Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, than you should not read this.

Chapter 248

The old country manor had been beautifully restored. It could pas for an old fashion ryokan inn without a doubt. The entire clearing had been cleaned up. The garden areas had been raked and turned and the first bits of green of a late summer crop were already starting to show.

As they arrived, Tsukune didn't bother honking the horn of making any other announcements. He knew the people in the manor would be on the alert, and would have heard him driving up. As he parked the minivan the front doors of the house opened and the welcome committee appeared.

"Oh would you look at that..." Kasume said with a note of wonder. "They look so beautiful.

The welcome committee consisted of four people, all of them dressed in kimono's with their hair done up. Leading the way was Mizore's mother, Tsurara, with Mizore at her side. A pair of snow maidens were with them to help with any luggage. Tsukune got out of the minivan first to open the doors for his parents.

"Mother, Father," Tsukune said with a grin. "Welcome to the Dokoni Mo Ryokan."

"It's lovely," Kasumi said, looking around in wonder as she got her feet on the ground.

"Very nice," Tsukune's father said.

"Thank you for coming to visit us," Tsurara said as she and her entourage approached. "Our inn is a humble one, but we will do our best to see to your comforts."

"Oh my," Kasumi smiled. "Yes. Thank you. Please take good care of us."

"Mother, Father," Tsukune said as the two snow maidens took the bags from the minivan. "Let me introduce you. This is Shirayuki Tsurara, Mizore's mother.

"Oh.." Kasumi blinked.

"Mother Shirayuki," Tsukune said to her. "These are my parents..."

"It is an honor to meet with you," Tsurara said, cutting Tsukune off and closing in to offer Kasumi her hand. "We are very thankful for all your hard work in raising Tsukune to be such a wonderful young man."

Kasumi felt dizzy by the turn of events. Tsukune had told her that she would get to meet Mizore and her mother during the trip, but she had never guessed that the other woman would be managing the inn. The way Tsurara spoke so highly of the boy that had... had... and wasn't even going to marry her daughter, made Kasumi's head spin.

"I'm glad that my son was able to find someone as special as your daughter," Kasumi managed to say.

"Mother Aono," Mizore spoke up. "I know that you have had a long trip. Please come inside so that you can refresh yourself."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Kasumi said.

Xxx

Tsukune saw the way his mother kept blinking, looking a little unfocused. He had not expected Tsurara to throw his mother off balance so quickly. He hoped that the weekend trip was not going to be too much for his mother to take.

While Tsurara was playing hostess and showing his parents to the room set aside for them, Tsukune turned his attention to Mizore. He held out his arms to her, and she stepped into his embrace with a smile. Her round abdomen pressed against him, making the hug a little awkward, but not unpleasant. The stood together and just enjoyed a moment in each others arms.

"The others will be waiting," Tsukune said as he relaxed his hug.

"Let them," Mizore said, even as she loosened her hold around him.

"I love you," Tsukune said simply.

"I love you too," Mizore said. "You better come to my room tonight."

XxxxX

The others Tsukune had mentioned were gathered in a side area of the clearing. The area was mostly taken up with a traditional rock garden. Tsukune thought it was probably supposed to mean something that the dry rock garden was on the opposite side of the house from the stream. A simple gazebo had been built to provide shade for a set of benches. The others, Moka, Kurumu, Kota and Emmy, and Jessie and a snow maiden named Yuki, were seated under the gazebo. The snow maiden was holding Jessie's hand, and looked like she would prefer to be someplace less public. Jessie and Kota were having a conversation that likely would only interest someone with a passion for moving parts.

Tsukune was glad for the presence of Kota and Jessie. The pair were normal humans, with backgrounds that shared some of the same reference points as his own. Tsukune liked having others around he could talk with about mundane human things, especially when he did not have to worry about letting things slip about youkai. Kota was one of Tsukune's oldest friends, so of course he was someone that Tsukune could relax around. Jessie was still relatively new to the world of human / youkai interaction, but he was handling it well.

Jessie had handled himself well during the masquerade, after being forcibly exposed to youka. When Mizore had asked Tsukune to find some guys to introduce to her people as they worked on restoring the manor, he had thought of Jessie because of how he had held up that night. It was during that trip that Jessie and Yuki had met.

XxxxXxxxxxXxxxX

The manor was being lovingly restored. It had become a very popular project with Mizore's people. Craftswomen had decided to lend their skills to the younger women. The cracked, broken, or just missing roof tiles needed to be replaced, so seldom used kilns were had been fired up to make new ones. All of the walls were beeing scrubbed down and resealed. The floors had been cleaned, sanded, and waxed to a high shine. Until Tsukune arrived with his selected companions for the weekend, all of the work was being done by women of Mizore's village

Jessie had been surprised by just about everything about the project. His first surprise had been from his father. Jessie had been in his small workshop, tinkering with a motorcycle engine, when his father had come to him.

"Jessie," Ross had said from the doorway. "I have something I'd like you to do."

"What's that?" Jessie said, looking up from what he was doing.

"I want you to help out a friend of mine," Ross had begun. "And see if one of your friends wants to go along as well."

Jessie could have refused, but there were two reasons not to. First was simply because he didn't have any reason to say no. He surely did not have anything better to do. The second reason was simple curiosity. Of course Jessie really became interested when girls were mentioned. Right after talking with his father, Jessie called his best friend.

James was a lot like Jessie. James was not his real name, but what everybody called him because he was Jessie's regular companion. While Jessie was careful to project a bad boy image, James projected the image of the generic tough guy. He wore his shirts un-tucked and wore pants that were a size too big. He looked rumpled and his hair was just a little too long. He looked like he didn't really care about anything, hiding how many hours he spent studying and working out. Like Jessie, in spite of his appearance, James had been in the top ten percent of his class.

Jessie and James had met their ride, one Aono Tsukune, in front of the convenience store closest to their old high school. Jessie remembered Tsukune from that crazy dance, and was actually looking forward to having a chance to talk to him about that night. Everything had been so strange, that he had a hard time believing what had happened. Jessie could not quite get himself to believe that the attack had been carried out by terrorists wearing masks and costumes, but really wanted to for some reason. He was looking forward to talking to somebody who might be able to help him understand why that night was so hard to think about clearly.

Jessie's next surprise hit him after they had picked up the others going along for the weekend. He discovered that with the exception of himself and James, everybody in the group were police officers. If it had not been for his father wanting him to go on the trip, Jessie would have thought that he was being set up.

"So what is it we're doing again?" Jessie asked as they neared the highway.

"Helping some women restore an old historical site," Tsukune answered. "It's the old hunting lodge from the early Edo period."

"I didn't bring very many tools," Jessie commented. He was interested in mechanics, not construction.

"Everything we need should already be there," Tsukune replied. He turned his head enough to flash an amused smile at his passengers. "There should be just enough work for us to have a chance to show off a little muscle and impress the girls."

"I thought you had a girlfriend," Jessie said.

"She will be there too," Tsukune nodded. "She's the one that asked me to bring some men, to help with the heavy lifting."

"And what do we get out of this?" James asked.

"A chance to do something helpful for someone else," Sana spoke up.

"Good food," Tsukune said. "Served by cute girls, who are looking forward to meeting you."

James gave a snort of disbelief.

Xx

Jessie wanted to believe that he had fallen asleep during the trip, because it was over so quickly. It had taken less than two hours to reach their destination, but it should have taken longer. It was because he had not seen the transition from lowlands to mountains that made Jessie think he had dozed off, but he could not really accept that. What kept him from believing that he had slept for most of the trip was the fact that his watch and cell phone told him his recollection of the passing of time was correct.

While it was a little unsettling, Jessie really could not complain about how quickly the trip was over. The last stretch of the drive was on narrow mountain highways, then a trip through a small village that looked like it had been built before the invention fire, finally a short drive on a dirt road though a forest. It made Jessie think of old movies where gangsters dumped bodies and serial killers waited for campers.

And then the destination was in sight. Jessie though for a moment that he had actually gone back in time. Not only was the building clearly of a very old style, the whole scene looked like something from a historical movie. The women he could see were dressed in simple yukata's with the sleeves tied back. Some of them were holding old fashion had tools, but they were all hurrying into the manor.

"We're here," Tsukune said as he pulled the mini van to a stop and killed the engine. "Time to get to work."

As the young men were unloading themselves and their bags from the mini van, Jessie felt like they were being watched. He could tell that the others could feel it as well by how stiff they held themselves. The exception was their driver. Aono Tsukune was smiling as he leaned against the mini van as if waiting for something.

"Tsukune..." Jessie saw a very pretty young woman come out of the old manor. She was dressed in a yukata of blue and white, and was obviously pregnant.

"Mizore..." Tsukune called back and moved to meet her.

The pair embraced and shard a quick kiss. Jessei was able to tell they they shared a quick exchange of words, but wasn't close enough to hear what was said. Finally the couple turned their attention back to the five visitors still standing by the minivan.

"Thank you all for coming to help us," Mizore said with a bow. "Please let us know if there is anything you need while you are here."

A round of introductions and pleasantries were made. Before any real conversations could spring up, another woman appeared from within. She was also pretty, and was dressed in a yukata that showed off her legs very nicely. Soon more woman were streaming out. They all stopped a good distance from the visitors, often holding hands with one another for moral support, as they smiled and blushed at the young men.

xxx

Everybody got to work in short order. Of the fifteen snow fairies present, the ages ranged from fifteen to eighteen. Mizore was mostly a spectator, and an occasional supervisor of the girls. The men set out to work finishing repairs to the roof. Because working on the roof was hot, the heat sensitive girls were happy to have the help. As they worked, the girls kept taking breaks from whatever else they were doing to go and watch the men. The bravest of the snow maidens kept visiting the men at work and offering them cold water and towels, often with giggles and blushes.

By the time supper was ready, the men had worked up a serious hunger. Tsukune, familiar with Mizore's cooking, had not been surprised by the amount of meat served up. His companions for the weekend were pleased by it.

Dinner was served by candle and lantern light. The place did not have electricity, or any other modern utility service. Mizore spend some time during the meal explaining what was available. What they had in abundant supply was water. Also, pipes had been put in to tap a hot spring in the mountain. Mizore was proud to announce that the baths had already been restored and were available for use.

After dinner, the young men washed up while the young women cleaned up. There was some time after that to relax, sipping cold juice on one of the porches. The sun was setting by then, painting the sky in reds and pinks as it darkened.

"I would like to apologize to you," Mizore said as she joined them, sitting close beside Tsukune on the porch. "We do not have enough rooms cleaned up for you to each have your own."

"I am sure nobody will mind sharing rooms," Sana said.

"James and I have been bros for a long time," Jessie said.

"That is good," Mizore said. "Then you two won't mind sharing one room." She turned to the young police officers. "And we have a larger room for you three all prepared."

"Two and three..." James frowned. He hitched his thumb towards Tsukune. "Who's he going to sleep with?"

Jessie swatted at his friend for asking the question.

"He is going to be sleeping with me," Mizore said firmly.

There was a soft explosion of giggles from young women, some watching from hiding. James blushed deeply. Sana blushed and looked up at the stars. Tsukune gave Mizore a smile and took her hand.

xXx

Jessie wondered if that stray thought about slasher movies he had on the way in was messing with him. He had fallen asleep quickly once he made his way to his futon. The problem was that he had woken up just as quickly hours later. It was still dark outside. A check of his cell phone told him that it was only three o'clock in the morning. The old manor was quiet. Only the sounds from outside reached his ears. Feeling a little silly, he checked his cell phone again. When he saw that he had a signal, even if it was a weak one, Jessie felt a sense of relief.

Wide awake, and feeling frustrated at his own sense of paranoia, Jessie decided to get up. He figured at least getting something to drink and using the water closet would be a better use of his time than staring up at the ceiling. After a quick look to make sure James was still asleep, Jessie rolled out of his futon. With as much stealth as he could muster, he slipped out of the room and down the hall.

"Can I get you something?" A girl's voice sounded out of the dark.

Gahh..." Jessie almost came out of his skin.

He spun around in surprise until his eyes fell upon the person that had spoken to him. It was a petite young woman in a skimpy yukata with a sucker in her mouth, just like all the other young women Jessie had seen around the manor. She had silvery-blue hair that reached almost to the back of her knees, and her skin was so pail that she almost seemed to glow in the dark hallway. She was watching Jessie with large eyes of deep blue in a way that made him feel nervous, but he couldn't explain why.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Jessie said quickly. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I would get something to drink."

"I wasn't sleeping," The girl said. She moved in close and looked up at him. Her head didn't even reach his chin. "Would you like me to fix something for you?"

"I don't want to..." Jessie began.

"Come with me to the kitchen," The young woman said.

Jessie followed along for lack of anything better to do at the moment. Once in the kitchen, his guide wasted no time in preparing a late night snack for him. It was nothing fancy, just a kind of beef and rice dish, but it smelled good. Jessie realized he was hungry, and was glad the girl had been available to cook for him.

"Do you like cooking?" Jessie asked to break the silence.

"Sometimes," She answered. "It is something we all learn."

"We?" Jessie questioned.

"Cooking is an important skill for women," She explained with a small blush, realizing she had almost said too much. "Shirayuki-san has said that she makes a point of cooking for Aono-sama every chance she gets."

Jessie was a little surprised by how formally the girl was talking about Tsukune and his girlfriend. He realized that his own easy going nature might be a little too friendly for the country raised young woman.

"I'm sorry," Jessie said as the girl cooked. "I can't remember your name."

"Atsui Yuki," She introduced herself.

"Atsui Yuki," Jessie repeated the name, amused with its meaning. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Tanin Jessie."

"It is good to meet you as well," Yuki said. She put the beef and rice into a bowl as she spoke. "I am glad that you were willing to come with Aono-sama."

Instead of handing the food to Jessie, Yuki put it on a tray. She added chopsticks, a small bottle of soy sauce, and even produced a large glass of iced tea and a bowl of sugar and a spoon. She carried everything out of the kitchen and over to the table where they had eaten supper. She set a place at the table for him.

"Please come and eat," Yuki invited.

"Thank you," Jessie said as he settled down beside the low table, aware of how close Yuki was. "But you didn't have to do so much."

"If you don't mind, I would like to know more about you," Yuki said.

"There is not much to know," Jessie began.

Jessie alternated between taking bites of food and talking with Yuki. She kept asking him simple questions about his life, his likes and dislikes. Jessie was alert enough to recognize that Yuki was interested in him in a away that was more than just general curiosity. He tried to ask some questions about her life and interests, but she only gave vague answers, if she gave any at all.

Jessie was caught up in the quiet conversation he was having with Yuki. He didn't notice when he had fished eating, and had been a little surprised when he reached for his glass and found it empty. They were still talking together when he heard sounds coming from the kitchen as someone started working on breakfast. That had been the starting point of their relationship.

XxxXxxxXxxX

Tsukune knew that Jessie and Yuki were still getting used to each other. She was getting used to being with him when others were around. He was beginning to feel comfortable with the way she always seemed to be near him when he was at the manor. Tsukune looked at the couple, and then gave Mizore a knowing smile. He hoped Jessie and Yuki wold find happiness together.

As Tsukune joined the others he tried to relax. The weekend trip was supposed to be fun. In addition to giving Tsurara and his parents a chance to meet, it was supposed to be a chance for everybody to just enjoy a trip out into the quiet country side.

Tsukune knew that some people would like the trip more than others. Kurumu was having a hard time containing herself, and was forced to spend her time ether stalking Tsukune for attention or reading cooking journals and magazines, because there was no place to go shopping and the kitchen was in the hands of the snow maidens Tsurara had working as staff. Mizore on the other hand was used to the quiet life. If it wasn't for the special suckers she and her kindred used, the manor would have been too hot for them. With their special charms however, they were all enjoying the change of scenery.

Moka was able to enjoy the get-a-way because she was with Tsukune most of the time, and because she was still enjoying the freedom of not always being under scrutiny. She was able to hang out with friends and share casual conversations about everything and nothing. Emmy and Yuki found a quick connection with each other because they found themselves with a pastime in common. Kota, the budding engineer, and Jessie, the apprentice mechanic, had hit it off right away. After breakfast the two of them had inspected the portable generator that had been set up, and had started talking about ways to improve it. Emmy and Yuki found themselves watching the pair as they started sketching designs on the ground with some sticks.

While the weekend trip was supposed to be about his family, Jessie, Yuki, Kota, and Emmy actually had an important function. The four individuals had less of a connection to Tsukune than the others. Because his parents had never met Jessie or Yuki, there presence helped reenforce the the illusion that the old country manor really was an inn.

XxxxXxxxX

Kasumi decided that she liked the vacation spot her son had discovered. The place was very traditional, not only in its design but also in the way everything was done. The bath house had been built over a large stone-lined pool that was fed by a natural hot spring, and had a bamboo screen that could be stretched out to divide it for privacy. A second bath was filled with water from the mountain stream near by and was very cool, which Kasumi thought offered a refreshing option during the hot summer months.

There were no televisions or radios in the inn. The place was not even wired for electricity. Tsukune explained just before supper that there was a generator and extension cords that could be used if needed, but the natural quiet of the place was one of its virtues. Kasumi had to agree. When she asked what there was to do to pass the time, she found out that there was a good sized collection of books available, and that there was good fishing near by.

"This place was once the hunting lodge of a very powerful person," Tsurara explained over supper. "But that was a very long time ago."

"Have you managed this inn long?" Kasumi asked.

Jessie hid his smile behind his hand. He knew that just a few weeks ago that the old place had been uninhabitable. He shared a knowing look with Yuki, and felt a sense of warmth when she smiled back at him.

"Oh no," Tsurara answered. "I am just the acting manager until the owner is free to return and take over."

"Oh?" Kasumi blinked. "And where is the owner now?"

"He is visiting with family," Tsurara said looking in Tsukune's direction. "He has a lot of things to take care of, which is why I am looking after this place until he can take over here full time."

"Oh my," Kasumi smiled. She looked at the young women that were serving at the table, and the mature but still beautiful Tsurara. The inn would make a perfect setting for a drama. In her mind she imagined the mysterious owner as a business man from the city in his late thirties who had probably inherited the inn recently.

XxX

Tsukune watched the exchange between Tsurara and his mother with amusement. He appreciated what Mizore's mother meant with her seemingly casual words, but he did not intend to take over the old manor. He was glad to see that the old place had been fixed up, and would be happy to have Mizore's people continue to look after it, but he did not intend to live there or manage it as an inn full time.

He looked around the table at his family and friends. Inari was on duty that weekend, having traded a shift with Tsukune for a negotiated seven favor points and another kiss. Ruby was present in the manor, but was lurking behind the scenes playing investigator most of the time. There was some old history attached to the place, including some wonderful artifacts that had been found during the renovation. Ruby was spending her time studying it all.

The atmosphere around the table was a warm and friendly one. Tsukune was seated between Moka and Mizore. Kurumu had chosen to sit beside Tsukune's father, opposite from Kasumi, and was teasing him gently. Kasumi was enjoying the attention she was getting from the young snow maidens that were acting as staff for the inn. As a mother, in their culture, she was someone to be respected. As a wife she was the object of admiration. Tsukune knew that the young pair would have loved to ask his mother for advice, and she would have loved to give it, but they were too shy to bring up the subject. It was a good way to share the evening with family.

XxxXxxX

After the meal was over, everybody just relaxed for a while, talking about unimportant things. Kasumi had tried to bring up the subject of television dramas, but soon realized that she was the only person that had any familiarity with them. After a little while, she decided that if she was going to be without her favorite pastime, then there was a good opportunity for her to do something else that she enjoyed.

"Honey," Kasumi said in a low voice as she leaned into her husband. "How about you and I go for a little walk." She batter her eyes at him and gave him a small smile.

Tsukune's father looked at his wife and gave her a smile in return. After all the years they had been together, they were still very much in love. He found her hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"Yes," He said. "Why don't we.

It was only a few moment's later when the married couple stepped outside. They were dressed in simple, traditional style. They had on simple linen kimonos and wood geta sandals. Kasumi's husband was holding a paper lantern on a short pole that gave them a soft light to see by. Together, holding hands, they went out to enjoy the fresh air of the night.

The sky was the dark blue of a northern summer night. The surrounding trees limited the wind, keeping the heat of the day form escaping entirely as night had fallen. It was, Kasumi decided, the kind of romantic setting she could enjoy freely. As she and her husband reached the edge of the clearing where the road came out of the woods, she smiled impishly.

"Sweetheart," Kasumi drawled, putting herself a little closer to her husband as she used her freed hand to play with the front of his kimono. "Do you want to have a little fun?"

Tsukune's father saw the sparkle in his wife's eyes and knew she was in a playful mood. Her hand on the front of his kimono was very suggestive of the kind of fun she was thinking of. He let go of her hand and started to slip his arm around her.

"What kind of fun do you have in mind?" He asked.

"Well..." She looked up at him. Now that she had both hands free she moved quickly. "Why don't you catch me and find out.

Her husband felt a fresh breeze on his body as his kimono fell open. Kasumi escaped his reach and held up his obi. With a laugh she turned and hurried down the road into the woods. With an amused sigh, her husband followed her. He let her get a head start, knowing that she could not run very fast in geta, and that he was the one with the lantern. She would follow the road to be safe, but she wouldn't stop until she was far enough away for them to have some privacy.

He started off at a walk for the first few seconds to let Kasumi get ahead of him. Then, with his kimono open in the front, but protecting his modesty from behind he started trotting. The lantern bobbled on its pole, making the shadows around him dance wildly. Ahead of him, he could just make out Kasumi's light colored kimono, and from the way it was billowing out, he knew she had untied her own obi.

Kasumi reached the bridge over the stream. Crossing over it in the dark made her kimono appear to rise up before starting to disappear as she went down the other side of the arch. She was just escaping from sight around the bend in the road as her husband started over the bridge.

Suddenly a frightened scream filled the air.

"Kasumi!" Tsukune's father yelled out her name. He started running in earnest, kicking off his geta as he heard his wife scream again.