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Chapter Text

Haneda Airport, Tokyo, 2020

Seventeen hours. It had been precisely seventeen hours since the plane from London had taken off on a multi-stop journey to Fuyuki City in Japan. From here in Tokyo, there was only a single, hour long connecting flight to go.

So the last thing Shirou Emiya-Tohsaka needed was, along with his very pregnant wife and their mutual partner, to be promptly sidelined into some back room by airport security and forced to wait for three hours. 

As for said pregnant spouse, Rin Emiya-Tohsaka looked like she was going to pop a blood vessel, kept calm only by the constant, gentle ministrations of their blond compatriot.

Still, even a constant drip feed of Saber would only contain the fury of Tohsaka for so long, so it was with a good deal of relief when the door finally opened and a pair of women strolled through. 

The relief was immediately dissipated by the realization that one of them wasn't human and was wielding a katana. The silver haired creature also reeked of blood, though she didn't seem to be one of the vampiric Dead Apostles at least.

The human woman, a white haired scientist of middle age at most, seemed to be in charge however, or at least was doing the talking. Her lab coat clearly identified her as an employee of Mid Biotics Information, one of the largest and most powerful corporations on the planet. This both explained how she might have the clout to acquire non-human muscle, and made the situation all the more tense. Fortunately, talking seemed to be how this was going to start. "So," the woman began, irritation plain on her face as she scanned over each individual in turn, "I'll give you a chance to come clean first, I suppose."

"Come clean? Come clean about WHAT?!" The Tohsaka volcano finally erupted, "Shirou breathed into that stupid security gizmo and next thing we know you've boxed us up and are treating us like criminals!" His wife's patience was never her strongest feature, and this particular circumstance would try that of a saint, to say nothing of it occuring while she could pop any day now.

"Rin," Saber's soft voice, despite maintaining a normal volume and the tone of a soft reprimand, cut through all, "you must remain calm in your present state." Notably, though addressing Rin, the blonde never broke eye contact with the mysterious non human, who had taken up a spot in the corner.

The scientist paid no mind to the furious, pregnant grad student, and instead focused on Shirou himself. "I don't know who you are, or what you thought you'd accomplish by pulling this stunt, but again: you've got ONE chance to deal with me, instead of Karasuba."

The threat was noted, but...  Shirou scratched his auburn hair, "I truly have no idea what you're talking about. We were told that the new security system was experiencing a mechanical error and that we'd have to talk with the technician for security reasons. That's the extent of my knowledge, beyond a promise that the airline would compensate us for this delay."

The woman looked for a moment like she was about to give the Karasuba creature the go ahead, but decided against it, instead reaching into her coat and pulling out a tablet with some sort of breathalyzer apparatus attached via USB cable. "All right, let's say I believe that, you won't object to another test and some questions?"

"That compensation is growing by the second," hissed Rin.

Shirou was very much trying to avoid he and Saber being forced to kill some mystery humanoid and senior scientist in the employ of one of the world's most powerful corporations while trapped with a pregnant Rin in a small lounge of a busy airport. "Of course not, fire away."

Obliging, the scientist offered the breathalyzer, which Shirou exhaled into, before withdrawing it again and reading something on the pad. Her scowl, which had never left her face since entering, softened into a simple, though troubled, frown, before she unplugged and stowed the attachment. Then she made a few further inputs and asked, "name?"

"Shirou Emiya."

"Age?"

"24."

"Occupation and purpose in Japan?"

"Househusband. I'm returning with my wife and our partner to Fuyuki so she can have the child among our friends and family."

More inputs, an odd hint of...panic? sorrow? in her eyes, and then, "names of parents?"

"What in the hell is the relevance of any of this?!" Rin interjected, only for the creature to respond.

"Easy girly, you just need to know that Vice Director Takami wants to know it, capiche?" Karasuba said, though her focus was on the now mutual staring contest between herself and Saber.

Before Rin could escalate, Shirou asked for clarification, "Adopted or biological?"

"...Both."

"I was adopted by Emiya Kiritsugu. As for my birth parents, I'm afraid I don't know."

Silence, and then, "..were you adopted following the Great Fire?"

"...yes?" This affair had gone from irritating, to threatening, to outright confusing.

Takami dropped the tablet, and that broke Karasuba's focus on Saber for a moment, "Oi oi Takami, what're you doing over there?"

Shaking, Takami bent over, retrieved the device, and this time when she looked at Shirou he was struck to see the woman looking at him like she'd seen a ghost.

"I... should explain the nature of the device. It's meant to run DNA tests, without being invasive, and run the results against multiple international criminal databases to track potential security issues but... this was just an unofficial test, so it actually also had the test database of MBI scientists loaded on it."

Shirou remained confused and Saber continued to focus on Karasuba, but something clicked in Rin's mind despite the cloud of anger. "Wait, so when Shirou did the test-"

"It... inadvertently ran a paternity/maternity test," Takami, looking on the edge of a breakdown, put the tablet down on the coffee table the three travelers were seated in front of. The screen displayed only one thing, a photo of what was unmistakably a much younger, smiling Takami, black hair already showing streaks of white. In her arms were two children, a toddler boy and an infant girl, both with black hair. 

And at her side was a boy, probably 6 or so, with bright auburn hair.

As Shirou's brain was struggling to process this shattering of his worldview, Takami began to openly sob as decades old hurt resurfaced, "It.. it was the chicken pox! I didn't think Yukari was old enough to catch it. I sent you to my mother's house so she could watch you while I kept Minato and Yukari. And then, and my mother's house was so close to the center, and I checked so many hospitals," the woman reached out suddenly and clasped Shirou's shoulders, "and so many orphanages and I LOOKED AND LOOKED AND-"

A hand gently touched the weeping scientist's shoulders... but it was not the stunned Shirou's. "So," Rin said, rubbing her temples with the other hand, "this is, assuming your gizmo is right, the least likely thing that has ever happened... but I'll tell you right now you don't have to try and convince him of anything. He believes who you are, he believes how hard you searched, he's just... processing. Trust me." The magus produced some tissues from her purse and offered it to Takami, who seemed to suddenly regain awareness of her surroundings. 

As the scientist turned from the party and tried to regain her composure, Saber finally turned from Karasuba (who was struggling not to laugh) and, after a brief glance at the picture, offered her own thoughts. "This is not really the place for this discussion, and unfortunately while ideally we would perhaps stay in the city for a time to sort this out, as you can see from Rin's condition, we're on a fairly  strict time limit."

 Takami took a deep breath and faced the group again, "Yes, yes of course, you could be giving... birth... Wait that's my-"

Saber continued, "however, given the situation, it would be cruelty to so quickly separate after such a miraculous reunion, may I make a suggestion?

Simply join us in Fuyuki. After all, it IS your granddaughter that's being born."

Chapter Text

The next hour was a flurry of arguments, phone calls, and arrangements. Having an actual task to complete allowed Takami to pull herself together and reassert her usual attitude of dominance and unflappability, at least outwardly.

The actual arrangements were trivial to complete. Takami was the second highest ranking leader of one of the world's most powerful corporations, with effectively unlimited finances and immense clout, if less so than the maniac CEO. She quickly arranged for the airline to refund the party's entire fare, round trip, and for the three of them plus Takami herself to be put on a private MBI jet post-haste.

Takami was initially hesitant to accept this Saber's invitation. Not because she didn't want to go, although her son's dazed and confused countenance and his wife's obvious discomfort made the blonde's offer somewhat less appealing. Her real concern was that she might push too hard and drive him away, because she was effectively a total stranger to him.

Learning that he remembered nothing before the fire was, objectively, not surprising, but it still felt like she was being stabbed in the gut. Takami remembered every second of those seven years, having replayed them in her mind endlessly for the last sixteen. But effectively her baby, her Takehito, didn't exist anymore. She'd made peace with that, as much as one possibly can, except now here he was.

The tiny little redhead she'd once doted on had grown big and strong, his skin slightly tanned and his hair showing signs of the same early greying she'd gone through. What's more, he had a wife and... a second wife? It was unclear and not something Takami felt bold enough to pry at yet. Whatever her precise status, Takehito, no, Shirou, referred to her as a partner to him and his expecting wife.

A grandchild. A girl, the blonde said. 

It is was almost too much to be real, but while she intended on having everything triple checked Takami knew in her gut that the security system hadn't made a mistake. Focusing on that and the task at hand kept her grounded, as did the blonde's measured, calm arguments towards allowing her to come along, arguments she eventually accepted.

Thus came the hard... well not hard, just irritating, part of the arrangements: talking to Minaka.

"I don't understand Takami!" the insane CEO of MBI yelled into the phone, "You're leaving Tokyo? Now? Why!? The show's about to start!"

"Which is precisely why," Takami said through gritted teeth, "you don't need me to be here anymore. The other techs can finish adjustments and manage collection themselves, and I can always be consulted remotely if needed."

"I... But... But why though!?"

"That, at present, is none of your concern." Takami had long had a policy of keeping her insane ex from interacting with their children. Minato still didn't know who his father was, and while she suspected her youngest might have figured it out, she wasn't about to tell Yukari outright either... well they were both adults, so that might change eventually, but not now.

As for the rediscovered eldest child, Takami would tell Minato eventually. He'd been as devastated by the boy's supposed death just as much as she'd been, and it probably hadn't done much to help Minaka's already questionable sanity. But right now, the situation was too delicate to risk his getting involved. Takami wasn't even sure she could navigate this herself. For much the same reason, she was going to hold off on telling her other children, unfair though that was.

"But... oh fine, go on your mystery vacation, see if I care... Oh! But I thought you should know: Minato has contracted Number 88!" 

Takami's heart skipped a beat. "What? When did this happen?!" 

"Oh, the other day, I forgot to bring it up. He got evicted for having a girl in his apartment, it was pretty funny! ... though now he's ended up at Miya's place."

Worse and worse, she cursed silently, at least nobody will be dumb enough to attack him while he's there... but he's still wrapped up in this.

"Stiiiill want to leave?"

"...yes." Minato would be fine for awhile. Musubi was a scatterbrain but she was a good girl and Miya would keep him out of the cold. This was not an opportunity she could abandon.

"...that important huh?" Minaka's voice was uncharacteristically serious. "Take as long as you need, if that's the case."

---

Shirou never felt comfortable with wealth. He knew he was relatively well off of course, with his large house and modest inheritance from Kiritsugu, but he was never much of a spender. His wife was old money, but most of it just went to her expensive family magic, jewelcraft. The London flat his family lived in was fairly modest, a reflection of his and Saber's tastes and Rin's effective means. His sole experience with true upper class living was playing with Illya in the Einzbern's ridiculous castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki.

But Christmas dinners in a castle were a very sort different sort of rich (though Sella and Illya would likely say a superior sort) from flying in a ludicrously kitted out corporate jet. They'd barely been in the air for ten minutes when all passengers, save the expecting Rin, were given their own bottle of some wine that Shirou had never heard of but strongly suspected would cost multiple months worth of the family food budget at the least. 

Once wine was safely on hand, his... mother, he supposed he was going to have to get used to thinking that, apparently felt safe in breaking the veil of silence. 

"So... you mentioned meeting friends and family for this, do you mind telling me about them?"

This was a fairly safe topic, Shirou decided. "Well, mainly it's Rin's sister Sakura, Sakura's girlfriend Rider, my adoptive sister Ilya, and my former guardian Taiga we're going to meet, but there's others. My best friend Issei is still there, his family are the hereditary priests of the big temple in town, and plenty of our other old classmates are too. Oh, and Taiga's grandfather, Raiga. He took care of me along with her after my adoptive father passed."

Takami frowned at the mention of Kiritsugu. Shirou didn't like it but could hardly blame the woman: Kiritsugu's adoption of him was irregular and bypassed a lot of channels, which is likely why Takami never found Shirou. Of course, from Shirou's perspective, it was only because of Kiritsugu he was alive in the first place. It wasn't a fight he was keen to pick, so instead he tried to redirect the conversation, "So you're the number two at MBI, but what sort of work does that actually entail?"

Takami hmm'd, "Much if my personal work is classified unfortunately. Although I am technically the second most influential person in the company my actual job is head researcher. I work with a lot of our top secret projects and prototypes... which is why things got so serious when we thought there was an espionage incident involving faking being my son... what about you three? What do you do? Take- Shirou, you mentioned being the homemaker?"

Rin was annoyed at being the only one denied the sweet social lubrication of alcohol, but dived in anyway. "I'm a grad student in mineralogy at Birbeck. In addition to my actual studies I make money as a research assistant for several faculty members." All technically true: for mundane legal purposes, all students and faculty at the Clock Tower were registered members of either the Imperial College or one of the University of London's many subsidiaries, of which Birbeck was one. "...well I'm on leave now, obviously." Rin added as an afterthought.

"Will you be going for your doctorate?" Takami asked.

"Of course!" fired back Rin, offended at the very implication she would even consider doing anything less than one hundred percent. 

Takami nodded, visibly approving of her newly discovered daughter-in-law being a full-time academic. She turned to Saber next, who was polishing off a juicy looking steak that had been brought out at some point during the conversation, "What about you, Miss Saber?"

The time traveling High King of the Britons swallowed and took a dignified sip of wine before replying, "I simply teach women's self defense." And it was true, Saber had no interest in working in the den of the Association, nor did her spouses wish to have the predators who administered the place realize there was an incarnated Heroic Spirit running around London. ...Although, the head of the Modern Magecraft department had seen her once, and promptly walked away as fast as he could, his odd assistant scurrying behind.

Another approving nod from Takami, "Very important." 

This was all going far too well for Shirou to be comfortable with.

Saber then added, "I should also mention that, while primarily the homemaker, Shirou helps Rin with her projects and will help me teach from time to time."

"Ah, yes," the man nodded, "I was in the same department as Rin," after all, the inherent magical properties of various materials was just about the only thing he could actually make use of from a Clocktower education, "but I stopped after my bachelor's. I suppose technically it's a waste of my education," Shirou said with a smile.

Takami seemed to absorb this for a moment, then turned back to Rin. "How is he as an assistant?" 

"Passable."

Takami looked back to Shirou, "not a waste then." She downed the rest of her glass.

It felt odd to have this woman he barely knew evaluating him like this, but there was nothing to be done about that. It also was a significant improvement from her having a complete breakdown, so from that perspective he'd much rather things go on like this. 

"Did you have some ride arranged to meet you at the airport?" Takami asked suddenly.

"No," replied Rin, "we were just going to get a cab back to Shirou's house."

Takami pulled out her phone, quite the modern looking one, especially compared to the flip phones he, Saber, and Rin used, and made a few inputs, then said, "a limo will be there when we land."

...was this what rich people who weren't technophobic magi lived? 

Well, fine, whatever. A bigger problem was looming anyway, getting closer by the second: how were they going to explain any of this to anyone once they arrived?

Chapter Text

True to Takami's word, there was a limo waiting for them (on the tarmac, in fact) when they touched down at the small airport set a distance from the Shinto District of Fuyuki. The vehicle was marked prominently with the MBI logo and guarded by two seemingly identical men in suits, drivers and hired muscle at once, both of whom quickly ushered the passengers into the vehicle while they saw to the luggage.

"Your men are quite... punctual," Saber noted mildly, as she inspected the interior. 

"When you have a lot of hands there's always some to cover whatever comes up," replied the scientist, somewhat tipsy and clearly considering indulging further from the no doubt well stocked drink compartment that was visible between some of the seats. Shirou judiciously decided to sit between her and said cabinet. Whether this was taken as a signal or she simply decided against it, her focus shifted towards her son instead, "Shirou, what's your address?" 

"Shouldn't I tell that to the driver?"

"I'm going to put it into the gps," she said, indicating a computer console set into the divider between the front seats and main passenger area. "That'll give him directions."

Accepting this explanation, Shirou answered and watched as his mother entered the address into the computer. "So, before all this," Takami waved her hand in a circle, "happened, didn't you all have some kind of itinerary? I'll help with that in any way I can. Unless the only time limit is biological."

"I have an appointment tomorrow at Fuyuki General," Rin said, "I'm not actually due for another two weeks, but since it could happen at any time they want to be sure I have the routine down for checking in here."

Takami leaned her head back as the limo started moving, "Two weeks? Mmmm, cutting it close on that flight," she gestured to Shirou, "your younger sister was born three weeks early. Kids abhor schedules before they've even seen daylight."

"...It was the best we could do," replied Rin, mildly irritated at being critiqued by someone she'd met all of 3 hours ago over something they had limited control over. 

"Then I'll give you the best I can do," the older woman remarked. "Once you're settled in for today, we can arrange for whatever kind of on-call care you want. Also, consider all your expenses this trip covered."

That was too generous, in Shirou's eyes, "Wait, whatever extra medical care you can arrange is obviously welcome, but you don't have to go further than-"

"No, I don't have to," she snapped, more fiercely than she meant, and she immediately looked contrite. After a deep breath, she continued, "I want to help. I... understand right now, we're basically strangers. So I don't know you well enough to offer anything deeper, but even if it's just something as shallow as money, let me help with that. I haven't..." she trailed off.

"Shirou," Saber interjected, before Rin could jump on the offer of money in an overly blunt fashion, "if she wishes to offer aid, allow her to do so. Treating an offer she has given as if you are burdening her would be insulting to her generosity."

With mixed emotions, Shirou let the matter drop. "So you've mentioned my siblings, what are they like?"

Takami fumbled with the window as she fished around in her coat for a cigarette, "Minato's twenty. He's a ronin, lives with his girlfriend in an old boarding house, works as a bartender at a host club." She grimaced, "He's plenty smart, but can't handle pressure, so he always bombs his exams," the woman successfully recovered her tobacco, made eye contact with her daughter in law, then returned it to its place with a sigh. "I worry about that boy, but there's not much I can do about his nerves. Maybe that girl of his will be able to help better than I can.

As for your sister, Yukari's nineteen, in her second year at Shindong Women's. Biology, of course," she added the last part with a note of pride.

"I'll be happy to meet them," he said, and it was true. Disorienting as these revelations were, it was exciting to go from an orphan to someone with three blood rela... wait, three? There should also be-

"You haven't mentioned the father," Rin noted, charging forward without the slightest bit of hesitance.

The older woman now studiously avoided eye contact with any of the other passengers, "...well, yes. That man is... around." She glanced out the window, watching Shinto roll by for a moment before continuing, "...I'll introduce you to him eventually, but this is all complicated enough, so I ask that we table him for another time."

The pregnant mage raised an eyebrow at that. "No matter how bad your relationship with him is, surely Shirou deserves-"

Shirou reached out and took his wife's hand, "It's fine, Rin. In the first place, my father is Kiritsugu," he ignored Takami's scowl at that comment, "I'm not in any rush to meet someone else. Besides, she's right about this being complicated enough."

Mollified for now by this, Rin stepped back to a less incendiary topic. "Have you told Shirou's siblings?"

Takami shook her head, "Minato recently went through some rather dramatic revelations of his own, I'm going to put off adding to his plate for just a bit. I'll tell Yukari as soon as possible." Left unsaid was, 'if this whole thing doesn't collapse in on itself before then.'

Chapter Text

The sleek new limousine contrasted heavily with the traditional Japanese house it stopped in front of. As the driver and bodyguard rushed to unload the luggage, the locals led the way in, with Takami following behind.

"You think anyone's in right now?" Shirou asked.

"School should be over, but Sakura and Taiga might still be working," Saber replied. 

"Hmm, Sakura's cooking would be nice after being trapped in airline hell," Rin noted, "...but I don't think I've the energy to deal with Taiga at the moment."

"Hey now, she's mellowed out a lot in the last few years," Shirou said, coming to the defense of his older sisteresque ex-guardian. "Although really I think it'd be ideal if nobody was home at all, consid-"

The front door slid open at lightning speed just as Shirou was about to reach it, and the young man was caught in a flying-tackle hug, with a cry of "TAIGA FUJIMURA, READY FOR AUNTING DUTIES!"

As Shirou was lifted up and swung around by the smaller woman, Takami hung back by the front gate, studying the scene and the setting in equal measure. So this is where my Takehito grew... well he said that Emiya had died, but he wasn't alone at least. 

After a few moments, Taiga roughly dropped her now slightly dizzy ex-ward and turned on the girls, "And of course here's our mama! Ah, Rin, Rin, you look great! And you too Saber!" 

 Rin managed an exhausted wave, while Saber smiled and replied, "It's good to see you again Taiga. How is Mr. Raiga?"

Taiga pouted and crossed her arms, "Hale, hearty, and pestering me to get married, the old goat. The other day he even had the nerve to go, 'even Shirou's having a kid, so hurry it up.' Like having a family is a race!" Both arms punched the air, "Life is for one's own pace, old timers can mind their own business!" She whirled back on Shirou and both hands clapped down on his shoulder, "Hey hey Shirou, don't you ever become pushy like that okay? Just stay as you are and do what your lovely wives and big sister tell you to do."

 Shirou brushed past the implications of his limited autonomy with long practice. "The boss is just worried about you Taiga, you know that. More importantly, I need to introduce-"

At this point, Taiga finally took notice of the distant Takami, locking eyes with the older woman for a moment. Without breaking eye contact, she leaned towards Shirou, "...Hey, hey Shirou... there's a real ice queen/cool beauty type over there. Also a fancy car and some guys. Wait, actually, did you come here in that? Who's that lady? Did you pick up ANOTHER girl? Saber and Rin are both responsible and there's love so it's fine but you can't just go grabbing older ladies off the street and-"

"Okay sorry, pregnant woman here, long flight, long day, no energy for this conversation." Rin announced, "Good to see you Taiga, but I'm going to go lay down. Saber, help Shirou with," she gestured vaguely at the approaching Takami, "this whole thing." Without even waiting for a response, the expecting mage vanished into the house.

"...Anyway, as I was saying sis," Shirou continued as he gestured to the scientist as she came to a stop next to him, eyeing Taiga curiously, "this is Takami Sahashi. We met her by chance at Haneda. She's... um... my mother."

Taiga was dead silent for a moment, and then exploded, "WHAAAAAAAAAAT? NO HANG ON, WHAT'S WITH THAT DRAMATIC REVELATION, HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST SWALLOW THAT?"

"I understand that it's difficult to believe Taiga," Saber interjected, attempting to mollify the raging teacher, "but it seems she truly is-"

"DIFFICULT? DIFFICULT? TRY IMPOSSIBLE SABER?!"

"Pardon," Takami's voice cut it, "but if you could not talk about me like I'm not here, that'd be appreciated. As for it being a shock, I just discovered a son I thought buried sixteen years ago is alive, married, and soon expecting. Kindly don't talk about 'dramatic revelations' in my presence." A fight with her rediscovered child's sister figure wasn't ideal, but she couldn't help but lash out a bit at being called into doubt. 

Taiga locked eyes with Takami again, then after a moment lowered the arms she'd been waving, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, it was the less commonly seen Taiga The Adult. "...Well if Shirou and Saber say it, I'll believe it... he's my little brother though, so I'm watching you."

Takami returned the stare with her own and, hearing the two staffers rolling up with the luggage, decided not to push the matter further. Genes or not, she understood her position with her son and his family versus this woman perfectly well. "... I'll accept that."

Desperately wanting to refocus the conversation, Shirou asked the first thing that came to mind. "Uh, Taiga, so, who else is here right now besides you? Were you having dinner with Rider and Sakura"

"Oh!" said Taiga, "Er, no, just me. Sakura had to stay late grading papers. Once she finished with that she said she would come with Rider.

Shirou cocked his head to one side in confusion, "Wait, why were you here by yourself then?"

"Um, like I said, grandpa's been bugging me lately, so I just wanted some time with myself and some shirozake. I was watching TV when you came in."

Shirou nodded, that made sense, as far as Taiga Behaviour went. "Well since nobody's had dinner, let's stop standing in the yard! Saber, can you show those guys where to put the bags and set Miss Saha- my mother up in one of the guestrooms?"

Saber turned to her husband and nodded, "Of course. I'll put her in the west wing, so she can have the space to herself. Please," she gestured to Takami and the staff, "come along."

With a final glance at Taiga, Takami complied.

Chapter Text

The locals' luggage was quickly placed in the appropriate rooms by the staff, and after a brief discussion with Takami both the driver and bodyguard departed, leaving MBI's top researcher and Saber by themselves. Saber then showed Takami to a small room at the western end of the mansion.

In contrast to the almost cartoonishly traditional rest of the mansion, this room had a distinctly western decor, including a proper bed. The small blonde informed Takami that she was welcome to rest, and that someone would come get her when dinner was ready.

Not wishing to inflict her presence further on the suspicious guardian for fear of upsetting Shirou, Takami decided to simply isolate herself for now, flopping backwards onto the bed as soon as she was alone. 

Hands found hair and started to pull, "Good god what is happening?" This didn't feel real. Takami wasn't normally so prone to wild emotions. Today, she'd been swinging between practically disassociating completely (where she would collect and judge information as if it was a lab experiment) and huge spikes of emotion. She'd lashed out, gotten drunk, and even completely broken into hysterics in front of complete strangers (and worse, Karasuba). 

It was so humiliating she was almost sure she was having some bizarre nightmare. Soon she'd wake up and be trapped back at MBI, dealing with aliens, a lunatic, and being haunted by a son and parents who'd been lost to ashes. 

She pulled her hair just hard enough for it to hurt. Unhealthy behavior, she could objectively understand, but in the moment it helped ground her. 

Taking out her phone, she decided to follow-up on one of the many orders she'd given while arranging the flight.

<Lab 18, have you finished examining the samples you were sent?>

She sent the message, a few beats passed, and a response appeared.

<Round one results confirm positive match. Rounds two and three still to come, Vice Director.>

<Continue rounds 2 and 3, report when each round finishes.>

<Yes ma'am.>

Well.

The second and third rounds were a matter of pure paranoia, in truth. Between the initial match and the first confirmation round, barring outright hallucination, she was without question in the home of her lost son, expecting a granddaughter.

That certainty, while still disorienting in its own way, at least removed whatever possible threat of this being an overly elaborate ruse or even just a mistake.

The threat of burning bridges before they can even be built however, very much remained. 

And on top of that, of course, her phone decided right then to suddenly play an old children's show them she'd set for someone who used to love it.

Takami considered letting her daughter go to voicemail and trying to sleep some, but thought better of it and answered. "Afternoon Yuk-"

"BIG BROTHER GOT A GIRLFRIEND AND SHE'S GOT GIGANTIC-"

Takami hung up, waited a few moments, then answered when it rang again. 

"I'm sorry for shouting," said the suitably chastised voice of Yukari Sahashi.

"Too right," Takami remarked, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Now, as for your brother, okay, he has," an alien, "a girlfriend. Good for him. Why call me about it?"

"...I wanted to gossip?"

"And the first thing out of your mouth is an inappropriate remark because?"

"I REALLY wanted to gossip."

 "..."

"..."

"...well in any case, what Minato does with others is his business, leave your brother be."

"But you get in his business all the time!"

"Hm, you want your allowance cut?"

"I'll be good."

Takami hesitated for a second, then, "Listen, Yukari, I have to talk to you about something very important. And under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you to tell Minato or anyone else without my explicit say so."

"Um... okay Mom. What is it?"

"It's... It's about your brother. Not Minato, Takehito.

The other end of the call was silent. Unlike Minato, Yukari didn't even have vague memories of the eldest Sahashi child, knowing her sibling only as a shrine photo she had lit incense for her whole life.

He wasn't a verboten subject like the sibling's father, but he was certainly not a comfortable one. For the Sahashi matriarch to bring up her late eldest was nearly unheard of. "...what about him?" It was genuinely confusing.

"I...well I found him."

"...ah, what?"

"I found him. At Haneda airport. I'm at his house in Fuyuki. His wife is expecting in two weeks. "

"Mom... are you feeling-"

"No, no Yukari, I'm not feeling okay," again, losing control, this time at her daughter," I'm feeling like I've gone insane. But also, I know I haven't, because I've had my coworkers check and double check the DNA. Yes Yukari, this is ACTUALLY HAPPENING."

Again, silence. Partly because of the revelation but also simply because Yukari was used to Minato being the one who got yelled at. Speaking of which, "That's... that's wonderful mom! Like, insanely good! So... Uh... Why are we not telling Minato?"

"Because he has enough on his hands at the moment."

"...this seems like it's more important that whatever big brother has his hands in or on."

"That's not what I mean! Look, just... just trust me, leave Minato alone for now. I'll tell him soon."

"...mmm if you say s- wait did you say his wife is expecting? I'm going to be an aunt!? WHERE IN FUYUKI?"

Chapter Text

Shirou Emiya was somewhat at a loss.

"No absolutely not! This is delicate enough without-"

On the one hand, the conversation wasn't unrelated to him.

"-and I don't care what fuss you make about it I'll-"

But on the other hand, he wasn't supposed to be listening to it either.

"-of course it involves you but it doesn't immediately need -"

Of course on some theoretical third hand, there wasn't much helping listening to it, considering the volume it was being held at. Paper walls certainly had some downsides...

"Yukari, I am imposing enough as it and I can't-"

Well, he'd only come to mention dinner was ready but...

"Please excuse me," the young man said, pulling the door to the guestroom open. It was a bit rude, but well, sometimes it can't be helped.

Takami nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden entrance. "Takeh- er, Shirou!" 

A voice came out of the phone, "Wow is that him!? I want to talk to him!"

That brought the irritable scientist back to the conversation, "Listen you-"

She was cut off by her son clearing his throat. "Ahem. Normally I'd not get involved in some else's conversation, a private call no less, but, if I may?"

His mother bit her lip for a moment, then nodded for him to continue.

"Right. So..." he trailed off for a moment, then said, "Pardon me for eavesdropping, but based on what I heard, that's my sister, right?" Another nod from Takami. "Can you put her on speaker?" 

A moment's hesitation, then Takami obliged, "She's on."

"Thank you. And hello!" the young man addressed the caller brightly, "I think we've technically met before, but seeing as neither of us remember, allow me to introduce myself: I'm Shirou Emiya. I believe you're Yukari?"

The line was quiet for a moment, then, "Wow, this is SURREAL!"

"Yukari..." a warning growl from the mother.

"Er- right, I'm Yukari Sahashi! Nice to um, meet you properly? ...sorry I don't really know what to say about this."

"Ah, that's actually part of what I wanted to discuss." He glanced at the floor, then at Takami, "Actually, first, I'd like to say: I don't think you are imposing, Miss-"

"Just Takami. Please." Shirou thought that sounded a bit hurt, but couldn't say why.

"Takami, then. I don't think you're imposing. You were outright invited, first of all. And we have plenty of room, not to mention you've got a perfectly good reason to be here. Likewise, I don't mind if you come, Miss Yukari. I'd just need to discuss it with my wife first.

...I don't think any of us really knows how to handle this situation, but I know I'd like to figure it out. Family is important, yes?" He smiled at Takami, who seemed a bit taken aback. "Oh and of course, our brother can come too. Um, Minato, I think?"

"Minato is tied up at the moment," Takami said, somewhat evasively, "...but I'll let him know when I can."

Shirou scratched his head. It seemed an odd thing to keep quiet, but he didn't know their circumstances.

In a sense, even with the attempted homicide, Ilya was easier than this. At least then, one party knew the relationship! "Well even if he's not here before the birth, he can probably come anytime so long as we're here. Nevermind guests, we're used to people-"

There was a huge crash from the front of the house, followed by a drunken roar, "OI OI, FATHER-TO-BE! I BROUGHT WHITEYLOCKS, YOU'RE GOING DRINKING WITH US, NO EXCUSE!"

Another voice also having lost volume control, "WAIT, HIM? I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING WITH TAIGA, SCREW THIS, I DIDN'T AGREE-"

"OH DON'T BE SUCH A DAMN SOURPUSS ALL THE TIME RED, AFTER ALL, IT'S TECHNICALLY-"

"-showingupuninvitedPLEASEEXCUSEME!" 

Chapter Text

Earlier

Nameless One.

Iron Wrought.

Hero of Justice.

Archer.

Heroic Spirit EMIYA went by surprisingly large number of names for a man who fought and died in near anonymity, but he was fine with all of them so long as they weren't Shirou Emiya.

Following the collapse of the Grail War, he may have abandoned his plans for a suicidal time paradox, but that didn't mean he was going to get all chummy with his younger counterpart either. This timeline's Shirou Emiya spending months, even years at a time on the other side of the planet suited him just fine. 

That the human Shirou had managed to not only reproduce, and thus risk passing on crushing stupidity to the next generation, but would be coming back with Rin and Saber for a year on Rin's maternity leave, wasn't welcome news.

EMIYA had fully intended to keep his distance from the whole affair, but another annoyance had forced itself upon him this particular evening: the greatest Irish hero, and a crate full of bottles filled with some truly hellish moonshine that the Lancer class Servant had dug up from... somewhere.

"Come on Red, you're a da!" Cú Chulainn said, having just chugged another bottle of the mysterious poison, "That's worth a drink and a song, ain't it?" the slim man asked, as he pitched the empty bottle off of the Shinto skyscraper they were perched on and off into the distant forest. "HA! Made it into Einzbern's territory with that one!"

"First of all, I'm not a father, an alternate version of me from this timeline's a father. Don't make me explain the me mechanics of time travel, because I WILL. Second, you of all people aren't known for caring a lot about offspring, so even if I WAS going to be a father, why would you care?"

"Oh aye, my own go at the miracle of life didn't end so great. So there's your first lesson from someone who's done it before: at least learn what they look like so you don't kill them later. As for time travel, horseshit you will, the Tohsaka lass could maybe explain it, but all you did was benefit from it, same as the rest of us."

"'Benefit' is a strong word."

"You were dead, now you're not. If that isn't a benefit, what is?"

"Technically the reason we aren't dead has nothing to do with the time travel."

"Aye aye, the witch lords it over me whenever she gets the chance, DETAILS."

"And anyway, EVEN IF it were my kid, EVEN IF I was alive, EVEN IF I wanted anything to do with the situation," Archer took a swig from his bottle, "NOTHING is worth drinking this garbage you brought."

"It's not garbage, it's just got a kick to it!"

"Lancer, this is basically acid."

"Well I haven't noticed you stopping, ya sour bastard"

Archer down the last, closed one eye, then threw his bottle with pinpoint precision, knocking out the power supply of a particularly obnoxious insurance billboard ad about a mile away, "Not like I've got anything better to do."

"Have you considered, and this is just a thought, not spending your nights camped out on an abandoned rooftop?" the Irishman remarked, words dripping with sarcasm.

"Doing what?" the Japanese man replied, grabbing another bottle from the crate and breaking the neck off.

"Bloody anything! Get a job maybe! You're all... servicey, tend fuckin bar or something at night. Or hell, come to speak of it, a bit of tendin and fuckin proper would unwind you a bit."

"Speaking of which, if you're going to come see me, shower first."

Lancer threw his arms up in the air, "I didn't have time! She practically kicked me out of bed this morning because she was going to be late for work, and she wouldn't let me stay in the house without her around when those three could show up anytime. Then I had to go to work myself and it was late after that and well here we are."

"Truly, yours is a life of hardship."

"Bite me whitehair."

EMIYA poured some booze into his mouth through the broken neck, swallowed, and askaid, "where'd you get this shit anyway?"

"Hm? Oh, I found it."

"You... Found it?"

"Yeah, found it. Crate was floating in the river."

"YOU BROUGHT ME RIVER HOOCH?"

"Yeesh, don't shout. Look free booze is free booze right? More importantly, it's got enough kick, and there's enough of it to get even us going."

Well

He had a point

----

"OKAY,"  the Hound of Ulster said, taking a big swig, "SO I SAY... SAY... I SAY WE GO GRAB OUR THIRD AT 'YOUR' PLACE, THEN... I DUNNO, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT!"

"THIRD?" The counter guardian slurred, confused, "OH, RIGHT, SURE, WE CAN GET HER AND... AND YEAH, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT!"

Chapter Text

Shirou slid out of a run into his home's front entrance to find two of Fuyuki's greatest delinquents drunkenly arguing in it.

"I said I don wanma bring him!" yelled the Red Oni! 

"An I say bringin im ish tah hole point!" yelled the Blue Oni!

"And I say, 'Why are you two here, screaming, in someone else's house?!'" the chef interjected.

The plastered Heroic Spirits turned to Shirou, one with glee and the other content.

"Tah celebrate!" Lancer yelled.

"I wash tricked!" Archer said simultaneously.

Shirou sighed and rubbed his temples. He liked to think he could deal well with most people, but these two together always threw him off his rhythm. "Listen, I don't know what you two have been drinking, but just because we've got an open door policy doesn't mean you can barge in making a racket like this." He assumed his wife's patented Lecture Pose, "Rin is resting, for one thing. We just had a very long flight and she's weeks from birth! On top of that, we have a very important gueeeeeee-" Shirou trailed off mid sentence, and focused on Archer alone.

The 5th Archer.

EMIYA the Iron Wrought.

Formerly Shirou Emiya.

SON OF TAKAMI SAHASHI.

Lancer waved a hand in front of Shirou's face, snapping him back to the present. "Oi, boya? Shorry bout tah noish, but come ooonn, lesh hit the town!"

"No. Nonono," Shirou made a (futile) attempt to shove the Servants out, "you two need to go now, before-"

Shirou's faint hopes of swift ejection were dashed by a voice behind him, "Hey!!!" He spun around and saw Taiga, a sake bottle in hand, waving to the new arrivals! "Ish Lancer and Mr. Grumpypants!"

Shirou was abruptly shoved aside as the Irish hero moved to meet the English teacher, original purpose forgotten, "Yeah! Worksh over, wanted to drink with tah new da! An you, course"

"..not mr grumpypants..." Archer drunkenly mumbled as Shirou pulled himself off the floor.

"You rather are, actually," said a new, cool feminine voice from behind the Counter Guardian. All heads focused on the entryway, where two women stood. The taller of the two continued,"although it's a less harsh way to say it than I would, personally." Rider was, Shirou noted, as... statuesque (haha!) as ever.

He didn't have much time to consider her, or the increasing danger of this situation, however. He was quickly captured in a hug by the other new arrival, "Welcome home Shirou!" Glasses, in his humble opinion, suited Sakura as well as they did her ancient greek girlfriend.

"It's good to be back," he replied with genuine affection. "How's teaching?"

Releasing him, she smiled softly and responded, "I'm advisor for the Archery Club now! They're doing very well, even if it's not quite the team we had in our day."

He nodded, then recalled the ticking time bomb in their midst, "Listen, Archer, you need to-"

"Shirou," Rider interrupted, pointing to the hall leading to the left wing of the estate, "who is that?"

She was, of course, pointing at Takami Sahashi, who'd followed to see what the commotion was.

Chapter Text

Takami had already both heard that her son's family was visiting quite a number of people and gathered that people simply showed up to this home as they liked, but this was a bit ridiculous.

"Hey now boys, where'd ya dig up this gorgeOOF" started the drunk man with the bright blue hair, jeans and a wife beater, before her son's foster sister punched him in the ribs without stopping her current sake pull.

The other new man, smelling similarly pickled and dressed in black jeans, a black T-shirt, and a red windbreaker, simply eyed her with bleary eyed curiousity, swaying a bit.

The shorter of the two new women pulled away from her son, obviously as curious as the taller, who'd verbally questioned Takami's identity.

"Well, Rider, um," Shirou stammered, obviously having hoped not to have this conversation with so many people at once.

Of course he was spared having to find a lead in when the sake fiend came up for air, "SHE'S HISH MOMMA!"

"SHE'S HIS WHAT?" the shorter woman cried.

"Taiga, that's not a joking matter surely?" the taller, Rider, added.

"Huh, neat." The blue drunk said simply, rubbing his side where the blow had struck.

The white haired drunk was blank in expression and entirely silent.

"...yes, well, thanks sis." Shirou said with a weary sigh. He gestured towards Takami, "Everyone, this is Takami Sahashi... my birth mother. I'm sure there's a lot of questions, but maybe it'd be best if we had dinner first? Or at least during?"

Chapter Text

Her son, it seemed, had a strange open door policy.

The combination living room and kitchen was abuzz with activity, which apparently was not unusual, and Takami felt that, for all that people clearly drifted in and out of her son's home, she was more than ever an intruder.

The blue haired man was in an animated, drunken conversation with the foster sister, while the expecting wife had a considerably more hushed conversation with the white haired stranger and her sister's significant other. Meanwhile, her son was in some sort of strange argument/competition with his sister-in-law in the kitchen about who would be cooking and what that would be. The blonde partner was watching, bizarrely, a CRT tv that seemed old enough that the house might have been built around it, very efficiently making her way through a box of crackers while watching the new When The Weather Is Fine episode (which, Takami noted absently, looked awful on said television).

Everyone had a spot to occupy, and nobody seemed terribly interested in trying to force conversation with her. It was, again, very much reinforcing the notion Takami was an interloper. On the other hand, she thought, sipping the tea her son had given her, forced conversation with his friends and family would probably be worse. Everyone seemed content to allow routine and sustenance to take priority over explaining her presence in detail.

"You JUST got home!" The sister-in-law's voice carried over the din, "So as far as I'm concerned, YOU'RE the guest, and YOU could use some Japanese food, and we both know I'M better at traditional cuisine so THAT'S FINAL!" stomping her foot, she pointed out of the kitchenette and, with clear dissatisfaction, her son relented and made his way over to the small table, sitting next to Takami and just behind the tv-watching blonde.

"Is... that a common fight?" Takami awkwardly asked, desperately wanting to talk with Tak- Shirou at least, but still ultimately knowing little about him.

He smiled and laughed a bit, his sour mood over defeat vanishing, "Well, not as much as it used to be, though I suspect it'd still always be like this if I didn't live in London these days." He gestured at the rest of the party, engaged in their own chatter, "people have always been in and out around here. Taiga was the first, she was always coming in back when my da- when Kiritsugu was around." The correction was for her benefit, she knew, and wasn't sure if she should feel guilty about that. She didn't know Kiritsugu Emiya really, but she did know that whatever means he'd picked her son up hadn't been legal, or else she'd have found her son right away. So she'd happily piss on that grave, but that'd do little good for this relationship. A fight best avoided, all told. "It's how she ended up being my guardian... my big sister really." Shirou snorted, "Guardian or big sister, I was always the one feeding her, so it's a bit turned around right? Anyway, Sakura came a few years after that. I taught her about cooking, but she blew past me on traditional food pretty quick." He gestured to his wife, "When Rin started coming by, it turned out she was a genius with Chinese cuisine, so I only had the edge with Western food. The kitchen turned into a turf war after that!" He smiled fondly, memories (that she would never be party to, in truth) practically visible in his eyes.

Takami stared into her cup of tea, "I've never been much of a cook. It's technically all chemistry I suppose, but never the kind I was interested in. My... friends... and I, we founded MBI fairly young, so it was always takeout during late lab nights back then," she took a swig of her tea, polishing it off before continuing, "and of course, eventually the company turned so big that Minaka had us all being fed by personal chefs and going to 3 Star Michelin restaurants for business meetings. I... don't remember the last time I made something myself honestly," she scrunched up her face, sifting through memories, "...or for that matter had what you'd call a home-cooked meal."

"Well then this will be a change of pace!" Shirou replied, not missing a beat. "Course, I can't say Sakura's in any Michelin guide, but well, that makes her Fuyuki's best kept secret!"

"Oi," his wife said, breaking off her conversation with the white haired drunk and purple giantess briefly, "what am I then?" she said, sounding quite serious.

"Uh..."

"She's teasing you, Shirou," Saber said, not looking away from crackers-and-attractive-Koreans appetizer.

Sure enough, Rin's facade dropped and she stuck her tongue out in mockery, "True, but keep talking like that and it might sound like you regret which sister you married!" She then turned back to her compatriots and continued whatever secret chatter they were having.

"Sometimes I wonder if Issei wasn't right..." her son muttered, before turning back to Takami, "Rin's jokes aside, uh, when you say Minaka, you mean Hiroto Minaka I guess?"

Shit. "Er, yes," Takami replied awkwardly, not at all wanting to get into one of her least favorite subjects, "the president. You've seen him on TV or something I suppose?"

"Yeah. I don't exactly pay attention to the business world like Rin or our friend Lluvia do, but you don't forget a CEO who goes around in a cape that easily."

"Better than what he used to wear..." she said on reflex, before immediately regretting it.

"Huh, you mean that's LESS weird than how he used to dress?" Shirou seemed a bit incredulous at the idea, understandably. "You did say you were a founder, so like, this was when you all in college or something?"

"I... would rather not talk about Minaka," she said lamely. "You work with someone like that for a long time, it wears on you."

"Fair enough," he conceded.

Of course, this killed the flow of the conversation, leaving them in awkward silence again. "Uh," Takami wasn't at all used to not knowing what to say, but in this situation, who would? "So, you mentioned most of these people, but who are those two men?" She indicated the blue and white drunks. "Is one of them that Issei friend you mentioned?"

"Oh uh, no, they're uh, just acquaintances. Friends, I guess? The Irish guy is Lancer, the other one is Archer. He's Rin's friend, but he and I don't get on much. Lancer's alright, but he's a worse lush than Taiga and a huge flirt."

Takami was about to ask what the contention between her son and his wife's friend was when, probably fortunately since it could touch a nerve, she was cut off.

"First course is ready~!" the sister-in-law said cheerfully, placing a huge tray covered with gyoza on the table.

…How did she make those so fast?

Chapter Text

Dinner passed by, one course after another. The sister-in-law was, apparently, not merely an excellent cook but a speedy one, laying out spread after spread which fully accommodated the large gathering, even as, Takami noted, several of those present ate surprisingly enormous portions. The biggest eater, surprisingly, turned out to be the tiny blonde, who despite her size and impeccable manners, nonetheless managed to efficiently consume considerably more than even the large man in red or the woman eating for two. 

Accompanying this was a steady flow of beer and sake. Takami personally preferred wine, and had developed a fairly expensive taste in such at that, but certainly wasn't going to turn down the relaxing aid of the bottle in this situation. She remained on the edge of the existing social circle, but eventually had at least some words exchanged with nearly all present, save the man in red and the still suspicious guardian. Oddly, she noted, while her position in MBI was shocking to most, a number of those present, most notably the Irish fellow her son called Lancer, seemed barely aware of the company and shrugged off the information entirely. She was also informed by the woman called Rider that her son's OTHER sister, by his kidnapper, was sick with the flu and confined to her home by the family servants, thus explaining her absence. 

The drip feed of conversation, cups, and plates did eventually die down however, and a now decidedly pickled scientist excused herself from her son's table and shuffled out to the back veranda for air as the party dispersed. Taking a seat on the porch, Takami leaned against a support beam and did a bit of hazy stargazing. As she did this, she idly noted her daughter-in-law slip into a detached building from the main house, offering a glimpse into a comfortable, western decorated room briefly before the door shut behind her. Behind her, the scientist heard the shuffling of feet and exchanging of farewells distantly as people filtered through the house and out of the compound. For her part, she mumbled aloud, chiding herself for getting drunk in front of near strangers again. The stress of all this was somehow worse than any possible alien battle tournament or any of Minaka's worst days. 

She only became aware that she'd briefly fallen asleep outright when someone sat next to her. Dimly through the exhaustion and alcohol, she recognized the light tan and tousled grey hair of her son, as well as his voice. "No need to stir on my account," he said idly, sipping out of a sake cup. Taking that advice for what it was worth, she shut her eyes again, the moonlight being a bit much. "You know," he added, "it's funny, but this is actually exactly where he used to sit."

"Who?" she mumbled in response.

"Em... the man who adopted me, Kiritsugu." Something about the way he'd said it seemed impersonal, compared to the rest of his references that day, but she was drunk and barely knew him, even though he was her son! How was she to know what was normal? 

That brought the weeping again, though in contrast to her breakdown at the airport, this was more like whimpering. Takami reopened her eyes, for all the good it did with the tears and the drink, and buried herself in the surprised man's shoulder. "Bastard," she cursed, "he took you from me... took you from Minato, from Yukari. Even that idiot would be better...." She shouldn't have this fight. She was the stranger, Emiya Kiritsugu was the parent, this could...

A strong armed wrapped around her. "...I'd say I understand your perspective, but that would be a lie." After a moment's pause, he continued, "Which is not to say I hold it against you. Nor do I claim Emiya Kiritsugu was a perfect man. He was the one who saved my life, but as you'd probably say, also the one who took my life away. ...But the life he gave me is the only one I can imagine having led. What happens from now on is a different matter."

Takami continued to cry for awhile in her son's embrace, but eventually fell asleep again.

Once certain she was out, Heroic Spirit EMIYA slicked his hair back again, and carried the woman who could have been his mother to bed.

---

Sterile white halls. Humming machinery. The smell of chemicals and the sound of scratching pens. To his mind, it was like a lullaby, the sights, the smells, the sounds he'd been exposed to since he was still in the womb. Other children might be put off by some of the things in his parents' workplace, but to him it was natural, no different than water and air. 

But his parents arguing, (or at least, Mama yelling), that was something he hated. So he did what any three year old would do, and started to cry. 

The black haired woman in the labcoat turned on her heel and swept down, pulling him into a hug, "********, it's okay, it's okay sweetie," she said, patting his back. "I'm sorry, you were scared right? Wait just a moment," she said, drawing herself up again after he'd pulled it back to sniffling, and picking the boy up as she did. His Mama pushed passed his Papa, and called out into the hall, "Hey ********, can you-, yes, thank you." His Mama handed him off to the grey haired man who shared his name, then closed her office door. 

"Well Junior," the man he called Uncle said, "Looks like your Dad's in the doghouse again. But don't worry, they'll make up, they always do!" The boy wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but it sounded comforting. The man held the boy in front of him and asked in a conspiratorial whisper, "Hey buddy, you want to see something cool!?"

"Like Ultraman?" His Papa didn't say many things that made sense, but that Ultraman was cool was always a clear point. 

"Oh you are his kid huh. Well no, not quite like that, but pretty cool." The scientist cradled his charge and shuffled off, deeper into the facility. 

Several flights down, ******** was starting to get a little nervous. He was used to many strange things about his parents' workplace, but he'd never been down in these darker sublabs. But just as he was about to get upset, they passed into a large, brightly lit chamber. It WAS pretty cool, as promised. Lots of blinky lights, whirring machines, and busy workers. His father always insisted that blinky lights were key to anything important. 

The main feature of the room though, was... the boy wasn't sure what they were, at first. There were lots of them, all hooked up to various computers and each other by a vast web of wires. 

"There's 108," His Uncle said, "but we could only wake up the one so far." He directed the boy's attention to one of the objects, which was opened and revealed... a bathtub? Why would a tub close up? That seemed dangerous. "Oh, and speak of the devil. HEY, ****, COME HERE, I WANT YOU TO MEET SOMEONE!" His uncle yelled, waving across the room. The boy followed his uncle's line of sight all the way across, over to a long head of purple hair. The woman it belonged to turned around, made eye contact, and-

___

Emiya Shirou woke with a start. After a moment's breath, he sat up, idly disentangling himself from the still sleeping Saber. "That dream..." He was already having trouble pulling the details of it together, it drifting out of his mind like a true dream instead of lingering like the shared memories of a servant. "Was that when I..." he shook his head. Dreams could be based on memories, but shouldn't be treated as the same. 

He could ask his mother, he supposed, whenever she got up. In the meantime, he pulled himself from bed, "Better make breakfast... and I should go see Illya today."

Chapter Text

Shirou entered the main area of the house to the somewhat unusual sight of a Rin who was actually up before him... though no more together for it. The woman was irritably brushing her hair while sitting in the living room, a hungry, laser eyed glare fixed on the coffee machine in the kitchen. 

"Rin, no."

"Just one cup couldn't hurt..." she muttered.

"You've made it almost the whole way without, you can get through a few more days," he responded in a soothing voice, gently grabbing the brush from her and taking over her task. Vague grumblings were all he got in return. "Why are you up so early anyway?" he asked.

"You try having staying asleep with a nearly viable human being crushing your bladder," was Rin's surprisingly coarse reply. 

"Fortunately I am spared that particular experience."

"Oh really? I think Illya and I could come up with a way for you to if we worked together..." was the dangerously sweet reply. 

"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I was out of line, so let's forgive and forget such dangerous thoughts please?" 

"I'll let you off this time." Really, she could be so...

"Well in any case, I'll be making breakfast. Your appointment is in the afternoon, so I'll put something together for everyone and then go see Illya. I'll be back in time to take you so...." The mage trailed off as his wife turned and looked at him like he'd grown a second head. Well, he was very used to being the one in the wrong at this point. "Or maybe you had a different plan?"

"Shirou," Rin said, in a tone that brooked no argument, "You're not going to Illya's OR my appointment, what are you talking about?"

There was no other way to respond to that kind of stubbornness but confusion. "What? Of course I'm going to go. She's my sister who I've not seen in so long and she's sick. As for your appointment, why would I not go for my wife and daughter?" 

"Shirou," now she was in full 'idiot education' mode, "you are spending time with the mother you've been separated from your whole life today."

"Oh." Well maybe he was being an idiot actually. "Wait, that's perfect, she can come too!"

"You can't bring your mundane mother to the castle, and a hospital appointment is not bonding you moron."

Those were both reasonable enough points... "Wait, is she actually a mundane though?" Something about the initial encounter sprung to mind, "She had... whatever that thing was as muscle."

Rin thought on that for a moment, "While that is notable, and there certainly are extremely wealthy and powerful mundanes who are in the know, she's not necessarily one. That woman could have been brought in by MBI's CEO, someone else in the company, a third party, or just working with them undercover. Don't assume anything and go running your mouth." 

He deflated a bit at that, "It'd be good to introduce her to Illya though, right?" 

"You'll have the chance to do that, I'm sure. Today just, I don't know, go out with her. Or stay in and talk. Or whatever she wants to do. If she does actually want to come to the appointment after all then that's fine, she did say she'd offer MBI resources, but don't push her into doing something so tedious."

"Mm, we'll go with that then." Shirou nodded, then finally rose and went to the kitchen. It was Saturday, so if he didn't start soon there was a chance Sakura would appear and steal his kitchen again. 

---

After reviewing the stock of the fridge, Shirou eventually settled on a fairly standard "one soup, three dishes" arrangement. He wasn't Sakura, but he could do that much in his sleep. Factoring amounts however...

"Let's see, Saturday morning..." he muttered, picking through his mental schedule for possible extra mouths. "Sakura might come, and if she does so will Rider. The tiger will show, the cat is sick, the dog goes to work," he continued to mutter as he portioned out eggs, broccoli, mackerel, and other ingredients. "We've got our guest of course, then one for me, double for Rin, and triple for Saber.... and two more portions for safety." Satisfied he'd created enough cushion for all possible comers, he set to work.  

Grilled mackerel. Tamagoyaki. Blanched Broccoli. Standard miso for the soup. Simple white rice. Pickled daikon for cleansing. Green tea and coffee for drinks. Dishes so ingrained he essentially entered a trance... enough of one that he didn't notice the rest of the house had one by one stirred and been joined by Taiga at the table. Nor did he notice that while his wives spoke with his elder sister, his mother had slipped into the kitchen, poured herself a bit of the coffee, and was watching him cook. 

It wasn't until he turned to grab a particular knife that he actually noticed her. "Oh! Good morning."

"Good morning," she replied, sipping her coffee, "that's quite the amount."

"Ah, yes, well as you saw last night, we get a lot of visitors. I've been trained to make extra since I was quite small." He looked up and down, noting her clothes. "If you'd like to borrow some of Rin's clothes I'm sure-"

"I can say with confidence your wife doesn't want to loan her clothes to someone she met yesterday," Takami cut him off, then, regretting that, added, "though I appreciate the offer. I told Yukari to bring some of my clothes. I'll meet her at our hotel room when she gets here this afternoon. I can survive until then." Years of lab work had conditioned her to sleeping overnight in the same outfit anyway. 

"Hotel room? I invited-" his mother shook her head. 

"No, please, I insist. Despite everything, the fact is you don't..." a pained look flashed on her face, but she suppressed it quickly, "you don't really know me, much less her. I can't just fill up your home like that."

Letting random people take over his house was something Shirou was as used to as breathing, but she seemed insistent, so he ceded the point. "If it makes you more comfortable. Either way, breakfast will be ready soon, so you can take a seat," he said with a smile. 

He didn't mean it as a dismissal, and she knew it, but it still felt that way as she sat with the others in the living room. She wanted to talk to this man who her child had turned into, alone, as much as she possibly could. Takami was happy Ta-Shirou had so many who cared about him, but it made that communication difficult. 

And as if on cue, more people appeared. The sister-in-law and her girlfriend weren't a surprise, but the other who accompanied them was new to Takami: a handsome middle aged man with messy blue hair running down the back of his head. "доброе утро! Good morning, good morning!" He said with a jovial wave. She wasn't sure what that language he started off with was, not that she was much of a linguist, only speaking English besides Japanese.

He was clearly familiar to all else though, with her boy's sister-guardian speaking up first, "Oh, Mr Zolgen, you're back from your trip?" 

"Indeed, indeed, couldn't miss such a reunion could I? Just got back this morning, wanted to surprise everyone."

Her son was next, starting to set the table, "Is Shinji back too?"

The newcomer snorted, as he and the women joined the rest of the part, "No, I left the boy back in Burma-"

"Myanmar, grandfather," Sakura corrected. Takami was surprised, though not visibly so, that this man was apparently old enough to be grandfather to the sisters. Then again, she didn't exactly look her own age. 

"Yes, yes, I'm old, I forget things," he took the correction in stride, "anyway, I left him back at the university overseeing my shipments. Not the most reliable, but the fool's got to work at least that much if he ever wants any real responsibility damn it." Shaking his head, he took notice of Takami at last. "Oh? Pardon me madam, but I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Er, grandfather, that's-" Sakura started to say, but the woman in question offered a hand. 

"Dr. Sahashi Takami, Mid Biotics International researcher." she said, leaving it at that for starters. 

The man shook the offered hand and smiled, "Makiri Zolgen, late of Yekaterinburg, though I've lived here so long it hardly matters. What brings you to the table, doctor?" He asked almost as formality, but then his granddaughter whispered the explanation in his ear, and he became very visibly curious. "Truly?"

"It's the most wildly unlikely thing possible, but also seems to be true," Rin cut in, before starting on her eggs. 

Zolgen smiled from ear to ear, "Such a reunion, and right before the blessing of a child?" He closed his eyes and clapped his hands together in brief prayer, before continuing, "I can hardly imagine such fortune, good doctor!"

"It's... much to process." She said simply. 

"Ah, forgive me, in light of this I suppose this is an intrusion," the older man said. 

"Not at all," her son said, settling in with everyone else now that breakfast was served. Takami noted that Saber and Taiga had seemingly abdicated speech entirely in favor of consumption. Shirou continued, "Sakura is family, and so are you and Rider, so you're always welcome."

Zolgen made eye contact with Takami, seemingly unsure about that assessment, but still said, "As you say my boy."

Breakfast then broke off into a variety of clustered conversations as had dinner the previous evening. Finding it difficult to talk to her son in such a situation, she surprisingly found herself drift back to talking with the supposedly elderly Russian. "So you just came back from Myanmar?" she asked.

The man nodded, "Yes indeed. I was in Yangon visiting some colleagues at the university."

"You're an academic?"

"Correct, though it's been too long since I've published."

It seemed scholarship ran in the family. "Geology, like your granddaughter?"

Zolgen seemed confused at that remark, "Granddaughter? Sakura isn't- ah!" he laughed a bit, "No, no. The circumstances are a bit complicated, but though they are sisters, I'm not Rin's grandfather. I took Sakura in when she was young, you see. The story's a bit..." he looked mildly upset for a moment, then shook it off, "well it's too much to get into. To clarify, my field is actually entomology."

Takami was in no hurry to dig into the painful family history of others, especially not when she was barely dealing with hers, so she happily returned to the casual topic. "So your samples were insects then?"

He nodded, "Very specifically were, in fact. My colleague is providing me with a very sizable cache of beautifully amber preserved Haidomyrmecinae specimens. An extinct grouping of ants, if you aren't familiar."

Takami shook her head, "I'm a biologist myself, but insects are outside my field."

"Ah, but a colleague all the same! Do tell!" was the enthusiastic response. 

"I'm afraid most of my work is classified company information," she said, somewhat genuinely sad to disappoint the man. "Hazards of the private sector I'm afraid."

"Of course, of course," he responded, taking the denial in stride. "Though surely you can at least give an old man a vague idea?"

She rolled her eyes at that ploy, "Symbiotic relations between unrelated species. Incidentally, Dr. Makiri,"

"Ah, regrettably I lack a doctorate I'm afraid." He corrected, cheerfully for all that. 

"Mr. Makiri then, I have to say you don't seem much an old man to me."

"The benefits of excellent self care and the Lord's blessings," he responded, utterly unperturbed... though he did return fire, "which you yourself clearly enjoy Doctor, given your boy's age."

Takami reminded herself getting into a full verbal spar with her son's proclaimed family was, again, not to her benefit. "Good skin care and exercise, Mr. Makiri. That aside, tell me more about your recent acquisitions."

The rest of the meal passed peacefully as she listened to the old Russian ramble about his ant fossils. 

Chapter Text

Once breakfast was packed away, the various parties dispersed per their personal agendas. Takami watched watched Rin and Saber go on their way with Sakura and Rider, apparently intent on going shopping without any men or visitors to get in the way. The guardian, Taiga, situated herself in front of the television for some quality crackers and dramas time. Zolgen, for his part, thanked Takami for lending an ear to an old man about his interests, then departed not long after the crowd of women.

During all this, her son cleaned up the dishes quietly, a peaceful smile on his face. He really is the domestic type, isn't he? She thought as she observed him. Couldn't be less like me... or Minaka, or Yukari for that matter. The closest possible resemblance between the quiet young man and any of his family was... "You remind me of your brother."

He continued cleaning without pause, but did respond, "Oh? In what way?" He asked. It bothered Takami that he sounded somewhat detached from the subject. 

"Minato's very clean. I don't know where he gets it from, honestly, neither I... or your father, for that matter, are neat at all. I've had a cleaner since I was in my 20s, and Yukari's never been without." Minato was also very prone to instant submission, not that she was going to make that comparison out loud... though it wasn't a fair one at any rate. Her middle child was an overtly timid creature, while her long lost eldest seemed entirely secure in his position. God, him and Musubi. No spine and no brains...

She was suddenly somewhat worried about her other son...

The redhead laughed lightly at that, "well I didn't have much choice personally. Kiritsugu and this one," he indicated Taiga, who pouted in response, "would have buried the house, so I had to pick up the slack."

"You're one to talk, with your trash shed!" the teacher growled in protest. 

"It's a workshop Taiga!" in more ways than one, not that either of the older women were to know that.

"Suuuure," she said, laced with sarcasm, before wheeling on Takami in a sudden switch from a reclined, tv viewing position to a gangster squat, "so you're not Shirou's only relative?" 

Takami had the distinct impression she was looking at a cat that was poking at something unfamiliar. She couldn't afford to alienate the woman, and it wasn't a secret really, so, "Two sons, one daughter. Their father and I are... estranged." 

The other woman's eyes narrowed, as she moved from her squat and started... darting around? The younger woman was looking at Takami from every angle, inspecting her. In another scenario, Takami would have probably just punched her, but diplomacy was the order of the day. "...Yes?"

"...You've had THREE kids? How are you such a cool beauty type?"

A brief staredown ensued, until Takami, now somewhat bemused, responded with, "Like I said to the Russian, I take care of myself." 

The creature hmm'd, looked her up and down again, and apparently decided on something, "...do you want to hear about when Shirou was small?" 

"Taiga," her son interrupted, having finished his cleanup, "I'm taking my mother out, so don't destroy the house."

His foster sister was clearly disappointed at not getting to tell her stories, and Takami was herself rather disappointed to not get to hear them. But hearing him outright call her 'mother' and the prospect of getting to be properly alone with him, no eavesdroppers or alcohol, eclipsed that. "I won't, I won't," the younger woman said, returning to her show in a sulk. 

Shirou offered his mother a hand to help her off the floor, and together they went out into the city.

---

Takami was, though not out of shape, also not used to traipsing hither and yon on foot, which was apparently her son's plan to see the city. She'd veto'd that, as politely as possible, in lieu of getting a cab to his suggested first stop, the city's major temple, on top of Mount Miyama. 

The ride afforded her a chance to get in a final call to Yukari before the latter got on her plane to arrive in the afternoon. Speaker and video had been turned on when Shirou expressed the understandable interest in talking more with his sibling. 

"Wow, you have TWO wives?" The teen said on the other end, with what Takami thought sounded like awe.

"Well, unfortunately it's not recognized on paper of course, but yes. Rin's the legal and pregnant one, but we're all in a relationship."

"Hn, you're married, and even Minato's got a girlfriend, I'm jealous. Both boys and girls always get intimidated by me when I try to put myself out there!"

Shirou cast a sideways glance at their shared parent, currently smoking out the cab window, and recalled that she'd threatened him with non-human muscle. He somehow doubted it was Yukari herself that suitors were intimidated of... "Well," he ventured, considering the most properly Older Brother thing to say, "I wouldn't worry about it so much. You're just in your second year at university, right? You'll have plenty of time to meet someone who suits you there, or afterwards."

"You sound like Minato! I don't even know how that guy got a girlfriend, he's such a wuss... hey!" she said, her face on the call making the eureka moment clear. "You were pretty old when the fire happened right? You were like 8, you must remember Minato some, right?"

Shirou froze, and could tell out of the corner of his eye their mother had as well. This wasn't a sore spot for him, but it absolutely was for her. She'd taken it poorly when he'd first mentioned it... "Unfortunately Yukari," he said carefully, "the nature of the incident was... well in simplest terms it was traumatic, so it damaged my memory. It's not that I have no memories exactly, but it's just bits and pieces, none of it very clear. So I don't have much to offer, in that regard," he added apologetically. 

"Oh," the excitable teen deflated, then immediately bounced back, "Well that's okay!" she said, punching the air, "We can make lots of new- mom are you cr-?" "

"WE'LL SEE YOU THIS AFTERNOON!" Takami growled, cutting the call off mid-sentence. 

There was a brief moment of silence in the cab, with Takami pointedly facing away from Shirou, her shoulders shaking. 

"You know," he said, breaking the quiet, "Rin's the same, actually. Doesn't like to be seen when she," he gestured in his mother's direction, ignoring that she remained turned around, "even if it's something anyone would be upset about, she just can't bear it." 

Another minute passed, then, "I have cried," she finally replied, "more in the last 24 hours, than the previous 16 years. It's not something I do." Her voice was cracking, "But when you just... when I think about that little time I had with you just being GONE." His mother was looking at him now, her eyes red and running. "Minato used to follow you around like a little duckling you know? You were such a good brother to him and Yukari too, so fussy with them and taking Minato everywhere you wandered."

It hurt to watch her cry like this, but... it was true. He had no real, organized memories of any of this. Shirou could recognize that as a tragedy in a clinical fashion, but not feel emotion about it. But he could at least manage it for the woman in front of him, who he drew close with one arm. "Well like she said, we can make new memories, right? And you can tell me your stories, as long as you want, as many as you want." Shirou leaned forward, enough to make eye contact, and smiled, "Who knows, I might even end up remembering some!" he lied.

Takami sniffed, wiping her tears on her sleeves as she tried to regain control. 

Things continued in silence for awhile, before she started to speak again. "One time," she started, "when you and Minato were 7 and 3, I took you both to an island MBI owns, where we run some of our more sensitive projects. Yukari stayed with your grandmother, but I didn't want to leave her with all of you, so I brought you to my apartment on the island. I should have just gotten a nanny really... but I didn't want to be the person constantly passing you off to staff, you know? ...Anyway, one evening, I got back from my shift, and was terrified, because you two had gotten out. I panicked, started screaming at security grunts, had a bunch of staff running around like chickens with their heads cut off."

A warm laugh, a fond memory. 

"After all that, it turned out you'd somehow convinced one of our," a brief pause, "elite security officers, a woman named Matsu, by talking to her through the security cams you knew she'd be watching, to take you and your brother to the beach. She'd lost track of time playing with you two and didn't sneak you back fast enough. Apparently you were always a charmer," she said with another small laugh. "Oh I could have tanned your HIDES, if you weren't so cute when you apologized."

Shirou smiled. He may not remember the story, but it wasn't totally unfamiliar either, and he was happy to see it cheer her up.

"So I settled for smacking hers, the cokebottled ditz," she concluded idly, seemingly not entirely in the present. 

...Hm. Anyway. "Well, we're almost to Ryuudo Temple. I'll introduce you to my friend Issei."

Chapter Text

When they finally reached the top of Ryuudou Temple's grand staircase, Takami idly noted two things. First, the shrine gate's age didn't match the walls for whatever reason, showing clear signs of having been torn down and replaced recently. It was a nice bit of work actually, showing that even as the Shinto district grew across the river, Fuyuki's oldest features were still actively cared for. 

Second, and more oddly, was the woman with blue hair, about Takami's own age possibly, idly sweeping the main path in front of them, dressed as a Shinto miko.

"I thought this was a Buddhist temple," she turned to her son questioningly, "what's up with the shrine maiden with body mods?" Not that something as minors as knifed ears was exactly head turning for someone who lived and worked in Tokyo these days, but it was rather odd to see in a temple. She was also notably older than the average miko.

For Shirou, who had a pretty good idea of why the married, cosplay fanatic Caster might cavort around as a miko, bluntly sidestepped the issue and whispered in return, "That's Mrs Kuzuki, she and her husband live here as friends of the temple head, helping out with this and that." 

The person in question set aside her task and cast a narrowed eyed glance Shirou's way, "Back in town are you boy? Bring any of those noisy good for nothings with you?"

"...I'm actually not entirely sure who you mean, specifically..." Perhaps he had a few too many delinquents in his company? But then, the Witch of Colchis didn't especially like anyone, so he pushed on, "but no, I just have the one guest today. We're hoping to see Issei?" 

Caster turned to Takami, looked her up and down and frowned, "Just so long as it's not that blue drunkard or blond jackass. 'Sister-in-law' is in the library so far as I know." With that, she waved them off and returned to their task, and Shirou took no time leading his mother away from the prickly Servant.

After some distance had been put behind them, Takami spoke up, "She seems like a delight," the scientist noted sarcastically.

"Mrs Kuzuki is... particular. She's not always so grouchy though! She and Sakura are actually very good friends, she's just... not interested in making too many more." He said, the tone of a man trained from childhood to speak as diplomatically as possible about any given woman clear to hear. 

"And that 'Sister-in-law' bit? Your friend is a man, right?"

"...She and Issei don't get on. He's also... particular. Mr Kuzuki means everything to both of them so they're stuck with each other." 

Eventually, the two reached a small library, with a large table in the center and walls lined with shelves holding a variety of texts on Jodo-shu scripture, history, and comparative theology. Seated at the table was a young man, shaved and robed, squinting through his lenses at a particularly thick text. 

Issei Ryuudou smiled at the sight of his old friend, and then almost instantly scowled at the sight of Takami, who was beginning to strongly suspect this would not be her favor stop of today's outing. "Emiya," the monk said seriously, "your insistence at polygamy is one thing, but adding yet another dangerous-"

"Issei-" Shirou said, raising a placating, and well practiced, hand to cut off his old friend before a trademark lecture could begin, "-may I introduce Takami Sahashi, my birth mother."

"Your what."

---

After adjourning to another room and prepping some tea, Shirou explained the story to his friend in detail. To say he was skeptical was an understatement. 

"That's completely impossible," the monk said flatly. 

Shirou rubbed the back of his head. He'd really been hoping to introduce his mother to his friends as a way to make them both more comfortable, but... "Issei, I realize it's a rather incredible thing, but it's the truth. It's not like there's room for a scam here, compared to her, I'm kind of a peasant."

A sudden thought caused Shirou to glance sidewise at Takami, where he confirmed visibly growing irritation at being judged by a parade of strangers. With restraint, all Takami said was, "Don't talk about yourself like that." 

"And how do you know that's true? You've seen her confirm that she is who she says she is? That she's actually got-"

The restraint was gone. "Listen you bald headed brat-" Takami hissed, before her son jumped in.

"Actually Issei I just realized we've got other stops to make, nice to see you, we'll have a drink later BYE."

Leaving a fuming monk and dragging a fuming mother, Shirou aborted the visit then and there, regretting that he'd somehow forgotten Issei's sixth sense about certain women. After all, just because Shirou loved his wife, didn't mean she wasn't dangerous. The same was, he considered, likely true of his mother. 

Perhaps it was best to just go get some lunch. 

Chapter Text

After the temple fiasco, mother and sun adjourned to a sushi restaurant. As his mother lightly worked her way through a plate of nigiri rolls, Shirou couldn't help but feel a bit at a loss. 

He wasn't really sure where else to go, it occurred to him. 

Ilya's was off the table, Waku Waku Splash was hardly a mother/son outing, Issei's had been a disaster, small town shopping would likely be of no interest to someone with his mother's finances, the church was a terrible idea for innumerable reasons, and the park was quite literally cursed. 

It was beginning to dawn on him, after years in a major world capital, that Fuyuki, the presence of his friends and family aside, was actually quite boring. Which, under normal circumstances, would be fine, but...

"Do you want to just go and get your sister?" Takami ventured, after swallowing a piece of inari. 

It was rather early, but not so much they couldn't just abort the awkward outing and go to the airport. Still, Shirou felt it necessary to at least try and extend a courtesy invitation to further activities. That was, after all, supposed to be the point. "Are you sure there's nothing else you'd like to do?"

Takami was quiet for a moment, then responded, "After that business in the temple, I think it's best not to."

"That's... understandable." A part of Shirou wanted to defend Issei, who was just looking out for his seemingly naive friend regarding strange women, but that would hardly be appropriate, considering. 

They paid and moved on shortly thereafter.

---

Fuyuki Airport was small, with few gates and fewer shops, but it had decent enough traffic. Not enough traffic however, to obscure a pretty young girl dragging two large suitcases scurrying towards a woman with completely grey hair and an enormous redheaded man also starting to grey. 

Yukari's first face to face look at her lost brother was of undisguised curiosity. She'd seen him of course, in the video call, but the effect wasn't the same. 

The round faced little boy from the photo on the family shrine had filled out and hardened, but could still be seen, especially in the eyes and hair. The latter was somewhat unfortunate to Yukari: lucky enough to get the red of the Irish sailor who popped into the family tree three generations back, unlucky enough to lose it to their mother's premature greying. Ah well, best foot forward! With a salute and a smile, she introduced herself properly, "Sahashi Yukari, nice to meet ya big bro!"

Ignoring the muffled groan to his right, Shirou let out a small laugh, "Emiya Shirou, nice to meet you as well."

Chapter Text

After dumping the luggage off at the New Fuyuki Hyatt ("An MBI Subsidiary!") and letting Takami finally get a change and shower, it was back to the Emiya Residence to wait for Rin and Saber to return from Rin's check-up. 

"Wow, talk about a throwback!" Yukari, who'd lived her life in expensive urban apartments, was fascinated by the old school Japanese mansion. She'd shot off like a rocket to explore the place the second they got in, Takami trailing her to make sure she didn't destroy anything, which was fine with Shirou, since she'd spent the entire car ride bombarding him with every question possible. 

What do you do for a living?

Wow you're like, a house husband?

What's London like?

What do your wives do?

Wow, she's the brainy type?

Wow, she's the muscle-y type?

Do you have any adopted family?

You have more sisters!? When can I meet them?

Is it a boy, is it a girl? IS IT TWINS?

How long are you staying in Japan?

Mom, when can we tell Minato? This is big!

Do you have any hobbies? Reading? Shovelforge? Dramas?

How tall are you? How much can you bench? You're much bigger than Minato!

You're way into cooking? Why not be a chef?

It went on. And on. AND ON. He was also fairly certain he'd answered some of those questions in the previous phone conversations, but perhaps she was the forgetful type? Well, the enthusiasm was understandable, this was an extremely unusual circumstance. 

Figuring that his partners would be hungry when they got back, and that his mother and sister could use snacks, he headed for the kitchen to work on dinner and hors d'oeuvres simultaneously, only to find, surprisingly, Lancer lounging in front of the TV. "You know, I realize it's an open door around here, but there's something about you specifically just hanging around..."

The Ulsterman glanced away from the Rainmaker vs Painmaker match he was watching briefly, then returned to the tv, scratching his ass all the while. "Ah don't be such a stiffneck kid, what's the use in old grudges? Besides, I don't wanna just hang out in that gloomy old mansion in the woods on my day off, Baz is at work and who knows what that tattoo'd weirdo is ever up to? You've got a shit TV but it's nice here otherwise. "

"There's nothing wrong with that TV," Shirou replied, glossing over the usual poor manners of the blue spearman and simply pushing into the kitchen, "it gets a signal just fine."

"Boy, it's a CRT and we're living in the 2020s, half the picture gets cut off. Do you understand the irony of me talking to you about being behind the times?

Mentally adjusting the snack portions (mixed nuts and some charcuterie meat, he decided) to account for the extra person, the young homemaker fired back, "then maybe you could contribute to the communal viewing experience. I don't even live in the country anymore, so you use it more than me." 

"I don't have that kinda money!"

"I can't imagine you have many expenses. Do you three even pay rent on that place?" It suddenly occurred to Shirou he'd never really questioned why both Lancer and Bazett had so much part time work.

"Well no, but we pay utilities." 

"And that drains your whole paycheck?"

"Uh..."

"Do you and Archer just drink and gamble it ALL away?" The boy clucked his tongue in disapproval as he casually sliced some ham up.

"Well, no. The Iranian helps sometimes. Also the samurai, before he skipped town."

"Actually, I meant to ask about that-"

Attempts to ask after the formerly bound Assassin were waylaid as his sister crashed into the great room, followed by their harried mother. 

"Oh, hello!" Yukari said, grinding to a halt and greeting the reclining servant. "Who are you?"

"Uh-"

"A frequent houseguest," the brother interrupted. "A friend of Rin's friend, he's Irish, his name is Lancer."

"Er, yeah, what he said," Lancer said, giving a small wave from the floor. 

"Nice to meet you! I'm Yukari," the soon-to-be freshman said, dropping down by the table, followed shortly by Takami, who berated her for causing a fuss. The lecture was cut short by her brother's delivery of snacks, which Yukari helped herself too with gusto. Takami herself kept it to a light grazing.

His wrestling match over, Lancer switched to the news, "Oi," he said, turning to Takami and indicating the TV, "ain't that your boss?"

The woman's head snapped to the television, which was indeed showing an ill-timed newscast featuring Minaka (broadcasting from MBI Tower) and an in-studio appearance by Mayor of Shin Tokyo Ryo Aoki. 

"-Chairman Minaka, you and the mayor have been preparing for this transition for some time of course, but as your company prepares to take over policing of the full metropolitan area full time, do you have any final comments? There are still some who have concerns about the privatization project."

"Well Diane-" the caped maniac began,

"Um, that's not my-" the reporter began, but was cut off

"-as the mayor said," he continued, ignoring her, "this is ultimately about efficiency, but also about accountability! The old police force was famously mired in cronyism, bribery, indefinite detainment scandals, you name it! And that's ignoring the slow speed of its bureaucracy. The largest metropolitan police force in the world, and an enormous money sink with numerous ties to organized crime for all that. But we at MBI, and our partners in Mr Aoki's administration, are peeling all that away! Starting next week, we will fully occupy Shin Tokyo! Which is only fitting at this point really, we built most of it!"

Aoki, also present on the program, laughed with forced politeness, and interjected, "And what wonderful worth you've done with that as well Mr Chairman! The metro overhaul alone has reduced train crowding immensely-"

"And our combination automated train cameras and turret guns have cut all those molestations down drastically, with acceptable casualty rates!"

"Er, yes," Aoki pushed past that point, "but the point is that all of this is going to dramatically cut down the cost to the taxpayer, while also improving service rates!"

"But this won't be a complete abrogation of government oversight, will it Mayor Aoki?" 

"Oh no, not at all, in the Shin Tokyo Government will be a stockh-"

"...Unfortunately, yes." Takami muttered.

"Huh," Shirou said, taking his own seat at the table with the final serving of snacks, "I didn't know Tokyo was doing police privatization."

"One of Minaka's many absurd ideas, but he got Aoki to sign off on it. I have nothing to do with it," Takami said, glossing over the part where it technically overlapped quite a bit with her own primary responsibility. 

Shirou shrugged and accepted the answer. It wasn't his concern in any case, he wasn't staying in Japan long and wasn't planning to go to Tokyo during the affair anyway. Still, he was mildly curious, "Do those genetic scanners at the airport tie into it?" 

"Yes," she confirmed, "they're security products primarily, for checking against criminal databases, so the new "Shin Tokyo Security Company" is going to be using them quite a lot."

"So-" Yukari broke in, having finished a brief duel with Lancer for a particularly lovely slice of meat, "when is your wife's check-up going to be done?"

"Not to long," said Shirou, pouring some tea for all present, "I'm expecting them to call in half an hour or so."