A/N: Titles are quite deceiving, right? I chose the title Farewell for the previous chapter because I felt like teasing you guys. I even changed a lot of scenes in the chapter just so I could use that particular title (don't be annoyed, please! Haha ;) Besides, I wanted to surprise you, too ;)

Chapter 35. Perfect

"We did the right thing, didn't we, Sachiko?" Yumi said softly as she opened the car door.

"Yes, we did. I agree with you that only with forgiveness can we truly be happy," Sachiko said worriedly, not really thinking about the topic but on the matter that would happen in just a few seconds.

"I can't really believe that you threatened him before, Sachiko. He's so scary. You're so brave," Yumi said, looking at Sachiko with wonder and pride.

"I'm not really sure how I pulled it up. Probably it's your entire fault," Sachiko said with a smile, forgetting her worry at Yumi's pride for her. It was something she saw from Yumi often and yet she couldn't get tired of it. In fact, she loved it all the more and wanted to do all the things that would make Yumi proud of her, just like she knew Yumi wanted to do for her.

"I would have done the same thing you know," Yumi said with a pout, though her eyes were sparkling with happiness.

"Should I believe you?" Sachiko teased. Of course she believed Yumi would do the same thing for her and both of them knew that.

"No, you shouldn't. If it was me, I would have married Suguru and then have all those riches to myself and then I would ignore you and…"

Sachiko cut Yumi's teasing by flicking a finger in Yumi's forehead.

"Hey, don't do that!" Yumi complained and yet she also did the same thing to Sachiko.

"Sorry," Yumi immediately said afterwards.

"You're such a child," Sachiko responded.

"You started it," Yumi countered.

"So? Who said you should imitate me? You're not Yana, you know."

"Hmp," Yumi said, looking away from Sachiko while sticking her nose in the air like Yana usually did, though inside, she was smiling.

"See? That's what I'm talking about," Sachiko said with a quiet chukle.

"Flicking other people's forehead, was that how a lady suppose to act?"

Sachiko just smiled at the mocked sermon and Yumi couldn't help but smile, too.

"Well, let's get going. I'm sure Yana misses us already," Yumi said as she started the car.

Sachiko's worry came back rushing. She held onto the car seat tightly and held her breath.

Yumi laughed at Sachiko's expression. Slowly, she made their way out of the parking lot.

"Maybe I should drive, Yumi," Sachiko said warily, looking from Yumi and then to the road ahead.

"You don't trust me, do you?" Yumi protested with a pout.

"I do. It's just that…" Sachiko trailed off when the car accelerated.

"That's what I'm talking about. Yumi, I want to live a long life with you and Yana," Sachiko protested.

"Sorry, I made a mistake," Yumi apologized and slowed down the car.

"I missed the time when you were still wary about riding cars. You always clung to me or Yana then. It was quite enjoyable…and safer," Sachiko said, sighing with relief at the slower pace of the car.

"You prefer me acting stupid when I'm riding cars?" Yumi challenged.

"No, of course not. But I prefer you not driving like Sei-sama," Sachiko protested. "And you just got your driver's license."

"That's why I want to drive as much as possible. We have a driver most of the time. I can only drive at times likes this when Yana isn't with us," Yumi explained and looked at Sachiko with pleading eyes as long as she could while driving.

Sachiko sighed.

"Alright. Be careful and focus your attention on the road. And stop looking at me like that. Both you and Yana use that to me more often than I would want you to," Sachiko said with a laugh.

Yumi laughed, too.

"It works well, right? Yana and I had it perfected," Yumi teased.

"I'm a little worried that Yana would grow up like you. She wants to play all the time. She wants to eat everything. She wants to try everything. She uses that eyes of hers and that pout of hers to get what she wants. Just like you always do," Sachiko teased.

"Because you're spoiling her. You give anything she wanted. You follow anything she wanted. You let her do as she wishes most of the time," Yumi accused, laughing.

Sachiko flushed a bit, before a fleeting look of seriousness crossed her eyes.

Smiling, Yumi grasped Sachiko's hand briefly.

"I understand, you know. I'm not blaming you. I like spoiling her, too," Yumi reassured.

"I didn't have a childhood so I wanted her to grow up like you did," Sachiko said softly, before she added in a firm tone, "Besides, I'm spoiling you, too."

Yumi laughed before she said, "Just as I do to you, don't you dare forget that."

"All right, we both like spoiling each other and Yana," Sachiko said with acquiescence.

"Yana will grow up as happy, as good-looking, as irresistible, as anything a person like an Ogasawara Sachiko would want to," Yumi said cheekily.

Sachiko laughed, before she added, "And as clumsy, as childish, as naïve, as …"

"Hey! I'm not naïve," Yumi protested with a giggle.

"If you aren't naïve, then guess what I'll do to you once we get back at home because you've been acting like a child," Sachiko challenged.

"Kiss me?" Yumi challenged with a giggle.

"No."

"Touch me?"

"No. Seriously Yumi, I think your thoughts are becoming more and more like Sei-sama," Sachiko teased.

"Look who's talking. Then what are you going to do with me then?" Yumi asked with a laugh.

"What do you do to a person if she misbehaved?"

"I'm not misbehaving," Yumi protested.

"If she's cheeky and naughty?"

"Well, you are cheeky and naughty, too."

"Not as you are."

Yumi giggled.

"Alright, you got me there. So what are you going to do with me, your highness?" Yumi teased.

Sachiko leaned towards Yumi's ear and whispered something.

Yumi's eyes widened and heat covered her cheeks while Sachiko laughed softly. Her hands trembled a bit. She slowed down and glared at Sachiko before looking back at the road.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me, my love."

"I'll make you pay if you do that."

"Oh, I would like to see you try."

"I didn't know you are into pain, Sachiko," Yumi teased with insinuation.

It was Sachiko's turn to blush.

"Y-yumi! That's not what I meant," Sachiko said with righteous indignation.

Yumi let out a hearty laughter.

"It's not funny. I can't believe you'd think something like that," Sachiko protested.

"I'm only kidding. Sachiko, you're so naïve," Yumi teased, still laughing at Sachiko's reaction.

"You fooled me. Imagine spanking your bottom like you are a misbehaving child turned into something…" Sachiko crossed her arms in front of her and pouted at the laughing Yumi.

"Can you imagine me spanking your backside like a misbehaving child, Sachiko?" Yumi asked with mirth, enjoying the lighter side of Sachiko who teases, laughs and pouts like a child. They might be adults, but that didn't stop them from acting like kids from time to time.

Shaking her head, Sachiko sighed and giggled, too.

"No, I couldn't. I couldn't imagine doing it to you, too, no matter how childish you could be sometimes," Sachiko said with mocked exasperation.

"You're right."

Smiling, Sachiko leaned to Yumi's ear and whispered, "But I could imagine doing this to you."

Yumi shivered when Sachiko gently bit her earlobe then soothed it with her tongue. She totally stopped the car at the side of the road.

"Illegal parking, Yumi," Sachiko teased.

"R-right," Yumi said with difficulty as her breathing quickened. "You drive, Sachiko. I might just get us killed like you were saying earlier if you'll keep on teasing me while driving."

Sachiko laughed heartily and exchanged positions with Yumi. Yumi pouted but joined Sachiko's laughter.

"See? Amnesia or not, you just couldn't resist me, Yumi," Sachiko teased.

"Yes, yes. Because the pull of your scent is so strong that I couldn't help but be led back to you," Yumi teased back.

"You got that right, my love."

"You think I'm a dog or a fly or something?" Yumi asked in mocked anger.

Sachiko was thoughtful for a moment.

"Not really. But you are quite an animal, Yumi," Sachiko said pointedly.

Yumi was confused for a moment, before her eyes widened and she gasped as Sachiko licked her lips slowly.

"Sachiko!" Yumi protested and couldn't help flushing at Sachiko's innuendo.

"Aren't you?" Sachiko teased further, enjoying Yumi's protests and blushes.

Yumi pouted before she leaned over Sachiko and whispered huskily, trying to get back at Sachiko's teasing, "You're just like me, my love."

Sachiko stepped on the break when Yumi briefly touched her tongue on her earlobe.

"Yumi!"

"Serves you right, my love," Yumi said with raised brows as she slowly leaned back on her seat and looked at the road like nothing happened.

"You do know you'll pay for that," Sachiko said sternly as she started the car once more.

One second…

Two seconds…

Four seconds…

A hearty laughter erupted at the car. Sachiko had to slow down again as they were overcome with laughter, both thinking how silly they were acting and how they enjoyed doing it nonetheless. They couldn't help it even if they wanted to. The heaviness in there hearts had been completely lifted up and they were so happy.

---o---

"Moms!" Yana squealed with delight as soon as Sachiko and Yumi arrived at their house. She flung her arms at Yumi who exited the car first.

"Don't just run like that, baby." Yumi reprimanded gently as she gave Yana a hug.

"Sorry, Mom," Yana said sheepishly.

"So, was our baby a good girl while we were away?" Yumi asked with a smile.

"I'm not a baby anymore," Yana protested with a pout, before she said proudly, "Of course I'm a good girl. I did my lessons like you told me, Mommy."

"You're quite a good girl unlike your Mommy here, right?" Sachiko said as she exited the car.

"Mommy Love!"

Yana gave Sachiko a hug, too and then she held Sachiko's left hand and Yumi's right hand and led them towards the house while chatting nonstop to Sachiko and Yumi's amusement.

"Can I have ice cream after dinner?" Yana asked Sachiko and Yumi as soon as they were at the living room and the two women were seated at the couch.

"Since you've been a good girl, I don't mind. But only little, okay?" Sachiko agreed easily, ignoring Yumi's teasing eyes that were telling her that she was spoiling Yana again.

Yana squealed happily and both Sachiko and Yumi couldn't help but laugh at her antics.

"See? She was so like you," Sachiko said to Yumi with soft giggles.

"I can't deny that. She had spent most of her life with Yuuki and me as an example so what would you expect? And can you believe that she was protesting when I called her baby?" Yumi said with a giggle.

Sachiko giggled again and said, "Just like you do when I'm telling you you're such a child. The only difference is, Yana is really a child while you, my love, are not."

Yumi was about to retaliate when she was interrupted.

"Moms, I'll show you what I learned. Teacher said that I'm better now," Yana said excitedly and proudly.

"Really? We would love to hear it," Sachiko said as she stood and opened the lid of the piano and then helped Yana into the chair. Afterwards, she sat back beside Yumi.

Sachiko and Yumi listened and watched Yana play the piano with adoration. Their little girl was growing up both with Yumi's exuberance and Sachiko's intelligence and they couldn't be more than happier. It was more than they could ask for. Everything in their lives was in its right place. They were together with a little girl to watch over and who watches over them, too. They were a family.

"It was perfect," Yumi said as she listened to the music with closed eyes.

"Yes. More than perfect," Sachiko said.

Yes. Everything was perfect.

A/N: This would have been the end and the next that I'll post was supposed to be the epilogue. However, since I couldn't help it, the epilogue became a full blown chapter haha ;) I think it would be a waste to just delete what I wrote so I will post the entire thing next time. Or would you prefer that this is the end?...Nah, I think that's a stupid question haha ;)

Sigh…

I'm not sure what's wrong with me right after my birthday. Lately, I'm feeling…gloomy…in contrast with this happy chapter…

Another sigh…

Hmm…

It must be the climate! Haha How lame… ;)

---Arvendell---

12 January 2009

3:20 PM