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The Mau smiled to himself wrapping his arms around Val and petted her hair. "I am glad to hear that would not change your mind. Though it is I have to admit, unfortunate my arrive was as dramatic as it has been. Though I'm sure it's been a very trying night for all of us. Asha is quite frustrated me me because I've had her moving for nearly a full day with no rest, she's quite subconscious of all those scars, and I'm sure Raco is in a fair bit of shock to find her alive." he said cuddling Valiant. He didn't want to let go of her, for fear she would slip away. But he had to and slowly he loosened his grip on Valiant. "How about we go get some of that lovely food Youko had set out. I could use something fresh as I haven't eaten all day." he said laughing as his stomach answered him back at the idea of food. He had followed his instincts and not only had they led him to the love of his life, but back to his home with his sister as though Fate had torn everything apart only to put it all back together again, but this time making the bonds stronger than ever. Never in his life would he ever have expected such a thing, but miracles did happen and he had certainly been blessed with one for soon enough he would be a father of a litter of kittens, something he'd never imagined before.

Asha cuddled herself against Raco. "Thank you, but nevertheless!" she said sitting straight back up again and pointing at his chest, her eyes narrowed almost menacingly. "You have a LOT of explaining to do about all of this!" she snapped, but not in an angry manner, in truth she was more relieved to be back in his arms, the only place she had ever felt at home. So she relaxed and pushed Raco to lay on his back in the blankets and laid on top of him and made herself comfortable. They had often slept like this and laid many hours in the same position talking, she had missed it so dearly and lying there then made the word feel right again, as though everything had been stripped away in nothing more than a bad dream that she was finally waking up from and getting over the terrible shock to realize everything was okay and she was safe once again.

Raco, hung his head a little, a part of him saddened by the sudden lack of contact with Asharadine, the other for being brought back down to earth with the situation. He did have a lot of explaining to do, some of it he was very ashamed of, other parts he just wished he didn't have to say. He wanted to just to skip it all and get things back to the way they had been so long ago. When Asha pushed him back and laid on top on him he relaxed, his heart fluttered for a moment, but he soon fell back into old habits and his wrapped his arms around her, one hand playing with her hair. "Well...after your 'deat'' we went about t'ings normally, moved base two or t'ree times, you know 'ow Youko does not like to stay in one place for too long at a time. When we reac'ed Ikebokuro w'ic' is w'ere we are now. Youko had left me in c'arge saying 'e had some sort of business to take care of. I still do not know w'at t'e 'ell 'e was up to. Valiant, Raina's mot'er..." he started but was immediately cut off.

"Wait, you're telling me Valiant the SAME Valiant that Joshua dragged me dead tired all the way here for is your daughter's mother?" Asha sat up and stared at her mate. It was almost too much to handle, it was so wrong that in the end would partially make her Raina's Step-mother and Aunt all at the same time.

Raco flushed, he hadn't gotten that far into the thought process until she had said it, but she was right..."Y-yes...I guess t'ey are one in t'e same. as I was saying t'ough..." he sighed. "Val was attacked and s'e came 'ere, oddly enoug' running into me at t'e entrance to t'e territory. S'e was covered in blood and passed out in my arms. I took 'er to the medic and s'e never really left. We trained 'er and s'e became one of the Konouc'i. A few mont's later we were 'aving one of our usual nig'ts dancing, drinking, you know 'ow it all goes...Youko...pulled out t'e strong sake and I 'ad a bit too muc'. Valiant was sitting off away from everyt'ing, all I meant to do was get 'er out into t'e crowd to be social. I gave 'er some of the sake, w'en she tried to get up...s'e fell on my lap and tried to run after t'at. I stopped 'er...some'ow we ended up 'ere and well..." he heaved a large sigh that right there saying all that needed be said.

The female heaved a large sigh and relaxed over her mate's chest. He'd been drunk, not the best excuse in the world, but at least he hadn't been sober. Not that it really would have made a difference, she was supposed to be dead. It had surprised her that she had not found him with a new mate and a larger family, instead he'd shut himself off by the looks of it, apparently still mourning her. "It's all right Raco." she said patting him on the forehead. "I forgive you, besides, I'm supposed to be dead, not like I could hold it against you." she laughed slightly, but it was empty.

The Mau blushed a little. He knew Valiant had other children, but it had never really clicked with him the full extent of the matter until now, so not only was he going to be the father of a litter but he would also in a way be adopting two others. Not that it mattered to him, he liked children a good bit and it didn't matter much to him. Asha was always much less enthusiastic about children, always keeping her distance from them. "I believe I would like to meet your children. See exactly everything I am diving head first into without the faintest idea of how it will turn out. But I've been pretty known for taking leaps of faith." he said following Valiant. He was surprised to see many of the Anbu having left, but it made him laugh, they loved to watch dramas enfold and there was usually enough of it around them. Once the excitement went away they usually went off to find other things to occupy their time. A few of the bowed to him muttering their personal welcomes and Josh merely nodded back. "Yes, I suppose Asha must be hungry, though I'm quite sure she's hungry for a good bit more than food." he said giving a cough. It wasn't something he really wanted to think about but if he knew his sister, she'd be itching to get back in bed with Raco. She snatched the bottle of sake from Val's hand and tapper her on the nose. "I'm here now and there will be absolutely NONE of that. Alcohol is very bad for the kittens! You don't want to cause any harm to them now do you?" he said pointedly taking a sip of the sake. He winced slightly, it certainly wasn't one of Youko's better bottles, but of course it had probably been through the paws of about ten others before him and Valiant. He let out a sigh at the question of the kittens. "It's a shock to find, but, I have to say I'm quite excited to tell the truth. I never thought I would be a parent before Asharadine. Though I have to say I am still surprised that Raco is the father of your daughter...I'm sure Asha is taking it quite hard though. But she's very understanding, more than likely she take to you're daughter quickly and not hold a thing against you or Raco." he said looking out. He'd watched his sister fight with depression that nearly consumed her a few times and cry in her sleep crying out for the man that he considered a friend. "I'm just glad that they have been reunited, for both of their sakes." he said gathering a good armful of food. "This should be well enough to take back. Lead the way my love."

~~~~

Raco, pulled Asha up further so that they were face to face. A smile broke over his face again as he kissed her lightly, he'd missed her so much, he couldn't lose that sense of physical contact with her, it would hurt to much to do so instead he held her face him his strong, scarred fingers and just looked at her. "Please, do not ever to t'at to me again. So many time I wanted not'ing more t'an for my life to end so t'at we could be toget'er again. I felt as t'oug' I 'ad not'ing to live for at all for so long. I never want to fell t'at way again." he pleaded, holding back a few tears. Two long years he had suffered, bottling up the pain inside and taking himself to near silence, refusing to do much more than he needed in order to live, suffering nightmares night after night and depression that had brought him to the brink and back too many times to count. His mismatched eyes looked deeply into the set of pale green above him, that silvery white hair that so long ago had been dyed black as often as it took to make sure the moonlight color that was natural did not show. but now that beautiful face he remembered was blemished with scars, but he didn't see them as such, as things that took away from her beauty but rather added to it even more. He remembered the many wounds she had taken that terrible day and his mind wandered to how many more scars her body held, now much they would only add to the natural beauty that Asharadine held.

The pale colored female smiled and kissed him back. She wanted more contact than they had now, but she knew they couldn't not with his daughter in the room, though it did still leave a small sting that he had a daughter with another woman, it was not as though he had taken another mate in her absence he had actually mourned her for so long, blockading himself off to the rest of the world but the Anbu, holding himself locked up, his heart never to truly ever reach out to another. It had taken so much from her to get him to open to her when they had met and now she was finally back in his arms where she belonged. Smiling she replied to him, her hands feeling over his tightly muscled abdomen and over his chest, warm skin under the colored silk of his shirt that she longed to touch, every feature she could still remember with every minute detail. "Raco, nothing, absolutely nothing will every take me away from you again. I swear to you, I won't let anything tear us apart again." she said leaning forward kissing Raco deeper, her nails digging into his shirt, wishing she could just rip through the fabric.

Raco's hands ran down over Asha's neck and shoulders and down her sides to finally grab her hips tightly, he pulled away from the kiss and lined her jaw with feathered kisses to her neck where he bit down hard making the female jerk, but not in pain but rather pleasure, after so long Raco still knew Asha's every quirk.

Joshua followed behind her, feeling awkward as though he had said something wrong, but he couldn't tell what. Had he offended her, was she suddenly having second guesses about him, was she starting to think that he wasn't worth it, that it couldn't work between them? The thoughts made him nervous and made his tail flicker with his nerves and had ears lay back just slightly to show his unease. He followed her never the less, wondering again, that maybe it was just the hormones of pregnancy that were making her like this. He'd heard of when women were pregnant they went through strange moods like that, happy one minute and furious and screaming the next, to sobbing their eyes out. Not that he'd ever seen a woman do that, but he prayed he never would. He watched the boy approach Valiant and call to her. He'd been the one sitting near Youko when he had arrived, but he seemed solemn now and when Valiant didn't even so much as speak to him he became even more nerve-wracked than before. He bowed his head to the bow and jerked it to go ahead and followed, he hoped that Valiant's son would like him, if not, he wasn't sure what he would or even could do to at least have a decent relationship.

Raco quickly let go of Asha, his mind snapping back to reality, his face bright red with embarrassment. Raina had been so quiet he'd basically forgotten she was even there. But the girl had a habit for doing that, he thought he'd have learn this by now but apparently not. He heaved a deep sigh and pushed himself up, Asha still on top him, forcing her to her knees.

Asharadine sighed and laid her forehead on Raco's shoulder. It was probably better that way because if there they had been left to keep on like they had much longer clothes may not have stayed where they were for long. She let her hands relax and slide down over Raco's front, nails still clinging faintly to the fine green silk. her one hand coming to rest on Raco's knee in the end. She couldn't bare to lose that last little bit of contact after so long apart. She doubted for the next few weeks that Raco and herself would be separated for even the slightest of moments for any reason. "That would be Joshua with her then. I guess it's time for the introductions." she said shifting herself around and leaning against her mate. "This is going to be interesting..." she said with a small chuckle. She'd looked forward to meeting this Valiant her brother so dearly loved, but now that many of the missing pieces had fallen into place it made the entire meeting all the more interesting in the end.

Raco looked down at Asha. "You are going to be civil won't you? S'e 'as done not'ing wrong and besides, if s'e is wit' your brot'er t'an all t'e more reason to be nice." he said wrapping an arm around her shaking his head. He knew Asha liked to stir up a little trouble here and there for fun. but never enough to hurt anyone, just to confuse people a little for a laugh.

Asha pouted a bit and batted her eyes at him. "I was just gonna ask how she liked being in bed with you!" she laughed snuggling into him a little more. She would be good, she loved her brother and she loved Raco far too much to cause any troubles with this Valiant she had been forced to hear so much about.

Asha opened her mouth to say something in retort but held her tongue and pouted to herself. Apparently Valiant already hated her and didn't even know her. This was going to complicate things to all hell. But Raco didn't love her and she didn't love Raco, at least that much was clear so her main worry was out of the way. But she didn't fancy this idea of her Brother's lover disliking him. Instead Asha cuddled herself even more into Raco and hiding her face behind her silver hair to hide her scar. Valiant probably thought she was ugly anyways compared to how pretty she was, even if she was pregnant! The lucky b***h, her and Raco had tried and never had luck and she spent one night with Raco and they had a daughter. It just wasn't fair to her, not in the slightest.

Raco gave Valiant a harsh look. "Val, t'ere was no need for t'at." he said with the faintest hint of anger. Valiant didn't even know Asha yet and here she was basically insulting her. Yes, he'd admit he'd like a night with Asharadine alone, but he hadn't been too pleased with her assumptions. "Asha did not mean anyt'ing in offense towards you. S'e was just saying 'ow s'e wanted to meet you seeing as Joshua 'as apparently talked so muc' about you!" he said puffing up a little. but he could tell something was wrong so backed down and relaxed, rubbing Asha's arm. "It is good for all of us to talk, t'at way all t'ings can be settled and set straig't." he said with a nod. he in truth wasn't sure how to handle the situation, this was more of Joshua and Youko's territory, Raco was a peace maker unless he absolutely had to be.

Joshua shook his head. "I really have no idea. She was fine one moment, saying she wanted me to to me you and your sister, she wanted to meet Asha and the next she went silent and just walked off...I mean I may have said something wrong, but if I did, I had no intentions of doing so." he whispered back biting at his lip. he hoped ore than ever that he had not upset Valiant, but the more he looked at all the signs pointed to something he had done and had not known he had done it. Joshua blinked at Ishtar at though he'd been slapped int he face, this boy was questioning him as though he had no right to even exist, nonetheless be courting Valiant when she held a littler that was his. "I came here in desperate search for her. After we met and she told me she had to leave even though I begged her to stay with me. She told me if we were brought together again by fate than it was meant to be. I have done nothing since then but look for her and in the process I found my sister who was supposed to be dead. Now..." he said standing up straight and looking up at the hollow sadly. "I'm afraid she may have changed her mind about me." he said sadly with a heavy sigh. "We should get up there. Asha and I haven't eaten in nearly a full day and even what we did eat wasn't much." he said heading up into the tree where he found just as an unhappy feeling in the hollow. Valiant cuddled up with the little girl that had to be Valiant and Raco's daughter. Asha hiding behind her hair again and Raco looking as though he were on pins and needles. Maybe tonight wasn't going to be so good after all.

Raco bristled defensively, he hadn't been an a** but rather defending his mate. If anyone was being rude it was her. Yes, he'd admit she'd not had an easy life so far, but the one thing she had been dying for so badly was finally hear and she was acting like a spoiled child, now that she had what she had been longing for so badly it was no longer all that great and she was over the thrill and done with it. "Valiant!" he hissed softly.

Asha held up her hand and sat up, she could take hits being thrown at her and brush them off or take them, but insulting Raco was a bit too much for her. "Hey! There wasn't any need for that! It wasn't like I was making jokes about you or anything." she growled. It wasn't fair at all, why did everything always have to fall of Raco, it wasn't like he was her keeper, she could easily fend for herself and beat the s**t out of the Manx, if only her brother wasn't completely head over heels for her and she weren't carrying his kittens she more and likely would have without a second thought. But the last thing she needed was to go after a pregnant girl and get her a** kicked by Raco and her brother. What was supposed to be a much better evening was turning out to be an evening of hell more like it. Her pale eyes watched Valiant leave, she couldn't say she hated her, but for the time being she surely didn't believe her good enough for her brother. He was passive enough, he didn't need someone whiny, self-pitying female by his side.

Josh straightened himself up at Ishtar. "I understand being protective of her and all but he is a woman who can make her own decisions of what she wants and needs in her life. I didn't come all of this way to hurt her, I came all this way because I love her." he said puffing up slightly. He didn't like being talked down by a child who was more than likely only a fraction of his age. But when Valiant suddenly left the hollow he was torn. Something had certainly happened up there and he had been so caught up with the boy that he had not even gone up with the food yet. He watched Ishtar go and followed after him dropping the food and giving his sister a look and leaving after Valiant. But by the time he had dropped back down he had lost her. "Damn it all..." he muttered to himself and set out int he general direction she had been headed. "Why must these sorts of thing always happen to me?" he moaned and twitched his ears for the slightest hint of Valiant. "Valiant! Val, where are you?" he called out cupping his hands around his mouth.

Asha looked at the boy and stared at him her mouth hung open. "You...you look just like Josh when he was young..." she blurted out before anything else. She hadn't paid him much attention when she had arrived because she had been hiding behind her hair. But now that she had a good look at him he looked almost like the spitting image of Joshua as a child. It was hard for her to believe, but all the same, the night just seemed to get more and more interesting as it went. "I'm...ugh....I'm Asharadine...Raco's...mate..." she said still blinking at him, as though trying to process the entire ordeal.

Joshua was becoming increasing desperate in his search, the weather had started to become faintly colder and it wasn't good for Valiant to be out and not someplace warmer and safer as far as he was concerned. "Val, please!" he called out feeling as though his heart was being pulled through his throat. He shot up into the tree continuing to call out to Valiant, his voice beginning to choke as he held back tears. "I am begging you Valiant, please come out!" he cried out, reaching higher through the trees looking above and below, and to every side ahead and behind him. He had to find her, though already he was suffering sleep deprivation he would not rest until Valiant was back in his arms. He scented the air, he could smell her, her scent was strong and he have never truly forgotten her sweet scent since she had first departed from him. "Valiant, whatever foolish thing I did, please forgive me, I love you!" he called, a faint whisper in his mind telling him that if he kept this up he would lose his voice before long. His heart pounded in his throat as he went, still scenting Valiant out, completely unaware that she was just above his head.

Asha bristled again, she felt as though she was being mocked since returning was starting to believe it would have been better had she stayed away. "I'm not gonna bite or anything. Why does everyone keep treating me like my head is about to spin around?" she huffed crossing her arms over her chest. This was getting more and more frustrating. yes she was happy to be back with Raco, but apparently things around the Anbu had changed maybe a little too much for her. She loved and hated change all the same. It was like being caught in some twisted nightmare that was a dream and nightmare all the same.

Raco heaved a heavy sigh. Things weren't going well at all. When Valiant had been pregnant with Raina she had been in a very similar mindset as she seemed to be now. Consistently going in and out of heavy depressions that were both agitating and saddening. He shook head head at his daughter. "No, I do not 'ate 'er. You're mot'er gets a bit on t'e...emotional side w'en s'e is pregnant. S'e was t'e same way w'en s'e was pregnant with you. I'm just not pleased wit' 'er reaction to Asha. S'e meant no 'arm and your mot'er took 'er t'e wrong way." he said laying his forehead over the top of Asha's head. This was beginning to be too much stress for him in one night. Already he'd been deprived of sleep himself, and he could feel a migraine coming on, something rarely ever got. He liked to try to get rid of it while he had the chance.

Asha could feel the dull pain coming from Raco, it was a strange connection she always had with him, when he hurt so did she. Though she was no empathic, her connection with Raco was strong enough for them to constant feel each other even when they were apart. Though what she felt from Raco was pain from the oncoming migraine that threatened him, she loved knowing that the connection was still there between the two of them. "Look I don't dislike your mom, but I really didn't mean to go upsetting her. I was just making a joke and it wasn't aimed at hurting her. I wasn't actually going to ask her." she said cuddling into Raco again. "Look, I'll say this now. I love Raco, nothing is going to stop me from that, and I highly down anything is going to make him turn from me either, but I have no want to break up this little family. I can't be mad for what happened while I was go. I was supposed to dead, for the Goddess' sake. I'm jealous, but I'm not gonna let that turn into trying to keep Raco from any of you guys. I'm not a vengeful little b***h." she said turning her eyes away only proving her words no matter how hard they were for her.

Joshua turned on a dime his amber eyes wide they could get, his breath caught in his throat. He grabbed a hold of Valiant, holding her close, a hand knotted in her pale blond hair. "Valiant, please don't ever run away like that again." he choked. Though she hadn't truly run away it had felt like it to him. He'd never in his life been so afraid, the only thing that had ever come close was the 'death' of his sister and that had been more of a shock that had merely paralyzed him for a time before sinking into a dark depression which had quickly led to his leaving the company of the Anbu. "Valiant, I love you, nothing in the world could ever change my mind, I would give you the moon and sun and stars if I had the power to do so just to show you how much I love you." he said kissing the top of her head. He shook slightly but it was ebbing away as his fright was finally receding, his nerves finally relax, but still nonetheless on high alert. "If there is every anything you need or you want or would like me to do for you, tell me, and will do it, just let me know."

~~~~

Asha glanced at the food, feeling her stomach give a nasty twist at the sight of, almost as if trying to reach for it through her abdomen. She left the safety of Raco's grasp long enough to grab herself a large piece of a bird and a few berries. She quickly returned herself to Raco's arms and tore off a piece of the bird and shoved it in her mouth , forcing another piece into Raco's. It was a force of old habits rising from the dead. She knew Raco would often forget to eat or at least when he did, he ate very little most of the time and she would have to make him eat so that he did not wither away to nothing. She bit into a berry. it had been left out a little too long because it had gone slightly soft, but the taste was still very fresh and sweet. She swallowed her mouthful and looked at the boy. "Then she sounds a hell of a lot like me when I was younger. For me it was just a phase I went through though I guess. I didn't talk to many people, didn't barely let anyone see who I really was, kept away from people. But with a little push here and there..." she said nudging Raco lightly in the ribs with a smile. "I grew out of and I'm much more social now, though I do still go through a spell now and then where I don't like to be around very many people, no matter how close I may be to them; Raco is the only exception to that." she said with a shrug. She only really hoped for her brother's sake she could open up. Joshua was a very passive man and he needed someone he could not only lead and care for, but on the occasion could do the same in return for him.

Raco watched Asha get the food and saw what she did coming. He took the piece of bird and ate it thankfully. The sparrow he had eaten much earlier had seemed days ago now that a pile of food sat at the entrance of his hollow. He reached around Asha when she wasn't looking and took another, larger piece and ate. He for the most part already knew what Ishtar was telling, he watched things more than people often gave him credit for, he wasn't Youko's Second in Command for no reason. "Well, I believe t'at is t'ere is anyone w'o can get Val to do t'e t'ings s'e 'as quite apparently done, I believe Joshua is just t'e cat to do it. 'E may be passive, but 'e know 'ow to be very persuasive, but never for a bad reason." he said with a shrug snatching up one of the berries.

Joshua sighed, he understood now what had been bothering Valiant so much. At least to some extent, he had not been the most affectionate, but all the same he'd had an interesting welcome, Liraeal trying to attach herself to him, Val was carrying his litter and tried to run from him at first. Finding the Anbu altogether was even more of shock which led to Asha finding Raco again. It was all so overwhelming. "No Valiant. I'm the one who is sorry. To I guess has just been a little too much for all of us." He said lifting her chin up with his thumb under her bottom lip and index curled under her chin. He smiled at her and kissed her lovingly. He should have done it early but he had been so caught up, so drenched in the shock that he had been right, that everything around him seemed to be falling together and almost like it was falling apart at the same time he had lost track of everything that mattered to him, what he wanted to do, needed to do...

~~~~

Raco nodded to Ishtar, reaching for more of the food, still keeping a faint bit of contact with Asharadine, just as she refused to lose the physical contact with him he felt the same towards her as though trying to make up for lost time. "You two sleep well, we s'all see you in t'e morning. If t'ere is anyone w'o can c'eer Valiant up, I am sure Joshua is t'e one." he said with a slight laugh before stuffing his face again. he was polite about his eating though he wanted to dive into the food, the little he had eaten before had long since left his system by now.

"Sleep well you two, hopefully Josh can bring Valiant out of her little 'fit' by morning, though I don't doubt he will...as much as I had to listen to him tell me 'Come on! I know this has to be it, she has to her here' all damn day." she said rolling her eyes and shaking her head with a smile. She was glad to have seen her brother happy about something, but listening to him repeat himself like an excited child grew slightly irritating after a good while and she had just begun to eventually block him out and dwell within her own thoughts only paying enough attention to him in case he had said something beside them going in the right direction and making sure she wasn't falling behind or suddenly lost him.

~~~~

That night after the Ishtar and Raina's leaving, Raco and Asha would eat until they were satisfied and finally get the privacy the both of the so dearly longed for, finally filling in the gaps of contact that had been deprived from the both of them over the time span over over two years of pain and want, need and lust that would overcome them. All only to collapse, barely able to breath a few hours later and curl beneath the blankets and sleep until the morning came.