Lord Iru picked up his phone on the second ring, "Are you better now, Firefly?"
"…I little…I was wondering if it was okay if I came for a visit…after I finish my finals"
"Of course, my child. I would like nothing better" he smiled.
"Great, I'll see you next Friday then?"
"Mm, everything is just the way you left it. I shall be waiting eagerly for your return"
"Okay, I love you, Grandfather"
Iru's old heart gave a flutter, "I love you, too, my Firefly"
He hung up the phone, pouring himself a drink. He lifted that glass to his lips, staring distractedly out the window at the coming dawn, 'Fawkeisha-chan…'
Flashback…
The small child stared out of the window of the limousine, clutching tightly to her teddy bear.
"Fawkeisha-chan?"
She blinked up at the older girl seated beside her. Her long sandy brow hair was held back in a ponytail, her green eyes warm and nurturing.
"Are you alright?"
The child nodded, glancing at the man seated opposite from them. His features were sharp and severe like a hawk, his black hair slicked back. As if feeling her nervous gaze, his hard green eyes focused on her. Eyes so much like hers and her sister's and yet so much colder and angrier.
"Just what the hell are you looking at?" he growled. Fawkeisha immediately looked away.
"Father…" the older girl sighed, placing a protective arm around her, "Leave Fawkeisha-chan alone…"
The older man scoffed, turning to glare back out the window, "You're lucky I don't want him to see you covered in bruises…"
The girl trembled, her eyes pricking with tears. She wanted to ask about where they were going, but fear had stolen her voice; the fear of this man, Kaito Hidenori. Her father.
Back when she was alive, her mother would carry on about what a wonderful man he was and how Fawkeisha had his eyes. But since her mother's death had forced her to move to Japan, away from everything she knew and loved, to live with her father, she had wondered if her mother really knew him at all.
The man hated her, he had told her as much upon their first meeting. He cursed her mother for having given birth to her and when the mood took him he would beat her horribly.
Fawkeisha's new sister, Miyako, had tried her best to protect her from him, but she was still a girl herself and could do little to keep her father's fists from finding her.
When her father hadn't hit her in several days, she knew something was up, and when he had bought her a new dress, it had scared her to death. She had believed he was finally planning to kill her.
But that morning, a limousine had been waiting for them downstairs and they were dressed in their Sunday best.
Said limousine pulled to a stop in front of a large mansion and the chauffer came around to open the door.
"…let's get this over with…" Kaito grumbled, going on ahead of them.
"…who lives here?" Fawkeisha asked, taking her sister's hand.
"Our grandfather" Miyako replied.
"Grandfather?" Fawkeisha blinked up at her. "Is he nice?"
"Well…he isn't mean…he just doesn't seem too interested in us" Miyako said nervously.
"Eh? Then why are we here?"
"He wanted to meet you" Miyako smiled, squeezing her hand.
"Me?" Fawkeisha blinked.
"Enough questions!" Kaito snapped. The little girl flinched.
"You better keep your damned mouth shut around the old man. Don't speak unless you're spoken to, got it?!"
Fawkeisha nodded hurriedly.
Miyako sighed, shaking her head. They were led through the main hall and into a finely decorated parlor. Fawkeisha climbed up on the couch beside her sister while her father began to pace.
"What could the old man possibly want with us?" he muttered, "Does he really expect me to believe it's all for the sake of knowing the little bastard…"
"Father please!" Miyako sighed.
"Watch what you say in my house, Kaito" a snarling voice caught their attention. The man in the doorway was wore a stern expression on his face, his jet black hair draped his shoulders while his emphatic green eyes were trained warily on Kaito. Miyako stood bowing deeply, "Grandfather"
Fawkeisha blinked, the man looked hardly old enough to be anyone's father let alone grandfather.
"You summoned us so we're here. Now what do you want?!" Kaito barked. The man's eyes snapped to Fawkeisha and she flinched.
"Is this the child?" he asked, his voice like rolling thunder. Kaito nodded grudgingly. The strange man beckoned her forward, she glanced at her older sister who nodded. Hopping down from the couch, Fawkeisha cautiously approached the older man. He bent to examine her, his eyes studying her small form.
"What's your name, little princess?" he said softly.
"Fawkeisha…" she whispered.
"Ah, Fawks-chan, what a lovely name" He smiled, reaching out to stroke her hair.
"…what's your name?" she asked.
"It's been a long time since someone's asked me that, young one" his smile became melancholy "You may call me Iru-sama if you like"
His thumb stroked her cheek and she winced, his brows furrowed. Giving a snarl, he stood glaring at the other man, "Kaito, how could you?!"
"Just what the hell are you talking about?!" he snapped. The other man rushed him, grabbing him by the collar, he slammed him into the wall.
"How dare you lay your hands on this child in such a manner?! Your own flesh and blood!" Iru growled.
"I never wanted the little bastard! I told her mother to get an abortion but the bitch wouldn't listen…" Kaito growled back.
"Grandfather! Please stop!" Miyako cried, lifting Fawks into her arms.
"And you!"Iru snapped. Miyako flinched.
"How could you allow such a thing to be done to your own sister?!" he roared. Miyako shrank back.
"Stop it!" Fawks cried. He seemed to be calmed by her voice.
"Don't talk to Miyako that way! She's the only one who's nice to me!" she wrapped her arms around her sister's neck, burying her face in the older girl's shoulder.
"…Fawkeisha-chan…" Miyako began. The man released Kaito, straightening out his robes.
"Since I see you clearly don't want this child, I'll take her for my own"
Fawks blinked, "Eh?"
"…Fine by me" Kaito sneered.
"B…but father…!" Miyako began.
"You heard him, Miyako-chan. As the patriarch of the family we have no choice but to obey" Kaito said coldly.
"Fawkeisha would be much safer here, you can't deny that…" the patriarch growled.
"…Is that okay with you, Fawkeisha?" Miyako asked. Fawks lifted her head, glancing at the Iru-sama.
"…Okay…"
"…You're sure?" Miyako began.
"Miyako-chan, can't you tell?" Fawks asked, looking back up at her sister. "Granpa is incredibly lonely"
Fawks watched as her father and sister got back in the limousine, Miyako waved at her as the car sped away.
"Won't you miss your sister?"
She looked up at Iru-san who had a firm grasp of her hand.
"Yeah…but I won't miss daddy hurting me…" she replied somewhat coldly. "Iru-san?"
"Mm?"
"…You're not really my grandfather, are you?"
Iru looked down into her, her expressive green eyes focused on him as if she were staring through him.
"No, I am not"
"…and you're not human either…"
"No"
Fawks stared contemplatively at her shoes, "So then…I'm not human…and neither is Miyako or Father…"
Iru knelt, taking the child into his arms.
"…Kaito and Miyako are most certainly human. You were the only child powerful enough to inherit my demon blood. I've been waiting for you for a long time…"
…End Flashback
"…I am sorry, old friend. But I swore I'd never let that child be hurt by anyone ever again. Can you begrudge me for trying to protect my flesh and blood, even from your own son…?"