Author's random notes and warnings: Um, the fic will no longer be in flashback summary mode... and the story has finally begun. Eh, warnings um... annoying man? Hey! We can't all be made of sugar and spice! Um...miscomprehension of expressions, accidents and arguing... uh yeah, that's it I think.

FIRE ON THE WATER
CHAPTER ONE

5 YEARS AFTER 1ST OAV....

Miaka fidgeted at the restaurant's dinner table. Tonight it was important that all went well and perfect. This was more a business dinner than a luxury. If Taka could seal this deal with this man's company Taka would make enough commission he could take of her and their son 'more' than comfortably. Problem was Miaka was nervous, and when Miaka was nervous she became clumsy, and when she became clumsy... accidents tended to happen. Not just little accidents, but BIG ones. With age, she'd grown far more graceful than she had been at 15, but it never really left her completely. Her appetite and her consistent attraction to test gravity were two things she could always count on. She looked up tentatively as the balding American cracked a lame joke and Taka had to force himself to laugh. Miaka cringed slightly.

"So...Miaka, right? You're a housewife right?" the man asked turning his attention to her.

Miaka's face flushed at the sudden attention that had been flung at her unexpectedly. Until now, she had begun to think that the American man didn't even know she was there. "Yes. I stay home and take care of the apartment and our son."

"A son, eh? Good need more men in the world. Must be a strapping, robust lad like his father huh?"

Miaka let out a forced laugh. //Oh God, when will this end? //

Finally a waiter came and brought them the desserts they had ordered earlier.

"Noticed you had a rather... healthy appetite during dinner. Put the food away like a bat outta hell!" the man said with a chuckle and lifting his wineglass to his lips.

Miaka grew perplexed. "I'm sorry. I don't think I understand. There are bats in hell that come out?"

The man looked at her as if she were a freak, making her look over in dismay at Taka who had promptly smacked his hand to his forehead and was shaking his head back and forth mumbling under his breath.

The man looked over at Taka and smiled with a chuckle. "Oh... so sorry. Forgot... you must have a different saying for it here. It just means you ate your food rather quickly." he lowered his voice and began to take another sip of wine after he said, "A little too fast..."

Taka looked up at her then nervously began to explain, "Well, you see my wife has always had a rather... eh, healthy relationship with food..."

"Don't explain lad! No need to! Good to see a woman eat hearty! Most of the women I know only eat food fit for rabbits. I just wonder where she puts it all! Look at you... skinny as a pole." he said cheerily.

Miaka wasn't sure if she should feel insulted or feel complimented. She decided instead to dig into her dessert. BOTH Take and the men looked at her with big eyes when she was half way through it, while they had barely just scraped the top.

She let out an embarrassed giggle and noisily clunked her fork down on the table with a sheepish grin. She looked down, then noticing the guys start chatting among themselves again, she raised a hand to her forehead in hopelessness. She jumped when a waiter spoke behind her.

"More wine sir?" he asked regally.

"Oh yes! YES! In fact leave the bottle!" the American said.

The waiter put the bottle down on the table and left. The American reached for it but couldn't quite get it. "Hand me the bottle please..."

Miaka looked back up and nodded with a smile reaching for it to hand it to him. //It's almost over. Except for a few little quirks, it was all good and well. Taka will get his long needed breather with the company...//

THEN it happened. Just as this happy thought came to her mind, she went to grab her own wineglass but instead knocked it over. The table went quiet as the red liquid splattered on the immaculate, white table cloth.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry!' she blurted out and yanked her napkin over to put on the wet spot. She dabbed at it then thinking and hoping that the split wine was the end of her troubles, she was proved wrong AGAIN. She dabbed it one last time and began to retract her arm when her hand nudged and split the American's wineglass and it's contents [that had been filled to the rim] right in his lap. "Oh! Oh! Oh my GOD!!!" she yelled drawing attention to her and the scene from the other tables. She grabbed another napkin and began to wipe at his suit.

"It's okay! It's okay!" the man said through gritted teeth shooing her away. "I have another suit just like this one at home. It was an accident... accidents happen. Please just sit down!!" he finished.

Miaka bit her lip to fight off the horrible urge to cry. She began to sit down where she thought she remembered her seat being only to find herself falling to the ground. In a desperate attempt to save herself she instinctively grabbed the first thing standing upright she could get hold of. Which unfortunately happened to be the tablecloth. Upon clutching it she pulled the entourage that lay upon it onto the floor, with sounds of shattering glass and plunks made by the remaining food and silverware in it's wake. Finally she noticed that the floor hadn't been it's only target but she and to her horror the American as well.

"Miaka, why do you have to be such a klutz!" Taka yelled at her from above.

The American stood throwing the napkin he had laid to rest on his lap on the table with a snap. Immediately it began to soak up the remains of the red wine.

"I will be in touch," the American said angered. He proceeded to stomp out of the dining quarters and through the lobby and finally out into the night.

Miaka looked up over the table at Taka. His shoulders were raised high, his fists clenched. His lips trembled as he spoke, "GET UP."

"What happened here?" yelled one of the two waiters who had come running when the noise started.

Miaka looked up from the floor with an innocent smile. "I made a mistake...," then offered a timid giggle.



CHAPTER TWO

She kept throwing glances at him as they made their way home through the nightmare of traffic. He'd barely spoken 2 words together to her since they left the restaurant.

"I'm sorry about your deal." she said quietly looking down at her hands as they slid to a stop at a light in front of a multi-colored neon sign blinking on and off making her hands turn different shades with it. Taka remained silent and went a few meters forward then had to stop at another light.

She looked up at him as her eyebrows came together in frustration. "It WAS an ACCIDENT," she said firmly.

"Sure." he replied with a controlled edge to his voice.

He glanced over his shoulder out he window briefly then straight forward again beginning to drive when the light changed.

Miaka closed her eyes and let out a deep, anxious sigh. //There's no point in talking to him when he's like this. // She looked out the window towards the lights and buildings passing by them.

Finally, they came to a stop in parking place outside their apt. building. Taka shut off the car, took the keys out of the ignition, and dove out of the car in less than 10 seconds flat. Miaka bit her lip, let out another sigh, and reached for the door handle. Before she could pull it to open the door, it was flung open by Taka. She glanced up at him, grabbed her purse and got out. The tension was still in his posture and every move even when he held the door to the building open for her, rang the elevator, let her get on first, then rush out, and stomp down the hall at tremendous speed to their door. He unlocked it, opened it, and held it for her to come in. It was the usual custom between them now. So automatic they didn't even think about it. Nothing could be drawn into it anymore. No romantic gesture, or "let's make up" about it... it was just the norm. Even when he was mad he still acted the perfect gentleman.

Miaka lay her purse down on the table and went tot he answering machine. There were a couple business messages for Taka on it, one from Keiske, and one from Yui telling her that their son was safely tucked in bed and sleeping "like an angel".

Miaka walked over to the couch and sat down. She watched Taka pace around the apartment doing this and that. When he came out of the bedroom again she spoke up.

"Taka, please will you at least say SOMETHING."

He stopped in mid-step and turned to look at her with an icy stare. "It's late. You should go to bed. You have to take Jari to the doctor tomorrow morning." Then he proceeded to gather up his coat and head for the door. Miaka looked at him alarmed.

"Where are you going?"

"OUT," was his stern reply. Then he grabbed the handle and turned it leaving without another word.


"Out..." Miaka repeated sadly. She shook her head again trying to shake off the urge to cry. She got up and took off her coat and shoes. She gathered the high heels up in her hand and head downcast went to the bedroom to get ready for bed. Absently, she undressed, showered, dried off, and pulled on a nightgown. The whole time she kept reassuring herself. //He's going to come back. He just needs to cool off. He'll be back later tonight and things will be all right in the morning. //

She sat down on the edge of her bed and reached to turn off her lamp. She stopped short of the action by the nightstand's photo. The family photo taken 3 years ago. She picked it up and examined it lovingly. Their son was only a year old then. And she and Taka were so happy... still so happy. //We're still happy. Aren't we Taka? // she thought as she looked at Taka's image.

Finally, her eyes spilled out the tears she had been keeping hammered down for not only the last couple of hours but for over 2 years. //We're still happy, right... Taka? //

She grew weak and fell to her knees in anguish.
(**$**)

She managed to pull herself into bed and turn out he light. But the darkness only encouraged more tears to come. They had finally stopped after what seemed decades, then she only just lay there staring at the clock. //He's coming home. He'll come back...//

Finally, when the clock hit 2:06am, she heard the apartment door open and the familiar sound of Taka's footsteps on the wood and carpet. She let out a breath of air which she had seemed to holding for hours now, and closed her eyes with a smile.

//See... he came back. Things WILL be better when we wake up. // 'No they won't', came a nagging little voice right behind the reassuring one, 'Things between the 2 of you will NEVER get better again, and you know it.'