O.K. Backed up a tad to do some tweaking before the new stuff. Hope it 
reads better. As always, C&C wanted, begged for, whined for, I grovel at 
your feet...etc...

Windlily

************************************************************************


	"Wait." Hajime commanded. He still wasn't sure about this woman or this 
place. He felt like he was being watched, surrounded by eyes he couldn't 
see. And Matsunaga didn't like it one bit.

	Andrew stopped and looked back at Tita, unsure. She nodded. "By all 
means, Andrew. It might be that the Ryudo's do not wish to stay. But I 
do welcome you and your brothers to my house, Hajime Ryudo. I am Tita 
Saint-Germain and hope you will take advantage of my hospitality."

	Hajime glanced sideways at his brothers. Tsuzuku was tense, his head 
cocked as if he was listening. Owaru was looking into the lengthening 
shadows of the surrounding trees, hands on his hips in his 'battle 
stance' as Amaru moved close to Matsuri, a slight frown on his face. He 
was ready to refuse, to order them all back into the van when he saw the 
scarf arrow out of the sky. It draped itself over Tsuzuku's head, the 
ends falling to his waist front and back before any of them could react.

	"What?!" Tsuzuku lifted it in his hands, the golden head seeming to 
smile at him from beneath the veil it had created. He stepped back, the 
ends in his clenched fists as he leaned against the van, eyes closed and 
his face tragic with sorrow.

	Hajime turned back on the woman, angry and ready to demand an 
explanation for this as Matsuri whispered, "Oh, Tsuzuku-kun."

	She met his eyes, her smile gentle and unthreatening. He didn't get a 
chance to ask as a new threat came from another angle. He whirled toward 
the high pitched squeal followed by a jubilant "Owaru-kun!"

	"Elenora?" Owaru yelled back as the girl launched herself.

	"Elenora-chan?" Matsuri's happy voice joined Owaru's as his brother 
caught the girl under her arms and swung her around with a huge grin. 
She wiggled out of his arms and grabbed Matsuri in an exuberant hug.

	Hajime stalked towards Tita. She looked past him and toward Tsuzuku who 
had jerked the scarf off and held it in one trembling hand as he slunk 
past the knot of men who were watching this reunion with confused 
amusement and smiled as he disappeared around the back of the van.

	"I have brought one of your brothers a gift as a gesture of my good 
faith." She told him before he could confront her verbally. "Just wait a 
few more seconds."

					*****

	Jasmine growled as she slapped down the velcro that held the brace in 
place and pushed herself up. She limped a few steps then cussed and 
started hopping as she headed around the house. Where in the hell was it 
going? She heard Elenora's excited squeal and heard her yell, 
"Owaru-kun!" as she rounded the first corner.

	*Owaru? They were here? Oh, man!* She looked down at her wet bathing 
suit and the end of her dripping braid. This was not how she wanted to 
meet him. *Argh! That Aunt of hers! She knew!*

	She seriously considered turning around and hurrying to her room to 
change. But she doubted she could make it before Elenora dragged them 
looking for her. She limped to peek around the corner. Elenora was all 
but mauling Matsuri. She finally saw him past one of the men she didn't 
recognize, leaning up against the back of the van. Her heart dropped and 
she pulled back and leaned against the side of the house. He did not 
look at all happy at her scarfs antics. She eyed the distance between 
herself and the trees, wondered if she could make it into their safety 
before she was seen. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 
Better to get it over with now. If he didn't like her, he didn't like 
her and that was that. She straightened her suit, pulled the water off 
the end of her braid and stepped into their sight.

					*****

	"Oh man! I am so glad to see you! We were so worried!" Elenora grinned 
up as she let Matsuri breathe.

	Matsuri leaned to give her another, gentler hug. "I'm so sorry, 
Elenora."

	"Well, it's O.K. now!" Elenora couldn't see the sadness on Matsuri's 
face. "What's with Tsuzuku?" She frowned over Matsuri's shoulder as she 
focused on her sister's Dragon.

	"What do you think, Elenora." Owaru scowled at her.

	"I think he should be happy." Elenora scowled back.

	Matsuri straightened, put both hands on Elenora's shoulders and 
frowned.

	"What?" Elenora asked up, her expression confused and concerned.

	Something was wrong here. Elenora acted as if nothing had happened. 
"Elenora-chan. What happened to Jasmine?"

	"Whoa. Check out that babe!" She heard Mizuchi say to Shinkai.

	She lifted her head as she heard Owaru take in a sharp breath of air 
beside her while Elenora answered, "Well, mostly she demolished her 
knee."

	Jasmine stood beside the corner of the house and gave them a shy smile.

	"Why?" She asked as she turned to watch Owaru and Matsuri's running 
figures.

						*****

	Hajime tore his eyes away from the young woman who had stepped around 
the corner of the house at Tita's gentle laugh.

	"That's Jasmine Tanaka, isn't it?"

	Tita nodded. He blinked, astounded and looked back to Owaru and Matsuri 
huddled around her.

	"They told us she was dead."

	"I know." Tita answered back with a hard voice, all traces of humor 
gone.

	That brought his focus back to her. She met his eyes and shrugged. "It 
was a mistake that I have rectified. I hope it will be the beginning of 
trust between us, Hajime Ryudo. Though if you still wish to leave, 
please, do so. I will pay for Andrew to take you anywhere you decide and 
I will give Jasmine and Elenora my blessing to go with you, if you 
choose to take them."

	He tried to read her face yet could get nothing out of it but the 
sincerity of her words. There was something more going on here he just 
didn't know what. But this lady had brought Jasmine back to his brother 
and had offered no threat. In fact, just the opposite. Yet he still 
could not shake the feeling they were surrounded by watchers. But Gods! 
He was tired of running. They needed a chance to get their breath back 
and the time to figure out what was happening.

	There was one more question he would ask her. How she answered would 
decide whether they stayed or went.

	"Who is watching us?"

	She lifted her eyebrows and he knew he had startled her. She offered a 
wry grin. "I should have known you'd sense them. There is another family 
that lives on the grounds and watches over the house when I'm not here. 
They are shy but curious folk and I imagine they have come to take a 
look at their visitors."

	Almost immediately after his question the sensation of being watched 
started to fade. As if the people who were watching had heard him and 
started to move off. He stared hard into the trees, willing his vision 
to shift. He caught glimpses of furtive movement and canine shapes. He 
looked at the two dogs on the porch, only now noticing the purple black 
aura of power around them. Another family? Of what?

	Tita followed his stare toward the porch. "They mean you no harm, 
Dragon King. In fact, they know what it is to be hunted and will keep 
any searchers at bay." She tipped her head slightly, waiting for his 
answer.

	He looked back at Owaru and Matsuri who were now silently escorting an 
apparently reluctant Jasmine towards the back of the van. He could see 
their mischievous grins and 'hushing' gestures at Mizuchi and the others 
from here. Ah, Tsuzuku hadn't seen her yet. His fingers went with 
unconscious habit through his hair as he wrestled with his distrust. At 
the moment, everyone and everything was suspect. He was seeing hidden 
plots and dangers everywhere. Yet this woman had answered his question 
openly and honestly and the organization that Jasmine and her sister 
worked for had rescued them from the Four Sister's clutches. Yet they 
had lied to them about Jasmine. Why? He had too many questions with no 
answers. Yet where else could he take them? They were fugitives in a 
foreign country with no resources to draw on except the tiny sum of 
money that Shinkai-san and the other two men had with them. He sighed as 
he made his decision. He would just have to hope that he was just 
jumping at shadows and this offer of help and this lady were as genuine 
as they appeared to be.

	He made a formal bow. "I am honored to accept your invitation, 
Saint-Germain-san."

	"Good." She nodded then favored him an amused smile. "Now, go and make 
sure your brother doesn't toast my great-niece in his shock, would you?"

	He cocked one eyebrow at her. He intended to find out as soon as 
possible how these people had found out so much about them. She pointed 
toward the stopped knot of young people. He gave her another little bow 
then headed for Jasmine and her escort.

	 "Well?" Shinkai asked as he passed.

	 "We stay."

	"Thank heaven for that!" Nijikawa muttered to Mizuchi as he watched the 
lady go to speak with their driver.

						*****

	"Owaru! I'm wet!" Jasmine warned with a smile as he wrapped his arms 
around her waist cautiously.

	"That's O.K. It just proves that you're really here!" He answered 
softly back as the hug got quite a bit firmer.

	She offered her arm to Matsuri and pulled her in close.

	"Oh, Jasmine-san! They told us you were dead!" Matsuri choked out 
around her tears.

	"Who told you I was dead?" She asked back, stunned as she looked back 
over at Tsuzuku. No wonder he was so upset by her scarf!

	"The people on the helicopter!" Matsuri answered as she wiped at her 
tears.

	"Someone on the chopper told you Jasmine was dead?" Elenora echoed 
Jasmine's disbelief.

	"That's what they said." Owaru let Jasmine go, looked her up and down, 
then hugged her again. "I'm glad they were wrong."

	Jasmine caught her sisters eyes and saw her own confusion in her 
sisters troubled expression. Why would they tell them that? Tell them 
that she was dead?

	"Me too!" She said as lightly as she could as she studied Tsuzuku's 
back and lowered head. *Oh, Tsuzuku...I'm so sorry!*

	Owaru followed her gaze. "Come on!" He took her wrist and tugged 
gently.

	She resisted hard, blushing and uncertain and all nerves. "Maybe 
someone should tell him first, you know? And I could go and change. 
Elenora, go get my scarf and tell him, O.K.?"

	Owaru grinned at Matsuri as his cousin took her other elbow.

	"No, really you guys! This is not a good idea! He's going to be 
furious!" Jasmine resisted their pull.

	"Tsuzuku? Nah. He won't. Trust me!" Owaru winked.

	"You may have to pick her up and carry her, Owaru." Elenora offered.

	"Elenora, shut up! Don't you dare, Owaru!" She warned as she saw Owaru 
seriously consider that option.

	"Jasmine-chan, come on." Matsuri gave her a reassuring smile.

	"Go!" Elenora gave her a little shove from behind to get her moving.

						*****

	Tsuzuku turned his back on the happy reunion between Elenora and the 
others and glared at the scarf in his hand. It's ends danced on a breeze 
he could not feel, making her scent hang in the air around him like a 
tangible force. This was the thing that Tamanji had used to fool him, to 
seduce him. He wanted to burn it out of existence. He wanted to bury his 
face in it and cry. He had never gotten to touch her, body or spirit. To 
find out her taste in music, if she liked poetry, if her skin was as 
soft as it had looked. All he had was the half- remember sound of her 
voice and the memory of her eyes and smile.

	He had managed to put her out of his thoughts as he had focused on 
getting through the chaos of the last week as they fled from disaster to 
disaster.  And the one night he had slept enough to dream he had been 
haunted by Tamanji and her mocking and spite-filled smile as he had 
realized what she had made him do.

	"Tsuzuku-kun. I really think you should turn around." Amaru had 
appeared at his side and was facing in the direction of the happy babble 
of voices.

	Tsuzuku didn't trust his voice not to betray him if he answered so he 
just shook his head no. He was in no mood to take part in happy 
reunions.

	Amaru glanced up at his brother with a big grin. "Tsuzuku, turn 
around."

	The tone of command in his little brothers voice surprised him. "Amaru, 
just leave me alone for a few minutes, all right?" Well, at least he had 
got that out without any trace of the tears of anger and despair that 
tightened his chest.

	Amaru actually giggled. He narrowed his eyes and glared sideways, for 
the first time that he could remember actually angry with his youngest 
brother.

	"You'd better turn around, Tsuzuku." Amaru got out as Jasmine, pulled 
and supported along by a whispering Owaru and Matsuri, came to a stop a 
few meters from them. 

	"Go away, Amaru." Tsuzuku snapped back.

	Owaru grinned as he looked across Jasmine and at his cousin. Elenora 
stepped up behind her sister and whispered in her ear, "Well, say 
something!"

	"Like what?" Jasmine hissed back at all of them, blushing furiously.

	"Hello would do nicely, I think, Tanaka Jasmine." Hajime offered loudly 
as he came up to lean against the corner of the van.

	*Oh, hell...* She groaned inwardly and covered her face with her hands 
as he stiffened. *no, no, no...this was not the way she had envisioned 
it at all!* She peeked between the crack of her fingers as he turned 
slowly.

	Tsuzuku turned at the sound of that name. Hajime's voice echoed it 
through his head as he registered Owaru on one side of her grinning like 
the proverbial cat who had just caught a canary and Matsuri's soft, 
happy smile as she hovered close at her other. His vision narrowed and 
for one red-tinged moment it was Tamanji standing before him, then she 
dropped her hands and the sun caught and swirled in her golden eyes.

	"Hello, Ryudo Tsuzuku." She offered with a tentative smile.

	He just stared back, frozen in body and mind. Her smile faded a little 
and she looked down at her intertwined fingers. Then it hit him. She was 
alive! He reached over and grabbed Amaru's shoulder for support as his 
knees threatened to buckle. He cast around frantically for something to 
say as his gaze found the scarf in his free hand.

	"I believe this belongs to you, Tanaka-san." He got his knees back 
under control and offered it with a deep bow. The warm brush of her 
fingers against his own as she look it was a shock. *Alive! Real! Here!*

	"Thank-you for catching it for me once again, Ryudo-san." She answered, 
matching her tone to his as he straightened. He was being so formal! 
Then what did she expect? They had only met once and he must be shocked 
to find her here and alive. 

	He got lost in the sunlight dancing in her eyes for a moment then 
realized he was staring. He dropped his gaze, embarrassed. He was being 
no better than the people who stared at him.

	"I'm sorry it caused you distress, Tsuzuku-san." Jasmine offered, 
hoping to break the ice.

	What could he answer to that? Why couldn't he find words that didn't 
sound totally inane?

	"It is all right." He offered a tentative smile of his own, almost 
became lost in her eyes again. He glanced over at Amaru, trying to find 
anything to buy him a few seconds to get his stunned mind functioning 
again.

	"Have you met my brothers?"

	Elenora frowned and crossed her arms as she stood behind and to the 
side of her sister as Jasmine shook her head no to that. What was this? 
It was stupid. They were both ga-ga over each other, it was so obvious 
it was almost embarrassing. Why this formal stand-offish-ness? She got a 
gleam in her eye as she hit upon an idea to speed things along. Yes, 
this should work nicely. Owaru and Matsuri had backed off enough. She 
pulled a tiny bit of energy into being. Just a tiny bit. Hajime raised 
both eyebrows at her as he detected what she was doing. She paused for a 
moment, wondering if he would call her on it. He just gave her a small 
quirk of a smile then bowed slightly to Jasmine as Tsuzuku introduced 
him. She aimed it at Jasmine's good knee. It upset her balance enough 
that she stepped forwards onto her bad one.

	Jasmine's knee protested loudly and buckled as she brought her weight 
down on it in an instinctual attempt to recapture her balance. Oh, hell! 
She was going to fall!

	Tsuzuku had just introduced Hajime, had just about got his reeling 
senses back under control enough to believe he stood a chance at a 
coherent conversation that wouldn't embarrass them both when Jasmine 
lurched forwards. Pain flicked across her face as she stepped onto the 
leg that he just now realized was wrapped in a brace and she began to 
fall. Owaru and Matsuri both started to reach for her but he had her 
before they could do more than that.

	 Tsuzuku's arms were around her waist and her face was buried in his 
chest as he caught her. Oh, man! She knew she was red as a beet. She was 
so embarrassed. *But it was worth it!* She felt wonderful and 
light-headed as his cinnamon scent filled her nose as his arms tightened 
around her. She turned her head so she could hear the fast beat of his 
heart under her ear. Her arms had ended up around his neck and she 
returned the fierce hug gently.

	"Ryudo-san. Perhaps you should introduce me to your family and 
companions?" Tita suggested as she headed back for the porch, wanting to 
give the young couple a chance for a bit of private chat now. "My 
Japanese is not very good, but I think we should be able to understand 
each other."

	Hajime motioned with his head at his youngest brothers and Matsuri, 
telling them to go. They filed past him, all grinning.

	"You too." He scowled playfully at Jasmine's sister.

	She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, then shrugged and 
ambled past with a soft "Piece of cake!"

						*****