"Akina, don't go anywhere after school" Touya told his nine year old daughter. She grumbled something into her cereal. "Excuse me?" demanded Touya.

"Nothing, nothing, not a thing" she said, then she muttered, "Cruella"

Touya glanced back as he was washing his hands, "I heard that, Akina Lynn" oops. She had better quit it, things were bad when her papa used her middle name. She pressed her pale hand against her mouth, suppressing the giggles.

"Sorry, Papa"

Yeah, you'd better be thought Touya, but what he said was, "Is Kage coming to pick you up?" Kage was Akina's "big brother". She was in a program, Big Brothers, Big sisters and Their Sibs. Touya had put Akina in that program because she was so shy. But she had an awful smart mouth at home.

"No," she put her dish in the sink and threw her backpack over her shoulders.

"Wear a jacket"

"Yeah, yeah" she opened the screen door.

"Akina" Touya raised his voice, causing Akina to turn around looking sheepish. Opps. "I am not amused with your attitude lately, nor your tone this morning, little one."

"I am not amused with your attitude lately, nor your tone this morning, little one" she mocked, but she shouldn't have. That was the last straw for Touya. He dropped the towel he was holding in his hands, took three steps to Akina, with on hand he grabbed her shoulder and whipped her around. With the other hand he gave her five firm, stinging slaps on her bottom. The child "ouched" with each one.

Touya turned her around and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Now you listen to me! I don't know where you are getting this attitude from, but I will not tolerate it. Now you better drop it right now. I you get in any more trouble today, you can expect more of the same." Touya scolded, looking deep into his child's eyes.

Akina gulped, but tried not to show it, she just found it amusing to push Touya's buttons because a lot of times, he was more of a brother than a dad. Pushing his buttons by being a wise-ass, but when Touya threatened her with a spanking, she knew she had gone too far. That was one good thing though, she was always warned beforehand.

Akina blinked. "sorry," she muttered, playing with her backpack's strap. She pulled out of Touya's grasp and took to the sky. Touya shook his head.

Akina was not paying attention. When her teacher Ms. Bakta said "Who can tell me the answer…Akina?"

"Huh?"

"The answer please, dear" Akina struggled to see the board, her eyes blurry and she was still groggy.

"Erm…George Washington?" Laughter erupted all around her. She figured out pretty quick that she had gotten the answer wrong.

"Yes, yes very funny, except we are not in history class."

Oh.

She looked at the board her eyes still blurry. She could make out the periodic table. She smiled. "E equals M C squared." She said confidentially. Kids clutched their sides and howled with laughter. Some even fell right out of their chairs.

"Enough!" yelled the older woman. The classroom became instantly silent. In one swift motion, she reached down, snatched Akina's backpack and grabbed Akina's elbow, she dragged the struggling girl out of the classroom. Seconds before the door shut behind them, she realized the periodic table want the periodic table.

It was a multiplication table.

Oops.

Akina kicked her feet in the waiting room. She gazed out the window, perfect blue sky, kids laughing, sun shining, her heart sunk. She wondered how hard it would be to run away. She could bolt right now. She had her lunch and 20 dollars that Touya had said it was for emergencies. She did bring her jacket. She had an mp3 player. She could leave her textbooks, just not her notebook. After school she wouldn't go home…she'd fly to the ocean, no she'd go to the Maikai. She'd sleep in trees, eat berries from bushes. She'd fall in love and….

STOP!!!! This was really ridiculous. She couldn't just up and run away. This was really stupid. She didn't get a chance to think any more about it before her name was called. So far, Touya hadn't been phoned, Akina hoped to keep it that way. The principal reminded the girl of her father. Tall, stern looking, a deep voice that remained calm while scolding. "You know why you are here I presume?" Akina nodded, but remained silent. "Care to tell me?"

"I fell asleep in class, I tried to guess what class we were in, because I was still groggy. My eyes just wouldn't focus. I tried random answers and Ms. Bakta thought that I was tying to be funny."

He looked at her over his glasses. "Well, that's all in the past now, but there is something else, I want to discuss." –Phew!- "Akina, how are you feeling?"

The ice demon shrugged, "Alright, I guess."

"Are you sleeping alright?"

Actually she hadn't slept in a few days, but she said. "Yeah," but a yawn gave her away. The principal raised an eyebrow.

"How's your schoolwork?" busted.

"Bs and Cs, not my normal As, but they are slipping because of stress at home. They'll get better."

He nodded, "What stress?"

"Nothing really" there was a moment of silence.

"Akina, does your father ever physically abuse you, I know that you do not have a mother."

"Define abuse" she said, once again, trying to be a smart-ass.

"Does he beat you, leave marks, bruises. Has he ever made you bleed, or neglect to feed you? Make you feel worthless?"

Akina tried to hid a giggle as she thought of the hilarity of the situation. She snorted. "No, I mean yeah I get punished sometimes, but…..I mean"

"How?"

"Do I really have to say? Its embarrassing."

"Its important if you want to remain living with your father." Akina's face fell.

"Oh…well…I get grounded, and sometimes when I am naughty or am very rude, I get a… well, spanking."

"And he uses…"

"Only his hand" she paused, "and occasionally a strap, but not usually." Then she muttered darkly under her breath, "Like later, if he finds out about this"

"You sure?" he questioned, Akina nodded. "Positive?" again a nod. "Well I think maybe a parent teacher conference about your school work and sleep patterns is in order." Akina went ballistic. By the time two teachers and the secretary had dragged the crying girl out of the room, the call was made. The secretary gave her a box of Oreos. She put them in her mouth one at a time, savoring them. They might be her last. Actually they wouldn't, but she was only nine years old and that's how kids think.

After 4 chewed nails, half the box of cookies gone, 11 bathroom trips and 21 tissues, Jin arrived in the office. He was Touya's best friend, and Akina's Godfather, and the father of Kyo, one of Akina's friends who was a year older. Not to mention, the guy Akina had a little crush on.

Jin spoke quickly with the principal, but something that the man had said angered the wind shinobi and Akina was sure you could hear him a mile away. "OI! I'm NOT GOING TO SPANK THE LASS! SHE IS NOT MY DAUGHTER, I WILL LEAVE THAT TO HER FATHER, IF HE SEES FIT. ALL I AM HERE FOR IS TO PICK HER UP. A DELIVERY BOY!" and with that, Jin stormed out of the office, picked Akina up in one quick motion and held her and took to the sky.

Once at Touya's house, the waterworks started again. The child was blubbering something about Touya and trouble. She had her hands wrapped around his neck and refused to let go. Jin had once witnessed this when Akina was about two years younger. Only at that point in time it was Touya she had been putting the show on for.

Jin tried to get her to release her hands from around his neck, before she choked him. Jin finally succeeded with his quest and plopped her down on her bed. He left the room and returned a moment later with his flute. The second her reentered though, she jumped on him again. He held her with one arm and with the other he played the musical instrument. She was about an inch away from sleep when she opened her eyes and tried her hardest to stay awake. Jin stopped playing. "Jin…." She whimpered.

"Don't worry, little on. I will speak to your father."

"Thank you" she sobbed, she leaned up and kissed the wind master on the cheek. Jin ocean blue eyes opened wide.

"Golly! Well I have never been kissed by such a lass!" it was as if all the fight just dropped out of her. She fell asleep in Jin's arms and he placed her on the couch. All that was left to do was wait for Touya.

"Where is she?" Touya demanded, barging into the house. Jin quickly moved into the hallway so there would be no way for Touya to get past him and yell, shake, or other wise have contact with his daughter until he was calmer. It wasn't that Jin didn't trust his friend; it was just that he didn't want to upset Akina anymore than she already was. She had already had quite a little breakdown because she was afraid of what her father could and would do. "Move, Jin!" commanded the ice demon.

"Not a chance I hell, my friend." Jin said in his thick, Irish accent. "Not until you calm yourself down, Touya"

Touya gritted his teeth. He paused and held his hands up. He then tried to scoot around the wind master, but Jin moved twice and blocked his path. Jin sucked in a large breath and blew.

Touya got pushed back several yards. He caught himself on the island in the kitchen and glared daggers at the other demon. "Shards of winter!" cried Touya, intending to fake him into moving, but he wouldn't. Touya grumbled at few choice words of profanity under his breath. He calmly sat on a stool. "To what do I owe the pleasure of being held captive in my own home and kept from my only daughter?"

Jin chuckled softly and shook his head. "You gave her a right good scare there, mate. You should have seen her carrying on."

Touya raised an eyebrow, "Put on a show for you, did she? I don't believe it…"

"I…I don't think it was a show, Touya. It was pretty bad, and I don't think a nine year old could be that convincing. Not only that, the lass called for her ma." Interrupted Jin. This caught Touya off guard. Things must be had, she had never cried when her mother was mentioned, but when she was seriously upset and couldn't think straight, she lost control and thought of her childhood. Back when she thought it was okay to cry. And the "momma" card came out.

"D…daddy?" whined the child from the edge of her room.

"Akina…Its, its alright, sweetheart." Touya said quietly, looking at her. Akina walked slowly and cautiously toward Touya. Ti took several long silenced moments to reach the ice apparition. She wasn't sure what was going to happen now, so she just stood at his side not making a sound. Hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. Touya's eyes shifted between Jin and Akina, and back again. His gaze finally lay rest on the small girl at his side. He smiled weakly and lifted her under the armpits and into his lap. "Could we have some time please, Jin?" asked Touya, Jin nodded and showed himself out.

A few minutes past in silence. The little child adjusted herself so that she was sitting sideways on her father's lap. He kissed her cheek. "What to do? What to do?" he muttered.

TBC……….