ArchivedLogs:Million Dollar Question

Million Dollar Question
Dramatis Personae Anette and Akihiro
In Absentia	2017-01-11 "Is it better for them not to know their real family or watch them die?"
Location <BOM> The Doghouse - Ascension Island
Welcome to Cabin Daken, a sprawling log estate with two floors. On the first is your kitchen and sitting area. The kitchen has a breakfast bar, restaurant quality sink, and a gas range. The sitting area has a fireplace and comfortable sectional. Lining the back wall is a simple oak bar. Moving the tour upstairs you'll find the sleeping area. A full sized bed sits tucked against the back wall and faces a simple chest of drawers with a curved television mounted above it. It's an early morning on the island, but plenty of people were already stirring. Akihiro had gotten up maybe forty minutes prior, long enough to grab a shower then head into the kitchen. The smell of cooking eggs and sausage is what finally woke Missy up, the dog's eyes opening suddenly from where she was lying on her back on the couch. With a grumble and a mighty heave she rolled off the couch, slamming into the floor with a solid thud. "Moo? You alright in there?" Akihiro calls out, peeking around the corner to look into the sitting area. Anette's been up for some time, too. She's already dressed and sitting on the couch watching Missy. She has a cup of coffee in her hands as she watches Missy sleep beside her. She's been quiet, only casually greeting Akihiro as he wakes. It's not until she smells the eggs cooking that her nose suddenly twitches and she glances towards the kitchen. "Oh god, what are you making? That smells /horrible/," she yells, rubbing her stomach. Her nose must be reinterpreting the smell of cooked eggs. "Er.. sausage, egg, and cheese muffins?" Akihiro replies, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. "Well, got other stuff in the fridge. What're you feeling for breakfast?" It doesn't take him long to finish making the one sandwich, and he switches the range off for the moment. "I think I can keep toast down," Anette says, watching Missy a moment before she makes her way towards the kitchen. "This whole pregnancy thin is fucking everything up," she says quietly, standing beside Akihiro as she watches him finish his sandwich. She's not feeling very affectionate right now though as she doesn't touch him and remains a few feet away. Akihiro nods slightly, "Alright, we can do toast." He finishes putting the sandwich together, then drops it into the dog bowl. "Moo-Moo, foods." And just like that the overweight spotted dog comes skidding around a corner, speeding over to devour the offered food. "You feeling alright?" The man asks now, getting the bread and butter together. "Seem a little distant this morning." Anette can't help but grin when Missy makes a beeline for her food bowl. She takes a moment, even when Akihiro asks her how she's feeling, enjoying the quiet momen before she answers. "I don't think I can do this. Raise a child here." As she speaks, her eyes grow wet though she's determined to keep tears from escaping, or even acknowledge they exist. "I was talking to Dusk. About Egg. It was...heartbreaking." "You don't have to. I'm not here to force you into a corner because I wan't something. That's not love." Akihiro pops four pieces of bread down then moves to get the plates. "You can have it taken care of, or we could find people able to raise them. What kind of future could you really hope for with an old killer raising you anyway?" He's quiet and doesn't turn to look at Anette as he speaks. "I just -- I don't know. I had this crazy idea we could make it work. Ion made it sound like...a good idea. I should've known, he's great at making terrible ideas sound good." Anette gives a dark chuckle, shaking her head as she still struggles to keep her emotions under control. "Dusk, god, he just, he just talked about how this island is no place for a child. How he hates that Egg is here. And how Egg...has already lost one father already. How can we do that to our child?" "I planned on taking a more supportive role, if I did anything else at all." Akihiro lifts his shoulders in a slight shrug. "I just figured we could do it, even if we moved off the island. But my plans don't usually go well." "I'm just, god, why does every decision feel wrong?" Anette says, tears finally breaking free though she quickly reaches up to wipe them away. "Besides, I'm more worried about our child being raised by a drug addict nut job than an ex-killer. And I...I don't want to move off the island. I can't move. I have nothing to my name. The island is the only reason I'm not living on the streets. And the Brotherhood is the only family I've ever cared about." "I've tried to care about them.. But I don't." Akihiro clenches his fists, "I feel like my mother saying that. It's the truth though, the few people I'd grown to like have all gone." Then the toast pops up, and he is actually startled enough to jump. "I've thought about leaving, but I stayed because of you. Otherwise I'd leave and deal with whoever they sent to kill me." He takes the toast and starts to butter the pieces, sighing quietly. "C'est la vie. It's better than living as a weapon, that's for damn sure." "I didn't think you liked anyone." Anette wipes away the last of her tears as they stop falling from her eyes. She gives the faintest of grins, shaking her head. "That's all I've ever been good at, being a weapon. Only thing I've known." "Yeah." Akihiro passes Anette her plate before he returns to staring out the window. Picking up on his mood Missy scuttles back to the sitting area, hopping up onto the sectional and curling up. "Maybe then I can get a job at Xavier's. Hook the kids up to batteries and cut them up until they're resistant to 'advanced interrogation'. Teach them the best way to kill a group. Kill off the kids who aren't showing enough promise." Clearly he's found himself in Canada once again. Anette sets the plate down once it's handed to her, walking to up to Akihiro to stand beside him, wrapping her arm around. "I might have done better in school if those were the classes covered," she says softly, gently laying her head against his shoulder. "And I might have been normal if those weren't." Akihiro tenses slightly when Anette wraps her arm around him. "It's not something I'd want for our child. But you want to stay and fight, and we couldn't exactly leave. Maybe I'm not meant to be a father." "And I'm meant to be a mother? It doesn't matter who was meant for what. It is what it is. We're having a child." Anette stays close to him for a moment longer before slowly walking away, back to her plate of toast. "Though if you don't want to be here...the last thing I want is a shotgun wedding. I know this whole mess is, well, a mess. So if you don't want to be a part of it...I'm not keeping you." "You're not. If I wanted to leave more than I wanted to stay with you, I would have." Akihiro turns now, coming up behind Anette to place a kiss atop her head. "We'll figure it all out. This is a first for both of us, so we can't be expected to handle it perfectly this time." Anette turns around, smiling softly to the kiss on her head. "But this doesn't help at all. Do we end it and pretend it never happened? Do we give the child another home and hope for the best or do we raise it here and break its heart when everyone it ever loves leaves?" "Maybe we get ourselves an apartment. Keep the brotherhood and our child separate. They don't have to know until they get older." Akihiro lifts his shoulders in a slight shrug. "Not like we have to worry too much about me going and getting shot to death on a mission." "And how do you plan on affording that apartment? And you think they won't wonder why mommy and daddy keep dissappearing at random times?" Anette gives a slight shake of her head. "It's difficult but not impossible. And I'd be worried about me." "Could just help with growing food and keeping things running. We don't have to fight." Akihiro turns and heads back to look out that window. "I don't like the idea of my kid being raised by foster parents. Doubt we'd find anybody that understood them." "That was my next worry. What protection can we give them if they're born with wings like Hiro was?" Anette stands as she watches Akihiro walk to the window. "I want to have this baby. I want to raise it here on the island. I just feel horrible and selfish for feeling that way." "The same thing we do if they're born human, raise them with love. Hate doesn't defeat hate, it never has. Just makes things worse for everyone." Akihiro turns to lean against the counter now, folding his arms over his chest. "As long as they're happy, it won't matter what else we do." "Well that explains how my life turned to shit..." Anette says in response to Akihiro's advice. "That's the million dollar question though. Is it better for them not to know their real family or watch them die?" "We don't have to die. Can figure that bit out along the way." Akihiro moves back over to wrap an arm around Anette. "I just haven't managed to figure it all out yet. But we'll be able to, I'm sure of it." "Do you really see me growing old?" Anette asks, though she steps closer to Akihiro, leaning against him. "But you're right. We can figure this out." Anette looks up to him, leaning in for a soft kiss before gently whispering. "I love you." "I love you too." Akihiro returns the kiss, resting his forehead against Anette's. "Now how about we eat this toast before it gets too cold?" He flashes a warm smile before taking his plate over to the bar as well.