Father and Daughter


I leaned back into the wall slightly hoping to disappear into the fine antique looking wood. Morinozuka had a kendo match that the host club was attending to show their support. I, of course was avoiding the members of the infuriating club the best I could. Three days I had spent as their; for lack of better words servant. The stress was killing me. Day one was an argument about the outfit they wanted me to wear, mostly Tamaki. He said the outfit made the experience authentic. Authentic or not I put up one hell of a fight about wearing the maid's uniform. To my surprise it had been Kyoya that came to the rescue with the offer; and the actual thing (you think he had this planned) of a butler's uniform tailored to fit and flatter. I stupidly agreed. He started me a tab.

Should have known better; Kyoya never offers if there isn't something in it for him. The rest of time before club was spent with me learning the tea names, ingredients, where everything was and a number of little things that would keep the guests happy. It wasn't really all that hard to pick up just the looks some of the girls gave me were unnerving. Morinozuka's and Haninozuka's guests were the friendliest. Well I should say just the little blonde's guests. Morinozuka never seemed to have any actual guests but there was always one or two that sat with his cousin that were quiet and would blush if he looked their way.

By the third day the girls had seemed to accept that I was slipping in and around the tables mostly unseen. A few giggled about how their tea seemed to magically refill. I'd never say it out loud but I was enjoying the work and the tutoring sessions the half hour after. It kept me from going back to that empty mansion. Sure there were people there but it wasn't family and I felt alone. I shivered. Izo should have come back some time ago but there was an unforeseen situation that had called for him to extend his stay. The only problem seemed to be the twins. They insisted on getting in close to me when they could. The little wretches claimed it was to help my condition. Morinozuka always seemed to put the kibosh to their crowding each time by saving me. He would either pick me up then set me right down behind him or he would mealy come stand near the event and the twins would let go. They always mumbled how no fun Mori was.

I was pulled from my thoughts as the crowd roared with cheers. Surveying the area I could make out that Morinozuka had won. A smile curled onto my lips as he finally looked away from his opponent. His face somber and still but his gray eyes seemed to sparkle with pride and accomplishment. Pushing off the wall I made the move to go speak with him but the Host club and other fans made a tight circle around the tall boy. Well there was no way I was getting in close to him so I rose my hand to wave. At that very moment my cell phone rang. I dropped my hand as he looked my way; missing the disappointment in his eyes as I turned my back to him to answer the phone.

"Hello?" I asked confused. No one but a few employees at the house had my phone number.

"Meet the driver out front in five minutes. We will be having dinner together." The voice on the other end of the line said before there was silence.

I nodded slightly stunned at the voice. "Yes Izo." I answered. Right before the call ended I thought I head a soft; "Thank you" but it had to be my mind playing tricks on me. Izo wouldn't say thank you…would he? Putting the phone away I began to think about the man that was my father. I really didn't know much about him. Mom never really spoke of him unless in one of her fits of reality and I could question it quickly. Yet, all I would get out of her was a fond smile and humming, never a real answer.

"Ryo-chan!" My head snapped towards the voice of Haninozuka. He was sitting on his cousin's shoulder as they approached. The little blonde must have noticed my confused look because he asked; "Is everything okay, Ryo-chan?"

This fully drew the attention of his cousin on me. Morinozuka looked down a small frown on his face. He had come to do that or small almost invisible smiles in my present. "I'm fine Haninozuka. I just have to go earlier than normal."

"What about your lessons?" Morinozuka asked tipping his head to one side.

"I'll make it up somewhere. This is…" Not exactly more important but "…I have to take care of this." The old man wanted to talk or at least have dinner. I had to go. Turning I headed towards the door, I paused. "You…" I twisted my hand into the hem of my red shirt. Between the end of class and the match I had changed from my school uniform to my street clothes. "You were very impressive out there today."

"Ryoko."

His voice seemed to echo through my entire person. It rumbled gently at my heart making it skip a beat. I stopped to look back at him.

"Tomorrow, we can study at my home."

I looked up at him my eyes growing wide. He had never spoken so much in such a short time. What shocked me more was the invite to his home. Nodding I smiled slightly. "I would like that." The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. I slapped a hand over it to make sure I didn't say anything else stupid. There was a small smile on his lips and I turned around. "I got to go."

Hurriedly I made my way out of the school the blush slowly fading from my face. Looking around I spotted Izo's driver I quickly got into the vehicle and we were off. "I'm going to need to go home first to change."

"Master Izo said that you were to wear what you had on."

I looked up. "I think he may have meant my school uniform not…"

"No he was clear that he wanted you dressed as a normal teenager."

I was too shocked to answer. I didn't take long to reach the destination. Leaning against the window of the limo I looked out to see a casual dining restaurant. The tint allowed me to see out but no one to see in and I could see Izo sitting at a booth near the front window. He looked nervous. Why was he doing this? What did he hope to gain? I hadn't spent much time with the man. He had always been busy since my arrival.

"Miss Ryoko, are you going to go in?"

"Do I have a choice?" I grumbled opening the door. Stepping into the warm air I shivered as Izo looked my way. He half smiled when he noticed me. It faltered for a moment then he turned back towards the table. Izo repeatedly traced something over and over on the spot in front of him. I sighed and headed towards the door. The sooner I went in there the sooner this would be done.

The restaurant was small but felt cozy. As if it was from a small town back in America. A woman in an apron carrying a tray passed by and stopped to look at her. "I'll be with you in a moment." She said quickly continuing on to deliver food.

"I'll just take a seat I'm expected." I remarked to her back as she hurried away. Sighing I made my way towards where Izo sat. It felt odd going to have dinner with him but he had given me no choice. As I got closer I saw him for the first time in over a month. His dark hair was disheveled as he ran a hand through it trying to straighten it. He was in a baggy t-shirt and dark jeans. If I hadn't known better I'd have thought he was normal. Just a normal guy waiting for someone to show up. I cleared my throat.

His eyes dark and wide shot up from the table to rest one me. There was a moment of disbelief then a sad smile crossed his face. "You look just like her, you know."

The comment nearly floored me. Well no so much the comment but the tone. He sounded heart broken. He laughed low and sad before ruffling his hair again. Izo motioned with his hand for me to sit down. And I did. I wouldn't have been able to continue standing much longer anyways.

"I know I look like her, didn't think it was that much." I muttered keeping my eyes down.

"Exactly like her, that wild red hair…" He chuckled. His hands twitched as if he wanted to touch my hair. Yet they never moved from the table. "…my parents hated it." Sighing he looked up at me. "The formal dinners and discussions didn't work so I thought we would try it like this."

"Try what?" I asked. I don't remember what he had wanted to talk about before the loss of my mother and being ripped from my home was too much to care what he had to say. So I had tuned him out of bit back at anything that made it through the wall.

"I love your mother and you very much, you know." Izo said keeping his voice low. I felt my anger rise. How dare he!? How dare he say he loved us! He was never there for us, for me. I was about ready to snap at him when he continued. "But your mother wanted far more than what we had. We actually met a few stores down from here. It's long gone now but it was once a small café. I was going in to get something sweet when I heard the most unbelievable amount of swearing. It sounded like someone crossed a sailor and a wet cat." He smiled at the memory.

I looked at him. It sounded like one of mom's artistic slumps. There had been two levels. One she stayed in bed for days on end sighing and crying or two she was out of her mind swearing while trashing her paintings. I preferred the latter. Sure it was scary but it never lasted that long. "So you went to look?"

"Yes and I found Alexandria coming out of a rage. I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me. I was expecting a big burly man but there was a petite woman with wild red hair. A guitar on her shoulder and a hiking backpack strapped to her back."

"She did like that guitar." I added remembering the worn out interment that had hung in the kitchen. I wonder what happened to it; to everything in the apartment.

"Never could play it. Just liked to carry it around." He smirked smiling more. "Your mother and I had a wonderful time together. For five years we had paradise. We lived together here in this city just over there." He paused to point out the window across the city at a building than turned back to me with a sigh. "But things got complicated and she went home. I didn't even know about you until a few days before you were born. I jumped on a jet and was by her side for it. I wanted to take you both with me but she said it's not a good time."

"It's not a good time." Those words echoed in my mind. How many times had I heard that phrase? Mom had phone calls where she made me leave the room but I always heard those words in those phone calls. "You called." I mumbled low and slow. He nodded. "You called on my birthday, on mom's, and every holiday every year you would call."

Izo smiled slightly as more and more worked through my mind. "Christmas I had presents from Santa even after I stopped believing and on my birthday mom always had a 'special' gift." I looked up at him. "They were from you."

"She sent me your report cards, school pictures, articles where you won a track meet and other little things about your life. I wanted to be there but she always said it's not a good time. So I would wait and check. I wanted us to be a family."

I looked up at the man named Izo. He was my father and had tried to be even when my mother had kept him at a distance. Kept him from me. No, I couldn't think like that. By keeping him away she was keeping him safe and I know why. "You know she was crazy, right?" I asked running a hand through my hair.

"She was a little eccentric." He laughed nervous. He knew. Izo knew how crazy she was. He had lived with her for five years so he had to have known.

"No she was bat shit crazy. Bi-polar if I remember right. I called…" I sighed. "…call them her artistic slumps but I'm not stupid I know she should have been on meds." We both fell silent for a moment.

"She took them for a while but they made her feel empty, you know. Made her lose herself." He looked up. "You…Was she…Did you ever…" Izo stumbled around trying to find the words to ask.

"I was safe and taken care of." I spoke softly looking at my hands. "Even when it was bad there was still food in the house and she always seemed to have time to make me a lunch of school." Several times during the conversation the waitress had come and asked for our order, refilled our drinks and was very attentive. I don't even remember ordering anything but there sat a turkey sandwich in front of me. I didn't want it I had one question that was bugging me. "When I got here why did you hide away from me? Why did you run the moment school started to a meeting I know damn well that you could have conferenced?"

Izo stared at me for a moment then looked away ashamed. "I couldn't look at you. You reminded me too much of Alexandria that it hurt to see you."

"So it stopped hurting?" I asked slightly jealous because it still hurt me. It still hurt to wake up in an odd bed far from the cities and country sides I knew.

"No it hasn't stopped but I realized that you needed me. Kiko said you haven't been out of the house much in the past week."

"I explore the house, grounds and go to school. I really haven't felt like venturing out for a while."

"She told me about the Ootori boy calling." I looked up at him. There was a low boil of anger beneath those calm eyes. "I'm sorry, I wasn't there. Have you worked it out or do you need me to do something?"

"I think I have it covered…" I started to lie until I saw the helplessness cross his face. "…but I could use some self-defense lessons. You know, just in case." He smiled sadly and moved his hand towards mine.

And for the first time in my life my father took my hand and held it protectively in his while saying; "We'll do that."


A/N: So hi guys! I'm on time! Any ways I know most want to see Ryoko working with Mori and the Host Club but I had to give her father a momentary spot light. He will actually be around more now and we are pretty close to the middle of the story. And holy crap was I confused writing this chapter. I have so many unused chapters that I was getting confused on what you guys knew and what information had been in just a possible chapter.

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A/N2: We reached fifty reviews! Yea!