"Those poor kids…" Keiichiro sighed as he continued to drive.
They decided to let the kids sleep; so they decided to go pick out their new beds, dressers and anything else furniture wise that they would need…in the next town over.
"Yes…I know…" Ryou sighed as he pulled out his phone.
"What are you doing?" Keiichiro asked looking at the road; he heard Ryou putting his password into his phone.
"I'm sending out a mass text to the girls letting them know they'll have some time off." Ryou explained calmly as he started texting.
Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, Zakuro, Berry, Pepaminto, Nashi, Kiwi, Keki…
~Girls~
~I'm texting to let u know that I've met & decided to keep the twins~
~My twins, Kai & Mai~
~So with that being said, until I find a suitable home to move into I will b closing the café until further notice~
~But don't worry as it won't be forever~
~It's just not fair for 2 small children to have to b stuck upstairs in their rooms or a room all of the time~
~Either Keiichiro or I will text or call u all & let u know when u all can come back to work~
~Until then plz enjoy this time off~
~Your Boss~
~Ryou~
"There…that's all taken care of." Ryou sighed as he put his phone away and then checked the mirror to check up on his children.
"How did you do?" Keiichiro asked calmly.
"I think I did well…I even used all that text talk stuff…" Ryou said annoyed. Ryou wasn't a huge texter; he only texted if he absolutely had to. And all the girls have gotten on about his texts either being too long or too complicated…
"Are you ready for this Ryou?" Keiichiro asked seriously.
"Yes. It's not like I can say I have to be; because I don't. I could've walked away and continued to live my life the way I had been. But I couldn't do that to them; they need me. And…I need them. Maybe they'll help me move on in life instead of linger on what could be or rather what's not going to be." Ryou said as he looked back again.
"Yeah. You really are a lot more responsible then I had originally thought. And you mean Ichigo don't you? Ryou, I think you should just tell her how you feel about her. The worst that she can do is say, she's not interested." Keiichiro said calmly looking at Ryou while stopped at a stop light.
"Thanks. And no; I don't want to ruin what little friendship we have…" Ryou sighed as Keiichiro started driving again.
"Ok…it's your life. At least you have them to distract you now." Keiichiro said as he continued to drive.
"Yeah…" Ryou sighed.
Just then the texts from the girls started pouring in…
Ichigo:
~Ok~
~That's great!~
~If u ever need any help I'm normally available after school & every so often on the weekends~
~I love little kids J
~Even if they look or act like u :-P~
~But seriously, I can babysit if u ever need~
~Just give me a few days notice first plz~
Lettuce:
~Oh Ryou~
~That's so great of u J
~Message or call me if u ever need anything~
Zakuro:
~U know how to get a hold of me~
~Not to mention I'm usually around~
Pepaminto:
~I'm so happy for u J
~If u need anything, don't be afraid to get a hold of me~
Pudding:
~Yay!~
Keki:
~Yay!~
Kiwi:
~Ryou…~
~I can't say anything because it's not my decision~
~But, I hope u can handle this all~
~Don't be afraid to get a hold of me or any of the girls~
Nashi:
~Congratulations…I guess…~
~Ryou, it's not my place~
~But, I don't think ur ready~
~But, it's too late now~
~Just make sure u take care of them~
Mint:
~How the hell can u be so stupid~
~Ur supposed to b so smart~
~U should have just put them in the system~
Berry:
~Ur making a big mistake~
~Just as the mistake u made when u fucked Maya~
~& those two are going to b nothing but mistakes as well~
~U stupid idiot~
"Well…most of them are nice…" Ryou sighed as he read the texts he received back from the girls.
"I'm sure the others will come around soon enough; they're all good girls." Keiichiro said with a smile.
"Yeah… Although, I don't know what's going on with Mint and Berry as of late." Ryou sighed.
"Yeah…I guess you got me there; I have noticed some weird behavior going on with those two." Keiichiro said simply.
Half An Hour Later:
"How much longer do we have?" Ryou asked; his legs were going numb.
"Not long now; about five or ten minutes…depending on the traffic." Keiichiro said as he concentrated on the road and traffic ahead of and behind them.
"Mmmm…" They heard Kai and Mai moan as they started waking up.
"Hey you two…" Ryou said in a gentle tone.
"Did you have a nice nap?" Keiichiro asked calmly.
"It was nice." Kai said calmly as he stretched.
Mai didn't say anything; she just stretched and made stretching noises.
"What are we doing?" Kai asked looking around.
"We are going to get you your new beds, dressers, maybe desks, clothes, toys and such." Ryou said calmly.
"Weelee?" Mai asked softly as she rubbed her eyes.
"Yes, really." Ryou answered calmly as he looked back at the two.
"Ok, we're here." Keiichiro said pulling into a parking lot; they were at "Tiny Tot's Furniture" store.
They didn't have to drive around the parking lot long to find a spot; they weren't that busy today.
Once Ryou and Keiichiro got out of the car they opened the backseat and let the kids out.
Kai was just fine as soon as Keiichiro set him on the ground after closing the door; Mai on the other hand fell right over as soon as Ryou set her down.
"Mai, are you alright?" Ryou asked concerned as soon as he helped her up; but she just fell right back to the ground.
"She'll be ok after a little bit; she always does that after sitting for a very long time. The doctor tells us it's nothing and that it's nothing to be concerned about…but I think he was an idiot who didn't know what he's talking about. She also has breathing problems; she's always had breathing problems…" Kai said when Ryou picked Mai up.
"Well…let's get through today and then we'll take her to see a doctor in a day or two…" Ryou said as he placed Mai on his hip.
As he was about ready to start moving his phone rang.
"Crap…" Ryou said to himself as he held onto Mai while digging for his phone.
"Do you want me to take her?" Keiichiro asked as Ryou got a hold of his phone.
"Sure." Ryou said handing Keiichiro Mai.
"Hello?" Ryou asked as soon as he could.
"Hello? Is this Mr. Shirogane, Ryou?" A voice asked on the other end.
"Yes, this is he. Who is this?" Ryou asked calmly.
"My name is Dr. Tatsu Tomo and I'm a pediatrician. More importantly, I'm calling to discuss Kai and Mai. No, I'm not their normal pediatrician; but I've received all their paperwork and such from my fill-in. Sorry, I was on vacation when they first came in and then I was really sick and hospitalized myself for awhile. Anyways, I just received all their information, tests and all that two days ago. I was hoping to meet and talk with them today; but I was told that you took them home today." The man on the other end started calmly.
"Yes, I took them home today; they said it was fine." Ryou answered slightly annoyed.
"Oh no; that's perfectly fine. I didn't mean to upset or anger you. I just didn't realize they were releasing them so soon. Anyways, I just wanted to call and tell you what I've discovered with both of them…more so with Mai then her brother. I understand now may not be a good time, but would you be willing to make an appointment with me at some point? I've also read your file as well; I know that you're actually very smart. so with that being said I don't actually need to see you; we can do it right over the phone." Dr. Tomo explained calmly.
"Hold on a second. Do you two want to go play over on that playground for a little bit?" Ryou asked looking at the public playground.
"Sure." Kai said calmly.
"Are you available now?" Ryou asked calmly as they started walking.
"Yes, of course; now is perfect." Dr. Tomo said kind of shocked.
"Stay where I can see you." Ryou said simply as he let Kai and Mai go play.
"Do you have an answer as to why Mai falls over?" Ryou asked seriously.
"Yes, that's actually why I was calling…well one of the reasons. I would like to start with Kai though if you wouldn't mind." Dr. Tomo said calmly.
"That's fine; as long as I get answers." Ryou answered.
"Yes of course. I'm sure as you've seen Kai is an exceptionally bright young child while Mai is a little slower. For the most part Kai is normal…except that he has OCD. And then there's Mai…according to all her files, X-rays, scans and all that her brain is healthy, but is slower. I also looked at all her blood work and videos. From what I gather she's also weaker than Kai physically as well; she falls quite often. After looking over everything I have figured out that she has rheumatoid arthritis, ADD and asthma." Dr. Tomo exclaimed calmly.
Needless to say Ryou was really shocked…so shocked it took him a little bit to respond.
"Mr. Shirogane, are you alright?" Dr. Tomo asked concerned.
"Yeah, sorry…are you sure?" Ryou asked hoping this wasn't true.
"Yes, I'm sure…unfortunately. If you ever need to talk more about any of this, please don't hesitate to contact me…especially when you think she's ready to be placed on medications or something to dull the pain…if she ever feels pain. However, it's only a matter of time before she does start to feel the effects of the arthritis; she will feel pain eventually. I've already put all this information in the systems, so other doctors will be able to get her information…especially if you ever wish to find her a rheumatologist." Dr. Tomo explained calmly.
"Ok…" Ryou sighed as he sat on a bench, still in shock as he watched Mai playing in the sandbox and Kai was…coming down a tube slide.
"I hope this doesn't deter you from still wanting to keep them." Dr. Tomo said softly.
"Oh no, of course not; I'm keeping them both forever. They are mine and nothing's going to change that. They could be blind or deaf or both or stuck in a wheelchair or anything like that; they're still perfect the way they are and I'm keeping them both. I may have only known them for a few hours, but I love them both already." Ryou said very determined, not noticing Mai until she fell on his foot.
"Well good; I'm extremely happy for you and them. Well, I'm going to let you go. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me or any other doctor for her. Have a good rest of the day. Bye." Dr. Tomo said calmly.
"Thanks; you as well. Bye." Ryou said as they hung up.
"Hey you; what's wrong?" Ryou asked picking Mai up.
"Love you too." Mai said softly as she hugged Ryou, placing her face in his shoulder.
"I love you as well." Kai said coming up to them.
"You two heard all that?" Ryou asked shocked.
"I come up cos I has to potty…" Mai said softly.
"I have good hearing; we both do. We have cat ears and have really god hearing. And, I have to use the bathroom as well." Kai explained calmly.
"Ok let's get going." Ryou said as they headed back to the store along with Keiichiro.
"Hello and welcome to Tiny Tot's Furniture store! How may I help you today?" A lady asked as soon as Ryou and Keiichiro entered the store with two very red toddlers.
"Bathroom?" Ryou asked right away.
"Yes of course; just straight down that way." The lady said a smile.
"Thank you." Ryou said as he and Keiichiro rushed to the bathroom with the twins.
They were only in the bathroom for a few minutes and each held one of the twins over the toilet so one: they wouldn't fall in. And two: so they wouldn't get any kind of STDs.
Normally it's not something Ryou would really care about because he stands to do number one and never does number two. But he has two small children to worry about.
When they got out they then headed to go find beds and such.
"Can I help you with anything?" A younger man asked coming up to them.
"Do you section off by age groups?" Ryou asked as Mai clung to him.
"Yes, we do actually. What ages are you looking for; two and four?" The young man asked politely.
"Actually we're three year old twins. Our mother used to beat us and we ended up in child protective custody until our father, who didn't know about us until today, could come get us. So now we're going to be living with our dad and Uncle Keiichiro." Kai answered calmly.
"Kai…I don't believe the nice man needs to know all that; that's personal business that should stay between us. I'm sorry about all that." Ryou explained to Kai and then apologized to the man.
"Oh it's perfectly ok. To be honest my associates and I thought you were a couple who just adopted two little kids. So, our apologies for that. He's a smart kid, isn't he?" The man asked looking at Ryou after apologizing for thinking they were gay.
"Yes, he is. And it's fine; I suppose that's what it looks like to people to know us." Ryou said calmly.
"Well anyways…if you go down that way a little ways and then turn right you'll be there. Or if you want I can take you there." The store associate said calmly.
"Sure, that'd be great." Ryou said calmly as Mai continued to cling to him.
Not even five minutes later they arrived in the section that Ryou had needed for the twins.
"Ok. So, when you find what you want, rip off a tag and bring it to the front and they will ring you up and everything. Unless you need anything, I'll be on my way." The store associate said calmly and politely.
"Hey Ryou, Keiichiro!" They heard a young man call happily while waving; it was Nashi's boyfriend Koda.
Koda was nineteen with short navy blue hair and dark blue eyes. He's human and knows about the mew mew project; he was there when Nashi first transformed. Since then he's kept the secret and all that; he's a pretty chill guy.
"Koda, what are you doing here?" Keiichiro asked kind of shocked.
"I work here…and I live down the street. Nashi lives with me as well. She told me about your situation, but I didn't believe her. Guess I was wrong. Congratulations man! Oh, and don't worry about Nashi and what she may say. She has baby fever and wants kids so bad right now. I'm just not ready yet; I asked her to give me at least two or three years." Koda said smiling as he placed his hand on the back of head.
"Wait, Koda; you know these guys?" The young man asked shocked.
"Yeah; they're my girlfriend's bosses." Koda said calmly.
"Seriously?!" The young man screeched, scaring Mai.
"What?" Koda asked calmly.
"Why didn't you say that before? If I would've known that you knew them I wouldn't have placed that bet along with everyone else! Why didn't you say they weren't gay?" The young man asked annoyed.
"I did." Koda said calmly.
"No you didn't." The associate said annoyed.
"Kita said he bet that those two with the kids that came in just a few minutes ago are gay. And then for kicks he goaded you and the others into it as well. I had no clue who you were talking about until they came out of the bathroom and you and Kita said those two. What do you say? And I said I bet they're not gay and before I could even say anything about knowing them Kita went one way and you went to them. So it's not my fault none of you stuck around to hear me say that. so now, let's go to the others and tell them what we now know and let them get what they need so they can be on their way. I'm sure they have a lot to do and get. Sorry about him…and the others. For the most part, most of them are good people. See you all you later." Koda said as he and the associate went another direction.
"Well that was weird…" Keiichiro said calmly.
"Yeah…he's actually mature… Anyways, let's go find you two some beds and stuff. Now don't let go of my hands; do you two understand?" Ryou said as he set Mai down and took her and Kai's hands.
"Yes daddy." Mai said softly.
"Yes of course." Kai said politely.
"The beds are two the right, the dressers to the left and desks straight back it seems." Keiichiro said looking around.
Ten Minutes Later:
After ten minutes Ryou noticed that Mai was starting to slow down and after another minute or two she fell over again.
"I sowee…" Mai said softly hiding her face, afraid of getting smacked.
"It's ok; it's not your fault." Ryou said as he tried to pick her up; but stopped when he noticed how badly she began to shake.
"She's afraid of getting hit. Back at our old home, if we fell over for any reason or slowed her down for pretty much anything, she would hit and beat us…" Kai explained calmly.
"Mai, I'm not going to hurt you; all I want to do is love and help you…in any way I can. If that means I have to carry you around the store, I will." Ryou explained finally able to pick her up only to have her start sobbing into his shoulder while he rubbed her back.
"Wow…I'm so sorry. I mean, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything. I was just coming to see if you needed help with anything. And, to give you two this…it's about $500 each. Over twenty people wanted in on the bet…twenty of them thought you two were a gay couple while only five didn't; I am the only one who knew the truth and nobody listened to me. Anyways, it's only right that you receive the money from the bet because it was wrong for that to even start. And to that I'm very sorry. I may act like an ass or whatever, but that's because I have to behave here and my mother and her new husband were uber strict so I decided to act out to rebel against them. But certain things…they just bother me." Koda explained as he handed Ryou and Keiichiro the money from the pool that the others had started.
"Don't you need the money?" Keiichiro asked calmly.
"Oh no; I do just fine. Between my job here and the money and house my dad gave me I'm good. Anyways, is there anything I can help you with?" Koda asked smiling.
"Oh well…do you happen to have anything for a special needs child? I was told my daughter has rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and ADD…I mean I'm mainly concerned about the RA when it comes to finding a bed. I don't want something too high up that she can fall out of and hurt herself at this point…" Ryou explained shocking Keiichiro.
"Yes, I believe we do; please follow me." Koda explained as he took the lead.
"Is that who was on the phone a little bit ago?" Keiichiro asked as they walked.
"Yeah…he said his name was Dr. Tomo and that he's been on vacation and out sick for the last two months or so. However long the twins had been there. He was going to check them out, but we got there first. I'm going to call Kenji to make sure everything is true before I freak out. If he's really a doctor there and all that he said was true I'm going to ask them why they didn't get info from him. And if it's not true, I'm going to let them know about this situation. But for now, I have to make sure Kai and Mai are taken care of. But it all makes since with how much she falls over…" Ryou said calmly.
"I sowee…" Mai said softly.
"It's not your fault; I just wish I would've had this information before hand so that I could help you easier." Ryou said calmly.
"Here we are." Koda said getting Ryou's attention.
"These are the only types of beds we have for her age group with her types of issues…" Koda explained calmly.
There were only five different beds.
"Thank you. Is she allowed to try them out?" Ryou asked simply.
"Yes of course; we actually encourage that." Koda said with a smile.
"Ok Mai…I'm going to set you down. Go find a bed you like." Ryou said calmly as he set Mai down in front of him.
"Very own bed?" Mai asked confused.
"Yep; you and Kai get your very own beds." Ryou said with a small sad smile.
Slowly and carefully Mai looked at and tried out all five beds; each time she did Koda would explain in detail about each bed.
In the end she chose the bed that she was half the size of length and width wise…but that just meant that she wouldn't ever have to change out beds…just mattresses.
The bed itself was a full sized bed that adjusted in height as the child got older; it went up to height that would allow someone who was six foot tall or taller to get in and out easily.
The best part was she could decorate it however she wanted.
"Now all you have to do is find a mattress and blankets and such to go along with it…" Koda said calmly.
"Do you know what type of mattress is in it already?" Keiichiro asked calmly as Ryou sat down next to Mai…along with Kai.
"Yes, of course I do. It's a memory foam mattress." Koda explained simply.
"I think that's the one she wants." Ryou said as Mai sat there enjoying how the bed felt.
"Kai gwet bed too?" Mai asked softly.
"Yes, he'll get a bed too." Ryou said pulling the tag off the bed as he was told to do earlier; he then got up and picked Mai up to go find his bed.
"Does he need a special bed as well?" Koda asked as they started walking away.
"No; physically he's just fine." Ryou said as Keiichiro walked ahead and Kai stayed in between them.
In the end…after half an hour of looking Kai got the exact same bed as Mai.
They then went to pick out dressers…
Mai found a light blue dresser with stars all over them and Kai found a dark green dresser with dinosaurs on them. He may be a genius like his father, but he was still just a child who liked certain things little boys liked.
Originally they were going to get them desks, but Ryou and Kai both figured that they would grow out of these desks…considering how small they were. And Ryou would rather just get them desks that they would grow into than grow out of and not be able to use anymore.
Now it was time to check out.
"Hello, did you find everything you needed?" A female cashier asked kindly.
With Koda's help they found a cashier that wasn't part of the pool.
"Yeah, pretty much." Ryou said calmly as he gave her the tickets.
"I'm glad to hear. Do you need someone to come down with the items you've picked or do you want them delivered to your home?" The lady asked politely.
"Delivered please." Ryou replied back.
"Ok. So we have a few different delivery options for you. We have no rush as in one week option which is between five and seven days. We have three day delivery, two day delivery, one day delivery and same day delivery." The lady said calmly.
"How long would same day be?" Ryou asked calmly.
"Well, let's see…it's about five now…so they wouldn't be there until about eight tonight…" The lady replied looking at a piece of paper.
"Ok…let's do one day delivery…" Ryou sighed.
"What time are you available tomorrow?" The lady asked calmly.
"Any time between eleven and noon." Ryou responded.
"Great. So just type your address into here and all will be taken care of." The lady said handing Ryou a pad while Ryou handed Mai over to Keiichiro.
After a few minutes Ryou was done.
"Ok, then your total for the beds, mattresses, dressers and one day delivery comes to $1,330.00." The lady said calmly looking at the register.
Keiichiro had given Ryou the $500 Koda had given him and Ryou paid using that and the last $330 on his card.
"Well, that was fun…" Ryou sighed as they hooked the kids up into their borrowed car seats.
"Well…at least that's taken care of. Now all we need to do is get them clothes, pajamas, shoes, blankets, pillows and toys and such…" Keiichiro said as they got into the car.
Once in the car they heard a loud grumbling noise.
"Are you two hungry?" Ryou asked looking back at the twins…who looked like they were in trouble so they shook their heads.
"Do you like pasta or pizza?" Ryou asked again, this time getting them to nod their head.
"What are you thinking Ryou?" Keiichiro asked looking at Ryou.
"I was thinking about that Italian place we passed on the way here…I think it's about half an hour away though. So I was thinking about stopping at that ice cream place down the road to get them something to tide them over until we got there." Ryou said calmly while clenching and unclenching his fists.
'How the hell could she do that to them? To my children? To any children at all?!' Ryou asked himself pissed off.
"Sounds like a plan." Keiichiro said calmly as they headed off…
