Okay, Senior year is almost over so I should be able to write and update more. Hopefully. Please, if you liked the story so far feel free to drop a line and comment. Stories are 'alive' as well you know, they just thrive off of comments and the author's imagination like a parasite... So, please feed this story so it won't haunt me at night. XD

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite being really tired, neither Heshun nor Akiko could sleep. It was just a 'thing' they had since they were little.

"Do you think they fell asleep yet?" asked Akiko quietly from where she sat slumped like a sack of potatoes against the wall.

Heshun shrugged and rubbed his gritty eyes. "I wouldn't know since the last time I went out to see if they were asleep I nearly got caught."

They didn't say anything for a few minutes, for they were too tired to even think. The only sound in the darkened room was the sound of their breathing and the occasional grunt from one of the younger two.

What seemed like hours later, Akiko was having trouble staying awake. Heshun saw his sister's struggle and decided to help. "Akiko," he whispered, "if you're tired then go to sleep. I'll stand watch to make sure no one hurts you guys."

Akiko stared sleepily at her brother's darkened face and whispered, "Thanks," before closing her eyes. She was out like a light.

"No problem little sis," mumbled Heshun with a large yawn.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That morning when the rooster pig outside welcomed in the sun with its loud, and rather annoying crow-oinking, Heshun started awake and found himself staring at two large brown eyes making him yelp.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack Kalila?" he asked as he pushed his youngest sister away from him.

Kalila pouted then said, "I'm hungry and Akiko said that I couldn't say hi to Mommy before she climbed out the window like a thief."

"And?" asked Heshun as he got to his feet and stretched.

"I want to see Mommy NOW!" she replied, stomping her feet to add emphasis.

Heshun clapped a hand over her mouth before she could scream bloody murder and Kalila bit him before dashing out the door.

Heshun cursed under his breath and gave chase but he ran into her just out of the hall. There she stood stock still, staring at her mother and the strange man sleeping side by side.

"Mommy?" she called out tentatively then nearly cried out when then man, rather than her mom, began to wake.

Thinking quickly, Heshun covered her mouth again, picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and dashed back into their bedroom.

Once they were safely inside with the door closed Heshun put her down and kneeled in front of her.

Kalila was babbling incoherently and began crying out of confusion and fear. She was lucky that both adults had found the night chilly and had been covered up with a blanket.

Unlike when I first found Mom like that, thought Heshun bitterly, what a shock to find Mommy and some stranger naked in each other's arms. That was the quickest anatomy lesson ever.

After several minutes of calming her down, Kalila looked around and asked, "Where's Akiko and Ling yun?"

Heshun looked around, bit his lip and thought hard. Luckily, he didn't need to answer for his little brother tumbled through the open window at that moment.

"Hi," said the little boy with a large smile. Heshun just rubbed his forehead and hoped that no one heard the noise in the other room.

"Where did you go?" asked Kalila with her arms crossed and her bottom lip stuck out in a slight pout.

"Out," replied Akiko as she nimbly climbed through the window like a monkey. "Be happy we remembered to bring you two sleepy heads back breakfast." she continued as she held out a sack to her younger sister.

Kalila eyed the sack doubtfully before reaching out and all but tearing the fabric apart to get to the contents. When she finally saw what the sack contained, Kalila squealed in delight. "Custard tarts!" she exclaimed happily.

"We got one for you and one for Heshun," smiled Ling yun happily.

Heshun looked up at Akiko and she nodded with a smirk on her face. She knew that he liked custard tarts more than life itself and he couldn't help himself when he rushed her and gave Akiko a bear hug. Akiko wheezed.

"Hey! I helped pick too!" pouted Ling yun. Heshun laughed and gave him a gentler version of Akiko's bear hug.

"Are they still out there?" asked Akiko as Heshun and Kalila wolfed down their breakfast.

Heshun nodded, his mouth to full to answer. After he had swallowed the last bite, he cleared his throat and said, "Yeah, seems like he's going to be staying here for a while. We better just use the window like Mom said."

"As much as I hate it, you're right," Akiko sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "What do you two say," she continued, addressing the younger members, "to the idea of being dropped off at Auntie Maple's house?"

Both Kalila and Ling yun squealed in delight at the idea. Auntie Maple was an older widow whose children had already grown up and, sadly, never visited. She had a soft spot in her large heart for the neighborhood children and they all adored her as well. Every time Kalila and Ling yun came home from a visit their stomachs threatened to burst from all the goodies she had let them eat.

"Well, that takes care of baby sitting while we work," smiled Heshun. Akiko simply nodded, a small smile of her own playing on her lips.

"Speaking of work, we better get going," she said as she picked Ling yun up and helped him out the window.

"Guess you're right," agreed Heshun as he handed Kalila through the window to her older sister and followed after them.