Title: Friends, Lovers and Brothers  

Authors Note: Thanks for all the reviews!! Here's chapter nine, I know the title sucks.

Chapter 9-Accepted

            The three of them stepped into Fujima's house soaking wet.

            'Kenji!' Fujima's dad said at the same time Fujima's mom said,

            'Aya!' Aya smiled at her mom while Fujima looked over to his dad. Although he wasn't smiling, Mr. Fujima could see his happiness. Feel it radiating out of his body. Right now, all he felt about them is power. Incomplete, but strong.

            'I think all of you should bath first,' Mrs. Fujima said smiling at them all. Fujima's dad didn't seem at all happy. After they all had they bath, Sendo and Rukawa cloth in Fujima's cloths and Aya in her mom's, they were back by the dining table again.

            'All of you can stay here tonight, the whole week if you want, and next week I'll bring you to my cousin's house,' Mrs. Fujima said.

            'I don't agree!' Fujima's dad interrupted, his eyes burning. Fujima saw Aya's hopeful face crumble and felt anger rise.

            'What crap? You didn't even ask me, ask my opinion!' he continued, glaring at each of them, daring them to go against him. And someone did. Someone he never thought would, did.

'What's wrong with you? Why do you hate her so much? She is a human too. With thoughts, feelings and everything you and I have. She is no different from you and me! Whether she is wanted, whether she was planned, that doesn't make her an alien! She is still a human. How would you feel if you were in her place? What would you do if I was the one being beaten everyday?' Fujima said, protecting his mother and his sister.

            'She still isn't my child. It doesn't matter to me.' Mr. Fujima looked balefully at Aya who looked back in defiance. (Which is the way she usually is excluding her attitude with her dad, Fujima, Rukawa and Sendo)

            'But she is still your wife's child! Will you stop being so selfish? If you don't respect her as your daughter, that's fine. If you won't respect her as a human, we can't make you. But at least respect and love her as your wife's child. You just haven't been in her place and don't understand how she feels. But at least… I mean can't you see that she still has feelings? I'm not opposing the fact that you don't allow us to stay here, this is your house, and you have a right to decide that. But the way you are acting towards Aya is too much! She is in a way your daughter. She is obviously a human. There are no differences, no exceptions. A human is a human. Don't you care? She has gone through a lot,' Rukawa asked, his patience wearing out.

'Calm down man,' Sendo said. He's that kind of happy-go-lucky boy. He didn't exactly look worried, but deep down, he was. Worried and angry that it took so much for a guy to understand that there are no differences. Everyone has the same right.

            'They are right. If you really love me, you would love my child too. You would love the person I love. If you are really sincere, you won't put me through all the hurt and trouble you have put me through for the last twelve years. Is it so hard to accept her as your daughter? Which part of her don't you like? Which part of me do you hate?' Mrs. Fujima said in a low voice, her eyes clear, telling him not to make her choose again. He looked at each one of them protecting Aya. They faces were grim and all against him. He felt scared, alone and unwanted. UNWANTED. That was exactly what he said to her, yet now, he felt that the word was totally new to him. Now for the first time, he felt a little of what Aya had felt over the years. A little… Then, he turned towards Aya, expecting anger and hate, but what he saw there wasn't that. All he saw was acceptance and love. Her smile was so… innocent, different… and it warmed him up, right into the heart. And all of a sudden, with the rush of gratitude he felt towards her, he felt love for her.

'Even if you don't accept me as your daughter, I'll love you as a half-father. For goodness sakes, I have been calling a man who is like three times worse compared to you "father" without really knowing and understanding the meaning of that word. You just love your son too much,' Aya said, glancing mischievously at Fujima. Fujima rolled his eyes and shrugged in that brotherly, "we are so serious and you spoiled it all" manner. Sendo imitated his very action, looking at Aya, Expecting her to come after him and chase him around the house. Unfortunately Aya didn't live up to his expectations. But then, he was hit, hit by a paper fan. He turned to see Rukawa holding one.

            'Ouch!' Fujima cried. Aya was holding a paper fan too and had hit Fujima with it. All four of them looked at each other and burst out laughing.

            'Seriously, they are better off together,' Fujima's mom said to his dad in a soft voice, begging him to understand.

            'Come on. I'm happy. Fujima is happy. So is Aya,' she continued.

            'Okay. You win. There is something attractive about that girl anyway. The way she does something you totally don't expect. The way she dares to stand up against the tide of the world. The way she went through so much hardship and still end up like this. I have to admit, she is definitely different,' he said turning towards his wife and following her out of the door. As he turned to close the door, he saw he four of them in front of the television and the thing that occurred to him at that time shocked him. As he looked at the unity of the four of them, pushing each other, teasing each other, he knew at once that they were different. "They would light up, and the darkness around them will disappear." That was what he thought. At that time, he didn't know how true he was. All he thought at that time was that it didn't make sense and shut the door, leaving the four of them there, and walked towards his room.

* * * * * * * *

            I looked at each of them, happiness bubbling out of me like a rushing river. I was happy that I had been accepted. I had found my mother and half-brother. Now, in my heart, I was worried about how my father and half-mother would react. Yet, I couldn't stay worried. These three people around me just sort of blew all my worries away.

* * * * * * * *

            The next day dawn, bright and happy, taking away all the dampness and coldness the rain had brought yesterday.

            'I can see what you all have in common now,' Fujima's dad said as he was going out the door, leaving for work. The four of them had just woken up, sleepy and already 20 minutes late. They all slept in the living room the night before, including Fujima.

            'You are a bunch of lazy bumps!' he continued, smiling at them. His smile meant a lot to all of them, especially Aya. It showed that he had now, finally accepted her. Fujima was happy too, knowing that his dad had become his normal self and accepted Aya. All of them smiled back at him and again the thought yesterday occurred. He then walked out of the door, trying to clear his head, wondering why that thought struck him so much. After breakfast, they left for school together, 40 minutes late. As they were walking…

            'Hey!' Aya said. They all turned towards her. She was looking at the public basketball court where a boy was sitting, tears streaming down his face. Beside him was his bag… and a Kainan basketball windbreaker!

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