Happy reading!

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            Kei flopped back onto her bed. She sighed and put her pillow over her face. It had been a week since she'd been hypnotized by Tasuki in his room. She was beginning to wonder if the reason she found the book was really because of the Guardian in her. More and more, it seemed to her that the reason she was brought there was to meet Tasuki. It was what she was hoping anyway. She smiled as she sighed. The fiery bandit with amber eyes who had stolen her heart and turned her world upside down. She now had a reason to fight for her life. Her life meant something now. She closed her eyes and began to dream of a life with him.

Jason glanced into Kei's room and shook his head as he smiled. He slipped into her room and sat on one of her chairs. "Happy much?"

His voice startled her from her dreams of marriage and a family. "What?"

"You're thinkin' about him again."

"Who said you could come in here?" She flung a pillow at him.

"Door was open, Shorty." He casually blocked the pillow with his arm.

"Hey! It ain't my fault I'm short! I can't help my genetics!" She folded her legs beneath herself and pouted.

"I know." He chuckled, but then got serious. "But seriously, you're thinking about Tasuki, right?"

"Duh! What other thoughts cross my mind now?" She sighed. "I can't stop…"

"It might help if you told him…"

"What? Are you gonna get on my back about this too? I figured you'd be the one who wouldn't."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I'll let that slide for now and keep talking. You can't keep your feelings hidden much longer. You're gonna explode."

She sighed. "Probably. I'm so scared though. What if he doesn't feel the same?"

Jason groaned. "'What if'? Kei, don't tell me you're gonna get stopped by a 'what if'…" He stared at her. "You never used to be scared of risks."

"I never used to be in love…"

"Fine, I'll give you that. But come on, do you really think he doesn't feel the same way?" He sighed. "You should have seen him when we were shopping for you. Nothing was good enough. He loves you, God dammit! There's nothing to be afraid of!" He found himself losing his temper.

Kei thought about it. "Really?"

"Yes…really." He was exasperated.

"Jason?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you care?"

He stared at her. "Kei, you're part of my family. I find myself obligated to care. I really do hate seeing you like this."

Kei grinned. "Thanks, bro'."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever…"

"Seriously, I mean it. It helps hearing it from a guy."

He smiled. "Look, I dunno what you're gonna do about this, but just remember if you don't act on your emotions, you're gonna regret it."

"I know…" Kei sighed. "I'll tell him…I'll tell him soon."

"Good, 'cause otherwise I'd just lock you two in a closet until all was said and done."

Kei's eyes widened. "You wouldn't!"

"Don't try me." He tossed her pillow back to her. "I'm tired of seeing the two of you act like you don't care about each other whenever other people are around. You've got to stop lying to yourselves…" He stood up and walked out the door.

Kei had a loose grip on the pillow. She was stunned. Jason never acted like a nice big brother to her, just the annoying kind. 'Me and Tasuki locked in a closet? That might work better…' She began fiddling with a hair tie on her wrist. 'How do I tell him? I can't just walk up to him and tell him…but then again every time we were in a romantic situation, something interrupted us…' She accidentally let go of the band and it snapped against her wrist. "OW!" She grabbed her wrist. "That hurt…I better tell him soon or I'm gonna hurt myself worse…" She took off the band and tossed it onto a table. She sighed and got up from her bed. 'No sense in being here alone with my thoughts…' She left her room and hopped down the stairs to the den to watch TV.

Tasuki watched her come out of her room and disappear down the stairs. He went back into his room and took out the box from the jewelry shop. He opened it and tossed the contents from hand to hand. He felt like an idiot. He couldn't tell her. He was scared. He stared at the engraving the old woman had put on it for a long time. Suddenly, he put the jewelry and box away. 'Stop second-guessing yourself, Tasuki…it isn't like you. You know what you have to do…don't let yourself lose her by being a coward.' He stared at his reflection in the mirror. 'You're the leader of the Mt. Reikaku bandits! You shouldn't be scared of this! If she doesn't feel the same, then it wasn't meant to be…right? Right.' He laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a while before dozing off.

Jason smacked his forehead when he saw the bandit. 'What the hell? What is wrong with those two?!?! Two people who are hopelessly in love who don't say anything…never seen anything quite as sad…' He found it difficult to restrain himself from the closet idea. He clenched his fists for a moment, then went back to his room.

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Kei stared at herself in the mirror. She pulled a brush through her hair a few times. Taki appeared in her doorway.

"You know…you don't have to go…"

"Yes, I do…even if I don't want to see them, I have to once in a while." She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "Besides, I asked Tasuki to come with me. I'll be okay."

Taki sighed. "Okay…if you say so…"

"And I do. So please, don't worry. It's only once or twice a year that I have to see Shigeru." She picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder. "We'll be back in like, an hour tops. It'll be okay. Don't gimme that look."

Taki averted her gaze. "What look?"

"That look you give me when I'm about to do something you think is stupid, dangerous or you're not included in."

"I didn't give you any look." She frowned.

"Whatever." Kei shook her head and went downstairs. Tasuki was waiting in the foyer. "Ready?"

"I guess."

Kei walked outside. It was already dark. She had put off her visit to her parents for as long as possible. Once Tasuki got in, Kei started the car and drove to the large mansion. She looked up at it and frowned. She hated it. She felt Tasuki's hand on her shoulder.

"We could leave now. You don't have to…"

"I know…but I can't…I can't keep walking or running away…" She stared at him through the darkness. He looked worried. Though he had every right to be, she supposed.

Tasuki followed Kei up the front stairs to the door. She slowly unlocked it and entered. A maid greeted them.

"Kei! Hello, my dear!" She pulled Kei into a hug. "Happy early Birthday, dear."

"Thanks, Tanomi." Kei returned the hug. "So…where are they?"

"I'll tell you as soon as you tell me who this handsome man is you've brought with you." Tanomi stared at Tasuki. "I always knew you had better taste in men than your mother."

Kei couldn't help but smile. "This is Tasuki. He's here for, um…"

"You don't need to say why, dear." Tanomi sighed. "I think I know. Your parents are in the den."

"Thanks. Tasuki, let's hurry and get this over with." She led him down a long hallway.

Tasuki grabbed her hand. "Kei…"

"What?" She stared at their hands.

"Does the people who work here know?"

"Yes…" She looked down.

"And they've never said anything?"

"They're as scared as I am. Shigeru is their employer and he does his best to scare everyone who works for him into silence." She twisted her hand out of his. "Please…can we just get this over with?"

"Yeah…fine…" His frown deepened. It would take all his strength not to kill Shigeru the moment he saw him.

Kei walked into the den. She saw her mother and Shigeru sitting on a love seat. She cautiously walked towards them. "Hi Mom…hi…Dad…" She found herself hesitating when talking to Shigeru.

Sora stood up to greet Kei. "Happy Birthday, honey! It's a little early, but you've probably got things to do with your friends tomorrow."

"Yeah…things to do…" She feigned a smile.

"Kei…" Shigeru gave her a brief nod.

"Dad…" She returned the action.

"Oh Kei, who have you brought with you? I don't think I know him."

"Ah…no. This is Tasuki. I met him a few weeks ago."

"Well, what prompted you to bring him here?"

"Well, uh…" Kei thought for a moment. "Tasuki wanted the chance to meet a great business man like Shig…Dad…" Sora didn't notice Kei's slip, but Shigeru did. "So I thought this would be an okay time to bring him. That way we wouldn't have to make an extra trip over here." Kei tried to smile.

Shigeru stood up. "Well, I suppose you have a little sense if you choose a man interested in business." He made a move to shake hands with Tasuki.

Tasuki hesitantly gave the man a firm handshake. "Sir."

Kei felt her face heating up. "So anyway…we should hurry and get back. I've got some other friends over and it would be really rude to leave them alone for a long time."

"But, honey…you just got here…" Sora looked hurt.

"Sora dear, it's alright. If Kei has other things to do, we should let her do them. She's almost 20. She doesn't need to hang around with her parents."

"I suppose…" Sora picked up an envelope and handed it to Kei. "Here you go dear, Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Shigeru…I mean…" A silence fell over the room. Everyone turned to Kei, who had her hands clamped over her mouth. 'Shit…now I've done it. How am I gonna get outta this?'

"Kei, you know it doesn't matter how old you are, you don't call your father by his 1st name." Sora scolded Kei.

Kei looked up at Tasuki. He had a look on his face that was a mix of shock and happiness. For some reason, it gave her courage. She clenched her fists. "I didn't…"

"Didn't what?" Sora was confused.

"I didn't call my father by his 1st name. I've never met my father…" She looked up at her mother.

Sora looked shocked. "What are you talking about?!?!"

Kei's eyes burned with tears that threatened to fall. "I can't believe you! After all this time, you still can't admit to me that my real father is dead?!?!" Tasuki moved closer to her.

Shigeru looked furious. "How did you find out?!?!"

"Mom may have gotten rid of every picture of him, but she forgot about the death certificate! I found it when I was 4!" She felt tears run down her face. "Why'd you hide it from me?!?! There's nothing wrong about telling a kid the truth!"

Sora began to approach Kei. Tasuki stepped in between them. He glared at Sora. "Don't come near her."

Kei gripped Tasuki's hand. "Tasuki…I wanna go home now…"

He began to help her out. "Let's go."

Shigeru stopped them. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Away from you, you abusive bastard." Tasuki sent a right hook into Shigeru's face, sending him flying.

"Abusive?" Sora was frozen in place. "What?"

Shigeru got up and lunged at Tasuki. "What did you say to me?" They both fell onto a coffee table in front of the love seat and smashed it.

"You heard me, bastard!" Tasuki shoved the Nakago look-alike off himself.

Sora looked at Kei. "Kei, what's he talking about?"

Shigeru knocked Tasuki into a lamp table. The lamp fell and broke into a million pieces.

"My life…" Kei glared at her mother. "My whole fuckin' life…"

Tasuki twisted Shigeru's arm behind his back and shoved him into a cabinet lined with glass shelves. The shelves shattered and fell around Shigeru as he fell to the floor.

"What?" Sora began to walk towards Kei.

She backed away. "Don't come near me."

"Kei, what's going on?"

"God, are you still blind? Don't you get it?"

"Get what?"

Shigeru got up and dusted the glass from him hair and clothes. He turned around and kicked Tasuki over the back of the love seat. He tumbled into the wall. Tasuki quickly moved just as another lamp hit the wall where his head had been.

"I can't believe you're so blind, Mother. Every time I had a cut or a bruise I said it was a fight from school…don't you think the school would have called if I had been getting into fights?"

Sora stared blankly at her husband. She was starting to get it. "No…it couldn't be…"

"Do you get it now?"

Tasuki decided enough was enough. He grabbed Shigeru by the back of the head and threw him into the wall. His head hit first and he slumped to the ground, unconscious though still alive. He turned to the two women.

"Do you, Mom? It's not that hard!"

"Why…why couldn't you tell me?"

"You told me yourself it wasn't possible for him to hurt me…and I was scared." Kei shook her head. "You still don't get it." She continued to cry. "Tasuki…can we go now?"

"Yeah…" He stepped over Shigeru and took Kei by the hand. "We can go…"

Tanomi stood near the door. "Good luck, honey." She hugged the crying girl.

"Thanks…" She looked at the maid. "Are you gonna keep working here?"

"No…I'm leaving in the morning. Things won't be pretty around here anymore." She smiled. "Not after tonight."

"Yeah…good luck to you too." Kei opened the door.

"Good bye, dear." Tanomi waved as Tasuki helped the crying girl down the stairs and back to the car. She looked back in the house and noticed something on the floor. It was the envelope for Kei. Tanomi picked it up and tossed it in the trash.

Tasuki forced Kei into the passenger seat, saying she was in no condition to drive. She eventually consented and sat crying in the seat. Tasuki frowned as he began to drive. His left shoulder hurt like hell. It was probably bruised from his fall over the love seat and into the wall. Kei looked up after a while and pointed to a stop sign. "Turn left and find a place to park."

Tasuki was confused but did as he was told. He parked and turned off the car. They sat in silence except for the pinging from the car's engine. Kei stared at Tasuki. "Why'd you do that?"

"What? Fight?"

"Yeah…you could have been hurt and you probably were…" She had stopped crying a bit.

"And stand by while he went after you? Yeah, right." He frowned.

"But…"

"Shhh…" Tasuki silenced her with a kiss. She was quiet. They continued to sit in silence. Tasuki looked over at her.

"Kei, do you want to go home now or should I drive around till you calm down?"

"I…uh…" She looked around at where they were. "There's a hotel right here. Can we just stay the night there? I don't feel like being anywhere now…"

"Sure…" He got out of the car and helped her out. Once in the light of the hotel, he saw how shaken she was. Her face was pale and tear streaked, her hands were shaking, her breath, shaky. He quickly got them a room and took her to it. He laid her on the bed. She rolled over so her face was in the pillow. Tasuki gently rubbed her shoulders. "Go to sleep, Kei. Try anyway."

Within a few minutes she was asleep. Tasuki sighed and pulled off his shirt. He was right. His shoulder was black and blue. 'Shit…that didn't take long…' He went into the hall for some ice. As he iced his shoulder, he watched Kei sleep. The color was returning to her face and her breathing was more normal. He looked at his shoulder again. 'I guess it was worth it.' He laid his free hand on his leg and felt a bump in his pocket. He realized it was the box from the shop. He'd been carrying it around for a few days now. He set it on the table next to the bed and sighed. Today was more action paced then he had planned. 'She's free now…she finally told them…' He brushed her hair from her face.

Hours passed, Tasuki continued to watch Kei sleep. He wondered how their friends were. She had said they'd only be gone an hour or so. They left at 7 and now it was midnight.

Kei began to stir. "Are you still up?" She saw a clock. "It's been 5 hours…"

"So?" Tasuki shrugged, making himself wince.

She saw the ice on his shoulder. "Tasuki…you did get hurt…" She moved the bag.

"I've had worse…" He glanced at it. "It's just a big bruise…"

"But you wouldn't have gotten it if I hadn't asked you to come with me…" She frowned.

"Are you gonna blame yourself for this? I got hurt fighting Shigeru. He started it."

She sighed. "Tasuki…"

"Don't say anything more about it, Kei…" He kissed her again.

"At least let me get you more ice…" It was almost totally melted.

"Alright…" Tasuki watched her get up and go into the hall to the ice machine.

She came back with a bag of ice and took the melted one from him. She went to the bathroom to get rid of the water. She sat back down on the bed next to him. She noticed the box next to the bed. "Nani kore?"(What's this?) She picked it up.

Tasuki glanced at a clock. 12:01. "Happy Birthday, Kei." He leaned forward and kissed her while pushing the box towards her.

She looked at him for a moment after he pulled away. "For me?" He nodded. She slowly opened the box. She gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah…"

Kei pulled out a silver chain with an elaborately decorated amethyst pendant on it. Wrapped around the stone were small silver leaves. It was small and beautiful. She looked up at Tasuki and smiled. "I love it." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

As she held the necklace, she found that the back wasn't smooth. She let go of him so she could look at the back. She gasped again when she saw it. It was a simple message that meant the world to her. She read the back, which was in a highly stylized form writing,. "Kei…Aishiteru zutto…Tasuki." She looked up at him as she put it on. "Do you really mean it?"

"Yes. I love you, Kei…" He stared deep into her eyes.

"Tasuki…I love you, too." She flung herself into his arms.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. She tangled her fingers in his hair as she closed her eyes. She thought about her situation. 'A night of hell turned into the one moment I've waited for…Jason was right. Tasuki does love me. He just said it…' She pulled back for air. "Tasuki…"

"Kei…" He pushed her back onto the bed and kissed her again. Her eyes shot open and she gasped when she felt Tasuki's hands under her shirt. He pulled back. "Sorry…"

"N…no…don't be…" She gasped for air. "I was just a little surprised…"

"Do you want me to stop? Just tell me if you don't want to go any further." He began playing with her hair.

"Please, don't stop…" She murmured and pulled him close again.

Tasuki smiled and continued kissing her.

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Taki and Lily sat in the living room. Both looked worried. Taki stood up and went to the window. "Where are they? It's been over 6 hours now…"

"I know…but what can we do? We already called Sora, but there wasn't even an answer…" Lily sighed.

"Do you think something happened there?"

"Probably…you know…we should really go to sleep. There's not much we can do if we're dead tired…"

Jason appeared in the doorway. "Any sign of them?"

"No…" Both girls shook their heads.

"Both of you go to sleep. I'll stay up and I'll get you two if they come." He pulled both girls off the couch. "Now go…"

"Okay, Daddy…" Both girls giggled as they ran upstairs before Jason came after them.

He sighed and sat on the couch. Nuriko walked in. "Now you're staying up?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. Taki and Lily need sleep. I'm wired on caffeine right now, so I'll be up anyway."

She smiled. "You want anything?"

"Nah…I'll be fine." He turned on the TV and began channel surfing.

Nuriko came closer. "Can I stay up with you?"

He looked over his shoulder. "If you want."

Nuriko took off her shoes and nestled close to Jason. "Anything good on?" She took the remote from his hand.

"Doubtful." He wrapped his arm around her and sat back while she took control of the TV.

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Kei awoke to Tasuki playing with her hair. She saw a clock across the room. It read 6 o'clock. She slowly raised her head and found her arms and legs tangled with Tasuki's in the blankets. "What…?" She started to sit up until she realized she was completely naked save for the necklace Tasuki gave her a few hours ago. "Eep!" She gathered up the blankets to cover her chest. Tasuki began to laugh. He was sitting with his back against the headboard of the bed. She turned to face him. "What's so funny?!?!"

He pulled her close. "Kei, your modesty is, to say the least, misplaced. I saw everything last night."

She blushed as he whispered in her ear. "Okay…so maybe it is…" She kept the blankets against her body though.

They sat in silence for a while. Tasuki looked at the clock. 6:23. "Everyone's probably worried…we've been gone for almost half a day…"

"So what?" She laid her head on his good shoulder. "Right now, there is no world outside this room. I want it to stay that way, for a while anyway."

"You're the boss." He kissed the top of her head and let her doze off. He looked at his shoulder. 'Well, it really was worth it…'

About another hour passed before Tasuki decided they really did have to go. He gently nudged her awake. "Kei…we really should go back…"

She opened her amethyst eyes and was met with Tasuki's deep amber ones. "Do we have to?" She sat up a bit.

"Yeah…it's been an hour since you woke up the first time. I think we've made everyone worry enough, don't you?"

"Fine, we'll go back…where's my shirt?" She sat up to look around.

"Over there…" Tasuki pointed to a purple object on the TV across the room. He began to laugh when Kei turned bight red. "Better go get it…"

Kei was mortified. "Why me? You're the one who threw it over there." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You didn't argue." He was laughing even harder.

"Stop being mean! Your pants are over there!" She pointed to Tasuki's jeans on a lamp table. Kei laughed when he turned red.

"Fine…I'll get them…" He kicked off his blankets and walked across the room stark naked. Kei felt her face heat up as she watched him.

'Damn!' Her thought were interrupted when Tasuki flung her pants and shirt at her. "Th…thanks…" She tried to look away until Tasuki walked into the bathroom to put his clothes on. She scurried around the room looking for her underwear and dove back under the covers just as Tasuki walked out of the bathroom.

"Your turn." He sat on the bed to put his shoes on.

She was about get up when she noticed Tasuki watching her. "Hey! Turn around!"

"No." He smiled smugly.

"But…but…"

"But nothing. You watched me when I ran in there."

Kei turned red for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Fine…" She gathered her clothes and ran for the bathroom. Tasuki smiled as she disappeared into the small room. "Tasuki, could you find my sandals? I don't know where I flung them." Her voice came from the other side of the door.

"Sure…" He got up and looked around for sandals Kei'd been wearing. He found them near the door.

When Kei came out of the room, she looked pretty normal, save for her hair. She didn't have anything to fix it with.

"Nice hair."

"Shut up. We're stopping somewhere for breakfast and a comb somewhere."

"Fine by me." He followed her to the door.

She stopped right before she opened the door.

"What's wrong?"

She turned to face him. "Thank you, Tasuki…"

"What for?"

She began to play with the necklace. "For everything. For saving me so many times in Konan, for helping me with my problems here, for caring…I don't know how I can every repay you…"

Tasuki sighed. "Kei, the only thing I want is you, and I have that." He kissed her lightly.

Kei looked up at him and smiled. "Really?"

"Of course." He embraced her for a moment before they left their haven and reentered the real world.

Kei drove to a convenient store for a comb then to a café for food. The drive back home was quiet, but it wasn't uncomfortable.  They really didn't need to say anything. As they pulled up, Tasuki took Kei's hand. She looked at him and smiled. They walked inside.

"Think Taki'll kill me for this?"

"Hopefully not." Tasuki quietly closed the door.

Thought Tasuki closed the door quietly, it wasn't quiet enough. Jason woke up in the living room. 'Did I hear something?' He carefully moved Nuriko off himself and walked into the front hall to find Kei and Tasuki kissing. "Guess I did hear something…"

Tasuki let go of Kei and looked at Jason. "Morning."

"Back at ya. Where have you two been?"

"Around." Kei smiled and linked her fingers with Tasuki's.

Jason noticed the necklace around Kei's neck and her closeness to Tasuki even with him standing there. "Please tell me that means what I think slash hope it means…"

"What? This?" Kei held the pendant in between her fingers. "Depends on what you think slash hope it means, I suppose…"

"Please tell me you two aren't being anal about how you feel about each other now…"

"Okay. We aren't." Kei grinned and rested her head against Tasuki's good shoulder again.

"Hallelujah!" Jason whooped and grinned. "It's about time. I better go wake everybody and spread the good news."

Kei smiled and rolled her eyes. "You do that."

"So dare I ask, what happened to you last night? We called your mom's house but we didn't get an answer."

Kei stared at Tasuki. He shrugged, wincing again. "That…um…that's a long story. Why don't we talk about it over a really big bag of ice for Tasuki…" She began to drag both men into the kitchen just as everyone was coming down the stairs. She grinned widely. "Morning, everyone!"

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I did it! *dances around* After 25 chapters and a big fight, I did it! I made them confess! And I suppose it's about time too. Are y'all happy now? So impatient…oh well. I hope you all like it. I had fun with this chapter. Hope it wasn't too weird. I was wired on caffeine when I did the end, so it's was a little strange. Whoops.

~*~Shadow Hawk~*~

          12/26/02