Title: Nox
Author: Nirvana
Pairings: Yusuke/Botan
Rating: PG-13...later to be rated R
Keywords: Romance, Angst, Lust, Revelation
Summary: Every time I look at Yusuke, I'm always reminded that I can never have him. He always seemed like the unattainable, my forbidden fruit. Something I would always crave for physically and emotionally.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters. They rightfully belong to their respective owners.
Author's Notes: This is my first Yu Yu Hakusho fic, so please be gentle with me. To put it straight, I'm not too much of a Yusuke/Keiko fan. It's not that I hate Keiko, I like her actually but I can only see them on a brother and sister relationship. Besides that, I like different kinds of couples together, as you can see from the story. Most of the time, the story will be put in Botan's POV, more depth and blah, blah. Italics just means dreaming or past events. But enough about my babbling, let's get to it. Hopefully, I will do my best to keep everyone in character and keep you, the readers, interested. This is my one challenge to make a story that keeps people into it. Well, that's enough said. Enjoy.
A very special thank you to Cat Youkai. How can there be a great story without a great beta-reader!
Chapter 2-Aishiteru
"Yusuke?" Keiko stood only a few feet away, her eyes wide with disbelief. And I watched, guilt creeping up on me, as the first tear sped down her face. And another, and another...
Yusuke's arms around my waist fell to his sides as he looked at Keiko. I was expecting him to tell her it was an accident. I was expecting him to say that he was sorry. I was even expecting him to say that he loved only her. But instead, he stood his ground, watched her, and said nothing. An eerie silence fell upon all of us before Keiko finally stepped closer, her tears still falling. She stopped suddenly as her breath hitched.
But what caught me by surprise was her bright smile. "I'm such a fool." She murmured more to herself than to us. Her head lowered, her chocolate bangs shadowing her eyes. The smile that curved her lips faded instantly. "Yusuke, if something was going on between you and Botan, you didn't need to hide it." She was shaking now. "I would have understood." Keiko covered her face with her hands as the first, uncontrollable sob racked her body.
Yusuke walked towards her. "Keiko, I-"
She shook her head, silencing him completely. From what I could tell she did not want to hear one of his excuses. It was plain obvious we had been caught. But even though I felt more guilty than I ever had in my life, I knew I was not regretful. But I felt like an intruder, like the person who had deliberately and shamelessly let this happen. Just because of my own greed. Keiko, unable to hold herself up, leaned against the nearby door, her gaze never leaving Yusuke's. With a little more bravery then last, he tried to speak.
"Listen, Keiko-"
"You said you loved me." It was such a low mutter that I barely heard it.
Confused, I glanced over at Yusuke to see that he was looking anywhere else but at me. I didn't understand. He had just said that he never loved her. So why...?
At that moment, it was like I had been slapped. Reality hit me so hard that I felt my knees almost give out beneath me. A memory from long ago seeped into my thoughts. I remember...
It had occurred months ago, after Yusuke had just returned from a rather dangerous case. But the whole ordeal didn't seem to phase him in the least; he was in such high spirits. I was curious and even though I knew I shouldn't, I had followed him. I was completely and naively struck by my newfound feelings for him.
Winter had been at its peak then. Everything from roads to trees was covered in a blanket of snow while lakes were frozen in ice. The sky was a deep shade of blue, decorated with the twinkle of distant stars. I had watched, torn between sorrow and jealousy, as Yusuke and Keiko walked along the sidewalk heading towards their homes. But I made sure to keep myself hidden; I didn't want to be discovered just yet. At one point, I would have been more than happy to see them spending some time together. Now, things were so different.
I turned my eyes away from the pair, and looked up to see the first flake of snow brush against my cheek. It wasn't long before the ice crystals began to fall more rapidly. I shifted my attention away from the sky at hearing Yusuke's voice.
"Aw come on, Keiko." He called grinning wildly as he kicked his foot into a deep puddle of slush sending an arc of water splashing on the ground. In his hands was a snowball that he threw at Keiko, which hit the sleeve of her coat.
It seemed so clear why Yusuke had been so exultant. He had wanted to see Keiko. But besides that, there was something else. When he was sure that no one was around or watching, he would show a side to him that could take anyone's breath away. He would be so carefree, so uplifted. I wanted so much to share his happiness with him.
"But it's snowing." Keiko said softly unable to help smiling uncertainly at his enthusiasm. She tired to scold him half-heartily. "You'll catch a cold. Then it will give you an excuse to skip school."
"So what, that's the fun it." His grin became a wicked smirk as a certain glint came to his eyes. "Come on, a little snow won't hurt you."
Before Keiko knew what was happening, Yusuke had grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Away from her protective awning and into the falling snow. I watched as she let herself give into him completely, laughing uncontrollably as he twirled her.
"What's gotten into you, Yusuke?" Keiko inquired. They had stopped twirling now, both breathing hard and smiling brightly. "You're acting so-?"
"Can't a guy be in a good mood?" He answered gently with his own question.
I felt a sudden wave of dread come over me as Keiko lowered her gaze to look at her and Yusuke's entwined hands. A pretty tint of pink stained her cheeks.
"Yeah, I guess so." She whispered with a nod. "But-"
"Keiko?" Yusuke's voice had dropped to a mumble. His brief, ecstatic mood was gone and replaced with a seriousness I had never heard before. The inevitable had arrived. Keiko looked up at him...
And just like that.
He kissed her.
I watched helplessly, my heart sinking with each passing second. Part of me felt no anger, no sadness, no envy. Nothing. But the other part of me wanted to cry and scream. Demand that he tell me why he was doing this to me. But all I knew was that Yusuke was kissing her, Keiko, and not me. Eventually he pulled away from her, smiling more brightly before he murmured to her, "I love you."
Silently, I flew away from the couple and sailed into the skies. I remember turning to take a quick glimpse at them.
I remember Yusuke watching me as I left.
He lied to me, I thought, my eyes become too blurry for me to see. He lied to me. But Keiko's voice interrupted my musings.
"Why do you do this to me, Yusuke?" Keiko whispered. "Whenever you show some kind of affection towards me, something more than just brotherly, you always give me this hope." Her eyes became wistful as she looked up at him. "You make me believe that maybe...maybe something will happen between us." Her voice rose to a yell. "Then you throw it back in my face!"
I looked on as Yusuke opened his mouth to respond then he closed it and turned his eyes to the ground. I was more than guilty about what I was doing to them. I was the one breaking up their relationship, possibly their friendship. But I could no longer deny my feelings. I am in love with Yusuke. No one could ever take that away from me. But on the other hand, Keiko, over the years, had become not only my best friend but also a sister. We had been through so much together, good and bad. And here I was, as my appreciation for her friendship, taking away the person she loved so dearly. But someone, anyone tell me how could I not have the person I cared for the most? How could I give him up?
Keiko took a slow, ragged breath and finally she looked at me. I don't know how much time passed. Maybe a minute, maybe ten, but finally she pushed the roof's door open and began to quickly descend the stairs. Yusuke went after her.
I didn't realize I was crying until my eyes began to sting.
Do something, my mind demanded. Don't let him walk away from you. Tell him how you feel.
Before I even realized what I was doing, I began running after him. I didn't care anymore if Yusuke was in love with someone else. I didn't care that we could never be together. I didn't care that he would probably never see me the way he saw Keiko. All I wanted was for him to know. I spotted him only a few feet away and pushed myself harder to reach him. I extended my hands and grasped the sleeves of his shirt. He froze before he started to struggle.
"Botan let go of me!" Yusuke exclaimed. "Botan!"
"I won't," I responded firmly. "not until you listen to me, Yusuke."
"Botan let me go! I'm not going to ask you again!" But even though his voice boomed with anger, he made no more movements to free himself from my hold.
Instead of letting go, my grip on his sleeves only tightened as I leaned my head against his back. For a few moments, I said nothing. If this was going to be the last time I could feel him next to me, then I was going to enjoy it. I closed my eyes as my arms wrapped and around his torso, I finally declared what I had held back for so long.
"I love you;" It felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. "Aishiteru," I repeated. My fingertips crept up to his wrinkled collar. "But...if you love me," I paused with uncertainty. "if you care for me at all...please don't tell me now." From underneath my palm, I could feel his heart beat, strong and unwavering. When was the last time I got to hold him like this? Far too long, was my only answer. Yusuke was silent for what seemed like forever. Finally, I felt his hand hold mine. He gently squeezed my fingers and I squeezed back.
Gradually, my grip on him loosened and he pulled away from me. His eyes met mine. "You love me," Yusuke whispered. Then one of those rare, mournful smiles curved his lips. "I already knew that you did, Botan."
Then, without another word, he turned away and started running again. Farther away from me and closer to her. It was Yusuke's decision and I could no longer keep him from making it.
He had chosen Keiko.
-
How did she know my name? I stared at her for a few moments, fully aware that I had never seen this girl before. Carefully, I stepped towards her, and as I got nearer, her features became more familiar. Crouching down to her eye level, I looked more closely. Before I even knew what I was doing, my hand reached up to touch her face. She seemed like glass to me. So fragile that if I even brushed my hand against her cheek, she would shatter into thousands of pieces. But when my hand did finally touch her skin, I was pretty sure who I was looking at. The hair gave her away.
"Botan," My voice held no question as to who she was. But still, she smiled and nodded. I looked away from her for a second to glance at the man who had tried and almost did rape her. If I had been a second slower, if I hadn't heard her scream...
"Yusuke?" I looked back at Botan again, finally noticing the dark bruise on her cheek and her blood-caked lip. "Are you all right?"
I tried to smile, but it came out all wrong. "I should be asking you that." I stood and held out my hand to her. She took it and attempted to stand but abruptly gave a yelp of pain before she was falling again. I caught her with ease.
"It's my ankle," Botan concluded, she winced when my hand reached down and moved it ever so slightly. "it must be sprained." She was more than surprised when I picked her up and cradled her in my arms. She looked away for a moment before she wrapped her arms around my neck for balance. "How long will it take to get to your apartment?" She asked. "I can explain everything there."
"Not too long," I replied. Botan nodded and a frown curved her lips. "What's wrong?"
She looked at me directly before she leaned in closer. I felt myself shiver when her warm breath swept past my ear. "It's been two years, Yusuke." Her grip on me tightened as she moved away, smiling faintly. Botan was trying to remind me of everything...but not so much through words. I admit it was uncomfortable and nerve wrecking to see her again. After what happened the last time we were together, and now...
"We should get going." I muttered and Botan nodded without complaint.
But before I could even take the first step, her arms lightly draped around my shoulders. My eyes widened when Botan's fingers began to rake through my hair as her cheek pressed against mine. I could have sworn I felt tears but it could have just been the rain. Even over the loud thunderclaps and the ruthless wind, I could still hear her soft words.
"He would have raped me," She said in a deathly hush. "This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening." I felt her lips curve into smile. "That was the only thing I could think about. All I wanted was for him to stop. I just wanted to be left alone." Botan desperately held me, trying with all her will to make me understand. "If you hadn't been near by, if you hadn't come down that alley..." I knew she was crying when I felt the first hot droplets stream my cheek. "Thank you, Yusuke."
There was nothing I could say to make her feel better. And I've found, over time, that words of reassurance does not always work. Instead, I hugged her to the point that there was virtually no space between us. In return, Botan, slowly but surely, let her face nuzzle into my neck while she placed her head on my shoulder. My heart was pounding, I could barely breathe, and I knew I was shaking. All I could think about was this, what was happening right now. The way her hands slid down to my neck. The way she inhaled and exhaled shallow breaths. I suddenly realized that during these two years, not having Botan here had affected me more than I let myself believe. All this time, I had wanted to see her, needed to feel her next to me.
I knew that I had missed being this close to her.
-
It was near dawn when we reached Yusuke's apartment. We had said nothing to each other all the while. For me, I didn't think seeing him again would be this frustrating and exciting. Part of me had missed his presence far beyond words, but the other part of me had wanted to stay away from him. There were those times I would wonder what life would be like without him. Every time I look at Yusuke, I'm always reminded that I can never have him. He always seemed like the unattainable, my forbidden fruit. Something I would always crave for physically and emotionally.
Yusuke managed, with a bit of difficulty, to pull out his keys and unlock the front door. He quickly walked through the living room, and I caught a brief look at his mother, who was lying on the couch sleeping soundly. A silver flask, which was probably alcohol, was clutched tightly in her hands. Using his foot, Yusuke pushed open his bedroom door before he gently placed me on his bed.
"I think Okaasan has some old clothes I can give you." He said this while he took off his damp jacket. He headed for the door. "I'll be back."
Once I heard the soft click, I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. I was sinking into my depression state again. For some reason, being here was doing this to me and I didn't understand why. For days on end, I had dreamt of nothing but coming back to Ningenkai to see Yusuke. I couldn't get him out of my head. Every waking moment, he invaded my thoughts. Yusuke had become my fixation because I could never leave him alone. Life without him seemed insignificant. My eyes drifted to window, memorizing daybreak for the millionth time over. Thin clouds burned gold and red from the slowly rising sun. The gray sky had faded into a beautiful amethyst and the stars were making their silent departure. A small smile graced my lips.
Then the sudden feel of icy fingers on my legs brought my contemplation to a halt. I stiffened as those same fingers slowly trailed up to my knees, leaving cold drops of water in their wake. Out of instinct, I reached out and grabbed the offending hands and noticed the ice pack on my knees. I looked up to see Yusuke looking at me with the surprise that was etched on my face as well.
"Your knees," He began quietly, his eyes never leaving mine. "They were bleeding badly. It's stopped for now. But I got the ice pack just in case."
Half of what he said barely reached my ears. I was afraid this would happen. I was scared that I would stare into Yusuke's brown orbs and never be able to look away. I could never admit it, but there was always this unspoken tension between us. At first, I tired to ignore it, yet it was always there. Whenever we would accidentally or purposely touch. From the brush of our hands to a kiss, the feeling would still linger on. This scenario only proved it. Eventually, I nodded and looked away from Yusuke and instead gazed at his hands.
A few more minutes passed before he spoke. "Does Koenma have another case for me?"
I glanced at him then back at his hands. "Yes, but I can explain all of that later." Yusuke didn't seem bothered by this but instead turned his focus to my ankle. Lifting it up with the utmost care, he began to wrap it with bandages he had retrieved. I wanted to talk about something; the silence between us was driving me crazy. An idea came to me. "How are you?" Even though it was a ridiculous question, it was at least a start.
Yusuke looked up at me and merely shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, I guess."
"What about school?"
Yusuke frowned. "If failing all my classes is all right with you, then it's okay." I smiled. From there, we both started to relax and talk more freely. Just from speaking with him, I felt like I was on cloud nine. What even made it more worthwhile was his effort to keep our conversation going. I already felt better. But my next question would bring back the tension tenfold. It slipped from my mouth before I could stop myself.
"How's Keiko?"
Yusuke stopped wrapping my ankle and I felt my heart race with apprehension. I had to be the stupidest person in world. How could I ask him that? It was none of my business, I had only seem him tonight and-
"She's okay, as far as I know." He answered quietly. To my astonishment, there wasn't a hint of anger in his voice. But I was confused about what he meant. He stood up but didn't look at me. "Keiko and I...broke up a few months ago. I mean, we're still best friends. We still talk to each other. But...there was always this..." He sighed. "Things never really got back to normal between us." It was all my fault. I did this to them. I made them end their relationship because I wanted to be selfish like everyone else. Yusuke turned to gaze at me, and it was almost as if he read my thoughts when he said, "It wasn't your fault, Botan, if that's what you're thinking. Keiko and I just didn't work out." He laughed. "It happens all the time."
When he stared at me, I couldn't tell if he was trying to cheer himself up or me. The look in eyes told me there something more to it than just Yusuke's explanation. I still wasn't convinced. But even through my guilty conscience, I felt this swell of hope. Maybe there was this chance for us. Maybe...I shook my head mentally. No, I thought stubbornly, I couldn't think about that now.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I had no right to ask you that."
Yusuke waved his hand dismissing the topic before he sat down next to me on the bed. "Tell me about the case instead."
"It would be better if I explained while you are in school." I noticed the questionable look he gave me before I continued. "Don't worry, it will be clearer once we get to your school. But for now, I'm just going to tell you about the general things. Koenma-sama believes that this particular investigation might take awhile. So, he has arranged for me to stay here in Ningenkai."
"Does he mean here, with me?" Yusuke's expression was blank. So it was hard for me to tell what he was thinking.
I shook my head, the tiniest of blushes coming to my cheeks. "I have my own apartment and I'll be attending your high school, posing as a regular girl who was just transferred. I cannot leave until the case is solved; the amount of time it takes could be a few days to a few months. But I will be reporting the details to Koenma-sama frequently. He also believes that the case should not be too significant that we'll need Hiei-san, Kurama-san, and Kuwa-chan's help. He thought your assistance would be enough. But if we feel the need, we can tell them what's happening." I paused before I continued. "Before you found me, Yusuke..." I trailed off as a shudder passed through me. "I had been looking through the city for anything out of the ordinary.
I ran my fingers through my hair; it had become an annoying habit. "But it seems that every thing's okay there, so it makes our case a little easier. Koenma-sama promised to give me some additional information on what we're dealing with. So-" I was cut off when the bedroom door open. Atsuko's head popped in and she looked from Yusuke to me.
"Yusuke! You're going to be late for school! Look at you, you're not even dressed yet!" Her eyes landed on me. "And who is this?! Yusuke, are you doing something in here that I should know about?!" Atsuko looked at me closely before her eyes filled with recognition. "Botan? Is that you? Gomen nasai, I didn't realize, your hair has gotten so much longer. It looks so good on you."
I smiled. "Arigato, Urameshi-san. You're too kind." Yusuke threw me a heated look and I moved away from him, suddenly finding the floor to be so interesting.
Atsuko had stepped into the bedroom, beaming brightly. Yusuke stood up and was about to tell her something, but she moved past him and sat next to me on the bed. She placed an arm around my shoulders. "Come on, Botan. You know better than that. There's no need for you to be so formal. Even though it's been a while since I've seen you, I don't see any reason for you not to call me Atsuko." She laughed heartily. "I'm not that old!"
"Yes, you are." Yusuke muttered.
In an instant, the smile had disappeared from Atsuko's face at hearing his comment. She approached her son and I noticed a bottle in her hand as she pointed it in front of his face. "The next time I come in here, you had better be ready and already gone to school." She shook the bottle in a threatening way.
Yusuke frowned deeply, stepping closer to her. Two years prior, he had been just about her height. Now, he towered over his mother. "Even if I did go, I would just cut classes. Besides," He pointed an accusing finger at her. "You waving a beer bottle in front of my face isn't going to make me change my mind." I covered my mouth when Atsuko promptly connected the bottle with his head.
Yusuke clenched his fists and closed his eyes. I knew he was trying the best he could not to yell. He lost in the end. "What the hell was that for?!"
"Maybe that'll knock some sense into you!" Atsuko exclaimed just as loud. Before Yusuke could say anymore, she turned on her heel with a displeased 'humph', and headed towards the bedroom door. "Get to school, Yusuke," She said, eyes narrowed. "I don't want anymore calls telling me that you were skipping again. And if I do..." She patted the bottle meaningfully. Then Atsuko beamed when she turned her attention to me. "And Botan, it was really good to see you again. Come by anytime you like and we can have a good conversation over some tea and rice cakes. Remember, mi casa es su casa." With a good-bye wave, she closed the door behind her.
Yusuke, rubbing his head, muttered something about 'useless mothers' before he turned to me. I covered my mouth again to keep from laughing out loud. He glared at me. If looks could kill, I would have been six feet under by now. "What's so funny?"
"N-Nothing," I stuttered between giggles. "I-I have no idea w-what you're t-talking about." In a few, long strides, Yusuke had covered the space between us. He grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands away from my mouth. "Now, now, Yusuke don't be upset. Your mother's right. We do need to get to school, you know, the case?"
But either Yusuke didn't hear me, or he was ignoring me because he gently pushed me down onto bed. Some kind of feeling washed over me. I was excited but I was scared at the same time. But nothing would happen; he wouldn't do anything...
"Yusuke? What are you-?"
He laid his hand on my cheek and that silenced me right away. I held my breath but I kept my eyes on his as his fingers moved up to my forehead. He pushed back my bangs before his fingertips trailed down and grazed my chin. He stopped there, cupping the underside of my face in his palm. And then I saw it. That warmth in his eyes that made me feel like I was drowning. I had seen it before, but only when Yusuke was looking at Keiko. I had never imagined he would stare at me in the same way.
He leaned down until our lips were barely touching. "I've...missed this." He murmured.
"And what is 'this'?" I heard myself ask.
"Having you here with me." He answered sincerely. And just when he was about to diminish the rest of the space between us...
Atsuko's voice rung out. "Yusuke, you've got five more minutes!"
Yusuke stopped; just millimeters away and sighed irritably. The glint in his orbs had vanished, but he made no move to get up. But after Atsuko had called his name again, he began to rise. Quickly I grabbed his shoulders and kept him in place. I wanted this to last, even if it was only for a few seconds more. We stared at each other for a while before Yusuke leaned down again. Our lips had barely touched before Atsuko yelled again.
"Yusuke!"
Yusuke cursed loudly and I turned away from him as he got up and moved towards his closet. My hands rose to cover my face and I bit down on my bottom lip. How was I going to survive this?
-
It was nearly the end of school when I found Yusuke again. After what had happened this morning, I knew there would be a silence between us. But I didn't think he would completely shut me out. I would never tell him, but for some reason, it hurt more than I let myself believe. The day had been as normal as it could be. Being the 'new student', there were few people I could talk to. I was wandering the halls until I stumbled upon the stairs to the rooftop.
Yusuke stood not too far, his eyes on the blue sky. Pressed between his lips was a cigarette, and every once in a while, he would pull it away, exhaling puffs of white smoke. I stood next to him for a few minutes before I frowned in worry.
"Those things will kill you, Yusuke." I informed him softly.
For the first time since this morning, he stared at me. Then he shrugged. "So what, we all die, sooner or later."
"Wouldn't you rather have the later than the sooner?"
Yusuke exhaled again, and I watched as the smoke faded into nothing. "Actually...no." I was a little more than startled by his answer and once he caught the look I gave him, he sighed in defeat. He let the cigarette drop from his fingers before he smashed it under the heel of his shoe. He glared at me. "There, are you happy now?"
"Will you promise to quit?" I asked hopefully, it was my weak attempt to lighten the mood. I think I only worsened it. Before Yusuke could respond, I moved onto a different topic. In my hands was the folder Koenma-sama had given to me. "This folder contains all of the information from our case so far. Koenma-sama has been noticing some unusually high amounts of spirit energy coming from this area. It's been occurring for the past few weeks."
"So what does Koenma want us to do about it?"
"Just find out what the disturbance is. After that, it's up to him if he wants you to get rid of it."
Yusuke smirked; pure arrogance was laced in his words. "Is that it? We could have this done with today."
"There you go again." I said with another frown. "You're always underestimating the actually threat."
"You like to nag me, don't you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He stepped closer to me and something flashed in his eyes that I couldn't recognize. Yusuke stopped once he was in arm's reach of me. "If you can't figure it out for yourself," he started, an edge in his voice that wasn't there before. "Then there's no need for me to tell you."
He brushed past me and I stared after him, completely confused by his response. I had only been in Ningenkai for a day and already, Yusuke had become an impossible enigma. With his genuine words and affectionate touches, he gave me hope. But other times, the way he would distance himself from me made me think otherwise. Finally, I turned and descended the stairs. My mind was more muddled than ever.
Author's Notes: All right, I know that was a boring ending. *hangs head in shame* No Yusuke/Botan action in this chapter but you'll just have to patiently wait. I am more than happy about the reviews I've been receiving from readers. I was expecting to get at the most, seven reviews. But knowing that I am not the only Yusuke and Botan fan gives me the inspiration to keep writing. Thank you, thank you so much to all who have given me their praise.
Some other things I wanted to address is that if anyone is wondering, I will be introducing more of the YYH characters into my story. Until...around chapter four, they will only be mentioned. Except for one character, I'm sure you all know who she is! Second, can readers please let me know if I'm sticking to the characters? Is Botan or Yusuke too OOC, if you don't see them interacting like this at all? Things like that. Third, in the first chapter, I don't know if any reader noticed the fic was rated R and it is supposed to be PG-13. To clear that up, for now, Nox will be rated PG-13 but maybe later it will be bumped up to R. If anyone is uncomfortable with that, I will try and make that maybe upcoming chapter as discrete as possible.
Oh, another thing I almost forgot to mention. In the scene when Atsuko, Yusuke's mother, is talking to Botan, she says, "Remember, mi casa es su casa." For those who do not know what this means, it's just Spanish for my home is your home.
Again readers, you know the drill. Your comments, your criticism, and your thoughts are always welcomed and appreciated. (Along with suggestions too!) I'm on a roll here so I'll keep the chapters updated regularly. 'Til next time, I'll see all of ya'll later!