Author's Notes: Like Pokerface, this is anothe rold fanfiction I wrote with a few friends after discussing Gits. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I profit in no way from the intelectual or physical property of the copyright holder or their affiliates.

Ghost In The Shell: Togusa's Secret:

It was nearing eight o'clock at Section Nine's Office, most of the staff and members were long gone, off to their respective homes and after-hours establishments of choice. For some though, there was no sense of urgency to scurry off home or to the local pubs and clubs. For some, they had work to do, and guilty pleasures to indulge. One such of the few remaining members was Batou. He would never leave immediately when he signed off duty, instead he would head to the locker room, observe the Tachikoma's and then use his weight training gear for a solid half-hour.

A fully armoured cyborg such as Batou need not lift weights; he could punch through the engine block of a truck, but still he found himself pumping iron after work every day of the week. To him it was a means to keep a sense of who he was alive, with less than 2% of his identity overthrown with cybernetics, there was a strong desire in his ghost that urged him to grasp a tight grip on his remaining humanity. The Major was an ever-present reminder of this.

"Still going at it Big Guy?" echoed Togusa's voice down the near-empty halls.

Batou glanced to his side, seeing his co-worker approaching, "you know it."

Togusa snickered, "Well, I'm taking off, try not to strain a muscle."

"Oh, ha-ha." scoffed Batou as he lifted the enormous weights.

Batou sat up on the bench and lowered the weights onto the floor. There was something unusual about Togusa, something he hadn't picked up on before. Batou scratched his head, catching the reminiscent figure of his commander's body in the corner of his eye. She caught him watching her, as he knew she would, and so Batou kept an eye on her as she sauntered her purple negligee-clad body towards him.

"You'll never learn will you?" asked Motoko with an air of sincerity.

Batou stood, "you have your habits, I have mine."

Motoko smiled, "at least my habits are productive."

'Productive, but not legal.'

Togusa quickly came to the forefront of Batou's thoughts, "Say, have you noticed something different about Togusa?"

"Togusa?" queried The Major, she thought for a moment before shrugging, "a haircut, maybe? Something metabolic, he's only human."

"No," dismissed Batou, "It isn't something physical..."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Motoko shot her co-worker a cheeky smile and said; "maybe it's you that needs to upgrade to a female chassis."

Batou's brow furrowed, "yeah-yeah, shouldn't you be brain-diving some poor schmuck right now?"

Motoko laughed to herself as she walked away, "goodnight Batou."

Having been outdone at his own game, Batou felt a strong need to prove The Major wrong.

'I'll show her, there is something up with Togusa, I know it.'

Batou leaped into action, he snatched his coat from his locker, slipped it on and headed after Togusa. He didn't care that he'd left his gear on the floor and that the Tachikoma's would no doubt get into all knew levels of mischief with them in the morning, Batou was focused on the task at hand. His co-worker was acting out of the ordinary, it was his job, no—his duty to make sure he was well. Working in Section Nine was a very tiring and hands-on job, adding to this the secretive nature of their work and Togusa's family; there were obviously high levels of stress for the young man. Especially since Togusa's only augmentation was his cybrebrain.

'I've seen what stress can do to a man, Togusa needs my help.'

Batou strode out of the lift and into the underground car park. He walked swiftly to his yellow sports car, accessing the regions traffic monitoring satellite and pinpointing Togusa's aqua-blue sedan. Togusa was on the highway, driving to his home and Batou knew if he took a few back roads he'd catch him in no time.

The car park echoed with the roar of the sports cars engine; Batou gave the throttle a quick jab and sped off over the ramp and out into the late night streets. It was not long before Batou was only two cars between his co-worker, and he had decided to hang back, observing his friend in an attempt to help assess the issue at hand. Batou's eyebrows rose as he watched Togusa exit the highway and take an off-ramp leading down town; it was not in the direction of his home. Something strange was definitely up.

'Where are you going?'

Eager to discover where his teammate was heading, Batou followed suit. He was soon only a single car between his friends, and while Batou was hardly inconspicuous, his ex-detective friend seemed completely oblivious. Batou watched as Togusa slowly headed through the slums, watching out for the gangs and street racers that polluted the streets. None of this was a cause for concern to Batou, he knew exactly how the state of the slums was, the poverty and drug abuse. Crime was a way of life down there, yet Togusa was driving down those streets.

'What is he up to?...an affair?'

Batou's cyborg eyes nearly burst from his skull as he watched Togusa pull into a drive-through McDonalds. Batou rubbed his temples as he confirmed that Togusa was having an affair, it was the most logical explanation; there were several fast-food chains in Togusa's neighbourhood. If he was after a meal he wouldn't go three kilometres out of the way though the slums, only a fool would.

Nevertheless, Batou felt obliged to follow him. He traced Togusa's movements through the slums to a florist's boutique that was strangely open past eight o'clock at night. After that, Togusa drove around the slums in an aimless fashion for a good ten minutes before he parked his car in an alley between a pair of apartment buildings.

'He's stopped...now's my chance.'

Batou pulled over and climbed out of his compact vehicle. He couldn't force the scowl on his face to disperse as he gained closer to the aqua-green sedan, shadowy figures moving behind the tinted windows. Batou felt his anger rise as he stepped around the side of the car and reefed open the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" shouted Batou, furious with Togusa's devious ways.

It was only then that Batou realised he was not witnessing his co-worker in a frivolous affair. He was witnessing a grown man, sitting in a car by himself at nine in the night, with enough take-out for a whole family, and a bouquet of roses.

'What the...'

"I can explain." stated Togusa, spitting a mouthful of burger onto his lap, "wait, why are you here Big Guy?"

Batou frowned, a grunt escaping his lips; "I was following you, you've been acting suspiciously over the last few days...I was starting to suspect that you were cheating on your wife."

"My wife?" queried Togusa in shock. "I would never—I love my wife!"

"Then explain to me what you're doing out in the middle of the slums with five Big Macs and roses?" asked Batou, nearly roaring at his co-worker.

Togusa looked at his shoes as he rubbed the back of his neck, "My wife...she's convinced she's put on weight, so my whole family is on a diet...I'm so sick of eating nothing but vegetables and rice, so I started sneaking out here after work and filling up on burgers...and disguising the smell on my breath by eating the roses."

Batou held his palm to his face, "oh, brother."

I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to vote on my poll, reviewing isn't that important but the poll will help with future works so I will appreciate the input.