Diego yawned and stretched his arms the next morning. His lover was still asleep next to him. He turned on his side, bending his arm so that his elbow was digging into the bed. He rested his chin in his hand as he watched Mia. Diego took his other hand and gently brushed Mia’s bangs out of her eye. He smiled to himself. Mia woke up and softly moaned. She turned to her side, facing Diego, and slowly opened her eyes.

“Good morning, Kitten.”

She giggled.

“Good morning…”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes… d-did you sleep here with me?”

“I did.”

Mia smiled. She realized his intentions quickly.

I never met anyone like him…

“Well, we don’t have to go into the office today… so, what should we do?”

“Well, we have to make coffee first…”

Mia laughed.

“I mean BESIDES that.”

“I had a thought. We could always do a little research on Dahlia Hawthorne.”

“That’s a great idea!”

“Ah, ah, ah, but we have to take care of something first.”

Mia gave him a quizzical look.

“What’s that?”

Diego leaned in and passionately kissed Mia. She was kissing him back. Not a single thought went through her mind. The two of them pressed their bodies up against each other and melted into each other’s arms. Then, they broke. Diego climbed out of bed, leaving Mia lying in her spot. She flopped on her back and looked at Diego. He walked out of the bedroom. She smiled softly to herself. Mia climbed out of bed and followed him. She smelled coffee immediately. She shook her head. However, she didn’t reach the kitchen yet when she heard Diego talking. It seemed he was talking to someone on the phone.

“You can’t be serious. For sure? There’s no way…”

Mia was suddenly concerned. Why did Diego sound so serious?

“You really think I should? … There’s no way someone would go that far… True… Alright, well thanks for the tip… Bye.”

Mia walked into the kitchen nervously. She sat down, pretending she didn’t hear a thing. Diego sighed.

“Well, it seems our little friend Rodney is on the loose.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Grossberg heard him muttering something to himself after work yesterday… saying things like Mia Fey will be his no matter what…”

Mia’s heart sunk. Will that man do ANYTHING to get what he wants?

“… A-and?”

“Grossberg suggested that we watch our backs. He already notified the police, but they cannot do anything based on what could possibly be boasts.”

“That’s terrible… Diego, d-do you think Rodney really will…?”

“I don’t know…”

Mia’s house phone rang. She quickly picked it up.

“Hello?!”

“You sound a little flustered today, Sis…”

“Oh, Maya! Hi!”

“Mia… what’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t put on the fake act for me. What’s the matter?”

“It seems Rodney is still after my skirt…”

“I didn’t think he’d give up THAT easily…”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, Maya. So, how are you?”

“I’m great. How are things going with Diego? Ow owwww!”

Mia blushed. Diego saw this and laughed. He was able to guess why his girlfriend was blushing.

“W-well, he’s actually here right now…”

“Oh! HI, MR. ARMANDO!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Maya says hi,” Mia whispered to Diego.

“Hi, Maya!!!”

“Teehee! I heard him, Sis!”

“T-that’s nice…”

Diego held his mug of coffee, leaned down, and kissed Mia’s cheek. She blushed again, hoping the phone wouldn’t pick up the sound. Unfortunately for her, it did.

“Ooooooohhhhhh, did he kiss you?!”

“Um… I plead the fifth…”

“Ooohhh la laaaaa! Siiiiiiiiis!”

Mia just wanted to bury her face in her arms to keep Diego from seeing her blushing furiously, but it was no good. He took her hand, making her stand up. Then, he went behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her heart was beating faster and faster with every move he made.

“Sis, are you there?”

“Yeah. Listen, Maya, can I call you back? Diego and I have to research a case.”

“Sure! I’ll leave you two to your romaaaaance.”

“Maya…”

“Hee hee. I’ll talk to you later, Sis!”

“Bye, Maya.”

Mia hung up, and turned to face Diego.

“What’d you do that for?”

“What? You mean kiss my girlfriend?”

“While on the phone with my sister…”

“Hey, now. It’s not like she doesn’t know about us.”

“True… I guess I was just kind of shy about it… I’m a little shy with my love life, even with my sister.”

“I know… So, are we gonna work?”

“Oh! Yes. Let’s go to the computer.”

Mia downloaded a program for gathering information on people. They searched Dahlia Hawthorne. A few results came up.

“Well, we should start with basic info,” Diego suggested.

“Right.”

They clicked on the info link.

“Dahlia Hawthorne:
Age: 19
Parents: Jared Hawthorne and Morgan Fey…”

“WH-WH-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!”

“Something wrong? … Hold it… Morgan Fey?”

“S-she… She’s my aunt!”

"What did you just say?!"

"Morgan Fey is my AUNT! So, Dahlia Hawthorne is my cousin!"

Mia was pacing back and forth with her hands running through her silky hair. It took most of her strength to keep from crying. She just couldn't understand how Dahlia could be her cousin. Diego stood up and intentionally got in the way of her pacing path. Mia bumped into him and looked into his eyes. He placed his hands around her waist.

"Kitten... try to calm down a little..."

"Calm down?! How can I calm down?! I just found out the woman who basically murdered my client is my cousin!!!"

At that point, the tears began to flow out of Mia's eyes. Diego didn't say anything. All Mia wanted was for someone to sympathize with her. He realized this and pressed her body against his, putting her in a tight embrace. He ran his hand through her hair. She choked out a sob. Finally, she spoke.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to snap..."

"I know..."

"I just... I just don't understand... how could this monster be related to me... to Maya... little Pearl... my whole family?"

"Kitten... just be thankful you didn't turn out that way... I know I am... you're too great of a person to get hung up on your murderous witch of a cousin. I understand how painful it is, but we should really be focusing on giving her what she deserves... please don't cry anymore... you're tearing me up."

Mia smiled. Diego alway knew what to say to her.

"O-Okay... You're right."

It was Diego's turn to smile. Mia gave him a quick peck on the lips. He sat back down by the computer and started reading more articles.

"Now, let's get back to work. Her father is a jeweler, just like Terry said... she is also currently studying literature at Ivy University."

"The only literature that woman writes would be in a genre called lies."

"Here's a link to some of the poems she wrote."

"Click on it. This should be interesting."

Diego sighed and did as Mia said. He read one outloud.

""No where to run, no where to hide,
For my poor victim has just died,
Tonight I throw my gloves away,
Leaving them to find the next day.""

"Yep. Dahlia wrote that. I was wrong, though. It's not a lie. It's about herself. "

"Brutal... just like the author. What else do we have here?"

There were several articles about the kidnapping. One article in particular caught their attention though. A twin sister was mentioned. Mia wrinkled her nose.

"Dahlia has a twin sister?"

"Apparently... she is currently residing at a temple..."

"I think I know which one... I'd like to talk to her."

"Good thinking. It would be great to hear what she knows."

"We were actually productive today."

Diego stood up. He followed Mia to her living room.

"I should probably call my sister back. No kissing!"

He laughed.

"Fine... I won't kiss your cheek again while you're on the phone..."

"Good."

The two of them sat on Mia's futon. Mia dialed the number. It ran twice when Maya picked it up.

"Medium Extraordinaire Maya speaking."

"Has your head gotten bigger since I left?"

"Oh, hi, Sis! I'm just trying out something new."

"I see... what are you up to?"

"Y'know, just hanging out. Is Diego still there?!"

"Yes."

"HELLO AGAIN, MR. ARMANDO!!!!!"

"Maya said hi again," Mia whispered to Diego.

"Hello again, Maya!!!"

"I heard him again, Sis!!!"

"That's, um, great... we just finished researching."

"What were you two researching? Were you guys researching each other's backgrounds? You know, those games couples play in order to get closer to one another."

"What? No! We get closer through other ways... I mean..."

"Wow, Sis... didn't know you were that way!"

Maya giggled. A blush crept upon Mia's face.

"That's not what I meant! We were looking deeper into my previous case..."

"Oh, okay. How'd it go?"

Mia didn't want to tell Maya about Dahlia's relation to them. So, she just gave her a general answer.

"It went pretty well. How's Pearly?"

"She's great! Honestly, she's growing up before my eyes, Sis! She's really cute and funny and great! But, she puked up on Aunt Morgan yesterday."

Mia laughed.

"I found it funny, but Aunt Morgan wasn't happy. Oh, and this one time-..."

Mia was about to listen to what Maya had to say, but her listening skills were cut off when she suddenly felt her boyfriend's lips crash against hers. Her eyes closed, and without thinking, she was kissing him back. They started to make out passionately on the futon. Maya's voice was muffled as the phone dropped on the futon. Mia let out a soft moan and caught her breath before going in again. Then, before she knew it, she was on her back with Diego on top of her. Mia's arms wrapped around his neck. His arms rested on the futon, his hands curling around her head. The way his fingers curled around and go through her hair only helped set the mood. All Mia wanted to do was kiss Diego back with hunger. It would have to wait, though. After what seemed to be days, the two broke and Mia heard Maya's voice clearly again.

"Sis...?"

Mia picked up the phone, still in the same postion with Diego.

"Ah, sorry, Maya! Diego just... decided to chime in."

"Aww, did he kiss you again?!"

Mia blushed a little. Telling her they kissed was much better than telling her about the extreme make out they just experienced.

"Yes."

"Awwwwwwww!!! SO. FREAKING. CUTE!!!!"

Mia laughed once more.

"Oh! Sorry, Sis! It's lunch time. I'll call you later!"

"Okay! Bye, Maya!"

She hung up, throwing the phone away from the futon. She put her hands on Diego's biceps.

"You said you wouldn't kiss during the conversation!"

"I said I wouldn't kiss your cheek."

"Grr... You're a tricky devil, y'know that?"

He smirked.

"I've been told that, yes. But, we both know you like that."

"Oh, shut up and come here already."

"Oh, so now you ADMIT you liked it. Does the kitten want more?"

"You already know that answer, buddy."

She then place her index finger in front of his lips. She decided to heat things up with a whisper.

"Less talk... more this...."

Then, they returned to their previously interrupted make out session.

Diego left later that day. Neither of them wanted him to go, but he had to take care of things at his own home. Mia sighed and started cooking her dinner. Burgers, of course... Maya got her hooked on burgers. The phone rang once more. Mia knew it was Maya since her training would have been done by that time.

"Hello?"

"Hiya, Sis."

"I figured it was you, Maya."

"Yeah, I just finished training."

Score.

"That's nice. How'd it go?"

"It went okay. How was your make out with Diego?"

Mia stopped what she was doing immediately. It was as if time froze once Maya finished her sentence. Finally, Mia allowed herself to speak.

"Wh-What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Sis. You don't really ever space out on a phone conversation we have... plus, I told you a long story, which you didn't really hear. It's obvious."

Mia could feel herself blushing just as much as she did when Diego dared her to kiss him. She hung her head down.

"Maya, I'm sorry. It's just..."

"No! Don't be sorry, Sis! It's totally fine! After all, I don't want to take you away from the precious moments you spend with your lover."

Mia chuckled.

"Thanks, Maya."

"Anytime. Oh, but there's a fee for my forgiveness."

"Huh?"

"You've gotta tell me all about it!"

"All about...?"

"The make out, of course!"

"Wh-What?! Why?!"

"Do you want my forgiveness or not?"

"Grr... blackmailer..."

"Please, Sis..."

Maya's voice sounded a little desperate and sad at that point.

"M-Maya...?"

"Aunt Morgan... she's been taking care of Pearly all the time... I feel so alone right now... you're really the only one I have..."

Mia had no idea. She started to feel sorry for leaving Maya once again. She sighed.

"Okay, I'll tell you... So, I was about to listen to your story..."

Then, Mia went through what happened. Maya seemed very excited.

"Tongue?"

"Okay, Maya, that's one detail you definitely don't need to know."

"So, that's a yes."

"It's an 'I'm not telling'. And why do you know about that anyway?"

"About what? Tongue kissing?"

"Yeah."

"I'm thirteen, Sis! You should be more concerned if I DIDN'T know about it."

"True... Oh, Maya, one day you'll meet the guy for you, and I'll tease you about it."

The two sisters talked for the rest of the night. The next day, Mia had an offer to present to Diego. The couple sat opposite of each other in Mia's office. Mia's desk separated them.

"Go to Kurain Village with you? Kurain Village as in your hometown?"

"Yes. I realize this may be a little awkward for you, but..."

"I don't care. Consider it done."

"Really?!"

"Yes. On one condition..."

"What?"

"There MUST be coffee there."

"Oh you don't need to worry about that. There is."

"Good. I'll go."

"Thank you so much, Diego! You're the best boyfriend ever!"

Mia ran to Diego and hugged him. Just then, there was a knock on Mia's door. She told them to come in. Grossberg strided into Mia's office.

"Excuse me, Ms. Fey and Mr. Armando, but you haven't seen Rodney anywhere, have you?"

"No, why?" Diego asked.

"He's not at his desk... Tell me if you find him."

"Okay, we will."

Grossberg walked out, closing the door behind him. Mia placed her hands on Diego's chest, standing close to him. He placed his hands on her waist.

"So, you'll go?"

"I said I would, and I mean it."

"... Thank you."

They kissed. But, little did they know that they weren't the only occupants in that office.

"Diego, I really should get some work done."

"Yeah, same here. I guess I'll just have to go back to my boring office. Dinner later?"

"If you insist."

"I do."

"Then, yes."

"I'll swing by here at five."

"Okay. Bye for now."

She gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Bye."

With that, Diego left Mia's office. Mia sighed and proceeded to walk back to her desk. She didn't really want to work, but she had to. Suddenly, she felt something sticky cover her mouth tightly.

Duct tape.

She was pulled into her closet. The door shut. Mia looked up to see her enemy. It was Rodney. He chuckled and spoke.

"Well, Ms. Fey, I never thought you'd take a relationship with Diego this far."

He then took the roll of duct tape and taped her torso and legs to the wall, making it extremely difficult for Mia to move.

"What will you do now? You can't run to your precious Diego to rescue you."

Rodney took the tape off of Mia's mouth. She gasped.

"What do you want?!"

"All I ever wanted was a relationship with you. But, you couldn't give me that chance, could you?"

"I can just scream for help, you know..."

"Oh... can you?"

Rodney revealed to Mia a switchblade knife. At that moment, she realized just how desperate he was for her. He stuck the knife in the ceiling of the closet.

"As I was saying, you just couldn't give me a chance..."

"... You can't force love, Rodney."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Ms. Fey. I can force it, now that I have you in this vunerable position. I will make you love me, Ms. Fey."

Mia began to breathe heavily. Rodney leaned in to kiss Mia. She couldn't move out of the way, so she figured the only thing she could do was not kiss back. His lips were a centimeter away from hers. At the last second, Mia banged her head against Rodney's nose. He stumbled backwards. Then, he discovered his nose was bleeding. He took the knife and made a large rip in Mia's skirt. The action stopped when the two of them heard a gunshot from outside the closet. All of a sudden, light started to pour into the closet. Someone grabbed Rodney out of it. Mia's view of what was happening outside the closet was blocked by the wall. She could tell two men were fighting. Then, she heard a gunshot. A struggle was no longer audible. Mia's heart was beating faster as each second went by. Then, she saw a man appear before her.

"You're safe, Kitten."

Tears started to pour out of Mia's eyes.

"Oh, D-Diego!"

She wanted to kiss him right there, but she couldn't due to her lack of ability to move. He took off the tape, and then she rewarded him with an everlasting kiss. She cried while doing so. He cupped his hands around her face and wiped the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs as they kissed.

* * *

Mia spent the rest of the day talking to the police. Rodney was arrested on the spot. Mia went to Diego's apartment that night after getting her things together at her own apartment. They sat on Diego's bed, holding hands.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah... I'm fine. I was just scared."

"Did you cause his nosebleed?"

"Yeah... I banged my head on his nose."

"Thank goodness for that."

"How did you know I was captured?"

"I remembered Grossberg's call. I then thought it best not to leave you alone in your office. So, I went there, and I saw you weren't there. I then heard a thump in the closet."

Mia suddenly felt a buzz. Her cell phone vibrated. She received a text message from Maya.

"Don't wanna interrupt your special time. Call me tomorrow. Love you! :P"

Mia laughed and sent a text back.

"Ha ha okay. Love you, too! :)"

"I never thought he'd go that far," Diego muttered.

"He's been after me since day one."

"Then again, so have I. In fact..."

"Wh-What is it?"

"N-No, forget it."

"You can tell me. After all, you can't hide anything from me."

Diego knew about Mia's magatama. He sighed.

"I heard you talking to your sister... I felt like and still feel like I was eavesdropping. But, I heard what you said about liking that plant in my office."

"That plant has always fascinated me. It's lovely."

"Well..."

Diego walked out of the room. He returned shortly with the same plant that was in his office.

"I got you one."

"Oh my gosh... thank you so much!"

He put it down and they hugged. The two of them climbed in Diego's bed that night. They had a final exchange before falling asleep.

"Oh, Mia?"

"Hmm?"

"The plant's name is Charley."

Diego and Mia met up a few days later to go to another office party. It was a party to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Mia decided that her long, satin, green dress would suit the occassion. Diego wore a black suit with a green shirt and a black tie with clovers on it. He glanced at Mia and immediately smiled. They were relieved that Rodney wouldn't be attending the party. Once they arrived, Grossberg found them.

"Oh hoh hoh! Diego and Mia! I'm so glad you two are here! Go ahead and take your coats over to the coat check! Drinks and hor d'oeuvres are over to the left of the dance floor!"

"Thank you, Mr. Grossberg," Diego replied. The coat check consisted of many racks of coats lined up in a separate room. They put their coats on a rack and made their way back to the party. Then, they were approached by Robert Hammond.

"Excuse me, but may I have a word with Mia in private, Diego?"

Diego looked at Mia as if waiting for her to give him an answer. She gave a small shrug.

"Sure..."

Mia walked off with Hammond into a different room. It was Hammond's office.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Fey, but there's something that's been nagging on my mind ever since you got here."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Would you happen to be related to a Misty Fey?"

".......... Why?"

"Well, I was the defense attorney on the DL-6 incident, and then you came along, and..."

Mia's mouth was slightly agape. She wanted to cry. She was able to choke out a response.

"S-She was my mother..."

Hammond then hung his head down. His hand was on Mia's shoulder. He realized she was in pain, but he was at a loss for words. After all, he didn't really care if the man he defended was guilty or not. He just wanted to profit. But, he couldn't just simply let the question of Mia's relation to Misty linger in his mind.

"I'm sorry, Mia..."

She bit her lip.

"I'm fine..."

Hammond started to make his way out, but he decided to say one last thing.

"Mia, I don't want to make this confrontation frivolous, so I will leave you with one last thought. People are not always who they appear to be, whether it be your friend... your coworker... your boss..."

Mia gave a quizzical face.

"You'll figure it out, Mia."

He then walked out. A few seconds after, Mia decided to go back to Diego. He was by the punch bowl.

"What happened, Kitten?"

"He just wanted to ask me something about my family."

Diego shook his head, knowing what she was referring to. He gave her a tight hug. A few of the other girls working at the office walked up to Mia.

"MIA FEEEEEEY!"

"Hey there!"

"Mia, we need some of your advice. Would you mind coming to the ladies room with us?"

"Sure."

She followed the group of girls into the ladies room, which is where most of the socializing between women takes place in the office. A tall, thin woman with blond hair was the first to speak.

"Okay, so, Mia, I'm having some guy troubles."

"ME FIRST, MONICA!" one woman shouted.

"Excuse me, but I was speaking, Tricia!"

"Okay, one at a time," Mia compromised.

"So, I am dead-set on Dan, right? How do I ask him to dance with me?"

"Well, you just kind of start talking to him about something, and then work your way up to that."

"DUH, MONICA!!!!!!" Tricia shouted.

"Shut up, Tricia!"

"Oh emm gee, Mia!" another woman shouted, "Would you ever make your hair shorter? I think you'd look suuuuuper cute with shorter hair!"

"Ahh..."

"Oh, totally!" Monica chimed in, "Diego would totally think it's hot!"

"MAKEOVER!" the whole group shouted.

"W-Wait...!"

"Yeah, guys!" Tricia scolded, "You can't do it right at this second! You've gotta have a professional do it! Duh!"

"Okay, we'll do it tomorrow! Promise?!"

"S-sure...?" Mia trailed off. They weren't giving her much of a choice.

"So, tell us all the dirty details with Diego!"

"D-Dirty details?"

"Have you two... well...?"

"W-what?! That's personal!"

"Ohhhhhh, it's a yes!!!"

"N-no, it's not!"

"Teehee! Mia, you're soooooooo cute! You're as red as a tomato right now!"

Mia could even feel herself blushing a lot. This just wasn't her evening.

* * *

Towards the end of the evening, Mia took Diego by the hand and led him to the coat room. She took him behind the many racks of coats. She placed her palms on Diego's chest.

"I just needed at least a second alone with you."

Diego chuckled.

"Yes, you've had a busy evening."

"I'm sorry, Diego... believe me when I say it hasn't been pleasant."

"Oh, I do believe you. It's okay, Mia."

She smiled. Diego slid his arms around her waist.

"Thank you. Just one kiss to get me through the rest of the night?"

"Gladly."

They kissed for a few seconds and broke. They were no longer standing in each others arms. Silence invaded the room. Mia decided to speak.

"Okay, maybe one more."

"With pleasure."

The next kiss was longer than the previous one. Once again, they broke. Diego and Mia were facing away from each other with their arms crossed. Mia took off her high-heeled shoes. This time, Diego broke the silence.

"Well... another one couldn't hurt."

"Yeah," Mia gasped.

Then, that kiss was much longer and much more passionate than any of the previous two. Diego's right hand remained around Mia's waist while his left hand made its way up the back of Mia's head and through her hair. Mia had Diego against the wall. Then, the tables turned when Diego took the time to pin Mia up against the wall. She gasped for air and then kept kissing him back. Mia had one hand on Diego's cheek and the other on the back of his head. Diego's hand was now on the left side of Mia's head, his thumb unintentionally lifting up the fringe over her eye. Mia couldn't even think about anything else at the time. She didn't care who walked in. All she cared about was the man she was sharing the moment with. Then, she heard an all too familiar sound.

"A-HEEEEEM!!!!"

Uh oh...

Diego backed away from Mia, allowing her to remove herself from the wall.

"And what have we here, Mr. Armando and Ms. Fey?"

"Well... uhh..."

"This is a serious offense."

Neither Diego nor Mia spoke. They just hung their heads down. Mia was hanging hers down partly because she was blushing and didn't want Grossberg to see. Grossberg thought it was a good time to speak once more.

"I mean, come on! I'm not THAT old! I know you kids are into... erm... what is it called...? PMS...?"

Mia stood there deadpanned at Grossberg's oblivion.

"You mean PDA, sir?"

"Ah yes! That's it! If you kids wanted to kiss, I wouldn't mind at all!"

Diego shivered. Him and Mia were both thinking the same thing: a creeper Marvin Grossberg watching them as they kissed.

"Ahh, we just thought it might be better if... well... if we were alone."

"I just want you to know I am NOT anti-PMS!"

"PDA, sir!!!"

"Ahh yes! Well, I'll leave you kids back to your fun now."

Grossberg walked out, leaving the couple to wonder what would have happened if they didn't notice him.

* * *

Mia went home that night smiling. In three days, she would leave to go home to Kurain Village with Diego. She was very excited to see Maya again. Then, she remembered the promise she made to the office girls about getting her hair done. Even that didn't spoil her mood, though. But, one thing did bring down her mood slightly. In three days, she would have to face the woman who brought the demon named Dahlia Hawthorne into being.

The next day, Mia got a phone call from Monica.

"Wake up, Mia! Your hair appointment is in twenty minutes!!!"

Mia sighed, but complied. She was hoping they forgot about that. It appears she misjudged them. She went to the salon and met the group of girls. They walked up to the counter.

"What's the customer's name?" the cashier asked.

"MIA FEY!" Tricia said loudly, "That's M-I-A F-E-Y!"

"Okay..."

Mia sat in the chair not knowing what to expect. The group of girls were telling the hairdresser what to do. Finally, the stylist went over to Mia.

"Wh-what'd they say?"

"They told me to tell you not to worry about it."

How promising...

"But, don't worry. I won't make you look bad."

Even more promising...

Mia's heart was beating faster with each lock of hair cut off. She could hear the girls giggling in the background. She didn't even need to look to know they were jumping up and down. But, one thing was on her mind. What would Diego think?

* * *

The day after, Diego sat in his office, pondering about where to go with his case. He didn't know which direction would be best. The top of his pen was wedged between his teeth. He finally slammed down the pen on his desk, put his elbows on the desk, bent his head down, and weaved his fingers through his hair. He looked up at the sound of shoes walking towards his open office. What he saw made his heart skip a beat. His girlfriend was walking towards him, fiddling with her hair. He immediately knew that's what was different. Her hair was about shoulder length with the bottom slightly curled upward. Diego sat up straight. Mia closed the door behind her. She stopped on the right side of his desk, causing him to swivel his chair to her direction.

"Hey..."

The words Diego was going to say escaped his mind as quickly as they came to him.

"Hi..."

Mia bent her head down.

"Mia... Your hair..."

Mia's heart beat faster. She could barely speak.

"I know," she finally managed to whisper.

Diego stood up, walked in front of her, picked her up, and forced her to sit on top of his desk. Her eyes widened from the shock of his actions. His hands remained on her sides.

"You look gorgeous..."

"R-Really...?"

Diego curved his mouth to a small smile and nodded.

"Your family is going to be amazed when they see you tomorrow."

Mia smiled.

"Thank you..."

Her smile suddenly faded, though. Diego gave her a confused look.

"What's wrong?"

"I've got to face my aunt tomorrow."

"You mean the one who...-"

"Yeah."

Diego frowned.

"There are times in life when you have to step up to the plate and be courageous. Face your fears. You can do this. I'll be there every step of the way. I promise."

"Diego... I don't know what I'd do without you."

Diego leaned in to kiss her. Little did they know the group of girls were watching outside his office through the window. They all squealed with joy when Diego kissed her.

"Oh my GAWD, he loves it!"

"Not only does he love the haircut, but he loves her!!!"

"AHHHH!" they all shouted in joy together.

Finally, the couple noticed their presence. They glanced at the door, but decided to shrug them off.

* * *

"Aunt Morgan!!!"

"Mystic Maya! Will you please give Aunty Morgan some privacy? I... erm... have some tasks to accomplish."

"Okay, sure!"

Morgan stood in front of the fire place, throwing certain pictures in the flames. She cackled as she threw the one of her holding baby Dahlia in the fire pit.

"With this, I can bend the truth."

On the train to Kurain, Diego and Mia went over what they knew about Dahlia Hawthorne.

"So, she is the daughter of your aunt..."

"That's right. Also, her father was a jeweler."

"Do you remember what he looked like or anything?"

"Vaguely... Actually... there are two things in particular I remember about him."

"Shoot, Kitten."

"His name was Jared. Jared Hawthorne. I remember our aunt insisted we called him Jared rather than Jerry."

"So, we actually have a name on this jeweler... Jared, eh? What was the second thing?"

"He had a golden tooth."

Diego gave Mia a look of disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but did you just say he had a golden tooth?"

"Yeah..."

Diego looked as if he was thinking something over. Then, he muttered something.

"GK-9..."

"What? GK-9?"

"It was the case where my father was wrongly convicted."

"What about it?"

"Well, you can't exactly know where I'm getting at without knowing the case. So, here are the facts. An attorney was murdered at the law firm my father worked for. My father happened to be working on a case with him. The case they were working on was investigating a jewelry company. Apparently, there were certain jewels laced with poison."

"Jewels laced with poison? What do you mean?"

"The jewels were intentionally dipped into containers of poison. They were given to certain government officials. It was noticed that these officials had a habit of putting the top of the ring to their mouth, making them bring the poisonous jewel to their lips and into their mouths."

"That's a scary, yet well-thought-out plan."

"The amount of poison on these jewels were the lethal dosage. They were most likely dipped into the poison more than once. Anyway, these officials were believed to have been targeted. They were all working on another case involving the jewelry company... Jared Hawthorne's jewelry company."

"What kind of case?"

"The kidnapping case, Kitten. The fake one set up by Dahlia."

Mia suddenly felt cold. She did not expect that coming. Diego continued.

"The officials got wind of the case, including the part where Hawthorne let the two million dollar diamond go into the river. They figured an investigation of the jewelry company's inner workings would be beneficial. In a case, you don't want any loose ends. So, the murder case of those officials are what my father and the victim worked on. The defense attorney was very close to getting him off. However, he betrayed him in the end... because of a certain man with a golden tooth."

"Jared Hawthorne... but, how did Hawthorne get the attorney to betray your father?"

"He posed as a witness... during the recess, he spoke with the attorney. I don't know if he bribed him, blackmailed him, both, or whatever, but after that recess, the attorney plead guilty."

"I'm so sorry... that's terrible! Who was the attorney?"

"Samuel Ardor..."

"... Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Because he is Rodney's father."

Mia's heart sunk. It seemed Rodney inherited his father's horrid nature.

"Was he a womanizer, too?"

Diego chuckled.

"Come to think of it, he did seem to hit on many office women."

"That doesn't shock me."

"Kitten... thank you. Thanks to you, this puzzle is making a little more sense."

* * *

"SIIIIIIIIIIS!"

Maya was running full speed towards Mia. She flung herself into her older sister's arms. Diego grinned.

"Hey, Maya! How are you?"

"I'm fantastic, Sis, because you're here now!"

Maya let go of her sister. She dropped her jaw and immediately grinned.

"MIA HAS A HAIRCUT! MIA HAS A HAIRCUT!"

Mia gave a small laugh, but turned her head towards her shoulder to hide her embarrassment.

"Sis, it looks adorable!!! Why are you so shy about it?!"

Mia just shrugged. Maya proceeded to walk towards Diego. She held out her hand.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Armando!"

Diego shook Maya's hand.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, too, Maya... and you can call me Diego."

"Yay! Okay, Diego!"

Just then, Morgan Fey walked in with little Pearl by her side.

"Ah, Mystic Mia. What a delight it is to see you again."

Morgan hugged her niece.

"Same to you, Aunt Morgan."

Mia bent down to greet Pearl.

"Hey there, Pearly!"

"Mia! Mia!"

Little Pearl then hugged her cousin. Mia stood up again and walked to Diego's side.

"Aunt Morgan, I would like you to meet Diego Armando. He is...-"

"DIEGO IS MIA'S BOYFRIEND!!!" Maya shouted. Aunt Morgan took a step backward as if hit in the chest with a large hammer. She was aware that a man was visiting with Mia, but Maya forgot to tell her Diego was Mia's boyfriend.

"Ah... well... that's s-splendid! Splendid indeed! It's an honor to meet you, Good Sir."

Diego shook Morgan's hand.

"The pleasure is all mine."

Morgan folded her hands behind her.

"Well, I must finish preparing dinner. Would you like to come along, Mystic Maya and Mystic Pearl?"

They both nodded.

"Come along."

Morgan took Pearl by the hand. Maya followed them, but turned around to say one last thing to her sister.

"Now remember. Just because your home doesn't mean you can't be lovey-dovey."

Mia shook her head.

"Okay, Maya."

Morgan had one of the villagers take Mia's and Diego's luggage to their rooms.

"Ah, Mary, you won't have to worry about taking them to two separate rooms. Just take them all to one room."

Mary clicked her tongue and raised her eyebrows.

"Bow chicka wow woooow..."

Mia blushed, but laughed. Mary was one of the more humorous villagers. She suddenly put a hand on Mia's shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure Mystic Morgan doesn't disturb your romantic times..."

Mia laughed.

"Thanks, Mystic Mary."

The couple settled into their room. Mia plopped down on the bed. Diego walked up to her.

"Tired, Kitten?"

"A little... I'm just thinking though..."

"About?"

"What would have happened if the fake kidnapping was successful?"

"In Kurain, when you're eating your meals, you must wear proper clothing," Mia explained to Diego.

"Well, what qualifies as proper clothing?"

"It could be training clothes, a kimono..."

"What would I wear?"

"I've got something for you."

Mia pulled out the traditional outfit for the men of Kurain. It was a blue robe with magatamas on it. It was basically a kimono for men.

"Here. Put this on. I'll change in the bathroom."

"Okay then."

Mia took her clothes out of her clothing box and changed in the bathroom. When she came out, Diego was wearing his robe. Mia's heart skipped a beat. She never thought she'd see Diego in such an outfit. It looked absolutely great on him, in Mia's opinion. Diego felt the samy way about Mia. She was wearing a black kimono with flowers on it. He walked up to her.

"Did you wear such clothing all the time when you lived here?"

"On special occasions. I usually wore the type of training clothes that Maya wears."

"I'm sure you looked gorgeous in that, too."

Mia smiled and wrapped herself around Diego.

"Why, thank you."

"You're very welcome. I really hope I can please your aunt."

"Oh, don't worry. You'll be fine."

"Ehh, I'm not so sure."

"Why's that?"

"Well... doesn't she drink tea? I mean, I'm a coffee person... I'm afraid I'll offend her."

"Wait, you're a coffee person?! Since when?!"

"It looks like the kitten packed her sarcasm with her."

"Oh, I'm just kidding. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thanks, Kitten."

Then, Diego kissed her. They didn't know that at the time, Maya happened to be walking by with her disposable camera with the intent of taking pictures of Pearl playing in the garden. Maya saw her chance to take a picture of Mia and Diego. She took the chance and used it well. She ended up getting a clear picture of the romantic scene. The couple broke after hearing the camera click. They saw young Maya grinning at them.

"M-Maya!"

"Hiya, Sis!"

"How dare you...!"

"What? I'm just taking a picture of my big sis and her boyfriend!"

"Did you intend to do that?"

"No, I wanted to take pictures of Pearly. Also, Aunt Morgan said you guys should come down for dinner in ten minutes."

"Okay. Thanks, Maya... that is, for telling us about dinner... not the picture."

"Aww, c'mon, Sis! What's there to be shy about?! It's not like I'd mind!"

"Ehh...."

"Oh, by the way, Diego, you look great in that robe!"

"Why, thank you, Maya."

"You're welcome! Now, Mia, can you please pose with Diego for me?"

"No, Maya. I'll tell you what. We'll come to the winding way with you."

"Okay!"

So, Mia and Diego followed Maya to the winding way. They took a few pictures of Pearl. Afterward, they went to dinner. The table was only a few feet off the ground. They had to sit on cushions. The meal was chicken with some mashed potatoes and gravy. Strawberry desserts were to be served after dinner.

"So, Good Sir, do you work with Mystic Mia?"

Diego almost coughed up his coffee.

"I'm sorry, but I have a question."

"Answer mine first, and then I shall answer yours to the best of my ability."

"Yes, I do work with her. Now, my question is why do you refer to these lovely ladies as MYSTIC Maya, Mia, or Pearl?"

"Ahh, it is their title, Good Sir. Just like how you attorneys have your titles. There are prosecutors and defense attorneys, are there not?"

"I see. Thank you for enlightening me."

"You are most certainly welcome. Mystic Mia, how is your career going?"

Mia's heart sunk. She really didn't want to get into details about the Terry Fawles case for more reasons than one.

"Erm... it's okay..."

"You don't sound too sure."

"Well, one of the cases... ehh..."

Diego decided to chime in.

"Mia... I mean MYSTIC Mia is a brilliant attorney. She exposed the true nature of demons on the witness stand."

"Oh? What kind of case?"

Mia then suddenly felt a fire inside her.

"Well, if you must know, Aunt Morgan, it involved a certain kidnapping case a few years ago... with a jeweler..."

Morgan stopped eating. She froze.

"Did you say a jeweler?"

"Why, yes. Why so interested now? Would you have an idea of who it is? Perhaps he is someone related to you? Maybe even the demon... or should I say DEMONESS is related to you somehow!"

"Mia, I sense tension and anger in your voice."

"That's because I am angry, Aunt Morgan! There's something you're not telling me! How long do you plan to hide the truth?!"

Maya sank down lower. It was a long time since she saw such an emotional Mia. She wanted to hug her sister, hoping to comfort her in any way. But, she could tell that wouldn't be possible. Mia was far too angry.

"I don't know what you're talking ab-..."

"DAHLIA!!!!!!!"

Morgan's heart stopped for a brief moment. She was stiff as a board.

"Mia, that was a long time ago... Dahlia... she... well..."

"I just can't believe it. You've kept this truth from me, and now I'm left to solve this. I don't care about relation to her. It doesn't matter to me. Dahlia will pay!"

Mia stood up and stormed off into her room. Diego stared down at his meal. He then stood up.

"Ms. Fey, thank you for the delicious dinner."

With that, he ran after Mia.

Mia slammed the door behind her and started pacing back and forth in the middle of the room. She ran her hand through her hair. Frustration had overtaken her. How could she forgive her aunt? It would be difficult to find it in her heart to forgive Morgan's actions. The tears began to roll out one by one. She sat on the bed as more tears made their way out of her eyes. Then, she heard a knock on the door.

"G-go away."

The knocker didn't abide by Mia's order. Diego walked in and closed the door gently behind him. He also made sure to lock it. Then, he sat down next to Mia, putting an arm around her waist.

"Would you like to talk?"

"What is there to talk about?!"

"First, I think you should take a deep breath."

Mia did just that, realizing she needed to calm down. Then, still crying, she clung onto Diego and buried her face in his chest.

"I-I don't know wh-what to do..."

"Talk to me, Kitten."

"What else is she hiding? I don't even know who I am anymore!"

"Something tells me it's more than just this situation that's bothering you."

"... You're right. Diego... I look in the mirror every day, wondering who that person is. After the Terry Fawles case, I don't know who I am."

"You never told me this before."

"It's all building up with every fact that emerges. Everything is just causing my heart to break, and I can't find the pieces. I'm just lost... I can't find my way... and I don't know when I'll finally be able to look at myself again and know who that person is."

Diego didn't know what to say. He had no idea that Mia was feeling such a thing. He decided that actions speak louder than words. So, he decided to hug her as tight as he could and kissed her forehead. Through that hug, he also managed to squeeze a few more tears out of Mia.

"Mia..."

"Diego, you have no idea how much you've done for me... There are only two people in this world who are helping me find my way... Maya and you. I know I've only been seeing you for a short amount of time, but you really do mean the world to me. In this brief amount of time, you pulled me out of this abyss that I started falling into after that case. Thank you, Diego."

"Kitten, I'd do that for you any day. I just need to know if my kitten is smiling. At the moment, you aren't really satisfying me."

Mia made a small laugh. It wasn't enough to force a smile, though.

"Just hold onto even your last hope. Always. You're too great of a person to be falling into disarray. Look at you. You're beautiful, sweet, intelligent... You moved me. That pure, sweet soul of yours has captured me. I could never leave you. I'll be there to guide you no matter what."

This time, Mia smiled. She hugged him tight.

"Thanks, Diego."

"Anytime, Kitten."

* * *

Maya was extremely worried about Mia. She never saw her sister so emotional. She wanted to run after Mia and hug her, but she knew Diego would be there for her. Even so, Mia's behavior concerned Maya. She decided to help her aunt clean up the dishes. Maya was able to hear her aunt mumbling.

"We should have never let that girl go to the city. I knew she would be trouble afterwards... She even has my secret... It must be that man... Yes, he changed her...."

Finally, Maya couldn't take anymore of Morgan's slander. She threw the sponge into the sink as hard as she could and turned towards Morgan.

"DIEGO DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!"

Morgan was completely taken aback by Maya's sudden newfound defiance.

"I beg your pardon, Mystic Maya?"

"I can no longer stand here as you slander my sister and her boyfriend! Don't say a word against Mia or Diego! Can't you tell they're already hurt?! Families are supposed to care for one another!"

"That insignificant man is not family!"

"You're wrong! He loves my sister! I know it! I consider him a brother now! THAT'S family!"

Maya stormed off. Morgan was surprised, but she brushed off their argument. She chuckled to herself.

"That child is so clueless... 'families are supposed to care for one another'? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. The main family and the branch family will never care for each other. Ever."

* * *

Diego was busy making coffee brews in their room, so Mia figured it would be a great opportunity to visit Maya. She walked up to Maya's door, but she heard crying coming from inside the room right before she knocked. It must have been Maya. Mia opened the door.

"Maya...?"

Maya was sitting in a chair by her window with her legs curled up to her face. She looked up at her sister. She let out a small sigh to exhale the breath she held. Mia closed the door and made her way towards Maya. She kneeled next to her and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Tears continued to roll out of Maya's eyes. Mia wiped some of the tears away with her thumb.

"What's wrong, Maya?"

"A-Aunt Morgan... s-s-she was slandering you and Diego... I tried to get her to stop, but she called Diego an 'insignificant man'. Sis, I can't take it anymore. All these expectations are pushed on me... I just can't take it... and I'm sick of nobody listening to me."

Maya sobbed. Mia frowned. She stood up, dragged a chair next to Maya, and took a seat. She held onto Maya.

"Maya... I know a lot is being pushed onto you. But, you should know by now that if you ever need to talk, I'm always just a phone call away. You don't have to worry about Diego and me. He understands. We need to do something... just you and me. It's healthy to talk about things. Otherwise, it'll all just bottle up, and one day, you'll explode."

"I'm worried about you, Sis..."

"Why's that?"

"You spend so much time worrying about others, but not yourself. I know you're hurt on the inside."

"Maya..."

"Tell me, Sis... I won't be able to sleep at night knowing you're hurt, but not knowing why."

"Maya, it's very complicated..."

Mia explained to Maya what she told Diego as simply as she could. Maya's heart sank.

"Sis... I had no idea..."

Maya hugged Mia tightly. She didn't want to let go.

"Maya... I love you."

"I love you, too, Sis."

Mia lied in her bed, as wide awake as ever. Maya's words kept running through Mia's mind. She had no idea Maya felt that way. Why didn't Maya tell her sooner? However, Mia concluded it was better she told her now rather than having to face her if she broke. All of these thoughts gave Mia a headache. She decided to get a glass of water. She walked past the entrance of the winding way when she smelled something burning. Peaking through the entrance, she found no one in the winding way nor the garden. However, she noticed the incinerator was turned on. Thinking it strange, she went down to the garden to turn it off. Mia then noticed a small stack of photos behind the incinerator as if hidden. She picked them up, but couldn't see the images clearly due to the darkness. An idea popped into her head. As quickly as she could, Mia put out the fire in the incinerator. As soon as it cooled down, Mia grabbed the remains and took everything back to her room. She closed and locked the door. Diego woke up.

"K-Kitten...? What are you doing up?"

Mia turned on the light. Diego winced.

"Ahh! What are you...?"

"Shh! This is important, Diego. Please whisper."

"Sorry."

Mia began looking through the photos. They were pictures of her aunt with her family. It was before Pearl was born. Jared Hawthorne was displayed in the picture with two twin girls. One had black hair, and the other had red hair.

"Dahlia..."

Diego leaned over to look at the pictures. He suddenly jumped.

"T-That's him!!!"

"Shh!!!"

"Sorry... but, that's him!"

Going through the stack, they found a few more valuable pictures. But, one in particular stuck out in their minds. It was a picture of Morgan with Dahlia. Around Morgan's neck was a certain necklace. It was the necklace Terry Fawles drank the poison from.

"T-This came from my aunt!"

"So, that demon didn't buy that necklace after all."

"What if..."

"What?"

"What if Aunt Morgan was like Dahlia?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if she was planning to use this bottle for harm as well?"

* * *

The next morning, Mia took a shower in the bathroom in her room. She started singing a song she loved.

"Searching far and wide,
I've been trying to find,
The reason why I love you,
But it cannot be found."

She stopped, thinking about all of her past boyfriends. She never truly loved them. It was just infatuation. She felt she loved Diego. Mia put on a smile. The song filled her head. She didn't even hear Diego open the door and walk in the bathroom, half-asleep. He didn't even notice Mia was showering. He began to wash his face. Diego was still in his pajamas. Then, the water shut off. He suddenly sensed the room was a lot quieter than before. He turned around and saw his girlfriend holding a towel and calmly brushing her hair back with her fingers. Her eyes were closed. Then, he noticed he could clearly see both of her eyes. The fringe over her left eye was pushed back with the rest of her wet hair. She then opened her eyes and screamed when she saw Diego. She quickly put on the towel. Diego gave a small smirk.

"Wh-What are you doing in here?!"

"Did you forget I was staying in this room, too?"

"I was in the shower!"

"Ha...! Didn't notice. Sorry."

She climbed out of the shower.

"Didn't notice? How?"

"Well, I was a bit half-asleep at the time, and..."

"Oh boy, Diego..."

"What?"

"You just saw me NAKED! What else?!"

"Oh, what are you so embarrassed for? It's not like you're a fat woman with a grotesque physique."

"Thanks for the compliment, I guess..."

"Oh, anytime."

Mia shot him a dirty look.

"Oh, don't be so negative."

"Suuure..."

They didn't realize how close they were to each other until that moment. Diego took the towel and tied the top ends for Mia so it wouldn't fall off.

"Well, I never expected this, Kitten..."

"Oh believe me. Neither did I."

Diego kissed her. She didn't expect it, but kissed back anyway. Suddenly, they heard a shrill... a Morgan Fey shrill.

"WHERE DID THEY GO?!?!?!"

Morgan was frantic. She couldn't find the evidence anywhere.

"It's just like all those years ago..." she muttered to herself. She couldn't find the pictures just like she couldn't find her precious necklace years ago. Just after her ex-husband left, she noticed her heart-shaped bottle necklace was missing. Morgan's initial thought was Mia or Diego took the pictures.

"Oh, Mystic Miiiiiia!!!"

* * *

Mia knew Morgan was after the pictures. She ran out of the bathroom as quick as she could. Then, she took the pictures back with her to the bathroom, locked the bathroom door, and hid the pictures in a secret compartment. The compartment was actually a loose bathroom tile. It didn't look loose, and Mia was the only one who knew about it since that was her room.

"You're a smart kitten."

Mia smiled back at her boyfriend.

"Diego, go back to bed as quick as you can! Make like you were asleep the entire time!"

Diego didn't question her. He immediately ran quietly to the bed, threw himself under the covers, and pretended to be fast asleep. Mia heard Morgan call her name, and her heart sank. She hoped Diego was a good actor. Morgan thrust herself through the door loudly. Diego jumped out of bed, appearing to suddenly be wide awake.

"Good sir!!! Have you the slightest idea what time it is?!"

Diego faked a convincing yawn.

"Erm, no... I apologize, Ms. Fey."

Mia opened the bathroom door.

"Is everything okay in here?"

"Mystic Mia, I was wondering if you have seen some old photos lying around lately?"

"Old photos? No, none that I recall. Why do you ask?"

"Ahh, I just think it would be unfortunate if I lost them."

"Oh? What are they of?"

"Just some... erm... family photos."

"Oh, family photos! I always loved looking through those!"

"Yes, I know that."

"Maybe we can look through them if you find them! I think it would be a great family bonding activity if we looked through them together!"

"Sure... that is IF we find them..."

Morgan seemed to be on the edge.

"Anyway, breakfast is being prepared, Mystic Mia."

"Okay. Thanks, Aunt Morgan!"

Morgan then walked out. So, it appeared the couple knew nothing about the photos. Of course, they could be lying. After all, how could it be simply coincidence that those photos disappeared during their visit? But, is it possible that someone else took the photos? Maybe someone burned the rest of them. Morgan checked the incinerator. It seemed to be full. Morgan concluded that it was possible one of the gardeners simply burned the pictures, thinking them simply worthless due to their location.

"That was close," Diego whispered.

"Yeah... you're a great actor."

"Why, thank you, Kitten. You are as well."

"Thank you!"

"Didn't you take pictures out of the incinerator as well?"

"Yes. I knew my aunt would search it, so I made sure to wake up earlier than her. I burned a few old and useless documents in their place."

"That was some great logic, Kitten."

"It's all due to knowing my aunt."

Diego kissed Mia's forehead. Mia smiled. Then, she blushed.

"I-I should probably get dressed..."

"Ha...! That would be a wise decision."

* * *

"Over here, Pearly!"

Pearl and Maya were playing with Pearl's ball in the garden later that day. Maya was jumping up and down. She then saw Mia and Diego holding hands and walking through the winding way. Maya grinned. She ran over to Pearl.

"Pearly, stay as quiet as you can," she whispered. Pearl nodded. Mia let go of Diego's hand. They were discussing the case.

"There was a twin... a twin daughter. The girl with black hair."

"You've got a point there. But, where did she disappear off to?"

"Knowing Jacob, he sent her away. But, the question is where."

"Orphanage?"

"For some reason, I get this vibe which tells me that's not the case."

"That gold-toothed back-stabber..."

Mia walked closer to Diego.

"What if..."

"What?"

"What if it was another temple?"

"Another temple?"

"Kurain has temples. Nuns live there. What if she was sent to a temple? I mean, it makes sense. He would naturally know about the temples, marrying a spirit medium and everything..."

"A wonderful line of deduction, Kitten."

"Yes... but, how does this tie to all the cases you were telling me on the train?"

"... You know... I think I have an idea."

"Do tell."

"You know that necklace?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, think about how it was used by Terry Fawles. That poisoning case Mr. Hawthorne was involved in. What if that was the poison used?"

"Ahh...!"

"And it gets better, Kitten. It wasn't just any kind of poison. It was a special poison. They couldn't find such a poison in the city."

"... 'In the city'..."

"Exactly. What if that poison came from here?"

"But, Diego, you can't fit all that poison in that little bottle."

"He didn't need to. There was a reason that necklace was stolen. It was to have it tested to see what he would need to make the poison. Then, he would make sure the scientific facility he used was kept quiet about the tests."

"Blackmail... or bribes..."

"Precisely."

"We're a pretty good team, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are."

The distance between the couple closed. Mia's back was leaning against the side railing. Diego cupped a hand around her cheek and kissed her. Maya squealed with joy. Pearl was jumping up and down. Maya took another picture. But, this time, the couple didn't notice. Once they broke, Maya and Pearl started playing again.

"Hey there, Maya!"

"Hiya, Sis! Hi, Diego!"

"Hello, Maya!"

So, the four of them stayed in the winding way for the rest of the afternoon. Diego and Mia decided they would take care of their unfinished business later. It was time to tie some more loose ends together. However, the mystery was no where close to being solved.