Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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"I can't handle her anymore."

Keiko switched the phone to her other ear. "Can't you say 'hello'?" she inquired.

"She's a little wild beast. I can't control her anymore," Kino continued.

"I suppose you're talking about Anna," Keiko said. She opened the takeout menu and studied the chicken column. "Well, you've been controlling her with an iron rod for the past seven years. I'd go a little nuts too."

"We're coming to Izumo."

Keiko dropped the menu and grabbed the phone. "What? Mom, you're not serious!" she exclaimed.

"Of course I'm serious," Kino said. "Anna is a little wildcat. She needs a change of pace, a change of scene."

"You mean you want me to babysit her."

"We'll be there by tomorrow night. Don't order takeout; I can't stand that stuff," Kino said.

"No- wait- Mom!"

"We'll see you tomorrow." The phone clicked.

Keiko held the portable over her head and shook it mightily. "Mothers-in-law!" she shouted.

Yoh popped his head in the kitchen. "Talking to Grammy?" he asked.

"I swear, they should outlaw mothers-in-law," Keiko said. "Hey, you want pepper chicken tonight, or Szechwan?"

"Pepper," Yoh answered. "You're not telling me something. Your eyebrow's twitching."

Keiko sighed heavily. "Grammy's coming to visit, hon," she confessed.

Yoh winced. "Should I hide the Boblove CDs?"

"Not in the second best guest room. She's bringing Anna along," Keiko said.

"I think I'm going to hide along with the Boblove CDs," Yoh said. He started to sidle out of the room.

"Oh, no you don't, mister," Keiko said. She grabbed the back of his tee shirt. "We like Anna. We feel sorry for Anna."

"We think Anna is a headcase."

Keiko let go. "Okay, so that's partially true," she said. "But that's only because she had to live on a frozen mountaintop with Kino Asakura for seven years with no human companionship."

"She had Grammy."

"I said human."

Yoh pulled an apple out of the basket on the counter. "Do I have to kiss her?" he asked.

"What? You're ten! No kissing!" Keiko said. "You're at the 'awkward hug' stage. When you're thirteen you can start worrying about kissing. And no lip-kissing until later."

"What about lip-kissing?" Mikihisa asked.

"Ooh, I want one!" Keiko said. She tilted her face upwards and received her prize.

"Dad was in an unusually good mood today," Mikihisa said. "He let me leave the temples early. Only a couple little problems nearby, although he thinks he needs to go to Hatchi to exorcise a really annoying tanuki. What about you?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Keiko said. "A little cleaning, a little shopping. Yoh wants pepper chicken for dinner."

Mikihisa frowned. "You're not telling me something," he said. "Your eyebrow's doing that funny jumping thing."

"Grammy's coming!" Yoh announced gleefully.

Mikihisa blanched. "Yoh, I'm going to hide with your Boblove CDs," he said.

"She's bringing Anna too," Yoh added.

"When?" Mikihisa groaned. "Maybe I can come up with an excuse…"

"Tomorrow night," Keiko said. "Maybe I should cook, and then we can all come down with food poisoning."

"Yes!" Yoh exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

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Author's Note:
The dialogue between Yoh and Keiko is inspired by Lorelei and Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls. Sad, but true.

I like writing Mikihisa, Keiko, and Yoh as a normal family. It's cute. And fun. Yeah.