Disclaimer: I don't own the original FY characters; I own Kei, Taki, Lily, Jason, their kids and any other person who isn't a FY character.

            Thoughts

            Memories

~*~Review Response~*~

~Cortney - You think the character development's good? I thought it was a little lacking compared to the first story.

~Cat - I suppose I'm not that hard to figure out, am I? You hit the nail on the head. And Nakago sure is back.

~Jamie - I use conversations for lots of things. One conversation I had with a friend of mine turned into an insane Lord of the Rings fic about elves. It's the weirdest thing I've ever written but it made her laugh so hard she cried. Happy writing to you! Happy belated birthday too! This chappie's for you!

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Kimiko stood over he father's grave, alone. She was dressed in black and crying.

"Daddy…why'd you have to go? It's not fair! Mommy won't stop crying and Akira's been so quiet…" She knelt down. "Daddy…please come home…"

She cried softly. She was so angry at her father for leaving. She still hadn't come to accept it.

She wasn't sure how long she'd cried there until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Thinking it was her mother or brother she shrugged it off. "Go away."

"Come one, sweetie. You can't cry forever." Not knowing the voice, she looked up. A silver haired woman stood over her and smiled at her. "It only helps for a while. Then it only makes things worse."

"What?" Kimiko stood up quickly. "Who are you?"

"Just a friend." The woman handed her a tissue. "Come on. It's getting late. You shouldn't be out here alone."

Kimiko timidly took the tissue and dried her tears. "Thank you…"

"Of course sweetie." The silver haired woman's blue eyes sparkled when she smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"An aunt of mine died." From behind them, a boy just a little taller than Kimiko came over.

"Mom, are you ready to go?" He had silver hair just like his mother.

"Just about honey."

"Dad's waiting." The boy looked over at Kimiko. "Oh, hi."

"Uh…hi…" The boy's golden eyes startled her.

"Are you going to be okay here?" The boy's mother asked softly.

Kimiko nodded and smiled. "Thank you." As the two walked away, Kimiko couldn't help but feel a little jealous. The boy, who she didn't even know, had both his parents. She wanted her father back.

She left her father's grave and walked home alone.

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Kimiko blinked a few times as she came out of her dreams. She and the others were camping out under the stars. In the bright moonlight, she saw Hiroshi's sliver hair glowing in the dark. A tough of remorse hit her. Thinking back, she realized one of the reasons she treated Hiroshi so bad was because she had been jealous. Hiroshi was never anything but a gentleman to her. She carefully kicked off her sleeping back so as more to wake anyone else up. She walked over to him.

"Hiroshi?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"How long have you been keeping watch?"

"Not long. Probably less than an hour. Can't sleep?"

"More dreams…" She stood next to him. "I'm sorry…" She whispered.

"For what?"

"For everything I've ever put you through…you were always so nice to me and I treated you like crap…"

"You did have a right to be angry…"

"But not at you…I was just jealous because you had both your parents…" She drew circles in the grass with her foot.

"I don't hold it against you…"

"You should…I mean…I spread awful rumors about you…"

"I know…"

"I bossed you around in front of everyone…"

"I know…"

"I made a fool out of you when everyone was watching…"

"I know…"

"Why are you so calm about it?!" She faced him with anger and tears in her eyes. "Why did you put up with me? No one would!"

"Then maybe I'm no one…" He wiped away the tears that threatened to fall.

"No…no…you're someone." She touched his hand. "But please tell me why you've put up with me for so long…"

He took her trembling hand from his face. "You really want to know?" She nodded. He took a deep breath. "I'm surprised you couldn't figure it out for yourself…"

"I have my guesses, but tell me anyway. Explain it to me like I'm a four year old…"

It was getting harder for Hiroshi to breath. He'd never been so nervous before. He traced the silver chain on her neck. "Kimiko…"

She inched closer to him. "Yes?"

Her warm breath tickled his neck. "I…I love you Kimiko…I always have…I always will…" He cautiously stroked her face.

She smiled through her tears. "I always knew you liked me…I guess I knew how much…" She trembled in his arms.

"Well then…now that I've told you…I'm not letting you go back to sleep until I know how you feel." His heart raced as he stared at her.

Kimiko was quiet for a moment. "You know…looking back on the time we've spent together, I think I should have known how I felt about you sooner. You were always the one I could go to. Even when I tried to hide, you always found me and made me feel right again…I don't know what I would have done and I don't wanna ever have to go through life with out you…I love you too Hiroshi…" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Hiroshi wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Someone could have snuck up behind him and killed him that second and he wouldn't have cared. He had the one girl he ever wanted in his life.

After what felt like forever, Hiroshi let her go and chuckled a little.

"What?"

"I didn't think you were so long winded…" He smiled.

She blushed in the darkness. "Don't tease me Hiroshi…I'm not good with emotions, okay?"

He held her by the waist. "You terrorized me for a year or so…it's only fair I get the chance to get back at you at least once." He leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear. "But if you really don't like it, I won't."

She buried her face in his shoulder. "Jeez…even when you have the chance to make fun of me, you don't…"

"Well, I guess I'm just a sap then…"

"Yeah…but you're my sap." She hung on to him tightly.

"Yeah…I am…" He smiled.

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"Suzaku! You have no more excuses!" Nozomi glared at the nervous god. "Hiroshi is with her now! Tell her!"

"My lady, how do I do it? How can I just reintroduce myself to her? She'll hate me for it!"

"You should have thought about that before you had a fling with a mortal woman!"

"A fling?!?! I loved her!"

"You still left her though! And in quite possibly the worst way!"

"I had no choice! I had to come back to my people!"

"You could have gone away on business! Once this is finished, your people won't need you anymore!" Nozomi clenched her fists. "You could have gone back to them!"

"I messed up then…" He hung his head.

"Yes…yes, you did…and now you have to make it right…"

"Of course, my lady…" Suzaku spread his wings and disappeared.

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It had been a few days since Hiroshi and Kimiko confessed to each other in the moonlight. They hadn't come right out and said they did, but everyone knew. Akane was secretly jealous of the new couple. They'd been together for so much longer than she and Kano. They had a deeper connection, in her opinion anyway.

 They'd been following their parents in secret back to the palace. They couldn't risk any attack that would lead to something happening to them. Toru and Toshiro figured out how to hide themselves from their father.

On the fifth night they'd been following the adults Kimiko curled against Hiroshi. Usually his presence drove off her strange dreams, but not this particular night.

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Kimiko found herself walking in a white room where the floor was covered with white mist. She couldn't even see her feet, but she knew she was barefoot because she felt cold marble against the soles of her feet that made her toes curl up. The mist swirled around her as she walked.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" She looked around the empty room. For the first time, she noticed her clothes. She was wearing a long plain red dress. Nothing seemed particularly special about it. It was a v-neck with a low cut back, but her deep violet hair covered her skin. "Anybody?"

"Kimiko…" A soft voice called to her.

"Who's there?" She spun around, looking for the source. "What is this?!?!"

"Kimiko…" A hand touched her shoulder.

She whipped around and came face to face with Suzaku. She yelped. The man before her looked like her father, but his clothes were so strange to her. Before she could stop herself, a word slipped out. "Daddy?"

"Hello again, Kimiko…" Suzaku looked down at the trembling girl. "You don't have to be afraid…"

"But…who are you?"

"You had it right the first time. I'm your father…" He let go of her shoulder. "I promised you I'd see you again…"

She backed away from him. "But why are you dressed like that? It's like…it's like it's from Konan…"

"It is…" His eyes were saddened. "There's a lot you don't know about me…"

"Obviously…" Kimiko continued to back away. "So explain it to me like I'm four again…"

"You always knew me as Daddy, but the people in Konan know me as Suzaku…their god…" He tried to approach her.

Her eyes widened. It felt like someone just ripped her heart out. "No…no…" She stumbled over her own feet and fell to the floor. He went to help her up. "No! Stay away from me!"

"Kimi-chan…"

"Don't call me that! That was my family's name for me!" She lashed out at the offered hand. "You have no right to call me that!" She hissed.

Suzaku was hurt by her acidic words. "I deserved that…"

"And more if you're telling the truth!" She angrily got up. "You abandoned us!"

"I know…and I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" She eyes stung with tears. "What in the world did you expect from me?"

"Kimiko…I know I made a mistake…"

"A MISTAKE?!?! Is that what you call it?" She completely lost it and slapped him.  "Who the hell do you think you are that you could make someone fall in love with you, start a family, live with them for over 10 years and then leave them under the guise that you're dead?!?!" She shook with rage. "I don't care what you call yourself, you're not a god scum…that's all…"

"You…you're still the fiery girl I remember…"

"What are you trying to do? Make me feel all mushy about this?" Kimiko felt herself heating up. Her blood boiled like it never had before. "My father never would have done something like this…"

"Kimiko, you're in danger in Konan…I had to tell you somehow. Reizo could find out about your power…" He rubbed his reddened cheek.

"My…power?" Kimiko's glared softened ever so slightly.

"You're half immortal…you have a great deal of hidden power."

"Hidden power?" Confusion took the place of her anger. "Like what?"

"Flight, fire, teleportation, invisibility, transformation, things like that." Suzaku named most of the powers she had inside her.

"I still don't get it…"

"What?"

"Did you ever really love my mother? Did you really have to leave her? Leave us?" Sadness replaced her confusion. She cursed herself for going though such rapid mood swings in front of her immortal father.

"I loved your mother more than anything. But sometimes, people can't be allowed to be happy…the bond I have with the other gods is too strong to over come…"

"Then…Akira…can he do what I can? Is he half god too?"

"No…Akira did not inherit the abilities like you did. He'll never know anything about what I am. This is one time you have one up on him."

Kimiko almost smiled, but couldn't. "I still hate you…I can't forgive you for doing this. I thought we were a closer family than that…"

"I understand…I don't expect you to every forgive me for what I've done. I can't forgive myself either…" Suzaku bowed to her. "I know I've caused you and our family so much pain. I will spend the rest of eternity alone."

"Eternity?" Kimiko stared at her father. "Wait, what about me?"

"What about you?"

"You said I was half immortal! What does that mean? Can I stay with Hiroshi?" She was suddenly nervous. She didn't want anything to come between her and Hiroshi. Everything was finally okay between the two of them.

"You're lucky, Kimiko. You can choose. If you decide you want to be mortal rather than immortal, you can give up your immortality. You won't be able to choose though until this is all over. Reizo has the capability to kill all of you. If he kills someone, you can use you're immortality to give them their life back. If not, you're free to give it up with no consequences."

"None?"

"None." He smiled at her.

Kimiko stared at him for a long time. He was so different, yet exactly the same as the father she remembered. "Is this the last time I'll see you?" She whispered.

"Only if you want it to be…" Suzaku found himself terrified as he waited for her response. He wanted to stay with his baby girl, but if she didn't want him around, he'd leave her alone.

"Don't go away…" She chocked back her tears. "It's been too long…"

"I know…"

"Besides, I don't understand what I am. You have to help me." She stared absently at the floor.

"I will." He nodded to the young goddess, glad her anger had slightly subsided.

"Good bye for now then…" Kimiko looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "…Daddy…"

Suzaku genuinely smiled. "I'll see you soon, Kimi-chan…"

Everything suddenly went black. The room of mist was gone.

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Kimiko woke with a start. She felt her dried tears on her face. The dream was vivid in her memory. She sighed. Hiroshi slept soundly next to her. She got up quickly and went off to be alone.

The sudden loss of warmth woke Hiroshi. He opened his eyes just in time to see Kimiko disappear. 'Kimiko?' He did what any other guy in love would do. He got up and ran after her.

Kimiko found a cliff over looking a lake. The wind whipped around her, tossing her hair about. She closed her eyes. She felt a strange sensation in her back. After concentration on it for a moment, a pair of magnificent crimson wings sprouted from her back. She gasped at the sudden addition to her body.

With very little effort she could lift herself off the ground.

"Kimiko?" She turned around to see Hiroshi gaping at her. "Wh…what?"

"I can explain! Uh…I think…" She returned to the ground as he approached her.

"What are you?" He reached out and touched the feathered wings. They felt real enough to the touch.

"Remember when I told you my father told me I'd see his again?"

"Uh-huh…"

"I just did…in the dream I just had…my father is still alive…"

"He is?"

"I just found out my father is Suzaku…" She looked up. "I'm half immortal."

He blinked a few times. "Suzaku? Are you sure?"

"Yes…I couldn't explain working wings otherwise…" She turned to the cliff side again. Her wings stretched a little.

"So I have a goddess for a girlfriend now?" He turned her around.

"If you still looking at me like that…"

"Of course…why wouldn't I?" He pulled her closer.

"Hmm…I dunno…" She wrapped her arms around his neck.

He leaned forward and kissed her. "You're mine." His hands inched up her back. His fingers rested on her skin between her wings.

She gasped. "That feels good."

He kissed her again. "I love you Kimiko…nothing will change that…"

"Hiroshi…"

"I'll be here for you. Always."

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Lily leaned against a tree watching Jason tease Kei. She was still thinking about the boys that claimed to be hers. Chichiri seemed far too happy and bouncy for her taste. Something in the back of her mind kept telling her there was something more to him.

"Think much?" Taki waved her hand in front of Lily's face.

"What's it to you?" She jerked back in surprise.

"Not much. Just curious." Taki leaned on the tree and watched Kei and Jason too. "Kinda like before, isn't it?"

"A little…" Lily pushed a few stray pieces of hair out of her face. "But it's still really different." She saw the seishi nearby.

"What? Are you afraid of the future?" She grinned.

"Aren't you? You're the one who swore off men." The older woman grinned back.

"I know…" Taki sighed. "But it's nice to believe, even if it isn't true, that I might have a happy future."

"Almost sounds good enough to believe…" Lily stared up.

"Doesn't it just?"

Hotohori and Chichiri watched the women from across the yard. "So what do you make of them, Chichiri?"

"In what way, no da?"

"In general. Also, what do you think of those children and their story?"

"It didn't seem like they were lying. There were remarkable similarities between us and them, no da." He shrugged. "You know it, I know it, they know it too."

"True…"

"And what do you make of them, no da?" The smiling monk looked at his emperor.

"I'm still not sure…" He glanced over at Taki.

"You do like her though, don't you no da?"

"There's something there."

Chichiri glanced up at Lily. For a brief moment, they locked eyes. She broke eye contact first though and then left her spot from the tree.

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Akane watched her mother and father later that day. At the moment, they reminded her of Kano and herself when they first met. They seemed to be constantly at odd with each other about something. Kano stood next to her.

"People watching?"

"More like guarding. I can't believe we have to baby sit them without them knowing."

"It is weird…" He noticed how every so often, she'd stare at Kimiko and Hiroshi with a strange look in her eye. "Akane?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you jealous of them?"

"Jealous? Of them? Me? Why would I be?" She blushed deeply.

"No reason…" He smirked. He knew she was lying. She wasn't all that great at it.

She glared at him for a brief second, but then continued to watch her parents. She knew Kano could see through her and she didn't like it much. Though she knew she could do a damn thing about it…

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Okay, so that chapter was like completely Kimiko/Hiroshi. It was a confession chapter though. Hope you liked it Jamie! Hope everyone else liked it too!

I'm happy I got this out today. Today was my birthday and I am now officially 16. My friends were so sappy today. I love them so much.

Until next update!

~*~Shadow Hawk~*~

            5/22/03