"Auntie Nabiki," Aoshi said.
"Hello, kid," Nabiki said, smiling in a mixture of relief, sadness and triumph.
"'Auntie Nabiki' is going to be staying with us," Tarou said firmly, strongly directing Nabiki away from the children towards the house.
Kitsune started to move forward but Tarou lifted a forbidding hand and she stopped.
"Auntie Nabiki," Kitsune said hesitantly, scared by the way her master was acting. "Are Mommy and Daddy..."
Nabiki's smile vanished as she stopped and looked past the watchful expression on Tarou's face to the little girl.
"They're...gone," she said softly bowing her head low before the children. "I'm sorry."
"Finish the laundry," Tarou said firmly, moving forward and lightly pushing Nabiki along into the building. Nabiki took another look through her bangs at the bereft children and felt her normal mask of control cracking.
"...Damn her," Nabiki muttered under her breath. "Damnherdamnherdamnher..."
"You've got something to say, Tendo," Tarou said as they entered the cabin. "Say it, don't mumble."
He maneuvered her towards a chair, noticing that she apparently wasn't paying attention to him, and sat her down. The woman was shaking violently, as if in a fury!"
"damnherdamnherdamnherdamnherdamnherdamnherdamnher" Nabiki continued to mutter.
"I'm not going to fall for any trick like this," Tarou said, eyes narrowed.
"TRICK!?" Nabiki shrieked. "Trick? Do you know what, Tarou? I'm probably clanless by now! My father's too spineless to do anything to my face, but he's certainly done something now! So I'm CLANLESS, do you know what that means here, gaijin?! It means I'm considered trash, but my sister...oh my darling little sister...she's still an honored member of the Tendo clan!"
Tarou crossed his arms and glanced out the window toward the children. Nabiki saw them watching the house and forcibly calmed herself down.
"Gods, look at them," Nabiki whispered. "They should be home, with servants and security and..."
"Parents," Tarou added grimmly as the Tendo girl faltered. Nabiki nodded in agreement. "How'd you find us?"
"You haven't been coming around Nerima recently," Nabiki said getting her composure back as she was interrogated. "I guessed that you'd have them, and then it was simply a matter of looking for monsters."
"Did you talk to anybody?" Tarou demanded.
"This is my task," Nabiki said firmly. "And besides, anybody worth telling is already out looking for the children already."
"Tell me something, Tendo," Tarou said. "Now that you're here, just what do you expect to do?"
"Well," Nabiki paused to think about it for a moment. "I could always...there's must be something I can do to help."
****
"This wasn't particularly what I had in mind," Nabiki muttered as she looked down at the chicken staring up at her and wondered how to get the eggs.
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(Posted Sat, 26 Jul 2003 16:03)
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