We were all silent as Sozaburo and Karasu made up some reason for Nagashima to go back to California. At first, Nagashima was reluctant to leave and leave his son behind at that, but Sozaburo assured him Kotei would be fine, he would be kept a look out for and he would be met in California by allies of the Itto Ketsuen. Nagashima then nodded and soon then left. Within the days that Nagashima left, Eirinsu and Jia had another meeting. Aoki went with him as they had it outside of the car. Jia spoke with Eirinsu about finally sending Nagashima back as Aoki stood beside him, leaning against the back side of the car as I sat in the driver's seat. Eirinsu lit Jia's cigarette as he said,

"So he went back."

"Yeah. Two days ago almost."

"He has no clue what's awaiting him."

"None."

Eirinsu nodded, sending a lock of sandy blonde colored hair back as he said,

"I thank you Jia-sama."

Jia nodded as they shook hands. Jia then said,

"I trust you to keep your word and leave."

"Of course. Why else would I stay here for? This is not my city. I do have a home."

Jia nodded as their hands separated and Eirinsu turned to leave. Once he was out of sight, Jia got back in the car as Aoki got in the passenger side. Jia exhaled the last bit of smoke as he then threw the remainder of the cigarette out as he said,

"Home. I'm exhausted."

I nodded as I pulled and drove Jia back to his apartment.

We didn't hear anything for a while other then Eirinsu boarded a plane to California and Nagashima was working over there on whatever imaginary problem the Itto Ketsuen made up. Jia didn't seem concerned. Of course I got to see Kotei every now and then. I didn't really want to but I was stuck with the job every now and then. The little emperor didn't seem to mind his father being absent, it gave him an excuse to party every single time Ren refused his invitation to come over. Kotei did not like hearing no, much like Toki. Only he didn't take it out on anyone else, he took it out on himself and made himself suffer. One afternoon, since it was my turn to watch the brat, he begged me to no end to please take him to see Ren. Around this time, Ren was getting better but every now then he had to have medical check ups to see his arm was functioning fine. He was still a little slow moving it so he pushed himself to get better faster since he was still off duty. Today was one of those afternoons that he would be home, his children at school, his wife anywhere but there. Kotei knew and he begged me for an hour straight to take him. When I finally got so fed up I shouted at him that I wasn't taking him anywhere and to shut the fuck up and leave me alone, he backed off. He frowned and narrowed his eyes before he got up and disappeared to his room. The fucking kid was getting on my nerves, there was not much else I could do short of snapping his neck for silence. A little over twenty minutes passed before he showed up again, dressed as he started leaving.

"Where are you going?"

"To Ren's place. If you won't take me I'll go by myself."

"You can't!"

"Says who? You?"

He then walked out the door as I got up and followed him. Fucking kid was going to make me chase him. He got as far as the elevator before I grabbed his arm and told him I didn't want to go and I wasn't taking him but he fought back, saying he wasn't asking me to go and he didn't care if I would take him or not because he was going. The more we struggled the louder he got and he grabbed the door of the elevator as I attempted to take him back inside. He began to shout and make such a scene that his neighbors peeked out of their doors to see what was happening. I was getting annoyed and frustrated and I finally said,

"Kotei if you don't go back inside right..."

"Finally a threat! I was waiting for that! You'll do what? Huh? Do what? There isn't a thing you can do to make me regret anything!"

He then got in the elevator as I sighed and finally broke down and took him to Ren's place. Stubborn brat. He just had to have things his way. I took him to Ren's place where he was automatically calm and quiet. Ren was glad to see him and he held and hugged his botchan like he had not seen him in ages. I eventually sat down and slowly rubbed my eyes, annoyed with how I could have avoided all this had I just taken him here in the first place. Damn brat. Anyway Ren sat down beside him, Kotei snuggling up to him like a cat as he put his head down on Ren's lap and soon fell asleep while Ren and I made small talk. I looked down at Kotei, his blonde hair falling around his face, his hand coiled up near his mouth as his other hand rested on Ren's knee. I then saw Ren's hand absent mindedly stroke and pet Kotei's hair in a loving way. I then said,

"Forgive me if I cross a line of disrespect, but do you have any idea what he's doing to himself?"

Ren looked at me, surprised as he then looked at Kotei and said,

"Yes. I know."

"Do you care?"

"More then words could say. I wish he wouldn't. It kills me to see him do things to himself like that. It breaks my heart and puts a heavy weight of guilt on my shoulders."

"So you do care about him."

I stated it as a fact. Not a question. Ren's hand stopped as he said,

"Yes. But it's something I could never act upon."

"Understandable. He's your oyabun's kid. More then your marriage is at stake."

"I would give anything for him. I'm willing to die for him at a moments notice. It's so selfish of me to say that since I have children and I love my girls...but they did not come out of love. I'm bound to my wife and duties out of responsibility. My love is with him."

He looked at the little emperor as he spoke, his fingers stroking back locks of dyed yellow hair as I said,

"Why did you lie to him then?"

"I never did."

"When he was younger..."

"I did not lie. I told him that I couldn't be with him. That he shouldn't wait for me since I'm not worth the time. He took it wrong. Botchan has always been stubborn...spoiled...had to have things his way and no one else's. He doesn't want explanations or reasons. He sees them all as excuses."

"True quality of an oyabun."

"Yes. That's the other thing. His father trained him to be someone important, to be a head of a syndicate. Not to be someone's object of affection. One word from me could undo all that...and I couldn't do that to him."

I wondered what this would do to them now that Nagashima would be out of the way. As I sat on that thought, my phone rang and I got up and excused myself to answer. It was Jun.

"What?"

"Where you at?"

"Ren's place why."

"You gotta come in."

"Why?"

"I don't know we all do."

"Oh, okay, I'll be there in a few."

I hung up as I said,

"Ren, I have to go."

"But..."

"Listen just....I'll pick him up later. I'm sorry I just have to drop him and leave, believe me this was not planned."

"I know. Just come back when you can."

"I will. Sorry about this."

He waved it off as I then left and headed over to Jia's building.

Jia had his cigarette lit by Toki as he said,

"Nagashima's dead. The contacts of the Itto Ketsuen called Karasu and Sozaburo and let us know. Eirinsu got to him...made quick work of him. Now that problem we face now is getting that kid to act like a figurehead for a while until he's emotionally and mentally ready to take care of this syndicate. Ren will play some part in that."

I then said,

"I don't think he'll be emotionally stable for a while Jia. That kid has gone through hell and back."

"That I believe. But, his father is now dead. He'll have no choice to put whatever knowledge Nagashima was able to put in his head to good use."

Jia then exhaled the smoke as he said,

"When should it be made known to him?"

"Well...when Nagashima fails to return after sometime I'm sure he'll come asking for some answers." Said Tai.

"True. But Nagashima didn't specify when he would be returning did he?"

"No." Said Tai.

"Okay, we got time then. Give it a couple of weeks...or until he starts asking...whatever comes first."

Jia then dismissed us, except me because I had to take him home.

So we just had to wait for a while basically. I had my free time again. All of which I spent with Ichiro. He was Ichiro again, not working, not busy and his biggest concern was getting Katie to school. I liked it when I had down time here the most, it always gave me a chance to be with Ichiro, enjoying him and all he had to offer. I laid in his bed one night, looking up at the ceiling as he was straddled on top of me. We were done with a round earlier, he had just gotten back up there, his robe open and falling off one of his shoulders. He swept his hair back as he looked down at me and said,

"What are you thinking about?"

"Random shit."

I looked up at him as he swept his hair back and as I said,

"You?"

"I'm thinking about....you."

He laid down as he got comfortable as I said,

"Why me? I'm right here."

"No, I'm thinking about what you mean to me."

"Oh..."

I got nervous for a second and I think even in the darkness he saw that. He laughed as he said,

"Not like that, relax."

"Oh..."

He smiled, brushing his lips against mine as he said,

"You're so jumpy about that."

"That being what?"

"Anything having to do with a relationship."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No."

"So if I said, Jo, I wanna be with you. What would you say?"

My stomach turned at the thought.

"You wouldn't want that with me."

"And why not?"

"I'm like the plague. I can kill anything I touch."

He frowned as he said,

"You speak so badly of yourself."

"Because bad of me is all I know."

He stroked my hair back from my face as I yawned and Ichiro got off me.

"Tired?"

"A little."

"One round tonight huh? You're getting old."

I laughed as I nudged him and he laid down beside me, opening his robe and letting me hold him without anything else in the way.

By the second week that passed by, Kotei finally began asking questions. But nothing too heavy. When I dropped in to see him, he said,

"Did my father say when he was going to be back?"

"No. Not to us anyway. Maybe to the Itto Ketsuen."

"So...should I ask one of them?"

"Yeah."

He nodded as he sat down on the couch and then picked up his cigarettes as he lit one and then said,

"You can smoke in here. My father won't know."

I took him up on that as I lit my cigarette and then leaned back on the sofa as he said,

"I think Ren's finally going to have his arm checked for good."

"What do you mean?"

"Like...they're going to take out the stitches and stuff."

"Good to know."

"I want to see him."

"Geez, do you just pick whenever I come here to wanna go see him?"

"No. I just want to see him all the time."

We were about to start arguing on that when the door bell rang. He got up as he went to answer, tugging up the side of his pants as he asked who it was. Almost immediately, he flung open the door as he shouted,

"Ren!"

He hugged the much taller man as Ren laughed slightly, holding him up off the floor as he walked inside.

"Good afternoon Joryu."

"Good afternoon. How's your arm?"

"Much better. I just have to be easy on it."

"Oh yeah...easy."

I saw how Kotei was already hanging on him. Ren laughed as he said,

"Yes. I know, I'll be easy on it."

I laughed again as I prepared to leave when Ren said,

"Oh, when is it possible for me to get in contact with one of the oyabuns?"

"For what?"

"Well, it's been two weeks without my oyabun giving notice. I'm getting slightly worried."

"Ah...I'll call my boss now. I'll give you a call to let you know. Since you know...everyone has down time."

"All right. Thank you."

I then left as I called Jia's cell phone. Of course he wouldn't pick up. I sat in the car for a while, bouncing against the seat before I called again. I wasn't sure if I should ask Ichiro or Karasu of what to say...beside they weren't my employers. I didn't want to ask anyone else so I finally just went over to Jia's place. Once I got there, I knocked on the door and waited. He must have been home...if he wasn't home then why wouldn't he pick up his phone? After a few minutes, I was about to knock again when Jia showed up. I looked like I broke him out of his sleep as he swept his hair aside and held his bathrobe closed with one hand.

"What Jo?"

"I'm sorry to bother you but I needed to ask you something and you weren't picking up your phone."

"I didn't?"

"No."

"The fucking thing...Toki I told you not to touch my phone!"

He grumbled as he yawned and said,

"Come in."

I began to walk in as I said,

"Jia, Ren is better."

"Oh...that's good to know."

Toki's cat sat on the couch, his tail sweeping back and forth as Jia went over to it and picked it up as he flung it off.

"That's a six thousand dollar leather sofa. No place for dirty ass cats to sit."

I laughed slightly as the cat meowed and Jia ignored it. He then said,

"Have a seat. When I kill the cat there won't be anymore hair on the sofa."

I sat down as I said,

"Jia....Ren is asking about Nagashima."

"I imagine he would."

"Jia...what should I say if he asks again?"

"It's not your problem of what to say or not to say. Just send him to one of us. We'll do the whole, looking into it thing and then we'll tell him he's dead. Simple as that."

I nodded as I said,

"He did want to see one of the heads soon though."

Jia nodded, yawning as he said,

"You have a cigarette?"

I took out my pack as I handed him one and then stood up to light it for him. He exhaled as he then said,

"Okay...tell him to come by my office tonight...around ten or so."

"So soon?"

"You're right. Tomorrow..at ten. I'm so tired right now."

I nodded as I said,

"Okay. Sorry to disturb you."

He waved it off as I got up and soon left his apartment. I returned to Kotei's place to let Ren know what time he could see Jia tomorrow. After that I went home to change and then stopped over at Ichiro's place.