A/N: Three chapters in a week!

You guys were quick to respond. How could I resist not giving in to you who had taken time to give me an inspiration and a push to work harder with the story? After all, I have a free time. So, here's the next chapter for you ;)

Now, now, don't get use to it. I can't do it all the time ;)

Anyway, I revised this faster than the previous ones so if something's amiss, tell me ;)

Chapter 23. Introductions

People turned their heads to look at the two good-looking ladies smiling and talking while looking at the clothes displayed. One of the ladies looked like a western doll, and the other looked like a Japanese doll.

"I'm glad the teachers' conference was over," the western doll-looking lady said.

"You're right. It's a good thing that I was allowed to take a vacation from work. Although I think Sachiko-sama is very busy. These previous months, I hardly saw her at the company," the Japanese doll-looking lady said.

"Really? I wonder if…"

The western doll-looking lady stopped talking when she heard a tiny squeal accompanied by something bumping on her legs.

The Japanese doll-looking lady reflexively caught the one who bumped on her companion.

"Be careful there, little one."

"Pretty," the little child who bumped to the western doll-looking lady exclaimed.

"Why thank you. What is your name?" The western doll-looking lady asked with a smile as she lowered down to the face level of the child.

"You're so cute," the other person said as she mimicked her companion's action.

Seeing that the two persons were being nice to her, the little girl smiled cutely.

---o---

"Let's go out on Friday night, Sachiko."

"Only if you will wear a dress."

"Sure!"

Yumi shook her head as the flash of memory stopped. Every flashed of memories she had always included Sachiko. It was cementing her belief that Sachiko had bigger role that she played in her life more than she and the others were telling her.

She put the dress she was holding back to the rack.

"Let's go now, Yana," she said, glancing at her right. Her eyes met an empty spot.

"Yana? Yana…"

She started to panic, but immediately caught herself. Panicking wouldn't help her. She sighed. That little girl was doing her game again. She always did it when they were at the mall. Playing hide and seek with her, or Yuuki, or Mom and Dad. Yana loved doing it, no matter how many times she had been told not to.

"Kids…" she muttered as she started looking for the little girl. She could be hiding anywhere.

Yumi was playfully calling Yana's name while searching for her when she suddenly stopped. Yana wasn't kidnapped, was she? Considering the enemy her family said they had because of her, it was a possibility.

"No. Not Yana please."

She hurriedly searched for Yana, keeping within her the panic she felt.

Two seconds…

Four seconds…

Eight seconds…

Every second that passed while Yumi searched for Yana was like a bomb ticking, ready to explode when the time came.

"Pretty!"

Yumi paused from her frantic search when she heard the squeal.

"That sounded like her."

She immediately searched for the source of the voice. Her eyes immediately spotted Yana. There she was, talking to some people she didn't know.

"My name is Yana. I'm please to…eek!"

Yumi let out a giggle at the sight of Yana trying to hide after their eyes met. She was relieved that nothing bad happened to her. Her fear earlier was purely imaginary.

"There you are. You thought you could hide from me, didn't you?"

She picked Yana and then thanked the two persons whom she saw Yana was talking to. She couldn't help but notice how beautiful the two were, one looking like a western doll, and the other a Japanese doll. Though if she would compare them to Sachiko, she thought Sachiko still looked more beautiful. Now why was she comparing them to Sachiko? She cleared her throat to push the thoughts away and smiled uncertainly when her gratitude was met with silence.

"…"

Yumi stared at the two persons who seemed to be frozen in their place. However, her attention was diverted when Yana tried to break free from her arms.

"Stop it, Baby."

While trying to keep a firm hold on Yana, Yumi's eyes settled on her watch. Her eyes widened.

"We should go now, Baby. We will be late."

"Yumi-san…"

"Yumi-sama…"

Yumi turned her attention back to the two persons when she heard her name being called.

"You know me?" She asked with an unsure smile on her lips.

"Yumi-san?"

"You are Yumi-sama?"

The simultaneous questions about her name made Yumi realize that the two knew her before her family left for US.

"Yes. You must be an old acquaintance of mine. Please forgive me if I can't remember your names," she apologized with embarrassment.

The two didn't speak and just stared at Yumi with wide eyes and mouth agape.

"Mommy, are you Yumi?" Yana asked in confusion.

"Yes, Baby."

"But you are Mommy Aya, right?"

Yumi couldn't help but giggle at Yana's confused expression. She momentarily forgot the other two as she addressed the little girl.

"My name is both Aya and Yumi."

"Why two names? Do I have two names, too? How about Grandmom and Granddad? How about Daddy Ken?"

Yumi shook her head as question after question was bombarded on her.

"Later, Yana," Yumi said before she turned to the two persons looking at them, or more specifically, at her, with shock.

"Sorry about that. I'm Yumi. Please to meet you…" Yumi trailed off, waiting for the two to introduce themselves.

"I'm Noriko and she's Shimako," the Japanese doll-looking person said absentmindedly.

"Please to meet you, Noriko-san, Shimako-san. This is Yana, my daughter," Yumi said.

"Your daughter?"

Yumi had never seen people so confused like she was seeing right now. Well, maybe except for herself when she looked at the mirror before.

"Yes. Uhm, I would love to talk to both of you more, but we have an appointment. We need to leave now or we won't make it. I'm sorry."

Both Shimako and Noriko nodded slowly.

Yumi apologized once more and said her pleasure at meeting Noriko and Shimako before she and Yana left. She would have wanted to know more about Noriko and Shimako seeing as they seemed to know her. However, she and Yana had to leave now or they would be late to her true purpose for this day. She didn't want to be late with their appointment. She wanted to see that person as soon as possible. She had been looking forward to this day ever since that night she spoke with her.

"Let's find Daddy Ken, shall we?"

"Okay!"

The two shocked person watched as Yumi and Yana walked away. As soon as the two were out of sight, both blinked and looked at each other.

"Tell me. Am I dreaming or did I just see Yumi-sama's ghost?"

"I'd like to ask you the same thing."

Both of them were visibly shaken.

"I don't think I still want to look around. How about you, Noriko?"

"Let's go back to the hotel, Shimako."

---o---

Sachiko waited impatiently, nervously, and eagerly, though her expression wasn't showing any of her emotions. She was going to see her again. After several days, she would lay her eyes again on the person she loved the most.

She was about to look again at her watch while berating herself for coming so early from their appointed time when she felt a prickle in her spine. She had arrived.

"Are we late?"

She stood and turned to the person who had spoken.

"No. You're just in time. Good afternoon, Yumi."

"Good afternoon, Sachiko."

Sachiko smiled and gazed at Yumi intently, taking in the sight of her smiling face, before her gaze slid to the little person standing beside Yumi. The little girl looked cute wearing a blue dress with matching shoes, her hair in pigtails. She couldn't help but think that maybe when Yumi was a kid, she was like the little girl in her cuteness.

"Hello there. I'm Sachiko. You must be Yana."

"You're beautiful," the little girl said without preamble.

Sachiko covered her surprised with a wink to the little girl.

"Why thank you, Yana. You're beautiful as well."

"Just like Mommy?"

"Yes," Sachiko agreed, looking at Yumi then back to Yana.

"She's my number one fan," Yumi said with a smile.

'I guess I have a rival,' Sachiko mused with amusement. She dared not say it out loud though, not unless Yumi had remembered her already.

"And like Touko," Yana continued.

"Touko?" Sachiko asked. Did Yana mean Touko? Matsudaira Touko? Her cousin? Had Yumi and Touko met already without her knowledge?

"She's also a number one fan of the actress Touko," Yumi explained.

"I see. I thought…"

"You though what?"

"Nothing. Something wrong, Yana?" Sachiko asked when she noticed the little girl stopped smiling and looked at her eyes intently.

"It's your eyes," Yumi explained, laughing when Yana smiled shyly.

"My eyes?" Sachiko asked in confusion.

"She likes blue eyes. I'm not sure why, but I suspect that one of the person who gave life to her had blue eyes. I think she missed seeing it," Yumi whispered to Sachiko.

Sachiko was thoughtful. The person who gave life to Yana?

"That little girl was Sagara Hiro's daughter. He had an affair while they were keeping watch on the Fukuzawas. The mother didn't want to be burdened with a child. She left her at Sagara's care. You know that Sagara died. His daughter, I had her left to the Fukuzawas. I could have provided for her, or had her grow up in another family, but I wanted the child to experience the love that a loving family could give. Besides, Sagara died protecting Yumi-chan, so I think she would want to repay Sagara by taking care of Yana-chan. And besides, the little girl's presence had lessened the Fukuzawas burden about the accident between you and Yumi-chan so I made sure that she would stay there."

Sachiko was speechless. Both father and daughter had played a very important role in Yumi's life. The hurt that she felt when she found out that Yumi had a daughter had totally disappeared. Just like Yumi, she owed the Sagaras a lot. She would make sure to repay them, or Yana, for what they did for Yumi. She would help the little girl with anything she could.

"This is Sagara," Tooru said, handing a photo to Sachiko.

Sachiko gazed at the man who saved Yumi's life. He was a good looking man. And based on Yana's photos that she had seen, they looked so much alike. Blue eyes, black hair, the shape of their faces. There was no mistaking that they were related.

"I wore blue contacts from time to time. It always calmed her when she was restless, especially when she was younger," Yumi's voice broke into Sachiko's thoughts.

"So that's why," Sachiko said absentmindedly as she gazed at Yana, remembering Yumi having blue eyes in the photos and in the few occasions she saw her.

"I forgot to wear one this morning, though. But it's okay. She wasn't restless like she was before. She was used being with us now. Besides, I don't really need contacts," Yumi explained. She left it unsaid that she forgot to wear contacts due to her eagerness to see Sachiko.

"If she felt restless later, I have blue eyes anyway," Sachiko teased.

"Yes. You have beautiful blue eyes," Yumi agreed, before blushing.

"Thank you, Yumi," Sachiko said with pleasure. She had missed the compliments coming from Yumi's lips. She would love to hear it over and over again. However, for now, there were other matters to attend to. Smiling, she turned her attention back to the entranced little girl.

"Yana, where do you want to go? To an amusement park perhaps?"

"Musement park!" Yana responded energetically, breaking free from her trance when she heard the words amusement park. She grabbed both Sachiko and Yumi's hands eagerly.

Both Sachiko and Yumi giggled at Yana's eagerness.

"To the amusement park then. It's just a walk ahead," Sachiko agreed. She remembered Yumi saying the same thing before when she asked her where she wanted to go. It was several years ago, but the memory was still fresh in her mind…Did she even forget anything that pertained to Yumi? Everything about Yumi was clear to her. It was what had helped her go on. Without those memories, she didn't know what would have become of her.

Yumi smiled happily. She was glad that Sachiko and Yana seemed to get along well. She had never seen Yana took on someone easily just like she did with Sachiko. It was a good sign.

---o---

Yana wanted to try anything that her eyes landed at the amusement park. She was so full of energy that Sachiko couldn't help but compare her with the Yumi she knew before. She could see that the two had a very strong bond even if they were not blood related. If she was still unreasonable and selfish, she might have been jealous of the affection she saw between the two. But she couldn't and wouldn't be jealous. She liked Yana even before she had met her because of what she was to Yumi. And when she met her, she couldn't help but like her all the more. She was so cute and adorable. Besides, they might be together once Yumi regained her memory. She was Yumi's adopted daughter after all.

Heat crept Sachiko's cheeks at her last thoughts.

"You don't have to ride on those, Sachiko," Yumi said as she saw Sachiko eyeing the fast rides at the park, mistaking the true reason behind Sachiko's silence. She didn't know how or why, but she had a feeling that Sachiko didn't like riding fast moving objects.

Sachiko shook her head.

"It's okay. Yana wanted to…"

"Don't worry about Yana," Yumi interrupted as she looked around. Once she spotted who she was looking for, she waved her hands. The person, who had been watching them, immediately walked towards them.

Sachiko's eyes widened with surprise when she recognized who was coming. She hadn't seen him for a long time. She didn't know what his reaction to her being with Yumi. She braced herself.

"Daddy Ken!" Yana greeted when she saw who had arrived.

"Are you being a good girl?" Yuuki asked Yana who immediately jumped into his arms.

"Yes. Daddy, I have a new friend," Yana said, pointing at Sachiko who straightened her back some more if that was even possible.

"I'm glad. Good day, Sachiko-san. It's been a long time," Yuuki greeted.

"Good day, Yuuki-kun," Sachiko greeted back, a bit hesitant.

"You need not worry about me, Sachiko-san. I understand perfectly well," Yuuki said before he turned her attention back to Yana. "So, little girl, which ride do you want to go first?"

Yana's eyes widened with excitement as she pointed to the rides left and right. Laughing, Yuuki took Yana to one of the rides, leaving the smiling Yumi and the still surprised Sachiko.

"Sachiko, are you alright? Are you worried about Yuuki?"

Sachiko forced herself to turn to Yumi and nodded slowly.

"Don't worry about him. Like he said, he understands perfectly well. He's been helping me in meeting you. Last time and this time. Without him, Yana and I wouldn't be here. My parents wouldn't let me leave the house alone. Yuuki is my accomplice," Yumi assured. She left it unsaid that Yuuki's presence also gave her time to be alone with Sachiko.

"I'm relieved. Shall we look around?"

A/N: Next chapter is "Fears".

Did that title even give you an idea what will happen next? I have my doubts ;) You'll just have to wait and see (or read? :) That will be next week. I'm off to lala land (meaning I will be resting during the weekends ;)

---Arvendell---

21 November 2008

4:30 PM