Admittedly this took me a little longer than I would have liked but been busy. But here's the next story.
It was official. All of Roanapur knew that Sawyer was pregnant, and he was the one responsible, whether or not that was a good thing though was yet to be seen.
That had been a month ago, and he still could not have a simple conversation with Chang without him chuckling randomly. While no one could visibly see Sawyer's bump, Rock knew that it wouldn't show up for another month at least, but it did not stop him from running his hand over her stomach every time they woke up.
"A woman could start to enjoy this…" Sawyer said smiling as snuggled up closer to Rock; both were free to do as they pleased that day since the Lagoon was undergoing maintenance and Sawyer's warehouse was undergoing a repair to patch the hole in its roof thanks to a recent tropical storm.
"Anything that you would like to do today? Got an entire day to ourselves.", "Well…I have an idea, but we wouldn't have to leave the apartment.", "What did you have in mind?" he asked but was curious when she just smiled at him.
Every man will have his ass handed to him by his girlfriend or wife at least in his lifetime. Rock had remembered the words his grandfather had told him and had originally dismissed them as ramblings. But when Sawyer had turned on the game console he was not expecting to have spent two hours trying to win a single game against her.
"Give up yet?" she asked, poking him in the cheek as he sat trying to figure out where he had gone wrong this time. He hadn't charged in, or spammed attacks wildly but every time she had destroyed him without losing so much as a quarter of her life bar. "What am I doing wrong?" he finally asked, "Clearly I'm missing something." Sawyer giggled and shook her head, "Actually your not missing anything. I'm just good at this game.".
"Let's go get lunch, and maybe I can beat you after I eat something.", "You wish…" she mumbled as she turned off the console and went to change.
Deciding to forgo his typical attire he put on a simple black casual button up shirt and blue jeans. Sawyer had been focused on expanding his wardrobe and wanted it to consist more besides business clothes and sleepwear. Of course, she had changed into her usual attire, with the only difference being shorter sleeves.
At first, Rock had thought she wasn't going to hide the cuts on her wrists anymore, but she always put on leather bracelets or something similar to cover them. He could not bring himself to ask why she had done it, but he would be there when she decided to tell him.
As they opened the door, they came face to face with two police officers. One of which, Rock recognised as one of the ones who had arrested him and Revy shortly after he first arrived. "Rock? I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to come with us.", "Chun? What's going on?" Rock asked the man, "The chief will fill you in. But he wants to see you." Rock turned to Sawyer as if asking a silent question, "Let's go." she said only to be stopped by the other officer.
"Sorry miss, just Rock.", "She comes with me. Unless you'd like me to ask your chief why you assaulted us in our own home? Maybe forward the information to Mr. Chang?" Chun quickly settled things. "No need to do that Rock. We're just doing what we're told. We were told just to pick you up, but the chief didn't say anything about you bringing someone. So let's just calm down alright?" Rock nodded in agreement, "Let's go then.".
Arriving at the police station Rock was taken straight through to the chief's office with Sawyer right behind him. "Rock…I had high hopes for you. You haven't caused me any trouble lately." Watsup said as he leant back in his chair, "I'm afraid you've lost me chief. I have no idea why I'm here?" sighing he handed him a folder, "Read it.".
Opening the folder, he saw it was from the Japanese government. As he read through it, he discovered that his family had requested the government to return him to Japan, of course, he could not help but wonder if there was something else behind it all.
"Sorry to waste your time chief…Rokuro Okajima is dead. I'm just a guy called Rock, been an official resident of Roanapur for nearly a year now.", "I thought that would be your answer. Sadly someone has dropped the ball with the paperwork, and you still have to go to Japan in person to sort this all out." part of Rock did not want to deal with the issue but did not want to cause more problems.
"I see…I really would have liked to avoid going back there. After what happened last time I think I'll still have to keep my head down.", "That would be wise. I'd really not like to tell your co-workers you are in a Japanese prison. I think we all know how Revy would react." Watsup said, sighing as he thought about the whole situation.
"I guess I have little choice. It seems that I'm going to meet my parents again.", "They'll meet me too. I'm not going to let them try anything stupid." Sawyer grinned taking Rock's hand in her own. "Are you sure? My parents are very traditional; things could go badly very quickly.", "Don't care. Your mine." the look she gave him was similar to the ones she had when she had been trying to kill him.
After touching down at Narita airport they were quickly found a rental car and headed off to their hotel, they would be able to have about an hour to rest before Rock was required to head over to the government offices. It was something he was dreading, he knew exactly what his parents were going to do, ask him to return and take up some position in a company that would kill him from sheer boredom.
"I'm never going to do that again…" he promised himself as Sawyer stepped out of the shower, "What did you say?" she asked after reattaching her ultra voice, while it was waterproof it was uncomfortable to shower with it. "Nothing…", "Yes you did this is bothering you isn't it?" he did not say anything but merely nodded, "I've made a life in Roanapur, I have a home, a good job and most importantly you. They're going to try and take that away from me…all, so I can return to some dead end job where my primary duty is to kiss my bosses ass.".
Sawyer just laughed and patted him tenderly on the cheek, "You're an idiot you know that? I already said they would never take you away from me." standing in front of him she began to push him towards the shower, "Now hurry up and shower. You smell.".
Arriving at the office where he was due to sort out the issue of his residency. He had already made up his mind on the situation.
"Rokuro!" a woman called out, looking up he saw his mother and father rushing towards him, only to stop when they saw Sawyer sitting next to him. "Mother. Father." he greeted simply in Japanese, watching as Sawyer's grin grew as they clearly tried to figure out what they were seeing.
"Rokuro? Who is this?" his mother asked, almost sounding like she was demanding, "This is my girlfriend, Fredrica Sawyer.", "She's not Japanese though." his father added only for Sawyer to speak up, her artificial voice cutting through the tension, "My Japanese, however, is as good as your sons. The son you left for dead.".
"We thought you were dead." Rock got to his feet, "Then tell me why the ransom for me was denied? By you as well as my bosses!" he growled, "It was only by pure luck I wasn't killed out there by those monsters that Asahi Industries sent after me! All to cover up their dirty deals." he ranted, likely drawing the attention of several other people in the nearby offices.
"I've made a new life, and I'm happy where I am. With the woman I love." putting his arm around Sawyer he looked at his parents with resolve, "I'm not returning to Japan. If and when I do it will be for a holiday and that's it. And when I do, I don't want to talk with either one of you.". Sawyer stood on her toes and kissed Rock on the cheek.
"You dare speak to your mother like that!? We are offering you a place back home. A respectable job! Your life back here. And you would throw that all away for some… some… mute lolita?!" Rock's father told him, his anger evident. Rock was about to answer but was stopped when Sawyer walked up to his father and glared up at him, "Now you listen here. I will not stand by and listen to you insult my boyfriend and myself. Rock is not throwing anything away, he has done something that very few have done." glaring at both of the parents she continued. "He stopped a war from breaking out between two countries. All because he is a good man, and sticks to his beliefs. That is something you should be proud of.".
Rock would not have said he was doing anything good during that mess, plenty of the American special forces were still killed by Roberta, and he was more or less playing the puppet master who's puppets could easily kill him. Things could have gone so much better, but they also could have been much, much worse.
"Well said…Mother, Father. I'm returning to Roanapur regardless of your wishes. You can accept this, and we may be able to salvage some relationship between us, or you can continue down this path and lose your son again. I'll leave it up to you. I have some papers to fill out." Rock said as he entered the office, the worker apparently waiting for him to finish his impressive speech.
Finishing up all the paperwork they headed straight back to the hotel, deciding to head out for dinner. They would enjoy tomorrow to themselves before heading back to Roanapur, sadly both of them were unable to stay any longer due to their sudden departure they were only able to take three days off, and they had to be on the way back on the third day.
"Are you sure I did the right thing?" Rock asked though Sawyer wasn't sure if he was asking her or himself, "You can't beat yourself up over this Rock. They made their choice when they left you to die in Roanapur, they knew you were alive, and they did nothing. Now they have to accept their actions because I will not lose you." Rock smiled and looked over at her.
"I really am that important to you aren't I?" her answer was to smack him across the back of the head, "Of course you are. Besides if you think I'm raising this kid myself, you are sorely mistaken." leaning over she kissed him and she took off her ultra voice, when he was about to ask what she was doing she silenced him with a simple gesture.
She seemed to take a moment to collect herself before she forced out three simple words, but the very act of doing so seemed to take every ounce of effort she had. "I love you." her voice was nothing more than a raspy whisper, but he heard it, it was not the artificial one people had become accustomed to, but her own.
"I-I thought you couldn't speak?" he asked as she placed her ultra voice back around her neck, "My vocal cords were cut, almost severed. I can speak, but it hurts a lot just to get a few words out.", "So you decided to tell me something I already knew?" he chuckled only for her to elbow him in the stomach. "I would have thought hearing my voice would have been meaningful enough?", "It is…and it certainly means a lot. How many people have heard that?" she leant into him with a smile, "Just you…", "Good. Let's get some rest before we head out tonight. I'd like to do something special tomorrow.".
Curling up next to Rock she shared his warmth, knowing that he had done something few had done for her. He had a chance for a normal life, without being shot at or threatened on a weekly basis, and he had walked away for her. She would be sure to show him how much that meant to her in time. Smiling slyly she already had ideas running through her head about what she could do.
The next day they spent shopping or mainly Rock being dragged everywhere by Sawyer who was seemingly on a mission to visit every store in Tokyo. Of course, their first stop had been Harajuku, which was no surprise to him, the variety of alternate clothing stores were like sugar to his girlfriend.
Of course, he had to remind her that they did not have a lot of space to spare to take stuff back with them, to which her answer was to say she would just put stuff in his suitcase.
He groaned as they sat down in a public park near the Meiji Shrine, it was one in the afternoon, and he had been dragged up and down Harajuku for the last three hours, which each stop adding another bag weighed down with clothes, trinkets or boots. "Seriously Sawyer, do you actually need all this stuff?" Rock asked, "Well I really like the clothes, the trinkets are for my crew back home and the boots… well, those are for your enjoyment as well." she grinned, leaning over to give him a kiss as pink flooded his cheeks.
Before either one could speak, Sawyer's stomach growled loudly, and they decided to grab something to eat before continuing their day.
Rock had one place that he wanted to show Sawyer before they headed home. It was somewhere well known to locals but in his opinion did not get the attention it deserved from tourists.
"This isn't a castle, or something is it Rock?" she asked as they walked past a fish market towards a low-walled area ahead of them, "Don't worry. But I think you will be surprised. I loved coming here to get some peace and quiet when things got too stressful." looking at the sign as they approached she saw it was a garden of sorts.
"Hamarikyu gardens?" she looked up at him, "A garden in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world? For peace and quiet?", "You'd be surprised. But it's really quiet; you can barely hear the city around you at times," he explained as they paid for admission. To be fair Sawyer was not one for pretty places most of the time, but what she saw in front of her was beautiful, she was surprised that a place existed like this in the middle of Tokyo. It looked as if it belonged in the countryside.
"Rokuro?" looking up he saw his mother not too far away sitting on a bench, "I didn't think you would come here. You used to come here all the time after you finished studying to clear your head." she said walking towards him only to stop when Sawyer took a step forward. "It's peaceful what can I say?" Rock said not really sure what he could say after yesterday, "I'm just enjoying our last day together before we head home." Sawyer kept her gaze on the woman, not showing the disgust she had for what they had done.
"That's what I was hoping to speak to you about…", "Mother. I'm going home, with Sawyer. That isn't going to change." Rock explained calmly, "I know…what you said yesterday, I've been thinking about what you said. About what we did. I've been a horrible mother, haven't I?".
"Yes and no…" he answered honestly, "I knew you only wanted what was best, but putting me under so much pressure. You must have known something was going to snap." growing up the phrase 'cut me some slack' was unknown to Rock, his parents always pushing him to succeed.
"But you did always keep me focused. Whether I wanted it or not. For that I am thankful, I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for that.", "I'm just sorry that it's all ended up like this…" Rock his head, "Don't be. I'm happy mother, don't worry about that." putting his arm around Sawyer he pulled her close.
"It's been tough on us Rokuro. Your father and I have drifted apart over the last few years. It's gotten to a point where we're barely speaking to each other. I've been thinking about separation.", "You're going to divorce him?", "Yes…he has always believed what was best and I foolishly went along with it. But seeing you both together…I don't want to miss my chance of seeing my grandchild; I would never forgive myself if I did.".
Sawyer's hands instantly covered stomach. "How did you know?", "I'm not blind yet Rokuro." she said smiling softly, "She has a glow around her. Plus…I was that stubborn when I was carrying you around." there was silence for a moment before he started chuckling softly.
"You aren't wrong. Sawyer can be very stubborn and knows how to get what she wants.", "I'm right here." she said elbowing him in the ribs, "But yes. I'm pregnant and Rock is the father." she admitted to her possible future mother in law.
"Rokuro…can you ever forgive me? Your brother barely speaks to us anymore and I do not wish to loose my child again.", "In time…I think I could." he finally said after taking in what she had told them. "Then I can wait." his mother said smiling warmly, "As long as you want me in your life again Rokuro, I can wait." Sawyer whispered something into Rock's ear and he looked at her with a slightly confused look before nodding.
"Mother. Would you like to join us? We can catch up if you'd like?" Rock asked as Sawyer gave her a sly smile, she had something she wanted to know about Rock as a child. Surely there had to be something embarrassing for her to learn.
The rest of the was spent catching up with what had happened over the last few years to both of them. When Sawyer had explained how she had lost her voice, Rock's mother almost smothered her in a hug.
They did not however give the full details of how they had first met, Rock wanted to help mend the relationship with his mother, not give her a heart attack, panic attack and nervous breakdown all in one go.
Rock however was in awe at what he was seeing. The woman in front of him was almost a completely different person to the one he remembered the last time he talked with her. It was almost as if she was the mother he had wanted when he was back in school, someone who cared, who nurtured and did not push relentlessly.
He may not be able to forgive her completely right away but if things continued how they were then their child might have a least one grandparent.
This is a little longer than the others because I wanted to try something a little different.
While I wasn't expecting to end up having Rock somewhat consoling his relationship with his mother I decided to give it a go. Hope you liked it anyway.