Unbreakable Ties

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Notes: I am so so sorry for not updating for so long. The last two weeks of the semester is the busiest time, especially for a procrastinator like me. So, I decided to make this chapter longer than I usually write. I hope you'll enjoy it. Maybe there are some weird parts that didn't flow smoothly, since I really did had a hard time writing this chapter *sigh*

Also, to make sure no one is confused (and to prevent myself from getting confused sometimes), here is the timeline and guideline for the fanfiction. ps: I made the timeline up myself.

Timeline:

The start of the story (prologue): 5 years after the anime/ 2010 (1st quarter of the chapter), 3 years after the 1st quarter/ 2013 (2nd quarter of the chapter), 2 years after the 2nd quarter/ 2015 (final quarter of the chapter)

Present time (chapter 1-?): 13 years after the final quarter/ 2028

Guideline:

Time difference: US - England: 5 hours/ England - Japan: 8 hours/ US - Japan: 13 hours

Summer vacation: US - June - September/ Japan: late July - late August

"Why is she all grumpy?" the redheaded Echizen asked as soon as she joined the Bezarius girls' team for dinner.

Just after the opening assembly, they were each given a folder with details, instructions and schedules. They were also divided into five groups, where each group consists of three boys' teams, and three girls' teams. Each group must also have at least one or two participants from different countries.

Unfortunately, Chiyo and Caitlyn were placed in different groups so they had different schedules. Because of that, the two cousins were only able to meet up at lunch, evening tea and dinner that day.

"She made some enemies today, on her way to this hall," Molly Johnson, one of Bezarius Girls' Tennis team doubles player said, trying to hold back her laughter.

"That girl said I stole someone's face," Chiyo grumbled. "And then, she accused me of trying to look like "the professional tennis player, Echizen Ryoma" so that this "Takuya-sama" guy likes me," she added, using her fingers to add some air quotes.

The other girls couldn't help it and burst into laughter. Chiyo glared at six of her teammates. "Zip it."

Caitlyn's eyes widened. "Are you talking about Tezuka Takuya from Seigaku?"

"Probably. Those girls who were accusing me of stuff I definitely didn't do are from Seigaku."

She had a thoughtful expression on her face that caused her cousin to look at her curiously.

"What are you thinking, Caitlyn?" Chiyo asked.

"It's nothing. I'm famished," she answered, trying to change the subject.

"You better eat your soup while it's still hot then," Gabriella exclaimed. "I never thought pumpkin soup could be so delicious."

She nodded before eating a spoonful of soup. She was glad when Dawn struck a conversation with Chiyo, thus taking Chiyo's attention away from her. Her mind started to wander off to earlier that evening.

Group A's practice had ended early that day, so Caitlyn decided to have an early bath and then, finish a book while waiting for dinner. The other participants had decided to explore more of the castle or doing something else during the short free time, so she was alone in the common room. She didn't mind though, since she appreciated the silence. She found a cozy, and secluded spot near the fireplace. There was a beanbag there too, so she sat with her back against the wall, and began reading.

Halfway through the fifth page of the book, Caitlyn heard the common room door opened. She looked to the side and saw two guys, Tezuka Takuya and Miyazaki Yuuma if she was not mistaken, entered the room. They obviously didn't see her at the nook of the room because they didn't bother to keep their voices down. They were about to walk across the room, to the staircase to get to the boys' rooms. Not wanting to be accused of eavesdropping, she decided to put on her headphones.

However, before she could put it on, she heard Yuuma mention the name 'Echizen'. Her earlier intentions forgotten, she continued listening to the boys' conversation.

"I heard from Hayato that there are two participants named Echizen in this camp."

Takuya looked at his friend, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Yuuma nodded. "They're the representatives from one of the American school. The girls' team."

After a short pause, Takuya asked, "What are the chances of them being related to Echizen Ryoma?"

Yuuma shrugged. "According to Hayato, there is twenty percent chance. What are you going to do, Taku?"

"I wanted to know more about Echizen Ryoma. If the two girls are related to him, then they are related to me too, aren't they?"

Caitlyn was intrigued by what she overheard. But before she could confront them, Takuya and Yuuma had already gone up the staircase.

"Earth to Caitlyn," Chiyo said, waving her hand in front of her cousin.

She blinked, snapping out of her thought. She looked at Chiyo. "What?"

"Are you okay? It seems like your mind is elsewhere," her cousin told her with concern.

"I'm probably just a little tired."

"Sure," Chiyo replied, although she's not entirely convinced. She took a glance at Caitlyn's dinner. Only the soup and salad were eaten. "You should eat more though. You said you were famished."

"I'm not that hungry anymore," she replied, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

The other occupants of the table shared a look. Then, they returned their gaze to the redhead.

"But you barely touched the main dish," Dawn stated.

"I'm not that hungry anymore. But I really am tired though." She pushed her chair back and stood up. Smiling at her friends, she said, "I'll see all of you tomorrow. Goodnight." After a chorus of "goodnights'", Caitlyn walked back to her room.

"So, who else thinks that was odd?" Issa asked. Immediately, six hands were raised.

Ryoma glared at Kevin's direction one last time before heading towards the bar. He wasn't planning on going out that night, but Kevin had forced him to accompany him to one of the best nightclubs in New York. The blonde had said something about maintaining his social status or whatever. Although all he wanted to do was return to his hotel and sleep since he has an early start tomorrow.

"Give me Sex on the Beach, please," he ordered as he sat on one of the stools at the bar.

"Three years, and you still love the same cocktail." A woman with long, curly brunette hair smirked at him as she sat on the empty stool beside him. "It's been awhile."

"Izumi," he acknowledged.

"You remembered me. I'm flattered," Kirishima Izumi, an American-born Japanese, exclaimed.

"Don't insult me," Ryoma said, rolling his eyes. At the same time, the bartender placed his cocktail in front of him.

The brunette just chuckled. She ordered a drink for herself before propping her chin in the palm of her right hand. "So, Mr. Echizen, what have you been up to while I was away in Africa?"

"Tennis."

Izumi snorted. "When is it never tennis?"

He refrained himself from rolling his eyes. "When did you return to New York anyways?"

"A couple of weeks ago," she answered. "My time saving lives in Africa have officially ended." Izumi, who came from a long line of doctors, had become a specialist doctor, just like her family. "Now, seriously, what's going on in your life? Any new relationships?"

"None." He took a sip of his drink.

Izumi gaped at him. "No way!" After a pause, she added in, "Are you serious?"

"As serious as I could be," he answered drily.

"It's not because of me breaking up with you three years ago, is it?" She looked alarmed.

He gave her an incredulous look. "Are you trying to turn our lives into a soap opera?"

She looked at him sheepishly. "Well, it would flatter me if that really happened." After that, silence filled the gap between them as Izumi took a few sips of her own drink. After awhile, out of the blue she asked, "Did you ever regret our breakup?" She twirled her half-filled cocktail glass with her fingers.

"Why should I? The breakup was our mutual decision," he pointed out. When Ryoma asked for another drink, Izumi placed her glass on the table, and stared at it darkly.

However, it was only temporary though, before she replaced it with a big smile. She went on her feet, and looked at Ryoma, "Come on, let's dance."

"No thanks," he flatly refused.

"Don't be so stiff," Izumi poked him at his side. "This is our song, remember?" Before Ryoma could say anything else, she pulled him on his feet and dragged him to the dance floor.

Caitlyn turned to her right, then to her left. She couldn't sleep. The conversation between Yuuma and Takuya she overheard has replayed in her head many times. She was curious, and because of her nature, she will find out. But, if it's related to both of them, if it's something that could change both hers and Chiyo's life, what should she do?

She sat up on her bed, quietly so she wouldn't wake her two roommates. It was already 5.20 a.m., and the sun has already made its appearance. So, she decided to go on her morning jog. Running always made her think clearer. After washing her face and changed into her tracksuit in the bathroom attached to the bedroom, and she quietly made her way to the castle's grounds.

"This place definitely reminded me of Harry Potter," she muttered to herself. She tied her short hair in a ponytail before stretching lightly. The early morning air in London is colder than in the US, but it made her feel more refreshed. She began jogging along the castle's courtyard.

Her mind began wondering off to the source of the mystery; what is Takuya's relationship with the Echizen family? Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. What Chiyo had said the night before entered her mind. Someone said that Chiyo and Takuya looked alike. Maybe… Caitlyn shook her head. That would be impossible. Uncle Ryoma wouldn't do such a thing. Would he? Hiding something this big from Chiyo…

"I told you before, didn't I? A frown on your face doesn't suit you at all."

She immediately snapped out of her thought, and turned towards the source of the voice. A soft smile quickly replaced her frown when she saw the brunette-haired teen. "Connor," she said, when the seventeen year-old teen walked towards her. He scooped her up in an embrace, and planted a soft kiss on her lips before setting her down. "I thought you won't be participating," she said. "You weren't here at the opening ceremony yesterday."

"I had important matters to attend to yesterday," Connor replied apologetically.

"You're a busy guy after all, Lord O'Brien," she stated, and gave him a mock curtsy.

"Hey now, it's mean to tease your boyfriend," he retorted, and that caused Caitlyn to chuckle. Connor led her towards the lake and they sat on the grass. "You looked like you had a lot in your mind. Want to share some of it with me?" Immediately, she began babbling about what had happened.

"You've been at the camp for only one full day and you've already gotten yourself a mystery," Connor chuckled.

Caitlyn glared at him. "It's not funny," she said. She had just told him everything she overheard from Takuya and Yuuma, as well as what she found out from her Japanese group members, and her theories.

"If Ryoma's trying to hide it, it is probably for Chiyo's own good. He would always do anything to keep Chiyo from getting hurt, right?" Connor reasoned. The older teen was the son of the deceased Lord Charles O'Brien, and Kyla O'Brien nee Darcy, an Irish descent, and distant cousin of Evelyn Echizen. He had met Ryoma during the few summers he spent in America, at the Echizen's manor. "Maybe he just looked like Chiyo because—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Connor," she glared. "Not all Japanese looks alike. And you haven't seen him yet. He's like a carbon copy of Chiyo, despite the different hair color. Besides, he has the Echizen's eyes." She pointed at her own golden, amber eyes. "He has these eyes."

Connor placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked directly at her. "Relax, Caitlyn," he said. "Why are you so worked up about this?"

"I just hate being in the dark," she answered softly.

Connor smiled, and gave her a peck on her forehead. "I'll help you out, okay? If you could take a few strands of hair from each of them, I could ask someone to do a DNA test on them."

"You watch too much mystery movies, Con," she teased. "And also, thanks," she said, as she rested her head on Connor's shoulder. Then, when she saw the time on her watch, she immediately sat up straight. "Oh hell, it's 7.42 a.m. Breakfast would be served at 8. I need to return to my room and take a shower."

"Slow down, kitten," the older teen said. "You'll make it in time." He stood up, and then, pulled Caitlyn on her feet. "Let's head back towards the castle, shall we?"

Erin was on his way out of Kirishima Memorial Hospital when someone called out her name. When she turned, she saw a familiar brunette-haired woman walking towards her.

"I thought it was you, Erin-chan," the woman said. "I was right."

"Momoshiro-san," she greeted.

"Just call me An," the woman said. "We're not actually strangers, are we?"

There was a big smile on An's face, that she couldn't help but smile as well. "No, I suppose not." Then, she asked, "Did you have an appointment here, An-san?"

"Yeah, I did," An answered. She started opening her purse and took out the scan she received from her doctor. "Look, I have a healthy fetus."

"Congratulations, An-san," she exclaimed. "How far along are you?"

"About six weeks," An answered. "I had an early ultrasound done to make sure everything is alright this time," she sighed sadly. After a short pause, she asked Erin return, "What about you? I hope you're not here for a check-up or anything serious."

She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I'm just here to visit my mom."

"Oh," An said, her smile quickly disappeared. She heard about what happened to Fuji's wife three years ago from Takeshi. The accident had left Fuji Hotaru in a coma, and caused heartache to the remaining Fuji family. "Hey, would you want to have evening tea with me?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense," An cut in. "Besides, Ren's at home too. You could tell him more about Seigaku, and other things. My house is just a block from yours so Ren could walk you home if it's late."

She sighed. An didn't leave her any room to argue. Besides, her dad… she sighed inwardly before smiling at An. "I would love to, An-san," she said. It's not like her dad would be home early anyways, like every other year on this day.

An had a victorious smile on her face. "Come, let's go to my car then."

"Your home is beautiful, An-san," Erin stated, after entering the two-storey house owned by the Momoshiro family. A sweet aroma filled the room, and she added in, "It smells nice too."

An laughed. "It looks like we'll be having cookies for tea time," she said. "Oh, Erin-chan, you could leave your bag here if you want to," she motioned towards the living room.

"Okay," the brunette-haired teen nodded. After placing her sling bag on the couch, some pictures on the wooden cabinet caught her eyes. "These are so beautiful. Are these taken at your home in America?"

"Some of those were, some others were taken at a friend's house," An answered.

"Hmm…" she observed the pictures one at a time. She stopped at a familiar-yet-unfamiliar looking girl. "Hey, she looked a bit like Taku-chan."

"Really? I didn't notice it before," An quickly replied. "Come, let's go to the kitchen and see what Ren and Aya have for us." Erin agreed, and both of them walked to the kitchen.

"Mommy," the six years old, Momoshiro Aya exclaimed when she saw An and Erin entered the kitchen. "Onii-chan and I are making cookies." She waved a piece of a large, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie at her mom's direction.

"I hope there's a lot, because we have a guest."

"The last two batches are in the oven," said Ren. "Nice to see you, Erin-san."

"Nice to see you too, Ren-senpai."

Ren raised an eyebrow at her. "Senpai?"

"Well, you are going to study in Seigaku after summer vacation ends, so I better start getting used to calling you senpai," she answered, as she took a seat next to Aya.

"Onee-chan, try this," Aya exclaimed, handing Erin a cookie. "Nii-chan makes really good cookies."

"Thanks," she took a bite. "This really is good," she stated after swallowing.

"The great thing about the Internet," Ren mumbled.

An chuckled. "Just admit it, Ren. You're good at baking."

"Che," the fifteen years old teen muttered.

She could only smile to herself, looking at the light banters between a mother and her son, something she always longed for. She didn't realize her thought had been drifting, until Ren called out.

"Erin-san, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," she was flustered at being caught daydreaming. "What was it?"

"Mom asked if you would like to stay for dinner too," Ren repeated the question.

Without a second thought, she answered, "I would love too."

By the time the Momoshiro family, and Erin finished dinner, it started to rain lightly. Momo insisted on driving her home, so in the end she agreed. However, when she was looking for her cell phone in her bag, she realized that she didn't have her key with her. An suggested that she stay the night there, and she agreed, knowing how late her dad will return home that night. She tried calling her dad, but it went to voice mail, so she left a message.

Around nine thirty, after Erin finished helping An wash the dishes, they decided to play Scrabble in the family room. At the same time, An watched her favorite variety show on the television. Not long after, Momo's phone rang.

"Hello, Momoshiro speaking," the man said. Everyone was silent after that, and An reduced the volume of the television. "Ah, Taka-san. No, it's okay. I was just playing scrabble."

Momoshiro's eyes went wide when Taka-san started talking, so An mouthed at her husband, "What's wrong?"

Instead of answering his wife, Momo said to Taka-san, "I understand. I'll be there soon." After the call ended, he looked at the other occupants of the room, "It looks like Fuji-san and Tezuka-san are at Taka-san's sushi shop. Drunk. Usually Fuji-san wouldn't drink till he was drunk but when he saw Tezuka-san came in, they started drinking more."

Erin sighed. "On this date three years ago, my mom was involved in an accident. Dad always went out for a drink on this day. Usually Tezuka-san wouldn't drink sake though, but maybe because Takuya's not home…"

Momo nodded. "Taka-san asked if I could help send them home. Most of the time, he would ask for Oishi-san's help but he's on call, and Taka-san couldn't leave the shop unattended."

"I'll go with you, Momo-san," she said.

Momo nodded again. "I'll need Ren to come with me too. I will definitely need some help carrying them into the car." After Ren agreed, he turned to An, "Both of you would be fine alone, right?"

"Of course we would," An replied. "Why wouldn't we?" she asked, amused.

"Well then, we should get going."

After she thanked An, Aya came running towards her, "Why is onee-chan going back? We're going to have a sleepover, aren't we?"

She smiled softly. "Sorry, Aya-chan, but I have something I need to do. But I'll come again to play with you later, okay?"

"Promise?" Aya held out her pinky at Erin.

Erin linked her pinky to Aya's. "Promise," she said.

After saying goodbyes, the three of them went into the car. On their way to the sushi shop, Momo asked, "Hey, Erin-chan, does Tezuka-san get himself drunk often?"

She scrunched her face, thinking. Then, she answered, "No, not really. Tezuka-san doesn't like sake, but sometimes, dad would tell us stories that Tezuka-san got himself drunk whenever Taku-chan is away on a school trip. We wasn't sure if he was just teasing us, or if it's real."

"Aa, I see," Momo replied, his eyes never leaving the road. However, Ren noticed the changes in his father's expression. It made him wonder more about what is it his dad was hiding. He wondered if it has anything to do with Chiyo's family as well.

"Molly, hey," Chiyo said, when she saw her teammate at the entrance of the hall. "Where are the others?"

"They would be eating with some of their group members tonight," the dark-haired girl answered.

Chiyo nodded. "Well, come one then," she said. "I heard they have Japanese food for tonight's buffet."

Molly snickered as her friend was practically drooling. "Alright, alright, let's go then."

The two girls separated ways so that each could take the food they wanted. At the Japanese food table, Chiyo had just taken a bowl of miso soup when someone bumped into her. This caused her to spill some of the contents onto the hand of the person next to her. She immediately apologized when the person hissed in pain. The soup wasn't scorching hot, but it was still a little bit hot.

"It's okay— Oh…" Takuya was speechless when he saw her. The same could be said for Chiyo as well.

"So…by any chance, are you Tezuka Takuya?" she asked, breaking the awkward silence between them. She couldn't believe how identical they looked like, despite the obvious hair difference. Even their height is the same. It was freaky.

"Yes, I am."

"I see," she said. "Hmm, I guess your fan girls were right. We do look alike." She continued putting food on her plates.

"Are you, by any chance, related to Echizen Ryoma?"

Her eyes hardened, as she stopped putting some tempura on her plate. She returned her gaze to Takuya. "Yes, I am. Why? Do you want his autograph? Or tickets to future matches?"

"N-No," Takuya was taken aback. "It's just…you look just like him."

"Well, he's my dad after all," she said.

Takuya was bewildered. Echizen Ryoma is her dad. But that couldn't be possible. Echizen Ryoma was supposed to be his dad too, and the girl in front of him looked like she's the same age as him.

"You better put your hand under running tap water before it gets worse," she added in, breaking the brunette's train of thoughts. Then, she walked away, leaving Takuya at standing alone at the Japanese food table. When she met up with Molly again, she couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty for being hard on the guy. It wasn't his fault if other people like to use her to get her dad's autograph. She sighed.

"So, spill," Molly, said, when they found an empty table at the corner of the hall. "Who was that guy you were talking too?"

"Remember the girl who accused me of stealing someone's face. That was the guy, Tezuka Takuya. Freaky enough, the girl was right. There's a big resemblance between us." She frowned. "I snapped at him though. Well, not really snap, but yeah…"

Molly raised an eyebrow at her. "What the hell happened?"

"I was being a klutz, or someone else were. Bumped into me, so I accidentally spilled some of my soup on his hand. I apologized, we talked, and he asked if I was related to Echizen Ryoma."

"Uh-oh," said Molly. She knew how Chiyo could act when people ask if she's related to Echizen Ryoma. Because her dad was famous in the tennis world, people would often asked to be introduced to Ryoma or something else. "Did he asked for anything?"

There was a short pause before she answered slowly, "No."

"Did you apologize?"

"What makes you think I needed to apologize to him?" Molly gave her an I-know-you look. She pouted. "I didn't."

"You should go and apologize."

"I'll apologize to him first thing tomorrow morning," she exclaimed. Molly gave her a disapproving look. "Fine. After I finished my dinner then," she pouted once more.

After dinner, Takuya brought Yuuma and Hayato to Group A's common room, and sat at a quiet corner. "What is so urgent that you needed to discuss tonight?" Hayato asked his younger best friend.

"I met Echizen Chiyo tonight," he answered. "And I didn't want to repeat this two times so I gathered both of you together."

"What happened?" Yuuma asked. "Did you ask about Echizen Ryoma?"

"I did," he sighed. "And I think it made her mad." At Yuuma's and Hayato's enquiring look, he continued, "Seems like people often used her to get to Echizen Ryoma. Because she's Echizen Ryoma's daughter." At any other time, he would laugh at the expression Yuuma and Hayato were making right now.

"But she's the same age as you," Yuuma stated. "This would mean either Echizen Ryoma cheated on your dad or—"

"Echizen Chiyo is his sister," a voice cut in. The three boys turned to see a redheaded girl standing not far from where they sat.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Before Caitlyn could answer, Hayato answered for her, "Group A member, Echizen Caitlyn, cousin to Echizen Chiyo, half-Japanese and half-Irish, and an offensive-style player. Favorite moves are super rising and moon volley."

"Impressive," Caitlyn stated. And a little creepy. This must be how the others felt when she did the same thing. "Anyways, yesterday I overheard Tezuka-kun and Miyazaki-kun talking. I wasn't eavesdropping, by the way," she quickly added in, "You were the ones who didn't realize I was in the common room as well." Then, she continued, "Anyways, I overheard both of you talking and did a little thinking. And from your conversation a moment ago, I'm guessing you came to the same conclusion I did."

"What do you propose we do now, Echizen-san?" Yuuma asked.

"I want a few strands of Tezuka-kun's hair. I have a friend who knows someone who could do a DNA test and get the result in just a few days."

"DNA test? Why?" he questioned. "You didn't believe that I'm also Echizen Ryoma's child?"

"It's not that," Caitlyn answered. "It is merely a prevention method. If, by any chance, we get this whole thing wrong, then I don't want Chiyo to know and get her hopes up."

The three boys nodded, agreeing with Caitlyn's reasons. Moments after he gave Caitlyn a few strands of his hair, another voice was heard.

"There you are!" Chiyo exclaimed, as she went over to Takuya. "Oh, hi Caitlyn," she said to her cousin. "What are you doing here?"

"This is my common room," the redhead answered.

"Oh yeah," Chiyo said, and Caitlyn thanked the God that her cousin accepted that answer without questions. "Anyways, Tezuka-kun," Chiyo said, returning her attention back to the brunette. "I'm sorry about how I acted earlier."

He shook his head. "No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have asked."

Chiyo cocked her head to the side. "You know, it would be best if you just accept my apology, before both of us are stuck here, apologizing to one another for hours."

"Fine," he managed to stop his urge to smile. "I accept your apology."

Chiyo flashed him a big smile. "Great. Then, I better get going now. Nice to meet you, Tezuka-kun. And…" she glanced at the other two beside Takuya.

"The other brunette is Miyazaki Yuuma from Seigaku, and the taller, black-haired guy is Inui Hayato from Rikkaidai," Caitlyn introduced. At the looks the boys were giving her, she said, "Inui Hayato isn't the only one who could collect data."

Chiyo gaped. "Inui…as in 'Inui Juice' Inui?"

"Inui Juice is my dad's invention. How did you know about Inui juice?" Hayato asked, curious.

"Ah, I see. Well, my dad said that Inui juice was used as punishment during tennis practices. And sometimes during other competitions as well." Chiyo eyes widened when she saw the time. "Damn, I left Molly waiting outside." She turned to Caitlyn. "I want to jog with you tomorrow morning, so don't leave me behind."

"Be ready by 6 a.m. then."

"I couldn't possible wake up that early," Chiyo whined.

"It's called morning jog for a reason, Chiyo," Caitlyn rolled her eyes.

"Fine." Chiyo gave her cousin a hug. "It's nice to meet you, Miyazaki-kun, Inui-kun," she said.

"N-Nice to meet you too," Yuuma stuttered. He mentally smacked himself, and no one noticed Hayato giving him a smirk.

"Run along now, Chiyo. Molly is waiting," said Caitlyn.

"Yeah," the other Echizen said. "Goodnight, everyone," she added in before leaving the room.

After Chiyo was gone, Caitlyn looked at the three boys once more. "I'll inform you immediately as soon as I get the results, and we'll figure things out from there. Don't ask Chiyo about Uncle Ryoma anymore though, she hated it." After Takuya agreed, Caitlyn too left for her room.

When it was finally the three of them again, Yuuma asked, "What?" Takuya was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, and Hayato was smirking.

"You stuttered when you were talking to Echizen-san," Takuya stated. "You never stutter before."

"Did you fall for her at first sight or something?" Hayato teased.

"Oh, lay off," Yuuma threw a cushion at Hayato's direction.

When Tezuka woke up the next morning, he had a horrible neck pain due to sleeping on the couch, and his head was pounding because of his hangover. Then, he noticed his surrounding was different. When he saw Fuji there as well, he realized that he must be at Fuji's house.

Fuji stirred a bit before waking up too. He looked disoriented for a while, before focusing on Tezuka. "I feel like hell," he said.

"You and me both," he muttered.

Fuji held his head with one of his hands to soften the pounding in his head. "What time is it?"

"10 a.m.," he answered. Thank god he didn't have any morning appointments or any surgeries this morning.

"I'm late," Fuji, exclaimed. "Damn! This hangover is a torture."

"That is why you shouldn't get yourselves drunk," Erin, who just entered the living room with a tray of drinks and food, said. She placed the tray on the table in front of the two men. "Drink the ginger ale, it'll make you feel better. And have some porridge."

"Thanks, Erin, you're an angel," Fuji told her daughter.

"Don't thank me, thank Momoshiro-san. He was the one who drove all the way to Taka-san's shop and brought you here," she looked at her dad disapprovingly.

Tezuka groaned inwardly. "Sorry, Erin-chan. We let our guards down."

Erin's expression softened. "Just don't get drunk anymore. I don't want anything to happen to you," she told her dad, "or you, Tezuka-san. I promised Taku-chan."

Tezuka nodded. "Thanks, Erin-chan."

"Anyways, both of you better hurry up or you'll be late." She chuckled to herself as returned to the kitchen.

Note: So how was it? Review and I'll give you cookies! :D