I figured out how to end this story, so I'm guessing four more chapters until it's done. I really didn't want to drag out alternate universe characters that much, once I really started thinking about it. And since this thing turned out more wacky than I originally planned, I kind of just want to end it before it turns into a mess. xD
Chapter 13
Jigen drove the car to the restaurant, surprised to see Lupin, Zenigata and Goemon sitting on the curb. He parked the car and he and Lori stepped out of it.
"Finished already?" Jigen laughed.
"All-you-can-eat is a lie," Lupin sighed in sadness.
"Totally not cool, bro," Zenigata said.
Jigen stared at them in confusion.
"They ate too much and got kicked out," Goemon explained.
"No," Lupin said as he glared at Goemon. "Cheese Boy here made a scene because they didn't have Ishikawa Cheddar! Kept going on about them shaming his family name!"
"I did not make a scene, Frenchie!" Goemon stood and loomed over Lupin. "And all-you-can-eat does not mean to eat everything they have!"
"Why even have it, then?" Lupin said as he stood and got in Goemon's face.
"Guys," Jigen said loudly. "Shut up for a second!"
Lupin and Goemon looked towards him, both noticing Lori.
"Hey, is that Lori?" Lupin said as he smiled and walked towards her. "See? I told you she wouldn't be a circus freak."
"Huh?" Lori gave Jigen a confused look.
"Ignore him," Jigen said while glaring at Lupin. "Lori, this is Lupin, Goemon and Zenigata," Jigen said as he motioned to each person. "Guys, this is Lori, my wife."
"Wife?" Lupin said in shock. "Wow, that was fast."
"It's nice to meet you," Goemon said as he bowed his head to her.
"Gnarly, dude," Zenigata said as he shook her hand.
Lori stared in confusion at him.
"Hey, Lupin," Zenigata said. "Why don't you share that totally bitchin' plan you had?"
"Plan?" Jigen wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.
"Oh yeah. So, you know how my family says I'm stupid?"
Jigen stared at him while shaking his head no.
"Of course you wouldn't," Lupin laughed. "Forget I asked that. So, I had this brilliant plan while on my sixteenth plate of- no, seventeenth. Eighteenth? Yeah, eighteenth plate of schnitzel."
Jigen sighed in annoyance and stared at the man.
"So, I was thinking about my nineteenth plate when it hit me: I want to go to your world. I could be great there!"
"Lupin," Jigen said as he started to get angry.
"And I could replace the Lupin you knew, since he's dead, and we could be a great team again! And all we need to do is get ahold of that time machine and-"
"Shut up, Lupin," Jigen yelled.
Lupin stared at him in shock before noticing Lori, who stood and looked very confused. "Oh... I'm so high right now," he said while forcing a laugh.
Jigen could only groan.
...
"So, you really want to do this."
"Don't change the subject on me," Lupin said while glaring at Jigen.
The rest of the day had been uneventful. After leaving the House of Schnitzel they made their way to the house, Lori getting to know everyone while they got to know Lori.
Before anyone knew it the sun had set and night took over. Having to get up early for work, Lori went to bed, Jigen telling her he was going to stay up a little while longer. Goemon and Zenigata ended up passing out on the living room floor. Jigen and Lupin stayed up drinking beers at the kitchen table.
Jigen sighed in anger. "I wasn't keeping anything from you," he said in a hushed yell. "I'm not even from this world or dimension or whatever the fuck it is, remember?"
"But you knew Lori," Lupin said, giving Jigen an accusing stare.
"Yes, I knew her. We were going to get married and then..." He stopped as the memories were still too much for him. "I fucked up," he sighed in defeat. "I completely fucked everything up."
"Don't you think she should know?"
"Of course she should, but what am I going to say?"
"Well, you can't keep lying to her. And that excuse... A tree fell on your head? Really? Even I wouldn't use something that stupid."
"I panicked, okay? And I know I can't keep lying, but..." He stared off and sighed.
There was a long silent lull between them as both men were deep in thought.
"You know you're not okay, right?" Lupin asked, giving Jigen a serious stare. "You know you have really angry, violent dreams, right?"
Jigen sighed and nodded.
"She's going to know you aren't who you say you are." Lupin glanced up for a few seconds before staring back down at his can of beer.
"I know."
"What happened?"
"When?"
"You said you were paralyzed. What happened?"
Jigen sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Can we just not talk about it?" he said as he dropped his arms back onto the table and grabbed his beer.
"Tell me," Lupin said, half demanding it.
Jigen stared at him in anger and sighed. "One of our guys... One of our guys was taken hostage. When we found him he was pretty fucked up. I grabbed him and... we were running to our vehicles when a bomb went off behind us. A small piece of shrapnel lodged itself into my back and fucked up my spine somehow. One of the guys from my unit said I was screaming in pain and saying I couldn't feel my legs. I don't remember any of that, though."
"So then what happened?"
"I got out of the hospital and... I moved in with Lori. We bought a house together and everything was great. Until Miller started calling..."
"Who was that?"
"She was this woman I served with. She had a thing for me. She would call and we would talk and Lori got jealous. And then Miller came to see me and we spent the night out together, which pissed Lori off more. When I got back home we got into an argument." He scoffed and shook his head. "I'm such a fucking idiot..."
"What happened?" Lupin wondered as the story pulled him in more and more.
"We screamed at each other and she stormed out of the house. She was going to her sisters house when... Her car spun out of control. She didn't make it. And so, I downed a bottle of pills and washed it down with scotch and waited for the pain to go away."
"Wow..."
"Goemon came to see me, though, and so I was rushed to the hospital and brought back to life. Unfortunately."
"Come on," Lupin said, annoyed by Jigen's attitude. "You really think dying is better than living? I mean, you lived and were able to see Lori again. If you had died, you'd probably never get that chance. Mamou may be a dick, but he gave you this chance to start over."
"Says the one who wants to go back with me to my time," Jigen scoffed.
"Because we could all go," Lupin said excitedly. "Me and Goemon and Zenigata and Lori and even Edward! We could all go back with you!"
"You do know how small that machine is, right?"
Lupin grinned. "We'll fit."
"So, another plan like the last one?"
"I don't know what the last one was."
"Yeah, right, I keep forgetting."
"Whatever it is, we need to do it. And then you can go back and we could be partners."
"Partners in what?"
"I don't know," Lupin shrugged. "Maybe we can partner with Goemon and sell cheese."
"Ishikawa Cheddar doesn't exist in my world."
"Well, there you go," Lupin said excitedly. "We now have a goal!"
Jigen stared at the table and sighed. "I guess."
Lupin smiled at him before rambling on about things Jigen didn't understand.
In the hallway just outside of the kitchen stood Lori, who had heard most of the conversation.