note: San = Mr. Miss and Mrs. but it is also the number 3 in Japanese.

Watari looked at 003 deep in thought. There was something about the owl that he was surprised that no one had ever asked. Did everyone know their little secret? Or were they just not caring?

There was a knock on his laboratory door and Tsuzuki came waltzing in to the spacious section of Watari's life. The blond scientist greeted his friend with a bright smile as Hisoka shuffled after his partner.

"Hey there guys!" Watari got up to his feet as 003 flapped up and rested on his scientist's head, "What's up?"

Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka who only elbowed him roughly.

"Umm... Watari... You know that I've worked here the longest besides Konoe and-"

"NO!!!" Watari was suddenly clutching onto Tsuzuki's clothes, "Don't leave me! I won't let you retire, not until I do!"

Tsuzuki looked at his friend worriedly, "No that's not it. I know we promised to retire together so you can relax man."

Watari blinked up, "Really?"

"Yes, really," Hisoka sighed rather frustrated.

The blond then straightened himself out, "Oh okay. So what's on your mind?"

"Well, through out my days here. I remember a young man that looked similar to Asuka."

"Asuka? Wasn't he the boy that was your partner before Hisoka?"

Tsuzuki nodded, "Yes, now... I remember this young man coming in a visiting you every once in a while. He suddenly disappeared and then 003 suddenly showed up. So umm..."

Hisoka sighed as he decided to get to the point, "Tsuzuki was talking about the "good old days" when he brought up the point that no one knows where 003 came from."

Watari's copper eyes started to glitter at the two, "You mean you really want to know?"

The two started to fell worried but nodded still.

"Well it all started with Zero-san," Watari began reminiscing.

[Flash back]

A boy about 18 with very light brown hair(that was cut similar to Hisoka's with straight bangs), dressed in stone washed jeans with a matching jacket and deep blue shirt came running into Watari's lab. He smiled brightly as he threw his back pack to the side and greeted Watari with a "Good morning Sensei!!"

"Ah! Good morning Zero-san. How are you doing today?" Watari was just putting on his lab coat.

"Now that I'm here, everything is going fine!" the boy went to the closet and grabbed a lab coat.

"You're roommate making a fuss again?"

The youth sighed, "You have no idea how lazy that guy is. I mean he makes Tsuzuki-san look like a devoted athlete that is interested in 24 different sports."

Watari winced, "Glad I don't live with him."

"Thank you sensei," Zero-san placed a hand to his forehead. "That's just what I needed to hear."

"Sorry. HEY!" The scientist slapped the boy on the back, "How about we get this show on the rode huh? Today's experiment is going to deal with owl pheromones!"

"Really?!" The youth's brown eyes glittered happily.

[back to the present]

"So as you can see, Zero-san was a very eager child. He loved to learn just as much as me, and at this point of time I was trying to see if animal pheromones could would in my gender changing position," Watari crossed his legs.

"But you said he mentioned me," Tsuzuki rubbed the back of his head. "I don't remember really meeting with him."

"Oh that's because it was around the time where you and your partners where really swamped with cases. Don't you remember the day were you had to take care of ten cases?"

Hisoka choked on his hot cocoa that Watari had served not to long ago.

"Ten cases in one day?!" he shouted, "But isn't that a bit much?"

Tsuzuki smiled, "I wasn't all that bad. Until Iowa-san stole my wallet and ran off. Never heard from that punk again." Tsuzuki started to sniffle at remembering that it was right before bill day.

"Anyway back to my story here," Watari adjusted his glasses.

[an other flash back]

"Zero-san careful, remember we only need a drop of that," Watari said readying some powder.

"Okay, done sensei. Now what?" Zero-san wiped his brow.

The blond took the liquid solution and placed it between the two of them.

"Now is the critical part," Watari held a folded piece of paper up with his powder mixture cradled in it. "This is where we either fail or succeed."

"Right!"

The shinigami began to tap the paper ever so gently. If he put in too much than the results could be disastrous. Suddenly a bird came flying at top speed and slammed into the window that they were working next to. Startled the two jumped causing Watari to dump the whole solution in. The liquid began to foam at first then combusted in green and blue flames, followed by an explosion that left half of the laboratory in a complete wretch.

[back to the present AGAIN!]

"When I came to I found out that Zero-san had pushed me out of the way of the explosion and got hit by it."

Tsuzuki covered his mouth with one hand, "Oh that's terrible. What happened to him?"

"Don't worry Tsuzuki, Zero-san is right here with us as healthy as ever!"

Tsuzuki and Hisoka looked a little confused then realized that Watari was talking about 003.

"You mean Zero-san turned into 003?" Hisoka asked rubbing the owl's belly.

The shinigami scientist nodded, "Yep, I've been trying to figure out a way to turn him back to normal but so far the effects are irreversible."

"Oh," Tsuzuki picked up the owlet. "Hey, does this mean that if you find a cure then you two wouldn't be living together?"

Watari instantly looked sad along with 003.

"Yea," he said.

"Or," Tsuzuki smiled, "You two could move in together since you guys are such good friends, best friends in fact."

The two brightened just as quickly as they had grown sad.

"You're right!" Watari stood up, "Tsuzuki, you're the best."

Hisoka sighed again as his partner only laughed a little. When he had his fill of stupidity he got up to leave. Tsuzuki was quick to come after him and follow like a puppy.

"That was interesting," Hisoka only mumbled when he felt Tsuzuki's gaze on him.

"I'll say. I didn't know that Zero-san was really the owl, and hear I thought that I didn't know the kid."

"You know, if you just think about his name then it's rather evident."

Tsuzuki paused then thought about it. Watari only added an additional zero to Zero-san then converted the name into numbers. Zero, zero, san = 003.

"Hey you're right," Tsuzuki trotted after his friend/partner. "That's rather neat!"

Watari smiled at the little owl, "Some day I'll find you a cure. But until then, I guess you're stuck with me Zero-san."

003 only hooted happily and snuggled into the warm hands that held him.

~Owari~