A/N: Here it is, the epilogue I had in mind which partly inspired the story to begin with. It's probably a little cheesy, but I think I can live with that.

Thanks again to everyone who has liked this story, y'all made me feel welcome here and encouraged me to keep writing. From here on out, I'll reply to any reviews by PM so don't let the fact that this is the last chapter stop you :)

I don't want to say goodbye, yet... sob. I need to think of a new Mori story.

Mori let himself in quietly. He opened his mouth to call out 'I'm home' but stopped - this part of the house was too quiet. On a rare, warm, sunny June afternoon there was only one place everyone would be and they wouldn't be able to hear him from there.

Smiling in anticipation, he set down his briefcase and moved through the living room towards the kitchen, shedding the armor he wore outside the walls of this castle as he went. The suit jacket landed haphazardly on the chair, quickly followed by his vest and tie. As he walked, he rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt. Without thinking, he ran his hand through his neatly combed hair and turned it into a disheveled mess.

Sounds from the open kitchen door filtered down the long room, confirming his family's whereabouts.

"Ryou-chan, Mayu-chan – put down the branches. No sword fighting unless Papa is here."

"Yes, Mama," chimed a high soprano. He could hear the pout in Mayumi's voice and could easily picture her eight-year-old face screwed up in rebellion.

"Yes Okaa-san." This voice was slightly deeper and more contrite, but Mori's heart panged at the words. Ryouta had suddenly declared this spring that ten was too old for babyish nicknames. His sober young heir wouldn't even compromise by using 'chan.'

At least he was still 'papa' to everyone else.

Kaori's voice grew louder as he drew near. "Dai-chan, Sato-chan – stop chasing Kuro. Kitty doesn't want to play right now."

"Yes Mama," chorused the two rambunctious five-year-olds.

Twins had been a surprise to everyone; they didn't run in either family. Thankfully, they took more after their Uncle Satoshi than their honorary uncles, the Hitachiin brothers. The only trouble he had with them was their tendency to bring home every stray or injured animal they found. The backyard had become home to a menagerie consisting of two dogs, a cat, a flock of chickens, three rabbits, a litter of tanuki (courtesy of Pome's daughter), and a pygmy goat. Mori still wasn't sure how they had ended up with the goat, but he suspected Yasuchika was somehow to blame.

Arriving at his destination, he leaned his tall frame against the kitchen door and finally relaxed. Kaori bustled around the kitchen with her ponytail bouncing up and down while the sounds of his children playing some complicated made-up game in the backyard echoed through the room. He would make his presence known in a little bit, but right now he wanted to enjoy the best part of his day – the exact point where he could set aside everything else and just be a husband and father.

Kaori lifted the cover off the grill, letting the delicious odor of unagi kabayaki waft through the room and making his stomach rumble. Contentment settled over him as he watched her work. Even after fifteen years she could still take his breath away. His eyes stroked over her in ways his hands couldn't until the children were asleep, mentally caressing over her back and hips and down to her uncovered legs.

The sight of her in shorts always made him smile. It had taken years for her to feel comfortable enough to wear clothes that revealed her scars, even just at home. Years before he'd been able to convince her that he truly found every part of her beautiful. His smile grew wider, recalling one particular bit of persuasion that had resulted in his eldest daughter.

A giggle from the kitchen table attracted his attention. Little Hina had noticed him and her face lit up. Mori signaled her to be quiet and she obediently clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes sparkling with mischief. Silently, he snuck up behind his wife and slipped his arms around her waist, dropping his head to her shoulder.

Kaori startled and he dodged her instinctive kick to his knee before she relaxed back into his chest. "One of these days I'm going to end up breaking your knee-cap, anata," she admonished.

"Hn." His chest shook in a silent chuckle at that unlikely event. Gently, he tilted her chin towards him with his finger for a kiss. "I'm home," he murmured against her lips then closed the gap again.

"Welcome back." Kaori lifted her hand to his cheek and pulled him back for a third, longer kiss that was interrupted by the ding of a timer going off. He stepped back to allow her to finish cooking.

"Hina-chan, you can leave the table now and go play," she said. The toddler leapt down but, instead of running outside to join her siblings, bee-lined straight for her Papa. Mori scooped her up, flipped her upside down and blew a kiss on her stomach as she squealed in delight. He nestled her in the crook of his arm then leaned against the counter shooting a look of silent inquiry at his wife.

"She learned a new trick, today." Kaori explained, "We went out to weed the garden and when I turned around she'd climbed up to the top of the wall. She had to spend the first part of play time in here with me."

Mori looked at the daughter who most resembled Kaori in looks and temperament. She was looking up at him with serious, chocolate colored eyes. "Hina-chan no climb" she said solemnly. "No climb wit'out Mama".

"Right, no climbing without Mama saying okay" he reinforced. "Did Hina-chan say sorry to Mama?"

"She did" answered Kaori, "she apologized nicely."

" 'es, Hina-chan sawwry." The tow-headed girl bobbed her head in a sketchy bow.

He gave Hina a pat on her head. "Good girl." The two-year-old squirmed and he put her down so she could toddle outside.

Mori leaned his hip against the counter for their evening ritual of discussing the events of the day. Next to him, Kaori had set thin sliced early-harvested cucumber from her garden to pickle in his family's secret marinade. He stole a couple slices while her back was turned, but got caught when he couldn't resist trying to sneak a third and was rewarded with a stern glare.

She was so cute when she was angry. Like an upset baby chick.

Her lips twitched as if she knew what he was thinking. Shaking her head, she started putting some of the meal on plates and in bowls while filling him in on what their busy brood had been up to. "The twins went on their first errand today" she reported. "Ojii-chan had some students he wanted to practice loose protection detail and suggested it. They bought the tofu for the soup. They're very excited."

He nodded - he'd be sure to praise them at dinner, although he thought Kaori might be more excited than the boys. She loved that Morinozuka children were raised to be less sheltered and more independent than most of their peers. His mind was eased knowing that there were always several students on hand to serve as bodyguards for the littler ones when they ventured off the estate.

Kaori was quiet for longer than normal and he gave a mental sigh. It could only mean that one of the children had done something she didn't want to mention.

"Mayu-chan walked home from the park by herself," Kaori started off hesitatingly. She didn't take her eyes off the food she was plating.

Mori could feel his face harden. Even having expected this particular rebellion since April didn't lessen his displeasure. "Where was Ryouta-kun?"

"He… he stayed to play with some of his friends. But, she's okay," Kaori hastened to reassure him, "Not scared at all."

"I'll talk to them after dinner."

Kaori finally looked up from task, brow wrinkled in confusion. "Them?"

Mori reached out and stroked the side of her face. "Mayumi-chan broke the rules too." Realization dawned in her eyes and he could tell she'd only been worrying about her daughter's emotional well-being. It was what made her such a good mother. He pulled her in close for another kiss then left her to finish up and headed out the open doors to the backyard.

The minute he stepped foot outside he was met by delighted cries of "Papa" and four small bodies slamming into him. He let himself be drug down to the floor of the engawa as they piled on him and excitedly babbled about their day.

"…three new baby chicks…"

"…knew more Kanji than anyone else…"

"…bought tofu…"

"…no climb…"

He alternated between praising, patting heads, and receiving wet sloppy kisses on his cheek until the horde settled down. There was one voice missing and he raised his head to see his eldest still hovering to the side, unsure whether he was in too much trouble to join in. Mori sat up, and beckoned his son over, giving him a smile and ruffling his black hair. Ryouta's somber mien lessened and he gave the barest hint of a smile in return.

. . .

Dinner at the Morinozuka house was a form of well-behaved chaos. Mori, changed from his work clothes into his yukata, relaxed and sipped his sake as the chatter flowed around him. Once or twice he had to quell a fight before it began, and stop Sosuke from giving Daisuke all of the asparagus he hated, but tonight was fairly tame. Only two drinks were spilled and Kaori actually got to sit down to eat before the meal had ended. If he were ever asked, he'd claim that this was the best part of his day – his chance to watch his children grow and enjoy the small rituals that bonded them together as a family.

He stopped the two eldest children as they began clearing the dishes away. "Ryouta-kun, Mayumi-chan – go reflect in the dojo, I'll join you soon." He didn't miss the wide-eyed look they exchanged as they headed out. The dojo was serious. It meant they weren't just in trouble with their father, but with their Sensei.

'Papa' was a lot easier on them.

"Mama," asked Sosuke, the spokesman for the younger three, "can we watch TV now?"

"Bring the plates to the kitchen and you can have thirty minutes." Kaori replied, rising up from the table and taking the few leftovers with her to put away. "But it's Hina-chan's turn to pick."

"Awwww," whined the twins in unison. "But she only wants to watch shows with princesses in them," Daisuke said grumpily but the boys headed off to the family room anyway.

Fifteen minutes later, after helping Kaori with the dishes, Mori entered the dojo reserved for the family and a few select disciples. The children had changed into gi and sat seiza near the side of the room closest to the entry. Mayumi was already looking repentant but he could detect a faint trace of obstinacy on Ryouta's face.

Mori knelt down facing them and decided to deal with his daughter first, it would be more straight-forward.

"Mayumi-chan, what is the rule for walking alone?" he asked quietly.

The girl fidgeted back and forth from knee to knee and stared resolutely at her hands. "You must pass the Haninozuka Self Defense Test" she answered by rote.

"Have you?"

"No, Sensei." Her words were almost inaudible.

"Did your Sempai give you permission to walk home without him?" With each question he raised his voice just a bit, keeping his tone stern.

"No, Sensei," she gulped.

Mori fell quiet, waiting to see how she'd fill the silence.

"But… but…Papa!" she wailed, "he wouldn't come home with me! He just wanted to play football with his friends and I had no one to play with!"

Mori lifted a hand to stop her excuses. "Calm down, Mayumi. Focus. Now, tell me where your mistake was."

Mayumi forced air in and out of her lungs as she struggled to clear her mind of emotion and focus on analyzing her behavior as she'd been taught. "I guess I was angry and forgot?" she offered hesitantly, as if unsure whether that was the truth.

"Anger makes us act foolishly," he conceded. He knew his daughter, though, and that wasn't all of it. "Did you intend for Ryouta-kun to get in trouble?" he asked idly.

Her eyes flew open as she stared at her father in a mix of fear and apprehension, wonder how he could see the secret motive she thought she could hide. "Yes" she confessed, tears forming at the back of her eyes when she saw the disappointment on his face. "I….I'm sorry Papa. I'm sorry."

Mori relaxed discipline just enough to reach out and gently pat her head. "Next time, don't give in to your anger. " She nodded earnestly, biting her lips with firm resolve. As impulsively as she acted, she was never stubborn about admitting when she'd done wrong. "Apologize to your Sempai for troubling him and go practice your katas. I need to talk with Ryouta-kun."

Mayumi bowed to her brother then leapt up and almost skipped to the far side of the dojo. She was never able to hang on to any emotion other than happiness for long.

Mori waited until she was out of earshot so he'd have privacy for the next conversation. He had known they would have it ever since the beginning of the school year when he'd assigned Ryouta the duty of protecting Mayumi when away from the estate. It was practically a rite of passage, but that didn't make it any easier.

This time he let silence stretch between them, watching as Ryouta became more and more restless until the boy's stubborn determination not to say anything broke.

"I wanted to play with my friends. It was selfish. I'm sorry, Sensei. It won't happen again." It was too rehearsed and said almost flippantly.

Mori continued his silence.

"It's… It's just that it isn't fair. Why can't she go around with a bodyguard if she doesn't want to take the test? None of my friends have to look after their sisters," the boy whined. Having said more than he planned, Ryouta set his mouth in a grim line. "I just want to be able to play without worrying about her. Make someone else protect her."

The words sent him back in time over thirty years to when he'd first chafed against the confines of responsibility that had been placed on him. Looking his son straight in the eyes, he let the boy see both his seriousness and his sympathy. The words he said next weren't only his – they were his father's, and grandfather's, and who knew how many other generations of Morinozukas.

"Morinozukas protect. It is what our family has always done. You are my heir and one day will need to take care of many people – family, disciples, the Haninozukas. The way you will learn how to do this is to start with protecting your sister."

The boy was quiet for a minute as he visibly struggled to accept what his patriarch had said. "But… she just doesn't want to learn," he said despairingly. "Does that mean I'm going to have to babysit her forever?" Ryouta ended the sentence on a low prepubescent wail.

"Taking care of someone doesn't mean babysitting them."

Mori's heir chewed his bottom lip as he turned that thought over in his head, trying to understand it. "You mean, like you did with Okaa-san?" At his father's silent look of inquiry he continued. "Like you and Mama and the tree? You and Mitsukuni-oji helped her get strong enough to climb it on her own."

All the children knew the story of how he and Kaori had first met, but only Ryouta knew Mori's version. He'd only shared with his heir how all summer he and Honey had played games that secretly built up her muscles until she was strong enough to climb unassisted in safety.

Mori's heart swelled with pride that his son had understood the lesson and made the connection on his own. "Mayumi-chan is in your care, what does she need?"

Ryouta wrinkled his brow in thought. "She needs to pass her test. She could do it; she just doesn't like to practice. I could…. I could have her practice with me after school?" He glanced at his father to see if this was the right approach, Mori gave him an encouraging nod. "If we do it during TV time she'll work harder to get it over with."

"That is a good plan." Even the sanctity of the dojo couldn't keep the proud smile off Mori's face. "Go. Apologize to your kohai and tell her what you've decided."

"Yes, Papa. I mean… yes, Sensei." The child scrambled up, but Mori halted him before he could leave.

"Help her through her katas a few more times, her form needs improvement."

"Yes, Sensei!" Ryouta bowed and ran across the floor to his sister.

Mori watched for a moment before leaving. Even at ten, his son showed a natural knack for instructing his lazy sister and the decision to take away her TV time had been insightful, even if it hurt him as well. It wouldn't be the last time they had this talk – the yoke of responsibility would only get worse as the boy became a man. But so could the joy he took in it, if he let it.

Back inside the house, Mori heard the sounds of bath time and headed into his study to handle some family matters before the bedtime routines began. A few years ago, when he and Honey had turned thirty-five, both their father's had semi-retired. Both still taught selected disciples and weighed in on major decisions, but they left the day-to-day running of the families' affairs to their heirs. Kaori had presorted the paperwork into things he had to deal with now, things that could wait, and things that she would take care of. The last pile was the largest.

Shortly it was time for stories, cuddles, tuck-ins, a bath with Ryouta and Mayumi, and then another round of tuck-ins. Finally, the children settled down for the night, he lounged on the sofa catching up on the evening news to see if anything would affect upcoming business.

Kaori walked into the room, stopping by the coffee table to pick up a stray toy. "Leave that for the maids." Mori reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her gently into his lap. "Everyone settled?"

"Yes, they all ended up in the boys' room sleeping like a litter of puppies." Sitting sideways across his legs, Kaori intertwined her left hand with his right and looked at the floor. "How did you punish Ryou-chan and Mayu-chan?" He could tell she was holding her breath, hoping he hadn't been too strict.

He tucked her head under his chin and snuggled her closer. "No TV after school. Ryouta-kun will give her extra training until she passes the test."

She gave a giant exhale of relief. "What a smart papa." She rewarded his paternal skill with a kiss on the cheek. He bent down and turned it into something more.

Pulling back to catch his breath, he cuddled her up against him and gently stroked his left hand up and down her arm. "Kaori?" For a couple weeks now there'd been something important he'd been meaning to ak her and now seemed the perfect time. "What do you think about six."

Kaori stopped playing with his hand and turned to look at him. "I think," she said carefully, "that six is a very good number." She brought her arms up around his neck and smiled up into his eyes. "I also think that it's a bit too late to be asking that."

He raised his eyebrows at her as she nodded her head in confirmation. His face lit up with a broad grin of pride and delight then rearranged itself into astonishment. "But… how… I mean… we've always…"

She giggled as his normal stoicism broke down into a flustered stammer which she stopped with a kiss. "Remember your birthday?" His cheeks flushed bright red and she giggled even harder.

Catching her mouth in his, he quickly turned her laughter into soft moans. Ending the kiss, he caressed her stomach with one hand and held her tight against his chest with the other. Cradling his wife and unborn child in his arms, Mori couldn't help but think that this, right here, was most definitely the best part of his day.