Life and Soul Reunited

by CypherCA

Hi everyone, your author again. Now I noticed in some postings that the thoughts don't always stay in italics. So from now on I am going to use < > for thoughts as well as italics. Also, this chapter gets kind of confusing, so I apologize in advance. So enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 1: Memories

"You don't care about him! All you care about is yourself and your 'little lab assistant', Rowan."

"You know I love him just as much as Rowan."

"Then why don't you ever spend time with him, even at the lab? He needs two parents to be there for him. He's not as independent as Rowan is."

"There you go with the two parent thing again. What do you..."

He stopped listening to yet another of his parent's fights. <I hate it when they fight, especially over me. Rowan doesn't show any emotion over the battles, but I know that he's suffering as much as me.> He quietly slipped out of bed and went through the bathroom that connected his and Rowan's rooms. He saw Rowan sleeping there peacefully (though he now knows that he was only pretending). The younger boy shook Rowan slightly and he looked at him. Rowan knew why he came in, but let him talk first.

"They're fighting over me again. Each fight is getting worse. What's going to happen? When will they stop fighting?" Rowan looked into the eyes, colored like his own, of his two-year younger sibling. He saw that he needed comforting answers. Rowan sighed. <I have to tell him. I can't hide the truth from him anymore.> He sat up an motioned for the boy to join him.

" I know this is going to be hard for you to hear, but you have to know. Do you know what 'divorce' means?" He shook his head no. "Divorce means that a married couple separates and splits their property between them. They also no longer live together," he said, reciting the definition from the dictionary from memory.

"So mom and dad are getting a divorce?" he asked, before Rowan could continue. Tears started to form in his eyes. Rowan pulled his little brother into a hug and let him cry it out of his system.

"It's going to be ok. You can stay in here tonight if you like." Rowan knew that always comforted him. His only response was a slight nod between the shuddering sobs. Rowan pulled him and his brother down onto the bed to try and get his sibling to fall asleep. Right before Rowan fell asleep, he whispered to his brother: "Don't worry, I'll always be here for you Rich."

Richard Jordon came back to reality as the phone rang. It was the wake up call he had requested in case he overslept. He promptly answered it. After he hung up, he once again thought about that night. <I was only four. A month later mom divorced dad, took me to America, and got remarried. At least she allowed me to correspond with Ro. I wonder what he looks like now, after all these years.> Richard grabbed his backpack and headed for school. He wanted to get the lay of the land before school started.

Yes I know it's a little confusing, but I didn't want to give Richard's name until the end of the story. Ok, I like what Madrena did with the character sketches, so here is Richard's:

Richard Jordon (Hashiba)

Eyes: Dark Blue

Hair: Midnight Blue (Blue-Black)

Height: 6 Feet

Date of Birth: June 23, 1985

Age: 14

Sign: Cancer

History: Richard Jordon was an "accident" that occurred on the anniversary honeymoon of the Hashiba's. When he was born, his mother fell in love with him instantly. When he was brought home, the bond between Rowan and Richard was obviously strong. Rowan often let Richard sleep with him to scare off the 'monsters' and other problems. When Rowan was six and Richard was four, their mother divorced Mr. Hashiba and moved to America, California, where she met a theatrical director and fell in love. Before the year was out, Ms. Hashiba and Richard Hashiba became Ms. Jordon and Richard Jordon.

As Richard was growing up, he skipped two grades and his mother began to dye his hair black so he would fit in with the new crowd. He often saw Broadway productions due to his step-father, and got into dancing and singing. He often wrote to Rowan and vice-versa, but Richard never told Ro every single detail, such as the hair dying. During eighth, ninth, and tenth grades Richard supplemented his schooling at a junior collage, and finished all academic requirements excepting electives by the end of the first semester of his sophomore year.

Unfortunately, Richard's life takes a turn for the worst right before Talpa attacked the first time (nine months before this story). On the way back from Paris on a honeymoon anniversary, his parents plane got caught in an unpredicted hail storm and everyone on board died in the crash. Although his mom and step-dad always made sure he was well taken care of, they were by no means rich, making an average of $112,000 per year (if you live in CA, you know what I'm talking about). At the reading of the will, Richard discovered that his parents left him everything, as well as millions in life insurance that he never knew about. At the time, it didn't sink in as he went into a suicidal depression that lasted seven months (one month longer than the two Dynasty wars). He loved both his parents as much as he loves Rowan and couldn't stand being alone. He dropped out of life, and the 2nd semester of school, during the depression and attempted suicide multiple times. Each time however, his friends were able to talk him out of it or race him to the hospital in time. At the end of seven months, one of his friends (whom is referred to in a later chapter) finally got fed up with his attitude and literally beat him back to reality. When he finally came to his senses, he asked his friends to help him search for the only other person he really cared about in the world, Rowan. Everyone lent their support in the effort, and he was moved to Toyama, Japan, and enrolled in Han a High before school started (and thanks to the compound interest of the trust funds).