*thud*

[bloodsong1]

The bell chimed cheerfully. Wan and Natsumi looked up.

"Ban! Gingi!" The Get Backers were knocked to the ground by a teenage whirlwind intent on hugging them both at the same time. "You're back! We missed you." Wan lit up, chuckling. He leaned against the bar and waited for the tangle of bodies unraveled into their proper components. Ban succeeded first. Rising to his feet, he left Gingi and Natsumi on the floor babbling about pictures and slid onto a bar stool.

"Coffee."

"Wanna talk about it?" Wan asked, sliding a full cup under Ban's nose. Ban shook his head.

"Nothing to talk about. Bust job."

"What do you mean?" Wan asked, taking another draw. Ban's attitude spoke of more then just a bust.

"Tanaka was wrong. She was dead. We gave him the autopsy pictures and a snapshot of her funeral." Ban declined to mention how they had gotten the pictures. He refused to show weakness and not being able to remember exactly how they had scored the prints bothered him greatly.

"Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah."

"Did you get the rest of the fee?" Wan asked with a slight note of hope in his voice. Ban glanced at Gingi, now sitting at the end of the bar with tourist pictures spread out in front of him. Natsumi was standing next to him, completely focused on the story Gingi was spinning about each shot.

"I don't take fees for busts." Wan groaned. They STILL weren't going to pay their tab.



Yeah. All done now. Not my best work, but oh well. At least it's out of my head. Word copy available upon request.