[IC] The ties that bind (Serenia/Freedom)

[freedomliveson]

The middle of March was a beautiful time in the southern part of the country. While there were still the occasional blizzard warnings and cars sliding off roads cemented with ice in the Northern states, the South was beginning to bloom. Trees regained their verdant foliage, flowers were budding and most importantly to the denizens of Macon, the cherry blossoms were in full swing. The lavender shaded trees were bursting with color, prompting so many from across the state and beyond to visit the normally small-ish town to view an event that separated Macon from the rest of the state. The awed on-lookers, picture takers and proud citizens who volunteer all year to keep the trees alive and well formed a picturesque scene on that particular Sunday that Kaz decided to plop himself on a bench across the street from the brouhaha(fun word) and eat his biscuit and egg sandwich lovingly prepared as always by "Momma" Lori Stanhoff. Mrs.Stanhoff was a staple of his childhood and adolescence, going to her small diner many a time to secure breakfast served any time of day because "what's better than breakfast in the morning? Breakfast in the evening!".

A muted chuckle came and went as he took another bite, a slightly louder groan of appreciation for the culinary masterpiece emitted. Although most of his adult life was spent on the East Coast, he could never quite find that special diner he could wrap his arms around quite like The Greasy Spoon. His circle of friends back in Manhattan would've scoffed at the idea of eating at a place that had "Grease" in the name, but their pretentious palates weren't here for judgment. Just honest people who make an honest day's work.

Honesty. What an interesting concept that had become over the past few years.

Shaking his head, he finished the sandwich before reaching into his pocket, fingers riddled with grease clumsily unlocking his phone as he grimaced at that small blinking "32" that reminded him of the responsibilities he had attempted to leave behind for the two weeks he was taking off. It had been only a few hours since touching down at the small airstrip outside the city and already his inbox was being deluged on a day most popularly thought of as a day of rest. Of course, his particular business didn't necessarily lend itself to "rest". The world of stocks, bonds, financial holdings and other assets was constantly churning and as the Chief Financial Officer of Ujohiri Holdings Corporation, he was expected to churn along with it. Thankfully, Juntao had recommended this visit and told the Board that this two week absence was for personal business.

Indeed it was.

The urn still remained in the apartment he rented (executive or not, AirBnB was a wonderful invention) and would stay there until he could muster the courage to face Mother's grave. How long had it been since he had visited? Twelve years? Fifteen? He had lost track. When he and his family left Macon permanently, he had cut off everyone he knew from the city, knowing that keeping up his attachment would be too taxing. He was to be an Ujohiri, a powerful player in the global financial market, to learn under Tanaka Ujohiri, one of the most respected financiers in the world. Kaz didn't have time for-

Is that her?

He sat up, spine stiffening. The golden, wavy locks bounced jubilantly in the crisp mid-March air, reminding him of-

No.

When she turned around, it wasn't her.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he stood up, knowing full well that he would have to face this sooner or later.
"Where would she be after all this time..." While his father's remains were of critical import, another matter had admittedly surfaced on the ride to Macon, one that he wanted to confront-

No, no, not confront. Resolve. Yes, resolve. The way he had left was...unacceptable and his subsequent treatment after leaving was even worse. He had to make things right before going back home. He had to. Which meant reopening some old memories left to the annals of time.

___

An hour of searching via Google Maps in his rented vehicle brought him to the farmhouse that he remembered was down the road from "Abe's General Store". It was still ramshackle: roof caved in, doors cast off to the side, interior ripped apart by assumed scavengers and other signs of natural decay all but confirmed it's state. The swing set, too, was showing it's age, but still the same. Situated behind the farmhouse was a swing set probably utilized by the former owners, but was possessed informally by he and Ellie for all those years. No one surprisingly had chased them off during their time there, which allowed for so many...good things to happen.

Running a hand over the chains connecting the swing to the rusting bar above, he smiled, slight dimples creasing his cheeks before-

Grass ruffled behind him, prompting Kaz to turn to face the very person he was attempting to track down. All he could say in this singular moment of revelation was:
"Ellie...hello."

That's all you've got? Really?

This was going to be interesting.

[Serenia]

It was the weekend, so the clinic was closed. It was the first time in a long while that Elodie Gallagher felt like she could breathe. It had been difficult, to return after all that time, after the trials and tribulations of veterinary school… but it had been worth it. The town hadn’t changed, and she’d felt foolish for thinking that it would have. It still held its quaint charm, and many of the people she had grown up with were still around. They waved at her, hugged her like she’d only been away for a week much less the few years it had been by the time she’d graduated. She had come back because she’d always been in love with her hometown, even for some of the bittersweet memories it held.

Specifically, Kaz Ujohiri.

They were in the South, but that didn’t mean it was far enough into the year to be warm… at all. The blonde woman bundled herself up, pulling a tan sweater over her head that reached mid-thigh, then jeans and finally brown, knee-high boots. All the while, Tucker excitedly circled her feet. She shooed the German Shepherd away as she zipped up her footwear before moving and opening the door. The sable and black dog moved quickly to the equally black Jeep Cherokee, bouncing happily around the wheels. “Hold on,” the woman murmured, searching for the keys in her purse before unlocking the SUV and popping open the passenger door.

“I’m leaving!” she called into the house, earning a quick bye and the strum of a guitar as she left. She lived with her brother for the moment, as she was recovering from yet another break-up. Her relationship life had been a string of long-lived and painful stories, none of which seemed to ever work… no thanks to her commitment issues and sabotaging herself.

A small smile tugged at Elodie’s lips as she watched the dog jumped in easily, sitting and looking expectantly as she travelled back to the driver’s side and slid into the car. She reached over to pull at the passenger door before starting the engine and backing out of the driveway. The drive to the general store had become a ritual, even though she’d tried to avoid it for a long time. It had only caused more hurt, though, to stay away. She’d been back in the area for a couple years and it no longer made her feel like she was suffocating, even though the field was large and anything but claustrophobic.

It was a short drive, only ten minutes outside of the city limits, and Elodie pulled into her usual spot near the edge of the forest. Many of town’s younger inhabitants would come to the edge of the trees, partaking of the hiking trails the area had to offer, but that wasn’t her intention. Instead, when she let Tucker out of the car, he began to bound towards their normal area. Elodie smiled widely as she watched the dog race away, knowing that he would come back eventually. He was a good dog and, despite his large appearance, completely friendly. The animal wouldn’t even hurt a fly, even though that caused Elodie some discomfort initially. Instead of using the dog as a security system, as she’d planned, she had to spend the money on installing an electronic one in her house.

She heard a loud, excited bark and her brows furrowed, wide blue eyes now narrowed as she continued on her way to the large oak tree that held an old, rope-bound swing. Elodie saw a figure sitting there, the outline familiar but… it couldn’t be him. She hadn’t heard from Kaz in years. Trying to calm her quickly beating heart, the woman took a deep breath and continued towards the tree, wondering who was out here. “It’s not a bad spot, huh?” she asked from behind, bracing her hands against her thighs as she climbed a slight hill. “I mean, not really.” The closer she got, the more of a familiar ache ran through her.

Her eyes ran over his broad shoulders, the almost shaggy outline of dark hair… “Kaz?” she asked, her voice full of shock and awe. There wasn’t any way it was him, not after all these years. And then he’d turned around, saying two simple words that sparked both anger and happiness in her. “Hi,” she said briefly, watching as Tucker jumped around the man and barked joyfully. “He’ll shut up if you get him a scratch,” Elodie said softly, still continuing towards Kaz.

She had so many questions, the main one being why was he back? She’d learned awhile ago to filter her words before she allowed them out of her mouth, and she quickly snapped her lips shut before she said anything she would regret. “I would say it’s good to see you again…” she said, crossing her arms. But perhaps that wasn’t the right thing to say. Her light eyes moved over Kaz’s handsome features, determining he hadn’t changed too much since the last time she’d seen him. He’d grown into his looks, taller and seemingly more broad than so many years ago, but wasn’t that to be expected?

“It is. Good to see you again,” Elodie said after a moment, clearing her throat. “I never expected to see you back here.”

@freedomliveson

[freedomliveson]

The German Shepherd that bounded in circles attempting to get Kaz's attention was a tad distracting, but not surprising. He vividly remembered her love of animals, forcing Kaz(as lovingly as she could, of course) to volunteer with her at animal shelters and help walk her dog(s) when he was in her part of the neighborhood. It was nice to see that part of her remained alive and well; in fact, the "well" was emphasized through her appearance. When he saw her last(he winced internally), her hair was a tad shorter, facial features more angular. Her face had smoothed out(if that could be a phrase) and almost softened, giving Ellie an almost angelic countenance. Or maybe that was a burst of old feeling that had suddenly emerged coloring the way he saw her.
"I...I wasn't expecting to be here myself." He cleared his throat, loosening the black tie that hung neatly against his stark white dress shirt. Another few moments of silence wafted between them, only punctuated by the German Shepherd's sniffing of Kaz's once shined now dirt stained shoes.
"You look like you've really taken care of yourself." He blurted out in an attempt to make small talk only to come off as obtuse. Attempting to fix the perceived social snafu, he added:
"What I meant to say was that..." He couldn't help but smile broadly.
"You look wonderful, Ellie. And I'm...I'm so happy to see you again." That was genuine. It really was. The feelings of apprehension, guilt, sorrow and other assorted, unnamed emotions still swirled around his mind threatening to burst out of his head in a torrent of pent up angst, but in spite of that, he still managed to be happy to see his friend again.
"And your dog seems happy to see me as well...although we're not nearly as acquainted as I'd like us to be." Despite not enjoying the animal shelters when it came to dealing with all other animals, Kaz had a soft spot for dogs. He complied with Ellie's directive, scratching behind the canine's ear for a few seconds. This action seemed to satisfy the creature, who then began sniffing behind his owner for something unknown to the humans at hand.
"I'd like to ask how you're doing, but I suppose that wouldn't be enough." A sad smile this time.
"Probably one of the reasons why I wanted to come here. Prepare my thoughts at a place that holds such youthful optimism before I approached you." His fingers traced over the bar of the swing set as he continued:
"I came...I came back to find you, Ellie. I wanted to talk. About a lot of things that have needed to be addressed for so long." His other hand briefly clenched into a fist before uncurling.
"That is, of course, if you'd let me."

[Serenia]

A small smile was forced onto Elodie’s face at Kaz’s words, slightly less uncomfortable now that she realized he was just as awkward as she felt. Tension seeped slowly from her shoulders as she continued to gaze towards the man, desperately wishing to stay in the present and not ruminate on the past. It was difficult to do so when she was staring Kaz straight in the face, her eyes eventually pulling from him to rest on Tucker. Of course he hadn’t expected to be here, she thought unhappily; he’d never seen himself staying in this small Georgia town but neither had she. But that was then and this was now, she silently determined, her jaw clenching barely as she continued to look over the rusted chains of the swing.

“Thanks,” Elodie said, staying firmly rooted in place. She only allowed herself a glimpse up at his broad, handsome smile before looking back to Tucker, who continued to be the best kind of pest. “Unfortunately, Tuck’s never met a stranger. He’s got a big bark, but no bite.” When he was finished sniffing Kaz, the dog jumped backwards and barked playfully before running off into the high, dried grass of the field. Ellie watched with a more genuine smile as the dog leapt high over the grass, no doubt with a tongue hanging out of his mouth. Her eyes lingered there even as Kaz continued to talk, slowly returning to his dark ones.

What did he want her to say? That no, asking how she was wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t ever be enough, not to make up for the unhappiness she’d suffered through thanks to him. She’d thought, naively, that they would have eventually married after school… but that hadn’t worked out, either. Ellie didn’t want to talk to him anymore, especially if that meant talking about him leaving. It was the last thing that she’d come here for. Really, she’d just come for a bit of peace and quiet. There was a nice March wind blowing and she’d give anything to just allow herself to sit on a swing and listen while Tucker played. Unfortunately that didn’t seem like it was in the cards, and Elodie could only suffer through this.

“Talk away,” she said simply, moving forwards towards the swing set and taking the seat furthest away from Kaz. “I…” Elodie cleared her throat as she lowered herself onto the hard wooden seat, slender fingers wrapping around the chains before she slowly began to rock back and forth. “I’m sorry to hear about your father,” she said eventually, allowing silence to come between them once more. She’d had a fondness for the older man, though she didn’t feel the same could be said of him. He’d always looked on her like she was holding Kaz back. Perhaps she had been, but that hadn’t stopped him from leaving. She still had both of her parents, thankfully, and could offer very little in the way of true empathy.

“To answer your question,” she continued, moving quickly from that subject in case Kaz didn’t wish to speak of it, “I’m fine. I opened a vet clinic in town. It isn’t much, but it’s finally kicking up. Elodie Gallagher, DVM.” Ellie rolled her eyes at that, though her smile was growing wider with each passing moment. “I’ve been fine, though. Happy. But address away,” she said with a soft laugh, looking up to Kaz again. Ellie heard Tucker bark in the distance, no doubt at a squirrel or a rabbit. “You said you were going to find me?” she asked, her nose scrunching slightly.

@freedomliveson

[freedomliveson]

A half smile formed on his lips when she mentioned his father. It was hard not to miss the news reports about his death, but the fact that Ellie was willing to express sympathy was kind. Tanaka was never one for encouraging any of his three children to have relationships that would "deter them from the work of the future", but he didn't go out of his way to discourage them, which enabled his children to form social attachments. For some reason he seemed to frown upon Kaz's relationship with Ellie more so than anyone else he had formed an attachment to, going so far as to tell Kaz a few times during his senior year of high school that "the girl" wasn't "worth pursuing at your underdeveloped age". He didn't listen, which upset Tanaka visibly once or twice, but thankfully Kaz's mother served as an excellent buffer and pacifier; in fact, it was the much brighter in disposition Haruna Ujohiri that happily hosted Ellie and her family at Kaz's old family home a handful of times.
"Thank you for your sympathy. Father died very suddenly, but he had lived a full life, one that I believe he does not regret where he resides." Kaz placed himself next to the swing, suit jacket rubbing up against the pole of the swing set(note: dry clean this for later). He listened contentedly to Ellie's description of her new life as veterinarian and that she was indeed happy. Good. That's all he ever wanted for her.

It was her scrunching nose that deterred Kaz from attempting to discuss his feelings about where they had left things, laughing slightly as he told her:
"That EXACT face was the one you had when I showed you what I painted senior year of high school. Don't you remember? It was that very awkward portrait of a skeleton dangling off a cliff. For some reason I thought it was an ironic commentary on life and you..." He laughed more heartily this time.
"You had that same face! I don't remember what you said exactly, but the expression was enough to convince me that my rebellion aspirations of artistry were nothing but a pipe dream." Taking off his suit jacket and laying it gently on the ground(dry cleaning it anyway), he slumped against the pole, winding up in a seated position, legs out in front, hands on the ground.
"Maybe art would've been a better career choice." A sardonic snicker before changing subjects, wanting to get at least a small portion of his feelings on the subject off his chest:
"Right, yes, I wanted to find you. I needed to, really." Another clearing of the throat, a momentary pause, then:
"After Father passed, his will stated that Juntao was to be promoted to CEO in his stead, which left the position of CFO to me. Needless to say the board of directors wasn't thrilled with a 38 year old and a 32 year old taking the reigns of a multibillion dollar operation, but if you remember anything about my older brother, you'll recall that he has the ability to convince a stone barrier to melt if he needed to get through. He managed to convince enough of the board to allow the current familial structure to remain in place for the fiscal year and if growth wasn't evident under our reign, then we would vacate our positions. A lot rides on our success and..." He trailed off, chuckling.
"Sorry, there's a point to this background, I promise." He took a breath, then continued:
"When the responsibility of Father's company passed onto me, I was hit with a sudden realization that I had risen to the position that he had wanted me to attain...and that saddened me because I knew what I gave up to pursue this might have cheated me out of so many other better alternatives." He wanted to reach out for her hand, but suppressed the urge. Waaayyy too soon.
"I know my obligations are to my father's company, but that doesn't mean I can't repair some of the damage I caused. I want..." He swallowed a hard lump in his throat.
"I wanted to apologize. For everything. And to maybe, just maybe, ask to be a part of your life again." He quickly added:
"I'm not asking for your hand in marriage or anything and I know that even trying to be friends again might be too much to handle, but I know I'd love to try." There, he had said it.

[Serenia]

Elodie hadn’t really bore any ill will towards Kaz’s father apart from disappointment that he didn’t care for her. It was almost hypocritical due to the fact that her father didn’t exactly care for Kaz, either. Neither had her mother, and she assumed that neither of them knew that the younger Ujohiri was back in town. No doubt when news hit, they would be texting and calling her, having her thrown into some type of work where she wouldn’t see the outside of either the clinic or their house for days. A blush rose on her cheeks as his words pulled her back to the present, blonde hair whipping around her face to hide her expression as the wind picked up.

“I don’t know, Kaz,” she said with a laugh, shaking her head as she fought the memories back down. “I don’t remember much about high school anymore.” That was a bold-faced lie, but for the purpose of this conversation she would continue to say so. There were plenty of things that she did want to say, though none of them were kind. Kaz’s father would never have allowed him to pursue any dream that didn’t include finances or medicine… it seemed that he’d gotten his wish. Ellie continued to swing herself as he spoke of what his occupation now was, and it took a fair bit of restraint to keep from snorting. Of course he and his brother had taken over the company, just as their father had wanted.

And she remembered Juntao more than she cared to admit. It had been him, not Kaz, that Elodie had first been attracted to. He was the older, handsome foreign-looking boy that moved in near her and nearly everyone had been obsessed. In fact, her friendship with Kaz had been mostly formed due to wanting to be close to his brother. Instead, the exact opposite had happened. She’d fallen hopelessly and deeply in love with the man to her side. It had been years ago, but the hurt and heartbreak he’d left her with still lingered. She turned her head and rolled her eyes at his comment regarding better alternatives.

It hardly seemed like she had been a better alternative. He was CFO of a company, for Christ’s sake. She was a vet, but that paled in comparison the successfulness of the Ujohiri brothers… at least at this point. “I accept your apology,” Elodie started hesitantly, turning to look at him with bright blue eyes. Could she be friends with the man who had completely and utterly ruined her as a teenager? “I won’t promise anything,” she continued, pushing blonde hair behind one ear. “But I’ll – “ She heard Tucker barking from afar, causing her brows to furrow. Her gaze searched the field ahead before she turned back to Kaz. “I’ll try.”

The Shepherd kept barking and Ellie sighed, bracing her hands on her thighs as she rose from the swing. “Fucking dog,” she said with a soft smile, her way of an apology. In truth, she was pleased that something had drawn her away from her high school sweetheart. She didn’t have anything to say to him and truly just wanted to process the information, the news that he was back. Elodie offered him another smile as she moved towards Tucker, who continued to bark. “I’ll be right back.” The next thing she knew, she was standing at the edge of the forest and looking up a hill. “Shh,” she hissed loudly, beginning to become irritated with the sound.

It wasn’t like Tucker to bark continuously, but he was known to do it on occasion. If he’d found something he wanted to play with, there was no shutting him up. Elodie hiked up the hill, clicking her tongue for the dog to return to her side. However, all color drained out of her cheeks when she looked down to see what Tucker was barking at.

It was a body, face down in the mud. The odd angle made her immediately gather the person was dead, joints unnaturally contorted… Ellie heard a loud, shrill scream and realized belatedly that the noise had erupted from her own mouth. She clasped a hand over her lips as tears began to well in her eyes, wanting to move. The woman wanted to move away, but her feet were rooted firmly on the ground and unable to walk away. Tucker continued to bark loudly, though it seemed muted while in her state of shock. “Kaz?” she called loudly, her voice shaking with fear.

[freedomliveson]

He gratefully nodded at her resolution to try, telling her:
"That's all I can ask for. Thank you." Kaz had wanted to talk to her a bit more in solitude, but apparently Tucker was having none of it. With a roll of her eyes and that dazzling(it had only grown brighter) smile, she went to attend to the noisemaker, Kaz mustering a smile of his own before rising and removing himself from the pole. He attempted to brush off some of the assumed dirt that had probably stained his once crisp white shirt, mumbling about having to remember not to wear white and something else about fashion that a stylist had told him about contrast-

A sharp, acute scream rang through the air, his eyes darting towards the source. It came from just beyond the edge of the forested area deeper into the abandoned property where Ellie had gone. Another yell, but this time he distinctly heard her calling for him.
"ELLIE!" He shouted as loudly as he could, sprinting in the direction that his former companion had taken. Dashing past foliage and trees, he clambered up the soft earth of the hill, arriving next to her.
"Wha-" His eyes widened at the gruesome sight that she had discovered. The man's body was pallid with the color of decay, limbs at contorted angles that were sickening to look at. No blood was visible around the grass where it(he!) laid, but there were stains across the t-shirt and pants that looked spattered and uneven. Maybe there were wounds underneath? Whatever the case, he would leave more qualified individuals to their work and get Ellie away from this decay. Before turning to her however, he took a quick scan of their surroundings, noting nothing but gently sloping hills with trees dotting the landscape in every direction. If the person who dropped the body off had JUST arrived, then they might have heard the commotion caused by the discovery. Would they be back? Would they trail off and hope that two random people stumbling onto the body would prove to be harmless? Or was this purposeful? Was-

Not important right now.

"I'll call the police when we're away from this. Come on. I'll get you to your car." He gently slid one of his hands into hers and attempted to lead her away, but he thought he felt some resistance. Not knowing if it was imagined on his part or Ellie actually trying to make them stay, he calmly told her:
"It's going to be ok, Ellie. We'll get out of here, call the people who know what to do with these things and we can just forget we ever saw this, ok?" With a small squeeze of her hand, he once again tried to steer her down the hill. This time, however, he was interrupted by his phone vibrating in his pocket.
"Who on earth?" He chose to ignore the call at this particular junction for obvious reasons, helping Ellie(or at least attempting to) navigate some of the softer parts of the hill that could have led to a nasty tumble and back towards the swing set.
"Where's your car? We'll call from there."

___

It took about twenty minutes before officers arrived on scene, all the while Kaz staying by Ellie's side, offering a shoulder to lean on in case she needed one(just like the old days...without the body, of course). After the duo had given brief statements of their discovery to one officer with an odd mole on his upper lip, they were told to "keep Macon PD informed of anything they might remember later about their surroundings" and were assured multiple times that things would be "resolved" in regard to the body. After the officer left their company, Kaz asked Ellie quietly:
"Would you like me to escort you home? I'd be glad to." His phone vibrated again, Kaz groaning in protest before attempting to lighten the mood:
"Might be Juntao asking why I haven't checked in. Older brothers can't stop being brothers, I suppose. He can wait." He reached down to scratch Tucker's ear once more as he added:
"I know you have a very loyal companion to protect you, but I wouldn't mind actually seeing you go through your front door safely and without being harmed...not that you would be harmed, but...you know what I mean."

[Serenia]

Elodie could only stand gaping at the body beneath her as Tucker continued to bark, though the sound still sounded muted and far away. She hadn’t even heard Kaz’s voice scream out for her, barely registering as his hand pulled at hers. Instead, her eyes remained locked on the awkward, frozen angles. From here, she could almost see the gaping mouth that was kept open in a silent scream by rigor mortis and eyes that wouldn’t close without a fair bit of manipulation and strength… She didn’t hear the man’s words at her side as she was tugged away, pupils dilated with fear so large that the blue irises barely shown even in the bright light of the day. The woman forced one foot in front of the other, tumbling over herself nearly as Kaz continued to take her back to her Jeep.

Her eyes finally moved up to the Japanese man as he continued to speak, his calm voice almost enough to soothe her quickened heartbeat. It was nearly palpable through her chest and, soon, it would make her breathing uncontrolled. She took a few deep inhales, holding them for as long as possible in an attempt to calm herself. Elodie nodded and gripped Kaz’s hand more firmly. It was going to be impossible to forget the horrible sight that had been displayed in front of her, no matter how much she prayed or wished for it. Still, the woman knew that he was just trying to be nice and supportive. “It’s just around the old store,” Elodie said shakily, regaining some semblance of control and taking her hand from Kaz’s.

She dug the Jeep keys from her pocket and unlocked the car, climbing into the front seat clumsily and rummaging for her phone. She quickly dialed 911, unaware that perhaps Kaz was doing the same thing, and sat down on the leather seat. While the police arrived, Ellie leaned forward and placed her head on Kaz’s chest as if the last few years had never happened. She listened to the police, who seemed nonplussed at the presence of a dead body, and gave up what information she could. She only nodded once more as they were assured the case would soon be resolved. Tucker had finally made it back to the Jeep, his brown tail wagging as if nothing had occurred.

It wasn’t as easy for Ellie to return to normal, however, and she took up Kaz’s offer. She hadn’t wanted to initially, considering she didn’t want to answer any questions Tyler might have, but it would at least give her peace of mind to spend time around him, normalizing her grip on reality. “Yeah, sure. I’m sure Tyler would love to say hi to you.” It was a meager attempt at humor, knowing that her brother had quite the unsavory opinion regarding Kaz. She slipped the keys into the ignition before shakily climbing to her knees, opening up the back door so Tucker could jump in.

Once the dog was settled, Elodie shut him in and moved to the passenger seat, quickly moving back into the Jeep. She wasn’t in the right state to drive back, no matter how short of a drive it was. “He lives on Thoroughbred Way,” she said, leaning her head back against the seat and sighing. She ran her hands over her thighs, trying to clear her clammy palms, before she turned her head to look at Kaz. “I’m sure Juntao is worried, especially if he’s called twice,” she said, trying to divert her thoughts away from the dead man they’d seen minutes earlier.

“Tell him I say hello,” she said, offering Kaz a small smile before turning her attention to the flashing trees on the road. Soon enough they found their way to Tyler’s house where she’d been staying.

“I, uh… I don’t have a place at the moment.” Her eyes moved up to run over the light blue, two story house that was certainly too large for just Tyler. “He doesn’t mind the company, or so he says. He’s dating someone, but it isn’t serious. Got divorced a few years ago… Katie Engles, if you remember her. Pretty little thing. Anyway. This is where I’m at now. I don’t suppose I have the real authority to bring you in, but…” Elodie shrugged as she opened the door, then Tucker’s. He ran towards the front door, but not before stopping and urinating on some budding bushes. “Come in. Least I can do if fix us up a cup of coffee. God knows I need it.”

She shut the door to her Jeep and moved to unlock the house, having not seen Tyler’s patrol car in the driveway. She wondered, briefly, if he had been called out to study the remains but tried not to linger there for long. Elodie opened the white door, showing a modern and open living room that also held a kitchen. The inside was sleek and not too crowded, allowing Tucker to easily romp through the area. She put on a pot of coffee as soon as she could, inhaling the rich aroma as it brewed. Her slender fingers moved to gather two simple, white mugs. “How do you take it?”

[freedomliveson]

He was surprised when Ellie got into the passenger seat of her own vehicle, but Kaz chalked it up to not only her attempting to let him be the gentleman, but also the shock of discovering such a morbid scene. Of course, that wasn't the only behavior that had surprised him; when she had laid her head on his chest while recounting the tale, his heart nearly stopped, then went into maximum overdrive for a perpetual eternity. He fought the urge to place his arms around her waist vehemently, but a compromise was reached subconsciously when his right arm slid loosely on her shoulders, holding her lavender scented presence (was it lavender? Did it smell at all like that or was he imagining things?) close to him. Neither one commented on the sudden intimacy, which suited the executive just fine. There would be more than enough time, hopefully, to discuss matters of the heart.

He snorted a chuckle when they had been on the road for a couple of minutes and heard Ellie's greeting to his older brother, responding:
"Juntao will be happy to hear that you still remember him. He always considered you a good friend when we still...well, when we were here." While his father was less than ecstatic about Kaz's relationship with Ellie, Juntao proved to be an ally along with his mother, sticking up for Kaz whenever the elder Ujohiri would attempt to dissuade the younger brother from forming attachments. Juntao had received the worst of the "not forming relationships" mantra according to him and quickly resorted to having discreet relationships with multiple women across his academic and professional career, none of which panned out. In a sense, it appeared that Juntao was happy that his younger brother could have one steady, happy relationship unlike himself. That enthusiasm was dashed when they left, of course and history was written.

"I'm sorry to hear about the divorce, but happy to know you have a roof over your head. Mortgages keep rising in cost exponentially and with the economic climate..." As the car came to a stop, he shook his head and gave her an apologetic glance.
"How much of nerd did I just sound like? Goodness." Kaz nodded in appreciation at the invitation, walking into the shared home as he responded to her question:
"Black is fine. Judging from the scent, I doubt it'll require anything else." Realizing he hadn't checked his phone for the inevitable conversation with Juntao, he withdrew his phone and checked his missed call notifications.
"Unknown?" He mumbled, the caller ID of both missed calls registering as unknown numbers. A voicemail was left, prompting Kaz to check the message. The first few seconds were silent, but then he thought he heard slow breathing, labored, almost forced. A handful of seconds passed before a warbled voice spoke:
"I see him. I see him right now. Hope you can see him too." The message ended there, hair on the back of his neck standing up on end, chill coursing slowly down his spine. Could it be...no. No it couldn't be linked to the body. Probably some moronic prank caller. Had to be. Right?

When Ellie returned with coffee, he pocketed his phone and gratefully took the mug, asking with a feigned smile:
"So what IS it like being a vet? I know it was something you were always interested in, but for you to accomplish that dream is special."

[Serenia]

“You’ve always been a nerd,” the Georgian said with a laugh, though it was not unkind. It was something that had brought them closer and made her feel more comfortable with him while she was trying to hang out with his older brother. “I’m glad to see that some things don’t change.” The events of the day still lingered in her mind but it was easier to push them aside while she could reminisce about something else. “I guess Juntao had to keep the company while you travelled down here.” Elodie wondered if it had been Kaz’s decision to come back down here or if his older brother had simply told him to do so. She wanted to ask if he was happy – if they were both happy – but refrained barely. Tucker moved to her legs, pushing against them almost in a cat-like motion.

“Katie was sweet,” Elodie said, her fingers tapping on one mug as the coffee continued to brew. “But they weren’t happy. I think Tyler wanted kids, and she didn’t. I’m actually planning on buying soon, since the clinic is finally taking off. You think that everyone would want a vet finally in this small ass town, but…” She ran a hand through her blonde hair, laughing slightly as she turned to Kaz. “I guess my prices had to be adjusted for people to want to come. I mean, it’s a dog friendly town so it isn’t like people don’t care about the pets.” Her fingers shakily picked at the skin of her cuticles, hearing the bubbling brew still behind her. They were slowing and she turned back to the coffee pot, pouring the nearly boiling liquid into the mugs. She pulled at one of them, black and strong, before placing it on the table for Kaz.

Ellie moved to the refrigerator and pulled out creamer, a sweet vanilla that would not require any additional sugar, before taking that and her own cup to sit on a marble table beside a comfortable leather couch. Her blue eyes moved over Kaz, seeing a look of confusion that prompted her to continue to watch him. He was just as attractive as ever, especially in the suit he’d come into town in. And she hated him for it; would she have felt better to see him fat and ugly? In fact, he almost looked a little too skinny, at least compared to when she’d last seen him. All of the baby fat had left his face, and she doubted it had stayed on any other part of his body. She blushed and went to pour her creamer into the coffee and put it to the side.

She took a sip, testing the temperature, and turning her head when Kaz moved towards her. Ellie’s brows furrowed as she looked at Kaz’s features, unsure what had set him off. His smile didn’t look quite right but she would let it go for now. “It’s not that special,” she said, still looking at him and trying to figure out if it was just stress of today or from the phone conversation he’d had. “Just takes a lot of work, probably the same as being a CFO or anything else.” Elodie wanted nothing more than to reach out and grab Kaz’s hand, although she simply used her free hand to wrap around the mug. She took a sip of the coffee and groaned slightly at the temperature. “Are you okay?” she asked finally, hoping she didn’t make this reunion any more awkward than it already had been.

[freedomliveson]

He chuckled at the CFO comments, retorting with:
"I doubt your work is as droll or as boring as mine. At least you have a chance to work with animals that show some appreciation for what you do. I deal with cantankerous old men and women who always are wondering why we aren't making billions instead of hundreds of millions a month. We do something good, they ask why we couldn't have done better. It's exasperating really." A momentary silence fell between the two, Ellie groaning slightly(out of exhaust?) before she asked if he was alright mid-sip of his coffee. Swallowing the liquid(ow) as fast as he could, he rapidly excused his behavior:
"Forgive me, yes, things are fine. It's just been a long couple of days. Those old, grumpy individuals I just mentioned were questioning a major purchase we made a few days ago and I had to do some late nights to create a presentation specifically illustrating why our latest deal was in our best interest." Well, that was the partial truth anyhow. Did Ellie REALLY need to know that he received a creepy voicemail that was conveniently left on his phone right after they had seen the body? No, she didn't. But...but Tyler would need to know. He was an officer, someone who could maybe trace the call? It felt odd to have a desire to share information with Tyler behind Ellie's back, but what was the point in worrying her? She had enough to deal with. Besides, it could have just been a strange prank call. Easier to just put it out of mind and either approach Tyler with the information or go down to the police station to give information to that officer who recorded their statements. Yes, yes that's what he would do. In the meantime, he would feel much better by deflecting the subject to something else.
"I do have to say that Macon looked just as beautiful as the day I left...well, the cherry blossoms downtown looked just as beautiful. Nice to see that those plants are still being kept up in that condition." It was then that he had a sudden, probably rash idea:
"Do you think..." Was it too soon to ask this? Maybe, maybe not. The worst that could happen could be him getting shut down.
"Do you think that you'd be willing to accompany me to dinner tomorrow? Downtown? I noticed a new steakhouse that looks rather classy for that part of town. We could have dinner, walk along the cherry blossom gardens and just...I don't know, just talk?" He chuckled.
"Goodness that sounds sappy, but you know what I mean. It would be a nice evening."

____

Sitting back in the tattered recliner, he grimaced slightly at the news report. He wasn't supposed to be found yet. Not until he released the documents. Then again, maybe it was a stroke of luck that the Ujohiri boy showed up when he had. It would make things potentially even easier for the end-goal to be achieved. The grimace turned into a smile. A broad, gleaming grin.
"I can see through you. Through you all." He whispered, the grin only growing larger.

[Serenia]

A laugh escaped Ellie, doubting Kaz was interested in hearing about how she expelled the anal glands of every canine within a twenty-mile radius. She wasn’t sure that the animals she cared for ‘appreciated’ her, but their humans certainly did. It wasn’t uncommon for her to now be stopped in the street if someone recognized her, filling her into the intimate details of Lola the Chihuahua or Buddy the Budgie. It was a far cry from dealing with the millions and billions of dollars that Kaz spoke of. She couldn’t imagine that kind of responsibility, knowing he was a better person than her for dealing with it. Had it been her parents that had egged her into a family business, she wouldn’t have been nearly as nice or as willing.

… She doubted that she would have broken his heart in the process.

Elodie sipped on her coffee, simply listening to Kaz while he spoke and attempting to find some kind of way to continue the conversation. She wasn’t completely at ease with his presence but it still held a familiar calming effect on her even throughout the years. She only nodded as he explained that the phone call had been regarding business. What could she say otherwise? That she hoped it hadn’t been a girlfriend calling to check on him… or a wife? It made her sound desperate and there wasn’t any way in hell that she would fall back into a relationship with Kaz. With that in mind, her blue eyes flickered back up as the man spoke of Macon and noticed the rueful, reminiscent tone in his voice.

Macon had always been a well-kept town. It didn’t hold a candle to Savannah with its squares and boutiques, but it was a Southern jewel that still remained relatively rural. Technology had found its way to the town with a bit of resistance, though the residents seemed to have adapted eventually. The main street still held cherry trees between lanes of traffic and old, civil war storefronts that lined each side. It had expanded outwards, with poor communities and bad neighborhoods like any other city, but she still loved it. It was difficult to see the changes when she’d lived there all her life, after all. “You know how proud we are,” Ellie said quietly, taking another drink of coffee and looking into the beige colored liquid.

One eyebrow quirked as Kaz started again, seemingly nervous about whatever statement or request he’d began to say. Surprise rolled over Ellie, followed by a cold calm that washed over her. Her eyes ran over his features, seeing nothing there but sincerity. The vet’s fingers curled over the mug a bit more tightly as she fought to tamper down rage that began to build in her.

He expected just to walk back into town, and into her life, almost as if nothing had happened? Ellie stayed quiet as she surveyed him, wanting him to squirm for a moment. There wasn’t any reason she should refuse, considering she was single and probably had nothing to do on a cold, Sunday evening. Tyler would be around but it was completely possible he would be at the station with the new murder case. Elodie fought the memories of the slightly decomposed body lying in the dead, brown field…

“l’Tuscani?” she asked, taking another casual sip of her coffee. “It is classy. Provided you get a reservation, I won’t mind joining you for dinner.” She didn’t know about walking along the streets like they had as teenagers or the talking part. Elodie kept those thoughts to herself, knowing it would do nothing but likely hurt Kaz. He was being friendly and he’d said he wanted as much at the swing. She’d agreed tentatively, but in a way that she thought he wouldn’t act on and simply forget. It didn’t seem like that was going to happen and she guessed that she was partially to blame.

She shouldn’t have taken so much comfort in his presence. This was her fault, and now she had to deal with the consequences. “Just talk?” Ellie asked after a moment, keeping one brow raised. “That’s the best you can do, Kaz Ujohiri?” Perhaps flirtation would ease her troubled mind and make conversation a bit easier between them. She’d become prolific, even though Elodie hated to admit it. Years and years of short and failed relationships had helped her develop her proficiency, something she hadn’t exactly been an expert at when they were younger. “Sure. Wine and dine me. We’ll see where it gets you.”

[freedomliveson]

There was a pregnant pause between Kaz's question and Ellie's response, prompting a wellspring of anxiety to gush in his mind. He shouldn't have asked her out to dinner, he should've just tried a bit more small talk, hired a taxi to take him back to his car and drove off with hopefully her phone number and an invitation to coffee later. That's EXACTLY what he should have done and now she's probably thinking that he was trying to gloss over their past, to-

She accepted.

He tried to suppress the wide smile that crossed his face, but he couldn't help it. He was genuinely happy she had taken him up on the offer, even going so far as to feel his face flush slightly at the implication she insulated about his invitation.
"Ellie, come on, you know I'm not...not to say that you aren't attractive..." Shut up. Just shut up and be graceful for once in your life.
"What I meant to say was..." He took a breath before continuing:
"I'm flattered you would take me up on the offer and I'm looking forward to it. I really am. Thank you." His phone buzzed once more, but thankfully no ominous called id, but instead a reminder text from his personal assistant that his last earnings report wasn't completed before he left and the board was "anticipating it's arrival". Blowing out a sigh, he showed Ellie the text, proclaiming:
"You see the things I have to deal with now? It's tempting to run off to the nearest island off the coast somewhere. Set up a nice hut, pina coladas everywhere..." He tapped a finger thoughtfully on his chin.
"Although I don't know how one could get a pina colada machine to work without electricity, but hey, we are all entitled to have strange parameters in our dreams, aren't we?" Realizing that this comment was straight off the heels of her suggestive one, he quickly diverted back to his excuse to leave:
"I'll need to get back to the hotel...well, if you can call it that. I'm actually two blocks away from Tuscana. There's an office building that apparently got converted into an apartment complex? Whoever bought the place had some taste and upgraded the interior before plastering his advertisements all over VRBO. He sold Macon as a town filled with 'southern charm'. I suppose I can't really argue with the description, but maybe he could've included that a block or two further is the abandoned junkyard...or maybe that's a part of the charm?" He was babbling. He needed to leave.
"Right, so...I'll call a taxi to take me back to my car. Shall I pick you up around eight?" Knowing that he didn't have reservations, he added:
"Or whenever they have an opening. We'll see if they're willing to let two locals slip in." Placing his phone back in his pocket, he gave Ellie an appreciative smile.
"Minus the strange experience, it was so good to see you again. I'm really looking forward to dinner." He placed the mug on the table in front of him before walking next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder gently.
"Here's hoping we can both get some rest. I ah..." He cleared his throat.
"If you can't sleep tonight, cause of..you know, what we saw, call me. I won't mind." He spotted a pen and notepad on the nearest part of the kitchen counter and scrawled his phone number on one of the sticky notes before handing it to Ellie.
"See you tomorrow." Looking into her deep blue irises, her warm, kind-

No. Not now, not for a long time, maybe not ever again.

Before he left, he added sheepishly:
"Do me a favor and text me so I know what number to call for tomorrow."

___

The cab didn't take long to arrive and within the span of twenty minutes, Kaz was back in the "generously appointed" seven hundred square foot apartment. After a quick change into black lounge pants and a grey t-shirt, he checked his ever growing inbox on his laptop. Other than the normal commotion that the company provided, there were three specific message that stuck out. One was from Juntao, another from his sister Aiko and the final from an unknown sender with the subject line "Earnings Report". His first impulse was to mark the email as spam, but the fact that it said "earnings report" was far too coincidental for his tastes.
"I'm going to regret this." His mouse pointer hovered over the "open" button for a few seconds before he shook his head.
"No. No way." He marked it as spam and then quickly marked it as "delete forever". Within a moment, the email was gone. It probably WAS just spam(he had seen spam marked with things like that in the past, seeing as he was a financial officer), but the body incident had him spooked. To better things, he decided.

The email from Juntao was brief, mentioning a recap of the board meeting before wishing him well and to remind him that the annual Stakeholders dinner was in a week and that it would be "beneficial for him" if he showed up. Choosing to ignore that comment, he opened up the email from his sister, which was simply a picture of her and her boyfriend Ethan standing on top of a massive boulder. The caption read: "See? He's keeping me safe and high! Love you!" Chuckling, he closed the email along with his computer and settled against the headboard of his bed, eyes beginning to droop. It had been a long day and tomorrow would prove to be even more interesting. He did, of course, have pressing business to attend to and would do so in the morning. For now, however...

___

"Kaz?" He stirred slightly, but Ellie was having none of it.
"Kaz, baby, get up. We're going to be late."
"No...no we'll be juuuuuust fine." He drew her closer, guiding her head to his chest. With a giggle, she propped herself up on an elbow,
looking down at him with mock surprise.
"So what you're saying is you DON'T want to see me in a bathing suit?" His eyes opened wider.
"I never said that. I just said that we won't be late. The others don't have any sense of time. They think that on time is showing up twenty minutes after the agreed upon time anyhow." She slapped him on the chest.
"Come on, it's the day after prom and we don't have to go back home for another TWO DAYS."
"Mmm, true. No parents, no authority figures...just us."
"And other people, Kaz. Other people who you like. Other people you call friends."
"But what If I like hanging out with one particular friend?" She rolled her eyes.
"I was talking about Kevin."
"Of course you were. Because Kevin is the love of your life, right?"
"Didn't you know that? I thought I told you this a long time ago." She chuckled, kicking him as she added:
"Come on, Kaz. It'll be fun." He smiled slightly, sitting up before placing a hand on her bare back and kissing her gently on the lips.
"I suppose. As long as you're buying the cotton candy. That street vendor yesterday was just too kind." Another giggle.

__

It wasn't the streaming rays of moonlight that filtered into his bedroom that woke him up, but rather his troublesome cellular device, which buzzed multiple times before he was aware of it's ringing. He slowly reached to the nightstand and looked to see who could be calling in the early morning hours.