A/ N: This is the story after my story "The Thought of It" it takes place when Ichigo's an old woman. I hope everyone enjoys it...
Disclaimer: I don't own TMM or the song "Slipped Away" by Avril Lavigne...
The Thought of It All
♪
Wow… so long ago, all of those memories. I've had them just locked up in the dankest corners of my mind; I guess I was just hoping they would never be found again. But, somehow, I just knew that that would never last. I could never forget about him, or her— for that matter. I want to cry; yet I want to stay strong— for Ryou. I want him to know that I will always carry on with him in my heart…
Ichigo lay in her cotton-sheeted bed with a heated blanket pulled over her body for warmth. It was the dead of winter and Ichigo was eighty-seven years old. Everything seemed so far away now that the mew project had ended quite some time ago. The last of the chimera animals were defeated, and Ichigo had gotten to live a normal life starting at the age of eighteen.
Her parents would find her home more often, now that Keiichirou had closed down Café Mew Mew; the only point of it was for the mew project and it was over. He felt that there were just too many memories and he wanted to lock them away, just as Ichigo. Café Mew Mew still stands even to this day. On another sad note, Keiichirou passed away as well a few years ago. He died a natural death and part pain to the hearts of all the mew mews; but through this all, Ichigo never cried…
When Ryou died and everyone gathered at his funeral, she stood away and watched form afar. She almost felt like it was her own funeral, and you don't cry at your own funeral… From then on, Ichigo never cried— never. There was no reason to. People are born, people die, yet life goes on— so why should you cry?
"Here's your chowder Ms. Momomiya-san." The nurse came in through the door…
Being eighty-seven years of age, Ichigo could no longer take care of herself, and with no family she had to stay at a nursing home; it was most convenient. Wasn't all that bad since Mint still got a chance to call her everyday.
Mint still lived in the same mansion she did when she was a mew. She was a few months younger than Ichigo, and she was still holding strong. Every now and then she'd stop by to visit Ichigo when she felt it was needed— Ichigo never would say if she was lonely…
The other mews had separated and went their own ways— they never really communicated anymore, because there was no need to. Zakuro was ninety-two and moved to America in her twenties. No one really knows what had ever become of her, or even if she's still alive.
Pudding had to be doing the best out of everyone. She was eighty-five and she had married Yuebin. She has two beautiful girls and their alive and well. In her earlier years, her and Taruto would meet up sometimes, and Pudding was really beginning to fall for him… but then he disappeared… as well as the other aliens. No one knows exactly where they went or even if they're still alive. Ichigo swears that before she goes to sleep sometimes, she can still hear his voice…
"Ichigo?" Kish turned to her.
"Please! Just don't touch me!" she yelled. She fell down and backed herself into a corner sobbing. Kish looked at Ichigo with sadness and pity.
"Ichigo why'd you turn away? You know you wanted to kiss me…" Ichigo stopped sobbing and looked up at him…
But, no one has seen or heard from the aliens since…
Lettuce still lives somewhere in Tokyo and is in fact married. She's married to an older man that had dark brown hair when Ichigo first met him. Who knows what either one of them look like now?
The thing that still bugs Ichigo is what exactly happened to Masaya… after her first death, she hadn't contacted him since. He never even knew she still existed; she's thought about giving him a call, but couldn't because she wasn't even sure if he was still alive— or if he even would want to talk to her after all of these years…
Masaya sat at his computer desk, glaring over a piece of paper… All he did was look down at it, and did nothing…
"Ichigo… I can't tell you how much I…" There were a long pause and then some crying, "I can't tell you how much I truly miss you… And how much I love you… Now," More sobs, "I can never tell you…" he finally let out. He bowed his head and began to cry…
"Is the room temperature to your liking, Ms. Momomiya-san?" the nurse asked. Ichigo smiled a little.
"Yes, thank you." Ichigo just smiled with her tray of soup sitting in her lap. She wasn't too hungry…
Ichigo sat up a little in bed, picking up her tray of soup. She sat it on her nightstand and slowly sat up, out of bed. She placed her hands against the bed and caught her balance. She slowly made her way over to the window in her room. She stared up at the stars; they were so bright and beautiful tonight… they looked down over the white blankets of snow that covered the majority of Tokyo.
"Ryou…" Ichigo whispered…
Outside was beginning to get dark, and Ryou and Ichigo were about a mile away from her house. "I can walk the rest of the way." Ichigo released herself from Ryou's hold.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah…" Ichigo couldn't look up at Ryou. She felt almost like she was too ashamed to. They soon became with a couple feet of Ichigo's front yard. She turned to Ryou and bowed her head down.
"Arigato, Shirogane-san." It began to rain as Ichigo turned around and headed to her door. "Ichigo…" Ryou grabbed Ichigo by the arm. Ichigo turned and looked at Ryou with shock. He smiled and pulled her close to him.
"Shirogane…san?" Ryou kissed Ichigo. His arms were held tight around her back. At first Ichigo was limp and uncomfortable, then she began to feel his warmth. She closed her eyes and kissed him back…
"I remember that night so perfectly, Shirogane-kun… you were so warm and embracing… I— I." Ichigo felt the need to stop in her sentence. She held her hand up to her heart. She shut her eyes and held back her tears; she wasn't going to cry— she refused to. "All those years Ryou— all those years…"
Na na, na na na, na na
I miss you, miss you so bad
I don't forget you, oh it's so sad
I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly…
Ichigo placed her elbows on the inside of the window pane and sighed while staring out at the glaring moon…
The day you slipped away Na na na na na na na I didn't get around to kiss you Oooooh The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same
Ooooh
Goodbye on the hand
I wish that I could see you again
I know that I can't
I hope you can hear me cause I remember it clearly
Was the day I found it won't be the same
Ooooh…
Everything pulsated through Ichigo's mind thinking about everything…. Tears streamed down her cheek…
"I'm so sorry everyone… Ryou… Kish… Masaya… I betrayed you all… Ryou… I was never able to admit it before… But, I do care… I—I love you, too…" all she saw was a big flash of light…
"That day just seems so clear now— that moment was so scary, but I pulled through. Maybe if I would have stayed dead, just maybe—" Ichigo paused, "— maybe you'd still be alive and well…"
I had my wake up Now you are gone, now you are gone The day you slipped away
Won't you wake up
I keep asking why
And I can't take it
It wasn't fake
It happened, you passed by
There you go, there you go
Somewhere I can't bring you back
Now you are gone, now you are gone
There you go, there you go,
Somewhere your not coming back
Was the day I found it won't be the same ooh…
The day you slipped away
was the day that I found it won't be the same oooh...
RING! RING!
Ichigo's phone rang…
Na na, na na na, na na
I miss you…
"Moshi, moshi?" Ichigo answered the telephone.
"Ichigo-san?" it was Mint, "how are you? Are you well?" Ichigo smiled a bit at her concern.
"Yes, I'm fine." She replied.
"I wanted to check because tomorrow is the anniversary of—"
"Please— Mint, I know." Ichigo assured her.
"Okay… I'll call you first thing tomorrow morning." Mint said.
"Thank you— Mint." Ichigo smiled.
"Your welcome Ichigo-san." Mint smiled.
"Goodbye…" Ichigo hung up the phone. A tear slipped and ran down her cheek…
"No!" he shook the voice out of his head, "There's too many memories here…" he began to step away but then stopped. It seemed like he was drawn here for some reason… he just didn't understand…
-
"Shirogane-san…" Ichigo whispered as a tear streamed down her face… This vision of him was embedded in her mind and her thoughts…
Ichigo went back over to her bed, and closed her eyes. One last tear streamed down her face and onto her blanket…
The next morning Ichigo's phone rang… but no one answered…
OWARI
Please review...
This is the FINAL book to my stories of "The Thought of Him". This story is dedicated to my birdie who just passed today, and I wanted to write something in memory of him. Thank you.