Skip Beat! Fan Fiction ❯ Skipholic ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: kashuneko 
Hitsuzen brings Yuuko to Kyoko.
Anime/Manga: Skip Beat! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.11.2010 | Updated On: 11.16.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 280 | Status: Work In Progress
Hitsuzen brings Yuuko to Kyoko.
Anime/Manga: Skip Beat! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.11.2010 | Updated On: 11.16.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 280 | Status: Work In Progress
Title: Skipholic
Fandom: Skip Beat, with some xxxHolic xover
Pairing: Kyouko/Ren
Rating: T
Length: 6 chapters.
Summary: Karma has always been better at extracting revenge than humans.
DISC: I do not own Skip Beat or any of the characters. These belong to Nakamura Yoshiki and were originally published in Hana to Yume, and licensed through Viz Media in North America.
I also do not own xxxHolic or any of the characters. These belong to Clamp – those crazy mangaka who make us all practically faint for the shonen-ai and then YANK it out from under us. Clamp, if I can have one request, it’s to give us some DouWata love by the end of this series! PLEASE!
Chapter 1
Oblivious to the impossibility of moving stealthily while in a fluorescent pink jumpsuit, LME’s first member of the Love Me division sauntered through the halls of the television studio. She was there on assignment, so it wasn’t like she had to sneak around, right?
The cunning twinkle in her eyes and the devious smirk on her face belied that thought.
In her pocket, her hand held her favorite Shoutaro voodoo doll, unconsciously flicking its nose with a sharp fingernail. She grinned more widely and passersby cringed at the aura of pure darkness she emitted as she started to cackle. “Lucky,” she murmured.
For today, in studio 1, there was a special expo on mediums, and she was going to take this opportunity to talk to one of them about her future plans of revenge. How long would it take to finally beat her enemy? She had no doubt she’d succeed one day, but when?
And today, there were two mediums here in a battle to see which was real.
Oh, Kyouko knew already. The old hag was a fraud. Anyone could see that it was the little girl, Kohane, who was real. After all, she stuck to the truth even when the world turned against her. The girl reminded her of Maria, but with her sadness worn more openly. Kyouko felt the girl was a kindred spirit.
And the girl was here at the station where Kyouko had just completed her delivery of props to studio three. AND, today, Kyouko had almost two hours for a lunch break before she had to be back at LME – which just so happened to correspond to the time before and during the live medium program. It was obviously fate.
As she thought this, a woman stepped into view and turned toward her. The vision stopped her in her tracks.
The woman was tall, almost as tall as Tsuruga-san. Her hair was amazing – long straight tresses that fell almost to her knees and formed a swirling haloed aura as she turned toward the LME employee. THIS woman was the epitome of what a woman should be, what Kyouko strained to become. Such grace and beauty. Such self-possession. Her eyes grew wide and dreamy and she clasped her hands in front of her bosom, falling into her own daydream of what it would be like to command a room with that much authority.
And then, the woman stopped in front of her, an amused smirk painted on her face. “I’m flattered that you think so well of me, Mogami Kyouko-san.”
The rich tenor voice cut through Kyouko’s daze and snapped her to attention. “How- how do you know my name?”
“It’s my job to know the name of my clients,” she smiled languidly like a cat, owning every inch of her surroundings. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Ichihara Yuuko. I am known as the Witch of the Dimensions, the Witch of Space and Time. And I am here today to help you.”
Noticing the girl glancing past her, toward studio one, Yuuko laughed softly. “I can understand your desire to meet sweet Kohane-chan. But her gifts are not the ones you need right now. Kohane merely sees spirits. She won’t be trained in reading the future for another 10 years.”
Was this girl really an actress? Yuuko smiled at how transparent her emotions were displayed for all to see. From fawning envy over Yuuko’s self-possession to awe that Yuuko had come to see her, to confusion, to disappointment, to shock at how Yuuko seemed to know everything about her.
“I, on the other hand, have information that will be vital to your future.” She clapped her hands once. “Alright then. Follow me!”
Blinking, Kyouko followed behind her. She had no idea why she was following, but what else was there to do? “Where… where are we going?”
Over her shoulder she declared, “This will be a conversation that will take almost all of your lunch break, so we will talk over lunch. Your treat, of course.” She sighed. “Ah what a shame, you’re too young for us to get sake. Oh, well.”
XX
“You’re a bright girl.”
Raising one eyebrow, Kyouko responded, “There’s nothing free in this life. And I doubt that this lunch I’m buying you,” she gestured over the beef bowls the two were eating, “is enough to even the debt of whatever information you’re about to give me, so before I agree to hear anything from you, I have to know: what is this going to cost?”
The predatory grin lit Yuuko’s face. “As in all things, payment must be equal to the item purchased – neither too much nor too little is acceptable. So. I will tell you something VERY important for… let’s say two of those lovely little dolls like the one in your pocket.” The high school girl grabbed at her pocket as if to protect a treasure and the witch laughed. “Oh, no. I don’t want one you’ve already made. These will need to be a custom job.” She pulled out a picture of two high school boys, one scowling, and the other gazing at him with an amused and rather fond smirk. She set on top of the picture two small locks of hair.
Kyouko’s brow furrowed. How did this woman know about her dolls in the first place? But she was distracted from her questions by the images in the photograph. The two boys were actually quite attractive. The shorter, bespectacled one had turned his back on the smirking one. And while the two boys were so very different in appearance, even through the picture she could sense that these two belonged together like a matched set. That made the whole request seem even more strange. What did the witch need the dolls for? Was this… this witch out to harm these two boys? To separate them? Or…
“My charges. Like lodestone and iron, but also like water and oil. Either way. Yet they fight their own hitsuzen. The dolls will help them pass some important hurdles – for their ultimate good, of course.” She muttered to the side, while smiling, “My amusement will simply be a pleasant byproduct of the whole process.”
They each continued eating as Yuuko explained further the deal that was to be made. “Once you’ve fully understood the importance of what I have to tell you, I will make my second offer. Do you accept the terms of my first offer?”
Concentrating, Kyouko considered. Making two dolls would be simple. She could have them done within the week. And she didn’t sense that they would be used for nefarious purposes. Well, not TRULY nefarious anyway… Somehow, she had the feeling that it would make no real difference if she made them or not – what would happen to those boys would happen regardless. So why not benefit from it?
She nodded and Yuuko’s grin grew wider. Now that it was settled, it was time to get to business. “So what is this vital information you needed to tell me?”
As she reached into her bowl for another bite of noodles, the witch declared, “In your quest for revenge, you’ve forgotten something very, VERY important, Mogami Kyouko-san.” She slurped up the noodles.
“Wh- What?” Kyouko was on the edge of her seat, gripping her chopsticks tightly at either end.
Yuuko used her own to gesture as she said, “Karma.”
Cocking her head as she set hers down, Kyouko replied, “Karma?”
“When contemplating revenge, Mogami Kyouko-san, one can never forget the importance of Karma. I can understand your passion. Fuwa-san used you, took everything you had to give and thought nothing of you or your love. You were something disposable in his life, and now, the goal to show him the error of that way of thinking burns within you – so strongly that you’ve grown your grudges into a fine defense force. And yet…”
She paused and took a sip from her bottle of Ramune. “Every time you try to take action on your own, take your revenge into your own hands, it blows up in your face. Every time to try to directly take action against him, you end up falling further behind. Is this not so?”
Kyouko’s cheeks burned and she stared into her beef bowl. It was all true. It shamed her.
“Ah, there is no reason to feel remorse. This happens because revenge is something to be savored from the sidelines as the gods mete out their punishment, it is not something to be pursued on your own. Karma is that retribution, sprung from the hands of the gods – and they dislike interlopers. Have you not noticed that you make the best advances when you’re focused on improving yourself, your own situation? It’s only when you deliberately try to punish Fuwa-san that you’re brought to heel. When the gods dispense karmic retribution, they take great pleasure in it, Kyouko-chan. You mustn’t stand in their way.”
Slamming her palm down on the table, Kyouko cried, “But I can’t just give up!”
One finger waggled at her, “Trusting in the gods’ hunger for vengeance is not giving up. You’ll also be pursuing your own improvements – ones that will achieve your end goal without sullying your own kind spirit. It’s hitsuzen. It was hitsuzen that you follow him here, that he betray you, that you become an actress, that you follow the path you’re now on. It is even hitsuzen that you met me today. However, it is your choice whether or not you believe me when I tell you that if you truly want that boy to be put in his place, you’ll need to trust in the gods for your revenge and focus on simply improving yourself.”
Kyouko bit her lower lip as she thought. This woman – who knew more than she should, more than any human person possibly could – was telling her that she needed to give up her revenge. But that… that would leave her with nothing. Revenge was all she had!
“Now, now. There’s more to you than just revenge, isn’t there?” Yuuko responded. “You’re on the road to becoming a great actress. You’ve got friends who support you, friends who love you from the bottom of their hearts.” The witch’s smirk disappeared as her eyes grew very serious. “You want to beat Fuwa Sho, then get out from under his thumb. Right now, you’re tied to him in every way. Everything you do is because of him. Still. Just as if you’d never left that little apartment and allowed him to continue to run your life.”
Probing eyes looked the actress up and down. “Or are you still hoping he’ll come crawling back to you so that you can be with him again? Are you really still in love with him?”
A gasp ripped from the blond girl. “NO! No. I… I hate him.”
She chuckled. “Ah, Kyoko-chan. Hate is not the opposite of love. Hate is just another side of the same coin. Indifference. Indifference is the opposite of love.
“Think about it. Fuwa-san himself attempts to nurture your hatred, does he not? This is because it keeps him alive in your heart, keeps you connected to him. By keeping him your primary focus, he remains your most important person. How much more would it hurt him if you walked past him and didn’t even notice his existence?”
Kyouko’s mouth gaped. It was true. It was right. If she walked past Shoutaro as if he didn’t even exist, he’d completely wig out. After all, his aim was to be noticed by all of Japan. Acting like he didn’t exist would be a true slap in his face. It was enough to make her want to giggle. But… even so, as she thought about Sho her grudges started flying, anxious for a fight. She knew herself too well. There was just no way she could pretend that he didn’t exist.
With lightning speed, Yuuko reached out and snatched one of the little grudges. Holding it, she began to stroke it, petting it with one finger. “Mm. These really are quite handy, aren’t they? And so cute. But… they could use some rehabilitation.
“Kyouko-chan, the dolls you’ll be making this week will be payment for the advice I’ve given you. Once I receive them, we’ll be even – no debt on either side. However, I would like to borrow these from you for a bit. If you’d lend them to me to use for my own task, I could retrain them for you at the same time. The loaning of them would be your payment for the retraining. You’d get them back ready to act as protection, but without the single focus of hatred. They’ll be much more efficient. And you’ll be able to free yourself from Fuwa-san entirely.”
“Le- lend you… but… but…”
“Hmm…” Yuuko mused. “Yes. I see. We wouldn’t want to leave you unprotected. How about we take just two for a start? When they’re ready, I’ll send them back, and you can send me two more? We’ll continue trading until they’re all rehabilitated and you’re finally healed of your pain.”
“I… I…” The grudges swirled around her, begging her not to give up, reminding her of all the horrible things Sho had done to her. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair. And did she really want to give up on so many years of history? If she agreed to this, her feelings – even her rage – would fade so that she didn’t care about him. Did she really want that?
She did, but… she also didn’t. Sho had been so important to her life. And, he would continue to rise – because he did have talent. He wasn’t just a copycat, like those stupid Beagles. He had more talent in his little pinky than those jerks had among their whole band.
Yuuko slyly commented, “I do wonder how you can truly defeat him if you’re unconsciously supporting him in everything you do…”
Oooh. That hurt. But… Yuuko-san was right. Her need for revenge tied her to Sho. And as long as she was tied to Sho, she’d never have that missing ingredient that the President said she needed to truly become an actress. She had a new life now. She had friends like Moko and Maria. She had her most important sempai, Tsuruga Ren, whose very existence illuminated Sho as nothing but a spoiled brat, and who, unlike Sho, continually supported her in her own career as an actress.
That was it then. There was no other way to be free. She held one of the grudges and cuddled it. Then, turning aside as if she couldn’t bear to watch, she handed it to Yuuko, who nodded graciously as she took this second grudge from the girl. The witch held the grudges, who were fighting, struggling to be free, very close to eye-level and said, “Do not fret little ones. I guarantee you’ll enjoy your time with me. You’re going to help fight demons. And on top of that, you’ll get to help me with my two young ones. Oh, this will be so much fun!” At her words – and even more at the deviousness in her tone – they settled down, mischievous grins alighting on their faces.
XX
Fandom: Skip Beat, with some xxxHolic xover
Pairing: Kyouko/Ren
Rating: T
Length: 6 chapters.
Summary: Karma has always been better at extracting revenge than humans.
DISC: I do not own Skip Beat or any of the characters. These belong to Nakamura Yoshiki and were originally published in Hana to Yume, and licensed through Viz Media in North America.
I also do not own xxxHolic or any of the characters. These belong to Clamp – those crazy mangaka who make us all practically faint for the shonen-ai and then YANK it out from under us. Clamp, if I can have one request, it’s to give us some DouWata love by the end of this series! PLEASE!
Chapter 1
Oblivious to the impossibility of moving stealthily while in a fluorescent pink jumpsuit, LME’s first member of the Love Me division sauntered through the halls of the television studio. She was there on assignment, so it wasn’t like she had to sneak around, right?
The cunning twinkle in her eyes and the devious smirk on her face belied that thought.
In her pocket, her hand held her favorite Shoutaro voodoo doll, unconsciously flicking its nose with a sharp fingernail. She grinned more widely and passersby cringed at the aura of pure darkness she emitted as she started to cackle. “Lucky,” she murmured.
For today, in studio 1, there was a special expo on mediums, and she was going to take this opportunity to talk to one of them about her future plans of revenge. How long would it take to finally beat her enemy? She had no doubt she’d succeed one day, but when?
And today, there were two mediums here in a battle to see which was real.
Oh, Kyouko knew already. The old hag was a fraud. Anyone could see that it was the little girl, Kohane, who was real. After all, she stuck to the truth even when the world turned against her. The girl reminded her of Maria, but with her sadness worn more openly. Kyouko felt the girl was a kindred spirit.
And the girl was here at the station where Kyouko had just completed her delivery of props to studio three. AND, today, Kyouko had almost two hours for a lunch break before she had to be back at LME – which just so happened to correspond to the time before and during the live medium program. It was obviously fate.
As she thought this, a woman stepped into view and turned toward her. The vision stopped her in her tracks.
The woman was tall, almost as tall as Tsuruga-san. Her hair was amazing – long straight tresses that fell almost to her knees and formed a swirling haloed aura as she turned toward the LME employee. THIS woman was the epitome of what a woman should be, what Kyouko strained to become. Such grace and beauty. Such self-possession. Her eyes grew wide and dreamy and she clasped her hands in front of her bosom, falling into her own daydream of what it would be like to command a room with that much authority.
And then, the woman stopped in front of her, an amused smirk painted on her face. “I’m flattered that you think so well of me, Mogami Kyouko-san.”
The rich tenor voice cut through Kyouko’s daze and snapped her to attention. “How- how do you know my name?”
“It’s my job to know the name of my clients,” she smiled languidly like a cat, owning every inch of her surroundings. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Ichihara Yuuko. I am known as the Witch of the Dimensions, the Witch of Space and Time. And I am here today to help you.”
Noticing the girl glancing past her, toward studio one, Yuuko laughed softly. “I can understand your desire to meet sweet Kohane-chan. But her gifts are not the ones you need right now. Kohane merely sees spirits. She won’t be trained in reading the future for another 10 years.”
Was this girl really an actress? Yuuko smiled at how transparent her emotions were displayed for all to see. From fawning envy over Yuuko’s self-possession to awe that Yuuko had come to see her, to confusion, to disappointment, to shock at how Yuuko seemed to know everything about her.
“I, on the other hand, have information that will be vital to your future.” She clapped her hands once. “Alright then. Follow me!”
Blinking, Kyouko followed behind her. She had no idea why she was following, but what else was there to do? “Where… where are we going?”
Over her shoulder she declared, “This will be a conversation that will take almost all of your lunch break, so we will talk over lunch. Your treat, of course.” She sighed. “Ah what a shame, you’re too young for us to get sake. Oh, well.”
XX
“You’re a bright girl.”
Raising one eyebrow, Kyouko responded, “There’s nothing free in this life. And I doubt that this lunch I’m buying you,” she gestured over the beef bowls the two were eating, “is enough to even the debt of whatever information you’re about to give me, so before I agree to hear anything from you, I have to know: what is this going to cost?”
The predatory grin lit Yuuko’s face. “As in all things, payment must be equal to the item purchased – neither too much nor too little is acceptable. So. I will tell you something VERY important for… let’s say two of those lovely little dolls like the one in your pocket.” The high school girl grabbed at her pocket as if to protect a treasure and the witch laughed. “Oh, no. I don’t want one you’ve already made. These will need to be a custom job.” She pulled out a picture of two high school boys, one scowling, and the other gazing at him with an amused and rather fond smirk. She set on top of the picture two small locks of hair.
Kyouko’s brow furrowed. How did this woman know about her dolls in the first place? But she was distracted from her questions by the images in the photograph. The two boys were actually quite attractive. The shorter, bespectacled one had turned his back on the smirking one. And while the two boys were so very different in appearance, even through the picture she could sense that these two belonged together like a matched set. That made the whole request seem even more strange. What did the witch need the dolls for? Was this… this witch out to harm these two boys? To separate them? Or…
“My charges. Like lodestone and iron, but also like water and oil. Either way. Yet they fight their own hitsuzen. The dolls will help them pass some important hurdles – for their ultimate good, of course.” She muttered to the side, while smiling, “My amusement will simply be a pleasant byproduct of the whole process.”
They each continued eating as Yuuko explained further the deal that was to be made. “Once you’ve fully understood the importance of what I have to tell you, I will make my second offer. Do you accept the terms of my first offer?”
Concentrating, Kyouko considered. Making two dolls would be simple. She could have them done within the week. And she didn’t sense that they would be used for nefarious purposes. Well, not TRULY nefarious anyway… Somehow, she had the feeling that it would make no real difference if she made them or not – what would happen to those boys would happen regardless. So why not benefit from it?
She nodded and Yuuko’s grin grew wider. Now that it was settled, it was time to get to business. “So what is this vital information you needed to tell me?”
As she reached into her bowl for another bite of noodles, the witch declared, “In your quest for revenge, you’ve forgotten something very, VERY important, Mogami Kyouko-san.” She slurped up the noodles.
“Wh- What?” Kyouko was on the edge of her seat, gripping her chopsticks tightly at either end.
Yuuko used her own to gesture as she said, “Karma.”
Cocking her head as she set hers down, Kyouko replied, “Karma?”
“When contemplating revenge, Mogami Kyouko-san, one can never forget the importance of Karma. I can understand your passion. Fuwa-san used you, took everything you had to give and thought nothing of you or your love. You were something disposable in his life, and now, the goal to show him the error of that way of thinking burns within you – so strongly that you’ve grown your grudges into a fine defense force. And yet…”
She paused and took a sip from her bottle of Ramune. “Every time you try to take action on your own, take your revenge into your own hands, it blows up in your face. Every time to try to directly take action against him, you end up falling further behind. Is this not so?”
Kyouko’s cheeks burned and she stared into her beef bowl. It was all true. It shamed her.
“Ah, there is no reason to feel remorse. This happens because revenge is something to be savored from the sidelines as the gods mete out their punishment, it is not something to be pursued on your own. Karma is that retribution, sprung from the hands of the gods – and they dislike interlopers. Have you not noticed that you make the best advances when you’re focused on improving yourself, your own situation? It’s only when you deliberately try to punish Fuwa-san that you’re brought to heel. When the gods dispense karmic retribution, they take great pleasure in it, Kyouko-chan. You mustn’t stand in their way.”
Slamming her palm down on the table, Kyouko cried, “But I can’t just give up!”
One finger waggled at her, “Trusting in the gods’ hunger for vengeance is not giving up. You’ll also be pursuing your own improvements – ones that will achieve your end goal without sullying your own kind spirit. It’s hitsuzen. It was hitsuzen that you follow him here, that he betray you, that you become an actress, that you follow the path you’re now on. It is even hitsuzen that you met me today. However, it is your choice whether or not you believe me when I tell you that if you truly want that boy to be put in his place, you’ll need to trust in the gods for your revenge and focus on simply improving yourself.”
Kyouko bit her lower lip as she thought. This woman – who knew more than she should, more than any human person possibly could – was telling her that she needed to give up her revenge. But that… that would leave her with nothing. Revenge was all she had!
“Now, now. There’s more to you than just revenge, isn’t there?” Yuuko responded. “You’re on the road to becoming a great actress. You’ve got friends who support you, friends who love you from the bottom of their hearts.” The witch’s smirk disappeared as her eyes grew very serious. “You want to beat Fuwa Sho, then get out from under his thumb. Right now, you’re tied to him in every way. Everything you do is because of him. Still. Just as if you’d never left that little apartment and allowed him to continue to run your life.”
Probing eyes looked the actress up and down. “Or are you still hoping he’ll come crawling back to you so that you can be with him again? Are you really still in love with him?”
A gasp ripped from the blond girl. “NO! No. I… I hate him.”
She chuckled. “Ah, Kyoko-chan. Hate is not the opposite of love. Hate is just another side of the same coin. Indifference. Indifference is the opposite of love.
“Think about it. Fuwa-san himself attempts to nurture your hatred, does he not? This is because it keeps him alive in your heart, keeps you connected to him. By keeping him your primary focus, he remains your most important person. How much more would it hurt him if you walked past him and didn’t even notice his existence?”
Kyouko’s mouth gaped. It was true. It was right. If she walked past Shoutaro as if he didn’t even exist, he’d completely wig out. After all, his aim was to be noticed by all of Japan. Acting like he didn’t exist would be a true slap in his face. It was enough to make her want to giggle. But… even so, as she thought about Sho her grudges started flying, anxious for a fight. She knew herself too well. There was just no way she could pretend that he didn’t exist.
With lightning speed, Yuuko reached out and snatched one of the little grudges. Holding it, she began to stroke it, petting it with one finger. “Mm. These really are quite handy, aren’t they? And so cute. But… they could use some rehabilitation.
“Kyouko-chan, the dolls you’ll be making this week will be payment for the advice I’ve given you. Once I receive them, we’ll be even – no debt on either side. However, I would like to borrow these from you for a bit. If you’d lend them to me to use for my own task, I could retrain them for you at the same time. The loaning of them would be your payment for the retraining. You’d get them back ready to act as protection, but without the single focus of hatred. They’ll be much more efficient. And you’ll be able to free yourself from Fuwa-san entirely.”
“Le- lend you… but… but…”
“Hmm…” Yuuko mused. “Yes. I see. We wouldn’t want to leave you unprotected. How about we take just two for a start? When they’re ready, I’ll send them back, and you can send me two more? We’ll continue trading until they’re all rehabilitated and you’re finally healed of your pain.”
“I… I…” The grudges swirled around her, begging her not to give up, reminding her of all the horrible things Sho had done to her. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair. And did she really want to give up on so many years of history? If she agreed to this, her feelings – even her rage – would fade so that she didn’t care about him. Did she really want that?
She did, but… she also didn’t. Sho had been so important to her life. And, he would continue to rise – because he did have talent. He wasn’t just a copycat, like those stupid Beagles. He had more talent in his little pinky than those jerks had among their whole band.
Yuuko slyly commented, “I do wonder how you can truly defeat him if you’re unconsciously supporting him in everything you do…”
Oooh. That hurt. But… Yuuko-san was right. Her need for revenge tied her to Sho. And as long as she was tied to Sho, she’d never have that missing ingredient that the President said she needed to truly become an actress. She had a new life now. She had friends like Moko and Maria. She had her most important sempai, Tsuruga Ren, whose very existence illuminated Sho as nothing but a spoiled brat, and who, unlike Sho, continually supported her in her own career as an actress.
That was it then. There was no other way to be free. She held one of the grudges and cuddled it. Then, turning aside as if she couldn’t bear to watch, she handed it to Yuuko, who nodded graciously as she took this second grudge from the girl. The witch held the grudges, who were fighting, struggling to be free, very close to eye-level and said, “Do not fret little ones. I guarantee you’ll enjoy your time with me. You’re going to help fight demons. And on top of that, you’ll get to help me with my two young ones. Oh, this will be so much fun!” At her words – and even more at the deviousness in her tone – they settled down, mischievous grins alighting on their faces.
XX