Chapter 10- Petals and thorns …
Ken stood looking out his kitchen window trying to believe for the first time in years that he had stay up all night, and did not feel any exhaustion.
He had nights like this when he was a teenager, when he was studying to become a pilot and a Ninja.
But for so long after the war ended he felt like an old man.
When the war was over he laid in a coma for four months with doctors and ISO people telling Jun to turn off the life support. He was told things about that time from the team in small doses.
They told Jun he would never live a normal life and he would die or likely to be a vegetable from the moment they switched it off.
She demanded they run more tests, Joe, Ryu and Jinpei stood with her, when the medical tem showed up to overpower her.
She looked at the records herself, and when they worked out the source of the disease they knew they had to move fast to find the serum.
Joe's wife Madeline came and stayed with him so they could go, and find it to save him.
She promised Jun they would not get near the off switch on the life support system while she was there.
A new energy was coming back into his life now, and he felt the first flutter in his stomach of the Eagle he once was rising up and claiming his place in the world again.
He closed his eyes and he could see the bird spreading its wings preparing to take flight in the golden rays of the morning sun.
The last battle against Galactor had scarred them all, the price had been too high with the death of his Sensei, tutor and the closest man to a real father; was murdered by Galactor, Dr.Nambu.
Jun believed in him, and that was all that mattered.
Not once did she ever give up on him for as long as he had known her.
She was his rock, and the reason to keep fighting, even when he didn't want to keep on living after the war because of the illness that wrecked his body
He was so scared at times then, and didn't want to admit it, he remembered a time during the treatment of his illness, breaking down and crying in her arms from the intense pain and feeling no shame in doing it.
They were alone in the hospital room together, and he tried at that time to tell her to leave him and find a man, who could be a man to her.
He felt like a cripple at that time.
'It's alright to cry Ken." She whispered in a soft but determined voice. "I am not leaving you…Do you understand me, I will not allow you to push me away. We'll fight this battle together. I'll never leave you…"
He could hear her fighting back tears as her voice cracked.
He remembered trying to look at her, as the medication took hold of him that made him drowsy and shake like a leaf on tree in strong wind. They needed the serum to stop the illness, but then they had find a way to treat it.
"I know." Was all he could remember saying, before the world spun and went black.
Ken came back to the present again as he pushed away those painful memories to back of his mind.
He looked over at the shelf that contained the special medication that the ISO doctors made for him to give him a life and combat the disease.
His last test showed a big improvement, most of the disease was out of his system now.
He was still trying to comprehend all the medical details of the complex strand that invaded him from the time he was a boy, it had been dormant until he started to use the Hypershoot, and the instability of it made the disease come to life, and accelerated the symptoms making it a fatal illness that was created by Galactor, the other reason, apparently that his father chose to fake his death.
He walked over and picked up one of the glass medicine bottles, if only they knew about this at the time his mother was ill, they may have been able to save her.
But it was the team that went into the last remnants of Galactor bases to find the serum to save him, and he was grateful for their loyalty to him.
He opened it, and took out two dark green tablets and then one that was gold in colour and swallowed them with a glass of water, he was down to three tablets now -not eight like he started with.
He had more tests in the next few days, and he was confident that the disease had totally left his body.
He smiled as he began to prepare Eggs Benedict, with finely cut smoked salmon for his beautiful wife.
He picked up the garden shears and walked outside of the house to pick a rose from his favourite bush for her.
The same rose bush that was at the mansion now had a prized position in their garden.
He watched as some of the older rose petals fell off the stems as he cut a long stem of one just opening up.
The image if his bride came into his mind as he watched the soft burgundy rose petals collected from this very rose bush, were thrown out in front of her by Kimmy a bridesmaid as Jun walked towards him on their wedding day.
Madeline wrote a special song for them, and played it on her flute as she walked ahead of his bride in a teal green gown.
Ryu had the privilege of escorting the bride.
Jun's sparkling green eyes, and the radiant smile that softy turned up at the corners of her rose bud pink lips was just for him, he could see them peeping out from the soft folds of her face veil, as she walked towards him in her gorgeous ivory silk wedding gown with a long train sweeping the path behind her.
Joe was his best man, and Jinpei was a groomsman…it was a beautiful day in a garden warm and sunny, just like to day was.
He pricked his finger on a thorn.
"Ouch!" he cried out annoyed, and put it to his lips to stop the bleeding, he laughed to himself as he realized it was what he did as boy all those years ago.
Well life could be like that, he figured. Beautiful rose petals one day, and prickly thorns the next!
His life these days had more rose petals in it than thorns. He thought and it couldn't get any better.
He walked back inside the house and placed it on the tray, then like any good pilot he did his preflight checklist.
Breakfast plate………… Check
Coffee…………………..Check
Orange Juice……………Check
Knife and fork…………..Check
Napkin…………………..Check
Rose……………………..Check
Satisfied he picked it up and headed upstairs to their bedroom, the door was just opened a fraction as he lightly pushed it to go in.
She was still fast asleep and he smiled as he tip toed over to the dresser and put down the tray.
This was going to fun, waking her up he thought.
He quietly walked around to his side of the bed and crawled over the doona to reach her.
She was lying on her side, ebony hair splayed out onto the pillow, she looked very peaceful, and totally naked he noticed lying on to of the bed sheets, a gentle breeze from the open window caressed her body.
Naiiicee! He thought Very nice!
He took of his shirt and with the rose in his hand he leaned down to kiss her neck, when suddenly he went flying onto his back and she sat on top him holding his arms down, he held out the rose to her as a peace offering, and she just smiled at him.
His swan was a fast mover!
"So you want to play Mrs. Washio." He asked with anticipation of what was to come from the look in her eye.
"I'm going to interrogated you." She promised him. "Where were you last night? I was lonely." She said in cupid doll voice as she pushed his hands further into the mattress. "I need payment for such neglect my love and you're going to give it to me."
He liked this game!
"So I will suffer at your hands…and what punishment did you have in mind?" He was getting excited now, forget breakfast! He thought.
She slowly curled her lips up in a suggestive manner to form a smile. Then she began to move down his body in a way he liked to see. She took off his loose pajama pants and looked back up at him and licked her lips.
This was all good! He thought as he maintained eye contact with her for a moment and then leaned his head back and waited for what he knew was coming as she fiddled with his underwear.
He suddenly jumped in uncontrollable laughter as she attacked his feet and went into tickling frenzy!
"I have you now! Mr. Washio, do surrender to all my needs!" He tried to control his laughing and get his feet out of her grip.
"Ohhh… my- darling- Swan…I dooo!" he told her as he tried to catch his breath, he put the rose to his lips and pressed it onto hers.
"A kiss from a rose." She whispered as she took it from his fingers and her gaze lingered on him for a few moments and the comfortable silence fell between them.
"I see you made breakfast for me, thank you." She raised an eyebrow and gently smiled and walked over to the dresser were the tray was sitting.
"Do you know how beautiful you are?" He whispered with all the emotion of a life time of memories of her vivid in his mind coming forth, as he watched her hips move as she walked and her perky breasts in the mirror of the dresser.
He could see her look back at him as she observed the contents of the tray.
He was unprepared for the sad but then happy smile that came to her face. The mixed emotions that was present there in her eyes.
"Every time you say it like that, I feel like a teenage girl wanting those very words to be said to her. I'll never feel like an old woman with you." She turned and faced him and he took in the lovely form of his lover for so many years, and many more to come.
"Then why the sad face?" he questioned still staying on the bed.
"Because when I am this big with a child." She indicted with her hands. "Will you still think that way???" she quizzed him.
"Of course I will!" he smiled at her. "You are my Swan, and you always will be."
"Good. "She picked up the tray, and brought it to the bed and she began to eat.
"Because I want you to look in the top draw of my side table." She indicated to it and he opened it.
He took out a long white strip that had two blue lines on it. "What this?" He asked knowing the answer already, to a really dumb question when the evidence was right in front of him.
"A pregnancy test of course!" she said as she munched on a piece of toast.
"But…how...we ahhh …were not going to well…mmm" He could not find the right words!
"I know, but this was not planned by us its early days yet Ken. And I'm just as scared as you are about it at the moment." She could read him like a book!
"We were not going to even start trying until I was off the medication." He was still in shock from the news that he was going to be a father.
"I realize that too, so that's why we keep this to ourselves until we know for sure we are not going to have complications…I was late, and well…I just decided to do a test to rule it out…but then it was positive…"She shrugged and gave him her special smile just for him.
"I saw you from the window doing a Kata for the first time in years, you looked so alive…So since I was up, I did the test…I was going to come down and tell you…but, you need time alone I could tell." She picked up her orange juice by passing the coffee and took a sip, she was looking at him over the rim of the glass.
He shuffled along the bed and put his arms around her and gave her a beaming smile. "Jun...I'm happy, and like everything else…we'll do this together." He kissed her and touched her nose playfully, and they both smiled at this new development in their lives.
"Aren't you suppose to have morning sickness or something?" he asked wondering what to do now.
"Well some women do, but I'm OK at the moment. We'll see what happens from here… I am probably about five weeks, so I'll go to the doctor and find out some more about what to expect." She finished the breakfast and took the try over to dresser.
"We'll keep this to ourselves until we get back from Jupiter Mountain." She said as he took her in his arms again.
Ken wanted to make sure she still wanted to go to look up her past, now that a baby was coming into their lives. "I know Jinpei would be crushed if something happened…Ryu is still traveling Ameris in his Winnebago with Jill. Do you still want to go to the Himalayas next week? We could always do it another time, it's your call."
He understood the need to find your roots, but he wanted her close to medical if they needed it.
"I want to go…I have wanted to search for something on my family since I was a little girl…lets still go…we can fly back if I get too sick, or well…something happens. We'll make sure we are covered for travel medical, the ISO have a hospital there now… I need to have closure, before I have my own child come into the world."
Baby! That was the word that had not been spoken yet. They were going to have a baby! He felt utter joy enter him.
All things considered he still was not keen to go on this trip now, but he could see she was determined.
They both turned to the window as they heard a car pulling up out the front of the house. Ken glanced out to see Joes new Black Ferrari pull up. "It's Joe." He told her simply.
He went and threw on his jeans and a shirt. Jun picked up her satin robe as and put it on as they listened to Joe and his sons voices downstairs.
"Bayden you knock on the door first, and then go in." Joe explained to the four year old.
"But daddy…Uncle Ken and Aunty Jun know me and you daddy…they won't mind." The small child tried to explain his logic.
Ken could almost hear the long breath Joe was letting out trying to keep his patience.
"You still have to knock my son. It's polite...Your mother says I have to teach you some manners." Joe said.
Ken looked at Jun who was stifling a giggle. Joe and manners? They heard a knock and then the front door opened.
"Bayden…son wait…no, no, no! Stay here!" Joe called out to his boy.
"We are not playing a game of hide and seek now Bayden! Aunty Jun will get mad if you break anything!" Joe stated in a held back frustrated Condor manner, as Ken and Jun heard Joe walking through the downstairs part of the house.
Jun and Ken turned their heads at the cheeky giggle they heard from the bedroom door. "Daddy's slow." He said
They both looked at the cheeky face of a four year old that was playing games with his father's sanity as he looked back at the stair way, and then turned his face back to them and ran into Aunty Jun's outstretched arms.
"You're a brave boy Bayden." Ken said hopping of the bed that he'd gone back too.
Bayden had a habit of running off on his own.
"Bayden…Bayden come out now! Or else I'm gonna…arrgggg." Ken and Jun stifled giggles as the heard the Condor's frustrated voice and then Joe open the front door again and call him from outside.
"Joe, he's up here." Ken called from the top of the stairs, and then went back into the bed room again.
Jun was lying back on the bed with the little boy sitting beside her, she was listening to him chatter away about the race that his dad went in.
Bayden wanted to tell her everything at once, and he was so excited that he was tripping over his words.
Ken heard Joe walking up the stairs.
"Are you decent?" He called out, but before Ken could respond he stuck his head in the doorway.
Bayden looked up at his father battering his big brown innocent eyes at him.
"Don't you give me that look!" Joe gave his son a mock Condor glare as he shook his finger at him. "What have I told you about running off on your own my son. We had this discussion in Bathurst. Pay attention Bayden or you're grounded. My back is turned for two seconds and he disappears."
"Well that sounds familiar," Jun smirked at him, as Joe shot her wide eyed innocent face knowing the hidden meaning behind those words.
"Wait until it's your turn Swannie… did he tell about how the awards ceremony was delayed for over an hour while we searched the tracks at Bathurst for him?" Joe had a look of fear and anger cross his eyes as he told the story.
"Madeline turned her back for a moment, and he vanished…"Joe signed and let another long breath." Apparently he wanted his remote control race car…he had been naughty a few moments before, so she said no. He could play with it later… So he took it from her bag anyway, and ran off, and he hid himself so he could play with it."
Joe shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair and let out another long breath as he relived the moment.
"I had only just finished the race, to hear then that my son had gone missing, and my wife was in hysterics trying to find him. I was so mad with him…and worried, we looked everywhere." Joe still had that look in his eyes as he continued.
"Well… I finally found him crying under a grandstand because it wouldn't work any more. You know, up until that point I wanted to put him over my knee and give him a good hiding …but when I saw him I was so relieved that I hugged him instead and told never to that to us again…the batteries had run out of the remote."
Ken put his hands in pockets, and smiled a little and shook his head, Bayden was fast and they had to keep a close eye on him.
He was also very independent for a small child, and liked to have his own way.
He was also very bright and not much escaped him. Joe and Madeline had a challenging child on their hands that they both loved tremendously.
Joe looked from Ken to Jun and the back to Ken again. "There something going on here, you pair are grinning like a couple of teenagers."
Jun's eyes went wide, and Ken took a hold of Joes arm and turned him around. "We're just in a good mood this morning that's all, want a coffee?" Ken asked him.
"Sure why not." They left the room and they both turned around at the sound a of pair soft feet on the carpet behind them.
"Aunty Jun wants a shower…I'm going with the men because boys stick together right dad." He stated, and walked ahead of them down the stairs. "That right son, a team sticks together."
Once in the kitchen Ken put down the breakfast tray down and put on the kettle, he really only drank green tea these days.
The warm sunlight was bright and golden through the window and the day only got better for Ken, he felt so young.
Joe began to help himself in the fridge getting out the milk, Ken could see the curious glances he was giving him.
A few minutes later, with green tea in Ken's hand and a coffee in Joes they made their way outside and sat at the small table on the front verandah.
They sat watching Bayden play with a remote control car in the pathway. He was still hitting everything that was in his way, and making crashing noises to give the right sound effects.
The light cool breeze was soothing, and woke Ken's senses up even more as his nose caught the stray scent of one of the roses close by.
He found himself smiling like a Cheshire cat, and it felt so fantastic to be alive.
His thoughts were interrupted by Joe.
"I haven't seen you smile like this since you got married. Something is different about today Ken...What's happened in the two months since I left for the Bathurst 1000 Australia." Joe's question just made him smile more.
"Nothing out of the ordinary Joe, I had some time to think last night, in a way I have never allowed myself to do. I let go of a few things…I guess I realized that you can't have one without the other." Joe was sitting back in his chair sipping his coffee waiting for Ken to get to the point.
"You can't have the rose without the thorns, life doesn't work that way…But She's my rose, and it was worth getting past all the thorns just to have her." He finished with his voice going soft as he looked at the flowers bending in the breeze.
Joe let out a laugh to lighten the moment, and sat back in the chair with his hands behind his head. "That's deep bro', but your right... so damn right."
Ken looked at Joe, but he was watching his son playing and Ken warmed inside at the love that was written all over the Condors face as he thought of his own family.
That little boy had the mighty Condor wrapped around his finger and so did his beautiful wife with her copper curls, bright violet eyes and love of music
Joe even learned how to play the Saxophone because of her, and the Condor was a showy entertainer when he played it too.
"That's why we decided to apply for adoption again, we figured he needs a brother or a sister. Thanks for the references by the way. Jinpei and Ryu's as well…We have the social workers coming next week to asses us. It'll be a long process, but worth it in the end."
A silver Mercedes pulled up beside the black Ferrari in the driveway, and Madeline Asakura got out of the car.
"Mummy!" Bayden yelled as she scooped him up in her arms and kissed his cheek.
He giggled, and then squirmed out of her arms and went back to playing with his car crashing it into everything he could again.
"Ken leaned over the table." He drives like you ...I hope there are no shiny red buttons on that remote control." Joe ignored that last comment.
"I thought you had things to do this morning." Joe called out to his beloved wife.
"I did, but I wanted to catch up with Jun and couldn't wait for tomorrow." She called back as she walked towards them.
Jun came bursting out of the front door."Maddy!" she cried out and met Madeline on the pathway and threw her arms around her and the hugged each other for a few minutes.
Jun was beaming, and Madeline studied her face." You're pregnant!" she exclaimed excitedly with wide violet eyes and radiating a big smile back at Jun who was blushing madly.
"How do you know?" Jun asked, she only found out that morning and had not told anyone.
"Your beaming rays of sunshine Jun…and a lucky guess I see…Congratulations mummy…I'm so happy for you sis', and If you need me you just call me you hear." Jun's eyes filled with happy tears, and they hugged each other again.
Walking close to each other still, the two women who were as close as sisters made their way inside the house talking in excited voices about the morning's events.
The last the boys heard was Jun asking Madeline. "So, I hear you won the celebrity race at Bathurst, Bayden told me."
"My darling son calls us the Asakura racing team. I'll tell you about it over dinner tonight, at our house we have a DVD of the race you won't be able to stop Joe from showing it to you." Madeline said as the girls went into the kitchen.
Joe had a cocky proud grin on his face at the conversation they were eavesdropping in on, then Joe sat up right in his chair and was looking wide eyed at Ken.
"Daddy huh! Well…well… well, how long have you been keeping that intell to your self?" Ken couldn't hold back any more, the secret was out.
"We found out this morning, it's early days yet but we are still going to Jupiter Mountain…she wants to go Joe…she needs to know about her past. If we can find anything."
"Well, I don't have to tell you, we are here if you need us Ken."
"I know." He replied with the satisfaction of having a real family around him, made him feel content.
His life was looking up, and he knew he was blessed because he was the leader of the team, and even though they were no longer the Science Ninja Team officially.
They always would be The Science Ninja Team in their hearts, and no could take that away from them ever.
Life was just getting better for Ken and Jun Washio all the time!