Please, Just Call Me Mom

"Ryoko? RYOKO!" Ayeka yelled into Ryoko's face. "Please wake up. I'll do anything for you, just please wake up! Ryoko, this isn't funny. I command you to wake up!" Ryoko ceased to move. I have to get her to Washu; she'll definitely know how to save her.

Struggling slightly, Ayeka gently picked Ryoko up and struggled towards the Masaki home. Halfway there, she nearly bumped into Washu who had a distressed look on her face. Ayeka lay Ryoko's body on the floor and recited the events of the past couple of minutes to Washu.

"Oh Ryoko, why did you have to go and do that? You can't die on me you hear? I've already lost you once, and I'll be damned if I lose you again. See? You can't be dead right? My life isn't worth living without you. Your cherry blossoms are still growing. Sasami still has dinner to make for you to gobble up…My life isn't worth living without you…" That's all Washu could manage before she finally broke down and wept into her daughter's face.

Unbeknownst to her, she had placed her face over Ryoko's heart. In the midst of her weeping, Washu felt a light thump on her cheek. She paused for a moment and listened again. There it was another thump! Immediately, the weeping mother's head shot up and her eyes were once again filled with hope.

"She's alive! My baby is still alive!" Washu cried out with joy. This outburst also brought renewed hope to Ayeka's eyes. "But we must hurry and take her to my lab if we still want any chance of keeping her alive."

Ayeka nodded and once again picked Ryoko up as they rushed back to the Masaki house. Sasami and Mihoshi immediately started letting loose their tears as they saw their dear friend rushed into lab with blood from her side, and clung to each for support. Ryo-Oki hopped onto Ryoko's shoulder and tried to get her to wake up. Tenchi was still frozen in the spot where Ryoko had left him and had not yet brought himself to present time.

As soon as Washu entered the lab, she summoned a rejuvenation tank to set Ryoko in. She immediately brought up her laptop to start typing in the settings needed for Ryoko, but the tears in her eyes kept blurring the text on the screen. Her trembling fingers weren't much help either.

"Ayeka, do you think you could please help me by undressing Ryoko? We can't have all those bloody clothes in the tank." Ayeka nodded and began the task of undressing her friend.

"Ryoko, I can't believe you. Why did you go and try to kill yourself like that? You still have so much left to live for. From what Washu's told me, you're so much smarter than you let on. Sasami looks up to you and you're my best friend. Please, I'm begging you, don't die on us." Ayeka wiped away some stray tears and noticed that she had finished her task.

"Thank you, Ayeka. I think I can handle it from here." Washu, in her adult form, picked up her only daughter and placed her in the tank in an attempt to save her life. After typing in the last settings, she watched as the tank began to fill with a clear liquid.

With a sigh, Washu turned to Ayeka, "The only thing we can do now is wait. Go and comfort Sasami. I bet she needs you right now." At Ayeka's hesitation, Washu continued, "Don't worry, I'll watch over her." With one last look in Ryoko's direction, Ayeka proceeded to leave the lab.

As soon as she was sure Ayeka was gone, Washu collapsed on the floor and mumbled the same phrase over and over again, "Why Ryoko, why?"

Similar thoughts were circling the other members of the household as well. What did I just do to her? Tenchi thought, still not realizing the fate Ryoko was in. Did I just control her like Kagato did? Damnit! I'm no better than that bastard is! Ryoko trusted me, she loved me! How could I do such a thing to her? The pain and anguish in those golden eyes will forever be implanted in my mind. Damn, Ryoko I hope you find some way to forgive me, I'm going go and apologize now. I have to make everything all right again.

With such a goal in his mind, Tenchi ran up toward the house to go and make things right with Ryoko. The sight that greeted him, however, put all those thoughts aside. There, on the living room couch was Sasami, Mihoshi, and Ayeka crying and comforting each other. Tenchi didn't understand what was going on. It was as if someone had died.

"What's going on? What happened? Where are Ryoko and Washu?" The teenaged boy had so many questions circling throughout his mind but could only get those out at the moment.

Ayeka was the first to speak. "Tenchi, after you contr- after the incident with the Tenchi-ken, Ryoko phased to the outside of the cave and s-s-stabbed herself with her sword."

Tenchi didn't know what to make of this bit of news. "Impossible! That just happened not less than thirty seconds ago. There's no way it could have happened so quickly.

Ayeka gasped. Could Tenchi have really been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't know how much time had passed? It was then that Mihoshi decided to speak up.

"Tenchi! It's been over half an hour since Washu put Ryoko in the rejuvenation tank. Did you not notice all the commotion outside?" Mihoshi stared in wonderment at Tenchi and watched as his face displayed a multitude of emotions.

"No! I don't believe it! I have to see her!" Tenchi raced down the hall towards Washu's lab.

"Ten-" But Sasami was unable to finish her sentence.

"No, Sasami, let him go. His heart is in turmoil and he doesn't want to accept the truth. Let him be able to see for himself," said Ayeka. Sasami nodded in agreement with her sister.

"I think I'm going to get dinner started. I need something to help clear my mind." Mihoshi and Ayeka nodded in sympathy and watched as the little girl walked into the kitchen to prepare some food.

Turning to Ayeka, Mihoshi asked, "I wonder how Tenchi is going to take it." In response, Ayeka sighed and responded, "I don't know Mihoshi, I honestly don't know.

"Washu! Little Washu! Where are you?" Tenchi called as entered the immense lab. Washu immediately stood up and hurriedly wiped away her tears.

"Tenchi can you hear me?"

"Yes"

"Well then, follow my voice," the scientist replied. Finally, Tenchi reached the place where Washu was. She was wearing a glazed look on her face and she was staring intently at Tenchi's direction, but not quite staring at him. Tenchi slowly turned to find out what had caught Washu's gaze, and sight he turned to nearly brought tears to his eyes.

Tenchi walked towards Ryoko's tank and instantly dropped to his knees. Reaching out his hand, he slowly touched the clear glass frame. I did this Tenchi thought I can't believe she tried to kill herself. She's always seemed loved life since she's lived and to think that something as stupid and inhumane of me to do caused her to want to take her own precious life is scary.

What will happen when you finally open those golden eyes of yours? Will you hate me? Will I do another stupid thing to cause you pain and you try to end it with your life? I'm so, so sorry Ryoko. I don't know how this happened or how fixed, but I swear to you, things will get better in the future.

Washu watched as the young boy mourned for his friend and prayed for things to be all right when Ryoko woke up, whenever that would be.

"Tenchi," Washu called, but no response came from the boy.

"Tenchi!" Washu called again, but still received no clue as to whether Tenchi had heard her or not. This time Washu got up from her spot on the floor and walked over to Tenchi, gently shaking him back to reality. When Tenchi was finally taken from his thoughts, her turned around, locking his brown, compassionate eyes to Washu's wise, emerald ones.

With a start, Tenchi exclaimed, "How could I do that to her, Washu? She trusted me and I just - I just controlled her like Kagato did! I'm no better than he is!" Tenchi's eyes searched Washu's searching for something, they didn't know what.

"You didn't mean to hurt her Tenchi. It-"

"You don't understand, Washu!" Tenchi exclaimed, "She trusted me! She told me some her innermost secrets one night, including when her memories of being controlled! She told me how she felt and the amount of pain and fear in her voice as she told me was unbelievable. And think that I just added to any unneeded pain in her life is unbearable. Just look at her!" He finished his statement by pointing in Ryoko's direction.

"How do you think I feel? I, Ryoko's own mother, tied her up and locked up all night in the dark. Ryoko hates the dark, and I left her there alone. At first she thought it was a joke, but then she started yelling and crying and calling for her mom, and I just sat there recording and watching the whole thing. How could I do that to my own daughter? I'm every bit as guilty as you are, Tenchi." Washu dropped her head and stared at her hands in her lap.

Tenchi sighed, "What do you think we should do now?"

I think that we should go and eat some of Sasami's dinner and work and hope for the best with Ryoko's recovery," the scientist replied. Tenchi nodded in agreement and the two walked out of the lab, but not before taking one last look at Ryoko, as if she would disappear if they turned their backs.

"Ayeka, could you please tell Tenchi and Washu that dinner is ready?" Sasami asked her sister.

"There's no need to do that, Sasami, we're here," replied Washu as she and Tenchi walked through her lab door.

Mihoshi immediately leaped up and asked Washu how Ryoko was doing. In response, Washu proceeded to go into an in depth explanation of Ryoko's well being. Halfway through the explanation, she noticed the blank stares from the rest of the household. Rolling her eyes, she responded, "She should be okay within a couple of days."

The others took that moment to sigh in relief and get ready for dinner. Sasami's dinner wasn't as good as usual but was still quite exquisite. Dinner was filled with the scraping of chopsticks against plates. Without Ryoko to start fights with Ayeka, or gobble up Sasami's cooking, or tease Tenchi, dinner was so dull and boring.

The members of the Masaki house hurried with the dinner so that they could get away from the thick silence and anxiety that hung in the air. The day had started out so pretty, so warm, so full of the promise, but even then it wasn't the best, due to the absence of Ryoko. But now, she was back, but was locked up in a tank that would heal her because she had tried to take her own life. How did it all go wrong?

Unexpectedly, a sound caused the diners to look up from their meals. It turned out that the source of noise was coming from Mihoshi. As she finished clearing her throat, Mihoshi looked at Sasami and thanked her for the meal, saying that she needed to be excused.

"I think I'm going to go retire to my room right now," stated the blond detective and she retreated from the kitchen and ventured up the stairs.

When she was clearly out of earshot, Ayeka spoke up, "This incident with Ryoko is affecting Mihoshi more than I thought it would." The others nodded in agreement and continued to eat their meal.

In Mihoshi's room, Mihoshi plopped herself on her bed and sighed. Ryoko you've been such a dear friend to me ever since I caught you putting me back to sleep on the couch after I fell off. Mihoshi smiled in remembrance.

FLASH

The family was gathered around the table getting ready to eat one of Sasami's delicious meals. As food was being passed around the table, Mihoshi started conversation by asking a very simple question,

"Does anyone know who put me back on the couch when I fell off this afternoon? I know I fell off like I usually because I can still feel the pain in my elbow."

Looking around the table, her eyes settled on Ayeka. "Was it you?"

Ayeka looked up from her meal and responded, "No Mihoshi, I was putting out the laundry, which a certain pirate was supposed to be doing." Everyone's eyes turned towards Ryoko's to see her reaction, but surprisingly not a sound came from her mouth, and her eyes stayed on her food, not looking at anyone else.

Seeing no reaction from the pirate, the family turned away from her as Mihoshi continued questioning the others about surprising event, but no one clamed to do it, coming up with similar explanations to Ayeka.

Finally Mihoshi's eyes settled on Ryoko, "Was it you, Ryoko?" Ryoko seemed to choke for a second and a flash of panic entered her eyes that Mihoshi noticed as she looked at her, but her face quickly took on a blank look as she replied, "Me?!? Yeah right, I've got better things to do than help out Galaxy Police bubble brains."

"Like what, sleep?" Ayeka muttered just loud enough for Ryoko to hear.

"Exactly!" the golden-eyed woman exclaimed. This prompted Ayeka to roll her eyes. Thinking that the subject was over everyone else began to talk about other things that had happened that day, but Mihoshi left her gaze on Ryoko and quirked an eyebrow before returning to her food.

By the next afternoon, a plan had formed in the officer's head and she hoped it would work. After watching Space Police Policeman, she proceeded to feign sleep. After a while, she made herself fall off the couch, Ouch! This hurts a lot more when you're actually awake! She thought, resisting the urge to rub her arm.

Not more than a couple minutes later, Ryoko appeared, seemingly ready to watch some TV. As she caught sight of the blond on the floor, Ryoko sighed. Spending so much time with this family is causing me to go soft. I've got to work on that. Looking around to make sure no one was looking, Ryoko gently picked up Mihoshi and placed her on the couch. Getting ready to phase away, she nearly fainted at what happened next.

"Ah ha! I knew it was you!" Mihoshi exclaimed as she jumped up from the couch to face Ryoko.

Gasping, Ryoko replied, "Geez Mihoshi, you sure do know how to give a pirate a heart attack."

"What's all that racking going on over there?" Ayeka's booming voice could be hear clearly from the top of the stairs as she came down to see what was going on.

"Oh no, the last thing I need is that stupid princess to catch me sneaking out of my chores." Grabbing Mihoshi, she promptly phased the two of them to the lake.

"What? I could have sworn - never mind, it was probably Ryoko sneaking out of her chores again. One of these days, Ryoko, one of these days."

Out by the lake Ryoko and Mihoshi had just phased to existence. Nonchalantly, as to keep up with her tough exterior Ryoko asked, "So how'd you know it was me?"

"Your eyes," was the reply she received. Quickly floating over to the lake, she former space pirate looked at her reflection.

"My eyes? What's wrong with my eyes?" Ryoko asked searching the water for the answer. Mihoshi's reflection appeared next to Ryoko's.

"Nothing's wrong with your eyes, Ryoko. They are the windows to your soul. When I asked you if you were the one who helped me, I saw a flash of panic and knew that you were lying. I just had to see for myself. So tell me, Ryoko, why'd you lie to me?"

Feeling her face burn with embarrassment, Ryoko tried to come up with an explanation. "Umm, well, you see…In case you haven't noticed, I'm a the most wanted space pirate in the galaxy. I have a reputation to keep up." Smiling with satisfaction, the seductress plopped herself on the grass.

"And in case you haven't noticed, you're not a space pirate anymore. You don't have to keep up some macho appearance anymore," replied the blond as she sat down next to Ryoko.

"I can't let you people that I'm getting soft."

"Oh puh-leeze Ryoko. I've seen you with Sasami and Ryo-Oki when you think that nobody notices. You treat her like you're little sister and make her feel like she's not just a little kid. Face it, whether you like it or not you've already 'softened'."

"When you think no one is looking you do all these nice things, but as soon as you think someone's catching onto you, you close up and don't let anyone get close to you. The only people I've actually seen you become open and carefree with are Sasami and Ryo-Oki. Why don't you let anyone else see this side of you?"

Taking a deep breath, Ryoko locked her golden eyes to Mihoshi's blue ones and replied, "The same reason you don't." Raising an eyebrow, Mihoshi was hesitant to make a response to that.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the fact that you're a brilliant person and not near as clumsy as you want us to believe. I've seen those science and math books you keep hidden in your room. I wonder what Washu would think if she knew that you were nearly as smart as her!" Ryoko chuckled slightly at the last statement.

"Look at us. If anyone of us were to show our true selves, think of the mayhem it may cause. Me a space pirate who actually has feelings, and you a supposed bubble-brain who has enough knowledge to make even Washu start to sweat."

"You're right Ryoko, I guess we have more in common than just sleeping and eating," with a laugh, the two began to talk well into the afternoon. On the way back to the house, Mihoshi made a request from Ryoko.

"Ryoko, promise me you won't lie to me anymore."

"Does that include pulling tricks on you, because a space pirate has got to have some fun while dodging chores, ya know."

With a smile, her companion replied, "No you can still have your fun."

"Ok, I promise. Now let's go get something to eat, I'm starving!"

"You can count me in," replied Mihoshi. And with that the made their way to the house, a newfound friendship blossoming.

FLASH

Mihoshi stared at ceiling after conclusion of the memory. Oh Ryoko, since then we have become close friends, almost like sisters. I've lost too much in my life already to lose you. You have to wake up soon, please.

Two hours later, similar thought surrounded the house as the members each said a prayer for Ryoko.

Back in the lab, where Ryoko was placed, were the continued beeps of the monitors.