A/N: This chapter is intended to be a break from the intensity for the most part. Things got real fast, and while there's definitely more to come, everybody needed to gather themselves. Sorry for taking so long with this update! It wasn't my intention, but I got wrapped up in work and didn't have time for writing for a while. Then really wanted to write a two shot continuation of a previous Takasugi story, so got that done. Noniebee also really helped brainstorm a lot of this, and her profile can be found in the reviews if you wanna check out her stuff (she's awesome, you wanna). Hope you all enjoy this update, and thank you for your patience, reading, and the reviews! Also to the guest review, thank you for pointing out my typo (Umibouzu)! I have no clue how the heck that happened, and slipped by, as I look up names before writing to make sure they're spelled properly. Simple error, not intentional at all. :)

Dim light blanketed the hospital room from a fluorescent tube above Ame's bed. The nurse had taken her leave shortly after realizing that Kamui was perfectly capable of keeping the woman in the room. Her first sign was when the man managed to walk her back and she compliantly sat down. Didn't question him in the slightest, but sank into herself and crossed her arms. She wouldn't allow the needles to be resituated in her arms, and had no intention of laying back, but after the trouble that the woman had been, the nurse couldn't ask for more.

She slipped the Yato man a needle, discreetly as possible, and showed him a line written on her clip board. In case Ame got out of hand.

Kamui took a seat beside Ame as she stared off to the side. She hadn't spoken a single word after he'd released her, and exhaustion clung to her features. Abuto grabbed a chair and sat in front of the glaring Captain. Took a moment to read the situation, then deemed it as okay for him to speak.

"So what do you wanna do?"

Azure eyes fixed on the older man, and Kamui drew in an even breath. None of the options were to restore what had been taken from them, and he knew it.

"Murder that bitch..." Ame was the first to speak. The words were low, barely muttered under her breath, but she peered at the men through hardened, tired eyes. "Let's fucking kill her."

Both men glanced over at her, and a slow nod took Kamui.

"She was warned." He stated, and as he spoke, his gaze drifted to the dark window behind Abuto. Somewhere out there, Iori was running around thinking that she had gotten off scot-free. "And she still has fingers to break."

"Get me another gun..." Nothing but a whisper carried the woman's words. Nobody moved. They let the request hang in the air, as if it was up for consideration, but an undercurrent let on that they were implying that Ame was out of the fight. That she couldn't be of use, and should obediently wait in the hospital for them to return to her in suits of sparkling silver armor, victorious after battling the beast. She wouldn't. She still had her pride, and she refused to just lay there, waiting for saviors, or heroes, or alien pirates that lived on a spaceship, to get her life together.

Kamui remained still. Glanced to the side and spent a few seconds churning the words over in his mind. Hadn't she done enough? She wanted the kid, and she had gotten him. Emerged gravely injured and not even on her own feet. She hadn't insulted him or made a single joke after waking up, so he could only assume that the damage was bad. Beyond whatever he'd initially expected. Even if Ame had always been steely and serious for the most part, she was in no condition to join him. But he'd learned his lesson the last time he'd refused to allow her to tag along.

"Ame..." Finally turning to face the woman, Kamui paused at the sight of her hazel eyes already fixed on him. His brow cinched, and the woman maintained her even frown. Already knew what he was going to say and was loaded with negotiation. He wouldn't have it. Wouldn't even consider whatever she had to say. "You can't come this time."

The woman's eyes flicked over him. Down to where he sat on the bed, then back up to his gaze. Her lips parted as she sucked in a slow breath, evening her racing mind and uncanny lack of a temper. But clear in the response, Kamui saw defiance. As if she was asking who the hell he thought he was, telling her what she could and couldn't do. Abuto leaned back in his chair. Much to Kamui's dismay, and Ame's surprise, the man spoke up.

"What happened the last time you told her no?"

"How would you know about that? Are you keeping tabs on our sex life?"

"What?" Shaking his head, Abuto squinted back at Kamui. "No! Not that, you nincompoop. The Wistue! She got bitten! Wh- you mean to tell me- she raped you? A Human?"

"Oi, it wasn't rape." Flat toned, the woman leaned to the side. She didn't bother looking at Abuto as her hand waved towards Kamui and she reached towards a small bag on the table beside the bed. "He hardly tried to stop me."

Breathing a laugh, Kamui glanced over at the woman, and she raised a brow. For a split second, a spark was in her eye. The usual playful narrow and smirk. Then it was gone. She returned to reaching into the bag and produced a pack of cigarettes. Neither man spoke against her as she lit one and sighed.

"Kamui, I'm sorry." An apology hadn't been expected but drew the man back in. Regardless, his expression remained even. He didn't frown, nor did he smile, just carefully watched the woman as she kept her attention trained on the window. "I should have told you. I wanted to. Tried. It just didn't work, and it was my fault... Was gonna try again, but Iori was on the ship."

"On the ship?" Abuto repeated the words, and the woman turned her head towards him, but didn't meet his eye. She started to respond, then looked at the ceiling, no longer plotting her words.

"Listen, I wont say that I'm in perfect condition, and I wont beg. But you don't know what she's done to me. Even when we were together... I know her ways. You can't go alone, she'll kill you." A raised brow begged to differ, and Ame glanced back at Kamui from the corner of her eye. He didn't believe her. She knew it. Even Abuto smirked off to the side and released a breath that hinted at amusement. Still, she persisted, and Kamui crossed his arms. "After she tortures you. Breaks your bones... She'll spike you and leave you for a week if she can. Don't go after her without me. I'm telling you-"

"You went after her alone." Kamui's accusation received a shift of Ame's weight. She looked away, and shook her head.

"No I didn't." The man frowned towards Abuto and the older man had nothing to say. Hell, he didn't know. "I'm not that stupid." Ame added the last bit, and Abuto prodded her for more information. Specifically, Iori being on the ship. They needed to know about that, considering the fact that the pirate had definitely rigged up and destroyed a textile shop.

"It was my fault. I wasn't paying attention. She had a gun, and I didn't. And she was right there; point blank." The entire time she spoke, Ame glanced around the room and shook her head. Ashamed at being defenseless, or not having the upper hand for a change. Each word pained her. The admission was hard enough; that she really was as unskilled as Kamui had initially thought, and that he had been right about her only being human. She couldn't take a bullet to the spine, or ram a knife through her palm unaffected. She wasn't supernaturally skilled, though she tried her hardest to make up for it.

For the second time, he had to wrench her out of a life or death situation, and it was downright shameful. Being kidnapped was getting old; even if the first time had worked out well. A hand at her side closed the small gap between them, and she was forced under Kamui's arm. Nearly broke through her somber tone to snicker. Then she turned back to him, clouded with worry.

"I really didn't think you'd believe me. This wouldn't have happened if I'd gone along with her. Said I'd come back and-"

"No." Shaking his head, Kamui offered the woman a smile. She was nearly taken aback by the expression, and though she didn't know why, it quickly slipped away to the comfort of familiarity. "You're missing the point. We can have kids. We can make another. Let's do it."

Again, the man managed to surprise her. She frowned up at him, and confusion played on her features as her voice finally lost the quiet that had taken it.

"Captain... Right here?"

"I don't know how Abuto would feel about that."

"Not good." The older man spoke up, and raised a single finger towards them to make his point. A wide grin was flashed back at him and he eyed Kamui. Made sure that the aforementioned scene was not on the table. Or the bed, or anywhere else in his line of view. At that rate, he'd be kicking them off each other in the hallway again in no time. Ame chuckled at the sight of the men, and for the first time, the ominous air in the room cleared. Serious discussion had passed, and they were all on track to find the same page and run with it. For the most part.

"We can be happy. We're already happy." Kamui turned back to Ame and the previous spark of life had returned to her. It was a refreshing sight, after too many days that had been lacking. "Let's make another."

"After Iori." Ame added, and the Yato nodded.

"Think of names, for a girl and one for a boy. Or..." Pausing, Kamui squinted down at Ame. "Do you want to? Give me a kid?" He was getting ahead of himself. For a moment, the possibilities had gotten the best of him. All trace of irritation had left Kamui, and he'd let his mind run with the larger picture; the realization that they had options now. As soon as he'd started back on the topic, an unusually large, lopsided grin had taken Abuto. The older man was just sitting back, enjoying the thought of the brat he'd practically raised planning a family of his own.

"Well, it wouldn't be terrible..." Smiling down at her hands, Ame rubbed her fingers together. Her cigarette had gone out. "I'd like that."

"As soon as we kill her?"

Still grinning, Ame nodded again. She glanced towards Kamui, and he mirrored the expression.

"I want a boy."

"I want a girl." He countered, and the woman nearly laughed.

"Two?"

"Let's keep trying until we have a girl."

"That could be too many!" Laughing back to the man Ame leaned back for a better view of him. Her palm slipped behind her and she both frowned and grinned, as if his statement had been ridiculous. "What if it's a girl first? She could get lonely, we need at least two."

"Okay, at least two. What about twenty as a limit?" The moment Kamui got the last bit out, the older Yato burst into laughter. He ignored Abuto, in favor of Ame's baffled denial.

"That's too many!" She couldn't help but laugh again as Kamui snickered under his breath and Abuto regained his silent composure. Then, the woman's hand traced up his shirt and to the tip of his red braid. She carefully toyed with his hair and glanced over him. Took in the sight of him covered in blood again, as normal as it had become. Old, dried blood, on the other hand, wasn't as natural to him. He hadn't done more than wash his hands, and the people in the hospital had likely assumed it was her blood. Somehow.

From carrying her.

The woman leaned into him for a single, innocent kiss. A sign of not only her gratitude, but her adoration of him, and Kamui easily accepted her affection. Pulled her closer with a single hand on the small of her back, and barely lifted Ame. Then she felt it. A sharp stab in her rear, that was alarmingly similar to the shot the nurses had given her when she'd first come in.

Pulling back, the woman gaped up at the Yato, brows drawn together, and at a loss for words. Kamui, on the other hand, kept a cool, even smile. She turned to his hand, and sure enough, there was an empty needle at her side. With a single breath, the woman felt herself growing lazy. On the brink of a haze that set in with almost no delay. Her posture slumped, and she kept her gaze on Kamui as he stood. Had likely been planning this all along. His palm shot into Ame's chest and she fell back into the bed, only to have her legs scoop up and placed into it as well.

"You doped me!" Disbelief was an understatement. Ame tried to snap the words up at Kamui but the came as a betrayed, high pitched exclamation that had no impact on his expression.

"You're not coming with us." The man stated, and as Abuto looked on, seemingly as startled as Ame, he motioned to the man. They were going to find Iori. Ame was going to stay there and be good for a change. Obedient. All trace of his previous smile had left him. Even as Kamui pulled the covers over Ame and tried to tuck her in, he showed no hint at a smile. The woman took hold of his hand as if it would stop him, but her mind was already giving way to the drugs. Whatever the hell he'd stuck her with.

"Kamui-" His name should have been serious. A warning. Instead, Ame's face and mouth betrayed her with a dumb mush of nonsense. "'Mui... Mui, mooie moo cow." Frowning down at the woman, Kamui leaned up. Ame covered her mouth and started to giggle. She shook her head, fighting the drug but failing miserably. Behind Kamui, the older Yato stood with his arms crossed. Deadpan for the most part. "Abuto," She looked to the man for help, but instead, had quickly succumb to Kamui's plan. "Boot... Boots. Booty- like pirates- get it?" That one struck her as hilarious, and the woman nearly went comatose laughing.

Turning back to the older man, Kamui shrugged. He didn't know what the nurse gave him, but it was good enough. The men started to take their leave, but as they crossed the room door opened to reveal a certain navy haired Yato. From the looks of things, the man hadn't shaven in days, and he kept a cigarette perched in his mouth.

"Oi," His greeting was met with two curious stares. Prompts to explain himself. "I was just going to meet my Honey Bunny and I heard that she was here." Deadpan, the man motioned to Ame. He didn't flinch at the odd choice of words, or show any sign of realizing how strange he sounded. Kept a small stack of papers tucked under his arm.

"Honey Bunny?"

"Yaeko-Chan. We're uh... Discussing the treatment of the men. It's been good." As he was speaking, he peered towards Ame and carefully walked over to where she laid. The woman was lazily grinning up at him and waved one hand. Rather, flopped it around. Said his name in the place of a greeting, but didn't elaborate on it as she had done with Kamui's or Abuto's. "How bad was the damage?"

"Four doctors worth and lots'a nurses."

"Better than one coroner." Shrugging back at the woman, Ryu blankly peered down at her as she fell into a loud laugh. Gripped her sides and nearly turned over in her bed.

"What'd they give you? Diazepam? Alprazolam?"

Ame was still laughing when he asked, and had to wipe tears from her eyes when she finally leaned up; loopy and unable to shake the goofy contort of her face.

"Listen bud," Drawling up at the man, she wagged her finger at him. "I look like am callin' the shots round here?"

Though the smoker started to chuckle, and Ame fell back into another laughing spell, the others hadn't left yet. Just stood there, observing the interaction. When Abuto finally turned to Kamui, the question was written all over his face, and Kamui couldn't help but smile. Ame was going to kill him. She thought she sounded like an idiot every time she started to slip. She was good at keeping it under wraps, though.

"Ame! Your accent is back!"

"Shaddup, you-" Words were failing the woman, and she stumbled to find more. "Dirty b'trayer. When ma feet and toes start workin' again-"

"That's how you know she's drunk." Glancing back at Abuto, Kamui started to snicker. The older man remained curiously serious. Frowned, but didn't pry any further. He recognized that accent, and was pretty sure he knew the area she was from.

"And that damn urologist-"

"Neurologist?" Ryu asked, and Ame paused. She frowned up at the man, and after a moment of consideration tilted her head.

"Ain't that what I said?"

"You said Urologist..." The man stated, and Ame doubled over. She smacked Ryu's arm as he joined her with a loud laugh of his own, and Ame shook her head. Barely choking out a line.

"Shit- wrong end-"

"What are they talking about? What's so funny?" Kamui's inquiry was lost on Abuto, and the older man shrugged.

"How should I know?" He asked, but Kamui seemed convinced that Abuto was the key to understanding. When he continued to frown at the older Yato, Abuto raised his palms and shrugged again. Shook his head to show it was a no go. He had no clue, but it was weird to see Ame like she was, and odder for Ryu to be so noisy. If anything, he was surprised that Kamui hadn't jumped on the defensive and tried to smash the smoker for entertaining her. Just watched like mild interest had taken him and he was waiting for an opening or mention of himself to prove that he was more funny than their doctor jokes or puns.

The door behind them opened, and a brunette in a pink dress slipped by; chart in hand. Her palm gingerly landed on Ryu's back, and the man straightened himself. Peered down at her, nearly blank faced but with a hint of a smile.

"There you are." She started, and the man stepped aside as she took hold of Ame's arm. "Bit late, aren't you?"

"Not really." Ryu murmured back to the woman as the cheerful banter came to an end, and Ame fell serious as a needle was prepped and her arm was swabbed.

"Dag nabbit, woman! Ya just gave me blood, an now yer takin' it away!"

"Did you think you'd get to keep it?" Behind the nurse, Ryu started to snicker into his fist, and Kamui put the breaks on leaving one more time to walk over and look at what was being done to Ame. She tried to glare up him, but the look was more of a wrinkled nose and stuck out tongue than anything. Hardly offensive. "You from Osaka?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't tell nobody." As if that wasn't a major piece of information, Ame laid back and smiled. Closed her eyes and allowed the nurse to fill the needle with her blood. As soon as she finished, the vial was prepped for lab analysis, and the entry point was swabbed with alcohol and bandaged. Kamui absorbed the name and hid it into the back of his mind. He'd ask her about that later. She'd never told him where her family was, or where she was from, and now, he felt like he had secret information.

"Much as I hate to interrupt, it's about time for another physical. Isn't it?" Ryu was her next focus, and the man's blank expression fell back into place as Yaeko placed the vial of blood in a small bag. She stopped at his side, and folded the bag over. Clipped it to the board perched over her chest. "To make sure the treatment-"

"Oh- yeah." The man nodded, and kept his gaze on the short nurse.

"There's a private room set up. Something large... but intimate." She started from the room and a moment was spent eying her from behind before Ryu followed suit.

"Intimate... Right. Well, I'll be going. Uh. For the good of the men and the ship." The last part was quickly added on, and the man glanced over at Kamui for a split second. Yaeko had already exited the room, but he seemed to know exactly where he was going. Kamui frowned at the man, and Abuto snorted under his breath.

"The good of the ship. Right. Last I checked the ship wasn't in your pants."

From her spot on the bed, Ame leaned up and lazily waved her fists towards her friend. Cheered him on.

"Yesss! Ram 'er good!"

From the doorway, Ryu offered a grin and thumbs up. Then slipped out of the room with a certain urgency in his step. Their speculations were correct, and even Kamui could see that. It was fine though. He had other things to do. Just as Ame squinted up at him again, he leaned towards her and smiled.

"Osaka?"

"Shaddup."