The twins had just wanted to do something different for their birthday.

With the twenty between the two that Janet had given them, they took a longer walk than usual to the bigger side of town. There was a arcade there and that would entertain them. A lot of the other businesses were closed, but at least the arcade was open.

Playing the games was fun, even though they didn't have much to spend between the two. Sakiko had a couple stuffed animals and Nanami had a puzzle cube, spikey rubber ball, and yo-yo. They walked out of the building with laughter and prizes, it was a good time.

It was dark when they were on their way home, the walk longer but their enjoyment was high enough to not care. It had gotten cold and Nanami lent Sakiko Daryl's birthday jacket to keep warm while they ventured in the night.

They were laughing over Nanami's inability to use to yo-yo when a man approached them. His hair was matted, eyes bloodshot red even in the dark as he scurried to them like a frightened mouse.

"Hey.. You're.. You're Otani's kids, right?" he had asked, scratching the inside of his arm.

"No," Nanami answers, stepping closer to Sakiko on instinct, "Sorry, sir, you have the wrong people. Good night."

Nanami grabs Sakiko by the jacket sleeve to pull her past the man only for the man to grab her by the hood and pull both twins back.

"Look- I've been to your old man's place. I saw you in the pictures. So just.. Just help me out, yeah?"

"I'm sorry, sir. We're not who you're looking for," Nanami insists, tugging his sister out away from the man.

The man sighs, a cloud of fog escaping in the cool. No one moves for a second in the tense silence. Nanami slowly takes a step forward and the man jumps, pulling out a knife that he points wildly to them. The twins startle, both facing the man and attempting to take slow steps back away from him cautiously.

"Listen- neither of you have to get hurt, all right? I don't wanna hurt anyone. Just- just, please, help me out!"

"We don't have anything to do with this," Sakiko snaps though her voice was shaky.

"Here's the plan, okay? We're going to go, all three, together to your house. There, you two are gonna help me talk your dad into selling to me again. That's all this is for, no one has to get hurt, so don't be scared."

The man had been cut from Shinsuke's routes when he'd proven to be.. well.. unstable. He hadn't had a fix in a week and it proved to only make him less controlled.

"All right?" the man asks, standing up straighter.

Nanami and Sakiko look to each other and then back to the man. There's another tense moment and the man breathes out in relief that the two seemed to be complying.

At once, Nanami throws the yo-yo as hard as he could manage to the man's head, shoving Sakiko for the two to break into a run before he regained comprehension. Feet pounded against the ground, the twins holding hands to keep each other close.

The scenery soon became more familiar as they passed by the diner, then the tobacco shop- Sakiko longing for Daryl to be outside the store to no avail.

Their breathing became labored and Sakiko releases a yelp when she's pulled from Nanami's grasp, the man pulling her back to his chest, an arm around her neck to keep her close as he points the knife to Nanami.

"Kid!" he warns as Nanami skids to a stop, "All you two gotta do is listen! I'm not trying to hurt either of you!"

"Please! Just let her go!" Nanami begs, hands out in front of him as he tries to coax the man down.

"I will," the man swears, "I will.. Just, you just gotta go along with me."

Sakiko's hand goes to the pocket of the Dixon's previous jacket, feeling the coolness of the pocket knife there. The man's grip tightens around her neck at her squirming, making Sakiko choke as her lungs fight for air.

"You're hurting her now!" Nanami cries.

At the loudness the man jumps again, frantic and paranoid at every sound he hears. His grip gets tighter again and Sakiko cries out before jerking the knife up, stabbing at the man's forearm. The man shouts, dropping Sakiko to the ground and holding his arm.

Sakiko coughs, hands searching the ground for the pocket knife she'd dropped with the fall. Nanami kneels to help her up quickly, finding the knife first and picking it up.

The man resorts himself, swinging his knife wildly. Nanami grits his teeth as he picks Sakiko up and she steadies herself on her own feet, still panting for air. As the man lunges to them, Nanami stumbles backwards as he holds his own knife in front of him protectively with his other arm guarding Sakiko.

When the man takes another stab at the air, Nanami closes his eyes as he plunges his knife forward. Sakiko gasps, hiding her face at the sight of the knife lodging into the man's side.

"Run!" Nanami shouts, pulling the knife back as the blood pours onto his hands and arm.

The man falls to his knees, holding his wound and the twins trip over one another as they try to both hold onto each other and run home at the same time.

Once to their house, they burst through the door and Nanami drops the knife on the ground, pacing back and forth as his breathing picks up into hyperventilation. Sakiko was fighting to breathe more than before, falling to her knees with a hand on her chest.

"Oh my god.. Oh my god.." Sakiko chokes out, "Did- did we kill him? What.. What just happened?"

"No.. No, he's still alive, okay?" Nanami assures, still pacing.

"If he's alive.. He said he's been here! He knows where we live! What- What if he comes here still?" Sakiko panics, falling a sitting position and wildly looking around the room like the man was going to show up out of nowhere.

"He's not! We just.. We just need to wait for dad," Nanami decides.

"And what? Get hit for doing that? What if we just got into more danger than before?" Sakiko asks.

Her eyes land on the knife that had the man's blood staining the surface, scurrying back away from it before hitting her back on the couch- the solid surface made her feel more guarded as she stares at the knife.

Nanami sighs, running his hand over his face only to feel the sticky surface cascade from his hand to his face. He pulls his hand in front of him, seeing the red coating. He pauses his steps before the panic sets in and he rushes to the kitchen sink to wash it off.

Sakiko begins to pull her knees to her chest before feeling her own pocket knife from Daryl poke at her waist in her jeans. She pulls it out, the weapon again making her feel safer.

That man knew where they lived if he came back.. Sakiko shakes her head at the thought, flicking the knife open and holding onto it tightly before pulling herself into a ball.

A few minutes pass, though Sakiko stays still in her guarded position. She could still hear Nanami restlessly scrubbing the blood off his arms and face, nausea settling in her at the thought of the blood washing down the drain.

She notices the headlights through the window and still open door, unsure if she should relax or become more tense as the familiar sound of Shinsuke's car is pulled into the driveway.

There was two sets of headlights, she discovers, and her mind runs wild. Was this another deal? Did the cops find the man and follow their father home?

She could only wait until she hears the footsteps at the door, her father walking in first before Merle is visible. Peering through them is Daryl and Sakiko feels tears build in her eyes.

"The hell happened?" Shinsuke's voice breaks into the air.

Sakiko jumps, alert at every sound now as Nanami looks over from his spot at the sink. The twins eyes search for each other, conveying the same worry and fear to one another. Then, their eyes flick to Daryl as they share the same thought.

If not for Daryl's gifts of the knives.. How much worse would their night have become?