"-iro? Chiro?" the blue monkey stuck his face right up to chiro's.

Chiro jolted out of his thoughts, falling from his chair in the process. "OW!"

Said monkey frowned, "I wouldn't have thought my lesson was so boring to you," he said with a slightly hurt look.

Chiro sat up, rubbing his head where it had hit, an embassased look on his face. "hehe...sorry Gibson, Its not

the lesson. Somethings just been on my mind is all."

Gibsons frown deepened. "If somethings wrong you can always tell us. Remember, were your family Chiro."

When he said the word "family" Chiro visibly flinched, his heart feeling like it had just been crushed. At the same

moment, the remainder of his team walked in, having heard chiro hit the floor.

"Your version of family,"-he paused- " is very different then mine."

A sad look on his face, Chiro left, not once looking at the rest of the team.

Chiro ran through the night. Blood and rain running down his body. He stumbled, gripping his arm in pain.

The bullet that had just passed into it now stuck out the opposite side, at an odd angle. The emotions his small

body felt all overflowed from his eyes in tears. 'Why,' he thought slowing to a walk, his vision bluring. 'Why did

this happen?' He dropped to his knees, "Why, why did you do this to us.?"

Chiro trembled at the memory, tears now falling from his eyes. He was pissed that just one simple word, could bring

back the pain he felt all that time ago. 'Family'. He had it once. A wonderful one, with his mother and father.

But that was before his father died. Before his mother remarried, and before his step father had turned to alchohol.

With his dad he had gained fond memories and love. With this man he had gained a gunshot wound and a dead mother.

But the man had gained something to. He gained a knife wound in his heart.

Chiro shook slightly. He still remembered the night he had killed him. The sick happiness he had felt to know his tormentor

was dead, killed by his hand. [Kinda twisted thoughts for a ten year old.]

Once in a while, he swore he could still feel the man's writhing body under his, the dark liqued coating his hands, now

forever stained crimson. Why he now wore his gloves.

He could never tell them. They would send him away, reject him like so many others. 'I'm always alone,' he thought

miserably, sobbing hard by now, only to suddenly stop at hearing a light tap at the door. 'Right?'

"Whats wrong with the kid?" Sprx asked, a confused look on his face.

"Thats what I would like to know," Gibson looked to Antauri. "During my lect-er.. lesson, Chiro spaced out, saying he

had alot on his mind, then when I told him that we were his family and he could talk to us, well... you saw the rest."

Antauri frowned, worry evident on his face. Wondering why his 'son' was acting so strange.

Nova meanwhile, had run out after Chiro, Otto at her heels. Reaching Chiro's room she heard strangled sobs from

within, Otto's always present smile was wiped away, worry replacing.

She hesitantly knocked, and heard the sobs suddenly cease.

A few seconds later, Chiro appeared at the door, cheeks wiped of tears, and a smile forced onto his features,

'A smile' she thought as realization hit her, 'That we've seen so many times. Was it always that forced?.'

"Oh, Chiro, I-" the words wouldn't come, instead Otto spoke. "Chiro you should never bottle up your emotions. They grow inside

of you until you explode."

Chiro looked at Otto, suprised that the normally slow monkey would say such things. "We're your family Chiro," he ignored Chiro's

wince, and continued, "We love you. If somethings wrong you should tell us. Let us help carry your burden."

Chiro just stared and, for a moment both thought he had ignored them, then it was as if his mask of light fell off, and he collapsed,

grasping them like a lifeline, whilst sobbing into their fur. "I-I'm s-sorry!" he stuttered choking on his tears. Nova was crying with

him and Otto was sniffing like crazy and patting him on the back. "Thank you." he murmured into their fur, eyelids drooping. "I love you

to," he fell, sleeping onto them, his eyes still bright red from the tears.

Nove wiped her tears away, a smile on her face, as she helped Otto to move him onto his bed.

The others walked in to see Chiro, sleeping soundly while holding onto a slumbering Nova.

They stayed, gazing lovingly at the two, and slowly departed. Antauri however, stayed behind, only to climb into bed on chiro's other side,

just to rest, just to be with his 'son'.

Chiro'e eyes opened slightly and he whispered "May be I'm not as alone as I thought." and drifted back to sleep.

At his place at his sons side, Antauri smiled. 'looks like everything will be ok' his grip around his son tightened, and he slept.

sorry. im not very hood at writing fluff, hurt/comfort stuff. though i think i did an okay job. better at tradgedy and torture, no matter how messed up that may be.
Its so much fun to write! X-]