“Some times I don't show it,” he rebutted, “And I apologize for that.”
“Why would you not talk to me like an adult?” she asked.
“Because we wanted you to enjoy your childhood as long as you wanted to.” Yui answered, “And besides,” she continued, “You clearly never trusted us with your deepest feelings, and we didn't really know what you felt until Margret came along.”
“So in other words,” Yan said, “We never knew what you truly felt, what you meant to do, why you meant to do it.”
“When you went on playing the baby, Jacqueline,” Yui asked, “didn't you ever realize we were smart enough to see through it?”
“I guess not.” she sniffled.
“We know you're not ever going to be a prodigy,” Yan said, “But we hoped you would aspire to go far and do well. That is all any parent can hope for.”
“But why all this pressure to excel in school and stuff when its so terribly hard?” she sobbed.
“Because one day, you would become an adult and have to fend for your self, no matter where you went or what you did.” Yui answered.
“We just want you to be fully capable of making it on your own, should you decide to go your own way.” Yan added.
“But I don't WANT to LEAVE,” she protested, “I just wanted to be free to do what I love to do best!” tears streamed from her eyes and her nose began to run so that Yan pulled out a handkerchief for her to blow her nose with.
“Thank you.” she said as she accepted it.
“Look Jaqi-chan,” Yan said, “We couldn't be more pleased that you found a wife, a career and happiness all at such a young age and while still willing to remain a part of the family.”
“R-really?” she asked, “I just thought you had given up on me or had some weird devious plans for me that would eventually leave me in the same lurch I already was in.”
“Oh Jaqi-chan!” Yui began so cry a little, “We would NEVER knowingly do anything to hurt you, ruin your life, or make you uncomfortable!”
“We just wish you would have told us sooner is all!” Yan said.
“I'm sorry papa, mama,” she sobbed, “I didn't know you would listen.”
“We're always here baby,” Yui replied, “And we will always be listening.”
Ep 24, Chapter 3
When Margret awoke this time, she felt light headed, but in no pain.
The wall on the clock indicated it was 3:12 am, but not what day it was.
“Where am I?” she asked again, then she looked around and said, “Oh...yeah.” but that still did not account for her internal feeling that time had passed, “What day is it?” she then asked.
“Its Tuesday.” came her reply, “Are you feeling better now Margie-pargie?” Jacqueline asked, softly stroking her cheek since the respirator had been removed earlier, although a pink outline of it remained in the skin on her face.
“Four days then...” then to answer the question, she continued with, “A little,” she replied feeling at ease, “So...” she began, “I really am pregnant then?”
“Afraid so babydoll,” Bunny replied, “Hope you're not mad at me.”
“At the moment I'm not able to be mad.” she chuckled softly, “Now when I come down off these pain killers I might be a total bitch, but if I am,” she giggled, “please remember you knocked me up.” and then as she rolled her eyes around the room with a silly grin on her face, she came back with, “You know what they say about pregnant women after all.”
“Yeah,” she smiled softly, still lovingly stroking her wife's cheek “I've heard from various relatives.”
“Oh yeah...” Margret suddenly came to the realization, “That means we're officially married now, huh?”
“You betchya.” Jacqueline said with a bit of randiness in her squeaky little voice.
“You little pervert,” Margret giggled.
Jacqueline just giggled back, stood up over her and said, “You betchya.” and kissed her deeply.
Ep 24, Chapter 4
As the doctor was releasing her to the care of the family, she was, once again in a wheelchair, only this time without restraints.
“Now take all of these, four times a day, every six hours, until they are completely gone, and do not skip a dose, or you may still miscarry,” he instructed, “and try to not take this one any more than absolutely necessary and never more than one at a time, for pain. Too much of this can also lead to complications.”
“Yes sir,” Margret accepted the instructions and the medicines.
“Oh, and one more thing,” the white haired Asian gentleman with a goatee mentioned, “I know you're legally married and all now, but...” wagging his finger, and shaking his head with a serious look in his eyes, “NO SEX for at LEAST two months.”
“Awweeee” Jacqueline slumped her shoulders,curled her huge lower lip under and lightly stomped her foot, “Phooey!” but then she straightened up, “Its okay, I know Doctor Kanzaka, its okay,” she smiled brightly, but then she turned to Margret and said while pointing her own finger aggressively, “I'm marking the calendar young lady, and when those two months are up, you better look out!”
Everybody in the room except Jacqueline nearly fell down laughing.
Episode 25
“Learning, Just The Day Before”
“Are we going to be able to do the show tomorrow night?” Margret asked the doctor who did a pelvic examination and scoped out the uterus to be sure the placenta had taken.
“Only if you promise not to go jumping around and acting like an acrobat.” he replied.
“Oh I don't really do stuff like that in my routines.” she replied, “Its not that kind of a crowd.”
“Okay,” he said, “Just keep the motions slow and calm, no major twisting or sudden moves, and you should be just fine.”
“Yes sir.” she agreed.
“And YOU, little girl,” he pointed at Jacqueline, “you try to stay out of trouble for a change!”
Jacqueline giggled and cooed, wrinkling up her nose mirthfully, “Yes Dr.-san”
Ep 25, Chapter 2
The band arrived at 3pm Tokyo time and rooms were prepared for them in a hotel not far from the venue.
“Why can't we stay with you guys at that big posh mansion?” Julie whined.
“I dunno,” Margret said, “Maybe its an oversight.” knowing it was because Yui wanted to keep Julie as far away from Margret as possible.
“I see you have a ring on your finger.” Rachel said, “What happened while we were a way?”
“Well,” Margret said being playfully coy, “something...”
“Don't tell me you actually done went and got MARRIED since you got here...”
“And other things...” Margret kept up the act.
“ 'Other things' ?” Julie asked, “What 'other things' ?” getting up close with her head tilted and her hands on her hips.
“Back off, Jules.” Rachel warned, “She's not your girl, never has been, you got no right – AAA!!!” she recoiled as Julie spun and slapped her hard across the face, “Why YOU!” and she kicked Julie in the stomach doubling her over.
“HEYYYYYYYYYYYY GIRLS! STOP THIS RIGHT THE FUCK NOW OR I WILL PERSONALLY CANCEL THIS WHOLE GODDAMNED SHOW AND QUIT THE MOTHERFUCKING BAND!!! DO YOU HEAR ME???” Margret stepped between them and shoved Rachel back, extending a hand to help Julie right herself.
Everybody in the hotel lobby either stopped and stared, or hurried out in some direction to be as far from this scene as possible.
Lily and Tammy caught both of Rachel's arms, and although she made to struggle, with a menacing scowl on her face, she finally backed off with just a sullen look and sulked.
“Look.” Margret said, “I'm in no condition for this. I had surgery five days ago, and I just BARELY got permission to do this show. I've been offer -”
“Wait-wait-wait!” Rachel gasped wide eyed, “SURGERY???”
“I wasn't going to say anything just before the show,” Margaret said, “
Being as its a real shocker, and I still don't want to, but yeah, surgery.”
“What the fuck's wrong with YOU all of a sudden?” Rachel asked quite worried.
“I almost miscarried.” Marge explained, “I'm carrying Bunny's child.”
Rachel's knees buckled and she fell to the floor almost catatonic, Tammy and Lily fall back against the wall of the hotel lobby, and Julie curled up in a fetal position and began to wail hysterically.
Ep 25, Chapter3
“Well THAT went just fucking GREAT.” Margret grumbled on the way back to the mansion.
“I noticed.” Anna commented, “Now you see why Yui wanted you out of that apartment?”
Sighing deeply, looking down at Jacqueline, “Yeah, I see.” shaking her head and rolling her eyes, “Some days,” she breathed, “I don't know.” she pondered, “Days like today,” she reached out and caressed Jacqueline's cheek, “You know, maybe Bunny and I should just strike out on our own, you know? Form a new group.”
“Margret Shunokoi,” Anna pointed out, “You will find these problems everywhere you go with everybody you meet.”
Letting out another sigh, Margaret concluded, “Yeah, you're right,” she looked out the window for a moment, just watching people on the sidewalk as they made their way back to the freeway to get out of Tokyo, “And we've really invested a lot of time and effort into this band and everything, Julie most of all.” she shook her head, “Did you know that when I came to LA Julie was the one who took me in off the streets?”
“I had no idea darling,” Anna replied, “You have not told us much about your life.”
“Yeah, that's true...” she tilted her head back thinking, “Well I was just out panhandling on the 405 freeway, guitar slung over my back and a little sign that said, 'Help a future rock star'...” she gestured as if making a rainbow with her hands, “and she came up in her little beamer and wasn't even legal to drive yet!” Margret chuckled, “And while chewing bubblegum and wearing this snazzy prep school uniform -”
“The one you have been wearing?” Anna interrupted.
“Yeah. The one I've been wearing.” she chuckled again, “And she says “Hop in, rock star!” and I did...
“Come to find out, they had been struggling for over a year to make a go of being a band, and her parents were paying for everything up to that point, but they just didn't have what it took, and they knew it.” she smirked and shook her head, looking down at Jacqueline who was just intently looking with a gaze of total adoration, “And they still don't.”
“So you stepped in and saved their asses ey?” Anna suggested.
Chuckling some more, she again shook her head, running her right hand through her thick red mane, “Oh I wouldn't put it that way,” she said, “Even with all my talents and drive, unlike them, I knew that without an agent we would never go anywhere.”
“So you found one.” Anna concluded.
“Oh I went through over thirty of them.” she corrected, “I can't even tell you which one Janice is,” she added, “But the funny thing is, she wasn't the last, because at the one point we had just a little success, I got greedy and cocky and thought I could do better, and fired her without any explanation.”
“I take it you went back down the hill.” Anna again concluded.
“Well,” Margret replied, “No, but we had stagnated.” she said, at least three more agents, and I finally realized that she had it going on, because they all basically ran with the status quo, and made no effort to expand our reach.”
“I came back to Janice ready to grovel and she just smiled and said, 'I knew you'd see I'm the best' and didn’t even require us to re-sign any contracts.”
“That Janice is something else I take it.” Anna suggested.
She has pull...” Margret shrugged, “There's no doubt about that.”
“Maybe she knows something nobody else knows.” Anna suggested, winking into the rear view mirror.
“Like what?” Margaret asked.
“Oh...” Anna suddenly got coy, “I don't know, maybe some day you find out for your self, ey?”
Ep 25, Chapter 4
“They gave her tranquilizers and sent her to her room.” Janice said, “I JUST missed you in fact.”
“You came out here to Tokyo?” Margret asked surprised.
“Lets just say it was a date.” she said, “somebody paid my way because they wanted to meet the band.”
“Ahhhh...” Margaret replied, “Cool.” she paced back and forth while holding her comlink to her ear with one hand but she gestured to Anna with the other to trace the call and see if she could verify the room and who all else was in it.
Anna nodded and began typing away at her laptop.
Jacqueline sat on a couch nearby appearing to stare blankly while she listened intently.
The room number, rate, time and date of reservation all came up, as well as the name it was reserved under.
She printed it all out.
Margret looked at it and nodded to Anna, then on the comlink she said, “Well look Janice,” I have a really important meeting I must attend first thing in the morning, but I will definitely meet up with you and all that at the show, okay?”
“Yes, sure thing babe,” Janice replied easily.
“Alright, well, good night then.”
“Sure, and um, before I forget, congratulations on the marriage and the baby.”
“Oh yeah, right.” Marge said, “Thanks. Bye now.” and she broke the connection.
“That worthless whore had Janice wrapped around her finger like a cheap fucking string.”
“Why didn't you say anything?” Anna said, “Surely if she knew that you knew, it would upset her plans and force her hand.”
“Because I'm smart enough to play dumb.” Margret said, “And at this exact moment,” she added, “I don't know what her intentions are, so I can't really do anything that will either speed them up or slow them down.”
“Ahhh...” Anna regarded this reply, “Very good point.”
“Anna,” she said, “Can you get me any kind of a weapon that will pass through their scanners?”
“HA!” Anna guffawed, “Plenty!”
“I just need something I can use at close range in case there is some kind of trouble at the venue.”
“I'll have it before you wake up in the morning darling,” she said, “Now you two go get some sleep.” shooing her and Jacqueline off to their room.
Episode 26
“Now This Is Going To Hurt A Little, Or Maybe A Lot...”
After much deliberation, more crying and swearing, Julie finally accepted that there never really was a chance for her with Margret and that this was as close as she was going to get.
She spent the night in bed with Lily, just holding onto another warm body.
When she awoke, she put on her clothes, ate breakfast, went to the empty arena stage with her instrument and spent the day practicing to be sure she would be as perfect as could be.
About noon Lily came in, and at 12:30 Tammy and Rachel arrived.
The last two had the presence of mind to bring their costumes.
“Where's your skins?” Rachel asked.
“Oh.” Lily replied, then chuckled, “I guess uhhh...I forgot.”
“Hang on.” Rachel said, then pulled out her com, putting it in her ear, “Hey Marge?”
“Oh don't do that!” Julie cried, “I don’t need her to babysit me! Gawd! I'll go get it here before the show!”
“What did you need?” Margret asked sleepily over the com.
“Oh never mind,” Rachel said over the com, “Julie just -” she began to say.
“Would you just SHIT IT?!” Julie shouted, “Damn!” and she screamed as she slammed her sticks onto her drums, “Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn -aaahhh!” hitting the drums each time until one stick broke and went flying up, hitting her in the cheek, making a little bloody spot, “Oh, shit.” she sobbed.
“Fuck – you better get them anyhow, she
just managed to stab herself in the face with a drumstick.”
“Oh shit,” Marge exclaimed, “Is she going to be alright?”
“I hope so,” Rachel replied, “It missed her eye by a centimeter, so she should be okay, and she has spare sticks”
Bunny Love ( Songs of Love Book 1) Page 23