Disclaimer:Tenchi Muyo and co belong to
AIC and Pioneer, not me, so please don't
bring the Yakuza over and break my fingers
again....


		The Masaki Family Line part seven
		by:Argus Cromwell
		a.k.a. Dade Gifford

	Tenchi awoke with a headache and a large,
soft matter on top of him.  He opened his eyes,
and saw Tsunami/Sasami, her hair covering him,
nude.  He realized that he was still inside of 
her, and he slowly tried to move out.  
	Feeling this sensation, Sasami woke up.
She looked into Tenchi's eyes and smiled.  "Oh,
Tenchi..." she sighed.  She sat up, and allowed
Tenchi to pull himself out of her.  She sighed
as he did so.  Sasami noticed Aeka was there,
because she had just come out of the washroom.
Sasami expected her sister to be angry, and 
cringed, but Aeka just looked at her, almost
expectantly.
	"Well now, you have to make me share
everything, don't you Sasami?"
	Sasami blushed.  "Well...  It was 
mostly Tenchi niichan's idea...  But I'll 
take the blame, if there is one.  It was 
worth it."
	"I know what you mean," sighed Aeka.
	Sasami got off of Tenchi, and stretched.
	"You know," started Aeka.  "It's a 
good thing I stood watch over you, or you
could have woken up to the sound of Nobuyuki's
camera clicking."
	Sasami cringed at that, and put her
robes on.  Tenchi stood up and put his clothes
on.  He and Sasami shared a kiss, and then
he and Aeka shared one, too.  Sasami hurried
into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, and
upon seeing the time, she was ultimately 
surprised that Nobuyuki hadn't already woke
up.
	Tenchi and Aeka decided to go take a
bath.  Tenchi mostly, for the obvious reasons.
Aeka just went to 'keep him company.'  Tenchi
didn't have any problem with that.  They 
talked as they bathed.  "So, Aeka, did Washu-
chan say our child was a boy?" 
	"Indeed she did, Ten-chan.  Now I 
wonder what we shall name him?"
	"Hmm...  You know, I'm not very good
at this...."
	"Not to worry.  I shall ponder over 
this matter, Tenchi."
	"Whew.  Thanks."
	About half an hour later, they came
out of the bath, and made their way to the
kitchen.  Sasami was hurriedly making tohoku
miso.  It was plain to see that she was very
unsteady on her feet.  Sasami blushed, 
thinking about the events of last night.  
If it hadn't been for Tsunami, she would 
have had to wait several years, like every
other girl her age....on Jurai, at least.
	She felt happy, and yet...somewhat
strange...like having done that so soon just
didn't feel right...like she didn't belong.
Of course, she just told herself that she
was being stupid, and that Tenchi loved her
and would never let her leave.  Sasami was
surprised at a sudden embrace from Tenchi,
and a peck on the cheek. She turned and 
met him in a kiss.  
	"So, my goddess, what have you
prepared for us today?" questioned Tenchi.
	"Oh, juust some tohoku miso.  I'm
sorry, I know it's not your favorite, but
I was just rushed a little..."
	"That's all right, Sasami-chan.
I like everything you make."
	"Even....love?" she asked slyly.
	"You bet," he said, kissing her
on the mouth and embracing her.  The kiss
held for a while, until Sasami had to 
turn about to finish the miso.
	Tenchi parted, saying,"I'm gonna
go check on dad.  He's missed work!  It's
not like him to do that without telling
me before."
	Tenchi went up the stairs and to
his father's room.  Nobuyuki was still
lying on the bed.  Tenchi put on an
annoyed face and walked up to him.  "Dad,
you can't sleep in like this.  You missed
work!"
	Nobuyuki didn't answer.  God, that
should've told him something.
	"Dad, wake up and get going!  You
can still get there late, you know." 
Tenchi shook his father lightly.
	Still no answer.
	Tenchi began to get a little more
desperate.  "Dad, don't play around, you
have to get to work!"
	Again, no response.
	Tenchi felt a pit forming in the
middle of his stomach.  "Dad, this isn't
funny, come on!  Wake up!" he was now
shaking him so hard his body was rocking
back and forth.
	Nobuyuki began to speak, his 
voice coming in thin wisps.
	"Son.  I am glad to see that you
are finally bonding with these women,
that you now have a firm hold on your 
life.  Please, don't let them go.  Ever.
They'll mean even more to you when they
leave.  So don't allow that to happen.
I'm...not going to make it, Tenchi."
	Tears of desperation formed at
the corners of Tenchi's eyes.  "Dad,
don't talk like that, you'll be fine."
	Nobuyuki didn't answer.
	"D-dad?"
	No answer.  
	"DAD!"
	A mumbling noise was heard,
as Nobuyuki spoke.
	"Tenchi!  It's her!  It's..
It's Achika!...  I'm coming, my wife...
my darling..."
	Tenchi's eyes grew wide.
	"Dad!!  No, Dad, you can't 
leave me...Dad, no!"
	Nobuyuki sighed.....
	And Tenchi could practically
feel the life energy of Nobuyuki
leaving.  
	"d....dad?" he questioned
softly.  But he knew the answer.
	"FATHER!!!" he screamed.
	Tenchi buried his face into
Nobuyuki's quickly cooling side,
crying into the fabric of the sheets.
	Aeka was the first one upstairs,
her being the closest.  She gasped
and put a hand over her mouth when she
saw the scene.  "Tenchi!!  W-what 
happened?" she said frantically.
	Tenchi looked up, his face 
streaked with tears.  "I-I don't know,
Aeka..."
	Aeka held him as he cried.  
Just hearing him cry, the first time
she had ever heard it, made her want
to cry, too.  Aeka looked at the still
form of Nobuyuki.  He was never a bad
man.  A little odd at times, but always
caring.  He never once did anything
truly bad.  He always welcomed guests,
and never raised a hand to Tenchi. 
Unbidden, she remembered all the good
things he had done in her presence. 
	Ryoko phased through the wall,
holding baby Achika.  She saw everything
that there was to see, and got the hint.
Instantly, upon entering the room, baby
Achika started wailing.  And no matter
what Ryoko did, she just wouldn't stop.
She cried on and on.  Ryoko realized
what had happened here.  Tenchi had
lost his mother early on, and now his
father.  Hell, Nobuyuki wasn't even that
old...
	Katsuhito came into the room.
Of course, he had an answer for what
had happened.  "Tenchi..."
	Tenchi didn't look up, his face
still buried in Aeka's shoulder.
	"Tenchi, Nobuyuki had talked
to me last night..."
	Tenchi did his best to stop
sniffling.
	"He said that...that seeing you
with these ladies, so happy, and finally
complete...It reminded him of Achika. 
And when he heard that you decided to 
name the child Achika...  It was just
too much for him.  He had told me last
night that he felt his heart breaking
all over again.  The same way it had
the day she died."
	Later, Tenchi sat between
Sasami and Aeka, his eyes red-rimmed,
clutching a cup of tea.  Washu came
out from her lab after analyzing the
body.  "There's absolutely no evidence
of any pathogens, no poisons, nothing.
There wasn't a mark on his body, either."
	"I know how he died, Washu."
	She looked at him questioningly.
	"It was heartbreak."
	Washu seemed confused, but Ryoko
took her into another room to fill her in
on what Katsuhito had said.  As for the
priest, he had gone out to the tombstones
to pray, and to bless and prepare the land
next to Achika's grave for Nobuyuki's.
	Washu had prepared a coffin with
anti-grav pads on it so as to make the
trek a little easier.  There was a 
procession that had Tenchi and Katsuhito
leading, wafting about incense burners.
Ryoko and Aeka trailed behind, not wanting
to upset Tenchi.  Sasami did the same,
only she was crying.
	Washu seemed understanding of 
Nobuyuki.  She had heartbreak in her life
many times before.  It was nothing new to
her, but it seemed to weigh on her soul,
to see someone give up after trudging on
for so long with that burden.
	They had the burial in standard
Japanese style, and many prayers.  
Tenchi locked himself in his room for 
a while afterwards, trying to cope with
his father's untimely demise.  
	<It was just so sudden!> thought
Tenchi.  He was slightly angry at 
Katsuhito.  <He could have told me!  I
might have been able to cheer him up
somehow!> 
	Of course, Tenchi realized that
blaming others for such things is a
destructive train of thought.  Tenchi
fell asleep.  He dreamed for a while.
In it, he saw himself with Aeka, Ryoko,
and Sasami.  They were all side by side
and walking down a path.  Behind them,
Nobuyuki and Achika were holding hands
and waving, stopped on the same path.
It seemed to stretch out forever in
both directions.
	At the end of his dream, the
echoing voice of his father was heard,
saying, "Tenchi, it is now your turn
to carry on the Masaki family line.
You make me proud, son." 
=========================================
Sigh....You know, the song Manatsu No
Eve gives me some measure of inspiration..
It just revealed to me this storyline.
But, on a lighter note, I'm going to 
need some aid with Tenchi's soon-to-be
son's name.  As always, put replies
to my e-mail at cubone41@yahoo.com
Or, I'd prefer it if you would go to my
site at www.geocities.com/cubone41 and
post your response on my guestbook.  I 
check it almost every day.  Thanks!