(A/N: Thanks for the reviews! ^^
Desi: No, mothers aren't easily deterred, are they? I didn't even realize I was writing a character death. o_O;;; Shows how desensitized I am. Kevin says thanks for the suit. ^^ I don't think he trusts me either.
Benevolent Pharoh: Yay! Treats! ^_^
Tenma Koneko: o_o;;; That was a cliffy? *didn't think it really was* ...And here I be updating! ^^;;; So don't kill me, please?
And now, on with the fic!)
"And Birds No Sang"
Chapter 12 - Money Issues
Jin heard the front door slam and he glanced up from the list of members he had to contact for th next big mission. His fingers were inky and the parchment beneath his hands wwas yellowed. Dropping the list, he wandered into the living room.
There, he found Mari, trembling, holding a suitcase. Her eyes were wide with excitement. He looked at her quizzically and glanced down at the suitcase. "What have you got there?" he asked.
Mari smiled broadly. "Oh! Oh!" she cried and dropped it, launching herself at Jin.
He caught her and she hugged him tightly, smiling broadly against his shoulder. "Oh! Jin!"
"What are you so happy about?" he asked, pushing her away from him.
"Look in the suitcase!" she cried. "Look in the suitcase!"
Jin looked at her warily, then moved to open the suitcase. He undid the lock, then stumbled back from the object, staring at the obscene amount of money enclosed. "What...Where did you get this?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in anger. If she'd stolen it...
Mari clapped her hands. "Fernando gave it to me! Oh! He said it belonged to Rei! But, Rei doesn't need to know that - he can make a donation to our cause!"
"Mari," Jin said, still bewildered, getting up.
Mari launched herself at him again and this time he caught her, lifting her up into the air. "Mari!"
"Jin! Isn't it wonderful! Oh, Jin! We're rich! We're rich!"
He set her down and they continued to laugh and rejoice. That is, they did until someone walked into the room. They paused, looking up from their merriment on the floor, to the doorway, where bloodshot eyes stared back at them. Rei blinked and yawned. "What's all the commotion about?" he asked.
Jin scowled and glanced about the room, his gaze falling on the open treasure chest in the centre of the room. It was too late to move it and he could only hope that Rei didn't see it and inquire about it.
Mari on the other hand, seemed only too willing to tell Rei the source of the good news. "Oh! Rei! You never told us you were rich!" she cried, scrambling to her feet, running to hug her confused brother.
"Rich?" he asked, wincing as Mari embraced him tightly.
His sharp golden gaze swept the room, finally coming to rest on the open suitcase. /Funny.../ he thought. /That looks just like my suitcase...But I only brought clothes.../
"That's not my money," Rei said, his voice sounding slow and stupid.
"What?!" Mari and Jin exclaimed in unision.
"Not your money?!" Mari screeched.
"Who's money is it?" Jin cried, rushing over and shaking Rei by the shoulders.
Rei tried to think of who such a substantial amount of money might belong to, but he couldn't think very well, not with Mari screaming at him and Jin shaking him. "Stop!" he cried suddenly, and they did, looking at him, waiting for an answer.
Rei looked at the suitcase. It was almost identical to his....
"Kai," he said softly, realizing that Kai was the only person he knew who would have such an amount of money.
"Kai," he said again, his voice becoming harsh and cold. "The money belongs to Kai."
Mari glanced at Jin and Jin glanced at Rei. "What should we do with it then?"
"I don't care," Rei muttered, breezing by them both, back into the bedroom.
They were silent for a moment or two more. "...Not his money," Mari said finally. She sounded disappointed.
Jin, on the other hand, started laughing. Mari looked at him, as if she were confused. "What's so funny, Jin?"
Jin smirked. "It looks like Hiwatari Kai just made an involuntary donation to the Konekos," he said, before he walked across the room.
He picked up the suitcase containing the money. He smiled at Mari once more, then disappeared into the other room. Mari looked bewildered. And then she remembered something else Fernando had said.
~*~*~*~*~*
Kai walked down the street, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he really care. All he knew was that he had to think, that he had to leave Jin behind, get some air and think.
His shoes scuffed the sidewalk. Autumn leaves whisked by on the breeze. The day was uncannily warm. Kai didn't notice.
Damnit, he had to get that money back at all costs!
But...how?
A shadow fell across his path and he glanced up. His eyes widened and he felt his heart trip in his chest. "You..."
~*~*~*~*~*
The road had been rough and uneven, but now, it was starting to smooth, which was a welcome change to the travel-weary passengers.
The scenery had changed, from the small sea-side town, to the open pastures, and empty acres, and now, it had changed once more. Tall buildings rose all around them, concrete oozed over the world as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of cars crammed the streets. Ads lined the walls of the buldings, urging you to buy this, or try that. Neon signs were lit up even in the daylight hours, and they marked where the stores were.
And oh the noise! It was endless, a mixed up tumult of endless sound, which was not one sound, but hundreds of thousands - voices, cars, radios, music, everything - mixed all together and stirred to become one noise.
There was one noise missing however, and it was the first noise they realized was missing. No birds were singing.
Judy and Emily shared a glance, as Grandpa pulled over to the curb and cut the engine. "Dis be da last stop, ladies," the old man said, getting out of the car at a surprising speed.
And with that, Emily and Judy found themselves in the big city.
~*~*~*~*~*
Jin glanced up from his paperwork, glancing toward the door. Kevin peered in shyly at him. "Jin?" he asked slowly, before proceeding into the room.
Jin said nothing. He just looked at Kevin, waiting for the neko-jin to make his point.
Kevin looked about nervously. "I...uh..."
Jin waited patiently.
"I want to join the Konekos!" Kevin blurted. "I want to do something for my people!"
Jin continued to stare, but just for a moment. Then, a smile spread slowly across his face.
Kevin smiled back, pleased at having made Jin pleased.
~*~*~*~*~*
[A/N: And I'm going to leave that chapter there, as I am uninspired to do more. R&R please, and I think, the next chapter will be the last. Or maybe the second last. Whatever.]
Desi: No, mothers aren't easily deterred, are they? I didn't even realize I was writing a character death. o_O;;; Shows how desensitized I am. Kevin says thanks for the suit. ^^ I don't think he trusts me either.
Benevolent Pharoh: Yay! Treats! ^_^
Tenma Koneko: o_o;;; That was a cliffy? *didn't think it really was* ...And here I be updating! ^^;;; So don't kill me, please?
And now, on with the fic!)
"And Birds No Sang"
Chapter 12 - Money Issues
Jin heard the front door slam and he glanced up from the list of members he had to contact for th next big mission. His fingers were inky and the parchment beneath his hands wwas yellowed. Dropping the list, he wandered into the living room.
There, he found Mari, trembling, holding a suitcase. Her eyes were wide with excitement. He looked at her quizzically and glanced down at the suitcase. "What have you got there?" he asked.
Mari smiled broadly. "Oh! Oh!" she cried and dropped it, launching herself at Jin.
He caught her and she hugged him tightly, smiling broadly against his shoulder. "Oh! Jin!"
"What are you so happy about?" he asked, pushing her away from him.
"Look in the suitcase!" she cried. "Look in the suitcase!"
Jin looked at her warily, then moved to open the suitcase. He undid the lock, then stumbled back from the object, staring at the obscene amount of money enclosed. "What...Where did you get this?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in anger. If she'd stolen it...
Mari clapped her hands. "Fernando gave it to me! Oh! He said it belonged to Rei! But, Rei doesn't need to know that - he can make a donation to our cause!"
"Mari," Jin said, still bewildered, getting up.
Mari launched herself at him again and this time he caught her, lifting her up into the air. "Mari!"
"Jin! Isn't it wonderful! Oh, Jin! We're rich! We're rich!"
He set her down and they continued to laugh and rejoice. That is, they did until someone walked into the room. They paused, looking up from their merriment on the floor, to the doorway, where bloodshot eyes stared back at them. Rei blinked and yawned. "What's all the commotion about?" he asked.
Jin scowled and glanced about the room, his gaze falling on the open treasure chest in the centre of the room. It was too late to move it and he could only hope that Rei didn't see it and inquire about it.
Mari on the other hand, seemed only too willing to tell Rei the source of the good news. "Oh! Rei! You never told us you were rich!" she cried, scrambling to her feet, running to hug her confused brother.
"Rich?" he asked, wincing as Mari embraced him tightly.
His sharp golden gaze swept the room, finally coming to rest on the open suitcase. /Funny.../ he thought. /That looks just like my suitcase...But I only brought clothes.../
"That's not my money," Rei said, his voice sounding slow and stupid.
"What?!" Mari and Jin exclaimed in unision.
"Not your money?!" Mari screeched.
"Who's money is it?" Jin cried, rushing over and shaking Rei by the shoulders.
Rei tried to think of who such a substantial amount of money might belong to, but he couldn't think very well, not with Mari screaming at him and Jin shaking him. "Stop!" he cried suddenly, and they did, looking at him, waiting for an answer.
Rei looked at the suitcase. It was almost identical to his....
"Kai," he said softly, realizing that Kai was the only person he knew who would have such an amount of money.
"Kai," he said again, his voice becoming harsh and cold. "The money belongs to Kai."
Mari glanced at Jin and Jin glanced at Rei. "What should we do with it then?"
"I don't care," Rei muttered, breezing by them both, back into the bedroom.
They were silent for a moment or two more. "...Not his money," Mari said finally. She sounded disappointed.
Jin, on the other hand, started laughing. Mari looked at him, as if she were confused. "What's so funny, Jin?"
Jin smirked. "It looks like Hiwatari Kai just made an involuntary donation to the Konekos," he said, before he walked across the room.
He picked up the suitcase containing the money. He smiled at Mari once more, then disappeared into the other room. Mari looked bewildered. And then she remembered something else Fernando had said.
~*~*~*~*~*
Kai walked down the street, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he really care. All he knew was that he had to think, that he had to leave Jin behind, get some air and think.
His shoes scuffed the sidewalk. Autumn leaves whisked by on the breeze. The day was uncannily warm. Kai didn't notice.
Damnit, he had to get that money back at all costs!
But...how?
A shadow fell across his path and he glanced up. His eyes widened and he felt his heart trip in his chest. "You..."
~*~*~*~*~*
The road had been rough and uneven, but now, it was starting to smooth, which was a welcome change to the travel-weary passengers.
The scenery had changed, from the small sea-side town, to the open pastures, and empty acres, and now, it had changed once more. Tall buildings rose all around them, concrete oozed over the world as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of cars crammed the streets. Ads lined the walls of the buldings, urging you to buy this, or try that. Neon signs were lit up even in the daylight hours, and they marked where the stores were.
And oh the noise! It was endless, a mixed up tumult of endless sound, which was not one sound, but hundreds of thousands - voices, cars, radios, music, everything - mixed all together and stirred to become one noise.
There was one noise missing however, and it was the first noise they realized was missing. No birds were singing.
Judy and Emily shared a glance, as Grandpa pulled over to the curb and cut the engine. "Dis be da last stop, ladies," the old man said, getting out of the car at a surprising speed.
And with that, Emily and Judy found themselves in the big city.
~*~*~*~*~*
Jin glanced up from his paperwork, glancing toward the door. Kevin peered in shyly at him. "Jin?" he asked slowly, before proceeding into the room.
Jin said nothing. He just looked at Kevin, waiting for the neko-jin to make his point.
Kevin looked about nervously. "I...uh..."
Jin waited patiently.
"I want to join the Konekos!" Kevin blurted. "I want to do something for my people!"
Jin continued to stare, but just for a moment. Then, a smile spread slowly across his face.
Kevin smiled back, pleased at having made Jin pleased.
~*~*~*~*~*
[A/N: And I'm going to leave that chapter there, as I am uninspired to do more. R&R please, and I think, the next chapter will be the last. Or maybe the second last. Whatever.]