Chapter Twelve
Lupin hung up the phone and stared off, his mind wandering back to the night he got the news. It was something he knew he would never forget. "Almost one month ago..." he mumbled to himself.
"Come on, Fujiko," Lupin teased as he crawled into bed with her, trying to get her nightgown off.
"Go away, Lupin," she said in annoyance as she pushed him off of her.
"Just this once," Lupin said. "And then tomorrow night I'll leave you alone."
"You told me that last night," Fujiko said as she rolled her eyes.
"And you enjoyed last night, didn't you?" he flirted as he slid closer to her.
She thought about it and smiled. "Actually, you're right. I did enjoy it." She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around him as the two kissed, Lupin slowly removing her gown, stopping when the phone rang.
"Who can be calling at this hour?" he said in annoyance, sitting up and answering the phone. "Yeah," he sighed.
"Lupin," Zenigata said, his voice lacking any emotion.
"Damn it, Zenigata, this better be a really good phone call or else I'm-"
"Jigen's dead."
Lupin froze, his face growing pale as the words sunk in. "Are...are..."
"I just came back from the morgue," Zenigata said. "It's him."
"This...is this some kind of sick joke or something?" Lupin asked in a raised voice as tears welled up in his eyes. "Because...he can't...he..."
"I wish it was a joke, Lupin, but it's not. I'm sorry."
"Lupin?" Fujiko asked, looking on in worry.
"How?" Lupin managed to get out as his throat tightened.
"It was a single shot to the head."
"Who did it?" Lupin said in a demanding voice.
"The police don't have anything, yet."
"What about his daughter? Is she...?"
"She's fine. Upset, but fine. She's at the station right now." He stared down as he waited for a response, never getting one. "I haven't told Goemon yet, so if-"
"I'll tell him," Lupin whispered.
"I'm sorry this call couldn't have been under better circumstances."
"Me, too. But...but I'm glad you called. I'd rather hear it from you than someone who never knew him."
"Yeah."
Lupin stared off and slowly hung up the phone. "Damn it," he said in anger, finally breaking down and crying.
"Lupin, what is it? What happened?"
"Jigen's dead, Fujiko," Lupin said, almost yelling it. "That's what happened."
She gasped, a feeling of sadness overwhelming her. "Lupin..."
Lupin was silent, getting out of bed and leaving the room, going downstairs to his bar, where he'd spend the rest of the night, finally crying himself to sleep while in a drunken stupor as morning came.
"I thought it'd get easier," Lupin sighed, staring up as he tried to calm himself.
"Lupin!" Fujiko screamed as she stomped up to him. "Do you know what your son did?!"
"He's my son again, is he?" he muttered, an upset look on his face as he stared at her.
"You see this?!" Fujiko said, holding up what used to be a diamond and sapphire necklace.
"Fujiko, I'm not in the mood to care, okay? Why don't you deal with it yourself for once?" He gently moved her out of his way and walked by, leaving the room.
Fujiko was surprised by his response, but quickly got angry again. "Lupin!" she screamed, stomping after him.
Ichiro stood from the tree trunk he sat on as the girl in a brown ninja outfit approached him. The two smiled at each other and then began to wander the woods.
"You stayed out here last night?" the fifteen year old said as she walked with Ichiro, her long black hair swaying with every step.
Ichiro shrugged, his face holding no expression.
"I thought the woods scared you or something?"
"They did, but someone made me realize they aren't so bad."
"Well, your hair is still black, so I take it there were no ghost sightings?" she teased.
"Knock it off, Sakura."
"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm just joking around, Goemon. Don't get mad."
Ichiro stopped, looking down while he sighed. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself."
"Oh," she said, her smile fading. "What did you do?"
"I agreed to something I shouldn't have because I would have gained from it. And someone almost died over it. Now I don't even want to go home because she'll be there. She probably hates me."
"She?"
"My cousin Danielle."
"Oh yeah, I remember you telling me about her. She's visiting?"
"She lives with me," he mumbled. "Her dad wanted it that way."
"Oh, I see how that would be awkward, then."
"I'm sure everyone at home is angry with me." He walked to a boulder and sat on it, bowing his head and holding it in his hands. "Everything was so easy and then my stupid brother had to screw it up. I don't know why he isn't getting yelled at."
"Because you were the one that first agreed to whatever?"
Ichiro looked up and glared at her.
"Fine," she said. "I'll shut up."
"She wanted to fight to settle things between her and Yasuko, but we never told her that something like that would mean someone would die. Dad said no and I should have listened, but I didn't. Danielle told me her whole plan and it seemed really stupid, but I just went along with it. And then everything just went wrong and the next thing I know Jiro is yelling about them killing each other. I ran as fast as I could right to the spot, which made me guilty right there."
"What happened when you arrived?"
"Yasuko was running forward, ready to kill Danielle, but dad stopped it from happening." He looked up towards the trees and sighed deeply. "I just keep thinking, what if we came a second later? Danielle would be dead and I'd be responsible."
Sakura sat next to Ichiro, putting an arm around him in comfort. "Things happen, Goemon. Everything turned out fine in the end. Use it at a lesson for the future. Don't use it to punish yourself."
Ichiro stared down, staying quiet.
"I've done things, horrible things, in the past. Each one has made me grow stronger. I don't blame myself for what I've done. I've forgiven myself. And I know the ones I've wronged would have forgiven me, too." She removed her arm and stood in front of him. "Forgive yourself, Goemon. Go home and seek forgiveness from your family. Use this to grow stronger, not weaker." Setting her hands on his shoulders, she bent over and smiled at him. "If not for you, do it for me, okay?"
He looked up, her words surprising him a little. Blushing, he looked down. "O-okay," he said quietly.
"Thank you, Goemon," she said, kissing him on the top of his head. "I should go before father begins to worry."
"S-Sakura," Ichiro called out, standing quickly before she left. "Did...would you go to the Spring Festival with me?"
"I'd love to," she said.
"Great," he said, overjoyed. "It's this Saturday."
"Okay. I'll meet you there, then." She waved before running off, disappearing from view.
Ichiro smiled as he watched her leave. Once he couldn't see her anymore his smile faded, realizing what he had to do.
Ichiro stood in front of his house, taking a deep breath before opening the door.
At the dining table sat his mom, gasping when she saw him enter. Getting to her feet, she ran at him, embracing him in a loving hug. "Oh, Goemon," she said as tears ran down her face. "I'm so glad you're safe."
Ichiro held his mom loosely, rubbing his hands on her back to calm her. "I'm sorry for making you worry, mom. I didn't mean to."
"It's okay. Everything is fine now that you're here."
"Is...is dad here?"
"He's at the temple. Maybe you should wait until he's through to talk to him."
He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea."
"Jiro is in with Danielle if you wanted to see them. They've been worried, as well."
Ichiro nodded, separating from his mom and walking down the hall.
"And then this goes here," Jiro said as he pointed down to the paper Danielle was working on. "And this-" He stopped, both looking up as the door opened, Ichiro slowly walking in.
"Ichiro," Jiro said happily, rushing over to hug him. "I told you wolves didn't get him," he said, looking at Danielle.
Danielle grinned and shrugged, looking up at Ichiro and giving him a wave and a smile.
He looked at her and then looked away.
"Your dad has been pissed off all day," Danielle said. "What the hell happened? Where have you been?"
Ichiro was slightly relieved to see she was asking in concern. "How are your wounds?" he asked.
Danielle shrugged. "They'll heal. So? What happened?"
"Yeah, come on, tell us," Jiro said.
"Nothing really happened," he sighed. "I walked to the woods and then dad came and we yelled at each other and then I ran off."
"You yelled at dad?" Jiro asked, amazed Ichiro was still alive.
"Ran off where?" Danielle wondered. "Don't tell me you were in the woods this whole time."
"Jiro? Can I talk to Danielle alone for a second?"
"Aww," Jiro whined, shuffling out the door and to his room.
"Jiro's gone, so you can stop pretending now," he said.
"Pretending?"
"That you're not angry."
Danielle looked around in confusion. "Why would I be angry?"
"I almost got you killed," he said, still angry at himself over it.
"That's why you ran off?" Danielle asked curiously. "Ichiro..."
"I was blinded by my own wants and let you do something stupid. And I'm sorry."
"So, it didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Doesn't mean it's all your fault. And besides, I would have gone through with it if you had declined. Not like it matters." She watched as he walked to the window and stared out of it. "I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, Ichiro. And sometimes I drag others down with me."
"Like you and Arsene and the frog?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder and grinning at her.
"Yeah," she laughed. "Exactly like that. Something else that didn't turn out as planned."
"I never knew putting a frog under a serving platter could result in the dining room burning down," he laughed.
"Arsene is still pissed at me over that," she sighed.
"I think Aunt Fujiko still is, too," Ichiro grinned.
"Yeah," she sighed, staring off. "Uncle Lupin called today."
"Really? What'd he say?"
"I...I ruined your birthday, Ichiro." She bowed her head, tears falling onto the blankets. "I'm sorry."
"You didn't ruin it, Danielle," he said in a soft voice.
"I pulled you into my stupid plan and now you can't go to Paris. How is that not ruining it?"
"I agreed to it. You didn't force me to go along with you. And I'm pretty sure that whether or not that whole thing happened, I wasn't going to Paris anyway."
Danielle looked at him and then back down, staring down at her bed in silence.
"Danielle?" Ichiro asked in concern.
"Yasuko said I had to kill her to win, so I gave up. She was bleeding so bad that I didn't want her to die. When she said that she was going to kill me, I was scared, but in the end I just accepted it. I wasn't afraid anymore. I didn't have any regrets. I guess I felt that I had done one too many stupid things in life and that was it."
"You...you just gave up?" Ichiro asked with an upset look. "But, why?"
"My dad killed people over the dumbest things and I hated him for it. I felt that if I killed Yasuko over some stupid fight that I'd be the same as my dad. It wasn't worth it for me."
"But...you could have died."
Danielle shrugged, wiping the tears from her eyes and looking at Ichiro. "I would have seen my family again. And sometimes that makes me look forward to death."
Ichiro looked away, back out the window, trying to make sense of her thinking. He always had to remind himself that she was alone, that she had gone through a lot in her life, that she was different than him.
"But, hey, I can't really promise you that this will be the last stupid thing I drag you into," she laughed, wanting to change the subject to something less depressing. "I'm sure I'll have another dumb idea for the festival."
"And I'm sure I'll go along with it," he said, turning and smiling at her.
"We can wash floors together again, right?"
"Yeah," he grinned.
She grinned back, her mood lifting. That didn't last long, however, as both looked at her door. "Your dad's home," she mumbled, staring down at her lap, her fingers fiddling with the bandage around her leg.
Ichiro nodded, building up the courage to leave the room and face him.
Goemon came to him, though, as her door opened and he stepped inside. He gave each an annoyed glance.
Both looked at him for a second before looking away.
Goemon stared off, all the things he wanted to say repeating over and over in his head. He never said any of those things, though, as he knew nothing he said would help. Danielle was like Jigen and Ichiro was like him, both stubborn and set in their ways.
"Dad?" Ichiro said hesitantly and in a low voice. "I'm sorry...about yesterday. I had no right to speak to you like I did. Especially since you were right. And whatever punishment you give me, I'll accept it."
Goemon stared at him, not really knowing what to say in response. He then looked at Danielle.
"What," she wondered as she looked up at him. "Fine," she said as she rolled her eyes. "I'm... I'm not sorry. I'm sorry for a lot of things, but not for this. So, don't expect an apology out of me. Punish me. Do your worst. It won't change me one damn bit."
Ichiro looked up at her.
Goemon glared at her, but it soon faded to a smile. "Your punishment will start tomorrow," he said as he left the room.
Ichiro looked up and stared at the closing door. "Why...why did he go easy on us?" he asked, looking over at Danielle.
"How do you know he did?" she said. "You don't know what our punishment is."
"Yeah," he sighed. "Well, I'll let Jiro back in so you can finish your work. I need to get something to eat."
"Okay. I'm glad you're safe, Ichiro. And don't feel guilty for anything, okay? None of this was your fault." She looked up at him and smiled.
He glanced back at her, not saying a word. Looking back at the door, he left her room, Jiro bounding back in soon after.
Late that night while everyone was in bed Goemon sat at the table, staring down at the tea in front of him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair in mild frustration.
"Something wrong?" Danielle asked as she hobbled out of the darkened hall and towards the table.
"You shouldn't be walking on- Nevermind." He sighed, knowing better than to speak common sense to Danielle.
Danielle grinned, hobbling to the wall near the kitchen and leaning against it. "I shouldn't be doing a lot of things." She placed her hands behind her and looked around. "So? What's on your mind?"
Goemon only looked at her before looking back down, not answering.
"Please?" she said. "I won't tell anyone."
Goemon sighed, giving in. "I'm just wondering if what I'm doing, if it's the right thing."
"Why? What are you doing?"
"Keeping Ichiro from what he wants...for my own selfish reasons." He scoffed and shook his head. "He's right. I am a hypocrite."
"Everyone's a hypocrite at least once," she said in a low voice. "It doesn't make you a terrible person. It only makes you human."
Goemon glanced at her and looked back at his tea.
"You know what that world is like," she said. "By not allowing him to go, you're only protecting him from it. He just sees it as a type of oppression because he doesn't know what it's like."
"If you were given the same opportunity, would you take it?"
"Probably. I'd have different reasons than Ichiro, though."
"What do you mean?" Goemon wondered as he looked up at her.
"I don't think it's really what he wants. I think all he wants is an escape from who he is and who he's expected to be."
Goemon looked at her in confusion.
"When we were cleaning the dojo's floor I asked him about Tokyo and he just seemed to get upset over it. He said that you had Jiro to follow in your footsteps and that he didn't see why he had to just because he's the one carrying on your name. I think because all this stuff is expected of him, he doesn't really realize he can live his own life."
"I see," Goemon said, looking away and staring off in front of him.
"I'd let him go to Tokyo. Maybe he'll hate it and come back. Or maybe he'll like it and go on to be a successful...whatever it is he wants to do."
"I'll think about it."
Danielle nodded.
"When you're out of school, what are you expecting to do?"
Danielle smiled and shrugged. "Me and dad had talked about traveling. It won't be the same, but I'd still like to do it."
Goemon nodded. "You should get some sleep, Danielle. Doctor Matsumoto is coming over tomorrow to check on the stitches."
"Yeah," she sighed, pushing herself from the wall. "Goodnight, Uncle," she said, hobbling towards him, bending down and giving him a hug.
"Goodnight, Danielle." He once again stared off, his mind deep in thought.
Aw, poor Lupin. Conversations come out really awkward when I write them. xD And Danielle will heal rather quickly, as I wrote a lot of the future stuff before the last chapter and I don't feel like rewriting all of it. Plus, I've never had stitches, so I don't know how long they usually stay in or whatever and I'm too lazy to even care to look it up. Yay laziness! :D