AN: So, here comes a short chapter 7, it's not beta read yet so there may be some changes later. I just wanted to thank lovelock8 for the great review, it meant a lot! To Riven Liether, I'm glad that you read on and that you seemed to like it. Big thanks to Arisa Akamatsu, CelicaChick and 李 for the reviews, it's them that make me keep on writing ;) So I hope you like this short chapter and I will try to find my muse some where.

Chapter 7

The trio walked together down the stairs, an air of unsolved questions lingered but no one said anything. They came down to the hall and Takumi took a deep breath as Keisuke opened the front door.

Bunta was standing outside, they could see the 86 standing in the driveway the engine running. Ryosuke asked the older man to come inside, but Bunta just stared at him with cold eyes.

"Takumi, let's go. Now!" was all he said as he turned around and walked towards the car. The younger Fujiwara blushed and mumbled his thanks to the Takahashi brothers before he followed his father to the 86.

Ryosuke and Keisuke stood in the doorway as Takumi and his father drove away, both feeling a bit uneasy. The younger brother looked at his brother as he closed the door, his face thoughtful.

"I don't like this, Ryosuke."

"I know what you mean but we have to have patience. Let Takumi know that we will be there for him, no matter what." Ryosuke said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Patience! You know that I hate that word, I don't do waiting and patience."

"Well, little brother. That's what we can do for now." Ryosuke sat down and sipped on his coffee.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The drive home was quiet, Takumi sat staring out the window looking at his father now and then. Bunta showed no emotions as he drove homewards, he felt Takumi looking at him from time to time. The older Fujiwara sucked on his cigarette and cast a side-glance on his son, the bruises he had giving him stood out on his pale face.

Bunta knew that he raised Takumi hard, but the world is a hard place to live in and you have to be prepared for it.

And he knew that when he drank, he easily lost control, that things got out of hand and yesterday was a big example of that. He loved his son, but when he saw his wife's eyes looking back at him thru Takumi's eyes, the bitterness surfaced once again.

Bunta knew that he would have been a great driver, if Takumi hadn't been born but the hard part is that his son was turning into a superb driver and he was very jealousy because of it, that Takumi would be the one who would live his dreams.

Bunta sighed to himself, he really needed some sake in his body. The drink usually made his life a little easier but sometimes he drank too much and his temper struck out towards Takumi.

But the boy had a habit getting in his way! That wasn't entirely true, but he told himself that so he could look at his son the day after.

He parked the car in the alley beside the tofu shop, turned off the engine of the beloved 86 and lighted another smoke. He inhaled deeply, letting the smoke get into his lungs and then breathed it out.

"Let's get inside before we freeze to death." The older Fujiwara said.

Takumi nodded at his father's word, got out of the car carefully trying to ignore the pain in his back. He stretched a little, while he waited for his father and then walked quietly behind him into the house.

Bunta sat down at the table in the living room, grabbed a bottle of sake and almost drained it in one swallow. He closed his eyes as he felt the warmth spread thru his body, and then he looked up at his son who was still standing.

"Takumi…." He said as he leaned forward and held out his hand motioning the boy to get closer. He saw a little fear show in those eyes that reminded him of the love of his life, who died giving birth to his son. Taking a deep breath trying to push down the bitterness that threatened to surface. "Get me some more sake. Now." The older man looked away from his son, losing the battle inside himself.

Takumi stared at his father for a couple of seconds, before nodding and walked into the kitchen. He felt a bit uneasy, his father was acting very strange towards him and he didn't know what to make of it.

When the old man had said his name it was in a different tone than the one he usually had and it had seemed that he was just about to say something else than he said.

Takumi shook his head, those few hours in the Takahashi house, being taken cared of had made him forget his place and now he was imaging things.

He took a deep breath as he walked into the living room; he bent awkwardly because of his back and sat the bottles down on the table. He swayed a little as he straightened but he covered himself quickly.

"Get yourself into bed, before you fall flat on your nose." Bunta said, draining the second bottle. "You have an early run tomorrow."

Bunta watched as his son nodded and walked stiffly up to his room. The older man shook his head to himself, why was everything so hard? He took another swing of the sake and disappeared in a daze of sake drunkenness.