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Jezebel
Moon Kitty 2005
Chapter Twenty

March 20th, 2008

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A Week Later

Touya stood a few feet away, staring at the house in front of him that struck his memory from the night four years prior when he had walked her home. The night that he had told her he cared about her, the night he had felt more tenderness towards another human being than he had in his entire life.

He sucked in his breath nervously, and re-thought his decision. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go see them anyways. What if they were accustomed already without him causing trouble? What if Meiling was married? Now why did that thought cause you to be jealous, hmm? the voice in his head asked knowingly.

But from the way Yukito had described it, she was still single and had been living by herself and the two girls for a while now. So what was he so nervous about? Maybe it was going to willingly see the girl he had told he had never wanted to see again. Maybe she would think him a hypocrite.

Who cares what she thinks? I told her I hated her, and it's true.

With his mind made up, he took the few steps forward to come adjacent to the front of the house, swallowing his nervousness as he saw a young woman sitting on her knees, bending over a flowerbed. Right away he knew it was her. Meiling, the girl he had abandoned four years before.

Her raven hair was a little shorter now, and it hung loosely in a ponytail to keep her hair from her face. She was wearing a long green dress, and he had to admit that her curves looked a lot softer than they did the last time he laid eyes on her. Her tongue was stuck out a little, concentrating on the soil in front of her.

He smiled, chuckling to himself silently, but all smiles ended when his eyes laid on a little girl standing next to her with a bag of seeds in her small hands. She had dark brown hair, just like his, and her eyes were a stunning shade of russet. Touya stared at her for a moment, mouth wide open, and then thought, Yukito wasn't lying. That's... my daughter.

Even from the distance he could notice the vague resemblance between himself and Meiling, and suddenly his chest bursted with pride when the girl noticed his presence and turned to face him. Once she caught sight of him, she turned to her mother and tapped her on the shoulder, whispering something.

Then Meiling turned, and Touya found himself subject to those piercing ruby eyes again. He noticed her stiffness, and her eyes narrowed a bit. She put the spade down on the soil, stood, brushed her knees off, and walked over to him.

With each step she took, he grew more and more nervous. He could still feel the anger emanating from her, the same anger he was sure she had felt on the day he had left her. He had no idea what to do. He clenched his fists by his sides nervously as she stopped in front of him, simply glaring.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly, and he knew that the soft tone of her voice was deceiving. Her eyes were as hard as rocks, and she bore no happiness to see him whatsoever. He didn't blame her.

He couldn't think of anything to say but, "I-is she mine?" And when they both turned to look at the little girl that stood staring at the two adults, her eyes wide, Meiling nodded slightly.

"Yes, but according to you, you didn't even have a daughter. Why the sudden interest?" she asked sharply, avoiding his gaze.

He shook his head. "We shouldn't discuss this in front of her. It'll only trouble her. What's her name?"

Meiling bit her lip and replied, "Li Ying."

"That's a pretty name," he commented idly, keeping his eyes trained on the small girl. My daughter. I have a daughter. She's the prettiest little girl ever. His chest swelled with pride and he turned to Meiling. "Can I talk to her?"

Of course there was no way she could deny him just talking to her. He was her father, after all, and she still loved him. She wasn't going to forbid him from seeing his daughter. It would be cruel. Just because Touya had walked out on her didn't mean that Ying should have to suffer without knowing the pleasure of having a father growing up. She nodded slowly.

Touya walked slowly over to the little girl, bending and sitting on his knees in front of her. He smiled and said, "Hello, Ying. How are you?"

She looked over at Meiling for some sort of signal that it was okay, and with her mother's encouraging nod, Ying smiled shyly at the man in front of her, extending her small hand politely. "Fine, sir."

He chuckled and shook her hand. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, and I know it might be a little shocking, but... have you ever wondered where your father was?"

Ying's eyebrows furrowed. "Mother told me I don't have a father. She said I was a special child," she proclaimed happily, smiling toothily.

"And you are," Touya replied, kissing the girl's forehead. "But haven't you ever wanted a father?"

Ying looked down sadly at the ground and murmured, "Only when Mama is crying."

Touya took a quick look over his shoulder to glance at Meiling, who was too busy looking at the ground to pay attention to what was being said between father and daughter. For a moment, his curiosity piqued and he began to wonder what she was thinking about.

When Ying poked his shoulder, he turned back to her and smiled. "Yes?"

"Are you my daddy?" she asked quietly, staring at him with large russet eyes.

He gave a slight shudder. Those eyes... they reminded him so much of Meiling's. It was amazing how similar their eyes were. But her hair... it was exactly like his. He had no doubt in his mind that this was his daughter. No one else's. And he also had no doubt in his mind that it was a foolish thing to say that the child Meiling had been pregnant with was not his. If he had believed both Yukito and Meiling, he would have been there. For the birth, the first word, the first step, every little thing that made having a child worthwhile. For a moment, he envied Meiling, but knew it was his own doing.

How could be blame her for not being there when it was his own stubborn choice?

He nodded slowly at the child, smiling as she grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I've wanted a daddy for a while, but Mama said that we were just fine without one. Ne, Daddy, do you want to move in? We have an extra room for you!"

"Ying, that's enough," Meiling said, having finally started paying attention during the last minute of their conversation. "Your... father and I will talk about it. For now, please go inside and have Kira make you some lunch."

"But, Mama!" Ying cried, her eyes flitting from mother to father.

"Go."

Once the little girl disappeared inside, Meiling turned to Touya. "So why? Why after all this time did you have to come here and disrupt everything I've worked so hard to establish?"

"I didn't come here to disrupt anything. I came here to see if I really had a daughter... and I came here to see you." He looked at her intently, searching deep in her eyes for a sign of uncertainty, love, anything. He found nothing but a cold hatred. And his heart froze. I still love her. I have to prove it to her. Take things slowly... and make her love you again.

"Can we talk, Meiling? If not only for a little while. I miss talking with you. Nothing has to be certain yet. I just want a chance to know my daughter. Please?"

She couldn't resist his pleading chocolate eyes, and she turned her back to him, muttering, "Follow me." As she walked away from him, he felt his heart swell. First things, he needed to at least get them on a better standing ground with one another.

He was going to have to do some heavy duty apologizing.

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Authoress Notes

So Touya and Meiling finally see each other again. It's about time. I believe this story is almost finished. So hang in there and see what happens! Leave a review, if you please. (: