Chapter 8
Step by Step
When I entered the house after visiting Grandpa, I took a moment to think about everything I needed to do. All my life I'd grown up knowing that some day my grandpa would be gone and I would carry on his work. But being alone there, the reality hit. It was mine. The house, the temple, the acres of land it all sat on, all of it belonged to me and I was now forced to go about figuring out how to make it so.
The first thing I did was clean. Although Andrew had done an excellent job in keeping it tidy, I could do nothing until it was spotless. It was a wonderful task, allowing me to reacquaint myself with it's various nooks and crannies and to relive memories of growing up. Most of all it was therapy, a symbolic way of getting rid of all the negative energies that had swirled around me for the past several years. It was a healing process, a rebirth of my own.
I made plans to hire a groundskeeper and place an add in the local paper to make local patrons aware that the Temple was reopen. I restocked various charms and relit the sacred fire. Once the business end was taken care of, I began to unpack.
I moved everything to my large bedroom, the master suite of the house. When I was younger, after my mother died and my father brought me to the temple, Grandpa had insisted on giving me the larger of the bedrooms. He told me with a grin that young ladies took up more space as they got older. Grandpa, a true Shinto priest, had prefered the smaller bedroom sparsely decorated with simple furniture so he could meditate and focus on what needed to be done in the temple without being distracted. As I unpacked, I was thankful for that wise observation. It was traditional in layout as well in design. Just before everything happened, I had redecorated the room. The walls were a dark red, my favorite color, and the floors were the same wood as in the rest of the house. My bed was large and decorated with dark red and gold fabrics and large pillows. I had several water fountains and tons of candles. It was a zen paradise, a place of complete serenity, where I could relax and forget about the rest of the world.
I lit candles when I was through, not thinking of the few hours of daylight still left, and took a few deep breaths as I surveyed my room, examining all the work I'd done in little less than three days. I had worked hard, spending nearly every once of energy I had into restoring the house and temple into a place my father would be proud of and loyal patrons would be comfortable worshiping in. I was home, back to a place where in my darkest hours I never thought I'd ever see again, and the Cherry Hill Temple was mine, finally.
The sliding glass door of the Crown Game Center opened with a pleasant ding and I grinned for a second, remembering the sound from years ago. My grin faded, though, as I recalled the last time I'd been in the cafe'. It was right after the battle in the caverns. Lita had been dead only for a few hours and somehow we'd all found ourselves in the cafe, though we were in such shock that none of us could remember how it was we all got there. Darien had walked off with Andrew after we all refused drinks, explaining, I now realize, what had happened. It was at that moment that Andrew was officially one of us. How quickly he had gone from casual observer to an important member of our group!
Darien had told me that in spite of everything, Andrew had refused to be brainwashed by Malachite and had offered to help Darien out with anything he needed to have taken care of. And that in spite of everything Darien had already requested, had himself volunteered to look after the Temple after my grandfather's death until I came back. This endeared Andrew to me because I knew he was married, busy with his own work at the arcade and cafe' and busy with Sailor business. I knew I owed him a great deal of gratitude.
"Welcome to the Crown Game Center Cafe' - oh!" Andrew stopped when he realized who I was. "Raye."
I smiled. "Hi, Andrew," I said softy.
Andrew quickly took off his apron and came from behind the counter. His arms opened in a friendly gesture and for the moment I had no qualms about wrapping my arms around him in a friendly hug. His arms went around me and tightened for a second, neither of us moving. However, when we broke the hug, the friendliness of it surprised me. Andrew and I had never had much to say to each other in the past, we'd never gotten even close enough to touch. But there was something in the way that he looked at me, something in his eyes that threatened to overwhelm me and I shook myself mentally, knowing that I couldn't be there very long. I had other business to attend to and this was only one step of many to getting my life back.
"I can't believe how grown up you are," Andrew said as he lead me to a booth.
I smiled. "It happens with time. We were gone a long time, you know."
"I know." Andrew nodded. "You're beautiful."
I blushed but didn't comment. Instead I just said what I'd come to say. "I know that you've been looking after my temple for me. I know that it's probably more than doubled the work you've had and that you did it on your own, not because Darien asked to. You've done a lot for us, and even more for me. Thank you."
"Oh Raye, I know you're thankful."
"What about Rita, wasn't she upset that you did so much?"
"Raye, Rita and I divorced. Two years ago this September."
I frowned. "Oh, Andrew, I'm sorry. It's because of us, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. Because after a while, I was working so hard that I didn't have any time for her or our relationship. She wanted children and I didn't. I was too busy that I knew she'd be the one to raise the family. I didn't want to do that to her and I didn't want to bring a child into this world that wouldn't know its father - or would only know me as that guy who works all the time." He reached over and touched my hand. "But I don't regret it. You should know that I didn't do it because I expected it to be easy. I did it because up until that mess had occured, I'd watched you guys from behind my counter coming in every day, first alone before you knew each other and then as a group, and I considered you guys my friends. Darien needed me and you girls needed me and I'm glad I was able to help. The marriage that was sacrificed wasn't as big a sacrifice as would be made if Serena and Darien don't make it to Crystal Tokyo."
I smiled, understanding what he meant. "It's funny how we've all come together because of them."
"Are you glad to be home?"
I fidgeted with a ring on my hand before I spoke. "I liked San Fransisco, it was different. I could be psychic and be different and no one really cared. Being home..well, it's strange. Sometimes I think that everything here has changed but except for a few stores and new people, it hasn't. It's me that's changed. When I walk down the street or am in crowded places, I feel more alone than I ever did before."
"If you need someone to talk to," Andrew said, "I'm here. Now that you guys are back, I can slow down a little and I need the company."
My eyes met his and he grinned. I found myself grinning back and enjoying the way he was looking at me. Maybe coming back wouldn't be so bad after all...
Continued...
AN: Okay, Andrew needs some time here. There are so few stories where he's mentioned at all and most of them aren't in any major corelation to the other characters, except for advising Darien on what to do with Serena and casually through them going to the arcade. I wanted him to have more of a part in this story, the latter chapters anyway, because he HAD been in Japan taking care of things for Darien. And yes, I am hinting at something with Raye..
Step by Step
When I entered the house after visiting Grandpa, I took a moment to think about everything I needed to do. All my life I'd grown up knowing that some day my grandpa would be gone and I would carry on his work. But being alone there, the reality hit. It was mine. The house, the temple, the acres of land it all sat on, all of it belonged to me and I was now forced to go about figuring out how to make it so.
The first thing I did was clean. Although Andrew had done an excellent job in keeping it tidy, I could do nothing until it was spotless. It was a wonderful task, allowing me to reacquaint myself with it's various nooks and crannies and to relive memories of growing up. Most of all it was therapy, a symbolic way of getting rid of all the negative energies that had swirled around me for the past several years. It was a healing process, a rebirth of my own.
I made plans to hire a groundskeeper and place an add in the local paper to make local patrons aware that the Temple was reopen. I restocked various charms and relit the sacred fire. Once the business end was taken care of, I began to unpack.
I moved everything to my large bedroom, the master suite of the house. When I was younger, after my mother died and my father brought me to the temple, Grandpa had insisted on giving me the larger of the bedrooms. He told me with a grin that young ladies took up more space as they got older. Grandpa, a true Shinto priest, had prefered the smaller bedroom sparsely decorated with simple furniture so he could meditate and focus on what needed to be done in the temple without being distracted. As I unpacked, I was thankful for that wise observation. It was traditional in layout as well in design. Just before everything happened, I had redecorated the room. The walls were a dark red, my favorite color, and the floors were the same wood as in the rest of the house. My bed was large and decorated with dark red and gold fabrics and large pillows. I had several water fountains and tons of candles. It was a zen paradise, a place of complete serenity, where I could relax and forget about the rest of the world.
I lit candles when I was through, not thinking of the few hours of daylight still left, and took a few deep breaths as I surveyed my room, examining all the work I'd done in little less than three days. I had worked hard, spending nearly every once of energy I had into restoring the house and temple into a place my father would be proud of and loyal patrons would be comfortable worshiping in. I was home, back to a place where in my darkest hours I never thought I'd ever see again, and the Cherry Hill Temple was mine, finally.
The sliding glass door of the Crown Game Center opened with a pleasant ding and I grinned for a second, remembering the sound from years ago. My grin faded, though, as I recalled the last time I'd been in the cafe'. It was right after the battle in the caverns. Lita had been dead only for a few hours and somehow we'd all found ourselves in the cafe, though we were in such shock that none of us could remember how it was we all got there. Darien had walked off with Andrew after we all refused drinks, explaining, I now realize, what had happened. It was at that moment that Andrew was officially one of us. How quickly he had gone from casual observer to an important member of our group!
Darien had told me that in spite of everything, Andrew had refused to be brainwashed by Malachite and had offered to help Darien out with anything he needed to have taken care of. And that in spite of everything Darien had already requested, had himself volunteered to look after the Temple after my grandfather's death until I came back. This endeared Andrew to me because I knew he was married, busy with his own work at the arcade and cafe' and busy with Sailor business. I knew I owed him a great deal of gratitude.
"Welcome to the Crown Game Center Cafe' - oh!" Andrew stopped when he realized who I was. "Raye."
I smiled. "Hi, Andrew," I said softy.
Andrew quickly took off his apron and came from behind the counter. His arms opened in a friendly gesture and for the moment I had no qualms about wrapping my arms around him in a friendly hug. His arms went around me and tightened for a second, neither of us moving. However, when we broke the hug, the friendliness of it surprised me. Andrew and I had never had much to say to each other in the past, we'd never gotten even close enough to touch. But there was something in the way that he looked at me, something in his eyes that threatened to overwhelm me and I shook myself mentally, knowing that I couldn't be there very long. I had other business to attend to and this was only one step of many to getting my life back.
"I can't believe how grown up you are," Andrew said as he lead me to a booth.
I smiled. "It happens with time. We were gone a long time, you know."
"I know." Andrew nodded. "You're beautiful."
I blushed but didn't comment. Instead I just said what I'd come to say. "I know that you've been looking after my temple for me. I know that it's probably more than doubled the work you've had and that you did it on your own, not because Darien asked to. You've done a lot for us, and even more for me. Thank you."
"Oh Raye, I know you're thankful."
"What about Rita, wasn't she upset that you did so much?"
"Raye, Rita and I divorced. Two years ago this September."
I frowned. "Oh, Andrew, I'm sorry. It's because of us, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. Because after a while, I was working so hard that I didn't have any time for her or our relationship. She wanted children and I didn't. I was too busy that I knew she'd be the one to raise the family. I didn't want to do that to her and I didn't want to bring a child into this world that wouldn't know its father - or would only know me as that guy who works all the time." He reached over and touched my hand. "But I don't regret it. You should know that I didn't do it because I expected it to be easy. I did it because up until that mess had occured, I'd watched you guys from behind my counter coming in every day, first alone before you knew each other and then as a group, and I considered you guys my friends. Darien needed me and you girls needed me and I'm glad I was able to help. The marriage that was sacrificed wasn't as big a sacrifice as would be made if Serena and Darien don't make it to Crystal Tokyo."
I smiled, understanding what he meant. "It's funny how we've all come together because of them."
"Are you glad to be home?"
I fidgeted with a ring on my hand before I spoke. "I liked San Fransisco, it was different. I could be psychic and be different and no one really cared. Being home..well, it's strange. Sometimes I think that everything here has changed but except for a few stores and new people, it hasn't. It's me that's changed. When I walk down the street or am in crowded places, I feel more alone than I ever did before."
"If you need someone to talk to," Andrew said, "I'm here. Now that you guys are back, I can slow down a little and I need the company."
My eyes met his and he grinned. I found myself grinning back and enjoying the way he was looking at me. Maybe coming back wouldn't be so bad after all...
Continued...
AN: Okay, Andrew needs some time here. There are so few stories where he's mentioned at all and most of them aren't in any major corelation to the other characters, except for advising Darien on what to do with Serena and casually through them going to the arcade. I wanted him to have more of a part in this story, the latter chapters anyway, because he HAD been in Japan taking care of things for Darien. And yes, I am hinting at something with Raye..