Eyes fluttered open, taking time to adjust to the light from the ceiling. He gave out a light grunt and then heard a thump next to him.

"Otosan! Otosan! I think Rei-San is waking up! Should we call Tou-Chan too?"

"Ugh…" Rei blinked a few more times before fully opening one of his eyes and then both. Kai rushed over to his friend after Gou called him,

"Rei! Rei, are you alright? How are you feeling?"

"……what?" Rei couldn't even register that simple question at the moment.

"Rei!" Kai called again. Gou rushed up next to him,

"Uncle Rei!"

After Rei fully opened his eyes and got his head on straight, he glanced over to Kai.

"…Kai?"

"Uncle Rei! How many fingers am I holding up?" Gou asked raising three fingers. Rei still had to think a moment before answering,

"…Three?"

"I think he's doing better," said Gou putting his arm down.

"Rei! Rei, answer me!"

"Yeah Kai?"

"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Kai asked again with concern.

"I think my head is spinning…" Rei replied as he made himself comfortable on the pillow and closed his eyes, "But I think I'll be okay…"

Kai let out a sigh of relief,

"Good…"

"Kai?"

"Hm?"

"…Last thing I recall…before completely losing consciousness, is Makoto running out of the room. What happened, while I was out like a light?" Rei asked with worry. Kai's eyes shifted, but at the same time, felt a bit glad or warm because even after all this, Rei still puts the kids first; and he doesn't even know Makoto was the one that did this to him.

"Um, you should rest, don't worry about it," said Kai and then turned to Gou making a phone with his hand. Gou nodded and left the room to call Takao.

America:

"Wow!!! America has great beybladers too!" said Makoto excitedly as he watches the tournament from a balcony with Max and Takao. Takao's cell suddenly started ringing and when he saw the ID, he got up to leave the balcony real fast.

"Hello?"

"Tou-Chan, Uncle Rei is okay!" Gou announced into Kai's cell.

"Really? Oh thank the heavens!"

"Yeah! He just woke up and talking to Otosan! We just thought you'd like to know so you won't worry," Gou explained.

"Oh, thank you! I really was worrying! Can he talk or…?"

"Otosan said he should rest. I promise I'll let you know as soon as Uncle Rei is all rested up!"

"That's wonderful, Gou. Thank you so much. And uh…how is Kai doing?" Takao asked, a bit nervously.

"Well…I think he's happy now that Uncle Rei has woken up," Gou guessed as he took a seat.

"Happy? Ha, I actually forgot what a happy-Kai looked like. I'm kidding! Do you want to speak to Makoto? I can get him for you," Takao offered.

"Oh! Yes please!"

"Okay, hold on a moment!" Takao went back and tapped Makoto's shoulder to get his attention, "Hey, it's your brother."

Makoto took the phone and happily greeted Gou.

"Makoto do you any idea what you did?" Gou asked in a strict voice and Makoto's expression changed.

"You're mad too?" Makoto asked sadly.

"I'm not mad that you ran away, I'm mad at what you did to Uncle Rei!"

"Um…is he…okay?"

"Well…so far…but still! I'm really disappointed in your Makoto! As your older brother, I'm almost ashamed to be related to you!"

"Hey! That isn't fair! Just because you're older doesn't mean you know better!"

"Yes it does!"

"No it doesn't!"

"Yes it does!"

"No! It doesn't!"

"Yes it does, you jerk! You're just like Otosan! That's why he likes you better!"

"You know that's not true! If he supposedly does like me better it's only because I'm smarter and more mature!" Gou slightly gloated.

"Oh like telling me that is very 'mature' of you!"

"I'm sure drugging Uncle Rei and then running away was the smartest thing you've ever done," said Gou sarcastically.

"You're a jerk!"

"I'm not the one that could've killed Uncle Rei! I'm just letting you know that you should think about your actions for a bit! You can't stay with Tou-Chan forever! You have to live up for you consequences!" Gou reminded strictly.

"Stop sounding like him you jerk!" Makoto shouted into the phone as loud as he could muster.

Gou had to pull the phone away to avoid going deaf but before he could say anything back, Makoto hung up on him.

"…Well…that was nice," Gou said to himself.

"You hung up on him?!" Takao exclaimed to Makoto,

"Well my so-called brother is being just like Otosan!" Makoto pouted and Takao sighed in relief,

"Oh gosh…"

"I thought he meant Kai!"

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"Hey Gou," Kai called from Rei's room and Gou entered, "How'd it go?"

"Hm? Good! He wishes to speak to Uncle Rei!" Gou replied about the phone call.

"Who?" Rei asked turning his head to the side to see Gou.

"No one, get some rest. Then we'll talk," said Kai and got up from his seat, "Gou stay with Rei for a moment please."

"Of course!" Gou replied cheerfully and took Kai's seat.

"Uncle Rei, guess what?"

"That means no bothering him," Kai added giving Gou a look and Gou pouted.

"He's not bothering me, Kai," said Rei giving Kai his own look, "If it's a story, I'll sit back and listen."

"…Okay fine, but don't do anything unnecessary," said Kai to the both of them and left the room.

"…Uncle Rei?" Gou stared at the floor and started playing with his fingers.

"Hm?"

"There's something I want to confess but…"

"But?"

"It's…never mind…"

"Come on, Gou. You can tell me anything…I won't tell Kai if that's what you're worried about!" Rei winked.

"…Well you see, um, I didn't confide in Makoto either. So…I don't know! I shouldn't but…"

"Hm, well if you shouldn't…"

"It's not that I really 'shouldn't!' I just…"

"Gou, if you're worried, take your time!" Rei cut in with a sweet smile.

"…So I can talk to you later about it?" Gou asked,

"Of course! Besides, I don't think I even have my head on straight yet so I probably can't help you or whatever it is you wanted…" said Rei feeling his forehead.

"Ok! Oh and um…Makoto sends his regards!"

"Oh, tell him thanks," said Rei with a smile.

3 days later:

"You know, you really should do your homework," Takao reminded as he watched T.V. in the hotel, almost lazily as he ate chips in bed while watching.

"I will," said Makoto playing his hand game console that he brought with him on the floor.

"You said that since you got the homework and you didn't do it yet…you don't wanna go to 'summer school' do you?" Takao asked and Makoto looked up.

"Okay fine!"

-----------------------

"Gou do your homework," Kai ordered he and Gou waited for Rei's examination to be over with. Gou gave Kai a strange look when he looked up from "Lord of the Flies" and his English-Japanese dictionary,

"I'm not Makoto!" Gou exclaimed, "You know I did my homework!"

"Sorry…" Kai apologized, "I just haven't said that in a while…"

"Uh huh…" Gou was getting kind of worried that Kai got as far as telling his harder working, older, smarter, wiser, and more talented son something he's always told his…other son.

"But Gou…okay, I'm sorry but it kind of scares me you're trying to understand that book using a dictionary!"

Gou shrugged,

"You know that I know some English already," Gou reminded.

"Maybe Gou should get an IQ test…" Kai thought, "But if he is a genius of some sort…then that'll make him smarter than me…NOT letting that happen!" Kai thought to himself as the angel and devil on his shoulders argued over what's best for Gou.

Next day:

"Hey look who sent this," Takao called Makoto over to show him an e-mail on his laptop.

"Do I have to read it?" Makoto asked as he crawled onto the bed to see that Kai sent an e-mail.

"Looks like Kai misses you…but you have to read between the lines to know that!" said Takao and laughed to himself.

"…He's telling me to do my homework," said Makoto and gave Takao a weird look.

"Okay…well, besides that. You'll learn eventually," said Takao, "Why don't you give him a reply?" Takao suggested and got off the bed to get some snacks so Makoto can send his reply.

--------------------------------------

"And so while the book has an interesting theme, based on what I read so far, even I have to say it's incredibly boring to read!" Gou complained to Rei as he sat on his bed and ate his lunch while listening. Kai then walked in looking really glum…as in, more than usual.

"You okay, Kai?" Rei asked, being the first to notice.

"Makoto obviously doesn't know how to read between the lines…" Kai muttered and grabbed a seat, pulling it up to Rei's bed and sitting. After Rei got better, they explained everything's that happened. While disappointed, Rei was more concerned for Makoto's safety than be mad at him.

"Oh Kai, maybe you should just talk to him as you feel instead of writing a nearly coded message that only a few can understand," said Rei; which is true. As a former spouse, Takao got used to Kai's way of speaking when he's not in his comfort zone. Rei, being Rei, easily read Kai since the beginning. Yuri, the only other friend outside Japan, unless he's on a business trip in Japan, that can understand Kai. And finally…

"I can understand Otosan very well," said Gou and Rei gave him a swift glare; he's trying to comfort Kai here!

"Hn…" Kai gave no reply as he sat there in deep thought of what to do about this...

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"Tou-Chaaaaan," Makoto whined as Takao got up from his nap.

"Yes?"

"Can you help me with my homework?" Makoto asked holding his homework up showing some math problems and Takao groaned. He hated school the first time around!

"Where's Kyoujyu when I need him?" Takao thought as he stared at the first problem and his mind just went blank when he tried searching for an answer.

Next:

When Kai talks to Yuri about his problems, so he doesn't have to bother Rei, Yuri suggested possibly the dumbest idea ever except he wasn't really being serious about it; but Kai takes that answer into consideration…

And what's Takao to do on helping Makoto with his homework if he barely remembered these problems the first time he's encountered them!?

Notes:

-Well Rei finally talked so I'm happy!

-Starting next chapter, things might start getting interesting…at least I hope so. It really depends on me and how I write! Wish me luck!

Please R and R!