Family's Family

One look at Johnny was all it took to make up Taylor's mind. She stood up and grabbed Ichiro's sleeve. "Excuse us for a second," she said nicely to Johnny with a fake smile.

Taylor was a strong woman, in many ways. Her body was thin and taught, muscular and full of energy. She could deadlift more than her body weight, she ran a six minute mile and for most of her adult life she'd been a fighter. She wasn't taking no for an answer while she dragged her father-in-law out the door and around the corner, out of sight.

She let go of him and looked him straight in the eye. "Look," she said. "I'm not Japanese, okay? I'm from New York, but guess what, I'm still your family now. And while I'm around this whole 'hmmm, I'm a robot and I don't have any feelings' routine is not going to cut it." She jabbed her finger into his chest and switched to Japanese. "<Where is the honor in not caring about your own family?>" The words didn't come to her as fast in Japanese, and so she switched back to English. "What is wrong with you? Did Junko take your balls with her when she left, or did your parents already have those?"

Ichiro couldn't believe that Taylor was actually yanking him out of his seat. He followed as best as he could but when she started speaking, Ichiro stiffened. When she was finished he tugged on his sleeves and then adjusted his tie.

<This conversation tells me everything I need to know about you.> He said in a firm tone. <Americans know nothing of our culture. And when they can't understand it, they result to bullying to try and get what they want. You are a disgrace and you're not fit for my son. You may be his wife but the fact is, the only reason I allowed things to go as far as they did is because I love him and the fact that he is married to you makes me feel as though I have failed as a parent. I'll never accept you as part of my family.>

Ichiro shook his head. <This is the thanks I get for devoting my life to my family? How dare you speak to me in such a manner. If I never seen another brutish, uncouth gaijin as long as I live, it will be too soon. This place has become overrun with them and their amoral ways.> Ichiro inhaled deeply and turned to leave. <Now, leave me be. Some of us still have real work to do.>

Taylor's jaw dropped. She tried to fire back with some choice words of her own, but Ichiro had knocked the wind out of her. If it was a fight, she'd back up, cover up, roll out of the ring, anything to give herself time to recover, but there was nowhere she could go to shake off the effects of his words.

"Y-you..." She stammered, and then finally, red face, shouted "Oh YEAH? In OUR culture people are supposed to TAKE CARE of their families!" Her voice broke. "What is your PROBLEM?! How can you be this cold?" She tried to yell, but her voice dried up and at the end only came out small and weak.

Ichirou shook his head at Taylor. <I couldn't believe it when Junichi-kun said he married a Yankee. Despite such a dishonor, I tried to set it aside because he is still my son. I have spent my life providing for them. I thought that if she had fallen for him, then she would devout herself accordingly. Maybe, if I saw that, I could havean open mind.>

Ichirou aadjusted his tie and continued. <But you care nothing for this people, the culture or its ways. Only yourself and what you can take from my son. You're as ugly as American's get. Worse yet, you're a thief. You've stolen my son from his family and are holding him hostage. Why would I ever consider you part of our family?>

Ichirou walked past Taylor.<If he wants you so badly, then he can have you.>

"But... but..." Taylor couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had expected Johnny's dad to be at least a little like Johnny, or at least Mamouru, and so she was so completely unprepared for the torrent of hate that came out of his mouth. Was she really that horrible a person? Didn't she matter too?

"You racist bastard..." She said quietly, not quite pointing her finger at the man. She was red faced and quivering, on the verge of complete collapse. She steeled herself to return fire with a cutting assessment of his culture and the finer points of American culture, but the words fell apart before she could speak them.

Instead, she dropped down to her knees and sat down between her feet on the side walk. In a tiny, helpless voice, she said "[size=90:kuf5owpj]I just wanted a dad." And with that, she began to cry bitter tears into her palms.

Johnny had watched the scene as Taylor dragged his father away. He couldn't believe it. unlike how things played out with his mother, things had gone completely unexpected with his father. Now she was dragging him out to the street in the middle of a public restaurant, probably to beat him up!

Johnny paid for the meal and spent a few moments bowing and apologizing to the staff and those who had to witness the scene. After that, he pushed through the busy restaurant and stepped outside. He looked around but didn't see anything. He went down one way and nothing. They couldn't have gone far. He tried the other way and soon caught his father standing before him, about to leave the alley. In the background was Taylor on the ground sobbing.

Johnny's eyes widened. He couldn't even understand what had just happened. He honestly expected Ichiro to be laid out with Taylor on top of him pounding his face in. He could handle that. But this? Johnny couldn't even think. His fist shot out and he clipped his father in the chin, causing him to reel backwards and fall against the alley wall.

He charged forward and was instantly next to Taylor. "Taylor-chan!" He said grabbing her wrists. "I don't know what the hell happened, but let's get out of here." He said in a firm voice and tried to tug her to a standing position.

Ichiro rubbed his chin as he leaned against the wall. "She said she wanted a father." He said in a cold tone. "She will have to do much better if she wants that person to be me. You both will." He said, standing up. "This isn't how I raised you, Junichi-kun. She's set you on the wrong path."

"YOU DIDN'T FUCKIN RAISE ME!" Johnny screamed. "Ma did! All YOU did was fucking work! She had a pretty fucking demanding career too and she still managed to fill every role in our lives! She fucking made time!"

"Hmmmm." Ichiro said after Johnny's rant. He then turned and walked out of the alley.

Taylor let Johnny hold her for just a moment. She saw everything untouched by his father, in his soft eyes and honest gaze, in the gentle healing of his touch, and the strength of his hands. He was beautiful, and she found it profoundly reassuring.

Then she yanked her hands away from him. Ichiro had been trying to ditch her for a while now, but she wasn't done with him. She darted after him, grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around to look him in the eye.

"LISTEN, motherfucker!" She began, jabbing her finger into his chest. "YOU're the one who's gonna have to do a LOT FUCKING BETTER if you want the job as my dad! I am... I'm a good person! Maybe you don't like the way I talk, but I'm special, and Johnny loves me and that's enough! And you're just a sad old man who was too much of a pussy to go home at the end of the day and be with his family, so FUCK YOU!" She shoved him back. "Fuck you for every day that you found some bullshit excuse to not be home, and fuck you for making everything so hard for mom! You should be ashamed of yourself.

"And you don't even know me! How dare you talk to me like this without taking ten seconds to figure out who I am! You're not Japanese. You're not working." She said, imitating his voice. "Go fuck yourself, you selfish, hateful, spineless, racist sack of shit. Go think about your wife while you fuck your secretary."

She didn't wait for a response, she turned on her heel and strode quickly down the side walk, stopping only to hail a cab.

Johnny watched the tirade and when Taylor stormed off he gave one last look at his father before following after her. He quickly got in the cab with her when it pulled up and slid inside. He wasn't sure what to feel or what to say. He was just as pissed off as Taylor but also felt like he was stuck in an awkward position. He put his hand on her leg and rubbed it.

"Listen, babe..." He began finally. "I know that, like, he's an asshole or whatever. I'm not asking you to call him dad or even like him and I'm not trying to make excuses for his behavior. But... things are different here. Honestly that attitude is pretty normal. Or was. I dunno, man." Johnny shrugged. His family is even worse than he is..." Johnny paused for a moment. "My... family..." He said as he lowered his head. "I mean..." Johnny sighed.

"Anyway... I don't care about all that. I don't want you to change for nothin. I love you for who you are. whatever the hell he said or thinks is wrong. And... if " Johnny stopped. "If... I have to lose my dad to keep my wife then... I'm ready." Johnny turned his head. He wasn't one-hundred percent ready. He'd always sought his father's approval. It was hard though. Mamouru had learned long ago that he could kiss people's asses and they would treat him how he wanted. But when he was finally on his own, Johnny wasn't even sure if Mamouru had even spoken to their dad. He knew what he was. Johnny just wanted to think differently. But he also hated the idea of having to be in a prison.

"You know." He said as he wrapped his arms tightly around Taylor. "For whatever's wrong with him, he did help make me who I am today in his own way. So... I dunno..." Johnny said, turning his head and blushing.

"Yeah..." Taylor mostly looked out the window, sparing only a few glances toward Johnny, but then she turned and put one knee up on the seat next to her so she could face him. "Maybe he did, but you're not like him."

She was quiet again for a while. She watched all the signs and storefronts pass by that still seemed so strange to her sometimes. Japan would never be New York. And it didn't need to be, neither one of them was home. Johnny was.

"Junichi..." She said. She almost never called him that, and mostly just in jest. She wasn't joking now, though. "I love who you are. The person you are. I'm really lucky." She just smiled for a moment. "And fuck your dad, he's not going to force us to do anything just by being an asshole. I would never make you choose. He's still your dad, and you can't just get another one." She lowered her eyes. "But... that doesn't mean I wasn't..." She looked back up at him with a weak smile. "<Disappointed>."

She looked around. It looked like they were almost there.

Johnny nodded and took Taylor's hands when she looked back at him. "You know..." He said finally after she had spoken. <I was too.> He said, frowning. Johnny leaned back in his seat and slipped his arm around Taylor, pulling her close. "I feel the same, Taylor-chan." He said as he closed his eyes. "You're everything I could ever hope for. You're amazing, beautiful just... I can't even say it, man... err... babe..." Johnny chuckled. "I love you more than anything." He said as the cab eased to a stop at his mom's house.

"I'll call him in a little bit and talk to him. Ma probably will too if she finds out. She'll be pissed." Johnny rubbed his temples as he pushed out of the cab and stood up, holding out his hand for Taylor. "Maybe I will tell Mamouru too but... I doubt he'll care. He'll probably say 'I told you so', or something."