Disclaimer: I don't own X/1999, I didn't come up with any of their brilliant characters, they're the geniuses not me!

The character of Alex, Jacob, Venus, Charlie, David and Dimitri are all mine. The Noters are half reality. The rest belong to all the book/movie/TV stuff they came from. If you can spot where they're from then good for you!

A.N: and one more thing! If you think this story' Fuma is OOC then he's not, he's Fuma and not the Dragon of Earth! If you still think it's OOC then give me a good proof of it!

Part 10 – Infirmary / Welcome to the Lost Dimension

Frostbites threatened to eat Yuzuriha and Kusanagi limb by limb. They stopped feeling their noses, their toes and fingers, their complexion turned almost completely purple and white. Their moves slowed down, their thinking clouded.

When Yuzuriha thought she heard footsteps she convinced herself it was an illusion, a deathbed fantasy. But she was wrong.

They both raised their heads slowly, hairs full of snow and frost, and saw a tall man clad in a heavy bright colored fur coat. He had short-cropped dark blond hair, a chiseled face, his body well built. His eyes were the same color as the glaciers around them of crystalline blue. They were just as cold.

He stared at them with suspicious, surprise and care all mixed up. "Are you newcomers?" he asked but they didn't answer, none knew English that well, if at all.

"Never mind, you're in my land and you're slowly freezing to death" he was talking to himself. His tone was leveled, emotionless and careless though his words said otherwise.

He neared them, separated them from each other's arms with amazing physical strength and embraced them. His body emitted brilliant warmth, slowly melting away their cold.

Yuzuriha cradled into the warmth like into a duvet, Kusanagi was too cold and desperate to bother about such a sensation coming from a man.

When they were no longer cold the man levitated and began flying away with his passengers. He flew towards the populated part of the one planet dimension and away from its pole.

They flew over barren land seemingly stretching forever onwards to no end. Kusanagi looked down at the burnt ground, lifeless, bare, destroyed. He wondered how the land became like this, who or what cause this.

They flew onwards, over chaotic destruction areas, over ruins of cities and villages; all destroyed. Between the buildings, from the roads little white things glimmered in the moonshine where men and women fell and died. Their bones shone a gloomy memorial in the night's light.

Then the land began changing as trees bordered the disaster area. First it was a few trees here and there, then they grew so thick Yuzuriha and Kusanagi could hardly make out, under the canopies, two men on a horse riding in the direction of their flight.

The forest cleared making way to a big lake. The lake's surface remained undisturbed thus giving a perfect mirror reflection of the huge moon above staring up at them.

On the lakeshore Yuzuriha recognized her two friends and began shrieking wildly at them. "Araaaaaashiiiiiiii-san! Soraaaaataaaaaaa-san!" she waved her arms and legs madly at them.

The man who saved them stopped his flight to let her communicate. He landed at the lakeshore a little away from the other two and let Yuzuriha run free. Her rescue and the warmth made her bubbly personality spring right back to life, frightening the man slightly.

"She knows these two kids?" the man asked Kusanagi with a deep voice. Kusanagi stared back at him puzzled. "You don't understand me do you?" he sighed "I guess I'll take them along too".

Arashi and Sorata jumped to their feet as they heard Yuzuriha's cry, readying themselves for battle seeing the girl held by a stranger and yelling for their attention.

She hurried towards them "No! Don't be like that, he saved us from freezing to death! He's nice….and really cute too" she blushed a little, bouncing on her toes.

Kusanagi made a small 'I'm still here' cough.

While the three teens and adult reunited, babbling about what they've been through and how their landing was, the fur coated man worked his powers.

Gleaming bright light flashed around them and suddenly long slide-like carriage tied to two white horses appeared in front of him. It was like a Santa slide only white. With ice crystals clinging to its body in snow bright color gleaming with gold as the light hit it. The horses' harnesses were golden, the slide's rims were golden, and the horses themselves had a golden gleam to them with golden manes and tales.

The three Seals and Harbinger stopped their babble completely and stared with awe; it looked like a carriage for the gods.

Suddenly, out of the woods on the other side of the lake came a single horse riding powerfully across the shallow lake and straight back into the woods on their side. The horse and the two men on it were in such a hurry they went past them in a blur, hardly recognized.

Kusanagi blinked a few times, he thought he really saw something but he wasn't sure "That….that was Kakyou, our dreamgazer….but I thought he's crippled, he shouldn't be riding a horse in such speed…..and who was that who took him along with them!" he turned to the glacier eyed man who stared after the horse as well and shrugged carelessly.

The man stared back at them and said something in English. They stared back, Arashi and Sorata being none the wiser in english Yuzuriha and Kusanagi. Giving up on proper communication the man gestured for them to enter the carriage.

With a great deal of giggling, excited and awed babbling, some frozen silence and a lot of worry they finally climbed into the carriage.

Once he made sure they were all seated properly the ice man settled on the driver seat and hurried the horses to a canter.

Instead of riding forward as horses usually do, these horses rode forward and upwards.

The carriage soared after the horses, causing the newcomers inside a great deal of panic and excitement.

Over the forest and towards the infirmary they began their journey.

After a few minutes of their ride the ice man pulled out two lumps of shooting range ear protecting sponges and helped himself to them, blocking out Yuzuriha and Sorata's happy shrieking.

Karen and Seiichiro ran out of things to mindlessly babble about with Venus who began talking about her magical garden when her husband interrupted.

"So….eh…..how did Alex behave when he saw him, Kamui that is?" he didn't turn to look at them, he seemed to want to remain a bit detached from the subject.

Remembering the stripy uniforms folded on Jacob's coat hanger Karen wondered if Alex and Jacob knew each other there. It would explain Jacob's concern over Alex's condition.

"He was wonderful, he was such a gentleman, helping Kamui with all his might" she smiled.

"And he helped us too, before we came here he arranged us all to help him solve our big battle problem…It's a long story, but he was very helpful" Seiichiro added.

Venus smiled "Yes, he loves Kamui very much. Before Kamui came here Alex wasn't in the best of states…then Kamui came over and simply healed him, it's amazing really".

"Why? What happened to Alex?" Seiichiro, forever the reporter, began his enquiries. This time Karen didn't stop him, she too was interested.

Jacob turned his head a little towards them "The years of his age and the things he's been through began taking their toll on him. He was breaking up a bit, going mad and annihilating things with his powers running wild.

"So far he's been given medicines against it. Every time he'd go mad the medics would have to rush over to him before he'd kill us all.

"Then Kamui came. Suddenly all it took was for that boy to be there and Alex would either calm down or not go mad at the first place".

"He's amazing this boy, I don't know how those two found each other or what they have in common but they just clicked" Venus smiled, her eyes gleaming.

"What brought him to these states of madness at the first place?"

"I told you, what he's been through. And this dimension didn't help much. He's in the Rescue Team, they deal with every danger that comes over the people in this little city, and it's a tough job. There are monsters coming out of the woods or the river south from here. All of a sudden something huge comes up and everyone's in a great danger, you need to clear your mind and fight, never mind what you see.

"North from here there used to be a heavily populated city, much like the one we're driving through here. Some time ago these monsters started attacking the city and destroyed it to rubble, killing the population by the dozens.

"There is a doctor in the infirmary from that times, he went through some rough things. The ground itself there used to explode in fires bursts here and there, just killing people like that. That's how the Rescue Team came to be; defending the citizens from the dangers facing them in this place. It's a hard place to live in, this world, never mind how many times we move the city"

"Oh don't put the blame on just that Jacob, there's more" Venus seemed a bit angry and turned to her guests "He had some heartbreaks too. There were a couple of Noters that broke his heart before Kamui came here".

"Noters?"

"Yes, they're the police men and women of this dimension. They're just kids but they know their work. They were taken from their dimension where they were a whole regional unit of military police brought here by this dimension. Here they do the same policing work around the city area.

"The first Noter was a vampire, a pretty handsome young man who was an officer. Alex took a long time to convince him to even give him a chance as a lover. Then a man who knew Alex in another dimension killed that Noter to get back at Alex… that's when Alex began to crack…." She took a small break to sigh.

"At first we thought he got over that, we didn't even mention anything of that to him…and then came Mouse…" Jacob was telling the story now.

"All the Noters wear white helmets carved to look like heads of animals. They call themselves by those animals instead of names, those are the only names they give you, they know each other's real names.

"Mouse was a commander of his little base of Noters and was a rather pretty man, according to Alex anyway. In his world he visited the destruction camp Alex was in and had pictures of the place in his head. He was able to project these pictures into Alex's head whenever he tried to grab Alex's attention or stop him from doing something. Like that he controlled him"

"It sounds like this Mouse wasn't a very nice man at all, why did Alex love him? He did love him right? You said two Noters broke Alex's heart" Seiichiro turned to Venus for affirmation.

"Well, Mouse was pretty and he knew a lot about something that was a big part of Alex so they somehow communicated. Mouse didn't mean to be like that to Alex but he eventually grew spoiled" Jacob practically spat the last word, his tone becoming bitter and angry.

"Alex would protect him, help him, flatter him, court him and he didn't do a thing in return….that damn bastard….did nothing back but show him more and more pictures! It did his head in…"

"Jacob, you're forgetting things again. Mouse was engaged back in his dimension, his fiancée didn't come here so he missed her. Besides he was orthodox, it's not really approved to be gay in their religion you know"

"Darling, he used Alex, downright used him!

"When Alex started going crazy Mouse only shunned him out more until he grew downright cruel to him so Alex would go mad even more. On the evening Kamui came Alex had had enough with Mouse and killed him in a fit of madness.

"Kamui watched that and still chose to stay with Alex. Now that's true love; being able to look past the acts and see the reasons for the acts" Jacob smiled at Karen and Seiichiro.

He turned his head forward again and emitted a long sigh "Here we are: The infirmary".

Yutu noticed strange clicking sounds coming from Ferret, he turned to her. She smiled as she saw him look. "What's this sound?"

She laughed and pocked her tongue out. She had a tongue piercing she was clicking with.

It made Yutu laugh; he never saw anything like it before. He stretched his arm across her shoulder and tried to pull her a little to the back of the carriage, away from Cow's halfhearted reprimanding gaze.

The two girls exchanged a few words in their native tongue until Cow shrugged and concentrated on driving the carriage.

Yutu and Ferret finally got a moment alone.

Yutu had noticed when Kakyou on horseback and accompanied by another man rode past them but he didn't feel like caring about this right now. Ferret was such a lovely young woman. He wanted to erase the memory of Satsuki from his mind with Ferret's aid.

He cupped her little face in his hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb. They were so close almost close enough for a kiss…..

Cow spat a few words sharply. They all heard a rumble of hoofs behind them, and Ferret detached herself quickly from Yutu's arms.

Yutu saw three Seals and Kusanagi seated in a fancy carriage driven by a strange looking man. The carriage rode to their side and slowed down for the smaller carriage's speed. The man in a fur coat who was driving the carriage looked past Yutu and straight at the two girls. They said something and saluted the man, smiling a bit, yet dignifiedly. The man merely pierced them with his glacier glare in a heavy authority silence until the girls began speaking.

Kusanagi stared at Yutu, Yutu stared at Kusanagi. The three Seals stared at the harbinger and the two girls with him. If the four wouldn't be so detached from each other maybe they'd exchange words of their arrival and ask Yutu how he got where he is right now. But they didn't, they were too awkward.

The three Noters exchanged information in their language before the fur coated man nodded and hurried his carriage onwards past Yutu's carriage and towards the infirmary.

"What was that Ferret?"

"That was our commander"

"Oh….so you're not all beautiful young women….that's a shame…" the girls began giggling again.

Fuma sat on an examination table in the infirmary looking and feeling quit puzzled.

A man who looked exactly like Charlie Chaplin only with a stethoscope examined him.

Besides the Chaplin man stood a nurse, a young woman with purple hair dressed in a Chinese styled outfit. She eyed Fuma looking very pleased with what she saw.

She was glared at by Kamui who was already examined and now occupied himself with forceful glaring. Sometimes he placed a hand on Fuma's leg, marking territory.

"So….how is he Charlie?" Kamui asked once the doctor stopped his examination and sent the purple haired girl away.

"He's just fine, as sound as possible"

"Good" Kamui smiled.

"I'm glad I'm fine" Fuma mumbled, a powerful blush working it's way on his face "that girl was looking like she's going to jump at me any minute now, I was afraid" he chuckled.

Charlie looked at the door the girl went out of, making sure she's not coming in, then bent to whisper to them "She's not really a girl….." he winked at them.

Fuma blushed even deeper, Kamui knitted his eyebrows "It doesn't matter what she is, she's shouldn't be staring at him like that" he said in a possessive tone.

Charlie turned grave "iI doesn't matter if she's staring at him like that, he's not yours to claim like that" there was a tone of reprimanding growing ever stronger as Charlie spoke.

Kamui blushed, looking away angrily, making Fuma look at him with surprise.

Just in time Alex walked in cheerfully, he hugged Kamui from behind, planting a kiss on his head "Well, we're home dear, aren't we?" he was in high spirits.

Kamui didn't answer for a while. he was exchanging looks with Fuma who eventually, under the harsh stare from Charlie, looked away.

"Where are the others?" Kamui finally asked, looking up at Alex who smiled down at him softly.

"All are on their way. Yuzuriha and Kusanagi fell in the North Pole, they almost froze to death but Iceman got them out in time. He's bringing Arashi and Sorata with him as well. Subaru and Seishiro are led here by Ace and Spike, I saw Lestate take Nataku here. Kakyou is carried by Dimitri over here. Karen and Aoki are also on their way. Everyone's all right don't worry".

Kamui didn't answer. He leaned into the hug instead, trying to calm a storm of emotions that started swirling within him.

One by one the Seals and Harbingers arrived each in their way.

Nataku had to be dragged over and have Fuma always by him for the medical examination. He was in a very bad mood and constantly glared at the two vampires who brought him. Fuma stood awkwardly by him, refusing to be his father figure again but unable to say no for now.

As they saw him Lestate and Victoria hurried over to Alex to hug their Death "Welcome my friend" Lestate said in his sing song tone.

"You're back! I was so glad! I felt so alone!" Victoria chirped, jumping on Alex and wrapping her arms around him a little too violently.

"What do you mean you felt alone, what about Lestate, wasn't he good company?" Alex sounded like he was talking to a child. Indeed the little blond vampire girl looked very childish and not particularly smart.

She reminded Kamui of Yuzuriha; perhaps the two could be friends sometime.

Victoria pouted, "He keeps calling me a simpleton Britton and patronizes me" Alex turned a mock accusing look at Lestate who stared coldly back.

"But she is a simpleton".

Alex shook his head and sighed, returning to hug Kamui instead of them.

Next came Kakyou who surprised everyone as he walked on his own to the door and over to the examination table. Dimitri was there by his side all the time, making sure he was all right.

When it was time for Kakyou to sit on the examination table he had some difficulty with his weak body. Dimitri simply held him at his waist and lifted him gently to the table, making the young man blush a bit.

Dimitri turned to chat with Alex in Russian. They spoke a bit until Alex suddenly cried out something. "Oh my…." He said finally after some moment of silence and staring at Dimitri.

"What is it? Alex? Did this man heal Kakyou?" Fuma switched looks from Kakyou to Alex and Dimitri, amazed at the crippled man's healing.

"Err….not really….it's funny actually…..well….eh…..you see, this man here thinks Kakyou is a beautiful young woman and wonders if I know if she has a boyfriend…." Alex tired not to smile too hard or burst out laughing.

Kamui and Fuma did it for him.

Dimitri glared razors at them, silencing them all. When Alex explained him of the situation his eyes went dim a bit and he sighed. He walked away to lean at the corner, eyeing Kakyou constantly.

Karen and Seiichiro arrived, nearly stomped down by Jacob rushing over to Alex. The two men shared a friendly masculine hug, babbling in yet another unknown language.

Fuma began wondering how many languages this Alex knows. He turned his gaze to Kamui who was looking bored.

"I'll go get David, he's probably sleeping, that lazy idiot" Jacob rushed out of a back door in the large infirmary hall.

"You look bored Kamui" Fuma neared his friend worriedly.

Kamui, who was standing with his hands folded on his chest looking a bit annoyed now turned a pair of surprised happy eyes to Fuma.

"Y-you care?" he asked, mauve eyes filled with hope and happiness.

Fuma smiled softly at him "Of course I care, I'm me again Kamui, remember?"

Kamui's eyes filled with tears of happiness.

Another man stormed in with Jacob through the back door. This man wore a pair of dirty black pants and nothing more. He had two big crow-like black wings protruding from his back. Between them, on his back he had a mark of a red plus sign.

He rushed to Alex and grabbed him into a hug, Alex hugged back. They squeezed each other for a while relishing on the reunion.

Kamui turned his eyes to the scene. They went dull again, his mood murky "Sometimes it seems to me like everything revolves around Alex. Sometimes I feel like something pretty that hangs from his hand across my shoulder….I feel like a trinket and nothing more".

Fuma wrapped his arms around Kamui and hugged him softly "You'll always have me here Kamui, if you need anything" his hot breath on Kamui neck made the boy shudder, sending him into another emotional whirlpool.

Karen saw the reuniting scene of the three men as well and noted the crow-winged man also had a number on his right arm, she wondered how many of them there are in this dimension.

Her mind was dragged from that when Seiichiro sat on the examination table and was ordered to take his shirt off.

Yuzuriha, Arashi, Sorata and Kusanagi entered the infirmary next, still eyeing the fur coated man with a great amount of awkwardness.

Charlie called the purple haired nurse to help him bandaging Kusanagi and Yuzuriha's frost bites.

As they were dealt with and examined the Seals chatted merrily, sharing their experiences. Karen noted the earplugs in the fur coated man's ears and wondered if he had another pair, Yuzuriha and Sorata really started gritting her nerves as they reached higher and higher pitches telling her and Seiichiro of their adventures.

Kamui found he was happy to have his friends surrounding him while Alex was sharing cold respectful 'welcome' stares with the Iceman who brought Arashi and the rest with him.

Why did he like it? Why when in the mean time he wished for all of them to give him and Fuma some time alone?

He must be missing Fuma that's all….or was it? Then he wouldn't want Alex away from him so badly….maybe it was because he wasn't a vampire again….or was it?

Kamui looked away, consumed by his emotions, wishing all of a sudden to be completely alone.

Subaru and Seishiro walked in, huffing and puffing from the walk long, followed by Spike and Ace. The latter threw himself on Alex merrily, shrieking his name. They hugged, Alex obviously awkward by the gesture. There was something bordering on violence in the way Alex finely tore Ace off of him and there was a bit of fear and madness in his eyes when he did it.

Ace seemed used to this reaction, he knew it would come and still he couldn't keep his emotions from showing. After Alex tore him off he stood a little away from the man, hanging big loving eyes at him.

Alex knew Ace was in love with him, he knew Kamui knew it too. He became suspicious again as he saw Kamui watch them hug and not do anything. In the past Kamui used to share long angry silences with Ace whenever they were together in the same room because Kamui was jealously suspicious of Ace. Now Kamui, standing so closely to Fuma, didn't even as much as flinch. Why?

Subaru turned into a light shade of red when Charlie, translated by a heavily smirking Seishiro, asked him to take his shirt off for the medical examination. Seishiro helped turning Subaru even darker red when he was asked the same.

"You're behaving like you were when you were 16 Subaru-kun, that's so cute" he purred atop the examination table.

Subaru glared at him, putting his shirt back on, turning his back to the Sakurazukamori when he heard his chuckles.

But deep inside Subaru was happy; no matter where they are they're united now. They were frank about their emotions to each other, they were one. Finally.

He smiled to himself thinking of how they sat by each other on Kanoe's bed before they were taken here, they were still holding hands. He felt complete and happy, at last.

He turned his smile to Seishiro who stared back at him a bit puzzled. Subaru didn't look away even when staring right at Seishiro in his half naked mode. There was something anticipating in his eyes.

Seishiro understood what it was and smiled back, satisfied.

Yutu was the last to come in, the two Noters with him eyed suspiciously by the Iceman. The two girls chatted with Yutu of some watery demonstration he threw to impress them, which was also the cause of their delay.

Yutu seemed to have them spun around his little finger, almost shepherding them along with him. The two young women were flushed, eyes glittering, bubbly and happy as if they were infatuated with him.

Yutu himself had noticed that he was having his charms on them stronger then he was used to. They were young, which could explain it, but still, he never confronted someone the way he did with Ferret back there and got it going so smoothly.

He eyed the people around him in the infirmary as they seemed to have come out just to look at him.

Every medic, every nurse, and every worker around the infirmary came into the main hall when Yutu came in, as if called in by magic.

Alex noted that too, reminding himself to think about it later.

Once they were all united they went through a short interview. These interviews, conducted by a tired looking psychologist and a Noter were to determine what they would do in this dimension.

From experience and past mistakes the leaders of the City's residents and it's surroundings understood that a job was the best thing for newcomers: The shock of being torn from their worlds would mellow a bit as soon as they'd fit into some system. Their worried / frightened/ wondering mind would find an occupation something distracting enough to soften the blow.

The Harbingers and Seals all possessed unusual powers that would usually send them straight to the rescue team but each insisted on keeping as close to their usual jobs, if they had ones.

Yutu and Seiichiro were suggested to stay in the infirmary's re-homing center. Here they kept a record of each residence of the populated area of the planet, sort of like a ward office.

The two men's experience with paper work was perfect for the job.

Seiichiro moved awkwardly in his seat as he saw Yutu smiling at him saying "Looks like we're going to be working together, Dragon of Heaven".

Seiichiro answered him with a chilling glare "That is all over you know. It's useless to try and revive it".

Yutu still smiled but looked away, he knew he shouldn't tease the man who was just torn from his family and his home.

Karen had two choices; it was either the makeshift brothel in the city she could fit in to, or the rescue team. She chose the latter "I had a taste of doing something to protect peoples' lives back in my dimension and I'd like to stick to that". She did wonder how a brothel in a place like this would look like though.

Seishiro was asked if he had any occupations "I was an assassin". He had to say "was", it hurt him.

Here he was without his aim in life, without his constant true occupation as it was in his home, without the purpose his family served for ages…would he manage to deal with life like that?

Perhaps Subaru could help him.

The Noter he smiled at glared back at him. She gave him a heavy reprimanding look "Well we don't need anything like that here do we now".

Seishiro felt like tearing her head off her neck. She was a young woman of maybe 20 tops, what right had she to act like that towards him?

He only smirked at her, letting his evil aura go a bit so she could pick up his irritation and the danger behind it.

She ignored it, or maybe she couldn't pick it up.

"That was all? You never had another job?" she asked coldly.

"Well, I was a vet for a while there…"

"Ah good, our already existing vet is in need of an assistant"

"You mean people here have the time and money to keep cats and dogs as pets?"

"No, they have cattle, horses, sheep, and the likes. The vet we have is currently working his ass off on them"

"Hang on a second, I never studied anything about such animals, I was…."

"Animals are animals aren't they? You'll be his assistant and learn as you go by. That's all for you, next one please" she cut him off to scribble several things on the paper with his name on its head.

Seishiro felt his right arm rising, and then remembered that there isn't any point in it is there?

He simply got up and quietly left, feeling empty and defeated.

He hated all these emotions welling up in him, it made him weak and soft. Subaru passed him on his way into the room. He made Seishiro's emotions cheer up a bit though he still hated them.

Subaru, Arashi, Sorata, Kamui, Fuma, Yuzuriha and Kusanagi were put into the Rescue Team. They were mostly too young to have had any prior jobs while their powers were a shame to waste.

Kusanagi was a little military expert; he was suggested to help out the Noters. He shuddered and muttered something about military police and awkwardness. His powers sent him to the Rescue Team.

Nataku sat with his hands crossed on his chest pouting, he refused any offer he was given. Such a young man with no experience and without the ribbon that was his weapon was useless.

Yet at the same time he was a blank page, ready to learn any profession. His interviewers tried reasoning with him but it was like talking to a brick wall; he was as stubborn as the child he was within.

Finally the Noter snapped and growled "If you won't accept any job I'll put you as an assistant undertaker in the graveyard. You'll be digging graves and pulling on bodies with David all day long. You'll eat, sleep, bathe, breath all around corpses".

That made a little effect on Nataku; he fumbled with the edges of his shirt, burying his stare there as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. After some pause he simply shrugged childishly and pouted harder, pushing his jaw stubbornly forward. Tears began forming in his eyes.

The psychologist sat there fascinated by the humanoid with a three petals flower on his forehead. He was looking grown up but behaving like a complete child. His shell of emotionless behavior was shattered and under it a little scared boy (or girl!) was found. And there was such sadness in his eyes, why?

He broke himself off his chain of thoughts and placed a calming hand on the Noter's palm about to write 'undertaker assistant' on Nataku's paper.

"Don't write him in anywhere yet Gazelle, I think I might need to do some work on him"

Gazelle sneered "Tell me about it….".

Nataku was then deemed to stay with the rest of his friends with no occupation for now but to come and meet the psychologist daily.

"Is that alright Nataku?" the psychologist asked kindly, gaining Nataku's surprised look. After some more staring the bioroid nodded softly, still pouting and shrugging like a child.

Kakyou was deemed as rather worthless; he was too weak to do any work and the people around him didn't seem to take his dreamgazing abilities as very useful.

He had no former occupation, no trade, no talents but his dreamgazing, nothing. They told him to come over once a month to see if there's anything for him and in the meantime do some training to get himself in shape.

He walked out of the interviewing room sadly, leaning on the walls constantly to support his weak body.

His head felt heavy from the experience-packed day and the thoughts zooming madly in his mind. he was so sad he didn't watch his step.

He tripped and fell helplessly, nearly hitting the ground, when he was caught again.

He looked up at Dimitri who was smiling to him softly.

He said something in Russian which Alex translated for Kakyou "He says you're not a woman, but he supposes he could keep you as company, what do you say?" Kakyou looked back at Dimitri and smiled "Arigato gosaimas" he muttered, letting Alex translate it back.

The last stage was to find them a home. The Rescue Team's little house was too small to hold all its new members which was a problem. The twelve remaining of the bunch decided to live all together, for the sake of the good old days.

A big half destroyed house was found for them. It was a little further from the crowded city, towering atop a small hill with its three floors.

It looked like the building was once a big cake sliced in two by a chef's précised knife. The bit of it that still stood had enough rooms in it to hold them all. There was a kitchen and a living room on the first floor, a huge laundry rake in the back yard and a toilet shed. On the second floor there were five rooms neatly arranged with their doors facing each other in a narrow hallway. The third floor seemed to be non existent, a huge slanting roof and nothing more.

Due to the low number of rooms and some familiarities between the Seals and Harbingers it was agreed amongst them that some had to share a room with others.

Subaru and Seishiro shared a room of their own, so did Arashi and Sorata (much to the rejoice of the latter).

Yuzuriha blushed deeply as she was suggested to share a room with Kusanagi. She calmed a little as she saw the room spoken of held two beds.

Karen walked into the conversation between her and Kusanagi "I think maybe you and I should share this room, girls should stay with girls" she spoke to Yuzuriha, glaring at Kusanagi from time to time.

Under that arrangement Seiichiro shared his room with Yutu "It'll be comfortable since we both have to wake up at the same time to go to the infirmary in the morning" the blond smiled.

Seiichiro gave Karen a 'help me!' look.

She smiled at him, holding back a giggle.

Fuma would share a room with Kusanagi, who was just kicked out of his room with Yuzuriha and didn't care much about anything else.

Nataku would sleep in the same room since there were three beds there. He didn't seem to care about anything either.

"And you my prince" Alex wrapped an arm around Kamui's waist "go back to our room; your coffin is still there".

Kamui edged from the hug a little "I don't need a coffin anymore" he said coldly.

They were mostly alone now, all the rest went up to their rooms to settle down, Fuma being the last of them sending a slightly longing "Goodnight Kamui" at his friend.

"Well, we can fix that, no problem" Alex nuzzled Kamui's neck, inhaling his unique scent.

Kamui shrugged away from the touch "Alex…I want to stay human for a while….do…do you mind?" he looked up at Alex hopefully.

Alex looked a bit disappointed "But…you know….we couldn't…."

"Don't worry about that, I'm tired anyway. Surely you can hold yourself a little bit" Kamui didn't wait for an answer; he walked out of the building's door leaving Alex behind him wondering.

Alex stayed standing there, thinking.

He could sense Fuma wasn't in his room yet. He was high enough up the stairs to the second floor where he couldn't be seen or heard yet hear the conversation between Alex and Kamui.

Why was he listening? Why was he looking at Kamui like that? Why did Kamui not want to have him again like before? What was that patronizing impatient tone that snuck into Kamui's voice when he spoke to him?

There was something between the two boys, some bond that was more then friendship….

Alex tried to shake the thoughts away but it didn't work this time, he was suspicious and growingly jealous.

"Goodnight Fuma" he growled, sensing the youth heard him and climbed up the rest of the stairs in a hurry.

He hoped his words held enough of a threat to get the message through to his rival.

Kamui noted Alex wasn't following him. He found he was upset.

Fuma was back with him and it felt different then what he thought it'd be. He was human again but he wasn't without his memories like before…..

And still, with everything in mind, he longed to spend more time with Fuma…and not with Alex….

(tbc)