Chapter Eight
We arrived at Michelle's father's mansion with little incident. Gene trudged to the gate and told the intercom we were back.
We met her father in the study. He got up pretty quick. "Back so soon, Starwind?"
Gene smiled. "Yep. And."
He stepped back to let Suzuka through. She held Michelle in her arms.
The old man ran to her, tears in his eyes. "My Michelle!" He saw her injuries. "What happened, dear?"
Suzuka stepped in. "A bullet grazed her spinal cord. Maybe with a good doctor, it's a possibility that with a little bit of surgery she may be able to walk again."
Then the old man saw me. "What happened to your young friend?"
Gene filled in for me.
The old man nodded. "I see. Let's see if I can do something for you." He called his butler over and told him to send for his best physician. "We have some special patients for him to see."
Just then, Michelle beckoned to Jamie. The little girl shyly stepped forward.
Michelle's father stooped down. "And who is this cute-as-a-button little girl?"
Michelle smiled. "Father, I'd like you to meet Jamie, your granddaughter!"
Her father suddenly had a look of surprise on his face. "You mean my- " More tears formed in his eyes as Michelle told him the whole story. We all waited to see what he would do. Her father smiled and picked up little Jamie, tossing her into the air. "I used to do this to your mother all the time when she was your age!" He gave his granddaughter a bristly kiss on the cheek, causing her to shriek with laughter. "And she used to do that, too!"
We all watched and laughed as he played with his newfound granddaughter until the butler came in. "Sir, the doctor is here."
The old man put Jamie on his shoulders as he said, "Ah, good! Send him right in!"
We all looked in amazement as the same Doc that looked after my ankle step in.
* * *
A week later, we were all packed up and ready to go home. The old man came out with our pay. "Here you go, Mr. Starwind!"
Gene looked at the money. "But, sir, you over counted. This is more than the amount you promised to pay me!" He started to hand back the extra money when the old man stopped him. "No, keep it. You went through all that trouble and risked so much to bring my daughter AND my granddaughter back to me. You've caused me so much happiness that I want to help your business out a little!"
Gene looked at him like it was a dream come true. "If you insist.thanks, mister!!"
The Doc kneeled down to my level. "And you, young man, take better care of that ankle of yours! I'll be around to start your physical therapy. Right now, I need to look after Miss Michelle, here!"
Michelle smiled. "You don't realize how good it feels to be forgiven, and to be called 'Miss' again!"
Her surgery went well, and she was fast on the road to recovery, and walking again.
Just before we went back on the ship, little Jamie burst from the crowd, wearing one of her mother's hand-me-down dresses. "Wait!!" She ran to me carrying her marker. "Here." She signed my cast again. "Since Daddy broke the other one, here it is again!"
I looked at her work. Right under her name, she wrote, "Thank you". I bent down as far as I could and told her "Thanks. I'll keep this part forever." I lightly patted my cast.
She giggled, then gave me a peck on the cheek. Everyone laughed.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"The shade of red your face turned when she kissed you, Jim!" Aisha teased between fits of maniacal laughter.
I hit her in the shin with a crutch.
"Well, everyone," Gene said "This is goodbye."
We all waved as we got back on the Outlaw Star, and back home.
Before we took off, I stared out into the distance for a minute. As we blasted into orbit, I could see my father's face clearly into the deep blue, and his voice saying,
"I love you, Jim, and you make me proud."
A/N: Well, Whaddya think? This had to be by far the LONGEST fan fic of ANY series I have ever done! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing this! Well, I've got some reading to do, so sayounara!!
-Tsukasa-kun
We arrived at Michelle's father's mansion with little incident. Gene trudged to the gate and told the intercom we were back.
We met her father in the study. He got up pretty quick. "Back so soon, Starwind?"
Gene smiled. "Yep. And."
He stepped back to let Suzuka through. She held Michelle in her arms.
The old man ran to her, tears in his eyes. "My Michelle!" He saw her injuries. "What happened, dear?"
Suzuka stepped in. "A bullet grazed her spinal cord. Maybe with a good doctor, it's a possibility that with a little bit of surgery she may be able to walk again."
Then the old man saw me. "What happened to your young friend?"
Gene filled in for me.
The old man nodded. "I see. Let's see if I can do something for you." He called his butler over and told him to send for his best physician. "We have some special patients for him to see."
Just then, Michelle beckoned to Jamie. The little girl shyly stepped forward.
Michelle's father stooped down. "And who is this cute-as-a-button little girl?"
Michelle smiled. "Father, I'd like you to meet Jamie, your granddaughter!"
Her father suddenly had a look of surprise on his face. "You mean my- " More tears formed in his eyes as Michelle told him the whole story. We all waited to see what he would do. Her father smiled and picked up little Jamie, tossing her into the air. "I used to do this to your mother all the time when she was your age!" He gave his granddaughter a bristly kiss on the cheek, causing her to shriek with laughter. "And she used to do that, too!"
We all watched and laughed as he played with his newfound granddaughter until the butler came in. "Sir, the doctor is here."
The old man put Jamie on his shoulders as he said, "Ah, good! Send him right in!"
We all looked in amazement as the same Doc that looked after my ankle step in.
* * *
A week later, we were all packed up and ready to go home. The old man came out with our pay. "Here you go, Mr. Starwind!"
Gene looked at the money. "But, sir, you over counted. This is more than the amount you promised to pay me!" He started to hand back the extra money when the old man stopped him. "No, keep it. You went through all that trouble and risked so much to bring my daughter AND my granddaughter back to me. You've caused me so much happiness that I want to help your business out a little!"
Gene looked at him like it was a dream come true. "If you insist.thanks, mister!!"
The Doc kneeled down to my level. "And you, young man, take better care of that ankle of yours! I'll be around to start your physical therapy. Right now, I need to look after Miss Michelle, here!"
Michelle smiled. "You don't realize how good it feels to be forgiven, and to be called 'Miss' again!"
Her surgery went well, and she was fast on the road to recovery, and walking again.
Just before we went back on the ship, little Jamie burst from the crowd, wearing one of her mother's hand-me-down dresses. "Wait!!" She ran to me carrying her marker. "Here." She signed my cast again. "Since Daddy broke the other one, here it is again!"
I looked at her work. Right under her name, she wrote, "Thank you". I bent down as far as I could and told her "Thanks. I'll keep this part forever." I lightly patted my cast.
She giggled, then gave me a peck on the cheek. Everyone laughed.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"The shade of red your face turned when she kissed you, Jim!" Aisha teased between fits of maniacal laughter.
I hit her in the shin with a crutch.
"Well, everyone," Gene said "This is goodbye."
We all waved as we got back on the Outlaw Star, and back home.
Before we took off, I stared out into the distance for a minute. As we blasted into orbit, I could see my father's face clearly into the deep blue, and his voice saying,
"I love you, Jim, and you make me proud."
A/N: Well, Whaddya think? This had to be by far the LONGEST fan fic of ANY series I have ever done! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing this! Well, I've got some reading to do, so sayounara!!
-Tsukasa-kun