Disclaimer: Not mine. All I own is the lint in my pocket and the penny near my foot.

Drown

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be back in Kobe? What about the shop?"

There was a tug at Kitsune's Capri's. It was her niece. "The kids are here! Don't they have school?"

Kitsune's eyes took in the scene behind her mother and nieces and nephews. It was her brothers and sister-in-laws. "Nahoko! Kadiri! What are you two doing here? You're both pregnant! And you!"

She pointed an accusatory finger towards her eldest brother. "You have that big contract to manage with that American company!"

"I know." He supplied her with a casual smile. Kitsune was dumbfounded. She turned towards her sister-in-law, Ai.

"You let him come?" Ai nodded gently. Kitsune's mom stopped examining the confrontation and turned towards her youngest child. "Now Mitsune you can't upset your liver. Let's all go inside and get comfortable." The kids cheered and raced inside.

"Mom! I can't 'upset' my liver! And you all won't be able to stay here! I don't think there's enough rooms!"

"No problem Kits." Kitsune turned towards her brother, Seiji. He was setting the luggage down in the living room. "We'll all take your room." Kitsune sputtered with disbelief.

The family soon got comfortable, with the exclusion of Kitsune. She just couldn't accept the fact that her whole family was here. All thirteen of them.

"Mitsune, darling come sit next to me." Kitsune's mother patted the spot next to her. Kitsune gently eased herself down. On her right was Kadiri, her brother Atasuke's wife. She was, as mentioned, a botanist. Next to Kadiri was Nahoko, a social worker. She was married to Seiji.

Kitsune stared at Nahoko's stomach now that she had a clear view. "You're huge." She muttered.

Nahoko let out a laugh. "I'm having twins. That'll mean…what? Four kids?" Kitsune nodded dumbly. "You'll be a Japanese baby breeding machine!"

"I already am." Kitsune nodded uneasily. That was lots of pain.

She slowly turned to her mother, who grasped her hand. "So when did you say your biopsy was?"

"In three days, Ma." Kitsune's mother nodded. "Well, I'm sure you'll find that you won't have liver…umm…liver…What is it called again?"

"Cirrhosis."

"Ah yes. Well you won't have that because I'll be giving you herbal tea everyday. I'm thinking a mixture of Chinese and Indian. What do you say?"

"Mom." Atasuke had spoken up. "Let her be. I think she'd rather live three more days then die from one of your 'remedies.'" He joked. Kadiri gasped and admonished him. He apologized but it was all in good humor. Their mother wasn't affected in any way.

"Well where are your friends?" Kitsune opened up her mouth to tell them that the whole gang was out but at that moment Naru, Keitaro, Motoko and Mutsumi all burst through the door, laughing at a joke of some sort. They froze when they saw the scene in front of them.

Naturally, Mutsumi was the first to recover. "Why hello! I'm Mutsumi! Are you friends of Kitsune's? She's a very nice girl! Do you like watermelons? I do! I must say-"

A hand was slapped over Mutsumi's mouth but she failed to notice. Motoko grimaced and bowed. Keitaro and Naru followed suit.

Kitsune hastily stood up and introduced all of them to her family and her family to them. Everyone was uneasy around each other. Why, Kitsune didn't know. But she needed an icebreaker! Quickly! Ah-ha! She had one! For a brief moment, she pitied Keitaro.

"Hey Keitaro." Kitsune's voice had slid into a smooth, seductive tone. Her eyes glittered with mischief and to say the least, her family was surprised. "What's this I hear about you walking into a girl's locker room?"

The reaction was instantaneous. All eyes turned towards Keitaro, laughter bubbling up.

Naru however, looked ready to kill. Naru didn't seem to be aware of this recent happening. She and Keitaro had just recently cemented the fact that they were a genuine couple and now this?

Motoko's aura had become dangerous. Girl's locker room? Mutsumi was giggling and pointing towards Keitaro.

"I-I didn't mean to! It was a-an accident! I swear!" He was pleading, not to the group but to Naru.

"And how did I not know of this?" Naru was twitching.

"We-well…I-I…Yeah…" Naru just huffed and made her way to the children and began to play with them. No need for a scene right now. Keitaro made his way over to them men who started to joke with him. A comfortable conversation ensued. Mutsumi and Motoko joined Kitsune and the ladies. Naru came a few minutes later.

A round of twenty questions ensued form both parties. Where did you grow up? What are the names of your children? How long have you two been a couple? It was the usual.

Both parties adjusted into conversations. Soon, Su, Shinobu and Sarah came home. All became self-conscious all of the sudden but in the end, they played with the children. Once Su and Sarah were comfortable enough with the rest of the group, they began their antics, which extracted laughter from the group.

Shinobu soon prepared food. Compliments were dished out by the dozens. Shinobu couldn't help but smile and offer thanks.

Haruka and Seta were informed of this growing 'party' and they soon arrived. With their arrival came more laughter and topics of conversation. Haruka spoke with the three sister-in-laws on kids. Apparently, she and Seta were trying for a child.

Kitsune couldn't help but to let her mood slip. He was moving on. And so should she.

Her mother, of course, noticed. Thinking that Kitsune had upset her liver, she turned the subject of the conversation to accommodations. A number of options immediately sprung up.

In the end, it was decided that they would all stay in the two extra rooms here at the Hinata House. Kitsune's mother would share a room with her. Atasuke and Seiji's families would share a room. Ryuichi's family would stay alone in another.

Everyone soon dispersed, leaving the residents of the Hinata House and Kitsune's family there. The families were showed to their rooms. They were soon ready to go to sleep so they said their goodnights and did so.

It was a good night for them indeed. But not for Kitsune.

.~.

Kitsune's mother stepped into Kitsune's room and dropped her luggage. She spread out her arms, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Kitsune came in behind her mother and froze. Her mother was very strange.

"Mom? What are you doing?" Her mother looked back at her.

"I'm flying, honey."

"You're flying? Right Ma."

"Go on, don't believe me. But the heart and soul need to soar." Kitsune shot a skeptical look her mother's way then shook her head.

Kitsune's mother began to look around. The whole lay out was very nice.

"Have you been taking those Feng Shui classes?"

"No Mom." Kitsune couldn't help a little smile.

"Oh." Kitsune's mother continued the journey of her eyes around her daughter's room before she froze.

"Mitsune? What is that?" Kitsune straightened up from rolling out the futons.

"What's what?" Kitsune followed her mother's gaze and began to squirm. Her mother was looking at the mini-bar.

"Is that…alcohol?" Kitsune gathered a sheet in her hands and walked over to the bar.

"Yes Mom it is. Now, I'm almost done setting out the futons so-"

"No! Mitsune! Isn't this the stuff that caused your disease?" Kitsune sighed.

"Yes it is. I'll throw it out soon."

"Soon?! How about tomorrow?"

"Mom! You don't know what I've been through!"

"I know that I don't know! But you shouldn't keep this dangerous liquid here!"

"Mom, remember how you were with Dad's ashes? Never wanting to throw them away? That's how I am with these-these bottles!"

"Why?! I had a valid reason to why I wanted to keep them! He was my husband!" Kitsune's mother was in tears now. "But this hurt you!"

"It gave me the comfort and shelter I needed from this world! It was my solace!"

"What about your friends? What about us? It's hurting us too! If you won't throw it away for yourself, then throw it away for everyone else! I'm only worried for your safety. I'm your mother."

Kitsune turned away. Tears were shining in her eyes now. She was hurt. Her mother didn't understand. And now she was using the guilt trip to make Kitsune listen to her.

"Fine." Kitsune sniffed and wiped away her tears. "I'll throw it all away tomorrow."

"Promise?"

Kitsune sighed. "Yes." Kitsune's mother took one last shaky breath and made her way over to Kitsune. There she wrapped her arms around her youngest child. "I love you. You know that, right?"

Kitsune nodded. "How about after I've recovered from the biopsy, I take you sight-seeing around Hinata?"

Her mother smiled and nodded. "Sure."

.~.

~A mother's love is unconditional~

Woo-hoo! I'm back! Sorry. I was procrastinating on my homework and so I had to do it all Friday. The Friday when I should have been typing up this chapter. But Happy Late Thanksgiving to anyone that celebrated it! Yum…

The reviews were awesome! Thanks so much!

dennisud-Thanks! I felt a family visit would be what would take place. If you told your family you were dying, they'd come over, right? I know mine would. This chapter was actually hard to write because I didn't know how to plan out the fight and the interaction between the two groups. I'd say I've had better chapters. Your suggestions have been put to use! I've got the guy all lined up for entrance and as for Kitsune's realizing something…It'll be there ; )

mr-winkie- I'm glad I'm not annoying you with my "I love your name!" comments. I really do like it though! How'd you come up with it? I thought the attachment would be appropriate because quitting cold turkey isn't easy. Lots of people try but it never works. So I'm putting it in here. It'll be less realistic if I didn't, right? And habeneros are hot! I had the worst stomachache the next day. And I usually eat spicy food so…wow! How'd you get to eating it? Was it a dare?

Fragile Reflection- Hello! I can't tell you how this is going to end. It's a secret ;) You're one of the few people who seem to be okay with her dying. I wouldn't mind killing her off either. Makes a difference, right? I almost told you the ending there! Oops. I had to delete it. Hehe…

Mantis Man- It's been hard but I'm here. How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was lots of fun! I'll tell you later. You'll die of laughter. Anyways…I'm glad it's in character. One of my hardest challenges was there. Because I don't think Kitsune would be all seductive and stuff with her family there and with this impending death thing. Gosh I just love your compliments! I actually thought about another character story like this. But who? I need an obsession to write about.

velocet- Haruka is awesome! You might like one of my next stories then. Haruka is a major character in that one. I actually thought the pace was kind of fast. I've slowed it down in these last few chapters but before it was way too fast for me. I thought the addiction thing should have been addressed. It would be silly without it. I'm foreboding your foreboding reaction to the romance section of this story. But trust me! It's not layered on. It's just 'Oh I like you. Bye.' I hope that's okay!