Shino slowed down and Jin turned to her, taking her hand. "It's not much farther, but we can stop if you want to rest."

"I'm not tired." She tried to smile. "I'm still having trouble believing this is real. Ever since you came to the shelter, I've felt like I'm watching a dream."

He smiled gently. "I feel the same way. I wasn't sure you would want to come with me-we never had a chance to talk about the future."

She said gravely, "I was hoping to open a grilled eel stand, but I suppose I can do that and still be your wife."

Jin wrapped his arms around Shino and held her close. "I suppose you can."

She smiled brightly up at him, then broke away and continued down the road. "So tell me some more about our house."

"I have already told you everything there is to tell."

"Tell me again."

Jin sighed. "It's very small-only one room, but there is enough land to expand it. We share the back with Mugen and Fuu-when I told them I was leaving to get you, Fuu made us pull down the fence that separated the yards, so now it's one big back yard."

"And your friends?"

Jin regarded Shino with amusement. "I have already told you everything there is to tell about them too."

She took his hand. "Tell me again."

"They have been married for two years. They have no children yet, but one is on the way. You will like Fuu, but Mugen is more of an acquired taste." They turned a last corner and saw the two little houses side by side. Both were lit up and Jin smiled to himself. It was like Fuu to want to make his house look welcoming for Shino. He saw her now at the door of her own house and she caught sight of him at the same moment.

"Mugen! They're here!"

Fuu ran out to embrace Jin and take Shino by the hand. Mugen followed, grumbling, "I can see they're here. You are one shrill woman, do you know that?"

Fuu led Shino into Jin's house. "I'm so glad to meet you at last. Jin….well, he didn't talk a lot about you. He doesn't talk a lot about anything. But I know he's been missing you and he'll be so happy now that you're here."

The two men came in and Jin looked around. Fuu had decorated the house with flowers and there was a new folding screen by the big futon in the corner. She smiled at the samurai. "It's a combination wedding and housewarming gift."

"So do we get to eat now?" asked Mugen.

Fuu rolled her eyes. "Yes. Go get the food."

"Get the food? You mean bring it over here?" Fuu gave her husband a look and he grinned wickedly. "I mean, yes, my dear."

She laughed. "Help him, Jin.

"Yeah, pretty boy-I can't carry it all by myself."

They went out and Shino said shyly, "Jin didn't tell me very much about you and your husband, but he did say you're expecting a child."

Fuu smoothed the front of her kimono. "It's not showing much yet, but the doctor says I'm more than two months along."

"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

"As long as it's healthy, I don't care what it is." Fuu laughed. "Mugen says he wants a girl-he says a little Mugen would be too much to handle."

Shino laughed with her as Mugen and Jin came in, loaded with baskets and bottles.

"Sounds like we should have just stayed at my place," growled the Ryukyuan. "They got a hen party going already."

"Hmmm."

The men dropped their burdens on the floor and Mugen rubbed his temples. Instantly Fuu was at his side. "Does your head hurt?"

"A little." She started for the door and he grabbed her wrist. "It's not that kind of headache, Fuu. It's just because I'm hungry. Relax, will you?" He saw the bewildered look on Shino's face and turned to Jin. "She doesn't know?"

The samurai shook his head. "I wasn't sure if you would want her to."

The Ryukyuan shrugged. "She's family now. Go ahead and tell her."

"First let's get started." Fuu was already arranging the food on little tables. "You're not the only one who's hungry, Mugen."

They all sat down and took some food, then Jin said, "Mugen has paroxysmal fever. He almost died from an attack of it two years ago when we first came to Goto." Shino poured him some tea and he sipped it. "The foreigners have a medicine for it, but it doesn't cure it permanently. There is always the danger of another attack."

Fuu took up the story. "We always have the medicine on hand. So far he hasn't had another attack, but it starts with a bad headache. The doctor said as long as he takes the medicine, it should keep him from getting sick again."

Shino looked sympathetically at Mugen. "I'm sorry. It must be difficult to have a situation like that."

"No, what's difficult is the way these two start fussing every time I have a twinge," he growled.

"We only fuss because we care," said Fuu indignantly.

"We could just let you take care of yourself," said Jin calmly.

Fuu nodded. "And if we did, you know what would happen."

Mugen snarled, "I'd be just fine taking care of myself!"

Jin shook his head. "You've always been hopeless."

Fuu agreed. "Completely."

The three of them bickered back and forth, breaking off to smile at Shino and press food and tea on her, and she watched them with a warm feeling in her heart. Mugen might be an acquired taste, and this was certainly the oddest group of people she had ever seen, but one thing was crystal clear. She belonged to a family.