Thank you very much for the two people who commented on this so far. Heh. I'm just editing this thing right now into which point of view it shows. Chaps 1 and two have been combined. The new chap 2(when it comes) will be either 3rd person, or maybe 1st person from Rock's point of view.
Anyway, this story takes place right about when Terry, Andy, and Joe went up to fight Geese and the subsequent events after that. Just a warning- this story is not action-packed at all. It has very little fighting. It's more about the emotional bond Terry has with Rock as well as Blue Mary. I really enjoyed writing this. I hope others will enjoy it too : )
*** Author's final note added at very end!***
Terry&Rock
The day I killed Geese was the most difficult day of my entire life. Years of training, preparation, and anxiety went into the battle of my life. I had not seen my brother for years before the time arrived, and I was honored as well as slightly skeptical that his focus had not waned over the years, that he had been training as hard as I had been over the years we had not seen each other, that he stood by my side on the day tides turned. There had been much change between us, as time tends to change any person, but the change in Andy had been different than me. Andy's goal right from the beginning of his Ken-po training was to kill Geese, no matter what the cost. Revenge and hatred poured through his veins, I could feel it when I reunited with him. I had the same blood in my veins. This brotherly bond both helped us grow closer, but also reaffirmed our passions and goals in life for years to come.
When we first joined the tournament, I did not know who would come out on top, and I did not spend my thoughts speculating on who could surpass my brother and I. I had spent my whole life living and surviving by fighting in South Town, and I was very familiar with the faces in the tournament, but the tournament attracted people from neighboring cities who wanted a part of the action and didn't want to go back empty-handed.
Andy, Joe and I battled with all our might until it was time. We had made it this far, now we would finally meet the crime lord of South Town, the man who killed our father. We had never seen him before and did not know what to expect, we expected only to fight until we could fight no more. I'm sure that Andy felt as much trepidation as I had when while we climbed the stairs of Geese's tower.
"Hey hey, what do we have today? A kick boxer, a street fighter, and a ken-po, you guys better be lookin' more gung-ho cause Geese is who you'll be fighting and he isn't just any ho' " A ridiculously-dressed man with a long pole said when had reached the top. "You guys won the tournament huh?" The three of us said nothing for a second, not quite understanding if he was taunting us, or if he was just a quirky fellow and did he just call Geese a ho'?
"Yes." I finally replied.
"Who are you?" Andy asked.
"Geese's bodyguard, put all you to shame. Cane is the name."
"Man speaks in rhyme all the time!" Joe laughed.
" Now there's a guy who's pretty sly!" Cane laughed too. Perhaps sensing our impatience, Billy then looked at Andy and I and said. "So yeah, this is it, you ready?" He grinned.
"Yosha!" Joe exclaimed and grinned back.
Andy rolled his eyes. "As ready as I will ever be."
I said nothing.
Cane slowly opened the doors with his pole as a huge lump formed in my throat and enormous butterflies of doom pounded at my stomach. I had given so much thought about Geese over the years. What he was like, what his fighting style was like, how he had managed to almost single-handedly seize control of an entire city, how he had killed my father. What I first saw intimidated me. A relatively large older man with a bald head and a very calm demeanor. The three of us stood side by side as Geese eyed each one of us down. He focused on Andy.
"Boy, there is something I sense about you that is reminiscent, something very powerful, something very dangerous." Andy did not reply. "It is like I have battled you in the past, but this cannot be so, because you are far too young. How the three of you got this far, I cannot understand" He then looked at all of us, seeming almost bored and definitely disappointed.
"Do not take us for trash yet, Geese." Andy finally replied. "I have trained for over 10 years for this day and we have beaten everyone your tournament has to offer."
"Geese's eyes narrowed. I did not plan a tournament 10 years ago, my boy."
"Look at me, Geese. Look at me closely. And then tell me that you still cannot recall."
Geese stood up off of his thrown and slowly began approaching us. Cane quickly joined at his side. He and Andy stared down one another for a minute before he averted his gaze to myself.
"You are brothers." He proclaimed.
"Yes." I replied.
"Brothers." He repeated and then stared at me. How Andy managed to keep eye contact through his round of staring, I'd never understand. Geese frightened me and I had reverted my vision.
"A little shyer." He said. "Or is it, more frightened." I looked at him and didn't reply. "There is something different I sense about you, boy." He said to me. "Tell me your name."
"Terry."
"Terry… Terry, you are not a professional fighter like these other two. You are a street rat. Why did you join this tournament?"
I turned crimson at the insult. "Because I am a fighter." I said angrily. "It doesn't matter what kind of fighter you are as long as you are strong and stay strong. I love to fight and have spent my whole life doing it in the streets of South Town. I will continue to fight until I can't anymore."
Geese smiled. "I like your resolve, boy. But will street fighting keep you strong, as you say. This is to be determined."
"Besides," I interjected. "Yeah, Andy and I are brothers and I have too waited 10 years for this day, Geese Howard." I stared at him, barely keeping the courage not to look away. His expression changed at that very second. A look of indignation and then amusement filled his face.
"Yes, Andy. I have figured it out now. I am sorry that it took a few minutes. He turned his back to us, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly walked back to his thrown where he turned around. "Terry and Andy Bogard. I must indeed say I am very surprised. I did not think I would live to see the day where both of Jeff Bogard's sons would come to kill me. I must say that I am impressed."
"Bogard!" Cane exclaimed and then laughed. "So Jeff's kids are old enough to give revenge a serious try. I would like to see what they have to offer, and then see them die." Cane smiled wickedly and looked at Andy.
"I will die if that is what it will take, but if I cannot kill you, Geese, I have faith in my comrades."
"It will take more than faith, my dear boy." Billy replied. "To beat Geese, you will have to be more than coy." He focused on me "The older brother we see here has an outlook on life that is very clear. He fights to survive, he fights to thrive. He fights to win, he fights with no sin. He may be the one today to come out alive, I would hope to say."
"Man that's so cool" Joe said with bedazzlement. "Let me try!" He leapt in front of us, as if taking center stage. "Terry and Andy have come very far today, and we all want to put Geese to shame. They'd better not die on me, but if so, I can only grieve. I met them only recently, but they're pretty cool and…" He paused, thinking. "will come out victoriously!" He grinned at us and I smiled. "I have faith in them, it's not so bad. I have seen lots of things, making me nearly mad. But the resolution and strength of these lonely wolves is something I have never seen. I have yet to see what it will all mean. So don't die today, my new friends! Andy, I have still yet to beat you, and Terry, man, I'll beat you again!" He laughed, ridiculously. Cane joined him.
"Man, you're not bad at all!" He exclaimed.
"Thanks, dude!"
Geese stood up off his thrown. "I'm sorry boys, but I'm afraid the fun and games are now over," he said to Joe and Cane.
"Righto." Cane replied, and headed to the back of the room.
"Who will be first to challenge me?" He looked at all of us.
The tactic was for Andy to battle him first. Andy wanted to kill him, he had enough strength and was confident in his abilities to assert that he himself could beat Geese alone. If Andy couldn't do it, I would take over, and then if I lost, Joe could finish him.
Andy stepped up. "I will. His eyes flashed red. This is for you, father. Ikkakugo!" He ran towards Geese at full speed.
Thinking back to then, the following two matches are a blur in my mind. Andy was angry. Too angry. He let his anger overcome him and Geese beat him within five minutes. Joe then told me it was best that he was next , yet he also barely managed to give Geese any damage. It was my turn and I knew it wasn't going to be easy and I would probably lose.
"This was too easy, boy. This is why I am the crime lord of South Town. This is why I rule." Geese said to me, while briefly glancing at a fainted Joe and Andy.
"Your time will end, Geese." I replied. "You are an evil man. You have many enemies. Even if I can't beat you today, there are many who will give their lives just to see the end of you."
"But that's not what you are here for today, is it, Terry?" His eyes narrowed. "Have you not come to kill me?"
I didn't answer him.
"You came to fight…"
"I did."
"Then PREPARE YOURSELF."
He ran towards me and I side stepped his attack. Our match lasted nearly half an hour. I fought with my heart and it was the best match I had ever partaken in. He had used all of his moves as well as a super that I'd blocked. I had used all of mine but had yet not been prepared enough for a super. It was truly a historical match. In half an hour, both of us were almost gone from exhaustion. I had balanced my weight on my knees.
"No one has ever been so close to beating me, boy. This is serious."
"I can beat you, Geese" I panted, looking up.
"WE WILL SEE!" Geese lunged at me.
At that moment, I knew I could not take any more damage. I knew I had to perform my super, the Power Geyser. It was my only hope. I had been practicing it for the last 3 years. My only hope was that I could power up in time and execute it right when Geese was about to strike me. I glowed in red and concentrated all that was left of my energy toward my fist. I then dropped one knee to the ground and let it go. "POWER GEYSER!" This was it. Either I missed and I would be dead, or Geese would be hit.
The room erupted into flames and I collapsed on my knees. Where was Geese? I could not see with so much of the tower aflame. Kim busted into the room with Chang and Choi.
Choi laughed. "You really did it now, Terry!"
"What evilness did this?" Kim demanded.
"I'll explain later, for now, just get Joe and Andy the hell out of here!" I yelled, as I searched for Geese. The three of them picked them up and followed Billy Cane out of the burning tower. I finally noticed a hand grasping the ledge of the tower.
"Geese!" I yelled, running up to grab his hand.
"Let me go, Terry." He replied, staring into my eyes. "You won. You avenged your father and I will die."
"No! Geese, I didn't come to kill you. I'm not like Andy. This is wrong."
Geese closed his
eyes. "You are a good person, Terry. Not like me… my son is a
good person too. He will not grow up to be like me… I knew that
from the start. That is why I rejected him."
"What!" I
cried. "Geese, you need to come back up or we'll both die!"
"Goodbye, Terry. Jeff would have been so proud of you." He let go.
"Geese!" I cried. "Dammit… It shouldn't have gone down like this." I pounded my fist on the concrete, as the flames approached me.
Suddenly, I was hoisted up off the ground and taken away "What the hell are you doing, Terry, man?" I heard Joe's voice. "I'm getting you the hell out of here!" At that point, everything blackened….
I awoke inside a hospital room to the sound of Joe snoring and Andy staring at me.
"Terry, you're awake!" Andy exclaimed. He nudged Joe. "Hey, wake up."
Joe snorted awake and yawed before he noticed me. "Hey Terry! You woke up. Sleeping beauty had a long nap." He laughed.
"How long was I asleep?" I asked.
"Man, almost an entire day!" Joe replied.
"I see…"
"What's wrong, Terry?" Andy asked. "You got a little tired, but you're fine. We won the tournament and Geese is gone. You should be happy."
"I guess…" I mumbled, remembering what had transpired.
"Well, you're gunna have to cheer up because we have even better news." Andy smiled wryly.
"What's up?"
Kim then walked into the room. "Ah, so Terry's awake. I'm happy you seem to be doing okay. Now it's time to tell him." He looked at Andy.
"Tell me what?"
"Uh…" Andy started. "Well, uh. There was a slight complication."
"What is it?"
"Well, it turns out that Geese kinda… has a son." Joe finally said. "Looks like Billy Cane was watching over him. He rescued him from the tower but told us that since you'd killed his master, the kid meant nothing to him now and he's not looking after him anymore."
I gasped. "That's right! Oh man" I covered my eyes with my hand. "He told me right before he let go of my hand 'my son is a good person too… he will not grow up like me.'"
"Don't worry the man." Kim said, strictly. His son will just join my dojo.
"Oh and be a prisoner of Tae Kwan Do like Choi and Chang?" I said, accusingly.
Kim frowned. "What else can be done? Evil flows inside this boys veins. In order for him not to be a criminal later in life, he must learn the art of Tae Kwan Do to curb his anger and violence."
"How old is the kid?" I asked.
"Just seven years old." Kim replied.
"So already you're labeling him as some deject that needs to go to Tae Kwan Do hell?"
"I'm insulted you are mocking my dojo." Kim said.
"The only insult is you trying to mess up this kid." I replied. "He is Geese Howard's son. No Tae Kwan Do can curb his fate. He will grow up to be more powerful than him under the right guidance."
"Okay, fine, Terry. If Tae Kwan Do isn't right for him, then what is?"
I sighed. "I don't know." I then remembered my father, Jeff. He adopted Andy and I from the streets and taught us the art of street fighting. If it wasn't for him, Andy and I would be nothing. "I am thinking about what Jeff would have done…" I said slowly. "I think that it would be right if I were to look over the kid."
"You want to adopt the kid?" Andy asked, incredulous.
"Yes. It's the right thing to do. I killed his father, it wouldn't be right for anyone else to take him."
"You are a kind person, Terry." Kim said. "However, you must never forget that Howard blood runs through his veins. He is only seven years old, but Billy claimed that already his power was incredible for one his age. He will surpass you some day, and when he learns what happened to Geese, he might not forgive you."
"When that day comes, we will see what happens." I said. "I'll meet him tomorrow and I'll see." I then shooed everyone home because they must have all been exhausted. I felt tired, still, but fine overall. I wanted to go home and meet this son of Geese. That day would change my life forever.
- - - - -- - - - ----- ------------------------------------
I was out of the hospital the next day. South Town General Hospital had a deal with the participants of the fighting tournaments where any injuries treated there would be billed to the fighter 10 of his winnings. That was quite a chunk of my earnings since Joe, Andy and I won the tournament and won quite a large wad of money. I didn't know that already they had chipped in to take care of my medical bills. It was very nice of them.
I met Kim at his Dojo, where the kid was staying. As I walked there from the hospital, I had wondered what he looked like. Would he be some sort of bald mini-Geese? I entered the Dojo and didn't see the kid at first, but Kim greeted me.
"So where's the kid?" I asked
"I told him that he would not stay here any longer and his new caregiver would arrive today. I think this might have scared him and he's no where to be found."
"Okay… What did you tell him about me?"
"Oh not much… just stuff like you could crush any mortal man with your pinkie and were the biggest and strongest fighter in town so he shouldn't even think to mess with you. I don't know why he's suddenly hiding. What's his problem."
I laughed. "Oh god, Kim. What a wonderful first impression."
"Don't worry, I sent Chang to find him. I'm sure they'll be back soon."
I sat down and watched as Kim continued his latest Tae Kwan Doe lesson. Sure enough, Chang had entered soon with an arm behind his back.
"HAHAA. Guess who I brought just for you, Terry?"
He presented me with Geese's son, looking like he was about to cry. I was a little taken aback because the kid looked nothing at all like Geese. He had blonde hair with red pupils and was wearing shorts and a teeshirt with a hood.
I dropped to my knees, so I could face him. "So, uh. Hi. I'm Terry."
The kid said nothing.
"What's your name?"
He didn't respond.
"Oh-kay. Well, you know, Kim said a bunch of lies about me just so he could scare you. You know, kid, you have nothing to be scared about. I'm really not a mean guy. I'd never hurt you." I smiled.
He tried to relax a little. "My name is Rock…."
"Rock, huh? Well that's a pretty cool name, Rock."
"I hear that you're good at fighting."
"I guess…" He looked down at his feet.
"Well from now on, I'm gunna teach you all I know about fighting and someday you'll become stronger than me."
"That Tae Kwan Do guy said that you were the best fighter in South Town…"
"Well, I don't know about the best, but I do know an awful lot about fighting. I'm going to teach you and you'll become great too!"
"Okay… so you won't crush me with your pinkie?"
I laughed. "No, I promise. I won't ever hurt you." I smiled.
"Okay…"
"You ready to come with me, Rock?"
"Yes."
I stood up and took his hand, "let's go tour South Town then." I waved to Kim and Chang and took Rock away from the Dojo.
Rock grasped my hand tightly as he looked up at me, then took in his surroundings.
"You have nothing to be scared about, Rock. As long as you stick to my side, I promise I'll let nothing ever happen to you, okay?"
He looked up at me. "Why are you teaching me how to fight?"
I didn't know how to really answer that at first. "Well… it's just something that my father would have done and it's the right thing to do."
"Am I going to meet him?"
"No." I said quietly. "He died a long time ago."
"I'm sorry…" Rock said, looking forward. "Both my mom and dad are dead."
"Yeah, mine too… looks like we got something in common." I smiled.
Soon we came upon Fight Street. The name was changed about 7 years ago when it suddenly became "the" street in South Town to find matches and practice fighting skills.
"Yo, Terry!" Joe saw me from the distance. He was dressed in his kickboxing shorts and ready to go. He ran to me. "Hey, you brought the kid! What's your name?" He crouched down.
"Rock."
"Terry's a real nice guy. He'll take care of you well. Make sure to be nice to him, okay?" He grinned.
"Okay…"
"Yeah, Rock, this is my friend Joe. We fought together in the King of Fighters '94 tournament just a little bit ago. Him and I fight together to get stronger all the time."
"Ohh…" Rock looked at Joe. "Who's stronger?"
Joe laughed. "Me of course!"
I rolled my eyes. "Right."
"Why don't we show him, eh, Terry?" Joe nudged me. "Who's the stronger one. That is, if you're up for it."
"Alright, man. Let's go."
I kneeled down to tell Rock. "Joe and I are officially going to fight. Bets will be wagered and whoever wins the fight will take a portion of the money wagered. You just watch and learn okay?"
"Okay."
A circle was made for Joe and I and I placed Rock towards the front so he could watch the match. Our fight was over in ten minutes and I was victorious without even having to do a super. Joe and I shook hands while he complained.
"Maaan, I'm supposed to have the advantage since you were all hospitalized! Damn, what's up with your fighting skills today?"
"Don't know, man. Just wanted to show Rock a good fight." I found him in the crowd, happy that he didn't run away while we were distracted.
"So Tae Kwan Do guy was right, you are the strongest fighter in town." Rock smiled. It was the first time I saw him smile.
It made me smile too. "I'm sure someday you'll see me lose too, Rock. The important lesson is that you always learn from fighting. A good fighter uses his losses as well as his wins to improve. I have lost to Joe in the past, but every time I do, I learn about his weaknesses so I can do better next time."
"So you'll teach me to fight like you?" Rock inquired.
"Yeah, I will."
"I guess then… I was lucky to have left the tower."
My smile faded a bit. "I don't know… I just hope that I can teach you well, Rock. I will try hard."
He nodded, taking my hand. "What else will you show me today?"
I took him to eat in my favorite burger place and then discovered he never had eaten a burger before.
"Wow." I exclaimed. "Do you like it, then?"
"Yeah I do a lot!" He grinned as he took another bite. "Can we come here again?"
"Yeah of course." I smiled. "So what did they feed you up in that tower."
"I dunno, really… just boring food, I guess. After my mom died, especially, a lot of the time Billy had to cook for me and he wasn't the best." He frowned.
"Well, I'll try to do better than him, but no promises." I laughed. "So didn't he ever like, take you out to eat or something?"
"Actually no… before today I had never been outside the tower."
My eyes widened. So Geese kept the poor kid locked up in there. "That's really sad… it must have sucked."
"I never really thought about how it would be outside the tower… but now that I'm here with you, I realized all I missed out on." He smiled. "I'm having a fun time."
As we held hands, walking home, I thought about the situation. Poor kid. Dead mother, asshole of a father, and being raised by Billy Cane of all people? Surely I could do a better job than Cane. I made a mental resolve at that point that my life would change from that point. I liked the kid a lot. From now on, my life would have to revolve around him and making his life meaningful. I would try my hardest to be a good father to him and when the day would come when he would learn about Geese, maybe he would forgive me….
-------------------------------
I let him into my apartment and then told him not to get used to it too much because we would be moving soon. A one bedroom apartment for the two of us wouldn't really be right. I had told Mary about Rock earlier on in the day when we ran into her and she said she would come over to meet him with her dog. I was making tea for the both of us when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and in ran in that annoying Mutt of hers.
"Hey Mary." I greeted her.
She proceeded to ignore me and look at Rock. "So if this isn't Rock. He's so cute!" She went over to him and tousled his hair. "Hi! I'm Mary, and this is Anton." She grinned.
"A dog!" His face lit up. "Wow a real dog!" Anton licked his face and Rock laughed. He got up and began playing with Anton in the living room while Mary sat down and demanded some tea from me.
She smiled as I poured. "He looks like such a nice kid, Terry. I thought he'd be the incarnation of the devil himself."
"I was surprised too. Rock looks nothing like him."
"You take care of him, you hear?"
"I will…."
"It sounds like the kid needs a lot of attention and affection. I know you're bad at that kind of stuff, but somehow you'll have to let him know that you're his new father and you care about him."
"Yeah, okay. I'll try. He's so cute!" She squealed and played with both him and Anton on the carpet.
"Man, I'll have to vacuum the living room now." I scowled.
When Anton and Rock got tired of playing Rock sat on the sofa while Mary sat next to him. "Rock, you're such a cute boy!" She said, pinching his cheeks. "Come sit on my lap and I'll give you a hug."
Rock blushed and looked down at his lap.
"Aw don't be shy." She patted her leg.
Rock then slowly climbed up on her lap and rested against her body.
"So cute." She smiled and stroked his hair. "You're a good boy, aren'tcha?"
"I guess…" Rock said.
She took his hands and held them. "Well I can tell you are. And Terry is a good boy too. I know he'll take really good care of you. Just… make sure you tell him if you want him to do something for you. Don't be shy okay? He can be a little dense sometimes and doesn't always know how to take care of others. But he tries." She looked at me and laughed while I got embarrassed.
"Okay…" Rock replied.
Soon it was time for Mary to go. Rock looked disappointed. "Are you going to come back to visit soon?"
She smiled and gave him a hug. "Of course! And tomorrow Terry will take you to my place, right?" She looked at me.
"Yeah, okay, sure." I replied.
"Then once you learn where I live, you can come visit me and Anton anytime, okay?"
Rock grinned. "okay!"
"Cuuuute." She tousled his hair one last time and then waved goodbye.
"Bye Mary!" Rock waved.
"Later." I waved as well.
He sat back down on the couch. "Mary is really nice… all your friends are really nice. And you're nice too…"
I smiled. "Thanks, Rock. You should get going to bed, now. It's getting pretty late. Oh…" I frowned. "I guess you don't have any clothes. I guess we'll go buy you some tomorrow."
Rock glanced down at the ground. "I'm sorry, all my clothes got destroyed in the fire."
"It's okay, don't worry about it." I replied. "I'll get you a bunch of new ones." I smiled and took him into my room. I put him to bed in my bed and told him I'll be out in my living room if he needed anything during the night.
"Isn't this your bed?" He asked, in a worried tone.
"Well, yeah, but for the next couple of nights it's yours. Don't worry about it, we'll get you a bunch of stuff tomorrow. And see about getting a new apartment."
"Okay… goodnight, Terry."
I tucked him in. "Goodnight, Rock." I turned off the lights and left him to sleep in my room. As I headed to sleep on the couch, I realized what a nice kid he was and how lucky I was to have him be a part of my life. As I fell asleep, I began making a mental list of all his needs and how I could best provide for him. Raising a kid is rough, but I was lucky having such a nice kid like Rock.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Things were going very smoothly for the next week or so. Every day I took him out to Fight Street and he got to witness matches. Soon, I wanted to enlist him in the Junior League so we could begin our practicing. I wanted to take things slowly with Rock, so he could get used to his new surroundings, and overall get used to the outside world. We had moved into a new apartment in a different building but in the same complex. Mary found it fun shopping for Rock so I often took her along in our shopping ventures and soon his room was pretty well-fitted for him. We had a lot of fun during the day. We would just go exploring, see some fights, have fun lunches, and then just spend time talking and enjoying each others' company. Rock's intelligence, I realized, was beyond his seven years. I don't know what kind of tutor he had up in Geese Tower, but his use of language was superb and I couldn't believe what kinds of sentences his seven year old mind could concoct. As soon as he came to live with me, I enrolled him in elementary school. So far, the only problems his teacher expressed to me was his shyness and his inability to relate to any of his classmates. He seemed to really enjoy having work to do and showing me his progress. Sometimes, I think the kid yearned for my attention when he brought back a perfect score for me to marvel. I never hesitated telling him how proud I was of him.
One night, however, just seemed to go quite wrong for him. I had sent him to bed an hour before I walked to the bathroom, past his room. I noticed a pale, purple light emanating from his room and decided to peek in, since this was no normal occurrence. I found him fully awake and breathing erratically, his body enveloped in a purple haze. I walked over to him and sat on his bed.
"What's wrong, Rock?" I asked, very concerned.
He took a moment trying to respond to me. "I don't know, Terry. I don't know why this is happening to me…" He was hyperventilating.
I touched his skin and noticed that it was painful touching him. I realized that his purple haze was his inner power and it somehow got stirred to the point of release. Something like this never happened to me before, because ever since I was young I have always been holding so many emotions back, but I have seen similar occurrences happening to strong fighters such as Andy and Iori. When this power dispersal happened with them, it was always because they were enraged for whatever reason. They didn't know how to control it and their power ultimately controlled them. I didn't want Rock to experience a similar fate. I thought about what Mary would do to comfort Rock and what I could say to help him. I ultimately pulled him into my lap and held him, even though his power was a bit painful to my touch.
"Rock, you're going to be okay. Listen, something happened to upset you. When a strong fighter has this happen to them, it is because they are being very emotional and upset or angry. The only thing you need to do is calm down and it will go right away. I promise."
He clutched me tight and started crying. "I'm sorry, Terry…."
"Shhhh… It's okay. You have nothing to be sorry about. I have seen this happen to people much older than you. It is the mark of a strong fighter. You have a lot of energy that needs to escape. Perhaps I was wrong to put off your training. We'll begin tomorrow."
"It's because I was having a really bad dream…"
"Oh? What happened in it?"
"It was just a flashback to when Geese tower burned down. Except this time, no one was there to save me and I was lost in the fire. It was really scary."
I felt his tears soak into my shirt and I felt so guilty. He was having this nightmare because of me. I had burned down Geese Tower and he didn't even know it. "I'm sorry too, Rock…" I said quietly.
"Hm?"
"Nevermind… I just want you to feel better."
"I am. Because you're here."
I smiled and rocked him back and forth. "You're really a good kid, Rock. It's okay to be scared sometimes. Just know I'll always be here for you."
"I know…."
In minutes, the haze went away and he had stopped crying. He stopped clutching me so hard and instead became more comfortable in my lap. He was falling asleep again. I stayed there, holding him until he fell asleep. Then I lay down in his bed and fell asleep as well. At that moment, I knew that being a parent was so right for me, no matter how many times I screwed up in the past, Rock needed me, and it made me feel very different, yet so complete at the same time.
For the next week, he would sneak into my room every night, thinking I was asleep maybe, and curl up next to me, falling asleep. I wasn't exactly sure why he did that. I assumed it was because he was scared to have another nightmare and felt safe with having me around. I never minded his presence at all and for that week, I fell asleep as soon as he would sneak in every night.
I also enrolled him in the Fighters Junior League. Most days out of the week he would be pitted against an opponent and he won a fair share of his matches without me even having to train him. Every time he lost, however, I told him never to be disappointed with losing. I told him that losing was just as important as winning. "When you win," I told him "You are using the skills you learned from previous matches, but when you lose, you gain more skills and become a more well-balanced fighter who knows his opponents' weaknesses." Soon, Rock was at the top of his League and I was considering promoting him to a higher age-level. Daily, we also trained together and practiced our moves. I told him that it was important to practice every move he learned over and over until he can carry them out flawlessly. "When a fighter perfects one move, he goes on to the next move and does the same. Then he can learn new moves." He practiced his moves on me and I would counter them until he learned how to execute them flawlessly. When I would have difficulties countering and would have to resort to blocking, I knew he was getting much better. Then I would have him practice new moves.
He had stopped coming to sleep with me every night after a little while, and I thought it was because he was becoming braver and less needy towards me. I realized I was wrong when Mary came over one night. Joe had been over for a while and we had all been having a lot of fun watching tv, talking, playing with her dirty mutt and overall having a good time. Joe had left and it was quite late. I had offered for Mary to spend the night, and as I was getting ready to let her take my bed, Rock interjected.
"Mary can sleep in my bed!" He grinned.
"Naw, that's okay, Rock." She said. "You should sleep in your own bed. Tomorrow's a school night."
"Why wouldn't I?" He asked. "There is room for us both in there." He smiled.
At this point, Mary and I burst out in laughter. "You're so cute, Rock." She laughed.
He looked at us, curiously. "What's so funny? If you don't want to spend the night with me, that's okay." He mumbled, looking down at his feet.
"Awww. No no, Rock." Mary said, giving him a hug. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just that, you're so young and cute. When you grow up, you'll realize how amusing you just were."
He looked at me. "Did I say something wrong?"
I ruffled his hair. "No, nothing at all. Just go to bed, okay?"
He smiled. "Okay!" He took Mary's hand and lead her into his room.
I went to check on them in a few minutes. They were resting on their sides and Mary was curled up against Rock, holding him close, stroking his hair and holding his hand. It was actually a very sweet site. She offered to sing him to sleep and was singing sweetly. Athena wouldn't have done a better job. At that moment, I wished that I could be more like her and show Rock how much I loved him. I guess that males just aren't meant to show love like that on their sons. It was hard. Mary couldn't be Rock's mother and whenever she was around him, she acted like she was. I appreciated her resolve a lot and I told myself that I would thank her in the morning. Anton was beside me as I was looking at the two of them. He looked up at me and wagged his tale. I lead him away from them and commanded him to stay in the living room. Man, I really didn't like dogs... Slobbery and annoying animals.
I woke up to Mary drinking tea at the counter. "Did you have a fun slumber party?" I asked.
"Haha. Yeah, I
did… Rock is such a sweet kid. You're so lucky."
"Yeah, I
know I am…" I smiled.
"There just are some areas of your parenting skills I think you need to work on." She accused.
"Oh? Did he tell you something last night?"
"Not really… Rock is a very reserved kid. He doesn't want you to know what's bothering him because he just doesn't want to be a bother to you and doesn't want you to worry."
"He shouldn't feel that way…" I frowned. "Sometimes, I don't know if anything is bothering him because he just hides everything so well and tries to always appear to be happy even if sometimes I question if he really is. I always tell him to be open with me…" I looked down at the counter.
"He realizes it, but he considers himself lucky to be with someone like you. You have no idea how much the kid just adores you."
I smiled. "Yeah, I love him a lot."
"That's exactly the issue."
"Huh? He doesn't think I love him?"
"Yes…"
"Aw jeez. I must have really screwed up big time if he thinks that of me."
"No, you didn't. You are a relatively new parent. You've been with Rock for only a few months and you have a lot to learn. That's okay, I know how much you care about him, it's just that, you need to let him know."
"What should I do?"
"It's easy, just think about what I do when I'm with Rock. I like to put him in my lap, give him hugs and pet his hair. Do you notice how incredibly well he responds to it? That is probably the reason why he wanted me to spend the night with him last night. He wanted more affection. Affection he knows he can get from me that he can't usually get from you."
"When I see you with Rock, I sometimes am jealous," I admitted. "You can show so much affection to him and he just loves all of it. No one has ever been affectionate to me at all in my life and I guess that I just don't understand how to show it."
"Yeah, I see… You probably think that it's the woman's place to physically show her kids love, but Rock doesn't have a mom, he has you. You have a harder role in not only he's not your blood, but you need to be both a mom and a dad for him."
"You're right. I guess I need to step out of my comfort zone and just be more openly affectionate with him. I guess that he does need it. He's a kid."
"Not only that, but you need to sit him down and tell him how much you love him. I think some of his anxieties stem from the fact that you've never told him that you love him. That shouldn't be an issue. You just need to develop your level of closeness with him so he can consider you his father who he loves. And he does love you. He told me last night."
I smiled. "Yeah, you're right, Mary. I love him a lot. It was wrong for me not to have told him yet. I'm glad you brought this up. Rock kind of sees you as his surrogate mother and I really appreciate all you do for him."
"I love the kid a lot too," She smiled. "I want what's best for him and I know you're trying your hardest to give him that."
"I am…"
"I gotta be going now." She got up and called over Anton. "Here, you can practice with me." She gave me a big hug and I returned it. "See, it's easy!" She smiled. "Take care, Terry."
"Bye, thank you," I waved to her as she headed out with Anton. As soon as she left, I lay down on the couch and though of the best way to approach the subject with Rock. I was worried he might get emotional again and I often don't know how to handle situations like that. I decided to just suck it up and go through with it, no matter what the possible outcome.
Rock awoke in about another half an hour. "Aw Mary already left?" He said, rubbing at his eyes.
"Yeah, but you can see her soon." I smiled.
"I like spending the night with her…" He said.
"Yeah, I know."
"Is it alright if we do it again someday?"
"Of course. I mean, you'd better get your time in with that until you get too old for it." I laughed.
"Why would I get too old for it?" He asked, curious.
I smiled. "You'll see when you're older. Now, get ready for school."
"Okay!" He ran to the bathroom.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Later that night, after I fed him and we were just generally hanging about, watching tv and not doing much of anything, I decided to bring up the conversation with him.
"Uh, Rock. Mary brought something to my attention this morning."
"What?" He asked, giving me his full attention.
"My awful parenting skills again," I said, wryly.
Rock laughed. "She's joking, I'm sure. You don't have awful parenting skills."
"Maybe, but I'm not great about some things…"
"Like what?"
"Like…" I looked at him and made sure to let him know how sincere I was. "Like telling you just how much you mean to me. Like being there for you and giving you affection…"
"Affect-tion?"
I smiled. "It just means hugs. Being close to you and showing love to you. I love you a lot, Rock. I loved you the moment I met you and I'm sorry I never made this clear to you. You really mean the world to me and I'm so happy and proud to be the one to take care of you."
He looked down at the floor and when he looked back at me, his eyes were filled with tears. He crawled into my lap and hugged me tight. I held him. "I love you too, Terry… I shouldn't have doubted that you love me."
"It's only natural… I mean, it's not like I really do my best to let you know. But now I do want you to know."
He cried. "I love you and I love Mary. When Mary held me the first day I met her, I wanted you to do the same. I remembered the feeling when my mom used to hold me, before she died. I'm always so happy when I'm close to you or her. I just wished that I could be more close to you…"
"You deserve affection… You're a really good kid. I promise I'll do better from now on, okay?"
"Okay… I'm sorry I'm being dumb."
"No, no. You're not at all…" I soothed him. "It's natural. It's also natural to hug and show affection to your kids. I promise that I'll be better about it."
---------------------------------------------------------
From that day on, I did keep my promise and Rock and I became even closer. Every day when I walked him to school, I ended up dropping him off with a hug and kiss to his blonde head and telling him that I loved him and I knew he'd make me proud that day. To this day, Rock has never ceased making me proud. Every night until he was about 12, since that day when I told him I loved him, when tucking him in, I would pick out a story for us to read together. He would then sit in my lap, quietly paying attention to the story and just exude this aura of being content. I became much happier too. I was sad at what I had been missing out since before I met Rock and was even happier that I had someone I could love and show love to. I sometimes think that I'm talking about Rock as if he were some kind of "first girlfriend" for me. That he brought out all the qualities in a guy that would lead people to believe that he was in love. It was a bit disturbing thinking of him that way, but first girlfriends often do not last forever. Rock had given me so many experiences one would receive when they were in love, but my love was different. Rock was my son, and family lasts much longer than romances. I could never forget how much Rock had done for me ever since I met him. Because of him, I grew to becoming a much better person overall, and would learn how much affection really does mean to someone.
And every day we trained and trained. When Rock entered middle school, it was a bit disappointing to realize he was growing up. It seemed like when he was little, he held my hand all the time and wanted to constantly be with me and be close to me. Now, he was becoming more independent and more mature. From then on, he wouldn't really crawl into my lap and give me hugs every day. He did it ever so often, still. And I was still happy to tell him I loved him every day. That never changed.
His power grew as well. He had learned his first super, raging storm, from the tender age of 12 and so as not to allow the power to overtake him, we worked on controlling his immense power. He was battling kids now, 2, 3 years older than he was and suffering through very few defeats. He had developed a fighting style that used Geese's power as a base but then also developed my moves that I personally taught to him.
One day, he told me of a new "annoying girl" who had joined his class. "She's so bossy!" He complained. "and she hates me because I'm not afraid of her and don't want to be bossed around by her. Apparently, she's also a fighter."
"What's her name?" I inquired.
"B. Jenet."
"Sounds like a new friend." I laughed.
"I wouldn't count on it." Rock scowled.
Later that night, I was sitting around chatting with Mary as well as Joe, drinking tea and talking about upcoming tournaments when Rock suddenly came storming in, his face stricken with tears.
"Rock…" I started, very concerned.
"So all this time you were hiding from me that my real father was the most evil crime lord in all of South Town history?" He accused.
I didn't know how to answer him. Someone had ratted me out, I was sure. But using Rock to get to me? Completely cruel. "Rock, I'm sorry… I never wanted you to find out like this…"
"I don't want to hear it." He said, running out the door.
"Wow." I mumbled, as soon as he left. "I guess he really hates me now."
Mary rubbed my back. "No, he definitely doesn't hate you. He's just really upset. I mean, wouldn't you be? And maybe it was wrong keeping this secret from him for so long…"
I sighed. "You're right as always. I'll go look for him now and talk to him…"
"You want us to stay here?" Joe asked.
"Yeah, tha'd be nice…" I grabbed a jacket and headed out the door. It took me over an hour to find him and he just so happened to be in the last place I ended up looking- our training field. I found him sitting on the yellow grass, hugging his knees.
"You're really trying to hide from me now aren't you?" He didn't respond. I sighed and sat next to him. "I'm sorry… Rock. It really was wrong of me to keep this from you. I just knew that hearing this would make you so upset and I didn't want it to happen like this…"
"Yeah…"
"If you're willing to listen, I will tell you everything I know about your father. I just can't promise that after hearing everything, and hearing about what I had to do with his death, you won't hate me more."
"I want to know.." He said, looking at me.
I stared off into the horizon. "Well, okay, it started a long time ago… about 15 years ago or so. Andy and I were living happily with our Dad, Jeff Bogard. We loved him and appreciated that he adopted us from the streets. Jeff was a strong fighter. He arguably was the best in South Town but he wanted none of the fame. He taught us the real meaning of fighting. I still miss him… so that was how he caught the attention of your father, Geese Howard. Geese was the crime lord of South Town back in those days. He wanted all the power in the world and wanted nothing to stand in his way. See, he knew Jeff was a problem. He knew Jeff was stronger than him, so he handled it the cowardly way. He sent an assassin to kill Jeff. Andy and I were so upset. But instead of getting over it, we vowed revenge on Geese. Andy especially. He needed a father perhaps more than I did and hated Geese for taking away the only parent he ever had. We had separated for 10 years, both of us training to one day meet Geese. Finally the opportunity came in the form of the first King of Fighters tournament. Andy, Joe, and I won the tournament so we would get to face Geese. We all faced him but Andy and Joe lost quite badly against him. It was up to me. I don't know if you believe me, but my intent was never to kill him. That is not what Jeff would have wanted, and Andy, through the years, lost sight of that. My final move, Power Geyser was somehow so powerful that it managed to somehow set aflame Geese Tower. It knocked Geese out of the tower and he was hanging from the ledge. I wanted to pull him up, but he wanted to die. He told me about you and how you were a good person. This was the reason he rejected you as his son. The last thing he told me, for some reason, was that Jeff would have been proud of me… I then decided that it was right that I adopt you and try to make amends to the past. It was the best decision I had ever made in my life…"
I paused for a moment, trying to let Rock take that all in. "Listen, Rock. I kept this from you not only because I wanted to protect you, but because I wanted to protect myself. I thought that you would hate me when you found out what I did to your father and would never want anything to do with me again. That was the last thing I wanted…"
"That's not true! Don't say that!" he stared at me, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Why would I care what you did to Geese? Most people agree that it's better off he was dead. Geese was never a father to me, you are the only father I have ever had, Terry, and I love you… I just wish you didn't have to hide this from me."
I hugged him tight. "I love you too… I'm happy that you're forgiving me." We held each other, both crying for a while until it was noticeably getting colder in the night. I put my Jacket on Rock and carried him on my back home. I put him to bed after he had given Joe and Mary a hug goodnight and then joined my friends.
"Man it's been a long night…" I mumbled, resting my face in my arms.
Mary rubbed my back. "Everything's alright I imagine."
"Yeah…" I looked up and saw their concern. "I think that just right now, I need a hug."
"Aww, poor Terry." Mary said, hugging me close. Joe gave me a hug too as Mary led me to the couch.
"Rock's okay too, right?" Joe asked.
"Yeah, he is…" I sighed. "It's just rough for him. Finding out something awful like that…"
Mary held my hand. "You and Rock needed another bonding experience. Think of it that way."
"I guess… I just wish it wasn't a 'bonding experience' that managed to completely sap me of all my emotions."
"I think that…bonding experiences are supposed to do that…" Joe said.
"Why Joe." Mary smiled. "I think that is the most thoughtful thing I have ever heard you say."
Joe smiled wryly. "Well, there's a time for a more 'thoughtful Joe' I guess."
I looked at both of them. "You're both great friends. I don't know where I'd be without you."
"Clueless." Joe replied, and we all laughed. They both then stood up to leave, both giving me a big hug.
"You're a great dad, Terry." Joe said to me. "Someday, I hope to be like you."
I smiled. "Thank you…"
"take care, and give Rock a big hug from me when he wakes up, okay?" Mary said.
"Sure thing." I replied, waving to them as they headed out the door. I locked it and headed to bed, noticing that Rock was fast asleep as I headed past his room. I collapsed into my bed and fell right asleep as well. From then on, I really did try to never again hide anything from Rock.
-------------------------------
Rock knew something was wrong when he came home to find Terry staring off into no where, just sitting around the couch one afternoon.
"What's wrong, man?" He asked, taking his biker gloves off and putting them down on the counter.
Terry didn't really want to answer him because he knew Rock would be really upset at the bad news he had. "Well, uh.. You know how Anton hasn't been feeling well lately?" He asked
"Yeah?" Rock replied. "He's 15 this year. He's pretty old and hasn't been that great lately."
"Well Mary called a little while ago and it looks like he's gotten a lot worse. Tomorrow she's putting him down."
"Oh man." Rock sat at the kitchen stool and stared at the floor. "She must be really upset. I know how she loves that dog…"
"Tomorrow, I think you should head over there in the morning. She really needs you… more than me" Terry suggested.
Rock looked at him. "Yeah, you're right. I'll go over there and keep her company. She's going to be very upset. And I feel so bad about Anton. He was always such a good dog…" Rock stared off into space.
Terry went over to him and rubbed his back. "Yeah, he'll really be missed… but it's not good to let him keep suffering like this."
Rock nodded. "It still really sucks though…"
The next morning, Rock drove up on his motorcycle and found Mary smoking a cigarette on her porch.
"Rock." She said, surprised when she saw her visitor.
"Terry told me the news…" He took off his helmet. "I'm here to keep you company."
She smiled slightly. "Well he knows I need it…" She put out her cigarette
Rock sat down next to her and hugged her tight. "I'm really sorry about this."
"Yeah, well his time has come" She sighed then stood up, offering Rock a hand up. She put a hand on his shoulder and directed him into her house to Anton who was resting on the couch.
"Yeah, he doesn't look so well…" Rock noticed Anton was resting, his eyes looking pained and not well-rested at all. He was very thin and had patches of bare skin show where he had lost fur and never grew it back.
"He's in a lot of pain and has been throwing up much of what he has been eating lately. It's just time to end his suffering. Looking at him just hurts." Her eyes filled up with tears as she walked out the door and sat back on the porch. Rock crouched down beside Anton, pet him and then kissed his head.
"I'll miss you a lot, Buddy…" Then he left him alone to console Mary. He offered no words because he knew little could be said to make her feel better. He just held her and they both held hands cried silently a little.
They had soon come inside to spend their last moments with Anton when Mary finally said with a chocked voice "Well, it's time to go now…"
Rock nodded and picked up Anton and carried him to her truck. Rock rode in their with Anton on his lap. They pulled up to the Vet's office and waited for his vet to take him away. They both kissed and pet him a lot for the last time. Huge knots formed in their stomachs as the Vet came.
"I'm really sorry this always is so painful…" Dr Brown said to both of them.
"yeah, Anton was very well-loved" Mary said, then handed him over. Anton stared at both Mary and Rock with forlorn eyes, as if he already knew his fate.
Mary and Rock stood up and kissed him his head for the last time as Dr Brown took him away.
"Bye Anton…" They both said.
As soon as he was gone through the hallway, they sat down and burst into tears. They both held onto each other through sobbing. Rock even slightly developed his purple haze around him. Anton was the first dog he had ever met, and he had always been his favorite. For him never to see Anton again was really upsetting to him. He had loved the Dog as much as Mary. Somehow, after a minute or two, they realized they were making other pet-owners uncomfortable and sad. The other customers were bringing their pets in for shots or regular tests, not to put down their animal. Mary and Rock then went inside Mary's car where they continued crying and holding each other.
They were fully composed only about fifteen minutes later when Mary drove them back to her place silently. Rock stared out the window at the farming scenery as they drove by. They slowly walked into her house and sat on the couch, starting to cry again, realizing Anton would never be there in her house again. They held each other until Rock said "I'm sorry, Mary. It just hurts so much. Terry told me that I needed to be there for you today and I agreed, but it seems like I'm just making you cry more."
"Shhh, it's okay." She comforted, embracing him. "Terry was right. Sometimes, someone needs someone to cry with them in order for them to feel better. Terry knew that he could be here, comfort me while I cried, but I needed you more. You are much more of an emotional person than him, but more importantly, you have grown into a very emphatic person. You are good for situations when someone is crying and you're there crying with them."
"I didn't know that was something that was good about me. It's hard for me not to cry when I see someone else crying."
"No, it's something that is very special about you, Rock. It's something that I really needed today, that Terry really wouldn't have been able to provide. He realized that, which is why he sent you over. I'd be pretty lost if it wasn't for you today."
"I love you, Mary.." Rock cried into her shoulder and held her.
"I love you too, Rock. Thank you.."
They continued to hold each other for a while until they cheered up a bit and started talking about Anton when he was a younger, healthier dog and all the fun they had with him. They cried a little more throughout the reminiscing, but held each other through it and it was very healthy. Soon it was time to go to bed . They were both pretty exhausted from the day's emotional strain. Mary made a bed for Rock on the couch and kissed his head. "Goodnight, Rock. Thank you for helping me today."
"Night, Mary.."
"I love you."
"I love you too." She left to go into her room and lay on the bed, staring up at the wall. In about 10 minutes Rock came into her room. "What's wrong?" She asked, sitting up.
"Somehow, falling asleep isn't as easy as I thought it'd be…"
"Hmmm…" She responded.
"Right now, I just wish that I was little again."
She smiled. "Yeah, I too sometimes feel sad that we can no longer really sleep close to each other like we did when you were a kid. But that's a part of someone's life that's lost when they grow up."
"I know…" Rock said, staring at the bed. "I'm just really depressed right now and I think I need to be close to you. I know it's inappropriate…" He mumbled.
"There's no need to get embarrassed. You're just older now." She pulled him close to her and held him close to her body. "I remember when you spent the night here when you were little. I held you in my arms the whole night and you warmed me up and I felt very happy too. Like you were my little boy and I was protecting you."
"Right now, I think you need to be protected too."
"I guess that's true."
"Can I just spend the night here tonight? We don't even have to be close, I just want to be here." He feared rejection.
"Yeah. Of course" She lifted the covers so he could crawl under. There was an unsaid secret that was protected between them that night. He crawled under her covers and lay on his back.
She curled up away from him on her side and because she felt like she couldn't be close to him, really needing to, she cried silently. No matter how quiet she was, Rock still noticed. He knew that he could either ignore her and try to sleep or could comfort her. He would never forgive himself for ignoring her, though. No matter the risk, he just curled up next to her and held her like so many times she held him in the past. He lay close to her body and held her hand, and cried into her back as she cried on his hand. They fell asleep that way and rested peacefully into the night.
The next morning came and they didn't talk about last night at all. Rock was preparing to leave. "I'm happy I could be here last night." He said quietly.
She smiled. "Thank you, I don't know how I would have handled the stress without you. You're such a kind person, Rock. Terry should be proud of what a kind, caring, young man you've grown up into." She held a hand out to his cheek.
He hugged her close. 'Thank you. And take care. Please come visit us if you feel lonely or anything, ok?"
She nodded. "Okay, thanks" and then waved him off. He rode away on his motorcycle.
"How's Mary?" Terry asked when Rock first got home.
"She's doing
better…" Rock replied.
"I'm sure you made her feel a lot
better." Terry said.
"She said I did. All I did was cry, though." Rock said, sitting on the couch. "I'm not sure why that would make her feel better."
Terry rubbed his back. "You shouldn't feel like that's wrong. I couldn't really do that, and you could. Believe me, that was what she needed. You helped her a lot."
Rock hugged Terry. "I'm pretty emotionally drained."
Terry hugged him back. "You should go rest, son. You had a pretty draining weekend."
Rock went into his room and fell asleep, thinking about Anton and Mary. He knew he was an emphatic person and only now he realized it wasn't a bad thing. He could be trusted to always cry with someone and hold them. This was a quality that held him to be endearing to a lot of people and when someone needed to be consoled, they often came to him. They knew Rock would care and help them. This is the only reason Rock didn't feel terrible about it anymore. Afterall, he just wanted to help people feel better- something he handled very well.
------------------------------------------------------------
The next day, Rock came home unenthusiastically with a large red mark on his face. I approached him and held up his chin for me to see.
"What happened, Rock? You been fighting at school?"
"No…" He looked at the ground.
"Then what happened to you?"
"B. Jenet happened."
"Oh?" I said, raising my eyebrows. "What did you say to her?"
"Today she asked me how I felt about having a father who was the most evil man in the world."
"I told her that Geese was not my father, and that you were, and you are certainly not the most evil man in the world and she was just jealous because she was a street rat who didn't even have parents. So then she slapped me and ran away."
"Oh Rock…." I covered my eyes. "You know better than to say things like that. She's probably crying all day because of what you said to her."
"She deserves it!" He exclaimed. "She was the one who told me about Geese in the first place."
"Just because someone does something mean to you, doesn't mean that you should hurt them back. What you said to her probably hurt a lot more than what she said to you."
"She's not a nice girl." Rock mumbled.
I laughed. "Exactly your type. Tomorrow I want you to apologize to her as soon as you see her at school."
"Fine…" Rock mumbled.
"I mean it. I don't want you saying something like that to anyone anymore, okay?"
"Yeah…"
The next day I was making lunch when Rock brought his enemy over home.
"This is B. Jenet," He introduced.
I laughed instantly. "See, Rock, I told you that you two would become friends!"
He blushed. "Yeah… maybe."
B. Jenet looked me over. "So you're Terry, the most powerful fighter in all of South Town?"
"Dunno about the most powerful…"
"He's being modest," Rock interrupted. "He has the best stats in all of South Town."
"If you say so," I smiled.
"I guess Rock didn't tell you I beat him today." B. Jenet grinned
I smiled. "No, he didn't! Wow, I'm impressed. Rock already is fighting way beyond his league."
"It was a flaw," he smiled. "I'll beat you next time"
"We'll see!" She exclaimed. "Let's go train!" She grabbed his hand and they ran outside to practice.
How cute. Rock finally has a new friend. He's such a shy kid that he continued having problems relating to other kids. No wonder B. Jenet was getting along so well with him. They came from the same troubled past. Later, I found out that during her first year of High School, she wanted to quit and was enlisted by Pirates. I knew why they wanted her so young. She was such a powerful fighter and continued to rival Rock. I then took the initiative to talk to the pirates and insist she stay in school. She could do pirating on weekends. She was pretty mad when she learned about their decision, but thankfully didn't find out it was me who requested this prohibition on her quitting school. I really think Rock needed her. They would see each other nearly every day and when they weren't training, they would run around and find other kids to fight. When they weren't fighting,they were playing and finally Rock's activities included friends his age. He relied on me less and his new friends more. I grew even more proud of him and thought it was cute for about a year how he and B. Jenet would run around together everywhere holding hands. The hand holding ended when they entered middle school, but their friendship grew. I was happy Rock had a best friend.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Rock grew stronger by the day and finally I decided that it was okay if he started practicing with me. We would have all-out matches where I could truly see how much he had grown as a powerful fighter. He couldn't quite beat me yet, but I knew soon would be the day where he would start winning.
When he finally turned 18, I told him that he could start participating in real tournaments. "Did you want to enter King of Fighters 2008?" I asked him one day. "You're finally old enough. I'm glad you get to be in it this year."
"Definitely!" He replied, enthusiastically. "Me and B. Jenet are training for it. We're really excited, but also we're entering the Garou tournament."
I frowned. "Garou? That tournament will only have a handful of very powerful fighters. They are hand-selected by Kain."
"Yeah, I know." He replied. "Me and Jenet were picked out. Kain also said that you should enroll."
"Kain is an evil man, Rock. I'm not sure if I approve of you trying out for this tournament."
"There are other
motives…" Rock said.
"Like what?" I inquired.
He looked down at the floor. "I'll tell you later. Sorry." He then bolted out of the door. I then decided to enroll in Garou. I knew I would face Rock in the finals and then he could no longer keep his secret from me.
Sure enough, a week later, him and I faced down. "So, I'm here Rock…" I said to him, across the rink. "You must tell me what your plans are now."
"Jeez. I was hoping you would cut out of this one… Terry, it's important I win this tournament."
"What does Kain want from you?" I asked. "I don't trust whatever lies he fed you."
"He said that my mother is alive." He finally blurted out.
I paused before I responded. "He could be lying to you…"
"I know, Terry. But I gotta find out for myself whether he is or not. I know I can't beat you…"
I walked over to him and took his hand. "If this is so important to you, then I'll forfit. You've won this match." I walked away.
"Thank you, Terry!" He called to me.
"Take care, Rock. Please come back soon…"
"I promise I will. I love you."
"I love you too."I then turned away from him and walked back home. Letting him continue in the tournamet was probably the hardest decision I was ever faced with.
I collapsed on the couch as soon as I got home and called Mary.
"What's wrong, Terry? You sound really upset…" She sounded very concerned on the phone.
"Can you just come over?" I asked. "I'll tell you when you get here."
"Sure. I'll be over very soon. Bye…" She hung up and I lay there on the couch, thinking about Rock.
I was happy enough to notice that she didn't bring her dog this time when she walked in. "Hey, no Anton." I said.
"Yeah, I know how much you hate him."
'It's that clear?" I frowned.
She smiled. "No… now tell me what's wrong." She jumped on the couch beside me and took my hand. "You know you can tell me anything."
"It's about Rock…" I started.
"Oh?"
"He joined the Garou tournament and is facing off Kain."
"Oh wow. Why did he do that?"
"Because Kain told him that his mother was alive."
"Is it a lie?"
"I have no idea. And I don't know what he wants with Rock, but he let me realize how important this was to him and I couldn't stop him."
"Then you made the right decision."
"You think so?"
"Of course. You're a great father. It's just time you need to start letting Rock go and lead his own life. It's hard for all parents."
"Especially for fighting parents whose kids are fighters."
"Yeah… Rock is establishing his own identity. He's an adult now. He needs to be trusted with more adult-things."
"It's hard when he'll always be my little kid. It's hard watching him grow up sometimes."
She smiled. "A sentiment felt by a lot of parents. You're a good dad, Terry."
"I hope so… I'm just really worried about him right now."
"That's natural." She brought me close to her and I rested my body against hers. "I love you. You're such a cute boy." She laughed and stroked my hair.
I turned around. "I love you too." I looked into her eyes. She smiled and kissed my cheek. I then kissed her lips. She was a little stunned by my act. She blushed and didn't say anything. "I'm sorry…" I started.
"No…" She pulled me close to her and kissed me this time. Soon our kisses grew more passionate and our actions as well. I won't describe what happened after that, but let's just say that she and I did what I have always wanted to do with her.
We both woke up, naked on the couch. "Well, Terry, you certainly know how to treat a girl right. Having her on your couch and all." She laughed.
"I'm sorry." I blushed. "I guess we should have done this on my bed or something…"
She kissed my cheek. "It's okay. It was quite scandelous. I loved it."
"Hmmm.."
"Terry…" She looked at me, sincerely. "Why did we wait so long?"
"I have no idea… it's pretty stupid isn't it?"
"Yeah, it's been what? Over 10 years?"
"Well, our whole lives aren't wasted."
"I never know what I'm missing out until something just happens to me so that I realize I wasn't complete with a part of my life all along. First it was Rock, and now you."
She smiled and put her clothes on. "I'd better be going. I'll come back tonight to keep you company and I'll be with you until Rock comes back."
"Thank you…"
She kissed me one last time and left.
----------------------------------------------------------------
I was making dinner one night about a week later when I heard a knock on the door. It was Rock! I was so excited to see him again and gave him a huge hug the moment I saw you. I grinned. "Speak of the devil!"
He laughed. "Hey, Terry. It looks like you haven't seen me for years."
"It almost feels like it!"
I sat him down and served dinner to him, which he almost wolfed down. "Hungry?"
He smiled wryly. "Just a bit. Long walk home…"
I sat across from him. "So tell me about the tournament! How much did you win?"
He pulled a big wad of money from his pants. "This much."
"Wow. And since it was a singles tournament, you get even more. I'm impressed."
"I want you to have it."
"No way. It's yours. You won. Besides, it's an insult to my skills, having my own son try to give me money! Your money isn't good here. Tomorrow we'll start you up your own bank account and you can start saving on your own."
"I just wanted to show my appreciation for all you've done for me over the years."
"You showed enough appreciation by coming back tonight. I missed you a lot and was worried as hell."
"I'm really sorry. I'll try not to worry you like that anymore."
"You're my kid. You always will worry me." I smiled. "So did you find out what you were looking for?"
"No… not really. Kain told me he wanted me to be his next prodigy. Something about ruling the world, I'm sure. I didn't want to be like my natural father. When I declined, he said that he would refuse to take me to his mother. I told him that if she really was alive, wouldn't she have found me? He said that she thought I was dead. I dunno. It's all pretty complicated."
"If she really is alive, I'm sure you will see her soon." I tried to comfort him. "I know how important this is to you."
"Not as important as you." He smiled. He got up, gave me a huge hug and went to bed. He was asleep within mintues before Mary came over.
I grinned. "Rock's back!"
She shared my enthusiasm. "I knew he'd be back soon! Is he alright?"
"Overall yeah. But tired and asleep."
She tiptoed to his
room and hovered over his bed while he was asleep. She stroked his
hair and kissed his forehead. She then left his room and sat down on
the couch with me.
"He's such a good kid." She remarked, for
the millionth time.
"Yeah, I know…"
"He was so cute as a kid and now he's grown up into a very handsome young man. I think that…" She trailed a finger on my chest and giggled "He gets it from his father."
I then led her into my room and made love to her again. I was so happy I had both my son and my new lover with me that night. Mary and Rock were the people I cared about most in life and ever since I met them, I tried my hardest to protect them. What I didn't know is how ever since they met me, they had been doing the same. I loved them both and for the millionth time I reflected on how lucky and content I was having them.
Author's Last note:
Thank you everyone who has read and commented on this in the past! I come back to it several years later because I want to correct one error I had- the name of Blue Mary's 's kind of dumb that I didn't know it's name because she says it before her match! "Anton!" and the dog runs to grab her jacket. Thanks for pointing that out to me!
This is the end of the fanfiction. I hate how literally 90 percent of the fanfics on this massive hub start with one or MAYBE two chapters and then don't end. I couldn't do that. I have to finish what I started. I feel bad that I never corrected that over the years. I kind of just wrote this fanfiction with some people thinking it was going to continue, and maybe it did briefly cross my mind at some point, but I didn't want to entertain that thought. I meant for the story to finish right there, and I'm sorry if I gave the impression it was going to continue. I don't really have anything to add to this story that would make it better.
Rereading this is kind of interesting for me. I didn't know it was so long. And it's way too emo/sappy, but I can't really deny that I like to write stories like that. It's just my style. Some people like it and some don't. I don't like to write about action scenes.
I always wanted to write a story about the personal relationship between Terry and Rock because I think it was a story worth writing about. Terry has always been my favorite character in the FF/KOF world and I think it's sweet that he takes care of a kid… the kid of the man who killed his father and who he later killed. Calls for some drama..
I want to thank everyone again. I know the KOF/FF community isn't so active, but it's nice to receive comments. This is probably my favorite fanfiction I have written, so I hope it has been enjoyable for my readers, as small a group as you are, I appreciate each and every one of you!