Ryo couldn't say anything. He just stood there looking at his dieing wife.
He closed his eyes, hopping this was a dream, no, a nightmare.
"Rika, please. Please don't leave me. Don't leave Hoshi or Naoko either. Please, Rika. Don't die. Please…" Ryo opened his eyes, and his wife's eyes were closed, and her heart monitor wasn't beeping anymore. It was just… going off in one long beep.
His wife… was now dead.
Ryo had tried really hard not to let a tear fall, but he failed and it ran down his cheek, followed by another.
The nurse and the doctor walked in.
"8:38pm." the doctor whispered, looking at the clock, and then at Rika.
The nurse walked over to Ryo and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Sir… I'm really sorry about your wife, but there was nothing anyone could do. I'm very sorry." the doctor said, walking over to the bed Rika was laying on and covered her from the shoulders up with the blanket.
Ryo didn't say anything. He just stood there, looking at his blanket covered, dead wife.
Ryo let one more tear out before walking over to the door, and leaving.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
When Ryo pulled in the drive way, he saw Rika and his kids, sitting on the porch.
How was he going to tell them that their mother was dead?
He couldn't it would hurt Hoshi and break Naoko's heart.
When the two children saw their father's car, they both stood up and waited for him to park, turn off the car, and get out.
When he did get out, Hoshi ran over to her father and asked, "Daddy, where's mommy? I thought that you were going to bring her home from the hospital today."
Ryo looked down at his five year old daughter. And then over at his eight year old son, who was standing on the porch.
"Sweetheart, I-I have to tell you and your brother something." Ryo said. "Naoko, come here for a minute."
Naoko heard his father and walked over to where his little sister and his father stood.
"What's up, dad? Where's mom?" the eight year old boy asked.
Ryo sighed. I best get this over with, he thought.
"Hoshi, Naoko, your mother… She isn't coming home… Ever. She died earlier." Ryo looked the saddest he'd ever looked.
"Dad, come on, stop joking. Where's mom?" Naoko asked, not wanting to believe that his mother was gone.
"Naoko… I'm so sorry. I know how close you were to your mother." Ryo said.
Naoko let out a tear. "Dad… I HATE YOU! WHY DIDN'T YOU TRY TO SAVE HER!…. Why?…." the eight year old started to cry silently.
Hoshi looked from her brother to her father. She was only five, and didn't really understand what was going on, or what had happened to her mother.
"Daddy? Why is Naoko crying? And where's mommy?" she asked, looking very much confused.
Ryo pulled her into a tight hug, along with Naoko.
"Hoshi, I'll tell you later, ok?" Ryo said.
"But-" Hoshi began, but was cut off by her brother. "Hoshi! Dad said he'd tell you later"
After that, Hoshi fell silent and let her father hold her tightly.
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After awhile, Ryo let go of his children, and said that they could go out for dinner.
"Can we go to Burger King, daddy? Pleaseeeeeee?" Hoshi asked, with a very innocent and pleading look on her face.
Ryo laughed slightly and nodded. "Sure. Is burger king alright with you Naoko?"
Naoko smiled and nodded.
"Well then… Burger king it is." Ryo said.
Hoshi bounced up and down with excitement.
Naoko stayed silent and Ryo watched his daughter bounce up and down.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
When they got to Burger King, Ryo parked his car and got out, as did Naoko. Hoshi was having trouble un doing her seat belt, so it took her a minute to get out.
When the three were out of the car, they walked inside.
As the three came inside, they saw that it was nearly empty.
As Ryo walked over to order their food, which he already knew what Hoshi and Naoko wanted, because they came to Burger King almost every night.
Hoshi looked around and saw someone she knew. She smiled and ran over to where a man, with light brown hair and a woman with reddish brown hair were sitting.
When Hoshi got over to them, she stood where they could see her.
They looked at her and smiled.
"Well, look who it is. How's it going, little miss Akiyama?" asked the man.
Hoshi smiled. "Fine, Uncle Takato!"
She walked around and stood by him. She held out her arms, waiting for him to hug her or pick her up.
Takato laughed and then picked up the five year old girl.
Naoko walked over a few seconds later with his hands in his pockets.
"Hey, Naoko! How's it going?" Takato asked him, only to get a shrug out of the eight year old.
Takato frowned and looked over at Jeri. She looked back and smiled slightly.
"Is your mother alright?" Jeri asked, in a quiet tone.
Naoko looked at Jeri and shook his head.
"She died earlier. So I'd say she's not doing fine at all." Naoko snapped.
Jeri looked away from the young boy and then stood up, obviously very hurt. She then walked outside, where they play set was, and where her children were playing.
Takato looked at Jeri and then over at Naoko. He was staring at the floor.
Takato was about to say something when Hoshi cut him off. "That wasn't very nice of you, Naoko. You snapped at Aunt Jeri, and she just asked you a question. Go say sorry to her."
Naoko looked at his sister. She was sitting on his mother's friends lap.
She was calling their mother's friend, Uncle. He hated that. He hated seeing Takato and Jeri, and even Jeri and Takato's kids.
Naoko looked from his sister to Takato, changing his expression from a blank look to pure disgusted.
Takato looked at him. "I'm sorry, Naoko. I know how close your mother was to you."
Naoko snapped. "How would you know? You've only been in America for less then a year! That's not long enough to tell how close I was to MY mother!" Naoko nearly yelled at Takato. He looked at his sister and then ran off to the car.
Hoshi looked down at the floor.
"Uncle Takato, I'm sorry."
Takato looked down at Hoshi.
"Why are you saying sorry? You didn't do anything, Hoshi."
Hoshi looked up at him and nodded. "Yes, I did. Naoko… told me on the way here, that if we saw you, to not call you uncle. And I did it anyways."
Takato hugged Hoshi.
"It's not your fault, Hoshi. It's just the way your brother is, its just the way he is. Always wanting something, and then when he sees that he can't have it he gets mad and runs off."
Hoshi smiled. She was going to say something when someone cut her off.
"He's just like Rika in a way. I mean with his bad attitude and stuff. He's got her attitude for sure. And I don't know if that's a bad thing, or a good thing."
Hoshi looked up and saw her father standing next to Takato.
"Ryo… Long time no see." Takato said, smiling.
Ryo smiled also and sat down across from Takato.
Hoshi smiled and got down off of Takato's lap and walked around the table and over to her father.
She held out her arms, wanting her father to pick her up.
He did and kissed her on the forehead.
"Eww. Daddy kisses!" she said, while giggling.
Ryo smiled. "So the little star doesn't like her daddy kissing her, does she? Well then… I guess that someone won't get to play on the play set outside today." Ryo was only joking, but his daughter believed every word he said.
"Daddy! I didn't mean it! I was just playing! I'm sorry, so can I please play on the play set?" Hoshi looked at him with pleading eyes.
Ryo smiled and kissed her on the forehead again. "I was only joking, Hoshi. You can go play after you eat, ok?"
Hoshi looked at him with confusion on her face. "Why after dinner? Why not right now?"
"Because, I said to wait until after dinner. And you know that if I let you go out and play now, you won't come back in to eat."
Hoshi wrinkled her nose and laid her head down on the table.
Ryo looked over at Takato who was smiling, and trying not to laugh. This made Ryo smile.
"Hey Takato, after everyone's finished eating, you want to catch up? I mean, I haven't seen you for a few months, and just thought that it'd be nice to talk about everything. Just You, Jeri, and me." Ryo said.
Takato nodded, still smiling.
Hoshi looked up and sighed.
"Daddy, I'm hungry. Can't these people hurry up?"
Ryo laughed. "I think that they're going as fast as they can, sweetie."
Hoshi sighed again, and then decided to go cheek on her older brother.
She climbed off her father's lap and walked over to the door they had come in from, and then walked over to their car.
Naoko was sitting on the side walk.
He had his head down and his hands were still in his pockets.
Hoshi walked over to him and sat down.
"Is everything ok, Nii-chan?" she asked.
He looked up and over at her.
"Hoshi, for once in you life, SHUT UP! Stop asking questions, and just leave everyone alone! And just so you know, EVERYONE hates when you ask questions. You're so stupid." Naoko said, out of anger of his mother dieing.
Hoshi looked at her brother, eyes widening.
"Do… I….I'm sorry." she said.
"Well to bad, cause, I'm not talking to you ever again, until you can stop asking so many questions." Naoko said, standing up and going back inside.
When Naoko was all the way inside, she began to cry. Her brother had never said something like that to her.
She knew that she asked questions, but it was only because she wanted to know. She couldn't help it if she wasn't as fast as the other people she knew.
"Don't cry, Miss. Hoshi." an unfamiliar voice said.
Hoshi looked around and saw no one.
"W-w-who are you? Where are you?" she asked.
"I, am no one and some one at the same time. I am here, and there, and every where. I cannot tell you anything more." the voice sounded slightly closer.
"Uh… Ok, how do you know my name, and…do you want to be my friend?" she asked, looking around some more.
The voice laughed. "Didn't your mother and father ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"
Hoshi nodded. "Yeah, but you don't seem like a stranger. You sound like some one who'd be a great friend."
The voice suddenly stopped laughing.
"Miss Hoshi, I shall be your friend, but… You cannot tell anyone about me or anything. I shall protect you but only for a few years. Is this understood?"
Hoshi nodded and stood up.
"Good, now go back inside."
She dusted gravel off of the back of her dress and headed back inside.
A/N: I hope ya'll liked it...theres more to come