Aside from the stab wound stitches still fresh in his hand, Toki still managed to get himself hurt. Jun sighed over and over again as he tended to Toki's wounds. It was a couple of scrapes on his arms, glass was embedded in his elbows, a couple of faint, superficial scratches on his face, a bruise here and there but he complained mostly about his side which he said slammed against the floor when he fell. The Yuuki twins were busy brushing glass out of their hair as Jia sat downstairs with Aoki and watched as Jun tended to him. I stood there as well, near the far back, behind Jia, close to the door as Jia said,

"What happened?"

"Your body guard is very..." Toshihiro started to talk, but then couldn't find a word to describe Toki.

"Stupid? Yeah I know." Said Jia.

Jun laughed slightly as Toki glared at Jia. Jia smirked slightly as Toshihiro said,

"Well, no. I was going to say active. He saved my brother's life."

"It's why he hurt his side." Said Yasuhiro.

Jia looked at Toki and said,

"How nobel of you."

"Hey I jus do my job."

Toshihiro then continued.

"Anyway, we tracked Xiao Tsing to a bar. A few of his guards were there and he was pretty beat up already. He seemed weaken by it but once he saw us, his strength refolded and we got into a fight. A couple of his guards were also around the bar, which explained the whole fight. When Xiao Tsing started running upstairs, Toki followed."

Toki then took over.

"Fucker shot at me. Broke some glass that wasn't too far from where I was, which is why I got all these fuckin cuts. Anyway, I followed him, nailed him to the floor, pulled my clip back and that was that."

Jia nodded as he said,

"Shot him point blank?"

"Yeah but I jus got this jersey. I wasn't about to get blood all over it. I put a pillow over his head."

Jia laughed slightly as he said,

"You still may have some blood on it from all the superficial wounds."

"Hope not. I'll be pissed."

He hissed as Jun swabbed his arm clean. As he turned to glare at him, he said,

"What happen to you?"

Jun had washed his face and hair once we arrived back at headquarters. So because he can't stand having wet hair plastered on the side of his face, he had pulled most of it back, showing that young, very baby looking face. Jun looked up as he said,

"I was covered in blood. I had to wash my face."

"Oh shit. Look at Jun lookin all...young. Damn if I'd known you looked like this before I might have hit on ya."

He went to reach for Jun's face, but Jun slapped his hand away as he said,

"You wouldn't had a chance in hell."

Toki laughed as Jia shook his head. Jun then said,

"Lift up your shirt."

"You want me to strip jus say so. I ain't shy."

Jun glared at him as he said,

"So I can see your side stupid."

Toki leaned back slightly, lifting up his shirt as Jun put his hand on his side, fingers passing over the side of his ribs, part of Toki's torso tattoo of the yakuza roots, 893, slightly visible as he leaned back, his left arm supporting him up as he held up his shirt with the right. Jun pressed down on his ribs as Toki flinched and said,

"You wanna not do that?"

"You probably bruised your ribs. Which I'm surprised you didn't break."

He walked away as he went to the mini fridge on the side of the room, opened it and took out an ice pack. He came back to Toki as he pressed the cold item to his side and said,

"Keep it there."

Toki held it as he sat up. Jia then said,

"What's the diagnosis?"

"Well as usual, he managed to get a bunch of superficial shit that could have left him much worse off. Some rest, some ice and he'll be fine again."

Jia nodded as he said,

"Why where you covered in blood before that you had to wash your face?"

"Xiao Tsing pooled his blood in his hand and threw it at me."

"Ew."

"I know. I turned away so most of it got in my hair. Which is why I look like this."

Jia nodded as he got up from the chair he was sitting on as he said,

"As long as you're okay."

Jun nodded as Jia then turned to go upstairs. As he did, he looked over his shoulder and said,

"You may considering changing your hair. You do have a pretty face."

Jun looked away as Jia went upstairs. Aoki laughed as he nudged Jun and walked over to Toki and said,

"So you done did went and fucked yourself up again."

"Hey. You say like I did it on purpose."

"Knowin you Toki. I wouldn't doubt it."

Toki laughed as he said,

"I wanna leave."

Jun pulled off his gloves as he held them and said,

"Not for a while. Relax."

Toki rolled his eyes as he said,

"I need a smoke."

"You're not having it here."

Toki growled slightly as Aoki shook his head as he said,

"I'm gonna check on who came back."

Toki nodded as Aoki went back upstairs. Jun then sat down where Jia sat as he said,

"I'm hungry."

I shook my head as I said,

"Your favorite words."

He looked over at me as he said,

"Wanna get some dinner?"

"Sure."

Toki sighed, as he started to fidget. Once he moved too sharply and he hissed at his pain as Jun said,

"Sit still."

"I can't!"

"What are you five?"

"No. I jus can't sit still I get bored."

"What you have ADD too? I'm not a mental doctor Toki. I can't take care of all your problems."

"Fuck you! I do not have ADD! I jus get bored."

"Lay down for a while then geez!"

Toki did as told as he laid on his unwounded side, facing us as he held the ice pack on his side.

"How long do I have to stay?"

"For at least an hour."

He cursed slightly as Jun checked his watch and said,

"Come on. Let's get some dinner. Toki you-...nevermind. Stupid question about to be asked."

We then went upstairs.

The North Star had arrived sometime when we were downstairs. Aside from a couple of scrapes and superficial cuts, everyone seemed to be in one piece and well intact. Kurid was taking care of everyone in the North Star. Jun allowed him use of his facilities, but warned him Toki was down there. After that we both left for a late dinner. Living on fast food noodles was beginning to sicken me but I didn't have the heart for Chinese food and what they called Japanese food was just an imitation of American style Japanese food. So noodles it was. Jun and I stood outside of the small shop, eating again as he said,

"You think we'll leave soon?"

"Knowing Jia we'll be out of here on the next thing smoking."

Jun laughed slightly as his hair started drying out and most of it began falling back in place. He tucked it behind his ears as he ate and then said,

"You okay with everything?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. When are we getting Gabriel?"

"First thing tomorrow morning. He should be fine by now."

I nodded as I continued eating. Once we were done, we went back to Jia's building. There, Tai was talking to everyone and we got in the group as Tai looked at us but continued talking. He mentioned how everything wasn't all clear yet since we still had to be wary of Xiao Tsing's guards dying to get revenge. With that, we were sent home. Jun stopped down to his office to check on Toki before we left. As he did, I sighed, standing around the lobby, tucking my hair behind my ears as I saw Inamie sitting on the sofa with Haku, both of them looking exhausted. Neesa was checking his watch as he spoke to Kurid about leaving as I then saw Toki wander inside from the stairwell. I looked over at him as I said,

"Why aren't you downstairs?"

He had his shirt lifted over his shoulder, the rest of it still on him. His side by now had bruised, dark purples and reds staining his pale skin despite the fact that he had been holding that ice pack against it. He still held the pack against his ribs as he said,

"I needed a smoke. I tol Jun I needed one."

Just then, my partner came back upstairs as he said,

"You should be resting."

Toki waved him off as he said,

"I'm bored an I needed a smoke."

Jun sighed as he rolled his eyes.

"No one ever listens to Jun."

Toki then looked around as he said,

"What's goin on?"

"We're getting ready to go home." I said.

"Where's Li?"

"Upstairs." Said Jun.

Toki nodded as he went upstairs, Jun and I left after saying good night to our associates.

I slept for the full night. I didn't rise until much later in the early afternoon. I rubbed my eyes as I focused on the clock and saw it was almost twelve thirty. I got out of bed and went to shower and then dressed. I dried my hair out with my hair drier, running a brush through it as I did this, shaking out knots and tangles as I then finished up and brushed out my hair and then tied it back. It was becoming a hassle to do every other day. I was starting to remember another reason I cut it off. Once I was done, I gathered my things and went to Jia's building to see what was going on. Tai, Jia, Kumo, Neesa, Akio and Aya were all busy working so I didn't stay around too long. Jun called to see if I wanted to accompany him to see Gabriel now that we were picking him up. I agreed and went to see how the gaijin was doing. When I got to the hospital, Jun was there already, sitting on the side of Gabriel's bed, Gabriel however, was missing.

"Where's he at?"

"Bathroom."

I nodded as we waited, watching the news though we didn't understand a word of it. Eventually Gabriel came out, now dressed in jeans, a matching coat and a white shirt underneath. His now, badly grown out blonde hair fell to the tops of his shoulders as he looked up, the bandages now removed from his neck revealing the array of stitch work in his tender looking skin. Jun got up as he said,

"Let's go."

Gabriel signed his release papers and soon we were on our way out. Jun checked him out in the cab as he said,

"I'll remove those in another week or so."

Gabriel nodded as he ran his fingers among it, frowning slightly as he said,

"It'll leave horrible scars."

"We all have our scars." I said,

Gabriel nodded. After a short ride, we dropped him off home and then Jun and I had the day to ourselves.

Over the final days in Hong Kong, Jia worked with his associates for a week, cleaning up and working over paperwork. Jia didn't want to leave in case Xiao Tsing had some sort of back up, so all of us went through all of Hong Kong, peering in the last of Kaoru's properties, through his connections, getting rid of them and searching out connections they may have had. We worried that there was someone else in Kaoru's promise, but after two more weeks of searching thoroughly, we found nothing. We cleaned out Kaoru's remaining land, undid what Mei Ling had done and cleaned up Xiao Tsing's try. We had gone through three owners of blood tears, but Jia wasn't even sure it was completely over. He said he was paranoid. He stood in front of his floor to ceiling window in his office, his back to us as he had his hands behind his back. He clasped them loosely since he had a cigarette in his fingers, his black suit framing his body as he then said,

"I'm worried."

Tai, who sat in front of his desk, asked,

"Why Jia?"

"With the rising of Xiao Tsing after Mei Ling and Kaoru saying he wasn't through...how do I know that, Xiao Tsing was the last one? There's no guarantee."

He turned and then pulled his chair out from his desk as he sat down and rested his arm on his desk as he tapped the cigarette against the ash tray. Tai then said,

"We can't do much of anything now Jia. We searched everything we could. We cleaned up all the businesses."

"I know but...I just can't shake the feeling."

"You wanna stay longer?" Said Toki.

"No. I'm getting sick of Hong Kong. But I can't stay here forever either."

"We'll remain in close contact with the North Star Jia."

Jia nodded as he said,

"I guess it's all I can do."

Later that week, before the month ended, we left Hong Kong. After a brief good bye from the North Star, Kumo and Jia shaking hands as they spoke for a moment, saying they would be in contact soon. Then we finally left and returned to Tokyo. I wasn't tired when we arrived again and after making sure Jia secured a cab and went home, we all parted ways. I went home and the first thing I did after checking what time it was, was call Kazuki. His line rang for a moment until he picked up. We had a quick conversation and he stopped by. He hugged me once we say each other and offered to take me to dinner. The idea of real Japanese food sold me quickly and I agreed. I was glad to be in his company again, that same, dark messy hair falling around his eyes and face, his somewhat darker skin, his feral eyes, his slender fingers, his attitude. He still loved to tease me a little and make me mad, but then he would smile and make me forgive him. We had a cup of tea as he said,

"You were gone for a long time."

"Work does that."

"You miss me?"

"No, of course not."

I sipped my tea as he stared at me, a slight smile on his face as he said,

"I figured."

I scoffed slightly as I said,

"Stupid fox."

As he laughed, I thought to myself that I wasn't lying. I hadn't missed him at all. I had been distracted the whole time. Kazuki thought I was kidding. I just sipped my tea quietly.

Kazuki and I spent some time together. He noticed I was slightly distant and when he kissed me, I didn't always kiss back right away. He looked at me as he said,

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why?"

We laid in my bed, me looking up at him as I laid on my back. He laid beside me, his arm holding up his head as he looked down at me. His fingers stroked my cheek as he said,

"You don't seem to be here."

"I am."

He leaned down, kissing me again and I paid attention, kissing back. He pulled back slightly, looking at me intently, as if trying to find something. My eyes had frozen over, looking at him as he then said,

"I should go."

He sat up as he got out of bed, standing up as I said,

"You said you were staying the night."

"I suddenly don't think it's a good idea."

I didn't say anything as he got up and picked up his jacket, got it on as he said,

"I'll call you tomorrow."

He then left. I sat up, resting my hands on my knees for a moment before I looked at the clock on my night stand. One in the morning. I picked up my cell phone as I called Jo. Once he answered, I asked him where he was.

"Poker game. Akio's teachin me to play."

"Who's there?"

"Aoki, Aya, Toki, Jun, Akio...me. Thas it."

"Mind if I stop by?"

"Sure come over."

"Where is the game?"

"Akio's place."

He gave me quick directions as I got up, changed and went over.

I wore my black dress pants and a button down as I tied my hair back and met up with my associates. Akio opened the door to his luxurious loft, as he said,

"Hey, surprised you called."

"I had nothing to do."

I toed off my shoes as he walked us back to his dining room area where he pulled out a chair for me and then sat back down in his. Aoki picked up all the cards as he held a cigarette in his hand, a glass in front of him. I noticed he was in a loose, long sleeved black shirt that he pulled the sleeves up on. His usual trench coat was laying on the sofa not too far behind us, his hair loose, his sunglasses still on. Aya sat beside him, wearing a fitted white shirt, the sleeves short, his hair the usual way. Akio sat at the end of the table, the Playboy never really less then perfect in his silk black button down, his hair loose still as he picked up the cards he was dealt. Toki sat on the other side of the table, a cigarette in his mouth, a blue and white jersey on, the number eight on the sleeve as his hair was tied back by a bandanna, the blonde bangs framing his face. Jo sat beside him, blood red hair tied up in a tail at the crown of his head, the ends pouring over his shoulders. Then I joined in at the other end of the table, my cards waiting for me. I picked them up as I looked at them, Aoki pouring me a drink as he shoved the glass towards me as I thanked him and we started the game.