Still Raining

by chochowilliams

3rd and final installment in the "I Want Us To Be A Family" series. There was one woman at the press conference that refused to leave well enough alone. Two years later, she's back and causing trouble. She's determined to prove that Aizawa isn't the biological father of little Takanori. What if she's right?

4. Surprises Ares Bad for the Heart

Raining

Sequel to: Street of Dreams

I Want Us To Be A Family Series

Written by: chochowilliams

Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Summary: There was one woman at the press conference that refused to leave well enough alone. Two years later, she's back and causing trouble. She's determined to prove that Aizawa isn't the biological father of little Takanori. What if she's right?

Warning: AU, Angst, Drama, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fantasy, M-Preg, Language, M/M, Hentai, OCs, OOC, Hermaphrodites (referred to as "Neutrals"), Christian Extremist POV, Various Bashing

Pairings: Shuichi/Eiri, Ryuichi/Tatsuha, one-sided Eiri/Ayaka, Mentioned: Shuichi/Taki & Shuichi/OMC

Inserts: "Chapel of Love" by the Dixie Cups (1964), passage from: Homosexuality: Not a Sin...Not a Sickness; What the Bible Does and Does Not Say

A/N: Enjoy!

oOo

Chapter 4: Surprises Are Bad for the Heart But Confession Is Good for the Soul

In Route to the Black Dragon Compound - Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan

It was a route Shuichi had traversed numerous times, but this time the hike up the inclined side road to the Compound from the main street seemed to take twice as long as usual. With each step forward, the path seemed to grow that much longer. Though it was impossible for that to be the case, Shuichi nevertheless was adamant in this belief. Halfway up the hill, he was forced to rest in order to catch his breath. Hugging an arm under his pregnancy-swollen belly, he carefully lowered himself down onto a wooden bench located outside a quaint little ramen shop. The smells wafting out of the restaurant would normally be making his mouth water, but this time they started churning his stomach.

As he rested, he took the opportunity to study the Compound that loomed larger than life-or that was the way it had always seemed to him-above the quiet city. A sudden flurry of movement in his belly added to his already nauseous state. "Hush now Kita, Kaya," he whispered. He rubbed his belly in order to try to soothe his unborn children back to sleep. It seemed as if they were as agitated as he was. "We're doing this for your big brother." His words seemed to work, for the twins settled right back down. Grateful, he heaved a sigh.

As much as he would like to, he could not sit here forever. Gathering himself, he stood from the bench, shouldered his messenger bag and continued his trek up the hill.

oOo

TCN Studios - Setagaya, Tokyo

The meeting with the Board seemed to be dragging on. It felt as if it'd started ages ago. In actuality, it had only just begun. If asked, Chishin would not be able to repeat any of what was being said for his mind was elsewhere.

"Usami. Ayaka Usami."

As unlikely as it seemed, the two of them made quite the team, Nami Mataguchi and Ayaka Usami.

For some reason, the recognition of transgendered people as the third sex disgusted Nami Mataguchi. Despite the extremist magazine she worked for, Nami herself was not a zealot. That was not to say that she was agnostic or even an atheist, for she was a strong believer in her Catholic faith. Having known her since they were children, he could honestly say that if ever someone were to enter the religious life, it would have been her. But something happened when they were first years in high school. He was unsure of what transpired for Nami refused to discuss it to this day, but looking back now, that was when everything changed. That was when she started to change and not for the better.

Then there was Ayaka Usami. The only daughter of the Ryugan Temple, an only child, apple of her parent's eye and spoiled to the core. Whatever she wanted, she was given. Her every wish was granted. It was rare that she ever heard the word "no".

Her father was the head priest at the family shrine, a position that was to be handed down to his son-in-law since he had no sons of his own. Up until two years ago, Mr. Usami had his heart set on Eiri Uesugi being that man. Why one might wonder? It was simple really. Eiri-aside from being a published, best-selling author who went by the name "Eiri Yuki"-was already a fully trained monk. It was perfect. Who else but a fully trained monk would be perfect as his little girl's husband? Especially one that had been childhood friends with Ayaka. What made it even more ideal was the fact that Eiri was the eldest son to Mr. Usami's oldest and closest friend, another monk who ran and oversaw the Uesugi Shrine.

As far as Chishin knew, Ayaka was not prejudiced against Neutrals. It was quite the opposite in fact. Isoroku had been able to dig up quite a bit of dirt on Miss Squeaky Clean. All throughout high school, she'd dated a Neutral with full knowledge of what he was. So why would someone like that, who had everything in the world handed to her on a gold platter, try to sabotage Eiri Yuki's relationship with Shuichi Shindou? Because there was one. When Eiri blew off the betrothal their parents had established between the two of them, Ayaka must have taken the slight personally.

It was obvious that girl was not right in the head. To think that Eiri would have anything to do with her were he to learn what role she played in destroying his relationship with Shuichi was idiocy. That is, of course, if Eiri ever did find out that she was the brains behind the whole operation.

He could just hear Ayaka's voice in his head now. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.

For sake of argument, presume Ayaka's plan succeeded. What was there to say that Eiri would even renew his connection with her? He blew her off once before. What was their to stop him from doing so again? If, by some slim chance, Eiri were to agree to marry Ayaka, it would not be because he suddenly found himself inexplicably in love with her. He would marry her in an effort to forget there was a huge hole in his chest. Something told Chishin that Ayaka would not have a problem with that though. As long as she got to call herself Mrs. Eiri Uesugi, what else mattered?

To think that just because you were in love with him, he was supposed to turn his life upside down was utter lunacy. You confessed. He turned you down. Time to move on. Clinging to a love that was just not interested just made you a pathetic loser. The last thing a stalker is allowed to do is come within five hundred feet of the one they supposedly love.

No. It was clear. Ayaka Usami was playing solitaire with half of the cards in her desk missing.

Chishin reclined in his chair located at the head of the conference table and turned to stare out the window.

He was unsure how Nami Mataguchi and Ayaka Usami came to meet, but they were a perfect pair.

oOo

The Trinity Offices - Setagaya, Tokyo

Across town in her office at The Trinity, Nami Mataguchi was going over an article one of the staff writers had written about the truth behind the formation of strata and what it meant for the debate between Creationism and the Big Bang Theory.

A permanent smile seemed to have been etched onto her face. She could not stop smiling.

Yes, she had her issues with the so-called Third Sex. Ask anybody who knew her. They would tell you the same thing. That was not to say she was one hundred percent behind Ayaka Usami's plan. If anything, she was against it. The younger woman was clearly insane. She was dumped by the boy she's had a crush on since she was a child and for some strange reason, got it into her head that if she were to get rid of the competition, she'd be able to win back that boy's heart; as if she ever had it to begin with. People like her have gone to jail for pulling stunts like this. While she was against Ayaka's asinine plan, it was doing wonders for her magazine, but if things went too far, she would be the first to call foul. She had no problem being called a Turncoat.

oOo

La Esperança Cafe - Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

"He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin."

When the voice of her son's neighbor echoed through her mind, she shook her head vehemently.

She was sitting at a small bistro table with her back to the window in an open-air café located down the street from her son's condo. The intense summer sun was beating against her back. It felt good compared to the cold air filling the café. She was all for a little AC during the hotter months of the year, but she drew the line when the air conditioner dropped the temperature to down right frigid. It was like living inside an icebox.

As she waited for her order, her dark-eyed gaze wandered about the small interior of the café. As it was just a block away, she wondered if Shuichi ever frequented this place. It was a quaint place with just enough room within to seat a dozen people max. According to the server who took her order, there was a patio located out back that upgraded the capacity by another dozen. She'd come across the café as she was making her way to the train.

"He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin."

Despite how hard she tried to ignore it, the question continued to plague her.

"He always said his mother was locked away in some loony bin."

Why would Shuichi say something like that? Tears stung her eyes. She used the cloth napkin folded neatly in her lap to cover her sob in order to keep the whole of the café from hearing her sob. Yes, they'd had a falling out. Yes, she hadn't been an ideal mother. Nobody was going to nominate her for world's best mother anytime soon. She would be the first to admit that she had been a terrible mother. She'd made her share of mistakes. Choosing her husband, who'd always had a problem with two adopted sons in the family as well as being embarrassed that his only child-a daughter at that-was conceived only with the help of invitro-fertilization, over Shuichi was something she would have to live with for the rest of her life. It was one of the biggest mistakes she ever made. If she could go back and change things she would, but unfortunately, she can't. But was that reason enough for him to create such a lie?

But was it really a lie?

The sudden thought came from out of nowhere. It must have been something she'd been mulling over subconsciously ever since that girl made that comment about Shuichi telling her about his mother being locked away. But it started her wondering. What if his lie wasn't a lie?

But then what would it be?

On the one hand, it could be a cover story: a lie to mask the heartache he felt at being abandoned by his parents.

But was that really the case?

In truth, she was not sure what became of Shuichi's birth mother. All details concerning Shuichi's conception and subsequent birth were sealed. Even if Ryuichi had been free to tell her the details surrounding the birth of his son, he wouldn't have told her anything. Something happened. She was almost positive that Ryuichi hadn't been assaulted, but there was some sort of strain between Ryuichi and Shuichi's birth mother. It was still there till this day. It could be why Ryuichi never told Shuichi the truth, but did Ryuichi finally tell Shuichi? Was that why Shuichi said what he said? If that were the case, then it was entirely possible that when Shuichi claimed that his mother was in a psychiatric hospital (the "loony bin") somewhere, he'd been speaking of his birth mother.

But-

Her buzzing cellphone cut through her thought. The name on the LCD screen had her frowning. "Why aren't you in class Maiko?" she asked her daughter suspiciously. A quick glance at her watch indicated that yes, her daughter should be in class at that very moment.

"We're being sent home early today."

"What?" Panic started her heat racing. "Why? What happened?" Concern for the wellbeing and safety of her daughter flushed through her.

"Not sure. Something about a water main break."

Relief washed over Mai. Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious.

"You went to see Big Brother, right?"

"That was the plan."

"So? How did it go?"

"It didn't. He wasn't there."

Maiko made a sound that clearly convoyed how disappointed she was.

"A neighbor said something about him possibly spending the night with Eiri."

Maiko squealed in delight. "Then they made up?"

"Looks like it."

"Oo! Hey, I think I may have Eiri's address somewhere. Do you want it?" Maiko asked, sounding a little too eager.

Mai straightened. Her eyes flashed. Her heart started racing once again, but this time for a very different reason. War raged inside of her. Part of her wanted to scream out, "Yes! Give it to me!" She desperately wanted to speak to her son and apologize for her behavior towards him. She had voluntarily taken him into her home in order to raise him as her own and yet…There was no excuse for the way she'd behaved. Your children were supposed to be the most important aspect of your life. They came before God, country, your job and your spouse. She'd made so many mistakes. Even if it took several lifetimes, she would make it up to him. They may never have the type of mother-son relationship that she and Ryuichi once had, but as long as Shuichi accepted her into his heart in some capacity, then that was fine by her.

Yet at the same time, there was another part of her that wanted to say, "No. That's all right. Maybe some other time." What if Shuichi rejected her? If he did, she could not very well blame him. After the way she and her husband treated him, abandoned him, rejected him, it would surprise her if he didn't.

But…

She had to at least try. Even if he shut the door in her face, it was better then wondering what if. The last thing she wanted was to have any regrets on her deathbed. At least, any more then she already had.

"Okay. Sure."

"Cool! I'll go find it and call you right back."

"Sounds good."

After they exchanged goodbyes, Mai was left to ponder quietly. Was this really a good idea?

oOo

Sakuma-Uesugi Residence - Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

"What the hell is he doing?" Tatsuha grumbled as he pushed through the swinging door that separated the living room from the bedrooms. "Ryu," he called.

"Coming!"

Seconds later Ryuichi barreled out of the master bedroom, nearly plowing into him. "What the hell were you doing? Didn't you hear me? My brother's here."

"And Shu?" Ryuichi asked hopefully.

Tatsuha shook his head. He did not miss the fact that Ryuichi avoided answering the question. "Apparently he went to see Kizou."

Ryuichi frowned. "What the hell for?"

Tatsuha sighed. Here we go again. "You know why," he said.

From the very beginning, Ryuichi had been flat out against giving in to the demands of Nami Mataguchi. It wasn't as if Tatsuha did not understand Ryuichi's reasoning. They all did. You do not give terrorists what they wanted. Give so much as an inch and you will be trampled. Like an alcoholic, they cannot stop at just one.

At the same time, Nami Mataguchi had a point. If they had nothing to hide, then what did it matter if a DNA paternity test was done?

Either way, Ryuichi as well as Shuichi had been adamantly against the idea. It was absurd. Like father like son.

But early this morning, they received a phone call from Eiri. Apparently, Shuichi was traveling out to Kyoto to see Kizou. Shuichi had decided to do the DNA paternity test after all. To say Ryuichi was not a happy camper would be an understatement. What was the catalyst that pushed Shuichi into giving in?

Grumbling, Ryuichi pushed passed his lover and vanished out into the living room.

"Hey, Sakuma," he heard his brother's rumbling voice. Tatsuha was torn between saying Eiri sounded bored or uninterested. Knowing where Shuichi was at this very moment, alone, he decided to go with distracted instead. Who would have guessed? To think this was his same stoic big brother from two years ago. There was a squeal of laughter followed the sound of running feet. What did that mean that he couldn't distinguish whether little Takanori or Ryuichi was responsible?

Chiding himself, he started after his wayward husband, but halted his forward movement. From the other side, he could hear little Takanori spinning some sort of tale. He glanced down the hall over his shoulder at the closed master bedroom door. A frown marred his features. Just what had Ryuichi been doing in there?

oOo

Black Dragon Compound - Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan

At least fifteen feet, a white wall surrounded the entirety of the compound. Climbing gear was needed to scale it, which was the way Kizou liked it. At any given time, there was a dozen or so armed guards patrolling the grounds, all of whom were at the level of Dan in their perspective martial art. It was a requirement that Kizou strictly enforced. The wooden doors looming before him were the only way in or out of the compound. At least, they were the only access everybody other than Shuichi and Kizou knew about. In reality, there were at least half a dozen secret escape routes that he knew about. Though he was not sure where they were located, he was almost positive that there were others.

Shuichi ran his sweaty palms down the front of his shirt and then tugged at the hem to make sure it was lying straight, which was not very given his current state. Next, he straightened out his collar. Then he smoothed out any wrinkles or creases fixing his collar might have produced. He caught himself as his hands wandered down to the hem of his shirt.

"Stop it," he reprimanded himself. "Just ring the damn bell already."

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and raised a hand to the buzzer located on the wall besides the double wooden doors. Either the buzzer was moving or he was shaking. Pulling back, he inhaled, taking a deep breath in through the nose, held it, and then exhaled slowly out through his mouth. He did this several more times until he felt the tension start to slowly melt away. It was a technique Ryuichi taught him years ago in order to deal with his stage fright. But this was nuts! Why was he so nervous? It was only Kizou after all. At that, he tried to laugh, but it came out sounding sickly. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he squared his shoulders, stepped forward once again and rang the buzzer.

II

Black Dragon Compound - Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan

It did not take very long for his arrival to be noticed.

There was a loud clang from the other side of the doors. In the silence of the hot morning, the sound seemed unnaturally loud. It startled Shuichi, causing him to jump and utter a little gasping yelp. The twins growing within his belly seemed to sense his fright, for they woke suddenly from their slumber and made their presence known. He rubbed his belly in soothing circles, making soft hushing noises to get them to calm down, while at the same time, his own anxiety was at an all time high. One of the two large wooden doors creaked open. He gulped and fidgeted nervously. When a familiar head popped out, he stilled. "Narata?"

The large dark eyes blinked at him slowly. First, his face was carefully blank and then the surprise and shock took over. "Shu?"

Shuichi grinned at the sight of his old friend.

At forty-five, Nagataka "Narata" Matsushina was only a few years younger than Kizou, which made him nearly twice as old as almost every other member of the Black Dragons. In a past life, he used to be a police detective here in Kyoto. He started his police career in Homicide, then when he made detective, he transferred to Special Victims, but quickly transferred back out. He wound up in narcotics where his first assignment turned out to be an undercover job. His mission? Infiltrate the Black Dragons. He was to gather enough evidence that would bring the gang down for good.

Things did not turn out exactly how his superiors had envisioned.

Narata was the first person to befriend him when Kizou wrangled him into joining the Black Dragons. Narata was the only one who'd had no sexual interest in him. While that knowledge had been a huge relief, it had also been taken with a grain of salt. In a household where more often then not, you woke with someone's hand down your pants and someone else's tongue down your throat, Narata's abstinence had been very suspicious. It took some time for Shuichi to be able to trust that what Narata claimed was true. After that, the two of them became very good friends and would sit and talk for hours at a time, sometimes about nothing at all.

Narata opened the door wider and stepped out. He glanced the singer over, pausing briefly on the swelling belly. If possible, his eyes grew wider. "Holy crap! You're pregnant!"

Shuichi chuckled. "Yah." He ran his hands over his belly. Somebody's foot slammed against his hand. It was hard enough to take his breath away.

"You okay?" Narata asked him. Concern was written all over his face. He had stepped forward with his arms outstretched, but he hadn't touched him. While he looked worried that something serious had happened there was also uncertainty because he was unsure what it was he should or could do if it turned out something serious was wrong.

Catching his breath, Shuichi nodded. "Yeah. Just kicked a little hard."

Relief flooded through the ex-police officer. Instead, Narata tossed his head back and laughed. "My oldest was like that! Always kicking and moving. My wife was convinced Abi was claustrophobic." He laughed again.

An unborn baby claustrophobic? Was that even possible? It sounded ludicrous.

"And then when Abi was born, she proved just how much she disliked tight spaces, you know, where she did not have the space to move and flail about, by screaming every single time she was put in her stroller or her car seat," Narata laughed.

Shuichi shook his head at that.

"Anyway," Narata continued, "you look great."

Shuichi blushed madly. "Thanks."

"What brings you by? Have a concert in the area or something?" Crossing his arms over his chest, he centered his weight and regarded the younger man before him.

"…Actually." Shuichi dropped his gaze to his sneakers. They contrasted sharply against the blackness of the surface of the road. "I need to speak to Kizou."

Narata blinked. It took his brain several moments to process what it was he just heard. "With the boss?" Even then it made no sense. It surprised him that Shuichi would want anything to do with Kizou, especially given the way the two of them had parted.

Shuichi nodded, but said nothing.

"Shu." He wondered what would bring Shuichi all the way from Tokyo to see an ex-lover that had, quite literally, thrown him out with the trash.

"Please, Narata. I need to see him." Shuichi lifted his head and gazed at his old friend, his violet eyes pleading with him to understand. "Is he in?"

There was a slight hesitation before Narata spoke. "Actually." He glanced over his shoulder at the manor. "He's extremely busy this morning." He turned back to face the pink haired, pregnant singer. "There was some sort of trouble in Hong Kong," he explained. Yes, it would be better if Shuichi just turned right back around and went back to Tokyo.

"Please. It's…Tell him it's, it's about-his son."

Narata's eyes grew wide.

oOo

La Esperança Cafe - Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

With a crumbled piece of paper in her hand, Mai Shindou stood out on the sidewalk outside the café where she had grabbed a light brunch. On one side was her son's address. On the other side was a second address. This one was only a short train ride from here. Her nerves were starting to flare back up. The longer she stood there staring down at the address, the worse they became. Should she drop by? What if they weren't home? Then again, what if they were? Would Shuichi slam the door in her face? Would he welcome her warmly? All this uncertainty was making her nauseous.

The condominium her son started renting after he and Eiri split up-or so the tabloids claimed-was located right down the street. Shuichi and Eiri had released statements, both together and separately, several times denouncing what the tabloids continued to spew. They were not on the verge of a divorce. Yes, they were currently separated, but still very much in love. Of course, most people did not believe them. How could they? It was clear that Shuichi Shindou had taken his son and moved out of the condominium he had shared with Eiri Yuki for the last two years. That it happened not too long after Shuichi was caught by paparazzi going into a local pharmacy and buying a pregnancy test did nothing for his denies of infidelity. She understood now that the test he was caught buying was for Maiko, but others refused to believe the truth. The question on their mind was this: if there was no infidelity and they were still together, then why did they not live together any longer? Of course, under certain circumstances, sometimes couples were forced to live apart. She, honestly, could not understand why a happily married couple could not live together, no matter what the circumstances. A marriage was not a marriage if nothing changed after the vows were exchanged. Long distance relationships never worked.

No matter what the reception her visit received, this was something she had to do. The longer she stalled, the worse her relationship with her son was going to become. She did not want to become a stranger to not only both of her sons, but her grandson as well as her sons-in-law.

Steeling herself, she folded the crumbled piece of paper and stuffed it into her pocket before heading down the street to the train.

oOo

Sakuma-Uesugi Residence - Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

As Tatsuha pushed through the swinging door into the living room, he heaved a tired sigh. A hamster running in its wheel was exactly what he felt like when he was speaking with Ryuichi about Shuichi and Yuki. It did not matter how hard, fast or long he ran; he was going nowhere quick. The man was more stubborn than a mule. It was hard to believe, but Ryuichi Sakuma was the type of person who held a grudge, especially if the slight was against someone he cared about. The fact that Yuki had had no qualms about throwing his pregnant self off the roof of the old record company building was not something Ryuichi was going to easily forget or forgive. And Tatsuha understood that. He really did, but still, no matter how much Ryuichi wanted to erase the fact, Yuki Kitazawa was Shuichi's mother. It was something Ryuichi was going to have to deal with eventually and the sooner the better. Knowing Ryuichi like he did, Ryuichi would prefer later over sooner. He just hoped it did not back fire on his husband. Okay, so maybe that was not exactly accurate. Part of him wished it would. Petty it may be, but true it was nonetheless.

"Woh there," Tatsuha cried out. Just as he stepped into the living room, a blur of color sped passed him. He grabbed the squirming mass, nearly losing his balance in the process as the two year old, despite his un-lithe-like body structure, was very much like his mother: swift and flexible. "Trying to make a break for it, huh?" He held his nephew-or was that grandson? -over his head. The door swung shut behind him. "Huh?" He tossed little Takanori up into the air. "Huh?"

Little Takanori squealed with laughter.

Eiri broke off his conversation, if it could be called that for he was not doing any of the talking, with his husband's brother and glanced around sharply. Honestly, his son was too much like his mother. You took your eyes off him for a second and he disappeared. They both needed leashes. Or maybe tracking devices. He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted his son with his brother.

Ryuichi chuckled lightly at the changing expressions on Eiri's face. "You're such a father."

Eiri rolled his eyes. Whatever. "Better be careful," he warned turning towards his brother. There was a mischievous glint in his eye. "He just ate."

"…Yeah, hello to you too, Aniki," Tatsuha greeted his, slightly, older brother as he put an immediate halt on tossing his nephew into the air. Instead, he held him under his arm like a stack of books. "So, you really did let Shu go off to Kyoto alone," he commented with a glance around.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he regarded his brother. "I did not 'let' Shuichi do anything," he corrected.

"Oh, really," Tatsuha smirked. He had to laugh at the expression on Eiri's face. It looked like he was sulking.

Little Takanori started squirming and proclaimed loud and clear that he wanted to be put down.

Eiri narrowed his gaze. He knew exactly what was going through Tatsuha's head and he did not like it one bit. "Shuichi made the decision to go talk with Kizou by himself and once Shuichi decides to do something there is no changing his mind."

"So you didn't even try to talk him out of it?" Tatsuha he set little Takanori down before all his squirming caused him to drop the boy.

Little Takanori ran across the living room to the large steamer trunk where his toys were stored.

Eiri rolled his eyes. What was he? Suicidal? "Please."

"Afraid to end up on the couch?" Ryuichi teased.

Eiri snorted. "Damn right." Except for one or twice, up until last night, he'd been on a forced abstinence ever since Shuichi decided that he needed to see what being his own man was like. Withdrawal was an ugly, ugly mistress. He never wanted to go through that again. Ever.

"But," Tatsuha spoke up. All the teasing had vanished from his voice and his expression. He was all seriousness. "Do you really think that man is really little Takanori's father?"

"Who knows," Eiri shrugged.

"Have you ever seen him?"

Eiri shook his head.

"Hm."

Ryuichi glanced over his shoulder at his grandson. He'd never seen Shuichi's ex-Yakuza boyfriend either (thank God for small favors), but all it took was one glance at little Takanori to tell that there was someone else looking back at you, someone who was not Yuki Kitazawa or Taki Aizawa. He blinked. "Where'd he go?"

"Who?"

"Little Takanori."

Eiri whipped around. His son was gone-again. "Oh, for Heaven's sake." He really needed to implant a tracking device in that boy. He swept his gaze over the living room. The door separating the bedrooms from the living room was moving. He sighed. "I've got him," he announced, moving towards the door his son had just gone through.

"Slippery little devil isn't he?"

"Oh, you've got no idea," Eiri mumbled.

Tatsuha's laugh was cut short by the door swinging shut.

The first room he came upon was the bathroom, which was empty, then Ryuichi's home studio. It too was empty. Then came Shuichi's old bedroom and the guest room, which also functioned as the prayer room. Both were empty. The last room was the master bedroom. At first, it appeared to be empty, but then he noticed that the closet door was slightly ajar.

Eiri sighed. His son was always getting into something.

Crossing the room, he pushed the pocket door into the wall and stepped into the closet. The darkness swallowed him instantly. After some fishing, he found the light switch. Once the closet was flooded with light, he spotted his son in the back sitting on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

At the sound of his father's voice, little Takanori whipped his head around. "Hi, Daddy," he greeted with a smile.

It was his mother's smile. Dear God., Eiri thought. "Hi, Takanori." He squatted. "You know you aren't allowed in here, right?"

"Eiri?" came the distant call from his brother-in-law.

"In here," he called back.

"Here Daddy."

Eiri frowned as his son handed him a pen. "Where'd you get that?"

Instead of answering, little Takanori handed him the yellow piece of paper he'd been doodling on.

"What'd you get into now?" Curious, Eiri took the proffered paper. He hoped this was not something important. Little Takanori had a habit of drawing on anything and everything. Once upon a time, he used to have a first edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass that had been in mint condition and estimated at about two hundred thousand American dollars. "Used to" being the key word. Now it had colorful doodle marks all over the first five pages.

It appeared as if what little Takanori had been doodling on was a document of some sort. There was official looking writing on the back, but it was hard to make out underneath his son's pen marks. Great. This was why Shuichi always kept his sketchpad on him at all times. "Takanori," he sighed. What was he going to do with this boy? When Eiri flipped the yellow document over, he went still. "What-the-hell?"

"You find him?"

A wave of anger washed over him. Slowly, Eiri turned around. Standing in the doorway of the bedroom with Tatsuha behind him was Ryuichi Sakuma. His eyes went hard.

At the expression on Eiri's face, Ryuichi began to panic. "What happened? Is-?"

"What the hell is this?" Eiri demanded.

Ryuichi recognized the yellow paper in Eiri's outstretched hand. The color drained from his face. He suddenly did not feel so well. "Oh, God."

"You have some explaining to do."

III

Sakuma-Uesugi Residence - Koishikawa Park Tower - Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Little Takanori Uesugi was just like his mother. He was a slippery little devil who vanished the instant you took your eyes off him. "Eiri? You find him," Ryuichi called down the hallway. When from behind him, he heard Tatsuha chuckle, he knew the man was thinking the same thing he was.

"Looks like Bro has his hands full."

Ryuichi chuckled lightly. That Eiri did and to think the man had another little one on the way. "Eiri?" he called. No answer. Could he not hear him? The light was on in the master bedroom so he knew that was where Eiri was. How his grandson managed to sneak out of the living room, push open the door (that should have been too heavy for the two year old) that separated the living room from the bedroom hallway, scurry down the hall to the master bedroom at the end of the hallway all in a matter of seconds he will never know. Shuichi used to do the same thing when he was little Takanori's age. One second he was right there besides you and the next second he was on the other side of the house in the middle of a tsunami made mess. The boy had been like the Tasmanian Devil, only ten times worse.

Pushing through the swinging door, Ryuichi made his way stealthily down the hall to the bedroom he shared with Tatsuha. He poked his head inside and saw Eiri crouching on the floor of the closet. "You find him?" He stepped into the room.

Eiri rose to his feet and turned to face him.

Involuntarily, Ryuichi backed up several steps from the black aura surrounding Eiri. A panic driven thought flitted through his mind briefly, but he pushed it aside as being ludicrous. He'd made sure everything was put away earlier…right? Yes, he decided firmly as he shoved away the nagging feeling of doubt. There was nothing for him to be worried about. The grim look on Eiri's face had to be a sign that something else had happened. Maybe little Takanori had gotten into something. It would make sense with all the junk piled up in there. He really had to clean it out one of these days. "What happened? Is-?"

"What the hell is this?" Eiri demanded angrily.

Ryuichi dropped his gaze to the yellow paper in Eiri's outstretched hand. He recognized it instantly. The color drained from his face. "Oh, God," he moaned. Suddenly, he did not feel so well.

"You have some explaining to do," Eiri snapped.

Under his grip, Tatsuha could feel Ryuichi trembling. "Bro-"

"Shut it," Eiri snapped.

Startled, Tatsuha closed his mouth. Never had Eiri spoken to him like this.

"'This certifies that a certificate of birth has been filed under the name of: Shuichi Karishma (1) Sakuma'," he read from the document, "'Sex: Neutral. Born on: April 16 1992. At: Kyoto Memorial Medical Center, Kyoto. Name of father: Ryuichi Shu Sakuma. Maiden name of mother: Yuki Kitazawa.'" He raised his head and glared across the bedroom at his little brother's lover. "What the fuck is this?"

Tatsuha sighed. He'd known something like this would happen. How many times had he warned Ryuichi?

"You'd better start talking Ryuichi Sakuma. Now!"

Dammit! Though he had been warned, he'd never actually thought it would happen.

"Would you rather he found out some other way?"

But how many would believe him if he told the truth?

One night. That was all it took to change his life forever.

If Yuki's girlfriend hadn't pressured him into buying tickets to see Nittle Grasper at the opening ceremonies of the anime convention in New York City...If Yuki hadn't caught her cheating with his best friend…If Yuki hadn't decided to go to the concert anyway (without his unfaithful girlfriend) just to spite her…If Yuki hadn't become obsessed with him after that night…If Yuki's obsession hadn't taken him to Japan…

Then there was him. If he wouldn't have been attracted to Yuki…

"Love me, Ryu. Love me!"

In a way, it was thanks to Yuki's cheating girlfriend that the two of them were able to meet and conceive a beautiful baby boy together.

Despite what many people might believe, it had not been his decision to sign away his parental rights. If it had been up to him, he would have taken his chances with raising a child as a single parent, but he'd been cuckolded.

It'd been a lose-lose situation, especially given how young he'd been at the time Shuichi was born. His fourteenth birthday had been a mere fortnight before Shuichi's birth, a baby himself. If he had only been a few years older, it would not have mattered. Since he had been so young, raising Shuichi on his own had not been a realistic endeavor.

It also would have gone against the guidance he received from Kichiji Ueda-who had been Nittle Grasper's manager at the time-as well as from their producer, the president of L8r Records-Kiaki Matsusaki-as well as Tohma and Noriko (unbelievably).

At the time, L8r Records was the biggest, most respected and most powerful label in Japan. Going against their "advice" was detrimental to your health. It was kin to suicide. Not only would he have been fired from the very band he started and "released" from the record company, but also, he never would have been able to work in Japan in any capacity again. L8r Records would have seen to that. That hadn't been an idle threat either. He'd seen it happen numerous times so he'd known Kiaki Matsusaki was serious in his threats…no, not threats. Promises. Without the band, there would be no income and without any money, he would not have been able to raise a child. At fourteen, nobody would have hired him as an employee, especially after L8r Records was through blacklisting him. Giving Shuichi up had been looking as his only option, but he hadn't wanted to give his son up. Shuichi was his goddamn it!

Why was L8r Records so adamantly against Ryuichi Sakuma bringing a child into the world? They claimed a child would "ruin his career", especially if it came out that this child was a product of a one-night stand with a Neutral. There would an exodus of Nittle Grasper, and more importantly, Ryuichi Sakuma fans. Their death would be quicker and uglier than the death of Disco. He'd go from Teen Idol to Teen Villain so fast he wouldn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.

His saving grace came in the form of his mother. After a lot of yelling and screaming and crying, a few bruises and some possible broken bones, in order to keep his son from becoming a ward of the state and being lost within the system forever (L8r Records would have seen to that too), he was able to talk his mother into adopting his son, her grandson. This way, he would be giving up his parental rights without giving up his son.

But that had been far from the end.

He'd had to talk Kiaki Matsusaki (the Devil's advocate himself) and the others at L8r Records into believing this was the best deal for all parties involved, which he eventually was able to do, but the cost of doing so was enough to make him regret his decision to give in the demands of those bastards. L8r Records would allow his mother to adopt Shuichi only if as long as he, Ryuichi Sakuma, with or without Nittle Grasper, was under contract with L8r Records, the truth was never to be revealed. If it was leaked, in any capacity, that he had a love child and with an older male Neutral, whether he was the source of the leak or not, there would be stiff penalties. Among those would be that if Shuichi were underage at the time of the leak, L8r Records would make sure he was taken away from the only home he has ever known and be forever lost within the foster care system.

No matter how he'd looked at it, whether he agreed to the terms laid out before him by L8r Records or if he raised Shuichi himself, he was screwed.

With the downfall of L8r Records, Tatsuha was right. There wasn't anything holding him back from telling Shuichi the truth any longer, but truth be told, he honestly hadn't been able to bring himself to tell his son the truth. What would be the point of saying anything now? Telling Shuichi he'd been living in a world of pretend and that his mother was not his mother and his father was not his father would do more harm than good and he did not want the boy to hate him. He would rather Shuichi love him as his big brother than hate him as his father. There was no doubt that Shuichi would despise him after the truth was revealed. Who wouldn't hate the person who flipped their world upside down and inside out? No, he was certain all hell would break lose. This was one can of worms better left to expire in the pantry.

But with the discovery of Shuichi's birth certificate, keeping silent was no longer an option.

Tatsuha felt the change before Ryuichi spoke.

"What that is is Shuichi's birth certificate."

Eiri's golden gaze narrowed. "And it has your name where his father's name should be because…?"

"Because…" Ryuichi almost could not bring himself to say it. It was not because he was ashamed to admit the truth. It was just the opposite in fact. He could not be prouder to call Shuichi his son. No, he just did not like the thought of being the one who was going to pull the rug out from under Shuichi. Shuichi was his best friend. He did not want to do anything that might hinder that.

"But you're not his friend, Ryu," he could remember Tatsuha telling him once. "He's your son."

"Because…I'm his father."

oOo

The Trinity Offices - Setagaya, Tokyo

It felt as if all her energy was suddenly sucked right out of her. "You cannot be serious." Nami Mataguchi could honestly say this was something she had not seen coming.

There was a flurry of giggles in her ear. "Why not? What's wrong with wanting my best friend to be my Maid of Honor?"

Somehow, the fact that Ayaka considered them best friends did not surprise her. With each passing day, it seemed as if Ayaka Usami was becoming more and more delusional. Or maybe these games were just getting really old really quickly. With one hand holding the phone to her ear, Nami dropped her head into her other hand and sighed. Was it a sin to wish for God to strike her down at that exact moment? "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?"

There was a light rapt on her office door. Raising her head, Nami spied a young girl standing in the doorway. Machika? Was that her name? No. That couldn't be it. It didn't sound right. She waved the girl inside.

"Thank you," Nami mouthed as the girl set a manila file folder on her desk with an apologetic smile before exiting just as quietly and quickly as she entered.

"Course not," Ayaka stated firmly.

Why didn't that surprise her?

"I was searching online and at David's Bridal-Have you heard of them? I found the perfect Bridesmaid dress," Ayaka continued without waiting for an answer. "It's called a chiffon halter. I'll send you the link. It sorta reminds me of a wrap (2). Oh! It's so beautiful. All the bridesmaid dresses will be black of course."

Nami sighed. She was getting a headache.

oOo

TCN Studios - Setagaya, Tokyo

The Board had taken his suggestion surprisingly well. For some reason, Chishin had been of the mind that he would be fighting them tooth and nail for the major overhaul he felt The Christian Network needed and was long overdue for, but it seems as if he had been worried for nothing. Like him, they had not particularly cared for the path the station had been on as of late. It was not so much a change they were looking for as a "back to the basics" approach. While liberalism could be a good thing, radicalism and extremism went against everything the Church stood for. It was not what TCN stood for. While many Christians have strayed from the path laid out by Christ in order to create their own that would give credence to their own warped, misguided approach to His teachings, TCN would be, from this day forward, dedicated to preaching the true word of the Lord: acceptance, tolerance and love.

This meant that if one Nami Mataguchi wanted to go into one of her little spiels, she would have to find a new outlet. TCN would no longer be catering to her every whim.

It didn't even ring; Chishin realized when he was instantly connected to voicemail. He wanted to ask Nami face to face about her involvement with Ayaka Usami. There was no guarantee she would tell him the truth if he were to ask over the phone or even if he sent her an email. Actually, there was no reason for her to tell him the truth even if he were able to get her to meet him. At the same time, there was no reason why she shouldn't tell him the truth. But like the antagonist in novels, she might let her pride get the better of her and confess. He could only hope. "Yeah, hi, Nami. This's Chishin. Give me a call when you can. Maybe we can get together for lunch or something."

Hanging up, he sat back and scrubbed his hands over his face.

Truthfully, he hoped she didn't get a chance to return his call. He was tired of dealing with her.

Pushing everything involving Nami Mataguchi aside, he picked up his editorial essay that was to be published on the studio website.

"For many centuries," he read, "the Christian Church's attitude toward human sexuality was very negative: sex was for procreation, not for pleasure; women and slaves were considered property to be owned by males; and many expressions of heterosexuality, like homosexuality, were considered sinful. Such tradition often continues to influence churches today. Many teach that women should be subordinate to men, continue to permit forms of discrimination against peoples of color, and condemn homosexuals. They say that all homosexual acts are sinful, often referring to their interpretation of scripture…" (3)

As he lost himself within his essay, he felt tension he hadn't even realized was there vanish.

Yes, this was much better.

oOo

Ryugan Temple - Usami Residence - Kyoto, Japan

"Going to the chapel / And we're gonna get married / Going to the chapel / And we're gonna get married," Ayaka sang happily. "Gee I really love you / And we're gonna get married / Going to the chapel of love / Spring is here... / Theeeeee... / The sky is blue (whoa-ooooo) / Birds all sing / Like they do / Today's the day/ We'll say 'I do'."

Still humming, Ayaka continued to search the David's Bridal website for the perfect wedding dress. Lucky for her there was a huge sale this week. Maybe she would get lucky and find The One, but there were just so many! How was she supposed to choose? Her parents would probably prefer her to wear a traditional wedding kimono instead of a western style wedding dress for her wedding. She thought the traditional shiro-maku was beautiful, especially the uchikake that was supposed to be worn over the white kimono at the reception so she wouldn't mind wearing one for her wedding instead of a western style one. The question was: what Eiri would prefer?

You would think that because Eiri had no problems being involved with a Neutral, he might be more open to non-traditional things, like, say for example, a western style wedding dress over the traditional Japanese wedding kimono, but sometimes you just never knew. People could be a very confusing species.

Maybe she should ask Mika? Yes. That sounded like a very good idea.

oOo

Black Dragon Compound - Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Everything was the same, Shuichi noted as he was escorted by Narata down the twisting empty hallways to Kizou's office. The nostalgia hit him with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. In an instant, it was as if the past two years never happened.

He shook his head vigorously to rid himself of the emotions and memories being here brought forth and pushed everything not pertaining to the real reason why he had traveled all the way here from Tokyo against his as well as Eiri's better judgment aside. He hadn't come here to reminisce. He was here because of his son. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Determined, Shuichi stood taller, squared his shoulders and continued to follow Narata confidently. He would convince Kizou to give a DNA sample for the paternity test and then he would go home and maybe convince Ryuichi to baby-sit little Takanori so that he could have a little time alone with Eiri. Yes, that sounded like a plan.

They rounded another corner and suddenly Kizou's office was within view. It was the last door at the end of the hallway not more than fifteen feet away. His confidence suddenly evaporated. Shuichi lost his footing, but was able to catch himself before he made a complete spectacle of himself. The knowledge that with each (shaky) step forward, he was getting that much closer to his ex-lover and possibly the father of his son had his pulse racing. He gulped nervously.

This had been a bad idea. He should have stuck to his guns. What was the point of discovering whether Taki Aizawa was little Takanori's biological father or not? Or whether or not his suspicions were justified? Eiri would, now and forever, be little Takanori's father. That was it. End of story. There would be no prequel. No sequel. Nothing…

…But…

What about little Takanori? Was Eiri right? Would he want to know the truth when he was older? Maybe. Possibly. Or maybe Eiri was wrong. It was possible for Eiri to not be right all the time, whether Eiri wanted to admit it or not. There was always the chance that little Takanori might not want to know who his biological father was. Maybe the truth wouldn't matter to him. Not everyone wanted to know the details surrounding their birth.

"Are you sure?"

Narata's voice drew him out of his thoughts. Blinking, Shuichi glanced around and noticed that they were in front of Kizou's office. Already? Not trusting himself to speak, he could only nod.

"Shu…" Narata sighed. He wasn't too sure about any of this, but if this was what the other man wanted, who was he to stand in his way? "Okay. Wait here a sec."

Shuichi merely nodded.

Narata continued to watch him, study him, for several silent seconds longer, before turning to knock sharply on the office door.

"Yes," the muffled reply barked.

Narata opened the door, stepped inside, and shut the door behind him.

Shuichi gulped. This was nuts. This was seriously nuts. The urge to just turn tail and return to Tokyo and forget why he made the journey all the way out here in the first place almost too strong to ignore-almost. And that was just enough to keep his feet firmly planted.

The door opened and Narata, looking grim, appeared. He stepped aide and swung the door open. He waved him inside. "Kizou said he'll see you."

Sweating and a bundle of nerves, Shuichi squared his shoulders, took a deep breath and stepped into the office.

Here goes nothing.

…To Be Continued…

(1) Okay, so technically "Karishma" is a girl's name. It means "Miracle" in Sanskrit, but I picked it b/c in a way Shuichi's birth was a miracle. I also think it's a beautiful name.

(2) go to: and look for "chiffon halter" under bridal party

(3) You can read the whole essay at: .

A/N: I did not make up the part about strata. There are some (mostly those same religious extremists mentioned before) who believe that strata is formed during a cataclysmic event instead of over centuries. They compare it to having different colored sand in a glass jar. If you shake the jar, the sand would settle into layers...Uh huh. Morons.