-42-

"You've been... you've been what?" That was Megumi, Keiichi knew, and the level of stress in her voice was the same rise and pitch as it got whenever their parents became the object of conversation.

Oh, this was going to go bad.

"We've been, um, dating for about... two years?" Aiko's voice was wavering as well, like she'd broken down and admitted to drinking drugs and smoking alcohol in front of Keima and Takano, which was stupid because you don't drink drugs or smoke alcohol and-

And Aiko slept with Belldandy.

Aiko slept with Belldandy.

Aiko, his baby sister, who'd just come out of the closet, had slept with Belldandy.

Before he'd slept with Belldandy.

Oh Christ on a goddamned Saltine cracker, she'd even slept with Urd!

"Oh... my... GOD!" Keiichi pulled at the roots of his hair. "Are you serious!?" His sister had slept with his girlfriend before he had. Oh for fuck's sake-

"Yes...?" Aiko flinched at his tone, and even the Norns and Deb started at his voice, turning to stare at Keiichi as if he'd grown another head.

"Oh fuck, oh Jesus," Megumi raved. "Are you- do Takano and Keima know?"

"No!" Aiko exclaimed. "I was hoping for some moral support before I broke down to our ultra-traditional parents!"

"I fucking knew it," Morgan, the Teal-Haired Wonder herself, grumbled dispassionately.

"Well, I for one think you two are adorable together." Belldandy's calm, rational voice broke through the growing debacle in the lobby. "And I would hope that your siblings feel the same after the... initial shock has passed." She sent a pointed look to Keiichi, and oh fuck him it was the exact same expression on Urd's face, on Deb's face, and shit, Aiko looked like she was ready to burst into tears she looked so scared, he needed to pull his head out of his ass before he said the wrong thing.

Take a breath. Some part of him spoke, Panic in private. Aiko needs your support. That was the SEAL in him, that steady voice of reason and strong will that had kept his cool in one firefight after another. No different now, that part continued. Different type of battle. Aiko needs you.

Right. No time for panic because Aiko didn't need panic right now. Aiko needed stability. Support. Approval. What did it matter who she dated? It wasn't any of his business, and in the end, it was still Aiko. His baby sister who looked ready to break down right in front of him and-

Okay, he told the SEAL. I got this now. "Sorry," he said aloud, and scratched the back of his head for effect. "You just- caught me off guard with this, is all," he admitted. "I mean, with how tense visits home are already..." He trailed off, then took a deep breath. "I'm Keiichi, Aiko's older brother." He held his hand out to Morgan, whose face brightened in surprise. "Sorry for freaking out on you. Nice to meet you, Morgan."

For a long moment Morgan stared at the offered hand, and it was with the torn look of a woman whose expectations had been dashed, who'd been preparing for war and instead been offered an olive branch, and was now desperately sweeping the WMD's beneath the rug. Her lips pulled back in something too aggressive to be considered a smile, and grabbed his hand tightly. He squeezed back by reflex. "Nice to meet you, Keiichi." It sounded like Morgan was trying very, very hard to be polite. Given the confrontational body language at present, Keiichi appreciated her efforts. "It's... nice to meet you to. Aiko has... spoken. Of you."

"Kei, what the hell?" Megumi's voice rose next to him. "You're okay with this?"

"Sure!" Keiichi cried, and then looked back at Aiko and Morgan. "So, what gift you want for the wedding?"

"Kei!" Both Megumi and Aiko screamed.

"Whaaaat?" Keiichi lamented. "It's an honest question!"

"I can't believe you- this doesn't bother you?" Megumi demanded. "You're in the military!"

"Yeah, so?" Keiichi said with a shrug. "Just because I'm in the military doesn't automatically mean that I would be against this."

"Well, that's one way to look at it," Debra muttered.

Urd, looking more and more frustrated as the conversation spiraled further downward, broke her silence. "It's your sister." She sent a pointed look to Megumi, her voice irritated. "So she doesn't fit the traditional mold, so what? What difference does it make if she loves a man or a woman?" The Norn missed Debra shaking her head in warning.

"Nobody asked you!" Megumi snapped. "Mind your own business. This isn't your sister we're talking about!" The woman turned back to Aiko. "Who else knows?"

"Keigo..." Aiko trailed off, edging closer to Morgan, who appeared to be redirecting her rug-swept arsenal towards the older woman.

"What, so you told an eleven year old boy who doesn't even understand what 'lesbian' means but you don't tell us until we're in a hotel lobby?" Megumi's voice was starting to rise, and more and more people were turning to watch the drama unfold.

Aiko flinched, and Morgan hugged her protectively. "Yeah, well, maybe she didn't say anything because she was afraid of you freaking out on her!" Morgan, it appeared, had no qualms with confrontation, glaring daggers at Megumi as she scowled. "I mean, it's not like you're being very receptive here. I mean, look around you!" She swept her hand towards Keiichi and the others. "You're the only one here freaking out on us now! If you don't like it, why don't you fuck off? Aiko doesn't need your approval to be with me anymore than she needs her parents' approval! So why don't you take yourself and your bitch-ass attitude and take a hike!"

"What'd you say to me?" Megumi's voice fell into a quiet whisper, and she took a step towards Morgan.

"You need me to write it down?" Morgan taunted. "Or are you so conservative the only thing you know is the back of a kitchen?"

"You little-" Megumi's hand came up, and before Keiichi could react Debra stepped forward, her arm snaking around Megumi's raised one as the blonde stopped her friend from acting.

"Okay, I think it's time Megumi and I went for a walk," Debra announced. "Aiko, thank you for working up the courage to come out to us, that was very brave of you, and I support you one hundred percent-"

"Deb!" Megumi exclaimed.

"One hundred percent," Debra emphasized. "Miss Roux, it was good meeting you, and while it's nice to see you're so willing to defend Aiko in her choices, I would advise against instigating fights with her siblings in front of law enforcement in the future." Morgan started, and her face went white at Deb's words. "My only request is that you attempt to alleviate such situations in a more peaceful manner in the future."

"Deb, this isn't funny, let me go," Megumi growled.

"Megs and I are going to take a smoke break," Debra continued. "We'll catch up with you guys in a few."

"Debra!" Megumi's voice rose louder, but she did not resist when Debra began to pull her through the lobby and towards the automated glass doors leading outside.

The others watched her go. "Whew, I thought Megumi was going to kick your ass there." Aiko breathed a sigh of relief.

Morgan huffed. "I could take that old biddy," she grumbled, her gaze lingering on the two women before they vanished from sight. "She don't look so tough. All bark and no bite, I bet."

For a moment, Keiichi and Aiko shared a look, and then burst out laughing. Morgan bristled. "What?" She demanded. "What'd I say?!"

Keiichi wiped a tear from his eye. "Morgan, I'm a Navy SEAL, and even I don't want to tangle with her!"

"Oh come on!" Morgan exclaimed. "What, is she a black belt in karate?"

"Aikido, actually," Aiko replied. "Remember when I told you that our father taught us all martial arts? He started teaching us Aikido pretty much from the moment we could walk. Well, when Megumi was sixteen, she decided to go to the local dojo after some kids from there were bragging about how they could beat up anyone they wanted. She proceeded to beat the crap out of everyone there, then almost beat their instructor. He offered her a job on the spot. She's a level five godan, now, and she'll be going for level six, rokudan in a couple of months."

"She would literally toss you from one side of the room to the next." Keiichi added. "I mean, I've got an arsenal of martial arts under my belt, but there's a difference between a jack of all trades and an actual master."

"Oh." Morgan fell quiet for a brief minute, chewing over this new bit of information in silent contemplation. She looked over at Aiko. "So... should I be afraid of the rest of your family, too?" she asked.

"Just stay out of Keima's workshop, avoid Takano when she goes shopping, and don't bring up videogames to Keigo, and you'll be fine," Aiko assured. "Really, aside from Kei and Megs, my family is perfectly normal. I swear!"

Keiichi rolled his eyes.

Belldandy and Urd, who'd come to expect all manner of strange and unusual events with Aiko around, were quick to shoot her suspicious glances as well.

Keiichi looked back at his sister. "Let Deb speak with Megs and have her cool off a bit," he recommended. "I think she's still in a bit of shock."

"That's an understatement," Morgan grumbled.

Keiichi ignored the jab. "Come here, Bengal, let me give you a hug." He opened his arms, and was forced to take a step back to catch himself when Aiko all but threw herself into his frame. He caught the slightest bit of relief on her face, and held her tightly. "You crazy-ass brat," he said. "Pulling this shit on me now rather than simply bringing your girlfriend over to come and visit back home."

"You've got guns." Aiko pointed out.

"So does every other red-blooded American." Keiichi retorted. "Bad excuse, try again."

Aiko flipped him off, and laughing, the two siblings released each other. The blue-haired girl then looked to Belldandy and Urd. "So... be honest. Are you guys really cool with this?" she asked, and while her question was directed to both of the Norns, her focus lay solely on Belldandy. "I mean..." She trailed off, and Morgan watched her closely before shooting a look to Belldandy as well. It almost looked... jealous.

"Are the two of you happy together?" Belldandy asked.

"Yes," Aiko admitted.

"Do you love each other?" Belldandy asked next.

"Yes." This time both Aiko and Morgan answered together, and Belldandy smiled. It was a kind, peaceful smile, one of those rare, subtle smiles that Belldandy reserved for only special occasions, and one that made Keiichi and Urd smile as well.

"Then I see no issue in your relationship," the goddess said. "Everyone deserves their happiness, and in no way should my opinion stand in the way of that happiness." She stepped forward, and reading her intent Aiko rushed to her as well, where the two embraced in the same tight hug that Aiko had shared with Keiichi.

"Thanks Carrie," Aiko mumbled, and Keiichi was surprised to see that there were tears on her cheeks. "That means a lot, coming from you. You and Urd both."

XXX

"Damn it Deb, will you let me go already?!" Megumi complained. It was hot outside, a good ninety degrees, and both Megumi and Debra had begun to sweat after not even five minutes. It didn't help that with the way Deb was 'escorting' her, it created the appearance that Megumi was under arrest. People were staring. Some folks were even reaching for their phones. "Seriously, this shit is going to end up on YouTube, and I don't need my face drawing negative attention to the BACA Chapter!"

"Are you going to rush back inside and attack your sister's girlfriend?" Debra asked.

"No!" Megumi replied. "And don't call her that! It's weird!"

"It's the truth Megs," Debra reasoned. "And you're the one being 'weird'."

"I am not!" Megumi snapped. "It's just-"

"Your little sister just came out of the closet to you, and you lose your shit in front of everyone?" Debra released her hold on Megumi, and true to her word her best friend didn't run back to the hotel. "I thought BACA exercised tolerance above everything else."

"It's not that, it's-"

"Listen, I know that you may not agree with it, but that's still your baby sister in there," Debra interrupted. "It's fine if you don't like it or agree with it, or even support it, but don't make a scene in front of everyone in the lobby. You're better than that, Megs. Aiko looked like she was about to break down in front of everyone with the way you were acting in there. Even Keiichi's new... flame was more supportive than you."

Megumi flinched. "It's not her sister," she muttered.

"I fail to see how that's in any way relevant," Debra replied. "Keiichi kept his cool, well, after he regained it anyways, and he's the one I'd have expected to freak out on everyone."

"He's been going to therapy and taking anger management classes," Megumi grumbled, her expression sullen. "He's been working hard to improve himself after you left."

"I know," Debra replied. "You told me, remember? That's how you convinced me to come down here in the first place."

Megumi flinched.

Together, the friends wandered around the hotel's perimeter, moving towards the back where a black gate contained a smoke pit in a veranda. It was unoccupied save for one lone woman at present, and she wasn't even smoking, instead sitting at one of the two park benches beneath the veranda, nose deep in her phone. The woman glanced up at their approach, then dismissed them, probably going back to Angry Birds or something like that. Debra sat down at the empty bench, and Megumi sat down on the other side.

"Can you hold off on smoking until later?" Megumi asked, catching Debra off guard as she reached in her pocket for her box of Camels. "I... can't stomach cigarette smoke right now."

Debra stared at her and then shrugged. "Sure." She left them in her pocket, then laced her fingers in front of her. "So, what's wrong Megs?" she asked. "You aren't normally like this. I mean, we grew up in San Francisco, for crying out loud, the gay capital of the States!"

Megumi grimaced, rubbing her brow in aggravation.

"I mean, it's not like seeing one girl kiss another girl is anything we haven't seen before. Hell, we saw worse just navigating the trolleys and busses and monorails back home. Remember the BJ Boys on the bus?"

Megumi grimaced. "Yes..." she muttered. "You were fifteen and I was fourteen."

"How about those two girls that were making out in the trolley?"

"I'd just turned twelve." Megumi sucked in a slow, deep breath, still massaging her brows.

"Or the dude giving head-"

"Deb, please stop." Megumi's voice was tight. "You made your point."

Debra fell silent for a moment, and then took her own words into consideration. "You know, looking back on some of the shit we saw growing up, I kind of see now why you blew up in there."

"We had a very fucked up childhood, Deb."

"We did, didn't we?"

"And if you breathe a word of any of it to Aiko, I swear to god I will throw you through a damn wall."

Debra held her hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm trying to support her choices here, not discourage them."

Megumi heaved a sigh. "I guess I overreacted on that, didn't I?" she grumbled, and propped her elbows on the grated table. "It's not that I- fuck, with how I reacted though... I'm not homophobic or anything. I mean, after growing up in San Fran, you just kind of get jaded to what you see, but I just don't-" She sighed and shook her head. "I don't like it," she stated. "I guess... when it all comes down to it, I just don't approve of Aiko's decision." The woman moaned and buried her face in her hands. "I mean, it's like... I'm totally okay with it happening around me, but I never expected anyone in my family to come out as gay, you know?" She peeked up Debra from behind her hands. "It'd be like... your dad suddenly bringing home another man and saying, 'call him daddy from now on'. It's just..." She shuddered.

"Is it so strange to love another person?" Both Megumi and Debra started, and Debra twisted to look at the lone woman who was the other resident on the veranda. She'd lost interest in her cellphone and was now watching the two of them with steely brown eyes.

"No, there's nothing wrong with it-" Megumi began, and was interrupted by the stranger once more.

"So long as it does not affect you?" she inquired. "This person you speak of, she is of relation to you, yes?"

Megumi bit her lip, her expression a grimace Debra had always associated with her friend getting ready for an argument, usually one that ended with fists flying back in high school. Megumi could have a vicious bark to go along with a painful bite, something she'd gained after Aiko had been raped and rumors had started to fly at school regarding the Morisato family. She'd gotten a better rein on her temper since then, but that bark still got away from her at times, and after Aiko's announcement earlier, Megumi's temper was still a bit frayed.

In the end though, reason held out over emotion, and Megumi took a deep breath. "Yes..." she murmured. "She's my... sister."

"So, someone close to you then." The woman nodded. "And a sister... younger? Older?"

"Younger..." Megumi mumbled, looking confused, and Debra looked at her with a matching expression. Why was she sharing this information with a woman who'd inserted herself into their conversation? This strange and now somehow odd woman, who dressed herself in a black suit with a green dress shirt and seemed somehow ill-placed for the Hotel California?

The woman smiled, and it was a normal, regular smile. Except it wasn't at the same time. The smile seemed somehow too wide. Too long. The teeth too white, too straight, too perfect. That's a mask. Debra found herself thinking. It was a stray thought, a small fish swimming through a school of much larger, more worrisome thoughts, and it passed through the grasp of consideration before she could dwell fully on it.

"A younger sister?" the stranger continued. "Ah, now that is something to treasure... a younger sibling is a special person, you know... they look up to you. Admire you. Emulate you. And when push comes to shove and you find yourself drowning... it's that younger sibling that is always there to save you."

"You sound like you speak from experience," Debra said, and regretted it when the woman turned her gaze on her. Mask, she thought again, contacts. Came next.

"Me?" The woman gestured to herself. (Suit too clean, no dust or sand or scuffs on her shoes, too clean, too perfect) "No, I have no siblings, regrettably," she said. "As I have said, I have witnessed it, and ah, what a powerful bond that can be shared between a pair of sisters." She looked back to Megumi, and Debra had to stop herself from rubbing her arms. They'd broken out into goosebumps. "You should treat your younger sister better," she advised. "Love is a fickle, cruel beast. It cares not for whom it sinks its fangs into, and it has a lockjaw; it will not release its prey when the fangs have sampled blood. Instead it will worry itself deeper, drill into muscle and nerves and bone until its victim cannot fight it any longer," she tittered, shaking her head like a scolding parent. "Your young sister can no more fight whom she falls in love with than she can escape being human. Yet you are not held prisoner by that same beast of love that she is. You can control how you hold yourself around her."

The stranger looked between both Debra and Megumi in that moment. "And it is in matters of such beasts that I do have intimate experience... unfortunately," she said quietly. "Love your sister, Girl." The stranger moved to rise, glancing at her phone one final time before pocketing it with a sigh. "You never know when you may lose her." The woman wandered off, abandoning the veranda as she walked around the corner.

It wasn't until she'd vanished from sight that Megumi reacted. "Hey, wait!" She chased after the stranger, and out of reflex, Debra followed. They almost collided with a pair of obvious tourists dressed in shorts and tank tops, with red blotches on their ears and necks from where they'd forgotten to apply sunscreen. A quick word of rushed apologies, and the two friends brushed past the couple and around the corner.

The stranger was gone.

"She must have already gone around the next bend," Debra reasoned. "Come on."

Yet the next corner revealed the hotel's entrance in all its busy glory, bringing an end to the pursuit. "Okay..." Megumi began. "I'm not gonna lie, that was really, really fucking creepy," she said, and looked at Debra. "Who was that?"

"I don't know," Debra replied. "Should we head inside or circle the building for her?"

Megumi bit her lip. "No... no, let's head back into the lobby," she said. "Something tells me we aren't going to find her anytime soon." She looked to the mechanical glass doors. "Besides, I... need to apologize to Aiko for my behavior."

"Right..." Debra trailed off. "I'll... inform Keiichi about that lady. Have him keep an eye out." She scowled. "Something wasn't quite right with that woman, but damned if I know what."

"I hear you," Megumi muttered. "Come on, let's get out of this heat."

XXX

Megumi and Debra returned ten minutes later. The group hadn't left the lobby, instead having moved to one of the couch-and-table set-ups that was tucked into one of the far corners. The group was in good humor, their conversation light and innocent as Keiichi and the Norns became acquainted with Morgan. From the conversation, they'd learned that Morgan was a North Carolina native who was going for her Bachelors in Political Science with a minor in art, and that she and Aiko had met during a political rally on their college campus and then again by chance at one of the many bars located in the surrounding city later that evening.

It took some effort on the Norns' part. Morgan proved to be a very private person, and one with obvious reserves about sharing details of herself with people she'd just met. Aiko shared most of the details on how they met, while Morgan remained quiet, for the most part, on occasion providing a small smile or a light input to whatever Aiko was speaking on, but otherwise contributing little. Belldandy couldn't blame her. The woman looked out of her element, and though she hid it well, the Norn could tell Morgan was nervous around them. Nervous around her lover's older brother and two strangers who she'd probably only heard about through conversations with Aiko, with another older sister who'd already made her displeasure about Aiko's relationship known. Belldandy's heart went out to the poor girl, and she did her best to be accommodating to the woman. It was difficult to say how much her efforts were appreciated.

Aiko noticed Megumi and Debra's approach first, and when her contribution to the conversation- this about a drunken adventure that happened on Morgan's birthday at a gay bar close to a place called South of the Border, South Carolina- died in her throat, the rest of the conversation died down as well. Belldandy, sitting beside Keiichi, had to turn to look at who had caught Aiko's eye, and with it her gaze was immediately drawn to Debra. The blonde frowned when their eyes met, and Belldandy frowned in turn. The woman tore her eyes away from Belldandy for a brief moment, looking at someone next to Belldandy, and then back to Belldandy. After that, she fixed her face into a more neutral expression.

Belldandy caught the hint easily enough. There'd be time enough to continue their newly formed rivalry later. This was Aiko's time, and if Debra was mature enough not to escalate tensions between Belldandy and herself, then Belldandy could be as well. The blonde looked away, choosing to instead observe a group of the businessmen in green shirts departing the lobby, and Belldandy turned her focus to Megumi.

The woman stopped a couple of feet away from the small group. For a long moment, no one said anything, and an awkward, tense silence descended upon those gathered as they waited for Megumi to speak. The dark haired Morisato woman bit her lip, then planted her hands on her hips and blew the air out of her cheeks. "I'm sorry for the way I acted," she said. "This is a big change for me, and... if I'm honest, I'm not really ready to accept it." She crossed her arms, uncomfortable in front of the silent gathering before her. "But I care about you too much to let something like who you fall in love with destroy our relationship." Her lips twisted into something that could have been a smile under the right light, or a grimace if seen in the shadows. "I may not like it, but that doesn't mean I can't tolerate it, Aiko."

Morgan looked unimpressed with the speech. "Well gee thanks for-"

"And I think that's fine for now, right Morgan?" Aiko interrupted, then stood up and walked around the couch to Megumi. "Thanks for trying, Sis," she said. "I know it's not the easiest thing to accept, so it means a lot knowing you'll still try." They embraced, and some of the initial tension broke. Beside Belldandy, Keiichi released a breath, and the goddess looked at him.

"Thank god," he muttered, his voice low enough that his sisters missed his words. "I don't know what I'd have done if Megumi wasn't cool with it." He rubbed his face. "We'll need everyone we can get on our side when we break the news to Keima and Takano."

The two Morisato sisters heard that, and both went rigid.

"Fuck," said Megumi.

"I forgot about that," said Aiko.

The duo looked over at Keiichi, whose eyes grew wide when he caught wind of the sudden and desperate terror on their faces. "Kei?" Aiko asked. "When are Keima and Takano coming over again?"

Keiichi began to sweat. "They said they'd meet us here in the lobby around eight tonight," he said.

"We're doomed," Aiko and Megumi said at the same time.

Belldandy looked between the two sisters and Keiichi. "Come now," she scolded. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

"I don't know," Debra said, sending one more glance at a man in a black suit before approaching the two sisters. "Try introducing yourself and your sister to Keima and Takano in the midst of Aiko coming out of the closet two days before a stressful parole hearing." She looked back at Belldandy. "It'll probably go over about as well as a turd in a punchbowl, all things considered."

"Shit," Keiichi said.

"Exactly," said Debra.

XXX

They left the hotel for an awkward dinner around six that night, where all three Morisato siblings, comprised of a Navy Seal, a biker, and a regular college student accompanied two Norse deities, an ex-wife, and a lesbian lover to Red Lobster. Somehow, the lot of them managed to remain cordial throughout the entire meal, though it came as no surprise that the gathering of seven were quite relieved to be back at the hotel where they could rest for the night and maybe forget about all the surprises that had punctuated the day.

But it was not to be.

A loud bang caught everyone's attention as they were about to enter the hotel lobby. Keiichi, Megumi, and Aiko turned to see the source of the noise, and then bowed their heads as one. "Oh no," they said in unison.

Belldandy looked at them curiously. "What is it?"

Keiichi pointed in the direction of an old, beat up Toyota pickup that was in the process of squeezing in between a pair of Jaguars that had obviously been parked away from the crowds with the thought that they would be safe because no one would want to park so far away. Where there was not rust, there were dents. Interspersed with that was splotches of purple paint that one could only assume was the original color. "It's the 'Purple Turd'," he said, dread creeping into his voice.

The goddess watched as the vehicle in question finished. The doors opened and two people exited. One was a woman with nearly jet-black hair that flowed down past her shoulders. The other was a distinguished looking gentleman who bore a more than passing resemblance to Keiichi with silver-grey hair wearing a pair of John Lennon-style glasses.

"It's Keima and Takano," said Megumi dejectedly.

"Our parents," finished Aiko with an equal amount of sadness.

Belldandy smiled. Finally, a chance to meet Keiichi's parents. With Debra back in the picture, it was a perfect chance for her to make a good first impression. Having been in Japan for so long, she knew a thing or two about how to greet them that should do the trick. As they approached, she stepped forward and offered a deep bow. "It is an honor to finally meet Keiichi's mother and father. I hope that-"

The older gentleman quickly reached out and smacked Belldandy on the head with two fingers, causing the goddess to jerk back, startled. Beside her, all three of the siblings moaned in embarrassment. "Aiya! You liking to be kissing our ass? Do not be calling us mother and father!"

"Here we go," Megumi muttered, voice tight. Beside her Keiichi and Aiko could do little but nod and grimace.

"I-I apologize?!" Belldandy stumbled through her words, "I did not mean- forgive me, it was not my intent to insult, Morisato-san-"

"Oh!" Takano interrupted "Look! Is like Keigo's friends! What he call them? 'Weeaboo'?"

"What?" Belldandy stared, and closer to Keiichi Debra bit her lip and turned away. "What's a-"

"We are 'Takano' and 'Keima' to you!" Takano said, and then paused to look at her three children. "Who's she?"

"My girlfriend," Keiichi replied, rubbing his brow as though in pain.

"Shitting bull!" Keima exclaimed. The words were heavy with his accent, and 'bull' became 'buru' in his excitement. "Debra right beside you!"

Both Keiichi and Debra flinched. "Hi Keima." Debra brought her hand up in greeting.

"That is not way to greet family!" Takano exclaimed. "Where are my hugs? Well? I have not seen you all in a full year, you never come and visit Takano and Keima anymore, I need hugs!" She held her arms out, shooting an expectant look to the gathered younger Morisatos and with heavy sighs, first Aiko, then Megumi, and finally Keiichi moved to hug her. The petite woman shot a glare to Debra after finishing her hug with Keiichi. "Well?" She demanded, "You too!"

Debra cringed, "Takano, I'm not married to Keiichi anymore..."

She trailed off when the look on Takano's face did not change. "Oh, so now you will not give a hug to the woman who babysat you since your mother passed away?"

Debra winced. "Right." She too hugged Takano, and in some ways looked both relieved and happy to have done so. There was a prominent smile on her face when the two parted. "Better?"

"Better." Takano nodded in approval. "Who are they?" She pointed first to Belldandy, then to Urd and Morgan, who hung back near the sliding doors of the hotel entrance, observing the reunion in silence.

Keima finished hugging his daughters and eldest son, then proceeded to whack all three of them on the forehead with two fingers. It didn't hurt, but all three of them reflexively said 'ow' anyways, having grown accustomed to their parents' idiosyncrasies early on in life. "You have not been meditating!" he cried. "You three are out of balance! Your ki is disrupted!" He pointed to Keiichi. "Especially you!"

"Greaaat," Keiichi grumbled.

"You have been slacking! All of you!" Keima continued to rant. "This will not continue! You will join me for practice in the morning!" He paused, and then looked at Megumi with some concern, asking in a softer, quieter voice, "This has gym, yes?"

"Yes, Keima, it's got a gym." Megumi nodded, her voice strained. "A small gym, but a gym none the less."

"Good!" Keima said with renewed enthusiasm. "Must have strong session. This place filled with a dark aura." He pointed to the hotel, and Urd started, pointed to herself, and then hopped out of the line of his finger. It left Morgan alone, and she raised an eyebrow, looking first at Urd and then at Keima, unimpressed. "Bad place you choose. Why you not come home during visit? We have big house! Room for everyone!"

"There are seven of us, Keima," Aiko dropped.

"Still room!" Keima cried. "You rest in futons like proper! Not in squishy and soft expensive American beds! Three to a room! Keigo is at his friend's house studying for finals. We fit everyone!"

"Keima, no." Keiichi groaned.

"Keima yes!" Keima retorted. "Now who is other three strangers."

"My girlfriend." Keiichi and Aiko said at the same time, then looked at each other, abashed.

"Wait," Takano piped up, "What does Aiko mean, 'girlfriend'?" She looked between her three children with new and fresh suspicion. She switched to Japanese. "Yūjin no on'nanoko? Kanojo?"

"Um..." As one the group turned to look at Aiko. Aiko smiled, looking nervous. "Kanojo..."

"Kanojo," Takano repeated, staring at her in disbelief. "Kanojo."

"Matte matte matte matte!" Keima trilled, holding his hands up. "Kanojo?" Hestared at Aiko with growing concern, then to the surrounding audience that comprised the large group, perhaps noting for the first time the distinct lack of male strangers. "Wana kareshi?" He inquired. "KANOJO?"

"Hai," Aiko replied, then switch back to English. "Um… Surprise?"

XXX

The gym inside the Courtyard Hotel was indeed small. It was perhaps only as large as one of the master suites that was oftentimes advertised by the hotel, and the equipment that comprised it primarily consisted of a treadmill and an elliptical. Both sat facing the north wall of the room, where a long window showcased a glorious view of the brick wall to the next motel over, and an old, twenty-four-inch plasma TV depicted the current news California had to offer. The hotel staff had yet to come in and change it to something more interesting.

A small weight rack lined the wall near the window, and curled up against it were a couple of blue yoga mats. Together, Keiichi and Keima dragged the mats, two per person, out from their resting spot and laid them out, arranging them as close together as possible on a black rubber floor that smelled like sour old sweat.

Megumi and Aiko stared at the layout dubiously. "Is this really going to work?" Aiko asked.

"Do we really have a choice?" Megumi shot back, looking less-than-thrilled with the coverage the four yoga mats provided. All of their edges were curled up, creating hills in their 'practice mat'.

"Please, all I ask is that you don't kill me," Aiko begged quietly. "Not in front of my girlfriend."

Morgan and Takano were the only other people who'd come to watch, Takano to observe as a safety monitor and Morgan, who looked dead on her feet, because her curiosity had overwhelmed her. For that Keiichi was grateful. The room was already crowded with Keima and the three Morisato children, and while Takano and Morgan managed to keep themselves out of the way, it would be problematic if Deb, Bell, and Urd came to join the entourage as well. Deb and Bell if for no other reason than the possibility of a fight breaking out.

He did kind of regret that Urd decided to skip out though. He liked sparring with Urd. Urd was passionate about sparring. She had a drive to learn and correct her mistakes and could take a wild elbow to the face and not get upset. Afghanistan and the demon in his watch had left their marks on the Norn, and since then she'd wanted nothing more than to improve her hand-to-hand combat skills. Keiichi respected that. It was too bad, she'd have had some fun learning a new move or two from the family.

Yeah, right up to the point where she brushes against Keima and he jumps out the fucking window. An inner voice reminded him.

Right, as if he could forget that bit of Keima. Deb had grown up next to Megumi, so Keima was comfortable around her. It had been easy to forget about his father's gynophobia when he was still married. The Norns and Morgan had already shown themselves to be problematic for Keima.

I take it back. He decided. Thank god there are no gods here right now.

It wasn't necessarily that Keima disliked other women, or even that he was shy in speaking with them. In a strange definition of the phrase 'fear of women', he could not stand to be touched by them, as though their touch alone was vile enough to make him seek medical attention or leave him running for the hills. Keiichi had never learned why. All attempts at broaching the subject were met with a wall, be it through Keima, Takano, or other family relations, though the SEAL had gathered it had something to do with his father's past. How Takano had managed to slip past the barrier Keima had erected around almost all women was a mystery to the Morisato children, and indeed perhaps even relatives, for as far as anyone could discern the repulsion so many other women induced in Keima was simply... absent when it came to Takano.

"Don't worry, I'll take it easy on you," Megumi said with a large yawn. It was close to four thirty in the morning. The biker stretched. "I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend," she mumbled. "I'll save that for the wedding."

Aiko went scarlet. "Megumi!" she hissed. "Not in front of Keima and Takano!"

Megumi leveled an even stare at Aiko. "Make me," she taunted.

And so, the morning practice began.

Keima was dissatisfied with the state of everyone's Aikido, and he drilled them mercilessly. It was not long before the yoga mats, poor substitutes for a cushioned floor though they were, became drenched with sweat. Aiko was heaving, and she winced when she moved. Keiichi, in the best shape, was repeatedly caught in various holds and pins, his form thrown off as his mind and body clashed with Aikido's distant cousin, BJJ. Even Megumi, the most accustomed Morisato child to Keima's Aikido sessions, was drawing ragged breaths. At one point, she had to even call it quits, all but running out of the small gym and to the neighboring bathroom where it quickly became evident that she was losing the contents of her stomach.

Takano called a quick end to the session after that, and with Aiko in tow went to check on the woman, who came back ten minutes later looking shaky and pale.

"Megs, are you okay?" Keiichi asked, and Keima rose to meet her at the entrance, his face open with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Megumi said. Her voice shook; she sounded anything but fine. "I guess I ate something that didn't sit well with my stomach last night." Her smile looked weak, almost fake in the light.

"Food poisoning?" Aiko asked. "But you and Morgan ate the same thing!" she exclaimed "And Morgan's fine!"

"I bet it's morning sickness," Morgan joked, and reassured by the comment the group looked ready to laugh it off.

Except when everyone looked back at her, the oldest Morisato daughter looked as if she had been caught with her hand in a cookie jar.

The silence that fell was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. It was Keiichi who finally broke it. "Well, is it?"

Megumi's eyes flitted from face to face before finally landing on her brother's. "Um... yes?"

For a long time, no one spoke. Morgan looked like Pandora realizing just what she'd released from a box. Aiko gaped in shock, her eyes bulging in their sockets. Takano was still, like a woman captured by a gorgon's stare and Keima stood frozen as well, the only motion from him being his jaw, which opened and closed like an old, broken nutcracker as the Morisato family attempted to process this latest and greatest bit of family surprises. Keiichi himself felt like he'd been punched in the gut, and found his brain had somehow short-circuited between the words 'morning sickness' and 'yes'.

"Uh..." Megumi looked at the ocean of shocked family members and lone horrified girlfriend in growing terror. "It- it was supposed to be a surprise!" she exclaimed. "Something for after we were finished with our business at San Quentin!"

"Con- congratulations...?!" Morgan, perhaps realizing the extent of what her casual jab had fostered, attempted to alleviate the situation into a lighter mood.

It was like someone throwing a grenade.

At close to five a.m. that morning, in a little Courtyard Hotel near the San Francisco International Airport, a tiny little gym was suddenly filled with the sounds of screams and mayhem, and indeed, for anyone passing, perhaps that was what the initial perception was as they quickly raced by: that someone, a good many someones in fact, were screaming and roaring and laughing and howling. Indiscernible shouts, some in English, more in Japanese, and even a few that combined the two languages into something indecipherable rose and echoed through the little room.

"Watashi wa sobo ni naru tsumoridesu!" Takano was screaming and crying and laughing, clutching Megumi in a tight, almost suffocating hug as Aiko threw her arms around Keima, screaming "Oji-chan!" Over and over, and for once, Keima didn't scold her on the term. He was too busy laughing, too busy howling with glee, and the two raced to gather around the new mother-to-be, joining a shell-shocked Keiichi who was repeating over and over again, "I'm going to be an uncle!" He picked Megumi up and spun her in the air with raucous laughter in some strange and terrible combination of Japanese and English. Megumi, looking overwhelmed by the sudden and massive amount of attention, smiled still and allowed herself to be hugged and kissed and fussed over. Morgan hung back, watching the display with a large, beaming smile on her face; the first since being introduced to the rest of her girlfriend's family, and in such a moment of exuberance and celebration, how could she not smile?

"That is why ki is off!" Keima raved, half in Japanese, half in English. "You have a baby! A baby!" He laughed and hugged Megumi tight and kissed her brow, then proceeded to whack her forehead with two fingers.

"Ow," Megumi said reflexively. It didn't hurt.

"Why you say nothing!?" the man exclaimed. "No more Aikido! You are pregnant!"

"Hai!" Takano agreed. "No more activities! You must take it easy!"

"But I'm only like five or six weeks-" Megumi tried to protest, and got whacked again by Keima. "Ow."

"No more!" he declared. "Bad for baby! Bad for mother!" He paused when he said that, and a noise that almost sounded like a squeal rose in his throat. "Megumi is going to be a mother!" Again, that strange mix of Japanese and English, an announcement that only the Morisatos understood in its entirety but that Morgan assembled based off the broken English and emotional display. At once he hugged Megumi again. Megumi didn't resist. "Ah! My little girl is going to be a mother!"

While the rest of the group abandoned the gym for the lobby, Keiichi stayed behind to wipe down the yoga mats, roll them up, and place them back next to the weight rack. The window above showed a world growing pink and orange with the rising sun. Dawn had chased away the night in light of Megumi's announcement, and the smile on Keiichi's face pulled back on his jaw with such strength it hurt. He then joined them in the lobby, passing a group of three comprised of one blonde woman and two dark-haired men heading towards what he assumed was the gym he'd just left. The rest of the family was sitting down on the couch and loveseat display that Keiichi and Aiko had sat down at yesterday following Aiko's announcement. Aiko was teasing Megumi. "So that's why you blew up on us yesterday!" she said. "It wasn't because you were being a bitch, it was hormones!" She laughed, and Megumi, in too much good humor to be angry, laughed with her.

"You better watch what you say, Aiko," Megumi teased back. "Or I'm going to send a Juggalo to your Vegas wedding."

Aiko went red in the face, and even Morgan had to bite back a laugh as Keima and Takano leaned forward in fresh interest. "You getting married!?" Takano all but raved. "When? How come you did not tell me?! We need to make plans! Who is this man?"

Aiko's face went a darker shade of red. "Takano, I told you, I have a girlfriend. Kanojo, not kareshi."

"But girls cannot marry girls," Keima said, for a moment looking confused, and then further baffled when first Aiko, then Megumi moaned and covered their faces in embarrassment.

Morgan looked just as confused. "Gay marriage became legal all across the country a year ago," she said.

Keima stared at her blankly. "What is meaning of...'gay'? Like happy?"

"Fuck," Aiko muttered under her breath.

"So!" Megumi announced. "Does this mean we get to call you ojichan now, Keima?" It was a desperate attempt at subject change. Desperate if for no other reason that she was falling back on Keima's dislike of titles and labels when speaking of family relations. Both Keima and Takano hated being called mother, father, ma, pa, mom, dad, and any other term of address that was so common to most families with a passion, and so Megumi's attempt at riling up Keima was scraping the barrel of safe subjects to discuss amongst the current company.

That was until Keima's entire face lit up. "HAI!" He almost screamed. "Ojichan! Watashi wa Ojichan!" The hotel staff looked up at his announcement, startled by the loud and exuberant display so early in the morning.

"Wow." Keiichi paused behind the loveseat where Aiko and Morgan sat. "Wait, are you serious?" he demanded. "You don't want to be called 'father' but 'grandpa' is a go?"

"Hai!" Keima nodded again.

Beside him Takano bounced gleefully on the couch cushion. "Oooh! Obachan! Call me obachan from now on!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands and laughing in joy. "This is wonderful! So wonderful! I am a grandma! Obachan!"

"Oh my god," Aiko whispered loudly. "Who are you and what have you done with Keima and Takano?"

Motion from his left caught Keiichi's eye, and the man glanced towards it, finding Urd approaching them with a small paper cup in hand. The hotel's name was printed across the cup's brown sleeve, and thick, white steam wafted from the cup's opening. "Hey," she said as she approached, looking half-asleep and closer to falling back asleep rather than waking up more. "What's all the commotion about?"

"You heard us from your bedroom?" Keiichi asked, surprised to see the Norn up so early before recalling the fact that she and Belldandy might have gone singing at their standard 'ass-crack of dawn' hour.

"No." Urd yawned largely. "Bell chased me from the bedroom. She started sleepwalking. Scared the fuck out of me. Woke up to her chanting something about 'monsters' coming out of people." She shuddered. "The lobby seemed safer."

"No singing this morning?" he asked.

Aiko interrupted before Urd could respond. "Megumi's pregnant!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to be an Aunt, Urd!" She jumped up from the couch and threw herself at Urd out of no other reason than the sheer joy of the announcement. "Can you believe it?! From now on you have to call me Auntie Aiko and Kei Uncle Jank, understand?"

Despite her exhaution, Urd still moved with all the fluidity of a cat, bringing the open cup of coffee up and away from Aiko as the younger woman collided with her body. "Pregnant?" She blinked sleepily than looked at Megumi, who smiled with a small bit of uncertainty at the woman whom she'd only met yesterday. The Norn smiled. Though tired, it was kind. "Congratulations," she said. "You have my blessings." She yawned into her arm, then gave Aiko a one-armed hug, blinking sleepy violet eyes. "You'll have a beautiful daughter," she said matter-of-factly. "She may be shy and demure, but she'll be heartbreaker all the same, with a mind just as sharp to match her beauty." Another yawn, and the goddess missed the startled looks on both Keiichi's and Aiko's faces.

Megumi laughed. "Well, that's a bold prediction," she said, dismissing the comment for what it was, a thoughtless account arising from a woman who appeared more asleep than awake. "Thanks anyways, though."

Keiichi laughed as well, and was grateful it didn't sound nervous. "Yeah, I think Urd needs some more coffee." He paused, and then looked at the others. "Actually, I think I could use some too. How about you, Aiko?" He looked over at his younger sister, and found her nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, actually. I'll grab one for Morgan too," she said, then looked at Megumi. "You want us to grab you one too, 'Mom'?"

"Sure, that'd be-" Megumi began.

She was cut off by Takano. "No!" the Matriarch announced. "No coffee! Too much caffeine! Bad for the baby. Only green tea!"

"…or not," Megumi muttered dejectedly.

"Got it. We'll be right back." Keiichi said in a rush, and swinging an arm around Urd's shoulders (a difficult feat given Urd's height) he and Aiko steered the goddess towards the coffee machine on the other side of the lobby.

When they were out of earshot Keiichi whispered, "What was that?!"

Urd looked at him. "What was what?"

"That thing you said." Keiichi continued. "That thing about Megs' baby. What was that?"

"Meg's baby?" Urd stared at him in confusion, and Keiichi could tell already that he'd lost her.

"You said that my sister, whom we just learned was pregnant, was going to have a 'shy, demure heartbreaker girl'," Aiko added in. "What did you mean by that? Were you serious? Is- are we going to have a niece?"

"I said that?" Urd's confusion was distressing to the two siblings as she looked between them both with bemused violet eyes. "When was this?" She seemed more awake now, Keiichi noted, awake and growing more and more alert with every sentence, until she was looking between Keiichi and Aiko with open alarm.

"Just now," Aiko supplied. "Right after you finished telling us about Belldandy scaring you out of the bedroom because of her sleepwalking." She looked over her shoulder and back towards the rest of the Morisato family, and then back to Urd. "Were you being serious back there? Is Megumi really going to have a little girl?"

Urd didn't respond at first, muttering under her breath as she looked first towards the staircase and elevator that led to the upper floors, then back towards Megumi and the others, as though trying to recount her steps. "Damn," she muttered. "I just... really? It decided to... I don't remember any of it, though..."

"Urd?" Keiichi inquired.

The goddess shook her head. "Sorry, sorry, still not... still not quite awake yet." She stared at her coffee, and then downed the whole thing at once. She gasped when the cup was empty, and for a moment her breath was visible, white and thick and hot like the steam that had been wafting from the cup. "Fuck, that's hot." The Norn released a deep breath, and to Keiichi it was like watching a dragon exhale as more white steam swirled from her mouth and nostrils. "Oookay. That's better. I think I'm awake now."

"Well?" Aiko demanded.

"Yes," Urd replied. "If I said what you said I said, then the answer is yes." She rubbed her brow. "Stupid weakass Sight chooses now to fucking..." She trailed off.

"You can tell the future?" Aiko demanded.

"No," Urd replied.

"But you just said-" Keiichi began.

"It's The Sight," Urd interrupted. "It's a..." Her head bobbed back and forth as she decided on what word to use. "Everyone calls it a gift, I call it a curse, but, it's something I inherited from my father. Bell and Skuld have it too, though it's much, much stronger in them than it ever was in me. It's because their mother has the Sight as well. It's absent on my own mother's side of the family, which means I didn't inherit it from both sides. When it does hit me though, it's usually out of nowhere and over some kind of weak little event."

Keiichi and Aiko looked uncomfortable. "I don't know," Aiko began. "Predicting the gender of a five-week old embryo seems like a pretty big event in my book."

"Not in the grand scheme of things," Urd replied. "If she wanted to, Belldandy could go so far as to predict what women in this entire hotel would become mothers, by comparison. Skuld? The Sight gets stronger in her with every passing day, though she isn't trained very well with it... If she was, though, she could go so far as to predict the families who would stay together long enough to have children, what their children's genders and lives would be, and then what their children's children would be on top of that." She shook her head. "And when you expand that out to cover not only planets, but galaxies, universes, dimensions..." The Norn shrugged. "My sisters exert their will on The Sight. The Sight exerts its will on me. There's a reason I'm the Norn of the Past and Skuld's the Norn of the Future."

"That's..." Keiichi trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Just more 'Weird Norn Shit' for that little black book of yours, Jank." Urd slapped a hand on his shoulder. "And don't think I don't know you have one on us. Now let's get more coffee, and afterwards, maybe it'd be a good idea for you all to head back to the rooms for a shower. I hate to break it to you guys, but you both smell like you've been wrestling in a locker room."

XXX

Belldandy and Debra came to join the large group later that morning, Belldandy around seven, as Keiichi was returning to the lobby after a shower, and Debra around seven thirty, joined by Aiko and Megumi as they were leaving their own rooms. By the time they reached the lobby for breakfast, word of Megumi's pregnancy had reached Debra, leaving the woman in such an ecstatic mood that she seemed to take no overt notice of Keiichi sharing a two-person table with Belldandy off in a one corner, a stack of pancakes and bacon in front of him while Belldandy ate a smaller portion of fried eggs on toast.

Perhaps, in her joy, she was too distracted to be bothered approaching the table. The morning was Megumi's time; time for celebration and time for joy and bliss. A time to indulge in silly name calling and future names and possible baby showers, though such things were far, far off in the months to come. There would be time enough to... get to know the strange woman who'd accompanied Keiichi throughout the day. It would be shallow to start throwing quips amidst Megumi's joy and Aiko's excitement, with Keima and Takano both possessed by such rare enthusiasm they both looked thirty years younger, untouched by the grief and hard times that had left them both so aged in their prime.

The delightful mood was even strong enough for Megumi to overlook her initial perspective of Aiko's relationship with Morgan in that moment, and in the cheerful mood she and Debra and Aiko sat with Urd and Morgan, who'd been sitting and conversing quietly over two cups of coffee at an empty booth. Aiko sat next to Morgan with a plate full of pancakes and bacon in an unconscious emulation of her brother, while Megumi slid in next to Urd, who looked much more awake than she had been earlier that morning. Deb squeezed in next to Aiko, and as the two fussed and joked with each other Megumi reached across the table and stole a strip of bacon to go with her scrambled eggs. And amidst the loud clamor the new group created, Urd smiled and laughed and joined in the banter.

In that moment Debra saw a small bit of what Aiko liked about one of the two strange women who'd accompanied her on that trip. Urd had an easy-going personality to her, though she was a bit private. 'Charismatic' would have been the word to describe her, if Debra had to choose, and by the end of the breakfast the group of five were chatting and laughing like long-time friends. Everything was fine, and everything was good, and Debra thought in that moment that perhaps everything was not all doom and gloom as originally forecasted, for how could it be in the midst of such merriment? The day was going to be a bright eighty degrees at its height without a cloud in the sky, and the Morisatos had the whole day for themselves to celebrate and reminisce and relax in preparation for what was next to come.

Tomorrow would be different, Debra knew.

Tomorrow would bring Stuart, and with it all the anger and sorrow and grief that was absent in this moment.

But tomorrow was for the uncertain future, yesterday was for the written past, and today was for the present, which was to be taken as it came.

Breakfast finished on a joyful note for everyone, the group gathered once more as they discussed their plans for the day. After a long discussion and no small amount of arguing, it was decided that the large gathering would divide into two groups. Aiko had a long day ahead of her tomorrow at San Quentin, where she was expected to conduct a rebuttal to Stuart's release, given she had been his one and only victim. It was an upcoming meeting that weighed heavily on her mind, and amidst the growing cacophony of people: Two siblings, her parents, two Norns, a girlfriend, and an ex-sister-in-law, she wanted a chance to have some time to relax and meditate on what was to come. By default, that meant Morgan would go wherever Aiko wished, and after some discussion with the others, Takano decided to accompany her as well, having always been a solid foundation for Aiko to lean against.

"Megumi, you come too!" Takano ordered during the discussion. "It will be a girl's day out! We will go shopping! Debra as well!"

Megumi smiled and raised her hands. "I'm... actually going to duck out on this occasion," she said, sending a meaningful look to Aiko. "Aiko needs to relax a bit, and Morgan and I... kind of got off on the wrong foot. I'll hang out with Kei and Keima instead."

"Same." Debra nodded. "Aiko, you enjoy your free time with Morgan and Takano." She lowered her voice, "I'll stick with Megumi and keep an eye on your two friends." She glanced at Belldandy and Urd. "I don't want them traumatizing Keima too badly. He looked like he'd met the Devil Himself when Urd tried to shake his hand last night."

Aiko winced. "Don't remind me," she muttered. Keima had almost run screaming back to the Purple Turd when Urd had approached him last night, and this after the Morisato siblings had just calmed him down after introducing Morgan to him. In fact, Keima had all but forgotten his shock of Aiko coming out to him when Urd had approached him. She'd never seen her father react so strongly to another woman before, and the resulting shock and hurt on Urd's face had been so deep that if taken out of context, Aiko's first thought would have been that she'd been shot.

It had left the entire family flustered and apologizing, and even Debra had stepped in to try and help de-escalate the situation, with Takano and Megumi guiding the older man away to calm down, ranting and raving about black auras, poison, and jigoku no musume. There'd been a lot of apologies following that. Since then, Urd had kept her distance from the Morisato elder, going so far as to keep several people situated between herself and Keima at any given time. It did little to stop the man from shooting the odd dark look her way.

"Hey Urd, want to come and join us?" Aiko offered, catching several people off-guard. Debra looked at her, puzzled, before recognizing it as an opportunity for the Norn to find some relief from Keima's scrutiny without having to worry about sharing a vehicle or a table with him. "You and Morgan seemed to hit it off really well this morning. What do you say?"

For a moment both Urd and Belldandy looked surprised, and even Keiichi looked caught off-guard by the invitation. Had it been aimed more towards Belldandy, perhaps it would have been a more reasonable request, given the close friendship the blue-haired girl and the goddess had built over the past couple of months. Yet Belldandy had eyes for Keiichi as well, and in the midst of Debra's presence would not be parted from his side unless she was certain Debra was away from Keiichi as well.

"Thanks for the offer, Aiko, but I think I'll pass," Urd announced. "I think I'll actually just chill here at the hotel today."

"Urd, are you certain?" Belldandy asked.

Urd nodded. "It's no biggie," she said with a shrug. "No offense Jank, but I think it might be safer for me to stay behind anyways. Unless you want me to give Keima a hug and give you an example of how you can expect the rest of your day to go."

"You touch me I break arm, Jigoku no Musume!" Keima growled.

"Keima!" Keiichi and Megumi protested.

Urd raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I think he's made my point," Urd explained.

"Urd, you don't have to seclude yourself to the hotel all day..." Aiko looked at her in concern. "Come out with us, at least! We'll have fun! Go shopping, get some drinks, bitch about California's ridiculous sales prices, get a burrito from a gut wagon, spend an hour on the toilet from the burrito, come on, it'll be great fun! But don't seclude yourself from everyone... I'll feel bad if we were all out enjoying ourselves and you couldn't come and enjoy it too."

Yet Urd remained resolute. "I'm fine, guys. Really. I didn't get a good night's rest anyways with Bell sleepwalking-"

"I do not sleepwalk!" Belldandy insisted.

"Do you want me to start recording it?" Urd asked. Belldandy scowled. "That's what I thought." Urd nodded. "So yeah, all I'm going to be doing is catching up on some lost sleep. Catch some rays by the pool. Maybe call Lind and make sure she hasn't accidentally killed Jackson with that cactus of hers. I'll see if I can't catch up with you guys when you return later on."

"If you're sure..." Keiichi still looked unconvinced.

Urd sent a level gaze his way. "I am," she said. "Trust me, it's one less person to worry about and I don't want to crash Aiko's time out."

"I don't know... this still doesn't feel right..." Keiichi put up one final protest, and Urd continued to shake her head.

"Jank, relax," she said. "Go out and enjoy your time with your family. I insist. If it's that big a deal to you then you can go out and pick me up a bottle of some kind of California wine. Otherwise, don't give it a second thought."

"Only if you're absolutely certain," Belldandy said, and even she looked worried. "I don't enjoy the thought of leaving you behind, but if that's what you want..."

"It is," Urd said. "Now all of you, shoo. Any more and I'm liable to chase Keima out of the lobby and have you race after him."

There was a small amount of discussion on further plans for that day. Eventually it was decided that at the very least, the two groups would meet for lunch, before heading back to the hotel to grab Urd for dinner. Aiko, Takano, and Morgan left soon after that, heading out in the small blue Lexus Morgan had gotten after coming in on her own flight, their destination the Japanese Tea Garden located north of Golden Gate Park. Urd left for the hotel room, and after a small discussion on where to go and what to do, they eventually decided to head north as well, up past the Golden Gate Bridge and to Muir Beach. It was whale watching season, and if they were lucky, they might spot a pod or two of humpback whales or even killer whales crossing beneath the bridge. Following that, a quick lunch, followed by more excursions, dinner, and possibly a movie.

There were five of them, which created problems by way of commute. Keima would not be separated from his large Purple Turd, and the five of them would not be able to fit in the ugly pickup truck together. That brought into question the white Honda Civic that Keiichi had rented as a secondary means of travel and who would travel in what vehicle.

"I'll ride with Keima," Megumi said, recognizing the fact that given the current party she was the only one who could ride with Keima. Keiichi was driving, Belldandy couldn't ride with Keima, and Debra wasn't about to leave Keiichi alone with his girlfriend.

"Shotgun!" Debra announced, causing Keiichi to start and Belldandy to stare.

"What does a shotgun have to do with anything?" Belldandy asked, and when both Megumi and Debra stopped to stare at her, Keiichi buried his face in his hand.

"Right," Debra said. "Anyways, I need to run to my rental real fast to grab my windbreaker if we're going to the coast. I'll be right back."

"We'll meet you by the car." Keiichi replied, and with a nod and a hand wave of acknowledgement, Debra departed the lobby for the parking lot. Unlike Keiichi's rental, which was parked on the west side parking lot adjacent to the entrance, Debra's vehicle was around the back. She made a loop around the building, taking note of where Keiichi had parked last night after they'd returned from dinner. The parking lot was near-empty at this point, with most of the guests having either already checked out or gone to tour San Francisco's attractions.

A man dressed in a black suit and green shirt passed her as she rounded the corner, and it made her pause and glance over her shoulder, her mind recalling the strange woman at the smoke pit. She followed him with her eyes as he vanished around the hotel's corner. There were a lot of businessmen in green shirts at the Courtyard, now that she thought about it, though she hadn't taken much notice of them until she and Megumi had had that somewhat eerie conversation with the woman. Since then, the men had seemed to spring from the ground like maggots after a frost. Debra didn't like it, didn't like them; regardless of their attire, their identical outfits and matching colors, straight down to the shade of green and texture of the shirt- silk. It reminded Debra too much of some kind of organized crime affiliate. She'd been observing them since the Strange Woman, and the more she saw of them, the more convinced she became. They kept to themselves. If some of them were meeting, they'd meet in one centralized place in the lobby. They spoke in hushed voices, and glared at anyone who came too close during a conversation or would stop speaking altogether.

And they watched too.

Twice the men had caught her staring, and on both occasions, it had been unsettling. One would take note of her observation and stop what he was doing to look at her, then another, and another still, until the entirety of the group would pause to stare at her, following her with their eyes until she'd left the lobby. It was suspicious activity, to be certain, though what caught her notice the most was the fact that no matter how many of the men she caught gathered, no matter what Suit passed her by, none of them were the Strange Woman from the smoke pit. Debra had even gone so far as to return to the smoke pit out of an investigator's curiosity earlier that morning, yet the only occupants at that time had been the standard smokers and a couple of teens who looked a couple years shy of eighteen.

And it wasn't just that either.

There was something... wrong with the Suits. They didn't... fit. It wasn't just their outfits, it wasn't just their mannerisms, it wasn't just how they acted outside their hotel rooms. It was something else. Something Debra couldn't explain by way of words, only by feeling. They made the hair on the nape of her neck stand on end. They made her eyes water when she looked directly at them and not from the corner of her eyes. They made her head pound, her heart race, her mind scream that she needed to leave and to leave now for her own safety, and brought to mind childhood memories of ghosts and monsters in the walls of her big old house: "It lives in the groans of the wood and the creaks of the hinges," her childhood whispered. "You can't catch it, but it can catch you."

Who'd said that? Megumi? Keiichi? She couldn't remember, but the memory brought a chill to her despite the summer warmth, and she rubbed her arms, feeling goosebumps break out across her skin. A strange thought entered her head, they're wearing masks, and the thought was so strange and alien to her that she shivered before pushing it out of her mind. Now was not the time for reflection and ghost tales about strange Suits who may or may not be part of some kind of California organized crime syndicate. She needed to go and grab her windbreaker and get back to Keiichi's car to make sure that weird 'girlfriend' of Kei's didn't-

It was the Strange Woman.

Her back was to Debra, but the detective knew it was her at once. The Strange Woman, the blonde from the smoke pit, dressed in the same black suit as all the other Suits she'd seen, Debra was certain. She stood far off near the brick wall that was erected to separate the Courtyard from the neighboring Hampton Inn, four cars away from where Debra's own vehicle was parked, her posture stiff and attentive and her arms crossed behind her back. It stood out to Debra for no other reason than the fact that it reminded her of the stance Keiichi and his military coworkers and friends sometimes took when speaking to each other. The Strange Woman was conversing with someone, and as Debra moved closer, she found out who.

Urd.

Urd, her face grim, her arms crossed across her chest, her head bobbing at the odd interval as she listened to whatever the blonde was telling her. On occasion she spoke in turn, and as Debra got closer she heard bits and snippets of what was said, and it was in a language so strange and alien and incomprehensible that it made the detective's ears hurt. But she recognized the tone though. Oh, how she recognized the tone. Authoritative. Directive. Questioning. Like a chief receiving a report from one of her police officers. Like a general receiving intelligence from her soldier.

This was no casual conversation.

This wasn't even a pair of friends catching up by chance at a tiny hotel two miles outside the San Francisco International Airport.

This was a subordinate reporting to her leadership, and that leadership was Urd.

In that moment Debra began to question the purpose of Belldandy and Urd's presence here at the hotel with Keiichi. Was it purely interest? Or was there something else going on? If not by Belldandy, then by Urd? Who were these strange Suits and why were they reporting to this strange, silver-haired woman whose lone introduction had been "Urd, Belldandy's sister"?

At once Debra realized her predicament. She was already within Urd's line of sight, though the woman had not yet noticed her. She wanted to turn back at that moment, because confrontation, she realized, here in an almost empty parking lot with only Urd and the Strange Woman and not a camera in sight would almost surely be hazardous to herself. She had only her standing with Keiichi's family to fall back on, if it came to that, and even then, Debra was uncertain of how close Urd truly was to Keiichi. Yet to turn back now would draw Urd's attention, she was certain, and there was no place outside of Debra's car that she could duck out of sight. Yet if she could reach the car... continue with her original intent of retrieving her windbreaker and pretend that she'd never so much as glanced at the two women... would it work? If she never paid any mind to the two women, if she never made eye contact with Urd and simply got in her vehicle, and then perhaps simply started the car and drove to the other side of the Courtyard, would it work? Slip by as simply another guest going about her business?

Her heart was pounding and she realized she was sweating, not from the heat but from fear. She was scared, and again, she couldn't explain why. It was two women in a parking lot, strange though they were, and Debra was certain that she'd been in more dire circumstances that better warranted the fear knotting within her chest at that exact moment. Her palms felt clammy as she dug in her pockets for the rental key, and her pace increased as she came closer to the car, the keys jingling a high din that made her heart leap into her throat.

Urd paused in her conversation to observe the noise, just as she'd feared, and as those strange, violet eyes settled on Debra, the detective froze. Her mind once more was filled with that horrible thought, they're wearing masks, and within her mind's eye, a strange and horrible image came to her. For a moment Urd vanished, Urd and the Strange Woman both, and in their place was something that Debra could not describe. It appeared as a double image, a thing that was there and was not. Where Urd stood, a creature that brought to Debra's mind strange thoughts of carrion birds and giant serpents, of thunder and lighting, fire and smoke, venoms and toxins combined with feather and scale, claw and fang, all in a maelstrom of madness that made Debra's eyes burn in pain. The creature beside it, the Strange Woman, was just as bad, if not worse. This held elements of a cheetah and a jackal and a centipede all in one horrible combination, with an acrid, bitter wind that spoke of noxious fumes and burning fires that smelled of sulfur.

The sight was there and gone in an instant, leaving Debra breathless and trembling in its wake. The keys slipped from her hand, and in so much shock over the image that had possessed her mind, she did not react when they hit the sidewalk. It was then that the Strange Woman turned as well, drawn to the jingle of the keys hitting the asphalt, and all other thoughts ceased to be as the blonde came to observe her as well. It was then and only then that the voice of survival began to whisper in her ear, as Debra met eyes that were not so much brown as they were an unnatural hue of red, and that voice whispered to her, they're wearing masks, kicking awake that old reptile brain that dwelt within all mortals. With its awakening came one thought and one thought alone.

Run.

Debra did exactly that. She abandoned her keys, abandoned her car, abandoned all thoughts of reason and logic and turned and fled back to the hotel, back to Keiichi and Megumi and Keima, where Reason and Logic still held a place in the world and where Men in Black Suits and all the mysteries they brought were the fabrication of Hollywood and conspiracy theorists.

And through the entire time, until she rounded the corner and vanished from sight, she felt the eyes of Urd and the Strange Woman on her back. Watching, but not pursuing.

Always watching.


A/N: I wonder what Urd and this mysterious blonde were talking about.


Comments of a Madwoman: Things will be getting pretty busy in real life for me for the next two months or so, which means I won't have as much time to dedicate to this story as I would like. While we'll still try and push out usual schedule, updates may become a bit later and possibly a bit more spontaneously. Japanese brought to you by Google Translate.