-Oxford - Thursday: Part 24-

Lory ran a hand through his beard, his heart felt heavy, the fact that Saena Mogami would be in this phone call caused the man to pause. Not so much that he thought she would attempt to take Kyoko back with her. To have her live a life that she no longer belonged in as far as he was considering. Nor was there fear or worry that she would want to be part of Kyoko's life. No Lory was sure she was more than happy to sit on the sidelines. It was more than he felt that this had something to do with Shoutaro, so much so that he was starting to debate if he really should leave the boy in his daughter's hand so that she could truly move on. Foolish perhaps to think that but that had been part of the reason he had informed Kyoko that he would be in this phone meeting with her. How for just a moment Kyoko had frozen up in his arms, the small shudder as she bought her emotions under control and the slight panic and fear that she might be sent away. He had comforted her, telling her that she was his daughter and no one would take her from him. Lory told himself he would tell her that as many times as she needed, for however long she needed to hear it. Yet he had felt her calm down, truly calm down with those words. Part of him figured that there would be that small fear, that he would leave her as well. It wasn't as if Lory could fault her for it, he understood exactly why she felt that way, everyone in her life up until this point had done exactly that. Yet he would not fail her like so many of the adults in her life had done up to this point. Nor would the people that were around her now he had chosen, Ruto and Kyo with care.

Kyo, in general, was a hard woman to get along with, well on a personal level. She had taken Kuon leaving his parents hard, as Kyo and Juliena were and had been best friends. They had held a special bond that they had tried to pass onto their own sons, if they could be sisters without such a blood connection, then perhaps just perhaps those three young men would be more like brothers. Thus Juliena being Kyo's two sons Godmother, and Kyo being Kuon's Godmother. For some time Daiki and Kuon had been rather close at least up until Kuon really begun to enter the world of Showbiz the more he began to shut down with every step. Daiki had tried to help, tried to explain that you had to pretend to be something you weren't to make it. Daiki had grown in the world of politics, which meant acting in a different kind of way. Yet Kuon wouldn't listen and by the time Keiji was really old enough to understand the way the world really worked, he too had begun to pull himself away into the world of dance. Lory was sure it was due to it being one of the few things that he could truly be himself in. From what Kyo had told him, Keiji and Kuon had not been all that close and there had been a fear from Keiji when he realized that he liked boys that Kuon would reject him, after all, he saw Kuon already rejecting everyone else around him.

Daiki had tried, but the more Kuon fell into that darker world the more Daiki had felt at a loss. Yet most of all as Lory tried to be there for the boy in the way that his parents had been. The more Lory himself noted that there was likely a fear in Daiki that he could lose his brother next. The three boys that had been so close when they were truly young and innocent before the world around them began to eat at them, had all taken different outs in a way. Daiki and Keiji had remained with their parents, had remained to fight the fight so to speak. Daiki turned to his computers, programming, data research, he held to gather information on people in the world of politics, Dachi being who he was, was more than happy to listen to his son's suggestions, to see what information that he had gathered by searching into people that could help him or hinder him. Keiji had begun to lock who he was inside from others, his fear of having gotten stronger by that time of people learning the truth, he began to learn to fight. He began to learn how to read people around him in such a way that Lory was surprised. While Kuon had cut all ties with everyone who had cared about him but one person, Rick. Not even Kuu and Juliena had been able to reach their son and as for Lory himself, Kuon was under the full belief that it was because of his parents that he was there, not because he had wanted to be. After Rick's death, Kuu had once again reached out to him, he was hoping that he would just talk to him understand that he was not to blame. Yet one look at his Godson and he had changed his mind, he would offer Kuon an out. A way to prove himself, he hadn't been surprised when without a second thought or glance back Kuon left with him. Now Lory wondered wonder how much more harm he did by such an action. Kuon running had been the final mark on the two boys and a new mindset had formed between them, that they had to protect Juliena, their family and no one was allowed to enter that world it didn't matter who you pretended to be, you just weren't one of them.

Lory knew Daiki had figured out Ren Tsuruga was Kuon Hizuri, the look in his eyes had told him clearly that he was not happy with him being around their family, his family. Ren was the outsider, Kuon had abandoned them all. Kuon could not trust them to be there, not while he was falling and not afterward. Keiji had a bitterness about the man he hardly remembered anymore. Kuon cutting him off had happened still when he was very much a child still and short get-togethers Lory supposed with a young an fearful of being rejected because of who he was attracted too, likely hadn't helped matters either. The only thing he could see as perhaps becoming a silver lining was that he had noticed right away that Keiji had no clue who Ren really was. Part of him questioned why Daiki hadn't said anything and that left him wondering if it was a good or bad thing.

Ruto moved towards him, giving a slight bow of his waist, pulling Lory from his own thoughts. "Sir, Maria is asleep." Lory trailed his eyes towards the closed door as he nodded his head, "Also Mr. Susumu will be here soon, is there anything else you require from me?"

Lory smiled some but his heart wasn't really in it at the moment, "Just listen for Maria, I'm not fully sure what this is about..." he trailed off his eyes turning towards the door "Also keep an ear out for anyone else listening." The thought of bugs suddenly rushing into his mind.

Ruto "The room is cleared, I had General Brown make sure of it."

Lory nodded his head, "Good... thank you Ruto."

Saena Mogami sat in front of the desk that her boss Kenichi Katagiri. She knew that she should likely dislike this man before her. Yet at the same time, she knew that neither herself or that child would have been given a future if not for him and Todoh Susumu. Not after that man anyways. Even with that knowledge, she felt a sense of responsibility, she knew she had failed the girl. That girl had run off with some romanticized ideal of love for the childhood friend and Katagiri's nephew, a boy who in all respect should have if nothing else see that child as a member of his family. The most annoying factor had been that neither Yayoi or Dansei Fuwa had thought to tell her once they knew that she had run off.

Katagiri tapped his fingers against the desk, 'but he had cared for more than I ever did' actually if she was honest with herself, Katagiri and Todoh had both shown more love towards that child as a parent should then she ever did. However her annoyance with it had shut Todoh away, she hadn't wanted that girl to think that Todoh was her father. It had annoyed her that the girl had picked up on how to read her just as well as Todoh. It had bothered her how he had been kind to the life that was her greatest shame. He had backed away but she knew that he kept track of the girl but as long as he didn't show himself in front of the child she didn't care. Katagiri was a different matter altogether, that girl had always been scared of him and he himself had removed himself from her sight but she could tell it had hurt him. Perhaps, if she had been a better mother, she would have long given her up for adoption. Removed herself from her shame but she had not been a better mother, no she had not wanted the world to see her shame but didn't want her responsibilities to be taken over by another person, it was her shame her place to assure it had a semi-balance life. 'Yet I had given that child up to the Fuwa family' but it was her money that fitted the bill, her money that kept her in that home. Not that she didn't understand that money was no way a sign of a good parent it allowed her to keep some sort of responsibility for the girl.

It was only after she had learned the truth, only after Lory Takarada made her see the true error of her ways. How the girl had become a part of his family, that for him she was the daughter he never knew he needed or wanted until she appeared. That she realized this man knew what it meant to be a parent, a real parent. He agreed to allow her to enter the girl's life but she had no desire for that. No, she would do what she had been doing since that night she would keep an eye out, make sure nothing now destroyed what she had never been able to give the girl as her mother.

Katagiri coughed slightly her head snapped up towards him and he smiled sadly towards her. "Are you ready Mogami-san?" She gave a small nod of her head and he dialed.

"Hello Katagiri-san, I have Takarada-san here with me" Todoh's voice seemed to fill the room, echoing around her.

"Good, I have Mogani-san here with me as well" his eyes turned to look at her for a moment. "This is a matter dealing with Shoutaro Fuwa" his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at his hands. "It seems the boy will not accept the history of Takarada Kyoko"

Saena eyebrow twitched, the cover story was remarkable if you asked her. The way that Lory Takarada had been able to somehow create these reports, police records, a contract that had been created stating the usage of the name Kyoko Mogami add in the fact that once she had given the Fuwa's the child she had simply stopped coming around. Staying here in Tokyo, she sent money, she had phone calls with Yayoi but that could be easily explained. It had been Yayoi who had helped her get the hang of having Kyoko when she was a newborn, Katagiri of course had hoped that she would bond with the girl. Yet once she had the basic idea of how to keep her alive, she had shooed Yayoi away. Babysitters, no one that stayed for long, all so that no one would see her lack of care for the girl. Her needs on the physical level had been assured, always assured.

Lory's voice held his annoyance as he spoke, "Is that all?"

Katagiri shook his head as he sighed, "I am worried that he may try something." His eyes darted towards her and she felt once again that twitch of her eyebrows. "He is very upset from being thrown off the hotel property, not being allowed within a certain amount of feet." He closed his eyes, "The laws will protect her there of course, yet I doubt they will be much good here."

"Are you saying he may try to force himself upon her?" Her voice was cold and distance, it said nothing more than if she had asked this question of anyone else.

Katagiri shrugged his shoulders, she could tell he was thinking for a moment. "No, I'm sure my sister raised him better than that. He's spoiled but he's not stupid."

Lory's coldness shook her deep inside, not that it showed outwardly, "You are mistaken Katagiri-san, he has forced himself upon her. The difference is she has people in her life who will protect her." There was an anger in the man's voice, "My daughter has a need for it apparently" there was frustration, something that wasn't be said, how far out of the loop was she now in that girl's life. "She claimed it is useful, for the next step of her plan."

Katagiri "What is she planning?"

Todoh's voice came over the phone, "That is not required to be known."

Saena wanted to know if the man knew but Lory's voice drew her back, "All that you need to do is keep a leash on that boy. He has let out a cat from its bag, I want your assurances that you will make the proper notifications to him and his family." there was a moment of pause, "While my daughter may not be striving for his destruction, I have no problem doing so."

"So you have changed your mind on her facing this to help heal her?" her voice held a strength that her own thoughts and mind weren't holding. Shoutaro was trying to make that child's life a nightmare even in this new life. "Should I warn the Fuwa's that their son may be returning home soon?"

"Yes, the only thing holding me back, it is not what she wants for him." there was again a hint of frustration in his voice "I have chosen to trust my daughter's choice in this for the time being. Let that boy know that if he hurts my little girl again, I will destroy each and every one of his dreams. One by one." With that, he hung up.

Saena folded her hands in her lap, "We need to assure that there is a plan in place should that child return to Japan to live with her father." She knew her brow was burrowed deeply in her forehead, "I will see that boy taken down if he attempts to hurt another young woman." She rose from her seat looking at the man, her brows relaxed, "I do not blame you Katagiri or the Fuwa's, but if any of you stand in my way. I'm sure you understand where I stand in this." She turned and walked out of his office, hearing the deep and heavy sigh as the door closed behind her. No, she knew she was not a mother, she never wanted that child, but as a woman who had been walked over, used by another man well she could be assured that the girl didn't end up repeating any more of her own mistakes. 'Like getting pregnant.'

Gayle King's face didn't give anything away, the perfect mask of a woman who was tired, annoyed even. Yet inside of her mind it was troubled, that man had come to her or perhaps more exactly he had been watching for her. He had wanted to meet with Lory Takarada, yet he wouldn't tell her anything more, other than he would be waiting for his call back in Tokyo, it was clear that he didn't trust her. Which is all as well, she didn't trust him either. Then the damn city bus appeared and he rose from his seat. A part of her wanted to grab him and drag him to one of their secure locations but there had been a look in his eyes that told her that it would not be an easy task before the doors closed.

So now she had to tell Brown, the head of the Ankou that there might be yet another threat. True it wouldn't be their problem unless the Crown said so, yet it would be their task to assure that Ruto had the proper information needed to deal with the matter. That was one them, he might be nothing more than a Banshee, yet no matter how you looked at it he played a part in their society. Just like the rest of them. Opening the door to her hotel room she kicked off her shoes. Her eyes landed on Brown who hadn't bothered to look up at her. Sighing she sat in the chair across from him, "There might be a problem."

Brown still didn't look up and look at her, "Is Tyler not bitting?" It was a possibility that it could have happened, they both had known that.

"No, I think he'll come along..." finally he looked up at her. "There is a man, I have no name." She passed a small business card. "He wants to meet ArchDuke Lory when he returns to Tokyo."

"He went to you?" That was odd, more so than being odd, it was strange. "Is your cover blown?"

"I don't think so, I get a feeling he contacted me because of my position." Yet she couldn't be fully sure about that either, "I think after this matter is settled. It'll be time for Gayle King to die."

"Well, it wasn't meant to last. I'll start moving up your replacement." He said turning the card in his hands for a moment. "First we need information for the Takarada Banshee."