A/N: Okay, this was written while I was suffering through writer's block during Enemies & Allies. Thanks to Azaleafaye's Penitence, I got bit by the A/U bug. But I'm not entirely sure where this fic is going, I want to include as many RK characters as I can, so the updates may be sporadic.
Chapter 1
Oahu, HI
Misao Makimachi gazed at the small envelope taped inside her locker. With a rueful sigh, she pulled it off, pushing back the flap to pull out a simple cream-colored invitation. Her eyes read the black cursive for what seemed to be the hundredth time since she had the invitation a month ago. She hadn't been able to bring its contents to the attention of her guardian. She was afraid to ask him.
"Hi, Misao!" her classmate, a junior at Honolulu High School piped up, dialing the combination of her lock which was next to Misao's.
"Hi, Stella," Misao greeted, smiling.
Her friend glanced at the invitation in her hand. "You haven't asked him yet, have you?"
Misao shook her head. "He's too busy at work…"
"You have to ask him soon," Stella insisted. "You can only RSVP until two weeks before!"
"I know, but…he's got a lot going on right now. Maybe he-"
"You didn't ask him last year, either," Stella pointed out.
"That's because he was in Australia at the time," Misao argued.
"You're just afraid he might say no," Stella replied confidently.
Misao attached the invitation inside her locker door. "What's the point, anyway? Aoshi doesn't even dance. What's the purpose of going to a father-daughter dinner dance if there's no dancing involved?"
"He does so dance. Didn't you tell me last year he went to the Navy ball?" Stella responded.
Misao rolled her eyes. "Navy balls are just ways to look good for your superiors. He hates, really, really, really hates going to those. But if he didn't, he'd be stuck at a desk giving refresher courses in etiquette to junior officers."
"But I thought you told me he got promoted six months ago," Stella responded, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"He did," Misao insisted. "But until he's the president of the United States, he'll always have someone above him…"
**
Several miles off the coast of Waikiki…
Lieutenant Commander Aoshi Shinomori studied the maps on his desk, marking several places with an 'X'.
He had suspected for some time now that several boats, one in particular, were bringing in more than just fish and shrimp to Oahu. But where was the transaction? And how was it executed?
His blue-gray eyes strayed to the small photograph perched beneath his desk lamp. The photo was taken three years ago near Mt. Kilauea on the island of Hawaii. Misao had set up the camera's tripod, set the camera timer, and taken a picture of both of them with the volcano in the background.
Ever since Misao came into his care four years ago, she had developed many interesting hobbies. He suspected it was because of his career. She had practically no company when he would stay late or go overseas for a week or two.
It was difficult being a single parent. Especially with a child at her age. High school was a period of continuous change for girls. He knew that he could never completely relate to her or give her a nurturing mother. While Aoshi had no objections to personal involvement, he took relationships very seriously. And with his line of work, there were women with very little patience for it. So he took care of Misao the best way he could. After all, he had known her since she was a baby. He owed it to her grandfather, the man who made his career in Naval Intelligence, possible. Admiral Makimachi would be proud of his granddaughter, if he was still alive. Aoshi certainly was proud of her, even though he hardly showed it.
A knock came to his office door.
"Enter." He looked up as one of the junior officers opened the door, holding a file folder.
The ensign stood at attention in front of his desk. "We've retrieved the information you had asked for, sir."
Aoshi reached for the folder, flipping it open and skimming its contents. "Thank you, Ensign. Tell Lieutenant Williams I need to speak with her."
"Yes, sir."
Aoshi studied the contents of the folder: maps, nautical charts, photographs, and background information on several local fishing boats and catamaran cruises.
A knock again.
"Enter."
"You asked to see me, sir?" a female voice asked politely.
"Have a seat, Lieutenant," he responded.
Her green eyes widened slightly before she obliged, perching on the seat across from his desk. Her brown hair was pulled back in a braid, away from her face and tucked against her head. She wore a white short-sleeved top and blue pants that reached her calves. Considering their location, uniform was unnecessary and suspicious. He had worn loose-fitting clothing as well, a gray button down shirt and khaki cargo pants.
"We've been here for almost two weeks. Look through that, tell me what you think." He pointed to the folder.
She obediently opened it and began to peruse through the folder. Aoshi rose in his chair, standing beside the window that gave him a clear view of Oahu. He waited for her to finish reading. He had come to a very quick conclusion, but he wasn't the type of leader to boast everything he knew. He much preferred that his junior officers make their decisions as well. They were smart and capable of thinking on their own.
"This company takes tourists snorkeling and scuba diving," Lt. Theresa Williams spoke up. "Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling. They leave every other day, and so far at least twice a week they encounter the fishing boat that we've been watching. This fishing boat usually hits international waters, which is why we haven't been able to catch her the last two months. But within the last two weeks, she's been in close contact with Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling. Why would a fishing boat stay so close to Oahu when it has seafood to catch…?"
"The owner of Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling has an uncle who owns a pineapple plantation on Kauai. He visits his uncle once a week," Aoshi added. "Usually after running into the fishing boat..." Then his eyes widened as he caught sight of a boat making its way across the waters.
As if sensing what was happening, she stood up and moved to the window. "Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling…"
"This would be the fourth time we've seen them out in the water…" Aoshi said quietly. Then he picked up the phone on his desk and promptly dialed a number. "Head back to base," he said as soon as the receiver picked up. Then he hung up.
"Sir?" she prompted.
"When we get back to Oahu, I'm leaving you in charge of the ship," he explained calmly. "In several days, Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling will be out at sea again to meet with the fishing boat before heading towards Kauai."
"You think that the fishing boat is transferring its cargo to the snorkeling boat?"
"And that the cargo is hidden on Kauai," he added.
"So you're going to sneak onto the snorkeling boat?" she asked incredulously.
Aoshi nodded as he began to tidy up his desk.
"Commander, with all due respect, while I agree that discovering the hidden agenda of the snorkeling business is important, I can't help but think that your methods of finding such information are…are…"
"Unusual?" he prompted. "Risky?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Perhaps I could assist you in-"
"You have a job, Lieutenant, and that's to watch this ship and its crew. It would look very suspicious to both the fishing and tourist ship if suddenly our civilian yacht wasn't in the water, on the very day of a transaction, correct?"
"Very well, sir. But what about someone else? You can't do this alone," she insisted. Then she took a deep breath. "I heard about what happened on the USS Liberty. And I'm sorry. But you can't do this, working alone just because you lost your team members. You working alone is a great risk…it puts the whole mission in jeopardy, your crew, as well as the Navy!"
"Are you done, Lieutenant?" he asked sharply.
She nodded, a hint of fear in her eyes.
"Good. Keep in mind that my past on the USS Liberty is irrelevant to this mission or any others after. You're dismissed," he said coolly.
"Yes, sir," she said quietly before turning to leave his office.
When she was gone, Aoshi sat down, his thoughts on a mission nearly two years ago…when he had lost four of his team members when their ship had been attacked.
***
"I think that new project we're going to do in chemistry class is great," Stella ranted on. "Mr. Michaels is a cool teacher."
"Totally," Danielle, their classmate agreed as she, Stella, and Misao headed to the parking lot of the high school. "I mean, the experiments kind of suck, but he actually makes chemistry interesting." She turned to face forward. "Who else would bring up war stories related to…whoa." She stopped abruptly.
"Huh?" Stella piped up, flipping through her planner as she wrote down some last minute notes. "Hey, why'd we stop?"
Misao looked in the direction of Danielle's gaze, her eyes widening before looking away.
"Who is that?" Danielle whispered. "He…is hot…"
Stella turned and stared in surprise. "Is he like…the brother of one of our classmates?"
The three girls watched as a tall man in khaki uniform who had been leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed, unfolded his arms and made his way towards them. The short-sleeved collared shirt emphasized his lean torso, hinting at the strength and power of his shoulders as his gold belt buckle winked in the glaring sunlight. Khaki pants formed straight lines down long legs. Mirrored sunglasses were perched on the bridge of his nose, masking his unreadable expression even more so. He stopped several feet in front of them, and Misao looked at the cement, hearing Stella and Danielle's sharp intake of breath.
"Misao," he spoke up, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head, revealing eyes the color of a storm.
"Yes?" Misao responded, ignoring the shocked looks on Stella and Danielle's faces which clearly screamed, 'You KNOW him?'. With Aoshi always so busy at work, her two friends never really had the chance to meet him in the two years she had been at school.
"We have an appointment with your counselor in ten minutes," he said in a calm, quiet voice.
Misao cringed. Appointment with counselor not good. Worse…she even knew the reason…which meant he had been home early…and received the report card sent out two days ago.
She nodded. "Okay." She noticed her guardian glance at her two shell-shocked friends. Instantly, she remembered her manners. "This is Danielle and Stella," she gestured. "This is Aoshi."
"You're Aoshi?!" Danielle practically screamed.
He didn't even blink. "Yes."
"Oh my gosh, the way she talks about you, I swore you were some old fifty-year-old man!" Danielle exclaimed. "OW!" She glared at Misao who swatted her shoulder.
"I see." Apparently unsure how to deal with the comment, he shook both her friends' hands. "Thank you for giving Misao rides home. With work, I'm afraid I haven't been able to teach her to drive, so I apologize for the inconvenience."
"Oh, it's no trouble," Stella spoke up when she found her voice. "Work…you know…protecting this country and all that…it's pretty important."
"I think so," he agreed, nodding his head once. Then he turned to his ward. "Misao, we don't want to keep your counselor waiting."
She nodded, waving at the two girls who stood still in their place. "Bye, guys!" she waved as she and her guardian headed towards the administration building. "See you tomorrow!"
"Will do!" Stella called back.
"What are you doing here?" Misao asked him before looking at the ground nervously.
"Change in plans at work," Aoshi responded. "I came home early today to find your report with a note from your counselor regarding two of your classes. I called and she was kind enough to meet with us last minute."
It took several minutes, but they were able to locate Ms. Maliki's office. She greeted them warmly before closing her office door and offering them seats across her desk.
"My apologies for imposing last minute," Aoshi began.
"Not at all," she responded, smiling.
Misao thought she was a kind woman. She had rich dark skin thanks to her Pacific Island heritage, and dark eyes that always seemed to sparkle with humor. This time, however, they shone with gentleness and a hint of severity.
"Now..." Ms. Maliki sat in her chair, linking her hands together. "I'm sure you're both aware of Misao's progress for the first eight weeks of school."
"Indeed." Aoshi slid a glance to his ward, who shifted slightly.
"Junior year is very important for students...the upper division levels of high school are what universities use to decide on admission. Since most college applications are sent during senior year, junior year contains the most weight of the two. And with the semester ending in less than two months...given Misao's first quarter grades in US History and Trigonometry...I am concerned." She looked at the two and waited. "Misao has averaged mostly Bs and several As since last year...so this change occurred suddenly. Has there been a change in study habits? Or perhaps you are in several extracurricular activities?"
Aoshi glanced at Misao.
"No, ma'am," Misao responded.
"Perhaps you just need a while to adjust to junior year," Ms. Maliki wondered aloud.
"Do you have any suggestions?" Aoshi asked.
"We could perhaps sign her up for a tutoring session in Trigonometry..."
"Good."
"I don't want to go to tutoring," Misao spoke up. "I don't need it."
"Your grades indicate otherwise," Aoshi said, his voice void of sarcasm or bitterness.
"I'm fine. I just need to get used to having lots of homework and more tests at the same time," Misao insisted.
"Misao-" Aoshi started.
"I said I don't need it!" Misao insisted, raising her voice, jumping to her feet. "I'm not stupid, I don't need a tutor!"
"I never said that," Aoshi responded calmly, fully aware of the counselor staring at them in shock. After a moment, he said, "I won't force you to attend tutoring...but you need to do something to improve your grades. Think about your future."
"I don't care," Misao shook her head. "I'll just go to community college..."
Aoshi remained silent.
"Excuse me, Ms. Maliki, I need to use the bathroom..." Misao quickly left the office.
Once in the bathroom, Misao took several deep breaths to calm herself. Why was this happening? Just once, couldn't Aoshi actually pay attention to her when it didn't involve academics? Misao sighed, sadly looking at the sink, feeling her eyes sting.
For as long as she could remember, Aoshi had been there. She loved Aoshi very much, he was one of the few she considered family. Playmate, big brother, now guardian. It took some time, but Aoshi had to change from big brother to father. She supposed it must have been difficult for him as well...very few thirty-one-year old men had teenage daughters. They used to be so close when she was younger. But Aoshi soon got more involved with work...and when his four men had died...he had grown more distant. They used to spend a lot of time together. Now it seemed he only was around her when school was an issue. When she needed some help with homework, he'd spend an hour helping her. But when she wanted to go to the beach, he always had something else to do. Or when she wanted to go snorkeling. Or surfing. She didn't remember ever feeling so alone and miserable. What had happened to them? She and Aoshi used to do plenty together...even during the early days when he became her guardian. Misao had picked up a couple hobbies along the way...photography, beaded jewelry...because she needed something to keep her busy once he got more involved with work.
She took a deep breath and exited the bathroom to find Aoshi waiting outside.
"Ms. Maliki's son called from the hospital on emergency...so she left," he explained.
Misao nodded.
"I need to stop by the commissary before we go home," he announced.
She nodded again. "Okay..."
Misao followed her guardian as he headed towards his car in the nearly empty parking lot.
They sat in silence as Aoshi began the short drive towards Pearl Harbor.
"Misao..." Aoshi began. "Have you given any thought about your future?"
"Not really," she shrugged nonchalantly, staring out the window of his Acura Legend.
"You can go to any school you wish," he continued quietly. "Your grandfather made sure of that..."
Misao took a deep breath. When her grandfather died, he had left her quite an inheritance. Apparently, he had stowed away a large sum of money that would provide for a car and a college education. The admiral had taken care of every angle in his will. He had nominated two men to care for her in the event he passed away, first, his longtime friend and fellow officer, Vice Admiral Nenji Kashiwazaki, Aoshi's mentor and foster father, and second, Aoshi. She had only been ten years old when her grandfather died. Nenji, who she called Jiya and Aoshi called Okina, had taken care of her for two years until he was sent to lead an intelligence unit in Spain. Because of the risks involved, both men decided that it was best for Misao to live with Aoshi. It felt strange with her grandfather gone. Granted, she had been around Jiya and Aoshi all her life. But it had taken her some time to adjust to having new guardians. Jiya was practically the same...he was like a second grandfather to her. But Aoshi...he had changed.
Sometimes she had wondered what would have happened if Aoshi had gotten married. Would their lives be different now? She glanced at her guardian. She had seen him date on several occasions since she came into his care, but none of the relationships lasted. When she was younger, Aoshi had assured her that she wasn't the reason why lady M or N couldn't stay around. By the time she was fourteen, she understood. Aoshi was a busy man. And it was hard for women to understand that. His job came first.
"I know. I just...want to enjoy high school while I can," she stammered.
Aoshi pulled out his military ID for the gate guard to inspect. "There's nothing wrong with enjoying what you have now," he responded.
The gate guard saluted him after looking at his ID and let him on to the base.
"But you do have to think about your future. You-"
"Aoshi, I'm not like you," Misao cut in. "I'm not officer material."
"You don't know that until-"
"I don't even know what I want to do...I don't even know if I could pick something I like and turn it into a job! But it's my life and I'll do what I want with it!"
He slid into a parking space before cutting the engine. Aoshi turned to face her, apparently noticing her frustration. "I want what is best for you. I'm only-"
"You don't even know what's best for me," she snapped, shoving her door open.
"Misao." Aoshi released an exasperated breath.
She slammed the door shut and hurriedly stomped over to the entrance of the commissary. Who did he think he was? Being a parent was more than just telling children what they should or shouldn't be doing. Aoshi was doing it again! He never talked to her, just regular conversation. Everything had to be about school. Why didn't he get it? She missed Jiya. If he had been the one taking care of her, she wouldn't be going through this.
"Misao!"
She dug through her purse to pull out her military dependent ID as she heard a beeping sound, an indication that Aoshi had locked the doors of his Legend with his remote control keychain. Which meant that he was probably closing in behind her. She grabbed a cart and began heading towards the produce section.
Grabbing a plastic bag, she began yanking apples off the shelf and tossing them into the bag. Damn! He made her SO mad! Misao viciously yanked an apple and about a dozen or so tumbled onto the floor, right on top of the woman who had squatted down to examine packets of trail mix on a miniature stand-up display.
Chapter 1
Oahu, HI
Misao Makimachi gazed at the small envelope taped inside her locker. With a rueful sigh, she pulled it off, pushing back the flap to pull out a simple cream-colored invitation. Her eyes read the black cursive for what seemed to be the hundredth time since she had the invitation a month ago. She hadn't been able to bring its contents to the attention of her guardian. She was afraid to ask him.
"Hi, Misao!" her classmate, a junior at Honolulu High School piped up, dialing the combination of her lock which was next to Misao's.
"Hi, Stella," Misao greeted, smiling.
Her friend glanced at the invitation in her hand. "You haven't asked him yet, have you?"
Misao shook her head. "He's too busy at work…"
"You have to ask him soon," Stella insisted. "You can only RSVP until two weeks before!"
"I know, but…he's got a lot going on right now. Maybe he-"
"You didn't ask him last year, either," Stella pointed out.
"That's because he was in Australia at the time," Misao argued.
"You're just afraid he might say no," Stella replied confidently.
Misao attached the invitation inside her locker door. "What's the point, anyway? Aoshi doesn't even dance. What's the purpose of going to a father-daughter dinner dance if there's no dancing involved?"
"He does so dance. Didn't you tell me last year he went to the Navy ball?" Stella responded.
Misao rolled her eyes. "Navy balls are just ways to look good for your superiors. He hates, really, really, really hates going to those. But if he didn't, he'd be stuck at a desk giving refresher courses in etiquette to junior officers."
"But I thought you told me he got promoted six months ago," Stella responded, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"He did," Misao insisted. "But until he's the president of the United States, he'll always have someone above him…"
**
Several miles off the coast of Waikiki…
Lieutenant Commander Aoshi Shinomori studied the maps on his desk, marking several places with an 'X'.
He had suspected for some time now that several boats, one in particular, were bringing in more than just fish and shrimp to Oahu. But where was the transaction? And how was it executed?
His blue-gray eyes strayed to the small photograph perched beneath his desk lamp. The photo was taken three years ago near Mt. Kilauea on the island of Hawaii. Misao had set up the camera's tripod, set the camera timer, and taken a picture of both of them with the volcano in the background.
Ever since Misao came into his care four years ago, she had developed many interesting hobbies. He suspected it was because of his career. She had practically no company when he would stay late or go overseas for a week or two.
It was difficult being a single parent. Especially with a child at her age. High school was a period of continuous change for girls. He knew that he could never completely relate to her or give her a nurturing mother. While Aoshi had no objections to personal involvement, he took relationships very seriously. And with his line of work, there were women with very little patience for it. So he took care of Misao the best way he could. After all, he had known her since she was a baby. He owed it to her grandfather, the man who made his career in Naval Intelligence, possible. Admiral Makimachi would be proud of his granddaughter, if he was still alive. Aoshi certainly was proud of her, even though he hardly showed it.
A knock came to his office door.
"Enter." He looked up as one of the junior officers opened the door, holding a file folder.
The ensign stood at attention in front of his desk. "We've retrieved the information you had asked for, sir."
Aoshi reached for the folder, flipping it open and skimming its contents. "Thank you, Ensign. Tell Lieutenant Williams I need to speak with her."
"Yes, sir."
Aoshi studied the contents of the folder: maps, nautical charts, photographs, and background information on several local fishing boats and catamaran cruises.
A knock again.
"Enter."
"You asked to see me, sir?" a female voice asked politely.
"Have a seat, Lieutenant," he responded.
Her green eyes widened slightly before she obliged, perching on the seat across from his desk. Her brown hair was pulled back in a braid, away from her face and tucked against her head. She wore a white short-sleeved top and blue pants that reached her calves. Considering their location, uniform was unnecessary and suspicious. He had worn loose-fitting clothing as well, a gray button down shirt and khaki cargo pants.
"We've been here for almost two weeks. Look through that, tell me what you think." He pointed to the folder.
She obediently opened it and began to peruse through the folder. Aoshi rose in his chair, standing beside the window that gave him a clear view of Oahu. He waited for her to finish reading. He had come to a very quick conclusion, but he wasn't the type of leader to boast everything he knew. He much preferred that his junior officers make their decisions as well. They were smart and capable of thinking on their own.
"This company takes tourists snorkeling and scuba diving," Lt. Theresa Williams spoke up. "Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling. They leave every other day, and so far at least twice a week they encounter the fishing boat that we've been watching. This fishing boat usually hits international waters, which is why we haven't been able to catch her the last two months. But within the last two weeks, she's been in close contact with Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling. Why would a fishing boat stay so close to Oahu when it has seafood to catch…?"
"The owner of Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling has an uncle who owns a pineapple plantation on Kauai. He visits his uncle once a week," Aoshi added. "Usually after running into the fishing boat..." Then his eyes widened as he caught sight of a boat making its way across the waters.
As if sensing what was happening, she stood up and moved to the window. "Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling…"
"This would be the fourth time we've seen them out in the water…" Aoshi said quietly. Then he picked up the phone on his desk and promptly dialed a number. "Head back to base," he said as soon as the receiver picked up. Then he hung up.
"Sir?" she prompted.
"When we get back to Oahu, I'm leaving you in charge of the ship," he explained calmly. "In several days, Sunshine Scuba/Snorkeling will be out at sea again to meet with the fishing boat before heading towards Kauai."
"You think that the fishing boat is transferring its cargo to the snorkeling boat?"
"And that the cargo is hidden on Kauai," he added.
"So you're going to sneak onto the snorkeling boat?" she asked incredulously.
Aoshi nodded as he began to tidy up his desk.
"Commander, with all due respect, while I agree that discovering the hidden agenda of the snorkeling business is important, I can't help but think that your methods of finding such information are…are…"
"Unusual?" he prompted. "Risky?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Perhaps I could assist you in-"
"You have a job, Lieutenant, and that's to watch this ship and its crew. It would look very suspicious to both the fishing and tourist ship if suddenly our civilian yacht wasn't in the water, on the very day of a transaction, correct?"
"Very well, sir. But what about someone else? You can't do this alone," she insisted. Then she took a deep breath. "I heard about what happened on the USS Liberty. And I'm sorry. But you can't do this, working alone just because you lost your team members. You working alone is a great risk…it puts the whole mission in jeopardy, your crew, as well as the Navy!"
"Are you done, Lieutenant?" he asked sharply.
She nodded, a hint of fear in her eyes.
"Good. Keep in mind that my past on the USS Liberty is irrelevant to this mission or any others after. You're dismissed," he said coolly.
"Yes, sir," she said quietly before turning to leave his office.
When she was gone, Aoshi sat down, his thoughts on a mission nearly two years ago…when he had lost four of his team members when their ship had been attacked.
***
"I think that new project we're going to do in chemistry class is great," Stella ranted on. "Mr. Michaels is a cool teacher."
"Totally," Danielle, their classmate agreed as she, Stella, and Misao headed to the parking lot of the high school. "I mean, the experiments kind of suck, but he actually makes chemistry interesting." She turned to face forward. "Who else would bring up war stories related to…whoa." She stopped abruptly.
"Huh?" Stella piped up, flipping through her planner as she wrote down some last minute notes. "Hey, why'd we stop?"
Misao looked in the direction of Danielle's gaze, her eyes widening before looking away.
"Who is that?" Danielle whispered. "He…is hot…"
Stella turned and stared in surprise. "Is he like…the brother of one of our classmates?"
The three girls watched as a tall man in khaki uniform who had been leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed, unfolded his arms and made his way towards them. The short-sleeved collared shirt emphasized his lean torso, hinting at the strength and power of his shoulders as his gold belt buckle winked in the glaring sunlight. Khaki pants formed straight lines down long legs. Mirrored sunglasses were perched on the bridge of his nose, masking his unreadable expression even more so. He stopped several feet in front of them, and Misao looked at the cement, hearing Stella and Danielle's sharp intake of breath.
"Misao," he spoke up, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head, revealing eyes the color of a storm.
"Yes?" Misao responded, ignoring the shocked looks on Stella and Danielle's faces which clearly screamed, 'You KNOW him?'. With Aoshi always so busy at work, her two friends never really had the chance to meet him in the two years she had been at school.
"We have an appointment with your counselor in ten minutes," he said in a calm, quiet voice.
Misao cringed. Appointment with counselor not good. Worse…she even knew the reason…which meant he had been home early…and received the report card sent out two days ago.
She nodded. "Okay." She noticed her guardian glance at her two shell-shocked friends. Instantly, she remembered her manners. "This is Danielle and Stella," she gestured. "This is Aoshi."
"You're Aoshi?!" Danielle practically screamed.
He didn't even blink. "Yes."
"Oh my gosh, the way she talks about you, I swore you were some old fifty-year-old man!" Danielle exclaimed. "OW!" She glared at Misao who swatted her shoulder.
"I see." Apparently unsure how to deal with the comment, he shook both her friends' hands. "Thank you for giving Misao rides home. With work, I'm afraid I haven't been able to teach her to drive, so I apologize for the inconvenience."
"Oh, it's no trouble," Stella spoke up when she found her voice. "Work…you know…protecting this country and all that…it's pretty important."
"I think so," he agreed, nodding his head once. Then he turned to his ward. "Misao, we don't want to keep your counselor waiting."
She nodded, waving at the two girls who stood still in their place. "Bye, guys!" she waved as she and her guardian headed towards the administration building. "See you tomorrow!"
"Will do!" Stella called back.
"What are you doing here?" Misao asked him before looking at the ground nervously.
"Change in plans at work," Aoshi responded. "I came home early today to find your report with a note from your counselor regarding two of your classes. I called and she was kind enough to meet with us last minute."
It took several minutes, but they were able to locate Ms. Maliki's office. She greeted them warmly before closing her office door and offering them seats across her desk.
"My apologies for imposing last minute," Aoshi began.
"Not at all," she responded, smiling.
Misao thought she was a kind woman. She had rich dark skin thanks to her Pacific Island heritage, and dark eyes that always seemed to sparkle with humor. This time, however, they shone with gentleness and a hint of severity.
"Now..." Ms. Maliki sat in her chair, linking her hands together. "I'm sure you're both aware of Misao's progress for the first eight weeks of school."
"Indeed." Aoshi slid a glance to his ward, who shifted slightly.
"Junior year is very important for students...the upper division levels of high school are what universities use to decide on admission. Since most college applications are sent during senior year, junior year contains the most weight of the two. And with the semester ending in less than two months...given Misao's first quarter grades in US History and Trigonometry...I am concerned." She looked at the two and waited. "Misao has averaged mostly Bs and several As since last year...so this change occurred suddenly. Has there been a change in study habits? Or perhaps you are in several extracurricular activities?"
Aoshi glanced at Misao.
"No, ma'am," Misao responded.
"Perhaps you just need a while to adjust to junior year," Ms. Maliki wondered aloud.
"Do you have any suggestions?" Aoshi asked.
"We could perhaps sign her up for a tutoring session in Trigonometry..."
"Good."
"I don't want to go to tutoring," Misao spoke up. "I don't need it."
"Your grades indicate otherwise," Aoshi said, his voice void of sarcasm or bitterness.
"I'm fine. I just need to get used to having lots of homework and more tests at the same time," Misao insisted.
"Misao-" Aoshi started.
"I said I don't need it!" Misao insisted, raising her voice, jumping to her feet. "I'm not stupid, I don't need a tutor!"
"I never said that," Aoshi responded calmly, fully aware of the counselor staring at them in shock. After a moment, he said, "I won't force you to attend tutoring...but you need to do something to improve your grades. Think about your future."
"I don't care," Misao shook her head. "I'll just go to community college..."
Aoshi remained silent.
"Excuse me, Ms. Maliki, I need to use the bathroom..." Misao quickly left the office.
Once in the bathroom, Misao took several deep breaths to calm herself. Why was this happening? Just once, couldn't Aoshi actually pay attention to her when it didn't involve academics? Misao sighed, sadly looking at the sink, feeling her eyes sting.
For as long as she could remember, Aoshi had been there. She loved Aoshi very much, he was one of the few she considered family. Playmate, big brother, now guardian. It took some time, but Aoshi had to change from big brother to father. She supposed it must have been difficult for him as well...very few thirty-one-year old men had teenage daughters. They used to be so close when she was younger. But Aoshi soon got more involved with work...and when his four men had died...he had grown more distant. They used to spend a lot of time together. Now it seemed he only was around her when school was an issue. When she needed some help with homework, he'd spend an hour helping her. But when she wanted to go to the beach, he always had something else to do. Or when she wanted to go snorkeling. Or surfing. She didn't remember ever feeling so alone and miserable. What had happened to them? She and Aoshi used to do plenty together...even during the early days when he became her guardian. Misao had picked up a couple hobbies along the way...photography, beaded jewelry...because she needed something to keep her busy once he got more involved with work.
She took a deep breath and exited the bathroom to find Aoshi waiting outside.
"Ms. Maliki's son called from the hospital on emergency...so she left," he explained.
Misao nodded.
"I need to stop by the commissary before we go home," he announced.
She nodded again. "Okay..."
Misao followed her guardian as he headed towards his car in the nearly empty parking lot.
They sat in silence as Aoshi began the short drive towards Pearl Harbor.
"Misao..." Aoshi began. "Have you given any thought about your future?"
"Not really," she shrugged nonchalantly, staring out the window of his Acura Legend.
"You can go to any school you wish," he continued quietly. "Your grandfather made sure of that..."
Misao took a deep breath. When her grandfather died, he had left her quite an inheritance. Apparently, he had stowed away a large sum of money that would provide for a car and a college education. The admiral had taken care of every angle in his will. He had nominated two men to care for her in the event he passed away, first, his longtime friend and fellow officer, Vice Admiral Nenji Kashiwazaki, Aoshi's mentor and foster father, and second, Aoshi. She had only been ten years old when her grandfather died. Nenji, who she called Jiya and Aoshi called Okina, had taken care of her for two years until he was sent to lead an intelligence unit in Spain. Because of the risks involved, both men decided that it was best for Misao to live with Aoshi. It felt strange with her grandfather gone. Granted, she had been around Jiya and Aoshi all her life. But it had taken her some time to adjust to having new guardians. Jiya was practically the same...he was like a second grandfather to her. But Aoshi...he had changed.
Sometimes she had wondered what would have happened if Aoshi had gotten married. Would their lives be different now? She glanced at her guardian. She had seen him date on several occasions since she came into his care, but none of the relationships lasted. When she was younger, Aoshi had assured her that she wasn't the reason why lady M or N couldn't stay around. By the time she was fourteen, she understood. Aoshi was a busy man. And it was hard for women to understand that. His job came first.
"I know. I just...want to enjoy high school while I can," she stammered.
Aoshi pulled out his military ID for the gate guard to inspect. "There's nothing wrong with enjoying what you have now," he responded.
The gate guard saluted him after looking at his ID and let him on to the base.
"But you do have to think about your future. You-"
"Aoshi, I'm not like you," Misao cut in. "I'm not officer material."
"You don't know that until-"
"I don't even know what I want to do...I don't even know if I could pick something I like and turn it into a job! But it's my life and I'll do what I want with it!"
He slid into a parking space before cutting the engine. Aoshi turned to face her, apparently noticing her frustration. "I want what is best for you. I'm only-"
"You don't even know what's best for me," she snapped, shoving her door open.
"Misao." Aoshi released an exasperated breath.
She slammed the door shut and hurriedly stomped over to the entrance of the commissary. Who did he think he was? Being a parent was more than just telling children what they should or shouldn't be doing. Aoshi was doing it again! He never talked to her, just regular conversation. Everything had to be about school. Why didn't he get it? She missed Jiya. If he had been the one taking care of her, she wouldn't be going through this.
"Misao!"
She dug through her purse to pull out her military dependent ID as she heard a beeping sound, an indication that Aoshi had locked the doors of his Legend with his remote control keychain. Which meant that he was probably closing in behind her. She grabbed a cart and began heading towards the produce section.
Grabbing a plastic bag, she began yanking apples off the shelf and tossing them into the bag. Damn! He made her SO mad! Misao viciously yanked an apple and about a dozen or so tumbled onto the floor, right on top of the woman who had squatted down to examine packets of trail mix on a miniature stand-up display.
