Disclaimer: I do not own Peacemaker Kurogane.

Ever watched Father of the Bride?

In the manga, San-nan & Akesato's romance ended in San-nan's death. How will they fare in a modern setting where seppuku's (thank heaven) outdated? Read on.

Chapter 4: Father of the Bride

"San-nan! Go for it! Knock their socks off!" Yamanami cringed as the Trio shouted encouragement to him from the stair-landing. He took off his glasses for the umpteenth time and cleaned them. He was nervous. This was the first time he's meeting Akesato's family. Akesato had gone on ahead to greet them. She had not seen them in a long while. Work had kept her in Kyoto.

"San-nan, just take it easy. Yo-jisan is very easygoing," Makoto murmured as she passed him in the corridor leading to the kitchen. It was just as well the religious group had gone straight to their rooms.

It seemed an eternity before the blond Akesato emerged from the kitchen. "Keisuke, my father is waiting to see you…"

Okita opened his door a crack and groaned as he heard a familiar voice. Okita fanclub president Hotaru's. "Miss, your spare towels…"

"Arigato…" Ayu-nee! "Thank Makoto-san for letting us use the place for our annual vacation at such short notice…" The Shinsengumi annual vacation… Okita's knees buckled. He slid the door shut.

Earlier, he had been wishing that he was with his friends back in Kyoto. Seemed the gods have answered his prayer in a very strange manner. Hijikata will be here, too, right? Nah, the man's a workaholic.

Yamanami fidgeted. It was warm in the kitchen. Akesato's father, Yo-jisan, was busy kneading dough for noodles. He was very different from his daughter. He was as home-spun as Akesato was exotic in looks. He wore an eye patch over his left eye. "Yamanami Keisuke?"

When Yamanami answered, the man straightened himself and put the noodles into a pot of hot water. "Do you love my daughter? Want to marry her?" Yamanami's face reddened, as did Akesato's. "Oto-san!" She gasped.

"Girl, you're not getting younger. It's time for you to find a suitable man to marry and settle down…" The old man took out a very faded photo from his apron pocket. It showed a young woman who was the splitting image of the blond Akesato. "Her mother…" Yo-jisan explained to Yamanami.

Akesato blinked. Her mother had passed away when she was still a baby. She had never known that her father kept that particular photo.

Does this mean we have your blessings? The couple watched as the old man held the photo as he was silently communicating with his long-departed wife.

"Keisuke, you take good care of my daughter now. She wouldn't have brought you to me if she weren't serious about your relationship."

"I promise to take care of her for as long as I live," Yamanami declared. Akesato gave an uncharacteristic squeal of pure joy and hugged him. She smiled at her father.

"Not so fast! I want him to prove his sincerity!" Yo-jisan firmly parted them. Akesato frowned. By what means does he want to test her love's sincerity? "You must have seen the waterfall from the road on your way in." Yamanami nodded. Yo-jisan went off and soon returned with a fishing pole and a battered straw hat.

"There's a pool at the base of the waterfall. I want you to catch a fish from that pool. A big trout, you hear? Here are your tools," he handed the hat and fishing pole to Yamanami. "Find your own bait. You do know how to fish, right?"

"Hai!"

"Good! Go now and don't come back till you've caught a trout. You have two days…"

When the couple had gone, Yo-jisan started to wash the vegetables for dinner. Makoto smiled as she watched her cook's exchange with the couple. Poor San-nan. The old man's coming down hard on him. Everyone knows the only fish in the waterfall pool are minnows. Still, the man has his reasons for subjecting his prospective son-in-law to the test.

At the entrance, Akesato held out a scarf to Yamanami. "I was going to give this to you later… but you'll need it now. The weather's turning cold." She lovingly wrapped the scarf around his neck. "Do be careful, the rocks near the waterfall are slippery. And come back in if the weather turns…"

"I promised to stay for two days until I catch a trout."

"Kei-kun! I don't want you catching a cold or anything from waiting outdoors!" Akesato chided. She kissed him full on the lips. Akesato… Yamanami hugged her close, feeling her warmth, taking in her scent…

Well, San-nan, how will you fare? Prove yourself worthy. Makoto sighed as she watched the couple. She had wanted the man to help her with the onsen's accounts. He did a terrific job the last time. Too bad he'd be busy fishing.

"Er, Ayu-nee… is Yoko settling fine there?" Shinpachi knocked on the door of Yamazaki Ayumu's room. He could not set his mind at rest. He knew Ayu-nee did work at a crèche once but still…

"Yoko-chan's stomach is rather delicate. She can't eat dairy products. And keep her feet warm… Oh and she likes to listen to the theme song from Hello Kitty before naps…" Ayumu popped a vein as the short man rattled on.

Finally, she grabbed the screeching child and opened the door. She returned Yoko to her father without so much as a word and slid the door shut. "Is she gone?" Susumu crawled out from the closet.

"Yes, Susumu. What were you doing in there?" The Yamazaki siblings were rooming together.

"Escaping Typhoon Yoko." It was then that Ayu-nee saw the full extent of the damage inflicted by the child and her toy sword. The room screen that was to divide the room into halves was torn. The room's ashtray lay smashed and holes had been poked through the screen windows. Worse of all, the child had gotten into their bags…

"My new kimono! NAGAKURA!!!" On hearing that howl, Shinpachi grabbed his daughter and fled for safety. Yoko simply sucked her thumb and wondered why her father was breaking into a sweat.

Author's notes:

Poor San-nan. Akesato's dad's not making it easy for him. The dream trout? Methinks he'll be watching minnows.

Yoko's hyper, hyperactive.The girl's based on my little cousin who goes on & on like an Energizer battery. More of Yoko in the later chapters at the expense of the Trio. The Trio's lousy with kids.

Merry Christmas, one and all.