Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I don't own Sailormoon but I'll like to own Haruka & Michiru. ^_^ Warning: This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. All characters will retain their names but some of the characters will be manipulated such that they do not resemble their namesakes in the BSSM series. C&Cs are much appreciated. DESTINED Part 1 By GSL "He's running away!" A voice shouted. "Damn!" Curses of similar vintage were made in response to the shout. The usual rowdy crowd on the street took it all in their stride, as things that common suburban folk would find shocking were ordinary fare here. Dividing a crowd was a man dressed in form fitting shirt and pants, pushing his way and shoving unlucky passer-by aside when they became an obstruction to his flight. He was far from being alone. Two persons emerged from an ubiquitous car parked in the side alley and gave chase. Another two, dressed as hawkers, left their wares unattended and joined the chase. It was a moonless night. The street lamps barely illuminated the roads as the chase took place. The cool evening air was doing its best to bring people out from homes, lending themselves into the crowded streets. "Damn!" A curse escaped, out of frustration. The prey was slowly losing himself in the sea of crowd. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, but when did life follow men's plans? She wanted him badly, if only for her respected colleague still recovering from a gun injury. If there was one thing she hated most, it was to lose to this bastard in a chase. "He's turning into Sakura Lane," came the sweet reply to her unspoken question, via her hidden earpiece. She took off in the direction, barely noticing if the young lad assigned to her was keeping up. It was a known fact that she bore a personal vengeance against drug dealers, but nobody knew why. An informant had told them the information that they needed. They were there at the right time with the right equipment. Just as they got the evidence that they needed, the suspect seemed to have noticed them and flew like a professional sprinter. Threading past the crowd seemed to be a tricky task, but for one as experienced as her, she did not falter for a second, as did her 'partner'. A temporary one, she reminded herself, until Sergeant Shinji reported for duty from his bedrest and claim back his rookie. She congratulated herself that the fateful day would be only a couple of hours from now. It wasn't too soon before she was shouting at the suspect to stop running. Of course, it didn't work. The least it did was to inform him that she was a police officer, which in turn made the suspect run faster. Sakura Lane was said to be haunted. For what reason, she couldn't remember but most people tried to avoid this place, even though it presented the nearest shortcut to the subway. In a moment of clarity, she realised that the suspect was trying for the subway. It was a logical choice since traffic jams were a permanent feature for Tokyo streets. She knew she had him when her two colleagues showed up at the other end of the deserted backlane. There was nowhere he could run without crossing their paths. He chose to challenge her, being a single officer as compared to two. It was a big mistake, for, within a minute, he was down onto the ground and handcuffed. There was little satisfaction in the arrest, given the fact that the drug dealing gang he belonged to would still be around. "Officer Tenoh." The blonde turned and faced her chief. Setsuna Meioh, she was an effigy of intelligence and beauty. They had got along fine, so to speak, never crossing the lines that they knew existed. There weren't many people that earned her respect; Setsuna was one of the rare few. Even so, with her obstinate character, there were moments of disagreement and, from the tone of Setsuna's voice, she knew one was coming. Young Keisuke had finally arrived at the scene, out of breath. She had left him to fend for his own again. Well, she'd caught the guy, didn't that mean anything? "While I would commend your efforts, please do not act singularly." Apparently not. Tenoh Haruka shrugged in response. "It's not my fault that he can't keep up." The exasperated look on her chief's face was something that she had grown used to. Haruka had nothing against Keisuke. She just didn't want to be confined by a partner. It was a fact made known to Setsuna, yet it didn't stop her from pairing her up with other people. "May I remind you that your actual partner would be arriving tomorrow. And you better be in. Understand?" "Whatever." This was just another day. ********** "Good morning, Inspector Meioh." The tall woman greeted, suitably dressed in pants and shirt. Upon entering the office, she couldn't help noticing the wide array of books that lined the shelves, speaking so much about the woman before her. "It's nice to formally meet you. You were highly spoken of by your superiors at Osaka." From that tone her new superior used, she could gather that Inspector Meioh was a polite and confident person. She too would have to keep up with the standards. "And I've heard many incredible stories about you." Meanwhile, outside the office ... "Haruka, where are you? The chief is asking." "Hotaru-chan, is that the way to greet me? Not even a hello?" Hotaru blushed. "But you know..." "I'm on a case right now. Be in later." With that, the telephone was disconnected. *********** "Chief," Hotaru interrupted the two women guiltily as she entered Setsuna's office. The hesitance in her voice could not be missed, "Haruka would be in later." There was a look of resignation on Setsuna's face. "It's okay," the teal haired newcomer began, "I've made inquires on that partner that I'll be working with. And this seems to be her S.O.P." Hotaru couldn't suppress her smile. Imagine telling Haruka that her uncooperativeness was her standard operating procedure. It was a good thing that she was in the blonde's good books. Some even say that she might get away with anything that ruffled Haruka's feathers. "Let's start the introductions. Sergeant Kaioh, meet Corporal Tomoe Hotaru, our research specialist. If you want to find out about anything or anyone, go to her." "Call me Michiru." The sweet smile on her face was enough to warrant anyone to like her. "And Hotaru, meet Kaioh Michiru. She will be Haruka's partner. Since she is not around, can you please take her around the station?" ************* In a forgotten place, long time ago, there used to live a family - - A father who was gainfully employed, a mother who painstakingly looked after the whole household and a delightful daughter whom everyone doted. It was the perfect family, loving parents, intelligent and filial daughter, a lifestyle that was above average. But then again, good things never last. "Michiru?" Lost in a world of her own, the girl blushed in having been caught inattentive. "I'm sorry. You were saying?" "Are you feeling unwell?" She smiled sweetly, shaking her head slightly. Her companion still bore a mask of worry and her heart swelled at the thought. Ten years ago when they were still little kids, she could remember a time when nobody would play with her, he did. His mischievous eyes, marring his innocent little face, had always shine with concern for her and his hands were always there to wipe away her tears. Even after all these years, these things had not changed. "I was just thinking of something." As if for reassurance, she laid her hand over his. Seiya sensed that this was one of Michiru's melancholy moods and did not probe further. "How was your first day of work?" He asked, deciding to change the topic, but was met with a sigh by the girl whom he could still picture as a twelve-year-old, crying in the park alone. "My partner didn't show up." She confided. "That bad?" "I...," Before she could continue, their conversation was broken by a shrill of a telephone. Apologising, Michiru answered the phone. Having been left on his devices, Seiya idly looked around the restaurant. This was one of the better ones in the city and chances were, he might meet some of his business associates. He chuckled at the thought. Whoever would have guessed that he became a businessman. Some have thought that he would become a pop idol, given his singing abilities, and he smiled in remembrance of Michiru's shocked expression when he told her his decision. They had gone through a lot since they met. The initial years were a nightmare, at least for Michiru. The sudden death of her parents reduced her to an orphan. He could never forget seeing her for the first time, a twelve-year-old crying under a huge oak tree, a scene so compelling that he promised in his heart that he would protect her forever. "I'm sorry, I have to go." Michiru interrupted his thoughts. "Now?" She could detect some amount of exasperation in his voice. "You know how it goes." With resignation on his face, he accepted her chaste kiss on the cheek and watched her exit the restaurant. As he did so, he couldn't help thinking that she was hardly the same girl he met those ten years ago. ************* "This is a dream come true." Haruka smiled widely at the scene before her. "This isn't right, you know that." Hotaru chipped in, although she could barely keep a solemn face. "No way, I'm going to enjoy this as much as I can." "Not if I have anything to say." Setsuna chastised, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The forensic officers hurried around as the detectives stayed out of their way. Not one inch of the hotel room was left unexamined. In the middle was a king-sized bed, its white sheets were dyed brownish-red. The source was a naked lifeless body that lay on it. Chiba Mamoru, one of the three forces that controlled drug circulation in Tokyo, was found dead. It was a gruesome sight, to say the least, but the officers just went on with their work professionally. For Haruka, it was the sweetest sight. She had always wanted to arrest him for his crimes and misdeeds but had always been lacking in evidence. Now that he was dead, she felt as though the world had become a better place to live in. "Sorry I'm late." At the tune of the voice, Haruka turned to finally see her partner. Sergeant Kaioh Michiru, as she was told, a nice lady. She took a glance and was met with deep blue eyes. The new gal was tall, although not as tall as she was, and beautiful, with a long dress that clung snugly to her body, revealing alluring shapes. Her brows deepened. A dress and a crime scene definitely did not mix. Setsuna took the opportunity to formally introduce the partners. Michiru having finally coming face to face with the person she would be working with, was slowing evaluating the blonde. While it was true that she heard stories about her elusive partner, she could not prepare herself for their first meeting. She knew that Tenoh Haruka was female but the jeans and pullover hardly revealed that fact. She looked strong, commanding. What affected her most was her partner's piercing eyes which seemed to spear deep into her soul. And then it was gone. The unwavering eyes left her and she could detect a slight disapproval on Haruka's part. Michiru hastened to explain her lateness, "I was on the other part of the town. I came here as fast as I could and didn't have time to change." "It's okay. In fact, you were just on time. The medical examiner and her assistant had just arrived." Setsuna added. Hotaru took this as her cue to leave and went on to perform her share of tasks. The forensic team began packing up as the newly formed partners and Setsuna followed the medical examiner towards the body. Haruka was still silently observing her partner. If she were to vomit at the sight of the corpse, she would definitely cajole Setsuna to change the pairing. The last thing she needed was to babysit a lady. And it seemed that Michiru had passed the test. Haruka sighed and began to pay full attention to the preliminary examination. Mizuno Ami was one of the best medical examiners that the coroner's office had. Haruka could never guess how such a meek person like Ami could do her job so well. "I'm sorry. Do you know the person? You seemed to hesitate for a moment." Michiru interrupted. "No. No." Ami quickly added. There was a far away look on her eyes. "I find him quite familiar but I don't know him." "Maybe you had seen him from the newspapers. He was the president of the Chiba Corporation." Setsuna reasoned. "And a notorious leader of Chiba drug dealing society." Haruka decided to add her few cents worth. Ami nodded in comprehension. She began her work, steadfastly. "Victim had multiple knife wounds. There were nine at his chest area. One particularly deep that probably killed him immediately. No signs of bruises." "Wait a minute. He didn't put up a struggle?" Haruka quickly asked. "Doesn't seem like it." Ami answered. "Intoxication?" Michiru suggested. "We'll do the tests. The formal report will be out in three day's time." With that, Ami began to leave. Setsuna quickly called for attention. "Shinji and Keisuke have gone around interviewing the staff. Keiko and Tetsu, the guests. I have asked Hotaru to review the security tapes. The two of you," Setsuna said, indicating Haruka and Michiru, "are to make a formal visit to Chiba's residence. Bring a couple of men along." ************* The ride to the residence was somewhat interesting. Michiru should have known something was wrong when none of the officers were willing to take a ride in Haruka's sedan. It took all of her control and her hold onto the dashboard to abstain from screaming out. Some of the moves that Haruka made were purely suicidal. Yet she was able to pull it off with finesse. In fact, Michiru could see that the blonde thrived on speed. That was another thing that she could add to Haruka's personal records. Michiru didn't make any conversation to get to know her partner better, not when her heart threatened to jump out. But she did notice a couple of things about her partner. Tenoh Haruka was a walled-up person, so to speak. Her eyes were predatory and determined, signalling her distrust in people. Her gruff exterior also meant that Michiru would have a hard time getting close enough to work effectively as a team. As of now, she could already feel the ill vibes coming from Haruka. On second thought, this ride could be considered as Haruka's call of challenge. It couldn't be sooner before they arrived at the mansion, a good fifteen minutes before the rest would arrive. While taking a breather outside the car, Michiru noticed Haruka making her way towards the gate. "Shouldn't we wait?" shouted Michiru. Haruka took one glance at her and shook her head resignedly. Tracing her steps back to Michiru, she spoke to her for the first time, "It figures that chief would get someone who cares nothing but proper procedures to check on me." "Don't you think it is unfair to sum up things like that on me?" It wasn't a question that Michiru was raising. Haruka etched her eyebrow, getting the hint that the shorter girl was definitely no pushover. Haruka leaned onto the car, next to Michiru, and sighed. "We should try to get along." Michiru stated. She turned and stuck her hand out. "Kaioh Michiru. I'll put in my best efforts and will appreciate any help that you would give me." There was something about the smile that Haruka couldn't quite understand. Before she knew it, she was shaking her partner's hand and a tenuous truce was formed. Soon, police patrol cars arrived at the scene. Officers left their vehicles and gathered before Haruka. With a command, she led them towards the house, with a search warrant in her hand. ************ It was a new day after a long night at the Chiba residence. It wasn't often that they get a chance to visit a druglord's house and they were using every opportunity they had to carry any material, book, diskette, and computer back to the headquarters. In Haruka's opinion, this was the sole reason she was there in the first place. Sure, they met some obstructions in the form of Chiba's henchmen. Michiru, to her surprise, had shown some smooth moves and the deal was done. There were no hindrances after that, and Michiru left her alone to do her own investigating or, as she put it, snooping around. Now, in a room that was filled with people, Tenoh Haruka mostly kept to herself. She wasn't one of idle chatter and people respected that. Other than the few greetings, she was relatively left at peace to ponder about the case and to think about what she would be saying in the general meeting that Setsuna had called upon. The file felt heavy on her hands. They always did. How pathetic it was to measure one's life on a few pieces of paper clipped in a file. Even if it belonged to one of the most notorious druglords, Haruka felt uneasiness, but for a different reason. How could she put herself into arresting someone who did good to the society at large? What was the motive? Was there a sad story behind the killing? She knew for a fact that many lives were shattered by Chiba's actions. She had the dream again. It always came at the most untimely moment. Rubbing her temples, she tried to ignore her emerging feelings as remnants of the dream continued to torture her. "Haruka, are you sick?" The uncertainty in the other's voice brought a smile to her lips. She shook her head and gazed warmly at Hotaru. How the girl managed to position herself in that special place in Haruka's heart was beyond her. Perhaps Hotaru's innocent approach to life made people want to protect her and Haruka was not immune to that. "Are you sure?" The younger girl asked again. "I almost wished that I were, so that you would pamper me." The blonde teased, setting that question to dust. It came as a surprise when Hotaru flirted back but Haruka managed to recover in time, to slip into the role of a suave gentleman. Their antics were not lost on Kaioh Michiru, presently surrounded by a couple of her male colleagues. She maintained a polite conversation with all of them, out of courtesy more than want. As she tuned out expertly on the small talk around her, she wondered how she was able to tackle her not-so-friendly partner. She might have scored a little victory last night, but she knew now that she was far from becoming friends with the blonde. For a moment, she thought she caught Haruka's eye and blushed in response to being caught watching her. She turned away immediately, drawing attention to herself from the company that she was having. She felt herself being watched by determined green eyes but luckily the ordeal was cut short by Setsuna's entrance. Everyone came to attention. The once noisy meeting room was turned into a serious discussion area. "We have the autopsy report. Chiba Mamoru, died of a knife wound that reached his heart. He was killed instantly and nine other thrusts damaged his lungs and spleen. The time of death is estimated to be between 2300 hours to 2400 hours. "There were no unusual bruises found on his body. There is some level of alcoholic content in his blood but believed to be not enough to warrant him unconscious." The uproar was unmistakable. "Yes, he didn't put up much of a struggle." Setsuna said, trying to regain some sort of order. "Perhaps he was asleep?" Michiru contributed. Setsuna did not voice her opinion but continued, as the rest seemed to chew on that idea. "There were no drugs, medicinal or otherwise, found in his blood. No sexual activity. That is all from the coroner's office." She paused and signalled Hotaru to begin. "I have reviewed the security tapes. The most important discovery was that a female was found to be with Chiba. They entered the hotel room together at 2247 hours and she left calmly at 2352 hours. No others were seen to have entered the room. "The woman's face was hidden by the shawl. She was medium built and was wearing a dark long evening dress." As Hotaru stopped her recount, Sergeant Shinji began, "According to the hotel staff, the room was permanently reserved for Chiba to entertain his guests. No one has seen the female identified in the tapes." "The same goes with the guests," interjected Corporal Keiko. As all eyes turned to Haruka, she spoke, "We have thoroughly searched the Chiba residence. We brought back many things -- computers, diskettes, documents etc. Preliminary findings indicate nothing of the killing, but we may instead expose more of his drug dealings. More time is needed to sieve through the data. Our IT techs have begun breaking codes to access password-protected computer data." Setsuna took back control of the meeting. "We have a female suspect. No one knows what she looks like. We assume that she was invited by him to have a rendezvous. He didn't succeed, or he died before he could. What is the motive?" "Personal vengeance." Shinji replied. "The multiple wounds indicate a deep hatred for Chiba." "This can also be a case of fighting for turf. Who stands to gain the most from his death?" Haruka interrupted. "Yaten Kou and Taiki Kou. Just two days ago, the Yaten gang and Chiba gang clashed, leading to multiple deaths and injuries. We cannot cross them out, either." There were murmurs in the room. Each arguing for what they felt was right. As the discussion seemed to go out of hand, Setsuna called for attention. "All these are possible leads. Three teams will be formed. Shinji, you are to lead the investigations on personal attacks. Haruka, you are on Yaten. Keiko, you start on Taiki. All three of you are free to choose your team and are to report to me directly." As the meeting came to an end, Haruka felt her mind racing. How was she going to start her investigations? It would be a dangerous task and a wrong move could cost her the lives of her teammates. So immersed she was in her thoughts that she didn't realise deep blue eyes watching her back intently. ************ Music played softly in the background. An un-named singer blended her voice to the lovely tune that Haruka couldn't put a name to. Her companion was breathtakingly beautiful. Not surprising, considering this was Michiru, with her sharp cheekbones, deep eyelashes and her glorious crown of hair. What was amazing was that she managed to achieve all that in half an hour's time; picking the clothes for herself and Haruka, the priming, so that they would not look out of place in this top notch restaurant. Dinner was ordered with the help of Michiru, since Haruka didn't understand a word of French. She had grudging began to admit that Michiru did have some flair that she could need. What happened after that was a blur, since they kept their eyes on Yaten as inconspicuously as they could. Back up was ready just in case anything should happened, not that they were many, just two aides, Naru and Umino completing the Tenoh team. Both of them were presently in a van, waiting to be called into action. It was the only course of action that her team had thought out through their brainstorming session -- to trail Yaten in the hopes that the female suspect would contact him. Luck was not on their side. After three days, they still had nothing. On the other hand, Haruka was slowly getting used to Michiru's presence. It was a good thing that Michiru seemed to understand her need of space and had proved herself useful in certain situations. But, could she trust her? "Haruka, you are drawing attention to yourself." Michiru intoned. As emphasis, she drew her hand to cover the blonde's. The touch was enough to wake her to mindfulness. Belatedly, she realised that a few henchmen of Yaten's were looking her way. Stifling a curse, she pretended to engage in a lover's banter with Michiru. "Have I blown it?" Haruka asked, as Michiru risked a glance and replied in negative. "I'm sorry." The words didn't match the smile that she was displaying. But Michiru understood and accepted Haruka's apologies. "I guess we better reprise the roles of lovers." Michiru said, in between sips of wine. In response, Haruka regained her hold on Michiru's hand on the table and looked at Michiru affectionately. "I suppose." Michiru had to admit that Haurka looked rather fetching in the suit that she was wearing. This was not to say that Haruka's normal attire of jeans and T-shirt looked bad on her. It just made her look at the blonde in a different light. "How do you know French?" Haruka asked, just to disperse the silence between them. "My mother was a lover of French cuisine. So, I picked up quite a few words. But no, I don't really know French." "For a moment, I thought you were Ms Know-It-All." "It seems that the arrogant Sergeant Tenoh can be wrong sometimes." "Most people would get into trouble for the comment that you'd just passed." "But, I'm not?" Haruka looked deeply into the eyes before her and replied somewhat huskily, "No, you're not." Michiru liked this Haruka before her, so different from hours ago when she was gruff and slightly desperate at the futility of their actions. Probably it was the couple of drinks that they had, but Michiru felt that she could get comfortable with Haruka. "He's standing up." The romantic mood was dispelled by Haruka's comment. Michiru turned slightly to the table where Yaten was entertaining his business associates. She was in time to see him grabbing a woman, a socialite she supposed, to the dance floor. "Shall we?" Haruka stood up, her hand extended to which Michiru accepted with no objections. They made their way to the crowded area where couples gyrated to the soft music. They were the envy of people that surrounded them. A couple so strikingly beautiful that would not be tossed to the background. Every move that they made was in tandem with each other. "You're pretty good." Haruka commented, out of the blue, her eyes never leaving Yaten's back. "So are you." Michiru was genuinely beginning to enjoy the evening. More so, if they didn't have the added task of spying on a certain somebody. "He's looking our way," whispered Haruka as she pulled Michiru closer to her. On her part, Michiru leaned her head on Haruka's shoulder, acting the loving couple that they were. It felt strangely warm when she was so close to the blonde. But the feelings were subdued quickly when she noticed that Yaten was walking towards them. Every danger instinct she had was screaming at her. Even Haruka's tightening hold on her could do little. It was this exact moment when Yaten made a stop before them, breaking their hold. "I'm Yaten Kou, president of the Yaten Group, may I have the pleasure of having the next dance with you?" He didn't wait for her answer as he pulled her away from her partner. Haruka started to protest but found herself cornered by uniformly suited men. Just as the blonde's mind was racing, she caught her partner's pleading eyes that told her not to voice any objection. Begrudging, Haruka silently watched as her partner began laughing and flirting with the devil himself. ************ The wait was horrendous. Between spying and worrying, they had managed to slip a set of mic and earpiece into Michiru's possession during a trip to the ladies. Naru had performed the task unerringly, to the relief of Haruka's already fidgety nerves. With the communication kit on, they could now hear what was happening in the pub Yaten and Michiru were in now. It wasn't much, given how noisy the background was, but at the very least, if Michiru yelled for help, they would be able to hear it. Plans were promptly formed in the surveillance van that they parked across the street from the pub. It didn't take a genius to know what Michiru intended to do but it had taken all of Haruka's will not to curse her new partner for taking matters into her own hands. From what little that they knew, Yaten was treating Michiru to quite a lot of wine, his intentions loud and clear to Haruka's panicking mind. Through the many drinks, it was a wonder that Michiru managed to hold on for so long. Alarmed, Haruka sent Umino and Naru into the pub, leaving herself alone in the van. Through their reports and a tiny camera that Umino carried, Haruka had a pretty good view of what was happening inside. What she saw was a sore to the eye. Yaten was becoming bolder in his attempts to 'molest' Michiru. First, a touch on the hands, then the shoulder. Haruka was getting increasing worried that Michiru could not handle the man. It also wasn't reassuring to hear some amount of tipsiness in Michiru's voice to dissuade the man. Just as she was about to go in and yank Michiru off his grasp, Michiru made the first move to leave the place. He offered to send her home, his home. She declined politely and asked to meet him again the next day. That seemed to calm his libido but he still stuck on to her, offering a ride to her home. Having prepared for this, Haruka yelled her instruction to Michiru, detailing the place where her home would be. Naru and Umino quickly paid for their purchases and joined Haruka in the van. They began to trail the limousine which Yaten and Michiru got into. They arrived at the entrance of a high rise apartment, where Michiru made her exit. Yaten wanted to follow but Michiru stopped him with a smile that promised his greatest desire if he would listen to her. Miraculously, it worked and she was rewarded with the rev of engine pulling away. Haruka jumped out of the van, leaving the task of following Yaten to Umino and Naru. She quickly made her way to Michiru, catching the flushed girl who lost her balance as she neared. "I'm sorry," Michiru started, knowing the reproach would be coming. She hung onto Haruka, not trusting her legs anymore. It was a surprise that she held on for so long. Seeing that state that Michiru was in, Haruka lost her resolve to scream at the young girl. "You have worried everyone with the stunt that you'd just pulled." Michiru apologised again, in gibberish language. Shaking her head, Haruka felt the mental weight in her heart dropped. Gathering her in her arms with strength that she didn't know she possessed, she slowly made her way to the apartment that they got for her partner. ************************ A terrible headache had assaulted her numb mind the first moment Michiru opened her eyes, reminding her not so gently of what had trespassed the night before. The light shinning from the bedroom's window was not doing anything good for her moods. Sensing that she was not ready for the glaring daylight, she promptly closed her eyes again, lying dejectedly on the bed and willing the pain to go away. If she had bothered to look around, she would have noticed that she was in an unfamiliar room. But nothing mattered now, except for the constant ache in the head. Hence, it was cool relief when she felt two strong hands joining hers in rubbing her temples. Her hands fell away almost immediately enjoying what this person was doing to her. Instinctively, she felt no threat from the newcomer and had not bothered to open her eyes. "This is what you get for taking things into your own hands." A deep voice intoned, one that Michiru had slowly grown to recognise. She opened her dark blue eyes and was met with a set of intense greens. Despite the words being said, Michiru felt that she was already forgiven. As if sensing the somewhat intimate position they were in, Haruka pulled away. She handed a couple of aspirins to the grateful girl who washed them down with a glass of water that Haruka had considerately brought in too. Watching the girl, Haruka wondered what had possessed her to be so gentle to the girl. If word went around about this, her reputation would be irreparable. "Thanks!" Michiru began, slowly taking in the surroundings from her seated position on the bed. The room was like any other rooms with walls painted white, a study desk near the window, a cupboard situated not too far from the desk, and a vanity. As her eyes returned to rest on Haruka, who was sitting on a chair in an expression that was unreadable, Michiru began to recall more of the previous night and remembered how safe she felt in the blonde's arms. "I hope I wasn't too much of a bother last night." Michiru asked, apologetic. "Nothing much," the blonde began, then in a straight face, "You just managed to vomit all over our rented suits." A blush appeared on Michiru's face and turned a deeper red as she realised that she was in a different set of clothes that she remembered wearing. And this meant that someone had changed her clothes for her. Sensing what was on her partner's mind, Haruka said, "don't worry, I didn't look more than necessary." "Are you sure?" It was weird that she was having so much reservation about this. Haruka was a woman too, even though her appearances said otherwise. "What do you think I am, a pervert?" Seeing Haruka so worked up, Michiru dispelled her doubts but couldn't stop an evil thought from surfacing. "No, but I think I am attractive enough to convert you into one." "So, shall I tear off your clothes to take a better look?" Haruka challenged, feeling oddly up to the teasing. "You wouldn't dare." "Antagonise me like that again and see if I would." Michiru felt her spirits lifted with their light banter. Haruka had not admonished her, like she had feared. Behind the façade of coldness, she was sure that a warm heart existed. And then, it struck. One way to 'open' up Haruka was to tease her. "I've made breakfast. Go freshen up and join me at the table." It sounded more like a command but Michiru reacted with surprise, rightfully so. "You cook?" "I won't poison you. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done that last night." There was a small smile to Haruka's lips as she spoke. It was hard not to learn how to cook, considering she lived in solitude most of her life. She was an orphan and had grown up in an orphanage that was more a roof over her head than a home. Her pride had rendered her to become a loner. Only few had a glimpse of who the true Tenoh Haruka was, but they were mostly dead. "Well then, I better get ready for the feast." "And the talk." Haruka added before Michiru had a chance to leave. "What talk?" "Of how we are getting you more acquainted with a certain white hair guy." Somehow, Michiru felt that Haruka was grinning too much for her own good. ************************* "Hey, you are the one who wanted to get close to the guy." Haruka smoothly added. Her calm exterior was annoying her partner and it was apparent to both that she loved every minute of it. "Is this some sort of revenge?!" Michiru gathered from across the breakfast table. Their meal was quickly devoured, a testament to how hungry they were. Their discussion on the direction of the case was slowly becoming ludicrous, with the latest mention that Michiru should put up a lap dance to garner Yaten's trust. "Me?" The innocent look that Haruka was going for failed miserably in Michiru's eyes. But the blonde continued her charade. "Why would I want to seek revenge on you?" "Do you know that I don't believe in that a single bit." There was a great urge to wipe that smile off the blonde's face. It was infuriating to say the least. "If you do not like my ideas, what do you suggest?" "Well, although I agree that I need to get closer to Yaten, I'm not sacrificing my body." She didn't understand why her look of despair was bringing loads of laughter out from Haruka. In seconds, she was poking at Haruka to stop. "Okay, I understand." Haruka said, slowly regaining her calm, "I promise it will never come to that." Even though there was a mischievous sparkle in Haruka's eyes, Michiru found herself believing in the blonde. Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of Naru and Umino who had come to report to Haruka. Their short recount was uneventful but necessary. "Wait a minute, if both of you are here, who is watching Yaten?" Michiru asked, slightly alarmed. "I've asked for back up. Kei and Jun would be on the case, since you have messed up big time. They are at his tail right now." Haruka noticed the nod from Naru before eyeing at Michiru meaningfully. "And if Setsuna ever got to carrying out her threat for waking her in the middle of the night, I will be hunting for you." "What did she say?" It was the question on all their minds, except it was Michiru who voiced out. "Nothing." Haruka stubbornly refused to say. But she did get goosebumps for thinking about it. Introducing her to the more feminine aspects of life, what was Setsuna thinking? ************************* So Michiru had a boyfriend. She wondered why the thought had bothered her. In fact it had pestered her to no end, the scene of Michiru speaking over the phone with her loverboy kept playing in her head. "Darling, I'm on a case right now. Will be uncontactable for days. Don't worry, I'll take care of myself." Baka. Haruka mentally scolded herself. Shaking herself out of her reverie, she refocused herself on the task on hand. Lives depended on her, especially the green haired one. Michiru had outdone herself again. With the whole afternoon to prepare for her date with the druglord, Michiru had primed, powdered and dressed to become the beautiful creature that she was now seeing through the windows of her stakeout van. She was parked across the street from the restaurant where her partner was in. Her monitoring devices were on, each recording the happenings in the restaurant at this exact moment. "You own this restaurant?" Michiru feigned surprise as Yaten laughed heartily. "Yes. I do own quite a lot of things and not limited to inanimate objects." The druglord replied meaningfully. The secret agent deliberately ignored the innuendo and spoke again, "so that's why we are the only guests here." "Don't you like it this way?" The girl smiled uncommittingly. Her glance swept across the room. She had counted four bodyguards that were littered around the restaurant. Her little investigation was disrupted when Yaten stood up and laid a hand in front of her. Soft music began at once, and Michiru found herself accepting the silent dance request and moved to the rhythm, along with her 'date'. Yaten was a surprisingly good dancer, and that was the only good comment she could come up with about him. "Say, why don't we go back to your apartment after dinner?" Faced with his lecherous grin, Michiru tried to hide her disgust and replied sweetly, "It's not convenient. My roommate is in today." "Then, a hotel it is." "Woah, hold it right there." Michiru pushed him away purposefully. "Do you think I'm that sort of girl?" Yaten laughed in amusement. Michiru was different; he felt that the moment he laid eyes on her. He would be enjoying the chase very much. ********************** "So, everything is fine?" There was this look in Setsuna's eyes that forced her to look away. Her body was rigid and tensed as opposed to the other sitting in her big comfy chair in the small office. She had learnt long ago that it was useless to hide anything from her superior. "We have made no progress in this investigation against Yaten. And I'm worried; Yaten is getting more persistent. I'm not too sure how long Michiru can hold him off." Tenoh Haruka admitting defeat, this was something new to her, startling even. "If it becomes too dangerous, we can pull your team out and drop another team in." "No." Haruka intoned sharply. "We can't do this, not after what we have done to come so far." "So what are you going to do next?" "We are considering infiltrating into Yaten's office." "Haruka." With that one word, disagreement and worry were clearly conveyed. "Do not act in desperation." "I don't." Setsuna sighed as she looked into the steely gaze of the blonde. "You know that your decision will endanger your teammates. And I don't think you can survive another case of dead partner." "I know that." The edge in her voice was unmistakable and Setsuna surrendered. "If you need more backup, let me know." ********************* "Maybe we are looking at the wrong angle. Maybe Yaten is not the mastermind behind the killing." Haruka said softly from her position on the ledge of the window. The view up there was beautiful but she could not find it in her heart to enjoy it. Michiru stopped towelling her hair and looked at Haruka. The sunset was casting its orange rays across the sky. With Haruka sitting against the backdrop, the scene was almost surreal. They were in her room, in the house that belonged to the police force. It was in this room that they had the heated discussion to sneak into Yaten's office. "We have arrived at the decision together. It was the logical next step to do." Still fresh from her bath, Michiru fitted in her robes, walked the few steps towards Haruka. "You can't have second thoughts now." "But." "No buts. All our other surveillance has failed. By getting into his office, that is the best chance I can get any incriminating evidence on him." Michiru hardened. When Haruka didn't respond, she continued softly, "I need this to end, I can't take it anymore. I don't want to feel his hands on me, his lecherous gazes, I..." Her tirade was stopped when she felt the soft embrace from her partner. It was warm and calming, not possessive or violating. She felt herself leaning into the hug, genuinely enjoying the security that the taut body offered her. "I'm sorry you have to go through that. But it ends today." Haruka softly coaxed, "whether we succeed or not." Michiru looked up and could see the concern flooding in her partner's eyes. There was no way she could object to that. With a smile, she pulled away, as if realising for the first time how intimate the position they were in. The sensation of loss was great but it was overshadowed by the awkwardness that followed. Then, to dispel the tensed atmosphere, "Shoo, I need to get changed," Michiru added. The blonde obliged willingly and left almost in an instant. Once she was gone, Michiru was left to ponder about the blush that had formed on Haruka's face just moments ago. ********************* Dressed in a low cut navy gown, Michiru did her fair share of making heads turn. Given that, there would be many men wanting to introduce themselves to her, if not for the company she was currently having. Yaten and herself were presently at a pub situated at the highest floor of the Yaten building. And just one level below them was the office that Yaten operated his operations from. He was surprised when she voiced her desire to come to this pub but thankfully said nothing else. In a far corner of the room where they were seated, Michiru raised her cup to meet Yaten's and promptly sipped the contents to quell her nerves from acting up. Tonight was the night when everything would ended. Running through the plan in her mind again, she faked a smile to mask her hidden intentions from her companion. Michiru had earlier surprised Yaten with a visit to his office. She had noticed his discomfort at her presence and he had almost chased her away. She did however notice a couple of things, him shutting down his computer at her barging into his office and a safe kept close to his desk -- the model of which she memorised in her heart. He was almost angry at her but with her charms turned on, he couldn't stay like that for long. Her mission for today was to steal his keys for his office and safe, pass them to a waiting Umino, and distract Yaten while his office was being ransacked. And to complete the first part of the mission, she invited him to a dance. Her hands brushed against his body to feel the budge of keys. He was enjoying the act too much, to her disgust, to be aware of her true intentions. She found it in his pants pocket and suppressed a shudder. To her chagrin, Yaten was beginning to return the favour by running his hands on her. She pushed him away coyly and headed back to their secluded seat meaningfully. He followed her like a puppy dog on a leash. The moment he sat down, he found his pant's leg drenched with beer. "I'm so sorry, sir." The obviously new waiter was panicking as he tried to wipe the foul stain away. His actions were thwarted when he was pushed away and fell onto the hard floor. He apologised fervourishly but hardly dampened the anger that the white haired man held for him. Michiru was slightly taken aback by the sudden turn of events. She did her best to try to calm down Yaten while she strained to remember all the details that were transmitted via her hidden earpiece. "Why don't you change your pants?" Michiru asked sweetly. Yaten nodded, "I'll be in my office." "I'll wait here for you." Michiru responded just as sweetly. Before he left, he remembered to give his death glare to the young waiter whom Michiru knew as Umino. ********************** Yaten's cell phone rang before he reached his office. He answered it and was met with a voice muffled by voice changing device. "A hacker has just hacked into your computer. All your files have been transferred to me. If you want them back, be prepared to pay a hundred million yen." At that, the phone line was disconnected. With disbelief in his face, Yaten rushed into his office and turned on his computer, stained pants forgotten. ********************** "Where did boss go?" One of Yaten's henchmen asked. "Oh, don't worry. He said he was going back to the office for a while." Michiru answered with a killer smile and then continued, "it's supposed to be a private thing and he has given specific instructions that no one is to bother him." Then, she batted her eyelids at him and asked, "would you be so kind to bring me another one of this?" She charmed, holding an empty glass. *********************** "Damn! He's bluffing." Yaten cursed in relief as he scrolled through the computer screen, calling up his most important trade data and assuring himself that nothing was deleted. But before he could celebrate, he felt a sharp pain at his neck and darkness overtook him. With the door slightly ajar, Umino was in time to see Haruka dropping noiselessly from the air-con vent, landing conveniently behind Yaten and delivering a karate chop. When Yaten was unconscious, he quickly entered the office and locked the door behind him. "Wow. That was something you only get to see in movies." Umino exclaimed as his respect for Haruka grew a few notches more. "Learnt from the best." Haruka responded, rather pleased with herself. But this wasn't the time for self-congratulation. "Come on, we don't have much time." Umino moved swiftly. He searched through Yaten's pants pocket and fished out a set of keys. Then he began to try the keys on the safe. Once he found the right one, he pressed his ears against the safe and listened to the 'pulse' of the safe, as he called it, to identify the correct set of combinations for the lock. Haruka was not idle either. She put a disk into the computer and tried to download the drug dealing information onto it. It took her some time to figure out how to use the system but once it was downloading, she turned her attention to Yaten. Grabbing a rope that was tied behind her back, she used it to restrain Yaten to his chair. As a final touch, she placed a rag into his mouth to prevent him from shouting. That done, she returned to the computer and began scanning through some of the other files that Yaten had. There was a directory of agents, scheduled tasks, and financial reports -- things that she were eager to save into the disks that she had, only fearing that she did not have the luxury of time. ********************** Michiru was doing her best to stall Yaten's bodyguards. It was apparent that after twenty minutes, they were not listening to her anymore. "I'm bored here. Why don't you all danced with me?" Michiru acted tipsily, pretending to fall over a young man. ********************** "Yes, I've got it." Umino could hardly hide his euphoria of getting the safe to open. Inside he could see documents, cash, and even guns. Before he could do more, both Haruka and himself could clearly hear the warning that Naru provided them. "Quick! His men are coming." The two officers hastened their retrieval process. Naru had stationed herself at the surveillance van and was responsible for relaying information. And where the need arose, she along with Kei and Jun will form their backup. The latter two officers were already in the building on standby. From their reports, they were following the four bodyguards to the office, and Michiru was not far behind. Umino quickly shoved the documents in the safe into a bag. "His men are on your level." Haruka gathered her disks and threw them into her bag. "They entered the reception area. Quick!" Umino tried to pull Haruka away from the computer that was still downloading agents' information into a floppy disk. "Get out now!" Haruka pulled the disk out of the drive, disregarding the fact that the download was incomplete. Dumping it into her bag, she joined Umino in climbing up into the air-con vent. She barely made it up when the door was knocked open and the four bodyguards emerged. Umino quietly placed the metal frame back into position and they crawled just as quietly out of the almost battleground. When they were far away from being heard, Haruka reported their status to a relieved Naru. It turned out that when the others did not hear any sounds of gunshot and fighting, they quickly returned to the van, ready for the take off. Haruka and Umino joined them later, and the van was making its way to the headquarters, unobstructed. Author's notes: I hope you have enjoyed this new fanfic that I've written, especially those who have waited for me to complete this for so long. I would appreciate any comments you have to help me improve on this fic. Again, many thanks to my pre-readers, Cass & Albrecht Halbstein, who spotted my numerous grammar and spelling mistakes. Thanks for reading. GSL 12 September 2001