[Ch. 3]

"Who is she?" He asked, looking down on the love of his life even though he wouldn't admit to himself or anyone else that he loved her. She lowered her eyes.

"Her name is Kaplan. She's from the Natsuo clan."

"Natsuo? The Mugen-Tenshin/She Quan Clan?"

The woman sighed refusing to look into his eyes. "Of course."

"So she's a runaway..." He mused. "You let a stray into our home?"

"She was badly injured and needed a place to stay. What could I do?"

"You could of left her where ever you found her! Perhaps she wanted to die?"

"Oh, you're one cruel man. You know I couldn't just leave her to die."she brought her voice down to a low mutter. "It was Jin who found her, anyway."

"Where's my son?" He scowled, looking through the bedroom window.

"I sent him to draw her bath." she answered, still looking at the floor.

"You what?!" He swung around.

"Kazuya. Please."

"Out of my way, woman." He growled. Jun stepped in front of him with her arms out. She was blocking the doorway. He pressed his lips, biting on the lower one as he narrowed his eyes on his wife. She held an intense stare on him as he stepped toward her.

"I'm not letting you pass! You're so quick to release your anger on Jin and you don't even know this girl!"

"And neither does he. Let me pass. Now!" Jun shook her head.

"You'd have to go through me." she glared. Her hair began to rise and waver as she held her eyes on his.

"Fine." He stepped forward and pulled her to him by the collar of her dress. She gasped when her face neared his. He leaned his face closer to hers. "I'm going to see my son, do you understand? Stop me, and you'll get it."

She lifted her face in retaliation to his words. "Then I'll get it."

He grabbed her by the neck, staring coldly into her eyes. Her gasp slipped past his ears as he pulled her to him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her. She'd seen this act before. After the first tekken tournament, when he had lost himself to the rage that built inside of his heart. She recalls pleading with him to surrender and put the past behind him, even if it was a tormented one that he relived through his dreams. Yet, she regreted the decision that her father-in-law made to tossed him over a cliff, and hated that she couldn't save the boy that grew up to become her husband. She cried seeing him tossed over the cliff because he had lost to his father who murder her pet and tore away the necklace she gave him. It was Kazuya's misfortune to be thrown aside just because he tried to defend the woman who had grown up to be his wife. She remembered seeing him years after, alive and well, and how his eyes softened when she revealed the necklace he left behind when he disappeared, and how he tried to rid himself of the memory by throwing the object away. And she recalled the forest when him and her got into it because he was willing to kill a woman to get to his father, or when they fought against the holographic images of the Rex-T that Kazuya's step brother set against them. Back then he even held the hate that his devil gene fed on and part of it still remains with him. But she prevailed because he was now living with her and not out following after his demented father. He pushed her aside onto the bed, and stormed past the bedroom door, leaving her to fall.

"Kazuya!" she called after him. He didn't return and she took off behind him.

"JIN!" The dojo's door were tossed open as the young man's father stormed in. Jin ended his Martial Arts and slowly turned to face his father. Heavily breathing, he looked from the older man to his worried mother who appeared behind him, out of breath. She made a few faces indicating that he was furious. Kazuya stepped forward.

"Otousan." He nodded. Kazuya took notice of the sweat that fell from his son and the few strands of hair that drooped above his eyes. He crossed his arms and tilted his head.

"Where is she?" Jun folded her hand against her chest, hoping that he didn't tell her.

"Who?"

"Don't play stupid. You know exactly who I'm talking about!" Jin let his eyes drop to the dojo's wooden floor. He didn't say anything for quite some time.

"Fine,"started Kazuya dropping his crossed arms. "I'll find her myself."

Jin looked up to his father who turned away and pushed past his mother. Jun frowned sadly watching her husband go. Jin winced and took off after him.

"Wait! Otousan!" He called, running behind him. Kazuya had yet to turn around. Jin ran up beside him, then stepped in front of him, taking each step backward, to Kazuya's forward steps. "Why are you so angry?"

"Don't question me, boy."

"Because a woman comes into the house, you're angry?"

Kazuya shot him a look.

"Father! Listen to reason!" Kazuya pushed him aside.

"I've heard enough reasoning from your mother. Go back in the dojo and train for the next tournament."

Jin, quite disappointed, watched as his father continued on his walk. Kaplan on the other hand, was humming softly within the water, behind the sheets that concealed her bath. She was sponging off, carefully cleansing her wounds when the sheets were pushed aside. She drew in a deep gasp at the man towering over her and screamed, pulling the sheets around her. In an effort to stand, she lost her balance and slipped backwards into the warm water. Kazuya watched as the water splashed around and slapped him in the face. He blinked as the water slowly rolled down his face. He reached in and pulled her up by the arms. She sputtered against him, gasping for air. And her eyes widened as he stared down on her. She gave a single cough and winced, nervously laughing.

He pulled her out of the bath water, dragging her in the direction of the house. She winced, holding onto his arm while trying to walk. He ignored her whimpers and screams of pain and slammed her back against the wall of the estate.

"Who sent you? Was it my father?!" He asked, leaning forward with a hand against the wall. She hugged the sheets to her chest, as she slid down on the wall, whimpering. He pulled her up and she cried out in pain. "Why won't you stand?"

"Because she's hurt. Are you blind?" Jin questioned, taking the woman into his arms. He pulled her away from Kazuya and glared at his father. When his mother appeared beside him, he whispered for her to take her inside to give her a wardrobe and dress her wounds. His mother took off with the woman in hand.

"Jin." Kazuya acknowledged, straightening and crossing his arms. He tilted his head a bit. "Don't tell me you care for this woman?"

"Never said I did, but I won't have you harassing our guest."

"I don't want her in this house. We have rules." retorts Kazuya.

"...that mother initiated. Not you." Kazuya raised a brow in surprise. He dropped his crossed arms.

"Is that so?" He glanced over to the window seeing Jun who stared at him behind a curtain. Her eyes narrowed on him before turning away. He returned his eyes on Jin. "...Fine. She can stay."

Jin remained silent. He knew something was to follow. With his father, there was always a catch.

"But for only one week. Any more time after that and I'll kill her myself."

Jin tilted his head to match his father's body language. "I'll see to it that you don't."

"Hmph." Kazuya turned from his son and crossed his arms. he looked off the the forest just to the left of the dojo and saw a shadowed figure residing behind a tree. He lifted his head a bit examining the figure closely. And it moved back behind the tree. "Go back to your training. I'll come to spar with you in a moment."

Jin rolled his eyes at his father's request, he was going to return to the dojo even before his father had requested that he did so. It was like any other day when he'd train. His father would later join him and go over his strengths and weaknesses, teaching him to properly utilize his moves in defensive and offensive fights. He'd see and show how much he's learned with his father's teachings.