Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime... nor do I own any form of sanity, apparently. This fic honestly makes me question if I have some or not.

This chapter is unbeta'd as of yet, sorry. (Beaustiful, if you're reading this, would you still be willing to be my beta? ^^; )

So... how've you all been? :D -shot- Sorry it's taken so long to write this. I honestly have no excuse for taking this long, but perhaps you can find it in your hearts to forgive me? Please? I ask for your mercy with presents of psycho-Shiz and... yeah, psycho-Shiz. =P

This chapter had me scratching my head in a couple places because the words wouldn't come out how I wanted them to. Hopefully you can trudge through their awkwardness and make it to the finish. Enjoy? ^^;;

Shizuru could never remember ever feeling this cheerful- and that was saying a lot, coming from someone who could remember their whole life. She felt like snuggling giddily into the body of the person she was currently walking next to, but she wouldn't. Her Mask would slip and who knows what might happen then.

No, in order to stay out of the insane asylum and stay with Natsuki, she had to appear sane to everyone else. No matter what, her Mask could not slip.

Red eyes shifted over to see green giving her a sideways glance. Natsuki jumped slightly when she was caught and turned her face fully to Shizuru, giving an awkward and nervous smile.

Shizuru smiled pleasantly back, reinforcing her light grip on Natsuki's right hand with her own left, giving it a light squeeze. She giggled slightly as Natsuki's gaze traveled down to their linked hands and then turned her face away. Natsuki's so cute and silly! Bashful Natsuki. "Where are you taking me, Natsuki?" She asked conversationally, looking sane on the surface as she looked down at the noirette.

Shizuru had become quite curious as to where Kuga was taking her, seeing as how the other lawyer seemed to have a destination in mind.

Natsuki's leading the way like a born leader! Well, of course Natsuki's a born leader, she's Natsuki. Shizuru nodded her head lightly at the thoughts, as if her logic made perfect sense. She continued to follow Kuga like an obedient puppy.

"Uh, we're… going to go see my friend," Natsuki said, sounding uncertain in her sentence, like she didn't know how to word something.

Fujino perked up at this. Natsuki's friend? I get to meet her friend? Her friend! Shizuru took a quiet deep breath, trying to calm herself as she started to think this through. Have to make a good impression with Natsuki's friend! Don't embarrass Natsuki. Don't make Natsuki regret bringing you! Don't shame Natsuki. No shame. No shame. Crimson eyes narrowed ahead as her next mission came into mind. She was going to make it so Natsuki's friend liked her no matter what!

"Where is your friend?" Shizuru continued looking interested. Information. Gather information.

"We're going to where she works. She owns her own café where you can sit down to eat and drink," Natsuki cracked a smile, thinking of her friend and her small business. "I also have another friend that works as a waitress there."

So adorable! The brunette cooed inwardly over Natsuki's smiling face. "Natsuki doesn't realize how cute she's acting." Shizuru smiled brightly as she moved to hug Natsuki's arm to her chest. Of course, she didn't notice Natsuki's skin start to crawl at the close proximity of their bodies and Shizuru's touch.

"I-I wasn't trying to be cute…" Natsuki said, trying to smoothly get her hand out of Fujino's grasp without the murderess noticing.

Shizuru put on a teasing smile, "You don't have to try, Natsuki. You just are."

Natsuki sighed and gave up. Shizuru, despite looking as delicate as she did, was surprisingly strong. "Whatever," She breathed, both mentally and physically tired. Not twenty minutes ago was Fujino doing that creepy, third person talking, now she was being teased? Spare Natsuki a break would ya?…

"Now we're going to me this 'Mai' friend of yours, correct?" Shizuru asked, glancing down to Natsuki after straightening up as they walked.

Red eyes watched in amusement as green widened. Shizuru listened to Natsuki gasp in shock and turn toward her, her face full of expression. Shizuru smirked a little on the inside, Natsuki's face is like an open book. An open book for the world to see. An open book for Shizuru to read and enjoy. "And no, I didn't train under a psychic to read minds." She openly giggled when Natsuki's face turned alarmed and her cheeks tinted red from embarrassment.

"I-I wasn't thinking that!" Natsuki stammered indignantly.

And 'Bingo' was his name-o, The brunette quoted a children's rhyme, smiling, enjoying the sight of a flustered Kuga.

"Sure, I might think some stupid things every once in a while but-"

"Natsuki!" Shizuru's tone of voice was suddenly upset. The younger woman had completely forgotten that her arm was being hugged until she felt a tug on it. She frowned and looked back to find that the knife-wielder wasn't moving anymore. She glanced upward and found red eyes to be glaring back at her. She immediately became uncomfortable under the stare, stiffening up as she replied, "W-what…?"

"Take it back." Take it back, Natsuki. Back, take it back. "Now. Take it back."

Natsuki's eyebrow raised slowly in her confusion.

"I may not know a lot about you, Natsuki, but if there is one thing I do know, it's that you're not stupid." Natsuki stared in awe when she realized Shizuru was being serious; the intense stare said it all. Shizuru continued, "You're is cool, collected, smart and caring."

Natsuki frowned, "I doubt you could get all that from my character from our time shared thus far."

"But it's true, Natsuki is the most wonderful person that I've ever met," Shizuru said, smiling sincerely. True, very true. You could almost feel the glow coming from Shizuru as she spoke what she truly believed. Natsuki's also the cutest person I've ever met! She thought as she watched Kuga's blush returned.

"… Let's just keep going," The cobalt-haired woman finally said after a bit, not knowing how to reply to such earnestness. She was able to break away from the older woman's hold and began to steadily walk toward her destination once more.

A minute passed an neither of them talked. Eventually, Natsuki addressed what she had been pondering over, talking to the knife wielder without turning her head, "How exactly did you know I was talking about Mai, Ms. Fujino?"

"It was more of an educated guess, really," Shizuru answered truthfully. She was walking next to Kuga, looking as pleasant as always. "You had just mentioned earlier that my cooking was 'on par with Mai's'. Then you said we're going to a friend of yours that owns a café. I just put two and two together."

"Oh." Kuga seemed rather disappointed before something popped into her head: "I could have had two friends that were cooks."

A smirked crept onto the brunette's face, "This is true, you could have, but as it turns out, you don't so I was correct."

Natsuki shoved her hands into her pockets, "Lucky guess, that's all," She huffed.

"An educated lucky guess." Huffing, indignant Natsuki is also cute! So very cute! Shizuru inwardly gushed.

Natsuki looked to the side to see the smirk still on Fujino's face, "Peh," She scoffed, "You big-time lawyers are all a like. You can keep your money if it'll just turn me into a greedy, fast-talking fox."

Natsuki turned a confused stare toward the brunette when she heard a sultry chuckle from the said 'big-time lawyer', "But Natsuki," Shizuru purred, "I don't think you could possibly get any more foxy." Those deep red eyes had a glint to them that set Natsuki on fire, as was evident by the blush that came back in full force. Foxy. So, so foxy… A tongue darted out and licked her upper lip before it went back inside, only to bit down on. Shizuru bit down a little harder as she continued to restrain herself, holding back from doing someone Natsuki surely would not like. Keep Natsuki happy. Don't upset Natsuki. Don't upset. Restrain the forbidden. The unwanted. Unwanted... Shizuru would never show her sorrow on the outside- that would mess up her perfect Mask, which is something that could not be done.

Natsuki quickly looked away and started to walk faster, "J-just a few more blocks until we make it. Let's keep moving."

Shizuru giggled as Natsuki power walked ahead, sighing blissfully as she gazed endearingly at the figure ahead. Wishing this would last forever. Forever with Natsuki.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

Shizuru stiffened up at the voice of a man right behind her. A man! A man behind me—Attack the scum!— No! Not here! Not now! Calm!... Calm… The perfect image of serenity, Fujino turned around, a warm smile on her face, "Yes?" She clasped her purse in front of her with both hands as she waited for an answer. Knife in the purse. Knife in the purse.

He looked like a small, scrawny fellow. However, for all the smiles he carried, something was definitely shady about him, "I was wondering if we could go over there and I could ask you a few questions." He gestured over to a small corner shop.

"I'm actually on my way somewhere so I'm sorry." Now leave.

His smile turned into a nasty grin as a soft click was heard, "But I insist."

Shizuru glanced down to see a well hidden pistol poking from out of his sleeve, grasped in his hand, aimed right at her in the disguise of a handshake. Her hand twitched to reach from her knife right then and there but no, Not out here. People will see. Will get sent back- don't want to go back. So she played the part of the frightened woman, a forced smile and a shaky reply give, "I-I see. Well if you put it th-that way… L-lead the way."

He smirked as he motioned for her to walk, but where he told her to go wasn't the corner store, but the alleyway next to it.

An alleyway. Away from people. Dark. Away from witnesses. An alleyway. Shizuru fought her own smirk off her face. Perfect.

"Damn big-time lawyers and their ability to twist up words! There's a reason why I stick to small, local cases," Natsuki continued to fume, her cheeks a light pink color. She frowned, as she stopped walking, Why am I still blushing anyway? The recent memory surfaced in her mind and she shivered before answering her own question, Because she looked like she wanted to eat me, that's why. Not only then, too.

She could still feel Shizuru's hands ghosting down her body from that morning. She shuddered, cringing, No, don't think about it. I just have to get to Mai and figure out a plan from there. She turned around, "Alright, Ms. Fujino, let's—Huh? Ms. Fujino?" She glanced around, only to find the brunette walking off with a man. Kuga scowled in confusion, I thought she was following me this whole time. However, her musings were cut short when the sunlight caught a piece of metal Shizuru pulled out of her purse before entering the alley. The noirette's breath caught in her throat when she recognized the glint, She's going to knife that man! Without another thought, she quickly pumped her legs as hard as she could, bounding down the sidewalk to where the two disappeared into. I have to reach them before she kills that poor guy!

"Fujino!" Natsuki exclaimed as she reached the entrance, skidding to a halt. She was too far into the alley for anyone in the main street to her hear or see what was going on.

"Oh, hello Natsuki." Shizuru currently had the man's wrists grasped in her hands above his head and a thick kitchen knife pressed against his throat as she pinned him to the wall. "If you wait just one second, I'll be done with this filth and we can be on our way." She beamed Kuga a bright smile before turning her attention back to the short man.

"You can't!" Natsuki said, taking a step forward into the dark, dank space.

"Oh? Why not?" Shizuru pouted childishly.

"You won't get away with something like this. They'll figure out that it's you and you'll have to face the consequences," She slowly started to walk towards the two with her hand held out expectantly, "So… just let the guy go and give me the knife and we can forget this ever happened," She ended slowly, cautiously.

Shizuru's expression changed so drastically that Kuga froze up. Green eyes stared upon the sly, shrewd smirk of someone who enjoyed toying with people, "My, if only I could be as naïve and innocent as Natsuki. I truly do envy that part of you, but don't think I'm finding fault. No, it's just another aspect that makes you simply irresistible."

Kuga's brows twitched into a frown, "What're you talking about?"

"Answer me this, Natsuki: Would I ever leave your side to walk with a man, of all things, willingly? Of course not! He had a gun pointed at my back the whole time! I say we kill him before he gets a chance to kill us, do you not agree?"

"Of course not!" Natsuki then proposed another plan, "We can just turn him in to the police and let them take care of him."

"And let all his other crimes go unpunished? I think not!" Shizuru then looked upon Natsuki with a stare of placid patients, as if explaining this to a small child, "Natsuki, just think about all the other people he's probably done the same thing to. Anyone he's deceived, mugged, or possibly even hurt!" Shizuru turned her stare back to the man, the gleam in her dark eyes coming back full force. She fought to keep the growing smirk from appearing, but it was no use; Fujino knew she was going to enjoy this. "I'm just going to make sure he can never do anything like that again." Her eyes looked so wild, so insane.

"The evidence will lead right back to you." Natsuki looked back and forth from the petrified man to the insanely grinning murderess, desperate to say anything to dissuade the knife wielder from acting out on her words.

Fujino let out a low chuckle before speaking softly to the woman to her right, "Natsuki forgets that some of my cases are assault victim cases. I know what they look for when it comes to those trials. If I do this correctly, I can make this look like one giant act of self defense…" Excitement swirled brightly in those ruby reds.

She's… she's looking forward to this, isn't she! "Y-You're insane!" Natsuki gaped, hating the helpless feeling that was quickly washing over her. The raven-haired woman quickly frowned at her own thoughts, Helpless, nothing! If I don't do anything, he'll die! Kuga easy shook off the powerless feeling, replacing it with bravado. She grit her teeth, looking on as the thirteen-count killer was about to slit her knife across the man's chest in a calculated cut.

"Don't!" She shouted, lunging forward and reaching toward the hand holding the blade when she as suddenly jolted backwards by a grip around her wrist, jerking her body. She grunted painfully when her back harshly came into contact with another man's front. She inhaled sharply when she felt a knife much smaller than the one she was reaching for press against her neck.

"Let go of him or the bitch gets it," A deep voice rumbled from behind the small-time lawyer.

Kuga was about to take care of the guy while his attention was focused on Shizuru and what appeared to be the guy's partner when something caught her own attention: The brunette's body froze and stiffened. Green watched in horror as crimson eyes slowly turned toward the burly man and herself, her gaze being dilated and feral. Shizuru's gaze went from Natsuki, to the man, to the blade resting on Kuga's throat.

I know that stare! Natsuki struggled to get free as she addressed the man holding her tightly, "Quick! Let me go and run as fast as you can out of here!" Emeralds hardened as she watched the man smirk down at her with an amused grin. "You'll get killed if you stay! You have to believe me!"

The large guy chuckled, terribly amused, "Nice try," His grin widened when he saw Kuga's glare.

The smaller man grinned manically, "That's right, psycho! Let me go and your little friend can—" But the rest of the words were gurgled as he choked. Choked on his own blood.

Shizuru dropped her hand limply to the side after she drove the thick knife directly into the scrawny man's throat. She paid him no attention as he slid downward against the stone wall, clawing at the blade; her alert, sharp but untamed eyes focused solely on the large man in front of her. She slowly turned her body toward Natsuki and the giant man, a knife sliding into her awaiting hand from her long sleeve.

The taller man called out his friend's name in a panic, drawing Natsuki's own horrified gaze away from the scene in front of her. I have to do something or else this guy will die too! Kuga quickly rammed the bottom of her foot into the man's knee, causing him to loosen his grip and buckle. She twisted the upper half of her body around and grabbed a finger into each of his eyes, causing him to wail and bring his hands up to his injured eyes.

She grinned and stepped away from the man as she turned. "See, Shizuru! I'm fine! You don't have to kill him too—" A sudden glint out of the corner of her eye made her words catch in her throat. She quickly whipped around and gasped in terror.

The man was screaming out in pain, blood gushing out from the hand and eye that was pierced with the same blade. He had fallen to his knees with his left hand pinned to his eye socket.

I… Natsuki stared on, stunned, unable to regain her senses in time to save the man's life: Fujino flashed the petrified woman by faster than Natsuki could perceive, quickly putting her skills to use. The brunette had brought her knee up to slam the knife in deeper into the guy's head, making his skull bend backwards. As his one-eyed gaze was sent upward, Shizuru swiftly snatched his hair with one hand, pulling his head back down and shoving a second blade into the back of the man's neck. He fell, dead within seconds.

The sudden sharp, piercing gaze of Shizuru's unstable stare landed on her and Kuga's breath paused, unable to inhale or exhale in fear of agitating this killing machine. I'm gonna die… Was that only thing Natsuki thought of, the two dark orbs taking in every feature of Natsuki's face as if looking for a weak spot that could be manipulated.

A sudden change in demeanor happened in Shizuru's visage, the unbalanced look melting into a look of immeasurable concern. The next second, Natsuki found arms warped around her body, her form pulled into a comforting hug as Shizuru stroked the back of her head, "Scared Natsuki, scared Natsuki," Kyoto-ben whispered softly into her ear, sounding a little frightened herself, as if the form in her hold was fragile and would break if she were to be too loud. "Don't be scared. Shizuru will make sure no one harms Natsuki. Shizuru will make it better. Natsuki will be protected. Safe Natsuki, safe."

Shizuru Fujino had no idea that the reason Natsuki was wide-eyed and trembling was because of her own traumatizing actions.

Ha, maybe the little scene in the alleyway will make up for any lateness? =D ... No? Oh... -sigh- I tried. (I hope I didn't traumatize anyone like Shizuru did to Natsuki. XD;; This ain't cotton candy and roses, people. Shizuru's "bat shit" insane and things won't be looking up for quite a while.)

Read and review please? :)

Omake:

Demon: Happy now?

Natsuki: Kinda, but unstable woman over here went all "ninja knife" on the guy and kinda defeated the whole purpose.

Demon: I never said you'd save anyone, I just said you wouldn't be "a pansy".

Natsuki: Remind me to hurt you next time you pull something like this.

Demon: How about I not.

Shizuru: -appears out of nowhere, smiling- Is something wrong, Natsuki?

Natsuki: -_- Yeah, the author won't give me a decent fighting- hey, where'd she go? -look around for Demon-

Demon: -long gone- "Don't agitate the psycho. Don't agitate the psycho. Don't agitate the psycho..."