Author's Note: This chapter is the lead up to the big Chapter 100! I thought it would be good to mark the hundredth chapter with something special, just for Forsaken!
Two days later
Sunday night
"What the hell has gotten into you?"
"I'm excited!"
"Excited! I've seen more relaxed nuclear explosions!"
"You know what tomorrow is?" Mindy asked, then sounded worried. "You do, don't you?"
I knew full well what tomorrow was!
"Why... Should I?" I teased.
"Stop being a fucking asshole!" Mindy growled, angrily. "You know how important tomorrow is to me!"
More important than you would ever believe, I thought to myself!
"Try to control your energy and go to sleep, Hit Girl!"
"I can't! I'm too damned excited!" Mindy whined.
Who needs sleep!
The following morning
Monday
It had finally arrived!
My seventeenth birthday and it had taken too fucking long getting here, too!
"Get up, green asshole!" I yelled, shaking Dave back to consciousness.
"Here we go again!" Dave groaned and buried his face into his pillow.
I laughed; I vividly remembered my sixteenth birthday and waking Dave up violently then, too! I also vividly remembered my sixteenth birthday, for many other reasons; maybe this birthday would be just as memorable too!
I followed Dave out of the bedroom, where he pounded on Marcus' door.
"What!" Came a tired yell.
"Marcus, the tornado's awake!" I replied. "If I'm up, then you can damn well get up too!"
"Damn teenagers!" Marcus shouted, making Mindy blush.
Marcus had arrived last night, which was a wonderful surprise; I was really pleased that he could be here for my birthday!
..._...
A grumpy Marcus finally appeared downstairs.
"You are a major pain in the ass, Hit Girl!" Marcus moaned.
"Oh get a grip, old man!" I retorted and grinned at him.
"You think we should tell her?" Dave asked Marcus.
"Tell me what?"
"Nah, far too early!" Marcus replied.
"Tell me now!" I growled and glared at them both.
"Can I get a coffee, please, Dave."
The fucking assholes were doing this on purpose!
"Blood will start to flow if I am ignored!" I growled.
Marcus just fucking grinned at me! I glared at them both menacingly, but I knew that these were the only two people in the entire world that I didn't have a hold over. Sophia appeared to see what all the noise was and sat down to watch.
"Dining room!" Dave finally admitted and I ran out of the kitchen and almost skidded on the wooden floor; I could hear those two assholes as they fucking laughed at me!
..._...
Two long boxes were on the table, wrapped in purple paper.
I looked behind me and saw Dave and Marcus, as they watched in anticipation.
I attacked the wrapping on the first box, which did not take long. Inside the paper was a long, glossy, black box. I had a good idea what was in both boxes and just the thought of what might be in the box, started to make my hands shake. I gently eased the lid open and started to squeal; I couldn't help it!
Inside the box was a long, thin, purple bag, made of silk. Very carefully, I opened the top of the bag and eased out the contents. My eyes went wide and I was completely stumped.
I pulled the Wakizashi from the bag and held it out in front of me with my right hand. I moved the Wakizashi very slowly, as I checked out every inch and then removed the sword from the Saya and watched the lights reflect off the highly polished blade. The sharp, mono steel, blade was made from high carbon (T10) steel, with a 1.76 Shaku, Long Hi and 0.8-centimetre Sori. The blade was finished with a straight Hamon and had been stone polished by hand. The point was a long O-Kissaski. The Habaki and Seppa were Red Copper. The blade was attached to a 24-centimetre Tsuka which was wrapped in a purple cotton Tsuka-ito with black ray-skin. The Tanto was finished off with black Fuchi, Kashira and Tsuba. The blade was housed in a matte black Saya, with purple highlights. The Koikuchi and Kirigata were wood and the Sageo was purple silk.
I carefully placed the sword and saya onto the table and attacked the second package. It was an identical Wakizashi, which I examined before removing the blade from the saya.
I gently weaved both of the swords through the air, felt their balance and watched the light glint off the highly polished blades.
They were of the same design as my Katana and Tanto blades, but were shorter than the Katana, but longer than Kick-Ass' Ko-Wakizashi. I gently inserted both blades back into their saya and placed the swords into their silk bags and back into their boxes.
I turned to Dave and Marcus and felt tears forming in my eyes. Those assholes knew full well the effect that blades, like these, had on me. But that's exactly why they gave them to me; the two people that I loved the most in the entire world, knew me and understood me!
"After the fights with the Russians, I noticed that you needed something in between the Katana and the Tanto. I knew you wouldn't be happy with just one, either, so Marcus and I chipped in together," Dave explained.
"Thanks," Was all I could think of to say, before I hugged them both, starting with Dave.
"I know how much you love those damn things!" Marcus said dryly and hugged me tightly.
The rest of the day was spent shopping, as apparently Dave wanted me to be dressed right for going to dinner, tonight!
Dave assured me that it would be formal, but nothing special; but I knew that he liked it when I got all dressed up, so I did my best to get something 'hot', including 'hot' underwear 'cause I hoped for a fun and hopefully memorable night tonight... After dinner!
I also received a phone call from Josh, Chloe and Abby, around lunchtime, when they all sang Happy Birthday to me! Dave thought that it was uproariously funny, but it was nice all the same!