"Mommy," Jiro cried next to Kasumi. "They're loud."
"Don't worry, my son," Kasumi said soothingly to her child, as her husband watched sheepishly. "Everything's all right."
"Momma!" Tse whined before continuing in Chinese.
"Oh hush, you," Nabiki said in mock harshness to Tse as she lifted the other child out of the carrier and started rocking her to sooth the crying down. "And don't speak Chinese, it's impolite when other people don't."
"Sorry, Momma," Tse muttered grudgingly
Nabiki turned a small frown toward Tsunan then.
"Thank you so much," she said. "I had just gotten Zhen to sleep."
"You surprised me," Tsunan protested. "Sorry about it."
"Well," Nabiki said, as her younger child began to settle back down. "I suppose a few prints would ease the situation."
"You have to forgive my sister," Kasumi said. "She thrives on knowing what everybody else does not, and getting something out of it."
"Oh, it's no problem," Tsunan said. "I'd gladly do that anyway. Now what were you saying about Aoshi and Kitsune?"
"Just a moment," Nabiki said. "She's hungry." She paused a moment and considered her sister and brother-in-law. "Do you want to continue, or should I do this in private?"
"We'll give you some privacy," Tsunan said as his wife nodded agreeably.
"Okay, watch Tse for me then for a bit," she said, standing up and taking her child into another room.
****
Tse was an engaging child, Kasumi quickly found, and only a little older than her own son.
Both she and Nabiki had gotten started late, by the standards of their society, at least. Not until their thirties had they actually born children. Then again, Megumi was the same. And, Kasumi noted with some sadness, it was unlikely that either of them would have any further children.
She sighed in bittersweet contentment, happy to at least have one child to truly call her own.
And then Nabiki returned.
"Sorry about that," she said.
"I perfectly understand," Kasumi said, nodding.
"Are you ready to talk about Aoshi and Kitsune now?" Tsunan asked.
"It's always business with men," Nabiki said, smirking. "They'll be here in about four days. I'm supposed to get everybody ready for them...and keep an eye out for signs of...certain people." She glanced toward the children to see if they garnered anything.
"Understood," Tsunan said, also bearing the children in mind. "They've been real quiet since they ran."
"I know," Nabiki noted bitterly. "Cologne doesn't even have a clue where her grand-daughter disappeared to."
"Oh dear, Elder Cologne is with you?" Kasumi said.
"Yes," Nabiki said. "She was a godsend. I don't know how I would have gotten through labor without her. Tarou wouldn't have known what to do any more than I knew the difference between a weed and an herb before I started living there. Anyway, my question is, who should I approach first, in your opinion? And how should I approach them?"
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(Posted Thu, 07 Aug 2003 19:28)
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