Notes: Wahh! There's next to no yaoi is this chapter! sobs in corner
Oh well - we have ACTUAL plot progressions! Yay!! :D Have
fun reading! I like this chapter
Warnings: Not too much at all…. :S Typical Sano/Saitou
Crying Roses
By: Emmy
Part Seven
Sanosuke sat on the counter with the letter, from the night before, limply hanging from his grasp. His mind was in other places, and in all seriousness, he didn't want to be there. He wanted to be with his daughter… the daughter that he was going to have to give away to someone he didn't even know in soon…
He had spent all morning looking up information about child custody on the Internet while Saitou was at work.
He wasn't sure if he could face Aya-chan and tell her to news just yet, and thus asked Misao to take care for the girl a little bit longer. He needed to gather his bearings before he could face her… or anyone else for that matter.
After a few moments, he was snapped out of his daze by the ringing of the phone. He shook his head and dug around in-between couch cushions for the phone.
He groaned as he found it, the battery almost out. "Hello?"
"Sanosuke, today at work I was looking up points in the file as to how we could win you custody," Saitou told him on the other end of the phone.
"And what did you find!?" His voice was demanding; scared.
But he needed to know more than anything.
"Well I found that the main issues dealing with custody is child endangerment, parental alienation, lengthy childcare, mental illness, verbal or mental abuse, drug of alcohol abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, denying visitation, lying to the child, kidnapping, new stepparent, best interest of child, neglect and poor living conditions." Saitou finished, taking in a deep breath. "And from all that information, I have to say that we know next to nothing about the true father. We would need to check you out for drug and alcohol abuse by taking a blood test, but after that we could start working on the case. When I looked back in some old police files, there have been instances in which the non-biological father has been able to keep custody of the child. However, in order to have a chance we're going to have to be able to find some huge flaw in this guy."
Sanosuke took in a deep breath. "Thanks, Saitou. What do I need to do?"
"Right now, I scheduled a blood and urine test for you at St. Mary's hospital this afternoon. I told them about the case, but they think that it's official police business, so please try to be discreet about it, all right? They're going to test your health, and if you've been using drugs. I hardly think that there's any blood alcohol level in your blood stream right now, but then again the topic of drugs has never cone up between us so…" Saitou trailed off, allowing the other man to fill in the rest of the sentence.
There was a moment of silence.
"When are the tests?" Sanosuke asked, a little choked up.
"You can head over in an hour. I'll be home in two, all right?"
"Thank you, I really appreciate it."
"And Sanosuke?"
"… yes?"
"I'm going to pick up Aya from Misao's on my way home from work. You two need to be together."
Another pause.
"Hajime?"
"Hm?"
"What do you think…?" Sanosuke asked with a pause.
"What do you mean?"
"Do… do you think that I'm going to win, what are my chances? I don't know… I don't know what I'd do without her…" Sanosuke admitted a little bitterly, his hands moving hesitantly between his hips and pockets.
"Sanosuke." Saitou began, his voice a tad more wary than before. "I know that we'll win. We have to, all right? He may have rights since he is the biological father, but I'll get you the best lawyer. If the judge has any humanity in him, then you'll be able to keep Aya, all right?"
Sanosuke nodded, but didn't utter a word.
"Thanks, Saitou. Really… I hope you're right."
"I know I am." Saitou stated, a brief chuckle coming from his lips.
Sanosuke laughed, "Yeah - ya always are. Well… I need to relax before I go… you know - get my heart rate and blood pressure down."
"Sanosuke?"
"Yes?" Sanosuke asked, this time a little more assertive.
"I love you."
A smile covered the man's face.
"I love you too…"
Before he could say anything else, the phone went dead, but Sanosuke didn't bother to call back. It was something that he was going to shrug off, at least it was the end of the conversation…
He stood up and headed over to the shower. He needed to calm down a little bit, maybe a nice gush of hot water would snap him back into reality… Yeah - that's the ticket.
"Daddy?" A small, meek voice called through the small house.
She hesitantly stepped in, peering around.
"Daddy! Where are you!?" She huffed, planting two small hands on two small hips.
"He's here, Aya. Don't worry about it." Saitou assured as he pulled his jacket off, and then grabbed Aya's as well. He flipped the light switch on and walked through the entry way, a little worried.
Where was Sanosuke?
"Off'cer?" A voice requested, and Saitou looked down to see the little girl's arms wide open.
"Yes, Aya?"
"Pick me up!!"
Saitou chuckled and knelt down at the girl's side, scooping her up in his arms.
Aya looked at him with her big eyes and cocked her head slightly, "Where's daddy?"
"He'll be coming home soon, all right? Why don't you go up to your room and get changed for bed?"
Aya struck her tongue out. "I am dress'd fer bed!"
The young girl rolled her eyes.
Saitou chuckled. "Why don't you go and change into that nice, lilac nightgown that I bought for your birthday a few weeks ago?"
She giggled. "Daddy broke it!"
The older man raised an eyebrow, looking at the girl. "What was that?"
"Daddy broke it!"
"How do you break a nightgown?"
"By havin' a bleech a'dent and spillin' it all over the floor! It broke into five pieces!" Aya displaced one hand full of extended fingers. She grinned, "I learned how to count ta five in preschool! See! One, two, five!"
"I think you missed a few things." Saitou instructed with a small grin, running a hand through Aya's long, loose raven hair.
"Nuh-uh!" Aya persisted.
"Why don't you go and wreck one of Daddy's things because he did that to yours?" Saitou suggested with a smile.
Aya's eyes widened. "What?! Daddy's stuff? I couldn't break Daddy's stuff! 'm a good-girl!"
Saitou set the girl down on the stairs and ruffled her hair, "Yes, you are, Aya. Now go up and change, all right?"
"Okie-Dokie!"
Saitou looked around the downstairs for a trace of Sanosuke, or at least a note.
But he found neither.
He looked for the phone, only to realize that his battery was dead. He fished around in his pocket for his cell phone, something that he was sure he could relay on. After all, it had been about three years since he had gotten a 'No service.'
He dialed in Sanosuke's number quickly and waited.
It rang, many times before someone actually picked up.
"Hello?"
"Sanosuke? Where are you? Aya and myself were wondering how you were. And not to mention where you were. Where are you?"
"Oh… Saitou… I…"
"What's wrong, Sanosuke?"
"I want to meet the guy before I just let Aya go with him, you know, went to check out if he was mentally stable or unstable so I might have a case."
"Sanosuke! You can't just go over there!"
"Don't worry, he doesn't know I'm here. I'm being really careful."
"So you're stalking him!?" Saitou abruptly demanded, his voice heavy with worry.
What was that ahou thinking!?
"No! Not stalking him! Just following him!"
"You're not doing anything for your case yet, Sanosuke." Saitou growled.
The boy was so… thick sometimes!
"Hey, I really have to go…"
"Sanosuke, get back here right now!"
"Yes, mom." Sanosuke bitterly commented, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Aya's destroying your shirts in memory of that nightgown you wrecked."
"She told you!? Man - Jime, I'm sorry! It just slipped, I didn't mean to wreck it… it was so nice too and-"
"Sanosuke, just come back, that's all I'm asking. Come back now and I won't be upset about any of it. Just come back…" Saitou begged, rather angry that the roosterhead had done this to begin with.
"Hey, I will, all right? Tonight, I just need to…"
"Don't approach him, emotions are too messy. Especially in a court of law."
"I'll talk to ya later. Bye."
Click.
Saitou glared down at the phone in his hands and clenched it angry, determined not to destroy anything.
That ahou!
Sanosuke looked out his car window, peering over his shades. Yeah - he felt really bad about hanging up on Saitou like that, however he didn't have any idea of what he was going through right now.
He felt so helpless - so alone.
He loved Aya, he loved her with all of his heart. He didn't know what he was going to do without the girl… He had raised her as his own. She was the thing that kept him sane; she was the thing that made him hold onto the reality that had given him nothing… nothing but a beautiful baby girl.
She was the only memory of his best friend that weren't faded photographs.
Megumi lived on in her daughter…
He had been there for her, he had helped her through all those times, and this man just came into her world and demanded to take her away. Biological father?
Yes, blood this thicker than ink, but this was different…
He couldn't give Aya up to just anyone…
This man better wow him.
He stepped out of car and slammed the door. He needed to talk to him.
He dug his hands into his leather jacket as he walked over to where the man was, depositing some letter in his mailbox.
The man looked up. "Excuse me, can I do something for you?" His voice was stern, a little annoyed as well.
Not the best was to make a first-impression.
Sanosuke took a deep breath. "I'm Sanosuke Sagara… Aya's adopted father."
There. Introductions done.
He paused, and his eyes lit up slightly, "Oh, I've met you before! You were that man getting drunk at the bar when Megumi was throwing that party…!"
Sanosuke flinched. "Back in 1998? Yeah - that New Year's Eve party…"
The man laughed, "You weren't even old enough to drink!"
"Um… that's not what I came to discuss, sir."
The man reached out his hand to Sanosuke, "Well, of course not. It was so long ago! I can't wait to meet Aya! Is she looking forward to my visit?"
The other man paused. "Aya doesn't know of your visit yet…"
The man blinked, "And why doesn't she…?"
He seemed genuinely confused. Sanosuke didn't know how to say it.
"Well… I wanted to talk to you before anything else happened… before I decided whether or not I wanted her… to go with you." This was so hard… hard to talk about… hard to think about… hard to stay sane.
"What do you mean, if you decide that you'll let her go with me? I'm her biological father! You can't deny me rights to take her!" His face was red with anger. He must have caught himself because he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "I'm sorry… I let my temper get the best of me… I appreciate all that you've done for her, and I'm eternally in your debt. But this is a good thing, Sanosuke. You were dumped with a child that wasn't even yours when you were so young! You can have fun now, and not worry about the traumas of parenting!"
"Mister… you have no idea… I'm happy where I am now… I have someone that I love with all my heart, I don't need to get out and 'have fun.' But more than anything… I need Aya. And I don't know whether or not I can let you take her, if I do lose."
The other man raised an eyebrow.
"If you lose?"
"Yeah - I'm taking this to court. I love her. I'm not giving her up."
The man crumpled up a newspaper in his hands, crushing the middle.
"Is this all that you came here to discuss, Sanosuke?"
The man nodded. "Yeah - it is."
"Then I suppose I'll see you in court."
"Yeah. I suppose as much." Sanosuke finished and turned his back on the man, retreating back to his car.
Well - the cards have been dealt and they were just going to have work with what they had. But one thing that Sanosuke didn't understand upon seeing Aya's father was one thing.
Where did Aya get her eyes…?
End of part seven
Warnings: Not too much at all…. :S Typical Sano/Saitou
Crying Roses
By: Emmy
Part Seven
Sanosuke sat on the counter with the letter, from the night before, limply hanging from his grasp. His mind was in other places, and in all seriousness, he didn't want to be there. He wanted to be with his daughter… the daughter that he was going to have to give away to someone he didn't even know in soon…
He had spent all morning looking up information about child custody on the Internet while Saitou was at work.
He wasn't sure if he could face Aya-chan and tell her to news just yet, and thus asked Misao to take care for the girl a little bit longer. He needed to gather his bearings before he could face her… or anyone else for that matter.
After a few moments, he was snapped out of his daze by the ringing of the phone. He shook his head and dug around in-between couch cushions for the phone.
He groaned as he found it, the battery almost out. "Hello?"
"Sanosuke, today at work I was looking up points in the file as to how we could win you custody," Saitou told him on the other end of the phone.
"And what did you find!?" His voice was demanding; scared.
But he needed to know more than anything.
"Well I found that the main issues dealing with custody is child endangerment, parental alienation, lengthy childcare, mental illness, verbal or mental abuse, drug of alcohol abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, denying visitation, lying to the child, kidnapping, new stepparent, best interest of child, neglect and poor living conditions." Saitou finished, taking in a deep breath. "And from all that information, I have to say that we know next to nothing about the true father. We would need to check you out for drug and alcohol abuse by taking a blood test, but after that we could start working on the case. When I looked back in some old police files, there have been instances in which the non-biological father has been able to keep custody of the child. However, in order to have a chance we're going to have to be able to find some huge flaw in this guy."
Sanosuke took in a deep breath. "Thanks, Saitou. What do I need to do?"
"Right now, I scheduled a blood and urine test for you at St. Mary's hospital this afternoon. I told them about the case, but they think that it's official police business, so please try to be discreet about it, all right? They're going to test your health, and if you've been using drugs. I hardly think that there's any blood alcohol level in your blood stream right now, but then again the topic of drugs has never cone up between us so…" Saitou trailed off, allowing the other man to fill in the rest of the sentence.
There was a moment of silence.
"When are the tests?" Sanosuke asked, a little choked up.
"You can head over in an hour. I'll be home in two, all right?"
"Thank you, I really appreciate it."
"And Sanosuke?"
"… yes?"
"I'm going to pick up Aya from Misao's on my way home from work. You two need to be together."
Another pause.
"Hajime?"
"Hm?"
"What do you think…?" Sanosuke asked with a pause.
"What do you mean?"
"Do… do you think that I'm going to win, what are my chances? I don't know… I don't know what I'd do without her…" Sanosuke admitted a little bitterly, his hands moving hesitantly between his hips and pockets.
"Sanosuke." Saitou began, his voice a tad more wary than before. "I know that we'll win. We have to, all right? He may have rights since he is the biological father, but I'll get you the best lawyer. If the judge has any humanity in him, then you'll be able to keep Aya, all right?"
Sanosuke nodded, but didn't utter a word.
"Thanks, Saitou. Really… I hope you're right."
"I know I am." Saitou stated, a brief chuckle coming from his lips.
Sanosuke laughed, "Yeah - ya always are. Well… I need to relax before I go… you know - get my heart rate and blood pressure down."
"Sanosuke?"
"Yes?" Sanosuke asked, this time a little more assertive.
"I love you."
A smile covered the man's face.
"I love you too…"
Before he could say anything else, the phone went dead, but Sanosuke didn't bother to call back. It was something that he was going to shrug off, at least it was the end of the conversation…
He stood up and headed over to the shower. He needed to calm down a little bit, maybe a nice gush of hot water would snap him back into reality… Yeah - that's the ticket.
"Daddy?" A small, meek voice called through the small house.
She hesitantly stepped in, peering around.
"Daddy! Where are you!?" She huffed, planting two small hands on two small hips.
"He's here, Aya. Don't worry about it." Saitou assured as he pulled his jacket off, and then grabbed Aya's as well. He flipped the light switch on and walked through the entry way, a little worried.
Where was Sanosuke?
"Off'cer?" A voice requested, and Saitou looked down to see the little girl's arms wide open.
"Yes, Aya?"
"Pick me up!!"
Saitou chuckled and knelt down at the girl's side, scooping her up in his arms.
Aya looked at him with her big eyes and cocked her head slightly, "Where's daddy?"
"He'll be coming home soon, all right? Why don't you go up to your room and get changed for bed?"
Aya struck her tongue out. "I am dress'd fer bed!"
The young girl rolled her eyes.
Saitou chuckled. "Why don't you go and change into that nice, lilac nightgown that I bought for your birthday a few weeks ago?"
She giggled. "Daddy broke it!"
The older man raised an eyebrow, looking at the girl. "What was that?"
"Daddy broke it!"
"How do you break a nightgown?"
"By havin' a bleech a'dent and spillin' it all over the floor! It broke into five pieces!" Aya displaced one hand full of extended fingers. She grinned, "I learned how to count ta five in preschool! See! One, two, five!"
"I think you missed a few things." Saitou instructed with a small grin, running a hand through Aya's long, loose raven hair.
"Nuh-uh!" Aya persisted.
"Why don't you go and wreck one of Daddy's things because he did that to yours?" Saitou suggested with a smile.
Aya's eyes widened. "What?! Daddy's stuff? I couldn't break Daddy's stuff! 'm a good-girl!"
Saitou set the girl down on the stairs and ruffled her hair, "Yes, you are, Aya. Now go up and change, all right?"
"Okie-Dokie!"
Saitou looked around the downstairs for a trace of Sanosuke, or at least a note.
But he found neither.
He looked for the phone, only to realize that his battery was dead. He fished around in his pocket for his cell phone, something that he was sure he could relay on. After all, it had been about three years since he had gotten a 'No service.'
He dialed in Sanosuke's number quickly and waited.
It rang, many times before someone actually picked up.
"Hello?"
"Sanosuke? Where are you? Aya and myself were wondering how you were. And not to mention where you were. Where are you?"
"Oh… Saitou… I…"
"What's wrong, Sanosuke?"
"I want to meet the guy before I just let Aya go with him, you know, went to check out if he was mentally stable or unstable so I might have a case."
"Sanosuke! You can't just go over there!"
"Don't worry, he doesn't know I'm here. I'm being really careful."
"So you're stalking him!?" Saitou abruptly demanded, his voice heavy with worry.
What was that ahou thinking!?
"No! Not stalking him! Just following him!"
"You're not doing anything for your case yet, Sanosuke." Saitou growled.
The boy was so… thick sometimes!
"Hey, I really have to go…"
"Sanosuke, get back here right now!"
"Yes, mom." Sanosuke bitterly commented, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Aya's destroying your shirts in memory of that nightgown you wrecked."
"She told you!? Man - Jime, I'm sorry! It just slipped, I didn't mean to wreck it… it was so nice too and-"
"Sanosuke, just come back, that's all I'm asking. Come back now and I won't be upset about any of it. Just come back…" Saitou begged, rather angry that the roosterhead had done this to begin with.
"Hey, I will, all right? Tonight, I just need to…"
"Don't approach him, emotions are too messy. Especially in a court of law."
"I'll talk to ya later. Bye."
Click.
Saitou glared down at the phone in his hands and clenched it angry, determined not to destroy anything.
That ahou!
Sanosuke looked out his car window, peering over his shades. Yeah - he felt really bad about hanging up on Saitou like that, however he didn't have any idea of what he was going through right now.
He felt so helpless - so alone.
He loved Aya, he loved her with all of his heart. He didn't know what he was going to do without the girl… He had raised her as his own. She was the thing that kept him sane; she was the thing that made him hold onto the reality that had given him nothing… nothing but a beautiful baby girl.
She was the only memory of his best friend that weren't faded photographs.
Megumi lived on in her daughter…
He had been there for her, he had helped her through all those times, and this man just came into her world and demanded to take her away. Biological father?
Yes, blood this thicker than ink, but this was different…
He couldn't give Aya up to just anyone…
This man better wow him.
He stepped out of car and slammed the door. He needed to talk to him.
He dug his hands into his leather jacket as he walked over to where the man was, depositing some letter in his mailbox.
The man looked up. "Excuse me, can I do something for you?" His voice was stern, a little annoyed as well.
Not the best was to make a first-impression.
Sanosuke took a deep breath. "I'm Sanosuke Sagara… Aya's adopted father."
There. Introductions done.
He paused, and his eyes lit up slightly, "Oh, I've met you before! You were that man getting drunk at the bar when Megumi was throwing that party…!"
Sanosuke flinched. "Back in 1998? Yeah - that New Year's Eve party…"
The man laughed, "You weren't even old enough to drink!"
"Um… that's not what I came to discuss, sir."
The man reached out his hand to Sanosuke, "Well, of course not. It was so long ago! I can't wait to meet Aya! Is she looking forward to my visit?"
The other man paused. "Aya doesn't know of your visit yet…"
The man blinked, "And why doesn't she…?"
He seemed genuinely confused. Sanosuke didn't know how to say it.
"Well… I wanted to talk to you before anything else happened… before I decided whether or not I wanted her… to go with you." This was so hard… hard to talk about… hard to think about… hard to stay sane.
"What do you mean, if you decide that you'll let her go with me? I'm her biological father! You can't deny me rights to take her!" His face was red with anger. He must have caught himself because he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "I'm sorry… I let my temper get the best of me… I appreciate all that you've done for her, and I'm eternally in your debt. But this is a good thing, Sanosuke. You were dumped with a child that wasn't even yours when you were so young! You can have fun now, and not worry about the traumas of parenting!"
"Mister… you have no idea… I'm happy where I am now… I have someone that I love with all my heart, I don't need to get out and 'have fun.' But more than anything… I need Aya. And I don't know whether or not I can let you take her, if I do lose."
The other man raised an eyebrow.
"If you lose?"
"Yeah - I'm taking this to court. I love her. I'm not giving her up."
The man crumpled up a newspaper in his hands, crushing the middle.
"Is this all that you came here to discuss, Sanosuke?"
The man nodded. "Yeah - it is."
"Then I suppose I'll see you in court."
"Yeah. I suppose as much." Sanosuke finished and turned his back on the man, retreating back to his car.
Well - the cards have been dealt and they were just going to have work with what they had. But one thing that Sanosuke didn't understand upon seeing Aya's father was one thing.
Where did Aya get her eyes…?
End of part seven