A/n: An idea my friend Bella and I came up with!
Relationships:
David/Haji: Adopted father/son after Haji's parents died.
David/Joel/George: Best friends met on the day of Haji's birth.
Julia/David: Julia works at the clinic David goes to when he gets hurt. They're friends. Yes. He is still a clueless person.
Kai/Saya/Diva/Haji: Friends since birth.
Saya/Diva to Haji: His "girls"
Diva/Solomon: Dating. He use to have a crush on Saya.
Karl/Saya: Karl's only friend is Solomon. He stalked Saya after they went out once in junior year.
Haji/Saya: Sweethearts (in denial)
Kai/Mao: Dating
Haji/Mao: Cousins
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Everyone get my strange AU relationships? No. I'm sorry, you'll understand later. Yes? Cool.
I don't own Blood Plus.
I remember the day my "son" was born clearly, well, semi-clearly. Hey, it's been eighteen years? No, nineteen? Well, it's been awhile since it happened.
I remember getting woken up by his father, my best friend, Haji Senior at five in the morning. I remember it was raining, the way Haji drove, I knew they'd be there already. I remember, it was me, Haji, George, and Joel waiting in the waiting room.
We didn't know Joel. He was like.....Twenty-two? And the rest of us were nine-, well..... Haji was nineteen, I was seventeen and George was twenty. Anyways, we didn't know Joel. But his wife was in labor too, so we thought, 'hey let's freak out together! That's got to be funnier right?'.
Haji was going in and out of the delivery room. Eri was barking at him, confusing him, telling him 'Get out!', and 'No! I need you here!'. Poor guy, he was confused and tired, maybe a little queasy too. Hell if I knew. George and I just thought it was funny, so we sat there laughing at the father-to-be while he darted in and out, of the room, for three-to-four hours.
Haji Josiah Novacek Jr. was born December 17, 1991. Haji came into the world at eleven-forty nine AM. He was a tiny, six pounds, and nine ounce baby boy. He only cried twice the day he was born; once when he came into the world, the second time when the doctors took him away from Eri to make sure he was healthy.
The first time I held the little guy was around an hour after he was born; Haji came out with this...Little bundle in a blanket, blankets, he was looking like that Baboon from the Lion King as he presented the baby to us.
George stuck the camera and video camera in my face as Haji put little Haji in the awkward cradle I made with my arms.
I stared down at the little guy as he stared up at me. He had his mom's eyes, I could tell right away and he had Haji's hair and skin-yeah, he was damn pale with a little tint on his cheeks. He was really warm and.....Soft? Yeah. He was a cute kid.
Heh, so this what you get out of love? I brushed the baby's hair away from his face, Cool.
"David look up!" George had the camcorder and Haji had the camera.
"Guys...." They knew how I felt about pictures and videos.
"Just smile Man."
I forced a crooked smile at the cameras. Haji snatched my beanie off my head.
"What?!"
"No hobo pictures!" Haji laughed.
I snarled at them and messed with my hair a little, then I looked down at baby Haji.
As the flash went off, baby Haji snatched my index finger and cooed. My face broke out into a grin. This kid's alright.
The next day, when Haji and I came back to see Eri and Haji Jr., we found Joel standing at the nursery too.
Girls. Two twin girls. Joel named them Saya and Diva. They were born just a couple hours before we came back to visit.
Haji was in the bassinet between the two premature girls. Saya on his left, Diva his right.
Joel laughed and nudge Haji,
"Looks like they're going be fighting over that little stud of yours in the middle."
Haji chuckled, I threw my arm around his shoulder and sobbed falsely,
"Oh, our little heart-breaker....."
He snorted,
"Gets it from you Dave."
I laughed. But, by the way I saw little Haji's eyes glistening as he gazed at Saya. I had a feeling he would like her more.
The day Haji came home from the hospital, was the day one came home, when three were suppose to be there. Their car was hit by a speeding truck. Haji and Eri were in the front seats, they died on impact. While little Haji was safe in the back, only jostled by the tremor.
George and I were stumped what to do after our two friends died. We buried them where his family was buried. We took turns taking care of Haji. But George's son, Kai was born five months after Haji, and there wasn't room for Haji in George's home after that. Haji Sr.'s family was dead. Eri's family was Jahana mafia and disowned her. And those damn family-service people kept bugging us about the tyke.
So, I took custody of Haji. I adopted him and grew up.
Got a job at George's family pub. Moved into an apartment. I got serious; focused on my son and making a life for us. I worked hard for the both of us.
Around the time he was seven, Haji had a hard time seeing. His doctor helped him develop and encouraged him to use something like echo-location, clicking his tongue to see well. He use to smile up at me and say,
"Daddy I'm like a bat! I'm Batman!"
I would laugh and pick him up and say,
"Yes you are, you're my little Batman,". But, truthfully I got scared when that happened, afraid he'd be blind. Thank God he grew out of it.
Haji, George's boy Kai, Joel's girls: Saya and Diva, they all grew up together.
Kai always thought he was the leader, acting tough, but he lacked what Haji had. Haji had concern for everyone and their well-being, he took care of his friends and was considerate of what they had to say. He was like their big brother, they all, even Kai depended on Haji. He was the true leader.
Just like I predicted Saya and Haji were very fond of each other. We use to ask him,
"Who do you love Haji? Who do you like?" when both Saya and Diva were hanging around him.
Then he'd think it over a bit, not really but he wanted to be fair, then he'd reply,
"I love both my girls," yes they were his girls," I need to take care of Saya, I have to have fun with Diva. I love them both," such a smart kid, he knew the answers to tricky questions.
But when it was five in the morning, the night after a sleepover, when I crept out to the living room; I found Haji and Saya snuggling on the couch, watching Aladdin with the volume down, and Kai snoring on the floor and Diva asleep in the recliner. And when we ran into Joel and the girls', Saya was the first one to get hugged.
He wasn't mean or unfair, Haji just thought about Saya more as a sweetheart and Diva a little sister (or future sister-in-law but that hasn't happen yet). Saya was his "Baby girl" and Diva was his "Little girl".
Joel, George, and I watched our kids' relationships become clear through the years. Kai and Haji: best guy friends. Kai, Saya, Diva: big brother/little sisters. Diva and Haji: Big brother/ little sister. Haji and Saya: (denying) childhood sweethearts/best friends.
We: George, me, and Joel took them to school. Taught them to talk and walk and potty-train(not the most glamorous part of the job, but it is part of the job). We played with them. We loved them. We watched them grow.
Now our children are in their last year of High School. Kai is Tokyo University bound. Opera star Diva is hitting the road for her first tour. Saya's waiting on her acceptance letter form Julliard. Haji just got his acceptance letter from Julliard. Our kids are leaving us.
My son is leaving me. Me, who raised him since I was seventeen. Taught him whatever I could, sheltered him, loved him, provided for him and.... Doesn't have much of a life without him.
What did I have in my life without Haji? A job? I was Police Chief, because Haji persuaded me to follow my dream to be a cop. Paint-ball? I haven't done that in years..... Football? I can't play by myself..... Working on cars? More like fiddling with mine until I need a real mechanic. My friends? George, Lewis, and Joel....I guess we could hang out more.
In reality, I do not have much without my musical genius son. Whom, I will miss dearly once he his gone.
Haji is eighteen years old. He is a senior in High School, a gifted musician on his way with his girl to New York to study music. My only kid. My quiet, gifted, intelligent son; who I do not tell I love very often anymore.
I have one last year with Haji.
I wonder:
Is that long enough to say "I love you" and "Good-bye" one more time to him before he leaves?
A/n: Please review and don't flame.