The Ultimate Chase

By: Onyx L.S.

Disclaimer: Don't Own.

Ugh…I really don't feel like writing but please enjoy and review…douzo.

Chapter 7, An Enemy Appears

Mikan felt heat rush to her face turning her ripe-tomato red. She bit her lip trying to keep what composure she had left. "That never happened!"

"Funny, you know just what I'm talking about." Mikan looked away. She couldn't face Natsume any longer.

"It was a mistake okay? I was drunk—it never happened." Mikan began to walk away but Natsume's next words stopped her.

"I wasn't drunk. How do you explain that?" His voice was calm, and for some reason that angered her. She glared at him. How can he be so calm while I'm falling to pieces!?

"I don't explain it Natsume. You do." She walked away.

--

When Mikan entered her apartment, slamming the door behind her, Koko was still on her couch in the family room watching ESPN. "Shoot! Shoot! No—not left, damnit!" Cheers and boos ensued from the TV screen. Mikan walked into her kitchen and yanked her refrigerator door open, grabbing the milk carton and talking a swing out of it. Koko glanced over in her general direction, noted that he shouldn't drink directly out of the carton anymore, and asked, "What is it this time?"

Mikan ignored him, putting the carton back in the fridge and grabbing an apple from the counter. "I don't know what you're talking about. And why are you still here, shouldn't you be apologizing to Anna right about now?" She replied, studying her apple.

"Avoiding the question." He noted. "You just drank directly out of the milk carton; you only use bad manners when you're really pissed." He added and Mikan spun on him angrily.

"I can act however I want, it's my house!" She stomped away into the hall and up the stairs to her bedroom. Koko shrugged and turned back to the game.

"Probably PMS or something…" he muttered to himself flipping the channel.

--

The next day at work Mikan studiously ignored Natsume, a hard task when he was with her almost every single second of the day. When lunch break came around Mikan didn't think she could feel more relieved or anxious to get out of there. But just as she was closing her briefcase and standing up, a familiar and friendly face popped in through the door.

"Mikan, you want to go to lunch together?" It was Tsubasa.

"Andou, how dare you enter my office without knocking." Natsume said, not looking away from his computer. Tsubasa rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry sir, it's just that I thought it was Mikan's office. I didn't realize you two worked so close." He sent Mikan a suggestive look; she glared back at him.

"Well just to inform you, that's not the only thing we do that's 'close' Andou. I suggest you remember that." Tsubasa smirked.

"Oh I will sir, not to worry. I won't lay a hand on her." Natsume didn't reply, but some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed noticeably. Tsubasa sent another cheeky smile to Mikan before walking out the door. Mikan followed.

--

"What was that?" She asked irritated. Tsubasa just folded his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling.

"I could ask you the same question." He shot back as they entered the elevator and headed down 12 floors.

"There's nothing going on between me and Hyuuga." She said the word between clenched teeth, and with enough malice to start a war.

Tsubasa shrugged, but sent her a skeptical look. "Doesn't look like he sees it that way."

"Why are you here anyway?"She asked, genuinely curious and trying to lose her foul mood. Tsubasa chuckled.

"Umm, I work here." Mikan nudged him with her elbow but a small smile over took her face.

"No you dolt, I mean why did you show up at my office?" Tsubasa's whole face lit up, as if he had just remembered he had done that, and a dazzling smile graced his lips.

"Well, actually, I thought about what you said before in the restaurant and asked Misaki out and…she said yes!" Mikan and Tsubasa started to jump around excitedly like grade school kids, holding hands and laughing. The elevator came to a stop on the second floor and the doors opened to reveal two old business men clearly coming out of a meeting. The men gave Mikan and Tsubasa strange looks and immediately they stopped jumping; Mikan smoothed her skirt. One of the men coughed before getting into the elevator the other following suite.

The ride down the next two floors was awkward to say the least, and as soon as the elevator dinged open again and the two men walked out Mikan and Tsubasa went back to acting like giddy children, but without the jumping.

"That's great Tsubasa! So where do you plan on taking her?" Mikan asked as they walked towards the main doors of the building. People in the lobby around them scurried left and right with papers in their hands, some giving Mikan and Tsubasa polite bows.

"That's just the thing…I don't know yet." He ruffled the back his hair in nervous habit.

"You idiot, you've been best friends for years and you don't know where to take her? What kind of friend are you?" Tsubasa looked at her with desperate and pleading eyes.

"Help?" Mikan sighed.

"I'm on my lunch break." She murmured; he didn't stop giving her the puppy eyes. "Fine." She grabbed his wrist pushing one towering, glass door of the building open and pulling Tsubasa after her.

"But you owe me for this."

--

Natsume couldn't concentrate. That damn Andou was out with Mikan right at this very moment; they could be doing anything! Hell they could even be fu— there was a knock on the door.

"Natsume, can I come in?" It was Ruka. Natsume grunted, knowing Ruka would enter even if he didn't say anything. A lesson he had learned the hard way when he was getting it on with another employee, and Ruka had walked in on them, despite the fact that the sign on the door had clearly read "busy".

"Brought you lunch." Ruka said placing a brown take-out bag on Natsume's desk. "Since I know you won't be leaving your office today." Natsume managed a gruff thanks before tearing into the bags contents. A subway sandwich with barbeque chips, just what he needed; he was starving.

"So that woman's coming today, right?" Natsume groaned and took a sip of his soda, that Ruka had also given him.

"Ugh, don't remind me. God I hate her." Ruka seemed to think about something as he took a bite of him own sandwich, situating himself in one of the leather chairs in front of Natsume's desk.

"What's her name again…Yuka Azumi?"

"Yeah, she's the most ruthless business woman I've ever met in my life, well, that is besides Imai." Ruka sent him a glare but it was without conviction. After all Hotaru was a little…

"Shut up, you're pretty ruthless yourself, so you shouldn't be talking." Natsume smirked at him.

"I'm just saying." But Natsume let the topic of Ruka's wife alone.

--

"Ok so just take her to the places you usually go." Mikan said. They were at a nearby Starbucks and while Tsubasa sipped on his decaf coffee Mikan picked at a muffin.

"Six flags?" Mikan tried to hide her lack of enthusiasm.

"Uh, sure; Amusement parks are fun." Tsubasa sighed heavily and placed his coffee down with a thump.

"Common, we're not in high school! I want to wow her, Mikan." Mikan took a bite of her muffin.

"Well, there's this nice restaurant I know, it's called La Etoile Brillant, but it's really expensive." Tsubasa seemed to consider this.

"…Misakis worth it." Mikan smiled at this.

"I'm so glad you said that. She's going to be super excited when she hears." Tsubasa gave Mikan a stern look.

"You can't tell her ok?" Mikan placed a hand over her heart mockingly.

"I won't tell a soul." She glanced down at her watch.

"Well we better get back; Natsume will scold us if we don't" Tsubasa smirked.

"Oh, so it's Natsume now?" Mikan rolled her eyes at him.

"Shut up." She stood up but looked back when Tsubasa didn't follow. She sent him a questioning look, he waved her off.

"I think I'll stay and finish my coffee, besides Hyuuga won't mind if I'm back a little late, in fact, it will probably please him. Anyway, work's only a few blocks away, I'll walk." Mikan shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

--

The elevator doors opened and Mikan strolled out of them, a smile on her face. She was so happy for Tsubasa; finally him and Misaki could be happy together. Mikan reached out a hand and grabbed the golden door knob that lead to Natsume's office. She pulled the door open and was shocked at who were inside.

It was Natsume and a woman. A woman that looked startlingly familiar. She had long brownish golden hair that was tied into a neat ponytail and streaked with gray from age. Her skin, while still healthy, was marred with wrinkles that looked like they were induced from stress rather than old age.

"Yuka?" The woman turned around, her face was a mask of perfect composure but Mikan could see the hint of shock in her eyes.

"Mikan?" Natsume looked between the two.

"You two know each other?" A nasty smile spread onto Yuka's face.

"But of course, it's only natural to know one's own daughter." Natsume didn't bother to conceal the shock he felt. His lovely Mikan was related of this…this she-devil?

"But how? You two have different surnames-"Mikan didn't bother looking at him, she was too busy glaring at her mother.

"Yuka took back her old name while I kept our family name, after my father died." Natsume's eyes softened.

"I'm sorry Mikan-"

"Don't be. It's over with now." Yuka cut in with finality.

"Now, Mikan." Yuka turned her steely gaze back onto her child. "You're always saying 'Yuka this, Yuka that'. Is that anyway to address your mother?" The poisonous smile on Yuka's lips didn't falter, and Natsume didn't fail to notice the way Mikan clenched her fists.

Mikan looked to the ground, her nails leaving crescent marks on her palms.

"No," She took a deep breath. "No it's not. Sorry mother." Natsume had never seen Yuka look happier, or more sinister.

"You are forgiven. Well then," She paused to send Natsume a polite and completely fake smile, and gesture Mikan into one of the two black leather chairs in front of Natsume's desk.

"Shall we talk?"

End Chapter

Onyx: I don't really think I have anything important to say…accept I hope you enjoyed the chapter?

And please review and give me feedback; I'm fairly sure my writing has changed a bit since before.

That's all. Thanks for reading!

PS. To Vein,

I receive all of your comments, but since you are anonymous I can't reply to you. I'd like to thank you for your unending support, and sorry for my incompetent updates. Just know that I'm determined not to delete any of my stories and finish all of them. So though it might take a while, I hope you'll continue to read.

much love, Onyx.