Fernando thought he has some time to himself. He found the Wagu Beef to be delectable, and asks the staff for a small plate of assorted meats with a ball of fried rice on the side, along with a fruit drink he picked at random, making sure it is not containing strawberries. He takes it to his table where Gadget sat alone.
 
As he puts his food and drink onto the table opposite from her, he says, “What is a lovely mousie like you doing in a place like this?”
 
Gadget turns to face him as he sits down. She answers, “I’m waiting for a perfect gentleman to take me away from all this.”
 
“I hope you find him. I’m just a scoundrel who thinks about himself.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Hmph...” Gadget replies as she flicks her hair and turns on her seat to not face him.
 
“Gadget... I can not promise you my heart nor can I promise you that we can have a fulfilling relationship based on love and passion. But, with the time we have when it is possible, we can have some uninterrupted time together, maybe I can give you what you want and what you need.” He tells her, setting up a morsel with his chopsticks and reaching over to her even though her back was to him.
 
Gadget slowly turns back to face him, seeing the chopsticks with food on it at face level.
 
“You can have the first bite.” Fernando begins, “Look, we are going through hard times, and we will be doing things for each other, sharing what we have even if we have nothing to share but ourselves. But everything in its place and in its time. And we have shared in things that only few share with each other. If you are willing to accept that, if you want to continue that, take the first bite, and remember, ‘the word Secret is in Secretary.’”
 
Gadget looks at him unsure how to answer. But she leans to his chopsticks before opening her mouth and wrapping her lips around the chopsticks and taking the morsel of food into her mouth. She slides her lips off the chopsticks before chewing and swallowing the food in her mouth.
 
“What was that?” She finally asks.
 
“Japanese version of fried rice. It is less oily and with more vegetables than the Chinese variety.” Fernando explains. He looks down at his plate and sets up a mound of fried rice with a piece of meat wrapped around it. He then picks up the ball of meat and rice before putting it in his mouth. He chews and swallows, before adding, “I don’t know when we will have some alone time but when we do I will be totally focused on you.”
 
He sets up another mound of rice with a bit of meat around it, picking it up with his chopsticks and reaching out to her. She leans in and takes the food into her mouth. As he set up for a bite for himself, Gadget moves over to the seat next to him. He was not paying attention to her as she changed seats. He puts the chopsticks to his mouth to eat the morsel they held. She leans against him as he pulls the chopsticks out of his mouth.
 
After chewing and swallowing his bite of food he asks, “You OK, Gadget?”
 
“I don’t know.” Gadget replies.
 
“Feeling threatened by the high school girls and that I would #$@! them?” Fernando asks.
 
“That may be part of it...” Gadget says.
 
“Look, if I end up #$@!ing any of them, it would me doing them a favor and we would go at it like porn stars with little to no emotional connections while we did it.” He explains to her, adding, “Like that is ever going to happen. I highly doubt it.”
 
“But, there is a possibility of it happening.” She replies.
 
“Jeanette has a better chance of having sex with me over you than any of them would, and thanks to what she had done to me with Misao, that chance goes down to zero faster than a wingless aircraft in flames.” He tells her.
 
Gadget has a look of worry and uncertainty, knowing that if anything was possible, then it was possible. She cannot shake off that feeling and that she had created it somehow. She lets out a sigh.
 
Fernando scoops up another bite for Gadget to have as he places the chopsticks to her mouth. She hesitates for a moment. She then puts her hand to his wrist and slowly pushes away the food from her face. He moves chopsticks to the plate to have them rest on it.
 
“I do not share my food with just anyone, especially from the same eating utensils.” He tells her. He throws in, “For me to do that means I share a lot more with that person than just my food with them, as in bodily fluids we had shared during sex. Right now you need to understand that both you and I are needy people because what our spouses are doing to us and we’re taking care of each other in what they should be doing but reused to do. Is it out of love? I do not know, but I would not be sticking my dick into any female unless I do love them in some bit because I am not some porn star willing to #$@! every cute girl they bring into the studio. I hope you understand that in some sense, and I hope you understand where you stand with me on that level”
 
The DJ puts on an extended version of “In My Mind” (aka 2013 Kia Hamster Commercial Song) by: Ivan Gough, Feenixpawl. Gadget grabs Fernando by his arm, “How about a dance?!!”
 
“No Gadget. I do not dance with anyone.” He tells her.
 
“Come on... Jeanette said that you do, that you did with her!” She tries pushing the subject.
 
“No means no, Gadget. Now drop it before it goes to the next level.” He tells her.
 
“But... it is just one dance!” She says to him.
 
“I’ll see you later...” Fernando says to her as he gets up and takes his plate and drink.
 
“But... wait!” Gadget says.
 
Fernando walks into the crowd and disappears into it. Taking to one of the secret exits/entrances behind a curtain, he makes his way to a quiet area where he can sit down and have his meal in peace. These secret rooms are connected together and lead to a safe room if one knows the layout of the palace. He walks into an area, finding a desk and a chair to sit and eat at.
 
Back outside in the ball room, Gadget looks to where Fernando went to and tries to figure out where he had gone to. She cannot figure it out before getting up. But someone put their hand on her shoulders from behind and pushes her back down onto her seat.
 
“Hey!” Gadget complains.
 
A voice tells her in her ear from behind, “I do not care how good that mouse pussy of yours is around my father’s cock, you never ask him to dance with you.”
 
Another voice tells her in her other ear, “Dad had a dance partner long ago, they promise each other if one passes before the other, the other will never dance with another ever again. She passed, and he will never dance with another again as promised.”
 
The first voice adds, “For father to dance with anyone, they have to be that special to him, you do not come close to that. So what you two are screwing around, big deal he’s phucking your brains out, sex does not say that one is that special to another, and it does not say you are that special to him.”
 
The other voice comes back with “If you know what is good for you, you will never ask him for a dance for the rest of your short life.”
 
The first voice returns, “You are going to sit right there and think about what you did and what you will do. Apology is not needed. Not to him, not to us. You will stay there and count to a thousand before you get up for a drink or a bathroom break. But you are not going to look for him. You are to leave him alone. If he comes to you that is another matter and you will listen and do as he says. Now start counting.”
 
Gadget begins counting. The two behind her walk away and disappear into the crowd.
 
In another part of the room, Jeanette is looking about at the people and the layout of the dance floor, tables, food services and bar of the room. Over 200 people, mostly VIPs, fill the room. She walks by one of the curtain panels of the wall, where a hand reaches out, gags and grabs her, and drags her into behind the curtain. A secret panel closes as they enter a secret room. She is taken deeper into a hallway and into a room at the end of the hall. She is pushed onto a table to sit on before the light in the room is dimly turned on.
 
“What The – How Dare You!” Jeanette starts yelling.
 
“Shut the hell up, Jeanette!” Fernando shouts back in a commanding tone.
 
“Why you brought me here? Where is here?!!” Jeanette shouts back.
 
“You can shout all you want, no one can hear you as this is part of the palace’s safe room complex. Now as to why I brought you here, there are a lot of things you need to know if I think I can trust you with that information. Now, can I trust you?” Fernando asks.
 
“If you can not trust me, you have no one to trust.” She tells him.
 
“Don’t think that you are so special that without you I have no one. I have people I can count on when you would have abandoned me. Now I ask again, ‘Can I trust you?’” He tells her.
 
“That is something you should decide in. Not me.” She tells him.
 
“You forgot what we been though in Antarctica and the lessons you learned about trust and friendship that we had to undergo and endure. There was no question about the trust for each other then. And we were just days to move onto the next step in our relationship where we would be husband and wife and you the other of my child – Francesca. But what happened? I’m going tell you now, Misao happened. She led you astray from me, she made promises to drive you away from me, she told you false things to questions how you feel about me and what you think I feel about you, she did everything in her power to manipulate you into splitting us up and you fell for it.” Fernando tells her, throwing in, “If I were to go by evidence alone, your fluffy chipmunk tail would be back at the café right now. But this is something you should be able to counteract in your answer and what proof you may provide. All I can say that during this time I did nothing to you in any way that was to harm you, hurt you, belittle you, or eliminate you but Misao did those things to me. Now I want you to think about what I ask before you answer it, Can I Trust You?”
 
Jeanette takes a long while in thinking. To some it would be too long. She sighs and eventually gives an answer, “Yes, you can trust me.”
 
“Actually I can’t, not with that inflection in your voice. But I will give you one and only chance.” He tells her.
 
“What do you want me to do? Lift up my dress and drop my panties so you can do me wrong?” She throws at him.
 
“That is Misao’s thinking that has tainted your trust of me. You just can’t go back to what we had in Antarctica and before then. If we did not do what we had to do back then we would have died and never been found, the lost archeologists would never have been found and they too would be lost and dead as well. We were a team, one that relied on the other to make sure neither one of us would get hurt and save us when we can not save ourselves. We step into the others way in order to make sure we do not end up in danger. We do what we can for each other because we are more than friends, we were rescue partners. If it were not for that one of us would be dead and the other would be crying at our grave. Do you understand where I am coming from?” Fernando says and asks.
 
Jeanette lets out another pent up sigh “Yes I do.”
 
“Then?” Fernando asks.
 
“Then what? Want me to drop my panties here and offer myself to you? That is not going to happen.” Jeanette tells him.
 
“And, hypothetically, why?” He asks.
 
“For one, You’re married. For two, What we had was in the past and things changed since then. For three, You’re cheating on Tammy with Gadget!” she throws at him.
 
He begins to remind her, “First off, Tammy cheated on me with Chip.”
 
“Two wrongs do not make a right.” She interrupts him.
 
“Tammy cheated on me with Chip and Chip poisoned her with Angel Dust, she may not be dead, but he killed the person inside her with that drug.” He tells her.
 
“Tammy is still the person she is.” Jeanette throws out.
 
“Angel Dust and LSD does neurological damage to the user’s brain. It changes their persona, their process of logic and thinking, their emotional response as a person. Tammy is no longer the loving and caring person she used to be. Cocaine makes on selfish, greedy and entitled. Meth makes one violent and deny culpability. Marijuana makes one apathetic and selfish. Chip gave all these drugs to Tammy during the time they were cheating against me. Because of that, Tammy is no longer the person I married and is therefore dead in my eyes. And don’t think that all she needs is to be taken out of the drug situation and go through rehab, because she will never be the person she used to be, and when her dealer returns, she would do to him to get back with getting high with him again. So this crap about Tammy still being the person she was is a load of crap. Tammy being the person she used to be is wrong because the person she used to be is dead, dead from the drug addiction Chip put her through. She is no longer my wife but is his sex slave in that respect. So, who am I cheating against? Tell me that.”
 
Jeanette has no answer to give.
 
“Then forever keep your peace.” He tells her. He steps away from her for a moment, takes a spinning step to face her again. “No as for Gadget cheating against Chip through perhaps me? What it I told you she was never married at all?”
 
“Impossible, many of the café was there at the wedding, including me!” Jeanette says.
 
“That was not Chip.” He tells her.
 
“If that was not Chip, then who was that she married?” She asks.
 
“When Gadget’s computer chip implant made her go wild in trying to assassinate the president, and she was temporarily cured, Chip disappeared. He would return moths later and they were married. But that which returned was not Chip. But doppelganger.” He tells her.
 
“Somehow I do not believe you.” She tells him.
 
“This is why I need you to trust and believe in me.” He tells her.
 
“Give me one reason to trust and believe you like I once did.” She throws at him.
 
“Chip is dead.” He tells her. Though she gasps in reaction, she does not say a thing. He continues, “He came in disguised as Dale to try to infiltrate the party one more time and take as many lives with him as possible. He failed in that was and killed when the palace security and the government agents, including me, shot him dead. Aiesha will be conducting the autopsy, but I already had a look over the body in question and seen that whoever that was, it was not Chip.” He explains.
 
“How do you know that Chip is the one that married Gadget and not somebody who recently replaced him?” She asks.
 
“Every scar that I know him to have, every injury, every healed area he had in the past 10 years matches on the body on the one on the autopsy table. Whoever this person was, was with us for a very long time.” He tells her.
 
“Then how do you know who you killed is not Chip?” She asks with a hint of anger in her voice.
 
“To take him down some of us shot him in the head. Do you know what was found in his cranium?” He says and asks.
 
“This better not be one of those ‘found nothing in his head’ joke.” She replies.
 
“We found computer circuit boards in his skull. Just like we found computer circuit boards in Zipper’s head when he had to be put down. When they were switched, who knows but it had to be before Gadget’s wedding. And in case you want to know, Dale and Monty are the real one – living people with no technology in them.”
 
Jeanette tries to hide her astonishment but does not say a word.
 
“Now, if Chip was replaced before Gadget’s wedding; that means that she was never married to Chip at all. So who was she married too? A machine. But a living person can not marry a machine, so she was married to no one. So how was Gadget cheating against Chip? She was not, though in the spirit of the matter as she was duped into thinking that she was married to Chip, who was abusing her and cheating on her with other females and possibly males, you could say that she was cheating against Chip. But the evidence says otherwise. So how can she be cheating if she was never married in the first place? Care to answer that one?” Fernando throws at her.
 
“No.” Jeanette finally lets out.
 
“Then if Gadget was not married to Chip, and this doppelganger basically killed off the person who my wife was, and if we were having sex during a mission, were we cheating on anyone?” He asks.
 
“You were with Gadget on Tammy, because you are still married to her.” She tries to throw at her.
 
“Yeah, right. Tammy is estranged to me, so she had invoked dissolution to our marriage. If it were not for our child, Francesca, I would have walked away from her when she walked way. And again...” Fernando tells her, he takes his cane and twists the crystal, opening up an observation portal from some 3 months before “Tammy cheated with Chip first, I was on a mission in South America when THIS happened!”
 
The observation sphere opens up to the front door of Fernando’s home. Chip arrives in his typical attire of fedora and leather jacket. He knocks on the door and it is opened by Tammy who was wearing a see-through camisole with matching bra and panties. They go into the house, where they go to the living room and while he was setting up some drugs on the table, Tammy got on her knees between his legs, pulling his tiny penis out of his pants and begin performing felicatio on him. Once he has the drugs set up, he gives Tammy a few things to take (smoke or pills to swallow), while she continues on giving him oral sex. This continues for a while until Chip hands her a plate with a white powder cut up in lines, and a rolled up $100 bill to snort the lines of powder with. After snorting the drugs, Tammy gets up, turns around and bends over the table, shimming out of her panties down her legs before chip mounts her from behind and penetrates her womanhood from behind. This lasts for a short while before he sets up more drugs for them to take again while Tammy goes back to giving him more oral sex before they finish up on their drug taking and on shaky legs, going to the bedroom.
 
Fernando continues the observation for a while before shutting down the orb.
 
“Bad enough you left me and forced me to take Tammy, Tammy has to go and cheat behind me while I was forced to take on a mission thousands of miles away. A mission where I found a threat to the Lantean people Misao is part of and she is in denial off.” He tells her. He the reaches into his pocket and gives her a small glass vial, “Give this to Misao for her people to test. According to the results of this, you are to either come back to me like you were before with total trust and total respect, or you can walk away and do as you please and forget I ever existed.” He tells her. He turns around and starts stepping out the room, “Follow me to get out of this safe room.”
 
It takes them a few seconds to get out of the safe room area.
 
Once out in the main ballroom Fernando disappears into the crowd, leaving Jeanette on her own to think on what was said and done. She then looks at the tiny vial he had given her, the liquid inside look like bright yellow piss as thick as pancake syrup. That vial had enough of the Anti-Lantean virus to kill off a medium size city of a couple million people, a fact she was not aware off. She puts it into her pocketbook.
 
[To Be Continued...]

Charles went to play the DJ Music loud for everyone to hear and then playing Ao To Natsu by Mrs. Green Apple.  
 
Then he lead Widget to a room with a Flat Screen TV on it As he cclose the door and then they sit down on the couch.  
 
Charles; Ok I am going to show you and Tell you what going on love.  
 
Widget: Ok.  
 
Charles play the footage from the camera 6 Hours ago. As Fake Chip was pointing his gun. At Fernando,. Hondo and Charles. As he fire the first shot. But they shoot back and took him down. Then Were they shock that he was a robot clone.  
 
Charles; That not Chip. It a Robot Clone of him. Want to know what happen to the real Chip?
 
Widget: Yes I though this was Real Chip?  
 
Charles: Nope. 7 months ago. I got a call form Dale and telling me that Chip was missing. I was shock and they were looking for him. But he was gone. After the Award Presation were. Me. Nando. Hondo, And others were. Then a Few days later. .This Fake Chip show up in there Treehouse and acting weird.  
 
Widget; How Weird?  
 
Charles: Dale told me. That Chip was acting Strange as he was Not kissing Gadget, Not talking to her and Acting mean. To them.  
 
Widget: Why?
 
Charles: I don’t know. Also he was the one end the Rescue Rangers and Socitey Aid Replace them with Danger Rangers. Since he went out of control at them too.  
 
Widget: WHAT Chip Never do that.  
 
Charles: I know. But this is Fake Chip. Robot Chip Did this. Some one sent him to Runed the Rescue Rangers Reptuation, Fernando and Tammy Marage. Because he was the one drug Tammy and make her act out on Fernado. Also took his kid with her too. So that what happen. My NSA Is finding the Real Chip and Bring him back. That Why Ferando is protecting Gadget.  He didn’t do her. He was keep her safe. Also I Fought the Robot Chip at the Mall. Since he was steeling and Try to rape a girl. But I put a stop to that and Save the Female life. That why I told dale take you and Foxglove to safey. I don’t want to see you get hurt by this Imposter Robot who posing as Chip. IT the truth.  
 
Then Widget Hugging Charles as Charles hugging her back.  
 
Widget: Ok. I believe you now. Didn’t know. I hope you find the Real Chip and I will tell Fernando that I am sorry on that.  
 
Charles: I will love and don’t worry Nando will forgive you.  
 
They smiles and Kissing each other too.  

NOTE: Blue Text from a Previous post
 
As Fernando went up to the DJ’s booth and took over the music from a very unhappy DJ, Hondo went back to his seat and watched from a comfortable distance, close enough to help if needed and far enough to watch his surroundings. Valentine having come back from getting a drink as the high school girls went to the DJ booth to talk to Fernando, she sat down with Gadget and tried to talk to her, though it did not seem to be going well, at least from what Hondo observed. Gadget seemed more nervous and fidgety than normal, while Valentine seemed to look a little lost, as she frowned and glanced around only occasionally, spending most of the time staring down at her hands, the table, or the floor. Thought Fernando was in view, Gadget hardly looked at him, more so glancing around as if looking for an attacker. It was fairly obvious that the incident with Chip, or the robo-Chip clone, or whatever it was, had her on edge, and if Valentine was trying to calm her and get her to talk it out, it was having little to no effect.  
 
The girls soon left Fernando’s side and returned to the table for a bit, as Fernando entered the DJ booth again, so Valentine got up and walked to where Hondo sat, and set down, sighing deeply as she did.  
 
“What’s the sigh ‘bout?” Hondo asked, furrowing his brow at her a bit.
 
“I don’t know… A bit tired, I guess. Tired and frustrated.” She replied.
 
“Frustrated at what?” He asked, prompting her for more information.  
 
“You just seem to be able to help and fit in where needed, but I can’t seem to.” She replied dejectedly.
 
He chuckled, “Heh! Me? Fit in?? Do you know who you married??”
 
She frowned, “But, you do! I know you might not feel comfortable at these events, and you sort of have your own style, but you seem comfortable with who you are and don’t care if others approve. And when somethin’ needs done, you do it and succeed!”
 
“Well, I don’t know about havin’ my own style, or any style really, but I know I don’t always succeed. I don’t always see what needs doin’ either. I just try.” He replied, matter of fact like.
 
“But, you do seem to succeed, usually. I’m just a mess.” She replied glumly.
 
“I thought your head wasn’t messin’ with you so much, now?” He asked, sounding a bit worried.
 
“It isn’t, not that it’s gone completely. I still feel insecure about myself; about whether I’m good enough for you or not.”  She replied, sounding glum.
 
“I didn’t know I didn’t make you feel secure.” He replied seriously.
 
“It’s not you, my love, honestly. It’s me. Besides, that’s not all of it.” She replied, her voice quiet and sad.
 
“What is then?” Hondo asked.
 
“I don’t seem to be much of a help, lately. To anyone.” She replied quietly.  
 
“Darlin’, your help with logistics helps Jefe an’ I do what we need to do. We couldn’t do what we do without that help.” He replied.
 
“You could hire almost anyone to do that, though.” She replied.
 
He shook his head, “No we couldn’t. We trust you, an’ I love you. Knowin’ you are waitin’ for me to return gives me drive, focus, power that I didn’t have alone. Knowin’ you are there to come back to helps me push through bad situations that I might not make it through otherwise. I know it’s not always easy for you to wait an’ handle the logistics for us, but it means a lot to Jefe an’ the world to me.”
 
She gave him a soft smile, “I am glad you appreciate it, but I still wish I was actually makin’ a difference in lives like you two do, instead of just bein’ in the background.”
 
“What brought this on? ... Gadget?” He asked.
 
She nodded, “I guess. I tried to talk to her, but she’s nearly impossible to talk to at the moment. I know it’s because of what happened with her husband tonight, but I can’t get through to her. All she wanted to talk about was Fernando, when she actually said anythin’, and she sounds more like a lost kid lookin’ for their dad than a woman in love. It’s not that I tried to get her to talk about her husband… ex-husband now, I guess. I just was tryin’ to see if she was alright, and she mostly ignored me.”
 
“Well, she’s had a rough go of it, plus she’s always sucked at interaction with others. *sigh* There was a time I saw through it, but now I’m thinkin’ I really dodged a bullet there.” He replied seriously.
 
She shook her head, “I don’t think so. I mean, I’m glad you love me and want me, but I wasn’t a lot better when we first met. You and Fernando helped me out of my shell. I’m sure had you been with her she’d have come around.”
 
Hondo frowned, “Maybe, but you only have known the messed-up Gadget. Her trauma made her nervous, but she’s always been dense as a rock ‘bout interpersonal interactions, since I first met her, at least… are you let down ‘cause she’s not goin’ to you as a friend?”
 
Valentine shrugged, “I don’t know… Maybe. I thought we made a connection over beers the other night, you know?”
 
“I think you did,” Hondo replied, “but I think she’s probably just tryin’ to shut it all out an’ hold together at the moment. Gadget is a lot like my Grandma Sackett used to be. When things got bad Grandma used to pretend like the bad didn’t happen so she could keep goin’. She didn’t want to talk about it, acted like she knew nothin’ ‘bout it, an’ just kept busy. Gadget, the one I knew at least, was a lot like that. It was partly why when things got bad she’d be holed up in her workshop buildin’ some contraption an’ then test it way before it was ready. She wanted to keep her hands and mind occupied on things she could control instead of those she couldn’t, though unfortunately she took shortcuts as details took time, an’ too much time lets you think... She doesn’t have her workshop now, though, so she has no active outlet or hidin’ place. You look at her now an’ she’s fidgety as hell. I can guarantee you she’s doin’ everythin’ she can at the moment to just not think about it all.”
 
Valentine looked over at Gadget for a moment then nodded, “Yeah, she is, and you’re probably right… I just… Tammy and I might not have been best friends, but she was the first real woman friend I’ve had, and despite our differences, her friendship helped me. You’ve tried to hard to help me through everything lately, but having another woman to talk to can be a big help sometimes. I can’t return the favor to Tammy as she’s gone and beyond my help, but I thought maybe I could pass it on by bein’ friends with Gadget and maybe.. maybe get the friend I could really use too.... Unfortunately, I can’t even do that right.”
 
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Gadget will never be an easy friend, that I know. She’s not high maintenance, just not easy to talk to nor always thoughtful of how others feel as she gets too caught up in her own feelin’s. I know it’s not been easy on you, but as long as you are my wife, treat me well an’ with the care a wife should, an’ help with the goals I have in the work I do, you are miles ahead of most other women these days an’ you are a help. Jefe an’ I couldn’t do what we do without you, at least not so easily. You’re a big reason why Jefe can bring his girls here an’ have them close while we are on this long mission. I know they haven’t done a lot to befriend you either, an’ I’m sorry ‘bout that, but I can’t make them try an’ neither can Jefe… This mission isn’t like the others we’ve been on. We are here for at least a year, possibly two dependin’ on how things go. The logistics of keepin’ our groups goin’ is massive an’ we can’t trust someone outside the group to do this. We need your help.” He said, trying to assure her she was doing well and was needed, but not sure he was getting through to her, like she felt about getting through to Gadget.  
 
She sighed and nodded, “*sigh* … I understand, I guess. It doesn’t make me feel much better, but some of that is my anxiety from being here… You need a wife that is comfortable and confident in affairs like this, as well as be more of a help and less of a mess.”
 
“Why? You don’t want to be my wife anymore?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
 
“I didn’t mean it like that! Of course, I do! I just mean you deserve better than me to handle these fancy parties and the like!” She said quickly, and a bit defensively “I’m not sure what I’d do without you, but I’m also not sure how to be enough for you! … maybe you need two wives, or something like that, at least one who’s better at handling people so I can stay home and hide in.. in my workshop.”  
 
He shook his head at her, “Settle down, darlin’, an’ don’t compare yourself with her. You are enough for me, an’ I understand needin’ a place to go an destress at times, we all need that. There’s a difference between goin’ to a place you find peace an’ lettin’ yourself heal verses hidin’ from reality an’ hopin’ it goes away. Gadget did the latter, an’ since we’ve been together, I’ve only known you to do the former.”
 
She nodded, looking a bit ashamed, though she was not sure why she felt that way, other than she knew she had hide from things at times and had not done so lately due to the strength she felt from being with Hondo.
 
“I’m sorry. I can’t help but compare myself with them… I feel like I’m lacking because I wasn’t your first, but I know its not that I’m a second or third choice or anything, since we didn’t know each other when you were with Gadget and.. and Laurie… Was.. was she better at things like this?” She asked.
 
“Who? Gadget?” He asked, glancing over at where Gadget sat and noticing that the high school girls were getting up to either got get more food, dance, or mingle.
 
Valentine shook her head, “No… I meant, uhm.. Laurie.”
 
He thought for a moment and then shrugged, “I don’t know… maybe so… She was a delicate thing, an’ way more outgoin’ than I’ve ever been… We didn’t go to parties like this though, as I didn’t like them an’ we had no reason to, but… I think she’d have enjoyed this. Why do you ask?”
 
“I don’t know… I worry that I’m not doing a good enough job taking care of you… that maybe she did better and you miss her because I don’t do good enough to make up for her loss.” She replied sheepishly.
 
Hondo Furrowed his brow at her, “What brought this on?”
 
“I don’t know… maybe some of it was just feelin’ so inadequate, and maybe some was Gadget and thinkin’ about your past with her, before her, and after her… Ever.. ever since we.. I killed her, Laurie, you’ve hardly said two words about her, what she was like, or anythin’ at least. I sometimes wonder if you don’t resent me a bit for what I did, as I hate myself for it at times… I did it to protect you, but I wonder if I did right by you still.” She replied quietly.
 
He frowned, “Who you shot wasn’t Laurie anymore, not the one I knew. What that Bastard Hatfield did to her stripped that body of the woman I cared for long ago. You did us both a favor by puttin’ her down, but if you hadn’t I would have, for her sake as well as ours! … *sigh* … I don’t say much ‘bout her as I try not to think ‘bout her much…Those were different times, We were young, inexperienced, an’ probably a bit foolish… She was a good woman, though, very sweet an’ outgoin’ like I said, but she wasn’t built for the work I do. You are beautiful an’ strong, stronger than you let yourself believe. Laurie, she.. she wasn’t like the person you saw. Whatever was done to her, they must have gave her sterioids on top of whatever drugs they pumped into her, as she was so small an’ petite when I knew her. Hell, I was scared to make love to her the first couple times as I thought I’d break her!”
 
Valentine giggled a bit at his last remark.
 
 “Hehe! You could break me, if you wanted, with all that muscle, and I’m not just talkin’ about the big one in your pants, though that could almost split a woman in two if she wasn’t ready for it!” She said emphatically in a low voice so only he could hear her.
 
He smiled a bit and shook his head at her, “That’s not what I meant, but you know what I mean… Anyway, she loved the country but wasn’t exactly built for the life, but she tried hard. She tried to help me with work, an’ with buildin’ a home, an’ still no matter how tired she was she tried to take care of me.”
 
“Take care how?” Valentine asked, wanting to know more.
 
He shrugged, “You know, cook, clean, that sort of stuff, like you do…”
 
Valentine cocked her head at him as he seemed to pause as if there was more that he wasn’t saying.
 
“Was there somethin’ specific she used to do special? … If it’s too private I understand.” She replied.
 
He paused as he thought about her, something he really had not done for a while. As he thought he noticed Fernando come from the buffet area to go sit with Gadget, bringing some food with him from the buffet. As he sat down Gadget visibly relaxed, which was evident from where they sat a few tables away.
 
“… Well, believe it or not, Laurie’s mother was half Asian, but I’m not sure if she was Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or what, but it’s where she got her small size from. I never met her mother, as she died while giving birth to her. Her grandmother help raise her, though, as she moved in with her and her father right after she was born. His parents, Laurie’s father’s parents, said they were too busy to help him with her, but his mother in law sold her house and gave up her life to raise her, so she was more like a mother to her than a grandmother. Laurie told me how her grandmother taught her from a young age how a young lady should act, and how she should take care of her father and someday her husband… I think it was some of that which drew me to her, though I’m not sure what drew her to me other than I knew her father. Even before we married, she was over at my place cleanin’, cookin’, takin’ care of me, an the like. Once we got intimate, she insisted on showin’ with me so she could wash me, helpin’ me with my boots and sox, an’ stuff like that. I was always after her at first ‘bout just doin’ it myself as I didn’t need the help, but I stopped after a while as it made her happy to help me in those ways, it let us be closer, an’ gave us more time together… *sigh*… Hadn’t thought ‘bout all that in a long time.” He replied quietly.
 
Valentine frowned, realizing how little effort she had put into the small things for him by comparison, “Do.. do you miss her and.. and all she did?”
 
He frowned, “Of course I miss her, but I try not to think about her as she’s gone. Now, I’d rather not talk ‘bout her anymore. She’s gone, so no sense lookin’ backwards.”
 
Truth be told he did miss many of the little things Laurie had done for him, but he loved Valentine and did not want her to judge herself by women from his past nor try to emulate them for him. What he wanted from her was what she was willing to give inasmuch that she loved him.  
 
“I’m sorry.” Valentine said softly.
 
“Don’t be.” Hondo replied, “There’s just too much to do in there here an’ now to waste energy on what was. I’m not tryin’ to hide anythin’ from you by not talkin’ ‘bout her, trust me. I just have a lot goin’ on an’ I have you. I can effect an’ enjoy what I have now. What is gone I can do nothin’ ‘bout so I rather not let it affect me. Life’s just too short. Maybe.. maybe that’s the most important lesson Laurie taught me, that life is short so enjoy what you can an’ hold those you care ‘bout close as we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.”
 
She nodded, “That is a good lesson, and … I’d like to hold you close when we get home, even if we are too tired for anything else… I think that’s all I need. To hold you close and recharge myself. Maybe I don’t have a workshop to hide in and find peace, but that’s what I have your arms for.”
 
He noted that she was serious, and not just trying to be flirty, which made it all the more meaningful to him.
 
“I feel the same ‘bout havin’ you in my arms.” He replied.
 
“So, how much longer until we can?” she asked, seriously.
 
He pulled out his pocket watch, “Well, it’s not quite 11 o’clock yet, an’ I doubt we leave before 1:00 am, so will be a couple hours yet.”
 
Valentine nodded, “Well, in that case I might go you the restroom and then get a drink. You want anythin’?”
 
He shook his head, “Not right now. I might go get somethin’ to eat with you when you get back, though.”
 
She nodded before standing up and heading towards the ladies’ room leaving Hondo alone again.  
 
As Hondo sat there he heard Gadget say something a bit loudly, which caught his attention and that of a few others, and as he looked Fernando was leaving the table and am upset looking Gadget. Hondo shook his head as he saw two of Fernando’s older daughters, Rachel and Michelle, come up behind Gadget and whisper into her ears. From the looks on their faces it was not a fun conversation, and he could only guess at what harsh things they were saying to her. He chuckled a bit to himself at the thought of Gadget probably nearly wetting herself from fear, but he also felt a bit bad for her. Fernando’s daughters tended to be a bit overprotective, and Fernando himself was not one to explain a lot of why he demanded certain things. Gadget on the other hand was messed up in the head, not used to the discipline Fernando demanded of most around him, and even if she said she trusted him fully, they all knew that was a lie. After what she had gone through over the last few years, she did not know the meaning of trust.  For now, all Hondo could do was observe. Fernando had his reason, Fernando’s daughters were best left alone, and Gadget had made her choices and had to now live with them.  
 
Fernando’s daughters soon left and Gadget sat there for a long while, staring down at the table and looking a bit pale. Part of him wanted to go make sure she was alright, but he still did not trust her to not start drama again, like she had in the past. He decided he would wait for his wife and then let her go check on her, as that was the safest bet, since he had no clue how she would respond or what was going on.  
 
Several minutes had passed, and with no sign of Valentine, Hondo decided to get up and go look for her. As he heads for the buffet and bar area, wondering if she stopped to talk to someone there, he runs into Fernando instead, who seemed to be heading in the same direction with a couple of the high school girls in tow.
 
“How’s it goin’, Jefe? Gonna check on them witches in the dungeon?” Hondo asks as he approaches them
 
“I eventually will.” Fernando tells him.  
 
Hondo throws in, “How can she have been so stupid? She gonna get life for what she did.”  
 
“Her and her friends.” Fernando throws in.  
 
“Uhm... what if her family manages to get her out? They do have money and power.” Kitsume says.  
 
“Her family starts to pull strings to get her free, I will make sure those strings open up the curtains to a 3-ring circus they are going to star in.” Fernando growls.  
 
Hondo lets out a chuckle while the girls are flabbergasted in hearing what he said. So far everything he has done for them has come true, and now eliminating Aratani and her bully friends is a dream comes true.  
 
Hondo asks, “When would you want to leave for the ranch?”  
 
“A couple more hours, it is only 11o’clock.” Fernando replies.  
 
An adult male and female approaches them, Minorigaoka High School Principal Nakamoto and his wife. Principal Nakamoto tries to step up to the men Hondo and Fernando.  
 
“Excuse me, what happened to Aratani Fujita and her friends? All I saw was a huge commotion and them being taken away by security.” Principal Nakamoto asks and explains.  
 
“Oh, Principal Nakamoto. I will have to tell you that they will no longer be attending school at your facility, unless you have some form of online studies for them to complete their education from prison.” Fernando tells him.  
 
“Prison? What... happened?!!” Principal Nakamoto asks.  
 
“How shall I begin? Assault, attempted arson, attempted murder, involvement in gang action, and terrorist action against invited guests within the party. Considering that this is 2004, they should be coming out of prison around 2032.” Fernando explains.  
 
“WHAT?!! How? Why?” Principal Nakamoto lets out.  
 
“I do not care about the how or why, but the What is simple – you see those skunk girls there?” Fernando points them out.  
 
Principal Nakamoto nods as he replies, “What about them?”  
 
“Never mind that they are the adopted daughters to the American Delegate here at this venue. Aratani, after losing an argument with them, tried to set fire to the older one wearing the Chiffon Dress. Now, if you know anything about dress material, Chiffon is very light and because of that very flammable. Aratani was caught by the girls’ body guards trying to set her dress on fire with a handheld cigarette lighter.” Fernando explains.  
 
Principal Nakamoto begins to cough before letting out “WHAT?!!”  
 
Fernando tells him, “Consider them lucky, in the United States, anyone caught trying to set a fire that will inflict harm to another can be killed in order to stop the crime from being committed. And any fire that kills any another automatically gets the death penalty.”  
 
“Who I see about seeing them and getting them released on my recognizance?” The principal asks.  
 
Student Council President Makiko Suzuki and her friend and Student Council Vice President Kioko Kawasaki in hearing this walks up to Fernando and Principal Nakamoto. Student Council President Makiko steps between the men.  
 
Makiko looks up to her principal, telling him, “Principal Nakamoto, sir, you are not going to do anything as far as those bullies are concerned. I was nearby to witness what had happened and I have to say we in the student body do not need bullies and criminals residing within our academic environment. You have been warned of Aratani’s action many times but yet you turned a blind eye to it. Now she has gotten herself and her friends \with real consequences to the crimes she committed outside of school, and you want her released and back in school? I will be calling the school district superintendent about this on Monday. And if Aratani or any of her friends shows up to school on Monday, I will have the student body walk out of the school in protest.”  
 
“As principal of our academic institution, I have the authority to take over jurisdiction of crime and punishment any student may face outside f school as we are all of the same school.” The principal explains.  
 
“As consultant to the Royal Guards and special envoy from the American Embassy, so I have already have read your dossier and know what you have for breakfast every day, when you go to the bathroom and what hand you wipe your ass with. As for you standing up for any student before or since this incident, you never have except for coving up Aratani and her friends. I do not need to wonder why as checking out the various security cameras around the school, I see that you have partaken in a couple of visitors during after school hours. Further investigating, those who had dropped by on those days were Aratani’s mother and when not alone, the mothers of the other girls in her bully group, and usually during on days in which Aratani or her friends did something to get them in trouble that their mothers came in to make sure they were not in trouble. I wonder what favors were given to you in order to keep them out of trouble; money, sex, power perhaps, something to keep you in your seat of influence? Being a school principal means that you have the power and ability to fulfill a student’s academic and career dream or destroy them. That is more power than most corporate CEOs have, as a CEO can fire somebody and even black ball them out of the industry but they can not do anything against them if they take an alternate career path and goes back to university to obtain alternate career path. You as a school administrator can destroy a student’s academic dream by blocking them out of what school they can or can not to within Japan. That is why I chosen the girls of class 12-2, as they shown more promise to fulfill the tasks of this very long project while the girls of class 12-1 would drop their panties thinking that is what they need to do to get further In life.” Fernando tells the principal outright to his face.  
 
Emperor Ahito walks up to them, having heard as much of the conversation as he would not want too, and states, “Though it is true that our standards of cheating against one’s spouse is different from yours, Fernando-San, using it to advance oneself to a better position or to get out of trouble amounts to prostitution, which is illegal in Japan. Anyone using sex as an influence to one in power is also prostitution, which is illegal in Japan. So let me not find out as to what is going on in the school, least there will be a new administration taking over next week.”  
 
“I can assure you that there is a clean operation at the school...” Principal Nakamoto lets out.  
 
Just to tease him and see where he takes it, Fernando throws out at the principal “So that female student under your desk was there to shine your shoes?”  
 
Principal Nakamoto gets red in the face before throwing out before he leaves “I will not be accused of these false statements!”  
 
Fernando waits for the principal to be out of ear shot before saying “Some people can not take a joke, I swear.”  
 
“I have only seen people react like that because they are hiding that or a similar situation they are involved in from being exposed.” The Emperor explains.  
 
“I would not put it past him as he is in his 40s and yet his wifey is in her 20s. Unless she’s a Chinese ‘Thrown Away Woman” I do not see no reason for such a age difference.  Furthermore they were married for many years, making it look like he married a teenager in his 30s.” Student Council President Makiko points out.  
 
“I really do not care about who shares a bed with who, or why.” Fernando throws out.  
 
“Well, Fernando-San, if you want to marry a young Japanese teen mouse girl, I can have it arranged for you... although every teen girl in Japan would cry if you did. I’m just saying that because seeing your wife and then her leaving you, I can see there is no love there from her to be had or taken and in her leaving you, in Japanese Law, she basically deserted you and granted you a divorce by abandonment.  So you are free to date whoever you want without repercussion of being called a cheater.” The Emperor points out to him, adding “If you need paperwork to establish her dissertation and abandonment to establish divorce, we can grant it for you.”  
 
“We’ll talk later on that.” Fernando replies.  
 
“Alright then.” The Emperor begins, “What about the girls downstairs? As is we can lock up their leader for a life’s sentence for attempted murder and arson. But as for the others, they would only be locked up for 5 years in being her accomplices who stood around and did nothing.”  
 
Fernando looks at the Student Council President while choosing his words carefully, “If it were me, I would release Aratani and let my girl Sabrina tear her a new one. But Japan is an Asian Society and in Asian societies go, everything is about how one display their face in public as in their reputation and their honor. Right now Aratani has no face and no honor, she can rot in jail as far as I am concerned. But as for the others, If I request for them to be released, they have a lot to rebuild, I seriously doubt the Student Council of their school would want them back, and any other school they would go to would have a scathing letter from their current student council president. But I would say this – if everyone agrees: keep the girls in jail for a week, spread the word as to what happen and how it was their fault in school and let public opinion form on their face and honor, and then release them back to school with a warning that if they continue with their bully tactics, even only one of them continues being a bully, they all go back to jail with Aratani. What do you think Miss Student Council President?”  
 
“As long as Aratani never returns to our school, we can take care of her bully friends once they are released. But I would like to add that they be excluded from what scholarships the girls of Class 12-2 are working for the school.” Student Council President Makiko answers.  
 
“Then so be it. Keep them for a week without letting them know of their time, make them think they are to remain there for a very long time. Then we would be there when they are released and taken home. The next day the school will have a morning outdoor assembly, which will be the students lined up on a double row that create a path to the school entrance they will have to go through. And as they pass by each student, the student with turn around and show their back to them. They would be allowed back into the student body, needing to rebuild their face and their honor.” Fernando explains.  
 
“That is very cold. But then again, Fernando-San, isn’t revenge a dish best served cold?” Emperor Ahito says.  
 
“It is. But it is either that and learn how to repair themselves to be a better person, or they spend the next 5 to 10 years in prison following some bitch’s lead. I think the hardships of rebuilding one’s reputation to become a better person is better than spending a good chunk of their life in prison.” Fernando explains.  
 
“So give them a second chance? How Christian that is.” The Emperor says as the girls from 12-2 gathers around them  
 
“You forget that I am a Roman Catholic, Christianity is in my blood. But there is a level where one has to say enough is enough and must put the hammer down on their heads.” Fernando explains as Charles Roberts and his wife Widget approaches them. Fernando looks at Charles, “Hey, Charles, how about giving the DJ a break and play some house music in his place?”  
 
“I was about to ask what was going on?” Charles replies.  
 
“Nothing much actually. Just trying to keep the fun going, that’s all.” Fernando replies.  
 
“I see.” Charles replies in turn.  
 
“What’s going on with you and my sister Gadget?” Widget throws in at Fernando.  
 
“Well, nothing, really. I’m just having her as my secretary because Misao screwed up and screwed over the acorn group. I do not want her doing any rescues, though it limits her in what she can do, she would be safer working for me as such.” Fernando explains. He throws in “In case you have not heard, there is a Gadget Clone and Lawhine in the hospital with critical wounds. Critical wounds that Chip gave them in shooting them. If Gadget were alone out in the street, Chip would have shot her too.”  
 
“Chip, shoot Gadget? They love each other! They are husband and wife!” Widget points out.  
 
“That may have been true before they got here. But now, Charles you explain to her what happened, and you got permission to show your wife the body in the morgue. But because of that, what marriage Gadget had with Chip, is over.” Fernando explains.  
 
“Come honey, we need to talk…” Charles tells his wife.  
 
As Charles takes Widget away she can be heard saying “But I want to know if he’s screwing my sister!”  
 
Naomi lets out “We’ve been with them most of the time and not once has they done anything intimate in front of us...”  
 
Hiromi throws in “Yeah, and not with us either though there were chances for him to shag any one of us, he never took it.”  
 
The girls turn to Hiromi and shout out her name “HIROMI!”  
 
The Emperor tries to hold back his laughter before saying, “What ever happens personally between you ladies and him is on you. You all are above the age of consent and adults by Japanese law, so as long as no one forces the other into something they do not want, anything goes. But I think it has been stated before how important you ladies need to carry yourselves in such events, which I have to say that you are all doing well as the young ladies you are, and not like that other class group that is here by false invites which were accepted to test them, and as expected, they went after the young bachelors thinking they can work their ways into the hearts of the young men. For that I must commend you all. Keep carrying yourselves as distinguished and honored guests here. It is greatly appreciated and noticed by all around you.”  
 
The girls say ‘thank you’ to the Emperor,  
 
The Emperor throws in “Fernando-San, I’ll be seeing you later.”  
 
“Yes, laters.” Fernando replies before they shake hands and the Emperor walks away.  
 
The girls from 12-2 and the student council president stand around Fernando. The student council president says before the other could say, “Anyway we could see Aratani and her friends?”  
 
“That is on the emperor to give that permission as this is his house.” Fernando explains.  
 
“Stay right here then, I will be back.” Student Council President Makiko replies before dashing off to find the Emperor.
 
As Fernando turns back to the girls Hondo wandered off again, going back onto his original task of finding his wife. Though he was not really worried about her yet, it had been a while since he had seen her and he tried to keep tabs on almost everyone in their group, even Jeanette, though he really could care less if she was alright or not. If fact, he often wished she would disappear for good, but as much as he distrusted and despised her, he would do his duty to protect her, within his immediate abilities at least.  
 
It did not take him a lot longer to find Valentine, as he found her at the bar, but she looked unhappy, and maybe a bit angry, as someone spoke to her, his back turned so Hondo was not sure who it was. As he approached, he could see she was looking for a way out, as if she was being kept there against her will. She did not see him approach, as he came from her side. He was not sure what they were talking about but he picked up the last bit of the conversation.
 
“You lie!” Valentine stated a bit angrily.
 
“Not at all, Frau Sackett! I knew him very well, though I was unaware he was flying for the New Order at the time.” The man replied, his accent sounding vaugly German and very familiar.
 
“I.. I really should go find my husband.” Valentine replied, sounding a bit nervous.
 
“Nonsense! He should not have all the attention of a pretty thing, such as yourself, at a party like this! Besides, I cannot believe he would be so selfish as to deprive an old friend of your fathers, some time with you.” He said, his voice oozing with venom and his smile cold and cruel.
 
“Who is selfish?” Hondo asked as he approached, to which the man’s features got very rigid.
 
The man turned slowly, and forced a smile as he saw Hondo walk up to them, and that man was Joseph Mengele. Valentine sighed with relief and forced a soft smile as Hondo walked up and put an arm around her. He could feel her shaking a bit, as she tried to compose herself, but his touch seemed to steady her visibly at least.
 
“Herr Sackett. It is good to see you again. I was just telling your pretty, young Frau here, that I knew her father for many years, and how I found out he was flying for the New Order not too long ago.” Mengele replied, some of the venom crawling back into his voice.
 
Hondo raised an eyebrow at him, “Oh? An’ when did you find that out?!”
 
Mengele shrugged, “Three or four years ago, I believe. I cannot remember exactly when. Time has a way of getting away from you, you know.”
 
“When did you last see him?” Hondo asked, his own tone a bit cold.
 
“Maybe a year or so after I found out about his connections to the New Order.”
 
“That’s a lie!” Valentine half exclaimed.
 
Hondo held her a bit tighter to help calm her down, to which she looked at him angrily. He shook his head, and she looked down, giving off a frustrated sigh.
 
Mengele raised an eyebrow at her, then continued, “He denied his connection, of course, but I told him I had to disavow him anyway. You see, even if it was a rumor, due to my Grandfather’s connections in that horrible little conflict and all the misunderstandings around it.”
 
Hondo took most of that as Mengele baiting them into a fight, so he ignored it.
 
“You sure you saw him then? My wife was told he was killed almost seven years ago.” Hondo asked, trying not to growl at him.
 
Mengele nodded, “Yes, I am sure. It was at least two but no more than three years ago… He did say something about some old friends of his turning his daughter against him. They supposedly even put a fight, when he tried to come back and get her, not long after taking the job for the New Order, and they claimed they would kill her if he tried again as she was theirs now.”
 
Hondo could feel Valentine start to shake again, and she grabbed his hand and held it tightly, as she looked down and tried to control her emotions.
 
“He said he lost track of her for a couple years, and believed one of his old friends had raped and killed her, but he found her again and she was well but, …” Mengele paused.
 
“But what?” Hondo prompted.
 
“He said that she seemed to hate him and told him he was dead to her and never to show up again.” Mengele replied, trying to hide a smile at Valentine’s hurt and angry look.
 
“That’s not true!” Valentine said angrily but quietly, as she looked down still.
 
 “And he said you would say that, but I did not believe it.. Until now… Herr Sackett, it seems your wife has kept some things from you. I hate to see young marriages ruined by such secrets… As much as I enjoyed our little conversation, I must take my leave.” Mengele replied, his words and features overflowing with fake regret and mock disappointment.
 
Hondo nodded and replied coldly, “I think you’d better.”
 
Mengele grinned almost evilly as he bowed slightly.
 
“Until next we meet, Herr Sackett… Frau Sackett.” He replied before turning and slowly walking off.
 
Once Mengele was out of hearing range Hondo leaned down to his wife.
 
“You alright, Darlin’?” He asked softly.
 
“I.. I need to get out of here… please!” Her trembling voice whispered in an urgent tone.
 
Hondo looked around briefly, “Hmm, there’s a private room Jefe an’ I have access to down the hall. Can you make it?”
 
She nodded quickly, so he led her away, trying to not walk too fast as to make a further scene, but fast enough to get her there as quickly as possible.
 
Once in the room and the door closed behind them, Valentine broke down in tears and slumped into a chair, burring her face into her hands as she cried.
 
“It Can’t BE True! It Can’t! *SOB!!*:” She cried.
 
He sat down beside her and pulled her to him, to which she grabbed onto him and buried her face into his chest.
 
“Shhh, now… It’s all right.” Hondo whispered soothingly.
 
“I Didn’t Lie To You! I Never Would!! Please Believe me!” She cried.
 
“I do, Darlin’, I do believe you… Mengele is more than just a rat, He’s a Nazi rat! … He knows we were in South America an’ I’d bet dollars to doughnuts we messed up some of his plans an’ he’s pissed. He’ll say or do things to try to make us slip up. That’s all that was. He wanted you upset an’ was tryin’ to make us both look bad an’ maybe sow some discord between us, that’s all. Don’t you worry ‘bout him an’ his lies.” He replied.
 
She held him and cried a while longer. The strain of the last several weeks were still heavy on her shoulders, even if she claimed they were not. He felt she had mostly come to terms with what had happened to her, and that it did not make him love her less, but it had all been to recent for her to be fully secure with herself still. After she settled down, Hondo pulled a clean bandana from his pocket and handed it to her. She wiped her eyes, tried to clean up her face, and blew her nose as she settled down.
 
“You alright?” He asked her.
 
She nodded sheepishly, “I.. I’m sorry, my love… I wanted to get a drink for each of us on my way back and.. and he cornered me. He kept questionin’ me about us and what we were doin’, but I told him that I was just with you and.. and just knew you were helpin’ with security, but nothin’ more… I know it’s partly a lie, but you said not to trust him and.. and he seemed too eager… I guess he did not figure he was goin’ to get more out of me, and when I tried to leave, he blocked me and said I looked familiar and asked if my maiden name was Patterson… I said yes and asked him to excuse me, but that’s when he said he knew my father and they had been good friends for years and.. and that he knew me as a little girl… I .. I called him a liar and tried to leave, but then you showed up and, well, … you heard the rest.”
 
Hondo nodded, “Yeah, I did. I thought it would be safe enough for you here, but I was wrong… From now on either stay with me, Gadget, Jefe, or his older daughters. I’ll let Jefe know what Mengele is up to. I’d like to have that ass-hole banned from the parties, but that might cause a political incident… He was tryin’ to cause one tonight to get us thrown out, believe you me. We can’t let him win nor let him get to any of the others.”
 
Valentine nodded, “You are right and I’m sorry for getting upset… *sigh*… It’s just been a long few weeks and he touched a nerve… It will be the seventh anniversary of that night Dad was taken nest weekend. Guess it’s on my mind a lot as that time gets close.”
 
“An’ I have a feelin’ he suspects that an’ knows the time is comin’ up.” Hondo half growled, irritated that he could do nothing against Mengele at the moment.
 
Valentine leaned against him and sighed, “*sigh* … Maybe, but how? … Do.. do you think there’s any truth to what he said??”
 
Hondo frowned, “… Maybe.”
 
Val sat up and gave him an inquisitive look, “What aren’t you tellin’ me?”  
 
Hondo shook his head, “It’s nothin’ you need to concern yourself with right now.”
 
He started to stand up, but she grabbed his arm and held onto it.
 
“Please tell me! I know I’ve been a weepy little girl lately, but I need to know! Please! What do you know about my Dad?!” She begged.
 
Hondo sighed and sat back in the chair, and looked at the ceiling for a moment as he thought.
 
“… Maybe I should tell ya, but you might hate me for this…” He said, pausing again.
 
“I could never hate you! We talked about this before, remember? I know you said I’d see you as a monster, but I don’t and I understand why you do what you do and why you have to kill at times, and I know you have to keep secrets sometimes, I do! But, I also trust you too! Please, if you can tell me, I need to know!” She pleaded.
 
Hondo nodded, “Alright… Your father might not be dead.”
 
“What?!?!” Valentine exclaimed. “How?! How do you know?!!”
 
“That’s the problem, I don’t know! … You see, back when we were fightin’ Laurie an’ Hatfield, Hillshire came to me an’ said he overhear the mercenaries who were workin’ with Laurie say that they needed you alive so they could use you to keep your father in line.” He replied.
 
“Why didn’t you tell me?!” She exclaimed, a very hurt look etched into her visage.
 
“Because you were hurt an’ I just don’t know! Jefe an’ I’ve looked into it, but we can’t tell if it was bullshit or not.” He replied.
 
“But you told Fernando and not me?! Why??!!?” She asked, trying not to cry again.
 
“Because we didn’t know if it was false information that we were supposed to overhear, with the means of hurtin’ you! I love you, an’ I kept it from you to try to protect you, as I didn’t want you runnin’ off an’ gettin’ killed tryin’ to find him, especially if it was all a lie!” He replied firmly.
 
“But what if it wasn’t?!” She exclaimed.
 
He grabbed her hands and pulled her close so he could look her in her eyes.
 
“I still could not lose you to that chance! Not until we knew somethin’.” He replied.
 
She pulled away from him, stood up, turned away from him and walked to the door, standing there, wringing her hands with her back towards him.  
 
“*sigh* .. I said you would hate me.” He replied.
 
She turned towards him, and he expected anger, but what he saw was just hurt.
 
“I don’t hate you, but I don’t understand either! Why?!” She asked again.
 
“If you’d just listen, I’m tryin’ to tell you!” He replied, his frustration a bit too evident.
 
“I am tryin’, but it makes no sense! Why would you keep this from me?!?” She repeated, trying not to cry.  
 
He stood up and walked over to her. She tried to turn away but he grabbed her by the shoulders and made her face him.
 
“Because we don’t know if it’s true an’ I can’t lose you to a possible lie! Jefe an’ I tried to find any trace of him, just somethin’ so I could come to you with more than a third hand rumor gotten from idle talk by cut-rate guns for hire! That;s all Hillshire heard, was they wanted to capture you alive so Hatfield’s boss could control him through you! If that’s true an’ I told you, you’d have ran off after him, been caught, used against your father, an’ you both would have been lost! If it was a lie, they would have surely killed you an’ again that would be a loss of both of you, not just your father! I knew if I told you then you’d have ran off, an’ If I tried to make you stay you’d have resented me! We’ve done all we can to locate anythin’ on him, but we’ve got nothin’ so I’ve said nothin’ until now!” He replied firmly.
 
“But why now?” She asked quietly, almost mumbling.
 
“*sigh* … Because what Mengele said was the first I’ve heard the rumor of him bein’ alive getting’ repeated!”
 
Valentine shook her head, “I.. I still don’t understand… Why didn’t you tell me?? … Why didn’t we go together to look for him???”
 
Hondo frowned, “Darlin’, it’s too big for us alone an’ I had to finish what I started in Italy. When we came back to the states Jefe used his resources to help me, and then we were called off to South America. You know He nor I were given a choice in that mission, but it put us close to where we were lookin’ for him.”
 
“Why was it too big and why do you think he was there before this??” Val asked, everything about her begging for him to make it clear to her.
 
“What Hillshire overheard ‘bout Hector’s boss wantin’ you was the only thing ‘bout your father I heard, but Hector said another name when I fought him, an’ tonight ties it in a little more.” HE replied quietly.
 
“Who? What did he say?! I need to know!” She begged.
 
“Hatfield boasted that he was gonna kill me an’ send my body to be experimented on to the clone of Joseph Mengele. When I questioned him on working for Mengele, he said he did not work for Mengele but that they worked together for the same group. I told Jefe ‘bout this an’ we agreed that if they worked for some organization big enough to have the resources Hatfield had an’ contain the clone of Mengele an’ his work, which you saw the same shit we did in South America, then we couldn’t go into it blind as they would chew us up an’ spit us out! If Jefe thinks they are too big for he an’ I to handle, don’t you think they are too big for you and/or I?” He asked.
 
She looked at him, wanting to argue but she could not. All she knew was that it hurt that he did not tell her.
 
“But.. but… but you could have told me all this!” She replied after finding no other argument.
 
“Be honest with me, now! You said you’d never lie to me, so don’t start now, an’ give me an answer… If I told you, would you have trusted me an’ just left it alone??” He asked.
 
She looked at him for several seconds, looking like she was starting to reply a few times, before hanging here head with a sigh. She shook her head after a moment and replied softly.
 
“N.no.. I wouldn’t have… I.. I couldn’t have left it alone… You.. you don’t know how hurt I was when I lost him… how much it still hurts…. I couldn’t have left it alone.” She replied.
 
“Well, I need you to leave it alone, now! This is why I didn’t tell you! You say you understand that I have to keep secrets, that you understand I do things you may not like to protect you an’ others, but you aren’t actin’ like it! IF you understand, an’ trust me, I need to see that an’ I need you to leave this alone.” HE replied firmly.
 
She looked up at him, “I don’t know if I can.”
 
“You have to!” He replied.
 
She looked down, “What else aren’t you tellin’ me?”
 
“About this, nothin’. I just told you everythin’. About other things, … you’ll have to find a way to trust me or…” He paused not wanting to finish the thought as the alternate he knew would break him.
 
She nodded after a moment, “I trust you… I’m sorry… I just… I just didn’t expect that and… I’m sorry.”
 
He sighed, “*sigh* … Val, I love you, so very much, an’ I am not sure I could stand losin’ you, but I need you to trust me an’ obey me. When we married you promised to love, obey, honor, an’ care for me, as I did you. The good Book just say you’re supposed to honor an’ obey me. I know a lot throw that all away these days, but I need those two things from you, in the very least. Promise me I’ll get those from you. You don’t have to love me, though I’ll always love you, but I have to have your honor an’ obedience.”
 
Valentine nodded after a moment, though she didn’t look up at him, “I promise I’ll Honor and obey you… I’ll love you too, even when I don’t understand why you do some things.”
 
He nodded, “Alright. Now, we should go back to the party. I really could use a little food. How about you?”
 
She shook her head, “No, I.. I’m not hungry… I just need to fix my make-up is all.”
 
He sighed, know she was feeling hurt, confused, and unhappy with him. He chided himself for not waiting to tell her until they got back, but she needed to know, especially after all Mengele had said. Maybe in a small way, Mengele had won a victory tonight, but Hondo hoped it was a fleeting victory.
 
“Alright, we’ll get you cleaned up an’ then I’ll leave you with Gadget while I get somethin’ to eat an’ check on Jack, as I’ve not seen him since we got here.” Hondo replied.
 
“He’s probably upset over Chip gettin’ killed.” Valentine replied quietly, still not looking at him if she could help it.  
 
Hondo sighed, “I’ll tell you this, though you can’t say anythin’ to Gadget or any of the others.”
 
She partially looked up at him, “Tell me what?”
 
“That wasn’t Chip, or at least not the original.. fully at least.” Hondo said a bit hesitantly.
 
“What do you mean? Was he a clone?” She asked.
 
Hondo frowned, “That is somethin’ that again Jefe an’ I aren’t sure ‘bout…. When we shot him, Jefe blew his head open but instead of brains splatterin’ out, the bullets sent out shards of circuit boards, like what we found with that Zipper intruder.”
 
“He was a robot?!” Valentine exclaimed.
 
Hondo shook his head, “No, that’s the troublin’ part. He was flesh an’ bone, but there was little to no grey matter in his head. We didn’t dig deep, so I’m not sure if there was a brainstem or not, but the mass of the brain was circuitry. Whatever it was, was programmed to believe it was Chip, but it wasn’t. Whether it was his original body, the body of a clone, or what, we do not know. We also don’t know how long it has been there. Jefe did find a scar on it that matches a wound Chip got before he an’ Gadget were married, so Gadget might never have been married to the real Chip.”
 
Valentine looked at him, wide-eyed, mostly forgetting about being upset with him for the moment.  
 
“You have to keep quiet ‘bout it. Just act as if it was the real Chip until we know further, an’ if you see someone lookin’ like him, it is probably a clone with Mengele, as he has a few.” Hondo continued.
 
“HE has clones of Chip? Why?!” Valentine asked.
 
“Clones of Chip an’ Gadget.” Hondo answered, “But we don’t know why or how yet. We were not findin’ clonin’ tech in South America, so where an’ why are big questions. I have a feelin’ that Hatfield was connected to it all, but to what end I have no clue. Somethin’ is bad wrong, that’s all I do know, but it’s not the job we are on now. What Mengele has planned, we don’t know either. He would be foolish to show his hand anytime soon, if he is plannin’ somethin’, but we don’t know that he is doin’ anythin’ beyond bein’ a political spectator. If he’s baitin’ us, I think its for the fun an’ usin’ an opportunity to disgrace us. If he can disgrace us infront of the world at one of these events, he’ll tie our hands from interferin’ with his plans further. That could be his only goal. What he did tonight shows he’ll stoop to any level he feels he needs to, an’ will try to single us out and turn us against each other, which is why we have to watch our steps.”
 
Valentine frowned a bit as her mind went back to her father and of Hondo withholding information on him from her all this time. She knew he did not mean it to hurt her, but it still did, and it would take time to process.  
 
“I.. I understand… I’ll not tell anyone and I’ll watch out.” She replied.
 
“Thank you.” He said.
 
HE tried to lean in to kiss her quickly, but she pulled away.
 
“I.. I need some time.. t.to think.” She said quickly.
 
He frowned, “Fine… Then, let’s go.”
 
His tone was a bit hard and it hurt her that he was upset with her, but she just felt too confused at the moment to let him kiss her or touch her in any way that was loving or romantic. She did not want to feel this way, but she could not help it. She wanted to explain it, but she could not, and it was already too late, as she saw the hurt in his eyes when she pulled away, and it was worse now than when she had pulled away recently from being so messed up in the head from her attack. She knew it was because before he could explain it away, instead of like now feeling as it was almost an attack against him.  
 
They left the private meeting room and headed to the nearest ladies’ room. Hondo waited outside until Valentine had finished her make-up and then they headed back to the ballroom. There, they found Gadget sitting alone again. Hondo stopped a way off and let Valentine keep going. Once she was at the table she sat down beside Gadget and said nothing. They looked at each other, but neither felt like talking so they both just looked back at the table. With Valentine safely at the table with another from their group, Hondo headed out to search for Monterey Jack, then to get a drink and some food.
 
(To Be Continued …)

Student Council President Makiko Suzuki returns with her Vice President Kioko Kawasaki returns to Fernando’s side as he talks with the girls from Class 12-2. They patiently wait for him to finish his statement to them before Mikiko interjects, “Excuse me, Fernando-san. My uncle, the Emperor said that you could take us to see Aratani and her friends, and that you know the way to take us there.”
 
Before he can give a reply, she puts on the Sad Little Girl Face that would make any man give up his last Yen to her. He has to tell her, “That look might get you what you want a lot of times, but let me tell you that in the games some of us adults play, that will not work for all of us unless you pull down your panties. But in your case I will make an exception. All I ask is that you do not rile the animals up in their cages.” He then looks at the others and says, “Now, let’s quietly go there. Just follow me.”
 
The girls nod before they follow him out of the ballroom and to a secret staircase behind the grand main staircases in the lobby of the palace’s entrance. Down at the lower levels the layout of the palace changes as they go down further a couple layers until they get to the palace dungeon. They walk down the hall of jail cells and cages until they get to the end two cages where Aratani and her friends are held. They all line up close to the wall behind them as they look at their former classmates huddled up against the bench in constant tears.
 
“What a waste.” Student Council President Makiko Suzuki says loud enough to be heard.
 
“Bullies never win.” Naomi throws in.
 
Cheiko stands in front of Aratani’s cage just shaking her head at what she sees. She breaks the silence in asking, “Why are they in here again?”
 
“In trying to set fire to one of my daughter’s chiffon dresses, Aratani is in for Attempted Murder and Arson in the first degree. The others are here depending on their charges of not stopping Aratani’s attempt in setting my daughter’s dress on fire and laughing about it.” Fernando explains before he throws in “Aratani is lucky that none of my older girls put a bullet through her brain, because in order to stop an arsonist from starting a fire that could hurt or kill others, you have the right to deadly force.”
 
“#$@!ed up, caught up in their own Mob Action thinking they were immune to the law if they claim they did nothing.” Student Council President Makiko Suzuki says out loud to be heard.
 
Aratani tries to be brave in the matter and shouts back, “My parent’s lawyers will get me out of this!”
 
Fernando throws at her, “Ms Fujita, let me remind you that this is not the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton or the Ritz hotels, this is the Emperor’s palace where there is a camera hidden away every meter away from each other, recording both images and sound. There is enough compiled evidence on all those cameras to deny any false statement you may have to say in order to save face. Then your lawyers will walk out on you when they see those recordings, leaving you to defend the case on your own.”
 
“My family can get me out, they can buy my freedom!” Aratani lets out loud.
 
“I doubt it as you would be a disgrace to the family name. A nobody of the likes of you would bully like you have bullied these girls for years. Well, guess what – this is Karma biting you back, and Karma can be a rabid female dog. The price of your freedom will put your family in financial ruin, ruin the family reputation, and you will never amount to anything as you will never be accepted into any college unless you went to a Diploma Mill in China; that is if you ever get out of here, as what you did will be carrying a 25 to life sentence. As for your friends, let’s see what the majixitrate says, but as is you ruined their lives and reputations as well, and I would not be surprised that after they are released from jail that they sue you and your family for what you did.” Fernando explains.
 
Aratani tries to hold in from crying but finally breaks down “My friends would not do that to me!”
 
“You have no friends. You have followers that you bullied to follow you and say they are your friends. You pay or threaten people to take your side. If you think you have friends that would be the biggest joke since what god or gods you believe in made man.” Fernando throws at her.
 
“I Was Never Your Friend! You Forced Me Into These Things With Everyone!” Midori shouts into her cage from hers, “All I Want Is A Career In Oceanography! But You Insisted On Marrying A Rich Guy And Be His Trophy Wife! That’s Not The Life I Want To Have! Nor Am I Going To Suck Some Teacher’s Dick To Get A Higher Grade! I Swear! What Is Wrong With You?!!”
 
Fernando turns to the other cage, “Excuse me miss. What is your name?”  
 
“What Is It To You!” Midori lets out.
 
“That’s Midori Tokunaga of Class 12-1.” Student Council President Makiko Suzuki explains, adding “She’s the nicer of the Bully Girls of 12-1 but can be highly entitled herself.”
 
“Why You Telling Him My Personal Information?!!” Midori lets out.
 
“Midori, He’s the one who can drop the charges against you and the others get you released from here!” Student Council President Makiko Suzuki tells her, adding “Yes, all this is Aratani’s fault. But it’s all your fault for not stopping her. It’s all your fault in thinking that it is funny to hurt someone and allowing it to happen. It’s a joke to you all until somebody would have gotten hurt and possibly even killed. That Chiffon Dress Aratani was about to set aflame would have flared up into a fireball with the girl in it. She would have had second and third degree burns on 95% of her body, if she would have survived, but no one survives those kinds of injuries. No One! If this man manages to get you out of here and forgive you what you were planning to do to his daughter, I do not want you in our school. You All Came Here With Plans! Plans To Land A Richman’s Son As A Boyfriend. Plans To Eliminate The Girls of 12-2 And Take Away The Scholarships They Were Getting Us For Yourselves! Plans To Take Over Things Set Aside For The School Community They Were Working For! Plans To Take Things You All Had Nothing To Do With! Plans To Make Them Look Bad! All You Had To Do Was Stay In School And Do Nothing And You All Would Have Getting A Share Of A Large Scholarship! But No! You Wanted To Show You All Are Bigger And Better Than Everyone Else! And Look Where It Got You – In Jail Like A Common Criminal! And Jail Is Your Best Option Because If You Get Out Now! You Have Nowhere To Go!”
 
Student Council Vice President Kioko Kawasaki steps up besides Student Council President, “It must be nice to have friends you can hang out with, study buddies to work with, and lunch buddies you can have your meals with. But when you start bullying others, you have moved from being friends and buddies to being an organized trouble making gang. For that I do not care who your friends are, I do not care who your family is connected too, I do not care who you are politically connected too as all that is worthless, for those you hurt and think you control will turn on you. When you decided that you can take action as a group against others that is Gang Action. Gangs are taken down by bigger or more powerful gangs. Consider yourselves lucky that you are not floating down the docks of Tokyo Bay because of what you did. If it were me, my family would have done that to all of you. You would be nothing more than a newspaper headline, ‘Girls found dead floating in Tokyo Bay.’ But like Madam President said, you being in jail is your best option.”
 
Fernando steps up to the bars of the jail cell they were in with Hiromi beside him and the other girls from 12-2 behind him. He looks at them inside the cage like a captured animal blamed for killing the locals, shaking his head before he speaks. “Student Council President Makiko Suzuki was right, I am the one that can set or drop your charges as I was going to review your school records and see who here was worthy of forgiveness. But as I see you all in here, all I see is nothing more than greed in your hearts, jealousy in your minds, entitlement in your thoughts and blame in your words. None of you are willing to take responsibility for your actions, none of you are willing to stand up to what you did but instead want to play the blame game and put fault on others to make yourself look good.” He pauses for a second before he continues, “Since I first met you all in school, All I have seen is ugliness from you ladies. Sure- your appearances are nice looking to fool a young man’s heart, but inside you are all nothing but hags and witches in disguise. All you care about is of yourself and not of others. You think you could get a rich man’s boy to date and trick him into marriage with pretenses of pregnancies from a quickie fling and some blackmail. You thought you could steal the scholarships these girls were working for the school, including you bitches, to have. That is where you all failed. And now I am forced to make a decision, one that goes against my inner being that is wanting revenge, because that is not how I was raised to be. So I hope that none of you in here are Christian, because if you are, then you sinned against the law of god and man.”
 
From behind Chieko let’s out as she points to them, “Midori, Miyuki, Ahmya are Christian, as are Hiromi, Naomi, Naru and I. We all go to the same church though I have not seen them in church in quite a while except for holiday services.”
 
“And what church is this?” Fernando asks.
 
“Igusa Church, just a few blocks away from our school, at 1 Chome-42-6 Igusa.” Chieko explains.
 
“We no longer go to that church... we go to a better church!” Miyuki throws out.
 
“Oh, I see.” Fernando begins to explain, but then throws at them, “You just #$@!ed up. The Lord’s house of worship shall not be ridiculed or compared to others. The Lord’s House is the Lord’s house. There is no way one is better than another, one might be bigger than another, one might provide more community services than another but none are better than the other. As a God Fearing Christian, you should know that.” He subconsciously turns to Hiromi for a second, noticing that she is wearing a thin gold chain about her neck, reaching out for it and hooking his finger onto it. He gently pulls it out to reveal a tiny crucifix hanging on it before gently putting it back. He turns back to the girls and pulls out his smartphone, making a call. The call is answered almost immediately. “Hello Rachel, You and only you, bring down Sabrina to the detention cells in the basement. That is all.”
 
He then hangs up the smartphone and puts it away.
 
“What are you thinking?” Hiromi asks.
 
“Something I sense they are thinking that I must be screwing you girls for you to be getting so much.” Fernando says loud enough to be heard.
 
Aratani steps up to the door of her cage and yells out, “YOU MUST BE FOR THESE HOES TO BE GETTING SO MUCH!”
 
“Aratani, you forget one thing – hoes only work for themselves, not for others. They are working for you and the students of your school and your school district to get scholarships. No hoes would put themselves into a situation where they have to sell themselves for the sake of others. Like you guys do!” Fernando throws at her.
 
“YOU CALLING US HOES?!! THEY ARE THE HOES!” Aratani yells out.
 
“Any female who uses her feminine charms to advance herself in social or financial standing and not sharing that with her significant other but only for herself is a hoe.” Rachel says out loud to be heard as she walks into the detention area with Sabrina. Together they walk up to Fernando with her saying, “Here she is as you requested.”
 
“Thank you.” He says to her before turning to Aratani, “Like my eldest daughter said, ‘any female who uses her feminine charms to advance herself in social or financial standing and not sharing that with her significant other but only for herself is a hoe.’ You and your so-called friends thinking that you would have a chance with a rich or powerful man’s son and manipulate that boy to give you what you want makes you no better than a prostitute, or should I say in such circles of power, a female escort, eye candy, arm candy, a trophy girl, chair warmer, a lay after the game... even if you got a rich and powerful man’s son, you would end up giving up that pussy to him before you go home, and then what? You think he’s going to call you back? Don’t fool yourself. Also, don’t be surprised that you get some social sexual disease from him, because they do it without protection and not care if they got you pregnant or infected. Also these boys are set up to be married to somebody else by family contract, you are not part of that family contract for one and you are just a sexual toy trophy of conquest to them. You trying to get them for yourselves that is the biggest joke I ever heard as you have nothing to offer them in terms of power and money, just that hole you have between your legs. Even the girls of 12-2 know what they are up to and are not interested in them, though they will interact with them to keep up appearances even though that is not why they are here and they know why they are here. You are here for yourselves like the hoes you are.”
 
“Dad, why did you call for me?” Sabrina asks.
 
Fernando lets out a sigh before he says “Yeah... I have a decision to make which requires your input.”
 
“What decision is that?” Sabrina asks.
 
“To forgive them of their transgressions against you. As it is the crimes the others did to you was to do nothing but laugh at what was about to happen while that one was about to kill you by setting fire to your dress.” Fernando says to her loud enough for the others to hear.
 
“I do not care about the others. Tabby and I can take them on and put them in their place in the room’s garbage cans. It is that hoe that I want to get my claws on.” Sabrina tells him.
 
“Like What You Can Do?!! You would not be able to take me on if I was freed!” Aratani lets out.
 
Sabrina reaches to her hip and releases the catch that held her chiffon skirt in place to her top taking it off in a single move and reaching out to Fernando with it, “Dad, let me in there. Five minutes alone with her is all I ask and she can be released as far as I care! I’ll rearrange that face of hers, I swear...”
 
“You’re talking out of your ass!” Aratani says.
 
Fernando leans over to Student Council President Makiko Suzuki as he puts Sabrina’s chiffon skirt over this arm, “Since you are related to the Emperor, do you agree to this contest by agreement and Aratani release there after?”
 
“As long as she is no longer allowed to return to school, I do not care what happens to her.” Student Council President Makiko Suzuki replies.
 
“And the others?” Fernando asks.
 
“That remains to be seen. But none of them are coming back to Minorigaoka High School.” Student Council President Makiko Suzuki replies.
 
“Give me five minutes with her, dad. I’ll make her face as ugly as her heart is.” Sabrina tells him.
 
“You Thing You Can Take Me On? Dream On! If I Was Free, You Would Not Last Five Minutes Like I Had With Kitsume!” Aratani Lets Out.
 
“If you don’t let her in, let me in. those fake acrylic nails of hers will do nothing against me.” Kitsume says.
 
Fernando takes Sabrina’s hand and presses on the center of her palm, releasing her claws out into view, “Like I had done with you girls early on, these claws are real. Just that she had a much longer time to grow hers than you girls did.”
 
Aratani looks at Sabrina’s claws at her finger tips and fear begins to set in for a second. But then she continues with her bravado, “Those are fake!”
 
Fernando steps up to Aratani’s jail door, “Alright Aratani. Win or lose I’ll talk to the Emperor to have you and your friends released.”
 
Hearing this Aratani looks up at him first in awe then in a smiling scowl thinking she is going to win. Fernando takes his cane and shows it to Aratani, spinning the crystal before pressing the crystal into the shaft. Sabrina blinks out of her place in the detention area and behind Aratani in her jail cell in a flash of light. In that second of time, Sabrina grabs Aratani by the back of her head by her hair, pulling her hard away from the cage’s bars and then pushes her with full strength laden with adrenaline straight into the stone wall beside them. Aratani’s face goes into the all first, with a loud crunch being heard of her nose, cheek bone and eye socket being broken on impact. Sabrina lets her go at this point. Aratani tries to hug the wall, sliding down until she crumples on to the floor with a crushed and bloody face.
 
Sabrina then turns to the others as Fernando opens the door of the jail cell with the keys he has. Taking Sabrina’s hand, she escorts her out of the jail cell before closing the door again. He then looks at the others in their jail cell, “Hope to see you all – never.” He turns to the girls of 12-2, his girls and the ruling student council, “Let's get out of here. I need to have a private meeting with the Emperor.”
 
They all nod and leave the detention area. Fernando gives Sabrina her Chiffon skirt to put back on as they leave.
 
(To Be Continued…)

Back on the ballroom, Fernando tells Rachel to take Sabrina to be with the other sisters while the girls from 12-2 and the student council leaderships stayed with him. He goes over to the sushi bar and gets a plate to be filled with assorted sushi pieces of his choice followed with a drink of some bubbly beverage. He then takes his plate and drink to his table where Gadget was still seated there.
 
Hiromi says “I notice you eat a lot of sushi.”
 
“I need the raw protein to heal and grow on. Raw protein is easy for the body to process.” He replies as he mixes the Wabasi with the soy sauce.
 
“Grow on?” Naomi asks before the others could.
 
“The body is constantly replacing bad or dead cells with new cells. Raw protein makes that process easier for the body to do.” He explains, putting slices of pickled ginger on the sushi.
 
“Oh.” Naomi interjects.
 
He looks at his watch, noting that the time is approaching 12:30AM. He looks up at the girls, “its 12:30. We got another hour before we go to my friend’s camp.”
 
“Too bad we don’t have a bedroom... to use...” Hiromi says to herself abet a bit too loud.
 
“Hiromi! How can you think like that!” Naomi exclaims.
 
“It’s because she’s thirsty... again.”  Chieko says.
 
“Hey! So are all of you!” Hiromi tells them.
 
“We’re in more control of it than you are.” Naru points out.
 
Hiromi looks away, “It does not matter if I’m thirsty or not. Its how we deal with it that matters.”
 
“You’re the one saying out loud that you want it.” Chieko throws out.
 
“When we get to the camp you ladies should have your own private or shared rooms to take care of your thirst.” Fernando tells them.
 
“Let’s not go there.” Gadget says.
 
“Huh?” Most say to turn to her.
 
“I mean, let’s not involve sex in this conversation and at the camp.” Gadget explains herself.
 
Fernando has a couple more bites of his sushi platter, trying not to get involved.
 
“That’s not the point.” Hiromi begins to say.
 
Fernando puts down his chopsticks before he interjects, “Let’s end the discussion now.”  There is a brief pause of silence before he continues “How we deal with the issues of our lives is on us to deal with it as we see fit. So let’s leave it alone with that.”  
 
“Excuse me...” Student Council President Makiko Suzuki verbally steps in. Everyone turns to look at her before she adds “What happens outside of school is your business but what happens inside the school becomes all our business. That is why no relationships are allowed in school, while who you go out with and do with them outside of school is allowed outside of school.” She pauses for a second to take a breath in, “It is like in life when you are working – what happens inside the company stay inside the company. That includes when you are living on company owned housing – you are living within their property and can set what rules they see fit, including who you go out with within the company. But outside the company, that is something they cannot interfere with as long as it remains outside of the company. You will all learn that once you start working after you graduate from school or from college.”
 
“I hope you all will go to college.” Fernando throws in. He finishes his sushi platter and his drink.
 
“We intend too.” Naru says in reply.
 
“Mom says that the best waifu is an educated waifu, because she can get a high paying job if her husband gets sick.” Kitsume lets out.
 
“Hiromi?” Fernando calls to her.
 
“What? Wait... I would be the best waifu I can be for my man.” Hiromi throws out.
 
“Being a good waifu is a lot more than just giving your man sex all the time to try to keep him happy.” Naomi throws out adding, “You have to keep the house clean, have his meals ready, his clothes washed and cleaned.and take care of what children you two would have. And that is just the beginning.”
 
“I know what it takes to be a good waifu.” Hiromi throws out.
 
“I’m sure you do, all of you.” Fernando replies, “All in your own ways as you are all different individuals. Some of you might like sex all the time, others may not, but the important thing is that what you do as a wife comes from your heart for your husband. And I can tell you that things can be difficult at times but you must with together with your husband to make things work out in the end. You cannot do things for yourself because you must do things as a couple – you and him, just like he must do things for you both and not for him alone. You two are a team and as a team must work together.”
 
“We can all hope for the best that we married the right person.” Shakura points out.
 
“We know you’re having marriage issues with your wife, but if you divorce her, I would not mind marrying you Fernando-san.” Hiromi throws out.
 
“I would not mind marrying him either.” Kitsume says.
 
“Like we discussed before, he would be a great husband but he is married to somebody else and even though that marriage is about to end to due to things of ‘her’ fault, he cannot marry anyone until his marriage is officailly over. That can take years to get done.” Naru points out.
 
“Well thanks, ladies. It is not that I would not marry any of you if I had the chance, I would honored if I did. But we are here to get you to the next step in your life – college and the scholarship you all are working for. After college and starting your careers you can then be ready for marriage, though you could marry during college which would add to your responsibilities as college student and as a wife. I’m not saying any of you can’t do it, I know that you all can in your own way, but it is something to consider.” Fernando explains.
 
“We considered it. And we considered it so if only it was you.” Cheiko says.
 
“Yeah!” Hiromi lets out.
 
“Look, girls. Go out and enjoy yourselves in the time we have remaining. I have a couple of things to do before we gather to go to the ranch for the weekend.” Fernando points out.
 
“Alright girls, let’s go...” Naru tries to lead the group.
 
Soon they were gone but both Student Council President and Vice President were there. Fernando looks at them both before asking “Can I help you, ladies?”
 
Student Council President Makiko Suzuki looks up at him before saying “If you were to there to teach Sex Ed instead of that female teacher who only talked about our bodies and how it is supposed to function, things would be a lot easier for us girls.”
 
“I do not get what you are saying.” Fernando replies.
 
“There were a lot of things you said that can be taken as a life lesson. Expectation, responsibility, working together with your spouse, many things not mentioned in Sex Ed where we are taught to lie there and enjoy it starting at the age of 13*. A girl in my situation due to my height and preteen appearance even though I am legally an adult, can get into a lot of trouble if I am not cautious with who I am with, which you touched on. You are a wealth of knowledge many do not take into consideration and believe it to be an expectation they have to meet.” Student President Makiko begins. She lets out a sigh before she continues, “Whatever marriage troubles you may be having with your wife, may they be quickly resolved one way or another.”
 
“I can only hope for the best in that situation.” He replies, trying not to let out any details in his problems.
 
“I can see that the girls of 12-2 are enamored with you, and why they are. You must be a great man.” Student President Makiko states.
 
“You should ask the Emperor about me. He can tell you a lot.” He tells her.
 
Vice President Kioko leans over and whispers in Makiko’s ear. Makiko pipes up and then asks “To my understanding you are taking the girls of 12-2 to some ranch for the weekend? Before the actions that got them in trouble, were the girls of 12-1 also invited?”
 
Fernando gives a nod before he explains in a subtle lie, “Only the girls from 12-2 were invited to the ranch, none of the girls from 12-1 were invited as this was planned out weeks ago for them to have a short vacation to focus on their reports.”
 
“Oh.” President Makiko reacts, then asks “I thought, if it would possible to add Vice President Kioko and myself for this trip?”
 
“I would have to talk to my partner; but I do not see a problem in adding either of you, but I see a problem in that neither of you have your things packed up and ready to go. If you two can solve that, then you two may come with us.” Fernando explains.
 
“Hold on to that thought, I’ll be right back!” President Makiko replies before she takes her vice president friend’s hand and takes off to look for her Emperor Uncle.
 
Fernando sighs before he gets up to get a second plate of sushi, mixing it with some Wagu and Kobe Beef Sushi and a can of ginger ale, glad that Student President Makiko is getting the Emperor as he need to talk to him about the girls in the basement detention cells. As he picks out his food, Hondo approaches him with that worried et angered look on his face. Monty was with him but seeing Gadget sitting alone at his table decides to open his mouth to her.
 
“Jefe, we hav’ a problem.” Hondo begins.
 
Fernando, seeing Monty going over to Gadget throws back at Hondo and point out Monty, telling him with a growl “We got a bigger problem – now go get that addicted Cheese Sniffer away from Gadget. There is a reason why I have them separated.”
 
Hondo turns around to see Monty stepping up to Gadget and calling her by her name to get her attention. He yells out for all to hear “Monterey Jack! Get Your Ass Over Here Now!”
 
Monty turns to them and yells out “I’m err... teh-llin’ huhr e’vRee-Ting!”
 
Fernando puts down his plate of food and stomps over to Monterey Jack with Hondo behind him, grabbing and twisting his ear and pulls him away from Gadget, growling “You’re Coming With Me.”
 
“Hey! OWWW!!! OWWW! OWWW!  LEH ME GO!!!” Monty complains until Fernando drags him back to his plate of food.
 
Fernando lets him go and scowls at him, “You Ain’t Telling Gadget Nothing. I Do Not Care if You Found A Floor Diagram To Do The Hokey Pokey On... You And Dale Are Separated From Gadget And Each Other For A Reason. You Do Not Talk to Gadget Ever, Not Even In My Presence. She Does Not Need To Know What You Know, AND You Do Not Need To Know What She Knows. You Three Are On Separate Missions. Do Not Mix The Missions, Do Not Share What You Know And Learned With Her – EVER.DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!”
 
“Buhtt, She ‘eeds To Know About Chip!” Monty complains.
 
“She already knows about Chip, how we put him down and where he is. In fact it is by her ordered request that we take down Chip because he has harmed and killed others.” Fernando tells him.
 
“AYE! She Wood Nevah Had Done That! He’s Hur Husband! OW!” Monty lets out before he rubs the back of his head where he was struck by Hondo’s open hand slap.
 
“After all we talked ‘bout how Chip abused her, you still holdin’ onto an abusive marriage she was a victim of? You ‘eed to shut the Eff Up before I send you back to America alive in a box!” Hondo tells him.
 
Fernando points at Monty, pressing his finger against his nose, “I Do Not Want To Ever Hear Your Voice Come Out Of Your Mouth. And I Better Not See You Near Gadget Again. You Claimed That You were her protector, where were you when Chip was abusing her? Where were you when Chip was drugging up My Tammy? Where were you when he was plotting against females of the café? Where were you when Chip set me and Jeanette up to fail and die in the frozen wilderness of Antarctica? Don’t Give Me Excuses, Stories or Lies. You failed in your work as a Rescue Ranger in rescuing the others of the group. Now Listen And Listen Good. Gadget is working as my secretary and technical advisor. She has done more for this group within this mission than what I can gather what you, Chip and Dale did for the time the Rescue Rangers were in service. Now stand at attention and be a good soldier for that is as far as you will ever get in life, just good enough to grunt work and be the muscle of the group.” He then turns to Hondo, “Now, as you were saying, Hondo?”
 
Hondo scowls at Monty for a second before he begins to say, “I took him to see Chip in da morgue when we were gas attacked and when we woke up, Chip’s body was gone.”
 
Fernando lets out a pent up growling sigh. He then says “We’ll talk about details when we get to the ranch in the morning. Start getting your people together, we will be leaving in half an hour.”
 
“Will do, Jefe.” Hondo says before palm slapping the back of Monty’s neck and saying as he hauls him away, “You are with me.”
 
(To be continued....)
 

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Note: As mentioned before, at the time GsB4 happens around 2013; when the age of consent in Japan was 13, and had been for literally centuries. In 2021 it was changed to 21, and due to public outcry was reduced to 16 in 2022.