A\N: So, I know from the title of the chapter, it sounds like the hallucinations will increase greatly, but they won't. In a later chapter (Breaking Fever) they will be going CRAZY and it will hopefully be hysterical, and I didn't want to kill the awesomeness of THAT chapter by doing to much with Zero's mind in THIS one. PLEASE ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!


"Come on, Zero, just take it!"

"WAH! ANALESIA, MAKE YAGARI TAKE THE YUCKY STUFF AWAY!" Zero wailed, hiding under the covers.

Analesia shook her head sadly. "Sorry, Zero, but you have to take the medicine if you want to stop the coughing."

"I'm not coughing, though!" Zero then broke out into a hysterical coughing fit, as if to disprove his point. Analesia rubbed his back, knowing he had to take symptoms or he wouldn't get any better. It was the second day of this strange sickness, and Zero had not improved at all. He had gone downhill, actually, and was coughing and sneezing with a runny nose.

"You have to take your medicine, Zero."

"But… But…."

Yagari sighed, taking Zero's chin in his hand. "Open up."

"Hmm-mm." Zero shook his head, clamping his mouth shut.

"Zero." Yagari's voice took on a very warning tone.

Zero slowly, hesitantly opened his mouth, and Yagari shoved all of the contents in before slamming his mouth shut.

"Swallow."

Zero did as he was told, and then shuddered, making a face. Analesia handed him a glass of water and let him wash the flavor away. Analesia sighed as Zero sank down into the sheets, almost instantly calmed by the medicine and acting extremely drowsy.

"I'm kind of worried… Isn't it possible for NyQuil to cause hallucinations?"

Yagari shrugged. "It isn't common, and he's already having them."

"What if they get worse?"

"WHY CAN'T THE MARSHMALLOWS IN YOUR HAIR BE PINK?"

Yagari and Analesia both jumped, and Analesia pointed to the sleeping Level D. "See?"

"That's not hallucinations, that's just a weird dream."

Analesia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." She sat down in the chair by Zero's bed and rested her head in her hands. "Poor Zero…."

"You should've seen Ichiru growing up."

"Who?" Analesia gave Yagari a strange look.

"Ichiru," Yagari repeated. "Zero's twin."

Analesia's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah, Zero told me about him and… that night."

Yagari nodded, and Analesia looked at Zero, who was still asleep and muttering something about fairies and leprechauns. "He never told me a lot about Ichiru. Just that they were twins and Ichiru… well, died."

"Yeah. He doesn't talk about his family much, but especially not Ichiru." Yagari lit up a cigarette and slipped it into his mouth, taking a long drag and leaning back against the door.

"Why not?"

Yagari sighed, pulling the cig out of his mouth for a moment and tapping his chin. "Well, in order to understand the pain of his loss, you'd have to understand the extents of his love first. Zero and Ichiru were twins, like I said, and for hunters… that's a very bad thing. They were considered cursed, and it was certainly true. When they were both in the womb, most of the nutrition and health went to Zero, not on purpose, just because that's how it is, and Ichiru was born very sick. Most nights he looked… well, like this." Yagari chuckled, pointing to his pupil, who was currently sucking his thumb.

"Oh." Analesia bit her lip, thinking of a small child curled up in bed like that all the time. Always sick. Always in pain. Always hurting.

"Don't get a face like that. Ichiru was sick, yes, but he had Zero's undivided attention. Those two did everything together. Half the time they slept together, and I would walk into the bedroom in the morning to get Zero so we could train, and there they were, curled up in the sheets, holding each other. Ichiru had snot all over his face, and he had gotten it all over Zero's pajamas, he couldn't breathe, and Zero had red marks on his chest from having Ichiru's head there all night." Yagari laughed. "Those two got in and out of so much trouble together. There was no doubt about their love for each other. No doubt."

Analesia stared at her hands, which were folded in her lap. "And then… Ichiru was killed."
Yagari sighed, finishing off the cigarette and putting it out on the bottom of his shoe before flicking it into the trash can. "Yeah."

She shook her head slowly. "No wonder he doesn't want to talk about Ichiru…."

Yagari sighed. "He still wants his little brother back, and some nights you can hear him mumble in his sleep. You should listen sometime."

Analesia nodded. "I think I will."

Yagari nodded back. "By the way, this is something Zero has told only me. I told you because if he wasn't so hurt, he would've let you know by now. I can see how much he trusts you, but don't use this against me. Don't tell anyone, and don't tell him I told you, got it?"

"Sure." Analesia brushed Zero's hair back, and then laughed softly. "For such a tough guy, you seem really attached to Zero and Ichiru."

Yagari shrugged. "Well, if Zero become famous, I'll be pretty famous, too, since I was his teacher. And Ichiru was kind of part of the package."

"You don't feel that at all! You loved those kids!" Analesia stood up, planting her hands firmly on her hips and glaring.

Yagari sighed. "You're so stubborn."

"And you're so cold," she retorted, smirking at him.

"You're a redhead."

Analesia stopped. "How is that a comeback?"

Yagari smiled, stepping towards her. "It's not, but I like stubborn and redhead in a woman."

Analesia's face heated up, but she put her hands on his chest and pushed him back. "Don't even think about it, cowboy! I'm only here with you because Zero's sick."

"If you're only here because Zero's sick, why don't you just leave the room? Zero's asleep, after all."

"Because I'm not leaving him up here with you!" Analesia turned around, crossing her arms over her chest. She was surprised when she didn't hear and response. Suddenly, who arms snaked around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Well, then, I guess we're stuck."

Analesia stomped her foot, grabbing his hands. "Yagari, get your hands off me!"

Yagari laughed, releasing her. "Come on, Analesia, I was just messing around."

Analesia glared at him, trying to suppress the blush she knew was creeping onto her cheeks. "Well, don't mess around like that."

"OMIGOSH! YOU GUYS ARE, LIKE, SUCH A CUTE COUPLE!" Zero sat up suddenly, squealing, and then fell back down as dizziness overtook him. "Hey! It's all black now! Blacky, blacky, blacky…."

Analesia and Yagari both did facepalms. "I can't believe he just said that."

Yagari grinned. "I've been trying to tell you we'd make a cute couple."

Analesia growled. "Great, now you're both hallucinating."

Zero started crying suddenly, covering his face with his hands. "Where's Strawberry Shortcake? She invited me to a tea party with her and Dora, and now I can't find her!"

Analesia shushed him, rubbing his back and looking at Yagari. "Help me," she mouthed.

Yagari sighed, sitting down on the bed and taking Zero's face in his hands. "Now, Zero, you have to understand that Strawberry Shortcake is extremely busy, and I'm sure she didn't mean to forget the party. "

"But… but what about the cookies?" Zero cried, sounding completely mortified.

"I'll go buy you some cookies, what do you say?"

Zero giggled, nodding excitedly. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Alright, then, you can stay with Analesia, and I'll go get us some cookies, hmm?"

Zero nodded again, and Yagari got up and grabbed his coat, walking out of the room with a wave and a smirk in Analesia's direction. Analesia stuck her tongue out, but Zero hit her leg.

"'Lesia! That's not nice!"

Analesia laughed, tousling his hair. "Yagari doesn't mind, honey. It's just a joke."

"Oh… Okay!" Zero sat up, putting his face very close to Analesia's. "You do know he likes you, right?"

"What?" Analesia asked.

"Master. He keeps a picture of you in his wallet!"

Analesia's face turned beet red, but not because she was flattered. "How did he get a picture of me, and what kind of picture it is?"

"AH! MORE ALIENS!" Zero pointed at the ceiling, and then crawled under the blankets, giggling madly.

Analesia tried to push the unnerving thoughts from her mind, and instead focused on keeping Zero in bed.

"Zero, I hear if you lie very still with your head on your pillow and pretend to be asleep, the aliens will leave you alone."

Zero quickly did as he was told, closing his eyes. After a few seconds, he let out a heavy sigh. Analesia sat down on the bed beside him and gently started stroking his cheeks and hair, humming a country tune under her breath. Unfortunately, it was one of those songs she had heard while Yagari was blaring his radio to annoy her. Oh, well, it was a cute song, nonetheless.

"When… When Daddy gets back… I wanna sleep in the middle… can I?" Zero mumbled drowsily.

Analesia hesitated, and then complied, saying, "Yeah, you can sleep in the middle when Yagari gets back.
"Yay…."

Analesia and Zero sat quietly together with only the occasional shout of "CRANBERRIES" or "JELL-O SMURFS" until Yagari came in the door with Zero's cookies.

"Hey, eat up, then it's bedtime."

"Yay! Daddy, Mommy said I could sleep in the middle. Can I?"

Yagari glared at Analesia, and she pulled him aside. "What was I supposed to say? He was giving me this adorable look with these wide lavender eyes and… Come on, we'll move once he's asleep."

Yagari let out a heavy sigh, dragging his hand over his face. "Fine. Just this once, though. Don't let him get in the habit of it."

Yagari and Analesia headed back to the bed as Zero finished off his cookies. Yagari took away the sweets and took his boots off, settling into the bed on Zero's right. Analesia lay down on Zero's left, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"You're in the middle now, so go to sleep."

Zero nodded, yawning, and sank deep into the sheets and pillows. No more than ten minutes later, Zero was asleep, but Yagari and Analesia stayed there, unmoving, neither one wanting to leave their little boy so vulnerable and unprotected.

"You're still gonna lose." Yagari grinned at her tauntingly.

"You. Wish." Analesia lay down, sticking her tongue out at him, and then slowly drifted off to sleep, still holding Zero's hand in hers. At least… she was pretty sure it was his.