A/N: I recently looked over this story again and decided that it needed a bit of a make-over, nothing drastic but a few details were missing and such, so I've corrected it. This is the new chapter.

Take care,

~ SugarLandBabyGirl

Chapter One:

Monday Morning Surprise

Six o'clock sharp, on a clear sunlit and incredibly peaceful Monday morning. In a small community, the homely picturesque Shibutani household was already teeming with life. The large nine-member family was beginning their habitual morning ritual of getting ready for work and school. Hectic yet controlled chaos was a mild description of every morning in the white and pastel blue painted two-story house. The sound of children's high-pitched laughter, a few happy squeals and the thundering of heavy feet running up and down the stairs was a common morning melody that the Shibutani family's neighbors had long since become used to; whether they wanted to or not.

With two teenagers, the eldest being seventeen and the younger fourteen, a ten year-old, a nine year-old, two four year-olds and a twenty-one year-old, plus their parents living in one house, things were bound to get a little rowdy, especially in the mornings. There were three bathrooms total in the house and amazingly enough it was just enough for everyone to share. However, two of the siblings tended to clash horribly in the mornings, with their different tastes in music, causing them to wage a music war of sorts. If one put on a CD, so would the other, only the volume of the radios constantly rose, so as to drown out the other until it couldn't go any further.

"See ya later!" An attractive young woman in her early twenties yelled with a smile as she ran down the stairs. She had her long, mid-back length dark brunette hair pulled up into a high, neat ponytail that bounced behind her as she moved. Her shimmering hazel-green eyes were rimmed elegantly with thick smoky black eyeliner along her upper eyelashes with a thinner line on her lower eyelashes. She had applied light eye shadow on her eyelids, with brown eye shadow on her eyebrows and three layers of dense mascara on her long, full eyelashes. Her clothing was a grey and pink pinstripe ladies business suit with a pink blouse and a knee length skirt.

A course of 'good byes' followed after her, as she pulled on her black high heels at the door. After quickly pulling on her shoes and grabbing her shoulder purse, the brunette haired woman ran out to one of the three vehicles that sat in the crowded driveway. Pulling a set of keys out of her purse she unlocked the door to the sleek dark red metallic Shelby Mustang GT 500, it was a 2008 model and her newest test subject for work. Throwing the car in reverse the pretty young woman sped out of the driveway, carefully avoiding her father's vehicle.

"Teijo, Nikko, Yeika, you three have fourteen minutes left to finish getting ready!" A middle aged woman of only forty, with short dark brunette hair and dark azure eyes yelled up the stairs trying to motivate her three middle children. She received a quick course of 'okay mom' in return for her efforts and shook her head good naturedly before she turned to re-enter the kitchen.

She stopped momentarily in order to peer into the living room to check up on her husband, who was peacefully sitting on the beige chaise lounge with a steaming cup of warm tea in his left hand and watching the morning news with interest. Silently she gazed lovingly at her high school sweetheart and husband of twenty-three wonderful years. He had shaggy blonde hair that touched the line of his jaw and smiling light, bottle green eyes which were covered by dark-rimmed oval shaped glasses. He wore a dark gunmetal grey business suit with a white undershirt and a black and dark blue tie. Amazingly enough Kin still looked and sometimes acted the part of a cheeky good-humored teenager, yet Kita could honestly say that she wouldn't want him any other way.

Passing the living room and entering the kitchen, Kita saw her second eldest daughter sitting on one of the stools at the long bar with the infant twins, Kouta and Aina to her right. The two platinum blondes' sat on separate stools side-by-side, copying their elder sister, who was going over last night's homework for a third time that morning. Himitsu always made good decent grades in everything but Mathematics and she had a habit of stressing out far too easily when it came to the homework and tests on that subject. Her lack of proficiency in mathematics was something she had inherited from her father; he had never been one for math either.

"Hey sweethearts," Kita greeted her more punctual children with a loving motherly smile. The twins turned around to face their mother, icy green eyes bright as they greeted her with wide smiles. Remembering their unfinished breakfast the two quickly turned back to the momentarily forgotten food and began finishing off their plates. "How's the Algebra homework going, Himitsu?" Kita asked as she stepped up to her daughters left side, to look at what her dark blonde haired daughter was currently stressing over. The seventeen year-old tilted her head to the side, muttering something incoherent to herself, before lifting her head to look at her mother. Clear blue irises framed by square black rimmed glasses met Kita's dark azure gaze. Himitsu's forehead was lightly wrinkled and her nose was crinkled, alerting Kita that her daughter was already stressed out.

"It's… going," The seventeen year-old sighed wearily, her gaze back on the papers. Unconsciously she began tapping the head of her pencil against the counter top, in an agitated and nervous manner. She had a test today and things were not looking to be falling in her favor. She had finished and re-done her homework at least four times since she had gotten it last Friday. Kita moved to stand behind her stressed daughter and began to pull Himitsu's pin-straight rib-length hair into a singular, relaxed braid. Himitsu was quite tender headed and very few people could even reach for her hair and she not bolt. But, Kita was the same so she knew exactly how to handle the silken strands in her hands. Slowly, Himitsu calmed with the help of her mother's careful handling of her hair. It was strange, but Himitsu calmed down quicker when someone was playing with her hair, but few were able to touch it. When Kita finished the braid she pulled the black rubber band from her wrist and finished the braid.

"Here momma, we finished." The twins coursed with wide smiles, holding up their mostly finished off plates so their mother could see. "That's good sweethearts, thank you." Kita smiled proudly, taking the messy plates from her children. When the twins were no longer holding the plates they ran out of the kitchen and into the living room, where they could be heard talking adamantly to their father.

With a smile Kita took the dirty dishes to the sink and began washing them. Just as she finished drying the plates and putting them in the cabinet, the sound of multiple feet could be heard running down the stairs, moments before three more children piled into the kitchen. In the lead was a tall spiky dark blonde haired fourteen year-old boy with hazel-blue eyes. The second to enter the kitchen was a ten year-old boy with clear blue eyes and shaggy light brown hair with natural blond highlights. The third and final to enter the kitchen was a young nine-year-old girl with blue-green eyes and waist length light molten chocolate colored hair. The three were panting like they had run a marathon, but the large grins that graced their features was a clear sign that they didn't mind being out of breath.

"You three make such a ruckus. I'm surprised that the house hasn't collapsed on top of us, yet. You're about as subtle as an angry elephant in a tea house!" Their mother chastised with her hands on her hips and a stern frown on her sweet face. Her three middle children really were a hassle at times. They were always excessively hyper and loved to run and chase and pick on one another constantly. "Sorry mom, but Teijo bet us money that Yeika and I couldn't beat him into the kitchen." The blue-eyed boy apologized, with his confession of why they were running through the house like pack of unruly wolves. "I see then, Nikko." Was their mother's only reply, giving them a small knowing smile. Seeing their mother's smile made the three rowdy children grin back and laugh at their game and themselves for getting scolded.

"Okay, Himitsu, Teijo, Nikko and Yeika you'd better be ready for school. Your father is ready to leave for work and if none of you want to walk to school then you had better go get into the Hummer." With that said the four immediately bolted for the door, quiet Himitsu joining in as well, her stress over the math test almost completely forgotten. The four stopped momentarily at the front door to pick up their shoes before they threw open the door and ran to the black Hummer, not even taking the time to actually put their shoes on or close the door behind them. "And remember, the eldest gets the front seat!" Kita yelled after her rambunctious children, with a weary sigh. Knowing full well that they had raced to see who won and got to sit in the front, despite what she'd told them. "Bye hon, see you later." Kin said with a smile kissing his wife on the cheek and the twins, before handing over the twins, who were trying to follow after their elder siblings.

"Okay, honey," Kita pecked him on the lips with a smile and took the struggling toddlers from her husband's arms, so he could leave and take the rest of their children to their respective schools. Looking out the kitchen window, Kita saw that Himitsu had won the race. She was sitting in the font seat pulling on her shoes. Teijo was leaning on the middle armrest asking his elder sister something, while Nikko and Yeika were play-fighting throwing paper balls at each other and their elder brother and sister. All of them were smiling and or laughing, as their father climbed into the Hummer with a playful smile of his own. Just by looking at all of her children, it was clear to see that all of them had inherited his smile and mischievousness nature.

It was hard to imagine now, but just a few years ago it was Mika in Himitsu's place and Himitsu and Teijo were playing in the back seat, like Nikko and Yeika. Looking down at the two blonds in her arms, Kita knew that one day she'd see them in Nikko and Yeika's place. It was sad, knowing that her babies were growing up and would soon leave. Mika was twenty-one and still at home, but she had a stable job and was planning on moving out soon and Himitsu was seventeen, but Kita knew that Himitsu and Teijo would leave home earlier than their elder sister. Kita saw it in their eyes, they had the same want to be free and on their own that Kin and she once had as teenagers.

Kita shook her head to rid herself of such sad thoughts. She still had at least two years before Himitsu left and at least four or five for Teijo. There was nothing to cry over yet. They were still her babies and they would remain so even after they were grown and had families of their own. No matter what, they would always be her precious little ones.

Around fifteen minutes later, after Kin pulled out of his driveway his new chrome and black Hummer pulled up to an Elementary school. Nikko was the first to jump out of the vehicle, while Yeika hugged and kissed her father on the cheek. Nikko caught his sister round the waist when she all but bailed out of the back seat, giggling like she was on a sugar high. The blue-eyed boy gave his little sister a stern scowl for her childishness, before grabbing her hand and taking off in a run to the front entrance of their school.

Four right turns and seven minutes later, the Hummer pulled up to a middle school. Teijo lightly nudged his elder sister on the shoulder before saying a quick 'see you later' to the two left in the vehicle. Himitsu and Kin watched as the fourteen year-old boy ran up to the school and towards an attractive round-faced young girl with dark, shoulder length maraschino cherry colored hair. Himitsu smiled and giggled openly when she saw her younger brother's cheeks flush a bright pink when the cherry haired girl ran up to him and pecked him chastely on his glowing cheek. Teijo, still blushing furiously smiled sweetly and tenderly wrapped his arm around her slender waist. Kin and Himitsu shared a secretive smile before the green-eyed man drove away.

Teijo hadn't ever mentioned having a girlfriend, even though the subtle signs were there all along. This was probably Teijo's first real girlfriend and not the old babysitters he commonly called by that title. Kin and Himitsu were happy for him and the girl. They looked genuinely happy together and both Kin and Himitsu wondered when they would be properly introduced. Kin spared a quick sideways glanced at his blonde haired seventeen year-old daughter. She was leaning against the car window; her head was supported by the palm of her hand. Her long, dark blonde braid was tossed idly over her left shoulder and her schoolbag was draped sideways across her lap as she stared vacantly at the passing scenery as if in a daze.

"Hey puddin'," Kin started using the endearing nickname he had given her as a toddler. He could hardly believe that his little surprise was already seventeen and going to high school when he could clearly remember the warm morning that a smiling nurse handed her to him. She had been wrapped in a fuzzy yellow blanket, her tiny head topped with soft platinum blonde tuft. She had been so small at birth, barely five pounds and only twelve and a half inches in length.

Himitsu blinked slowly and tuned her head to look at her father. Her voice was soft, but inquisitive, "Yes, daddy?" Her free hand was unconsciously twirling a loose string on her schoolbag. Kin gave a cheeky grin, flipped the blinker for a right turn and asked, "You don't happen to have a secret boyfriend, do you, because, I'd like to meet him if you do. And I promise to behave and act like an adult this time when you bring him over."

Himitsu could hear the withheld laughter in her father's voice, as her eyes grew wide and round at his question. "Of course not daddy! I haven't had a boyfriend since last summer break, you know that." Kin laughed, a picture of his daughter's first boyfriend coming to mind. "Oh, right that Hokari boy; the one that wore makeup, purple nail polish and had bits of metal stuck in his face."

"His name was Hokori Ryuu dad and he only had twopiercings." Himitsu corrected with a sigh. She was a bit embarrassed that her father had suddenly brought up that subject. Of course her dad would get her ex's name wrong. They had only met briefly a couple of times, before Himitsu and he had broken up a month and a half after getting together. They didn't have a nice breakup either, although she had never told anyone but her three friends, Mika, Teijo and her mother the exact details of their breakup. It had been one of those horribly cliché romances between the 'good girl' and the 'bad boy' that never, ever works out in real life.

"Hokori, right, that's what I said. But even if he only had two piercings, how do you explain the makeup? I mean the last time I checked cosmetics were made for girls. If he had a few issues with his masculinity, I would have gladly helped him out, you know." Her father nagged further, a teasing grin on his lips. He liked to tease his daughter about that boy's appearance. It was all in good fun though. His reaction to the Hokori boy's piercings, eyeliner and painted nails was nothing compared to the four youngest, especially Yeika. His youngest brunette haired daughter had unquestionably embarrassed both her elder sister and the boy, with her loud comment of how Himitsu was caught kissing a so-called 'girly-boy'.

"Daddy, he didn't have masculinity issues. It's a style." Himitsu sighed, pulling her schoolbag onto her shoulder as her father pulled to a stop in front of Bando Senior High School. "See you later, daddy. Have a good day at work." She said with a smile, leaning over and pecking her father lightly on the cheek, before sliding off the dark grey leather seat. "Love you, be good puddin'." Her father called, as she ran to meet her friends who were waiting for her at the school entrance. She stopped to wave back at him, before he rolled the passenger window up and drove away.