Fake Fan Fiction ❯ In Trusting Eyes ❯ Confusion's Sound ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

AN: I am so sorry about the typos in ch1. I looked it over again today and saw them. So sorry!
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Bikky barely got recognition from the woman at the front door. She nodded to him, saying just "she's in her room. Knock on the door first, would you?"

"Sure," he replied, nodding at Cal's aunt. The woman was always cold, it didn't bother him that much. Even though he was much younger than her niece, this woman was overprotective. Cal said it was because her aunt had learned about how she'd been living - boldly, yet unjustly. She said that her aunt never wanted to see her acting like a common criminal again.

He opened the front door, and walked inside of the house. It wasn't half as bad as it used to be. The house was much more orderly and clean, and some things had been picked up, due to the additional money the family had obtained through odd jobs. He moved down the narrow hallway, and knocked at the faded door.

"Who is it?"

"Me," he said quickly, as the door opened to reveal a smiling girl.

"Bikky?" she asked, curiously. "It's early. What are you doing here?"

He stammered, not knowing exactly how to word things. "Things are freaked out at home, and I had to leave them alone. I thought coming over here would be ... best."

She studied him carefully. "What exactly is wrong? Are Ryo and Dee okay?"

He did not have the right words to say. He couldn't lie to her about how confused and upset they all felt this morning. He could lie to anyone in the world, except Cal... and maybe Ryo in some instances. "Well no," he said, sitting down next to her window. "Ryo... his close relatives, the aunt and uncle that visited us a few months back, they died in a car crash."

The girl watched with an alarmed look. Truthfully she knew little of what to say. Ryo's relatives were the nicest people, from what she remembered, and she knew that her beloved police detective must have been hurting a lot for Bikky to come to her for actual help. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "I bet he's so messed up right now..."

"You know him," Bikky replied, running a hand against the dusty windowsill. "Won't admit to anyone how he's feeling. Sure has left the loser feeling left out. I mean it only happened yesterday, but it's already scary. He's different then most people, he can't just act screwed up for awhile and bounce back. He's ..."

"Oh poor Dee. Yeah, it is like Ryo to do things like this... he's real emotional, but that's not a bad thing mostly."

"It's so weird," Bikky complained.

"I don't really know, but I think it's harder on people like Ryo. Give him time, both of you. When my mother died... I was ten years old but I still remember how my dad took it. He was real sick always - and a criminal, but you would never imagine how much he was like your dad. Took him years to fully admit that Mom had died. He went along, in this odd happy way, and would just lash out at me to express his - erm- feelings."

"I think it'll last awhile like this. There's other stuff. Don't know what, but it's easy to pick up on."

"I think you could be nice and not cause them trouble for awhile," Cal remarked sarcastically, knowing that even in these times that'd be difficult, especially for people like Bikky and Dee, who had to be at each other's throats. "Let's keep out of there way too. If Ryo can take it, I think there's only one person to give him help."

"Thanks," he said, honestly thankful for her advice. It hadn't been much, but calming enough. "You're right, I admit it. He's the only one."

"No problem Bikky," she said smiling, grabbing hold of his hand. "Now while Dee takes care of Ryo, I'll have to take care of you."

"I don't need..." he muttered, then he realized she was joking. She had the most unusual sense of humor. "Thanks."

- - -

Back in Ryo's apartment, things remained as awkward as they had been. Ryo sat, awkwardly positioned in an armchair at the corner of the room, with a old looking book in his hands. Dee watched Ryo from the opposite side of the room, staring intently. Watching Ryo read was usually an enjoyable activity, but today it was painful.

Little did he know, Ryo was watching him as well. He had not read one word of the faded text in this old story, even though he'd been reading for hours. He finally exploded, sick of Dee peering at him with those deep green eyes. "Please Dee, I'm not going to blow up," he snapped from under the coverage of the brown leather cover.

"I know," Dee said softly, not moving or faltering. Ryo vaguely wondered how loyal Dee could get. He was the best that anyone could have, and Ryo knew he wasn't helping the loyalty. He just couldn't open up as much as he wanted to!

Ryo dared to peek over the book at Dee, and he saw those unwavering eyes. He finally was moved to say something about how he felt. "I want the call to come Dee," he said, barely audible. "Nevan said hardly anything in that call. They're dead and that's that. I want to know what's going on! I just don't want to disturb Elena's friend Evelen... I know she's devestated."

Finally, unmoving Dee stood up. The muscles in his legs and back ached, from sitting there for hours, staring down Ryo. He stepped across the room, and wrapped his arms around Ryo's shoulders. "It'll all sort out. You give your aunt's friend some time, and I'm sure you can sort things out. But I'll be right here with you."

Ryo suddenly laughed. "I can't believe that I'm saying their dying will be sort out by one call! They aren't -dead. Dead. You'd think losing my parents would make it a little easier to lose them. Dee they're just so irreplaceable."

"I know they are," Dee said, kneeling by the armchair, and thinking of his own losses. "A lot of irreplaceable people end up leaving us. God, if only I'd known that last night would end in such disaster, I'd make things different. I couldn't save them - but maybe I could do..."

"They were just so important," Ryo ranted, his eyes unfocused, as if Dee wasn't even in the room. Dee tried to calm his pounding heart, knowing that Ryo had to rant now, about his feelings. " I mean, Elena was- is, the nicest woman ever. Even before she began to raise me, she was always there for me. She was my father's little sister and he was... he was crazy about her. Then after... she protected me with such a fire , Dee! She'd do anything for her dignity, or mine. What other person in the world would take in her brother's child... who she could have left alone."

Dee nodded to Ryo, with a glint in his eyes. Ryo knew that Dee could think of one man who did the same thing as Elena. That man had died young as well. It seemed like influential men and women died young, leaving people hurt. Dee nodded to coax Ryo to continue his speech.

"God Dee, I can't do this. Elena was too strong to be gone. She loved me more than I deserved. And her husband! Oh man, Rick... Dee, when I said I wanted to be a cop - as bold as she was, Elena was scared, but Rick urged her to let me try and shoot for my dreams. He was always so accepting of everything. He was smart, and so brave. But there was tenderness to his rough side, and that's why Elena loved him so much. He would just sit there, pipe in hand like always, and tell me and Elena how crazy we were." When he faltered, Dee held a hand to his chest, trying to calm him. His face finally fell, and his heart broke on contact with Dee's hand.

He wept, unable to control the levels of pain running through him. He whined, a low sound coming from his body, and then with a single force, clung onto Dee's form. Dee, still on his knees, held Ryo tight to his chest. "Oh God, they can't be dead Dee!" he whimpered, holding tighter. He was letting go and that was all that was necessary. He burst, not caring for looking stupid. "People like them don't die! Why would anyone want to wipe them out? If the drugged jerk didn't die in the crash, I would murder him - for taking them! It isn't real -- I don't think it will be until I see their bodies for myself. I mean, what is death if you don't see it right in front of you? Maybe it never happened. Maybe you're not even alive youself... Gah that sounded confusing! It's all so confusing right now."

"It's not, it's just not fair..." Dee mumbled, his head tucked against Ryo's neck. "I know it hurts so bad,and I don't know why anyone would want to see someone like you, or your family, hurt. Things just happen."

"It could have been any... any one of those lowlife jerks in my famil..my family... but not Elena and her husband. They were the only other ... decent people in my life and my family. And I'm worried that beautiful, gentle Arianne is with those vile people! I feel like she's mine Dee... and I don't want her to suffer that. I know from awhile back that she put me down as Arianne's legal guardian, in case of something like that. I just can't rise to something like that..."

Ryo had ceased yelling, and was now just talking. Dee knew that Ryo, much like himself in the face of death, would have nights in the months and years to come, where he'd be unable to sleep because of the loneliness and pain. The memories would be too much. Rick and Elena had been gone for about a day in Ryo's mind, and he was still in shock. The outbursts, the melting; it was all a little piece of chipping emotion. He could hold it in right now, he could be strong.

"It'll all end up okay, Ryo. It'll get hard, but remember that you're still in shock. You do have family living, and we'll be loving you."

"Thanks Dee, but if Rick and Elena can be pushed off the face of the earth, then anything can happen. I'll have to learn to fight my own battles. If only that call would come. The money... the funeral... their daughter... what's going on? I wish I knew."

"It'll work, it'll work."

Ryo was tortured by memories that told him how Arianne would be his child. Rick and Elena were never people to look to the future until their baby came into their lives, three years ago. Ryo knew that. He also remembered back two years back, talking to an overly anxious Elena, about then baby Ari's custody in case of emergency. He had been freaked out by Elena's request, and her movement towards practicality. "We have a daughter, honey," Elena had said, grinning. "I can't live my life on the edge now... a will makes sense."

"But Elena... it's not like anything will ever happen to you guys."

"Ryo, listen to your aunt," Rick said from his chair. "Elena knows what she's talking about. We have to prepare for the unexpected. If one of us died and the other wasn't around for Ari... who would be there for the baby?"

"I dunno Rick," Ryo admitted dully. "It's just that I hate to look at things like that. I'm practical too. I've written a will out and I'm younger, but to see you guys do it is a little disheartening. It's like you've changed..."

"I know, it's a lot less glamourous then our lives have been," Rick mumbled laughing. "Elena and I have been known to have a lot of fun with our lives. But we're adults with a baby and we have to balance what we've done with what we need to do. Take care of Ari and our possesions."

"Hon, you don't have to agree to this..." Elena said softly, "But I need to know that if Rick and I were to - be gone unexpectedly, that Ari would have a great home life. She's a good girl and deserves not to be dropped off into our family. And Rick's got a small family, but they aren't great home raisers. I want you to take care of Ari."

Ryo had then looked down at the smiling baby and told her. "Your mama's changing Arianne," he winked. "Don't worry though. Yeah Elena, I'd do it, of course. If -*gulp*- anything ever happened she'd have a home with me. I make good money and everything in her life would be happy."

He also had a memory of meeting Arianne three months ago. She had just turned three years old then. When he asked her what her name was, she said it so clearly. "My name is Arianne, mister." She was an extraordinary kid, and Rick and Elena were so incredibly proud of their young child. Now what would happen to Arianne, with her pretty eyes, and precocious voice? He didn't know.
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Review Thanks -

The Bard's Apprentice - Ryo is just one of those characters that hurting is fun. It's awful but a lot of us do it. I've wanted to play with this plotline for a loooonngg time and am so happy to be doing it now.

G Iris - I really appreciated your well rounded review. I am just so honored that you compared my writing to Sanami Matoh because the woman is obviously some sort of genious. I just can't believe that (judging by the way Elena protected Ryo from his family members and their judgements in book 3) that she'd feel any less about his sexuality.

Ryozo san - Thanks! Won't have to wait long in the first four or five chapters.

Yeah, So I Said - I appreciate the critique. I decided a long time ago that if people were willing to give good critique then I'd take them well. I just have one question, what things did Dee think that were "way out there?" That's just a bit confusing. I know sometimes I can write confusing so I'll keep it in mind. Please stay with this story, and maybe youcan let me know about differences.


AN: How's it going? Feedback would always be appreciated. I want to know what'cha think about the plotline so far.