Picking Up The Pieces
By: Angela Timchuk and Karen McVicker
(A.K.A. Makino & deDanaan)
Chapter 2.
Memory
Doumyouji slipped out from beneath Makino, and gently laid her out on the sofa to get some much-needed rest. He stretched as he stood up and approached the F3 and Yuuki. He began to speak.
"I'm taking her home with me, she shouldn't be alone now."
"Doumyouji, I don't think that's a good idea. My God, I know I was the one who phoned you and everything, but don't you think it's a little much? I mean, she hasn't seen you in eight years and now this!" Yuuki spoke softly. "She'll never go along with it."
"She needs to get things in order, I'll take care of everything. Trust me." And with that Doumyouji walked over to where Makino lay sleeping and lifted her in his arms again. He proceeded to the door, despite Yuuki's protests.
"When he gets something in his head, there's no changing it." Akira spoke.
"Ah, so he hasn't changed at all then." Yuuki replied with a worried look.
"Yuuki, come on!" Doumyouji whispered as he poked his head back through the door.
"Nani?"
"You said it yourself, she'll never go along with it, but if you're there she might at least stay a while. Besides, how can she go back to that place where they lived and loved? Don't' you think being alone there with all her memories is the worst thing for her right now?"
Yuuki couldn't argue with that. And someone had to help her contact the families on both sides and tell them what had happened. And there was Kazuya and the others. They hadn't been filled in on what had happened yet either. Tsukushi was the one the hospital had called because she'd been listed as next-of-kin in her fiancé's wallet and they needed her to identify the body. She remembered how a stricken Tsukushi had asked her to come with her to the hospital as she was afraid to go on her own. Yuuki's stomach had been churning on the way there. How did Tsukushi feel if she felt like that?
If Doumyouji watched over Tsukushi while she slept, Yuuki would be able to get a lot accomplished.
**********
Tsukasa placed Tsukushi in the bed. He pulled off her shoes and tucked her under the covers before pulling up a chair to keep vigil beside her. Watching her stir in her sleep; he knew she wasn't getting any rest.
His heart broke for her and he'd do anything in his power to protect her because the truth was, even after all these years apart, he still loved her deeply. His mother had made him promise to finish school in New York and not return to Japan until he had done so. She had loved him, but couldn't deal with all the shit in his life. Who could blame her, when his mother did the devil's own work, driving a wedge between them. Four years after she went home to Tokyo, he finally finished with his schooling and prepared to take the reins of the Corporate Headquarters of Doumyouji Enterprises. He was finally able to be free of the Hag again and be his own man because he'd be based in Tokyo and the Hag was based in New York.
He had searched for her, hoping to rekindle their love, but it was too late. Too much time had passed and Makino had moved on with her life. She was involved with a man she had met in university. When he found out she was happy, he hadn't been able to approach her--he just buried himself in his work and ignored every prospective bride paraded in front of him by his mother over the past four years. And then he'd seen the wedding announcement in the paper. She was to be married. He'd felt his heart break that day--she had finally found someone she loved enough to marry. That had been a little over a month ago.
Doumyouji placed his head in his hands. "What can I do? I can't fix this." His eyes closed.
**********
Tsukushi began to stir. She opened her eyes and grimaced with pain. She remembered the previous days events. Her beloved Yuusuke was gone. Tears filled her eyes and she rolled over onto her side, to make a shocking discovery.
"DOUMYOUJI!" She placed her hands over her mouth, gasping in disbelief when she remembered. He came to her at the hospital, and comforted her. But what in the name of God was he doing here, or was she doing there? "Shit! I'm at his place." Tsukushi began to feel very uncomfortable as she remembered the last time she had been here. Her thoughts turned to her fiancé again and the last time she had seen him alive.
"Tsukushi, I'm going now!" he had called from the entrance to their apartment. "Come say goodbye properly!" He commanded. He could hear her laughter as she opened the bathroom door. She'd been applying her make-up and came out to meet him with a mascara wand in her hand.
"Yes, master." She intoned gaily.
"Give me a kiss."
"Yes, master." She was smiling as she stepped up to be swept into his embrace. His kisses always left her breathless and she stepped away from him with a dreamy smile playing about her mouth.
"Tell me you love me." He grinned at her.
"You love me." She repeats, the grin she flashed back at him running from ear to ear.
"And you love me too, you brat." He chastised her.
"Yes I do, Yuusuke, I love you so much it scares me sometimes." He'd given her another quick kiss before he had to leave.
She'd been at work when the call came from the hospital. "Makino Tsukushi?" The voice on the other end of the line had asked.
"Hai?"
"This is Doctor Satoshi from Tokyo General calling. I'm afraid I have some bad news about Takahiro Yuusuke………" It had been like a punch in the stomach.
The tears began to fall again.
**********
Tsukasa began to awaken--he slowly lifted his head, it was heavy like lead and he had a cramp in his neck. He sat up and began to massage the offending muscle while yawning at the same time. When he opened his eyes he was a little surprised to find Makino sitting straight up looking at him-- no, it was more like she was looking through him.
"Ohayo gozaimasu." He greeted but she didn't say anything. She just sat there quietly, staring blankly.
A few uncomfortable moments went by before Makino finally spoke up.
"Doumyouji, why am I here? How did I get here?"
"I brought you here last night, you were so exhausted you practically collapsed at the hospital. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Thank you for your kindness, but I really should go." She swung her legs over the end of the bed, determined to leave.
The pair were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hai, come in." Doumyouji ordered.
Tsukushi looked up and was very surprised to see who was at the door...it was Yuuki.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Tsukushi-chan."
Makino tried her best to be cheery but replied half-heartedly--they all knew it wasn't a good morning at all.
"I'll leave you two to talk, I have a few things I need to take care of." and with that Tsukasa left the room.
Yuuki came over and sat beside Makino, placing her arms around her friend as she did so. She embraced her for a few moments before finally letting go. Would the tears ever stop?
By: Angela Timchuk and Karen McVicker
(A.K.A. Makino & deDanaan)
Chapter 2.
Memory
Doumyouji slipped out from beneath Makino, and gently laid her out on the sofa to get some much-needed rest. He stretched as he stood up and approached the F3 and Yuuki. He began to speak.
"I'm taking her home with me, she shouldn't be alone now."
"Doumyouji, I don't think that's a good idea. My God, I know I was the one who phoned you and everything, but don't you think it's a little much? I mean, she hasn't seen you in eight years and now this!" Yuuki spoke softly. "She'll never go along with it."
"She needs to get things in order, I'll take care of everything. Trust me." And with that Doumyouji walked over to where Makino lay sleeping and lifted her in his arms again. He proceeded to the door, despite Yuuki's protests.
"When he gets something in his head, there's no changing it." Akira spoke.
"Ah, so he hasn't changed at all then." Yuuki replied with a worried look.
"Yuuki, come on!" Doumyouji whispered as he poked his head back through the door.
"Nani?"
"You said it yourself, she'll never go along with it, but if you're there she might at least stay a while. Besides, how can she go back to that place where they lived and loved? Don't' you think being alone there with all her memories is the worst thing for her right now?"
Yuuki couldn't argue with that. And someone had to help her contact the families on both sides and tell them what had happened. And there was Kazuya and the others. They hadn't been filled in on what had happened yet either. Tsukushi was the one the hospital had called because she'd been listed as next-of-kin in her fiancé's wallet and they needed her to identify the body. She remembered how a stricken Tsukushi had asked her to come with her to the hospital as she was afraid to go on her own. Yuuki's stomach had been churning on the way there. How did Tsukushi feel if she felt like that?
If Doumyouji watched over Tsukushi while she slept, Yuuki would be able to get a lot accomplished.
**********
Tsukasa placed Tsukushi in the bed. He pulled off her shoes and tucked her under the covers before pulling up a chair to keep vigil beside her. Watching her stir in her sleep; he knew she wasn't getting any rest.
His heart broke for her and he'd do anything in his power to protect her because the truth was, even after all these years apart, he still loved her deeply. His mother had made him promise to finish school in New York and not return to Japan until he had done so. She had loved him, but couldn't deal with all the shit in his life. Who could blame her, when his mother did the devil's own work, driving a wedge between them. Four years after she went home to Tokyo, he finally finished with his schooling and prepared to take the reins of the Corporate Headquarters of Doumyouji Enterprises. He was finally able to be free of the Hag again and be his own man because he'd be based in Tokyo and the Hag was based in New York.
He had searched for her, hoping to rekindle their love, but it was too late. Too much time had passed and Makino had moved on with her life. She was involved with a man she had met in university. When he found out she was happy, he hadn't been able to approach her--he just buried himself in his work and ignored every prospective bride paraded in front of him by his mother over the past four years. And then he'd seen the wedding announcement in the paper. She was to be married. He'd felt his heart break that day--she had finally found someone she loved enough to marry. That had been a little over a month ago.
Doumyouji placed his head in his hands. "What can I do? I can't fix this." His eyes closed.
**********
Tsukushi began to stir. She opened her eyes and grimaced with pain. She remembered the previous days events. Her beloved Yuusuke was gone. Tears filled her eyes and she rolled over onto her side, to make a shocking discovery.
"DOUMYOUJI!" She placed her hands over her mouth, gasping in disbelief when she remembered. He came to her at the hospital, and comforted her. But what in the name of God was he doing here, or was she doing there? "Shit! I'm at his place." Tsukushi began to feel very uncomfortable as she remembered the last time she had been here. Her thoughts turned to her fiancé again and the last time she had seen him alive.
"Tsukushi, I'm going now!" he had called from the entrance to their apartment. "Come say goodbye properly!" He commanded. He could hear her laughter as she opened the bathroom door. She'd been applying her make-up and came out to meet him with a mascara wand in her hand.
"Yes, master." She intoned gaily.
"Give me a kiss."
"Yes, master." She was smiling as she stepped up to be swept into his embrace. His kisses always left her breathless and she stepped away from him with a dreamy smile playing about her mouth.
"Tell me you love me." He grinned at her.
"You love me." She repeats, the grin she flashed back at him running from ear to ear.
"And you love me too, you brat." He chastised her.
"Yes I do, Yuusuke, I love you so much it scares me sometimes." He'd given her another quick kiss before he had to leave.
She'd been at work when the call came from the hospital. "Makino Tsukushi?" The voice on the other end of the line had asked.
"Hai?"
"This is Doctor Satoshi from Tokyo General calling. I'm afraid I have some bad news about Takahiro Yuusuke………" It had been like a punch in the stomach.
The tears began to fall again.
**********
Tsukasa began to awaken--he slowly lifted his head, it was heavy like lead and he had a cramp in his neck. He sat up and began to massage the offending muscle while yawning at the same time. When he opened his eyes he was a little surprised to find Makino sitting straight up looking at him-- no, it was more like she was looking through him.
"Ohayo gozaimasu." He greeted but she didn't say anything. She just sat there quietly, staring blankly.
A few uncomfortable moments went by before Makino finally spoke up.
"Doumyouji, why am I here? How did I get here?"
"I brought you here last night, you were so exhausted you practically collapsed at the hospital. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Thank you for your kindness, but I really should go." She swung her legs over the end of the bed, determined to leave.
The pair were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hai, come in." Doumyouji ordered.
Tsukushi looked up and was very surprised to see who was at the door...it was Yuuki.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Tsukushi-chan."
Makino tried her best to be cheery but replied half-heartedly--they all knew it wasn't a good morning at all.
"I'll leave you two to talk, I have a few things I need to take care of." and with that Tsukasa left the room.
Yuuki came over and sat beside Makino, placing her arms around her friend as she did so. She embraced her for a few moments before finally letting go. Would the tears ever stop?
