Future

It was truly amazing, Kyoko mused as she reclined on the hospital bed in her private room, just how much better one could feel with a change of clothes, a cursory wash-up and a few bandages applied by even a somewhat heavy-handed professional. The fact that the raving lunatic who had been actively stalking her for the last two weeks and passively following her long before that was now in police custody also had more than a little to do with her current state of general contentment.

This state was in no way down to drugs; Kyoko had politely refused all pharmaceutical offerings on the basis the pain really wasn't too bad and they would probably make her drowsy. After being knocked out three times in a relatively short period of time she had absolutely no interest in entering an unconscious state again until she'd made it to a bed that didn't have tilt controls at the very least, never mind it was now well into the early hours of the morning.

Ren was also a major contributing factor to her good mood, though was also the primary source of her underlying nerves. She had heard the term butterflies in the tummy before but that hardly seemed adequate to describe the feeling she got whenever their eyes met. It felt more like she'd swallowed a flock of starlings.

He hadn't left her alone for longer than it took her to change into something less grimy and splash some water on her face despite the danger having passed, and even then he'd stood guard right outside the door. He hadn't been pushy, giving her space, but he had made it silently clear that he was there, nearby, and would be staying for the foreseeable future both in her hospital room and in her life.

The doctor who had come to give her a final check over once Kei was finished pronounced her fit to go home and the starlings took flight as he left and Ren moved to hold her hand. It was a casually tender gesture and she fought to keep herself from reacting abnormally. The whole physical contact thing would definitely take some getting used to, most especially because against all odds she found herself rather liking the feel of his touch. It not only undermined her entire life philosophy but also multiplied her standard embarrassment by roughly a thousand.

This was definitely something more complicated and mature than any emotion she had experienced before and it mortified her that she actually felt something like desire for a man. Not quite enough to keep her from savouring the memory of what she resolutely classified as her first kiss, just that she blushed hotly enough to fear igniting the gauze on her cheek even as a bolt of electrified pleasure shot up and down her spine.

She still couldn't believe she had initiated the kiss, but at the time it had seemed the only thing to do. Finding out he was fine after seeing his disappear down an elevator shaft had been completely overwhelming and had given her an indisputable insight into her own feelings. For a moment she had truly thought he might be gone forever, and for that moment her heart had ceased to beat. Seeing him climb back up had been like breaking the surface after too long underwater and inhaling a desperately needed lungful of air.

The idea of keeping herself from falling in love with him through sheer willpower now seemed laughable, it just wasn't something she could consciously control and she really had no choice in the matter. She could survive without him, she had been doing it for some time, but in order to live and not merely exist she needed him. Their first kiss had been like seeing colour television after being used to monochrome – once she knew the difference, what she had been missing, there was just no going back and no way she could imagine fully enjoying her life without Ren in it.

She was frightened and uncertain, completely inexperienced and naive, but she trusted him and could only take a deep breath before plunging into the uncharted seas at the edge of her known world. Here there be dragons, but maybe they wouldn't be so scary and insurmountable if Ren and everyone else she had come to love and trust was there with her. Unable to meet his gaze she shyly squeezed his hand and knew he must have smiled one of his killer smiles as the ambient light in the room seemed to double.

Despite her internal resolutions, she still nearly jumped out of bed when a knock sounded a few seconds before the door opened to admit a vaguely dreamy Yashiro. Ren had loudly commended his manager for his brave heroism within earshot of a hoard of nubile young nurses, and they had instantly descended on the hero with hearts in their eyes, Yashiro spluttering and blushing awkwardly under their adoration. Kyoko was still trying to decide if this had been Ren's idea of a reward or torture and whether she ought to feel sorry for him or not.

"Are you alright?" she settled on finally.

"Hmm? Oh yes, fine – just a few stitches and a bit of bandage." he said, seeming to shake off his trance-like haze. "What about you? Will they let you go home?"

Kyoko smiled and nodded. "Yes, Satoshi-san asked me to wait for him to stop in but they say I managed not to do any permanent damage to my knee, it'll just take longer to heal now, and the rest are just bumps and bruises that'll heal on their own before long. They said my concussion looks to be completely cleared and since I've been here almost twenty-four hours anyway I can go when I like."

Yashiro frowned thoughtfully. "So, where exactly is home for you now? Will you go back to the Darumaya now that the stalker's been caught?"

"No... no I don't think so. I don't expect another stalker or anything but I can't help but think about how vulnerable it is to live in a public restaurant now. Since it was on the news everyone knows I lived there too. I'm not sure I could feel safe there again and I'd never forgive myself if Okami-san and Taisho-san were put in danger because of me. I'll still help them out when I can, but I don't think I could live there now. I spoke with the president and for the moment I'm going to stay with Sai – I'll think about where to go from there."

"You could always move in with-"

"The president suggested maybe she could look into sharing an apartment with Kotonami-san or Amamiya-san so that's also an option." Ren said forcefully, cutting off his grinning manager.

"Ah, that's exactly what I was going to suggest." Yashiro said, his grin not wavering despite being on the receiving end of a gentlemanly smile.

"How intuitive of you." Ren said sweetly and for once Kyoko sort of understood the undertones of their banter. She was extremely glad when the inspector stuck his head in the room and she was distracted before her face could light up like a Belisha beacon.

"Inspector Satoshi-san!" she cried, ushering him in to take a seat.

"Mogami-san." he greeted her while nodding quickly to Ren and Yashiro. He noticed her hand joined with Ren's and raised a brow. "Huh. Good job you didn't turn out to be the culprit." he commented absently.

Ren blinked. "Did you suspect me?"

"Of course, but don't take it personally. I make it a point to suspect everyone until they're proven innocent, and you certainly fit tall and well-built." he said plainly with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Not that the description turned out to be remotely accurate – hardly surprising given it was provided by the stalker himself."

"Did you suspect me too?" Yashiro asked, adjusting his glasses uncomfortably.

"Yes. Anyway, Ikemura confessed to stalking and kidnapping you as well as assaulting Hiyama-san and to the murder of his father in the last of his lucid moments."

"He murdered his father?" Kyoko asked, wide eyed, and felt Ren squeeze her hand tighter.

"Seems the old man had a heart attack two years ago and Ikemura deliberately withheld his heart pills and watched him die. Not too high on the outright brutality scale, but still pretty gruesome nonetheless. He just started telling me his life story when he woke up, and kept ping-ponging between kind, gentle doctor and barking mad lunatic. They're taking him for psychological assessment now he's awake and treated – I'm not an expert but from the way he deteriorated during our little chat I don't think any of his offences will come to trial, though wherever he ends up I don't think they'll ever let him out again."

Kyoko looked down at her lap, surprised to find herself feeling pity for the man. "How did he get above us and avoid being caught? That's been bothering me." she asked, focusing on something which caused fewer conflicting emotions.

"He knew the hospital too well. From what he said, he regained consciousness after you brained him with a mallet just in time to hear Tsuruga-san calling for you. He immediately doubled back and went past the stairwell through the rooms where we couldn't see him and came out opposite the elevator shaft. It's not boarded up on the ground floor so he was able to get in and climb up the ladder. The fourth floor was the first one that had a way to exit so he came out there and took the stairs down where he ran into you. That floor had planks, a few of which he or someone else had previously removed, while the first and second floors had sheets of plywood which are harder to get through."

Ren grimaced and shifted in his chair, rolling his shoulders. "I can vouch for that."

"Exactly. That also means he knew the shaft was there and was deliberately trying to kill you." Satoshi said grimly, effectively throwing the conversation into an uneasy stall. He checked a few details with Kyoko before he stood to leave then paused and reached out impulsively to ruffle her hair. "Take care Mogami-san, I hope we don't meet again." he said with a wry smile before disappearing through the door.

Almost as soon as he left, another knock sounded and Hiyama entered the room in a wheelchair with Kei at the helm.

"Kyoko!" she shrieked, mindless of the way she nearly ran Yashiro over. "Crap, I'm glad you're alright. You are alright aren't you? Kei told me what he knows and I just can't believe it!" she said, shuddering so hard the wheelchair trembled with her. "Ikemura-sensei... crap."

Kyoko assured her she was fine and filled her in on exactly what had happened. At the end of the account her eyes turned cold and her mouth set in a thin line. "That bastard. You should have dropped him down the shaft when you had the chance." she said hatefully.

Ren flinched slightly before recovering his perfect composure, though Hiyama didn't seem to notice as she huffed as large a sigh as her healing ribs would allow.

"Still, locked up forever is an okay alternative I guess. It gives me the creeps to think he was treating me for the very injuries he gave me. Ugh! I'll never trust another doctor ever again." she said, regaining a little humour.

Kei let out a chuckle that sounded a bit forced. "Orderlies are okay though, right?"

"We'll see." she said teasingly then cleared her throat with a blush. They chatted for a few minutes more with the mood steadily improving until Hiyama announced that Kyoko should escape while she could and go home. She and Kei bid them farewell as he wheeled her out and Kyoko promised to visit her when they were both able to walk under their own power again.

With nothing further keeping them, Kyoko fumbled her arms into the crutches the hospital had lent her and insisted on making her own way down to Ren's car. She sighed happily as she watched the building grow smaller in the rear view mirror, glad to be rid of the place and hoping she never had cause to return.

The starlings were in full flight as she came to an ungainly halt outside Sai's door after they'd dropped Yashiro off and Ren had driven her home. There was just this air of expectation as they both stood in the corridor facing each other that put her into a state of nervous high alert. She fidgeted, which was harder than one might think when you were also trying to coordinate a pair of crutches and keep your balance to avoid doing something hideously embarrassing like falling flat on your arse.

"Yashiro managed to clear my schedule until tomorrow evening." he said as the silence was beginning to teeter on the brink of unbearable and she almost squeaked in surprise. "I think we could both do with a shower and some rest right now, but after that I'd like to spend some time with you if you feel up to it?"

She glanced away shyly for a moment before mustering up enough courage to look him in the eye. "I'd like that." she said softly.

He smiled one of his rare, true smiles that crinkled the corners of his eyes and made him even more handsome than usual. "Good. I'd like to take you out, but I'd prefer our first proper date to be crutch and bandage free." he said with a hint of boyish embarrassment. "Would you join me for dinner in my apartment instead?"

It was strange, she mused as a light flush warmed her cheeks, how different the idea of dinner in his apartment seemed now they were, well, what they were. "Yes, thank you."

"Would eight o'clock be alright? I'll order something in."

Her hand shot up so fast at the idea she almost dropped a crutch. "That's okay, I can cook-"

Her cut her off by taking her flailing hand in his and drawing circles over her skin with his thumb. "I have to admit I like your food better than anyone else's but please let me organise things tonight. I don't want you to think I'm only interested in your culinary talents, impressive as they may be." he said playfully but with an underlying seriousness that acted as a soothing balm to a couple of her deeper seated insecurities.

"I know. That sounds good, but you have to at least let me pay half." she said sternly, somehow managing not to cause either of them a crutch-related injury as she vigorously patted herself down for cash. She found an adequate amount of notes and held them out to him, remaining firm as he made no move to take the money and instead eyed her outstretched hand in a manner that suggested she had just offered him a particularly large and hairy spider.

"Tonight is my treat. You deserve it after everything you've been through."

"Please, I insist." she said, hoping he'd give in quickly as her arm was getting tired.

"No, I claim boyfriend's prerogative." he announced, smiling wickedly. She was going to protest further, really she was, but he leaned down before she could utter a word and kissed her in such a slow, burning way that her body melted and her brain quite forgot how to process anything that wasn't related to the sizzling sensations from her lips.

By the time her mind had rebooted, she realised she was a few steps inside Sai's apartment with the worried owner waving a hand in front of her face asking if anyone was home.

"Hmm? Oh yes, sorry, I'm fine." she said distractedly then blinked and raised her hand only to find all the bills still in her possession. "Hey, wait a minute!"

Somehow Kyoko had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he used such underhanded tactics, and resolved to build up an immunity to his charms. Thinking about what this might entail made her blush and she concentrated on greeting Sai properly instead. Mercifully, the woman didn't hug her but fussed over her from a respectable distance instead.

Once she'd soaked in the luxurious bubble bath Sai insisted on running for her, she retired to the spare room to call Kanae after confirming the hour had approached reasonable. The conversation was long and wildly varied in pitch and volume throughout. Her best friend displayed a sympathy and protectiveness that surprised her through the more unpleasant parts and she became sarcastically supportive when the subject turned to Ren.

It was at times like these that Kyoko truly valued Kanae's ruthless practicality and amazing memory, and felt eternally grateful she really wasn't the type to squeal like the girls in her class. She helped Kyoko pick out the most perfect outfit she owned over the phone – something nicely in the middle of the four cardinal points of mature, cutesy, casual and dressy, and something that wouldn't make her crutches even more awkward or have her living in terror of something hiking up.

When she hung up she was able to climb into bed safe in the knowledge she had decided on clothing and exactly what shades and quantity of makeup she should apply for her first 'relationship dinner'. As she set her alarm and pulled the covers up to her chin she didn't really spare a thought as to what anyone else might be doing in that same instant.

She never imagined that Ren was hunting his apartment for the white tablecloth and fancy candlesticks he was sure he had somewhere, the notepad leaf on which he had scribbled a checklist for the perfect romantic dinner held between his teeth as he used both hands to plunge into cupboards he didn't even know he had. Next on his list was obtaining flowers – obviously red roses were out of the question and had put a lot of thought into what he should get instead. He paused in his labour a moment to shake his head fondly as he realised never once in his life had he ever gone to so much trouble for a girl, but then Kyoko was no ordinary girl.

Elsewhere, Kanae was in a odd triple-state of alternate sulking, smiling and scowling as she wished her friend happiness, worried about becoming less important to her and contemplated exactly what she'd do to Japan's most popular actor if he ever broke her heart.

Back at the hospital Kyoko hoped never to revisit, Hiyama Atsuko handed a key to Kei with a blush that did nothing but grow when he thanked her with a kiss on the cheek. They guessed at where Madoka could be at the moment – waiting to board or already in the air – as on hearing that her beloved Ikemura-sensei was actually a brutal psychopath she'd sworn loudly down the phone and initiated 'plan B' as she called it, which involved accepting a two-week old marriage proposal from a visiting plastic surgeon and immediately leaving for the airport to join the new love of her life in California. This had given rise to vacancy at Hiyama's place that Kei was more than happy to fill. Hiyama found her loss tolerable as despite having lived together for three years they had never really been close friends, and while she actually thought of the ditzy woman with some measure of fondness she vowed then and there that she would not be the one to break the news of her elopement to the director of 'Emergency Room'.

Yashiro sat in his living room, going through his eight voicemails each from a different and highly desirable young nurse who was convinced he was some sort of knight in shining armour and growing paler by the second. He swallowed, wondering how on earth he'd managed to end up a bigger playboy than his client. He never thought any of them would call him socially when they'd asked for his business card, let alone all eight. Usually girls only wanted to get closer to Ren or use him to get into show business when they asked for his number. He was so used to just giving his card out to keep the peace at the time then lecturing them properly or simply ignoring them later if they rang that he'd handed them out as an automatic reaction. Now all eight seemed to think they were going out with him. He had no idea what to do, nothing like this had ever befallen him before, and the only thing he was certain of about the situation was that his mother would definitely not approve.

The director of Box-R grinned into the phone receiver as the voice on the other end agreed his idea was good and he could proceed with the plan. His idea to have Natsu leave the show temporarily on holiday allowed two things to happen. Firstly it gave the young actress his superiors had been pestering him to incorporate somehow a chance to play the main villain for a couple of weeks with the tasty scenario of a dramatic showdown finale when Natsu returned to claim back her position of undisputed leader. Secondly, it presented the opportunity of a 'Natsu Special' which would chronicle her holiday mischief, something he had wanted to do since the character had proved so popular. The news that Kyoko would be unable to film for three weeks had almost given him palpitations at first, but once he'd thought about it and strategized, the situation had worked out surprisingly well.

Ikemura smiled as he stared up at the ceiling, calmly embracing the light-headedness he was experiencing. It wouldn't be much longer until he was free and he looked forward to the moment of his release. The staff here at whatever psychiatric facility they'd taken him to were truly moronic – he was a doctor himself, he knew every trick and obtaining the metal clip from a pen lid proved no more difficult than smuggling it into his room had. He had no intention of staying here. He'd been caged for most of his life, and refused to passively remain in any sort of cell. His senses were fading and so he was easily able to ignore the turmoil of rushing feet and alarms that barely touched his inner serenity in the first place. The world grew dark and quiet, tasteless and numb and without scent. His last thoughts were of Haruka, and he hoped that whatever happened to him after his heart gave up trying to pump blood around his body that was now more outside him than in, wherever he ended up, that they could be together again. Metal clips from pen lids were more useful than most people thought. They made for serviceable lock-picks, and if one was determined enough they could even be used to slash wrists.

Blissfully unaware of any of these happenings, Kyoko snuggled deeper under the covers of her bed. She thought of the conflicts in her personal life that were yet to be resolved and the goals she had yet to reach only briefly before she closed her eyes. She decided she would deal with whatever trials lay in her future when they came up and felt a thrill at the prospect that she wouldn't have to face them alone. The thought of sharing a meal with Ren for the first time as his girlfriend, even though the status was covert, sent a shiver of nervous anticipation through her and she drifted into sleep with a contented smile gracing her lips, looking forward to the future and whatever it held in store.

The last two weeks had been a raging storm of emotions and self-discovery, not to mention vital realisations. She had friends and she had found true love. Lunatic medical stalkers and twisted knees not withstanding, it hadn't been such a bad result in all.

The End

Author's note: phew! It's both a relief and a little sad for me to say that it's finished. I've really had fun writing this and had a chance to try out loads of different things from horror to humour to romance and suspense. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter and thank you very much everyone for reading :)