The Unexpected III

Title: The Unexpected III
Chapter 11 – Clean Up
Word Count:
Rating: R
Fandom: FAKE
Pairings: Ryo/Dee
Warnings: Yaoi, Male/male, MPREG, AU If you don’t like, don’t read! Cursing, mature themes, graphic insinuations of violent death, torture and violence.
Disclaimer: FAKE is not mine. We have Sanami Matoh for giving us Dee, Ryo and the rest of the 27th precinct characters and for respecting her characters unlike certain TV writers. Any OCs appearing in this fic are mine.
Summary: Ryo is dealing with his feelings in the aftermath of Dee’s attack, while doing his best to have things go back to as normal as possible for Dee, considering the circumstances.
Warning: Some slightly explicit graphic descriptions of Carrier death in one part (just a nightmare, but my beta suggested to add a warning because of her reaction at one part).

Beta by the gorgeous and brilliant Grace_Musica

The two men stood in the parking lot, leaning against the unmarked squad car they had arrived in. They had just come out from Ferguson’s autopsy at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Manhattan location on the east side of Midtown Manhattan.

“Well crap,” Drake said, as he lit a cigarette. “Who would have thought?” His eyes went from his companion to the nearby FDR Drive, checking the traffic.

Ryo’s brows were furrowed as he took out his notebook, going through notes taken during the autopsy. “It makes sense in a strange way. It was more than his sister’s death that made him snap.” Ryo flipped back a few pages to glance through the notes he had taken for Dee’s statement. Drake continued to smoke quietly, allowing Ryo to gather his thoughts.

Drake knew it was hard for Ryo. It was hard for Drake too, but it was not his husband that Ferguson had tried to slice open. Ryo had remained professional throughout the entire proceeding, but just barely. Drake had been able to see the effort it took Ryo to remain in control. He was in his cold, calculating, professional mode. Now, Drake could see the ice melting away. The autopsy was over, and Ryo would be wanting to be back at Dee’s side soon.

“There,” Ryo said as he stopped at a page of his notes. “It didn’t make sense at first. Then again, considering Dee’s situation at the time, I dare anyone to expect him to recall everything.”

“Dee’s sense of recall is scary,” Drake pointed out. “So is his ability to catch fine details without trying. Hardly photographic memory, but the way his mind can grab onto things. He’s the one who can focus on something the rest of us miss.”

Ryo nodded in agreement. “And still we were both ready to put this down along with his other hazy recollections. But now, it makes sense. Ferguson told Dee something about how it was his shame and he had to keep it from his sister.”

Drake moved to look over Ryo’s shoulders at the notes. “He helped her kill the cheating husband who dared to get knocked up when she couldn’t.” Drake looked thoughtful. “Did he know, then?”

“He had to. The ME said the fetus was 10 weeks,” Ryo reminded Drake. “That means he had to have gone through Settling already.”

“So he was already shamed before his sister was sentenced.” Drake looked at Ryo. “Do you want to go back to the hospital? I mean the one with Dee, not this one. Or would you prefer to go with me to meet JJ and Dana at Ferguson’s place?”

Ryo thought about it and then shook his head. “No. I think I’ll stay away from his place. An autopsy is one thing, but being in his domain and discovering more about that son of a bitch is another.” Ryo kicked at the rear tire close to where he stood. “I trusted him. I trusted him with Dee’s life and meanwhile there he was, planning to abuse that trust and kill Dee. I swear, if I was able to bring back the dead, I’d bring him back just to kill him again.”

“You’re got a line behind you for what’s left,” Drake assured him.

Ryo gave Drake a weak smile. “I get that feeling. Thanks. It’s meant more than any of you could know.”

Drake patted Ryo on his shoulder and then moved to open the door on the driver’s side. “C’mon,” he said. “I’ll drop you off so you can be with Dee.”

“Thanks.” After Ryo got settled in the passenger seat and Drake started the car up, Ryo spoke. “Oh, most of my family went back to their normal lives now that they know Dee will recover. So whenever you and JJ are up for a visit, I know Dee would love to see you.”

“I’ll check with JJ about tonight. If not, we both have off tomorrow. We might as well keep Dee company when you go get your new car.”

“Shit.” Ryo slapped his forehead. “I keep forgetting about that, but I do need to pick it up tomorrow. We’ll be needing it for sure now,” Ryo said.

“Is Dee coming back to work before the baby is born?” Drake asked.

“I’d prefer if he doesn’t, but he’s going to work it out with Vince and Rose to come back part-time, but not for another two weeks, at least.”

Drake shrugged as he guided the car down the street, heading for the entrance ramp for the southbound FDR Drive. “If Dee thinks it’ll be less stressful sitting behind a desk than lounging on a couch, more power to him.”

“Truth is, Dee loves being a detective. Always has, but now it’s more important to him than ever. Besides, being pregnant, he had these bouts of feeling useless. He’ll feel that way behind a desk, but more so sitting at home day after day. So the question lies on what will cause him less stress?”

“I guess. You know, Ryo, if you ever need to talk, rant, bitch, whatever, you know my number. Feel free to use it.”

Ryo snorted, then chuckled. “Drake, if I call you at the time I need it most, you’d be out for me for calling you between midnight and 3 AM while I’m running to White Castle for Dee.”

Drake laughed, then cast a sideways to look at Ryo. “Seriously?”

“At least twice a week. Sometimes he expects to go with me. Other times, he’s craving, but doesn’t feel like moving from the bed. Or get on a bus. I tell you, I gave in and grabbed a cab a few times just to get it over with. Especially on the way back, because God forbid the food is cold by the time I hand it over to Dee.”

“Oh.” A pause later, and Drake could not contain himself and started to laugh. He was still chuckling when Ryo muttered a goodbye outside the hospital.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“No way!” Bikky protested from his place next to Dee’s bed. The teen sat in a chair pulled close to the bed, where he usually sat when Carol wasn’t around.

Ryo could say the incident had rattled their son. The boy had already lost his birth parents; his mother at a young age, and he had watched his father murdered by drug lords before he was ten. He had gone through both Ryo and Dee being injured on the job. Dee had even taken a bullet to the leg to protect Bikky. This had seemed worse to the boy. Ryo was not sure if it was due to the outright maliciousness of the attack, or that more than just Dee, it also involved the unborn baby. Being an only child all his life, there was no doubt that Bikky looked forward to being a big brother.

Bikky looked at Dee. “Tell Ryo it’s okay for me to be around. Please?”

Dee smiled and patted Bikky’s arm. “I love having you around, but your dad and I discussed this while you took Carol out for dinner. I’m going to be fine. The baby is fine, too. She’ll be with us a few days earlier, but otherwise she’s good. You need to get life as close to normal as we can. Bad enough you’ll be doing your homework here after school.”

“I don’t want to go yet, Dee. Please? I want to stay here.”

“Dee will be coming home soon, Bikky. You’re almost done with the school year, and I don’t want your grades to slip because of this.”

“They can’t do that, Ryo. My dad was almost killed, along with my little sister! How can they fail me because of that?” Bikky jumped out of his chair, clearly agitated.

“Bikky, I’m fine,” Dee said, sitting up a little more and shifted slightly on the bed. He patted the space next to him. “Come here, kiddo.”

Bikky looked back at Dee and then moved to sit on the bed. Dee carefully placed his arm around the teen, glad it was the side that had no IVs going into the arm. To the men’s surprise, Bikky snuggled into Dee’s side and buried his face in Dee’s shoulder.

Dee kissed the top of Bikky’s head, and shared a look with Ryo. “Look, Biks. I want to put this behind us best we can. Vince says I should be home by the weekend. Ryo and I would love to put this ordeal behind us as best we can. We don’t want that bastard’s shadow hanging over us, do we?”

Bikky shook his head. “No.”

“Look, we’ve all been working hard on getting your grades to acceptable. And you’re even doing better than just acceptable. Do you want them to keep you back because of the last couple of weeks of school? Or go to summer school? I know I’m looking forward to having you help me out with the baby this summer, when you’re not out playing with your friends,” Dee explained.

“I don’t want to yet. Just one more day? Please, Dad?”

Dee froze ever so slightly. He was used to Bikky bellowing for both of them, calling them ‘Dads’. He was used to being referred to by Bikky as his dad since they all moved in together. He heard Bikky call Ryo ‘Dad’. It was the first time that the teen called Dee that without including Ryo.

Dee chuckled warmly. “I’m honored, sport, but calling me Dad isn’t going to get you out of school tomorrow. Do it for me, okay? Ryo will even pick you up in our new car.”

“Oh, that’s right! We get out car tomorrow.” Bikky looked between Ryo and Dee. “Then I should definitely not go to school, so I can be with Ryo when he gets the car.”

Dee sighed, trying hard not to look amused at his son’s tactics, which he knew very well from his own time at that age, and looked over at Ryo, deciding it was time for his husband to come up with a good reply.

Ryo remained firm. “That’s a no, bud. But I will pick you up from school with it.”

Bikky pouted, but the set look on Ryo’s face told him there was no further argument. He thought about attempting to appeal to Dee again, but decided it was a bad idea. If Dee folded, Ryo might get mad at him, and then there would be drama. “Whatever,” he mumbled. A thought struck him and he decided to try one more time. “If we’re supposed to be going back to normal, does that mean you’re going to work, Ryo?”

“I worked today,” came Ryo’s reply. “The press conference was official business, no matter how personal it was to me. Then I was at the ME’s office this afternoon. And tomorrow, after I drop you off at school, I’m going over to the squad for a few hours.”

“Oh.” Bikky sighed heavily. He turned to Dee. “When you get to go home, will you be able to play on PlayStation with me?”

“When you’re not at school,” Dee replied. “Besides, I’ll need something to do other than just lay around.”

Bikky smiled at Dee. “Then it’s a deal.”

Ryo shook his head, but was glad for another way to distract Dee while he was on bed rest.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
June 16, 2006

“What do we have?” Ryo asked as he walked into the squad room.

Ted, Marty, Dana and Andy all looked up. To them, it was as if nothing had happened at all when they looked at Ryo. He was dressed in dark blue suit with a black shirt and blue tie. Considering that the man was sleeping in the hospital with Dee, everyone would not fault Ryo for showing up in jeans and tee-shirts.

“Well, that was quite a little shocker from the autopsy results,” Ted commented as Ryo sat down in a spare chair, sipping his coffee.

Ryo nodded. “It was. But it all makes sense.”

“It makes more sense after finding this,” Dana commented, dropping a spiral bound college ruled notebook before Ryo.

Ryo glanced up at the woman in curiosity.

“Go ahead, take a look. Then we’ll talk,” Dana encouraged him.

“How’s the baby and Jack doing?” Ryo asked as he put down his coffee in exchange for the notebook.

“They’re both wonderful,” Dana reply, unable to stop the brilliant smile. “Jack wants to start calling Jack Jr. JJ, but….” She spread her hands and gave Ryo a goofy smile.

“Are you kidding me?” Ryo asked, as Ted and Marty started to laugh. “I think I’m going to have to have a talk with that husband of yours.”

“Tell me. It’s just… he hardly knows everyone, except for you and Dee. He met the rest of this crew only briefly. And before I forget, will it be okay if we come by tonight to see Dee?”

“I’ll make sure to fit you into Dee’s appointments,” Ryo quipped.

“If he’s getting too many visitors, we can wait.”

“No. It’s fine,” Ryo stated. “Drake and JJ are coming by later this afternoon.” He looked up at her again. “Hey, maybe have Jack come by then, and he’ll realize why his son should not be a JJ.” He grinned and winked at Dana.

She laughed. “I’ll think about it.”

Ryo looked up from the notebook again. “I want to say thank you. You’re supposed to be on baby leave to enjoy time with the baby. And instead you’re here.”

“I couldn’t imagine anywhere else to be when I got wind of what was going on here. Jack agreed. So no problem. You know, you should be with Dee right now, too.”

“This is too important,” Ryo commented. “Besides, I sent Bikky off to school, stating we need to get back to as normal as possible. It seems more justifiable if I’m working at least part time. Dee’s doing fine now. He’ll be sleeping a lot on and off during the day, so I might as well make myself useful.”

As Ryo went back to the notebook, starting to glance over the sporadic entries in the book, Andy spoke up. “They cleaned your office.”

Ryo nearly dropped the book as his head snapped up. “What?”

“Your office. They cleaned out all the blood, so you can use it again.”

Ryo glanced back at the door. He honestly put the office out of his mind. It took a little effort to enter the squad room, but then the crime did not happen in the squad room. “Yeah well, thanks, but I’ll stay out here for now, thank you.”

The others stared at Andy, looks of disapproval on their faces.

“I imagine Ryo wouldn’t want to be going in there for a while,” Ted commented, his voice on edge. “Which is exactly why I went in there this morning and took out anything that you and Dee would be wanting.” He indicated a couple of cardboard boxes in a corner.

“Thanks, Ted. I appreciate it.”

“Drake tells us that Dee’s considering coming back to work,” Marty said.

“Part time. Maybe. Once he gets released from the hospital, he’ll discuss it more with Vince and the Commissioner, because if he does come back to work, it won’t be full-time and for desk duty. I should be back full-time by Monday, and then I’ll start to ease into going back into that office.” He looked over at Andy. “At the moment, I don’t want to see it. I’m having nightmares enough, without being reminded more from being in there.”

“Are you sleeping well, Ryo?” Marty asked, realizing that as sharp as Ryo was dressed, with his hair carefully styled, once someone really looked at his face, it was easy to see the stress he was still under.

Ryo shrugged. “I’ve been prescribed sleeping pills, but they don’t stop the nightmares.”

“So you’re not taking them,” Dana concluded. She reached out and placed a well-manicured hand on his arm. “Not that I blame you. What I went through with Jack was bad enough, but this was… unspeakable.” Her face reflected the horror she felt whenever she thought about Ferguson’s attack on Dee.

Ryo shook his head. “I have them if it comes down to really needing them.” He leaned further into his chair. “I might attempt to take a dose once I have Dee home and I can hold him while I sleep.”

“They won’t let you do that in the hospital, huh?” Ted asked with a crooked grin.

“I’m sure Ryo tried,” Marty commented.

Ryo looked slightly embarrassed. “Well, he’s still hooked up to some of those machines and I’m afraid of the IV. Dee’s bad enough himself when he sleeps. He has nightmares too, and starts thrashing around somewhat.”

Ted shook his head. “I can’t blame him. I’m sorry that this had to happen, Ryo. It’s going to take some time to put this behind.”

“Yeah,” Ryo said quietly. He picked up the notebook again, opening it to the first page that was tabbed.

Andy stood up. “I’m going to get some coffee. Real coffee. Anyone want anything?”

Ryo lifted a hand. “Please. Thanks, Andy.”

“Make that two of us,” Marty replied.

Dana and Ted also joined in. Andy made sure they all wanted their usuals and left the office quickly. Ted and Marty shared a look before looking over to Dana.

The female detective shrugged. “He means well,” she said. “Most of the time he can’t help putting his foot in it.”

Ryo looked up from his reading. “To be honest, that was one of his least awkward moments. He’s done worse, and had Dee grinding his teeth and wanting to deck him.”

“True,” Ted replied.

“Well, the rest of us will get back to what we’re working on while you do some reading,” Marty said to Ryo. “When you’re done, we can discuss it, if you like. If not, at least I’m pretty sure your questions of why will be answered.”

“Thanks,” Ryo said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ryo had worked until noon and headed back to the hospital, where he planned to spend a few hours before going to pick up their new car. He had to admit he was excited about it. It was the first new car he would own. Back when he was in the Army, he had gone through several cars. Mostly he bought them super cheap from someone who had orders for overseas and did not have the time to sell it. He would luck out, paying only a couple hundred of dollars. Once, he was even given a car. When in Japan, where registration and insurance transferred with a vehicle, he found himself giving it to a friend when it was his turn to go back to the U.S. almost a year later. When he found himself once again a civilian and living in New York City, he found a car more trouble than it was worth. His credit was good, so he would rent cars whenever he wanted to travel beyond the city and could not borrow one of Elena’s or convince a friend with a car to go along. He had lived in Williamsburg, and in Brooklyn during the time he was in the police academy and through his early days in uniform. A year later through a tip from his partner at the time, he got the apartment on E. 15th Street, where he lived until he moved in with Dee. He found himself thankful for not owning a car when he moved to Manhattan. There was still alternate side parking, like in Brooklyn, but the area around where he lived had more no parking zones. Insurance was also still expensive for the neighborhood that he had moved into. Ryo had inquired about car insurance when he first moved back to the U.S. and was in for a rude awakening. The one time he had to pay insurance on a vehicle in Japan, he paid the equivalent to $350 for two years insurance. The general quote he got for an older car and minimum insurance living in Brooklyn was almost $2000 for a year. He decided at the time that he could not afford it and that public transportation in New York City was fine. In many instances, using the subway was faster than being on the surface in a car.

As his musing came to an end, his eyes rested on Dee, who lay quietly in the bed, dressed in clean pajamas and his eyes closed, hand resting on the swell beneath the white sheets. Ryo found himself smiling. Being young and single, there was no need to deal with car in New York. Now he had a family: a husband, a teen-age son and a baby on the way. His aunt was right; it would be better to have a vehicle. Especially with a baby. On their own, Dee and Ryo would not have found a way to afford the maintenance for a car, but with his family’s help, it would not be a worry. There was an underground parking lot down the street from their building. Ryo had made a quick stop at their apartment before coming to the hospital to change his clothes and pick up a few things Dee needed. He also took the time to stop at the garage and make the first payment for a monthly space. It was not a long walk from the pedestrian exit from the garage to their building, and was better than taking a chance of Dee not able to find a spot for blocks when he had to go out during the day with the baby while he was on baby leave and Ryo went back to work.

“Do I want to know what you’re thinking about?” Ryo heard Dee ask, sounding slightly amused.

Ryo blushed slightly. “The car.”

Dee chuckled and squeezed the hand holding his. “Yeah, me too. At first it seemed like such a pain in the ass, but now….” He grinned. “I never owned a car in the U.S.”

Ryo laughed. “But you did in Japan, huh?”

Dee nodded. “Yeah. But it was a necessity. Especially for the weekends. Sometimes…” He paused and looked slightly embarrassed.

“Go on,” Ryo urged him.

“Well, sometimes the others I knew from school just wanted to go out to the local bars or to clubs in Roppongi and get wasted.” Dee shrugged again. “But I was in Japan. In the Tokyo area. There was so much I wanted to see and do during my time there, and I didn’t want to waste my chance.”

Ryo smiled fondly. “You wanted to experience Japan.”

“Yeah.”

Ryo squeezed Dee’s hand and laughed softly. “One weekend a month was devoted to Obasan and my family while I was stationed there. The rest? I got drunk with my buddies.” When Dee looked at him in surprise, he added, “We’d go out and explore once in a while, but remember Dee, I had family there. They have one of those big beautiful traditional style homes in the Mt. Fuji area. Obasan lives in Kamakura, where I lived when I was a toddler. It’s not like I had never seen Japan before.”

“I guess. As far as I knew, it was my one and only chance to be there. I know I hoped to go back when I graduated, but well, you know how that went. I never did.”

“We can change that once Koko is old enough to travel that far.” Ryo raised his eyebrows. “I’m sure Obasan would love having us visit her so she can see the baby grow.”

“You know, you’re probably right. It’s not fair for her to always have to fly here just to see you and her great-granddaughter.”

“You mean to see her family. As far as she’s concerned, you and Bikky are her family too.”

Dee smiled. “That’s why I adore her so much.” His smile grew as he remembered the call from the night before, when he spoke to Akira. He was looking forward to seeing her again.

“So while your college buddies went to get drunk, you went out to explore Japan, huh?”

Dee nodded. “Which was why I needed a car. I wanted to be able to go when I wanted, no matter who I was able to get to go with me or not. Besides, I lived in town. Shared a house in Yamato with those crazies who were here for our wedding.”

“Yamato? No wonder why you needed a car.”

“Well. We went where we were able to afford.”

“True.”

Dee rested his head back and closed his eyes again. “So did they find out anything more going through his house?”

Ryo didn’t have to ask who and nodded. “He definitely committed suicide,” he said, his voice low. “He had it all planned out, and was waiting for a chance to get you alone.”

Dee lifted his head and opened his eyes to look at Ryo.

“They found a notebook where he wrote all his thoughts. Everything that had to do with his sister, from helping her kill her husband, to assisting and supporting her starting up Carriers Inc.”

“Holy shit,” Dee hissed.

“His original plan was to kill Gilbert. He had been stalking him since we arrested his sister. Once McFadden was sentenced, he planned to kill Gilbert the first chance he got after that. But she ended up dead before the end of her first weekend in prison. He snapped. His sister was dead because inmates took the law in their own hands for her killing unborn babies. Meanwhile there was Gilbert, pregnant. He didn’t want his sister to know, but it was hard for him to get an abortion by the time he found out. Dee, he was 10 weeks. He went through Settling about two weeks ago. According to what he wrote, he didn’t know he was pregnant until it hit. And as much as he couldn’t stand to live with being pregnant, he couldn’t do anything to get rid of it.”

“Because he went through Settling,” Dee said.

“Exactly. The point of no return. When instinct to protect the baby becomes stronger. He didn’t want it because it betrayed his sister, but he could not bring himself to hurt it. He was already in quite a jam. At first he figured that he could have the baby while his sister was in prison and give it away and she would never know. But then she died. Instead of being free from his sister finding out, his shame was worse. He could not go through it. So he found another way out. Suicide. His attack on you.”

“He knew he wouldn’t survive. He said as much to me,” Dee stated.

Ryo nodded, because he already had that information as part of Dee’s statement. “He couldn’t get rid of the baby, so he put himself in a situation that would mean certain death for him.”

“Shit.” Dee closed his eyes again.

“Are you okay, Dee?” Ryo asked in concern.

Dee nodded slowly, his eyes still closed. “It’s just… I don’t think I can hate him anymore. More like feel sorry for him. But then, he threatened our little girl. I don’t know what to think about him now. Except that I’m glad he’s dead.” He opened his eyes again. “How wrong am I for feeling that way?”

“Not at all. Dee, even Mother would say the same.”

“Yeah, huh? She scared me a couple of times with how she feels about what happened.”

“She’s a mother, Dee. He threatened her son and her granddaughter. That instinct overrode her being a nun. She’s a mother first.”

“I know.” Dee smiled.

“You look like you’re getting tired. Go ahead and take a nap before Vince comes back to poke at you.”

“Gonna stay a while?” Dee asked, sounding sleepy.

“Of course. I don’t have to leave for another hour. And once I pick up Bikky, we’ll be back here.”

“Why don’t you take him to eat first? It can’t be good for a kid to keep eating inside a hospital.”

“He’s fine, Dee. I think he’s better off around you. Especially after spending a day at school.”

“If you think so.” Dee’s voice got lower.

Ryo smiled and leaned over enough to kiss Dee’s forehead. “Sleep, Dee. And stop worrying about Bikky. He’s okay as long as you are.”

“Okay.”

Dee was asleep a few minutes later. Ryo continued to sit, still holding Dee’s hand.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Our new car is the coolest!” Bikky exclaimed as he burst into the room. “It’s amazing!”

Ryo caught up with him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Shush. Dee might be sleeping.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not, with all that noise going on around here,” Dee said.

Bikky rushed over to the bed as Dee tried to sit up. Ryo was immediately at Dee’s side, offering to adjust the bed.

“You look more worn out than when I left you,” Ryo commented, looking concerned. “Are you okay? Did he wake you?”

“I’m fine. I just had my eyes closed while waiting for you. Vince decided that I could finally use the bathroom, but being the first time it wore me out a little.”

“Does that mean you’re allowed out of bed?” Bikky asked.

“Yes and no,” Dee replied. “It means I can use the bathroom and after dinner, I can sit in that chair over there for a while. But I’m still on complete bed rest.” Dee grinned and held up both his arms. “However, I’m allowed to sit in our new car tomorrow when I go home.”

Ryo started to smile, and Bikky’s eyes got wide. “That’s great, Dee,” Ryo stated. “And I see you’re not longer attached to everything.”

“Yup. And I’m to take the pain meds only when I think I really need them, so I won’t be dropping off to sleep so much.”

“Don’t be too sure of that. Your body is still healing,” Ryo warned him.

“You’re coming home tomorrow?” Bikky asked. “When?”

“Sometime after lunch,” Dee replied.

Bikky looked up at Ryo. “Then I really shouldn’t go to school tomorrow, so I can help you get Dee settled in.”

Ryo ran his fingers through Bikky’s hair. “Nice try, bud, but it won’t work. School tomorrow. But at least when you get out, you won’t have to come back here.”

Bikky pouted and turned to Dee.

“I’d prefer you not mess up everything you did right this year. So yeah, I’m with Ryo. You go to school tomorrow. But tomorrow night, we can play a game or two.”

“Nothing too exciting,” Ryo felt he had to add. He had to fight down the laugh when he found himself confronted with two pouting faces. “You two,” he admonished affectionately. “Did you have any visitors while I was gone?”

“Drake and JJ came by for a while. Rose showed up not long after you left. Vince said David will probably stop in for a bit after dinner. Mother called and because of my being released tomorrow, she’s going to stay at the orphanage. She’s planning on spending tomorrow afternoon and evening at our place.” Dee grinned.

“So she’s not staying at ours overnight again?” Ryo asked.

“No. Which means either you leave Bikky on his own for the entire night, or you could go home,” Dee replied.

“I’m old enough to spend a night alone. It’s not like I haven’t before,” Bikky protested.

“When we really had no other choice. I never liked to leave you alone overnight, which is why you were allowed to spend so much time at Carol’s,” Ryo pointed out.

“I can always ask Elina if it’s okay for Bikky to go back with them. She called and said she’ll be over tonight with Carol.”

“Nah. I think you need to go home and sleep in a real bed,” Dee said, folding his arms and giving Ryo a stubborn look.

Ryo’s face fell. “Are you trying to get rid of me, Dee?” he asked.

“Of course not, baby. I want you around me all the time. But sleeping on that couch is not doing you any good. I’d be happy to know you’re getting a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed.”

Ryo sighed heavily and rested his fingers on Dee’s cheek. “I’ll finally get a good night’s sleep when I can hold you again.”

“Oh please,” Bikky remarked.

“You should be used to this by now, Biks,” Ryo remarked.

“I am, but it doesn’t mean I can’t still tease you two about it.” Bikky gazed at Ryo with mischievous eyes.

Dee laughed. “And see? We’re going back to normal.” His eyes fell on their son. “I guess sending you off to school was a good thing then.”

Bikky made a face at Dee. “It was okay.”

“Another what? Week? Hang in there, kiddo. Okay?”

“Yeah sure.” He sat down in his usual chair, picking up his backpack and started to rummage through it. Suddenly he looked up. “Mark’s starting again. I wanted to hit him, but I didn’t.”

“What did he say this time?” Ryo asked, going over to him.

Bikky shrugged. “That he was pissed off that the fuckhead was killed, and that it should have been my Dad instead.” Bikky looked over to Dee.

Dee held out an arm. “Come here, Biks.” Immediately, Bikky jumped from his chair and pushed past Ryo to sit on the bed. Dee pulled him into a hug and kissed the top of his head. “But I wasn’t killed. And Ferguson can’t hurt us anymore.”

“I know. But what if there are others like him?” Bikky asked. “You thought you were safe when you arrested all those people and look what happened? What if someone else decides to hurt you now?”

Ryo went and sat next to Bikky on the bed, also putting an arm around him. “We’re cops, Bikky. There’s always that chance. You know that. But we do our best not to get killed.”

“Yeah.” Bikky hid his face in Dee’s shoulder.

Dee looked over to Ryo. “I think you should have a talk with Mark’s parents again, and make sure that his father is present this time. I’d be in on it, but I’m afraid I’d only end up back here again after dealing with his father.”

“I agree. I’ll call the school again and have something set up,” Ryo said. “And I’ll have to remember to leave my gun behind or else I might end up shooting that son of a bitch. That kid gets his cruel comments from his father, and it has to end.”

“Just not with metal between his eyes,” Dee warned.

“Yup. So no gun.”

Dee held onto Bikky for a few more minutes. “So kiddo. Want to tell me more about how you like our new car?”

“Oh, it’s the coolest!” Bikky exclaimed, sitting up. “It’s the coolest blue. And there’s two screens in the back for watching movies. And one of them gets TV! And individual sound systems so everyone can listen to what they want. And it’s so roomy with all those seats. And we can also have a table. A table! It’s awesome, Dee.”

Dee shared an amused look with Ryo, certain that they had made the right choices with the extras. After all, the car was meant to be a family vehicle. It was also likely they would be taking trips out to Long Island to visit Ryo’s family. Sands Point was not far from the city and a relatively quick trip when there was no traffic, but there would also be trips out to the Hamptons for MacLean weekend gatherings and that was at least a two and a half hour ride. At least they would not be all cramped in for the trip, including the baby.

Both men decided to let Bikky rattle on until he was done.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ryo found himself being talked into staying at home that night. Dee insisted that he sleep in a bed, instead of the couch, and reasoned the next day was going to be a long one for Ryo. Dee knew his husband well enough that he would not sit down, fussing over Dee once they were home and there were no nurses at hand to attend to the injured man. Dee was just concerned for his well being and Vince dropped by before leaving for the night, backing Dee up, reminding Ryo that he also had to stay well and as stress-free as possible.

He ended up driving Carol and Elina home, once again politely turning down Elina’s offer to let Bikky stay at her place for the night. Ryo had two reasons:

There was the one he used to Elina, that Bikky had school the next day, and Ryo wanted to make sure he went. Ryo also had business to attend to at the school before going to work. Elina accepted his reasons and her and Carol said good night to them before Ryo pulled the van away from the house and went on his way home. He was amused that Bikky still stayed in the back of the mini-van when Elina vacated the front passenger seat, and continued to play with the extra features the vehicle had.

As he listened to Bikky talk about his re-discoveries and gave appropriate answers, his mind was on the other reason he wanted Bikky home that night. Ryo did not want to be alone in the apartment. He was still deeply shaken from Ferguson’s attack on Dee, and still needed reassurance that Dee was still alive, and that he still had a family. Having Bikky in the apartment would help soothe him somewhat.

When they got home, Ryo made a light snack for them and sat down with the boy to finish his homework before Bikky went to get ready for bed. When Ryo was showered and in his favorite pajamas, he went into Bikky’s room. They ended up talking for about ten minutes before Ryo tucked his son in and kissed him good night. As Ryo left the room, he did not dwell on the fact that Bikky did not protest being tucked in like the scared 9 year old he had been when he first came to live with Ryo. Back then, when Ryo was not tucking Bikky into his bed, the boy slept in Ryo’s. Sometimes he would be between Ryo and Dee. Even back when Ryo had no idea what to make of Dee’s advances, and Dee had no idea what to make of Bikky living with Ryo, they had still been a family. After they moved in together as a family, Bikky admitted that he liked those nights when he would curl up between Dee and Ryo. He felt safe and protected. His pain over losing his father was minimal because he felt as if he was quickly gaining two new fathers who would watch over him. Despite the arguing between Bikky and Dee over the years, Dee was as much a guardian as Ryo. Dee also had to admit that when he looked back, he had been a father pretty much from the time Bikky started to live with Ryo.

As Bikky got older, he still did not mind Ryo and Dee coming into his room at bedtime and sitting to talk a little before saying goodnight. Ryo still insisted on kissing Bikky goodnight, while Dee would just hug the boy. Ryo noticed that had changed after Dee became pregnant. Bikky would complain somewhat about his fathers having to kiss him goodnight or goodbye, and it was clear to Ryo that he would never do that in front of Bikky’s friends, except for Carol, but they all knew Bikky liked it. It assured him that he belonged, that he was not without a loving family. However, the tucking into bed had stopped when Bikky turned twelve and he felt he was too old to be tucked in. At fifteen, that he allowed Ryo to do so without protest, only warned Ryo on how rattled Bikky still was over the incident.

It took Ryo an hour of tossing and turning before he fell into a fretful sleep. It was not long after that he found himself being shaken awake by Bikky. The boy had tears in his eyes as he knelt on the bed and insisted to Ryo that everything was okay.

The nightmare was still vivid in Ryo’s mind. It was the nightmare of the day ending differently, that Dee was cut open and Koko pulled out of him, and both were left to die. In the nightmare, somehow it was Ryo who got into the office first, with Ferguson standing there; Dee limp, his eyes open and his face permanently twisted in the horror of how he died, while the baby was under Ferguson’s foot. Ryo was not sure if the baby was still alive or not by then, but was certainly dead once Ferguson’s foot pressed heavily down, squishing the baby. Ryo found himself unable to do anything but fall to his knees and scream, while Ferguson watched and laughed.

He was still shaking when Bikky woke him and he grabbed onto the boy, holding him close and sobbed loudly, muttering, “Oh God,” repeatedly.

“It’s okay, Ryo. It’s okay. Dee’s alive, Koko’s fine. They’re coming home tomorrow,” Bikky tried to assure Ryo, crying. Bikky was afraid for his father, and also reminded of his own fears for his other father who was in the hospital.

“Oh God,” Ryo repeated again. He took a deep breath, rubbing Bikky’s back. “He’s alive. Dee’s alive. Right?”

“Yeah. Dee’s alive. He’s coming home tomorrow.”

“Oh damn, Bikky.” Ryo managed to quell the sobbing, but the tears still flowed and he was still shaking. “Fuck! I dreamed that… that…. Oh fuck! That man died too easily for what he did to us.”

“I know, Dad. I know. But we’re still together anyway. Right? We still have each other, and Dee’s coming home tomorrow. And Koko will be born in a few weeks. We’ll be okay. Right?”

Ryo realized that he had shaken the boy almost as deeply as he himself was shaken and needed the assurances of his words as much as to deliver to his father. “Yes.” He kissed Bikky’s head. “You’re right. We’re okay. Ferguson is gone and Dee and Koko are okay.” He took another deep breath and hugged Bikky again. “It was just a nightmare. A silly nightmare.”

“I think you should call Tim tomorrow,” Bikky suggested.

“I think you’re right.” He smoothed Bikky’s blonde hair down as much as he could. “You should speak to your counselor tomorrow too.”

“Only if you call Tim.”

“Deal,” Ryo reassured Bikky. After another hug, Ryo made to get out of the bed. “Look I’m going to wash up quickly and then go into the kitchen. Meet you there?” he asked.

Bikky nodded, wiping his eyes with a swipe of his arm. Ryo gently wiped the remaining tear streaks away from Bikky’s face and kissed his forehead. “Meet you in five, bud.”

“Okay.” Bikky left the room through the bathroom. Ryo heard the door leading from the bathroom into the back hallway open and close, and presumed that Bikky was also going to clean up some too.

In the bathroom, Ryo washed his face, and stared at his still haunted eyes in the mirror. When will we finally be back to normal? he thought. He turned from the mirror and left the bathroom and headed out of the bedroom.

Bikky was still yet to be seen, so Ryo went over to the liquor cabinet and pour himself a double of the good brandy his grandfather felt he had to keep in stock. He was thankful for his grandfather’s insistence as the amber liquid made its way smoothly down his throat, and the warmth that accompanied it followed, helping to further soothe his nerves. He was still far from being free from the nightmare, but it helped him cope in doing what he had to and calm Bikky and get him back to bed.

Ryo had juice and cookies waiting on the coffee table when Bikky finally entered the living room. They sat for a half hour, Ryo keeping an arm around Bikky’s shoulder, as they tried to make small talk over the snack. Then they both went into the bedroom that Ryo shared with Dee, and they finally fell asleep, with Ryo hugging his son tightly.

Bikky said that morning during breakfast that Ryo had kicked him a few time and cried a couple of times in his sleep, but not enough to keep him awake and felt back to sleep right after.

As Ryo got prepared for work the next morning, and made sure Bikky was getting ready for school, Ryo thought over what the boy had said over breakfast. Right then, he knew he was a mess.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dee sat back in the passenger seat in the new dark blue Town & Country mini-van. Once he was transferred from the wheelchair into the seat, Ryo had taken a few minutes fussing, helping him with the controls so the seat was in position for the best possible comfort for Dee.

“This is great,” Dee sighed as Ryo pulled out of the parking lot. Ryo had the seats configured so only the first row was up. Behind the seats, the van was filled with the rest of flowers and gifts that Ryo did not have a chance to take home yet. “I’m glad we took up Elena’s offer so we could add in all the thing that make this such a smooth ride.”

Ryo chuckled. “Bikky played with all the extra features we selected for the back on the ride here and then double checked it when we went home last night.”

“So I heard about the ride here last night. For quite a while.” He chuckled warmly as he lowered the window on his side.

“I have the A/C on, Dee,” Ryo said. “It won’t do you much good if you have the window open.”

Dee leaned his head back, hands resting on his bump and smiled. “It’s good to be out of the hospital,” he said softly. “I just need to smell real air for a while.”

“If you want real air, then I should take you upstate.”

Dee laughed, opening his eyes and watching the buildings go past as Ryo drove along Park Row. People either rushed or strolled to their destinations. They were not going too fast because the street Ryo was currently on was congested with the combination of bridge and lunch time traffic. He heard the collective sound of people talking, while horns honked. In the near distance he heard sounds of steelworkers at a construction site and the drilling as Con Edison dug up part of an intersecting street for repairs.

“Nah. This is perfect. It’ll be too quiet upstate. At least here there’s the sounds of life all around us. I find that comforting.” His gaze wandered to the window, but he no longer saw what they passed. “I almost didn’t have that,” he said quietly. “I really believed I wasn’t going to survive, that he was going to succeed in killing me…us.” Unconsciously he hugged his belly protectively. “I had given up. I couldn’t find a way out. By then there was so much pain, and I was so scared… I couldn’t think straight, even though I knew I had to. I was losing my fight to keep conscious, then suddenly I heard you. I almost didn’t make out what you said. It was hard enough to figure out English, and a second language was harder still.” He sighed. “Thank goodness for those constant calls to your grandmother and the rest of the family in Japan, because I think if I hadn’t used Japanese as much as I have in the last few months, I wouldn’t have figured it out.” He turned his head from the window to gaze at Ryo, his eyes warm with love. “Once I realized what you told me, it gave me hope. I believed in you, Ryo. And your voice reminded me that I could not die on you. So just as he was about to make that cut which would have meant it was all over, I did what you told me. Even injured, even if it created complications with Koko, it gave us a chance when the alternative did not.”

“I’m glad,” Ryo said quietly. He spared a glance at Dee, his eyes watery. “I… I can’t live without you, Dee. I need you with me.”

Dee reached out to take Ryo’s right hand from the steering wheel and squeezed it. “I’m here, Ryo. Thanks to you.” He moved their clasped hands to his mouth and kissed Ryo’s fingers. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Dee. Never leave me. Please?”

“I don’t want to. But remember, I need you too.”

“I know.” Ryo gave Dee a watery smile, and then pulled his hand from Dee’s grip to place back on the steering wheel. He drew a deep breath, and then in a stronger voice said, “When I go to pick up Bikky, Mrs. Pritney had better have a conference set up with Mark’s father. I’m not speaking just to that brat’s mother again.”

“I agree. I wish I could go along with you.”

“You need to rest, Dee. No stress, remember?”

“And sitting at home while you’re facing a prejudiced son of a bitch who will most likely make a comment that will be perceived as a threat to your family makes me relax,” Dee said. “I know how you get when someone threatens us, Ryo. I don’t want to get any calls to pick you up at the 1st because you had to be taken in.”

“I won’t touch him for anything that could be perceived as a threat. I promise,” Ryo stated.

Dee turned his head to study Ryo. “What about outright threats?” he asked.

“Damn, busted!” Ryo exclaimed. “Seriously, Dee. I want Bikky to learn that he can’t handle all his problems at school with his fist. I’d hardly set an example if I end up putting my fist in someone’s face in the principal’s office.”

“If you insist.” Dee gave Ryo a crooked smile.

Park Row became the Bowery and Ryo continued to go slowly along the street. The stretch approaching Canal Street was congested with road construction adding to the usual bustle of shoppers looking for parking, while others wanted to get onto the Manhattan Bridge.

Ryo was just approaching the intersection of Bowery and Canal Street when his cell phone rang. Dee picked it up. He gave his husband a concerned look. “It’s Bikky’s school.” He answered the call. “Hello? This is one of Bikky’s Dad’s.” Dee’s face darkened. “I understand, Mrs. Pritney. Yes, I was just released and on the way home, but we’ll be there. Thank you, Mrs. Pritney.” Dee disconnected the call and dropped the phone on the tray between the seats.

“What now?” Ryo asked.

“Bikky’s been in another fight – with Mark and some of his friends.”

“We’re almost home. I’ll drop you off. Mother should be there already to get you settled, and I’ll head over to the school.”

“Fuck that,” Dee snapped, picking up the phone again and calling their home number. It picked up on the second ring. “Mother? It’s Dee. We’re almost home, but it’s going to take a while. We need to go up to Bikky’s school.” He paused and Ryo could hear Mother’s protesting voice, but could not make out what she said. He could guess and the look on Dee’s face confirmed it. So did his reply. “Mother, our son is being attacked because of me. I’m not going to be able to just lay down until we settle this matter. We’ll call you when we’re on our way back.”

Ryo’s gripped the steering wheel tightly. “There’s no chance of convincing you otherwise?” he asked Dee.

“Fuck no! We’re both going to that fuckin’ school and set some heads straight there.”

Ryo shrugged, biting his lip. He removed his right hand to rest on Dee’s leg. “Just remember… don’t get yourself worked up and end up collapsing on us. Please.”

“I promise.”