AN: Wow, I've sure outdone myself with this one.

The hiatus, I mean. The chapter itself is probably the level of quality you've come to expect from this story, for better or worse. I never would've have thought it'd be over a year before I updated this, but then also had no idea that society would be on the brink of collapse by now. Go figure.

In any case, this is only a portion of what I had intended to have done by now, so you can expect the meatier second half in the coming weeks (I hope). Thank you to those who've kept up with this for so long, and thank you to those who are only starting now. Hopefully 2020 hasn't screwed you too hard, and I'll see you again on the road ahead.

Enjoy!

-Skippy Jones

—CHAPTER 23—

Hid away in his office, AKu wore a miserable scowl on his face, as he sat slumped back in his office chair with his hands clutching the arms. Though it was a beautiful Summer day outside, the maniacal CEO had the massive blackout shades drawn to block any of the abundant sunlight. The room was dimly lit by orange high hats directly overhead, and an eerie humming sound played over the surrounding speakers.

After a few more minutes of quiet seething, Scaramouche walked in from the elevator and immediately sighed. He knew that his boss only played that creepy experimental album when he was in a foul mood. Begrudgingly, Scaramouche walked over to AKu's desk. "Morning, Boss. Don't tell me you're still upset about you-know-who?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

AKu, only grumbled in response, barely acknowledging the question.

Scaramouche sighed, "Babe, I don't know why you're so worried. Ashi and the Samurai paid off their new digs, so what?" he asked, leaning against the side of the desk, "Just means they're out of our hair! They want nothin' do with you, and it would be stupid for them to come after you; that's it!"

AKu flexed his bony fingers, making a loud cracking sound. "No, they cannot be ignored. There must be something to keep them occupied…" he mused, straightening his goatee slowly with two fingers.

"Aw, come ooon! What good has come from messing with them, anyhow? Not to mention if anything actually happened to them, we'd be the first suspects; the press would be all over us! Why don't we just—"

"FOOL! HAVE YOU NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION!?" AKu shot up from his chair aggressively to shout at his assistant, now standing tall right next to him. "Every time I turn my back on the Samurai, he finds a way to ruin something for me! Spoiling my operations, screwing with my campaign," he turned away to clench his fists which quivered in anger, "Stealing my daughter…" then turned back to Scaramouche, "If I am to fulfill my ambitions, I MUST find a way to keep the Samurai from poking around in my business!"

"Uhhhh…" the assistant stammered, having to collect himself while his boss went and slumped back down in his chair. He had forgotten how scary AKu could be when he was angry, and now felt he had to choose his words carefully. Finally, Scaramouche offered a hesitant suggestion, "…W-What if it's not the Samurai you should focus on? Ashi always seems to have the ideas that get them into trouble. Maybe if you find something to keep her occupied, you be occupying him too…?"

"Hmmmmmmmmmm…" AKu pondered the idea, holding his fist to his chin. "You may have a point. But it won't be easy. Ashi doesn't trust me anymore, and the Samurai is often wise to my intentions. What I need is someone with their own intentions whom I can use to subplant my own, and passively interfere with Ashi's affairs." It only took a moment for AKu to think of someone. His face lit up in a wide grin, holding his right index finger aloft, "I know just who to call!" But the finger collapsed, and his excited expression slowly fell into a pained one, "'Ugh…but it's not going to be pleasant…"

/

Several blocks away from Jack and Ashi's apartment stood a coffee shop called "The Broken Mug". They had seen it in passing more than once, and Ashi always thought how terrible the interior must look like with a name like that. Now that she was actually seeing it, it really wasn't all that bad. The decor was tacky, and the people running the place looked a bit seedy, but they were nice enough and the coffee was decent.

The café itself, however, was not what Ashi was concerned with at the moment. Sitting in a discrete booth in the far corner of the room, she watched Jack as he sat at a small round table alone, calmly sipping tea. Something was going on with him and Ashi was determined to find out what, which is why she followed him out of the house to this unassuming café.

After their decisive victory at the Dome, the couple followed through with their initial plan and finished out the week in California, catching a flight back home that Sunday. The vacation was both exciting and relaxing, the perfect way to wind down after their televised ordeal. Beaches, restaurants, amusement parks; the couple enjoyed it all without being accosted by some group of thugs or a gimmicky criminal like back home. Every night they would unwind in the resort hot tub, and then later they would undress in their suite, which was upgraded from a normal room with their winnings.

They returned home from their vacation completely refreshed, which was perfect considering their classes were now bigger than ever before. Apparently being on national television is good publicity, as people from all over had seen their prowess and wanted to learn from it firsthand. While they still had a sizeable portion of their winnings left after paying off their loans, the boom in business would ensure that they'd be living comfortably for a long time. Despite the looming threat of whatever AKu was plotting, life was perfect.

So, why was Jack suddenly acting so distant? It all began about a week ago, when Ashi noticed he was talking to her less and less. While not a huge red flag in itself, Ashi looked forward to those casual conversations which filled the spaces between the days. She enjoyed hearing his opinion on whatever came up, valued whatever advice he offered, and adored his earnest attempts at humor.

Soon after, Jack began disappearing at random times, with little explanation as to where he was. It was always something vague like, "out for a walk", or "getting some fresh air". While Ashi trusted him more than anyone, she could only hear so many excuses before getting suspicious.

After some consideration, Ashi decided to ask Scotsman about it. Maybe he would have an explanation for Jack's strange behavior. Unfortunately, his answer only deepened her concerns: he suggested that Jack might be sleeping around. Scotsman knew Jack almost as well as she did—perhaps even better—so the fact that he would jump to that conclusion so quickly gave her cause for alarm. It also didn't help that several of their other friends in the neighborhood gave similar answers when asked.

So, there Ashi was: staking out behind a menu at a small café they had never been to, spying on Jack from across the room. Normally, she wouldn't think twice about confronting him face-to-face, but her irrational mind wanted to catch him in the act, mostly out of disbelief that Jack would actually cheat.

Suddenly, Ashi's phone went off. She quickly shook off the surprise to prop the menu in front of her, and fish the phone out of her pocket. It was one of her sister's, Ami, who was probably calling about their upcoming birthday get-together. Ashi answered the phone in a hushed tone, "Hello?" as she peeked over the menu to make sure Jack hadn't noticed.

Still facing away from her, Jack took another sip of his tea, seemingly oblivious.

"Ashi, hey!" Ami greeted her sister excitedly, "I just got on my flight, I'll be in Burlington later tonight! I'm so excited about tomorrow! You must be happy that you don't have to travel this year, huh!?" she asked.

Every year on their shared birthday, the septuplets would meet up at one of the sister's home cities for a group celebration, choosing the location in order from oldest to youngest. The tradition began six years ago, meaning it was finally Ashi's turn to host her sisters.

For the sake of Ami's unbridled enthusiasm, Ashi managed a small smile to respond, "Yeah, it should be a fun time."

Originally, she was well prepared for their birthday. Her plan was for all of them to meet up at Oceanus for sushi and drinks, then walk down the main boulevard for a bar hop, before finally crashing at the girls' hotel for the night. At least, that's where they ended up last year. The previous birthdays all ended somewhere different, and the hangovers varied in severity. If they ended up returning to Ashi's apartment, she knew the home she and Jack shared would be able to accommodate the six guests, more so than either of her old places.

Of course, Ashi wasn't going to bring them back home without telling Jack, but she knew that he would be fine with it regardless… or did she? Her train of thought went off the rails as she began to doubt how well she knew her longtime boyfriend, staring at him over the propped-up menu.

Ashi was so focused on Jack that she didn't notice her sister's uncharacteristic silence from the other end of the line. There were a few sparse mutters heard in the background before Ami finally spoke up again. "So, uh, Ashi… whatcha doin'?" she asked nonchalantly.

Ashi's concentration on Jack was finally broken, and it took her a second to process the question, "What, like, right now?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh, uh… just out…" Ashi glanced at the menu blocking her face, "you know, getting coffee."

"Ohhh, okay! Are you with Jack~?" Ami cooed playfully, as she was known to do when it came to boys.

Ashi's brow furrowed in discomfort, "Yyyeah, he's… here—"

"HIIII JAAAACK!" Ami's high-pitched voice blared through the phone in a singsong voice. Ashi hastily ducked behind her menu and covered the speakers with her palm. "…Well? Did he hear me!?" Ami asked excitedly.

Wondering that herself, Ashi cautiously peeked over the menu again, and sighed in relief upon seeing that Jack hadn't reacted at all. "No, but I'll tell him you said hello…" she muttered, dropping back behind the menu.

Amidst another silence, Ashi heard Jack begin to stir. She looked up to see Jack fish four bills out of his wallet and place them on the table, before turning to walk towards and then out the front door. Ashi kept her head low as she watched him make a left, and waited until she could no longer see him through the windows of the café. "Listen, Ami, I'll call you back in a little bit," she hastily excused herself, hanging up on the call and shoving her phone in her pocket. Once Jack had passed the building, Ashi closed her menu and slapped it down on the table as she stood up, following him outside.

Ashi thought it fortunate that Jack chose to walk to the café, which was quite a bit further from home than their usual place, since it made him easier to tail. He walked calmly ahead, seemingly oblivious to his pursuer, who kept at least a building's length apart from him as she followed.

Suddenly, Jack's pace began to quicken. His casual stroll was now a power walk, so Ashi adjusted her own speed to keep up. Shortly after, he started lightly jogging. Ashi was almost certain her cover had been blown by now, and yet she still pursued. As Jack kept going faster and faster, Ashi kept matching him, until they were both in a full-on sprint down the street. Ashi was so determined to stay on him, she didn't even realize he was leading her back home until she saw it coming up ahead. Confused as ever, she kept up the chase. Through the front doors, up the entrance stairway, and into the final door, Ashi mentally prepared for a climactic confrontation…

"SURPRIIIIISE!"

Ashi stared blankly at the crowd of friends and family before her. After a few seconds, her shock turned into amusement, then just as quickly into frustration. Having realized how badly she had been duped, Ashi put her head in her hands and groaned dramatically as everyone cheered and laughed.

Standing at the front of the crowd with a big smile on his face was Jack, who was about to walk over and greet Ashi, but was beaten to it. Ami, Aki, and the rest of the sisters all rushed over to hug Ashi and wish her a collective happy birthday. Also among the crowd was Scotsman, Molly, Flora, and several other friends from around the neighborhood.

Ashi hugged Ami's arms wrapped around her, hanging her head to hide the growing smile on her face. "You guys…" she moaned, "This is so… I can't believe you set all this up…"

"Actually, this wasn't all our idea…" Abbi replied, trailing off as she cast a knowing glance at Jack.

Ami giggled, "Yeah! Jack called us all, like, a month ago and said he wanted to surprise you for your birthday; it was so cute!" she squealed, as Jack looked away with a sheepish grin.

"So, we made sure to get here a day earlier," Ari explained, chiming in, "Jack got you out of the house while Scotsman let us in so we could set up, and then led you back here when we gave him the signal."

"I was the signal!" Ami whispered giddily into her sister's ear.

Ashi made eye contact with Jack, slowly removing her sister's arms and stepping forward to meet him halfway. "You have no idea how angry I am that I didn't see this coming," she remarked in a defeated tone.

"For the record, the whole cheating was their idea," Jack replied apologetically with a barely suppressed grin, "I only agreed to it because they thought you'd catch on too easily otherwise. Plus, I will admit that iHoweHHt was, as they say, 'too good to pass up.'"

Ashi laughed at his use of his expression, then let out a relieved sigh. "Well done, Samurai, well done," she relented, closing the space between them with a loving embrace.

Jack smiled softly, shutting his eyes he held Ashi close. The two of them suddenly felt as if all the people standing around them had disappeared. For a brief moment, they were the only two people in the world.

"Okay, so, we're gonna start the party back up again," Abbi finally broke them out of it, tired of standing around awkwardly. "I mean, it's kinda our party, too, so…" she reminded, pressing a button on her phone that resumed the music, "Yeah…"

/

The party went on for another four hours officially, but people were still trickling out an hour after that. By this time, Scotsman was finally calling it quits, mostly because Molly was getting cranky. Now it was just Ashi's sisters hanging out at the dining room table, while a downtempo lo-fi tune played over the speakers.

Meanwhile, Jack was resting in the recliner with his eyes closed, savoring the afterglow. The party was a huge success, and Ashi had been beaming the entire time. Jack wasn't able to spend as much of it with her as he would've liked, but this was all for her. As long as Ashi was enjoying herself, it didn't make much difference to him.

All of a sudden, Jack felt a very familiar and welcomed presence. He opened his eyes and saw Ashi standing to his right, with her hands held behind her back innocently. She gave Jack a small smile and he smiled right back. No words were exchanged, but they were communicating all the same. Jack lifted his arms while Ashi turned around and sat back into his lap, her legs dangling off the side of the recliner. He brought his arms back down, supporting her back with his left arm, while Ashi held his right hand in both of hers.

Ashi spoke up, "I never got a chance to say thank you for all this…" she paused, fully acknowledging the depth of her gratitude. "All the effort you went through to set this up. This is seriously the best birthday I've ever had—" her praise was cut short when Jack crashed his lips into hers, snaking his right hand around her waist to hold her steady as he leaned in. Ashi was caught off guard, but she quickly melted into the kiss.

Jack pulled away, just enough so that her face filled his vision, and opened his eyes slowly. His voice was a gentle whisper: "The hardest part was trying to stay away from you."

Ashi's eyes gleamed as she stared back at Jack. Time around them was frozen again. The two lovers leaned in so that their foreheads were touching, and relaxed into each other's embrace

Just then, a firm knock on the door caught everyone's attention. After thinking a moment, Ashi shook her head. "I bet Scot forgot his whiskey again," she suggested, and hopped up to let him in.

The walk to the door gave off an eerie calm. Ashi could feel that something wasn't quite right, and her sisters felt it, too. This sense foreboding proved true when Ashi opened the door, and her face went white as a ghost.

"M-Mother?"

"Mother!?" her sisters gasped in unison, shooting up from their places, while Abbi nervously turned off the music.

"Good evening, Ashi…" the stoic woman let herself into the apartment, walking right past Ashi who instinctively backed out of the way. Her icy gaze immediately fell upon her other daughters. "Well, this is unexpected. Normally I'd have to wait until Thanksgiving to see you all in one place, yet here you are. Happy birthday, everyone…" she greeted, offering feeble enthusiasm.

The sisters all mumbled their own forms of gratitude, all of them simultaneously shriveling up like raisins in the sun. Aki was staring daggers at their Mother from the corner of her eye.

Meanwhile, Jack picked up on the immediate dip in the mood. He hurriedly rose from his seat and went over to hesitantly greet his potential Mother-in-law, "H-Hello, it's good to see you again! I… apologize for not inviting you to our party, for I assumed you would be too busy to attend." Ashi's Mother certainly wasn't his favorite person, but Jack was willing to be amicable for Ashi's sake. "In any case, please make yourself at home!" he offered pleasantly.

Ashi's Mother eyed Jack warily, aware that he was overcompensating for her daughters' poor greetings. Still, she mimicked his politeness, waving a hand in dismissal. "Oh, it's quite alright, Jack. I apologize for intruding at such a late hour. I was preoccupied with my work today, as I'm sure you understand," she explained.

"Yes, of course," Jack nodded.

"As a matter of fact, I was already in the area for—" the woman stopped when she felt tiny puffs of air near her left hand. Wolf, who had been sleeping off all the attention and food scraps he had gotten, was now up and inspecting their new guest with a curious nose. Ashi's Mother, repulsed by the animal, yanked her hand away forcefully and barked at him, "Stop that, you filthy mutt!" Wolf didn't take kindly to the affront, growling back at her defensively.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Jack apologized profusely, stepping between them. He grasped Wolf's collar gently, leading him into the hallway, "Excuse me, I'll just take him into the other room for now. Come, my friend, let's give the ladies some space," he calmly directed the animal into the hallway while shooting a worried look at Ashi on his way out.

Now that she had her daughters' undivided attention, Ashi's Mother cleared her throat and began to speak. "While I hate to interrupt your sibling bonding time," she lamented dryly, moving past Ashi to come between her and her sisters, "I am on a very strict schedule and I must have a word with Ashi," the woman cast a wicked side glance to the group, "Alone."

There was a short pause, then suddenly, Abbi let out an exaggerated yawn. "Boy, what a night this was!" she remarked, standing up from her seat, "I think it's time we hit the road; what do you say, girls?" Her eyes darted back and forth desperately.

Alli hastily responded, "You know, you've got a point there, Abbi!" jumping to her feet and hurrying over to Ashi. "Thanks for the party, kid!" she gave her sister a playful slug on the shoulder, "See you tomorrow, yeah?" and was first to rush out the door.

Anni was next. "Goodness, would you look at that! Where does the time go?" she exclaimed, glancing at the fancy watch on her wrist as she slunk past her Mother and sister. "I agree, we really should be on our way. Toodles!~" she called out as she followed Alli out the door.

Ami pouted, "Aww, do we have to go?" only to be pulled along by Abbi, but still broke away to give Ashi a big hug. "Byeee, Ashi! This was so much fun!" she gushed before being pulled away again by Abbi, who wanted to say goodbye herself.

"Your place isn't as ugly as I thought it'd be, nice work. See you tomorrow, Sis!" she teased with a playful grin on her face as she backed out the door using two fingers to give a casual salute. Ami peeked back into the doorway to give one last cheesy smile a spirited wave before she finally got the hook from Abbi.

Ari suddenly pulled her sister into a hug. "Ashi, thank you so much for having us," she said, pulling away while holding both of Ashi's hands. "Give my best to Jack, love!" Ari called out as she followed the others out of the room.

Finally, it was Aki's turn to say goodbye, "Goodnight, Ashi! I had a wonderful time." She gave Ashi a big hug, partly so that she could whisper a warning into her ear, "Watch your back." Aki then turned to flash her Mother a pleasant smile that became a harsh scowl as soon as she turned away and walked towards the door.

Ashi solemnly watched her sister leave, realizing it was just her and her Mother left, and sighed in defeat as the door closed. Reluctantly, Ashi turned to face her Mother, and whatever the brutal matriarch had in store for her.

"Don't look so glum, Ashi," her Mother chided with arms crossed and a raised eyebrow, "For once, I bring good news. Consider it a… birthday surprise."

Ashi muttered to herself, "I think I've had enough surprises for today…"

Her Mother continued, "Now then, Priestess is in the process of a major transition. The security of the company has become our top priority, and in order to maintain that security, an upheaval is required…" the woman narrowed her eyes as her right palm rose slowly to demonstrate the upheaval she spoke of. Ashi's Mother then crossed her arms behind her back and turned, walking over towards a wall of pictures, and spoke up again as she perused the framed photographs. "Those who are lazy, incompetent, disloyal, must be purged. They will be replaced only with those that can be trusted. The Burlington branch, in fact, is about to undergo one of these transitions. It's in need of a fresh start, you see, and that means everything will be new. New location, new team…" the Mother turned abruptly to lock her gaze on Ashi, "New leader."

Meanwhile, Jack was quietly shutting the bedroom door after getting Wolf to curl up on the bed. He could hear Ashi's Mother speaking the whole time but hadn't been paying attention until now, and he quietly stood still in the hallway as she finished her speech.

Ashi, who had been listening half-heartedly, noticed the pause and picked up on her queue to respond. "Let me guess… you want me to work at this new branch, right?" she asked, in a clearly disinterested tone. "Well, I'll save you the trouble, because there's no way I'm—"

"I want you as head of the Burlington branch."

Ashi's eyes widened, "W-What…?"

Jack was just as shocked by the offer, and carefully stepped forward with his back to the left wall to better listen in.

"You heard me. Once the new headquarters is up and running, you will take your place as regional manager, overseeing all business operations taking place in this city and the surrounding area. You answer only to myself and the board of directors, but within this sector, your word is law. I give you free reign to run the branch however you see fit… within reason," she added, "The details aren't important. What matters is that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Ashi. One I should hope you are sensible enough to accept." Ashi's Mother peered into her daughter's eyes, scouring for weakness in her soul. She asked in a grim tone, "Are you sensible, Ashi?"

Ashi felt the pull of her Mother's penetrating gaze as she had many times before. Unlike those other times, however, she did not feel the compulsion to obey that it usually affected. The courage she had acquired by going against her Father allowed Ashi to stare back into her Mother's abyssal gaze, and offer a sensible reply, "Thank you for the offer, Mother, but I'm very happy with my current career. You're going to have to find someone else for the position."

Ashi's Mother looked amused at her daughter's refusal, her face slightly upturned Ashi muttered for the first time in decades. "Oh, Ashi… Your little karate school is charming, but it's not the kind of business that earns six figures. And the money you won on that TV show is going to dry up sooner than you think. If you intend to keep living comfortably, then I suggest you invest in a more lucrative career path," she warned as she wandered past Ashi.

Ashi considered the suggestion, but was quick to give an honest reply. "Maybe you're right, but it's not about the money," she corrected, turning to face her Mother as she spoke. "I've spent my entire life learning martial arts because I'm passionate about it, and I'm lucky enough to be able to earn a living with that skill. What's more, I have someone I can share that passion with. I don't even feel like I'm working anymore, it's all just…" Ashi paused, getting lost in the feeling she was trying to convey, "Living."

Jack smiled to himself, knowing exactly how she felt.

Ashi's Mother's, however, did not, and her face now wore its characteristic scowl. "Is that so? What of your precious independence, then? I seem to recall that you practically begged your father to pay for school out of your own pocket. That's what brought you to me in the first place, remember? Wouldn't you like to have that again?" she reminded in a harsh tone, crossing her arms for added effect.

"That was a long time ago," Ashi pushed back, calmly. "Things change; I've changed! I used to think that I needed to do everything alone for it to really matter, that getting help from others made me weak, but Jack showed me the truth. It's okay to rely on the people who love you," she asserted confidently.

"Then why do you refuse the love that I am trying to provide?" her Mother demanded, slowly stepping closer to Ashi. "If anything, you should be the most receptive to what your Mother has to offer. I am the woman who raised you, who made you who you are." Ashi was now stepping backwards to maintain distance from her Mother, who was approaching relentlessly. "Only I know what's in your best interest, and I'm trying to do what's in your best interest, but I can't unless I have your obedience, Ashi. As your Mother, you owe me that much at least…" she concluded, stopping in place with powerful posture.

Ashi was taken aback by her Mother's words. So much so that the anger which had been mounting within her had finally been unleashed in a furious reply, "I don't owe you shit!"

Her Mother was aghast at the response, but Jack wore a cheeky grin.

"You may be my Mother, but you have absolutely zero knowledge of what's in my 'best interest'!" Ashi was now the one stepping forward, pushing her Mother back where she came from. "The only good thing you've ever done for me is introduce me to martial arts, and it was something I chose! If I didn't go live with Dad when I was young, I don't think I would have ever figured out who I really was. He didn't do much for me either, but at least he allowed me the freedom to explore who I am and learn how to be an actual person. You've only ever just controlled me, punishing me for trying to express myself! I'm not who I am because of you, I found myself in spite of you." As she let loose, Ashi's anger subsided, replaced with a cold detachment. She stopped walking and stood firm. "And you know what else? I've found that it's in my 'best interest' to keep you out of my life."

Upon hearing this, Ashi's Mother finally snapped. She lifted her right arm and cocked back an open palm, preparing to swing forward and make contact. Her face twisted with rage as she chided her daughter, "How dare you, you insolent little—"

Suddenly, time slowed to a crawl. Ashi saw the slap coming a mile away. In any other situation, she could have easily reacted with a number of possible options to counter it. This was a freebie. And yet, Ashi was frozen in place. All she could do was brace herself for the blow.

But the blow never came. Ashi eventually opened her eyes to see that Jack had snatched her Mother's wrist on the backswing, and the woman turned to see him holding it firmly.

Jack's steely gaze looked her dead in the eyes, "I believe Ashi has made herself clear."

The Mother's anger had not subsided, and she furiously wrenched her arm from Jack's grip. Stepping back a few feet to collect herself, the woman was now faced with a similar look from her daughter, who stood beside Jack with her arms crossed in defiance.

"I think it's time you left, Mother," Ashi coldly declared.

The Mother was still fuming, trying to come up with an effective retort. It was no use, so she turned and stormed out the door, slamming it behind her. They could hear the angry stomps echoing down the stairwell, ending with another door opening and slamming shut.

The silence lingered for a few moments before Ashi let out a deep sigh. This was not the confrontation she expected to have tonight, but it went far better than she could have imagined.

Jack turned to her with a look of concern, "Are you alright?"

Ashi nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay. Guess I should be grateful you decided to eavesdrop, huh?" She said, looking up at him with a teasing grin.

"Oh, um, sorry about that," Jack apologized, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "I couldn't help but overhear. I know it was rude, but I thought interrupting would be even more so." He was genuinely sorry, but he could see in her suppressed smirk that Ashi was not genuinely upset about it. Playing along, he asked in a playful tone, "You're not mad, are you?"

"Hmmm…" Ashi put a finger to her chin in mock contemplation, "Well, normally I'd be furious. Buuut, since it's my birthday, I guess I can look the other way, just this once," she remarked, trying and failing to maintain the disciplinary voice she was going for.

Jack chuckled, "Well, that's a relief! I certainly wouldn't want to miss the celebration."

Ashi smiled brightly, pulling him into a tight hug, "I wouldn't want you to miss it either…"

"Happy birthday, my love…"

/

A black SUV was parked in front of Jack and Ashi's apartment with the engine running. A large, muscular woman leaned against it while smoking a cigarette.

Just then, she heard loud stomps approaching from inside the building, and she was familiar enough to know it was her cue. The woman dropped her cigarette and stomped it out just as Ashi's Mother came bursting through the front door. Not a word was exchanged between them as the large woman opened the back door of the SUV to let her boss in, knowing better than to say anything when she was in such a foul mood. Not that she was the talkative sort to begin with. The bodyguard then got into the driver's seat and sped off to wherever her boss wanted, usually back to the office, even late at night.

In the back seat, Ashi's Mother muttered to herself, "That ungrateful brat, how dare she humiliate me like that! I offer her the world and she spits in my face!" The angry woman was still seething as she pulled out her cell phone. "Well, no matter…" she mused as she dialed, "She will learn to regret her insolence soon enough…"

The phone rang for several seconds before a groggy voice picked up, "Ugh, do you ever sleep, woman? What is it now?" AKu groaned, lazily sitting up in his bed.

"There's been a change of plans. I'll need some extra hands if I'm going to 'reel in our daughter', as you put it," Ashi's Mother asserted coldly, having finally regained her composure.

"Extra hands, hm?" AKu mused, still half asleep, "How many are we talking here?"

"As many as you can provide," she stated.

AKu rolled his eyes, pulling his phone away from his hear to turn on speaker as he scrolled his contacts. "Well, on such short notice, there aren't as many options to choose from, and they're all very gimmicky. Best I can do for you is a small army's worth of henchmen who dress like English bobbies and have thick, cockney accents. That good?"

The Mother pinched the bridge in anticipation of the annoyance she'd be enduring from the hired goons. Nevertheless, she had no other choice. "I suppose it will suffice... Have them at my office first thing tomorrow morning. I have much to go over with them," she ordered.

"Of course, anything for you, dear…" AKu responded with a lazy yawn.

Satisfied, Ashi's Mother hung up the phone, and sat back menacingly as the SUV made its way down the main road.

—END CHAPTER—

/