Disclaimer: I don't own Iria (though I wouldn't mind it….) and I'm not making any money off this. (If I was, do you think you'd see this disclaimer?) The only thing I own here is this story and Shiv. She's mine, do you hear me? Mine! *laughs nervously* Okay…on with the show…..
Rating: PG-13 - language
A Knife in the Coat
Part 2: Old Wounds
Iria was frozen in the same position on the couch she'd been in when Fujikuro stalked out. She felt numb all over, not sure if she wanted to scream at him or cry. He'd just told her to stay away, told her she wouldn't have cared. *But I would have,* she thought. *I would have cared, because this hurt him and he was…..is my friend. I would have tried to help him get through this. Losing people you know…..it's not easy…..But to just cut me out of his life…..I didn't think he'd do that….*
She was staring at the floor when the door opened, not bothering to look up. Still staring at her boots, she could tell someone sat down on the couch beside her. She opened her mouth to say something, anything to get rid of the silence that threatened to smother her. "I…Fujikuro…"
"What did he tell you, kid?", a voice asked and Iria's head jerked up. It wasn't Fujikuro at all; it was Shiv.
"He….he told me about Jiko…..Then he got all upset……," Iria offered up. "What happened, Shiv? I know there was something he wasn't telling me. What was it? Why did he just….." Her voice faded.
Shiv sighed and leaned back on the couch. "That was one thing I never could get him to get past," she said softly. "You see, kid, the thing is, with Fuji, he doesn't like to be reminded about bad stuff that happened in his past. He likes to shove it in a trunk, lock it away in a closet somewhere and never open the lid, much less the door. We've all got dirty little secrets, skeletons in our closets….Hell, I've got a whole pyramid full, but that doesn't mean I like to deal with them. Fuji really doesn't like to deal with them. Iria….If I tell you this, do you swear not to tell Fuji I told you? You'll let me be the one to tell him, if I decide to?"
Iria's eyes widened in shock for a moment, then she nodded. Shiv smiled. "I knew I liked you from the moment I laid eyes on you, kid. Now, listen. Just before Jiko and I took the contract with Tedon Tippidai, we talked to Fuji about whether or not to take it. It seemed okay, but as I'm sure you know, Tedon Tippidai isn't the most honest, reliable, or trustworthy bunch. Jiko didn't really want to take it, and neither did I, but Fuji thought we should. It seemed relatively easy, paid well, and he didn't see any reason why we should pass it up. Times were tight and easy contracts were hard to come-by. Jiko still thought it was a crock, and he and Fuji had the biggest damn fight I've ever seen. It all ended with Jiko saying he'd take the damn contract, and we'd all see what came of it when it was all over."
Iria gasped sharply. "You mean….He took it because……And then……"
Shiv nodded. "When I told Fuji what happened, he kept blaming himself over and over. The two of them had been best friends and now….He felt so responsible……He hasn't been able to get away from it…..Now you know. That's what happened."
Iria bit her lower lip. "I won't tell," she whispered. "I promise I won't. It's just……I wish he would have told me himself, you know?"
Shiv smiled. "I know you would have, kid, I know, but he's not like that. I wish he was, but he's not. You stay here. I'm gonna go up top and see what I can do about the World's Biggest Jerk-off."
As she left, Iria couldn't help but smile.
Fujikuro froze, knowing without looking that someone was standing behind him. "Iria…..I…..," he began lamely.
"Sorry, bucko, she's downstairs on the couch. You get to deal with me."
He sighed. "Shiv….I didn't mean to…."
"But you did," she shot back. "And if you don't get back downstairs right now and apologize to her, I'm gonna send you down there at gun-point!"
Fujikuro smirked. "You wouldn't."
"Like hell I wouldn't." Out of one of the inner pockets of her coat, Shiv drew a small blaster, cocked it, and aimed it at Fujikuro's head. "All right, smart boy. March."
Iria looked up as the door opened, gaping in shock as she saw it was Fujikuro. He staggered inside as someone behind him shoved him. From behind his shoulder, Shiv, grinning broadly, waved with her blaster hand. "I'll leave you two alone," she said, beaming, and closed the door.
Fujikuro looked slowly over at Iria, who, he discovered, was meeting his gaze stare for stare. He let he eyes wander to something interesting on the floor.
"Iria…..I……"
"Have been a complete jerk, shouldn't have blown up at you, should have been more open, and beg your forgiveness," Shiv shouted through the door.
The pair in the room couldn't help but smile. "What she said," Fujikuro offered.
"I want to hear you say it," Iria said.
Fujikuro walked over to her and dropped to one knee. "Iria, I was a complete jerk to you. I shouldn't have exploded like that. I know you would have cared. I should have told you. I am so sorry and I beg your forgiveness."
"I forgive you," Iria said softly, leaning over to flick a green-tinged piece of hair out of his eyes. "Fuji."
Fujikuro shook his head. "I was afraid you'd start in on that."
The two looked up as they heard a sniffling sound from the doorway. "That was beautiful," Shiv sighed, a wistful look on her face. "Just beautiful. I wish I had a camera. Bob, could you hand me a tissue? Oh…..oops…..I forgot…."
Everyone burst out laughing, except for Bob who sighed dramatically.
"You're hopeless, Shiv," he moaned. "Why I put up with you, I'll never know."
"Of course you know," Shiv said, grinning. "Before all I had to do was threaten to shoot your ponytail off again, and you'd bend to my will. But now….."
Fujikuro laughed while Iria looked shocked. "What do you mean 'again'?", she demanded.
Shiv grinned wider. "We were out at a firing range and I was having a bad day. I was really getting frustrated when Bob said I probably couldn't hit shit off a compost heap if I was standing in it. So I turned around, aimed, fired, and BANG!! No more ponytail. There was this funny little stump thing left, though……." She chuckled softly. "Fujikuro and Jiko were hanging onto each other to keep standing up and Gren had already hit the dirt because he didn't have anybody to hang onto to-"
"Gren?!?!" Iria jumped straight up off the couch. "What do you know about him?!? What do you know about my brother?"
Shiv gasped. "You mean…..you're….you're the little sister…..He told me he had a friend….Called her his little sister…..I didn't know….I didn't know it was……I'm sorry, Iria….I'm so sorry…."
"What?!?", Iria shouted. "Tell me, Shiv!! What is it?!?"
"I knew him, Iria," Shiv whispered. "I knew him. Met him through Bob and was reasonably good friends with him. The last time I heard from him was when he told me he had a new contract. With Tedon Tippidai. Something about a rescue mission for the Karma."
She turned her eyes to Iria, their vibrant green color turned suddenly pale. "I told him to watch his back. Told him they'd probably stab him in the back to spite his face. I told him to come home safe."
Shiv's eyes suddenly flared bright green and she kicked the door frame with surprising force. "Damn it! Why can't it be easy anymore?! Why are more hunters coming home with body bags than with payment?!? They treat us like trash while we put our lives on the line and there's not a damn thing we can do to stop them! I'm sick of it!! Just damn sick!!"
She looked up again, embarrassment flickering in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Iria. I'm sorry. I'll be at the range."
Swiping her hand across her eyes, she spun and ran from the house. Iria stepped forward, but Fujikuro laid a hand on her shoulder. "Let her go," he said softly. "She's gotta be alone for this one. It's her fight, her demons. Let her go."
Iria looked at him, did not speak, then turned her gaze back to the empty doorway.
*******
Hey, there! Thanks for the reviews and support from everybody; I'm so greatful for it.
This is all for now. Part 3 will be up soon.
*Kat-chan out* ^_^ \/
Rating: PG-13 - language
A Knife in the Coat
Part 2: Old Wounds
Iria was frozen in the same position on the couch she'd been in when Fujikuro stalked out. She felt numb all over, not sure if she wanted to scream at him or cry. He'd just told her to stay away, told her she wouldn't have cared. *But I would have,* she thought. *I would have cared, because this hurt him and he was…..is my friend. I would have tried to help him get through this. Losing people you know…..it's not easy…..But to just cut me out of his life…..I didn't think he'd do that….*
She was staring at the floor when the door opened, not bothering to look up. Still staring at her boots, she could tell someone sat down on the couch beside her. She opened her mouth to say something, anything to get rid of the silence that threatened to smother her. "I…Fujikuro…"
"What did he tell you, kid?", a voice asked and Iria's head jerked up. It wasn't Fujikuro at all; it was Shiv.
"He….he told me about Jiko…..Then he got all upset……," Iria offered up. "What happened, Shiv? I know there was something he wasn't telling me. What was it? Why did he just….." Her voice faded.
Shiv sighed and leaned back on the couch. "That was one thing I never could get him to get past," she said softly. "You see, kid, the thing is, with Fuji, he doesn't like to be reminded about bad stuff that happened in his past. He likes to shove it in a trunk, lock it away in a closet somewhere and never open the lid, much less the door. We've all got dirty little secrets, skeletons in our closets….Hell, I've got a whole pyramid full, but that doesn't mean I like to deal with them. Fuji really doesn't like to deal with them. Iria….If I tell you this, do you swear not to tell Fuji I told you? You'll let me be the one to tell him, if I decide to?"
Iria's eyes widened in shock for a moment, then she nodded. Shiv smiled. "I knew I liked you from the moment I laid eyes on you, kid. Now, listen. Just before Jiko and I took the contract with Tedon Tippidai, we talked to Fuji about whether or not to take it. It seemed okay, but as I'm sure you know, Tedon Tippidai isn't the most honest, reliable, or trustworthy bunch. Jiko didn't really want to take it, and neither did I, but Fuji thought we should. It seemed relatively easy, paid well, and he didn't see any reason why we should pass it up. Times were tight and easy contracts were hard to come-by. Jiko still thought it was a crock, and he and Fuji had the biggest damn fight I've ever seen. It all ended with Jiko saying he'd take the damn contract, and we'd all see what came of it when it was all over."
Iria gasped sharply. "You mean….He took it because……And then……"
Shiv nodded. "When I told Fuji what happened, he kept blaming himself over and over. The two of them had been best friends and now….He felt so responsible……He hasn't been able to get away from it…..Now you know. That's what happened."
Iria bit her lower lip. "I won't tell," she whispered. "I promise I won't. It's just……I wish he would have told me himself, you know?"
Shiv smiled. "I know you would have, kid, I know, but he's not like that. I wish he was, but he's not. You stay here. I'm gonna go up top and see what I can do about the World's Biggest Jerk-off."
As she left, Iria couldn't help but smile.
Fujikuro froze, knowing without looking that someone was standing behind him. "Iria…..I…..," he began lamely.
"Sorry, bucko, she's downstairs on the couch. You get to deal with me."
He sighed. "Shiv….I didn't mean to…."
"But you did," she shot back. "And if you don't get back downstairs right now and apologize to her, I'm gonna send you down there at gun-point!"
Fujikuro smirked. "You wouldn't."
"Like hell I wouldn't." Out of one of the inner pockets of her coat, Shiv drew a small blaster, cocked it, and aimed it at Fujikuro's head. "All right, smart boy. March."
Iria looked up as the door opened, gaping in shock as she saw it was Fujikuro. He staggered inside as someone behind him shoved him. From behind his shoulder, Shiv, grinning broadly, waved with her blaster hand. "I'll leave you two alone," she said, beaming, and closed the door.
Fujikuro looked slowly over at Iria, who, he discovered, was meeting his gaze stare for stare. He let he eyes wander to something interesting on the floor.
"Iria…..I……"
"Have been a complete jerk, shouldn't have blown up at you, should have been more open, and beg your forgiveness," Shiv shouted through the door.
The pair in the room couldn't help but smile. "What she said," Fujikuro offered.
"I want to hear you say it," Iria said.
Fujikuro walked over to her and dropped to one knee. "Iria, I was a complete jerk to you. I shouldn't have exploded like that. I know you would have cared. I should have told you. I am so sorry and I beg your forgiveness."
"I forgive you," Iria said softly, leaning over to flick a green-tinged piece of hair out of his eyes. "Fuji."
Fujikuro shook his head. "I was afraid you'd start in on that."
The two looked up as they heard a sniffling sound from the doorway. "That was beautiful," Shiv sighed, a wistful look on her face. "Just beautiful. I wish I had a camera. Bob, could you hand me a tissue? Oh…..oops…..I forgot…."
Everyone burst out laughing, except for Bob who sighed dramatically.
"You're hopeless, Shiv," he moaned. "Why I put up with you, I'll never know."
"Of course you know," Shiv said, grinning. "Before all I had to do was threaten to shoot your ponytail off again, and you'd bend to my will. But now….."
Fujikuro laughed while Iria looked shocked. "What do you mean 'again'?", she demanded.
Shiv grinned wider. "We were out at a firing range and I was having a bad day. I was really getting frustrated when Bob said I probably couldn't hit shit off a compost heap if I was standing in it. So I turned around, aimed, fired, and BANG!! No more ponytail. There was this funny little stump thing left, though……." She chuckled softly. "Fujikuro and Jiko were hanging onto each other to keep standing up and Gren had already hit the dirt because he didn't have anybody to hang onto to-"
"Gren?!?!" Iria jumped straight up off the couch. "What do you know about him?!? What do you know about my brother?"
Shiv gasped. "You mean…..you're….you're the little sister…..He told me he had a friend….Called her his little sister…..I didn't know….I didn't know it was……I'm sorry, Iria….I'm so sorry…."
"What?!?", Iria shouted. "Tell me, Shiv!! What is it?!?"
"I knew him, Iria," Shiv whispered. "I knew him. Met him through Bob and was reasonably good friends with him. The last time I heard from him was when he told me he had a new contract. With Tedon Tippidai. Something about a rescue mission for the Karma."
She turned her eyes to Iria, their vibrant green color turned suddenly pale. "I told him to watch his back. Told him they'd probably stab him in the back to spite his face. I told him to come home safe."
Shiv's eyes suddenly flared bright green and she kicked the door frame with surprising force. "Damn it! Why can't it be easy anymore?! Why are more hunters coming home with body bags than with payment?!? They treat us like trash while we put our lives on the line and there's not a damn thing we can do to stop them! I'm sick of it!! Just damn sick!!"
She looked up again, embarrassment flickering in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Iria. I'm sorry. I'll be at the range."
Swiping her hand across her eyes, she spun and ran from the house. Iria stepped forward, but Fujikuro laid a hand on her shoulder. "Let her go," he said softly. "She's gotta be alone for this one. It's her fight, her demons. Let her go."
Iria looked at him, did not speak, then turned her gaze back to the empty doorway.
*******
Hey, there! Thanks for the reviews and support from everybody; I'm so greatful for it.
This is all for now. Part 3 will be up soon.
*Kat-chan out* ^_^ \/