Author's Notes: First off, since one of my reviewers felt the need to address it. Given the Japanese speech formatting, Kikyo or Kikyou is equally correct. They are both the same thing, and technically, neither is wrong. The American version chose on all the names where this was the case to drop the 'u' but that doesn't make it incorrect. That was a choice by the *American* company, not by the original Japanese company or Takahashi.

All right. More story…and hopefully, more people will give this a chance and read it.

Aussie Slang used in this chapter:

"Larrikin"- harmless prankster.

"lobbing in"- dropping in/checking in on someone

"wowser"- spoilsport

"right"- sometimes used in place of "okay" like "it's right mate"

"swag"- rolled up bedding, Aussie-style sleeping bag of sorts

"prezzy"- present/gift

"beaut"- fantastic/great person or thing

Please take the time to read and review!

---------------------------------------------------

~ Chapter 3: The Brewing Storm ~

Suikotsu smiled, as he and the lady doctor just sat in silence appreciating the beauty that they'd rarely got to lay eyes on.

Kikyou turned to look at him, her mouth opening as she was about to speak when a loud crash from the other room startled them both.

"Jakotsu!" Bankotsu's voice exclaimed from the direction of the kitchen.

"What?"

"Don't stick your hand down my pants when I'm trying to cook!"

Her eyes widening, Kikyou slowly turned her head towards Suikotsu who was only able to stammer out a single thought.

"Please don't let Jakotsu find my ap…."

"Oooh, Bankotsu put this apron on."

Sighing, Suikotsu released his grip on Kikyou's hand, "You'd best go calm them down before Jakotsu gets any more worked up."

Nodding she stood and went to the door, "Just rest, Mr. Suikotsu. I'll get the larrikins in line."

Her smile for the other doctor twisted into a cool frown as she turned her gaze towards the ruckus in the kitchen.

Noting the children gathered around Manten, she silently thanked the gods that they weren't witnessing the hi-jinks of the two other ranchers.

Walking into the doorway of the kitchen, Kikyou's hands were set firm on her hips as she leveled the two with a cold glare.

"Gentlemen, I don't believe Mr. Suikotsu would want you two doing that type of eating in his kitchen." She remarked on seeing Jakotsu having the shorter man pinned down on the tabletop.

Jakotsu stood up and shrugged, "Okay okay…I'll save it for later."

Frowning with irritation and attempting to hide his blush, Bankotsu sat up and straightened his clothing, "Jakotsu. I told you this wasn't the time for this."

"He didn't mind last time we used his table!" His companion retorted, "He probably just didn't want the lady upset…." Walking over to the counter, he muttered under his breath, "Damn women- always ruining my fun."

Kikyou rubbed at her temples, "When the others said people out here were more 'lively' they weren't joking."

"Miss Kikyou!" The girl's voice drew her out of her thoughts as she looked down and saw Chiyo standing there.

"Oh, what is it Chiyo?"

"We gotta tell Mr. Suikotsu, this is important!" She said, tugging Kikyou towards the hallway.

"What's wrong? What must we tell him?"

"Mr. Manten says it's gonna rain! Mr. Suikotsu's gotta get into town and get supplies."

Kikyou paused, "Just because Manten says it's going to rain?"

"Yeah, he said his hairs tingled. That means it's gonna rain."

Having heard of the farmers and their sometimes unique methods for predicting the weather, Kikyou began to assume that this was just something Suikotsu humored the children with given that they all seemed fond of the other ranchers.

Following the young girl down the hallway, Kikyou once again found herself outside Suikotsu's bedroom as the child knocked.

"Mr. Suikotsu?"

"Chiyo? Go on, come in."

Seeing the girl enter with Kikyou close behind, he shook his head as he looked to the young child, "Chiyo, if Miss Kikyou was busy you shouldn't have bothered her."

"No! It's important!" She said, jumping up onto the bed, "Mr. Manten said it's going to rain, so you've got to get supplies."

Kikyou looked over to the other doctor, expecting to see a calm smile as he told the girl not to worry, but what she saw, was quite different.

Frowning thoughtfully, Suikotsu leveled her with a serious gaze, "Miss Kikyou, based on my condition, am I up to going into town this afternoon?"

"Mr. Suikotsu…"

Realizing she wasn't used to basing decisions on rancher's lore, he decided to explain, "It might seem silly, but—well in all the years I've been out here, Manten's never been wrong once. It's too much of a coincidence to just ignore it."

Nodding in understanding, she walked over towards his bedside, "Well, unless it's swollen more, the knot you had wasn't all that bad. But I'll check it again just in case."

Sitting him up, she cradled his chin in her palm as she inspected the small bump on the back of his head.

"It seems to be going down, so I'd say give it a few hours- if you can spare that time before venturing out," She said, leaning his head back upright, yet still subconsciously holding onto his face.

Reaching up and clasping her hand where it rested on his cheek, Suikotsu smiled, "Thank you for understanding Miss Kikyou. I just don't want the children being stuck out here without supplies if the rain is torrential… I'll make sure to either go with Hiten or Jakotsu and Bankotsu, just in case my injury begins to become an issue again."

"That would probably be a good idea."

"Why don't you kiss him and then it'll be all better?" Chiyo piped up from her position by the foot of the bed, impish smirk on her face.

Blushing at the suggestion, Suikotsu spluttered and withdrew his hand from Kikyou's "Now Chiyo, you…you don't need to be telling us how to handle an injury…"

Kikyou couldn't repress the soft smile that came to her face, "He's so innocent. Like there's not a speck of evil tainting his heart at all…"

"You'll have to pardon her, Miss Kikyou….she's just thinking that…that…well when the children get hurt, you know you…you say you can…can kiss it away…and…and…"

Looking back at the young girl, Kikyou noted her nodding- as if to push her onward, "Well, it wouldn't hurt much, would it? It'll make the child happy, and that's what matters…"

Suikotsu continued, still trying to formulate a logical reasoning for Chiyo's request, as Kikyou placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle kiss to his forehead.

He froze, blinking as Kikyou turned and took Chiyo's hand.

"Come on Chiyo; let's go make sure Mr. Jakotsu and Mr. Bankotsu are actually cooking in the kitchen instead of goofing off…"

Turning and smiling at the still shocked Suikotsu, Chiyo replied, "Okay, Miss Kikyou."

-------------------------------------------------

The afternoon passed by fairly uneventfully. Well, to Suikotsu it was normal, to Kikyou it was a whole new side of the outback.

Bankotsu and Jakotsu had finally finished lunch, and it was only after strict orders from the visiting lady doctor that Jakotsu agreed not to have Bankotsu for dessert while in the household.

Manten, after hearing about Kikyou's "kiss of life" to Suikotsu was determined to get one himself, and was doing a fairly bad job of acting sicker than he was.

Needless to say, the black-haired woman was not even remotely amused by him or his acting skills.

As the sun began to set on the horizon, Suikotsu was once again up and about and making sure he was properly prepared to venture into town with Hiten.

Refusing to even touch the horrid "sake" that Bankotsu had brought, the other braided-haired rancher insisted that he be the one to go into town and get some decent alcohol.

With a knowing smirk, Bankotsu and Jakotsu noted that he probably owed Kaguya for some debts on his tab.

Suikotsu stood with the two in front of him, listing off things to be careful about, "Okay so remember: feed Makoto only with the smaller jars; he'll get sick during the night if he eats too much. Tadashi is allergic to any kinda of nuts- peanuts, cashews, walnuts, coconuts. Kiyoshi doesn't like to eat his vegetables so bribe him with pudding for dessert. Ichiru is lactose intolerant, so be careful what you give her. And Inori, Chiyo and Yuuta all need extra portions since they're a bit older."

Jakotsu rolled his eyes, "Okay Mom, the babysitters can handle it. Calm down."

"What does he normally do with the children when he goes for supplies?" Kikyou questioned.

Bankotsu shrugged, "The same thing he is now- makes us watch them after giving us the same list as he always does."

Making his way over to her side, Suikotsu placed his hand on her shoulder, "I won't be long at Miss Kikyou. Thank you again for understanding my situation."

"No worries."

The both stood in silence for a moment before he pulled away and headed for the door.

------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been about two hours, Suikotsu estimated as he walked down Gill Street, his arms full of bags.

"I didn't intend to take this long, but…I had to convince them to lower the prices a little so I could afford enough for the children…"

Loading the last of his supplies into the back of Hiten's truck and making sure the camper shell was attached securely, he closed it up and glanced up at the sky. On seeing the ominous black clouds moving towards their location, he knew they were going to be in for some bad weather.

Tugging his coat around him against the wind, and holding his hat down, Suikotsu made his way over to the pub. Pushing on the door, he felt some resistance, and then figuring it was just a chair to keep the door closed against the wind, he pushed harder and made his way inside.

"Hiten, we'd better be…." He paused then with a deep blush turned back towards the door. "Sor...sorry…"

He heard Kaguya laugh lightly to herself, "Looks like we have a visitor Hiten."

"Yeah yeah, get off me so I can grab my jeans, okay?" The rancher muttered.

"Aww, what's the matter?" She mocked, climbing down, "Upset that you got caught?"

"Upset that I got caught in that position," He retorted sliding off the top of the bar and snatching up his boxers from where they laid strewn on some of the bottles behind the bar.

"And here I thought you were a man of the world," She said with a 'hmph.'

"Hey- if Bankotsu or Jakotsu get word of this I am never living it down."

"Don…don't worry, Hiten. I won't tell them you were…on the bottom," Suikotsu managed to stammer out.

Kaguya's laughter echoed off the walls of the empty pub, "Is that what this is about? Have to be a man and keep up your reputation and all?"

Hiten frowned and begrudgingly handed Kaguya her shirt, "I just don't want people to think that I've lost my touch."

She paused in fixing her shirt and grabbed him by the chin, "Oh you haven't lost your touch at all…you just enjoy mine more…."

"Hey now!"

"Admit it, I'm better," Kaguya said haughtily.

"No way, you admit I'm better!" Hiten retorted.

"You wouldn't know half you do if wasn't for me!"

"Ha! I think you're confused, you learned from me!"

"Um…pardon the interruption but…uh…from the looks of it, you're both…err…quite…skilled," The brown-haired doctor intervened.

Sighing Kaguya straightened her hair, "You want a pint, wowser?"

"That…that won't be necessary," He replied.

Hiten walked over and placed a hand on Suikotsu's shoulder, causing him to start, "Ah, come on- it's right now mate." Walking him over to the bar, the braided rancher finished pulling his shirt on, "Whatcha lobbing in on me for though?"

"It seems Manten was right. There's a storm brewing out there, and I figured we'd best be getting back to the house," Suikotsu replied, shooting a glance towards the windows even though the curtains obstructed his view.

Nodding as he sat down on a barstool and snatched up the glass Kaguya had just sat down, Hiten remarked, "I see. I thought that wind was starting to sound nasty out there."

Sitting down a glass in front of Suikotsu, Kaguya pushed it towards him, "So I hear you have a lady doctor staying at your place…"

Hesitating in taking the glass, he finally complied as she mouthed to him that it was only water.

"Well…um…it's not as interesting as what you might take it as. She's just there since I fainted during fixing up Manten's leg," Suikotsu replied, after taking a sip.

"Ah, don't worry. If you need to know anything about making a woman happy, just ask me."

Hiten choked on his beer, "Oh that's bull…"

Kaguya stuck her nose in the air, "And here I was about to say that one of those things included having a skilled, handsome swag-mate."

Looking at her suspiciously, the black-haired man caught the glint in her eyes that meant she was genuine in her words.

"Either she's telling the truth, or…she really wants at go at it tonight."

"Well Suikotsu, you think you can drive back on your own? I mean with this weather and all I'd best stay here with this beaut and make sure she's safe," Hiten remarked, smirking.

"If you're trying to suck up to me, Hiten. It's not working. You didn't even bring me a prezzy this time."

"Oh shove it Kaguya; not this prezzy shit again!"

"So you're going to stay here, Hiten?" Suikotsu questioned, interrupting the little quarrel.

"Yeah…why? You wanna stay too and have some fun?"

"Uh…no. I was thinking it might be best to call ahead and let the others know I'm headed back. With this weather being as it is, the children might be worried."

Nodding Hiten reached over and grabbed up the phone, and lifting it from behind the bar and handing the receiver to Suikotsu, after playfully swatting the cord towards Kaguya's backside. She smirked, then gave a quick wink back at Hiten.

Dialing, the brown-haired man waited for an answer.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The voice of Inori came over the phone.

"Ah, Inori. I'm just calling to let you all know I'm headed back now, so don't worry. And Hiten's going to stay here in town."

"Okay Mr. Suikotsu. I'll let Miss Kikyou and the others know you're headed back and Hiten's settling his tab."

"Err…" He paused, the children had been around Bankotsu and Jakotsu too much, "Thanks Inori. Bye."

Sighing in relief that they were aware of his safety, the doctor stood and made for the door.

"I suppose I'll be going then."

"You might need the keys," Hiten remarked, standing and searching his pockets, "Damn, where are they?"

"Um…these?" Kaguya spoke up pulling the key ring from her shirt's pocket.

"I'm not asking," Suikotsu muttered.

Taking them from her, Hiten tossed them over to the doctor

"Be careful with her, she's all Manten has."

Smiling slightly, he nodded, "I'll be careful with the truck. Stay safe you two…goodbye."

----------------------------------------------

It had been a good three hours since Suikotsu's call to the house and yet no sign of him. The rain had begun to fall steadily and everyone was beginning to get worried.

"I'm going out after him," Kikyou finally said, standing up and heading for the door.

"Missy."

"If you're worried, let us two go look for him. At least we know the roads," Jakotsu said coming up behind Bankotsu.

"I am quite capable of handling myself. I don't head an entire hospital for the hell of it," She leveled a cold glare.

"Touchy…."

"Just lend me your truck and tell me where to drive," Kikyou said, sticking her hand out to get the keys.

"But Miss…"

"Honestly, it's very possible that he's had a flare up of his troubles from the injury earlier. If that's the case, he might have driven himself into…well into whatever the outback has for a ditch."

"It's just outback. No ditches," Bankotsu explained.

"Whatever. He might have gotten himself severely injured and if that's truly the situation, he'll require immediate medical treatment- something neither of you two can do."

"She's got a point."

"Why are you siding with her?" Jakotsu spluttered on seeing Bankotsu agreeing.

"Also, I feel that I should leave the patient and the children under the care of two capable…well, two people. Just in the instance of any troubles."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," The taller man said while looking to the side with a 'hmph.'

"Miss Kikyou, will you be safe driving out in this weather?" Chiyo asked walking over.

"I've driven in rush hour in Sydney, this will be nothing," Looking to Bankotsu and Jakotsu she continued, "Now, if you would please hand over the keys and instruct me how to get to where Suikotsu might be…or shall I pull out the anesthetic?"

The two quickly obliged and took her out to the truck, showing her the road to take and instructing her how to the use the VHF radio if she needed to call back in case of an emergency.

Climbing into the driver's seat, she offered them a smile, "Sorry for the trouble, mates, but I don't want him stuck out there in serious condition."

Shutting the door and starting off down the "poor excuse for a road" as she put it, her mind was constantly thinking of only one thing.

"Please let Mr. Suikotsu be all right…"

----------------------------------------------

Preview for Chapter 4:

Kikyou has driven out down the outback roads in search of the missing Suikotsu, but with the rain only increasing and the roads not exactly more than dirt, she might find herself reliving a painful memory from her childhood.