Disclaimer: I don't not OWN nor did I create these wonderful little characters that I *heart* so much! *praises the creators*

~*~

Sage abruptly stopped weeping when Kia's bloody murder scream suddenly ended. He strained his ears to hear what was going on downstairs, but not hearing anything else; he stood to his feet and sprinted downstairs.

He rushed into the kitchen, immediately halting. Blinking a couple of times, he let his jaws hit the floor.

Rowen had shot one of the kitchen cabinets behind him. The cabinet was shattered; pieces of wood and glass everywhere.

Kia stood nearby, her eyes as wide as dinner plates and her hands over her mouth as she breathed heavily. Her face was an eerie pale white.

Sage turned to look at Rowen, who stared right back. He trembled as he spoke, "R-Rowen?"

Rowen moved his eyes down to the floor and blinked once, slowly, "I... I" he paused as tears welled up in his eyes, "I can't do it," he rasped, barely making out the last word before his eyes latched shut, miserably failing to keep him from crying.

Sage didn't care anymore. He ran to his best friend and hugged him so tightly that Rowen gasped for air. He cried into Rowen's shoulder, exploding with apologies. As Rowen and Sage finally broke apart, Rowen let his eyes slowly drift to Kia.

Kia didn't say anything as she stared back, biting her bottom lip to keep her from crying.

Sage hesitated to speak, but someone had to break the deafening silence, "Rowen, I-"

"Is all of that true?" Kia spoke up suddenly. "You wanted me out of the way for awhile?" She grabbed her forehead and looked to the side, soft tears running down her cheeks. She squinted her eyes, trying to understand, "I... I don't even know what to say."

Rowen didn't reply. He took the gun that he held in his hands and threw it across the room. When it landed, Rowen hit the ceiling," Yes, Kia! All of it was true! I cannot take anymore of this shit that you and Sage have been giving me!"

"Ro, I'm sorry-"

"Sorry never helps anything, Sage!" Rowen cried, "Do you two want me to leave?! 'Cause I gladly will!"

"No!-"

"Then what am I supposed to do? Tell me, Kia! Tell me, Sage!"

Sage and Kia both fell silent.

Rowen crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "The only real reason why I didn't go through with it was because of Ayame." he whispered.

She couldn't hold it in any longer. Kia burst into a storm of tears and sobs. She could scarcely make out a heart-felt apology before she collapsed on her knees. For the moment, she had completely forgotten about her injury, but when she fell to the floor, it was brought back into reality. Soon she began to feel light-headed, then, slowly, each blink grew longer and longer until she fell into the blackness once again.

***

Rowen turned his head to look at Kia when she groaned in her sleep, but she didn't wake. Rowen looked back out the window, watching the sunrise.

"Rowen?"

He turned immediately, very surprised that Kia was awake.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

His eyes found the window again. "Waiting for you to wake up. Are you feeling any better?" he inquired softly.

Kia forced herself to say yes.

Rowen sighed deeply, "Kia, I want to ask you something."

She frowned, "Okay, go ahead."

"I want to ask you something, but I'm deathly afraid of the answer."

"Rowen, just ask me already! I promise-"

"Don't you dare promise me anything."

Kia blinked a couple of times in confusion. "Alright."

Rowen swallowed hard, "I want..." he stopped, sighed, and turned to make eye contact with Kia, "I want to leave you."

Kia didn't say anything. She pursed her lips and looked at her feet, seeming like she understood.

"But I'm not going to." Rowen waited for Kia to give some kind of an answer, but she didn't. He continued, hesitantly, "What I really want to know, Kia, is will I ever see you and Sage like that again?"

Kia closed her eyes, and didn't reply.

"Will I?"

She slowly moved to meet her eyes with Rowen's, a tear glistening in the sunlight, "I don't know, Rowen."

He sighed heavily and brought his hand over his face.

"I don't want to lie to you, Rowen! What answer were you expecting?"

"A plain straight out no." Rowen closed his eyes, "Look. Sage isn't here for the moment and Ayame is still sleeping. Why can't you just talk to me like you trust me?"

Kia almost laughed, "I do, Ro, I do!"

"Then what's your problem? Do you not understand that we are still married?"

"Yes, Rowen I do! And I still love you!"

Rowen rolled his eyes and chuckled softly, "Not after what I saw. Kia, you need to learn that two wrongs don't make a right. Just because you're pregnant with Sage's kid, doesn't mean you get to play around with him." Rowen paused, but Kia didn't reply.

"Did you hear me, Kia?"

She quietly nodded and wiped a finger in the corner of her eyes.

"So do we understand each other?"

"Yes."

Rowen swallowed the lump in his throat and sighed, somewhat relived to have had that conversation with his wife.

"I still can't believe you tried to kill yourself, Ro. Am I really that horrible?"

Rowen hesitated, "Kia," he said her name like it he was about to scold his own daughter. "You need to think about what you're going to do." He didn't say anything more and headed for the doorway.

"But, Rowen-" Kia watched with torment as he left her in the bedroom, alone. "But that's the thing," she mumbled to herself, "I don't know what to do."

Rowen closed the door behind him and collapsed to the floor. What am I doing? This can't be happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? I thought that Kia would always be there for me... but now it seems like she trying to get away. What does she want me to do? Rowen sighed heavily, dropping his head into his folded arms and lap. Is this really going to be the end? I have to choose between my best friend and the love of my life? There has to be something that I'm missing here! Rowen stood up and headed for Ayame's bedroom. He walked in as silently as he could and sat down on the floor next to his daughter's bed. Slowly, he took a hold of Ayame's hand in his, stroking it with nothing but adoration.

"Rowen?"

Rowen turned and met Sage's eyes in a challenge. "What are you doing here?" he rasped.

Sage immediately looked to hands, "I came... I wanted to apologize and talk to you, Rowen."

Rowen closed his eyes and turned his head away, "Christ, don't even bother apologizing. It's not going to do anything."

Sage nervously bit his bottom lip. "Rowen, this is why I need to talk to you." He took a step towards his blue-haired friend who was sitting on the ground and slightly stopped. Sage waited to see if Rowen had any objection, but nothing came, so Sage continued to walk forward until he sat down next to him. He started by pressing his palms over his face and sighing whole-heartily. "Rowen, you don't understand how sorry I am. If I could go back to any point in time in my life, I would go back to when we were 10. I loved being your friend."

At that, Rowen almost twitched his head to look at Sage. Violet eyes burned into his with an almost indecipherable expression of emotion. But as soon as Sage blinked, that emotion disappeared and they were soft and clear like normal. What in the hell was that look? Fear? Concern? Rowen blinked a few times, exiting from his own thoughts. "But you can't change anything." he replied, rather quickly.

Sage inhaled softly, "I know, but it's just... just-"

"Just what?" Rowen stared back with his thoughtful, dark sapphire eyes.

"I love her, Rowen."

Rowen swallowed. He shifted uncomfortably, folding his long legs up underneath him, and slowly drew a hand through his soft silky blue hair. A tingle of something close to jealously ran down his spine like a sweat bead on damp skin.

"It just hurts so much, Ro. I just don't know what to do."

Rowen sniffed and looked to the floor, suddenly feeling awkward looking Sage in the face. "Kia doesn't know what she's doing. Hell, I don't even know what I'm doing. So, Sage-"

"What you're saying is that we're at a stalemate."

"Exactly." Rowen darted his eyes to Sage's once more, but found nothing more to say. Both their eyes started to wander around the room uncomfortably, then, almost instinctively, they locked eyes again.

Rowen reached one of his hands behind his head and scratched his neck, "Sage, I-"

"But, Rowen-"

They both started to speak at the same time, each one losing more and more self-confidence as time grew on.

Sage sighed and started again, "You've been my best friend - and I love you as a brother. And what I'm trying to say here, Rowen, is that if this is the time to choose between you or Kia..." he paused and tensed his body up, waiting for any type of a blow, "I'd rather lose Kia than you, Rowen."

Rowen thought that his whole body stopped for that one second. He couldn't believe his own ears. "Wha-what?"

"As much as I hate this," Sage paused and quieted. "I still want to be your friend. Even if it means giving up the mother of my child." He whimpered, his voice losing itself in his throat.

Rowen lost it. He threw himself into Sage's chest and hugged him, trying with all his might not to cry.

Stunned, Sage could do nothing but relax himself and wrap his own arms around Rowen. He slowly closed his eyes and breathed deeply, but his mind wouldn't leave Kia alone.

Rowen finally pulled away and stared ominously into Sage's eyes. "Sage, I can't-"

"I'm telling it like it is, Ro." Sage stated, then awarded Rowen with one of those heart-melting half smiles.

Rowen sighed and brought out his own mischievous smile. "Alright, Sage." He paused, "alright."