Disclaimer:I don't own the rights to Love Hina or the 4400

Starting Over: Homecoming

"Itadakimasu!" Shinobu and Keitaro both yell before digging into their beef bowl. After taking a few bites, he looks out the window, still amazed that he's back in Japan. But also…

"You okay Kei-chan?" Shinobu says. "You look…lost."

"Sorry if I worried you," Keitaro says, turning to her. "It's just…there's so many changes to Tokyo that it's a lot to take in all at once." Shinobu watches him turn back to the window before she looks out herself.

"I guess if I was in your situation I'd feel the same way. And this place has changed a lot since you probably last been here."

"I don't normally go here, but from what I remember, it sure has. I mean, had I known that the beef bowl place serves breakfast, I probably would have ate here a little more before my morning classes." Shinobu giggles as Keitaro grabs a piece of egg before eating it.

"Well, it had to compete with the doughnut shop next door and the Subway that's a few doors down."

"Well, I know the doughnut shop has always been here, but do you mean…the barbershop?"

"That's what the Subway used to be?"

"Yea. Like how the big grocery store across the street is now the Apple store and ice cream shop next to it was a pizza parlor."

"I guess you're going to notice all the changes that happen in the city. Hope you'll get used to them."

"Over time I should. But not right now."

When the two finish up their breakfast, they head to Shinobu's car. She makes her way to the driver side and just as she's about to unlock the doors, she looks at Keitaro, seeing a familiar expression as he looks at her car.

"Okay. What's wrong with my car?" Shinobu ask, seeing Keitaro bewilder by the question.

"Hmmm…Huh…what are you talking about?"

"The look on your face. People normally give that look when they see my car for the first time, like when you saw at the airport-parking garage. Since you're giving that look again, is there something wrong with my car?"

"Well," Keitaro hesitates answering for a moment, looking away from Shinobu. "It's just…that is…well…" He looks back at her, waiting for his answer. "For me, when you mentioned that you have a car, I thought it would be something Japanese. Not a Volkswagen Bug."

"Oh. Is that all?" Shinobu unlocks the doors and makes her way into the driver side. Keitaro follows suit on the passenger side.

"Do you think it's a stupid reason?" They both put on their seat belts before Shinobu driving off.

"No. I mean, that's your reason. Stupid would be not answering the question or changing the subject or saying 'Nothing', like everyone has. You gave me an honest answer, so there's no reason for me to think it's stupid." Keitaro smiles.

"I'm glad you're understanding. But why did you pick this car to have?"

"When I was growing up, my neighbor had this kind of car. I remembered it looked oddly shaped compared to just about every car out there. But because of that look, I thought it was cute and pretty for being so different. I used to sneak out of the house and go next door just to stare at it for hours, thinking of all the places I would go in my own beetle car when I got older. My parents were scare the first time I did that, wondering if I ran away from home. But after a few more times doing it, they usually check next door first before they worried."

"So, you got this car because of your childhood memories?"

"Pretty much. The best memory of my neighbor's car was actually being able to ride in it. He usually take me on a trip to the ice cream shop after I helped him wash his car as a reward, but being able to be inside the car while it was moving was enough for me."

"I never knew this about you."

"I don't really share that story much." After saying that, Shinobu thinks for a moment. "Come to think of it, you're the only person I ever shared it with."

"Thanks for letting me be to first to hear that story. And if I haven't told you already, thanks for breakfast."

"Don't mention it. I usually go there for breakfast after I get off from work." Keitaro lets out a bewilder expression.

"Breakfast…after work? What kind of job do you have?"

"Oh. I'm work as a security officer."

"Security…officer? You?" Keitaro is unable to imagine her having that kind of job.

"Yea. But I'm more on-call since the post I was at terminated the contract."

"How did you get into security?"

"Well, I got into watching a lot of crime dramas and wondered if I had what it takes to be a cop. Since I didn't want to quit school to join the police academy, I figured being a security officer was the closest thing to being a cop. I enjoy it when I actually work, but I don't see myself pursuing to be a cop."

"WHOA! You certainly have changed a lot while I was gone." Shinobu notices Keitaro's stun and dishearten look out of the corner of her eye.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No. Change is a part of growing up. I'm happy with what you done for yourself. I…just wish I witness them as it was happening."

Continuing on their drive, Keitaro looks out the window, seeing what's different to him as Shinobu pops in her CD of Ayumi Hamasaki. Since he usually takes the train going to and coming from Tokyo, he isn't sure if the sights he's seeing have changed while he was gone or have been there all along.

As they enter Hinata City, everything around him looks familiar. Almost nothing has changed, but does notice that have few stores have and a couple of condemn houses that was near the bus station have been torn down. But with every person they pass by, he can't help but wonder what they were doing and how much they have grown since his abduction.

Entering their home street, Keitaro imagines the meeting he's going to have with the girls that haven't left the Hinata Sou and the ones he's going to meet for the first time. Suddenly, he feels the car make a sharp right turn. Looking around, he sees a lot of trees as they go up hill.

"Huh…Shinobu-chan. Where are we?"

"Close to home."

"When did we have to drive up a hill to get home?"

"When I put in a driveway from the Hinata Sou to the main road." As she says that, Keitaro sees the Hinata Tea House.

"When did you put this in?"

"About a year and a half after I got my license."

"And why did you put it in?"

"Got tired of using the stairs to get to my car. And carrying the groceries."

Once the car gets back to flat ground, Keitaro is happy to see the sight of what he calls home, the Hinata Sou. Shinobu parks the car about twenty-five feet from the building before turning her attention to him.

"Welcome home." She lets out a smile before they both get out of the car.

Walking side by side, Keitaro looks up at the building, noticing nothing has changed. He knows the same can't be said for what's inside, but is ready to tackle it.

Reaching the entrance, Shinobu opens the door. They enter together and take off their shoes.

"I'm back!" Shinobu yells out.

No one replies, but when they enter the living room, they see two girls on two different ladders, either hanging or taking down a banner that reads 'Farewell Su'. There's a third girl on the opposite side seeming to be setting the table.

"Guess they're getting ready for Su's farewell party," Shinobu exclaims. "Come on. Let me take you…"

"Sempai!" Turning to the voice, they see a girl in her teens that's just over five feet tall, green shoulder length hair with about an inch of blue all around the ends and green eyes, coming towards them. With each step the girl takes, Keitaro gets a little nervous and scare, realizing that the girl is coming straight at him. Once she's in arms reach, he watches her pass him by and wraps herself around Shinobu. "You're finally home!" He continues to watch as the girl buries her face into Shinobu's breasts, murmuring something. Shinobu blushes uncontrollably, seeing that Keitaro is watching them.

"Dammit! Get off of me!" Shinobu frees her arms and pushes the girl to the floor. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" Keitaro sweatdrops, wondering how many times this girl has done that.

"But Sempai," the girl cries. "You disappeared without say a word to anyone and that note you left behind didn't convince me you were coming back in time for Su-Sempai's farewell party and…" She stops when she notices Keitaro.

"Huh…Hello" She stares at him for a few seconds with confusion. Then goes big eyed before getting up to her feet, screaming.

"SEMPAI'S BROUGHT HOME A MAN!" The three girls in the living room stop what they're doing, turning their attention towards the front. They all look bewildered upon seeing Keitaro.

"What the? Sempai has a new boyfriend?"

"Did Sempai just get engaged?"

"Hold on. Shinobu got married?"

Hearing something coming from dining area, Keitaro turns just in time to see another girl appear in the doorway.

"What in the world? Did Sempai meet this man, have wild passion sex, found out she's pregnant and is forcing him to marry her so that she doesn't have to rise the child out of wedlock?"

Keitaro immediately remembers his first meeting with the girls and while he's glad he isn't being chased with only a towel on, he wonders how big of an imagination these young girls have. He turns to Shinobu, seeing her swirling eyes and jaw that has hit the floor with a little puddle of drool. She stays like this for minute before she starts turning red with anger with stream coming off her head.

"No! No! No! NO! You knuckleheads! You're all wrong!"

"Then…who is he?" Shinobu looks at Keitaro, then back at the young girls, hoping the conversation will go well.

"He's a good friend of mine…and…he's going to stay with us." All the young girls let out a bewildered expression. "I know what you're all thinking and I'll explain why. But first, let me introduce you to…"

"KEITARO!"

Turning to the direction of the scream, Keitaro only sees a foot before everything goes black. Slowly, he begins to see the wooden ceiling above him and feels a huge throbbing pain on the side of his head.

"Ouch…" Just as he's about to get up, a woman with long blonde hair and green eyes hovers over him.

"I don't believe it. You're back! You're really back. And at my farewell party nonetheless."

"What?" Keitaro sits up, rubbing the side of the head that's in pain. "Su? Is that you?"

"Of course it's me. Who else would I be?"

"Huh...Su-Sempai," one of the young girls says. "You know this man?"

"Of course I know him. He's…"

"Keitaro?" Hearing the voice from behind, Keitaro turns around to see a woman with shoulder length light auburn hair. He gets up to his feet, noticing that she's a bit taller then him. "I must be dreaming or hallucinating or…drank to be imagining him." He smiles, knowing full well who this is.

"It's none of those Kitsune. It really is me." She begins to walk up to Keitaro. When she's in arm's length to him, she stares before slapping him across the face. "Hey! What was that for?"

"OH MY GOSH! This isn't a dream. It's real! You're real! You're really here!" Kitsune hugs Keitaro tightly, jumping for joy.

"If you thought this was a dream, why didn't you slap yourself?" Keitaro rhetorically ask.

"You also know this man Kitsune-Sempai?" Another young girl ask.

"Sure I do." She looks over at Shinobu. "We are lovers after all." The young girls have their eyes pop out of their sockets as Kitsune places a hand on Keitaro's chest.

"Kitsune!" Shinobu angrily shouts. "Don't be telling them lies. And quit making fun of him."

"Boy! Someone definitely grew a backbone while he was gone." Kitsune lets go of him. "Normally you would just cry and run away when I do something like this."

"Hmm…I hate to break up this little reunion of yours," one of the young girls interrupts. "But can someone please tell rest of us who he is?" Shinobu, Keitaro, Kitsune and Su look at each other, surprised by the request.

"Guess I might as well introduce myself before someone else pops up." He takes in a deep breath. "My name is Urashima Keitaro and by what you just witnessed, I have known and are friends with Shinobu, Su and Kitsune."

"How do you know them?"

"I used to be the manager of this place." All the young girls let out a bewildered expression.

"You were…the manager…of this place?" Keitaro nods.

"How? This place has always been a girl's dorm."

"My grandma used to be the manager and gave me the job when she left."

"That's…seems reasonable. But when was that? I've lived here for six years and none of the other girls have ever mention a male manager before." Keitaro sigh.

"Six years? You must have shown up sometime just after my…" Keitaro freezes, realizing that they might not believe his alien abduction. He stands there in silent as everyone else eagerly waits for his answer.

"After my what?" Keitaro looks at Shinobu with uncertainty and sadness. She doesn't understand why he's not explaining himself. Until she realizes what he's about to explain, knowing they probably won't believe him.

"Tell us!" Another one of the young girls says. "What happened six years ago?"

"I…my…well…" Keitaro manages to say, knowing he's annoying the young girls.

"Same old Keitaro," Kitsune says.

"Huh…thanks. Guess my timidness is showing."

"What? I'm not talking about that. What I mean is…you…look exactly the same from the last time I saw you six years ago. It's like you haven't aged at all. What happened?"

With Kitsune's question, Keitaro knows he can't hide it any longer, seeing the bewildered expression across the young girl's faces. He knows it'll be hard for them to accept what he has been through as the truth, but when he looks at Shinobu, smiling at him, he knows she'll back him up.

"I don't know if you all followed the news, but the short version of what happened to me is …I'm a forty-four hundred."

With the exception of Shinobu, all the girls let out a blank stare. He notices a few of them repeatedly blink, but don't say anything. After a few seconds of silence, one of the young girls finally speaks.

"COOL! A real forty-four hundred! What did the aliens look like?"

"What did they feed you?"

"How did it feel to be analy probe?"

"And what kind of tools did they use to analy probe you?"

The last two questions gross out Keitaro that he begins to gag, hoping that didn't happen to him.

"I…I don't know." The young girls that asked the questions look at each other.

"Who are you answering?"

"All of you."

"Then…what do you remember?"

"I remember being in my room, waiting for Shinobu to bring me rice balls after a long study session with her. The next thing I know I'm with forty-three hundred and ninety-nine other people at some mountain in the U.S." He looks over to Kitsune. "And to answer your question, I know that six years have passed since you last saw me, but for me and the other forty-four hundreds, the moment we were abducted to right now, only two weeks have passed." Kitsune, along with Su look bewilder.

"What do you mean by that?" Su ask.

"I don't know how or why, but when they took me, time just stopped. I didn't age. I didn't grow. And part of me still thinks it's six years ago. But seeing how much you and Kitsune, and even Shinobu-chan when I first saw her, have grown, I know it's not. It's great that I'm back with you guys again, but it feels surreal to me. Like I'm out of place." Kitsune and Su look at each other for a moment before turning there attend back to Keitaro.

"Why, you're not out of place," Kitsune says, walking up to and putting an arm around him. "You're right where you belong. Just…six years late." Keitaro lets out a small smile as she releases him.

"Say Shinobu," Su begins. "How did you know Keitaro was one of the forty-four hundred?"

"I was watching the live news report when they came out of the ball of light. When they were showing all the people, I saw Kei-chan standing among. But it was only for a moment before he collapsed."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Knowing how you are Su, you probably would try to break him out of whatever building he was being held at. And I didn't want an international incident."

"Is that why you left without telling any of us where you were going?"

"That and I knew you and Kitsune wanted to come with me, even those only one person is needed to pick him up. Plus with the way we have trips that involve Kei-chan, I didn't want to personally feel responsible if you got fired for not showing up on your first day of work."

"Well…that's kind of you." Shinobu sighs in relief.

"Now that we got that out of the way." Shinobu turns her attention towards the young girls. "Please introduce yourselves to your new roommate. Tell whatever you want, but please make it short." The young girls begin to look at each other, wondering who's going first. But the curiosity doesn't last long while the green hair girl with blue tips raises her hand.

"I'll go!" She cheerfully yells. "I'm Miyazawa Midori. I'm sixteen years old, a second year student at Mikami High School and I hope one day to become Sempai's bride!" Midori leaps at Shinobu, grabbing her for a tight and loving hug.

"Dammit Midori!" Shinobu yells, pushing the girl off of her. "I keep telling you not to do that!"

"I can't help myself. I love you Sempai." Shinobu groans.

"I wish you didn't." She murmurs to herself before looking at the other young girls. "So who's next?"

"I'll go." Keitaro sees that the girl has long dark brown hair and blue eyes standing about four foot five. Surprisingly, he notices that two other girls are about her height. "My name is Imahara Yui. I'm fourteen years old, a third year student at Oda Middle School and I know today is Su's farewell party, but I have a gift for you Keitaro-san." She pulls out a small box covered in blue wrapping paper from behind her back. She walks over and hands it to him before taking a few steps back.

"Huh…thank you." As Keitaro begins to unwrap the gift, Shinobu can't help but wonder what's inside.

'Yui-chan didn't know I was bringing someone over,' Shinobu thinks. 'No one did. So why would she…' Then she remembers what Yui is into. "WAIT! Kei-chan! Don't open that…"

Before she could finish, the box explodes. Shinobu watches all the girls laugh profusely as Keitaro turns to her, with black ash all over his face and on the upper part of his shirt.

Shinobu quickly makes her way towards the kitchen, grabs a small rag, wets it over the sink and rings it out before making her way back to the group. She begins to clean Keitaro's face, noticing that the girls are still laughing.

"That's your best bomb yet Yui-chan," Su complements. "It was contain very well and the people closest to the blast area not only didn't get hurt, I think all debris was vaporized before it could hit them."

"Thank you Su-Sempai." Yui replies. "I worked very hard on that bomb after my last couple of incidents." Her celebration is short lived when Shinobu finishes cleaning Keitaro's face and angrily stares at her and Su, fuming at the top of her head.

"SU! Quit encouraging her like that. And Bakugekiki-chan, how many times have I told you NOT to blow people up?"

"But, I made sure the mixture wasn't enough to hurt anyone."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! " Shinobu's yelling causes both Yui and Su to fly back ten feet, crushing onto the stairs. She takes in a deep, calming breath before speaking. "Would who like to go next? And no physical harm of any kind please."

"Guess I'll go next." The next girl Keitaro see is surprisingly tall. About six feet tall by his estimate. She has long orange hair that's in a ponytail with green eyes. He can't help but also notice that she has the biggest breasts among the young girls, either having as big or just a bit bigger then Kitsune. "I'm Reiko Welsh. I'm fifteen years of age, I also attending Mikami High School as a first year student and…that's all I want to mention."

"That's fine Reiko," Shinobu says. "You did a good job. Now…" She looks at the girls who haven't gone yet. "Which of you two want to go next?"

"I will." Keitaro sees this girl has black shoulder length hair and brown eyes. He tries to figure out who's taller and concludes that both girls, along with Yui, are the same height. "My name is Hirosue Maya. I am also fourteen years old and attend Oda Middle School, but I'm a second year student and have an IQ of a hundred and seventy-five." He's eyes bulge out upon hearing this.

"What? With an IQ like that, how come you're not in college?"

"I rather study with classmates my own age."

"And you're lazy when it comes to homework," Yui adds.

"Oh be quiet."

"But it's true." Keitaro's a little surprised that Shinobu isn't stopping them. He looks over to her, seeing her giggles with enjoyment.

"Alright you two. Enough of that. We got one last introduction to get to."

He looks at the last girl, who has curly teal hair that's passed her shoulders with matching colored eyes behind small blue rectangular frames. She seems to be not interested in introducing herself, looking bitter with her arms crossed.

"Do I really have to do this?"

"Yes. Now please introduce yourself."

"Fine! I'm Ishikawa Kumi. I'm eleven years old and a first year middleschooler at Yamashita Academy."

"Yamashita Academy?" Keitaro repeats. "The prestigious all-girls school?"

"The one and only."

"Great!" Shinobu claps her hands. "Now that we got the introductions out of the way, I'm going to take Kei-chan…"

"Hold on!" Kumi interrupts. "I have a complaint here."

"And…what would that be?"

"I don't know if I'm being rude for what I'm about to say, but it must be said. I get that you want to have Urashima-san living here after all he's been through, but this is a girls' dorm! He shouldn't live here!"

"You're right. That is rude."

"I'm sorry Shinobu-Sempai. But you making this decision without consulting the girls that live here isn't fair. And it's not right to consult Su-Sempai since she's leaving tomorrow or Kitsune-Sempai since she doesn't live in the dorms anymore. I feel that if you did consult the girls that live here, they would agree with me, no matter how tragic his story is." The other girls begin to look at each other, knowing they're put on the spot.

"That's a nice argument Ishikawa-chan, but…"

"I can't speak for everyone else," Reiko cuts in. "But with all the estrogen in this place, it makes me all…bitchy. I wouldn't mind having a little testosterone here."

"What?" Kumi exclaims.

"Well…" Midori begins. "If Sempai's fine with Ketiaro-san to live with us, then I'm fine with it too."

"Oh. That's not fair!" Kumi cries. "You'll be fine with Shinobu-Sempai boiling you in oil or burying you alive!" Midori lets out a blank expression.

"What's your point?" Kumi falls to the floor.

"Hmmm…Keitaro-san…" Maya says. "Do you like video games?" He lets out a bewildered expression, surprised by the question.

"Huh…yea."

"Would you play video games with me?"

"Huh…if I'm not doing anything else, sure." Maya smiles brightly at Kumi, who has picked herself off the floor.

"He's good in my book."

"Just because he'll play video games with you?"

"Yea! And he'll probably be better then you in Left 4 Dead!" Maya looks down and begins to spin herself in place. "Where am I going? What am I doing? How come there are too many buttons to play this game?" Everyone with the exception of Kumi, begins to laugh.

"That was really funny," Yui comments. "But in all fairness, this is a girls' dorms. It's hard to imagine a guy living here, even those Keitaro-san was manager of this place."

"But Yui-chan," Su begins. "If he lives with you, he can help you with your bomb experiments."

"He can?" Shinobu notices Yui's eyes sparkling.

"NO! No blowing people up. Especially Kei-chan." Yui groans in disagreement.

"Seems that majority wins in favor of Keitaro staying," Kitsune says.

"No!" Kumi shouts. "It should be unanimous and I don't agree to it."

"I don't care what you knuckleheads agree to or rule on," Shinobu says. "I'm the manager of this place. What I say goes and I say that Kei-chan is staying here. If you have a problem with that, you can pack up your belongings and find another place to live in. Now, if you'll all excuse us, I'm going to show our new tenant his room."

Grabbing his arm, Shinobu leads Keitaro up the stairs. Once they reach the second level hallway, she lies against the wall, breathing heavily.

"You okay Shinobu-chan?" Keitaro ask.

"Yea. Just…out of breath from taking charge like that." She begins to breathe more steadily before pushing herself off the wall. "Come on. Your room is close by."

As they walk, Keitaro can't believe the girls he just met. He knows he's going to have problems with Kumi and Yui is as bad, if not worst, as Su when it comes to testing their devices on him. He probably won't have any problems with Midori, though he feels bad for Shinobu, curious about their relationship. Same goes for Maya, but has a feeling he's going to be playing a lot more video games then he has before. He can't get a read on Reiko. She seems distance towards him, but was in favor of him living with them.

When he reaches his room, he slides open the door, but is surprised when he looks inside. The whole room looks more elegant and feminine as he realizes none of the stuff inside is his.

"Hey!" Shinobu shouts. "Why are you going into my room?"

"What?" Keitaro looks up at the manager plack above the door and reads it out loud. "Manager. Maehara Shinobu." He looks back towards her. "What happened to my room?"

"Guess I forgot to tell you then." She walks towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "When we were still trying to figure out who was going to be manager, we all agreed that whoever was manager, should stay in the manager's room."

"Oh. I see." Keitaro closes the door. "Guess you guys wanted to keep that tradition alive."

"You could say that. It's more, we couldn't see that room as anything else."

"So…where is my new room?"

"On this floor. Come. I'll show you." They only take a few steps across the hallway before they stop. "Here is your room."

"This one?" Shinobu nods. It takes a moment for Keitaro to realize who's room this used to be. "Wasn't this…your room?"

"It's was before I became manager. But now it's yours. Besides…" Shinobu slides open the door, revealing about ten large boxes. "Your stuff is here."

"Why is my stuff here? And how come you didn't put it in the basement?"

"Actually, we did. But when Yui started living here, the shockwave from one of her explodes busted a pipe in the basement. We cleaned it up, but I didn't feel safe leaving your stuff there anymore. Since I just turned manager and knew we had plenty of empty rooms, I figured to make my old room the storage room and put your stuff there."

"That's nice of you. But weren't you worry that someone might need that room if all the other rooms were filled up?" Shinobu shakes her head as Keitaro enters his new room.

"Not really. Anyway, I'm going to go rest up for a bit. Tired from the long flight and the drama we just had. You can do the same or get started on unpacking. It's up to you. I'll help you unpack later after everything is settled for Su's party."

"Thanks." Keitaro smiles at Shinobu before watching her close the door. He turns his attention to the boxes, walking towards them. He opens the nearest box and as he looks through it, realizes something. He looks at the other box, confirming his thought. "There's no dust on any of them." He quickly scans the room. "No cobwebs around either. And this room has been used as storage for years?" He thinks about it for a moment, then feels that he making something out of nothing.

As Keitaro continues to rifle through his belongings, over at the Hinata Tea House, two old friends begin to talk about what they just witnessed.

"I still can't believe it!" Su says.

"I know. He's back. He really back! And did you notice what Shinobu called him?"

"Yea. She called him Kei-chan. Not Sempai."

"I wondered why she called him that?" Just as Kitsune is about to take a sip of her tea, she sees Su staring at her cup, looking dejected. "What's wrong?"

"Well…" Su puts her cup down. "Now that Keitaro is back, I don't feel like going to Kobe anymore."

"What?" Kitsune puts her cup down and places her hand on top of hers. "Come on girl. You shouldn't think like that. You told me yourself that this is a great opportunity for your career."

"I know, but it feels weird knowing that he finally came back after all these years AND I'm the one that has to leave." Kitsune releases her hold on Su.

"I see your point. But look. At least you got to see him, in person, instead of hearing about it from someone else."

"True. But…"

"Remember that promise you and everyone else made to me?" Su nods. "I've kept my end of the deal."

"I know!" Kitsune can tell the disgust and poutiness across Su's face.

"How about this. I'll email you once a week, letting you know how Keitaro is doing and what he's been up to. And I'll talk to him to see if you two can spyke once a month, provided you're both free. How does that sound?" Su thinks intently for several seconds.

"You email me everyday." Kitsune rises an eyebrow.

"How about every other day?" Su smiles.

"Deal!" The two shake hands. "So…when are you going tell everybody?"

"Soon. Probably after your party so that I'll have proof he's really back. But…I'm going to delay in telling…her."

"Oh? How come?"

"From what she's been telling me, he's not ready to met her."

Author's Note: I been waiting a long time to write this chapter. Let alone post it. The main reason is because of my original characters. I always like to play with names, trying to figure out how they'd look and what kind of personality they'd have. Each name, first & last, represents something personal. So, I like them all equally, just for different reasons. What's odd is that I actually didn't have a set number of girls that I wanted to put in. I just played around with the names and once I figured that out, then went on to see how many girls I needed. It just so happens that I needed five since it represents the initial number of girls that lived in the Hinata Sou when Keitaro became manager. I did want to play a game with you, which was how did I figure on the characters name. I thought it would be kinda fun, but didn't want to be swamped reviews just about that & not on the story. So maybe if I have enough curious people, I'll post it in the next chapter.

Overs the years, I have commissioned artwork at anime conventions. I figure I share what I have with you. I was originally going to put one of the commission images on my profile here after I post a new chapter; but with the new image manager feature, I may be able to post it in the story. Not sure since I haven't used it yet.

Lastly, starting in the next chapter, I'm going to delete all my previous author's notes. I really don't see the point in keeping them since they become obsolete by the time the next chapter appears. I don't know how many of you enjoy these author's notes of mine, but that's my decision.

I hope you enjoyed this story and the author's note. Until next time…

Besides grammer mistakes, please review.