Hospital:

Pain. That's all he felt right now, his body was in immense pain and numbness after he was….was…..de-materialized.

"That's right I died after I beat Kayaba but if I'm dead than why do I still feel pain?" he asked himself. Kirito knew he was the dead after Kayaba but he still feels the numbness and pain inside as if he was still….alive.

He opened his eyes very slowly and look at the ceiling of the room. He also heard a sound next to him that went beep every 2 seconds. He turned his head and saw a monitor with a heart animation and a bpm number logo.

"Wait a minute…..plain ceiling….bpm monitor…IV in my arm….I'm in the hospital!" he thought in his head. He was here in the real world…..breathing.

"Okay I've been inactive in my body for two years so let's try moving a bit." Kirito moved his fingers a bit and they were a little numb. "Come…on.." he strained as he moved his fingers a bit more. He repeated the process 10 more times before he felt complete movement in them.

"Okay…now…let's stand up." He then sat up slowly, feeling his body stagger a bit back and forth and moved both of his legs over the side and tried to stand up but he fell miserably as he came crashing down to the floor and made noise with the bpm monitor.

"Dammit.." he cursed himself as he reached up and turned off the annoying sound that click for a few seconds.

"Okay, I can stand up on my own so I need something to support my legs." Kirito told himself as he put arms on the bed and pulled himself up to his knees barely holding on. He looked at his arm with the IV and followed the cord to the bag.

"There this should help." He thought as he grabbed the stand and pulled himself up. He staggered again feeling his legs going down but he was determined to keep standing.

"No…you….don't." he was able to get his legs to stand tall although they were still wobbling a bit.

He then thought about the two people that he needed to see, he needed to find them now before he loses the ability to stand. His adopti…..no his mother, and his sister. He looked outside and saw that it was the afternoon, but it wasn't going to stop him from finding her.

"Sugu….." he started walking out of the room. As he reached the door, he looked outside to see anyone in the hall, surprisingly there was no one right now.

"Maybe something happened." He shrugged mentally as he walked out in the hallway and passed down the rooms with one thing on his mind. Sugu.

He had hurt her when he was trapped in the game, she may try to deny it later but he knew that it was fault. Sugu and Midori had been suffering for the past two years because of him and he will regret it for as long as he lives.

"Kazuto…" he was brought out of his thoughts as he looked up and saw his mother Midori. Midori had tears pricked in her eyes as she walked slowly to her son that was in a coma for the past two years.

"M…M..Mom." Kirito strained his voice a bit calling her but it didn't matter as she pulled him into a hug tightly and cried tears of joy. He wrapped his arms around her in return and felt her cry even more on his shoulder.

"*sob*sob*sob* Kazuto." She cried to him as he smiled in return and replied.

"Hi…mom." His name…..he hadn't been called that in a long time. He felt a bit nostalgia from that but it didn't matter. He was here with his mother and that mattered. They've been like this for a few minutes not caring that other doctors and nurses were staring at them happily. Well why wouldn't they?

"Glad to see your awake Kazuto." Kirito and Midori both turned their heads and saw Takiguchi smiling softly at them. Kazuto was confused to who this person was that knew his name but his mother beat him to it.

"Kazuto, this is Takiguchi. She's been the nurse who's been watching over you for the past two years." Midori stated.

"Um….thank…you." he said before he wobbled a bit and was about to fall to the ground but Midort caught him.

"Is he going to be okay?" Midori asked worried.

"Oh don't worry, this isn't major or anything. His body's been inactive for two years and hasn't moved since then so everything is just numb right now." Takiguchi reassured her.

"So he'll be fine?" Midori asked again and Takiguchi nodded.

"Although I still have to give him a proper check-up before I can let him go you know."

"Right." Midori nodded as Takiguchi helped Kazuto backed into the room. Midori took this time to call her daughter and tell her about Kazuto.

"She's gonna be so happy that you're awake Kazuto." Midori thought as she called Suguha.


With Sugu, Ryo, Kotone, Strea and Sachi:

Ryo was driving as fast as he could around the city to the hospital. Even though he would get a ticket later he didn't care right now, his friend was alive. His buddy was alive after two years and a month being trapped in hell. He was going to get the girls there now, he wasn't going to miss this chance.

Sachi and Strea were extremely happy at the miracle that had occurred today. Kirito their friend, 'brother' was awake. Sachi was crying while they were on their way to the hospital. She couldn't help it, she was crying tears of joy and was unable to keep it in. Strea was also crying but not as much as her sister, she could finally thank the boy who reunited her and Sachi and this time she would have no regrets.

Kotone was both happy and sad about Kazuto. Happy because she could see him again but this time he would be awake and not lying in bed feeling cold and clammy. She was sad because she was worried about him. She had spent months searching for him in virtual reality always hoping that he would come around and visit but he never did or more like never could. Laughing Coffin being a huge part to the problem but also because of them he saw himself as dangerous to be around others and separated himself from her and the others. She was not going to let him be alone again, not when they are here to help him. Not this time.

Suguha was doing her best not to burst into tears. She wanted to see her brother again, she wanted to feel him in her arms alive and well. She was also worried about him, he was alone. In SAO, he didn't have a choice because of the murder guild. In the real world, she was right by him every day making sure he was still there but mentally he was alone. He was in the darkness for so long and had to go through so much and carry endless amounts of needless guilt. She promised last night that she wouldn't let him fall, she intends to keep it.

They arrived at the hospital and quickly got out of the car running into the building. They all stopped at the front desk quickly asking for checking in before ignoring it and running up the steps to the second floor.

They got out of the stairwell and encountered Midori along the way sitting down on the bench outside the room.

"Mom!"

"Suguha." They both hugged each other as the others caught up all panting since they ran here.

"Is it true mom, is Kazuto…." She trailed off before her mother nodded.

"Mmhmm, he's awake. I bumped into him walking in the hallway on his own, he's getting checked up by Takiguchi right now." She stated. They all had worried looks on their faces before she reassured them.

"Don't worry, his body is just extremely numb from being inactive for two years." They all sighed in relief after hearing her sentence.

"Good thing, we all know what that feels like and here I thought he wouldn't be able to help me with my activities." He said before feeling heat in the back of his head.

"What activites….Ryo?" Kotone said silently.

"Nothing, nothing at all." He waves his hands frantically before feeling another kick to the shin by her and pulling his ear like she did last night.

"OW owowowowow." Ryo grunted in pain as Kotone tightened her hold on his ear. Strea laughed at him while Sachi just sighed.

"They are sure a strange group of people." Midori said as she looked at them.

"Yeah but once you get to know them they're not that bad." Sugu said cheerfully while her mother sweatdrop at them.

"Right.." they both heard the door open and saw Takiguchi walk out the room with a smile on her face.

"Okay, he's all set you can go see him now." She said as she stepped aside. Everyone looked at each other before Strea spoke up.

"You should go see him Suguha." Sugu turned her attention to Strea and saw her smiling. Before she could protest Sachi spoke next.

"Strea's right. We've haven't seen him for a while but you haven't seen for two straight years so go ahead we don't mind waiting." Sachi encouraged as she got closer to Strea. Sugu turned her head to Kotone and Ryo who stopped their quarrel and talked to her.

"I can wait a little bit longer, go on and reconnect with him." Ryo said his piece.

"It's okay Suguha. We all know how much you missed him, so it's only fair that you see him first." Kotone told her. Even though she wanted to see him now, she could tell that Sugu needed it more than her right now.

Sugu nodded at her and went to her brother's room. She opened the door and closed it behind her and looked around the room for him. She looked in the middle of the room and there he was….. on the bed staring at the outside. He probably didn't hear her enter the room since he was deep in thought.

"…Kazuto…" she said as she clasped her hands over her mouth seeing her brother respond to her. They both looked at each other in silence. Sugu walked over to the bed and sat down seeing her brother who was still in shock as seeing her.

Sugu hesitantly raised her hand and put it on his cheek and was met with warmth. She started to shudder a bit feeling like she's about to burst any moment, it didn't help when Kirito put his own hand on hers and leaned into her warm hand.

"….Sugu…." he strained as he said her name. That was all it took for her to wrap her arms around him leaning her head on his shoulder. She silently sobbed into him as he wrapped his own arms around her in return and rubbed her back in soothing circles in comfort.

"*sob* You're okay, you're okay. *sob*" she muffled as she continued to cry. This was real, he was here…with her. that's all that matters.

After crying for a few minutes, she pulled back and looked at him. Now that he was awake, she could see it. She could see all the pain and sadness in his eyes for the past two years in SAO but she wouldn't show it to him, not now. Pushing those thoughts away, she reached out her hand to brush his bangs to the side of his face before giggling.

"It's been a while since your last haircut." She said. Kazuto chuckled and pull some of his hair from his bangs to see how long it was.

"Yeah, I think once I move again the first thing I'm going to do is get this dealt with." He replied.

"How are you feeling Oni-chan?" she asked him.

"Um…other than feeling numbness throughout most of my body I'm okay." He said but he could sense that she had more to say.

"No not that, I mean how do you really feel and I'm not taking a just leave be for an answer. Tell me now." She demanded him as she looked him in the eyes. Kirito knew he would have to tell her sooner or later but to be honest, he was scared.

"I'm okay physically but mentally I'm mixed up all over."

"I did some things that aren't ok but what I did was terrible. No matter how horrible they were, they didn't deserve to die but I didn't have a choice they….." he trailed off. He was trying to say this without freezing but he couldn't.

"Oni-chan, calm down." Sugu told him as she grabbed one of his hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm right here okay, calm down and take your time." She felt him slow down as his breathing became normal and he looked down at his lap instead of her.

"Sugu, I…..I…didn't mean to…..but…it was a murder guild and….i didn't want to but they would only leave if I was dead or if they were dead.

"What did you do Kazuto?" she asked. She already knew the answer to it but she could tell by his voice that he regretted it.

"I..had…killed…people." he said silently as he kept his gaze down. He knows she was either sick to her stomach and resent him or hate him for what he did but…..

"Oni-chan….look at me." She asked him but he didn't budge.

"Please look at me…..Oni-chan." He lifted his head a bit but it wasn't enough for her to see his face. She then scooted closer to her brother before she put both of her hands on his cheeks forcing him to look at her.

When he looked at her eyes he was expecting to see hatred, or resentment but he didn't get that. He saw sadness, kindness and understanding in her eyes.

"Kazuto….I know about what had happened to you in SAO…..and I don't care." That caught him off guard. He was about to speak but she continued.

"I know that you did what you had to survive. I know that you had to do everything by yourself and wander alone. I know that you had to take on a heavy burden all alone."

"I don't care about the killings that you had to do because I don't see a murderer in you. All I see is the same boy who was neglected for most of his life put his life on the line for others to survive, and fight for their freedom." She told him. Kazuto had tears pricked in his eyes and so did Suguha. She then brought their foreheads together and continued.

"Kazuto, no matter what you did in SAO, no matter what people say about you, it won't change anything. To me, you'll always be the same person I know. You'll always be Kazuto. I will always love you Oni-chan." She finished as she smiled softly at him and tears went down her face.

He couldn't believe it. After everything he did, he was forced to endure and how many people he had hurt, she still loved him and cared for him.

"I….I…I" he tried to speak but he shuddered as small sobs racked his body. Sugu continued smiling and pulled her brother into her chest as he cried. She then frowned at bit as she remembered hearing her brothers' words and seeing his eyes. They held so much torment, pain, sadness, and endless guilt.

"I won't let you fall." She said again as she remembered her promise from the previous night. She was going to keep her promise and make sure of it.

After a few minutes, Kazuto calmed down and looked at his sister who was still smiling at him.

"Feel better?"

"A little bit, thanks sis." He said not realizing that he called Suguha sister. She felt her heart flutter when he called her that name again.

"Are you gonna be okay enough to see the others?"

"Others?"

"Mmhmm. Kotone, Ryo, and Sayuri twins."

"Who?"

"Oh my bad I forgot you don't know their real names but you do know their avatar names. Philia, Klein, Strea and Sachi." She reminded him. Kirito's eyes widened when realization came across his face.

"Aah, see it looks like you do remember them." Sugu said as she poked his cheek with her finger.

"DO you think they'll hate me for what I did?" he asked her. Sugu knew that he was afraid, she couldn't blame him but she also knew that he needs to know that they aren't mad at him.

"Kazuto…" she called out to him as she took a hold of his chin until it was looking at her.

"Just like me, they don't hate you or resent you in any way. If anything they're worried for you, I mean they've been searching for you for months in SAO and here. So don't worry about it okay?" she asked him.

"Okay, I would like to see them." He decided.

"Okay but first cover your ears." She instructed him making him look at her confusion.

"Why?"

"You'll see." She gave him a sweet smile. Kazuto knew that smile all too well and covered his ears, whenever Suguha gave him that smile it means that someone's in trouble or she's about to cause some mischief.

Suguha walked to the door and put her ear next to it. She heard some voices and nodded before getting back up. She took a big breath and screamed loudly into the door for 4 seconds before stopping. She opened the door and was met with Kotone, Ryo, Strea and Sachi tumbling onto the ground and groaning in pain as they covered their ears.

Midori poked her head in and looked at her daughter blankly. "Suguha was that really necessary for you to do?"

"I'm sorry mom but I had to. They can think of it as a lesson for eavesdropping on our conversation." She said.

"Like hell that was okay! You could've damaged our ears and made us deaf!" Ryo shouted as he looked at Suguha like she was crazy….which was a mistake. Suguha walked over to him and…kicked him hard in his nuts….before leaning down and looking at him with a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry but what was that again, you're not complaining are you because if I recall you guys are the ones who decided to eavesdrop?" she said sweetly scaring everyone but Midori and Takiguchi in the room.

"Nothing." Ryo said meekly as he was still recovering from the impact of the kick.

"Good. Oh, that's right you can remove your hands now Kazuto." She reminded herself and told him. Kazuto removed his hands before looking at Sachi, Strea and Kotone..Ryo was still on the ground.

Kirito made eye contact before he felt Sachi tackle him to the bed. She buried her face into his chest crying her eyes out while Strea came over and hugged his head. Kotone was still back at the door thinking whether she should go over or not but Suguha beat her to it.

"He's your friend too Kotone." Was she said before she gently pushed her to the bed. Once Sachi and Strea got up, Kotone slowly walked over to his side and kneeled. She reached out to touch his hand, she needed to know that this was real and he was here with them…..with her.

"Kirito.." she said silently as she looked into his eyes. He gave her a smile and replied.

"Hi…Philia.." he said to her. Kotone wrapped her arms around him and cried like Sugu did earlier. Everyone smiled at the event while Ryo stayed quiet and silently got up off the floor. Takiguchi took this time to speak.

"Kazuto is able to go home today you know." She announced.

"You mean..?" Sugu asked while Takiguchi nodded.

"That's why I did another check up on him earlier, he's all set to be released from the hospital today if you like." She told them.

"Thank you Takiguchi." Midori said to the nurse

"Hey guys, come outside really quick." Kotone asked them as she walked out the door. Everyone was confused by this but followed her all except Suguha. Kotone told her to stay put in the room before closing it.

"What's up Kotone?"

"I think we should wait on speaking to Kirito put our meeting with him tomorrow." Before Ryo and Sachi could protest, Kotone put her hand out stopping them.

"Look, I know that you want to talk to him again but…..I think we should give him the choice of talking to his family first before us." She suggested.

"She's right. I agree with Kotone on this, Kirito hasn't seen his mother or sister in two years and he was alone back in SAO since we couldn't find him." Strea pointed out.

"Okay. We waited for him this long, I don't mind waiting a few more hours." Sachi told them.

"Ryo…?" they all turned their heads at the redhead who was thinking.

"Yeah alright, I'm on bored. Still kind of sucks I have to wait to talk to him again." Ryo told them.

"That's because you're impatient." Kotone deadpanned.

"Agh! sometimes not all the time." He countered while Kotone only rolled her eyes.

"Alright then I guess we'll head out and see him tomorrow." He said.

"You guys go on ahead, I got to talk to Suguha." Kotone told them.

"All right, come on Sachi, Strea." He called out to them as he walked away with the twins in tow. Kotone walked opened the door halfway and called out to Suguha.

"Sugu, we're going to head out and see you tomorrow okay."

"Why is that?"

"Well we do but you and your mom just got him back and we don't to takeaway his choice of spending time with you guys. We can wait a bit longer so don't worry about us not liking it." She told Suguha.

"Okay, tell the others to meet at the house tomorrow."

"Right. See you later, and Sugu…"

"Hmm?"

"Please…..take care of him. His eyes….are not the same as they used to be." Kotone finished and walked to the exit to see the others leaving a sad Suguha.

She knew what Kotone was talking about of course she was going to watch over him. She wasn't going to let him go off anywhere without her being by his side.

She walked back into the room and sat down on the bed.

"Oni-chan."

"Hmm?"

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah, I am but before we go…..can we get my hair dealt with first, I don't like having long hair." He said as he ran a hand through his hair groaning at how long it was.

Giggling slightly at him, Sugu nodded at him and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Don't worry I'll ask miss Takiguchi to cut it when she gets back." She said as he nodded. Kazuto was glad that he was back with his family again, he had a lot of time he had to make on.


Kirigaya Residence:

The family was now at the house pulling into the driveway. Kirito looked up and saw his home the same as it was when he fell into a coma. He was also able to get his haircut to how it was originally, he was thankful to the nurse who helped his family comfort them while he was out.

He was pulled away from his thoughts when he felt Suguha tugged his arm.

"Kazuto, stop staring into deep space and come get reacquainted with your home." she said cheerfully as she pulled him out of the car and helped him walked to the door.

"Welcome home Kazuto." Suguha and Midori shouted as they all walked in. Kirito looked around the room and saw everything was the same as it was back then.

"I'll go and make some dinner for us." Midori called as she walked into the kitchen before calling out to Suguha.

"Make sure your brother gets to his room Sugu."

"Got it mom." She shouted back and looked over to Kirito.

"You don't have to do that sis, I don't want to impose on you." he said trying to walk on his own before he collapsed to the floor.

"Ouch." He groaned as Sugu stood over him with her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look.

"Oni-Chan, you just got out of the hospital and your legs don't have complete mobility in them so until then I'm going to take care of you." she said as she leaned down and looked at him. Kirito blushed a bit when her breasts jiggled a bit and turn his face away while nodding yes to her.

Suguha noticed his red face and wondered if he was burning a getting a fever but she realized the position she was in and smirked internally at him. She met guys that would stare at her chest sometimes like perverts but her brother wasn't one of them. She was glad that it was gentlemanly of him not to stare at her chest.

"It's also kind of cute of how shy my brother is right now." She thought. She then got down and pulled him up and walked him up the stairs, him using her and the rail to stand a bit. After a few more steps, they arrived at his room and opened the door.

"Here we are Kazuto." She said as they looked around the room. Kirito noticed how clean the room was, he was at least expecting a lot dust since none of his things were touched for the past two years…..until realization dawned on him.

"Did you keep my room clean all this time?" he asked her as she settled him down on his bed.

"Me and mom both did. We didn't want you coming home to your still being all dusty and get you sick on the first day back, now would we?" she asked cheekily. Kirito look at her confused before smiling back.

He then felt her tackle him on the bed. He tried to get up but she was on top of him with her arms wrapped around his neck and her head on his shoulder. He was about to ask if she was okay but she spoke before he could.

"I'm really glad to have you back…..Oni-chan." She sighed softly into his neck as he wrapped his own arms around her body.

"Me too Imouto-chan. Me too." He told her. Sugu opened her eyes in shock but soon close them back as she smiled gently at him and rubbed her cheek against his in affection. He hadn't called her that in forever and she missed it, she was glad she had her brother back.


Kirigaya Residence (Night):

"Stop…..plea…s…e…st…o..p" Suguha woke up to those sounds of someone talking. She looked at her clock and it was about midnight.

"It's midnight." She said as she yawned. She was about to go back to sleep but she heard the sounds again but a little louder.

"I..m…so…rry…..i'm…..s…o… " Sugu got out of bed realizing that it was her brother's voice. He was making those sounds. She ran out of her room and into his only to frown at the sight of her brother.

He was shaking back and forth on his bed and looked like he was in pain. She walked over to him and pressed a hand against his forehead. He felt clammy and wet, he was having a nightmare.

"Stop…please…..leave me alone…please." He was starting thrash around in his bed a bit and looked like he was about to shout in agony. Sugu grabbed him by his shoulders shaking him trying to free him of his torment.

"Kazuto! Wake up! It's just a dream!" she yelled at him. He didn't seem to hear her as he started to whimper. He was trapped in his mind and he couldn't get out on his own not anymore.

"Kazuto!" she shouted again at him. This time he seem wake up in fear and instinctively shuffle backwards against the wall in fear not knowing who was in front of him.

"Kazuto, it's okay. It's me Suguha." She told him softly as his frantic eyes went back to normal and his breathing began to slow down.

"I saw them….I saw their faces…..I….they…I was…" he stuttered before he looked at Sugu who was in front of him. He looked at his hands remembering the blood that was on their in his nightmare and he slowly cried.

His shoulders shook as he silently sob at his nightmare of what he did. He killed so many people not by choice but it was still him. He did it of his own free will and he will never forget that.

Sugu frowned at her brother. He was having flashbacks of the people he killed but he was scared. He was reliving the past of those he had killed.

"It wasn't his fault, they were all killer from Laughing Coffin. He had no choice but…he had taken lives….oh my god….oni-chan." She thought as she realized in horror at what's been troubling him. He had taken lives, the lives of people who were killers but it didn't matter. TO her, he was trying to survive but to him, he thinks he's a killer himself and was no better than Laughing Coffin.

"Oni-chan…" she said as she crawled on the bed to him and reached out only for his arm to stop her.

"No Sugu….I…..I'm didn't want you too….I….*sob*" he trailed off as he started sobbing and covered his eyes. Suguha got closer to him and wrapped her arms around him burying his face into her chest and laid her chin on top of his head.

She then felt her brother tightly wrapped his arms around her as he wailed loudly into her chest. Sugu just sat there rocking him back and forth giving him comfort and calming him down.

"It's okay, it's okay." She softly shushed him as she pressed a gentle kiss onto his forehead.

"I'm right here…..I'm not going anywhere." She promised him as she continued her ministrations with him. She knew the nightmares would return but she didn't care. She wasn't going to leave him alone again, not after what happened tonight.

She already lost him once before, she wasn't going to lose him again. She was going to protect him from anything harmful to him no matter what.

She wasn't going to let him fall.