Subject: [FFML] [FF][R1/2][some lemon] You're Never Too Old
From: Lara Bartram
Date: 3/10/1999, 12:55 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com (FFML)

This is dark.  It also runs a bit of original flavor, only having
one recognizable Ranma character in it. Still, if you want dark
and angst and lemon, this is it.
lara@emunix.emich.edu
http://nabiki.newberry.edu/lara/




Ignorant Irony


	"No!  I don't care why.  And I don't care what.  That 
money was due yesterday!  Look, I gave you an extension far beyond 
what I normally do, so now it's time you pay the piper.  No, I 
don't particularly care about your wife or kids.  I've got my own 
to take care of.  No, I don't care what you think of me as long as 
you give me the money you owe."
	Nabiki slammed the phone down.  "Fucking assholes.  They 
never learn."
	She picked up the handset and pushed the red button.  She 
sat silently for a few moments.  "Yes, I need you to collect on a 
Kawazuko, Atsushi.  And make sure you get it all this time.  No 
fuckups."
	She replaced the handset and looked out the window, seeing 
downtown Tokyo spread out before her.  She hated dealing with 
'clients' directly, but sometimes it was unavoidable.  Lots of 
people just wouldn't take their debts seriously without a little 
kick in the pants...  And sometimes a real ass kicking for good 
measure.
	"What's a fuckup, Mommy?"
	Nabiki turned her chair to look at the diminuitive figure 
on her couch.  "It's a word that little children like you have no 
use for.  You don't need to concern yourself with it, Ryu-chan."
	"OK.  When's Daddy coming back?"
	"I don't know, Ryu-chan.  He didn't say."  He didn't say 
when he packed up his bag and walked out.
	"When's Ryo-chan coming back?"
	"Damn it, Ryuuji!  I told you, he's never coming back!"
	Little Ryuuji cringed away from his mother.
	Nabiki saw the fright on Ryuuji's face and couldn't stop 
the tears from forming.  "Ryoichi's never coming back," she said 
softly to herself.  She stared at Ryuuji.  "Come here, Ryu-chan."
	Ryuuji hopped off the big leather couch and walked over to 
his mother.  He stood in front of her, afraid that she would yell 
at him again.
	"I'm sorry I scared you, Ryu-chan.  Would you give me a 
hug?"
	Ryuuji nodded, clutching the little stuffed tiger to his 
chest.  Nabiki leaned down and hugged him; he put one arm around 
her neck, keeping the tiger against him.
	"How would you like to get some ice cream, Ryu-chan?" she 
asked, releasing the hold on him.
	His mood perked up immediately.  "Yeah!"
	"Good.  We'll leave right away.  Maybe Daddy will call 
later so you can talk to him."
	Nabiki took Ryuuji's hand and the two left the office.

***

	"You have to ask why?  Your son!  He misses you, or don't 
you care?  Look, if you don't care about me, that's fine; I'll 
find someone else.  But Ryuuji doesn't have anyone else."
	Ryuuji stood in the doorway of his parents room and 
watched his mother talk on the phone.  She was talking to Daddy, 
but she was yelling and crying.  "Mommy?"  He didn't want her to 
cry anymore.
	"Get out of here, Ryuuji!  Go to your room!"
	Ryuuji jumped back and ran down the hall to his room.

***

	"Ryu-chan, please be quiet while I'm on the phone."
	"Sorry, Mommy."
	"Now, look here.  There's nothing you can do to stop me, 
so you might as well agree to my offer.  Things won't get... messy 
this way."  There was a thick stack of papers on her desk in front 
of her.  She was flipping through them, taking in the important 
numbers.
	"My offer is more generous than any other you'll receive 
and you know it.  Yes, you can think about it.  I'll be here for 
another 15 minutes.  That's when my colleagues will arrive and I 
wouldn't want to bother them with your little problem.  And have a 
nice day."
	She hung up the phone and looked over the papers.  She 
could reap a tidy profit if she dismissed three quarters of the 
work force and sold off the individual divisions.  She could 
probably even lower her offer.  Either way, it was easy money.
	"Now what were you saying, Ryu-chan?"
	"Is Daddy going to show up for my birthday party?"
	"I don't know, Ryu-chan."
	Ryuuji looked downcast.  He didn't want Daddy to miss his 
birthday.  He was going to be a big boy; that's what Mommy had 
said.  He twisted the ear of his tiger nervously.
	"How about if I make Daddy show up?  Would like it if he 
showed up?"
	Ryuuji nodded, not lifting his head.
	Nabiki could never refuse her son, especially when it was 
something he really wanted; she knew the feeling so well.  She 
picked up the phone and dialed a number.
	"It's me.  Yeah, I know.  I don't care what you're in the 
middle of, this is important.  Yes, but don't you even remember 
when his birthday is?  Well, he wants you to be there.  He's near 
tears."
	Nabiki turned her chair so Ryuuji couldn't see her face.  
"I suggest you break that previous engagement then.  If you don't, 
you'll drive me to something... unpleasant.  You can call it a 
threat if you want, just so you know that it's a promise.  Oh 
good, he'll be happy to see you."  Her face softened imperceptably.  
"I might.  We could try...  If you want.  All right.  Good bye."
	She turned back to face a hopeful Ryuuji.  "He said he'll 
be sure to show up."  If only Ryoichi could be there too...  The 
family felt so incomplete without him.
	"Come one, Ryu-chan.  I'll buy you an early birthday 
present."  Maybe a little shopping would take her mind off the 
problems with her husband...  And her dead son.

***

	"I don't care.  I missed you."
	"You know what a conniving bitch you are?"
	"I've been told that before."
	"And you know how to get exactly what you want out of me.  
What would you do if you couldn't control me so easily?"
	"Find someone else..."
	He snarled, then kissed her.
	They broke apart, breathing heavily.
	"And I bet you have no idea what you do to me," she said, 
staring at him.
	"I think I do.  He's in the other room, celebrating his 
birthday."
	She looked at him for a moment, pain flitting across her 
face.  There had been more proof of their feelings, but he was 
gone.  "Please don't remind me.  I don't think I'll ever get over 
him.  EVER."
	"Neither will I," he answered and hugged her tightly.
	"I won't ever let anything happen to Ryu-chan.  Even if I 
have to sell everything...  I'll never let anyone hurt him.  I'll 
always keep him safe."
	He tried to change the subject.  The death of Ryoichi was 
too awful for him to think about.  "Don't you want to know why I 
left?"
	"I can imagine.  It hasn't exactly been milk and honey, 
has it?"
	He shook his head.  "I'm sorry I left.  It didn't help at 
all.  It only made me feel worse to talk on the phone with you.  
All I could think of was how much I wanted to see you and 
Ryu-chan."
	And all she had wanted was to see him, to hold him, to 
have him hold her.
	"You know I'll always be here for you?  I'll never leave 
again; we'll be together for more years than we can count.  We'll 
watch Ryu-chan grow up and start his own family."
	"Never again."
	"Never.  I promise."

***

	"Why do I have to get dressed up?" Ryuuji whined.
	"Stop squirming.  We're going to the cemetery and you have 
to look your best."  Nabiki straightened her tie.
	"I don't like going to the cem'tery.  It's scary."
	"Don't be like this.  We're only going to be there a 
little while."
	"But I don't WANT to..."
	"Stop whining this instant.  You're going and that's it.  
This is not negotiable.  You will do what you're told.  
Understand?"
	Ryuuji looked down at the floor.  "Yes."
	"Good.  Now go downstairs and wait for me."
	Ryuuji left the room, pouting.

***

	They stood in front of the lone headstone.  Nabiki thought 
it looked so lonely sitting all by itself.  She held Ryuuji's hand 
tightly, as if she was making sure he would never escape her the 
way Ryoichi had.
	Looking at the stone, it was hard to ignore the emptiness 
in her heart, the little corner that Ryoichi had occupied.  Each 
and every day she tried her hardest to refill that space; fill it 
with anything, anything to make her forget how much she missed 
him.
	She had done something similar with the death of her 
mother, hiding her true pain.  She had started to fill that gap 
with money, as much as she could get her hands on.  And after a 
while, the money had helped.  Or more precisely, the pursuit of 
money helped.  All her scams, betting pools, blackmailing and 
profit making operations had turned her mind away from her 
deceased mother.
	She squeezed Ryuuji's hand, reaffirming his presence.  No 
one would take him away like her mother and her other son had 
been.  The way her little sister almost had been.  And as often as 
they acted like two angry wolverines, she wouldn't let her husband 
go either.
	When it happened, when Ryoichi had died, she had fallen 
into an awful period where she didn't care about anything but 
money...  And making other people suffer.  She knew that was what 
had driven her husband away: her bitterness, her anger, her greed, 
her resentment.
	Her thoughts were nearly the same every time she saw that 
dark grey stone, when she read the chiseled named, when she looked 
at the area around it where she and her husband were supposed to 
be before their children.  How she hated that piece of rock, what 
it meant and how it made her feel.
	She just wished, aside from bringing Ryoichi back, that 
she would feel better as time went on.  As it was, every week she 
felt worse, more depressed, more angry at the world.  Her family 
helped less and less, and only the money she gathered seemed to 
make her forget.
	Money.  Not all the money in the world would bring back 
Ryoichi; she knew it.  But it never stopped her from amassing more 
than she could realistically spend, she just didn't care...
	She had stopped caring about a lot of things, and the 
process continued every day.  She wondered how long it would be 
until she stopped caring about her family...




Only Pain and Emptiness

	"Listen to me.  I'm only going to say this ONCE more."  
She held up her index finger for emphasis.  "You are not going.  
You are only 13 and that is far too young to be going to downtown 
Tokyo at night."
	"But Mom..."
	"None of that!  It's final.  This discussion is over!"
	"But Yujiro..."
	"Don't give me any bullshit about Yujiro.  You are not 
Yujiro and I am not Yujiro's mother.  If I was, I would have 
whipped his butt into shape a long time ago."
	"But Dad..."
	"Damn it, Ryuuji.  Your father is brainless when it comes 
to you.  He'd give you a nuclear missile if you asked for it.  Now 
why don't you just go to your room and end this conversation right 
now."  She was angry, but sad as well.  She didn't want to fight 
with Ryuuji.
	Ryuuji opened his mouth to say something.
	"So help me, Ryuuji.  Go to your damn room."
	"Yes, Mom."  He hung his head, ashamed, and walked away.

	"I heard you downstairs.  He was putting up quite a 
fight."
	"I swear, I don't know what's gotten into him lately.  And 
you know you don't help at all."
	"I know.  But I just can't..."
	"Me either, but if I let him go and something happens...  
I could never forgive myself."  She turned to her side in bed and 
switched off the light.  "I just couldn't live with myself."

***

	"You know what?  I don't care.  I don't make the mess, I 
only clean it up.  And you are that mess.  I'm calling it all in.  
Oh, but don't you know?  I CAN do that.  No...  Thank you."  
Nabiki hung up the phone, feeling inordinantly pleased with herself.  
"Well that went easier than I planned..."

***

	"Mom!  How could you?"  How could she DO something like 
that?  "You know he was my friend!"
	"And I have nothing against him.  His father, on the other 
hand, was causing problems.  He had to be dealt with.  I'm sorry 
your friend got caught in the middle."
	"No you're not!  You don't care about how I feel at all!  
All you care about is money!  I hate you!"  Ryuuji's anger was 
overpowering.  "Why do you ruin my life?  Why can't you do 
anything good for a change?  I hate you!"
	"Oh, I see.  I should just sell everything so we can play 
saints.  Well, why don't you give me back the CD player, TV and 
computer you got for your last birthday and I'll see what I can do 
for your friend's father?  How does that sound?"
	Ryuuji stared at her.  She was right, of course.  But it 
just wasn't fair!  He turned and started to leave.
	"And just where the hell do you think you're going?"
	"I'm going to Aunt Akane's.  She doesn't try to ruin my 
life."  He walked out, leaving the door wide open.
	Nabiki walked to the door to watch his figure quickly move 
out of sight.  "Oh yeah, just run off to Akane!  Just remember 
she's not your mother!  She'll never take care of you the way I 
do!" she called after him.
	He turned a corner and was gone.
	"Damn kid," Nabiki muttered and shut the door.

***

	"She does it on purpose!  She always does stuff to hurt 
me."
	"Now you know that's not true."  Akane set down a glass of 
lemonade for him.  "She wouldn't do anything to hurt you on 
purpose.  She's just been through a lot..."  She sat down next to 
him.
	"I know it's hard for you.  Trust me, it was hard when we 
were younger.  But things get better, really they do.  You just 
need to understand how important her job is to her, and that it 
allows her to take care of you how she wants to.  She wants to do 
everything for you that she can."
	"You really think so?"
	Akane nodded.  "Ever since... your brother, it's the only 
thing she thinks about.  She's only worried about you."  She 
looked seriously at Ryuuji.  "And don't take this wrong, but I 
think she's been too soft on you.  She always let you get away 
with things that now you're a little... out of control.  Of 
course, I'm sure a large part of that comes from being her son."
	She leaned back and smiled.  "And she's right, you know.  
Tokyo isn't exactly a vacation spot anymore."
	Ryuuji rolled his eyes.  "Not you, too."

***

	"I'm home," he called hesitantly.  He knew he was in 
trouble.
	"It's about time," Nabiki said, walking out of her study.  
"I didn't want you doing chores in the middle of the night."
	Ryuuji lowered his eyes.  "I'm sorry, Mom.  It was a mean 
thing for me to say."
	"Yes, it was.  Now why don't you get started on the 
dishes."
	"Yes, Mom," Ryuuji answered then walked dejectedly into 
the kitchen after removing his shoes.
	Nabiki watched him go, then went back to her study.  She 
had one more person to deal with...  Mr. Koyama should have 
learned not to write checks his ass couldn't cover.

***

	"Ryuuji."
	Ryuuji startled.  He hadn't heard her at all.  He looked 
up from the table he had been cleaning.  "Yes, Mom?"
	"Why don't you head up to bed now.  It's getting late."
	Ryuuji stood up straight, feeling his back protest.  "OK."  
He trudged off, making his way up the stairs.
	Nabiki watched him ascend, noting his slumped shoulders.  
She knew he would be back to his normal, mouthy self in the 
morning.  He was as hard to keep down as his father.
	She watched some wetness hit her hand.  She hadn't 
realized there were tears running down her face and dropping onto 
her hand.  Ryuuji was impossible to keep down like his father; 
Ryoichi hadn't been so fortunate.  He had been more like Nabiki.  
She sat down heavily in a chair, stunned by her sudden memories.
	Ryoichi had the hair, like a raven at midnight, of his 
father, but his eyes had been wide and innocent like Nabiki's when 
she was younger.  He had been lithe and agile like a cat.  Even at 
the age of 7, the potential could be seen in him to be a fabulous 
athlete.  He had spurned sports of any type and martial arts, 
though.  More than anything, he had liked drawing and painting.
	Draw and paint.  Nabiki went back to her study and opened 
a drawer of her desk.  She pulled out a thick stack of papers and 
stared at the top sheet.  It was one of his later drawings.  He 
wasn't all that good, but he had enjoyed drawing immensely.  She 
was looking at a race car, drawn in three quarters view; it was 
done simply but with great effort.
	She still could remember the book Ryoichi had seen it in, 
and how he had thought it was so neat.  She could hear the 
thudding footsteps as he came down the stairs as fast as he could 
with the paper gripped tightly in his hand.
	"Look!  Look what I drew!" he would yell.
	Nabiki would be feeding Ryuuji or doing work when he would 
come running in, waving the paper in the air.  He had been so 
spirited, so full of energy.
	He...  He had really been something special.  Not just 
because he was her first born son; there was just so much she 
could still remember about him.  She could remember every detail 
about the time she and her husband had made love to get Ryoichi.  
She could close her eyes and, in perfect detail, picture the 
hospital and her entire family, all the smells and sounds fresh in 
her mind, the day she had given birth to Ryoichi.
	Every single minute detail about his abbreviated life...  
She could remember them all.  His first word, the day he took his 
first step, his first day of school, his first birthday, his last 
birthday...  The list went on and on.
	She smiled to herself.  It was a smile without humor; a 
bitter and lonely smile.  She could reminisce herself into 
insanity and what good would it do?  Slowly, gathering her 
strength, she put the pictures back in the desk.  She couldn't 
bare looking at them.  Then, with great difficulty, she pushed all 
thoughts of Ryoichi from her mind.
	Why?  Why anything?  She just didn't care anymore.  Some 
days it got to be too much and she would want to...  Well, she 
didn't want to kill herself, but she wished a luxury liner would 
fall from the sky and land on her.
	She looked at her desktop.  There was a file there, 
looking back at her.  She opened it and it greeted her happily 
with 'PAYMENT DUE: 300,725 yen'.  Small change really, but it was 
a week late.
	Then she smiled genuinely and picked up the phone.  A 
little midnight intimidation would get that payment to her much 
quicker than any of her more orthodox collection methods.
	A slurred, tired sounding voice answered the phone.  
"'lo?"
	"Don't forget I know where you and your family lives," 
Nabiki said with as much malice as she could find in her heart, 
and hung up.




			You're Never Too Old
			   by Lara Bartram


     "Can I talk to you?"
     Ryuuji looked at his mother and saw the look in her eyes.  He
dreaded that look.  He shrank back into his room.
     "You come out here now.  I have something to say to you."  She
never raised her voice, she never needed to.  The fact that she was
his mother was all that mattered.
     Ryuuji stepped out into the hall with his heart hammering away in
his chest.  He took two tentative steps towards his mother, his hands
clammy.  "Please..."
     "None of that.  Come in here where I can talk to you in private."
She had stepped back into her room, commanding him, beckoning him...
He could not refuse.
     He whimpered, not understanding why his mother had to do this,
and clutched tightly to his clothing.  The fear was evident on his
face.  Still, he could not disobey her summons.  He entered her room
and immediately stood with his back against the wall, it providing him
some comfort.
     She closed the door and stood in front of him, her eyes still
holding that look.  If anyone else had known what the look meant they
would have been just as frightened, if not more so, than Ryuuji.  She
put her finger to his chin and smiled when he flinched.  "You know..."
She stepped closer, their bodies only an inch apart.  "You look just
like your father."
     They were words he hated to hear, especially from his mother.
Ryuuji tried to step back further, to pass through the wall.  He was
covered in sweat, his whole body hot, except where his mother was
touching him; that felt like ice.  "Why?" he managed to squeak out.
     "Your father's been gone for so long...  And you're so sweet."
She stepped closer, pressing her body fully against his, her other
hand resting on his chest.  "Just do this for me.  Do this for your
mother..."
     Ryuuji wanted to cry out, to run away.  He wanted to push his
mother away and leave the house forever, but he couldn't.  "No," he
said in a very small voice.  "Please not any more.  Not again."
     Anger showed on her face.  "Don't talk to me that way!  You will
do what you are told!"  She stepped back, which relieved Ryuuji for a
moment.  "Now take off your shirt."
     His blood turned to ice.  He hesitated one moment too long and
she slapped him, marking his cheek.  "I said take off your shirt!"
     Ryuuji slipped off his shirt, holding back the tears of guilt and
shame.  Silently he wished that his father had never died.  For even
at the age of 17, he was too weak to resist Nabiki Tendo.

END




Mercy
     A Darkfic
     
     "Ryuuji... honey.  It's your father..."
     Ryuuji looked at his mother, horror washing over his face.  
"What about him?"  This was bad, but it couldn't be _that_ bad, could 
it?
     "He's... he's dead."  His mother burst into tears, covering her 
face with her hands.
     Ryuuji could only sit and stare.  His father dead?  No, it was 
a lie.  He couldn't be dead.  It was just a mean joke by his mother.  
She liked to joke, though this was going too far.
     She walked over and sat down beside him.  She leaned on his 
shoulder and her crying intensified.  She put her arms around him, 
squeezing him tightly.
     Ryuuji was paralyzed.  He mechanically put one arm around his 
mother, but could only sit with disbelief on his face.  His father... 
dead.  Unthinkable... until now.
     ***
     All his friends were suitably sorry.  None of them had ever 
lost a parent and did their best to cheer him up.  But being 16 and 
without a father, Ryuuji refused to be cheered up.  His teachers went 
easier on him since he was so devastated but they couldn't give him 
forever.  That's just not how things were done.
     He sleptwalk through each day, unable to find humor in 
anything.  His friends began leaving him out of their plans, he just 
wasn't any fun to be around.  Sometimes they took pity on him and 
invited him to a movie or out to eat, but those invitations were 
becoming fewer and farther between.
     He was sitting at his desk after school had ended, his face in 
his hands.  Every day was a struggle, it was all too much for him.  
Home was a difficult place to be, he kept waiting for his father to 
show up.  And when he didn't, Ryuuji would want to go into his room and 
cry.
     There was a hand on his shoulder that made him look up.  One of 
the girls from his friends class was standing there, looking at him.  
Her birthday being so late in the year, she was a year older than he 
was.  Ryuuji's friend had also told him stories about her less than 
sterling reputation.
     "What do you want?"  Ryuuji couldn't hide the bitterness and 
disappointment in his voice.  The whole world was so unfair.
     "I just wanted to see if you were OK."  She smiled at him.
     Too bad it didn't make him feel any better.  "Yeah, well my 
Dad's dead and my life is shit.  I'm not OK."  His words were mean, but 
his eyes held only sadness.
     "Oh."  She looked at him, sizing him up.  He wasn't bad 
looking.  In fact, in a couple years he could be considered handsome.  
She decided he would be a nice mercy lay.  She liked breaking in 
virgins anyway.
     She sat on his desk and crossed her legs.  "I bet I could cheer 
you up if you gave me the chance."  She smiled at him.  A sweet smile 
guaranteed to put him off guard.
     "I don't think so," he answered, keeping his eyes on her.
     "Oh, I bet I could.  Just give me a chance."  Her voice was 
quiet, silken.
     "What?  I don't believe this.  You're going to..."
     "Why don't we go back to your house?  We could have a little 
fun."  She put her hand over his and slid off his desk.
     Ryuuji got a glimpse of the rather racy underwear she was 
wearing when her dress got hiked up on the desktop.  His eyes widened a 
moment as she pulled him from his desk and out of the classroom.
     The walk back to his house was interesting.  She had put her 
arm around him and rubbed his back.  A few times, her hand had dropped 
to his butt and squeezed before returning to his back.  Ryuuji was 
confused though.  He didn't really like the girl but he couldn't 
control his erection either.
     He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.  He could see 
how she was more physically mature than the other girls in his class.  
Her top was a little tighter, her breasts more pronounced.  And her 
dress hugged her figure a bit more.
     She turned to look at him, a playful smile on her lips.  She 
spotted him looking at her and licked her lips.  He seemed reluctant, 
but a little encouragement would probably get him humming like a wasps 
nest.  She watched him raise his eyebrows and smiled.
     The house was empty, so achingly empty.  Ryuuji almost broke 
down then but managed to keep his composure in front of the girl.  He 
realized he didn't even know her name.  "Hey, what's your..."
     "So where's your room?"  She cut him off.
     "Um, it's upstairs."  She was still holding his hand and began 
pulling him to the stairs.
     "I hope you have a big futon.  It's more fun when there's more 
room."  They were walking up the stairs.
     "Uh, I guess."  The family had enough money to get him a king-
sized bed if he wanted.  His futon would have been considered huge by 
normal standards.
     "Oh, good.  Is this it?"  She was standing in front of a door, 
her hand ready to open it.
     "No.  That's my par... my moms room."  He gestured down the 
hall.  "Mine's down there."
     She immediately pulled him down the hall and opened the first 
door she came to.  It was his room, though in complete shambles.
     "The 'grunge' thing.  I could get used to it..."  She eyed his 
unmade futon before forcing him to sit on it.  She had succeeded.  He 
was unresisting.  She started to remove the two straps to her dress.
     "Hey!  What are you..."
     She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling mischievously.  "Why did 
you think  I followed you home?  Not for your fabulous conversation.  
Just sit back and relax for a minute."  She winked at him.
     She pulled down the straps of her school uniform, then pushed 
it down so only her shirt was covering her.  With the dress out of the 
way, Ryuuji could see the black bra underneath the white shirt.
     The girl pulled the shirt out of the dress and began 
unbuttoning it from the bottom up.  Ryuuji could only stare as her skin 
came into view.  First her stomach, firm and flat, as she pulled her 
shirt open.  Then her bra, all black lace and leaving nothing to the 
imagination.  She undid the final button and let the shirt slide off 
her arms.
     She hooked her thumbs into the dress around her waist and 
pushed it down, past her hips, where it fell easily to the floor.  She 
put her hands on her hips and turned slightly.  "Like what you see?"
     Ryuuji was speechless.  There was a nearly naked girl in his 
room and it looked like she was going to strip all the way.  He stared, 
first at her breasts, getting teasing glimpses of her dark nipples, 
then at her satin panties.  They had lace accents around the edges and 
in the front giving him a pretty good look at the hair covering her 
sex.
     "I'll take that as a yes."  She stepped up to him and pushed 
him into a reclining position on the futon.  She straddled his body, 
keeping on her knees and removed her bra.  She cupped each breast and 
lifted them, rubbing her nipples with her thumbs.  "Wouldn't you like 
to touch one of these?"  Teasing virgins was so much fun.
     Ryuuji was still paralyzed.  He couldn't even make a sound.
     "Still frozen, eh?  I think we can change that."  She got off 
his body and stood briefly while she removed her panties.  Then her 
hands fell to Ryuuji's fly, undoing his pants with ease and precision.  
Instead of pulling off his pants though, she began removing his shirt.
     She hovered over him, removing each button from it's hole, 
touching his bare skin as often as she could.  She got to the last 
button at his neck and took it between her teeth.  Pulling, she bit the 
button off and spat it out then ran her tongue over the hollow of his 
throat.
     She kissed her way up his throat to his chin, then to his 
mouth.  He was still unresponsive so she kissed his lips, trying to get 
him to kiss back.  She worked her hand down into his underwear and 
grabbed his shaft.
     She broke the kiss.  "My, aren't we hard?"  She smiled and 
resumed her kiss.  Slowly she moved her hand up and down his manhood, 
feeling it swell and enlarge further.
     Her hand on his cock, her tongue in his mouth... it was too 
much for him.  He grabbed her arms and sucked her mouth aggressively.  
She pushed away from him, removing her hand from his underwear and 
pulled at his pants.  Lifting his butt from the futon, Ryuuji allowed 
the girl to take off his pants and briefs.  Then he sat up and removed 
his shirt the rest of the way.
     Ryuuji grabbed the girl again and pushed her onto her back 
while he sat over her.  He stared at her breasts but didn't touch them.  
He put his hands on either side of her and began to thrust his hips, 
trying to find her opening.
     "Ow.  Don't you know what you're doing with that thing?"  The 
girl had an irritated look on her face as Ryuuji repeatedly missed.  
"Here, let me do it."  She reached down and took a hold of him, guiding 
it to her entryway.  "Now do it."
     Ryuuji obeyed and rammed himself into the girl.
     "Hey!  Be more careful!  Don't you know that fuckin' hurts?"  
She should have known better than to do a virgin on the spur of the 
moment.
     Ryuuji only looked at her confused.  How could it hurt?  She 
wasn't a virgin.  She should be used to it.  He pulled back and thrust 
at her again, feeling himself at a bad angle but not caring.
     "I said that hurts!  What're you, stupid?  You're not doing it 
right!  Get the fuck off me."  She tried to push him but he had his 
feet on the floor, bracing himself.
     He pulled back and thrust again, bringing another complaint 
from the girl.  "Goddammit!  You stupid prick, stop!"
     Ryuuji was beyond caring though, and continued.  The girl soon 
stopped complaining when she saw that he wasn't going to stop and only 
let out grunts of displeasure.
     She heard the door open downstairs and the footsteps come up 
the stairs.  "Hey, someone's coming.  Get off me."  She shoved at 
Ryuuji.  "Get off me..."
     "Ryu..."
     Ryuuji's head whipped around and he saw his mother standing in 
the open doorway, staring at him, at his nakedness.  "Mo.. mom."  He 
pulled away from the girl and covered himself with a corner of the 
blanket.
     "What the hell is going on here?"
     The girl sat up from the bed.  She collected her clothes, 
slipped on her shirt and dress.  "Lady, you know you have one fucked up 
son," she said, then left.
     "Mom.. I...  She..."
     She looked at her son, her eyes narrow.  "Why were you with that
slut?"
     "She.. It was her idea.  I didn't..."
     "But obviously you did.  Well that's just fine.  You can just do
whatever the hell you please.  And if you want go around fucking whores,
then go ahead.  Just don't come to me when you have to support your
whore and five other guys kids."  She walked away from his room.
     Ryuuji heard the door open to her room, then close.
     
     TWO MONTHS LATER...
     
     The girl had, thankfully, not mentioned what had happened to 
anyone.  Ryuuji was happy for that, but his life was never quite the 
same as before.  He had accepted the death of his father finally, 
but his personality had changed.  He was a much more private person.  
He abandoned many of his friends, only keeping with a few close ones.  
And even then, he only talked to them at school; he never did anything 
outside of school with them.
     It was quite unfortunate because his 17th birthday was coming 
in two weeks.  He walked home alone, as he always did.  He didn't want 
to be a whiner, but his life had turned to complete crap.  It had 
started with the death of his father, escalated with being caught with 
that girl, and sent him spiraling into depression.
     His schoolwork didn't suffer, but he didn't feel he had anyone 
to turn to.  No one knew how much he hurt.  He walked in the house,
dropping his bag on the floor by the door, kicked off his shoes and 
went to his room.  That was where he spent most of his time, shut in 
his room, away from everything.
     He flopped on his futon and turned on the radio.  He listened 
to the radio and stared blankly up at the ceiling until late at night.  
When he heard his mother come home, he switched off the radio and 
crawled under his blanket, not bothering to remove his clothes.
     Only when he heard the door to her room close did he undress.  
Never again did he want her to see him in any state of nudity.  Even 
wearing a tank top around her made him uncomfortable.  He pulled the 
blanket around himself tightly and drifted off to sleep.
     He opened his eyes sometime later that night when his door 
opened.  He couldn't see anything in the darkness, but he felt it when 
someone slipped into bed next to him.  "Hey, who's..."
     "Sshh.  Just go back to sleep, Ryu-chan."
     His mother.  He felt her come up behind him and put her arms 
around him.  She held him tightly, holding her body against his.  He 
could feel the sheer nightgown she was wearing on his bare back.  He 
held perfectly still, trying not to breathe too deeply.  He couldn't 
find sleep the rest of the night, or for several nights after that.
     
     END



Happy Birthday 
	A Darkfic 

     His birthday.  He was 17.  For most people, a birthday was 
a happy occasion.  A party, friends, gifts, the usual.  For 
Ryuuji, there were none of the usual trappings.  He could have 
had a party, but he just didn't feel like it.  He was sure his 
friends would have attended, they didn't hate him.  But he just 
couldn't find any reason to be happy.  His close friends had 
wished him a happy birthday at school and he had thanked them, 
but that was where it ended.
     Another lonely walk home.  Only this day, he was 17 instead 
of 16.  Big deal.  He looked awful and knew it.  He felt worse.  
He didn't get very much sleep anymore, always wondering if his 
mother was going to creep into his room in the middle of the 
night and sleep in his bed.  It terrified him.
     He wasn't afraid of his mother really.  But he couldn't 
figure out why she had to sleep in his bed, with him.  Of course 
she was lonely; it was to be expected.  Ryuuji shuddered as his 
home came into view.  He just couldn't understand it, he didn't 
think he would ever be able to.
     He walked up to the front door and looked at it.  He didn't 
want to be there, he didn't want to go home, but he had no place 
else.  He opened the door and walked inside.  He was afraid of 
what might be waiting for him, what his mother might have done.  
He didn't want there to be a party waiting or a bunch of family.  
He just wanted to be by himself.
     He found his mother waiting with a small cake.  She smiled 
as he walked in.  "Happy birthday, Ryu-chan."
     "Thanks, Mom."  He couldn't force any happiness into his 
voice, just a half-hearted thank you.  He walked past his mother 
and headed for the stairs.
     "Don't you want some of your cake?"
     "Not now, I'm not feeling so good."  He hadn't been feeling 
good for the past three months.
     Her hand on his shoulder stopped him.  He turned to look at 
her, knowing he would end up eating cake anyway.  "Have some 
cake."
     "OK, Mom."  He followed his mother to slice the small cake 
and have some with her.
     It was a simple chocolate cake with white icing.  Ryuuji 
hated chocolate cake.  It made his teeth hurt.  But he ate it 
anyway, not wanting to disappoint his mother in any way.  And 
his eating seemed to please her greatly.  His mother had become 
a mystery to him, he was unable to understand her behavior.
     "I got you something."
     Ryuuji was almost afraid to know what it was.  "Thanks, 
Mom."
     She held out a brightly wrapped present.  It had some 
weight to it and felt solid; no shaking parts.  Ryuuji's heart 
fluttered at what the contents might be.
     He peeled the paper back, seeing nothing but a plain brown 
box beneath it.  Not a clue as to what it was or where it was 
from.  He could feel his mother's eyes on him, watching his 
every move.  He removed every bit of paper from the box and held 
it in his hands.
     "Go on.  Open it."  She sounded excited.
     Ryuuji slowly untaped the box lid and slid it off.  In the 
box he saw black silk.  He was afraid to touch it.
     "Take it out.  Look at it."
     He set the box on his knees while he pulled out the silk.  
The first item was a pair of pajamas.  Black silk.  From his 
mother.  He refolded the top and bottoms and set them gently 
next to him.  He looked back in the box.  Red silk.  He pulled 
out a long robe, dark red, blood red in color.  He swallowed and 
folded the robe, placing it with the pajamas.  He looked in the 
box again.  More back silk.  He lifted the top layer.  It was a 
full set of sheets.
     "Aren't they nice, Ryu-chan?  They're just like mine."
     "Yes.  They're very nice."  'Just like mine'.  Just like a 
nightmare.
     "Why don't we put them on your futon now?"
     Oh please no.  "OK."  Weak, spineless, stupid.
     The two went to Ryuuji's room.  Ryuuji put away the robe 
and pajamas while his mother began putting the sheets on.  He 
meekly helped her finish the sheets, making it look like a death 
bed.  He could imagine what he'd look like in the black pajamas 
laying amongst the black sheets.  He put one of the pillowcases 
on and watched his mother do the other.  She seemed happy to be 
doing it, even though she normally despised doing any sort of 
housework.
     Once the pillows were in place, Ryuuji picked up his 
blanket to cover the bed.
     "Oh, Ryu-chan... won't this be nice?"  She was laying on 
his bed, rubbing the corner of a pillowcase on her cheek.  Her 
eyes were closed and she was smiling ever so slightly.
     "Yeah.  Real nice."  Inside, he felt like he was dying.  
She looked like she was... He didn't want to think about it.
     His mother raised herself from his bed and allowed him to 
put the blanket on it.  She watched him straighten the blanket 
and tuck in the corners.  "Later tonight, we can go out and get 
a birthday dinner if you want."
     She was just going to smother him with kindness on his 
birthday and there was no way he could refuse it.  "Sure, dinner 
out would be nice."  It would get him away from his room and his 
birthday presents.
     "Where should we go?  It's your choice."
     "I don't know.  Anywhere is fine."  Anywhere, anything away 
from there. 

***

     Dinner was as pleasant as could be expected.  They ate 
without conversation and left shortly after they were finished.  
Ryuuji had rediscovered his appetite, if only for a few hours, 
and ate heartily.  The food and the walk back home had tired 
him.  He was ready for bed, he was ready to sleep.
     Arriving at home, he went immediately upstairs.  It was one 
birthday he would like to forget.  He walked into his room, 
preparing to throw on a pair of shorts and tank top to sleep in.  
Anything less and he would be able to feel too much if his 
mother visited him in the night.  He stood at his dresser, 
holding a pair of shorts in his hand when his mother spoke from 
his door.
     "Why don't you wear the pajamas I got you?"
     He turned and looked at her.  "I... uh... OK."  He looked 
back at his dresser and placed the shorts back in the drawer 
carefully.  He pulled out the black silk, breathing heavily.  He 
stepped to the side of his futon and laid out the pajamas with 
care.  He looked at his mother.  "Would you please?"
     "Oh, of course.  I'm sorry."  She left his doorway, closing 
the door.
     Ryuuji felt sick to his stomach as he removed his clothes, 
keeping his eyes on the pajamas on his futon.  Reluctantly, he 
removed his underwear.  He didn't want to, but he couldn't sleep 
while wearing it; it was just too uncomfortable.  He pulled on 
the bottoms, despising the fact that they fit him so well.  Then 
he pulled on the top, buttoning it up all the way.  He didn't 
have a mirror in his room so he couldn't see just how sick his 
face looked.
     He stepped out of his room, knowing his mother would not 
rest until she saw what he looked like.  He knew she would be in 
her room; she had nowhere else to go without her husband.  He 
stood in front of her door and inhaled deeply.  He rapped twice 
and waited for her answer.
     "Come in, Ryu-chan."
     He opened the door but didn't enter the room.  "I put them 
on, Mom."
     She turned to the door and smiled at him.  Ryuuji closed 
his eyes to the fact that she was dressed in only her lingerie.  
"Well don't you look handsome."  She took his hand and pulled 
him into the room.  She circled him, looking at the pajamas from 
every angle.  He felt distinctly like a piece of meat.  She 
tugged at several points, readjusting the fit.  "You know how 
much you resemble your father?"
     Ryuuji could only shake his head.  His mental defenses were 
slowly breaking down.  It was getting harder to ignore the fact 
that she was wearing so little.
     "Come here and take a look at yourself."  She steered him 
to stand in front of the full-length mirror.  She stood slightly 
behind him and to the side.  "Don't you think you look 
handsome?"
     He looked at his reflection and had to stop himself from gagging.  
He did.  He looked just like his father.  He could remember his 
father wearing some pajamas very similar to the ones he was 
wearing.  And with his mother standing behind him like that...
     "Oh, look.  It's not like that though."  Her hands were at 
the buttons on his top.  She undid three of them and opened the 
top, revealing his bare chest.  "That's much better."  She 
looked at him, waiting for some kind of reaction but he gave 
none.  "So, Ryu-chan, do you like what I'm wearing?"  She 
stepped in front of him, smiling the entire time.
     Ryuuji's brain slipped right into neutral.  He looked at 
his mother, at his mother's body.  "Yes, Mom.  It's nice."  His 
voice held the barest tremor.  "I think I have to go to bed 
now."  He turned and left the room.
     Returning to his own room, he shut the door, turned off all 
the lights and crawled into bed.  He closed his eyes but could 
not get rid of his image in the mirror, looking like his father 
with his mother standing next to him.

***

     The door opened silently.  But not silently enough.  Ryuuji 
shuddered in his futon, knowing what was to come.  He just 
couldn't sleep when she was there with him.  It was all wrong.  
He pretended to be asleep as the weight settled on his futon.
     "I know you're awake, Ryu-chan.  Don't pretend."  Spoken as 
a command.
     He rolled over, his eyes open but still blind in the dark.  
"I'm sorry, Mom."
     "Don't be sorry.  It's just not polite to do something like 
that to your mother."
     "I won't do it again, Mom."
     "I'm glad to hear it."  A long pause.  "But there's a 
problem."
     "A problem?"  Suddenly her hand was moving across his leg.  
He wanted to pull away even though her hand was on top of the 
covers.
     "Yes.  I've been getting soft on you.  I can't let you run 
around and do whatever you want all the time like I have been."
     "But I haven't been..."
     "Don't talk back to me."  Steady and even.  Another 
command.  "You can make up for your misbehavior very simply."
     That didn't sound good at all.  And when Ryuuji felt her 
slip under the covers with him he knew it wasn't.
     "And how... What can I do?"
     "Nothing difficult.  It's a very small thing."  Her hand 
was on his chest, on the exposed flesh.
     "What?"  He felt her move closer to him.
     "Just one... small... favor..."
     "Wha..."  Her lips came into contact with his.  This wasn't 
the motherly kiss that he received when his father was alive.  
This was full contact, slow and deep.  He felt his mothers 
tongue worm its way into his mouth while her hands moved over 
his body.
     She disengaged the kiss and spoke breathlessly in his ear.  
"Small really.  Don't you think, Ryu-chan?  So very small."
     "Small..."  He couldn't think, couldn't comprehend what had 
just happened.  His mother had kissed him?  Why would she do a 
thing like that?  She shouldn't be doing things like that, he
should make her get out of his bed.  But he couldn't, he just
couldn't defy his mother.
     "Small," she replied and kissed his earlobe.  She undid 
each button on his top and let her hand rest on his chest.  She 
could feel his heart beat like that of a small animal.  "Don't 
be frightened, Ryu-chan.  I'll treat you better than that slut 
did."  She ran her tongue down his jawline.  He started to 
quiver beneath her hand.  "Oh, my poor baby.  It's only me, 
don't be afraid."
     He couldn't help but be afraid.  What was she doing?  Why 
was she doing it?  What was he supposed to do?  His whole body 
was shaking but for the life of him, he couldn't make it stop.  
"Mom..."
     "Yes, Ryu-chan?"  She kissed his neck, keeping her hands to 
his chest.  She didn't want to frighten him too badly, that would
ruin everything.
     "Why are you... doing this to me?"
     She kissed the corner of his mouth.  "Why?  Because I love 
you, of course."  She pressed her lips to his again.  When he 
didn't respond, she lifted her head and looked in his frightened 
eyes.  "Kiss back."
     She touched her lips to his, more gently, and felt him kiss 
her softly.  She parted her lips and felt him follow suit.  She 
sucked a little harder and he did as well.  She broke the 
contact and studied Ryuuji's face.  Still frightened, but she
could see that spark that dominated the lives of all teenage
boys.  "That was very good.  Now what can you do with your hands?"
     He looked at her, still feeling confused.  He liked what 
had just happened, but he hated it.  It felt good, but it felt 
all wrong.  "My hands?"  She wanted him to touch her?  She
wanted more?
     "Yeah.  Like this."  She took one of his hands in hers and 
placed it on her back.  Then she took his other hand and placed 
it on her hip.  Her hands returned to his chest and rubbed in 
slow circles.
     His hand moved slowly, just rubbing her back.  His other 
hand didn't move at all.  "Like this?"  That wasn't so bad.  He 
could just hold her, give her a hug and rub her back.  He had 
always liked it when he wasn't feeling well, someone rubbing his 
back.
     "More, Ryu-chan."  She kissed him again and felt him take 
some initiative.  The hand on her back began to range further 
down, towards the high cut thigh of her lingerie.  The hand on 
her hip wasn't going anywhere, but his fingers were twitching, 
fighting off her command.
     She changed her position from laying next to him to resting 
a quarter of her body on his, her leg draped over his.  She put 
her hand on his far shoulder and pulled it.  He complied and 
rolled to his side, trapping her leg between his, his hands 
instantly getting better reach.  The hand on her hip squeezed 
gently, unable to withstand the feel of warm, soft flesh beneath 
it.
     She wanted to run her hands all over his body, take off his 
pajamas, wanted to make him hers...  But he was already hers, 
her son...  So much like his father.  She could feel hardness 
against her leg and wanted it, but it was too soon.  He couldn't 
even touch her without trembling, what would he do if she took 
his clothes off?
     She settled for his chest and back, keeping her hands to 
areas she knew he was more comfortable with.  She tried her 
tongue again, sliding it slowly into his mouth.  He froze 
momentarily, but when she bent her knee and ran her leg against 
his erection he seemed to break down.  He wasn't as experienced 
as his father, but that could be changed.
     He opened his mouth a little farther to give her better 
access, beginning to respond to her needs, her desires.  She 
explored his mouth, wanting him to do it back.  One of her hands 
trailed down his back and rested on his butt, petting it through 
the silk.  She had seen how tight and muscular it was when she 
had caught him with that girl...
     She withdrew her tongue.  That girl...  The thought of her 
son with that slut made her angry, jealous.  How dare that slut 
take what belonged to her?  Her son had been tainted by the slut 
and now she had to restore his virtue.
     "Mom?"  He was looking at her, fear still in his eyes, some
confusion, did she see desire?  What would the fantasies of her
17 year old son be like?
     Looking at his face, the anger washed away.  So much like 
his father...  "Don't worry about it, Ryu-chan.  Just keep 
going."  She kissed the end of his nose and raised her chin, 
exposing her neck to him.  "Just keep going..."
     He looked at her neck, then at her face.  Her eyes were 
closed and her cheeks were flushed.  He looked back at her neck, 
at each little indentation and line, every detail that screamed 
to be kissed and sucked and nibbled and licked.  Something in 
the back of his mind rebelled though.  His mother's neck... to 
be kissed and sucked... nibbled and licked... by her husband.  
By his father, not him.  'Just keep going..'  But his father 
wasn't around and his mother wanted him to do it.  'You're the 
man of the house now Ryuuji.  You'll have to do a lot of the 
things your father did...'
     He lowered his head to her neck and tentatively placed his 
lips on her neck.  He placed his lips on her neck again, more to 
the side.  Then again.
     "Kiss me, Ryu-chan.  Suck, use your tongue..."
     Ryuuji quailed at the thought.  Is that what his father 
used to do?  He kissed her throat then, lightly.  It didn't seem 
to be any big deal, so he did it again.  Then he did it and 
touched his tongue to her skin.  Still nothing earth shattering.  
He moved a little lower and kissed the side of her neck, using a 
little more suction.  He got to the point where her neck met her 
shoulder and tried using his teeth.  Grabbing bits of skin 
between his front teeth and sucking gently, he worked his way 
down then back up.
     He heard his mother sigh and stopped.  "What's wrong, Mom?"  
He had done something wrong and would get in trouble.
     "Nothing, Ryu-chan.  You're doing very good.  Keep going."
     Keep going.  He brushed away her hair from her ear and 
kissed it.  Then he took her lobe in his mouth and sucked on it.  
Something primal in him responded.  Sucking on that nub of 
flesh.  He released her ear and worked his way to her throat 
again.  If her sighs meant he was doing well, then he was doing 
very well.  He dipped his tongue into the hollow of her throat 
the same way that girl had done on him.
     His mother rolled to her back, removing her leg and hands.  
Ryuuji's hands were removed from her back and thigh.  "Go down 
farther, Ryu-chan."
     He moved his head down to the skin of her chest.  It was 
smooth and soft and felt good against his face.  There wasn't so 
much for him to nibble so he continued to kiss, sucking every so 
often.  He felt the rise of her breasts, felt the material of 
her lingerie on his chest, and stopped.
     Her hands moved to her chest while he watched them.  She 
took hold of a lace near the top of her lingerie and pulled 
slowly.  The loose knot untied and the lace pulled out of each 
hole, causing the lingerie to fall open.  She continued to pull 
until it was undone all the way to her stomach, her navel 
visible.
     Her hand trailed back up the strip of skin, over her 
breastbone, and took hold of the lingerie.  Ryuuji watched, his 
eyes wide, his mothers skin slowly come into view.  Then she 
pulled back her hand and her breast came into view.  "Go on, 
Ryu-chan," she said softly.
     He stared at her breast, at the erect nipple.  He was 
throbbing between his legs, his hormones going completely out of 
control.  His primal instincts were reminding him: this was his 
mother, his mothers breast, his mothers nipple... take it.  It 
gave him food when he was little, it was his survival when he 
was incapable of taking care of himself.  Incapable of taking 
care of himself... much the same way he had felt for the past 
three months.
     He lowered his head and felt his mother stroke his hair.  
That was something else that had comforted him when he had 
nightmares, the petting, the close contact.  He opened his 
mouth, not sure how he should go about taking the nipple.  When 
he was an infant, it was a survival instinct, but now...  He put 
his mouth around her nipple and sucked gently.  A feeling of 
security flooded through him.  He was safe with his mother, she 
would protect him against the cruel, uncaring world.  He sucked 
harder, running his tongue over the nub, trying to coax milk 
from it.
     He was an infant again, no worries in the world.  His 
mother was there, she was taking care of him, she was feeding 
him.  Her hand was petting his hair, while another was rubbing 
his back.  She was sighing, happy to have her baby safe in her 
arms.
     He felt her hand pet his back, the one moving from his hair 
to his chest and petting him there too.  It moved lower, to his 
stomach, caressing the smooth skin around his navel.  Then lower 
still, to his upper thigh, squeezing the thick muscle.  He 
continued to suck at her nipple, unaware of what she was 
intending to do.
     Her hand moved over a little to tickle his inner thigh.  
She began moving it up and down, moving ever closer to his 
groin.  Then her hand was on his testicles, stroking them 
through the silk.  Ryuuji released her nipple and shuddered at 
the sensation.
     "Do you like that, Ryu-chan?"  She kissed the side of his 
head, continuing to pet his back and stroke his testicles.
     He never felt anything like that before.  His mothers sure 
hand cupping his sac, fondling him in the cool silk...  He laid 
his head on her breast and let the feelings wash over him.  He 
knew what was about to happen, was ashamed to do it in front of 
his mother, but he couldn't stop her.  It felt so good after 
three months of misery.
     He grabbed her arm tightly.  "M.. Mommmm."  He thrust his 
hips towards her hand as he ejaculated in his pajamas.  "Ahhgh."  
He grit his teeth as he continued to release his seed.
     He finished and fell back to the bed beside his mother.  
She stopped stroking him and took him in a hug.  He was shaking 
in her arms.  "That wasn't so bad, was it, Ryu-chan?"  She 
kissed his cheek and began rocking him.  "Maybe we can try again 
another night.  Maybe you'll feel better then."
     He couldn't answer, he had no energy left.  She held him 
close and rocked him to sleep.  The words slowly filtered into 
his brain as he fell into an uneasy slumber in his mothers arms.
	"Happy birthday, Ryu-chan," she whispered to him and
kissed his forehead.

END 


  continued in next post...