Author's Note: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me.

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Anna clapped her hands. "You two," she said. "Bed. Now."

Redseb scowled. "But it's not even dark yet," he objected.

"It will be by the time you take your bath," Anna pointed out. "Now go. Both of you. I'll run the bathwater." Redseb took his little sister by the hand and dragged her down the hallway, grumbling under his breath. "I heard that. Be respectful."

She switched off the noisy cartoon on the tiny television; the silence in the room was deafening. Anna walked down the hall to the little bathroom, plugged up the bathtub, and turned on the water. It chugged through the pipes and splashed noisily into the tub. "Why do I get stuck with babysitting duty?" she mumbled.

"I heard that, be respectful," a snarky little voice parroted. She turned around. Redseb smirked at her. The two children stood in the doorway wrapped in towels that trailed behind them.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Just take your bath," she said. She ran her fingers under the rushing water to test the temperature, then turned the knob. "I'll be back in twenty minutes. You two should be out by then. I want hair washed, ears cleaned, fingernails spotless, everything. If you're not clean to my satisfaction, you will take another bath." Her eyes narrowed. "And I will scrub you myself."

Redseb squeaked. Anna turned to leave, then paused. She opened the tiny medical cabinet above the sink. "What are you doing, Sissy?" he asked.

She pulled out a small glass jar, twisted the lid open, and pulled out two little balls that looked like dusty gumballs. "Move," she said, brushing past Redseb. She dropped the balls into the warm water. Instantly they fizzed, sending waves of bubbles over the surface.

Seyram peeked over the edge. "Ooh," she said.

Anna and Redseb both stared at her. "Just take your bath," Anna said, a little more gentle than before. She closed the door behind her and retreated to the main room of the motel suite.

The last vestiges of the sunset filtered through the cheap plastic blinds. She twisted the plastic pole and closed them, darkening the room. Anna turned on the lamp. The suite was a little nicer than she had expected it to be- a living room with a kitchenette, a small bathroom, and two tiny bedrooms. Redseb and Seyram slept in one, and she slept in the other. Although…

She tried not to think as she turned on the light in her room. His dirty clothes were heaped in the middle of the floor, his coat was draped over the foot of the bed, his bag and its contents were dumped out by the nightstand. With mechanical precision she put his things away. It had been a while since he had been able to stay with them. He was busy, after all. She bit her lip as she thought about the last time he had been there, four nights ago.

He showed up right before sunset, while Redseb was blaring cartoons and she was struggling to make some kind of dinner for the two children, with a sheepish smile and a bag full of takeout. After dinner he washed the dishes without complaining and played a game with Redseb while holding Seyram on his knee as she mended the new tears in his clothes. Then he put them to bed, giving in to their every request for one last story or one last drink of water. She hid in her room, reveling in the first peace and privacy she'd had in a week.

Then he came to bed.

She offered him a curt apology for having to share a bed with her. Inwardly she quaked as she curled up against the headboard. But he merely laughed and flopped down next to her. They fell asleep together, the first restful sleep she'd had in days, as his arm draped over her shoulder and he breathed heavily. She could sleep peacefully in the knowledge that he was completely safe.

But he left before she woke up. She remembered rousing, just a little bit, when it was still dark outside. The bed had shifted…something light and warm brushed against her forehead…the blankets were tucked around her shoulder. When she awoke completely, the sun was up and Redseb was clamoring for breakfast…and she was alone.

Anna rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand as she hung Yoh's coat in the little closet. She needed to go check on those children.

She opened the door without bothering to knock. "Time's up," she said.

"We're done, we're done," Redseb sighed. He pulled his pajama shirt over his head and tossed his towel on the floor.

"Pick that up," Anna scolded. He rolled his eyes, but obeyed. "Clean up the bathroom and get into bed."

"I have to braid Seyram's hair first," Redseb protested. "Otherwise it gets all tangled and stuff."

"I'll take care of it," Anna said. She picked up the little pink hairbrush and two discarded ribbons from the counter. "Come along."

She took Seyram by the hand. The little girl trotted obediently beside her. Anna pushed the door to the children's bedroom. "Sit," she said. Seyram did so. Anna sat behind her and drew the hairbrush through the little girl's long light brown hair. Seyram didn't react to the brush raking through her wet hair, not even when Anna clumsily caught the bristles on knots. The child was unsettlingly quiet, especially when compared to her brother. Anna parted Seyram's hair, divided the left side into three parts, and wove it into a long, smooth braid.

"There," Redseb huffed. "The bathroom's clean. Are you happy now?"

"I suppose," Anna shrugged. She draped one of Seyram's braids over the little girl's shoulder, then began braiding the other half. "Get into bed."

He leaned against the footboard. "Sissy?"

"What?"

"When will this be over?"

She tied the ribbon at the end of Seyram's braid. "When will what be over?" she asked.

"The fight," Redseb sighed. He rocked back on his heels. "I'm tired of all this. I want to go home." He flopped over the edge of the bed. "Aren't you tired of this?"

Anna set the hairbrush down on the nightstand. "Get into bed," she said quietly. Redseb hopped over the footboard and clambered under the covers. Seyram curled up next to him.

"Goodnight, Sissy," Redseb said cheerfully. She turned out the light and closed the door.

Her clothes were neatly folded in the top drawer of the cheap dresser; she grabbed them and retreated to the little bathroom. The room was still warm and clouded with steam. She turned on the water and dropped her clothes on the floor.

Hot water pounded the top of her head, plastering her blonde hair against her cheeks. Blindly she fumbled for the shampoo bottle, poured out a handful, and raked it through her hair. Unconsciously she sighed. She never took showers at home, but she liked them here. It was soothing, somehow, to stand under the water.

The beads of her bracelet clacked against each other. She held her wrist under the water to wash away the lingering shampoo bubbles. The blue glass beads caught the dim yellow light of the dirty overhead fixture. She nearly smiled.

She was twelve years old when Yoh placed those beads on her wrist. At long last, she had completed enough training to receive her itako's rosary, and Yoh wanted to commemorate the occasion. When she came to Izumo for New Year's, he had slipped the bracelet into her bag when she wasn't looking. She showed up at dinner wearing it, and he beamed so broadly his face must have ached afterwards.

Anna rinsed the last vestiges of soap away and turned off the water. The motel towel was scratchy and smelled too strongly of industrial detergent, but she patted at her wet face anyway. She reached for her clothes.

"Oh, damn," she mumbled. Instead of her white yukata, she held one of Yoh's school uniform shirts. "Damn, damn, damn."

She sighed. Redseb and Seyram were in bed already, but the idea of walking around in her towel made her squirm. Reluctantly she pulled on her own clothes, then slipped her arms through Yoh's shirt. She paused, suddenly engulfed in the familiar scent of oranges and pine and sunshine. Anna pulled the collar up to her face.

"Damn," she said one last time, and she buttoned every last button. The hem of the shirt brushed against her mid-thigh, but she tugged it down as far as she could. She pulled a cheap plastic comb fiercely through her wet hair with complete disregard for tangles, shook as much water out as she could, and tied it on the top of her head. Fighting the sleep that was beginning to fog the corners of her vision, she cleaned up the bathroom and switched off the light.

She padded down the hall to her room, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. Light shone under the door that led to the childrens' room. She frowned. Redseb glanced up guiltily from the picture book he was sharing with his sister. "I thought I told you to go to bed," she said.

"We can't sleep," Redseb whined. He hid the picture book behind his back. Seyram stared blankly at her.

Anna took the book away and stowed it in the nightstand drawer. "Too bad," she said. "It's bedtime, you two."

"Tuck us in?" Redseb pleaded.

"No."

"Please?"

Anna sighed. "Get under the covers," she said. Redseb wriggled under the blankets and she pulled them up to his chin. Seyram folded her small hands as Anna tucked the covers around her. She smoothed the comforter over them. "Are you properly tucked in?"

"Kiss us goodnight, Sissy?" Redseb asked.

She hesitated for a moment and bent over them. Anna touched her lips to Redseb's forehead first, then Seyram's. "You're going to go right to sleep now, right?" she said warily.

"Yes," he said. Seyram's light blue eyes were already beginning to close sleepily.

Anna switched off the light. "Goodnight," she said.

"G'night," the little boy said sleepily. She closed the door and went to her own room.

Anna opened the top drawer of her dresser, stared at her still-folded yukata, and shut it again. She climbed into bed, the cold sheets rubbing against her skin. Stifling a shiver, she pulled her covers over her shoulders and curled up into a ball. She closed her eyes, but she didn't feel sleepy anymore.

Her hand crept over to the other side of the bed. Slowly her fingers curled around the corner of the extra pillow. She pulled it towards her; the scent of orange and pine grew stronger. Anna wrapped her arms around the soft pillow and buried her face in it.

The next thing she knew she sensed a presence by her bed. Anna tensed, her hands instinctively wrapping around her rosary. "Who's there?" she whispered groggily.

"Sissy…"

Anna dropped the rosary and let go of the pillow that she realized she was still hugging. "Redseb?" she said sleepily. She squinted at the little digital clock on her nightstand. "It's three in the morning. What do you want?"

Redseb crept closer to her, his little nose mere inches away. "Seyram had a nightmare," he whispered. "Can we sleep with you?"

Anna buried her face in her pillow. "Absolutely not," she mumbled. "Go back to bed."

A small hand tugged on her sleeve. "Sissy, please?"

"Redseb Munzer," Anna growled. She propped herself up on her elbow. "I swear that if you…" Her voice trailed off. Seyram stared at her, still wide-eyed and blank, but there were tear tracks on her round cheeks. "Get in."

"Thanks, Sissy, we-"

"Don't thank me, just get in here before I change my mind," she said. She sat up, pulling the covers back. Redseb boosted his little sister onto the bed and Anna picked her up, setting her on her right. She didn't resist or react. Redseb climbed up after her. "There. Settled?"

He nodded. Anna slid back under the covers. Both children snuggled up against her. Anna laid back and sighed, staring at the ceiling. Idly she ran her hands over their tousled heads and she breathed in the warm, soothing smell of their shampoo.

"Thanks, Sissy," Redseb murmured sleepily. He flung his arm around her waist.

Anna pulled the children closer to her sides. Seyram nestled against her. "Good night," she said. She yawned, and she faded into sleep.

The next time she woke there was faint pink light peeking through the slots in the blinds. Redseb slept soundly under her arm, his mouth wide open as he breathed. Seyram snuggled against the curve of her side. Why am I awake? she wondered drowsily. It's too early. Why-

A heavy arm draped over her shoulders and soft warm breath pulsed against the back of her neck. The orangey, piney, sunshiney smell was almost too much to bear. "Yoh?" she whispered.

He didn't answer for a moment. "Sorry," he murmured. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

She shifted in his embrace, careful not to wake the little ones. "How long have you been here?" she said.

"Not long." The early morning sunlight outlined the curves of his face and the line of his jaw. He smiled. "We got back an hour ago."

"Good," she mumbled, turning her head and brushing her blonde hair against his face.

"Your hair smells nice."

"Shut up."

He fell silent. His warmth and his closeness was almost too much to bear. "So did you miss me?"

"Of course not," she snapped sleepily. "Why would you ask that?"

"You're wearing my shirt."

She closed her mouth. "Shut up," she said at last.

Yoh tightened his arm around her, hugging Seyram between them. "You're cute with the kids," he offered.

Her cheeks flushed. "She had a nightmare," she protested. "That's all."

Redseb roused slightly, squirmed, and snuggled against Anna's shoulder. "You'll be a good mother when we have kids," Yoh offered.

"Shut up," she sighed.

He obeyed, but he ran his fingers along hers. She stared at the half-closed closet door. "What are you thinking?"

She closed her fingers around his index finger. "When will this be over?" she whispered.

Yoh gripped her hand with a sudden ferocity. "Soon," he said. "It'll be over soon."

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Author's Notes:

Oh, goodness, it's been decades since I last wrote something Mankin related!

All right, maybe not decades, but still.

I've been on a major Shaman King high since I read chapter 300, and now I've been wanting to write. So you can probably expect some other stuff soon…hopefully.

This came about as I reread the Golem arc today. I really wanted to see a fanfiction where Anna interacted with Seyram and Redseb…and to my shock and surprise, there were none! So I wrote this. And if anyone writes a story with Seyram and Redseb (especially if they're interacting with Anna), tell me. I want to read it!

Also, I wanted to mention why I chose the nickname "Sissy." Well, I've never felt completely comfortable using traditional Japanese honorifics, and my own little sister called me "sissy" until she was about six. It seemed like a sweet, endearing kind of nickname, and a good English substitute for "nee-chan."

So yeah. Back in the Shaman King circuits. Totally loving it. Hope you liked this one!