Don't forget. I went with the name they used in the English dub for Shuichi's step brother. --GF
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 and as always, please don't flame.
Chapter 29: A Cornered Fox
Moving back into the apartment, he stood ready for his guest. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with her right now. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone, period.
Wait, there were two people in the lift.
The lift doors slid open as he took a step back. "Mother."
Shiori gave her son a tentative smile. "Hello dear. I had Miss Wilson to bring me over. I've been worried about you."
o0o0o0o0o
Shiori's heart sank as she took in the appearance of her son. He looked horrible. His skin had a shallow tone to it. His hair was limp and tangled. There were dark circles under his eyes. Her proud immaculate son was a nervous wreck.
"Why are you here, Mother? Is Father and Kokota with you?" he asked cautiously.
Barbara ushered mother and son into the living area. "Shuichi. Shiori. Go sit and talk. I'll make us all a pot of tea."
Shiori nodded, leading her son over to the sofa. "Now Shuichi, dear. She's perfectly capable of making tea. We need to talk," she commanded, forestalling any protests.
"But Mother. . . "
"No buts, dear," she said, making herself comfortable. "Barbara has told me that she's met Yoko before and that he can be a bit unpredictable, he has never harmed her. And I agree with her."
o0o0o0o0o
Instead of sitting on the couch by his mother, Shuichi chose to sit on the floor leaning his head onto her lap. One thought ran through his mind almost like a mantra, 'She's not angry with me. She's not upset.'
Yoko for once kept quiet. He could feel the kitsune was posed to run if the two women so much as raise their voice. He wasn't far behind Yoko.
Then he felt it. Her hand running through his hair. "I remember you doing this whenever you did something you thought I wouldn't approve of," she was saying. "Or that I wouldn't like what you had to tell me."
Closing his eyes, a low shudder ran through him as he relaxed under her touch, remembering those moments. "Shuichi. Don't you think it's time to tell me the truth? I gave you a week to come to me," she admonished. "Don't you think I deserve to know?"
Shuichi took a deep sigh, keeping his eyes closed. "Yes, but I'm afraid."
Barbara came over with the tea tray. "I'll leave now. Shuichi? We'll talk later."
Shuichi didn't move as Barbara left.
"Shuichi, dear, I've been patient."
"Yes Mother."
With a deep breathe, he began telling her his life as Yoko Kurama, how he lived and how he died. He told her about Kuronue and Yomi and his pack of bandits.
"After the failed assassin attempted on Yomi, Yoko escaped to Spirit World. He got careless and was killed by a bounty hunter. That's where you came in, Mother," he said softly, moving his head to up at her. "Yoko used the last of his life energy to flee to Human World. He went looking for a place to hide and regain his strength. He found it, in you, Mother." He watched her, praying she would accept what he was telling her.
"Me?"
"Yoko saw that you had just conceived and he also saw his chance. He merged his soul with my unformed one. He thought that in ten years, he would be strong enough to leave and return to the Makai, but he miscalculated."
Shiori stopped, looking down at him. "How did he miscalculate, Shuichi?"
"He learnt how to love Mother. He learnt it from you."
"I don't understand all this. Are you saying that you are possessed by a fox demon? And have been since birth?" she asked, trying to take it all in.
"It's not a possession, Mother. A merger. Yoko and I are two souls merged into one body. Are you alright? Do you hate me. . .us?"
/Crap Red. She looks ill. Maybe this isn't a good idea. /
o0o0o0o0o
Shiori's mind reeled at what he was telling her. She was appalled at his confession and yet, it made a sort of sick twisted sense.
Looking down at her son, she gave him a look. "Shuichi. You are my son. I have raised you the best I could. Are you telling me that your whole life is a lie?"
Shuichi was poised to escape, to run, but she had locked her eyes onto his. There was no escape. Slowly he nodded. Tears formed in her eyes at his admission. "Shuichi. . .?"
Breaking from her gaze, he said in a broken voice, "Just go Mother. . . Just. . . ." Moving away from her, he started to stand.
'Ohh no!' her worse fears realized, she grabbed at him. "Shuichi?"
At her touch, he shivered as her arms went around him, he quaked, then broke. He buried his face into her shoulder and sobbed as his arms clung to her small form.
Did he honestly think she hated him? For taking away the life of her unborn child? For deceiving her all these years? Holding him, she allowed him to quiet down. When he moved to step away from her, she pulled him down onto the couch beside her.
Wiping away a stray tear from those gorgeous emerald eyes of his, she gave him a watery smile. "Shuichi. There's something you should know. I never told you."
o0o0o0o0o
This wasn't going good. He just knew she hated him. Yoko was whining and cowering in the back of his mind.
Yoko Kurama, cold, cruel, feared bandit of the Makai had been tamed by a little middle aged Japanese home maker. He wanted out. He wanted as far from this woman has he could get and yet. . . and yet. . .
The moment she wrapped her arms around him, something broke inside of him. The years of loneliness washed over him. The pain of losing Kuronue was nothing compared to the pain he had been going through this past week. He had never shown any weakness until now. How he loved this woman, it was slowly killing him inside thinking she would reject him.
As she wiped away his tears, she started to tell him that he had been her last chance for a child. She had had several miscarriages, the one before he had been conceived lasted only four months and she had almost died.
/She was very damaged inside, Red. I had forgotten that. /
"Shuichi," her voice brought him back to her words. "The doctors didn't want me to have you. They didn't want me to go through anymore disappointments. They were afraid I would miscarriage and bleed to death. But I wanted you. I wanted a baby to hold in my arms," she was telling him as she smoothed back his bangs.
"Mother?" he leaned into her hand as it caressed his face. Her touch had always soothed him.
She smiled. "I always wondered where you got your hair and eyes from. Certainly not from me or your father. I kept waiting for someone to come to the door with my real son and saying there was a mix-up in the hospital. 'Here's your real son, give us ours'."
He chuckled softly, "No Mother. I will tell you that Yoko had fun shaping me inside your womb. Where he got the red hair and green eyes from I'm not even sure. He said that he did have to fix the problem you were having bearing children. He had no wish of losing his new home. He only had so much energy left."
/Damn right! Get on with it/
"Mother? Do you hate me. . . us?"
o0o0o0o0o
Ain't I mean? Until next time. --GF