A/N: Ehehe...sorry it took long. :D

Part V: The Aftermath

I watch as Otosan politely sends Keisuke and HItomi out of the room, stops the video on the computer, and seats himself on the computer chair, folding his arms with a scarily final air.

He looks at Yamato pointedly as more howls—monkey and human—sound precariously near my window.

"Er…sir? Will you save oya—my father from those monkeys?" Yamato asks, a little gingerly. I don't blame him. Otosan—doesn't look like he's going to go easy on me right now.

"Ayame should be the one to do that, not me," Otosan says in a flat voice. Agh, it looks bad. "Go to her. I want to talk to Satsu alone."

Yamato's expression looks set. "Sir, it wasn't mainly him…"

"Yamato, go."

"We weren't targeting you, sir, honest."

Is that a smile…? Maybe not. "You," Otosan turns to look fully at Yamato, with a stare remarkably like a stern, kingly eagle. "Are as tenacious as your father. If you really want me to, I can talk to you after. But I want to talk to Satsu now, alone."

Yamato throws me a look that says Crap…sorry. Then he leaves. I sigh, and somehow can't look up when Otosan turns back to me. Much good my height and age do to me now, why do I feel six instead of sixteen?

"Well?"

"I'm sorry," I begin, and it's true. I am.

"Explain how you did it."

My head jerks up. Did I understand the question…? "Huh?"

His expression is neutral. "Explain how."

So I do. Carefully. How we came up with the whole thing, what we did, since when we began planning it, etc. I think he'd find it amusing—if I only don't tell him WHY we did it.

"Why did you do it?"

Aaagh. He had to ask.

"Er.."

His eyes pin me with gray, unyielding steel. "Why?"

I really, really don't want to answer.

But I know Otosan despises hiding.

"The karaoke," I mumble.

"Ah." Wha—he sounds amused! I look up and see the tiniest of smiles hovering just at his mouth. "I thought so."

I'm about to speak, now, but he clears his throat and says, "Now, more to the point…Thank you."

My jaw drops. "What?!"

Gak, he's definitely amused now. "Thank you." His mouth twists wryly. "All of you."

"But…Otosan…" I sputter.

He shrugs. "I didn't want to sing," he says calmly. "I like music, but not making it. I know I have no talent, so why spoil something so beautiful?" His eyes soften, and I know he's thinking of Kaasan. He really is a softy.

Then he rolls them. "Unfortunately, that stupid Emishi can't really understand that."

"You're not that bad," I blurt out, trying to make him feel better. Or make me feel better.

He gives me a look—the one that lets me know he'd be raising his eyebrows if he had any—and I trail off, and grin. "Fine."

"There is something I would like to imprint on your mind, though." He shifts position and leans forward, elbows on his knees. I relax a little, even when he looks up.

"While I am glad for your ingenious minds, I have to remind you that the talents you children have—as well as the techniques we teach you—are not trivial things." He looks and sounds really serious, and—a bit remorseful?—now. "I pray that none of you will ever need to know how to use them in life-or-death situations. But with our histories, and that cursed city…" Mugenjou. In spite of myself, I shudder, and I don't know if he notices. "…It is highly unlikely." He sighs. "You remember the Mirokus, when they came to hunt down Yukihiko-san and Mi—Ban?" I nod. That, I can't forget, even if it was long ago. "You remember it took months before the Mirokus finally made peace. And let me tell you, that grudge was alive years before your mother and I even met." Yes, I knew this. I remember how worried the Midous and Amanos had always looked, at that time, and how long Ban-san and Ginji-san were out of the house. Himiko-san and Natsumi-san only stayed home to guard the kids, and Otosan was always on standby during those nights, in case. "We have other enemies, other unfinished businesses. It may only be a matter of time before they use you children against us—this goes for all of you, my children, Kazuki's children, Ban's children, Ginji's children. To tell the complete truth, we're surprised no one's tried to kidnap you yet. Surprised, but grateful.

"It is true, your talents have not much use in daily life. What else can you do? They are certainly ideal and useful in pranks. But, Satsu—you must learn to respect them. They may save your lives someday." His smile looks self-reproachful. "I'm just sorry I…we, couldn't give any of you a safe future, but…"

"I stop him. "'Tosan.." It comes out a mumble. He stops and looks inquiringly at me. I hesitate, but plow on. What he' saying is true, all of it. I know all the stories, and I know none of them (well…except Ban-san's when he's bragging, maybe) are exaggerations. Maybe they couldn't give us a safe future, but there are many more things they have given us, and are always giving us, that we should be grateful for. At least if being their children means inheriting their troubles, they're teaching us to fight so that we survive. My father, and his friends, never led normal childhood lives. And yet they are able to give this to us. And… "I'm proud to be your son."

He looks surprised, then gratified, and smiles. I do, too. I never told him that. I guess it's about time I did.

"I'm glad to hear that," he says warmly, and a little dryly. Then he gets back to business again. "What I mean to say is, don't use your powers for unnecessary things. Like tricks. No matter how…um, good your intentions are."

The door flies open and several voices chorus, "Aw, never?"

Otosan and I turn, startled. Yamato, Teshichan, Hitomi and Keisuke stand there, looking a little embarrassed. Otosan stands. "You were listening…?"

They fidget, and Yamato groans, slapping his forehead with his palm. Finallly, Teshichan says, "We couldn't let Satsu-kun get into trouble alone."

Otosan smiles, and as he looks at us, I know he's seeing himself, and his friends, our parents, in us.

"Keep those friendships," he says softly. "And keep them strong. They will save your lives, too."

Hitomi and Teshichan nod seriously. Keisuke—he understands. And Yamato…even Yamato has a thoughtful look on his face, and a newly-aware, more serious one.

"But… we still can't use our powers for pranks?" Otosan and I swivel around to see Aya seated on the windowsill. How did she get…never mind.

Otosan groans, and rolls his eyes. "Just…please. As little as possible." He grins a little. "You are all such creative tricksters, I should think you'd find other ways. But really, you are all—"

"KIDS!" Oh, God. Those are adult females. The mothers are back! "EXPLAIN!"

"Yaaah!" The other scatter, presumably to get the monkeys off the men (the ruckus is still ongoing) and hide

Otosan shoots a look at me. "You are doing the explaining to your mother."

I gulp and nod. I turn, and before I go out the door, I catch a glimpse of Aya slipping off the windowsill and running up to Otosan. And I smile as she hugs him and says that she's proud to be his child, too.

…---…

We get things cleared up that night, somehow. Ginji-san treated it with great fun, and Emishi swore to get back at us (Otosan, though, made it clear more than once that he deserved it). Kazuki-san demanded his tapes back, and a copy of the video. As well as…most unfortunately, our silence. Geez. He was amused, too (Ren-san even more so. She asked if she could see the ballet and nurse clips). Ban-san…he complained it was the second time he'd been left out of things, and can we please include him in the conspirator list and not the victims next time? (But I know he, Himiko-san and Ginji-san talked to Yamato, Teshi, Ban, Ginji, and Yuji after, much like Otosan did with me. I think Hitomi and Keisuke got one from Kazuki-san, too. I did hear that he threatened them a bit with a lecture on duty from Juubei-san.)

Himiko-san, HEVN-san, and Ren-san told the men, very frankly, that it served them right.

And the karaoke…well, we had to bring it back out, in the end. It was a Christmas gift, after all. And Christmas carols are all right to sing, during or after dinner and gift-giving.

Surprisingly, Otosan's voice doesn't sound that bad, when it's drowned out by many others.

…--EnD--…

A/N 2: And...it turns out family-fluffy. Sorta. Wasn't really expecting that, but oh well!

Hope you all enjoyed, Happy New Year!

limelie: Booya! Halloooo! Peace ka rin! :D Since I have been emailing you quite frequently since two days ago...I don't have to answer your questions, do I? :D Bai bai, happee new year!

virgo-princess93: Happee New Year, kapangalan! Your hands are still intact, right? :D Here's the ending. Well, a C2 community...I'm not really sure. I'll email you in a bit about it, okay? :D bai bai!

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Hyoni: It's just too fun to imagine. :D Here's the end! I'm glad you like the fic! :D Happy New Year!

marbles: Sorry, honey, went rather random there. :D Nyahahaha. Happy New Year!

kiki: If you've read all the fics, did you see the one that was Natsumi-centric? "Friends," the title is. :D I have more fics that I've written, except I'm not putting them all up right away. So just keep posted, and I'll let you know when I put them up. I can email you too when they're up if you want. :D Happy New Year!

Please pray for the tsunami victims, both the living and the dead.