I am sorry this took so long to get out. FFN, and then I got lazy. That's one of the many things that cause problems. Plus camps and other fun stuff, whoever said that summer means more free time lied.

~Ravyn~

Disclaimer: I don't own. Remember?

Minako looked pulled the phone away from her ear and frowned at it before putting it back into place.

" Repeat that?"

" My brother just came back from the supermarket and looks pissed. Stacey looks like the cat that ate the canary." Mia grumped.

" Rei walked in a few minuets ago as well. She looked like she was going to rip someone apart." Minako told her, pacing the living area of the temple. " She is in the back room beating the crap out of a punching bag."

" What are we going to do? I mean if we can't those two to even look at each other, then how are we going to get them together?" Mia demanded.

Minako chewed on her bottom lip for long moments. It was a habit she had developed as a small child. " I am not sure." Minako admitted. " There is some air between the two that needs to me cleared, or they are never going to want to be with each other."

" Are we sure that they want to be now?" Mia questioned.

" Hold up. I am not paying you by the word here, so keep those ideas to yourself." Minako teased lightly. " There has to be a key or something…"

Just then Kei began to cry, he apparently had awoken from his nap. Minako felt her eyes widen and she slapped her forehead.

" Mia, what is the one thing that Rei treasure's above everything else?"

There was silence on the phone then Mia sucked in a large breath. "Kei." She breathed.

" Exactly. Now, how do we use him against her?" Minako questioned. " Kei has the exact same sense of who he likes and who he doesn't as his mother. He is so nick picky. I plan on brining in all my future boyfriends for his inspection."

" Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. If he likes Jason, that is one point in his favor. Plus he is a sneaky little kid…take today for instance. He dropped about half a pound of cheerios into my coffee, and I never noticed. I think we can use this."

" You three can come over for dinner tonight. Didn't Ami and Zach leave today to go to the conference, and then they were driving up the coast to see some of his family?"

" Yes. I am leaving in a few days, but until then I can work this end. Plan on having Rei, Kei and I for dinner tonight." Minako said cheerfully.

" Okay. I will make sure Jason is here, but I don't think I can get rid of the blond monstrosity."

" You leave Stacey to me and Kei." Minako said firmly. " I believe in the little kid."

~*~

Rei tied the last string to her jogging shoes and stood up. A pair of sweat pants, a tank top, and her disc man made up her attire. Her back hair was pulled in to a ponytail that reached about three inches below her shoulders.

" Minako, I am going to take a run." Rei said, walking into her living room. What she saw made her stop in her tracks.

Minako and Kei were playing with his blocks, both with intense looks on their faces. Minako reached out and tweaked his nose, and he responded by giving her a drool smile.

" I am going for a run. Do you mind watching him?" Rei questioned.

" Not at all. Be careful though. It looks like it might rain a little." Minako warned, but Rei was already gone.

Minako shrugged and turned backed to the block, and barely dodged a well aimed blocked. Minako sighed. " Baseball. This kid belongs in baseball"

Rei took off a slow pace and let her feet guide her. How long had it been since she had done something like this? Just run for the pure feeling it gave her? It had to be one of the few things that caused her muscles to burn that she did anyway.

She really needed to work out more.

Rei found a bench much sooner than she thought she would, and watched the wind tease the leaves in the trees. It was early spring and flowers were beginning to sprout out.

Clouds where building in a large wall above the city. Rei welcomed the storm, the air had been humid and given promise to the cool breeze that now ran through Tokyo.

Pulling herself off the bench Rei began to run back to the temple. Hopefully she could outrun the silver drops. She doubted it, but hey one could hope.

~*~

Mia put the phone back onto the hook and allowed herself to smirk. Grabbing a rubber band she through her hair into a messy bun and began looking through her cabinets to see what she had to fix for food.

Humming to herself she never noticed the kitchen door open and her brother stick his head in looking around, his expression evil.

Motioning behind him he tiptoed in, a shadow mimicking his every move. The slide silently across the tile floor and headed to the sounds of the humming.

Silent as they could make it, they slide in after her. Large hands covered the startled girl's eyes.

And she reacted.

Reaching blindly for the nearest item on the open pantry, which happened to be a can of soup, and hurled it behind her. A loud popping noise emanated, and Mia grabbed her room, and turned around and started swinging as hard as she could.

Loud laughter spilled into the room, and Mia froze mid swing.

Slowly she focused on her brother's un-amused face and looked up at her husbands smiling one.

" Mark!" Mia said stepping around Jason and hugging the man who had been gone for close to three months. Mark pulled the petite woman in close and they stood like for several moments until Jason's sarcastic voice broke through their moment.

" Sure, hug you husband. What about me? Remember blood runs thicker than water, well what do I get? A can of soup upside the jaw and a beating with a mean broom." Jason grumbled leveling himself to his feet.

Mia laughed leaning against Mark. " That's what you get for scaring me."

Jason gave her an incredulous look. " Scaring you?" He demanded. " I would hate to see what happens if I really pissed you off."

Mia stuck her nose in the air. " Damn straight."

Jason gave a long-suffering sigh.

" Anyway, Mark, I hope you don't mind, but we are having company for dinner tonight. I know it's your first night back, but I really want you to meet these people."

Jason raised a brow. " Who's coming?"

Mia chewed on her lip and sighed. " Minako, Rei, and Kei."

Jason eyes narrowed at his little sister. He opened his mouth to say something but Mark's expression changed his mind.

" Stacey, what the hell are you doing here?" Mark snapped, his arm going protectively around his large wife, his brown eyes snapping.

Stacey looked at her older brother in surprise. Pulling on a look of fake innocence she smiled sweetly at him.

" Brother, did I manage to surprise you?"

" You have five seconds to tell me what the hell you are doing here before I throw you out." Mark hissed.

Jason and Mia stared at him with surprise written all over their faces.

" Mark what is going on?" Mia questioned. Her wide eyes looked at him in confusion.

" I mean it Stacey, I want you out." Mark said through clinched teeth.

Stacey looked at him, never once dropping her large pout, and she turned her large eyes to Jason. " You won't let him kick me out will you?"

Jason felt his eyebrow skyrocket up into his bangs. " It is his house Stacey."

Mark glared at her. " You have three days to find somewhere else to live, and I don't want you in this house any more than necessary."

" Mark," Mia scolded, " What is the problem here?"

" My sister." Mark spit, his eyes dark chocolate pools of anger," Is the one that caused my father to have his heart attack. Finding out his little princess was into drugs and illegal acts; it was too much for his strained heart. She has been banded from this family. There was a reason that we did let her come to the wedding."

Mia looked at the girl and shrugged. She knew her husband well, and if he wanted this girl out of his house, she would argue about this behind closed doors.

Jason shrugged. " I have to get back to work. I have a few projects that I have to get finished up. You three figure this out without me."

Mia leveled Jason with a look. " You will be here for dinner, do you understand me?"

Jason just growled and grabbed his jacket. A few moments later they heard the sounds of his motorcycle moving out.

Stacey glared at her brother. " You have no right to do this to me." She hissed, once Jason was gone she dropped the good girl act and went right into bitch mode.

" This is my house, I can do whatever I see fit."

Stacey hissed at him. " You are just like out father, you have to have these perfect little guide lines, and if they are not just perfect, you go ballistic."

Mark leveled her with a glare. " I am not the one who cavorted around like a whore."

Stacey grabbed the phone that was resting next to her and hurled it at his head. Mark ducked and used his body to protect Mia. " I am going to make you life hell for this. You had best keep a close eye on your precious wife, because if you don't I am going to yank all that you adore out from under you." She gave Mia an evil grin. " And I am starting with your precious Jason. You had better tell that Rei girl that I am gunning for her."

Mark gave her a cold look. " Get out."

Stacey laughed and marched out of the kitchen. A few minuets later the door slammed.

Mia rested her trembling frame against Mark and breathed in the clean sent of him. " I had no idea," she whispered.

Mark tightened his arms around her, her face tight. " Its all right. I won't let her get to you."

Mia closed her eyes and placed a hand protectively on her bulging stomach, as if she was trying to protect it from the world.

~*~

Minako bit her lip to keep the hysterical laughter from coming forth. She desperately was trying to find a pillow. This night had not gone well, and as of right now, they were running five minuets behind.

First Kei had decided to dump an entire container of punch onto his head. Rei had to dump him into the tub to clean him up, and she forgot to turn on the curlers.

Then as she had been looking for the keys, she knocked over her favorite bottle of perfume and completely drenched the pants she had on.

Right now she was cursing in several languages looking for something else to where. Her hair was in a tight braid. Kei was sitting angelically on the floor.

Minako, in all her mirth, was smart enough to keep one eye on Kei. The little angel was the most demonic when he looked innocent.

Rei came out of the bedroom in a single red blouse and a comfy pair of jeans. She looked wonderful. Grabbing the baby bag Minako tossed her friend a grin.

" You want me to drive? You might kill us!"

Rei shot her friend and glare and a smirk. " I suggest you buckle up then."

Mia sat propped up in a chair with her feet on a stool, and looked comfortable. Mark, on the other hand, looked even more relaxed.

He was in the process of moving the French bread out of the oven and placing it in the breadbasket. The lasagna was already on the table with a warmer over it.

" Mark, I think that is pretty much all you can do." Mia laughed; glad for once to not have dinner detail.

Mark turned and waggled his eyebrows at her. " I love spooling you, and if that means giving you a meal off every now and then, so be it."

Mia just laughed and turned to the door where Minako pranced in. Rei followed, Kei lying in her arms. He had the look of someone who wanted to be somewhere else, but was not to disappointed with where he was.

Mia gave introductions all around and if Mark's gaze lingered on the violet eyed priestess a little longer, no one noticed.

" Mia, do you want to help me with the glasses?" Mark questioned gently, his tone curious.

Mia looked up and nodded. When Minako moved to help as well, Rei, who had been looking out the windows, turned as well.

But before she could move, Jason came down the stairs, his hair slightly damp from the fast shower he had just taken. Rei felt her mouth water slightly, and Kei turned in her arms and studied the man who had stopped suddenly.

Jason starred at the dark eyed child, grateful that it gave him and excuse not to look at his mother. The child starred back and seemed to just look at him.

Kei then did something that surprised his mother. He held out his arms and gurgled.

Jason reached forward in a hesitant manner and took the smiling child. Kei snuggled up into his chest and popped his thumb into his mouth.

Rei felt her mouth drop open. Kei was only the relaxed when she held him, not Minako or any of the other girls, just her. And know he was snuggling up to the one man she hoped he would not like.

Jason looked up at Rei with a particular expression on his face, and Rei was caught by the fire in his gaze, licking her dry lips she ripped her gaze away and looked at Minako who was coming in with a couple of glasses in her hands.

" Shall we eat?"

~*~

Rei placed the blanket over the now sleeping toddler and brushed her hands over his curls. The others were outside chattering away, but Rei had come in to check on the sleeping baby. He had managed to kick his blanked off, something he did often.

Rei sighed and wondered what went on in his little head.

" He is a adorable little boy Rei. His father would have been proud." Jason's voice told her softly.

Rei turned in surprise.

Jason had come in to refill his glass and had watched the tender moment between mother and son, and he felt something tight in the region around his heart.

It was in that instant that he knew he was going to do whatever it took to win this woman back.

Rei eyes him in a less than hostile manner and allowed a smile to finally grace her face.

" Yes, Chad would have been."

Jason eyed her face in question. " Do you miss him?"

Rei sighed. " More than I thought possible." She wondered why she was trusting him, but gave it little thought.

Jason nodded and looked at her again. " Did you love him?"

Rei turned her eyes snapping. " What type of question is that?" She snapped her voice a low hiss as not to wake the sleeping child up.

Jason looked at her amused. " A pretty fair one I thought."

Rei growled and proceeded to march past him. Jason waited till she was at least an arms breath away from him before he moved. Reaching over and grabbing her he pulled her into the low-lit hall.

" What the hell do you want Jason?" Rei hissed.

Jason studied her features carefully, the flickering light pulling at the smoldering depths of her eyes. He reached up and fingered a lock of her dark hair that had come loose from the braid.

" I think the question is what do want?"

" Jason, I want you to let go." Rei replied snappishly, her voice still low out of habit.

He looked at her carefully. " Do you?"

Rei let her breath hiss between her teeth.

" I am willing to bet you still have feelings for me." Jason continued.

" And I am willing to bet that you might even be in love with me."

Rei's eyes became even wider. " You arrogant," Rei snapped, but Jason cut her off.

" Innocent ears Rei."

Rei ignored him. " Prick. That's a hell of a lot of assuming."

" So you're telling me I am wrong?" Jason questioned, a smile lighting his features.

" Dead wrong." Rei retorted.

Jason grinned and lowered his mouth to hers.

Does evil mean anything? *Looks around and ducks flying shoes* *dives behind desk* If you kill me I can't write the next chapter.

*looks around* Please?

And please let me know how evil you think I am, in the form of a review!