Disclaimer: Characters are still owned by Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura. Song does not belong to me, it belongs to the Production company behind the Musical RENT; I don't lay claim to the song.

AN: Song used in this is "Goodbye Love" from the Jonathan Larson musical RENT.

Chapter 11

"Roxas, what is the matter with you?" Rinoa was taken back by the frightened tone of Roxas' scream as she saw Leon starting to lean to the side and getting a little tipsy on his feet.

Roxas couldn't bring himself to speak any further as he saw Leon leaning forward, tipping to the side as Rinoa caught him, but it was brought to light of what had happened as she pulled a hand away at the feeling of something wet against her hand.

"WE NEED A NURSE IN HERE!"

"I'm…I'm…I'm fine…it's just a scratch," Leon was softly muttering and slurring his words as he was helped out into the Hall and towards the Nurse's Station.

A blond Nurse sat at the Triage Station, talking on the phone as Roxas walked up carrying his estranged Father's limp figure up, trying to keep him awake, "Yeah, I know, man, they don't pay us enough to do this job."

"HEY!" Roxas snapped out as he saw her eyes gaze his way as she went back to ignoring him.

"It was nothing, just some Patient," if this was the type of Nurse's working at this facility; he knew then that they had to get someone who cared to help them and get Cloud out of here.

Roxas attempted again to get her attention as he slammed his fist on the counter, but it wasn't working, "Could you get off the phone for one second and help me!"

Axel stood at the doorway of the Family Waiting Room watching Roxas struggling to get help for Leon; he had been enjoying the momentary reunion between them, but at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to move forward, if this had been any other time; he would've been at his aid to help him in a crisis like this. But, Roxas' unconscious signals had made it clear to him that Roxas didn't want him and could care if they were together. Sadly watching him struggling to get help for a man who could have turned them in for their awkward relationship back in High School was starting to weigh on his conscious; he couldn't help feel that he was going to regret not helping as he swallowed his pride for the moment. Larxene finished her cigarette as she walked in on the scene: Axel was moving to Roxas' side to help him find or at least obtain help from the less then help Nurse at the Desk while Leon was starting to slip from consciousness; she almost felt remorse for them, but at the same time. She didn't like the sight of her man helping out the one that should've been the man's ex and she was going to assure she got her man away from the mess.

Axel couldn't stand waiting for the Nurse to get off the phone as he slammed his hand down on the receiver, "Hey, Barbie, get off the damn phone and pay at least a bit of attention that you even give a damn about the general public. This guy here has been trying to get your attention and his old man is bleeding out, now, unless you want a lawsuit on your hands, you'll get off your ass, get the nice Doctor over there," he pointed out to Dr. McKinley, "And you'll get this guy some fucking help. You got that or do you need me to get Ken to retell it in terms you can understand?"

"Dr. McKinley to the Nurse's Station, Dr. McKinley," it didn't make much persuasion for the woman to do her job as the Doctor came over; orders were given out to transport Leon to a room for a blood transfusion and to check to see why the wound was bleeding.

Roxas watched as Leon was carted away, as much as he couldn't stand Axel at this moment, "…Thanks"

There was a chance for redemption as Roxas softly spoke the words as if in slow motion; he brushed past the man and then past Larxene as he walked out into the Ambulance bay to hail a cab for home; Rinoa was going to hang back at the Hospital to keep tabs on Cloud and now Leon, Roxas figured he'd head back for his Mom's place since he had promised to stay for the weekend. Axel wasn't sure how to take the gesture or even words from the only person in his life as his eyes went back to Leon, to Larxene, and then to Rinoa who had been standing in the doorway watching the unfolding drama. Larxene scoffed as she walked up to Axel; her smile coldly calculating to every end of it all as she looked him over.

"So, now that this little emergency is over, let's go back home and get some sleep," Larxene's hands worked into Axel's; Axel was simply comatose, a willingly participant in her presence, "Come on."

Rinoa watched Axel leave with the woman she knew was not the life he wanted; he reminded her greatly of Leon. When they use to date or even before they use to date; she would see him walking around with women that seemed to think he was the hottest thing on two legs; aimed at any chance to get him alone and have their way with him, she could see where Roxas got it from when he had been with Namine. He had been an unwilling participant in a game of dating and romance as well as the strange game of wanting to have bragging rights that they had done it with the man. As Roxas stood outside waiting for a cab, his blood had grown cold, not only attributed from the fridge cold air outside, may it be metaphorical for his life he lived at this time or if it was real. It grew colder at the sight of Axel walking unwilling at Larxene's side as they climbed into their car; it seemed like a cruel sort of epiphany.

"T-T-Taxi!" Roxas shivered as his teeth chattered against the cold as he flagged a Taxi down, "4th and Twilight Sunset Blvd."

It felt warm inside the cab, warm like being in the tight knit embrace of Axel's arms that he had been moments before in the Hospital; Gaia how he missed that feeling, feeling him hold him close and just hold him. But, his mind became drawn to another place entirely as music filled the inner part of the cab, "What is this song called?"

"Goodbye Love from that play out there in Hollow Bastion at the local Theatre Playhouse, I think it's called RENT?" the driver called back to him as he turned it down, "Ever seen it kid?"

"I don't think so…"

"Well, if you get a chance kid, check it out," the man's fingers turned it back up as it reached a moment of the singers almost screaming at one another for what the other had done to them.
We used to have this fight each night
Calm down
She'd never admit I existed
Everyone please
He was the same way - he was always "run away - hit the road don't commit" you're full of shit!
She's in denial
He's in denial
Didn't give an inch when I gave a mile
Come on
I gave a mile
Gave a mile to who?
Come on guys chill!
I'd be happy to die for a taste of what Angel had someone to live for-unafraid to say I love you
All your words are nice Mimi but love's not a three way street you'll never share real love until you love your self-I should know

Roxas listened to the words of the song knowing it was only a song that helped the story along; the friends in it had lost a dear friend and now things that had nothing to do with their friend's death were surfacing causing much distress. In a way, he could relate to the song on many levels; it was something he could do with this song, he had given the mile and taken only an inch of what Axel had had to say about Larxene. Now, he was letting their prides get the better of them, causing all this hate. As the song wore on, a voice of reasoning seemed to step into the picture, calming the burning flames of anger sparking between the various parties; Leon had been the common denominator that had been the cooling fan of all their heated discussions, but now…
You all said you'd be cool today

So please for my sake...
I can't believe he's gone
I can't believe your going
I can't believe this family must die
Angel helped us believe in love I can't believe you disagree
I can't believe this is good bye
… how could she?

"How could that woman just walk into our lives and act like she could ruin everything we had created…it doesn't seem possible…" Roxas' thoughts were fixated on everything; Larxene's treacherous ways, the nightmare that had rocked his world when he heard his Mom drop a dish on the kitchen floor upon hearing his estranged Father almost screaming and crying through the phone about Cloud, "…We can't be like them…if we do, then…"

The driver paid no heed or attention to Roxas' words, "Okay kid, the stop is coming up you better hope for your sake you have fare."

"Don't worry…I do," Roxas started fishing through his pockets for cab fare, but when he felt he had left his wallet back at his Mom's place; he feared the worst as the cab pulled up to a place he was all too familiar with; it was Axel's apartment.

"Well kid?"

The driver was waiting for his fee as he held his hand out into the darkened back seat of the cab, "You got any cash on you?"

"…I must've left my wallet in my room on my rush to the Hospital, could you wait and I'll go get it for you?" Roxas climbed out as the driver idled the car outside the building waiting for the kid.

"You got ten minutes, kid."

One near miss tragedy was hard enough to deal with that night, but the tragedy cries that screamed out from the apartment was not matched to Leon's screams out of fear of losing Cloud to a mad man. Roxas had walked in on something he had never wished to walk in on; Axel squirming under a forceful Larxene, she had cornered him back on to the bed and where Roxas found her hands on Axel would have made any other man sick. Axel tried all he could to get her off him as the sound of her fleshy chest slapping together as he pushed her off onto the floor was not matched by Roxas' racing footsteps down the stairwell as doors slammed behind with Axel half dressed chasing him down.

"Roxas, Roxas! Wait, just hold up a damn minute! Will you just stop for one damn minute?!" Axel shouted as the cold air came out of his lips as the night hit him full on as he saw the cold tears coming down Roxas' face, "…Just…Just give me five minutes to explain myself…"

Roxas softly shook his head, "Please Roxas, I'm begging, I'm out here, in my bare feet in this snow bank, with only my pants on, begging you to just stop and listen to me explain myself."

"…You've had your chance, Axel, and now…Goodbye love…goodbye love….just came to say…goodbye love…" the words seemed to sing off his lips as they wafted from the radio in the Taxi's cab, "…Goodbye love."

"Roxas…p-please, don't do this…Just come back inside and I'll explain it all…"

Roxas softly shook his head as tears started to stream anew as he climbed into the Taxi, giving him new directions, "…13th and Willow St."

"Any particular reason, kid?" the Driver asked him over his shoulder as he kept his eyes on the road.

"…I'm going back home," Roxas softly sniffled through his tears as he tried to block out the image of Axel still chasing the Taxi down; numerous times the man had caught up with it, his fingers had only brushed the door handle until he had given up due to the cold slapping against his flesh, "…There isn't anything more back at that place that I use to call 'Home'…especially with…him."