"Ok, I should warn you; I don't know how these two will react to you. So please keep that in mind and just let them come to you at their own pace." Koji said as he led them to and stopped at a door.
"That's fine; I just want to see them…" Ryou said as he looked from Koji and the door.
"Oh Koji, what's going on?" Sage asked as she rounded a corner.
"Ryou wants to see his kids; he has decided to keep both of them." Koji said with a smile.
"Oh really? That's great." Sage said with a fake smile.
"Sage what's going on?" Koji asked seriously.
"Nothing…" Sage lied.
"Sage…" Koji said demanding an answer.
"My sister wanted Kai and a friend from a few cities over wanted Mai." Sage said softly.
Ryou wanted to say something, but held his tongue.
"Sage, you didn't tell them they could have them already did you?" Koji asked looking at her.
"No…" Sage started.
"But?" Koji asked folding his arm and tapping his foot.
"I showed them the pictures…well technically I didn't; they fell out of my folder and they just happened to see them. My mother is really pushing for me to get Kai for my sister.
"Sage…you know better. What were you doing taking their files and pictures home in the first place?" Koji asked seriously.
"It was the week I had just got back from being in the hospital and I was falling behind. Both you and the boss said I could take some of the files home if I needed." Sage explained.
"Ok…didn't your trainer tell you that you can't take files of kids younger than five home when you started? That the only files you are allowed to take home are six and older?" Koji asked looking at her.
"No…but I should've known that…" Sage said looking down.
"It's fine. Who was your trainer?" Koji asked seriously.
"Fuko, Ayame." Sage answered.
"Ok. Well, I'll have to report this to the boss; but I'll make sure he doesn't fire you seeing as this was a mistake. But you know you can't take these children to your sister and friend as they are Ryou's children; and he gets his rights. He doesn't want them separated…and hey at least he's taking responsibility. Now please, you only have an hour left; why don't you just go home, think about all this and come back tomorrow for your sift. Ok?" Koji asked seriously.
"Yes, of course." Sage said softly, bowing.
"And Ryou, I'm so sorry about all of this." Sage said bowing to him as well.
"It's fine…" Ryou said looking at Sage; he felt for her…in a way.
"I'm sorry about her; but also don't mind her; she's really not a bad person." Koji said sighing as they watched Sage enter an elevator.
"I understand…" Keiichiro explained softly, politely…as always.
"Well anyways…are you ready to meet your children?" Koji asked as he grabbed a hold of the door handle.
"Yes…" Ryou said sighing after holding his breath for so long.
"Well here we go." Koji said as he opened the door.
Once they entered the room they saw Kai and Mai sitting on the floor playing with some toys; Kai was playing with matchbox cars, trucks and trains while Mai was quietly playing with some dolls and a doll house…that was actually quite disturbing.
"You can defiantly tell that they were abused and have PTSD…especially Mai." Koji said as they watched Mai.
She had the daddy doll far away from everyone; it looked like he was by the couch. The mommy doll was lying on the couch inside the doll house while the boy and girl dolls were…locked in a closet.
"Ok, will you two please sit on the couch? Kai, Mai; there's someone here I would you to meet and who would like to meet you as well." Koji said getting the children's attentions.
Kai went over to Mai and got her and the two walked over to Koji.
"Ok, you two see the man with blonde hair and blue eyes?" Koji asked while Mai held onto Kai.
"He's our dad right?" Kai asked simply shocking everyone in the room.
"…" Koji couldn't say anything.
"We all have the same cheekbones, chins, eyes and forehead. We have our mother's ears and nose. I used to wonder where we get our hair from; because Mom has orange hair and you have blonde hair while I have brown hair and Mai has red hair. Although I came to the conclusion that because you have blonde and mom has orange, the colors for us just mixed together and made my hair brown and her hair red. And then I thought to myself…that's really not all genetics work at all." Kai said looking at the three men while Mai held onto him.
"I told you he was smart…but I didn't think he was that smart." Koji said looking from Ryou to Kai.
"Thank you…I think." Kai said simply.
"Well anyways…children, this is your father, Ryou Shirogane and his very best friend Keiichiro Akasaka." Koji started to explain.
"Are we going home with him? What about mom; won't she be mad?" Kai asked looking at Koji.
"Yes, he's going to be taking you home at some point. But anyways, I'll let you all be." Koji said as he started walking to the door.
"So you'll just be out in the hall watching us through the two-way mirror as in?" Kai asked as Koji walked to the door.
"Correct…" Koji said simply.
"Ask him about our kitty ears and tail?" Mai asked signing to Kai.
"Not now…that Koji guy is watching. If he finds out about all that he'll want to stick us with more needles and runs tests on us." Kai signed back.
"What about Orieo and S'mores?" Mai signed again.
"I'll ask in a minute?" Kai signed back.
"You two know sign language?" Ryou and Keiichiro asked astonished.
"We learned a year ago; it's how we communicate when we don't want mom to hear us." Kai explained.
"You sign?" Mai asked signing to them.
"Yes." Ryou and Keiichiro signed back.
"How about you speak how you please and we'll speak out loud." Keiichiro suggested.
"Ok." Kai said while Mai signed.
"So you two like Oreos and S'mores huh?" Ryou asked looking at the two.
"No…Mai wants to know where our kittens, Orieo and S'mores are…and if we can bring them with." Kai explained.
"You have kittens?" Ryou asked looking at the two.
"Yes…we founded dem outside in the cold rain. Mama weelee likes kitties and let dem stay." Mai said softly…very softly with a little stutter.
"But they sure didn't like her. And Mai must like you; she doesn't talk to anyone except for me normally." Kai said simply.
"Well, that's always good." Keiichiro said with a smile as Ryou lowered himself to the ground.
"So…would you like to come home with us?" Ryou asked looking at his twins.
Kai and Mai exchanged looks before looking back at their father and nodded their head.
"But when would we go home with you? Normally this stuff takes a long time; I heard the people who work here talking to another family." Kai said simply.
"I'm not sure…" Ryou said simply.
"Do you live in a bwig house like mama? Or a aparpment like grama and granpa before dey wen away?" Mai asked softly.
"She means before they passed away…" Kai explained.
"Currently I live in something like an apartment; I live above a café. And soon you two will as well. However, I'm going to start looking for a house or something else to live in." Ryou explained.
"Will Keiichiro be coming as well?" Kai asked looking at Ryou and Keiichiro.
"If he wants to." Ryou said simply and then noticed Mai looked sad.
"Do you want to?" Kai asked looking at Keiichiro.
"Would you like me to?" Keiichiro asked.
"It'd be nice…" Kai said simply; he liked Keiichiro and it seemed so did Mai.
"Mai, what's wrong?" Ryou asked looking at Mai as she sat down causing Kai to sit down right away next to her.
"So…no kitties?" Mai asked softly as she tried to cry.
Oh by the way, both Kai and Mai had bruises on their arms still and Mai had a nice big bruise on her right cheek while Kai had one on his left cheek; but they were fading. All other bruises were either under their clothes or completely gone.
"I will talk to Koji and see what I can do. I make no promises, but I will try." Ryou said softly looking at his daughter while Kai rubbed her back.
What happened next shocked everyone; Mai went up to and hugged Ryou; Kai shortly joined in right after.
It was in that moment that Ryou knew he had done the right thing in activating his rights in keeping them. Even Keiichiro could see that it was a good idea…but he also knew how responsible and reliable Ryou actually was.
Ryou then got up, walked over to the doll house, took the children dolls out of the house and placed them next to the daddy doll upstairs while he placed the mommy doll in a bin. He also found an extra doll and placed it with them
"Now, the four of us will be a family." Ryou said sitting back on the couch as Mai and Kai climbed up onto his lap and laid there for awhile until they fell asleep.
"So, what do you think? You still want to keep them?" Koji asked with a smile; he already knew the answer.
"Yes, of course." Ryou answered.
"I have a question. Do they not know about their mother?" Keiichiro asked looking at Koji.
"About her being dead; no, they do not. That's not our place; we let the parent(s) or guardians decide what's best with that." Koji answered.
"Ok. So, I understand that they had kittens named Orieo and S'mores?" Ryou asked.
"Oh yes." Koji answered.
"What happened to them?" Ryou asked seriously.
"Well it was touch and go with them; they were only four months old when they came here. So they're about six months now…I think. When they came here they had a few different problems; but they're fighters and fought through it all. They had worms, heartworms, diarrhea, dehydration and worst of them all, they had distemper. Somehow they survived all that. However, they aren't unaffected by all of it. S'mores lost her back left leg, is blind in her right eye and wobbles when she walks; Orieo is cross-eyed and wobbles when he walks. But other than all that and will be put up for adoption in about a week. Why do you ask?" Koji asked curiously.
"Mai and Kai…mainly Mai was asking about them; she wants them to come home with us. I told her I made no promises, but I'd ask." Ryou said simply.
"You'd be willing to take the kittens as well?" Koji asked very shocked.
"Yeah, I really like cats. And more importantly it would make Mai and Kai really happy." Ryou explained.
"Well ok then…I'll get them for you as well." Koji said making a note in his notes.
"So…how long will it be before I can take them all home?" Ryou asked seriously as he stood there.
"Ok, let me explain something to you. They are yours and that's final. Normally they wouldn't be able to go home with you today; they need to be prepped and all that. Not to mention I'm sure you have nothing ready for them right at this moment. However, there are rare occasions, like now where it's best that they go home with you. However, with that being said you need to get all the things that they need such as clothes, beds, blankets, pillows, car seats and child safety stuff. Toys and all that stuff can come at a later time. Please note that I will come by in a week to make sure you have all of the things that are needed. I have your address and phone numbers already seeing as you filled out the papers and such. The one concern that a lot of my colleagues have is that you live up above a café. However, as long is its safe and all that you should be fine. I don't know if you plan on moving, but if you do please let me know…" Koji said simply as he looked at Ryou.
"How long will you be in our lives? I'm not trying to be rude or anything; I'm just curious." Ryou said looking at Koji.
"Well…in normal cases, like when the child or children are babies it's only a few months. In foster cases it's until the child or children turn either or are adopted. In adoption cases it's until the child or children it's usually a year or so. And in your cases where the child or children are between the ages of two and ten and have been severely abused it depends on the parent. Like I said I'll be by in a week to make sure you have everything they absolutely need. And then after that a trusted associate of mine will make five more visits; once a month. And if they find you fit…as in safe, trustworthy and all that, there shouldn't be any more visits. If they find that they think there's something suspicious they will let me know and I'll decide whether or not that that's a major problem. If it isn't there won't be any more visits, but if there is there will be some more visits. Does that answer your question?" Koji asked after explaining everything.
"Yes, perfectly; thank you." Ryou said as he watched his twins sleep peacefully on the couch.
'I'm sure they'll both have cat DNA in them…seeing as they're both my and her kids…' Ryou thought to himself.
"Well then…let's let them sleep a little longer and we can go get the kittens. If you would prefer, Mr. Akasaka, you can stay here and watch the kids." Koji said looking at Ryou and Keiichiro.
"That would make me feel a little better." Ryou said looking at Keiichiro.
"Ok, I can do that." Keiichiro said with a smile as he stood by the big two-way window as Ryou went with Koji to get the kittens…
