I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Sorry about all the confusion with this story. I hope to keep updating regularly. There may be a hiatus in updating while I'm in Japan for four months starting at the end of March, but if I can update I will. Please R&R.

Chapter 2: Friendship

"Mr. Strife. . We're glad to see that you have arrived. Your children are in that office with Miss. Trepe." The old woman gestured to the door on the right.

I nodded silently as Axel and I knocked on the door to the counselor's office. A young blonde answered the door. She looked not much older than Axel and I.

"Mr. Strife. . In here."

Xion ran to me in tears and held onto my pants tightly. I hated seeing her in pain. This wasn't the first breakdown since their death, but I knew that it would never get any easier, not for me anyway. I held Xion in an embrace as I watched Axel approach Paige. She was sitting in the chair with a tear stained face. I was astounded to see how much she and Axel resembled one another. She had fire red hair just like her brother. They even had very similar facial structures. The one thing I was shocked to see difference in was that Paige had bright blue eyes, just like Xion.

Axel picked Paige up and held her as he wiped her face. "It'll be alright. I promise." Axel smiled. It was nurturing. Almost mother-like. "You want to go to the park and get some ice cream?" He asked Paige while glancing up to me. "You and Xion are more than welcome to join us if you'd like."

I stood on my knees to get to Xion's level. "Do you want to go with Paige to the park?" I brushed hair behind her ears, something I remember that Riku did to comfort her when he was around. Xion simply nodded.

"It's settled then. Let's go." Axel led the way to my car.

We strapped them in silently making sure the seatbelts were secure. It seemed to me that Axel was just as concerned with car safety as I was. It made me feel better knowing I wasn't just a paranoid parent.

I simply followed the directions Axel gave me as we drove. I didn't recognize the park we arrived at. It made me realize that I didn't know Radiant Garden very well, but then I never was fond of the city. I stretched as we all exited the car. The girls had calmed down significantly at this point.

"This is the only park in town with sea salt ice cream." Axel said.

"Sea salt?" I answered. I'd never heard of it.

"Trust me. You'll love it. Get it memorized." He smiled as Paige ran ahead to what I assumed was the ice cream stand.

Axel and I trailed behind as Xion ran ahead to catch up with Paige. I was glad they were friends. It would be good for them to have someone to relate to. With the way Axel was smiling, I knew he did too.

"Four sea-salt bars." Axel said as we finally made it to the stand.

The cashier handed each of us a sea colored ice cream bar. Xion was obviously excited to try a new flavor as she licked intently. She and Paige headed for the swings as I followed Axel to a nearby bench that was close enough to the swings that we could watch the girls.

"So what do you think?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"The ice cream?" He reminded.

I took my first taste of the sky colored treat. "It's so salty, yet it's just as sweet at the same time." I must have been grinning like a child with excitement.

"That's why it's called sea salt ice cream, Roxas." Axel chuckled at my enthusiasm as he took a bite of his ice cream bar. We watched the girls for a while in silence.

"I'll never forgive my father for leaving." Axel said glumly.

"Why not?" I knew it was a dumb question. His father left him. I'd be angry too.

"It was his fault that mother died. She was sick and because of him leaving her broken hearted, she wouldn't fight. Then, there I was barely eighteen and raising a one year old. I wasn't done growing myself. But I had no choice."

"I'm sorry, Axel." I really had no idea what to say. I hadn't even known this guy and hour and he's already spilling his life story to me.

"No need." He continued. "I'm just glad that Paige has a friend she can talk to. It sucks bein' alone, you know."

He was more than right. I have been completely alone since the day Sora died. Sure, I have Xion. But it wasn't the same as having a best friend that you could bare your soul to.

"Yeah. I know how you feel." I fiddled at the checkered wristband on my left wrist. Axel glanced down, but said nothing. I wonder if he knows.

"How old were you when you got Xion?"

"Nineteen, almost twenty." I pasued. "I was almost twenty and not grown up enough to raise a child. I was suffering from depression, and trying to go to school at the time. Xion ended up needing my full attention; so I quit school to care for her. It was a year and a half ago. I'm twenty-one and I still can't forgive my brother for leaving me." I was holding back tears, if I continued they would surely come. I missed him. I loved him. But at the same time I was still angry at him.

I finished my ice cream.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Strength seemed to radiate from his hand to my body. I had to be imagining things, so I shook the thought from my mind. It seemed as if he could sense my pain.

"It seems like we both grew up before our time." He smiled as he watched the girls swinging and giggling with one another.

I stared at Axel as he took the last bite of his ice cream. His eyes fascinated me. They were accented by his red hair. I'd never seen anything like it before. I don't know how long I'd been staring, but he looked over.

"You alright, Roxas?"

I snapped out of my trance. "Huh? Yeah. Sorry. I was day dreaming."

"You should go back to school."

"Why? I'm too old for it now." I laughed.

"No you're not. With Xion in school you could do it now right?" He was smiling.

"I work. I have to pay rent somehow."

"That's true." He seemed downhearted now.

He pulled out his cell phone. "It's getting late. You wanna come to my place for dinner?"

I was silent.

"Come on, Roxy. It's the least I can do for keeping you out all this time."

I smiled finally. "Sure. Besides, if our kids are going to be friends, I guess that means we have to too."

"Damn straight." He pulled me off the bench and called the girls to race back to the car.

For the first time since Sora's death a real smile formed on my face as I pulled my arm from Axel's grip and walked next to Axel as we followed behind our daughters.