The routine is same as always. Hit the snooze, think About Natsume, get up, wonder where he is, make coffee, try not to cry, drink coffee, pray he's not dead, take shower, hope he still loves her, get dressed, wipe the tears, do make up and dream that he'll be back before the repeat of the dreary routine.

Mikan lies alone in the overwhelming king sized bed. The alarm blaring for her to wake up and start another day. Her daughters' tiny voices ring in her head with the questions from several years ago

"Mommy?"

"Yes sweet?"

"Why don't we have a Daddy like all my friends do?" the innocent three year old asked

"Because, Kaiya and Kaori's daddy is special" Mikan forced a gentle smile as she looked at the twins. Kaiya was, as called by Ruka and other friends, the "Mini Mikan" with auburn hair and golden crimson eyes, always an upbringing spirit and always smiling. Kaori was little "NJ" short for Natsume juinor with her raven hair and crimson eyes. A quiet deep thinker, seemingly rude but always putting others first. Although unlike her twin who thought their daddy was a super hero. Kaori thought Natsume was a spy. An evil one too. Also unlike her sister, she had a few memories of Natsume, none to pleasent though.

"How special?" Asked Kaiya eagerly

"He's on a secret mission to save the world. Every night he looks up at the stars and says 'One day I will be back home with my Kaiya-Chan and my Kaori-Chan' and he'll go to sleep dreaming of going home to his family. In the morning he'll get up and save the world and then once again looks foward to meeting his little girls. He almost came back once. ut the evil villain stopped him so Daddy Natsume has to continue to fight to protect his little one's" Mikan would tell the story.

Every night since then a different story was told about the adventures of Natsume as he tried to get home. Every night Mikan would try her best to believe the stories too. Every night Kaiya would pray that her daddy would make it back in the next story. Every night Kaori shook her head turned towards the wall to sleep with nightmares of fire and a man in a mask.

About three years after the Natsume stories were born, Kaiya disappeared. They searched for days and days and the six year old girl was never found. Friends stopped by every now and then to comfort the distrought mother and wife. "Mikan she can't be dead they'll find her!" Misaki and Tsubasa would assure her.

"I bet that Natsume has her for just a little while and they'll both be back soon enough!" Ruka comforted her

"She'll be fine, Mikan, she's like you." Hotaru whispered

Months passed no sign of the girl. . . . No sign of Natsume. "Kidnapping" is what her friends called it "Murder" said others.

So Mikan and Kaori were left alone, but a month later Kaori developed her alice. Or I should say Alices. She showed signs of both the SEC and Fire alice. The academy wanted her of course. Mikan convinced the girl to tell no one of the powers and to never use them.

Five years later, Kaori was now twelve and on her way to becoming a depressed but beautiful teenaged girl. She was definately her father's daughter.

Mikan went through the same routine waking up everymorning. The alarm clock went off and she hit the snooze and the flashback ran through her mind. She streached and got up, where is Natsume was the first thought in her mind. Where is my husband?The same answer came to her mind each time. I don't know. She hit the button on her coffee maker and leaned on the counter waitting for it to perk. She bit her lip and shut her eyes bidding the tears not to fall in front of Kaori. DING! The alarm on the coffee went off. She made herself a cup and sat at the dinning room table.

She bent her head and claped her hands. Her lips forming word but no sound coming out.

"Dear lord, please bring my wanderers back home to me safely. Bring me back my Natsume from his mission. And help my daughter Kaiya to be safe. Bring them home please lord andwatch over Kaori who reminds me far to much of Natsume. . . .Amen"

She finished her coffee and took a shower letting the warm water soothe her muscles. She wrapped herself in a towle and climbed out. Does he still love me? Is that why he hasn't returned? She hoped with all of her body, soul and mind that he still shared their love. She dressed for work slowly, deep in thought. The tears came finally, while in the privacy of her bedroom she silently whipped them away. After the flow of water from her eyes stopped she applied her make up.

Maybe, he'll be back tomorrow, before she has to go through this routine again. Maybe, he'll have Kaiya.

The next day after her morning flash back Mikan made the coffee. Tried not to cry succsessfully. Drank th coffee. Said her prayer, took a shower, cried a little dried the tears, did her make up and dreamed of his return. Although today, today there was something different.

Mikan walked into the kitchen and remembered that Kaori had spent the night with Ruka and Hotaru's daughter, Sylvia, named after Ruka's french mother.

She made herself some toast and took a bite out of it. All of a sudden flames appeared before her eyes. They were suspended in mid-air and formed letters.

"Polka dots." Soon this message disapeared.

Then another written in fire appeared again. "Help us."

Mikan dropped the jellied toast on the groun breaking the plate into peices "What kind of sick joke is this?" she murmured her eyes wide. Was this a joke?

Then another message appared, hurriedly scrawled in ice. Hahaoya. This translated to english means Mother.

The ice fell on the floor and shattered to peices.

"Oh shit!" She ran down the street "HOTARU, RUKA!!!!!!"