OUR HEARTS JOURNEY
By: saihei
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Full metal panic'.
CHAPTER 8: "Stuck"
After Sousuke parted ways with Kyouko and Shinji, he decided to head back at the safe house to check about the investigation he had requested at Kurz.
"Yo." Kurz greeted as he saw Sousuke stepped inside the constricted dwelling. He was sitting on the floor facing an operating laptop computer. "You wanna hear my report?"
Sousuke nodded and knelt down beside Kurz. His grey eyes settled on the laptop. He frowned when he saw the familiar frail woman roaming around a well decorated room. 'A surveillance camera...' He contemplated. "I thought you are doing an investigation about my 'child'."
Kurz picked his glass of beer and took a swig. "Yeah, but my investigation isn't improving, Kaname as expected used her bright head."
"Care to elaborate?" Sousuke inquired.
The blonde sniper took a brown envelope from his back and hand it over to Sousuke. Sousuke probingly opened the envelope and pulled out a paper. "Um," He began to read. "A bland list of hospital names, what about this?"
Kurz turned off the laptop and faced Sousuke. "Look bro' I concluded that I better start my investigation from the hospital where Kaname gave birth, but unfortunately I got zero there. I presumed that one of those hospitals received a decent amount from Kaname's dad or maybe from Chidori Kaname herself so...I discovered nothing! Got that?" The womanizer annoyingly enunciated. "Now I don't know where to proceed."
Sousuke stood up. "So, you've decided to drop the investigation?" He mundanely spoke. "That's fine with me Sgt. Weber."
"Geez," Kurz snickers. "I never thought you'd say that, you; the tactician who always analyzing everything, man...this 'child' thing really moves you!" Kurz said and stifled a laugh as he saw Sousuke's brow perplexedly twitched.
"This is not a laughing matter." Sousuke chastised. "I am damn serious about this!" The young lieutenant bellowed and angrily threw the envelope down to Kurz's side. The laughing soldiers wheezed and astonishingly look up to his younger comrade. "Stop amusing yourself Kurz."
Kurz cleared his throat before picking the thrown envelope. "Sorry," He stood up and face Sousuke's fumed face. "I am serious about this too you know, I swear believe me!" The blonde soldier raised his right hand. "Sorry pal, I won't get cocky again!" Kurz said and sincerely smiled at Sousuke. "Peace man."
Sousuke closed his eyes and took a very deep breath. "Affirmative." He opened his eyes again and smiled back to Kurz. "Do your job."
Kurz saluted and sat back on front of the laptop. "By the way Sousuke, captain requested to see you."
Sousuke nodded. "Where?"
"At Tokyo hotel in room 203" Kurz answered.
Sousuke left the safe house and went to the hotel.
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Both Ayame and Shizuru stepped inside the hotel's elevator. Within Shizuru's arms was a bonta-kun stuff toy. The little girl never grew tired of embracing the fluffy toy since the moment Ayame purchased it.
Ayame was about to close the elevator when she suddenly remembered something. "Ah! I left the other bonta-kun at the cab!"
Shizuru pouted and stepped away from her auntie. "Get it back auntie! I want to give that to mommy!"
The teenager sighed and stepped off the elevator. "Fine, I'll get it back okay." She smiled and pointed to the sets of button at the right side of the elevator. "Push the number 4 button Shizuru. That will take you up to our floor; you know our room's number right?" The little girl smiled and manically nodded. "Don't forget, number 4 Shizuru-chan!" Ayame reminded and ran off toward the exit of the hotel.
Shizuru watched her auntie set off. She smiled and looked up at the group of numbers that Ayame pointed. "Number 4!" She raised her right hand and reached for the number, but it was obviously too high for her short height. She stood on her tiptoes and reached again. "AH! I can't reach the number four!" The little girl annoyingly stomped her foot. "Auntie Ayame forgot that I'm still small! Hmmmp!" Shizuru verbalized one of her mother's miffed expressions. "What I'll do now? Um..." She looked down at her small shoed feet and began to ponder.
"Do you have a problem little girl?"
Shizuru looked up to meet the same grey eyes she met before. "Mr. Sagara?"
Sousuke smiled and stooped his knees to squarely gape at Shizuru's face. "Hi, it's nice to know that you still remember me." He reached to touch Shizuru's head but the girl ran away from him and sat at one of the elevator's corner. "Um?" Sousuke quizzically stared at the girl. "What's wrong?"
Shizuru pouted and covered her small face with the stuff toy in her arms. "Nan-de-mo-na-i!" The little girl sturdily pronounced.
Sousuke shrugged his broad shoulders and moved his attention at the numerical buttons. "I'm going up to second floor, shall I push the number of your floor as well?" He looked behind him to gaze at Shizuru.
Shizuru's brown head moved a little. The stuff toy was still covering her face.
Sousuke took that action as a yes and pushed the number 4 button. The elevator had begun to move when suddenly the lights went out. It went totally dark inside the elevator and the motion had stop. Sousuke lucidly heard the surprised huffed that Shizuru expressed. Sousuke anxiously roamed his eyes but his eyes met nothing inside the darkened compartment. "Little girl are you--"
Sousuke's sentence got disrupted when the light had returned. He felt relieved when he noticed that Shizuru was still at the same position. Only this time, he could see her face and her huge grey eyes quirkily roaming around the elevator.
Announcement...
"To all our guests, our hotel is currently experiencing an electrical difficulty because of some technical problems. But we assure that after 30 minutes everything will function back to normal again. We are terribly apologizing for the inconvenience. For our guests who happened to be in any of the elevators, all doors will be locked for 20 minutes but our securities and maintenance will secure your safety. Please cooperate and call the management office for any difficulties. Thank you."
After hearing the announcement, Sousuke checked his wrist watch. "19 minutes and 30 seconds more..." He turned his gaze and looked at the little girl at the corner. "Are you afraid?"
"Nope!" Shizuru stuck out her tongue and stood up. "Why would I be afraid? I'm a brave girl!" Shizuru raised her two hands along with bonta-kun stuff toy.
Sousuke smiled. "That's good then, I don't want to hear you cry anyway."
Shizuru pouted and sat back on the elevator's floor.
Sousuke leaned his back on the wall across Shizuru. He crossed his arms and scrutinized the child' face. "You know little girl, you don't look like your mother."
Shizuru frowned at the comment and scoffed. "I should not talk to you."
"Alright." Sousuke agreed. He sat on the floor too and released a coin from his jeans pocket. Although he was not looking at Shizuru, he was aware that the little child was staring at the coin. "You want to see a trick?" Sousuke smiled and tossed the coin, when it landed back on his hand he opened his palm to show that the coin was no longer there.
Shizuru stood up and approached Sousuke. She curiously placed her toy at her side and touched Sousuke's callused palm. "Where did it go?"
Sousuke caught his breath with that sudden touch. He unconsciously focused his astonished eyes on Shizuru's face. Her eyes were wide with innocence and her small hands felt so fragile against his rough hands. Sousuke could feel the serenity surrounding the child's entirety. The same tranquility he feels whenever Kaname touches him.
Sousuke's musing got interrupted when he felt that Shizuru had begun pulling his hand using her own small hands. "Where did it go? C'mon Mr. Sagara! Where is the coin?" The child continuously asked with a manic expression in her eyes.
Sousuke smiled and capture Shizuru's hands with his right hand. "Here." He reached his left hand to Shizuru's left ear and showed the missing coin to the child. "See."
Shizuru's eyes widened and amazingly stared at the coin. "WOW!" She pulled her hand out of Sousuke's hold and took the coin. "Cool! Is that a magic?" She began to incessantly flip the coin.
Sousuke smiled and picked the forgotten Bonta-kun doll. "I thought you said you should not talk to me?"
The little sat beside Sousuke and shook her head; her wide grey eyes were still pinned on the coin. "That's before, not now." Shizuru smiled and pulled Sousuke's free hand. She placed the coin back on his palm. "Do another trick Mr. Sagara!" She said with a frivolous smile beaming on her face.
Sousuke keep the coin back in his pocket and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that's the only trick I know."
Shizuru's beaming face became sad and took the Bonta stuff toy from Sousuke. "I thought you're a magician."
Sousuke once again shook his head. "I'm a so—I mean, I'm a missionary." He saw Shizuru's face twitched in uncertainty.
"What is that?" Shizuru inquisitively asked.
Sousuke removed his gaze from Shizuru and situated it across the empty spot before him. "It's...I'm a messenger."
Shizuru's face lightened up as she found the word familiar to her. "Um! I know that! My grandpa has his own messenger! He's Mr. John, he always delivers packages and letters from my grandpa to our company!"
Sousuke felt pleased that the child's query had been answered, although the answer she found was quite far from the real definition of his job. He silently thanked god that Shizuru was just an innocent child that he does not have to thread another lie to hide his true identity, especially to Kaname's child. "So, let me ask you this time..." Sousuke found Shizuru smiling at him, he decided to continue. "What is your mother's job?"
Shizuru cogitated for a moment before answering. "Um, mommy is a researcher," She placed a finger on her lips as she tried to remember the details of Kaname's job. "...but my auntie also told me that mommy also teach science subject at the university..."
"A researcher," Sousuke inquired. "What does she researched for?"
Shizuru began playing with her stuff toy's hand. "I don't know...you can ask my auntie if you want."
Sousuke gradually nodded. 'Kaname a researcher? Why would she even want to engage into something she hated so much?' He contemplated. "Let me ask another question..."
Shizuru yawned and embraced her stuff toy. "Um?"
"What's the name of your father?" Sousuke asked without looking at Shizuru. After a few moments of silence, he turned to his side to found Shizuru already sleeping. Her head was placed on the stuff toy. "She fell asleep."
Sousuke watched the child's ethereal slumber. When the child made a little shift, he felt her tiny body leaning at his side. "Shizuru..." Sousuke gently spoke her name for the first time. He gently picked Shizuru and placed her small body inside his strong arms. He let the child find comfort as Shizuru unconsciously buried her small face into his chest. The soldier could feel the deep breathing of the toddler. He smiled and tenderly embraced the child.
"I would be happy to be your father." Sousuke said softly as he fastened his grey eyes down to the sleeping Shizuru.
TO BE CONTINUED...
TRANSLATION:
1. Nan demo nai – It's nothing
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SPeCial ThanKs to the following:
(June 17, 2007)
- Arielle - this person rocks! Thanks for reviewing every chapter! You really know how to appreciate writer's hard work!
- full-metal-sousuke –-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for the reviews!
- dylanredefined –----------------------------------------------------------- I think you're such a nice person, thanks!
- AussieMacca1981 –----------- Thanks for your first review, I'm really hoping you'll send more reviews in the future!
- junyortrakr –----------------------------- Um...thanks! Sorry if I kinda made Kyouko a little OOC! Reeeally Sooorry!
- zerodark9 –-------------- Huhuhu! Where are your reviews for chapters 5 to 7?!!! Don't tell me you forgot it?! NO!!!
- onhiro –------------------------ Calling? Calling? Have you seen this guy? Huhuhu am I starting to lose my readers?
- chriswolf –----------------------- Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Don't get tired of reading and reviewing okay?
- Perpetual159 –------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for the reviews!
- tidoo –-------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming okay!
- lemur130 – Have you seen this guy anywhere? I thought he like the story...but, isn't he reading anymore? Huhuhu! Just at least review okay...huhuhu!
A/N:
Once again, thank you for reading!
Please don't get tired of motivating me!
Keep on reading okay?
PLEASE REVIEW!
