Post by stampededtyphoon on Feb 27, 2005 19:20:18 GMT -5
stampededtyphoon said:
I thought I was done with this Story, then remembered something I forgot......Soon after teh Announcement of Evvy and Shizuru's Engagement, Stampers had this talk with Sakyo when she found him sitting on a bench in teh Japanese Gardens, enjoying teh warm sunshine with Shizzy and Vivian, Shizzy residing in her usual spot on his lap, and teh rupert, happily purring also, on his shoulder--
"I haven't REALLY had a chance to Congratulate you about Shizuru, Evvy", Stampers mentioned, sitting down beside him.
"Thank you, Stampers........for a great MANY things, actually....!" Evvy replied, and there was a small pause--then Evvy glanced at her before continuing--
"I hope you don't mind my asking, but.......why did you let me into your home, knowing who I was.....? Wouldn't it have been safer, even easier, to just let someone ELSE deal with me......?"
Stampers was tempted to say, "I let you in because you were Naked as a Jaybird, a note pinned to yer' chest, and teh Neighbors wouldv'e COMPLAINED if I had just left you there!", but instead gave him an ironic smile and teh real reason--
"You needed help, Evvy--I COULDN'T turn you away...."
"But....how could you TRUST me, Stampers, especially with Children and Pets living in your home WITH me? After all teh horrible things I had done, TRIED to do...?"
"Evvy.....when you helped Shizuru escape from those Demons at teh Tournament, going outta your way when you DIDN'T hafta--and asking nothing in "return" from her--I KNEW there was something within you that WANTED to be better than what you were, in SPITE of everything else--you were honest with Togoru about yourself, you refused to "welsh" on teh wager of your Life, EVEN when Koenma probably would have LET you, and you DIDN'T participate in teh nastiness that others did to those Demons you helped capture......And there were OTHERS who seemed to think you could be Trusted, too--Koenma, Togoru, Count D, Shizzy, Vivian and teh other ruperts, and most ESPECIALLY, Shizuru, who came a long way to find you again......"
"But......what if.....?"
"BELIEVE me, Evelyn Vivian Sakyo--if you HAD tried to hurt my children, Daniel would have Angel Armed you into oblivian AFTER I "gutted" you MYSELF, and Koenma would have made SURE you ended up in teh DEEPEST PIT of Limbo, where even Togoru never goes! And don't for a MINUTE fool yourself into thinking that my Evil Cats OR teh ruperts would have let you even LOOK at them funny without defending themselves QUITE adequately, No DA!"
Evvy's mouth twisted into an ironic, if not slightly nervous, smile--"Point taken, Stampers......"
"May I ask YOU a question now?" she queried, a small wrinkle of curiosity forming between her eyes, "What made you Trust ME? I mean, with teh way you were sent here and all, I COULD have just been another "step" in some rather cruel punishment thought up by Shishio just because you annoyed him!"
He thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration, then said slowly--"It's hard to explain, because I'm not sure I quite understand it myself, Stampers, but........All my Life, for as long as I could remember, there was a part of me--teh REAL me--that had been........calling....for help--Shizuru heard it--and, that first morning, when you tried so carefully to remove that note--and that pin--from my chest without hurting me.....I think what I saw in your eyes was that YOU heard my cries.....too...."
There were now tears flowing from Stampers' eyes as she returned Sakyo's steady gaze--
"Yes, I did, Evvy......even when you were in Hell, I heard you, calling........."
To be Continued--
Stampers to herself--"*ACK!* Too much CHAT! Better stick a STORY in here, noda!"
Evvy Sakyo, careful to not disturb his pets, reached into a pocket and pulled out one of teh clean hankerchiefs he never seemed to be without, and carefully, gently, dabbed away teh tears on Stampers' face........
["Ever teh Gentleman, Aren't you, Evelyn Sakyo--even at your Worst...."] she thought with a smile, and for a short while afterward, teh two of them just sat on teh bench, lost in their thoughts........
Then, not looking at her, Evvy tentatively spoke up in a quiet voice--
"Stampers......there's......something....I need to talk about, something I CAN'T mention to Shizuru--not YET........."
Stampers, not looking at him lest he stop what was obviously a confession he NEEDED to make, answered just as quietly--
"I'm STILL listening, Evvy--I still hear you....."
He *sighed*, both in relief and in something like shame...and began:
"When I was in College, BEFORE I decided to separate myself from "good" people I might hurt, before I understood just HOW evil I could be....I was engaged, briefly, to a pretty and intelligent young woman who I THOUGHT I Lo-ved......"
"Was it......was teh Demon Parasite trying to....."move on"...?" Stampers asked, aware of how truly difficult this MUST be for Evvy to talk about....
"No......not yet......but......it WAS trying to push me into teh .....teh "USUAL" pattern for its Host Victim, I realize that now......." After a pause to swallow, he continued in a now shaky voice--
"We were young, in Lo-ve and engaged, and we didn't want to wait until teh Honeymoon, so........"
"Did you rape her, Evvy......?"
"Y-y-es......or as MUCH as did....it started out fine, and she was willing, but.......I got too ROUGH, and then I couldn't STOP myself, and.........I HURT HER, Stampers! Hurt her BAD!!!"
His voice had started out as a whisper, and now rose to a cry, and as he expressed his shame and horror and pain in shuddering sobs that must have hurt physically, Stampers wrapped her arms around Evvy like a Mother would do, letting him cry it out, until he could cry no more........
To be Continued---