A/N: Finally we return with a new chapter for you!
Thanks to all reviewers!
Enjoy and Review
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Jakotsu, Bankotsu, and Souten walked into where Renkotsu worked. Having never seen the place before, Souten kept looking around. "It smells funny in here." She whispered to Bankotsu.
"What else would you expect? We're around cars."
"What do YOU want?" Renkotsu snapped, coming out from under the hood of one of the cars.
"Just came to say hi." Jakotsu said grinning.
Souten looked at the car. "What're you doing?"
"Fixing my car."
"Why?"
Renkotsu sighed [in annoyance]. "The engine blew out...again."
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind."
"But I wanna know...." She pouted.
"But your just being annoying...."
"I still wanna know."
"Go away." He told the three of them.
"Do we have to?" Souten asked.
"Yeah, do we have to?" Jakotsu echoed.
"I'd prefer it. Go bother Suikotsu or something."
"We don't have to." Bankotsu said simply.
Renkotsu sighed in defeat, what Bankotsu said went, like always. "Fine, just...shut up."
"Alright, we'll just watch." Jakotsu said, and proceeded to watch over Renkotsu's shoulder.
"You really are an idiot aren't you?" He snapped at Jakotsu.
"No, I'm a guitarist." he said smiling.
"Go...sit down somewhere...."
"I don't wanna."
"For you, what I say goes, so go sit down."
"Alright...."
"That goes for you too Shrimp." He snapped at Souten.
"But..." she started, then seeing the look of pure irritation on his face, thought better of it. "Ok..." she said, turning and sitting on a nearby chair.
After a while Renkotsu looked up at one of the clocks. "Can you guys go get lunch?"
"Sure, what do you want?" Bankotsu asked.
"Whatever's good."
"Pizza it is then!" Jakotsu said cheerfully. "Chibi, you stay here. Gotta have room for the pies."
"Ok."
"Great, I'm stuck with the Shrimp on my lunch break."
"It's ok, I'll be good." she told him as the other two left.
"Yeah, whatever."
She sat silent for a little while, then couldn't help asking a question. "Do you work on other people's cars too?"
"That's what I normally do. But I'm taking the day off to work on my car."
"Cause the engine blew out."
"Again."
"Again," she said with a nod. "What do you work on with the other cars?"
"Whatever's wrong with them."
"Like what?"
"Brakes, exhaust, engine, oil, whatever."
"Oh."
Bankotsu and Jakotsu chose that moment to return with two large pizzas. "We're back!" Jakotsu sang.
"Finally."
"Yeah, traffic was awful."
"Oh well, lets eat."
"I hope Chibi didn't bug you too much."
"I didn't, honest!" Souten piped up.
At that moment, the bell that signaled the fact that someone was coming into the shop caused Renkotsu to look up. A small blush began to creep out on his cheeks as he watched the newcomer. Jakotsu noticed the blush, and looking at who Renkotsu was staring at, realized it was Bankotsu's friend Yuka. So of course, he stood up and waved her over. "Hey, Yuka! Come on over!"
Yuka looked over and started to approach.
Renkotsu immediately started to protest. "T-this is the employees section! S-she can't come over here!"
"Well, that's too bad, no isn't it?" Jakotsu teased. "Because I don't see any 'employees only' sign anywhere besides on that door over there." he said, gesturing to a door that had a sign on it that clearly said 'employees only.'
Renkotsu looked away, the blush growing brighter.
Yuka reached the group. "Hey Bankotsu. Hey Jakotsu." She turned to Renkotsu. "I was wondering if you could work on my car?"
"Well, I, uh, was working on my car, but, uh, sure. I think I can fit you into my schedule." he said, trying to keep his voice in check.
"Why don't you join us for lunch?" Jakotsu suggested. "We've got plenty."
"Well, if it's alright...."
"It's fine, right Renkotsu?" Bankotsu asked.
Renkotsu just nodded dumbly.
"So who's this little kid?" Yuka asked looking at Souten.
"My little sister, Souten."
"I didn't know you had a sister." She said, seeming surprised.
"I adopted her." Bankotsu told her. "Just a few days ago, to see if she could maybe relieve some of the tension between those two." He said pointing at Jakotsu and Renkotsu, who were silently fighting over a piece of pizza.
"Hasn't worked yet." Souten supplied.
"Well, she's a cute one." Yuka said smiling.
Renkotsu and Jakotsu were practically wrestling each other for the pizza, so Yuka did them the favor of taking it herself. "Thanks for the slice you two." She said smiling.
Jakotsu's mouth just hung open.
Renkotsu attempted a weak protest. "B-But..." he then paused. "Oh never mind...."
She laughed a little. "Whatever, there's a whole other large!" She pointed out.
"Oh yeah!"
The two proceeded to start on the other pie.
"Men, are pigs." Yuka commented.
"Yeah," Souten agreed.
"This is why life really sucks, I can't drive worth a crap." Yuka noted. "I got into a wreck."
"So that's what's wrong with your car?" Renkotsu asked.
"Nah, its WHY I got into the wreck that's what I need fixed...my brakes are shot."
"I can fix that easily." Renkotsu said, getting business-like
"Cool!"
"Where's your car?"
"Out front...."
"I can look at it now, if you want."
"Sure...."
"Alright then, let's take a look." The two walked out of the shop to look at her car.
"I don't think that's what he's looking at." Jakotsu blurted out.
Souten snickered.
"I agree on that one...." Bankotsu said.
"Did you see his face when she came in? Very Un-Renkotsu!"
"He was blushing!"
"Classic!" They chorused.
"And she's not even his age or near it, she's what? 17?"
"Yep."
"If it takes more than 20 minutes I'm going out there!" Jakotsu proclaimed.
"Go right ahead."
"He'll kill you, and we'll watch!" Souten said with a giggle.
"He'd only kill me if he's not working on her car...."
"Exactly."
"Do you really think they'd be out there doing anything else?!"
"Nope."
"She's not one to like guys like him. He's too...dirty." Bankotsu noted.
"Don't let him hear you say that."
"Eh...whatever."
"It's been over 20 minutes!" Souten piped up. Jakotsu promptly stood up and walked outside, and quickly walked back in with wide eyes.
"What's wrong?" Bankotsu asked.
"They're gone."
"So?" Souten said.
"There are three possibilities in a situation like this." Jakotsu told them.
"Which are?"
"1. Yuka's kidnapped Renkotsu, 2. Renkotsu's kidnapped Yuka, or 3. The unthinkable has happened." He told them.
"What's the unthinkable?" Souten asked curiously.
"Renkotsu and Yuka are going to Mexico to elope."
"Wow."
"What do you think, Bankotsu?"
"I think you're insane..." he said with a grin.
"Then what?!" They're going to meet her mother or something?!"
"No clue."
"Lets go home, maybe he went there and locked her in the basement or something."
"Maybe." They all walked into Bankotsu's car and drove home.
Tacked to the refrigerator was a quick note, stating that Renkotsu and Yuka had taken a vacation to Mexico. "I KNEW IT!" Jakotsu cried triumphantly.
"I can't believe it...he's right...." Bankotsu said shocked.
"Why did Renkotsu go to Mexico?" Souten asked Bankotsu.
"Well, we believe they went to elope," he said truthfully.
"Why Mexico...and...what's elope?"
"Cause Yuka's still a minor, and that's not legal here, and elope is like getting married...secretly."
"Oh...but why would Yuka wanna marry Renkotsu? He's a meanie."
"No idea."
Souten sighed. "I don't understand you old people." She told him. "Suikotsu makes it simple, where is he?"
"Yeah, where'd he go?" Bankotsu asked, noticing for the first time that he wasn't in the room.
"He had to work today." Jakotsu said simply, then there was a sharp knock on the door and Jakotsu and Souten raced to answer it.
"Oh, hi," she said, when she saw who it was. "We're fine. Everything's fine, I've been no trouble at all. Bye now." she said with a grin and started to shut the door.
Bankotsu stopped her and shooed her away. "Hello, Kaede. Want to come in?"
"Hello, Bankotsu, Souten you little brat." She scolded gently. "Yes, I'm here for my first inspection as you know, where are the others? I see Jakotsu, but there ARE still two more right? Haven't gotten themselves shot?" She asked half-joking.
"Suikotsu's at work and Renkotsu's on...vacation."
"Vacation?"
"With his girlfriend."
Kaede looked surprised. "They've gone to elope!" Jakotsu exclaimed.
"We don't know that for certain...."
"We don't even know if she's his girlfriend but oh well." Jakotsu shrugged.
"Um...if you're quite finished I'd like to start my inspection boys." Kaede told them patiently.
"Go right ahead."
She stepped in and looked around, scribbling something on her clipboard and walking into the kitchen; she looked around for a minute before heading upstairs to look at Souten's room. She came back down and looked at Bankotsu. "Was there a fight here anytime after Souten came?" She asked. "I saw broken pieces of something on the upstairs landing like they had just been swept up, what was that about?"
"Well...Jakotsu and Renkotsu got into an argument...."
She 'tsk'ed. "Remember boys, a little quarrel like that might seem like nothing, but that's what got Souten's brothers killed."
"We'll remember to remind Renkotsu of that."
"When he gets back from- where?"
"Mexico."
"As far as we know, at least." Jakotsu added. "We only go by what he wrote."
Kaede smiled a little and Souten pulled at her sleeve. "Are you going to take me away?" She asked innocently.
"Not today, Souten."
"Good I like my new brothers!" She said attaching herself to Bankotsu's leg.
"That's a relief."
Kaede made her way out. "I'll be back next week, be ready for me." She told them leaving.
"We will."
She got into her car and disappeared. "Do you think you got a good report Bankotsu?" Souten asked him, still attached to his leg.
"I hope so."
Jakotsu picked Souten off of Bankotsu's leg and gave her a look like 'hands of the property chibi-filth'.
Souten gave her best innocent-chibi look. He put her down and they walked into the kitchen to get some food. "Hey, it looks emptier, have you been snacking again, Jakotsu?"
Jakotsu shook his head. "I told you I'm on a diet."
"Souten?"
She shook her head. "Strange...."
"Oh well, I'm trying to think of a good way to tell the press '24 year old marries 17 year old- honeymoon lasted longer than actual time dating before marriage' sound good enough?"
Souten giggled.
"Sounds fine..." Bankotsu said.
"Hmm...I wonder when Suikotsu will be home so we can tell him the great news."
"Soon, probably."
"Hey! Renkotsu won him and Suikotsu's bet! Suikotsu has to propose when Renkotsu gets back!"
"Oh, yeah! I forgot all about that!"
"What bet?" Souten asked.
"Before we got you, Suikotsu told Renkotsu that if he got a girlfriend within the month he'd propose to Kikyou, and if he didn't he'd wait another two months and do it, and Renkotsu'd owe him something for being a loser- or something." Jakotsu explained.
"Ooh...."
"Oh crap- more people coming to live here after they get engaged."
"Think of it like this, if Renkotsu gets engaged, he'll be too busy with Yuka to bother you!"
"But Kaede's visits would become more frequent after Kikyou moves in and Bankotsu would be related to the social worker!"
"Then she would know us personally and have no reason to take me away." Souten grinned. She had it all figured out, or at least to her knowledge.
"OR she'd see the rambunctious way we really live and have a reason TO take you away."
"Oh yeah...."
"And pray she doesn't come in during band practice, the poor lady would go deaf!" Jakotsu exclaimed flopping onto the couch.
"Then she wouldn't be able to hear your arguments."
"There's that, and we rarely get practice in cause Renkotsu is so damn stubborn- he always thinks he's too busy to practice."
"Oh."
"Oi! Suikotsu is home!"
"You going to tell him?"
"Of course!" Jakotsu exclaimed as Suikotsu walked in the door. "Oi! Suikotsu bad news and good news man!" He told him happily.
"Which should I want to hear first."
"Bad news."
"Alright, what's the bad news?"
"Uhm, you lost a bet, Kikyou's gotta move in, and you gotta get married. Good news, Renkotsu and his new girlfriend fled to Mexico to elope!"
"...Who'd have thought...a girl and Renkotsu..." Suikotsu murmured.
"So you gotta get married, nyah."
"Alright. I was planning to anyway, eventually."
"I think four years is plenty long enough."
"Ok...but she'll have to agree as well. I don't plan on marrying her if she doesn't want to."
"Duh." They all chorused. "Ya gotta, get the ring and propose and if she says yes we'll help you arrange the wedding and we can do your wedding singing- thing."
"Alright."
"Hehe...I'm gonna write a song about Renkotsu going to Mexico to elope with a schoolgirl."
"Go right ahead."
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