Beyond These Tears

A/N: Hello all! ^_^ I had this plot in mind for quite some time and decided to finally type it up. I was a bit upset though that I still am having trouble uploading Akusho or Survival of the Parents. Oh well, I won't give up though! Until then, enjoy this fic. Review and I'll respond. Have fun!

I've worked very hard to get this plot in. It will continue with other sequels as well. But, I'm hoping this to be one of my best fics ever. Please do not use any original characters without consulting me first.

There is also some French and Spanish spoken words in here. Please excuse my French. I don't know it fluently, nor am I taking a class. I'm simply writing it from the help of others. But, if you French speaking people find something wrong, please tell me. I miss things too sometimes.

Summary: Torn between his own life and the mission that turns personal, Hisoka is forced to deal with demons of the past and future. Will he become too involved and topple into a trap? You'll love it. Read

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters with the exception of my own sadistic creatures.

[…] = translation

~*~*~*~

The novel was truly inspiring and worth while. The writing was pure genius. Each character was so colorful that one could believe they would emerge from the text and greet you. The peaceful scene occurring at the moment perhaps contributed to the liking of the book.

With obvious delight, Hisoka flipped a page in the book and continued reading. He was a bit bored of reading completely fictional novels and asked the Gushoushin for a novel that would contain some history. They suggested a historical fiction novel on Julius Caesar, a Roman legend.

"Hisokaaa?"

At first, the sound was a mere whisper that hid behind the gentle hooting of doves just beyond the window. By the third call though, Hisoka grunted and acted as if though not hearing a sound.

But of course, all good things come to an end, which actually does not apply to everything in life, but humans are that way. Creating silly phrases that can easily have a false attribute that no one bothers to correct due to their little knowledge.

Not long after and with a cheerful grin, Tsuzuki bounded before Hisoka, offering him a cupcake decorated with sprinkles. He extended his hand, hoping for the boy to catch the tempting scent of the dessert.

"I brought something for you!" he declared. He frowned when Hisoka did not respond.

Tsuzuki gently probed his partner's cheek, resulting in a hand to pinch him. "Ah! Hisoka! What was that for?"

Green eyes finally shifted and stared straight at him. "It is very rude to interrupt someone's reading time."

"It's rude to not place a book down when someone enters the room," protested Tsuzuki, watching his injured hand heal.

Hisoka snorted. "What do you want?" he snapped.

"Snack!"

"I don't want a snack. Now go away."

Tsuzuki made a protesting whine and went around the seat his partner sat in and peered over his shoulder cautiously, skimming over the text. The names were rather unusual. This was obviously not a book that contained something rather than the Japanese cultural. He would have noticed. He usually enjoyed understanding the types of books Hisoka particularly luxuriate in.

A certain name caught his attention. "Who is 'Marius'?" he quietly asked.

Tsuzuki smirked when his partner made a cute sound that could have been mistaken as a yawn. "He was a ruthless yet powerful politician in Rome. He was considered one of the most successful generals in Roman history before Caesar surpassed him."

"…Rome? I've always wanted to visit Rome," whispered Tsuzuki, reading a bit more details on the novel. He scrunched up his nose when he came across strange words. "My sister always told me lovely things about it. She studied it in school."

"Tsuzuki, I told you before I do not like you reading over my shoulder," warned Hisoka, turning a bit to glare.

Tsuzuki smiled an angelic smile. "I like it though. I can hear you breathing. It's a nice sound."

"You have issues."

"How crude."

"Hn."

After a few seconds of smiling, Tsuzuki caught glimpse of the forgotten cupcake. He was tempted to pop the thing into his mouth…

Hisoka sighed and said softly, "You can eat it. I don't want it."

"No. I promised Watari I would make sure you ate it. He says you've been ditching his daily check ups with him?" Tsuzuki inquired, strolling over to sit on the armrest and crossing his legs.

Hisoka ignored him for a moment. "I think it's pointless to visit him when I feel fine," he explained. He gave out a surprised sound and growled when he caught Tsuzuki griping his book tightly.

"You are NOT supposed to be ditching them, Hisoka!" cried Tsuzuki. "We're going to him NOW!"

"You can't tell me what to do, old man!" yelled the younger form and leaped from his chair before Tsuzuki could grab him.

"Hisoka! What if you get worse?" wondered Tsuzuki, approaching his partner with a hurt look.

"I said—"

"Oi, you two."

The couple shut their mouths and cocked their head towards the door where Terazuma stood leaning against the doorframe and arms crossed.

Tsuzuki narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"

Terazuma shot him a dirty look. "You two need to get down to the Chief's office. Mission. ASAP. I was told to get you two if I found you."

Hisoka met Terazuma's gaze and nodded. "Alright."

At the sudden look, Terazuma's face turned crimson. He turned his head away quickly and stammered something about Wakaba and cake before exiting.

Tsuzuki snorted in disgust. He knew Terazuma had strange emotions towards his young partner and he did not approve. Before he could further indulge into the thought, Hisoka called to him.

"Tsuzuki! Hurry up, King of Sweets! My clothing is going out of style."

Tsuzuki blinked. "They are?"

"Tsuzuki! Move!"

Tsuzuki chuckled and ran after his companion.

The cupcake lied upon the book, untouched and forgotten.

~*~*~*~

Tatsumi shot a stern look at Tsuzuki, who was rather disappointed that they had to have a meeting concerning the new case they had received this morning.

"Alright," he began once everyone was settled in with his or her tea. "As we had said, young boys' souls have been found outside of the bodies. It may be possible that they are still wondering around soulless though we doubt that they are with their family. Whoever or whatever is the cause of this probably has the children. We do not have details on this still. Also, there is a rumor that one of the boys, Daisuke Alexandre Fitz Gilbert, has been killed."

Hisoka tensed at the name but managed to conceal it. Hesitantly, he lifted his head slightly and set his eyes on Tatsumi. "The son of the famous actress and respected writer in Japan?

Tatsumi nodded in approval. He turned towards Tsuzuki who had raised his arm, extending his fingers, hoping to catch Tatsumi's attention.

Tsuzuki leaned on his hands once he was the center of attention. "Is his soul here?"

"No," responded the Chief. "That is why we need you two to investigate. We are not very certain on details."

"Are the boys related in any way?" asked Hisoka towards Tatsumi.

Tatsumi shook his head, adjusting his glasses. "A couple of them may have been friends with one another, but all we can gather is that they are from the same area. Nothing more," he said.

Clearing his throat, he continued. "Go down to Nagasaki and begin there. Be cautious. Because we have very little details, we must mark this case as extremely dangerous."

"How did you know when the soul is not present?" asked Tsuzuki.

"We have our ways," muttered Tatsumi.

Hisoka glared at his hands. "You can see it in their behavior. They only respond to certain commands or a certain touch."

Tsuzuki's eyes went sad. Everyone understood Hisoka's feelings on these matters since the boy experienced it. So lonely.

"You should best be on your way," whispered Kanoe, unclasping his hands and standing.

Hisoka almost instantly shot up from his seat, bumping the table almost causing the tea to spill, and walked out.

Tsuzuki quietly stood and followed.

"Tsuzuki-san."

The man turned to Tatsumi with a curious glance.

Tatsumi expressed a sad smile. "Be gentle with him. He's having a rough time."

Tsuzuki quickly hurried to catch up with his partner, praying that all would go well. Of course, there was that occasional tingle in his mind that threatened him to stay alert. It frightened him.

~*~*~*~

"Are you sure you do not want me to work on this case alone," asked Tsuzuki, walking beside Hisoka through the streets of Nagasaki.

His partner clicked his tongue. "Idiot. You can't do this case without me."

"…I know." Tsuzuki smiled.

They pierced through the tossing crowd, scanning for anything unusual. Everything appeared perfect.

Tsuzuki gazed upward and admired the brightness of the sun and the few clouds. The previous night, a storm was ending and it was always refreshing to step out the next day. Inhaling the fresh scent of a cleansed earth, Tsuzuki watched a few children in the distance chasing an enormous large black dog. Each was a boy.

The child that had captured Tsuzuki's attention was the smallest of the five. He stood approximately 2-3 feet tall and had an extremely strange color of hair. Tsuzuki would have guessed it to be almost white streaked with silver that reflected the sun's ray off. It was a considerably long length. From what one could observe, he had a made a loop in his hair before tucking in the excess of his hair in, creating what looked like a knot. His eyes were as bright as the sun itself, a pure golden shade hidden beneath thick eyelashes. His little form wore a purple shirt with red symbols engraved into it, a pair of matching black and red shorts, and black shoes with buckles rather than string. He was unusually pale and strange looking yet still possessed an adorable appeal.

"Tsuzuki, what are you staring at?"

A sudden painful jab to his ribs brought Tsuzuki to cast his attention on the boy beside him. "Ah," he softly said, not creating much of a sound, "I was just looking at the little kids. So cute!"

Hisoka rolled his eyes and proceeded to continue his investigation of the area. He had scanned the mental stability of each place they had passed, yet failed to notice anything abnormal.

Tsuzuki shook his head with a tiny smile and took another glance at the children. He managed to hear their conversation.

"¡Mama!" cried a child with delight, ceasing his chase of the cheerful dog. " ¿Cuándo iremos?" [Mom! When will we go?]

A woman with radiant dark hair approached a child with a similar appearance. "¿Estás listo? [Are you ready?]

"Mm. Sí. Tengo hambre tambien." [Yes. I'm hungry too.]

The mother chuckled and kneeled down extending her arms to welcome the embrace of her son. She lifted him up before planting a butterfly kiss on his cheek. "¿Te gustas tus amigos de japon?" [Do you like your Japanese friends?]

Tsuzuki watched the young boy nod eagerly and entering into a deeper conversation on how the children understood his language a little bit and other simple childish ideas that Tsuzuki could not understand due to the foreign language.

"He looks Japanese," spoke Hisoka watching the children as well.

Tsuzuki nodded and suggested, "Perhaps his father is Japanese? I hear him speaking a bit in Japanese. What's the ethnicity of that boy? Daisuke, was it?"

Hisoka stood in thought for a moment, racking through his memory. "…I believe his mother is Japanese and his father is French. Daisuke Alexandre Fitz Gilbert."

"French! Now that's some catchy name!"

Hisoka eyed Tsuzuki with a suspicious glance. He usually did that when something peculiar would catch his attention. "His middle name means 'defender of mankind'."

With interest, Tsuzuki whistled. "Sort of weird…"

"Yes. Come on. Let's go," said Hisoka, dragging his partner away from the children. A man who appeared to be the father of one of the kids was beginning to glance at them frequently shooting odd glances at them.

Tsuzuki reluctantly followed, still drawn to the innocence that radiated from such innocuous creatures. Instead, he persuaded his mind to focus on his task.

"Are you inebriated?" asked Hisoka suddenly.

Tsuzuki stopped walking and gasped. "What? Of course not! Why did you think such a thing?"

Hisoka lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Well, usually you are silent when you are drunk. So, I assumed you were inebriated."

Ignoring the comment, Tsuzuki gave an aggravated groan. "This is so boring. I haven't caught one thing out of place!"

Hisoka shot a dirty look at his older companion. "It is incumbent upon us to do this without complaining OR distraction!"

"How so?"

"It's our job," Hisoka emphasized. He abruptly raised a hand, silencing Tsuzuki from replying back with a comment. "Do you hear that?"

Tsuzuki listened. "I do not hear anything," he admitted.

"Exactly. Approximately ten seconds ago, it was loud," Hisoka expressed, turning around to study the area.

Tsuzuki did as well. He became disturbed when he unexpectedly realized they were exhaustively alone.

"Do you sense anything?" he asked in a hushed whispered.

Hisoka strained his mind to search out for any emotion or thought. "…I…I sense a presence but no emotion."

"Is that possible?"

"Not really. A telepath may have shields to block out their thoughts but they still cannot prevent their emotions from reaching an empath. Unless…"

Tsuzuki concluded the sentence. "They have no soul."

"Precisely," agreed Hisoka, beginning to draw a fuda out. With a sudden moan, he doubled over landing upon the cement.

"Hisoka!"

Tsuzuki began to kneel down to inspect his partner's odd behavior when he saw sparks flying towards them. With a cry, he lifted Hisoka into his arms and made a leap behind a nearby tree.

Taking a glance back, Tsuzuki assured himself they were safe for now. He nudged Hisoka's shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked urgently.

Hisoka gave a sharp gasp and raised his head. "Fine. Just…I…I…" His face grew paler.

"Hisoka! What's wrong?"

Tsuzuki's mind instantly clicked. Hisoka had not completely recovered from their previous mission where Hisoka was struck by a mental attack. The attack had altered his mind into thinking the body was deadly ill, and when your mind is convinced of a thought, it begins to show. Hisoka was still going through treatment and may have been completely healed if he had continued his check ups with Watari.

Tsuzuki had the urge to scream at his partner for his stupidity but did not have the heart to. With another glimpse at his partner, his heart crumbled.

"Tsuzuki!"

Before he knew what happened, Tsuzuki found Hisoka standing before him holding out a fuda, blocking a series of attacks.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Tsuzuki stood up taking a hold of Hisoka's shoulders gently. The body trembled violently beneath his touch.

"Hisoka, you have to relax," he whispered into the ear. "Remember, it's not real." Oh of all the times this had to happen! he thought angrily.

The attacks had ceased.

"I…I know. I know!" cried Hisoka, shutting his eyes tightly. "I'm trying…"

Tsuzuki noticed movement before them. With a startled twitch, he placed a hand on the boy's hip and drew him to his side, studying what was coming towards them.

"What are they?" he asked.

Hisoka shook his head with a moan. "…Them. It's them. Soulless. Oh god…"

"What? Shit! Hisoka, stay awake! Stay awake!"

Hisoka clawed at Tsuzuki's hands, which were holding his face. He didn't recall them finding there way there but at the moment, he didn't care. "So…tired…"

"No! Stay awake! Don't fall asleep! Please!" begged Tsuzuki. His mind racked through countless of ideas. "The pills!" he slam a hand into his pocket and drew out a small capsule. Watari had given them to him for emergencies when Hisoka became violent because of the strange consequences from the attack. He thanked that holy being up there for reminding him he had a few.

Noting that the creatures were approaching, Tsuzuki quickly tilted Hisoka's head back despite his protest and popped the pill between his lips. "Swallow it," he ordered almost too harshly. He knew he was taking a risk since the pill was ONLY if Hisoka was violent.

Hisoka's eye began to blur and he choked on the pill, attempting to spit it out. Tsuzuki clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Swallow it!"

Hisoka gave a groan and nodded, gagging as he forced the pill down his throat. Tsuzuki nodded in approval.

"Alright. Come on…Work!" he screamed. He prayed that the pill wouldn't harm Hisoka.

With a surprised gasp, Hisoka's eyes shot open. "Oh god…"

Tsuzuki held him close. "It's okay. Thank god you're all right. Hisoka, look at me. You stay here while I fight those things off, understand?"

Hisoka, coming to his senses, pushed away from Tsuzuki. "Wha…What! Are you crazy? You don't know what they are!" He clutched his head when a throbbing headache began to appear.

"Just do it!" Tsuzuki ran ahead.

"Tsuzuki!"

Hisoka gave an irritated groan and was about to follow his partner when he heard growling beside him. He slowly turned his head to find rabid dogs and children staring at him. Boys, to be exact.

His eyes widened when one of the children hissed and lunged for him. He ran in the opposite direction Tsuzuki was headed. His body ached but he knew he couldn't stop. He forced himself to begin a sprint.

The children and dogs were placing his exactly where they wanted him to go. Away from his partner. Splitting them up was always the simplest way to deal with each of them. And Hisoka didn't even notice the fuda slipping from his grasp and shredding beneath the feet of children.

~*~*~*~

Faster.

Don't stop.

Don't look back.

Faster!

"Aah!" Hisoka cried, when something bit into his ankle resulting in him crashing into the ground. He turned his head and found a dog attached to him. It was a huge size with thick fur all over. Its eyes were pure red and contained no pupil.

Instantly, not wanting to waste any more precious time, he reached into his pocket to draw out a fuda. He dug deep. His pocket was completely empty.

Hisoka cursed, angry and tired. He hissed when the teeth dug deeper into his skin and pricked his bone. With a painful twist to his back, he turned and used his free leg to kick the dog in between the eyes. It gave a howl and whimpered, struggling to regain proper vision.

Taking the chance, Hisoka leapt to his feet but it was short lived. A child had latched onto his hip and kept him in place while the others pounced on him. They toppled over, and Hisoka heard the sound of a bone crushing.

Small hands began scratching and pricked at his body. He realized then that the pricking was from a vine containing thorns. He jerked but stopped instantly when the thorns threatened to enter into his body. The children were experts in creating tight bondage.

Opening his eyes a bit Hisoka watched a child approach him. A little boy, tan hair and dark eyes with a haunting look. The boy drew out something from his blue jacket.

Oh god, thought Hisoka. He studied the boy's hand and saw he held a dagger. With swift movement, the boy straddled Hisoka's shoulders and plunged the dagger into his mouth (using it as a gagging device), not seeming to care if blood poured from the mouth. Hisoka allowed a scream to struggle to towards the surface but no sound came out.

The child stood back and joined the other children that were circled around Hisoka's form. The dogs stood behind them.

They began dragging him away into a church.

~*~*~*~

"Goddamn it! I can't attack them without causing injury to them!" growled Tsuzuki dodging as a mob of older boys attempted to slice or take aim at him.

His mind went back to his partner who had escaped. Of course, Tsuzuki attempted to chase after his partner to assure his safety but failed. These things prevented him from getting near Hisoka.

Dodge.

Tsuzuki leapt into a tree, praying none could climb it. Of course, he was wrong and the older boys were right on his tail. He scowled knowing he should have foreseen this. All boys could climb as a child. Well, when he was young anyway.

Tsuzuki turned hearing the cock of a gun. He was a target for three boys in separate trees, waiting to pull the trigger. He cursed aloud.

Just before he could leap out though the children paused and all turned their heads in the same direction, like dogs would when hearing that whistle. They placed their weapons, if any, away and ran off with speed Tsuzuki thought impossible for children to possess.

He noticed the direction they were heading rather quickly.

They were sprinting towards the church nearby.

~*~*~*~

The journey to the church emitted a moan from Hisoka, who was currently struggling not to choke on his own blood. His throat burned terribly. Thankfully, he managed to spit out the dagger, although causing some serious damage to his tongue in the process. He winced when the sun peeked out from a cloud and blinded his vision.

His body wasn't healing quickly enough. The thorns still pressed tightly against his clothing, near his skin.

Before he knew it, he was staring at a deep ceiling creating a triangular shape. The church. He shifted his eyes to the right and saw empty isles. The same for the left.

He heard the shuffling of small feet cease. He had already known the dogs had gone off somewhere for he couldn't catch the smell of filthy fur. But he did, however, catch the new scent of candles being lit. He thought it silly for someone to actually be in here and not done anything to help him. Then again, that person could already be dead or in too much of shock at the lovely gift bag the children were dragging in.

His head began throbbing and his hearing was going out.

Hands were rummaging around his body suddenly. He felt the thorns disappear and thanked the use of his free arms. Though now drained and still needing healing, Hisoka could only allow himself to be pushed forward and brought down onto his knees. His arms were pulled behind him, were a pair of four hands held him there. He felt a presence before him but had no energy to bring his head up. He felt a strange painful sensation in his hipbone. He quickly understood that the crushing he heard was his bone.

"Ah. That was quite simple."

Hisoka shivered at the voice. Although unaware as to why, the voice brought horrid images to his mind. A small hand creates a fist in his hair and forced him to arch his neck upward.

He stared into the eyes of darkness itself.

Hisoka screamed.

~*~*~*~

Tsuzuki had been doing quite a good job of keeping track of the smaller forms entering the church. But he was not prepared for the shriek that tore through it. He was almost thankful no one was around (which he still hadn't figured out how they had come to be left alone to begin with).

"Hisoka!" he cried, rushing forward.

He skipped steps as he raced upwards only a few feet away from the door. It was closed shut as soon as the remaining children entered.

He reached out, hoping to take hold of the doorknob and burst in. But once he got hold of it, he was unable to push the two enormous doors open.

"Oh damn it," groaned Tsuzuki, looking around for an invisible sign of hope. He didn't want to break down the door…

Stepping back, Tsuzuki shut his eyes and pressed his hands together entwining them together with the exception of his index and middle finger. He softly chanted his familiar chant, not stumbling over the words like he use to when he began his working as a Shinigami.

In split seconds, another scream broke out just at Touda appeared before Tsuzuki, switching into his human form. He stood tall and with his familiar stern expression.

"Stand back," he ordered, preparing himself before the door.

~*~*~*~

Hisoka struggled to look away from the eyes but continuously failed his attempts. He tried shutting his eyes only found he was unable to. He did not see how tall or how small the form was. He only saw eyes.

They seared through his body and mind. He gave a sharp shriek once again. He thought someone was trying to speak to him but he ignored it and resumed his release of the agony his mind was experiencing. Whatever was in front of him, it refused to close the link the two minds shared.

Amongst the screaming, he heard a crackling sound. He paused, panting for breath desperately, and noticed that the eyes had left. To his left and right he saw that the children were dashing off in random directions, disappearing as quickly as they came.

He almost felt tears stream down his cheeks when his hair and arms were released, sending him sprawling against the steps before the altar. The doors had exploded and collapsed under the pressure of something.

"There he is!" screamed a voice, but Hisoka barely heard it.

A pair of rough hands turned him over and lifted him up. He was tucked in gently into the strong body that held him.

"Hisoka…Hisoka!"

Hisoka shifted his eyes slightly, finding Tsuzuki coming towards him. He looked up, curious as to who was carrying him. Touda bent his neck to look at Hisoka, no emotion playing over his face.

He groaned when his body was nudged into Tsuzuki's welcoming arms. "What the hell….took you?"

"God, Hisoka. What happened? Don't worry. It's okay. No need to talk. We'll take you to Watari. We'll tell him about you and the pills and…" rambled Tsuzuki, but was hushed by Hisoka's eyes giving him a stern look.

Hisoka struggled with his voice. It was hoarse and he was unable to speak when he parted his lips.

Tsuzuki frowned deeply. Then smiled gently. "Speechless that I came to your rescue again?" he asked sweetly trying to lighten the mood as he returned back to work.

Hisoka could only lean into the warmth of Tsuzuki's body, tired, and made a note to punch his partner when he had the energy.

~*~*~*~

"Bon, please stop fidgeting. Ow! Bon! I need to-ah! Ow! My hair! My hair!" shrieked Watari, as he pulled back from Hisoka's threatening attacks.

He sighed and caressed his head, placing the syringe down. He watched Hisoka fidget a bit more and scooted back (or as much as he could with bruised and broken bones) away from Watari trying to conceal himself as much as the small gown would cover.

With a frown, Watari gently instructed, "You stay here. I'll be back."

Hisoka eyed him suspiciously. "Can I put my clothes back on?" he asked quietly. His voice was still a bit soar and rusty but he had the capability to speak a bit in a hushed tone.

Watari shook his head, careful not to smack 003 who was contently perched on his shoulder watching the boy on the examining table. "No. I'm not done. Soon though," he promised and opened the door, strolled out, and softly closed it.

Tsuzuki stood up hastily. Beside him, stood the others. Tatsumi, who was there to cheer up Tsuzuki as usual, was sitting in the seat adjacent to the one Tsuzuki was occupying. Konoe was not far behind, standing with arms latched behind his back (Watari didn't recall him being there earlier). Wakaba was also there, holding a box of goods for Hisoka for his recovery. Leave it to Wakaba to bring the best gifts to cheer someone up.

"Is something the matter? Are you done?" frantically asked Tsuzuki, in Watari's face.

Watari offered a gently smile to Tsuzuki. "No," he admitted, "I actually came out for your help. He's not allowing me to inspect him any further. "

Tatsumi raised an eyebrow. "How far did you get into the inspection?"

"Er…I just managed to heal the process of his throat and checked out the upper portion of his chest, his neck and shoulders. Those seem fine but it looks like he has some bruises on the lower half of his body but won't let me see them," he explained, skimming over a clipboard he held with Hisoka's medical examination.

"I also need to check out his recovery on the previous illness he had. I think he may need a couple of injections," he continued. He lifted his eyes to Tsuzuki shooting an accusing look at him. "You gave him those pills, didn't you?"

Tsuzuki gulped and blushed. "…One, I think. He was going to go to sleep! Oh god! I shouldn't have given it to him? He's going to die! No!"

Watari chuckled. "Don't be so worried, Tsuzuki. He won't die from it. I'll take care of it. But, like I said, I need you to help me coax him into relaxing. I don't want to inject him with something if he's not relaxed."

Tsuzuki thought for a second. He then nodded and said, "Sure. I'll help. Of course."

"Great! We'll be right back," Watari said to the others as he entered the room again and shutting the door once more after Tsuzuki followed in.

Inside, Tsuzuki found Hisoka sitting shyly with one leg tucked under his body. He was in a bit of an awkward position.

Hisoka's head snapped up from where it was currently occupied on his clasped hands to stare at Tsuzuki. "What's he doing in here!" he demanded, clutching the sheet from the table and covering his body entirely.

Watari nodded towards Tsuzuki with a grin. "He's the nurse! My assistant!"

Hisoka scowled and beckoned a finger towards the door. "I want him out!" he instructed hoarsely.

"Bon…He's just here to help. Please?" he said. "I need to make sure you're in shape to continue the mission."

Hisoka's mouth shut. He was willing to do almost anything for the sake of a mission. He bit his bottom lip and decided to ignore Tsuzuki's presence.

Watari's grin widened. "It's not like he's never seen you naked before," he laughed out loud.

Hisoka gave an intense glare. "That doesn't count," he protested.

"I don't know," agreed Tsuzuki with Watari. "I mean, you really were burning with that fever when I took off your clothes. I say you were as naked as the day you were born!"

"Shut up!" Hisoka tried to yell louder but only received a violent cough.

"Speaking of fever, time to finish the examination," beamed Watari. He placed his clipboard down and set 003 on a box of gloves.

Watari took out a pair of gloves and slapped them on, stretching them so his hand would fit comfortably. He took the syringe he had originally placed down and approached Hisoka. "Okay, bon, let me see your arm. Then, one in your side. Those two spots are the ones where this particular medication can spread easily to heal you."

Hisoka instantly clutched his arm and side at the comment. Despite his usual treatments, something about needles or sharp object would bother him when they were aimed at him. He shivered slightly.

Watari shot a glance towards Tsuzuki giving a slight nod.

"Here," Tsuzuki said cheerfully, propping himself beside Hisoka. Gently, he pulled Hisoka's back to his chest ignoring the protests and took hold of Hisoka's right arm. With one hand, he stretched it out and the other snaked around his partner's shoulder and straightened the arm so that Hisoka would not bend his elbow.

Hisoka whimpered but sighed. He turned his head and shut his eyes tightly, hoping to block the image of the needle entering his body.

Tsuzuki, having done this before, smiled and spoke comforting words to Hisoka. "Ne, after this we'll get lunch if you don't cry. Wakaba brought some great food and maybe if you're good enough, Watari will give you a lollipop."

Hisoka nudged Tsuzuki's ribs painfully. He attempted to focus on Tsuzuki's emotions to keep him from experiencing the pain.

With a soft chuckle, Watari approached the two and bent slightly at the waist. He removed a wipe from its package and rubbed it thoroughly at the spot where Hisoka's vein was visible.

He stole a glance and noted Hisoka's head turned and eyes tightly pinched shut. He cast his gaze back down and inserted the needle, pleased to not hear anything but a soft hiss. The arm twitched but Tsuzuki kept a firm grip, permitting Watari to inject the liquid in.

"Great," he said, removing the needle and pulling out the second. "Alright now. Can you scoot up a bit and turn a bit to your left?"

Hisoka, with manifest discontent, shoved Tsuzuki off him and obeyed.

Tsuzuki, not hurt with Hisoka's usual action, slid off the table and anxiously watched Watari.

Watari tested out the syringe to confirm that the liquid would exit. "Okay. Good," he complimented.

Slowly, he took the sheet and covered Hisoka up to his hips.

"What are you doing?" asked Tsuzuki. He had never seen Watari inject Hisoka from the side.

Watari gave Tsuzuki a knowing smirk. "As much as I know you would enjoy a free show, I can't let you see Bon naked. I need to lift up his gown so I pull a sheet on."

Tsuzuki raised his eyebrows and asked, "Do you always do that?"

"Yes. It makes Bon much more comfortable," he explained, pulling up the gown. The sheet did prevent any other skin rather than his side and a slight view of his stomach to appear.

Tsuzuki studied his partner's face. He looked…nervous. A sudden fear planted itself on Hisoka's face every now and then. A thought came to his mind.

"Does it hurt him?" Tsuzuki inquired. He simply thought it might have hurt because Hisoka only began getting these injections after the last mission.

Watari gave him a sympathetic look. "…I'm afraid it does. Not much I think. But it can be painful at times. I've been working on an improvement version of this medication. Bon, move your arm."

Hisoka placed his arm beside his head, clutching the tiny pillow for dear life. He took in a breath.

"Ready?"

He exhaled and nodded. He felt the cool pressure of the alcohol being rubbed gently on a specific joint. He looked up and saw Tsuzuki staring down at him. He mentally cursed. He had thought Tsuzuki had left the room by now.

Of course, before he could direct Tsuzuki to withdraw from the room, he felt the needle plunge into him. With an openly cry, he buried his face in the pillow. The discomfort was exceedingly arduous.

Pleasingly, it didn't last long enough to create another cry to erupt. With a moan, he waited as Watari placed a rather small patch over the area he injected Hisoka. He then relocated the gown back down past Hisoka's hips slightly.

"Are you okay, 'Soka?" questioned Tsuzuki, kneeling down to get a better glimpse at his partner.

Hisoka opened his eyes. "Why are you still here, idiot?"

Tsuzuki smiled sweetly. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to cry because I left," he explained.

Hisoka snarled and turned back to Watari who was adding pressure to his skin on different areas to find any disturbance.

"Hm…Does this feel strange?" he examined as he pressed gently on Hisoka's ankle.

Hisoka gave a sharp cry. "Yes!"

Watari smiled sheepishly. "Sorry.

"You will be when I'm through with you…"

"Behave, Hisoka or I won't allow Watari to give you a sticker OR a lollipop."

"I thought I told you to get out!"

~*~*~*~

Tatsumi stares intently at Tsuzuki who fidgeted under his gaze uncomfortably. The secretary raised his eyebrows in amusement as he heard a grumbling vibration.

Tsuzuki blushed and gave a pleading look towards Tatsumi. "Tatsumi…"

"Oh no. You're not leaving this room until we've explained the proper necessities of this next plan," warned Tatsumi, not concealing any hint of weakness in his stern voice. He dared Tsuzuki to question him.

"But I'm hungry!" proclaimed Tsuzuki sitting upright. "Can't I just have a bit of that donut on the count—"

Konoe beat Tatsumi to the admonishing. "Tsuzuki," he began, "You had five already. It would be selfish if you do not save your own partner one."

"Oh but Hisoka got plenty of food from Wakaba!" Tsuzuki said almost in a begging tone.

Tatsumi rubbed his temples when Tsuzuki began to whimper from starvation. It was such an exaggeration but not to Tsuzuki.

A quiet voice broke through the tense yet silent room. "Tsuzuki can have it."

Everyone lifted their eyes to Hisoka, who, now fully dressed, stood beside Watari and was taking his usual seat across from Tsuzuki at the long wooden polished table. Expectantly, a cup of hot tea was settled on top of the table. It was green tea, naturally to Hisoka pleasure. He also took it without any mixture of sugar.

"How are you feeling, Kurosaki-kun?" asked Tatsumi before Tsuzuki could fondle the tired boy with useless blabber.

Hisoka gave a courteous nod. "I'm all right."

Watari snorted from where he stood beside the door and plopped into a seat adjacent to Tatsumi's. He gave a warm greeting to the secretary who barely noticed it.

A sigh erupted from Konoe as he cast his eyes over the group and then to Watari. "How's he really doing, Watari?"

Watari jerked his head in the direction of Hisoka. "A lot of pain."

Hoping to ignore his partner's disappointed glare, Hisoka lifted his up and drank thankfully cautious as to not spill. He used his left hand, which was a bit shaky. His other arm was too numb to hold a spoon even. Mentally, he begged for morphine but did not want to fall asleep during an important case such as this.

Tatsumi shot Hisoka a strange look. "I assume he should be resting?"

"I'm well enough to contribute to the mission," Hisoka answered flatly before Watari could speak up.

Tsuzuki bit his lip, hesitant to speak. "Maybe we should wait a bit for Hisoka…"

"I'm fine!" retorted Hisoka, clanking his cup down onto the saucer decorated on the rim with golden vines weaving a masterpiece.

Before Tsuzuki could lose his temper and protest, Tatsumi raised his voice to be heard. "Actually, we can do both."

All with the exception of Konoe stared at him.

"Our next task is for you two to be present at a ball held at the home of the Fitz Gilbert's tonight in a few hours. It's a party held every year. It supposedly is something of a get together with those of the upper class," Tatsumi said eyeing each of them.

Hisoka's mind thought back to the play "Romeo and Juliet". It reminded him of the celebration held by the Capulet family in which the two lovers met each other. Personally, he found it a passionate play but not one of his favorites. The idea of someone dying such tragic death was too confusing for him. Perhaps if he was in love, he might have appreciated the play more. Daisuke Sato then entered his mind…

"Kurosaki-kun."

Hisoka blinked and met Tatsumi's cold eyes. "Yes?"

"Did you hear what I said?"

Opening his mouth to reply but finding no words coming out, Hisoka shut his lips tightly and shook his head. "Sorry," he whispered.

"It's all right, though I must admit it's not like you. Either way, I had said that Daisuke's parents would not be attending the part personally. His sister will, though, but we've managed to…distract her, if you will so not to interfere with our mission," he explained, beginning to smile.

Hisoka raised an eyebrow. "And…?"

Tatsumi did radiate a smile towards him. "You will go as the sister."

Death to Tatsumi.

"WHAT!" he shouted, bolting from his seat knocking it over on the hard surface.

Tsuzuki's chuckling grew into outrageous laughter at the thought of Hisoka in a skirt and flowers crowing his hair that would be decorated with bright ribbons.

Konoe smirked but maintained a calm cool. "Kurosaki-kun, please understand."

"I will NOT! This is absurd!" Hisoka shrieked.

Watari went towards the large computer screen and tapped in a few digits on the side. An enormous portrait of the Renée Fitz Gilbert, age 16, sprung to life on the screen. Her lovely looks could only be described as identical to Hisoka's. The only two visible differences were of that of her larger chest and longer hair lying gently on her shoulders.

Watari smiled at the resemblance. "See, Bon? It's perfect! You two are like twins! And with my sex change potions—"

Hisoka groaned and slammed his fists furiously against the table, shaking it violently and clattering the other cups of hot liquid. "I will not turn myself into a woman!"

Tatsumi sweatdropped and shot a glare at Watari for frightening the boy. "Such a thing is not necessary. We simply need to er…execute some minor adjustment. For his hair, we can simply place a fake bun or ribbon with extending hair to the back of his head, giving him a slightly more feminine figure."

Hisoka was pure read from the humiliation he would experience and the anger raging within him like a mad tornado. "I. Will. Not."

Tsuzuki took the opportunity to know his position. He was also chewing and the sprinkled chocolate donut he was lusting for. "What will I be?"

Tatsumi offered Hisoka a sympathetic look as he addressed Tsuzuki. "You will attend as one of the family's closest and wealthiest companion. Raymond D'Aubigne."

Tsuzuki raised his head high a bit and placed a finger to his chin in thought. The only thing that bothered him was the French name. It was a bit difficult to pronounce actually. "Well," he teased smiling at Hisoka, "as long as I don't have to wear a dress, I'm okay."

"That's it! I REFUSE to participate in this if he keeps rubbing it in!" threatened Hisoka, rudely jerking his finger at the chortling Tsuzuki.

Konoe's lips twitched into a smirk. "We can arrange for him to wear a dress if needed."

Tsuzuki instantly gasped and stood up as well. "You really wouldn't do that…would you?"

"I'll add pink ruffles to the dress if you would aid me, Kurosaki-kun," Tatsumi had said very softly, but not bothering to conceal his smile.

Hisoka, though still enraged, managed the tiniest of smirks. "Indeed. I'll be sure to add large red ribbons to his hair to add to the outfit."

"You guys! That's not funny!"

"Perhaps Wakaba would allow us to use her make up?" suggested Konoe, ignoring Tsuzuki's surprised look.

Hisoka nodded. "I'm sure she won't mind. Perhaps she'll even have a pair of high healed shoes to match."

"Now that's just cruel! You guys! Stop ignoring me! Guys!"

~*~*~*~

They hate me.

They despise me.

I hate them too.

They betrayed me.

I'm so lonely.

They do not know what they have dealt with.

I am Lucifer.

I am darkness.

I am an anti-Christ.

Fuck the pure and innocent.

I will not allow myself to become their plaything.

Death to God and His Angels.

Death to you.

~*~End~*~

A/N: The ending was…hmm…awkward. I'm so happy I was able to upload something! I'm still having difficulty with uploading Survival of the Parents and Akusho. *sigh* At least, I got this one up. I'm going to attempt to upload more fics. A lot. And I think I'll be able to upload Survival of the Parents. I will make this laptop work. I swear to you all! ^_^ Did you like? It will be a very…very interesting plot. You can't resist it.

Write a review and I'll respond! ^_^ I love reading and responding to reviews. It's nice to get to know others who enjoy my work. Such nice people.

If I get a lot of reviews, I'll post up 4 chapters of a fic of your choice. Please read your choices below.

TELL ME WHAT 4 CHAPTERS/FICS DO YOU WANT UPDATED AND THE FOUR WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL BE UPDATED.

THESE ARE YOUR CHOICES:

Fics already posted:

Survival of the Parents

Beyond These Tears

Fics not posted yet (these ones are all humorous and with the cast of Yami no Matsuei):

A satire fic dealing with newlyweds and couples in disagreement. Think marriage is all that great? Think again. ^_^

A satire fic dealing with human laziness (slightly AU)

A satire fic dealing with that all time favorite "shitty day"

A satire fic poking fun at that human behavior (love, sex, drugs, drinking, you name it)

These fics are serious and relate to issues that society deals with today (cast of YnM):

A fic where Tsuzuki and Hisoka adopt a child and are forced to cope with the disgust and resentfulness from those around them (with the exception of their close friends. AU).

A fic where Hisoka is consumed by his austere Catholic family, which require him to understand and accept their religion and harsh ways. Though when he is introduced into the outside world, he meets a man, who teaches him of friendship and courage. Enter a world where religion conceals paradoxes and where the final question lies. Can Hisoka escape his chains of torment? ~~ (Friends say they highly recommend it. *shrugs* ^_^)

I'll leave it at that for now. I have plenty more, but I don't want to throw too much at you. ^_^ *hugs* I love you all.