Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ The Problems with Raising Aya ❯ Part Two Chapter Six Unforgivable Mercy ( Chapter 6 )

Part Two, Chapter Six: Unforgivable Mercy

Though it would take several days for the news to be released and another week for the names to go public several people were woken early in the morning with the information. For Rai Tuskiono it would be the phone waking him from a drunken stupor; for Bradley Crawford it would be hours before with a vision he was helpless to stop.

For Jareru Hanuka it was the moment the truck swerved across the road into his parent's car.

The recently turned sixteen year-old became an orphan three months after he was forced to move to Osaka and two months after he became of consenting age. He was an orphan for the week it took his uncle to get around to coming for him. Then he became one again several hours later, after his uncle beat him unconscious then locked him in a room he later escaped from.

Standing at the door of an undistinguishable townhouse holding an arm against aching ribs, he carefully sent out a probe unsure if this was the right house. The small probe hit a shield wall that bounced off without a ripple, enough to tell him this was indeed the right house.

Before he could raise a hand to knock on the solid wood door he heard a joyful 'Jari!' come from the other side and a little boy 'pulled' the heavy wooden door open, a tall man wearing glasses standing behind him. The toddler attached himself to the teen in greeting grinning madly at his old time friend. Jareru smiled weakly down at the child then winced when a particularly nasty bruise on his leg was unknowingly squeezed.

"I think you better come in, Jareru," Crawford said with a sigh opening the door wider for the teen to enter. Jareru pattered Aya's head and gently pushed the toddler ahead of him stiffly walking inside.

"I take it you know?" the teenager asked carefully lowering himself down on the couch then to a lying position when Crawford pushed him down.

"I half expected to receive a phone call, but then remembered you wouldn't have had one." Crawford answered lifting the boy's shirt and ran a head along his ribs. "You should have come here instead of waiting for your uncle."

"I tried, but they wouldn't let me go anywhere." Jareru defended wincing as one particular spot shifted. "I didn't expect him to actually hit me; he didn't feel that malevolent."

"Jari, your uncle is an abusive drunk whose wife left him because he beat her." Schuldich said from the hallway caring that first aid kit. "You're lucky he didn't rape you."

Jareru shifting hissing in pain for his effort. "I did get out didn't I?" he said, "And you're going to get proof of what he's done."

"You have a broken rib." Crawford berated. "We have ways of getting all the proof and legal paperwork we need for anything. You didn't have to go though this just to get proof."

Jareru sighed as shallowly as he could. "I'm sorry." He whispered allowing himself to be sat up and his shirt removed. "Dose he know?"

"No," Crawford answered concentrating on wrapping the damaged bone properly. "The names were released today, he will find out. He will think the worst since it says you were involved in the accident but does not report if you survived or not."

"Damn," Jareru hissed, "He's out of range too."

"You are in no condition to track him down even if you were in range." Crawford answered tying off the bandage and handed the teen a glass of water and two different pills.

"What are they?" Jareru asked wise enough to ask before he took them.

Crawford rolled his eyes. "One is for the pain and the other is to put you to sleep so you don't move and puncture a lung."

"I'm being punished, aren't I?" Jareru asked dutifully downing the pills. Crawford shook his head helping the teenager stand and walk to Nagi's bedroom. Aya was in the room happily chattering with his teddy bear while coloring in a coloring book. The child smiled brightly at his old friend then frowned when the returning smile turned into a wince.

"Jari alri'?" the child asked, his tiny face scrunched in concern.

"I'm ok squirt, just met a bad man. But your daddy is going to make sure I don't have to meet the bad man again." Jareru answered in a way the toddler would understand.

Aya looked scared for a moment. "Bad man nah gonna come 'ere, id 'e?"

"No baby, he's not." Crawford assured his son. "It's safe here." He helped the teen into the bed, pulled off his shoes, wrapped him in the blanket, and turned, kneeling in front of the child. "Be a good boy and let Jari sleep, alright?"

"Alri' dayi." Aya answered, picked up his stuff, and toddled out of the room. Two seconds later he ran back into the room climbed on the bed, gave Jareru a kiss, and ran back out.

Jareru smiled sleepily. "He's still the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Crawford snorted. "Just wait until he grows up." He said then muttered, "He was a pain the first time around." But the light in his eyes were loving, not malicious.

"First time around?" the teen asked between careful yawns.

"I'll tell you about it later." The American said after a moment of contemplative silence. "Get some sleep, you need it. Don't worry about your shields, you don't need them here."

The dark haired boy nodded letting his shields drop at his next breath with relief; keeping them up in his state was tiring. "Thank you, for helping me and letting me stay."

Crawford waved him off. "Think nothing of it," he said turning to leave. "Nagi would throw me through a window if I let anything happen to you. Besides, I feel better with you here instead of out there where they can find you." He looked at the teen, "Kritiker already has one family member, and I don't want them to have two."

The teen smiled, "You think of me as family?"

"Well now that you're back Nagi is never going to let you go, so I might as well." Crawford answered dismissively while smiling to himself. "Get some sleep before I let Farfarello show you his knife collection."

Jareru snorted, "I've seen it, and it's not that impressive."

"Sleep!" Crawford ordered in exasperation walking out of the room and shut the door behind him. Knowing the boy wouldn't actually get up just to have the last word he made his way back to the living room to find Schuldich standing at the front door holding Aya on his hip talking to someone.

"How did you find us?" he was asking as Crawford walked to the door to find out what was happening.

"That is not important," a vaguely familiar female voice answered, "Are you going to take him or not?"

Crawford reached the door and peered out over Schuldich's shoulder at the Kritiker agent Berman. In her arms was a toe headed child no older then five.

Schuldich looked at Crawford. 'Its Yohji,' he mouthed with wide eyes then turned back to the woman. Crawford nudged the younger man aside and held out his hands for the other child. "Were you followed?" he asked taking an oddly quiet Yohji from the agent.

"We kidnapped him two days ago." Berman said shaking her head. "Manx had him in a separate place from Ken and Omi-," she looked him in the eyes, "Some of us don't agree with what Manx is doing and what she did. Take care of both of them, they need it." She handed him a folder and a duffle bag, turned on her heel and hurried away.

Crawford quickly closed the door, locked it firmly, and looked down at the child in his arms. "Hello Yohji,"

"Hello Crawford," the child in his answered back. He looked at Aya who was sucking his thumb and staring back at him with wide violet eyes. Yohji pointed, "That's my brother." He informed the man. "Put me down!"

Crawford did as demanded; the little boy kicked him in the shin and ran off down the hall.

Two men and a toddler watched him go. "I think now I know why Aya is so mellow; the older one is precocious enough for both of them." Schuldich commented shifting from one foot to another.

Crawford sighed, "It seems fitting given their personalities." He said and took Aya from his husband. "Do me a favor and pull Nagi out of school before he runs away to Osaka."

"Sure," Schuldich said with a strange affliction to his voice and walked out of the apartment before he could be questioned about it.

Crawford shook his head, kissed Aya on the temple, and walked down the hall to find a little blond child in great need of a nap….or a spanking. He never noticed the large duffle bad hastily shoved into a corner behind a plant by the front door.

888

"Hey Nagi-kun!" a first year boy shouted running up to the older teen, "I just heard; I'm so sorry!"

Nagi stopped his slow walk to his next class to raise an eyebrow. "Heard what?" he asked wondering if he had failed an exam or something.

The boy's eyes widened. "You don't know?" he asked; Nagi glared causing the boy to back away in front, "Uh…noth-ing….never mind!" he stammered, turned, and fled.

Nagi watched the boy's retreating back confused. What was going on? Shaking his head he once again started walked toward class. He got no more then ten steps when a classmate stopped him.

"Hey Nagi, I take it since you're here you haven't heard!" Lau said then dragged Nagi to a semi private corner.

"Heard what!" Nagi demanded in exasperation.

The other teen looked sympathetic. "It happened last week," he said handing Nagi a newspaper. "They released the names yesterday."

Nagi suddenly felt a sense of dread as he took the paper from his classmate and turned it so he could read the caption it was folded to:

'HANUKA FAMILY KILLED!'

He didn't bother reading further. The paper fell from nerveless fingers and his knees started to buckle. Instantly Lau had an arm around his waist, and a hand on his elbow; half carrying half walking him into the nearest bathroom. The next thing he knew he was on his knees in front of a toilet with his hair held away from his face as he dry heaved. At some point he had lost his breakfast and bile; he could taste it in his mouth and smell it in the air.

"Here," Lau said handing Nagi a bottle of water once he had stopped being sick. Nagi took it with shaking hands and rinsed out his mouth then flushed the toilet to get rid of the smell that threatened to make him sick again. Slowly he crawled out of the stall to the wall on the other side of the bathroom and leaned against it. Soon after Lau slid down the wall next to him, "I'm sorry Nagi," he said softly, "I know how much he cared about you."

"He loved me!" the teen cried burying his face in his classmates shoulder. "He said he'd find away for us to be together!"

"Shh," Lau soothed rubbing Nagi's back in comfort, "You'll always have him in your heart Nagi, as long as you remember he'll never truly be gone." The dark haired teen nodded against the other shoulder and continued to cry.

Sometime later the bathroom door opened and the principal walked in followed by an adult with rust red hair. Nagi paid them no mind, softly weeping on Lau's shoulder and showed no signs of stopping. The red haired man stepped forward kneeling in front of them, then reached out a hand to touch Nagi's shoulder gently. Without looking the teen moved from Lau's shoulder to the man's arms and started to cry harder.

The man -who had to be a relative- wrapped his arms around Nagi protectively then cast his gaze on Lau. "Who are you?" he asked calmly though his eyes held suspicion.

"My name is Lau." The teen answered. "I was a friend of Jareru."

The red haired man nodded. "So you told Nagi what happened?" he accused. "For what reason? To get him for yourself?"

"Schu!" Nagi scolding lifting his head to look at the redhead. "You don't think I should have known? I know dad had to know!"

Schu pressed two fingers against the distraught teen's lips. "Shh," he ordered. "Your father had his reasons; namely preventing you from running into the arms of the first boy that batted his eyes at you."

"Hey!" Lau protested, "Jari was my friend! He never stopped talking about Nagi; I felt he needed to know! I wasn't going to steal my friend's boyfriend just because he died! If I was that uncaring I would have done that when he moved to the Osaka!"

Schuldich narrowed his eyes at Lau. Nagi removed the mans hand from his mouth. "He's telling the truth Schuschu, he hasn't been anything but a friend." He looked at the man pleadingly. "Can we go home now?"

Schuldich nodded helping Nagi to his feet. "You're already been signed out so we can just go to the car."

"I'd better get to class," Lau said getting to his feet. "I'll call you after school to make sure you're alright Nagi."

Nagi nodded and caught Lau's arm as he passed. "Thank you," he whispered letting his hand drop. Lau nodded with a slight smile and vanished out the door. Nagi waited a few seconded then hit Schuldich on the chest with the back of his hand. "That was mean Schuldich! Lau is straight!"

The telepath snorted, "Straight or not he likes you. He's been jealous Jareru got you before he did, he just couldn't hold it against his friend because Jari didn't know."

Nagi blinked, "Oh," he murmured leaning against the adult. "I wanna go home."

Schuldich nodded leading him out of the bathroom toward the parking lot.

888

The drive home was silent; Schuldich concentrated on driving and Nagi cried silently in his seat. Once home the teen trudged up the two flights of steps to the apartment and opened the door, and immediately knew something was different.

The first thing he noticed was a blond child tiptoeing up behind Aya and pinched the smaller child making him cry. Coming in behind him Schuldich picked up the baby redhead to comfort him and glared at the other boy whom stuck out his tongue in return. The second thing he noticed was Crawford waiting for him from the kitchen doorway. Nagi walked toward him squashing the urge to pound of his father's chest and demand to know why; it wouldn't get him anywhere but a long grounding. Instead he meekly walked forward and allowed Crawford to envelope him into his arms.

He didn't realized he was shaking until he was held still, then he couldn't stop for the life of him. Dishes in the kitchen started to rattle of there own accord and a few pieces of paper flew into the air and slowly drifted to the ground. Crawford tightening his hold on the teen rubbing his back soothingly; slowly the rattling stopped and paper still in the air drifted to the floor.

"Better?" Crawford asked when Nagi had stopped shaking and merely stood there; the boy very slowly nodded. "Good, now I want you to go to your room, and be very careful."

Nagi nodded slowly, unsure of what he meant by that, but did as told. Walking down the hall to his bedroom under the scrutiny of three adults and two children was a bit unnerving making him glad when he was safely shut away in his room. Yet seconds later he was faced with the feeling he was not alone. Holding his breath he turned around slowly, then slapped a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming. With a shuttered breath Nagi stumbled to the bed and lightly touched the occupants hair afraid it was all a hallucination.

"Jari?" Nagi whispered tears spilling from his eyes all over again. Slowly he sank down on the bed leaning down so their foreheads touched a few tears sliding down his face and onto Jareru's.

Unnoticed the sleeping boy slowly blinked open his eyes looking up at the crying brunette. He blinked himself awake and lifted his hand to wipe away a tear from Nagi's face; the boy jumped and lifted his head to look into steady dark eyes.

"You're alive!" Nagi whispered cupping Jareru's face between his hands gently, almost afraid this was all a dream and he was still in the school bathroom passed out on the tile floor.

"Yeah," Jareru said shifting so he could pull Nagi down beside him. "Would have been here sooner, but, you know how traffic is."

A harsh sob escaped Nagi's mouth and he collapsed beside the other crying in earnest once more. Not out of sorrow but out of a mixture of fear, joy, and hope.

"Shh," Jareru said rubbing his free hand over Nagi's cheek, "It's alright my love; I'm not going anywhere."

"You better not!" Nagi said his voice thick from crying.

Jareru smiled, "I'm here to stay, your dad said so."

The teen snorted, "My dad says a lot of things." He said softly. "Mostly about how annoyingly cute Aya is."

Jareru started to laugh and immediately regretted it, "Ow, don't make me laugh right now love, I might puncher a lung."

The older teen took on a look of horror and began methodically checking his boyfriend over for injuries not unlike the pre-cog had earlier. It was touching if a little annoying how someone else's family was so concerned while his own was not. Not that he could blame then now, being dead and all….

"I'm ok love, promise. Nothing a little rest and a lot of meds won't cure." Jareru said rubbing a finger against Nagi's cheek gently, "But I'm feeling better now that you're here."

Nagi rolled his eyes playfully. "Baka!" he said kissing Jareru on the nose, and then stretched out next to him. "So what happened?" he asked with genuine interest using his finger to trace the lines of the other teen's rib, subtly fusing the cracks together as he went.

Jareru sighed deeply feeling the pressure on his chest lifting with every breath. "We were in the car going home from a party one of the slightly richer families was hosting. Dad was only slightly drunk, but mom insisted on driving anyway. Ironies of ironies we were broadsided by another car who's driver happened to be drunk." He paused willing the tears for his dead parents away for just a while longer. "The doctor said they died instantly, that they probably didn't feel anything. I was asleep in the back seat, I was lying down; it's what saved my life."

"It's ok to cry Jari." Nagi said very softly his fingers never stopping there gentle movements. "When someone you love dies it's alright to cry for them."

"Did you cry, when you thought I died?" Jareru whispered staring at the ceiling as if it held all the answers of the universe.

"After I threw-up," Nagi admitted. "I thought my whole world had ended."

"And now?" the older teen asked so soft Nagi almost didn't hear.

"And now?" the younger brunette repeated. "I don't know it's still a shock having you gone then…not. I'm happy you're not dead, but that not what you're asking is it?"

"No its not." Jareru said louder. "I just…."

"You're confused about how my family cares more about you then your family did." Nagi said taking a guess at the underline problem.

"Yes," the younger boy said emotionless. "Your father and uncle kill people for a living, my father never cared about what I wanted, and my uncle….my uncle nearly beat me to death seven days after his sister and brother in law were killed. Schu say's I'm lucky he didn't rape me…. I don't get it Nagi, how can your family kill with out mercy and then turn around and care about children, and mine….can't."

Nagi couldn't give an answer, he didn't know how other people work; he didn't know how normal families acted since his was anything but. He did, however, know something he needed to tell Jareru. He sighed. "My family isn't normal, in fact until a year ago we weren't a family at all…." He sat up, not touching the other. "I have to tell you something, about this family. It all started with a little redhead that wasn't so little...."

888

"No, I would like to change my flight," Schuldich said into the receiver cradling the baby redhead against his chest while making sure the baby blond stayed in the phone booth. "Yes, one adult and two children…three and five...yes that will be fine, thank you." He dropped the phone back on the hook and took the pay-card out of the slot. Carefully he shifted Aya so he could carry the large duffle bag and hold Yohji's hand at the same time.

"You better not make me regret brining you kleiner Mann [1]." The German said glaring down at the boy.

"He's my brother, your not separating us again." Yohji said looking as is he might kick the adult.

Half an hour later before Crawford had gone out to get dinner for all of them; Farfarello had been sleeping in his room, Aya was taking a nap, and Schuldich had taken the opportunity to set his plans in motion before Crawford could get a vision and stop him. He had Aya in his arms and halfway out the door before he felt a small tug on his jacket. He hadn't even let the little boy argue about being left, he simply grabbed the child's hand and took him with him.

Changing the tickets had been easy and a little mental whisper had him through costumes easily even without proof of who Yohji was and who he belonged too. He had timed it so the plane would depart shortly after their arrival, both to insure Crawford couldn't catch him and to insure be wouldn't change his mind at the last moment.

In fact by the time Aya woke up completely bewildered and screaming for 'dayi' they were already well in the air.

888

The first thing he noticed when he entered the house, laden with his burden of take out, was the silence. Never in all the time, they had baby Aya with them had the child not come to greet him when he came home. The little boy had been known to wake up from a sound sleep and come running just as the door was opened. Now with the addition of another child in the house- abet only for five hours- he expected the redhead toddler to come running.

Crawford frowned setting the food on the kitchen counter and went to Aya's room.

The bed was empty the favorite stuffed animal always present was missing along with loved toys and favorite blanket. The duffle bag of Yohji's things that had yet to be unpacked was also gone.

Maintaining calm Crawford checked on Nagi and Jareru. Both teen's looked up as the door opened their conversation halted and replaced by confusion. Without a word, Crawford went on to the next room- Farfarello's. The Irishmen was out like a light fresh gauze over his newly changed eye, antibiotics keeping him asleep while he healed.

Calm flying out the window Crawford all but ran into the last room.

At first, nothing seemed wrong, the bed was made, cloths picked up from the floor that had been thrown about in a heated fit of lovemaking the night before. Then what was missing set in. Everything they owned except Aya and Nagi's things could fit into one duffle bag, just in case they ever had to leave in a hurry. Everything Schuldich had was missing right down to his favorite hair band. All that was left was a folded piece of paper on Schuldich's pillow. Crawford didn't need to pick it up to know what it said; Schuldich had taken Aya and Yohji and left. They wouldn't be back, nor would there be any contact for their safety.

Something had happened to make the German run. It would not have been for a family reason, though it would have been personal and involving Aya or else Schuldich would have gone by himself. He had more then likely gone back to Germany were he would go unnoticed and the danger couldn't find him.

He picked up the note….

"Dad?" Nagi said from the doorway. Crawford turned to look at the teenager stuffing the note in his pocket. "Where is everybody?"

"Out," Crawford answered herding the boy out of the room and back toward his own. "Why don't you rest for a while? You look like you need it."

Nagi blinked faintly, Crawford never asked him to rest on a school day no matter what the circumstances. "Jeri needs to take a walk to make sure I set his ribs right."

"Fine," Crawford said dismissively, "Take a walk around the neighborhood, just be back before dark."

Again Nagi blinked, that didn't sound like Crawford either, he didn't even consider the fact that if Schuldich was out and Jei was still recovering their would be no one to go with them. "Alright," he said with a feeling asking what was wrong would be a bad idea.

Brad wouldn't know the severity of his mistake until it was too late.

888

"Is he ok?" Jareru asked slowly walking beside his boyfriend down the street. "He felt a little distressed."

"I donno," Nagi said looking around nervously. "I've never seen him act that way."

"Are you ok?" the older teen asked stopping and turned to his boyfriend in concern. "You feel as distracted as he feels distressed."

"I'm just worried," Nagi said softly, "Schuldich left with Aya and Yohji, and I think since Brad is acting so strange that they aren't just at the park."

"Like you mean Schuldich ran away and took the chibi's with him?" Jareru asked lightly running his hand along Nagi's arm. "Why would he do that? I thought everything was settled with that guy."

"It wasn't as far as I know." Nagi clarified, "Farfarello said that just because Strike hasn't been heard from doesn't mean he isn't done yet. He isn't the type to just give up at a set back."

"I think getting kicked in the balls by a half conscious teenager is more then a set back," Jareru countered lightly squeezing the blue eyed brunette's hand. He looked around as the deserted street, "want to go that way?" he asked pointing toward a street that would lead them to an ice cream parlor.

"Sure," Nagi said with a soft smile.

They walked slowly to accommodate the older teens other injuries that would take longer to heal then psychically fused bones. They joked like they had not just spent months apart to dispel the heaviness of the mood, what could one really joke about during such a troubling time?

"Hey Nagi!" a voice called out from behind them. Both teens turned to find Lau running up. The teen stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Jareru a look on shock on his face; then he smiled. "Jareru! I'm so glad you're alive!" he exclaimed stopping just shy of hugging the teen.

"Hey Lau," Jeri said looking between the teen and his boyfriend in discomfort. "The notice of my demise has been greatly exaggerated."

"I can see that." Lau said focusing his winning smile on Nagi. "It's good your back."

Jareru raised an eyebrow when Nagi looked away from Lau's gaze with a slight blush. "Is there something I should know between you two?" he asked growing suspicious.

"No!" Lau and Nagi said though the telekinetic still wouldn't meet his boyfriends gaze.

"Nagi's probably embarrassed cause he freaked out this morning and I was the only one there to witness it." Lau continued with an easy smile. "It was in the paper this morning, I thought he should know."

Jareru nodded, "So you're the one that told Nagi." He said narrowing his eyes. "I see, so you thought you'd tell him and he'd come running to you?"

"It's not like that Jareru!" Lau protested. "I thought that he should hear it from a friend and not read it in the paper!"

"Schuldich told me you wanted to ask me out before I met Jari." Nagi said softly still refusing to look at either boy.

"Who's that?" Lau asked, "The gaijin that picked you up from school?"

"He's my uncle," Nagi said, "You wouldn't understand."

"Why wouldn't I understand Nagi?" Lau bit out, "I might be American, but I was born in Japan, like my parents wanted. Their obsessed with the Japanese. You wouldn't be the only one born from mix blood."

"That's not what I meant Lau," Nagi said, "I don't care where you were born or what nationality you are. The people with custody of me aren't even Japanese at all!"

"Whatever," Lau said dismissively, "you're always the victim Nagi; the helpless child that everything happens to. You're not the center of the universe you know! Sure I like you, who wouldn't, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do everything to get you. I thought Jareru was dead just like everyone else and I thought it would be better coming from a friend then from the principle. I guess I was wrong 'cause it wasn't about him dieing it was all about you! He's alive and it's still about you! God you're a selfish little brat aren't you?"

Nagi slapped the boy hard. "How dare you!" he yelled. "Do you even care that Jari is hurt? He was in an accident that could have killed him and I'm the victim? The only thing I'm a victim of is my father not telling me when he knew in advanced. Who's selfish now Lau? Me for caring about my boyfriend? Or you for thinking about how much you've been wronged?"

Lau glared, "By the way Jareru, your uncle called my house asking if I've seen you. I told him to check your boyfriend's house." He said casually.

Jareru's eyes widened. "You did what?" he said looking around as if the man would pull up and grab him. "You idiot! My uncle tried to kill me! I ran away to get away from him!"

Lau paused. "But your uncle was always nice." He protested his confusion plan on his face.

"Well now you know that you can't always believe what you see." Jari said taking Nagi's hand. "Come on Nagi, we should head back before my uncle figures out where you live."

Nagi nodded, "Go home Lau, you've done enough." He said leading the older brunette away.

Behind them Lau narrowed his eyes and pulled out his cell phone dialing a number. "They're headed your way. Are you sure he's being manipulated?"

"Trust me," Rai said watching the two teens walk down the street from his car. "You're doing the right thing." Then hung up, "No one gets away from me."

888

"I can't believe Lau feels that way," Nagi said softly looking over his shoulder nervously.

"He's always felt a little off," Jareru said tightening his hold on the blue eyed brunette's hand. "Even with the feelings surrounding you from what you've done in your life you weren't half as unfocused as he is."

"So he's unstable?" Nagi asked. "Why were you friends with him if you knew that?"

"Because I thought I could help him." The older teen answered. "He's not bad, he's just a little lost, he could become either. You have to think, his parents expect something from him that he isn't. They want him to be Japanese, but he isn't; they want him to be the next great leader and all he wants is to be left alone. It's a lot of pressure, and I was trying to get him trough high school without snapping. I don't think I succeeded."

"You can't blame yourself Jari; he's the one that has to make his own choices. Whatever he decides is his choice." Nagi said resting his head on his boyfriends shoulder.

"You're right Nagi," Jareru said wrapping an arm around the younger boy's waist.

The sound of screeching tires alerted them seconds before a white van pulled up beside them. The side door opened allowing two men out of the car. One hit Nagi sending him crashing into a wall completely dazed, the other grabbed Jareru by the arm and dragged him screaming into the van. Before Nagi could clear his head the van had sped away.

"Jareru!" the teen screamed trying to get enough balance to stand. If he could get a clear view of the car he could use his power to stop it. Falling to the ground he reached around his neck for the panic button and pressed it watching the van speed around a corner. With one last look he closed his eyes and slumped down.

Lau watched the whole thing from further down the street his mouth gaping in horror. "What have I done?"

888

Crawford jumped when an alarm on his watch went off, a moment later Farfarello appeared half dressed holding a cell phone in his hand.

"Nagi's panic button," the Irishmen said in English his accent thicker then usual.

"I know," Crawford said taking his gun out of the locked cabinet. "I let them take a walk around the block."

"Who?" Farfarello asked taking his telescope sword out of the cabinet as well.

"Jareru returned this morning; he used his empathy to find us." Crawford said, "I can't get a vision, their too young still."

"That's what the GPS is for." The mad man said tossing the phone to the American. "I had it installed after the last time. I can find Nagi any time even when he doesn't activate the thing."

"Good lets go." Crawford said headed out the door.

They easily found where Nagi was on foot as he was just around the corner. They found the teen passed out on the sidewalk another teen holding his head in his lap.

"Who the hell are you?" Crawford asked stopping a foot away from them.

The teen jumped looking at the man tears tracking down his face. "I'm sorry," the teen cried, "He said he was just looking for his nephew, I didn't know, he was so nice, I didn't know."

"Alright," Crawford said kneeling in front of the teen; he figured Jareru's uncle had gotten one of the school friends to tell him where the boy might be, and without knowing how evil the man was the teen had been easily fooled. "Just tell me where did he take him?"

"I don't know," the teen said, "He picked me up from school, he said Jareru was still alive but his boyfriend manipulated him because of his inheritance. I believe him 'cause I was mad at Nagi, it's all my fault!"

Crawford sighed, he couldn't blame the kid no matter how much he wanted to, "Farfarello, take Nagi back to the house, I'm going to see what I can find here."

The Irishmen nodded, "What about using Aya? He knows what Jari feels like."

"They're gone;" Crawford said emotionlessly, "Schuldich left and took Aya with him. They won't be back."

Farfarello opened his mouth to question but shut it with a snap and picked up Nagi headed for the apartment.

The American stared at the sidewalk for a moment then turned to the teen. "You're going to tell me everything you know about Jari's uncle."

888

Jareru screamed when he was dumped on the floor of the warehouse at his uncle's feet. The men that had grabbed him hadn't been to kind to his healing ribs and he felt one crack when they beat him into submission. His hands were tied behind his back so he couldn't run away easily, but he wasn't expecting to walk out of here let alone survive this encounter. Not when the goons were involved.

At least he got to see Nagi one last time.

"It's too bad you had to be so weak, like my sister." Rai said nudging the teen with the toe of his boot. "If you had been strong you might have been allowed to carry on the family name. But you're a bitch; you're worth nothing but to be fucked like a woman."

Jareru drew in a steady breath trying not to shift too much for fear the rib would puncture his lung. Now that his shield was gone he could feel the sliminess of the man that he had been too blind by family loyalty to notice before. He felt a wave of nausea at the emotions coarsening though the room; all of the men here were killers and rapist; but not killers like Nagi's family. Where they killed out of necessity these men killed for the joy of killing. They wanted nothing more then to use his body then kill him when they were done.

His uncle most of all.

"You will live Jareru," Rai said kneeling down to cup the side of the brunette teen's face. "You will live a very long time. You will be my toy, and theirs. You will learn to pleasure us because you are too weak to do anything else. And if you learn quickly and well when it is time to kill you it will be quick and painless."

"Fuck you," Jareru gasped, he didn't want a long life at the hands of these men even if it meant someday he might be saved; he would rather keep his dignity and die slowly today.

"Oh don't worry boy, well get to that, no need to be so eager." Rai said with a laugh which allowed the rest of the room to laugh as well.

"They'll kill you," Jareru coughed. "They'll hunt you down and kill you slow, if I live or die, you've already signed your death weren't."

"Oh really little boy?" Rai asked, "Who am I to fear of your little friends? I already got that Gaijin to think he was doing the right thing by helping me. I'll recruit him soon, I'll teach him all thing things your too weak to learn from me."

"You don't know who my boyfriend is do you uncle?" Jareru asked. "He was one of Takatori's personal body guards. The man only died after he fired them. His father is Crawford, you remember him don't you? And Farfarello the Irish mad man. They are very protective of those they claim, and I'm apart of their family."

"You're lying," Rai said, but there was a hint of fear in his voice. "What would Schwartz want with you?"

"I baby sit his two year old son," Jareru said. "I'm in love with his older son. If you know what's good for you, you'll let me go and leave the country and maybe they'll forget about you."

Rai stood turning to the two men that had brought the teen in. "Dump him some where; make sure someone finds the body."

"Why don't you just hand him over and we'll call it even." A voice said from the door way. All the man turned to find their worse nightmare, the bane of the underground- Bradley Crawford.

And standing next to him was the one all of the underground feared the most- Farfarello.

Rai knew he couldn't lose face in front of his men even if he knew going against the two would be the end of him. Better end it and take the brat with him then let the boy go just like that. Motioning to his men he watched with satisfaction as they did his bidding without hesitation.

Then he watched as his men were slaughtered by the Irishmen without winding the man.

"Now Mr. Tuskiono you have two choices, you can give me the boy and keep your life, or I will take him by force and you can die by my hand. Of course your men hurt my son, so I might just kill you anyway."

"I have connections; you won't get away with this." Rai said backing up and drew his gun pointing it at Jareru.

"I don't care about your connections," Crawford said, "They are my connections too. You don't think I wouldn't have checked up on who the boy was and who he was connected with did you? I know your sister left the family because of it, and I know her son was due to inherit his grandfathers business, which would have left you out in the cold. I made a call to his executor on the way over here, if you die, no one will shed a tear."

"I'll kill him before you can kill me," Rai said already squeezing the trigger.

Jareru screamed kicking out with his legs and rolled away from the man despite the protests of his ribs. In the time it took to roll out of the way Farfarello had already cut the man down and was lifting the teen into his arms. Jareru clenched his teeth against the pain as his hands were untied and he was handed off to Crawford. Tears streamed down his face from the unbearable pain and the fear of nearly being killed and worse.

"I'll take care of this," Farfarello said two sea green eyes resting on the teen for a moment. "Take him home, I'll return shortly."

Crawford nodded, "Esset won't like this," he commented.

"Fuck them, they want us to be a normal family, then they'll just have to deal." Farfarello hissed and turned his back on them to clean up the mess.

"I'm sorry," Jareru said holding his arms around his chest.

"What for?" Crawford asked kindly walking through the warehouse back to the car.

"For making you come for me," Jareru said closing his eyes.

"You will never make me sorry for anything you do," the man said with a conviction the teen couldn't deny. "I don't have to be a Seer to know that."

888

When they returned to the apartment Lau was silently watching Nagi sleep holding an ice pack against the delicate face. He gasped when he saw Jareru and broke down in tears again. Halfway to the bedroom Jareru reached out and grasped the teen's shirt making his focus on him.

"Tell your parents you want to be a normal American kid going to an American school." Jareru rasped softly, "Tell them if they make you be what you aren't for much longer the stress will kill you." then he released his grip his eyes falling shut.

"Is he going to be ok?" Lau asked too upset to stick to Japanese.

"He was lucky," Crawford said to the teen, "had no one cared, he would be dead."

Lau nodded whipping his face. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are." The man answered, "You believed only what you wanted to. You were manipulated; not very many people can see though those."

"I have to go home," the teen said. "I have to go…"

"Wait there, I'll drive you home, you're in no condition to walk." Crawford said and went to Nagi's room laying the teen on the bed like he had earlier that day.

"It's not Lau's fault," Jareru said softly barely conscious, "I never told him who my uncle was."

"I know," Crawford said, "Get some rest when Nagi wakes he can fuse your ribs back together."

"Crawford." The teen called as the man was shutting the door. "Schuldich, he left didn't he?"

"Yes," Crawford said.

"He did it to protect you, you know. He loves you, but your life is more important." Jareru said softly coughing a little.

"I know Jari," Brad said but relieved to hear it from someone else. "When its time to find him, we will. Get some rest."

Closing the door Crawford stuck his hand in his pocket for the note he had placed there earlier. Leaning against the wall he unfolded it and read the flowing script of English.

'My love,

I will return someday, when Aya is safer and we can be a family. Please understand that I don't want to leave but I have to. Strike isn't the only treat to our little baby kitten, but he is the worst. If I leave now then he or Manx won't find Aya until he can defend himself. I'm watching you sleep as I write this and know you will be fine until we are together again; you were always strong like that. I'll be strong too knowing we will see each other again. Don't try to find me Brad, not yet at least, you'll know when its time.

I will never stop loving you. Take care of Nagi and Jari and don't let Farfarello have too much fun.

Schuldich'

888

Bavaria, Germany

Schuldich sat on the window seat staring out the window of the little apartment absently. In him arms the baby redhead slept peacefully, on the bed the blond pretended to sleep.

The sun would rise soon but the telepath wasn't tired. He was happy to be back home after so many years way, but he couldn't enjoy it not with knowing what he had left behind in Japan.

Though Aya would be safe and Yohji wouldn't have to worry about Kritiker hurting him anymore, Schuldich knew it would take a while for the children to get used to the new place. They would learn German like any other child and in a few months no one would notice they weren't normal German children. They would of course move by then away from here where they would stay safe. They would go to school; they would be normal children, normal like he never was.

Hugging the baby close Schuldich wrapped his blanket a little tighter around them. He just hoped he didn't get caught before then.

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Next Chapter-

Two years have past and now is the time for Crawford to find Schuldich in Germany. Though Aya and Yohji have changed they are still innocent children and happy. But all that might change with the bomb Crawford is about to drop.

Part Three, Chapter Seven: A Rose by Any Other Name

[1] kleiner Mann= little man   (did I miss any translation words? Getting this chapter up was a little hurried…if I did I at least hope I got it right, I looked it up as I think it was only one word….translators don't butcher single words do they?)

A/N thanks everyone for your reviews and waiting for this next chapter, it took longer then I thought since I was working on Media Minors contest. Anyway don't expect the next chapter soo, but I promise this fic will be finished eventually.