A/N: Finally, chapter 3 is here. It feels so good to be writing again.  Well, in a non-academic way. Life just always finds a way to take over. And thanks so much to all who reviewed the last chapters.

Review Responses:

Princess Sin: Well, here's your next chapter. Uh… I don't know yet what's happening with Shu. You'll have to continue reading. Weiss will come in soon, don't worry so you'll see what happens then. For now, enjoy chapter 3.

Pinball62: Here's the update, finally. Where you can see how things work out for nor. But I do like to keep my readers hanging in suspense.

eMu3: Well, I can tell you now that I'm probably going to stray massively from the drama CDs and from Glühen, simply because I don't know those. I can't get a hold of the drama CDs or their translations and Glühen is also quite hard to come by, though I've seen parts of it. But Really, I write based on the first part of the anime. Anyway, Schwarz have got to be a family-ish unit, just cause that makes them so much more yay. Lol. Here's the next chapter, anyway.

Randa: Glad you like it and thanks for your review. Here's the next instalment.

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Shuldig quickly covered his eyes, both to hide the tears that had gathered in their corners and to maybe soothe his headache for a moment. Then, wiping the tears away the telepath turned his head slowly to look at Nagi who had just collapsed to the floor beside Schuldig, exhausted. "I got some bread and water," Nagi exclaimed slightly triumphantly. He still didn't like stealing, but he felt quite good about having done something to help their situation.

"Well done," Schuldig answered and smiled at the teen as warmly as he could. Which did mean something coming from Schuldig, because the telepath didn't do warm. Not often, not around many people, possibly only around Nagi. The young telekinetic smiled back, but the smile soon faded as he looked at his friend. "Shu? You look very pale," Nagi observed with concern etched in his expression. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Schuldig replied quietly. "It's just a bit of a headache," he lied. It was a splitting, nauseating headache and definitely shouldn't be there, but Schuldig decided to put on a brave face. It was what he did. Schuldig didn't do weak either. "Well, you should have some water," Nagi suggested, holding out the bottle to the redhead. Schuldig thought that sounded like a good idea. He did feel quite parched. Nearly drowning in seawater would do that to a person.

Reaching out, Schuldig tried to take the bottle from Nagi, but he found that the movement was jarring his ribs too painfully. And oh, it angered the telepath that he could not even perform such a simple task, but he bit down on his anger as Nagi moved to help him. There was little else Schuldig could do, but to give in to the assistance as Nagi slid his hands under the telepath's head and rested it on his knees so that Schuldig wouldn't choke on the liquid while consuming it. He then lifted the bottle to Schuldig's mouth so that the redhead could drink. And he did so, taking a few long swallows. Once Schuldig had done so, Nagi drank some water as well and then helped Schuldig to lower his head back onto the makeshift pillow.

Schuldig turned his head and looked away, his pride stinging. He hated being this helpless, he hated it so much. And Nagi was having to be so strong. It just wasn't right, in Schu's opinion. But Nagi had his own opinion on this. He didn't need to be a telepath to figure out what his friend was thinking. Nagi knew the man. "Shu," the teen said tentatively and rested a hand on the redhead's shoulder comfortingly. No words needed, Schuldig reached up with his own hand and laid it on Nagi's. No words needed, he knew that the young telekinetic was saying that it was ok and that he knew how Shu felt about the situation.

--

Several things changed as the week progressed, some for better and some for worse. For one, both Nagi's and Shu's wounds were healing quite well, which was a good thing. Nagi could now move around with only the smallest amount of pain and even Schuldig was now capable of sitting and standing up, albeit carefully and still in pain. He did not do so often, though, as another more worrying change had come over Schuldig. It was becoming increasingly hard for the telepath to keep his mind's barriers up which he needed to ward off the myriad of thoughts pressing in from outside. Only when sleeping he was safe from them. But sleep was, for Schuldig, the most comfortable position to be in at the present time. With the degeneration of his telepathy came the constant pain of a migraine that would render a more inexperienced telepath insane. But Schuldig had lived through it before and he would live through it again, SZ had taught him as much.

Nagi was becoming more and more concerned for his friend, though. Schuldig slept most of the time, fitfully. He was constantly pale and barely ate anything, only drinking water from time to time. It was breaking Nagi's heart to see Shu like this and it made it worse every time Schuldig insisted that he was fine and going to be fine. Nagi no longer believed him. But he'd long since found out that Schuldig wasn't going to tell him if something was wrong. The concern, Nagi though, was quite sweet, especially coming from the telepath, but also out of place, given their current circumstances and really not helpful.

As the week drew to a close both members of Schwarz knew that they had to make a move. They needed to be out of this building the next morning as that was the date on which it was due to be demolished. "What now," Nagi asked as they were packing up their few belongings. Schuld had actually woken up after many insistent prods he received from Nagi. The telepath's head was threatening to split with migraine, but he strove to not let that get in the way, no matter how dizzy it made him feel at times.

Schuldig shrugged. He had finally given up on acting as if he had any exact plans that would keep them safe and alive. "I say we go back to our place. Carefully," Schuldig added, "and see if we can salvage anything. Papers would be quite useful," he decided. "Passports, anything."

Nagi nodded, but was a bit sceptical. "What if SZ find us there?" Schuldig just shot him a look and the message was clearly written in his eyes. If SZ were to find the two of them at any time they were screwed. They'd probably be tortured for information they did not have and killed. Nagi nodded and sighed. They had to be quick about it then. And damn careful. Looking around at the warehouse that had been something like home for the past week, Nagi turned to Schuldig. "Let's go then?"

The outside world seemed strange to Nagi. Strangely bright and surreal. Although he knew that currently they were a part of it, the teen felt detached and unsafe, as if they could die any minute, which honestly wasn't that unlikely. The young telekinetic also couldn't help but direct concerned glances at Schuldig every few minutes. Despite the redhead doing everything he could to seem fine, Nagi wasn't fooled. It was obvious that Schuldig was in pain, both from his ribs which weren't quite healed up yet and from an, to Nagi, unknown source. Though the teen had the suspicion that his friend was suffering from a headache and it had to be a massive one from the way Shu was shielding his eyes from any sort of light.

They had walked for a while and then quickly jumped on a crowded bus. They knew that no one would try to check tickets with this many people cramped into the vehicle, but to Schuldig it was utter Hell. These people's thoughts, so many of them and so trivial, threatened to drive him insane and he wanted to scream, loudly. To let it all out, yet he knew that would be a really bad move. But now Nagi knew what was going on with Schuldig. It was obvious by the way the telepath was sitting on the floor of the bus, nearly curled up into a ball, eyes clenched tightly and hands futilely covering his ears. Nagi felt like crying, he felt like crying so much whenever he saw someone close to him in pain. The teen was now kneeling down next to the redhead, trying to physically shield him from the other people on the bus who once in a while glanced their way, frowning. Nagi looked from the pained telepath to the flashing board indicating the stops. "We'll be there soon," Nagi whispered, urgently trying to keep Shu conscious as he pushed red hair from the telepath's eyes. Shuldig was shivering and drenched in cold sweat.

Nagi sighed in relief as the bus finally stopped and he dragged Schuldig up from the floor and led him out of the bus. The telepath collapsed on the floor at the bus stop, still shaking, but more coherent now that there were less minds at such close proximity. "Shu," Nagi asked as he sat down beside the telepath who seemed to be calming down a bit now. "I'm fine, Nagi," Shuldig said automatically, his voice strained. He didn't bother to sound credible, the redhead couldn't muster the energy.

Nagi had finally had enough. "Stop saying that," he exclaimd angrily, throwing his hands up. "You're obviously not ok." But the teen's outburst ended as fast as it had erupted when he saw Schuldig wince from the pain Nagi's raised voice had caused. Schuldig was sorry, he was sorry for causing Nagi so much worry, but he could not say it. Apologies were another thing to add to the list of what the telepath didn't do. And Nagi was sorry too. He hadn't meant to sound this angry. Nagi sighed. "It's your telepathy, isn't." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, but Shuldig nodded anyway. "What's happening," Nagi asked. If there was anything at all he could do, he would. Schuldig sighed, sounding more resigned than he wanted to let on. "I don't know. I can't control it. It's just not… working," the telepath exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice. It was like it had been then, when he'd been younger and had just discovered his power. And Schuldig was starting to be threatened by the same helplessness he had experienced then, before SZ had found him and trained him.

They remained in silence for a while, Shuldig recovering his senses and Nagi watching him, concerned. The teen knew that there wasn't anything he could really do. He did not know about telepathy and he so wished that Brad were here. Brad had always known how to help Schuldig, also sharing a power of the mind. And while Nagi too needed his mind for telekinesis he could not form a connection with other minds the way Schuldig and Brad had been able to. A while later Schuldig lifted his head from where it had been resting in his hands. "We have to move on," he said. Nagi nodded, and helped Schuldig to stand up which the telepath wasn't happy about, but he didn't comment on it either.

About thirty minutes later Nagi and Schuldig arrived at the apartment block they lived in, or had lived in. It was certain that they could no longer stay at their flat, seeing as it was one of the first places anyone, especially SZ, would come looking for them. "Too late," Schuldig murmured as they approached the door which was hanging precariously off one hinge. It had obviously been broken down during their absence. Nagi gasped a little as he stepped inside what had been their home. It was a complete mess. Drawers ripped from cupboards, their contents strewn about the floor, furniture broken, doors broken down. It could not have been more obvious that someone had searched the place.

Schuldig was slightly less shocked when he entered the apartment. In fact, no emotion at all showed on his face. He'd seen this done before, he'd seen worse, he knew what had happened. "We need to leave," he announced. Schuldig wasn't certain, but he could well imagine that SZ were having the apartment watched. "Go to your room and try to find any papers and documents that might come in useful," the redhead commanded as he left to do the same.

Nagi nodded and rushed to his room, only to find it in much the same state as the rest of the place. Utter chaos. His heart sank as he saw the drawers ripped from his desk. Nagi knelt besides the heaps of paper and other random things only to find that nothing was there. No fake IDs, no passport, nothing. He sighed. He should have known that it would be futile. Hopefully Shu would have more luck.

No such luck, of course. Nagi found Shu sifting listlessly through things scattered on the living room floor. None of it would be of use, but it had been something to do. "Not there, are they," Nagi asked carefully. Schuldig got up from the floor and shook his head in resignation. "No," he confirmed, his gaze shifting towards the window. It was nearing late afternoon. "We really have to go," the telepath insisted and walked towards the front door. Nagi followed him, but stopped just inside the door, turning around to cast a last glance at what had been his home for as long as he wanted to remember. Schuldig placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder. He knew, he understood what Nagi was feeling, but they were in danger for every second they remained in this place. Nagi turned with a sigh and they left their home, left the building and once again found themselves on the road.

They walked for a while, aimlessly, it seemed, but Nagi had the feeling that Schuldig knew where they were headed. "What do we do now," Nagi asked at length. He felt slightly bad for expecting the redhead to know, but anything would be better than the silence that had descended between them. It seemed, at first, that Schuldig hadn't heard him, but he did reply in the end. "We find a new place to take shelter," he answered. "And I will go about providing for our living." Schuldig knew that he hadn't a chance in Hell to get a decent job, not without any legal documents, forged or not and certainly not without his telepathy. He had a plan, though. Schuldig had found himself in similar situations countless times before, he knew how to live through them. One thing was for sure, though, he would keep Nagi safe from now on. There was no need to put the boy through more stress by making him do things he did not wish to do.