Sniffing to herself as she peaked into the hospital room where Ryouga was staying, young Rio Kamishiro tipped her head up to meet her mother's soft gaze,

"Go ahead and go inside, dear. He's awake and everything." Leaning down to kiss her daughter's forehead in a reassuring fashion, Mrs. Kamishiro blinked in confusion as there was nothing to be kissed.

Rio had already charged into the room, jumping with all the force her tiny legs could give her, to tackle Ryouga who was playing an old handheld video game.

"Rio! Cut it out! I have to beat this dumb witch lady or—"

"Ryouga!" She was tearing over, hurtling herself onto her brother to grip him around the neck in full force,

"Mom! Rio's trying to kill me!" Ryouga began crying out, shoulder aching from where he had sustained five painfully deep stiches.

"Am, not!" Rio glubbed, squishing their faces together as she attempted not to bawl, "You nearly killed yourself!"

"Just because you're a puny little girl, doesn't mean I am!" Ryouga show boated, plopping his little sister on his lap awkwardly. She was nearly as big as him, but she was still the baby of the family.

"Yes it does!" Rio headbutted him in protest, crawling out of his lap to kiss his shoulder better.

Whenever she scraped her elbows playing football with her daddy, he would always scoop her up and kiss her until she was giggling better.

She could do the same for him too!

"Eww, girl kisses!" Ryouga complained, trying to shove her off. Man, Rio was still such a little kid…though…well, he guessed he was too distracted by how gross she was to really feel it hurt too badly.

"Ooohhh, so you like boy kisses, then, eh Ryouga!" She began giggling, "Mama! Mama, Ryouga wants to kiss boys!" Rio began cackling, hopping over to where their mother was giggling by the bedside.

"No way, Rio wants to kiss boys!"

"What's this about my daughter kissing boys?" Mr. Kamishiro's voice broke through, picking up his bouncing daughter to tickle her ribs.

"Yeah! Your oldest daughter, Ryouga!"

Ryouga was about to retort about not being a 'smelly girl' when his mother sat down to craddle him in her lap.

Mom's were okay girls. Rio was just a dumb one though

Sticking her tongue out at her brother as she wiggled out of her father's grasp to steal their mother from Ryouga, Rio cuddled into her mother's neck and kissed her.

"Now, now, children," Mr. Kamishiro tried to sooth them as Ryouga began trying to shove Rio off their mother.

He was hugging her!

"But dad!" Ryouga pouted as his father nuzzled him away from the two girls,

"Now, now, tell me who this boy Rio is kissing." Unable to take away a hint of concern in his voice, Mr. Kamishiro began grinning sheepishly as Ryouga burst out laughing.

"She's too little to kiss boys yet, dad!"

"True enough, but be sure to keep an eye out for your sister," Pouting slightly as his wife joined in his children's laughter, Mrs. Kamishiro gave him a small wink as she nuzzled her face into her little Rio's hair.

"Don't worry, daddy! I can beat up any dumb boys! Even the jerkwad in the suit of armor who attacked Ryouga!"

"That wasn't a real person, dumby!"

"Then it had to be a ghost!" Rio declared, standing up,

"Mom, make her stop…ghosts aren't even real…" trying to keep a hint of fear out of his voice, Ryouga stuck out his lower lip like his dad did when he pouted as he crossed his arms,

"Don't worry! I can beat up ghosts too, right daddy?"

"Of course, angel," Grinning in encouragement, Mr. Kamishiro scooted himself and Ryouga closer towards the girls so he could peck his daughter's nose with approval.

Now within proper distance of Rio, Ryouga began trying to push her off their mother again.

"It's my turn to sit with her," He complained, earning a slight pout from his father,

"Now why don't any of my cute children want to sit with me? Is it because your mother is prettier than me?"

"No, way daddy! You're way prettier than mama!" Rio was quick to defend, shoving past Ryouga to jump into her father's lap.

"Oh my, how ever will I compete."

"It's okay dear, I still love you," He winked over at her goofily, smiling warmly as Ryouga burried his face into his mother's neck.

Hopefully the thing about ghosts hadn't scared him too bad…but it was nice to sit around like a family after that kind of scare.

Being together with his loving family gave him a kind of satisfaction he never thought he would achieve in his life.

It was all okay now.