A/N: So, I don't really have any good explanation for why I haven't updated in a while, and I know this is a short chapter but I thought it would be a good one to have. I hope you aren't too disappointed! Enjoy!

It's Never Too Late to Have a Father, Even if He Isn't Yours

It was just before dawn when a small tapping sound on his bedroom door roused Gintoki from his unusually peaceful slumber. He pulled his head up from the pillow and glared blearily at the door, seeing the faintest outline of a shadow on the paper of the door. It did not appear to be Shinpachi or Katsura, and Kagura was asleep beside him, so that left many possibilities and none of them were enjoyable.

Slowly he reached for his bokutō, gripping the handle tightly in his hand as he eased himself out of bed, doing his best not to disturb Kagura. When he managed to put his feet on the floor, he heard her stir.

"Gin?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep and confusion.

Gintoki turned back and saw her blue eyes on him; her head raised slightly from her pillow. "Go back to sleep, Kagura." He reached with his free hand and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. "Everything's fine."

Kagura smiled as she nestled further under the blanket, a slight smile on her lips as she drifted back to sleep. Gintoki stared at her sleeping face for a moment, she looked so peaceful just lying there, and he would do just about anything to ensure that she always slept with that expression. He knew all too well the faces made by people who were on edge, waiting for the next assault or something that would disrupt the night. It was a relief to see something so different.

He made his way to the door, taking careful and measured steps until he was a few feet away from the door. Gintoki raised his bokutō and pressed the very tip of it on the crack between the door and where it met the wall, twisting it just enough to create the slightest opening.

"Gintoki, if that's you, come out and don't wake Kagura," said a quiet voice Gintoki immediately recognized as Umibozu.

Gintoki lowered his weapon and with a fleeting glance to his sleeping bride-to-be to make sure she was still asleep, he slipped through the door. Sure enough, Umibozu was standing on the other side, already dressed in his monster hunting gear and Gintoki thought that he was heading out to battle something and was ensuring someone at least knew. He shook that thought almost after it formed in his mind, after all, would he not tell his daughter this rather than her fiancé?

"What do you want?" asked Gintoki in a whisper. "It's not even an hour Napoleon would find acceptable."

Umibozu smirked. "I get up earlier than this to buy you kids food for breakfast. Now change into something respectable, we need to talk."

Gintoki managed not to roll his eyes as he headed into the next room, Kagura's old place, to find something to wear in the closet that used to be her bed. He opened the closet door and masterfully extracted an outfit without waking the massive mountain of fur asleep in the closet. He quickly changed out of his pajamas and hurried back to the living room, securing his wooden sword to his belt as a precaution.

"Hurry up, punk, I haven't got all day to wait on you," called Umibozu in a loud whisper from the front door, and Gintoki hustled over, slipping on his black boots just as the monster hunter stepped outside into the crisp morning air.

"What's this about, old man?" asked Gintoki as he closed the door behind him, glad that he remembered to grab his scarf on the way out the door and to pull up the other sleeve of his yukata. It was unseasonably cold this morning, and he made a mental note to not plan his wedding ceremony for first thing in the morning, with this at the top of the list for reasons.

"I don't know you very well," said Umibozu as he began walking down the wooden stairs, the white-haired samurai tailing behind him. "And seeing as how you're marrying my daughter, I thought it was about time I learned a thing or two about you. Wouldn't you agree?"

Gintoki nodded as they headed down the deserted street, illuminated only by a few streetlamps; the sun was still a good two hours from rising. "As a father, it's your responsibility to know about the person you're about to call son."

Umibozu smirked. "I'm glad you understand. Now, tell me Gintoki, where are you from? What did your parents do for a living?"

Gintoki had expected this line of questioning, that much was made evident by Umibozu's previous explanation for this walk, but that did not mean he was going to have full or satisfying answers. "I lived in what used to be Sakai, where many samurai swords were forged before the war. My parents . . . I'm not entirely sure what they did . . . I was orphaned before I turned three."

"I see," said Umibozu softly, glancing at the man at his side. If he was honest, the Yato had expected to hear some grand tale about him being a prince or the son of a wealthy family that simply got bored one day and wandered off. Maybe that was more wishful thinking than anything because he could not deal with another person in his life having a sad life story. It was all he ever seemed to find anymore. "How long were you alone?"

Gintoki shrugged. "I was never alone, I lived in an orphanage full of screaming children, all vying for a new family whenever a childless couple entered the room. It was sad."

Umibozu took that to mean Gintoki tried to get a new family but had been rejected; the thought of a small, perm-headed child with Boudreaux eyes trying to convince someone to like him enough to adopt him was a sad image. "Were you eventually adopted?"

"No," replied Gintoki, his tone held a small amount of bitterness and regret.

"Then how did you get out?" he asked curiously.

Gintoki sighed heavily; he greatly detested remembering his past and frequently avoided the topic or made something up. In this instance, he could not do either. "Ours was one of the first towns attacked when the war started; the Amanto probably wanted to stem the flow of weapons early on. Anyway, we evacuated, but in the commotion, I was separated from the others, so I decided to hide and wait for an opportunity to leave. Coincidentally, I had a great spot for watching the battle play out. Our side lost, of course. When it was over, I went back and began searching the fallen soldiers, looking for anything that might be useful. I was a kid, maybe seven then, but I still knew I needed supplies before leaving the village. I found a sword and some food, then I left."

"What did you do after that?" asked Umibozu, hanging onto his every word like they were droplets of precious water in the desert.

"Traveled mostly," replied Gintoki as he looked at the dark sky overhead, it reminded him of the way the sky seemed to darken whenever a battle took place, even if it was bright out. "I followed the armies and after every battle, scavenged for food and supplies. I did this for about two years before my teacher found me." Gintoki smirked. "Apparently I was called the Corpse-Eating Demon by villagers, or so my teacher said when he found me."

Umibozu smirked as well. He could understand why outsiders would call the boy a demon. He certainly looked the part even now. "Who was your teacher?"

"Shouyou Yoshida," said Gintoki, his voice soft as he spoke about the only adult he ever knew who cared for him. "He gave me his sword and an offer I would have been stupid to refuse. I accepted both, and he took me to his school, where I learned how to be a samurai." He lightly touched the hilt of his wooden sword. "Eventually, my friends and I were forced to pick a side in the Joui War."

Umibozu stood just a little straighter. Kagura told him once in a letter that Gintoki was in a war, she did not go into detail at the time, but he had hoped it was a different war on some distant planet. To hear that his future son-in-law fought against the Amanto, perhaps even members of his species, made him bristle just slightly.

"It wasn't by choice," continued Gintoki as if sensing the other man's apprehension. "Our teacher was kidnapped by the Amanto, so we fought on the opposing side to try and get him back. That ended in disaster." Gintoki looked down at the ground in front of him as he walked, picturing his teacher kneeling at his feet. The sword hilt in his hand shook. "I had to kill my teacher to safeguard my friends, his students. He made me promise to protect them, so I did."

'This boy carries the sins and memories of an old man,' thought Umibozu sadly as he looked at Gintoki. 'He shouldn't have seen any of that; he shouldn't have been forced into that position.'

"I don't know what Kagura's told you," said Gintoki, his gaze back at the sky, a slight grin on his lips. "She never lets me read any of the letters she writes you, but she promises it only contains good things." He chuckled warmly. "That girl. I'm lucky to have her."

"You are," agreed Umibozu with a slight grin. "And she's just as lucky to have you, Gintoki."

The man in question turned to the other and cocked a silver eyebrow. "What are you talking about? You weren't exactly fond of me when Kagura told you about us."

Umibozu nodded. "You're right; I wasn't. I have to admit, I almost came to Earth the moment I read her letter to try and pry you two apart, but I stayed put. Despite what everyone else surely thinks, I couldn't imagine my daughter with a better man. My little girl has been through a great deal, and it allows my heart to rest easy knowing she's with you."

"Yeah, growing up with Kamui couldn't have been easy," said Gintoki with a slight snort and to his surprise Umibozu shook his head.

"Kamui was a great older brother to Kagura, or at least that's what my wife said," he explained, his voice dripping with melancholy. "Kouka, my wife, was bedridden almost the moment she set foot on my homeworld; and it only became worse after Kagura was born." He looked at the other man with sadness in his dark eyes. "Do you remember that night Kagura made us dinner and she explained it was like when her mother was still alive?"

Gintoki nodded, recalling the night fondly.

"Well, that was a lie," admitted the monster hunter. "Kouka was never well enough to make dinner, she was never strong enough to get out of bed, and I was gone more often than I was home. Kamui or one of the other families nearby would make the meals for Kagura and Kouka."

Gintoki was taken aback. Kagura had lied? Why? And why about something so simple as a dinner ritual? "Where did you go?" he asked, suddenly curious. "Were you off getting food like you do here?"

"No," replied Umibozu, some bitterness in his voice now. "I was off searching the galaxy for a cure for my wife's illness. I was selfish and stole the only blossom from a dying planet; as a result, the blossom began to fade." He rubbed his eyes to quell a building torrent of tears. "I was incredibly selfish, Gintoki. Kagura's mother was never meant to leave her planet, but I insisted anyway, I wanted to start a family where I was from, and in my vanity, I ensured the death of the one I loved."

"Would going back have cured her?" asked Gintoki quietly, sensing that this was a touchy subject.

Umibozu shrugged. "It's entirely possible. It would have more likely slowed the progress of her illness, and she would have lived longer, at least. Maybe not as healthy as before, but she still would be here."

Gintoki felt sorry for him and understood his grief. He knew if something happened to Kagura, he would go to the ends of the galaxy to save her, even if all he could do was buy her a bit more time. "How did Kamui handle being the man of the house?"

"He did well, I suppose," replied Umibozu with a shrug. "He resented it, I believe, or me. I can't remember anymore. The fight between my son and I was about my being gone all the time. A great deal was said that day, and even now, I don't know why he was angry. We fought the day after his mother's funeral, and that was the last time I saw my son."

Silence hung between them as they continued their walk down the slowly brightening street, tendrils of sunlight cut through the darkness around them. Gintoki wanted to ask more about Kouka and what Kagura went through as a child. It sounded like she had a tough life, maybe even more difficult than his because she had people who loved her, but they always left. He had people who loved him once, and then they stayed gone. The only exception so far was Kagura.

"What happened to Kagura after Kouka died?" asked Gintoki, wanting to know more about the childhood Kagura refused to address. "She hasn't told me much of anything."

"That's to be expected," said Umibozu ruefully. "After Kamui left, I took Kagura to a local midwife's, and she agreed to take care of her. The midwife was a childhood friend of mine and someone I trusted to look after Kagura. I couldn't trust myself, not after what happened with Kamui, so I gave her to someone I thought would do a better job. I can't say for sure that the woman did well with Kagura, after all, she ended up on Earth at the tender age of fourteen and lived with an older man alone."

Gintoki clenched his jaw against any remark. "It doesn't sound like either of us had a great life before we met." He looked at his bokutō and recalled the good sword that used to hang from his waist, which he used to slaughter hundreds of Amanto without regret or hesitation. "I wish I could have done something for Kagura. Maybe if we had met sooner, she wouldn't feel the need to lie about her past."

Umibozu smiled kindly. "And that right there is why I'm happy you're marrying my daughter. You genuinely care about her and want to do right by her, and that's all a father could ever ask of a son-in-law." He then chuckled loudly. "Do you remember when we fought against that plant creature that tried to destroy the tower?"

"Absolutely," said Gintoki with a snigger. "That was when Kagura ate your hair thinking it was her seaweed snack."

"Of course you'd remember that," sighed Umibozu with a slight growl. "What I was getting at was what you called me during the fight."

"Hage?" asked Gintoki, smirking when the other man's cheeks turned dark red.

"No!" snapped Umibozu, starting to regret bringing this up. "You called me 'Dad,' remember, punk?"

Gintoki did remember, in fact, he had gone over that moment many times in the last few months, wondering if Umibozu knew then how things between him and Kagura would develop. Probably not or he would have snatched her away from him at the first opportunity. "I remember," said Gintoki with a wide smile. "It was a joke then, but now it seems almost prophetic. Like I knew from that moment on I would be with Kagura for the rest of my life and would someday have you for a father-in-law."

Umibozu shoved him as gently as he could in the shoulder, even then it through the samurai off balance for a few moments. "You were a punk then, and you still are, Gintoki, but I'm glad Kagura's with you," he said fondly. "I think you two are good for each other. And I'm proud to have you as a member of our family."

The samurai returned the gesture and managed to make the other man stumble slightly. "Glad you think so, Dad. Remember that when Kagura and I make you a grandfather."

"I will," said Umibozu with a smile. "Now, in the spirit of being my new son, I expect my son to work to provide for his family and not just odd jobs that may or may not pay anything. So, I've gone ahead and gotten you an interview."

Gintoki balked at the man. "You did what?!"

"I secured an interview for you," repeated Umibozu calmly. "I was told to bring you over first thing this morning, so here we are."

"I thought this was a little suspicious," said Gintoki, glaring at Umibozu with the intensity of a sun. "Especially when you said you wanted to get to know me better."

"I did want to get to know you better," countered Umibozu sternly. "I thought the walk over could be spent doing just that and it has; I know more about you than I did before and you know more about Kagura than you did. Now, you're going to get a respectable job and be able to care for my daughter more consistently than just doing odd jobs."

Gintoki sighed heavily. "I guess everyone has to grow up eventually." He looked at the sky, glaring harshly. "Damn this author."

"What was that?" asked Umibozu, looking at the sky as well.

"Nothing," said Gintoki dismissively. "So where is this job at?"

"A bakery," replied Umibozu brightly. "Kagura mentioned you could bake incredibly well, and you have a sweet tooth like a child, so I thought it would be a good fit for you. You'd be working as a pastry chef."

Gintoki raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I'm only qualified to be an assistant's assistant, not the man running the show."

There was a mischievous glint in Umibozu's eyes. "I may or may not have fudged a little about your experience. Don't worry; I'm confident that you'll be a fantastic chef."

"Fine, but if it goes south, I'm blaming you," said Gintoki as Umibozu walked ahead of him, heading for a green building with gold-painted trim. The silver-haired man looked at the building and stopped in his tracks. "This place is way too good for a slob like me. They probably require reservations to just stand in the doorway."

Umibozu rolled his eyes and grabbed the front of Gintoki's yukata. "Shut up and move, Son. Your interview is in ten minutes, and it's always good to be a little early. You'll be fine, so quit worrying already."

With a slight groan, Gintoki once again followed Umibozu. He figured this place must be pretty desperate if they were even willing to interview a guy like him.

Kagura jumped at the sound of cheering, and she was not happy about it. The cheering was loud and obnoxious and guaranteed to irritate an already angry young girl further. She had woken up to find her house completely deserted of all life save for her dog, and her fiancé had not even bothered to leave a note to explain his disappearance. The last time this happened, she and Shinpachi had found him mindlessly working in a bomb factory disguised as a clock factory.

"It's too early to kill anyone," she mumbled as she turned off the gas stove and hurried to the front door, intent on telling off those who dared to interrupt her bad morning with their cheerful demeanor. "I'll just threaten them."

She threw open the screen door and stepped out onto the balcony, her mouth open wide to yell at the morons shouting outside. When she looked down into the street, she realized who was screaming, not that it made it any better, mainly since there was a crowd growing by the second. "What are you idiots doing?" she shouted, glaring at Gintoki and Umibozu. "If you're drunk, go to the snack house like respectable alcoholics."

"We aren't drunk, Kagura," shouted Gintoki as he spun around happily while her father did several backflips in quick succession. "We're celebrating!"

"Celebrating what?" she demanded, her patience wearing thinner and thinner by the second.

"My new full-time job!" announced Gintoki gleefully. "I'm now the head pastry chef at a bakery!"

Kagura's eyes widened to the size of milk saucers. She was not sure how to react to this news, but it seemed like her father and Gintoki had the right idea, so she joyously leaped over the banister in nothing but her robe and slippers and began dancing in the street. Immediately Gintoki grabbed her hands and started spinning with her on the road, the two of them laughing and utterly carefree. This was a massive step for the two of them. They had a house, they were both employed, and they were going to be married in a couple of days. It appeared that their great fortune knew no bounds. Until the day it did.