I don't own these characters. Sunrise does.

A/N: this is the sequel to Cry Wolf. You'll probably want to read that before you read this. Also, this doesn't have a beta, so it will probably have a lot of typos.

Vargr

1: Skittish

Natsuki felt tremors in her stomach for the first time in her life that had to do with being around people. She was used to being nervous in social situations, but it usually was more to do with her than the people around her. Now, it was both.

She was awkward on her best days for reasons she never tried to figure out, but now she would be more so because she was meeting Shizuru's parents, so that just made it worse. To hide her awkwardness, Natsuki usually just avoided having conversations. She could not do that this time, so she did not know what she would do.

Sighing, Natsuki looked up at the sky through her helmet. It was such a beautiful day, sun out and clear sky. She felt like she should have been sending it curled up on the couch with her lover. Instead, she was probably going to get killed by her lover's parents.

"Natsuki, you don't have to be nervous. My parents will like you," Shizuru tried to assure her as they dismounted Natsuki's motorcycle. The ride over was supposed to relax her, but that obviously had not worked. She knew Shizuru felt how tense she was the whole ride over.

"So you say," Natsuki grumbled, as she looked around the mansion. She had expected the large house and plenty of land, but seeing it was still intimidating. It was like something out of a movie hiding behind a short wall.

There was a small pond in front of the house and bushes just behind. She could smell the koi swimming just underneath the water. A stone walkway led from the front gate to the door, twisting toward the pond before becoming a bridge to go over. Trees shaded the path and Natsuki had to fight her instincts of going to hide in one. God, these people are probably going to hate me and think I'm after Shizuru's money, which they clearly have plenty of.

"I like you, so they'll like you," Shizuru tried to assure her, giving her a small, warm smile. She wrapped an arm around Natsuki's arm, pulling her close. Her ruby red eyes sparkled.

Natsuki sighed, wishing she was so confident. Usually, Shizuru's faith in her and in the situation would fortify her. It was something she had learned quite easily after the trouble they had a couple of months ago. Since then, Shizuru had given her a vote of confidence in things and helped her come through. Simple things really, but it meant a lot to her.

Natsuki had never really had a girlfriend before, but she doubted parents just liked partners because their daughter liked the person. Shizuru just smiled, which made Natsuki's teeth itch. She was dead if Shizuru's parents were like Shizuru and she suspected they were. I'll be their puppet to do as they command and I won't even realize it until they're lowering the blade or skinning me alive.

"It'll be fine," Shizuru tried to assure her once again. The stone in Natsuki's stomach only got heavier.

Natsuki took a deep breath while allowing Shizuru to lead her up the path to the door. Things only got worse when a maid, in uniform and everything, answered the door. Oh, my freaking god. She's got a maid. I'm dead. I don't even have rent.

"Shizuru," Natsuki whispered as they entered the large house. She paused for a second, just needing to look around. Her apartment building probably did not have as many rooms as this house. There was art on the wall, busts on shelves, and the furniture smelled like antiques. I'm so dead.

"Natsuki, trust me, please." Shizuru patted her arm.

Natsuki was far from soothed. The maid directed them where to go and Shizuru pulled Natsuki along with her. They passed by a shelf full of framed pictures. They showed Shizuru at various ages. She paused to admire them for a moment. Shizuru smiled at her.

"You were a cute kid. I bet butter wouldn't melt in your mouth," Natsuki remarked.

Shizuru smiled more. "I'm sure I don't know what Natsuki is talking about. Come. We shouldn't keep my parents waiting."

Natsuki nodded and allowed Shizuru to lead her away. They walked to a nearby room where two people sat at a small table, a man and woman wearing traditional Japanese clothing. Surely these were Shizuru's parents. The man's coloring was much like Shizuru's in his hair and complexion. Natsuki could not see his eyes as he had his head down, studying a ledger from what she could tell. The woman sipped a cup of tea while leafing through a magazine on the table. She was a pale beauty, reminding Natsuki of an old painting.

Their smell betrayed their lineage more than their looks. It was this that let Natsuki know they were not as happy as Shizuru would like her to believe. Natsuki gulped, trying to push down the lump forming in her throat, not that it would matter. A stone still sat in her stomach.

"Otousan, Okaasan," Shizuru greeted them with a small smile.

"Shizuru," they both said at the same time. They looked up and smiled.

Climbing to their feet, Shizuru's parents rushed over to her and embraced her. There were genuine kisses to their cheeks, not those air-kisses Natsuki saw Shizuru exchange with friends and associates. Natsuki stood off to the side and seriously considered easing out of the room while the trio exchanged greetings. But, she was not fast enough, which she supposed was shameful of her. My parents will probably disown me, especially when I don't make it out of this meeting alive.

"Otousan, Okaasan, I'd like you to meet my Natsuki," Shizuru said, gently tugging Natsuki next to her. She patted Natsuki's hand. "Natsuki, these are my parents. Fujino Benjiro and Fujino Noriko."

"Uh… hi." Natsuki offered a small wave and a smile that she hoped was not as tense as it felt. She was not sure what else she was supposed to do.

"So, this is the girl we've been hearing so much about?" her mother asked with a sort of purr, almost like Shizuru. It was not comforting, though. It sent shivers down Natsuki's spine and she had to fight the instinct to hide behind Shizuru.

It did not help that Shizuru's mother watched her with similar blood red eyes of Shizuru. Natsuki would bet nothing slipped past Noriko. But, Natsuki was just as aware. Maybe not with her eyes, but she could already smell disappoint and disdain from the elder Fujino. They both managed to hide it, though.

"I'm sure Shizuru hasn't said much about me," Natsuki said. It was a little embarrassing because she knew the opposite was true. Shizuru enjoyed talking about her, even to her about her. Anytime she met one of Shizuru's friends, the person already seemed to know her. Underneath the embarrassment, she was greatly flattered Shizuru obviously thought so well of her.

"Oh, Shizuru has things to say about you in every phone call and visit. 'Natsuki this' and 'Natsuki that.' We had to check and make sure you're not the prime minister the way she tells it," Benjiro remarked with a bit of a smile, reaching out to shake Natsuki's hand.

Natsuki made sure to give him a proper handshake without crushing his hand. She just wanted him to see she could protect his daughter, therefore understand she was a suitable mate. He winced slightly, so Natsuki worried she had gone overboard. He smiled at her, which bothered her. After all, Shizuru smiled the brightest when she was hurt.

Dammit! What the hell would Mom do in this situation? Nothing came to mind. I'm going ruin this. Natsuki felt like she was sweating a river. Shizuru squeezed her hand, which did not help.

"Let's sit down," Benjiro suggested, motioning to the table. While it was small, Natsuki could smell its age much like the rest of the house. She would have to be careful to not ruin it.

"Yes, you can tell us all about how you met Shizuru," her mother added with a smile.

Natsuki gulped, feeling like that was not an appropriate story to share with parents. She certainly had not shared it with her own. It was enough to have her father clapping her on the back about having good taste in women. She did not need that lecher to think she frequented gentlemen's clubs as well. As soon as he found out, he would want to go together and she would literally die of embarrassment… provided Shizuru's parents did not kill her right now.

"Uh…" Natsuki managed to say, hoping to stall enough for a good idea. Nothing came to mind.

They all sat down at the small, short table. Natsuki was the only one that did not sit with her legs folded under her. She still could not understand how Shizuru sat in the traditional way every time they sat down on a flat surface. But, she could finally understand why. Hmm… am I going to have be more traditional for Shizuru? She did not have time to contemplate that future problem.

"So, Natsuki, Shizuru said she met you at work sometime ago," Noriko said, pinning Natsuki with a rather intense gaze.

"Uh, yeah." For a second, Natsuki panicked on the inside. They knew she had been inside the Obsidian Den. Do they think I'm some kind of pervert? But, she could not see how that was fair. Their daughter worked there, after all. Hell, Shizuru said her father had gone in the place as well. Still, best to do damage control. "I was there to check on a friend."

"A friend?" Benjiro craned an eyebrow while his wife leaned forward, clearly interested.

Natsuki felt a hot blush burn her face. "A friend who worked in the kitchen! With her brother!"

"Still, a she?" Benjiro pressed.

Natsuki groaned under her breath, wanting to sink into the floor. Shizuru smiled and patted her shoulder. This did not make Natsuki feel any better than it had when Shizuru did it earlier.

"I told you both about when I met Natsuki. She wanted to check on two new hires who were friends of hers. It was very sweet of her," Shizuru said with a smile.

"Why should you need to check on your friends at work?" Noriko inquired with an arched eyebrow. For some reason, this made her stare even more potent and it took all of Natsuki's self-control to not squirm in her seat.

"Yes, the Obsidian Den is a very elegant establishment and they were sophisticated enough to gain employment there, they should have been proud," Benjiro added.

"Yeah, but they didn't know what they were going into… or that's what that it seemed like. I didn't know what I was going into either," Natsuki muttered. Of course, once she did know, it did not keep her from going back. It just kept her from looking up and made her wish she could stick cotton in her ears.

"I suppose you go in there to check on Shizuru all the time," Benjiro commented.

Natsuki straightened. "Yeah, I do." After what went on with Tomoe, Natsuki needed to make sure Shizuru was fine. Thankfully, the "no significant other" rule did not apply to management. She did her best to get Shizuru to leave the club without pressuring her. They had only been dating a couple of months and Shizuru had only just gone back to work, but Natsuki disliked the club. She disliked the idea someone could attack Shizuru in any way. Shizuru wanted to show she was not afraid and had no worries over what happened, which Natsuki could understand.

Benjiro smiled tightly and sniffed. "You seem to be under the impression Shizuru is some delicate little flower in need of your protection."

"I don't think anything of the sort. I think Shizuru is precious to me and I don't want any harm to befall her," Natsuki insisted. Why the hell is he mad at me for wanting to protect Shizuru? He should be happy to know I can protect her if necessary.

"Shizuru can take care of herself," Noriko said, her voice almost a growl.

"I don't doubt that," Natsuki replied defensively.

"Otousan, Okaasan, Natsuki has saved me from a situation I allowed to get out of hand at the club. She's not being forceful or overprotective," Shizuru chimed in. Natsuki sensed this thing was going really bad really fast.

"Yet she's constantly at your job," her mother argued, frowning in Natsuki's direction for a moment.

"I've only just gone back. She wants to make sure I'm all right. I have had some nightmares about the incident and she doesn't want any new troubles to bother me. Natsuki is not trying to be controlling, if that's what you fear," Shizuru informed them.

Natsuki scoffed. She was so controlled by Shizuru, she was fairly certain she should be ashamed. A short leash did not begin to cover it, but she liked it. She liked knowing Shizuru cared and it showed in a lot of little ways that seemed like control, but were more like taking care of her. Shizuru made sure she ate right, got the correct amount of sleep, and did not burn her eyes out on video games. It was annoying, but healthy.

In the flip side, yes, she was at Shizuru's job often, but it was protection. She did not bother Shizuru. She even managed to control herself when Shizuru sat with other people, flirted with other people. She wanted Shizuru to be normal. Anything to help get rid of the nightmares she had to hold Shizuru through, anything to stop the cold sweats, anything to make sure Shizuru remained the intriguing woman she met that first time at the Obsidian Den.

"Shizuru, maybe this relationship has moved too quickly," her father said.

Shizuru frowned slightly. Natsuki wondered if that was what things were about. They had only been dating for a couple of months and Natsuki had practically moved into Shizuru's apartment. Shizuru did not seem to mind, which was why she insisted Natsuki meet her parents. Natsuki could only guess this made things seem fast. But, she knew the moment she submitted to Shizuru Shizuru was the one. Time no longer mattered to her. She would be Shizuru's for the rest of her life. Hopefully, the same would be true with Shizuru.

"Otousan, I know this seems sudden and serious, but I've had time to think about what Natsuki means to me and what I mean to her. She's important to me and I wanted you to meet her, to get used to her because she's going to be around for an extremely long time," Shizuru reported. "I'm going to meet her parents this afternoon."

Her parents shook their heads at the same time, like they planned it. Natsuki could smell the frustration and anger coursing through them. Shizuru remained calm. Her parents continued to look calm, but Natsuki could hear their breathing increase, their hearts pounding.

"Shizuru, we raised you to be much more cautious than this," Noriko said.

"Yes, you really should take it slow," Benjiro added with a look. It was like there was a secret code between them.

Natsuki wondered if this had anything to do with money or if it was just general parental concern. She really wished she had spent more time with social things in her life than playing video games and reading science books. Maybe I should blame my parents. She had inherited their passions, after all, but then again, they were both more socially graceful than she would ever hope to be.

"I know this is a shock and maybe one day I can explain to you exactly what happened, but I don't want to worry you. I just need you to understand Natsuki would do anything for me and I've seen this, experienced it. Maybe it was too soon to bring her here, but she's going to be around," Shizuru stated.

Her parents shook their heads again. Natsuki wondered if being married for so long had connected them at the brain or something. She hoped she and Shizuru made it to that point.

"We shall see, Shizuru," Benjiro said, sounding rather grim.

Natsuki's brow wrinkled and she tilted her head. Was that a threat? It did not seem like it. But, it was a weird statement. Maybe it was a prediction. Shizuru did not seem to take anything from it. She smiled at her father.

"I suppose we will," Shizuru replied, holding her head up high, confident.

So… maybe it was a challenge. Natsuki was not sure. She just hoped they could leave soon because she doubted this would get any easier. She did not want to sweat through all of her clothes. But, apparently, the morning was young.

-8-8-8-8-

Shizuru was not as eager to meet Natsuki's parents now, after the badgering her own parents had given them. But, she supposed it was not the same thing. Natsuki's parents wanted to meet her, had wanted to meet her since they found out about her, while she had pressed her parents to meet Natsuki. She was not sure if Natsuki's parents wanting to meet her was a good thing or not anymore. Maybe they wanted to tell Natsuki that she was acting too hastily, like Shizuru's parents.

"You don't have to be nervous, you know," Natsuki said as they strolled down to the cafe.

"I'm not," Shizuru lied. Natsuki just gave her a look and she chuckled. "Okay, maybe I'm a little nervous." Now, she understood how Natsuki had felt this morning. I'll have to make her a treat when we get home for enduring that.

"It's okay. My parents aren't going to second guess us. They just want to get to know you and figure out how you got me to stop being antisocial."

Shizuru grinned. "You've stopped being antisocial?"

Chuckling, Natsuki shrugged. "They seem to think so because I have a girlfriend or whatever."

"Or whatever?" Shizuru teased, grabbing onto Natsuki's hand and tugging her slightly. "Sounds like someone doesn't want dessert."

Natsuki just groaned. Shizuru felt a bit better and followed Natsuki through a throng of people in the mall area to the cafe they were supposed to meet Natsuki's parents. They were an obvious couple to spot. Natsuki looked exactly like her mother and her father was not far off either, not as pale as Natsuki, but dark hair and green eyes.

"Natsuki-chan!" her mother grinned and wrapped Natsuki in a hug as soon as she was within arm's length. Natsuki and her mother were even the same size. It was cute. But, her mother obviously had better taste in fashion.

"Mom," Natsuki groaned, but she returned the embrace. She then leaned over and shook her father's hand.

"You look good, Natsuki," her father commented with a wide grin. He was the one Natsuki got her fashion sense from, wearing a biker jacket over a simple t-shirt and jeans.

Natsuki's mother then turned her attention to Shizuru. "And this must be Shizuru, the girl who turned Natsuki's brain to mush. I can see why." She smiled at Shizuru.

"I knew my girl would grow up to have good taste," her father commented with a wolfish grin.

"Papa!" Natsuki growled at him.

He threw his hands up in surrender and laughed. "It's a compliment, Natsuki. I didn't mean anything by it beyond the fact that she's a beautiful girl."

Natsuki just growled again and then pulled out a chair for Shizuru. Shizuru eased into the seat, noting how Natsuki's parents smiled at the gesture. Shizuru was certain this would not go the way things went with her parents. Natsuki slid in next to her.

"Mama, Papa, this is Shizuru," Natsuki introduced them. "Shizuru, these are my parents. Kuga Kenji." She motioned to her dark-haired father, who grinned. Natsuki hissed at her father. "And my mother Okami Saeko."

"Okami?" Shizuru echoed while reaching over to shake Saeko's hand.

Saeko chuckled. "Yes, my family name is completely unoriginal. Or is the question directed toward the fact that we have different family names?" She pointed between herself and Kenji.

"It's not my concern," Shizuru replied. She was curious about it, though. Natsuki did not speak much on her parents, beyond complaining about them and swearing they were annoying. Her mother often called, but Shizuru tried not to pry on the conversations.

"Where's Alyssa?" Natsuki asked, looking around.

Kenji waved the question off. "With her mother."

"I thought she wanted to meet Shizuru, too," Natsuki said.

"She did, but her mother insisted on taking her. Hopefully, she'll drop Alyssa off within the hour and we can all spend some time together," Kenji explained.

"We could always call and probably get Miyu to bring her out. I know Alyssa will be upset if she wanted to be here and she misses us. Miyu won't let that happen," Natsuki said.

Shizuru knew Alyssa was Natsuki's little sister, but she did not know who Miyu was. Natsuki spoke to her little sister every few days, but Shizuru was now under the impression they shared a father and not the same mother. Natsuki had never mentioned it. She also did not mention Alyssa was supposed to be here as well.

"I think we've confused poor Shizuru already," Saeko pointed out with an amused smile.

"Oh!" Natsuki practically yelped and gave Shizuru a nervous smile. "I know I didn't tell you about Alyssa, but she just sprang it up at the last moment that she wanted to come and I didn't think meeting a ten-year-old would be so bad."

"No, it's fine," Shizuru assured her lover. After all, it did not even matter since Alyssa was not here. She wad more confused about the familial connections, or lack there of, at the table right now.

"I'm sure we'll still be here when she comes, as long as she does come. We want to know all about you," Saeko said with a smile.

"Natsuki has been very tightlipped about the whole thing beyond the stuff she panics about," Kenji added.

"I don't panic!" Natsuki objected, puffing out her chest a little. Shizuru chuckled a bit, imagining Natsuki had trouble with the whole "alpha" thing from the way she interacted with her father.

Kenji grinned and leaned over to Shizuru, as if to share a conspiracy. "She panics all the time."

"I don't panic," Natsuki snarled.

"Of course not, Natsuki," her mother appeased her, reaching over and patting her hand. "A lone Wolf like you can't afford to panic. Neither can an engineer."

Natsuki tilted her chin up. "I know."

Shizuru had to hold down a smile. Natsuki was a mama's girl. It was so adorable. She would tease her about it later, once they survived this lunch.

Saeko turned her attention to Shizuru. "Natsuki is very much a lone Wolf, which is why you entering her life was such a surprise to all of us. Now, she's attached to your hip."

"If she's anything like you as she was with her mother as a pup, surgery won't even separate the two of you," Kenji joked.

"So… you don't think this is sudden?" Shizuru asked, glancing between the parents. They smiled at her and seemed at ease with the whole relationship. It loosened the knot in her stomach.

Saeko shook her head. "We always knew when Natsuki met the right person, it would be all over for her."

Kenji continued to grin. "We knew this little lone Wolf would mate for life."

Natsuki blushed so hard, Shizuru feared her head would explode right off her shoulders. It was cute. Natsuki glared at her parents to cover up the dark red flush of her face.

"Don't look like that, Natsuki. I'm sure Shizuru is aware you're hers forever already," Kenji said.

"It was no secret," Shizuru remarked, sliding a little closer to Natsuki. She felt herself relax and she breathed a little easier. Apparently, it would not have shocked Natsuki's parents if they showed up married to this little lunch.

Natsuki shrugged. "I'm no ones."

Everyone else laughed. "Of course not," Shizuru appeased her girlfriend. She tapped Natsuki's hand with her own.

"So, tell us about yourself, Shizuru. Natsuki has been tightlipped beyond the fact that she revealed her secret to save you and was surprised you didn't run screaming into the night," Saeko commented.

"Ma!" Natsuki groaned and put her head down.

Shizuru smiled. "I'm flattered Natsuki thought so highly of me to risk such a secret. I'm not sure what you'd like to know, though."

"Just the basic things."

Shizuru was not sure what the "basic" things were. She told them about how she graduated from college and planned to go back for another degree soon. "I want to eventually own my own business, sort of follow in my father's footsteps."

"It's nice someone wants to be like their dad!" Kenji threw his hands up.

"Ken, she's going to be an engineer. They're like the mechanics of the science world," Saeko said, possibly teasing both her daughter and… whatever Kenji was to her. Both gave her a similar frown and looked equally sour.

"Natsuki looks cute," Shizuru whispered and Kenji laughed.

Natsuki blushed. "Shizuru! They can hear you, even when you whisper!" she hissed.

"Don't mind Ken. Please, continue, Shizuru," Saeko requested politely.

Shizuru was not sure if she should mention the Obsidian Den. After all, the name made Natsuki uncomfortable and that was before the "incident." Surely Natsuki got her attitude from somewhere, presumably her parents. Although, Shizuru would bet that Kenji was not prudish and Saeko seemed quite relaxed as well. She did not want to risk going overboard and teasing Natsuki too much.

"Mai was telling us you're her boss," Saeko said.

Oh. So, they apparently already knew about the Obsidian Den, as Mai was not shy about saying where she worked. Mai's pride came from the fact that the Obsidian Den always was considered a high-class restaurant with some of the best food in the city. Any chef would love to work there. It seemed to slip her mind that it was also an extremely popular gentleman's club.

"Ma, why have you been talking to Mai?" Natsuki asked, whining a bit.

"Because Heavens knows you'll never tell us how you're actually doing. Besides, you put off on us meeting Shizuru so many times, I needed to make sure you were all right," Saeko answered.

Natsuki seemed to shrink in her seat at that. "I'm fine," she grumbled.

Saeko smiled. "Well, yes, I can see that now. But, I'm sure you're fine because you have Shizuru in your life and that's all I wanted to see. Every mama Wolf wants to see her baby happy and mated." Natsuki made a face.

"Shizuru, you should know, you're stuck with this sourpuss for life now," Kenji remarked, jabbing his thumb at Natsuki.

Shizuru laughed. "I feel fine with that." Of course, their relationship was young and she knew she still felt some of the intense emotions from Natsuki coming to rescue her. But, she liked to believe she was in this for the rest of her life since it was clear Natsuki was.

"Yes, most Wolves mate for life," Saeko added, wanting it spelled out plainly apparently.

Shizuru nodded, wishing she could say she understood, but she really did not. Natsuki did not talk much about this, like she was scared she might frighten Shizuru away. She hoped as time went on Natsuki was more comfortable sharing that side of her. She patted Natsuki thigh, as if to convey this idea. Natsuki gave her a small smile and that was enough for now.

"Can you imagine having to feed her for life?" Saeko teased.

Shizuru giggled. "I fear she might eat me out of house and home already."

"Yeah, Natsuki's metabolism sometimes gets out of control. It was worse when she was a teen," Saeko said.

"Me and Natsuki got banned for restaurants when she was younger," Kenji seemed to boast and Natsuki grinned. Father/daughter bonding with them was probably fun. "There are still some places where the chefs quiver when we walk in."

"But, enough about these gluttons, back to you. I want to know about you," Saeko said, reaching out and touching Shizuru's hand for a moment.

"We should probably start ordering, too. Can't hear a life story on an empty stomach," Kenji remarked.

Shizuru laughed, not offended at all. "Yes. Natsuki's probably cranky because breakfast was so long ago."

"Not cranky," Natsuki grumbled.

The four of them ordered food. Natsuki and Kenji seemed to be competing in this area. Saeko just smiled and Shizuru did the same. With that out of the way, they went back to their conversation.

They spoke for a while about Shizuru, which was a topic she was comfortable with and she told Natsuki's parents whatever they wanted to know, especially about her job. She needed to assure them she was not a stripper, which they did not seem to mind, but Shizuru sensed would somehow cause trouble. She suspected it had to do with Natsuki viewing their relationship as being mated. Shizuru would have plenty of questions later.

More questions would be added when Natsuki's little sister showed up. Alyssa was a cute little ten year old with a head full of blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She bore some resemblance to Kenji, but none at all the Saeko or Natsuki. Still, the entire family greeted her with enthused hugs. She even did a secret handshake with Natsuki.

Alyssa was not Saeko's daughter, as she referred to the woman as "auntie" when they exchanged hugs. Shizuru was not sure what to make of this because if Wolves mated for life, how was it that Natsuki's father had a daughter by a different woman? This question and more would be saved for later and she would ask Natsuki the meaning of it.

"Hey, Miyu. Thanks for bringing her," Natsuki said, shaking the hand of a girl with Alyssa. She appeared to be Natsuki's age, maybe a little younger.

"It was not a problem. I know how much she likes to spend time with all of you," Miyu answered.

"Yeah." Natsuki grinned at her sister, who grinned right back.

Shizuru would not have been surprised to see stars in the sisters' eyes. They clearly enjoyed being around each other. Saeko reached out and caressed the top of Alyssa's head.

"We're happy you made it," Saeko said.

"Me, too. My mother wasn't sure if she would let me come, but I begged and Miyu promised to keep an eye on me," Alyssa reported.

"Your mother," Kenji muttered and shook his head. Saeko frowned, but did not say anything.

Natsuki turned to Shizuru. "Miyu, meet my girlfriend Shizuru. Shizuru, this is Alyssa's step-sister, Miyu."

"Pleased to meet you." Shizuru stood and shook Miyu's hand.

"And, Alyssa, this is my girlfriend, Shizuru. Shizuru, meet my little sister, Alyssa," Natsuki introduced them with a big smile.

"Hi, Shizuru. You're very pretty," Alyssa said.

"So are you," Shizuru replied with a smile.

The new pair joined them and the conversation shifted. Alyssa was now the star of the hour. It was hard to believe she was not Saeko's daughter and Natsuki beamed at the child, never giving any indication she thought of Alyssa as anything but her little sister. It was wonderful.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Shizuru's not the only one with questions. There are some inquiries as to what happened at the Obsidian Den a couple of months ago.