Dangerous Souls

Healing

Chapter 1-Wrong Key?

A Little Earlier...

"I have to go pick up Madoka at the airport, her plane will be landing soon," Lin said as he grabbed his coat about to head out the door.

"Are you taking Ran?" Naru asked, taking a sip of the tea he just made.

"I don't want to wake her from her nap, she's already a cranky child as it is," Lin said, opening the door. "I should be back before Taniyama gets here."

"Wait, Lin-" But his assistant was out before he could finish. He shook his head with a breath and walked back to his office, making sure to check on the sleeping two year old in his assistant's office. "She should sleep at least until Lin gets back," he said to himself as he peered into the office.

The little girl was on her stomach in a little sleeping bag in front of Lin's desk. By the slow rise and fall of her back, Naru was certain she hadn't woken from Lin's departure. So he carried his tea into his office, but left his door open. He looked at his watch. "Hopefully, she'll sleep until Lin gets back."

As luck would have it, Ran did not sleep until Lin got back. Despite, Naru's door open, he didn't hear her get up until she was in the kitchenette. "Ri? Ri?" she called as she looked in one of the cabinets at her eye level. He wasn't in there, to her disappointment.

She wandered into the main area, but Lin wasn't in there. Tears welled in her eyes as she climbed up on the coffee table to get a better look. No one was in the room at all! She was all alone. A frown spread across her face as her tears fell. "Ri! Ri!"

"Great, she woke up and wants Lin," Naru grumbled. He walked out of his office to see Ran standing on the coffee table. "Ran, you can't stand there." But she didn't hear him, she was too busy calling for Lin.

"Ri! Ri!" Snot had run from her nose as she stomped her feet. Naru grabbed a tissue from the box next to her.

"Lin will be back soon," he said, holding the tissue to her nose. "Blow."

She did so and proceeded to glare at the imposter in front of her. This was not Lin. She wanted Lin.

"I need you to get off the table, Ran." She turned her head and huffed, not budging. "Please, get off of the table?" Naru tried.

Ran pouted and kept her eyes closed. Naru sighed and lifted the girl from under her arms and held her up. Just in time for one of his assistants to walk in. "Uh..." he heard her say as she closed the door behind her.

He realized how odd the scene was. He was never really good with children, so he could only imagine what his face looked like. Ran had taken to glaring at him like he were the devil. "Mai, tea," he said, not moving.

"Naru...where did that little girl come from?" she asked walking up to them. Ran began squirming in Naru's grasp and he hastily handed his petite assistant the child. The little girl latched onto the high schooler, but continued to glare at the manager. "Geez, Naru, what'd you do to make her so angry?"

Naru shook his head and headed for the kitchenette. "I'm watching her for Lin," he answered as he made tea.

Mai followed him into the kitchen as Ran continued her glare. "I didn't know Lin had a daughter."

"He doesn't." He set the kettle on the stove to boil and pulled out a container from the fridge. "Madoka asked him to watch her as a favor." He opened it and pulled out what Mai was pretty sure was a cut up piece of banana.

"So she's Madoka's?" Mai asked as Naru offered to fruit to Ran. She simply deepened her glare and clung closer to the girl holding her.

Naru let out a breath and just put the container on the counter. "She's Madoka's niece. Akiko's daughter," he said, grabbing a cup from the cupboard.