Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. Between finals, the holidays, and depression, I haven't really had the spoons to write.

Also, did you know that Shinra's apartment is, like, fucking huge? At least four guest rooms, if I'm recalling the novels correctly. It has more rooms than are actually used, at least.

"Alright, friends! Now that we've learned the basic alphabet, let's all go around and practice signing our names! My name is Tiana, which is spelled T-I-A-N-A…" A kind-faced black woman in her mid-20's smiles as she slowly spells out her name using American Sign Language, Celty and Magnolia both watching with rapt attention. Shizuo had texted Shinra while they'd been out at breakfast, informing him that his apartment was no longer "safe", and asking if they could bunker down at his place in the meantime; the doctor hadn't felt it a good idea to tell the other man no, and he'd be lying if he said that seeing the love of his life interact with a small (albeit eccentric) child didn't give him all sorts of warm, fuzzy, domestic feelings - so he'd given them the go ahead, and then gotten their food to go so they could meet the other two men at his apartment. Celty had suggested that she and Magnolia try to learn some basic sign language from watching Youtube videos while they ate (they being Shinra and Magnolia, of course), and after a few minutes of observing them, Shinra just can't stop a happy grin from forming on his face.

The motherly look suits her.

[What are you staring at?]

"I was just thinking of how good you look acting all maternal like that, like a wife taking care of her daughter after her husba- ow! Ow ow ow ow ow, that hurts!" Embarrassed by her lover's comments, the Dullahan had roughly pinched his ear - and she's about to scold him, too, when she hears a strange, rasping sound coming from Magnolia. She's worried at first… until she sees the amused look on the girl's face, realizing that the sound must be laughter. Unfortunately, her relief is cut short when the laughter turns into pained wheezing, the poor girl gasping desperately for breath.

[Shinra!]

The doctor is already on his feet. "Go get me a glass of water." He starts to reach out to her, but Magnolia shakes her head and swats his hand away. Preferring not to get psychically flung across the room like Shizuo had, Shinra raises his hands in surrender and takes a step back. When Celty returns, he gestures for her to give the coughing girl the cup. It takes her a few moments before the coughs subside enough for her to take a drink, but once she does, it doesn't take long before they've stopped completely.

[Are you okay?!] Celty asks, concerned.

Magnolia nods and finishes off the water, setting the glass down and taking a few deep breaths.

"I'm going to put on some water for tea. I'll put some honey in it." Shinra says, deciding it would be best for the situation were he to leave it to Celty. He's not a psychiatrist, but it's obvious to him that her time in the Stargate Project has left Magnolia traumatized - and after working as an underground doctor for the Yakuza for as long as he has, he knows perfectly well what it sounds like when a person's vocal cords have been damaged from too much screaming. He's just generally used to said persons being grown men, not tiny, doe-eyed, freckle-faced children.

He's just put the kettle on when he hears his doorbell ring, immediately followed by the sound of the front door being opened and Shizuo and Izaya's voices arguing about something he can't quite make out. "Welcome back!" He calls.

"Thanks." Shizuo responds. "Hey, Shinra, maybe you can settle something for us."

Here we go…

"I'll do my best?"

"Great. I'll cut to the chase - the flea thinks Vincent wouldn't dare try to nab him in public and in broad daylight. I, however, think he absolutely fucking would. What do you think?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't put it past him."

Shizuo turns to Izaya. "See?"

The informant sighs. "Fine. I give up. Shinra, which room is mine? I'm going to take a nap."

"Magnolia's claimed the one next to Celty's, but any of the others are free."

"Alright. I'm calling the one at the end of the hall, then."

"Works for me."

"Oi, flea."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go pass out."

"Flea-"

"Please, Shizuo." Izaya all but pleads, too exhausted to hide how desperate he's currently feeling. After everything that's happened today, he wants nothing more than to just lay down and sleep… he's so tired, so very, very tired, and he's not sure just how much more of all this bullshit he'll be able to handle without at least a little bit more rest. Thankfully, Shizuo seems to get the picture.

"Fine, sleep. But when you wake up? We're talking. Got it?" The blonde says, the tone in his voice leaving no room for argument.

"Got it." Izaya responds, despite having absolutely zero intention to actually hold up his end of the bargain. He makes his way towards the back of Shinra's apartment, opens the door at the very end of the hall, and turns on the light. The only furniture in the mostly empty guest room is a simple futon, though thankfully of a better quality than the one the beast calls his own; taking off his jacket and rolling it up so he can use it as a pillow, Izaya lays down on the thin mattress and closes his eyes. It's a testament to just how absolutely exhausted everything has made him that, despite never having found it easy to sleep in unfamiliar places, it only takes a few minutes for him to finally drift off into unconsciousness.

"You said he's staying where, again?"

"His friend's house. Guy named Shinra Kishitani."

"I see. That complicates matters a bit." Vincent sighs and runs his hand through his hair, frustrated that things aren't going as easily as he'd hoped they would.

"Why?"

"Shinra Kishitani is the son of one of my company's most valuable business partners. I can't afford to lose that particular connection just as of yet, so if they've made his home their base…"

"Then they're off-limits until we can get them out of there."Jackal finishes.

"Precisely."

"Well, what do we do now? Cuz i'm all out of ideas."

Vincent smiles in a way that gives Jackal the chills. "It's my job to come up with ideas, Jackal. It's your job to implement them. Now... Shinra Kishitani isn't the only one in their little group with family." He holds a folder out to Jackal, who takes it and looks inside.

"You're joking, right?" The hacker raises his eyebrow.

"I am not."

"Look, boss… it's one thing to kidnap a full-grown man, but it's another entirely to kidnap a couple of little girls." The picture inside the folder is of two twins who look to be between middle-school and high-school age, one smiling brightly while the other's face remains emotionless.

"I'm not asking you to kidnap them just yet. For now, I just want you to do some reconnaissance, figure out when and where they're at their most vulnerable. In the meantime, I have some things of my own to take care of. Tell me, Jackal - have you ever thought about working in show business?"

"Have I - what?" He blinks, confused. "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"

"I have a meeting with a man named Max Sandshelt in thirty minutes. Do you know him?"

"Are you kidding me? Max Sandshelt?" Of course Jackal new Max Sandshelt - the guy was a Hollywood bigshot in charge of some of the hottest talent in Japan, anyone with even a passing interest in movies and T.V knew Max Sandshelt. "What the hell are you meeting with him for?"

"I told you already, did I not?" Vincent checks his reflection in the hotel mirror, making sure he doesn't have anything stuck in his teeth before straightening his tie and turning back to look at Jackal. "Kishitani isn't the only one with family."

"What, you mean other than the twins?"

"I'm going to stop for dinner after my meeting, so I most likely won't be back to the hotel until around 7 at the earliest. I'll let you know when I'm on my way back - I suggest you take this time to see if you can find out any preliminary information on the Orihara girls." He makes sure he has his room key, phone, wallet, and everything else he needs before opening the door and looking out into the corridor pointedly.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, I'm going." Jackal heads over to the door. "Though if you happen to see Yuuhei Hanejima while you're meeting with Sandshelt, could you get me his autograph? Loved that guy in Vampire Ninja Carmilla Saizou."

"I'll see what I can do." Vincent responds, smiling in a way that gives Jackal the impression he knows something he doesn't. "Goodbye, Jackal."

"Yeah... goodbye." Shooting his employer one last look, Jackal tucks the file on the twins into the pocket of his cargo pants and heads out the door.