Untitled ~Airea~

Airea was in a dream. It was a strange one to. She dreamed that a complete stranger had taken her to the hospital when she had tripped over him. She dreamed that she was in a emergency room and had her ankle in a tight wrap. She dreamed she was leaning on his shoulder, and he was looking at her. She thought she was dreaming until she realized she had her eye's open.

"Oh, sorry sir. I guess my ankle hurt so much I didn't know what I was doing." She quickly sit up straight. "You have my apologies."

The man looked disappointed that she had woken up.

"No problem, but could I have your name?"

"Catherine Airea. Call me either one you wish, I go by both. Could I have yours?"

"John Zane. Same with me, the one you like best."

"Thank you for bringing me here Zane, they know me well. I come about three times a year for this or that. And my ankle feels to be broken-again. " She sighed, " I wish I had better ankles, than I could run with out fear."

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to hurt you-"

"Nonsense! It was my fault, running like that. I have you to thank for being here so soon. Besides, all my friends are busy, and I would probably have to get here on my own, ankle and all." she sighed, "Thank you very much for bring me here, I -I-I'm extremely grateful."

Airea looked at her momentary hero. He had a Oriental look to him. Short, rich, dark black hair, dark brown almond eyes, faintly paled skin. She would never admit to anyone, but she thought Oriental guys were to cutest of all the guys in the world. Though if she stayed where she was she probably end up with some stupid football captain.

"Catherine A. Gems" the nurse at the front desk said

"Here!"

They stood up. "Thank you again. If you'd like to visit me I'm at the mall every weekday morning. I work at the Disney store and the teen section at Dillards. Just go to either of the stors and ask for Catherine Airea. "

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?"

"Nah, you go home. I'll see you later, k."

"Later than, and don't worry you'l see me plenty of times."

Airea laughed. "I sure hope so. Bye."

And she hopped in to the hall.

~Zane~

He watched her bounce into the room. He felt suddenly lightheaded.

'What is this...' he asked as he got to his car. A coral necklace lay on the back seat. It was well worn, and obviously mended many times over. He looked at the clasp. 'C>A>G " So it was hers. It looked.....old, very old. There was something on the back. 'To my only daughter. May your years be bright and cheerful. I'm sorry I won't be there. Your father, Zane.'

'This girl has a few things I want to know. She looked a little too used to being triped when I tripped her. And I have a bad feeling about her. Something bad is happening....'

He made up his mind right there and then to wait for her. Weather she liked it or not.

~Airea~

"Now be careful of this ankle young lady. It's already bad enough with out you using it as a 'pick-up' tool too." Doctor Wilson told her. "Understood?"

"I do not use it as a 'pick-up' tool. I don't go for guys, not that way anyway. Besides. Zane is a very nice person. He's going to make a very good friend."

"One of these days one of these 'guy friends' is going to becme something more Catherine."

"Not until I see every inch of the world....twice. And bring world peace. And feed all the starving children."

"You can't do that in ONE lifetime."

"Exactaly. I have no time to waste on silly stupid things like 'boyfriends'. I have better things to do with my time. Every second of it."

The doctor sighed. "Your unquie. I'll give you that. Some of my patence talk to me for hours about 'tod' or 'john' or....Zane? That's your fathers name. His name is Zane too?"

"Ya. He has my Fathers name. Dosen't look like him." She felt her gold/blond tresses. "But he actes like my step parents tell me my father did. 'Over friendly and too kind.' They keep telling me that I'm picking up some of his worst qualties. I take it as a comliment. Are you almost done?"

The docter finished putting the cast on her foot. "He does sound nice. Ya, I'm done. How are they treating you? Your step parents I mean."

"They are still trying to change me. But other then that...." The doctor wasn't buying it. Ever sence she was a little girl, he had known when she was lying. He was like her father figure. She loved comming to the doctors."Alright...badly. But they arn't hitting me. I can handle it."

"Arn't hitting you eh?" he said. He hadn't bought it again He rolled up her sleave. There were several bruises."You lied again. Your eyes close a little when you do. So, what's your excuse for holding out this time?"

" Ever heard of a orphange? I'm NOT going to one. I'll move in with a 'guy friend' first. And you know that's despert. I'm finishing collage and moving to Tokyo. I already have a job offer. I just have to hold out a bit more. Besides. I couldn't get out of there if I wanted to. They like 'protecting' my inhertance too much. It's really sparkly." She said with biting scarcasum.

"I see I'll try to find something to do. That's all for now. Are any of those briuses bleeding? Don't lie, I can tell."

"Not any you should worry your greying little head over Doc."

"Ok. Take the cruches with you on the way out. I'll be calling."

"I won't be avable. Bet you fifty bucks. Your a doctor, you can afford it. It's two weeks of dinner to me."

"Your on. Bye."

Airea pushed the door open and found a very angry Zane on the other side. His face was rather red or was it purple? Had he heard?

"I come here to return a necklace and hear that your being beaten?"He fairly seethed. He grabed her arm. "Come peacefully or I'll carry you."

"I'll come peacefully. I have cruches you know?! Hey-ouch!-I have a cut there! that hurt!"

The doctor came out of the room. "Now wait a minute-ok. Let me make a wild guess or three. One-your Zane.

"yep"

"Two-You heard about Cathy here being beaten."

"Right-o"

"Three-Until this clears up, she belongs to you, sort of speak."

"Good work Watson."

"Go on. She needs some one to defend her, she dosen't defend herself. And clean her wounds if she'll let you-or rather wether she wants you to or not."

Now Cathy was used to this, but that was too much. "Doc! How can you desert me like that! That's not playing nice! Your the father figer here, your supposed to-mumph" She was shut up by a hand on her mouth.

"If you excuse us we'll be going now." Zane said and draged her away.

The Docter just chulked as he saw his unoffical daughter get carted away. "'Bout time. That Zane boy's got smarts. More then Cathy at times. And that's hard. They're a cute couple anyway. "

~Zane~

He questioned her all the way to his house.

"How long have they been beating you?"

"Two months, more or less."

"How much money do you have locked away?"

"If they haven't messed with it, which I dout, about 75,000."

"Why do you put up with it? You over legal age."

"They tried to send me to a boarding school in germany once, I'm not trying that again."

"I see. We're at your home. Do you have a key for your house?"

"Yes."

"Go in there, get things to last you a month or so. I'm writing a note."

Airea knew better then to argue with a man three times as strong as she was. "Sure thing"

Zane got a peice of stantionary and started writing a letter with his trembling mad hand.

"To whom it may concern,

I have learned about Catherine Airea's little secret. She has left until the envirment has improved. Do not try to get her back, I will have her tell the authorites what you have been doing to her." He almost was so.." I know the laws well. You will comply, or the girl and her gold will be gone. I'm a lawer, don't tempt me with more anger.

Robin Hood"

Airea had returned. She was carring several small bags, and one big one. "I'm ready!"

"Good. Let's get going." He said and they got back in the car. They drove across town.

Airea fingered a ring on her ring finger and her necklace, which Zane had given back to her. " If mum and dad were alive this wouldn't be happening...." She said softly to herself.

"How did they die?" Zane asked.

"Lots of thier friends were gay, I'm told they were once to. But they always marched in the gay rights march. Every year. When I was a little girl I would go with them. But one year, I was 11, some one opened fire on the marchers. My mum and dad got shot. And so did I." She pulled up her shirt and showed him a scar on her stomic. "I lived, they didn't. I've always known the value of loving people for who they are. That and the best way to die is by helping someone else. I'm never going to hate others for being differnt. I won't be a murderer."

Zane just looked at the girl beside him. What had started out as a thing to do had certinaly truned out diffferntly then he had planned. She smiled alot. She must think things could always be worse. "I'm sorry for your loss. I almost feel guilty about having parents who are alive now." He smiled at her, "But don't worry. My parents will love you. Mom always wanted a daughter. Mind it I tell them why I made you come?"

"You'd better. Or they'll kick me out of the house for being a slut!" She laughed.

Zane joined her. "Na. They'd just keep you far, far away from my brothers and I."

They laughed all the way home.

When thay arrived at Zane's house four people ran out to meet them. The first one to speak was a rather plump japanese looking lady. She spoke with heavy accent. Airea was thrilled. She'd get to pratice Japanese while she was here. Back home they wouldn't let her speak a word of it. They didn't want her going abrod. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

The second was a thin, tall, Chinese looking man. He spoke with a chinese accent. This was even better, Airea was starting to get the hang of Chinese, but if she played her cards right, she'd have a treacher. "Who is the girl?"

Then there were the two brothers. They looked to be 15-16. And they were twins. Identical twins at that. "Ooooh. Zane has a girl friend........." This, of course, caused Airea to blush viriously. But wether with emberesment or anger she didn't have time to think out. Because Zane asked his parents if they could have a private meeting with them.

So they took her and her things inside, and gave her a spare room for the night. They were looking at her strangly. But by the time she had told them her story, with Zane's help as she kept trying to leave things out, they had a differnt look in thier eye.

"Of course you can stay! We wouldn't think of sending you back there. You poor thing!" The mother, Makoto, cousan(mom) as she told Airea to call her.

"Of all the doshonorable things to do! I am sorry for the loss of your parents. You can stay here as long as you like. You want to go to Japan? China is having some troble..."Said the father, Tenchi. tousan he told her to call him.

"I love China!" Airea said quickly, "But it isn't safe right now. I keep my ears open for news of it though. I love learning more."

"Dear?" Said the plump lady Airea had desided to call Makoto. It was her favorite Japanese name.

"Yes?" She replied.

"I've always wanted a daughter, and now I have one. I have some kimonos in the back and I was wondering if you'd like to....play dress up?" She sounded very nervious.

"I'd love to! I always wanted to see a real kimono!" Airea said happily. Zane noticed that she was beaming.

So Makoto and Minoto(Airea's new Japanese name) played with silk Kiminos all day, to thier hearts content. In the morning his father started tutering Mulan(Also Airea) about buddisum, which she was extreemly interested in, and the many Japanese and Chinese arts. Airea was in heaven. She hadn't been so happy sence he parents had lived. Her wounds were healing, inside and out, and she felt like one of the family. Expect that they kept pushing her twords Zane. Which she didn't mind, but it did get annoying. But she kept her mouth shut. Life was too perfect already. But it seemed to go on and on...The happy days streaching into weeks, and finally months. She didn't bother writing home. If they never found her again, she was fine. She would go back for her last semester of collage and come back here. They need never see her again. She had very few things. She didn't miss the mirror or that make-up stick. She was set right where she was. And indeed, she would never see the step family again, but that didn't mean it would be easy from here on in. That night she wrote in her diary.

"July 5, ----

Dearest Friend,

Today Tenchi and I praticed swords. He says I'm getting better. Zane keeps teasing me about suckering him into letting me into his family. I just smile and say I had it planned all along. It's a inner joke. It can be hard to understand what they say around here. They swich from Japanese to Chinese to English in five seconds flat. I'm keeping up though. I can speak all three well, just about as well I think. I love it here. But of course I've told you that before. I don't care, I'll say it again. I love it here. I mean, it's a buddest family! Orential and all! But even if it wasn't, I'd love it anyway. I'm loved here. And I not afraid to love any more. I know, short entry. But it's late and I'm geting up early for sunrise medetation. It should be fun. Tenchi says it's the best time of the day to medatate. Got to go!

Your beaming friend,
Catherine Airea, Minoto, or Mulan(take your pick)

But she didn't know that there was a sign shinning on her forhead and that a cat had seen it in the window. All she knew was tyhat she had gotten into bed and was now asleep.

end of part 2>