Facing Family

AN: Traditional claimer. Katia and Niroku are mine as are the character mentioned in previous stories and the Silver Life Jewel. Soria and Tian are mine as is Jackon.

It had been about a week since the half-moon and everything seemed peaceful except for one demon attack where they got a Silver Life Jewel shard, which Katia fused into the rest of the shard that she had collected.

"Hey Katia, we're near your home aren't we?" Niroku asked casually one morning over breakfast.

Katia paused then said, "Yeah, so?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could go and visit. After all, it's been four years since you ran away. Who knows, that guy might have left. If anything you could tell your old nursemaid, was it, that you're okay. Anyway, didn't your note say you would return one day?" Niroku answered.

"Fine. But if he's there we leave right away, got it?"

"Okay." Niroku said.

With that they both finished their breakfast and packed up. They set out east, toward Katia's hometown. They arrived there about midday, and they walked to her house.

"Well, we're here." Katia said while looking nervous.

"Knock." Niroku knew Katia wasn't at all happy about coming here.

"Fine." She raised her hand and knocked on the door. The door opened about a minute later and they heard a voice come from inside.

"I'm sorry, but we don't want to buy anything thank you." The voice said.

"Johna, is that you. It's me, Katia." Katia said. She was smiling and Niroku guessed that the woman behind the door was Katia old chambermaid.

"Katia, Lady Katia. Is it really you?' The door opened a little more so the person behind it could get a clear view of Katia. "It is. It is. Oh my how I've missed you. Come in, come in." The door opened the rest of the way to reveal an averaged sized woman who looked to be about forty and had a smiling face. Niroku could see why Katia liked her. They walked into the house and Niroku could barely keep his mouth shut when he saw how elegantly the hallway was decorated. He had known that Katia was rich, but he hadn't known she was this rich.

"Hey Johna. Where are my parents?" Katia asked.

"Your mother Lady Soria is out at the moment," Niroku could see Katia looked very relived at that, "and your father Lord Tian is in his study with a guest." Niroku could see that Katia looked even more relived because that meant they wouldn't have to deal with either for a while. "Um, Lady Katia?"

"Yeah."

"I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything, but who is the young man with you and will he be staying here."

"This is Niroku," Katia said, indicating Niroku, "he is my traveling companion and yes he will be staying with us while I'm here."

"Okay," Johna said and then indicated toward to the stairs. "Then Lady Katia, you may head onto your room, we left it just how you had. And I'll show Lord Niroku to his chambers." Katia and Niroku headed to their rooms.

~Niroku. ~ Katia thought.

~Yeah. ~ Niroku thought.

~Thanks for coming with me. And you might want to know that the worst is yet to come. We have to sit down and eat with my parents later. ~ Katia thought. Niroku could see that she wasn't at all happy about the prospect.

"Um, Lady Katia." Johna said when they reached her room. "You might want to know that your father insisted we get rid of all your short-skirted dresses that you left behind."

"That means that the only thing that I have to wear here is the long dresses."

"Yes."

"Well, I guess that's what I get for leaving a couple behind." Niroku could see that she looked even less happy about that.

~*~*Just before dinner*~*~

Katia was sitting in the living room in a long navy-blue dress with long sleeves that flared out at the end. There was a rope-like tie around her waist that was gold-colored along with a gold colored square rim around her neck and a long strip of fabric down the middle. In other words, the type of dress she was expected to wear but really didn't want to. Her short hair was done up into a bun with a few tendrils hanging down. When Niroku saw her he gasped inaudibly. He thought she was simply stunning.

"What?" Katia asked when she saw him staring at her. "Like I said I look stupid in this kind of thing." She blushed self-consciously.

"No you don't." Niroku said, not quite realizing what he was saying. When he realized what he had said he blushed a light pink. "Well, I'm sure you look a lot better than I do." He tugged nervously at the collar of his tuxedo. It wasn't actually his but it had been fitted to him when he had arrived. It too was a dark blue with gold trimmings on the hem. "Your family seems to have a thing about gold and blue." Niroku said to lighten the mood.

"Yeah. They seem to think that all nobles should wear dark colors with the exception of gold. They won't even allow silver thinking it's below their rank." Katia snorted. She obviously didn't like the idea. "Well, are you ready to meet the wolves, otherwise known as my parents?"

"Yeah, let's go." Niroku and Katia walked into the study where Katia's mom and dad were waiting. Katia bowed and Niroku followed suit. "Hello, mother father. Like I said, I've come to visit."

"Yes, I see that very well." Katia mother, Soria, said. "Very good, though it has been quite a long time."

"Yes, what kept you?" Katia father, Tian, asked.

"I've been busy." Niroku could tell without reading her mind that she was nervous. She didn't want to be here and Niroku couldn't blame her with parents like that. Katia's mother.Soria was it.was tight a pristine. Not a hair out of place on the woman and she reminded Niroku more of a doll than a human. Katia's father.Tian..was almost as bad as his wife. He was just barely looser than his wife, though he did wear a tight suit and his mustache had not a hair out of place.

"And who is this?" Soria asked stiffly as she looked at Niroku. Her eyes lingered longer than necessary on his dog-ears and claws. He saw poorly disguised disgust in her eyes.

"This is Niroku. My traveling partner and my friend." Katia said. Niroku was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of the venomous glare she was shooting her mother. It still sent a chill down his spine.

The glaring match between the mother and daughter was interrupted by a knock at the door. Both males were very grateful for this.

"My lady." The maid at the door said. "Your dinner guest is here."

"Very good Matilda." Soria said stiffly and brushed past her daughter and Niroku. Niroku felt Katia relax slightly when her father followed her mother and left the room.

"That went well." Niroku said.

"Yeah. We're just lucky we caught them in a good mood. Normally they'd be worse than just insults." Katia said. "Well, we better get down stairs or else I'll have her on my case for the rest of my life." Katia walked out the door followed by a stunned Niroku. 'This was them on a good day.' He thought. 'Well, I'd hate to see them on a bad day.'

Katia and Niroku walked into the living room again and waited till someone came to get them for dinner. As it turns out, they didn't have to wait long. A maid came bustling in about a minute later and told them that Lady Soria had called them to the hallway to enter the dinning room for dinner. When they reached the hallway Niroku felt Katia take a step back.

~Oh no, why him. ~ Katia thoughts came in loud and clear to Niroku. All Niroku could see was a tall raven-haired man standing with Soria and Tian.

~Who? ~ Niroku shot back.

Katia just paled and uttered a few words under her breath. Niroku was the only one who could hear it, but to him it came in loud and clear. "Jackon. My former fiancée."