Author's notes:

This novel length fiction is inspired by the movie Boy A and Jason Mraz's – Details in the Fabric (which also prompted me to write 'Be Good to Yourself'). It bears no similarity to the movie and to be more accurate, it was the emotions that I felt after watching the movie that got me into writing this. As usual, Fay and Kurogane are my muses since they fit perfectly into any characters you throw them into. Of course, they are beautiful and drool worthy as always.

I apologize for any grammar mistakes that might take away your reading pleasure. I do not have a beta and do not intend to get one since I am not very adept at following up with something I had already posted. However, do leave me a note should you spot any mistake and I will correct them accordingly.

Anyway, enjoy and leave me a review or some constructive criticism if you are bothered enough.

Warning:

Rightfully, you should not be reading this if you're under 18. But I guess there's little control over the traffic at this website. There are mentions of sexual abuse (throughout the story) and man-sex in future chapters.

Spoilers:

This is an AU fic so there are no spoilers.

Disclaimer:

I have no wish to own the title or copyrights for Tsubasa, although I wouldn't mind the boys…(drools onto my keyboard again as my imagination starts churning out images of Kuro and Fay getting it on by the beach.)

Summery:

Salvation appears in the guise of love. Would you believe in it if your life has always been in pieces?

Head in my hands cowering

Darkness creeping beside my footsteps

Stifled screams muted sobs

Skeletons in the closet

They freak me out

Dreams spoken aloud

Not through my lips, not with my voice

Nail raked sheets running threads

Blood sleeked skin slides

Strains against binding clothes

Pale eyes staring

A dimension hidden between

Shadows migrate underneath the underneath

Beneath them all…my shattered self resides.

- Cattyfuzzy

The Continuality of Existence

Chapter 1

The air was dry and charged with static, tell-tale signs of a pending storm. The cat hating the wetness and humidity that comes with it wrinkled her tiny nose in distaste. She had strayed too far from the farm, enticed by the thrill of a hunt. Time passed unnoticed until she caught a whiff of the unfamiliar smell of petroleum burning. In the far off distance as she retraced her steps, she saw thick grey swirls of smoke rising from the area of her farmstead. She blinked curious as to what would have caused such a phenomenon to appear. Her first thoughts were of the boy…had something happened while she was gone?

She was worried for the blond hair boy. He was wasted…that…she found out soon enough after she was brought home shortly. He always refused food and spends most of his time sitting by the heath for hours on end. She could tell he was trying to call for help but he didn't know how to. His mother labeled him a liar and he was graced with more slaps than words of love. The old man was always dragging him into the bedroom in the mornings after she leaves the house for work. She would see the boy a few hours later, limping around the house with bruises on his thighs that never seemed to disappear. She left this morning when she saw the old man dragging him in again. She could tell the boy had an air of resignation about him but it was clearly not a sign of defeat.

But humans are complex creatures and never predictable. Their course of action was not always in tune with common sense or logic. She thinks everything should be fine because she still sees him smile everyday and wasn't it what they say…if you are happy, you smile… still she could not shake off the feeling that something more sinister seems to be brewing beneath that façade.

By the lower delta of the Mississippi River, life went on oblivious to the despair and struggles of a boy. It was a day like any other and just like any other fine day everyone went about their own business, blissfully unaware of matters that didn't pop out in their way conspicuously. Somewhere further down the river on that fertile land, a grim scene was being played out. No matter how gory the view point was from the ground, it did nothing to mar the sight of baby blue sky and fluffy white clouds above.

Cerulean eyes stared unblinkingly at the open field ahead, watching cotton flowers sway in the breeze. The floating embers from the fire behind him singed his skin and the burning heat coiled around him, he ignored the discomfort. The unwelcomed odor of burning furniture and charred flesh stings his nose. His body still running on adrenaline and mild shock did not register the suffocating tightness in his chest or the frantic wails of the fire engine from afar.

He smiled as he saw the cat sauntered out of the bushes towards him. Her silted amber eyes regarded him with suspicion. She swished her tail freely grazing the weeds as she passed by, nonchalant on the events unfolding before her. Her wandering nature had been pivotal to her survival in this incident. He wondered if she realizes her home was no more or if she was bothered about it at all. He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her gently between her eyes, immensely glad that she was alright. He took a step forward and heard the sickening squelch. The crimson liquid that drenched his shoes was still warm. He moved stubbornly forward with his eyes closed, ears searching for the sounds of the fire-men alighting from their trucks. He could hear the murmuring of the other farmers who had gathered around. They must be curious as to what had happened. He was sure they will have plenty to talk about soon.

He walked into the embrace of an elderly woman, a blanket wrapped securely around his shoulders. She sat him down and soothed his hair, cleaning his face with a wet rag, murmuring empty words of comfort. She didn't know what happened inside that house. There was no comfort to be offered for what he endured under the care of those monsters that he has to call 'father' and 'mother'.

There was nothing left for him here now, he could only sit and wait to see what fate have been decided for him…

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The man narrowed his dark piercing eyes as he listened to the contents of the letter droned out in a monotone voice. His frown deepens as his secretary spoke. It was absurd. How could he end up being the guardian of a man who wasn't even a distant relative?

He grabbed the file from his secretary and scanned through the papers himself. The photo of a man with sunken cheekbones and lifeless blue eyes gazed back at him. He continued reading as bits and pieces of the man's life revealed itself to him. The signature of another name at the end of the document sparked some recognition in him.

Rayne Crawford, his mentor and caregiver when he was still a paralegal in England had passed away. He was once his inspiration, someone who had given his career that important boost and raised his name to the forefront in the world of law. He didn't even know about it, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. He ran through with vacant eyes the letter pulled from the bottom of the stack, unable to think or accept it as reality yet. The news of his mentor's death brought a familiar pang of lost and grieve he experienced when he lost his mother.

"Old hermit…you didn't even give me a chance to say goodbye…" he whispered as the first tear escaped from its confines. He clutched the piece of paper tightly in his hands, crumpling it as the floodgates opened. He leaned back onto his chair as the discrete click of the door closing reached his ears. Glad that no one was here to witness his moment of weakness, he gave in to his grieve and let his tears mourn for the lost of a man he once looked upon as a father.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kurogane spotted Fay as soon as he stepped out of the airport, the man easily recognized by his hair color in the sea of black. Admittingly, he had filled out and looked much better than how he was in the photo. He observed as the blond hair man took a step back and leaned against the wall, taking deep breathes as if he had just completed a 100 meter sprint before leaning back against the wall.

Although he has much affection for Rayne, he just couldn't get why he had to do this. He's busy enough as it is and could barely make time for himself much less another human being. Especially another human being with an emotional baggage that he has no clue as to the extent of the damages and how he was supposed to handle someone like that. Further more as a lawyer who specializes in commercial law, he has no experience in this arena regarding the sensitivities of human emotions. He didn't know what to make of this situation and he was weary of stepping into the unknown.

He pondered for a moment, thinking about what Yuuko's reaction would be and how it would affect their love life. Well, it wasn't much of a relationship to begin with…at least from his point of view. He had never been in love with her or to be more precise, they have never been in love with each other. They were together simply for the sake of satiating their more carnal needs and that Yuuko was unlike other woman. She doesn't need assurances or any commitments from him and like any man looking for a no strings attached relationship he accepted it without any preambles of the consequences that might follow.

'Bonk!'

He was jerked out of his short reverie by a loud honk behind him. He turned back to glare at the car behind and managed to catch the driver withdraw his hand which still was fisted into a symbol of vulgarity. 'Can't he even give me a minute…' he thought irritably as he reversed his car from the first lane to park beside the curb.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Fay stepped out of the airport and squinted despite the cover of his sunglasses. The city buzzed with life and the quick jerky movements of the people around him made him dizzy. It was disorientating and so different from the quiet town he had left behind. He worried for a moment, wondering if he made the right choice as a familiar bout of nausea hit him. He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall behind him, slowly repeating the words that have became a mantra to calm his anxieties towards life in general.

"Forget your past son, there's still plenty for you to live for."

He smiled to himself as he remembered the words of the man who gave him his salvation and offered him hope when there was none. He had accepted with a heavy heart the last gift the old man left for him, a new lease of life in a foreign land and to live his life as a man who missed out too much due to circumstances that was not of his doing. Above him, another plane whooshed past drowning out the sounds around him temporarily. He picked up his luggage and stretched his neck trying to look above the crowd for the person who was supposed to receive him.

"Humm…excuse me…" a deep soothing voice with a barely discernable English accent spoke hesitantly from behind "are you Mr. Daniel Favian?"

Fay turned around barely suppressing a flinch as he stared into the strangest pair of eyes he had ever seen. The color dragging up memories best left forgotten in the darkest corner of one's mind.

The man whose stature and presence commended the attention of anyone standing near him gave a casual shrug and a lop-sided smile. His body language suggested to Fay that he was used to such reactions and might even find amusement in them. Those eyes with blood red pupils sparkling with mirth told him as much.

"Kurogane Ryuken?"

"Well…this is he. Sorry, I was caught in traffic." Kurogane apologized as he gave Fay a firm handshake, noting irrelevantly on how soft and cool his hands were. The strength of his grasp and the texture of his skin gave nothing away about the years of suffering he endured. But his eyes said everything…haunted and shifty, they hide secrets of an unspeakable crime he had committed as a young boy. Kurogane wondered what Rayne saw in Fay; he must be really special to the old man. He imagined the resources and strings Rayne had to pull to get this man away from the hell hole awaiting him for the next half of his life.

"It's fine." Fay replied with a quiet smile.

"…"

"Thank you for all this…"

"No worries. Oh…let me help you with these." Kurogane said as he bent and took the suitcase from Fay's hands, surprised by the lightness of it. "My car's right ahead…" Kurogane gave a quick nod of his head in the general direction where his black Lexus SC430 was parked by the curb. He opened the door for Fay and observed the blond hair man fidget about in his seat, uncomfortable even in his own skin. Kurogane thinks it was those years of living on the edge in less than desirable environments that have rendered him with the inability to enjoy material comforts even when offered.

The ride was filled with awkward silence and Fay took the opportunity to enjoy the scenery around him. He watched the greens on both sides of the highway slowly disperse to reveal quiet towns with compact and squat houses squeezed together in miniature plots of land. The muted color of the houses amidst the vast numbers of cherry trees in bloom was a charming sight. It invoked a sense of peace within him and slowly he relaxed against the seat, willing his tense shoulders to loosen up and sink into the buttery soft leather of the car seat.

The view gradually changed as skyscrapers started appearing; the scenery rearranging itself as the car exited the highways. As they passed the invisible border into Shinjuku, the buildings that loomed in the distance a few minutes ago seemed to swallow them up. Further into the city, in-between those giant skyscrapers sat quaint little houses and temples that seemed to belong to a totally different era, the city itself a paradox of old and new. Fay found that the multitude of buildings clustered in every visible corner of his sight made him claustrophobic. Anxiety gripped him again and he turned his gaze towards Kurogane and watched him concentrate on maneuvering the car in and out of cramped streets instead. He tightened his grip on the seat belt, determined to curb the habit of getting hysterical every time he experienced something new.

It has been three years since his release. Every milestone he conquered along the way since he attained freedom was fraught with frazzled nerves and near breakdowns. Six months upon his entry to society, he felt the world at large was still really too 'large' for him at that point. His release caused a ripple once again in the sleepy town he grew up in. There were those who supported him and there were also those who'd pay hell just to see him disappear from the face of this earth. Fay had never experienced that much love and hate in that magnitude and he would never wish for it again. This was why Rayne moved him to Florida, Cedar Key in the hope that the small community there would offer Fay some respite from the negative publicity and over whelming public interest that hounded him 24/7 in Mississippi.

Rayne, whose presence in his last four years of his prison life allowed him to experience the love of a father he never had. Fay had his doubts to regarding Rayne's motive in the start but the old guy never failed him and after he learned about his son's death, Fay understood his reasons for diving so selflessly into the cause of freeing him. Rayne didn't want to see another kid waste his life away if he could help it. He petitioned long and hard on Fay's parole for early release. Ten years was long enough for a kid who committed a crime in self-defense.

He was immediately taken under Rayne's care after his release. Somehow thankful that there was finally an end to all those visits from the prison psychiatrist and priest, sessions with them were pointless. They didn't live in his head and they didn't understand the fundamentals of his suffering. He never was clinically depressed in the first place. He didn't have that overwhelming sense of inadequacy or hopelessness and neither does he feel profoundly sad. He was however, filled with anger and he searched for a reason for what he has been put through in life with great passion and desperation. But his insecurities about life in general and distrust towards other people was deeply embedded, years of separation from society disabled his social skills. A crippling effect that had him ostracized first hand before strangers gained knowledge of his time spent in prison.

He remembered Rayne's patience in coaching him some vital facts of the Do and Don'ts regarding social etiquette and even enrolled him in college so that he can complete his education. His life was coming round and for once he thought, he could finally start living as a normal person. Alas, fate does not dictate it to be as such…Rayne died in a freak accident. Fay raged against the injustice of it, not comprehending why the good ones always have to go in the worst ways. He raged because he felt betrayed and left alone once again with his hopes shattered. He wonders how many times this will have to happen before the end of his life.

Than depression set in, without a guiding hand to lead him, Fay lost himself in the small world that was Rayne's summer house in Florida. He settled into a routine of staring into space at odd hours in the morning, often going without food for days at a time until the housekeeper came in with the doctor to have him force-fed. He was committed into a psychiatric ward a month later after he tried to bite the same doctor. His condition was appalling when he was admitted. He lost more than half of his body weight and badly dehydrated, often delirious and his emotions an unpredictable swing of ups and downs.

Rayne's associate, Scott came into the picture a week later after many failed attempts on trying to contact his client. It wouldn't be this way if Rayne was still alive. All that red tapes and paperwork was frustrating, the worse thing was nobody even managed to get through to the young man for the period of his stay at the ward. He was finally able to get Fay discharged from the hospital with the promised that he will still be under medical supervision in the country that he's heading to. Fay proved to be an easy charge to take care of once you understand his basic needs. He just needed to grieve and given time enough, he slowly came out of it. Scott provided Fay with as much details as possible regarding his next guardian, a total stranger to him but someone who had the financial standing to support him but most importantly, someone whom Rayne trusted with his life. He would continue what Rayne had started. Strangely, the motives of Rayne when spoken by someone else sound frightfully affronting to Fay.

To Fay the news seemed to signal another unnecessary upheaval in his already chaotic life, he wanted to find closure for so many things but he was never given an opportunity. He wanted to mourn for his lost childhood, lost innocence. He wanted to mourn for the death of parents whom he wasn't sure he hated or loved more and he wanted to mourn for the most important person in his life…Rayne. Most of all, he wanted to mourn for himself. His identity would be erased once he signed the papers for his 'exile'; Fay Flowright will be no more. His sordid history wiped away with a few hits on the keyboard of a computer. If only real life was as simple as that. He will be known as Daniel Favian from this point on; he thought the name sounded too sturdy and untainted for him. The aftertaste of that name when spoken made him feel like he had drank out of a rusty can.

"We are here." That same deep calm voice announced breaking Fay away from his reminiscence. He watched Kurogane got off the car before passing his keys to the valet and opening the trunk to get his suitcase. Fay got out and looked up at the grand and imposing building situated in the middle of Shinjuku, the exterior layered with black hued glass, reflecting the afternoon sun glaringly towards the neighboring buildings. He felt slightly intimidated when he entered the lobby. It was covered from top to bottom with glided gray marble and a concierge counter which no one was manning at the moment. The lift doors slide opened with a gentle ting and Fay couldn't help but thought whoever who designed the interior was pushing it a little too much. He didn't like the place at all…it was cold and indifferent. He thought of the house Rayne had…he missed the warmth of it terribly.

They alighted from the elevator at the last level, Fay stood by the corridor looking down at the city as he waited for Kurogane to open the door to his apartment. From the top, the neon signs and giant LCDs screens that made the city so colorful and vibrant disappeared, the city looked drab, grey…lifeless. The rain clouds floating above in the sky made everything looked even drearier. He turned and looked at the man who was supposed to be his caretaker for the next two years and wondered what life held in store for him in this city.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kurogane watched Fay carefully as he ushered him into the hall, fully aware of the man's discomfort as he explore his new environment like a precocious kitten investigating its new surroundings. He could tell he wasn't used to this blatant display of wealth. Apparently, Rayne was not a flamboyant person despite his status. He kept to a simple lifestyle and his home reflected his personality. Warm and open. Whereas, Kurogane believes he should pamper himself whenever possible because life was short and nothing good will last forever. Of course, he was not reckless either. He invests his money carefully and kept watch of the stock market. He made sure that if he were to retire in his mid thirties, he would not have to work to maintain his lifestyle.

"You live alone?"

"Yes and I have a housekeeper who comes by everyday. You'll see her later."

"You have a dog?" Fay enquired as he heard the muffled bark down the hall.

"Oh…yeah…that too." Kurogane said as he headed towards one of the smaller rooms and opened the door. A blue grey-hound leaped out immediately and clambered about its master's feet, yapping and wriggling its tail vigorously. Kurogane gave a gentle admonishment as he bent down to stop the dog from raking its nails down his pants during its 'welcome home dance'.

"What's its name?"

"Manju." Kurogane replied and the dog gave an excited yap when he heard his name.

"Man…ju…?" Fay repeated slowly and tilted his head slightly, curious as to what the word meant. He thought the name sounded too…adorable…for someone like Kurogane to name his dog with.

"Well…it's a sort of sweet bun. I named him that because that's all he wanted to eat when he was a puppy. I originally named him Sirius…but as you can see, he's not very befitting of that name now."

"He's lovely…" Fay said as the dog bounced towards him to welcome him next. It made him think about the cat he used to have a long time ago. He wondered if life had been kind to her and if she died peacefully. That would add to the list of one more thing he would never know.

"Hey, I'll show you to your room first," Kurogane said as he lead Fay down the left turn of the hallway "it's the room next to mine…I hope you'll find it to your liking."

Fay thought he need not worry about that at all. The room simple and sparsely furnished was a stark contrast to the interior of the rest of the apartment. In fact, he liked it a lot. In various shades of white and cream, it gives off a calming vibe compared to the dominant silver and black furnishing he had seen in the living room.

"I'll leave you to unpack…if you need anything, just let know. I'm home for the rest of the day." Kurogane said as he left the room with Manju in tow, tail still wagging like a windscreen wiper gone hey wire.

He went back to his room and stepped into the adjoining room that also suffices as his study. He flipped through the file containing Fay's documents again…the letter that Scott had wrote on Rayne's behalf lay on top of the stack. He re-read it and took out the manila envelope, still sealed. He fingered the sealed flap, not sure if he could deal with whatever that was recorded in the CD. Hesitantly, he tore the flap opened digging through a thick mess of forms that the banks had required him to fill up before pulling out a white CD sleeve. He switched on his laptop and inserted the CD.

A whirling hum started and a visual of an elderly man in his late 50s with silvery white hair appeared on his laptop screen. His jowls slightly sagging from his cheeks and warm sparkling brown eyes cut the edge of the lines on his face. His goofy grin gave others a false impression that he was easily trifled with. Kurogane didn't know how to articulate the feeling but it was weird to hear someone's voice when you know they had already passed over. He wished the whole thing was a bad joke and that Rayne was in fact still alive and doing well in Florida, waiting for his favorite student to visit him. He regretted not making the time to fly over to visit. But as most things in life are…thoughts of such deeds often came too late.

He listened to that familiar deep booming voice recite the story of what happened to Fay and why Rayne made the decision to make him his family. Kurogane listened with indifference not because he doesn't care but because years of being in his profession had cultivated the ability to absorb the most damning evidence or statements with a sense of objectiveness that most people wouldn't have. By the end of it, he could tell why Rayne had grown so attached to Fay…apart from the physical similarities; Fay's plight was truly sympathetic. How many children who suffered like him had fallen through the net and forced to a point where they could commit such gruesome crimes? How did a child who had been a victim of sexual and mental abuse became the prosecuted? But Kurogane knows that those who set and practice the law do not stand for the deed committed, they stand only for the causes that are of their interest. Sometimes even the guilty could escape its clutches if one has the right connections and social standing.

Kurogane took the manila envelope and shook out the huge stack of forms. He sigh as he laid them on the table…it would take some time to complete them. It took him almost an hour to finish filling those forms. As he stood up and stretched his aching back, he heard someone laugh. The sound unfamiliar to his ears and so light and unburdened, he could hardly believe it came from Fay. But the laughter stopped as soon as it had started and than some shuffling before he heard the door of a room slam shut, Manju's whimper reached his ears not soon after. He strode towards the entrance of his bedroom and saw Manju laying on the floor infront of Fay's bedroom. His ears dangling and tail beating the door in a gentle thump as it wagged it from side to side despondently.

"Come on..." Kurogane said as he prodded at Manju to move away. He threw a contemplative glance at the closed door, wondering if something had happened. 'Great…please don't tell me he's still attending therapy sessions?' Kurogane whined to himself before he realized just how insensitive that thought was.

"Daniel? Are you alright?" He waited and knocked on the door when he received no answer "Daniel?" he grabbed the knobbed and twist it firmly only to find it locked from the inside. He was considering getting the master keys when the door finally opened.

"Sorry, I…"

"It's ok, just checking." Kurogane replied, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Fay through the gap of the door. His eyes were giving off that far-away look again "Are you sure you don't need anything?" he tried again.

"No, it's fine. I think I'm still suffering the after effects of jet lag I guess…I'll be fine after a short rest." Fay explained as he started closing the door again. He gave a soft smile and nodded to Kurogane "I'm fine really."

"Hn…have a good rest than. I'll wake you up for dinner." Kurogane replied. He was sure something had triggered the blond man's memory in order for him to look like that. He wondered how long someone was supposed to be haunted by such traumas and he made a mental note to call Scott first thing in the morning tomorrow. The documents given as he recall, did not mention anything about his psychological well-being.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

He was watching the evening news when Sakura came in, her presence dispersing the unidentified tension hanging in the apartment. Fay as it seems, was very good at locking himself up. Glad for some other distraction rather than the depressing headlines that flashed by on the screen, he ambled up to the bar counter in front of the kitchen and drawled out in a voice that always managed to make Sakura blush.

"So, what's for dinner today?"

"Oh…it's Katsu-Donburi, miso and kabocha tempura." Sakura replied as she blushed and gave Kurogane a reprimanding look. She burst out in spontaneous laugh when he winked back and threw a faux kiss in her direction "ne Kurogane-san, you should stop being so flirty otherwise Syaoran will force me to quit."

"Ah…that gaki…insecure as always. Perhaps you should get him to accompany you when you are here. That way, he doesn't have to drive himself crazy with all his useless and perverted thoughts."

"You know he's busy with that exhibition and he won't have the time."

"He never does anyway. How do you put up with him? He loves those bones more than he loves you."

"Don't be mean Kurogane-san."

"Fine…fine"

"He's here?" Sakura asks. She had heard about the new guy moving in but Kurogane seemed rather secretive regarding his background. She only knows he was from America and will be staying at Kurogane's place till he graduate from university.

"Yeah, he's still resting. Pretty quiet guy…"

"You were like that too when I started work here and you always have that scowl on your face. I could hardly talk to you because of that. Look at you now…no one would have believed you're such a chatterbox."

"Hey, I'm a lawyer. I'm supposed to be chatty. Anyway, the guy doesn't scowl…he just…he just kinda drifts off all the time."

"Ok…does he speak Japanese than?"

"I don't think so…well, he's enrolled in an international private university. I guess language won't be a barrier for the time being. They teach the foreigners Japanese there too."

"That's good to know. By the way, do you need me to get him anything?"

"I'll have to check with him on that. I didn't think he brought much with him…his suitcase doesn't even weight anything at all."

"Cut back on your gym sessions and I'm sure anything will start feeling heavy."

"Hn." Kurogane grunted as he reached over to grab a piece of boiled pumpkin, munching it with unspeakable pleasure. Sakura watched as he took another big bite and licked his lips before throwing a goofy smile at her. She laughed again and swatted at his hand when he tried to reach for another piece.

"Stop pinching and start helping out."

"Hey! I thought I was paying you to do all these stuff?" Kurogane grumbled good-naturedly as he stood up and walked behind the counter.

"I thought you enjoy these impromptu cooking lessons?" Sakura said as she passed him a huge bowl and whisk before pouring in the flour mix for the tempura batter.

"Only when I want to do it…not when forced into it."

"You can be such a baby Kurogane-san."

Kurogane smiled at her again before she launched herself fully into her duty. Truth to be told, it was good to have her around. She was like the sister he never had. It was also good because it stopped his mother from dropping by too frequently too. It wasn't that his mother had an intolerable personality or anything. Infact, it was quite the opposite. Her concern for him border on the edge of being obsessive and suffocating. Her maternal love no matter how noble only made Kurogane feel like running to the ends of the world. He grimaced as he thought about what would happen if she knew about the existence of Yuuko. He was sure she would rush him into a marriage he never wanted in the first place.

TBC

18 December 2007

Kurogane Ryuken

President and CEO

Ryuken & Partners Law Firm

Shinjuku Oak City, Oak Tower

Nishishinjuku 6, 25F, 2-9-15

Juniso Dori, Tokyo 123-7987

Japan

Dear Ryuken

This letter was written with profound sadness as I bear news of grievous nature. As much as I wish you will never have to receive such letters, it is an unavoidable reality we all have to deal with. Although you should have been informed much earlier regarding this matter, circumstances have delayed my hand in composing this letter.

Rayne Crawford, my good friend and a respected business partner have passed away. Although we have never met and you may not know the full extent of my relationship with Rayne, I believe I feel the same loss as you do of his departure from our world. I do not think any words right now would be of comfort to you but let us believe that his soul had ascended a higher level and let us come to peace with the fact that he is now in God's good hand.

It would be vulgar of me to mention it at this point but nevertheless it is something Rayne would want settled as soon as possible. I was entrusted with the care of handling the process as stated in Rayne's will drawn up two years ago. He had adopted a young man named Fay Flowright. You will find more details of him in the file attached. I understand you might find this confusing and I am afraid Rayne had left me with only as many details as he had chose to give you.

Mr. Flowright had served time in juvenile prison and subsequently in adult prison but he was a victim of circumstances. Rayne cares deeply for this young man and he beseeched you to undertake this responsibility with an open mind. I hope this is not too much to ask for. You are a fellow lawyer and you know best how poetic justice can be. Rayne has also named him the sole receiver of all his monetary assets. This knowledge is not to be made privy to Mr. Flowright unless he has completed his education, until than you will be the caretaker of those funds. To protect his identity he has been granted anonymity, the state had his identity changed and he has been renamed Daniel Favian.

I trust that the information provided above will be enough explanation on what Rayne's plans are. As for what he was really thinking about, I guess it will forever remain an enigma.

Lastly, please find in the manila envelope the contact of the personnel from the bank and a CD wherein the contents I have not gone through yet. It was stated that it is only for your personal and private perusal.

Warmest regards

Scott. G Anderson

Associate Attorney

Crawford, Anderson & Weiss LLP