You guys! You've just given me the highest number of reviews I've ever had here on ff.net! *hugs to all* The only other story that came close was one called "A Spark of Hope" and even then… it was taken away because it was a "real person" fic. boo. So, I would like to thank you all by giving you this extra-long special chapter! Except… it's the last one. *sniff* I know, I know, that's sad, BUT… there IS a sequel! And it will be ALL Takari! Yay! So yeah. Sorry this took so long. And thanks so much for sticking with me!
Together Again: Chapter 7
Surprises
-a few months later (Christmas time)-
"So, you'll be flying in when?" Kari Kamiya confirmed with her son.
"The day after tomorrow, and Hope will be with me," Aaron Kamiya-Takaishi, her son, replied. "She really worked hard for these days off, so you better treasure them."
"Believe me, I will," Kari agreed. "Well, the best to both of you, and I will see you soon."
"Okay, Mom," the voice on the other end assured her. "Take care. I love you, and give my best to Dad."
Kari smiled. "Okay, Aaron. Bye, now."
She put down the phone and sighed. Kari's life was so different now… and a welcome difference at that. It was a few days before Christmas, and the house that she and T.K. Takaishi, her ex-husband and now steady boyfriend, shared, was happily anticipating the holiday, just as they were. She sat down in her favorite comfy recliner and looked around contentedly, wondering how she could have gotten so lucky, after so many mistakes.
"Penny for your thoughts?" a voice whispered on her right side, and she turned and opened her eyes in that direction. T.K. was smiling at her, and Kari leaned in and kissed him. "I was just thinking of how lucky I am to be so happy again, after all the things that I did wrong," she explained.
T.K. sat on the arm of the recliner. "You weren't the only one who did wrong, Kari. It was just as much my fault as it was yours, if not more. So don't keep beating yourself up for it. Besides… we're together again, aren't we?"
She nodded. "Yeah." Kari leaned her head on T.K.'s shoulder and sighed contentedly, breathing in his scent, and wondering just how Fate knew she needed this. She thought back to how it got to be this way…
*Flashback*
"Congratulations, Hope," Michael, Kari's boss, said to her daughter. She had just been signed with Stratus Records, and Kari had never been prouder of her daughter. As Kari hugged Hope, whispering an encouraging "I knew you could do it" into her ear, and proceeded to leave with her, Michael called Kari back. "I have to discuss something with you," he had told her. Kari was concerned, but more curious than anything.
They sat down at the table they had just occupied, and Michael began, "Kari, I've been thinking about starting a new branch of Stratus Records, and I need someone to go start it off for me, and find more fresh talent. Since you've done an excellent job finding new talent—like the young lady we just signed—I want to send you to our new branch."
"Where would it be, sir?" Kari inquired.
"I was thinking Los Angeles. Santa Monica, to be exact. There's lots of fresh faces and talent there, especially along the boardwalks of the beach. It wouldn't be long—just a few months—and you'd probably be back just after New Year's."
Kari nodded. "Santa Monica… is it a nice place?"
Michael smiled. "Oh, it's wonderful. I think you'll love it. Think about it, Kari, and get back to me as soon as you can. I think it'll be perfect for you."
"Okay, Michael. I will."
Imagine Kari's surprise when she realized that T.K. and Hope lived in Santa Monica. Things would work out perfectly—all four of them could go out there and spend time there! But there was one drawback…
"Mom, I'm not going."
This was Aaron. He could be so stubborn sometimes… much like his father.
"I can't! School's starting soon, I have so many friends here, and we can't just sell the apartment. Someone's gotta watch it while you're gone. And it's not like you and Dad are still married—you barely reunited yesterday, remember?"
Kari narrowed her eyes at her son. He had just gone out of line. "Aaron, that was uncalled for. And I'm not just about to leave you here by yourself. You—"
"Mom!" Aaron protested. "I'm eighteen years old, and I practically grew up here in New York. Why shouldn't I?"
Kari sighed and rubbed her temples. She was starting to feel a headache coming on. "Aaron, just go to your room. We'll discuss this later."
"But—"
"Go," Kari commanded, pointing in the direction of Aaron's room. T.K. watched Kari's commanding authority in action. It was times like these that made him wonder why Kari didn't want to be a teacher like she had before. When Aaron had left, Kari collapsed on the couch. "Why does he have to be so difficult sometimes?" she half asked, half yelled in frustration.
"I'll stay," Hope said tentatively. She was sitting in one of the dining room chairs. T.K. and Kari both looked at her in surprise. "Hope? What are you saying?"
"My contract stipulates that I have to stay here for a while anyway, because of all the recording and stuff I have to do. If Aaron doesn't want to go, then I'll stay here with him, and you guys can go back to Santa Monica. It works out fine."
"You know, Aaron did have a point when he said he was eighteen and could take care of himself," T.K. pointed out.
"I know, I know," Kari conceded. "But… I don't know if I can handle being away from him for so long…"
"And besides, I don't know how comfortable I am leaving Hope here with Aaron. I mean, I trust him and everything… I just don't know how she's gonna handle things here," T.K. said.
"Well, listen to this. Why don't we just try it for a few weeks, and if anyone involved doesn't like it, we fix it. It's just really convenient for Mom to go back with you, Dad, and for me to stay here with Aaron. Sure, it may be a bit scary for me, but I'm always up for a good adventure. And I'll probably just be recording anyway." Hope was now standing and facing her parents. "Please, Dad, let me stay. It will give you time to spend with Mom without us kids bothering you," she added, winking.
Her parents blushed pink and T.K. had to smile. Hope always had a way of turning a hard situation into a clear one. "Well…" He looked over at Kari. "What do you think?"
"Me?" T.K. nodded. "Do you think she'll be okay here with Aaron?"
"I… I don't know, T.K., you know her better than I do."
T.K. sat back in deep thought. "If it's only for a few months, I think she'll be fine."
Hope beamed. "Thank you!" She ran and hugged her dad, then turned to Kari. "The only reason why Aaron's so upset is because he just found out that Davis is going back to Japan and Kendall and Kristen have to go with him. It's nothing against you, really, Mom."
"Oh." Kari nodded knowingly at Hope's explanation. "I'll keep that in mind when I talk to him." She then embraced her daughter. "Thank you for letting me go with your father. It means a lot."
"Mom… the only thing I really want that I don't have now is for us to be one, big, happy family. This is only a means to an end."
Kari smiled. "Remind me to tell your dad again how well you turned out."
Hope flushed a bit. "Sure."
*Real time*
-POV: Hope-
"Come on, Aaron, we're going to be late!"
Big brothers. They can be SO annoying at times. I learned that the hard way, now that I have one. For instance, the way that they have to make their hair look perfect. I mean, Aaron spends more time in front of the mirror fixing his hair than I do! And I'm the one who's ending up in all the magazines, TV shows, and pictures (not to sound conceited, but it's true).
"Okay, okay," he grumbled. I shook my head. The only reason he was acting like this was because Kendall left. Aaron's got it bad for her, I know. Too bad they didn't admit their feelings to each other sooner. Kendall's become one of my best friends, and I already knew how she felt about my brother. I had a surprise for him, though, that might make him happy. Now if only he would hurry up… he'd know sooner.
"Aaron… we only have forty-five minutes until our plane takes off!" I yelled.
"What?" He shot into the room, attempting to put on his pants in the process. "Really?"
"No, but at the rate you're moving, it soon will be."
"Give me five minutes."
"Fine."
I paced around the room for about four minutes and thirty seconds, trying to straighten things out. Finally… "Aaron!"
"Okay, okay, I'm here." Aaron appeared in the hallway, poised with his stuff in his hands. I smiled. "Let's go."
After a LOOOONG flight, we finally made it to Los Angeles International Airport. Aaron was looking around in awe as we pushed the cart with our luggage aimlessly around. "It's so… sunny here!"
"I know. Don't you love it?" I was happy to be back home, back where the ocean breezes could tease my hair, where rain is a big deal… I have to admit, I'm a California girl at heart.
"It's really nice," Aaron agreed. Just then, we saw a familiar face waving at us.
"Dad!" Aaron and I both yelled, as we ran over to him, cart and everything. A few people gave us some nasty stares because we almost hit them, but hey, when you live in California, you get that on the road all the time. We chatted a mile a minute with Dad as he loaded our stuff up in the trunk and headed towards home.
As we made the thirty minute trip—with no traffic, miraculously—I kept glancing nervously at the clock. My surprise would be arriving soon, and I didn't want anything going wrong. When we got home, Mom was waiting for us.
"Aaron, Hope, hi!" she said brightly, as we came in. We both gave her big hugs and smiles. "I've missed you guys. But I have to admit, I love it out here."
"Isn't it awesome?" I agreed, as Dad gave her a hug from behind. I smiled. It was good to see Mom and Dad together again, the way they should be.
-POV: the all-knowing narrator (me!)-
As soon as everyone had settled in, Hope called Kari into her room. "Mom, I need to talk to you," she had said.
Kari stepped into her daughter's room—one she hadn't really spent time in—and looked at her questioningly. "Yes?"
"I… can you close the door?" she whispered. "It kinda has to do with my Christmas present for Aaron."
"Okay." Kari slowly shut the door and sat on Hope's bed. "What's up?"
"Well, Kendall's flying in today from Japan. Apparently she convinced her dad to let her study here instead of there. She's gonna be staying here in California… but Aaron doesn't know she's coming. And I know he'll be really happy to see her."
Kari smiled. "Hope, you're so thoughtful. Just like your father."
"Yeah, well… anyway, I need to go get her, 'cause her flight is arriving soon. I just don't want Aaron suspecting anything."
"Okay, well… we'll think of something."
After Kari and Hope had left, citing that they needed to go do something "very important," T.K. approached Aaron.
"Listen, I know that we haven't been as friendly or familiar as your mother and sister have," T.K. began, "but I'd like to change that. I hope that I can start getting to know you a lot better. After all… before this escapade, the last time I saw you was when you were six."
Aaron nodded. "I know. And don't worry, I don't hold contempt for you like most sons usually would. Although I can't say I always thought that. Anyway… I wanted to show you something, though, Dad."
T.K. smiled genuinely, at the sound of his son acknowledging him as his father. "Here." T.K. took an airline ticket from Aaron.
"What's so special about this?" T.K. wondered aloud.
"Look at my name," Aaron directed. T.K. did so… and then gasped. On the boarding pass, Aaron was known as Mr. Kamiya-Takaishi. "Aaron… that means so much to me." He looked up at his son. "I… I don't know what to say. Do I thank you?"
Aaron laughed. "You don't have to. I did it because I knew it was right."
T.K. returned the tickets, still smiling. "Still, though, that just made my whole week." Then T.K. took something from the coffee table. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about this." He handed a thick stack of papers to Aaron. "This is my newest book, and I'm giving it to your mother for Christmas. I need help editing what I have of it. Do you think you can help?"
"Wait a minute… is it done?" Aaron asked.
"Not quite. That kinda goes with my present," T.K. answered mysteriously.
"Oh… okay. Just let me know what I can do to help, and I'll do it."
"Thank you, Aaron."
-Christmas Eve-
"It's been more than a day and I can't believe he still doesn't know you're here," Hope said to Kendall.
The redhead laughed. "Oh well. It just makes the surprise even better." She grinned at Hope and she had to grin back—Kendall's smile was infectious. "Oh, do I have to go hide now? I think it's almost time."
Hope glanced at the clock. "Yeah, you're right." She cracked open her bedroom door and looked down the hall. "Okay, the coast is clear. Follow me." Together, the two girls dashed silently down the hall and down the stairs, where they were going to hide Kendall until Hope revealed their secret—her Christmas present to Aaron.
Kendall patiently waited and listened in on the Takaishi family's gift exchange. She, Kristen, their father, and his new girlfriend, Natalie, had done their own exchange before Kendall left for America, but still she was a bit homesick. Kendall brightened at the thought of seeing Aaron again. At least she'd get to spend Christmas with him.
"Okay, guys, time to open presents!" T.K.'s voice boomed throughout the house. He sat down in front of the glittering tree and started organizing the presents by person.
"I'm ready and waiting," Hope replied, coming out from around the corner. He knew what she was hiding there, and he smiled at her. "This has got to be the best Christmas ever."
"I know what you mean." T.K. got a sad look in his eyes. "But they're going to be leaving soon. This house is going to be so lonely without all of you."
"Don't think about that, T.K.," a voice advised. Kari came in through the balcony doors and rested her hands on T.K.'s shoulders. "Let's just concentrate on the time we have together and make the best of it, okay?"
T.K. nodded. "Where's Aaron?" he asked.
"I don't know. Let me go get him," Hope offered.
Aaron had heard his father calling him down, but he really wasn't in the mood. He thought that coming to see his parents would make him feel better, but it just made him miss her more. He fingered the small, narrow box he had in his hands, wishing he could have given it to her sooner… but she was gone, and there was no way he could ever give it to her now.
A soft knock on the door made him look up. "Aaron? It's Hope. Can you please come down? I want to give you your present," a voice pleaded.
Sighing, Aaron got up. "Okay. Let's go."
Finally, all the presents had been opened, except for two: Hope's to Aaron and T.K.'s to Kari. Aaron took the last package that was addressed to him, felt it in his hands, and contemplated what it would be. Not too sure about it, he ripped open the paper, and then looked it over. It was a framed picture of himself and Kendall, and he felt a bit saddened. "Hope… thank you… but…"
"I know it's hard for you, Aaron," Hope sympathized, "but I thought this would remind you of happier times."
Aaron nodded, holding the picture at arm's length to examine it, see if he could envision it anywhere special in his room. He then thought, "I'll figure it out later," and set it down next to him. When he looked up… Could it be? He did a double take just to make sure. And sure enough, his eyes were not deceiving him.
In the place of where the picture had been, Kendall was standing, with a bright smile. Aaron's smile mirrored hers and he rushed over to her, picking her up and twirling her around in the air before setting her down. "What… how… what are you doing here?" he asked in genuine surprise.
Kendall laughed. "I'm surprised you hadn't noticed me before. Aaron, I've been in your house for two days. Hope picked me up from the airport the day you guys got here."
Aaron turned to look at Hope. "You sure are good with these surprise things, aren't you?"
Hope just shrugged. "Kendall, tell him why you're here."
"Well, for one, I wanted to see you again," Kendall said. "And… I'm going to college here. I've been accepted to UCLA."
"That is so awesome!" Aaron exclaimed as he and Kendall sat down on the couch. "I'm so glad you're here."
"I'm glad to be here, too." They sat there for a moment, just looking into each other's eyes, and T.K. nudged Kari. "Hey, let's go outside and give these two some time, huh?"
Kari nodded, taking her final present—a heavy one—and slipping out to the balcony to open it.
Kari set her present down and put her hands on the railing, admiring the beautiful sunset on the water. The weather was mild—a bit warm for Christmas, even in California, but there was a touch of winter chill in the air. T.K. came from behind her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, making Kari smile. "I love it here," she said. "It's almost like… heaven."
"I love it here, too," T.K. agreed. "But you know what I love even better?"
"What?" Kari turned to face him.
"The fact that you're here with me." He pulled her closer to him and enveloped her in a sweet, yet passionate embrace. After their lips parted, T.K. rested his forehead on Kari's and whispered, "Open your present."
"Okay." She slipped out of his arms and eagerly unwrapped the hefty gift. And then… she blinked.
"T.K., what is this?" she asked.
"It's a book, can't you tell?"
"Yeah…" Kari thumbed through the pages and noticed that towards the end, some were blank. Then she turned to the front and saw the title and the dedication, and she smiled. "What is the book about?"
"Oh... it's about two people who've been through a lot, and it tells the story from when they first meet to… well… it's not exactly done yet," T.K. admitted. "But I'm hoping you can help me with that."
"What…" Kari wasn't following what T.K. was saying.
T.K. took the book from Kari and turned to the inside back cover, where there was a small pocket that Kari hadn't noticed. "Look inside," T.K. urged.
Kari opened the small flap that kept the pocket secure and felt inside… and gasped. She pulled out a strikingly familiar ring and turned to T.K., her eyes wide.
"T.K., is this ring the one I think it is?"
He grinned. "You tell me."
"It… it looks like my engagement ring."
T.K. took the book from Kari and set it down on the translucent table next to him. "Yup. I kept it, after all these years when you threw it at me, and it caused a welt in my forehead that didn't go away for months."
Kari laughed at the memory. "And then I threw the curling iron at you."
"Yup, that one hurt too." T.K. rubbed the spot where he thought the curling iron had hit him—it was a distant memory—and the couple laughed. Then T.K. took the ring from Kari's hand and knelt down before her. "But Kari… these twelve years have taught me so much. We have two beautiful children, great careers, everything anyone could ever ask for… The last time I had this, I threw it all away, never knowing how important you were to me. I've realized that I can't do it alone; I can't live my life without my Light there to guide me. So I ask you again, after I don't know how many years—"
"Seventeen," Kari interrupted T.K.'s speech. Knowing what was coming, happy tears had begun to fall down her face, and she tried in vain to wipe them away. "It's been seventeen years—not that I've been counting or anything."
T.K. smiled, his eyes comforting her and telling her that he really would be there this time, no excuses. "As I was saying, I'm asking you after seventeen—you're sure now?—years, to give me a second chance at this, and let me have a happily ever after. So, Hikari Kamiya, my angel of Light, will you remarry me?" T.K. looked up expectantly at her.
She smiled simply and said, "In my heart we've never been separated… but I'll marry you again, just for the heck of it. And yes, I'm sure it's seventeen years."
T.K. laughed, and put the ring on Kari's finger like he had so many years ago. "Thank you, Kari," he whispered in her ear as they hugged. "I love you."
"I love you too, T.K.," Kari said back. "You are my only Hope."
"Um, Kendall… I have something to ask you. Well, it's more like something I have to tell you," Aaron began, nervously, as he took Kendall's hand into his own.
"What is it?" she asked innocently. Internally, however, her heart was racing.
"I—" Aaron was interrupted by a distinct "Psst!" and he rolled his eyes. "Excuse me." He went around the corner and sure enough, Hope was standing there. "Hope! What are you doing?" he hissed.
"Hey, you can't ask her out without giving her this," Hope defended herself, handing the fuzzy, narrow box to her brother. "Good luck. I'll go away now. I promise."
Aaron tousled Hope's hair and smiled to himself. He resituated himself on the sofa—after hiding the box behind him—and cleared his throat.
"Anyways, as I was saying, I… I've gotten to know you very well over the course of these few months," Aaron began. "And over time, I've enjoyed your company, and, well… when I found out you were moving back to Japan, I was, um… devastated."
Kendall nodded, hope shining in her eyes. "Okay…"
"And… um…" Aaron stammered. Times like these made him flustered, and he hated it. "Now that you're back, I can't pass up this opportunity to tell you this, because I may never get the chance to say it again."
"What is it?" Kendall prodded gently.
"I… oh… here." He thrust the box into her hands and she took it with startled surprise. She slowly opened the box and found a pristine silver bracelet, with silver stars that had a small diamond stud in each one, lingering there. "For me?" she asked.
Aaron nodded. "This… this must have cost a fortune!" Kendall exclaimed.
"Yeah, but you're worth it," Aaron told her. She looked up and saw the way he was looking at her, and decided she had to tell him too. "Aaron… there's something I have to tell you, too. And I think it may be what you're trying to tell me. So I'll just make it easier for both of us."
"Okay," Aaron shifted uneasily.
"I think," Kendall said slowly, trying to ease her own nervousness. "I think I've fallen in love with you."
Aaron just stared at her for a minute, dumbfounded. "Wait… say that again?"
Kendall sighed. "You just have to make this hard for me, don't you?" She repeated, "Aaron… I think I'm in love with you."
This time, he smiled brightly and hugged Kendall. "That's exactly what I was trying to tell you," Aaron admitted. When he pulled away from her, he looked deep into her eyes, and Kendall was amazed at the clarity of those crystal azure eyes that Aaron had acquired from his father. Those two eyes could do wonders to her. "Do me a favor and give me an awesome Christmas present?" he whispered. "Say you'll be my girl, yeah?"
Even now, Kendall's wit got the best of her. "And what if I say no?"
The spark in Aaron's eyes momentarily extinguished. "What?"
"Just kidding." And to prove her point, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
Hope sighed in contentment, sitting on the stairs—her favorite spot in the whole house. Both her parents and Aaron were happy—it was apparent everywhere. When her parents announced they were engaged (again), Hope jumped so high that she nearly hit the ceiling. Aaron was pretty excited too. Now, after all the presents had been opened, and everything had been cleaned up and put away, Hope remained, staring at the top of their Christmas tree. The ornament was a star, and it had brightly shone throughout the twelve years of her knowing it, but for some reason this year, it shone even brighter. And then Hope realized it. It was something her dad had said to her many times: "Without Hope there is no Light, and without Light there is no Hope." Now that Light and Hope had found each other again, the star was able to give off its maximum intensity of light. Hope smiled and said to herself, "Now they're finally together again." And as she got up and went up the rest of the stairs towards her room, she added, "And this time it's for good."
THE END!!!! aww, it's done. Tell me what you think! But don't worry, the sequel IS up (it's called "One Light, One Hope", if you didn't know), and starts exactly where this leaves off. So don't fret. Hope you liked it! Do me a favor and review! And do me another favor—read my story "Someone to Love: Rachel's Story" 'cause I'm proud of it but original fiction doesn't get too many reviews, haha. So be nice and read that for me, yeah? Anyways… that's all folks!