There Are Days Like These Too
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
A/N: and here it is the final chapter of this story that has taken me FOREVER to finish! According to the poll It would seem that the next story that I will be working on is going to be… (cue dramatic music)… Truth, Lies, and Deceit.
You may or may not remember that I had already started this story at the end of November or December shortly after finishing my NaNoWriMo story, All's Fair in Love and War. (Which by the way I am still working on… just hit a little bump with the editing) So I will pick up with it starting on the second chapter. Please look forward to it!
Chapter 23
Dinner, Dancing, and Death
When morning came and Ryo found himself wrapped in Dee's embrace he couldn't help but smile. Things seemed to have a sense of normalcy to them that his life had been lacking for the past few months. Today was a happy day, a day that he would get to spend with Dee to celebrate the fact that even after everything that they had been through the two of them were still in love with one another. They still cared for one another to the point that they wanted to show the world.
The bed was comfortable and Dee was warm making it very hard for Ryo to pull himself away from this little slice of paradise that he had found himself in. But none the less he did manage to untangle himself from the limbs and blankets that covered him and dress himself in something that was a little more appropriate that his birthday suite to head to the kitchen.
Bikky had already been up for at least an hour, the evidence was laying on the counter and the sink in the form of a warming carton of milk and an opened box of cereal along with the used spoon and bowl. Ryo shook his head and put the things in their proper places smiling to himself, relieved that Bikky seemed to be getting on a little better since he got home from the hospital.
It seemed to him that perhaps with being able to see Carol's killer face to face was the closure that he needed to be able to move an and try to have some kind of a normal life. Although, Ryo knew that Carol's lack of presence would be felt almost daily; her ability to defuse even the worst of arguments not only between Bikky and Dee but as well as Dee and Ryo himself had saved the dysfunctional family from falling apart more than once. Ryo couldn't help but wonder how they would be able to get along without her.
Ryo forced these thoughts out of his head. They would be fine even though she wasn't here physically the thought that she would be there in spirit was enough for him and helped him rest at ease a little better. Ryo strolled out to the living room where he found his son sitting on the floor watching what looked like CSI on the TV. Ryo couldn't help but roll his eyes. He lived that life style, why would he want to watch it when he wasn't at work. And yet both Bikky and Dee seemed to be addicted to it.
Bikky looked up when he heard Ryo set his cup of coffee on the table. He didn't say anything but rather just gave him a small grunt as if to say good morning before turning back to the TV. Ryo threw a pillow from the couch where it landed on the back of Bikky's head.
"What was that for!" Bikky yelled. Ryo did the best he could to look innocent knowing that he was failing horribly at it. Eventually he gave in and started to laugh so hard that tears were forming at the corners of his eyes. The face that Bikky had given him was priceless. It was really nothing more than a look of distain, a look that was not all that unusual for the boy, but after weeks of not seeing it Ryo was finally glad to see that it was still there.
"For being a brat." Ryo stuck his tongue out and took a sip of his coffee before continuing, "You're too good to actually say good morning to me?" Bikky rolled his eyes and turned his face back to the TV which resulted in another pillow landing on his head.
"I'm trying to watch TV here." Bikky said sarcastically. Ryo put his cup of coffee down on the table and walked over to the boy kneeling so that he was straddling the boy's legs and proceeded to cover Bikky's eyes with his hands.
"Hey!" Bikky yelled trying to pry Ryo's fingers from his face.
"You going to say good morning to me now?" Ryo said while laughing.
"Never." Came the nonchalant tone. Bikky figured that if he let Ryo just sit there that the man would get annoyed and walk away… he should have known better. "Hey… n….no…stop it!" Bikky yelled between fits of laugher as Ryo mercilessly continued to tickle him.
"How about now?" Ryo asked again. He stopped for a moment to give Bikky a chance to answer. Perhaps it was not the best idea to give Bikky an opening like that. The kid reached up and pulled lightly on Ryo's ear causing the older man to yelp more in surprise than in pain.
"Why can't you say good morning to me first, it is you job as a parent isn't it?" Ryo sighed as he grabbed Bikky's wrist and applied slight pressure in the muscles between his thumb and pointer fingers. Bikky gave a cry and let go. Laughter drifted over the two of them as they sat there looking at one another, almost surprised that they had gotten into a little play fight like they had. Ryo had always admonished Dee and Bikky when they rough housed like that. Although in Ryo's mind it wasn't really rough housing because he made sure that Bikky wouldn't go anywhere so he couldn't break anything.
"Why can't you great me first?" Ryo asked sticking his tongue out again.
"Fine, fine…. Good morning Ryo." Bikky sighed in defeat. Ryo lightly ruffled his hair as he stood up.
"Good morning Bikky." Ryo replied.
"Good morning baby." Dee, who had snuck up behind Ryo during the mock fight between father and son, wrapped his arms around Ryo's waist and pulled him into his chest.
"Sorry, did we wake you?" Ryo asked concerned as he turned in Dee's grasp so that he could hug him back.
"Nope, I had a front row seat for the whole thing from the hallway." Dee laughed before placing a kiss on Ryo's forehead. "Happy anniversary." Ryo's face broke out into a wide grin that matched Dee's.
"Happy anniversary love." Ryo whispered giving Dee a quick kiss.
"Get a room!" Bikky yelled from his spot on the floor pretending to be disgusted with the display, but the smile on his face betrayed him. "I don't want to be infected with perv!" Dee and Ryo looked at one another and then back to Bikky.
"You know sport, perv is passed on by only one thing… do you know what that is?" Dee asked while trying to look naïve. Bikky just gave him a confused look so Ryo had to respond for him.
"Pervy hugs." Ryo said quietly and with that both Dee and Ryo pounced on the boy trying to give him a hug while he fought back trying to get away. Bikky grabbed the pillow that was lying on the floor and swung it so that it connected with the side of Dee's head.
"You wanna play that way?" Dee asked as he picked up the other pillow. He too swung it and the war escalated into an all out pillow fight, Ryo and Dee versus Bikky. A little while later the three of them lay on the floor laughing, energy completely spent.
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"We're heading out baby." Dee yelled back through the apartment so that Ryo who was laying in the bedroom would be able to hear him.
"See you soon." Ryo yelled back. It was about four and Ryo knew that he had to get Dee out of the house before the caterers arrived, so he did what any man in his position would do… sent him on a few errands.
School had started up for Bikky a week and a half ago, but due to his not wanting to have contact with anyone he hadn't been to class since then. Dee didn't have the heart to force him to go, and in all honesty Ryo knew that he wouldn't have force Bikky to go either. But now that he was starting to act more like himself and was actually talking, he needed to catch up with all the work that he hadn't finished yet.
Dee was going to drop him of at Lai's for a study party/ sleep over before the weekend started and it just so happened that it worked out perfectly with Ryo plans for that night. Dee also had to drop by the precinct and drop off the report to Berkeley. So he would be gone for at least an hour. Just long enough for the roof and dinner to be set up.
"Don't forget that I'm going to have dinner ready by five!" Ryo yelled just before the door shut. He wasn't sure if Dee had heard him or not.
No more than five minutes later there was a knock on the door signaling that the caterers were here. Ryo smiled to himself knowing that this would be a good night and that nothing could ruin it.
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Ryo passed the living room floor looking up at the clock ever so often as the time moved from four thirty to five and from five to five thirty, finally he heard the lock on the door turn. He looked up at Dee who was sheepishly grinning back at him.
"Sorry baby, traffic was backed up and Berkeley kept me a bit longer than I thought he was going to." Dee sighed as he sat down on the couch.
"It's fine." Ryo replied moving to sit next to him. Dee reached over and firmly took Ryo's chin between his fingers tilting his head so that he could kiss him. It wasn't deep or even long. It was just a small gentle kiss, nothing more than the brushing of the lips. But it was kisses like that that made both men melt into one another. The kind of kiss that showed they loved one another and it wasn't just about something as trivial as sex between them; kisses that were filled with emotions that would otherwise not be able to be conveyed. Ryo reached around Dee and picked up the blindfold that was laying on the end table and slipped it around Dee's eyes. The taller man gasped a little surprised by the sudden darkness but Ryo shushed him and it became quiet again.
Ryo led him out the door and very carefully up the stairs to the roof top. Dee couldn't help the shit eating grin that was on his face. He loved when Ryo surprised him like this. Although he couldn't see anything in front of him, he knew that they had stepped outside and onto the roof as the cool air assaulted him.
Ryo reached up gently after they had stopped and untied the blindfold. Dee's mouth dropped to the ground as he looked at the elaborate set up before him. In the cent of the roof there was a table set up with only two candles providing enough light for them to eat by. Hanging off of sting moving back and forth across the area were several paper lamps lit each with a small tea light that was casting a gentle glow. Ryo watched him take it all in with a smile on his face.
"Please." A man, dressed in a white shirt covered by a black vest that matched his pants, said as he extended his hand out towards the table. The two of them looked at one another and shared a smile before heading to their seats.
It wasn't long after that the clear soup was served along with several kinds of sushi and even some tempura, something Ryo did not order when he had called for the service in the first place. He smiled an all knowing smile as he at, Estelle must have known that he wouldn't want to spend much, and because of that she readjusted the order Ryo had already placed.
Throughout dinner they chatted light heartedly sharing food off each other's plates and loving glances. The small CD player that was acting as their ambiance started to play a sloe romantic song. Dee stood up and held his hand out to Ryo who blushed slightly as he took it letting Dee lead him to the side of the roof that was lit under the paper lamps.
The two of them swayed in time with the music. Ryo's resting on Dee's shoulder and Dee's head on Ryo's.
As the sound of the music started to die out they looked at one another and shared a passion filled kiss. Their tongues continued the dance that their bodies had stopped. There was no music to keep time too, just the beating of their hearts as it pumped out a slow, steady melody heard only by the two.
As they pulled apart they were startled to hear clapping from off in the corner. There was indeed a person standing there, however, because of poor lighting neither man could make out the features on the face.
"Lovely, just lovely." A man's voice drawled. "You really make the picture perfect couple." The man said stepping closer to them.
"D-Danny!" Ryo exclaimed looking at disbelief. "Why are you here?" There was no response.
"Yes… just what are you doing here?" Dee asked his voice dangerously low. Ryo placed a hand on his arm trying to calm him.
"I simply wanted to give a gift to you both on your anniversary." Danny mocked hurt. "I'm soooo sorry for interrupting your moment." He shook his head and walked closer. "But seeing you two together makes me… it makes me feel…" He pretended to search for the right words, "sick."
Ryo felt Dee's arm tighten as he clenched his fist at his side. Danny just looked at the expression on Dee's face and laughed… he laughed right at him as he drew out a gun from his pocket.
"I didn't really want to resort to something so… so… messy, but I guess I have no choice." He looked over at Ryo and gave a sugar sweet smile. "You of all people should know why I am doing this." He said. Ryo's eyes grew bigger with every word as he noticed that the one he was pointing the gun at was not him but Dee. "You'll be the reason that he dies." Danny laughed.
"W-Why? What are you talking about?" Ryo asked his voice shaking a little.
"Randy Ryo McLean, don't tell me you have forgotten me." He laughed. "After all you were the only one I ever really had eyes for." Ryo let out a small gasp.
"Y-your doing this because I turned you down in high school!" His hands shook and he felt weak.
"Oh more than that my dear, beautiful Ryo, all those people that I killed just to get to you." He let out a sigh, "let see there was the lawyers first, then Greg, lets see… oh that's right then there was that girl that was always hanging around you guys… what was her name… Karin….Karri… Carol that's it, Carol." He paused as Ryo sank to his knees his breath coming in hard labored pants, "Then there was your aunt and uncle… oh and your son was an attempt but it failed because of that man." He said jerking the gun in Dee's direction.
Ryo had stopped listening; he didn't want to hear any more, he didn't want to be near anyone.
"E-every-everyone that's close to me." Ryo whispered hugging himself. Dee took slow steps towards Danny getting ready to attack.
"You sonofabitch!" he yelled and rushed Danny hoping that he would have enough time to get to him before…
A round was discharged and Dee dropped to his knee. He had been shot before but never had he gotten use to the pain that comes with it. The bullet had lodged it's self into his shoulder. His hand reached up to cover the wound letting thick red blood oozed between his fingers and began to drip to the ground. There was a roaring in his ears, but even that couldn't drown out the sound of Ryo's scream.
Danny looked back to Ryo having at least for the moment taken care of Dee. He walked over and took Ryo's chin between his fingers, and not unlike Dee had done earlier that evening he tilted Ryo's head and crashed his lips over Ryo's forcing his way inside. When he pulled away he bent over to Ryo's ear and licked the shell.
"For putting me through hell I am going to put you through hell as well, so you know how feel every time I had to see the two of you together." He whispered. "First I am going to kill him, and you are going to watch me kill him, then you and I will have a little 'fun'." He looked at Ryo's face which was now a river of silent tears. "So beautiful" he whispered.
Dee stood on his feet, his body feeling heavy and stiff. He walked towards Danny with such brazen movements that it almost seemed as if he wasn't injured at all. The reason… anger, pure anger and loathing running though his veins. Dee was seeing red as the saying goes, and perhaps, just perhaps he was slowly letting the anger consume him to the point of temporary insanity.
Danny laughed as he watch Dee approach him with a gleam of fire in his eyes. He was hoping that Dee wouldn't go down so easy, it wouldn't give him any pleasure to kill him without making him suffer a little. Danny side stepped as Dee swung his good arm toward his face. In the same quick movement he grabbed Dee's bad arm and pulled it straight so that the muscles and tendons on the inside were screaming. Dee once again dropped to his knees, the pain causing his head to swim as he came close to blacking out. Danny grinned as he kicked him across the face causing Dee's body to go flying a few feet towards the edge of the building.
"I can see how the headlines would play this one out. 'Cop goes insane and commits suicide by jumping over the edge of his apartment building', or 'Cop commits suicide after his partner goes mentally insane'."
"You are a sick bastard you know that." Dee cringed as he tried to sit up.
"Why thank you." Danny smiled as he kicked Dee's still prone body again. This time Dee hit the side of the building with a sickening thud.
"Dee!" Ryo watched on in horror as Danny helped Dee to his feet and made him look down the twelve stories. Dee tried to fight back but due to his injuries all he could do was stand there as he was pushed further and further over the edge,
And suddenly in one quick movement it was over. Dee felt his body get thrown forward, and a scream pierced the air. A moment later the sound of a body hitting concrete reached all the way to the top of the building where Ryo stood looking over the edge in horror. One arm wrapped tightly around Dee's waist, the only thing that kept him from falling over the edge with Danny.
Even though he was smaller and much thinner than Danny Ryo had managed to broadside him and send him over the edge rather than Dee. In that brief moment of shock Danny had received as he felt his body fall his grip had loosened on Dee just enough for Ryo to pull him back.
Both men fell to the ground, Ryo shaking from fright and Dee shaking from anger. But they were both alive and that was something to be thankful for. The ordeal was over and with any luck they would be able to start making their life normal again.
Normal… since when have they ever had a normal life?
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Three Months Later
Dee and Ryo stood by the graves of Elena and Rick. It was their anniversary today and although they may not be alive to share it the people who were still on earth, Ryo thought that it would be nice to go and see them.
Dee's arm was still in a sling, the bullet having torn a lot of the muscles and chipping the bone. He was healing better than the doctors had thought he would. At the rate that he was going he would have full use of his arm again in two months time. Although there would still be some problems that he would have to deal with. Weather changes and cold would cause him pain and stiffness. But other than that Dee would be given a clean bill of health.
The problems that Ryo's 'mental problem' slowly started to stabilize its self. Ryo now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Dee would stay with him through thick and thin. It amazed him sometimes to think that there was someone that loved him enough to do that. But in other ways it never surprised him. He knew Dee's love was true and he vowed to never again let his mind trick him into believing otherwise.
After Danny's death things didn't get all that easier. There were still court appearances and testimonies that they had to give for both Karina and Justin. The trials didn't last long, both of them taking plea bargains for reduced sentenced. Justin would be serving three to five with a chance of parole in two because it was proven that he committed the murders, however he was forced to do so. Karina was served the same basic sentence only at juvenile home.
Although the news for them was sad, there was also good news, news that they could rejoice in… they were free. There was no more Danny to rule their life, no more mad man that wouldn't hesitate to kill them. And that in it's self was liberating.
"Do you think they are happy?" Ryo asked Dee as he placed flowers at the site. Dee smiled and nodded
"Of course they are." He didn't need to say it, Ryo already knew the answer but it always made him feel a little better to hear someone else tell him.
Dee looked over at Ryo and pulled him into a one armed embrace. He laughed nervously as he fiddled with his pocket producing a small black box. With his one good hand he managed to open it while he got down on one knee.
"I meant to give this to you on our anniversary, but things didn't really go as planed." Dee started. He looked into Ryo's eyes and smiled, "so I figured that I would do it now, here, with family to watch on." He nodded towards the grave stones and Ryo couldn't help but smile at how sweet the gesture was.
"I know that I can't marry you… because let's face it, New York is not as open minded as Massachusetts, but that doesn't mean that I can't ask you to be mine in my own way." He lifted the ring out of the box. He held the ring in his good hand while he stuffed the box in his sling before looking back at Ryo.
"Ryo, will you… shit I don't know what you would call it." He laughed a little obviously because of frayed nerved. Ryo knelt down and pulled Dee into a heated kiss. He could care less what it was called so long as it meant that he would be with Dee he was happy.
A few grave stones down Bikky stood watching the interaction. He knew that it was going to happen because Dee had already talked to him about it. He smiled before looking back at the stone in front of him.
"I guess you are happy for them." Bikky laughed bitterly. He still missed Carol more than he let on to other people, Dee and Ryo included. But it was getting a little easier to live each day she was gone as long as he reminded himself that she was still here with him, just not in the physical sense.
"I love you." Bikky whispered as he turned to walk away and join his parents. The wind picked up just a notch and to Bikky it was as if Carol had hugged him. He smiled as he looked up at the sky.
"Hey sport, are you ready to go?" Dee yelled over to him. Bikky smiled one last time at Carol before running to catch up. Somewhere in the great beyond three faces smiled down on the happy family as they walked away.
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A/N: I hope that I didn't rush the ending to much. By the time I got around to typing it up my wrist was killing me so I was in a hurry to finish it.
Let me know
Thanks you to all the people who have read this story, and especially the ones who reviewed it. It means a lot to me. Also thank you to Gena for putting up with my constant nonsense on line and giving me a way to hatch out my plans before it comes time to write them. (Even if you do encourage my plot bunnies to multiply… which they shouldn't be doing!)
(passes out drinks and cookies to everyone) Now let's party… this is the first story that I have ever written from start to finish and not given up on. I'll be honest there were times that I hated writing this… but in the end I am glad that I have.
Thanks again!
Irish Kaoru