A/N: So just to let everyone know I did some major changes to chapter one on some advise from a reviewer. To that reviewer, I did manage to get a good beta reader! So hopefully this chapter will be better than the last one. You might want to go reread it as it has some extra information about Kit. Thank you for taking the time to read my work and I look forward to your responses!

To say that Kuwabara and Keiko could not decide what to make of the rather short American would be, at the very least, an understatement.

Kuwabara had been the first to spot Yukina and had, true to his nature, raced over and took both of her small hands into his rather large ones. "Yukina, my love! How wonderful to see you! Are you well? Has everything been going ok?"

Yukina nodded and gave him a smile. "I really do like my job Kazuma, and I even have a new friend!"

Keiko walked up just in time to catch the last bit. "A new friend?"

Yukina nodded, her smile growing. "She is amazing! I think you will both like her."

The two friends exchanged a bewildered look over Yukina's head.

"I don't know about this, my love…" Kuwabara spoke slowly as he released her hands in favor of rubbing his chin, his natural worry over Yukina's, often, too trusting nature showing through.

With a shake of her head, Yukina dismissed their doubts. "You will see. Kit is the best, even if she is running a little late."

At that moment, the phone they had given Yukina began to ring and she hastily grabbed it from the small bag she had hung over her shoulder. Yukina spoke in rapid English that the other two had no chance to follow, as they had not spoken the langue since graduating last year.

"Yukina," Keiko was slightly hesitant to speak as Yukina hang up the phone and turned back to them, "is your friend English?"

Yukina giggled. "Of course not." Keiko's eyebrows rose and she opened her mouth only to have Yukina cut her off. "There are very few English people here. She is American."

Keiko clamped her mouth shut as Kuwabara began to twitch. "American? Yukina, my love, American's are not the best people to hang out with."

Something flashed in Yukina's eyes as she shook her head. "You have to meet her first."

Slowly Kuwabara nodded, than sighed. "If it makes you happy, my love, I will meet this American of yours."

Keiko sighed and nodded as Yukina turned pleading eyes on her. "Sometimes she's just as stubborn as her brother." The muttered words went unheard as Yukina started to lead them out of the train station and toward her waiting friend. No sooner had they exited the train station than a small figure, several feet away, began to hop up and down.

"Yukina!"

The smile that crossed Yukina's face seemed to light her up from the inside out as she looked at the woman in front of them. "Kit!" She waved back at her friend, though a little less enthusiastically.

Keiko frowned at Kuwabara, who simply shrugged, as the woman swiftly walked toward them.

Large brown eyes looked up at Kuwabara. The glare of her oval glasses prevented him from seeing more than a flash of her eyes, though the look of stunned shock was perfectly clear to both Kuwabara and Keiko.

Her slightly frizzy brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her thumbs were hooked on to the inside of her comfortable looking blue jean pockets, which caused her lose fitting shirt to ride up ever so slightly.

"Dang, Yuki-U," Kit said in English with a low whistle. "You forgot to tell me that he's a giant."

Keiko's frown deepened. Did she just call her Yuki-U?

Yukina blushed slightly then spoke in the same languge. "I don't think he's all that tall."

Kit raised an eyebrow but let it slide, preferring to introduce herself. "My name is Kit." No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she shot a questioning look to Yukina. "Did I say that right?"

Yukina nodded and took over the introductions, choosing to speak in Japanese, as Kit had done. "This is Keiko and Kuwabara."

Kit offered them a small bow, a common courtesy that Keiko automatically returned as Kuwabara rushed to do the same.

"I need to go to a grocery store," Kit informed Yukina as they began to walk away from the train station.

Yukina nodded. "There is one right near here."

Kit's eyebrows shoot up. "Where?"

"The bottom level of Dia Shopping Plaza."

"There's a bottom level?"

Yukina laughed softly and nodded once more before leading the three to their destination.

"Yukina, are you sure about her?" Keiko questioned reverting to Japanese as Kit looked with wide, eager eyes around the store.

Yukina gave her a bright smile. "Trust me, Keiko. She is amazing."

Once again Keiko and Kuwabara exchanged glances as Yukina walked over to Kit.

She looked up from the display case as Yukina came forward and gave her a grin. "Your friends don't like me."

Both Keiko and Kuwabara stiffened from their spot a few feet behind them. The English was fairly easy to understand and had a shaft of guilt hitting their hearts.

Yukina shook her head. "They are just unsure about you."

Kit raised one eyebrow. "That's one way to put it." She turned back to the two with a bright smile. "What flavor do you like?"

Both stood and blinked at her. Kit looked at Yukina with a frown. "I said that correct didn't I?"

Yukina giggled and nodded at her.

"Uhhh…what?" Kuwabara was the first to recover.

"What flavor of ice cream? My treat."

"Oh no!" Keiko rushed to speak. "We couldn't ask such a thing."

Kit's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to piece together what Keiko had said. Finally Yukina leaned over and whispered to her. Instantly Kit's eyes brightened and she gave them a large smile. "Then it is a good thing I not ask. What flavor?"

After several long moments Kuwabara shrugged and stepped forward. "I like that one."

It took Keiko a few more seconds before she came forward with a smile, and pointed to her own favorite flavor. Before long, the three were in deep into conversation about the different types of ice cream there were, using a little bit of both languages while Yukina, who had chosen to simply listen, only occasionally had to offer the correct translation for whatever they had to say as they continued to wander around.

"What you do?" Kuwabara asked in broken English.

Kit frowned slightly, before her eyes cleared and she grinned. "Oh! You mean, what's my job."

Kuwabara nodded as he continued to lick on his ice cream.

Kit frowned and bit her lower lip as she thoughtfully lifted a single figure into the air. Then very slowly she spoke. "I'm a Gunner's Mate in the US Navy. It means I deal with weapons."

It was Kuwabara's turn to puzzle it out. Keiko, however, got it first. "Like guns?"

Kit nodded with a grin. "Sometimes. Mostly I just take thing to and from the ships. Like bullets, flares, and grenades."

Yukina offered a fuller translation to what Kit had said and both of them stared at her with wide eyes. Kit only grinned and took another bite of her ice cream.

"You use gun?" Keiko asked her eyes still wide.

Kit shook her head. "No. My job doesn't really deal with them."

Keiko nodded as Kuwabara looked at her with a small frown. "Will you?"

"Use a gun?"

He nodded.

"I could. I have been trained to, and know how. Part of being Gunner's Mate."

Kuwabara gave her a grin. "You good with gun?"

To their amusement, she turned bright red and stuttered slightly. "N-n-not really…"

The three exchanged looks before Keiko took the lead. "How good?"

Her face went redder as she mumbled.

Kuwabara shook his head his face braking out into a large grin. This American wasn't so bad after all. "Speak up. No hear."

If they had thought that her face could not get any darker, they where proven wrong. "Bad shoot. Really, really, really bad shoot. Except with rifle. I like rifle, but the shot gun and nine mike mike are not my friends."

Kieko frowned. "Nine mike mike?"

Kit smiled with a nod face returning to its normal color. "Sorry nine millimeter. We call nine mike mike."

Kieko nodded, Yukina changed the subject, and Kit breathed a sigh of relief.

As they moved up, they discovered that all the shops seemed to be having a sale, and Kit slowly moved toward one of the many stores.

"Need a new hat." Kit declared as she started to look at all the different types there were.

Keiko perked up and began to look as well, and all too soon they had drawn Yukina into the conversation leaving a rather bored Kuwabara.

"Yukina, my love?" He waited until he had her attention. "I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

Yukina gave him a small smile. "There is no rush, Kazuma. I am sure we will be here for awhile as Kit cannot seem to find a hat she likes at a good price."

Kuwabara nodded and slipped off, leaving the three girls to keep searching.

"This style," Kit held up a black hat that had a flower pattern organza, or lace like material, over the top of it, "is called fedora. My favorite style." She turned it over and looked at the price tag then hissed before she put it back. "Just not at that price."

Yukina and Keiko giggled then nodded.

"I'll check over there." Kit waved in the direction of another store where they could clearly see several hats. The two girls nodded then continued to browse.

"Well, well! Two pretty girls all alone. Why don't you two pretty little things come play with us for awhile?" The man appeared from around one of the shelves the sneer on his face left little to the imagination as he raked his eyes up and down first Keiko then Yukina, as the second man moved in behind them effectively cornering them against a wooden shelf.

"Leave us alone, you creeps!" Keiko demanded, putting the slightly shaking Yukina behind her.

"Don't be like that pretty girls. We just want to play." The first man moved closer as his friend simply licked his lips behind him.

Keiko pushed Yukina further behind her as she glared at them. "Not interested." She spat the words hoping, her trembling didn't show. We just have to wait for Kuwabara to get back…

"Yuki-U!" Kit practically groaned her name. "What is with all the creepy idiots trying to get to you?"

Keiko felt Yukina relax behind her as Yukina replied. "I do not know, Kit."

The men spun around to face her, both sneering. "Go way, little American. Not your business."

Kit raised an eyebrow. "Wow, Yukina! The ability to talk properly is steadily declining. What's next? 'Me man. You woman. You come.' How sad is that?"

Yukina giggled. "It is not nice to tease, Kit."

Keiko grew tenser with each word Kit spoke. What was she doing! Did she want to piss them off? All they had to do was wait until Kuwabara came back. and he would take care of everything.

Both men growled. and the first one moved toward her. "I going to hurt you."

Kit sighed. "I suppose I should probably deal with them, but then again I'm technically not allowed to fight unless I'm protecting myself…"

Kuwabara, seeing what was happening, came rushing back and now put his hand on her shoulder, completely engulfing it as he did so. "No need. I do for you."

"K-k-kuwabara?" The first man choked the word out as the second turned noticeably paler. "We're very sorry! We didn't realize these girls were with you."

Kuwabara huffed and crossed his arms. "It shouldn't have mattered. You should have just left them alone like they asked. No man should ever scare a woman, especially not ladies."

Both men offered a deep bow. "We are so sorry!"

Suddenly they both stood and lunged toward him.

With a bored expression, he easily sidestepped both of the charging men, allowing them to fall flat on their faces. "I'm having a good day. I don't want to waste my time on trash like the two of you."

"Why you!" The second man stood and rushed toward him again fist drawn back to strike.

With a sigh, Kuwabara once again stepped out of the way, except this time he brought his own fist up and into the man's gut, sending him skidding back until he was well past his friend.

"I'm only going to give you one more warning before I start to get upset."

Both men stood, trembling as they did so. Then the first spat on the ground at Kuwabara's feet before they turned and walked away without another word.

Whispers had started up all around them and Kuwabara shifted slightly from one foot to the other as he turned back to the girls. "You ok?"

All three nodded as the whispers grew louder.

"Come on." Kit urged taking Yukina gently by the arm. "Let's go."

In no time at all they were out the door and down the street.

Several moments later Kit spoke. "Why are they scared of you?"

It was his turn to blush. "No reason."

Keiko huffed. "You beat everyone who challenges you and you say no reason."

Kit looked up at the tall man, eyebrows going up as he fidgeted under her look. "You are good fighter?" Ever so slowly he nodded in response then looked down at her with a stunned expression when she scoffed. "US Navy is tougher, bet just about anyone could beat you."

The other two girls giggled as Kuwabara gaped for several moments before rising to the bait. "I beat all! Bring on!"

Kit simply rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure."

The argument did not end until Keiko's growling stomach alerted them to the time and dinner was decided upon.

All too soon the day wound down and came to an end. All four walked as slowly as possible to the train station, wanting to prolong it as much as they could. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and their day had just done that.

Kuwabara leaned down and gave Yukina a gentle but firm hug, a habit the gang had formed when there was a chance the guys would not be coming back. "Good choice, Yukina. She's really cool."

Yukina beamed at him before they looked at Kit briefly, who was looking the other way in an attempt to give them some privacy. He winked at Yukina as Keiko moved forward to give her own hug. Then, as the two girls parted, Kuwabara wrapped Kit into a huge hug, lifting her off the ground as he did so. A small, high pitched squeal left Kit's mouth, which caused both girls to giggle and Kuwabara to outright laugh at her.

Kit smacked him in the arm but returned his huge with a tight squeeze. When he sat her down, Keiko immediately caught Kit in a hug of her own that Kit was quick to return.

"You take care," Kuwabara instructed both girls with a stern look. "I be mad if something happen to either you."

The two girls grinned at him and nodded and he turned and boarded the train. Kieko simply gave them a large smile, then followed leaving the two others waving as the train pulled out of the station. Kit finally dropped her arm as she and Yukina watched the train pull away from sight.

"I hadn't realized how much I had missed those."

Yukina turned to Kit and titled her head slightly to one side, a little frown on her face. "Missed what?"

Kit sighed then titled her head back to look at the barely visible sky. "Hugs. My family has always been really big on hugs. Well, more like just having human contact. The family home is on the small side and with lots of people over, it's mandatory for us to touch, a shoulder here, an arm there." She sighed. "I hadn't realized how much I missed simple contact."

"I thought you talked to your family every day through Sky?"

Kit looked at her out of the corner of her eye and grinned. "I do talk to my family through Skype," Yukina blushed slightly at her mistake, "but it's not the same thing as being able to touch, or hug, or hold. I miss that."

Yukina nodded, not really understanding, but knowing it was important to her friend. So when Kit next entered the shop, Yukina walked over and gave her a brief hug as she attempted to ignore all the strange looks being sent their way. Then she gently urged Kit to her usual spot, very politely ignoring the wetness that had gathered in Kit's eyes as well as the rough edge her voice took on as she ordered, and simply brought her over the usual cha mayo without a word.