Ugh, I totally understand the copyright issue w and making us put down. Its just kind of a hassle having to track down all u'r fics and re-upload them w copyrights. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Really though, does anybody honestly think that if I owned a any of the series I write about that I would be wasting my millionaire time writing fan fiction about it?

Oh and btw, does anybody have the soundtrack to the movie 'abandon'? U kno, the one w Katie Holmes in it? If anybody can get me the music 2 it I would forever b in u'r unending debt! I've got limewire and haven't been able to find the music for abandon anywhere. If anybody can get the music then I'll email u personally the mili-second a new chapter of TEC is done. Or wutever, just tell me wut ya want and I'll try 2 find a way 2 make it happen TT I just need this music or I will die. That's it. There will b no more story writing for the Deni Pie because I will die. As in I'll b 2 dead 2 write. All because I have no 'abandon' soundtrack 2 listen 2.

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

T h e E l e c t r a C o m p l e x

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

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.

"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach to you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
in the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets

are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls."
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence

'Sound of Silence' – Emiliana Torrini

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

It hadn't really reached full-blown 'stench' status, but there was most definitely an odor. And it was quite ardent about assaulting Fuu's nose a little too early in the morning. She groaned trying to turn away from the offensive smell in her sleep, unfortunately she rolled the wrong way and ended up in the pit of the sour stink. Cringing at the barrage of various objects abruptly plowing into her side, she had no choice but to return to the horrible world that wasn't sleep. Wobbling into a sitting position she made an irritated sound at the swirling colors of mashed slop now dripping down her robes. Fuu spared the new stains on her kimono a brief look of disgust before attempting to swipe away the mess. But all that succeeded in doing was smearing the slime deeper into her clothes and onto her palm. At her knees, lying there in various states of smashed, crushed, and rotted was a former pile of food and fruit.

All at once the events of the previous night flooded back to her, knocking away the sleep-induced haze like a harmless fly. She groaned, running a hand through her tousled hair, jerking it away when she realized it was the same hand she used to try to brush away the crushed muck. Growling in frustration she shook the soiled hand a few times to toss away the spoils, but most of it had probably rubbed off in her hair now anyway.

A prominent shade of red stood out against the goop on the floor, catching her attention. Giving up the fight against the sticky remains for now, she turned to the crumpled cloth ingrained with the same spoiled food as her own. Risking her remaining clean hand she grasped one edge of the scarlet robe that looked decent enough to touch. Some heavier scraps of fruit, and meats fell away from it as she lifted it closer to her. Memories of the shirt and even more of its owner flickered and flashed in her mind like a morbid slide show with no happy pictures. Her fingers clenched in the thick, coarse material, nails digging into the cheap fabric.

Suddenly overcome with a rising heated anger, boiling in the pit of her belly, she yanked the robe up from the mutilated pile. Spits and spatters of odorous food particles were sent careening into the air and into her face, before she furiously hurled the tainted haori across the room. The room was tense with sniffling and spite as she glared at the evil clothing strewn carelessly in the other corner. How was it that she could want to cry, scream, and vomit all at the same time? Hopefully the later of the three feelings would subside, though.

Wiping her hand across her forehead, she rose wearily, albeit a bit clumsily, to her feet. The room now smelled of day old meat and vegetables left out in the sun. But the stress of the previous night and the hazy fog of sleep still present in her head left her too tired to care, instead she righted her kimono the best she could and left the room. She wanted to clear her mind, and most all she wanted to find Jin and Mugen and just leave. Her sandals gave off a muffled clattering sound that echoed in the hallways as she searched out Jin's room. She had thought it was only five doors down and across from her own. Halting in front of the most familiar door she hesitantly raised a hand to give a gentle rap. A few minutes went by and no answer came, no pale-faced man with gleaming raven hair appeared to greet her.

With a sigh of disappointment she turned from the door almost running into the same old man that had given them the rooms in the first place. "Oh! Oh gomen, I didn't see you." She apologized, stepping back.

The old man regained his balance and simply laughed her off. "No harm done, dear. I'm the one who should be apologizing. My, but you look a fright! Are you feeling well this morning? Can I get you anything?" He inquired.

Fuu couldn't imagine what she must've looked like at that moment. No doubt her kimono was soiled and wrinkled from sleeping in it. And her hair probably hadn't faired any better. "No, no I'm fine. Actually I don't have much of an appetite for once." She replied, the image of the mashed and semi-rotted goods flashing briefly in her mind. "But could you tell me where my friend is? He was staying in that room." She said gesturing to the room behind her.

After a moment of consideration, the man's eyes alit with recognition, his mouth shaping into a little 'O'. "Ah, yes the non-talkative one. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen him since I checked him in."

"Oh, okay. Thanks, anyway." She said unable to hide her desolation.

"Are you sure there is nothing I can get you?" He urged, looking apologetic and eager to redeem himself.

"No, I'm fine, really. I just have to find my friends." She reassured, giving him a little smile, grateful for his concern.

He appeared satisfied with her consolation and with a curt nod, he bid her a good day and continued past her. Fuu returned the pleasantry before resuming her search.

Reaching the end of the hallway she was reluctant to leave the inn entirely. The quaint village now left a bittersweet taste in her mouth and she wasn't positive in her resolve to return to it. But she had to find Jin and Mugen, and the faster that was done the faster they could leave. Walking down the dirt roads, she felt more out of place than before. With her constant twisting and turning about and ferreting eyes it was apparent to everyone else that she was either looking for someone or severely lost. Either way, she looked silly and with no knowledge of where her companions were she certainly felt lost enough.

There were no warm and maternal glances to rove over her changing form, and no compliments or interruptions on the street to make her blush. Everyone now looked at her in an odd manner, like the way one would look at someone with a piece of vegetable in their teeth even though they had no intent of ever telling them. Their eyes shifted over her critically, and some of the younger women even giggled at her passing by.

The whispers and judgmental attentions were becoming rather irritating really fast, but she clenched her teeth and ignored the rudeness. Losing her temper in a mass of strangers wouldn't help her cause. Her focus shifted over the people, searching for a familiar face, or perhaps simply a face that she hadn't questioned about Jin's whereabouts. That system didn't last for very long as her desperation and anxiety grew and within a few hours she was back to ducking into every shop and stand with frantic inquisitions and worried eyes. Mugen she didn't have to fret over as much, he was probably at the closest whorehouse or sake shop. But it was Jin she couldn't leave without. And she grew more tense and uneasy each passing minute because she knew he didn't feel the same. He had proven up and leaving her to her own devices to be a feat considerably easy for him.

A stray thought suddenly struck her like a bolt of lightening. It was a long shot, it was an unbearably long shot. But then again, she had nothing to loose. She almost lost her balance spinning around on her heel before she began to dash back in the direction of the inn. The edges of her vision blurred in her haste and Fuu missed the gasps at her impropriety and the aghast ogling at the pregnant woman racing about in such condition. Although, luckily her 100-meter sprint lasted a grand total of ten minutes when a sudden shooting pain ripped through her insides. Fuu gasped, stumbling to a halt as she keeled over grasping at her belly. Catching her breath seemed impossible and she began to sweat and clutch her firming stomach, praying the pressure would ease the pain. Her body shook with tremors when her vision started to blacken. Consciousness wasn't leaving her, her eyes were indeed open and but couldn't see a thing!

Panic set in and her knees felt weak. What was happening to her! Oh Kami she was alone! She needed help and she was alone! As her knees gave way she wanted to shout for help, but all that came out was a weak, pained, cry that sounded small and hoarse even to her own ears. Her muscles tensed, bracing for the ground to hit, but didn't expect the pair of long arms that shot around her, catching her and gently steadying her away from the ground. She didn't fight and let herself sag limply against her benefactor. Soft puffs and pants for air seemed to demand more of an effort out of her than before. The pain in her gut was lessening, but her sight was still missing and her brain felt like syrupy goo sloshing to and fro in her head. "Thank you." She breathed, wanting to pass out, though she could have thought of more scenic environments to do so instead of in the middle of the dirty street.

"Are you alright? Aren't you Yasuki's friend? You shouldn't be dashing about like this."

"What?" Her brain was trying desperately to sort through all the muck and translate what was being said to her. Though the voice did have a blatant feminine tone to it, and it did sound familiar, plus it would explain the ballooning breasts currently shoved against the side of her face. "I-I can't see. Who're you?"

"Oh my, here, lets go over here in the shade. I'm Houku, remember me? From the restaurant?"

The temperature cooled the tiniest of bits and Fuu assumed she had been taken underneath a stand canopy or something of the like. Color slowly swelled back into her vision and breathing became much easier along with relaxing when the pain faded from her spleen. With a heaving breath she slumped further against Houku, trying to shake the remains of terror and panic that had enveloped her only moments before.

"There, there now, are you alright?"

Nodding weakly at her worried tone, she felt more than relieved to have someone with her. "Yes, thank you. I don't know what happened, I was just-"

"You were just over exerting yourself is what you were doing." Houku admonished. "Darting through the road like a rat with a cat on its heels, honestly. You can't do those sorts of things anymore."

Fuu accepted the scolding with a grain of salt, more interested in regaining some clarity to her sight. "I know, I know. Do you know the road that enters into town? I need to get there, quick." She explained, regaining her previous eagerness when she remembered the reason behind her prior 'over exertion'.

"What one earth for?"

"My friend might be there. I need to go see him." She urged impatiently, pulling away from the waitress and climbing to her feet.

"I should say you do! A man should be sitting you down and telling you what you can't do in this condition, not me!" She huffed, thumping her fists on her hips. "I do have a bit of time before my shift starts, though. I can walk you to the edge of town if you like, but that's as far as I have time to go." She said, looping arms with the smaller girl and pulling her along.

It didn't seem to do much good to object so Fuu relented and gave in to the idle babble the other woman relentlessly threw at her along the way.

"Yasuki hasn't left her room since yesterday." She lamented. "Kobuo has been there for her, but it's not the same. You should come by today and pay her a visit, I'm sure that would help more than you think. Yasuki has taken quite the shine to you."

Did they have to talk about this? Yesterday was the last thing she wanted to discuss right now. "I don't think seeing me is going to make her forget about loosing her husband." She protested.

"Well of course not, but everyone feels a little better to know that they have friends there when they need them. And she certainly needs as much of them as she can get in a time like this."

Giving a small accord, Fuu let her win. Her feet hurt, her back was beginning to ache, and she was sure a new assortment of pangs and soreness was on the verge of paying her their own little visit.

"How far along do you think you are?"

Fuu gave a tiny start at the unexpected change of topic. Well, it was better than talking about yesterday… "I don't really know."

"Is this your first?" She questioned excitedly.

"Yes." Even thought the subject was better than talking about Yasuki, she still didn't feel any more comfortable with it.

"Oh I remember when I had my first child." She reminisced dreamily. "The feeling of holding that baby for the first time is simply indescribable. I felt like my heart would burst. I had no idea I could love something so much at first sight."

It was a nice little thought, but Fuu still found it hard to believe that you could look at the little ball of hell that you spent torturous hours heaving out of your bloodied and ripped womanhood and instantly fall in love with it. Then again, what did she know? "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Of course, but when they put that baby in your arms none of it matters. It's as if your whole body goes numb and your whole world centers on that little bundle snuggled against you."

She wondered if that's how her mother had felt about her when she was born. Fuu never got the chance to ask. She never got the chance to ask many of the things she wanted to. "How many children do you have?" The girl didn't look that much older than her, possibly a year or two, three or four at the most.

"Only one, but my husband and I are planning for more. Unfortunately, we've been very busy." She chattered. "But, a husband and wife must make time to do what they must." She giggled as if it were the funniest thing in the whole wide world.

Fuu laughed uneasily, wanting her arm out of the other girl's vice-like grip.

Wiping a humorous tear from her eye, Houku's chuckles died down. "Ah yes. But enough about me. Yasuki told me about your own husband. I'm very sorry. You must know what she's going through then?" She said sympathetically.

"..ano….I guess Its different for everybody."

Houku nodded agreeably. "That's very true. Were the two of you very close?" She asked curiously.

'waaayyy too close.' Fuu thought grudgingly. "Not really, honestly. We never really had that instant..ano…, um…, 'getting-along-ness'." She explained lamely.

"It happens sometimes." Houku said with a tone of understanding. "Not every couple falls in love so quickly. Was he good to you?"

Good to her? Was Mugen ever good to anybody? Before she could answer, though, Houku came to an abrupt halt, Fuu still moving and almost tumbling to the floor since the other woman still had a firm hold on her arm.

"Oh, we're here. Gomen, I was just so caught up." She apologized, looking a bit sorry to see the smaller girl go. "I have to get back, but the road is right that way. You can find it?"

Her eyes followed the direction Houku was pointing. "I can find that, can't be too hard."

"Not at all! And do give Yasuki a visit, she could really use it." She gave Fuu a warm smile and a little wave before saying her goodbyes and strolling hurriedly back to the village.

Waving back Fuu was grateful for her help, the company hadn't been as bad as she thought. Turning towards the road, she continued down the path with a bit more hope in heart and in her step.

It wasn't far at all. There was a small forest next to the road behind the village, that had been the designated camp sight should they not have collected enough money to find rooms. She wasn't very eager to go back into the woods alone, though it was still daylight and most dangerous creatures didn't come out until nightfall. Steeling herself determinedly with this thought she stepped over the bushes and turned through the trees.

Her eyes roved over every landmark, searching for something familiar, something to lead her in the right direction. A faint sound of slicing and the rustling of cloth reached her ears. Picking it up the best she could she followed it, the practically nonexistent noises becoming clearer the closer she came.

Crawling over a particularly overgrown log, she pushed past a patch of expanded foliage and stopped. Had she ever doubted her intuition before, she made a solemn vow to never do so again. Jin stood in the middle of a clearing, poised in the traditional defensive stance, going through a series of motions and lightening like moves. He wasn't looking at her and to anyone else it would appear he hadn't even noticed her presence. But she wasn't anyone else, and she knew better. "Is this where you've been?" She asked, her attention stilling on the remains of a burnt out campfire.

Just as she thought, his movements and facial muscles gave no motion or start at her question. Fuu was curious as to how far away she had been when he first realized she was there. Dismissing the charred spoils of the fire she turned back to him in time to hear the stoic man give a curt 'Hn.' of affirmation.

When they first began their journey she probably would have been terribly uneasy with the silence and his refusal of conversation. But over time she had grown accustomed to it and making the extra effort for discussion no longer bothered her. "I haven't seen you since we found the Inn." She continued.

Again, silence was the only voice that responded to her. She could feel her jaw tighten and fought off her habit of wringing her hands in her kimono whenever she was annoyed. Just because she grew accustomed to him blatantly ignoring her didn't mean it still didn't irritate the ever-loving hell out of her. "Giving me the silent treatment is really immature, you know." She commented walking closer.

His practice stopped, but he did not turn to face her. "I have given you your answer." His voice was as poised and emotionless, as it had always been.

She made an exasperated sound in the back of her throat, walking around him since he obviously wasn't going to look at her on his own. Halting directly in front him she could feel his eyes finally focus on her. Granted they weren't exactly 'the window to his soul', but at least she knew she had his attention. He stood there before her in only his hakama, his chest bare and glinting with sweat in the little light the tree canopy provided. Her eyes flickered up to his face, her hand rising to her mouth to stifle a laugh at the sweat dripping off the semi-fogged spectacles. Shaking her head at his relentlessness she reached up, gently removing the cloudy glasses from his face. The samurai didn't flinch as she removed the eyewear, his body unmoving, still and statuesque.

Taking the hem of her robes she carefully rubbed the back and front of the fragile glass until they were clear once again. Holding them up in the light, Fuu looked through them herself just to make sure no blurring spots remained, before tenderly placing them back on the bridge of his nose. His eyes never left her and she found that she couldn't be mad at him, not when such a strong and poised man could look so silly. She could feel the heat and humidity of his body radiating onto her and she struggled with herself not to wipe the perspiration from his forehead. "There, isn't that better?" She teased.

No answer was expected but he did give his usual 'Hn.' of agreement. She laughed quietly, shaking her head. Such a strong, strong, silly man. How happy he made her. If gaining actual joy from wiping the very sweat off someone's glasses wasn't love, she had no idea what was. The moment was too good to ruin, but she hadn't come all the way out here to clean the perspiration from his spectacles. "Jin, why are you staying out here?"

Turning from her, he walked to the charred campfire, leaning down to pick up the navy colored robes lying beside it. "It is the proper thing to do."

Fuu loved his voice. She really did. The masculine timbre of it never ceased to leave her enamored whenever he spoke. Unfortunately, that masculine timbre was the only thing that anyone could ever read from it. Always so steady, so stony, she could never read him. "What? Its proper to stay out in the dirt, with the cold and mosquitoes while everyone else is in a nice warm room?" And by 'everyone else' she meant herself and Mugen, but she still didn't know what Jin considered them. She doubted he would ever call them 'friends', 'companions' maybe but doubtful, so 'everyone else' seemed the best way to go.

Again, the brusque and ever irritating 'Hn.' was all the answer she got. "You never had any problem sleeping in rooms with us before."

He only proceeded to slip his arms through the sleeves and adjust his robes appropriately.

Was it because of what happened? Was it because of her? Fuu chewed the inside of her cheek anxiously, dread seeping into her veins. "Jin, if you never talk to me again, fine. Just talk to me now."

After tying the last knot of the haori he looked at her. She felt like a book being studied and began to fidget. Giving her one last glimpse he went back to righting his robes. "It would not be proper to sleep with you in this situation."

"You wouldn't have been 'sleeping with me.' You would have had your own room." She corrected, steadying him with a suspicious glare. "Or is it you just don't want to be near me any more than you have to?"

Jin didn't answer her and instead turned away to pick up his swords and re-sheath them, and with that simple gesture she was worlds away from him. Fuu's face fell; she had been happy only minutes ago. How could anyone make someone go from feeling love and joy to feeling dirty and miserable in such a short time? "You want to go, don't you?" She whimpered, her eyes stinging and blurring with unshed tears. "Fine. If you don't want to come with me then I don't want you to come just so I can deal with your disgust!"

Instantly his movement stopped, his back facing her. She could see the muscles in his shoulder tense even through all the clothing. It was an eternity to her, and eternity of wringing her hands and fighting her tears before he spoke to her again. "I gave you my word, and I will fulfill my promise."

'Its not about the stupid promise, you jerk!' Her mind screeched at him. "Jin, I love you." She cried wretchedly. Sniffing away the snot in her nose she rubbed her eyes. "I love you and you went to that other woman."

Taking in a shaky breath Fuu braved a glance at him and he was still not facing her, but his stance and tension told her he was listening. "I didn't want this. I didn't want Mugen. I wanted to not be lonely anymore. And I was lonely without you." It was like she was throwing up, all this bile was leaving her mouth and she wondered if it disgusted him just as much. "I can't stop being in love you, Jin. I don't know how." She wept.

Holding herself as though she were her only lifeline she cried quietly. Not wanting to resort to the banshee-like wailing that was screaming inside her. It was out. He knew. He knew and his silence was literally killing her. She felt like her head was on a chopping block and the man before her was the executioner. Her shoulders trembled and quaked with shame and despair. This wasn't who she was. She was Fuu, the girl who had gotten on with her life after her mother's death, the girl who braved her life to search for the father who left her, the girl that chased down thieves who stole from her. Now, she felt like Fuu, the little girl standing alone, abandoned and small in the streets. Only now there would be no mother to come pick her up and kiss her cheek.

She froze, seeing him move and turn towards her. Her eyes wide and fearful as he approached her, as though he were an executioner. He was gazing directly into her face when he stopped in front of her and she all but swooned. 'Hold me, love me, never leave me.' She wanted to whisper to him, but she had no voice.

And he didn't hold her, he didn't love her, and he would one day leave her. "Fuu, you are a child, with a child's heart. You must understand that."

'Bastard!' Insensitive bastard! Before she knew what she was doing she had shoved him away from her with whatever force she had. She didn't want his pity! She didn't want his words of wisdom! What she wanted, he would never give her.

A pathetic sob wracking her body, Fuu didn't stop to suffer the consequences and took off back to the path she had taken. She tripped and stumbled, twigs and limbs caught and snagged at her hair and face, but she didn't stop. She didn't stop until she fell back onto the road Houku had pointed her to. Tumbling to her knees she stared at her dusty hands splayed in the dirt holding her up. For some strange reason or another she had no more tears for him. No more tears to cascade down her cheeks and hang off the bottom of her chin. Only the dried ones remained, caked and crusted to her face. She wasn't even a woman in his eyes.

A child's heart. That's all she had. Only a child's heart.

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

It was odd. Where pain and loneliness had once resided, now only numbness and exhaustion remained. As she trudged home she felt numb, tired and numb. Jin wasn't in her life, he would never be in her life, and more than likely he never had been in her life. She was going to have to accept the fact he would be yet another passerby. Quickly coming, quickly going, and only a memory remaining like an old faded picture in her mind. He was not for her. She didn't belong with him. No matter how badly she wanted to, she would never belong by his side. It was like forcing a bizarrely shaped puzzle piece into the wrong puzzle. No matter how hard you pushed and squeezed it would never fit.

The sun was setting by the time she made it back to the Inn. The old man was sweeping the front steps and greeted her with a friendly gesture, but she could only manage a weak and halfhearted reply as she brushed past him and searched out her room. Barely having the strength to slide her own door open she staggered in, collapsing to her knees in exhaustion. What had Jin turned her into? A sobbing, pathetic excuse for a bleeding heart. Yet, if he was at fault then why was she the one feeling so dirty and inadequate?

Fuu sighed miserably, groaning sorely when she made to stand up. Sweet Kami, her back hurt. Cringing, she pressed her fists against her spine to relieve some of the tension. A splash of red caught her eye in the dull, dark room. Walking over to the far corner she stooped down snagging the familiar crumpled and stained haori. None of the anger this shirt had invoked in her before lingered when she looked at it. Standing up, she brought it with her, still examining the multitude of stains. Was her kimono this filthy?

A gentle knock broke her from her reverie and she glimpsed towards the door. "Come in!" She called.

The door slid open and the old man peeked in, his eyes flitting about the room before settling on her with concern. "I just wanted to see if you needed anything. You didn't seem yourself when you came in. Are you alright?"

A little smile lifted her spirits. What a nice old man. "I'm fine, thank you." She said softly, not wanting to sound too curt.

"If you're sure." He said. "Remember, I'm just down the hall. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to come get me." He reminded pleasantly, moving to leave the room.

"You're very nice, thank you." She said with sincerity. Glancing at the shirt sagging limply in her hands she thought of something. "Oh! One minute!" She started, stopping the old man as he went to close the door behind him. "Do you have any place I could wash up, and maybe wash a few clothes?" She inquired.

The man's face instantly lit up, almost eager to finally have a request. "We do have a bathhouse, but I don't think that's the best place for washing clothes. I, myself, have a small tub upstairs that you're welcome to." He offered.

"I really appreciate your kindness." She said gratefully.

"Oh think nothing of it. Come now, follow me." He lilted cheerily.

Fuu followed behind him down the long winding hall to a large room in the back. Stepping in, it looked to be a master bedrooms of sorts. Then again, he did own the Inn, so why shouldn't he have the best room in it?

"Its right this way." He instructed, gesturing for her to follow him again.

Looking over his shoulder into another room she saw a large, round wooden tub against the back wall.

"Now the water is cold, mind you. I only use this for washing clothes." He warned.

"Thank you so much, you've been very generous!" She said running for the wide barrel.

"Its nothing, really. I have to run an errand or two but I'll be back to check on you if you need help."

She barely heard him past her excitement of finally having clean clothes, but she did remember to give a nod and another 'thank you' as he left. After hearing the door slide to a 'click' in the other room, she shrugged out of her outer kimono and shoved her hands into the water, cupping them up to splash her face. The water was indeed freezing, as he said but she hardly cared.

Looking down into the tub she almost started back at her own reflection. Was that how she had looked all day? Spatters of food now mush from the water, still clung to her forehead, cheeks and chin. Her hair faired no better against the onslaught of spoiled scraps tangled within its chocolate covered locks, and her kimono looked as though she had dug it off a dead body with its dirt and stains ingrained in the elaborate fabric.

Removing the rest of her kimono she threw it with the haori in the tub and shoved her yukata down her hips to better clean her hands and arms. Splashing more water into her face, Fuu scrubbed it until all the spatters were gone. Her hair was another story, however. Her little accessories had gotten well entangled in it when she had slept in them and proved quite the formidable foe in taking them out. Fortunately though, many yanked strands, and scratched patches of scalp later, they finally relented and went easy as she pulled them out. Threading her fingers through her hair she eased her abused scalp and gently messaged away the soreness from the pulled locks.

Starting on her hair she took a deep breath, quickly dunking her head under water, swishing and brushing the food out of the snarled strands until her lungs began to complain for oxygen. Jerking her head back out of the water, she gasped for lost air, her hair swinging behind her and lashing against her neck and shoulders with a stinging 'slap!'. Wincing at the smart, she rubbed the reddening skin at the base of her neck until the resounding sting faded. With the rest of her head done she scooped more water from the barrel and poured it along her arms, rubbing away the dirt and filth.

When a decent enough job had been done she dipped her arms down the tub and grasped at the first article of clothing her fingers touched. Bringing it up, the unique red color announced it was the haori. It was probably for the best since it was definitely the filthier of the two. Rising on her knees for better access she began to scrub at the cloth. Her fingers wrung and dug into the material, every now and then bringing it up out of the water to wring the liquefied dirt out of it.

The stains were coming out nicely, easier than she had expected anyway. Reaching a particularly difficult spot, she bunched the wrinkles together and grinded the material against itself, scrubbing the unrelenting spot out of the fabric. Just as the stain was fading, another knock echoed in the room and took her from her work. A 'swooshing' sound signified the door opening and she panicked, looking down at herself in nothing but her breast binding and her yukata, which had fallen loosely around her knees and feet.

But no one entered the room she was in and instead another knock sounded against the wall of it.

"I finished sweeping the steps and decided to ask if you wanted any help." Came the elderly voice.

Fuu didn't fight the sigh of relief and relaxed. At least he was polite enough to knock. "No, I'm alright. I'm cleaning myself up a bit too." She called back.

"Oh! Gomen nasai, I didn't know." He apologized.

"No, don't worry about it. This is your room anyway; I don't want to kick you out of it. I never did get your name, by the way?"

"Takuro, and yours?"

"I'm Fuu, its nice to meet you finally." She joked, resuming her wringing and scrubbing of the shirt.

She could hear Takuro chuckle with her in the other room. "Yes it is. If I may ask, did you ever find your friend?"

Her hands stilled in the water at the thought. Oh she had found him. No, she wasn't going to think about that right now, she thought washing the material a little more thoroughly. "Yes. I think we'll be leaving tomorrow."

"That's a shame. You didn't like our little town?" He inquired, but she could sense a bit of teasing in his voice.

"No, I love your town. We just have somewhere to be." She explained.

"I see, of course. Might I ask what a girl in your way is doing traveling?" There was no accusation or vindictiveness to be heard.

"I have to find a member of my family and tell them about 'my way.'" She gritted, more towards thinking of her father instead of the old man.

"I'm sure they'll be very happy."

Fuu chortled out a bitter laugh. Happy, yeah, that's what he would be. "Speaking of family, do you have a wife? Or children?" She asked, dunking the haori down to sift out the stains. Silence met her at the other end and she was afraid she had offended him some how. "Gomen nasai, I was just curiou-"

"No no, its fine. Yes I suppose I did at one time." He sighed.

She paused, her fingers still tangled in the soaked material. "One time?" Was that too forward a question? She didn't want to press a hurtful subject, but she was curious.

"Many, many years ago my wife was given to me very young. You look maybe a year or two older than she was at the time. Because of this she was also young giving birth. She was-she was…….she was so small. I guess her body couldn't handle it. Sadly, she passed away and took the baby with her."

A sorrowful breath echoed through the room but Fuu couldn't hear it. Her face had gone ghostly white and there was a distinct ringing in her ears. Her fingers had practically turned to claws and clenched in a death grip on the now cleansed shirt.

"I keep thinking that if-" He didn't get the chance to finish, jolting back as a half naked Fuu came scrambling out of the other room, barreling past him and out the door, a drenched red haori flapping behind her like a banner in her grasp.

Tripping and stampeding through the hall, down the steps and out into streets, if there was pain in her abdomen she sure as hell didn't feel it this time. The waiflike girl raced down the streets, her feet making dust puffs as they pattered in the dirt. Most of the town residents were inside sleeping or inside drinking, either way, not many were there to witness the small pregnant girl darting down the road in nothing but breast bindings and a tangled yukata twisted and snarled around her legs.

She could DIE! She hadn't thought that this parasite inside her could actually kill her! All she heard about was how freaking wonderful it was to give birth and have children. No one mentioned that these demonic bundles of 'joy' could actually murder the ones giving the little ingrates life! Not even that but there was a chance that they would kill her and not even be born themselves! So what the hell was she dying for! Why the hell should she be the one to die at all?

A familiar lascivious looking alley way caught her attention and she skidded to a halt, practically twisting in mid air and dashing towards it. Fuu made for the house doors before two guards grabbed at her arms, jerking her to a halt.

"What do you think you're doing lady? This is no place for you! What're you doing out here like that!" One of them gawked.

Fuu yanked, thrashed, and kicked like a horse with a noose around its neck. "Don't touch me! Let me go!" She screeched, managing to land a well-aimed kick below one of the guards' lower belts.

As most men tend to do, he staggered, trying to refrain from grasping his injured appendage, and Fuu took the open opportunity to tear away from the other man and race to the doors. Making a loud pained grunt as she collided with the newly found locked doors, she began to pound desperately at the thick wood. "MUGEN! MUGEN! OPEN THE DOOR, MUGEN!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, her palms starting to chafe with the harder slaps against the doors.

The guards apparently didn't need much time to recover from genital abuse and where on her again, tugging and pulling at her arms and torso. "Now look, I'm being easy with you, here! You don't belong here, now-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME! MUGEN! MUGEN! MUGEN!" She wailed, pounding against the unyielding barrier and thrashing away from the other men.

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

"What is it? Why did you stop?"

Mugen stilled above the panting woman currently running her nails down his shoulders and over nipples. After a few moment of hearing nothing he relaxed and thrust back into the hot, slick, walls clenching and sheathing his wanton sex so sweetly. The same sound came again as he rocked, unfortunately it was muffled by the lustful cries coming from beneath him. "Shut up." He hissed, stopping again, ignoring her impatient look and cocking his ear for the noise again.

It came and sounded so undeniably familiar. His fingers clenched at the woman's thighs, torn between getting up and leaving the best lay he'd had in a good while and seeing what it was that was breaking his concentration. The noise came again and seemed louder, more incessant. 'Just ignore it, Just ignore it, Just ignore it.' He chanted in his head. As if on cue, the sound stopped and he sighed in relief.

Lifting the creamy thighs, he was presently wrapped around, a little higher; he gave her a predatory grin, adjusting her hips for better access.

"What was it?" She drawled, raking her tongue over the ball of his throat.

"Nothing, never mind." He said, hands moving to grasp her backside.

"MUGEN!"

"Fuck!" He snarled, releasing the eager woman, letting her fall back into the mattress. That was definitely not her he had heard screaming for him. The pirate aggressively yanked himself up from the other girl, searching for his hakama on the ground and throwing it on haphazardly. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." He muttered furiously to himself.

The woman regained her breath and slinked back over to him. "Ignore it, come back to bed." She purred.

Mugen brushed her off as she kissed up his neck. This had better not be what he thought it was. There had better be a damn good reason he was turning down an awesome peace of ass. A damn good reason. "You go back to bed. I'll be back later." He gritted between his teeth.

"But I thought we made up. You can't go running off when I'm showing you how much I forgive you." She breathed, looping her foot around his ankle.

Not really paying attention, he shoved at her shoulder, knocking her back into the bedding. "Knock it off. I'll be back later, Hirori." He growled, finishing the last ties to his pants and storming out the door.

Stomping down the hall, there were apparently several other occupants of the establishment that had heard the same noise coming from outside. Many heads were peeking out of their doors and observing the entrance, hardly noticing Mugen raging past them. The noise escalated, and actually became a voice, a voice he recognized unfortunately. Gods he had never hated being right so fucking much. He could also hear a few other voices coming from the same place, though they weren't as familiar.

"MUGEN! MUGEN! MUGE-"

"WHAT!" He shouted back yanking the door open.

Instantly everything went quiet. The, now five, residents outside abruptly stopped and looked up at him in surprise. Mugen blinked at the sight before him. Four guards snatching at a nearly naked Fuu, who's yukata had untangled and now lay at her ankles, and who's breast bindings had twisted in some places and loosened in others.

Fuu was the first to break the shocked silence, her eyes tearing up and her mouth twisting into a pitiful sob. The other men forgot to keep a hold on her when she ripped herself away from them and flew at Mugen. Her arms wrapped themselves around his torso in a bear hug, her face buried into his chest with a shuddered weeping. After a moment of body wracking sobbing she appeared to loose her strength and fell at his feet, her hands clutching his hakama as she wept into it, the clean red haori tumbling into her lap.

What the hell? Not five minutes ago he had finally talked Hirori into giving him a good fuck and now……what was now? How the hell did he get here? It was then that he noticed the guards staring at the 90 nude girl at his feet. "Oi! Get lost, assholes!" He barked knocking one of them backwards and sending him stumbling to the dirt.

The mini-crowd quickly broke apart, going back to their posts but not before mumbling a few choice expletives his way. The low murmur of whispers and gossips echoed in the hall behind him. He could vaguely make out 'leaving his pregnant wife' and 'what….bastard..in such a way!' "Mind your own damn business!" He growled back, stepping out of the doorway and slamming the door shut behind him.

Now the only thing penetrating the silence was the little woman sobbing hysterically into his pants. What the hell was he supposed to do? He had no idea what to do with her when she cried! "What's the matter with you, get off the floor." He muttered, leaning down and scooping her naked body up, trying clumsily to snag her yukata with his foot.

She was now clutching at what looked like a familiar red sheet and weeping into it instead of his hakama. "Hey, is that mine?" He asked upon further inspection.

"I'm going to die, Mugen!" She wailed.

That got his attention, tearing his eyes away from the missing article of clothing and settling on the top of her head. "What? Why?" For some reason, his question only made her sob harder and by now he wasn't sure if her exclamations actually had some merit to them or if this was all part of the whole mood swing thing he had heard so much about.

"I can't do this! I'm gonna die!" She cried, burying herself deeper into the cloth.

Quickly becoming frustrated with her nonsensical babble, he sat down against the doors behind him, angling her so she sat easily in his lap. "Alright look, I tried the whole 'being there for you' shit. I tried all that 'comfort' shit. None of it worked! Now you're crying again and you're damn well going to tell me what the hell you want me to do about it!"

"I'M DYING YOU IDIOT!" She lashed out, tearing herself away from the tearstained shirt to glare angrily at him.

"NO YOU'RE NOT! You're right here and you're fine! Shit, just start from the beginning! What the hell's your problem?" He shouted back.

Her anger appeared to be zapped from her and she immediately went back into uncontrollable sobbing. "You're stupid baby's killing me, Mugen!" She wept.

"That's not the beginning. Who told you that?"

"I was washing up and Takuro told me-"

"Who's Takuro? What the hell is he doing in the bath with you?" He snapped.

"I wasn't taking a bath! He's the old man that gave us the rooms." She spat. "I was washing clothes and he let me use his tub." Fuu began to sniffle again. "He started talking about his wife and baby and they both died when she was trying to give birth to it. And she-and she was around my age, Mugen! I can't do this!" She sobbed.

Mugen was quiet, letting her weep out her fear into his shirt. Sure he knew it wasn't uncommon or infrequent for women to die during the whole birthing thing. He just had never considered it with Fuu. His brows knit and his shoulders tensed, he should have considered it, though. He wanted to go talk to this Takuro for himself, but he seriously doubted Fuu wanted to hear that in her state. Then again, he never seemed to say anything she wanted to hear, anyway. "Hey," He said jostling her out of her little red burrow "knock it off. You're not going to die."

"What're you talking about! I don't see you shoving hours of burning torture out of your womb!"

"Shut up, look! You can eat a hell of a lot-"

"Idiot, do you honestly think this is making me feel bett-"

"Shut up, I'm not done. You can chug almost a hundred bowls of rice, sacks and sacks of food, and hell knows what else. Now that has to come out somewhere so just imagine how much you shit."

"Mugen, have you lost-!"

"Damnit, listen!" He growled. "I'm sure shitting and having a kid are different, but the same rules apply. I think if your body can handle dishing out all that food, then it can take one little brat, right?"

Fuu stared at him in partial horror and partial amazement. There she was, sitting in his lap, outside a whorehouse, nude, wet and cold. On top of all that, those words were probably the most disgusting words ever said to her in her entire life! And she honestly hadn't the faintest clue why they comforted her as much as they did. In a weird and morbid way, he made sense. In a weird and very morbid way, mind you.

She swallowed uncertainly and relaxed against him, letting her head fall against his bare chest. "I'm scared." She whimpered. She hated telling him this; she hated him seeing her this way! Trembling in his lap like some scared rabbit. But she was scared.

---flashback---

"I can't go through this on my own," She hiccupped, "I need him." Sniffling, Yasuki rose up, trying her best to wipe her tears away. "How could you do it, Fuu?" She whimpered.

---end flashback---

'I can't.' She thought, hugging herself tighter. She couldn't do this on her own. This whole thing scared her senseless now, she couldn't imagine later. No, she didn't need a husband, she didn't need a provider, she didn't need a lover, but she did need somebody. She wondered if it meant anything at all that when she was scared she had run to Mugen, whorehouse and all. "What do we do?" She whispered tearfully looking up at him for answers she didn't have.

The pirate glanced at her at that. "We? Since when is there a 'we'? Last I remember you didn't need or want anything to do with this or me." He bit out spitefully watching her face crumble with a sort of sick satisfaction. 'Didn't think that if you hurt me I wouldn't hurt you back, you bitch?' He could leave. He could leave right now. Push her ass off his lap, about face, and march right back into that room and fuck Hirori blind. Go back to the life he knew and be content with the fact that he won and got the bitch back for her casual dismissals. He could keep her crushed face at the forefront of his mind in crystal clarity for the rest of his days like a proud trophy.

"But I washed your shirt." She sniffled hoarsely, holding said haori against her chest.

Or he could put on his newly cleaned clothes and go back to the Inn with her. Damnit. She drove him out of his fucking mind on a daily basis, was a bossy little cunt on more than one occasion, was in love with another man, and wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. But all shit aside he seriously doubted, Hirori would ever wash his dirty shirts, and when you looked at it just right, that had to be saying something.

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

K so whatchya think? R&R ppl!