Title: Hakkai's Surprise 2 – Forbidden

Rating: T

Summary: After the journey west, Hakkai has been home for a year. Life seems nearly perfect, but when the storks find out the truth about the relationship between Hakkai and the late Kanan, they come to take his daughter from him. Hakkai isn't going to give his daughter up without a fight, but between otherworldly visitations, unexpected surprises, and a sick little dragon, will he be able to keep his daughter safe from the storks?

Prologue: Paradise Found

Cho Hakkai was playing with his daughter, Cho Kanan. Kanan, who had been two when Hakkai had left on the journey west, had recently turned five. Currently, father and daughter were splashing around in a river close to home. Gojyo had opted out, saying that it was a bit too close to home.

- Flashback -

"But don't you want to be home?" Kanan asked innocently. Gojyo fished for an answer, but Hakkai came to his rescue first.

"We'd best get going, if we want to stay at the river for more than an hour." Hakkai said, ushering Kanan out the door. "We'll be back after sundown, Gojyo." All the way to the river, Kanan was quiet, a contemplative look on her young face.

"A penny for your thoughts, Kanan-chan?" Hakkai asked. Though she didn't know what the phrase meant, she took it as a prompt to share what was on her mind.

"Tou-chan, why did Gojyo-jisan not want to be home?" Kanan's hazel gaze was concerned. Hakkai smiled at his daughter.

"It's more complex than that, Kanan-chan. I'm sure he'll tell you someday when you're older."

"But why won't he come swimming with us?" Kanan asked. "Is he scared?"

"He just doesn't like the water, is all." Hakkai explained.

"But why?"

"You'll find out when you're older, I promise."

"I wanna be older now, Tou-chan." Kanan whined. Hakkai laughed.

"Enjoy being young while you can, Kanan-chan."

"You're still young, Tou-chan," Kanan said. The 25-year-old smiled.

"Not as young as you, Kanan-chan." Hakkai said. "I'm two decades older than you. Do you know how much a decade is?" Kanan seemed to ponder this for a minute, before holding out both hands, her fingers spread wide.

"Ten!" She beamed.

"That's right, good job!" Hakkai cheered. His daughter was endearingly precocious.

- end flashback –

Hakkai, in watching Kanan splash around in the shallows, was only vaguely aware of a spot of crimson disappearing into the water a ways down the river. When he looked toward it, it was gone. A ripple marked the spot where it had gone under the water, but that too faded. He puzzled over it for a minute, until Kanan shrieked. Frightened, startled, and prepared to fight, Hakkai whipped his head back to where his daughter had been playing. Only ripples were there.

"Kanan-chan?" He called, green eyes wide with fear. He could hardly hear through the blood pounding in his ears. Suddenly, in a splashing eruption of laughter, Kanan was launched out of the water and caught by the strong hands of a certain red-haired water sprite.

"For gods' sake, Gojyo! You scared the living daylights out of me!" Hakkai scolded, his hand on his chest as his breathing steadied. Gojyo grinned, his red hair plastered to his face and Kanan sitting on his shoulder. The five-year-old giggled.

"That was fun! Let's do that again!" Kanan squealed.

"Please, some warning next time?" Hakkai asked. Gojyo's grin turned mischievous.

"Like this?" He asked, grabbing Hakkai's ankle with one hand and pulling the youkai into the water in one swoop. He held out his hand in front of Kanan, and she smacked it with her own. After a few minutes, though, Hakkai still hadn't surfaced.

"Tou-chan's gonna get you back, Gojyo-jisan." Kanan said with a laugh, thinking that Hakkai was waiting for the perfect moment to get his revenge. Gojyo, worried about Hakkai, set Kanan up on the bank.

"Stay right here, I'll be right back." He dove under, looking around for Hakkai. He saw the brunette in a colony of seaweed. Swimming down, he grabbed his friend's arm. The adrenaline rushing through his system caused him to overlook the fact that Hakkai's cheeks were slightly puffed out with held breath and a restrained grin. The youkai let Gojyo drag him to the surface, immediately opening his eyes and treading water once they broke. He didn't want to worry his daughter, after all. Gojyo looked about ready to throttle him.

"Hakkai, you-!"

"Watch your language, Gojyo." Hakkai said with a laugh, hauling himself out of the water to sit beside Kanan. He shook his head rapidly, splashing Kanan and causing her to giggle. She tried to copy him, but her hair was too long.

"You scared the crap out of me!" Gojyo yelled.

"That serves you right for scaring me." Hakkai countered, holding Kanan close. The little girl had no idea what was going on, her hazel eyes traveling from her father to her uncle in confusion.

"Lighten up, Hakkai," Gojyo said.

"Um, pardon me? I do believe that my revenge was rather light-hearted. I still haven't paid you back for your lie five years ago." Hakkai said. Now Kanan was really confused.

"You're still sore about that? Let it go, 'Kai. It's not doing anyone any good to be all uptight about it." Gojyo didn't need to tread water to stay afloat, due to his heritage.

"Of course I'm still sore about that. Come on, Kanan, it's time to go home."

"But Tou-chan!" Kanan whined. "Why can't we stay?"

"It's getting dark. The wild things come out at night." Hakkai said with a smile.

"Like big, scary dragons?" Kanan asked, her eyes wide with fright.

"Just like big, scary dragons. They come out at night looking for pretty little girls, and then they...eat them up!" Hakkai said, grabbing Kanan around the middle and tickling her. She squealed, giggling madly. Gojyo let himself float a ways down the river, hoisting himself out smoothly and walking over.

"Gojyo-jisan, you'll help protect me from the big, scary dragons, right?" Kanan asked, as the three walked back toward home. The hanyou pulled his crimson hair to one side, wringing the water out.

"Of course, Kanan-chan. Between me and your tou-chan, nothing will ever happen to you." Gojyo smiled at the little girl. Kanan felt safe, walking between the two greatest men in her life. They were heroes in her eyes, her knights in shining armor, and she knew that nothing indeed would ever happen to her as long as they were here to protect her.

The little family made its way home, Hakkai carrying the drowsy Kanan. She had started to yawn about halfway home, and had by now all but fallen asleep on Hakkai's shoulder.

"Oyasumi, Hakkai. 'Night, Kanan-chan." Gojyo said.

"Oyasumi, Gojyo." Hakkai whispered with a smile, going to put Kanan down for the night.

Language notes: oyasumi - good night

Story notes: This follows the timeline set by its predecessor, Hakkai's Surprise. And loosely, the canon timeline as well. In case you couldn't tell, it's post-journey; much like the original was pre-journey. And though it's more than a page, the prologue's still pretty short.

Dragon notes: When Kanan says 'big, scary dragons', she's talking about the kind in fairy tales who hold the princesses captive, not little dragons like Hakuryu and her plushie, Haku-chan (who is very real to her, thank you very much).

Next chapter: It's a dream scene, but it's an unskippable dream scene. Deal, or don't read the story. While there is a bit of...well, that, it's more poetically written than descriptively. More of a grapefruit really.