"Come on, Kasumi!" Yukari screeched, practically side ways on the couch as she thumbed away rapidly on her controller. A few strands of auburn hair were stuck to her forehead with sweat, and Mamoru's brow was furrowed, the skin on both people's thumbs red and worn.

  "My thumbs hurt," Mamoru complained as he continued jabbing away.

  "Shut up, boy," Yukari grinned, "I'm winning!" she cheered, and Mamoru scowled as he took a second to flick his eyes to the life bar. Yukari was right.  

  "No... You're...NOT!" he yelled as with a kick her first team mate fell to the ground, K.O flashing in her character's box.

  "I've still got Tina!" Yukari screeched defiantly, and with some random button pushing she managed to knock out Mamoru's character as well. It was now one on one, whoever died next would be the loser.

  "Why I oughta..." Mamoru growled as the familiar sound of the door opening was heard, and Hitomi glanced up, glad for something else to do other then watch her best friend and her brother bicker away.

  "Hitomi! Mamoru! I'm home," came her mother's cheery voice, and Hitomi bounced up to greet her mother in the landing.

  "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" both Yukari and Mamoru screamed as Hitomi blocked their view from the television to say 'hi' to Ms. Kanzaki.

"Calm down," Hitomi soothed, a sweat drop appearing over her head, as she swore she saw fangs on Mamoru and Yukari.

  Walking into the kitchen she smiled at her mother as she walked over to help unload the groceries. Glancing sideways at her mother she took in how tired her mother was looking. Perhaps now wouldn't be the best time to ask the questions….

  However, isn't the saying there was no time like the present?

  …Which is exactly why Hitomi kept her mouth shut and simply asked her mother how her day had gone at work.

   "Absolutely horrible," sighed Mrs. Kanzaki as she pulled carrots out of the shopping bag and placed them into the refrigerator. Turning back around she scowled, changing her tone of voice to do an impression of one of her clients. "'I don't see why that won't work in the design, blah blah blah.'"

  Hitomi grinned as she put the crackers into the cabinet. "So, in other words, the usual?"

  "People today have no concept of layout and design," Mrs. Kanzaki sighed while rolling her eyes and pushing her dark brown hair out of her eyes. "I'm going upstairs to change. Can you start dinner for me?"

  "Sure," replied Hitomi watching as her mother walked down the hall and bent down to pick up some of the items from Mamoru's earlier tantrum. Turning around she glanced towards the other room where Yukari and Mamoru's shouts could still be heard.

  Part of being a latch-and-key kid was that early on in life she had learned how to take care of herself, as well as Mamoru. She had mastered the art of making Macaroni and Cheese (the box kind, of course), and could expertly microwave a frozen dinner in two minutes and thirty seconds.

  Yes, she was just that good.                      

  Expertly Hitomi went to the freezer and with a wonderful blend of culinary mastery opened the stir fry package and dumped it onto a pan to cook for dinner. Bending down she opened the cabinet and retrieve the rice cooker getting a series of bangs as other devices fell from their carefully tucked positions.

  "Hitomi, can you be quiet, we're trying to play a game in here!" shouted Mamoru as Yukari screamed a string of curse words. Rolling her eyes Hitomi retrieved the rice and plugged the cooker in and let modern magic takes its course.

  "All I want to do tonight is take a long and relaxing bath," Mrs. Kanzaki sighed as she re-entered the room donning a frumpy grey pair of sweat pants and sweater.

  "Can Yukari stay for dinner?" A shout came from the other room. "That is if we can get her away from the gaming system…"

  "Okay," Mrs. Kanzaki replied sitting down at the counter and retrieving her glasses from her purse to read the newspaper. Absently Hitomi fiddled with the ends of her hair while she watched her mother, oblivious to her daughters probing stares. Part of Hitomi wondered why her father would divorce her mother. Sure the woman could be a workaholic but all in all she was a loveable woman. Many years ago she had wondered the same question and came up with a completely feasible answer:

  It was all her fathers fault.

  Sure the man wasn't there to defend his honor but Hitomi figured that if the man wanted to keep his honor with this family he would have stayed. Her emerald eyes still focused on her mother she let her mind wander to how much Mamoru looked like their mother. Both had dark brown hair and blue green eyes but thinking of the picture she had stared at so many times she also saw the similarities between that parental unit and themselves.

  Biting her lip hesitantly Hitomi considered asking her mother for more information on her father. Images of how upset Mamoru had been that afternoon played through her head as she subconsciously moved forward to stop a few short paces away from her mother.

  Glancing up from her newspaper Mrs. Kanzaki looked at her daughter with a questioning look. "What's wrong Hitomi? You seem quiet tonight."

  "Er…" was all Hitomi could reply. Every time she mentioned her father always tensed up and got very angry. What could have her father done to make her mother resent him that much?

 "Cat got your tongue?" chuckled Mrs. Kanzaki as she turned back to her newspaper. Quickly Hitomi glanced at the stir fry as though it would tell her mother what was on Hitomi's mind. Wouldn't the world be wonderful if that were the case Hitomi thought bitterly.

  "Mom… I… er… you know… I was wondering if you could tell me more about fat—"

  "Mom!" Mamoru shouted bounding into the kitchen, this thumbs red from pressing the controller almost non-stop for so long. "When's dinner?"

  "Soon, honey," Ms. Kanzaki replied with a warm smile as she gave her son a hug.

  "'Kay," he replied cheerfully as he bounded back into the living room.

  "What was it you were going to say, 'tomi?" Ms. Kanzaki asked as she looked up from her newspaper.

  "Um...Well... You see, the thing is..." Hitomi began slowly, when suddenly large screams could be heard from the living room.

  "OH YEAH! OH YEAH! TAKE THAT! WHO WINS!?!? WHO'S THE WINNER?!?! SAY IT! SAY IT!" came Yukari's bubbly voice as large thuds could be heard.

"YOU ONLY WON ONCE," came Mamoru's retort, Mrs. Kanzaki rolled her eyes and looked at Hitomi. Sighing, Hitomi trudged into the living room to find Mamoru's neck throttled by Yukari as Mamoru's hand wildly tugged on a fistful of her blow dried hair.  

  "HITOMI HELP ME!" Yukari screeched as she quickly looked up at the approaching noise.

  "SIS! She's a freaking psycho!" Mamoru yelled as Yukari kept her hold on Mamoru's neck. Growling, Mamoru yanked on Yukari's head sharply and she released her grip, long enough for Mamoru to roll up and pin Yukari underneath him.

  "Say uncle!" he demanded, and Yukari clamped her lips shut.

  "Say it!" Mamoru ordered, his fingers gathering a smaller fistful of hair, so there would be more pain.

  "Aunt!" Yukari replied defiantly, and Mamoru yanked on her hair.

"Cut it out you two!" Hitomi cried out, exasperated.

  "He started it!"

  "She started it!"

  "He started it!"

  "She started it!" they babbled, pointing accusing fingers at each other.

  "I don't care who started it, just shut up, it's dinner time!" Hitomi snapped, her irritation building. Both parties shut up.

  "Geez Hitomi, we were only playing," both chorused, and Hitomi rolled her eyes as she marched back into the kitchen.

  "Someone's PMSing," came Mamoru's grumble, once his sister was out of ear shot.

"Mamoru!" Yukari cried out, slapping him on the arm, however she couldn't hide a small smirk on her delicate features.

  Hitomi pushed a few of the newspaper scattered on the table onto the floor as Mrs. Kanzaki picked up the dishes Mamoru had left scattered around from breakfast. Scowling, Hitomi glanced over at her mother who was currently was ruffling Mamoru's hair asking him about his day. She had been so close to asking her mother about her father! She would just have to get her mother that night.

  "Yukari," smiled Mrs. Kanzaki turning away from her son after she told him to set the table. "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

  "Why doesn't she just stay for the night?" asked Hitomi glancing over at her friend. If Yukari was there perhaps she would have moral support for when she finally got the courage to ask her mother again.

  That or someone to keep Mamoru busy playing the game system.

  "Sure," giggled Yukari running over to the phone to call home. Leaving a long message on the answering machine (Yukari's parents were busy people after all; they were efficient too, they went out to dinner) she happily sat down at the table.

  Sitting down at the table beside her friend Hitomi noticed Yukari's finger lingering as she pressed it against the cool glass. "What are you doing 'Kari?"

  "My finger has a blister," grumbled Yukari shooting a pointed look at Mamoru who sat himself across from his sister. 

  "Not my fault she attacked the control, I'm lucky if it's not broken," Mamoru shot back, and Yukari scowled. As they dug in, Hitomi munching thoughtfully on a cooked carrot covered in the stir fry sauce, Yukari and Mamoru began to bicker again.

  "No, I didn't just win once, remember when I had Kasumi in the puce outfit?" Yukari said, irritated.

  "What the hell? Kasumi doesn't have a puce outfit!" Mamoru replied, bewildered as he shoveled heaps of rice into his forever open mouth.

  "Yes she does! With the halter top!" Yukari insisted, taking a sip of water.

  "What the hell is a halter top?" Mamoru demanded as he too gulped down his water.

  "Language," Mrs. Kanzaki and Hitomi both scolded reflexively, and Yukari spat out her water.

  "You don't know what a halter top is?!?" she gasped, as if Mamoru had said the most offensive profanity known to man.

  "So? I bet you don't know what a Chevelle 67 Super Sport looks like!" Mamoru replied hotly, and Yukari stuck out her tongue.

"It looks like a car," she retorted, and Mamoru nearly choked on a chunk of meat.

   "JUST A CAR??!" he yelled, and Hitomi and Ms. Kanzaki both inwardly groaned, knowing the rant about to follow. "It is NOT just a--"

Hitomi gently moved a few vegetables around on her plate into small piles as she tuned out Mamoru's yelling, her thoughts wandering. When would be the best time to ask her mother about, well, face it, the unmentionable man? Should she ask before or after her mother takes the bath? Perhaps, she reasoned, it would be better to ask about it before her mother got all relaxed… but if she relaxed then perhaps she wouldn't get as mad…?

 Once when Hitomi was around ten she had gone into her mother's little office and shifted around in there trying to find a phone number, or even recent photo, of her father. However, he mother had found her and had grounded her for a week. However, when her mother had finally calmed down (two weeks later) she had revealed one more piece of information about her father. Before all she had known was that he lived in Asturia; now she found out he was a politician.

  The whole topic was making her moody Hitomi grumbled as she stirred the contents of her plate. Yukari's screech brought her back to reality and away from her troubling thoughts.  

  "I do NOT resemble a Volkswagen Beetle!" Yukari screamed, about to chuck her stir fry at Mamoru's head when Ms. Kanzaki intervened.

  "Mamoru, apologize to Yukari," Mrs. Kanzaki chided firmly, and Mamoru gaped at his mother disbelievingly.

  "But she--"

  "Mamoru," Mrs. Kanzaki warned, and with a devilish smirk from Yukari, he muttered an apology.

  "Now Yukari, Mamoru, you'll be washing the dishes tonight," Mrs. Kanzaki added, and the two groaned.

  "Nooo...." they pleaded, and Mrs. Kanzaki shot them a warning glare.

  "Alright, alright," they surrendered arms in air.

  "Sometimes I wonder if Yukari and I were switched at birth," Hitomi mused, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Could be," Mrs. Kanzaki played along, "But no, you have your father's--" she began, then abruptly stopped. "I don't...Feel so well," she lied, touching her hand to her fore head, "Can you see that Yukari and Mamoru don't trash the kitchen? I'm going to go to bed," she mumbled, and Hitomi nodded, but inside gears were turning.

  Tonight would definitely be the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  Yukari laid sprawled out across Hitomi's bed, her mouth wide open as snores loudly emitted from her mouth. Glancing at the clock Hitomi noticed that it was only ten thirty. Perhaps the trying day of playing the game system had worn her friend out Hitomi mused.

Hesitantly Hitomi glanced once more at her fathers photo then opened her door and headed towards her mothers room. From downstairs she could vaguely hear Mamoru yelling at the gaming system, working on his moves to try and challenge Yukari for a re-match tomorrow. Finally reaching her mothers room Hitomi pressed her ear against the door and listened for movement from within. The light was still on so her mother was awake…

  Softly she rapped her knuckles against the door and waited for a reply from within. After a few moments her mother's soft voice replied. "Come in!"

  Opening the door Hitomi slowly felt some of her tension creep out of her body at the sight of her mother sitting on the bed, her hair up in a pony tail, smiling up at Hitomi. Slowly the tension came back to her body as she remembered her purpose wasn't for something trivial like it had always been in the past.

  "Can we talk for a little?" inquired Hitomi walking up to the bed and glancing over to the other side of the queen sized bed. When she and Mamoru had been smaller when they had nightmares they would sleep on that side of the bed, thus it was dubbed 'the kids side.'

  "Of course," smiled Mrs. Kanzaki as she patted the place beside her. Sitting down Hitomi sat awkwardly trying to think of a good place to start at. A sudden pat on her head made her turn around and look at her mother.

  "Want me to brush your hair like old times?" questioned Mrs. Kanzaki, her eyes alight with slight laughter.

  "Er…" started Hitomi as the mental image of her mother ripping her hair out at the mention of her father popped into her head. "Actually I rather just talk…" 'Without any possibility of physical contact…' Hitomi added to herself.

  "Boy problems?" teased Mrs. Kanzaki as she bit her lip. She had been worried about her daughter's behavior tonight. It was very unlike Hitomi to be withdrawn and thoughtful like Hitomi had been when she had arrived home. Course, Mrs. Kanzaki had once been a teenager too and was a hip mother by her own standards, so figured her daughter was suffering from a case of boy troubles.

  "Mom, I don't want to upset you or anything but…" Hitomi trailed off, her eyes unable to look at her mother any longer. "I was wondering if you could tell me some more stuff about Dad…"

  Mrs. Kanzaki instantly tensed up at the mention of her husband. Over the years she had carefully avoided the topic of Hitomi's father, Lucas. They had married shortly after college and Hitomi had come along shortly afterwards. Sure they had been in love but things started to fall apart in the last few years of marriage. Shortly after Mamoru had been born they had mutually agreed to separate and to this day she had not seen the man since. Talked on the phone, sure, but other than that they had kept their distance from each other. 

  Looking up at Hitomi she frowned, the feeling spreading though her stomach much like butterflies trying to escape from their container. Hitomi looked so much like Lucas sometimes it made her sad to look at her. How could someone you love so much look like someone that you were so…

"I know this topic upsets you," Hitomi said hesitantly while biting her lip. "But Mamoru was upset this afternoon about a father son white water rafting trip and I came to thinking how I've never really talked to Dad and all…"

  "That's true…" Mrs. Kanzaki replied stiffly. 

  "It's just… kids my age have two parents and part of me just wonders who my other parent is. Hell, I don't even know what the man looks or sounds like, or even know anything about him!" Hitomi shouted sensing her mother retreating into a protective 'anti-telling-information' shell.

  "Watch your language young lady!" Mrs. Kanzaki said reflexively while glancing off towards the window.

 Sighing, Hitomi sensed her mother wasn't going to offer any more information tonight. Well, at least she knew how Hitomi felt. Hoisting herself off the bed Hitomi glanced at her mother one last time. "I just… want to get to know him, you know?"

  Turning around Hitomi quickly exited the room to leave her mother alone with her thoughts. For a few minutes after Hitomi left Mrs. Kanzaki simply stared at the window, unsure of what to do. Slowly she turned and looked at a photo of Hitomi, Mamoru, and herself at the beach from a few years ago. Looking at her daughters smiling face the only solution came to her mind.

  She would have to call Lucas.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

3/15/03:
Anne: (evil laughter fills the air). I so love writing cliffhangers. ^_^ Wrote this with Ingrid on Wednesday after Japanese final and posted it before a week of finals (uggh).
Ingrid: I'm in love. *_*
Anne: Er… right… -_-; Anyway, hope you enjoyed and leave comments and such… Ingrid? *pokes friend with stick*
Ingrid: *drools, and mumbles something along the lines of* 67...chevelle....super sport...... stupid.... *beep* ....owner ....mine ........Van ...in ..... 67.... chevelle... super... sport.... *dies in pool of drool*
Anne: Thanks to everyone who review and to Azure for beta-reading this! :) Don't worry, in the next few chapters Van will be making his hunky appearance. :)

Disclaimer: We do not own Escaflowne in any shape or form (although we both wish we owned Van *wistful sigh*).