9.

Birthday Wishes

There was a knock on the door of Dr. Saeko Kuga's office.

"Come in," She replied through her voice synthesizer.

The door opened slowly, and a large, rotund man with curly brown hair stepped into the office. He looked at her with sad eyes through a pair of small glasses.

"It's been a long time, Doctor," He said.

"Hello, Sakomizu. Natsuki has already informed me that you had no knowledge of my survival, that your level of clearance was too low for them to tell you such things. If you came to offer me that platitude, I'm already aware."

He shook his head, his weary brown eyes meeting the verdant fire that was now directed at him, "I came…to apologize."

She regarded him coolly for a moment, then turned her wheelchair away from him, "Apologize?"

"My orders that night were to arrest you and take custody of your daughter. When you lost control of the car and veered off the road…" His voice trailed off, "If I had it to do over again, knowing what I know now, I would have refused the order."

"Then you're a damned fool," She didn't look at him.

"Doctor?"

"Do you think your objections would have changed a thing? They would have simply eliminated you and gone through with the ambush, anyway. I knew what sort of people I had gotten involved with when I decided to escape."

"I see. Nevertheless, I am sorry. I am at your mercy, and your disposal," He got down on all fours, pressing his head to the ground.

"Get up, old fool," she ordered.

He stood, but couldn't look at her as she turned back to face him.

"I am well past a place where asking or giving forgiveness for anything would matter," Saeko Kuga said to him, "Except for one thing."

"And that is?"

"You kept her safe, all those years. And for that, I will forgive you for what happened on the road, that night."

"I, for one, am glad to hear that," Natsuki came in behind him, "Even if he is a completely unreasonable teacher who made me do excessive work over that summer after the Festival.

"But in any case, Sakomizu-sensei has wanted to see you ever since I told him you were still among the living. Go easy on him. For my sake."

"I hold no enmity towards him. He was watching over you, and not for those District One vultures. I will not seek any retribution for my condition."

"Hello, Mom. How are things going?"

"And to what do I owe the pleasure? Have you come to ask me to cancel my experiments with your 'spouse'?"

"I wish your synthesizer could convey tone of voice. I have no idea if you're asking because you're mad or if you're just being sarcastic. And no. I didn't come to ask that, though I won't deny it would make me happy if all this materialization crap were done with."

Saeko's face softened, "I'm sorry, Natsuki. Over a decade confined to these devices has made me a bit bitter. Let me ask again, as your mother. How can I help you?"

"Well, Saiyuri's first birthday is coming up. Shizuru's parents are going to be there. Her grandmother, thankfully, is not."

"Is your father going to be there?"

"Yes. But he promises to be civil to you if you promise not to start in on him. Which means that if both of you show, I'm putting you on opposite sides of the room."

Saeko's mouth formed a faint smile, "I'll go."

"Thank you."

"Also, congratulations on your latest book. I hear it made the top ten bestsellers list. And that they're planning on making a movie series."

"Well, it's still up in the air. But yes, they're talking about doing either an anime, or a live action film series. Each book could be a good thirteen episode season, I think, but being on the big screen might be better. I'm leaving that all to my agent, though."

"Oh?"

"Well, the books aren't done. I'm not going to let them get it to a point where they catch up and the final mystery hasn't been solved yet. That would be cheating the fans.

"Anyway, we'll see you there. You don't have to bring a present, but if you do, she likes dogs, the colors purple and blue, and anything soft and fluffy."

888888

Hiroyoshi Fujino was sitting his granddaughter on his lap, while Kagami Fujino tickled her under her chin.

"She looks very much like both of her parents," Kagami noted to her husband.

"At least she didn't inherit my nose," He smiled.

"Ara, I see she's taken with the both of you," Shizuru sat with them, "That makes me happy."

"She did inherit Kuga-san's hair and complexion," Kagami noted, "However, she has your chin and cheekbones, Shizuru."

"She has also inherited Natsuki's stubbornness," Shizuru noted, "Which is not nearly as adorable in an infant as I had supposed it would be."

"I'm the stubborn one? This coming from the girl who was romantically interested in me for three years before she would say a word? Anyway, I'll have you know I was a perfectly adorable baby," Natsuki grinned, greeting her wife with a quick kiss, "And I've even got the photo albums to prove it. And we need a bunch of pictures to fill Saiyuri's with."

"Mama, Okasan," Saiyuri reached out to them both.

"She speaks well, I see," Hiroyoshi beamed, "Hardly surprising. Both of her parents have their own unique ways with words. My partners feel that an anime series will be a better way to adapt the books, by the way. We won't have to worry about actors aging out of their parts over the years."

"That sounds reasonable to me," Natsuki said, "And it gives us a whole host of merchandising options, too."

She tickled Saiyuri's tummy, "You're going to have a robust college fund."

"Bust," Saiyuri agreed.

Guests arrived in short order. Mai, Yuuichi, and Mikoto came as a group. Reito was, to Natsuki's surprise, accompanied by Nao, who was latched onto his arm. Her father and his new wife, Satsuki, arrived together. Natsuki found she got along well with Nao's mother, though the older woman had insisted that Natsuki didn't have to think of her as a step-mother. Alyssa and Miyu, were, of course, together. And Saeko Kuga arrived with Sakomizu.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened between us," Genichiro said to his ex-wife.

She managed a sigh, "As am I. You're looking reasonably well."

"Two years in remission. My lease on life is still valid, for the foreseeable future. And you?"

"Constant upkeep keeps me among the living," she replied, "Satsuki, I hope he has not unduly troubled you with his snoring."

Satsuki smiled pleasantly, "After five years in a coma, I don't mind a sleepless night or two. Although, I suppose that all of us would consider ourselves quite sick of hospitals."

"You can add me to that list," Natsuki joined them, "Mom, Dad, Satsuki. Thank you all for coming. So, Satsuki…how long have Nao and Reito…?

"Oh, yes. I know they shared a dance at your wedding, but I think this is a recent development."

"Saiyuri doesn't really know what today is about. But she knows and likes everyone here, so, it's a happy day for her," Natsuki looked wistfully at her daughter, bouncing on the elder Fujino's knee.

"The first birthday is more about celebrating the mother's accomplishments," Genichirio smiled, and reached out to embrace his daughter, 'Though I suppose that means, in this case, that I shall have to also congratulate Shizuru, as well."

"Ara, it's not necessary," Shizuru joined them, "Natsuki is the one who gave birth, so it truly was her accomplishment."

"Shizuru, you shouldn't discount yourself," Natsuki said, "After all, you helped me through the whole thing. And you read to her every night, even after a long day of classes. And you sing her such beautiful lullabies. This first year is your accomplishment, too, Shizuru."

"Well, it should be noted that we had help all around," Shizuru smiled, looking at the room full of guests.

"I can handle the camera," Sakomizu said, "Happy memories for the future, right?"

"Have at it," Natsuki handed him a camera.

"Less than a month to your next anniversary," Nao came up to Natsuki, running her fingers under Natsuki's chin, "You'd better get planning on something special for her, too, y'know."

"You're not going to psych me out, Nao," Natsuki grinned, "My plans are already in order."

"You're not any fun," Nao pouted.

"Ara, I think Natsuki is a good deal of fun. But, that's between Natsuki and I. Nao will have to find her own brand of fun."

Nao actually blushed.

"Don't get too worked up," Natsuki sighed, a touch of crimson on her own cheeks, "She's actually referring to her relentless teasing."

"Was I?" Shizuru smiled broadly.

"Case in point," Natsuki looked at Shizuru with gleaming emerald eyes, "Down girl. Our parents are actually in the room."

"Natsuki does have a point," Shizuru put a finger to her lip, thoughtfully, "Well, tonight, then."

"So, what are your plans for your anniversary?" Nao asked.

"A quiet night without troublesome redheads," Natsuki deadpanned.

"Careful, Kuga," Mai smirked, "It doesn't do your anniversary plans any good to alienate potential babysitters."

"She is hopelessly dense on that subject, isn't she?" Nao grinned.

"Wait," Yuuichi looked confused, "We're babysitting?"

"It's good practice for you," Mai told him.

"Practice? For what? Is there something you're not telling me?"

Natsuki took a long look at Mai, then clapped Yuuichi on the back, "Nope. She's not expecting, yet."

"Awww," Nao mock pouted, "You should have made him sweat a little more. It would have done him good."

"Don't listen to her, Yuuichi," Natsuki smiled gently, "Listen, you and Mai having kids would be a good thing. I mean, look over there. That's my daughter, surrounded by people who love her.

"You knew me back in school. Since the days of Junior High, in fact. This carefree happy life, is it really the sort of thing you'd have associated with me back then?"

Yuuichi grinned, "Honestly, given some of the rumors I'd heard, I half expected to here that you got knifed in a bar fight. No offense."

"None taken, because it isn't that far from the truth, after all. But now? I have friends. I have family.

"So, when you and Mai have kids, it's going to be wonderful. It's something to look forward to. So, don't think of it as the end of things. It's the beginning.

"Now, let's all go have cake and ice cream and help Saiyuri open her presents."