Delirium:Okay peeps, this is the second installment of mah story. No romance yet. And maybe not for awhile. I got to develop the story first! But there will be more action in the next chapter! And (maybe) the reason why Gin has mitamas.
Nana: That's up to us,not you!
Dressi: She is right, we are muses after all…
Delirium: I could always just stop writing this fic…
Dressi: Ill make you do a Chiriko/Hoto fic if you try
Nana:And everyone thinks Im evil, that's just disgusting!
Delirium: In a rare occasion of insanity, I agree with Nana for once
Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Seed, but I do own the plot of the story, and Gin and Kai. However, if you wish to sue, just send me a letter and Ill give you all the pocket lint I own. Oh, that and the schools computer.
A/N: Sqeekers,thank you so much for the review! It made me feel uber happy!
Chapter 2: Memory
When they arrived, Gin held Kai close to her chest. Most people think she didn't feel. She did, she just never showed it. Her son was her only feeling point though. He brought her joy and innocence, but the memory of his making brought her hatred and despair. Shan, who had heard the tale one night when Kai was asleep with Lin in the living room and Gin had gotten madly drunk and spilled everything out. Shan was the closest thing she had ever had to a friend, and had not betrayed Gin's confidence.
But now she didn't have Shan to tell her fears of failure, or even the fears of her son growing up to be just like his father.
But she couldn't continue down that path. That way laid madness, and Gin refused to give in. She had made it five years; she could certainly do all the rest. Besides, as much as she had to fear, she also had the love to keep her sane.
"This is the Kunakida house. That's Ryoko at the door; she's one of the ones you met earlier. She won't be so hostile now that she's found out you have a child. In fact, she'll probably act maternal to the both of you," Momiji said. "She made up for it when I lost my own mother and she's also a bit maternal with Sakura here," the brunette giggled a bit at that.
"Hmph. Like I need it," Sakura stated. Gin looked at the girl. Really looked at her. Sakura was an orphan; she knew that better than anyone. And she was spastic.
"You're right, you do," Gin said. Sakura looked at Gin and growled.
"Care to explain that little remark?" She bit out.
"Of course. You're an orphan. I recognize them after seeing so many. As for the comment about you needing it, well, everyone needs a good parent at least once in his or her life, and you lost yours when you were young from what I can tell from your attitude. You're having a hard time letting many people close and you probably make up for the loss with sex and such, I got that from how you talked about the sizes of your boyfriends' endowments in the car, thankfully while my son was asleep," Gin said. Sakura looked like she had swallowed a lemon. Momiji was stunned, and Koume smiled slightly. Same old Gin she had known a couple of years ago before being transferred to the TAC, before she was in Defense, before she had even thought of becoming a government official.
"Come on guys and get out of the cold, I have some tea ready. Oh, is this your little boy? He's so cute," Ryoko said, her words rushed, as if not believing this little boy was in fact Gin's, but at the same time not believing the girl's luck.
"His name's Kai. He's five. DO you have a bedroom somewhere for him, he's out cold, and I don't want him hearing any discussions about my mitamas," Gin told them. Ryoko nodded and quickly led Gin to a bedroom with a twin bed. Gin tucked the little boy into the bed and kissed his forehead.
"Sleep well little knight," She told him softly. He smiled slightly in his sleep and Gin felt something welling in her heart. She realized that no matter what happened to her, she was doing what was best for her son.
"Come on, the others are in the meeting room by now," Ryoko said. Gin nodded and followed the woman back downstairs and into a large room. Ryoko slid the doors shut behind them and tea was already waiting for them. Gin sat down at the end of one side, as far away from anyone else as she could get. She quickly took off her sweater set it down in her lap now that she was in the warm house.
She totally forgot about the scars until she heard Momiji gasp.
"What, what happened to your arms and back, there's scars all over you," Momiji whimpered. Gin sighed. If she was going to be living with these people, she might as well tell them the truth. They'd find out if blood work was ever done anyway.
"Her father," Kunakida said quietly. But everyone heard it. Gin looked at Kunakida suspiciously. What else did he know?
"I looked up your file a bit. Reports of abuse that were never substantiated, then he turned up dead and you were nowhere to be found. Your mother died when you were young, supposedly from a robbery while you and your father were away, but you claimed it was your father's fault. Again, never substantiated. You claimed he was sexually abusing you when you turned thirteen, and no one came at that point. Your father as a wealthy man and had many contacts. I met him once, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did in fact do all these things. I heard a lot of rumors about him, rumors that weren't very pretty," Kunakida finished. Gin just glared at him.
"Well, if you know that then you also know that he was Kai's father," Gin said, her voice hoarse. Many people would look on her in horror if she said that. Momiji just looked confused, Ryoko looked sympathetic, and Sakura looked surprised. Gin avoided everyone else's faces.
"Why didn't you kill it?" The busty blond asked. Gin decided she would talk to her about tact later.
"I didn't have a choice. At the time I didn't have the money for an abortion. And besides, Kai, he didn't ask for any of this. I didn't either. And despite everything, from something like this, well, Kai is a gift. I know that it's the worst thing that could happen. But still, Kai was born healthy despite all possibilities that said he wouldn't, and he is a good child. I know it was wrong, but at that time, I didn't have any choice.
"My father was sexually abusing me the moment I hit thirteen. I tried to call police, tell a school councilor, something, anything. No one believed me after awhile. No evidence came up. Then, right before I turned fourteen I found out I was pregnant. I, I killed my father, and ran away. I went to someone's cousin. Her name was Shan and she took care of me. She had to go through a lot as a child too, so she knew what I was going through. Her child Lin was born of rape, but that doesn't make the child any less precious to her.
"Eventually, after I had Kai, I needed a job. At this point I was determined to protect myself. I began to work out constantly, and Shan's brother taught boxing and kata. I took these classes, he let me in free thank the Gods, and I became the best. I began fighting for money. AT first I made a lot because everyone bet against me, and I saved it. I had ideals. I wanted to get out as soon as I could. I have the schooling, I got it from Shan while I was pregnant, and afterwards I got my G.E.D.. In the end, I just don't ever want Kai to grow up like I did. After I had him and began fighting for money, everything in the world, I stopped feeling about it. Nothing has held victory, nothing has held interest, or love. Everyone thinks I'm totally expressionless blank basically. But it's not true. I just want Kai to be happy as he grows up. I don't usually trust people, but all the trust I have left, I'm putting it in you to help me make sure my son is happy. That he can see me. I don't want to be a lab rat because of the mitamas. I'm willing to cooperate so long as I can see my son, and be able to hold him, and make sure he's happy," Gin finished.
"We'll try our best. We don't want you here as a lab rat per say, but Matsudaira will need to do a few tests on you," Kunakida said. Gin nodded. She hated needles.
"Don't worry, she did a lot to me too. It really sucked, but you see me here, well and alive," Momiji said.
"Okay then, does she know everyone yet?" Sakura asked. Momiji shrugged.
"She knows me if she'd like to remember," Koume told her. Gin looked at Koume evenly. Suddenly something hit her.
"Your hairs gotten longer Sawaguchi. What happened, you stop being a dyke and start doing the pretty?" Gin asked, grinning.
"Not anymore than you have Kyoujinno. Want to go out and have a beer with me? We could, you know, catch up, talk-"
"Beat the living hell out of each other?" Gin finished. Koume laughed while everyone just looked at the two as if they were crazy.
"What's going on here?" Ryoko demanded.
"Well, your friend Sawaguchi here used to fight on the streets with me. She was pretty crazy. I even lost to her once."
"SO how did Koume go from being a street fighter to being on the Defense Force?" Momiji asked.
"Same way I got sent to you guys. Someone saw an interest and took it. I was in the right place at the right time," Koume told them. Gin nodded.
"Still haven't lost the pink. I swear you made more people think than just about anything I've seen in a long time. Guys werw wondering why a dyke would wear pink," Gin laughed.
"You're a dyke?" Sakura asked, edging away from Koume somewhat. Koume almost growled.
"No, everyone just thought I was. I seem to remember that everyone said you were too Gin. In fact, wasn't it suggested we were together before I split?" Koume asked.
"Yeah. You have no idea what people thought after you stopped coming to the rings. It was hell in a way. Everyone was asking me what happened, like I knew something," Gin replied, laughing.
"This makes everything a little easier then. Yeagashi isn't here yet. He'll be here sometime tomorrow and Sugishita will be here as well," Ryoko began. Momiji giggled slightly.
"What?" Gin asked. Suddenly Momiji turned red.
"Well, Sugishita might hit on you, and Yeagashi might try to figure out what underwear you'll wear next week, all in all, pretty odd guys," Koume said.
"That's okay. Sugishita I can deal with one way. Yeagashi, well he won't have to worry. I don't wear underwear," Gin told them. Everyone almost dropped his or her jaw. Except for Koume.
"I remember you told that to a guy who asked for your underwear. Never thought you were serious about going commando though," She said, holding in barely contained mirth. Gin smiled.
"Well, I know that I've had a pretty odd day, and I want to try and get some sleep," Sakura said. Momiji nodded. Everyone began to depart as Momiji showed Gin where the bathroom was and then her bedroom, which was conveniently next to Kai's.
Gin quickly changed into her nightshirt and sweatpants and crawled under the covers. The slightly chilly fall had seeped into her bones, but for once, Gin felt like she truly had a chance. A way to become something more than what she' thought she could. And she prayed with all her heart to any God listening that her son would grow up happily.
Suddenly Gin heard a shriek. A little boys shriek.
What if they were hurting him? A million thoughts of pain and retribution coursed through her head.
Rushing to the bedroom next to her, she saw Kai away and screaming, tears streaming down his face.
"Honey, what's wrong? Calm down little one I'm here," Gin told him. Kai started calming down.
"I didn't recognize where we was," He began, his young speech butchering the language, but getting the point across adequately. Ryoko and Momiji suddenly burst in the room, and Gin smiled slightly.
"He didn't realize he was in his new room, I'm sorry about this," Gin began. Ryoko only shook her head.
"Don't be, it's understandable. The two walked away, leaving Gin and Kai alone.
"Mommy, can I sleep in your bed tonight? I'm scared," Kai said. Gin nodded and they walked into her room. Kai snuggled next to his mother, who had a protective arm around him. He instantly fell asleep and Gin smiled. He was everything to her. She'd do her damndest to make sure he got through it all alive. Her last thoughts as she fell asleep were how would she explain the beads embedded in her skin to her young son?
The next morning she awoke to sunlight pouring in her eyes, and her hand being fiddled with. Looked at her son, who was staring intently at the mitama embedded in said hand.
"Mommy, what are these? He asked. Gin almost groaned. She did not want to try and come up with an excuse for those at god knows when in the morning!
"Honey, one of these days I'll explain to you. Can you just promise me that you'll only believe what mommy tells you though?" Gin asked. She really hated doing this, but she didn't have much of a choice.
"Of course mommy. What's for breakfast," The little black haired boy said, totally forgetting about the blue beads stuck in her hands.
"I don't know honey. Go get dressed and I'll come back and get you when I'm done getting ready, okay sweetie?" She asked. Kai only nodded and raced from the room, having the foresight to close the door behind him. Gin sighed and got up, quickly pulling her mid back length black hair into a bun, noticing that her hair now had purple tints. Or maybe it was just odd lighting. She chalked it up to the latter. Quickly donning a pair of pants and a baggy shirt, she quickly went to her son's room to find that he was not there. Creeping through the house, she made her way to the kitchen to hear a woman's voice telling an old myth to the boy.
"He then turned the princess into a comb and hid her in his hair! Then the evil monster showed up again and-" The door slid open and Ryoko stopped telling her story and began to blush madly.
"Mama mama! Gramma Ryoko began telling me the story of-"
"Gramma," Both women choked out at once. Kai only looked at them funny.
"Well she older than you, so why can't I call her gramma?" He asked, his voice oddly calm for such a question.
"Umm,that's up to Ryoko honey. I'm not sure," Gin began. Ryoko laughed.
"If he wants to call me gramma he can, so long as you're okay with it. Though I'm scared to see was Daitestsu says," Ryoko said.
"Fine by me," Gin nodded and sat down, pulling the chair up to the table.
"Gramma, can you make pancakes?" Kai asked. Ryoko shook her head.
"Sorry Kai, I don't know how," She told him. Kai bounced up and down.
"Mama does, she can teach you how!" He said excitedly. Gin smiled.
"And you can just have the pancakes after we're done huh little knight?" She asked. Kai looked somewhat sheepish for a moment, then nodded.
"Well Gin, I guess this means I get to learn how to make pancakes," Ryoko laughed. Gin nodded and began to laugh too. It seemed that her son was going to indeed, be spoiled.
A half an hour later, after being covered in flour and batter that had flown when Kai had knocked into the table, Gin and Ryoko were talking conversationally about this and that.
"SO you married your boss? Most people don't do that from what I've heard. Then again I only hear, I've never seen anything like that," Gin told her. Ryoko laughed and nodded.
"Yes, he was so cute that day. It was right before the end with the you know whats and I sat next to him. He still hasn't quit smoking either," Ryoko laughed. Gin had asked Ryoko not to refer to the blue seeds or the arigami in front of her son. So from that point on, they became you know whats. Kai wouldn't have noticed because Kusanagi had brought in a game boy for the little boy. At this point Kai was trying to get Mario to beat the mushroom people.
"It's really great you two love each other. But if he smokes around my son I will break his cigarettes up, so you might want to warn him," Gin told Ryoko. Ryoko laughed.
"Too late, I already told him that."
"I see. Thank you. You have no idea how much all of this means to me. To have Kai happy, and steady income, and a good place to live, it means the world to me for him to be safe and happy," Gin told Ryoko. The older woman nodded.
"I'm just happy you came. It was only by chance that we found you and now… Well now we have to find out what all this means."
"Momiji said something about a girl. Her name started with K, why is everyone so hesitant to say her name?" Gin asked.
"It's a long story, but to make it somewhat short, Kaede was her name. She was Momiji's twin. But the thing is, she was also a Kushinada. When the two girls were born, they caused the arigami to awaken. So Kaede, the older and the Kushinada by birthright was given up for adoption. Kunakida adopted her, and everything was okay for several years. Suddenly Kaede sacrificed herself. Daitetsu loved her very much, and it is still kind of hard for him. Now, to know that she may be back… The last battle she helped us all. She brought Momiji back. But now, it's kind of scary. I thought she was dead."
"It's a scary feeling, seeing someone you thought was dead come back to life," Gin sympathized. She had seen enough people she thought were dead a few months later. Then again, in the world she had lived in, that was for safety. Keeping low till it was clear. A good defense tactic if you had the money to disappear for a while.
"So you and Koume fought? That's interesting. We knew Koume had a bit of a thing for weapons, but I never knew she could fight hand to hand," Ryoko said. Gin almost laughed. This woman's naiveté of the underground happenings was evident.
"Sometimes we did use weapons. But the greatest weapon to own is your body, because it will never be taken away from you, well, not usually. But you have to have good instincts. That, and you have to be prepared to die every time you go into the ring," Gin said quietly so her son wouldn't hear.
"Was it worth it?" Ryoko asked.
"When you still had Kaede, and you knew who and what she was, was it worth it that she might die?"
"I can't answer that. I honestly don't know how," The purple haired woman said, flipping the last pancake onto a platter.
"You have my answer," Gin said. Suddenly Momiji burst into the room.
"Pancakes! Oh my god this is so awesome! I thought you couldn't make pancakes Ryoko!" Her sixteen year old voice squealed. Kai set down the game boy and then began to bounce with Momiji.
"Mama taught Gramma how to make pancakes!" Kai said. Momiji stopped bouncing as her jaw hit the floor. Kai looked exasperated, as if tired of having to explain why he was calling Ryoko Gramma, and Gin and Ryoko only looked wryly amused.
"A grandmother before forty. This is going to take some explaining to my own mother," Ryoko said wryly.
"You could always say it's because of your excellent maternal instincts," Gin told her. Ryoko laughed. Suddenly Kunakida walked into the kitchen and sniffed the air appreciatively.
"Are those pancakes I smell?" He asked, looking around for the source. His face lit up like Momiji's and Kai's had when they had seen the pancakes.
"Yup grandpa. Mama taught gramma how to make 'um," Kai said. Kunakida only looked shell shocked. Ryoko was trying to hold back a snicker. Momiji was already only the floor holding her sides laughing, and Gin looked like she was holding back a great wave of laughter.
"Yes, this is going to be great!" Momiji said jumping up from the floor and punching her fist in the air. Gin only looked amused now, and Ryoko was trying to smooth Kunakida's ruffled pride.
"What did I miss?" Sugishita asked as he walked in. Kunakida had welcomed him in and he had made a quick trip to the bathroom, coming into the kitchen to see Kunakida severely ruffled and Momiji with her fist in the air.
"Nothing," Gin said. She brought the platter to the able along with some butter. Suddenly Kai looked almost indignant.
"Where's the syrup?" He demanded.
"Oh! We never have pancakes so we don't have any hun," Ryoko said. Kai pouted.
"All right all right. Is there a store around here?" Gin asked.
"A few blocks away why?" Momiji asked.
"This little monster here," Gin said, ruffling her sons hair affectionately, "Needs syrup. SO do I for that matter. I'll go get some," Gin said. Ryoko looked ready to protest when Sugishita slid in.
"I'll drive you, I know exactly where it is," He said. Gin looked skeptical.
"Which one is this? The one who will try to guess what underwear I wear or the letch?"
"The letch," Ryoko said. Gin nodded.
"You try anything and I'll rip off precious appendages," She told him, her eyes going cold. Sugishita only gulped and nodded. He believed every word.
"I'll be back soon little knight, you be good for gramma and," At this point Gin almost choked on her laughter, as Momiji and Ryoko were choking on their. "Grandpa."
"Yes mama," The little boy said obediently. Sugishita looked at Gin wit questions and Gin only chuckled slightly. Kunakida was blushing bright red.
They quickly left the house and got into the car. Sugishita drove quickly, but not over the speed limit.
"So how did you join the team?" He asked.
"I got mitamas," She told him simply. Sugishita knew that, and he also knew how. In fact he knew the girl's history as well. Kunakida had jogged his memory very well. But she wasn't inspiring very good conversation either.
"My father knew your father," He began. Immediately he knew it was a stupid thing to say. She tensed up and the air seemed to drop thirty degrees in the car. His father hadn't even liked the man for crissakes, and he made them sound like bosom buddies or something!
"That came out wrong. My father knew your father but didn't like him. He knew of your father's activities, and he hated it. He tried to help you a couple of times," Sugishita said. And it was true. Once, while Sugishita had still been naïve of office politics, he had heard his father ranting and raving after he came home from the SVU. It had taken all of his willpower to not go and throw up after the things his father had told him about his office at work. And more than a few times Gin's father had been mentioned. His old man had left the force later on, tired of the games played in the office. He had been told to not poke his nose in certain business. That had been years ago. Right after Kyoujinno had shown up dead. They had looked everywhere for the girl. It had been the link. But nothing had shown up. His father had tried to prove that the man was murdered in self defense considering there were a few girls willing to testify to the man's brutality. Hookers, but still human. It had been a possibility for him to help, even in his unit. But then he had been told to go home. He had never come back to the office.
"What was his name?" Gin asked quietly, breaking Sugishita from his reverie.
"Sunishi. I don't know if you," The blonde man began, but Gin suddenly looked almost…Happy.
"He came out to my house once. He asked me a lot of questions, but he was concerned for me. He's a good man," Gin told him. "He offered to take me in, but even back then I knew he could go to jail because of it."
"He's still alive. He quit the force though. He's working at crisis centers now. If you want you can see him. He lives here in Tokyo," He offered.
"Yes, one of these days. He's a great man, a good man," Gin said warmly. Sugishita smiled. So there was something besides that cold demeanor.
Then they made it to the grocery store.
Delirium: You guys suck greasy greek meatballs
Dressi: But you love us
Delirium: I think Im going to be sick
Nana: But you love us
Delirium: You wish. Please review everyone!