Summary: Seven year old Ruby hears something that upsets her.
Maki was sitting at the piano, playing something that reminded her of Nico. It had been a fun day, most of μ's had been able to make it to Maki's beach house and now, the younger children were settling down to sleep, Nozomi and Eli's twins were gaming and the adults were grouped around the sitting room, catching up. Nico was across the country, at a charity event, a personal favor called in by her publicist.
Then Maki felt the tug on her shirt. She turned to see her older daughter, eyes wide, expression worried. Dia worried too much for a nine year old. Rin and Hanayo's daughter, Tora, was the only one able to get a smile out of her some days. Well, Tora and Nico, Nico could coax a smile out of anyone, Maki thought with a fond grin.
"Mama, Ruby won't stop crying. She won't come out and sleep on the futons either." Dia whispered.
Maki felt the clench at her heart, parenting was more worrying than she ever believed, "Is she sick?"
Dia shook her head.
"Dia." Maki's tone was sharp enough that the ever vigilant Nozomi tilted an ear in their direction, interrupting her conversation with Kotori.
"The twins…" Dia started and Maki sighed. Vik and Teddy were 5 years older than Dia and had learned teasing in the womb. Dia would just fume at them, but Ruby, Ruby took every word to heart. Maki was almost positive the twins realized this and were a little kinder to Ruby, but sometimes, and Maki glared at Nozomi, who waved, they were a little too like their mother, pushing to the point of discomfort.
"What did Vik and Teddy say?" Maki tried to keep her voice calm.
Dia just stared at Maki, unaware that there was no actual parent-child telepathy. Nico was usually so much better at figuring out what the girls were thinking. Dia held out her hand, Maki took it and was pulled along to the second floor. She could hear Ruby's sobs before they entered the room the tiny redhead had taken refuge in. There was such a thing as parental super hearing, panic honing its focus.
"Ruby? Mama's here, what's wrong?" Ruby cried like Nico, Maki thought, with her whole face and body. Maki got down on the floor, wrapping her arms around her youngest daughter while Dia hovered.
"They...they said...it's not true, is it, Mama?"
"First you have to tell me what was said." Maki knew staying calm was her best tactic right now as Ruby tried to speak through sobs.
Dia answered for her sister, sounding angry. "Viktoria said that Ruby was too shy to be the real daughter of Nico Ni and Theodora laughed for five minutes. They didn't know Ruby was there."
Maki leaned her head back, hand brushing Ruby's hair as her tiny daughter curled more into her, "Oh, sweetheart, the twins were just being silly. I was there, all nine months before you were born. Your mom was so happy to finally hold you in her arms."
"But nobody knows…" Ruby whined.
All the secrecy, Maki thought. Trying to stay away from the news. Keeping the photographers from terrifying an already nervous toddler. Dia would occasionally get a mention but they had been careful to keep the details of Nico's pregnancy and Ruby's birth private.
"I know. Nico-chan knows." Maki leaned down to kiss Ruby, "We were so glad to have you healthy and happy and sweet, we just wanted to keep you to ourselves."
"Plus, if there's anyone who inherited Number One Idol in The Universe cuteness, it's you, Ruby-chan." Maki was for once grateful for a nosy Nozomi interruption as the older woman leaned in the doorway, "Dia's growing up to be so cool and elegant, like her Mama, and my Eli-chi," Nozomi winked at Dia, who put her hands over her reddening face, "but you, Ruby-chan, are exactly as cute as your Mom."
"Really?" Ruby sat up, hopeful.
"Really." Nozomi came into the room. "Same bright smile, same concern for others, same brave heart…"
"Brave?" Ruby asked.
"Brave." Nozomi nodded as she sat by Ruby's other side, "Nico always keeps going, even when things aren't going her way, she always has. She fought for μ's and your Mama and both of you girls, even when people tried to tell her she was silly for believing in her dreams. She made them all happen, didn't she, Maki-chan."
Maki hugged Ruby as she smiled at Dia, "Even dreams I didn't know I had."
"Cake! Let's make Mama a cake!" Ruby, in a sudden mood switch, cheered.
Nozomi glanced at Maki, smirking,"Maybe your Mama could buy Nico a cake."
Maki laugh snarled at Nozomi, "If anyone mentions cake in front of Rin, you're grounded. Even you, Nozomi." One of the few things that made the easy going Hoshizora Rin grumpy was remembering the Kurosawa family crashing her wedding cake.
Nozomi giggled.
Maki knew how to distract her children, "We'll make your Mama the biggest ice cream sundae we can. How's that? Who knows Nico-chan's favorite toppings? What flavors should we get?"
Both children ooohed and started to debate whether their Mom would prefer strawberry ice cream or syrup. Maki relaxed. Crisis over. She was going to have to have a long talk with Nico when she called later though. Ruby's shyness had always made them reluctant to invite publicity, but it might be time for the world to meet the complete and completely cute Yazawa-Nishikino family.
A/N: Latest LLSIF chapter got me thinking about Ruby's shyness, mixed with my not having done one of these in awhile and here we are. Now back to howling.