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Once A Thief	By : Kali Category: Beyblade > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 9119 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Kali notes: Yes! It�s the final part
to this series of chapters! I swear
it! How do I know? I actually have about four more chapters
after this already written. *grins sheepishly* Written�but not typed. I�ve been going crazy with classes, homework,
and my job that I just haven�t had time to sit and type stuff out lately. In fact, I�m typing this out instead of
working on my paper that�s due at the end of the month� But! Yay for Thanksgiving weekend! Allows me to spend a little time getting
caught up. So on that note, with no
further ado, here it is!

PS. Happy
Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians!
Don�t overdo the turkey�

Disclaimer: No own! No sue!

Warnings: Yaoi (means lemons, people � unless
you�re on ffnet; then you get shounen-ai),
language, dramatic angst, and other adult content. Don�t like it, don�t
read it! This chapter: not much of anything, really.

Pairing: TyKa; others include Tala/Hilary, Rei/Mariah

~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 06: To Catch A Thief �
Part V

Takao rubbed at his eyes
wearily. The short, thirty minute nap
had helped, but he was still exhausted and shaky. At least his stomach didn�t hurt quite so
much anymore.

He walked slowly along side Kai, and
looked around the familiar train station, wondering if he could spot his new
shadows. He didn�t, but he did notice where Tala was, several yards
behind them in the line to go through the metal detectors of the Arrivals area.

�You don�t need to look for
them.� Kai pointed out in a low voice. �Tala knows who it is and we�ve already got a
plan to lose them.�

�Uh�are you sure that�s a good
idea?� Takao whispered back.

�They won�t know. They�re going to run into some�problems with
the metal detectors.� Kai switched hands
with the baggage he carried and took Takao�s hand in his own, firmly. �Now let�s go. You still feeling okay?�

�I�m fine. Better than I was before we left London anyway.� Takao sighed, wanting to pull his hand away
but conscious of the fact that he was supposed to be pretending to be �with�
Kai � for the benefit of those following him.
�I just need sleep. Lot�s of it.�

�You�ll get it.� They passed through the metal detectors with
no problem and continued on. �Let�s stop
at that caf� and get some tea and a quick bite to eat.� Kai suggested, pulling his unresisting former
lover along. As they waited for their
order, Kai�s cell phone rang, and he answered it.

�They�re two ahead of me in the
line.� Tala informed Kai without
preamble in Russian. �I swear, if they
were anymore obvious, they�d be wearing neon signs over their heads.�

�That makes it easier for us
then. You know what you�re doing, so
we�ll meet you back at work.�

�Yeah. Oh, don�t leave until security ushers our
friends off for their unscheduled strip search.� Tala suggested, before hanging up on
Kai. The dual-haired agent scowled
briefly and dropped his cell in his jacket pocket again.

�What was that about?� Takao wanted to know.

�Watch the action without looking
like you�re paying attention to what�s going on.� Kai nodded briefly at the line up behind the
metal detectors and turned back to the counter to accept their paper cups of
tea and the sandwiches they�d ordered.

Takao took his absently and sipped,
watching as two people, a young man and woman, stepped through the machines and
set them off. Both looked at each other
then stepped back through as they were told by the security officers, and
beeped again.

�Huh. I get it.
But how�d you get them to do that?�
The bluenette wondered curiously.

�Tala called ahead. And when security � UNA agents in disguise,
by the way � spotted him in line, he indicated which were our shadowy friends
and the agents made sure to make the detectors go off whenever they walked
through it.�

�I don�t think their boss is going
to be happy with them.�

The metal detectors went off again
and this time the UNA agents (aka �Security�) led them off to be searched. The two kept glancing behind themselves with
expressions of anger, frustration, and a little fear.

�Okay. Let�s go.
We need to leave in case they pull something and come looking for us
again.� Kai tugged lightly on Takao�s
sleeve and he nodded, following him through the station and outside.

Kai hailed a taxi, and after stowing
their bags, slid in. The crimson-eyed
agent told the driver to take them to the UNA building, and Takao settled in
for the ride.

�What about your partner?� He asked.

�Tala will meet us there. He�s making sure no one else follows us �
just in case.� Kai handed him a sandwich. �Eat that.
Looks like there�s enough traffic today that it�ll take a while to get
there.�

Takao sighed and obeyed,
nibbling. He wasn�t really hungry and
wasn�t sure his stomach would appreciate food yet, either. But he didn�t feel like arguing with his
companion, and ate without a word of protest.

They arrived at the UNA building a
good twenty minutes later, and while Kai paid the taxi driver, Takao got their
bags from the trunk. Kai took up his
own, and the bluenette silently followed him inside through the main doors and
through the lobby to a bank of elevators.

And there waiting for them was the
ice-blue eyed wolf, leaning against the wall with deceptive casualness.

�Took you long enough.� He muttered.
Tala turned and pressed the �up� button.

�Stuff it, Ivanov.� Kai shot back mildly. �How�d it go?�

�Wonderfully.� There was a definite hint of glee in Tala�s voice now.
�Those two were right pissed off at the �malfunction.� After all the apologies and what not, the man
phoned his boss to explain. I got the
impression they�ve been �grounded� for their mistake.�

Stepping into the elevator, Kai
snickered and pushed the button for the eleventh floor offices. Takao stayed quiet, though he did find the
story amusing. At the moment he felt very
alone and very self-conscious. He was
also a little afraid. Were they going to
put him in a jail cell? Would they let
him keep his medication? Would they even
care that he was sick? Perhaps Kai and
Tala cared enough, but that was no guarantee anyone else would. Takao swallowed hard as the elevator stopped
and the door opened.

He stepped out, and the two agents
seemed to morph into different people in mere seconds as they each moved up
beside him, flanking him, and led the bluenette down a short hall and into the
area known as the bullpen.

The normal buzz and hum of activity
slowed and abruptly went dead quiet as they were noticed � or rather, Takao was
noticed. People stared and whispers
began to float around the room.

Ignoring it, Kai and Tala urged
Takao forward and took him to the office of their boss, Mr. Dickenson. When they got there, Tala took the
bluenette�s bags from him and walked away as Kai knocked on the door before
opening it and gently pushing his charge inside, closing the doors firmly
behind them.

�Kai?� Takao didn�t really know what to do or say,
and looked to the only person he thought would be willing to tell him what was
going on.

�Come in, Agent, Mr. Kinomiya.� The Director said, drawing their attention to
where he sat behind his desk, in front of a bank of glass windows. �Have a seat.�

Takao gulped, unable to hide his
anxiety very well, his hands shaking slightly and feeling chilled right
through. But he sat in one chair before
the desk, and Kai took a seat in the other.

�This is Stanley Dickenson,
Kinomiya. He�s the Director of the Europe division of the UNA. My boss.�
Kai introduced the old man. Takao
nodded warily in greeting.

�Well. I must say I have mixed emotions about
meeting you, young man.� Director Dickenson
folded his hands on the surface of his desk, leaning forward a bit. �On one hand, I am intrigued and pleased to
meet the one that my Agent, here,� he indicated Kai, �Has been spending all his
spare time searching out for the last six years that he�s been with the
UNA. And on the other hand, I am curious
and wary to meet the infamous Thief of Europe, who has been driving this office
to the edge of insanity trying to puzzle out how you achieved such spectacular
thefts and who you are.�

�I think it�s safe for me to say the
same, Sir.� Takao replied softly, some
of his old brazen self peeking out briefly.
The old man blinked, then chuckled.

�Yes. I�ve no doubt of that. I�m sure Agents Hiwatari and Ivanov have both informed you of your rights and the
charges being brought against you.� At
Takao�s shrug, he continued gravely.
�Then I won�t bother demanding explanations at this time. Tala told me your lawyer is on his way, so it
would be pointless questioning you until he arrives. Instead, I believe we have a private room on
the medical floor ready for you.�

If it were possible for him to pale
anymore at this point, Takao would have done so right then and there. Anxiously, his eyes darted to Kai, looking
for explanations or even help (though he really didn�t expect any from that
quarter). Kai looked over and raised an
eyebrow in question.

�Something wrong, Kinomiya?�

�You didn�t tell me I�d be subject
to any medical treatments�Hiwatari.� The
bluenette�s tone turned more than a little hostile. �Or request my permission for any such thing,
either.�

�Oh don�t even start.� Kai frowned warningly at him. �You aren�t well, Kinomiya, and as you nearly
passed out on the train with a fever while in the custody of the UNA, it is required
that you get checked out so that you can make a statement. You�ll also get some much needed rest until
your legal counsel gets here.�

�And if I refuse?� Takao asked, closing his eyes wearily and
running a hand through his hair in agitation.

Kai muttered something harsh in
Russian and abruptly stood, tired of trying to take care of someone he loved
who was too determined not to let him
do so. �Whatever. You can spend your
time in a cold dark prison cell with a steel bed for a mattress then! Do what you want Kinomiya, and don�t come
crying to me about it when you�re so sick you can�t even move anymore!� He snapped, stalking out of the room and
leaving a sad and regretful Takao behind with his boss.

�My, my�� Director Dickenson sighed
and stroked his moustache thoughtfully.
�I do believe that�s the angriest I have ever seen him get.�

Takao swallowed and forced himself
to appear neutral about it. �He�s been
worse. And he�ll get over it
eventually. It�s better�this way.� He managed to say, though it sounded like he
was trying to convince himself rather than the Director. If it was better, though, then why was his
throat tight and his chest aching painfully?

Coughing slightly to regain Takao�s
attention, the old man folded his hands in front of himself and watched the
young man in front of him sympathetically.
He was a Director of the UNA, had seen and done many things that many
would shy away from, and he was supposed to be at the very least neutral in
this case and toward Takao � if not outright opposed to him. Yet there was something about him that
brought out the paternal, sympathetic instincts in Stanley Dickenson. He had this unusual urge to help Takao, rather
than interrogate him like he would normally a suspect in a case.

Before he could say anything � one
way or another � the bluenette spoke up first.

�Director Dickenson, sir, I would
like to say first that I know what I�ve done and that�and that I don�t regret
it.� Takao looked up and met his eyes
solidly. �If I had to do the same all
over again, I would. I have my reasons,
which I will be happy to share with you and whomever else you wish, but I will
not say a word until my legal counsel arrives to advise me, and I will not give
up the location of the items I have borrowed.�

�Now, son��

�Please, sir. Allow me to continue?� Takao asked, his eyes pleading. With a small sigh, the old man nodded once in
assent. �Thank you. I just wanted to say that, but there is
something I will tell you now � if Kai or his partner have told you this
already, then stop me, but�� he paused, looking down at the desktop. �I�m being blackmailed into stealing those
items. The person blackmailing me has my
father and brother hostage. They were
kidnapped about ten months ago, and the ransom was a list of items that to be
obtained required I steal them. I have
fourteen.� Takao looked back up again,
determination written plainly in his expression, even now, in the face of life
imprisonment. �The fifteenth is the last
item. I don�t expect you to believe me
now without a decent amount of proof, and you�ll probably dismiss my proposal
outright, but please hear me out anyway?�

Intrigued, and reluctantly amazed at
this young man�s resilience, Director Dickenson could only agree. �I admit I�m interested, Mr. Kinomiya. I was informed of the people following you,
and the apparent reasons for it by Agent Ivanov. He tends to believe you, at least to a
point. And Agent Hiwatari�well, despite
what may be going on between the two of you on a personal level, on a
professional one, I�m almost certain that he, too, believes you.� The old man smiled a little. �I have known Kai and his family for years. I trust his instinct and his
intelligence. For that reason, yes. I will listen to what you have to say.�

Shocked, Takao stammered, �T-thank
you, sir.� He blushed. �Ah�there�s nothing much left between Kai and
I, though��

Chuckling, Stanley shook his head and held up a
hand. �As you like. Please�continue.�

�Ah�okay.� Takao floundered a bit. He hadn�t been expecting the chance to deal
with the UNA at all. �Well, the truth
is, I need help. I may have gotten this
far on my own, and maybe it wasn�t the �right� way to do it, but�I want to make
a deal with the UNA.�

�A deal?� Director Dickenson raised a busy grey
eyebrow. �What sort of deal?�

�I will give you all the information
you want � except for the location of the items until everything else is over �
and I will assist in bringing the true criminals to justice, in return for the UNA�s help in getting back my father and brother, and � if
at all possible � my family�s sword that was also taken. When they are free and safe again, and you
have the ones responsible in custody, I will take you to the items and return
them personally, if you want. And then I
will submit to whatever repercussions my actions have gained me.� Takao shivered imperceptibly, the thought of
going to prison for the rest of his life not a pleasant one at all. But if it got his family back, he�d put the
cuffs on himself.

After several minutes of silence,
the old man finally responded. He�d been
a little shocked at the fact that Takao was willing to go to prison for his
crimes, even after all the rest. He had
been sure that, as most other people in the young man�s position would and had,
Takao would try to plea-bargain his way out of a sentence. So he was pleasantly shocked, and reluctantly
admiring of this man�s sense of responsibility and something that had become a
rare commodity in this world.

Honour.

�Well. You are correct that I would not necessarily
agree outright to this proposal.
However, I will keep it in mind and as you give your statement, I will
give it due consideration. We will discuss
it again once we have more evidence of what you say has happened, and what you
will tell us in your statement.�

�Yes, sir, of course. That�s more than I could have hoped for. Thank you.�
Takao acquiesced quietly.

Sighing again, the old man picked up
the phone and dialed a number. �Ivanov, come in and escort Mr. Kinomiya down to the medical
floor, please.� He requested before
hanging up again. Two minutes later,
Tala strolled in and gestured at Takao to follow him.

Again, as he passed through the
bullpen, Takao was subject to the stares and whispers of the UNA agents and
employees in the bullpen as he passed.
This time, however, Tala got annoyed with it and gave the room one long,
solid sweeping glare.

�Get back to work! You all have better things to be doing with
your time than staring and gossiping!�
The red head�s ice-blue eyes flashed and there was a hint of a growl in
this voice as he spoke � both of which sent everyone scurrying off to do their
jobs. No one here wanted to deal with a
testy wolf, after all.

Takao stared at his feet as Tala
picked up his bags and led him to the elevator.
On the ride down, the bluenette found he had nothing to say to break the
tense silence. Tala, however, did.

�So what happened?� He asked in a resigned voice.

�Pardon?� Takao looked up, not sure what he was talking
about.

�I saw Kai come storming out of the
Director�s office looking like he�d been kicked in the ribs. He�s probably up on the roof swearing at the
pigeons and pacing.� Tala snickered. �He goes up there and does that when
something doesn�t go his way.�

Takao sweatdropped
and rubbed his stomach guiltily with a wince.
�I guess it�s better than going out and picking a fight with the bullies
like he did in high school.� And it
sounded just like something Kai would do.
Swearing at things that wouldn�t care or answer back sounded a lot like Kai.

Tala rolled his eyes. �So what happened?�

�It was nothing. He didn�t tell me I was going to be put under
a microscope, and I asked him what would happen if I refused�and he stormed out
saying I could basically rot in prison for all he cared.� Takao summarized � albeit exaggerating a
little bit. Tala stared at him with an
incredulous expression.

�You two are going to be the death
of me, you know that?� The wolf stepped
off the elevator and waited for Takao to do the same, leading him past the
nurses� station and down a long hallway of hospital rooms. �Here, take these.� Tala handed Takao his luggage, and slapped
his palm to a pad next to one door.
There was a clicking sound and the door swung open. Tala flicked on the lights and motioned Takao
inside.

�There�s a wardrobe/closet thing
over there where you can put your bags.
Bathroom is in there,� Tala pointed at another door. �And I�m not sure if the TV is hooked up or
not but there is radio on that panel next to the bed.�

�I don�t need either, but�thank
you.� Takao dropped his bags on the
floor next to the wardrobe and stood in the middle of the room, feeling very
much alone and helpless.

Tala leaned a hip against a counter
that held a sink against one wall nearest the door. �Look, Kinomiya. I don�t know you very well, and as yet I
still don�t trust you. But I do know and
trust Kai, and because he loves you, I�m willing to give you the benefit of the
doubt.�

�I�I don�t know what to say to that,
Tala.� Takao regarded him sadly. �I don�t know anything anymore.�

�I�m just saying it, that�s
all.� Tala shook his head. �I also know you�re trying to push Kai away,
but please rethink that idea? He�s been
a pain in the ass for years because of you as it is, and I do not feel like
putting up with him after this for more years because of you again.�

Takao couldn�t help a tiny shadow of
a smile at that. He understood what Tala
was telling him between the lines, and he would take the redhead�s opinion
under consideration. Their gazes met and
held for a moment with silent communication.

Don�t
give up on each other so easily. You
need each other and you�re both stronger than this.

I
don�t want to give him up. I love him.
But can he love me?

He
does. But you have to let him or it will
destroy you both.

I�m
willing to try if he is.

Tala grinned suddenly and
straightened with a decisive nod. Good.
He glanced at the clock on the wall above the sink. �Alright.
Someone will bring you supper in a couple of hours, since its nearly
four now. Dr. Angelique Maison will be the doctor looking after you, and I imagine
she�ll be by sometime this evening.�

Takao sighed. �Okay.
Just�know this is under protest, alright? I�m fine.�

�No, you�re not, but so noted. FYI, Kinomiya, there are always nurses on
duty, if you need anything, so don�t hesitate to use that call button next to
the bed.� Tala pointed at the small box
lying on the bedside table. �Also, the
door locks automatically when closed, and can only be opened from the inside by
a hand scan � like the one I used outside to open it.�

�I�m not going anywhere.� Takao frowned at him. �It�s not like I�d get far anyway.�

�I�m just telling you, that�s
all. I�ve got some paperwork to do and
an irate partner to find, so I�m going to leave. Need anything before I go?� Tala looked back at the bluenette over his
shoulder in question, his hand on the doorknob.

Takao shook his head. �No.
Thank you.�

�Suit yourself. Crawl into bed and take a nap before Dr. Maison gets here, Kinomiya.
Either Kai or I will stop in sometime tomorrow to check up on you. See you later.� Tala walked out, the door closing and locking
audibly with a finality that gave Takao shivers.

Alone in the silence of the room,
Takao looked around in a lost kind of way, unsure what to do with himself
now. He supposed taking Tala�s advice was as good a plan as any right now, so he
dug out a pair of pajamas from his suitcase (something he didn�t normally wear
to bed but packed and brought along anyway) and proceeded to change into them.

After that, he packed everything
away into the wardrobe, shut off the lights, and went to the bed. He pulled back the covers and crawled under
them lying on his side and arranging the covers over himself until he was
comfortable.

Staring at the wall and listening to
the ticking of the clock on the wall, Takao sighed deeply and closed his
eyes. He�d never felt so alone in his
life.

~*~*~*~*~

The door lock clicking open was what
startled Takao awake a few hours later.
Groggily, he rolled onto his back and sat up, rubbing his eyes and
trying to peer through the darkness at the clock.

�I�m turning on the lights, Mr.
Kinomiya.� An unfamiliar, female voice
said from the direction of the door. The
bluenette covered his eyes with a hand hastily as the room was illuminated once
more.

�Who are you?� He asked blindly. Slowly, he dropped his hand from over his
eyes as they adjusted to the light.

�Dr. Angelique Maison.� The woman introduced herself, holding out a
hand to him. He shook it warily.

�Kinomiya Takao.� He replied, studying her. She wasn�t beautiful in terms of fashion
magazine or movies or anything like that, but with her long, light brown hair
and hazel eyes, she was pretty. The
white lab coat she wore with the stethoscope around her neck and the tray of
instruments she�d set on the counter by the sink, however, overshadowed her
appearance and made her scary and intimidating as hell.

Oh how he hated hospitals and doctors and their various and sundry
instruments of torture.

�Well, Mr. Kinomiya, I�ve been
appraised of your situation � concerning your health, at least. They won�t tell me what sort of crimes you�ve
committed, but frankly I don�t care.
They didn�t tell me you were cute either � and that means you couldn�t
have done anything that bad.� She informed him with a grin and a sly wink
in her attempt at humour. Takao blushed and wondered why he always got
the strange ones.

�Uh�no offence, Doctor, but can we
just get this over with? I�really don�t
like tests and hospitals and stuff.�

Still smiling, she patted his knee
reassuringly. �Oh, don�t you worry. Nothing too extravagant tonight. I�ll just check your vitals and whatnot, and
take some blood for lab-work, and that�s it.�
She pulled out a penlight from a deep coat pocket and clicked it on,
shining it in one eye, then the other, as she checked hem. �Follow the light, please. Good.
Okay, no problem there�ears next.�

He sighed and sat still, obeying
commands and enduring it all with what dignity he could muster. She asked questions, he answered. At one point, she stuck a thermometer in his
mouth and wandered over to the tray to get the needle ready to take his blood.

�So far everything seems pretty
normal. I was told you said you have
been diagnosed with an ulcer, correct?�
She glanced over her shoulder at him and he nodded. �Hmm�well, I�ll want to take some x-rays of
your stomach and make my own conclusions, but for tonight, I�m just going to
tell you to rest, relax, and eat. The
blood work will tell me more, too. We�ll
see about the rest tomorrow.� Angelique
walked over and took the thermometer from him.
�Temperature is normal, which is good.
Agent Ivanov mentioned you had a fever earlier
today.�

�It was just a reaction to having
missed one dose of my medication, and being late with another dose. I also drank coffee this morning, which
probably didn�t help.� Takao pushed his
hair out of his eyes.

�Right. Almost forgot about the meds. Give them to me, please. I�ll keep track of them for you.� She went back to the sink to put away the
thermometer and Takao reluctantly slid out of bed and went to the wardrobe to
get his medication from the pocket of his carry-case. He handed it over and slid back under the
covers, arranging them over his legs as he waited for whatever she was going to
do to him next.

�And went into pure panic mode when
he saw the size of the needle she had on the tray for taking his blood.

�Oh no. You are not using that!� He pressed back
against the headboard and drew his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly
and glaring at the needle in her hand with stormy blue eyes. �Uh uhn. No way, no how!�

Angelique eyed him and rolled her
own eyes. �Now, now. It�s not that bad. Once little pinch and it�ll be done��

�Pinch?! No way are you sticking that thing in me!�

The doctor made the mistake of
reaching out to touch his arm, though she�d only intended to calm and soothe
him. For her effort, she got a small
jolt of static electricity � enough to make her fingertips go numb and her hand
tingle, and for all the hairs on her body to stand on end.

Wide-eyed, she stepped back from the
bed and shook her hand in an effort to get the feeling back into it. �It seems they�ve failed to mention you were
cute and talented.� She huffed.

Takao � still exhausted, ill, and
freaked out by the damned needle � just glared at her silently.

~*~*~*~*~

A few floors up, a red-haired wolf
and a crimson-eyed man sat across from each other, bent over their desks, pens
in hand as they went through the mountains of paperwork that had accumulated
while they were gone.

�I say we petition for a secretary
to help us out with some of this.� Tala
grumbled, slapping another sheet onto the �done� pile. �We spend more time at this than we do in the
field.�

�Hn.� Was the only reply he got. Snarling, Tala dropped his pen and grabbed
Kai�s from his hand.

�Okay, that�s beginning to get on my
nerves. You know perfectly well why he
said what he did, and why he�s trying to push you away. Get over it, go down there, and prove to him
that you aren�t letting him get away with it!�
The wolf growled in Russian.

�Ivanov,
it�s 8:45 pm, I�m tired, hungry, and extremely pissed off. Give�me�my�pen.� Kai glared hotly at his partner and held out
his hand, replying coolly in Russian also.

�No.
Damn it, Kai! He�s your long lost
lover, remember? Circumstances suck, but
he�s here, and you�re wasting time and energy being hurt and mad at him when he
needs you!�

Still glaring and waiting for his
pen, Kai shoved his reading glasses up his nose with his opposite hand. �Why the hell are you being like this? What�s it to you if we�re not together
anymore? It�s none of your business.�

�Please.� Tala snorted, unfazed. �My instincts tell me he�s in trouble. And any idiot can see how much the two of you
are pining away for each other. He�s got
it in his head that you shouldn�t care about him anymore because of what life�s
thrown at him and the path he�s had to take � and you�re sitting here stewing
in your own wrath when you damn well should be with him setting him straight.
You are my friend, Hiwatari.
You�ve been a loner and a pain in the ass without him for too long. What do I care? I want you to be happy for once in your life
so you�ll quit raining all over my
parade!�

Kai scowled and opened his mouth to
give his partner a piece of his mind when the lights flickered ominously.

�What the�? Is there a storm or something outside?� They heard someone else in the bullpen ask
nearby.

�The weather report didn�t mention
any storms�� someone else replied.

�Idiots. It�s just a power surge.� Tala muttered, dropping the pen into Kai�s
hand grudgingly. The lights flickered
again, but this time, they went out for a full two minutes before back up power
was restored and they came on again.

Kai looked around and frowned. �There�s no construction going on near here,
is there? Maybe someone accidentally hit
a power line.�

�Not that I know of.� Tala shrugged indifferently. �As I was saying��

�Leave it alone, Tal.� Kai warned, ignoring the exasperated glare he
received in return.

At that moment, the phone between
their desks rang. The dual-haired agent
picked it up and said shortly, �Hiwatari, what?�

�Wonderful phone etiquette.� Tala rolled his eyes again, then blinked when
his partner�s eyes went very wide and he dropped the phone abruptly back into
its cradle. �What? Who was it?�

Kai was too dumbstruck to speak yet,
so he said nothing, pushing away from his desk and motioning for Tala to
follow. The redhead did so, and somehow
was unsurprised when, in the elevator, Kai pushed the button for the medical
floor.

�Talk to me, Hiwatari. What�s going on?�

�Takao. He�he�s what caused the power surge.�

Tala absorbed that, and whistled
lowly. �I�ll be damned. So that�s
how he�s made it past all those security systems.�

�Shit.� Kai swore as the elevator doors opened and
revealed a crowd of medical staff gathered at the end of the hall where Takao�s
room was. �Whatever set him off is only
going to be made worse by that crowd. He
can�t stand to be surrounded by a crowd of people � especially in an enclosed
space.�

Tala�s
eyes widened. �Then you�d best get them
all out of there before they find that out the hard way.� He suggested, hurrying after his partner.

�Let me through!� Kai ground out the order sharply as he pushed
his way through the nurses, orderlies, security personnel, and lab techs. �Back off and let me through!�

�Agent Hiwatari!� Dr. Maison�s voice
rose above the others in relief. �Let
him through!�

Kai and Tala shoved past an orderly
who looked like he�d stuck his finger in a socket. �What the hell did you do?� Kai demanded, looking away from her to Takao. He sucked in a breath, taking note of the
bluenette�s wild, electric blue eyes and the blind intensity of the glare he
had trained on the doctor. �Kami-sama��

�I just wanted to take some blood
for lab work.� Angelique exclaimed. �He didn�t like the size of the needle but
it�s not that big! See?�
She showed him the tray and Kai pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling
a headache coming on. �It�s normal-sized
for taking blood samples.�

�Get everyone out of here,
Tala. The doctor can stay, but everyone
else get the hell out. You�re only
making it worse.� Kai glared at the
occupants of the crowded room, and most took a step back at the blaze of
crimson fury. No one was used to seeing
Kai�s actual eye colour � as most had only ever seen
him with the purple contacts that gave him hazy, violet-coloured
eyes instead.

Tala shooed away the extras, firmly
closing the door behind him and standing guard over the room himself. He hoped his partner knew what he was doing.

�Two things: one, Takao can�t stand
crowds or enclosed spaces, but especially not both together, and two, he hates
needles. You could use the smallest one
you had, and he�d see it as monstrously huge.�
Kai informed Angelique in a somewhat calm voice. �You should have heard his protests when we
got our vaccines in high school. I had
to work really hard to distract him long enough for the nurse to stick him and
get it over with.� Kai continued,
absently.

�Why does no one tell me these
things before stuff like this happens?�
the doctor asked plaintively. �Fine. Now that I know, and you�re here to help, do
something, sil�vous plait?�

�Just stay here and be ready.� Kai waved her back and stepped into Takao�s
line of vision. �Kinomiya, look at
me.� He said in their native
Japanese. His former lover was certainly
a sight to behold in his angry, scared glory, and Kai shoved down the bolt of
lust that struck him back into a corner of his mind in favour
of dealing with the here and now. HE
waited for those eyes to slowly shift and focus on him before he took a step
toward the bed. �Taka, it�s me,
love. You�re fine. No one is trying to hurt you.�

�I�m not stupid, Kai. She�s right behind you with that�sword in her hand.� Takao growled. �And I�m not some stray cat you�re trying to
befriend � like that one you found on the school roof � either.�

Kai blinked. �Oh, yeah.
I remember her. She made a good
pet for a while until her owner wanted her back.� He walked over to the bed and pretended not
to notice the rise of the hairs on his arms and neck as he sat next to
Takao. The bluenette�s eyes darted back
and forth between the agent and the doctor warily.

�Make her go away, Kai.� Takao whined, unconsciously shifting closer
to the one person whom he�d always felt safe with. �She can open a vein with a knife if she
wants, but she�s not poking me with
that�that��

�Completely normal-sized
syringe.� Kai said mildly in
amusement. �It just looks big. And you know she
has to take some blood from you, so you have two options here: one, you let her
use the needle she�s got and it�ll be over and done with before you know it, or
two, you let her poke you with several
smaller needles several times to get
the same amount of blood she could
have gotten with one bigger one.�

Takao went ghostly white at that
idea and wordlessly held out his arm.
Kai smiled at him and clasped his other hand between his own tightly.

�Go ahead, Dr. Maison. Just make it quick.� Kai said, switching back to English. Cautiously, still wary of receiving another
shock from the bluenette, she prepared his arm for the task of getting the
sample she needed. Takao looked away,
fixing his eyes on Kai instead.

�Why did you come down here? I thought�you were mad at me.� He asked, quietly, trying to distract
himself. He winced at the tightness of
the rubber tourniquet Angelique tied around his upper arm.

�Mr. Kinomiya,� she interrupted, not
knowing what he�d said because he had continued to speak in Japanese to
Kai. �Do this a few times, please.� She made a fist, then released it, several times
as he watched. Frowning, he did so until
she told him to stop. �Good. Now just make a fist and hold it.�

�I am mad at you.� Kai stated, drawing Takao�s attention away
from his arm while Angelique rubbed a spot of iodine at the bend of the inside
of his arm over a prominent vein.
�Takao, I�m trying to help you as best I can under the circumstances,
and yet at every opportunity you lash out at me and throw it back in my
face. I know why you�re doing it, but��

�I�m sorry.� The bluenette whispered, dropping his eyes in
shame to stare at Kai�s knee next to him.
�I just�how can you still love me now that you know what I�ve done?�

�The question you should be asking
is how could I not love you, Taka. Of
course I didn�t know what to think at first.
That was a gut reaction and nothing more. But my instincts scream at me to believe you
and�they�ve never been wrong when I�ve listened to them before�� Kai raised a
hand to lightly brush his knuckles over Takao�s cheek bone. �Besides which, you�re ill, and obviously you
need me to take care of you when you can�t do it yourself.�

Takao�s smile was a little watery. �I�ve done the best I could, honestly. But it�s all catching up to me, I guess.�

�There!� Dr. Maison, whom
they�d both forgotten, announced suddenly with relieved cheerfulness. �All done!�

The younger man stared at his arm in
surprise. He hadn�t even noticed her
plunge the needle in or when she�d taped a cotton ball over the wound with
medical tape. �Uh�wow.�

�Alright. I�m done with you for tonight, so I�ll tell
someone to bring you some food and leave you alone. Goodnight, Mr. Kinomiya.� She waltzed out of the room.

Silence reigned in the room. Takao just plain didn�t know what to do or
say anymore, and Kai�well, he never had much to say at the best of times
(though he did speak more around Takao and Tala than any other time or with any
other people). They looked at each other
for several minutes, each trying to read the other, while the only sounds of
the room were the ticking of the clock, the air conditioning system, and their
breathing. Finally, exhausted once again
after the excitement of avoiding the needle, Takao let out a deep sigh and
wiggled down under the covers again, lying on his side facing Kai with an arm
tucked under the pillow his head rested on.

Without a word, Kai pulled up the
covers and tucked Takao under them.
Gently brushing midnight blue hair out of sad, sleepy blue eyes that
seemed far older than Takao�s young age of twenty-six, Kai simply offered the
only comfort he could for the moment, and slowly stroked Takao�s hair as his
eyes closed and sleep dragged him under into oblivion.

As much as Kai wanted (very much) to
do more � to lie down with Takao and curl around him protectively, to kiss him
and hold him and promise all would be fine � there were a few very good reasons
he didn�t. For one thing, as an agent of
the UNA, he could not do anything that would compromise the case being built
against a suspect of crimes he was assigned to investigate.

Actually, he was surprised Director
Dickenson hadn�t pulled him off the case yet.

On the other hand, he was
restraining himself for Takao�s sake. He
could not, then, be accused of using an agent to commit further crimes, or be
accused of doing something to get out of his punishment (if there was going to
be any) because of his association with an agent. Until Kai heard the whole tale, and his boss
had decided what to do about it, it was just better for them both if Kai didn�t
cross any lines that could get one or both of them in trouble.

When the bluenette�s breathing
turned slow and steady, and there was no response from him when Kai retracted
his hand, the older man sighed and stood, looking down on the younger man who
had always possessed Kai�s heart and spirit.

Whatever
it is that�s happening with you, Taka, don�t give up. You haven�t before and now will be no
different, because I won�t let you. No
matter what you might believe or how you might feel now, you aren�t alone in
this. I�ll do what I can, love, if
you�ll let me.

Stuffing his hands in his pants�
pockets, Kai whispered, �Rest well, my love.�
And turned to stride out of the room before he gave in and did anything
foolish.

****************

Kali Notes: Wow. That was loooong. @_@ I�ve had most of this chapter and a few of
the next chapters in my head for a while now, and I�m glad to have them down on
paper, at least. Let me know what you
think so far! And just for fun�the final
word count for this chapter (according to my Word program): 7,962. Yikes. Please R/R!!!!

Dryad: Thank you to
all our reviewers, and thank you for your patience!

Caitlin: Here�s
a few words to each of you:

TechnoRanma � I know! Kai�s got a thick
skull sometimes! I have this urge to
pull a Sanzo on him and thwack him with a fan� *sweatdrops* So once
again, this is turning epic on me. I get
so carried away with my plots! Ah well�I
don�t hear too many complaints� lol Thanks for
reviewing, love! O.o You like this enough to give me double the
review? LOL J/K. Do
not mind me� @_@ School�s taking it�s
toll.

Weeping
Angel
� I don�t think anyone can put much past Tala, honestly� and I�ve heard that by
G-Rev Kai and Tala have the closest thing to friendship that either have ever known
before (minus Kai and Tyson, of course).
I�m just trying to extrapolate that further into the future for this fic.

Ereshkigali � Thank you! I�m glad the tension is coming off well. It�s rather difficult to write, honestly.

xXxAngel VxXx � Ah, yeah, it�s the
same thing. LOL Euro Tunnel = Chunnel. I think it�s just what a lot of North
American people call it�we tend to make up stupid names like that for things,
I�ve noticed. I honestly can�t say when I�ll be making updates�as this one
proves! lol It took a month�

Destruction
Devil
� Yeah, poor Taka. It just seems like
something he�d do � to a point. I think
in the next few chapters you�ll see them finding out that there�s no way they
can not be together, not after all the time they�ve been apart, and with
everything happening now�

horsegirl � Tyson�s got an
ulcer. It�s basically a hole in the
tissue of one�s stomach. Very
painful. Very annoying.

Jani Rieme � I�m all about the
plot�most of the time. *coughs*
There has been the occasional PWP, but mostly not. *sweatdrops* When I
come up with plots, they�re usually epic.

FireieGurl � Thanks! Glad you�re enjoying it!

ash � Hi, new
reviewer! *glomps* Thanks!

phoenixandashes � Hey! Yeah, ulcers suck. My mom had one at one time, and it was so not fun. Stress definitely
doesn�t help things, either (in fact, it�s usually what causes them).

Serenity Cathedral a.k.a.
serena429 � Yay! I�m glad I�ve caught another reader� *semi-evil
laughter* Hahahahaha! Ahem.
Sorry. I�m supposed to be
practicing to be a real yami. *sweatdrops* I�m still
a chibi.

Heylin
Minion � Hi!
Uh�thank you for not killing me!
*bows* The muses would have been a tad upset� And thanks for the info! I tried looking it up but I�m afraid my
research skills suck (or have been drained away by my classes�one or the
other).

NekoAnime
� So do I! *huggles Tala plushie* And I hope you enjoyed Tala�s
little plot for the �shadows� as much as I did.
I kept seeing this picture of it in my head and I couldn�t stop giggling
like an idiot about it. lol And yes�the
bonus side to being sick for Taka is Kai holding him. *grins* Oooooh�first plane
ride! How exciting! I love to travel. Did you have fun?

icestar � Isn�t he cute? Takao has always seemed very �martyr-ish,� to me.

Blackrose � I know. !!__!!
I�m so mean to him. Don�t worry,
though. I�m never mean to the characters
long!

Hannah � LOL Well, he does tend to freak out on occasion
in the anime, so I figured something serious like this would have the same sort
of effect. And I�ve noticed that
brilliant people tend to be jumpy and scatterbrained, too � hence, the Kenny of
this fic. And
no, they are not married in this fic. *points
at �pairings� at beginning of chapter*
See that? It�ll happen
eventually�I�m getting there. As for
Max�well, you�ll have to wait and see. Rei, I can pretty much say all you�ll hear from him is � at
most � a phone conversation. I had no
intention of including him in this fic for anything
significant. I figure an older, more
mature Kai would be a tad more patient and certainly more mellow than his
younger self was � partly due to Takao�s influence, of course. *winks* PS. It wasn�t you. It�s more a collective thing. I�ve been getting a lot of emails and reviews
that are very demanding and it has made Kali not so nice to be around lately�

XZanayu � Hey! Don�t you worry�Tala�s
got plans. *evil grin* He�s so smart
sometimes, it makes my head ache.

Niffty24 � No! The suspense never ends! LOL
Well, not in my fics, at least. I like keeping my readers interested�

Kailover � Here you go! Another update�another bit of fun�

silverfox � Yeah, poor
Takao. *sniffs* I promise not to
torture him too much longer!

Jelise � Hi! New reviewer!
*glomps* Thank you!
I�m glad you�re enjoying it!

tsunamisiren � Hi!
Another new reviewer! *glomps you too* Thank you!!

rosie � Ah, yes.
Thanks. I�ll keep that in mind
for future reference.

windchild � Kill Tyson? O.O I
would never. Do you know how many people
would kill ME for that?! *shudders* Never, ever, ever�

Kellerz � Heh. *grins* I have to admit that writing the kisses are
my favourite thing to write. Even more than lemons! *looks
around at gasps of shock* What?

mepinak � Hey! Thanks for the compliments! And thanks for reading Open Your Heart, too! Jen
and I had a lot of fun writing that one.
We�ll have to do it again someday�

Thank
you, all, for reading and reviewing! *hands out mini plushies
of Takao* Keep on doing the same for
future updates!
- 5
- 6
- 7
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Once A Thief