AN: I know this isn't one of my most popular fics but I really hope that you enjoy it. I wanted to give a special thank you to someone who really helped me with my skip beat fics, cindersarah, I don't think she's written anything recently but she and I used to RP Skip Beat for years and years. There's a lot of influence and inspiration with the things that we roleplayed together and my fics so I really wanted to thank her even if she doesn't read these anymore.

Chapter Three – A Guide to Parenting

Why was there never a manual that came with having a child? You could be at the hospital and the doctor tells you and your loved one that you have a baby of a certain gender and then here's a guide teaching you how to make sure they entered adulthood fully prepared.

Of course, having three children now, Kuon knew that all kids were different but he wasn't sure how to help his son with his problem. He closed his eyes and put a hand through his hair. Knowing what they would have done in movies and books aiming for a pop culture audience, the idea of whether a mental ward would be best for Rikuu had entered Kuon's head but it had quickly been shoved out.

Even if his career died because people couldn't accept his son, there were worse ways for that showbusiness candle to be snuffed out. That must be what his dad had experienced when he was a troubled youth. He had so much more respect for his dad after becoming a father himself.

At this moment, Kuon was looking back at his son and heard the words.

"You keep a stopped watch?" Rikuu asked as he looked at it. He had memories of seeing that watch of his father's before and he knew a bit about how his father had been a reckless kid who had felt a lot of internal pain and had been sent off to live overseas. He knew that his dad had felt that it was because his parents didn't want him but that was so far from what had happened.

"This was a watch that stopped ticking when my friend died," Kuon said as he looked at it and remembered the sound of Rick's body hitting the floor. He would never let himself forget that sound. "I didn't like the world when I was growing up. I thought that everybody in the world had turned against me and sometimes the only sounds I could hear was silence and my own heartbeat. I fought others but I liked the feeling of beating people, I liked the rush of adrenaline when I managed to use my force and agility to hurt those who had hurt me. My friend was punished for that kind of lifestyle and I was responsible for his death."

"Dad, I -" Rikuu said before following his father to the living room and took a seat. He looked down at the table before him and then ran a hand through his hair trying not to stress too much. He didn't quite understand what his father's point was.

"When I was your age, I was out of control and I lost it badly," Kuon admitted. "I didn't like life and life didn't like me. I was fired so many times and the rejection from all of it made it so that I could hurt people and just feel that it was natural. It's a part of myself that I've been trying for years to make up for. It's something that I've shared with your mother and she's accepted that type of a past. Do you know why your mother accepted someone who has as messed up as a past as mine."

"Because you gave her a magical stone that changes colors?" Rikuu asked referring to Corn which Kyoko had told many many times for a bedtime story.

"Because she knew my present. She understood who I was and that if I hadn't gone on that journey and through all that pain, I wouldn't be the person that she had fallen in love with. She accepted that I had a past and that I was flawed. Twenty years ago I never would have believed myself to be lucky enough to have someone like her. That's my point though. I was unbalanced as a teenager but because I decided to work on who I am and what I love, that anger and that pain left me and it was your mother who was anchoring me. Your mother is far stronger than I am and we want to be strong for you too. We want you to live the life that you want and we want to give you everything we have. We're your parents," Kuon sighed before looking forward. "Do you understand what I'm talking about?"

Rikuu nodded before frowning, "This isn't the same thing though. You had a reason for doing these things a bad reason but…you weren't a freak."

Kuon shook his head, "They called me a freak but that doesn't matter. Do you think you're a freak?"

Rikuu nodded, "Dad, it's not right to see and hear people who don't exist."

Kuon sighed again before looking down. He closed his eyes and attempted to steady himself with some calming breaths. "Rikuu, when you see somebody who is unable to use their arms and legs, do you call them a freak?"

Rikuu looked at him horrified, "Dad. I would never do something like that. I mean -"

"and if you saw somebody who was dyslexic having trouble finding the words that they wanted to use, would they be a freak?" Kuon again asked and Rikuu shook his head.

"No, you'd help them find the right word or you'd give them time and wait until they were ready. You wouldn't rush them because they need to do things at their own pace and you have to have some understanding and respect for everyone," Rikuu replied and Kuon nodded.

"Yes. I hope that I show it too but your mother is an excellent person for this. She will always do her best for others and she's understanding because she's been bullied. She had to play some bullies before we were married and she had trouble relating to them in the beginning. So, that's why she's always taught you to consider others and treat them as you'd like to be treated," Kuon said as he thought back on how Kyoko had raised their kids to be and how sweet and kind his wife had always been. She had always been so considerate to him as a fairy prince.

"You do that too, Dad" Rikuu added as he thought about all the kindness that his father had shown to everyone. He had even helped members of the crew before and everyone knew him to be a very charming and charismatic person.

"I guess it comes from her influence," Kuon said as Rikuu opened his mouth but decided not to argue against his father.

"So, you two don't think that I'm a freak that needs to be sent somewhere because you won't be able to deal with me?" he asked and Kuon shook his head.

"We don't want to do that," he said which would give him a possible out if needed. Both he and Rikuu knew that they didn't want to use it but that it was there for his safety and protection.

"You have a doctor's appointment soon and I'm going to tak-" Kuon said but was again interrupted by his son.

"Dad, it's okay. I can go by myself. If you're seen in a hospital then won't people ask questions. If that causes a negative -"

"I'm taking you," Kuon said with a smile. "If caring for my son leads to a drop in my popularity then I don't want to be popular. Popularity comes and goes but my love as a father and a husband and even as a son is constant. So, I'll take you."

Rikuu smiled thoughtfully before looking back at the watch, "I don't think you killed your friend, Dad," he said but Kuon hummed and put the watch back in his safe box. Rikuu watched his father and noticed his body language. This was one thing in his dad's life that he would never ever forgive himself for.

…..

…..

Kyoko looked over at her youngest child, Kazuuki, as he sat in the back of the car with his plush Charizard toy. He made the Pokemon move as if he was fighting some of the other cars and Kyoko smiled as she stopped at the lights.

"So, I think that Daddy is excited to watch the next episode of your show together. Is your Charizard going to be in that one?" she asked since her little boy had started to love anime. She knew that Kuon tried to make time to watch the new episode with him but sometimes Kazuuki watched it twice because they recorded it if Kuon couldn't watch it air.

"No, but Pikachu is," Kazuuki laughed as he made the toy roar like a dinosaur.

Kyoko smiled as she looked forwards. When she was a kid, she was sometimes a little worried about how she could ever have a son. Boys seemed hard to understand to her and there were even some parts of Shou's world that she had been left out of. She was happy that neither of her son's seemed to grow up with that kind of ego. It must be the fact that Kuon was more of a perfectionist than someone with a giant ego and he always encouraged working hard to improve yourself.

He had been the best mentor to her as she had grown up and he was still her senpai in her heart. He had given so much to her and, like any skilled botanist, had been able to trim her branches to make her spread out and bloom.

"Are we getting Bella?" Kazuuki asked and Kyoko smiled.

"We're on our way to the station right now. Bella said that she'd wait for us there since she had an early end to her day," Kyoko grinned. She pulled up to where there was a convenient space (a task very difficult for Tokyo) and saw the girls with Bella's uniform come out. "Hey, let's see if we can see her, okay?"

Kazuuki turned to the window with interest before grinning, "Rikuu and I played like this," he said and Kyoko grinned. "He's my hero."

Kyoko laughed as she felt some happiness inside of her heart at hearing him say that. Hopefully it would make Rikuu feel better and feel as if he was included in this family. "Rikuu's your hero?" she asked just to clarify and Kazuuki's grin grew wider.

"Yes. He's my hero," Kazuuki laughed before pointing to Bella who was moving with a cake bag in her arms. She saw the car and bowed her head before going to the back and sitting in next to her brother. "Woooow, Mommy, Bella's bought a cake."

"I'm sorry," Bella apologized quickly before she put her seatbelt on. "I know that I didn't ask you about how to spend my money and I know that you usually make things but I know that this is Rikuu's favorite flavor and I'm really sorry," she said as she turned pale and saw Kyoko laughing at that.

"That is so kind of you, I'm sure Rikuu will love it," Kyoko said as she turned her attention to the road and pulled out. "Did you get some dry ice as well?"

"Of course, Mom" Bella said with a grin. "Who would buy ice cream cake with no dry ice."

Kyoko laughed again and shook her head. She managed to get on the right road to get them back home. "Who taught you guys to be so sweet," she said.

"You and Dad," both Bella and Kazuuki said together.

Hopefully she and Kuon could raise their children correctly. There wasn't any guide that was given to her after she had given birth of the right way to raise children. Would she have done better if a manual was available to her?

End of Chapter Three

Thank you for Reading

Thank you, reviewer of Chapter Two

Kris