DISCLAIMER: Yeahhhhh…. I don't own Lupin III, and I've eaten too damn much too think of something clever to write here.
Happy Holidays!
My most favoritist time of the year…. Anyone who's scanning through chapters and saw that wording has probably been automatically turned off by my butchering of the English language. But if you've been with me a while, like a lot of you have, then you're used to my grammatical errors. Happy holidays to all of my supporters who have become my friends over the years… People who've become like a second family to me in a sense. You and even those I don't talk to on a regular basis are the main reason that I keep doing what I do, and thank you all for giving me the support and guidance I need to improve in my talents. Thanks (In no special order) Kat, Katrina, Cora, Yuki, Lealah, Chas, Iowa, DJ, Rick, El Cid, Amani, Brey, Keywee, and all of you who have given me kind words and criticism over the years, no matter how hard it was for me to take! It only helped, trust me! Now, let's get on with the chapter and make 2006 bangin' year!
Fun Fact of Boredom: A little top ten list here…. Shocking things, based on reactions of my readers… Feel free to change it about any way you'd like: 10. Julia killed by Toshiro's mother, 9. Ari works for Interpol, 8. Sakura is found to still be alive, 7. Lupin's seventeen children, 6. Odori becomes pregnant, 5. Fujiko is pregnant with twins, 4. Carmen bitchslaps Fuji, 3. Max comes out of the closet, 2. Toshiro is found to be Goemon's son, 1. Yukiko is Jigen's daughter
Chapter Thirty-two: We Need a Little Christmas
France:
"Hey! Toshiro! Yukiko!" Lupin laughed heartily and embraced each of the Lupin gang members. "Glad you could make it! Heh heh… Yuki, you're getting big fast, huh? So you expecting a boy or a girl?"
"I'm not telling yet," Yukiko answered with a knowing smile, briefly glancing over at Toshiro.
"Ohhh I see…. Letting him sweat it out, eh?" Lupin placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder and patted it. "Well, I hope it's a boy for Yukiko's sake, Toshiro, ehehe…. I'm not sure how she'd handle a girl…"
"I'd manage," Yukiko laughed and placed a hand on her stomach. "Yeow…. Heh, I think this one'll be a dancer, like its dad…."
"Yeah, well it's freezing right now… Come on it… Where're my kids?"
"Fuji's doing a few things, and I couldn't tell you where Ari was if my life depended on it," Toshiro shrugged and closed the door behind him.
"Well, I hope they show soon…. The snow's really picking up out there," said the thief worriedly.
Across town:
"Every year?" Heiji repeated.
"Every year," Fuji answered with a nod and a smile.
"Why don't you ever tell anyone?"
"Where's the fun in that? Besides, everyone would think I was some kind of softie… And I don't want anyone walking all over me," Fuji shrugged. "Now help me get this bag out of my trunk, will ya? The food'll get frozen…"
"Why do you let everyone think you're an egotistical slut?"
"Eh, everyone has their secrets," Fuji replied. "Like Billy Joel said, we all have a face that we like to hide away forever."
"…Please for the love of God don't quote Billy Joel again…." said Heiji with a frown. Fuji gave a long laugh and slapped him on the shoulder and stepped inside of the hospital with a bag slung over her shoulder.
"I believe you know where these go, Ma'am," Fuji said with a wink as she set down a large bag in front of the receptionist's desk and smiled widely. Heiji did the same, but with a more awkward smile.
"Are you sure you don't want to see them?" the receptionist asked.
"Hey, I'd rather have them believe that Santa brought the toys… Not me," Fuji waved her goodbyes, and was soon out of the hospital, back in her car and on her way to her father's.
"….Just when I think I've figured you out," a still unbelieving Heiji muttered, shaking his head.
"Ah, that's what makes me so interesting, Heiji-chan!" Fuji chortled and zoomed off toward the Lupin mansion.
On the outskirts of Paris:
"I'll get it!" Dako shouted, and ran to the front door. "Hey, he's here!"
"Great!" Jared ran down the stairs and waited by the foot as Dako opened the door, and Leo stepped in, looking tired from his long trip across the country.
"Hey there, Sweetie!" Leo immediately brightened as Dako embraced him, and he spun her about once. "Where's your Dad?"
"He's with Avery," Dako explained. "How are you feeling?"
"Better…. They're really helping me," Leo answered calmly as he followed the two children into the living room, where Max Zenigata sat with a yarmulke on his head and a baby in his lap. "….Hey…"
"Hey," Max nodded and watched as Leo sat down on the couch. He passed the baby off to Leo and looked offward, finally breaking the strong silence between them. "….How've they been treating you?"
"Pretty good… I miss your cooking," Leo said with a weak laugh. "Um, how are the kids holding up?"
"Upset…." Max leaned against the couch and gave a heavy sigh. "We all—"
"Yeah, I know… I miss you guys, too," Leo glanced at Avery and then at Max. "I've got another evaluation…. Does anyone—"
"The press thinks you're doing a translating gig in Taiwan, so you're fine," Max answered with a small smile. "No one knows you've in the mental institute…."
"Good. I wouldn't want that getting out and embarrassing my dad or anything," Leo said in a low tone, his eyes failing to make contact with Max's. "Listen, I need to talk with you for a little bit… About things…"
"Yeah, I gotcha, buddy," Max rose with Leo, and left Avery in the care of his siblings, and the two walked out onto the back porch.
"I'm so sorry," Leo said with a heavy sigh.
"Don't be… You were off your rocker…."
"No! It was wrong, and…. Damn it, I treated you like crap," Leo seated himself in one of the porch chairs and looked up at Max. "I think we both…. We both just need to handle this relationship a little differently, because I don't want to end it, either. Not with kids…"
Max nodded, and grasped onto Leo's hand, "….We still need to go to your parents'."
"I know," Leo pulled Max down and scooted over to him. "You look cute in your skullcap, heh…"
"Thanks," Max blinked, and ventured to ask. "Is… Is that your pills talking?"
"Nope. That's the good part," Leo answered with a smile and a nudge. "Come on, let's get inside, you're cold."
"I know how that can be fixed…."
"Remember the children… I'll make it your Christmas gift, okay?"
"HA! I'm a Jew! We have Hanukkah—Eight nights!"
"Oi vey," Leo moaned and rolled his eyes.
Lupin's house:
"Goemon…. And Jordan….. Huh…." Lupin drew back the curtains to the second story room and looked to Fujiko in confusion. His wife only shrugged and peered out the window, smiling at the sight of Jordan holding onto Namiko. "Hrm…. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah, and it's kinda creepy," Lupin shivered visibly at the thought of Jordan with Odori, and began to hop down the stairs, nearly running into Jigen along the way.
"Hey, watch it, Peter Pan!" Jigen shouted.
Lupin ignored this, and hurried to the front door, opening it just in time to come face-to-face with his samurai friend.
"Lupin," Goemon said with a polite nod.
"Hey! Goemon! I thought you'd guys never show!" Lupin led them into the house, grabbing Jordan and stopping him short before he was able to enter the house. "I'll get to you later… Any of my other ones showing?"
"Yeah… My 'gang'," Jordan said with a less than enthusiastic tone. "Peter called and asked me to go to midnight mass with him… Makes me want to choke him with his rosary…."
"Well, you can't blame the guy… We all have our loves, and his for some strange reason is dressing in a black coat and speaking in Latin. We've all got our hobbies."
"Yeah… But mine's normal," Jordan responded as he set his bag at his feet.
"Mourning over the loss of Yukiko… Yeah, that's a growing pastime, from what I've heard."
"I know I'm not the first heart she's broken."
"You don't act like it," Lupin lifted up Jordan's backpack and handed it back to him. "I'll show you up to your room, if you don't mind it."
"Thanks," Jordan nodded and followed his father up the flight of stairs, leaving Odori on the ground level with her family.
"What's going on with you two," Goemon asked.
"W-what? No-nothing!" a flushed Odori answered, stunned.
"Are you positive?"
"I have no time for men in my life," Odori replied.
"I didn't either… Well, not with men, and, um, you understand," Goemon tried his best to look dignified, but failed at this, and Odori passed him with a smile at the edges of her lips.
Meanwhile, Ally was outside of the house, in the backyard, practicing the speech he and his father had been going over. He nearly toppled over onto the snow when he felt a hand upon his back. He was almost expecting one of his sisters, so he was surprised to see Carmen standing in behind him, her hands clasped.
"I think we need to talk," she said in a quiet voice.
"Yeah…. Um…. We need to sit down, first,s" Ally cleared his throat and sat down on a stone bench. Carmen followed him in his motion, and seated herself beside him. "Er, well… Before you do anything, promise me you won't hit!"
"Oh, no, I won't… That was just in the spur of the moment."
"Well, you've got a hell of a right hook… You should see what you did to Fuji," Ally gave a nervous laugh and looked down at the ground, and Carmen's eyes also averted to the floor.
"Allen… If… If you don't want to get married, just tell me. I'll be fine with it," Carmen said in an obvious lie.
"No, Carmen, I do! More than anything! It's just a lot of stress on me. It's not fair to you."
"So, do you want to call everything off? I'll understand…"
"No, you won't," Ally shook his head and took her hands. "Give me until March. Okay? We'll do it in March. I promise."
"Allen, I—"
"I know I don't deserve your trust. But I'd like one more chance. I want to prove to you that I'm not a creep out to use you. I just… I just freak. And I don't mean it, but, it happens… This'll be my Christmas gift to you. No more running, on my honor."
"If you run again you toss out your hockey jerseys," Carmen said sternly.
"What?" Ally choked. "B-but those are like… Thousands of dollars worth of jerseys!"
"And I'm worth it…."
"You…. You've been talking with Fuji, haven't you?"
"Allen…"
"Fine, fine. Deal," Ally muttered grimly. "Jeeze, now I really am trapped into this, aren't I?"
"Mm-hm. I won't be forty and waiting on you," Carmen leaned forward and kissed him, and placed her arms about him. "Come on, now, I don't want you catching a cold."
"Hrm, shouldn't I be the one worrying about you?"
"You worry too much," Carmen kissed him gently and then rose. "Come on, I think I hear someone in the kitchen cooking."
"How can you tell?"
"The yelling," Carmen answered with a chuckle.
Later that night:
"Dad…. I can't," Max said quietly.
"You need to do it," Zenigata answered sternly. "Those kids deserve at least one parent home, full time!"
"What about Interpol?"
"You hate being a cop, and you think it's the worst thing that eve happened to you. Don't lie," Zenigata said firmly, and passed Max back his cigarette after taking a drag of it. The two sat side by side on the porch, on a swinging chair that Max rocked back and forth with one nervous foot while he looked out at the frozen lake.
"If I hadn't become a cop, I wouldn't have met Leo, and I wouldn't even have the kids," Max sighed and closed his eyes. "Dad, I…. I can't!"
"Why not?" asked Zenigata with a snap.
"Listen, as long as there's a Lupin—"
"—There'll be a Zenigata to chase him. I know," Zenigata rose from the swing and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You're lucky; I was retired by the time you were born, so I was always around. I was never there for your sister… And she hates me for it. Well, she did, but… It's all water under the bridge. Long story short, you need to be there for those kids, damn it….."
"Dad, what are you doing?" Max asked worriedly as Zenigata stormed into the house, past the women in the kitchen and into the living room, where Lupin stood with Avery on his shoulders.
"Hey, Zenigata, what's with the face? You're scarier than usual," Lupin said with his ever-present smile.
"Hrm," Zenigata looked unamused by this, and reached into Goemon's belt, where the samurai kept a short dagger still. Lupin grew obviously tense, as did Max, and Leo from his corner with his mother, began to rise out of his seat.
"Z-Zenigata…. Are you okay?" Lupin took a step back, and watched in shock as Zenigata eased down and held up the sword for Lupin to take.
"I want to bridge the gap," said Zenigata sternly as he looked upward at Lupin. "I know what I said about Zenigatas and the Lupins, but I want to recant that now. If that's what it takes to give those kids a stable homelife, then so be it."
"Wha…. Zenigata, did you have too much eggnog again?"
Zenigata gave a small smirk and slowly rose from the ground, "I'm officially giving up on the Lupin case."
"….Thank you?" Lupin responded with a raised eyebrow. "Erm, Natasha, you drive him home tonight."
"Dad, you don't have to do that!" Max shouted and stood beside his father. "I…. Since my family's no longer bound to chase Lupin, I guess I…. I guess I could resign."
"Woah, what? Ummm….. I know that he's your dad, but I'm the one you go home with at the end of the day, Max. Would you care to tell me what exactly you two were talking about?" Leo removed his reading glasses and looked to Zenigata, then to his confused father, and finally to Max.
"I'm resigning from the Lupin case in order to stay home and take care of my family," Max answered sternly.
"Um, wow… Max, are you sure?" Leo asked disbelievingly.
"You're a terrific translator and voice actor… Let's face it, the only other things I can do besides cook is throw a mean curve ball and play Monopoly for three days straight."
"He really can," Heiji whispered to Toshiro. "I was the one playing with him. He didn't win, but hey, A for effort."
"The second one isn't really a talent," Max shrugged and walked over to Leo. "Our kids need at least one parent home, and you…. Well, you're too much like your father to be domestic."
"I'll slap you if you compare me to my father again," Leo said jokingly.
"Just add that to my Christmas gift," Max said quietly with a wink and a look that made Leo flush.
"Okay, if there's going to be any Zenigata/Lupin makeout sessions, let me know so I can excuse myself ahead of time," Jigen announced from his corner, much to Ming's annoyance.
"What, Jigen, are you a homophobe?" Lupin placed a hand over Jigen's shoulders and smiled. "And I always thought you had one eye on me."
"Say WHAT?"
"Well, you have to admit, Ming does act a lot like me…."
"Eh heh heh, you're friggin' hysterical," Jigen pushed Lupin off his shoulders and rose. "If anyone, Goemon would be the gay one. He's the one who had that thing with that guy."
"He looked like a woman! It's common in kabuki for men to dress as women, and some are convincing!" Goemon shouted. "At least I've never crossdressed for a prolonged period of time!"
"…Jigen?" Ming turned to her husband, almost afraid to ask.
"It was a long time ago, Ming. Before I even knew you."
"You in makeup…. That's kinda hot," Ming said with a seductive smile.
"….I'm gonna go puke my lunch up in that corner," Ally, who was now in the house with Carmen beside him, stepped away from his parents, taking Carmen with him. He couldn't help but notice Carmen's expression, however. "….What?"
"Well, you look a great deal like your father, so I was just imagining," Carmen answered quietly.
"Ohhh no, not you, too!" Ally yelped.
"We did enough of that to him when he was little, Carmen," said Ryo with a smile. "I'll show you the pictures later."
"You do and I'll key your car, Ryo!" Ally growled warningly.
"Go shoot a squirrel," Ryo took Carmen's shoulder and led her away from her fiancé while waving off Jigen. "Come on, I think we've got some pictures here."
"Well, I guess that's what you could call a happy ending," Lupin said with an unsure laugh. He looked over his shoulder and noticed a solitary figure on his back porch, and he excused himself from Jigen's company and then joined his daughter out on the wooden deck.
"How's my favorite daughter with Fujiko?" asked Lupin with a smile. "Wow, what's with the stone face, Fuji?... Is it about Jurgis?"
"Part of it," Fuji admitted and leaned over the railing and looked out at the lake in front of her. "There are other things, too."
"What? Having some of the other kids come over for the holidays? Is it about Chris? Like I said…. His mom was a great friend and business associate of mine, and things got out of hand. I'm sure you know all about what that's like. Especially you and Ally."
"How'd you find out about that?"
"Well, Dako and Jared couldn't stop talking about how Carmen gave you a black eye. So I asked around and I did the math… Why didn't you ever tell me you had trouble with having kids?"
"I didn't think it was important."
"You know, one of my sisters had the same problem…. She eventually had one, though. I mean, my sister's gone now, but it's refreshing knowing that I've got a nephew other than Victor."
"I feel like everyone's growing apart."
"They're just growing up, Fuji. It happens," Lupin said with a shrug. "I couldn't exactly look down at Yukiko and say, 'Well, sorry, you don't fit our schedule…. You mind coming back in a few years?'. You can't run from love… Hell, I spent most of my life running to it. But Jigen thought he could, and look at him—All girls and Ally! Even his damn dog's a girl! And Zenigata thought he'd never get someone… I was kinda with him on that presumption, and then boom, Natasha, and then he's a new father five years before he's able to go on Social Security. It's not exactly what they had planned, but they're glad for it."
"….You know, I'll real impressed that you were able to recite that speech without your cards."
"You saw those, eh?" Lupin chuckled and placed a hand over her shoulders. "You ever think of following them, eh?"
"You want another grandkid? Isn't three enough for you?"
"Nah. As opposed to popular belief, three's not company."
Fuji let out a groan and placed her face in her hands, "Sometimes I think that if I didn't look so much like mom that I was adopted!"
"There are worse families to come from," Lupin said reassuringly. "You're not Max's sister, at least!"
"….Dad….. I'm his sister-in-law. That's almost as bad."
"Eh, when you're right, you're right, Fuji…. Don't freak out that people are starting to go into different directions, just accept it. If they leave, well, they'll come back when you need them the most."
"Yeah, but… Odori's probably going to join Jordan's gang and you have no idea how bad that pisses me off! Grrr….. You ever want to kill someone?"
"Fuji, why don't we get you eggnog? You're starting to stress almost as much as your brother does, and he drives me crazy enough!" Lupin led his daughter away from the railing and into the house, looking downward at her with a frown of concern.
Later that night:
"He won't come if you're awake, Dako!" Jared said with a snap.
"Grow up, he isn't even real!"
"Ojiisan said he was, so you know he's got to be! He never lies, especially to kids!" Jared sat up in bed and glanced over at Avery, who still wore bandages from his recent surgery. He then looked back at Dako and let his eyes fall to the floor.
"What's wrong with you? I just said that there was no Santa… You look like I killed your puppy."
"I'm just worrying about my mom," Jared said quietly. "This is the first Christmas we haven't been together, and, well… I'm just hoping she's okay, that's all!"
"Yeah, I wonder what my parents are doing for Christmas…. Up there," Dako said, pointing upward and meaning something that was located higher than the third story. "Hrm… Hey, get dressed."
"What? Why?"
"Well, we both want to see our parents, right?"
"Yeah, but I don't even know where she is!"
"No, stupid. Don't you think Ave would want to see his mom?"
"Yeah, I…. But Papa hates her, Dako."
"I guess…. But who wouldn't want to see their kid at Christmas? She only lives across the ocean in Britain."
"Britain? Dako, they'd KILL us!"
"It's not that far. We'll take a cab to the Chunnel station and go to London. I've got her address and everything! Her name's Cecilia Lockwood."
"Well, I…"
"Come on, Jared, don't be such a sissy."
"I'm not a sissy!" Jared snapped.
"Then prove it and get your pants on," Dako stuck out her tongue and rose from bed, and headed over to Avery's crib, and lifted the baby out. "You get dressed and get the money from my purse."
"W-where did you get this?" a stunned Jared yelped as he retrieved her wallet and pulled out a few hundreds.
"Grandpa's hugs are the best…. Mainly because it's close to his wallet."
"Oh dear God, that automatically makes you worse than Grandpa," a wide-eyed Jared said while reaching for his boots.
Downstairs:
"You know, it'd be nice…. Having a boy to carry on your name," Yukiko began. Toshiro looked up from the script tiredly and gave a sigh.
"Would you quit toying with me and tell me what it is? I'm going crazy here, Yuki," Toshiro said with a frown.
"Hrm…" Yukiko seated herself beside Toshiro and placed a hand on her stomach. "A boy would be nice, but you've always gotten along better with girls…"
"So it's…."
Yukiko glanced from above her fedora and smiled, and gave a slow nod. Toshiro placed a hand on her stomach and then embraced her tightly, and gave a laugh. "I guess we'll have to figure out a girl's name then, huh?"
"Yeah… And Yukigo isn't an option."
"Damn, you read my mind," Toshiro sat back across from her and clasped his hands. "A girl… Wow… Heh heh, guess this means I'll have to teach her how to be a girl."
"Fun-ny. Hey…. Do we have carolers?"
"It's two in the morning. Why in the hell would there be carolers out?"
"Damned if I know…" Yukiko rose from her seat in the living room and walked over to the window, and saw three figures in the snow. "Crap…. Lupin's grandkids."
"I'll go get them."
"Too late…. They already caught that bus! Crap!" Yukiko growled and ran for her coat. "We've gotta go get them! We can run down that bus!"
"Na-ah, this is my job. It's too cold for you."
"Goemon Toshiro Ishikawa, I am in the middle of a mood swing," Yukiko said sternly. "Do not make me do something to you I will probably regret later."
"Hey, guys, what's up? I know the yelling can't be because you're both drunk," said Lupin lightly as he walked down the stairs, dressed in a heavy bathrobe over his pajamas and matching slippers.
"Your grandkids just hitched a ride on a bus," Yukiko answered.
"WHAT?" Lupin choked, and ran up to the children's bedroom to see all three gone. He then ran to Leo and Max's room and shook his son awake. "Hey. Hey! The kids are gone!"
"Wha….?" Leo blinked a few times as he began to awake and sat up. "Dad? Are you… Okay?"
"I'm fine! The kids, though! They caught a bus and we don't know where they're heading!"
"Oh my God," Leo sat up in bed and began to dress. Lupin moved to wake up Max, but Leo quickly stopped him.
"I don't want to scare him. He drank too much tonight, and he's out of it," Leo explained as he finished buttoning his shirt. "He was even too drunk to—"
"I don't want to know," Lupin said with a shake of the head. "Pass me one of your shirts. I don't want to wake up Fujiko. She'll have both of our heads, and she's a damn light sleeper."
"Here," Leo tossed him a purple shirt, and Lupin stared at it a moment and then back at his son. "And I was going to saw he was too drunk to get his own shoes off, before you disrupted me."
"….Why didn't I see the signs?" Lupin muttered as he tossed his bathrobe and then nightshirt off and began to change.
"You ready?"
"Yeah, but how do you wear these shoes? They're actually comfortable," Lupin said with a small laugh as he pulled on a coat and greeted Toshiro and Yukiko downstairs.
"I'm going, and that's that. It's not like I'm going to get shot," Yukiko pulled her scarf tighter and grabbed the keys from Toshiro's hand.
"If you weren't carrying my daughter….." Toshiro muttered.
"Oh? What? You'd leave me?"
"Hell, no. I worked too hard to get you," Toshiro replied, and stepped out, keeping the door open for Lupin and Leo and then closing it.
"Any idea where they'd go?" Lupin asked.
"Not a clue…" Leo sighed and seated himself next to Toshiro in the front seat of the car. "You can drive these?"
"An SSK can't be much harder than a Vespa."
"Just don't kill me on Christmas. I want one thing in my life not to end in irony," Lupin said from the back seat.
"We'll need some gas…" Toshiro announced as he tapped the gauge and then looked over his shoulder at Lupin.
"That's Fujiko for you. Spends all my money and can't even leave me with a quarter of a tank," Lupin murmured as he reached for his wallet and opened it, nearly choking at the sight of the empty billfold. "What the hell? I just put three hundred in here this morning! And I know it wasn't Fujiko… She's been too busy mingling."
"I'll cover, Dad," Leo gave a weak smile and pulled out his own wallet and retrieved a few Euros. "Hrm… That's weird."
"What is? Did someone rob you, too?"
"No. I had Cecilia's address in here," Leo murmured. "It's gone, now."
"Do you think Max found it?" Toshiro started up the car and headed toward the nearest gas station while Leo continued to look through his wallet.
"No way. I would've gotten a lot more shouting if that had been the case," Leo answered. "The only one who's been near my wallet is Dako, and that's when she asked me for a few bucks to get a gift for Max."
"….Dako," Lupin murmured and glanced down at his wallet and then straight ahead.
"Yukiko, call Heiji and give him the bus number. He'll be able to pull up the route and maybe we can catch them for there," Leo ordered.
"I can't," Yukiko replied. "Er, he and Fuji….. Yeah… They're having alone time for Christmas."
"Oi," Leo slapped his hand over his face and sighed. "I guess then… I don't know…. Crap!"
"Maybe…. That'd be crazy, though. And a lot of assumption on my part," Lupin said to himself.
"What are you thinking, Dad?"
"Well, that bus… What number was it, Yukiko?"
"It was…. 297 B," Yukiko said after a moment's thought.
"I use that bus when I want to go to the Chunnel."
"Wait, Dad…. You take the bus?"
"Hey, I may have a ton of cars, but I don't always want to drive," Lupin responded with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I'm just saying… Cecilia's missing address and the kids taking the bus to Britain… It's adding up, wouldn't you think, Ari?"
"Yeah…. But why Cecilia? I mean…. Why? Her, of all people?"
"Someone care to fill us in?" Yukiko asked blandly.
"Ari, what'd you tell Dako about Cecilia? Hrm?" Lupin leaned forward and listened intently for his son's answer.
"Just that she was Avery's mom… But, Dad, Dako saw Cecilia at the trial! No way would she want to visit her!"
"It's our only real lead right now," Lupin said with a sigh.
"So Great Britain it is… Merry Christmas to one and all," Yukiko seated herself against the back of the leather seat and placed a hand on where the baby had kicked her.
Several hours later:
"Here we are…. Well, have fun, Leo," Yukiko said with a wave of the hand.
"What? Me?" Leo, who had gone in to a doze in the front seat, sprung up to total alertness, and looked back at his father.
"Listen, if there are any problems, I'll be backup," Lupin patted his son on the shoulder, and with a groan Leo stepped out of the car and walked up the stoop to Cecilia's front door. He knocked weakly and bit his lip as he awaited her inevitable answering of the door. She did come to the front door, and as she opened it Leo could see the three children in her living room.
"…..He looks pissed," Jared muttered.
"Hi, Papa," Dako gave a weak wave, and Cecilia spoke too quickly for Leo to work an answer in.
"They're safe. I was a little surprised to see them on my stoop, however. They're all yours?" Cecilia said with surprising civility.
"Ummm…. Yeah. That's Dako, and that's Jared. And you know Avery," Leo answered with a weak smile. "Well, you're looking good…. What have you been up to?"
"Trying to find work," Cecilia answered in her usual monotone British accent. "I had my badge taken away from me."
"Yeah…. I heard," Leo said quietly. "Thanks for looking after the kids. I hope they didn't…. That they didn't cause too much trouble."
"They were fine," Cecilia said as she led Leo into her home, closing the door behind him. Leo looked about and noticed not much had changed since the last time he had visited her home. "Would you care for a drink? I promise no poison."
"Nah, I've gotta get going," Leo gave a weak chuckle and lifted up Avery from Dako's arms. "Well, thanks again."
"Arséne, are you still with that blond—Er, Max?" Cecilia quickly cut herself off from her own curse as she saw the small children in her presence.
"Yeah. He's a good dad," Leo nodded and motioned for Dako and Jared to rise. "Grandpa's in the car… Dako, I think he wants to talk with you, especially."
"Ouch. You're so busted," Jared murmured to his step-sister before she stepped out of the house meekly and into the yellow car waiting out front.
"It's weird seeing you here with pants on," Cecilia said with a cool smile. Leo was caught off guard by this, and tried not to falter.
"Well, I would've come as I usually do, but it's a little cold out," Leo answered. "Cecilia, um… Thanks for watching the kids."
"It's fine. You're the one I hate…. Well, if I have to pick out any single person in your family that I hate it'd be Maxwell, but that's because he annoys me. Your children are smart. They must have inherited it from their mothers."
"We'll get going now. I'd be lying if I said it was nice seeing you again, but Merry Christmas," Leo adjusted Avery as the little boy went to bite him and made his way to the front door.
"Any time," Cecilia replied. "Merry Christmas to you, too, Arséne… And say the same to the baby. I don't know sign language."
Leo clung onto Avery tighter and said nothing more and walked out to his car.
"See? Like this," Dako repeated the maneuver on Lupin, and much to her grandfather's shock, when she pulled away from her embrace with him she held a handful of bills in her hand.
"Wow, that's…. Hey, Dako, your dad's here," Lupin whispered and hurriedly took back the money. Jared and Dako exchanged tense glances as Leo wordlessly stepped into their car, and after a moment, Jared spoke up.
"Listen… It was my idea. I thought it'd be cool for Avery to see his mom, because I don't get to see mine," Jared said much to Dako's astonishment.
"You scared the life out of me, you know that, right?" Leo said quietly. "I thought I'd lost all three of you."
"Ari, they had the best intent. Come on…. You were even worse as a kid!" Lupin said in his grandchildren's defense. "Now I called Max and explained the situation and I'll bet Zenigata's already peeled him from the roof!"
"Greatttt…. We finally hit a smooth patch in our relationship and it's gone to hell," Leo muttered and glanced at his kids. "You're all okay?"
"Yeah," Dako nodded quietly. "Ummm…. Papa, we're so sorry!"
"It's okay. You're fine, and that's all that counts," Leo replied as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Yeesh, you're taking it better than I would!" Yukiko laughed. "Then again, I'll probably keep a tight grip on this kid."
"Yukiko Maria Jigen—You and Toshiro were just as bad, if not worse than these two," Lupin answered with a frown as he remembered the many exploits of the two when they had been children.
"What? You were like us?" Jared blinked a few times, and spied Toshiro's hand on the steering wheel, and the ring he wore upon it.
"Yeah, except you two haven't upgraded to stealing a car and taking it for a joyride yet," Lupin answered blandly.
"You knew about that?" Yukiko yelped. "What else do you know about?"
"About what you and Toshiro did in my library last Christmas," Lupin replied, and caused Toshiro to nearly run off of the road. Leo gave a chuckle, and Lupin looked over at his son, "Yeah, I had to replace the desk after that, but after having you and Max stay there a week, I scrubbed my friggin' hot tub five times on my hands and knees with a Brillo pad. I didn't even get the maids to do that…. I would've felt too guilty."
"Dad, do you have to talk about that?" Leo moaned and slunk in his seat.
"What are they talking about?" Jared whispered to Dako.
"Eh, get Dad to tell you about it," Dako replied.
The Lupin Mansion:
"Dori?" Odori spun around and saw her mother in the doorway of her bedroom. "What are you doing? Everyone else is at breakfast."
"It's nothing," Odori cleared her throat and quickly slammed shut the drawer to the dresser in her room.
"Hrmm…." Amaya walked over to her daughter and opened the dresser drawer, then pulled out the bag of makeup. "I have the feeling you aren't taking up kabuki."
"It's nothing, Mother," Odori repeated. "I just…. Well, my sisters got it for me for Christmas and I couldn't go being rude, now could I?"
"….You, and a Lupin. I would have never guessed."
"It isn't like that! You're not even close. He is just a friend of mine."
"Good, because his girlfriend just arrived."
"What?" Odori shouted and ran for the door, only to be held back by Amaya.
"I'm just joking… And if you're trying to impress it certainly won't work if you're in a gi. Every good samurai knows that different battles require different styles of armor," Amaya opened the closet in the room, which contained several of Odori's outfits. Fuji and her gang often stayed at her father's for long periods of time, especially during the summer, so Odori had left many things behind as a result of this. "Here, this will work."
"I wore this to a wedding two years ago."
"I didn't take you as fashion conscious," Amaya smirked. "Put that on and pull your hair up, and you'll be a surefire hit." Odori nodded silently, and Amaya left her daughter alone, humming to herself as she closed the door behind her. Odori waited until she had gone to step out in the purple and red kimono, and thought for sure the coast was clear… She cringed as she heard a distinct whistle from Heiji, who was just down the hall.
"Who's halls are you planning on decking?" Heiji asked with a light chuckle.
"Why don't you go play your over-expensive game system?" Odori snapped in return.
"Hey, Dori…. If he breaks your heart, I'll take care of him for you. I mean that."
"It won't be necessary…. I am already numb from the last heartbreak," Odori murmured to herself as she walked down the hall, recalling her mother's words in her mind.
She found Jordan playing with Jigen's youngest daughters as well as her own in the living room, and noted curiously Max in a corner of the room with his parents beside him while he breathed in and out of a paper bag.
"I need to speak with you about some techniques I was drawing up," Odori announced to Jordan after she had gotten his attention.
Jordan paused and looked her over a few moments, and nodded, leaving the small children with Ally and Carmen.
"How many do you want, Allen?" Carmen asked quietly.
"Hey, you're the one going through the labor… You pick. Although, I have the feeling you have an idea in your head how many. How many were you thinking? Two? Three?" Ally asked calmly.
"Oh, more like five or six," Carmen shrugged, and watched the color quickly drain from Ally's face. "What?"
Odori gave an amused chuckle at the sight of the two, and then turned her attention back to Jordan, who had quickly become sidetracked talking with one of his brothers over a gameplan.
"What'd you need?" he asked as he parted from Gabe, who was still looking over the floorplan with the same confusion as one witnessing a lobster tap dancing in a party gown.
"I wanted to go over some things with you, hopefully you'd consider some things," Odori answered with her best stoic samurai expression. "My daughter really enjoys your company, you know."
"Yeah, she's a sweetheart," Jordan shoved his hands in his pockets and followed Odori out to the backyard of the property.
"Yes. I was wondering… She needs a positive male role model around, so—"
"You want me to take her off your hands every once in a while? Not a problem, I like kids… Kind of wish every once in a while that I'd had a few by now, but hey, I'm busy as it is. It wouldn't be fair on kids or a wife."
"I suppose. Well, I… How to go about saying this?"
"Dori, I don't mind watching after her at all."
"It isn't that! Well, I…." Odori heaved a sigh and bowed her head. "I was wondering if you'd consider staying with us…. Erm, we me as well."
"Huh? Wait a second, are you—"
"Hey, Dori-chan!" Fuji came up from behind Odori and gripped her about the neck. "You're looking cuter than usual! Well, do I have news for you!"
"You're dying?" Odori asked blandly.
"Well, er, no…"
"Then I see no reason for you to bother me," Odori shrugged off Fuji's hand and tried to transcend her thoughts of causing physical harm to Fuji Lupin and enjoying it.
"I'm gonna be your inlaw!" Fuji said with a cheer.
"Pardon?" Odori asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh-huh! Sorry to ruin the surprise for you… He was going to ask later, but I found the ring in his coat pocket. What a rock!" Fuji continued with a happy crow.
"So you…" Odori blinked at the equally surprised Jordan, and flushed. "Well, I suppose I'll have to tell my parents. This news will overjoy them, as it does me."
"Jeeze, I never thought she'd be so happy to see me getting married," Fuji muttered as she watched Odori hurry off, a smile on her face.
"I could kill you right now and not feel any remorse," Jordan said with a glare to Fuji.
"….What?" a confused Fuji was left in the backyard, wondering exactly what had just happened.
"Dori, wait, this is a misunderstanding!" Jordan called and rushed back before she could get to any family member, but he was already too late. Goemon was in the living room beside the Christmas tree, with a serene look upon his face.
"I heard," Goemon said after a pause. "And I am glad you managed to mend her heart so quickly, especially after her incident with Musashi. She was never the same after that, and I thought that no one would ever make her happy again. So I thank you and I would be honored to have you marry into my family."
"Marry?" Fuji laughed from the doorway. "You mean, him? Goemon, I—"
"Stop talking, stop talking!" Jordan hissed and placed a hand over her mouth. "You ever think the world's a better place when there aren't words coming from your mouth?"
"I'll have to inform my relatives," Goemon rose and picked up the sword at his side. "Odori is already on the phone with her biological parents in Korea. I haven't seen her this happy since she met Jet Li in person."
"….I'm sunk," Jordan muttered numbly. "I'm a dead man…."
"Crap, have fun trying not to have him kill you when he finds out it was all a mistake… If Odori doesn't get to you first," Fuji scratched the back of her head and walked out of the living room, whistling to herself.
"Hey! Married man!" Gabe laughed and patted Jordan on the shoulder. "Guess this means we're going to have to arrange you a bachelor party!"
"You can start by shooting me," Jordan muttered.
Later that night, the countryside:
"They're going to kill us," Ryo whispered. "It's bad enough that my dad had to go to England today, but if he finds out you'll be dragging him into rural France on Christmas day!"
"Christmas is almost over," Victor reminded her, and pulled up to the old stone building. "This is the best gift I could have thought of giving you…."
"I know, but…. My dad's going to have my head," Ryo said in a quiet tone and allowed Victor to help her out of the car and up the stairs of the church.
"It isn't about what makes him happy… It's about what makes you happy. And I didn't fly in one hour ago from Morocco to postpone," Victor kissed her lightly and opened the door for her.
"I'm saying we go in for a sneak attack," Jigen muttered from the car at an abandoned tackle shop a few hundred yards away from the village church.
Lupin set down his binoculars and looked over to Jigen with a smile, "Hey, don't be so down! The girl's happy… Dori's happy, Ryo's happy… Everybody's happy. Even Goemon's got a smile on! This is one of the better Christmases I can remember."
"Heh, yeah… Everyone's having a blast…. Which leads me to believe that you haven't told them a damn thing yet."
"That they're on a hit list? Nah, I thought not. I'll sit them down later…. After this," Lupin sat back and tossed the binoculars aside. "I want to know that they're all happy and safe, even if it's for only a day. It's the best gift I think anyone could ever give those kids."