.

A/N: I've based this chapter on the five stages of grief. I'm disappointed because this site does not allow for the formatting that I wanted. It won't let me put a strike through a word, so I had to use parentheses instead. So when you're reading, just imagine that the word in parenthesis has a strike through it instead. Or if you want to see it and not imagine it, come read on AO3. :)

-The Five Stages of Anna-

Stage 1: Denial

Jun sat next to Anna not knowing what to do. Watching the normally fiery and boisterous woman sitting on the couch rubbing her arms as if she were cold and with a look of utter helplessness in her eyes was in a way, worse than waking up every morning knowing that she would never see Kazuya again. In that very moment, Jun Kazama felt something worse than loss, she was overcome by an agonizing sense of guilt. She was responsible for separating two lovers and depriving a child of a father. Three lives had been ruined because she had been selfish enough to want what they had.

She picked up the fallen chair and scanned the living room one more time, there was no other sign of a struggle, everything was as she'd left it. She didn't know what to say to Anna, she wanted to offer her a blanket or some tea but was afraid of how she would react. She went to the kitchen and put the tea kettle on anyway, she wanted to be away from Anna just so she wouldn't have to look at her and feel the guilt gnawing at her, but as she found herself alone she immediately felt the urge to cry. It was not the time for tears, she didn't get to shed tears, that was Anna's right. She went back into the living room and finally decided to speak.

"Can I make you some tea or get you some food?" Stupid, useless offers, but at least it was something.

Anna stopped rubbing her arms and looked up at her. "Sometimes men don't feel ready for a child, they panic because they're convinced that their life is going to change for the worse and they just...take off." Jun sat on the couch next to her feeling a knot in her throat and a tightness in her chest. "Maybe this is an elaborate ruse because he doesn't want to deal with the responsibility." The look in Anna's eyes told Jun that she wanted to believe it, that she desperately wanted Lee to be anywhere but where they both knew he was.

"Anna," Jun took Anna's hand and spoke gently, "he doesn't even know you're pregnant."

"I know," Anna opened her right hand and looked at the crumpled note, "I shouldn't have left him alone. I knew this was going to happen and I let him come anyway."

"If he really wanted to come I don't think you could have stopped him."

Anna shook her head. "I could have, I've suspected that I'm pregnant for a week but I didn't do anything because I was too scared to find out and now we're all paying the price. I should just have taken the damn test and we'd be safe in New York right now and I'd be interviewing expensive nannies instead of worrying about Merlot growing up without a father." She shook her head and stood up. "Now I'll have to hire a male nanny so Merlot can have some sort of a positive male role model because I'm sure as hell not going to let Paul Phoenix anywhere near my little boy!"

"Paul Phoenix?"

"But nannies aren't permanent, they start out young and single and aimless but soon they find love or figure out their goals and my little boy will be left behind and he'll ask me why he doesn't have a daddy and I'll have to tell him that it's my fault because I didn't take a pregnancy test in New York and he'll turn to a life of crime because I'll be his only role model!" Anna covered her face with her hands. "I should have told Lee, I'm the one responsible for this mess."

Stage 2: Anger

Jun gently patted her on the shoulder. "It's not your fault, how could you have known-"

Her head snapped up as she looked at Jun with fire in her eyes. "I'm part of the problem! I came here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to keep him safe, to make sure that Heihachi didn't harm him. "

"Anna, you can't take on that burden, Heihachi is the one to blame, he's the one who-"

The look in Anna's eyes suddenly changed to one of determination and her gaze shifted toward the door as her jaw tightened. "I'm going to kill Heihachi…"

Jun felt her mouth go dry. "What?"

Anna's tone was low and dark. "I'm going to break into his building, wait for him in his office and put a bullet through his skull."

"You can't do that."

Anna nodded. "You're right, I need a gun first."

Jun shook her head vigorously. "Anna, you will never even get through the front door-"

"Then I'll do it somewhere else," she put her hand over her stomach, "he's ruining my life, this was supposed to be the happiest day of my life…"

"I'm sorry," Jun patted her gently on the back, "I feel horrible. If I had known this was going to happen…"

Stage 3: (Bargaining) Misdirected Anger

"You..." Anna looked Jun in the eye. "You should feel horrible." Jun felt her heart sink but managed to hold her gaze, it was terrifying. "You're the one who told Lee that ridiculous story about angels and demons."

"It's not ridiculous, it happened, he witnessed it, I didn't tell him anything."

Anna shook her head. "You're the one who called him in the middle of the night telling him that his brother was alive, practically forcing him to come here even though you knew that you were putting him in danger, that he risked losing his life just by coming here."

Jun looked down at the floor, it was true, everything was her fault. She felt her eyes well up with tears. "I'm sorry."

"I could kill you right here and now." Anna's voice took on a macabre tone. "It would be easy."

Jun had to think about what Anna said for a moment before it could register. When her mind grasped the true meaning, she looked at the former assassin and saw those crystal-blue eyes piercing into her. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't and her heart began to race. She swallowed and tried to come up with a response. "...I...Don't think it would be easy...I did beat you at the tournament."

Anna straightened her posture, she was shorter than Jun but somehow managed to look down at her. "Is this a good time to bring that up, Jun Kazama? Do you think this is a good time to remind me that you handed me my ass in front of the entire planet?" Jun opened her mouth to speak, but again, nothing came out. "And that was in a clean fight, with the world as witness." She took a step forward and Jun automatically took a step back. "I could kill you with a butter knife while you sleep," she gestured toward the end table next to the couch, "I could shatter that vase on your head to distract you then strangle you with that stupid macrame from your hanging plant. I can do more than hand you your ass, I can hand you your still-beating heart..." She put her hand lightly on her stomach. "But I won't, Lee wouldn't appreciate it and the last thing I need is for him to pick up smoking again now that he's going to be a father."

"That's...good…" Jun managed to say, though she felt no relief.

Stage 4: (Depression) Reckless Anger

"Where do you hide your weapons?" Anna asked as she looked around the room.

"My...weapons?"

"That's what I said." Anna made her way toward Jun's bedroom.

"W-where are you going?" Jun called after her.

"To look for weapons." She opened the door and turned on the light. When Jun entered the room she saw her rummaging through the closet.

"I don't have weapons. What are you going to do with weapons?"

Anna stopped looking through the closet and abruptly turned toward Jun. "Are you lying to me?" She advanced slowly toward her. "If you are lying to me…"

"I'm not," Jun responded exasperatedly. "Do you really think I'm the type of person who would have weapons?"

Anna focused her eyes on something behind Jun. "No." She walked out of the bedroom with determined steps.

Jun followed her into the living room and watched her pick up the phone. "Who are you calling?" She didn't know why but she had the urge to keep her away from the phone.

"I'm going to call my contact in Tokyo."

"Why?"

"To get weapons." Anna sighed in frustration and hung up the phone. "My address book…"

"Anna," Jun stood in front of Anna blocking her way, "why do you need weapons?"

"To kill Heihachi Mishima, weren't you listening earlier? How else am I going to get Lee back?" She moved to get around Jun but she sidestepped and blocked her way. "Get out of my way," Anna said through clenched teeth.

Jun had to look down at the floor to avoid looking into Anna's eyes, that woman was the most frightening person she had ever encountered. "Sorry." She moved out of Anna's way to let her through, as soon as she had her back turned, Jun rushed to the phone. She moved the end table out of the way and took hold of the white cable from the telephone jack and pulled as hard as she could. The cable was ripped out of the wall, she could see four thin, multi-colored wires protruding at the broken end.

"What the hell did you just do?" Anna's low and menacing voice gave her goosebumps.

She turned around to face the enraged woman, she had her address book in hand and stood in what strongly resembled a fighting stance.

"You can't kill him," Jun began in an attempt to reason with her, "you're pregnant."

"Pregnancy doesn't affect your trigger finger." Anna shook her head. "I should have expected this from a coward like you." She walked back to the bedroom, but not in defeat she seemed determined. And that was when Jun saw it, Lee's cellular phone under the TV stand.

That's what she's looking for.

Jun moved quickly and picked up the cell phone from the floor.

"Give it to me." She froze at the sound of Anna's voice.

Jun turned slowly and faced Anna. "No." She spoke softly, yet resolutely. "If I give it to you, you're going to do something you'll regret later."

Anna clenched her fists. "If you don't give it to me, I'll do something you'll regret right now." She stretched out her right hand expectantly. "Give it to me."

"No, I'm taking the battery out."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Are you my mom? Give it to me!" She moved forward so quickly that Jun yelped and jumped backward as Anna swung her arms forward trying to grab her. "Jun, don't make me hurt you." Anna moved to the left trying to get a hold of Jun but she moved to the right, Anna moved to the right and Jun to the left. It was an awkward and dangerous, dance it lacked any of the grace that the two women possessed. Their dance had taken them near the front door, Jun put her hands up in surrender giving Anna a second of pause, Jun took the opportunity to open the door and run. "Get back here, you damn squirrel!" She heard Anna yell as she jumped off the steps and ran toward the gate. She didn't know where she was going, all she knew was that she needed to put as much distance as possible between herself and the wrathful assassin.

Jun closed the gate hoping to slow Anna down and ran toward town. When she looked behind her she gasped as she saw Anna jump the fence like it was nothing and race toward Jun. Oh, my God, in those heels? It was unnatural, no human being should have been able to move so fast in such uncomfortable footwear.

Jun saw the throngs of tourists and locals enjoying the festivities. She looked over her shoulder again and could not believe it; Jun was fit, fast and one of the best martial artists in the world, yet she was about to be outrun by a pregnant woman in high heels. Knowing that it was hopeless she instinctively took her fighting stance, quickly remembering, again, that Anna was pregnant and that there was no possible situation in which she would hit her, Jun panicked and threw the phone as far as she could. It landed in some shrubbery a good distance away, but she couldn't see exactly where. Rather than taking her fighting stance, she closed her eyes and braced for impact.

"Ow!" Jun opened her eyes when she felt Anna yank on her hair as she whizzed by.

"You idiot!" She heard her yell from somewhere among the crowd.

Jun stood there not knowing what to do, not knowing where Anna could be going. She looked at the faces of the smiling revelers and immediately resented them even though she knew that they didn't deserve it. It wasn't their fault that she had lost the man she loved and was responsible for Anna losing hers, it wasn't their fault that she had lost track of a pregnant woman and that she desperately needed to find her before she did something reckless.

She's looking for weapons, Jun reminded herself. She walked hurriedly when she realized that Anna was undoubtedly trying to find a way off the island. The port was too far to walk and it being nearly six in the afternoon meant that the airport was closed. The only logical place was the closest dock, there was always the possibility that someone could take her to Kagoshima in a private boat. Jun moved as quickly as she could through the throng of tourists and locals, once the crowd began to thin she began to run down the street toward the beach. She saw Anna standing near the dock, she was easy to spot in her red dress. She was pointing at the fishing boats tied to the dock and speaking to an older man, he shook his head slowly as he gestured toward two younger men tying a small, tarnished motor boat to the dock cleat. Anna moved resolutely toward the two men, Jun moved quickly wanting to catch up with her.

"Anna!" Jun called after her, when she heard her, Anna changed her pace to a speed walk her heels thudding on the wooden surface. How is she so fast in those? Jun ran past her and stepped between her and the men on the dock. "Please don't go, you'll regret it."

"You'll regret not moving out of my way." The look in those blue eyes told her that it was not an idle threat.

Jun racked her brain trying to find a different approach. "What's the plan?"

Her question seemed to catch the determined woman off guard, she stopped and looked at Jun. "What?"

"Tell me your plan, maybe I can help."

"I'm going to Tokyo to get what I need." The men left their boat and began walking away. "Wait!" They stopped to look at her. "I need to get to Kagoshima."

"Port's that way." One of them pointed east and they continued to walk toward the beach. "Wait, I have money." They stopped and looked at her with interest.

Jun shook her head. "No, she doesn't." Jun heard one sigh as they turned their backs on them. The fire in Anna's eyes made her take a small step back, but she tried her best to stare the woman down, it wasn't working. "You don't have your purse and I don't have my wallet."

Anna took a step toward her. "You can't stop me, I'll find a way off this island."

"To do what? What's your plan? I was serious when I said I wanted to help you."

Anna crossed her arms tightly under her chest. "To get Lee back and Kazuya too since you're obviously useless."

Jun shrugged hoping to look nonchalant. "That means what? Going to your contact to get weapons, then killing Heihachi Mishima?" Anna's jaw tightened as she stared daggers at Jun. "He obviously didn't come here himself, and I can promise you that he doesn't walk the streets alone either. You're going to break into his building? Really? He's doubled the guard since he took over, trust me, I walked in front of that building enough times to know that. You think I didn't want a chance to confront him after what he did to Kazuya?" Jun looked down, ashamed that she had revealed that part of herself, but quickly looked up at Anna again. "You said that motherhood is changing you, you were ready to protect your child from his father's imaginary second-hand smoke and now you're going to put him in harm's way?" Jun shook her head slowly, Anna was looking at something in the distance, obviously trying to avoid Jun's eyes. "What would Lee say if he knew that you're risking his son? If motherhood is truly changing you, you will walk back to the house with me so that we can come up with a plan together a real plan that doesn't involve risking your baby's life, or yours, because at this point, if you don't make it, neither does he."

Anna turned around and began walking away from the dock. Jun could not remember a time when she felt more relieved, she realized how fast her heart was racing and as she looked down at her hands, she saw that they were shaking. The two women walked in silence moving swiftly between the revelers, Jun tuned out the voices of the crowd, she kept her eyes on Anna and stayed a few feet behind her. It was dusk when they arrived at the house, it felt like the longest day of Jun's life, it was difficult to believe that only twelve hours earlier Jun, Anna and Lee had eaten breakfast together.

Anna went into the house and left the door open behind her, Jun followed her inside and when she moved to close the door she saw that her hand was still shaking. She realized that their confrontation was not the cause. She had promised Anna that they would come up with a plan to find Lee and Kazuya but she had absolutely no idea what that plan would be. If she'd had any clue as to what to do or who to ask for help, she would never have dragged the young couple into their current predicament. Jun turned around and panicked when she didn't see Anna but was relieved to see that the bathroom door was closed. A minute later she watched her walk out.

"Do you want something to eat?" Jun asked, wanting to be helpful but at the same time hoping to talk about anything that wasn't the plan.

Anna turned toward the hallway. "I'm going to bed." Jun watched her until she went into her bedroom and closed the door.

At least she didn't have to worry about her escaping through the window. All her windows were equipped with near industrial strength screens, they had cost more than most people were willing to spend but in Jun's opinion, a mosquito free home was worth almost any price.

Jun sat on the couch for over an hour with the television on and the volume off. She was hungry but the thought of food made her nauseous, she was tired but didn't want to leave the living area afraid that Anna would sneak out of the house. She tried to think of a plan, but her mind was frustratingly blank. She stared at the silent images on the TV until she caught herself nearly falling asleep. Anna had been in her bedroom for more than two hours and she had not heard a sound, Jun figured that she had fallen asleep and that it was safe for her to do so as well. Not wanting to risk it, she walked into her bedroom and opened the closet. Jun was an avid camper and always kept her sleeping bag close by, she pulled it out of the top shelf in her closet then quickly changed into a pair of pink pajama pants and a tank top. After brushing her teeth she put her sleeping bag on the floor next to Anna's door and settled into it. If the former assassin tried to do something reckless, she'd have to literally walk over her to get out the door. Jun closed her eyes and prayed to Buddha, to Angel and to whatever Spirit Guides were listening, to help her dream up a plan.

Stage 5: (Acceptance) Focused Anger Resulting in Crazy-Ass Plan

Jun dreamt of camping, of chilly mornings under a canopy of trees, of sleeping on the soft earth, leaves, and moss. She dreamt of the black sky dotted with glittering stars, of constellations changing to silly shapes like squares and hearts-

I will hand you your still-beating heart.

Jun gasped as she sat up straight and look around through bleary eyes expecting to see Anna holding a butter knife. She didn't see her, but her breath caught in her throat when she saw that the door to Anna's bedroom was open. Jun wiggled out of the sleeping bag and stood up, she looked into the bedroom and found it empty. Her heart and her mind began to race as she wondered where Anna could be, what she could be doing, and how in the world had she left the room without waking her up.

"I'm in the kitchen!" She heard Anna chirp.

Anna's cheerful tone sent a chill up her spine. She sounded happy, much too happy, like someone in a horror movie who was trying to lure their unsuspecting victim into a trap. Ignoring the feeling of fear but remaining on high alert, Jun carefully walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Anna sitting at the table, taking a sip from a steaming mug.

Anna smiled. "Good morning." Jun immediately noticed that the smile did not touch her eyes.

"I...didn't think you'd be up already."

Anna sipped her tea and slowly set the mug on the table then straightened in her seat. "You know what they say...the early bird can murder the worm in its sleep." Jun let out an involuntary gasp, Anna laughed her beautiful, twinkling laugh, it was downright terrifying. "Don't worry, you're not the worm."

"O-oh," Jun laughed nervously, "of course not. How did you leave the room without waking me?"

"Through the window."

"Those screens are nearly as strong as metal bars how did-"

"Nearly. Give me a bobby pin and a nail file and I can break out of almost anywhere, I'm a trained assassin, remember?"

"I didn't forget."

Anna ran her hands over her thighs, smoothing down her blue robe, Jun's blue robe. How in the world did she get into my room? "If you got out through the window, why was your door open?"

"I just wanted to mess with you a little."

"That's mean."

Anna shrugged. "What makes you think I'm nice." She sighed. "Look, I may have gone a little overboard yesterday with some of the things I said, I would never kill you...unless I had to. The thing I said about handing you your heart," she looked around, "don't tell anyone this, but I've never actually tried it, in theory, it seems like it would work but-"

"Despite that, and everything else," Jun spoke quickly, desperate to change the subject, "I'm glad you're not angry anymore."

Anna looked Jun in the eye. "Oh, I am angry, I've never been more angry in my life, but I'm using that anger for something constructive." She gestured toward the counter next to the refrigerator. "I made breakfast, you should eat before we talk."

All Jun saw was a box of cereal and a jug of milk that was nearly empty. "If you want something more substantial I can cook something for you, you should be eating healthy. I can make you an omelet or some fried eggs."

"You're out of eggs."

"No, I have close to a dozen-"

Anna spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm eating for two now, you're out of eggs."

"Oh," Jun nodded as she saw the dirty pan on the stove. "Anna, honestly, the suspense is making my stomach turn into knots and I can't eat anything, so can we please just talk now?"

Anna sighed. "You are a Nervous Nelly." She shook her head. "Fine have it your way, I'll tell you right now, but if you faint I'm not helping you up and if you have to throw up you'd better leave my sight immediately or I swear to God-"

"Just tell me what it is, I can handle it."

"I'm going to take over the Mishima Zaibatsu, and you're going to help me."

A/N: Moral of the story, don't get on Anna's bad side, and if you do, hide the butter knives. Thanks for reading!