I do not own Skip Beat!

Thank you Yoshiki Nakamura for all of your incredible talent.


Chapter 7

Dinner With Mom & Dads

Flashback: Before Sho (BS)

Ren sat quietly amidst the two imposing father figures and a very irritated mother. His own mother. The woman that was still extremely irritated with him because she thought that she had raised a son that wouldn't lie to the woman that he loved. Kyoko had excused herself to use the bathroom so he had been left to fend for himself amongst this very overprotective pack of hers.

"Mom, Dad, Mr. Marshall... Um, I would like to apologize..." He said in a quiet voice.

"Hmph.." Julie gave him a stern look. "You know she left because of you."

"I know.." He answered staring at the floor in front of him.

"You may think that she is okay with it, but deep down it still hurts her." She scolded. "Otherwise she wouldn't have dropped everything and left behind all she worked for three years ago."

"I know Mom."

"Personally, I think I would rather she be with your cousin Jason than my own son!" She blurted out angrily as Kuu gently rubbed her back.

"Jules, I think that's enough." Kuu whispered to her. "She needs to make that choice herself."

Stephen just sighed and shook his head. He understood how Julie felt and he also understood Ren's reasoning, but this was Kyoko's decision and she picked Ren.

There stood Kyoko frozen in the doorway. She had returned as Mother was scolding Ren and basically telling him he wasn't good enough for her. When all was said and done, she quietly entered the room and took her place on the sofa next to Ren.

"Mother, Father, Dad.. I appreciate what you're saying on my behalf, but I think this is my decision." she told them as she sat stiffly with hands folded on her lap like a prim and proper lady.

"Although he did lie to me, it was not entirely his fault. Somehow, I knew deep down who he was. If he felt that secret was not mine to know at the time then... It just wasn't mine to know. I realize that now. It did hurt, but I think maybe at the time I was just looking for a reason to run. There was just too much happening at the time and I needed to get away to sort things out." Kyoko explained with tears threatening to escape her eyes.

Ren gently rubbed little circles on her back as she continued to explain, letting the old Kyoko slip through.

"I knew at the time that I was in love with Ren, but I had stupidly made a promise to Fuwa-san that if I ever fell in love I would quit the entertainment industry and be his servant for the rest of my life. Childish as that promise was, it was still a promise and the only way out, I figured, was to leave and seeing Ren that day just gave me an excuse I think. I know that now."

"Oh Sweetie, why didn't you say anything to me?" Julie asked as she crossed to comfort her adopted daughter.

"Mother.. Because I felt all alone at the time." she gave a weak smile. "But I know better than that now. Mother, please don't be angry with Kuon."

"Fine, but only because you asked Kyoko." Julie huffed with feigned indignance and a smirk like Kanae's.

Ren leaned forward to his mother, "Mom.. I. am. so. sorry... For everything." then hugged her.

Julie pulled back and looked into the beautiful green eyes of her baby boy and said, "I'll forgive you this time, but don't you ever put me through that again. Got it young man?"

"Yes ma'am." He whispered into her ear as he hugged her and his father joined in.


"So, tomorrow night you're going to have to deal with Sho Fuwa?" Stephen asked from across the dining table not really wanting to bring up such a touchy subject as the other adults looked on in baited breath.

"Yeah.." She answered almost with no feeling at all.

"Are you okay with this?" asked Kuu hoping not to set off any of her land mines.

"Honestly, I don't think it will bother me at all and since I'm not that Kyoko anymore I really don't have a problem unless he acts like his usual jerky self." she explained casually as she picked at her dinner.

"Kuon, is there anyway you can stay with her tomorrow so he leaves her alone?" Stephen asked almost pleading with him. "I would, but I think perhaps you are a bit more intimidating than me." he explained.

"Dad! I don't need a babysitter or, a bodyguard around Fuwa-san." She protested.

"Kyoko, yes you do or, have you forgotten that he does tend to get physical?" Ren reminded her.

She nodded silently staring at her plate. She had almost forgotten how Sho was and she understood their concern.

"Then it's settled, I still have a week left of my vacation." He smiled his brightest smile, "I guess you have a translator." He told her as a plan to protect her formulated in his mind remembering how effective foreign languages were during their stint as the Heel Siblings.

"What are you thinking Kane?" He gave her a sly smirk and the parents looked on in amusement as he explained his plan.


Which Brings Us To:

Sho's Encounter Of The First Kind

As the two stars sat quietly in contemplation on their way to the stadium for her concert, each were engrossed in their own thoughts about how to handle Sho. The male wanted to rid her completely of him and the female didn't want to deal with it at all.

"Kyoko," He whispered "Just remember.. Only Russian until you're on stage." He reminded her.

"I got it.." She acknowledged.

"That means for everyone, including me or, it won't work." He told her looking into her eyes.

"I know." she sighed defeatedly. "I just hate lying to people, even like this."

"Just think of it as part of Roxy's act. Okay?" He flashed a devious smile.

"Alright, alright. I got it." She giggled.

"Did you let Danny know?" He asked softly and gently kissed her cheek.

"He knows." She smiled.


"Kyoko are you sure you still want to go through with this?" Kuon asked with concern.

"It's okay, he doesn't affect me anymore." She smiled.

"I've got this Shoko. She's just another little spoiled diva. I can handle her." He arrogantly spouted in the hall outside Roxy's dressing room. Kuon tensed up. I really want to kill this little bastard, he thought.

"Kuon don't, it's not worth it." She told him knowing what he was thinking. He nodded.

When Sho's raised his hand to grab Kyoko, Kuon could feel Cain take over until the moment he felt her small gentle hand on his arm. He didn't know when or, how he ended up between them, but there he was standing there fighting the overwhelming desire to rip out that 'blond piece of crap's' wind pipe with her delicate touch pulling him out of his anger. She snapped her fingers and in an instant as though they were waiting for a signal, in came security to drag the fake blond out kicking and screaming. Kuon smirked, "That was priceless."

"I've been wanting to do that forever." She giggled.

"I can imagine. I'm so proud of you Kyoko-chan." He beamed proudly.

"Ooo," she squealed "Almost time!" She jumped up, checked her makeup and happily bounced out of the room and to the steps of the stage where Jason and the others were waiting for Dark Moon to finish. Tonight would wrap up their American tour and move them onto their world stage.


"Here we are at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and ladies and gentlemen, it is packed. Right now over 85,000 tickets have been sold for the talented Roxy before she begins her Asian and European tours." The excited video jockey from a music television channel gleefully announced into the camera. "Right now Roxy is preparing for her final US concert. Let's take a sneak peek backstage." The bubbly VJ whispered sneakily to the cameraman as they panned to makeshift dressing rooms behind the enormous stage and big screen that was set up so that all could view the concert. "Looks like the opening will be performed by a singer named Sho Fuwa from Japan and then a band called Dark Moon which is also from Japan. This will be their American debuts. Well, if Roxy picked them.. They have to be good." She smiled. "Oh, hold on.." She stopped as someone off camera handed her a piece of paper. "Sorry, only Dark Moon will be opening for her. Apparently there was a conflict of schedule involving Sho Fuwa. Sorry to all of his Japanese fans. Better luck next time."

On the steps outside of exit 34a sat an angry, fuming yet remorseful Sho Fuwa as the stadium rocked with screaming fans and music loud enough to vibrate the earth beneath him. "That was supposed to be me." He sighed like a spoiled princess and pounded his fist on the cement next to him. He stared at the long ago disconnected phone number programmed into his phone and sighed. He didn't even have that anymore.