Disclaimers: All characters belong to rightful owners.
Story concieved by Lee.
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"Hello Sam..." Nazoko droned in a voice that was as monotonous and
unenthused as she could make it. She really wasn't in the mood to
deal with perky, perky Sam today, but for Kisoku, she would bear it.
She glanced down at her cousin, whose head had perked up when he
heard the word Sam.
"He'll be fine. He's indisposed at the moment though..." She could
see Kisoku mouthing orders to her to give her the phone. She let out
a disappointed sigh. This would lead to no good. She knew that she
should just hang up and make Kisoku go home and sleep off his bad
day, but looking at him, she just couldn't. "Oh wait, no. Here he
is."
She handed the phone to the blonde, who smiled gratefully. Kisoku
wiped his good eye and took in a deep breath, trying very hard to
sound like he hadn't been crying for the past half hour. "Hey Sammy,
what's up?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey babe! It's good to hear from you!" Sam enthused as soon as
Kisoku was on the phone. Though something did sound just a tad off
about the other's tone, he really didn't think he should call
attention to it, so he continued on as if oblivious to all. "I was
sort of worried since Na-chan got the phone; I thought something
happened to you! You are okay, right?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh no. She just got to the phone before me." Kisoku lied, feeling
only a little bit of guilt for not being honest with his friend.
However, he just wasn't up to explaining the whole mess and winding
up in another crying fit and worry Sam even more. "I'm just fine.
Now, is this a social call, or did you need me for something?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well, I was going to ask something of you," Sammy murmured a bit
uncertainly. Maybe this really should wait. It probably wasn't a good
time to bring all this up, but, on the other hand, it might get
everyone's attention away from whatever was troubling them. "How
would you feel about getting together for an impromptu Wingless jam
session?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jam session? Hmm... sounds like fun!" Kisoku grinned, even though
the simple motion of grinning hurt his sore jaw. He didn't care if
all his limbs were broken, and he was on his deathbed. If Sam and
Lukas still wanted him to play, he would because that's what good
friends do... and he did love his friends. He missed practices for
meetings and seminars and family emergencies, but he refused to miss
time with his buddies if he could help it. Besides, moping about a
stupid fight with Kein wasn't going to get anything
accomplished. "I'll be there in a bit. I just need to freshen
up, 'kay?"
He didn't need to stay any more. Before the phone conversation was
even over, Nazoko was applying a cold compress to Kisoku's jaw and
shifting it from there to his swollen eye. With her one free hand,
she rummaged around the private limo for the make-up that the young
Capulet insisted be kept in all company owned cars that he was to
ride in. She set the kit on her lap and opened it up. There was
certainly enough in there to conceal some of the black and blue
around his eye, though Kisoku'd have to keep his glasses on. Luckily
one of his friend's was blind and the other... well, the other knew
all about Kisoku's penchant for shooting his mouth off and driving
people to want to punch him in the face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Great!" Sam chirped happily as the line between he and Kisoku
closed. Well, that was one friend down. Probably the easier one.
Still, how much could Lukas protest? Well, not that he didn't have a
right to protest, but it had been a while since the three of them had
spent any time together; maybe that'd be enough. He had wanted to see
how the Cajun was doing and this'd be a good excuse. "Sempai's in!
Now to see about Lukie..."
That said, he quickly dialed the number for the Cajun's cellphone
and, bringing the phone to his ear, he again listened to it ring.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So how many more credits do you have left till you get your degree?"
The question suddenly jolted Eva from her staring contest with the
young girl in front of her. Ever since she had returned from her
phone call, Charlene had not taken her eyes off her. It was as if she
was examining her, trying to figure her out or something. Kind of
creepy, but what did a little girl know anyway.
"Ummm... I'd say I have about three more semesters left, give or
take," Eva replied as she sipped up the last of her frapp. She was
the last of the three to finish her, not only because she had taken
ten minutes on the phone but also because she had been nursing it on
and off for the past hour. It hadn't really been intentional, it just
happened. There was just something about being in Nathan's company
that made her want to stay. It felt right.
"Well, let me warn you, the real world sucks," Nathan joked as he
offered to throw out Eva's empty container.
Eva laughed softly as she slowly stood from her seat. "You don't have
to tell me that. It's doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charlene yawned as she stood from her seat. "Uncle Nat, I'm sleepy,"
the curly haired child said as she reached out her hands for
her "Uncle." Nathan sighed as he raised the young girl into his arms.
He hadn't realized how late it was getting. Thalia was very strict
about the young girl's sleeping patterns, and she would have hated
for her daughter's routine to have been broken. "Well, Eva," Nathan
began as they made their way out of the coffee shop. "I think I have
to get going right now. Someone needs a rest, I think her sugar rush
went down."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh," Eva said in a disappointed tone as she stopped in front of
them. "So I guess I'll let you take over the babysitting job I guess.
Mind if I walk with you guys though, I have an apartment not far from
your building I believe..." She paused as she mentally scolded
herself for sounding like a stalker. "I mean, Thalia told me that you
lived in her building. So unless you moved I think that last
statement was right."
Eva smiled as the trio started off on their trip back home. It
felt as if there was something inside her jumping at the thought of
walking next to him. She had never felt like this before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No," Sophia agreed, "but it is a help." She squashed down the flicker
of hope she'd had that Dante would join her, and contented herself-- for
now-- with this much. It was a start.
Reaching into her small satchel, she withdrew a pencil and a pad of
paper, then handed both to him. "Would you write them down, please?
Every name you remember." She considered for a moment, lips
pursed, then added, "I wish you would help me-- or, at least, let me
give you some means of contacting me." She met his eyes
squarely. "I've seen many murderers, and their victims. I think you're
in a lot of danger of becoming one or the other."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wow, _five_ sibblings?" Darran gaped in honest amazement. As an
only child... and then a super-moody teenager... those years had been
fairly solitary, and to tell the truth, he still kind of wished he'd had a big
family. "Huh... So, if I bribe Cordy and give Dante up as a lost cause,
d'you think I might be able to get by Iago? I mean, two out of three are
betting odds...
"Scared?" He grinned to Para's question and wink, then pecked her
lightly on the cheek. "Oh, I think I'll just let you wonder, for now..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Not at all," Sui reassured his pet, standing and welcoming Lem with
open arms. He pulled the boy close to him, delighting in the smell of
Lem's hair, "I wasn't doing anything in particular. I'm glad you
could join me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You do realize that writing this down may do nothing; even if you
confont them, I highly doubt that they'll admit what they've done or,
if they did, that anyone'd arrest them for it." Dante muttered as he
tapped the tip of the pencil against the paper. This was tempting.
Far too tempting. It would be good to know that Barano could no
longer feed on the innocent and the misled, but it would also mean
the loss of income, the loss of a means to support his siblings.
Which was the greater good?
"Hmph." Snorting at his own thoughts, he started to scribble down the
names of which he knew, but, as he did so, he remembered that one of
his coworkers seemed to be working in much the same course as this
little girl; maybe Carissa would be of more help to her?
"You know, one of my coworkers has been trying to get as much
information on Barano as possible." He muttered without glancing up
from the pad in hand. Speaking in a rather matter-of-fact tone, he
squelched any doubts that tried to flare in his mind. "Maybe you
should talk with her. She might be able to help you more than I can."
Still, as Sophia mentioned seeing many murderers and their victims,
Dante couldn't help but freeze in his actions and, his expression
giving him away, he stared into those all-knowing eyes. Could she
tell? Did she know that he was a murderer, already, quite a few times
over? It really wasn't so troubling to think that he could be a
victim, but to be found as the one committing the crime...
"You're mad." He snorted as he re-effected his usual cool disdain.
Running a hand through his hair, he shook his head at the
girl. "Those things wouldn't happen."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I don't think you'd _need_ to bribe Cordy, hon." Para giggled as she
shook her head. No, the youngest of the Delvidrio children already
seemed more than a little taken with the man... which was part of the
reason she trusted Darran so; if Cordy liked you, then nine times out
of ten, you were a good person. Smiling, she tipped her head at
him. "He really likes you, you know. You made a great impression on
him, the other day."
"Giving up on Dannie may be best, just because he gets really moody
about things, but I think Iago'd like you." She mused as she turned
her attention to the sky above. Randomly, she wondered if it might
snow this afternoon, then shook aside that thought in favor of the
conversation at hand. "You know, I could try to introduce you around,
sometime. Maybe you could come over for dinner some night
or... something."
"Aww," Para whined at the inconclusive answer given to her last
question to Darran and, blinking twice, she turned on him the widest,
quiveringest puppy dog eyes ever. "You'd really torture me so?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm really so glad that you invited me," Lem answered quietly as he
nuzzled into the elder's chest. Eyes closed, he drew deep of both
Sui's warmth and his scent as he pressed his face into his shoulder.
Really, he could just stay like this forever without a single
complaint. "Was... was there anything you... wanted?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There are still just people in this city," Sophia responded coolly. "It
won't be immediate, but it will happen." There was herself, for one,
and other judges, prosecutors, and detectives she was certain she could
rely on. *But I know this already, I don't need to explain it to anyone,*
she reminded herself, a little ashamed that she'd spoken without much
thought as to what would come out. *Likely I wouldn't be so sensitive
about it if his pessimism wasn't so infectious.*
"Ah?" She asked in response to his comment about a coworker. "Could
you please give me her name too?" Small wonder, really, that someone
else should be so repelled by Barano as to be plotting against him, but
to find out this early was unexpected and welcome. It didn't matter if
she honestly recognized his evil, or just wanted petty revenge-- her
efforts would still be a help, and Sophia allowed herself to hope that
this could be the first small victory in the war.
"You're not stupid enough to say something like that and mean it," she
snapped to Dante's assertion that nothing could happen to him. Deep
down, her heart sank at the look in his eyes-- equal parts guilt and fear,
it seemed. She didn't want to think he'd fallen so low as to be capable
of murder, not after nearly, nearly finding him salvagable.
"Prostitution is terribly risky, I'm sure you know that better than I do.
Please don't try and tell me you, somehow, are special enough to be
immune to the risk." She took a deep breath and glared up at
him, "And if you have killed, then I hope for the sake of your own soul
that the person no longer deserved to live. And even then-- you
shouldn't be supporting a pimp with sex money, you should be doing
what you can to set things right. It's the very _least_ you owe." She
swallowed hard, but her eyes never wavered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Moody, huh?" Darran muttered dryly. "Yeah, guess I'll take you at
your word. But no bribing Cordy? No carrying him around piggyback
and stuffing him full of sweets so he's still bouncing off the walls when
you're trying to tie him to the bed? Aww..." He gave a deep,
disappointed sigh.
"Hey, sure, I'd love that!" He accepted Para's half-invitation eagerly,
then laughed. "Just, y'know, don't ask me to cook anything more
complicated than a salad... and maybe give me some tips on how to win
over Iago, too? Just to hedge my bets and all..." He then proceded to
flounder helplessly before Para's almighty puppy dog eyes. "Well-- ah--
errr... oh yes. Terrified." He nodded emphatically and tried to match
her deep pathos with entirely fake sincerity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sure, it won't be immediate but it will happen." Dante only snorted
to this statement as he shook his head. What a stupid comment! After
all, the sun burning out wasn't immediate, but that would happen,
too; probably before anyone managed to bring Barano down for his
crimes. Still, no matter what he did, he couldn't entirely squash a
bit of optimism at the girl's unwavering faith in this ideal and,
despite himself, he found himself starting to falter just a bit.
"Anyway, this is the name of that coworker I was telling you about,"
He continued as he tapped the lowermost name on the list. Though he
had only been writing for a few moments, he had already written a
score of names on the list and, if he had more time to think, he
could likely add dozens more. It was much easier than he'd thought it
would be. "and this is how you can reach her. Just be careful,
though. I don't know how she'll react to all of it and, if Barano
finds out, well, I'm sure you can figure that out."
"No, I don't think I'm special enough to avoid anything involved in
this job; it's just that--" Still, Dante's voice trailed away under
both Sophia's latter statement as well as her unwavering glance.
Again, that feeling of being naked and judged swept over him, but he
rather bravely attempted to hide his guilt for what he had done. She
couldn't see through him, no matter what those eyes seemed to want
him to believe.
"Set things right?" He managed to snort after a slightly drawn-out
pause to regather himself. Crossing an arm over his body, he shook
his head. "I don't know what you mean. Some things really are beyond
us, you know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well, you _could_ try to bribe Cordy if you want," Para stated
tentatively. Tipping her head on side, she glanced to Darran from the
corner of her eye as she smirked rather widely and just a touch
evilly. "Though, I warn you know, if he's ever _that_ hyper on sugar,
then it'll be _you_ trying to put him to bed and I won't hear any
excuses."
"No, you won't have to cook at all! Just show up!" She reassured him
as she gave her head a quick shake. Not like she could really harp on
cooking abilities, anyway, since she couldn't even boil water without
burning it. "Still, I'm sure that you won't need to bribe Iago, but,
if you want to try to, anyway, then just bring him a book. He'd
probably love you for life, if you did."
"Aww, you don't have to be scared!" Para squeaked in the face of his
deep mock-sincerity and, stretching up, she somehow managed to pat
Darran atop the head. "I'll be sure that none of them ever hurt you!
I promise!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ah, I see," Sophia nodded as she accepted the paper, then sighed
sharply. There were _so_ many... "These are the only ones?" She
asked, not really thinking she'd be that fortunate.
She glared up fiercely at Dante's last words, finally goaded into
fury. "Well, you know _nothing_ if you never scrape up the courage to
try! Your pessimissm is simple, selfish cowardice! Yes, there is a price
to be paid for trying, and I could well spend my life winning only small
victories, but it is _not_ impossible for me to begin the changes that will
clean the city, and it is _not_ foolish of me to try! I _have_ to try--"
She stopped short with a gasp of sheer amazement as she felt the
beginnings of tears prickle at her eyes. No, she couldn't-- ever-- believe
that it was out of her power to make up for what she'd done.
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