"A shinobi's life isn't measured by how they lived, but rather what they managed to accomplish before their death."

-Jiraiya; from Naruto Shippuden (2012)

An envelope, that was what Cassidy Hisakawa held in her hands. She found the envelope on the dining room table as she and Kai were leaving. It was crumpled, filthy. There were stains that smudged some of the writing, but it was still legible. Cassidy's eyes narrowed, her jaw set. While the writing was still legible, it took Cassidy a moment to really understand what was written on it. Before she had gone into the system, before she lived with her uncle, Cassidy had grown up speaking solely Portuguese. Since Géneviève originated from Brazil, especially after Akihito's abandonment after Géneviève's pregnancy announcement, Japanese was, for the most part, forbidden. Cassidy learned to speak only Portuguese because her mother believed it kept her true to her Brazilian heritage. That also meant Cassidy had no way of communicating with anyone outside her home. Géneviève was fluent in Japanese, but considering the bitterness she held due to Akihito's departure, she refused to acknowledge the language or culture at all. Cassidy had all been isolated from her Japanese heritage as a result. It hadn't been until she was put into the system that the young girl began to learn the language.

When Cassidy began her journey into various foster homes, her foster parents refused to let her speak Portuguese anywhere near them. If she said something that sounded even remotely Portuguese in sound, she'd be punished. Cassidy learned very quickly that she had to shut off her Brazilian heritage if she were to survive in foster care. Eventually, by the time she was sent to live with Eiji, Cassidy had a decent understanding of the Japanese language. In the early days of her stay with her uncle, the young girl was given some more lessons on how to speak Japanese. Later on, Cassidy could eventually speak and read Japanese fairly well, though she still had troubles here and there. But the writing on the envelope, it was more of a mixture of her lingering confusion of the language, and the confusion of the sender. It was sent from someone named Akihito. Géneviève had referred to her ex-lover by many derogatory names, only ever calling him by his first name if she couldn't think of any insults. So when the young girl saw the name Akihito, her heart thumped painfully in her chest. Was it really her father? He was sending letters to Eiji? If it was Akihito sending letters to her uncle, it wouldn't be surprising. They'd be brothers, after all.

Opening the envelope, Cassidy pulled out an equally filthy and crumpled letter.

'My dear,

If you're reading this, then you should understand that I know of your existence. I've known for a long time. It's been difficult, not being able to see you grow up, but I hope that everything is going well with my brother. To my understanding, you were taken from your mother at a young age. I have acquaintances who work in the foster care system, so I am given brief descriptions of what goes on there. I am so, so sorry for the news of what you've gone through with your mother; I can only hope things work out with her.

Whatever Géneviève says about me, though, I hope you don't believe it. I wanted to stay, believe me on that, but my parents did not approve of my relationship with your mother. My parents believed I should be with a Japanese woman, not a foreigner. I did the best I could to change their minds, but they wouldn't have it. As I know you came to realize, I had to leave you and your mother. My parents threatened to cut me off. Being the eldest of my siblings, that would have been a problem. That would have been frowned upon.

My family — our family — owns a successful law firm in the wealthier parts of the community. Eiji, unfortunately, was disowned by my parents, your grandparents, for fraud. That is why he's living where he is today. I've heard that he opened his own auto repair business, and I'm grateful he's found some stability in life.

My dear, I hope that one day you'll be able to come visit me when you're older. I know I haven't been there for you, but I hope you can at least hear the full story about my absence.

Sincerely,

Your father, Akihito'

Cassidy's eyes went over the letter again, rereading each word carefully, as if it would change at any given moment. Her father had sent her a letter. Eiji hadn't given it to her. Was it some kind of mistake? Why, after all those years of not knowing him, would Akihito Hisakawa reach out to Cassidy? If he had acquaintances in the foster care system, why hadn't he done something to get her out? Why did she have to be sent to Eiji, the disgraced son?

Akihito had mentioned in the letter that Cassidy could visit him when she's older...if she went, would he still want to see her? Would he want a relationship with her? Rolling her eyes, Cassidy stuffed the letter and envelope into her pocket. She'd have to think on it. Looking down at Kai, she noticed how he was looking around the room quietly. It was almost as if he was in his own little world. Smiling softly, she gently took her hand in his and they walked to the front door. That was when she heard the front door handle rattling. Cassidy froze.

"Mama?" Kai looked up at her, almost bewildered at her sudden change. "Mama?" He tugged at her sleeve, trying to get her attention. Without wasting a second, Cassidy picked her son up and hurriedly went to the back door. Kai had let out a surprised squeal, then started giggling. He became distracted, paying little attention to his mother's frantic attitude. If Eiji had come home early from work, that put the mother and son into trouble.

"Be quiet," she told her son, her voice a whispered hiss. Kai didn't listen, instead he kept giggling as his arms wrapped around his mother's neck. By the time she reached the back door, the front door had opened. Cassidy quickly threw the back door open and ran out. She was trying to be as careful as possible. Kai was already heavy and running was definitely adding to the stress the young pregnant woman was experiencing. A shout could be heard from inside the home, but Cassidy was already too far to hear what was being said. By the time another shout could be heard, the young mother and son were already turning the block.

A bus stop wasn't that far ahead, and Cassidy could see the transit approaching. Putting her son down, right as they reached the stop, Cassidy dug through her duffel bag for the fair and pulled out all the money she had with her. Once the bus came, she gave the driver the amount needed and accepted a transfer ticket. The bus started moving right as Cassidy found her and Kai a place to sit. Looking out the window, Cassidy felt her heart drop when she saw Eiji running to the bus stop. He was red faced, his dark brown eyes wild with anger. Holding her son close to her, Cassidy felt her throat close up. She had managed to escape, but only time could tell how long she'd last.

~. . . .~

Cassidy and Kai stayed on the transit bus for a while, watching people get on and off. She planned on staying on until they made it to the station. Taking out the envelope and letter, Cassidy studied the letter one last time before she started looking at Akihito's address. It was on the other side of the county, in the better part of the city. It shouldn't take long for her and Kai to get there. Cassidy didn't have any intentions of actually getting to know her father, she came to realize that, she only wanted a place to stay until she could legally remove any rights Eiji had as her guardian. Maybe she could build a case against him for all the abuse he'd done to her. Kai and the unborn child were perfect examples of how abusive Eiji had truly been.

Akihito's part of a successful law firm, she thought solemnly. Maybe he'd help me build a case against Eiji.

But would her father really want to help Cassidy press charges against his own brother? Regardless of whether or not Eiji was disgraced, he was still Akihito's flesh and blood. That had to mean something. But if Akihito really cared about his daughter, he'd do anything he could to help her. She and Kai had to matter, right? Why else would he reach out to her?

Feeling her toddler snuggle further into her side made Cassidy smile a little. He'd fallen asleep not even fifteen minutes into the bus ride. His coppery curls were all over the place, and Cassidy found it adorable. The one thing Cassidy was thankful for was that her son mostly had her features. He had a lighter skin tone than Cassidy's — hers was tanned, but a shade lighter than her mother's skin color. Kai's skin tone was almost a very pale tan. He had Géneviève's shaped nose and mouth, and Cassidy's shaped eyes. It was almost hard to tell he was Japanese, but there were some subtle features that gave it away. While Kai's conception was rather unfortunate, Cassidy was thankful that her son was healthy and alive. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect son. And the baby that was growing in her; however it turned out, Cassidy would love it regardless. While she hated the idea that her children were fathered by her uncle, she would give them the same amount of affection compared to if they'd been fathered by someone else.

Cassidy Hisakawa was going to start over. She, Kai, and the baby-to-be would live a nice, better life. Maybe the young mother would be able to finish her schooling. Géneviève and Eiji had made it nearly impossible for Cassidy to properly get an education. And all the foster homes Cassidy had gone to, she barely stayed there long enough to even get enrolled in the local schools or academies. She'd also work on getting Kai a proper education, as well. Cassidy would get a job, a real job, in order to save money for her son. She'd also save money to get her own apartment. A lighter feeling started to wash over the young mother. She managed to get away from Eiji...she actually did it. Hopefully it would stay that way, though she knew he'd try and get her back. Eiji would more than likely get his disgusting friends to help him, too. That dampened the lighter mood Cassidy was feeling. Tightening her hold on Kai, Cassidy tried pushing the thought from her mind. She had to assure herself that she'd make it on her own, she was able to find it in her to finally leave, now she had to figure out a way to keep her family safe.

~. . . .~

Eiji was more than pissed off. Cassidy and their son had taken off. How else was he supposed to react? She'd been acting strangely for the past couple days, had that been the reason why? Eiji knew that since she was out there somewhere, she'd more than likely get authorities involved for all the things he'd done to her over the years. Everything he'd done would be exposed. Kai would be a perfect example for what Cassidy had gone through. A feeling of dread filled Eiji's body. Kai would be enough proof. If Cassidy went to law enforcement and explained what happened to her over the years, all they'd need are DNA tests from Kai and him and they'd have all they needed to arrest him. That thought alone was enough to send a chilling feeling up Eiji's spine. Maybe he should give Akihito a call. Besides, his older brother always kept in contact with him, despite Eiji's disowned status in the family.

Or maybe he should call Saya, his and Akihito's sister. Saya, like Akihito, was a lawyer. She worked for the Hisakawa law firm, so maybe she'd be able to give him some advice. While Eiji's relationship with Akihito was, at best, on an acquaintance level, his relationship with Saya had always been good. But was it really a good idea to call her? Or even Akihito? They'd certainly be asking questions. And Akihito would certainly get worried as to why his daughter ran away. Akihito, being the eldest out of the three siblings, was always very responsible. But Eiji had to wonder if it was because their parents held him in such high regard. The eldest child in wealthy families were always looked at to inherit the family business. Saya was the middle child, having chosen to stay out of all the family drama the seemed to ensue when they were growing up. Saya was a gentle soul at best, but she did have a stubborn streak to her. She was responsible and did her best to make their parents proud, but it was difficult because their parents didn't think she'd accomplish much because she was a woman. Akihito had to fight tooth and nail just to get her a job at the firm.

Eiji was, of course, the family disappointment. After he had finished school, he had managed to get a job at the family's firm. He had been going through some financial troubles, despite his parents splitting their wealth amongst the siblings evenly. It was later found out that Eiji was stealing from the firm and he was not only fired, but disowned by his parents. They no longer communicated with him or even acknowledged him as their child. Akihito and, occasionally, Saya kept in contact with him. If he fell into financial troubles, they refused to get him out of it. If he faced any kind of hardship, they expected him to figure it out on his own. They didn't want him getting too dependent on them. They had their own families to think about — Saya with her husband and three kids; Akihito with his current wife and four young kids. Eiji was the only one out of the Hisakawa siblings to not marry or have children. There was a good reason for that. The time Akihito had been with Géneviève, Eiji had felt a bit of resentment towards his older brother for being with the Brazilian woman. It wasn't because the eldest sibling as involved with a foreigner, it was because Eiji wanted to be with Géneviève. Cassidy, being Géneviève's daughter, was the closest Eiji would ever get to being with her. It was almost a miracle Cassidy would end up in his care to begin with.

Burying his face in his hands, a sense of dread and frustration rushed through him. He had to figure out a way to get Cassidy and Kai back. If calling Akihito and Saya was ruled out, then he'd have to do anything and everything in his power to ensure their return. He couldn't get law enforcement involved, then they'd be wondering about Kai's role in the whole dynamic. Eiji had Cassidy convince anyone who asked that she was very promiscuous, having slept with multiple men and ended up pregnant. For the most part, it worked. No one asked questions after that. Cassidy's reputation — or what little reputation she did have — was tarnished by Eiji's lies, but he couldn't afford to be thrown in jail. He just didn't have it in him to be an inmate. Crossing his arms over his chest, Eiji decided that maybe he should give his old pal, Junichi, a call. The two men had known each other for years, and Junichi was always willing to give a helping hand to any of his friends.

~. . . .~

Once Cassidy and Kai made it to the bus station, they went inside to ask some questions. Kai had, evidently, been upset at having to wake up so suddenly. He had cried for a good couple minutes before deciding he was going to be as disobedient as possible. Cassidy had to threaten to take his teddy bear away just to get him to listen. The two and a half year old knew that if he got his teddy bear taken away, it'd be all over after that. His stuffed animal was his most prized toy; he didn't want it taken away.

When they were inside, Cassidy found an employee and got her son to be still enough to start asking questions. "Do you know how far it'd be to get to this part of the city?" she asked, showing the envelope to the female employee.

The woman looked at the envelope before looking at her, an obvious look of judgment on her face. Cassidy knew she looked bad; with her bad haircut and the fact that she looked like she was possibly homeless, she didn't blame the woman for the look. But that didn't mean Cassidy had to like it. "It should take no more than two hours at most," she replied, her tone clipped. "Do you have enough money to pay the fee?"

Furrowing her brows, Cassidy looked at the woman with anger starting to boil up inside her. "I should, yeah," she said. "How is that any of your business, though? Did I ask you about the fees?" The woman shoved the envelope back to Cassidy. "Why don't you get a better attitude?" the young mother exclaimed. "Acting as if you're all high and mighty because you work at a bus station..."

Cassidy, in that moment, noticed all the other people in the station looking at her. Taking a moment to calm herself down, she and Kai left. The woman didn't even tell her which bus would be able to go in that area. Cassidy went to where all the buses parked to let their passengers on and off; she looked at all the times and the different stops they each took, but she wasn't sure which one would go to the neighborhood Akihito lived in. Maybe she didn't think through her plan as well as she had thought. Though she wasn't given much of an opportunity to think it over, with Eiji chasing after her. She'd have to make it work, though. If Cassidy was trying to get as much space between her family and her uncle as possible, she'd have to pick a bus and go. Whatever happened later would be figured out.

And Cassidy absolutely hated that.

(A/N):

Sorry for not having this chapter up sooner, but here it is! If you've got any constructive criticism on this chapter, don't hesitate to let me know, OK?

I own nothing in the OHSHC fandom. All I own are my characters and the subplots I put in.

If you're wondering when Cassidy is going to meet the Host Club, it probably won't be for a while. It's still pretty early in the story, and she just escaped Eiji, so I'm not planning on introducing Tamaki or the others anytime soon. In the meantime, and hopefully you guys understand, I'll be focusing more on how Cassidy's surviving while being pregnant and trying to protect her son. If you guys have any ideas on how Cassidy and Kai can meet the Host Club, either individually or as a whole, leave your thoughts! You can PM me or leave a review on the matter. Either way is fine with me.

On that note, thanks a bunch!

Willow