NO REST for the WICKED
CHAPTER TEN: TAKE IT OUT ON ME
by: PLATINUM KUSH
"So scream if you wanna, shout if you need need. Just let it go. (Take it out on me.) Fight if you need to, smash if it helps you get control. (Take it out on me."
THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH, "TAKE IT OUT ON ME."
[]
Regan grimaced as she slowly unwrapped the salve soaked bandages around her forearm. The burn looked no better than it had last night. The skin was still a grotesque red and purple with various shades of black lining the edges.
It hurt, but she learned to ignore it. From a young age she was taught not to dwell on pain. Only fools allowed injuries to hold them back from doing what they needed to do.
But since the injury had come while she was at work, she was granted a temporary leave with pay. She could spend the next week or so doing absolutely nothing if she wanted to.
And that's exactly what she planned to do; absolutely nothing.
She'd probably get bored within a few hours and get into trouble like she usually did. Even though she was a full grown adult, trouble still seemed to follow her everywhere.
Natsuki was at school, but for some reason Shizuru wasn't. Natsuki had claimed she wasn't feeling well, but the girl looked absolutely fine the night before.
She wasn't stupid. Natsuki could try and be as slick as she wanted, but she couldn't out-slick her father, who was the slickest of them all.
She couldn't wait to tease Natsuki all about it when she returned home for the evening. But fortunately for her, even though Natsuki wasn't home, Shizuru was.
She reapplied the salve her doctor prescribed and wrapped a new bandage around her forearm. After admiring her handy work, she put the salve back into the cabinet and grabbed her keys from the kitchen counter.
She went to the local diner to pick up some breakfast for herself and her daughter's girlfriend. Grabbing her food, she plopped down on the armchair opposite of the couch. She was still skeptical about that couch.
About thirty minutes later, Shizuru emerged from her hideout.
She looked a bit under the weather with her flushed cheeks and otherwise pale face. She walked as if it pained her, and Regan decided to keep her mouth shut for the time being.
"Morning, Shiz," She said around a mouthful of pancakes. "You don't look too good."
The brunette offered her a weak smile. In all honesty she felt like shit, and it had nothing to do with the pleasant soreness between her legs.
She was certain that her apparent illness came at the hands of her pregnancy. She had frequented the restroom many times the night before for multiple reasons.
She was only about five and a half weeks pregnant at this point. She'd read that even though she wasn't showing any signs, her baby's little heart was already dividing into chambers and would begin pumping blood soon.
She's probably about a quarter of a centimeter long and looked more like a tadpole than a human being during the early stages.
She's busily growing all of her major organs, including kidneys and a liver. Her intestines are developing and her appendix was already in place.
The neutral tube that connected her brain and spinal cord would close within the week. Already, little buds that will grow into her baby's arms and legs began to sprout. She would have to make a doctor's appointment soon.
"Ara, my stomach is just a little upset. It must have been something I ate." Shizuru said softly, unable to find it within her to completely lie to this woman, who had been nothing but kind to her.
"That sucks," Regan replied. "I brought you something from the diner down the street since we both know what would've happened if I tried cooking again."
"Kanin na," Shizuru said gratefully as she made her way to the kitchen.
She was starving. She piled more food on her plate than she usually would've liked, but she was eating for two now and didn't worry too much about it.
"Kanin na?" Regan echoed curiously. "Oh, you're from Kyoto, aren't you?"
Shizuru nodded and Regan smiled beautifully. "I've been trying to pinpoint your accent for like a week." She popped open a bottle of beer Shizuru hadn't noticed before. "Tell me about yourself."
Shizuru ate a bit before politely wiping her mouth. "Ara, let's see. I was born in Kyoto on December 25, 1997. My mother died shortly after giving birth to me and I was raised by my father and his servants."
"Servants?" Regan let out an impressed whistle. She'd figured the brunette came from a wealthy family. It was plain to see. She wore clothes that probably cost more than some people's cars.
And she finished chewing before speaking for God's sake! If that wasn't a sign of class and wealth she didn't know what was. Regan figured the backs of wrists weren't actually meant to be used as makeshift napkins.
Oh well, that's what dark jeans were made for.
"Wait," Regan scrunched her face up in a very Natsuki-like fashion. "Viola, right?"
Shizuru nodded and took another bite of her pancakes, savoring their unique taste. Up until a few days ago she wasn't aware of their existence. Now she knows what she's been missing out on.
Regan blinked. "Viola as in Viola Industries? As in one of Japan's wealthiest companies? As in led by Hiro Viola? Hiro Viola is your father?"
"Ara, yes." Shizuru replied with another subtle dip of her head.
"Wow," Regan exclaimed with a childish dimpled grin, "I went to school with that guy. What a dick." She caught herself and flashed her daughter's girlfriend an apologetic smile. "My bad."
Shizuru giggled. "Ara, no offense taken. Father can be… difficult to like."
"Difficult? Try impossible!" Regan snorted and shook her head. "I punched him once, you know."
"Ara, why?"
"Because he was being a dick to one of my friends. The fucker reported me too." Regan chuckled. "He claimed I broke his cheekbone and got me suspended for a week."
Shizuru sighed. It definitely sounded like something her father would do. He'd always had a habit of starting things he never intended to finish.
Like his relationship with her mother. He was only with her for the sake of bearing an heir to takeover after him. And thus, Shizuru was born, but alas, she was not the son he envisioned.
"Hey," Regan was suddenly kneeling in front of her and she realized she must have been wearing an involuntary pained expression of some sort.
The beautiful dark-haired woman offered her a crooked smile. Her hand came out to gently grasp the brunette's and she squeezed softly, reassuringly.
"You don't have to worry about him right now." She tilted the girl's chin up. "You're way too pretty to be anything but happy. Like I told the kid, you're practically family now. Anyone who can put up with my kid like you have deserves to be nothing less."
Shizuru smiled beautifully and Regan reached out to stroke her head like she often did with her own daughter. She rose from her kneeling position on long, slender legs. Her gentle expression turned devilish in a matter of seconds.
"Since the kid's not here to prevent me from doing so, I've got something to show you." Regan said with a mischievous smirk.
"Ara, may I ask what it is?"
Regan grinned. "I've got baby pictures." She sing-songed.
[]
Natsuki's head shot up from its position on her desk as the familiar feeling of dread suddenly crept into her core. Chie flashed her a sidelong glance. "You okay?"
Natsuki shuddered. "I don't know. It feels like something bad's about to happen."
"Like?" Chie pressed as she returned her attention to the penis she was currently drawing near Emperor Hirohito's mouth in her textbook.
"I don't know exactly," Natsuki replied, and raised an eyebrow as she witnessed what Chie was doing. "You know, for a lesbian you're awfully good at drawing those."
"I just envision myself in your shoes." Chie said. "You're such a prude, if I had a penis at least half the girls here would be walking around with my children in their womb."
Natsuki whispered a silent prayer, thanking the universe for not doing such a thing.
"Guys," Midori said as she re-entered the room with a dorky smile on her face. Most of the students hadn't even noticed she had gone. "Look alive, children. I have great news."
"You finally decided to stop claiming you're seventeen?" Tate guessed from somewhere behind Natsuki, drawing forth a round of excited giggles from his classmates.
Midori rolled her eyes. "I am seventeen, you dimwit. That's a detention."
"Wait," He cried, "For what?"
"Bullying superiors." Midori replied, ignoring the boy's incredulous face. "Anyway, we have a new student and I want you all to welcome her."
"Is she hot?" Chie asked while a few other boys mumbled in agreement.
Midori sighed and looked to the classroom's sliding doors as they slowly creaked open. "Speaking of the devil, here she is."
A girl of average height slowly shuffled in on long, slender legs. Her skin was flawless and nearly as white as the walls around her. Her features were sharp and well-defined with thin lips and a proud, straight nose. Her hair was dyed some sort of dark teal and cut into an odd bob that was longer in some places and shorter in others.
"What's up with her hair?" Tate whispered.
"Yeah," Chie agreed, "Looks like the line-graph representing Tate's life."
Natsuki chuckled behind her hand as the girl's eyes roamed the sea of faces and settled on her. They were the color of steel and just as cold and hard. "Sheesh," Natsuki said, "I'm getting some serious Light Yagami vibes from her."
"Class, this is Marguerite Tomoe. I expect you to treat her well." Midori continued, then paused to abruptly shake her fist at her mischievous class. "Or else."
"Or else what?" A faceless boy challenged from his place in the very back.
"Or else." Midori repeated, offering no elaboration whatsoever. "You can sit next to Tate."
Tomoe said nothing and did as she was told, sliding out the chair near the boy and gracefully sitting down. The sandy-haired buffoon flashed her a big, lopsided grin and stuck out his head.
"Hi," He said warmly, "Yuuichi Tate."
Tomoe merely eyed his hand and looked away, looking like she'd rather drink gasoline then touch the boy's hand. "I'm sure you're aware of my name." She said boredly. "Do not speak to me. We have nothing more to say."
Tate looked hurt for a moment. He then turned back around to the front and put his cheek in his hand.
"Wow, what a bitch." Chie said after overhearing the ordeal.
Natsuki nodded and leaned back in her chair as Midori continued to talk about something no one in class cared about. Everyone resumed what they were doing before, but Natsuki couldn't help but feel like there were eyes burning into the back of her skull.
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"Dad, Shizuru," Natsuki said as she entered her home a few hours later, "I'm home… Gah!" She cried in surprise when she witnessed her father and her girlfriend sitting close together on the couch, giggling at the book on Shizuru's lap.
Regan looked up and smiled innocently. "Hey, kid. How was school?"
"Ara, Natsuki was so cute!" Shizuru swooned as she held up the book, pointing to a photo of a very young Natsuki sitting in the bathtub sporting a bubble-beard with a long, manicured finger.
"Gah! Dad!" Natsuki made a move to snatch the book away, but Regan sensed it long before and intercepted the embarrassed teen before she got too close.
She lifted the nearly full-grown woman over her shoulder like she was a mere child. "Ah, ah, ah, she's not finished."
Natsuki thumped her face against her father's shoulder and groaned. "I hate you so much."
"Welp, you're going to hate me even more because I promised your grandmother that I'd bring you guys over so she could meet her favorite granddaughter's girlfriend." Regan said.
Natsuki groaned again, but couldn't help but feel a bit excited. Her grandmother Namiko was one of her favorite people in the world. She was probably the nicest little woman you'd ever find, and she was as smart as she was beautiful.
"Right now?"
"As soon as…" Regan paused as Nao walked through the door with Nina trailing. "Never mind, we're all here. Let's go. The sooner we leave, the sooner I can come back and get drunk."
"Where are we going?" Nina asked as walked over to give her cousin Regan a great big hug.
She was extremely fond of her big cousin. Her own father and Regan had been very close when she and Natsuki were kids.
They used to bring their respective charge over each other's houses to play, and when the family had voiced their displeasure about her father due to past actions, Regan was the only one who stood up for her and treated her like she wasn't the biggest piece of shit on the planet.
"My mother awaits." Regan said. "You feel any better, Shizuru? You can stay if you want." And with that, the older woman let her daughter back onto the floor.
Natsuki flashed her an irritated glare and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. "Ara, I feel much better now. I would love to come."
"Great," Regan said, and with that, the five females changed clothes, locked up the house, and went on their way.
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Thirty minutes later they were walking up a beautiful path that led to a gorgeous, traditional home that was surrounded by a plethora of multi-colored flowers, towering sycamores, and beautiful sakura trees.
There was a fountain near the wooden porch where a dog was lying with its head on its paws. It perked up upon seeing the women and began barking excitedly.
"Duran, you better not." Regan warned the excited canine as he sprinted forward with all intentions of bowling her over and covering her face with doggy kisses.
He whined, but stopped a few inches away, wagging his tail furiously.
He was a beautiful dog, Shizuru thought. A husky of some sort with long black and white fur, piercing blue eyes, and large, triangular ears. He sniffed curiously in her direction.
"Duran, what's the matter?" A soft, melodic voice wafted through the large sliding doors as a beautiful older woman emerged.
She was wearing a gorgeous blue traditional kimono with intricate pictures of flowers on the sleeves. Her hair was rich and dark, and fell nearly to the back of her knees in shimmering waves of ebony.
Her deep green eyes lit up as she spotted Regan and the group of teenagers, and she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her tall daughter's neck with a happy sigh.
"My dear," She cooed, "How I've missed you."
Regan's demeanor softened as she embraced her mother fully. She kissed the top of mother's head. "Hey, mom. Long time no see."
Namiko swatted her on the head. "All your fault. You never come and visit me anymore. Have you grown tired of your little old mother?"
Regan rolled her eyes and Namiko moved over to the teenagers. She hugged Nao first. "Juliet, you've gotten taller."
Natsuki snorted.
Nao groaned. "Ugh, you know I hate that name."
Namiko laughed. It was soft and airy, and reminded Shizuru of bells. She moved over to Nina. "Dear, you look beautiful. Your father's here. She's upstairs. Got a bit of a fever." Namiko told her, watching as the girl's eyes lit up and she dashed away with Nao at her heels.
"Obaa-san!" Natsuki cried childishly, flinging her arms around the tiny woman's neck. Namiko laughed joyously and hugged her back just as tightly.
"Natsuki-chan," Namiko pulled back after kissing the young woman's teeth, her eyes roaming over her young granddaughter's form. "You look just like your father." And your mother, she added silently to herself.
She looked over to Shizuru, her deep eyes regarding her softly. "And who is this lovely young woman?"
Natsuki gently grasped Shizuru's arm and ushered her forward. "Obaa-san, this is Shizuru," and goofily added, "My girlfriend."
Shizuru politely dipped her head. "Ara, it is a pleasure."
Namiko waved her off and pulled the taller girl into a hug as well. Shizuru really had to reach down the woman was so friggin' tiny. She barely reached the five foot mark, if at all.
"My dear, you are absolutely gorgeous." Namiko said sincerely, drawing forth a pretty blush from the chestnut-haired beauty. "Why don't we all go inside and have some tea?"
"Mom, you know I hate tea." Regan said, and Shizuru gasped internally. How could anyone say such a thing?
"Riku brought over some sake last night." Namiko replied with a soft eyeroll. "Honestly, I could never understand you or your father's taste for beer."
Regan tried not to cringe at the mention of her dad. Tried. "Eh, you get used to it."
Duran barked happily as Natsuki ran her hands through his long fur. "Missed you too, boy." She said.
The four women walked into the living room. It was just as beautiful as the rest of the house and it smelled delightful, like the forest beyond the bamboo fences. There was a pathway visible that led to a shrine, the smell of incense filled the air.
There was also a portrait of a woman in the far corner, whose dark eyes seemed to pierce everything they locked on to. Her hair was like most of the Kruger women's, long and dark, and her features were stunning. She looked too much like Regan, and Shizuru guessed that she was her father.
"Shizuru, would you like some tea?" Namiko asked sweetly. "I have Jasmine, green, and black cherry."
"Ara, Jasmine, please." The brunette said as she sat beside Natsuki on the floor, adopting a traditional pose while Natsuki opted for simply crossing her legs.
Namiko returned moments later with the steaming cup in her hand and handed it to the brunette, who thanked her kindly. She briefly glanced at Regan. A silent conversation passed between mother and child, and Regan eventually sighed in frustration before rising and disappeared out the back doors.
"So," Namiko began once the woman was out of earshot, "How long have you two been dating?"
"17 hours!" Natsuki blurted. "I mean, uh. Not long…"
Shizuru stifled a giggle behind the palm of her hand. Namiko's eyes lit up. "How cute! I remember when Natsuki was just a child and she swore up and down she'd never have a girlfriend because they had cooties."
"Obaa-san!" Natsuki half cried, half groaned.
"It's true. I think the first time a girl kissed her on the cheek she cried." Then Namiko's expression turned thoughtful. "Actually, that girl was me."
"It did not happen like that." Natsuki assured her. "Dad told me if a girl kisses you then they lock you down for good and hold you hostage until the day you die!" Then she remembered she wasn't supposed to let that information out. "Oops."
Namiko rolled her eyes, but the fondness for her daughter was apparent. "Honestly, that girl is something else. Always so dramatic. Speaking of which, Natsuki, won't you tell your grandfather hello?"
"Oh, sure!" Natsuki said as she quickly rose and kissed Shizuru on the cheek before going out the same route her father had taken, out the back door and up to the shrine.
Namiko's expression softened. "I haven't seen her this happy in years. I think you're the first girl she's ever brought home."
"Ara, I'm honored," Shizuru whispered. "Natsuki is an amazing young woman."
"And so are you. I've only known you for only a few minutes, but I'm good at reading people. Something I learned during the war." Namiko said.
"Ara, the war?" Shizuru found herself asking.
Namiko nodded. "I was a nurse for the ninety-second brigade during WWII. I was only sixteen, and I had followed my mother to war trying to prove my worth as a doctor. That's where I met Ren, Regan's father. She was a pilot. She died when Regan was only a girl."
"Ara, I'm sorry to hear that. How did she die, if I may ask?"
Namiko sighed. "Like most Japanese fighter pilots. Suicide. The only Kamikaze in history to take down forty-six planes and an entire aircraft carrier singlehandedly in one night."
"That must've been hard. What was it like?" Shizuru whispered. "Serving in the war alongside your mother?"
"Oh, loud. Bloody. Sometimes I still have nightmares about those poor soldiers we couldn't save. And the bombing. Oh god," Namiko shook her head, "I wasn't far from Hiroshima or Nagasaki when the bomb hit. I nearly died, but I managed to escape. My mother wasn't so lucky."
Namiko reached for the clasp of her kimono and turned around, shrugging it off of her shoulders and sweeping her long dark hair over her shoulder. "This is my most vivid reminder."
Shizuru gasped. In the very center of Namiko's back was a horrific, gaping hole of a scar where a terrible wound had been years ago. It was about as big as her fist and the skin hadn't quite heal as expected.
"Acid from some sort of mechanized weapon fell on my back when my team and I were trapped in an abandoned building. Even through all of the pain I could still see the flash of the atomic bomb." Namiko said as she re-adjusted her kimono and turned back around to face a shocked Shizuru.
"Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I hope I didn't ruin your appetite." She said worriedly.
"No," Shizuru shook her head, "Thank you for sharing such a thing with me."
"I'm old. I love to tell stories." Namiko said with a smile as her daughter and granddaughter returned. She noticed Regan's troubled expression and faltered internally. Sometimes, even the oldest of wounds could still cause the most pain. In more ways than one.
"I hope you're not boring Shizuru with one of your stories, mother." Regan said as she plopped down near the old woman's side and leaned against her shoulder. "She probably doesn't care that you sat next to Hirohito in high school."
Namiko slapped her daughter upside the head with a mock gasp. "You may be grown, but you're never grown enough to being bent over my knee, Regan."
Regan snickered. "Do your worst."
Namiko smiled a smile that wasn't unlike the one Regan wore earlier in the day. "Oh, I will. Since you're all here, how about a little history lesson?"
All around, eyebrows rose. "What kind of history lesson?" Natsuki asked curiously.
She flashed a devilishly beautiful grin at her daughter, who was growing more and more uneasy as the situation progressed.
"The cute kind featuring a baby Regan."
Shizuru giggled in anticipation. Natsuki snickered and whispered, "Karma."
Regan sighed; she knew she should've just gotten drunk and passed out like she originally planned.
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Chapter Preview:
Shizuru and Natsuki grow closer and make their first trip to the clinic to check up on their baby. Tomoe takes an interest in Shizuru. Reito makes a move on Tate. Haruka finds out Shizuru's secret and she is none too pleased.
Regan gives her daughter a gift, and Natsuki encounters a strange woman that will, unknown to her, will change her life.
Author's Note: I just changed my name because I got bored of the old one. :P