Author's Note: This summer has been tough. My laptop is busted (even though that was my fault XP), inspiration is lacking, plus I finally was able to update another story I had for Fairy Tail. I almost completely forgot to update. I'll try harder to update more before school reopens! 'Till then, this is chapter 5, Read, Review, Rejoice!

Chapter 5:
A Holiday Just for You

Shizuma didn't want to get up and face the cruel reality that was her life. Instead, she just wanted to drift away into the ever peaceful realms of dream. She wanted to drift on clouds longer. There was only one reason she ever looked forward to waking up, and that was Nagisa. Sharing a bed with her younger lover did somewhat compensate for the fact that she was sleeping under the same roof of someone who wanted to kill her. It's even worse that the person trying to kill her is Nagisa's mother. Still though, there were times of peace and this was one of those times.

Shizuma stretched her arms and reached out for Nagisa but instead only ended up pulling an empty pillow into her embrace. She muffled a few curse words under the pillow before tossing it and turned angrily to lay on her stomach.

Just then, she heard the door creak slowly and an oh-so-familiar patter approaching her. The barely audible footsteps stopped just next to the bed, the figure hovering just above her. Shizuma didn't need to look up to know who it was. She smirked but remained silent.

"Shizuma… Wake up." The young girl spoke in a hushed voice.

"I don't wanna." Shizuma whined playfully. Then Shizuma rolled over and smiled. "Maybe if I get a kiss I'll change my mind."

Nagisa giggled. "Fine, but you have to close your eyes."

Shizuma did as she was told. Happily anticipating a kiss, she readied her lips, planning to latch on to Nagisa and pull her into something deeper.

Nagisa gazed at Shizuma lovingly and proceeded to plant her kiss. Obviously Shizuma grumbled when she realized her plan had been ruined when she felt Nagisa's soft lips on her forehead.

"That's it?"

"For now." Nagisa replied cheekily. "Now come on, don't be a lazy bum. Get out of bed."

Shizuma groaned. "Fine."

As Shizuma got out of bed Nagisa ushered her into the bathroom. "Hurry up, bathe, and get dressed. You've got an hour."

"An hour? Is that nearly enough time?"

"It's all you have now hurry up."

"Okay mother." Shizuma said sarcastically. She quickly shifted over to her regular provocative tone. "Maybe we can take a bath together. I'll scrub your back. Maybe your front too."

"Nice try, I already took a bath so it looks like you're flying solo."

"Aww, can't blame me for trying though."

Nagisa shoved Shizuma through the door. "Oh yeah, don't forget to brush your teeth."

"ONE time that happened!" Shizuma flared and slammed the bathroom door.

"Don't forget, one hour." Nagisa called. She barely could hear some swears and grumbles from the other side of the door, evoking a small giggle from the girl.

Nagisa walked downstairs and met her father watching TV. He was watching some weird anime that really should have been cancelled, effective immediately. Some lame-o, misshapen hero with a pair of underwear on his head.

"Girl's underwear might I add." Nagisa whispered to herself. "He and Shizuma would probably be the best of friends."

Mr. Aoi saw how Nagisa was staring at the screen with a blank expression. "Oh come on! Don't tell me you don't recognize him?"

"Should I?"

Mr. Aoi leapt from his seat, seemingly holding back tears while pointing at Nagisa accusatory. "You forgot Panty-man!"

Nagisa nearly choked. "Panty-man?"

"Every morning when you were younger, you would run to our room and wake us up so we could all watch Panty-man together. Sometimes you'd already have your underwear on your head." Mr. Aoi explained. Then he snickered, "Sometimes they weren't even clean."

"Can we please switch the topic now?" Nagisa covered her blush-red face behind her hands.

Mr. Aoi calmly sat back down and smiled. "Are we all set to commence?"

Nagisa answered excitedly with a salute, "Aye-Aye Captain!"

"Then all we have to do is get this show on the road." Then his smile grew bigger. "This is going to be great."

"Is mom still here?" Nagisa asked as she walked into kitchen.

"Nah, somehow I convinced her to visit her sister for awhile. All according to plan."

"So we have until five o'clock then. Perfect!"

Nagisa proceeded to don a light pink apron and started cooking breakfast. She got some spring onions and some eggs out the fridge. As she started to chop the onions she called, "Shizuma! You done yet?"

Just then Shizuma descended the stairs, drying out her ear with the edge of the towel which wrapped around her otherwise naked body. She walked straight into the kitchen and pressed herself against Nagisa from behind. She whispered into Nagisa's ear, "You wanted me?"

Nagisa squirmed. "Stop Shizuma. Dad can see us."

"Oh yea." Shizuma released Nagisa. "Sorry for my rudeness sir." she bowed.

"It's quite alright Shizuma-san. " He assured from the other room, still glued to that disgustingly outdated cartoon.

"Something's off. Normally a knife would have intercepted that. Very strange." Shizuma thought to herself. Shizuma's ears suddenly caught sound of something familiar.

"Is that Panty-man I hear!" Shizuma yelled like an overzealous child running out to the living room.

"Eh, you know about it?" Nagisa spat.

Shizuma plopped herself in the seat next to a now grinning Mr. Aoi. "Know about it? I lived for Panty-man when I was younger! All of his awesome quotes and cool adventures. I cried for days when it stopped airing! I didn't know they brought him back."

Mr. Aoi shook his head. "Actually they just brought him back today so they're having a three-hour long marathon to celebrate."

"Well he said it himself, 'Justice may rest but it will never be defeated.' I'm glad the television company came to their senses."

Mr. Aoi took Shizuma's hand and looked her in the eyes, his face now serious. "Does this mean that there are still allies willing to sacrifice their days for justice?"

Hearing this, Shizuma's face also turned serious as she responded. "As long as there are those who strive for evil, there will be others who cry out for freedom and thirst for justice."

The two stared at each other for a while and suddenly broke out in tears, pulling each other into an embrace, mutually crying out, "A Comrade!"

Nagisa shook her head from the kitchen, continuing to focus on cooking breakfast. She mumbled to herself, "When did I suddenly become the mature one? I thought I was supposed to be the kid here."

Shizuma peeked her head up to pay attention to her otherwise neglected lover. "You say something Nagisa?"

"When are you going to get dressed?"

Shizuma pulled away from Mr. Aoi scratching her head. "Oops. I forgot." Shizuma hurried back upstairs.

By the time Mr. Aoi and Nagisa had finished eating breakfast, Shizuma had finally finished changing. "That was quick." Nagisa said sarcastically.

"I already had it picked out, it's my hair that was the problem. Honest." Shizuma reasoned.

"Whatever you say." Nagisa rolled her eyes.

"You've been bitter all morning, what's wrong?" Shizuma asked.

"You seriously don't remember, do you?"

"Was there something I was supposed to remember?"

"Shizuma, what did I tell you was happening today?"

"Today? Was it a birthday?" Shizuma guessed.

"Try again."

"An anniversary?"

"Wrong answer." Nagisa said getting irritated.

"Hmm…" Shizuma hummed as she placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "I give up."

"Mo-ther's-day."

"It's the middle of summer, how's that even possible?"

"I explained all that already Shizuma." Nagisa complained.

"Was your bra on or off at that time?"

"Just explain it to her again, I'm sure she didn't mean to forget." Mr. Aoi reasoned.

"Fine." Nagisa sighed. "You know that mom and dad are usually gone because of dad's job. Well, it's not very often that the family is all together like this, so dad and I decided to celebrate mother's day today." she explained.

"She's at her sister's place and she'll be back at five, so we have until then to have the best holiday ever planned for her." Mr. Aoi added.

"Mother's day huh…" Shizuma whispered to herself as her mind seemed to drift off. "How long's it been?"

As Shizuma's carefree visage turned pensive, both of the Aoi members took notice. "You don't have to participate if you don't want to." Nagisa offered.

Shizuma realized what Nagisa was trying to say. "Oh. No, it's…", she was cut off by her cell phone's ringtone. She flipped out her phone and checked the id. "Umm, I have to take this." Shizuma excused herself and retreated to the outside.

Mr. Aoi scratched his head as he asked, "What's wrong with Shizuma?"

"Her mother died while Shizuma was really young. She was always really weak, but she would always spend time with Shizuma and her brother." Nagisa explained. "She's always telling me stories from back then."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Mr. Aoi apologized.

Nagisa shook her head. "It's okay, she'll be alright. It isn't your fault since no one told you."

…

Shizuma made her way outside, her cellphone still begging to be answered. She scanned left and right before checking the id on her cellphone once more. Shizuma sighed just before flipping the phone open, but before she could greet the other person, they interrupted her.

"Took you long enough." Kaname grumbled. "My time is too precious to be wasting like this."

"Sorry, I was with Nagisa and her father and anyway, I don't remember having any reason to have your number logged in my contacts, so how the hell did it get there?"

"Little details, Shizuma, are not important. You probably don't recall ever giving me your number either, but here I am calling you. Right now that's not important, what is important however, is your situation. What are strawberry-head and her father up to right now, and where is the mother?"

"Well Nagisa and her father are planning to celebrate mother's day and-"

"Mother's day? In the middle of summer?"

"Focus, you're the one that said little details aren't important."

"Right, right. So they're planning mother's day and so, where's the mother?"

"She's visiting her sister right now. Apparently it's a surprise."

"This is perfect Shizuma!" Kaname announced. "This opportunity is yours, seize it."

"What are you talking about?"

"An opportunity to get closer to the father and to get on the mother's good side, even if it's just for that day. That is, if you execute this just right." Kaname explained. "Nothing too big or noticeable. Remember, it's all about subtlety at this stage."

"Okay I'll ask again, what the hell are you talking about?" Shizuma stressed.

"Use this opportunity to learn about both the parents. I'll be able to do a full report in about two days when I come to evaluate your situation firsthand."

"So what, just go along with all this? What about Nagisa, should I-"

"DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT tell strawberry-head about what you're doing!" Kaname growled willfully. "Strawberry-head is too innocent to understand what you're trying to do. She can't see that this to protect your relationship."

"I don't know. It doesn't seem right to go behind her back like this, if she finds out… I've hurt her too much already, I don't want to risk it."

"You want to know what's risky? Letting things go as they are now. I don't have to be like 'psychic' Chikaru to tell that your relationship is destined to die with the situation you're facing."

"Is it really that serious? Aren't you just over-reacting?"

"Tell me Shizuma, I know you love strawberry-head. Is it right for me to assume that she also loves you?"

"I guess."

"Not, 'I guess'! It's a disgustingly obvious fact that for some reason, that for the life of me I can't understand, obnoxiously sweet and innocent strawberry-head has fallen for lecherous and ravenous you. Like Little Red Riding Hood being ensnared by the big, bad wolf. Tell me Shizuma, what does strawberry-head's happiness mean to you?"

"Well, everything!" Shizuma answered almost immediately. Though in the back of her head she was trying to figure out how to react to what Kaname just spewed about her.

"Well, as sad as it is, you're her happiness. She's happy to be with you, so don't you think that by going through with this plan, you're ensuring her happiness."

"I never thought about it like that."

"Don't think, act. Too many things could have been avoided in this world if people had just acted instead of over thinking, especially when there's a genius behind the scenes who could do all that hard thinking as if it were nothing."

"Thanks Kaname."

"Don't worry about it, this is beneficial for me as well, plus the great Shizuma Hanazono will owe me a favor. That'll come in handy later on."

"I see."

"By the way, it was that time when we were in the bathroom." Kaname added.

"What?"

"I put my number in your phone when we met in the bathroom at the pizza place. It's for emergencies only, that way you'd be able to contact me. And as for your phone number, I have all that information on file. That, you should have known already."

"Wait a min-" Before Shizuma could finish her sentence she heard the phone click. "She hung up on me!" Shizuma yelled, nearly tossing her expensive phone to an untimely demise.

…

Just as Shizuma opened the door, she met Nagisa and Mr. Aoi preparing to leave. Almost immediately, Mr. Aoi approached her and apologized nervously. "I'm really sorry about anything I may have said earlier that… You see I didn't know until Nagisa filled me in. You know about your mother and-"

"You don't have to walk on eggshells around me Mr. Aoi. It didn't bother me at all. In fact, I would love to help out if I can!"

Nagisa excitedly jumped into Shizuma's embrace. "Really! Shizuma, that would be great!"

Author's Note: I'll try really hard to update the second part to this within a week. But, like I said try, I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it. I'm going on vacation soon and I wanted to update at least one more time before I leave. I'm not sure if I'll have access to a computer. But hey, if I get lucky I might be able to update twice before I leave, but my luck hasn't been that good this summer. Anyway, enough rambling, see you next chapter!