11 YEARS LATER

Chapter 10: Distractions

A/N: So, next chapter. Pretty much all chapters from here on out are new. I've really planned out now where I'm going with this, the specifics that is, so hopefully the next several chapters will come more quickly. There is some swearing here so... you've been warned. Contemplating a rating change to the story as well; not sure though. As always, reviews are appreciated. Enjoy!


"Kai?" Chihiro gasped in shock. She stared for several minutes in disbelief, words struggling to reach her lips. "What... what..." She swallowed hard, "What are you doing here?" A thousand old emotions began to flood through her. Despair... heartache... rage... frustration... more rage... Kai wobbled slightly, his arm resting heavily against the door frame. His eyes were half-lidded and his knees shook with the effort required to remain standing. He looked at her as steadily as he could before sluggishly continuing, "I... I'm heeere for a good tiiiime..." He then pointed a finger at her chest, grinning stupidly, "You're... you're prrretty goooood lookin'... mind if.. if I commme inn?"

Chihiro stared at him, aghast. After more than a year, here he stood, grinning at her like some idiot fratboy, eying her chest and barely able to stand. The fact that her daughter slept in the other room, the fact that she had a guest in her home, these things fled from her mind as she snapped.

WHACK!

Chihiro shook her fist as pain lanced up her arm, in line with each knuckle. His jaw had felt solid when her fist connected with it, and Kai had fallen flat on his backside with the force of the punch. Her rage, though, had not yet subsided.

"It has been a YEAR! A. YEAR. YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

She stood heavily, leaning forward slightly and chest heaving with the force of her screams. Her arms rested lamely at her sides as she stared at him, hands balled into fists. She fought tooth and nail to suppress the urge to jump on him and continue punching him. She had already given up on the fight to keep her voice level.

Kai took several moments to recover. He lay sprawled upon her front stoop, gazing up at the sky with unfocused eyes, arms flailing wildly as he tried to push himself back up. When he finally managed to sit up, he held his hand to his jawbone.

"... Ooooww..." He grumbled lowly, "You... c-crazyyy bieetch..." He pointed his finger at her before his arm fell limply at his side. He turned around on his hands and knees and made to crawl away from her front porch. Chihiro, though, was not yet done with him.

"Why are you here?" she shrieked, crossing the threshold and following after his crawling form, kicking his foot with a loud thunk.

He pulled his knee to his chest before shouting, "Ow!" He cradled his foot in both hands, slamming his lids shut in pain. After a moment, he looked up at her angrily. He slowly, and wobbily, rose to stand, and Chihiro began to regret kicking his foot as he towered several inches over her. She took a step back.

"Chihiro?" Haku's voice came from inside the house. Suddenly, she remembered that she'd had a guest. She had been so taken away by her rage she'd completely forgotten about him. She turned around to look at him, and saw him standing in the doorway, concerned, ready to assist. There was a worry to his stance that she did not like...

Chihiro turned back to Kai upon feeling him sharply poke her shoulder.

"What... What the hell?" He complained angrily, "I come by to give you more bisshhnuss..."

Chihiro paused. 'More business?' Then it dawned on her... Here for a good time?... 'He doesn't recognize me... he thinks I'm a PROSTITUTE!'

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Do you know who I am?" she asked in a low, deadly tone, daring him to give her the wrong answer. He gazed stupidly at her, before putting his hands in his pocket and waggling his pelvis at her.

"You're the... the really fancyyy..." he lowered his voice and leaned forward conspiratorially, "...lady of the night, sssshall we ssshay," he then resumed his confident, swaggering posture, "thats the old lady told me 'bout..." he gestured his thumb behind him, towards the street, but she saw nothing in the dim glow of the streetlamp.

She looked at him, disbelieving. He had a child with her, and he mistook her for a prostitute?!

WHACK!

She pulled her stinging fist back to her side, as Kai grasped his cheek with both hands.

"I'm CHIHIRO! WE DATED FOR A YEAR! WE HAVE A CHILD!"

Kai's eyes widened in shock and sudden recognition as he slowly moved his hand from his cheek.

"Ch... Chihiro?" He stammered.

"OUT!" she shrieked, pushing him, hard, towards the low fence that separated her yard from the street. Kai didn't need telling twice, he turned to flee before a strong hand grasped his shoulder and sunk it's fingers into his shirt.

"Why are you here, Kai?" asked a calm voice. Haku's voice. Chihiro turned, eyes like slits, her adrenaline still rushing through her and making everything seem in slow motion. He was standing beside her, his strong arm grasping Kai's shoulder tightly. She looked between Kai and Haku, and saw a staring contest occurring, one that Haku was winning. Kai withered beneath his gaze, averting his eyes before answering.

"Sshshssome...some old crone at the bar... Sschssshe told me 'bout this hooker... took me here..." He then looked grumpily at Haku, "Wwhatsshss it to youu?" Haku didn't answer. Instead, he let him go, with a slight push towards the gate. Kai stumbled backwards and eyed Haku warily before turning and stumbling as quick as he could in the opposite direction. He slammed himself against the gate in an effort to push it open and, once accomplished, he fled off down the street.

Chihiro stood, stunned, raising her hand to her heart in an effort to slow the fast, erratic beats. She gazed, seething and dumbfounded, at the shadowy figure of Kai retreating into the distance before turning to see Haku walking quickly into the house. She ran after him, asking breathily when she caught up to him in her entryway, "What are you doing?" She noticed his expression and her stomach dropped to the floor. She'd never seen him... angry? upset? both? She couldn't quite pinpoint the expression on his face but she really did not like it. He didn't answer her question, but continued to walk towards Sen's room.

'Sen's room?' she thought, mind racing in an attempt to connect the pieces, 'Why would he be going into Sen's room?'

She ran ahead of him, reaching Sen's door first and, upon grasping the handle, taking a brief moment to calm her breathing before slowly and quietly opening the door. As soon as she opened the door she knew something was wrong. The air had a smell to it.. herbs? It smelled familiar and , for some unknown reason, evoked fear and anxiety in her. Then she spotted it. The window was open, and the sheer curtains fluttered ever so lightly in the breeze. She hastened towards Sen's crib and leaned heavily against the bars, looking inside.

There was nothing.

No Sen, no favorite stuffed giraffe, no blankets. The crib was empty. Chihiro's heart stopped. 'Sen was here only a few hours ago! She couldn't have gotten out! Did someone take her?! Why would someone take her?!'

Chihiro stared dumbly at the empty crib for several more moments, before suddenly turning and dropping to all fours, looking around on the floor for any sign of her daughter.

"Sen?" She forced her voice to be as calm as she could, but it held a trace of fear and panic. She crawled around on the floor, searching for a moving shadow or small hand sticking out from underneath the crib, under the changing station...

"Sen?" her voice cracked. It was much louder this time, and the panic was no longer hidden. After circling the room twice, she stood and ran towards the window, "Sen!" she screamed.

Her heart was thumping, her pulse racing, fear welling within her. She was gone... her daughter was gone...

CRACK!

Chihiro whipped around at the suddenness of the noise. Haku stood by the door, his fist embedded in the wall. His eyes held a fury like she had never seen before. They even... glowed? She shirked away from the noise. She was afraid. Very afraid. Her ex had arrived out of nowhere, her daughter kidnapped, and now Haku had just punched a hole in her wall as though it was made of styrofoam. He turned his gaze from the window to her. His voice was resolute and purposeful, but also angry and harsh.

"Pack a bag. Write a note for Keiko. We're leaving."

He turned and walked out of the room without another word.