Dinner With An Unexpected Guest

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no." Lisa said disturbed, glancing at the fish tank Fujimoto remarked on a bit earlier. Lisa and Fujimoto had been cooking all morning and afternoon that it seemed it was a good time to have a small, little break. Fujimoto had told Lisa to ignore the crab and get on with her life. With their stimulating conversations and fierce cooking, Lisa almost forgot about the small crustacean. "It's staring at me, Fujimoto. The crab is staring at me. Perhaps it's a spy!"

"Nonsense." Fujimoto replied, cracking eggs and letting them fall on the frying pan. "A crab has a brain equivalent to a bird's; it would have no means of transporting information. Nevertheless, I'd be cautious if I were you. It has your DNA all over it. If you were to let it go and somehow it was to drift back to the Atlantic, they would know I had made an acquaintance with you."

Lisa sighed with relief. "But that's just stupid. There's got to be a few thousand crabs like this in those waters. It would take them forever to figure out which one actually traced your steps."

"Crab's may be unintelligent, but that doesn't mean they can't be bewitched. There is most likely a spell on this one which forces it to find me or Granmamare and flow back to the Atlantic after it succeeded. It would go straight to them. You're just lucky Sosuke found it before it went back. I guess it's vital that I go into the ocean without you or anyone else. I could put you in danger."

"Danger? Hah. I laugh in the face of danger! Anyway, what's the danger? I put myself in danger every day by driving…or by living on this small island which could be struck by a hurricane any time…or by-

"The percentage of you getting killed in those situations is very diminutive. I'm being serious Lisa! You or any human individual would get killed in the blink of an eye if you happen to cross the Atlantic extremist group. You have to have skill."

"Oh…bragging are we? Skills? What kind of skills do you have, mister I-know-everything?" Lisa said very crossly. "You're starting to sound like me husband." Lisa crossed her arms, sat down at the kitchen table and huffed. She couldn't help plating with the spoon in the sugar cup. "I have skills…for instance…I'm great at multitasking."

"Not the type of skills you need to ward them off." Fujimoto chuckled. He stopped tending to his cooking and went to sit beside Lisa.

"So what now? We just let them send crabs and ignore them?" She asked slightly disappointed.

"I don't know. Whether it's a threat or a warning it would have to be handled the quite the same way. We must be pious under such circumstances…We, meaning Granmamare and I, and 'Granmamare and I' it will be…" when Lisa looked up with a bit of hope in her expression he added "…only."

"You spoil all my fun. What is the use of saving the world if I'm not included?" Lisa growled looking at the clock. "The kids should be right around finishing school now. I suppose I should leave to get them. We could finish the food when we get back." Lisa suggested. "You could stay here I suppose and wait for us to come back."

"Alright, I have to pull a few things out of the oven anyway." Fujimoto answered, standing up and going to the oven to set. "I might as well make sure the house doesn't catch on fire." They went into the front hall. While Lisa put on her shoes, Fujimoto held out her jacket for her and helped her put it on.

"Thank you." She said

"You're very welcome." Fujimoto replied.

With that, she went outside and closed the door behind her. Fujimoto sighed.

"Hey! Koichi! You're leaving? You sure you don't want to hang out just a little while longer with us and have a beer?" A voice called from the dock of the ship. The ship Koichi was on had just docked the island, and Koichi quickly packed his bags and lugged them on his shoulder. He stepped off the ship onto the deck and headed out to the parking lot while pressing the unlock button on his car keys.

He turned to face his comrade. "No." He shouted. "Lisa's going to kill me if I take anymore time and besides…the night that a woman's husband comes back after a long time is always the best, if you know what I mean." He winked.

The man on the deck chuckled. "You shouldn't be so cocky! You have enough children as it is!"

"Yah, well I wouldn't pass up the chance."

"Suit yourself. Call us if you change your mind."

"You won't here from me because I'll be having the night of my life." Koichi said after turning to walk to his car.

"Yah right…" with those last words the man disappeared behind the railing, and Koichi got into his car. Pleased with himself

"She's going to be so happy I'm home at last…" He said to himself.

"So how was your day Ponyo?" Lisa asked driving ferociously at the wheel. If Fujimoto were there, he would remark how poorly she was driving right now and how she should pay more attention to the road. When she drove him around earlier she could remember that he would curse every so often under his breath and cry small orders like, "Watch out for the cat!", "You're too close to his rear!", "Pedestrians do matter you know!" "What is this? Ten points if we hit the ice-cream man?"

"It was bad!" Ponyo answered snapping Lisa out of her thoughts of Fujimoto. "A boy pushed me and so I pushed him back… I got in trouble by the teacher."

"You didn't…" Lisa sighed.

"Well he didn't believe Sosuke when he said that I was a fish." Ponyo said snappily.

"Yah. He didn't believe me." Sosuke agreed.

"And he didn't believe me when I told him my mother was a goddess. So he pushed me when we won the argument so I punched him." Ponyo said disdainfully, her head in the air. "Sosuke also got in trouble with the teacher for calling me a fish."

"Oh Sosuke." Lisa said slapping her head. "But wait! Punched him, you say? Last time I heard, you just pushed him. Something tells me you are not telling the whole truth, Ponyo"

"I didn't understand why I got in trouble because Ponyo is…or was a fish. The teacher said that it was bad to call people 'fish' and that I was just lucky that Ponyo liked being called a 'fish'." Sosuke added.

"Sosuke…All I can say is "listen to what the teacher says from now on." Lisa said. "People are not used to little girls claiming that their mother's are sea goddesses. You can't go around telling people that Ponyo is a fish anymore because people just don't believe that and definitely don't punch people even if they pushed you."

"But mom!"

"Bur Sosuke."

There was a moment of silence, and Lisa kept her eyes on the road. "So…" she said breaking the silence. "We've made Italian food tonight. Are you hungry?"

"Yay!" Ponyo cried. "Italian food, what ever that means!"

Koichi drove up the small hill, listening to his music full blast and singing in his worst voice.

"Yeah, you and I, we'd break apart

there was something 'tween us from the start

But maybe lies get back at you

I'm gonna get you!"

He turned on their street and pulled up the driveway of his house. When he put his car into park, he opened the door, got out and sang. "I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you, I'm GONNA GET YOU!" and he ended his note, slightly sharp and striking an air guitar pose on the ground. Being absolutely content, he walked to the door of their house and pulled out the keys. He was so happy to be home he was whistling.

"She's not home yet, obviously because her car's not in the driveway but I hope will I surprise her when she gets back."

He opened the door, walked in, attempted taking off his boots, threw his bags on the floor, threw the keys on the counter then walked into the kitchen.

A voice caught his attention "Lisa, I managed to-

"AHHHHHH!" Koichi shouted, grabbing the nearest kitchen knife and aiming it at the figure wearing an apron and a pair of oven mitts and holding something that smelt delicious. The man looked baffled and Koichi couldn't help noticing his messy bright orange hair. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Me?" Fujimoto answered. He was probably thinking something along the lines of, "Why is it that I always land in the most awkward situations?" But instead he answered, "I am…your…uh…cleaning lady- no! Your Chef."

"We have a chef now?" Koichi asked dazed. "With our lousy incomes?"

"Yes…I mean no." Fujimoto hesitated. "I mean to say that, Lisa, being so kind, lent me her kitchen for the day so that I could-

"Koichi? What are you doing here so early?" A voice from the entrance of the kitchen said.

The two men turned and saw that it was Lisa staring up at them. She must have entered the house a few moments ago. Sosuke and Ponyo appeared seconds after.

"Who's this?" Koichi asked Lisa, forgetting that he was going to surprise her when she got home.

"Oh…" Lisa said, somewhat confused. "Allow me to make a proper introduction. Koichi…This is Fujimoto, Ponyo's father, and Fujimoto, this is Koichi…my…husband."

"Somehow I got the impression he was our new cleaning lady." Koichi said irritated.

"Did you say that, Fujimoto?" Lisa said trying to cover up her panic. "Gosh, you are such a ridiculer, always making funny jokes." She turned to Koichi and put on her best smitten face. "Koichi, I told Fujimoto that he should come down some time and have dinner with us, sjeeing that he never gets to see Ponyo anymore. I'm sure you two have seen each other from a distance, by the dock, you just never met personally. Well…here you are, meeting for the first time." Lisa added uncomfortably.

Koichi didn't lower the knife, and Fujimoto didn't dare move towards Koichi, but he could feel the hot food burning through his oven mitts.

"Dad? What's with the kitchen knife?" Sosuke asked.

Koichi looked at the knife he was holding, and then put it behind his back. "Oh this?" he laughed nervously. "I was going to do pretend sword fighting with Fujimoto here, but promise me that you will never do pretend sword fighting on somebody you don't know." He turned to Fujimoto. "Isn't that right, Ponyo's father?"

Fujimoto raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

"Sometimes dad, you are very strange." Sosuke responded. He then left the room with Ponyo's hand in his. When they were gone Lisa scowled at Koichi and hit him lightly.

"What the hell was the real reason for the knife, Koichi?" she whispered violently.

"Fujimoto scared me and I naturally reacted to a strange man wandering in our house."

"That's no way to welcome guests."

"You know, if this is a bad time, I could just leave." Fujimoto interrupted.

"Yes." Koichi said.

"No." Lisa said at the same time. She growled at Koichi, then looked at Fujimoto. "Listen, you cooked this food all day, and it would be a bummer if the chef didn't get to taste his own meal."

"You were here all day?" Koichi cried, not believing what he was hearing.

"Yes, he was." Lisa admitted, quite poised. "And he was willing to make supper for the entire family. Unfortunately, I only set the table for four, because I wasn't expecting you to come home, so you might want to add another plate and cutlery. I invited Fujimoto, and he is staying here for supper."

"Alright, alright, you don't have to be so touchy." Koichi mocked.

Dinner was particularly awkward tonight. Koichi and Fujimoto, being the two gentlemen sat on opposite ends of the dinner table, Ponyo and Sosuke on the long end and Lisa on the other. When the fine delicacies were placed on the table, Lisa exchange plates and put servings on them. Koichi, on the other hand glared at Fujimoto, clenching his fork so that it faced completely upright.

Fujimoto would ignore Koichi's intimidating glare and would try to align his cutlery as straight as possible, but always got the slight notion that they were tilted.

Ponyo and Sosuke were making paper cranes out of their serviettes. Sosuke's was perfect and Ponyo's ended up looking like a frog that had just been road killed.

"So this is all very nice." Lisa started, "This is the first dinner we've had in months were the whole family sat down."

"Though it would have been nicer if we didn't have any guests." Koichi said under his breath.

Lisa stomped on his foot. "Koichi!" She barked over his repugnant comment.

"Oh…excuse me." Koichi said sarcastically. "I meant to say that this is great food."

Fujimoto heard Koichi's earlier remark and decided he should counter. "Well surely Koichi, you have people come by from time to time." Fujimoto said, not letting Koichi's old comment slip. "Life might be somewhat wearisome if it was only you four, continually."

"Sure, but if there was a guest I would much prefer it to be one of Lisa's aggravating friends who only like talking about shopping or something dull like that." Koichi jeered.

"Koichi!" Lisa barked again.

"I'm sure Lisa's friends would be appealing if you didn't ask them about their views on fishing." Fujimoto pungently said.

"What makes you think I ask Lisa's friends on their views of fishing?"

"Well that's what you're interested in isn't it? It's a common habit to ask women about the things you are only engrossed in. Next time, try politics, or something civilized people talk about."

"Civilized people?" Koichi repeated. "What do you know about politics? From what I heard, you haven't surfaced for years. I bet you wouldn't even know pop culture."

Lisa interrupted. "Change the topic please. You're giving me a headache just listening to you two."

Koichi and Fujimoto fell silent. Ponyo and Sosuke were now preoccupied making the mashed potatoes, Lisa prepared into fish shapes.

"Here's a topic for you," Koichi muttered trying to brighten his tone and now twirling his fork, "If you're really as amazing as they make you sound, what you do for a living?"

Fujimoto smirked. "I don't need to make a living."

"What good is that? What, you let your children starve?"

"They live in the ocean, there's plenty to eat. And moreover, I let them be independent and fend off things for themselves; otherwise they will grow up unexposed to what harsh realities come forth in life."

"Are you saying I don't raise my kids properly?" Koichi asked angrily.

"Nothing of the sort. You're human. Humans raise their kids in sheltered conditions."

"Yeah, well, stop getting off topic. What is your living?"

Fujimoto was vexed now. "I told you, I don't make a living. I don't need one. If you want to know what I do, I'll tell you. I clean up after you fishermen, you men who strip the ocean of all its valuable fish and pollute the once unmarked waters into garbage fests. You don't know how much you are destroying your own world."

"This is a company you are talking about. We do things on orders, and technically, if I make the money, I don't give a damn about the oceans."

"Koichi." Lisa snarled, "Watch your language around the children. and for the last time, you two, make nice." Koichi and Fujimoto looked towards Ponyo and Sosuke and noticed they were not even paying attention to their conversation.

Fujimoto noticed that Ponyo didn't eat any of the vegetables on her plate. "Ponyo, eat your vegetables." Fujimoto ordered her, trying to avoid Koichi's future comments. "They're good for you."

"No. Don't eat them." Koichi contradicted. "Since they taste like shit, I suspect them of having bacteria or something that could kill you."

"Soichi! For crying out loud!" Lisa growled.

Fujimoto sighed.

"In all honesty, you're cooking lacks taste." Koichi rudely pointed out.

"I'm very glad you've said so." Fujimoto sardonically replied.

"Look bud, where's your wife?" Koichi asked Fujimoto.

Fujimoto looked towards the door screen windows. "She's a goddess. She can never attend to dinner invitations."

"And you can?" Koichi grunted. "I would figure you are too busy to attend our invitations as well…Tell me. What makes us so special?"

Again, Fujimoto was put in an awkward situation and he noticed that Lisa was giving him a enquiring stare. "Ponyo is my daughter, and I was curious as to how she was coping here."

"Are you always this curious? You could always just give us a call from time to time."

Lisa found this to be a good time to interrupt the conversation and clear all the dishes "I am going to get desert now…If you'll excuse me." She stood up to leave and soon as she stood up, Fujimoto stood up as well, out of respect. Koichi remained sitting. When she left, Fujimoto sat back down following her with his eyes.

"What do you have against me?" He whispered turning to Koichi. "Can you not see Lisa is trying to brighten things around here? According to her you are very rarely at home."

"Criticizing me for not taking care of my family now, are you?" Koichi argued. "Who are you to criticize me? You are not even human."

"Unlike you, I care for-…Listen; I don't want this to end in turmoil."

The room fell silent. It appeared that Ponyo and Sosuke were now listening. They were probably disturbed by the two adult's harsh tones. All that was heard was Lisa's quiet humming in the kitchen. "So why did you do it?" Koichi asked in the silence.

"Why did I do what?" Fujimoto asked.

"Why did you trade your human life to be a wizard?"

Fujimoto didn't answer.

"I asked why-did-you-do-it?"

"I would prefer to keep that to myself."

"Are you trying to hide something?" Koichi smirked.

"No, I would just prefer it if I could keep that unstated."

"Listen, I don't like you. From the minute I saw you, I didn't like you. The only men we have around this house are my friends and no one else. Seeing that you're not my friend I say you should pack up and leave, because if not, I will ruin you. I will do something to ruin you."

"It's ironic, you saying that to a wizard." Fujimoto replied.

Lisa in the meantime was in the kitchen scraping off the leftovers and putting them in the garbage. She couldn't grasp the idea that Koichi was home. It befuddled her to think why Koichi was being rude to Fujimoto. "Does he suspect anything?" She wondered. "Why does he always have to be such an asshole? Why does he have to be an asshole to Fujimoto of all people?" She almost burned her hands on the oven while desert out. She could hear soft murmurs coming from the dinning room. It was obvious Koichi was saying something that wouldn't please Fujimoto.

Lisa entered the dinning room carrying the pie, she and Fujimoto baked. Fujimoto stood as she came to the table, the only difference was that he didn't sit down when she sat down. He just stood there looking down at Koichi. Lisa looked up at his tall slim figure and so did everyone else.

"Fujimoto, why don't you sit down?"

He didn't answer at first, but after much consideration he finally spoke. "Excuse me Lisa, but something urgent has caught to my attention. Your hospitality was immense but it would seem I am not welcome in certain areas." In that notion, he looked straight at Koichi. "Do forgive me, but I must leave."

Gracefully, he left the room. Lisa quickly got up and followed. "Fujimoto! Is it something I've done? Surely, you won't just leave. There's still desert!"

"I'm sorry Lisa." Fujimoto said, "But I'm afraid I have no choice, but to leave…I'll find a way to make it up to you later. I promise."

"But-

It was too late. Fujimoto had walked out the front door, and the hallway was left silent. She went back to the dinning room and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms.

"Koichi," she said softly, "What did you do now?"

Yeah so it's been forever! You can all punish me! I've been very very bad not publishing anything. Hopefully I'll have another chapter soon. Everything has been so unpredictable these past few months that I just haven't managed my time wisely. Atleast my absession for Ponyo didn't diminish, so you can expect more Ponyo fics from me depending on my time! Yay! Thanks for reading and thank you for the reviews! I swear, if it weren't for them I wouldn't be motivated to keep writing.