He could see her purple head of hair through the crowd like a beacon. Speeding up to reach her side, Mic couldn't help but feel fondness creep through his veins.
"Ronnie Darlin'!"
She whirled around and frowned at him, "Please don't call me embarrassing names in public Mic."
Mic shrugged, "Sorry, it's kinda hard to break the habit after calling you embarrassing names for fourteen years."
Ronnie rolled her eyes and turned around to march towards her new school. She wore the high school uniform of Kaihou Academy, along with a hip length sleek black jacket. Her hair was teased up high and she had all her ear piercings filled, six on the left ear and five on the right. She also had a snake bite piercing and an eyebrow piercing, though she was only wearing her snake bites today.
Of course Mic remembered each one; he had had to sit in with her for each piercing, and he'd be damned if it didn't make him queasy each time. The compromise they had come to was all the piercings she could want, as long as she waited until she was 17 for tattoos.
"You know it's alright to be nervous." Mic said lowly "After all, first day in a public school, ahead of your age group by 3 grades…there is a lot to be nervous about."
"I am not nervous." Ronnie said defensively, then more slowly "I'm just…I hope they don't judge me before they get to know me."
Mic wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, careful not to disturb the delicate hair-do, "That is what most people do so I can't tell you to get your hopes up for a welcome party. You gotta give people time. Goths have a bad connotation and it's up to you to change their minds. Give 'um everything you got."
"I will Mic." Ronnie smiled up at him for a moment before pulling away at the sight of the academy. A stream of students was making their way inside and Ronnie walked forward a few steps before returning to hug her brother tightly.
Mic returned the hug and patted her back, "You want me to walk the rest of the way?"
"Just to the gate," Ronnie said straightening her book bag.
Which wasn't a terribly long walk but wouldn't you know it, just that much gave enough time to run into somebody you know.
Coming from the opposite direction to the gate, Heiji and Kazuha walked with a group of people Mic didn't recognize. Kazuha waved and started in their direction while Heiji seemed a bit dumbstruck. Kazuha reached them in seconds, "Mic-kun, are you starting school here?" she asked excitedly.
Mic tipped his hat, "'Fraid not, but it's my little sister's first day."
"You mean Hilary-san?" Kazuha frowned, swearing that Hilary looked older not younger than Mic.
Mic shook his head and drug Ronnie back towards his side, "Nah, my other sister, Ronnie. Ronnie this is Toyama Kazuha, and this," Mic motioned to Heiji who had finally caught up to his friend ", is Hattori Heiji. Dad's old friend's kid."
Ronnie held out a hand to both of them in turn, "Pleased to meet you both."
Kazuha grinned, "Your hair is so interesting, how old are you Ronnie-chan?"
Ronnie smiled politely back, "I'm 14, but I skipped a few grades."
"That's amazing!" Kazuha gasped. She elbowed Heiji in the side, "Isn't it Heiji?"
"Yeah. Yes it is." Heiji nodded rubbing his sore spot. "Why are you not going to the same school as your sister Mic-san?"
"My brothers and sister have already graduated." Ronnie answered with a hint of pride.
"We were all home schooled and went at a much faster pace." Mic rubbed the back of his neck "Nothing so impressive as some might make it out to be."
Somewhere in the distance a bell rang, "Mic I'm going to go on ahead I want to meet with my teacher before class." Ronnie said already walking away.
"Alright then, um, Kazuha-san?" Mic asked quietly.
Kazuha returned her attention to Mic, "Can I ask you a favor?"
"Of course, what do you need?" Kazuha answered quickly. Heiji had already moved towards the building but turned to watch the two from a distance.
"Thanks, so can you, uh, can you watch over Ronnie? She's never been in a public school before and it wouldn't be the first time she's been bullied over her appearance…"Mic had taken his hat off as he spoke and grinned sheepishly, "And her health can get pretty bad so I worry about her."
Kazuha patted Mic on the arm, "Don't worry Mic-kun I'll keep an eye on her and show her the ropes."
Mic perked up and placed his hat back on, "Well then, thank you very much Kazuha-san! I'd best be on my way then. Hope to see you around."
Sharing the sentiment, Kazuha turned back towards the school and Mic turned to walk back to where he parked his truck.
Nearly an hour later when Mic pulled his truck into the gated driveway of his home, he was bulldozed over by his welcome committee. Laughing through all the tongue-licking and wiggling wagging bodies he lifted himself to his knees to pet each one in turn before he was allowed to stand up. A sharp whistle and his brood fell into line.
There was McClane his trusty bloodhound; Roy, Trigger, and Autrey, two collies and an Australian Sheppard. Duke the German Sheppard. Sundance the Golden Retriever and Gabby the Jack Russell terrier. Sundance and Autrey being the only girls.
Seeing them like this Mic could almost smell the barn and the horses and the wind. There had been no way he could leave them behind.
Standing in the window of his lab Mark watched Mic run around the back yard like a crazy person. Mark laughed quietly, familiar with the scene before him. Mic had raised each one of those dogs from pups and it showed. They adored him.
Picking up the files he had compiled so far Mark left his lab and trotted down the semi-circular marble staircase to the living room. There's a large metal star hanging on the wall under the staircase, hanging so it just looks like it may be hanging over the couch from the fireplace.
The couch is huge, plush, soft brown leather with a pull-out bed hidden inside. It sits on a cowhide rug that covers the stone floor. A long, heavy wooden and glass coffee table is placed in front of the couch and that is where Mark disposes of the files. Then he heads to the kitchen which is one set of swinging white doors to the right of the couch.
He sets a kettle of water on the stove and then pours a glass of ice and sweet tea from a plastic jug in the fridge. He sets the latter on the counter and turns back to the stove. By the time he had finished making his own tea Mic had come inside and downed half his drink.
"How was your meeting?" Mark asked.
Mic shrugged, "Went good I guess. Nothing I can really complain about, he's got his own rules he has to follow 'n' all. An' I caught up to Ronnie on her way to school."
Turning to him Mark half smiled, "Oh really, how'd that go?"
"As expected, turns out she's gonna be going to the same school as those two Osaka kids I bumped into. Hattori and Toyama, I told you about them before." Mic made some motions with his hand before standing to put up his hat and jacket near the back door.
"Oh, well, that's good. At least she won't be totally alone. It'll be good to get closer to the Hattori family anyway, we pull their name out here-"
"Aw don't be like that, we'll only pull their name in the most dire cases. I don't want to just use 'em like that. What makes you think we can't actually be their friends?" Mic returned to the island and sat in a bar stool.
Mark nodded, "Of course, I understand. I wouldn't put it past you to befriend half the population of Osaka given half the chance."
Mic rolled his eyes, "Hilary out?"
Mark nodded, "Left a little while before Ronnie left."
"And you?"
"Check the coffee table for what I have so far. It seems far easier to find information for the police in Tokyo. They have an unusually high amount of cases there." Mark shrugged at Mic's questioning noise. Mic left the kitchen and when he didn't come back Mark figured he must have found the files.
When Mark finally joined Mic in the living room, sitting in one of the couch's matching armchairs, catty-corner to Mic. Mic was leaned forward in his seat, elbows resting on his knees as he read intensely. Mic was the only person Mark knew that could read intensely.
"These are good." Mic commented when he got to the end, placing the files back on the table. "I like those Detective Boys, they're cute."
"I figured you would, as you do most children." Mark sipped his tea.
The two sat in companionable silence for a while before deciding to continue with their various tasks for the day. Mark back to his research and Mic to his bed for a nap.