2/01/13:

Happy Hei Day, Everyone!

I welcome you to my latest ongoing DTB project: Journey Along The Third Path!

If you missed the summary, this work is going to both move forward with the story of Midnight in Matsuyama (So, read that shizz first!) as well as reflect on their past that lead them to the present.

So, although I'm still in the writing stage of the first chapter of the main story line, which is ALMOST DONE, I thought I start off with three flash backs to earlier on in the DTB timeline. "The Return of the Black Reaper" is imminent!

So without further ado, I give you the ONE "missing scene" I have been itching to write forever...

Peace, Love & Fanfic!

~Destinies Entwined

An Interesting Evening:

*A "Scene Continuation/Missing Scene" from S1, episode 23*

For a brief moment his mind had wandered to his sister as he looked to the sky one last time after bidding Misaki Kirihara adieu. Hei remained seated at the ball field as he turned to watch the female police chief trot away toward her blue Porsche 997. He subconsciously noted how amazingly long her hair was as the ponytail swished to and fro, brushing her hips and the curve of her posterior. Once Misaki had rounded the European car and sat in the left-sided driver's seat, his brain caught up to his roving eyes and the quiet contractor checked himself.

The engine revved high with her anticipation and almost instantly tore off. Hei's ears had prepared themselves for a squeal that never came. The slight tingling in his chest accompanied the realization that the woman was quite the skilled driver. Without warning, a display of his admiration, in the form of a small dopey smile, echoed the thawing feelings in his heart.

Hei looked back down at his hand that still propped him up. Just moments before it had been so very close to hers the last time he had looked down. A small jolt of surprise hit him as he realized that back in that moment he had actually considered taking her hand in his. A small blush crept into the young man's cheeks before mentally slapping himself back to reality.

She's the opposition. Why on Earth would you let yourself think about her like this?

Hei jumped down and began his own trek back to his apartment while he continued to recall random moments from his chance encounter with the chestnut-eyed officer.

When he had seen her at the top of the stairs, he had been jostled from his confusing thoughts about the girl he once loved. Dwelling on the resolute notion of Amber's betrayal in light of the contradictory information he had just received hours earlier, he couldn't even manage to fake a smile for the policewoman who, he suspected, had a crush on his alter ego. Just when he thought he was out of range, the blue-eyed assassin felt a hand on his arm, bringing him to a halt.

I knew she was on to me, but that didn't seem to stop her from having a good time with me, or rather, Li …

This confounded the Reaper for a moment as he trudged through the sudden downpour. They spoke in vague yet revealing terms as they discussed their work ideals, and admitted how they felt about their stations in life. It dawned on him how comfortable he had been in her presence and in their conversations. It had been so natural, he had barely noticed what he was saying or doing.

Well, maybe except being horrible at baseball…I had to pretend to be a klutz. But…even if at first I thought I had called her bluff, she merely laughed at the rice on my face.

The feeling that bubbled up inside him in that moment from hours earlier resurfaced. Her laugh was so bright and free. Misaki Kirihara had showed him her true colors, despite being suspicious of his true identity. They were warm, yet fair; strong, but tempered with a feminine softness and empathy that she most likely often suppresses.

"If all those fake stars were to stop shining, that would be sad in its own way."

Her words echoed in his mind, causing him stop short and wipe back the soaked mop of black from his face. Hei exhaled, lifting his face to the sky with his eyes shut as the warm rain fell heavily on his eyelids.

Kirihara's defending contractors? She's admitting to caring about them…as if we were human.

"You keep chasing after stars for a long time, and you sort of develop an attachment to them."

Those words suddenly rang with a whole new meaning; and in a few flashes, Hei saw her smile, heard her laugh; saw her sad empathetic eyes, and felt her warm hand as she shook his.

She knows who I am. If not for sure, she has a heavy suspicion, he surmised, recalling that knowing glint in her eye that accompanied their parting words.

But yet, she left with a smile…like she just wanted to get to know me.

The drenched contractor debated whether he should be suspicious or flattered by her seemingly genuine behavior. He kept walking and thankfully the rain had stopped. After a few minutes, the headache that had set in brought it all to a halt. He was nearly to his apartment as he came out of his reverie, noticing a familiar feline waiting for him.

o.O ^_^ O.o ^_^ o.O ^_^ O.o

Matsumoto had texted the section-chief, asking to report back to the office as she was having a deep conversation with Li-kun. She was mildly irritated by the interruption, but knew full well to answer when duty called. As she scurried back to the car, Misaki could have sworn she felt Li's eyes on her. Though the feeling begged her to send one last glance to him, she denied herself a moment that would make her regret leaving. Swiftly slipping her keys into the ignition, she tore off, all the while still engrossed in her thoughts.

Earlier that day she had gone to pay her somber, yet simple, respect to a contractor, no, man, that she had come to sympathize and even admire. She had been followed by her colleagues who had been ordered to do so.

What could they suspect me of? Questioning authority? Maybe…But treason, never.

The lovely police chief had laid the fragrant bouquet at the place her former collaborator and friend had fallen and been found dead from gunshot wounds, his last payment unfulfilled, a cigarette soaked, snuffed out by his own blood beside him.

She gritted her teeth at the overwhelming sense of injustice as she paused momentarily in remembrance of his life before walking away. She went down the stairs towards the promenade to take a walk and reflect on everything she had learned in the last few months. November 11's words had stuck with her in a haunting memory.

"From here on in, there are no friends or foes. Please only trust and act on your instincts."

It was when she looked up from her thoughts she saw him. Li had given her a pensive glance, acknowledging and quickly dismissing her. He seemed troubled. She couldn't help the urge to hurry down the steps after him, for more than just one reason.

That had been only hours ago.

A shiver ran up her spine as she recalled how close she sat to the shaggy-haired college student who she now believed to be, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the one and only BK-201. The tumultuous emotions that swarmed her heart had begun to mix business with pleasure. The internal debate raged as she pondered his words to her over dinner.

"It's the same in any organization. They just use you as pawns however they see fit."

It had been such a somber statement, tinged with personal knowledge and experience. That realization alone brought her back to his assumption that she thought he looked like a criminal she had been chasing. It suddenly seemed suspicious that that would be the conclusion he had come to.

Why would he think that, unless he actually was in fact BK-201? If Li is BK-201, then he would have known since Alice's birthday that I chase contractors for a living…

It finally occurred to her that, on that evening, when Li had disappeared on her and Saitou, that BK-201 had shown up shortly thereafter and, although quite possibly indirectly, saved her life. Suddenly, it all made sense, especially his parting words to her just minutes ago.

"Whenever you get lost, you should just trust your own instincts and act on them, shouldn't you?"

Misaki got chills as she recalled such similar advice she had received just days before, causing her to equate the world's deadliest contractor with the sweet and kind, yet deep and somber exchange student. He had seemed so natural and comfortable, and so full of…emotions. Her breath grew shallow as she could easily bring to mind his scent as they sat mere inches from each other. The way he had looked at her as she spoke from her heart had touched some place deep in her soul.

Those beautiful, sad, blue eyes…could such genuine actions all be an act? Or can he actually feel...?

The troubled policewoman shook her head to snap herself out of her thoughts, but couldn't deny the nagging need to imagine why Li-kun would be so sad. Then she recalled him speaking of his late younger sister.

Was the story about his sister true? Did she really die? Could it be that she was murdered?

Before the pensive brunette could even begin to answer her own question, her blue Porsche was pulling into the PSB parking garage. The crease between her eyebrows deepened. She sighed and remembered how she took his hand in hers, in a friendly handshake. That hand, that has most likely killed hundreds of people and contractors, was as warm and welcoming as his smile. Misaki knew that even in lies, there was always an element of truth. She knew that even if Li had been acting, it came from a part of who he really was.

Her stress melted from her in the form of a sigh as she got out her car and headed up to meet her subordinate.

I hope I will be able to find out the truth someday.