Shades of Gray

Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself.  With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena.  Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value.  The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?

Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)!  The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.

Chapter 6:  Return to the Living World

"Please?"

            "Nope."

            "Pretty please?"

            "No dice."

            "Pretty, pretty please?"

            "Non."

            Ace, Chaz, and Diego all looked at one another before refocusing their attention to the girls in front of them.  All three of them knew that if they were able to sway either Serena or Kitty then Chihiro would give in and they would be able to return to the Living World for a short time.

            "Come on Kitty!  We haven't seen our folks in over a year!"  Chaz whined and then got a scared look on his face.  "Uh, think they'll be mad we didn't get them anything for their birthdays or Christmas?"
            "Not to mention you didn't even bother to tell them that you might be gone for so long."  Diego added sagely.

            Both Kitty and Chihiro were starting to look guilty and uncomfortable so Ace peaked at Serena through his bangs and found her watching him intently, a half smile on her face.  Damn it!  He wanted to whine.  Does she have to be so observant?  Serena winked at him then and looked back at the girls.

            "He's got a point ma petites.  Besides, I think we all need about a week off.  Spirit World is nice and everything but the only thing we're doing is entertaining the spirits here so it's like the only thing we're really doing is playing all the time."  The others nodded their agreement after thinking about what she'd said.  While they may not have been there in over a year they all had close ties to people in the Living World.

            "What about Yu-Baba?"  Chihiro asked.

            Serena grinned mischievously at them and leaned back in a casually arrogant posture.  "Well you know what they say about over-exposure.  Too much of something and you either get tired or sick of it."  She said, her eyes gleaming with laughter.

            "Serena, how do you come up with stuff like this?"  Kitty wanted to know.

            "Let's just say that I've had more experience in coming up with valid and honest excuses than most people do in their entire lifetimes."  She answered and rolled her eyes.  "But let's not forget the reason why we're here.  Chihiro, the final say will be up to you since you're the one who has the closest ties here."  She said gently.

            Chihiro was silent for a few minutes and when she looked back up she was smiling.  "I think we should go back to the Living World for awhile.  I do miss the fast pace and things to do there."  She admitted.

            "YES!"  Cried the three guys as they scrambled to go get their things ready.

            Chihiro, Serena, and Kitty all stared in shock at the now vanished guys and looked at each other.  They were silent for about two seconds before all three of them burst into laughter and got up to get their things together as well.

            "You want to what?!"  Yu-Baba screeched.

            "We would like to return to the Living World for a short time."  Chihiro repeated politely struggling not to laugh since Serena was currently ranting in mind speech about Yu-Baba's hearing and thought processing speed, etc. etc. with a completely straight face.

            Yu-Baba glared at her and then turned her shrewd gaze on Serena.  "Why aren't you yapping yet?!"  She growled.

            Serena raised one delicate eyebrow at her and said nothing.  If she'd had her way then they would have just left but Chihiro was more polite than she so here they were.  In any case, this was Chihiro's show so she was content to be the silent, brooding one.

            "Please Yu-Baba?"  Chihiro asked sweetly without begging.

            "And what do I get in return?"  Yu-Baba crooned.

            Serena's eyes narrowed when she saw Chihiro slightly falter.  Chihiro was driven by a sense of fair play, if you wanted something you had to give something in return; Serena didn't have any such convictions.  "How about we'll continue to make sure that the show is a good one instead of a complete failure?"  She suggested to Chihiro, the thinly veiled threat barely concealed and Yu-Baba saw through it immediately.

            "So that's how it is?  You're trying to blackmail me!"  Chihiro glanced over at Serena and they shared an identical look of mischief and grinned at Yu-Baba.

            "Of course not, Yu-Baba!  I'm just trying to say that the others might not be able to guarantee the quality of their performance if they're not given a chance to go home and see their families for a time."  Chihiro answered honestly.  She knew how bad the others wanted to go and she also knew that if they didn't get what they wanted well… let's just say there's a reason artistic types are known for their temperament. 

            For a few long moments Yu-Baba glared daggers at both of them just as Haku walked in.  Slowly, a smug smile formed on her face as she gestured for him to come closer and into the discussion.  "Fine.  You six may go but only as long as Haku goes with you?

            Haku, Chihiro, and Serena all looked at the woman in astonishment and Serena and Chihiro looked at each other a silent conversation relaying between their eyes.  Why does she want him to come.  Not a clue, but this could be a good thing!  Serena!  I know…

            "Why do you want Haku to come with us?"  Chihiro asked softly.

            "Don't worry about it!"  Yu-Baba snapped.  "You two may leave now!"

            "Thank you Yu-Baba."  Chihiro murmured and the two quietly made their way out of her office.

            "Why do you want me to go?"  Haku asked almost as soon as the girls had left.

            "I think it's best if you're not in the Aburaya for awhile.  At least not until Sakura settles down."

            "Are you worried about me Yu-Baba?"  Haku teased.

            "Hardly!"  She replied.  "I just don't want to upset my guests with a drama between past lovers."

The Living World

            Chaz and Kitty immediately scrambled to find belated gifts for their family and headed home while the others headed to Serena's home.  Serena lived alone in the huge house that she had once lived in while her family lived in Japan.  For privacy, it had been built in the woods out of sight of all of the main roads.  Since it had been apparent that Serena was going to need training while they were there her father had a fairly large swimming pool put in, thankfully the water could also be heated in the wintertime.  Because the woods were private property there were small courses set up in which one had to be very nimble and quick if they didn't want to be bruised from all the traps set up.

            Yet there was a simple elegant beauty about the place.  There were lovely flower and rose garden scattered all over the property and in the middle stood the lovely three-story home.  A small pond was placed near the walkway so one could see large happy fish swimming contently in the water.  The scent of flowers and trees filled the air with a pleasing scent that was very soothing.

            "It still looks the same."  Chihiro murmured.

            "Mmmhmm."  Serena agreed with a smile and the others entered the house curiously.  Of all of them only Chihiro had been here before and they were curious to see the house that she lived in. 

            "You must be very wealthy to live in a home like this."  Haku noted as they took in all of the elegant things scattered throughout the house.  Serena didn't reply to this other than to shrug and motioned for them to look around.  Overall, the house had been decorated in light colors and soothing pastels to make it feel airy, homey, and welcoming.  Pictures were scattered throughout the house as were paintings.  The quality of the paintings seemed to differ though.  Some looked to have been done by professionals and others obviously had to have been done by children.

            "Do you still have a gym?"  Chihiro asked.

            "Of course."  Serena answered with a wink and led them through a door to the right, went through a short hallway, and slid open two sliding doors and waved them into the large gym there.  On the first floor there was the gym, a large kitchen, and a small formal dining area, and a medium sized living room.  Second floor was a large formal dining area, guest bedrooms, a music room, a game room, and a medium sized library.  The third floor had more bedrooms, an observatory, and another living room..

            "So where's the garage?"  Ace all but purred, causing Serena to grin back at him.

            "Oh no you two don't!"  Chihiro said firmly.  "You both promised no racing!"  She reminded them.

            Ace turned to her in a panic and instantly fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist and cried, "please Chihiro!  Think about all those lovely cars just begging to be know the loving touch of a driver and be driven to their limits!"  He added, grinning at her rakishly.

            Haku glared and the others grinned at each other as Chihiro began to blush until she was as red as a tomato.  "Pleeeease?"  Ace continued to beg, his arms all but squeezing the breath out of her.

            "Alright!"  Chihiro finally gave in.  Ace jumped up then, picked her up in his arms, swung her around, leaned down and planted a noisy kiss on her mouth and ran off to find the garage.

            "Why aren't you running after him?"  Chihiro asked Serena curiously.  With a grin Serena dug into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys.

            "He can't get in there without these."  She answered impishly.

            "You're vicious."  Diego complimented her and mused her hair much like an older brother would.

            "Just a little."  Serena answered playfully with a smile.  "Come on.  Let's go get something to eat."

            "Miss Serena and Miss Chihiro!  Oh!  My babies have come back!"  Cried a short black woman as she bustled out from in front of the stove and hurried towards them.

            "Mama Tessa!"  Both girls cried happily and a moment later they were both gasping for breath in a bone-crushing hug.

            "It's so good to see you again honey child."  Mama Tessa said to Chihiro and pinched her cheeks affectionately.  "But you!"  She cried, shaking her finger at Serena.  "You just disappear over a year and a half ago without one call or letter and think that you can just waltz right back in here?!"  She demanded.

            "Serena!"  Chihiro whispered hastily, trying to stop her from provoking Mama Tessa.  However, being back on her home turf must have encouraged her because Serena grinned mischievously at Mama Tessa and nodded.

            "Yup.  I do."  She said proudly.

            "Why you-"  But Mama Tessa didn't get to finish her threat or get a hold of Serena because the so-called 'mighty Guardian' shot off like lightning, yelping for someone called Pierre to help her, Mama Tessa hot on her heels.

            "Does she bring insanity wherever she goes?"  Haku asked.

            "That's Serena.  You can either accept her as she is and get over it or try to change her and have the world laugh at you for making a doomed attempt."  Diego said wryly as both he and Chihiro started going through things looking for something to eat.  Mama Tessa was one of the two cooks, the other being Pierre, and had Serena's family's chatelaine for as long as Chihiro could remember.  Besides being the true commander of the home, Mama Tessa was the only mother Serena had known since her own had died in childbirth.

            "Why do you say something like that Diego?"  Chihiro asked and pulled out a few buckets of ice cream, grabbed some bowl and spoons and passed them out.

            "That's right,"  Diego murmured and took a bite of his ice cream.  "You weren't there when some of those Elders showed up."

            "Huh?"  Chihiro asked, her eyes slightly narrowed in confusion.  Haku looked just as confused but he was interested as well.

            Diego sighed and shook his head.  "I wish Kitty or Serena were here, hell, even Ace could explain this better than me."

            "Well try, please Diego?"  Chihiro asked, worried now for her friend.

            "Well you know what Ace told you a few nights ago and all but the truth is that the other Guardians are kinda intimidated by her."

            "Why?"

            "She doesn't fit into their world.  First of all, she swore to protect you without seeking their approval and when she told them that she was leaving the Living World to go to the Spirit World they nearly had a heart attack."  He shook his head then and frowned.  "Those guys are creepy in their own right, you could feel the power rolling of them but she just stood there and sneered at them all.  Serena all but dared them to try and stop her but I think they knew that they wouldn't be able to.  She made a promise to keep and come hell or Elders she was ready to take them all on to keep that promise."  He grinned and winked at Chihiro.  "Sure wish I had a sister like that!"

            "Why aren't these Elders able to control her?"  Haku asked.

            "It's because of the powers she inherited from her mother.  They're different than those of a Guardian but just as powerful in their own right."  Ace said as he strolled into the room, took Chihiro's spoon from her and began to eat her ice cream.

            "Hey!"  She cried and whacked him upside the head and took her snack back.

            "So what were her mother's powers?"  Haku asked, his eyes narrowing at the playful fight between Chihiro and Ace.

            "My mother never said and neither has Serena.  The subject's touch with her so I wouldn't suggest that you walk up and ask her.  Chihiro could or any of us maybe, but that's because she trusts us.  And it's because of that trust that I've never asked; it doesn't bring me any joy to hurt those I care about."  He added, sending a barely veiled barb at Haku.

            "Sacre bleu!  It's you!"  They heard a man cry out, his French accent far thicker than Serena's as he pointed at Ace in horror.  "Non!  He cannot be here!"  He wailed throwing his hands up in the air like a wild man, or a very irritated French cook.

            "Miss me, Pierre?"  Ace practically purred, remembering all the times he'd cause trouble in the man's kitchen.

            "Don't worry Pierre.  I'll protect you from the big, bad American."  Serena said teasingly and winked at her friends.

            "What you have against Americans, Missy?"  Mama Tessa demanded to know.

            Serena shrugged and her eyes landed on Diego impishly but her eyes were very sorrowful when she looked back at the irritated black woman.  "Oh, just that they look better than all of the European guys."  She sighed dramatically and plopped down next to Diego and stole the ice cream off the spoon that he was still holding in the air as he stared at her in shock.

            "That's not true!"  He finally yelled, causing everyone else in the kitchen to laugh.

            "Don't worry so much, Diego.  It's good to play around oui?"  She said with a smile and kissed his cheek.

            "That's right."  Pierre agreed for him.  "Now then.  How would you all like to try one of my famous masterpieces?"

            Diego, Ace, Chihiro, and Serena all exchanged glances with one another and answered, "Oui!" in such excited and brutal accents that the Frenchman frowned at them but got to work just the same.

            They were going dancing, well clubbing to be technical, but like the others from the Living World, Chihiro had wanted to just dance for the fun of it and not have to worry about keeping a crowd entertained with carefully planned out dances steps and moves.  Chihiro was wearing a white leather mini skirt and a sparkly blue tank top.  Both set off her skin tone and complexion wonderfully.  Her hair had been pulled all the way up except for a few streamers around her face to soften the look.  She'd kept her makeup light and natural looking.

            She looked over at Serena then and had to hide a grin.  Serena had gone for the 'bad girl' look and pulled it off quite well.  She had on a fitted pair of very low black leather pants and a shimmery ruby red halter-top that exposed her stomach.  She'd left her hair down but had braided small sections of it.  Like Chihiro, she'd put on very little makeup but what she did was focused on her eyes.  Using black eye liner and mascara she'd made her eyes seem brighter than normal but had used an icy shade of red to do her eyelids.  Before they'd left she'd practically begged Chihiro to let Serena do her up but Chihiro, while liking the look on Serena, decided to not be quite as 'dark' as her friend for tonight.  Regardless, both girls looked stunning.

            "Did you ever think that we would end up like this right now?"  Chihiro asked Serena quietly as the fair-haired girl parked the car.

            For a long moment Serena was quiet as she considered Chihiro's question.  "No."  She answered honestly and smiled.  "But it's better than anything I could have, even though we all have gone through heart ache to get here."  Chihiro was silent for a few moments as she thought about what Serena said and she nodded.

            "I guess you're right."

            "Of course!  I'm always right."  Serena said smugly, and the two girls laughed as they climbed out of the car and headed into the club.  Almost always anyway…

            When Ace showed up with Diego and Haku, both Serena and Chihiro were already at a table and stared at Haku in surprise.  "Well, well, well.  The pair of you did a good job."  Serena said and took a sip of her drink and looked at the blushing Chihiro from the corner of her eye.  "So what took you guys so long?"  She asked with a pleased grin.

            "Haku here though the clothes were too tight until we dragged out a wetsuit that belonged to Chaz and put him in it. He settled down after that."  Diego answered.

            "Ouch.  Harsh."  Serena said with a sympathetic wince.

            "Yep.  Which is why Chihiro gets the pleasure of teaching him how to dance."  Ace said as he pulled Serena up from the booth and into his arms.

            "Huh?"  Chihiro asked in surprise but Ace just grinned at her and winked.

            "See you two later.  I see a few lonely ladies over there who look as though they require my riveted attention."  Diego said and sauntered off.

            Chihiro looked up at Chihiro then and bit her bottom lip a bit nervously.  Haku was wearing a pair of comfortable dark blue jeans and a white dress shirt.  Probably either Diego's or Chaz's, Ace is too tall and too broad in the shoulders for Haku to fit into his clothes.  She thought to herself.  But he looks great.  She admitted.  "So,"  she began and stood up.  "Are you ready to learn a little of what we do on stage?"  She asked with a smile.

            "Sure."  He answered and smiled back at her.

            "Heads up."  Serena said with a grin as she nodded her head towards Chihiro and Haku.  "They look so cute together."  She added with a grin.

            "You're supposed to be paying attention to me."  Ace mock pouted but he looked over and saw Chihiro helping Haku gets used to the rhythm and moves that the music called for.

            "I am paying attention."  She replied with an impish gleam in her eyes.  "I'm just keeping an eye out for something better."

            "Oh really?"

            "Uh huh."

            "Well, tough luck for you then."  He said and slid his hands down from her waist and over her rear, grinning the whole while.  "I'm not letting go quite yet."

            Serena laughed and tossed her hair back.  "Oh?  Think you can handle me?"  She asked teasingly.

            "Maybe."  He teased and pulled on her hair lightly.  "I think the question here is if you can handle me."  He added, the double meaning of his words crystal clear.

            She rolled her eyes and said, "You're so easy."

            Ace grinned back at her and lightly nipped at her ear lobe.  "Now see.  You've got it all wrong.  I'm free."  He corrected, causing her to burst into laughter.

            "Your friends look like they're enjoying themselves."  Haku said a bit testily as he tried to get over the closeness that this type of dancing called for.  Not that he really minded since he was nearly able to feel every part of Chihiro's body but this wasn't a natural thing for him to do, especially not in public.

            "Yep."  Chihiro answered with a grin.  "No like this."  She corrected and rolled her hips against his.  "Move with me."  She scolded and looked up at him and was surprised to see the faint blush that tinged his cheeks.  It was then that she remembered that he was very probably not used to having a girl rub up against him while dancing.  "Just relax."  She said and on impulse kissed his cheek.  "Just feel the music's rhythm and move to it."  She said.

            It was an excellent way to spend the rest of their night as they all flirted harmlessly and pretty much enjoyed themselves.  When they got too hot and needed to cool down they retreated to their booth, ordered a couple of bottles of water, and cooled off.  Because it was so crowded and there were so many people there none of them saw the malicious eyes that watched them all.  Even Serena, with her Guardian senses, didn't feel the heated flames of evil and madness that glowed from those eyes like the very promise of hell.  The calm before the storm, but the storm wasn't quite yet ready to break.  A few more things needed to be put into their proper places before it could all begin…

Is it time yet?

Not quite.  Are you afraid?

Yes…

Why?

Because there aren't any guarantee's for a tomorrow.

So you're afraid of death then?

No.  Just… the unknown.

            I see.  But wasn't he entire world once unknown?

            Yes.

            Then why not step beyond what you know and into what you do not.

            I don't know how.

            It's simple.  Just step through the door…

Author's Note:  Sorry it took so long to get this out but I thought I lost this chapter because I couldn't pull it up so I was retyping it and then I tried again to pull it up and here it was!  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  Well I hope everyone enjoys!