Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Princess ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me.

“It's only while we're at school!” Yoh whined. “Please? I can't take her to school with me every day!”

“Nein,” Faust said.

“What, you'll take her for nine days?”

“No! Nein means no!”

“Oh. You could have just said no.”

“Well, I can't take Anna. You'll have to take her to daycare.”

“She'll hate that!”

“Oh, I am so sad.”

“Please take Anna?”

“No! I am not a babysitter!”

“Fritz? Who is on the phone?” Yoh heard Eliza ask in the background.

“Yoh. He wants us to babysit little Anna.”

“And you told him yes, of course.”

“Well…well…uh…”

“FRIEDRICH FAUST!” Eliza roared. “YOU WILL SAY YES IMMEDIATELY! I WILL TAKE CARE OF HER!”

“Um…Yoh? Eliza says…we can take her,” Faust said meekly.

“Great! I'll be by tomorrow at seven-thirty!” Yoh said.

Yoh was standing at the front door of the clinic by seven twenty-nine. Anna was perched on his hip, fast asleep and wearing her little nightgown. “Good morning, Faust,” he said cheerfully.

“Why is she still sleeping?” Faust asked.

“Because she's only a baby,” Eliza said. She held out her arms. “Give me the little one.” She cooed softly as Yoh handed Anna to her. “What a little beauty. Hello, sweetheart.” Eliza smoothed the yellow blanket around her. “What time should I put her down for her nap?”

“After she eats lunch, which is usually around eleven,” Yoh said. “I have her clothes and toys in her bag.” He leaned over and kissed Anna's cheek. “Take good care of her. I'll be back around three.” Yoh waved goodbye.

Faust looked down at the little girl. “So…” he said. “What do we do now?”

“We are going to be her babysitters,” Eliza said. She petted the soft fine hair. “What a pretty little thing. Look at her, Fritz. Such a cherub.” Eliza carried the sleeping baby into the office and laid her down on the cot, tucking her in snugly. Faust shrugged and went back to work.

About an hour he was interrupted by a high, thin wail. “I'll get her, I'll get her,” Eliza said, hurrying past him.

Anna was sitting up in bed, hugging her stuffed duck and crying slightly. “Hello, my little darling,” Eliza cooed. “Good morning. Did you have a good sleep?” Faust leaned back in his chair and looked into the clinic room. The sleepy toddler leaned heavily against Eliza, sucking on her pacifier as Eliza dressed her in a white tee shirt and a pink overalls jumper with white flower embroidering on the chest pocket and hem. “Let's go get some yummy breakfast, okay?”

Faust quickly went back to work as Eliza came in. “Say good morning to Anna, Fritz,” she said.

“Hello, Anna,” he smiled. Anna opened and closed her little hand in a wave.

“Say hello to Papa Fritz, Anna,” Eliza coaxed.

“Hi-hi, Papa Fritz,” the baby repeated.

Eliza kissed the side of her head. “That's my sweet little girl,” she praised. She bounced the toddler on her hip. “Breakfast time, liebchen, yummy breakfast.”

Faust returned to his paperwork. He was too busy to play with a child, no matter how cute she might be.

It was around lunchtime that Eliza poked her head into his office. “Fritz?” she said.

“What do you want?” he sighed, smiling.

“I have to run out to the store for a minute. I need you to put Anna down for her nap,” Eliza pleaded. “Please?”

“Sure,” he said.

“Danke,” Eliza beamed. “I'll be back in about an hour.”

True to her word, Eliza was back at exactly twelve-thirty. She tiptoed into the clinic. “Fritz?” she whispered. “Fritz, where-“

Faust was sitting at his desk, working. He was writing with his right hand, and his left arm was cradling a snoozing toddler. Anna slept soundly with her golden blonde head resting on his big broad shoulder. Her small arms were clasped around his neck. Faust looked up guiltily at his wife.

“She didn't want to sleep alone,” he started to explain. “She kept clinging to me, so…” He rested his cheek lightly on her head. She sucked peacefully on her pacifier, the little plastic piece bobbing up and down. “Am I a fool?”

“Of course not,” Eliza smiled. She kissed first her husband's lips, then Anna's forehead. “You're a wonderful man who deserved to have a baby of his own.”

Anna whimpered into Faust's shoulder, twisting and squirming in a baby dream. Faust set his pen down and snuggled her against him, patting her narrow back with his big hand. She settled down quietly.

“You go take care of her,” Eliza said. “I'll take care of the paperwork.” Faust smiled at her and stood up, cuddling the toddler. He murmured something into Anna's soft chubby cheek.

“You like a little snooze, baby? A little snoozie for Anna-chan?” Faust kissed the innocent baby lips. “That's my liebchen.”

He put the toddler down for her nap and let her sleep while he and Eliza worked. Around two-thirty they heard a little wail. Faust leaped up from his desk. “Good morning, madchen,” he said, scooping her up into his arms. Anna stopped crying and buried her face in his chest, her round cheeks warm and rosy from sleep. “Let's go see Mama Liza, all right? Mama Liza can get you some snackies.”

“Snackies?” Anna repeated.

“Yes, baby,” Eliza cooed, taking Anna. “Let's get something in your little tummy before Yoh comes for you, okay?”

When Yoh came home, Anna was happily perched on Faust's lap, nibbling on a cookie and giggling as Faust bounced her on his knee. “Yoh!” she squealed, reaching for him. Yoh picked her up, grinning as he felt her soft chubby warmth and breathed in her soft sweet baby smell. “I good for Papa Fritz and Mama Liza!” Anna chirped.

“That's good, sweetie,” he smiled. He patted her little back. “So, do you mind watching her every day while I'm at school?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” Faust said quickly. “She's very sweet, very easygoing.” He held his arms out to the baby. “Give me a kiss goodbye, liebchen?” She obliged, kissing Faust's cheek soundly. Then she stretched towards Eliza and kissed her.

“Bye-bye,” Anna said sweetly. She wrapped her arms around Yoh's neck. “Pony ride! Pony ride, Yoh! Pony ride!”

“All right, all right,” Yoh laughed, swinging the giggling toddler onto his shoulders. “Here we go!”

He gave Anna a piggyback ride all the way back to the house, opting to skip the bus ride for the wide-awake toddler. She wound her fingers in his thick silky hair, shouting with glee as she bounced on his back.

“Yoh?”

“What, baby doll?” he asked, blushing as an older woman smiled and laughed at the sight of the bouncy toddler on his shoulders.

“Why don't I have a mommy and a daddy?”

Yoh winced. He had been dreading this question. Luckily Anna rattled on to another question before he could answer. “Could Papa Fritz and Mama Liza be my mommy and daddy?”

“No, honey,” he said. “They can't be your mommy and daddy.”

Anna pouted. “Why?”

“Because you have a real mommy and daddy, but they can't take care of you,” Yoh said. Keiko had never really told him much about Anna's family; he only knew that they had abandoned her.

The little girl's chin began to tremble. “I want a mommy and daddy,” she said.

Desperate to cheer her up, Yoh jostled her up and down, tickling her little knees.

“You'll have a mommy and daddy,” he said. “Give me a smile.” She obliged, her smile widening and turning into a giggle as he squeezed her tummy.

“All right, Anna-baby,” Yoh said. “Time to get down. I have to unlock the door.” Anna skipped around him, singing a happy little nonsense song. “That's funny. I thought I locked this…”

“Mom called me,” Hao said. “She said-“ He looked down at the chibi. “Oh…f-“

“DADDY!” Anna squealed. She went running to Hao, stretching her little arms out. “Daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy!” Hao's eyes widened as she ran to his arms, leaping into his embrace. “Hi, Daddy!”

“Anna, I'm not your daddy…” Hao stammered. “I'm not, really, I'm not your daddy…” He picked her up by the back of her dress and held her out at arm's length.

Anna leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Daddy,” she sighed, petting her tiny hand against his shoulder.

Hao melted.

“Aw, Daddy wuvs you too,” he said, nuzzling her cheek. “You is my pwecious widdle girl, yes you is.”

Yoh cleared his throat.

Hao blushed.

Anna kissed Hao's cheek.

“Daddy,” she said sweetly. “Will you buy me toys?”

“Anything you want,” he said.

“Hao, you'll spoil her,” Yoh said.

Hao pinched her rosy little cheek. “Nothing could ever spoil my little Anna,” he said, petting her silky blonde hair. “Daddy wuvs his widdle cutie baby dollie-“

“Fine. Then you get to give her dinner and put her to bed,” Yoh said. “I'm going to go for a run. Good luck, Hao!” Hao stared at him, stunned, as Yoh kissed Anna goodbye and started off on his jog.

There was a moment of silence.

“PLAY WITH ANNA, DADDY!” Anna squealed. “PLAY PLAY PLAY!”

“What do you want to play?” Hao asked warily.

“House!” she said. She nuzzled her little nose against his cheek. “I want to be the mommy. Ducky can be the daddy.”

“And what about me, pookie?” Hao asked.

“YOU GET TO BE THE BABY!”

So when Yoh arrived at the house an hour later, he discovered a very interesting sight.

Hao was crammed into Anna's crib, his legs hanging off the sides. The tiny blonde was patting his hair and singing a little lullaby. Yoh grinned as he recognized his own song.

“As funny as this is,” he said, sneaking up behind the chibi and swooping her up into his arms, “it's time for this little one to go sleepies.”

“Not sleepy yet!” Anna protested. Her arguments turned to giggles as he swung her around and blew raspberries on her tummy.

“Go pick up your toys and I'll get you some dinner,” Yoh said, setting her on her feet. Anna toddled away at top speed.

“Thank goodness!” Hao groaned. “My butt is asleep! Help me out!”

“Sure,” Yoh said. “But first…” He pulled out a camera.

“No! Noooooo!”

Clickclickclick…

Pause.

“Are you done?”

“Almost.”

Click.

“Okay, now I'm done.”

All of a sudden Anna ran into the room, sobbing. Yoh dropped to his knees and opened his arms to her. “Anna, Anna, oh, honey!” The little girl wailed into his shoulder. “What is it, baby? What happened?”

“I falled on the stairs!” Anna sobbed. “I falled and it hurt! It hurt bad!” Bruises were rapidly developing on her forehead, arms, and knees. A red scrape was beginning to ooze blood on her chubby cheek.

“Okay, sweetie,” Yoh soothed. He lifted her up, cradling her like a baby. “I'm here. I'll take care of you.” He kissed her lightly. “It'll be okay. I'll get you some ice for your owies.”

Hao watched his brother cradle the child. Anna's soft fair hair tumbled over Yoh's shoulder, blending with his dark hair. Hao smiled; it reminded him of an incident from long ago.

Four years ago…

“Anna!” Kino shouted. “Anna, get over here!”

The tiny ten-year-old scurried over to her mentor. “Yes?” she ventured shyly.

“We're hungry. Go make dinner,” Kino ordered.

Yoh started to stand up. “I'll help,” he offered.

“No,” Kino said. “Anna will be caring for you when you're married. She needs to learn how to cook. She's such a stupid little creature; it'll take years for her to learn properly.”

Yoh looked over at Anna. The little girl was peeling carrots, studying the careful orange curls as if she hadn't heard. But there was a slight shift of pallor in her face. He sat there, watching her out of the corner of his eye. After a while he started to fall asleep, but a sharp cry startled him.

“Anna?” he called.

“N-N-Nothing!” she stammered. “I just…I just…”

Yoh leaped up from the chair and dashed over to her. “Anna, that's not good!” he blurted out. The small blonde was clutching her right hand. A deep gash ran from the tip of her index finger to the heel of her palm. Blood ran over her small hands. Anna had gone completely white. “Anna, it'll be okay. I'll go get my mom and she can take you to get stitches.” He put his arm around to steady her, surprised that she didn't slap him. “Just don't look at it and you'll be-“

“Anna!” Kino stormed over and slapped Anna across the face. “How could you be so careless, you little brat?”

“I'm sorry…” Anna whispered. Tears were rising in her dark eyes. “I didn't mean…the knife slipped…” Yoh felt her shaking. Her skin was cold. He tore off part of his shirt and wrapped it around her hand.

“Don't help her, Yoh,” Kino snapped. “She is here to take care of you. She doesn't matter.” She pulled Anna away from Yoh. “Bandage your hand and finish our dinner.” Anna nodded. She staggered back over to the counter and picked up a paper towel.

And Yoh could only stand there.

The little girl's tears had died down into sad little whimpers. Yoh nestled her into the couch, surrounded by her blanket and her duckie. “There we are,” he cooed, holding a small icepack against her forehead. “That's my baby.” She hiccupped, staring up at him with wide teary eyes. Yoh kissed her cheek. “Just lie still and let me take care of you.”

Anna's tiny fingers wound tightly around his, gripping him tightly.

Hao smiled.

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