Just another day...

[Ryouji Onigata]

The past week to say in the least was very interesting. Granted the day prior was rather large to say in the least considering it was Christmas. Shiori in particular enjoyed all of her gifts from her mother and father as well as sisters. It goes without saying that it was a family filled holiday. The house was still packed with people.

Azumi herself was feeling better at last and was able to do what she loved to do which was cook for everyone. Nothing went to waste...as it usually doesn't since most, if not all of her family are all black holes when it comes to food. She found herself in the kitchen cleaning only to be joined by her husband a while later. When he entered the kitchen she stopped and smiled and waved to him and greeted him with a good morning kiss.

"Good Morning honey! I hope I didn't wake you with all of my cleaning...I just wanted to keep things tidy since we have an abundance of guests with us for the moment."

Ryouji shook his head and decided it was probably a good idea to help her. He didn't want her to do to much on her own. Since he wasn't sure of her condition and besides it seemed like a good idea to actually help her instead of leaving her to do everything on her own.

"How are you feeling? I'm still a little worried about you. You took a lot out of yourself with that battle with the Jigouken. I want you to take it easy..."

Azumi smiled as she continued to clean. He was always worried more about others than himself. What she had gone through that day was nothing compared to all the beatings he's taken on her behalf and for the family to keep them safe.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm feeling much better now. Our little Emi saw to that herself. I'm sure you want to get your morning training session in anyway, you don't have to help you know. I don't mind cleaning. After all I am a mother and your wife and I like to help out in any way that I can. Go on, you know once Shiori wakes up you won't be able to do anything without her. At least she loves you, I'm not so sure how she feels about me. She isn't like Shi or Ami in that regard, she's a total daddy's girl."

Ryouji rubbed the back of his head. He didn't honestly know why all the girls with the exception of Ayane and Ayumi took to him the way they did. He doesn't do anything special, he's just himself.

"Now you know that isn't true Azumi, Shiori loves you just as much as she does me! You're her mother. Who else is going to take care of them if something were to happen to me. Not to mention she gave you a big huggle for all the gifts you got her yesterday. You are irreplaceable to all the girls."

Azumi giggled as she walked to throw the rag away she tripped and stumbled forward only to be caught by Ryouji she looked up at him and smiled. He picked her up and carried her out of the kitchen.

"Ryouji I'm fine, I just tripped..."

He shook his head, and wasn't going to hear any of what she had to say, he just wanted her to relax. He could take care of the cleaning and a lot faster than she could.

"I'll finish the cleaning, you just relax and you've done more than enough. You've bought presents, and made several trips to the human world. Please let me finish the cleaning."

She sighed and nodded. There was no point in arguing with him, he could be very persuasive and angry...well very angry, so she kicked up on the sofa and began to read one of her favorite manga, leaving him to the cleaning. It wasn't even four minutes later to where she fell asleep. Ryouji went back to the kitchen to clean.

Little did either of the parents know that Shiori was wide awake and being nosy. She hopped up from near her mother's head as she was sleeping on the sofa and stared at her. She was making funny noises too! She giggled every time she made one of the funny noises and moved closer to see where it was coming from. She glanced around to see if anyone was looking and when she noticed it was all clear she turned back to her mommy and used her fingers to pinch her mother's nose shut and noticed that the funny noises stopped, and then started again when her mother's mouth opened.

Shiori was amazed...much like the word "no" she didn't understand the phenomena of snoring so she released her mother's nose and pushed her mother's mouth shut. The noses stopped for a moment until Azumi rolled over on her side and continued to sleep. Shiori hit the floor when her mother turned around to hide.

She glanced around making sure no one saw her and then stood up stared right at her mother. This time she would get the funny noises to stop for sure. Using her hands she plugged her mother's nose and covered her mother's mouth with her hands. The noise stopped and she was happy. Azumi however could not breathe and her eyes opened as she gasped for air and she fell off of the sofa onto the floor and on top of Shiori. Azumi looked around and noticed that she had fallen on top of Shiori and quickly sat up.

"Shiori, what are you doing!"

Shiori sat up and shook the cobwebs out before jolting up and pointing at her mother. She was furious that she was almost crushed by her mother's giant head and boobs!

"Shiori is trying to live to see tomorrow, fatty!"

Azumi gasped...Shiori called her fat. She...no she could never be fat...its impossible...it was...mean too!

"I'm not fat! I'm going to tell your father that you called me fat and he's going to be upset with you!"

Shiori stomped on the ground and pointed at her mother.

"So! Shiori is going to tell her daddy that, Shiori's mommy tried crushing her when she was having fun!"

Ryouji peered over the sofa and glared at both of them. When they noticed they both looked toward him.

"Shiori, apologize to your mother right now."

When she saw the seriousness in his eyes she lowered her head and turned toward her mother and apologized like she was told to do. She looked up at her daddy and noticed he was smiling and it made her smile too. She made her daddy smile so now she could do whatever she wanted.

Azumi picked up Shiori and sat down on the sofa with her. Shiori sat on her mommy's lap and looked at the little magazine she was reading. She didn't know what she was looking at so she put it down on the table and got comfortable on her mommy's lap.

"Mommy...even though Shiori doesn't act like it, Shiori loves her mommy too!~"

Azumi sniffled as this was the first time since she could talk that she actually admitted to being loved by her daughter. This...was the greatest day ever!

"Mommy loves you too Shiori...I just want you to be a little nicer to me and your sisters...and Your Auntie's Hina and Yuri...and Ayame and especially to Hinata. She seems like she's a little afraid of you because you're so mean all the time and you hog your father all to yourself. She's just shy, she isn't trying to be mean!"

Shiori wasn't that mean. She just wanted to make sure everyone knows that she gets what she wants and there isn't any room for debate when it comes to that.

"Shiori will try, Shiori will make no promiseseses!"

Azumi nodded and put Shiori on the floor to let her play...or rather to bug her father into submission like she usually does. She was such a pretty girl but to be so mean wasn't becoming of her at all. She hoped she wouldn't be that mean when she grew up. Now she could continue her nap until everyone else was awake, then she could start breakfast. Her work as a mother and a auntie would never be done.

[Hinata Nakayama]

After waking up on her own, the little one rubbed her eyes and soon got out of bed, she left her room to find and play with the others. When she got into the living room, she noticed that Shiori was awake and about. It made her feel a bit uneasy since..well.. she seems so mean all the time. Then, she noticed her auntie Azumi sleeping on the couch. She would have to speak to h er soon after she sees her uncle. She wanted to tell him merry Christmas and stuff! After finding him, or rather bumping into him, she gazes up at him. It amazes her on how tall he is! She hopes to grow up to be tall like he us!

"M..Merry Christmas, Uncle Ryouji. Oh uhm.. Sissy (referring to Present Emi) really likes the Kido book you got her.. she's reading from it all the time.. Oh.. wait just a moment.."

The little one scurried off to her room for a moment back to her room, soon returning a few seconds later. She was holding, or rather, dragging a long gift (not to mention other gifts) to Ryouji and soon tugged on his hand to get his attention.

"I got you a gift too.. Mama helped me get it.. I hope you like it.. i got one for 'Ori and Auntie Azumi.. but.. I'm kinda scared to give it to them.. C..Can you help me?"

[Ryouji Onigata]

After having his hand tugged by Little Hina, he picked her up and gave her a hug. What could such a long gift be. Before he opened his, he wanted to help her like she asked. Picking up her gifts, he carried her and the gifts into the living area and called Shiori.

When she approached Ryouji sat down on the sofa and placed Hina down in the spot next to him.

"Hina brought you two gifts...before you open them I would like the two of you to thank her. Shiori especially you since you make the poor girl nervous."

Azumi glanced over to Hina, she knew that she was shy but she was wondering if she could get a hug from the cutie. In fact this would be the first Hug she's ever given Hina aside from when she use to babysit her when she was an infant.

"Thank you very much Hina...can I have a hug?"

Ryouji stood up momentarily after getting an odd feeling. Hina grabbed his hand as he started to walk off. He glanced down at her and patted her head. He wouldn't leave her for long.

"Stay here with your Auntie and cousin...I'll be right back okay?"

Ryouji walked to the front door and opened it. Passing the house keepers and gardners he stood at the front of their home and narrowed his eyes. Glancing around, he felt...so different...off even. Before he turned to walk back inside, he gave one more glance around the area before heading toward the door. He heard a muffled grunt. He turned around again and saw a woman...her robe was torn and she was covered in dirt. Her arms were heavily bruised.

"Are...are you...Ryouji Onigata?"

As he slowly moved toward her, he nodded his head in response to her question. This feeling...it was a longing almost of missing. He's never seen this person in his life.

"You've grown up to be such a strong and handsome man. I don't know how to explain this to you...but I..."

The woman fell forward and before she could hit the ground, Ryouji caught her and picked her up. This woman...who the hell was she and why did he feel so...safe around her. As he carried her inside. Azumi and Hina hopped down from the sofa as Ryouji placed the unknown woman down to rest.

Azumi glanced at the woman and noticed how young she looked and sighed. He's always carrying some young thing into their home to take care of them. It was her jealous side speaking...loudly. Shukumei whom was sleeping rushed into the room, clearly feeling exactly what he was feeling.

"Ryouji...do you feel...strange around this woman? Like a feeling of being lost and reunited? I just can't describe it...what the hell..."

Shukumei glanced down and saw Shiori and Little Hina standing there and cleared her throat.

"I mean, what the heck this feeling is. I've never felt it before. This feeling....when I close my eyes I can...feel that this...this feeling is so right. I have to get out of here. I don't like this feeling."

Ryouji placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her. He shook his head. He couldn't run from this feeling...he just wanted to understand it. I use to feel this way around Ayame sort of...but not this strongly."

Azumi was tending to the wounds of the woman she sat up and glanced over the sofa at the two....there they were and even more grown up than she thought. Shukumei was so gorgeous and strong and Ryouji was so handsome. Those were the two she sought to find for nearly 900 years...they were her children.

"I...could have never imagined that you two would grow up to look so strong. When you were younger...I was so worried that neither of you would make it because I could not afford to give you the proper care you needed. Ryouji you were always so...sickly and Shukumei....you were so malnourished. I wish there was more than I could have done for you..."

Shukumei turned to the woman and stepped forward. How could she know such things....Ayame use to tell her all the time before she developed her love for food and...well food!

"Who are you...how do you know our names...how can you know such things about us?"

Ayame slid open the door from the training area in the backyard and stepped inside. Even she had a hard time believing what she was seeing but it was true.

"She's your mother..."

Azumi glanced at this woman and noticed how young and youthful she appeared and sighed. She helped the woman up.

"Come on..."mom" lets go get you cleaned up while you're taking care of that I will get you something to eat."

Shukumei looked as if she'd seen a ghost and Ryouji was in the biggest amount of disbelief thought possible. There was just no way. They were always told that she was dead...gone. She gave them to Ayame's family and vanished....now she's alive. It didn't make any sense whatsoever but it felt...so right.

[Hinata Nakayama]

Before Hina could give her auntie a hug, she had to get up to let a strange lady rest on the couch. Immediately, she hid behind Ryouji's leg and peeped her head fromt he side to see what was going on. Soon enough, Azumi helped the strange lady up and into another room. The poor thing was confused as to what happened. Though, what confused her more was the look on Ryouji and Shukumei's faces. It made her little head hurt from trying to figure it out.

Though, even with all the confusion, she can talk to Shukumei a little or at least try, anyway. Maybe her shyness was just a stage. Her mother has been trying to break her out of her shell so to speak, but nothing seems to be working. Maybe if she talked to her auntie and uncle, they'd feel better!

"With Auntie Azumi helping.. the lady should be okay! A..After all.. she could get Sissy to help take care of her too.. So she'll be fine.."

Though she knew it would be taking a small risk since Shiori was nearby, she quickly hugged her uncle and then went over to Shukumei and stared up at her. He gave her a small hug.

"Sh..She'll be okay!"