Chapter One.

The movie was mediocre but they were laughing hysterically anyway; he would always remember that minor detail of that horrible day. Roxas had been chilling at his friend Zexion's house in the hours between school and the chore of cooking dinner when his cellphone rang showing an unlisted number. He hadn't thought anything of it when he picked up but his off-handedness had disappeared in a second along with the blood that drained from his face leaving him as pale as a ghost. Namine who happened to be looking at him had jumped from her chair but Roxas curtly waved her away, focussing fully on the call.

By the time Roxas hung up, staring into space, Namine, Zexion and Demyx were all standing around him looking worried and waiting to hear what had happened. Fleetingly the bitter thought 'I bet they won't manage to guess this one' drifted through his head but it was obliterated by the overwhelming wave of fear, helplessness and horror following in its wake. Before his friends could blurt out their questions Roxas, still gazing fixedly into the air, stated in a monotone, 'There's been an accident. Ventus is in hospital about to go into surgery. I have to go… I… Oh God… Zex, I didn't even drive over here, how the hell, oh fuck…' Roxas' voice grew increasingly shaky until he had to stop and swallow hard.

Before Roxas could panic any further Zexion swiftly stepped forward and put his arms around the distraught boy while Namine rummaged in her bag for her keys and Demyx grabbed their bags from the lounge. Roughly shoving his grey-blue hair out of his eyes Zexion hustled Roxas out of the door into Namine's car while the others silently followed and locked the door. Once seated in the car Roxas clenched his fists tight and struggled to stay in control.

The ride to the hospital was blur of half seen scenery and muted voices until Roxas' phone went off again, this time a call from the police. The cops were professional and succinct with their message, concisely informing Roxas that his brother had indeed been in a crash involving a motorcycle rider and that an investigation was underway. As the call progressed Namine was alarmed to see Roxas clenching his jaw tighter and tighter until he snapped the phone closed and buried his face in his hands. Not a word was spoken between the friends even after they reached the hospital and Zexion led Roxas to the front desk.

White faced and glassy eyed Roxas forced his broken voice to work and politely asked the duty nurse where he could find the room of Ventus Hakunetsu. He absently confirmed that he was Ventus' brother and was already staggering in the direction indicated when the nurse called after him that his brother wouldn't be back from surgery for another half an hour. Roxas was so shell-shocked that he didn't even notice the nurse stopping his friends from following him due to 'hospital rules kids, only immediate family can go through'. Demyx was just beginning to rip into the woman but all Roxas could hear was the beat of his heart in his ears.

When he was nearly at Ventus' room, room 358, a conversation across the hall filtered through the ringing in his ears and Roxas stopped dead in his tracks. Reaching shakily out so he could lean against the wall Roxas looked around and saw a doctor struggling not to yell at a cowering nurse. Drawn to the scene without fully knowing why Roxas crept across the hall and stood half hidden behind an empty stretcher listening to the conversation.

'…Stupid girl, there has to be someone in his family you can contact! This boy has been in a serious car crash, he's coming down off Gaia knows what drugs, he is under 18 and we have no adult member of his family to consult about treatment! Do you think this will look good for the hospital if it gets out that our incompetent nursing staff can't even get it together enough to contact the family of a minor? No, I didn't damn well think so, so take his phone and go through the contacts one by one if you have to. Go and bloody do it then come back here so you can check his cast!'

Roxas watched the nurse scurry off down the corridor nearly in tears and then turned back to stare at the blonde doctor with a calculating expression on his face. Drawing on his years in the drama club Roxas wiped the growing anger off his face and took on an expression of suitable anguish before rushing over to the doctor arms outstretched.

Before the doctor could say anything Roxas launched into his act, 'Oh doctor thank Gaia, I've been wandering around for ages. My cousin was in a motorbike accident and I can't find his room and I'm so worried because me and my mum are the only family he has, please can you please tell me where his room is?'

Roxas had gambled that the doctor would be overwhelmed by the hysterical teen act and also that the man would associate him by default with the boy from his previous conversation. Both gambles paid off and the doctor put on an overdone air of consolation, leading him right to the room of the boy he confirmed was involved in a motorcycle accident only 3 hours before. Laying it on thick Roxas convinced the doctor that he needed a few minutes alone with his 'cousin' and waited for him to saunter away before slipping into the dimly lit room.

There was a huddled shape on the bed but Roxas was too angry to immediately take in the details. In a low voice he spoke conversationally and with forced calm, 'Hey, hey, were you just in a motorbike accident? With a guy getting out of a car?'

There was a long pause and just when Roxas was beginning to think he had found the wrong person a rough voice muttered, 'Yeah, that was me. What, are the reporters involved already?'

All of the anger and anxiety bubbling inside Roxas abruptly broke free and he slammed his hand violently against the light switch, causing the person on the bed to flinch in the sudden glare. He strode towards the lump of blankets crowned in bandages and wild red hair and yanked the sheets down so he could look into the face of the man who had put his brother in hospital. Roxas' fierce blue glare burned into the startled bright green gaze of the other teen.

'Why the fuck did you do it?' Roxas' voice was deceptively low and reasonable. 'I mean I heard that you were drunk and high but why the ever-loving FUCK would you get on that bike!' The control Roxas had over his emotions slipped completely and he could contain himself no longer. 'My brother is in surgery you dumb piece of shit, he could have died and he may actually never walk again. I just want to know if you give a fuck how many lives you ruin when you get drugged up and pissed off your face? Huh?'

When Axel heard an unfamiliar voice in his hospital room asking about the accident he groaned inwardly and cursed reporters. Not removing the prickly blanket from around his ears he muttered something snarky but cringed convulsively into the pillow when the light snapped suddenly on. The sheets were torn away from his face and Axel found himself staring at a blonde-framed face that could have been termed exquisite if the deep blue eyes weren't so full of rage. Speechless and almost breathless Axel was unable to even begin to form a response to the harsh words being hurled at him.

'You've got nothing to say huh? Nothing in your defense or anything? You got away from a crash you caused with a bump on the head and a fucking tiny cast and my brother is in surgery right now…' The words being spat at Axel trailed off into a choked sob that unexpectedly tugged at his heart.

Somehow finding his voice the redhead discovered now that he truly had no idea what to say. Hating himself for his incoherence he blurted out, 'I'm so sorry… I didn't mean it…'

The blonde boy's chin had dropped to his chest while he tried to get a hold of himself but at Axel's garbled apology his head snapped up and anger flared again in his eyes. The hatred in his stare was almost a physical blow to Axel and the loathing in his parting statement was even worse. 'You're sorry. You're fucking sorry. My brother might never walk again, he could have fucking died and you're sorry. You know what, if you're so damn sorry then take it back so it never bloody happened and fucking kill yourself so you can't do it again!' Slamming out of the door and leaving the light on, the boy left as suddenly as he had come.

The teen's last furious shout ringing in his ears Axel lay in the hospital bed with his heart hammering. Everything the blonde boy had said was the truth but fuck it hurt to hear his shortcomings put so bluntly. Tears pricked at Axel's eyes, nothing to do with the pain of his head or wrist and he stared at the blank white ceiling wishing not for the first time that he was anyone other than himself.

As the door to the redheaded boy's room slammed shut behind him Roxas took off running. He could barely see through the tears of anger and panic but all he wanted was to get as far away from the cause of his pain as possible. Voicing his fears to the boy about Ventus had crystallized the worst case scenarios in his head, releasing a terror inside him that was threatening to overwhelm him completely.

The halls were deserted and dingy in the section of the hospital that Roxas finally stopped in and the lights flickered on and off. Slumped against the wall to regain his breath Roxas realized that he must have found his way into the closed-for-restoration section of the hospital and frustrated he growled out an obscenity. Totally and completely lost he looked around futilely for a hint of which direction to head in and nearly leapt out of his skin when a rough voice spoke from right next to his ear.

'Lost are ya kid? Can't imagine they put you in a room out this way.' The owner of the deep rumbling voice sauntered around from behind Roxas and smirked at the transfixed boy. 'Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya. Since they stopped work I don't get much company when I'm on shift. Where are ya meant to be huh?'

So far beyond fear that he was flatly calm Roxas gazed at the huge man and said, 'My brother is in room 358 and I got turned around trying to find it. Can you point me in the right direction to get back to the main wards?' A slight wobble entered his voice on the last word as he suddenly understood how isolated he was in the company of a massive stranger and how unlikely it was that anyone would hear him scream if anything happened. Involuntarily he took a step backwards and found that his back was now to the wall.

Surprisingly the man chuckled throatily and stepped backward to put some room between them. He ran a large hand through his unkempt russet hair and shook his head ruefully, 'Sorry kid, I really didn't mean to scare ya. I didn't figure how threatenin' a stranger in a dark, abandoned corridor… Oh. Well I guess I didn't think at all to be honest. Look mate, if you want I can take you back to the wards or I can just give you the directions, you aren't too far. Kid? Are you okay?'

Unable to cope with the abrupt change of pace and the disappearance of tension Roxas had sagged back against the wall blinking back tears. Fear had flooded through his body at the sudden arrival of the stranger and the unexpected kindness he was now encountering had his mind so tangled that he was barely able to speak. Mustering all his self-control Roxas forced his mouth to work, 'If you don't mind could you show me where to go? I… My brother… Oh god I don't even know if he's okay, he was in surgery, I'm meant to be waiting for him…'

Roxas' words got faster and faster heading towards hysteria and the stranger took a risk, placing his massive hand on the boy's shoulder. Crouching down so that he could look into Roxas' wild blue eyes the man said softly, 'My name's Lexaeus kid. Follow me and I'll get you to your brother. Try and stay calm though okay? I don't know if I'm up to carrying you, right?'

Roxas' lips quirked in an involuntary half smile and he nodded his acquiescence. Gratitude filled him alongside the anxiety and panic and he felt as if he had to say something. 'Thank you Lexaeus, I'm Roxas. I, I really don't know how to thank you for this. I just need to get back to Ven and I'm so damn scared…' His words trailed off in a tremulous gulp and he was glad when Lexaeus just smiled beckoned for him to follow.

The huge man whose job was taking care of the hospital watched the distraught teen stumble into room 358. He always found himself getting emotionally invested in the various stories that spun into his life at the hospital, every time swearing that he wouldn't let it happen again and every time he saw a kid lost or in tears he gave in to the urge to do anything he could to ease the pain and confusion. Not being a doctor or even a nurse Lexaeus was aware that his contributions could only be fleeting and minimal but that still never stopped him from doing what he could.

As the door slipped shut behind him Roxas frantically scanned the interior of the room and found it empty of anything resembling his brother. Abruptly at the end of his strength and resilience Roxas collapsed in the chair next to the neatly made bed and gave up on choking back the sobs in his throat. The room echoed with the sounds of the boy's grief until he finally wore out his reserves and cried himself to sleep.

The overwhelming feeling of 'blur' encased Ventus. It seemed to him that he never really lost consciousness but there was a smudgy space in his mind that refused to show him the link between where he was sprawled on the road and where he was now, somewhere dimly lit and warm. Ventus instinctively tried to sit up but the explosion of pain in his ribs and leg ended that attempt and provoked a tortured groan waking Roxas who was slumped over the bed next to him. Momentarily unable to move for the pain Ventus stared at the ceiling with tears in his eyes as Roxas fumbled frantically for the pain relief button that the nurse had shown him.

Slowly the pain level decreased and Ventus, unable to believe he had survived such a devastating impact, weakly reached out to his brother and swallowed his own tears as the weeping boy clung to him desperately. The 2 boys had been alone in the world for so long that it was impossible for either of them to conceive of a world without the other in it. Feeling the strength of Roxas' sobs shake the bed Ventus finally gave in and let his tears fall.

A long time later Ventus gained enough control to begin soothing his little brother. As his hand moved in comforting circles on Roxas' back Ventus found his mind beginning to function again and by the time the boy's sobs began to taper off he was enough in command of himself to be sure of his next move. When he felt that Roxas was calm enough to talk to Ventus reached out and raised the boy's chin so he could look him in the eye.

Speaking was difficult but Ventus forced the words to come, 'Rox, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to, I didn't want to leave you… I hate seeing you cry. How long has it, how long have I been out?'

Ventus' heart clenched at the broken sound in Roxas' voice as he whispered that he had only been out of surgery for 4 hours and it was probably around 11.30pm. Hugging the boy as tight as he could with his aching ribs he tried to give as much comfort as he took. They were still clutching each other 20 minutes later when a loud knock on the door made them both jump. Giving Roxas one last reassuring squeeze Ventus settled back on his pillow and hoarsely called for the knocker to come in.

For the second time in less than a day Roxas slammed through a door like he had a personal grudge against it. The policeman had come to talk to Ventus, pretty much ignoring him, and Roxas had been happy to sit in the corner quietly at first; then the questions had turned to what Ventus wanted in regards to criminal charges and his brother had said… Fuck, Roxas couldn't even think about it without wanting to throw up.

Slamming his fist into the unyielding wall Roxas slumped against the wall opposite his brother's room and slid down to the ground. He had stormed out of the room when Ventus had begun making excuses for the boy who had nearly killed him and then asked how he would go about dropping any charges. Fisting his hands into his hair Roxas just sat there in the hallway with his head bowed trying to figure out when the hell the world had gone insane.

'You are Ventus Hakunetsu correct?' The officer spoke in a soft but firm voice and nodded to acknowledge Roxas before focusing his full attention on the blonde man in the hospital bed. 'Your doctor said that you would most likely be alert enough by now for me to ask you some questions about the accident and what you recall? If now isn't a good time then we can do this later, but if possible we like to get these interviews over and done so that proceedings don't drag out for all involved.'

With Roxas watching like a hawk Ventus had nodded his consent to the interview and gestured for the policeman to sit in the other chair by the bed. Without further ado the officer had seated himself and pulled out a small notebook before launching straight in, 'My name is Detective Xaldin Yari, officer in charge of your case. The instigator of the crash is effectively in police custody being also here in the hospital and as soon as we finish the interviews we can proceed with charges against him…'

At this point Roxas was unable to restrain himself and made both his brother and Detective Yari jump by snarling out, 'Good! As soon as that bastard is behind bars the better! He can't get away with doing this to my brother!'

Ventus placed a calming hand on Roxas' arm and once the boy had gotten control of himself gestured for Xaldin to continue. The expression on the detective's face hadn't changed and once he was sure Roxas was calmer he spoke again, 'We arrested the alleged juvenile offender at 9.37pm tonight and he is currently under guard in his hospital room. There isn't much we can do until the doctors clear him to leave medical care and we can take him to jail…'

This time it was Ventus who couldn't stop himself from breaking in. 'Who is he Detective? I mean what can you tell me about him? I know I'm meant to be telling you what I remember but who the hell is this guy?'

Sitting back in his chair Xaldin briefly considered his response and decided that the seriously injured man didn't need to be shielded from any of the details. 'The person operating the motorbike was one Axel Raffica age 17. Blood tests have shown that he had large amounts of alcohol in his system along with the drugs LSD and DMT. He had no helmet on but sustained no serious injuries in the crash apart from a broken wrist and mild concussion.'

Xaldin trailed off because Ventus' eyes had lost focus and the man appeared to be trying to remember something. Roxas was starting to look really worried when Ventus finally shook his head slowly and looked over at the detective with his brow furrowed. 'This Axel, he doesn't happen to be the son of the model Tifa Lockheart by any chance?'

When Xaldin nodded in confirmation Ventus collapsed back against his pillows forgetting about his ribs and groaning when the pain hit. Staring at the ceiling he said quietly, 'I knew I recognized that name. I worked on a case with a friend of mine doing a psych evaluation for a child abuse lawsuit must have been over 6 years ago now, back when I was fresh out of college. Some things just stick with you; the true horror of what one human being can do to another…'

Once again Ventus propped himself up and seeming to forget Roxas was even there locked his determined gaze onto the detective. 'I don't want to press charges Detective Yari. I believe that Island Law allows for the injured party to request the process of Restitutionem per Consequentias if they are prepared to drop all charges stemming from the incident.'

As the detective opened his mouth to speak Roxas beat him to it. Leaping out of his seat and literally shaking with anger he was shouting before he could stop himself, 'Are you fucking kidding me Ven?! This piece of shit was drunk and high and pretty much said he doesn't give a shit that he nearly killed you and you want to invoke some obscure fucking cop-out clause? What the fuck… I can't fucking believe this!'

The minute Roxas paused for breath both Ventus and Xaldin broke in with simultaneous demands to know when Roxas had spoken to the other party and because at this point it was either walk out or hit something Roxas stumbled out the door and slammed it behind him. All that was going through his head was 'How the hell can Ventus do this? I don't understand… That bastard has to pay…'