Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi Muyo or surrounding characters. Any character not associated with the Tenchi Muyo series is my own creation. I do not own any of the quotations, they are property of their rightful owners. So please don't sue me….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* * *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Living On The Edge- Chapter Seven
* Over The Edge *
~ Love is not what we become, but what we already are. Stephine Levine
Family . . .a group experience of love and support. Marianne Williamson
Things do not change. We change. Henry David Thoreau
* * *
Riley rested her head in her hands, her elbows propping her up against the table. Her eyes were red, her nose was runny and dried trails of her saddened tears streaked her face.
Sitting in her kitchen, Riley concentrated on her surroundings. There was a steady drip from the faucet in the kitchen sink, the hourly chime of the small grandfather clock mounted on the wall, the crickets chirping their lonesome lullaby and of course the accompanying animal in her lap.
Riley's own cats, Lynx and Seal, laid huddled together by the warm stove, both pairs of feline eyes locked on her as she gave soft haven to the small brown creature in her lap. Riley sighed. This had become her ritual much like every night. She'd wake, refuse to eat, and then sit in the kitchen all day.
Why the kitchen was beyond her...
Riley heard someone shuffle into the kitchen and sit down across from her. She never looked up. From the sigh she received from her visitor, she knew who it was.
"Why are you still awake? It's three in the morning..." Jess's tired voice asked.
Riley answered with her own sigh.
Jess finally got up and crossed the kitchen. Riley was oblivious to Jess's actions, but when the woman loudly set something in front of her, she looked up. A small coffee mug rested in her reach, tiny vapors of steam lifted from the warm brown liquid in its hold.
"Drink this...it'll make you feel better." Jess instructed.
Riley wrinkled her nose and played with the handle of the cup.
"Please drink it. You haven't eaten anything all day...you may be starving yourself, but I won't allow you to starve yourself and become dehydrated. You can't have both. It's one or the other....take your pick." Jess said seriously.
Instead of voicing her answer....Riley pushed the cup away.
"Dammit, girl. You're really trying my patience aren't you?" Jess asked firmly.
Riley didn't answer. "....It's unsweetened."
Jess glared at the cup. She reached over and dumped a sugar-cube, from the bowl on the table, into the beverage. "Now...drink it." She said as she slid the cup back to Riley.
The young woman stared at it for a while before cupping the mug with both hands. Silently, Riley took a few sips. She set the cup down and stared at Jess, her vision beginning to blur.
"I hate you....damn you...you haven't changed one damn bit, have you?" Riley asked angrily.
Jess looked at her. "Do females have peckers?"
Riley narrowed her eyes at the older woman. "You're unbelievable, you know that? I can't believe that, after all this time, you're still drugging people when they refuse to do as you ask."
Jess nodded as she watched Riley's eyelids droop. She got up and placed the cups in the sink and then moved towards Riley's chair. "Come on, beddy bye time." Jess babbled as she helped Riley from the chair.
Riley slumped forward into Jess's arms. "I'll get you for this...just you wait and see."
Jess frowned as she ushered Riley from the kitchen. "You already have...you refuse to eat, drink, sleep, and even talk. I think that this is punishment enough. You're killing yourself right before my very eyes, and I don't like it one bit. I never asked for this...and neither did you."
Riley blinked. "What's that suppose to mean?" She asked weakly.
Jess sighed. "Neither of us asked for a hard life...but we got one. We have each other, that is good enough for me. But, you want more, but I can only give you so much. I can give you life, and I can take it away...but I prefer the first option. Don't you...or do you want to end up like the others?"
"Others? You mean all those agents who died in Pierce's wrath last week?" Riley questioned.
Jess bit her lip. "Something like that."
Riley snorted.
Jess escorted the exhausted Riley up the stairs. "Why are you doing this to yourself?"
"Why? You want to know why?" Riley asked incredulously.
Jess nodded. Riley snorted.
"You walk a mile in my shoes...and then tell me what you would do." Riley retorted.
Jess hung her head. "What if I told you that I already did? Have you forgotten?"
Riley glared at her and snorted again. "I haven't. But, it's different. Totally, not the same, concept at all. Uhn-uhnn, not at all."
Jess tilted her head. "How do you figure?"
Riley stopped. She wrinkled her nose. "Because, this is me...that was you. This is now...and that was then."
"Good answer. Wrong, but good." Jess commented.
Riley snorted.
"And would you stop doing that?" Jess asked irritably.
"Doing what?" Riley questioned indignantly as she snorted again.
Jess's eye twitched. "That....snorting noise. It's very annoying."
Riley giggled. "Now you know what you're like."
Jess frowned and walked on in silence. Riley stopped giggling at the silence and allowed herself to be led in her room. Her eyes were barely open as Jess got her ready for bed. She eased Riley into bed and pulled the covers up letting them drop on top of Riley's chest.
Jess turned to go when Riley spoke up, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said back there. It's just that...this is very hard for me. I know that I managed to get by for four years without him, but, he never really told me that he loved me before, either."
Without turning around, Jess answered her, "Do you think that you are the only one who has lost a loved one? You still have a future and a life to tend to. Not to mention a son you have to care for. At least you still have him. Some of us have lost them all....some more times than others."
Riley let it sink in. She knew what Jess was getting at and it bothered her to know that she was using it against her. "I know...and I really am sorry. I didn't mean any harm or....or less compassion and....and discomfort by my words. Or by my actions...."
Jess nodded her head once. She reached over and flipped the light switch as Riley asked in a flat tone, "Forgiven?"
Jess turned to the side and stared at the wall. She sighed, dropped her head and walked out of the room, closing the door and shutting the pain away.
* * *
Fog.
It was the only thing she could see. It consumed her...it wanted her.
It encircled her like a blanket of cold death, chilling her flesh and bone as it wafted around her. She tried moving, but she was held tight and steadfast to the floor. Or empty vastness beneath her. She wasn't sure just which.
Her sapphire blue eyes skimmed the darkness and hazy covering of fog that surrounded her. She saw no way out....or, in, for that matter. Was she supposed to go up or down? Or possibly left or right? She was trapped at a four-way choice interchange. Each path following it's own destiny.
Riley gulped. Should she take the wrong road, she could be trapped here forever. She didn't want that.
She wanted to be able to walk in the sunlight, bask in the warmth of a cozy fire, laugh at jokes her son told her, to smile at the new face that would soon become a new part in her life, to live and be free.
She wanted the simple things in life. To cry, love, laugh, pay the bills, watch T.v., clean, repair the minor problems within her home, and to see the sunset as the stars came out.
She wanted her old life back! The one where she knew she was wanted and loved. To be considered family....with family.
Now, all she could do was float in the black and silent vastness of the void in which she was trapped. Her mind screamed out for someone. Anyone. Her heart beat against her chest as if it were trying to release itself from its confine. And her fear circled her soul and spirit like a shark drawn to blood.
Riley wanted to cry. To vent her anger. To be safe and warm, not alone and cold. It was now that her heart was aching to be held in the loving embrace of the one person who had always been there for her. But, despite Riley's attempts, she couldn't find the person she hoped for.
She searched every inch of the black abyss to the best of her ability, but each time she came up empty handed. Had she really thrown it all away by her words and actions?
And now that she wanted it back, she had to pay a price. A price she wasn't so sure she was willing to pay. Riley knew deep in her heart that she'd do anything for the one who had always been there for her no matter what that person's thoughts were of Riley's determination and devotion.
If her warmth and hope needed help, Riley would be there. Just as that feeling of love and security had always been there for her and with her, Riley was unstoppable in her quest to make good on her promise.
Riley finally found that she couldn't go on. She began to feel her faith and dedication in finding the one thing that made her tick, slip away from her. Riley just wanted to catch it all in a net and shove it back into her heart and soul, but if the faith wasn't there, then it would do no good.
Tears made their way down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees. Frustrated, tired and scared...Riley screamed at the top of her lungs. Her scream and apologies drifted across the emptiness reaching deaf ears and emotionless black fog.
* * *
Jess had sat up straight in her bed. She strained her ears to hear the faint shouts of Riley as she hollered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I didn't mean it.... please don't leave me alone anymore. I don't want to be left alone or behind. Please, mother....forgive me!"
Jess raced down the hallway to Riley's room. Snapping the light switch on, she saw Riley cowering in her bed, the covers drawn up to her chest and her body trembling.
Jess grabbed Riley into her grasp and held her. "Wake up...please, don't do this now."
Riley's screams had quieted down but never ceased. Instead, they were monotone whimpers, most which sounded like Riley asking to be forgiven for the mistakes she had made. Or that she didn't want to be left alone, that if she could just apologize, that she'd amend for her wrong doings.
Jess was confused at the woman's outbursts. Why would she ask forgiveness on the mistakes that she had already been forgiven of? What kind of redress was she talking about? And, what mistakes were involved?
Jess didn't know. For a long time she knew nothing, but how her heart had ached when her own child had left her alone. Now Riley was screaming into the night asking to be allowed to apologize. Again, Jess was puzzled.
Why did Riley have to ask for the chance to apologize? Why did she even have to apologize? Had Jess made it seem that she was terribly angry with the young woman for the remark that had been made earlier?
Jess cursed her own self for being so uncaring and unsympathetic. Here, she had someone who needed her, who needed a helping hand and a loving smile. Someone who needed to be pulled back from the edge of despair and depression.
A smile made it's way to her lips as she thought, 'And who better to pull a child back from the edge, than a mother?'
Jess nestled Riley's head into her chest as she closed her eyes. A feeling of lightheadedness washed over her as she felt a strange presence swarm over her. Smiling gently, she touched Riley's forehead with her fingertip.
Riley's shouts of forgiveness immediately stopped and her eyes fluttered open. Riley blinked a few times to focus her vision and even though she couldn't see the person's face, she knew who it was that held her so close.
Riley's tears soaked the white nightshirt of the person as she whispered sadly, "I am so....sorry. I never knew how much I hurt you, and I just want you to know that I feel really bad about how I acted and treated you. Your love for me never died or dwindled, and I don't see how it stayed so strong."
A hand rubbed Riley's back. "Love does crazy things to us. And it's whether we accept this unconditional love or not that makes us strong during times of disagreement or separation."
"But still..." Riley rasped. "Still, you stayed beside me. When I thought I was all alone, you were always there for me. Hell...you were right there with me. And even now, you refuse to leave me. And now that I'm a mother, I know what's it like to have such a strong and unwavering love for your child."
There was a short and sharp gasp from Riley's confidant. "And that in itself makes me very happy......Ryoko. I am so proud of you, and although I never really told you that in the past, it is true. I will always stand beside you and back you up, because, that's what mothers are for."
There was a tender whisper from Riley. "And, I'm glad to finally be able to know what that feeling is like. To be able to experience the deep urning of love for your child no matter what or to be able to look at them and think, 'that is my child,' gives a new meaning to pride and joy and motherhood."
"Yes it does....." The older woman said softly. "It's a feeling like no other when a mother watches her child sleep and grow and discover new things on their own. It's this feeling and love between a mother and child that keeps the bond strong and connected. And what keeps us holding on."
There were airs of silence after the last remark but Riley soon broke the silent bonding. "You may be proud of me to an extent that I can't understand, but, did you ever know just how proud I am of you? Maybe not, but I am damn proud to say, there goes Washu, the Greatest Scientific Genius. Ever ."
Riley paused. "Or....The Great Washu...my mother. Mad and eccentric, but my loving mother nonetheless. And possibly, the world's greatest and most patient mother that ever roamed the universe."
Riley sniffed. "Well....except for maybe me!"
Washu's laughter echoed in Riley's ears as she wrapped her arms around her mother. Washu rested her head atop of her daughter's and whispered, "I'm glad you're back. I missed you terribly.....Little Riley."
The younger woman shook her head, her body changing with the movement. "Uhn-uh...Little Ryoko."
Outside the door, Lex and Jett stood leaning against the wall. Lex shifted her weight, readjusting her position to accommodate the furry brown creature in her hands and peered at Jett.
"Boy...I'm glad that, that is finally over and done with, aren't you, Tenchi?" Lex asked slyly.
Tenchi's brown eyes twinkled as he leaned over and scratched Ryo-Ohki's ear. "Yeah. I sure am....Sasami."
* * *
"Would you stop fidgeting, worm!" Washu scolded.
There was a snort from another person as they said, "Well, I'm sorry. This isn't the best feeling in the world, ya know."
Washu frowned. "I know. I know all too well, Ryoko. Believe me."
"Who said I didn't believe you?" Ryoko challenged teasingly.
Washu sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's see here...."
"So, how bad is it?" Ryoko asked calmly.
"Well, it's certainly infected. And it'll leave a scar, because...well you know. Time and care will heal it but you should still take it easy for a while. Okay?" Washu asked motherly.
Ryoko nodded. "Whatever you say, mom." She winced slightly as Washu applied a little pressure to her shoulder.
"Sorry." Washu apologized.
Ryoko nodded. "S' alright."
Washu gently wiped a warm, wet cloth across the woman's skin. "He really did a number on you, didn't he?"
Ryoko looked back to see an ugly black bruise forming around two indention's that resembled teeth marks. She smiled. "Yeah. But, this can't compare to the ones I left him that one night...the bastard." She chuckled.
"Ryoko!" Washu chided, her face a little pale.
"WHAT?! I was being serious. It was funny though, when he explained to the doctor just how those teeth marks had gotten there. I've never seen anyone blush like that doctor did." Ryoko remarked.
Washu smirked. "Not even Tenchi?"
Ryoko considered it a moment. "Frankly, Tenchi could never compare to Clayton. There were certain things that Clayton had that surpassed Tenchi on any standards. One being his...uh, equipment."
Washu started coughing. Ryoko turned around and gently patted her back. "Hey- you okay in there, Washu?" She teased.
Washu frowned. "Ry...Ryoko. I really wish that you wouldn't go into your personal life with me. Especially with something like that!"
Ryoko cocked her head. "Amazing." She mumbled.
"What?" Washu questioned seriously.
Ryoko giggled. "That by being out of your reach of brain busting, you finally grew up. I mean, for the four years we lived under Tenchi's roof, you did nothing but pester me and make your way into my mind to read my thoughts. Now, that I am here and telling you this stuff, you have no desire to know."
Washu rubbed her chin. "Truthfully, I never cared about your personal life anyway. I only did it because you looked so 'cute' when you were angry!"
Ryoko glared at her. "That better be a joke."
Washu smiled. And shook her head no. "Ummm, nope. It wasn't a joke at all." She answered in a high pitched voice that sounded way to similar to a certain butter-fingered detective that Ryoko knew so well.
Ryoko groaned. "Damn you, Washu. All that time you pissed me off, you did it only because you thought it was funny?"
Washu sniffed. "Don't you talk to me in that tone of voice, young lady." She chastised. "And besides, what was the reason you pestered Tenchi, in the nude? Or tried seducing him? And even managing to get into his pants while he slept?"
From the living room they heard a shout that sounded like, "SHE DID WHAT?!" Tenchi's voice echoed through the house and soon they heard the hobbled footsteps of one angry Jurain. Tenchi was beet red as he stared Ryoko down.
"Ryoko! How could you think of even...." He trailed off as he saw Washu's expression.
"Washu, I swear I knew nothing about that. Nothing happened, I'm sure. You know Ryoko...and how she is." Tenchi mumbled.
Ryoko winked at him. "Oh...the fun you missed that night, Tenchi!"
Tenchi paled. "If you will excuse me now, I think I'm going to be sick." He hobbled from the kitchen with his hand covering his mouth and streaked straight for the bathroom passing Sasami on the way.
"Tenchi?" Sasami asked quietly as he ran passed her. She quirked an eyebrow and entered the kitchen where she heard Ryoko doubled over with fits of laughter.
"What's wrong with Tenchi?" Sasami questioned sincerely. Her question sent Washu and Ryoko both out for the count with giggles. Sasami cocked her head. "What's so funny, you two?" She asked firmly.
Washu held a hand up. "Nothing....too important."
"Hey! That night was important to ME!" Ryoko protested.
Sasami sighed and decided to sit down when she knew she wasn't going to get a straightforward answer. She skimmed the kitchen and then suddenly frowned. "Eww, Ryoko. That looks really bad. Why didn't you have it looked at before?"
Ryoko shrugged. "It wasn't bothering me before. So why waste my time."
Washu grimaced as she heard a sound of retching coming from the downstairs bathroom. "Sasami, could you finish cleaning and bandaging this for me? I think I better go check on our Rip Van Winkle." She got up, tossed the rag to Sasami and then winked at Ryoko as she left.
Ryoko fell over laughing again. When she finally calmed down enough to sit back up, she had tears running from her golden eyes. She wiped them away quietly and allowed Sasami to finish Washu's job.
"So, what were you two laughing at?" Sasami tried again.
Ryoko sighed. After a while she looked up. "I'm sorry....did you just ask me something?"
Sasami wrinkled her nose. "No. I don't want to know what your answer would have been anyway."
Ryoko turned back around and sniffed. Sasami noticed streaks on her face and realized that Ryoko was still crying, except her tears were not from laughing so hard.
"Ryoko, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" The young woman asked worriedly.
Ryoko groaned and wiped the tears away. "Nothing. I'm fine."
"Tell me, please. We're friends, Ryoko. We used to tell each other stuff all the time. Stuff that I didn't even tell Ayeka and you didn't tell Tenchi." Sasami pointed out gruffly.
Ryoko crossed her arms. "Damn." She muttered. "I just don't feel well, Sasami. That's all."
"What hurts?" Sasami asked in a flat voice.
Ryoko tried to keep herself from laughing knowing that if she did, then the pain would return to her stomach. "It's just a stomach cramp. Nothing to worry about."
Sasami eyed her and opened her mouth to say something but Ryoko quickly snapped a hand over her mouth. "Don't even say it. It's not the right month. Sorry."
Sasami nodded. "Then maybe you ate something that is disagreeing with you?"
"No. I haven't eaten anything in three days, remember?" Ryoko asked uneasily. "Maybe I caught the flu or something. I'll take some medicine for it if it gets really bad."
Sasami hung her head as she applied a bandage to Clayton's teeth mark that marred Ryoko's smooth flesh. "Shouldn't you tell Washu? Maybe she can help you to feel better."
"Sasami, would you listen to yourself. You're what....20...21. Do you still rely on your mother to take care of you when you're sick?" Ryoko asked incredulously.
"If she were around, yes." Sasami answered harshly.
Ryoko sighed. "Sasami, look. I have a son of my own. It's my duty to take care of him because he can't take care of himself. I can take care of myself. I don't need Washu watching out for me, especially when I over 2,000 years old. I'm well qualified to skip the sick daughter-healing mother routine."
"Is that so....Ryoko?" Sasami inquired. "Because, if you didn't need Washu, then why am I doing this? Why was she doing this? And, why did she even bother helping you when you got yourself kidnapped, injured and into trouble, huh?"
Ryoko froze. The princess was right. But, Ryoko had her responsibilities, and her pride. "....I still don't need her to keep watch over me because of some tiny flu bug. I can handle a minor health deplete like the flu. Okay?" Ryoko stated in an angered and questioning tone.
Sasami dropped the rag and stood up. "Alright, then. God, you don't have to be so crabby...." She glared at her. "I don't like who you've become Ryoko and you haven't changed much over the past eleven years. You still won't admit defeat or ask for help. You're still the same stuck up old.....bitch!"
Sasami ran from the room nearly knocking Washu over in the process. Washu tilted her head and watched the young woman leave the house. When she entered the kitchen, she saw Ryoko, painfully reaching back trying to finish putting on the bandage Sasami had forgotten.
Washu sighed and walked over to her. Placing her hand on Ryoko's she said, "Here, why don't you let me do that."
Ryoko snorted. "I don't need your help. I can do it on my own, just fine."
Washu stepped back. This attitude certainly was different from the one she had had only moments ago. Washu quirked an eyebrow. "Okay. If you can do it yourself, then you may. Besides, it's not like you need anyone's help no matter what circumstances you are in, hmm?"
Ryoko bit her tongue to keep from saying something rash. "Like I said, I can handle myself on my own. I don't need your pity or theirs. I can get by without any help..." Ryoko cut herself off as she let the tears fall. "I don't need....I don't need any help." She argued again.
Washu frowned but backed off. Ryoko finally threw the bandage to the floor and stood up angrily. "Just....leave me alone!" Ryoko shouted as she moved past Washu.
Washu stuck her arm out keeping her daughter from going anywhere. "Sorry. You can't go anywhere until you put that bandage on. You said you could do it by yourself....now do it."
Ryoko looked stricken. "What?!"
"You heard me. If you're going to act this way now, then you best act this way properly. Do not be a coward, Ryoko. Finish what you claim you can do. I didn't give birth to some chicken shit like yourself. My daughter was strong....headfast and determined. She never gave up." Washu reprimanded.
Her words stung Ryoko's heart and she felt her tears rising again. "How... could you say something like that? I thought that...you loved me?"
Washu scoffed. "Don't get me wrong...I love you, by all means. But...." She paused and placed her hands on Ryoko's shoulders. "Ryoko, we are only trying to help you in your time of need. If you feel that you don't need our help, then say so. But, don't say it and then not do something about it."
Ryoko took a deep breath as Washu's lesson surfaced in Ryoko's mind. She nodded and turned to pick the bandage up.
She regarded the bandage in her hands and cut her eyes back to the wound on her shoulder. Ryoko sighed in defeat as she handed the bandage to her mother and turned around, her back facing the older woman.
"What are you doing?" Washu asked with fake puzzlement.
Ryoko's eyes bulged. "Showing you that I'd appreciate it if you put the bandage on."
Washu chuckled and handed the bandage back to Ryoko. "No."
Ryoko spun around. "But...I..."
Washu shook her finger in her daughter's face. "You made claim that you didn't need anyone's help. Especially mine."
Ryoko turned white. "You heard my conversation with Sasami, didn't you?"
Washu nodded. "I have good hearing. Have you forgotten where you got your keen sense of hearing? You don't want the help, you don't ask for the help. You despise and loath the help...so why give you something you hate so much?"
Ryoko fought back tears from her mother's harsh actions. She held her peace for a few minutes before gazing into Washu's deep green eyes. "I understand what you're saying, and I'm sorry. I didn't look at it from that perspective." She apologized.
"I know that you're smart enough to grasp the concept of things, Ryoko. But, hell....do you have to be so damn obstinate all the time. We are your family whether you like it or not, and we'll always be there to help you... should you ask for it or should you need us." Washu explained softly.
Ryoko closed her eyes and hung her head. After a long period of silence, she asked through her tears. "Do you think that you could help me with this, please....mom?"
Washu stared at her for a good while before taking the bandage from her daughter's quivering hand. "Turn around."
Ryoko did as she was told and turned her back to her mother.
A thought crossed her mind and Ryoko shuddered. "Sasami is right. I'm just a stuck up old bitch."
"That's not entirely true. Only about 99.9 percent of the time." Washu stated receiving a grimace from Ryoko. She continued. "But, you deserved what was coming to you, even if it was from her. She's grown up, Ryoko and she doesn't take all the shit anymore. She learned from the best."
Ryoko smiled as she whispered, "I always did hate your little lessons in 'tough love', you know that?"
Washu snorted. "I always hated having to give them. You were a good kid, Ryoko, but at times you just needed reminding and a stern hand. I can remember many times that I sent you, as a sniffling child, to your room for misbehaving and you always went with a smile..." Washu trailed off.
She chuckled and picked up where she had left off. "And a hand massaging your butt from where I tanned your hide. But, I never stopped loving you, and you always used to tell me 'thank you' before retreating to your room to carefully examine the damage done to your precious bottom."
Ryoko couldn't help but laugh. "Well, in that case, thank you. One, for the lesson. Two, for not making me run to the bathroom in embarrassment to stare at my ass and the damage you had done."
Washu nodded. "Anytime." She commented. "Now, about you not wanting to tell me that you weren't feeling well...."
* * *
Ryoko lounged on the couch while watching television. Zack's head was laid gently on her chest as he laid spread eagle on top of her. She ran her fingers through his hair and sighed. 'Poor kid.' She thought as she shifted her position to one more comfortable.
Zack stirred but never woke up. Ryoko let her breath out slowly and turned to face the t.v. screen. The evening news was on and she was interested in the reports they'd show from last week's events. For everyday after the hospital incident, they had followed up on the case.
Ryoko saw it as a waste of time because the reporters really had no clue as to what was going on. She smirked. 'How ironic.' She told herself. 'That my ten year old son knows more about what's been going on than those damned reporters.' Ryoko stopped and frowned. Staring at Zack she sighed.
"And I wish he didn't." She mumbled as watched him sleep.
Subjecting a ten-year-old to the things that he had been exposed to could literally traumatize a child so young. However, Zack proved that he was not like most kids his age. He had held his head and accepted the things going on around him. Like that morning, for instance.
~ * ~
After having a long night, and sleepless hours, both Ryoko and Washu went to the kitchen to talk. Ryoko fixed the tea this time to be on the safe side, and soon both mother and daughter were lost in either their thoughts or one-sided conversations. Needless to say, it hadn't gone as Ryoko had so hoped.
The hours passed by so quickly, and both women were surprised when Zack strode into the kitchen, already dressed for school. He waved and cheerfully said, "Morning mom. Jess." Ryoko mumbled a good morning while Washu sat there dazed. It wasn't until had Zack had sat down that it hit Ryoko.
She stared at her mother and then at her son and blinked two times. "Zack?"
Zack turned to gaze at his mother, a smile on his face. "Yes?" He squeaked.
Ryoko tilted his chin up and looked him over. "You....know who I am?"
"Why wouldn't I know my own mother? Who wouldn't in fact....?" Zack said thoughtfully.
Washu snorted. Waving her hand in a careless motion at Ryoko she stated, "She didn't?"
Both mother and son turned to Washu. "Why would that be....?" Zack questioned carefully as Washu closed her eyes.
Washu shrugged and peered through one opened at her daughter. Ryoko cleared her throat.
"Um, Zack....you know who I am. I am different now.....does that not bother you?" Ryoko inquired.
"No. I know that you look way different from your usual self, but you're still you inside. That doesn't change. I liked the way you were..." Zack paused when he saw his mother frown. "But, I love the way you are. Either is fine with me...."
Ryoko nodded. "Thank you. But, just between us....I liked the first better."
"I heard that missy." Washu scolded.
Ryoko sniffed. "Zack....do you know who she is?" She asked tenderly.
Zack gave a quick nod. "Jess? First Division Agent Jessie Bartow, of the Tokyo Secret Service, level 1 grade 10. Who doesn't know who she is? I did some research on all three of them and you'd be quite surprised as to how popular and world known that they are, mom."
Ryoko stared at Washu. "Is that so?"
Washu sighed in defeat. "Yes. For the past ten years, Sasami and I have been working together under those identities for the TSS. It started out with just Sasami, that was what she went on to do after graduation. One day she came to me crying, they had a case of a missing child and...." Washu froze.
"And what?" Zack urged tenderly.
Washu smiled sadly. "Reports said that the child had been murdered, but, you know Sasami...she said it wasn't true that the little girl was alive. Only, she couldn't get Tsunami to help her, because Tsunami said it wasn't her place. So, Sasami came to me....and I offered to help."
Ryoko stared at her. "What happened?"
Washu sighed. "Apparently, the parents got tired of caring for the child and decided to get rid of her. Well, the child's grandparents made a missing child's report and the TSS investigated. By then, the parents had skipped town to avoid trouble. TSS searched for three months before closing it."
"They closed the case?" Ryoko questioned incredulously.
Washu nodded. "Yes. They said that if they hadn't found her in the three months that she was probably dead by now. Sasami argued and was finally put on probation for her actions. That's when she came to me. We searched for another month before we got a lead on her."
Washu paused and took a sip of her tea. "Two weeks later, Sasami and I were on a plane headed for Italy. The parents gave the girl to some close friends of theirs and they adopted her. They got all the information they needed and changed the girl's name. We managed to get her back."
"Sounds interesting and somehow....unbelievable." Ryoko murmured.
Washu wrinkled her nose. "It was...both. I never thought parents could just give up so easily on their children. But, what bothered me the most about this case was the parents never once regretted their actions or even looked back. To think they just gave her away....disgusts me, greatly."
Ryoko narrowed her eyes at her mother's words. "To think that it disgusts you, disgusts me. I can't believe you feel that way after....after..."
"Ryoko. Please....don't do this. You know that what you're feeling isn't true. I would never leave you....like Zack said, what child could forget their mother, and what mother could betray her child?" Washu insisted.
Ryoko sighed. "You're right....I'm sorry. I was just letting my past get to me."
"I can help with that." Washu offered. "That is....if you want me too."
Ryoko remained quiet.
"Jess...do you remember when you told me that you and my mother didn't get along very well?" Zack asked out of the blue.
Ryoko glared at her mother. "Zack, I said we weren't going to talk about that again. Now, drop it, okay?"
"But...mom..." Zack whined.
"I said NO! End of subject, no more questions. Got it?" Ryoko reprimanded.
Zack nodded. He pushed the plate of cinnamon sugar toast away from him, stood up and left the kitchen.
"Ryoko....I know it's probably not my place, but...." Washu was cut off.
"That's right. It's not your place, not your place at all. He's my son, and if I don't want to tell him, then I won't." Ryoko argued back.
Washu ignored her. "But, I really think that your son should know why we...." Ryoko interrupted her.
"I said no. Forget it, I won't tell him a thing." Ryoko growled.
Again, Wahsu ignored her. "Why we don't get along. He has the right..."
"Damn it.....I said no. He can't know about me, you, them. Every thing. Everything I've worked so hard for will crumble if I tell him. Don't you understand?" Ryoko asked loudly.
Washu stood up and cast a stern glance at her daughter. "He is 'your' son. And whether you'd like to admit it or not, he is my grandson. Ryoko, I want the chance to know your children. Don't shut me out. The others, are optional. But, please, allow me the chance to be in his life."
Ryoko hung her head. "I can't. He's normal. He doesn't know of inhuman powers. He's just a natural human being. Don't you see? I fear for his safety, that's why I can't tell him about his heritage. About, us. I'm sorry....Washu."
Washu sighed. "You may be able to keep me from his life, but, mark my words Ryoko....he'll find a way. They always do. If you keep him in the dark, it'll be your feelings for me in him all over again. Don't make the same mistake I did..."
She started walking out of the room when Ryoko stopped her. "Parents say they try to make their child's life easier so that they don't go through what they went through themselves. And I don't want him to forget me like I forgot you. I...hurt you that way and I would know what it feels like, wouldn't I?"
"If you stay with your choice, it's possible. I don't want you to have to go through what I did, when I lost my son. And you. Reconsider. I don't care if I'm kept on a back burner, but he has the right to know about you. If not anyone else, just you. Tell him Ryoko...before it's too late." Washu pleaded.
Ryoko gripped Wahsu's hand before she had a chance to leave. "I can see the pain you endured for all those years without your son...and I know it hurt. And I'm sure it still does. But, you have to let go. Some point or another, you have to let go."
Washu stared at the floor. "It does still hurt, without him and his father. But, it hurts even more to know that you left me....and you were mine and mine only. There was no man to take you from me because he had a right." Washu explained. "I let go a long time ago...and haven't grabbed hold since. I can't."
Washu unclasped her hand from Ryoko's and turned away from her. Ryoko forced herself to stand through the pain emanating from her side and shoulder.
"Washu.....mother.....I think.....it's for the best.....that Zack.....is told about his heritage. And....I think that.....you should be the one to tell him. You are, after all his.....grandmother, and you know more about it than I do." Ryoko stammered.
Washu gazed at her. "Telling him is not my place.....It's a mother's duty to always tell her child the truth, thus it be about his background, your past or your problems. As mothers....we have to keep our children on the right track, not just point him in the direction and tell him to make his own life."
Ryoko tilted her head. "I see. If I want Zack to be all he can be, I can't hide any fact from his ancestors, family or heritage from him. And if I know my son...he'll eventually come to learn the truth his own way....and that in itself could do more harm than good." Ryoko finished.
Washu nodded. "He deserves to know....just as you did."
Washu gave her daughter one last glance and then left the room and shuffled upstairs. Ryoko sighed and set out to find her son in the unorganized house.
When she found him, he was sitting on the back porch with Lynx in his lap. Ryoko greeted him tenderly and sat beside him.
"Zack. There's something I have to tell you." Ryoko told him shyly.
Zack waited patiently for his mother's confession.
"I haven't been completely honest with you or myself. You see, my real name is Ryoko Hakubi....and Jess is...well....she's my mother.....Washu Hakubi. I...know I should have told you sooner, but....I couldn't. And I'm sorry." Ryoko whispered.
Zack sat up. "You mean, Jess is your mother?"
Ryoko nodded. "Yes....she is."
"Then....that would make her my grandmother...." Zack said blankly.
Ryoko held back tears. "Yes...she is your grandmother....and she loves you very much, and so do I. When she told you that there were problems between us, she meant it. We had major problems, Zack. I used to tell myself that I hated her....and that she never loved me." Ryoko waited for his answer.
When none came, she went on with her story. "When I was child, I was taken from her...and it was many years before I saw her again. I had always thought she had died, or didn't even exist. And then, one day, during a harsh disagreement between an enemy of mine and myself, she showed up."
Zack gave her a confused look.
Ryoko frowned. "The man who took me from my mother...also captured her as well and kept her locked up. We were so close to each other...and yet, so far away. I never knew she was there, until that day she managed to escape. That's when the problems started...."
Zack wrinkled his brow. "Why did the problems start...to begin with?"
"....Because, I forced into a harsh adulthood at the age of six. I...had always been told that my mother never loved me and that she willingly gave me up. Being a child, I believed every lie. So, when we were reunited, I still had the feeling that she hated me...and gave me up. I should have seen the truth."
Ryoko hung her head. "I should have trusted her when she said that she was my mother and that she loved me with all her heart....but, I was a rebel. I believed only what I had been taught...and that was that I had no mother. She and I argued, all the time. She would plead with me, and I pushed her away."
"Were you that stubborn to see the truth in her eyes?" Zack asked carefully.
Ryoko closed her eyes. "Yes, I was. For four years we argued and not once did we try to make up for lost time. Finally, eleven years ago, I got up the courage to leave her and my other friends behind. I came here, fell in love with your father, had you and the rest is history, as they say."
"Dad's history....isn't he? There was no trick involved this time was there?" Zack inquired hesitantly.
Ryoko ran her hand through his hair. "I'm afraid not sweetie. He's gone this time...I'm sorry." She answered while keeping her tears in check.
"Don't be. I'm sorry...because I know just how much he meant to you." Zack said shakily.
"Oh, Zack....I never knew that you felt that way." Ryoko answered. "That's how I felt about my mother too....when she told me about her past. It was sad and hard to listen to it....but, things get better with time."
"Unless of course...you're a banana." Washu's voice chimed.
Zack and Ryoko both turned to see her leaning against the French doors. She held her green eyes on Ryoko who just nodded in return. Finally, Zack stood up and crossed over to her. He gently embraced her waist and hid his face in her abdomen.
"Thank you." Zack's muffled reply echoed.
Washu looked at him. "For what?"
Zack turned his green eyes to Washu and smiled. "For bringing her back. You promised that you'd get her back and that everything would be okay. You were right. You saved her and brought her back...because you love her. I wish you would have told me who you really were."
Washu knelt to face him. "No...I shouldn't have. Telling you would have driven your mother even farther away from me."
Zack nodded. He accepted his heritage passed down to him through Washu and Ryoko....and he was perfectly okay with it.
~ * ~
Ryoko smiled. She had told him everything. And he had supported her through it all. She gently stroked his hair and smiled at the tender memory from that morning. Things had turned out okay, if not for the better.
Ryoko sighed. And then again, maybe she had just made things even worse by telling him. She wasn't sure....she knew that she'd have to hold a little bit longer to find out whether she did the right thing or not.
Closing her eyes, Ryoko tried drifting to sleep. There was a loud ringing noise that caused her to jump, her movement jostling Zack. She finally registered the phone as making the noise and eased Zack onto the couch. She ran for the phone and snatched the receiver up.
"Hello?" She asked breathlessly.
There was silence and then, "Ryoko....."
Ryoko flinched. "Pierce." She growled. "What in the hell do you want?"
Pierce's voice held malice. "....I have a little surprise for you, my Ryoko."
Ryoko was about to protest to her being his when a frantic voice came on the line. "Ryoko! Ryoko.....help me, please....ple..mfhghpm..."
"SASAMI?! SASAMI?! PIERCE? WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?" Ryoko screamed angrily.
Pierce laughed. "If you want her back, meet me by landing near East River Park by midnight. Come alone....."
Ryoko's face screwed up. "Pierce! Damn you, if you lay a hand on her, I swe..." Ryoko's threat was met by the advice, 'If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and dial again.'
"DAMMIT!" Ryoko cursed. She threw the phone against the wall, the cordless hand-piece breaking from the impact.
"Mom?" Zack squeaked, his eye wide with fear from his mother's actions.
Ryoko frowned. Tears welled up in her fear and grief filled golden eyes as she sunk to her knees, her face in her hands and her body being wracked by gut wrenching sobs.
"MOM?! ARE YOU OKAY?! WHAT'S WRONG? MOTHER?" Zack shouted as Ryoko hit the floor.
From upstairs, Washu had been tending to Tenchi's broken ankle when she heard the screaming. Splinting Tenchi's ankle, they both ran down the stairs to find Zack huddled over Ryoko's still form lying on the carpeted living room floor.
"RYOKO!" Washu cried as she raced to her daughter's side. Washu gently picked her daughter's head up into her lap and brushed cyan bangs from her face. "Ryoko?!"
Ryoko's eyes opened. "It's all my fault. If only I hadn't got mad at her, then this wouldn't have happened."
"What? What happened?" Washu questioned impatiently.
Ryoko shuddered. "He's got her.....mom. Pierce has Sasami..."
"WHAT?! But how?"
"She never came home when she left this morning. I just thought she needed time alone. But, he's got her. If I want to save her....I have to meet him at East River Park by 12, or he'll kill her." Ryoko explained as she sat up.
Washu rubbed her chin. "Then we're going to be paying him a little visit. He's done crossed the line, and now its time for him to realize exactly who he's been messing with." Washu's grinned evilly.
Ryoko pulled away with wide eyes. "I'd hate to be Pierce when it comes time for him to hand over Sasami and admit defeat."
Washu stood up. "Or when we kick his ass for thinking he can take Sasami hostage. Good thing Ayeka isn't here."
Ryoko tried not to laugh as she stood up, but failed in her attempt. She got herself under control and turned to Zack.
"Zack." Ryoko started firmly. "I want you to stay here with Tenchi. Am I understood?"
The young boy frowned but nodded. "Understood, ma'am."
"And that goes double for you Tenchi." Ryoko huffed as she grabbed a jacket from the coat rack.
Tenchi settled his feet on the living room floor. "As if you haven't noticed, Ryoko. I can't go anywhere like this." He pointed to the cast on his ankle.
Ryoko grinned. "I know. That's why I made you babysitter."
Tenchi groaned. "Ohh, I knew it."
Ryoko and Washu gathered what they would need and quickly left the house. Ryoko unlocked her car and slid in as Washu slid in next to her.
"Do you know where we are going?" Washu asked casually.
Ryoko snorted. "Mom, please. I've lived in New York City for eleven years now. Why wouldn't I know where I am going?"
Washu buckled in her seat belt. "Before coming to New York, you didn't have a clue as to what direction you were going in."
Ryoko sighed. "Things are different now. I have a better sense of who I am and what I'm to do with my life." Ryoko gazed at her mother. "And that's to help people."
Washu nodded. "It's a good direction indeed."
Ryoko agreed and sped off towards the Park.
* * *
Pierce paced in circles around Sasami. Her auburn hair whipped around her face with the breeze causing her to shiver.
"Cold?" Pierce asked teasingly. Sasami glared at him.
Pierce knelt beside her. "Tell me, my dear Alex Keaton....you have known my Riley for a long time, have you not? It seems to me that you, Riley and your other two partners all know each other. How is that possible?"
Sasami turned her face from him. Pierce grinned. "I see. That is a yes, then. No?"
Sasami remained silent as Pierce laughed heartily. He stood up and cracked his knuckles. Looking at his watch, he sighed. "Ten minutes. Your entire future relies on your friends and whether or not they get here in time."
From behind Sasami, two headlights filtering light from the high beams sped towards Pierce and his hostage. Pierce shielded his eyes for a brief second, the car looming upon them. Sasami stayed calm as Pierce dove out of the way just as the car passed right through him.
Sasami never flinched. Being tied to Tsunami, she saw through the disguise of the hologram of Ryoko's car. Pierce looked around frantically. His eyes flashed with anger as he realized he had been tricked. Picking himself up, he searched the surrounding area for Riley.
Turning his gaze from Sasami, he saw a figure running to him, a gun in their hands. Pierce aimed his gun and squeezed the trigger. Sasami's muffled scream was all Pierce could hear as the bullet passed right through an illusion of Riley causing it to vanish.
"Damn." Pierce cursed. He spun around at the sound of laughter from the tree line.
"Oh dear, dear Pierce. Have you not learned the lesson of your actions when you double cross me?" Riley's voice floated to him.
"Riley? Come out you cowering bitch. I know you're here somewhere. Come out and face me like the agent you are." Pierce demanded.
Riley giggled again. "My, such a temper. I have two words of advice for you." Riley proclaimed. "Anger Management."
Pierce growled angrily. "Face me demon woman. How could such a coward as yourself be the TSF's top agent? You're are nothing but a sniveling, two timing, bitch."
There was a cry of rage as something struck Pierce from behind. He landed on the ground rather hardly and looked up to see Riley standing over him. "Say that to my face, traitorous bastard."
Pierce gave her a menacing smile. "Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head. I will tell you exactly what I think of you, and I'll tell you up close." Pierce rolled over and brought his hand up, the gun in his grasp. He pulled his trigger and nothing happened.
Riley smirked. "It seems that your bullet was a dud." She commented as Pierce tossed the bad gun to the side.
Pierce backed up as he kept his eyes on the woman advancing on him. As Riley stepped into the light, Sasami noticed something different about her.
'Green eyes?' The young woman pondered. 'Riley had blue and Ryoko had golden colored irises. So who is....oh my god! Washu!' Sasami identified the mystery Riley with horror. If that was Washu, then where was Ryoko. From the corner of her hazel eyes, Sasami saw movement in the shadows.
'Ryoko.' Sasami breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the figure dart along the tree line silently and cautiously. She was going to sneak up behind Pierce and disarm him or take him out, either one. Sasami remained impassive as Pierce passed her, a frown playing on his features.
Without warning, Ryoko tackled Pierce with all her might. She drug him to the ground and landed a punch to his gut rendering him breathless. As Pierce gulped for air, Washu untied Sasami and checked her over for any injuries. Ryoko stood watch over Pierce, her golden eyes burning with hate.
"How dare you try to harm my family, or myself for that matter. I can't believe that you were behind this the entire time...I trusted you. And you betrayed me, just like Clayton. Only, Clayton had enough sense to apologize and explain his motives. You? You are nothing but trash." Ryoko growled.
Pierce looked her up and down. Her hair was spiked in various directions and her small feline eyes were of pure yellow coloring. However, her voice sounded so much like the voice of Riley, but Riley stood over near her young friend, Lex. Pierce studied each of them closely.
Ryoko turned to Sasami, a worried look plastered on her face. "Are you alright? He didn't....make any moves on you, did he?"
Sasami tilted her head. "Moves?" She asked shakily.
"Nevermind. I wouldn't put it past him to have slept with other woman while..." Ryoko paused and her face scrunched up in pain and resentment.
Washu's green eyes widened at the tone in Ryoko's voice. "He didn't?" She asked worriedly.
Ryoko glared at the ground. "That's not important right now. We should go ahead and restrain him and take him in. He's making me sick just thinking about him." Ryoko turned sideways, her eyes closed tightly.
Washu moved to her daughter, the fear and hatred in her eyes and expression. She sulked over to Ryoko, her face drawn into tight remorse. Just as Washu was about to morph into her adult form, Pierce made a move.
Pulling a dagger from his shoe, he threw it forcefully in Riley's direction. Ryoko caught the gleam of the blade in the lamplight and cried out. "MOM!"
Washu turned just in time to see the blade glisten under the light, the blade mere inches from her chest. She felt the impact and then felt herself being driven backwards, a heavy weight causing her to lose her balance. Through the haze of it all, she heard Sasami's shout of terror. "RYOKO! NO!"
Washu focused her vision to see the limp body of Ryoko laying over her. She felt her anger rise as she unleashed an ear piercing scream. Pierce had taken advantage of the situation and started his escape. Washu let her anger build. Pierce never saw what was coming.
Washu vented her anger and sadness into an energy blast and fired it in Pierce's direction. Pierce turned around and for a split second, saw the beginning of his death. The blast connected with his chest and knocked him back, his body tumbling nearly ten feet before striking a lamppost.
He struck the pole hard, his middle back taking most of the hit. There was a sickening 'crack' as his head snapped back, his neck breaking, severing the spine and nerves in half. From her spot ten feet away, Washu heard a low gurgling noise and then saw Pierce's body convulse once and go limp.
He was dead. Sighing with relief, she rolled Ryoko over onto her back. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and a red spot had begun to form at the base of her neck. Fearing that Ryoko had taken the dagger to the back of the neck, Washu quickly felt the nape of her daughter's neck.
Nothing. Washu panicked with the anxiety that the dagger had struck her somewhere else and she hurriedly began checking her for any signs of blood or wounds. It was then that Sasami called her name, her voice full of happiness. "Washu....look."
Washu glanced in the young woman's direction and gasped. In Sasami's hand, was an ivory handled dagger. With close scrutiny, Washu saw the faintest hue of red on the tip of the blade along with dirt and grass. Reinstating her search on Ryoko's body, she heard a hiss and then a sigh.
Ryoko's eyes fluttered open, her golden irises glazed with tears. "Mom?" She rasped hoarsely. Washu stroked her cheek. "I'm here, Ryoko. You're going to be fine."
"Pierce?" Ryoko questioned hesitantly.
Washu closed her eyes. "....Dead. He's dead, Ryoko. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize for him. Be sorry for Clayton. Have pity on the man who really harbored feelings for me. Pierce was just using me. Clayton....loved me for who I was." Ryoko whispered.
Washu frowned. "But, Ryoko....Clayton abused you. How could you say something like that?"
Ryoko chuckled. "Perhaps, but what you don't know is this. When he got in one of his moods and started swinging, I'd be damned if I didn't swing back. More times than not, he came out of his mood with a busted lip or a black eye."
"I'm glad that you took a stand for what you felt was right." Washu said, her voice betraying her a she kept her tears back.
Ryoko closed her eyes. "I'm sure going to miss....him."
Washu nodded. "Ryoko....I know that the pain is terrible, but you are a Hakubi. You can endure the pain your heart puts you through and survive to live another romance. You're strong and wise...and you don't take any crap from anyone."
Ryoko smiled. "I see pride. I see power. I see a bad ass mother, who don't take no crap from no one."
Washu chuckled as did Sasami. "That's my Ryoko." Washu stated sadly. "Can you sit up?"
Ryoko nodded and pushed herself up wincing as she did. "Ow, shit." Ryoko drew a hand to her neck. Pulling it back, she saw the smallest trace of blood on her fingertips and groaned. "Damn, why am I always the one to get the shitty end of the deal?"
Washu examined her neck and smiled. "Oh, you're fine. It's just a scratch. It looks like the blade nicked you leaving a tiny cut. It'll heal in a day or two."
Ryoko sniffed. "But, hey- I don't feel so bad knowing that I wasn't the only one who got the prize. It seems you have a pretty number yourself." Ryoko pointed out as she lightly touched Washu's right cheek. Washu seethed and reeled back. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Washu cried.
Ryoko laughed and slowly stood up. Offering Washu a hand, she looked back to see Pierce's body wrapped around the lamppost. She grimaced at the sight and turned back to Washu.
"What should we do with his body?" Sasami voiced the question.
Ryoko frowned. "Leave it."
"WHAT?!" Washu and Sasami asked in unison.
"Leave IT!" Ryoko repeated. "Someone will find him and call the cops. I want nothing more to do with him, even if he is dead. It's going to be hard enough to know that part of him will live on through our....baby. But, I'm going to try hard to forget about him."
"BABY?!" Sasami asked incredulously. "You got pregnant by him?!"
Ryoko narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Shut-up."
Sasami recoiled at Ryoko's hostility. Washu sighed and embraced her daughter. "Shh, it'll be okay. You won't have to raise it on your own, ya know. You have me...and the others."
Ryoko pushed her away. "That's not the point."
"Then what is?" Washu inquired.
Ryoko hung her head. "That this child is his. Part of him lives on in me. That bastard....he tricked me into thinking that he really loved me. The hardest part of it though, is not being able to remember what happened between us that night. It's all fuzzy, but because I thought he loved me, I never questioned it."
Washu was stricken with horror and Sasami was speechless. "He...drugged you, didn't he?" Washu quizzed tenderly.
Ryoko placed a hand on the side of her face. "I....I believe so....yes. He acted as if nothing had happened and he seemed to be his normal cheery self. It was all an act. A cover-up for his real plan. He was behind it all. Clayton's first death, his second, my pregnancy, my downfall. And almost, my death."
Ryoko chewed her bottom lip. "But, like you said. I'm strong and I'll overcome this. I have to....for my sake, Zack's and this baby's. If I can raise Zack on my own without any problems, then I have confidence that I can be successful with this little one too." Ryoko exclaimed softly.
Sasami lightly gripped Ryoko's arm. "And, we'll be by your side every step of the way, Ryoko. We want to help you because we love you very much. We're your family....and we'll support you no matter what."
Washu agreed with a silent nod. Ryoko shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Sasami. While I appreciate your offer and the support of the others, I...this is something I have to do on my own. By myself. You don't belong here...none of you do. And....this is my home now." Ryoko announced.
"So, what are you saying, Little Ryoko?" Washu asked, her heart beating wildly and her body trembling.
Ryoko turned her back to them. "Don't take it to heart the wrong way...but, go home. Please. I'm happy where I'm at. I have a life, a good job, a loving son and another child on the way. I'm an independent mother. This is something you have to let me do alone. Please understand...."
Ryoko paused. "I don't....need your help. And, I know that everyone will always be behind me one hundred percent of the way...but, this isn't one of the times I need the support. Save it for the day I am dying. The day my children will need guidance that I can not give. The day, I ask for help."
Sasami was sobbing and Washu's eyes were welling up with her own salt tears. "Ryoko....please don't push us away. We finally found you after all these years and we weren't even looking for you. Now you're making us forget about you?" Washu pondered breathlessly.
"No!" Ryoko protested. "I will never forget about you, or the others. Nor will I forget about my first home and family after I was set free. There's no chance in hell that all of you will just forget about me, even if we try...we can't forget the ones who truly love us for who we are."
"So...what you are saying is that...you don't need us. You just want us to leave and return to our lives as if nothing happened?" Sasami shouted.
Ryoko closed her eyes. "Please....it was nice seeing you three again...but, go home. Don't make this any harder than it already is. I just want to live a normal, happy and successful life with my children. Is that so hard to ask, or is it too much to ask for?" Ryoko wondered, her voice low and shaky.
When she heard no answer, she started in the direction of her car. As she was about to vanish into the thick fog that had rolled in from the river, Washu called out to her, the pain, sadness and forgiveness in her voice.
"Ryoko.....I love you.....and I'm.........sorry." Washu apologized.
From the gray mist came the heartfelt reply of Ryoko, her voice clearly portraying the tears in her eyes and the hurt in her tone. "So am I. So am I."
Ryoko knew she had crossed over the edge of reality and wishing as she left her mother and friend behind. With her words drifting away on the rolling fog, Ryoko disappeared into the night....