lobby reading this morning's paper as Aoki sat across from me. Another day...more work to do. It's only just begun.