The one I call my Savior (Part 1)

A/N: Hi fellow fan fiction readers! I finally got some time to write my third chapter. I hope you like Mr. Blaise, I sure do. A lot more than I thought I would. I think this chapter turned out better than I was expecting it to be. There is to be more background in the next chapter that I hope will answer any questions you might have about the cliff hanger that was left in The Start of a New Friendship. I apologize for making 2 parts instead of just putting them both together. I thought this ended well and if I added any more I wouldn't have been able to publish this in time for my deadline that I set for myself =P

As I look back now... I realize that... I was always loved...

"Papi! Can you get the jug of paint thinner for me?" A voice faded in and a low sounding laughter came into the fuzzy image.

The room had concrete floors and the insulation that always reminded Miyuki of cotton candy was jutting out of the ceiling. There was a huge canvas the size of the whole wall up against the right wall of the room from the entrance. Cans and cans of different colors of paint were everywhere, scattered amongst the floor. Miyuki was standing on a step stool reaching out to paint a section of the painting a deep red. The painting looks to not even be close to finished. Spread around the step stool is an arrangement of different paint brushes that had just been cleaned. They smelled fresh. An old man walks over to the jug filled with translucent yellow liquid that is on a shelf in the very back of the large garage and walks back over to Miyuki with it in hand.

"Miyuki, how many times do I have to say this? I am not your Papi, so don't call me that. I told you on the first day you arrived to take art lessons to call me Dr. Blaise How long ago was that? 4 maybe 5 years ago? You should know by now." Dr. Blaise scolded Miyuki, but he had a light, feathery tone. He sounded old and worn. He had wrinkles and laugh lines on his face. He covered his bald head with a black beret that had an emblem on it that had some sort of importance to it. Dr Blaise had a long beard that made him look like a wizard and as he spoke anybody could tell that he was French. If it wasn't hard enough to hear what he was saying he had a lisp as well that made his French accent slur right through his sentences like thick molasses.

"Oh we're getting fancy now!" Miyuki smiled widely. Something that she didn't do often. She was one of the few of Dr. Blaise's students that had withstanded his harsh classes. He started off with a cold, stern eyes in his younger classes to confirm that they were all serious about art. That they wouldn't quit on him. He would be strict and overly harsh on criticism and by the time they were 16, Miyuki's age if they had not quit getting up to that level, they would get a scholarship to whichever art college they wanted to go to. There scholarship depended on how well they fared in his classes over the years.

Miyuki was a different story. She wasn't there for the scholarship and she- really wasn't there for just the smell of the paint. She was there because she loved this sweet old man. He saved her life. Whenever she was upset he knew instantly no matter how hard she tried to keep her feeling locked up. He knew Miyuki more than she knew herself. One minute he would make a student cry for telling them that their art was soulless and then the other he would be laughing and joking with Miyuki. Mr. Blaise knew what her rich, cruel father would do to her. He would abuse her, but Mr. Blaise had no power to stop it. It hurt him to see, whom he thought of as his own granddaughter, cry.

"Pap- I mean 'Mr. Blaise'," Miyuki giggled a little bit, " I have exciting news for you!" Miyuki got off her step stool and faced Papi.

"Did you finally get a decent friend? Other than that slimy scum?" Papi asked. He looked at Miyuki with youthful eyes.

"Emi-chan is not a slimy scum! I know she can be kinda...you know, rude sometimes, but she never means it." Miyuki put on a pouty face and Papi heartfully laughed.

"I'm joking," Papi winked at Miyuki, like he always did when he was messing with her. "Now, what is this surprise?"

"I got into Saotome Academy! By one point! I can't even believe it! I found out yesterday." Miyuki was on cloud nine. She jumped up and down and almost hit one of the large paint containers that was next to her. "Woah! That was close." Miyuki couldn't read Papi's expression. He smiled and brought her into a bear hug. He smelled of peppermint and cigarettes.

"I'm happy for you." He whispered in her ear. "and I am so very proud of you." The old man lifted his head and brushed Miyuki's hair out of her eyes. "I guess my little girl is finally growing up." Miyuki looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Papi, I'll be leaving in a week. To go to Saotome Academy, but I'm not leaving without finishing this project that we have already started."

"Miyuki, you don't need to. I can finish it by myself."

"No! I can't have you do that. We started it together and we are going to end it together! This might be," Miyuki choked on her own sob. "This might be our last time together."

"Miyuki." Mr. Blaise gently pinched her cheek, "I might be old, but- we will see each other again. I promise. After you go to Saotome Academy and debut, I will see you sing one last song for me." Mr. blaise smiled softly and kissed Miyuki on the top of her head. Miyuki smiled even though her tears wouldn't stop rolling down her face. She nodded. "Let's get back to work! We need all the time we can get!"

Miyuki ran over to the canvas and immediately started painting her little heart out. For hours they both painted. They laughed and they painted each others clothes. By the end of the day the canvas had finally been covered with the base coats of paint and one had paint in her hair and the other some how found paint in his armpits.

The sun was setting and Miyuki had to leave before it got too dark. After they had washed off they were both standing at the door facing each other with sad expressions. She hugged Papi tightly. "Goodbye Papi. I'll be back tomorrow early in the morning... I love you." Papi kissed Miyuki on the cheek.

"I love you to sweetheart. See you tomorrow." Papi waved to Miyuki as she walked down the damp sidewalk to the center of the city. Miyuki turned back around and for a split second she thought she saw tears in her Papi's eyes for the first time in her life.

To Be Continued...