"Oh…is that why you have switched the game plans!" he hissed.

"I am starting to be own person…I want a normal life…I'm sorry things turned out the way they did!" Soujiro swallowed hard. The pain his lower belly was starting to ache hard. He knew he was getting stress which was not a good thing to do in front of his master.

"Soujiro…calm down!" Shishio ordered. He wanted to hold Soujiro still for just a miniute or two. The pain was too much for even him to watch.

The slid opened to see Miss Yumi and Ariel racing inmost the room. Ariel's face was in shock as she said, "What is happening?"

"It's nothing…really!" Soujiro lied.

"What are you doing to him…" she asked Shishio as she came towards Soujiro. She knelt down to see how Soujiro was.

"You are the one!" he chided at her. He wanted to put her in her place for a long. This was the prefect opportunity to do so.

"No, sir!" she shook her head. She felt like she was happy and willing to be helpful even it was just for a little while for Shishio's cause. She did have the look of sorrow on jeer face. She said, "He had been looking for those ninjas for a long time…"

"What?" he asked. He was puzzled at the statement this foreign girl was saying to him.

"There was talk about them…" she turned her head just a minute. Swallowing her pained fear and anger, she pleaded, "He knew something on the inside was coming out. Even his highness knew that there were fasciation that were going to take down everything which was in the under world's possession."

"Where..." Shishio ordered. There was a concerned look on his face. He had to trust in what Ariel was saying or there was going to be a completely utter take over in the underground life in Japan. There were factors of strong shinobi who could pull just the right amount of force to even bring down someone like Makoto Shishio. "These shinobi…are…"

"Are not from the west…where I am from originally. This shinobi are trained in the Russian outback…they have been training for at least three years!" she shuddered in a cold fearful tone. Her heart beat so widely it hurt her.

"Easy there Ariel…" Soujiro said as he noticed her reddened face. He wondered if she was going to pass out from either fear of Shishio's present or the fear of powerful monster like the unnamed shinobi. He looked at his master, "Give me and her of our rudeness. Yet…"

"Is this the truth?" Shishio asked with a cold angered stare.

"Yes…there is mile in the palace guard. He might be the one…"

"Nothing you have spoke of have any factors?"

"I have feeling. He wanted to be the first to break the underground networks. He is very powerfully in the shinobi. Not even the Oniwabanshu know who he is!" Soujiro growled gently. His eyes glazed over in hate. It was cold hate in which he had on the night he killed off his father's people in iciest of blood. It had been raining and he as a wounded child took his anger out on them with a sword.

"You rest then…" Shishio's sat up with a narrowing of his eyes. He knew Soujiro never lied. He ordered Soujiro to leave with one request. Not go out and fight for a while. He was going to take care of the Shinibo.

The rain was coming down so fast; Soujiro felt he was losing his hearing. It was very deafening to the senses. He had been spending time at the house on his recovery. He knew it was going to be still a while before he was even allowed back into Shishio's realm. There was nothing to do but sit on his hands and wait.

"Sou?" Ariel asked. She entered the room with a bowl of soup. She smiled gently as she stood in the doorway, "are you hunger…my husband?"

"Husband?" he thought as he blushed. "Why is she calling me that?'

"I hope you like it…my mother's vison of chicken noddle!" she said. She glanced at him with a curious look. She wondered why he was blushing like that for.

"Chicken node?" he asked. He had never heard of a soup called chicken noodle. He asked, "It's like miso?"

"It's like Chinese soup…the noodles are made with wheat instead of rice," she smiled. She glanced in his direction…I hope you don't mind me calling you my husband!"

He blushed with a smile. At least she was being honest with him. He knew things were going better after the care that he receiving forum her.

"I have something to confess to you!" she said with a curious look in her eyes. She had bought a little treat with her money. There were two sweet bean buns, small in size that she knew he would like. She had them in a small bag. She had to hide them from him. He did have a bit of sweet tooth.

"What is it?" he wondered out loud.

"You will have to wait for them!" she smiled.

"Oh…" he huffed with a little pout. He folded his arms over his chest. He was going to go out the answer from her one way or another.

"First eat your soup!" she said as she started to prepare for the meal. She went over to the table that had a large quilted table cloth. She bent down and pulled off the table cloth. Then, she began to fold the table cloth very carefully.

Souris wanted to help. He asked, "Do you want me to get the bowls?"

She glanced up at him and said, "Yes…please!"

He glanced at her for just a minute. She was hiding something, but what. He wanted to talk her into telling hymn what was on her mind. She did have a hard time keeping secrets. He knew about this little problem.

"What are you thinking?" he asked in a very discreet way. He had to be careful on how to go about getting the information gently. He did not want her feelings to be hurt. He looked at her and smiled, "Is about your time here?"

She stopped her work. Looking at her husband, Ariel said, "It's getting close to my birthday…" she had to give him a mock sour look. She was going to let giver in that easily. She glanced at the pot after she gave a sniff to the fire. "The pot is burning…Can you set the table…please!"

He noticed her sense of fear. She went to over the top with her preparing a quiet meal for him. He nodded without thinking twice. He went over to the table. He pulled off the quilted table cloth. Then, he went over to one of the many closets to get out a set of bowls and cups. He heard the rain grow louder.

Ariel tensed up a little she heard the rain. She nearly dropped the spoon ingot the pot. She said, "I wish it was ease up just a little!"

Hard rain made her feel so low. She hated to be out in the dark and the cold during the rain. She hoped that Soujiro would flip pout and throw her outside like her aunt. Soujiro stopped as he collected the tableware, "Everything will be just fine!"

He thought, "I have been thinking about you all this time...please don't be so afraid of me!"

"It's going to in the near future!" he smiled. He turned to look at her.

"I hope... I hate the rain!" she sighed with a painful look in her eyes.

She stopped for a send on to look at the pot. The soup was cooking at a fast rate. She took a rag from a spot near the fire pit and warped it around the handle of the pot. She tried to lift the pot from the fire to a cooler spot on the stove. She looked at the rain through a small window above there stove pipe. She rolled her shoulders in a slow movement in order to keep warm. The air was growing cooler.

"I'll put another log on the fire!" he said. He took out a set of bowls from the shelf. It was a few seconds of placing the bowls down on the table. Yet, he knew that he to be quick. The figure was still hot, but Ariel always felt colder when the rain grew heavier.

She did not even look up as she mumbled loudly, "Thank you!"

"It's going to be a long night!" he said as he walked over to a small pile of wood near the fireplace. He bent down slowly, feeling his ribs ache. He remembered how hoi ribs were punched so hard that he wanted to scream. He did not want Ariel to be hurt in any way. He did take the brunt of the attack. He looked over at the pile of logs. Hoping to find one that was not too heavy, Soujiro said, "I hope you can see yourself to bed…I'm going to be early tonight!"

"Soujiro…" she huffed as she pampered at him after she was done with the pot. She had to let him have his way or there was no peace that night. She knew he needed a good scolding for being so childish. "I'm not that cold!"

"I know…but you need to be warm…" he smiled. He breathed very slowly, carefully to ease the pain away. He looked at her with weary gaze. He knew she was so concerned about him, she had to be careful. He picked out a small log. He lifted it out of the pile with both hands. He lifted up the log and himself carefully. Then walking over to the fireplace, Soujiro said, "Let me help you as best as I know how!"

Ariel was not going to stop him. She watched him with worry, but she had to let him alone. She said, "Please don't be in such a rush! I can look after myself!"

She did want to scold him, but he was going to be a pain one way or another if he wanted to help. Her heart ached for him. "I am going to help you in any way I can see fit!" he smiled to her.

"And what if you get hurt again?" she asked.

He walked over with the log, very carefully. He bent over the fire place to throw the log on the fire. He looked at the fire before take a fire poker to stir up the fire. He said, "Don't worry about me...I'll be just fine. There will some bumps in the road."

"Soujiro!" she sighed. She turned to check the pot for just a second. Then, she walked over to the fireplace. She placed a hand on Soujiro shoulder. "I don't need for you to hurt yourself. You are so strong...you can't going on by forcing yourself. This winter will come and we just need to be careful!"

"Careful?" he snipped. He knew that she was going to get the better of him when he was in this state of pain. He glared at her for just a minute, "How can you say that when you nearly got hurt yourself!"

She sighed as the feeling of remorse came bubbling up, "I didn't know about the ninjas. They were very good on hiding!"

"And you should be more careful, yourself…" he sighed. He breathed deeply as the pain stopped just a minute. "I wish you can be sharper in your senses!"

"I know…remember I grew up somewhere else. I am still getting use to having the life style that most girls like I did not dare to even think about!" Ariel said with a biting fear. She did want to cry. She tried to hide the tear as best as she knew how.

"There is nothing you can help about the present. I will have to be on guard for the both of us!" he looked at her with a gaze of compassion. He had to treat her with protect. He knew it was hard for anyone to be in her situation. How many miles did she have to travel just in order to get away.

"Then, you should not do have anything else!" she sighed. She walked over to take the wood from him.

She carried it over to the fire pit. Placing the log on the opened flames, she made sure that the fire was still going.

Soujiro was at a lost for words for the rest of the day.

Shishio was sitting on a mat at the training hall. He knew Soujiro was now fully not useable until Megumi ordered otherwise.

Anji was on guard duty when he came to the training hall. He could sense the uneasy feeling that Shishio towards the ninjas. He came near where Shishio was sitting at. He said, "Lord Shishio…"

Shishio who was mediating looked up and asked, "Yes?"

There was a strange look on his face. It was not terribly evil, but disgusted. Why did his most prized student lose his head over a girl? He wondered about that for days.

"What are you thinking about?" Anja asked.

"Nothing," was his master's reply.

He let Soujiro enter the room. The young man entered the room. He was ordered to sit down. Soujiro slowly sat down. Ariel was in the hallway. She did not want to infer with Soujiro.

There was a look between two people who knew that the past of Japan was quickly being wiped out by the furies of discontent. The west was coming and setting up shop for the second or third time. It was not to Shishio's liking. He wanted to go back to the old ways. The days of bloodied streets and missing ghosts was more to his wrapped mind set? Although, he liked see the masses trying to live out their mere lives on the end of pin.

"the winter will be here before you know it!" Ariel thought. she watched as the room became a little dark as fi she was in the room with him. Her voice played with his mind. Her thoughts were his. He looked at his master. He heads to stop homes from daydreaming aoubt her. Soujiro wondered if there was something could be said about the fighting. the ninjas were a pest.

"Master?" Soujiro said with enough courage to make his words sound less of a question and more like a quote. He looked at Shishio with emotional less eyes. He knew his teacher was going to be a hard man to be asking questions.

"Yes," Shishio said as his eyes opened slightly. He was smoking a small pipe with a long neck. He removed it from his lips. On reaching over to tap the pipe on a small metal bowl, he asked, "What is it?"

"You have any other work for me…" he said as he bowed. His upper body slid forward. His face was nearly touching the mat while his arms were stretched out passed the crown of his head. He was giving Shishio a sign of complete and utter sender. His voice was calm and collected. He knew he to remain in the state he was in. he did not want o anger Shishio over a little matter of changing his work.

After a second of thinking it over, Shishio nodded slowly as he glanced past the door to the outside hall. He knew she, Ariel was there. He heard the stories of her training under Soujiuro's wing. He knew she was very quiet and conscious. He wanted to have Soujiro leave her at once before anything happened. Unfortunately, Soujiro was very stubborn and told his master, no for once.

Shishio had to let go for Soujiuro's sake. His adopted child was starting to grow up right before his eyes. "What would be your choice. There is very little else you can do…" he said with a careful look of worry in his eyes.

"I'm not sure…there is something outside of being a guard…I could be a ship keeper's helper!" Soujiro blurted out. His heart was beating fast. There was talk about a shop keeper letting go a young man who did not fit in with the shop itself.

he did want to see his son leave the nest in all reality. he knew Soujiro was trusted when he went out on missions. yet, Shishio knew Soujiro had his own life and ideas to live up toll.

"What will you do when you have no more work to be done. there are a few jobs you could do when you are recovering, but they are small in comparison to the last one!" Shashi said with a concerned tone of voice.

"I'll be cemetery halted by then!" Soujiro smiled a little.

"Are you sure…" shishio asked as he raised an eyebrow. He knew that he was dealing with a man-child who was strong willed.

"Yes…I will have to take it easy with my heading…" he sighed. His placed a hand on his side. There were still some pains in his bossy that have not left yet.

"What about her?" Shishio asked. "Where is that Ariel girl. he knew Soujiro and Ariel were very close. he knew Soujiro wanted to be with Aril all the time. she was very shy and quiet. it seemed like Soujiro could have not picked a better person for himself.

"She's outside...in the hallway, master!" Soujiro bowed slightly. he slowly stood up.

He watched as Soujiro began to turn to heard towards the door. "And where are you going to take her!"

"Anywhere you tell me to go..."

There was dead quiet after he looked at his teacher. what was going on with Shishio. he was thinking. He knew Master Shishio was still his master and the one who was nearly like a father to him. Yet, he was starting really think on his own. He had to move out initially with Ariel on his own.

"If you are willing to leave with her…then, I can't force you to stay!" To

Ariel stood in total quiet. she held her breath almost. she felt her heart pounding hard as the doors slid opened. she wondered if Soujiro was going to kicked out because of her.

Soupier had his usual calm smile as he walked over to see her. Where was he going to take her was his guess only. he walked over to her and asked, "Are you feeling O.K.?"

She nodded slowly. She knew that he was just concerned for her as he was for her. She knew that he was just happy to see her.

"Why don't we go home?" he asked.

Soujiro?" Aril thought.

Soujiro started to walk down he path of a dangerous killer once again. His master sat on the sofa where he usually sat at when he was just trying to get by on the painkiller from the burns. He looked at Anju with a great deal of loss.

"You will understand...someday!" Anju said. Anju knew Soujiro was starting to really grow up as young man should.

"Are you going to turn hymn back into a monster?" Ariel cried out. she felt her own breaking very quickly. She knew she willed herself to look at her husband's boss with tears in her eyes.

"And you are still just a child...playing house!" Shashi said bitterly.

Soujiro felt anger bubbling up inside of him. He had not felt like, that for a long time. He always reminded very calm. Even when fighting, his anger was not a factory like hose speed or cold thoughts of maunder.

"You heard me…" Shishio said a little colder. He knew that if placed right…areal would race back to the states within a matter of days.

Soujiro did not even hear the harsh tongue of his master. He turned to leave the hall.

it began to snow outside as Soujiro and Ariel turned to leave the meeting hall. Anju started to follow them out. he knew there were lines being drawn so deeply that he feared the children's lives.

When Soujiro and areal opened the doors to step outside of the hall, they noticed the sky together. the wind danced widely in the tree and became cold.

"Winter comes early!" Soujiro said in a goblet tone.

there was a moon in the distance. the leaves were turning slowly from green to yellow, red and brow. the sharp tang of the wind pulsed in the noses of the travelers.

"why did you snap at him?" Soujiro asked, coldly.

there was a minute or two of quiet. then, areal said as she glanced Soujiro, "I was scared... scared for your life...you are so precious to me!" she appeared to be crying very quietly. She had turned to leave. Soujiro let her leave ahead of him. He did not want any problems between his master and his wife.

the days of the ten ken's smile grew weak, but there was still a fire inside of soul.

he was not going to be backing down.

he knew he had been trying to leave shishio's side for about a couple of months now. he wondered to himself if there was a way of leaving for good.

the moon was out, waxing coldly. He felt the coldness against his body as he changed his own bandages. His wounds were growing and healing up very slowly. He wondered if Ken shin had the same problems. He had been in too many battles in his short life to really reflect for now. He was just a boy still.

"What are we going to do?" she said without thinking.

"With what?" soujiro asked rather innocently.

"with everything. If we go back…then we are in trouble."

He was going to be a man someday. He knew that if he worked hard enough maybe he could still win the approval his teacher. there were things he had to be careful with. he knew Shishio was not happy with. yet, he wanted to be with Ariel. She belongs to him as if she was a doll or a fine piece of bone china.

"What if we leave for China or the states…I swear that no one who know the difference…" Aril said in a loud whispered. She knew that Shishio had spies everywhere. It was hard to let go of his star student.

He was thinking too hard. He needed a rest. He told areal that they were going home.

When they got home. theywere surprseid too see the plalce gaurds standing in the yard. They were looking for something to pin on soujirpo

"what are you doing here?"; Areil gasped in shcokedc.

Soujiro had a bad feeling with the oncoming sumit that he had heard from hsi superoous from the castle. he wanted to stop the ninjas who were not the followers of either the emporor or his own boss master shishio.

he had been resting for a long time underneath a large chestnut tree with the sun playing in the leaves. Areil knw hter was soemtihng to be had. She said, "Are you there?"

It took Soujro just a minute of deep thought before he said, "Yes…"

She breahted and smiled. She thougth she had lost him for good. She wanted to stay wshere she was at. For the first time, Areil felt like she was home.

Sano was holding out on his information he had recvied from a firmed. he knew that if he would be dire sights if he would tell kenshin now. he had been to the row houses near the main streets. he felt good about winning at dice. it was long time in his winnings.

Then, he had stumbled across three men dressed in what looked like army uniforms. There was something which did not feel right to Sano. He knew that the army was still not following all the orders of this new way of thinking by the empire. There were still factions that wanted the old ways by cutting off all the ties to the west. Sano was simple man who wanted to get by on what he had learned. This new way was not his style, but he was not going to stand in anyone else way if they wanted to learn.

There was a slight boil in Sano's blood. He could feel everything unfolding with this lot. He stared for a second or two at the solders.

"What you looking at?" one asked sane.

Sano was going to smoke out the truth one way or another with the soldiers. it was going to be not easy. yet, he took upon himself to figure in a few minutes on how. he knew he was taking a huge risk.

when Sano got close to the group he could sense an evil that had been taking form for some time. He could hear words be tossed about like balls on a court. This was a warning for him. One of soldiers said, "When we clean up the rats who were holding back the frightened cat in the house, then I can breathe easier!"

"Oh?" a second solider said as he appeared to a little concerned about the use of words in the way the first soldier was speaking.

He knew he was taking a greater risk as he drew close. He knew that there were the solider or ninjas that he and ken shin had faced in the past. There was nothing to be had if he did not use caution.

when Sano got close to the group he could sense an evil that had been taking form for a second time. He stopped and played the silly little head game that he had learned on the streets as he said, "Nothing…I was just hoping for a good tip on a local place to crash, I feel tired!"

he had heard the idea of cleaning out of the emperor and placed one of their puppets.

he turned to see one the soldiers being slapped in the mouth for letting cat of out the bag. he said as he lied, 'Sorry, I don't understand you!"

he had heard an upper grade solider slapping the private in the face. He knew the lower class soldiers were supposable tight lipped.

Sano said, "I want to find a place to sleep…"

"It's hard to keep things in order!" a head officer said curtly.

Sano did not speak, but shook his head. He quickly turned don his heels. He looked like he was a little drunk at the time. He had walked away from the group as he headed for the Akabeko. The one of the soldiers snorted with a sour note in his vice, "What in the hack was that all about?"

"Just some baka…he looks like he had one too many," a commanding office said coldly.

"As long as he doesn't spill his guts out!" the first one said as the troop watched as Sano entered into the Akabeko.

"with some luck..." a second office said as he had some idea Sano was going for a drink knew Sano going to be drunk soon then expected. "we wouldn't have to worry."

"And why do you say that?" another officer asked.

"He doesn't look topo bright!" the second officer said. He had an uneasy feeling that Sano was going to a pest into the matter of the war between old and new.

Aril had been very quiet for the past few days. she wanted to be careful when she attended Soujiro's needs. She had an ear opened to the world outside. There was talk about another uprising within the government. She was no frightened little mouse any more. She was more a sharp eyed warrior. Yet, she was not in the same league as Karou.

Ariel and Soujiro were now in a rough patch in their young lives. they were not mad at each other. it was more like they were trying to keep up with their bills. Soujiro's did have a little savings stored for the winter. it seemed like injury that Soujiro had endured, made things a little stained on purse strings. yet, areal was very careful and clever went it came up to finding ways of saving money. they did have a planted a gander during the time Ariel and Soujiro discovered the house on the outskirts of town. it was rather small to compare others, yet their hope was strong.

Aril had learned how to pickle some of the vegetables from Ken shin. the others were either dried or placed in a root cellar that was quickly made. couple of the men who worked for Shishio made the root cellar for Soujiro. they were curious for their sake.

The two were outside, sweeping the leaves. It was good exciters for Soujiro to just stand and sweep a little. Ariel told him to go back to the porch and watch out for anyone.

"What is that you really want?" he asked.

"Me?" she stopped cold.

"Yea?" he smiled. He had walked over to where Aril was sweeping.

"I hope to get through with the winter and have you all back to normal…" she stopped herself from telling by placing a hand up to her lips. She had a feeling shy had said too much. A woman who spoke her mind was a rare thing in japan.

"Why did you stop?" he asked. His smile was sweetening by the idea of Ariel being herself.

"Nothing!" she squeaked.

"I just wanted to ask?" he smiled slightly. He knew she was under a great deal of stress.

"Sou…?" she asked. She had no idea what was soujiro's plain.

"she's up to something…" he thought.

"I have some work to do," She blushed.

"and when you are done?" he asked.

"I do another room!" she smiled.

he had plans for her. he looked at Ariel with a soft glance. he said, "What else can I do when I am in this state!"

"You just need to think about you...you have never been like this before,'' she smiled shyly.

"and what about you...you have talked to my master and told your side of the story, " he said.

"He's not mad, more concerned about your state of health. I have been talking to Megumi and..." she said before she was a caught with a kiss on her lips. She felt the warmth in his kiss. It was just a minute before they broke adyta. She opened her eyes to see his grin. She blushed hotly as she said, "I hope no one saw us!"

"And what if they did. We are a couple. I'm your husband and you need to obey me!" he smirked.

she glanced at him for minute longer. what was he on? he was full of surprises.

he grinned, "What is that you are thinking?"

"Nothing." she said. She hoped that no one was watching the two kissing like they were. She loved the private minutes she had who him. Sher wanted to her life a secret, that everyone had known about.

"And what else?" he smiled, pressing her against him. His warmth was strange and wild.

"You…you must take care!" she sighed. She snuggled to him for just a minute or two.

"And what about you?" he asked. He was always concerned about her welfare and her safety.

"I can look after myself for a little while!" she said. she hoped Soujiro was not going to be foolish as he recovered.

he had pushed himself a little too far. he had to be a little careful. she waited Tobe sure of that. she awed him if he could promise be a great deal of caution in his day to day living. he told her that he would concerned it.

the days seemed to be growing colder and the winds like teeth. it was winter in Tokyo. the days seemed to be stretching out like many rows of plain white fabric.

Ariel's birthday was growing very close. She was very happy to see Soujiro staying at home. He was finally convinced that he needed to be at home. She busied herself around the house with Soujiro helloing out with a few things. Yet, they both feared the ninjas were unseen, but felt nearby in the woods.

Soujiro wanted to have a rather small party for just him and Ariel. It was the first time they were having a celebration since the summer. she was going to have birthday soon. the two agreed to postponing their party until Souiro was strong enough. he was still in pain, but he was recovering nicely. he wanted to be in good spirits for Ariel.

Ariel held out a hand. Soujiro took it very carefully. he remembered the times she had been abused by the others in her own time. he was caution in holding her and living her. there were ways to please her in his own watt. he backed off if he seemed a little strong for her.

Then, the air grew a little warmer. There was a scent of bruiting leaves coming from the distances. It seemed strange with the snow to be scented with boning leaves.

The day finally came for Ariel's birthday. She was still asleep as Soujiro slowly, carefully got up. He did want to wake her up just yet. He knew Aril love to sleep a little longer. Then, she would just be laying there with him listening to the birds and the wind. She felt like as was in heaven finally.

He had carefully hidden some little gifts for her in the front room. There were small boxes he had placed when she was not around in the rafter. He had aisle placed a few sweets in box near a stand. He was very careful as he prepared the room with a few paper flowers carefully placed in places where she could see them.

Then, Soujiro went back to the bedroom. He could see the room getting a little light from the outside. The window was kept shut as the winter was still clinging to the house. Aril stirred in her sleep before waking up. Soujiro kept over to where she was sleeping.

As she opened her eyes, Soujiro was kneeling next to her. He said, "Happy birthday?"

"UH?" Ariel yawned sleepily. She sat up slowly to see the room, it was still pretty dark out and the room was an equal.

"today is your birthday…is it not!" ghee smiled.

"Yea…" she said as she tried to keep warm. She had hunkered down in the bed for the last of the warmth.

Soujiro had smiled a little. He knew she was all his. "And you were very kind to me…you need a little break." He noticed Aril feet were sticking out of the futon's edge. He waited for her to finally wake up. He said, "You just stay in bed for just a little longer. I have something to do. "

"Wha?" she asked in a sleepy daze. She was getting her Barings straight. She slowly rolled onto her back. She nearly hit Soujiro's knee. She said, "Are you waiting to me to get up?"

"In a little while," Soujiro said. He reached out to take Ariel's hand. He felt the coldness of her skin. His thumb strokes the curve of her knuckles as she tried to pull her hand slowly away. He raised the hand up to his lips. Ariel raised her head to see Soujiro kissing her hand. She knew he was loving teasing her awake.

A bird sang outside of the house. he was going to get her.

"And what are you doing?" she said. She rolled over to see him hoovering over her. She slowly sat up, blinking.

"I have been hoping you are fully awake when I take you out…" he smiled. He noticed her hands. She had been used to working so hard for him, she was starting to have breaks on her hands. He knew that there creams to sooth her rough skin. He had put some money back for her birthday spending. "Come on…Ari!" he said as he sat down next to her. On placing an arm around his shoulders.