A/N: Hi all! Thank you for the review, Einklley, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, hahaha. I had a moment where I was like /oh gosh this might be too much/ but really found it too funny and terrible to not be there. As always, I hope everybody enjoys!

Well after closing, Kinu let herself from the shop and into the house. Takasugi had stood her up. Not even a text. It felt silly. Thinking that the man was supposed to be there, and that he'd executed a mini betrayal without telling her he wouldn't show. She rounded the bannister and froze as she looked in on the sitting area. Her mother was seated on the couch, cradling her head in her hands. She didn't move when Kinu passed and went to her room. Even when Kinu returned and poked a head around the corner, the woman only sniffed into her palms.

Gently, as if the woman would wail if startled, Kinu grasped her shoulders. Ai turned to face her, eyes red, chin wrinkled. The full ugly crying face in effect. Mascara streamed down her cheeks from dark pools under her eyes.

Rounding the couch, Kinu kneeled in front of her mother and grasped her hand. She didn't have anything to say, but Ai never minded. They sat there as the woman cried, and barely glanced at one another.

It was the most natural position for Kinu; a placeholder for an actual daughter that knew the right words, or could soothe their mother's emotional decay. A marionette, just there for her mother to wrap in her arms and squeeze any imagined shreds of life from her. She didn't move as the woman crushed her arms in an embrace, and didn't hug her back. Just sat there. Until the woman was satisfied and reached into the pink wrist pouch on the table beside them.

Ai lit a cigarette when she'd gotten a hold of herself, and Kinu stared up at her, more surprised that she was still home and not working.

"My doctor said I should try medicine."

"There's no medicine for having a bad husband."

A slight smile crept onto her mother's face. Barely there, but more hurt than entertained. "I just want to pour all the alcohol down the drain."

"And waste our money?" That earned a dry, lifeless laugh from the older woman. She filled her lungs with smoke and let go of Kinu to rub her temple, sighing and leaning back against the couch as the girl sat on the floor beside the couch.

"I'm exhausted." Ai said, turning her head as she exhaled.

"Me too."

Maybe he would realize exactly how much they were doing in the future. If he didn't drink himself to death. Ai seemed to think so. Kinu wasn't sure if that was even possible after seeing the woman try to reason with him so many times. Instead of her mother's hope, whenever she saw the man her stomach soured and her heart felt like it would jackhammer through her ribcage. But she didn't say that.

He was the reason loan sharks kept trying to corner them. Waltzed into the shop like they owned it, demanding money. It wasn't a daily occurrence. Especially after what had happened about a year ago. But it wasn't helping her mother's mental state.

Even if her father did get better, she didn't know how she would feel about it. Whether she would ever truly believe him, or feel anything but contempt.

"You should get some sleep, honey." Her mother's hand gently brushed over the top of her head, but she didn't move or look at the woman. "I've got to go to the hostess club, anyway. You know… the girls are just getting younger and younger… You'd be a hit, I bet!" Grinning, Ai poked Kinu's forehead, and she finally looked at her, only to receive a light laugh. "Maybe not, if you make faces like that."

It hadn't felt like she was making a face.

Still, Ai picked herself up from the couch and stubbed her cigarette out in an ashtray on the end table. She ushered the girl up as well, murmuring about how she needed to touch up her makeup. Do things to fix her appearance. As if nothing had happened. She dropped Kinu off at her bedroom door, and pulled her into a hug that the girl only returned with one hand, then started back down the hall.

Everything was perfect. As usual.

By some miracle, when Kinu returned to the Yorozuya, it was mostly clean. She let herself in with the usual low words.

"I'm home."

As the door slid open Gintoki looked up from the TV, still picking his nose and leaning back with his feet propped on the desk.

"Tch home. Like we need any more people eating all the food. At least you're bringing some, unlike the other brats."

"Gin-chan that's not fair! I bring the food!" Kagura's cheeks puffed as she sat up and threw her legs over the couch.

"A dry steak bone isn't food, stupid."

Kinu slipped through the room and around the corner, into the kitchen as Gintoki's feet hit the floor and he snatched the bone in question from the desk. He chucked it at the Kagura and it plopped onto the couch beside her.

"That's all that was left! Sadaharu would like it." The girl picked the bone up, and Gintoki made another sound.

"That's cause it's only fit for a dog! You could give a dog a stick and it'll be happy! I'm a growing boy, I need my food!" As if on cue, the man caught a carton of strawberry milk. He eyed it, then Kinu as she offered a box of sukonbu to Kagura. Grinning, the girl accepted the snack.

"Yes! It's that day again! And after she gave up for so long, my underling still knows exactly what to give her master!"

"Your underling? I'm the one actually helping, all you do is eat and bring useless junk while I lose all my hit points going for the gold." Pinching the carton open, Gintoki leaned back in his chair again. "If anybody is the master here, it's me. Right, Ki?"

"I don't really think this is appropriate." Pulling the tab off her box of pocky, Kinu ignored the betrayed drop of Gintoki's jaw. The girl across from her laughed, holding her belly as she spun back onto the couch and laid down.

"A wise statement, my minion!"

Gintoki shot Kinu a frown and stuck his nose up. But he drank his milk.

"Shinpachi?" Lifting a pocky stick to her mouth, Kinu glanced over the two. They grinned back. Equally annoying.

"What's that, Ki? You looking for the pipsqueak? Wanna run him over again and give him the creeps?"

"Gin-chan, that's not nice! A maiden's heart should never be mocked! Hers may be gross but it's still a pure maiden's heart." Kagura shot up and shoved the rest of her sukonbu into her mouth. As soon as she dropped the wrapper on the floor, she fished another out of the bag.

Snapping a pocky stick in half with her teeth, Kinu stared between the two of them. After what Takasugi had done she wasn't so sure it was pure anymore. Her ass still hurt. But this was always fun. They made her want to laugh. Even teasing her, she thought she could watch them all day, just doing this. Nothing. Everything. But she wasn't thinking about Shinpachi like that.

"I thought you gave up on your project, but you came back for the glasses, didn't you? That's what it was, wasn't it?" Gintoki poked the words at Kinu and she wanted to smile back. To agree that she had been slacking with school, but she'd be serious again, and wave it all off. But she knew that she had to tell him the truth. If she didn't do it now, it would come back to bite her. He'd know. He'd find out eventually.

"He's starting up again…" Though her voice was low, both Gintoki and Kagura sat straight up. Their smiles vanished. Gintoki's morphed into a scowl.

"What?"

Peering at him, Kinu kept an even expression. She pushed another pocky stick into her mouth and shrugged.

"Didn't finish counseling. Only a few days." The silver haired samurai's gaze stayed on Kinu, but she didn't move. Could see his fists balling on the table and his knuckles turning white. But she didn't offer any more. Just sat there, eating her minty biscuit sticks and looking at the ingredients listed on the back. As if she hadn't read them a million times before.

"How long?" The question hung in the air, but Kinu kept her attention on the seafoam green box. Kagura looked to Gintoki. Eyes large. No longer eating, but on the edge of her seat. "What happened, Ki?"

Just as the girl shifted, and looked as though she was about to speak, the door slid open. Shinpachi entered the room with a basket at his side, already aware of the plans.

"Ah, Kinu-san, you're earlier than I expected."

Nodding, the girl carefully turned her head to face Gintoki. Still angry. Kagura was looking at the Yorozuya as well, brows raised.

"I saw a group already there, so we better hurry, before they take all the good pieces." The boy swung his basket at his side, and walked to the table, smiling. Then he picked up in the vibe in the room. "What's wrong? Did something happen? Gin-san?" Shinpachi's questions received no response. Even Kagura didn't speak. The boy looked over the room, scanning each person, but finding no answers to be had. Nobody moved until Gintoki stood.

"Come on."

The two girls scrambled out behind him, but Shinpachi walked, still lost.

The sun glared down at them as they entered the junkyard, and just as Shinpachi had said, the scavengers had already descended. Kinu could see a group of men digging into a fresh car already, and wasted no time pointing to a banged up cop car that looked as though it was a new addition to the lot.

The three around her nodded, and they descended on the dented sides and bumper like vultures. Popped the doors open, then the hood.

"Ki, what the heck are you gonna build with this stuff? It's too hot for all this." Groaning Gintoki lifted a wrench from the tool box and dug into the engine. Beside him, Kinu was doing the same. Unhooking the battery and moving it for a closer look at the available parts.

"We can get some Bargain Dash."

"It'd melt the moment we step outside! We'd have to eat in the freezer aisle!"

The car jerked forward, and Gintoki peeked up. Found Kagura forcing the trunk open, as if she hadn't known there was a button near the driver side.

"Gin-chan, look! We're rich!"

"There's nothing worth anything here!" He snapped back, and Kinu turned to him. Her cheeks puffed, but she didn't say anything.

"Kinu-chan, you want the propulsion pods, right? They haven't been taken yet!" Shinpachi was on the side of the car, leaning under the wheels, and Kinu got on her hands and knees to poke her head under and see for herself. That was perfect. She'd even have a few for some experimental tea servers. Maybe hovering trays to serve her customers, that would be fun.

"You're hallucinating! It's heat stroke!" Gintoki was saying, and Kinu passed a tool belt under the car to Shinpachi. She crawled up beside him, shimmying on her back to offer a hand.

"Good find." She said, and the boy nodded. Had been to enough salvage missions to already know. They reached up, Shinpachi holding the piece in place as Kinu started on the bolts securing it.

"No, really! Look!"

Grumbling under his breath, the silver haired samurai walked around the car. Shinpachi and Kinu moved to the next propulsion pod, and the boy carefully placed the last in his basket. They worked in silence, not even looking at one another, until they realized that their companions had gone far too quiet for too long.

When Kinu met Shinpachi's frown, they looked back towards the trunk of the car, and saw two pairs of feet. Just standing there.

"Why would somebody leave this here?" Kagura asked, and Kinu frowned at Shinpachi again.

"Y- you don't think it's a set up, right? Like we're being watched right now? We can take it right?"

Twisting the last pod out of place, Kinu started to ease from under the car. Then she heard a crash that make her jerk upright. Her forehead slammed into the metal barrier overhead and she hissed under her breath.

The girl eased from under the car, holding her forehead and walking towards the open trunk but Shinpachi reached them first.

"Oi… it's melting."

As she rounded tail of the vehicle, she caught sight of an open metal box, glimmering under the sunlight. Golds and silvers shined up at her and she squinted and shielded her eyes then she saw the chocolate leaking out of the edges and pooling into the bottom of the box.

"We can still eat it, right?"

"Kagura-chan… I don't think that's a good idea." Shinpachi murmured back, and Gintoki sighed dramatically.

"This damn heat is playing with our heads." He shoved the box aside, digging through various papers and old clothes. Found nothing worthwhile.

They lasted a few hours, until the sun dipped behind the clouds and the sky swirled with shades of orange and gray.

"No more! I'm a delicate girl, I can't open another trunk." Kagura nearly fell back into a pile of junk as she groaned. Tossed a bolt to Kinu. Nodding, the older girl shoved her tools back into her belt and glanced over the men. Both covered in sweat and approaching the edge of death.

"More like a gorilla. Maybe it'd be easier if you just used the button in the car like I told you!" Gintoki grumbled back to her and she made a whining sound in the back of her throat. The Yato girl bounced up behind Kinu then, waving her arms over her head.

"Next, we study princess Cordelia's steamy romance in Kingdom Girls 5: The World Is Ours!"

Gintoki watched as Shinpachi walked to their sides, brushing his hakama off. Surprised that Kinu smiled down to Kagura and nodded. Said something too low for them to hear, but Kagura eagerly spun in a circle, one arm over her head.

"As princess I banish you to an eternity of no pearls, evil doer!"

Shinpachi had probably thought she was incapable of emotion. But Gintoki knew better. He'd known her before the incident. He'd seen her grow up. She'd never really been on the expressive side, and had always been a bit intimidating to her peers, but after taking the responsibility of the shop and trying to dig her family out of their financial crisis, she'd grown even colder.

Orange and pink streaks branched across the sky as the sun reached for the horizon, and a cold drop skimmed the tip of Gintoki's nose.

"Ah- rain." Beside him, Shinpachi looked up to the dark clouds overhead. A tiny patch of dirt turned dark, then another, as the drops started to wash the ground and the tops of their heads.

"You gonna stand there all day talking about your stupid girly comics? I thought you were throwing in dinner for this."

Kagura grasped Kinu's wrist as she peered at Gintoki. Without letting her respond, the Yato girl started running back, pulling an unsuspecting Kinu behind her. Shinpachi walked beside Gintoki as the girls ran ahead, and Kinu caught on. Laughed and ditched them with all the heavy lifting as they rushed through the rain together, far ahead and opting to face it head on instead of using the umbrella.

"Oi! We can't carry all this ourselves!" Shinpachi called after the girls, and motioned to the four baskets full of scrap metal and parts. It didn't even slow them down.

"Be a man, Patsuan." Taking one basket, Gintoki started after them.

"You're leaving me three?! Gin-San!" Though the silver haired samurai tried to escape, Shinpachi was quick to chase after him. Smacked him across the head one good time. "Take another basket!"

The contents of the older man's container spilled over the side, but he grumbled and turned back. Yanked another up as Shinpachi resigned himself to two.

"They're gonna catch a cold." Shinpachi said, frowning as the rain picked up. Kagura could have at least left her umbrella if she wasn't going to use it. Gintoki didn't return the look. Sighed as they reached the sidewalk and caught sight of the girls again, each shielding their heads with their free hands, still running. Still smiling.

"People that stupid don't catch colds, they catch other idiots. Besides, they're taking the cheapest medicine right now and everybody knows the cheap ones are better than the fancy ones. Even if they taste like gasoline."

Groaning, Shinpachi rolled his eyes. They were gonna track mud in the house. He was going to have to get them towels.