Thank you all for your reviews! I'm going on a holiday to India tomorrow and I just wanted to get this up before then. I'll reply to all your reviews when I get back. I'm sorry it's been so long but...oh things just got really busy. Lol. Still Im really grateful and everyone reviewed so nicely. I will say that this is definitely a Mimato and a Taiora so sorry if the last chapter confused any of you. I would guess there are about 3 more chapters to go so till next year everybody! Have a great Christmas and New Year and take care of yourselves!

Chapter 9: Betrayal

Ken stared at the young girl on the floor angrily. Why did she have to come and ruin all his plans? Why? He knew he could have just killed her on the spot but something was stopping him. Maybe it was the innocence in her face or maybe it was just the fact that she was a girl but whatever it was it was the reason for her lying in his hideout now while he pondered what to do. He had debated calling the Boss but he could pretty much predict his advice. "Kill her," he would say and Ken didn't want to explain why he couldn't. In fact he didn't know why he couldn't. He was interrupted in his thoughts when there was a dull moan from the floor as the girl shifted. Stiffening he levelled the gun at her head waiting as she looked up. Her eyes were the first thing he noticed. Large, warm and brown for some ridiculous reason they reminded him of a doe's eyes. He remembered the first time he had gone hunting. It had been good practice for his shooting skills, but he could never forget the first deer he had killed. The look of fear in the creature's eyes was exactly the same as the girls. She looked at the gun and gulped before turning to him.

"What do you want?" Despite her shaking hands her voice was firm.

Ken ignored the question. "What's your name girl?"

"Yolei."

"And why were you in the alley?"

"I was going to meet Michael the-," Her voice trailed off, probably as she remembered what had happened to her friend. "You killed him. You killed him."

Ken shrugged. "Someone else's orders. My job." She looked so disgusted he felt oddly guilty. "I don't know what to do with you," he admitted.

Hope flared briefly in her face. "You can let me go."

"Of course not. You've seen me, you're a danger, a liability. I should…" he hesitated and lifted the gun. "I should kill you."

"You wouldn't!" Yolei gasped. Ken raised an eyebrow and she turned away. "So you would. Well if you're going to do it you may as well."

"That's all? No farewell speech? No pleading?"

"What's the point? You're just a cold, cruel hearted assassin. And believe me I would rather die then plead with you." She laughed shortly gathering up her knees in her arms. "How ironic, I am going to die. Just like I was born."

Ken's perfect forehead creased. "What do you mean?"

She gestured around the empty warehouse. "I was born somewhere like this. In a large empty room with a gun and a murderer."

She offered no more and for a minute Ken fought with his curiosity, gave up and bent down. "Tell me what happened."

She looked at him. The fear was still there but there was a kind of strength about this girl. He had a feeling she was not going to break. "I'll tell you on one condition," she replied seriously.

He smirked with a feeling he knew what was coming. "You let me go."

Ken examined his fingernails casually. "No. How about this? You tell me or I'll kill you."

"No deal. You're going to kill me anyway."

He stopped and wondered for the hundredth time why he was bargaining when he could be rid of her in a second. Bending down he brought her face close to his. "Ok fair's fair. You tell me and I won't kill you. I'll just keep you safe here so that you won't go blabbering."

Her face was stoic and emotionless as she thought. Minutes ticked by on their watches. His with a waterproof covering, glow in the dark features and access to all the time zones in the world and hers with a large beagle on the face. Finally she nodded.

"All right."

OXOXOXOXO

Mimi banged her head on the wall theatrically. It was supposed to make her feel better but all that happened was that she had a sore head on top of everything else she was going through. She stared at the posters on her room mostly of kittens and puppies and wished more then anything she could cuddle one now. A knock on the door interrupted her and she fell back on the bed. "Come in."

Kari walked in looking half troubled and half amused. "What have you done now Mimi?"

"Given myself a headache."

Shaking her head Kari sat down beside her. "You know what I mean. To make Matt so angry with you! What happened at the party last night?"

"Nuffin appen," said Mimi voice muffled because it was buried in her pillow.

"Mimi…," replied Kari severely.

"Fine! I was jealous of Matt so I went and kissed Taichi Yagami. Happy now?"

Kari sat bolt upright. "You kissed my brother?"

"Tai's your brother?" Mimi stared at Kari nonplussed. "B-but your surname's Kamiya."

Kari shrugged and pushed the matter away quickly. "I can't believe it. Why did you kiss him?"

Mimi groaned. "I don't know. I told you I was jealous and he was there and it was so convenient. I mean, he's always been after me." Seeing Kari's wide eyes she managed a small giggle. "Not after me like that. I mean he's a cop and I'm a criminal. I don't how we became friends if you can even call it that. We just did. And then yesterday…it all kind of went haywire."

"So you're in love with him?"

Mimi laughed outright. "God no. If I love anyone it's Ya-,"

A wicked grin crossed Kari's face.

"'Ya' who?"

"None of your business missy. I shouldn't be so dependent on people anyway. You have to take care of yourself in this world." Before Kari could interrupt she continued. "How are things going with you and Dai then?"

Kari blushed. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh don't play so innocent. It's utterly obvious that he likes you and charming as he is," Here Mimi rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you like him too."

Kari bit her lip looking worried. "But how do you know he likes me? I mean he is a flirt. I see him doing it all the time. He just wants someone to play around with."

"Listen to me Hikari. Dai is a…weird boy to be sure but he would never lead you on. I mean yeah he's the biggest flirt I've ever met but he would never make you do something you didn't want to do or get into a relationship with someone he didn't truly like. Got it?"

Kari smiled genuinely. "Got it." Getting up she patted Mimi on the back. "You should come out some time Mimi. It must be quiet in here."

Mimi didn't meet her eyes. "Say hi to Daisuke for me."

Kari sighed and walked to the door. "All right."

Clenching her fists Mimi stared after her before making up her mind. "Wait Kari!"

"Yes?"

"Tell Yamato…,"

"Mm?"

"Tell Yamato…,"

"Yes Mimi?"

"Tell him…I'm sorry."

OXOXOXOXO

Matt stared moodily at the T.V. screen flicking from channel to channel with disinterest. Daisuke had gone out with a blushing Kari and Matt had no wish to intrude on the lovebirds. Not when his relationship seemed to be on the rocks. Whoa! Wait a minute. Backtracking there. What relationship? He and Mimi had nothing. Well, nothing official anyway. A few kisses, some harmless flirting, it didn't mean anything, right? Evidently not to Mimi the way she had been kissing that other guy. Who was he anyway? Just some stupid cop who didn't know how to do his job. He had watched him push past him and walk away with Sora. Then he had been too dazed to do anything, but if he had his smug little face in front of him now… He punched the pillow hard. "Shit," cursing he lay back down and shut his eyes. Kari had told him Mimi had said sorry but he wasn't sure if he was ready to forgive her. Not when he was so unsure about everything himself.

OXOXOXOXO

Kari and Daisuke walked down the pathway shyly. For some reason a silence had fallen over them and even Dai couldn't seem to think of anything to say. Their shoulders were brushing and their hands were swinging dangerously close to each other. Kari shivered. Immediately Dai stopped and offered his coat. She declined politely. They looked at each other and after realizing how stupid they were actually being burst out laughing. Clinging to each other they stumbled down the road, past the café and into a dairy still almost hysterical. "Can I offer you my coat, madam?"

"Oh no I'm quite fine thank you sir. And how is your horse?"

"You mean Lightening? He is quite fine. Can I get you anything?" Dai gestured around to the cheap food sitting on the shelves. "Some fried potatoes, a bun with a sausage in it? Perhaps a cookie is more to your taste."

Kari was just about to reply in turn when a newspaper caught her eye. "Oh my…," The smiled died off her face. "Daisuke look at this."

Dai turned around nonchalantly and froze. "Um Kari-,"

"Do you know who this is?" Her voice was getting slightly hysterical. "This is Mimi's friend! That nice guy she told me about. And Daisuke…,"

He tried to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder but she shook him off looking scared. "Dai! He's…he's…dead." She forced out the word like a repulsive slug.

Daisuke looked worried. "Now Kari don't jump to conclusions or anything but-,"

Suddenly understanding crossed her face as she looked at him back to the newspaper and then back to him. "You did it. For some twisted reason you killed him and hid it from me and Mimi."

"We didn't hide it exactly, we thought you'd feel more comfortable not knowing…," He trailed off and she didn't miss the guilty look in his eyes.

"So this is what you do?" Her voice had lowered to a whisper and she was staring at him as if seeing someone completely new. "This is what I'm part of."

"Look Kari I know it seems bad but there is an explanation-,"

"I don't want to hear it. It's just going to be like all the other shit you've been feeding me." Her mood changed abruptly. "Why doesn't Mimi know?"

Dai didn't answer.

"She deserves to know. She deserves to know you killed one of her best friends."

Finally Dai's eyes were hard. "She knew what she was getting into. She joined us. This job has risks as much as it has compensations."

Kari shook her head. "No compensation is worth a life."

"Make sure Mimi doesn't do anything rash," called Dai warningly.

Kari didn't reply and didn't look back. She didn't know if she could ever look in Daisuke's face again.

OXOXOXOXO

Mimi blew a stubborn curl of hair out of her face angrily. Why was she still thinking about him? Why was she feeling so damn guilty? "He's just a guy Meems," she told herself. "Sure he might have made you feel special but at the end of it all he's just a guy." She pressed two fingers to her lips trying to forget about what it felt like when he kissed her. Finally she gave up, buried her head in her pillow and screamed as loudly as she could. After a few minutes she stopped. Wow, she had been screaming so loudly she could almost hear a thudding in her ears. Had she blasted an eardrum? Confused she looked around just in time to spot a distraught Kari hammering at her window. At once she got up and undid the latch. "Kari?" she gasped as the other girl tumbled onto her bedroom floor. "That jerk didn't do anything to you did he? Because if he hurt you in any way I will pound his miserable body into the gr-,"
"He did hurt me. But-," she said holding up a hand quickly. "Not in the way you think."

Slightly subdued by Kari's serious tone Mimi's eyes widened. "What happened?"

Kari didn't answer her directly, instead she began to pace up and down the pink carpet. "Have you been reading the newspapers Mimi?"

Mimi shrugged. "No. Usually if there's anything important I find out about it before."

"Maybe you should change your theory."

"Kari…?"

The young girl's face was grim as she began.