Disclaimer- I do not own Hell Girl. If I did, there would already be an English Dub out for the second and third season.

A Day at the Beach

Sometimes, in the rare periods of quiet time they had, they went out in the world. They didn't go far and most of the time they were by themselves. But sometimes...somehow they would all end up in the same place.

-

The beach was cold and hardly any people were on it. A few brave souls were risking the water in wet suits but for the most part the only people on the beach were wrapped up in blankets or out for a brisk walk. All that is, except for a small girl shaping a tower out of sand and a group of adults off to the side that, if you looked at closely, seemed to be watching over the girl rather protectively.

"Where'd Kikuri run off to?" Ren asked as the three of them gazed down the beach.

"I believe she went to look for some shells for the miss's castle." Wanyūdō replied, looking over at the girl in the sand.

"It doesn't look like much of a castle yet." Ren remarked, watching yet another part of the girl's tower fall over. "The young Miss doesn't seem quite skilled at making things out of sand. Maybe she needs some help." He chuckled, ignoring the look Hone shot him.

"Don't you think you should leave her alone? She is supposed to be having a break."

"Relax Hone." Ren smirked holding up his hands. "I was just going to ask if she needed any help."

"You're just going to pester her."

He ignored her glare as he deftly leapt over the wooden railing he'd been leaning on and walked over to the girl sitting in the sand.

Hone sighed in exasperation. "He's just....insufferable!" Wanyūdō covered his mouth as he chuckled but Hone still turned her glare towards him. His attempt to look innocent didn't succeed well either.

-

"Having trouble Miss?" Ren asked with a smile as he reached the small girl in the sand. Ai gazed up at him but didn't say anything. Ren seemed to view this as a good enough invitation and squatted down next to her. "You know, it might help if you used some wetter sand."

Ai stared down at the small lopsided tower in front of her. For a moment it seemed as though she wasn't convinced and he was just about to speak again when she nodded. Pleased with himself Ren couldn't help but continue on. "Mind if I help?"

Ai's hand froze off to the side as she'd picked up a handful of sand.

This time the silence was longer, much longer, then before. Ren watched his little mistress staring at the sand in front of her, wondering if he should be taking her silence as an answer. However, before he could make up his mind as to what sort of answer it should be taken as, Ai spoke quietly.

"No"

Ren blinked, even though he had been trying to get an answer he didn't think the Miss would actually reply. Even if it was negative, he grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well then I'll just go and-"

"I don't mind." Ai finished in her calm voice.

This time Ren did stare at her, after a moment though he grinned and sat himself down on the sand next to her.

Behind them, Wanyūdō was smiling and Hone just looked a little surprised.

"Quite impressive Miss." Wanyūdō and Hone had walked over a while later and were looking at the finished castle.

Ai just nodded at the praise but Ren was smiling enough for both of them. Hone rolled her eyes at this but had to smile a bit as well.

"Ai, Ai!" A small voice interrupted the groups silence as it ran over. It belonged to a small girl, who, if not for Wanyūdō grabbing her as she came running, would have ran right through the sand castle.

"Careful there." He smiled, placing Kikuri down next to them. The small girl just stuck her tongue out at him before turning towards Ai.

"I found something!" She handed the older girl a small sand dollar and Ai took it silently. A moment later she placed it on the top of the sandcastle.

"Can I squish it?" Kikuri asked, looking at the castle raising a foot as though she were going to stomp down.

"Don't do that." Hone retorted grabbing the girls arm and pulling her away.

"Let go of me old lady!"

"I am not an old lady!"

Kikuri managed to break out of Hone's grasp and stuck out her tongue at her. "Old lady!"

Ren and Wanyūdō laughed while Ai just watched as Kikuri ran down the beach still repeating the phrase in a sing song voice as she ran.

Hone gritted her teeth in annoyance but eventually turned back to find Ren holding a handful of sand out to her.

"Help us build another one?" He asked before she could get anything out of her now incredulous expression.

She looked down to see that Wanyūdō was already sitting on the sand next to Ai, helping the girl pile up sand.

It took another moment but then she shook her head and smiled. "Why not." And so she sat down, legs folded under her and began to help the others.