familienkreis
[Family Circle]

Home to Meet the Family: Schuldig

"You didn't honestly think I wouldn't know, did you?" Schuldig asked when she opened the door.

Defiance had been futile. She watched, helpless, as he reached down into the cradle, lifted Hiroshi up; held the baby with a carefulness she wouldn't have believed he could possess, fingers running lightly over flame-burnished locks.

"No doubts as to whose son you are, now is there?" he smirked and walked past her.

"No! No!" she choked out, forcing herself to stumble into the hallway.

At the front door Schuldig turned and looked at her, blue eyes cold and measuring. She held her breath.

Home to Meet the Family: Farfarello

The white-haired demon slunk towards them, eyes fixated on Schuldig's burden.

"So this is the child," pale, scarred fingers drifted down Hiroshi's cheek, "He looks so. . . innocent."

The urge to scream, to slap that touch away, battered at her self-control. Schuldig laughed.

"It won't last," then minnow-quick, captured the stroking hand, "In the meantime, behave. Or you'll wake one morning to find you've been some parish's beloved priest for the past decade."

Farfarello hissed like a cat, gold eye slit and gleaming. Schuldig just smiled, implacable.

"Tch!" Farfarello whirled, stalked off, "Why would I hurt the devil's spawn?"

Sakura breathed again.

Home to Meet the Family: Nagi

"And here's Uncle Nagi. Uncle Nagi, Hiroshi."

'Uncle Nagi' seemed unimpressed by the introduction, giving Hiroshi a look of flat dislike.

"It'd better not scream at night," he said.

"Says the professional insomniac. Anyway, that's what I bought Suki along for."

Nagi turned his attention to Sakura. She suppressed a shudder. The telekinetic had always ignored her before, a state of affairs she preferred. That blankly emotionless stare - it was just unnatural.

"Can you cook?" Nagi asked.

"Erm, yes."

"Good," he turned back to his computer, shutting them out.

"I think he likes you." Schuldig whispered loudly in her ear.

Home to Meet the Family: Crawford

“Well,” said Crawford, “Let me see him.”

He held out his hands.

Somehow, this was worse than the other two put together. Sakura blinked back tears as Schuldig passed Hiroshi over. Hiroshi cooed and waved his arms around, knocking Crawford’s glasses askew.

“Violent little brat, isn’t he? Definitely your son.”

The two men exchanged smirks.

Sakura touched Schuldig lightly on the arm, said, “It’s time for his afternoon nap.”

Crawford glanced at where her hand lay, then looked up at her. The ice in his eyes was personal. Sakura was glad when she held the barrier of Hiroshi between them.

Fifteen Years Later: Reunion

Ran stopped in shock, thinking it was Aya sitting at the table. But he couldn't remember ever seeing his sister that expensively dressed or coiffed, and, as much as he loved her, Ran had to admit Aya was never so elegant, never so polished. Recognition flooded the face uplifted to his and he realised her identity.

“Sakura-san.”

She sat mute, gaze darting past him and a kind of dread welling in her eyes. He registered a presence behind him, heard a boy’s voice saying,

“Okaasan, who’s this?”

Turned to see his sister’s face matched with flame-red hair and a smirk.