Gone But Not Forgotten (Epilogue) [FIC]

[dd]

The sound of a small bell carried throughout the apartment.

Sitting on a brand new swing in a larger more spacious cage, Hope the Ringneck Parakeet was playing with her favorite toy.

“You behave for Kyouko, alright?” Kaname sighed as she ran a hand along the smooth contour of the cage. “Mommy’s only going to be gone for a few days.”

She had arranged for her friend to stop by the apartment to watch after her pets. Kyouko had turned down the chance to keep the hamster, even though she had grown attached to it.

“I still do not think it wise for Miss Tokiwa to come here on her own.” Sousuke rolled a pair of large suitcases out near the front door. Neither of them held a single weapon. Naturally, that did not sit to well with him. “If someone comes looking for you… and finds her here…” His hand twitched. Kyouko had been hurt badly in the past because of them.

“Sousuke, try not to be so stupid!” Kaname frowned and put one hand on her hip. “We’ve been in Tokyo for a few months now, and nothing’s happened.” She put the other hand on a hip to. Narrowing her eyes, she gave her boyfriend one of ‘those’ looks. “Besides, didn’t I tell you not to ruin this trip? That kind of talk is going to get you in big trouble.”

She sighed. It was going to be hard enough to explain things to Ayame and her father.

Surprisingly, the officials at Jindai High School had allowed the two of them to return to the institution, albeit under rather strict terms. Their classmates quickly warmed to the idea, with some exceptions. Their parents were a good deal less than pleased. One more terrorist-inspired event and the two of them would be out on the streets.

Now that they had reached a vacation week, it was time for Kaname to keep her word to her family. She and Sousuke would be flying to America. However, she had not mentioned the fact that she would be bringing someone with her. Yes, it made her feel somewhat cowardly. But, the last thing she had wanted was for her father to stew over something like that for a few weeks.

“I am always in big trouble,” Sousuke said, running a hand through his hair. Kaname had cut it for him the night before, and had been rather liberal in her shearing. “Or so it would seem.” He managed a fleeting smile. Kaname was very critical in some things, but couldn’t hide the fact that she was very happy being with him. “I still think it would have been safer keeping the bird at my place.”

“AFFIRMATIVE!”

The Parakeet hopped down from her perch and began cracking a hard seed square that Kaname had given her.

“Hope, shush,” Kaname scowled at the bird, even though she knew that the vocalization was random. “And don’t you say anything, mister!” She shook a finger at Sousuke, who had a bit of a smug look on his face. “Not… a… single… word…”

“Otaku… otaku… otaku…”

“That’s much better,” Kaname said.

The sound of knocking came from the front door. Souske instinctively reached for his pistol. Muttering under his breath, he remembered that he had purposefully left it back at his apartment building. His first thought was ‘If it was terrorists, they probably wouldn’t knock.’ His eyes narrowed and he held his breath a moment. His second thought was ‘But maybe they are counting on us to think that way’.

“Geez, Sousuke. It’s not going to be Amalgam or something. Not just before we head out.” Kaname swallowed hard. Despite her words, she felt a bit uneasy. While things had been tranquil lately, it would be just her luck to have something happen now. “It’s probably Ky.”

Before opening the door, Sousuke motioned for Kaname to step back out of view. Looking out of the peephole, he couldn’t see anyone. That had him feeling even more uneasy. He turned the knob and pulled, ready to react instantly if necessary. Seeing who was standing there, he froze.

“Sousuke… are you alright…” Kaname wondered if she should grab a knife or a lamp. “Who is it?”

“C-Captain?” Sousuke blinked rapidly. Looking back at him, a smile on her face and a guarded look in her eyes, was Teletha Testarossa. “I… you…”

“Hello, Sousuke.” Tessa tugged at her ponytail, looking into the hallway and catching sight of Kaname peeking around the corner. “Kaname… is it alright if I come in?” She was alone. There was no sign of any guards.

“T-T-Tessa?” Kaname looked surprised and incredulous at the same time. That was the last person that she would have guessed. Immediately, she felt her chest tighten. Leonard was dead. In a very large way, Kaname was responsible.

“Kaname one, Tessa zero… Kaname one, Tessa zero…”

“Uhhh…” Sousuke closed his eyes for a moment. He remembered telling Kaname not to teach the bird that one. First, gloating was not an attractive trait. Second, one could never tell what the future might bring. ‘Don’t be such an idiot, Sousuke,’ Kaname had said. ‘It’s not like I expect Tessa to show up at my door some day…’

“That’s… well, I told Sousuke not to teach Hope something like that…” Kaname blushed, feeling embarrassed as well as somewhat edgy. “Please, come in. I’m afraid we don’t have a lot of time to chat…” The look she gave Sousuke dared him to contradict her.

“Hope?” Tessa nodded, understanding what Kaname must have been through. It truly was miraculous that Sousuke and the others had managed to rescue her from Leonard. She twiddled her fingers a bit, and then clutched them to her. Her brother had gotten what he deserved. That didn’t make his death easy to deal with, however. “I didn’t mean to intrude… it’s just…” She looked at the suitcases, Sousuke, and then Kaname.

“Leonard gave her to me,” Kaname said, figuring it would be best to get everything out in the open. “I’m sorry… I just had to…” She felt her mouth go dry after blurting that out.”

“It’s OK,” Tessa said, walking into the hallway. She stared at Sousuke for a moment, and then lowered her eyes. She had no doubt that the others could guess what she must be thinking. “Kurz told me about everything that happened. He felt guilty, too. There was no other way.” She set her jaw. “If he had gotten away again…”

“You have had some difficult discoveries, Captain. You…” Sousuke was interrupted.

“Sousuke, it’s ‘Tessa’.” Kaname gave him a pointed look. “Sheeesh. He’s harder to teach than the bird.” She managed a small smile. Tessa did as well.

“Tessa,” Sousuke said, “Things have not been easy for you. Your brother died. You found out a hard truth about Bunny Morauta. You have been forced to keep on the run, until Mithril has sufficient new facilities.” He looked over at Kaname, judging what her reaction might be to his words. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

“We…” Kaname said, tossing her hair. “Is there anything we can do to help you? If you want a place to stay while we’re gone…”

“Leonard’s a jerk… Leonard’s a jerk… Leonard’s a jerk…”

Hope began pulling on her bell rope again. That was the only sound in the room for a few brief moments.

“I…” Tessa felt tears coming to her eyes. Not at the mention of her brother; but, rather at the generosity she hadn’t expected to find here. “Thank you. That’s a kind offer. But, I don’t have a lot of time either.” She wiped at her eyes. “Kurz and Melissa will be unhappy. They are waiting at your apartment, in case you headed back there.”

“I see,” Sousuke said. He would have liked to see his friends again. Neither he nor Kaname had heard anything from anyone after Malaysia. “It would have been nice to listen to them fight over beer and canned crab.”

“Are you here to try and recruit Sousuke?” Kaname bit her lip after coming right to the point. She felt a chill run up and down along her back. She doubted this was a social visit.

“Yes,” Tessa said, almost sheepishly. “He’s always been one of the… it’s just that…” She squared her shoulders, telling herself that she had no reason to feel guilty or hesitant. She had a job to do, and would do it the best that she could. It would be a lot simpler with people around her that she could rely on. “I trust Sousuke. He’s good at what he does. Mithril needs as many good men and women as it can find.” She mentioned that a fair number of the men who attacked Amalgam assets in Kuala Lumpur had signed on to become part of the organization.

“I only need one good man,” Kaname said, almost petulantly. She didn’t care what she sounded like. She didn’t want to think of the times that she had almost lost Sousuke. And, she had done her part to help Mithril, directly and indirectly. Didn’t the two of them deserve a little peace and happiness?

“Is there a particular role you had in mind for me,” Sousuke asked, having a specific suspicion. “Regarding a particular Arm Slave?” If his guess was correct, Mithril would have managed to smuggle Belial out of the Selangor Science Park.

“Yes. LT-1 Sword.” Tessa nodded, and ten flipped her ponytail a bit, thinking of her deceased sibling. She didn’t add that the ‘LT’ was in homage to Leonard’s better side.

“Sword?” Kaname made a face, wrinkling her nose..

“It makes sense,” Sousuke said. “A weapons’s name. The Halberd was a prototype before Arbalest. The latter was named after a large crossbow of sorts.”

“Mmm hmmm,” Tessa said. “We chose ‘Sword’ for the symbolism.” She tried to judge Sousuke’s attitude form the look on his face. It was no easier now than it had ever been. “You know that my brother named his A.S. Belial. The Sons of Light were supposed to wage war alongside the angelic hosts commanded by the Archangel Michael, the Prince of Light. They would do battle against Belial and the Sons of Darkness. Michael is often depicted carrying an unsheathed sword.”

She went on to make reference to Paradise Lost, saying that Michael commanded the army of angels loyal to God against the rebel forces of Satan. When Kaname cursed under her breath, it had Tessa wondering at the other girl’s reaction.

“Don’t mind me,” Kaname said, seeing Tessa’s look. “I just had enough Milton to last a lifetime.” She shivered, remembering her time with Leonard. “I’ll tell you about it some day.” She looked over to Sousuke, expectantly. That big idiot better turn down Tessa’s offer, and pronto!

“It is a good re-naming,” Sousuke said, feeling a bit nostalgic. He had surprised himself, missing the A.I. in Arbalest. Now, he was standing there discussing the A.S. that had destroyed the ARX-7. “It seems apropos, in that Mithril will be like a gladiator returning to the Coliseum. The reigning champion will not be easy to defeat.”

“No… it won’t…” Tessa hung her head. There was something else she had wanted to mention. But, unless Sousuke brought up the subject of Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, she would hold her tongue. “So… you can understand why we need the best people we can find…”

Kaname clenched her fists. That look on Tessa’s face… it was just like something a small cute child might use when she was in danger of being scolded, or saw something she wanted to get from an indulgent mother or father.

“SOUSUKE!”

The Parakeet’s cry had Tessa jumping. She stepped awkwardly and stumbled, falling into Sousuke’s arms. As much as she might like to stay that way, Tessa quickly backed away and regained her footing. Kaname began tapping her foot against the floor.

“I am not prepared to give an answer at the moment C-… Tessa…” Sousuke cleared his throat, not looking at Kaname. Just the same, he could almost feel her glare. “If I were to answer now, the response would be a negative one.” He knew that he would have a lot of sleepless nights ahead, debating this issue with himself. He had gotten used to his new lifestyle; but, there were still compelling reasons to work for Mithril. Maybe if he could work out some kind of limited arrangement…

“There’s nothing like the present,” Kaname said. “Feel free to make your decision now, Sousuke.“ There, she had made her opinion known. “And, we should be going. We don’t want to miss our flight.” She walked over and stood next to Sousuke. She tried to calm her frayed nerves. She really should let him make his own decisions.

“I understand,” Tessa said. “That’s fair. I can wait…” She looked over at Kaname apologetically, wishing that she would understand her point of view. Sighing, Kaname nodded her head. She understood. She didn’t like it, but did understand. “I don’t want to hold you guys up any longer. I hope you have a good trip.”

After everyone said their farewells, Kaname and Sousuke hurried to catch a cab while Tessa waited at the curb for Kurz and Melissa. Sousuke was silent during the drive to Narita airport, even though he knew that Kaname wanted some kind of assurance from him. There was none he could give her. Kaname, for her part, respected Sousuke’s silence, but felt the pressure growing. She forced herself to breath regularly, knowing that today was not the day to worry about such things.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable himself, Sousuke tried to shake things off when they exited the cab. Taking Kaname’s hand in his, he squeezed it gently. At first, she smiled, her eyes welling up with tears. Whatever his decision, he was still Sousuke. He was the boy she was in love with. In a few seconds, she regained much of her usual spunk.

“Come on, slow poke!” Nearly pulling Sousuke arm out of the socket, Kaname dragged Sousuke towards the front of the airport, causing a number of people to look at the pair of teenagers with raised eyebrows. Her suit case rolled along on its wheels. His lay flat, making a loud noise as it scraped across the pavement, curb, and smooth surface inside the airport building. “No wonder it took you so long to find me in Malaysia!”

“Yes… dear…” Sousuke was getting better with his terms of endearment. He was also growing more and more clever with his timing. If he was correct, that ought to have Kaname stopping to smile at him.

“It won’t work this time, mister!” Kaname smiled, but didn’t stop. She liked it when Sousuke called her ‘dear’, and other heartfelt things. But, she was well aware of his intentions. “Nice try, though.”

After making their way through the first of many layers of security, the two managed to survive check-in and their wait at Gate A62, Terminal 2. When it was time to board American Airlines flight AA7200, non-stop air service to New York City, Sousuke made an attempt to get Kaname back. It earned him an aching ankle that wouldn’t stop throbbing until halfway into the twelve hour flight.

“I was hoping for another 777,” he said. “But, the Boeing 747-400 is a suitable aircraft.”

”Sousuke…” Kaname frowned. If he knew what was good for him, he’d stop now. The pinch she gave him should be warning enough.

“As I believe I mentioned before, the 747-400 was one of the aircraft under consideration by the United States armed forces for airlift duties.” That pinch hurt! But, he was a Specialist, whether or not he ever rejoined Mithril.

“S-o-u-s-u-k-e…” Kaname guessed that Sousuke would be thinking ‘I am a Specialist’. He had a habit of muttering that or exclaiming just such a thing, whenever she fussed at him too fiercely or ordered him to take out the trash. Big baby!

“The maximum take-off weight is over three hundred and sixty thousand kilograms.” He caught her hand and held it. “Top speed is mach zero point eight two. Cruising range is…” He never had chance to finish.

“SOUSUKE!” Kaname kicked Sousuke hard in the ankle. She rarely struck him any more; but, it was appropriate this time. He needed to be on his best behavior when they met her father and sister. He had to leave that kind of otaku nonsense behind in Japan.

“It’s amazing how much you sound like the bird,” Sousuke said, grimacing.

“Hope sounds like me!” Kaname tossed her hair, hitting Sousuke in the face with it. "Hmmmpppfff."

“Glad you admit it, finally.” Sousuke sidestepped another kick.

“Reminds me of our courtship days,” an old woman said behind them. Her husband made a sour face and kept quiet.

Kaname was still in a bit of a snit when they sat down in their seats. She took both pillows and each of the two blankets from the overhead compartment and kept them to herself. When a stewardess came by after they were on their way, she told the young woman that she was hungry and could use a soda, but that Sousuke wouldn’t need anything for the entire flight. Sousuke’s sigh told the attendant everything she needed to know.

When Kaname looked to be asleep, the stewardess brought Sousuke a can of soda and a cup of ice. He thanked her quietly. When he popped the tab on his can, he happened to look over at Kaname.

“Special treatment, huh?” Kaname’s eyes were wide open. Her smile was a frightening thing. “She’s pretty cute, too. Isn’t she, Sousuke?”

“Uhhh…” Sousuke swallowed hard. He quickly took a long drink of the carbonated beverage before Kaname chose to snatch it.

“That wasn’t a ‘no’, so it must mean ‘yes’.” Kaname cracked her knuckles. “Hmmmm?”

“She was not nearly as cute as you are, Kaname.” Sousuke meant that. His answer ought to suffice. Kaname only wanted some reassurance and a little romantic talk.

“Oh. That’s sweet.” Kaname leaned over and gave Sousuke a kiss. “But, that means you looked…”

Sousuke just closed his eyes. Kaname was a very complex person. He was making progress in understanding her. But, that didn’t necessarily make things any easier.

“Boys will be boys…” Kaname kissed him on the cheek again. She then placed her hand in his. She knew that Sousuke didn’t have a roving eye. But, it was always good to take the opportunity to keep him guessing about her. He was rounding into shape nicely, whether he realized it or not. “Here… to keep you out of trouble…” Smiling, she put one of the pillow cases over his head.

“Remember when we used to do that, dear?” The old woman and her husband happened to be sitting behind the two of them. “But, I was usually naked and tied up…”

Kaname spat out the sip of Sousuke’s soda that she had stolen. She began turning bright red. That was a subject that she and Sousuke had managed to keep at a distance so far.

“Can I keep my clothes on?” Sousuke asked, from inside his linen enclosure. He kept the case on so Kaname couldn’t see his smile. “At least until we reach your father’s home…”

“I… you…” Kaname frowned, ready to get all huffy. But, she smiled. She couldn’t help herself. How could she, when Sousuke managed a rejoinder like that one? “Big idiot…”

After that, Kaname snuggled against Sousuke and managed to fall to sleep for real. Once again, being frugal with his time and opportunity for rest, Sousuke joined her in dreamland. For him, it was a luxury. For her, a necessity. If she stayed awake any longer, she would start worrying about things to come.

Finally, the plane’s wheels touched down on one of the main runways at JFK airport. As the plane taxied over to its waiting berth at terminal 8, Kaname sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Sousuke, how do I look? “ She began to fidget. She knew she was doing it, but couldn’t stop.

“You look fine,” Sousuke said. “You will be fine.” He knew how to make her stop fidgeting. “Although, your hand motions are somewhat amusing.”

“What?” Kaname froze. “What did you say?”

“Uhhh.. amusing…” He coughed. “Somewhat childish too, I believe.”

“Oh really?” Kaname smacked Sousuke with a pillow. Then, smiling, she gave him a quick hug. “What would I do without you? Jerk.” Even though her spirits were somewhat improved, she waited to be one of the last passengers off of the aircraft. “Sousuke… it’s not because I’m ashamed of you or anything… but do you think…” Kaname stopped when Sousuke put a hand on her mouth.

“You may walk ahead of me, as if we do not know one another.” He nodded, knowing that she wanted time alone with her family for a few minutes. “When you signal, I will come and join you.”

“Thank you.” She still looked somewhat nervous. But, she managed a smile. “If I don’t signal, I’m sure that someone at the Information Desk will be able to tell you a good place to stay.”

“No doubt,” Sousuke said. “Or perhaps she can.” He looked in the direction of the one stewardess. That had Kaname pulling him along until the reached the end of the small passageway leading to the waiting area. Walking past her, their tote bags grazing for an instant, he went to find a place of observation

At first, Kaname felt as if she were tap dancing in a minefield. Every step she took made her feel more and more tense. But, when she caught sight of two particular people waiting patiently just off of the red carpet area, she felt her heart skip a few beats. She smiled and her mood skyrocketed. Her father! And Ayame! Sparing a quick look over at Sousuke, she began walking faster and faster.

‘I must maintain my dignity… must maintain dignity… dignity’. Those thoughts were soon brushed aside. Before she knew it, she threw her carry-on bad over a maroon felt rope and ran to her father, pride and dignity forgotten.

“Daddy!” Kaname always called Shunya Chidori ‘Father,’ except in very emotional moments. At those instances, she reverted to the way she spoke to him before her mother dies.

“Don’t forget me,” Ayame said, making a face.

“How could I?” Kaname said, mussing her sister’s short brown hair before giving her father an unexpected hug.

“Ahhh… ahem…” Shunya Chidori looked around and pushed his glasses further up on his nose. He coughed and cleared his throat. Public displays of affection had him feeling uncomfortable. That just had Kaname laughing and hugging him tighter before letting go. “You look well…” He frowned. He sounded too stiff even for his own liking.

“Daddy’s been very worried,” Ayame said. Her eyes clearly said ‘me too, big sis’. “It’s been very difficult to live with him.”

“Ayame Chidori, mind your manners.” Shunya looked at Kaname, a thousand questions on his lips. But, he was a diplomat, and was not about to begin babbling like some kind of fool. “I have a great many questions. But first, lets get you settled. If you’re hungry, we can get you something to eat.”

“I was so worried about the two of you,” Kaname said, wiping away tears. “But, I guess you were even more worried about me.”

“No,” Ayame said, shrugging. “Not really.” She fought to maintain her own composure. She had a lot of questions too, but knew her father would pull Kaname aside for a private talk first. It just wasn’t fair! “You’re a big girl… practically a woman…” That was something her father always said about Kaname when he explained why she could live alone in Tokyo, but Ayame couldn’t even walk the streets of New York alone.

“I missed you too, squirt.” Kaname smiled, feeling the last remnants of pain, stress, and fear that she had kept inside since her days at Carcosa begin to fade. “But, it seems that I’ve grown more than you.” She smiled. Whispering in her sister’s ear, she said “In all of the important areas.” That would get her!

“I don’t think I want to know what you said,” Shunya said, brushing off one of the arms of his coat. When he looked at Ayame, his youngest child blushed, made a face at her sister, and then looked away.

“There’s a lot of things you won’t want to know,” Kaname said, a somewhat solemn tone to her voice. “It was a very bad time, Daddy.” She trembled ever so slightly. “But, some good things came of it.” She perked up again, looking over at Sousuke. She made a subtle gesture with her hand. “Although, you might not want to know about that either.”

“How so?” Shunya raised one eyebrow. Just what was his daughter talking about?

“Don’t look now, Kaname…” Ayame pointed. “There’s some guy standing real close to you. He’s cute, but probably some kind of creep.” She reached inside her small purse. She always carried a shrill whistle and a canister of pepper spray.

“Shhhh…” Shunya made a curt gesture with his hand, silencing Ayame. It never made sense to say anything that might anger a stranger. If the boy’s intention were bad, the security personnel in the terminal would prove very helpful. There was no reason to prompt something sudden.

“I am not a creep, I assure you.” Sousuke looked over at Kaname. “Kaname can confirm that fact.”

“Can she?” Shunya gave Kaname a very pointed look. “How does this young man know your name? Did you sit with him on the plane?” He had still not tumbled to the truth.

“Yes, Father.” Kaname swallowed hard. Her switch from ‘Daddy’ to ‘Father’ did not go unnoticed.

“He’s got a scar on his face,” Ayame said, walking up unabashed, despite her father’s attempt to grasp her shoulder. “Maybe he’s in a gang or something. Maybe a Yakuza.” She stared at Sousuke as if he had stepped out of as documentary or steamy crime novel. She snapped her fingers and smiled. “I know…”

Kaname tensed up. Ayame must have guessed that Sousuke was her boyfriend. Her father might not take that very well.

“He’s your bodyguard, right?” Ayame folded her arms across her chest looking smug. If it was a boyfriend, there was no way that her sister could have kept it a secret form her.

Sousuke was about to nod, but stopped. A person in a dreary looking coat, wearing a large floppy hat, caught his attention. The middle-aged man was carrying a large bag.

“Yes…” Kaname immediately began working through the possibilities. If she left it at that, Sousuke would play along. But, she didn’t want to play any tricks on her family. Things were going to be hard enough as it was. The other secrets she had to share made this one look small and insignificant. “He is…” She was about to reach out and grab Sousuke’s hand. “But he’s more than that…he’s…”

“Some kind of criminal, I bet.” Ayame shook her head and made a ‘tsk tsk’ noise after interrupting her big sister. “I doubt Daddy will let him come home with us.”

Shunya’s face could have been carved on Mount Rushmore. The face of the four presidents there had a more animated look than he did. He stared at Sousuke, wondering just who the young man was. “Kaname Chidori. Just who is the young man.”

“This is Sousuke,” Kaname said. “Sousuke Sagara. He’s a classmate of mine.” She swallowed hard again. “He’s also… he’s…” She closed her eyes, reminding herself that she had been through many things much more difficult than this. If anything, she should be proud of Sousuke. He understood how she was feeling, but she didn’t want to dishonor him by hemming and hawing. “He’s one of the most important people in my world, Daddy. Sousuke’s my boyfriend.”

Ayames’ eyes went impossibly wide, and then narrowed. That just wasn’t possible. Kaname kept that kind of secret from her? She was hurt and excited at the same time. Not only that, but a sense of envy began to wrap itself around her heart. She did not want someone else to share her sister with during this visit.

“I see,” Shunya said, surprised that he kept his voice so level and calm. One of the agreements that he and his daughter had was that there would be no boyfriends while she was living on her own. “And, is there some reason you brought him along without telling me?” He looked Kaname’s square in the eyes. “You didn’t think I would allow him to come otherwise?” He tried not to feel too hurt or affronted. Truth be told, he wouldn’t have made such an allowance, unless Kaname had a very good reason.

“Daddy… it’s…” Kaname felt a sense of guilt wash over her. “There are difficult things I need to talk about. I need Sousuke to be here when I do. He’s a part of things, too.” She was about to explain her reasoning when Ayame cut her off again.

“Oh… I bet that’s it…” Ayame tugged at her father’s sleeve, ignoring his look of reproach. “If that Sousuke guy is part of things… something that takes two…” She made a face at Kaname. This would teach her to keep secrets from her! “Kaname is probably pregnant.

“”Uhhh…” Sousuke froze. He began to sweat.

“See!” Ayame pointed at Sousuke. She almost started jumping up and down. “Look at his face. That must be it!”

“No…” Kaname shook her head and waved her hands frantically. That had caught her by surprise and had her equilibrium thrown off.

“I have to leave for just a moment,” Sousuke said, looking over at the man. He knew the timing was bad, but had no choice. “I shall return shortly.”

“Sousuke…” Kaname had to keep from shouting. The look on her father’s face had her feeling as if she was three years old again, caught making stick puppets out of his expensive pipes.

“He’s running away,” Ayame said, gloating. “Knew I was right.” She made a face that her father often made looking at her. “Boy! Daddy never wants to hear about it, but even my school teaches us about Sex Ed.” She smirked. “How stupid can you get.”

“I’M NOT PREGNANT!”

Kaname immediately put her hand over her mouth.

“Well, it doesn’t always happen right away.” That was the old woman from the plane. She and her husband were standing around waiting for relatives. “But, it’s fun trying, right?”

Everyone in the concourse area went silent. It was an eerie scene, like something out of a post-Apocalyptic movie. Kaname felt as if she wanted to melt and escape through the cracks in the floor.

“Daddy… he and I… we aren’t even…” Kaname’s words came out in a rush, almost to quick to be understood. “I’ll explain everything when we get home. I promise.”

“Better get one of those lie detector things,” Ayame said.

“Kaname is quite correct. It is not possible that she is pregnant…” Sousuke’s voice had Shunya and Ayame turning around. He was walking in their direction, a large bag slung over one shoulder. That had Kaname close to growling. If that bag held what she thought it did, Sousuke would never be getting anyone pregnant when she was through with him! “We have not progressed to that stage as of yet. To this date, our romantic endeavors have included… owwww… Kaname, that hurt!”

“Oooo-o-o-o-oh…” Kaname looked like a thundercloud ready to spit lightning. “Who… asked… you…” She connected with a solid whallop with her carry-on bag. “Big idiot!” Ayame looked about as gleeful as a young girl could be. Her father closed his eyes, wondering if he could possibly be dreaming. “And you better have a good memory,” she said in Sousuke’s ear. “If that bag has even a single weapon in it, your endeavoring days are over.”

“Uhhh…” Sousuke froze, wondering if Kaname was being serious. The bag did indeed conceal a number of weapons and appropriate ammunition. He had called contacts in New York and arranged to meet one of them here at the terminal. The man was a professional, and could easily get things in past security. There were no checks on passengers’ bags heading away from the boarding area, so Sousuke shouldn’t have reason to make drastic efforts at avoidance himself.

“What’s in the bag?” Ayame had stood on her tiptoes and listened close to Sousuke when Kaname spoke.

“Huh?” Sousuke blinked rapidly. Kaname’s sister was even more of a problem than Kaname was.

“Wh-… What makes you think it’s any of your business?” Kaname fought the urge to strangle her sister.

As Kaname and Ayame began fussing at one another, Sousuke put the bag down and held out his hand to Shunya. “My name is Sousuke Sagara, sir. I am pleased to meet you. I have met many brave men in my days, and place your name among them.”

“Oh?” Shunya found himself able to breath normally again. He shook the offered hand, impressed by the strength and curious about the calluses. “How so?”

“You managed to survive living with two like that.” He nodded over at the pair of sisters. “I have indeed been your daughter’s protector. There is good reason for that, which she will tell you later. But, had I been faced with the task of dealing with the both of them…” He shook his head. “I would have needed someone to protect me.”

“I know what you mean,” Shunya said, nodding. Against his better judgment, he found himself warming to the young man.

“If we left them there, do you think they would notice?” Sousuke smiled.

“Let’s see,” Shunya said. He and Sousuke began walking towards the escalators leading down to the Baggage Claim area. The two of them had all of the bags identified and placed on a porter’s cart before the two girls even knew they were gone.

“Good way to start a trip,” Sousuke said to Shunya when the two girls showed up, breathless.

“Indeed,” Shunya said.

“Sousuke!” Kaname made it a point to grab his arm and shake him some.

“Daddy!” Ayame put her hands on her hips and made a face at her father.

“THAT WASN’T VERY FUNNY!”

Both Ayame and Kaname said that at the same time.

Shunya and Sousuke hid grins behind their hands.

Things would be alright.