"Hatsumi, you ready to go?" I wipe my eyes and throw on some new clothes. Cheer up Hatsumi, relax...
I sigh again and go into the living room. Ryoki is sitting on the couch with Mizuku, watching Sailor Moon. I watch from the doorway, as Mizuku explains everything to Ryoki, a smile on my face.
"No no daddy, that one's Sailor Moon not Sailor Jupiter!" Mizu moans at Ryoki. He looks confused, and I can't help but giggle.
"Mama, Neptune-chan called!" Mizuku says looking up at me.
"She did huh, how come?" I wipe my eyes and sit beside Ryoki, resting my head on his shoulder.
"She said she had a hangover, and that she was staying with Uncle Shinogu Daddy what's a hangover? Can I have one?" She asks with a smile
"Not till you're older." I say exchanging shocked looks with Ryoki. Suddenly Sailor Moon starts again and she jumps onto Ryoki's lap.
"See daddy, that's Neptune-chan, I met her before and she says I can be a Sailor Scout!" She says pointing to the screen.
"Neptune-chan?" He repeats confused. I look up at him, and smile. He looks cute confused...
"Mama, daddy's taking me to his store today!" Mizuku says still watching tv.
"Really, what'll you do there?" I smile as Ryoki holds my hand in his, tracing the lines on my palm.
"We're gonna stop by and tell Subaru to take my shift. We'll go out for the day." He replies smiling. I smile, why is he being so sweet?
"Mama, your phone is ringing!" Mizu whispers as she pulls on my arm. I take the phone from her and put it to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Hatsumi, where you at?" Azusa yawned from the phone.
"You need to stop calling me." I say weakly. Ryoki tightens his grip on my other hand, listening intently.
"Hatsu, you know last night I didn't think you'd get drunk, and I should've let Shinogu take you home..." Azusa begins but Ryoki grabs the phone from me.
"STOP CALLING HER!" He screams. Mizuku looks at her dad, frightened. She climbs onto my lap and buries her face in my shirt.
"Ryoki calm down.." I begin but he ignores me.
"LEAVE HER ALONE AND DON'T CALL HER AGAIN OR I'LL BEAT THE SH..."
"Stop it Ryoki!" I beg him pulling on his arm. He slaps me hard and I fall to the floor, with Mizuku landing on the glass table, which shatters.
"Mizuku!" I pull her up into my arms and look at her. My poor baby, it's my fault, always it's my fault oh no please God don't let her be hurt.
Ryoki puts the phone down and starts talking to me, but I can't hear him. Mizuku has a long cut along the middle of her forehead, and tears are in her eyes.
"Mama it hurts!" She screams out. I hold her to me, grab my stuff and run out of the apartment.
"Hatsu come back!" Ryoki calls from behind me. I ignore him and run into the elevator.
"We'll run you to the hospital baby, don't cry don't cry." I say softly as we leave the complex. Oh how will we get there?
"Hey Hatsumi-chan! Hey come on wait for me!" I turn to see Kari waving at me. She catches up and looks at Mizuku.
"Damn! What happened? No don't bother, come on." She sighs and waves at a parked car on the street. A maid comes out, smiling.
"Miss, you should be with you're aunt for tea." She says but Kari shakes her head.
"Not now Lika-san, we have to go to the hospital immediately." I stare in wonder as Kari opens the door to her fancy car and I climb in.
On the drive, Kari looks serious and I can't help but notice how sad she looks. When Mizuku calms down, I put a hand on Kari's shoulder.
"You okay?" I ask softly. She looks at me a moment, and shakes her head no.
"Shinogu-sama yelled at me last night for being drunk. I suppose I should've left, but..." She pauses and looks at Lika-san. "Can we go a bit faster? Mizuku needs to get to a doctor immediately!"
Mizuku looks around, frightened. I offer to hold her again, but she shakes her head and shivers.
"Here we are Miss." Lika says calmly. Kari nods and picks up Mizuku from the backseat.
"Come on Hatsu." She ushers me as we run in.
I sit in the waiting room, nervous. My baby, please please let her be okay. Oh please God...
"She'll be okay, don't worry." Kari says sitting beside me. I look up at her and shake my head.
"It's my fault." I sigh. "I shouldn't have let Azusa take me out, or Ryoki wouldn't have hit me, and Mizuku wouldn't have fallen..."
"Sounds like Ryoki's fault. That ass." She pulls out her cell phone and pushes a few buttons.
"Ryoki? Good, now you listen up right now! Your kid is in the hospital bleeding because of you, Hatsumi's hysterical, and I don't see you here! No. Yes. Ya where you saw our car." She closes it and smiles.
"He'll be here in a few minutes. You want me to go have Lika-san get you something? A drink?" She says sitting at my feet like an eager child. I shake my head and she looks up.
"Oh it's Azusa-kun! I bet he saw Lika-san and thought I was hurt." I look at Azusa as he walks in. He looks worried, and I look away from him. Never would I feel anything for him.
"Kari what happened? You okay?" He says putting a hand on her arm. She shakes her head and gestures to me.
"I'm fine, but Hatsumi's daughter was cut up pretty bad. That idiot Ryoki's doing."
"No it wasn't! I shouldn't have...it's my fault not Ryoki's." I manage. Azusa takes off his sunglasses and bends down and looks me in the eyes. Why does he have to be so beautiful?
He puts a hand on my cheek, and I blush. "Don't worry, I'll stay with you till they tell us if she's alright."
"Touch her again, and see if you live that long." Ryoki snarls at him from the doorway. Azusa looks amused at Ryoki.
"Come on, you going to start a fight? I mean we don't want anyone else ending up hurt because of your stupidness." He puts his sunglasses on again, and sits beside me.
"Miss Tachibana, your Aunt will be worried." Lika-san says entering the hostile room. Kari looks at me.
"I'd better go, call me okay Hatsu? Tell Mizuku I'll have a costume made for her tomorrow." I nod and Kari leaves.
It seems like an eternity as we wait. Ryoki doesn't look at me at all, and Azusa stares at me, waiting for me to speak. A woman comes in and talks to us.
"Miss Narita, Mizuku will be fine. Just a few bandages and some medicine for the pain. Now I just need to speak to you and your.." She looks at me, then at the two men sitting beside me. I know what she wants to know.
"Your husband." She manages. Ryoki stands up, and goes to talk to the woman away from the two.
"Way to lie." Azusa mutters under his breath. I frown at him.
"He's her father, that's what she meant!" I say roughly. He sighs and stands up.
"I guess I shouldn't be here when you're so pissed. Here, this is for Mizuku." He pulls a toy from his pocket and hands it to me. I stare down at the doll, I believe it's a character from Spirited Away.
"Thank you." I say watching him leave, but he seems more upset then I was. Was I mad at him?
I wake up on the couch in Ryoki's apartment. Mizuku is asleep in my arms, her forehead covered in bandage. I sit up and look in the chair, where Ryoki is fast asleep.
"Mama, it hurts." Mizuku cries in her sleep. I pick her up in my arms, and carry her to the kitchen.
"Let's see, the doctor said one every few hours." I look at the clock. "Yep, it's been three hours. Here Mizu baby." I hand her a glass of water, and a small white pill.
She takes the pill, and puts her arms out at me. I pick her back up, and carry her into her room. Ryoki had our bunk bed moved in here, but now it was covered in toys, and stuffed animals.
"Mama, Takae-san scares me." She says as I put her in the top bunk. I put her blanket to her chin and kiss her cheek.
"I don't like her either, Ryoki needs to get a nicer maid." I play with Mizu's hair and smile. "I'll talk to him tomorrow okay? Now you go to sleep, and tomorrow we'll go out and have fun."
Mizuku looks at me a moment, and shows me the toy Azusa gave her. "Mama, is Azusa-chan your friend? Is he Neptune-chan's boyfriend?"
I almost fall over. Sometimes having a kid isn't easy...
"Azusa is my friend from school. No Neptune-chan is in love with Uncle Shinogu." I explain. She looks at me a moment, then closes her eyes.
I turn out her light, and go into the living room and wake Ryoki. He opens his eyes, and yawns.
"What time is it?" He asks looking for his glasses. I pull them out of my pocket, and put them on his face. "It's three in the morning. We should go to bed."
Ryoki stands up, and looks at me, then at the floor, where the glass table used to be.
"Takae-san cleaned it up when you left." He says walking to our bedroom. I follow him, but before he goes in, I turn him around.
"Ryoki, please do me one favor, and I will never ask anything of you again. Fire Takae." I say softly.
"But why..." He begins but my phone rings, and we both stop talking.
A/N: Poor Mizuku! Please review soon :)
Hint!
Mizuku smiles up at the woman, not aware she is staring at the fearsome Mrs. Tachibana...
Reviews:
Momo-sama: LoL yes more Sailor Moon.
Darkladyxion959: hope your questions were answered. :)
the littlest weasley: I'll have more cute scenes next chapter :)
Ryokifangirl: LoL I'm sure Ryoki appreciates it.
The little emo: First off, congrats on being this chapter's champion reviewer :) Here is your ribbon.
2nd off, yes adding Kari was risky, but I always wanted to be Tachibana :) Thanks for understanding. Please keep reviewing.
Haru is my lovely: Thanks for reccomending this to your friends :) Yes Azusa is a troubled man,but ya gotta admit, the guy can wear sunglasses.
Jenbo: Thanks, you too.
The blackest faery: Yes, Azusa has a sneaky sneaky plot, which shall not be mentioned yet. Thanks for reviewing, update soon :)
Dru's Pen: you need to update too:)