Chapter 2

Kyoko sat nervously across from Lory Takarada. He had informed her that he had very important news regarding the identity of her father. His office was uncharacteristically normal and Lory was dressed in a normal black suit. This in itself made her very nervous, but the look on his face at the moment was even more unnerving. The normally bubbly LoveMon of LME had the most serious look on his face, it would have made a circus clown shiver.

"Takarada-san? You said that you had news about my father." She said quietly as she stared down at her wringing hands in her lap.

"Kyoko-chan..." He paused and she looked up. He didn't normally address her in such a manner. He normally called her by her surname. "There are some things you must know about your father before I give you his identity." He told her softly, but in a very serious manner.

She nodded, expecting the worst considering what her mother had told her about how they met and what he did.

Lory sighed deeply to clear his thoughts and gather his courage. "Kyoko-chan... Your father was a very good man. He belonged to a notable family, but he got involved with some people that were very bad for his well-being... Almost 19 years ago... your father was involved with something that brought him harm. I am very sorry Kyoko-chan... Your father is no longer with us." It nearly broke him to tell her this. It brought back so many memories for him.

Somehow this was something that she had expected. She looked up at Lory with understanding in her eyes. "That's okay Takarada-san, I kind of expected something like this." She told him in a soft voice.

"Kyoko-chan... There's more... His family would like to give you his inheritance and include you as his only heir." Lory told her softly.

Kyoko was in mild shock with this news. "But... Takarada-san... W-why would th-they do that? We don't even know each other."

Lory's smile was small and filled with pain. "Actually... You know them quite well and they you... Your father's name was Shun Takarada."

Kyoko's eyes grew wide. "Y-you're my...M-my family?"

Lory nodded. "You are my niece, Kyoko-chan." He rose to sit near her on the large sofa. "I don't know why I didn't see it before... You have his eyes and his talent." Lory shook his head.

Kyoko looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Ojisan? May I call you that?"

"Of course Mei-chan." Lory smiled softy and hugged her as they both cried for a loss and a gain of family.

Now Ren Tsuruga was not a nosy person by any stretch of the imagination, but his ears did perk whenever he would hear the musical voice of a very particular strawberry blonde pixie of a girl and today he had heard something of a conversation between said girl and a very eccentric boss.

"Mei-chan... I will not have a Takarada living in a small room above a restaurant... It is not safe. You will move into your new home with no complaints and you will have your own car and driver." Lory sighed with frustration. He was not going to allow her to turn this down. It was for her safety once the news got out.

"Ojisan..." She groaned. "I'm just not comfortable with all of this... money business. I just don't feel like I deserve it."

"Kyoko... Your father would have wanted me to protect you and the money has always been yours. So... No complaints. You will take Sebastian and Maria this afternoon and pack up to go to your house." He told her in a no nonsense tone. She was his niece, his brother's daughter and the closest thing he had to one also and by all the gods he would make sure she knew it.

"How could you even describe that as a house! It's beyond enormous." She exclaimed.

"Kyoko Takarada! Get used to it! That's my final word on the subject. Now go." He commanded.

Kyoko sighed in defeat and left to gather her things from the LoveMe room.

Ren was completely stunned. Kyoko is a Takarada? When did this happen? I must have heard it wrong. Yes... that's it, I heard it wrong. Ren shook his head and continued on to find Yashiro. He would try to figure this out later.

Maria looked at Kyoko with excitement and awe. "Onee-san? This means that we really are family? We are itoko?"

Kyoko smiled widely as they sat in the back of the small limo on the drive to the Darumaya. "Yes Maria we are itoko." She winked at her. "Cousin."

Maria leapt into her arms and hugged her tightly. "I love you Itoko!"

"I love you too Maria." Kyoko told her as they hugged each other tightly and Kyoko watched the familiar scenery pass by. "Oh! We're almost there." Kyoko told her as she pulled away.

"Kyoko, do I get to help you pack up?" Maria asked excitedly.

Kyoko smiled softly. "Of course you do. I really don't have much to pack though."

Minutes later Kyoko was explaining her new situation to the Okami and the Taisho, apologizing profusely.

"Kyoko-chan." The Okami placed her gentle hand on Kyoko's shoulder and signaled for her to stop. "I understand. We're very happy for you. You've been too long without family, alone here in Tokyo. Please don't apologize for something like that."

"Thank you for understanding." Kyoko bowed to her and went upstairs to help Sebastian and Maria finish packing her things.

"Kyoko, you really don't have much to pack. Do you?" Maria asked.

Kyoko shook her head. "Not really."

"Did you want to keep the posters of Idiot #1 and Ren-sama?" Maria asked in a cutesy voice.

A look of horror crossed her face when she realized she had forgotten the posters. "Um... I think we can get rid of Sho's poster, but if you want Tsuruga-san's poster..."

A knowing little smirk crossed Maria's face. "Kyoko... I don't have a crush on him anymore. Don't worry."

Kyoko let out a sigh of relief.

"But, you like him right?" She asked slyly in an air that would probably make Lory very proud.

Kyoko blushed. "I respect him very much." She corrected trying to hide her growing feelings for Ren from others and herself.

Maria raised and eyebrow and nodded as they finished taping the last box shut.

"So... Do you want to do the honors?" Kyoko asked Maria as she approached Sho's poster.

Maria gave her an evil grin and jumped as high as she could, raking her fingers under the poster, grabbing it and ripping the bottom half off of the wall. Kyoko took the rest down from the top and they shredded their pieces together and put them into the bag of garbage to be incinerated, then brushing their hands against each other as if to wipe the cooties from them. They both giggled then Kyoko gingerly took Ren's poster from the wall and carefully rolled it up and packed it away carefully.

"I think I'm going to miss this place." She said quietly as she looked at the small room one final time from the doorway before shutting it and walking away from that part of her life.