Lupin III Fan Fiction ❯ Daddy's Girl ❯ Dangerous Ground ( Chapter 25 )

Daddy's Girl

By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki

(Lupin isn't mine. Jigen finds himself in an uncomfortable situation.)

AN: Once again, the reviews are thrilling but I do need to step in again. I've noticed that some of you are shortening Toshiko's name down to Toshi in the reviews. Toshi is Toshiko's mother and Zenigata's ex-wife. When I was coming up with a name for Zenigata's wife, I went with Toshi because it would be logical to think Toshiko was named for her mother [Toshi] and her father [Koichi/Kouichi, whatever the proper spelling is] by taking Toshi's full name and tacking the first two letters of Zenigata's first name on the end.

Okay, that's all for now.

Part Twenty-Five: Dangerous Ground

Jigen opened the front door then walked back to the truck, easing Toshiko out of the front seat. She had fallen asleep so he had to carry her upstairs like he had promised. He got her arranged in his arms before kicking the truck door shut. He walked up the steps carefully then shut the front door once he was in the foyer.

He looked down at the sleeping teenager as he held her. She had every right to be tired after what she had been through and he silently hoped she wouldn't have to endure another such ordeal. He rearranged the way he was holding her when he realized she weighed a little more than he had estimated. He bumped his guess up to at least one hundred and forty pounds.

~I just hope I can make it upstairs with her now, ~ He was afraid he would have to park her on the couch for the night. It wasn't that he was a weak man but it was more of the fact that he was also tired and wanted nothing more than to go to bed. He took a breath and proceeded forward, determined to get her to her room.

He walked carefully towards the living room; scared Goemon would jump out of the shadows with Zantetsuken. He was also hoping Fujiko hadn't stayed up to berate him. He couldn't understand what her problem was. ~She probably would still be the same way even if she knew the whole story. ~

He looked around, noticing nobody was there. He let out a sigh of relief as he walked to the stairs. ~Lupin must have convinced them I'm not a child molester after all. It has to be that or he slipped them both some strong sedatives. ~

He climbed the stairs carefully then headed for Toshiko's room. He managed to get the door open without putting her down then carried her to the bed. He put her down on top of the covers and turned to leave. He stopped, entertaining the idea of changing her into her pajamas so she'd be more comfortable.

~Those clothes are too expensive for her sleep in like that, ~ He recalled seeing one of the tags on one of the other outfits Mishi had bought and was surprised at the price. He knew it wasn't Gucci or Chanel but it was still pretty high. He mulled it over for a few seconds and decided it would be for the best.

He reached for her blouse to loosen it from the pants then stopped, his mouth suddenly going dry at the thought of what lay beneath the garment. His mind then progressed to taking off her pants and he knew he would never be able to get the girl changed. He was certain he wouldn't be able to keep himself together long enough especially since he had taken more of an interest in the girl than just keeping her safe.

~Oh screw it. She can change if she wakes up in the night, ~ He growled. ~I need to get out of here. ~

He slipped out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He went to his room and got out his nightshirt and nightcap. He threw them over his shoulder as he went back into the hall and headed for the bathroom. He wanted to take a shower to get the sour sake smell of Mishi's house off of him before he went to sleep.

He couldn't believe he had been in her house and she had behaved herself. She was very concerned over Toshiko so he figured she was distracted. He stripped off his disguise and threw it into the clothes chute that led to the basement laundry room. He took his hair loose from the ponytail it had been in for the majority of the day and gave it a shake.

He finished undressing before he walked to the shower and reached in to turn it on. As the water started flowing, he heard the doorknob start to turn. He quickly snatched a towel of the rack and turned to see who was coming in. He was surprised to see Toshiko stumbling into the bathroom obviously still half asleep.

" I thought you were dead to the world, " He said and noticed she had her pajamas clutched to her chest. He also noticed she was as red as the satin they were made from.

Time seemed to stand still as her eyes scanned him. Her blush deepened where her gaze grazed his waistline. She snapped her eyes shut. " I'm sorry! "

Jigen looked down, realizing he hadn't got the towel wrapped around his waist and she had gotten a generous eyeful. Thankfully, he had the towel in front of his important parts. " Ah shit, " He muttered as he tied the towel around himself. He reached in and turned off the shower, " I'll let you change. "

" Are you covered? " She asked.

" Yeah babe. Move so I can get out the door, " He said. Toshiko opened her eyes slowly and stepped aside. Jigen walked past her and glanced behind him as she paused a second before shutting the door.

He sighed then decided he needed a cigarette. He walked back to his room and walked to the dresser, getting a cigarette from an open pack that was there. He lit it then took a long drag, ~Damn. Lupin needs to fix that damn lock, ~ He thought as he waited for Toshiko leave the bathroom.

He heard the door open after several tense moments and stubbed the cigarette out in an ashtray on the dresser. He walked back to his doorway and looked out just in time to see Toshiko walking towards his room. " What's the matter now babe? " He furrowed his brow when he noticed she looked a little discomfited.

Toshiko clasped her hands together in front of her and looked down at the floor as she spoke. " I was wondering if you could sleep in my room tonight. "

Jigen arched an eyebrow, " What for babe? You know you're safe here. "

" I know but I'm still scared, " Toshiko whispered.

Jigen sighed, " Oh okay. I'll sleep on the floor… "

" No. I want you to sleep with me, " Toshiko blurted out then blushed again.

" Babe, " Jigen was shocked at her words. " I didn't mean you had to decide about that right away… "

" No, " She shut her eyes. " That came out wrong. I meant I wanted you in the bed. "

" Oh. I guess it's logical after what happened today. I'll be there then, " Jigen sighed. " I'll be in right after I get cleaned up. "

Toshiko nodded, " Okay. "

Jigen watched as she moved down the hall towards her room, glancing at him as she opened the door and walked inside. He waited for her door to close before he carefully walked back to the bathroom. He shut the door and started the shower again. When the water was warm enough, he shed the towel and stepped inside.

~How am I going to be able to be in the same bed with her again? Last night was hard enough but this is going to be damn near impossible, ~ He thought as the water washed over him. He got the soap and cleaned himself quickly before he shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. He dried off then pulled his nightshirt on before grabbing his nightcap.

Once it was on, he looked at the door, taking a deep breath to steel his nerves. ~Here goes nothing, ~ He thought and left the bathroom. He went to his room to get his own pillow. He felt it would be best in case he did have to move to the floor once the girl had fallen asleep.

He turned to leave, his eyes settling on his bedside table for a moment. He silently debated if he needed to get the condom Lupin had given him the night before. He felt it was a sick joke at the time but now it seemed stupid not to take it along. ~I better take it because if I don't I'll need it, ~ He thought as he opened the drawer and grabbed up the packet.

He tucked it into the pillowslip before heading back out into the hallway again. The walk to Toshiko's room seemed like it was a thousand miles even though it was less than fifty feet. He took another deep breath and opened the door. Toshiko was already under the covers and on her side so there would be room for Jigen in the bed.

" You still okay with this? " He asked hesitantly. He noted she had her back to him and was facing the wall as if she were scared to look at him after the incident in the bathroom. " I can still sleep on the floor if you changed your mind. "

" Everything went fine last night, " Toshiko said without looking at him. " I still feel embarrassed about what I said though. You know I didn't mean that… other thing… "

" It's okay, " Jigen said as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. He walked to the bed and put his pillow down before climbing under the covers. Once he was relatively comfortable, he reached over and turned off the bedside lamp Toshiko had left on for him. " I know what you meant. "

Toshiko rolled over to face him; " I don't think I've said thanks for today. "

" Which part? " Jigen arched an eyebrow.

" All of it. I'm really happy that I got to see my dad, " Toshiko said then fell silent. She glanced away from him; " I also wanted to thank you for saving my life. "

" You're welcome, " Jigen leaned closer and kissed her on the forehead. He furrowed his brow when she let out a giggle. " What's so funny? "

" Nothing, " Toshiko said. " Your beard tickles. "

Jigen sighed, " Yeah. I forget sometimes. "

" It's not bad, " Toshiko said. " It's really kind of nice. "

" Really? " Jigen acted surprised. He was used to women pushing him away because a lot of the ones he had been with after he had grown the beard said it was scratchy. He usually used his hand to keep it from scratching but Toshiko seemed to like it.

" Do you think my dad will tell? " Toshiko asked. She seemed concerned that Pops would do something but it was only natural. No matter what, Toshiko was his only daughter and it seemed that he really did care for her in spite of being away from her for so long.

Jigen sighed, " Unless your mother told him to keep it quiet. He's got a few friends in the Tokyo police so he might be able to do it quietly if he does try to nail Ryousuke for hurting you. He probably would have went ape shit if it weren't for those meds they're giving him. "

" I saw those when I put them in the kitchen. That's some pretty strong stuff, " Toshiko muttered.

" What do you expect? " Jigen shrugged. " He got shot in the leg and the bullet shattered the bone. "

" I know, " Toshiko sighed. " It's kind of weird seeing him like that. Although my memories of him are vague, I remember him being energetic and hyper so seeing him drugged up is a little… "

" Weird? " Jigen finished her sentence.

" Yeah, " Toshiko glanced at Jigen then away from him. " You haven't told me much about your dad. "

" I haven't because it's personal, " Jigen said firmly. " I know Lupin's told you about his father and Goemon's probably had a heart to heart with you about his but we're not going there, babe. "

" I'm sorry, " Toshiko looked scared. Jigen wondered if he had been too stern on the girl when he told her 'no'. " I didn't mean to impose on you. "

Jigen shut his eyes, " I didn't mean to scare you. The truth is I don't know very much about my dad. My mother had me on her sixteenth birthday and hadn't seen my dad since the night they… well, you know. I don't look anything like my sister and my mother says I look just like my father. "

" Oh, " Toshiko put a hand on his cheek. " You don't have to tell me anything else if you don't want to. I can tell it's bothering you."

" There really isn't much else to tell, " Jigen put his hand on top of hers. " I never met my dad, my stepfather was a total asshole and we never got along. I bailed when I was seventeen and came back when I was twenty-two after my sister jumped because my mother needed me for support but I didn't stick around long. I really couldn't. "

" So you've been sort of a loner since, huh? "

Jigen sighed, " You could say that. I hang around with Lupin a little too much now to be called a loner but I did keep to myself for a long time. "

" That's sounds so sad. "

" Can we drop it? " Jigen opened his eyes. " It's all in the past and I really want to forget it. "

Toshiko nodded, " Okay. I won't ask you about it again. "

Jigen lifted her hand up and kissed her palm. He then moved his hand around hers so he was holding it. " We've had a busy day so why don't we just get some sleep? "

Toshiko yawned, " Yeah. That sounds good. "

Jigen leaned into her again, this time his lips hovering close to hers. " Would you like a goodnight kiss? "

" Yes, " Toshiko whispered against him before he brought his mouth completely to hers. She grasped his hand tightly as she returned the kiss as he kissed her.

Jigen pulled away, a slight grin on his lips. " You're getting the hang of it. "

" I'm trying, " Toshiko whispered.

" Goodnight, babe. "

" Goodnight, Jigen. "

**

Lupin felt like he was being squashed between Goemon and Fujiko as they both tried to look at the tiny screen on the remote for the spy scorpion. Lupin has slipped it in between some books on a bookshelf in Toshiko's room so they could keep an eye on Jigen and Toshiko. He felt he was invading his friend's privacy but he wanted to prove to Goemon and Fujiko that Toshiko was safe with Jigen. He fully intended to shut it off and claim the batteries had died if anything unexpected happened but he didn't think it would.

" So Lupin is correct once again, " Goemon glared at Fujiko as he moved away from Lupin's right side once it looked like Jigen and Toshiko were very much asleep. " Nothing occurred. "

Fujiko rolled out her lip in a pout, " He knows we were watching. I know he knows we were watching. "

Lupin sighed and switched off the handheld unit, " You're just pissed because you were wrong. Toshiko is completely safe with Jigen but you just don't want to believe it. "

" I cannot believe I wasted my time on such idiocy, " Goemon turned to leave the room.

" Whoa. This was your idea, " Lupin pointed at the remote.

Goemon turned to face Lupin again. " What else was I to do? I could not have hidden myself in the closet. He would have known I was there for certain. "

Fujiko arched an eyebrow, " You wanted to watch them? "

" It is my duty to protect Toshiko so of course, " Goemon acted insulted at what Fujiko was suggesting.

" I think you're jealous, " Fujiko sneered at Goemon. " That's what it is, isn't it? I heard that noise you made when he kissed her. "

Goemon puffed up like an adder, " Then I could say the same for you! "

Lupin stood up on the bed, " Children! He probably kissed her on the cheek! Get over it! "

Fujiko reached up and yanked Lupin back down by the front of his pants, " Stay out of this. This is between Goemon and I. "

" I can see no other reason for you to be so adamant against Jigen having a relationship with Toshiko, " Goemon pointed Zantetsuken at Fujiko.

" I'm so adamant because it's sick! " Fujiko screamed. " Jigen's too fucking old to be even kissing her! "

" I swear it had to be her cheek! " Lupin interjected put Fujiko pushed him back with a palm to his face.

" Shut up! " Fujiko glared at Lupin. " He's too old to even be her friend! "

" A person can have friends that are any age! " Goemon clenched his hand around Zantetsuken's handle. He had half a mind to whack her with the sheathed sword but decided it would not be wise with Lupin in the room. " Besides, I agree with Lupin. It was hard to tell on that small screen but I'm sure he would not be so brash as to kiss her on the lips. "

" See? " Lupin's words were muffled under Fujiko's hand. " It was just a friendly kiss! "

" Sixteen year old girls shouldn't have sick fuckers like Jigen for a friend though! " Fujiko grabbed the end of Zantetsuken and tried to jerk it away from Goemon, a bout of tug of war ensuing. " You know as well as I do he's only being nice to her so he can get some! "

" Do you have any idea what that poor girl has been through? " Goemon growled.

" She has a lot of scars. I saw them the other night but that shouldn't make her so special, " Fujiko said as she took her hand from Lupin's face.

" Do you even care to know what caused that scarring? " Goemon countered.

" She must have been quite a tomboy growing up, " Fujiko shrugged.

Lupin sighed and shut off the remote control, " There's a lot more to it than that. I hope you're not sleepy because we're going to be here for a while. "

" Do you really think telling her will change anything? " Goemon arched an eyebrow at Lupin.

Lupin shrugged, " We won't know until we try. "

Goemon sighed, " Try not to get detailed. We must protect Toshiko's privacy. "

Lupin patted Goemon on the shoulder, " I'll give her the short four-one-one. "

Fujiko looked confused, " What's going on? '

" You'll find out, " Lupin said. " You know how we took her into my office when we got home? "

Fujiko arched an eyebrow, " Yeah. What happened and why wasn't I allowed to be in there? "

Lupin glanced at Goemon; " I had to take some pictures… you saw the scars on her back, right? "

Fujiko nodded, " Those looked pretty brutal. Was she in a biking accident? I assume that's how she got the ones on her arms. I'm thinking either that or a car accident. "

Lupin took a breath at he thought about how he would answer Fujiko's question. He looked her in the eye, " I wish that were the case. "

" As do I, " Goemon added solemnly.

" Tell me. I need to know so I can try to understand this madness a little better, " Fujiko said.

" I doubt it will help you understand but it may give you some insight into the girl's plight, " Goemon took a seat on the floor.