(a/n: laughs nervously Okay, now here is maybe the most crucial chapter in the story so far. It's a little, uh, crazy I guess the word would be... Now I said that some of you would be mad last week, but this week I know a lot of you will. I think I really just like messing with you guys and toying with your emotions. This is a little bit of a longer chapter ("Lucky you") so that will maybe make up for all of the emotional turmoil. Enjoy. : o )

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

Vol. 23 Broken Promises, Broken Hearts

-Tsukiko-

I could tell even before I opened my eyes that it was day. The glow of the sun coming through the open window burned against my eyelids, fighting its way in. My head pounded with each pulse of my heart…I had way too much sake last night.

Disgruntled at my own body for its lack of ability to recover, I went to sit up. A weight on my chest stopped me and I immediately remembered what had happened. I almost groaned at my foolish actions, but I wasn't sure if I was disappointed at the outcome. Nothing had happened really, we mostly just lay together. I could tell he was bothered about something –that something no doubt being Shino- so I held back. It was still great though…Though I couldn't shake the guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach for further confusing Jin and making this whole thing harder for him.

I let out a long breath quietly and settled back down into the bedroll. Finally, like I had just gotten the courage to do so, I looked over at Jin. The first thing I noticed was that his hair was down, his long silken strands mingling with my own. They were so close in color that you could scarcely tell the difference between them, save for the fact that mine were much longer. His face looked peaceful as he slept, unlike when we had been in the horrible prison when both of our expressions were always pained. I reached out to touch his face but quickly retracted my hand. I didn't want to disturb him. He shifted and opened his eyes.

"You're already awake?" he asked, a little surprised. I could understand, most people pass out for a long time after they drink.

"Yeah, just for a few minutes though."

"I think you had entirely too much sake last night," he said with amusement in his voice. "Did you and Mugen stay out of trouble?"

I nodded. I wanted to ask about what happened with Shino, but I didn't think it was my business. So I decided to go another direction. "So where are Fuu and Mugen?"

"I guess in the other room, though I don't know if I want to see what happened. When Mugen gets drunk he tends to be even more sexually inclined, and Fuu is very impressionable."

I laughed. If he only knew what was really going on there. "I think Fuu will be okay."

"Now that we are talking about it, I do suppose it might be a good idea to check on them."

I shrugged and sat up, my underclothes were disheveled and would need a good washing. I could do that with Fuu today and see what had gone on last night after I left. Jin stood too, only half dressed. This was most likely for modesty or courtesy's sake. His bare torso revealed that some of the bruises and cuts from the prison's grueling methods had not completely healed, just as mine hadn't. He pulled on his gi and carefully secured it before turning to me. I was in the middle of pulling on my kimono as he started to put his hair back up. I was slightly saddened by this; I liked his hair down. When I had finished tying up my obi we headed for the door.

-Mugen-

Clang!

'Ow…'

Clunk!

'Ow!'

Bang!

"Goddamnit, will you shut the hell up!?!" I yelled forcefully, finally fed up with all the racket.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" Fuu asked all innocently. She knew exactly what the fuck she was doin'.

"What's your problem?" I demanded, sitting up. I felt like shit. I thought my head would explode if she made another loud noise like that, and on top of it all I was on the border of puking.

Fuu glared at me like I was an insect and she was gonna crush me. What did I do? I just woke up. How could I have pissed the brat off already? But she didn't' even say anything, she just stuck her nose up and turned her back to me. This was bullshit.

"Hey! I was talkin'. I asked you a fuckin' question!"

She slammed down the pot she was about to start filling with water. The noise split through my head like lightning. "I'm sorry I ruined your sleep princess!"

I didn't get it. What was this bitch's problem? "Come on no-chest, what's got a stick up your ass?"

She actually looked hurt. She turned to stare at me, lookin' like she was maybe about to cry. Aw, crap. "You seriously don't remember, do you?" she asked. I shook my head. "Never mind then."

I was about to keep prodding, so maybe she would break and tell me, but Jin and Tsuki came in.

"Whoa Mugen, you look like you got trampled last night," Tsuki chuckled.

"That's what I fuckin' feel like too," I growled.

"I know how that is." She went over to Fuu. "Why don't you and I take a trip down to the baths?"

"Yeah." She looked relieved as they went for the door. I looked up at Jin who put his palms up. Four eyes was clueless too.

When the girls were gone he came over and sat on the futon next to me. He was stressed.

"So what the fuck happened man?" I asked. I wanted to know what was up with the Shino chick.

He had his face in his hands when he mumbled somethin' I couldn't understand.

"Huh?"

"She's pregnant."

I just sat there as my face started to show my shock. This was some crazy shit. "What? Is it yours?"

"She said might, so I don't know."

"Is her husband the other guy?"

"I assume so." Jin was freaked out, maybe more than I'd ever seen. "I have to stay here, even if it were her husband's."

I scoffed. "Why?"

He frowned at me like the answer was totally fuckin' obvious and I was an idiot 'cause I couldn't see it. Shit, I was having my own problems right now.

"I was the one who killed her husband, and there's no way of telling whose it really was."

"Oh…good point. Sucks to be you."

"Remind me why I haven't killed you yet?"

I shrugged. "So are you going to tell her?" I was guessing he hadn't because she was in a pretty good mood this morning.

"Tsukiko? I have to. It wouldn't be right of me to let things keep going on like they have."

This got my attention. "So did something happen last night? Is that what you're talkin' about?" He just glared at me all pissed. "Tell me you got a sample at least. If it were me though, I would have gone for the whole thing. That girl is hot."

"It still amazes me how incredibly crude you are," he snapped.

"Whatever, I was just sayin'……." He shook his head. "Pussy."

"Don't start with me today Mugen."

"Sorry I forgot ladies don't kiss and tell."

-Fuu-

Tsuki and I were in tubs adjacent to each other, soaking up the relaxing water. This bathhouse had cost a little extra, but it was worth it. They even had people cleaning our clothes for us. I had chosen an imported lavender soap and Tsuki had gotten the jasmine. She had insisted on springing for it all of it, and I wasn't complaining one bit.

"Sorry about last night," she said after a good while of silence. "I was acting like a fool."

"No, it was more Mugen than you." I thought back to last night and found myself growing tense. That asshole…why didn't he just say his peace before he passed out? I was dying to know what it was. And then this morning he acts like a jerk all over again.

"So, uh, what did he want to talk to you about?"

"He blacked out before he finished his sentence, so I don't know."

"What do you think he was trying to tell you?"

I wasn't sure. It felt like he was going to say something nice, but he was probably trying to get me to sleep with him. "Who knows."

We sat in silence for a full minute. I needed to break the quiet. Might as well find out the dirt about Jin and her while I was at it. I was a hopeless gossip, so what?

"Do you know what happened with Jin going to see Shino yesterday?"

"No, I didn't ask." She looked hurt and angry. I knew that look. I had that look on my own face more times than I could count.

"Are you jealous of Shino?" I asked carefully, not wanting to rub salt in her wounds.

"How could I not be?" I was really surprised. I didn't expect her to admit it. "I care about Jin, you have to know that." I nodded and she continued. "So him being with another woman, that just…it…it really undoes me."

"I'm really sorry Tsuki. If it were up to me, I'd pick him to be with you."

"Thanks, but the only one that can make that particular decision isn't being exactly cooperative. If he loves her, why can't he just tell me that?"

This was being forward, but it was how I really felt. "Maybe he loves you too."

………

We got back to the inn in time to have dinner served. Neither Tsuki nor I wanted to cook, and Jin and Mugen would probably poison us with their food. Mugen and Jin were still there, just lounging about like the lazy asses they were. I kicked Mugen's feet off the low table and he grunted angrily.

"You'd better loose that attitude real quick," he grumbled.

I ignored him.

"We took the liberty of ordering dinner. It should be here shortly," Jin told us as he sat sharpening his sword. He hadn't used it since the last time he had sharpened it, but it was sort of a meditation thing for him. I didn't ask questions.

"So can we all just forget about all of this bad stuff and move on?" I asked. Everyone seemed to agree.

"All this crap is way to stressful anyway. Poor Jin, I would be having a heart attack if I knew I were having a kid." Mugen sort of froze when he realized what he had said. My mouth dropped open and Tsuiki's eyes were wide. Jin had stopped mid-motion and kept his eyes down.

"WHAT!?!" I cried, the first one to say anything after Mugen's big-mouthed slip up.

"It's not that big of a deal," Jin tried lamely.

"Not a big deal?" I parroted. "How is this not a big deal? Shino is having a kid, your kid. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know…"

Tsuki apparently couldn't take anymore of this because she left rather quickly. To where, I had no idea. Jin went after her leaving Mugen and I behind wondering how in the hell we got to this point.

-Tsukiko-

I just had to go. I didn't know where and I didn't really care either. I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and the ragged edges of the wound were exposed to the world. I was literally having trouble breathing. I wasn't crying, I had long since lost the need for that. I was in the courtyard of the inn when I heard Jin trying to catch up. I didn't stop, I refused to. If there were a wall in front of me I would have probably gone right through it.

He roughly grabbed my shoulder and whipped me around. I don't know what expression weighed on my features, and I couldn't discern his either.

"I didn't know," he explained.

"I hope you and she are very happy," I retorted in a very business-like tone. I was sure my voice would have come out cracked, strangled, or emotional, but it didn't. Good for me.

"I had no idea. How can you be angry when I didn't even know?"

"I'm not mad. Tell everyone that I'll be back soon."

I turned to leave, but he stepped in front of me. I wanted to clock him right in the face, but that wouldn't solve a damn thing. Too bad, I was really good at that. "Where are you going?"

"Away for a bit."

"To…?"

"Get out of my way," I warned as I tried to sidestep him but failed. He shook his head, actually getting angry himself.

"Stop acting like a child and tell me how you really feel."

I was taken aback and extremely offended by his words. "Okay, I feel betrayed Jin. I mean, you knew she was pregnant last night and you didn't tell me! You just let me go on thinking that everything was alright! How could you do that? You told Mugen before you told me!"

"I didn't want to hurt you." His words were genuine, but made no difference. There was no way in hell this was going to work out now… "Can you ever forgive me?"

The pain I had been feeling increased in folds as my own mind revealed the answer. I backed away from him, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Not this time…not for this."

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

(a/n: Well...whaddya think? It's slightly disconcerting, and no promises on it getting any better. Also, I leave you on yet another cliff, hanging on only by the tips of your weak and desperate little fingers. Hence the term "cliffhanger". Sadistic, thy name is R&R!!!)