Lupin III Fan Fiction ❯ Like Grandfather Like Grandson ❯ The Letter ( Chapter 1 )

Like Grandfather, Like Grandson

By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki

(Lupin The Third isn't mine and Arsene Lupin doesn't belong to me either. Arsene Lupin The First describes the raising and subsequent training of the heir to the Lupin Empire.)

Part One: The Letter

August 15th

A man of seventy should never receive such great shocks such as the one I received today. The whole reason I came to Japan was to relax and perhaps forget the travesty my youngest son is making of our family name. I tried to teach him well but I feel it was futile. He does as he pleases whilst I read of his exploits in the numerous newspapers I have delivered… when he is not in jail.

Arsene Lupin The Second was born twenty-one years ago. When most men my age were becoming grandfathers, I was becoming a father for the fifth time if you count my poor little daughter that never lived at all. Most of my children I have never seen and I doubt they want to see me however I would not mind meeting the son I heard has become a rather successful detective but he would probably laugh in my face and have his sidekick arrest me.

Arsene, on the other hand, is constant presence in my life. He has been on his own since his sixteenth birthday but does keep in contact with me though it is sporadic and his letters always bring news that makes me want to wring his neck. The letter I received today is no exception and my blood is still boiling as I re-read the words…

Dear Father,

How are you, old man? I am doing rather well. I have escaped from the Sante just like you did. Well, I didn't use some filthy street person to fool those idiots but I made it out all the same. I will be laying low in England for a bit for there are some pieces of art I wish the get my hands on. Don't worry; I'll watch my step. I do find English prisons ghastly and that awful mold makes me quite ill.

I do however have a favor to ask you. It seems the last time I came to visit you I made a slight folly. As you know, I was seeing that delectable little sweet I met at Hirosaki Castle when the cherry trees were in bloom. Since you are not an innocent man by any means, I will not go into details. The romance in the air was over powering and I doubt any man could have helped himself.

I have become a father but I cannot care for the child. Sadly, neither can the mother. My contacts in Japan have informed me that she passed away shortly after giving birth to your grandson. They were even able to send me a picture of my boy. You will find it enclosed and I am sure you will be glad to see he looks every bit a Lupin. The picture was taken five months ago so he might look different but he looks so much like I did as a baby, I am sure he'll be as dashing as I and as dashing as you ever were.

What's the boy's name? Well, you can surely guess that one yourself. I always swore I would pass our family name along to my first born regardless of gender or marriage. The girl's family called him something else but you can surely handle the paperwork for a name change, correct?

I will have to ask you to go pick up the boy. He is currently in an orphanage in the same prefecture as the castle. The exact address is on the back of the photo. I hear the nuns are just crazy about him because he's so charming.

I must go. I am writing this letter by candlelight and it is about to burn out. I will write again soon.

Yours always,

L.

I have not brought myself to look at my grandson yet. I feel if I do, it will make me have to admit this is all real. My son is just a boy himself at only twenty-one and I taught him that discretion is the better part of valor. I also taught him that keeping ones' pants up tends to keep one out of much trouble.

The thought of bringing up yet another child at my age makes me shiver but letting him be brought up by the Catholic Church make my skin crawl. I assume it would be best for him to be reared in the family even if it isn't by his father. Finally, I've worked up the nerve to look at the child and I have to agree with the nuns, he's quite a cute little imp but so was his father at that age.

" Maryanne! " I shout for my maid. I can hear her simple shoes clicking on the tile floor as she approaches. She arrives in the room and bows.

" Oui, Monsieur Lupin? " She said, her French accent still heavy in spite of being in Japan for five years. I have tried in vain to teach her Japanese and English but she still speaks her native language. If she were not the granddaughter of Desire Baudru, I would have left her in the whorehouse she had been living in.

" Have Henri get my motorcar ready, " I said as I stood up to get ready for the journey. I had bathed earlier in the day so I only required changing into something a little more appropriate for gathering my grandson from the orphanage.

" Y a-t-il toute autre chose monsieur? " She asked. ("Is there anything else?")

" Yes. Contact Victorie, " I instruct her. " Tell her to come right away. "

" Oui, Monsieur. "

Maryanne quietly excuses herself as I wonder if my former nurse's great-granddaughter will agree to come here. The young woman is the spitting image of my nurse, perhaps the reason her name was passed on to her. She is about the right age to pass her off as my grandson's mother and I know he will be in good hands.

**

I found the orphanage with little effort and parked the car along the side of the building where a few other cars were. I assumed it was people wishing to adopt children and hoped someone else had not already taken my grandson. I instructed Maryanne to wait in the car for my return. I had brought her along to hold the child on the trip back.

I got out of the car and walked up the front steps, tipping my hat at some nuns that were coming out of the building. They stopped and bowed before continuing on. I went inside and easily found the office where the Mother Superior was sitting. I cleared my throat and she looked up.

" Can I help you sir? " She put down the pen she had been writing with.

I pulled out the picture of my grandson, " I am here to collect this child. It is my grandson. "

The Mother Superior looked at the photo then motioned to the papers on her desk, " I am dreadfully sorry but I am already two-thirds through the paperwork on this child. Another family has adopted him. "

" Tell them they cannot have him, " I said. " I have come to collect him and I will not leave until I do. "

" Can you prove he is your grandson? "

I pulled out the letter from my son, " This was sent to me. I received it today. It is a request from the boy's father to take him into my custody. This picture was also from him. "

The Mother Superior read the part of the letter I pointed to then she looked at the photo again, flipping it over and reading the address. " I see. You will have to speak with the family though. They will be here in an hour to get him. "

" I will talk them into letting me have him, just you see. Now, show me to my grandson. "

" As you wish but you better not try to leave with him. I hear that Japanese prisons are quite horrid and I don't think a man your age would survive very long in one, " The Mother Superior stood up.

" I don't believe I asked your opinion on that, " I muttered as I followed her out of the office. She led me to a nursery where I could hear the sounds of other babies making baby noises and some were crying. " Where is he? "

The nun looked around until she spotted the boy, " Genki is over there. "

~I'm most definitely changing his name to Arsene, ~ I shivered. 'Genki' didn't seem like a suitable name for a Lupin. I followed her to where she pointed. Two young nuns were standing over the boy as he held onto another as she helped him walk.

" I must say, he has become much more handsome than he was in this picture, " I said. I felt a grin tugging at my lips as I recognized some of my features as well as some of my son's; " He actually looks more like one of us now. "

The Mother Superior looked between the boy and myself, " Yes. I do see a family resemblance. "

" Good then. Ring up the family that wants him and tell them it is off. I'm taking my grandson home with me today. "

" We just can't do that, " The Mother Superior turned on me. " I still have no valid proof that he is yours and there's a process you must go through you know. "

" Just look at the boy! You said it yourself! " I pointed towards the child.

" He was turned in as an orphan and that is what all of his papers say. In fact, we found him in a basket on the doorstep if you must know. The note with him specifically said his mother was dead and the father was too. "

" It was a lie! " I tried not to shout for I did not want to scare the children. " His father is my son. He sent me the letter and said for me to collect him. You saw it yourself! "

" Yes but did your son give you a name? Did he give you a date of birth? " The Mother Superior arched an eyebrow.

" No, he didn't know the child's name except that his grandparents were calling him something Japanese. I'm telling you, that is my grandson and I will not leave until I can take him, " I noticed that the two young nuns were staring at me and the third had plucked up my grandson from the floor.

" Mother Superior, " The nun holding my grandson said. " What is he talking about? "

' He is obviously mad or confused, " The Mother Superior said. " Sister Mary Mari was here the day he was found and she read the letter to me. It said he was an orphan with no relatives whatsoever. The only other thing it said was his name and it is Genki. "

" I'm telling you, that letter was bunk. I am that boy's grandfather and I would like to have him, " I was starting to lose my temper.

" Did you say something about a picture? " Mary Mari asked abruptly. She had pretty face spattered with freckles. I could tell from her eyebrows she was a redhead. I imagined her with long flowing red curls, her emerald green eyes twinkling with all the dreams a young girl could dream.

I snapped out of my reverie and nodded, " Yes. The Mother Superior still has it in her office. "

" Can I please see it? I have one I took of Genki when he came to us. I will go get it and we shall compare them, " Mary Mari seemed like an intelligent girl. Her suggestion was logical.

The Mother Superior rolled her eyes, " Oh alright! I will let you compare the pictures but it will prove nothing. "

Mary Mari bowed, " Thank you. I shall go get it and meet you back at your office then. "

The Mother Superior waved her hand, " Yes. We will be waiting. "

I followed The Mother Superior back to her office. She waved towards a chair as she walked back to her desk. " Please take a seat, Mister… I didn't catch your name. "

" It is… " I thought it over for a moment before I relented. " You can call me Mr. Lupin. "

" Lupin eh? " The Mother Superior's eyes took on a different look. " It is the same as the famous thief and his son. It must cause you some trouble. "

" Not at all, " I smiled coolly as Mary Mari walked into the room with her picture and Genki on her hip. She looked rather maternal carrying my grandson around and I wondered if I could lure her away from the convent to be his nanny. It had seemed he had taken a liking to her as well. He clung to her bosom and looked at me with a bit of wonder in his dark brown eyes.

" Here, " She offered the picture to The Mother Superior.

" This is quite strange, " The Mother Superior muttered as she placed the pictures to one another. " This is the same picture. "

" Perhaps the man that developed the pictures knew the father and sent him the copy? " Mary Mari winked at me and put a finger to her lips to tell me to be quiet. She quickly dropped her hand when The Mother Superior looked at her.

" That's impossible. Things like that do not happen, " She scoffed.

" But they match, " I said. " Therefore, the child in my picture and the child in Mary Mari's arms are one in the same. "

The Mother Superior shook her head, " But what do I tell the family when they come to pick him up? "

Mary Mari shifted Genki, " If you don't mind my impudence, I would say to tell them that the boy has family after all. "

" But I've spent all day on these papers, " The Mother Superior motioned towards her desk but the papers were gone. " The papers! Where are the papers? "

I acted like I was scanning the desk for them, " They were right there with the photo. Could someone have taken them while we were away? "

Mary Mari looked at me again with a warning look. " Who could have done such a thing, Mother Superior? " She said as she leaned down to help the older woman look.

I noticed the fireplace across the office and there were ashes in it. I thought it was odd there were fresh ashes in it in the middle of August. Mary Mari looked up and followed my gaze before giving me a most telling glare. I felt the urge to smile again when I realized there was someone was trying to help me get my grandson.

" I will have to draw up those papers again, " The Mother Superior sighed in exasperation.

" I think we should talk to the family when they arrive and tell them what has happened. It seems that this man is not lying about this claim so maybe they will understand, ' Mary Mari said.

" Fine. Mr. Lupin, " The Mother Superior looked at me. " Please wait in the hall and we will discuss this matter once the family arrives. Mary Mari, take Genki back to the nursery. "

I nodded and noticed Mary Mari was looking at me again. She looked at the door that led towards the orphanage then looked towards the front hall. I assumed she was telling me to meet her outside after she cut through the orphanage. I stood, " I need to check on my maid in the car. "

" Your maid? " The Mother Superior arched an eyebrow.

" Yes, my maid. I brought her to hold the child on the way back, " I said.

" How optimistic you are, " The Mother Superior commented.

" I like to think of myself as an optimist, " I said as I put my hat back on. I walked to the door and opened it as Mary Mari went through the other door. I then went out through the front door. Maryanne was sitting where I had left her but was surprised to see me.

"Où est le bébé? " She asked as I walked up to her side of the car. (" Where is the baby? ")

" Il sera ici dans un moment, " I replied. (" He will be here in a moment. ")

" Qui est ce? " Maryanne pointed towards the back of the convent after several minutes passed. (" Who's that? ")

I had to blink to be sure but it looked like Sister Mary Mari except she had shed her habit and now wore a purple plaid dress and carried a large suitcase as well as my grandson. It pained me to see my fantasy about her long red hair had been wrong for she sported a closely cropped cut. " C'est notre ange de Dieu, " I said as I rushed around to my door to open the rear passenger door. (" She's our angel from God. ")

" Thank you, " Mary Mari said as she put her bag in the car and climbed in. As I got in, she hit the back of my seat, " Let's go! "

I started the engine and I backed out quickly, tearing towards the road without a glance back save for one aimed at Mary Mari. " Do you mind telling me what this is all about? " I said as we got to the road.

" I work for your son, " Mary Mari said. " My name is Marisol McDunham. He contacted me to look after his son. "

I hadn't really paid attention to her decidedly Irish brogue in the orphanage but it caught my ear. " How do you know him? " I asked as I tore through the countryside.

" He was in jail in Ireland for some petty theft, " She explained. " I brought potatoes and bread to the prisoners of the jail daily. He wouldn't leave me alone and insisted that I speak to him every day. To tell you the truth, he was the nicest one there at the time and he won my heart. "

I smiled, " It doesn't surprise me at all. We Lupins can melt ice with our kindness. So you kept in touch with him? "

" Yes I did. When I was moved to this convent, he managed to find me. He and I have kept in contact ever since he escaped from that Irish jail. I recognized his features in Genki and he told me about his little indiscretion with the boy's mother once I sent him the picture, " She motioned to Genki. " He asked me to make sure you got him. "

~That little imp, ~ I thought. ~He had this planned from the start. ~

" I supposed you'd like to know about the papers? " Mari asked.

" Surely it wasn't you that burned them. You were never out of my sight; " I glanced at her in the rearview mirror. " How did you pull that one off? "

" I didn't, " She smirked and pulled the aforementioned papers. " Those were ashes I took from the kitchen a few days ago. Mother Superior isn't very detail concerned so I knew she wouldn't notice them. "

I laughed, " You will fit into the house just fine then. Could you tell me just how old you are my dear? "

" I am eighteen, " Mari said. She threw the papers out the window as we passed a small lake. " I was fifteen when I met your son. I was forced into the convent at fourteen because it was either that or jail. "

" Jail? Whatever did you do? " I asked.

" Petty theft, " She sighed. " I was a war orphan and stole to survive. I was caught but was too wild to be put in an orphanage so they gave me a choice between jail and being a nun. "

" I see, " I glanced at her again. " I suppose it is a bit redundant to ask you this but do you want to work for me now? "

" Work? What do you want me to do? " Mari had been looking at the countryside but now looked at me.

" It seems little Arsene has taken a liking to you, " I replied. " Do you want to be his nanny? "

" Mais monsieur, que diriez-vous de Victorie? " Maryanne piped up. She had been swiveling her head back and forth as I talked to Marisol. I had obviously underestimated her abilities. It seemed she understood English but just didn't want to speak it. (" But sir, what about Victorie? ")

" Nous nous inquiéterons d'elle plus tard, " I replied in French out of habit. (" We will worry about it later. ")

Marisol looked between us, " What did you just say? "

" Maryanne was asking about a young woman. Her great-grandmother was my nanny so I had her called before we left the house. I doubt she will come though. She likes France a little too much, " I explained.

" Oh. How much longer will it be until we get to your house? " Mari asked.

" About another hour or so, " I replied. " So you will work for me? "

" I guess it's already been decided, " Mari smiled.

" Very good. I do have some requests though. "

" Yes sir? " Mari said.

" First, you must not cut your hair until it is a decent length and second, from this moment on, the boy is to be called Arsene Lupin The Third. "