-43-

Urd observed the blonde woman in front of her, wondering why she was standing in such a formal fashion. The Norn wasn't part of the military, and regardless of the blonde's quasi-military background, there was no reason for her to stand at parade rest, which is what she thought Keiichi had called it when she observed the SEALs being addressed by McGuinness once. She wasn't part of any kind of military or police organization in Niflheim and didn't want to be treated as such. She just needed to know what the blonde knew.

"That's all we have right now," her companion finished.

Before Urd could inquire further, a noise drew their attention. Both turned to find a blonde mortal with long hair staring back at them from across the parking garage. The look on her face was more akin to one having been caught with their pants down rather than someone who had simply dropped their keys, which proved to be the source of the interrupting sound. The staring contest went on for a few moments.

"What's her problem?" Urd whispered in confusion, not taking her eyes off the mortal.

Her companion shrugged. "Beats me," she said, her voice rough and grating with an almost masculine pitch.

Before them, the mortal's face lost all traces of color. She took a step back, eyeing the two of them like they were a couple of wolves, then turned and bolted back the way she came.

Urd's companion cackled with laughter as the woman rounded the corner. "She looked like she saw a ghost!"

A small frown formed on the silver haired goddess's lips as she let out a sigh. "Mortals," she grumbled, as though that statement alone answered the behavior of Keiichi's ex-wife. "I'm sure there will be consequences for that, Mara. I know her."

"I do as well," Mara added.

Urd paused, then looked over at the blonde. "Wait, you do?"

"By chance," Mara nodded. "She came across me while I was receiving a SITREP from one of my men. She was speaking to her companion, who seemed to be going through some family issues. I don't know her though. Who is she?"

"Debra Morisato," Urd replied. "I told you I was coming here with my sister and her boyfriend, right?"

"Yes."

"Debra is his ex-wife," Urd continued. "It's made for some... interesting times with Belldandy in tow."

The blonde scoffed. "Surprised the hotel's still standing," she muttered. "The boys been noticing her too. She's been snooping."

"She's a detective, from what I've learned," Urd replied, and watched as Mara's red eyes grew alight with interest. "And no offense, Mara, but you and your team kind of... draw the suspicious eye."

Mara raised her arms and looked down at her clothes. "What is wrong with this outfit?" she demanded. "This is standard business attire for Midgard, is it not?" She looked at Urd in confusion when the goddess snickered. "What?"

"You look like you're part of an organized crime syndicate, Mara," Urd corrected, and the snicker grew into honest laughter at the insulted look that traversed the blonde's face. "Either that, or the Matrix is leaking with Agent Smiths again. All you're missing are the black sunglasses and you'd hit the look perfectly."

"Are you saying we need sunglasses to better blend in?" Mara asked.

Urd snorted. "Sure. Especially if you want to scare half the hotel denizens," she said. "You can also roam around singing 'I Wear My Sunglasses at Night' as well if you think it'll help." She shook her head. "Anyways, ignore Debra for right now. I think 'snooping' is part of the job description for a detective on Midgard, and she's not going to find anything on you guys. She's a pretty harmless character, from what I've seen."

"Even with the way she just reacted to us?" Mara pried, and her face darkened with suspicion as she looked towards the corner the mortal woman had disappeared around. "Maybe I should-"

"Leave her alone? That's a marvelous idea, Mara," Urd said. "Seriously, I'll speak with her later and see what freaked her out, okay?" The goddess walked towards where Debra had dropped her keys and bent down to retrieve them. She straightened and held them up for Mara to see, jingling them in her hand. "I need to return these anyways, and you have things to occupy your time other than spying on a mortal who's trying to snoop on you."

Mara said nothing.

Urd let the topic drop. "So how are you doing, anyway? Your throat still giving you issues?" She looked up at her long-time friend, a slight frown tugging at the corner of her lips. "I still can't get used to how gravelly your voice is now."

"Mint and honey soothe the burn," Mara replied. "And alcohol lets me forget." There was a hint in there, if the silver haired goddess was not mistaken.

Urd laughed, though it was not as genuine as it could have been. "I can make potions," she reminded her old friend.

"Alcohol tastes better," Mara retorted. "Don't start, Zamani."

"All right, all right," Urd raised her hands, Debra's keys still held against her left palm. "I know when to take a hint. Want to go get drunk by the pool for old times' sake? Or are you too busy with the boys to have a drink with an old friend?"

"Fuck you," Mara rumbled, but a slow, long smile began to manifest on the blonde's face. Urd smiled as well. "We're working shifts and the boys off-duty right now are out having their own fun. Yes, I can join you at the pool."

Urd laughed, pocketing Debra's keys. "Then it's settled," she announced. "Time to reminisce with our old pal Jack Daniels. You still enjoy a good whiskey, right?"

"When don't I?" Mara replied.

XXX

They had a light lunch that day at a small Mexican restaurant. Given the long and exhausting morning between Belldandy and Debra, Keiichi had hoped it would give him a break.

He was wrong.

It wasn't that the morning was necessarily bad. Just... aggravating. Deb had shown up at the rental white as a ghost, yet when Keiichi had asked her what was wrong, she'd refused to speak on it. It was concerning, especially when Belldandy had claimed the front seat. Rather than argue about it as Keiichi had feared, Deb had taken to the back seat without a word, shooting shady glances at Belldandy all the while. To Keiichi it was almost as if Deb decided the back seat was safer, that she wanted to keep an eye on Bell, and given her job as a detective, the thought rubbed Keiichi the wrong way.

The trip across the city had been quiet to the point of nerve-wracking, and the radio had not helped. On several occasions, the SEAL had attempted to start up a conversation, and on each occurrence regretted it. Belldandy displayed an unusual amount of animosity towards Debra, and any chance at conversation was used to try to win one over on his ex-wife. Stranger still was Deb's reaction. Deb, along with the rest of the second-generation Morisatos, had grown up on the streets of San Francisco, where gang activity was rampant from the likes of the Sureños, MS-13, and the Neustra Familia, sohad learned early on in her life to defend herself. For the entire drive down to the coast though, Debra had held her silence, appearing distracted and ill at ease in the back seat. She said nothing in response to Bell's jibes, and several times Keiichi had to step in and have Belldandy tone it down, his concern mounting when Debra would do little but watch, listen, and then go to her phone, punching in some kind of text message to who Debra claimed was Megs, but could have been anybody.

His distress mounted. With it came a horrible longing. He wished Aiko was there in the car with him. Aiko could lighten the situation and goof off and keep the two women in his car-his girlfriend and his ex-wife-from taking pot shots at each other and alienating one another. Aiko could keep the conversation light and humorous because Aiko's overall personality was peppy and fun, and she'd gone through too much grief in her life to put much stock in shit like anger or hate. And while he knew the reasons behind Aiko's decision to go off with Takano and her girlfriend... god damn did he miss her right then.

Thankfully, a trip down to the beach seemed to help everyone. The cool salt air of the Pacific Ocean seemed to clear Debra's head. There were seals on the beach, which also brought an end to Belldandy's temporary assault on his ex-wife. With Megumi and Keima in tow, they even had the opportunity to see whales far off against the horizon, and Belldandy was speechless when Keima identified a pod of orcas out to the north. She'd never seen orcas before, and was curious at the origin behind their more common name of 'killer whales'. Megumi, a fan of marine life since a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in her youth, was all too happy to explain, and Belldandy had listened in rapt fascination as Megumi regaled her with tales of the 'wolves of the deep'.

"Kei and I got to swim with orcas one time," Megumi bragged with no small amount of glee. "We'd been out on the beach one time when we were, oh, I don't know, maybe nine and ten, respectively?" She looked over at Keiichi, who nodded in confirmation. "A whole pod of orcas snuck up on us when we were out swimming. It was awesome."

"They were going to eat you!" Keima accused. "I had to swim out and grab you both!"

"They're whales, Keima, not sharks," Megumi retorted. "Wild orcas don't kill humans."

Both Keima and Keiichi had shared a look. "I dunno," Keiichi replied. "A giant six-ton whale smart enough to lure seals and birds with food and shit? I think the only reason humans aren't on the menu is because they haven't sampled us, yet."

Deb had laughed. It had been the first laugh he'd heard from her since the announcement of Megumi's pregnancy. "You mean you don't want to swim with the whales, Mister Navy SEAL?"

"And risk getting eaten like one?" Keiichi retorted. "No thanks, you guys have fun."

They stayed there for a good couple of hours, walking along the coast and telling stories and catching up on old times. Keima, despite his age, had a sharp pair of eyes that put Keiichi's to shame. On multiple occasions the older man pointed out everything from whale pods to seals to even where a tiny rattlesnake perched on a rock absorbing some sun. Keiichi, Megumi, and Debra gave it a wide berth, having been warned since childhood to avoid the vipers at all cost. Yet Belldandy walked right up to it without fear. She cooed at it, and before anyone had thought to stop her, she had picked the serpent up and placed it off the road, where it slithered into a large, long grove of ice plant and vanished from sight.

"Jesus, are you crazy?!" Debra exclaimed. "That was a Mojave rattlesnake! The most venomous snake in all of California!"

Yet Belldandy had remained unconcerned. "Serpents never bother me unless they are in ill-temper," she said. "I have experience handling snakes." And indeed, strange though the event was, not once had the rattler shown any tell-tale signs of aggression. No s-curved neck preparing for a strike, no rattle from the tail that gave the species its name, no wild or erratic movement... the snake had been calm and relaxed in Belldandy's hands, as docile as a corn snake as it slithered out of sight. "I can thank Urd for that."

Deb fell silent at that.

They took a different route back to the vehicles after another two miles of walking, and between Megumi's excitement over a herd of elephant seals lying on the beach and Keima explaining how to identify where a pod of whales was by the flock of seagulls gathered far off in the ocean, the strange event was forgotten. Debra had come to walk at Keiichi's right, with Belldandy on his left, catching up on how the rest of Keiichi's team was doing after Deb had fallen out of contact with them. She laughed over Jackson's attempts with the new lady in his life, asked about Sanchez's attempts at breeding a hotter ghost pepper, and asked for updates on McGuinness and the now-retired Morrison while listening in curiosity over the tales of the newer Braxton.

It was almost enough to make Keiichi forget about the budding rivalry between the two women on his arms. Right up to the point where they reached the rental again and a fight broke out over who claimed the front seat.

Debra won that round, but only after Keiichi had intervened and, in a manner that felt too similar to his childhood fights with Megumi, explained that the two women would switch seats at every stop. "Christ, it's like dealing with a pair of children," he grumbled to Keima as they reached their next stop for lunch.

Keima laughed and slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Then is good preparation for future," he said. "I want more grandbabies. You will need the practice."

Keiichi turned as white as a sheet.

The Mexican restaurant was a familiar one from Keiichi's childhood. It was a tiny, family-owned restaurant, still run by the same Martinez family that had become a constant in Keiichi's life for close to three decades. Jesús Martinez, the owner, was a close friend of Keima's, and he greeted the family loudly and warmly when Keima walked through the doors. At close to one thirty in the afternoon now, the lunch rush was over, and the remaining patrons ignored the large group as Maria, Jesús's wife, led them to a large, rounded, corner booth.

Keiichi, as he'd reluctantly come to expect, found himself imprisoned between his girlfriend and his ex-wife.

"Well I'll be a burro's ass, it's the Morisatos!" Jesús came out from the kitchen to greet them, his son, Diego, a close childhood friend of Keiichi's, following in his wake. "Long time no see, Pendejo!" He embraced Keima, who'd yet to sit, in a quick hug. Jesús was a short, stocky man with arms like a pair of tree trunks. Keima had known him from as far back as Keiichi could remember, originally as one of Keima's first customers, then again as someone Keima used to repeatedly run into at the Spanish meat market that had since been torn down. Back then, it had been the only grocery store Keima and Takano had ever gone to- the only place where they could afford meat, where Spanish was spoken more than English and Japanese, and where Keiichi had learned how to roll his r's before he could count to ten in English.

Diego, his just-as-stocky son, had gone to the same schools as Keiichi growing up, and together the boys had attended various classes that taught English as a second language. A lineman by trade, Diego oftentimes vacationed back home to visit family and friends, and oftentimes got roped in to helping out at his parent's restaurant during the summertime when the influx of traffic was heavier due to people on vacation. He was a relaxed individual, always with a smile on his face and always slow to anger, and had been the best man at Keiichi's wedding.

"'Bout time you came back for a visit, Brah," Diego said, his smile the same large, toothy, relaxed smile that Keiichi remembered. "Ain't seen you in a couple years! I was starting to think you ain't ever gonna show up here again." His face lit up when they found Megumi, and his smile shown. "And Megs! Babita! You come back to me!" he exclaimed. "Dios mío! Mi corazón." He held his hands to his heart. "Does this mean you left Mark and come running back to my arms?" Diego and Megumi had dated throughout high school before breaking up to pursue their own careers. They parted on good terms, and it was common for the two to joke about their past relationship.

Megumi smiled in delight. "Not this time, Pimientito," she said. "Can't come back to my side-boi anymore. I've got to worry about a real babita now."

Diego started, his eyes widening in shock. "Nah, really?!" At Megumi's nod and growing smile, the man's jaw dropped. "Holy- congratulations Megs!" He laughed, then looked over at his father. "Papá, you hear that? Ol' Man Keima gonna be an abuelo!"

"Ojichan!" Keima nodded in agreement, his chest puffed up in pride. "You call me ojichan now! Not pen-de-ho like you always do, Shiri!"

This time it was Jesús's jaw that dropped. "Tu, abuelo?" He shook his head. "Naah, you fucking with me, you old drunk."

"Hai!" Keima continued to nod, the smile on his face ear splitting in its size. "Am ojichan now!"

Martinez Senior shared a look with Martinez Junior. The two burst into loud, raucous laughter. "Maravilloso!" Jesús slapped a large, meaty palm on Keima's lean shoulder. It pitched the man forward into the table, yet Keima didn't seem to care. "This calls for a celebration!" he said. "Drinks are on me!" Laughing still, the man turned and ran off into the kitchen, ignorant of the aggravated look his wife sent his way from where she was cleaning a table.

"No tequila!" Keima shouted after him. "Is cat piss!"

"No alcohol for me please," Megumi said quickly, sending a somewhat panicked glance Diego's way.

"No worries, Babita! Lunch is on the house for you!" Diego cut in. "Speaking of, lemme get your orders before Pops gets back."

"You already know what I want, Boss," Keiichi said.

Diego laughed. "Man, you never learn do you?" he asked. "You gonna go to the hospital with a hole in your stomach. Your buddy back in Virginia prep you for the fire that's gonna come outta yo' ass?"

"You mean Sanchez?" Keiichi asked. "Man, come on. I survived Sanchez's ghost pepper chili!"

"Isn't that what landed you in the hospital?" Debra sent him a sidelong glance.

"I got better!" Keiichi declared. "Come on. Hit me with your best shot. Give me El Diablo."

Diego glanced at Debra. The woman sighed. "I'll take him to the hospital," she promised. "...again."

Belldandy straightened, alarmed. "Wait, what?" she demanded, looking from Keiichi to Diego to Debra. "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it," Keiichi and Diego said together. It earned him several flat expressions from the women present.

"Worry about it," Megumi muttered. "El Diablo is the burrito that made this place famous back in two thousand fourteen," she explained. "You need to sign a waiver before you eat it. It's got Carolina Reaper peppers in it."

Belldandy stared at her blankly, and on the other side of Keiichi, Debra grumbled. "Hottest goddamned pepper in the fucking world, and you're going to eat a burrito filled with them on the day right before Aiko has to speak in front of that asshole's parole officer."

"Yep," Keiichi's smile was large and reckless. "Come on, Deb, you know I can never pass up an opportunity like this!"

Both Debra and Megumi let out long, exasperated moans. "God... damn it, Keiichi," Megumi muttered.

"You won't be able to attend the hearing if you eat it," Debra warned. "You're going to be stuck on a toilet for two hours wishing you were dead."

"Hey," Keiichi looked over at her with a scowl. "Don't tell me how to live my bad decisions."

"No demon-burrito for you!" Keima was joining in now, as well. "You shit yourself in front of women like baby! Then they want nothing to do with you!" Belldandy stared at Keima, aghast, yet the man didn't seem to notice. "What you want me tell Aiko? You cannot join her because asshole is on fire? You want she call you 'Burning Asshole' from now on?"

Megumi covered her eyes with the palm of her hand. "Oh god," she muttered. "To think that I'm related to... this is what my child has in store for itself..."

Keiichi set his jaw. "I will not give in to peer pressure." He crossed his hands over his chest in a stubborn act of defiance, and Diego laughed.

"Keiichi, could you please order something else?" Belldandy asked.

"Please?" Debra joined in as well in a rare display of support. "You'll kill us in the car with your gas alone."

For a brief moment, Keiichi considered the wisdom of replying, "That would mean you two wouldn't be able to argue any more, right?" He bit his tongue instead.

"Oooh, now look at what you've done," Megumi whispered loudly. "You've got them joining forces against you, Kei. Better do what they say or they might tie you to a pole and leave you hanging."

Keiichi glared at his sister, but relented none-the-less. "All right, fine," he grumbled, his face scrunched and pinched, like a child denied a toy. "Fine, we'll have it your way. I'll have your chicken fajitas instead."

"There is a god," Debra breathed as Diego scribbled down Keiichi's order, and almost missed Belldandy scoff. She glanced at the woman, yet Diego stole her attention with her order request before she could comment on what Belldandy found so humorous. "I'll just have the usual," she said, distracted. "Fish tacos."

"That explains a lot," Belldandy muttered.

Debra stiffened, then leaned over the table to get a better look at Belldandy. "Is this coming from personal experience? You know they make creams for that now."

Belldandy's face went scarlet.

"Guys…" Keiichi's voice was tight with aggravation. "Could you fucking not?"

Scowling, Debra leaned back in her seat with a huff. Diego looked between the two of them with a raised eyebrow, but didn't comment. Keiichi silently thanked him for that. Instead he continued with his orders, getting Megumi's order next followed by Keima's, then circling back around to Belldandy. "So, what'll your friend have?" he asked.

Keiichi, fed up with the ongoing feud between Belldandy and Debra, didn't bother to correct him. Instead he looked at the menu. He took a breath in an effort to keep his temper, then spoke to Belldandy. "Pretty much everything is fair game, though you'll want to avoid anything with the pepper icon. I recommend the burritos myself, as they're Jesús's specialty."

Belldandy eyed him shrewdly, a scowl still on her face, and then nodded. "Fine," she said. "That is fine. A burrito then."

Keiichi eyed her, then glanced at Diego, making a very obvious attempt not to look at Debra. Diego shook his head ever-so-slightly, a little 'I'm not getting involved' shake that did little to ease Keiichi's nerves. The man looked back at Belldandy. "Do you... know which one you want?"

"I'll take whatever you recommend," Belldandy continued.

"So you'll have El Diablo instead?" Debra shot out. "Do we need to have another discussion on why that's a bad idea?"

"Stop!" Keiichi exclaimed. "Fucking Christ, guys... fine, Bell, try the carne asada burrito, okay?"

"I'll have that then," Belldandy said, taking her turn to lean over the table and cast a glare at Debra.

"Don't start," Keiichi warned. "Or I swear to god, you both will sit in the back of the car."

Diego busied himself scribbling down Belldandy's order, looking hard like he was trying not to laugh. "Sweet, I'll get started then. Pops will be back with your drinks in a bit." He fled the table like a man pursued by demons.

As he darted back into the kitchen, Keima called after him. "You make sure rice is good! No boiling!" His demand, like all the other times Keiichi had visited the restaurant with his father, would most likely be ignored.

Jesús returned a few minutes later with a platter of drinks in hand, one of which, as Keiichi suspected, was a bottle of tequila. He also had a pitcher of water, which he offered to Megumi, who took it with some relief. Keiichi declined the tequila as well under the excuse of being the driver. Things got a little better from there. Keima and Jesús were too busy arguing and heckling each other for Debra and Belldandy to get any shots of their own in at one another, and slowly, ever so slowly, Keiichi began to relax. The conversation remained light, though it was becoming apparent that the tequila was making Keima a little too bold in his speech.

"Ooi! I told you one thousand times you hole in the ass! Best rice is steamed rice! No boiling!"

"Bah!" yelled Jesús in reply. The fact it was coming from the kitchen was testament to how loud Keiichi's father was becoming. "Steaming it makes it stick together too much you pendejo jerk-off! I want some nice, fluffy rice. Not a sticky mess!"

Keiichi shared a look with Megumi, who nodded. She'd take over driving the Purple Turd in Keima's stead.

After about fifteen minutes, Diego emerged from the kitchen once more with a platter of food on his arm. He passed out the respective meals to the group, and from there that atmosphere grew lighter still. Keiichi devoured his meal with the speed and ferocity of a trainee at the chow hall with a screaming drill sergeant over his head. In fact, in the silence that followed it seemed as though everyone was consuming their meals with gusto, a sign of the appetite built during the walk that morning. Even Belldandy ate faster than normal, and with both she and Debra preoccupied with their meals, neither had time to start another argument.

Maybe that's all it was, Keiichi dared to hope. Maybe they were both just hungry, and in the wise words of Saint Snickers, 'You're not you when you're hungry'. The thought made him smile as he scraped up the last small bit of pepper with his fork, and in the peace of the moment he imagined Bell as a cranky old woman and Deb as an angry sports coach. It was wishful thinking, he knew, but hopefully the amount of carbs that came with all their meals would be enough to put them both in comas during transit to whatever awaited them next. Jesús was good at inducing carb comas, and if the women were asleep, then they couldn't fight, which meant that Keiichi wouldn't be filled with the desire to run the rental off the Golden Gate Bridge and into the San Francisco Bay.

As the others were finishing their meals Keiichi browsed his phone for possible movies and times. After the long trek on the beach and the large lunch they'd just had, Keiichi doubted anyone in the group wanted to brave California's heat on foot for long. A movie would provide some welcome relief, and perhaps even keep his two problem children from bickering too much. Captain America: Civil War was playing at a nearby theater around three, and with it only being a quarter past two right now, there'd be ample time to catch it. It'd be a good movie to watch, too. Megs and Deb were both fans of the Marvel cinema universe, which meant that he and Keima didn't have to worry about watching a damn chick flick with the girls. It'd be a nice introduction for Belldandy too, since the man had never taken her to see a superhero movie before. The only thing he regretted was that Thor wasn't in the movie. He'd have loved to see the Norn's reaction to 'one of her own' popping up in the movie and getting his shit wrecked by a jolly mean, green giant. That'd have to be a movie for home then, one where Urd could join them as well and he could record both of their expressions when first Loki, then Thor, popped up.

After a quick discussion, the movie was agreed upon. Lunch was finished and paid for and good-byes were made, with a promise from Megumi to send the Martinez family an invitation to Megumi's baby shower. The car ride to the movie theater was blissfully peaceful, and as Keiichi had predicted Jesús's meal sent Belldandy at least off into dreamland. Debra was quiet as well, sitting in the back this time, and a glance back in the rearview mirror showed the woman on her phone, brows scrunched together and lips pulled down in a long frown as she examined her phone. Work stuff, Keiichi guessed. Even when they were still married Deb had been a bit of a workaholic. Even on vacations she'd been known to check in at the office, trying to get some small bit of work done during transits from one place to another. Keiichi had never been a big fan of that aspect of her, but he'd understood it nonetheless. It was too easy, in her line of work, for tasks to pile up into a mountain when she wasn't in office. People trying to contact her, people asking for permission, people requesting access to evidence lockers or needing her signature or for her to finish some piece of paperwork or some other nit-picky thing. Stuff that was easy to take care of while at work, but became a hindrance if allowed to sit and pile.

Of course, that wasn't to say they never had a good vacation together. As soon as it was time to go or as a soon as they reached their destination, Deb was all about the experience. When not on call, she'd oftentimes leave her phone in the car to make sure she wasn't bothered by people contacting her, and dinner together had always been peaceful and enjoyable. There'd been an unspoken rule in the house, way back when and another life time ago, where cellphones were off and no media was around, where the two of them could sit at the table and eat together and enjoy each other's company in the mornings or the evenings. It had been a rule he'd kept in the house following her departure, and one he'd maintained following Belldandy's arrival in his life.

The memory left a pang in his heart. He hadn't thought of those times in years. In fact, he'd gone to great lengths to keep those memories buried, locked away and hidden from view in some chest deep in the dark corners of his mind after Deb had walked out on him. The sudden resurgence brought with it heartache, so fresh and ripe with pain that it was almost as if Deb had left him yesterday rather than two years ago. He missed those times together. Those quiet times in the morning where Deb would awaken with Keiichi to his alarm to start her own workout. To coming downstairs and sharing a protein shake with her-them both with their own brands-in a peaceful, companionable silence. Of their joking departures for their own exercises outside, of silly jokes when they saw each other an hour later, of racing each other laughing for who would get the upstairs bathroom first and who would be stuck with the downstairs bathroom to shower, and all the other silly little moments that were unique to the couple.

He missed it. He missed her, and damn it he wasn't supposed to anymore. Not with Belldandy in the front seat right next to him.

It didn't change his feeling for Belldandy, of course, not by a long shot. But at the same time... he missed what he'd had with Debra. What he'd shared with her for close to seven years, and now, just seeing his ex-wife in the back seat working on her phone like she always did when they were still together... it hurt. It wasn't something he'd ever have back, he knew, and not even something he ever wanted to pursue again-but hot damn if memory wasn't a strong and painful thing sometimes.

XXX

They arrived at the movie theater around two-thirty with time to spare. The lines were small at this time of day, the theater itself close to empty. Captain America: Civil War had been out for several weeks now, and the group was going to one of the last theaters still showing it. With it came the privilege of having an entire row of seats for themselves, and once again Keiichi was pinned between his ex-wife and goddess girlfriend. Thankfully, the movie served its purpose to distract, and for the most part everyone in attendance were too absorbed with the movie to do or say much of anything else. Keima fell asleep about half-way through the movie, but his snores disrupted no one, and aside from that and Belldandy's initial confusion as to why no one bothered leaving with the ending credits, it was an enjoyable time for everybody.

Right up to the point where Belldandy and Debra started into each other again.

They returned to the hotel after the movie to rest, relax, and catch up with the others. Keiichi was relieved. While the day had grown a bit nicer towards the end with the movie, Bell and Deb had shown no qualms about restarting their quarrel in the car. The hotel meant he could lock himself away from the others, away from the two current women in his car in particular, and given their attitudes towards each other, he could not fucking wait.

Just go back to the hotel and take a nice long shower and a nap until dinner, he thought to himself. God damn, that sounded fucking amazing right now. A long hot shower to wash away California, freshen up, and then collapse into the clean bed sheets with the A/C cranked up to max. Urd would be back at the hotel, and then he could pass the children off to her and Aiko if Aiko was back. Let the two 'Aunties' take care of the squabbling children. Papa was going to take a break.

I'm never having children, he thought to himself. A small smile overtook his lips. Not if this is a taste of what's to come. Let Megs have the babies, I'll be the crazy uncle who spoils them and sends them home with a pound of chocolate in their stomachs. As they pulled into the parking lot, Keiichi's imagination captured his mind's eye, and once more the two women who'd been harassing him all day vanished. This time what replaced them were children, Debra from how he'd always known her as a child: a tiny, freckled little thing with a small ponytail and a tomboyish attitude that complemented Megumi's. His earliest memory of her had been her bounding over to meet them on the playground at school first, and then later again when she worked up the courage to knock on the front door of their house. She'd always had an outgoing personality, even when they were little kids, which was one of the reasons why she and Megs had always gotten along so well. The picture of Belldandy that came to his mind however, was different. Not so much the quiet, strong-willed woman who'd come to grace his home but a kind, sweet little girl who still liked to wear dresses when everyone else thought it was too girly. A friendly little girl whose peaceful personality betrayed a vicious temper when the mood consumed her, but who otherwise went out of her way to attempt to befriend anyone and everyone, but had somehow hit a wall with Deb during their first introduction.

I bet they'd be friends if they could start over. He found himself thinking, pulling into a parking space and turning off the engine. Just a small re-introduction. "Hello Deb, this is my girlfriend Belldandy. Bell, this is my ex-wife Debra. There's no spark left between me and Deb, so let's all try and get along, okay?" It was a stupid thought, even to his mind's ear, and wistful still on top of that. The idea of his ex-wife getting along with her...replacement was preposterous, and Belldandy was still insecure with where she stood in their current relationship.

Even so...

If wishes were fishes then no one would starve and I'd have a gold-plated toilet seat. Keiichi reminded himself as he and the women unbuckled their seat belts and exited the car. He stretched after slamming the door behind him. If felt good to stretch his legs, and the heat had yet to settle onto his skin after the A/C in the car. His spine popped as he stretched, and with a sigh, he relaxed. Megumi had parked a couple of spaces away from him, and she and Keima were already out and waiting for them. Keima had a small sway in his stance.

"You good Keima?" Megumi asked as Keiichi, Belldandy, and Debra approached. "You look a little unsteady there."

"I tell you one more time, I am ojichan now!" Keima's words came out a slur, and Keiichi cringed internally. The tequila, which had already taken hold of him at the Martinez restaurant, was still good and strong in his blood, regardless of how much he'd slept through the movie.

"Uh huh, right," Megumi nodded in agreement. "You need some help back to your room?"

"Ojichan is fine!" Keima announced, perhaps a bit more loudly than he intended, having gained the attention of a pair of sharply-dressed businessmen heading for the hotel. "I did not ask for your help!"

Megumi sent Keiichi a long-suffering look, and catching the message the SEAL took over. "You guys go on ahead. I'll help Keima inside."

"Oi, I told you, is Ojichan now, and I did not ask for help!" Keima continued to rant. "I am not some old man-" The older man took a step towards the hotel as if to prove his point, and went face first towards the hot tarmac. Keiichi rushed to catch him before he hit the ground and helped him back up.

"Is he...?" Belldandy began.

"He's fine," Megumi proclaimed. "Come on. Leave this to Keiichi. Let's head inside and get some water for them."

"But..." Belldandy continued.

"Go on ahead, Bell. See if Aiko and Takano are back yet for me, will ya?" Keiichi continued. "This ain't nothing I haven't done before."

"All...all right," Belldandy mumbled, and turned towards the hotel, casting an uncertain glance over her shoulder. Megumi followed after her, turning only to mouth a mute 'thank you' before turning away as well.

"Hey Kei, later tonight...can I talk to you? In private?" Deb, the last person of their little party, was the last to leave, and it was with a request that caught him off-guard. "It's... kind of important."

Keiichi looked at her, still supporting Keima, and took note of the grim lines in her face. Something about that and the set of her jaw spoke of a severity that went beyond a simple argument or some kind of flirtatious advance. The man frowned, considering the request, and then nodded. "Sure," he said. "Do you want to talk after we head inside?"

The woman hesitated, her mouth parting as if to say yes. She looked over to the departing couple in silence, then beyond them to the two businessmen at the glass doors of the hotel before shaking her head. "No…" She looked back to Keiichi. "No, I think it can wait until later tonight. Maybe... sometime after dinner? Just...before you go to sleep tonight. That's all."

"All right," Keiichi said, looking puzzled. "Let's aim for around eight then, if that's the case. Ought to allow us to get back home after dinner."

"Sounds good," Debra nodded, looking relieved. "Thanks Kei. I'll catch you back inside," With a parting wave, she turned and trotted after Megumi and Belldandy, leaving Keiichi with Keima.

Keiichi sighed. "Let's get after them before they tell Takano on us," he said. "God only knows how pissed she'll be that Jesús got a few drinks in you before dinner."

Keima grunted. "Keiichi, next time you take girls to movie by yourself. Popcorn stale! Sound too loud and story unrealistic!"

Here we go...Keiichi thought, bracing himself for the upcoming scolding. "Well Keima, it was a movie about comic book characters, so..."

Keima punched him in the arm, causing Keiichi to grunt. "One more thing!" He exclaimed, "You leave girl problems here. Don't bring them to dinner!"

"Okay Keima," Keiichi said, releasing the man when it became apparent that he was not as drunk as he'd led the girls to believe.

"One more thing!" Keima continued, turning to look Keiichi in the eyes. They stood eye-level with each other, so it was no great effort for him. "You find a way to fix Aiko! We expecting many grandbabies from her!"

Keiichi winced. Yep, there it is. Motherfucker. "Okay Keima. I'll do what I can but I don't-"

Keima interrupted him, "One more thing!" He crowed, and this time his cawing gained the attention of a family of four unloading from an SUV. "If you decide to marry that Belldandy woman-"

"Yeah yeah, I know, you'll disown me," Keiichi said with some small annoyance. "I'll just go to Takano like I did Deb and-"

Keima smacked him on the head with two fingers. "You don't interrupt Keima!" He snapped.

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

"As I was saying," Keima continued, "you and her like Yin and Yang. Like Keima and Takano. Good magic comes from both of you when you're together. Bad magic when you apart." He held Keiichi's eyes with a deep scowl. "Like you and Debra before you up-fucked it! You don't be fucking this up like Debra, or I swear on our ancestors I will string you from a pole!"

Keiichi scoffed. "You'll do what?"

It earned him another whack on the forehead from Keima. "Have you wax bees in ears? Rinse out head boy, I'm talking to you!" Keima snapped. "You stupid! You screw up a good thing once, you remember what happen? It hurt you and Debra! Not again!" He glared at Keiichi, the lines in his face deep and upset. "You know how long it take Keima to find Takano? Years. You find a woman like that only once in your life. For you, that Deb. Now you have found another." He rested a hand on Keiichi's shoulders, and it was a heavy weight that pulled down on Keiichi like a brick. The man leaned in close. "You not fuck up, Keiichi," he rumbled. "You do, you not will get third chance. She will leave you broken. You understand?"

Keiichi was struck speechless. Keima didn't talk about relationships. They were as taboo a subject to him as women. To hear him speak so freely on the subject of not only that, but his own relationship with Takano was enough to shock Keiichi into silence, and he stared deeply into his father's face, taking note of the seriousness of his expression and the concern buried within the man's dark eyes. This was no drunk man. This was a man who'd played a fool's gambit to give himself and his son some privacy away from the women. For a moment, a wave of guilt consumed him; guilt over the loss of Debra and guilt over the strain his breakdown had caused on his family, which made itself evident in his father's face. He recognized, in that moment, that this conversation was more in concern of Keiichi himself instead of Belldandy, and was humbled. He frowned, his expression matching Keima's with such likeness that to any who passed and saw them, there would be little doubt as to the relation of the two. At length, Keiichi nodded. "I understand, Keima," he said. "I won't-" He stopped himself at the last moment. "I'll try not to fuck this up."

"You either up-fuck or you don't," Keima said in all seriousness. "There is no try in that promise. Is same with your Belldandy-woman. You both must not up-fuck this, or you will both suffer. I have seen it with others. Our friends. Our family." He shook his head, and his expression morphed into one of sadness. "You both must look after each other, you understand? If not it will lead to tragedy. You have lived it with Debra. Do not re-live it with Belldandy, yes?"

"Yes," Keiichi replied. "Okay...okay, yes. I won't fuck it up this time Keima. I-I won't."

Keima nodded in approval and released his grip on Keiichi's shoulder. "Good," he said, and his tone lightened. "Now let's go. Keima needs break from women."

"Shit, you and me both, Ojichan," Keiichi retorted, and watched his father's face break into a smile.

"Ha!" He barked. "I knew we related! Indeed! Let us say hello to Takano and Aiko and then goodbye for freedom!"

XXX

Aiko, Takano, and Morgan were already in the hotel when Belldandy and Megumi entered. The trio sat off at one of the small gathering areas in the in the room next to the lobby. Megumi made a beeline for the area, and Belldandy, seeing no signs of her sister anywhere, followed as Debra fell in behind her. The other half of the group sat on a couch next to a television, paper and plastic bags labeled with designer brands at their feet and plastic coffee cups on the wooden coffee table next to them. All three of the women appeared to be in good humor, gossiping over something Belldandy was unfamiliar with but sounded like the plot of a story or television show.

Takano spotted them first, waving them over with a smile. Together, the new arrivals moved to join the other members of their party. Aiko greeted them with a warm smile. "Hey guys, how'd it go?" She asked, "You do anything fun?"

"We saw orca pods and seals down by the coast," Megumi said.

"And Belldandy showed off her snake handling skills," Debra said behind the Norn in question. Belldandy jumped. "I still don't know if it was the bravest or dumbest thing I've ever seen."

Belldandy scowled, looking over her shoulder at the woman, who watched her with a scowl of her own. "I told you-"

"It was a Mojave Rattlesnake," Debra continued without breaking eye contact.

"Good lord!" Aiko breathed, "Those are like, one of the most dangerous snakes in California! Are you guys okay? It didn't bite you or anything, did it?"

"We're fine!" Megumi cut in, catching sight of the concerned expressions on the others' faces. Even Morgan looked alarmed. "We're all fine. This badass over here spotted it and picked it up with her bare hands and sent it off into some ice plants. It didn't so much as shake its tail at her. It was awesome." She paused, noting that the concern was not fading but was in fact growing. "Then stopped by the Martinez's restaurant for lunch. Diego says hi. And... um... Keima might be drunk?"

At once Takano bristled. "He had tequila, didn't he?" She demanded. Megumi nodded with a wince, her smile a grimace as Takano gripped the armrest of the chair she was in, her expression dark, and then with a sigh relaxed. "I will speak with him later," she said. There was an edge in her voice that both Megumi and Aiko shied away from. "Keiichi is with him?"

"Yeah," Deb said. "Speaking of... I'll be right back. Keiichi asked for some water for Keima. They'll be inside in a few."

"I see..." Takano mumbled, and as Debra ducked out of the area at a speedy rush, Belldandy turned to follow. There was no way she was going to leave that woman out of her sight, even if Keiichi was accompanied by his father. She didn't trust Debra for a minute.

"Belldandy-san, come and sit with us!" Takano called out to her before the Norn could chase after the mortal. The goddess froze, not so much at Takano's call so much as the honorific attached to her name, as for a brief moment Japan and all its wretchedness came speeding back to her. The edges of her vision began to darken, and the goddess was engulfed in a wave of dizziness as visions from the past overtook the people around her. She felt hot all of a sudden. Hot and surrounded and suffocating, and in that instant all the Norn could think about was getting out, getting away, and come hell or high water that was what she was going to-

It's okay, a voice whispered in her mind, and for a moment Belldandy almost didn't recognize it as Holy Bell. You're all right. You're okay. Take a deep breath. This isn't Japan. The goddess took a long breath, becoming all too aware of the world around her: the sun glaring through the windows. The smell of air freshener covering the stale scent of humanity. The noise flowing from the lobby, the television, the people around her. The heat in her cheeks, the sweat sliding down her back, the overwhelming claustrophobia that enveloped her. Come now, this is nothing, Holy Bell whispered, an honorific. Do you remember what Keiichi taught you for these moments? For those times when the world grew too small to hold you?

Yes...

Then what is your name? Holy Bell asked.

Belldandy Tyrsdottor.

Where are you?

Midgard, on the North America Continent, The United States of America, California, San Francisco. I'm in the Courtyard Hotel.

Good, Holy Bell said. Look at the television, she coached, what's on the screen? Describe what's being shown.

It's a movie, Belldandy continued, feeling some of her initial panic subside. There are yellow subtitles on screen. It's animated. A young lion is conversing with a large pig and...I don't know what that other thing is. Their surroundings are like a jungle and they're eating- Belldandy blinked, then recoiled. Holy Bell, they're eating bugs.

The subtitles say it tastes like chicken, her angel said, and for a moment Belldandy felt an ethereal pair of arms settle on her shoulders, light and feather-like, where the skin of her shoulders tingled from the angel's touch. You're okay now, see? Holy Bell continued. Now go and sit with Miss Takano. Aiko looks concerned.

I will, Belldandy said, and tore her eyes from the television and back to where Aiko sat with her mother and girlfriend. The young woman did indeed look worried, and when their eyes met Belldandy sent her a reassuring smile. I'm okay now, she wanted to tell her. Holy Bell is with me, it's okay now.

Though the words were left unspoken and her thoughts left unheard, Aiko still must have read something in the Norn's face. She smiled too, and it was a relieved one that placed Belldandy's heart at ease. With no hesitation, the Norn approached Takano and Aiko, joining their company. They chatted for a while, with Megumi sitting on the armrest next to Aiko, and spoke a bit about each other, about their pasts, and about what they were doing now. Takano learned of how her son had come to help Belldandy during a 'challenging time in her life', and Takano shared stories of her own life coming to America and the adventures in raising first two, then three, then four children.

"Where is he by the way?" Belldandy asked, "Your youngest son, Keigo?"

Takano huffed. "He is with a friend studying." Behind her Aiko rolled her eyes in exasperation. Even Megumi didn't look convinced. "Keigo has finals coming up. He needs to get a good grade so he can progress to the next level."

Behind her Aiko shook her head, "He's not studying," she mouthed, then pressed a finger to her lips.

Belldandy wisely held her silence, and Takano continued speaking. "He is a good boy, a little peculiar at times, but a good boy still. He takes a lot after his father, and enjoys working with his hands," the woman's expression was rueful, "when he is not playing videogames, anyway. Very smart. Very quiet, and he prefers to keep to himself. Keima thinks Keigo will apprentice beneath him when Keigo gets older-he is only twelve right now-but I do not think so. Though he enjoys working with his hands, I have never seen him look twice at his father's glass blowing shop. He prefers wood, and more recently, stone." Takano shook her head, clicking her tongue. "It is a shame. A waste of talent here in America. There is no market for such a skill, and he will need to find another trade or career to support his hobbies when he is older. But enough of Keigo. Tell me more about yourself. I take it you and Keiichi are sleeping together?" She sent the woman a sidelong glance, and her two daughters' reactions should have been a warning to Belldandy. Aiko literally jumped a cushion away from her mother, a grimace on her face, and Megumi almost fell off the arm rest in her haste to distance herself from the Matriarch.

"I'm...gonna check on Kei and Keima," Megumi announced. "Later!" She almost ran out of the room.

Belldandy watched her go, then looked back at Takano. "Well... in a way?" She said. "There was one time we slept together on the couch back in March, however aside from that we still sleep in separate rooms."

Behind Takano, Aiko gaped at Belldandy, then proceeded to shake her head, mouthing 'no' over and over again. Belldandy ignored her, wondering what the big deal was.

"You're taking it slow?" Takano turned to better face the Norn, crossing one leg over the other as she looked at Belldandy with keen interest. "I see. This is a good way to build your relationship."

Belldandy nodded in agreement. "Indeed. We've come to the conclusion that it is best not to rush our relationship, though I am unsure I understand the relevancy of what sleeping together has to do with the long-term relationship between myself and Keiichi." She shrugged. "It means nothing, really, just like when I slept with Aiko."

The room went quiet. Aiko's eyes bulged in their sockets as she stared at Belldandy. Morgan, sitting next to her, stared at Belldandy in shock. Takano as well appeared stunned, and for a long moment not a single member of the small group said a word.

Belldandy looked at them all in confusion. "What?"

It was Takano who finally spoke. "Belldandy-san..." That damned honorific again. It made the hair on the Norn's neck stand on end. "Did... did you just say you slept with Aiko as well?"

"Motherfucker..." Morgan breathed.

"Yes," Belldandy said, confused as to the reactions of everyone present. "Yes, I slept with Aiko. Twice, actually."

"Oh my god," Morgan rose from where she sat. "That's it, I'm done. I don't want to hear any more of this shit." She stormed out of the room.

"Morgan, wait!" Aiko chased after her, "Nothing happened! We were sharing a bed, that's it! Remember what I told you? Easter weekend?" Morgan ignored her, and Belldandy watched in confusion and a small bit of her own shock as the two raced past an approaching Debra, who took a wide berth around them. "I swear Morgan, nothing happened!"

"Belldandy-san," Belldandy turned back to Takano, finding the woman's expression perturbed. "...how many of my children are you planning to sleep with?"

"All of them at this rate," Debra said from behind Belldandy's seat, and the Norn jumped. "Takano, Keima wanted to speak with you about something."

"I see," Takano mumbled. Her eyes never left Belldandy, and Belldandy came to the growing conclusion that somewhere in their conversation, she'd royally, as the guards from Japan liked to say, 'screwed the pooch' somewhere. "Yes. Yes, I think we should put an end to our conversation for the moment, Belldandy-san. Let me see what Keima needs from me." She rose abruptly, and with due haste departed the room, leaving Belldandy and Debra alone with the shopping bags from Aiko's, Takano's, and Morgan's day out.

Debra stared at Belldandy.

Belldandy stared back.

Neither woman spoke, and beneath the din of the lobby, Belldandy could still hear Aiko's attempts to explain herself to Morgan.

Without a word exchanged Debra broke eye contact, retrieving the shopping bags from where they rested and gathering the plastic coffee cups still half-full. She tossed the cups in a nearby trashcan, and without so much as a glance over her shoulder departed the room, leaving Belldandy alone, outcast, and feeling more like a stranger in a strange land than during the entirety of her stay in Japan.

XXX

Urd joined them for dinner that night at a sushi house a couple of blocks away from the Courtyard. Despite her claims of staying at the hotel all day, the goddess was happy and exuberant that evening in ways Keiichi hadn't seen her in months. It was notable if not for the sheer fact that she seemed to be in the highest spirits of anyone that evening, and Keiichi found he welcomed the change in attitude with open arms. Her humor and wit provided some much needed relief after the stress of the day, not just for Keiichi but for Aiko and the others as well. At some point between Keiichi's departure and the return to the hotel, a rift had opened between Aiko and Morgan, the tension between the women so dense he'd have cut it with a knife if he'd had one on his person. It created a stifling atmosphere for Keiichi, who was already winded after stopping one fight after another between Belldandy and Debra, and it showed signs of wearing on his parents and Megumi as well.

Yet Urd was nothing if not a stubborn woman, and refused to be dragged down to their level. Keiichi could have kissed her for that, listening with half an ear as she regaled his family with one story after another of crazy hijinks and drunken debauchery. It distracted him from the two problem children on either side of him as they walked to the restaurant, and as they approached the parking lot Urd even managed to break the silence of the group by coaxing a laugh out of Megumi. To Keiichi, it was like an invisible wall had been knocked down, and with it came the slow and hesitant murmur of quiet conversation.

The sushi house was large, built to look like a traditional Japanese household from a distance, complete with its wooden walls and curved triangular thatched roofs. At least until someone came closer and realized the wood was plaster emulating wood grain. It looked gaudy to Keiichi; a tourist trap designed to lure in unsuspecting victims, and he suspected the sushi prices would validate those fears. A waitress led them all to a large table, and after taking their requested drinks vanished back into the kitchen. Keima, having never been known to be subtle, was muttering something rude to Takano about the waitress being Vietnamese. "Sushi will be shit," he grumbled, and Belldandy, who by pure chance ended up on the other side of him, leaned away from the man in favor of Keiichi. "What do they know about good sushi? Nothing!"

"Don't start Keima," There was iron in Takano's voice, though it sounded pleasant enough. "We are in public."

"Yes Dear," came Keima's immediate reply. Keiichi had only ever heard the pet name used when Keima was skating on thin ice. He didn't say another word.

The prices, as Keiichi feared, were just as inflated as he'd come to expect from California, and with some remorse he bid a silent farewell to the cash in his wallet. Neither of the Norns had any money on them, which meant he'd be paying for three on this go-around.

Keiichi glanced to Debra, who was sitting on the other side of him. She was busy talking to Aiko and Morgan, who sat across from her. In spite of the obvious spat that the pair were in the middle of, they still sat together. Keiichi took that as a good omen. It could have also had something to do with Urd, who was sitting next to Aiko and across from him. Earlier, as they were arriving, the silver haired goddess had somehow gotten onto the topic of Belldandy and her naiveté, much to his girlfriend's embarrassment. He noted as the story was finished how it seemed like a lightbulb had gone on over Morgan's head. A few hushed words in private and things had thawed considerably between the couple.

The Goddess Urd, solver of all problems Morisato.

Megumi sat across from Belldandy. She was busying herself with a conversation with Takano about the baby, he assumed. He could not quite make out what they were saying, though. As they spoke, Keiichi noted that they kept surreptitiously glancing across to Belldandy, which led Keiichi to believe there were more topics involved than what he initially thought.

It did not take long for the drinks to arrive, after which everyone ordered. Unsurprisingly, Belldandy did not need much help ordering this time, picking out several pieces for herself including unagi and mackerel. She did have to ask what a "California roll" was, and turned her nose up to it when the waitress explained it to her. That seemed to impress Keima quite a bit, as he began to regale the goddess with stories of what real sushi was like, which was mildly humorous considering that aside from his parents, Belldandy probably had the most experience of anyone at the table with what real sushi was. The fact that his father had initiated the conversation had impressed the Navy SEAL even more. But that changed to surprise as the two continued on to different topics, even switching to Japanese after Belldandy had made mention of the fact that she had spent ten years in Japan.

When they started talking about Keima's glass shop, Keiichi tuned them out entirely as he turned to listen in on the conversation Urd was having with Aiko and Morgan. It sounded like Urd's dislike for meat didn't just extend to red meats, as the woman was discussing fishless-related options that left Keiichi feeling a bit guilty.

"You don't like fish?" Morgan asked.

Urd shook her head. "I'm... allergic," she said.

"To fish? Or shellfish?" Morgan inquired.

"Yes," Came Urd's response, as confusing and convoluted as any other lie that came from the woman's lips. "I'll stick to an avocado roll and tomago and call it a day." Though she hid it well, Keiichi could tell she was uncomfortable speaking on the topic, or perhaps more likely was uncomfortable with the restaurant itself. On several instances he caught her eyes darting to the servers who passed with long plates of sushi and small wooden boats loaded with sashimi.

Keiichi jumped when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He had put it on vibrate so that it wouldn't disturb anyone during their meal. He pulled it out, half-expecting it to be Jackson telling him all about another date with Lind, then frowned when he saw who it was and what the message was.

"She touched him!"

The Navy SEAL looked up to the older of his two sisters and frowned. Wondering what all the secrecy was, he texted back. "That sounds like a personal problem to me!" Smiling to himself at his witty response, he looked back up to Megumi. She looked up and glared at him after reading his response, then refocused on her phone.

"Belldandy touched Keima!"

Keichi frowned at that. He was about to respond with "So?" when it hit him. Belldandy had touched Keima.

And Keima was not running for the hills.

Slowly, the Navy SEAL turned to look at his girlfriend. She let out a laugh at something Keima had said, then did something amazing. He did not know if it was an unconscious act or not, but Belldandy reached up and put her hand on Keima's arm as she leaned forward in her amusement.

And the Morisato patriarch did not so much as flinch.

If he could have, Keiichi would have shit a brick right then and there. Keima's gynophobia, so prevalent throughout his life, was completely absent in the presence of the deity sitting next to him. Having seen his reaction to Urd earlier in the day, Keiichi knew that it wasn't the fact that Belldandy was a goddess that was keeping the older man from reacting violently as he had done countless times in the past. Do miracles never cease? he marveled.

He looked over to Megumi, who met his questioning eyes with baffled ones of her own, and then he looked to Takano. The women looked at him, looked at Keima, and then looked back at Keiichi. Do you see this? Her eyes asked, and he gave a slight nod.

The waitress returned to collect the order slips they'd filled out, and as the large group waited on their food, they continued to converse amongst themselves. Keiichi, observing the amiable atmosphere between Keima and Belldandy, allowed himself to forget the tensions of the day as he conversed with Megumi over her fiancé's reaction to learning of her pregnancy, and teasing her about wedding dates and crashing in with all of Team 12.

Dinner arrived, which Keiichi enjoyed more than he'd originally thought. Perhaps it was the company he kept that made the food taste so good, chatting and laughing and delighting in the good atmosphere of a man surrounded by friends and family and at ease with the world around him. The meal was going so well, Keiichi almost forgot about all the strife that had been taking place during the day.

Almost.

At some point he excused himself for the restroom, and upon his return Keiichi found Belldandy and Debra butting heads again. He wasn't sure who started it. All he knew was that when he got back, all the progress that had been made since the start of the meal was gone. Both women we staring daggers at each other as he heard what was apparently one salvo from a battle that had been raging for a few minutes now.

"You know Debra, when I hear you say something like that, I have to wonder: is it true what they say about how women of your particular hair color are lacking upstairs in the brain department?" Belldandy asked, her elbow propped up on the wooden table as she smiled prettily at Debra. There was venom in her smile, though, and a steel in her gaze that left Keiichi wondering if somehow the woman he'd come to know had been replaced with someone else.

Debra stared at her in disbelief. "Oh dear lord, I cannot even believe you asked that in this day and age," she muttered. "I'll have you know that I have a degree in Criminal Justice,"

Belldandy hummed. "I don't know…" She said, "I question the intelligence of anyone who would leave such a fine man when he needs her the most."

Debra tensed. Hell, the whole table grew tense. Keiichi and Debra's divorce was still a sensitive topic, and to bring it to the table now, in front of not only Keiichi but his whole family, was a low blow. "There were... extenuating circumstances," she said, before following it quickly with a change of topic, anything to get off the subject of the divorce. "You seem to be into stereotypes, so, is it true? Does the carpet match the drapes?"

Belldandy looked befuddled by that question. "I'm sorry, I don't understand the reference," she replied after a few moments.

Debra scoffed and smiled. She glanced at Aiko, who Keiichi could tell was not amused at all by either of the women. Everyone else had very uncomfortable looks on their faces, all except Morgan, who seemed to be enjoying the argument. "And she accused me of being blonde..."

"What?" said Belldandy as she blinked in confusion.

"I think that answers my quest-" Debra's voice trailed off when she realized Keiichi was watching the two of them. To say that he was angry would be like saying water was wet or that the sun was shining at high noon on a cloudless day. A variety of emotions roiled in his chest; anger, frustration, and disappointment all vied for his attention and made themselves visible on his face. His expression morphed into something strange and horrible as anger took reign, however, and with his attention so fixated on the Norn and the Detective, Keiichi never noticed Morgan reach over and grab Aiko's hand in fear. Urd looked ready to jump to her feet at the drop of a hat, and Keima observed him with a strange, studious silence, observing his son's reaction with careful scrutiny.

It was Takano who broke the horrible silence, and it was with a single word. "Keiichi."

His mother's voice was enough to snap him out of his spell, and the man twitched. His heated gaze flew to his mother's composed face, and all at once Keiichi became aware of where he was. Ground yourself, the SEAL in him spoke up. Take a breather. Not in here. Not where the problem is. It was good advice. The SEAL was the logical part of him, the one that always took over in times when emotion was liable to get him killed. He needed that right now, if not for his sake than for the sake of his family, who were all watching him like deer and who would remember how he reacted on this night like they remembered his breakdown years before.

And so it was that Keiichi Morisato turned his back on the Norn Belldandy and the woman who was once his wife, and walked away.

XXX

Everyone watched as Keiichi stormed out of the restaurant in a rush, and it took a moment before anyone could react. It was Aiko who broke the silence. "I'm going to go talk to Kei," she said, squeezing Morgan's hand before releasing it. Rising, she dug into her pockets and pulled out her wallet, throwing a couple of twenties on the table. "That should cover me and Kei. I gotta go." She cast a withering glare towards both Belldandy and Debra, then raced off after her brother in a hurried walk.

Urd watched her depart in silence, and when Aiko was gone she looked to her sister. "Bell, can I speak to you a moment?" Belldandy tore her eyes away from the hallway Keiichi had just stormed down and over to Urd. "In private?" The woman watched her with a heavy frown, her face leaving no room for argument. Belldandy recognized that look. It was the same look Ansuz used to direct towards Urd whenever she'd done something to incur their mother's ire, and seeing that same look directed toward her from Urd made her uncomfortable. The middle Norn nodded, and together the two women slid out of the booth they were seated in and departed the table, leaving a silent audience in their wake. Urd led Belldandy towards the bathrooms, which were clean and white and covered in porcelain, before turning to Belldandy. "Okay," she started, "You know that I love you, so don't take it the wrong way when I say this, but you're being a bitch, Belldandy."

Belldandy's mouth fell open, and she stared at Urd in shock. A what? Her? "I-I am not!" She exclaimed. "How could you- I am not being a bitch!"

Urd folded her arms, sending the goddess a flat look. "You're deliberately provoking your boyfriend's ex-wife in front of his entire family," she stated. "And from how Keiichi just stormed out of here, I'd go out on a limb and say this isn't the first time, either."

"She-but she's-" Belldandy could feel her face flush. "Why are you on her side?!" She demanded.

"I'm not on anyone's side," Urd replied. "I'm speaking on what I see, and what I'm seeing right now is you embarrassing not only yourself, but me as well. We're here on an outing with Keiichi and his family, and you feel so insecure, so threatened by a lone mortal woman that you take pot shots at her like a demon in the shadows. Is this how you want Keiichi's family to see you? As Keiichi's girlfriend who is filled with nothing but contempt for someone they see as family?"

Belldandy flinched. "She's just as bad though!" It was a poor excuse when said aloud, a five-year old's game of 'he said, she started it', and by the look on Urd's face her sister was having none of it.

"She has conducted herself in a more professional manner than you have whenever we've been together," The Norn replied. "And even if she wasn't, how is that excusable? To behave like a child in public because you don't have the thick skin to ignore her taunts? Fuck Bell, even Skuld would have handled it better than you!"

Belldandy winced, and Urd ran her hands through her hair, sucking in a deep breath. "Get your head out of your ass, Belldandy. You're a grown woman and Keiichi isn't a fucking doll for you to fight over. You realize that, right?"

"Of course I do!" Belldandy cried.

"Then stop acting like he is," Urd snapped. "You treat him like he's your favorite toy! And every time you do, every time you act like he's not there, listening to your comments, watching how you start arguments, every time you start a fight or an argument over him like he's a possession, you drive him away! Do you understand that?"

"I-"

"No," Urd interrupted. "Shut your mouth. Think. Are you even listening to me?" She demanded. "Stop trying to think up excuses and listen to me. The man you fell in love with, the love of your life, the person who went out and rescued you just walked out on you. Now you tell me: Why the fuck did he walk out on you? Because it wasn't just Debra, Belldandy. It takes two to tango and you've been dancing with her all day."

The goddess fell silent, at a loss for words as she stared into her sister's eyes. It took a moment to sink in that Urd was angry with her. Angry. At her. Not the little matchstick angers that came about with Skuld or throughout their childhood, but downright angry. She'd never had that anger directed towards her before, and it was enough to make the woman pause and reflect on the day. On how she'd allowed herself to be goaded into arguments and how she'd started fights in front of not only Keiichi, but Keima and Megumi as well. Throwing insults in the car, dropping snarky remarks at the restaurant in front of Keiichi's friend, her possessive behavior over Keiichi during the movie, even her conversation with Takano after returning to the hotel. And now this... had she really become so detestable? A wave of shame enveloped her, and the goddess looked away, unable to hold her sister's gaze. Urd was right. Why was she...?

Urd watched her in silence, arms crossed against her chest as she watched the Norn. When she was satisfied that her message had sunk into the woman, the goddess spoke again. "Get your shit together, Belldandy. We aren't here for your feud. We aren't here to prove you're the better choice for Keiichi. We're here to support Aiko when she has to go up before a panel tomorrow and plead her case against the man who raped her. You don't have to like Debra. You don't have to get along wither her, or befriend her, or any of that shit, but you sure as fuck need to tolerate her while we're here. Do you understand?"

"I do," Belldandy said. The words came out a whisper. "I-I apologize, Urd. I hadn't-" She bit her lip, then looked back at Urd. "I've been acting a fool, haven't I?"

"Save it," Urd was curt. "Apologize to the Morisatos. Apologize to Keiichi, because after the stunt you just pulled in there, you'll be lucky if he gives you a second, hell this might well be your third chance."

Belldandy flinched. "I-yes. Yes. I'll... I'll go apologize to him. Him and his family as well."

"Good," Urd said. "Now put your game face on so we can get the hell out of this place. I feel like I'll go mad if I have to sit here watching you guys eat any more animals connotated with life. You all are attracting Death's gaze like a giant neon sign."

This time Belldandy's wince was for another reason. "Ah... I forgot about your superstitions, Urd."

"They aren't superstitions when a whole race sees fish as sacred," Urd muttered.

"You aren't a demon, Urd," Belldandy said, grateful for the topic change.

"No, but I still spent the most influential years of my life amongst them," she reminded. "Fish equate to life. You destroy life, you invite death. Now let's go."

XXX

"Kei! Kei, wait up!" Aiko cried, chasing down her brother as he left the parking lot. Keiichi ignored her, and undaunted, she continued, putting her track and field legs to use and loping after him in an easy gait. She caught up to him with little effort, yet the man still did not acknowledge her, even as she fell into step beside him. The man was fuming, his face stony and hard. There were lines on his face, lines Aiko had never really noticed before, and like a map they created a network of emotions and experiences that spoke of a trying life of war and battle. Aiko was reminded of a samurai, one who'd seen more than his fair share of combat, and had been placed out of combat and into a realm of soft and peaceful merchants. The lines on his face made him look old; older in some ways even then Keima, He of the White Hair and Ancient Face. And it made her feel small and young by comparison, knowing that until the day she died, she would never know the sights and experiences that had left their etchings in his flesh.

"Kei?" Her voice was gentle, and it did the trick of gaining his attention in ways her shouts had not.

The man heaved a heavy sigh. "She just..." He growled and didn't bother finishing his sentence, leaving Aiko to wonder at who 'she' was. Aiko had a good idea of who fit the bill, though.

"It could be worse, she could have blown up the airport or the hotel or something," Aiko said. "All things considered, it wasn't that bad, Kei."

The man beside her scoffed and shook his head. "Yeah, but what if this is what I have to deal with from now on?" he asked. "Aiko, I can't have this kind of drama in my life. I'm a SEAL. I go on deployments all the time. I see combat, I'm in hazardous situations that could leave me dead or worse on a quarterly basis that at any time, any fucking time, could leave me traumatized." He took a long breath and moaned. "I need stability, not a hyper aggressive, insecure woman."

Ouch. Aiko thought. I hope gods don't hear when people are talking shit about them behind their backs. "I don't think she's going to be normally like this, do, you?" she said instead. "I mean, this is the first time your relationship has been really challenged. At least with Peorth, you made it clear from the beginning that you wanted nothing to do with her. But with Debra, you seemed to have pussied out,"

"It's not like that at all!" Keiichi snapped.

Aiko raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she asked. "I haven't seen you push her away once since we got here. You haven't refused any of her advances, and it's sending the wrong message, not just to Debra, but to Belldandy as well. Have you spoken to her at all?"

"I tried! Okay?" The man stopped, and Aiko stopped with him. "God, I tried! She came to my room and we talked and…"

"And what?" Aiko pressed.

Keiichi paused. "She… she kissed me."

"And you stopped her. Right? Right?!" Aiko felt her stomach turn itself into a knot as Keiichi didn't respond right away. "Kei, come on. You stopped. Tell me you fucking stopped.

Yet Keiichi shook his head. "God damn it," he bit out. "No, I didn't. I should have. I wanted to. But for a moment, it was like when we were first going out for real. Things happened so fast. One moment we were talking…."

"And the next you were playing tongue hockey?" Aiko stared at her brother in disbelief.

Keiichi grimaced. "Something like that."

Aiko ran her hands through her hair. "So that's why you've been acting the way you have today. Kei, you need to tell Belldandy the truth. Debra's your ex-wife. Not your ex-girlfriend, not some past lover, your ex-wife. You're in a new relationship, for fucks sake! With a goddess! Are you out of your fucking mind?" Do you even know what this means? It means all the shit you've been bitching about today- all her bitching and taunting and shit? Because of her insecurities? You just justified that behavior,"

The man moaned pathetically, his own anger lost in his guilt. "I know, it's just that…"

"Just what?" Aiko demanded. "You want to be with Belldandy, right?"

"Of course!" Keiichi cried.

"Then quit dicking around with Debra, man up, and tell her you're done!" Aiko exclaimed. "Then go apologize to Belldandy and spend the day with her tomorrow. I'm a big girl, I can face Stuart without you."

Keiichi stared at her for a long time in silence. At length, he bowed his head, his anger spent. "You're right," he grumbled, rubbing his face. "Fuck, I'm such an asshat sometimes."

Aiko huffed. "Of course I'm right! Believe it or not, Kei, I've got some pretty keen insight when it comes to relationships with women."

Keiichi looked at her, his face slack with shock. Then, without warning, he burst into unprecedented laughter.

XXX

It was close to nine in the evening before Belldandy worked up the courage to approach Keiichi's room. A full ninety minutes since they'd returned from the sushi bar, with Urd pulling out money Belldandy was unaware she had to pay not only for the Norns' meals, but for everyone else's meals as well. It was a generous gesture, and one everyone but Morgan refused. Keima refused to accept charity from Jigoku no Musume nor would he allow anyone to pay for Takano's meal. Megumi refused out of principle, as did Debra, but Morgan was relieved, gathering the bills Aiko had thrown on the table and pocketing them with a simple explanation of "Fuck student loans."

It had been painful, to say the least, to apologize to everyone in attendance, but judging by the reactions of the others, it was not a wasted gesture. Debra in particular was caught off-guard, and watching her stumble and stutter through her words was something the Norn took a small amount of pleasure in, vindictive though it was.

Megumi received a text from Aiko as they were getting ready to leave, stating that Aiko and Keiichi were heading back to the hotel and that Aiko apologized for them walking out on the others. For Belldandy it was a reminder, and a sign of things to come. She still had two more apologies to make, the hardest being to Keiichi himself for chasing him away from his family. It left her in dreadful anticipation throughout the short walk back to the hotel, where they found Aiko waiting but not Keiichi, with a simple message for the Norn: "Kei needs to talk to you when you're free." When Belldandy pressed her for further information, however, Aiko clammed up, instead excusing herself and Morgan for the night and leaving Belldandy like a leaf twisting in the breeze.

The others departed for their own tasks as well: Megumi to speak with her fiancé, Debra to her room, and Keima and Takano for their own quarters. Even Urd abandoned her. "I'm getting shitfaced," she said. "Don't bother me unless demons are crawling out of the woodwork to chew your ass up."

Belldandy wisely gave her sister her space.

And in return, it had left her with no one to motivate her into pursuing Keiichi.

She knew she'd have to speak with him eventually. To ignore him now would only delay the inevitable, and the longer she avoided him the more painful the confrontation would become. She'd paced without end in the room she shared with Urd, her mind working up fantasies and nightmares of how her conversation with Keiichi would go. He'd be upset with her, for certain. Perhaps angry enough to lose his temper with her, his wrath ripe and his tongue sharp as he ridiculed her. Or perhaps he would respond in silence, listening to her apology with that stony expression she'd seen on his face before slamming the door without saying a word. Or maybe he would not even allow her the grace of explaining herself, slamming the door in her face as soon as he opened it, or even going so far as to ignore her completely.

Some part of her even toyed with the idea of him opening the door in nothing but his boxers, with Debra wrapped in a blanket behind him on the bed, watching her with a smug face.

The mental imagery was almost enough to stop her from venturing out at all.

But Holy Bell would not allow it.

Her angel, bless her heart, refused to allow Belldandy to abandon her cause. You said you would apologize, the angel reminded, her tone gentle, but scolding. Do not allow your imagination to defeat you. Debra is his ex-wife, you know this. He would not invite her back into his bed.

"But I've been so... vile today," Belldandy said.

And she has responded in turn, Holy Bell reminded her. It is as Urd said. It takes two to tango, and you've been dancing with her all day. He is no whore, nor is he so desperate for the touch of a woman that he would turn to his ex-wife for help. He was angry with you both. Chances are, she needs to apologize as well. Best approach him first before Debra does.

"But what if she's already spoken with him?" Belldandy asked. "What if she's with him now, speaking over what a crude and unruly bitch I am?" The words felt strange and alien on her tongue, and the Norn grimaced, her stomach roiling with anxiety.

But what if she isn't? Holy Bell persevered. You'll never know unless you leave, and even if she did apologize to him first, does it make you any less a woman?

"...No..." Belldandy mumbled.

Then leave this room before it becomes your cell, Holy Bell advised. Your imagination is running away with you, and the reality of the situation will not be anywhere near as bad as what you believe right now.

Belldandy paused in her pacing to tug at the long strands of hair that fell before her shoulders. "I wish Urd was here to spur me on as well," she muttered.

Urd does not live inside your soul, Holy Bell reminded. Come. This is but a simple task. Let us be done with it so we can be free of this burden of guilt. It makes me feel ill.

It was motivation enough for Belldandy to step out into the hallway. Enough motivation for her to brave the unknown and walk the twenty feet to Keiichi's room. It was enough for her to turn and take a single step.

But it was not enough to make her move further.

Debra had beaten her to it.

The woman stood outside Keiichi's room, where she was already knocking at the door. Perhaps catching motion out of the corner of her eye or sensing Belldandy's gaze, the woman turned and met the Norn's eyes. The woman's expression was unreadable, but as Keiichi's door began to open, she left the Norn with one parting gift.

Debra winked at the Norn, and then with a large, open smile, turned and walked into Keiichi's room. The door shut behind her, and Belldandy was left motionless in the hallway.

Then, defeated, Belldandy turned and walked back into her room.


A/N: Wow, longest chapter yet. We wanted to get this part done so that we can get into more of the meat of why the Morisatos are in California. Hope you enjoy it.


Comments of a Madwoman: There was a lot of activity in writing this chapter that caused a huge delay right until the very end. As such, this chapter's a bit longer than some of the previous ones to help make up for that fact.