Lightning Crashes

Alex was beside Aurora and couldn't help but grin at the mention of Junichi who he correctly assumed was Johnny.  This should be fun.  Junko didn't mention Taylor Parker so hopefully...Johnny wouldn't be smart enough to piece it together.  "Hey..." he quickly interjected as he saw his sister poor a handful of painkillers into her other hand.

"When was the last time you shoved a baby out of you?" she asked as he took all but two of the pills away from her.  "Ugh..." she groaned and took what was left to her by Alex.  "They didn't give me morphine.  I didn't ask at the time but they should have suspected I'd need it."

"I don't know if you can get morphine in Japanese hospitals," he grinned and crossed his arms.  "Besides, this is post-birth.  They'll be less lenient now than when you were actually giving birth.  Missed your chance."  Aurora, though, didn't really hear Alex.  She looked warily at Junko. Anyone who matters actually meant anyone who she thought was safe to tell.  And there was one person who Aurora thought mattered...but definitely wasn't safe to tell.


"A-u-r-o-r-a Wilson," Talia spelled out for the receptionist who didn't quite know what name she had been saying.  "She should be having her baby soon.  She might have already by now," she added while looking at her watch.  She was so late by now, she didn't actually mind being just a little bit later.  The receptionist finally found the right room number and directed her to it.  Talia walked off in a little bit of a scurry before the receptionist even clarified. "Her last name is under-" but Talia was already gone.

Junko held Megumi tightly but was listening in to the conversation a bit. She looked up. "Oh, just let her have what she needs." She said to Alex. "The dear has just brought a person into this world. A few pills isn't going to make her an addict. It might let her get some rest with everyone packed in here." She then looked over the man. Something about him seemed a bit familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"I'm sorry, we haven't met. I'm Higurashi Junko, Mamouru-kun's mother. And you are?"

Junichi tugged on the arm of his cousin as they walked through the halls. "Yo, dude, you might wanna wait to come in and junk." He said. "Like, there's going to be a lot of people and junk. You probably won't even get to see the baby or anything, man." He said.

"Awwww... But, Johnny-kun! I don't want to waaaait!" Kimiko said and huffed.

Johnny grinned. "C'mon, dude! Don't be fussy. Oba-san said you could stay with her until your cousin was able to stay with her. She ain't going to let that be very long. Even if it is, don't you like stayin with her, man?"

"Hai! I do! That should be great! Ok, i'll wait, Johnny-kun."

Johnny smiled. "Cool. I'll come get you when everything's cool, man. I promise not to let ya wait too long."

"Ok!"

Johnny led Kimiko off to the waiting room and then found the room, just as someone else was approaching. He saw it was Talia and then stopped. He was about to ask what SHE was doing here but then realized that Mamouru was married to her sister. what a total mess. Johnny sighed and hopped up to the door, prepared to let her in. "Uh... yo... dude..." He said, turning his head shyly from her.

"Yea, Alex.  A few pills won't make me an addict," Aurora repeated while reaching up to strip the bottle away from him.  He let her take it but only because his attention had been diverted by Junko.  He smiled as warmly as he could, keeping his place on the other side of the bed from her.  

"I'm Aury's brother, Alex," he said with a nod.  "I'm really happy to be an uncle now.  But I imagine you're even happier to be a grandmother," he said directing the topic back to her which was uncharacteristic of him.


Talia was scurrying down the hallway counting up the room numbers as she closed in on the right one.  "Here we go...Riiight...Here-Oh...Hey...Johnny..." she said while stopping.  She stared at him for a second, seeing how much he was trying to avoid eye contact with her.  It was a far cry from the reaction she got when he saved her months back from Mamouru.  "Hey...listen I...I just wanted..." she started and then sighed.

"I imagine my apologies mean nothing now.  I...well I just wanted to say I hope there are no hard feelings between us.  I know you and-...Well I know you're a good guy and all and I really, really appreciate some of the good things you do."  I mean, what was the harm in

"I was Nanami...Namami-whatever name that stupid creative director gave me when I did that Halloween special match.  So..." she trailed off, wondering how much more she had to explain.  "Thanks...Really." She tried her best to offer a friendly smile, it wasn't her natural reflex around him but he deserved that much.


Alex looked to the doorway as the door opened and he heard voices outside.  He raised an eyebrow and looked at Aurora.  He mouthed out the words, "You called Tal?"

Aurora looked at him with a raised eyebrow right back.  "Of course I did," she said out loud.  She texted her, not called, but same thing.  Talia was going to be an aunt anyways, what better way to diffuse things then with a newborn child, right?  Grudges could only be held for so long, especially with the world changing so much.  Or maybe that was just the painkillers talking.

Alex sighed.  It'd been a long while since he'd seen his sister.  Last time, she stormed out.  He imagined this time would be no different.

Johnny looked awkwardly at Talia as she spoke, his cheeks a bit red. However, as she finished, he lowered his head. "Um... it's cool man, like, no problem and junk." He said. He lifted his head and smiled. "Um... I didn't really know, so like.. I mean, I just thought that if that dude was going to like... do some shit and junk that maybe I should stop him if I was around. I'm tired of dudes like him and King thinkin they can get away with anything, man." He said and nodded for Talia to go in.

"Alex, huh?" Junko said and looked the boy over. She smiled but went back to focusing on Megumi. She cooed at her and smiled. "Oh, I have been waiting for this day since i gave birth to my two boys, fufu. Really, it's why I decided to have them, fufu." She teased.

Mamouru turned his head. "It's true. I have always been on to you, mother." He said, smiling a bit.

"Awww, man..." Johnny said as he follwoed talia into the room. "And here i thought ya loved us and junk." Johnny said. "Yo." He said to the room and went over to Mamouru. He hugged him. "Congrats, bro." I didn't think you'd be the first one man, honestly."

"It's ok, Junichi-kun. I didn't think I would have been either. Arigatou."

Talia nodded to Johnny. That was the first time in a long while he had deliberately smiled at her. "Yea," she replied with a smile of her own, at least at that moment not really caring that he was actually referring to Mamouru. Something didn't really register with her as she entered the room...most notably why Johnny was there at all.

Then it all became clear.

Talia stared at Mamouru and Johnny as they hugged in apparent shock. Aurora cautiously waved at her sister, while Alex retreated to the corner with his arms still crossed. "Hey Tal, how you doing?" she asked while gesturing over to Junko and Megumi. "There she is, our little Megumi." Talia, though, was still staring at the Higurashi brothers. Without even looking at Junko or the newborn, the youngest sister walked to the side of the bed, the same shocked look on her face. "Hey..."

"This is a fucking joke, right?" Talia muttered under her breath, only just loud enough for anyone directly paying attention to notice. "A horrible and tasteless joke."

Aurora put her hands up, keeping her voice down as well. "Just...chill, alright? It'll be okay, you just need to relax." The look on Talia's face made it clear she wasn't about to relax.

Although the air was a bit tenuous before Talia came in, the mood was still quite cheerful. Talia, however, seemed to suck all the air out of the room and inhale it herself. Johnny and Mamouru turned and looked at Talia. He wasn't sure why she was here. He knew why she was allowed to be here, but she didn't know why she would actually show up. He looked to Aurora quickly, silently wanting answers.

Junko was also a little surprised by Talia's presence and eyed her carefully. She could see the look on her face. She knew the whole sordid ordeal with the girl and she wasn't having any of the girl's drama in front of her grand child.

"Young lady." She said with all of her motherly tone unleashed in a perfectly civil tone. "Whatever problems you may have, keep them out of this room. This precious child's first minutes of existence is not going to be filled with anything but love." She said sternly. She looked down at Megumi's fidgeting body and leaned forward. "Shhh, shhh, shhhh..." She cooed and leaned in to kiss Megumi.

Aurora didn't really notice the look from Mamouru, too concerned about the time bomb set to go off in front of her.  Alex seemed to feel the tenseness from both sisters and took a step closer with the intent to diffuse things a little bit more.  "She never told you because she was afraid you were going to blow up.  Prove her wrong, alright?  Just relax."  Talia's eyes shot up the person talking, and widened.

ALEX was here too?  She stared at her brother for a minute.  It had been so long since their falling out four years before.  For a moment, she actually forgot why they even did fight.  And then it clicked in her head.  Dragon.  Of course.  Those highlights she saw on the internet all made perfect sense now...as well as why he attacked Taylor and Johnny of all people.  Just like before, he was inserting himself in his life without even asking her.  

Just like Aurora did.  And she truly knew what was better for everyone.  After all, she not only married Mamouru, but also had a child with him.  How in all that is holy could she think THAT was a good idea?  Maybe she had a stroke a few years back and somehow none of the doctor's had noticed that half of her brain was dead.

Why was it that people who couldn't take advice always insisted on giving it?  Wilson's were awesome like that.

They always talked down to her.  They always knew what was best.  And here they were, all happy happy family with rapey Ramsay Mamouru and dumbass Hodor Johnny.  They had to have been TRYING to piss her off.

Of all the people in the room, at that very moment Junko was the only one she didn't really dislike despite her association with Johnny and Mamouru.  And then she went and talked down to her.  And the twig snapped.  "Fuck off grandma."

Junko's eyes widened at Talia's words but before she could say a word, Megumi began to cry. Junko bit her lip and politely handed her back to Aurora. She then turned and looked at Talia and was about to open her mouth when she was yanked sharply from behind.

Mamouru pulled her back and looked at Talia. "Don't ever say that to my mother ever again. Don't ever say that in front of my child ever again. You're here because you're family and Aurora-chan wants you to be a part of her child, your niece's, birth. Don't you dare spoil this happy occasion." Mamouru said sternly.

Aurora's jaw dropped with Talia's words.  All of a sudden, Alex's skepticism seemed justified.  Not that it wasn't before.  The mother accepted the crying child back and held her closely and tightly to her chest as if protecting her from her angry aunt.  Alex, on the other hand, backed off, seemingly aware his presence was making things worse.

Talia ripped herself away from Mamouru violently and took a step away from him.  "Don't you fucking touch me again," she demanded.  "You've done that enough."

"Tal, please," Aurora pleaded from her bed.  "I know you two have had your differences...but please I can't take it if my husband and sister are fighting all the time.  We have a daughter now, you have a niece.  Can't we just...try to be a family?"  The woman gestured both to Johnny and Junko...either accidentally or deliberately forgetting to gesture to Mamouru, but then again he was next to Talia anyways.  "The Higurashis are wonderful people...and even if you don't want to be with them...at least be with me...and Megumi."  It was a reasonable olive branch from any perspective.  

But Talia wasn't reasonable.  The explosive Wilson temper had been lost, and there was no turning back now.  "Now why would I want to be with the unfortunate child of a rapist and a whore?"  Aurora's jaw dropped again.  Alex seemed completely dumbstruck by his little sister's words.  He even subtlety scratched at his ear to make sure it wasn't blocked by something.

"Dude!" Johnny said at Talia's words. He couldn't believe what she was doing. Mamouru held out his hand and waved Johnny off.

Mamouru stared down Talia. "I don't care what you say about me but you will not talk about my wife, your sister, in front of our child."

Mamouru stood firm. "Get out. If you don't, I'll have you removed."