Title: Beside Me

Chapter Warnings: allusions to child abuse
Disclaimer: I really am infringing on someone else copyright, but I mean it in the best possible way.

CyborgRockStar: Yep, you are encouraging! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Don't worry all the little confrontations will be explained in the course of the story.
Thanks for telling me about the grammar mistakes. It's difficult for me to find them, and sometimes I know something sounds wrong, but I'm not sure how to correct it. If you're still willing to beta-read for me, then I'd gladly accept the offer.
I hope you like this chapter.
Lunar Fire: Thank you for reviewing. I love friendship, it's too important to not write about it. Tala's feelings will be explained later completely. Also thanks for the compliment on my English, I'm really trying my best with it. I hope this chapter will be to your satisfaction.
storm-of-insanity: Thank you for reading. I hope you'll keep reviewing.

4. Chapter Three

"Something must be wrong here. My cousins told me my friends were waiting for me and now the only one I see is you Kai."

"Well perhaps you should tell when someone isn't your friend anymore, cause until now I wasn't informed about that fact either."

On the other hand Kai had mentally to admit that he wasn't completely uninformed either. The other man's behavior had told him a lot. He had known that Tala was angry at him since his former teammate had left Japan without a word some years ago. What he didn't know was why?

There were only two possible reasons, but both didn't satisfy Kai. First like everything else that was wrong it could be because of Voltaire. Perhaps Tala criticized him for taking his grandfather in, just like Tyson did. Kai had to admit, that Tala might have some more right to be angry in this matter than his Japanese friend. Voltaire was a ghost that haunted both of their pasts and Kai had taken it it's horror without consulting Tala first. Kai couldn't understand why no one took his actions for what they were, a human helping his only living relative. Everyone had known that the old Mr. Hiwatari hadn't had much time left. It had been Kai's last chance to spend some peaceful time with his family, but that didn't mean that he had forgiven or forgotten anything what had happened. It had just been tolerated at that time, just like his friends tolerated Kai's past faults.

The other reason would be Tyson. Tala and Tyson had had a big fight. Kai wasn't sure about the reason, but it had something to do with the BBA. He regretted now, that he had been too preoccupied back then to give that matter much attention, right now the only thing he remembered thinking at that time had been, that Tala had somehow been convinced, that he would side with him.

Kai made a mental note to ask Tyson about what had happened. He hoped that his talkative friend would be much more willing to provide him with some information than the angry young man in front of him.

"Yeah, as if I'd believe that you came here to pay me a friendly visit." Tala taunted further. "Just tell me what you want."

Kai fidgeted nearly unnoticeable. He hated to admit, that he came for help, but if he wanted it, then there was no talking around it.

"I need some information."

The answer interested and satisfied Tala in same parts.

"What kind of information?"

"I wanted to ask you to tell me everything you know about my parents." It was out, but Kai didn't feel relieved about it. The answer would be far more important than the question.

Tala felt the sudden urge to laugh, but the noise never came out as his throat had contracted in surprise. He hadn't expected this. Why would Kai come all the way from Japan to ask about his parents, and why ask Tala at all?

"Why are you asking this?" When he saw Kai hesitate, he added: "You tell me and I might answer you."

Kai nodded mutely. He turned a bit and closed his eyes against the setting sun. The young man took his time to arrange the words inside his head, then he slowly began to retell the important events of the last days, beginning with Voltaire's death.

xxxxxx

"Thank you again for your help Tyson. You know, you remind me a bit of Kai when he was younger. You've got the same curious look and you are just as helpful."

Tyson grinned politely like he used to do, when his grandmother told him that he must have grown at least five inches again since she last saw him two months ago. But inwardly he wondered what Kai had been like as a child and if it could really be possible, that they were more alike than he believed. He relented, that even one comparable point would be more alike than he gave Kai and himself most of the time.

"Perhaps you should go outside and help Kai to persuade my Tala. I know that he can be stubborn sometimes, even when he knows what is the right thing he hesitates."

This time Tyson's answer came immediately and from conviction. "No Madam, I wouldn't be of much help. Believe me it is better if I wait here with you."

Mrs. Valkov eyed him sceptically, but didn't ask farther as she was caught by another coughing fit.

xxxxxx

"I thought you might remember something that I've told you when we were younger, something that would at least tell me if they are really alive." Kai concluded, nervous to look at Tala for the reaction he got.

The red-haired man took his time to absorb all the information he had just gotten, while he tried at the same to answer two other questions, did he want to help and could he help?

The time that he and Kai had spend together in the abbey was a long way back. They had both been young and there had happened so many things during that time and in the years afterwards, that he had difficulties to sort through all those images.

Kai knew he was impatient, but if Tala was going to refuse then he needed to know it now! He misread Tala's silence as hesitation in answering him, like he was still wagering the pros and cons. 'Okay.' Kai thought, 'If that's the matter, then lets cut this short.'

"You don't have to see this as a favor, regard this more as some kind of business. You'll help in finding my parents, and in return I'll help you with whatever you want."

"With whatever I want?" At Kai's nod, Tala got a thoughtful look on his face. "My family needs to get the farm going again, but the machines are broken. I just tried to repair them, but couldn't. My uncle and older cousin are already working on a neighbor's farm to earn some money for us. You've got the money to change this."

Kai gulped, but didn't correct Tala. He personally didn't have that much money. Of course it was a lot more than most men his age possessed, but it wouldn't be enough to bring the ruins around him to modern standards. However if this was going to work he could pay Tala, either because his parents were dead and that would make him Voltaire's heir, or because he believed, that if he would find his parents alive, they'd probably help him out.

So it was okay and not dishonest to nod again.

"What do you know?"

Tala let the pictures play in his mind again, trying to point the important one's out.

"I remember that you showed me a photo of your parents. You told me bits about them. Like that you lived with Voltaire, because your father needed to take care for your mother. I think it had something to do with an illness, but I'm not sure. Still, yeah they were alive back then."

Kai's hands trembled involuntary at the impact the news had on him, so he balled them into fists. "Did I tell you where we lived?"

"You've always talked about the Pacific ocean. I... yes, I think it was some Japanese town with K." Tala rubbed his belly out of concentration and unsureness.

"We could go through all the Japanese cities on the south coast. I would probably recognize the name."

Kai nodded once more, this time hopefully.

"Do you know what happened to that photo, you talked about?"

The Russian young man decided, that this was unfair. Why was he forced to remember only because he could. He knew, that he didn't want to remember this particular memory, but once started they took the decision away from him.

xxxxxx

Tala flinched back, when the flame nearly touched his nose. The hands on his shoulders tightened, keeping him in place. The flame moved away, turning its attention to the boy next to him.

Kai didn't fare much better. He struggled helplessly against the hands holding him, already too hurt and weakened to pull up much of a fight.

Their tormentor watched the children's reaction with grate satisfaction.

"Tala tell me where you are."

The boy looked confused up to Boris. He knew that every word could be the wrong answer now.

"In my room sir?"

"Yes this your room. And wasn't it your room for the last few years?" Boris voice was demanding, but somehow amused at the same time.

Tala on the other hand still was unsure where this was going to.

"You remember when you lived with your parents? You didn't have such a nice room, you didn't even have your own bed, own desk, or own wardrobe. You should remember, that I took you in and gave you everything, when your parents couldn't."

While Boris got louder, Tala grew angrier. Perhaps he hadn't had a room or a bed for himself back at home, but still he had felt comfortable with his family. Boris had no right to talk to talk in such a way about his parents.

Still the man continued his taunting.

"You two should be thankful." Boris started again, taking Kai in into his lecture this time. "But instead you decide to run away yet again. It seems, that Voltaire didn't make an impact on you last time. I'll see to it that I won't make that mistake."

Both boys shuddered. Voltaire had left more than a little impression. Kai closed his eyes as if that would take him away.

"You know, that you hurt me by just leaving without saying goodbye." Boris was even more amused now through the boys' reactions. The position he was in was most enjoyable for him. "I don't know why I should still take all the trouble over you, if you two obviously don't appreciate what I give to you.

Take this room for example. You, Kai, are probably thinking, that it isn't good enough for you, while you Tala, might think, that you don't need all this. So tell me, why I should let you keep your things, if you don't want them?"

Boris didn't wait for the friends to answer, nor did he expect them to. With his next move he brought the flame away from the boys and held the torch high in the air. He threw Tala and Kai a last smug grin, then turned his attention towards the room.

"You don't want these?" He indicated to the beds. "Well I won't bother you with them anymore."

The man held up the bedsheets in one hand and brought the flame to their edges until they started to burn and threw them onto the two beds on either side of the room. The mattresses nearly immediately caught fire and after a while were joined by the pillows and bed frames.

Tala shook in fright against the guards hands. Their room was on fire! Boris was burning their room down!

And he wasn't quiet finished. Boris took two little backpacks, which were handed to him by one guard.

"So you wanted to take these with you?" Again his question was only rhetorical and not expected to being answered. "You want need them anymore either!"

He threw the bags with the boys personal belongings into the fire and looked at the flames in satisfaction.

Kai had stopped shaking. He watched his things being destroyed by the merciless flames. Tears dampened his cheeks, loosening some already dried drops of blood again. A softly moaned 'No.' escaped his lips. The sight of everything he had owned and belonged, and everything that reminded him of the life he had before this hellhole, smoldering in the fire moved him deeply.

Tala was even more stoic. All that was left in his eyes was hatred, and all that he felt was emptiness.

Boris only turned his eyes from the flames, when they got to near and to dangerous for him. He left the room with a heavy heart.

"Sir? What are our orders?" The guard to Tala's right looked a bit helpless and shot the nearing flames frightful glances from time to time.

The abbey chef halted. It was obvious, that he hadn't thought about his next moves. Burning down the room and putting fear into the children had been easy, but what now? Boris made some quick decisions, which should get him more time to enjoy his moment of pleasure.

"Let the fire burn some more. Only extinguish it, when it threatens to leave the room. Lock the boys in the cellar, perhaps they'll learn to appreciate a normal room after some weeks spend there."

He left whistling a happy tune, after having decided on the children's fate.

xxxxxx

"No, I don't remember what happened to that photo." Tala lied, somewhat still lost in his memories.

Kai noticed his friend's strange reaction, but didn't ask further. He knew, that Tala would tell him the things he needed to know. They had an agreement and Kai trusted the other man to keep to his side of it.

"So what now? You've got a detailed map of Japan, where we could look the town up?"

"Yes I've got a map, but it won't be necessary to study it here. I'm coming back to Japan with you, so we can still think about the city in the plane."

Tala had thought about this. The machines weren't working, so he couldn't do anything major at the farm. The little jobs could his cousins and mother do for today and tomorrow his uncle and older cousin were coming back, so he didn't need to worry about everything falling apart during his absence. It was also not a holiday journey he took, he was going to earn money by helping Kai. Was there any better way to aid his family?

"You're coming along too?" Kai wasn't sure if this was a good idea. On the one hand it would be great to spend some time with his childhood friend again and to try to repair their relationship somewhat, but on the other hand it would make everything more complicated. Tala still didn't know, that Tyson was with him and would stay with him for the rest of the journey. So arguments in every possible constellations could be expected, and that wasn't something Kai wanted to deal with right now. He wanted to find his parents and not keep his two best friends from killing each other.

But right now he wasn't even sure if Tala was serious.

"I said, I'll help you with this. How could I do this from here?" Tala already turned to make his way over to the main building.

Kai fell into step besides him, still not very convinced by this arrangement. He thought that he should perhaps forewarn Tala about who he would find inside with his mother, but decided against it.

"Okay, then lets leave as soon as possible."

xxxxxx

"How much did you tell him?" The angry voice asked.

"Nothing! He got the information from Mr. Hiwatari's last will. I'm not even sure, if he believed what was written." The blond man defended himself.

"He and another kid left Japan."

"But that's good!" Mr. Bradshaw shot in.

"No it isn't! It tells us that he's active now. They aren't in the right place yet perhaps, but the young one will try to find his parents and will stumble across us!" The voice sounded even more angry now. "If he had stayed where he was, that would have been good."

The notary leaned with his hip against the burly desk. "I did nothing wrong. It was not my job to plan, or to hold the youth back. I was only responsible for Voltaire, and I think I've done good work with that. You should have thought about the boy before."

"Be careful what you say. As you've just said yourself, you're work is done and we don't need you anymore."

Arthur's eyes glistered with anger. He hated it to threatened, but he had to admit, that this man had the power to do so.

"So what now?"

"Don't worry. If they'll come to the city, we'll know about it. They will be handled as the problem they are. We won't let everything be taken away from us now, after our plan succeeded for the last year. Just let us know if Kai Hiwatari returns."

The blond man opened his mouth to ask one more question, but the peeping in the line told him that it would stay unanswered. He disconnected too and tried to focus his concentration back onto his normal cases.

Tbc...