Romeo and Juliet
Chapter 6

"Kagome? Kagome, wake up, dear." Mrs. Higurashi cooed.

Kagome rubbed her eyes. Yawning, she lifted her arms and instinctively her mother reached down and picked her little toddler up. Smiling, Mrs. Higurashi bounced Kagome up and down and Kagome squealed in excitement.

"Kagome, wanna take bath time?"

"No." Kagome squirmed and started kicking her legs. Mrs. Higurashi let her go and Kagome ran on her chubby legs to the door before falling flat on her face. She stayed there and Mrs. Higurashi began to worry.

"Kagome?" She whispered, walking over to her daughter. Picking her up, she looked at Kagome's red nose and watery eyes. She sighed, preparing for the worst.

"Mommy, it hurts!" Kagome bawled. "It hurts! I wanna go back to bed!"

Mrs. Higurashi stroked Kagome's hair. "Kagome, why don't we take a bath? Then your nose won't hurt anymore."

Kagome wasn't convinced. "BED! BED!"

Kagome's grandfather walked in. "What's all this?"

"Jii!" Kagome squealed. She wiggled out of her mother's grasp and ran over to her grandfather. "Mommy wants me to take a bath." Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

He laughed and picked her up. "Well, what's wrong with a bath?"

Kagome thought for a moment. This is how it went every morning. "Nothing," she admitted.

"That's what I thought," Jii-chan chuckled. "If you take a bath, I'll take you to the shrine and show you all my antiques."

"Okay!" Kagome hugged him. He put her down and she walked to the bathroom.

"How do you do it?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, shaking her head.

Jii-chan smiled. "I had to deal with Takeshi when he was a youngster. And boy was he work!"

Mrs. Higurashi laughed and the two exited Mrs. Higurashi's room. Mrs. Higurashi ducked into the bathroom while Jii-chan walked downstairs. He sat down on a chair in the kitchen to watch his son reading the newspaper.

"Anything good today?" he asked, reading the front page.

"Ah, well, they say there was a UFO sighting last night. Now, people are camping out hoping to catch a glimpse. Baka, I tell you. It's a bunch of boloney." Takeshi lowered the newspaper to reveal his croppy black bangs and sepia eyes. "Do you believe it, Otou?"

"Of course not," he grumbled. "UFO don't exist. Aliens don't exist."

"Correction: Aliens do exist, Otou." Takeshi turned the newspaper around, his index finger pointing to an article. The headline read: 'NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED.' Takeshi turned the newspaper back to him. "It seems that we've got trouble coming."

"New species?" Jii-chan repeated, getting up to pour himself a cup of tea. "Like what?"

"It's said that they come in different shapes and sizes. And that they originate from animals."

"Oh really?" Jii-chan took a sip of his tea. "Do they have a name yet?"

"Well," he stalled, his eyes skimming the page. "It's said that these species can talk like us humans, and that they have powers."

"Sounds just like youkai," Jii-chan muttered, opening the fridge to find a slice of bread.

"Youkai?" Takeshi echoed. "Here, in Tokyo? That can't be, they died off years ago."

"Yes, but what other species can do what youkai do? It's the only explanation." Kagome's grandfather popped the bread into the toaster.

Takeshi folded the newspaper. "It doesn't make sense though. How can there just be an outbreak of youkai? Unless they were walking right under our noses."

"Exactly," Jii-chan said, causing Takeshi to turn around in surprise. "It's exactly as you said, they've been here the whole time."

"But how? How can they mask their youki? How can they take on forms as humans?" Takeshi asked.

"My son, you know what hanyou are right?"

"Of course I do."

"The youkai have been mating with the females of Tokyo. And hanyou are born. Now hanyou look like humans, do they not?" Jii-chan got his toast and spread butter on it.

"Yes, they do. I see where you're going with this, but where do the youkai come in?"

"Since hanyou already look like humans despite maybe an animal trait on them which they can easily hide, youkai have an ability to mask their youki and hide their youkai features from human eyes."

Takeshi thought this over. "So the new species is youkai?"

"I'm afraid so. We must keep this shrine protected." Jii-chan shook his head. "Who knows what will happen when the government figures it out?"

"Hell will break loose," Takeshi laughed. But his eyes turned unusually serious. "We have to protect Manami. Our son will be born in just a matter of time."

Jii-chan sighed. "Yes, that's right. Have you two decided on a name?"

Takeshi stretched leisurely and scratched his head. "We were thinking Sota."

"It's a nice name," Jii-chan shrugged.

Takeshi opened his mouth to reply when Manami made her appearance, carrying a newly washed Kagome, who was dressed in a teal sundress.

"Papa!" Kagome stretched out her arms and Manami carefully put Kagome to sit on Takeshi's lap.

"Hey there, sunshine." He ruffled her hair and asked, "Were you good for Mommy this morning?"

"Yes!" Kagome smiled while Mrs. Higurashi rolled her eyes playfully.

"What are you having, Jii-san?" Mrs. Higurashi asked politely, looking over his shoulder.

"Just toast and tea." Jii-chan showed her.

"Oh, that won't do." Manami scolded. "I'll fix us some omelets."

"Thanks, Nami," Takeshi smiled.

Mrs. Higurashi blushed slightly and set to work. Jii-chan offered to help but she shooed him away.

Kagome watched her mother work, her brown orbs shining with curiosity.

"Do you wanna help Mommy?" Takeshi asked softly, making sure Manami couldn't overhear.

Kagome nodded vigorously, her short hair bobbing. Grinning, Takeshi whispered, "Why don't you bring out the eggs?"

Kagome jumped off her father's lap and walked over to the refridgerator that towered over her. Taking a deep breath, she reached up to the handle and slowly opened the door using both hands. She looked for the eggs only to find them on the top shelf, way out of her reach. She stared at the eggs for a while before landing on her butt with a soft thump and she began to sniffle uncontrollably. Soon, she was bawling.

"Kagome?!" Manami turned around. "What happened?" She rushed over as fast as she could, her belly slowng her down. Takeshi tried hard not to grin.

"I wanted to help Mommy but the eggs are too high!" Kagome's watery voice answered. Taking the opportunity, Takeshi took out the small sky blue card from his shirt pocket and placed it under the bowl where Manami was mixing the eggs. He quickly sat back down just as his wife turned.

"Takeshi, do something!"

"Kagome, do you wanna help Jii-chan?"

Kagome perked up and squirmed out of her mother's grasp. "Okay!"

Takeshi chuckled and his eyes met with his father's. Jii-chan nodded and finished his toast. "Come now, Kagome," her grandfather started. "I must begin teaching you the ways of the shrine..." His voice trailed off as he and Kagome ventured outside.

Now that the husband and wife were alone, Takeshi suggested, "Why don't you sit down, Manami?"

Manami shook her head. "I need to make breakfast. Do you need to talk to me about something?" She asked and then she suddenly feared the worst. Turning her scared gaze on her husband, she squeaked out, "You're not leaving, right Takeshi? I can't raise Kagome and Sota without you and if you leave--"

"I'm not leaving, Nami," he assured and she sighed in relief. "Have a bit more faith in me, okay?"

She poured the mixed eggs onto the stove and began cooking, her eyes completely missing the card. "I do, honey, I do... But I had a dream."

Takeshi grabbed the newspaper, suddenly finding the car auctions interesting. "A dream?" He asked absently.

"Yes. I think something terrible is going to happen. There was blood... A lot of it."

Takeshi froze. "Blood? What else did you see, Koi-chan?"

"Well, I saw mostly blood but I heard a scream and a lot of people's footsteps running around." Her wide eyes glanced at his pensive ones. "Takeshi, please stay safe."

"I should be telling you that," he murmured. The article about the youkai came back to him. He was going to tell Manami, but now he figured if he did all she'd do was worry. He felt uneasy and put down the newspaper. He was about to tell a joke to lighten the mood when his cell phone rang. Taking it out of his pocket, he held it to his ear.

"Moshi moshi?" He answered.

"Takeshi, we need to talk." It was his boss, Shizu. "My office in 20 minutes." She hung up.

Takeshi groaned inwardly and put his phone down just as Manami put a few omelets on his plate. He gulped them down and drank some tea.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Manami asked when she saw her husband struggle to find his other shoe and he began cursing up a storm.

"Shizu called and she wants me at her office now."

Manami's eyes flashed in fear and in a second, she was behind him, her arms wrapped around his torso, her head buried in his back. "Please come back. Please."

Takeshi gently removed her arms and turned around. Tilting her face up so she could look at him, he reassured, "Manami, I would never leave you alone. I'll stay safe, I promise." He gave her a quick chaste kiss and slipped on his lost shoe. He grabbed his keys and waved before leaving.

Manami stood watching him before calling Jii-chan and Kagome in to eat.

--////-----

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you Jii-san?" Manami crossed her arms and glared at her father in law defiantly. Kagome was outside playing with friends under her mother's orders. Kagome's grandfather choked on the water he was drinking and looked at his daughter.

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"I saw the newspaper."

Kagome's grandfather gaped at her before closing his mouth and setting the water down. His eyes serious, he rumbled, "Then you realize what we have to do?"

Manami nodded. "We must protect the children." She glanced nervously at her swollen belly. A silent tear slid down her cheek. "We must protect Sota, Jii-san. Please help me and Takeshi."

Kagome's grandfather snorted. "I was going to do that without you telling me, Manami."

"Thank you," she sniffled just as she noticed something moving. Directing her eyes to the source, they landed on her father's trembling cup still filled with water. Her eyes narrowed. What's going on...? Just then, it spilled over and she felt it. The ground started to shake. She grabbed the table as everything began to open and close. She gasped. Kagome!

"KAGOME! KAGOME!" she called, shrieking as a glass bowl fell, narrowly missing her head. She let go of the table and was immediately almost forced back. Jii-chan fell onto his bottom and a stool fell on his head, knocking him out. "Damn it!" Mrs. Higurashi cursed. Takeshi's card slowly slipped into the garbage.

Her entire body stiffened as she heard a scream and a loud crash. Mrs. Higurashi, overwhelmed with fear, crouched unmoving and eyes unblinking. Time seemed to slow as she saw a flash of teal race past the door and a tree began to fall. Mrs. Higurashi blinked and forced her limbs to move. No, no, no... She helped Jii-chan up and bit her lip at the sight of the blood dribbling down his face. She hugged him before letting him fall to the ground. She had to help Kagome first.

Manami made it outside and immediately was pushed down by gravity. She propped herself on her elbows, her belly pulsing in protest. Her eyes squeezed shut; she tried her best to ignore the nagging pain. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the crackling and wood splintering sound of a mighty tree making its downfall. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Kagome standing still in fear, completely paralyzed. Manami tried to get up, but failed. Using all her strength, she yelled,

"KAGOME! KAGOME, MOVE!"

Kagome didn't seem to hear her. She stood still, silent tears racing down her cheeks as the tree slowly fell, the sound deafening. Manami closed her eyes. No... She flinched as a thump added to the shaking ground and she trembled. My only daughter...

There was a silence. The earthquake suddenly stopped, but Mrs. Higurashi didn't move. She was grieving. Manami opened her eyes and took in the damage. The fallen tree had narrowly missed the well house but crashed their fence and was lying on top of... She blinked. Pressed against the ground, she could make out small feet sticking out from under the tree. She heard faint crying.

She looked to her left and she couldn't stop the tears leaking down her face. There sat Kagome, crying softly into her hands. Manami was so happy; her daughter hadn't been the victim to the tree. But she felt the pit of dread deep in her heart. Then who died...? She froze when she realized Kagome had been playing with a few friends.

Manami forced her way up and limped over to Kagome. That was when she remembered her dream. The scream and the blood. She began to tremble.

Takeshi!