Mending Fences

Chapter 1

NO ONE'S POV:

    Yuri, Natsuki and MC sat in front of Monika and Sayori's lawyer, which was Lila.  She shuffled the papers and sighed. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, rubbing her eyes slightly as she tried to compose herself. 
   "Thank you all for coming, this has been a very...difficult time for all of us..." she stared at the picture of her and Monika on her desk, next to the picture of her three boys. Tears started pooling in her eyes, "I'm sorry. " her voice cracked. "I'm sorry,  I just... this is so hard...she was my little sister..." she whispered taking shallow breaths.

  "It's alright Lila,  there's no rush." Yuri promises sweetly and Lila buries her face in her hands, struggling with wrangling her emotions. It took her a few more minutes before she straightened and shuffled the papers once more.

   "Right...I'll start reading the will then... I M-Monika Salvato and my wife Sayori Salvato of sound mind and body leave our house and estate to our oldest daughter Naomi Lila Hara  Salvato, our publishing company and Monika's writing company to our boys  Benjiro (Benny ) Hindly and Denji (Denny) Blaine ..." she listed what each child got before she continued further  "in the case where something should...happen to us we leave our children in the care of our dearest friends and our family Yuri and Natsuki Tanaka  to care for and look after until adulthood and if something were to happen to them then we should hope family of some sort would take them in. To our dear friends MC and Annie Toki we leave you Sayori's psychiatric practice to do what you will with until Rosie comes of age..." after she finished reading a heavy silence filled the room. Lila sighed looking at Monika's friends and family and sighed. "If you all need some time, we can reconvene here in thirty minutes..."

Yuri had dragged Natsuki from the room and onto some chairs in a waiting room. Natsuki collapsed into the first chair she caught sight of, burying her face in her shaking hands.
   "This is completely insane how do they expect us to take in four children under the age of nine?" Natsuki whispered brokenly as she kept her face hidden in her hands, trying not to cry. Yuri lowered herself into the seat next to her wife and lover and leaned against her shoulder sniffing back tears of her own.

  "I don't think any of us ever thought this would happen." Yuri's voice shook with each word and Natsuki started to back up to get a better look at her, but Yuri hooked her arm around her shoulders and held her in place. "Don't we owe them that much, their final wish was for us  to take their children in." Natsuki felt her heart break as she felt her wife's tears splattering against her hands and face. She tragically recalled her best friend's last words to her.

   I'll never forgive you for this

   "Let's do it then, we know the kids, we won't be doing it alone either,  Monika's mom, your mom and dad, Kayte, Tammy, Cassie, Axle, Lila,  heck even MC and Annie... they'll all help us I know they will...and if your brothers weren't away in Europe I'm sure they'd help too." Natsuki exclaimed gently pulling away to look Yuri in the eyes. Yuri smiled slightly, her teary eyes brightened considerably.

   "Oh Natsuki I know it will be difficult with you working late at the police station, and trying to get your cook book published,  but what if I become a tutor instead and quit my teacher job, then I could be home with the kids or bring them with me." It dawned on Natsuki that Yuri had been thinking of this a lot, her expression was hopeful and determined and Natsuki smiled reaching out she grasped her wife's face in her hands and kissed her fully.

  "Then we're doing this." She agreed, stroking Yuri's cheek with her thumb and Yuri smiled moving over she rested her cheek against her shoulder holding her tightly.
   "We can do this Suki. " she whispered.
.....................    ....................   .......................

    A knock sounded on their front door of their house and Natsuki rushed to answer it. Nikole stood there holding little Rosie, who was sound asleep in her arms.
   "Auntie Natsie!" Benny and Denny screamed practically tackling her in a hug.
   "I got a car!" Denny exclaimed holding it up and Natsuki smiled about to comment on it when Benny shoved his book in her face.
   "I got mommy book!" He exclaimed and upon further inspection Natsuki saw that it was indeed Monika's latest children's book she had just published last March. "Look mommy!" He turned the book around showing his aunt a picture of Monika that was plastered on the back under author.  Natsuki nodded unable to form words over the lump in her throat.
  "Those are great you two." She finally managed and they nodded merrily, not quite understanding what had happened.

  "Yeah!" Denny agreed holding up his little green car once more. "Mama gave me the car!" He made vrooming noises as he ran it along the furniture merrily.

Then little Naomi walked in, her eyes were trained on the ground,  she clutched her yellow baby blanket in her hands tightly and her expression was pained. She wouldn't meet anyone's gaze as she slowly walked over and sat on the couch wrapping herself in her blanket.

   "Hey aunt Niki!" Yuri exclaimed coming from the kitchen. Yuri drew her in for a gentle hug,  Natsuki knew the poor woman had been through a lot this year, first Steven dies from a heart attack and now Monika and Sayori.  Niki hugged her tightly, holding her closely as she passed the baby to Natsuki carefully.  Natsuki looked down at the little baby and felt her eyes water once more.

  "Ganma?" Benny whispered tugging on her shirt. Slowly the woman broke from Yuri's embrace  gently and knelt in front of the little boy.
   "What is it little prince?" She whispered softly and he held the book out for her to see.
   "Will mama read me this? When she uh come back." He whispered and Nikole stood turning from him she held in her tears and looked to Yuri and Natsuki intently and lovingly. "I'm not sure love" before she hugged each grandchild and Yuri and Natsuki.

   "Take good care of them. I'll be back this weekend my darlings..." she slowly turned and walked out the door.

   "Auntie Yuwi read to me peas?" Benny held up the book and Yuri nodded kindly, as she lifted him into her arms and started over to the couch.

   "Benny the bunny rabbit..." she whispered as she read the title and turned the page carefully. Benny snuggled into her side and smiled at the book happily.
    "Mommy named bunny Benny like me!" He proudly proclaimed and Yuri smiled slightly.

   "Did she? That's wonderful Benny. " she praised and he smiled brightly.  Natsuki carefully approached Naomi as she sat Rosie down in the bassinet Yuri had put in the livingroom.

  "This isn't fair aunt Natsuki. " she whispered clutching her knees tightly. Natsuki leaned closer and Naomi sniffed softly. "Why'd they have to leave?"

To Be Continued....

Hey guys here's chapter 2 hope you enjoyed