A Race Against Time

by capricorn2645

after yuki comes back from a book signing he cant find shuichi. all thats there is a note that says.ive gone to help a friend. then he listens to the answering machine and recognizes a certain murderers voice.. sequel to time is running out

10. On The Breeze Of A Memory

Chapter 10: On The Breeze Of A Memory

(A/N this is the final chapter of my sequel A Race Against Time… id like to thank all of you for supporting me and reviewing…without further ado…I give you chapter 10!!!

-BANG-

The sound made Shuichi jump up from where he was and race out of the room. A thought kept nagging at the back of his mind. Where was Tatsumi? His question was answered for him as minutes later; doctors wheeled a dead Tatsumi out of the room next door. A doctor followed close behind and whispered something to the nurse; he held a folded piece of paper in his hand. The nurse nodded and went into Yuki's room and wheeled him out.

"What's going on?" Shuichi asked as fresh tears poured down his face.

The doctor smiled kindly and gently led him into Yuki's room.

"Sit down and get some rest," he said softly as he handed Shuichi the note, "this will explain everything.

Confused Shuichi read the note that had been left for him.

Dear Shuichi,

I have come to think of you as my friend which is why I had to do something to

help you. I have nothing left to live for in this world Shuichi. The only thing I

had to live for was my family and after they were killed all I had was Ichiro

but now he's gone. I wouldn't be doing this if Ichiro was still here but I'm

glad I am doing this. My family waits for me on the other side and I happily

join them. My life has never been good. My daughter, my wife and my brother

made it better but my life has been going nowhere but down hill ever since my

mother died, and that was before I even met Hitomi. I've been trapped in this

life and the more I lived it the worst it got. My family was the only thing that

kept me here but now they're gone. My heart was shattered Shuichi, shattered

beyond repair. If I didn't die now then I would have eventually. But even

though it's shattered I'm sure Yuki can make good use of it. Take my heart

Shuichi; it is the only gift I can think of to give to you. It's the only thing that

can make up for all that I've put you through. You are my friend and I hope

you can forgive me and see me as your friend. Give Yuki my heart and I will

finally rest in peace.

Good Bye Shuichi,

Your Friend,

Tatsumi.

Shuichi had never done so much crying in his life. He cried for Hitomi and Sakura, for Tatsumi's mother. For what ever had made his father such a horrible man. He cried for Yuki and for Tatsumi. And last of all he cried for Tatsumi's sacrifice. When no more tears would come Shuichi leaned his head back against the chair and let fatigue overtake him.

Shuichi woke for a moment as the doctor wheeled Yuki back in. He tried to stop himself from looking at the bloody bandage that rested over his heart.

"I'd like to talk to you for a moment," the doctor motioned to the door. Shuichi reluctantly followed, casting one last look at Yuki before he left the room.

"The transplant surgery went well," the doctor started, "but he has lost too much blood and he has been unconscious for so long that the outcome is not very certain. At the present his body has entered a coma and we have no way of knowing when, or if, he will come out of it. It's best to look at the options. Did Mr.Yuki believe in prolonged life?"

Shuichi was barely aware of what the doctor was saying.

A coma? "If" he ever wakes up. What if Tatsumi's sacrifice was for nothing? What if Yuki never wakes up?

Finally the doctor left and Shuichi returned to Yuki's side. Shuichi found out that it was early Friday morning. Yuki had been shot Wednesday night. Shuichi stayed by his side all through Friday. Friday afternoon Mika and Tohma came by and stayed a few hours. Friday evening K, Hiro and Suguru came. Saturday morning Tatsuha stopped by. They all looked at Yuki with saddened expressions. They were all sure that Yuki would never wake up.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Just over a week since Yuki was shot and he still hadn't woken up. Shuichi heard voices from outside the door and crept closer pressing his ear to it.

He could just make out Mika's teary voice as she spoke to the doctor. Four words that she said made Shuichi stumble back in surprise.

"…won't prolong his pain."

She was really going to do it. She was going to kill Yuki.

Shuichi ran to Yuki's side and took his hand.

"Please Yuki wake up. You have to wake up Yuki," his small body shook with uncontrollable sobbs. " Please wake up."

"Come back to me Yuki. I need you. Why won't you wake up. I'll be good. I won't bother you while you're writing. I'll be quiet."

Tears poured from his eyes and landed on Yuki's blanket.

"I'll be so, so quiet. Please Yuki, I can't lose you too. I can't lose you Yuki."

He rested his head on Yuki's lap as he gripped his hand.

"Why won't you wake up. You're supposed to be ok now. Tatsumi died so you would be ok. You have to wake up. If you wake up we can go home, we can pretend none of this ever happened. There's no more danger. No more bad guys coming after us. Everything's ok, you just have to wake up."

The beep beep of the machine was the only sound that broke the silence, except for Shuichi's sobs.

Shuichi was crying so hard he was having a hard time breathing, but he didn't get up, he didn't even raise his head. Instead he squeezed Yuki's hand tighter and begged one more time.

"Please just wake up."

Shuichi spent the rest of the day crying and holding Yuki's hand. Finally he couldn't stay awake anymore and he drifted into a restless sleep.

Darkness is everywhere, crushing him in on all sides. Shuichi recognized the darkness instantly. It was the same darkness that tried to pull him down when he lay dieing just five months ago.

"Yuki!" he cried out into the darkness. No answer.

Then suddenly there he was. Floating through the darkness.

"Yuki!" Shuichi cried again as he struggled to make his way to Yuki. But the darkness started to pull him away and then Yuki was lost from his sight.

YPOV

The darkness overcame me and I accepted it. I let it carry me along. I let it slowly consume me. I don't know how long I drifted. Time was not important. Nor would it ever be important again. The longer I drifted, the farther I got away from the light. At first the light was just beyond my reach, but now as I drifted further and further, I knew I would never reach it again.

I was aware of some things as I floated in the darkness. Sometimes for a brief moment I could hear someone crying. But then the darkness closed in and the sound was lost.

I continued to drift.

"Yuki!"

The name barely registered. Yuki. A name I had forgotten while I was wrapped in this never ending darkness.

"Yuki!"

And that voice. So familiar. But it's too far away, I can't reach it. The darkness is too heavy, crushing my mind and my heart. It weighs down my hopes and crushes my will. But the name. I recognize the name. Was it my name?

And who was the voice who screamed it? I feel like I should know. My memories lay hidden in the darkness and as long as it controls me, I will never know the name of the crying angel.

A crying angel with amethyst eyes.

The eyes. I can see them in my minds eye. Beautiful tearful eyes. And the angel with those eyes, crying my name. Where was that place, the place with the crying angel? It's a blur but it happened just before the darkness reached out its cold hands and took me for its own. It's a blur. All except for the angel.

Shuichi lay suspended in the darkness as Yuki vanished from his sight.

"Yuki," sobs racked his body and a single tear made its way down his cheek. The tear fell slowly into the enveloping darkness and then it disappeared.

Yuki could hear something. Someone was crying. Again someone was crying. He wanted to find the person and comfort them but the darkness hid the person from his view. But then he felt something. Well, he saw something. The darkness seemed to become just a shade lighter. But it was enough. He found he could move again.

"Yuki. Please come back. Please." Tears continued to slide down his face. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry Yuki! Please come back."

"Why did you have to do it? Why did you jump in front of the bullet? It was meant for me. Not you! It was meant for me. Why didn't you just let it get me? You would be ok. You wouldn't be trapped in here."

"Please God. Just let me die. Let Yuki live and you can have me. Take me instead, just please, please give him back."

Shuichi cried out into the darkness,

"Yuki I love you come back!"

He could move. And now he could hear the angel's voice. The angel was crying.

"Yuki. Please come back please."

Yuki. Now he knew he was Yuki. The darkness became lighter.

"This is all my fault. I'm so sorry Yuki! Please come back."

It's not your fault, he wanted to say, but words would not form in his mouth.

And then he could see him. He could see the crying angel. And he really was an angel.

My angel? The thought appeared in his mind.

"Why did you have to do it? Why did you jump in front of the bullet? It was meant for me. Not you! It was meant for me. Why didn't you just let it get me? You would be ok. You wouldn't be trapped in here."

Bullet?

I jumped in front of a bullet?

Wait.

Bullet. Warehouse. The angel with the amethyst eyes.

"Please God. Just let me die. Let Yuki live and you can have me. Take me instead, just please, please give him back."

The memories slowly started to come back as the darkness became less and less forceful.

Bullet. Warehouse.

A gun and I screamed. The trigger. With all my strength I pulled away. I was in the air, sailing towards him. The bullet dug its way into my flesh, settling into my heart. I cried out at the pain and then darkness closed in on my vision. All went dark.

But I had saved him.

That's all that mattered.

The angels purple hair swaying as he searched.

Purple hair that used to be pink, and smelled of strawberries.

Strawberries?

"Yuki I love you come back!"

I moved closer to the angel and then he turned suddenly and looked at me. Our eyes met and in that instant the darkness was no more and from his amethyst eyes poured tears.

My crying angel.

My Shuichi.

I stared into the light of his crying eyes, and then once again everything went dark.

YPOV

I was aware of four things when I woke up. One: the beeping of a machine. Two: the mask over my mouth. Three: the pain in my heart. Four: someone was holding my hand and his tears soaked my blanket.

I moved the mask away from my mouth and gazed at him softly. He was still sleeping.

"Shuichi," I whispered softly. My voice came out hoarse like it hadn't been used in a long time.

"Shu. Wake up."

SPOV

I woke up and tears were still sliding down my face.

"Shuichi." The voice I had longed to hear for so long whispered softly. More tears fell down my face. Why did my mind play such horrible tricks on me?

"Shu. Wake up."

I sat up slowly and opened my eyes. Preparing myself to be faced with a sleeping Yuki.

Golden eyes stared back at me.

"Yuki," I whispered, afraid to say his name.

He opened his arms and I leapt into them. So many tears had been shed in the last week but I couldn't help myself. The joy that overwhelmed me was too much and I cried into his arms as he held me as tight as his stitches would allow.

YPOV

He jumped into my arms and I held him as close as I could. Savouring the smell of strawberries and his hot tears on my bare skin. I closed my eyes and drank in his warmth; this is what had been missing in the darkness. This is why it had been so dark and so lonely. I didn't have Shuichi with me. He was truly my angel. Never leaving my side. The only one who was able to break through the darkness and find me. He brought me back from the dark. Back from the swirling mass of doubt and pain.

His small body shook in my arms as his arms gripped me tighter. I kissed him softly on the head and waited until he ran out of tears to shed.

Saturday

Yuki was finally discharged from the hospital. Shuichi and Yuki got home at five and spent the rest of the evening lying in each others arms.

This was all that mattered. In such a short time they had almost lost each other twice and they weren't going to take another moment of life for granted.

They lay in the bed and Yuki wrapped his arms around Shuichi's waist pulling his closer, while Shuichi wrapped his arms around Yuki's neck. Their bare chests warmed each other, banishing what little cold was left from the darkness.

Shuichi rested his head softly on Yuki's shoulder and whispered into his ear.

"I'm sorry Yuki."

Yuki pulled back and stared at his lover, his amethyst eyes had already gone misty.

"It wasn't your fault. And don't you ever think for a minute that it was. Not for a minute."

Shuichi opened his mouth to protest but Yuki silenced him with a kiss.

He wrapped Shuichi in a hug and he could feel his lover's hands on the back of his head.

He put all emotions he couldn't put into words into that kiss.

It was my decision.

You saved me.

Tatsumi saved me.

Everything's ok.

Were going to be ok.

I promised myself and you, that I would never let anyone hurt you ever again and I kept my promise.

I love you.

Yuki broke the kiss and swept a stray strand of hair out of his lover's eyes.

The eyes of an angel.

"I love you Shuichi."

Shuichi buried his head into the crook of his lover's neck. He could feel the beat of Tatsumi's heart in his chest.

"I love you too Yuki. So much."

Yuki could tell Shuichi was listening to his heart. "Tomorrow we'll go," he said.

Shuichi cuddled closer and for the first time in a long time, had a good nights sleep.

Shuichi looked down at the polished stones. All standing in a row. Four of them in all.

First Hitomi, then Sakura, Tatsumi and finally Ichiro. Fajitzi's body had been handed over to the mob and he had been cremated earlier in the week.

Shuichi bent down to read the inscription on Tatsumi's grave.

Here lies Tatsumi Hoang

A beloved father, husband, brother and friend

May he finally rest in peace

Away from all of life's troubles.

Shuichi stood and wiped the dirt off his knees. He felt Yuki put an arm around his waist and felt a single tear slide down his cheek.

He leaned lightly on Yuki and stared at the grave a moment longer.

Shuichi paused as a soft wind blew across the tree tops and swirled around him. He closed his eyes and smiled softly as the wind wiped away his tear. "Thank you." He whispered to the wind.

Yuki held him tighter as he heard the words escape his Shuichi's lips.

"Come on brat lets go home," he said softly.

Shuichi and Yuki walked back to the car hand in hand and Shuichi was finally at peace knowing that Tatsumi was with his family.

But as Shuichi opened the door to the car he paused as the wind circled him once again and he smiled and laughed softly as he heard the words that the wind carried.

"No. Thank you."

The wind blew back over the treetops and faded over the horizon, to where it had come from.

But if you listened carefully as it blew by, you could hear a childs laugh.

You could feel a woman's kiss and a friends hug.

And if you closed your eyes you could see a young man's smile.

And now they were finally all together. And that's how it should be.

As they drove away from the graveyard Shuichi remembered a poem he had read long ago, and it finally made sense to him. He closed his eyes and smiled. Everything would be ok.

When I am gone

Do not mourn

I am the evening star in the night

I am the breath you draw

I am the ocean beating the sand

I am the birds in flight

And the whisper amongst the trees

I am the wind that softly passes you by

I am not dead

I am more alive then ever before

I live in you

And I live in everything around you

Finally I am at peace

Finally

I can soar

Watch me fly

Watch my wings grace the sky

I fly on wings of love

And on wings of peace

I fly on the wings of my loved

Who fly next to me

So don't weep for me

I am where I want to be

I am whole

And I am free

The End

(A/N WOW my sequel is finally completed… so I hope you all realize now why Ichiro had to die… if he hadn't then Yuki would have… I know it was horrible of me to make Tatsumi suffer so much but he's finally at peace with his family… and like his tombstone said… away from life's troubles…

I'd like to thank Captara and FFirst for reviewing every single one of my chapters!! I hope you guys review this one!!! You guys rock… and thank you soo much to everyone else who reviewed and gave me their support.

I'd like to thank:

gravichick, obsession14-c, HuMaN-EaTiNg-PaNdA –HEP, Nanodaperson, buchouslvr, sweet yaoi blood (), SeerVixion, aarnikotka, Sangokagome, DarkMetalAngel of Destruction,intellgent-one, Vampire of the Bloody Rose, Kin Inu(), KawaiiEarBiter, Sailorlight22, Enzeru Chan, naruto's girl (), KitCat45

And I'd also like to thank:

yuri shubiya, fahaar, sailoranimegirl, vyravyra, i love athrun, dragonfire04, snowwhite4444 ,xXCherryNekoXx, crazysnape, lilrocker, Hatari Iris, Aacire, KasiaNoodle, ShinigamixGirl, Loveless19, shuichi's big sis (), fahaar, brandy (), 0TwistedAngel0, kianna13, KyoHana, Saint Germain, catti-dono, hpets, Loveless19, and Hyouga sama.

And of course Shanny&Mere!!!

P.S: if any of you have any suggestions for me for future gravitation fics id love to hear them…cause at the moment I have nothing lol ( now I have to go back and finish my twilight fic uh oh lol)

Thank you all soooo much!!!!!!! And please all of you review… and I mean everyone... even the people who just put a story alert on this one :P I know who you are hahaha lol anyways… I love all of you!!!!!! And thank you sooo much!

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