Welcome welcome. Yay for slow work days! I haven't watched Escaflowne in years, so I may be a little off… then again I can still visualize the show to a T. Well I finally caved and ordered the set. I couldn't pass up $30 instead of $60… not to mention that when I was originally buying Escaflowne they only had the VHS and each one was $30 I bought 4 before they went out of print. That's $120 for tapes, some one broke my cousins #1 so being the nice person I am I gave them my #1 for free. Lets just say this DVD box set was along time coming.

Disclamer; I. DON'T. OWN. ESCAFLOWNE. AND. NITHER. DO YOU! SO HA!

Far From Home

Chapter 4

Ever had that deer in the headlights feeling? How about when you realize it's a Semi truck, coming strait at you going 120miles per hour. Yea, that's about what Hitomi felt like at the thought of her parents finding Van. Unfortunately he's too big to hide in the closet she thought. "Time to face the music." She mumbled under her breath, all the while thinking up fun tortures to try out on Mamoru.

Van raised his left eyebrow questioningly at her.

"I mean, time to meet my parents. That is… if you want to." She stumbled over the words. "Because is you don't you can fly away, and I'll just tell them Mamoru has a sugar high again."

"No. I won't abandon you that easily."

She blushed.

"That and I've got no where else to go." Van said looking out upon the roof tops of most possibly strangest place he had ever been, but then again I did fall for a pretty strange girl.

"Well I guess we should go inside then." Hitomi led the way back to her open window. "This is your last chance to escape." She teased back at him climbing in the window and the awaiting interrogation.

"I lost the chance to escape from you long ago." He grinned at her as he swung himself gracefully through the frame and into her bedroom.

"HEY!" She tossed one of her sneakers at him, before getting prepared for the worst. "Give me your sword."

"Why?" He stared at her outstretched hands questionably.

"It will make them nervous." She stated "Jeez you trust me with your heart but not with your sword." She pouted

"Women. Love is never enough for you is it?" He sighed, undoing the belt that held his sheath and handing over a piece of himself.

"Since when did you grow a since of humor?" Hitomi slid the famous sword under her bed and out of sight. "Anyways its safe here you'll get it back later. Its just people here haven't carried sword quite some time." She stood back up and turned to Van trying to comb his hair out of his eyes, the second she stopped the unruly locks fell back into place.

As if on cue pounding steps announced the arrival of Hitomi's father. "What is going on here?" He glared at the unexpected guest.

"Dad I-"

"Hello Sir. I'd like to introduce myself. I am Van Slanzar de Fanel and I am in love with your daughter."

"How come I haven't met you before? What the hell were you doing on my roof?"

"I do apologize. Hitomi and I have been in… as you would say a long distance relationship for the majority of this past year. My trip here was quite unexpected, I wanted to surprise her."

A smiling woman in her early forties stepped in-between the two men. "Well dear next time you want to surprise her please use the front door." She began to steer the bewildered man back down the stairs. "Why don't we all go down to the living room and get to know each other." She winked at Hitomi.

"My mother is amazing." She whispered to Van.

Once everyone was seated and Mrs. Kanzaki had forced a slice of pound cake topped with peaches in front or each of them the tension lessoned. That was until Mamoru got tired of his Gameboy and decided to join the party. "I saw you two playing suck face!" He grinned plopping down between the shocked and blushing couple.

"Is that true?" the older man's glare was once again focused on the young king.

"Dad! Mamoru is making that up!" It was hard to tell if Hitomi's face was so bright from the blush on her cheeks or the outraged in her eyes.

Mr. Kanzaki ignored his squabbling children. "Is that true?" He asked Van again.

"Sir I have played no such game with your daughter."

Hitomi's jaw dropped. It was true, but when had Van gotten better at diplomacy, this was a far cry from his normal tactics. On second thought that was a good thing… her father was still alive and nothing was broken. Hopefully, soon she couldn't say the same for the little twerp now eating her cake.

"You have never kissed her?" He pried.

"No Sir." Van cleared his throat trying unsuccessfully to calm his spreading race car red blush. "I have more respect for Hitomi then that." Their eyes met. "It's not proper and I would never want to rush anything so important."

"Well you can never be to sure about kids these days. Its good Hitomi found a nice old fashioned boy like you." He stood up stretching. "It is late, Mamoru go brush your teeth and head up to bed."

"But dad!"

"No whining, just go. Van you are welcomed to stay the night unless you have other plans."

"Th-thank you Sir."

Hitomi's mother began taking the dishes into the kitchen "Why don't you go up to bed dear you have an early morning after all. Hitomi help me with these. Oh and Van dear I'll bring you some blankets."

With one last look back at Van; Hitomi was bustled into the kitchen, leaving him alone on the sofa.

He rested his face in his hands with a sigh. It had most defiantly been a long day. He didn't even take notice when Hitomi's mother came back into the room.

She set the blankets next to him and whispered in his ear. "So you must be that nice young king that protected my baby girl when she was on Gaea. No wonder you stole her heart. Thank you."

Van looked up into her smiling face with shock. "You knew about that?"

"Dear, I'm a mom I know everything about my children. Doesn't your mother tell you that?"

"Mom, Van's parents died when he was young." Hitomi spoke softly from the doorway. "His brother passed away last year."

"Oh my, I am so sorry."

"It is alright Mrs. Kanzaki." Van gave her a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"No it is not." She stated forcefully. "And I'll have none of that Mrs. Kanzaki nonsense! Call me mom." She said sweeping him into a warm hug.

"Yes ma'am"

She gave him a shape look.

"M-mom." He corrected rolling the unfamiliar word across his tongue.

"Good night Van dear." She said tossling his hair and then proceeding up the stairs.

Hitomi sat down next to him laying her head on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"What have I done?"

"You put up with my crazy family." She inhaled his sent, sweet and crisp like a fall breeze. "Mostly, because you're back by my side."

"I've never left you." He whispered his voice low and smooth as he caressed her cheek. "I never will."

To Be Continued…

What do you think? Van's matured. I hope it still sounds like him. HE has been governing a country for a year so he knows how to handle her father I guess. Mamoru is basically… okay exactly like my little step brother (other then Russian as his first language.). What else can you say about 10 year old boys? They love you if they aren't around you all the time, but if they are they know every one of your buttons. I wanted to watch the DVDs again before writing this chapter to make sure I got them right… oh well.

I hoped you enjoyed it! Now Review or I'll send Sasha/Alex (said little pest) after you. He is a cute little con-artist too. You'll walk away broke.

Oh I've only gotten one response from reviewers that want to be immortalized in this story. I'll give you all one last chance. 2 more people. tear-drowned-angel will most definitely be in the next chapter look out for her!