By Indigo Siren
Disclaimer: Tekken is © to Namco, and that all characters mentioned from under this label are only used in this fan fiction for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made from this story; it is just for fun. I do however own the basic concept and characters of my own creation.
A/N: Last part! The end is inevitable!
Epilogue
Nina stared up at the white wash ceiling of her hospital room. Having only been properly awake for the past ten minutes, she came to truly realise that she was her own person now, no Toshin warping her mind with tentative whispers of trickery. And how she relished in the fact that she's managed to survive, but there was a strange pang in her heart, knowing that she'd not done it by herself.
Anna had helped her. Words had shattered barriers had saved the blonde woman from eternal damnation. Toshin would have used her as a puppet for all eternity, pulling all her strings without a word of protest.
She had so much to thank her sister for, but yet she felt awkward because of their situation. Having never truly been on the best of terms, saying thank you seemed rather tasteless to the cruelty and harshness that she'd inflicted on her little sister without a reasonable cause.
It had been her father. His favouring and unguided hate for the younger daughter was passed down to Nina. She was living up to an expectation - doing what he saw she should do.
And now, it just seemed so pointless.
'She could have let me die. She didn't have a just cause to save me, even if I am her sister. Though, the sister title is wasted on us…' She closed her eyes, wishing she knew what to do.
She didn't want to feel angry, confused or distressed - she just wanted to know what she truly felt for her sister. Was it time to start again, so late into their lives? Though, it felt so stupid that she was only going to make up over this incident… but then again, there was much to be sorry for in the past. Maybe now was a trigger to set things right…
"You're awake," a soft voice sounded in the small room, and Nina opened her eyes, turning to see the ever bright and confident form of her sister, Anna. She was wearing the most glamorous red dress with a jacket over the top, clipped with a broach at the neck. It was a bit extravagant for a hospital visit, but for those who knew Anna like Nina did, she was known to dress formal and posh for most occasions.
The younger Williams sister went to sit down in the leather back chair beside her sister's bed, never taking her eyes from her sister's, whom had a careful gaze, so uncertain, on her. She shuffled the chair forward so she could lean her forearms onto the side of the bed.
"The doctors' said they are willing for you to be transferred to a hospital back home for the rest of your treatment," Anna said softly.
Nina huffed. "I don't see why I need to be in a hospital for much longer anyway."
"You've been through a lot. They are just making sure you're in perfect health."
Nina broke her gaze from the concerned eyes of her sister's. Such a gaze she wasn't accustomed too.
Anna sighed, fiddling with the covers of the bed. "Nina, I just…"
"Wait…" Nina said softly, looking back to her sister again. "If we're going to start with the personal crap, at least let me start."
Anna hid the surprise behind a mask of intrigue, nodding for her to go on.
"We've had the most shit relationship in the past, Anna, and I don't know how to make it all seem right. We hate each other, it's a known fact…"
"And why do you hate me, Nina?" Anna interrupted quickly.
To be asked such a question shattered everything she was going to say. She could see that deep in Anna's eyes, there was a need for understanding, and that was something Nina couldn't deal with. She didn't really know how to understand everything herself.
"It… was just the way," she admitted. "Father did it, and it was expected of me. I didn't ever come to understand, but in a way, it made me feel superior, and because he gave me the love, I could just take it all and…" She sighed. "Well, you know what happened between us, and you can see what you got from the way I acted."
"I should be eternally angry at you, Nina, but I'm not. I'm tired of being angry, because it just made my life a misery. I ran away from family and kept running." Anna closed her eyes. "In my darkness times, I had nobody close to confide in. I needed family, and in these past few years, somewhere deep down, I found that maybe I could look to you, the family I had left, for help. Yeah, but it felt like a dream, because of your hate. But now, I don't care what you feel, seeing everything that happened recently told me that I never had hate for you, because there was always hope."
Nina couldn't say anything. For once in her life, she felt completely stupid, mouth dry and lost for words.
"Nina?" Anna asked. "Is there a chance that maybe, forgetting everything, we could at least start again." She sighed, looking towards the window. "I know you love father, and that having any sort of relations with me would have been against what he'd been like in the past, but in the end, wouldn't he have wanted you to have some family to make you happy?"
Nina was confused to say the least. "You know, I think even he would he have been surprised, probably even died again to see you show so much care for me…" She blew out a breath her face hardening. "I ask you Anna, don't talk to me about this now, while I'm lying here not able to fight back my reasoning. Can we resolve this when we get home? And I mean, REALLY resolve it?"
Anna stood and gave a warm smile. "Yes, there is much to discuss, and now is not the time. I just wanted to know if there was a future for us, sister."
Nina looked to her, a smile of her own forming. "Now, maybe. Nobody said it was impossible."
Anna merely nodded. "I'll see you back in the U.S."
Nina signalled an answer and closed her eyes tiredly. Anna departed her company, her heart beating affirmed with hope.
"I'll miss you, Anna," Xiaoyu said, tearfully. She hung on tightly to Jin, whom had placed a friendly arm across her shoulders. He was very much human again, no wings or markings to tell the difference. With the help of his young friend, he was taking time to come to terms with what he truly was.
Anna slammed the trunk lid down on their 2nd rental car (The other on the scrap heap with IPD forking out to pay for the damage); both hers and Forest's luggage were packed and stored ready to be hauled to the airport for the flight home. At that moment, Forest was paying off the hotel bill while Anna was bidding goodbye to her friends.
"It'll be strange not to have someone like you hanging around back home," the elder woman said with a smile, a hand squeezing Xiaoyu's shoulder carefully. The little Chinese girl nodded, brushing tears aside.
Anna turned to Jin, who extended his free hand to her for a firm handshake.
"You've done so much more me, Anna," he said. "I'll always be thankful."
She nodded. "You've learned so much more about yourself and I know that you'll truly come to terms with your new found self soon."
He gave a nod, rubbing Xiaoyu's shoulder as she blubbered slightly, covering up with a laugh at how ridiculous she was being.
"I hate goodbyes," Xiaoyu whimpered, but smiled nevertheless. "I hope it won't be forever."
"Somehow, I think forever maybe shorter then you think. When it comes to me, you'll wish you got rid of me in the first place," Anna said chuckling.
Forest appeared from the swinging glass doors of the hotel, coming into the group. "Well, all done and paid for. Thank IPD for the credit we get - boy, it was damn expensive!" He cleared his throat. "Well, goodbye you two, take care."
"Yes, you'd better take care of each other now," Anna followed on.
"I assure you, we'll definitely be looking out for each other," Jin said, looking down at Xiaoyu. Being the only truly understanding friend he had, they were sure to hang on to each other closely.
"Well, Anna, shall we get going?" Forest asked, opening the passenger door for her. "Our plane won't be hanging around for us."
"Yes, true," she said and patted Xiaoyu's shoulder once again. "See you around. I know you won't miss me too much."
"Bye," she replied softly, her voice croaking slightly.
Anna slipped into the car, with Forest shutting the door for her and walking around to climb into the other side. The Irish woman waved to the two as the car pulled away from the waiting point, following out onto the main road.
As the two teenagers disappeared from her sights, she turned to look out into the traffic, suddenly feeling heavyhearted.
There was someone else she wanted to say goodbye to, but she couldn't remember whom. But it was too late now, and she was on her way home.
After a long, boring flight and a petty argument once again with Forest about who was carrying the luggage around (Though it resulted with him doing it once again), they were finally home, back on their own soil.
At the airport, Lei had called Forest's phone. He wanted to see them straight away.
"He sounded a bit pissed," Forest told Anna, whom didn't look in the least bit surprised.
"So assume it's to the office now?" She asked.
He gave a nod. "Afraid so."
Anna blew out a long sigh. "No rest for the wicked."
Despite being jet lagged, the pair took a taxi straight to the IPD main offices, New York. They dumped their luggage downstairs in the locker room for the time being as they headed to the elevator, ascending to the official private department of the IPD, their usual roaming grounds.
The minute the silver doors of the lift opened, they jumped in greeting of their colleagues who cheered for them on their success on the case. Anna smirked, blushing slightly, while on the other hand Forest seemed quite smug to be spotlighted. She would have usually shrugged off this kind of attention, but this had been a big thing, and it taken all her effort to close the case.
They strutted into the thick crowd of people milling about, throwing out literally a thousand and one questions. That was, until Lei stormed into the throng of people.
"Okay, that's enough!" He barked annoyed. "Back to work!" The crowd began to dispatch, with Lei's attention on Anna and Forest. He was more focused harshly on the former. "My office, the pair of you. Now."
The Chinese man turned and headed backed to his office, striding purposely, hinting for them to follow.
Anna rolled her eyes to Forest and they strolled after him.
Coming into the dimmed office, they could see he was already sat in his chair, agitated. Anna was prepared for what was coming and offered Forest the first seat to sit down while she dealt with the door, taking her time to take her seat comfortably, a smile never wavering as she locked eye to eye with her boss.
"You wanted to see us?" She asked smoothly, and could have sworn she saw his eye twitch.
"For what I'm about to say, doesn't really have anything to do with Forest, but more to do with you, Miss Williams…" He spat her name formally, as it seemed to come out with a harsher affect then if he was saying her first name.
"Yes, sir," she prompted on.
"I've never been so angry at you in my entire days with your working in my department!" He snapped, face reddening. "Not only did you disobey orders, you failed to keep necessary contact and work closely with your peers, and worst of all, you insulted your superior with your mindless crap!"
Anna wanted to burst out laughing. She didn't feel in the least intimidated by this man - she'd seen it all before. Forest had stayed quiet, not wanting to be targeted by any of this frustration.
"You've risked yourself and the lives of others so foolishly, taking nearly everything into your own hands! What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Umm…" She looked to Forest and then back to Lei, giving a little shrug. "Opps…"
Forest had to stifle a laugh, clearing his throat loudly instead, looking to the floor. Lei's face faulted and he looked like he was going to crack.
"Is that it? 'Opps'?" He asked, seething. "After everything that's happened, that's all you've got to say?"
"Well, sir, what do you expect me say? You want me to be kissing ass with humble apologies after the shit I've been through?" She asked, trying not to raise her voice in defiance. "You were going to kick me off the biggest case I've ever had to face! No way am I gonna be nice about that! And for a fact, all my stupid little antics actually did some good!" She lifted a large plastic folder she'd been carrying the whole time and slammed it on the desk ahead of him. "And with that in mind, you should realise that's how the case got solved. And what you have before you is all our work we've done since being out there working with IPD Japan."
Lei sighed, long and tiredly, a hand rubbing down his face. "Right, okay… the case is solved." He looked back to her, his features hard, but yet cracking almost with distress. "You just don't understand that your attitude is what's bringing you down. And the way you think about doing things, it's just completely messing up the team effort. You really need to sort yourself out, Anna. You're so close to be pen pushing in this department for the rest of your days."
"I'll have a nicer attitude when I've been to sleep," she said sweetly. "I've just come off a flight, seriously jetlagged, been in the wars with this case, and you're expecting me to be a beaming ray of sunshine. I'll be more sorry in a few days, if you can understand…"
"Alright, I see your point," he said, but slammed his fist down. "But don't think these excuses will get you off the hook easily. I've got to see what kind of work your presenting to me at the end of this."
"You read that over at your own pleasure," Anna said. "Now if you don't mind, me and Forest have got our holes ready and waiting to crawl into…"
"Okay, okay, you can go, but I expect to see you first thing after the weekend," Lei said sternly.
She mock saluted. "I'll be looking forward to it."
"Just get out!" He said, and the two didn't hang around with his mood as it was.
When the door clicked shut, Forest sniggered. "Nothing like watching you and the boss on at each other to make me feel so much better."
"Cheap thrills, Forest." Anna teased him with a sharp poke to his chest. "Get yourself a set of blow up dolls with our faces on."
"Sick," he said, pushing her shoulder. She just laughed, leading him quite promptly across the office.
"So, we heading on now?" She asked her companion.
"You can go on ahead, I've got to call my parents." He saw Anna sniggering at him. "HEY! They worry, you know! I maybe full grown, but still stick close to them… okay, maybe my mother."
"Woah!" She put her hands up. "I understand! It's good to have people who care!"
He came to sit on his desk, picking up the phone. "And I'll waste company money as I do it."
Anna laughed, giving him the thumbs up. "Good on you! As for me, I best go find Bryan or someone to bribe into giving me a lift home."
"Alright, see you on Monday." Forest bid farewell and Anna left without a second thought, disappearing down to collect her belongings.
On collecting her bags from the locker room, she went to inquire where Bryan was, to see if she could ask him for a lift home, but it turned out that he'd gone down the café.
'Oh well, I can go bug him down there then,' she thought and left, carrying her many, fairly heavy bags.
She'd barely stepped out the door when a bunch of pink flowers were thrust into her face. She jumped slightly and shook her head, her face depicting annoyance.
"Couldn't escape running into you the minute I get back," Anna said, turning to look bast the flowers to the usually beaming face of Paul Phoenix.
"Was taking the bike for a spin when I saw you getting out your taxi," he said, prompting her to take the flowers. "Had to drop by to welcome you back."
"Uh… thanks?" She raised an eyebrow, taking the flowers into hand. They weren't that bad - very pretty indeed. She couldn't keep the little smile forming from her lips and sniffed the sweet, fragrance they emitted. "You shouldn't have… really."
His face shifted to one of a caring concern - Anna hated this expression of his, because it seemed he always wanted to dig deeper on her with this kind of expression. "I heard Toshin roughed you up bad. I was worried."
"Aww, I thought your many girlfriends would have taken your mind off me," she said, slightly mocking.
"Pfft, I only have eyes for you, my little spitfire," he said, grinning.
Anna sighed. "You demons, always so hard to get away from…"
He was about to say something against those words when she stopped him with a hand across his mouth, her face softening.
"I should tell you now, my mind is changing about your kind. I'm not going to be as harsh in the future as I was once before. Had a wake up call to my own bias since I've been out on this case," she said. "But don't get any ideas though, Phoenix."
"You know I always have ideas anyway…" His sniggering face made her want to crawl into a hole, but she shook it off, instead, just smiling.
"Hope, pray and wish, but I'm not bending for you, Phoenix," she whispered. "But… I can let you have one teaser…"
In his wildest dreams could he have imagined her removing her hand and instead, placing her lips to his. She had to stand on tiptoes even in high heels to reach him, but he relented with his height and leaned forward almost without thinking. Sweet, soft and satisfying - he couldn't think of what else he could use to describe the feeling of the kiss. Sadly, it didn't last for very long and she was parting, rubbing away any signs that it had happened.
She winked and picked up her luggage. "Bye for now, Phoenix."
The blonde demon watched her walk away, almost in a dumb state.
"Wow," he muttered, watching her disappear into the crowd.
Anna, not even thinking to the kiss that had just happened, continued to walk down towards the café, mind unwinding from stressful thoughts that had wracked her for the whole time in Japan. She was glad just to have a clear head, not having to think work wise for a few days.
Still, she felt something was incomplete. What in the hell was she have supposed to have done?
A horn honked loudly and she nearly dropped her bags, turning to the new, silver sports car that had pulled up along side her. She was about to scold the driver with the mood she was in when she froze, eyes locking with the brown ones that appeared from behind dark sunglasses.
"How… Hwoarang?" She questioned in shock. And the incomplete feeling suddenly disappeared.
"Small world, isn't it?" He said grinning.
"What are you doing here?"
He leaned on the window frame, a smug smirk on his face. "Picked up my reward just yesterday. Took the first flight I could out of Japan. Tricky to get a bit of dead carcass through customs, but I managed it. Of course, I knew you'd be back here today. Found out where your office was and was going to find out where you lived, but you were here before I got there, so…" He gave a shrug, still smiling.
She rolled her eyes. "And would it be disappointing to say I didn't want to see you."
He pouted. "Oh, come on! You don't mean that!"
"Don't I?" She turned and carried on down the sidewalk, but he wasn't easily brushed off, driving further up along side her.
"Look, Anna, I'm sorry about what I said after the Toshin thing," he said, keeping his voice quite low with this. "I was wrong, all the time. And in the end, we both got what we wanted. I should have trusted you more…"
She stopped and he had to slam on the brakes. The older woman gave him an uncertain glance.
"I don't want there to be hard feelings, and for a fact, I don't want to leave this on some stupid one night stand," he said, an apologetic look to back his point. "I said that I wanted to give it a go."
"You've got a strange way of treating the ladies," She concluded, flicking her hair back absentmindedly. She stopped, thought for a moment and sighed in relent. "Look, maybe I was truly angry with stress and all, but you do tend to piss me off…"
"High understandable," he said.
"Alright," she said. "No hard feelings."
"Good, now, would you like a lift?" He asked, head motioning to her baggage.
She looked to the items. 'Stuff Bryan.' She gave him a nod. "Yeah, I'd love one."
He flicked a button under his steering wheel and the trunk opened. "Drop your stuff in and climb aboard the love boat."
Anna snorted. "Love boat indeed." She dragged her bags to the back and lifted the top and put her things in, slamming it too, the only thing left at hand were the flowers Paul had gave her. She climbed tiredly into the car, smiling her thanks to the Korean.
"So, who are the flowers from?" He inquired as he took the car back onto the main road.
She looked down at them, smiled lightly and opened the window. "Does it really matter?"
As the car sped on, Anna swiftly threw the bouquet out of the window. The flimsy, plastic wrapping unravelled and the flowers burst out, scattering gently with the breeze.
THE END
A/N: And that, my friends, is that! I would like to thank everyone who took time to read this (Even the silent, non-reviewing readers). It may not have been too popular, but I found myself very taken in by this little universe I created. Hope you all enjoyed my supernatural adventure - until next time, see ya!