A/N Just to clear things up for those who feel confused by the character Mary Frances and the baby from Vietnam that became the orphan girl dubbed "Snow White". In Chapter 5 Okamura and Mao tracked "Snow White" to an orphanage by the sea. By then, she had been found dead. Mary Frances was born and raised in LA by her mother Mary Reyes. I hope that has cleared some of the confusion. I know that my mind tends to go a million miles a minute and I forget to explain the little details- sorry about that.

Chapter 8- Everyone Makes Mistakes

"Oops!" an apologetic voice carried from the kitchen after a loud crash was heard. Kai was speaking to an upset customer in the dining area as a young, blue-eyed girl with blue-streaked black hair came up beside the 40-year-old man and handed the customer a towel.

Kai's hair was now more auburn than red, streaked with lines of grey. His brown eyes turned toward the kitchen as he groaned.

Hibiki murmured under her breath, "Aiko strikes again."

The new waitress was causing more chaos than a tornado. As if she had heard her name being said, the dark-haired, sixteen-year-old popped her head out of the kitchen. Her chubby cheeks were red with embarrassment as a small raven haired beauty brushed past her hurriedly. Her hair brushed her waist as she placed several items in front of the angry customer gracefully. "Again, sir, I apologize for our new employee. We hope that you will still enjoy your dinner- courtesy of Omoro," she said sweetly as she offered one of her face-splitting grins.

Kai smiled at the memory Kanade's smile evoked. She looked exactly like his sister. As Kai turned his adopted daughters from the now appeased customer, he praised, "Thanks for saving the day, girls."

Hibiki was taking an order from table 12. Her eyes slid to him briefly as she muttered absently, "You're welcome, Kai."

He stopped and placed his hands on his hips, giving her a glare. His white apron had stains from all kinds of different things, mostly grease. Kanade shook her head as her eyes grew wide. She mentally scolded her sister, "Really Hibiki?"

For the first time in a long while, Hibiki turned and blushed. She stammered, "I- I'm sorry, Dad."

He simply shook his head as the group headed to the kitchen. There was a lot to do and they all had to pick up the slack.

One look in the kitchen and Kai groaned as both girls stood with their jaws slack. The fryer was on the floor and the new waitress was trying to mop up the mess. It was obvious George had left to get the cleaning supplies.

He returned with an armful of stuff and scolded the plump waitress, "I told you to leave that alone. You're making it worse!"

She looked up at him like she didn't understand what was being said. Kai shook his head and came to the pair. As he was speaking to the young girl, Hibiki looked out the door to the dining area. She noticed the tall man with an instrument case strapped to his back as he placed the case down next to the table and had a seat. "Uncle Hagi's back," she whispered as she nudged Kanade.

The long haired sister turned her red-brown orbs to the table and gave a wide grin. She whispered, "I wonder if he's talked to Julia yet?"

Hibiki frowned as she made her feelings known through the low growl in her throat, "He has two years to come up with a good excuse. Whatever Aunt Saya doesn't rip apart, I'll get the rest."

Kanade elbowed her sister and hissed, "You can't prove the new princess is his."

"Come on Kanade, she was born in 2017. She freakin' looks like him, too," the bolder sister said.

Kanade's pink pout formed a thin line as she pondered on the thought. She then pushed past her sister and into the dining area. She walked up to the stoic man and watched as he came to his feet.

His steel-blue eyes regarded the younger red queen. It was completely strange to this man that the young woman was so drawn to him. He curled a long arm around her as she squeezed him in a tight embrace.

Hibiki glared at him, practically steaming with anger. There was no other explanation: he was the youngest princess' father. Hibiki and Kanade were there when David showed the photo of the vibrant red-head to Kai. Hagi was still trying to locate the facility with Lulu and the Red Shield's elite hunters.

Kai came to Hibiki's side and recalled the photo he had seen.

The girl's short hair seemed to nearly spike out the way his had when he was younger. Her eyes were clearly a brown color and her face was more feminine than Hagi's, but her lips were thin like his and her ears were heavily pierced with various silver studs and small hoops. She was tall and slender like him and her skin was very pale. She seemed almost bored as she looked into the camera. Her mouth formed the same line as Hagi's. He wished he could have seen her close up, but he was certain she had the same nose and ears as the man that was hugging Kanade. She certainly had the same eyebrows, chin, and those high cheekbones.

"He's the only one that makes sense," Hibiki muttered. When her adopted father nodded quietly she continued, "Mom's chevaliers died with her or before her in 2007. The girl was born in 2017. I know chiropteran's gestation period is long, but it's not 10 years long."

Kai nodded again as he crossed his arms over his chest. It was a moment before he spoke. "He is still family. Maybe he did mess up…" He noticed Hibiki's upset expression. "Okay, he really messed up, but that's no reason to condemn the man."

Hibiki scoffed and then turned away.

Kai's jaw tensed as he looked at Kanade smiling and talking to the stoic chevalier. Hagi suddenly looked away and his normal expression seemed to look even more somber than usual. "He may be a chevalier, but he's still a man underneath it all. We all make mistakes, Hibiki," he explained before he moved to the small reunion going on at table 17.

When Omoro was finally closed and cleaned up for the night, the group sat in the living room. Hagi sat in a chair across from Kai, Hibiki, and George who were seated on the sofa. Kanade was on the other side of the smaller sofa as Hagi explained, "The facility is in Iceland under a large mountain. We have sent spies to see how we can infiltrate the places where the princesses are held. The chiropteran numbers are growing every day. We will have to act soon."

Kai looked at the map on the small table and considered what could be done. He then asked, "I thought you and Lulu could easily make your way through."

"Even though they are weaker than us, there are so many that we will end up fighting to the point of exhaustion before we even get to the where the mountain is located. We are going to need reinforcements and a plan," Hagi answered.

"A map of the facility couldn't hurt either," Hibiki grumbled.

Hagi nodded and then he took a breath before he mentioned, "There is a new princess."

The room went silent. No one ever expected him to say anything.

"We know," Kai informed as he eyed the chevalier critically.

Hagi simply ignored the look before he informed, "She is in Los Angeles, but travels to many other places as a truck driver. I am certain she is lying about her age."

"Julia informed us about her," Kanade responded carefully.

"So, Uncle Hagi," Hibiki chimed in rather bitterly, "who's her mother?"

The stoic man regarded the young queen that had blue streaks in her hair. Hagi blinked in wonder at the comment. How on earth should he know who the mother of this princess was? He saw Kai whack her arm and give her a scolding look before he turned back to Hagi and motioned for the chevalier to continue.

"I do not believe Fimm Örvar hasn't discovered this princess yet," he added. "Joel wishes for me to contact her at her home. I will be leaving next week. Afterward, I will return to Iceland to assist the general in the next battle."

Kai became interested in the fight and asked, "Do you think they will be able to make it through all those chiropterans this time?"

Hagi stared for a moment. There were so many and with the number of princesses they had, it gave them an unlimited blood supply to create more. In the 6 months they had been fighting, they seemed to be taking two steps forward and one step back. They simply had to do get to that facility and shut it down. He finally answered, "I cannot be sure."

Hibiki looked at Kai seriously, "Dad, for heaven's sake! They're fighting a losing battle. You have to let us help now."

Kai groaned and shook his head. "I promised Saya that you two would never go through the battles and trauma that she and Hagi faced. I can't let you fight."

Kanade sat quietly and watched the scene unfold. She was the athletic sister, that was certain, but she was also a pacifist. The last thing she wanted to do was fight. All those stories of her aunt shedding the blood of enemies as well as innocents… it was too frightening. Her sister's eyes would start glowing and her body responded. Her fists would clench and her blood would start boiling beneath the skin. What would happen if she truly let go to her chiropteran side? She'd be a monster.

Hibiki was not nearly as athletic, but she made up for it with her personality. She embraced her chiropteran nature and frequently enjoyed discovering her hidden abilities. There was a man that taught her many things. She sensed he was a chevalier, but definitely not her mother's. The blonde-haired man with the pink tights and cowboy boots had even taught her how to change forms.

Hibiki rose from the sofa and headed toward her room.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Kai ground out.

She turned to her adoptive father and answered snidely, "I'm going to help them get into that facility."

Kai scoffed as he rose and came to stand in front of the girl, glaring in her eyes. "You aren't going anywhere, Hibiki. I told you no."

She shifted her weight and glared at him, "I'm 28 and I can go wherever I want."

Kai shook his head slowly, "Joel has explained that you are not mature until your first hibernation- more than 20 years away. You are not going anywhere."

Hagi stood and spoke, "Your father is right, it would give no advantage to have you or Kanade in this battle. If you are captured, they will be able to create chiropterans using your blood. The only one that could give us any hope in that situation is your sister."

Their eyes came to Kanade as she looked at the floor sheepishly.

Hibiki stared for a moment and realized Hagi and Kai were right. But if Kanade was more of a fighter, they'd willingly take them. Once again, Kanade ruins the day. "Stupid pacifist," she muttered as she stormed up the stairs.

Kai groaned as he returned to the couch. Hagi hefted his cello case onto his shoulder as Kai and Kanade watched. "Leaving already?" Kai asked.

"I must speak with Julia. Thank you for your hospitality," Hagi responded.

Kai waved a hand dismissively as he escorted the chevalier to the door. When they came to the door, Kai finally spoke in a hushed tone, "Hagi, I don't know what happened, but I can guess. Saya's gonna be so pissed when she wakes up."

Hagi stood quietly and waited for Kai to explain.

The aging man ran a hand through his spiky hair and grumbled, "Dammit, Hagi, don't you get it? There's only one explanation for the new princess. I want to know how you're going to explain this to Saya."

Hagi simply looked at Kai for a moment before he finally spoke, "I have nothing to do with the existence of this princess."

"Hagi, it's impossible for her to belong to anyone else. Diva's chevaliers are dead. She was born in 2017- ten years after they all died. You're the only surviving chevalier. There's no other explanation."

The stoic man couldn't answer. He knew how it looked. It must be a mistake- there must be another explanation. He could never betray Saya, he had loved her and only her since before he was turned. She was his first and only love. But what did Kai know? He was just a mortal and had only lived a sliver of the lifetime Hagi had existed.

Hagi finally decided to speak as he turned toward the road, "You claim that you know me. If you truly do, then you would know that I would never betray Saya."

The wind picked up and the chevalier was gone.

Kai turned and went into the pub. He had changed nothing from the way it had looked when his father ran the place. The photos on the bulletin board were still there, but a few more of Kai, his chiropteran daughters, and two sons were up there. A black and white picture of Hagi and Saya was pinned up there as well.

Looking down at his feet, Kai's jaw tensed and he grumbled, "Everyone makes mistakes, even chiropterans, Hagi."

~0~

It had been six months since she retrieved the shipment for Papa Harlo. Daddy Green had scolded her to no end about it. How many times had he told her that she could make a decent living as a long-haul driver, but she felt she needed more.

Now that she was selling used parts from the lot, she stopped smuggling. Papa Harlo wasn't happy about it, but she wasn't too worried. She knew he couldn't hurt her.

She ran a hand through her spiky, freshly dyed, burgundy hair and glanced in the mirror. Her skin was so pale, reminding her that she needed nourishment. Her mind tumbled over the list of things that needed to be done. For one, she needed to have her slightly floppy hair cut, next would be a quick grocery trip, afternoon would be spent looking for a car she could use while she was in town, and finally, she was having dinner with her neighbor, Mrs. Vincek.

The young woman glided the dark red lipstick over her lips before she shouldered her small black bag and headed out the door. As she locked the door, the corner of her vision shifted and she noticed the small, slight woman with the high cheekbones and squared jaw.

Mrs. Vincek was a stern looking woman with long grey hair pulled into a braid that came to her hips. The elder woman leaned into the shared balcony rail on her elbows without regarding the young woman even once as she stared critically at the rising sun.

The young woman came to the stairs when a heavily accented voice startled her. "Early morning, Mary Frances?" the elder woman asked without glancing at her even once.

"Yes, Mrs. Vincek," the fiery haired young woman answered as she continued her descent to the first floor. She called back to the seemingly oblivious woman, "See you at 6:30."

"Don't be late," the woman demanded.

Thankfully, her hairdresser was located in the shopping strip just on the other side of the apartment complex.

As she walked through the complex, she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up as goose bumps popped up on her arms and legs. The color red, like blood, clouded her vision. "What the fuck?" she muttered as she rubbed her eyes. When her vision cleared, she continued at a fast pace to the salon.

The dark figure knew he would be seen in daylight, so he opted to hide behind a broad tree fifteen feet from where she passed hurriedly. He had been watching the girl for the past 6 months on and off between fighting. Her days off were spent doing laundry, cleaning house, and buying groceries.

The girl, Mary Frances, walked through the doors of the salon. The stylists greeted her warmly as she moved to take a seat. It was a busy day and all the stylists were working on the respective customers.

The woman with a white top and black slacks informed Mary Frances, "We're a bit busy right now. It'll be about an hour. Want me to schedule you?"

She ran a hand through her hair and thought a minute. "I have to get a few things and I guess I can head to the park across the way for a quick run," she thought. It would give her something to do to pass the time as she waited anyway. She nodded and told the stylist, "Yeah, put me down for 11am, I have an errand to run and then I'm going for a jog."

She went by the corner store and picked up a few things she needed before she headed back to her apartment to change into something more suitable for the park.

~0~

The rustle of the trees was the only thing that could possibly give away his presence. The stoic chevalier watched as his prey rounded another lap on the track. It was true that he had seen her driver's license, but he refused to believe her appearance until she was up close and he could examine her face himself.

It was a brisk autumn day and the woman donned a grey hoodie with matching sweatpants. Her fiery red hair was under the hood which also shielded her face from his vantage in the trees. The tall woman slowed her pace to a jog as she rounded the next corner and began to shadow box.

He was completely still, giving nothing of his thoughts away by the lack of expression on his face. Without any preamble, he leapt gracefully to the ground behind her. "Mary Frances Reyes," he clearly stated, causing the young woman to turn abruptly to face him, her hood falling back to reveal her face.

Hagi couldn't speak. It was one thing to look at a picture ID and an entirely different thing to look upon the real thing. Her hair was thick and ended in a wide curl, like the ends of his own. Her brows arched elegantly and were vibrant red, like her hair color. He could smell the strong scent of ammonia that emanated from the burgundy tresses, proving it was freshly dyed.

Her nose was long and pointed up at the end, but narrow. Under it, her lips pursed with an unasked question that couldn't seem to come. She was a few inches shorter than him and her body was lean and strong.

It was like looking in a mirror! "Who the hell is this guy?" she wondered as her brow furrowed. She scolded herself for showing him any kind of curiosity- who knows who this guy could be? "Why the fuck do you look like me?" she wanted to ask, but she held her tongue as she folded her arms over her chest. She finally asked a question, "How do you know my name and what the hell do you want?"

Hagi's eyes widened slightly at the rudeness of the young woman. Never before had he met a princess that would swear in his face. Even the outspoken Amy would never have been as rude as this one. A moment passed before he continued, "I am sure you have questions about what you are."

Before he could continue, the girl lifted a hand and laughed. He raised a brow.

As he began to speak, she noticed his outdated and much too formal attire. She laughed as she realized this man must be some kind of minister or preacher out to save lost souls. It was funny this man had run across a woman that calls herself Evil Incarnate.

"Hold up! Hold up!" she laughed before informing him, "I am the last person you want to talk to about this. My soul is not lost, it's having a blast and I do not need some religion or holy water or whatever it is you're trying to sell me." With that, she turned and began her jog again.

He stood there blinking. "What was she talking about?" he wondered before he leapt into the air, coming down in front of her as easily as a grasshopper from one blade of grass to the next.

Her eyes opened wide as she looked at him and then looked behind her to where he had been standing. When she looked back again, her mouth was opening and closing like a fish on dry land. "How the… What the hell?" she gasped before she found her train of thought. "How the hell did you do that?"

"It is an ability of our kind," he responded simply.

She was stunned momentarily. "Our kind?" she asked as she looked him up and down. "What exactly is our kind? Who are you?"