Hi everyone, new chapter, it's been what…years…sorry, been really busy

Anywho, here it is.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kohaku shifted a stack of Bathhouse complaints to the side and signed his name mindlessly, no longer paying even the slightest bit attention, thought he was meant to be working. His mind was far away on other matters as Chihiro kept returning to the forefront of his thoughts; her smile, her eyes, how much she had changed. Thought he was a little sad to say goodbye to the innocent little girl he remembered he felt the change was good.

Chihiro had matured; there was now firmness in her eyes and strength in her smile. She no longer stuttered when she spoke or over-thought her words. That shy child had been replaced with a confident young woman. The way she had walked out onto his banks and summoned him with the dignity and grace of a priestess, the old Chihiro would never have had the courage to do that so smoothly.

Kohaku was eager to learn everything about this new Chihiro, all that was different. The time had come to bring her to where she belonged, his side. No more half meetings and inconvenient reunions, this time when she came to the Spirit world, she would stay. They would mate and finally find the happiness they'd been denied for so long and rightly deserved. But there was still the matter of Morigawa.

Kohaku sighed, reaching back to run a clawed hand through his long black hair. Morigawa was the first human in many years that he liked. Despite his calm demeanour, Kohaku didn't actually like humans, he felt they were greedy and cruel, Chihiro didn't count; she was his. However, he knew that even in today's society there were still the few exceptions and believed that Morigawa was one of those exceptions. She was a bright, sensitive child and he was truly fond of her, but he wasn't sure how he felt about her as Chihiro's daughter.

The old Chihiro would have been ready to return to the spirit world with him, leaving all she had known to come to a world she knew very little about for him, he knew this Chihiro mightn't be willing to do the same. She would never leave without Morigawa; he knew that, she loved her child fiercely.

How to persuade Chihiro to come back with him?

Chihiro had Morigawa take off school despite the protests of Mrs Ogino mother.

Eventually , a week later, Chihiro managed to sit her daughter down and spoke slowly and softly to her till eventually she managed to get it out of Morigawa that she was being bullied by a girl in her school and that girl was the one who did this. It hadn't been easy though, Morigawa didn't want to get anyone in trouble so Chihiro didn't know the girls name.

Her hands shook as she remembered how beaten up and bloody her little girl was, for crying out loud she was five, she was just a baby. How could anyone do this kind of thing to a little baby! But even as she thought this, she wasn't that surprised, in this day and age, things like this was almost the complete norm. Even if she took it to the police and found the people who did it, they wouldn't get more than a month in jail. Sometimes Chihiro really hated humans.

At least Kohaku had assured her that the boys would confess, she didn't know how, but considering who he was, Chihiro as inclined to believe.

She sat down on the sofa, completely exhausted, both physically and mentally, her mind reeling over what she'd learned, her heart racing just as fast. He hadn't forgotten her; he'd just been unable to find her. She knew it! And he didn't blame her, contrary he blamed himself; Chihiro still didn't quite understand how he had come around to that thinking. It wasn't his fault she had been stupid enough to drink too much that night, he wasn't the one who decided to walk home with an older guy she just met without telling anybody, he wasn't the reason she had been raped.

Kohaku didn't seem to understand, just knowing he still loved her was enough to make it all ok, she could finally move on. Sure, she could never forget what that man had done to her, but she had already forgiven him long ago, he had given her Morigawa. She would hate him forever, but she would never take back what happened, not for the world. But her biggest fear had been Kohaku would hate her, knowing he didn't, it was like a weight had been taken off her shoulders.

She closed her eyes and hugged herself, pretending it was his arms. So strong, so warm. She felt so safe there. For him, she could go back to the Spirit world, she could stay there forever. "If it's for you Kohaku, I can go back"

But then a thought came to her, and she frowned. "Morigawa" she whispered, how could she forget. She'd never leave without her, not her daughter. Would Kohaku mind? He said he loved Morigawa, but did he love her enough to be a father to her?

Well, he'd just have to, because they were a package deal.

Morigawa rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Mama?" she called. Where was mama, she had been here a while ago. Ever since that time, her mother was always by her side, to the point that Morigawa was starting to feel ok again.

"Mama" she got out of bed, her blanket trailing in her hand. She pushed the door open and found her mother sitting on the sofa, with a happy smile. Then she sat up and hugged herself, she had a smile Morigawa had never seen before. Surreal and beautiful, she was so beautiful. "Mama?" she whispered.

"If it's for you Kohaku, I can go back" she suddenly whispered, her voice so filled with love. Morigawa felt her heart drop.

Then her mother's beautiful smile disappeared as she frowned a troubled frown "Morigawa" she whispered.

And she knew; her mother wasn't going back to Haku-san. She was going to stay with her.

Morigawa's heart broke, was she going to be the reason or her mother's sadness again! First she ruined her life by being born, now she was the reason her mother could be with the man she loved. Happiness was right there, and it was all her fault mama wasn't going to take it!

Tears trickled down the child's cheek as she stepped back slowly, then took off running for the front door. Opening it, she paused.

No, she wouldn't, she wouldn't be the reason her mother stopped smiling like that. Morigawa knew, she knew Haku-san loved her mother, he really loved her and she loved him back. They had to be together, they just had to. When two people loved each other like that, they had to be together. But he might not want her, Morigawa wasn't his child, she belonged to the man who hurt mama. An unwanted nuisance.

She couldn't expect him to want her too.

So she ran, out into the night, hoping this way, she might finally give back some of everything her mother gave to her. Somehow, she could make amends for the pain her existence brought.

"Boy, you're spending too much time down here for the Bath Master" Kamajii crooned without looking back, one of his long arms reached out to pull some herbs from a draw behind Kohaku's head. He dodged gracefully. Even after all these year as Master, Kamajii still referred to him as 'boy'.

"As I am the Master, I believe I am entitles to do as I wish" he said softly. He liked coming to the boiler room with Kamajii, working away into the night, warm and noisy as the soot balls scuffled back and forth and the boiler cranked like and clanked. In the past it was the place he had become aware of his loosing and forgetting his name before it was too late and served as a further reminder, then it became the place where Chihiro saved his life, where he woke up and leaned she was able to save him because she loved him, the best day of his life, the day he finally had the strength to stand up to Yubaba. If Chihiro loved him, he could do anything.

And in the years without Chihiro that memory was something precious he held on to, he always had good dreams when he slept here.

"Something troubles you Young Master, your face that never changes frowns, what is the matter?" Kamajii said suddenly, turning his head around for a fraction of a moment and then returning to his work. It was noon, the customers hadn't arrived yet, but there was still much preparation to be done.

He sat down on the place it happened, where his body, so exhausted, had phased back to human form and she killed the slug that controlled him. His palm smoothed over the rough wood, soon Lin would be here to bring Kamajii his food, she'd berate him for running away again and then remember who he was and apologise for her rudeness.

"I found her" he said softly.

"Huh? Who have you found boy?" Kamajii called.

Kohaku smiled as he bowed his head "I found her" his voice changed in the last word, the change caused Kamajii to pause for a moment. Then he turned around "Really, you found Sen?"

"Chihiro" Kohaku corrected as he looked up and smiled "Her name is Chihiro, remember?"

"Well I'll be" Kamajii said, scratching his head with one long arm "Chihiro, Chihiro's alive" as the old spider spirit smiled, his moustache rose slightly on his face "Lin will be pleased"

"She's alive and healthy" Kohaku continued "I worried she might hate me for leaving her for so long, but she doesn't, she loves me Kamajii, she still loves me" a fact he still found wondrous.

"True love cannot be broken so easily" Kamajii said sagely "It's like the rings of eternity, sometimes the line may thin out and seem to disappear, but it will always thicken and returns stronger than ever, a continuous cycle of infinity."

"I held her" Kohaku continued "She's grown so much, I have too, but still it seems amazing."

"I'm not surprised she's grown Kohaku, it's what Humans do. Even we Spirits grow every once in a while" Kamajii said with his coughing laughter as he lifted himself up with his numerous arms and turned his surprisingly smaller body to face Kohaku.

"She used to be so small, her hand so tiny and frail" Kohaku stared at his "Now she's taller, stronger, taller, less…less..."

"Less of a child?" Kamajii substituted and Kohaku blushed.

It was true, he had noticed that too. Chihiro was so beautiful, her innocence wasn't completely gone, but she now had a different beauty, one that made his blood race whenever he looked at her, made him imagine things he only ever did to her in dreams.

"Yes, that too"

Kamajii barked laughter, then stopped "Yet you look so solemn boy, is there more to this, is Chihiro unwilling to accept you, to return to the bathhouse?"

Kohaku sighed "Well...yes, in a way, I know she will be unwilling, she may not even come at all."

"Preposterous!" Kamajii exclaimed "That girl loves you, I find this hard to believe."

"It's not that" Kohaku assured "It's just things are different, she is different. There's a...child."

Kamajii frowned, "Whose child?"

"Chihiro's. She was not unfaithful" he said quickly determined to defend her honour ,"Nor did she forget me, it was a unwilling union, one could have prevented if I had only found her sooner" that thought still weighed heavy on his soul.

"I am sorry Kohaku" Kamajii said "But you must not blame yourself."

"But there's more. Her daughter, her name is Morigawa and the girl is also human" Kohaku said, looking down "Chihiro is a good mother, she loves her daughter, I fear she would never leave for my world, never leave her child behind."

Kamajii scratched his moustache "Is the child awful?" he asked.

"No" Kohaku replied immediately "Exactly the opposite, she'd a wonderful girl. It was because of Morigawa I was even able to meet Chihiro again. I knew the girl before I knew whose child she was. Morigawa is a sweet, kind and gentle. She has a love for the world around her I've never seen in a human and an intelligence way beyond her young years, she's one of the most remarkable children I have ever met."

"Is that so?" Kamajii said "Then just bring the girl as well."

The thought had not once even crossed Kohaku's mind "Bring...Morigawa here, to the bathhouse"

"Why not" Kamajii said "If you are fond of the girl then raise her as your own, bring both mother and child and begin your new life."

Raise Morigawa as his own child? Was that even possible? Dragons were very territorial creatures, like lions. Some of his relatives were still in the old habit of killing any previous offspring before mating a female, dragons didn't just 'care for what wasn't their own', it was against his nature. Could he actually do it?

"I'm a dragon, you know how possessive my kind can get" he admitted "What if, completely by accident, I hurt her?"

"You're a river Dragon" Kamajii corrected "Both dragon and river spirit, that's different, you can hold in your instincts, you're strong enough."

He was right; it would be intensely difficult and very dangerous. Dragons were territorial enough to kill anything that wasn't theirs. If there came a day when Chihiro and he had children of their own, and Morigawa ever hurt them, be it accidently, his instincts could take over and rip her to shreds. Could he take that risk?

"Already taking Chihiro to the spirit world is risky, how can I manage another human in the bathhouse?"

"Why not, if she's Chihiro's daughter, I'm sure she can handle herself fine."

"She's a child Kamajii; she's five, in our years that's barely a millennium. She knows her world, how can I force a child who has no previous experience of here and had nothing to do with this to come to a completely new world?"

Kamajii sighed "Like it or not Kohaku, but this child is very much to do with it, she's the child of your love, that's not something to ignore."

"But..." Kohaku tried to protest, but Kamajii had already turned around and was getting back to his work. "I'm sure everything will be fine" he said, waving it off "When they arrive, send them down to me, I would like to see Chihiro again."

Kohaku saw no more reason to argue, when Kamajii had decided something, very little would change his mind, so he stood "Very well" he said and began to leave.

As he was stepping out, Kamajii's voice spoke "Kohaku, what's done is done, but now you must look to the future. It's right there, and it's simpler than you think."

Hello, new chapter her. The rings of eternity Kamajii is talking about is the ring of infinity, you know that ring that looks like a eight and never ends. Look it up.

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