CHAPTER 6

DEER OLD DAD

At the store, Hikari had a couple champagne bottles in a basket he was carrying when he saw Yuki, looking at dresses. He then walked over to her.

"Hey." he said.

"Hey." said Yuki, still looking at them.

"I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner tonight." said Hikari.

"Nope." said Yuki.

"Well then... how about a movie?" asked Hikari.

Yuki giggled.

"You know you're supposed to go to the movies BEFORE you have sex, right?" she asked.

"I'm unlike other people, if you haven't noticed." said Hikari.

"Well, so am I." said Yuki.

"I take it you don't wanna see me again?" asked Hikari.

"I need to be there for my friend." said Yuki. "Her mother was killed yesterday."

"My grandparents were killed when my father was three years old." said Hikari. "Their car was sabotaged."

"Please tell your father I'm sorry for his loss." said Yuki.

"Thank you." said Hikari. "I'd like to look into who murdered her mother." he said and got a card out of his suit. "This is my cellphone number. If you could send me any helpful information you have, I will try to find out all I can."

"Thank you so much." said Yuki. "She will be happy to know you're looking into it."

"You're welcome." said Hikari. "Have a good day."

"You too." said Yuki.

"I met her at a club..." Hikari. "Perhaps I'm just eccentric for entertaining the idea that we could actually have something."

Sometime later, Hikari returned to the manor with the groceries. He walked in and to the kitchen, where Louis and Legoshi were sitting at the table, having coffee.

"Hello, fathers." said Hikari as he sat them down.

"Hey, son." said Louis and smiled.

"How are you?" asked Legoshi.

"Well, I met this girl last night." said Hikari. "Her name is Yuki. We had a... good night. However, one of her friends' parents was murdered last night. I told her I'd be happy to look into it."

"We've gotta tighten our grip." said Louis.

"What?" asked Hikari.

"There's been too many deaths in the past 48 hours." said Louis.

"You can't blame yourself everytime someone is killed." said Legoshi.

"We made an oath to protect people and it's not going very well." said Louis.

"But things have changed." said Hikari, then sat down, coffee in hand. "I mean, they can't just go in a public place and commit crimes."

Louis sighed and put his hands on his head, being quiet for a moment, before looking back up at Hikari.

"This morning, after everything that I learned went down, I was worried about you and it got me thinking about when you came into my life and how happy you made me feel that day." he said.

"Yeah?" asked Hikari.

"Tamiko was born before we found you." said Louis. "He was so cute that I had to have a child of my own. So your father and I walked into the hospital and saw this perfect little fawn. First baby I lied my eyes on. Made me very happy to see him. So I told the nurse I found my son. She told me there were other babies and I told her I didn't need to see more."

Hikari at this point is smiling with tears in his eyes. Louis then grabbed a paper out of the pocket in his jacket, then put on the table in front of Hikari.

"I took the liberty of looking into who your blood parents are." said Louis. "In case we pass during this... conflict, you have the option of seeking them out and reconnecting. Or just reconnecting if we don't pass. Either way, we will accept whatever outcome you choose. We love you, son."

Hikari then slides the paper back to them.

"Burn it." said Hikari. "They abandoned me. You didn't."

"Are you sure?" asked Louis. "You don't even wanna look at it?"

"No." said Hikari. "As far as I'm concerned, we may sure a bloodline, but they've chosen not to be my family. I also wanna thank you for not showing me sooner. I could've done something stupid."

Louis smiled.

"You're welcome, son." he said.

"Father?" asked Hikari.

"Hmm?" asked Louis.

"You told me once about Grandmother and Grandfather..." began Hikari. "I don't mean to bring up bad memories, but... May I ask what happened to you afterwards?"

"As in where did I stay?" asked Louis.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." said Hikari.

"It's alright." said Louis. "It doesn't bother me much anymore." he said and got quiet for a brief moment. "The year it happened, I spent some time on the streets. I didn't know how to survive. One day, I thought I was lucky when a hyena around your age took me off the streets and told me he'd take care of me. Little did I know the next two years would be worse. He sold me to the Black Market. I sat behind bars for two years waiting to be someone's appetizer. I remember being 4 and 5 years old, being so weak and so hungry that I wanted to die. At some point during the seemingly endless 5th year of my life, there was a buyer. A red deer by the name of Ogma. He was about 35 maybe. Paid a lot for me. Groomed me to be the heir to his company. Though, he wouldn't father me very much. He said once that he didn't know how to care for someone he purchased. Well... he sure proved that to be right. He wanted him and I to be perfect, strong herbivores. Even if that meant be the strictest person on Earth. He and I once shared a point of view I regret: Carnivores are evil, senseless beings that want nothing more than to harm and devour you. Your father changed my mind." he said and held Legoshi's hand tight. "That tall, intimidating form, and he wouldn't even hurt a fly in school, if no one gave him a reason." he said and Louis and Legoshi smiled at each other. "I was very... protective of my reputation and that came into conflict with our love. Mind you, I was very thick skulled and stubborn when I was 20 years old, so of course, we... hit a bump in the road. My stupid efforts to preserve my reputation ended with Ogma disowning me for loving a carnivore. We became enemies and your father and I reconciled. One year later, we got married, and seven more, I found my second love, but I already told you about that a few minutes ago." he said and smiled.

Hikari was in tears.

"I'm so sorry..." he said.

"It all turned out better." said Louis and smiled.

"I love you, father." said Hikari.

"And I love you." said Louis. "I always have and I always will."

Hikari smiled and looked at Legoshi.

"I love you too." said Hikari.

"And I love you, son." said Legoshi with a smile.

Hikari looked back at Louis.

"Is your experiences... Is that... why you care so much about herbivores? Why you did the things you did, even if there were the chance you'd get caught?" asked Hikari.

"Yes." said Louis. "I never wanted them to go through what I've been through. There are those who say only the strong survive. But there are others that say a stronger man stands up for others."