A/N: So sorry about the delay! I will try to do better in the future. I could use a second computer in my house. On with the show…

Disclaimer: Love Hina belongs to Akamatsu Ken and he retains all rights except to this little scenario, which came to me in a dream. Just kidding! I will not make any money off of this story, and I'm broke, so please don't sue!

My Turn

Chapter 8: Two Become One

"Su, ya damn traitor!" Kitsune yelled. The ash-haired freelancer had the princess by the arm. "What's tha idea ditching us like that?"

Kaolla giggled, rubbing the back of her head, and replied, "Well…you only paid me for infiltrating the resort, not to lead you to Shinobu and Onii-chan."

Motoko slowly and purposefully pulled her bokken from her belt, "Was it your intention to betray us the whole time?" The threat was unmistakable in the Shinmei-ryu heiress' voice.

"Cool yer jets, Kendo Girl," Kitsune interjected. "We cannot treat Su tha same way that you and Naru did Keitaro for far too long. She is our sister, even if she's being naughty."

Mutsumi had been casting a baleful eye toward the other women, finally saying, "The only thing that I need to know is where they are, Kaolla. I will give you whatever you ask if you could just lead me to them."

The blonde inventor's face changed as if she was deep in thought. Slowly, she responded, "I have almost everything in the world that I want except Onii-chan's sole attention and love. If I can't have that, I would want Shinobu, my best friend, to have it. I have brought you this far only because I love you all too, but I will not help you stop Shinobu's special time. Sorry, bye byes," she finished suddenly disappearing.

Sinking to her knees, Mutsumi said softly, "I have lost. What in the name of all the gods have I been doing?"

"Same thing that we all have doing, Sugah," Kitsune said putting a comforting hand on the Okinawan's shoulder. "We have all been trying to catch up to Eep-chan. Our innocent little Shinobu knew what she wanted way before any of us did. She moved the moment that there was an opportunity. She also lacked our baggage."

The melon loving college student began to cry softy, "But I have loved him my whole life. I only gave him up for Naru because she was ill and she needed him more. I love him so much that it hurts to think about him being with someone else. I know that I went a bit crazy when Kei-kun started dating Shinobu-chan, but I couldn't handle the thought of him with anyone but myself or Naru. Naru, the stupid twit, fucked things up royally and I didn't find out until that girl swooped in and turned his head. Maybe I should go back to Okinawa and see what Mother has to say."

Motoko, moved by the older woman's tears, placed her hand on Mutsumi's shoulder. "It is not as if you are alone, Otohime-san. I also love Keitaro-san more than I thought that it would be possible for me to do. I hated him on sight and within months, I was imagining him holding me like he did at the end of our duel. I was too immature to recognize that I was falling for him, and when he started dating Narusegawa, I honorably stepped aside. Unfortunately for me, I could not make my feelings end, and they continued to grow to the point that I was fantasizing about our wedding and the consummation of our marriage. It hurts to see him with another woman, but what a woman our Shinobu has become! She is even more formidable than Aneue. I also think that some time back home in Kyoto is in order for me. Aneue might have some advice on how to finally give him up."

Mitsune was flabbergasted. The two most gung-ho searchers were surrendering without a fight. It was not that she could not understand where the others were coming from. She had also fallen hard for the Kanrinrin's clumsy charm and boyish innocence. Unlike the others, she was accustomed to hiding her feelings when a friend made a claim. The party girl persona that she had put on was a way to deal with the pain and loneliness that her loyalty to her friends brought her each time.

She shrugged not wanting to think about it any longer, "Let's just go home, ladies. Nothing good will come from staying here. It will just break our hearts more to see them together." The others nodded mutely, and the trio started to leave and realized that they did not know how to get out. Kitsune yelled, "Su, how the hell do we get out of here?"

Just then Mitsune's forgotten cell phone rang. It was Kaolla. "Have you all decided to go home?" The princess' voice asked on the other line.

"Yes, Sug," Kitsune answered. "Please just tell us how in the name of all gods that we can get out of this resort so we can return to the Sou."

There was a pause and the inventor replied, "Okies, first you get back on the elevator. Push the button for the third floor. Do not push the one or two buttons. They lead to the service areas underground. Once you leave the elevator, turn right. You will go to the end of the hall and turn left, which you will do three times at the hall intersections. You should see the door if you do that. Did you get that?"

Mitsune nodded, then realized that she was on a cell phone, and answered, "I think so. Thank you, Su. See you back home," she finished before hanging up. "Well ladies, shall we? There is sake to be drunk at the Hinata with our names on it. I vote that we do our best to become comfortably numb and soothe our broken hearts."

Mutsumi managed a wan smile, "I second that motion. Are there any objections? Seeing none, Konno Mitsune's motion passes. Let's go get plastered. Too bad this isn't like the end of Maburaho where we each could get our own Kei-kun," she said wistfully.

"Ah! I remember that anime," Mitsune interjected. "Yuna was a bit on the crazy side, wasn't she?"

Motoko mumbled, "I liked Rin. She was cool." The Shinmei-ryu heir blushed slightly as if caught admitting that she watched something other than period dramas.

"Ha ha," Kitsune laughed. "Kendo Girl, that's funny. Rin was a lot like you, wasn't she? Silent, but when it mattered, she was a serious ass-kicker with her sword magic." They laughed and then walked away sad, yet there was a feeling of camaraderie they had not felt in months.

Kaolla watched the older women leave and thought, 'That was the easy part. What comes next will be more painful.' She turned on her cameras in Keitaro's suite. The princess had not lied when she said that she was in love with him as well and that she had wanted him for herself. She also had honestly decided to step aside for Shinobu but that did not make what she was about to watch any easier or hurt any less.

In Keitaro's Suite

After Kaolla had left, the young lovers actually went back and finished dinner. Not so much because they were hungry, they ate because they were so nervous. They drank glass after glass of wine, but thanks to all of the drinking parties at the Sou and the rich food that they had eaten,they did not get drunk. They knew that their love was true. They knew that they both wanted this. Neither had a clue where to start.

Keitaro took a shower while Shinobu cleaned up the food. He had offered to help as always, but the bluenette shook her head, "No, Kei-kun, please take your bath first. I will take mine after you finish."

He finished his bath and walked in the living room area of the suite, saying softly, "Shino-chan, the bath is open." She grunted in acknowledgement, moving woodenly out of the room. The young landlord, clad only in a bathrobe, sat down on the sofa thinking about the road that brought them here. Naru's violent behavior, his decision, Shinobu's move, his acceptance, the roommate's reactions, the months of tension, the dates, the make-out sessions, and now they were at this resort in Atami, about to take each other's virginity. He shook his head, 'What a long, strange trip it has been. I know that this is right, and that this is the woman that I am meant to be with.' His only regrets were about Mutsumi. He still held on to hope that they could still be friends after all of this. 'I hope that it's not too late,' he thought forlornly. 'I hope that I haven't lost a friend.'

He noticed the wet bar, and considered making himself a drink, but he quickly changed his mind. 'I want to remember every second with her tonight. I want to remember every word spoken, every breath, so I have to be sober. He selected a bottle of ice-cold water, which actually did calm him slightly. 'I have to patient. I cannot hurt her. I want this to be perfect for her. She deserves it.'

In the bathroom, his lover was thinking along the same lines, 'I thank all of the ancient kami, Buddha, Jehovah, Jesus, Allah, every god large or small for letting me earn this man's love. If Naru-sempai had only known what she was pushing away, it might be her here with Kei-kun instead of me. If only Mutsumi-sempai wasn't so focused on keeping Naru and Sempai together, she might be here.'

She shook her head, doubts were the last thing that she needed right now. She wanted this night to be magical for Keitaro. 'He certainly deserves this. I have been waiting to be one with him since I was 13. Five years of wishing that I was older, had a better figure, of wishing that he would open his eyes to see that I was the girl that truly loved him unlike Naru who only loved having a devoted pet and punching bag. Five years of silently crying in my pillow when she was actually nice and affectionate toward him. Five years of praying for my chance, my turn. Mama, Papa, please forgive me. I know that you won't approve of what we are about to do, but this is promise of a lifetime, I can feel it.'

Shinobu got out of the bath, toweled off her body, and dried her hair. She checked that hair was not where it was not supposed to be. She brushed her teeth for the second time, just in case her breath had soured in the ten minutes since she had brushed them last. The young domestic put on a bathrobe, took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and went into the living room.

Keitaro was sitting on the sofa, waiting for her with a bottle of water. "Oh you bought me a drink, what a gentleman you are," she teased, causing her boyfriend to blush. After taking a quick sip of the proffered beverage, she slowly sat herself on his lap, gently sliding her arms over his shoulder, her hands joining together at the back of his neck. The violet-eyed woman tilted her chin upwards, and Keitaro, not having to be told, kissed her softly, tasting her sweet breath.

The kisses increased in intensity until they both were breathless. "I love you, Urashima Keitaro," Shinobu said panting. She opened her mouth to kiss him again. She moaned as his hands made their down her back to her bottom. "Maybe we ought to move this to the bedroom," she whispered.

"Are you sure, Shinobu?" Keitaro asked. "I don't want to do anything to hurt you. I love you."

Wordlessly, Shinobu got off his lap, took him by the hand, and led him into the bedroom. She pushed him onto the bed and began to shower his lips with delicate, fleeting kisses. Standing up, she let her bathrobe fall, exposing her lovely young body to his eyes. "I have never been more sure of anything in my life. Make me completely yours," Shinobu then sank down, lying on the bed next to him, "Take me."

"I will do my best not to hurt you, Love," Keitaro said, his voice heavy with desire.

Shinobu smiled, "It doesn't matter if it does hurt. The only thing matters to me is that we will finally be one: mind, body, and soul." He smiled before kissing her. Their night of love had finally started.

The next morning, the couple awoke to the smell of frying bacon and brewing coffee. They felt glorious and to be honest, a little silly about how they over-thought things before they made love. Keitaro was concerned when his love winced as she got out of bed, "Are you okay, Shinobu?"

She gave him a wan smile, "I'll let you know after I use the bathroom. You should license that thing as a concealed weapon." They laughed, kissed, and then went to take care of their morning business.

Neither of them paused to ask where the smell of breakfast was coming from until they went out into the living room of the suite and saw Kaolla in the kitchen, cooking. Seeing them, the Molmolian princess ran over and kissed them, Shinobu on the cheek, Keitaro full on the lips. "Good morning, wife, husband," she said happily.

"What do you mean, Su, husband and wife?" The Kanrinrin asked, confused.

Kaolla smiled, "Oh, I have filed our marriage papers in Molmol so we are all married now. Wife Shinobu, when do I get my turn with our husband?"

Now Shinobu was befuddled, "How can we be married in Molmol? Kei-kun and I haven't been there since before he and Naru started dating."

"I'm just kidding," Kaolla laughed. "We aren't married. I just wanted to see your reactions. I won't mess with your relationship anymore. However, please don't forget that polygamy is legal in Molmol and that I love you both. This awesome offer is open ended: you will get all my wealth and this tight little body too. How can you resist?"

Keitaro had heard the brittle nature of his young friend's laughter, and hugged her tightly, "Thank you, Su. You will be the first one I call if Shinobu dumps me."

The blonde sniffed, "Thank you for that promise even though we both know that she will never dump you."

Keitaro felt her tears dampen his chest. Shinobu, now seeing that Kaolla was crying moved to hug her as well. "I love you, Kaolla, but I won't even share him with you. Sorry. Will you forgive me?"

"Nothing to forgive," she said between sobs. "I'm happy for you. I just have to hope that you will change your mind and marry me too."

Keitaro spluttered, "We haven't discussed marriage yet, Kaolla! I mean, I want to marry Shinobu when she is ready. I wanted to ask her when I know that she is ready for it."

The princess stopped crying, looked at her best friend, and both of them hit him on the back of his head, yelling in unison, "Baka!" Kaolla started laughing, "You sure are dumb, aren't you, Keitaro? This girl has been ready to marry you for five years. Me too, but she is the one who accidentally wrote Urashima Shinobu on one of her quizzes and got scolded by the teacher in both middle and in high school."

"You are sure that you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" He asked.

Shinobu leapt into his arms and ravaged his lips. "Does that answer your question? I would rather be your wife than a chef with two Michelin Stars. You are the man that I want to be with until I die, even if you are a little dense. I love you all the same."

"That settles that," Kaolla said brightly. "Now when do we plan our wedding?" Shinobu and Keitaro yelled at her, "Su! Kaolla!" Looking sheepish, she replied, "You can't blame a girl for trying, can you?" They all laughed.

Epilogue

"Hurry up, Daddy!" A young girl with blue hair and violet eyes yelled. "Mommy is about to be on TV!"

Her father ran into the living room, carrying her little brother. "Keiko, calm down. Mommy is on TV every week. You know that Shinosuke squirms when we change his diaper!" He calmly turned the television onto Cooking Channel Japan so that the family could watch "Every Day Japanese with Urashima Shinobu." Keitaro smiled fondly at the image of his wife.

They had married a couple of months after the trip to Atami. It was a joyous affair with none of the usual Hinata hijinks that made life so chaotic. Everyone knew that this was Shinobu's dream and they swallowed their own unrequited love for her groom and wished her well. They honeymooned in France, so that Shinobu could apply for Le Cordon Bleu and Keitaro could make a presentation on the Turtle Cult sites that he and Seta had discovered. He had earned his degree and had been awarded his first doctorate by Tokyo University for his work in archaeology. He earned his actual PhD at the University of Paris, where he studied while Shinobu was doing her coursework at the aforementioned famous cooking school.

He became a lecturer on the faculty at Todai, but he also traveled worldwide looking for more Turtle Cult ruins. Shinobu opened her first restaurant with help from her parents and Granny Hina, who had retired, leaving Keitaro the Sou and all of the Urashima assets. They were wealthy and in love, but they both loved to work hard. Within five years, Shinobu had had their first child and earned her first Michelin Star. Life was good.

As for the other girls, Mutsumi did get married and had twelve children, one for each month of the year. Her husband, an Okinawan melon farmer, was bit surprised at the strength in her insistence that they name their first son, Keitaro. Kitsune never married, but she became a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist in Los Angeles, where news of her romantic exploits scandalized her home country. Naru became a teacher at an all-girls school. She had 6 cats and she enjoys being single. Motoko gained international fame, winning a gold medal at the Olympics and at the World Kendo Championships. She took over the Shinmei-ryu school and is currently enjoying Kyoto's singles scene. As for Kaolla Su, she took the throne of Molmol when her brother and sister tragically died during a tantric sex session. The grief-stricken nation turned to the young princess to lead them, which she did just before declaring herself married to Keitaro and Shinobu. After their second child was born, Shinobu gave Kaolla her fondest wish, kind of, sending her bewildered husband to Molmol for three months, during which time, thanks to artificial insemination, the queen conceived her twin heirs, Kei Su and Shin Su. The boys are currently terrorizing their nannies. They have to have two because one nanny was not enough to handle the hyperactive toddlers.

Arriving back at their home late that evening, Shinobu checks on her sleeping children. They look and smell clean. The house is clean as well. After showering, the chef climbed into bed with her husband, who had small wisps of gray invading his black hair. She kissed his sleeping cheek, and thinks, 'I am so glad that I took full advantage of my turn.'

The End

A/N: Finally! Thank you for your patience. Now to finish Taking a Chance…well maybe.