I failed my father. He always wanted me to be tough, a man's man. The
hell with safety and sanity. The only time he ever stopped screaming was
when he was drunk.
I failed my son too. I thought that if I gave him his grandfather's name, it would allow me to forgive the old bastard and connect to my son through that forgiveness.
Right.
They say alcoholism runs in a family. Sakito got it from both sides.
I notice that everyone seems to want to use my son, including myself. Ryoko and Little Washu wanted to connect to each other through him, I wanted to forgive my father through him, Lord Tenchi wanted to reach Ryoko through him, and Queen Ayeka wanted to find a reason to hate Ryoko through him. He has steadfastly refused our attempts to use him for our own desires.
I don't think other children have to do that.
Ryoko and I are together again, and we are happy. I didn't realize how much I've missed her. We are not using each other for carnal fulfillment, now we are honest lovers. I can truthfully say that I love her.
I say it to her every night and it is amazing to see how genuinely happy she is. Every morning I'm gifted with seeing her golden eyes open and her mumbling about how the day starts too early. I thank Heaven daily.
I hope Mariko forgives me.
Mariko was once the reason I swore to kill whoever posed a threat to Jurai, and indirectly, a threat to her. She was the closest to a goddess I had ever seen.
Given that my 'Mother-in-law' is Little Washu, that's changed somewhat. Mariko will always be special, a woman worthy of my veneration. Her daughter will always be my angel.
But Ryoko will be my wife. I've bought her a necklace. It's not like the expensive ones I used to buy her, fantastic settings with brilliantly colored jewels, but it will serve.
She gasps when I give it to her.
"Wha...what the hell?"
"It's for you."
"But..."
"I think, now that we're not using each other, I can love you."
"Wha...?"
"I don't have any money, and Jurai isn't in a position to pay my pension for my services...."
"I don't care about that!"
"I was hoping you'd say that."
"You...you wanna..."
"Marry you? Yes. I do."
There's a great little shrine on a backwater planet where the priest, a member of the royal family of Jurai, marries us happily and quietly. Azaka and Sakito give applause, while the two kids we picked up congratulate us, Little Washu and Lady Achika cry, Mr. Masaki asks me to take pictures of my new wife later that night and Lord Tenchi tells me that if I hurt Ryoko, he'll personally order my execution.
I have my own thoughts on who hurt her but I refrain from voicing them. She's happy now and that's what matters to me.
That night is excellent. It is hardly our first time together, but to know that she is finally mine, that straying is out of the question, makes it ecstasy.
Queen Ayeka contacts Little Washu a few weeks later. The Orikans are looking at Earth as a potential hiding place for escaped Jurain politicians. That's the official reason they're giving anyway. Really, all they want is to attack any Jurain allies.
Lord Tenchi spreads the word and most countries begin an immediate evacuation of all civilians. Our group gets on Ryoko's space ship and we're off to Jurai.
Some might question the sanity in that, but we're searching for the Jurain Resistance Movement; an opposition formed against the Orikans. Once we find them, we intend to give them aid.
Lord Yoshou and Azaka elect to stay on Earth.
"You're sure you won't come?"
"And old man should know when he is of no use to anyone. I'm old, much as I hate admitting it, and all I'd do is slow you down."
"No you wouldn't."
"Yes I would. I've trained Ame how to use the staff..."
"The kid?"
"Yes. He's strong. Young, but strong. I've told him how to call on the staff's power, all he needs to know is application and style."
"I'll handle it."
"Thank you."
"You know they might attack."
"Lord Yoshou has agreed that I may help him care for the shrine. It is a peaceful place. I will not mind spending what time I have left here. It reminds me of my wife."
"Well..."
"We'll be fine."
I'm going to miss him. We've worked together for....a damn long time and having a new partner is going to take some getting used to.
Ryoko's space ship is a hunk of metal and it's amazing we can even get into orbit. She sets the course for Jurai and we all retire.
Sakito runs after my new partner and I immediately feel sorry for the guy. When Sakito sees someone he wants he rarely stops until he gets that person.
Lady Achika giggles and mutters something about 'yaoi'. I'm not sure whether to be disturbed or what. Lord Tenchi has an interesting look on his face when she says it. All of a sudden I'm glad I don't have daughter. Too much trouble.
That night Ryoko and I discuss our son. Our parental affections have been few and far between. Our child is not really been neglected, he just hasn't been one of our top priorities.
That was our mistake and neither of us is sure how to make it better. When I was a kid, children were left to fend for themselves, parental affection was a largely unknown quantity. Ryoko is in no better shape. We're starting from square one.
I e-mail Azaka and ask for his advice while Ryoko pesters Mr. Masaki for information. Azaka answers that he never had a son but a good place to start with Sakito would be to eliminate his alcohol intake. Mr. Masaki doesn't have anything useful to say, which truthfully doesn't surprise me.
Our quest for parenting advice is put on hold when we enter Jurai's orbit. Little Washu creates a distraction in the form of a bomb a short distance away from the customs area, so no one has any time to spend wondering if that group of mix-matched group of people is really allies of Jurai on their way to overthrow the Orikans.
We get past customs easily and are on our way to discover the hiding place of the Jurain Liberation Movement. They're not hard to find and it's clear they have no formal leadership or training.
To our surprise, they're not fighting for the Jurain Monarchy. They're fighting for a constitutional monarchy. Something that will guarantee them their rights. They want nothing to do with a group of 'Loyalists' with sympathies to the crown. When Lord Tenchi mentions who he is we barely escape with our lives.
We're really on the run at the moment. Most of the party is too well known for us to remain hidden for long. We have children. We're conspicuous.
Conspicuous and ingenius. Lovely Ryoko finds us a beat up motel with nobody to check us in. Clean towels are located and the kids go to bed. I take the first watch.
Sometimes when you're watching, you hear the most interesting things. I might have to suggest to Ryoko that she and Lord Tenchi should keep their voices down when they talk.
"I want to give you back your ring."
"It was my mother's. I'd hoped......"
"Why didn't you give it to....?
"Because I didn't love her the way I love you! God, Ryoko! You're......"
"C'mon Tenchi, don't ruin this for us."
"I love you!"
"No you don't. You just want to finally make a choice. I'm sorry, but you made that choice and I made mine. I'm not about to go back on it. Not when I'm finally happy with the man I love."
I don't listen anymore. I trust her and I love her. I love her beyond anything that can be expressed in words.
We leave the hotel the next morning. I'm not sure where we're going. Ryoko's clutching the little girl she saved from the attack by the Orikans. I'm telling Ame how to hold the staff correctly, but I'm not really paying attention to my own words. I'm watching her cuddle the child and tell her stories.
I don't really know what's going on, or where we're headed and I can't honestly say I care. The woman I love is happy. I can't ask for much more than that.
Author's note- I love this chapter. I tried to stay away from the stereotype 'military man' and I think it went okay. Kamidake is actually easy to write for because we don't get much characterization for him. Nothing is OOC.
****Invisible cookies are given to reviewers.****
I failed my son too. I thought that if I gave him his grandfather's name, it would allow me to forgive the old bastard and connect to my son through that forgiveness.
Right.
They say alcoholism runs in a family. Sakito got it from both sides.
I notice that everyone seems to want to use my son, including myself. Ryoko and Little Washu wanted to connect to each other through him, I wanted to forgive my father through him, Lord Tenchi wanted to reach Ryoko through him, and Queen Ayeka wanted to find a reason to hate Ryoko through him. He has steadfastly refused our attempts to use him for our own desires.
I don't think other children have to do that.
Ryoko and I are together again, and we are happy. I didn't realize how much I've missed her. We are not using each other for carnal fulfillment, now we are honest lovers. I can truthfully say that I love her.
I say it to her every night and it is amazing to see how genuinely happy she is. Every morning I'm gifted with seeing her golden eyes open and her mumbling about how the day starts too early. I thank Heaven daily.
I hope Mariko forgives me.
Mariko was once the reason I swore to kill whoever posed a threat to Jurai, and indirectly, a threat to her. She was the closest to a goddess I had ever seen.
Given that my 'Mother-in-law' is Little Washu, that's changed somewhat. Mariko will always be special, a woman worthy of my veneration. Her daughter will always be my angel.
But Ryoko will be my wife. I've bought her a necklace. It's not like the expensive ones I used to buy her, fantastic settings with brilliantly colored jewels, but it will serve.
She gasps when I give it to her.
"Wha...what the hell?"
"It's for you."
"But..."
"I think, now that we're not using each other, I can love you."
"Wha...?"
"I don't have any money, and Jurai isn't in a position to pay my pension for my services...."
"I don't care about that!"
"I was hoping you'd say that."
"You...you wanna..."
"Marry you? Yes. I do."
There's a great little shrine on a backwater planet where the priest, a member of the royal family of Jurai, marries us happily and quietly. Azaka and Sakito give applause, while the two kids we picked up congratulate us, Little Washu and Lady Achika cry, Mr. Masaki asks me to take pictures of my new wife later that night and Lord Tenchi tells me that if I hurt Ryoko, he'll personally order my execution.
I have my own thoughts on who hurt her but I refrain from voicing them. She's happy now and that's what matters to me.
That night is excellent. It is hardly our first time together, but to know that she is finally mine, that straying is out of the question, makes it ecstasy.
Queen Ayeka contacts Little Washu a few weeks later. The Orikans are looking at Earth as a potential hiding place for escaped Jurain politicians. That's the official reason they're giving anyway. Really, all they want is to attack any Jurain allies.
Lord Tenchi spreads the word and most countries begin an immediate evacuation of all civilians. Our group gets on Ryoko's space ship and we're off to Jurai.
Some might question the sanity in that, but we're searching for the Jurain Resistance Movement; an opposition formed against the Orikans. Once we find them, we intend to give them aid.
Lord Yoshou and Azaka elect to stay on Earth.
"You're sure you won't come?"
"And old man should know when he is of no use to anyone. I'm old, much as I hate admitting it, and all I'd do is slow you down."
"No you wouldn't."
"Yes I would. I've trained Ame how to use the staff..."
"The kid?"
"Yes. He's strong. Young, but strong. I've told him how to call on the staff's power, all he needs to know is application and style."
"I'll handle it."
"Thank you."
"You know they might attack."
"Lord Yoshou has agreed that I may help him care for the shrine. It is a peaceful place. I will not mind spending what time I have left here. It reminds me of my wife."
"Well..."
"We'll be fine."
I'm going to miss him. We've worked together for....a damn long time and having a new partner is going to take some getting used to.
Ryoko's space ship is a hunk of metal and it's amazing we can even get into orbit. She sets the course for Jurai and we all retire.
Sakito runs after my new partner and I immediately feel sorry for the guy. When Sakito sees someone he wants he rarely stops until he gets that person.
Lady Achika giggles and mutters something about 'yaoi'. I'm not sure whether to be disturbed or what. Lord Tenchi has an interesting look on his face when she says it. All of a sudden I'm glad I don't have daughter. Too much trouble.
That night Ryoko and I discuss our son. Our parental affections have been few and far between. Our child is not really been neglected, he just hasn't been one of our top priorities.
That was our mistake and neither of us is sure how to make it better. When I was a kid, children were left to fend for themselves, parental affection was a largely unknown quantity. Ryoko is in no better shape. We're starting from square one.
I e-mail Azaka and ask for his advice while Ryoko pesters Mr. Masaki for information. Azaka answers that he never had a son but a good place to start with Sakito would be to eliminate his alcohol intake. Mr. Masaki doesn't have anything useful to say, which truthfully doesn't surprise me.
Our quest for parenting advice is put on hold when we enter Jurai's orbit. Little Washu creates a distraction in the form of a bomb a short distance away from the customs area, so no one has any time to spend wondering if that group of mix-matched group of people is really allies of Jurai on their way to overthrow the Orikans.
We get past customs easily and are on our way to discover the hiding place of the Jurain Liberation Movement. They're not hard to find and it's clear they have no formal leadership or training.
To our surprise, they're not fighting for the Jurain Monarchy. They're fighting for a constitutional monarchy. Something that will guarantee them their rights. They want nothing to do with a group of 'Loyalists' with sympathies to the crown. When Lord Tenchi mentions who he is we barely escape with our lives.
We're really on the run at the moment. Most of the party is too well known for us to remain hidden for long. We have children. We're conspicuous.
Conspicuous and ingenius. Lovely Ryoko finds us a beat up motel with nobody to check us in. Clean towels are located and the kids go to bed. I take the first watch.
Sometimes when you're watching, you hear the most interesting things. I might have to suggest to Ryoko that she and Lord Tenchi should keep their voices down when they talk.
"I want to give you back your ring."
"It was my mother's. I'd hoped......"
"Why didn't you give it to....?
"Because I didn't love her the way I love you! God, Ryoko! You're......"
"C'mon Tenchi, don't ruin this for us."
"I love you!"
"No you don't. You just want to finally make a choice. I'm sorry, but you made that choice and I made mine. I'm not about to go back on it. Not when I'm finally happy with the man I love."
I don't listen anymore. I trust her and I love her. I love her beyond anything that can be expressed in words.
We leave the hotel the next morning. I'm not sure where we're going. Ryoko's clutching the little girl she saved from the attack by the Orikans. I'm telling Ame how to hold the staff correctly, but I'm not really paying attention to my own words. I'm watching her cuddle the child and tell her stories.
I don't really know what's going on, or where we're headed and I can't honestly say I care. The woman I love is happy. I can't ask for much more than that.
Author's note- I love this chapter. I tried to stay away from the stereotype 'military man' and I think it went okay. Kamidake is actually easy to write for because we don't get much characterization for him. Nothing is OOC.
****Invisible cookies are given to reviewers.****