Crossed Threads

Well here's a bit more for you...Ciana, as always thanks for the encouragement. Though I'd have to say, your speed was a bit surprising! Anyways, for anyone else reading this, please let me know what you think. Standard disclaimers apply.



~*~ Maia







Omi cradled the head of the comatose girl in his lap as Yohji swerved in and out of traffic. "Yohji-kun," he winced as his laptop slid off the seat and onto the floor, "You really don't need to drive this way. She'll be alright…" He added in his head, 'As long as we get home in one piece,' but didn't want to upset the older man further.



Yohji cast a quick glare at him in the rear-view mirror. "What went wrong?" he asked, as usual expecting Omi to have all the answers.



Omi simply shrugged and bowed his head. "I don't know. Maybe she does…" His hand stroked Tori's hair, which was slightly singed and almost black with soot. Her face and hands were covered in tiny cuts from the glass, and she had dislocated three fingers in her leap to safety. Omi had taken advantage of the fact she was unconscious and had already re-set them.



Omi breathed a sigh of relief when they finally pulled up to the back of the Koneko, he and Yohji carrying Tori between them inside. They lay her down on the couch just as Ken and Aya burst in.



"Is she alright? What happened? Who did this? When will she wake up?" Ken fired questions at them like machine-gun fire.



"She'll be fine," Omi assured him, moving closer to lay his head on the taller boy's shoulder. "We just need to wait 'till she wakes up. Then we'll know what happened."



Aya came into the room with the first aid kit and a damp towel, which he handed to Yohji. Gently, the blonde started to wipe away the blood and soot from his sister's face. The others pretended not to notice as he brushed a tear off his cheek with the back of his glove.



It wasn't until Aya started applying an antiseptic to the worst of her cuts that she started to come around, the painful stinging bringing her back to consciousness. With a strength born of years of training, she lashed out at her "attacker" and launched herself to her feet to assess the situation.



As her vision focused, she stared around at the shocked faces of the Weiss team. Aya was sprawled on the floor, massaging his jaw.



"Oh my…did I..? What happened?" Tori asked, moving a bit shakily to sit back down on the couch.



Aya gave her a scowl, and then rose to his feet. "We were hoping that you could tell us," he said.



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She held the cup of tea between her hands gingerly, wincing slightly at the pain in her hands where her fingers had been forced back into place. They had all changed out of their mission clothes, and had thankfully allowed her the time to take a shower before doing their debriefing. Yohji was sitting beside her on the couch, one arm draped protectively over her shoulders.



"Here's what I remember," she offered, wanting nothing more than to get this over with and get to bed, "I contacted Omi to find out where I was going, and I was able to locate the room. I should have known then that something was wrong. The door was left open, when none of the other ones had been. I should've smelled a trap," she chided herself, feeling bitter. Yohji squeezed her arm gently, urging her to go on.



"I behaved stupidly," she admitted, looking to Aya, "I had a…feeling…that I shouldn't have gone in there, but I did. There was a computer that was on, and a dead security guard on the floor."



"There was a dead guard?" Aya asked, leaning forward in his chair, "How? Yohji and I were never in that area of the building."



"I know," Tori sighed, "I told you, I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to get my charges set and get out. I just figured maybe another guard had shot him in the confusion of your initial attack."



Yohji stiffened beside her and glanced to Omi. "Was he shot with a shotgun or a handgun, d'you think?" he asked her.



"A handgun, I guess, why?" she turned to him, aware that he was exchanging looks with the other members of his team.



"It could be Schwartz," Omi nodded, "The Oracle and Mastermind both carry guns, though from the sounds of it, I would say the Oracle is more likely."



"But why would they go after our target?" Ken chimed in, pacing back and forth behind the chair Omi was sitting in. Suddenly, he stopped and leaned on the back of the chair, nearly knocking it over in his excitement. "I've got it! They must've been the ones responsible, so they were trying to cover up the evidence!"



Aya shook his head slowly. "That is possible, but not likely," he stated, "If they knew we would be there, they likely would have stayed to taunt us. We cannot even be sure it was them in the first place." He crossed his arms over his chest, thinking. "Tori, tell me about the device you saw."



"It was pretty basic," she said, thinking back, "Just some plastic explosives attached to the hard drive, with a brick of C-4 to make the explosion bigger, I guess. It was something a kid could've learned from the internet. Except the timer…it was actually plugged into the computer, which was performing a scan. Once the scan was complete, the timer would go off, igniting the charge." She thought for a moment. "Whoever did it, they knew computers, that's for sure. I don't think I could've set up a timer like that,"



Omi nodded. "Well, I'll see what I can figure out. But right now, I think we could all use some sleep."



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Tori knew she couldn't sleep, so she waited until all the noises from the other rooms stopped. Poking her head out into the hallway, she could see that all the doors were closed, and all the lights were off. She stepped out into the hall, her bare feet padding silently across the carpet.



She stopped to listen outside her brother's door. Everything was silent. She tried to remember the last time she had crept into his room like this. She would have been six, and it was just after their mother had kicked their father out for being a drunk. She had climbed into bed with Yohji, and he had made her forget all the yelling.



But now, after so many years, she almost felt foolish to be standing there thinking about it. She was on the verge of simply returning to her room when she heard a door open down the hall.



A head peeked out into the hall, and she pressed herself back against the door to keep out of sight. Apparently, it worked, because the shape moved slowly down the hall towards where she stood at the other end. Whoever it was stopped at the door next to Yohji's.



Instantly, she knew it was Omi. "That's Ken's room, you know," she spoke quietly. The poor boy nearly jumped out of his skin, a startled "Eep!" escaping him.



He stood frozen with one hand on the doorknob. "I…was on my way to the bathroom!" he lied, trying to make a u-turn and escape.



She laid her hand on his shoulder, turning him back around. "Do you really think I'm stupid?" she asked, the tone of her voice softening the words. Omi shook his head. In the darkness, she could only imagine the bright red of his cheeks.



"You're not gonna tell, are you?" he whispered.



She ruffled his hair fondly. "Kid, I wouldn't tell a soul. As long as you don't tell on me for sneaking around, either."



Omi smiled, understanding why she wouldn't want to be alone after a mission like that. "Agreed." He silently slipped into his boyfriend's room, as she slipped into her brother's.



She tiptoed over to the bed and gently eased herself down onto the mattress. She curled up on her side, afraid to breathe too loudly and wake Yohji up.



"I figured you'd end up in here," he said, apparently still awake. He held up one side of the blankets, allowing her to crawl under. "Do you remember the last time we shared a bed like this?" he asked, draping his arm over her.



Tori nodded. "I was just thinking about that. It was when Mom kicked Dad out, just before he took me away. I remember we stayed up half the night talking."



"Do you remember what we talked about?" he asked, amazed at the comfort he still felt around this girl he hadn't seen in over ten years.



"No," she yawned, "I just remember I was scared of something, and you made me feel better."



"You were afraid that our family was going to get separated, and you would be all by yourself," Yohji whispered, "And I told you that if you were ever alone, you could call me and I would come find you." He hugged her closer to him. "It took me a while, but now I've found you, and I'm not letting you go away again. That's why tonight, I was so scared…" He didn't finish the sentence, but Tori understood.



"I promise, I'll be more careful from now on," she murmured, slowly drifting off to sleep.



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When she awoke, the bed beside her was empty. Judging by the angle of the sun coming in the window, she guessed it was after noon. She hauled herself up, ran to her room to dress, and practically flew downstairs to the shop.



"I'm so sorry I'm late," she cried, tying on her apron as she burst through the door. She stopped as she realized that all four of the boys were in the shop, and they were all staring at her.



"We let you sleep," Yohji explained, shooing the fan-girls away from him. He came to stand beside her, carefully looking her up and down over the top of his shades. "You need to go shopping, take the rest of the day off." he decided, much to her confusion. He handed her a credit card and walked back over to the counter where his adoring fans awaited him.



Ken grinned at her. "That's a Kritiker account, so try not to get us audited or anything. Besides, with your face all cut up like that, you might scare away the customers!"



She gave him a mock glare and stuck her tongue out in his direction. "And after I let Omi off the hook for sneaking around last night," she said in an undertone so only he could hear.



He choked, which seemed to shut him up for a while. He glanced over at his boyfriend, who gave a helpless shrug. Tori gave Ken a wink as she walked past him.



Aya stepped in front of her before she could make it to the door. "I have a question, before you go." He motioned for her to follow him as he led her into the storage room. He got right to the point. "How much longer are you staying with us?"



She looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "You're asking because of Yohji, aren't you?" she asked him, already knowing the answer.



The red-head nodded. "He's grown attached to you. He talks about you as though you'll be staying forever. How much longer does he have?"



Tori sighed, chewing her bottom lip in a manner that reminded Aya sharply of her sibling. He wondered for a moment if he and his sister would be like that, too… He snapped out of it sharply as she spoke.



"Really, if I hadn't been hurt, I was supposed to leave last night, as soon as it was done." She looked up at him guiltily, remembering what her brother had told her last night in his room. "Don't tell him, please! I want to break it to him myself." Aya nodded. "I'll stay as long as I can, though," she continued, "If that's okay with you?" He gave another silent approval, and then stepped aside to allow her to continue on her way.



He had the feeling that something big was going to come of this.



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She had no idea why they had decided to give her the day off. It wasn't like the mission the night before had been that bad. Still, she wasn't the type to say no to a shopping spree at Kritiker's expense, and she definitely needed something to distract her from her thoughts of losing her brother again.



She made her way through the crowded mall, not looking for anything in particular. She had already picked up a new outfit that she could wear out clubbing, if she could convince Yohji or one of the others to take her out later.



As she wandered along, daydreaming, she didn't notice the man standing in front of her until she bumped right into him, nearly sending herself flying backwards. "Oh, wow, I'm so sorry!" she sputtered, "I wasn't looking, and I --"



The tall red-head placed a hand on her arm to steady her. "Are you alright?" he asked, his slightly nasal voice betraying some accent she couldn't quite place.



She nodded, trying to collect herself. "Yes, I'm alright. Thank you," she replied, flushing in embarrassment.



The tall, lanky red-head flashed her a lopsided grin. "You're not from around here, are ya?" he asked.



"No," she responded slowly, slightly taken aback, "I've been living overseas for the last ten years. Why? How did you know?"



He gave a knowing smile. "Your accent gives you away. You speak English?"



"Fluently," she said, switching languages easily.



"Good," he said, "Because my Japanese is horrible. Not enough people here speak English, and even fewer speak German," he complained.



She laughed, finding herself warming up to the stranger. "So, what brings a German to these parts?" she asked.



"Working," came the reply, "My company has a new endeavour they just started up over here, and I'm to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Do you smoke?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject.



"Yeah, I do, but my brother doesn't like it," she confessed.



The German took her gently by the elbow with a smile, leading her out the mall's large double doors. Tori followed willingly, enjoying having another English-speaker around. Leaning against the wall outside, the man lit two cigarettes and passed one to her. She noticed the way his hand brushed hers, but she didn't really mind. It had been so long since she'd flirted with a guy that she wasn't entirely aware that it was happening.



She took the opportunity to really study the man before her. He was tall and slim, wearing khaki pants with a white shirt and a forest green jacket. His shaggy, flame-red hair was pulled back from his face with a bright yellow bandana, and a pair of designer shades were perched on top. He was definitely good looking, if perhaps a bit color-blind.



"So, what did you buy?" He indicated the large bag resting at her feet, seemingly oblivious to her scrutiny.



"A new clubbing outfit," she admitted.



"Got any place special in mind?" he raised an eyebrow at her, his blue-green eyes telling her he already knew what she was going to say.



She shook her head. He nodded to himself as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. Pulling a pen from inside his jacket, he hastily scribbled an address and handed it to her. "I'm there a lot," he said, "Stop by sometime. You can bring some friends, if you'd like. Or maybe your brother,"



Tori laughed. "No, I won't bring him. He'd probably try to kill you!" The statement probably wasn't too far off… She glanced at the address on the paper, figuring she'd probably have to check one of Omi's maps when she got home.



The German cast a quick glance over her shoulder, and she turned to see a younger boy, probably about Omi's age, walking towards them. He was wearing a school uniform, but his dark hair hid his face as he walked with his eyes on the ground.



"It was delightful talking with you," the red-head sighed, pushing himself off the wall and stretching, "Hopefully I'll see you again, miss…?"



"Tori," she offered, extending her hand. He took it in his and squeezed gently.



"Schuldig," he replied. He blew her a kiss as he jogged over to his friend and the two of them disappeared into the mall. Picking up her parcels, Tori made her way to her car, feeling slightly giddy inside. 'Wouldn't Yohji flip if he'd seen that?' she thought, pulling out of the lot.



Inside the mall, Schuldig was thinking hard, something he usually tried to avoid doing. That girl had definitely seemed familiar…and now he knew why.



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The living room was empty when she got home. She checked the kitchen and upstairs, but no-one was there. Wondering where they could be, she finally made her way down to the mission room. The four boys were there, as well as a pretty red-haired woman. 'Manx,' she guessed, judging from the brief description she'd received.



She could tell by the dark looks on everyone's faces that the news probably wasn't good. Calmly, she leaned herself against the stairs and prepared herself for the worst.



"Now that everyone's here," Manx started, "I'd just like to say that I've been over your reports, and Kritiker can't find any fault with your team. The events were unfortunate, but we feel you handled yourselves well. We especially like the way you all worked together as a team,"



The way she said the last word made Tori's stomach somersault. She cast a discreet glance at Aya, but his face seemed as expressionless as ever.



"In fact," Manx continued, "We liked what we saw so much that we have considered expanding the Weiss team." Before any of them could speak, she held up her hands to quiet them. "Now, this is something that Kritiker had discussed for some time, given that you are our number one field team. Personally, I think it is a great idea to bring in some new talent, but the final decision will rest with you, Aya." She turned her head to the Weiss leader, who seemed to be deep in thought.



Yohji piped up, "And what if we don't want her on the team?" He jerked a thumb in Tori's direction, much to her surprise. It suddenly occurred to her that the boys might be putting on an act, trying to work the situation to their advantage. She decided to keep her mouth shut and see where it would go.



Aya shook his head. "Manx is right. The girl does have skills that we don't." He spoke as though Tori wasn't even in the room. He looked to Manx. "If we did say no, what would happen?"



Manx shrugged. "If it's a problem with the girl, we could find someone else,"



"Not with my skill, you won't!" Tori spat, trying to sound angry and insulted. "If you don't want me here, that's fine, but you're never gonna find anyone else that can do what I can." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the stair, hoping that her performance was at least slightly convincing.



Manx stared at her wide-eyed, and then looked questioningly to Aya. He nodded, as though reaching a decision. "We will accept Kritiker's decision," he said slowly, as if the words were difficult for him to say, "As long as no one else has any strong objections?"



He turned to each of his team-mates one by one. Omi nodded solemnly. Yohji threw up his hands in submission. Ken said quietly, "You know we follow your decisions,"



With a final nod to Aya, Manx left to give her report to Persia as quickly as she could, not willing to stay in the tense atmosphere any longer.



As soon as they heard the door slam above them, the five members of Weiss erupted in cheers.



"Did you see her run outta here?"



"You guys were great! I was convinced!"



"Now she can stay! Isn't that great?"



Yohji leapt over the back of the couch and swept Tori up in a big hug, lifting her clear off the ground. The other boys joined in, and even Aya had a smile to share.



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