Chapter Thirty: Return and Salvation:

It took a lot of work to cross over to Hell. Tatsumi fought to get the right paperwork.

"We don't have time!" he yelled at the desk, "One of our shinigami could be lost at this rate!"

"Shhh, I understand, sir," the gate keeper answered. "Please keep your voice down." Tatsumi tried to keep calm. The gate keeper opened the database on the computer.

"Which circle will you be visiting today?" he asked.

"The eighth circle," the secretary replied. The gate keeper's eyes widened.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "Why would you want to go there?" He trembled as he spoke. Tatsumi gave him a sharp look.

"Is that a problem?" he asked. The gate keeper frantically shook his head.

"N-N-No!"

"Will you help us get in?"

"I'll see what I can do!" the gate keeper yelped. He got right to typing on the computer. Tatsumi smirked triumphantly.

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Jessie sat alone in the dining room. Hisoka and her mother left a little while ago. Her heart gave off a tight feeling in her chest. Hisoka, she thought. It was probably too late now. Hisoka was going to be another victim of her mother. Jessie looked up at the clock on the wall. She remembered all of the times she blocked the other shinigami's calls to his cell phone. Jessie even threw the phone away at one point. Ironic, the demon thought. She tried to block them and now she needed them. Jessie looked around the quiet house. A chill ran down her spine.

Hurry guys, she thought. You don't have much time. Her ears caught the sound of the door opening. Jessie lifted her head as shouts filled the air.

"Sir!" a woman yelled, "You cannot enter here right now!"

"Move!" a man's voice yelled back.

"Sir!" the maid cried. Jessie's heart raced at the sound of footsteps. Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, and Watari stormed into the dining hall. Jessie's worry began to float away.

"Where is here?" Tsuzuki asked in a cold tone. "Are you the one who took him?" Jessie nodded silently.

"Where is he now?" Watari asked. Tatsumi held Tsuzuki back to prevent him from hurting the demon. Jessie pointed down the hall. The shinigami ran in that direction. Jessie remained seated. She bit her lower lip as something inside of her snapped.

The boys began opening doors to find Hisoka. Tsuzuki's search gave more desperate. He still didn't know how to face his partner. At least, he could apologize to him. The shinigami swallowed hard as he pulled himself together.

Hang on, Hisoka, he thought. I'm coming! Tsuzuki came to the last door on the right side of the hall. Instinct told him to open the door. Tsuzuki paused when he smelt expensive perfume. His eyes widened with the thought, here! Tsuzuki ripped open the door. Jessie's mother was about to go down on Hisoka's half-conscious body.

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki shouted. Jessie's mother looked up, smirking.

"Oh, what's this?" she asked. "Sorry, but this is a private party."

"Give him back!" Tsuzuki shouted. The mother looked at him, perplexed.

"Why should I?"

"Because�" Tsuzuki began. "Because�" The mother turned to Hisoka.

"Tell me, poppet," she asked him. "Do you want to go back to this man?"

"No," Hisoka replied, as if in a trance. Tsuzuki felt his heart drop.

"What?" he asked. Jessie's mom looked at him.

"You heard him," she said. "He doesn't want to leave his new mama." Tsuzuki shook his head in disbelief.

"No�" he murmured. The older woman rose to her feet.

"And do you know why?" she asked. She held out her elegant hands. "No? Let me show you." Tsuzuki drew out his fuda as she began to chant. Hisoka sat up at the smooth sound of her voice. The demon opened her gold, cat like eyes.

"My toy is now linked to me," she explained. "Speak, my doll."

"You betrayed me," Hisoka spoke. "You betrayed me with that woman!"

"And I'm sorry for that," Tsuzuki said as he looked for a way to cut the link between Hisoka and Jessie's mom.

"Liar!" the younger shinigami hissed. Tsuzuki focused his eyes on Jessie's mother. Where was the source of the spell?

"I'm not lying," Tsuzuki said. "I really am sorry."

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Jessie, Tatsumi, and Watari followed the voices down the hall. The demon daughter's heart pounded against her chest. Let Hisoka go, she thought. Let him go home, mom. She pushed past the other two shinigami, but Tatsumi grabbed her shoulder.

"Let go!" Jessie screamed.

"And why should I?" he asked. The demon didn't turn around.

"I have to do this," she said sternly. Then, the demon shoved him away and kept walking. The shinigami tried to go after her, but Watari rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Watari-san?" the secretary asked. The scientist shook his head.

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Tsuzuki studied Jessie's mother's black jewel around her neck. The dark glimmer gave him the answer he needed. Tsuzuki smirked.

"I want to start fresh, Hisoka-kun," he spoke up. "In fact, let's start� right now!" The demon woman noticed the look in his eyes.

"What?" she exclaimed. The shinigami took aim and shot the spell from his fuda straight into her hands.

"Gah!" the woman screamed as the energy burned her hands. The jewel around her neck cracked and broke into little pieces at her feet.

"Shit!" the woman yelled, falling backwards onto the red carpet. Hisoka awoke from his trance only to pass out on the bed. Jessie ran to the bedroom the moment the teddy charm in her hair fell out and broke. She sank to her knees in shock. I'm free, the younger demon thought. Jessie's mother looked up at Tsuzuki as he walked over to the bed.

"H-H-How did you know?" she asked. Tsuzuki picked up his partner.

"Your jewel was too flashy," he answered. "Besides, I need my partner." Jessie's mother seethed in anger as the shinigami took Hisoka with him. He passed Jessie in the doorway. He whispered something that woke her up inside.

"Thanks for giving him back," Tsuzuki whispered. The demon turned as he walked away. However, disciplinary action would have to wait. For a bigger problem arose in Meifu and it all started with a confession in San Diego.