I am a terrible person. I really don't have one excuse as to why this updates taken so long. This chapter was done over a month ago but it's been completely (from start to finish) redone a total of 5 times since then. Seriously the rut this story hit me with was such a mess and combined with that nasty cold, a surgery, three finals, college orientations, work, and college dance auditions (which is taking a lot longer than I thought) there has been 0 time to just beat this one out. It's done though and it's taken almost 2 whole months to get to this point. Please enjoy.

Chapter 10

Coats and Colors

As his fingers grazed across the leather collar over and over again Roxas told himself would not be left behind. He would not lie in a bed while the world turned on as Axel ordered it to. He would not let his health hold him back. It was just after midnight on Christmas and Roxas finally sat up. His restored heart was beating in his chest loudly as if to protest his movement but he ignored it and put his feet down on the floor. The marble was cold and he clenched his toes up with a shiver. For a moment he reconsidered what he was doing. He'd undergone surgery only hours earlier and should remain under observation for at least two days. Two days were two too many to waste though and with a deep breath he stood up straight and grabbed the clean uniform Axel left him. By the time he'd finished changing it was nearly 1AM. Getting dressed was a difficult task considering his balance and coordination were hindered by the painkillers in his system. He picked up the leather photo album and looked up at the window above the bed. The snow had long since stopped and the ground was too wet for it to have stuck. Even if he hadn't seen it himself, in his hand Roxas held proof that it happened and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Maybe five years from now it would snow again, and he'd be sure to see it then.

Roxas wandered out of the hospital with no obstacles. Doctors and nurses were more than happy to see patients leave on their own because it meant they had one less dog to deal with. The cold floor was slowly numbing his feet and he wished Axel had brought him shoes, or at least a pair of socks. He tightened the hold on the leather album when the thought ran through his head, reminding himself that Axel didn't even have to bring him a uniform and he should be grateful. The society remained busy despite the hour, night squads heading out for missions handed down by their sleeping captains. The society never slept really and Roxas ignored the curious and confused glances he was given. Gossip was already spreading over why he was leaving the hospital wing and why he was barefoot, but Roxas ignored it as he always did.

Once alone and inside the elevator he opened the album and paged ahead to a shot of snow falling from the sky. He smiled and leaned back against the glass walls. The proof of snow didn't please to him nearly as much as the picture itself and what it represented. It was an act of kindness. A thoughtful gift from someone he was so sure didn't have an ounce of a heart in his body. Roxas shut the album and held it to his chest with a happy sigh, abruptly recomposing himself as the elevator reached the sixth floor. The doors slid open and Roxas stepped out into the hall in front of Axel's door. There was light coming through the crack at the bottom of the door, assuring him Axel was still up. What would things be like now? He only dwelled on the thought and in the hall for a moment before lifting his free hand and knocking on the door quietly.

"Enter."

From how he replied Roxas could tell he was up and busy, but what with? He opened the door and stepped into the office. Everything had been cleaned up since he last saw it, including Axel. He was sitting at his desk, which was covered in folders and books, and didn't bother looking up when the door opened. His eyes were focused on the paper he was writing with quick and precise pen strokes as if it was of great importance. Roxas wondered what it was but didn't speak up to interrupt him. Axel glanced up after the extended silence to see who was wasting his time and his pen froze midsentence, "…Welcome back."

Roxas smiled and shut the door behind himself, finally speaking up, "Merry Christmas." Axel returned to work on his letter and Roxas set his book down on the stand by the door before coming over to see what he was doing. His smile faded when he saw the form he'd been working on. He'd never seen them but he'd heard enough about them; minority immunity forms, and they were filled out in his name, "What are those for?"

"We're at war and you're an Al Bhed. Should one of the Nemean's ever set foot on the premises this will protect you," Axel told him casually as he finished filling out another page and set it aside.

Roxas didn't know what to say and he wandered listlessly over to the window behind Axel's desk. It was only a matter of time till his race caught up with him, but since he and his brother were born in the northern hemisphere he didn't think it would ever go any further than living in the coast ghetto. The policies of the Cerberus society differed drastically from that of the Nemean Lions, one of the most significant ones differences being who qualified as 'worthy to live.' The lions, who presided over the southern hemisphere, weren't content to just section the Al Bhed off like Axel had done and Roxas knew what was going on in their region was beyond the imagination, "Do you think they'll try to spread their ways?"

"Ofcourse they'll try," Axel didn't sound bothered by it and he continued working as he spoke, "Part of the reason our societies were established was because of the Al Bhed Holocaust, and while the Cerberus society believes in mere segregation our counterparts prefer to carry on with the old ways. You're lucky you were born in my jurisdiction, crossing the border is impossible for people like you."

Roxas and his brother were two of the mere handful of Al Bhed still on the island, and the only two in the Cerberus society. Most had paid to relocate to one of three islands in the hemisphere designated for their kind, where they could carry on normally. The twins weren't as easily identifiable as others because their eyes were blue rather than the typical bright green, though they both still held the spirals within them. He shook his head though and looked back as Axel finished up the forms, "Those will protect us though."

"Wrong. This will protect you, your brother is on his own," Axel told him, folding the forms and slipping them into an envelope. He refused to have anything to do with Sora and to his surprise Roxas didn't raise any sort of protest. He sealed the envelope and set it aside before turning to see why he was so quiet, only to see that the boy was smiling of all things, "What's so amusing?"

Roxas shrugged and turned back to the window, "It's just funny you're filling out immunity forms when we both know you're going to win this war anyway. Why use those when you can just protect me yourself?"

Surprisingly Axel laughed. He stood up and stretched his arms, only to falter and cringe at the strain on his wounds. Roxas turned and hurried to help him but Axel recomposed by the time he got there and just patted Roxas on the head before telling him, "Because I may not be enough."

Roxas smiled a bit, not because he found the remark amusing but because it actually sounded sincere, "The morphine must be getting to your head, come on, bedtime."

To say that Christmas was overlooked in the society wasn't exactly true. No decorations were allowed, on their uniforms or in the building itself, but gifts and such were fine if exchanged during their free time. Few dared be joyful though because Christmas day represented something which didn't deserve celebration. With the new recruits coming in tomorrow for interviews it was time to weed out the old dogs, and it was a process that started early in the day. Every dog was gathered in the 2nd floor conference hall, three-hundred hearts beating loudly as they waited to hear their name called. They were an elite group and even the dogs that had maintained a good record held a tinge of fear they would be dismissed from the society.

Up on the stage at the front of the room sat the three captains, their designated lieutenants standing nearby. A door off to the side of the stage opened and every head turned to see Axel come in, Roxas following behind him with a heavy armful of folders belonging to the dismissed dogs. There were so many and even those who'd been with the society for years felt nerves tightening at the possibility their folder was in the stack. Roxas handed each captain their stack while Axel moved to the podium and addressed the room, "More of you were cut this year than the past two years combined. With that said, know that even those of you who remain in the society after today are not safe. Anything less than Cerberus standards will not be tolerated, so from this day forward anyone who slips below those terms even once will be dismissed immediately." Several of the dogs had slipped at least once and they knew how easy it was to fall. If granted another term in the society they'd have to watch their step and work even harder. Axel had one more thing to say though before letting the captains dismiss them, "As of today we are officially at war with our rival society in the southern hemisphere, the Nemean Lions. Whether you're here after today or not, know that as a resident of the north you are expected to enlist in the fight for our region."

The news was unexpected and as Axel left the podium he could hear the murmurs of confusion and shock. Nobody but the select few on stage knew the reasoning behind the war, but the dogs were only expected to do as they were told and they didn't need to know why. Axel sat down in a seat off to the side of the stage and Xigbar moved to the podium to get the dismissal process started. With each name called there was a pause as the dog came to retrieve his or her folder, bow their final respects to their captain and Axel, and leave. This was the first time Roxas had seen this process from the stage and he could remember waiting in the sea of dogs, holding his breath and praying Xigbar didn't call his name. It was hard to believe that was a year ago. Things had changed and now his fate stood more securely as he stood next to Axel himself, "I wonder what they do after they leave…" he whispered to Axel. Axel did not respond. A Cerberus dog was trained, disciplined, and transformed into something so contrasting from a citizen it seemed impossible to think of one in normal life.

Somersaulting into the kitchen. Barrel rolling under the table and throwing open pepper packets to emulate a smokescreen. Disarming a spice rack and holding the cayenne hostage as you raid the fridge for food. But no! Beware! That orange has a gun! Roxas snickered over the thoughts even if dismissal was nothing to make light of. Axel glanced up at him and Roxas immediately silenced his snickers and instead focused on the process. Xigbar dismissed a total of forty-two dogs, Luxord twenty-eight, and Riku thirty-two. One-hundred and two were dismissed in total that day.

"So there are over a hundred new cadets coming in?" the number was astronomical compared to the normal range of 40 – 60 who were dismissed and Roxas sat down after the safe dogs were led away by their captains. He knew many of those who'd been dismissed quite well and it was odd to think that he was in a completely different division from them.

Axel merely nodded and got to his feet, "Hopefully they turn out to be better than those we just got rid of."

"I'm just glad I wasn't on those lists," Roxas admitted as he stood to follow Axel to the elevator.

"Oh you've been on them for the past two years, you were just exempt this year," Axel's words made Roxas freeze in his tracks. He'd been on the dismissed list? Why was he still here then? Axel stopped and looked back when he saw Roxas wasn't following him, "Something wrong?" Ofcourse he hadn't been dismissed, Axel made sure of it. Without a word Roxas walked after him, holding his tongue all the while. There was one question that bothered Roxas and he waited until they were in the elevator to ask him once more, "Why me?" Yet again, Axel did not answer.

Demyx laughed as he flew across the room on the sliding chair, whizzing through his new suite with glee. The chair got caught up in a Persian rug though and tipped over, sending him flying out of the seat and into the wall. He collided with a thud and just remained sprawled out on the floor laughing. His laughter calmed when he heard a banging at his door. He rolled over onto his belly and scrambled up to his feet as he hurried to the door, excitedly opening it. To his clear displeasure though it wasn't Xigbar, "You're that girl from earlier."

Larxene didn't look happy; in fact she looked more than annoyed as she pushed her way into the room and poked her finger sharply against Demyx's chest, "Just who exactly are you?"

Demyx just grinned and held his hands behind his back, "Demyx Cupid Puck the ninth."

"You just show up out of nowhere and land a position like this? Who do you think you are? People have to work years to even be considered for a lieutenant rank and you march in out of the blue with no record," she said, proceeding to poke him in the chest with her finger to accent her anger.

Demyx didn't speak up right away but he didn't seem scared of her either, "…I'm sensing some hostility."

His demeanor only further annoyed her and she took a step back to keep from smacking him, "Tell me, are you a vampire too?"

"Larxene."

She spun around and saw Xigbar in the doorway, quickly hiding her anger and paying him the proper respect, "Sir." Larxene wanted so badly to turn and thwack Demyx who was snickering at the entire situation, but unlike the new lieutenant she knew and obeyed Cerberus policies.

"Leave, now," was all Xigbar had to tell her and with a nod she stepped out of the room and walked down the hall to return to her own. As soon as she was gone Xigbar shut the door and Demyx leapt at him, latching on tightly with his arms and asking, "What's her problem?"

"She's one of Axel's loyal dogs. Be nice to her, odds are you'll be seeing a lot of each other as well as your cousin's friend," Xigbar told him, pushing him off with a shrug, "And don't do anything like this around others; I'm your captain in public."

"And I'm your captive in here," Demyx's play on words brought a wide grin to his face and Xigbar spotted just what he'd been questioning all along. Demyx could tell something was up and asked quickly, "What?"

"You're a vampire," was all Xigbar had to say, eyeing the small fangs barely noticeable in his smile.

Abruptly Demyx's cheer disappeared and he cut his eyes away, "Yeah, so what?" A sense of hostility was in his words as he abruptly turned back on Xigbar with a whole new attitude, "I'm not ashamed of it, and if it bothers you then…" His sentence caught in his throat when he saw Xigbar reach into his jacket and pull out a knife. At first a sense of panic surged through him but as soon as the knife went across Xigbar's palm, Demyx lunged forward and latched onto the source of blood. It had been days since he'd had a drink and little did he know, by quenching his bloodlust he'd only furthered Xigbar's control and plan. Suddenly they both turned their attention out the window as a loud noise echoed across the island.

Two stories above them, Roxas rushed to the window behind Axel's desk only to see a cloud of smoke and fire rising. Another explosion rang through the air and Axel turned around in his chair to see what was going on. The phones on his desk and in his pocket immediately started ringing and Roxas quickly told him what area of the island was under fire, "That's the old ghetto."

Axel opened his cell phone to take the first of a flood of emergency calls and Roxas watched him rise from his seat and pace the room. This wasn't something he ordered, it was an attack on his jurisdiction and Roxas wondered if the ghetto was deliberately targeted to send a message. He looked back out the window to watch the emergency vehicles; fire trucks, ambulances, and police vehicles speeding and appearing from all directions. Below, a handful of Cerberus dogs that were trained and assigned to disaster relief were piling into society trucks to hurry to the site. It was odd to see the gaps in the group after the dismissal earlier, but by tomorrow morning they'd be filled again.

"Welcome to the Cerberus society, please have your letters of admission in hand and proceed to the desk corresponding with the corresponding squad number you were assigned," Luxord announced from the catwalk between the two libraries, staring down at the crowded entry hall. It was the day after Christmas and beds that had been emptied within the society only yesterday would be filled today. New and unhardened faces looked around the large overwhelming room, up through the hole in the ceiling and able to see the next five floors above them. Veteran dogs were crowded around the guardrails on the upper floors, staring back down at the new recruits with interest while murmuring amongst themselves. Luxord watched as Larxene and the other lieutenants at the desks registered the pups, or as Xigbar had taken to calling them: new blood. He'd soon have to sit down and interview each and every one of his new dogs and it was an activity he wasn't looking forward to. With a sigh he turned and crossed over to join Xigbar, Axel, and Riku in the library, "Meager looking bunch this year."

"Oh well, with the war we'll be needing expendable dogs," Xigbar said disinterestedly, "Especially after that attack yesterday."

Axel nodded and peered down over the guardrail at the nervous smiles, "We'll see. They all strongly exceeded entry standards so a few may make it through the year."

"And you say I'm the monster," Riku spoke up with a slight laugh in his voice, "Poor fools don't know what they're getting into."

"Any further details on what went down in the ghetto yesterday?" Xigbar asked. The fire had been controlled but the already run down residence was nothing more than a brittle and burnt mess now.

Axel kept his eyes on the hall below them as he explained to them, "Other than what we discussed last night only a bit. The cause of the explosion has been narrowed down to faulty power boxes, simple explosives, or planned machina bombings. If it is one of the latter two then the question becomes: who planted it? Al Bhed extremists or our catty counterparts?"

They looked back to their own level as the elevator chimed and the doors opened. Roxas stepped out, looking a bit haggard as he crossed the catwalk and handed a letter to Axel, "This fax just arrived," he told him solemnly. He could feel Xigbar and Luxord watching him intently but didn't dare turn to face them. Axel was still trying to find out how the knowledge of Riku's vampirism slipped, and Roxas was sure one of the two captains would somehow pin it on him. Axel didn't notice the tension in the air though as he took and read the letter quickly, recognizing the seal at the bottom.

"Anything we should be aware of?" Luxord asked curiously as Axel folded up the letter and ripped it in half.

"Saix and Marluxia will be visiting us on New Years Eve," he told them, "Apparently they're going to be visiting with terms of negotiation…peaceful negotiation."

None of them were bothered by it and a series of scoffs echoed through the library as Axel drew out a lighter and set fire to the torn fax. Roxas didn't laugh like the others and instead looked down at the crowded level below. How many of them knew about the war their higher-ups laughed over lightly? More importantly: how many of them would be killed by the time the war was over? He looked up when he heard Axel snap his fingers, only to see he was heading for the elevator. Without a word Roxas followed him, back upstairs, into the office, and into the bedroom he was more than familiar with. When he turned to shut the doors he felt Axel's arms wrap around him, no compassion as usual but with the unwavering sense of possession. Roxas sighed but held no resentment, "Tell me you didn't leave everyone on the first floor just for this."

"Ofcourse not," Axel told him as he hooked a finger under Roxas' dog collar, "I'm sure the housekeeping staff are busy on the upper levels getting rooms ready."

Roxas couldn't keep from laughing and followed Axel as he released his bind and instead led him along by the collar. He sat on the bed and Axel let go of his collar before pushing him back onto the mattress, no resistance whatsoever which seemed odd. Roxas only lay there though and looked up at him with a quizzical stare, "What is it?" Axel said nothing, instead shaking his head and climbing on top of him. Time flew with haste and a sense of frustration, not a second wasted. On a day like this anyone could interrupt without a moments notice, walking in on the scandalous behavior between an unlikely pair.

Hours ticked by without a single disturbance and by the end of round six Roxas was completely exhausted. Never had he been so grateful to hear Axel's cell phone ring but apparently he was tired as well as he didn't bother getting out of bed. He picked up the phone off the nightstand and flipped it open, pressing it to his ear as he rolled over onto his side. Roxas, comfortable on his stomach with his arms folded under his head, turned his head to face Axel as the conversation ensued. He tuned out their words completely since the matter didn't concern him, instead staring at the scars on Axel's body. There were new ones from the recent attack on his life but there were others which were still unexplained. The call ended quickly and Axel shut his phone, reaching past Roxas to set it back on the nightstand before slumping down on the mattress.

"Where'd you get that one?"

He felt Roxas trace a finger along his shoulder, not bothering to open his eyes to know which one he was referring to, "Stab wound. Big sword, little pirate."

"Pirate?" Roxas sounded interested since he didn't know he'd ever encountered pirates.

Axel nodded and told him nonchalantly, "Hades project negotiations with an unreasonable group of riffraff. Happened way back when I was a lieutenant."

Roxas smiled a bit, reminding himself Axel had started at the very bottom of the tower and earned both his society and his reputation. He ran a finger across another scar, much lower down and off to the side of Axel's torso, "And this one?"

"Appendix," Axel admitted, "Ruptured during an Al Bhed kamikaze attack right before this society was founded."

"I remember that one. It was all over the news…That was before the ghetto was for Al Bhed only. Our neighbors back then wouldn't let their daughter play with me and Sora after the attack," Roxas said solemnly, "…You're lucky to have made it out with only a ruptured appendix. The machina was incredible I heard." Axel merely nodded and they left the topic at that. He felt Roxas trace a finger across a very faint scar over his heart, "What about this one?"

Axel merely smirked as he told him, "I got that one right before getting involved in the Hades project." Roxas wondered what it was from, a suspicion growing in the back of his mind but not daring to voice it. Axel could tell he was curious though and he just rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head, "We've got more in common than you think Roxas."

Roxas sat up as quickly as his body would allow, staring down at him in shock as words slowly came to him, "…You mean you…you were…"

"Cardiomyopathy, I was fifteen and staying with Xigbar at the time. He was one of the finest on the project team and through him I met with the project leader himself. In exchange for the surgery, I agreed to work for him to pay off my debt," Axel's explanation shook Roxas to his core and he looked back down at the pillow beneath him. Was this why? Was this the reason Axel treated him differently? "This was back when full organ transplants weren't illegal ofcourse; today the only thing available to rare cases like that are the drugs you take daily."

"…Is that why you helped me that day?"

February 14th, 2005. The freezing night was growing tiresome and his teeth chattered noisily inside his mouth. He'd been lying in wait since early that evening and from his dark hiding spot he wondered how wise of a decision this was. Only this morning he'd been at the market when he overheard talk of the recently established Cerberus society. They'd occupied the island for only a few months but already were making a reputation, not only with the residence but with the entire world. The women discussing the society apparently had sons in the society and were bragging about how well-off they were, and how they sent home large amounts of money recently due to their excessive profit. Rather than admire them like so many people on the island did, Roxas silently accepted that robbing any one of the so-called 'dogs' could easily secure him and Sora financially.

He didn't tell his brother where he was going. Sora was against his means of acquiring money but they both knew that work was nearly impossible to find for Al Bhed so neither could complain about dirty money.

Roxas had been waiting all night for a stray dog to wander away from the society doors, alone and unprepared for what lie in wait. He knew if he slipped up here it would be all over. Rumors about the group within the gates struck fear through most people, but desperation was a much stronger force in Roxas' mind. Finally he heard a noise but it wasn't the door beyond the gate, rather it was an approaching car. Just another passerby likely but as the car slowed to a stop Roxas peered out of his hiding place at the expensive vehicle. Was someone going into the society? With a vehicle like that Roxas didn't care who it was or where they were going, so long as he made off with whatever was in their wallet.

The driver of the car got out and went to the back door, opening it and bowing his head, "Sir."

Only two of them. An out of shape driver and a rich looking man, easy pickings. This one last hit hopefully would be enough to cover the rest of the utility bills and keep him and Sora in good standing for quite some time. Silently he got to his feet, remaining crouched and silent as the passenger stepped out of the car. As soon as he was on his feet Roxas rushed from behind the shrubs. He was used to this procedure by now and despite the height advantage the rich man had over him, Roxas was positive he could over-power him. Before he could even grab him though, his target reached out and took hold of his wrist, twisting it around abruptly and shoving him to his knees. It all happened too quickly and Roxas felt cold metal against the side of his head, sending a wave of panic through him. He was going to die. An overwhelming fear turned into pain though and his free hand shot up to his chest to catch his racing heart. Another attack and at the worst time; only this one turned out to be far more vicious than the others simply due to the situation that spurred it. As a pained groan slipped from his lips Roxas hung his head, "Just do it already," he managed to say. A bullet would put an end to his pain and everything else weighing down on him.

"Go get a medic."

Roxas was as surprised as the driver, "Axel sir?"

That was a name Roxas knew and it only seemed to intensify the constriction around his heart. Axel Tybalt? Head of the Cerberus society and most revered man in their hemisphere? "Did I stutter? Go!" Roxas heard the driver rush off before Axel spoke up again, pressing the gun harder against the side of his head as Roxas coughed violently, "Do you want to live?"

Axel didn't say anything and Roxas just stared down at his pillow as everything came together. For years Axel went out of his way to make sure Roxas got the medical attention he needed, only because he had undergone the same disease and knew his pain, "Even though I said I didn't want to live you made me."

"Don't think into it too hard, if it wasn't for that heart of yours I would've killed you right then and there," Axel admitted, sitting up and getting out of bed. Roxas watched him head for the bathroom and just smiled a little. He wasn't exactly sure why he was smiling since things were such a mess. He was getting blackmailed frequently by two of Axel's lieutenants, his heart would never get over the disease plaguing it, he was a minority race in a war between two great powers, and the world he resided in was falling apart. Within these walls though none of that seemed to matter and he lay back down to rest away the afternoon.

Okay next chapter on Friday, cross my heart (haha, had to say it. Go see the new Pixar movie UP. Such a good movie) It's done but it's in that beating stage where lots of edits are being made and there is soooo much explained in it I have to get it right. So, let me know what you thought please! I know it's been a while since I updated, and I apologize for that, but I hope I didn't lose any readers in the wait. Still wishing you all the best in all the world!

~Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

And as a side note to everyone reading: keep your tonsils if you have them. I just had mine removed two weeks ago and the recovery process is so insanely painful. When the doctor says 'it gets harder and more painful as you get older' LISTEN to him…though you feel so much better after they're gone and you've recovered from surgery : )