Wow, sixteen reviews in only two chapters? That's a big deal, for me. Thank you kindly, nice strangers. Your compliments are making me blush!

How many of you have gone to see Jurassic World yet? Pretty cool, right? The raptors were amazing. And I was crying when *spoiler alerts for the whole movie*

Anyway, for some reason the movie made me think of this story.

Chapter 3

It was the weirdest thing. It was like the boy could understand them. Vaguely. He didn't know every word that came out of their mouths, so it was very confusing, but somethings he understood. It was strange. As far back as he could remember, (except for many the slightest, slightest bit) it was him and his friend, alone on the island, so how he could follow some of their conversation? The boy himself only knew a limited amount of words, and he didn't even remember where he learned them.

"Hey, again!" said a voice. Hiro and his friend were alone in a huge room at the minute. They'd been there for hours. After taking them from the island, the boy, who had just come in now, had taken them to a colossal sized building, and told him that his family's personal, "doctor" was on the way to examine him, then he'd spent the day going back and forth between talking to the boy, and leaving the room.

Hiro had no idea what a doctor was, so at first he didn't like the sound of it. He'd hid under the bed, joined quickly by his friend. But the man who came in looked just as normal as the others. Except he was wearing a long white cloth. Is that what made him a doctor?

"Where is the boy?" the doctor asked, but all the boy made out was the word, "boy" itself, though he could guess the rest.

"He's hiding under the bed." answered the boy who found him, and this time, he understood both, "hiding," and, "Bed."

A face peeked in at him, that of a kindly looking older gentleman, and at the same time, both the boy and his friend erupted in threatening growls. The man in the white coat didn't look at all threatened, and instead, he smiled.

"Yes, you're very scary." he said to the wild boy, who, understanding that he wasn't being taken seriously, shut up quickly. All things on the island had feared him, or at least respected him. But this human wasn't afraid. Did that mean he was stronger than the boy? If so, the boy didn't want to anger him.

"Come on out." the doctor said, waving a hand. The boy understood what he wanted, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to listen. He was barely comfortable around the long haired boy that the older man called Master Fred.

"It'll only take a couple minutes, I promise. I'll be gone within minutes."

Those were too many words for the boy to fully understand, but he came out from under the bed nonetheless, his friend following slowly behind him. After only a few short minutes, the man in the white coat gave him, "a clean bill of health," whatever that meant, and left. Then it was just the boy and Master Fred again.

"Hey, guess what?" Master Fred asked him excitedly. The boy, understanding that he'd been asked a question, tilted his head. Master Fred seemed like a harmless guy, and that was some of the reason the boy had gone with him, even though leaving the only home he remembered was frightening, to say the least. The other reason was that the boy was sure that there was something out here for him to find, something for him to see, though he couldn't remember what. And the final reason was because he didn't think they would have just left him there, on his own, not after finding him.

"It turns out one of my best friends is your brother. He'll be here in just a couple minutes."

The boy bit his lip, and furrowed his brow. Someone was coming? A...brother? What was a brother? The word tickled something in him, but he couldn't connect the feeling to a meaning.

After a bit, he was back under the bed, growling threatening at everything that came in, even Master Fred. There were too many people in the room. So many of them had showed up at once, and the moment they came in, he ran under the bed.

"How long has he been under there?" a voice asked. It was the voice of a girl with short, dark, hair.

"Just since you guys showed up." Master Fred said.

"Poor thing." said the one they called Honey Lemon. Her voice was soft and full of worry, but he didn't come out from under the bed, not even for her.

"When is Tadashi getting here?" the tall, dark man asked. The boy had only managed to follow half the conversation, but at this, he stopped growling, and tensed up. Tadashi?

"He said he has to go meet up with his aunt first, and then they're coming straight here."

His friend was curled around him, and the boy buried his face into the fur, wishing he had never left the island.

*(*)

Tadashi's heart was pounding the entire ride over to Fred's house. Aunt Cass wasn't any less nervous, he could tell. She was usually pretty talkative, but the whole ride, she was dead silent. He couldn't believe this was happening. Just a few hours ago, Hiro had been gone, lost forever. But now...he was alive?

When they pulled up to Fred's mansion, neither of them got out right away. He grabbed his aunt's hand, and squeezed it. She looked at him, with tears in her eyes. "Tadashi..." she whispered, and he smiled.

"It'll be okay, Aunt Cass."

She sniffled. "I know. I'm just...so happy."

Fred greeted them at the door, unusually calm. Even he knew when a situation called for more tact.

"He's in my bedroom right now, probably still hiding under the bed."

"Under the bed?" Tadashi repeated, worried. During the time Hiro and he had been together as a family, the little boy had seemed so energetic, and friendly. And now, he was hiding under beds? Tadashi felt the old pain resurfacing, even though he should have just been happy that Hiro was alive.

"Yeah. When he gets scared, he kind of crawls under the bed with his dog."

"Dog?" Aunt Cass repeated Fred this time.

"Oh, did I forget to mention? He had a gigantic dog with him. It was on the island with him, and I was pretty sure he wasn't planning to come with if I didn't bring it along."

Aunt Cass was clearly a little troubled by this. "Well...so long as it gets along with Mochi, everything should be fine..." Tadashi smiled. Mochi was lazy and friendly, and not hard to get along with, so they just had to hope the dog didn't hunt fat cats.

They reached the bedroom then, where the rest of his friends were waiting outside the door. Honey Lemon hugged Tadashi tightly. Tadashi's heart was still hammering in his chest, and Honey seemed to feel it.

"Don't worry, Tadashi." she said to him. "You'll make a great brother."

Fred led the two of them in, and instantly, his eyes went over to the bed. There was nobody on it, but he could vaguely make out shapes under it. He approached it slowly, waiting for any sound from his brother. But there was nothing, and when he slowly peered under, Aunt Cass lingering behind him, he saw a boy, skinny, and wild haired, and scars along his whole body, sleeping soundly.

"He's asleep." Tadashi whispered, and he was relived and disappointed at the same time. Suddenly, something behind Hiro began to growl, and Tadashi's eyes went to a big dog that was curled up behind him.

"I...see what you mean about the big dog." he said quietly. The dog looked to be a Siberian Husky. Tadashi assumed it must have been on the cruise ship with Hiro, putting the dog at close to ten years of age, depending on how old it had been when he landed on the island.

"Hi there, doggy." he said softly. "I'm not going to hurt him. I promise."

The dog only growled louder, prompting Hiro into opening his eyes. Both brothers gasped at the same time, and Tadashi watched in fascination as Hiro let out a snarl that sounded like it belonged on a real honest to God wild animal.

"Hiro." he gasped out loud, and Hiro's eyes widened, and he stopped growling. They eyed each other, and Tadashi wanted to pull him out from under the bed and hug him tight, but he had a feeling that the young boy was less keen on the idea.

"It's me." he said softly. "Tadashi."

Hiro was quiet for a couple seconds, before whispering back one word. "Tadashi?"

The husky woofed lightly, and pressed it's nose into Hiro's back. Hiro looked over his shoulder at it, then back at Tadashi.

"Yeah." Tadashi smiled warmly. He never thought he'd hear his brother's voice again, not for as long as he lived. "I'm your older brother. You probably don't remember me though."

Hiro stared at him, seeming to process these words.

"Brother?"

"Yeah. You were on a cruise with our mom and dad, when the ship went down. Everyone thought you were dead..."

As he'd spoke, Hiro had slowly started to come out from under the bed, and Tadashi backed up, so that they were face to face, the husky pressed tightly to Hiro's side.

"Do you understand?" Tadashi asked, only just realizing that it was unlikely Hiro even understood what he was saying. The boy had been three years old when he disappeared, and even though he had been way smart for his age, ten years was a long time to go without talking to anyone else.

"I...understand...a little." Hiro whispered. Aunt Cass was next to them now, and he looked at her, and shrunk back at a new introduction.

"Hiro, this is Aunt Cass. She was our mother's sister. She's been taking care of me."

Hiro bit his lip, and shook his head, and Tadashi took that to me that he didn't understand what had been said. There was a look of frustration in his eyes that the older Hamada remembered from their childhood. Hiro had hated it when he didn't understand things.

"Oh, Hiro." Cass whimpered, sticking out a shaking hand to put on his shoulder. But the second her delicate fingers made contact, he leaped back, knocking into Fred's bed, and the dog jumped forward, snarling viciously. Cass jumped back, and Tadashi jumped in front of her. Hiro grabbed the dog by the ear and tugged lightly, saying simply, "No."

The dog calmed down, and it was silent for a couple seconds. Tadashi took the time to really take in the scars on Hiro's body. One went from his leg down to his ankle, and there were numerous smaller ones scattered around his body. Tadashi shuddered at the thought of what had happened to Hiro to have those put there.

"So, un, what's his name?" Cass asked, trying to break the silence. Hiro looked at her in confusion, and she pointed at the dog, smiling.

"His name?"

Hiro seemed to get it this time, but instead of answering, he said back, "Tadashi."

Tadashi smiled.

"Yes?"

This time, Hiro smiled, though it was small, and hard to see. But Tadashi did see it, and it made his heart warm.

"And I'm...Hiro?"

Tadashi nodded, wishing more than anything that they had never been separated.

"You're Hiro."

*(*)

The car ride home was, for a lack of words, vicious. At least for Hiro. The whole time they were driving, he remained lying down in the back seat, with a blanket over his head. He was deathly silent, obviously scared. The dog fared a little better, and was at least calm.

When they got to the cafe, Cass pulled to a stop as lights erupted around them.

"Wow..." said Tadashi, as he took in the sea of reporters swarming their car. Hiro peeked out from under his blanket, but when he saw what was awaiting him, he bared his teeth and looked ready to attack.

"It's alright, Hiro. I won't let them near you." he promised. Then he remembered the last thing he had promised his little brother. That they'd see each other again, right before the ship sank, and they never did...

Until today.

This time, he wasn't going to break any promises. He got out first, and while Cass charged through the sea of reporters to unlock the cafe doors, he cracked open the car door, and gently spoke to the frightened child under the blanket.

"Hiro, don't worry. I'll protect you."

Hiro peeked out from under the blanket again, and shakily stood up, bringing the blanket with him. Tadashi let him keep it wrapped around his body, and he pulled him tightly to his side, while the dog assumed position on Hiro's other side.

The reporters shouted questions at them as they walked, most of them directed at Hiro, even though it should have occurred to some of them that he didn't understand. Tadashi was surprised by how many people had come. He didn't think any really remembered that ship. And how had they heard about Hiro anyway? Probably one of Fred's servants had said something.

Aunt Cass shouted at them to back up and give him space, and Tadashi wanted to do the same, but he remained mostly calm. Hiro, on the other hand, looked positively panicked, and when he grabbed Tadashi's arm in a tight grip, the older Hamada couldn't stand the fear he knew Hiro was feeling.

He picked the small boy up, holding him in his arms, and even though he knew Hiro probably didn't like it, Hiro wrapped his legs around his chest, and his arms around his neck, and put his head on Tadashi's shoulder, letting him carry him into the house.

Once they were safely across the threshold, Cass ran to get Hiro food, which the young boy wolfed down, while also sharing most of it with his dog.

Once he'd finished eating, Hiro let himself be talked into getting in the bathtub. Tadashi was about to explain to Hiro how to get the water running, or at least show him how, but seconds after he opened his mouth, Hiro was reaching over, and the water began to flow. Tadashi raised an eyebrow, impressed.

"Did you remember how to do that?"

Hiro shrugged, putting his hand out to touch the water. He jerked it back, and Tadashi felt it for himself. It was freezing cold. Tadashi turned the heat up, and smiled softly at the look of amazement that crossed Hiro's face when he felt the warm water on him.

"Okay, I'll be our room." Tadashi said. "Come join me when you're done, okay?"

Hiro bit his lip, something Tadashi realized meant that he hadn't understood.

"Come find me later, okay?"

Hiro nodded.

*(*)

Tadashi tried to over homework as he waited for Hiro to come back out, but he was too nervous. Or excited. Or something. Either way, there was no way he was concentrating on anything else at the moment. He tried to read, but that didn't work either.

Just as he shut the book, the door clicked shut behind him, very silently. He turned in his chair, and smiled, secretly impressed again. He hadn't heard Hiro come down the hall, or into the room, at all. He was very quiet.

"Hey. Did you like the bath?"

The young boy nodded, and Tadashi noticed that his dog was wet too.

"Did he jump in as well?" he laughed, and Hiro looked at his dog, and chuckled a little himself, awkwardly, like he hadn't done it in a while.

"Well, you must be tired. You'll get your own bed soon, but until then, you two can share mine."

Hiro blinked. "Tadashi?"

"Yeah?"

He looked at his dog. "He can share too?"

"Of course." The dog was his best friend after all. He wasn't going to kick out the dog that had probably helped Hiro to survive this whole time. Together, the three of them climbed into the bed. The dog took up position on Hiro's other side, placing the wild boy in the middle. Tadashi thought it a little cramped, but instead of being unhappy, he smiled.

"I'm so happy you're alive, Hiro." he couldn't help but say.

Hiro looked over at him.

"Mom and dad?"

Tadashi grew a little solemn, and shook his head. "They're dead."

"Dead."

"Yeah."

Hiro blinked a few times, and then turned and looked out the window, and squinted. "Not many..." he whispered, and Tadashi looked at him curiously.

"Not many what?"

"Lights."

Tadashi found this an odd thing to say. San Fransokyo was over run with lights. But then he realized, Hiro wasn't talking about those kinds of lights. He was looking up at the sky, after all.

"The stars are hard to see in the city, unfortunately."

"Stars?"

Tadashi nodded.

"They were...there were many..."

"I can imagine." Seeing that many stars didn't seem like such a bad thing, if only Hiro hadn't had to be in his position to do it.

"I...imagine?"

Tadashi laughed. "Don't worry Hiro. You were really smart when you were a kid, and I'll bet you're still really smart now. You'll pick it all up in no time."

This seemed to make him happy, and Hiro shut his eyes. He breathed so quietly that Tadashi couldn't even hear it. He shut his eyes, and was happy to snuggle into the mass of warmth that had gathered on his bed, including Mochi, who came to rest there for a few hours himself.