They all landed back into the present time in a blinding flash of silver light. They sat there, motionless, all piled on top of each other. Crin was suddenly aware of both Takiko's body underneath her, still as stone, and Tomite's equally still body above her, crushing her lungs. "Get off of me." She whispered. Even though it was a whisper, it was so quiet everyone could hear her clearly. Namame rolled off of Tomite and Tomite hesitated. "Tomite, I can't breathe, get off of me." Crin snapped harshly. "Do not make me use force."
Tomite muttered an apology and stood up, backing away from the pile. Crin immediately jumped off and backed away to the other side of the room as everyone climbed off of each other. She stared at each one of them with an accusing glare. Takiko didn't look at her. Takara had a blush on her face – probably because she was embarrassed that she'd pried into Crin's past without permission—and Hikitsu's was apologetic as he covered his eye. Limdo did look peeved, probably because he knew her feelings toward his precious fiancée.
But when Crin's gaze settled upon Tomite, Crin suddenly broke down into tears. "Say it." she demanded. Tomite's blank expression turned into bewilderment.
"What do you mean?" He asked hesitatingly. Crin glared through her tears.
"Oh don't give me that! I know what your thinking; I knew you wouldn't want me when you found out about how bitter I am….how…how…how I fell in love with other men who weren't you! I knew that you wouldn't accept me for who I was!" Crin cried out. Tomite looked taken a back….everyone else just looked uncomfortable…except Takiko; she still didn't look at Crin.
"Crin…" Tomite reached out towards her, but Crin shook her head ferociously.
"NO, just….never mind! Don't say anything! Just….just leave me be!" Crin turned and ran from the room and into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
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Two days past. Crin didn't come out of her room. Tomite stayed by her door, pleading with her to let him in so they could talk. She wouldn't even answer him. He left her food and even walked away from it, but she wouldn't eat it. The usually enthusiastic atmosphere was gone. Every one was quiet, in a sullen mood.
Tomite sat against Crin's door, half asleep, muttering, "please….please…please….Hm…..pizza…" over and over again.
"Tomite," Takiko called from the kitchen table. Tomite rolled his head to look at her with an exhausted expression. "Why don't you go rest?" Takiko asked.
"No, I got to…I got to…" Tomite mumbled, shaking his head lazily. Takiko sighed, looking into the living room where Limdo sat with the others, watching for her signal. They'd already spoke on the matter. She nodded to him as she spoke.
"Tomite, why don't you go with Limdo and the others to the mall?" Takiko watched as Limdo made his way to Tomite, Sarin trailing behind.
"Why would I go to the stupid mall? I need to stay here till…. Tomite mumbled, though it was hard to make out the jumbled words.
Limdo and Sarin stopped by him. "Tomite, I really think you should come with us; take a break for a while." Limdo suggested in a kind voice. Of course Takiko could tell it was about to become a threat if Tomite didn't comply.
Tomite seemed to realize the meaning behind the words. He hesitated, looking back at Crin's door. "I don't know…" he muttered. Limdo sighed irritably before grabbing hold of Tomite's arm and hoisting him up to his feet. "HEY, LET ME GO!" Tomite yelled.
"I think taking a break is a wonderful idea Tomite." Sarin smiled as he took hold of Tomite's other arm. "We'll find something very interesting to do at the mall. Maybe you could find something you'd like there." Sarin winked at Takiko and Takiko giggled in response as she got up.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE MALL! HELP ME!!!!!" Tomite cried. Takiko walked to him, pressing her hand over his mouth, muffling his cry for help.
"If you don't shut up, the neighbors are going to think we're torturing you!" Takiko growled before her voice softened. "Tomite, Crin's issue is also with me; let me try to persuade her to leave the room. You'll only be gone for a couple hours." Tomite hesitated, but nodded.
"And if she doesn't come out?" Tomite asked. Takiko sighed and shook her head, indicating that she didn't know what she would do. Tomite nodded and started to move forward towards the door.
Takiko turned to Namame, Hikitsu, Kay and Takara. "Why don't you guys go with them? I know Kay wanted to get a new camera for the wedding, and Takara and Hikitsu…you could probably find something good in the food court and have a little date." Takiko looked at Limdo. "Can you please take care of Namame; make sure he stays out of trouble?" She asked, though she knew the answer.
Limdo smiled and leaned down to kiss her gently. "Of course I will." He answered, and then kissed her again. "Takiko, stay the way you are; regardless of what Crin thinks, I like the way you are just fine." He grinned and kissed her forehead. Takiko smiled, taking his hand and squeezing it.
"I promise I will." She reassured him. Limdo grinned and squeezed back before he detached her hands with his and left with the others, closing the door behind him quietly.
Takiko sighed and leaned against the couch, her eyes scanning the now empty room. How was she supposed to accomplish this? She ran her fingers through her hair and looked at Crin's door. She wasn't sure what she would say. What she COULD say. But she had to try. Part of this was her fault. And it was now or never.
Takiko leaned away and started toward Crin's door. She tried to be as silent as possible, not that it mattered if Crin heard her or not. Crin probably knew that she would try to get her out anyways. She had stalked her for most of her journey through the book after all.
She reached Crin's door, slowly raising her hand to knock. The knock seemed a little loud, even though it was hardly more than a little tap. "Hey Crin," Takiko whispered. No answer. Takiko sighed. "I'm not going to pretend that I know what its like, because I don't." Still no answer.
"You know…I find it a little ironic. We were both in pretty much the same position, and yet our paths took completely different directions." Takiko waited, collecting her thoughts. "But I don't blame you for taking the path you chose. I DO know what its like to think you've lost everything. Not for the amount of time you suffered through it of course. But….it was still enough."
Takiko didn't bother to wait this time. The words flowed easily, pouring from her soul. "Every moment your alone feels like eternity, like everything's crushing you, like you can't breathe. You try to find the surface, but no matter what you do, you can't find it. You wonder if you can ever love again, if you can ever trust another soul again. I can't even express all of the feelings you feel, for there are no words to describe the pain.
"But I do know what its like to find the surface again. It's as indescribable as the pain is…but in a wonderful way. I know you love Tomite, because I've seen it in your eyes. I'm pretty sure he loves you too. I think…if you haven't found the surface again…I'm positive that one day you will find it.
"I'm not asking you to share your feelings with me. I just…I don't know. I want to say that I can help you, but I'm not sure if I can. I'm…not sure what to say. Finding the surface again isn't going to happen with my help. The person that will help you find the surface again…is waiting for you to be willing to be saved.
"So…I guess, come out when your ready. We really are worried about you." Takiko searched her mind for more, but could find nothing. She sighed and left Crin's door, not knowing weather anything she'd said helped.
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Crin still hadn't come out. It had been an hour at least since Takiko had talked through her door. So Takiko decided to make cookies. Of course it wasn't a rational decision, but it was the best Takiko could come up with at the moment. If Crin did come out, she could at least have some cookies.
The cookies were now in the oven, and Takiko headed over to her piano. Tomorrow morning was auditions for the musical. They had originally decided upon Phantom of the Opera, but they changed it last minute. They changed it to West Side Story, and though Takiko didn't quite know the music, it looked easy enough to play on the piano.
So Takiko got out the music and started to play it, listening to the accompanant and how it related to the words. The music flowed easily, and Takiko started to hum along.
"What song is that? I've never head it before." Crin's voice startled Takiko so badly that she stopped playing and struck a nasty cord. "Was that part of the song?" Crin teased, leaning against the wall across the room.
Takiko smiled sheepishly. "No, it wasn't. You startled me, that's all. This song is called 'I feel pretty' and it's the audition piece for Maria." Takiko answered, flipping the music back to the beginning.
"Oh, is Limdo trying out too?" Takiko paused and sighed.
"Yes, he is."
"You aren't happy about that." It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact. Takiko looked at Crin's blank expression.
"No, that isn't it. Its just…sometimes I feel like he's doing this stuff for me, not because he likes it. It's kind of hard to picture him dancing and singing. I think he's just doing it because he doesn't want some other guy kissing me. He's so over protective." Takiko laughed. "You're trying out too, aren't you?" Takiko suddenly asked. "If you want, I could play you're piece for you."
Crin stared at Takiko for a long moment before answering. "That would be nice. But…how long have you been here, Takiko?" Takiko gave Crin a blank look. The sudden question was surprising.
"Well, I'm not actually from this time period, I'm sure you know that by now though. I actually escaped from the Tokyo bombing shortly after Pearl Harbor…shortly after I returned from the world of the book. Long story short, Genbu transported me here. I've lived in this time period for two, almost three years now. Why do you ask?"
Crin shrugged. "I was wondering how you learned both guitar and piano in such a short period." Takiko smiled.
"When I came here, I was close to death washed up on the beach of LA. I was found by a group of teenagers…Ellie was one of them. They brought me to the hospital, where I recovered, though the doctors didn't think I would survive. When I recovered, a girl named Jessica brought me to live with her. She lived alone, but she was a talented musician. She played piano, violin, guitar, flute….its ridiculous how many instruments she could play. I was depressed, and I didn't know what to do with my life.
"So she taught me to play the guitar and piano. I found that when I played music, I could let my feelings go without being afraid of criticism. She was my first friend here." Takiko broke off, playing a different song quietly.
"What….happened to her?" Crin asked hesitatingly.
"Her boyfriend was abusive. She tried to break it off, but…he wouldn't let her. I didn't realize it was that bad. She sent me to Ellie's house to spend the night. The next morning…we got a call…her boyfriend had murdered her."
The silence in the room was deafening. "I didn't know what to do. She must have known what was coming to her, because she left a note, giving me her apartment and everything in it. So the piano back home is hers. So is the guitar that I have in my bedroom." Takiko frowned. "Funny how life can suddenly change on you. One moment you're happy with your best friend, the next moment she's gone." Takiko laughed bitterly. "And one moment you're a normal teenager, the next you're suddenly a big star, with everyone following you, asking for autographs…" Takiko looked at Crin. "But you know what that's like."
Crin nodded. "I say we beat life down with a bat." Crin commented. Takiko burst out laughing.
"Yes, I think I might take you up on that one." Takiko sighed, playing the high point of the song.
"Why aren't you mad at me?" Crin asked. Takiko smiled sadly.
"You know, if you spent all that time stalking me, you should know by now that I don't hate people just because they don't like me. It sounds so…immature."
"I wouldn't call it stalking…" Crin mumbled, but stopped when Takiko gave her a skeptical look. "Well…maybe it was…just possibly..."
"Regardless, I'm not upset. You know that Limdo didn't like…okay, he hated the path I was choosing, but he was okay with me as a person at first. I was able to handle that. Hagus…well, he definitely had issues, and he still does…but I can handle him. All I have to do is find out why he's with the enemy…"
"Again." Crin added. Takiko decided to ignore Crin's smart aleck remarks and continue on.
"Anyway, the point is, there isn't anything I can do to change your feelings. There's really nothing I can say. I can't change what's happened and who I am. You can't change your's either." Takiko searched Crin's blank expression for a moment, not breaking the song she played. "But I don't believe you hate me the way you say you do."
Rage flickered to Crin's face. "How would YOU know? YOU don't know my feelings! How dare you…"
Takiko stopped playing and shoved her sleeve up her shirt to show the scar. "Because you wouldn't have given me your blood if you had. You would have let me die. You would have found the loop hole in Genbu's offer and taken it. All you had to do was tell me what to do, and you could be free. Yet here you are."
Crin flushed, stuttering for a moment before coming up with an answer. "Maybe I liked it here a little! Besides, how do I know that I won't be sent back after my mission is done?"
Takiko smiled triumphantly. "Because there's no point for you to go back. Genbu promised you could stay if you did what he said, and you did. Somehow I highly doubt Genbu would do that. Maybe Seiryu, but that's because he's a butt. But that still doesn't answer my question about why you gave me your blood."
Crin paused, racking her mind for an answer. Takiko waited patiently. "Well…about that…? Maybe I don't hate you as much now; maybe I'm just being bitter. I really don't know." Takiko smiled, though it wasn't a bragging smile.
"Well that's nice to know I suppose. You don't have to figure anything out now. Take as much time as you want." A ding from the kitchen made Takiko perk up. "Oh, the cookies are done! They're chocolate chip; I know those are your favorite!" Takiko jumped away from the piano bench and raced into the kitchen with an enthusiastic smile on her face.
"Are you turning into me?" Crin asked as she followed Takiko into the kitchen and watched as Takiko pulled on oven mitts and opened the oven.
"Oh no," Takiko moaned as she pulled out a batch of deformed cookies and set them on the counter. "I failed miserably!" Takiko cried. "And I worked so hard on them…"
Crin inched closer to the cookies. "Um…yea….did you follow the recipe?"
"Yes…" Takiko moaned. "I never learned to cook…OH CRAP!" Takiko suddenly cried out.
"What's wrong?" Crin asked, alarmed, thinking maybe Takiko had gone insane.
Takiko grabbed her shoulders, her eyes wide with panic. "I don't know how to cook. How am I supposed to feed a family? How do I feed my husband without making him gag?!" Crin stared at her for a moment before she burst out laughing.
"Is that all Takiko? It isn't hard….why don't I teach you? Well, how to make sweets at least. Tomite can teach you how to cook dinners and stuff." Takiko looked at her with tears in her eyes.
"Would you really do that for me?" Takiko asked. Crin laughed again.
"Yes, just don't tell anyone, okay?" Takiko nodded and ran into her bedroom real quick before running back into the living room. "What are you doing Takiko?" Crin asked.
"Putting music on!" Takiko laughed as she put her Ipod into the docking station. Crin cringed; sure that Takiko was going to listen to the songs that she'd made…
Imagine her surprise when the song that played was in fact a Matchbox twenty song.
"Hello, Hello, Hello," Takiko mumbled happily as she skipped back into the room. "Okay, ready!" Takiko smiled brightly.
Takiko sang along with the lyrics as Crin taught. Sometimes Crin would join, their voices mixing in harmony.
Waking up at the start of the end of the world, I believe the world is burning to the ground I think it turned ten o'clock but I don't really know I believe the world is burning to the ground Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end It's gone, gone, baby, it's all gone I believe the world is burning to the ground
But it's feeling just like every other morning before,
Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone,
The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour
And I started staring at the passengers who're waving goodbye
Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?
Oh well I guess we're gonna find out
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Well I believe it all is coming to an end
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
And I can't remember caring for an hour or so
Started crying and I couldn't stop myself
I started running but there's no where to run to
I sat down on the street took a look at myself
Said where you going man you know the world is headed for hell
Say your goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to
Oh well I guess we're gonna find out
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
There is no one on the corner and there's no one at home
It was cool cool, it was just all cool
Now it's over for me and it's over for you
Well it's gone, gone, baby, it's all gone
There is no one on the corner and there's no one at home
Well it was cool cool, it was just all cool
Now it's over for me and it's over for you
Oh well I guess we're gonna find out
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
They stuck the cookies in the oven, turning the timer to the appropriate time before they ran into the living room, singing out to the music and playing around, bobbing their heads and laughing…well, surprisingly Takiko was laughing really hard…in fact she was feeling a burst of adrenaline, one she hadn't felt since she was a child.
"YOU GOT ME TRIPPIN, STUMBLIN, FLIPPIN, FUNMBLING!!!" Takiko sang as she jumped up on the couch, singing her heart out. Crin joined her immediately, singing along.
"CLUMSLY CAUSE I'M FALLING IN LOVE!!!" They started to jump up and down on the couch, both of them singing together. "YOU GOT ME SLIPPING, TUMBLING, SINKING, FUMBLING, CLUMSY CAUSE I'M FALLING IN LOVE! SOOOO IN LOVE WITH YOU!" They fell back onto the couch, laughing their hearts out.
The oven dinged and Crin managed to control her laughing. "Obviously you can't control yourself right now, so I'll go get the cookies." She giggled as she jumped up and skipped into the kitchen, feeling energy within her once more. And she hadn't eaten the cookies yet…imagine what would happen AFTER the cookies…
The front door burst open suddenly, and Tomite stood there, looking in curiously, seeing if Crin had come out. Crin dropped the pan of cookies onto the counter. All of her energy was gone now. She was frozen in place, staring at him wide eyed; waiting to see what he did next.
The clatter of the pan against the counter had caught Tomite's attention immediately. As soon as he saw her, exhaled as though he'd been holding his breath and ran to her, picking her up and singing her around. "You're out," he whispered as he pulled her lips to his.
Crin was surprised by the intensity of the kiss. His lips moved eagerly against her motionless ones, as though he wanted her, as though he loved her. She knew her heart wanted her to kiss him back, but her mind was still confused. Didn't he not want her anymore?
Crin pulled away, but Tomite's lips immediately went to her neck, exploring her neck up to just below her ear. "Tomite, wait, I don't…understand…" Crin managed to say, trying to keep her mind from loosing its train of thought. It was harder than she could have imagined.
Tomite's lips went back to just below her ear to whisper, "What's there not to understand?" His breath tickled her, and she shivered involuntarily. Tomite responded by hugging her closer.
"Don't you not want me? I mean, I never told you any of that…there were two other men before you…" Tomite stopped kissing her and looked up at her with an angry expression. Crin flinched, wondering if maybe her reminder made him realize that he in fact didn't want her…she prepared herself for the worst.
"Crin, stop being so silly. I TOLD you nothing you could do and nothing you did could EVER make me not want you. I love you more than anything, and I'm not letting you go. Not now, not ever, and that's final." Crin's eyes widened and she could tell that her eyes were changing to a violet color, and Tomite noticed, he inched his face closer, but waited for Crin's response. Crin's response was immediate. She pressed her lips eagerly to his. Tomite responded by moving his eager lips against hers. Crin felt so…light, so free…maybe it was that the truth was finally out, that she didn't have to hide it anymore. Maybe it was the relief that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.
Whatever it was, it made her feel like it was easier to show him her feelings, to give him her love. She was free from guilt, the guilt that she was betraying her past love. Her love was here with her, right now, alive and breathing. She would always love Tian, but she had moved on now. She loved the man that held her in his arms now, kissing her with such eagerness that she lost her train of thought.
As they pulled away, Tomite asked, "By the way, what did you do to Takiko while we were away?" Crin looked over to the couch, were Takiko was still laughing. Only now Limdo was fretting over her.
"CRIN WHAT DID YOU DO TO TAKIKO?! OH NO, PLEASE DON'T DIE TAKIKO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Limdo cried, holding Takiko's face in his hand. "Takiko, calm down please!" He tried again in a softer voice. This only made Takiko laugh harder.
Takara, who stood behind Limdo, shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Limdo, you're only making it worse. Let her laugh it out, she'll be fine once she calms down."
Crin blinked a couple times. "I didn't do anything…well, not really I mean. I just taught her how to make cookies…teehee!"
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The next morning;
Crin jumped down from the stage and skipped back to where Takiko, Limdo, and Tomite waited. "How did I do?" She asked.
"You did great! You'd be the perfect Anita!" Takiko smiled. Crin grinned back and threw her arms around Tomite. Tomite patted her hand in response, not really paying attention. The director called out another name.
"TOMITE!" She called. Crin jumped away from Tomite, giving him the same bewildered expression that the others were giving him. They hadn't expected HIM to try out….
Tomite said nothing, only jumped onto the stage easily and trotted to the middle. "Hello, I'm Tomite, and I'll be trying out for Riff." He grinned politely as the music started to play. Takiko and Limdo exchanged wary looks. They'd never heard Tomite sing, nor had they thought he ever would.
When you're a Jet,
You're a Jet all the way
From your first cigarette
To your last dyin' day.
When you're a Jet,
If the spit hits the fan,
You got brothers around,
You're a family man!
You're never alone,
You're never disconnected!
You're home with your own:
When company's expected,
You're well protected!
Then you are set
With a capital J,
Which you'll never forget
Till they cart you away.
When you're a Jet,
You stay a Jet!
All three of them had their mouths dropped open in shock. Tomite broke character and smiled at the judges. "Thank you," the judges said, and Tomite hopped down from the stage and trotted back over to the group.
"What?" he asked, clearly oblivious. Takiko shook her head to clear the confusion.
"It's just that we never thought you'd try out for a play, much less a musical," Crin hesitatingly admitted. She thought for a moment and then frowned, glaring at Tomite. "AND you tried out for a character that ISN'T together with MY character! So now I might get kissed by some guy I don't know!"
Tomite paled. "Oh…OH, I thought that Riff was your characters significant other!" Crin sighed and shook her head.
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you got the part; it was really good." Crin mumbled as they headed towards their first class of the day; science.
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Takiko leaned back in her chair, watching the teacher cross the room till she stood in the middle of the room. She gave the class a serious look, lingering for a moment on Takiko and Limdo. After Limdo made it clear that he was engaged to Takiko, the news had spread all over school and everyone often gave them funny looks.
The teacher took a deep breath. "Class, this is a subject that…you've been taught over and over again since the fourth grade."
The rest of the class – except Takiko, Limdo, Tomite and Crin—groaned. "I want you to all be as mature; you're all seniors, so I expect you to be on your best behavior." She took a deep breath. "Today's topic is how babies are made."
Three of the four of them froze…namely Takiko and Limdo. They were going to get married in a month. Crin wasn't fazed at all of course. She'd lived so many years; the subject had already popped up enough that she was used to it.
"We're going to watch a movie, and afterwards you are all going to get a fake baby to take care of for a week."
Limdo and Takiko glanced at each other, each of their expressions filled with terror.
This was going to be a LONG period.
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Okay, I was totally going to go on, but it got up to fifteen pages, and I have a bunch of other things to write as well. Its ridiculous how manythings I'm writting. So now its going to be just me, Alice, writting for a VERY, VERY long time. Some of you didn't read Crin's past. I advise you do. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE!!!!!!! But hey, if you want to be confused, don't blame me.
You have no idea how mad I was not to get hardly any reviews. If I do NOT get at least five reviews, I won't update for a LONG while. I love writting this, and I love you guys, but seriously, if I don't get feed back...well, its hard for me to find the encouragment to keep going.
With love
Alice