That's right, no matter what happens we are not alone. We have our family!
"Well...are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna come in?" June asks as she comes up from behind the boys. "We have plenty of food but, if you don't want it then-" She didn't even get to finish the sentence before they pushed past to get food. "You don't have to be snotty brats about it." Crossing her arms, sticking her nose upwards, and jutting her hip out she said with a bite to it but there was no animosity in her eyes. A smile tugged at her lips and her eyes giving away her secret motherly joy seeing hungry teens feast on her cooking while Iroh was making more tea in the kitchen. Jet was going around to everyone saying hi and catching up with them.
"Jet really cares about you and if anything should happen to you he'll blame himself." Turns his eyes to lock onto Smellerbee's piercing gaze. "I know when Jet disappeared it hurt you but it was worse for Jet. He knew everything though he couldn't tell you about anything and even though he wanted to tell you, keep in contact, he knew if he did he would abandon his training. If he did that a stranger would've taken his place and how could he let some stranger that neither of you knew protect his most precious person?" Zuko looked away, unable to hold her gaze any longer. "I'm not trying to belittle the feelings you felt or anything I just want you to understand what he went through. I'm telling you this because Jet would never volunteer this information and you deserve to know." Out of the corner of Zuko's eye he saw her give me a small smile while she squeezed his soldier.
Zuko would have voiced his thanks if he could make his voice work, so instead he gave a little smile and nodded. Smellerbee left to go talk to Longshot as Zuko caught Jet staring at him with an unreadable expression. But before he had time to analyze it he turned around to converse with another member. "We came to do something other than to feast on Ms. June's delicious cooking." Everyone gave a laugh as they quieted down to listen. "But that's not why we're here. We're here to share the information we have gathered. Granted it we don't have much useful information but with everyone here we should be able to get something." Pipsqueak announced as some members were cleaning up while others were getting everything set up. A group was laying out financial records, another was setting up a map, while a third brought boxes in from outside. It looked like a real police investigation only it was held in a small city tea shop by a bunch of modern day robin hoods.
It's hours before anyone finds even a shred of potential useful information. During that time Zuko didn't really know where to go to help out so he just drifted from group to group doing his best to be helpful. He knows he complained about sitting on his butt and not doing anything but he didn't know how to be useful in this situation. It's not like he has never done research but he has never done this type of work before, especially in relation to himself, and he felt since everyone knew exactly what to do he would only get in the way if he tried to insert himself into the investigation or whatever you would call this.
"I might have found something." Duke announces. Everyone stops what they are doing to try to see what he has found but a glare from June and a stern look from Jet send people back to work immediately. Out of the corner of Zuko's eye something catches his attention. It's a small ornate hexagon coin with a painted white rose on it. Where have I seen this before?
"Do you know what that is?" Zuko asks a small petite girl to his right pointing to the coin. She shakes her head.
"No. We check to see if it was a type of currency but it isn't so we figured it was just a knick-knack. It doesn't seem to hold any monetary value whatsoever." She narrows her eyes at it just a bit. "But it is well crafted and was hand painted so it's surprising we can't find anything about it." Someone elbows her and whispers into her ear while she nods. "If you excuse me." She turns back to focus on her previous work. Zuko just stares at the trinket transfixed. It can't be… He quickly grabs the coin and runs out the door with a faint shout of his name following him
Two young boys look up into the face of a monster. What they perceived as a monster was no more than a dark figure coated with blood. Fresh, bright blood that glowed in the dim light. It dripped off his body and spread across the floor. The smaller of the two hid behind the other crying silently while he grabbed tightly to the other's shirt. The man reached out a hand that seemed to envelope the two boys and everything went dark until an earsplitting scream pierced through the darkness.
"Shit!" I thought I was over this! Atsuo ran his rough hands over his face trying to rub away the memories of his childhood as if they left a physical residue on him. Kicking off the offending covers he shoots up to make his way over to the shower. Turning on the water he keeps his hand under the faucet 'till it reached the right temperature. Swiftly shedding his clothes he jumps into the shower under the hot unrelenting force of the water. Pouring a lucrative amount of body wash on a sponge he scrubs his skin raw scrubbing away the awful memories his dream recalled.
"You know that won't help brother." Eri's voice flows through the open bathroom door while he sits down on Atsou's bed making it squeak a little. Atsou takes a deep breath. "You should have never been there."
"And you should've!?" Atsou yells slamming his palms against the wall. "Neither of us should've been there."
"But you had plans! You were supposed to be away for the day!" Eri growls "We planned it so you wouldn't be there!" Atsou's head snapped up.
"We?! WE!?" He storms into the bedroom with a boiling rage.
"Yes we!" Eri responds. "Mother and I never wanted you to be aware of….our situation." Spitting out the word his eyes hollow and sad as he stared at Atsou. "You were ten and innocent. You were lucky enough not to be privy to this. You got to live without worrying about this crap and you are getting angry at me for protecting you! My little brother!?" He rose to his feet and though his voice is rising the look in his eyes didn't changed. This doesn't get around Atsou but he doesn't know how to interpret the look. He might have grown up knowing Eri inside and out but he could never guess that Eri had any prior knowledge of...of….that before that dreadful night. "Listen to me." Eri grabs Atsou's face between his hands to sternly stare into his eyes. Diving what he was about to say home. "You were mom's baby. No, don't argue. You were her favorite and you were my only brother. Mom didn't have to but she told me to protect you at all costs whether that meant physical or keep you innocent. It would have killed her if you knew since it almost did when I found out." Eyes pleading Atsou to understand. "We were already dirtied, defiled, corrupted. Mom couldn't have handled it if you became like...us." He trails off at the end dropping his eyes but keeping his hands steady.
By this time Atsou's rage has boiled down with his muscles relaxing. "You were a kid too, just four years older. How did you find out? We went everywhere together, we did everything, we slept in the same bed until my tenth birthday just because I had seperation issues because of dad." He felt himself reverting to his childhood self but he couldn't help it. "How long? How could you keep this from me? He did th-th-that to ma-ma-mom did he do um..ah..you know..that to you?"
"Don't think about it. Just relax." Eri starts singing an old lullaby that their mother would sing to them when they had nightmares. It always calmed them down like a sleeping spell and it seems it hasn't lost it's power over the years. Atsou feels himself falling asleep though he tries to fight it until sweet darkness envelopes him. Steady arms wrap around him to support him to guide him to the bed. "Gomenasai. Gomenasai." Eri whispers softly as tears cascade down his face silently putting Atsou down dressing him for bed. "You were never supposed to know Ats gomenasai."
Sorry guys for the really really late update. Getting ready for college coupled with senioritis and NOCTI and ServeSafe I'm just stressing out. When I'm a little less stressed I'll try to update on some sort of schedule you just have to bear with getting updates once in a blue moon.
I really appreciate the reviews I get so please please I beg you to leave them! When I get writers block or am just uninspired reading your reviews gives me motivation. =)
For those who don't know gomenasai is I'm sorry in Japanese. Writing this chapter killed me. All I want to do is hug these two till death and never let them go. T_T