For a moment, she was in a different place. The sun was shining and the air was fresh. It was heaven on Earth. She was dressed in a long white flowing dress and her hair was loose. She could feel no pain. There wasn't any pain. Not in her body, nor in her heart. Her soul felt oddly free and light. The warm breeze came and played with her hair.
"Tsukushi-chan, stop daydreaming. Your father has been calling you for the past ten minutes," said her mother as she walked into the room.
"I'm sorry. It's just that it's a good day," said Tsukushi as she turned and smiled.
"Yes, but there's a lot to do in the inn today. There are so many guests coming. Your father and I must greet them. However, you are on vacation. You have been overworking yourself," said her mother.
"I never overwork myself," disagreed Tsukushi.
"Yes, you do. If only your father had your work ethic," said her mother. "Your brother is hasn't called from Tokyo yet, but he's due to come home this weekend."
Tsukushi nodded as she followed her mother. "By the way, Tsukushi-chan, it's good to have you home," whispered her mother.
"It's good to be home, Mama," agreed Tsukushi.
It was good to be home.
*
The F4 swung into action and formulated a plan. Tsukasa knew that Susumu was going to need a good lawyer because of the Japanese justice system. In Japan, over 90% of the murder cases that go to trial were found guilty. It was not a chance Tsukasa wanted to take. It also didn't help that the British government seemed out for blood. Susumu's blood specifically.
Yuki called Shizuka for help, while Sammi attempted to reach her brother. Akira and Soujirou tried to make some calls to both the Japanese and British governments to find out what was going on, while Tsukasa and Rui lingered around Tsukushi's room. The air was heavy.
"I knew that there was something wrong," said Rui quietly. "She was scared, but I didn't know why."
Tsukasa's hands were clutched into fists. "We have to do something. I can't just stand here and wait. I can't stand it," he muttered angrily. Tsukasa felt helpless. He couldn't stand it.
"What are you going to?" asked Rui. "What can you do?" It sounded like a plea for help. Rui always knew that Tsukasa had the power to fix almost anything. He was a Doumyouji.
"I don't think I can fix this," admitted Tsukasa slowly. He felt powerless, helpless, and vulnerable. It was the second time in his life that he had these feelings. He never wanted to return to them. He gazed at her. He wondered where in the world she was. Wherever it was, she was in a safe place for the time being. Tsukasa struggle between the feeling of wanting to pull her out of the abyss and allowing her to rest.
"I wasn't talking about her. I think that this is the best thing for her right now. Her body must heal. In order to do that, her mind must be in limbo," observed Rui. "I was talking about her brother."
Tsukasa gazed at him, holding it. He knew that Rui was giving him something to distract him. "I'll do what I can," he said. "I need you to stay here. Call me if there are any changes."
Rui nodded. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, at least she's safe for now, but he's not. Without her, he doesn't stand a chance," answered Tsukasa as he slipped on his coat. He walked out to find Sammi looking at him.
"Where are you going?" she asked him.
"I am going to police station to talk to Susumu. I'll find out what happened," answered Tsukasa. "Is Gaia going to release the news?"
Sammi nodded. "There's no point in making them continue searching. Everyone will be in shock, but so am I. My brother found out that the house in Osaka was completed wired up. He had cameras and microphones that watched her day and night. It was no wonder she was afraid of telling anyone anything. She couldn't trust anyone," she whispered.
"Tell your brother to continued searching for clues and evidence. We're going to need it," said Tsukasa. "I really have to go now. I don't want to keep him waiting."
Tsukasa order that the limo take him to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Station. On the way over, Akira called him and said that the British consult was up in arms because one of their one citizens was murdered. They were putting pressure on the Japanese government to expedite the case already. It alarmed both Tsukasa and Akira because it had only been a few hours ago.
Tsukasa called his lawyers to get a hold of a temporary defense lawyer before Shizuka's husband could arrive. Somehow, he had to trust himself to put his faith in a stranger he had never met, but since he was Tsukushi's friend and Shizuka's husband, Tsukasa thought that he was worthy of his trust.
There were so many facts that Tsukasa didn't know about. He had to learn all of them before he could effectively judge the situation. However, all he could think about was Tsukushi lying in the hospital fighting for her life. He thought back to all the times he had seen her ever since they had both returned to Tokyo. He realized something that he hadn't noticed before: she had seemed to degrade over time.
He didn't notice how much more tired she looked and how much more nervous she was. He assumed it was her workload like it normally was. How couldn't he have noticed it? He should have known better. He should have known her better.
These were the thoughts that filled his mind as the limo came to a stop at the police station. He didn't wait for the driver to open the door. The rain was still pouring. Tsukasa's hair, which was drying earlier, was once again soaked. He didn't bother with an umbrella.
The police greeted him with bows and offers for something warm to drink. He immediately requested to see Susumu. They tried to talk him out of talking with him, but Tsukasa insisted on speaking with Susumu directly. Tsukasa also told the police that there was a temporary defense lawyer coming, but also that there was going to be lawyer brought in soon. The police begrudgingly allowed Tsukasa to speak with Susumu, but they warned him that he wasn't speaking to anyone.
Tsukasa walked down with the guards to one of the more private cells. They opened the door and told him to take a seat. He waited patiently until Susumu was brought in. Tsukasa didn't say anything as they brought him in.
Susumu was dressed in different clothes. He looked tired and his eyes were dull.
"Are you all right? They didn't do anything to you, did they? Did anyone hurt you?" asked Tsukasa.
Susumu shook his head. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a whisper.
"You've gotten yourself into a bit of trouble," said Tsukasa, attempting to sound light, despite the situation. It was an understatement.
"I know what I did," whispered Susumu. "I know what I did was wrong, too."
"I think I know why you did it," said Tsukasa.
Susumu's eyes were devoid of any emotion. He looked like a lost child. He looked at Tsukasa straight in the eye. The last time he had done so it proved to be very powerful. This time there was nothing there. It appeared as if his eyes were made out of glass.
In a very soft whisper, Susumu said, "It was like I wasn't there for a moment. I had the gun in my hand. It was pointed straight at him. He stepped away from me. He pleaded for his life. It felt like I was controlling my body from the outside like my mind detached from the rest of me. I had my hand on the trigger. I pulled it back."
"I didn't even hear the shot. I just saw his eyeball explode in a mist of red."
"I fired again. And again, opening two more holes into his body. I didn't even see the shots go in. I just saw the holes and the blood come out. I emptied the rest of the bullets into him. I stood there, pulling the trigger again and again. I knew that there weren't any more bullets, but I couldn't stop. I just could stop. It seemed like an eternity. Everything was moving so slowly."
Tsukasa felt a chill go down his spine. Susumu admitted that he was a murderer. He didn't even try to defend himself. He didn't have any remorse or guilty. It sounded like he was talking about the weather. It was frightening.
"What made you snap out of it?" asked Tsukasa.
"She called me. She told me to stop, but it was already done. I've never been as strong as her," whispered Susumu as he closed his eyes.
"She's stabilized for now, but they don't know when she'll wake up or even how extensive the damage is," said Tsukasa.
Susumu didn't say anything about that. "I'll get you out of here as soon as possible. Shizuka's husband is coming. And there's a lawyer for right now who will defend you. You just have to hold on. Can you do that?" went on Tsukasa.
"That fucking son of a bitch murdered my parents. He destroyed my family. He deserved what he got. He deserved it. What would you have done?" whispered Susumu.
"Probably what you did," admitted Tsukasa as their eyes met again. "I'm going to come back soon. Tomorrow morning. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Why are you doing this? Why do you care so much about what happens to me?" whispered Susumu. "Why?"
"Because I love your sister. And because I don't want anything to happen to you," replied Tsukasa simply as the police came in.
"We're sorry, but you have to go now, Doumyouji-sama," said the guard.
Tsukasa nodded. "You'll be all right. Real help is coming soon," he reassured Susumu again.
Susumu gave him a long look and a nod just as the police took him away.
*
The next few days were a blur. Susumu didn't say anything else to anyone, not even the lawyer who had come could break his silence. Shizuka arrived with her husband and son soon after. Her husband was a tall man with dark hair and light green eyes. Her son had the same features, but he had more of her delicate features around his ears, eyes, and lips.
Akira and Soujirou greeted them at Narita Airport. "It's good to see you again," said Shizuka as she greeted them with light hugs and kisses.
"I just wish it was under better circumstances," said Akira. "And who are you?" He asked as he crouched down to the level of Shizuka's small son. "My name is Akira." He said it in English because he wasn't sure if the boy knew any Japanese.
"My name is Michael," replied the child as he shyly as he looped his little arms around his father's leg.
"It's nice to meet you, Michael," said Akira gently.
"Mummy, where's Auntie Tsukushi?" asked the little boy to his mother. "You said that we were here to see her."
Shizuka and her husband gazed at each other briefly before she said, "We'll see her soon, but she can't see us right now. We're here to help her brother, Michael."
"Why?" asked Michael. "I want to see Auntie."
"She's not ready to see anyone. My name is Soujirou by the way," said Soujirou.
"You'll have to forgive him. Tsukushi is his godmother. In case anything happens to me or my husband, she becomes his guardian," said Shizuka as she swallowed a sob. "Oh, where are my manners. This is my husband, Adam Kent."
"I'm sorry, but I don't speak Japanese very well," admitted Adam as he smiled at the boys. "I am here to help as much as possible. My wife will be my second chair."
Soujirou and Akira silently communicated together before voicing some doubt. "Shizuka, how can your husband defend Makino Susumu, if he doesn't have a rudimentary understanding of Japan's justice system. Does he even know the odds that are against Makino?" asked Akira.
Shizuka translated for her husband. He told her his response. "Adam says that you weren't the ones who invited us here. It was Doumyouji Tsukasa. I am going to be my husband's second chair for a reason. We're going up against the British government here. And Adam knows that better than anyone."
Shizuka gave them a stiff smile. "Now, we need to go to my parents' house right now. We need to get settled. Adam and I talked about the case before we got here. We know what we have to do. Do you know what you have to do?" she asked.
"We have to look for evidence. The police have already began looking through Ryan McCormick's apartment. They found him," replied Akira. "But we don't know what yet. Charlie Collins hasn't submitted his findings, but he and Tsukushi's band found out that McCormick had the place wired up."
"I met him once. A few times actually," said Shizuka as she rubbed her arms as if to keep warm. "He was too good an actor. He was able to slip under Tsukushi's defenses."
"Yes, but there have been times when Tsukushi was too naive," said Soujirou.
Shizuka shook her head. "You don't understand. Ever since she left Japan, Tsukushi was never really trusting of anyone. She kept her distance. She talked with me more often than anyone. I know more about her than Sammi and the rest of her family could ever know. It's not because she doesn't love them, but she doesn't trust them. Her faith was shattered before."
Michael and Adam didn't have to ask for a translation to understand. Shizuka didn't attempt to smile. "I watched as she grew into herself. I knew what was happening, but I was too busy living my life to help her. I thought she didn't need any help. I thought that the stalker couldn't have gotten close enough to hurt her."
"You knew," said Akira softly.
"Yes, I knew. I'm her lawyer. She's the only client I have that I don't work pro bono for," said Shizuka. "She was the one who pays for the offices that I practice in. All this for being able to come to her whenever she needed me. I wish that she had called me when she really needed me. I was there."
"We're all thinking that way. In order to learn about how this all happened, we must dive into her life and really see it for ourselves," said Soujirou grimly.
They all went to Shizuka's parents' house. Shizuka's parents greeted Adam and Michael, but they knew about the business that they had to attend to. The Todou's agreed to take care of Michael until his parents could return. The little boy seemed to understand the importance of his parents' task. He let them go with hardly a whimper.
"I need you to come with me to the hospital," said Shizuka to Soujirou.
"Are you sure you want to? Rui is staying with her. He hasn't left her side since the first night," said Soujirou.
"I'm sure. I have to see her," whispered Shizuka as she turned her head. They were going down Tokyo Square to drop off Adam and Akira at the Doumyouji offices to meet with Tsukasa and the first lawyer. Shizuka stopped talking because the big screens were on the news.
No one needed the sound to know what the reports were about. The news about the shooting was broadcast. There were tens of thousands of fans in Tokyo who were in utter shock. The rest of the world heard the news. There was no more anger about the cancellation of the concert. Many flocked to the concert hall and held vigils through the night. People placed flowers on the stage and lit candles.
There were fans interviewed who gave tearful prayers. It was a great shock. There were pictures of Tsukushi being flashed regularly on screen. The pictures were utterly deceiving because they showed her smiling and bright, but those who knew the real story knew how tortured she really was. There clips from old interviews and other performances.
Tsukushi looked so alive. It was hard to believe that she was nearly dead. Shizuka clutched her hands into fists on her lap. A calming, soothing hand rested on top of one of them. She looked at her husband who stared back at her. "I can't imagine life without her," she whispered. "I can't imagine her dead. How could someone that alive...that strong--"
"It is now time for us to take on the fight for her," said Adam, his Irish accent cutting through her. "She is a member of our family just as much as she as she a member of her own and the Collins. I'll be damn if I let anything else happen to her. She needs us now more than ever. She doesn't have her voice, so we will have to speak for her."
It was at that moment that Akira and Soujirou placed their trust in Adam Kent.
*
Charlie shifted through as much information as he could. It was a window into the madness that was Ryan McCormick. He was forced to go back to the beginning to see where he had gone wrong. Charlie regretted being wrong about Dominic because it had wasted valuable time. He decided to go back to the employee records and immediately cursed himself.
"What's wrong?" asked Sammi as she watched her brother fret.
"Damn it! How could I have missed it?" muttered Charlie.
"What?" asked Sammi.
"It's right here in his resume. Gaia hired him right out of Cambridge. It says here that he was a member of a photography club," answered Charlie as he picked up the phone.
"Who are you calling?" asked Sammi as she looked at the copy of Ryan's resume. Charlie gave her a signal to be quiet.
"Hello. My name is Charlie Collins. I am freelance reporter looking for information on one of your form club members. Yes. His name is Ryan McCormick. He would have been a member of your club about a year ago. Maybe a little bit more. I have a few questions that I have to ask. Thank you," said Charlie.
Sammi was more shaken than her brother. She made sure she was around him most of the time. It was the first time in her life did she feel any fear. She had spent most of her time thinking about how things had gone horribly wrong. It was just unfathomable.
Gaia kept the secret of the stalker at bay, but it wouldn't have taken long before they found out what happened. Sammi and Yuki were in shock because they had worked so closely with Ryan that they couldn't connect him with the person who had shot Tsukushi. None of it made any sense.
The police started to give the information to Gaia about what they had foundd. It was not something they had expected. Ryan's apartment for the most part appeared to be very neat, but that was part of his personality. His neighbors said he was always very courteous and quiet. However, beyond the living room and the little kitchenette was the truth.
His bedroom was clean and neat, but his computer was constantly on. He had pictures scanned in his computer along with various shots from her in Osaka. That was only the surface. It was the extra room he had in his apartment. It was his dark room.
The police investigative team couldn't have been more shocked. It was full of pictures, negatives, and chemicals. It was in utter chaos and disorganization. This was the inner sanctum of Ryan McCormick. A physical manifestation of his insanity and obsession.
There were pictures on the wall like wallpaper. They were plastered along with other pictures of other people. The most damning evidence of all was a board of pictures.
The pictures at the center was Tsukushi. She was dressed in clothes from the London Theater with her hair pinned back. It was a beautiful picture of her. Perhaps one of the most beautiful of all. It was clear that Tsukushi was the object of Ryan's affections and obsession.
That wasn't all. There were pictures surrounding of hers like a collage. They were of other people. The police recognized at least three of the people: Doumyouji Tsukasa, Hanazawa Rui, and Makino Susumu. There were circles in red permanent marker around their heads. The most chilling of all was the picture directly above Tsukushi's was an older picture, which unlike the others was scanned from the original. It had circles around three people. It was a picture of when Tsukushi was younger with her family. The circles that surrounded the faces of her parents had large slashes across them.
It was a huge scorecard.
That wasn't all the police found. Ryan was a meticulous person who kept track of his beloved. It was very sick indeed. He not only kept track of Tsukushi's movements, but started to keep track of other people around her. The people who were closest to her. The other people who were marked for dead were Sammi, Yuki, and Kin-san. That was eight people. Two of them were dead.
The police still had to do more investigating. The report brought in from the forensics team was not very good for Susumu at all. It ruled that he was the shooter. It was not a hard conclusion to come to. He was the only one left standing. Usually, the person left standing was the shooter.
The police did find that there were fingerprints on the gun from both Susumu and Ryan. They also found that the blood on Susumu's clothes showed that there was blood splatter from Ryan when he shot him, but there was also blood from Tsukushi. There was too much contamination of the crime scene. The police did find the blood trail that Tsukushi had left behind when she ran from Ryan after the first shot.
The only fact that they couldn't shake was Susumu killed Ryan. They couldn't establish clearly that Ryan had shot Tsukushi, but the coroner did find remnants of gunpowder on Ryan's hands, proving that he had fired a gun earlier. There was only one witness who could give testimony as to what really happened and she was lying in the hospital in a coma.
The only other witness they had was Dominic Stratton. He was brought to the closest hospital with Kin-san staying by his side. The police questioned him after he came out of surgery. His leg was predicted to heal, but it was going to take time. However, he was well enough and more than willing to gave a statement to the police.
Dominic told them that it was Ryan who came in with the gun. He told the police how he was shot, but he couldn't remember anything between the time he was shot and the time that Susumu had arrived. He was willing to testify in court.
The worst part was the silence that Susumu kept. He refused to say a word. The police had no luck in breaking his silence. It seemed that he was closing in on himself, much like his sister had done before, but the police didn't know about that.
The only person who could tell was Tsukasa because he told Yuki and Kin-san that Susumu wasn't in any real condition to see them. Susumu relied the message that he would rather have them by his sister's side than his.
There seemed a kinship that had developed between Tsukasa and Susumu during that time. It was hard to figure out was happening between the two of them, but it had something to do with the person who was between them. She was the link that everyone had.
Tsukasa met with Adam Kent. Akira acted as the translator for them. Tsukasa didn't tell Adam anything that Susumu said to him. It was the secret that Tsukasa had to keep. He knew that Susumu showed no remorse as if his soul was gone. He did not care that he took someone's life.
Adam listened carefully to Tsukasa as he told him what had to happen.
"I don't want Susumu to stay there. He has to get out of there as soon as possible. Time is very important here. There is no way you can allow this to go to trial, if it does his chances aren't good. I know I'm asking for the impossible, but Susumu has to be out before his sister wakes up," said Tsukasa.
Adam nodded as Akira translated. "Adam said that he will try his best. He looks forward to the challenge. He's gone up against the British government before, so he's experienced against them. I do have a question of my own though," said Akira.
"What?"
"You're acting awfully sure of yourself."
"Akira, I'm not saying that Susumu's going to get off. There's a good chance they'll win."
"No, I wasn't referring to that. I was referring to Makino. You're so sure that she'll wake up. How can you be so sure? Even the doctors don't know about that. How?"
"Because I know her. She will wake up. The only question is when, Akira. Not if. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do. Thank you both for coming," said Tsukasa as he stood up and walked out of the meeting room.
Akira sighed as he told Adam what happened. Adam nodded and said that it was time to meet his client.
*
Tsubaki was frantic when she heard the news on television. She wasn't surprised that her brother had found out so quickly. Their father was just as shocked at the news. It was hard to believe that such a vibrant young woman could be lying in a coma, but the one person who was the most shocked was Kaede.
Doumyouji Kaede was shocked to learn that the plain girl, the girl she thought wouldn't amount to anything, was actually a world famous entertainer. She knew that her husband knew about her, but only as Makino Tsukushi. Kaede also learned about Tsukasa spending a lot on the charity date, but not much else. Her spies said that Tsukushi had gone out of her way to avoid Tsukasa all together.
Kaede was even more suspicious of her family. The whole lot of them lied to her, or rather left her out of the loop. She couldn't stand the thought of the girl coming into her home again. It was even worse that Tsutomu had welcomed her into the house. However, the news of the shooting was also shocking.
Tsukasa was constantly at work and gave no appearances that he cared at all about the shooting. He was the one in power, so he was able to keep it a secret that he had been the one who summoned Shizuka and Adam to Japan. He didn't waver from his work at all. In fact, it seemed that he was taking on more work and working longer hours. Kaede and Tsutomu attempted to talk to him, but he was busy with work from the offices. He was doing work that could have been done by the board or even just his secretary.
Only Tsubaki knew why he was working incessantly. She knew that it was defense mechanism for Tsukasa. It was something he knew he could control and predict. It was shelter in the storm. Tsubaki knew that he was keeping up on Tsukushi's condition. She wasn't sure how, but she just knew.
Aki and Reiko seemed to notice how worried Tsubaki was about Tsukushi and Tsukasa. Aki told her to go and see her brother. She agreed. She had already been to the hospital where Rui was keeping an almost constant vigil. He told her that Tsukasa hadn't been there to see her since the first night. Rui didn't know that Tsukasa dropped by during odd hours, while Rui had taken the time to go home for just a bit.
Tsubaki didn't even wait to be buzzed in. She found Tsukasa in his office looking out the window. It was raining again. Tsubaki had entered the office without much trouble, and Tsukasa didn't seem to notice her at first.
"I hate the rain," said Tsukasa with a sigh as he finally turned around and acknowledged her presence. "Do you realize that every time it has rained this year something bad has happened?"
"You've been working yourself pretty hard. Even Okaasan is concerned," said Tsubaki. "She says you're going to burn yourself out."
Tsukasa turned and looked at her. He looked tired and worn. It was apparent that he hadn't slept in days. In his hand he had glass of scotch. It was only his first one. It was the first one since the whole thing had began. His senses were too acute. He wanted to dull them a bit. He was too aware of everything that was happening.
"Maybe you should get some sleep. Are you sleeping at all?" asked Tsubaki.
"Sometimes. During the day I sleep on the couch," admitted Tsukasa. "But not for very long. It doesn't take too long for me to hear her screaming for help from somewhere. Every time I go and look for her I can't find her."
"You should get some rest. You haven't been to the hospital that much. Rui told me," pressed on Tsubaki in a very gently voice.
"I can't stand it. I don't want to go through it again," muttered Tsukasa. "I hated it." His voice sounded rough with raw emotion. He had learned to control his emotions better when he was in America.
Tsubaki looked startled by what he had said. And she slowly realized that he wasn't just talking about Tsukushi. He was also talking about Tama-san. Her mind returned to that moment when she had returned to visit Tama-san's grave. She had noticed that there was a subtle change in her brother. She knew that he had to endure Tama-san's death by himself. It was just him and her.
"I know that Tama-san's passing was hard for you. It was hard for all of us, Tsukasa," whispered Tsubaki.
"Don't you dare stand there and pretend you know how it feels!" snapped Tsukasa angrily as banged his scotch glass against the table. "You weren't there! You didn't have to watch the pain she was in! I did! It was just me!"
Tsubaki was shaken by him. It was the first time she had ever seen him use his temper for a justifiable reason. "I swore I would never go through it again. I can't just sit there and wait. Not when there's something for me to do. Not when I can help. I know Tsukushi. No matter what anyone else says about me. I know her. She would rather have me here fighting for her brother."
"Do you know what happened? Do you know what he did? Tsukasa, both Otousan and Okaasan think it's a bad idea for the Doumyouji family to get mixed up in this," said Tsubaki.
Tsukasa shook his head. "I really don't care about my reputation. I never did. Do you realize that without his sister he's got no defense? He has no one. His family has been destroyed. His parents were murdered by that son of a bitch. What can Seinosuke and Yuki do? And Sammi? They don't have what it takes to defend him. They don't understand. I do. I'm the only one who can. He has no one. I will not abandon him."
"You love every part of her, don't you? Even her brother," whispered Tsubaki.
"I think to myself what would have happened to me before. I always had my friends. You. But it was her. I became what I am because of her. I can see myself in him, Tsubaki," whispered Tsukasa. "Both the good and the bad. The light and dark. I can see the both of them just at the edge."
"The edge of what, Tsukasa?"
"The edge of life and death. Both of them can fall either way."
AN: Too much things to do. I have midterms. Yeah! *not really meaning that yeah at all* This is another intense chapter. Why does Susumu tell Tsukasa the truth and no one else? Because he's the only person who would understnad. Even Tsukushi wouldn't. She allowed Ryan to shoot her. The next chapter will decide the fate of Susumu. Will he be put through a trial where he'll most likely be found guilty? Or will the Kents be able to do something? This is the second to last chapter with an epilogue following. Perhaps. Let's see if I can put it into a nice little package.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango.