Hey hey hey!!!!! It's done and up!!!!! It took me long enough, I know. Email me and tell me what you think! Thanks to…everyone who's reviewed and put in their 2 cents, I TOTALLY cannot thank you enough! Also thanks to Wong Kar-Wei for providing the initial inspiration for this; I'm telling you guys, you have GOT to go download the movie!!! "The Follow" on bmwfilms.com... it's so cool. Disclaimer- I don't own Sailor Moon. By writing this, I'm sure as hell not claiming to own it, either. I'm still not happy with the title, which was inspired/borrowed/taken from the title of the short film follow. I'm also not claiming ownership of the initial concept, movie, title, etc. That said, please enjoy the fic. Now usually, I would be posting this on my website, but since Angelfire is being GAY I'm posting it here first. Also, go to my site to see pictures of the beautiful cars these characters drive. Sign the guestbook while you're there! Ciao darlings, DR Follow -Chapter 2 Diamond Rouge ****************************************************** "Minako Aino, better known here in the states as Mina Loveless, age 26, only child of the late Edward and Lillian Loveless. Born and raised in England 'til the age of four, when a family emergency called the Loveless family over to- where was it again? Japan?" The deep voice gently wound its way into Minako's consciousness, finally stirring her to a state of relative coherency. It continued. "Yes, Japan. Over to Japan to mourn the death of your mother's sister – an American army officer, killed tragically in a car accident. Your family stayed for quite a stint, seven years to be exact, tying up loose ends for your deceased aunt, and then for a while simply because you and they enjoyed it there. It was there that you embarked upon your acting and modeling career, right? After changing your name to the more 'cultural' Minako Aino at age 6, you started modeling for local companies, and when you were 11, got an irresistible offer back in England. You went, alone, to stay with your uncle, a private investigator. I suppose that's where you got your "skills". His name was Artemis, was it? Funny name." -We called him Art, moron,- Minako thought, becoming increasingly aware of the sun on her face, the warmth of the blanket, the soft vanilla smell of the sheets, and most of all, the splitting pain in her head. "Right, so anyway, it was there that you got your 'big break'-" he stressed the words big and break, making them sound ridiculously important, "- as the job as the star of a live action, Saturday morning kid's show- Codename Sailor V. Funny thing is, I remember that show. It was stupid then, and oddly enough, I'm not thinking it's any different now." -Hey asshole…it was just a job. Of course it was stupid, it was a little kid's show.- Her mind wandered off, wondering who this person was that was talking to her, where she was, and why her head hurt so badly. Unfortunately, she wasn't getting anywhere with thinking…so she just listened, wrapping herself up tighter in the downy blanket. The voice continued talking. "It ran for a good, oh, two seasons, and then-" he said, drawing in a dramatic gasp, "Tragedy struck. At 13, the poor princess's world was shattered! When…your parents died – both shot in a hostage, hijacked plane crisis. They were coming to see you in your lead role in a school play, weren't they, Princess? Ah, yes, Sally from Cabaret…at 13, no less? Ah, well, once a whore, always a whore." Minako couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, but if she could have, she would've shot daggers at the melodramatic jerk who was making light of her parents' death. It had never been an easy thing for her, even after the years that had passed and time had supposedly healed all her scars. She still wanted to cry at the mention of them; it had been so long since she had thought about them at all. Coming to America had helped immensely in stuffing down her pain and sorrow. It wasn't what doctors would call the best method of dealing with traumatic events, but it was an effective one…which brought up a good point. How did he know all this stuff? She had made sure to conceal the details of her life in Japan after she moved to America, altering much of her early history. "How did you find all this stuff about me? And why?" she moaned groggily. Eyes still closed, she felt someone sit down on the edge of the bed. She felt his familiar presence as he leaned over her resting head, and memories stirred as he breathed into her ear, much like he, or someone very much like him, had done sometime recent, she remembered…like, like- last night. "How? That's none of your business. And why have I done it? Well," he whispered harshly, "it's all the better to manipulate you with, my dear." Immediately she sat up straight in bed, shoving her captor away, madly trying to make sense of what was happening. The assignment, the man, her capture, the escape…it all came rushing back to her consciousness. Whatever her headache had been from, it was gone now, pushed violently away by her spontaneous wash of anger and urgency. Minako moved to get up from the bed…the huge bed, she noticed, having to practically bounce on its fluffiness in a most unceremonious way just reach the edge of it. Once there, however, she was promptly flattened again, forced horizontal by the same man who had restrained her last night. To her relief, it wasn't sexually threatening – he wasn't advancing on her with any other intent but to keep her down. As she tried to yell at him, it occurred to her that she still didn't know his name. "HEY YOU STUPI-" she cut herself off mid-sentence. "Who the fuck are you anyway?" "A good question, isn't it?" he answered smugly, his arms pressed against her shoulders. "Do you really want to know?" he added mockingly. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do, and if you don't tell me, maybe the police will have better luck when I tell them you kidnapped me and raped me," Minako replied, throwing her ultimatum at him angrily. "I can be quite a convincing actress…you said so yourself." She was sick of this guy and his superior attitude, and wasn't about to keep playing the victim role, either…it wasn't her style. This was business, now. Last night had been a slip in judgment for her; Ms. Tsukino hadn't warned her about the seriousness of this case and she had been caught up in his devilish good looks. But now, well, now she was serious. And mad. The resulting combination of the two didn't usually prove to be a pleasant experience for those her emotions were aimed at…namely her anonymous kidnapper. He simply raised one eyebrow and smirked in amusement at her threat. "How charmingly idle…though it's certainly good to see you've ditched the 'scared starlet' charade. That really wasn't becoming on you." "Fuck you. I'm not interested in playing your little games anymore. You tell me who you are and what you want with me, and maybe then I'll begin to consider doing something other than killing you as soon as I get half a chance. And why don't you get your hands off me, too? Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to run right now? You insult me." She pushed with all her strength on his chest, successfully managing to push him back enough to slip out of his grasp and slide off the bed, rounding to face him, assuming a defensive stance. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, looking poised to hit her. "Listen, all you need to know about me is that I'm stronger than you, I'm smarter than you, and I don't take nicely to little girls who want to piss me off." He growled out the last three words and shot out his hand, grabbing Mina's throat, turning her ninety degrees and pressing her against the wall. Minako gasped for breath as his hand pressed harder, the fight for oxygen becoming more difficult as he spoke. "If you want to stay alive, I again remind you not to fuck around with me. I've been more than generous with you, and if you continue to push my limits then I assure you, the resulting actions will not be pleasant. Remember Princess, I know more about you, your family, and everything you hold dear than anyone else you know, and I'm not afraid to do what I have to do in order to get what I want." Mina held her resolve, continuing to fight for air, and managed to choke out a response. "I just…want…your fucking….name," she whispered hoarsely. He released her roughly and she dropped to her knees, grasping for her throat and inhaling the precious air with relief. "You don't deserve it," he said, staring down at her with contempt. Minako resisted the urge to throw something vulgar and rude back at him. She stood back up again, staring into his eyes. They lacked the warmth they'd had last night when they were dancing, but also the malice that they possessed later that same night; she was secretly amazed at how this man could turn his emotions on and off like a light switch. Just a moment ago he had looked to her with hatred and rage, and now as she stood before him, his eyes mirrored only seriousness and authority. "I don't like you any more than you like me, but I need information from you. You're going to give me this information because if you don't-" "Oh let me guess, you'll kill me?" Minako predicted sarcastically. That threat was really getting overused. "You catch on fast," he said sarcastically. "Now, down to business." He indicated to a small table in the corner of the room. "Sit," he ordered. Minako did as she was told, making sure to shove past him. It was a bit immature, she knew, but she didn't want to give this jerk the impression that she was going to peacefully comply with all his little orders. He ignored it, and sat down across from her. "Now, tell me everything you-" Minako cut him off. "No. You tell me something first. Why did you kidnap me?" "I'm asking the questions." "And I'm not answering them…until you answer mine." "Wrong. You answer my questions, and I consider letting you go. You don't answer, and-" "Here we go again. You kill me." "No, I keep you here until you decide to talk." "I'll escape." "Not if you can't move." "The cops will find me." "Not if they don't know you're missing." Minako was silent, but not out of fear. She wasn't afraid of this man anymore; she had put up her guards and was now simply concerned in finding a way out. 'Never tell anyone what you know about me,' she remembered Ms. Tsukino telling her on numerous occasions. She decided then to just stay quiet, lest she say something wrong. Despite her anger and frustration, she genuinely did want some of her own questions answered; more and more she felt like she really had no idea what was going on with this "job" Ms. Tsukino had assigned her to. She knew Ms. Tsukino's law firm was a little shady, but for something like this, well, she would think she had stepped into a mafia ring. -Maybe I have,- she thought, eyebrows furrowing in contemplation. –That would at least make a little sense.- "So are you going to cooperate with me?" he asked. Minako wondered if she was annoying him; it certainly seemed she was. He ran a tense hand through his hair, which was now down, sighing when she remained silent. Internally, she was struggling. Should she answer his questions? For a minute she thought that maybe she should; it would get her out of there quicker…she didn't know, really. He could be lying about releasing her and just kill her once he had his information. If she could get out of there, it would definitely be better to get out without having to spill the beans to him. She was fairly sure the questions would center around Ms. Tsukino, considering his previous show of interest in her, and if that was the case, she would have to think of a bunch of lies which could later come back and slap her in the face. If that was the case, it was better to say nothing at all. Ms. Tsukino wouldn't take nicely to Minako saying anything about her, lies or not. She was contemplating all this when he spoke again. "Fine," he said, interpreting her silence as noncompliance, "Have it your way." -You're going to answer my questions?- she thought, looking to him anxiously. He rose from the table. " I get what I want. I'll be back later, and I won't be as nice. Enjoy your stay," he said, and walked out the door. It clicked shut softly and she heard the sound of a lock turn. -Guess not,- she thought. –And just my luck, the lock's on the outside. Oh well, it's nothing I can't deal with.- Looking around the lavishly decorated room, she determined the first thing to do would be to try to identify where she was. She stood and went to the room's one large window, pulling the sheer gauze curtain back and lifting the wooden blind. It opened out to a beautiful view looking down on what Minako assumed had to be his back yard, a gorgeous, expansive stretch of gardens and pools. The huge house's sliding doors that led outside were solid glass, as was much of the wall around them. The large porch reminded her of a café she had seen in Paris once on vacation as a child, very picturesque with its wrought iron chairs surrounding a matching glass topped table. Candles seemed to be the only thing that would have provided light, save a hanging lamp that was attached to the porch's roof. The roof was also a large balcony for a room on the second floor. In the waning light of the evening, the entire backyard was lit with a reddish glow that glinted off the icicles on the foliage's branches. -How long did I sleep??- Minako wondered in astonishment. –It's already evening.- One huge, U-shaped pool flanked the sides and front of the yard, separated from the white privacy fence and the porch by concrete walkways and evergreen bushes. A bridge with the same wrought iron railings as the rest of the decorations crossed over the middle part of the U, allowing access to what would have been gardens, were it not freezing cold. The pool was covered by a huge tarp, and Minako wouldn't have been surprised if the water beneath them was frozen solid. This hadn't exactly been a mild winter. The fence ran along the two opposite sides of the yard, ending at a waterline of what she assumed was the bay. To the right she could see the Bay Bridge, flooded with cars coming and going from the business hub of the town. There weren't as many cars as usual, though, even for a Saturday, Minako noticed. The skyscrapers on the other side of the bay were mostly dark; only a few lights of the rooms on the upper floors were on, as well as the Christmas lights that decorated the top of the buildings. Christmas… "Hey wait a second," Minako mused aloud, "It's Christmas!" For a moment she was extremely put out that she was spending her Christmas this way, but then realized what the alternative was – sitting alone on her couch watching "It's A Wonderful Life," drinking overly spiked eggnog, and crying for the families that she left behind in Japan and England. She became slightly grateful for not being there like she had been for the five years before, but then remembered who her captor was and how precarious of a situation she was currently in. -I swear, if he threatens to kill me one more time, I'm going to take out a gun and do it myself.- Her thoughts were interrupted by a small pang of curiosity and…what was that? Pity? Yes, she could almost detect the notes of compassion regarding her captor's possible situation, but she quickly squelched them, going back to her more sarcastic approach to things. -Maybe kidnapping women is a regular Christmas ritual for him. Or, more likely, he doesn't celebrate Christmas…he's probably off sacrificing a goat right now. - Still, though, for some reason, the realization that it was Christmas had softened Minako a bit; not enough for her to not want to beat him within an inch of his life, however. -Of course, I could be bound with duct tape and stuffed a trunk right now,- she reminded herself jokingly. -Leave it to me to be optimistic,- she laughed, –But I really do have to get out of here.- She walked over to the door to check the type of lock on it, her long black gown swishing around her legs uncomfortably. She had hardly realized she still had it on during her last conflict with her stone faced captor, but it was really starting to get annoying. Minako wasn't one for playing dress up as it was, and this dress was quite formal, to say the least. She altered her course and headed to what looked like a closet, a large oak door a few feet away from the door that led out of the room. -He kidnapped me, I think the least he owes me is a pair of clothes to wear home.- She pulled it open and switched on the light, immediately astonished by all the clothes it contained. For being what Minako assumed was a guest bedroom, the man had a ton of clothes stored away. "I'll bet he's gay," she muttered as she casually looked through the racks of garments, thinking about the immaculate interior design of the house as well as the beautiful landscaping outside. After about five minutes of searching, she came up with a pair of polar fleece running pants that wouldn't fall off her waist. A little more searching and she found a hooded sweatshirt from some "Chiba Technology Corp." that looked like it wouldn't hang down to her knees. The plain Hanes tag on it and the gym shorts were a stark contrast to the rest of the brand names hanging in the closet. Helmut Lang, Donatella Versace, and Giorgio Armani had to be personal friends of his, she decided after checking out the tags on his belongings. She sighed in awe as she changed out of her dress and into the decidedly more comfortable clothes she had found, disappointed that Dolce and Gabbana didn't make his running pants and wondering if perhaps she should snag a few shirts or pairs of shoes on her way out. She decided against it, though, predicting that at no time in her life would her foot expand to a male's size 11, nor would her chest expand to that of a large men's shirt. -Not that my chest is small or anything,- Minako assured herself, looking down proudly at her well endowed breasts. Vanity really was her weakness. She exited the closet and draped her dress on the bed, hoisting herself up beside it, deciding what she would do to get out of the house. Getting out of the room would be easy enough; she could pick nearly any lock, but from there she didn't know what the best plan of action would be. After a few minutes of contemplation she decided that probably the best, least dangerous and least violent way out would be to just answer his questions, but she was already pretty fond of the idea of sneaking out. Years of tracking with her Uncle Art had taught her a thing or two about stealth, and she was confident in her abilities. Rational thought may have been telling her otherwise, but Minako was a fan of danger. -Let's see…I don't really know where I am, I don't have my car keys, I'm not dressed for the cold, I don't know my way around this house, and I have no idea where he will be when I'm trying to make my daring escape,- she thought, weighing her advantages and disadvantages. –Screw it, I'll just wing it.- That was another of her problems, getting an idea in her head and sticking to it, no matter what. Sometimes it was an asset, but at times like this, it was a hindrance. With her mind made up, she bounced off the bed, forgetting her heels and dress and heading to the door. -He can have the dress and the shoes…if he IS gay, then he'll be thrilled.- In the back of her mind, she knew her so called "plan" wasn't guaranteed or safe, but the spark of confidence and zeal had already pricked her mind and senses…she was in "Mission: Impossible" mode now. She retrieved a bobby pin from her hair, suddenly glad she decided to wear it partly up the night before, and darted to the bedroom door, crouching down so that she could comfortably reach the lock. The silence, in any other case, would've been unnerving, instead Minako found it comforting, a way to stay focused on the task at hand. Her ears perked, listening for the slightest traces of sound. Other than the scraping of her bobby pin in the lock, there was nothing. No television, no voices, no footsteps…it was a relief, but also frightening. He had been sneaky the night before, he could easily be sneaky again…for all she knew he was expecting this. The lock was opened in barely a minute; her skills were proved competent again. She sighed, half in disappointment at the ease with which she opened the lock, and half in an attempt to calm her nerves. She stood and tossed her golden hair over her shoulder, taking a deep breath and hoping the hinges were well oiled. A squeaky door would be all she'd need to ruin her plans. Holding her breath, she opened the door, timidly at first but then more quickly when she saw the house was almost completely dark. Rosy light drifted in through the large windows on each floor, but other than that it was shady. She stepped out silently, like a deer on padded feet, shutting the door behind her. It didn't squeak, and she rejoiced silently. The house was every bit as magnificent as she had imagined it to be; three splendid stories with gaps in the center that opened to display a huge, dome shaped atrium in the middle of the cathedral ceiling. The atrium was a leaded glass constellation model of the night sky, made up of hundreds of pieces of blue, gold, and white glass, joined together by the dull pewter-colored lead to form a gentle, swirling pattern of stars. The second and third stories' large, circular openings that created the atrium effect were lined in the same curly, French- looking wrought iron railing as the porch furniture and bridge, as well as the spiral staircase to Minako's left, which she assumed had to lead up to the third floor. To the right, she could see another identical staircase, leading down to the bottom floor. She glanced across the railing at two huge sets of Mahogany double doors, a beautiful compliment to both the matching molding and the deep wine carpet. They were both closed and curiosity crept into Minako's concentration; she contemplated briefly as to whether she should check out what lay beyond them first. -I can't,- she reminded herself, -I have to get out of here as quick as I can. Besides, what if he was behind them?- She pulled her eyes away from the beautiful house's interior (-He really must be gay,- she affirmed.), and quickly made her way to the stairs, passing a few more closed doors on her way. She descended the flight of twisted iron, feeling the slight chill of the metal beneath her feet but nothing that would alarm her alert senses. The closer she got to the bottom floor the more she slowed down, her breath following suit, until she was creeping along, assuring her total silence. Her breathing had almost totally stopped, too; it was shallow and quiet, a result of her need to go undetected and her pervading uneasiness. She looked intently into the room she had come upon, identifying it as a formal foyer by spotting the French doors to her left that led to the outside of the house. The open, airy room was decorated richly with framed posters on the walls, mostly French, as well as the occasional wall lamp or wall-mount vase. The floor was made of what she could only assume were Mahogany and Oak, and she only guessed that from the rich colors. -Jesus Christ, that must've cost a fortune,- she breathed, gripping the pole on the middle of the staircase harder, still not stepping off the final metal step. The rest of the room's decoration was equally lavish, consisting of heavy-looking, deeply cushioned furniture, covered in cream and scarlet brocade. The chairs were arranged in a semi-circular pattern atop a crimson rug, surrounding a matching glass-topped coffee table. The furniture arrangement opened to the back of the house, where Minako quickly identified the huge windows and sliding glass doors as the same she had seen in her view from the bedroom window, the ones that led to the outside area. She couldn't help but stare in awe. Sure, she was rich, and her penthouse on the top floor of one of the ritziest apartments in the area was huge, but this…well, damn. It was gorgeous. But despite its beauty, she couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of foreboding at the sight of the shadowy corners. Closed doors lurked and dark hallways sunk into the other two walls, the blood- like crimson and cream color scheme adding to the sinister atmosphere. -And not a Christmas decoration in sight,- she noted, rolling her eyes a moment later at her own senselessness. She could not lose her focus, not at a time like this. The silence was now almost intimidating. Where was he? He couldn't have possibly left. That would be foolish. She dismissed the thought and kept her guard up, reminding herself that she should be thankful that there weren't hardly any noises to distract her from her constant lookout for him. There was one noise that pricked her ears, however, a comforting sound amongst the uneasy atmosphere. Though it was soft, there was a telltale sign of a shower, running in a room that branched off of a hallway to the left; she didn't know what room it was in, but it was definitely there. Still, she proceeded uneasily off the last step and onto the cool wooden floor, sliding her hand off the staircase's pole as she tepidly stepped out into the room. -Keys, find your keys. Get them and go,- she thought as she wandered cautiously, silently around the foyer. She scoured each small table that lined the room, though most of them contained only a pot or vase of flora, and thoroughly checked the area around the door. She was exceedingly cautious in her effort to not touch anything, feeling like a child in a crystal shop. Her hands wrung behind her back nervously, as if one touch would set off an alarm or shatter the entire piece. She wondered about alarm systems. Did they make touch sensitive alarms? Would he have thought to set it? Her thoughts were chased away as she finally she found what she was searching for. It was nestled unsuspectingly beside a large Calla Lily vase on the main foyer table, thrown haphazardly on top of a pile of what looked like mail, which in turn was thrown on top of a pile of a few magazines. She cheered silently when she saw the distinctive glint of metal and practically ran over to it, stopping short of the table and bending over to where she could get a good look at both the keys and the papers underneath them. She was right, it was mail, and opened, too. She picked up her keys ever-so- slowly, making sure they didn't jingle as she lifted them from the table, and promptly clasped them tightly in her hand. After listening to make sure the shower was still running, which it was, she glanced down at a piece of opened mail on the counter, the ripped envelope addressed to "2103 Auroure Blvd., Keishi, NY, 99087." -Cool, now I know his address.- The rest of the envelope was blank, no addressee, no return address, only a stamp and an illegible postmark. A handwritten note was tossed to the side of it, and Minako picked it up, deciphering the scrawled, hurried handwriting: "Hey- Arigatou for all your help on the case – you're invaluable. Expect me in on the 28th; I'm enjoying my vacation. Cancel the plane ticket…I bought a car and fully intend on driving it home. You're going to die when you see it. Can't wait to get back to Keishi. - Merry Christmas, MC" -How cryptic,- she thought as she returned it to its place. The case? That was the only thing that really stuck out in her mind about it; she wondered if kidnapping her was somehow part of "the case." And who wrote it? A sound, or rather, a sudden lack of sound from behind her startled her out of her thoughts; from down one of the hallways the shower ended. Time was running out, now, she realized; it was time to go. She padded lightly to the front door, pausing a minute as she realized she had no shoes on. She began debating whether she should find something to cover her feet with, but was interrupted by the distinct sound of footsteps. They weren't close, yet, but she certainly didn't have time to wander around the house looking for some slippers. In a silent rush that she knew her toes would later be very upset about, she pulled the front door open quietly and shut it behind her. "SHIIIIIT!" Minako half whispered, half shouted in the evening air. "It's fucking FREEZING!!!!!" She wrapped her arms around herself protectively but wasted no time in getting to her car, running like a madwoman across the icy sidewalk, her feet almost burning from the frost. Images of him hearing the door open and shut flashed through her mind, scenarios of him running out of the house with a gun scaring her into running faster. "…cold, cold, cold, cold…" she muttered through her clenched teeth, pulling out a hand from its spot tucked up under her other arm to auto-unlock her car, not slowing her pace at all. The more her feet were off the ground, she noticed, the less cold they were. The neighbors must have thought she was cracked, running outside in inappropriate clothes on Christmas Day, cursing like a sailor and jumping like a flea. She jumped back and forth from one foot to another as she hastily opened her car door, leaping inside as soon as it was cracked open enough. "AAAH!" she screamed as her legs and back hit the icy leather seats. "My ass!" She hadn't accounted for the fact that her car had sat in the friggin' arctic all Christmas eve; the shock of being in a seat carved entirely from ice was enough to almost knock the breath out of Minako. She still didn't slow down though, slamming the door shut behind her and jamming the keys in the ignition. The motor sounded a bit miffed that it had to run on Christmas day. "Come on baby," Minako pleaded to her car as the engine turned disgruntledly. After a moment of revving it started, the rumble of the motor a comforting sound to her cold ears. She got another shock as she touched her foot to the metal gas pedal, but her body was quickly numbing itself to the pain. She peeled silently out of her parallel parking spot on the empty road and proceeded to fly down the roads like a bat out of hell, constantly watching behind her for her bloodthirsty friend. She wandered fairly aimlessly for about a half hour, managing between red lights to pull a pair of dirty socks, left over from her last workout at the gym, out of the back of the car and slip them on her feet. The heater was now running at full blast, warming Minako's core, and the seat heater was turned on, too, making her car a veritable sauna. She was keeping a constant vigilance for signs of the black Boxster all around her; it was inevitably a matter of time before he realized she was gone, and he had the definite advantage of knowing the area better than she did. After the half hour of trying to get her bearings, she finally found a road that she could identify. "At last!" she cried out loud, turning down it happily. She was so elated to finally be free of the powerful man's control, and all she wanted to do was get home and call Ms. Tsukino. From there she turned a few more roads to her apartment, parking her car and running through the parking garage to the elevator with the same urgency as when she had left her kidnapper's house. The socks the had chosen weren't providing THAT much warmth, as she realized the moment her feet hit the cold concrete. She inserted her key into the little slot necessary for accessing the upper floors and hit the 25 button. The elevator lurched to a stop at the lobby and Minako's heart leapt to her throat, for some reason expecting her silver haired friend to enter the elevator. A middle aged couple stepped in the elevator, however, each giving looks of curiosity to the under-dressed, shocked-looking blonde that was accompanying them. She smiled at them cheerily, heaving a sigh of relief. "Merry Christmas!" she said. "Oh, uh, you too," they said, the woman pressing the 7th floor button as the doors closed. They rode the remaining floors in silence before smiling at Minako and getting out when the doors slid open again. She rode the rest of the way alone, relaxing into the wall and taking a deep breath. The whole ride home had been stressful; she was sure he knew she was gone. Had she done the wrong thing by going to her apartment? Her heart beat faster as she realized that she had possibly revealed the location of her home to a person who surely wanted her dead now. -I can't believe I was so stupid! I didn't see him when I was driving, though… but that's no guarantee,- she scolded herself, pressing one hand over her forehead, beating herself up mentally. – I guess I can just hope for the best, but I've got to call Ms. Tsukino right away.- She felt seriously, sincerely idiotic for going to her apartment instead of to…where? She wasn't really sure, but she knew that her apartment was an awful choice. She was worried, too, and rightfully so. The elevator finally came to a halt at her floor; she stepped out nervously, half expecting her handsome kidnapper to be waiting for her in the hallway. Of course, he wasn't there, so she proceeded down the hall, entering her apartment and turning on the light. It was just as she left it, and Minako let out a breath she had unconsciously been holding. -I'm being way too uptight about this,- she thought, -I'm going to take a bath and call Ms. Tsukino.- -He's coming for you, you know that,- she reminded a moment later as she headed to her bathroom, picking up the cordless phone on her way. She quieted the annoyingly logical voice and shut the bathroom door behind her. No matter how stupid of a move it was, she was thankful to be home after such an eventful night. *** "Yes, I already told you, I'd like to speak with Serena Tsukino please, tell her this is Minako Aino." Silence. "Yes, I KNOW Ms. Tsukino doesn't accept personal calls after 5, this isn't a personal call! This is business!" Another moment of quiet. "Listen, I can have you fired for this. Connect me to Serena Tsukino right now, if you don't, I swear on my life you will not have a job tomorrow." The young receptionist switched her over indignantly and Minako rubbed her forehead, sinking down further into the warm water. The receptionist must have been a temp, a fill in for Molly, the usual girl. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the side of the marble tub as the cheesy muzak played, her head pounding painfully with the music. The water was warm and made her sleepy again, despite the ample rest that she had been forced into the night before. -I guess drug-induced sleeps are never as satisfying, though,- she thought. "Minako? What is it?" rang the cheery voice of Serena Tsukino on the other end of the phone, followed by a perky, "By the way, Merry Christmas!" "Merry Christmas to you, too, Ms. Tsukino, I'm so sorry to bother you, I know it's Saturday and Christmas and all, but-" "Don't worry about it! It's no big deal. What's up? You sound stressed. Everything go okay last night?" "Okay? It was awful…I am so sorry, something like this has never happened to me before." "Minako, what happened?" Ms. Tsukino asked gently, concern filling her voice. "You won't believe it when I tell you…but, first he approached me, then he knew who I was, and then he took me." The other end of the phone was silent. Ms. Tsukino's lack of response stung Minako; this was such a bad display of her skills of following. She was almost sure Ms. Tsukino was going to fire her on the spot. Finally she spoke. "He took you?" "Yes, at the party." "Where'd you go?" "I assume it was his house." "I'm coming over," she said, her voice more serious than Minako had ever heard it. "Ms. Tsukino, that's not necessary, I'm home now and I'm fine-" "You're at home? How did you get there?" "I managed to sneak out…I know it was stupid of me to come straight home, but I wasn't thinking." Ms. Tsukino made no motion to acknowledge her excuses. "Did he hurt you?" "No," Minako replied, only partially lying. Being pressed against the wall with his hand cutting off her air supply had only hurt a little. "Where do you live?" she asked. "Bellevue Terrace, number 253, on Lakeshore Drive…why don't I come to you? It's no big deal." "No," Ms. Tsukino turned her down flatly, her voice maintaining the same concentrated steeliness it had before. "I'm coming to see you. This is bad." Minako had to agree there; this wasn't exactly a peaches and cream situation. "Well, if you're coming, then you need to get a key for the elevator from the receptionist in the lobby. Tell her who you are; I'll call down and give you permission to get in." "Thank you Minako. And I'm not mad at you, just to let you know. This is just much more than you thought it was." "Yes, I had a feeling about that," Minako replied simply, a feeling of dread rising in her stomach. The two women said their goodbyes and she hung up the phone. She reached over and pulled the drain on the tub; if Ms. Tsukino was coming over then Minako needed to at least look presentable. -What have I gotten myself into?- she thought uneasily. After the tub drained and she wrapped her hair up in a towel, she made a quick rush to get herself ready and clean up her apartment. The huge, 3 bedroom flat was a bitch to keep clean, especially for someone as absent-minded as Minako. After putting on some comfortable clothes, she made hasty work in clearing magazines and chip bags off the cream leather furniture, pausing for a minute to call the receptionist and have her set aside an elevator key for her boss. She tossed magazines and bills into her own bedroom, along with the clean laundry, empty pizza boxes (they wouldn't fit in her trash can), and spare Christmas decorations she hadn't gotten around to putting up. She tried in vain to make her computer/work area look organized; in the end, though, it was a lost cause. In the dining room, she also attempted to fold up some of the fabric she had been sewing with. It, along with thread, patterns, buttons, miscellaneous notions, and assorted appliqués, was spread messily on her dining room table. The beautiful piece of cherry-stained furniture hadn't seen much activity during its stint as a real dining room table, but since it was converted into a miniature sewing shop, it had gotten its share of use. She realized then that she actually knew where all her sewing supplies were amongst the mess; it was more like organized chaos then, and cleaning it would upset the balance. She exited the room, pulling the doors shut. -She shouldn't need to go in there, anyway.- One look at the kitchen and Minako decided the same thing. There were to doors to the kitchen, though, so she had to settle for simply turning off the light and hoping the mess wasn't bioluminescent. -You know, that chicken salad HAS been on the counter a long time…- she thought, pondering how long it takes for lettuce and chicken to give off a radioactive glow as she again concentrated on the den. She was just folding up the afghan that belonged to the back of her sofa when there was a knock on the door. "Minako? It's Serena," rung the sweet voice from the other side. Minako flung the blanket over the back of the cream leather and rushed to the door. She took a brief moment to brush herself off and give the room a once-over (-Hmm, cleans up well,- she thought.) before opening the door. Where Minako was expecting one blonde to greet her there stood two, accompanied by a black haired woman. The other blonde was male, a tall, thin man whose sandy, wavy mane was cut short, framing two eyes of stunning blue that looked remarkably like Ms. Tsukino's. The woman beside him stood with an air of confidence and authority, her dark violet eyes lit with an inner fire. She stood slight, much like Ms. Tsukino, and like the other woman, her demeanor radiated power. At Minako's brief moment of silence as she studied the accompanying party, Ms. Tsukino introduced them. "I asked two of my associates to come along, I knew you wouldn't mind. This is my advisor, Rei Hino," she said with a perky smile, indicating to the raven haired woman of mysterious beauty that stood to her right. She nodded her head curtly and the corners of her mouth twitched upward into a small, forced smile. Minako thought she looked very tense. "And this is my cousin and investigator, Jadeite Tsukino." He was a bit quicker to smile, and nodded his head toward Minako. "Nice to meet you both," Minako replied, stepping aside to allow her guests in, "Do come in." -Why did she bring people with her?- she thought as she ushered them into the den. She offered them drinks and they all declined, sitting down on the comfortable furniture in a loose semi- circle. Rei and Jadeite shared the long couch and Ms. Tsukino occupied the love seat which faced at a 90 degree angle to it. Minako settled into her recliner opposite Ms. Tsukino, crossing her legs and leaning back into its cushiony surface. She felt as if she should be the one to initiate conversation, but truth be told, she didn't know what to say. Fortunately, Ms. Tsukino cut in. "Let's just get right to the point: tell us, please, the events of last night. Begin with when you arrived at the party and tell us everything that has happened up until this point. Please, be precise, and include as many details as you can about your captor and his actions." Her voice was curt, yet friendly, a strictly business voice that squelched any protests or inquiries out of Minako. She felt strangely under the control of this powerful woman. "Okay," she replied, and took a deep breath. "Well, I got to the party at eight o'clock…" she began, and told them of everything that had happened. She was stopped every few sentences to answer questions or clarify information for Ms. Tsukino, Jadeite, or Rei, and so, slowly, the story unfolded. She told them of the party, and her observations, her capturing and attempted escape, and of his home and the events that took place there. She gave a summarized version of her successful escape, not wanting Ms. Tsukino to think she had lingered unnecessarily in his house while trying to get out. When she was finally done, she looked up at the clock on the wall. 8:34…with the included questions, it had been exactly 23 minutes she had spent telling them her story. If her captor had been following her, he would've been there by now. She felt slightly relieved at this, exhaling and relaxing back into her recliner. "…and here I am with you," she finished, forcing a small smile. Ms. Tsukino matched it in magnitude; the level of superficiality equal between the two. "Okay, Minako," she began, focusing her medium blue eyes on her employee's sky blue ones, holding the small smile on her face. "I know what happened last night was a bit of an upset, and a bit of a scare. And for now, you're safe. Overall, you thought strategically and made good decisions; I like that. So now, I need you to do something else for me. That is, if you accept something from me." "What am I accepting?" she asked, first relieved and surprised at Ms. Tsukino's evaluation of the night's events and secondly piqued by her request. "A promotion." "What?" she asked incredulously. –A promotion? For getting caught on your first assignment? But I just got bumped up to this position four months ago!- "You heard me, a promotion. I want you to work with me more intimately now, doing more of what you did last night. This promotion won't even go on the payroll; additional money will be given to you tax-free, under the table." "What?" Minako asked again, "Why are you offering me this? Why is it under the table?" "We really should explain everything to her," Jadeite commented to Ms. Tsukino. She regarded him with a look of harsh consideration, as if she was debating reprimanding him and taking his advice. She thought for a moment before giving him a quick "Right," and turning back to Minako. "Let me tell you the story of my family, Minako. When my great-great grandparents came to America from Japan years ago, they settled here in Keishi, since it was largely Japanese. My father was the owner of a successful chain of businesses in Japan, and he set up a new store here upon arrival. On top of this business, or underneath it, shall I say, he added another family business, much like those found in New York and other major cities; mafia business, if you choose to use such a term. We prefer the term "yakuza"; it fits our culture. There are two major yakuza families in Keishi, and the Tsukino's are the oldest of the two. Are you following me?" she said plainly, leaving Minako gaping. "Yea," she said breathlessly, her head cocked at a disbelieving angle. -This certainly isn't what I was expecting to hear,- she thought quizzically, wondering about the truth of it. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, contemplating the information Ms. Tsukino had given her. A mob family? It was unreal, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. For one, though Ms. Tsukino was considered the one of the heads of the law firm, and technically was the employer of everyone who worked there, she never did any real law work that Minako could tell. The main lawyer of the company was a young woman named Ami Mizuno, with whom the business shared a name, and she had her team of lawyers and legal assistants practically separate from those Ms. Tsukino employed. "What about the law firm?" Minako asked. "We are under the guise and protection of the Mizuno Law Firm, which you are an employee of. My grandfather's business shut down while my father was in charge. We made a deal with the Mizuno's, long time friends, to join us and help us. They provide us with both legal protection as well as a place to conduct business." "And what kind of business would that be?" "We deal mainly in casinos and prostitution. Generally speaking, we don't get involved with drugs," Ms. Tsukino answered, her voice still maintaining its air of blatant truth, speaking of the information as if it were the everyday. Minako rationalized and sorted it all out in her head, her mind raising questions and doubts. "So let me get this straight: are you the head of this multi- generational mafia…er, yakuza family?" Minako asked dubiously. Her mind had generally lost all faith in everything, and she thought of what the odds were that of all the law firms in Keishi, she would end up at the one which was directly affiliated with an organized crime ring. "Yes, since my father died four years ago, I have been the head of the family," Ms. Tsukino replied, matter-of-factly. "Then who are you two?" she asked Rei and Jadeite. "I'm what is called a concierge," Rei explained. "I'm not a blood member of the family, but I basically offer advice to Ms. Tsukino on the affairs of the family." "And I'm an investigator. I do lots of what you did last night, only I don't to get kidnapped in the process," Jadeite explained with a stinging smile. -Ouch!- Minako thought as she winced at Jadeite's harsh words. –That hurt.- "Jade!" Ms. Tsukino exclaimed and shot him a look. His smile faded. "Right, anyway," Minako went on, turning her attention back to Ms. Tsukino and trying to pretend like she was unaffected by Jadeite's words, "So what is this promotion?" "I want you to be part of the family. Right now, Jade is our private investigator, but I need you to help him. You have more of a knowledge of computers than he does, and we need that with the changing times." "But…what about my old job?" "You'll keep it, but your duties will be significantly lightened. You will be working as an investigator for the majority of the time, so your position as Systems Technician will be mainly a front." "Just like my position as a paralegal is a front," Rei added. "Right," Minako replied slowly, switching her focus between the three average looking people, wondering how any of them could fit the 'mafia' stereotype, "So anyway, how many people in this law firm/family business thing are involved with the underside?" "About half. They're pretty much spread evenly throughout the various positions; almost all of the high-ended jobs at least know about this, even if they aren't directly associated with any of our dealings. Like the lawyers, for example, most of them are actually legitimate, but there are a few that are specifically "family" lawyers, which means they handle my cases," Ms. Tsukino clarified for her. "Uh-huh," Minako replied dazedly, scenes from Goodfellas, the Godfathers, and other assorted mob movies running through her head. It was so unbelievable, she was almost laughing. But then, there was that lingering feeling of dead seriousness in the room that prevented her from doing that. "So one more time," she said, "let me review this. You are actually not a lawyer, but are rather the head of one of the only two mafia families in Keishi-" "Correction," Ms. Tsukino interjected, "Actually, I AM a lawyer, however, I'm not in practice at the time. My father's death was-" she paused "-unexpected, and at that point I had already gotten my law degree. I was about to open my own law firm when I was called upon to take over the family." "Okay, I get it," Minako replied, continuing with her clarification. "And you," she indicated to Jadeite, "are a Tsukino, and you are also a private investigator." He nodded in agreement. "You, though, are not a Tsukino," she said, turning to Rei, "But you work as a concierge, so you offer advice to Ms. Tsukino." Rei nodded, too. "And, you, Ms. Tsukino, are offering me a position as an investigator in this mafia, eh, yakuza family. I get a pay raise and the obvious benefits of relief from my current job stresses, but in return I must be willing to be directly associated with the mob." Ms. Tsukino held her same blank expression. "Yes," she said, "Sounds like you've got it. So, what do you say?" Minako thought for a moment…what did she say? She had already told herself the options, and it was clear to her what her morals were telling her to do. She thought of the movies again, and about offers that were given to 'outsiders', when a realization hit her. She spoke again. "I'll be honest with you, Ms. Tsukino, I really don't want any part of this. But, if I know my mafia movies, this is probably what you'd consider "an offer I can't refuse," huh?" She was still somewhat numb with shock from all the information thrown at her; in the back of her mind she was expecting them to all yell "April Fool's" (despite the fact that it was Christmas day), or tell her to wake up, it was just a dream. Either way, it seemed unreal. And if it was the truth, which was seeming more and more formidable, she had that lingering feeling that no, she wouldn't be let out of this easily. More likely, she wouldn't be let out alive, if at all. Ms. Tsukino and her two accomplices genuinely smiled at her movie comment, lightening the mood a bit. -Hey, maybe it is a big joke,- she thought with a new optimism. "Actually," Ms. Tsukino said jovially, "You're right!" At that, Minako's three guests laughed softly. Minako face vaulted. "You can't be serious," she said dryly. She was currently losing feeling in her feet and hands; the pressure on her head was getting more and more. "You…you're going to kill me if I don't do this?" "Well, we don't want to kill you, which is why we're really hoping you'll accept the job," Ms. Tsukino said, still smiling. "Jade?" she addressed the blonde man. "Yea, Usa, I'm on it," he said, pulling a gun out of his coat pocket and pointing it in Minako's direction. In her mind, Minako tried to count the number of times she'd been threatened with her life in the past few days, and laughed despite herself. "What's so funny?" Jade asked, flipping the gun in his palm old west style before resuming its position facing her. "Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that…well, if you knew how many times I've had a gun in my face in the past two days, well, you'd be laughing too," she said as her laughter died down. Now she was a bit more aware that the gun, though not a novelty anymore, was still a gun. And Jadeite's finger was definitely on the trigger. "As I said before, Minako," Ms. Tsukino said, her voice low and grave, "We sincerely hope you accept this job." -Shit, what am I supposed to do? I'm sure as hell not gonna let them kill me…it's not worth it. Maybe once I'm in, I can find a way out,- she thought, feeling strangely trapped between the proverbial rock and hard place. "Right, well…I guess I have no choice," she said dismally, "So what do I have to do?" Immediately the three smiled and Jadeite lowered the gun, returning it to its place in his coat pocket. "I knew you'd come around," he said happily. "Yea, well," Minako replied dryly, angered at herself and her situation, "What do I have to do?" "It's simple, Minako! It involves the man who kidnapped you last night," Ms. Tsukino told her, her voice lighter and more friendly then it had been a moment ago. "What do I have to do?" Minako said again, more slowly and more serious this time, her voice dropping from its usual state of optimism. "It's easy!" her boss assured her, still skirting around her question. "Since you know where he lives and-" Minako cut her off. "Just tell me what I have to do," she said gravely. "Fine," Ms. Tsukino replied, her tone matching Minako's. "You have to kill him."