A/N Disclaimer: I do not own Blood Plus or any characters mentioned other than my OCs. I do not own any of the music mentioned. As for the song lyrics in this chapter- they belong to Roxette and the song is called "Watercolors in the Rain" Aaannnd- I don't own The Addam's Family either. Sure wish I did- I'd be rich!

Chapter 20- Sanctuary

She wished she had her ipod. She wished she had her music. What she found as she dashed through town was a music shop and a beat up acoustic guitar. Mary Frances had just enough money with her to purchase the thing and head for the beach and the stone steps.

It was nearly a week ago on a sleepless night. She heard the beautiful deep melody that came from an era long ago dancing on the light sea breeze. It was her first night at Omoro and she was already homesick. She missed her life so much. Being an insomniac on a regular basis had hardened her to sleeping. She only did it when she felt weak and hadn't ate well.

Tired of sitting in the bedroom that Kai let her use, she sat on the window sill and kicked her feet out. She easily leapt to the ground below and took off to the beach to find that song.

She had no idea who was playing so sweetly, but she had to find it.

Her feet were moving, but she didn't know where they were taking her. By the time she reached the stone steps, the music had stopped and the player vanished. She climbed and climbed for it seems like forever. Once she reached the top, she noticed a stone shrine and the garden that lay beyond. The full moon sent a cool blue light over everything.

It should have felt creepy. It should have frightened her into leaving, but it didn't. It felt comforting. It was a place of solace- a sanctuary. The small memorials didn't spook her like a cemetery should. This felt different than any cemetery she'd been in- this was special.

She gasped as her eyes drifted from the stone walls and alters to a massive cobweb that hung in a corner. She should be frightened, but she's not. This is familiar. She came to the massive thing and placed a hand on it. It wasn't cold and it wasn't dead. She could feel the inhabitant question her from her pink amniotic surrounding, "Who are you?"

She didn't speak with her mouth, but her mind answered.

After a long while, she asked, "Saya? Are you the queen Saya?"

There was no answer, but she felt as if she had been accepted here.

Mary Frances made her way up the stone steps and came into the shrine. She flopped down in the corner next to the cocoon. She pressed her face into her hands and her forehead to her knees before she let out a few sobs and then let loose a small whimper.

"Saya," she said, "you won't believe what they are doing to me. They want your damn chevalier to come back with me to the states. I have to say goodbye to everything I know because…" her face contorted as she sobbed. "…because my blood."

She cried for a moment before she added, "Why does he have to come with me?" She turned and looked at the cocoon and asked, "Seriously, what do you see in that guy?" Feeling a warm sensation envelope her, she realized the answer- Saya had fallen in love with him. She muttered, "I still don't see why."

After a time, she realized why she came here. She began to pull the guitar from its case and tune the strings. "I read Joel I's diary and I know all the stuff you went through." She added sadly, "I also know you won't remember any of this when you wake up."

Brightening again, she added, "But I also found out that you like music. I thought you'd like to hear what I learned how to play since you'll hear a lot of cello and piano when you wake up. Lurch plays the cello and he taught Kanade and Hibiki plays piano and sings that opera stuff."

She sighed, "I hope you like this cause all I know is rock ballads and some country music." Playing a few simple chords to test the guitar, she added, "Well, here it goes."

Mary Frances played a few bars before she opened her mouth and began to sing "Dust in the Wind" in a sultry alto voice. It was so different than what Saya always heard, but for some reason it soothed her. The woman's voice was peaceful, but so sad. It was even more sad than Diva's.

When she switched to her final song, she informed her, "This one's an old one that I remember hearing at The Center on someone's ancient cassette player- it's called 'Watercolors in the Rain.'

Going through emotions

Ending up

Nowhere at all

Can see the sun on my wall

Going through the motions

Ending up

On a frozen morning

With a heart not even broken

Seems I've been running

All my life, All my life

Seems I've been running

All my life, All my life

All mu life

Like watercolors in the rain

Find a place to settle down

Get a job

In a city nearby

Watch the trains roll on by

I find a fallen star

Oo, I fall in love

With the eyes of a dreamer

And a dream worth believing

Seems I've been running

All my life, All my life

Seems I've been running

All my life, All my life

All my life

Like watercolors in the rain

She finished the song with tears streaking her face. One of her favorite songs and it just tore her up to sing it. The song always made her feel like a battered and broken little bird, lying in the middle of nowhere with no hope of rescue. She pressed the back of her head to the stone wall behind her and cried again.

It was relaxing to show weakness for a bit. It was even better that the resident of this place would never remember this visit. Her secret was safe.

She briefly wondered if Lurch ever did this and then brushed the thought away. What he does here is no business of hers.

She began to pack up the guitar and head back to Omoro. She turned and said, "Well, Saya, I'll see you in about 6 months. I'm going back to the states. I'll be sure to get Lur- I mean Hagi back before you wake up."

~0~

Mary Frances' outburst at the clinic had been a real ordeal for him. He was not accustomed to so much emotion or cursing. He had to think about this. He was walking along the beach and tumbling over his thoughts.

"How do they expect me to do this? I have no idea how to correct her or talk to her. Julia told me treat her the way I treated Saya, but she is nothing like Saya was. Sure Saya was spoiled, but she wasn't anything like this girl. Saya was mischievous, but not evil."

"Mary Frances is hurtful, proud, arrogant, mean-spirited, impatient, and vulgar."

He was distracted from his thoughts when he heard an acoustic guitar somewhere nearby. It was coming from Saya's resting place! Normally, this caused the chevalier alarm. Normally, he'd dash up the steps and cause an intruder great pain by a few rapidly fired daggers.

Something was different. He felt that this was no threat at all. "The same blood?" he thought as he mounted the steps, taking them two at a time and then three. He was still completely silent as he approached the shrine and peered inside. The young hateful, spiteful, arrogant, proud woman was shedding tears as she sang a beautiful, relaxing melody to the sleeping queen. Hagi was startled to say the least. The girl was playing a beat up old guitar. Her fingers deftly moved over the frets as her natural nails plucked the strings gently.

He listened silently to the song in wonder. Is this what her life was like? Her file said that she had lived all her life in LA. No, that wasn't it. It must be why she got a diesel truck- it's how she wants her life to be. She wants to travel freely and experience it first hand- not from a song.

Hearing her gentle alto voice deftly going though the more difficult parts as if the song was written for her gave him a strange feeling. He had never felt this way before. His daughter played through the tune and sang perfectly.

He recalled when Saya taught him to play the cello and he surpassed her. She was jealous that he was better than her and gave it up completely.

What he felt was not jealousy- this felt good. Was he… proud of her?

He was gone from the entrance before she left, but as she came out, she felt he had been there. She scrunched her brows and growled out one word, "Spy."

~0~

Mary Frances went back to Omoro that evening with one last surprise for the family. She had found an old DVD at one of the shops near Omoro and had to get everyone to see it- The Addams Family.

She helped in the pub that night. Kai insisted she should pack, but she simply answered, "Meh, I'll do it later."

As she wiped down tables, one of the customers began to get a little handsy. She felt him pinch her backside before he groped her. Kai was almost at the table when Mary Frances turned around and informed him in Japanese, "Trust me, I am way more than you can handle." She then regarded there were two more at the table with him. She licked her lips and added as she leaned in close to all three of them, revealing her cleavage, "I'd eat the three of you alive." She gnashed her teeth for emphasis, causing them to flinch with wide eyes.

Kanade and Hibiki shared the same expression. They had been fighting those guys off for what seemed like an eternity. Kai had even thrown them out a few times. But they all laughed as the guys quickly exited the bar wearing fearful looks.

"That was amazing!" Hibiki congratulated as she came to her cousin's side.

"How did you learn Japanese so fast?" Kanade asked, but was interrupted as Kai was still sputtering laughter and glancing with disapproval at his niece.

"I don't know whether to hug you or take you over my knee right now," he laughed. He briefly thought if Hagi were here, he'd probably have killed the lot before Mary Frances even turned around. This was much funnier.

~0~

It was hard work, running the pub, but Kai was grateful for the additional help offered by Mary Frances. About mid-way through the evening, the bartender became ill and she simply jumped behind the bar without being asked and began to take requests. She knew almost all the American mixed drinks, but had no trouble learning the different drafts that were written in Japanese.

Kai was impressed with the young woman to say the least, but something was gnawing at him. He looked at her as he wiped down one of the tables as she cleaned up the bar. Her features were still rounded, like Kanade and Hibiki, making him think, "There is no way that she's 19 going on 20. She's tall and I think that's why she gets away with saying she's 20 or like when she told them tonight, 21. She has to be lying about her age."

He took a breath and asked, "Mary Frances," when her brown eyes met his, he continued, "when is your birthday?"

She gave a sly smirk and responded, "C'mon, the Red Shield did a background check on me. You are one of their operatives. I'm sure you can tell me more about me than I can tell you."

He nodded and smirked back. She's a smart one. He then asked, "So, you turn 20 in August, right?" At her nod, he commented, "You're gonna be in the states for your birthday."

"Yeah," she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'll have my business, Daddy Green, my neighbor, and my truck!"

He smiled at the mention of a truck. Hagi never told them about what kind of truck it was. He smiled, thinking it must be one of those really nice trucks, maybe an extended cab. He asked, "This truck you love so much- what kind is it?"

She smirked as she answered, "It's a diesel tractor with a sleeper, triple axle with trailer attached. It was built in 1995- and it's midnight black with 5 clear coats. You can friggin see your reflection on the finish!"

Both of Kai's eyebrows were raised and his face looked completely confused. He nodded and said, "I have no idea what that is."

She laughed out so hard that she nearly snorted. "Of course you don't. It's not a truck for hauling a few things. I run a semi, Kai. A freakin' awesome semi!"

Kai blinked. She wasn't just some casual driver, she was a big rig driver. All Kai could say was, "Wow."

She smirked, "I know." She wiped down the counter and gave a quick glance around for Riku or the girls and as Kai put it "their sensitive ears" before she added, "It fucking rocks!" As she finished the counters, she told him, "Hey, give me your email address and I'll send you a pic when I get back."

Kai smiled as he commented, "Yeah, that sounds good." He then thought about his bike suddenly, "You know, I have a motorcycle that has been giving me some trouble."

She furrowed a brow and commented, "Oh? I don't know much about bikes, but I do know the parts are similar to cars. Daddy Green has a few on the lot that we tinkered with, but they'll probably never run again."

"Wanna look at it?" he asked as he tossed the dirty cloth into the bin of dirty towels.

Mary Frances followed suit and shrugged her shoulders, "Why not?"

~0~

The girls were setting up the movie Mary Frances had bought as they settled in their seats. They both rolled their eyes as they overheard Kai telling Mary Frances about his bike in the garage. Riku joined them in a moment and slouched as he tinkered with some game. All three of them were floored at what they heard next.

Kai said, "I dunno. It's fine if I run it short distances, but man when I ride it for more than 10 minutes straight, it begins to overheat. I replaced the entire cooling system a few years ago and it still does it!"

Mary Frances answered after a moment, "Did you check to see that the thermostat is good? Does it open in boiling water?"

After a moment, Kai dashed inside with some part in his hand as Mary Frances followed him to the door before returning to the garage and the bike.

The girls smiled as they heard the front door open and Hagi walked inside. Riku watched the chevalier as if he was about to do something. The young man had come to enjoy Mary Frances' company and was upset at teh way Hagi treated her. They could hardly wait to begin this movie. Mary Frances kept calling Hagi Lurch and they were dying with curiosity to see this character that acted like Hagi.

He came to the girls and Riku on the sofa as he noticed Kai was tinkering with some automotive part in the kitchen and a pot of water. His brow furrowed briefly and he turned to them. "Where is Mary Frances?"

Kanade gave him a questioning look and answered, "She and Dad are talking motorcycles. I think she's actually helping him fix it."

Hagi walked to the garage door and noticed the girl was leaned over the engine of Kai's old motorcycle. She didn't turn back but she felt the presence of a chiropteran. "Hey, I don't know which twin I'm talking to," she called out as she kept her eye on the item she was removing, "but did Kai get that water boiling yet?"

A deep answer startled her as she was answered, "Not yet." She looked up and tried to keep her cool. Who the hell invited him?

Such an odd thing. Why was Kai boiling a machine part? Hagi tried to keep his curiosity under control, usually an easy thing, but this seemed so strange. Such a young girl and she knew about fixing motorcycles and drove a semi! Finally, he casually asked, "Why is Kai boiling a motorcycle part?"

She wiped her hands and smirked. She could spot a man without a mechanical bone in his body a mile away. Knowing she was right about Lurch, she explained, "That motorcycle part is a thermostat. It regulates the cooling system. He's boiling it to see if it will open like it's supposed to."

He blinked as she brushed past him. That was the most civil thing she's ever said to him.

She heard the thought and responded, "I'll be stuck with you for six months, Lurch. May as well make the most of it. I have a feeling, by the time this is all over we'll be tearing each other apart. I can be nice for a while." She headed for the kitchen and spoke with Kai.

Hagi walked to the living room and saw Hibiki grumbling about how long they were taking to get in there. Instead she grabbed the remote from her sister and pushed play shouting, "Butts in seats! I pushed play!"

Kai rolled his eyes as he turned off the water and joined Mary Frances. "We better get in there, Hibiki has a bad temper when she has to wait for something." He added as he ushered Mary Frances into the living room, "The thermostat opened. I just don't know what else it could be."

"When you have more time, try to pull the head gasket from the engine. Run a few drops of water onto it to see if any water leaks through," she said.

"Urgh!" Hibiki grumbled, "Are you two going to talk motorcycles all night? Could we please watch the movie now?"

Kanade glared at her and shushed her, "Hibiki, it's her last night here. We should let her have fun her own way."

"Oh this is going to be fun," she smiled at the two and winked.

They watched the movie for a time before a man came to the massive door and knocked. This very tall, imposing man answered the door with a stiff attitude and asked, "You rang?" His voice was quite deep and he never smiled.

Mary Frances was laughing and the twins looked at each other in confusion. Kai scrunched his brow and looked closer at the screen and then Mary Frances, "He doesn't look like Hagi."

Mary Frances laughed and corrected, "I never said he did. I said he acts like him."

Kai and the twins looked at each other and shrugged. He kind of did, so they just let that go. Mary Frances still thought it was funny and was giggling every time the butler had even a moment of screen time. By the time the movie had run an hour, Riku looked up from his game and saw the butler. He tried to hide the smile that came to his face. He then rose and left for his room, having lost interest in the movie.

The twins passed out on the couch in the middle of the movie, their feet were on the opposite ends of the sofa but their heads were pressed against each other, cheek to cheek. Mary Frances smiled absently as Kai took a picture of the two before lifting Hibiki off the sofa and motioning for Hagi to take Kanade. As Hagi lifted Kanade in his arms, he noted how Mary Frances' smile fell.

She rose and followed them upstairs. When Kai returned to the hallway minus one queen, she rubbed the back of her head and commented, "Well, I guess I better go pack. See you in the morning."

Kai nodded and smiled before he headed down the stairs to finish the movie.

Hagi heard the girl packing in George's old room. He took a moment to look out of the window near her room into the moonlit night. It surprised him to see Kai on the porch doing the same thing.

Kai thought about the girl. She was young and sad. Having raised 4 kids, Kai knew just what was going through Mary Frances' head right now. The man that was confirmed her father 4 times now, possibly five, kept denying it. He thought Hagi got it when they were in New York and he bought her some clothes and even gave her some cash in case she needed it.

As the chevalier came out, Kai thought about what he might say, but couldn't string it together. The two stood in silence, looking out at the ball park across the street.

He was rather surprised that Hagi spoke first. "Kai, as I will be gone for quite some time in Los Angeles, could you please change the rose at Saya's resting place for me every other day. You can purchase the flowers at the market in town." He then handed Kai an envelope with the cash needed.

Kai looked at him and nodded before he commented, "What if she wakes up while you're gone?"

"She won't," he responded flatly. "Even if she does, I will sense it and return."

At this comment, Kai turned to look at the chevalier with confusion. "Dad said that he found Saya already awake and out of her tomb. If you could sense when she woke up, why weren't you there?"

Hagi kept his gaze on the stars and did not respond.

Kai then said, "Hagi, do me a favor while you're there." He waited for the blue-grey eyes to meet his, "Try to talk to her. She's hurt by what you did. I know you didn't mean for it to hurt her but it has."

"How do you know?" Hagi responded flatly.

"She was being halfway nice to you when we got here, but after the second paternity test, she was calling you every curse word in the book and a few I didn't even know. Besides, I got 4 kids- I know how they think," Kai said.

They both turned their gazes back to the stars and Kai continued, "Don't worry about Saya right now. Mary Frances needs you right now. Fix things with her first 'cause I don't think she's going to be staying in the US and you need to look after her when you both get back to Okinawa."

At this, Hagi turned to him. "Kai, I am Saya's protector. When I return, it will be for her and her alone. Mary Frances will be staying with you. There is plenty of protection here…"

At this Kai threw his hands up and interrupted, "Oh no. Hell no, Hagi, this is your problem. She's your child to deal with. You need to do this because she's your responsibility."

They didn't see the very subject of their discussion coming up behind them, mouth hanging open in shock. When Kai mentioned she was that… urgh! That she was Hagi's responsibility, she was fuming.

"Let's get this fucking straight," she interrupted, causing the two men to turn abruptly. One was wearing an "oh shit" expression, the other was wearing his usual blank expression, "I am 20 years old and my OWN responsibility. Ass wipe here lost that right when he screwed my mom and left her to fend for herself. As for being a burden…"

"Mary Frances," Kai interrupted, "I never meant that you were a burden. I was just…"

She looked at Kai with a softened yet still angry look, causing him to stop mid sentence, "I know. You just want my shit-head sperm doner to take some responsibility. So far all I've got from him are mixed signals and denial."

She turned to leave and added, "Oh and one more thing," at this point she was a few inches from Hagi's face and glared at him as she finished, "I was going to be nice to you for the sake of getting along. You blew that all to hell tonight. Just know that this trip is going to be hell on earth for you!" With that, she disappeared with chiropteran speed up the stairs.