Daiki, Part 9

by Geri (gerichan@gmail.com)

My homepage: http://www.oocities.org/geris_petshop_fics/index.html

Rating: R (actually, mostly PG-13, but R for one steamy scene in Part 1, and for Leon's bad language throughout)

Pairing: Leon/D

Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Matsuri Akino and Yumiko Kawahara. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.

Sequel to: This can be considered a continuation of my earlier series of stories (Revenge, The Day After, Spirits, Blodeuedd), but it can stand on its own as my version of what happens after Book 10.

SPOILER WARNING: Contains spoilers for Book 10 and the Shin Petshop of Horrors series currently running in Japan.

Summary: A crossover between Petshop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino and Dolls by Yumiko Kawahara. Daiki tries to help Chris; Chris observes his nephew at work. The reference to "Jumeau" in this chapter refers to a famous French doll maker.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Daiki sent a letter to his great-grandfather, along with a jar of preserves that he made himself from strawberries grown in his garden at the petshop. Because the eldest D spent a great deal of time traveling, it took several weeks for the package to reach him, and another couple of weeks before he sent a reply.

Sofu D thanked Daiki for the preserves, which were delicious with scones or fresh-baked bread at tea time, he wrote. He added that he was pleased to see that Daiki was a polite and thoughtful young man, unlike his human parent.

"Pompous ass," Leon muttered, when Daiki read that portion of the letter out loud. However, it seemed to be a token complaint, made more out of habit than anything else, because Leon didn't really sound angry. He took a sip from his cup of tea and stretched his free arm across the back of the couch, then casually let it drop across D's shoulders. The Count smiled and slid closer to Leon until their thighs were touching, crimson-and-gold silk resting side-by-side against faded blue denim. Outsiders always thought that they were an odd couple, but it was a familiar and comforting sight to Daiki, who smiled affectionately at his parents.

"Now, now, Leon, you know how Grandfather is," D chided in an indulgent tone. "He cannot bring himself to say something nice about any human, not even my mate."

"God forbid," Leon grumbled good-naturedly. "Hell might freeze over."

"But he seems to have accepted Daiki as his true great-grandchild," D continued. "That is something of a miracle. I never thought that he would acknowledge a half-human child as family."

"Which is why he always makes a point of talking about how Daiki's kami blood is dominant," Ten-chan said with a grin. "That way he can pretend that Daiki's not really human."

"I guess that the desire to delude oneself isn't uniquely human, after all," Leon said with a wry smile.

"No," D said ruefully, thinking of how he had tried for years to deny his feelings for Leon. "That is a flaw common to my people as well. However, if my grandfather truly disapproved of our little family, yourself included, Leon, he would have cut off all contact with us. He would not bother to visit or send us letters."

"So what did the babbit say?" Tet-chan demanded impatiently from beneath the couch, where he was curled up in sheep form. Daiki had told his parents that he was trying to help Chris regain his Sight, but he had not told them the reason behind it, so the Tou-Tet was trying to keep up an air of indifference--with limited success. He wanted to scream at Daiki to get on with it and finish reading the letter already. The Tou-Tet gazed at Leon's ankle, which was right at eye-level, and contemplated biting it to relieve his stress a little.

But Leon must've guessed what he was thinking, because the detective hastily jerked his legs up out of reach, stretching them across the couch over D's protests. "Don't even think about it, you little monster!" Leon said threateningly. "Unless you wanna end up with a faceful of lead!"

"Please don't shoot Tet-chan, Dad," Daiki said mildly.

"Then tell him to keep his teeth out of my flesh," Leon retorted.

"You taste awful, anyway," Tet-chan growled.

"That's a little funny, considering that you treat me like your own personal chew toy," Leon said.

"Enough," D laughed, and reached down to give the Tou-Tet a comforting pat on the head. "I know that you miss Chris. We would all like to find a way to restore his Sight, although truthfully, I am not sure that it is possible." The Count had noticed Tet-chan's anxiousness, but assumed that it was only due to missing his old friend. "And Leon, please get your feet off the couch, or at least remove your shoes so that you do not get the upholstery dirty. Please continue, Daiki. What did Grandfather say?"

"He says that in ancient times, people would sometimes deliberately blind themselves in order to gain the gift of prophecy, sacrificing their eyes for a more supernatural or spiritual type of sight--rather like the legends of the Norse god Odin, who sacrificed one of his eyes in exchange for a drink from the waters of wisdom in the Well of Mimir. However, Great-Grandfather does not recommend this method, for obvious reasons, the chief of which being that it is not one-hundred percent guaranteed to work."

"Well, of course we wouldn't let Chris blind himself!" Leon said indignantly. "And you had better not show that letter to your uncle, Daiki!"

"Of course not, Dad," Daiki said soothingly. "I would never allow any harm to come to Uncle Chris."

"I know that, Dai," Leon said apologetically, calming down a little. "Chris is a pretty sensible kid, but when it comes to the petshop...I'm afraid that he might become desperate enough to try something that crazy." Leon heaved a sigh, and Daiki nodded sympathetically. "So," Leon continued, "does the old man have anything useful to say?"

"Well, he agrees that part of the problem is that Chris is probably trying too hard," Daiki replied. "He suggests meditation to relax the mind, while burning the petshop's incense. He isn't confident that it will work, but it is the only potential solution he can think of, without resorting to drastic measures."

"Well, it can't hurt to give it a try, I suppose," Leon said, if rather skeptically.

"I can give you some incense to send to Chris," D volunteered. "In fact, perhaps we can all pay him a visit this weekend, if you can get some time off from work, Leon."

"I think so," Leon said. "We're not working on any major cases right now, so it should be okay."

Leon went to call Chris to let him know they'd be dropping by, and D hurried off to make preparations for the trip. (The Count always turned any trip, however short, into a major production.) Tet-chan crawled out from beneath the couch, sidled up to Daiki, and said gruffly, "Thanks, kid."

"Don't thank me yet," Daiki replied with a smile. "We don't know if it will work."

"Yeah, but you tried, and I appreciate it," Tet-chan said. Daiki reached down to pat his head, and the Tou-Tet growled, "You know, if anyone else did that--besides the Count, of course--I'd bite their hand off."

"But I'd give you indigestion, remember?" Daiki teased. "Come, let's go to the kitchen, and I'll help you prepare some snacks. I'm sure that Papa will want to pack a basket of goodies to take to Uncle Chris."

"It's not like they don't have bakeries in San Francisco," Tet-chan grumbled, but he ambled off in the direction of the kitchen, still in sheep form.

"But you might want to make something special for Chris yourself," Daiki suggested with a sly smile. "Something made with love?"

Tet-chan could feel his face burning, and was glad that at least in his current form, his fur was hiding his blush. "On second thought, stay out of my kitchen," he snarled, baring his teeth. "You'll just get in the way." Daiki just laughed and walked away, and Tet muttered to himself, "Someday I really am gonna bite that kid," knowing that he never would. Then he sighed and continued on to the kitchen, trying to decide what he would make for Chris.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chris was happy to see his family, and he appreciated the raspberry mille-feuille that Tet-chan had made, although he was a little puzzled as to why the Tou-Tet was staring at him so hopefully while he ate it. When he had been a child, Chris had never seen Tet-chan seek praise or approval from anyone but the Count. Smiling nostalgically, he remembered how Tet-chan used to order in a gruff voice, "Shut up and eat, kid," or "You'll eat it and like it, if you know what's good for you!" Tet-chan had been a bit of a bully at times, but there had been genuine concern and affection beneath his overbearing manner, although it had taken the young Chris some time to realize that.

"It's really delicious, buddy," Chris assured his old friend, reaching down to pat Tet-chan on the head. The Tou-Tet sighed, looking strangely sad, then scuttled away and crawled under the chair that Daiki was sitting on, hiding behind Daiki's long, flowing robes. Chris felt a little hurt by the way his friend had suddenly abandoned him, and more than a little envious of Daiki, who seemed to have taken his place in the petshop and in Tet-chan's affections. Daiki looked like a blond version of the Count in his Chinese robes, with D's grace and elegance, and Leon's long golden hair pulled back at the nape of his neck with a silk ribbon tied in a jaunty bow for a whimsical touch.

{I wonder, could that have been me, if I had stayed at the shop?} Chris thought to himself. {If I'd stayed, maybe I could have helped D and worked at the shop instead of joining the F.B.I.} Then again, it would probably have been difficult to assist customers if he couldn't speak, and he certainly lacked the unearthly grace and beauty that both the Count and Daiki possessed.

"Tet-chan is just sad that he can't speak to you directly, Uncle Chris," Daiki said gently, apparently guessing at some of what Chris was thinking. "He made the mille-feuille especially for you, because it was one of your favorite treats when you were a child."

"That's right," Chris said, startled. "I'd almost forgotten; I haven't eaten any in years." He took another bite of the mille-feuille, savoring the taste of cream and fruit sandwiched between layers of puff pastry so light and flaky that it seemed to melt in his mouth. "Mmm," he said dreamily, drifting back to his childhood in his mind for a moment. "It tastes just like the mille-feuille that the Count used to buy from the Marinade Tea Shop in Little Tokyo!"

Tet-chan peeked out from beneath the chair, looking a little more cheerful, and growled softly. "He says that he's glad that you like it," Daiki translated.

"Thank you, Tet-chan," Chris said warmly, touched that his friend remembered that detail from so many years ago, and had gone to the trouble of re-creating that favorite snack for him. It was difficult to be sure with Tet-chan in his sheep form, but he thought that his old friend smiled back at him.

"Actually, I have a gift for you, too, Uncle Chris," Daiki said hesitantly. "Or maybe I should say, some advice." He handed Chris a package of incense and explained what Sofu D had told him. Chris felt a sudden blossoming of hope inside his heart, and it must have shown on his face, because Daiki hastily added, "I don't want to give you false hope, Uncle Chris, because I can't guarantee that it will work. But Great-Grandfather thought it might help."

"It can't hurt," Chris said, trying to keep his tone of voice casual because he noticed Leon and D giving him concerned looks, obviously worried about him being disappointed if this meditation thing failed. But inwardly he was filled with excitement; this was the first helpful suggestion that anyone had been able to give him. Surely it had to work; the incense of the petshop had special powers, didn't it? He tried not to think about the fact that he'd inhaled that same incense on many visits to the shop, and had still seen the pets as animals. He had probably just been trying too hard, like Daiki said.

And then Chris felt guilty for being jealous of his nephew, when Daiki had been trying so hard to help him. He got up and hugged Daiki, saying, "No matter what happens, Dai, I'm grateful for your help. It really means a lot to me."

"I would do anything I could to help you, Uncle Chris," Daiki said earnestly, with the same sweet smile that he'd had as a child. Only now Chris was noticing that his nephew was no longer a child, but nearly a man. He would soon be graduating from high school and working at the Plant Dolls shop full time.

"You look so grown up, Dai," Chris told his nephew. "You look just like the Count--well, except for your hair, of course."

"Oh, you mean my clothes?" Daiki laughed. "The customers expect it of me. When they walk into the shop, it's like they're walking into another world. Mr. Hua says that it would ruin the illusion if we dressed in normal street clothes."

"And of course Daiki has better fashion sense than Leon," D added haughtily. "Fortunately, in that respect, he favors me."

"Yeah, well, at least he doesn't throw a hissy fit if he happens to break a nail," Leon retorted. "I guess he takes after me in that respect."

Chris and Daiki laughed together as Leon and D bickered good-naturedly. When Chris had been living at the petshop as a child, it used to make him nervous when his brother and the Count fought, but now it seemed perfectly natural. Looking back in hindsight as an adult, he realized that they had always fought more like a long-married couple than a detective and suspect. And just like old times, Tet-chan snuck out from under the chair and bit Leon on the ankle, and Leon ended up chasing the Tou-Tet all over Chris's apartment while everyone else laughed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chris tried to follow Daiki's--or rather, Sofu D's advice, and even took a few classes to learn how to meditate properly. However, "stop trying so hard" was easier said than done. He had been trying so hard, for so many years, to regain the ability to see and speak to his old friends that it was impossible to simply stop. And forcibly trying to let go of that desire only made him think about it all the more. The incense helped a little; it helped to him to relax, and once he dozed off and dreamed that he was still a child living in the petshop, and in his dreams, he saw Pon-chan and Tet-chan and the others as he remembered them, as people. But to his disappointment, when he went to L.A. to visit the shop on his next day off, the pets still looked like animals to him, and their speech sounded like unintelligible growls and chirps and squeaks. He took to visiting the shop much more often than usual, and found himself feeling crestfallen each time when his Sight stubbornly refused to manifest itself.

"Don't give up hope, Uncle Chris," Daiki said gently. "It hasn't been that long, and besides, I think you're still trying too hard."

"I know," Chris sighed. "But I can't help it. Telling me not to try so hard is like telling me not to breathe or eat. I don't know how to stop."

"Give it some time," Daiki said sympathetically. "Maybe you should try to distract yourself--read a good book, go see a movie with a friend, go to the beach and relax. Something that will take your mind off of things and let you think about something other than the petshop, if only for a couple of hours."

"Is that Sofu D's advice?" Chris asked.

"No," Daiki replied with a smile. "It's mine. I think it would do you good to relax, Uncle Chris. You seemed stressed, and not just about this--is it work? I know how demanding Dad's job can be."

"Yes, I have been pretty busy at work," Chris admitted. "But I'd rather be working hard than sitting around at home brooding." He laughed a little. "At least it helps me keep my mind off of things. Although I don't think that's what you had in mind when you said that I should find something to distract and relax me."

"Not quite," Daiki said, looking amused. "But I suppose that work can be therapeutic. Dad is still in the same detective position after all these years. He could have applied for a Lieutenant position, but he says that he'd be bored out of his mind if he had to sit behind a desk and do paperwork."

"Yeah, that sounds like my big brother," Chris laughed. "But I think I can understand how he feels now that I'm an F.B.I. agent myself. I see some terrible things on the job, and I'm sure that Leon does too, but there's a real feeling of satisfaction when I'm able to catch a criminal and put him away so that he won't be able to hurt anyone again."

"Dad is really proud of you, Uncle Chris," Daiki told him with an affectionate and slightly teasing smile. "He brags to everyone at the station about his brother the F.B.I. agent."

Chris laughed again, feeling a little embarrassed, but mostly pleased. It felt good to know that Leon was proud of him. {I'm not the little crybaby that I used to be,} he thought. He remembered how Tet-chan used to tease him about that, and he wished that he could sit down and have a real conversation with his old friend. He wondered, a little wistfully, if Tet-chan was proud of him, too. He could ask Daiki to ask Tet-chan for him, of course, but he was too embarrassed to make such a request. Besides, it was kind of personal. No, he would just have to wait until he could talk to Tet-chan himself. Chris firmly told himself that day would come eventually; he just had to be patient.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

But months passed by, still with no sign of his meditation and relaxation exercises paying off. Chris took some time off from work to see his nephew graduate from high school, and shortly after that, Daiki started working full-time at the Plant Dolls shop. Daiki's employer had confidence in him, it seemed, because from then on, Mr. Hua worked mainly in the back, concentrating on growing and cultivating the Plant Dolls, allowing Daiki to take over as the main salesman and spokesperson for the shop.

Chris flew to L.A. one weekend when he wasn't working, courtesy of the Count, who always gave Chris a number of airline tickets for Christmas and his birthdays--first class, no less--which meant that he could visit his family frequently without having to make the long drive from San Francisco to L.A. He picked up some pastries at Madame C's Bakery, then stopped by the Dolls shop to see Daiki before heading over to the petshop.

Daiki was in the middle of speaking to a customer when Chris walked in; he smiled and nodded at his uncle, then resumed his sales pitch. Due to the high price of the dolls, customers--serious customers and not just curiosity seekers--were rare at the shop, so Chris did not often get to see his nephew in action. He moved towards the back of the store, trying to remain quiet and unobtrusive, and took a seat near a large statue of a dragon. It reminded him a little of Shukou, and he smiled and gave it an affectionate pat on the side. Chris half-expected the dragon to come to life, but it remained cold and still beneath his hand, so he shrugged and turned his attention back to Daiki and the customer.

The prospective customer was a dark-haired man about the same age as Chris, and he was staring longingly at a beautiful blonde doll. He looked a little nervous, probably because he couldn't afford it; judging by his clothing, Chris guessed that he was a midlevel office worker.

"This is quite a lucky find, sir," Daiki said as he poured a cup of tea for the customer. "Once in ten years, I would say." He gestured expansively towards the doll, which was quite beautiful, although its clothing--a frothy confection of lace and ruffles--was a little too frilly for Chris's taste. "Feast your eyes on this beautiful hair, the color and shine. Something this exquisite is quite rare. This is a superb item that the artisan, a true master, has raised with the utmost care."

"Must be...really expensive," the customer stammered nervously as he lifted the teacup to his lips.

Daiki picked up a placard (cream-colored card stock on the front, bordered with gold, and printed with a fancy design of leaves on the back) with his left hand, and with his right, he picked up a calligraphy brush, dipped it in a bottle of ink, and inscribed something on the placard with a dramatic flourish.

"You are quite correct," Daiki agreed. "Ordinarily it would be..."

The customer choked when he saw the figure on the placard, his eyes bulging out as he sprayed tea all over himself, the floor, and Daiki.

"Sorry about that," the young man mumbled, flushing with embarrassment. "My fault."

Daiki calmly brushed a few droplets of tea from his sleeve and began writing on another placard. "However, since you are a special customer..." He held up the placard, which read, "63 percent off!".

"Huh?" the startled customer asked. "But why?"

"With dolls of this high quality, they themselves will 'choose,'" Daiki replied. "And this one seems to desire you."

Chris gasped along with the customer as the blonde doll's eyes slowly opened. They were a perfect crystalline blue, like two sparkling gems, and she smiled at the young office worker gently, her face filled with an expression of pure and innocent love. The customer stared at her, enraptured, and Chris could almost feel himself being sucked in by that blue gaze even though it wasn't being directed at him.

And then the doll winked at the customer, with a delightfully childlike mischievous charm, and Chris knew that the customer was hooked, although he still protested halfheartedly.

"If you purchase now," Daiki coaxed, "I will throw in a free replica of a Jumeau doll's dress." He quickly sketched a picture of a beautiful lacy dress on yet another placard.

"You're very good at drawing," the customer said, looking a little bemused, then muttered under his breath, "Just what are you?"

"Thank you very much, sir," Daiki replied with a sweet and modest smile, ignoring the muttered comment. "If you would like, I can also sign it for you."

A little more haggling went on, but the customer was no match for Chris's smooth-talking nephew. Before long, the young man had purchased not just the doll, but a number of dresses and accessories--all absolutely necessary for a doll of such high caliber, Daiki assured him, and arranged an installment plan when the customer said that he was not able to pay the price in full. Daiki cautioned the customer not to feed the doll anything but sugar cookies and milk, then called for a car to take the man home, and the customer left with his purchases. "Carry her as you would a bride," Daiki suggested, and the customer blushed deeply but followed his advice, carefully and tenderly cradling the Plant Doll in his arms as if she were something very fragile and precious.

"Thank you for waiting, Uncle Chris," Daiki said in his normal voice, the polished professional charm falling away as he greeted his uncle with a cheerful smile. "Dad told me that you were flying in this weekend, but I didn't expect you to stop by the shop."

"I wanted to see my nephew at work," Chris replied with a grin. "You know, you scare me a little, Dai. I've hunted down a few con men--real pros--in my work with the F.B.I., and you are way slicker than any of them!"

"Well then, it's fortunate that I've decided not to lead a life of crime," Daiki laughed.

"I don't know," Chris said with a wry smile. "Some people might call what you just did 'highway robbery'."

"All I did was give the gentleman what he desired," Daiki protested innocently. "I even gave him a discount!"

"And he still had to take out a loan to pay for that doll and her fancy dresses," Chris reminded him.

"Ah, but what price can you put on love?" Daiki sighed dramatically.

"I can't argue with that, I suppose," Chris laughed, throwing up his hands in defeat. "Just please, don't ever try to sell a doll to me! The F.B.I. pays better than the L.A.P.D., but it doesn't pay that well."

"But I would give you a family discount, Uncle Chris," Daiki said sweetly, and Chris laughed again.

"You did give that guy a pretty big discount, even if it did still cost an arm and a leg," Chris conceded. "Is that all right with your boss?"

"Mr. Hua has left such things entirely to my discretion," Daiki assured him.

"He must really trust you, then," Chris said.

Daiki smiled proudly. "Yes, and I will work hard to prove myself worthy of that trust."

"Oh, and by the way, I brought you these," Daiki said, handing him a cardboard box embossed with the "Madame C's" logo.

"Ah, cream puffs," Daiki said with pleasure, although without the exuberant joy that D always displayed at the sight of such things. He liked candy and pastries, but he didn't have a sweet-tooth as strong as the Count's.

"They will go well with our tea," Daiki said, arranging the pastries on plates and pouring tea for himself and Chris. "I'll take some to Mr. Hua later; he doesn't like to be disturbed while he's working. Should we save some for Papa? He'll be quite cross if he finds out that we had sweets and didn't share any with him."

"Don't worry," Chris chuckled. "I also bought a fruit tart especially for him."

"Papa will be very happy," Daiki said with a smile. "But just to be on the safe side, I'll set aside a cream puff for him, too. Dad swears that Papa can smell sugar on one's breath. He ate some cake at work once, when it was one of the detective's birthdays, and Papa threw a fit when he came home--you would have thought that Dad was cheating on him! 'Couldn't you at least bring home a piece for me, you thoughtless oaf?' he said. It was worse than if he had smelt perfume on Dad's clothes, or found lipstick on his collar!"

"Poor Leon," Chris laughed. "He told me that story, too. That's why I never show up at the petshop empty-handed!"

There were no more customers for the rest of the day, so Chris and Daiki were able to chat leisurely over tea and pastries.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle Chris," Daiki apologized, when Chris said that he didn't think that the meditation was helping.

"It's not your fault," Chris told his nephew. "I appreciate everything you've done to help me. Maybe I just need to give it more time." He didn't really believe that, but he didn't want Daiki to feel guilty, so he tried to smile at his nephew reassuringly. "Have you heard from Q-chan lately?" he asked, changing the subject.

"He prefers to be called 'Sofu D' now," Daiki replied with a grin. "He gets very annoyed when Dad calls him 'Q-chan'. It's too bad that he doesn't take that form anymore--I would like to see it in the flesh at least once. Papa has a few photos of 'Q-chan' back when you were living at the shop, and he looks adorable. I wouldn't dare tell him that to his face, though." Chris laughed, and Daiki continued, "Great-Grandfather and the young D were traveling through Europe, last I heard; they sent Papa some French chocolates. I think that he plans to settle down soon and set up a shop for my uncle to run when he feels that his son's training is complete. But he won't tell us where he intends to set up shop, probably because of Dad."

"Yeah, Leon would probably feel obligated to shut it down, or at least try to," Chris agreed.

Daiki sighed unhappily. "It makes me a little sad, to think of a petshop being used to hurt people. But Great-Grandfather says that it's the customers' own fault if harm befalls them. He says that if they are pure of heart and remain faithful to the contract, they will be rewarded with love and happiness, and if they break the contract, then they deserve to be punished."

"No human, not even the best of us, is completely pure of heart," Chris said.

"I know," Daiki said with a sad smile. "And Great-Grandfather knows that, too. I suppose that I can't blame him for hating humans, but revenge seems pointless to me, because it can't change the past. Spilling more blood won't bring the dead back to life. I think it would be better to sell pets that would help their owners to become better people, to teach them kindness and compassion. That is what Papa has been doing since he and Dad had me and moved back to L.A. together--trying to pair up people with pets who will help them rather than tempt them. I think that Papa is much happier that way; I don't think that he was ever as cruel and ruthless as a proper Count D should be, even in the old days. Dad and Pon-chan and Ten-chan have told me stories about the pets that he sold, and not all of them brought doom and destruction down upon their owners." And he told Chris about Dreizhen, the dog who saved his mistress's life; and Lady, the kitten who gave her owner a second chance even after he broke the contract; and a stray dog named Daisy who taught her selfish owner about mercy and unconditional love; and many others.

Chris smiled nostalgically. "The Count was always kind to me, even though Leon used to swear that he was a dangerous criminal."

"Dad could not really have believed that, or he would never have let you live in the petshop with Papa," Daiki pointed out, looking amused.

"Huh," Chris said with a startled laugh. "I guess you're right; I never thought of it that way before. The Count and Leon constantly arguing was just part of the normal daily routine. I guess I just took it for granted."

"Not that Papa can't be dangerous if someone threatens him or the pets," Daiki added. "But he would never have hurt you or Dad."

They continued chatting over tea, changing the subject to Chris's work with the F.B.I. and the customers who came to the Plant Dolls shop, until Daiki glanced up at the clock and said, "Well, it's time to close up. I need to give the dolls one last feeding and say goodbye to Mr. Hua, and then we can go home together if you don't mind waiting."

"No problem," Chris said. "Take your time; I'll just look around the shop while I wait." He strolled around the shop, sipping his tea as he pretended to admire the dolls and the beautiful vases, statues, scrolls, and screens that the shop was decorated with. But actually, his thoughts were still dwelling on their earlier conversation and the tidbit of information that Daiki had so casually dropped, about Sofu D and his son opening a new petshop. A vague hope, and the beginnings of a plan of action began to form in Chris's mind. The petshop provided love, hope, and dreams to its customers, didn't it? Maybe the Count couldn't help him because he was too close to the situation to be objective. Maybe Sofu D could help him with some special pet or type of kami magic. Chris felt a brief flicker of uneasiness when he recalled that revenge upon humanity was the main reason for the existence of the petshop, at least for Sofu D. But he quickly dismissed his fears, telling himself that his old friend Q-chan would never hurt him, and besides, he would never be stupid enough to break a contract if he signed one. Maybe he could not regain his ability to see the pets in the Count's shop because he no longer belonged there; Leon had won the Count's heart, and therefore a place in the shop. Maybe in the new petshop, Chris could find a place where he belonged. It suddenly occurred to him that the young D must be an adult by now, since he was two years older than Daiki. Maybe he and the new Count could become friends... His heart skipped a beat at the thought of meeting a beautiful young Count whose heart did not belong to Leon, and he realized that he was hoping that they could become more than just friends. Which was crazy--he had never been attracted to a guy before, and he hadn't even met the young D, but he couldn't get the idea out of his head.

"Ready to go, Uncle Chris?" Daiki asked, and Chris jumped a little, blushing guiltily.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, trying to regain his composure.

"Are you feeling all right?" Daiki asked doubtfully. "You look a little flushed; you're not coming down with a cold or something, are you?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Chris said heartily. "It must be the humidity in the shop."

"We do have to keep the temperature in here warm, for the dolls' sake..." Daiki said hesitantly.

"That must be it," Chris said, grabbing the Madame C's pastry box. "Come on, let's go. I'm eager to see everyone at the petshop, and I'm sure that the Count is eager to get his pastries."

"That's true," Daiki laughed, seeming reassured, and they left the shop together. As they walked home, Chris firmly told himself not to start fantasizing about a romance with a man he'd never met. The first order of business was to find the new petshop, which did not even exist yet. But Daiki had said that Sofu D intended to settle down "soon," which was encouraging. Of course, Chris had no idea where the new shop would be; hopefully they would open a shop somewhere in the U.S., but it was possible that they would decide to stay in Europe, or perhaps move to Asia. Chris resolved to discreetly try to obtain information from Daiki, and also to watch for reports about mysterious deaths caused by animals. Fortunately, his job with the F.B.I. allowed him access to information about homicides across the country, although some petshop-related deaths might be classified as accidents. It would probably be wise to search the internet for animal-related news stories, too...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Leon and D had been worried that Chris would be depressed about not regaining his Sight, and were relieved to see him in such good spirits when he arrived at the petshop. But if they had known what he was thinking, they would have been more worried than ever...
 

Part 10

Return to Petshop of Horrors Index