Sometimes we make choices we know we'll regret. It's part of the cruel thing called "life".

A/N: This takes place very soon after Natsuhi marries into the family.

"Absolutely not." Krauss deadpanned. He couldn't believe that he, Rudolph, would even consider asking what he just had.

"Aw, come on, Aniki. Natsuhi-neesan could use some time off this island, considering her recent circumstances, and you're too busy helping Father out with his business fiascos. Besides, don't you think she needs to get to know her in laws a bit better, too?" He added a wink with that comment.

"Absolutely not." Krauss repeated, "You really expect me to believe that's your reason for wanting to take my wife out?"

"Heh, well excuse me for wanting to take such a pretty lady out and show her a good time."

Krauss immediately glared at his younger brother, ready to put him in his place, but another voice rang from the couch. He knew it wasn't Rosa, due to obvious reasons, but also because she was sound asleep. Which left only one candidate.

"Calm down, Nii-san. I'll go with them. That's a good compromise, isn't it?" Eva smirked. Krauss saw her expression as one that seemed to say, 'look at how calm and collected I remained while also bringing forth a solution. Qualities that are quite fitting for the future head, right?'

The whole scenario just irked him more, "That's hardly a compromise at all. For all I know, you'll just make her cry and then she'll have even more negative feelings towards this family. Not to mention Rudolph will try and get her into bed."

"Aww, Aniki," Rudolph chuckled, "I wouldn't go so low as to try and sleep with my newly wedded brother's wife."

"Ah, but you'd still try to do everything before, wouldn't you?" Eva laughed, closing the book on martial arts she'd been reading. Rudolph looked at her with a face that said 'not helping' to which she just grinned even more.

Krauss refused again. Did they really think he'd just agree to the two of them taking her out to do who knows what? It was evident that Natsuhi was already uncomfortable with this family, and for understandable reasons. He didn't need Rudolf and Eva making the situation any worse. Yet, he should've known they wouldn't just give up and take 'no' for an answer, because Eva spoke again,

"Come on. Where's the harm in us taking her out? As you said, given the circumstances, she's not exactly comfortable with any of us, so this will be a good opportunity to change that. Also, staying cooped up on this island is probably one of the worst things you could do to her right now."

Krauss looked baffled as he processed what she had said, "...And just what do you mean by that?" Instead of getting a response from his sister, their brother stepped in again,

"Think about it, Aniki. We ourselves aren't exactly fond of being on this island for too long. But we tend to be able to go out whenever we want. Natsuhi-neesan probably feels like she shouldn't go anywhere without you." Like a tag team, Eva picked up where he left off,

"Wouldn't you say she feels trapped here? And given the whole reason for the marriage in the first place, she probably really feels like a bird in a cage right now."

The eldest sibling was taken aback. He hadn't thought of that possibility. He had been trying to treat her with care and kindness since she first arrived, even though he had the feeling that she wasn't very accepting of it. Perhaps being on an island with no one to talk to except basically strangers was part of the reason.

Despite all their reasoning though, he didn't like the idea of his younger sister and brother pointing that out to him. It made him feel inferior to say the least. So rather than just surrendering like that, he decided to try and keep some of his pride. He brought his hand up to his head as if he had a headache and spoke, quietly at first as if talking to himself, but still loud enough for both of them to hear,

"Perhaps I should take her somewhere sometime...Traveling would be good for her." 'Yes' he thought, 'That sounds good.' Satisfied with his words, he brought his hand back down and spoke more loudly, looking at both of them, "Nevertheless, I am busy helping Father with business, and I can't take her anywhere anytime soon. However, it would be good for her to get off of Rokkenjima and into the city at least for a night."

Eva scoffed at him. She hated when he got that tone in his voice. It was that tone he got when he was trying to sound smart, like he was fit to be the future head. He was speaking as if he was the one who had suggested the plan. But she chose to keep any biting remarks to herself, knowing arguing would take them all back to square one. She glanced at Rudolf, sure they had convinced their brother to let them do it. However, the younger brother asked for confirmation,

"So...? Can we take her out?"

It was a simple question. But Krauss remained silent at first, as if still thinking about it before straightening his posture and speaking clearly,

"...Yes. But I want to know where you all are and when. I want to know what hotel you're staying at so I can call and check up."

The two younger siblings glanced at each other in silence with puzzled expressions. Rudolf just shrugged, grinning a bit as if he knew this would happen, while Eva voiced her thoughts,

"What are you, her mom?"

The question was meant to knock him down, but he just replied, unfazed by her sneering voice,

"No. I'm her husband, and of course I'm going to want to know what's going on while she's with my brother who gets around and my sister who enjoys making others feel beneath her."

Rudolf just laughed, saying something along the lines of "I only get around where I can" while Eva appeared offended by her brother's accusation. He was right though. She took pride in the fact but she would never admit to it, because that would let him know he was right. And she can't have that, oh no. Krauss will crumble before her one day, and to make sure that day arrives, she must do everything she can to make him always think he's wrong. He'll-

"Alright, well. How long can we keep her for?" Rudolf spoke again. Krauss glared at his brother's choice of words before answering,

"One night."

"One night?" Rudolf and Eva both repeated, exasperated. Did he really expect one night to be enough? No. They knew he thought it was too much.

"Come on, Aniki," Rudolf decided to try and smooth talk him in his Rudolf way. It never worked though. "Don't you trust us?"

"...No. Honestly, I feel one full night is pushing it. But I'll allow you two to take her out."

"Ohh, you'll 'allow' us to..." Eva mumbled under her breath, annoyed. Krauss looked towards her, but chose to be the 'better' person and ignored her comment. Rudolf's voice rang out again,

"One night is too much? Come on, Aniki. What could we possibly do in one night?"

"What couldn't you do is more the question."

Rudolf shrugged and chuckled, "Fair enough."

"One night. No more. And this decision still isn't final. I have to make sure Natsuhi herself is comfortable with it. I presume you wanted it to be a night soon? That's quite short notice. I'll go ask her about it right now."

As the eldest Ushiromiya left the parlor, Eva complained,

"I can't believe the nerve of him. We offer to take his wife out, and he only gives us one night? And even that's too much? Who does he think he is?"

"Well," the younger brother snickered, knowing this would earn him a death glare, but proceeded nonetheless, "the future head?" And, exactly as he had anticipated, he received two daggers staring his way. He held up his hands in resignation and quickly changed the subject,

"Anyway, we should just be glad he agreed to it at all. One night is better than no night, I guess."

"...Tch. I suppose. It just ticks me off when Nii-san acts like he gets to have the final say in everything. He'll probably try and talk Natsuhi-neesan out of it before she even has a chance to consider it."

"Well, if he does, we can just find her and ask her ourselves. If she only hears the offer from Aniki, no doubt she'll be suspicious, right?"

"You idiot. She'll be suspicious no matter who she hears it from."

With all the talking that had been taking place, the youngest sibling had been shuffling in her sleep, though not enough to draw any attention to her. But she was starting to fully wake up into the world of the living and had overheard her older siblings discussing taking their new family member out. She sat up and asked, still in a sleepy state, rubbing her eyes,

"Are you two taking Natsuhi-neesan out? Can I go too?"

Eva and Rudolf stopped their bickering and looked at their younger sister, whom they had forgotten had been sleeping on the couch the whole time. Eva just gave a displeased sound. Rosa looked like such a child right then. So unfitting for a member of the Ushiromiya family. How old was she now? She held back any biting remarks though, seeing as the girl has just woken up.

Rudolf also seemed a bit agitated, the tension from previous conversations not helping. However, he pulled a smile and answered her question with a question of his own,

"...Hey, Rosa. Finally awake, huh? Well, it is like three. So...why do you wanna go with us?"

Having woken up a bit more, Rosa could tell neither of them were very pleased with her request. She also didn't let the subtle belittling from her brother go unnoticed. However, she figured she may as well continue,

"Well, I think I heard all of you talking about taking her out so everyone can get to know each other better, and well...I'd like to get to know her more too..."

Rudolf and Eva listened to the timid words of their little sister, feeling a bit guilty to how they reacted. It was such an innocent request. However, they didn't want to have to supervise her when they were already going to have to take care of Natsuhi so as to not have Krauss get upset. Though they both knew he'd find fault in whatever they did. Rudolf walked over and roughly patted her head,

"Aww, Rosa. The thing is: the way you want to get to know her is a little different from the way we- well, I want to get to know her." He quickly ducked out of the way of an incoming projectile. He looked at what had been used as the bullet and saw a martial arts book on the ground. He looked back at Eva who still had her hand out from the throwing gesture,

"This is why when we stay at a hotel, she and I will be sharing a room while you can sleep out in the hallway for all I care."

"How cold." Rudolf laughed, standing up again, "And what if she doesn't want to share a room with either of us?"

"First of all, it's obvious as to why she wouldn't want to share one with you, even if we were to get a room all three of us could share. Second of all, if we were to get separate rooms for all of us, that would be a waste of money." She turned to her sister to give her a better reason as to why she couldn't go,

"Basically, Rosa. There won't be room for you. We're going to be getting two rooms for two people each. Natushi-neesan would room with me, and you wouldn't want to room with Rudolf, as I'm sure he'll end up picking up some girl from somewhere for the night."

Rosa, while visibly disappointed, seemed to accept that answer. She knew trying to push it would get her nowhere, and just replied with a meek, "okay."

"Ah, so I won't have to sleep in the hallway?" Rudolf grinned, not at all even trying to deny his sister's accusation nor show any sorrow for his other one.

"Only because I don't want management waking us up because there was a moron loitering in the hall."

Rudolf shrugged, picking up the book that had almost knocked him out moments before. He handed it to Eva, "Y'know, this book on martial arts seemed to fail quite a bit in what it's trying to teach."

The older Ushiromiya snatched it from him and just spat, "Next time, it'll be my foot. And trust me, I won't miss."

—

She had just wanted to stare out the window, unbothered. Watch the clouds move, the seagulls fly... She hadn't prepared herself for conversation with anyone, let alone her newly wed husband. She was never prepared to converse with him. It always turned out to just be one sided most of the time anyway. Him just offering cheap words of kindness and her responding with automatic and generic words of gratitude. That was why she was so taken aback by what he had just mentioned.

"...I'm sorry. What did you say?"

Her husband sighed, appearing annoyed by the fact that he had to repeat his words, but his voice also had a hint of understanding. He had been puzzled by the suggestion in the beginning himself after all,

"Rudolf and Eva have offered to take you off the island for a night. They said it would be nice for you to get to know each other more." He waited for her response, expecting one right away. After all, it was a 'yes' or 'no' question. But he knew it wasn't that simple. He had been against it at first and knew she was probably having similar thoughts. Maybe more.

She kept silent, not making any eye contact. She appeared to be deep in thought, which she was. Why would they want to take her out? So suddenly too? She figured Rudolf's motives, to which she didn't like the idea of at all. But why would Eva agree to it? No matter her reasons, she knew it couldn't end well.

She hadn't known the Ushiromiyas for very long, but from the interactions she had had with them, she didn't care for any of them. Krauss tried to be kind to her, but for some reason, she found it unpleasant. Eva was always dropping snide remarks, and Rudolf wasn't subtle at all with his flirting. The only one who didn't make her feel incredibly uncomfortable was Rosa, and even then they hadn't spoken much.

"...What about Rosa-san?"

Krauss' eyes widened a bit in surprise, "...I don't think she'd go. They didn't say anything about her."

"...And what about you?"

"I'm busy helping Father with business. It's my job as the next head."

If Natsuhi was having second thoughts before, she was having third ones now. If she agreed to the offer, she'd not only be alone with two members of the family she was most uncomfortable with, but also with no one who would either defend her or make her feel at least a little more at ease.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized there was just no questioning what her answer should be. As she was about to decline the offer, Krauss spoke again,

"I understand this is very sudden, and that it's, well...Rudolf and Eva. But I told them only one night, and that I want to know the hotel so I can call and know what's going on." Silence fell between them before he continued, "...The final decision is up to you, and I won't ridicule you for either choice. It's just that I know you must feel kind of... trapped here, what with recent events and whatnot..." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and averted his eyes from her, "And I'll be too busy to take you anywhere myself anytime soon. I think it would be good for you to get off the island for at least a night."

Natsuhi was speechless, not that she had much to say before. She didn't think her husband would be able to figure out she felt quite like that. And even if he did, she didn't think he'd ever acknowledge it. She'd usually dismiss his words as forced and fake, but his body language made it evident that his worry for her well being was at least genuine.

That warmed her heart a bit and she smiled for the first time in what felt like months. Albeit, it was a very faint smile. She, herself, wasn't aware of it. Still. Rudolf and Eva? Though all her other doubts had withered down, the main one was still there.

"...I would like to go somewhere in the city for a night. But...with Eva-san and Rudolf-san?"

Krauss nodded his head, aware that she was still unsure simply because of who she'd be with, "I understand how you must feel. But they...Well, they're very...How to say...?" He took a breath, pondering what to say. When he couldn't think of anything great, he just settled on the cliche line of, "They're not that bad once you get to know them."

Natsuhi would've found the scene comical if she weren't the one in the situation. However, since she was in it, she found it difficult to laugh. Krauss added another set of words to the conversation,

"Also, as I said: I'll be sure to call every now and then to check up. And if they do anything to upset you, you can always call here. If you end up having a horrible time, I'll go get you and bring you back."

"...What about helping Father?"

"If you're truly not enjoying yourself, I think Father can manage on his own long enough for me to go get you."

Natsuhi was silent. Those words made her feel as if he were actually her husband. More than just on paper. He was being very considerate of her, and for once, she didn't find it unpleasant. In fact, it felt somewhat nice.

She went back to stare out the window. Watching the clouds move and the seagulls fly. This was scenery she'd seen every day since she'd arrived. It would be the same scenery she would see for days to come. Who knew when she'd get another chance to get off the island? And she'd already been told she could come back if things didn't go well. Continuing to look out the window, she didn't take her eyes off the seagulls flying free, away from the island,

"...Alright. I'll go."

—

"Thanks, Genji-san." Eva told the servant as he finished loading their suitcases onto the boat. He silently bowed before standing up straight again,

"Is there anything else I might assist you with?"

"Nah, I think we're all good now." Rudolf stood from where he had been sitting on the dock. He stretched his arms high above his head, Thanks, Genji-san."

Genji simply bowed again and started heading back towards the mansion. While Eva and Rudolf seemed ready to go, Natsuhi was, naturally, having second thoughts (or would it be fourth?). She kept brushing her hair behind her ear as she looked anyway but the other people there.

Krauss was originally going to come and see them off, but just as they were about to leave the mansion, Kinzo had demanded Krauss to come help him with something. He quickly apologized and said his goodbye there before hurrying to where he needed to be.

Disregarding Genji, Natsuhi hadn't mentally prepared herself to be alone with the two of them that soon. As a result, she was silent for the whole walk to the boat minus a whispered 'thank you' to Genji a couple of times.

'Am I sure about this? I mean, I'm not, but I can't just tell them 'never mind', can I? That would be inconsiderate to them and Genji would have to do more work, and then they'd get mad at me, telling me how much time I wasted for everyone and-'

"Oi, Natsuhi-neesan?" Rudolf waved his hand in front of her face, pulling her out of her thoughts. Surprised by the sudden voice, Natsuhi took a quick step back before responding,

"Eh...ah...yes?"

"You seemed to zone out there. Are you ready to go?" Rudolf laughed, holding out his hand. Natsuhi glanced at his outstretched hand then at the boat. Eva was already boarding the vehicle. She looked back to his hand. Never mind being able to walk to and on the boat herself. This was Rudolf. She knew what he was like from first hand experiences, as well as stories told at lunches and dinners.

He tries to woo women first by being kind and relaxed. Krauss had told her to be careful around Rudolf and to not give in to any of his tricks. He also said that if Rudolf tried to make any inappropriate moves, Eva would put him in his place.

But Eva was already on the boat not even sparing a glance in their direction. Natsuhi sighed. Was she already doomed? Though she supposed just offering her a hand wasn't anything to worry about. It was just a very gentlemen thing to do and she'd be rude not to accept it.

Coming to that conclusion, she reached out and took his hand. He smiled and turned around, leading her to the boat. She stiffened as she felt his thumb gently run up and down her hand. She grimaced. Not even off the island, and Rudolf was already doing what she'd hoped he wouldn't.

Rudolf helped her onto the boat and she was relieved to have her hand back. She quickly headed to the inside of the boat to where Eva was. She wasn't exactly fond of the idea of being alone with her, but it beat being alone with Rudolf right then. She knew he'd be there within a few minutes too, but she was thankful he stopped to chat with the boat driver.

As she entered, she saw Eva sitting by a window seat, reading a book. She looked around and decided to sit by another window a few seats away. Truthfully, she wanted to sit even further away, but she didn't want to make it obvious how uncomfortable she was. It would be rude to them and it would probably give Eva some sick pleasure, knowing how superior she was. Before she could even try to get comfortable, Eva spoke, not even bothering to look up from her book,

"Come on, Natsuhi-neesan. Is that really smart?"

"...What?"

"No matter how far away you try to sit, Rudolf will sit next to you if there's an empty seat. Now, if you don't want that to happen, you may as well sit next to me. You'll have to come here though. I'm not moving."

Natsuhi was stuck between feeling embarrassed and angry. Nevertheless, those emotions quickly dissipated when she heard Rudolf's voice approaching closer. She stood up and hurried to Eva's seat, and she could've sworn she saw a smirk on her face. Though slightly annoyed with the woman next to her, Natushi was relieved when she saw Rudolf walk in and knew she wouldn't be sitting next to him. ...Or at least not directly next to him, as he made his way to sit in the pair of seats next to theirs. She internally groaned. Natsuhi almost wondered if the two had planned this all out beforehand, because there she was, stuck between both of them, with the obligation to not move.

"Hello, ladies. Aneki." Rudolf started, receiving a glare from his sister, "I told the driver we're ready, and he said the boat should be moving momentarily."

'So this is it, isn't it?' Natsuhi thought, feeling her nerves rise again, 'It's not too late, is it? I could still run off the boat and say 'sorry, never mind' right?' Just as she was really considering doing just that, the motor started, kicking the boat into motion. 'Well, there goes that chance...' Natsuhi sighed. There was no going back now. Now all she could do was hope the trip wasn't too horrible. That hope quickly led to disappointment, however, when she tried to be the first to strike up a conversation for once,

"...So, what are we going to do first?" She saw Rudolf move as if he were about to answer, when Eva's voice rang out, with an annoyed tone,

"What do you think? We have to check into the hotel, don't we?" she flipped a page of her book. Natsuhi felt herself tense even more than she already was, if that was even possible. Why was she being treated like this when they were the ones who invited her out in the first place?

"Gee, way to be civil, Aneki." Rudolf laughed, waving his hand in the air, shaking his head. Eva ignored him and went on reading the words on the pages before her. Natsuhi wondered if Eva was just in a bad mood because she was trying to read her book, and couldn't concentrate with people talking. Suddenly, she felt her heart sink as realization set in. Eva was smart to bring a book. It gave her something to do. She was sure Rudolf had probably brought cigarettes and would spend a good amount of his time smoking. What about her? She brought nothing for the trip on the boat. And it seemed quite evident that small talk was going to be next to impossible for her to do. And it wasn't exactly a short ride either.

Catching on that Eva didn't want anyone talking at the moment, Rudolf lit a cigarette and started to smoke. It was then that Eva snapped her book closed and looked to her brother, death gleaming in her eyes,

"What the hell, Rudolf?! You know I can't stand those things! If you're going to smoke, do it outside!"

Rudolf calmly puffed another ring of smoke, "And what are you going to do if I don't? Throw your book at me again?"

Eva's voice dropped to a dangerous tone, "Don't forget what I said last time. You want to see what I learned from that book?"

"Hopefully how to actually hit your target when it's only a couple feet away?" Rudolf taunted before running to the outside of the boat.

'It really is going to be a long ride...'

I personally really wanna know more about how all the adults acted around each other when they were younger. Though it was probably a lot of yelling and tears, honestly. But that's part of what makes Umineko great :D