Just a warning I am Dyslexic so my stories will not be perfect but I now have one Beta reader to help me along the way :D
Thank you so much to Roshelle Diall for offering to work with me :D
Hello my sweeties,
First off! you guys are simply amazing with the release of the 6th chapter we hit 100 reviews! thats an amazing achievement so thank you all so much :)
EmmaLasagna you were number 100 so round of applause!
Also!
Don't forget to vote on my Poll for the story you would like to see in the works towards completion next!
and please don't forget to have a look at the co-lab piece i did together with Kiaranaria
we would really love some feedback! thanks to cloeskyler for reviewing :)
Well here we go, and get ready for some Kyoko madness :P
Enjoy.
Neh xxx
I do not own Skip Beat.
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It was almost with a sigh of relief that the meal ended. The talk had been light when Calvin and Sayuri told the two Love Me girls to retire. Neither of them were surprised to see the girls nearly run out of the room. Kyoko felt Ren's body stiffen a little throughout the meal when Sayuri had asked Kanae and Chiori about their families Kyoko had noticed just how tense he had been, as if he was upset by something? Ren had never mentioned family before. They each had their secrets where that was concerned, but still his reactions to the normal 'break the ice' chatter made her wonder if he too had problems in the parental department?
"So Kyoko how have you been?" Kuu asked smiling as he stood up and opened his arms wide to the girl he thought of as his own. It was like teleportation, one moment her hand was in Ren's the next moment she was around the table and in Kuu's arms.
"Otou-san!" she half shouted half sobbed as she threw her arms around the his neck letting out some of the tension this dinner had brought upon her.
"Shhh Kyoko sweetie, shhh." Kuu soothed as he gently stroked her head and back in long strokes, easing the fears of the girl in his arms. "It's ok sweetie Daddy's here." Kuon looked on with a painful heart as he watched his father comfort the girl he loved. His heart ached. It had been a day that had shaken him to the core and to be honest he could do with a hug like that himself.
"Tsuruga-san?" Ren looked up, yet instantly Kuon took over at the sight of his mother. It had been 7 years and here she was, almost like a ghost of fair tiding. When she had first burst through the door that day he had wanted to deny that she was there. That she wasn't real, but she was. She was here after all this time and he had no idea why, but in his heart he was glad.
"I feel like I need a hug too, and as my husband is at this point indisposed," It wasn't completely true, it wasn't that she needed a hug in the way she was asking, but they both needed this hug. They needed to feel the closeness they had lost over all those years, the bond of mother and son that his leaving had made fragile. They needed this hug just as much as Kyoko needed Kuu's warm embrace.
"How could I refuse such a lovely woman?" Ren asked with his full gentlemanly smile in place, not his scary one but his genuine smile as he walked around the table and hugged the tall woman tightly. He had to be Ren in those moments otherwise he knew he would fall apart. Just like Kyoko had been ready to fall apart in front of her friends. The 7 years separation had made this one much more difficult to bear. Julie clung to Kuon desperately as in barely less than a whisper his voice breaking with every word he said,
"I've missed you Mom." It only made Julie hold on tighter.
Fighting back the tears that came unbidden with having her baby boy in her arms was more than a dream for her. But in the same breath she would not show this and it wasn't only because of the job, but also because Kuon had a right to tell the woman he loved himself. And Julie could see just how much he loved Kyoko. Kuu watched on tears in his own eyes as he calmed the beautiful girl in his arms and watched his son and wife reaffirm that connection that had been stolen from them.
It took a few minutes to calm Kyoko enough to get her back to her usual self, but at least Julie and Kuon got to share a private moment because of this.
"Better?" Kuu asked as Kyoko pulled away wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks.
"I'm sorry Otou-san. It's just..." Kuu cut her off before she could continue.
"You've had a hard day so it's understandable. How are your eyes?" he asked softly rubbing her cheeks free of the tear stains.
"Still sore but better," she softly added.
Kuon and Julie looked on at Kyoko's and Kuu's closeness. Even though it still hurt a little Kuon loved the way his father loved the woman he loved so dearly. If he could ever make Kyoko his, at least his parents would approve of his relationship. Julie as she stood beside Kuon finally decided it was her turn.
"Oh hunny!" she cried and almost flew across the room at Kyoko, who for a moment looked as if she had forgotten that they were not the only people there. Kuu laughed.
"Kyoko meet your Okaa-san. This is Hizuri Juliella." Julie cussed him slightly as she turned to him with a scowl.
"It's just Julie or Okaa-san young lady, none of this Hizuri-san!" Kuu chuckled as did Kuon as he walked over and extended his hand to Kuu.
"It's nice to see you again Hizuri-san." Kuu almost scowled but took Kuon's hand as if to shake it before pulling him in for a hug also.
"Now don't you Hizuri-san me either boy! From today on we're family so its Kuu!" Kuon smiled and patted Kuu's back smiling at Kyoko over Kuu's shoulder as Julie hugged her yet again. Kyoko gave him a watery grin before finally they separated and sat down at the table together. Kyoko sat beside Ren and Kuu beside Julie.
"So what has the boss planned this time?" Ren asked as they sat with the tea Kyoko had made for them all.
"Well isn't it obvious! We're your parents and we are here as a buffer of sorts," Kuu said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
Kyoko and Ren just looked at him as Julie sighed and elbowed her husband and turned to the people seated across from her.
"We heard about the incident over the internet. We have been following both of our children's careers closely of course." She smiled at both Kuon and Kyoko.
Her words were not lost on Kuon, but the slight blush that came to Kyoko's cheeks made him feel a little happy. She deserved to have fans like his parents.
"Well of course when we found out about the troubles that you were going through we called up Lory and asked if there was anyway we could help. He asked just what we were willing to do. We would do just about anything for you guys, so here we are. From today on the Heel's are a family unit. And we will work through all the little details as we go."
Kyoko almost felt her throat closing in on her. They had traveled halfway around the world for her stupid mistake and she hated herself... what about their jobs? Their life? What about all the things they needed to do rather than babysitting a stupid girl who couldn't even handle her own character! Not only was she ruining Tsuruga-san's career but she could be ruining the careers of these people who so readily called her their 'son'!
"I'm sorry... I'm so so sorry Otou-san. Okaa-san, it's all my fault." She was on the floor again in a dogeza before all of them as she babbled on about how unworthy she was.
About how she did not deserve such people and how she was all to blame. She should have removed herself to save Tsuruga-san. She should have never even thought she was good enough for this role. Once her words started no matter how Kuu, Julie or Ren/Kuon tried to cut in nothing would get her to stop. It was like a torrent of self hatred and guilt and Ren/Kuon hated it.
"SETSU!" Cain finally growled raising his voice slightly, something he had rarely done with his sister before as she froze on the floor at his feet, "Stand up Setsu, this is unbecoming."
It was an instant change as Setsu slowly rose from the floor and sat beside Cain once more. The tears were still pouring down her cheeks showing she was still not fully in control. But it was enough to pull Kyoko up from her downward spiral.
"Setsu this is in no way your fault. This is who you were born to be, this is who you were designed to be. I will not have you degrading yourself again am I making myself clear?" Setsu nodded taking a deep breath she simply linked her arm through Cain's and leant into his shoulder, seeking and finding the comfort he always gave her. And of course her brother was always right.
"I have to agree with Cain on this one my gal," Calvin offered as he realised Cain's objective. He too slipped into character and he knew Julie would catch on pretty quick.
"This is in no way your fault Setsuka Heel. This is not how I raised my strong brave and beautiful daughter! So you got a little carried away, it's not like it has never happened to anyone before. You're young and impressionable. Can you imagine what would happen if they had someone like Paris Hilton living in Japan?" Calvin and Cain snorted at this thought. And though Setsu was unsure who this Hilton was, the reaction it got from her brother and father made her believe that maybe that was not the type of girl you would take home to meet your mother.
"Now when your mother and I heard about how you were being treated, of course we came straight away from England to be by your side. I'm old friends with Lory. My father was a stuntman, which is what I have been doing for the last 24 years and your mother is a makeup artist to some of the biggest stars. Now dear daughter we allowed you to come with Cain as you wished to look into your heritage more as well as your love of the Japanese language which you are studying as your college major. And you Cain after admiring your dear old dad went into acting and stunt school. Though you found yourself enjoying the acting just as much."
Cain and Setsu both nodded. It was a simple enough story and it could work without much tweaking, "Other than that we will just wing it as it comes, though we need to keep all information we give out. That will be easier. You have made yourself unapproachable on purpose but we will not be able to be so brash. We will be trying to dissipate the rumours in our own way of course." They continued on for a while about family history and members. It was when Ren noticed Kyoko's eyes drooping slightly and her head leaning on his arm that he stopped the conversation.
"Kyoko I think it's time you got to bed. I will stay and check a few more things with our new family. You go and get some sleep." Kyoko looked at Ren who smiled down at her. She really wanted to disagree but she knew she would not win this argument so nodded. Standing she walked around the table and kissed her parents on the cheeks.
"Night Okaa-san.. Otou-san." she said before turning to look at Ren once more.
"I'll be there soon Kyoko get some sleep." She simply nodded again and walked towards the door. Kuon, Ren and Cain watched her go, Each of them worried about her but knew they couldn't leave yet. She needed time alone. She needed time to register everything and to be herself without the need to think about others... She needed to be Kyoko.
It wasn't until she had disappeared through the door and they heard the elevator doors shut that Kuon turned back to his parents, "I'm glad you're here."
In those simple words his parents were around the table hugging their son. They loved Kyoko dearly, but this was their son, the little boy who had been taken away from them due to a cruel twist of fate and wrong choices.
"I've missed you so much Kuon!" Julie sobbed as she held Kuon tightly, Kuon pat her back as his dad pulled away wiping away his own tears.
"We will always be here for you Kuon you know that." Kuon nodded.
He really did know that. They may not have been able to help him back then, but sometimes you can simply be too close to the situation to be able to help. But now they were coming into the situation changing from observers to rescuers.
"We need to protect Kyoko." It was plain and it was simple, but it was the most important part to who Cain, Kuon and Ren were. It was the one thing that joined them all, the woman they loved.
Kyoko shut the door silently behind her. What was Ren doing now? Was he trying to get rid of her? Kyoko shook her head. She could see the concern in his eyes both times she had looked at him. He had been telling her all this time this was not her fault, but she still felt like it was. How could she truly not blame herself! She had kissed Cain in front of all those reporters! She had blown some silly rumour out of the water and now other people were paying for her stupidity.
It was almost like a second instinct doing as she was told she went to the bedroom and changed into Setsu's silk night clothes, before climbing into the big empty bed. She looked across at Cain's empty bed as the tears slipped down her cheeks. No wonder her own mother had not thought her worthwhile when she was capable of causing such problems. Kyoko pulled her knees into her chest as she cried. She hadn't cried like this since the day she had failed the LME auditions, she had not felt the need until now. But as she lay there cold and alone she felt her own failure falling down around her as she sobbed her heart out. She was beyond berating herself it was now just a physical pain and it hurt.
An hour later when Kuon entered the bedroom he found Kyoko curled up in her bed. he looked at her tear stained face and promised he would make everything better. He would use everything he was and everything she meant to him to make her smile again. Kissing her forehead lightly he changed into his own bed clothes and climbed into his own bed, and that queen size bed was lonely.
Kanae brushed her hair out before pulling it into a very loose plait. Chiori was seated on her bed reading from the laptop on her lap. Kanae sighed deeply and Chiori looked up.
"You OK?" she asked and Kanae looked at her through the mirror.
"I was just thinking this is Kyoko's speciality. She makes people see just how much they are really worth. I was wondering how she would handle Setuka?" she sighed again as Chiori nodded knowingly.
"Yeah Kyoko really does have a talent for this kind of thing, but the President said she had to go home for family business." Kanae turned swiftly on the swivel chair to face Chiori.
"Yeah see and that's what I don't get. Her mother abandoned her and her father died so other than the twat's parents she doesn't have family." This had been annoying Kanae for a few days now since Lory had told Kanae and Chiori of Kyoko's trip 'home.'
"Well maybe it is the twat's family? They run an inn don't they? Maybe someone is ill or something? You know Kyoko, she would go running off to help anyone, and she always talks about how they looked after her so well. Maybe she felt a responsibility to go? And it's not like anyone would call that git for help now is it?" Kanae sighed again but nodded her head.
Chiori was right it would be just like Kyoko to go running off to help Fuwa's family. It was just who Kyoko was, though it still didn't mean she was any less annoyed at her for not saying anything. Or the fact she felt annoyed because they could really use her help right about now. Kyoko was the people person, the person who could worm her way into your heart and in Kanae's mind she was just the type of person Setsu needed.
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Well I really struggled with this chapter but I think it was a point I needed to pass,
It's hard to write about things you yourself have not felt and putting Kuon's and his parents feelings into words was hard for me, and so was just how much Kyoko is blaming herself right now, but I hope i have at least put it into words you can see and understand.
Big thank you to KiaraNaria and as always to Rosh who gave me the kick up the ass to get me past the writers block that threatened me half way through this chapter...
sometimes even I need a kick up the ass :)
Also Kyoko will start feeling better in the next chapter I promise, and for those wondering why Kuu and Julie would need care takers at a 5 star hotel this is Lory do you really think he sent them with such a simple motive :P
thanks for reading
Neh xxx
Comments and reviews please, I will happily reply to PM's and questions