Hana

"Have you seen her?" The radio DJ speaks in a loud incredulous voice. "Has anybody actually seen her? We have these little glimpses of a thin dark haired woman. I wanna know her name and what she looks like."

"I don't know about you but to me she looks like Nana. Her hair and the build are similar." His female costar interjected. "We all know how bad he had it for that woman."

"That would be ridiculous. Even if Nana had the guts to reappear, I don't think Ren would take her back. If he did I would lose all respect for him."

Daddy shuts off the radio and I almost blow my cover by objecting. He can't know that I'm hiding in the back seat. I have to get out of that apartment, but he and mom say it's not safe for me to go wandering outside. As if I would ever let anything bad happen to myself when I have a mission to accomplish. First things first I have to make Nana and Ren work together more and I have to get daddy to comfort mom. She should be calling any minute now, realizing that I've disappeared again.

His cell phone blares to life, cute he has a love song from my favorite anime as her ring tone. I suppress my excitement, listening to their conversation.

"You lost her again?" You, stupid daddy, be more sensitive. " How is it she's survived this long when you keep losing her?" Don't yell at my mommy! "My fault? How is this my fault." He listens to her scream that he shouldn't have left. "I have to go to work some time. I'm a poor orphan not the heir to a fortune like Kenta." Ren snarls and I can hear mommy yell that she was never a runaway so it must be his genes that caused me to be such a delinquent. Then she announces that he can forget it and she'll go out looking for me herself. "Stay in that apartment, Nana. If you go outside the mosquitoes will pounce."

Somewhat calmer he says. "No that wasn't an order. Look, I'm sure she's still in the apartment. There's no reports about a child leaving that place. The paparazzi are all over the gate taking pictures of everything that comes out and if..." He's interrupted by her screech. "No, Nana. Nana, listen to me! Listen." He swerves the car as he makes an abrupt turn cursing. I accidentally swear, "Shit," as I am thrown to the other end of the floor in back.

"Don't swear, Hana." He scolds then after a brief pause he looks behind himself. "Hana!" I wave up at him laughing nervously. He's pissed I can tell, he and mom fight when they think I'm in my room and that's the look he usually gives her. They seemed so happy that first day, so why is it they can't get along together now? "Put your seat belt on." He yells at me turning back around to resume driving back to the high security apartment Baldy insisted we move into.

In the mirror I can see his eyes constantly looking back at me. Pouting I buckle up and wait in heavy the silence as he speeds through the gate swearing at the camera men and women outside the window. Even when we get into the garage and park he says nothing as he exits the car and gripping my arm drags me in to the building where mom is about to leave in her disguise. There's no one else here, just us and the elevators down the hall.

"What are you doing? Both of you are going to get yourselves caught." He whispers as if there are reporters all around us recording the conversation. I think fame has made him paranoid. "Whatever I'm late. Take your daughter and go back to the apartment before someone sees you."

You don't have to be so harsh, you, stupid daddy. I want to scream at him but mommy does that for me.

"I can leave whenever I damn well please. Don't bark orders at me as if you own me." Yeah you tell him mommy. "And you." She turns on me pulling me from daddy. "What the hell were you thinking running off like that again. You have to stop doing this to me. My nerves can't handle not knowing where you are." She swoops me up with tears in her eyes and hugs me tightly to her chest.

"I'm sorry," I think of a good reason to sneak into daddy's car. "I only wanted to see Daddy at work, but he yelled and brought me back here." Now I think I might cry, "Mama, I don't think daddy loves me. He won't show me off to his coworkers or the press. He doesn't want anyone to know that he has me. I must not be everything he thought I would be!" I fling myself out of her arms and glare at Ren's shocked expression. "I don't want a daddy who doesn't want me!" I cry running towards the apartment.

"Hana!" Ren starts to run after me but mommy holds up a hand and stops him.

"She's a child, she throws tantrums to get what she wants." She says coolly. "Go to work. I'll deal with her."

"You're the one who keeps losing her." He accuses. It pisses me off how mean he's turning out to be. I wanted a nice daddy who loved both of us not this cranky paranoid jerk who locks us up as if we're some horrible secret.

"You're late for work." Nana snaps waving him away.

"Yeah, and who's fault is that?" Mommy snorts with disgust shoving him a little. "I have to come back here and make sure that the mosquitoes don't see either of you. We have to go and make Hana understand that if the mosquitoes see her sneaking out of here they'll have questions. I'll have to give them answers. They'll never leave us alone if they see one of you and link you back to me. Hell if they get a clearer view of you they'll be breaking down that gate to torment you."

"So what? Are you ashamed? Don't want to admit that you're still stuck on me after all these years? If you're still pissed about the other night than take it out on me not Hana." Daddy raises his hands tenses them inches from her neck and lets out a deep growl.

"You're the one who doesn't want to be thrown back into that world again. You wanted to stay hidden and we agreed that it would be best for Hana if they knew nothing about her for as long as possible. As for our relationship, I already admitted to still having feelings for you. You don't want a relationship. You don't think we can make it work. You don't trust me remember."

"Why should I trust you? I have every right to hate you!" As they argue they slowly move closer speaking quieter and quieter so I can't hear them.

I hate it when they do this. Any minute now Nana will shove Ren away from her and go to her room to cry. Forming out a plan I run passed them shoving them into each other so mom falls on top of him and neither one of them can catch me in time.

Ren

Nana pisses me off so much, but all I want is to kiss her and see if she would blush. "You're not listening to me." I never really listen when we fight like this. She moves too close invading my space and I get lost in my thoughts.

I glare, "I am listening and I agree with you. Hate me. All of your reasons are valid and I deserve to be hated," I stop talking confused.

Nana is on top of me equally perplexed. She looks behind herself then back at me not sure of what just happened. I open my mouth thinking of a way to explain the blur that had run passed us shoving her into me but I have nothing to say.

At the same time, it comes to us that the bur must have been our run away daughter. "Hana!" Nana and I run after the little trouble maker. We trip over ourselves to get down the stairs as our daughter has taken the elevator. By the time we catch up to her, to our horror, Hana is outside beaming brightly as she speaks to the reporters.

"Hana? Well aren't you adorable." One of the photographer's coos.

Hana thanks him sweetly standing up straight and I can imagine her face is just as charming as her mother's is when someone pays her a compliment. She tells them that her mother was so beautiful and her father was so handsome, she had no other choice but to be cute.

"Your mother and father? Just for the record who might they be?" One of the reporters asks sweetly bending low to offer Hana her mic.

"Hana!" Nana yells braving the cameras to seize our mischievous child.

The mosquitoes are on her in an instant. Cameras flashing, questions flying and Nana cursing. Feeling protective I swoop in and wrap them both in my arms throwing a glare at the reporters. They don't take the hint and continue to shove each other out of the way to be the first to receive an answer. I can think of nothing clever to say to them but Nana has a string of expletives she's more than willing to share with them. With a hand over her mouth I escort them through the throng of reporters back into our apartment.

The second I get to safety Nana's curses turn into sobs. She quivers in my arms, clinging tightly to me. I set Hana down and tell her to go to her room. Stubbornly she glares up at me declaring that she hasn't done anything wrong.

"I want to go outside." She demands, hands on her hips.

"I know that Hana. Please just go to your room. If you behave yourself, you can go out with Satsuki and her mom later." She doesn't look pleased so I add. "I'm not angry at you, I only want to speak to Nana alone for a moment."

Hana stomped her feet all the way to her room then turns around and yells, "You better not say anything mean or scream at her." She slams the door then and a few seconds later the volume on her television rises so I can hear the theme song of her show clearly.

"You alright?" I ask Nana softly. She shakes her head against my chest clinging so tight to my shirt that her fists are turning white. I try to sooth her by rubbing my hands over her back and kissing her hair. I think of something to say, anything to take her mind off of the flashing cameras and lies. "I'm sorry I've been so cranky and impatient with you. My frustration is my problem, not yours. I'm ashamed of myself, for not wanting to accept, 'no' as an answer."

She pulls away and avoids eye contact. I was stupid enough a few nights ago to kiss her. I knew that enough time hadn't passed and that she was still afraid, yet I still made a move on her.

We were cleaning up after dinner and joking with each other. It hadn't taken long for us to settle in to the new apartment with Hana. I had grown comfortable pretending that we were a family. They had only been living with me for two days though and I knew, I know, Nana isn't convinced of my sobriety. She doesn't trust in happy endings.

"I didn't say 'no' I said we can't. You never listen." It's been like this ever since I kissed her. We can't be in the same room without fighting. I'm frustrated by her closeness and she's afraid of getting closer. "Now we have to deal with those camera toting stalkers! How long will it take before they break down that gate and knock down the door? Hana and I should go home."

Annoyed I shoot a glare at her. "You can go but my daughter is staying here. Seven years is a long time to make up for." It's shameful to use my daughter as leverage but I know Nana will never actually leave her. "As for the paparazzi they've been on us since we got here. It's Yasu and Takumi's fault for making us move in here."

"Whatever, you're late for work. Go away already." I contemplate obeying her just so I won't have to be stuck her fighting.

"What are you going on about now? I can't leave when the mosquitoes are so riled up. What if they break down that door?" I sneak up behind her to lay a kiss on her shoulder. "I have to be here to protect you." There's a light blush coloring her cheeks but I know she'll deny it and throw me off if I linger too long. "Hana, stop spying and come out here. Daddy wants to watch anime too."

"We're done talking? What about the paparazzi, is it really alright if we just stay in here and let them makeup stories?" I roll my eyes at her and catch my daughter in my arms when she runs out from behind her bedroom door.

"What are we watching?" I ask taking her over to the couch. She chooses a romance with an oddly psychotic main character. Half way through the second episode, Nana finally decides to join us. She doesn't look happy that I ignored her question.

"If we keep fighting Hana will get some sort of complex about love. This girl has one and I don't want my daughter to be broken like that." I say, sure that Hana is too engrossed in her show to listen to us, but who knows with her. She's probably more aware of the situation than she lets on. "As for the mosquitoes, Takumi can deal with it. He needs a distraction from his divorce anyway." Nana's eyes grow large and curious at the mention of her former best friend's broken marriage. "Don't act surprised, we all knew what he was doing behind her back. She's waiting for you to call her by the way." There is a slight tone of disappointment in my voice despite my not wanting to sound like I'm scolding her.

She hasn't made any attempt to see anyone since that first day. Not even Nobu who has stopped by every day to see her. I should mention that he and Hachi have been seeing each other and Nobu has mixed up feelings about it. Nobu needs a friend more than Hachi and I can't be that for him. I wish I could shake some sense into Nana for him, it isn't fair of her to ignore the boy who has always been there for her.

Pressure on my arm startles me out of my thoughts. A hand squeezes my shoulder as if asking for something. Sad brown eyes look up at me and I nearly fall apart at the sight.

"Oh Nana," I take her under my arm and she rests her body against me silently crying. Her fears radiate off of her, and her voice trembles as she whispers, 'keep trying please,' into my ear. I kiss her head, holding on to her tightly as our daughter sings along to the theme song from her place in my lap.