Again I want to apologize to everyone who's wanted me to continue! This story holds a special place in my heart and though I no longer write for anime/manga fandoms, I do feel that I should finish this story one day. Actually, I was looking at my list of published stories on here and thought 'what the heck, lets write another chapter' and suddenly I'd done so! So I promise you that this story will be completed. I'm already closing in on the ending anyway since I hate running around the subject at hand for too long when writing a romance story (listen to me like I'm an expert, this is the first romance story I've ever written, in fact the only one, haha).

As you may have read in the last chapter, I had an idea where this was going. Seeing as I wrote that chapter about a year and a half ago, I have absolutely no clue what I meant by that. So I just thought up some new stuff, maybe it was my original plan all along, I don't know. I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless, it's probably the longest I've written (I had originally ended it exactly halfway) so I hope it makes up for the long wait, if there are still any original readers out there. ;)

"Hunters have secured Kukuruu Mountain and are patrolling the area around Zaoldyeck mansion in case the suspect shows up again. Everyone is advised to only go outside if absolutely necessary and never travel alone by any means. The suspect is incredibly dangerous and has shown no mercy to his victims, all belonging to a well known family of assassins. There is reason to believe the one responsible for the killings is a member of this family as well. If you encounter the suspect shown in the picture, your first priority is to get out of there yourself. Don't fight him, no matter your status or rank as a Hunter, but contact the Hunter Association as soon as possible. The suspect has been located in the following places…"

Gon read the warning over and over, trying to figure out what had happened. It was impossible. He'd never expected he'd hear this way from Killua again. He silently wished that he hadn't heard about him at all. Not like this.

His phone rang and he immediately brought it up to his ear. "Hello? Kurapika?" The words tumbled out of his mouth, his brain racing to keep his thoughts together. It was as if now everything finally seemed to get to him.

"It's Leorio," a familiar voice on the other end of the line answered. "I take it you've read the Hunter site?" He sounded strange, with a certain distance present in his voice. Like he was horrified by the events that had happened on Kukuruu Mountain. Gon figured that would be the general reaction from people who didn't know Killua, but it astonished him that Leorio of all people sounded like he didn't want to have anything to do with him.

"Gon?"

"Yes, I… I've seen it," he finally answered. A short silence fell between the two of them.

"What're we going to do about it?" He forced himself to calm down. "We need to find out what really happened, right? We should go there right now."

"Gon…" It wasn't right, he could almost hear Leorio shaking his head through the phone.

"Leorio, you sound weird." Another silence. "Where are you? We'll meet up there. Can you get a hold of Kurapika?"

"Stop it, Gon. I'm not going anywhere."

He wiped a tear off his cheek. "Don't say that, Leorio. You can't be serious. Killua's our friend. Something's happened. This is the only lead we've had in months and we have to do something!"

"Will you listen to me? I've said it before and I'll say it again. If Killua doesn't want to be found, no good will come from searching for him. And to be honest, Gon… if Killua murdered his whole family… I'm not so sure I want to be looking for him."

"Leorio! You're his friend! You can't just abandon him like that!"

"Then you go look for him. Bring him back. Get him to talk. I think of friends as people who I know through and through, who share their problems with me so I can help them figure things out. And even if he doesn't come to me, I would at least expect him to turn to you or Kurapika. But he hasn't even contacted the two of you for all this time. You want me to go on a wild goose chase when all he's caused us is worries and sleepless nights? No. If he wants to come back, he'll be back. Until then I'm minding my own business."

"You're wrong."

"How come?"

"People can't always come back if they want to." With that he ended the call, his fingers trembling. If Leorio wasn't coming and Kurapika wouldn't answer him, he was going by himself.

It took him days to arrive at Killua's former home. Upon arriving he immediately noticed the hunters that were guarding the area. One of them looked at him suspiciously as he approached him.

"Get out of here, this area is strictly prohibited. It's extremely dangerous."

Gon didn't pay the man any attention, instead he kept on walking until the guard caught up with him and blocked his way. Some other patrolman started to walk towards them, apparently curious about the fearless intruder.

"Please get out of my way, I have somewhere to go," Gon answered, staring in the direction of where the enormous mansion should be.

"Didn't you hear a word I said? You can't," the guard replied. "This place is off-limits. I'll be responsible if someone gets killed on my watch."

"No one will get killed," Gon replied simply. He stepped aside as to pass the hunter, but a very sharp looking weapon immediately blocked his way.

"You should be careful, that looks like it could seriously hurt somebody."

The hunter smiled warningly. "That is exactly what it's supposed to do."

Gon cocked his head to the side. "You really think it will save you in case Killua comes back?"

The man visibly gulped, suddenly looking not so tough. He glanced to the side to see his friends staring at him, hands on their own weapons.

"Who are you?" he eventually asked. "What do you know about Killua Zaoldyeck?"

"I'm Gon. I'm Killua's friend," he proudly stated, though inwardly he knew that after everything that happened the last few months he probably shouldn't be. But he would never give up, he would never stop believing Killua was his friend until he honestly told him so himself.

"I came here to find him. I think that would be helpful to you guys, so if you could please let me through…" He took a step forward –

The weapon was now placed at his throat, so close that he could feel it slightly drawing blood. He looked up to see the hunter holding it looking back at him determinedly. "Sorry, Gon. Clear instructions. None shall enter this area. Especially not a kid like you."

Gon looked at him coolly. "I bet I surpass you in both Hunter Rank and skills."

Again that smile. "You're kidding me, right."

Gon's stern look was now replaced by a smile of his own, a confident, genuine one at that. "I'm not."

After a full three seconds the surrounding crowd stared at the scene that had unfolded in front of them. The 'kid' was holding the razor sharp spear the guard had been carrying at his own throat the same way he had done before, the only difference being him lying on his back, eyes widened in surprise, his mouth slightly opened.

Gon looked up when he heard a whisper from one of the other hunters that had gathered around.

"Isn't that… Gon Freecss? I've heard of him."

Another voice replied, speaking out loud. "So what if it's him, he can't be a match for all of us together."

"Then you fight him, I'll be returning to my post." He saw one man remove himself from the circle of hunters. Not long after that all the other hunters followed his example, leaving one man to face him. It was the same guy that spoke up earlier.

"And they call themselves hunters," he mumbled, loud enough for Gon to hear. He unsheathed his weapon, a long, shining sword, and assumed a fighting position. He only got halfway though, as the next second he was lying face down on the ground, his blade broken in two. He managed to roll onto his side, the brown mud stuck to his beard as he saw a blurry shape distance himself from him before he passed out.

Being a hunter Gon was no stranger to gruesome images, but this scene was beyond anything he'd ever seen before. The entire inside of the mansion was painted red with blood. Blood. It was everywhere. On the walls, on the ceiling, on the ground, every room was covered in blood.

The bodies were still there. Apparently no one had dared to remove them from the house with Killua possibly nearby. Gon felt sick as he passed them. He barely recognized the faces of Killua's father and grandfather, the way they were mauled seemed almost impossible.

Impossible.

He blinked, it suddenly came to him. There was no way Killua would brutally kill off his entire family like that. No matter how much he hated them, he knew he was connected to them, that he could never escape the name of the Zaoldyeck.

He closed his eyes, using Gyo to concentrate his aura. But before he could open them, he sensed the presence of someone standing behind him.

"Long time no see, Gon."

He spun around, knowing that voice all too well. His heart jumped up with joy despite the dreadful sight around him. Before him stood Killua, hands in his pockets, eyes twinkling. It was as if nothing ever changed.

"Kill… Killua."

"So you've noticed, huh."

His thoughts seemed to have come to a halt the second he perceived his presence.

"Noticed what?"

Killua laughed. It was so similar to the laugh he was used to hearing from him, yet it wasn't exactly the same.

Killua spread his arms, referring to the scene around him. "Tell me what you see."

Gon turn around again, not thinking about the fact that he showed his back to a supposedly ruthless killer. He gasped as he stared at the spot the bodies had been earlier. In front of him were large amounts of blue aura, tightly molded into human forms.

He suddenly felt a light pressure on his shoulder, causing him to turn his head. He stared at Killua who now stood beside him, a smirk playing on his face.

"They're… they're fake?"

"They sure are."

"But… I don't understand."

"Sit down. I'll explain."

It was exceptionally dark tonight. Kurapika stared at the crescent moon as his fingers absentmindedly played with the chain wrapped around his hand. He had a funny feeling something important was going on.

"Dowsing Chain," he whispered, though he wasn't really expecting any results. Ever since the day Killua left, he'd tried it over and over again, every night as he stared out at the cool moon. It never yielded any results, but it slightly seemed to sooth the pain in his heart. While the lack of functional direction of his chain proved to him that his search for Killua was far from over, looking at that lunar object in the sky he felt that while he couldn't reach him, he was still out there. However cold and distant, he was somewhere to be found. And inexplicably, tonight felt like that moment was closer than ever.

Gon stared at him, still in awe that he was sitting opposite his best friend after all this time, seemingly like nothing strange had ever happened between the two of them. Killua had told him that he'd explain, but so far he hadn't said anything. He just said there, unfathomable, that smile still playing on his lips but Gon could tell that the truthfulness to it had faded – the same way the twinkle in his eyes had now disappeared. He didn't pay it too much attention though, since he himself also experienced feelings that now suppressed his previous excitement. He had to know exactly what was going on before he could loosen up.

"So… Killua…" He hesitantly spoke up, trying to gauge the other boy. "Can you please tell me what's going on? I think I deserve that much."

"You do." Another silence, though it didn't last as long as the one before. "But first, tell me what you know."

"I don't know anything," Gon blurted out. "I've thought things through thousands of time, but I don't know. I really don't know, Killua."

Killua averted his gaze, stared at the walls that were still splashed with blood. "That's exactly why I'm here, Gon. Because there was something I didn't know."

"You could've asked me," Gon said accusingly, but immediately shut his mouth after the look Killua gave him.

"Trust me, Gon. You wouldn't know. And I wouldn't want you to know what was bothering me. It was personal… It all was personal. Telling you would only make things worse. I needed some time to think. That's why I came here."

He quirked an eyebrow at Gon's raised hand. "Yes?"

"Oh. Well. Killua, if that's all you needed, why did you disappear like that? Why did you pretend to have murdered your entire family? Come to think of it…" He nervously glanced around. "Where are they?"

Killua chuckled. "They're abroad on a big assassination mission. I got the house all to myself and didn't want anyone snooping around while I was… dealing with my problems. To answer your questions, Gon… you have to understand that I would've stayed with you guys if I thought that it would solve things. But you should have noticed the change in my demeanor the last few days I spent with you. No matter how much I pretend to be just a regular person, Gon, I have certain weaknesses that I can't always overcome."

Gon bent forward to put a hand on his knee. "None of us are perfect, Killua. But we're always here to help you. Even if you don't want to accept it, you can come to us any time you want. Just… next time, don't leave like that and keep us hanging in the dark. Even if it's just a simple phone call. I just need to know you're safe."

Killua bowed his head, an air of shame around him. "I know, Gon. I'm truly sorry for what I put you guys through. But please, try to understand. I didn't leave because I wanted to."

Suddenly a body was pressed against his. Surprised at first he tried to register what was happening, whether or not he was being physically attacked by someone, but then he recognized the movement as a simple, friendly hug.

After they both separated, Gon noticed a true smile on his lips. The smile that he'd seen from him so many times before. He knew everything was okay now. Maybe Killua wouldn't be ready to come back yet, but things were going to get better. He knew he was safe, that he hadn't slaughtered his entire family. He hadn't gone insane. He was still his friend.

Maybe that was the most important fact of all. Killua was still his friend.

After saying their goodbyes – Killua had to promise him to stop by when he figured things out – he slowly made his way towards the gates of the Zaoldyeck estate. He greeted the guards, or at least the ones who didn't try to hide the minute they saw him approaching, then continued his way home. Aunt Mito hadn't known about Killua's disappearance, but now that everything seemed to be fine he needed a familiar face to talk to.

Speaking of which… He had to inform his friends that he'd found him. Killua had made him swear though that he wouldn't disclose his whereabouts. He said he would come to them when he was ready. Gon understood. And so he called Leorio and told him that they would be back together soon. Leorio did sound a bit happier at this statement, possibly due to the fact that Gon told him that the killings were a misunderstanding, and complimented him on his determination. He found himself smiling when Leorio called him 'the best friend Killua could have'. Then he dialed Kurapika's number.

He still wouldn't answer.

The cool breeze filled his room through the open doors to his balcony. It smelled like it would be raining soon. He sat on his bed, eyes still fixated on the sky. He couldn't see a thing outside as the moon was blocked by dark clouds. It was late, he should probably head to bed. But still, there was that feeling inside of him that kept him awake. He felt a bit tense for reasons he couldn't imagine. Tonight, he felt, things were going to change.

He glanced at the clock next to his bed. Maybe he should go to sleep, find some comfort in his dreams. They were the only place where he could forget about everything.

Looking up however, sleep turned out to be the last thing on his mind. In the darkness he immediately perceived a jet black silhouette outside, squatted down on the balustrade.

Before he could undertake any action it swiftly moved and graciously landed on the floor. He could only stare at it, eyes shining a dangerous glimpse of red. An intense, warm feeling seemed to shoot throughout his body at this presence closing in on him. No, he thought, it couldn't be…

The clouds that had concealed the moon had moved on, enabling the soft moonlight to lit the room. He held his breath as it reflected on the appearance in front of him.

"You're back…"

He came to a halt, a few feet away from him. Kurapika hadn't moved a single inch. He could only stare, silently wondering whether or not he was already asleep and dreaming of a moment he'd wished so long for to happen.

"Hello, Kurapika."

Hearing his voice, however, confirmed his deepest wanting. He was here.