Hey guys! This is the new chapter, hopefully the next chapter sould come out soon if there aren't any problems. I hope you enjoy it and please review.
Mariko was packing her clothes, she was really looking forward to this trip because it had been a long time since she went somewhere that wasn't work related at least after her honey moon with Takuto. As she was closing her bag she noticed her stomach and how small it still was, honestly speaking she would have expected to feel worse, after reading a pregnancy book she saw that many women have morning sickness while she hadn't experienced any but she was happy about that because if she had she wouldn't be able to enjoy the trip at all.
''Mariko, Manami's here.'' She turned around to answer her husband.
''Okay tell her i'll be down in a minute.'' After that she was about to pick up her bag but Takuto stopped her, grabbed it and swinged it on his shoulder.
''I'll take it for you.''
''Thanks.'' Before she went out of the house Takuto handed her the bag and kissed her.
''Take care of yourself and the baby.'' She smiled and ran to the car to where an impatient Manami was waiting, in the car they started chatting about Manami's latest jerk of a boyfriend.
''...so then i threw my drink at him and left the bar. That jerk!'' Manami scoffed.
''I can't understand why you always date men like him.''
''I don't know i guess i'm just a magnet for idiots. God you're so lucky to have a guy like Takuto.'' Mariko giggled.
''Weren't you bragging about how single life rocks just last week?''
''Yeah but last week i didn't date a cheater. I feel like i'm never going to find the right guy.''
''Cheer up Manami, just because you had bad luck with guys in the past doesn't mean you're always going to. And i think that you're forgetting that we're going to the beach, there will be lots of cute guys there.''
''You know what, you're right. Who knows i might even meet the love of my life.'' Mariko smiled at her friend's attitude.
''Hey do you mind if we stop at my old house, it's on the way.''
''Sure but are you going to be okay? ''
''Don't worry i'll be fine, my father's there so i'm sure that he can cook us some lunch.'' Manami remembered how delicious Mariko's father's cooking was and her stomach grumbled.
''Great i'm starving.''
They arrived and opened the gate, inside she noticed the neglected garden surrounding the mansion and decided to take care of it before lunch. When they walked inside they were greeted by a surprised Takashi.
''I'm sorry i wasn't expecting you two to come.''
''Sorry about that, we were headed for a cabin close to the beach but decided to stop by for a visit.''
''Oh well then make yourselves at home, i bet that you're starving so i'll make you both something to eat.''
''Thank you Takashi san.''
''Dad do you know where the gardening tools are?''
''In the shed, why?''
''I wanted to fix it up a bit before lunch.''
''Oh thanks i completely forgot to do it before.'' With that Takashi went to the kitchen.
''I'll help you out Mariko.''
''Thank you.''
Finally after an hour it was done, satisfied Mariko sat down on a bench remembering the times she used to play here as a kid, not long after that Takashi came to tell them that it was ready so they went to the dining room to eat their lunch. As usual it was delicious, after they helped out with washing the dishes Manami had to call her brother about the cabin and Mariko decided to up to the rooms. It was funny how nothing about them changed, Makoto's room still had the same clutter it had the day they left while Kyouko's room was filled with colorful drawings of fairies, princes and castles. She opened the window to let in some light and noticed that her bed was undone, probably because she didn't have time to make it again before she had to leave, under the sheets she saw one of Kyouko's plush toys 'usako', Mariko sat on the bed and hugged usako remembering the events of that fateful day.
flashback
Kyouko had been asleep for a few hours and Mariko was reading a book to pass the time, she heard the phone ring and when she went to answer, it was her best friend Manami.
''Manami chan what's up?''
''Well i was wondering i you wanted to go in town together to see that new book store that opened today and maybe get an ice cream after.'' Mariko really wanted to go out but remembered that Kyouko was upstairs sleeping.
''How long do you think it will take?''
''Uhhm an hour or less i think...'' Mariko thought that Kyouko would probably wake up in more than an hour so she wouldn't even realise that she was gone.
''Okay then i'll see you there then.''
''Great bye.''
Mariko rushed upstairs to get her bag, made sure that Kyouko was asleep and quickly left. Mariko was really happy for the distraction because lately with her parents arguing all the time she didn't really have a lot of time to unwind and to just go out. 45 minutes later she was back at her house, she wasv satisfied because she had been able to enjoy herself, get a present for Mariko's birthday and even come home earlier, inside the house house she noticed that the maids looked annoyed not that she blamed them, it looked like a tornado had hit the house and suddenly she thought of Kyouko. She upstairs to check her bed and it was empty, the little suitcase that was usually under the bed wasn't there anymore and most of her clothes were gone, it felt like her heart was in her throat so she ran everywhere, in the garden, her room, Makoto's room but no sight of her, until she reached the living room and found her father with a nearly empty bottle of scotch in his grasp.
''Dad i can't find Kyouko!''
''Your mother got custody of her, she's probably in her apartment in the city.''
''Then why aren't we going to get her back yet?!'' Takashi laughed bitterly.
''It doesn't work that way, i'm sorry but don't count on seeing her again.''
Mariko fell to the floor on her knees crying her heart out, it felt like the whole world around her was falling apart to pieces, it wasn't supposed to be this way. She thought that life was supposed to be better after this divorce not a million times worse, she kept thinking about how lonely Kyouko must be feeling at the moment and how she promised her that things would get better but they didn't, instead they got worse. In that moment Makoto came in and saw his sister crying on the floor and rushed to her to make sure she was okay.
''Dad what's going on?''
''Your mother got custody of Kyouko.''
''Well find a way to get her back.''
''It's not that simple son.''
''Wait so you're going to just leave her there? I can't be in the same room as you right now.''
He stormed out, Takashi didn't try to stop him because he knew he was right but he also knew that trying to get her back could also mean that Saena might harm Kyouko and it just seemed that there were no other options so he started drinking the remaining scotch left in the bottle with in the background the sound of his daughter crying quietly.
''I'm so sorry Kyouko, i'm so sorry i should have been there.'' She kept saying between sobs.
end of flashback
Mariko got up from the bed and put usako where she had found it, walking around the halls she contemplated how cold this mansion felt with her absence which was probably the reason why they left 3 days later, they never came there again. Downstairs Takashi was thinking if telling Mariko about what he found about Kyouko or not, he knew that she was probably the one who took it the worse because she was always so attached to her and didn't want to give her false hopes, in the meantime Manami was in the living room wandering around until she found a stack of letters on a coffee table and aside it was an opened envelope with pictures in it. She thought that the face of the girl in the picture looked familiar so she picked up the envelope and read the note 'We thought you should have these', that girl in the picture looked a lot like Mariko but then it hit her this was Kyouko grown up, when Takashi walked in the room he saw her looking at the pictures and sighed.
''From the look on your face i can guess that you recognised Kyouko. I'll explain everything when Mariko comes down.''
Manami nodded silently and handed him back the envelope, Mariko came down the stairs and was surprised to find Manami and her father with a very serious look waiting for her to join them in the living room.
''What's wrong?''
''Mariko please sit down i need to tell you something.''
''Okay..''
''When i came here i found these on the foor.'' He placed the stach of letters on the coffee table in front of her, she was confused.
''Who would send them here?''
''They were from Kyouko.''
''What?''
''I think that Saena gave Kyouko the wrong adress on purpose.''
She couldn't believe that all this time she thought that Kyouko probably hated her so she didn't contact but it was actually what she was thinking.
''What happened to her?''
''They went to Kyoto and when she was six and a half Saena left her in the care of a couple who run a Ryokan.'' Mariko scoffed at the thought that it only took half a year until she left her.
''Did you see her yet?''
''No well that's the problem, i went there and found out that 2 years ago Kyouko ran away to Tokyo.''
''So basically what you're telling is that my 17 year old sister is somewhere in Tokyo.''
''Yes.'' Mariko didn't know how to take this, she was happy to know that she wasn't still with their mother but at the same time was worried about it too.
''Well if you hear something please let me know.'' She got up and followed by Manami they left but Takashi caught up with them before they got in the car and handed Mariko the envelope with the pictures.
''Here.''
''What is this?''
''The couple that raised her gave them to me but you can keep them.'' She tucked it into her pocket.
''Thanks.''
Kuu, Lory and Julie were in the limousine driving to where the film was shooting so that they could tell Kyouko the truth but obviosly Julie and Kuu were also excited about seing their son again after so long, originally they had planned to wait until Kyouko came back until telling her but they knew that if they told her when she got back she might not have that much time to digest the information before her father finds her so at least this way she could have sometime to think before actually meeting them.
''Are you sure this is the right thing to do?''
''Look if she's busy we'll just have to wait until she's finished working. I thought you'd be happier to see your sons.''
''Of course i am, i'm just afraid that it might upset her to know.''
''She's stronger than you think, besides it's better that she finds out before meeting her father.''
''Yeah you're right.'' Lory saw that Julie was resting her head on Kuu's shoulder and thought that she was asleep.
''So did you ask Julie about yesterday?''
''No, there might not even be something to tell me but if there is i'm sure she'll tell me eventually.''
''Well judging by her reaction when she saw that picture i imagine there is...'' Julie lifted her head and cleared her throat.
''I'm awake you know!'' Lory and Kuu jumped when they heard her clearly annoyed voice.
''Sorry we didn't mean to...'' She smiled reassuringly at her husband.
''It's okay Kuu and Lory is right, Kyouko, that girl in the picture i met her before.''
''What? Wait a second, you almost never left the States and Kyouko has never been there, how could you have met?''
''Do you remember when we went on holiday in Kyoto? That girl i was telling you about was Kyouko.'' Kuu's eyes widened in realisation and Lory was starting to get irritated because he had no idea of what they were talking about.
''Can someone please tell me what happened in Kyoto?'' The two Hizuri's briefly looked at each other before Julie started explaining to him what had happened that day.
''...but i never would have expected the girl that you two always talked about to be that Kyouko.''
''I guess that her mother leaving her at that Ryokan was for the best then.''
''Wait her mother left her?''
''Yeah probably just a few weeks after you left.'' Kuu saw that his wife looked upset.
''What's wrong sweet heart?''
''She didn't deserve Kyouko, she tried so hard to satisfy her, she even protected her and how does she reward her? By abandoning her.''
''I still don't get it, if her mother was so cruel why didn't she ask for help.''
''Kuu you're ignoring the most important detail. No matter how cruel, violent or evil she was, that woman was still her mother. At the time she thought that it was the only family she had left.''
Manami and Mariko arrived at the cabin in the late afternoon, as they were taking their bags inside Manami noticed Mariko holding a book that looked somewhat familiar.
''Have i seen that book before?''
''I can't believe you still remember. This was the present that i bought for Kyouko's birthday.''
''Why did you take it with you?''
''I don't know, i just felt like it i guess.''
''Did you see inside the envelope yet?'' Mariko was so spaced out during the ride that she even forgot to open it.
''I think i'll do it inside.''
The cabin inside was really amazing but still cosy, and as soon as she plopped down on the couch she took the envelope in her hands and stared at it for a second. She couldn't help but feel nervous of what awaited her inside it but she was really curious too, so without hesitation she opened it and read the small note 'We thought you should have these', she examined the note for a second and determined that it obviously wasn't from her father, behind the note she saw pictures and the girl in them without a second thought was Kyouko. Various times during the years a part of her always wondered what Kyouko looked like and now in front of her was the answer, she was amazed at how similar they looked, a side of her was just happy that she was smiling and had people caring for her, after putting the note and pictures back in the envelope she sat and opened the book and saw inside the fist page 'Happy 6th birthday Kyouko from Mariko'. Smiling she hoped that one day she would finally be able to give her the present that she had wanted to give her long ago.