"Papa?" rang the voice of a four-year-old through the Sohma estate as the young Kaoru trotted up behind her father. The novelist sat at his desk-a new desk, that had been moved into his new office which had been built in the main house since he had moved back. Which was possible, since after Kaoru had been born, Tohru and Kyou had taken care of Shigure's old house, and Yuki had moved into an apartment with his girlfriend, Machi.

"What is it, Kao-chan?" Shigure asked his daughter as he set down his pen, turning to her with a smile. The little pig-tailed girl hopped into her father's lap, tugging on his robe.

"Why is Mama being so quiet?" she asked, gently, her large, curious brown eyes looking at the novelist questionably. He offered a smile, though the sadness in his eyes didn't match.

"Well," he began, taking off his glasses. "She lost someone close to her."

"Oh," said the toddler, nesting her face against his chest. Her words came out muffled. "Who was it?"

"W-well, ah, that doesn't matter, Sweetheart," Shigure said softly, looking out the window where he could faintly see Akito standing there, her shoulder-length hair blowing in the wind as she stood, staring out into the expanse of nothingness. "But she's very lonely right now. I'm sure she would love it if a cute little girl went and gave her a hug."

Kaoru's face lit up as she grinned up at her father. "Okay, Papa!" The four-year-old got up to run off, and the novelist watched with a soft, sad smile as the toddler bolted out the door into the winter air.

His eyes faltered down to the paper he had been writing, and, pressing the pen to the page, he continued.

It was at that moment that he felt the most helpless, because he knew, deep down, that telling his daughter that she alone could make Nana better was a lie. Not even all of the Gods could make her feel any less alone.

x x x

Akito wrapped her arms around her petite form, cursing herself for wearing a pink sweater, because it didn't hold in enough heat. It was just her way to avoid breaking out of her shell, which she had wanted to crawl back into ever since Ren died. She hadn't spoken a word in days, not because she was really sad that her mother had perished, but it made her think a lot of her father, and what could have been.

But something inside her felt terrified. Terrified that she was going to die alone like Ren. That her own daughter would have felt the same feelings she was feeling now. She clutched her chest in pain, blinking away the tears that welled up in her eyes. She was scared of being alone. Terrified. The thought consumed her in everything that she did, but it seemed that most of the time, in spite of herself, she just pushed people further away.

It's too late to change that, she thought to herself.

She gasped, however, when she felt a small form bump into her legs, and she looked down, seeing the four year old hugging her legs, her brows furrowed.

Akito broke down in tears, bending down to pluck the little Kaoru into her arms, holding her and crying.

"Mama," began the toddler, her face buried into her mother's bosom. "What's wrong with Mama?"

Akito placed her chin atop the girl's head, tears continuing to slip down her cheeks, the winter wind chilling them against her skin. "You should go back inside, with Papa."

"But," Kaoru began, lifting her head to look at her mother's dark eyes with her own chocolate ones. "Papa isn't crying like you, Mama."

Akito looked at her daughter, then smiled, the tears not ceasing for a moment. "I-It's okay. ...I'm okay." She set the four-year-old down onto the snow and urged her towards the house. "Go on, now, and get warm. I'll be in after a while."

"Okay, Mama," said the young Kaoru as she began waddling towards the house, shivering a bit in the winter's air. But, suddenly, a voice caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Kaoru?"

The toddler turned to her mother with large, questioning eyes. Akito just stared back, trembling a bit, with hesitation.

"I-I love you."

Kaoru smiled, her face lighting up. "I love you too, Mama!" Before she skipped inside the house, the light from which glowed in the evening sky. Akito turned her body away from this light, and this warmth, to her own cold, unfeeling world of darkness, tears silently dripping down her cheeks.

A/N: Bad Sexy-Chan! You haven't put up your reviews one-a-day like you wanted to! Oh well. Here's the second chapter of Silence! I just hope this has the same feeling as Unshakable as it moves along.