Lupin III Fan Fiction ❯ Daddy's Girl ❯ Far From Heaven ( Chapter 23 )

Daddy's Girl

By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki

AN: I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews but I noticed something kept coming up in them. Some of you are under the impression this is a Mary Sue fic when that isn't the case at all. Toshiko is mentioned in the Pioneer dub of 'The Mystery Of Mamo' [a.k.a. 'The Secret Of Mamo' or 'Lupin Vs. The Clone' for you purists] and therefore is an actual character in the anime even though it seems she's never mentioned again. I just had to get that out. Thanks.

(Lupin isn't mine. Lupin returns home and finds Goemon and Jigen upstairs.)

Part Twenty-Three: Far From Heaven

Jigen tried to concentrate on his crossword puzzle in spite of the fact that Fujiko was sitting next to him and watching some sappy soap opera. It really wasn't the show that was bothering him but her incessant filing of her nails. Finally, he couldn't take anymore of the scraping and growled. " Would you please stop that? "

" My nails aren't the way I want them yet, " Fujiko continued to file.

" Why don't you just cut them off then? " Jigen looked at her hands. " It would be easier that filing the hell out of them. "

" I'm not filing them down, " Fujiko gave Jigen a sideways glance. " I'm sharpening them. "

" What for? " Jigen narrowed his eyes.

" For this, " Fujiko said then moved like she was going scratch Jigen across the face. She was surprised when he grabbed her wrist.

" Whoa. I haven't done anything to deserve that! " Jigen clutched Fujiko's wrist tightly until her fingers curled.

" Ow! You're hurting me! " Fujiko hissed as she tried to escape his grip. She realized her other hand was still free so she raked her free handful of sharp nails across the back of his hand. He quickly let go and glared at her.

" Damn it, bitch! That hurt! " He growled as he looked at his hand. Blood was starting to well up along one of the scratches. " Look what you did! "

Fujiko crossed her arms over her chest, " You should have let me go when I asked you to. "

" Are you two at it already? " Goemon came in from outside where he had been meditating. He had gone out to the back porch after he had moved his things back into his old room.

" Oh shut up, " Jigen growled as he stood up. " I have to go upstairs. She drew blood this time. "

" Where is Lupin? " Goemon looked around. " I have not seen him since I arrived over an hour ago. "

" He went into town to go check out something, " Jigen said. Fujiko didn't know anything about Toshiko except what Lupin had told her and Jigen knew it hadn't been much.

" I see. Do you wish to talk about it while you tend to your wound? " Goemon realized Jigen was referring to something that didn't involve Fujiko.

Fujiko puffed up with indignation, " What are you two leaving me out of? "

" It is nothing, " Goemon glanced at Jigen. " It is something that happened while you were away. "

" I was gone for one damn day! " Fujiko shouted.

" Yes you were, " Goemon tilted his head slightly. " It does not involve you because you were not here. "

" That answer really sucks, Goemon. Now you're going to make her curious, " Jigen looked at his hand again. " I'd like to get this taken care of. "

" Oh yes, " Goemon said. " I forgot you antagonized Fujiko and reaped its rewards. "

Jigen rolled his eyes, " I'm going to the upstairs bathroom because that's where the Bactine is. Are you coming or not? "

" I'm coming, " Goemon said and walked towards the stairs as Jigen started up them. He followed him to the bathroom and shut the door once they were both inside. " Now. Where is Lupin? "

" He went into town to go check out Toshiko's stepfather. He's curious to see what the guy is like; " Jigen said as he put his hand in the sink and turned on the hot water. He rinsed the cut out then opened the medicine cabinet.

" Ah. He wants to make sure he is as bad as we think? " Goemon arched an eyebrow.

" Yeah, " Jigen got the Bactine and sprayed it on where Fujiko had sliced him. He hissed then sighed, " There. "

" You have not asked how my trip to Yokohama went, " Goemon said.

Jigen arched an eyebrow, " You took that Inspector those roses and checked out the bomb site. What was supposed to happen? "

" I found something rather interesting on the building close to the bomb site, " Goemon reached into his kimono but Jigen stopped him.

" We have an audience, " Jigen pointed to the shadow under the door. He grabbed the knob and flung the door open. Toshiko jumped back, her eyes as wide as saucers. Jigen sighed as he tried not to act too angry, " Oh… it's you babe. "

" Um yeah, " Toshiko nodded. " Could I please get in there? "

Jigen looked at Goemon, " Yeah. We were talking but we can go somewhere else. "

" Would you please? " Toshiko looked like she was desperate to get into the bathroom. It was not that much of a surprise since she had been napping. She had decided to lie down after the pictures were taken.

Goemon and Jigen stepped out into the hall, surprised by how fast Toshiko moved. After she slammed the door, they glanced at each other. Jigen pointed down the hall, " We can talk in my room. "

" Indeed, " Goemon nodded. He followed Jigen to his room and waited for him to shut the door. " Do you think we are safe here? "

" Pretty much, " Jigen shrugged. " What did you find near the bombsite that's so interesting? "

" This, " Goemon reached into his kimono and pulled out something that made Jigen feel like he was hallucinating. " I cleaned it up for it was a little on the scorched side. How it escaped blowing up in the heat of the explosion is beyond me. "

" Holy shit! " Jigen grabbed The Golden Gun from Goemon's hand. " How the hell did it survive? "

" It is a mystery to me, " Goemon shrugged slightly.

Jigen tried to flip out the chamber but it wouldn't come loose. He took a closer look and frowned. " This is useless. The bullets melted without setting off the powder but they welded the chamber shut. There's no way to use it now. "

" It would still make an excellent display piece for Lupin's collection, " Goemon said. " I was planning on giving it to him once he returned unless you want it. After everything that happened because of Fujiko's lust for this pistol you deserve something in return. "

" Yeah but I'll take that up with her on my own, " Jigen muttered. He started to think about what he would demand as payback although he knew he wouldn't get it… nor did he really want it. He had decided he wasn't that desperate.

" You seemed very interested it when Lupin mentioned it though, " Goemon looked confused.

" I wanted to fire off a couple of rounds with it but I can't do that now, " Jigen handed the gun back to Goemon.

" Yes. That would be impossible, " Goemon tucked the gun back into his kimono. " Has Toshiko been told about the letters yet? "

" Lupin said he would tell her when she got up. She'll probably be pissed off but he wanted to get it taken care of as soon as possible. Pops should be getting out of the hospital any time now, " Jigen sighed. " I wish he could have waited for her to write the letters but time's ticking. "

" Yes. You do have a point, " Goemon nodded.

There was a knock at the door. " Who's there? " Jigen shouted.

" It's me, " Lupin called through the door. " What are you two doing in there? "

" We're talking. When did you get back? " Jigen looked at Goemon. He could tell that the samurai was wondering the same thing he was about how long Lupin had been at the door.

" I just walked in the front door two minutes ago. Fujiko said you two were plotting something. "

" She's just paranoid, " Jigen rolled his eyes. " You can come in if you want. "

Lupin opened the door, " What were you two talking about? "

Jigen looked at Goemon, " Should you tell him or should I? "

" Shit. Is it bad news? " Lupin frowned. " Look, I just had to deal with one detestable asshole so I don't want any news unless it's good. "

" So Ryousuke is that nice in person? " Jigen arched an eyebrow as he sat down on the bed. " He sounded like such a saint on the tape. "

" He's even worse in person. It was all I could do not to strangle him, " Lupin clenched his fists. " The only thing that stopped me was the fact that school was in session. There would have been too many witnesses. "

" That could be a bad thing, " Jigen nodded. " Actually, this news is half-bad and half-good. "

" Tell me the good part first, " Lupin reached into his jacket and got out a cigarette.

" Goemon? " Jigen gave the samurai a sly look.

Lupin started lighting his cigarette but dropped his lighter as Goemon pulled The Golden Gun out of his kimono. Lupin pointed at it and stuttered, " That's… "

Goemon smirked, " Yes. I found it when I went to survey the damage to Chamberlain's factory. "

Lupin snatched the gun from Goemon, " Yes! We finally got it! " He cried excitedly.

" Don't forget there's some bad news, " Jigen remind Lupin.

" What could be bad about this? This is fantastic! A lot of shit happened because of this damn gun and we have it! " Lupin lifted the gun and aimed at Jigen's dart board, his smile quickly wilting when he looked at the chamber.

" That would be the bad news, " Jigen sighed.

Lupin let his arm fall back to his side, the gun clutched loosely in his hand. He slumped his shoulders and heaved a big sigh; " I wanted to fire off a couple of rounds with it before I put it in the safe. "

" I did too, " Jigen stood up and patted him on the back. " It's not like we were going to use it regularly anyway. "

" Lupin! " Fujiko screamed as she pounded on the door.

Lupin looked for somewhere to hide the gun from Fujiko. He handed it to Goemon and waited for the samurai to tuck it away before responding to Fujiko. He shouted, " What? "

" You just got a call from Yukina at St. Luke's. She said that Pops is being released today, " Fujiko said through the door.

" Really? Did she have an exact time? " Lupin called back.

" She said it would be in an hour, " Fujiko replied. " She also said he requested a taxi to take him home since he doesn't have anyone he can call for a ride.

" Okay. Thanks, " Lupin turned to Jigen and Goemon. He looked at Goemon then shook his head before looking at Jigen. " So, do you want to play taxi driver? "

Jigen narrowed his eyes, " On two conditions. "

Lupin arched an eyebrow, " What's the first? "

Jigen glanced at Goemon then at the door, " Get her away from the door. This doesn't involve her. "

" I understand, " Goemon nodded then walked to the door. He opened it and stepped out into the hall. He had to push Fujiko out of his way for she was blocking the way.

" Well excuse you, " Fujiko huffed as Goemon pulled the door closed behind him. She let out a startled cry, " Put me down! What are you doing? "

" I hope she doesn't beat him to death before they get downstairs, " Lupin commented as the sound of fists hitting back came to his ears.

" Goemon can handle her, " Jigen waved his hand. " Do you want to hear my conditions now? "

" Yeah. She could get away from him any second, " Lupin looked at Jigen.

" You tell Toshiko about the letters you wrote so she knows, " Jigen said.

" I will, " Lupin looked towards the door. " What's the second? "

**

Zenigata frowned as the nurse wheeled him down the hallway towards the elevator. He clutched a hospital issued plastic bag that held the things they had been able to salvage after his was wounded and a pair of crutches. ICPO had sent someone with a clean jogging suit for him since he didn't have anyone at home to bring him clothes. The reason he was frowning was the fact that he had to keep his temper when he saw Ryousuke when he finally showed up to see Toshi.

Toshi had begged him to take both letters and pictures with him so Ryousuke wouldn't find them. She also asked him to do whatever he could to find Toshiko before the private investigator did for she was scared of what Ryousuke would do to Toshiko if he saw her again. Zenigata agreed, feeling guilty because he knew exactly whom his daughter was with but just not her location. He didn't know how he would find her considering his condition but he wasn't about to tell Toshi 'no'.

The nurse wheeled him into the elevator and pushed the button for the first floor. The doors slid shut, the only sound afterwards being the dull hum the elevator made. " Did you remember to call a taxi? " Zenigata glanced at the young nurse.

" Oh yes, " The nurse nodded. " It should be waiting when we get downstairs. "

" Good, " Zenigata said then looked forward again. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. The nurse wheeled him towards the front of the hospital where he could see cars parked along the curb. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the only taxi and his frowned deepened.

" I think that's your ride, " The nurse said as she wheeled Zenigata towards a taxicab that looked like it had seen better days. The paint was peeling and the sign on the roof was yellowed by excessive sun exposure. As they got closer, the passenger side door opened and a young lady stepped out before opening the rear passenger door.

Zenigata glanced at the lady, noting she reminded him of a movie star with her headscarf and huge sunglasses. The nurse put the brakes on the wheelchair before helping him into the cab. Once he had his bag of belongings and crutches, she shut the door and headed back to the hospital. The driver started the car, smiling at Zenigata in the rearview mirror as he pulled away from the curb.

" Where to sir? " The driver said.

Zenigata gave the taxi driver a wary look. The bearded man wore a backwards baseball cap, a white t-shirt with some holes in it and some dingy looking dungarees. Zenigata also noticed that he had long hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Zenigata sighed and gave the man directions.

" As you say, " The driver replied as they pulled onto the street. He reached down and turned up the radio a little before glancing at the woman. " Talk to the man, babe. Keep him company. "

The woman turned around in her seat so she was facing Zenigata, " How are you doing? "

Zenigata arched an eyebrow, " I've been better. "

" Oh, " The woman's voice trailed off as she glanced around. She then looked at the man, " Is it time? "

" No, babe. Wait a few more minutes, " The man replied then glanced at Zenigata.

" Time for what? " Zenigata was getting suspicious. He then realized the driver wasn't heading in the direction he had been told to. " What are you doing? "

" Settle down, " The driver muttered. " You'll see. "

" I don't think I want to see. Look here, I'm an ICPO officer and if you do anything to me you'll never see daylight again. "

" Jeez, " The driver sighed and turned the car down a dead end street. He parked it then yelped in pain when Zenigata smacked him in the back of the head with one of the crutches. He glared at Zenigata in the rearview mirror, " What the fuck did you do that for? "

Zenigata pulled the crutch back to hit the driver again but the woman grabbed the crutch. " Daddy! Quit hitting him! " She shouted.

" Daddy? " Zenigata blinked in surprise. He watched as the woman took off the headscarf and sunglasses. " Toshiko! "

The driver muttered as he took off the baseball cap, his fake moustache and took his hair out of the ponytail. He turned around in his seat and smirked, " Hey Pops. "

" Jigen? " Zenigata narrowed his eyes, " You ARE Daisuke Jigen, right? "

Jigen chuckled, " The one and only. "

" Thank God, " Zenigata muttered. He refocused his attention on his daughter. He grabbed one of her hands in his, " Honey… are you okay? "

" Daddy, " Toshiko whispered. " You just saw me yesterday. I was fine then. "

Zenigata looked around, " Where's Goemon? I told him to protect you. "

" I'm doing that today, " Jigen said. " He's been running errands since this morning and wanted to rest. "

" Errands? " Zenigata arched an eyebrow. " Would some of those errands be dropping of letters? "

Jigen scratched his chin and gave Zenigata a sideways glance; " He didn't say anything about letters to me. He was dropping off some flowers for Fujiko. "

Zenigata reached for his bag from the hospital, " Then who dropped these off? " He said as he pulled the letters out.

Toshiko looked down at the seat, " I think it was Mr. Lupin. He said he wrote those. I wanted to but he said it couldn't wait. "

" I hate to say this but he was right, " Zenigata looked at the letters. " You waited too long in the first place. You should have gone right to the police when it happened. "

" Daddy, " Toshiko sighed.

Zenigata looked at Toshiko, " Yes kitten? "

" I was so scared, " Toshiko's eyes started to fill with tears as she clutch the headscarf in her hands tightly. " He would have lied. He would have talked his way out of it. "

" He couldn't have when they were fresh, " Zenigata patted her hand. " He might be able to lie about it now but not with this proof. We need to take this to court as soon as we can. "

" But I'm scared what it will do to mom, " Toshiko sniffled. " I don't want to hurt her. "

" Your mother was very upset but it wasn't because of you. It was because of the picture, " Zenigata said quietly.

" Mom was there? " Toshiko asked, her voice sounding desperate. " Mom was at the hospital? "

Zenigata nodded, " She came to me as soon as she got her letter. When she realized it was true and it wasn't the only time, she fainted. "

" I want to see my mom, " Toshiko sounded very desperate looked at Jigen.

" No babe, " Jigen shook his head. " We can't do that. "

" Ryousuke's there so I wouldn't think it would be a good idea. Actually, this is pretty dangerous right now. He's hired a private investigator, " Zenigata watched as Toshiko eyes grew wide. " Your mother asked me to make sure I find you before he does. "

" Then that mission is accomplished, " Jigen said as got out a cigarette from a pack on the dash. " Why can't you just tell her you know where she's at and she's safe? "

Zenigata shook his head, " Toshi would want to know all the details but I don't think she'd take it too well if she knew Toshiko is with Lupin. "

Jigen lit his cigarette and nodded, " True. "

Zenigata looked like he realized something, " Jigen? "

Jigen furrowed his brow, " What? "

" Who took the pictures of Toshiko? " Zenigata arched his eyebrow in suspicion. He had recalled Toshiko was naked from the waist up in the pictures.

Jigen opened his mouth but Toshiko interrupted, " Fujiko did. "

Zenigata relaxed a little, " Good. I would hate to think you or Lupin saw my little girl like that. "

Jigen waved his hand, " We have more respect for you than that, Pops. We wouldn't have done that to Toshiko. "

Zenigata nodded, " I see. I hope you boys behave yourselves. She's my baby and I will hurt any of you if you touch her. "

" I got you. She's in safe hands, " Jigen said.

Zenigata narrowed his eyes at Jigen, " She'd better be. "

" You have nothing to worry about, " Jigen looked at his watch. " Put your disguise back on babe. We have to get your Pops home. He needs to rest. "

Toshiko sighed, " Okay. "

" I'd like to see you again in a few days if that's okay, " Zenigata said.

Jigen pulled his hair back into a ponytail and put on the baseball cap, " We'll see. We have to watch our backs since there's a private investigator to deal with. "

**

Lupin sat at his desk, looking at The Golden Gun. He couldn't believe he had it but it was useless. He looked carefully at the chamber and frowned. ~Why does this shit always happen to me? ~ He thought as he stood up to put the gun in the safe.

He walked over to a portrait of his grandfather and looked at it for a long time. He smiled slightly, " Fujiko. You can come out now. "

A panel in the opposite wall slid open and Fujiko stepped out, frowning as she left the secret passageway that led to the garage. " How did you know I was in here? " She pouted.

" I heard your breathing increase when I pulled the gun out, " Lupin smirked at her.

" I can't believe we got it. How? " Fujiko looked down at the gun.

" We just did, " Lupin shrugged as he turned to the portrait and moved it to the side. He stopped and looked at Fujiko, " I better not. You're standing right here and that's just like dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit. "

" Poo, " Fujiko crossed her arms over her chest. " You're no fun. "

Lupin glanced at Fujiko. " I wish I could have seen that bastard face to face. I wanted to hurt him for the things he did to you. "

" It's okay. I'll get over it. It's just one of those things, " Fujiko muttered. She was trying to be aloof about it but Lupin could tell she had been bothered by what had happened.

" It's just one of those things I wish you didn't have to go through, " Lupin turned to face her. " You don't know how much it hurt me when I found out the whole story. "

" Jigen told you? " Fujiko asked.

" After you vanished and Chamberlain called, he couldn't help it. I needed clues and he had them, " Lupin said.

Fujiko growled, " I told him not to tell anyone. Do you know he even told Goemon? "

" It doesn't surprise me, " Lupin said gently. " He did it because he was looking out for you. Even though he won't admit it he does care about you. "

" Right and I'm the tooth fairy, " Fujiko rolled her eyes.

Lupin put an arm around Fujiko, " Oh? I've always wondered how you were able to fly while carrying so much change and teeth around. Could you tell me? "

Fujiko pushed Lupin's arm away, " Very funny. "

Lupin put his arm around her again, " I'm serious. Jigen really does give a damn about you. "

" He gives a damn about if I'll be faster at getting to the treasure than you guys, " Fujiko scoffed.

Lupin sighed, " Believe what you want then. I could tell you until I'm blue in the face but you won't believe me. However, you know I'm not lying when I say I love you. "

" Lupin, " Fujiko sighed. " Please don't start. "

" But I do, " Lupin whispered as he moved closer to Fujiko. He kissed her, smiling when she didn't smack him upside the head. She didn't return the kiss and it troubled him. He pulled back, " What's wrong? "

" I don't feel like it, " Fujiko shook her head. " After yesterday, I just don't want to be touched for a few days. I'm sure you can understand. "

Lupin slumped his shoulders, " Yeah. I do. "

" I'm really sorry but you'll be the first one I call when I feel like it again, " Fujiko gave him a wink and a kiss on the cheek.

" What do you mean 'first'? " Lupin arched an eyebrow. " I'll be the only guy you'll need. "

Fujiko rolled her eyes, " Lupin… "