Insert my un-eloquent plea for forgiveness here. This may be the last chapter in a while, because I'm about to enter the busiest few months of my life. Wish me luck.
Sorry, its not very long. I wanted to have a significant endpoint. Anyway, to the story…
A scream. It rang through the halls, echoing in a horrible way. I flung myself from the bed, snatching the thick red robe off the back of a chair as I rushed out the door. The scream stopped for a second as the source gulped for air between waning little cries. I shoved open the door to the extra room, flinging myself to my knees next to the little girl.
"Rinji!" I commanded over her horrified noise, "Rinji, calm down!" I instinctively reached out and rubbed her long cat ear.
Tears shown in her eyes and made paths down her face as the girl began hoarsely gasping for air. "D-Daddy…it…it was so bad!" She burst into tears again.
My heart still thumped from the startle her loud scream had given me. I concluded she had been having a nightmare, from the look on her face. "It's OK, Rin." I let out a long breath, "It's fine. I'm right here…"
"But you weren't!" She sobbed, "And Mama wasn't either! And-and the café was gone and Mr. Keiichiro…" She sucked in her breath to let it out again in a muffled cry.
"It was just a nightmare." I tried to soothe the paled child. "I'm right here…" I looked up as I heard footsteps approaching the door and my friend peer in, confused at the commotion. "And Mr. Keiichiro is right there…"
"But Mama isn't." Rinji sniffled quietly.
I paused. "Your Mama is fine. She's at home with her parents."
Rinji blinked multiple times, looking around the room. I could feel her shudder under my hand. "Oh…"
"Keiichiro, it's fine." I assured the man standing at the door, who had stood silent this whole time, "You can go back to bed. It was a nightmare."
"It looked real." Rinji whimpered as the brunette nodded and quietly walked back to his room.
"Dreams are like that, Rin-rin." I wasn't too good at comforting people, especially not little ones. This felt awkward, even if she was my 'daughter'.
She paused. "A-are you sure Mama's OK?" She whispered.
I wasn't, but one can't expect me to explain that to an eight year old. "Yes, Rinji."
The cat girl let out a long breath, her tail and ears twitching with anxiety. "Daddy…"
"Yeah?"
"I-I'm thirsty."
I paused. Who wouldn't after that bout of screeching? Not that I blamed her, of course. "Sure, Rin."
She sniffled and stood up, dusting off the pajamas given to her by Lettuce (apparently they used to be hers when she was Rinji's age. I didn't bother asking why she still had them). She nervously held my hand with a death-like grip as I led her downstairs to the kitchen.
She was jumpy tonight. It was rather odd. Usually she seemed to be the one making others jumpy, so it was a bit unsettling to see her so frightened of her own imagination. I suppose I had a hard time coming to grips with the fact she was a child, unlike me.
I carefully poured her a glass of water and gave it to her shaky hands. She drank it gratefully, giving only a small, barely audible 'Thank you' in return.
I realized how terrible the nightmare must have been to make her act so unnaturally. I hadn't known my own child long, but I had gotten a fair assessment of her character.
When she was finished, we once again trekked up the stairs to stop in front of the door that was temporarily the opening to Rinji's room. The eight year old peered into the darkness, her blue eyes wide with weariness and fear. She took a step in the doorway but didn't go farther in, standing rigidly just inside the door.
I looked down at the shaking child, and suddenly felt a rush of pity. She was away from her real parents in what must seem like a horribly strange world, her mother dating someone else, her father seeming not to care. And now the one person that could comfort her, her REAL dad, wasn't here. Even if her father was the same person as I was, he must be better at this whole father thing. "Rin-rin…"
Rinji lurched a bit as she turned around, her ears and tail flicking and twitching wildly. I realized with regret that I had startled her. "Rin, would you like to sleep in my room?" I asked hesitantly, "I don't like leaving you alone."
"Yes!" She whispered without hesitation, "Please! I don't wanna be alone right now."
The words only brought another unnatural rush of affection. "Of course. Come on." I felt guilty for not thinking of that in the first place.
I flicked on the light, momentarily blinding myself and the child, as our eyes had adjusted fairly well to the dark. Rinji studied my room silently, stepping inside the doorway. There really wasn't much to see: A bed, a computer desk, a chair. I followed her wandering eyes. "Something wrong, Rin?"
"…It's empty." She murmured.
"Well, I'm not up here much." I tried to console her, "And there really isn't much use for it than sleeping."
She paused for a moment before her eyes squeezed shut and she yawned quietly. I smiled, in spite of myself. "Come on, Rin, I think you're tired." I easily picked her up and set her down on my bed.
The catgirl's eyes filled with confusion. "But where are you gonna sleep, Daddy?"
I smiled gently, or as gently as I could. Smiling hadn't been my forte as of late. "Don't worry. I want you to us the bed." I straightened, "Besides…I have some work to do."
"Now?"
"Yeah." I leaned over and pat her head, "But I'll be back up soon. You just try to sleep, OK?"
"OK." A smile flickered across her face as she dove underneath the covers, holding them up to her chin. The little one rolled over to her side, closing her eyes with weariness. "Goodnight Daddy."
I quietly went to the door and flicked off the lights. "Good night, Rin."
"Thank you."
I stopped, looking back at the bed which was now a shadow in the dark. "For what?"
"For being nice to me, even though I'm not your daughter here."
I stared into the blackness. Perhaps this girl was smarter than I thought. I had never really considered she understood everything about our separate worlds perfectly. A brief smile came across my face. "It's my pleasure, Rinji." I stepped out of the door and closed it until there was only a crack left between the doorframe and the door.
Anxiety returned as I thought about Rinji's dream. Something must have happened to Ichigo in it. I knew I was being pretty silly, but I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe Rinji's dream was prophetic. So, I went downstairs to finish that business I had told the eight-year-old about.
I searched the kitchen until I found Ichigo's cell phone number. Keiichiro was very efficient with these things, unlike me, so I knew that number had to be stashed around somewhere. Usually, I just sent Masha out to do all the talking. Of course, Ichigo was holding my robot hostage now (even though I did give him to her), so I would have to revert to calling her. Oh, what fun this would be.
The phone rang. I waited impatiently as it continued to do so about four more times. I was beginning to get suspicious until there was a tiny 'click'. "Hello?" At first, I wasn't even sure if it was Ichigo. She sounded like she was so tired she was willing to fall over. That, and the phone always distorts people's voices. But as soon as I heard her yawn with a badly disguised 'nya' in it, I knew it was her.
"You sound like the living dead, strawberry." I mocked, probably sounding just as tired.
All sleepiness was replaced with anger. "What's the big idea, Shirogane?" She hissed. She probably would have yelled if it wasn't for her parents. "This better be good, or I'll kill you tomorrow!"
I didn't doubt it either. But those words made me realize I had no good reason. What could I say? Our daughter had a dream that got me worried? Oh, she would love that. "Than I suppose I'll be hiding all tomorrow…" I glanced at the clock, "Or today."
"Is this a game?" She snapped, raising her voice. I heard her squeak, than speak in a tone two times as quiet. "If no one's in trouble and no aliens are attacking, I need my sleep."
I paused. "I…was just making sure you weren't out running around, in trouble like you've done before."
"Yes, oh mighty chaperone, I HAD been sleeping."
I leaned on the counter, running my hand upwards on my forehead, brushing back my bangs. Even when I took my hand away, they still stuck up in gravity defying form. "Rinji woke me up screaming." I sighed, "She said she had a nightmare that something bad happened to you. I guess she wanted me to call to see you were all right."
That last part was a lie and I knew it. But I suppose Ichigo wouldn't be so mad if I shoved the responsibility on a child. There was a pause on the other side of the phone, and, for a second, I was sure she had hung up. "Ichigo?"
"I'm here." She paused again, but not as long, "And I'm fine. How's Rinji?"
"Out of character." I let out a silent breath of air. She believed it. "She's all jumpy and shaking and stuff…"
"And you did comfort her, right?" She grilled me.
"Of course." I chuckled under my breath, "I'm not totally hard hearted, you know."
"I'm not so sure." She stifled a giggle at her own joke.
"Stupid strawberry…"
"Hey!"
A faint smile once again flickered across my features. "I should go. Rinji is probably waiting." I paused, "I suppose I should be sorry for waking you up."
"That would be polite." The mew pointed out.
I gripped the phone. "Then I'm sorry."
She paused. "Thanks. Bye."
"Bye."
There was another click as the red head hung up the phone. I stared at the object in my hand blankly, my mind drawing up nothing. That was a strange conversation. I had lied, too. I knew very well why I had called her. I was worried that something had happened to her.
I slowly placed the gray phone back on the hook. None of it mattered, anyway. She and Masaya were destined to be together, it was fate. And there is no room for self-pity in fate.
Begrudgingly, I pulled myself back up the stairs for the third time and went to my room. Rinji was breathing softly and rhythmically, signifying she was asleep. I quietly slipped in the door with as little noise as possible, sliding into the computer chair. I could barely make out the girl's small form huddled under the covers. I had to face it, Rinji was one smart kid. But I pitied her attempts to make Ichigo and I get together. I knew what she had been doing. But if Ichigo had anything to say about it, there was no way in this world that could happen. I used to deal with that quite well, but now…it made me feel strange. Like I was angry at someone, but didn't know who.
I shook my head. Perhaps this was too much thinking. I leaned back in the seat so that my head rested against the back of the rough fabric. Everything seemed quite unreal since Rinji showed up at the cafes front door. I had been working on the time machine in the basement, but I suddenly didn't want to. I liked having the little girl around, even if she did cause quite a bit of trouble. Ichigo was starting to like her, too, as I could tell from our short phone conversation. And yet, I couldn't shake that their was something the girl wasn't telling me…or anyone for that matter.
I'm not sure when I nodded off, but I was still pondering these things when it I did.
Huzzah! I actually finished it. Poor Ryou. I'm pitying myown writing.Sorry it's so short. I'll try to produce the next chapter amidst my schedule. Thank you to everyone who's still reading it. I read the reviews, really…
Anyway, chapter six, hopefully coming soon.