Chapter 3 – Family Dinner

OOC: this has one bit of swearing so don't read if you don't like swearing. Umm disclaimer here, I don't own any of the characters at all. Well Mariko is mine and Kayuto too but that's it.

Rei was the last to arrive in the dining room and everyone was already seated, so she took the only vacant place in between Duo and Heero. Wufei sat opposite Rei and Quatre and Trowa mirrored Duo and Heero on the other side of the table. Mariko and Kayuto sat at opposite ends of the table. As Rei glanced around she could noticed that the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Duo seemed obvious to the tension, as did Quatre and Trowa, and even her father seemed mildly disinterested, but Wufei, Heero, and Mariko, something was going on there, something had happened between the three.

Kayuto gestured for the entrée to be served and in the silence Heero was shooting death glares at Mariko who laughed nervously and took a sip of her wine. Wufei was staring at his mother with narrowed eyes, especially when she looked at Duo and leaned closer to him to talk to him where he sat next to her.

"How is school Duo?" Mariko asked with a strange glint in her eyes and Duo opened his mouth to reply but didn't get around to it.

"That is none of your business," Heero replied darkly, his voice soft but filled with heavy menace.

Kayuto looked up not liking the tone of Heero's voice and gave him a stern gaze.

"Young man, in my house you will respect all adults," Kayuto said quietly, but his voice was threatening and Heero nodded his head.

"Yes sir."

"Good," Kayuto obviously thought the conversation was over but Heero hadn't finished with Mariko yet as he stared straight at her.

"But some people aren't adults, some people are children disguised as adults, children who don't care if they hurt people, children who think they can just discard people and pick them up when they feel like it."

"Heero Yui!" Kayuto thundered at the boy who stood up straight his spine tall and proud as he gave Kayuto Hino the middle finger.

"Shove it Hino! Let's go Duo," Heero said striding from the room and Duo looked suitably embarrassed before scurrying from his chair to run after Heero.

Kayuto calmed himself and began munching on his salad.

"Wufei, you are not to bring that boy around here anymore, or his brother," Kayuto told his step-son-to-be in a conversational tone and Wufei's face turned into a scowl.

Surprisingly it was Mariko who spoke up on Heero and Duo's behalf, despite the fact that Heero had just told her off for something only they knew about. Rei made a note of this frowning, something just wasn't right.

"Kayuto that's a little harsh, they are Wufei's friends," Mariko pouted on Wufei's behalf and Wufei threw her a furious gaze, obviously not appreciating a woman defending him, especially his own mother.

Quatre and Trowa looked like they would have liked to disappear under the table as they sat there either side of Wufei looking anywhere but at the Hino's and Chang's.

"I mean it Wufei, I will not have anyone disrespecting me in my own household," Kayuto ignored Mariko completely his eyes fixed on Wufei, daring Wufei to try and fight his command, and Wufei quite happily took up the challenge. Having seen Rei stand up to Hino before, Wufei wasn't so afraid to do the same.

"I will do what I like, you are not my father, you could never measure up to my father," Wufei retorted coldly and Kayuto shrugged giving a wry laugh.

"I may not be your father but you will respect me," he roared furiously standing up at the table slamming his hands on the surface causing the silverware to clatter.

"I'll respect you in hell," Wufei yelled back performing the same action and Kayuto pointed to the nearest door.

"Go to your room!" he commanded fully expecting obedience and Wufei looked over at Rei and saw her give a small smile of encouragement. Wufei wouldn't let Rei think he was weak.

"Fuck you," Wufei said to Kayuto and his and Mariko's mouths dropped open. Wufei left the table and ever so quietly Quatre and Trowa followed him as Mariko and Kayuto were left in stunned silence.

Rei stood up not knowing what to do, but she did know she would rather go with Wufei and the others, rather than stay here with her father and stepmother. Rei turned and walked towards the door but her father's voice stopped her at the door.

"Bye Kayuto…" Rei looked back at her father tossing her hair behind her with a small smile on her face, and Kayuto's mouth dropped open for that action was exactly what Rei's mother used to do, and he barely noticed as Rei added smartly, "see you tomorrow."

And then Rei too was gone.

"This is her doing, Wufei was always respectful to you," Mariko said putting the blame for the whole episode solely on Rei and Kayuto shook his head trying to focus on Mariko's words.

"Rei? She has only been here not even an hour," Kayuto defended Rei immediately.

"Send her back Kayuto," Mariko pleaded of him coming to stand behind him pacing her hands on his shoulders as she noticed that his gaze was fixed on the picture of his dead wife, hanging on the wall.

"No! She is my daughter, she will stay here with me," Kayuto stood up throwing Mariko's hands off him he stalked off on his own and Mariko's face turned ugly. Hino's brat daughter was starting to really get on her nerves.

"Well that was fun," Rei said, seeing the group of guys standing in the street in front of her house and Heero turned to her with an ugly scowl on his face. Obviously still riled up about dinner.

"What are you doing here? Go back inside," he snapped at her and Rei did her stubborn stance and glared at him defiantly.

"You can't tell me what to do, no one can," she retorted and Heero stared at her, staring into her eyes and Rei stared back. She had had better staring contests with Usagi.

"Let her stay with us Heero, she can come to our secret place," Duo said coming to stand beside Rei. Duo had really taken a liking to her. She was fiery and not afraid of anything, not even her father or Duo's own brother, she was someone Duo could admire, and she was hot.

"Secret place?" Rei repeated and Heero looked to the others who all nodded their acceptance, even Wufei.

"Can you keep a secret?" Heero asked her and Rei smiled thinking about her secret identity and that of her friends. Yes, Rei could keep a secret, she had been keeping one her whole life.

"Yes," Rei replied and Heero nodded, calming down.

"Okay come on," he said turning on his heel then wandered up the street towards a darkly lit mansion at the end of the street where Rei lived, set high upon a hill and Rei couldn't help but smile.

"Wow, how secret, an abandoned mansion on a hill in a rich neighborhood," Rei said jokingly, hoping to lighten the mood and she saw Quatre smile, and Duo grin. Trowa said nothing, but the corners of his mouth twitched. Heero shot her a look she couldn't quite decipher and Wufei snorted with laughter.

"Its not abandoned, my dad owns it, he just doesn't use it," Duo pointed out and Rei smiled at him. Duo sure liked to get straight to the point. It was why she liked him, he was blunt and said what was on his mind. Not many people were open enough to do that nowadays.

They reached the gate that was covered in vines and Heero pushed aside a grate stepping through and he turned back to stare up at Rei with those blue eyes, holding out his hand to help her through as he beckoned,

"Come on, let me show you our secret."