(a/n: So it's been forever and a day since the last one and I get that it sucks. Blame everyone but me. Blame the school system, my friends, my bf, the traffic, the world. Anywho, I missed Fuu so this chapter is all about her and a certain vagrant. I love that guy. I love them together. I love the angst and whatnot. So this chapter is about normal sized but it's packed full o' goodness. The ending, if you've been paying attention was so foreshadowed that it's rediculous. Bravo if you saw it coming. It's going to be sooooo much fun to write the next one, and if you know me you know why. This is a really long note. I just noticed that. Hmm...)

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Vol. 31 Paradigm Shift

-Fuu-

I woke up with the oddest feeling that I was being watched. I rolled over and there was…

"Mugen?" I asked, wondering why he was looking at me so intensely.

"Fuu, I gotta talk to you again. I went to see Jin-"

"You saw Jin? When? Can I go too?" I sputtered.

He shook his head. "No, he said hi, but that's not the point." His hands were moving around as he talked, getting more and more exaggerated by the word. "I've been actin all wrong when it comes to this Kazu guy, but I just don't like 'im is all. I think he's tryin to play you. He's just makin it look all lovey-dovey, but when I was in the bath house, he did tell me that he was just tryin to get you into bed. Why would I lie Fuu?"

I sat there, reeling from the mile-a-minute speech that I had just got from Mugen. He looked sincere, which was weird. Last time he had just gotten angry with me. But I didn't want to believe him about Kazu, I really didn't'. He was perfect.

"Mugen…" I began slowly. "Are you absolutely serious? No joke? Because this is really important. Kazu asked me to marry him."

He jolted and it looked like all the wind got knocked out of him. The room was so still that if Jin were here, he'd think it was too quiet.

"Whadidya tell him?" he asked in a breathless mutter.

This was suddenly very hard. My chest hurt and it felt like my body was trying to collapse on itself. I looked down at the floor. My hands gripped the covers on my bed so tightly that my knuckles were turning white. "I told him that I wasn't sure."

Mugen's jaw set. I could see the muscles in his neck bulging a bit; they always did when he was mad. He turned his head toward the window. "Why don't you know? I mean, I thought this kid was the greatest thing in the fuckin world? You should just tell him yes."

"Huh?" I was so startled by his answer that I actually half-gasped the word. I swallowed. "You think I should tell him I'll marry him?"

Mugen's angular shoulders lifted and fell in a stiff shrug. "Why not? He's rich, gotta nice house, probably you wouldn't have to run around being wanted anymore. You said that you were getting to be an old maid anyway, now you can settle in and squeeze out a few pups."

"Yeah…" I said in as happy a voice I could manage. "So it's a good idea?"

"S'what I said."

Through all of the emotional mud, a thought came in. "Wait a minute here! Why are you saying that I should marry the guy when a minute ago you said that he was just trying to sleep with me?"

"I must've been wrong. The guy's goin to marry you after all, natural for you two to get nasty eventually, right?"

"I guess," I agreed, blushing at the thought of Kazu and I doing that. "Mugen, you think I'd make a good wife?"

He turned to look at me again. Finally I could see his eyes, they always told me what he was thinking, no matter what his mouth was blathering. They were troubled. "Yeah, you're gonna be great. Just do me a favor and don't ever come lookin for me if you need to find some guy named after a dumb ass flower, okay?"

"Mugen? What are you going to do, if I go?"

"Probably just go back to what I was doin before. That kind of life suits me. Don't like to be in one place too long."

"You don't think you'll ever get a house or have kids or a wife?" I asked, trying to think of Mugen doing any of these things. I really couldn't see it.

"No, but I might have a bunch of little hellions runnin around that I don't know about."

"Ha. Ha."

We sat in silence for a while after that. In all truth, I didn't really know how to feel. My brain and heart were sliding all over the place and I was as jumbled up as the most complicated knot. I glanced over at him about a hundred times, I knew he saw it too. He didn't say anything about it though like he normally would.

"So I'm gonna go out again, I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

Just like that Mugen was gone again. I smiled after him, and about two seconds later a crushing wave of sadness washed over me and it felt like my heart was tearing itself in half. I put a hand over my mouth to stifle the sob that was waiting to get out. I didn't want Mugen to hear. I wanted him to be far, far away when I started crying. I knew I promised that I wouldn't cry anymore, but this was something I couldn't deny. I felt like I had just lost Mugen for good.

Mugen all of the sudden came back in and I choked as I tried to swallow the frog in my throat. He gave me a funny look and then went to the area where he had his junk all spread out. He picked up a small bag that had a few coins.

"Too bad we didn't come here the same time we did last year. They had this really good fish that I liked, but only when it's in season. Missed it by a month and a half." I nodded and he headed for the door again. "See ya."

I couldn't believe that Mugen had just seen me on the edge of tears. It wasn't like it hadn't happened before, but this time it was different. This time it was because of him. Things were so much easier last year when all we had to worry about when were here was beetle wrestling and Jin's torrid love affair with Shino.

Out of nowhere a sudden bolt of realization hit me and I was nearly dumb-struck by it. Holy…

"MUGEN!"

I got up to find him and ran as fast as I could out the door. I turned the corner in the hall and ran full into Mugen. He half caught me and we toppled to the floor. He looked surprised and a little scared. I couldn't waste any time though.

"Mugen, you're a genius!" I exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"What you said about the fish!" He looked so confused, that I almost had to laugh. "It was in season when we were here last time eleven and a half months ago!"

"I don't get it."

I raised up off him a little and couldn't help but notice his hands holding firmly around my waist.

"Okay, how long does it take for a woman to have a baby?"

"What, like nine months?" I stared at him, egging him toward the conclusion. Five, four, three, two, one- click. "What the fuck?!"

"We've gotta tell Jin!" I tried to get up but Mugen was still holding on. "I meant now, idiot."

"Yeah, yeah, gimme a sec."

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(a/n: Woohoo! All done, for now. Who had it? Did you guess? That explicit b-word of a woman! How could she do it to our Jin? It's alright my friends, we shall have our revenge.)