Chapter 14:

Chun Li was inconsolable. She locked herself in her room and didn't come out for 3 days. Between crying and sleeping, she was a mess. Ken tried his best to get her to eat but she refused anything he tried giving her. Chun Li couldn't fathom her father being gone. He was the only close family she had left, she felt lost.

Ken repeatedly tried to get ahold of Ryu. He knew Ryu flew to Japan but didn't know where he was going next. All Ryu had to do was turn on the phone that Ken gave him for emergencies, and he would be able to check the messages on it. Come on, Ryu, turn on the damn phone, Ken thought. Down at the Hong Kong police station, the officers were preparing a funeral service for Dorai, close friends of his made all the necessary preparations, and Ken helped too. He tried to get Chun Li to participate in the preparation, but she was still too sad, she wanted nothing to do with it.

In Japan, Ryu went into a ramen house. He had been walking around all day and was ready for dinner. As he sat down, he put his travel bag to the side of him and pulled out the phone Ken had given him. I wonder how the tournament went. I think I'll give Ken a call and see how things went…and see how Chun Li is doing. Ryu turned on the phone, he saw he had 10 new messages. He began listening to message one. He gasped and dropped the phone.

In Hong Kong, Ken waited for his father at the airport. Mr. Masters, once he heard the news about Dorai's death, quickly flew to Hong Kong for the funeral.

Seeing his father's jet, Ken waited for him to disembark.

"Dad, thanks for coming," Ken said hugging his dad.

"How is Chun Li doing? She must be very distressed," his father replied.

"She's in bad shape. I've never seen her like this before. First Ryu leaves and then her father,"

"Ryu? Did I miss something?"

As Ken and his father got into a limo, Ken explained everything that happened between Ryu and Chun Li on the way to the hotel.

At Chun Li's house…

Chun Li finally came out of her room. The house felt so empty. Even though she was used to her father being gone for work, something felt different now, deep down inside her she felt this empty pit. She walked into her father's room, she looked at the bed neatly done and a pair of clothes laid out on his dresser. He'll never be in this room again, never wear these clothes, use these shoes, or put on his favorite t-shirt. He's gone. Chun Li began to cry again, and she hugged her father's clothes. She heard someone come in through the front door.

"Chun Li?" Ken said looking for her. She emerged from her father's room. "Oh, Chun Li, I'm so sorry"

"What will I do Ken? I have no one. I'm on my own. He was all I had, and now he's gone."

"You have me. I will always be here for you. I'll move here and take care of you. You won't have to worry about anything, or you can come back with me to San Francisco" Ken hugged her.

Breaking through her tears, "You'd…do that?"

"In a heartbeat, Ryu isn't the only one who loves you" Ken replied.

"It's so sudden. I...I just can't deal with anything else right now, please understand,"

"You take all the time you need but think about it. It's not something to make a quick decision about."

With all the chaos in Chun Li's life, the last thing she wanted was to be alone. She had a lot to think about.

Three days later…

It was funeral day. Chun Li had to muster all her strength to get out of bed and get ready. Ken had been very helpful to her. He made sure she ate and picked out an outfit for the procession the police department set up for Dorai.

"Are you ready, Chun Li?" Ken asked.

"As I'll ever be" she replied.

"Come you two, I have the limo waiting for us outside," Mr. Masters held out his hand for Chun Li to lead her outside.

The police department prepared and special and honorable service for Dorai. Many gave speeches and shared their best memories of him. Fei Long also gave a speech, he wept. Chun Li embraced him and they cried together.

"Sifu meant so much to me, he was like my own father," Fei Long said into the microphone.

After the service, everyone gathered in a hall to eat and pay their last respects.

Chun Li, Fei Long, and Ken were standing together talking.

"Chun Li, I don't want you to worry about a thing. It would be my honor to take care of the house and dojo to pay my respects to sifu, "Fei Long said.

"That would be nice, but I am undecided on what I am going to do from here. Ken has offered to move here or I can move to San Francisco," Chun Li replied

"Chun Li! You can't leave. Everything is here, your life is here. What about your house? You father's dojo?"

"I don't know yet,"

Ken saw Chun Li was about to cry again, "Back off, Fei Long, she has enough on her plate right now," Ken scolded him.

"Ken, can we please leave?" Chun Li asked.

"Yes, I'll get my coat and tell my dad we're leaving back to your house," Ken replied and walked away.

"Chun Li, please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything," Fei Long pleaded with her

"Let's just talk later, ok? I just want to go home. Stop by tomorrow and we'll talk." She said. Fei Long gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

Ken and Chun Li left the hall. They headed back to her house. Once there, Chun Li walked out to her favorite spot in the garden. Ken brought her some tea and sat with her.

"I made it just the way you liked," he said.

"Thank you. You've been so helpful, Ken, I couldn't have done any of this without you."

Ken put his arm around Chun Li and they sat in the garden together looking at the koi swim around in the pond.

At the Tokyo airport, Ryu boarded his plane. He made the quickest reservation that was available. Looks like a four hour flight but Chun Li, here I come.

Back at Chun Li's house…

Ken ordered in Chun Li's favorite food. He made sure she had nothing to worry about that night. He didn't want her to be alone.

"How can I ever repay you, Ken? You've been nothing but helpful and completely wonderful this past week," Chun Li said and reached for Ken's hand holding it firmly.

"All I want from you is a smile and to know you're going to be ok,"

"I still feel so lost. I don't know what I'm going to do or how to live without my dad. It hurts so much,"

"You'll figure it out, give yourself time," ken replied.

"How could I do this without you?" Chun Li said. She felt very vulnerable and she leaned in towards Ken and kissed him. Ken put his hands on Chun Li's face and returned the kiss. Chun Li pulled away, "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. Have I not expressed I want to take care of you? I'm here for you in any way you want me." Ken leaned in and kissed her again.

Chun Li got up and lead Ken to her bedroom, he followed. They began undressing. Kissing each other, they fell to the bed. Things intensified but Ken stopped himself.

"Wait," he said.

"What's the matter?" Chun Li asked.

"I don't want you to do this because you think you owe it to me,"

"No, of course not. You have been wonderful and I want to do this,"

"But still, I don't want to take advantage of your vulnerability."

Chun Li sat up, "Will you just lay here with me then, please?"

"Of course."

Chun Li fell asleep in Ken's arms. Once he knew she wasn't going to wake up if he moved, he got out of the bed and walked into the living room. Ken heard his phone vibrate. Who could be calling at this time of night? He answered the phone.

"Ryu? Where the hell are you? I've been trying to get ahold of you for a week!" Ken yelled into the phone.

"Tell me it's not true, Ken. Is Dorai really….?" Ryu asked.

Ken told Ryu all the details from the tournament up to the funeral. Ryu was in disbelief what had occurred in the short time that he had left.

"I got on a plane as soon as I could. I'm back in Hong Kong. I'll grab a taxi and head over there as soon as I can," Ryu told Ken.

In the bedroom, Chun Li dreamed of her father. She was walking outside in the garden and as she looked down into the pond, she saw her father's reflection behind her. She turned around quickly to see him.

"Daddy, you've come back!" Chun Li ran into her dad's arms.

"How could I leave my princess behind?" Dorai said.

"Oh daddy, they all said you were dead, but I didn't want to believe it,"

"I have to leave soon but I want you to hear something. Don't ever give up. Never give up your goals and your dreams. Keep that fighting spirit in you, you're even tougher than me."

"But how? How can I live without you?"

"You haven't needed me for a long time. You'll be fine, princess. I love you and I'm so proud of you,"

Dorai let go of Chun Li and began to walk away.

"Wait dad, wait! Don't leave me! Don't leave me!"

Chun Li felt a light shaking of her body. She repeated, "don't leave me. Come back!"

"Chun Li, wake up! You're dreaming," a voice said.

Chun Li opened her eyes and saw Ryu staring back at her.

"Ryu? I must still be dreaming," she sluggishly said.

"I'm here, Chun Li. I've come back," Ryu told her.

Realizing she wasn't dreaming, she sat up, "Ryu, it is you!" She hugged him and began to cry,

"I'm so sorry I left. I never should have left you,"

"How are you here? You had left for Japan,"

"Ken left be a dozen voicemails telling me to come back. I jumped on the first plane I could, so here I am,"

"He's gone, Ryu. It was Bison."

"I know. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you,"

"But you're here now," Chun Li hugged and kissed Ryu. She was overflowing with joy he came back.

To be continued…