Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss or Schwarz. I do own the plot, Karen, Tatianya, Jerilyn, Eryn, Casey, and Kent.
A/N: Finally I'm typing this up! I've had the story in a notebook for ages now! Though its not complete yet, I know where this one is going. Sorry for Oocness...I'm trying to cut back on that. Oh as for Eryn carrying a gun into a diner...it only seems natural for her to want to protect herself. Please read and review.
Chapter one
The tires screeched in front of Kitten in the house, a pair of long legs stepped out, causing a few stares.
Yohji Kudou of course stared, long legs and screeching tires meant one person, Tatianya Deaglo. Maybe with her cane that other pair of legs he loved so much, Karen Strauss, but it was unlikely today.
"Tanya," Ken greeted the girl with slight affection in his voice.
The girl turned, her short hair show in the sunlight, her baby blue eyes shown as she tossed the keys up and down.
"Ken." She grinned a bit. "Up for a ride?"
Yohji slide his arm around the girl's shoulders grinning. "I am...Tia."
"Maybe some other time, Yohji-kun." Tatianya stated, still smiling, use to Yohji's flirting and bantering. "Oh Karen said she got your message and she'll be ready at six pm."
Ken was cleaning up, watching Tanya and Yohji out of the corner of his eye. Not that Ken was the jealous type, but he had to admit he didn't like the attention Yohji gave her.
Yohji paused for a moment then..frowning. "I'm afraid I'll have to cancel..."
Both Ken and Tanya looked at him. "Yohji if you are seeing another girl on the side, I will not protect you from Karen's wrath."
Yohji sweated a little, and gulped as well, Karen's accuracy with a glare and the way she teared up was worse then anything he'd experienced.
"Afternoon, Tia." Omi walked in from the back, carrying an arm full of planted pots.
"Hi, Omi-chan." Tia beamed at him. "Mind if I take Ken for a while?"
Omi shook his head. "I don't mind, Yohji?"
Yohji also shook his head. "Just have him back before closing."
"You got it!" She grabbed his hand and ran out with him.
Jerilyn James, J.J. , sighed, she couldn't concentrated on her English Literature assignment. She twirled her light blue hair on her finger, biting the corner of her bottom lip, a nasty habit her sisters had tried to break her from.
"Jeri?" She looked up from her book, "Oh here you are, you alright?"
Eryn, Ery to close friends, was the "Mother" of the group, being the eldest of the five girls. Her oval shaped glasses were slowly sliding down her nose, she used her index finger to push them back up.
"Yes," Jeri replied, "I'm fine," She stated, it was true, for the most part, it was just her homework bugging her.
"Is it about a boy?" Eryn asked sitting on the girl's bed.
Jerilyn blinked, she tried not to giggle. "No, its my English lit homework." She'd never even been close to a guy.
"Lets see what I can do to help you with that." She pulled the homework towards her smiling.
Jeri watched with awed amusement as Eryn told her about the story plot and characters. It helped the Eryn was after all English.
Karen went to the door when the bell ran figuring it was Samantha to pick up Emily. She was very surprised to see Yohji standing there.
"I have a delivery for a Miss Strauss...does she happen to be in?" He asked with a small smile, and a slight twinkling in his eyes.
She laughedt then, inviting him in. "I didn't expect to see you 'til six," She replied, "I just have Emily left."
Yohji smiled and kissed her lightly, watching as her cheeks turned a rosy pink. "About tonight..."
"Don't tell me you have to cancel, Yotan..." She sighed, "Its the third time this month..."
"KareBear..." He ran his fingers through his hair, "Somethings come up you know I don't mean it too."
She sighed, never been able to stand up again her pet name...especially from him. "Alright, but you own me big time..." she smiled then, and he felt a bit more relieved. "Thank you for the flowers, how did you know tiger lilies were my favorite?"
He just grinned then. "Tia told me.."
Karen smiled and put the lilies in a vase, "I will have to thank her, later," She looked over at the sleeping baby a sigh escaped her rose red lips.
"Something wrong?" He wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Its...lately I've noticed bruises on Emily...they are in places they shouldn't be."
"You think she's being abused?" Yohji looked at the sleeping child, she seemed very content. "Did you call social services?"
"Course I did...Yohji I don't want her hurt." She held herself to him.
Yohji brushed her hair back, kissing her cheek. "It'll be alright."
Casey frowned, college was cover, but college sucked. More however the homework, test, and studying part of college sucked.
"I was just thinking the same thing." A voice stated, startling the girl out of her thoughts.
Casey turned then, her dark blood red hair brushed against her shoulder, chocolate brown eyes twinkling. She knew that voice, that voiced belonged to the one person who could 'rescue' her from the dreadful place of study. A smile played on her lips at the thought of him as her white knight, she couldn't help but chuckle slightly.
"Schuldig, what are you doing here?" She asked, getting up from the table and gathering her things.
She watched as the German shrugged, she glared at him slightly, he just grinned.
"Actually I came to pick you up," he stated still grinning. "Eryn asked when I stopped by."
"You stopped by the house?" She asked, it wasn't usual for him too...so she was more then a little suspicious...of what she wasn't sure just yet.
"Only for a bit, see if you were there." he replied taking her hand in his.
Casey smiled. "Well you are planning on taking me home, aren't you?"
Schulidig just grinned. "Of course I am, after a few stops."
Casey looked at him from the corner of her eye. "What kind of stops?"
"Dinner," He replied, then looked at his watch it was a little after five. "Lunch, whatever you want to call it."
She smile "I'd love to have dinner with you." She already had her purse and everything, so the two left the library quietly.
Karen frowned, so far no one had come to get Emily. She couldn't stay forever, she had to make dinner for the girls tonight. Since they traded jobs every week it was her week to cook.
"Well Em, I guess you're coming home with me tonight," She told the baby.
The blue eyed, black haired baby grinned, almost as if to say 'that's wonder'. Karen smiled and picked her up, holding her close to her. She placed her in the baby seat in the back of her deep purple 2007 Dodge Neon. If her family came to get her they could call Karen's cell. She wondered what Eryn was going to say about bringing home a baby,. Especially with a possible job coming up. It wouldn't do any good to be distracted by a baby...especially when your 'other job' is an assassin.
The drive home was quiet, Emily was looking around, grinning like a cat who'd caught a canary. Karen would watch her at stop lights and signs.
She pulled up to the house, noticing Tia's car wasn't in the garage. She was probably out with Ken, or maybe a race. Karen didn't necessarily agree with Tatianya's choice of cover, but to each their own, and she'd only come home with minor bruises and cuts. She got Emily out of the car, carrying in the bundle of joy.
"And who is this?" eryn asked standing in the door way.
"I'm sorry Ery, no one came to pick her up," Karen stated setting the diaper bag down. "So I had to bring her home."
"Yohji is here." Eryn stated, she wasn't upset about Emily. "He's actually in the kitchen now, I have to meet up with a student...kids having problem with the homework I gave today."
Karen nodded she knew that student actually meant their informant, Kent Allens, who they also called Tenk...why his other name was his real name spelled backwards they never asked.
"Tis is out on a date, so is Casey." Eryn grabbed her keys, "That leaves you, Yohji, Jeri, and this little one."
"Emily," Karen gave her name, relieved that Eryn wasn't upset. "Have a good time with your student."
"Oh sure...have fun yourself." Eryn nodded and left.
Yohji came in smiling, "Hey my other plans got canceled so I decided I could come cook for you guys." he noticed the baby in her arms. "No one came to get her?"
Karen shook her head. "And I have this filling that it won't be the first time."
Yohji reached to take Emily, Karen was actually surprised, but allowed him. She watched as he talked to her, and couldn't help imagining him with children of his own someday.
"Yotan..." Karen spoke quietly, "Uh...I think dinner is burning."
Yohji grimaced, handed Emily back to Karen, who just chuckled lightly. It was nice to have someone else cook for a change.
"Is it salvageable?" She came in carrying Emily.
Yohji turned, he smiled, one day Karen would make a wonderful wife and mother, a man would be fortunate to have her. When he thought about it though, with the life he led, he realized it probably wouldn't be him...and yes that upset him. So he tried not to think about it too often.
"Yes," He smiled. "But I'm afraid there's only enough for three."
"But...there is only thr," She chuckled then. "Oh, Em is still on formula, and some baby food."
Emily cooed and spit up just a little, Karen used a napkin to wipe her mouth. The baby giggled more and wiggled a bit, flailing her arms around.
Jeri wakled in, she eyed Emily for a bit, then looked at Yohji. She smiled a bit when she realized food was ready. After dooing her report, she had done some reasearch on the internet, contacted her birth mother. No one knew Jeri had found her, but she'd set up a time to meet her and a place.
"Hi Jerilyn," Yohji smiled at her. "I made dinner."
She just nodded in"Thank you", she got a plate dished herself up some, before getting in the fridge for a glass of sparkling water.
"You won't be joining us?" Karen asked.
Jeri shook her head. "No, I don't want to ruin your date." she smiled. d"And who's this baby girl?"
"This is Emily, she's going to be staying with us tonight." She bounced the baby girl on her hip slightly.
Jeri took her from the older girl's arms, another surprised for Karen, smiling she grabbed the diaper bag, bottle and her food.
"I'll take her with me, " Jeri smiled and left with her, Karen heard her talk to Emily before she had excited the room. "You and I are going to have so much fun, Emily, yes we are." Karen couldn't help but smile then.
Karen blinked then, but Yohji just chuckled a bit, "Well dinner's waiting."
Eryn ordered a soda and took off her shades, putting her regular glasses back on. She was waiting for Kent to show up, she sighed a bit. Waiting for him was sometimes like waiting for the doctor to get to you at an appointment, and if there was one thing that ticked Eryn off it was waiting. Then again he was their informant, he paid them...so she supposed she'd just have to get use to it. Of course there were a couple of times when he'd shown up that he'd smelled like woman's perfume, but who was she to judge, as long as she got the informant, and was still able to pay for the girls to go to school, who cared.
She got up and was about to leave when eh walked in the door, he handed her a file, after shaking her hand.
"Sorry, got caught at the office...teach." he smiled at her watching before he sat down.
"Sure, more like you were caught in someone's arms, Kent." She stated looking at him over her glasses, a teasing glint held in her eyes. "Order something, its my treat."
"On a teacher's salary?" He asked. Something about Eryn Smith always put him on edge...the fact that he knew somewhere she was carrying a gun probably was one of the reasons.
"A college professor." She reminded him.. She turned when she heard a man reprimanding a young boy. She stood then, excusing herself from the table while Kent ordered, and walked over to the table. "Excuse me."
The man looked up at her, pushing his glasses up, they glinted dangerously, but that didn't faze Eryn one bit. "Can I help you?"
"You can stop harassing your son." She stated, her voice holding an edge to it.
Nagi blinked a few times and looked up at her. "Uh...ma'am..."
Eryn shook her head. "He's being rude to you kiddo, what's your name?" She smiled softly then.
"...Nagi..." He couldn't tell if he was more embarrassed for himself or for Crawford...or for that matter both.
"Nice to meet you, Nagi I'm Eryn."
"And he's not my son, Miss Eryn," Crawford stated irritated.
"Then you don't have the right to be rude to him and its Miss Smith..." Eryn told him coldly. "To you."
"Crawford, it seems Miss Smith has you in a tight spot." Came a slight laughing voice, it wasn't often that Crawford was reprimanded...and by a woman at that.
"Schuldig?" Eryn was a little surprised to see the orange haired man.
The German grinned. "Hello Eryn, I took Casey home."
She smiled at him then, "Thank you, I know she likes getting out..." She heard Kent cough, she paused only for a few brief seconds. "It was nice meeting you Nagi..." She threw one last glare at Crawford before going back to Kent.
"I can't believe you know her..."
Schuldig just laughed. "You are just upset that she admonished you...Nagi goes to school with one of the young ladies that lives with her."
"You mean Jerilyn," Nagi stated.
Schuldig looked at him. "And I see our Nagi has a crush on her."
"I do not, we have English class together." He retorted, though even to himself it sounded lame. "Besides...she's quiet, keeps to herself, wouldn't matter."
"Her thoughts are rather focused on one thing in particular, finding her birth parents."
"Eryn doesn't seem old enough to be her mother." Crawford stated, especially if the girl they were talking about was Nagi's age.
"She's not..." Nagi stated. "She lives with Casey."
Schuldig looked at him. "How do you know so much about who lives with who?"
"Five women, all with different jobs...all live together in one house." A voice stated.
It wasn't very often that Farfarello joined them. In fact it was down right rare for the Irish assassin to come with them at all. So far he'd been behaving himself.
"Eryn Smith is a college professor, even though she's only 25." he paused. "Karen Strauss is a day care owner, 22."
Nagi took it from there. "Casey McCarver is a college student and 20."
"Don't forget gorgeous." Schuldig stated.
Nagi just rolled his eyes. "Tatianya Deaglo is a street racer, 18, and Jerilyn James is a high school student and fifteen."
"And Nagi likes her." Schuldig teased, snickering.
"Shut up!" Nagi stated, even though his face was red.
Karen woke up when Emily woke up, she cried a bit, but didn't scream. She picked her up and cradled her before walking out to the kitchen with her.
"You're thinking about adopting her." Casey stated, startling Karen slightly.
"You're learning things from that boyfriend of yours.'" Karen stated grabbing a bottle from the fridge.
Casey shook her head. "Schuldig does not even read my mind, he actually taught me how to block him. You just have that look on your face, you don't have to be a mind reader to know those eyes, and that look."
"Well...you're correct I am." She gently pushed the bottle into Emily's mouth, who started eating eagerly. "Her parents don't want her, obviously...but I do."