Author's Note: Sup ppl? Another short fic, probably only be 2 or 3 chapters max. If you're reading my yuyu hakusho fic, sorry it's been so long since the last update. School has kept me very busy, but with the semester coming to an end I should be able to update a few times in the next few months. Anyway, Elfen Lied is probably my favorite anime. I just felt compelled to write something of it. Hope you enjoy.

Elfen Lied….don't own it…you get the picture.

Sanctuary

Chapter 1

It was yet another pleasant fall afternoon. The sun was shining brilliantly through the trees, gently brushing the land with warmth, and a calming amber coloring. White clouds drifted whimsically by through the infinite blue. Though the sun's rays slightly warmed the body, the cool winds that blew through the trees also refreshed, and at the same time hinted at the icy winter that was not far off. Cherry blossoms, flower petals, and leaves were carried upon gusts of wind, only to be set free mid-flight and fall gently back down to the ground. A serene scene such as this allowed one to quickly forget many things and marvel at its beauty. At the same time, this distraction could also allow one to be lost in thought.

'…..it's been almost two weeks….' Kohta thought to himself in a daze. His eyes locked onto a lone cherry blossom falling from above through the view of the window frame, and followed it to the ground. He then looked up to find yet another lone blossom, and would again follow it to its destination below. He had repeated this so many times he dared not even try to count them. The sounds of Mayu, Yuka, and Nana rushing about the dining room, setting down dishes, bowls, and chopsticks paid him no mind. Not even a high pitched squeak that was undoubtedly Nana almost slipping, or dropping something could stir him from the depths of his mind. Everything was becoming like some dream to him; a dream that he couldn't wake up from. Although he went about his daily schoolwork, studies, and housework, he was always distracted. Occasionally he would find himself in the hall, opening that same music box he had bought over 8 years ago, and listening once again to that sad but beautiful melody. "Lilium" it was called. Never before had he heard such music. When he had heard its mournful tune in the shop that day, it had reminded him of the girl with no name he had grown so fond of. Removed, unwante, sad, even mournful…but through all that he had seen what others could not…beauty. Yes, this song was the perfect representation of her….he knew she'd love it. And so she did.

As he listened, these memories would flood over him, as if watching a movie in his mind. Whenever someone would see him that way, he would put the small wooden box away, and quickly plaster on the most convincing smile he could and change the subject to dinner, or schoolwork, or whatever was most convenient at the time. He especially did this with Yuka. He hated anyone to worry about him, especially as he was the 'father' of Kaida house. He was supposed to be strong for the others, so they wouldn't have to worry about anything….at least that's what he had convinced himself of.

Even though Yuka would always smile back at him, she never was very good at hiding her feelings. The mournful look in her caramel eyes always shone through, despite her reassuring smile. She knew….and he could tell, even without looking, that it was hurting her immensely inside. That realization just seemed to add to his inner qualms. She loved him, with everything that she was. She had turned down her top choice schools just for a chance to be with him. She had practiced cutting out those perforated porcelain figures for years, just to prove to him that she could do it…and when he was forced to keep his promise of doing whatever she told him to…she already knew what she wanted.

She had dreamt of it for years, she would show him the box of dozens of figures, and he'd say "wow, Yuka, guess you proved me wrong huh? Fine, I'll keep my promise, what do you want me to do? Nothing too hard okay?" She would come closer to him, and slide her arm around his neck and say "I want you to hold me." What would transpire from there would happen as it should, she had told herself. She had very high morals, but when it came to Kohta….she felt that her love was enough to condone her lust. She had dreams of being held to him, their bodies entangled, clawing his back in pure ecstasy, and hearing him whisper lovingly in her ear:

"I love you, Yuka…"

….but her dream was shattered on that one day…the day the girl they called "Nyuu" appeared out of nowhere. He had forgotten about the festival, about the promise he had made…about her. Everything she had hoped and dreamed for dissolved in just one day. It had hurt immensely, and she cursed herself for "being so stupid", but she couldn't give up. He had gone through such a tragedy….and at the time, didn't even remember that the way it truly happened. She convinced herself that she would continue to love him, and hope that he would love her in return.

Kohta finally turned his attention from the open window to Yuka, who was placing the last of the dinner wear onto the cherry wood table. Normally he would not make a second glance at this routine, but noticed that she was preparing a fifth setting…

"Um…Yuka? You know you're setting an extra place?"

She looked up brightly from the table and met his eyes with a pleasant smile.

"Well…I thought it'd be nice to have her here….you know…?"

He smiled sadly, a silent and remorseful sort of gratefulness showing in his eyes. He felt less alone, knowing that others were thinking of her as well.

"…yeah…" he finished after a pause.

Sure, she was jealous of Nyuu. Whenever she had unknowingly stumbled upon Kohta embracing Nyuu, she could have sworn she felt her heart shatter. She would run, breaking down into tears that would streak down her cheeks with each stride she took. She would find a secluded place, and weep until she felt her tear ducts dry up, and try to sort out the maelstrom of jealousy, pain, and betrayal swirling inside her. She just didn't understand…she had loved him for so long…and Nyuu gained his affection so easily. It just wasn't fair….but at the same time, she cared for Nyuu as well. If nothing else, she did brighten up Kaida house with her innocent, playful personality and curious investigations. She cared about her as much as Mayu or Nana, who were both very dear to her as well. They were her family.

Somehow, the fact that she couldn't be angry at Nyuu through her jealousy made it that much harder. There was no outlet, no way for her to express her frustration. The only way she'd found so far was to leave a distinctly shaped red handprint on Kohta's face, or on occasion deliver a good punch to the stomach…but she always felt bad afterward. Since Nyuu had disappeared that night, everyone has been down. They all missed her.

That same night Nana had taken it upon herself to explain everything to Kohta and Yuka; the research facility on the island, the Diclonius, Vectors, evolution, the experiments that were done…everything. Yuka had listened in silent horror, while Kohta became enraged at the thought. Visions of men in white coats conducting experiments worse than torture in the name of their beloved science and understanding invaded his mind. He had slammed his hands down onto the table, trying desperately to hold back his rage.

"…..God….damned….bastards…." he had muttered through clenched teeth. Mayu was slightly scared by Kohta's anger, which Yuka had realized and tried to calm him down. Nana had just sat there, expressionless, trying not to remember the things she had been through in that God forsaken place. Thoughts of what Nyuu…or Lucy as Nana had told him was the name given to her…had endured in that hellish place raced through his mind. He didn't even want to imagine. Tears began to well up in his eyes which he refused to let fall. He had shut his eyes, clenching them tight. What surprised everyone was when he suddenly jumped up from his place at the table, rushed to the side and pulled Nana into a tight embrace. Her eyes had widened in surprise, but she was clearly comfortable this way, burying her eyes into his shoulder from where she sat.

"Nana…I had no idea….I..I…" he hesitated for quite a few moments before finishing. "You didn't deserve any of that…I won't let anyone hurt you again, Nana, I promise you. You have a place here….a family that loves you…" He wanted to say more to reassure her, but she herself had broken down, crying heavily in his arms. He truly felt this way, and meant every word…but at the time, he wanted to say those things to Nyuu more than anyone.

'I'll tell her the same when she comes back home…' He had thought to himself.

"Kohta! I'm talking to you!" Yuka practically screamed, finally tearing him from the train of thought he'd fallen into yet again. He shook his head as if to shake the thoughts from his mind, and met a very irritated looking Yuka, hands on her hips in a very 'scolding mother' type of pose.

"Oh…sorry….what?"

"Dinner's ready!" Nana exclaimed with a happy smile from her place behind Yuka. Mayu exchanged glances with Nana and then Kohta, and said with a sheepish smile "…so you better come over here before Nana eats it all…"

"Hey! That's MEAN!" Nana burst out with a pout, turning her face away from her friend and crossing her prosthetic arms in front of her chest. Normally people would worry about this kind of display, but if Nana manipulated her arms with her vectors for show like that, she couldn't be that hurt. Her attempts to act upset never failed to make everyone smile. They all hurried to sit down at the table and gaze upon the delicious meal set before them. Yuka and Mayu always made such good food, even if it was as simple as rice.

"Thanks for the food!" they all shouted in unison, picking up their chopsticks and beginning to devour the meal. All stopped suddenly when the sound of Wanta's barking echoed from the front yard.

"We have visitors?" Yuka asked with a puzzled look on her features. Mayu looked around curiously, and Nana had shrugged and turned her concentration back to her bowl, using her chopsticks to shovel the noodles into her mouth. They still hadn't been able to teach her how to properly use them yet. Putting your hands anywhere near Nana's food was close to suicide, all had thought at one point or another, but never dared say in fear of getting the dreaded pouty/hurt look from Nana. Kohta placed his bowl back onto the table and stood carefully, mindful not to knock the table.

"I dunno…I'll go check."

As he reached the front door, he put on some slippers haphazardly and slid the door open. He could see the dark silhouette of a figure beyond the gate. Wanta was jumping back and forth energetically from his place in front of his small dog house, his short tail wagging quickly like the wings of a hummingbird.

'…could it really be you?' He thought to himself, his insides churning with hope at the mere thought. He hurried towards the door, trying to move as quickly as he could in the awkward slippers. As he reached the midpoint between the house and the gate, a low resonance protruded from the quiet house; the deep gonging noise of a grandfather clock. The very same one Nyuu had tinkered with and disassembled countless times. The same clock that no matter how many times he walked by it, always stopped and looked at the hands to check the time, only to kick himself mentally for forgetting once again that it's broken. He stopped dead in his tracks, and turned towards the house, a confused look across his brow.

"….it's working…." He said in awe, more to convince himself than anything. How was that possible? Nobody had even touched it since Nyuu had last taken out every last screw and put them back randomly…

He shook his head slightly and turned back around, heading for the gate. As he reached the handle, the figure on the other side shifted a bit, but remained where it stood. His hand trembled as he grasped it firmly, the gonging of the clock still resonating in rhythmic intervals. He flung the door open with one forceful, anticipated movement, gazing upon the figure of a young, crimson haired woman, her head bowed down towards the ground. He quickly looked her up and down, recognizing tattered and dirty hand me down clothes from Yuka. She looked up at him slowly, her chin length locks falling in front of one eye. She gave him a weak, mournful smile that seemed to be full of tears more than joy.

Kohta was stunned, motionless. The dream, the semi reality he had come to live in was still hazing his mind. He wondered if this was real…or just a hallucination. Her smile faded, but she did not move from where she stood. She examined his eyes closely, trying to uncover what was running through his mind. Was she wrong in coming here? Maybe he couldn't forgive her after all…did he hate her? She knew it was selfish to come back…she had planned on dying that night after all. But Kohta's embrace, his kiss, his declarations of love…they had made her realize that it was all she'd ever wanted…all she'd ever needed. She couldn't live without him. Her genes be damned. If the survival of the diclonius meant the death of Kohta…then the diclonius would not succeed. The thought of him changing his mind about her…of choosing that girl made her feel as if she was about to break. So fragile was she, despite having killed so many with ease. Her eyes instinctively closed and her head bowed low yet again. She couldn't say anything….

Her eyes snapped back open as she felt Kohta's arms wrap around her, pulling her close to him. One hand moved to her lower back, holding her firmly against him while the other traveled up her back, and to the back of her head, his fingers sliding into her hair. She relaxed, and found herself sliding her arms around his chest and waist. She buried her eyes into his shoulder and sighed, relieved. She felt slightly grimy, and smelled of salt water, making Kohta wonder what she's been doing all this time, but questions could wait. He searched his mind for something to say, anything that would ease her mind. He knew what she was thinking. She had expressed her fears to him on that night.

'Oh Kohta…I don't deserve to be with you'

'..I've fought armies just to have this chance to talk with you…and now that it's here…there isn't anything I can say that would be good enough…Kohta I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…'

There were so many things that he could say, so many things that he wanted to say…but right now, more than his feelings, he knew she needed to hear something else. Something not just from him. Something that would reassure her that she had a place in the cruel world that had shunned and hated her since childhood…

"Nyuu….We've missed you…welcome home…" he whispered softly into her ear. She tightened her grip on him, shaking silently. He stroked her hair gently, reassuring her without a word. He used his other hand to pull the gate shut and lock it, and returned it to her back. She removed her hands from around him, and placed them on his shoulders, pulling back slightly. He moved his hands to her waist, happy to see that her blood red eyes no longer held the uncertainty they did moments before, but showed a relieved glint.

"Kohta…I..."

"Don't worry Nyuu…we'll talk later." He interrupted. "Dinner's ready….and Yuka has a place set out for you."

The feeling of acceptance and belonging was never something she had experienced in full. She had felt it, or hints of it when she had been with Kohta all those years ago…but hearing Kohta reassure her, and to be told that she had a place at a table, she had a place at a home…her home… even though she had been gone for almost half a month, gave her a feeling of happiness she had never thought possible.

"You mean…she…you…" she stammered incoherently, trying to find the words that refused to come from her lips. Kohta merely smiled at her warmly, taking her wrists in his hands, and removing them from his shoulders. He let one hand go, and held her left hand firmly in his right. He turned and led her back to the house, kicking off his slippers as he reached the threshold. She stumbled to follow suit and remove her shoes as he led her quickly down the wooden halls of Kaida house, past the old grandfather clock, its pendulum swaying back and forth rhythmically, moving forward in time ever so steadily. A heavenly smell of warm beef, peppers and soy sauce entered through Nyuu's nose, causing her mouth to water, and reminding her just how unbelievably hungry she was. He made a quick turn, entering the doorway of the dining room with her in tow.

"Oh, Kohta, who was at the…." Mayu started but was immediately cut off by Yuka, who had a better vantage point compared to her.

"Nyuu!" she exclaimed, reaching up to wipe some stray rice from her chin. Nana looked up from what was now her second bowl of stir fry, her cheeks bulging from the mouthful of food. She managed to choke it down, making eye contact with the fellow diclonius, and gave her a warm, genuine smile.

"Hi Lucy, welcome back…..I'm glad to see you're ok." She said quietly. Things had certainly changed between them. Not too long ago they were trying to tear each other apart, limb from limb…in fact that had been the case for poor Nana. That seemed to have been forgotten, however. There was no need for them to fight, and they had both realized that. Nana was still defensive around her, but when she had been told to go back to Kaida house, and live peacefully with Kohta and the others, she finally understood. She wanted Nana to be happy.

"Um…welcome back, Nyuu." Mayu echoed, giving her a small smile as well. She looked over everyone's smiles with an awkward smile of her own, not knowing quite what to do. Internally, she was ecstatic. She felt…accepted. She truly belonged here; she was truly accepted, loved. This was her family…

Yuka's eye caught Nyuu's hand grasped in Kohta's, and found herself frozen, unable to move or speak. In the time she was gone, Yuka hadn't even been able to make Kohta notice her, let alone touch her in any way. Nyuu had been back all of 5 minutes, and he was already….She turned herself back to her food and began to eat with frustrated ferocity. Mayu looked at her with a confused hint of concern, while Nana saw this and decided that nobody would beat her at eating, and began to attack her bowl in the same manner. Kohta scratched the back of his head in confusion and looked over to Nyuu, who raised a curious eyebrow to acknowledge his confused look. He let go of her hand and made his way back to his seat, Nyuu following him and taking her place at the table on Yuka's left. She carefully picked up her bowl and reached to the center of the table and filled it with the mixture of beef and fried peppers. She donned her chopsticks and began eating almost as quickly as Nana and Yuka. Nana glanced across the table, and became even more frustrated, sensing another rival in this great battle of consumption and began eating even more quickly. Kohta eyed her nervously, growing more and more paranoid by the instant.

"Uh…Nana…you shouldn't eat so fast or you're goi-"

The young diclonius suddenly burst into a loud fit of coughing, launching food both onto the table and back into her bowl. She held her chest as she continued to cough and reached frantically for her cup of tea and downed the entire contents in a panic. All had stopped eating and given her a worried glance, and when she placed her empty cup of tea back down onto the table with a thud and a loud relieved sigh, resumed to eat once more.

Kohta let out a loud, exasperated sigh at her display.

"…going to choke." He finished. Nana laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head, looking down onto the mess of food she had projected onto the table.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll clean it up right away!" She said frantically, jumping to her feet. Mayu grasped her arm and tried to settle her down.

"Don't worry about it, Nana, we'll get it later, just finish your dinner."

"But I…eh…" she wanted to protest more, but the delicious food before her seemed to be calling her more than her feelings of obligation. Without another word she plopped back down in her seat and found her bowl again, this time eating carefully and slowly…well slowly for Nana anyway.

Yuka shook her head and let out a small chuckle, silently scolding herself for perhaps causing that scene, and also slightly relieved that it wasn't her who had choked. After all she had been eating just as fast. She gave a side glance to Kohta, quietly working on his bowl, occasionally taking a gulp of tea to wash down the food. She realized after a while she had been staring, and was grateful he was too involved in eating to notice, but at the same time, slightly annoyed that he didn't notice her, yet again; thus adding to her already growing frustration.

"…you jerk…" she muttered almost inaudibly, setting her now empty bowl down onto the table, and taking her cup of tea in hand.

Mayu had finished eating as well, and found herself staring worriedly at Nyuu.

'So…um…Nyuu?" She started sheepishly. Nyuu looked up from her food, giving Mayu her attention, but not halting her intake.

"….where have you been? I mean…I-…We were so worried about you…and…are you alright? It looks like your horns are gone…" She said with a weak determination. Mayu had become more and more outspoken since coming to live at Kaida house, but she was still in the process. She still had trouble expressing herself, but considering her past, she had grown by leaps and bounds. Even if she stayed shy and somewhat introverted, to see a genuine smile on her face everyday was more than enough. The smile had returned to her face because of Kohta after all, so she felt a sense of entitlement to make things easier on him whenever she could. If that meant prying answers out of Nyuu, she was prepared for that as well.

Nyuu settled her bowl down into her lap, and looked down into the last few bites that remained, feeling strangely put on the spot. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell them…she had wanted to tell them in fact, especially Kohta. But Mayu was still a young girl of 14. How do you tell her stories of killing, of blood and murder? She felt extremely guilty, and found that she could not look the young girl in the eyes. Mayu's brown inquisitive orbs seem to be beating down on her like the mid-day sun.

"Hey, Mayu, just let it go for now." Kohta declared softly.

All eyes fell upon him with a surprised confusion. Of all people, you would think Kohta would be the one most concerned about Nyuu's disappearance. He was always worried about others, and felt the need to help them, no matter what. His concern for them had changed the lives of Mayu and Nana so drastically, and so wonderfully. Even Nana was surprised he himself wasn't bombarding her with questions.

"…Nyuu just got back. She's probably starving, and exhausted. She'll tell us everything when she's ready. No need to force it, right?" he finished; his sea colored eyes met Nyuu's, which held a sort of relieved gratefulness about them, wordlessly thanking him for excusing her from the topic. He had assumed that whatever happened while she was gone involved heavy fighting, since her other horn had been broken off as well, although covered by her hair. That was hardly a story for someone as young as Mayu. He decided it would be best to find out what happened later on, and then find some way to explain it to Mayu in a less distressing way.

Several minutes and helpings of stir fry later, everyone had finally finished eating. Miraculously, there had been so much food there was even some left in the large pot in the center of the table. Yuka and Mayu felt relieved they had accidentally made so much. Nana had left her seat and was sprawled out on her back, saying how good everything was and how full she was. Mayu was giggling to herself watching her friend, while Yuka tried to start a conversation with Kohta about biology class.

"Kohta?" Nyuu said in a low tone, interrupting Yuka's rant about retroviruses and reverse transcriptase that had gone on entirely too long. They both glanced at her quizzically, receiving a cryptic blank look upon her features.

"..what is it?" Yuka asked in place of him after a moment, as no explanation was being volunteered.

"…I want….to tell you…." Her words trailed off there. She clutched her hands together on her thighs, attempting to force herself to utter the words she couldn't seem to say. She may have been back home where she belonged, but she still had a very hard time expressing what she felt. Kohta nodded, and Yuka quickly asked Mayu and Nana to go start on the dishes, who were too preoccupied with themselves to have noticed their conversation. They quickly scooped up everyone's bowls and dinner wear, and cleaned up Nana's scattered remains of food on the table before heading off to the kitchen all the while talking emphatically about ice cream, which Nana had just experienced for the first time the other day.

Nyuu relaxed a bit, seeing Mayu close the door behind her nonchalantly. She eyed Yuka suspiciously, secretly wanting her to leave as well. The brown haired college student returned her glance with nothing but concern however, making her feel slightly guilty for the thought. She was jealous of Yuka. In fact she had even hated her, ever since she saw her with Kohta at the festival that night. Sure she felt betrayed by Kohta, who had lied to her about the gender of his cousin, but it was her that the brunt of her malice was bared to. Then there was that day at the shrine she had seen her with Kohta after the rainstorm, grasping his hand like some type of newlywed, that triumphant grin plastered upon her face. It had enraged her so much she had thrown Yuka down a flight of stairs with her vectors, slamming her into the railing of the shrine steps. If Kohta hadn't been there, she'd have just severed her at the waist and been done with the foolish girl. She still didn't quite know how to feel about Yuka. The girl was obviously concerned about her, but…

Nyuu sat there silently, suddenly feeling a mix of shame, jealousy, awkwardness, and some other feelings she hadn't even felt before. Yuka looked to Kohta with a helpless confusion that suggested she didn't know what to say. Kohta thought for a moment, looking back to Nyuu who stared down into her lap, frozen. He wondered why she hesitated for a moment, and then kicked himself for not seeing it sooner.

"Hey Yuka, why don't you go help Mayu and Nana? I bet they could use it." Yuka gave him an aggravated look of protest, but his pleading gaze made her close her eyes and sigh heavily. She stood slowly and made her way out of the room, sliding the door closed with a loud thud nearly breaking the wooden frame. The chatter that could be heard coming from Nana and Mayu suddenly halted for a moment, startled by the loud noise of the door, but resumed after a slight pause.

Kohta looked away from Yuka's display and back to Nyuu, who had not changed positions in the least. They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, he, studying her carefully, but quietly. He didn't want to force her to do anything she didn't want to. He figured that if she couldn't tell him yet, then he would wait. Just when he had decided to express that to her in words, he noticed her shoulders began to shiver, and she grasped her hands tightly in her lap. Seeing this, he stood quickly and took afew steps, coming to her side and kneeling down, placing reassuring hands onto her thin shoulders. Her head still bowed, he moved one hand to cup her chin and bring her eyes to meet his. She belied a heavy sadness in her expression, making him worry even more.

"Nyuu…"

She thrust herself forward, burying her face into his chest.

"Kohta….this whole time…I've been…wandering…" she began to speak finally. Perhaps it was easier for her this way, to talk to him without meeting his eyes, but at the same time being held reassuringly.

"…wandering?...Nyuu…I don't-"

"The last night you saw me…I went to face those soldiers."

He placed his hands on her back to both support her and to prod her to continue. She hesitated for a moment, collecting herself before resuming the story.

"…there were…a lot of them. I killed them all….but my other horn was taken off." She explained, her words slightly muffled into his chest.

"Mmm…well at least those horns won't be giving you anymore trouble." He said with a chuckle. The nostalgic reference made her smile despite her uncertainty at the moment. She pulled back from him and sat upright, turning her eyes to the corner of the room, away from him. He hadn't even mentioned the fact that she'd killed again…it had to bother him, so why…he had even said himself he wanted to do all he could to stop the bloodshed. She didn't want to think about that right now though…she just wanted to tell him…

"…they think I'm dead. At least…the higher ups do. I heard one of them report that when they injured me…"

"…I guess that makes sense. But Nyuu…where have you been since then? You said…wandering…"

That was it…she realized. He didn't care about them right now. He cared about her. He was worried. How could she not see that?

"Kohta…I …I didn't know if I should come back or not." Her reply made him frantic. She still didn't understand!

He shook her lightly, trying to emphasize his words. "…I told you before. I know you killed them…my sister…my father.." he shook his head violently to push himself to keep talking despite the horrible memory of seeing both his sister and father dismembered before his eyes.

"…but I want to be with you no matter what! I told you, that little girl I played with all those years ago, and the girl I met that day on the beach, I love them both! I can't explain it…I just…I know that I don't want you to leave again, Nyuu…"

She forced herself to meet his eyes. He had meant what he said that night, even though part of her couldn't believe it.

"…Lucy…" she muttered in a low tone.

"What?"

"…my real name is…Lucy."

"….you mean…those guys from the research lab gave you that name?"

She nodded sadly in response. He just smiled and shook his head, squeezing her arms lightly.

"…People like that…people who saw you as just some monster….they don't have the right to name you."

Her eyes widened in shock at his words.

"…You'll always be Nyuu to me. Besides…I think it suits you a whole lot better, don't you think?" he finished with a light smile.

She lowered her head once again, making him believe that maybe he had said something wrong for a moment. He was proved wrong however when she leaned closer to him, eyes still gently closed, and met his lips with hers for a moment before removing them and embracing him hard. He was slightly surprised by her assertiveness, but complied anyway and held her closer. He could feel the slow, rhythmic breaths of warm air on his neck.

"..You seem tired…why don't you take a bath and get some sleep?" He said in a low tone, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke, sending shivers up her spine. She had to admit…it sounded nothing short of divine.

"…a..alright." she stammered.

He stood from where he knelt, holding onto her tightly, bringing her up with him. He relaxed his hold on her having reached his feet, and gave her a quick smile before breaking the embrace and walking her to the sliding door.

"Go on ahead; I think the bath should be ready by now. I'll ask Yuka to see if she has any clean clothes for you too." With that, he stepped out into the hall and began towards the kitchen. Nyuu stood there motionless, holding both arms firmly across her chest. She truly felt at home, making her feel incredibly foolish for having avoided Kaida house for so long, for walking past it so many times, not having the will power to walk to the gate and knock. She reached up and lightly touched her fingertips to her lips, as if to feel a lingering sense of his lips on them.

Her pleasant recall of the previous scene was cut short as a speeding Nana had run into her from behind, sending her taking several steps forward to keep her balance, while Nana had fallen back onto her rear much less gracefully.

"Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow!" she exclaimed holding her lower back. Nyuu turned to the younger diclonius with an annoyed look. Nana donned a look of guilt and stood up rather smoothly considering her prosthetic limbs.

"Sorry about that!" she said passively. "…but anyway Lucy, Kohta wanted me to tell you that the bath is ready, you can go first so-"

"Nyuu." She cut off her younger compatriot.

"Huh?" Nana said with a look that for most people would be confused, but for Nana, one would say 'confuzzled'.

"…my name is Nyuu." She finished with a small grin. "…I'll head for a bath now."

With that, she made her way down the hall, and turned her room, leaving Nana watching her with interest.

'I guess you really have changed...huh…"Nyuu"?