Authoress here.

You have no idea how happy I was to know that Miharu (sorry if I killed your name, I typed it from memory...I think there were some symbols in there somewhere...?) has saved chapters from this story onto her computer! I've finally met someone else who does this! It also makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I e-hug you!

I swear I already updated this chapter...Oh well.

START CHAPTER

Alira sat in an armchair in Yuki's house roughly an hour later. The police had her under house arrest, but weren't able to find enough evidence to arrest her. Her allegations that her father had abused her were still being processed, and Teizo Montosuwa's questioning had been completed in ten minutes.

Tachikara Kazumi was to become her stepmother in three hours, and there was nothing that she could do to prevent it. Alira's was in her hands, and her eyes were squeezed closed.

Shuichi and Hiro had left to record a song earlier when K came to get them ("Move it or I'll shoot you!" were his exact words). Tairu had stayed true to his promise and returned home without Alira, also helpless to what was going to happen.

Alira and Yuki were the only two in the house, and he was busily working. Nothing seemed to stress him so much that he couldn't write. Alira wasn't sure exactly what it was that he wrote, but she knew that he was a novelist. She frowned. There was so much that she didn't know.

Standing up, Alira decided to busy herself with cleaning something. The living room was spotless, but the kitchen had a mound of dirty dishes in the sink. Alira let the water run to fill the sink, poured in some soap, and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. Her right hand, after all, was still bandaged. She tried to forget that her father was getting remarried.

From his study, Yuki could hear the clacking of plates and silverware as Alira scrubbed the dishes clean. His fingers halted, suspended over the keys. He frowned at the open door before arising and heading out to the kitchen. Alira had her back to him, her hands occupied. She didn't hear his footsteps approaching her, so when he spoke, she was so startled that she dropped the plate she was rinsing.

"What are you doing?" he asked levelly.

Alira picked up the plate again, and finished rinsing it. "I'm doing the dishes."

"Why?" he said, his cold eyes on hers.

She didn't seem to know how to answer. "I...well, it's just that...I mean..."

He sighed, listening to her stumble over her words. "Just shut up."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize," he snapped, annoyed at her.

She bit her lip, and didn't reply.

Yuki ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Are you...upset about anything?" The words felt strange, and he had to force himself to say them.

Alira didn't answer. She turned back to doing the dishes, plunging her hands into the soapy water. She located a knife with her left hand as she was groping for a dish to wash, and yanked back with a startled cry. "Shit," she whispered, looking at her hand. The knife had put a hole in the glove, and blood dribbled through. Her eyes clouded with tears, blurring her vision. She did not know why.

Yuki had yanked off the glove and pressed his palm over the cut in an instant, and was dragging her to the bathroom before she could protest. "Sit down," he said, pushing towards the closed toilet. She sat down on the lid and he pressed a tissue into her hand. "Hold onto that until I get back," he commanded, exiting the room to find the first aid kit. Ever since he learned that Shuichi was a hazard to himself, he had kept copious amounts of bandages around the house.

Alira stared at her hand, then brushed the tears from her eyes. She had no idea why she had started crying. The cut hurt, yes, but she hadn't cried over an injury since she was seven. That fact that she was crying hit deep down in her heart, and she couldn't explain why.

Yuki reentered the room, and took her hand. Tugging away the blood-soaked tissue, he ran warm water over her hand. Her fingernails were all short, he noticed, and none of them were painted. Her knuckles still had a faint bruise on them. He decided to bring that up now.

"You never told me what happened that night when Hiroshi found you downtown," he said quietly, his eyes on the cut on her hand. It wasn't that bad. She had put a decent slice in two of her fingers, but they would heal without a problem.

Alira shook her right hand until the other rubber glove came off, and set it on the counter. "I didn't tell anyone else, either," she replied, matching his volume.

"Why not?" he pressed, a sickening feeling building up inside him. He was fairly sure by her resistance towards telling him that it had been something serious. "Did someone hurt you?"

She shook her head, biting her lip and shutting her eyes. "I...I got away."

He frowned at her bandaged hand. "How did that happen? The doctor's report said that there was broken glass from an automobile window in your hand."

"I...I...punched through a window."

Yuki halted his motions after sticking a band-aid to one cut finger and stared at her. "What?"

Alira met his eyes, and suddenly the words tumbled out. "He had someone else in there with him...someone younger than me. He would have...but I punched through the window. She got away, and he came after me. The police showed up and shot him, and I got away without them seeing me." She exhaled deeply as his grip on her hand became gentler.

"Why did they shoot him?"

"He had a knife, so they-"

"Idiot!" Yuki snapped, slapping a band-aid on her other finger. "You went after a guy with a knife? You could've been killed, you dumbshit!"

Alira pulled her hand back slowly. "I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to help her," she said, her voice trembling.

"Clearly you weren't thinking," he replied in a more gentle tone, somewhat apologetically. After all, he had just lost his temper with her.

"I'm sorry, Yuki," she replied, staring at her hands. "I've been an idiot. It'd be best for you and Shuichi if I went to live with Tairu."

Yuki rolled his eyes. "And leave me here with Shuichi? He'd cry more than usual if you left. Besides, without your cooking, I'd have to manually test the smoke detectors myself."

Alira couldn't help but smile. She knew her cooking skills needed help. "Thanks," she replied, rolling her eyes. She was growing a little less upset, but something was still missing.

"Hey...Yuki?"

"What do you want?" he asked in his typical manner.

Alira looked uncomfortable. "Can you...drive me to the church where my dad is getting married?" Yuki gave her an odd look. "I...I don't know, I just feel like I need to be there."

Yuki frowned and walked out of the room towards the kitchen. Alira stood up and followed him. She watched disapprovingly as he mixed himself a drink.

"That's a bad habit," she remarked, watching him drop several ice cubes into the glass tumbler.

He took a swig, and rolled his eyes at her. "Fuck you."

She sighed. "Never mind. I'll walk."

Yuki caught her arm as she was walking away, setting the tumbler down on the faultless counter. She turned around to look at him, waiting for an explanation. "I didn't say I wouldn't take you."

She looked at him evenly. "I can smell gin on your breath. You shouldn't be driving." At least it isn't sake...

Yuki gave her a look. "I'm not drunk, moron."

"He said he wasn't either," she replied coldly.

"Do you want me to drive you or not?" he asked, looking at her.

It was then that she noticed how tall he was compared to her. She had to look up to meet his eyes, which she wasn't used to. In America, she had been considered fairly tall, but standing next to him, she felt short.

When she didn't answer, he sighed. "It doesn't matter. You're under house arrest anyway."

"They can't tell me I'm not allowed to go to a wedding."

Roughly five minutes later, Yuki was standing in the kitchen chuckling listening to Alira stomp around the living room swearing. "That's not fucking fair! They can't do this! Stupid bastards!"

"Cool it, kiddo," Yuki said, smirking.

"Don't call me kiddo," Alira snapped, clomping into the kitchen noisily.

He picked up his drink again, and took a sip. Alira sighed in defeat and sunk to the cool linoleum floor. "Tachikara Montosuwa," she said bitterly. "Mommy."

Yuki cast a glance downwards at the top of her head, but didn't say anything.

Alira glanced up at him, tilting her head to the side. "You know, I didn't dye my hair black so I would fit in here."

Yuki was a bit taken aback by the sudden conversation change, but interested nonetheless. He had assumed she was trying to fit in with the other Japanese there. American bloodlines showed in her hair color, and it would have saved her a lot of suspicious glances if her hair were black. "Oh?"

She nodded, lowering her eyes to stare at a cabinet near the floor. "I look like my mom. For the longest time, I couldn't take looking in the mirror and seeing her reflection."

"That's nice to know."

"I can't believe he could do this," she said quietly, thinking again about her father.

Yuki set down the now empty glass next to the sink. "You can't stop it from happening. You might as well accept that you're going to have a stepmother. And stop whining at me."

Alira made a face at a swirl in the wood of the cabinet door.

"Trying to burn a hole in that?" he asked a moment later, noticing her expression.

She stood up and turned to him. "Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed that you aren't even trying to make me feel any better." She paused, and rolled her eyes. "Not like you would've anyway, but-"

"Fine." She stopped mid-sentence. He reached out and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his strong arms around her. "This better."

Alira smiled a bit. "It's creeping me out coming from you, but whatever."

Yuki released her. "I'm going back to work. Don't bug me."

His eyes burned into her soul as he whispered-

"What exactly do you write?"

Yuki stopped typing and silently counted to ten. "Novels."

Alira was standing behind him, reading over his shoulder. After about three lines, she drew back, her face pink. "Oh," she said simply.

"Oh," Yuki replied. "Now go away."

Alira opened her mouth hesitantly. "Umm...Yuki?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"I'm going to that wedding."

"Police," he reminded her, not bothering to make eyes contact.

Alira crossed her arms. "I can get past them."

"How?"

"I was waiting for you to ask me that."

-Meanwhile-

Teizo Montosuwa stood in front of a full-length mirror admiring and scrutinizing his tuxedo. In an hour, he would have a new bride. Smiling to himself, he remembered the look on his daughter's face when his fiancé mentioned the engagement.

"How do I look?" he said, turning to his best man, Aguri Seiichi.

Aguri smiled. "You look great, Teizo. I can't believe you're getting married again. This is so wonderful. Where are you guys going on your honeymoon?"

Teizo looked at Aguri's reflection in the mirror instead of turning to him. "We're still thinking about it. Tachikara wants to go somewhere exotic."

Aguri nudged him, and raised his eyebrows. "Exotic, huh?"

"Yup. Maybe renting a cabin along a beach somewhere."

"That doesn't sound like you at all," Aguri remarked.

Teizo chuckled, raising a hand to smooth his black hair. "Well, you know. Love does things to you."

In another room, Tachikara stood on a short table while last minute adjustments were made to her gown.

"Well ladies, I snagged him," she said, smirking at her bridesmaids. "He's richer than your last man, Kagura."

Kagura, a pretty young woman with eyes that glittered like gemstones, grinned. "I can believe it. He's the head of a company, huh?"

"Montosuwa electronics," Tachikara supplied.

Another of her bridesmaids looked thoughtful. "Isn't his daughter the one the cops were after a couple days ago?"

Tachikara made a face. "Yes."

Kagura frowned. "She could be a problem."

"How so?"

"I don't really think an eighteen year old kid could be-"

"Shut up, Usagi!" Tachikara snarled. "Why could she be a problem?"

Kagura raised her eyebrows a fraction of an inch. "She could be an heiress," was her reply.

Tachikara laughed. "He hates that brat! She's his only kid anyway, so I'm home free. I'm sure to get all his money, not to mention his company, when he has his little...accident."

She joined in laughing with her bridesmaids.

-Meanwhile­-

"No way in hell," Yuki snapped.

"Please!"

"No."

"You wouldn't get arrested!" protested Alira. "Just let me borrow your car!"

Yuki gave her a look. "I said no."

Alira stood in silence, looking at him, for a moment. He resumed typing when he heard her start heading for the exit.

"Hiroshi would've taken me," she grumbled.

Yuki stood up, slamming his hands down on the desk. "I'm not your boyfriend. I don't owe you anything."

Alira stopped walking. "I know that," she replied quietly.

"Why did you say that?" he demanded.

"Never mind." Alira continued walking out of the room, and was only remotely surprised when Yuki followed and seized her arm. She didn't turn around to look at him.

"Why?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I'm a little mentally fucked up right now."

Yuki kept his hold on her arm for a few more seconds before allowing her to walk away. Women in romance novels are never this complicated, he thought angrily, moving to take his seat again.

as he whispered, "Are you sure that you want to do this?"

Aiko's smile was answer enough. He leaned towards her, pressing her down onto the mattress with his body. Her hands explored his strong pectoral muscles as he slipped a hand up her skirt.

"Oh shit!"

Yuki stopped typing as he heard a soft thunk from the living room.

"...Ow..." Alira muttered. She picked herself up carefully, glancing around to see what she had tripped over. It was a stack of books. Sitting on top was a photo album. She picked it up and flipped through. There weren't many photos, but one caught her attention more than the rest.

Yuki entered the room in time to see the picture she was looking at. It was a photo he had kept for reasons unknown of himself and his brother Tatsuha.

"Put that away," he said quietly. Alira looked up at him, carefully evaluating his expression.

"I didn't know you had a brother," she replied softly, closing the album. Yuki didn't reply. "What's his name?"

"Tatsuha."

"Oh. Do you two...not get along very well?"

Yuki glared at her. "Shut up."

"Sorry." She seemed to be saying that a lot more lately.

She opened her mouth to ask another question when a cheerful shout rang out through the household.

"Yuuuuukiiiii! I'm hooooome!"

END CHAPTER

I had too much fun holding down the keys to write that. Teehee.

Authoress out. (Is "authoress" a word?)