Author's note: New batch of updates from chapters 30-34 as of 13/10/2022. Update illustrations for chapter 29.
Update warning for genitals spanking.
Chapter 34
The gentle sunlight peeked through the wintry mist rolling on the ground. The early morning was dominated by lively chaotic quacks. Mallards paddled the chilly water, bobbing their signature green heads and yellow bills beneath the surface. Occasionally, some waddled on the grassy river edge and swarmed any passersby with a hint of food. Beautiful but small low stone bridges connected the streets over the shallow waterway running through the center of the village. Majestic trees reigned over the riversides, magnificent weeping willows with bare branches brushing the crystal clear water. The mostly empty street provided a rare window of serenity. In the middle of the shallow river stood a decked-out Christmas tree.
Wearing toasty winter wear, Yukiko held onto Vermouth's arm as they were strolling along the river with an eager Kate by their side. "I thought topping off yesterday was difficult."
"It's worth getting up early, isn't it?" Vermouth smiled. "I've always wanted to visit Bourton-on-the-water. But my shoots were during peak tourist season. The place was packed."
Kate wasn't interested in why she was here as her eyes drew to the many ducks and swans. "Mommy, duck feed. Hurry!"
"Calm down, sweetie. They aren't going anywhere." Vermouth reached into her coat and pulled out a paper bag. Her gaze focused on the tiny energetic feet jumping up and down ever closer to the edge. The lack of railings provided uninterrupted views along the shallow river and a bit of danger. "Be careful."
"Yeah." Kate took the paper bag, and squatted down on the river bank, leaning over the water. Her mother's warning was more or less out of the window.
Yukiko watched Kate enthusiastically chuck pellets at a raft of ducks. "It's hard to believe that she was wiped last night."
"She has boundless energy when she's awake." Vermouth nodded.
Raining pellets quickly gathered Kate a following. While the ducks were chomping on the floating pellet, a paddling swan carefully observed her, then craned its neck to eat out of her hand. In the thrill, she stood up abruptly to brag to her mother, and her feet slipped. The water was barely up to her knees, but falling flat on her bottom wouldn't be comfortable. Fortunately, a gentleman nearby who was also feeding his fair share of waterfowl caught her just in time.
"I've got you," the man said, placing the girl down on the ground.
"Thank you," Vermouth gratefully said. "Are you alright, baby?"
"Yes." Kate nodded, composing herself before turning around to thank the man. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Be good for your mums." He reminded Kate, then walked away with an entourage of ducks trailing after him.
"Did he say mums?" Kate wondered thoughtfully.
"He's mistaken, baby," Vermouth said and held her daughter's hand to avoid another accident.
"But I can't have two moms."
"Some people have two moms or two dads, sweetie." Vermouth smiled, stroking Kate's hair.
"So Yukiko can be my mom?" Kate perked up.
"She can't because she's already married." Vermouth chuckled at her silly logic.
"Aw." Kate pouted.
Yukiko smiled at the girl's visible disappointment. She chalked it up to her charming personality. Leaning on Vermouth's shoulder, she said, "I don't hate it. We would have made such a cute couple."
"True," Vermouth said.
The near fall didn't dampen Kate's mood in the slightest. She was again her cheerful self, skipping on a low arch stone footbridge across the crystal waterway. She set a personal quest to cross all the little bridges she could find.
"Baby, these bridges are the same. Do we have to cross them all?" Vermouth asked. The bridges were only a dozen steps long. Ultimately, they were zigzagging across a relatively small river for no reason.
"Yes." Kate nodded and looked up with her piercing blue eyes. In her mind, bridges needed crossing.
"Alright." Vermouth sighed. Her daughter was too cute to say no. Furthermore, she wasn't going to stop Kate from exercising.
They wandered about the village's center, lovely homes and gardens everywhere they looked. Skipping on the sidewalk, Kate couldn't resist posing next to anything intriguing from red phone booths to a man-size nutcracker outside a Victorian Christmas shop. Ultimately, hungry bellies circled them back to the high street. Lured by the smell of freshly baked pastries, they stopped by a local bakery and bought breakfast. With coffee in one hand and pastries in the other, they settled down on a bench on the river bank with Kate nursing a cup of milk. Ducks quickly gathered at their feet, looking for any delicious crumbs.
Vermouth sent a short message before digging in. She waited and waited until a frown crept up her forehead. Gin should have been awake ages ago. It was one thing to not tell her what he was up to. No one treasured privacy more than her. But it was a different story to go completely radio silence on a whim.
"What's wrong, mommy?" Kate asked, sensing a sudden drop in temperature; the nape of her neck was tingling with chills.
Vermouth pressed her lips into a smile. "Nothing. How about taking some pictures for daddy?"
"Sure." Kate nodded, held up her croissant to her lips, and turned the crescent pastry into a smile.
Vermouth grinned. "You too, Yukiko. Get in there."
Yukiko, of course, was happy to join in the fun. She made a similar pose, pressing their heads together as Vermouth captured the adorable moment with wicked glee.
-o0o-
Last night, somewhere in the mountains …
In a cozy wooden primitive cabin, Yusaku was relaxing on an armchair by the cracking fire from a traditional cast iron wood stove. A week of going back to basics in the pristine wilderness energized him. No electricity and most definitely no distractions. Just his thoughts and his notebook. His formidable writer's block was shattered in no time. He had made more progress here in the last couple of days than in a whole month in his hotel room.
A heavy thumping on the door snapped him back to reality. He frowned since it was too late for the owner to check up on him. He opened the door regardless.
Arriving with the chilly wind, a towering man in thick winter wear with an equally impressive rucksack on his back appeared before him. At first, he thought the man was a lost hiker seeking shelter until the faint illuminating light revealed the man's identity. Yusaku's heart sank. "How's Yukiko?"
The man snarled. "On my couch, drink my wine, cuddle with my daughter."
Relieved, Yusaku sighed and stepped aside for his guest to enter.
At the crack of dawn, they packed up and hiked down the mountains. On the drive back to the city, Yusaku noticed one thing. Glancing at the driver, he asked, "You've already booked a flight to London?"
"Or I can accompany you back to the cabin." Gin flashed his passenger a wolfish grin, his fangs glistening in the sunlight.
"London, then." Yusaku focused his attention on the snowy scenery outside the car's windows. Being stuck in a mountain cabin with a cold-blooded murderer was the start of many a horror story, and he wasn't going to suffer through one. Without the means to access help and the women to absorb the hate, last night was the longest night of Yusaku's life.
To Yusaku's amazement, they drove directly to the airport's private jet terminals. Before long, they were settling in the expensive natural leather seats. Accepting a drink from the flight attendant, he stared at the man sitting across from him. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but we could have flown commercial."
"Don't flatter yourself. I don't do this for you. It's a simple probability problem. Fewer people, fewer problems." Gin scoffed while he was catching up on hours' worth of messages flooding in. The serene mountain range wasn't known for having an excellent wifi connection.
Then, it dawned on Yusaku. "I don't stumble on that many murder cases."
Gin looked up from his screen, an incredulous look gracing his face. "Aren't you the senior grim reaper? I see less death than you, and I'm allegedly a criminal."
Yusaku thought back on the cases that he had been involved in. The sheer number kept mounting in his mind and snowballed out of control. He blinked away the cold hard reality and sipped his drink.
Gin frowned at the pictures of his daughter having fun. Usually, Vermouth selectively sent him pictures of Kate while updating him on their trip. Concise and straight to the point. She knew that was all he cared about. The difference was that since this morning she started including Yukiko in her photography. The woman he loathed the most at the moment. Pictures of Yukiko and Kate having pastries by the river, walking on a tiny street in the Model Village, or making a heart with their hands in front of a wooden water wheel. It was then that the screen cracked under the immense pressure of his thumb.
Yusaku's eyes widened as Gin crumbled his phone like a used napkin. The novelist chose his words cautiously. "Is everything … alright?"
"Get. Your. Wife. Out." Gin snarled. "Before I do it myself."
-o0o-
In a dining room of a fancy local restaurant, Yukiko was sipping tea, waiting for Kate to tackle her selection of ice cream. It was then that Yukiko noticed that Vermouth's phone vibrated. To her surprise, her friend glanced at the screen and declined the call. It was the first time she witnessed Sharon reject a call from him. She inhaled the aromatic vapor of her drink and soaked in the drama.
Vermouth put on a sweet smile, but for a brief moment, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Katie, I've changed my mind. We don't need to hurry back. How about making a few more stops before we go home?"
"Really?" Kate looked up from her dessert, white cream covering her lips. They were supposed to drive home after lunch and she had been letting her ice cream melt just to stretch her meal for as long as possible. She didn't want the fun to end.
"Yes, the day is still young." Vermouth said, twirling her glass of wine. A dark glint flickered in her eyes. The next time, her phone buzzed. She put it on silent mode.
Yukiko took it all in and discreetly breathed out a sigh. She was certain now. Sharon was furious. The calmer her friend appeared to be, the angrier she was. As much as Yukiko disliked the man, she wished him good luck.
-o0o-
Yusaku's eyes darted around the living room. The quiet atmosphere worried him. All he wanted was to take Yukiko and hightailed it out of here. "Where are they?"
"Weekend trip. Cotswold," Gin said curtly, his new phone on his ear as he listened to the electronic voice indicating the unavailability of Vermouth.
"I see." Yusaku was too busy examining the surroundings to notice Gin's increasing fuming state. The burning fury emitted enough heat to fry an omelet.
"Fuck." Gin cursed, his hand gripped the poor device, and his eyes were glued to the blank screen in disbelief. That woman had the nerve to ignore him. Soon, his fury was tenfold when a picture of Kate happily spoon-feeding Yukiko a cherry flashed on the screen. The unfortunate device was shattered to pieces as Yusaku watched on in shock.
-o0o-
As the world was succumbing to darkness, a wonder appeared. Vermouth and Yukiko each held Kate's hand as they wandered about the gardens of a palace and marveled at the enchanted night. An arch tunnel of warm light greeted them. Illuminated trails guided the way through a spectacle of light dancing to the tunes of Christmas. A half-sunken moon shone in the lake with an entourage of floating stars and one lone boat. A field of roses with thousands of lit-up blooms changed colors along with seasonal melodies. Over the fire pit, the smell of toasted marshmallows lingered in the air. Kate jumped up and down on a bubble path and tried to pop as many floating bubbles as she could. At the end of the trail, the torches in the water waved them goodbye. A truly magical experience.
Meanwhile …
Yusaku was sitting on the sofa, and listened intently to the monotone melody of a ticking clock on the wall, admiring the empty pizza boxes stacked on the coffee table. Looking at the man sitting across from him, he gathered his shaken nerves and broke the uncomfortable silence. "Nice sweater."
"I have a bet to win." Gin looked up briefly from his book.
"Where are they now?"
"Blenheim Palace," Gin said, taking a swig of his beer.
"Still?"
"The Palace has a Christmas market." And both men knew the implication all too well. The girls' stamina for shopping was the stuff of legend that minstrels of old would have written songs about.
Yusaku sighed as the depressing tick-tocks counted his mounting dread.
-o0o-
Vermouth's car was approaching the house when she noticed a man standing in her driveway. She narrowed her eyes and switched to the high beam. The poor novelist instantly shielded his eyes from the blinding light. "Oh, look who's here." Getting out of the car, Vermouth popped the trunk and casually said, "Give us a hand, will you?"
"Yes, certainly." Yusaku was glad to help. Anything to get his mind off the stifling atmosphere. Still, as he made his way to the back of the car, he was taken back by the crammed trunk.
Gin took his sweet time joining the group. With one glance, he immediately noticed the mountain of shopping bags covering the floorboard. "What did you do? Ransack the place." When Vermouth didn't answer him and instead, unbuckled Kate from her car seat. "Oh, still ignoring me then."
"Make yourself useful." Vermouth held her daughter in her arms and smiled; her head flicked in the direction of the unloaded bags.
"What are you doing here?" Yukiko asked her husband with her arms crossed.
"Surprise you," Yusaku said, sensing the feral eyes on him as he chose his words carefully and stuck to the script. Balancing the bags in his arms, he continued. "A week in Paris to unwind. I've booked the hotel and the operas you love."
"Are you serious?" Yukiko yelped; her hands clasped together in excitement. Hurriedly inside, she caught up to her friend and beamed. "Sharon, Yusaku is taking me to Paris!"
"Lovely." Vermouth swirled a glass of wine; her arms half folded around her waist. The menace in her tone diminished. As Gin was lugging the suitcases, she purposefully brushed past him. "Successful errands?"
"No comment." Gin smirked and placed the luggage down to pour himself a finger of scotch to ease the pain.
"But I don't want Yukiko to go." Kate made a beeline for Yukiko and hugged her leg.
"Oh, sweetie." Yukiko leaned down and wrapped her arms around the girl. She melted. "Maybe I could stay for a few more days. Help you decorate."
The tumbler in Gin's hand shattered and drew everyone's attention, amber liquid dripping on the floor. "My bad."
Yusaku's heart was beating out of his chest. He quickly said, "But our tickets are for tomorrow. We've got to get going."
Yukiko held Kate in her arms and peppered her with kisses. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'll visit again soon. I promise."
"Baby, Yukiko doesn't live here. She has to leave sometimes," Vermouth said softly and placed a hand on her daughter's back.
As the women were comforting Kate, Yusaku made his way to the man, who was crouching on the floor to pick up the shattered glass. He asked, "They're having fun. Is this necessary?"
Instead of answering, Gin stood up and called out. "Katie."
"Yes, daddy."
"How many people think you have two mothers?"
"Oh, four! No …" Kate counted on her tiny fingers. "Five!"
"I don't blame them. We make such a cute couple." Yukiko beamed with pride.
Gin stretched his lips into a thin line and turned ominously to Yusaku. The novelist could only sigh. Gin, then, turned to Yukiko with too much joy in his voice. Whenever the girl slept in their bed, he always woke up with sore ribs and that was if he could get any sleep. "How was the kicking?"
"What kicking?" Yukiko said, baffled.
Vermouth rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Don't read into it, Gin. Katie was tired from walking around all day."
"What's that supposed to mean? That she only kicks me." Gin growled.
"Don't read into it." Vermouth stroked her man's arm.
"Katie kicks?" Yukiko asked in disbelief, then showered her favorite girl with kisses. "But she is such an angel."
"He keeps saying that I kick in my sleep." Kate pouted. "But no one sees anything."
"I have bruises." Gin snarled. Seeking an ally, he turned to Vermouth. "You saw it!"
"All I saw was you grabbing her legs." Vermouth sighed.
"You still don't believe me." Gin made a beeline for Vermouth and got into her face.
Putting up her hands to give her some space, Vermouth said, "I believe you. I just haven't seen any kicking."
"So he says." Kate leaned lazily on Yukiko's shoulder.
"You did kick me!" Gin snapped as Yukiko shielded the little lady from him.
"Alright, alright." Vermouth grabbed Gin's arm and dragged him out of the door. "Come one. Those bags won't move by themselves."
-o0o-
Everyone gathered around the coffee table as tattered packaging scattered everywhere. Yukiko sat on the couch next to her husband with Kate on her lap and eagerly sorted their purchases. Holding up a set of mini nutcrackers, she said, "Yu, look! Isn't it absolutely adorable?"
"Very nice," Yusaku said, packing the set along with Yukiko's belongings.
Gin's keen eyes zeroed in on a suspicious bag. He dug through the mountain of souvenirs and picked up a giant bag of sweets. His glare shot at his guilty-looking daughter. "Why are there so many candies?"
Thankfully, Vermouth was standing nearby and held him back with a well-placed hand on his arm.
"They are mine," Yukiko said with folded arms.
"So you'll take them with you." Gin smirked and narrowed his eyes.
"Of course." Yukiko snatched the bag out of his hand and defiantly placed it in her luggage, much to everyone's amusement. Well, almost everyone. Kate looked on longingly, to no avail.
"This is for you." Vermouth put a shopping bag on her man's lap.
Gin took a deep breath and slumped in his seat. "Why?"
"Open it." Mischief glinted in Vermouth's corneas.
Gin sighed and complied. The items were harmless. Some brushes, back scrubbers, and sponges.
Upon seeing the sponge with a little wooden duck, Kate dashed to her father and clung to his leg. "Daddy, I love you so much."
"What?" Gin frowned, then he saw her eyes linger on the sponge in his hand. "Are you serious? For a sponge?"
"Actually, she just wants the duck." Vermouth rubbed salt on his wounded pride.
"I love you, daddy." Kate looked up with her round blue eyes.
He rolled his eyes and dropped the sponge onto her awaiting palms. "Get off me."
"You're the best daddy!" Kate beamed, letting go of him, clutching her reward.
"Whatever." Gin dismissed his daughter and glared at the amused actress. "Couldn't you buy it for her?"
"She needs to work for things." Vermouth sipped her wine, hiding her smile.
"You mean work me for things." Gin rolled his eyes as he pulled out a box set of liquors. The title caught him off guard. He read in disbelief. "The Twelve Gins of Christmas."
Vermouth twisted the knife. "You see, the shop is selling gin so—"
"I get the pun." Gin snapped, only to increase Vermouth's joy tenfold.
"Now you know how I feel about your sense of humor." Vermouth tilted her head and stroked his shoulder.
-o0o-
It was eerily quiet. Vermouth sat at the dressing table and went about her nighttime routine. Usually, she would be getting on his nerves with her mundane chitchat. Especially after a trip, she would show him endless pictures, then go on and on about their daughter.
The grating silence marred Gin's thoughts. He couldn't concentrate. Snapping his book shut, he sat up straight on the bed and stared at her back. "What's with the attitude? First, you declined my calls and ignored my texts. Now, this."
In the middle of applying lotion, Vermouth's hands stopped. Her scornful chuckle cut through the air, sending chills down his bone as if he was thrust into the Arctic. "I didn't hear a pip from you for twelve hours. No excuses. No warnings. You want your privacy. I respect that. But the only good reason for not responding for half a day out of the blue is that you've been dead."
"I was in the mountains."
"Oh, I don't know." Vermouth drawled, then turned around and sneered. "How about a heads up before you go off the grid? So I'd know where to search for your body."
His tone softened. "It won't happen again."
Vermouth sauntered to him with a nauseating smile. Her fingers tenderly stroked his cheek. Her gaze dug into the deepest core of his soul. In a sickeningly sweet tone, she said, "Don't worry, Gin. I don't need to break your skin to make your life hell."
Every cell in his body instinctively cringed. He was wrong. Entirely wrong. He missed her cold sharp knife pressing down on his throat. Even her Walther PPK looked strangely endearing.
Vermouth continued stroking his cheek. Everywhere she touched, his goosebumps followed. "What did you do to Yusaku?" The novelist was on edge and tense the whole time.
"Nothing." His fangs glinted under fluorescent light. A hint of amusement escaped his restrained expression.
"You scared him, didn't you?"
"I didn't touch him."
"You didn't need to." Vermouth's chuckle chimed, exorcizing the eerie air, and warming up the atmosphere. Her lips gently pecked his cheek. "Don't scar him too much. He's still Yukiko's husband and Shinichi's father."
He grinned; the approval in her words swept through him, lifting the heavy weight on his chest. His prediction was dead on. That woman didn't care too much about Yusaku. In fact, she would be delighted if he were to slightly maim the novelist.
-o0o-
The world succumbed to darkness. Panting, a naked Vermouth climbed off Gin's equally breathless body. She lay next to him and tugged at his sweater. "You're determined, aren't you?"
"You're not putting a Christmas tree in the bedroom."
"Have it your way." She casually fluffed up her pillow. She lay down on her side, wrapped his muscular arm snugly around her waist, and let out a contented sigh. "Good night."
Despite complying with her wish, his pupils seemingly glowed green, burning a hole in the back of her head. Her comfortable demeanor got on his nerves as if he was a tool that served her needs. "How was sleeping with Yukiko?"
Her eyes fluttered open. Her fingers gently stroked his hand lying on her belly. "There were forty pounds of delight between us."
"Never stop you before." He snarled.
"It was with you, and I was pregnant with your baby! As I recall, you were perfectly happy with that arrangement." As he pulled her in closer, she could feel his smug grin parting her hair. She turned around and smacked his arm before pecking his lips. "I miss you too."
"Ha. I thought you were too busy having fun." He scoffed. While he was stuck in an uncomfortable armchair all night that almost crooked his back, barely getting any sleep, and hiking for hours in a foot of snow, she was having the time of her life.
She flashed him a smile; her kisses rained down on him, covering every inch of his face. "Having fun talking. I couldn't sleep much either." Her fingers traced along his back, sensing his strained muscles loosened up. Of course, the shopping and sightseeing aspects of the trip were left unmentioned.
"You really talked all night? What about Katie? You didn't wake her?"
"What do you think? Even a runaway train couldn't wake her."
He groaned. He was far too optimistic. His daughter was as useful as a chocolate teapot. However, life would soon prove that he was still naive. When she pulled up a short video on her phone, his mood completely plummeted. Staring at the bundle of drool on the screen, he didn't want to admit that the girl was his daughter or even remotely related to him.
-o0o-
In a presidential suite at a nearby hotel, Yukiko lay on her side, propped up on her elbow, and stared at her husband, her lips ajar. "He tracked you down?"
"Not so simple. He tracked me down, flew there, hiked up a mountain, and put me on a private flight." Yusaku sat on the other side of the bed, leaning on the headboard. He had foreseen such a situation and wiped off his trails before going off the grid. Still, the man found him in no time. And the following actions were planned out precisely, giving Yusaku no choice but to comply.
"So all of these are from him?" Yukiko grabbed the bag of goodies on the nightstand. That explained the sudden trip to Paris. It wasn't a part of their plan. Yukiko only needed a reason to drop by. A surprise visit to get a clear picture of Sharon's life. Despite spending plenty of time with Sharon during her stay in the hospital, they rarely got any privacy as the man was practically joined at Sharon's hip.
Yusaku nodded. "How was your visit?"
"Sharon and Katie are doing great." Yukiko smiled brightly. "I'm giving him a passing mark. For now."
"Next time, can you pick another excuse? I don't want to deal with him." Yusaku sighed.
Tossing the bag away, Yukiko swarmed Yusaku with the warmest hug and laid her head on his shoulder. She drawled. "Oh, it wasn't that bad."
"It was me. And him. Alone in the mountains. With no one around in miles." Yusaku shuddered. The icy grip of death loomed over him. The plan was for him to stall. But the ominous shadow of the man on the wall flickering by the crackling fire chilled him to the bones. He didn't sleep a wink. "It's like being caged with a feral wolf. I had to get out of there."
"Poor thing." Yukiko embraced him tightly.
-o0o-
A/N: I have never done so much research for each chapter before. Thank you to Google Street View and vloggers on Youtube. Gin in a tin is a real shop. Although they don't have any set called the Twelve Gins of Christmas, they should. I'm sensing a missed opportunity here.
I wanted to finish the Christmas series but it was getting too long. See you next time and enjoy.
-o0o-