Three Little Words.

Chapter 7

See chapter one for disclaimer.

(OOOOO)

Keitaro awoke around three A.M. to the sounds of someone moving around in his room. Christina noticed Keitaro had woken up so she walked back over to the bed, bent over and gave him a small kiss. "It's just me Keitaro." Christina said, "I had to go to the bathroom, so go on back to sleep."

"Ok." Replied Keitaro.

What Keitaro didn't realize in his half awake state was Christina was fully dressed. She walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She went into the kitchen and turned on the light above the stove. Looking around until she found a pad of paper and a pen, she begin to write a letter.

My dearest Keitaro;

I want to thank you for not only the time we have spent together but also for tonight. Tonight was the first time in a long time I have felt like I am loved.

Earlier you had asked me if I had ever thought about going home. To tell the truth, I have. After talking to you tonight and telling you everything, it made me realize that I want to see my mom again.

I am leaving to go back home but please don't come looking for me. I'll be all right and you need to go back home yourself. The way you talk you think they don't need you. I think you are wrong. I think they need you very much.

You are such a wonderful person Keitaro, I'm glad I got to know you. Thank you Keitaro for being with me.

Love Christina.

When she was finished with the letter, she folded it over and put Keitaro's name on the outside. Christina then put the letter on the kitchen table where Keitaro would be able to find it with no problem. She then went and put on her shoes and coat, opened the door, turned around looking in the direction of the bedroom and whispered, "Goodbye Keitaro. I love you but I need to go." Christina turned and walked out of Keitaro's apartment closing the door behind her. Keitaro slept on with a contented smile on his lips.

(OOOOO)

Keitaro woke up about nine a.m. expecting Christina still beside him. He turned over and found that he was the only person in his bed. He got up and pulled on a pair of gym shorts thinking that she might be taking a shower. Walking into the hall, he could see the door to the bathroom was open. As he walked past he could tell nobody had been in there since last night. Thinking that she might be in the kitchen instead, he headed in that direction. He could tell even before he went in that nobody was in there either. Keitaro than knew he was alone in his apartment. He looked around to see if she had left a note telling him where she might be when he saw the folded paper on the table.

He picked up the note expecting it to say that she would be back in a few minutes. As Keitaro read the note, his emotions were going crazy. From pain to sorrow to angry and finally feeling like, he was betrayed. Keitaro had to sit down from the shock of Christina telling him that she had left without saying goodbye directly to him.

Keitaro's mind was a total blank from what he had just read. He placed the letter back on the table and went back into his bedroom. He thought about going back to bed but instead he got dressed and walked back into the kitchen. Keitaro picked the letter back up, folded it, and placed it in his pocket. He turned around, got him self a cup of coffee, walked into the living room to the front door and put his shoes on. Keitaro went for a long walk to do some thinking. He was thinking about the night before. How it felt to touch and to be touched and the feeling of someone kissing him as if they meant it. Keitaro found that although he didn't have anywhere in mind when he left, he had gone back to the park they were in the night before.

Keitaro sat down with his back against the same tree from the night before, and just looked out into the ocean. He pulled the letter out of his pocket and read it again. When he read it this second time, it dawned onto him what she didn't say. She didn't say she hated him or anything like that. All she said was that she was going back home and that he needed to do the same thing.

"Maybe I should." He thought. "Maybe it's time for me to go back to the inn. Yes, that is what I need to do. I need to go back and set things right with Naru and Motoko."

Keitaro got up, brushed himself off, and headed back to his apartment to make a very important telephone call. He was not going to just walk in on the girls without a little notice. He knew it wasn't too late to call if he hurried home.

(OOOOO)

Keitaro picked up the telephone and dialed the number for the inn. 'I hope somebody is still up.' He thought. The telephone was answered just when Keitaro was about to hang up.

"Hello, Hinata Inn, this is Shinobu speaking."

"Hi Shinobu. This is Keitaro."

"Sempai? Is it really you?"

"Yes it is. How is everyone doing there?"

"Everyone is ok I guess. How are you?"

"I'm doing ok. In fact that is why I'm calling."

"Why is that sempai?"

"I'm going to come back to Hinata. I need to settle things there at the inn with Naru."

"Really? You're going to come back here? When are you going to arrive?"

"I'm not sure when I will get there Shinobu. It will be later this week though. Maybe Wednesday or Thursday. Be sure to tell everybody I'm coming home, ok?"

"Yes sempai, I'll let everybody know."

"Well I need to get some packing done, so I guess I will see you when I get home Shinobu."

"Ok sempai. I'll talk to you then."

"Bye Shinobu."

"Buy sempai."

Keitaro hung up the telephone and looked around to see what he needs to pack. 'I guess I'll do my laundry first.' He thought. Keitaro grabbed what he needed and went to get things done.

(OOOOO)

Shinobu hung up the telephone and almost jumped for joy and started screaming to let everybody know that Keitaro was coming home. She decided not to because it was so late at night. Kitsune had a hard day at the teahouse and Motoko was more then likely meditating and Naru wasn't home from work yet.

Should she even tell Naru? She was the one that made Keitaro go away in the first place. Shinobu was thinking about this question as she was walking to her room. Motoko happened to catch Shinobu in the hall and asked, "Who was on the telephone this late?"

Shinobu decided to lie and said, "It was nobody Motoko. Just a wrong number."

"Was it now? Shinobu, if it was a wrong number, why are you blushing and smiling like whenever you talk to Keitaro? That couldn't have been Keitaro telling you he was coming home, was it?"

"No Motoko, your wrong." Shinobu stammered, "It was Keitaro telling me he would be home later this week!" Shinobu realized what she had just said and quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

Motoko just looked at Shinobu. "That really was Keitaro? Did he really say he was coming home this week?"

Shinobu nodded her head before looking up at Motoko and saying, "Your not planing on hurting him are you Motoko?"

Motoko stood there in shock. 'Keitaro is coming home." Thought Motoko. Shinobu noticed that Motoko looked like she was getting nervous so she asked, "What is wrong Motoko?" this brought Motoko out of her state of shock. "Nothing is wrong Shinobu. I just need to go get myself ready." Motoko turned and headed for her room at a quick pace. Shinobu stood in the hall and watched as Motoko went to her room and wondered what Motoko was up to.

(OOOOO)

By the time Motoko reached her room she was almost running. If she had stayed talking to Shinobu any longer then she did, she wasn't sure if she could contain herself. When Shinobu told her that Keitaro had been on the telephone and that he was coming home, she felt her chest tighten up in excitement.

She went to her closet and reached to the back to get out a box she had brought home when she visited her sister. Motoko opened the box and got out the paper wrapped item. She opened the package with extreme loving care and looked at the kimono. This kimono was light green with embroidered cranes and bamboo on it. Motoko had received this kimono as a gift from her mother. Motoko's mother told her that it had been in the family for a long time. This kimono was not for formal affairs or just to be for daily use. It was for special occasions.

When Motoko left for Hinata the first time, she had left this kimono behind with her sister. She had felt that there would not be any reason to have it with her. When Keitaro had left, she felt that it might be of use when he returns so she brought it home.

Motoko hung the kimono up to inspect it in case there was any stains or holes, but it looked like it was new right from the person who had made it so many years ago. When Motoko stepped back to look at it, she knew her plan might have a good chance of working and Keitaro might not be mad at her anymore and possibly Naru too.

(OOOOO)

Shinobu went to bed still thinking about how Motoko acted. It had seemed, to her, that Motoko had almost started to smile as much as She had been when she finished talking to Keitaro. "If Motoko has a plan, maybe I should have one too." Shinobu said to herself. As she rolled over on her futon, she thought 'Maybe something special for dinner, or even something really special for dissert.' The image she had in her mind made her blush even more then the last time Keitaro had seen all the girls in the hot springs. Still blushing she thought 'maybe I'll ware that new apron I got. It would cover everything, …almost.' Shinobu fell asleep with a smile on her blushing face.

(OOOOO)

Keitaro had gotten a good start on getting ready to go back home. He had washed his clothes and pulled his suitcase out and had decided what he was going to take with him and what he was going to ship.

When he got up the next morning, he knew he still had a lot to do but the first thing he had to do that day was go to work and tell his boss he was leaving. He had a quick breakfast and then he started his day.

Arriving at work, the first thing he did was to go to John's office to talk to him. Keitaro sat there for about a half-hour explaining what had happened. He told John all about his weekend and he apologized for giving John such short notice of him quitting. Keitaro told John that he would finish working on the boat he was doing before he leaves so John wouldn't have to move people around. Keitaro figured it would only take that day and part of the next to finish what he had to do.

Keitaro finished the job he was working on later that day. It didn't take as long as he thought it would. He went to John's office to tell him that he was done. When he did, John told Keitaro to have a seat.

Keitaro sat down and waited while John finished on the telephone. John hung up the telephone and looked at Keitaro. Keitaro thought for a second that he might have done something wrong. John opened the center drawer of his desk and reached in pulling out an envelope.

"I'm sorry you have to leave us Keitaro," John said, "but I'm glad I hired you. You do good work and are very talented. If you ever decide to move back to this area, you will have a job waiting for you."

"Thank you, Mr. Byrd."

"Keitaro, there is a little bonus on top of your normal pay. I feel you deserve it for the work you do." John handed the envelope to Keitaro. "Thank you, sir." Keitaro said taking the envelope from John.

Keitaro got up, shook John's hand, and said his goodbye. He turned and left the office and went to his work area to gather up his things. As he was leaving, he said goodbye to his coworkers who all bid him good luck. Just when he reached the door, John stopped him again and asked for the address where he would be able to be reached in Japan. Keitaro gave it to him and saying goodbye one more time; he left the building to go home.

While walking home, he was thinking about what he still needed to do. Most of his packing was already done. He did have a couple of boxes that he still needed to ship instead of trying to take with him. 'I guess tomorrow will be the day.' He thought.

Arriving home, the first thing he did was call a shipping company and get his boxes sent. After the shippers had come and left, he didn't have much to do. Everything was all set to go.

Keitaro tried his hardest to go asleep that night but it just wouldn't happen. He kept thinking about his arrival at the inn and what could happen. He was wondering if he would be accepted again. The one thing he was worried about the most was what would Naru do.

His alarm went off, waking him out of the light sleep; he had finally fallen into. Reaching over he turned the alarm off and got out of bed. Keitaro reached down unplugging the clock and put it in his bag. He got dressed and took care of all the necessary things one does when they get out of bed. After having breakfast, Keitaro put his bags by the front door and looked around the apartment. Satisfied he hadn't forgotten anything; Keitaro picked up his bags, walked out the door, locking it behind him, and took his first steps to go home.

(OOOOO)

Not much to say except I want to thank everybody that has reviewed this attempt at a story. I would also like to thank everybody that have been reading up to this point.

I must also apologize to everybody for any mistakes I make. I know I have made plenty of mistakes in spelling even with using spell check. In addition, I know that sometimes the tense that I write in my sound a little off, but I am not a professional writer and I did not pay attention in school. Sorry.