Ch 1.
"Are you sure, Sora?" Tai said, leaning over the desk to look at the computer screen.
"Yeah. Mrs. Leola called, said she heard something break, Mr. and Mrs. Yuri heard yelling, Mr. Fujiama *they will never be rid of this man* seconded that, and we have numerous other calls from neighbors."
"But, why would anything like that be happening at Kari's house?" Sora looked up at him.
"That's what you're going to find out."
"Alright." He said, backing towards his office. "You and Ginho, get ready. I'm gone in three min, wether your with me or not." With that last remark he ran into his office, closed the laptop, grabbed his coat and loaded his gun, by then, Sora and Saribeth were waiting. They all went out to the hover car. What the GTOPD lacked in technology, Tai had to admit, they made up for in transportation.
~*~
Kari Takishi was listening to the radio, while rocking her daughter, Kim *Kim woke up during TK and Kari's **little** fight*. The radio was playing old lullabies, one of which being, "That Man Of Mine" from the musical, Showboat(1). Kari sang along with the music, trying to calm her daughter down.
"Fish gotta swim, and birds gotta fly. I gotta love one man till I die. Can't help, lovin' that man of mine. Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow. Tell me I'm crazy, maybe I know. Can't help, lovin' that man of mine." As Kim fell asleep she slowly placed her into her crib. She finished out the last verse slowly, not bothering to keep time with the radio. "He.....can come home, as late as can be. Cause home....without him, aint no home to....me. Can't help," She stopped, and kissed Kim's forehead. "Lovin' that man of mine." She was cut off by a pounding on the door, and hurried down, passing TK on the way.
She heard Tai shout, "Kari, open up!" and glanced to the stairs, at a worried and disheveled TK. Shaking her head in a, "I won't tell" motion, she pulled open the door.
From Tai's point of view, she was a sight, and his brotherly instincts kicked in right away. Kari had always been pale, but tonight, she seemed even more so. She didn't even bother to cover up the purplish bruising spot on her cheek, which would have been futile, as it was the first thing he saw. She also looked like she'd been crying. He saw the surprised look in her eyes as she asked, "Tai? What brings you out here?"
"Are you ok?" He asked, dismissing her question. He stepped inside and looked at her. He tenderly ran his hand over her bruising cheek, questioning her with his eyes. Several emotions ran through hers before she answered. Apprehension, fear, resolution, and then calm.
"I'm fine Tai. You see, Kim left one of her toys out in the hall and I tripped over it. What brought you out here?" Tai looked from her, to TK, and back.
"Your neighbors heard yelling, and something break."
"Oh, that was me." TK said hurrying down the steps and over to Kari. "See, when she tripped, I knocked over my mug and it broke. And That yelling they herd was me trying to figure out what had happened." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry if that disturbed anyone."
Tai, feeling something was amiss, continued to ask questions until Kari finally said, "It's late and I'm tired. Can you finish questioning us tomorrow Tai?" But knowing his sister well, Tai heard, "Can you please leave? Nothing happened, and you're wasting your time, plus, I'm tired.", except he knew she would never say that out loud.
"Sure. Sorry to have disturbed you two. I'll come by tomorrow, to see Kim." With that he turned quickly and left, with a very confused Sora Ichida and Saribeth Ginho following him.
Kari shut the door, and waited, her back to TK. He would say something, she was sure of it. But when minutes passed and he was silent, she spoke up.
"I'm not covering up for you again." she whispered as she turned around. Then, as she walked up the stairs. "I'll not lie to the people I care for again. So next time you hit me, you'd better make it for keeps, because I won't hesitate to leave you, and I'll take Kim with me."
~*~
"Tai, Wait!" Sora ran through the police station after him, finally into his office. She closed the door softly behind her, looking at her best friends face. She knew him well enough to read it, frustration, and confusion. And she knew why too. "Tai, what's wrong?"
"Sora, I really don't..."
"Tai, this is your sister. And she's almost like the little sister I never had. Now if something is on your mind about Kari, then spill it." He looked up at her, glad that she was so stubborn, and misery loves company.
"Well...I just don't think she was telling the truth....there was a weird sort of tension between her and TK. And when he said, "That was me.", I'm not sure if you saw the alarm on her face of not..." Sora, by this time, was sitting on his desk, looking at him...she folded her hands over her lap as she answered.
"Just barely. It was the quickest I've ever seen a person change their emotions." You've never seen yourself, he thought wryly.
"Hmm....well, I saw it too, and I know that Kari is only alarmed when she has good reason to be." He felt dread, and cold fear rising in his stomach. "You don't think...TK...?"
"No. You know TK. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Well...maybe a Flymon(2)...but..." She smiled, and he was trying his hardest not to laugh. When he finally did, she was all the happier, and with mischief shining in his eyes, he grinned and said, "Your sexy when you laugh, Sargent Ichida." She LOOKED at him, and then caught on, giving him a moment before, with the same twinkle in her eye.
"You really think so, Chief Kamiya?"
"How's this for an answer?" He pulled her down from his desk to kiss her, and succeeded Their lips met, and they shared a long, passionate kiss. It was wrong, they both knew, because Sora was married to his best friend. But they both also knew...she should've married him.
(1.) Showboat is a wonderful musical. I just felt the need to promote it. For info on show times please contact the John D. Talbot amphitheater in Bardstown, KY. The only thing wrong with the show is the fact that I didn't get cast as Kim.
(2.) If you don't get the joke, you shouldn't be reading this.
"Are you sure, Sora?" Tai said, leaning over the desk to look at the computer screen.
"Yeah. Mrs. Leola called, said she heard something break, Mr. and Mrs. Yuri heard yelling, Mr. Fujiama *they will never be rid of this man* seconded that, and we have numerous other calls from neighbors."
"But, why would anything like that be happening at Kari's house?" Sora looked up at him.
"That's what you're going to find out."
"Alright." He said, backing towards his office. "You and Ginho, get ready. I'm gone in three min, wether your with me or not." With that last remark he ran into his office, closed the laptop, grabbed his coat and loaded his gun, by then, Sora and Saribeth were waiting. They all went out to the hover car. What the GTOPD lacked in technology, Tai had to admit, they made up for in transportation.
~*~
Kari Takishi was listening to the radio, while rocking her daughter, Kim *Kim woke up during TK and Kari's **little** fight*. The radio was playing old lullabies, one of which being, "That Man Of Mine" from the musical, Showboat(1). Kari sang along with the music, trying to calm her daughter down.
"Fish gotta swim, and birds gotta fly. I gotta love one man till I die. Can't help, lovin' that man of mine. Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow. Tell me I'm crazy, maybe I know. Can't help, lovin' that man of mine." As Kim fell asleep she slowly placed her into her crib. She finished out the last verse slowly, not bothering to keep time with the radio. "He.....can come home, as late as can be. Cause home....without him, aint no home to....me. Can't help," She stopped, and kissed Kim's forehead. "Lovin' that man of mine." She was cut off by a pounding on the door, and hurried down, passing TK on the way.
She heard Tai shout, "Kari, open up!" and glanced to the stairs, at a worried and disheveled TK. Shaking her head in a, "I won't tell" motion, she pulled open the door.
From Tai's point of view, she was a sight, and his brotherly instincts kicked in right away. Kari had always been pale, but tonight, she seemed even more so. She didn't even bother to cover up the purplish bruising spot on her cheek, which would have been futile, as it was the first thing he saw. She also looked like she'd been crying. He saw the surprised look in her eyes as she asked, "Tai? What brings you out here?"
"Are you ok?" He asked, dismissing her question. He stepped inside and looked at her. He tenderly ran his hand over her bruising cheek, questioning her with his eyes. Several emotions ran through hers before she answered. Apprehension, fear, resolution, and then calm.
"I'm fine Tai. You see, Kim left one of her toys out in the hall and I tripped over it. What brought you out here?" Tai looked from her, to TK, and back.
"Your neighbors heard yelling, and something break."
"Oh, that was me." TK said hurrying down the steps and over to Kari. "See, when she tripped, I knocked over my mug and it broke. And That yelling they herd was me trying to figure out what had happened." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry if that disturbed anyone."
Tai, feeling something was amiss, continued to ask questions until Kari finally said, "It's late and I'm tired. Can you finish questioning us tomorrow Tai?" But knowing his sister well, Tai heard, "Can you please leave? Nothing happened, and you're wasting your time, plus, I'm tired.", except he knew she would never say that out loud.
"Sure. Sorry to have disturbed you two. I'll come by tomorrow, to see Kim." With that he turned quickly and left, with a very confused Sora Ichida and Saribeth Ginho following him.
Kari shut the door, and waited, her back to TK. He would say something, she was sure of it. But when minutes passed and he was silent, she spoke up.
"I'm not covering up for you again." she whispered as she turned around. Then, as she walked up the stairs. "I'll not lie to the people I care for again. So next time you hit me, you'd better make it for keeps, because I won't hesitate to leave you, and I'll take Kim with me."
~*~
"Tai, Wait!" Sora ran through the police station after him, finally into his office. She closed the door softly behind her, looking at her best friends face. She knew him well enough to read it, frustration, and confusion. And she knew why too. "Tai, what's wrong?"
"Sora, I really don't..."
"Tai, this is your sister. And she's almost like the little sister I never had. Now if something is on your mind about Kari, then spill it." He looked up at her, glad that she was so stubborn, and misery loves company.
"Well...I just don't think she was telling the truth....there was a weird sort of tension between her and TK. And when he said, "That was me.", I'm not sure if you saw the alarm on her face of not..." Sora, by this time, was sitting on his desk, looking at him...she folded her hands over her lap as she answered.
"Just barely. It was the quickest I've ever seen a person change their emotions." You've never seen yourself, he thought wryly.
"Hmm....well, I saw it too, and I know that Kari is only alarmed when she has good reason to be." He felt dread, and cold fear rising in his stomach. "You don't think...TK...?"
"No. You know TK. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Well...maybe a Flymon(2)...but..." She smiled, and he was trying his hardest not to laugh. When he finally did, she was all the happier, and with mischief shining in his eyes, he grinned and said, "Your sexy when you laugh, Sargent Ichida." She LOOKED at him, and then caught on, giving him a moment before, with the same twinkle in her eye.
"You really think so, Chief Kamiya?"
"How's this for an answer?" He pulled her down from his desk to kiss her, and succeeded Their lips met, and they shared a long, passionate kiss. It was wrong, they both knew, because Sora was married to his best friend. But they both also knew...she should've married him.
(1.) Showboat is a wonderful musical. I just felt the need to promote it. For info on show times please contact the John D. Talbot amphitheater in Bardstown, KY. The only thing wrong with the show is the fact that I didn't get cast as Kim.
(2.) If you don't get the joke, you shouldn't be reading this.